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Sister Omega
United Kingdom
2085 Posts |
 Posted - 17 Jan 2006 : 16:19:23
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Welcome back Tairema,
I agree with you that racism is an extention of the class system so how do you purpose we dismantle it, and redistribute the wealth in on our planet? What mechanisms do you think should be put into place to bring this into reality. This question is open to the all.
peace
Sister Omega
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Peace
Sister Omega |
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Tairema
24 Posts |
Posted - 18 Jan 2006 : 10:14:06
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Thank you Sis,
They say Rome was not built in one day so I guess Utopia will even take a little longer but a step in the right direction would be to lift unfair trade barriers, or make them equally biassed to both sides. Same goes for the mobility of persons: why do all of the third world countries inhabintents need expensive visa which take a long time to be approved if approved at all if they want to travel to the first world and why at the same time is it possible that if a European or American wants to enter Africa he can just hop onboard the plane and go as he pleases? |
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gambiabev
United Kingdom
3091 Posts |
Posted - 18 Jan 2006 : 11:06:56
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I agree. Freedom of movement is a basic human right.
The argument given to me for the need of visas is that the black person cant be trusted to return home, whereas most white people hop on the plane, but can be trusted to return home at the end of their holiday.
Interestingly...if a Gambian has MONEY that argument doesnt apply. If you have a good bank balance you will get a visa easy! NOT FAIR!
I am trying to get a Gambian friend a visa at the moment, so he can come to england to study. He has already been refused once when he wanted to come to his friends graduation. The reason given was he didnt have enough money in his bank account.
He is getting married to a Gambian girl this summer. All his family are in Gambian. He just wants the right to spend 1 year in England for study to improve his chances of employment. This SHOULD be granted.
I am going to the embassy in Gambia in March..any advice about how to handle it? |
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Sister Omega
United Kingdom
2085 Posts |
Posted - 18 Jan 2006 : 16:25:51
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Hi Tairema
The lifting of trade barriers, fair trade, and Human Rights would go a long way to making this world a better place coupled with indigenous peoples having more rights over their countries physical and human resources to assist in poverty alleviation.
Peace
Sister Omega |
Peace
Sister Omega |
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Tairema
24 Posts |
Posted - 18 Jan 2006 : 16:41:18
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Also the unification of Africa as a economic union would be a good measurement against the growing unfairness in trade but I don't see this happening in short term as at this momenet even within most African countries itself unity is a far fetched thing.
So I think the thing were to start is: How to bring Unity amoung the people of The Gambia so that they can stand up and make a fist?
It aches my heart to see The Gambia dependent on charity favours from foreigners, why can we not do this for ourselves? |
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gambiabev
United Kingdom
3091 Posts |
Posted - 18 Jan 2006 : 17:02:56
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A west african currency could be a start to this unity..but my understanding is that this is failing to progress....
You have to look to your government for answers to why you need outsiders to be a motivating factor.
The school I come with has done alot of work at Kwinella health centre......only now is the president helping. I almost feel he was shamed into it......
Why do some schools get provision from the state and others dont? it almost seems that the places furthest away from western view get least.. because they arent seen...... yet they probably need most help.....
A very serious issue is teachers salaries and especially ANY salary for nursery staff. Does the government value the education of its children so little? This is the future of the country!!!
More teachers need training, so Gambians teach Gambians.
Also it seems that teachers are moved around like an army...with no choice in their placement. Why is this? Surely a teacher should decide if they want to apply for a vacancy, if they want a move......
otherwise are they just government slaves???? |
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Sister Omega
United Kingdom
2085 Posts |
Posted - 18 Jan 2006 : 17:25:18
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| Tairema Africa does have 5 different trading zones and 6 zone outside of Africa. These need to be harmonized into one trading unit. There's also a need for the 6zone which is the Diaspora to be actively be involved working in unison with the motherland. Is there anytime in Gambian history that Gambians have stood united together and worked for the common good of the country? And this not only applies to Gambia but to African countries and populations around the world? It is time to construct this new paradigm. The blueprints have been drawn up but they now need to be implemented for our future generations to reap the benefits. Peace Sister Omega |
Peace
Sister Omega |
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Formby
United Kingdom
246 Posts |
Posted - 18 Jan 2006 : 20:29:08
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| You may think this a contraversial statement, but as well as the US/EU giving up their greedy grasp on trade monopoly, African leaders have to see themselves as 'managers' of a long term plan rather than lucky pocket-liners. Apparently, Jammeh has one of the best-stocked zoos in West Africa but is there a proper road through Serrekunda yet? Has NAWEC brought constant power and water to all? No. You'd think this'd be more of a priority than a bloody zoo. |
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gambiabev
United Kingdom
3091 Posts |
Posted - 18 Jan 2006 : 20:39:01
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Is this a private zoo? Or a zoo for the people of gambia?
roads,electricity and qualified teachers should all take priority over a zoo! |
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Formby
United Kingdom
246 Posts |
Posted - 18 Jan 2006 : 20:46:12
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Private.
