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Momodou
Denmark
11511 Posts |
 Posted - 19 Jun 2021 : 13:57:30
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GAMBIA-L Digest 53
Topics covered in this issue include:
1) New member
by momodou.camara@post3.tele.dk (Camara, Momodou)
2) Re: Rethinking Basic Education
by "Malanding S. Jaiteh" <msjaiteh@mtu.edu>
3) RE: New Member
by "Fatou N'Jie" <gs01fnn@panther.Gsu.EDU>
4) Re: Rethinking Basic Education
by Yaya Jallow <yj0001@jove.acs.unt.edu>
5) Re: Sudan News & Views (fwd)
by kosarsar@scn.org (SCN User)
6) ANNA , I AGREE !!
by BASS KOLLEH DRAMMEH <KOLLS567@QATAR.NET.QA>
7) Re: Rethinking Basic Education
by MJagana@aol.com
8) Re: ANNA , I AGREE !!
by Abdou Gibba <Abdou.Gibba@smr.uib.no>
9) Re: ANNA , I AGREE !!
by Latir Downes-Thomas <latir@earthlink.net>
10) RE: "I AGREE"
by Abdou Gibba <Abdou.Gibba@smr.uib.no>
11) Re: Corruption no longer....
by binta@iuj.ac.jp
12) Re: Observations on Gambia-L
by alfall@papl.com
13) Re: Observations on Gambia-L
by Amadou Scattred Janneh <AJANNEH@pstcc.cc.tn.us>
14) New member
by momodou.camara@post3.tele.dk (Camara, Momodou)
15) RE: "I AGREE"
by Latir Downes-Thomas <latir@earthlink.net>
16) Re: ANNA , I AGREE !!
by Anna Secka <secka@cse.bridgeport.edu>
17) RE: "I AGREE"
by Anna Secka <secka@cse.bridgeport.edu>
18) Re: Rethinking Basic Education
by Latir Downes-Thomas <latir@earthlink.net>
19) On the "development" myth
by ABDOU <at137@columbia.edu>
20) Re: Rethinking Basic Education
by BASS KOLLEH DRAMMEH <KOLLS567@QATAR.NET.QA>
21) RE: On the "development" myth
by alfall@papl.com
22) Taiwanese trade with the Gambia
by Francis Njie <francis_njie@il.us.swissbank.com>
23) Re:On the "development" myth
by JAWARAMB@ctrvax.Vanderbilt.Edu
24) Help
by ABDOU <at137@columbia.edu>
25) Re: 'THE ARCH 22 FIASCO' -Reply
by William Roberts <wcroberts@osprey.smcm.edu>
26) Re: Rethinking Basic Education
by MJagana@aol.com
27) Re: Taiwanese trade with the Gambia
by MJagana@aol.com
28) Re: On the "development" myth
by Mbk007@aol.com
29) RE: On the "development" myth
by Abdou Gibba <Abdou.Gibba@smr.uib.no>
30) RE: On the "development" myth
by Abdou Gibba <Abdou.Gibba@smr.uib.no>
31) Re: Rethinking Basic Education
by "Famara A. Sanyang" <famaraas@amadeus.cmi.no>
32) NEW MEMBER
by Abdou Gibba <Abdou.Gibba@smr.uib.no>
33) New member
by momodou.camara@post3.tele.dk (Camara, Momodou)
34) Re: New Member
by "Fatou N'Jie" <gs01fnn@panther.Gsu.EDU>
35) RE: On the "development" myth
by sarian@osmosys.incog.com (Sarian Loum)
36) New Member
by sarian@osmosys.incog.com (Sarian Loum)
37) Re: Sarian's message
by mjallow@st6000.sct.edu (Modou Jallow)
38) Re: Sarian's message
by mjallow@st6000.sct.edu (Modou Jallow)
39) Re: New Member
by "NJIE OMAR E" <964NJIE@alpha.nlu.edu>
40) Africa: International Crime
by mjallow@st6000.sct.edu (Modou Jallow)
41) Re: Rethinking Basic Education
by MJagana@aol.com
42) Re: On the "development" myth
by ABDOU <at137@columbia.edu>
43) Re: Sarian's message
by BASS KOLLEH DRAMMEH <KOLLS567@QATAR.NET.QA>
44) Re: New member
by Olafiaklinikken Olafia <olafia@online.no>
45) P.C. buying - interesting ratings
by Ceesay Soffie <Ceesay_Soffie@ems.prc.com>
46) Re: New member
by BASS KOLLEH DRAMMEH <KOLLS567@QATAR.NET.QA>
47) Africa (US News & World Report)
by Raye Sosseh <gt8065b@prism.gatech.edu>
48) GEA Fellowships - Information on GEA Project
by "Malanding S. Jaiteh" <msjaiteh@mtu.edu>
49) Re: Sarian's message
by Anna Secka <secka@cse.bridgeport.edu>
50) Re: New Member
by "Fatou N'Jie" <gs01fnn@panther.Gsu.EDU>
51) New Member
by sarian@osmosys.incog.com (Sarian Loum)
52) Re: Taiwanese trade with the Gambia
by Francis Njie <francis_njie@il.us.swissbank.com>
53) Re: Sarian's message
by mjallow@st6000.sct.edu (Modou Jallow)
54) Re: Taiwan's trade with the Gambia
by Abdou Gibba <Abdou.Gibba@smr.uib.no>
55) Taiwan pledges Support For Senegal's Food Programme
by Abdou Gibba <Abdou.Gibba@smr.uib.no>
56) Re: Sarian's message
by "Famara A. Sanyang" <famaraas@amadeus.cmi.no>
57) THE GAMBIA DILEMMA OF A SINKING NATION
by Olafiaklinikken Olafia <olafia@online.no>
58) Re: Taiwanese trade with the Gambia
by "Malanding S. Jaiteh" <msjaiteh@mtu.edu>
59) COMMENTARY
by TSaidy1050@aol.com
60) Forwarded: faculty position University of Massachusetts,
Amherst
by "Malanding S. Jaiteh" <msjaiteh@mtu.edu>
61) COMENTARY-PART TWO
by TSaidy1050@aol.com
62) list managers
by fatima phall <fphall1@gl.umbc.edu>
63) THE PRESIDENT'S SPEECH -NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
by TSaidy1050@aol.com
64) Re: New Member
by Bekaye Keita <gs01bkk@panther.Gsu.EDU>
65) WHITE PAPER ON THE GAMBIA
by TSaidy1050@aol.com
66) NEWS FROM THE GAMBIA
by TSaidy1050@aol.com
67) New member
by momodou.camara@post3.tele.dk (Camara, Momodou)
68) Re: Taiwan's trade with the Gambia
by Francis Njie <francis_njie@il.us.swissbank.com>
69) Internet Job Bank; (fwd)
by "N'Deye Marie Njie" <njie.1@postbox.acs.ohio-state.edu>
70) Re: Taiwanese trade with the Gambia
by "BALA SAHO" <B.S.Saho@sussex.ac.uk>
71) New Member
by "NJIE OMAR E" <964NJIE@alpha.nlu.edu>
72) Re: COMENTARY-PART TWO
by Francis Njie <francis_njie@il.us.swissbank.com>
73) Re: Taiwanese trade with the Gambia
by "Malanding S. Jaiteh" <msjaiteh@mtu.edu>
74) ANNA, I DISAGREE
by BASS KOLLEH DRAMMEH <KOLLS567@QATAR.NET.QA>
75) Re: BASS, I DISAGREE
by "Inqs." <nfaal@is2.dal.ca>
76) Re: Taiwan's trade with the Gambia
by Latir Downes-Thomas <latir@earthlink.net>
77) Re: COMENTARY-PART TWO
by "NJIE OMAR E" <964NJIE@alpha.nlu.edu>
78) Re: COMMENTARY
by sarian@osmosys.incog.com (Sarian Loum)
79) Correction
by Anna Secka <secka@cse.bridgeport.edu>
80) Re: BASS, I DISAGREE
by Anna Secka <secka@cse.bridgeport.edu>
81) Re: Taiwan's trade with the Gambia
by Francis Njie <francis_njie@il.us.swissbank.com>
82) Correction
by Anna Secka <secka@cse.bridgeport.edu>
83) Re: Taiwan's trade with the Gambia
by ABDOU <at137@columbia.edu>
84) Re: New member
by AJagne@aol.com
85) Re: Fwd: Re: what a shocker!
by binta@iuj.ac.jp
86) Re: Fw: The Ebonics Debate...
by binta@iuj.ac.jp
87) Re: COMMENTARY
by sarian@osmosys.incog.com (Sarian Loum)
88) Re: Tombong, watch out.
by binta@iuj.ac.jp
89) New member
by momodou.camara@post3.tele.dk (Camara, Momodou)
90) (Fwd) IPS: AFRICA: New Figures Paint New
by momodou.camara@post3.tele.dk (Camara, Momodou)
91) (Fwd) IPS: AFRICA: African World Bank And
by momodou.camara@post3.tele.dk (Camara, Momodou)
92) A parable from NPR
by Greg Fegan <gfegan@mailhost.tcs.tulane.edu>
93) Re: A parable from NPR
by Abdou Gibba <Abdou.Gibba@smr.uib.no>
94) DV-98 LOTTERY PROGRAM
by Mbk007@aol.com
95) Re: WHITE PAPER ON THE GAMBIA
by Olafiaklinikken Olafia <olafia@online.no>
96) Re: A parable from NPR
by BASS KOLLEH DRAMMEH <KOLLS567@QATAR.NET.QA>
97) a parable from NPR and education
by =?iso-8859-1?Q?Asbj=F8rn_Nordam?= <asbjorn.nordam@dif.dk>
98) CONTRIBUTIONS
by Ceesay Soffie <Ceesay_Soffie@ems.prc.com>
99) Forwarding Omar Mbai's intro.
by ABDOU <at137@columbia.edu>
100) Re: WHITE PAPER ON THE GAMBIA
by sarian@osmosys.incog.com (Sarian Loum)
101) unsubscription
by fceesay@brynmawr.edu (Waterloolu)
102) Gambia and the UN.
by Latir Downes-Thomas <latir@earthlink.net>
103) First anniversary
by "A. Loum" <tloum@u.washington.edu>
104) Re: First anniversary
by "Malanding S. Jaiteh" <msjaiteh@mtu.edu>
105) Introductions
by Isatou Bojang <isatoub@student.umass.edu>
106) Re: First anniversary
by NDARBOE@SUNSET.BACKBONE.OLEMISS.EDU
107) Re: First anniversary
by NDARBOE@SUNSET.BACKBONE.OLEMISS.EDU
108) Re: First anniversary
by momodou.camara@post3.tele.dk (Camara, Momodou)
109) Re: First anniversary
by "A. Loum" <tloum@u.washington.edu>
110) Re: Gambia and the UN.
by MJagana@aol.com
111) Re: First anniversary
by binta@iuj.ac.jp
112) Re: Omar .f. Mbai
by TOURAY1@aol.com
113) Re: First anniversary
by Mbk007@aol.com
114) Re: New member
by TSaidy1050@aol.com
115) Re: Taiwan's trade with the Gambia
by TSaidy1050@aol.com
116) New member
by momodou.camara@post3.tele.dk (Camara, Momodou)
117) SEECIAL REQUEST
by AJagne@aol.com
118) Re: Forwarding Omar Mbai's intro.
by BASS KOLLEH DRAMMEH <KOLLS567@QATAR.NET.QA>
119) Re: SEECIAL REQUEST
by BASS KOLLEH DRAMMEH <KOLLS567@QATAR.NET.QA>
120) Greetings.....
by "PA-MAMBUNA O. BOJANG" <paomar@iglou.com>
121) FWD: Agreement Signed For Microfinance Service for West Africa
by momodou.camara@post3.tele.dk (Camara, Momodou)
122) Re: Taiwan's trade with the Gambia
by ABDOU <at137@columbia.edu>
123) 'Portrait of an imagined session'
by KTouray@aol.com
124) Re: Greetings.....
by binta@iuj.ac.jp
125) Re: Taiwan's trade with the Gambia
by MJagana@aol.com
126) Re: CONTRIBUTIONS
by "Malanding S. Jaiteh" <msjaiteh@mtu.edu>
127) Re: Taiwan's trade with the Gambia
by ABDOU <at137@columbia.edu>
128) Re: Taiwan's trade with the Gambia
by Latir Downes-Thomas <latir@earthlink.net>
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Sun, 26 Jan 1997 11:49:05 +0000
From: momodou.camara@post3.tele.dk (Camara, Momodou)
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: New member
Message-ID: <19970126104953.AAA16384@LOCALNAME>
Gambia-l,
Pa Modou Njie has been added to the list and as a custom, we expect to
have an introduction from him. Welcome to the Gambia-l Pa Modou, please
send an introduction of yourself to the list.
