Thanks Ebrima for Maria's piece. I agree with Maria that perhaps it would be
more useful shifting the emphasis of this forum to brainstorming on how to
contribute constructively to The Gambia's political and  socio- economic
empowerment .
It is very encouraging to note that our  tiny  country has produced so many
brilliant and articulate young men and women.
I am  very optismistic that with a little bit of coordination and
organisation on our part , we would be able to mobilise more positive energy
through this forum for the daunting task of eradicating poverty and
introducing sound governance in our beloved country.
I challenge all of us to please forget about our differences, stop the name
calling... and attack the critical issues head on
For instance it now seems that none of us aboard would be able to vote in
the coming presidential elections. To my mind, this is a violation of our
right as citizens. Every vote is important and must count! Denying us this
fundamental right is unacceptable to say the least. But what can we as a
group do about this? In addition to condemning I  believe that we  could
also for example  exchange ideas on how to fundraise to finance our
participation in our respective locations.We all have a lot of work to do to
make The Gambia a better place.
I believe we should start with putting together ideas about a national
vision. How do we all want The Gambia to be , say in  five years?
I look forward to  the first brainstorming session.

Warmly,
mariama


to

>From: Ebrima Ceesay <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
><[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Fwd: Fw: Fw: More questions than answers
>Date: Mon, 16 Jul 2001 13:33:28 -0000
>
>Gambia-L:
>
>The e-mail below came from the canadian who recently visited The Gambia and
>then sent her comments to the L through Dr Saine. I have to say in advance
>that the e-mail is a thought provoking one!
>
>Momodou Camara: Is it possible to subscribe the Canadian to the L?
>
>Momodou Olly Mboge: Congrats!! I am told that you have just got your
>results
>and the good news is that you have successfully obtained a BA degree (Hons)
>in History.
>
>Ebrima
>
>________________________________________________________________
>
>>From: "Maria Caterina Ciampi" <[log in to unmask]>
>>To: "Ebrima Ceesay" <[log in to unmask]>
>>Subject: Fw: Fw: More questions than answers
>>Date: Mon, 16 Jul 2001 09:13:43 -0400
>>
>>Sent: Monday, July 16, 2001 8:41 AM
>>Subject: Fwd: Fw: More questions than answers
>>
>>
>>Ebrima,
>>
>>I wrote part of this piece for a friend in The Gambia and then decided to
>>share it with you to hear your own views.  Feel free to forward it to the
>>listserv as I have been unsucessful in registering my name.  I have been
>>feeling very sad in the last few days thinking about the condition of
>>Africa.  I realize my comments are probably politically shallow, but
>>understanding is a process and not a fixed outcome, so I will get there
>>eventually.
>>
>>On Saturday night I cried for Africa while I watched a Montreal-based
>>troop
>>of dancers and singers originally from Rwanda perform on an outdoor stage.
>>They opened their "act" with a poem describing their nature, their
>>passion,
>>their elegance and also by stating that they choose to put aside tribal
>>and
>>ethnic differences and to stand united as a people burning with the fire
>>of
>>a flame they literally held high. I cried. I cried because the message was
>>powerful, but also because I was struck by the beauty of this group of
>>youths who likely witnessed all kinds of atrocities as children and yet
>>have survived. I was moved simply thinking about the journey they must
>>have
>>had to make it to this country, the sacrifices, the losses, the sorrow and
>>the guilt. I cried because I wondered about their families. I cried
>>thinking about how Canada must have transformed them and wishing that
>>everyone could experience the unity we have in spite of our cultural
>>differences, though we like to bitch about racism and other forms of
>>divisiveness (did you hear what the mayor of Toronto said about Africans
>>being cannibals during the negotiations for the next venue for the
>>Olympics? I am deeply ashamed of this my fellow Canadian). I watched this
>>group dance with a joy I have rarely seen. I saw the peace they now
>>benefit
>>from in their eyes and wanted it to infect even me. I cried because I was
>>so touched that these youth, who despite all their trials and tribulations
