Ylva, Last year, I did an intensive research about FGM at my school, University of Maryland. I found a lost of material about it. Including is the info about Molly Melching's contribution to abolish FGH. If you noticed, I have cited where I got the source from (Vivienne Walt, Washington Post, 1995). I don't have the month it was posted on the Washington post, but If this source is wrong please find out and rectify me. Best regards, Ramatoulie >From: Ylva Hernlund <[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 12:03:36 -0700 > >Greetings all, >With all due respect it seems that it is better to check first with all >the Gambian groups that have been carrying out such education efforts >since the early 1980's and to build on what they have already done (there >have been a LOT of educational programs in the high schools for >example). Also I am wondering if the information about Molly Melching is >entirely correct as the Tostan project is taking place in Senegal, not >Somalia. Best, Ylva Hernlund > >On Fri, 13 Oct 2000, Isatou Njie wrote: > > > 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. > > >---------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > > >---------------------------------------------------------------------------- > >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. 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