Greetings Haruna:
I think there are many ways one could respond to your rhetorical questions,
bearing in mind that these issues have been rehashed many times on this
forum over the years. So I will be very economical in my humble response to
you, noting that I do not speak for any of "these intellectual" as you put
it.
A simple answer could be that you assume there is such a class called
"intellectuals" among Gambians who act in a concerted manner, and therefore
could have impacted the "politico-socio-economic development of the country
and its citizenry during the past thirty years". This is not so. But it is
still an interesting possibility for the future.
There are hundreds of Gambian "intellectuals" scattered all over the world,
some in Gambia and others on Gambia-L.
They, like you are working to earn a living while at the same time, like
you, seek to contribute in a meaningful manner towards the progress of The
Gambia. How? Well I can only speak for those whom I have come in contact
with during my sojourn in the U.S. and those back home whom I know of and in
cyber-space, but I think I can generalize a bit and include most of "these
intellectuals".
Let me give a few demonstrative examples to respond to your question:
"To what extent would this conference have an impact to the ordinary
Gambian living in the rural areas like Demba Kunda or Basse?"
Hmm... I find humor in how so many of us always use the "rural" people as a
backdrop for our arguments. Anyway, I digress.
One of the outcomes from the first GLC conference was the collecting of
close to 10 000 (ten thousand books) from various universities, libraries
and high schools in the U.S. These were shipped and received by the Ministry
of Education. One hopes that the people of "Demba Kunda or Basse" will
benefit intellectually from those books. I hear folks in Seattle are
involved in a similar project. I salute them! Knowledge is Power!
Two of "these intellectuals" a year or so ago, decided to spend their summer
vacations back home to teach at the University Extension Program. I
personally read the many messages of gratitude their students sent them back
upon their return to the U.S. for inspiring them.
Another one of "these intellectuals", a former collegue of mine at Spelman
College returned home and is now the Director of Women's Affairs (or
bureau?). I would assume she is contributing to the development of the women
of "Demba Kunda and Basse".
Another one of "these intellectuals" initiated the project which culminated
in you and I having this conversation on Gambia-L. Perhaps someone in "Demba
Kunda and Basse" has a pc connected to the net and is a member of the "L"
where she gets news and commentaries on affairs in The Gambia which were not
readily available to her through the media houses in Bjl. Perhaps she shares
this info with her people who then engage in discourse having obtained a
wider pool of opinions and perspectives on the "politico-socio-economic"
landscape which they are party to. The cumulative effect being their
greater empowerment. (Even if this is mere speculation on my part, there are
enough Gambians on the "L" living in Gambia for this scenario to be
plausible).
Another one of "these intellectuals" recently (Nov. '99) co-edited a major
work on the new African Poets, that is, post-colonial voices. This major
work puts together for the first time poets from every part of the
continent! The work has received rave reviews from African "intellectuals"
such as Soyinka and Achebe. Perhaps you may think that the people of "Demba
Kunda and Basse" may not be interested in matters of this nature, but rest
assured that this is far from the reality. Some of the relatives of the
people of "Demba Kunda and Basse" who are interested in the Arts as a medium
for probing deeply into the symptoms and possible remedies and so on of
Gambia/Africa may find this a gemstone. Perhaps having these discourses will
attract the poets among us who wish to be published and heard yet do not
know how to go about it, meet and get advice on those with the experience.
Several of "these intellectuals" have guided many young Gambian minds
through the years ensuring that they aim high, opening doors for them to go
to university, to be their mentors, to put them in contact with individuals
who could assist them as they pursue their respective academic and
professional dreams. Many are the Gambian graduates who were aided by "these
intellectuals". You may not know this, but I happen to know some.
On a more mundane and personal level, I believe it is important to organize
such conferences so we can meet and dialogue with each other in an
environment conducive to such. I have so many experiences (perhaps you do
too) of going to parties (that is one of the places where we congregate in
large numbers) and ending up shivering outside in the wintry cold,
discussing with folks matters requiring profound thinking (the alternative
is usually a shouting match indoors against the booming sound of
mega-speakers), and leaving with only a 'feeling good' sensation. One
usually cannot derive any other outcomes.
I probably have said enough and lest I drive some folks into boredom with my
babbling, I shall quickly come to a halt with the following: Is it wrong to
be an intellectual? I think not. An intellectual is just someone who has
trained herself or himself in one or more disciplines and utilizes her/his
skills to addressing the myriad of "politico-socio-economic" issues
attendant to humanity, be it in The Gambia or elsewhere. So let us stop this
bashing of our intellectuals and allow each of us and them to contribute our
quota to the progress of "Demba Kunda and Basse" the best way we can.
So come let us dialogue.
Regards,
Latjor
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