Thank you Isatou for your comments. If you can, please join Jamila and I in Gambia next year. Like I said, the more support we have the stronger our fight. Ramatoulie >From: Isatou Njie <[log in to unmask]> >Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list ><[log in to unmask]> >To: [log in to unmask] >Subject: Re: Female Circumcision - What Should Be The Approach To > Faciliating Positive Change >Date: Fri, 13 Oct 2000 09:23:39 -0700 > >Ramatoulie: >I think this is definitely a good starting point. I >mentioned in a posting last week that we need to get >motivated and take on the task of educating our >people. One might think that it could be difficult >with us being in the States, but as you mentioned, >some of us do have the privilege to visit Gambia once >in a while. My suggestion is that we as concerned >citizens should form a task force and get some >materials together which can be distributed to friends >and families. The few of us who might be fortunate to >make the trip can use the materials to educate and >empower the people to change. Personally, I think this >can be done if we can get some people to believe in >the need to change. Contacting The World Health >Organization, and Ms. Melching could be a good >referencing source.I just hope that this vision that >we have for change can be share by all...... >--- Ramatoulie Gillen <[log in to unmask]> >wrote: > > Jamila, > > I also have been reading the postings on the > > L. Some of the arguments > > were good. However, some were saying that we can't > > stop the immoral act? > > others saying that it will be slow and so on. > > something must be done > > immediately. The UNICEF reports that 6,000 girls > > around the world are > > subjected to FGM every day....And so as I write now, > > my heart hurts so > > painfully that my fingers tremble and I > > traumatically flinch to the > > knowledge that there is a child screaming for our > > help right at this > > moment....help from us, the unknown because her > > mother, the known, is > > outside dancing and chanting to the occasion with > > family and friends. > > > > As I reflect back to some of these responses, I feel > > as helpless as that > > little girl currently under the razor blade. Right > > now I could not help but > > join her creams...as tears fell down our cheeks, we > > are screaming for your > > help Gambia Lers. Let us stop the pessimisms and > > arguments, and start doing > > something. The already cut off clitoris cannot be > > restored, but we must not > > allow anymore mutilation. Like most stated, > > education is the weapon that can > > abolish FGM. > > > > EDUCATION EDUCATION EDUCATION > > I'm planning to go to Gambia next year. My plans, > > if successful is to > > create a program that allows me to go to high > > schools and teach future > > mothers and fathers the deadly health problems > > caused by FGM. Most of the > > time we go to Gambia just to have fun and show off. > > How about everyone who > > goes for holidays target few families and discuss > > all the facts he/she > > learns about FGM on the L. You guys it works! We > > can do it. Non-African > > and non-muslims are doing it. In Somalia, Molly > > Melching, an American > > exchange from the University of Illinois, designed > > an intensive literacy > > program. This program, sponsored by Hillary Clinton, > > teaches Africans the > > consequences of FGM. as a result, 700 villages have > > stopped the > > practice(Vivienne Walt, Washington Post, 1995). The > > World Health > > Organization is willing to send anyone who > > volunteers to teach the dangers > > of FGM. In April 1998, Hillary Clinton herself was > > one of these volunteers > > send to Senegal. I could go on. If these people can > > do it, Why can't we? > > > > All it takes is talking. The mutilators are not our > > enemies, they are just > > so acculturated to such barbaric practice beyond > > their recognition of harm. > > Ramatoulie > > > > >From: Jamila Allston <[log in to unmask]> > > >Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing > > list > > ><[log in to unmask]> > > >To: [log in to unmask] > > >Subject: Female Circumcision - What Should Be The > > Approach To Faciliating > > > Positive Change > > >Date: Thu, 12 Oct 2000 11:35:21 -0700 > > > > > >Dear Sisters and Brothers, > > > > > > I have been following the debate regarding FGM > > and I believe that > > >the interchange is very good. FGM is an issue that > > arouses many > > >emotions (anger, pain, etc.) The array of > > vocalizations is indeed > > >needed to come to a consensus that life is a > > continuum and that > > >cultural practices that have been instituted at one > > point can be > > >modified/changed for the betterment of a people. > > > > > > As an African Woman born in America, not only > > am I concern about > > >the conditions of my people where ever we are...I > > have a special > > >concern regarding the mental, emotional, > > psychological and physical > > >oppression and abuse of African Women throughout > > the diaspora and at > > >home in Africa. > > > > > > While I have been a long time believer that FGM > > must be eradicated, > > >I also recognize that issues of culture and > > tradition must be handled > > >delicately. It is not enough to demand a change of > > a people' s > > >practices of culture and tradition (however we > > disagree or how sincere > > >we may be) through the rantings of disgust and > > condemnation. > > > > > > As the debate proceeds, the next logical step > > may be to look at how > > >this forum can be used to developed proactive > > strategies for > > >facilitating educational activism to assist these > > communities, > > >villages, etc. to re think a cultural/traditional > > practice that is > > >indeed harmful to the well being of the African > > Woman...thus ultimately > > >harmful to the well being of the African family and > > community. > > > > > > Part of the strategy should be to also examine > > the genesis of some of > > >our questionable practices. Are these practices > > truly African in > > >nature, or have we taken on practices/behaviors > > that are now viewed as > > >African practices that were originally instituted > > by external cultural > > >and religious forces throughout the centuries. > > Irregardless of the > > >genesis, the practice needs to be eliminated. Yet > > we must understand > > >the dynamics of our history in order to make > > appropriate constructive > > >change. > > > > > > Just as we have come together to fight those > > oppressive forces that > > >are destroying The Gambia, let us use our > > collective capabilities to > > >develop strategies and programs that can indeed > > play a major role in > > >eradicating FGM forever. > > > > > > Yours in the struggle. > > > > > > Jamila > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >__________________________________________________ > > >Do You Yahoo!? > > >Get Yahoo! Mail - Free email you can access from > > anywhere! > > >http://mail.yahoo.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 > > >You may also send subscription requests to > > >[log in to unmask] > > >if you have problems accessing the web interface > > and remember to write your > > >full name and e-mail address. > > > >---------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > > > >_________________________________________________________________________ > > Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at > > http://www.hotmail.com. > > > > Share information about yourself, create your own > > public profile at > > http://profiles.msn.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 > > You may also send subscription requests to > > [log in to unmask] > > if you have problems accessing the web interface and > > remember >=== message truncated === > > >__________________________________________________ >Do You Yahoo!? >Get Yahoo! Mail - Free email you can access from anywhere! >http://mail.yahoo.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 >You may also send subscription requests to >[log in to unmask] >if you have problems accessing the web interface and remember to write your >full name and e-mail address. >---------------------------------------------------------------------------- _________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com. Share information about yourself, create your own public profile at http://profiles.msn.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 You may also send subscription requests to [log in to unmask] if you have problems accessing the web interface and remember to write your full name and e-mail address. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------