Baba, I wanted to rejoin to this press release and personally reach out to all Gambian Journalists active or not to please put our differences aside and come together to form a stronger union. This call is also extended to ALL owners of Media outlets, Listservs whether they are journalist or not to please rally behind what is probably the last best hope of an institution to defend the freedom of expression and association of our citizens. I individually call all Gambian Journalists former and present, Senior or Junior *BY NAME* to please support by joining this press union; profession they one time or another was so passionate about. The role of the GPU is to bring together lovers of press freedom to defend the rights of Journalists and citizens at large to access independent information free of Government inference. It doesn't matter how we want to do this and through what institution, what matters is we rally around each other and support *ANY* efforts to prevent the Jammeh regime from wipping out the last best hope of an Indepedent institution like the media. I know there has been differences in how to achieve this, but what is absolutely clear is that the media institution in the Gambia has suffered the most in the hands of the Jammeh regime. Almost all our brave journalists have either been forced into exile or threatened to a level where they cannot openly carry their profession any more. At what point, we do stand up together and say enough is enough? At what point do we realize the oppression of one journalist or citizen becomes an oppression of all of us? At what point, do we realize our work cannot be mutually exclusive? That the down fall of the Point Newspaper is the same as the down fall of Senegambianews, Gainako, The echo, Freedom, The Gambia Journal, The GambiaL, GambiaPost just to name a few? At what point brothers and sisters do we stand together and say bigones are bigones? At what point, we do realize that without our collective efforts nothing can be accomplished no matter how many readers we can attract? At what point do we exercise our intellectual sophistication and live above and beyond the petty stuff that divides us? At what point do we let our individual sacrifices hinder our collective efforts to overcome our difference? There is simply so much intellectual capacity among this group of citizens that it is hard to imagine we cannot rally around a common purpose. I once again, challenge all freedom loving Gambians particularly Gambian journalist to please step forward and be counted. This institution is not about you, or me or anyone individual. This is about us and the future of our country and profession. I will try to personally reach our to anybody I know who is interested in press freedom to please come forward... I particularly call on just to mention a few names and others to follow to embrace this union... Yuspha Jow & George Sarr - GambiaPost Dr. Jaiteh And Co - GambiaL Jambang and Co - Senegambianews Sankareh and Co - The Gambiaecho Pa Nderry Mbye & Co - Freedom Newspaper Yero Jallow & Co-- Gainako Mbye Sarr & Co - The GambiaJournal Buba Ceesay and Co - All Gambian Fatou Jaw Manneh and Co Maafanta Matthew Jallow Momodou Baldeh Omar Bah Alagie Yoro Jallow Sorrie Danso And numerous other senior journalists whose names I did not mention. I call on you all to join the debate and come forward and make this not only a stonger union but a viable institution that will demonstrate that the era of suppressing free flow of information is now over. Please join to this debate and let's shape a new way forward... The decision is in our hands... do we choose the collective way or do we continue to look the other way while this noble profession continue to die a gradual death. On Sun, Nov 1, 2009 at 6:28 PM, Baba Galleh Jallow <[log in to unmask]>wrote: > *PRESS RELEASE* > > *GPU-USA Calling All Gambian Journalists* > > The GPU-USA wishes to inform all Gambian journalists in the United States > that we will be holding elections for a new Executive on Sunday, November 8, > 2009 at 3:00pm Eastern, 12:00pm Pacific. For this reason, the GPU-USA is > calling upon all Gambian journalists in America to please call in on that > day and be nominated or nominate candidates for a position on the new > Executive. Details for the conference call will be sent to the GPU-USA > mailing list and to other journalists later this week. The following > positions will be available for interested candidates: > > Secretary General > > Deputy Secretary General > > Public Relations Officer > > Treasurer > > Auditor > > Social Affairs Secretary > > The new Executive may, if they so wish, nominate two honorary members to > help in running the Union. Current members of the Executive have the option > of seeking re-election or accepting nomination for a seat in the Executive > for a second two-year term. Current Executive members who have already > served a second term in office may not be nominated or seek re-election for > a third term. The GPU-USA wishes to confirm that the current Secretary > General will not be seeking re-election or accepting nominations to serve > another term in that office. > > Once again, the GPU-USA is urging all Gambian journalists in the United > States to come forward and take ownership of their Union. Here is a chance > for you to serve your country; please seize it. Please note that those > non-journalists who have kindly accepted associate membership of the GPU-USA > over the past two years are eligible to participate in these elections. > Thank you. > > Signed on behalf of the GPU-USA > > Demba Baldeh, Public Relations Officer > > Baba Galleh Jallow, Outgoing Secretary General > > ------------------------------ > Keep your friends updated— even when you’re not signed in.<http://www.microsoft.com/middleeast/windows/windowslive/see-it-in-action/social-network-basics.aspx?ocid=PID23461::T:WLMTAGL:ON:WL:en-xm:SI_SB_5:092010> > ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ To > unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web > interface at: http://listserv.icors.org/archives/gambia-l.html > > To Search in the Gambia-L archives, go to: > http://listserv.icors.org/SCRIPTS/WA-ICORS.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://listserv.icors.org/archives/gambia-l.html To Search in the Gambia-L archives, go to: http://listserv.icors.org/SCRIPTS/WA-ICORS.EXE?S1=gambia-l To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to: [log in to unmask] ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