Regards
Momodou Camara
*******************************************************
http://home3.inet.tele.dk/mcamara
**"Start by doing what's necessary, then what's
possible and suddenly you are doing the impossible"***
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 26 Jan 1997 11:14:35 -0500
From: "Malanding S. Jaiteh" <msjaiteh@mtu.edu>
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Cc: msjaiteh@mtu.edu
Subject: Re: Rethinking Basic Education
Message-ID: <199701261614.LAA00499@spruce.ffr.mtu.edu>
Mr Touray, thank you for the piece on education. It would not be difficult to imagine that many members of gambia-l are the likes of Buba from Chamen.
Perhaps another area to venture is the active participation of non-governmental organisations (mainly of Gambia origin) to help private sector resources be properly utilized for educating the needy. I emphasize NGOs of Gambian origin (whether based in or outside the Gambia) because there is serious under-utilization of that resource base. Much of the support Gambian education system had had been disproportionately foreign NGOs.
A few weeks ago I enquired about the existence of Gambian organizations (in or outside the Gambia) actively supporting education in the Gambia I am yet to find one such organization. I believe that there is tremendous resources within that sector which if properly organized could help many hardworking Gambians.
Perhaps the government must also try to address a few questions. what is the education we want our kids to go through? what role should government play? Should it be the laise-affaires attitude (which ofcourse did not work the last time around) or the god-father role (which may result in trying to do too much). what is the
Once again it would be nice if the list seriously examine the issue.
Malanding
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 26 Jan 1997 14:43:24 -0500 (EST)
From: "Fatou N'Jie" <gs01fnn@panther.Gsu.EDU>
To: Gambia-L <gambia-l@u.washington.edu>
Subject: RE: New Member
Message-ID: <Pine.GSO.3.95.970126144157.22280C-100000@panther.Gsu.EDU>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
Can you add Tijan Foon's name to the gambia list. His email address is
"tjanfoon@ix.netcom.com". Thanks.
****************************************
* Fatou N'Jie *
* Decision Sciences *
* Georgia State University *
* *
* Email: fanjie@gsu.edu *
****************************************
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 26 Jan 1997 14:38:14 -0600 (CST)
From: Yaya Jallow <yj0001@jove.acs.unt.edu>
To: The Gambia and Related Issues Mailing List <gambia-l@u.washington.edu>
Subject: Re: Rethinking Basic Education
Message-ID: <Pine.GSO.3.95.970126141840.17186B-100000@jove.acs.unt.edu>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
Mr. Touray,
That piece was a good reminder of the difficult circumstances many
Gambians and their families have to endure for attaining educational
needs.
Let me supplement your suggestions, and that is for parents to begin
to plan early for the education of their children. The use of some kind of
a financial/saving plan beginning at the child's birth would be very
helpful. For example, the Govn't can set up an "education tomorrow fund"
whereby parents can pay into the fund at todays prices for the cost of
their kids future education, and once the kids are ready to go to high
school, all expenses will then be borne by the Govn't . Please note, such
a system need not be operated by the Govn't but can be contracted out to
one of the private financial institutions. Of course, slightly well to do
parents can purchase their own educational savings plans from the
financial market.
While I do understand that there are a lot of Gambians who are probably
just having to make both ends meet, a strategy of early planning and a
system of savings plans may well be very helpful.
Good day
Yaya
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 26 Jan 1997 14:49:39 -0800 (PST)
From: kosarsar@scn.org (SCN User)
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Re: Sudan News & Views (fwd)
Message-ID: <199701262249.OAA06691@scn.org>
my name is Deeqa Kosar, sister to Debbie Proctor. I am a commercial
electrician/travel agent who has traveled to 20 African countries and have visited most of Europe. Thank you for adding me to your mailing list.###
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 27 Jan 1996 02:54:27 +0300
From: BASS KOLLEH DRAMMEH <KOLLS567@QATAR.NET.QA>
To: Gambia-L@U.washington.EDU
Subject: ANNA , I AGREE !!
Message-ID: <310969B3.79B0@QATAR.NET.QA>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
ANNA!!
Great!You are absolutely right.They are TRYING their best to
develop
the country by building the infrastructures without which no development
can take off in any modern state.So,now that you have admitted what most
of us love to be dismissive about,we can have a sensible discussion as
to what needs to be done about the fact that there is an acute shortage
of Gambian professionals to man the NEW INSTITUITIONS being built by
the new regime.Such a discussion would be the next logical step; but it
can come to pass on this List only after we have overcome our state of
denial and admit that indeed there is a new hospital in FARRAFENNI,and
that the person who built it is not from BARRAJALLI but from BUYAM,and
that we don't have to love this person to admit that he is the builder
of this hospital,and that this hospital needs highly educated and highly
trained GAMBIANS and that we the privileged and educated sons and
daughters of
the Gambia have a moral obligation, and that we owe it to the rest of
our
country folks and to ourselves to show support and to coordinate with
such a regime in a manner that would enable all of us as a nation to
arrive=20
at solutions for the practical problems that arise from the fact that
some of the best Gambian minds are now resident in thousands and
thousands of kilometers away from home,a direct and tragic result of the
policies of the past regime.
Anna,as a firm believer of the principles of democracy and the
inviolability of the the human dignity,I am acutely aware of the fact
that NOT EVERYTHING is ROSY in that realm
in the Gambia,but I am also aware of the fact that SWEDEN,one of the
finest democracies on the face of this planet,was not built in just two
short years,nor was it renowned for its reverence for the rights and
dignity of the individual at the dawn of its democratic
experiment.So,even though we have moral a duty to criticise the
Government whenever it abuses its power,we should never lose our sense
of perspective.I believe
it is terribly important to always remember that,even though these
people are soldiers;even though they broke their promise to give power
back to a civilian administration different from themselves;even though
they were not terribly nice to the opposition supporters;
even though some of them may have been corrupted,the sheer number and
magnitude of the infrastructures built by these people in just these two
short years is unprcedented by the standards of any African country from
Cairo to the cape of Good Hope.It is my very sincere belief that unless
there is something seriously wrong with the Gambian mind such a rare
feat should mean something,and a BIG ONE at that! So,I do agree with
you,somethings in our motherland are not doing terribly well,but many
other things have become simply fantastic over these past two years,and
from the look of it,the best ones are yet to come.These are some of the
reasons why I don't worry myself sick when a Banding Sissoko or a
Mariama Darboe is arrested in Florida or wherever,or when a frustrated
thief in Geneva implicates the present regime in Banjul,or when a
Jawara-influenced Common Wealth sings its transparent refrains time and
again,or even when the States Department
of the very America that sold drugs to its black population in the
Ghettoes to finance it Contra War accuses the Gambian Government of
involvement in the drug trade.So,since I belong to the political party
called "FOR THE GAMBIA OUR HOMELAND",I would start to get really worried
only when the vast majority of the Gambian people feel that these people
are neither doing the job they are expected to do,or that they are not
properly
protecting their lives,properties and freedoms.But as long as the vast
majority of the Gambian people are happy with and crazy about them ,as
they actually are at present,I cannot in good conscience do anything
except to follow suit.This in short,is the yardstick against which I
gauge their performance.
One of our friends on this list recently wrote that he was very puzzled
by the fact that I sound so informed and yet so crazy about Mr.YaYa
Jammeh.To him,every smart Gambian should and must have contempt for YaYa
Jammeh.Well,for his information,I am neither a snub nor a patrician,and
that I would rather see a Farmer from KOINA (the last village in the
Gambia)be the president of the Gambia, if he can deliver the Goods than
see a Havard educated who would use his education only to defraud the
Gambian People.Nobody who knows our former president could have in one
million years predicted that he would so profoundly and tragically fail
his people,the Gambian people. Everything was going well for him.He was
tall,handsome,intelligent,infectiously charming,married the gorgeous
daughter of the wealthiest man in the land,came from the=20
the largest tribal grouping in the country,became the first president of
one of the tiniest countries in the world with such a congenial and
peace loving population
that almost bordered on meekness.And yet,as you and I now know
absolutely clearly,none of those initial advantages of a potentially
very promising president has been able to translate itself into anything
of substance for the Gambian people.Mr.Jammeh ,on the other hand,is a
most unlikely president of the Gambia.Not terribly educated,he comes
from an obscure village that some of our listers here would hate to read
about.And yet he has in just this very short period of time achieved
what can only be described as Gambia's Marshall Plan.History, of
course,if I can paraphrase KARL MARX here,takes place twice.First, as a
tragedy; and as a farce the second time around.Jawara is the Tragic
Figure of Gambia's recent History;and the FARCE about Jammeh is that two
years ago no sane Gambian expected anything from him and his co-coupers
except chaos,blood,death and distruction; and yet, two years down the
road ,the number of pregnant women from the rural areas that are being
saved from death by the numerous clinics built by those very
rifle-wielding coup makers could be nothing but high.That, I would have
thought,should be be something to cheer and smile about.
Regards Bassss!! =20
any =20
=20
--=20
SZDD=88=F0'3Af=A8=03
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 26 Jan 1997 22:37:48 -0500 (EST)
From: MJagana@aol.com
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Cc: MJagana@aol.com
Subject: Re: Rethinking Basic Education
Message-ID: <970126223747_1478159361@emout09.mail.aol.com>
Dear Gambia l,
this is one topic that we all need to put in some effort. i believe
malanding has raised a topic which needs intense discussions, and solutions
to follow. i strongly believe that the education system need to be
reconsidered in the gambia, and it would be a great step for the new
gorvernment to spend some resouces into this field.
personally i am planning to setup a charitable foundation ( THE JAGANA
FOUNDATION), which will be dedicated to increase the literacy and computer
literacy in the gambia. i know this would be a big step, but it would also be
a long run investment to the benefit of the nation, if it is to develop.
at the moment the reent education system ( established by the former hon. BB
Darboe), is dumpng to many young gambians out of the school system without
giving them proper training.
it would be great if members of this list contribute to this debate, and
maybe we might change the educatin system for a better nation.
( THE MIND IS AN ENDANGERED SPECIES. PLEASE KEEP IT ALIVE. READ A BOOK. )
MOMODOU JAGANA
PRESIDENT
THE JAGANA FOUNDATION.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 27 Jan 1997 08:16:49 +0100
From: Abdou Gibba <Abdou.Gibba@smr.uib.no>
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Re: ANNA , I AGREE !!
Message-ID: <2.2.32.19970127071649.006ac484@alfred.uib.no>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
BASS!!
If I attempt to add a single letter to this magnificent piece, all I will be
doing is "sugaring the domodaa". KEEP ON THE CLEAN-HEARTED JOB "FOR THE=
GAMBIA"
GOD BLESS GAMBIA
::)))Abdou Oujimai
At 02:54 27.01.96 +0300, you wrote:
>ANNA!!
