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 ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html ----------------------------------------------------------------------------