I have no qualms with the economic indicators which are used to determine a 
country's development level.  I believe there are three categories to 
indicate a Nation's development status.  The lowest status used for the least 
underdeveloped, seems to be the permanent dwelling places of most African 
countries as well as that of other countries such as India and Haiti. 
 Interestingly enough, countries, like Jamaica and Cuba, are classified as 
second tier countries in terms of development.

The problem here is the commonly held stereotype, which tends to confuse 
African culture with underdevelopment simply because it does not jive with 
the cultural standards which are equated with 'civilized' cultures as seen in 
the West.  I am sure most on this list have been asked in one form or the 
other whether we live on trees, and equally dumbfounding questions.  

Given, we expect these types of questions from people who know little about 
our traditions and/or way of life.  Ignorance and bias are probable culprits 
for these perceptions, though I tend to think that an ingrained bias as well 
as biased and sensationalist reporting from the press are critical factors 
too. This misconception of our cultural ways is so ingrained in the West that 
even the most educated of the elite, such as the mayor of Toronto or the 
president of the USA, are prone to utter terribly twisted misconceptions 
about our great continent and it's people. Even the most hard-core of the 
'Dashiki' garbed New Black Panther shudders internally each time a brother or 
sister utters the words:
"I am from Africa."

This culture of negativity towards our culture and traditions is extremely 
contagious, and even Africans who have spent a considerable amount of time in 
the West -- say at least 15 years -- tend to be afflicted with this 
contagious phenomenon. I once knew an Ivorian brother who once said he would 
rather be reborn in white skin if afforded the opportunity.  What mindset 
would ever prompt anyone from our great continent to utter such treacherous 
words? 

The brother must have been strongly impacted by the same forces which tend to 
affect most of us abroad to varying degrees.  We see negative stereotypes of 
our cultural ways on television and newspapers.  Poverty and underdevelopment 
in Africa are associated, among many other things, with thatched huts and 
several people eating with their hands from one communal bowl. The media has 
a powerful subliminal effect on our psyche, and the incessant negative 
portrayal of our traditions as backward and present only in underdeveloped 
countries does not help promote the beauty of Africa in this respect.  We 
even feel this negativity in our work place, and, though no one might tell 
you about their ingrained misconceptions, body language sometimes tells a 
story better than a whole book will.

The case of the Ivorian brother is an extreme case but, to a lesser extent, 
most of us tend to have a negative view towards traditional culture.  I will 
shamedly admit that even my humble self has been impacted negatively. 
 Sometimes I cannot fathom my outspoken self living in a culture where 
free-spirited people are viewed as wayward souls.  Neverthless, to paint all 
Africans abroad with this broad brush is wrong, for some of us have overcome 
incredibly difficult hurdles to achieve a reasonable comfort level in the 
West.  Those of us certainly do not want to return to abject poverty 
characterized by a never ending hunger, pit or outdoor latrines and leaky 
asbestos roofing.  Yet at least 80% of sub-Saharan Africa live under such 
abject conditions.  However, I am still of the strong viewpoint that this 
disdain towards our culture by the sons and daughters of Africa is caused 
largely by the factors we described earlier.

Perceptions and negative stereotypes aside, Africa's fate is not impacted 
direly by these foreign perceptions.  The IMF and other developmental 
organizations use specific and more tangible criterion to benchmark the 
progress of African states in a developmental sense.  However, the clear and 
present danger is the way we as Africans tend to equate everything Western 
made or oriented with progress, while everything African is equated with 
backwardness. This means that most of the unscrupulous politicians on the 
continent tend to exploit this mindset.  I shall tell you why...


Just like Africans abroad, those of us who live at home, and have  spent most 
of our lives there, tend to also equate our cultural ways with 
underdevelopment and everything Western with progress.  A million Dollar 
 arch, containing a fancy restaurant and a great vantage point of Banjul,  is 
bound to be seen as a great step forward in terms of development when, in all 
reality, such a structure means nothing to the welfare of most 
Gambians..Instead of this magnanimous white elephant called an arch, why not 
build a row of restaurants or shops, which cater to the needs of the average 
citizen who cannot afford to eat or relax at this fancy Arch 22.  This would 
be more of a developmental step since it would serve to empower the local 
entrepreneur and also provide food or goods to the average Gambian.

In fact, I can bet my last Dollar that any 'Chaya' wearing and 'Silipass' 
sporting local would be turned away at the entrance of this much ballyhooed 
arch.  The local probably stares in wonder at this perceived marvel and 
symbol of the Nation's march towards the 21st century.   The local would 
chirp to his fellow villagers about how, by virtue of this arch,  Banjul was 
now more advanced.  

There are a multitude of similar examples which one can use to describe this 
disturbing phenomena. Take another example: the traditional artisan are fast 
going out of business.  Save a talented few, most will become obsolete simply 
because no one will wear local outfits, be they Dashikis, Chayas, leather 
sandals, or what not.  Youngsters would rather wear and pay more for the 
latest designer jeans or tennis shoes. Yet the only difference between 
traditional and foreign goods is the brand name which the foreign designer 
outfits sport.  Forget about the majority of Africans abroad wearing foreign 
outfits.  This would only put us in the spotlight, but also serve to brand us 
as with that underdeveloped and backward tag.  So, naturally, some of us are 
hesitant to wear traditional outfits.  Most of our brothers and sisters back 
home would probably be more impressed with a city of empty skyscrapers and 
shining gold paved streets as opposed to a bustling city of thatched huts.

Unlike the case of the foreign perceptions, this phenomena where our own 
people under-appreciate our culture is being used as a trump card by 
successive despotic regimes all over the continent.  How else can one explain 
the startling reality that a vast number of Gambians rate the APRC over the 
PPP regime simply because of the new structures which have been put into 
place since 1994?  This, when perhaps most of these are white elephants which 
are bound to fall into disrepair sooner or later.  We have a dire situation 
where our culture seems to be succumbing to powerful forces from the West, 
from within and from those who are willing to exploit this misconception 
which has been fed to our people.  This is an indisputable and disturbing 
trend,,

How do we stop or, at the least, reverse this trend?  My personal opinion; 
politicians like Halifa Sallah, Sidia Jatta and maybe Ousainou Darboe have 
the right attitude.  These are among the few of our leaders who seem to 
realize that Africa and Gambia ,in particular, can never be Babylon.  We need 
to take practical short steps forward in our journey towards making our 
countries better places.  White elephants and such need to be curtailed in 
favor of more small scale and feasible projects.  Our education curriculum 
needs to be revised to give more credence to our cultural and traditional 
ways.  Our artisans need to be uplifted and given the power they deserve. 
 And finally, the media needs to focus and promote the positive aspects of 
our traditional ways..

In all honesty, it is very despairing at times to finally realize that the 
West has primarily been the source of this massive 'head fake', which is 
perhaps responsible for a great number of woes we have faced as a continent. 
 At least we can take solace in the fact that some have not left their feet 
yet as a result of this fake....

Yus

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