Ladies & Gentlemen of Ellen and the GPU-USA,
 
I have educated myself further on the GPU-USA matter and contrary to my impression, the notice we received here from Galleh as tender for his resignation as SG of the union was not a maiden abrupt one that I thought it to be. Indeed it was a climax of conversations among some of the stakeholders of the union in private. WHich brings me to this point:
 
We, the non-certified journalists and citizens of Gambia, are stakeholders in a Gambia Press Union and affiliated branches everywhere. The reason is that any organisation that has Gambia in its title and is formed to represent the citizens of Gambia in any manner or form, does accrue a stake for all Gambians. Further, because the Press matters in our daily lives and seeks to become the 4th rail of governance, we are all the more bound with it as stakeholders. We therefore should critique it where we find it wanting and support it to grow where we are able. We may not demand to be in the executive or even feign to have authority in its decision-making, but we are stakeholders and must be considered as such for a healthy union. If this idea of general citizen stake is not appreciated by anyone in the GPU-USA, I encourage them to consider renaming the union to: The Gambia-American Journalist Association and only have those Certified Journalists in its membership.
 
Now then, we my more comprehensive education regarding what precipitated Galleh's resignation, now I know it was a twin resignation of Galleh and Pa Samba and as the two gentlemen considered, it was a sober decision to allow the union to grow stronger after much deliberation. My high regard for Galleh's gravitasse considers his resignation as unnecessary and I therefore encourage Mathew and his aversed coleagues to consider not accepting Galleh's resignation and actively urge him to guide the union's healthier  reconfiguration.
 
I also was given to react negatively to Uncle Mathew's rebellious tendencies but upon further review, the fracas was not a rebellion or a revolution. Therefore I respectfully disassociate myself from that impression from Fatou. In the same vein, I encourage Fatou to consider apologising to Sankareh for labelling him arrogant. Whether that is true or not is insignificant. Coming from Fatou, our Lady of Gambia's conscience, is in poor taste and ill-considered for the future health of a union of her coleagues. I adjust that I still hold Fatou in high esteem, apology or no apology, I merely encourage reflection. For labelling a coleague arrogant for expressing his/her position vis-a-vis a common union also borders on un-intended arrogance. I further encourage Fatou to dispense with the notion that any restructuring must await or be hinged on an electoral recall of the current executive according to the current constitution because the disagreements are fundamental and therefore challenge that very constitution.
 
In summary, I appeal all immediate stakeholders to huddle-up and vent their grievances among themselves considering that such a union as the GPU-USA cannot be functional without the membership, general and executive of the proprietors of on-line Gambia newspapers. In your reconfiguration, I encourage you to consider a diasporan(America-resident) Gambian who is a non-certified journalist, as well as an American citizen journalist, certified or uncertified. This is not necessary but advised.
 
As I look forward to more benign demarche toward these ends, I remain fully supportive of the intent and prospective work of a GPU-USA. I enjoin my fellow Gambian non-journalists to strengthen the hand of the GPU-USA and take an interest in its healthy development.
 
Haruna
Director - The Global Democracy Project   
 
 
 
In a message dated 3/29/2009 9:59:06 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, [log in to unmask] writes:
Ok its not a joke. I agree with Fatou. Mathew, will you and the rest of the aversed consider the futility in trying to right the sails of the GPU-USA? I mean this is not a political campaign I don't think. And Galleh is magnanimous enough to yield to your calls for his resignation and on top of that is willing to work with you to make the organisation into what you'd like it to be. I discourage you from trying to re-orient without Galleh as SG. I think the re-orientation will be more successful with his steady hands. I encourage your reconsideration. Haruna.
 
In a message dated 3/29/2009 4:54:53 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, [log in to unmask] writes:
Dear Fatou,
 
I sincerely applaud your stepping up to the plate and facing the challenge head on. According to the GPU-USA constitution, in the event of the resignation of a serving secretary general, the Assistant Secretary General automatically takes over the running of the union until such a time as a new secretary general is elected. You have my unwavering support in your new capacity as Acting Secretary General of the GPU-USA.
 