Oh, and another thing I heard (which may be completely true or may have an element of exaggeration) is that before fish is sold on from the various fishing markets lining the coast, Jammeh takes his pick to feed his zoo animals. |
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gambiabev
United Kingdom
3091 Posts |
Posted - 18 Jan 2006 : 21:02:54
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| What a waste of resources.....at the very least he should improve the lot of the animals at the tourist nature reserve. |
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sab
United Kingdom
912 Posts |
Posted - 18 Jan 2006 : 21:50:10
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Greetings all, Gambiabev whilst I disagree with some of your postings and do not have the time to reply, I have done the best on this occasion and hope that it will be of some help.Before you go to the British High Commissioners Office it may be a very good idea to read up on the new legislation that came in Nov 2005 for Entry Clearance from Home Country to UK for ALL STUDENTS. If the word study/education is used in part for a visit then he/she will need a letter of acceptance for studying showing, start date, completion date, and full period of COURSE NAME. PLUS PROOF OF ADEQUATE FUNDS TO MEET THE COURSE.
More countries are being added to the TB screening during 2006. Will The Gambia be one of these?
For a visitors visa/six months there is NO right of appeal and NO reason has to be given for refusal of a visa.
A very good invitation letter showing good knowledge of your friends family history, his/her history & character, your history of visits & travelling in The Gambia. Your own work/career and interests. Purpose of the visit. Who is paying the return ticket and to whom it will be paid and where will the ticket be picked up. What you would like him/her to achieve whilst visiting and opportunities he/she would like to undertake (if for visitor) whilst here. YOU MUST HAVE HISTORY preferably more than three years. Enclosing all the relevant documents that are ask for on the visa form.
I think what I have tried to explain here is far from your idea of what is right/wrong or required. You must do homework on Home Office website and be less hasty.
I had previously read your posting few weeks back stating that a refusal was given, I suspected then that the application was made far to quickly, which is frequently the case, it would have been better for you both to have been disciplined and waited, because there is now a refusal stamped in the passport, or did it not get to interview? I do not think you will help his/her situation going to The High Commissioner as the rules are very clearly stated and you may get the person into deeper water than you anticipated.
Visa requirements came into force for Gambians entering UK in October 1994 along with other African countries. At that time one country alone took the blame for the need of a visa.
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The world would be a poorer place if it was peopled by children whose parents risked nothing in the cause of social justice, for fear of personal loss. (Joe Slovo - African revolutionary) |
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gambiabev
United Kingdom
3091 Posts |
Posted - 18 Jan 2006 : 21:56:30
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| Thank you for taking the time to respond. As a westerner I find patience very difficult! I will take care and prepare well. Thank you again. |
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Tairema
24 Posts |
Posted - 18 Jan 2006 : 22:05:20
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Formby and Gambiabev, I am combining the answers you gave of democracy and African tirants.
Yes, gambiabev democracy and education were a way out of poverty for Europe but they had the luxury of being able to grow naturally into democracies after ages of dictatorship by the old monarchs. At some point the Europeans evolved into democracy because it was a very natural next step after they overthrew their tirant monarchs. However most African countries were forced after colonial dictatorship into suddenly being a democracy to fill the power vacuum that was left when the colonial occupiers pulled out their tirant reign. Before the white occupier set foor in Africa their was no sense of countries as we now know them. We had tribes but not nations. So just after we were forced to become an dictatored artifical nation now we are dropped into suddenly being a democracy.It is not a natural evolution so it does not work. The former occupiers take no responsibility at all into nurturing any form of rulership after the mess they left because the mess Africa is now in suits them fine. Now they can devide and rule from a distance and still reep the benefits. Only they don't have the obligatory resposibility anymore. They are fine that new African tirants run amock because the worst thing that could happen for them is a unified Africa!
Like pocketfilling jammeh, the West describes him as a democratic ruler and as long as they can use Yundum as a second emergency landingplace for the space shuttleprogram they don't care if people who disagree with jammeh disappear, are tortured or that he whipes out any Gambian intellectuals that could make an attempt to mature the countries awareness.Africa is not ready for democracy but it is now being killed by tirants who pretend to be democratic. We know how to be ruled by wise elders, that is where we left off. Currently we have a domestic tirant which we can not overthrow as his place will only be taken by the next domestic tirant.We need a form between dictatorship and democarcy untill our people are ready to rule themselves.Any suggestions as who and how? |
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Sister Omega
United Kingdom
2085 Posts |
Posted - 18 Jan 2006 : 22:14:24
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Gambiabev it is extremely unlikely that once someone has been refused a visa to the UK that they will ever be able to obtain one again!
Peace
Sister Omega |
Peace
Sister Omega |
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gambiabev
United Kingdom
3091 Posts |
Posted - 18 Jan 2006 : 23:09:25
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| Why is that? Peoples circumstances change. He has been offered a course. Also he will be a married man. Does that count for nothing? |
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