> Great!You are absolutely right.They are TRYING their best to
>develop
>the country by building the infrastructures without which no development
>can take off in any modern state.So,now that you have admitted what most
>of us love to be dismissive about,we can have a sensible discussion as
>to what needs to be done about the fact that there is an acute shortage
>of Gambian professionals to man the NEW INSTITUITIONS being built by
>the new regime.Such a discussion would be the next logical step; but it
>can come to pass on this List only after we have overcome our state of
>denial and admit that indeed there is a new hospital in FARRAFENNI,and
>that the person who built it is not from BARRAJALLI but from BUYAM,and
>that we don't have to love this person to admit that he is the builder
>of this hospital,and that this hospital needs highly educated and highly
>trained GAMBIANS and that we the privileged and educated sons and
>daughters of
>the Gambia have a moral obligation, and that we owe it to the rest of
>our
>country folks and to ourselves to show support and to coordinate with
>such a regime in a manner that would enable all of us as a nation to
>arrive=20
>at solutions for the practical problems that arise from the fact that
>some of the best Gambian minds are now resident in thousands and
>thousands of kilometers away from home,a direct and tragic result of the
>policies of the past regime.
>
>Anna,as a firm believer of the principles of democracy and the
>inviolability of the the human dignity,I am acutely aware of the fact
>that NOT EVERYTHING is ROSY in that realm
>in the Gambia,but I am also aware of the fact that SWEDEN,one of the
>finest democracies on the face of this planet,was not built in just two
>short years,nor was it renowned for its reverence for the rights and
>dignity of the individual at the dawn of its democratic
>experiment.So,even though we have moral a duty to criticise the
>Government whenever it abuses its power,we should never lose our sense
>of perspective.I believe
>it is terribly important to always remember that,even though these
>people are soldiers;even though they broke their promise to give power
>back to a civilian administration different from themselves;even though
>they were not terribly nice to the opposition supporters;
>even though some of them may have been corrupted,the sheer number and
>magnitude of the infrastructures built by these people in just these two
>short years is unprcedented by the standards of any African country from
>Cairo to the cape of Good Hope.It is my very sincere belief that unless
>there is something seriously wrong with the Gambian mind such a rare
>feat should mean something,and a BIG ONE at that! So,I do agree with
>you,somethings in our motherland are not doing terribly well,but many
>other things have become simply fantastic over these past two years,and
>from the look of it,the best ones are yet to come.These are some of the
>reasons why I don't worry myself sick when a Banding Sissoko or a
>Mariama Darboe is arrested in Florida or wherever,or when a frustrated
>thief in Geneva implicates the present regime in Banjul,or when a
>Jawara-influenced Common Wealth sings its transparent refrains time and
>again,or even when the States Department
>of the very America that sold drugs to its black population in the
>Ghettoes to finance it Contra War accuses the Gambian Government of
>involvement in the drug trade.So,since I belong to the political party
>called "FOR THE GAMBIA OUR HOMELAND",I would start to get really worried
>only when the vast majority of the Gambian people feel that these people
>are neither doing the job they are expected to do,or that they are not
>properly
>protecting their lives,properties and freedoms.But as long as the vast
>majority of the Gambian people are happy with and crazy about them ,as
>they actually are at present,I cannot in good conscience do anything
>except to follow suit.This in short,is the yardstick against which I
>gauge their performance.
>
>One of our friends on this list recently wrote that he was very puzzled
>by the fact that I sound so informed and yet so crazy about Mr.YaYa
>Jammeh.To him,every smart Gambian should and must have contempt for YaYa
>Jammeh.Well,for his information,I am neither a snub nor a patrician,and
>that I would rather see a Farmer from KOINA (the last village in the
>Gambia)be the president of the Gambia, if he can deliver the Goods than
>see a Havard educated who would use his education only to defraud the
>Gambian People.Nobody who knows our former president could have in one
>million years predicted that he would so profoundly and tragically fail
>his people,the Gambian people. Everything was going well for him.He was
>tall,handsome,intelligent,infectiously charming,married the gorgeous
>daughter of the wealthiest man in the land,came from the=20
>the largest tribal grouping in the country,became the first president of
>one of the tiniest countries in the world with such a congenial and
>peace loving population
>that almost bordered on meekness.And yet,as you and I now know
>absolutely clearly,none of those initial advantages of a potentially
>very promising president has been able to translate itself into anything
>of substance for the Gambian people.Mr.Jammeh ,on the other hand,is a
>most unlikely president of the Gambia.Not terribly educated,he comes
>from an obscure village that some of our listers here would hate to read
>about.And yet he has in just this very short period of time achieved
>what can only be described as Gambia's Marshall Plan.History, of
>course,if I can paraphrase KARL MARX here,takes place twice.First, as a
>tragedy; and as a farce the second time around.Jawara is the Tragic
>Figure of Gambia's recent History;and the FARCE about Jammeh is that two
>years ago no sane Gambian expected anything from him and his co-coupers
>except chaos,blood,death and distruction; and yet, two years down the
>road ,the number of pregnant women from the rural areas that are being
>saved from death by the numerous clinics built by those very
>rifle-wielding coup makers could be nothing but high.That, I would have
>thought,should be be something to cheer and smile about.
>
> Regards Bassss!! =20
>any =20
>=20
>--=20
>SZDD=88=F0'3Af=A8=03
>
>
>
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 27 Jan 1997 02:16:35 -0800 (PST)
From: Latir Downes-Thomas <latir@earthlink.net>
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Re: ANNA , I AGREE !!
Message-ID: <854371196@lithuania-c.it.earthlink.net>
Abdou Gibba wrote:
> BASS!!
>
> If I attempt to add a single letter to this magnificent piece, all I will be
> doing is "sugaring the domodaa". KEEP ON THE CLEAN-HEARTED JOB "FOR THE
> GAMBIA"
>
> GOD BLESS GAMBIA
> ::)))Abdou Oujimai
Abdou, do you actuallly share these feelings?
".I believe it is terribly important to always remember that,even though these
people are soldiers;even though they broke their promise to give power
back to a civilian administration different from themselves;even though
they were not terribly nice to the opposition supporters;
even though some of them may have been corrupted,the sheer number and
magnitude of the infrastructures built by these people in just these two
short years is unprcedented by the standards of any African country from
Cairo to the cape of Good Hope.It is my very sincere belief that unless
there is something seriously wrong with the Gambian mind such a rare
feat should mean something,and a BIG ONE at that! So,I do agree with
you,somethings in our motherland are not doing terribly well,but many
other things have become simply fantastic over these past two years,and
from the look of it,the best ones are yet to come.These are some of the
reasons why I don't worry myself sick when a Banding Sissoko or a
Mariama Darboe is arrested in Florida or wherever,or when a frustrated
thief in Geneva implicates the present regime in Banjul,or when a
Jawara-influenced Common Wealth sings its transparent refrains time and
again,or even when the States Department of the very America that sold
drugs to its black population in the Ghettoes to finance it Contra War
accuses the Gambian Government of
involvement in the drug trade.So,since I belong to the political party
called "FOR THE GAMBIA OUR HOMELAND",I would start to get really worried
only when the vast majority of the Gambian people feel that these people
are neither doing the job they are expected to do,or that they are not
properly protecting their lives,properties and freedoms.But as long as the vast
majority of the Gambian people are happy with and crazy about them ,as
they actually are at present,I cannot in good conscience do anything
except to follow suit.This in short,is the yardstick against which I
gauge their performance."
Do most of the the members on this list really feel the way Bass and apparently Abdou Gibba feel. Are they actually expressing the true sentiments of most Gambians especially those with an understanding of the real state of affairs as these two seem to have? I REALLY would like to know. (This question is not in jest!)
Peace.
Lat
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 27 Jan 1997 12:53:25 +0100
From: Abdou Gibba <Abdou.Gibba@smr.uib.no>
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: RE: "I AGREE"
Message-ID: <2.2.32.19970127115325.0069ac98@alfred.uib.no>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
LATIR!!
You wrote:
"Do most of the the members on this list really feel the way Bass and
apparently Abdou Gibba feel. Are they actually expressing the true
sentiments of most Gambians especially those with an understanding of the
real state of affairs as these two seem to have? I REALLY would like to
know. (This question is not in jest!)"
I whole-hearted share the same views with Bass on such a matter and I
believe that we are "actually expressing the true sentiments of most
Gambians......" I
mean when certain Gambians intend to turn the Jammeh regime to a "Saddam
Hussein" one merely because they have been reaped off the privileges they
enjoyed (at the expense of our people) under the Jawara regime, YES, and
read my lines clear, I will stand so very firmly to agree to what Bass have
stated. All what such elements are doing is to exemplify Western, or to be
precise, United States democracy, and then use it as a basis for their
arguments, arguments they never brought up under the former regime because
things were very suitable for them. What reaction do you expect from the
other side? A matching "counter-attack", of course.
The last thing is, I hate sounding monotonous (repeating myself) because I
thought I have made my position sound and clear to you. If you think I will
just sit and fold my arms and listen to any destructive propaganda, then
you're giving me little credit.
Returning Peace on to you!
::)))Abdou Oujimai
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 27 Jan 1997 21:07:53 +0900 (JST)
From: binta@iuj.ac.jp
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Re: Corruption no longer....
Message-ID: <199701271202.VAA09118@mlsv.iuj.ac.jp>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; CHARSET=US-ASCII
Gambia-l, I got this piece from The World Bank.
Lamin drammeh.
On Sat, 25 Jan 97 09:15:14 EST, Service via Mail wrote...
>
>
>Corruption: No Longer the Missing Piece in Development Discussions
>
>How can development organizations help governments fight corruption? Long
>avoided as a taboo, corruption is increasingly the focus of attention. EDI's
>public sector reform group is working not only within the state sector but also
>with civil society to change expectations and build a consensus against bribery,
>extortion, and cronyism.
>
>Corruption is an impressive spoiler. It can turn a good policy into a messy
>failure. It can infect civil society, splitting it into rent-seeking elites and
>helpless spectators. It can increase costs, ruin efficiencies, and frustrate
>change.
>
>It can also be fought. Among international organizations and national
>governments, there's a new willingness to deal pragmatically with chronic
>malfeasance in government. According to the Global Coalition for Africa: "Good
>governance, which emerged five years ago as an incipient, vaguely defined issue
>of donor conditionality, is now a major subject of debate and definition within
>Africa, and is recognized as the reform that underpins all other reforms." As
>more international organizations and more courageous political leaders work to
>combat corruption, it will become harder for societies to condone it.
>
>Although many African leaders have found there is much to gain from trying to
>root out extortions and bribery, corruption is not unique to any country or
>region. Indeed, at a recent EDI workshop in Jordan, speakers offered experiences
>combating corruption in Britain, Hong Kong, Bolivia, Uganda, Singapore and the
>U.S.
>
>The anti-corruption movement is tightly linked to the proliferation of
>democratic societies and free presses. By raising expectations that elected
>officials not exploit public position for private advantage, the media can
>create a standard to which current and prospective political leaders can be
>held.
>
>However, the transition to openness and accountability is fraught with
>difficulties. Countries emerging from closed, secretive autocracies often find
>themselves deluged with published reports of corruption and official wrongdoing.
>It can seem, in such circumstances, that corruption has become a new pandemic, a
>sign that change has unleashed mostly unhealthy forces. In recently democratic
>Malawi, for example, amid increasingly shrill charges and countercharges of
>bribery and malfeasance, an exasperated parliamentarian declared, "We are all
>corrupt."
>
>Oscar Arias Sanchez, Nobel Laureate from Costa Rica, recently warned that people
>can become "so disenchanted with the corruption in democratic regimes that they
>have even welcomed a new dictatorship."
>
>What is needed is a system that exposes and punishes the truly corrupt and
>rewards the honest civil servant. The Economic Development Institute,
>collaborating with Transparency International (an NGO that helps governments
>fight corruption), is working to advance such systems in East Africa, the Middle
>East and elsewhere. Last August the two groups held a workshop in Tanzania that
>brought together government officials, non-governmental organizations, and law
>enforcement agencies.
