>From: Joe Sambou <[log in to unmask]> >Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list <[log in to unmask]> >To: [log in to unmask] >Subject: Successful Third Annual Midwest Gambian Conference. >Date: Tue, 25 Sep 2001 15:05:10 +0000 > >Folks, the third annual Midwest Gambian Association conference, held >During >Labor Day weekend, with the theme "Gambia: Economy and Political >Climate in the 21 Century", was a big success. The speakers for the >conference were Dr. Michael Banutu Gomez, Professor of Business >Management >and Organizational Development at Rowan University, Glassboro, New >Jersey, >and Dr. Abdoulaye Saine, Professor of Political Science, Miami >University of >Ohio, Oxford, Ohio. > >Dr. Gomez's topic of presentation was "Using Cooperation To Build, >Nurture, >and Sustain Democracy in The Gambia For The 21st Century". Folks, >this >topic cannot be presented at a better time in the history of the >development >of our nation and it strikes at the heart of our current situation >in The >Gambia. An excerpt from Dr. Gomez's presentation reads, "..now, as >often it >is the case, people in and out of The Gambia, are blaming other >people for >the social, economic and political problems that we now have in our >society. > I believe that this is because many people living in and out of >The Gambia >hold a negative view regarding the use of alliances, reciprocity and >exchange to accomplish work and solve problems for the 21st century >democracy in The Gambia. They believe "I've failed if I have to go >my >neighbors for help - I will look bad." We tend to seek who is to >blame for >problems and to view persons we cannot control as our enemies. This >tendency limits our perception of the many possibilities of a >particular >situation and it distracts us from coming up with positive ideas >that may >help to solve various social, economic, democratic, instability and >political problems we now face in The Gambia. We try to influence >the >people who we believe are to blame for problems by criticizing them >because >they have influence in our society or control financial and human >resources >needed to solve our nation's problems and have to cooperate if plans >to >solve those problems are to be implemented. We need to remember >that they >cannot be ordered around and will only work with us to solve mutual >problems >when they choose to. For this reason, I believe that it is very >important >for us to understand how reciprocity works and how to set up >mutually >beneficial exchanges in The Gambia. To do this, we as Gambians in >and out >of The Gambia need to understand how the principle of exchange >operates." >Dr. Gomez went on to talk about the three factors that suppress >sustainable >democracy in our society and can hinder the successful growth of >positive >exchange in the Gambia:1) failure to treat those we disagree with as >potential allies instead of enemies, 2) ignoring the need to >understand the >world from other's unique points of view, and 3) our lack of >awareness about >our own interact ional style. To achieve these three opportunities >for >improvement, Dr. Gomez recommends that, a) we be aware of the needs >of an >ally, b) seek mutual benefit only, and c) not use that knowledge and >power >to manipulate them in order to further one's own aims. Dr. Gomez >also >offered a model for sustainable democracy for 21st century Gambia >that he >named "Queen Mother Gambia". Dr. Gomez will post his paper on the L >for a >wider exchange. > >Dr. Saine's paper titled "The Gambia and The political Economy of >Globalization: Prescriptions For A "New Order" in the Twenty-First >Century",assesses The Gambia's chances of surviving in the new world >order >of "globalization". He argued that "The Gambia's current political >and >economic arrangement, and its 'culture of dependency' on external >'development partners' must be replaced by >'creative-national-self-reliance." The rest of the paper is divided >into >four subsections. The first deals with the conceptual and >ideological >dimensions of globalization. The second provides an overview of The >Gambia's political economy (pre-colonial, colonial, and >post-independent >forces that dominated the Senegambian region). The third subsection >revolves around the notion of "new thinking" and >creative-national-self-reliance" the goals of which are to reverse >the >country's economic decline, and "culture of dependence. The forth >and final >subsection is concludes the paper. > >Ladies and gentlemen, these two great speakers touched the very >nerve of our >ailment as a nation. They diagnose our problems and offered real >solutions >to reverse the tide of decades of economic and political decay. >Drs. Gomez >and Saine will post their papers on the L for a wider debate. On >behalf of >the participants and the member organizations, I say thank you, >thank you, >and thank you Drs. for sharing your time, knowledge, and wisdom. >Future >leaders will benefit from your prescriptions. So, look out for >these papers >everyone. > >The conference was capped with a teleconference call with Mr. Halifa >Sallah >of PDOIS, courtesy of Pasamba Jow (Coach). The participants had an >opportunity to engage Mr. Sallah for more than an hour, on the many >issues >that confront our nation, such as: that state of our economy; coming >elections; the need for increased participation of women in our >economy; the >plight of our farmers; PDOIS' solution to our country's problems; >the issue >of all the opposition parties uniting, etc., etc. Folks this >conference is >getting better and better every year, and we intend to build on that >success >each time. > >On a lighter note, there was an evening Gala on Saturday and a >family picnic >and a soccer tournament that Detroit won, on Sunday. There were >three >teams, Chicago, Detroit, and Minnesota. The two teams with the most >points >met in the finals. Each team played twice before the finals and >Chicago had >the most points followed by Detroit. The scores were as follows: >Detroit 2 >- Minnesota 1; Chicago 2 - Detroit 0; and Chicago 1 - Minnesota 1. >Detroit >beat Chicago 4 to 3 in penalty kicks after a goalless tie. Habib >Ghanim, >had Chicago not played three consecutive matches with twenty minute >breaks >between games, Detroit knows they would have been given a clinic.:)! >Congratulations to Detroit for winning the Soccer Tournament. >Folks, next >year's conference would top this one, and do not take my word for >it, just >ask the attendees. > >Chi Jaama > >Joe sambou > >_________________________________________________________________ >Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at >http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp > >---------------------------------------------------------------------------- > >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. >----------------------------------------------------------------------------