>>rose above it all and generously shared their culture and beauty with a
>>group of strangers.  I cried imaging how my Gambian friends would feel in
>>their shoes.
>>
>>Later, I went to see "Lumumba" a movie by Raoul Peck.  Have you seen it?
>>It made me shudder with dread. The opening images were of two Belgians,
>>drunk as a matter of survival, cutting up the bodies of Lumumba and his
>>friend Thomas and then burning them with gasoline. Again, a flame image.
>>This time, a brutal one. I was devastated by the honesty of this movie,
>>and
>>deeply troubled that it was not a piece of Hollywood fiction. I could not
>>divorce myself from the images in the name of entertainment. Today I have
>>more questions than answers about the future of Africa, based on what I
>>observed in this movie.
>>I began to wonder if a pan-African state is a viable solution when
>>differing ethnic groups in the same country cannot get along. Is this is
>>the legacy the colonial masters have left behind?.   As I was talking to
>>my
>>husband about the movie I started wondering whether money is the ultimate
>>solution. If the US, capitalists par excellence, were to offer an economic
>>infrastructure in Africa that would ensure education and jobs, would you
>>refute it on grounds of neo-colonialism? Capitalism seems to work in the
>>US. Nobody has time to contemplate how strange or different their
>>neighbours are when they have a job to go to, bills to pay and things to
>>buy. Have I been brainwashed by the American dream too? Communism seems to
>>have failed. What is the alternative? Mobuto benefited from the backing of
>>the US... look at the lifestyle he led while his people were dying. What
>>if
>>he had decided to share the wealth instead of hoarding it for himself? How
>>could we be sure that corruption does not reign when foreign investors
>>make
>>their bids? What control mechanisms can ever work when people are not
>>united? Now, I have come back to pan-Africanism as a solution... I do not
>>know what to think anymore.
>>
>>"I no longer have a borrowed soul. I no longer have borrowed thoughts or
>>ideas. I no longer speak in a borrowed language." Do you know who said
>>this? Sounds like a slave freed from captivity, but it is not... think
>>about it.
>>
>>I have also been considering my own role in this whole matter.  Why should
>>a Canadian take such interest in the plight of Africans?  Perhaps people
>>will suspect me of spying or infiltrating... It looks suspicious whereas
>>it
>>is genuine.  What am I doing? Is it my place to get involved?  At what
>>point do I need to back off?  How best can I express my solidarity?
>>
>>I read the Gambia-L listserv and note that Gambians that subscribe to this
>>exchange forum are themselves terribly divided. In the last few days, it
>>seems that all of you are simply bitching, insulting and challenging each
>>other in the most childish way imaginable! So what if Jammeh gets ousted?
>>What if he mysteriously drops dead tomorrow? Who would replace him? Are
>>the
>>Americans behind any military leader at the moment, like they were backing
>>Mobuto? Who knows what games they are playing... Should any of you, like
>>Lumumba, be chosen as the next Prime Minister of The Gambia, how would you
>>rule? What would your priority be? It seems like Lumumba failed because he
>>was naive. A true believer in African unity, he thought that the Katanga
>>people could share the political platform with him, and that a military
>>man
>>could demonstrate fair leadership, when all the first president and Mobuto
>>wanted was their own self-aggrandizement at the expense of the masses. It
>>looked to me as though Lumumba could not even begin to instate
>>long-lasting
>>political change, like reforming the educational system or improving
>>health
>>conditions, because he had to "baby-sit" in the transition from colonial
>>to
>>self-rule. Like a father, he had to tell his children to behave and stop
>>fighting each other. The problem was, these "kids" felt they were better
>>than him and had to ultimately eliminate him so they could continue to
>>play.
>>
>>Author Huxley of Roots, said that Africa "is a cruel country; it takes
>>your
>>heart and grinds it into powdered stone - and no one minds". The singer
>>Stevie Wonder once addressed the UN and said, "South Africa is the land
>>with tears in her eyes". I think this applies to the whole continent. I
>>know I weep for her yet again tonight.
>>
>>Maria
>
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