>
>Opening the workshop, Tanzania's chief justice, Francis Nyalali, remarked that
>corruption had so deeply penetrated his country's politics that there were
>reasons to expect that "the worst corrupt practices that this country has ever
>seen" would dominate the imminent national elections.
>
>By raising awareness of the damage that can be wrought by corruption, EDI and
>its partners helped make it more difficult for Tanzanians to tolerate patterns
>of bribery and extortion by government officials. Corruption became a dominant
>campaign issue in the presidential elections. An upshot of the workshop was an
>anti-bribery pledge that candidates were asked to sign. Benjamin Mkapa, the
>ruling party's presidential candidate, made the fight against corruption a
>leading campaign theme, and after winning the election won headlines as "Mr.
>Clean" because of his insistence on rooting out corrupt officials and installing
>civil servants with clean records. He has also taken the unusual step of
>disclosing his and his wife's financial holdings. President Mkapa later wrote
>Transparency International that the "integrity pledge" has become "a useful
>weapon in my armory as I wage this war against corruption."
>
>It would be naive to equate proclamations with changed behavior. However, even
>the rhetoric of anti-corruption--reinforced by regularly exposing officials
>whose actions belie their declarations--creates an environment where "political
>mercenaries" operate with difficulty.
>
>Certain structural steps are important too. A "National Integrity Source Book
>for Building More Transparent and Accountable Government," prepared by
>Transparency International and EDI with funding from the Ford Foundation, sets
>out steps any government can take to build an environment less conducive to
>graft.
>
>The book makes the point that corruption "thrives in rigid systems with multiple
>bottlenecks and sources of monopoly power in government."
>
>However, the transition from from such a system may present new opportunities
>and incentives for bribery. Amid the many uncertainties of change, people "seek
>certainty, and they may try to achieve it by paying off officials," the source
>book warns.
>
>Sometimes anti-corruption efforts themselves become perverted as officials
>launch corruption cases to punish dissidents and unhinge political adversaries.
>
>As economists scrutinize corruption and its consequences, they find that the
>damage greatly exceeds the amount involved in bribes and extortions. Losses
>occur when government contracts are awarded as a result of bribery rather than
>efficiency, or when jobs are lost at firms that refuse to offer bribes and
>therefore lose business.
>
>Solidifying legal structures, establishing procurement codes, paying adequate
>salaries to civil servants all help. But as much as anything, leaders in the
>campaign against corruption see real gains where societies collectively find
>their way to different expectations of public behavior, where the long-accepted
>pathologies gradually come to be seen for what they are.
>
>EDI plans to translate the source book and publish regional versions for Latin
>America, the former Soviet Union, China and the Middle East. Much of EDI's
>thrust will continue to be raising public expectations. Says Petter Langseth,
>EDI's public sector management specialist, "The main message is that it's okay
>for people to expect a government that's not corrupt."
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 27 Jan 97 08:59:00 -0500
From: alfall@papl.com
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Re: Observations on Gambia-L
Message-ID: <"A5CED7FB*Fall_Amadou_L/NUC_GO2//US/IBMX400/PPL"@MHS>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; name="Re:"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
Hello Fellow Gambia-Lers,
Let me start off first by introducing myself. I became a member at the
beginning of the year and never got around to introducing myself to the
group. Well, here goes.. I am Amadou Fall, better known as Lamine Fall
to my former classmates of Gambia High School's Six Form (Alpha
Robinson, Tijan Drammeh, etc.) and I am currently employed as a Project
Engineer at an electric utility in Pennsylvania.
Here's my 2 cents worth of contribution to the following:
(Note that I've only excerpted a portion of B. Saho's write-up)
> One thing that bothered Africa for so long is the tendency to cling
> to tribe/clientage. Instead of supporting the incumbent because he is
> a Gambian we refer to tribal nonsense. Some writers have gone so far
> to suggest that one of the best things one could do in Africa is to
> abolish multi partism for a while. This would mean the incumbent
> leader/government will adhere only to national interest
I believe that we as Gambians and Africans need to reach a point of
maturity such that we can have a political system that allows our
people to elect a President and Cabinet based solely on their political
platform. By this, I do not mean an ethnocentic, religious nor
tribalistic platform. What I mean is a platform that puts ahead above
all the good of the country and that of Africa. For far too long, we
have been reduced to internecine bickering and civil war that has
resulted in the current state of affairs in Africa. Addressing the
situation in the Gambia, I believe that we owe the AFPRC government the
benefit of the doubt and that we should give them the opportunity to
"walk the talk". However, I must confess that I have been disappointed
by recent developments. That is, the spectacle of the President going
on National TV and threatening to "... Kill anybody that spreads
untruths". This act, as well as campaign related strong-arm tactics is
leading me to believe that some of Mr. M. Jawara's assertion(s) are true.
Above all, I wish to see the AFPRC succeed in its stated goal of
bettering the lot of ALL GAMBIANS with no regard to tribe, religious
beliefs nor political leanings.
Peace!
Amadou
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 27 Jan 1997 10:04:48 -0500 (EST)
From: Amadou Scattred Janneh <AJANNEH@pstcc.cc.tn.us>
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Re: Observations on Gambia-L
Message-ID: <01IEPCHONKMO002RSZ@PSTCC6.PSTCC.CC.TN.US>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; CHARSET=US-ASCII
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT
Now that another Amadou (Fall) is contributing to the Bantaba, it may be
helpful for both of us to add our last names to our contributions. Just
minor "stuff."
Amadou Scattred Janneh
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 27 Jan 1997 16:51:20 +0000
From: momodou.camara@post3.tele.dk (Camara, Momodou)
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: New member
Message-ID: <19970127155215.AAA9152@LOCALNAME>
Gambia-l,
Tijan Foon has been added to the list and as a custom, we expect to
have an introduction from him. Welcome to the Gambia-l Tijan, please
send an introduction of yourself to the list.
Regards
Momodou Camara
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 27 Jan 1997 08:52:21 -0800 (PST)
From: Latir Downes-Thomas <latir@earthlink.net>
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: RE: "I AGREE"
Message-ID: <854394945@lithuania-c.it.earthlink.net>
Abdou Oujimai,
I think, no I know, you must have misunderstood my message when you wrote the following in your reply:
> The last thing is, I hate sounding monotonous (repeating myself) because I
> thought I have made my position sound and clear to you. If you think I will
> just sit and fold my arms and listen to any destructive propaganda, then
> you're giving me little credit.
You did indeed make yourself quite clear. How you saw what I posted as ''destructive propaganda'' is beyond me. Let me make it clear, I AM NOT part of any anti-APRC, or whatever one wishes to call it, movement. I was simply surprised that both you and Bass felt the way you did. I have noticed for some time that the two of you seem to take a somewhat pro-APRC stance and there is NOTHING WRONG with that. Not only do you have the right to express your feelings in this forum but thus far the two of you have been quite clear in your convictions and in expressing why you feel the way you do.
My surprise was that in effect Bass was saying, in quite frank terms, that the goods of Jammeh and his regime far outweigh the ills of their ALLEGED misdoing including, what I've seen termed as ''Swiss-Gate'' and the Sissoho affair. While I have no gripes with such sentiments, I simply wanted to know how representative they were of the rest of this group and by extension Gambians as a whole. Do not interpret this as a way of knocking down what the two of you are saying. Am I the only one that is struck by what you guys are in effect saying? That is ALL I want to know, thus the short disclaimer at the end of my previous posting, "This question is not in jest!''
Again I have no intention of entering any propaganda war so you need not ''read between the lines''.
Peace. Once again :-)
Lat
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 27 Jan 1997 12:10:36 -0500 (EST)
From: Anna Secka <secka@cse.bridgeport.edu>
To: BASS KOLLEH DRAMMEH <KOLLS567@QATAR.NET.QA>
Cc: The Gambia and Related Issues Mailing List <gambia-l@u.washington.edu>
Subject: Re: ANNA , I AGREE !!
Message-ID: <Pine.SUN.3.91.970127120934.15552B-100000@cse>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
Content-Transfer-Encoding: QUOTED-PRINTABLE
Bass,
I think you misunderstood my message. Read between the lines and then you=
=20
will know what I am really saying. Never jump to conclusions. On Sat, 27 Ja=
n=20
1996, BASS KOLLEH DRAMMEH wrote:
> ANNA!!
> Great!You are absolutely right.They are TRYING their best to
> develop
> the country by building the infrastructures without which no development
> can take off in any modern state.So,now that you have admitted what most
> of us love to be dismissive about,we can have a sensible discussion as
> to what needs to be done about the fact that there is an acute shortage
> of Gambian professionals to man the NEW INSTITUITIONS being built by
> the new regime.Such a discussion would be the next logical step; but it
> can come to pass on this List only after we have overcome our state of
> denial and admit that indeed there is a new hospital in FARRAFENNI,and
> that the person who built it is not from BARRAJALLI but from BUYAM,and
> that we don't have to love this person to admit that he is the builder
> of this hospital,and that this hospital needs highly educated and highly
> trained GAMBIANS and that we the privileged and educated sons and
> daughters of
> the Gambia have a moral obligation, and that we owe it to the rest of
> our
> country folks and to ourselves to show support and to coordinate with
> such a regime in a manner that would enable all of us as a nation to
> arrive=20
> at solutions for the practical problems that arise from the fact that
> some of the best Gambian minds are now resident in thousands and
> thousands of kilometers away from home,a direct and tragic result of the
> policies of the past regime.
>=20
> Anna,as a firm believer of the principles of democracy and the
> inviolability of the the human dignity,I am acutely aware of the fact
> that NOT EVERYTHING is ROSY in that realm
> in the Gambia,but I am also aware of the fact that SWEDEN,one of the
> finest democracies on the face of this planet,was not built in just two
> short years,nor was it renowned for its reverence for the rights and
> dignity of the individual at the dawn of its democratic
> experiment.So,even though we have moral a duty to criticise the
> Government whenever it abuses its power,we should never lose our sense
> of perspective.I believe
> it is terribly important to always remember that,even though these
> people are soldiers;even though they broke their promise to give power
> back to a civilian administration different from themselves;even though
> they were not terribly nice to the opposition supporters;
> even though some of them may have been corrupted,the sheer number and
> magnitude of the infrastructures built by these people in just these two
> short years is unprcedented by the standards of any African country from
> Cairo to the cape of Good Hope.It is my very sincere belief that unless
> there is something seriously wrong with the Gambian mind such a rare
> feat should mean something,and a BIG ONE at that! So,I do agree with
> you,somethings in our motherland are not doing terribly well,but many
> other things have become simply fantastic over these past two years,and
> from the look of it,the best ones are yet to come.These are some of the
> reasons why I don't worry myself sick when a Banding Sissoko or a
> Mariama Darboe is arrested in Florida or wherever,or when a frustrated
> thief in Geneva implicates the present regime in Banjul,or when a
> Jawara-influenced Common Wealth sings its transparent refrains time and
> again,or even when the States Department
> of the very America that sold drugs to its black population in the
> Ghettoes to finance it Contra War accuses the Gambian Government of
> involvement in the drug trade.So,since I belong to the political party
> called "FOR THE GAMBIA OUR HOMELAND",I would start to get really worried
> only when the vast majority of the Gambian people feel that these people
> are neither doing the job they are expected to do,or that they are not
> properly
> protecting their lives,properties and freedoms.But as long as the vast
> majority of the Gambian people are happy with and crazy about them ,as
> they actually are at present,I cannot in good conscience do anything
> except to follow suit.This in short,is the yardstick against which I
> gauge their performance.
