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sister Saffia Thanks for the reminder We must all look at the bigger picture. I tried to say that before and your contribution has reinforced it. Have a good day Habib |
>From: [log in to unmask] >Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list <[log in to unmask]> >To: [log in to unmask] >Subject: Oops/but still... >Date: Tue, 6 Apr 2004 22:22:05 -0700 > >Like so many before me, I accidently returned to the whole list what was intended as a private >message...But--I don't mind, as it gives me a chance to clarify what I found so compelling in >Soffie Ceesay's message, especially in light of recent, very negative, dialogue on the list: > >a) I think many of us can relate to what she describes: working long hours in demanding and >stressful jobs, sitting in traffic, coming home to cook, clean, help kids with homework...and still, >in our "spare time," we are all supposed to stay informed and actively help Change the World.... > >b) the idea of The Gambia being "different" when it comes to "tribalism"/ethnic strife. I found >solace in her reminder of a Gambia that I thought I had experienced, in which it is "normal" to >have someone say: "I am a ____, but my mother was a ____, and my paternal grandfather a___. >And I grew up around the _____, and I like their ways." > >As a teacher, who has been trying for some time to disspell American stereotypes about >"Africa," I have over the years joyfully used my albeit limited knowledge of The Gambia to point to >a society that, in my opinion, does NOT fit the media stereotypes of all the buzzwords that most >Americans associate with Africa: conflict, famine, AIDS, "tribal warfare," etc...... > >It saddens me a great deal that, lately, the list seems full of cursing and name-calling and--as we >anthropologists like to say--"Othering" ["YOU are not like ME..."]....If a nation of less than 2 >million people cannot find a way to "get along," it sure gives you pause thinking about the whole >world.....Help us all. > >Hoping for Peace, Ylva > > > > >On Tue, 6 Apr 2004 [log in to unmask] wrote: > > > I hear you, tomaa, very well said. Stay strong. Saffie > > > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > > To Search in the Gambia-L archives, go to: >http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/CGI/wa.exe?S1=gambia-l > > To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to: > > [log in to unmask] > > > > To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface > > at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html > > > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > > > >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ >To Search in the Gambia-L archives, go to: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/CGI/wa.exe?S1=gambia-l >To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to: >[log in to unmask] > >To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface >at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html > >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~