Ahhh, Haruna.. you've to slow down... please "farmansa" that point for me... On Tue, May 28, 2013 at 12:26 PM, Haruna <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > Thanks Cous Fakoo Fakoo for sharing the circumspect DA. The Hon. Jesse > Jackson's calendar is fully booked until 2015. (: > > Someone shared a quote with me that I will share you Cous. Now that you're > thinking about migrating to the UDP. It goes som'n like this: God is too > busy to be everywhere, so he created us with eyes, ears, hands, and legs so > we could go commune with each other. > > Haruna. > > -----Original Message----- > From: C. Omar Kebbeh <[log in to unmask]> > To: GAMBIA-L <[log in to unmask]> > Sent: Tue, May 28, 2013 11:29 am > Subject: [G_L] The Raleigh Conference: A step in the right direction - I > CONCUR WITH DA JAWO > > The Raleigh Conference: A step in the right direction > <http://hellogambia.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/DA-JAWO2.jpg> > *By D. A. Jawo* > ** > The Raleigh conference on democracy and good governance which brought > together some political leaders from the Gambia and several other political > and civil society activists in the Diaspora has been labeled as a success > by most of those who attended it. While its success no doubt can only be > measured by its outcome both in the immediate and long term future, but the > very fact that it succeeded in bringing together some people who hardly > ever saw eye to eye on many issues to sit down for three days to talk about > what should be done to bring about positive change in the Gambia, was a > success on its own. > In addition to the presence of the leaders of the United Democratic Party > (UDP), Ousainou Darboe, the National Reconciliation Party (NRP), Hamat Bah > and the rejuvenated People’s Progressive Party (PPP), Omar Amadou Jallow > (OJ), there were also some other political heavyweights like B. B. Dabo, M. > L. Sedat Jobe and Amadou Scattred Janneh, among other activists in the > Diaspora. > Of course there were some moments of disappointment, especially when Mr. > Hamat Bah told the delegates in his very first intervention that he had to > seek legal advice before attending the conference to ensure that there was > nothing subversive in it. Everyone was no doubt disappointed to hear such a > prominent political leader give the impression that he needed legal advice > to attend a conference anywhere in the world to discuss Gambian issues. > The other disappointment was the personal exchanges that transpired > between Hamat Bah and Ousainou Darboe on the second day when everyone > expected them to have adopted a more mature approach. > Another disappointment was of course the failure of the two other active > political parties on the ground; the People’s Democratic Organization for > Independence and Socialism (PDOIS) and the Gambia Moral Congress (GMC) to > send any representatives. While there is yet no reason why GMC never > attended, but PDOIS has given a somewhat vague reason as to why it was not > represented. > While there is no doubt that some aspects of the PDOIS position had some > merit, but the Raleigh conference offered quite an opportunity which they > should have never missed. Apart from the opportunity to meet and exchange > ideas with the other stakeholders, it would have also accorded them the > opportunity to explain to a much wider audience the party’s stance on a > number of issues, some of which do not seem to be quite well understood by > many of those who were at the conference. > There was also no better opportunity to harmonise whatever the outcome of > the Raleigh conference into a national consensus which could be used to > move the process forward. We have all seen that it is taking an > unnecessarily long time for the opposition at home to meet and arrive at a > consensus, and if the Raleigh conference were to wait for that to happen, > then it is likely that it would not be before the next presidential > elections. For that reason alone therefore, the Raleigh conference was a > necessity which should have been welcomed by all the stakeholders. > Another issue which PDOIS seems to be banking on is a possible mediation > between the opposition and the government on political reforms by Reverend > Jesse Jackson. Good as it may sound, but it would be foolhardy to sit and > do nothing while waiting for such mediation. It is one thing for Jesse > Jackson to agree to such mediation, but it is a different thing altogether > whether President Jammeh is interested in any form of mediation with the > opposition. Therefore, until such time that the anticipated mediation by > Rev. Jackson materializes; the opposition should go ahead with all > necessary measures to bring about unity amongst themselves. Otherwise, no > amount of mediation can do any good to a divided opposition. > Another important bye-product of the Raleigh conference was no doubt the > opportunity availed to the opposition leaders to use the several online > radios and other media in the Diaspora to accentuate their policies and > programmes to their audiences both at home and in the Diaspora, considering > the fact that they have been denied access to the public media back home, > while most of the independent media have been constrained on covering their > activities. > Therefore, despite the initial hitches and the absence of some important > stakeholders, the Raleigh conference went into full gear and eventually > came up with some pertinent resolutions, including a decision to form a > Steering Committee, which, if fully implemented, will no doubt bring about > positive results in the struggle to effect some changes to the untenable > political situation at home. Even the very enthusiasm it generated amongst > Gambians, both at home and abroad seems to auger well for a successful > outcome. Let us therefore hope and pray that those who did not go to > Raleigh would still adopt the resolutions and work towards achieving the > desired national consensus. > *ENDS* > ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ 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]¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ > ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ 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] ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