Baba
 
Date: Sun, 29 Mar 2009 13:35:26 -0700
From: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [>-<] Resignation from GPU-USA Executive
To: [log in to unmask]

Baba,
Am heart broken with your decision and Pa Sambas to step down. I wish you let me know earlier. GPU-USA is a standing organisation as we speak. Unless elections are held immediately or otherwise, the organisation is not going to be dissolved. We have a constitution to abide by and that has to be abided by in-house executive members, in comming ones and folks  accross the board that are interested in joining our noble task. I commend Baba and his team  for a job well done. And Bravo to Mathew Jallow for doing his best in trying to create disorder, but GPU remains the same until elections are held. Restructuring is sincerely welcomed but it does not have to be arrongantly thrushed  on the hardworking members. Please spare us your  revolutionary bullets.
Sincerely
Fatopu Jaw Manneh
Assistant Secretary General
GPU- USA.

From: Malik Jeng <[log in to unmask]>
To: GambiaPost Email <[log in to unmask]>; gambia-l@listserv.icors..org; [log in to unmask]
Sent: Sunday, March 29, 2009 12:10:22 PM
Subject: RE: [>-<] Resignation from GPU-USA Executive

Baba, you should not allow people who always want to re-invent the wheels to unnecessarily force your hand.  Gambian Organisations of all types, whether Europe or USA, always have few committed people to carry it, although the passive majority tend to throw a lot of dirt on these poor active people. 
It seems most of the time the idealist/saboteurs take things personal, not knowing that if they spoil things, others will await them by the dark corridors.
You are an upstanding person, so please don't just give in like that in future.
r
Njok Malik
 
From: [log in to unmask]
To: [log in to unmask]; [log in to unmask]; [log in to unmask]
Subject: [>-<] Resignation from GPU-USA Executive
Date: Sun, 29 Mar 2009 18:17:28 +0000

 
Earlier this week, Mathew Jallow sent out an email to me, a couple of other members of the GPU-USA executive, and to the editors of the online Gambian media houses - freedom, the echo, senegambianews, allgambian and gainako. Among other things, Mathew wrote that:
 
"After many discussions with a variety of journalists both active and inactive, the time has come for us to put heads together and recreate the Gambia Press Union (USA) into a more representative and active organ for the development of the Gambia media. I therefore call on the current executive to respond this calling in the interest of unity and progress of our media."
 
In subsequent emails to the same addressees, Mathew proposed that the current executive should step down in order to make room for a restructuring of the GPU-USA. He pointed out that some editors of the Gambian online media and other Gambian journalists he had spoken to are not happy about the constitution of the past and current executives. During the last executive elections, only about seven people responded to the call to vote, even though there are at least 15-20 names on the GPU-USA mailing list. Calls by the GPU-USA executive, both past and present, for Gambian journalists in the USA to actively participate in the union's activities have been unsuccessful and we have had to work with the very few active members to keep the body alive.
 
It is against the background of this scenario that I have decided to step down as Secretary General of the GPU-USA in order to allow the process of restructuring Mathew suggests, and that has received the support of some of the editors of the Gambian online media, to go smoothly ahead. In that regard, I wish to inform the Gambian online community that I have voluntarily resigned from my position as GPU-USA secretary general with immediate effect. I am hoping that Mathew Jallow and those who initiated this dialogue on restructuring the GPU-USA will continue to guide our efforts in this important direction. Below is a copy of the resignation letter I sent to editors of all online Gambian media, to the GPU-USA mailing list, and to Mathew himself. I am sending this to the Gambia Post and the Gambia-L to make sure that the online Gambian community knows exactly what is going on with the GPU-USA.
 
Dear All,
 
Upon careful reflection and in order to help move this union forward, I am happy to announce that I am stepping down from my position as Secretary General of GPU-USA with immediate effect. While it has been tough to have folks participate, it has been my pleasure to serve in this capacity and to work with those of you who have been active. I hope and pray that the current dialogue goes smoothly forward and that our union emerges from it all stronger and better organized. 
 
I hope too, that those who have initiated this process of restructuring will continue to coordinate our efforts in that direction. Thank you all and God bless you all.
 
Sincerely,
Baba Galleh Jallow 


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