>=20
> One of our friends on this list recently wrote that he was very puzzled
> by the fact that I sound so informed and yet so crazy about Mr.YaYa
> Jammeh.To him,every smart Gambian should and must have contempt for YaYa
> Jammeh.Well,for his information,I am neither a snub nor a patrician,and
> that I would rather see a Farmer from KOINA (the last village in the
> Gambia)be the president of the Gambia, if he can deliver the Goods than
> see a Havard educated who would use his education only to defraud the
> Gambian People.Nobody who knows our former president could have in one
> million years predicted that he would so profoundly and tragically fail
> his people,the Gambian people. Everything was going well for him.He was
> tall,handsome,intelligent,infectiously charming,married the gorgeous
> daughter of the wealthiest man in the land,came from the=20
> the largest tribal grouping in the country,became the first president of
> one of the tiniest countries in the world with such a congenial and
> peace loving population
> that almost bordered on meekness.And yet,as you and I now know
> absolutely clearly,none of those initial advantages of a potentially
> very promising president has been able to translate itself into anything
> of substance for the Gambian people.Mr.Jammeh ,on the other hand,is a
> most unlikely president of the Gambia.Not terribly educated,he comes
> from an obscure village that some of our listers here would hate to read
> about.And yet he has in just this very short period of time achieved
> what can only be described as Gambia's Marshall Plan.History, of
> course,if I can paraphrase KARL MARX here,takes place twice.First, as a
> tragedy; and as a farce the second time around.Jawara is the Tragic
> Figure of Gambia's recent History;and the FARCE about Jammeh is that two
> years ago no sane Gambian expected anything from him and his co-coupers
> except chaos,blood,death and distruction; and yet, two years down the
> road ,the number of pregnant women from the rural areas that are being
> saved from death by the numerous clinics built by those very
> rifle-wielding coup makers could be nothing but high.That, I would have
> thought,should be be something to cheer and smile about.
>=20
> =09=09=09=09=09=09=09Regards Bassss!! =20
> any =20
> =20
> --=20
> SZDD=88=F0'3Af=A8=03
>=20
>=20
**********************************************
*=09Anna Secka=09=09=09 *
* 312 Barnum Hall=09=09=09 *
* University of Bridgeport *
* Bridgeport, CT 06604 *
* Email: secka@cse.bridgeport.edu *=20
**********************************************
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 27 Jan 1997 12:17:30 -0500 (EST)
From: Anna Secka <secka@cse.bridgeport.edu>
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Cc: The Gambia and Related Issues Mailing List <gambia-l@u.washington.edu>
Subject: RE: "I AGREE"
Message-ID: <Pine.SUN.3.91.970127121303.15552C-100000@cse>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
Abdou,
Please don't judge people that you do not know for you would be
very wrong. How do you know that those who do not support Yaya Jammeh is
" because they have been reaped off the privileges they
enjoyed (at the expense of our people) under the Jawara regime, YES, and
read my lines clear"? Are you suggesting that everybody should support
Yaya Jammeh because in your books he rescued the Gambia? Please make your
own choices and in future refrain from trying the choose for others or
make accusations that you cannot prove.
Anna.
On Mon, 27 Jan 1997, Abdou Gibba wrote:
> LATIR!!
>
> You wrote:
>
> "Do most of the the members on this list really feel the way Bass and
> apparently Abdou Gibba feel. Are they actually expressing the true
> sentiments of most Gambians especially those with an understanding of the
> real state of affairs as these two seem to have? I REALLY would like to
> know. (This question is not in jest!)"
>
>
>
>
>
>
> I whole-hearted share the same views with Bass on such a matter and I
> believe that we are "actually expressing the true sentiments of most
> Gambians......" I
> mean when certain Gambians intend to turn the Jammeh regime to a "Saddam
> Hussein" one merely because they have been reaped off the privileges they
> enjoyed (at the expense of our people) under the Jawara regime, YES, and
> read my lines clear, I will stand so very firmly to agree to what Bass have
> stated. All what such elements are doing is to exemplify Western, or to be
> precise, United States democracy, and then use it as a basis for their
> arguments, arguments they never brought up under the former regime because
> things were very suitable for them. What reaction do you expect from the
> other side? A matching "counter-attack", of course.
>
> The last thing is, I hate sounding monotonous (repeating myself) because I
> thought I have made my position sound and clear to you. If you think I will
> just sit and fold my arms and listen to any destructive propaganda, then
> you're giving me little credit.
>
> Returning Peace on to you!
> ::)))Abdou Oujimai
>
>
>
**********************************************
* Anna Secka *
* 312 Barnum Hall *
* University of Bridgeport *
* Bridgeport, CT 06604 *
* Email: secka@cse.bridgeport.edu *
**********************************************
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 27 Jan 1997 09:15:50 -0800 (PST)
From: Latir Downes-Thomas <latir@earthlink.net>
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Re: Rethinking Basic Education
Message-ID: <854396355@lithuania-c.it.earthlink.net>
In a previous posting, MOMODOU JAGANA wrote,
> at the moment the reent education system ( established by the former hon. BB
> Darboe), is dumpng to many young gambians out of the school system without
> giving them proper training.
It's funny because the changing of the education system that was introduced in '92-'93 (correct me if I am wrong) under what I believe was called the New Education Policy was supposed to address this very problem but seems as though it just made things worse and basically covered up for the lack of secondary schools in the country.
Does anyone know if this issue has been adressed by the Min. of Education since then (i.e. in Mrs. Jow's tenure)? Apart from the builing of new schools, which was badly needed, is the policy going to change so that our young brothers and sisters won't be ''dumped'', as Mr. Jagana put it, out of the school system?
Peace.
Lat
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 27 Jan 1997 12:47:05 -0500 (EST)
From: ABDOU <at137@columbia.edu>
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: On the "development" myth
Message-ID: <Pine.SUN.3.95L.970127124648.23696A-100000@terve.cc.columbia.edu>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
Hi Folks,
I wish to dispel one of the recurring myths propagated by the
Jammeh propaganda machine, namely that there have been economic
developments during his reign.
From a purely objective view, development is measured taking into
consideration the progression or regression of the standard of living of
the average citizen of a country. When that test is applied to The
Gambia, what emerges is that the country is retreating away from the
Industrial Age.
Gross Domestic Product declined 6% in 1995 and 10% in 1996. This
puts The Gambia in the category of the worst performing economies in THE
WORLD. Tourism declined 60% in 1995, exports declined 30% and the
country is running the worst trade deficit in its history. Businessmen
are generally apprehensive and there is little investment activity and
unemployment is very high.
While I do not know what the per capita income is for 1994 and
1995, it is mathematically impossible for it to be higher than previous
years [ if you assume a normal statistical distribution, per capita would
have to increase 40% just to keep pace with inflation and GDP decline ].
My point is that the average Gambian is poorer today than he was when
Jammeh came to power.
The reasons for this economic performance are not hard to see.
Firstly, Jammeh has alienated Senegal to the point that it has virtually
imposed economic sanctions on The Gambia. Asked to comment on this,
Jammeh said [paraphrase] "If they want to, the Senegalese can lock the
border and throw the keys into the sea". As some of you know, Jammeh has
the crass mannerism of an immature high-schooler and the accompanying
intellectual depth.
Second reason for the economic doldrums is that Jammeh is plucking
some inexhaustible money tree and spending the money on questionable
projects. Also, Jammeh and his soldiers live in opulence that even Jawara
only dreamt of and wasting taxpayers' money on feeding an ever expanding
and unprofessional army.
The third reason is that Jammeh's government does not have the
brain trust necessary to solve some of the problems facing the country.
He has surrounded himself with mediocres and cronies who are almost
universally inexperienced and not trained to handled the tasks they are
assigned.
Jammeh's enthusiasm notwithstanding, it is critical thinking and
not idealism that solves problems. If The Gambia is to leave the
pre-Industrial Age period and enter the digital age, it has to be steered
by a mature and knowledgeable leadership equipped with the experience and
tools necessary to solve today's increasingly complex problems. Jammeh,
as the figures indicate, has failed woefully and should be brave enough
to step from the plate.
-Abdou.
*******************************************************************************
A. TOURAY.
Dept. of Computer Science
Columbia University
New York, NY 10027
MY URL ON THE WWW= http://www.cc.columbia.edu/~at137
A FINITE IN A LAND OF INFINITY.
SEEKING BUT THE REACHABLE.
I WANDER AND I WONDER.
ALL RESPITE IS FINAL.
*******************************************************************************
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 27 Jan 1996 12:35:01 +0300
From: BASS KOLLEH DRAMMEH <KOLLS567@QATAR.NET.QA>
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Re: Rethinking Basic Education
Message-ID: <3109F1C5.53BA@QATAR.NET.QA>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
MJagana@aol.com wrote:
>=20
> Dear Gambia l,
>=20
> this is one topic that we all need to put in some effort. i believe
> malanding has raised a topic which needs intense discussions, and solut=
ions
> to follow. i strongly believe that the education system need to be
> reconsidered in the gambia, and it would be a great step for the new
> gorvernment to spend some resouces into this field.
>=20
> personally i am planning to setup a charitable foundation ( THE JAGANA
> FOUNDATION), which will be dedicated to increase the literacy and compu=
ter
> literacy in the gambia. i know this would be a big step, but it would a=
lso be
> a long run investment to the benefit of the nation, if it is to develop.
>=20
> at the moment the reent education system ( established by the former ho=
n. BB
> Darboe), is dumpng to many young gambians out of the school system with=
out
> giving them proper training.
>=20
> it would be great if members of this list contribute to this debate, an=
d
> maybe we might change the educatin system for a better nation.
>=20
> ( THE MIND IS AN ENDANGERED SPECIES. PLEASE KEEP IT ALIVE. READ A BOO=
K. )
>=20
> MOMODOU JAGANA
> PRESIDENT
> THE JAGANA FOUNDATION.
Mr.JAGANA!!
Embarking on such an endeavour would be a fantastic contribution on
your part to the developmental needs of your motherland.I salute your
good thinking.Keep up the good work down there!!=20
Regards Basssss!!
--=20
SZDD=88=F0'3Af=A8=03
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 27 Jan 97 13:36:04 -0500
From: alfall@papl.com
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: RE: On the "development" myth
Message-ID: <"D40C0C8B*Fall_Amadou_L/NUC_GO2//US/IBMX400/PPL"@MHS>
Mime-Version: 1.0
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Abdou,
I must complement you on a well written piece on the state of affairs
in the Gambia vis-a-vis "Development". As demonstrated throughout
Africa, at the early stages of new governments, be they
"democratically" elected or self-installed, there are these rapid
building of infrastructures that engender goodwill amongst the
populace. The only problem with these so-called "development" projects
is the lack of an overall plan as to where they fit.
As noted in several postings on the accomplishments, or lack thereof,
of the ruling clique, there does not exist the requisite manning and
administration of these ventures. I believe that one of the greatest
tragedies of the Sub-Saharan Africa development is the lack of
practical experience of managers and administrators of the affairs of
the countries. Far too often, people with no practical training are
tasked with efficiently and professionally running government agencies,
ministries and parastatals. By this, I mean the holders of higher
degrees of learning that have NEVER applied the classroom training to
real-world situations prior to been entrusted with these
responsibilities. (NO OFFENSE TO YOU ACADEMICS OUT THERE)
Just walk into any office within the Gambia, maybe with the exception
of some of the privately-owned businesses, and you typically encounter
workers that conduct business in the most un-professional of manners. I
do not blame them directly, for I believe it has a lot to do with the
lack proper managerial guidance.
To conclude my thoughts on the state of affairs with regards to
"Development", I want to invite members of the list to post their
thoughts on the following subject - THE PRACTICAL TRAINING OF MANAGERS,
ADMINISTRATORS, PROFESSIONALS & SUPPORT STAFFS IN THE GAMBIA.
Keep in mind that I am specifically referring to those workers that
have had the benefit of higher learning, be it Degrees, Certificates or
Diplomas.
Peace!
Amadou Fall
----------
From: GAMBIA-L-owner; at137
To: gambia-l
Subject: On the "development" myth
Date: Monday, January 27, 1997 12:47PM
Hi Folks,
I wish to dispel one of the recurring myths propagated by the
Jammeh propaganda machine, namely that there have been economic
developments during his reign.
