-----Original Message-----
From: salomon jawara [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Friday, April 07, 2000 1:28 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: GAMBIA ORG CONFERENCE PAPER NR 1( LEADERSHIP
)
Dear Fatou :
The point here is, who is to be blamed for the down-fall of the
organization?
I think that the previous leaders of the organization should be
held responsible
for what ever happened to the organization. Every organization
requires
an effective leadership in order to function properly and to
obtain its´ objectives.
I can profoundly mention to you that the Gambian organization
has never had a
competent leadership.
What are the characteristics of a competent leader?
A: Supervisory abilities: The performance of basic functions of
management,
including planning, organizing, motivating, coordinating,
and controlling the
work of others.
B: Need for occupational achievement : The seeking of
responsibility and the
desire for success.
C: Intelligence : Creative and communication ability, including
judgement, reasoning
and thinking capacity.
D: Decisiveness : Ability to make decisions and solve problems
effectively.
E: Self confidence : Extend to which individual views himself or
herself as capable of
coping with problems.
F: Initiative: Ability to act independently and develop courses
of action not readily
apparent to other people. Self starter, be able to find new
innovative ways of doing
things.
RESPONSIBILITY:
Responsibility is an obligation to perfom work activity. The
leader must be available and
be capable of providing assistance and information to the
members when required.
He must be engaged in numerous activities essential towards the
success of the
organization. In this regard, responsibility is a felt
obligation. The degree to which a leader
feels the obligation to perfom is enhanced significantly if
responsibilities are clearly defined.
This brings us to " effective communication".
COMMUNICATION:
In order for members to get involved and participate as a team
to achieve the objectives
identified by the leader, they must have a clear understanding
of those objectives.
Communication is the transfer of information, ideas,
understanding, or feelings between
people. In every organization, especially the Gambian
organization, communication can
provide the means by which the objectives of the organization
may be accomplished in
a manner that benefits every Gambian in this community, even non
members. The behaviour
in which debates are to be held, programs, plans and other
activities to be implemented
must be communicated effectively and clearly to all the members
involved.
A common problem that affects the communication process is that
each person has a
different background, experience and objectives, especially with
in the Gambian communities.
It is very significant for the leaders of the Gambian
organization (OGIS) to realize that the
organization should be built on value, trust and confidence,
instead of having to deal
profoundly with "the money and the profits made." The money, the
money, the money, is
exclusively what i have been hearing about the gambian
organization ever since i left
the US and moved to Stockholm in 1986. The building of the above
mentioned qualities
may take some time to obtain, but it is vital to a resolution of
a crisis that it must be put into
immediate consideration. By winning the hearts of the Gambian
commnunity through
building value, trust and confidence, will the organization be
more effective in acquiring its´
objectives.
OBJECTIVES:
The organization must set up objectives that the members can
identify with. This can help
individuals identify ways of meeting their needs. Accomplishing
objectives can be reinforcing
in itself. Objective setting thus encourages and motivates
members to exert effort, and this way
be one of the most significant factors as far as managing a non
profitable organization is
concern. The objectives of the organization must be specified,
defined and implemented.
There must be time period limits set for these objectives as
well.
It is important for the organization (OGIS) to be more
proficient in dealing with issues like
democracy, transparency and accountability, in order to avoid
false impression, misunderstanding
and gossip. It must also be more dependent on the members. New
ideas should always be
encouraged and dealt with, democratically.
There have been some intellectuals who tried to manage the
organization previously, not realizing
that intelligence alone does not necessarily signify a competent
leader. Management requires
some of the skills and abilities mentioned above. I hope that
the reformation program that is
going on in the organization will be a successful one, that
provides the members and the rest
of the Gambian community in Sweden with value, trust and
confidence. Or the best Gambian
organization abroad ever existed.
Saul S.Jawara
Upplands Vasby
Sweden.