From a purely objective view, development is measured taking into
consideration the progression or regression of the standard of living of
the average citizen of a country. When that test is applied to The
Gambia, what emerges is that the country is retreating away from the
Industrial Age.
Gross Domestic Product declined 6% in 1995 and 10% in 1996. This
puts The Gambia in the category of the worst performing economies in THE
WORLD. Tourism declined 60% in 1995, exports declined 30% and the
country is running the worst trade deficit in its history. Businessmen
are generally apprehensive and there is little investment activity and
unemployment is very high.
While I do not know what the per capita income is for 1994 and
1995, it is mathematically impossible for it to be higher than previous
years [ if you assume a normal statistical distribution, per capita would
have to increase 40% just to keep pace with inflation and GDP decline ].
My point is that the average Gambian is poorer today than he was when
Jammeh came to power.
The reasons for this economic performance are not hard to see.
Firstly, Jammeh has alienated Senegal to the point that it has virtually
imposed economic sanctions on The Gambia. Asked to comment on this,
Jammeh said [paraphrase] "If they want to, the Senegalese can lock the
border and throw the keys into the sea". As some of you know, Jammeh has
the crass mannerism of an immature high-schooler and the accompanying
intellectual depth.
Second reason for the economic doldrums is that Jammeh is plucking
some inexhaustible money tree and spending the money on questionable
projects. Also, Jammeh and his soldiers live in opulence that even Jawara
only dreamt of and wasting taxpayers' money on feeding an ever expanding
and unprofessional army.
The third reason is that Jammeh's government does not have the
brain trust necessary to solve some of the problems facing the country.
He has surrounded himself with mediocres and cronies who are almost
universally inexperienced and not trained to handled the tasks they are
assigned.
Jammeh's enthusiasm notwithstanding, it is critical thinking and
not idealism that solves problems. If The Gambia is to leave the
pre-Industrial Age period and enter the digital age, it has to be steered
by a mature and knowledgeable leadership equipped with the experience and
tools necessary to solve today's increasingly complex problems. Jammeh,
as the figures indicate, has failed woefully and should be brave enough
to step from the plate.
-Abdou.
*******************************************************************************
A. TOURAY.
Dept. of Computer Science
Columbia University
New York, NY 10027
MY URL ON THE WWW= http://www.cc.columbia.edu/~at137
A FINITE IN A LAND OF INFINITY.
SEEKING BUT THE REACHABLE.
I WANDER AND I WONDER.
ALL RESPITE IS FINAL.
*******************************************************************************
--openmail-part-0e597725-00000001
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--openmail-part-0e597725-00000001--
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 27 Jan 97 14:11:49 -0600
From: Francis Njie <francis_njie@il.us.swissbank.com>
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Taiwanese trade with the Gambia
Message-ID: <9701272011.AA00709@new_delhi>
Mime-Version: 1.0 (NeXT Mail 3.3risc v124.8483.5)
Content-Type: text/plain
Does anyone know how much inport/export activity Taiwan is engaged in with the
Gambia? Also, how much fishing does Taiwan do in Gambian waters? Thanks...
- Francis
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 27 Jan 1997 15:34:20 -0600 (CST)
From: JAWARAMB@ctrvax.Vanderbilt.Edu
To: GAMBIA-L@U.WASHINGTON.EDU
Subject: Re:On the "development" myth
Message-ID: <01IEPKSU8CFM8XZG2O@ctrvax.Vanderbilt.Edu>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; CHARSET=US-ASCII
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT
Abdou, I can't help it but to add my unqualified comments to your piece that
has provided a fair assessment of the state of affairs in The Gambia. I believe you are right on the money with the statistical facts on your piece. This is a
clear manifestations of the state of decadence I discussed in my posting the
other time. In the light of the foregoing and the facts given by Mr. Touray in
his piece, the Pandora's box is wide open for The Gambia and the out come is
scary.
It's without a doubt that the Jawara regime created some of the perturbations
on the political system by their failure to make necessary adjustments at time,
....at the time, but by no means were state of affairs this bad before in the
history of our republic. As some of you know already that Sir Dawda is a
relative of mine, and I have high regards for him, but I must state categorically and unequivocally that the reality of this fact has never been
the driving force of my postings in the net. In some of my postings in the past,
I had had the ocassion to criticise the short comings of the erstwhile administration of Jawara and I shall continue to do that ....appropriately.
This brings me to make a few observations on the conduct of our discussions.
We must not allow our productive discussions to degenerate into vulgarity
by making insults at Sir Dawda, an act that goes beyond the bounds of decency.
This man was just doing a job, you may disagree with him on the issues(I certainly do) but let us be civil towards one another when we make our remarks. I know
words don't kill, if they do, then we will all be mortally wounded by now. I
can also understand that some people have different definitions for decency
other than the conventional one to those folks...like the gentleman who made
an unfair comments on the former first lady, I'm not sure if this message can
reform you.
To conclude, the prime minister of Malaysia Mahtarirr Mohammad once said, giving
freedom to some people is like presenting flowers to a monkey as a gesture, the
monkey in turn will destroy the flower immediately because it does not recognisethe symbolism.
I hope all of us will appreciate the opportunity this forum provides in the
sense of free and open debate for a cause of national development..and not to
turn it into senseless smear campaign.
MUSA BASSADI
VANDERBILT.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 27 Jan 1997 20:04:30 -0500 (EST)
From: ABDOU <at137@columbia.edu>
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Help
Message-ID: <Pine.SUN.3.95L.970127200024.4769D-100000@terve.cc.columbia.edu>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
Hi gambia-l
We need the email address of Baba Gale Jallow of The Observer. So
we be highly appreciative if the members living in The Gambia could call
The Observer office and get us this address.
Thanks in advance,
-Abdou Touray.
*******************************************************************************
A.TOURAY
Dept. of Computer Science
Columbia University
New York, NY 10027
MY URL ON THE WWW= http://www.cc.columbia.edu/~at137
A FINITE IN A LAND OF INFINITY.
SEEKING BUT THE REACHABLE.
I WANDER AND I WONDER.
ALAS, ALL RESPITE IS FINAL.
*******************************************************************************
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 27 Jan 1997 21:02:25 -0500
From: William Roberts <wcroberts@osprey.smcm.edu>
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Re: 'THE ARCH 22 FIASCO' -Reply
Message-ID: <s2ed17e0.094@osprey.smcm.edu>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain
Content-Disposition: inline
Ousman,
Happy new year! Hope your first semester went well. We have just
begun the spring semester, I expect to have the Gambia book: Tubabs
Under the Baobab, off the press this week. I took 10 students to
Guatemala earlier this month, and will begin to look at another trip to The
Gambia very soon.
I'll write more later, stay in touch.
Yahya Bajaha, aka, Bill Roberts
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 27 Jan 1997 22:43:44 -0500
From: MJagana@aol.com
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Re: Rethinking Basic Education
Message-ID: <970127224343_1859889636@emout02.mail.aol.com>
REF; TO LAT,
I very much understand that the changes were made to address this problem.
however due to over population in the schol system, the students that finish
middle school ( equivalent to form 3, in the past system), and to do not have
good grades are not given the opportunity, to further their education. but
are rather forced out of the school system with a certificate not worthy of
any thing.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 27 Jan 1997 22:52:20 -0500 (EST)
From: MJagana@aol.com
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Re: Taiwanese trade with the Gambia
Message-ID: <970127225220_981593074@emout20.mail.aol.com>
Dear francis,
i think this would be properly answered by someone who is properly infromed
about the relevant stats. since in africa governments HARDLY PUBLISH SUCH
STATS.
momodou jagana.
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 28 Jan 1997 03:04:55 -0500 (EST)
From: Mbk007@aol.com
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Re: On the "development" myth
Message-ID: <970128030455_581272078@emout13.mail.aol.com>
The information you gave is very disturbing, and I was wondering where you
read, or got this information. Please let me know if you can, for there might
be more relevant information that can be obtained from this source (present
&future).
thanks
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 28 Jan 1997 10:29:30 +0100
From: Abdou Gibba <Abdou.Gibba@smr.uib.no>
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: RE: On the "development" myth
Message-ID: <2.2.32.19970128092930.0069a7b0@alfred.uib.no>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Hello Members!
ABDOU (TOURAY)I am in no position of commenting on your statistics but
assuming they are correct, are we not forgetting the obvious, namely
consequences of international sanctions (one thing the Jawaras propaganda
machine managed to accomplish). I don't think you believe (for real) that
the decline in tourism is something controlled by the government but if you
do I will remind you of some western governments' propaganda (triggered by
their "man" against tourism, among other things, in Gambia. "...Jammeh has
alienated Senegal...." This information is false and misleading. All
Gambians know that it's Senegal that "alienated" Gambia and the truth of the
matter is, Senegal did just that in gesture of retaliating on Jawara for
betraying the trust after restoring him to power in 1981. Jammeh's first
trip abroad was in Senegal (correct me). The aim of the trip was to restore
the brotherly/sisterly relationship we had. He appealed for a better
relationship in all aspects and to substantiate this, Senegalese
contractors, alongside with their Gambian counterparts, benefitted from some
of the undergoing projects.
"...Development is measured taking into consideration the progression or
regression of the standard of living of the average citizen of a country".
This is very true but in the case of our country you only stated that "the
average Gambian is poorer today than he was when Jammeh came to power" but
failed to provide us with supporting indicators. I will comment on this when
the indicators are provided. As far as I am concerned THE AVERAGE GAMBIAN
(from Banjul to Koina) has never been well-off since independence. The money
that was circulating was in the hands of a few who gave "subsistence-aid" to
others. "....When that test is applied to The Gambia, what emerges is that
the country is retreating away from the Industrial Age". What is the basis
of your theory here? Are we forgetting the history of the Industrial
Revolution? What nation can be industrially developed without the basic
machineries to support it (infrastructure; schools and universities that are
to trigger Research and Development and produce a qualified and able work
force; information networks to inform the mass, etc)? I don't think these
areas where a priority to the former government. Our country was the one and
only one Sovereign State up to the late 90s without a Single University, a
single TV station and the only State Radio Station couldn't be received in
some parts of the country....yes and yet we are in the "Industrial Age".
Gambia was degenerating, getting rotten before Jammeh and his guys stepped
in. While many countries get newer every year, Gambia was getting older. At
childhood, I remember playing in the clear running gutters and playing
"service" and football on the streets. All that died out. The reason I need
not elaborate. As far as I am concerned, and I believe I represent the
opinion of many, as reality indicates, Jammeh should even take a firmer
stand and carry the country through.
MR JAWARA, I am the "gentleman who made an unfair comment on the former
first lady...; ...we must not allow our productive discussions to degenerate
into vulgarity by insults at Sir Dawda, an act that goes beyond the bounds
of decency. This man was just doing a job.....". Are you forgetting that
this was in response to you degenerating productive discussions into
vulgarity by insults at Jammeh and members of his government? Tell me in
what "Commandment" was it written that Sir Dawda descends from "purity" and
Jammeh from "filth"? One thing I seem to agree with you is, that we should
"be civil towards one another when we make our remarks." I hope you've got
the taste of your own medicine and will in future "be civil...." when you
make your "remarks." THIS SHOULD BE THE NATURE OF GAMBIA-L.
Lastly, I agree with you again... "I hope all of us will appreciate the
opportunity this forum provides in sense of free and open (AND PRODUCTIVE,
MY EMPHASIS) debate for a cause of national development... and not to turn
it into senseless smear campaign." Until then we shall never go forward.
PEACE be unto you all (members)!!
::)))Abdou Oujimai
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 28 Jan 1997 11:04:41 +0100
From: Abdou Gibba <Abdou.Gibba@smr.uib.no>
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: RE: On the "development" myth
Message-ID: <2.2.32.19970128100441.006a6d34@alfred.uib.no>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
OH!.. A VERY IMPORTANT LEFT OUT
I (Abdou Oujimai) wrote:
"...The money that was circulating was in the hands of a few who gave
"subsistence-aid" to others." POINT IF OBSERVATION: Those who benefitted
from the "subsistence-aid" were those who had privileged relatives and
subordinates. The under previledged had to sweat every single day to make
ends meet. Remember the "Buba Cham" example in K. Touray's "Rethinking Basic
Education." My own mom had to dig-up groundnut leftovers on already
harvested land to put a meal on the floor. ABDOU TOURAY, If this is the
better standard of living you're referring to, then am sorry, but you have
absolutely no compassion and respect of human dignity for the "AVERAGE GAMBIAN."
PEACE, once again!
::)))Abdou Oujimai
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 28 Jan 1997 14:31:52 GMT+1
From: "Famara A. Sanyang" <famaraas@amadeus.cmi.no>
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Re: Rethinking Basic Education
Message-ID: <95CEB31976@amadeus.cmi.no>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT
Brothers & Sisters,
Thanks to Mr. Touray for setting this important issue on the agenda, and the
rest for their contributions.
I don't think there is any disagreement on the fact that education is one of the
pillars of socio-economic development, since it can be link to all the other sectors,
like health, poverty alleviation and so on.
The point here is how to make it available to all Gambians regardless
of "class", "ethnicity", religion and regional belonging. Mr. Yaya Jalllow
came with some suggestions about a kind of a cost recovery
system where parents pay a certain amount to a pool. I think we
should always have at the back of our mind that up to 60 percent of the Gambian
population are living under the food poverty line, and the situation
is worst in the rural areas. Saving is good, but, one should at least
satisfy the basic needs before one could think of saving. The
preoccupation of the government should be how to socially uplift the
majority of the Gambians. My believe is that one has to make
sure that the people have the ability to pay before one demands
payment.
I think Malanding asked a very interesting question which should be
further examined. For your information Malanding, am helping a former
teacher of mine Mr. Baba Silla (presently residing in Norway), who is
working on "Gambian Owned NGO" to help educate as many Gambian
children as possible. We will come with the details of the project
later. He will surely co-operate with organisations with similar intentions,
like the Jagana Foundation of my old pal President Jagana.
The presence of NGOs in this sector does not mean that the government
should not see this task as one of its main responsibilities. The
NGOs should be seen as a supplement. As I wrote in an earlier
contribution to this list, if the government help the people to get
an education, they don't need to tell them what to do next.
Many reactionary and backward regimes have given less priority to the
education of their people. This is logical, since they
were not planning to do a good job. Why give the people tools which will
enable to scrutinise your activities. As they say "IGNORANCE IS AN
ENSLAVING POWER".
I will stop here for now.
Shalom,
Famara.
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 28 Jan 1997 15:41:22 +0100
From: Abdou Gibba <Abdou.Gibba@smr.uib.no>
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: NEW MEMBER
Message-ID: <2.2.32.19970128144122.00696700@alfred.uib.no>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
HI Camara Modou!
Kindly enroll a new member: Omar S. Saho : Olafia@online.no
Thanks!
::)))Abdou Oujiami
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 28 Jan 1997 16:39:22 +0000
From: momodou.camara@post3.tele.dk (Camara, Momodou)
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: New member
Message-ID: <19970128154024.AAA24382@LOCALNAME>
Gambia-l,
Omar S. Saho has been added to the list and as a custom, we expect to
have an introduction from him. Welcome to the Gambia-l Omar, please
send an introduction of yourself to the list.
Regards
Momodou Camara
*******************************************************
http://home3.inet.tele.dk/mcamara
**"Start by doing what's necessary, then what's
possible and suddenly you are doing the impossible"***
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 28 Jan 1997 13:16:14 -0500 (EST)
From: "Fatou N'Jie" <gs01fnn@panther.Gsu.EDU>
To: Gambia-L <gambia-l@u.washington.edu>
Subject: Re: New Member
Message-ID: <Pine.GSO.3.95.970128131409.11421B-100000@panther.Gsu.EDU>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
Could you add Bekaye Keita to the list? His address is
"gs01bkk@panther.gsu.edu"
Thanks.
********************************************
* Fatou N'Jie *
* Decision Sciences Department *
* Georgia State University *
* *
* Email: fanjie@gsu.edu *
* http://www.gsu.edu/~gs01fnn/index.html *
********************************************
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 28 Jan 1997 10:38:42 -0800
From: sarian@osmosys.incog.com (Sarian Loum)
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: RE: On the "development" myth
Message-ID: <199701281838.KAA26447@thesky.incog.com>
Hi,
I just returned from the Gambia after a month vacation and this much I can tell you the country is very expensive and the economy is also very unstable. Its a fact that "some" businessmen (having talked to few) are very apprehensive of the economy and thus are holding out on imports. This was also confirmed by several people in the Gambia Ports Authority/Customs dept of the alarming rate drop of containers /consignments that usually flood the sheds of the traffic department waiting to be cleared.
According to these sources the Maersk lines are pretty much empty compared to the 400 - 500 containers they used to deposit that are now down to 60 - 70 containers per ship and this should be of concern to all of us because there is indeed a lot of unemployment in the country (can't claim percentage cause I don't have the statistics but there is a lot of poverty in the home land and I keep wondering how many are making it.
Even with our US dollars some of us vacationing were feeling the pinch. Example of a cost of toilet paper D29.00 for some what mediocre quality, paper napkins the same. To eat a decent meal one has to spend at least D100 for a single meal (small family). So one couldn't help wondering how these people are really making it with the low salaries/wages and thats why when one is vacationing they think you can solve all their financial needs which sends you to the bank to dip into savings account or if that is not available to get cash from your credit cards, and I know quite a bit of Gambian's living abroad who were faced with this situation including myself.
In my opinion, all that money that was spent building the arch could have been used on other high priority projects e.g. some of the roads are still very bad in Banjul and the kombo areas. The main roads were fixed alright but there are some streets that taxis cannot still get by in Banjul. Electricity is still a problem its on and off all the time I was there. Thats all for now.
Sarian
> From Abdou.Gibba@smr.uib.no Tue Jan 28 01:30:08 1997
> Date: Tue, 28 Jan 1997 10:29:30 +0100
> From: Abdou Gibba <Abdou.Gibba@smr.uib.no>
> To: "GAMBIA-L: The Gambia and Related Issues Mailing List" <gambia-l@u.washington.edu>
> Subject: RE: On the "development" myth
> Mime-Version: 1.0
> X-Sender: nsmag@alfred.uib.no
> X-Listprocessor-Version: 8.1 beta -- ListProcessor(tm) by CREN
>
> Hello Members!
>
> ABDOU (TOURAY)I am in no position of commenting on your statistics but
> assuming they are correct, are we not forgetting the obvious, namely
> consequences of international sanctions (one thing the Jawaras propaganda
> machine managed to accomplish). I don't think you believe (for real) that
> the decline in tourism is something controlled by the government but if you
> do I will remind you of some western governments' propaganda (triggered by
> their "man" against tourism, among other things, in Gambia. "...Jammeh has
> alienated Senegal...." This information is false and misleading. All
> Gambians know that it's Senegal that "alienated" Gambia and the truth of the
> matter is, Senegal did just that in gesture of retaliating on Jawara for
> betraying the trust after restoring him to power in 1981. Jammeh's first
> trip abroad was in Senegal (correct me). The aim of the trip was to restore
> the brotherly/sisterly relationship we had. He appealed for a better
> relationship in all aspects and to substantiate this, Senegalese
> contractors, alongside with their Gambian counterparts, benefitted from some
> of the undergoing projects.
>
> "...Development is measured taking into consideration the progression or
> regression of the standard of living of the average citizen of a country".
> This is very true but in the case of our country you only stated that "the
> average Gambian is poorer today than he was when Jammeh came to power" but
> failed to provide us with supporting indicators. I will comment on this when
> the indicators are provided. As far as I am concerned THE AVERAGE GAMBIAN
> (from Banjul to Koina) has never been well-off since independence. The money
> that was circulating was in the hands of a few who gave "subsistence-aid" to
> others. "....When that test is applied to The Gambia, what emerges is that
> the country is retreating away from the Industrial Age". What is the basis
> of your theory here? Are we forgetting the history of the Industrial
> Revolution? What nation can be industrially developed without the basic
> machineries to support it (infrastructure; schools and universities that are
> to trigger Research and Development and produce a qualified and able work
> force; information networks to inform the mass, etc)? I don't think these
> areas where a priority to the former government. Our country was the one and
> only one Sovereign State up to the late 90s without a Single University, a
> single TV station and the only State Radio Station couldn't be received in
> some parts of the country....yes and yet we are in the "Industrial Age".
> Gambia was degenerating, getting rotten before Jammeh and his guys stepped
> in. While many countries get newer every year, Gambia was getting older. At
> childhood, I remember playing in the clear running gutters and playing
> "service" and football on the streets. All that died out. The reason I need
> not elaborate. As far as I am concerned, and I believe I represent the
> opinion of many, as reality indicates, Jammeh should even take a firmer
> stand and carry the country through.
>
> MR JAWARA, I am the "gentleman who made an unfair comment on the former
> first lady...; ...we must not allow our productive discussions to degenerate
> into vulgarity by insults at Sir Dawda, an act that goes beyond the bounds
> of decency. This man was just doing a job.....". Are you forgetting that
> this was in response to you degenerating productive discussions into
> vulgarity by insults at Jammeh and members of his government? Tell me in
> what "Commandment" was it written that Sir Dawda descends from "purity" and
> Jammeh from "filth"? One thing I seem to agree with you is, that we should
> "be civil towards one another when we make our remarks." I hope you've got
> the taste of your own medicine and will in future "be civil...." when you
> make your "remarks." THIS SHOULD BE THE NATURE OF GAMBIA-L.
>
> Lastly, I agree with you again... "I hope all of us will appreciate the
> opportunity this forum provides in sense of free and open (AND PRODUCTIVE,
> MY EMPHASIS) debate for a cause of national development... and not to turn
> it into senseless smear campaign." Until then we shall never go forward.
>
> PEACE be unto you all (members)!!
> ::)))Abdou Oujimai
>
>
>
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 28 Jan 1997 11:34:22 -0800
From: sarian@osmosys.incog.com (Sarian Loum)
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: New Member
Message-ID: <199701281934.LAA26639@thesky.incog.com>
All,
Bekaye Keita has been added as requested. Welcome! and please send in your intro to the group.
Sarian
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 28 Jan 1997 16:08:28 -0500 (EST)
From: mjallow@st6000.sct.edu (Modou Jallow)
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Re: Sarian's message
Message-ID: <9701282108.AA53178@st6000.sct.edu>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit
>
> Hi,
>
> I just returned from the Gambia after a month vacation and this much I can tell you the country is very expensive and the economy is also very unstable. Its a fact that "some" businessmen (having talked to few) are very apprehensive of the economy and thus are holding out on imports. This was also confirmed by several people in the Gambia Ports Authority/Customs dept of the alarming rate drop of containers /consignments that usually flood the sheds of the traffic department waiting to be cleared.
>
> According to these sources the Maersk lines are pretty much empty compared to the 400 - 500 containers they used to deposit that are now down to 60 - 70 containers per ship and this should be of concern to all of us because there is indeed a lot of unemployment in the country (can't claim percentage cause I don't have the statistics but there is a lot of poverty in the home land and I keep wondering how many are making it.
>
> Even with our US dollars some of us vacationing were feeling the pinch. Example of a cost of toilet paper D29.00 for some what mediocre quality, paper napkins the same. To eat a decent meal one has to spend at least D100 for a single meal (small family). So one couldn't help wondering how these people are really making it with the low salaries/wages and thats why when one is vacationing they think you can solve all their financial needs which sends you to the bank to dip into savings account or if that is not available to get cash from your credit cards, and I know quite a bit of Gambian's living abroad who were faced with this situation including myself.