----- Original Message -----
From: "fatou" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Wednesday, April 05, 2000 7:55 PM
Subject: GAMBIA ORG CONFERENCE PAPER NR 1
> THIS PAPER WAS PRESENTED BY BROTHER BUHARRY AT THE GAMBIAN
ORGANISATION
> CONFERENCE IN STOCKHOLM SWEDEN, SUNDAY 2 APRIL 2000.FROM THE
ELECTORAL
> COMMITTEE.
> THANK YOU.
>
> ----------
> Från: MOMODOU BUHARRY GASSAMA
>
> Datum: den 4 april 2000 22:11
>
>
>
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> --------------------------------------------
>
> The situation of Gambians in Sweden has since the
arrival of
> the first Gambians in the country not been an enviable one.
This is due to
> a variety of factors. Factors such as tribalism, sectionalism,
disunity,
> materialism, laze, greed, illiteracy etc. can be cited to have
been and
> continue to be strong impediments to Gambians' advancement
within the
> Swedish set-up. The attendant implication has been the
stagnation of
> Gambians within the society compared to other immigrant
groups. To address
> these issues and remedy the plight of Gambians, the
Organization of
> Gambians in Sweden (OGIS) was formed. The organization however
fell victim
> to the above vices plus mismanagement, political infighting,
embezzlement
> etc. from its very inception. This has rendered it incapable
of achieving
> the goals it was set up to achieve.
>
> Successive administrations have tried to rid the
organization
> of the vices that have kept it from realising its aims as
envisioned by its
> founders. The results of these attempts have however not been
impressive
> leading to the current attempt to find ways of building a
modern, effective
> and independent organization to address the concerns of the
Gambian
> community. Before jumping to the issue of trying to build such
an
> organization, an analysis of some of the problems that have
plagued the
> OGIS since its inception needs to be carried out.
>
> One of the major problems that the organization
has had deals
> with the lack of proper financial and accounting mechanisms to
handle the
> monetary and other assets of the organization. There is no
standard
> accounting system for the organization and every
administration comes with
> its own accounting system making it difficult for successive
> administrations to grasp the organization's financial
condition. This is
> coupled with the poor or non-existent system of receipt
collection and
> organization. This has resulted in the loss of thousands and
some even
> estimate hundreds of thousands of Kronor.
>
> Another problem that has plagued the OGIS is
impulsiveness and
> lack of planning. Activities with heavy financial implications
are
> undertaken without proper research and planning resulting in
heavy losses
> for the organization. These activities have ranged from poorly
planned
> cultural events to ineffective seminars to disastrous
children's activities
> with the attendant implications of not only monetary loss but
the erosion
> of the organization's credibility in the eyes of those whose
interests it
> is supposed to serve.
>
> The third problem that has plagued the OGIS is the
nonchalant
> attitude of its members towards the provisions of its
Constitution, the
> organization's guiding document. The Constitution defines the
procedures to
> be adhered to when dealing with various issues related to the
organization
> but these are nearly always ignored. This has resulted in many
problems for
> the organization. These problems have included arguments,
divisions, legal
> wrangling etc. resulting in a waste of the organization's time
and
> resources.
>
> The fourth problem that the OGIS has is its lack
of credibility
> in the eyes of the Gambian community. This is a major problem
as it has
> resulted in a steep decline in membership to the organization.
One of the
> reasons for the organization's lack of trustworthiness is the
lack of
> effective management especially in the financial realm. The
poor management
> of the financial aspects of the organization has resulted in
accusation
> upon accusation of financial misconduct thus undermining the
OGIS' stature
> in the Gambian community.
>
> Another of the OGIS' problems is the lack of
proper meeting
> procedures. This on the surface does not seem to be a major
problem but a
> closer investigation will reveal that it is indeed a very
serious problem.
> Poor handling of meetings resulting in disruptions, personal
attacks etc.
> makes it very difficult for the OGIS to address the real
issues crucial to
> its effective functioning as an organization.
>
> How can the OGIS be transformed into a modern,
effective and
> independent organization that will be able to identify and
effectively deal
> with the burning problems of the Gambian community? The first
step should
> be to make a comprehensive identification and analysis of the
> organization's problems. Some of the issues identified above
are important
> elements of the overall hindrances to the effectiveness of
OGIS as an
> entity but are by no means the only hindrances. Systematically
identifying
> and analysing the impediments to the organization's success is
a very
> important step and has to be carried out with meticulousness.
After an
> analysis has been done, ways of incorporating methods to
counter them in
> the future have to be woven into the organizational fabric of
the OGIS.
> This in short, amounts to change management, which requires
that an
> assessment of the required change is made and the mechanisms
required to
> manage it are created.
>
> The second step should be to revamp the
organization's
> accounting mechanism. A standard accounting system should be
adopted and
> all Treasurers should before being elected certify that they
understand and
> are able to work with the system. Efforts should be made to
acquire a
> computerised accounting system to ease the work. As the aim is
to create a
> modern organization, the previous backward accounting system
of making
> entries on pieces of paper and plastic bags, which cannot be
found when
> needed, should be abandoned. A requirement that all expenses
are requested
> using a request form and that receipts must be provided as a
rule for all
> expenditures should be implemented. This will not only improve
the
> organization's accounting system but it will also help restore
its
> credibility in the Gambian community.
>
> A Financial Committee should be formed. The role
of this
> committee will be to further strengthen the financial
regulations and
> methods of the organization by acting as a buffer between the
various
> committees and the Treasurer. All expenditure requests will be
handled by
> the committee and approved before being forwarded to the
Treasurer for
> dispensation. The committee will look at cheaper alternatives
and make
> suggestions regarding the request before authorising the
Treasurer to
> provide the funds. The committee will be provided with copies
of all
> receipts so that it can keep a separate accounting profile
that can be
> helpful to the Auditor when the Treasurer is being audited.
>
> To avoid the impulsive and oftentimes disastrous
spending of
> the organization's funds, the organization's overall
activities should be
> determined and budgeted for on a yearly basis. This will
ensure that all
> activities are strategically planned and looked into.
Strategically
> planning the activities of the organization will ensure that
their goals
> are determined, current and future situations are analysed and
that a
> strategic plan is produced. It will also give the Financial
Committee time
> to look at alternative prices and come up with suggestions.
This way,
> activities that are poorly planned will be avoided.
>
> A Legal Adviser conversant with the Constitution
should be
> elected. It will be the Legal Adviser's responsibility to
ensure that all
> activities carried out under the aegis of the organization are
in line with
> the provisions of the Constitution. The Legal Adviser will
also ensure that
> the inner workings of the Executive Committee conform to the
rules
> established by the Constitution.
>
> The fifth step should be to create a Public
Relations (PR)
> organ whose responsibility will be to recover the credibility
of the
> organization. The PR organ can be incorporated into the
existing committees
> or created as a separate entity. The PR organ should look at
ways of
> reviving the defunct newsletter, look into the possibility of
creating a
> homepage for the organization where all general, financial and
other
> information will be readily available to all members and the
general
> public. The PR organ should also work together with the other
committees to
> create activities to promote the organization and enhance its
stature in
> the Gambian community.
>
> The organization should also develop meeting
procedures. These
> procedures should be in the form of a booklet that will be
made available
> to all members so that they can behave properly during
meetings to ensure
> the effective use of time. The procedures should determine the
role of the
> chair and recorders, the floor etc. and identify group problem
solving
> techniques to help reach effective decisions.
>
> To create an independent organization, the OGIS
should not
> allow itself to be manipulated by organizations and
individuals whose
> interests are antithetical to those of its own. The Executive
Committee
> should ensure that the interests of the OGIS are paramount and
that any
> attempt to thwart the aspirations of the organization and its
members
> should be vehemently fought.
>
> The OGIS as has been seen has a myriad of problems
that have
> hindered it from effectively tackling the issues it was
created to tackle.
> In order for it to function as intended, these problems have
to be
> identified and remedied and proper procedures and mechanisms
put into
> place. Instituting new modus operandi based on the need to
create a modern,
> effective and independent organization will take a lot of
sacrifice and
> hard work but with dedication to the organization's ideals and
guided by
> transparency and probity, the desired results can be achieved.
>
>
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