>
> In my opinion, all that money that was spent building the arch could have been used on other high priority projects e.g. some of the roads are still very bad in Banjul and the kombo areas. The main roads were fixed alright but there are some streets that taxis cannot still get by in Banjul. Electricity is still a problem its on and off all the time I was there. Thats all for now.
>
> Sarian
>
> > From Abdou.Gibba@smr.uib.no Tue Jan 28 01:30:08 1997
> > Date: Tue, 28 Jan 1997 10:29:30 +0100
> > From: Abdou Gibba <Abdou.Gibba@smr.uib.no>
> > To: "GAMBIA-L: The Gambia and Related Issues Mailing List" <gambia-l@u.washington.edu>
> > Subject: RE: On the "development" myth
> > Mime-Version: 1.0
> > X-Sender: nsmag@alfred.uib.no
> > X-Listprocessor-Version: 8.1 beta -- ListProcessor(tm) by CREN
> >
> > Hello Members!
> >
> > ABDOU (TOURAY)I am in no position of commenting on your statistics but
> > assuming they are correct, are we not forgetting the obvious, namely
> > consequences of international sanctions (one thing the Jawaras propaganda
> > machine managed to accomplish). I don't think you believe (for real) that
> > the decline in tourism is something controlled by the government but if you
> > do I will remind you of some western governments' propaganda (triggered by
> > their "man" against tourism, among other things, in Gambia. "...Jammeh has
> > alienated Senegal...." This information is false and misleading. All
> > Gambians know that it's Senegal that "alienated" Gambia and the truth of the
> > matter is, Senegal did just that in gesture of retaliating on Jawara for
> > betraying the trust after restoring him to power in 1981. Jammeh's first
> > trip abroad was in Senegal (correct me). The aim of the trip was to restore
> > the brotherly/sisterly relationship we had. He appealed for a better
> > relationship in all aspects and to substantiate this, Senegalese
> > contractors, alongside with their Gambian counterparts, benefitted from some
> > of the undergoing projects.
> >
> > "...Development is measured taking into consideration the progression or
> > regression of the standard of living of the average citizen of a country".
> > This is very true but in the case of our country you only stated that "the
> > average Gambian is poorer today than he was when Jammeh came to power" but
> > failed to provide us with supporting indicators. I will comment on this when
> > the indicators are provided. As far as I am concerned THE AVERAGE GAMBIAN
> > (from Banjul to Koina) has never been well-off since independence. The money
> > that was circulating was in the hands of a few who gave "subsistence-aid" to
> > others. "....When that test is applied to The Gambia, what emerges is that
> > the country is retreating away from the Industrial Age". What is the basis
> > of your theory here? Are we forgetting the history of the Industrial
> > Revolution? What nation can be industrially developed without the basic
> > machineries to support it (infrastructure; schools and universities that are
> > to trigger Research and Development and produce a qualified and able work
> > force; information networks to inform the mass, etc)? I don't think these
> > areas where a priority to the former government. Our country was the one and
> > only one Sovereign State up to the late 90s without a Single University, a
> > single TV station and the only State Radio Station couldn't be received in
> > some parts of the country....yes and yet we are in the "Industrial Age".
> > Gambia was degenerating, getting rotten before Jammeh and his guys stepped
> > in. While many countries get newer every year, Gambia was getting older. At
> > childhood, I remember playing in the clear running gutters and playing
> > "service" and football on the streets. All that died out. The reason I need
> > not elaborate. As far as I am concerned, and I believe I represent the
> > opinion of many, as reality indicates, Jammeh should even take a firmer
> > stand and carry the country through.
> >
> > MR JAWARA, I am the "gentleman who made an unfair comment on the former
> > first lady...; ...we must not allow our productive discussions to degenerate
> > into vulgarity by insults at Sir Dawda, an act that goes beyond the bounds
> > of decency. This man was just doing a job.....". Are you forgetting that
> > this was in response to you degenerating productive discussions into
> > vulgarity by insults at Jammeh and members of his government? Tell me in
> > what "Commandment" was it written that Sir Dawda descends from "purity" and
> > Jammeh from "filth"? One thing I seem to agree with you is, that we should
> > "be civil towards one another when we make our remarks." I hope you've got
> > the taste of your own medicine and will in future "be civil...." when you
> > make your "remarks." THIS SHOULD BE THE NATURE OF GAMBIA-L.
> >
> > Lastly, I agree with you again... "I hope all of us will appreciate the
> > opportunity this forum provides in sense of free and open (AND PRODUCTIVE,
> > MY EMPHASIS) debate for a cause of national development... and not to turn
> > it into senseless smear campaign." Until then we shall never go forward.
> >
> > PEACE be unto you all (members)!!
> > ::)))Abdou Oujimai
> >
> >
> >
>
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 28 Jan 1997 16:44:28 -0500 (EST)
From: mjallow@st6000.sct.edu (Modou Jallow)
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Re: Sarian's message
Message-ID: <9701282144.AA54756@st6000.sct.edu>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit
On Tuesday, 1/28/97, Sarian wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I just returned from the Gambia after a month vacation and this much I can tell you the country is very expensive and the economy is also very unstable. Its a fact that "some" businessmen (having talked to few) are very apprehensive of the economy and
thus are holding out on imports. This was also confirmed by several people in the Gambia Ports Authority/Customs dept of the alarming rate drop of containers /consignments that usually flood the sheds of the traffic department waiting to be cleared.
>
> According to these sources the Maersk lines are pretty much empty compared to the 400 - 500 containers they used to deposit that are now down to 60 - 70 containers per ship and this should be of concern to all of us because there is indeed a lot of une
mployment in the country (can't claim percentage cause I don't have the statistics but there is a lot of poverty in the home land and I keep wondering how many are making it.
>
> Even with our US dollars some of us vacationing were feeling the pinch. Example of a cost of toilet paper D29.00 for some what mediocre quality, paper napkins the same. To eat a decent meal one has to spend at least D100 for a single meal (small fami
ly). So one couldn't help wondering how these people are really making it with the low salaries/wages and thats why when one is vacationing they think you can solve all their financial needs which sends you to the bank to dip into savings account or if t
hat is not available to get cash from your credit cards, and I know quite a bit of Gambian's living abroad who were faced with this situation including myself.
>
> In my opinion, all that money that was spent building the arch could have been used on other high priority projects e.g. some of the roads are still very bad in Banjul and the kombo areas. The main roads were fixed alright but there are some streets th
at taxis cannot still get by in Banjul. Electricity is still a problem its on and off all the time I was there. Thats all for now.
>
> Sarian
Of all those who came back from Gambia, I must say you are the only one
who's been truthful to list members about the situation in the Gambia.
It's not like we do not know what is going on, but we fail to see it as it
is.
The situation in Gambia is worse that one can imagine. Survival has
become a means that we can not truly apprehend. How do you imagine the
people back home are surviving from day to day? What I would like to see
is the changes that this regime promised the Gambian people.
Business has been stagnant for the past couple of years due the government's
inability to encourage fair practices. The Jammeh regime destroyed what used
to be the most succesful business region in West Africa. There was a time when
anything and everything was availabe...now there is almost nothing!
Well, what happened to the businessmen? The Lebanese got run off and the
Fullas (& Sarahulleys) found better countries to invest their fortunes. Where
does that leave the Gambia? These people help build the economy of the Gambia
by opening up the borders to neighboring countries. In many ways Gambia
the events in Gambia since the coup have conspired against progress, where
the future of the generation will remain a hostage of the past. And who
will be the victims? None but the young generation.
Despite the awesome problems facing the country, many of us spend a great
deal of time looking for scapegoats such as what we've seen on this list. We
must be able to impose self-criticism or we will suffer humiliation,
especially if our government cannot back its words with deeds.
Ramadan Karim to all.
Regards, Moe S. Jallow
===========================================================================
mjallow@sct.edu mjallow@hayes.com
===========================================================================
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 28 Jan 1997 18:08:40 +0000
From: "NJIE OMAR E" <964NJIE@alpha.nlu.edu>
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Re: New Member
Message-ID: <199701290007.QAA15714@mx4.u.washington.edu>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT
Can you please add Mambuna Bojang to the list! His address is:
paomar@iglou.com
Thanks,
Omar.
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 28 Jan 1997 20:29:02 -0500 (EST)
From: mjallow@st6000.sct.edu (Modou Jallow)
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Africa: International Crime
Message-ID: <9701290129.AA43294@st6000.sct.edu>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit
> > Special Report: Both the FBI and the US Drug Enforcement
> > Administration will post permanent agents in South Africa next
> > year. THOMAS CALLAHAN explains why South Africa can't go it
> > alone in the fight against crime.
> >
> > # # # Thomas J. Callahan (callahan@wn.apc.org) is South Africa
> > Program Director for the International Republican Institute.
> > >From 1992-95, he was Director of African Affairs at the US
> > Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. He has lived in
> > Johannesburg since December 1995. This article was written in
> > his personal capacity, and does not necessarily represent the
> > views of IRI. For more information, contact Callahan at IRI,
> > 20 Melle St., 2nd Fl., Braamfontein 2001, South Africa. Tel:
> > 27-11-403-8956; Fax: 27-11-339-3368.
> >
> > ************************************************************
> > On a Sunday morning not long ago, I was strolling down Rockey
> > Street in the Yeoville section of Johannesburg. In the half
> > kilometre between the Time Square Cafe and Rockerfeller's Nite
> > Club, I was approached three times by drug dealers. Granted,
> > I have a beard and was overdue for a haircut, but this was
> > ridiculous.
> >
> > I was already annoyed after the first two solicitations when
> > a skinny guy in a rasta hat hissed at me and approached. I
> > responded to him with a loud, "What's that? Oh, you're a drug
> > dealer, is that it?" His eyes darted back and forth a few
> > times and, possibly thinking I was a PAGAD member with a box
> > of matches, he took a step back and said, "No, no man! Not
> > drugs, just ganja!" [N.B.: PAGAD is abbreviation for People
> > Against Gangsterism and Drugs, a virulent vigilante group in
> > the Western Cape which burned to death one high profile drug
> > lord in the Cape Flats area near Cape Town.]
> >
> > The story always gets a laugh, but that comical little fellow
> > who pretended he wasn't a real drug dealer is but the tip of
> > an enormous iceberg whose mass lurks dangerously near.
> >
> > The fact that South Africa has a growing drug problem, and,
> > more generally, a major crime problem, is not exactly fresh
> > news. But, the size, sophistication, complexity and reach of
> > the international syndicates that employ my ganja-peddling
> > friend and hundreds of thousands like him may come as a shock.
> >
> > Leading law enforcement agencies around the world have
> > concluded that international crime can only be fought
> > internationally, and they are eager to assist South Africa.
> > This is not "foreign aid" in the altruistic sense. Rather,
> > foreign governments view South Africa as a linchpin country
> > for emerging international crime syndicates whose deadly reach
> > extends far into their own countries.
> >
> > "Grave crime is no longer bound by the constraints of borders.
> > Such offenses as terrorism, nuclear smuggling, organised
> > crime, computer crime and drug trafficking can spill over from
> > other countries into the United States."
> >
> > US FBI Director Louis Freeh made this statement in March 1996
> > to the members of the US Senate Committee on Appropriations,
> > the committee which controls the expenditure of US government
> > resources. The topic of the hearing was international
> > organised crime, and he argued persuasively for the generous
> > funding of FBI field offices abroad: "One of the most
> > effective ways to fight international crime is by building
> > cop-to-cop bridges between American law enforcement and our
> > overseas counterparts. More and more of these bridges are
> > being built, and successes are flowing from them." The FBI has
> > agents serving in 23 nations. The US Drug Enforcement
> > Administration (DEA) is even more internationally oriented,
> > with 70 offices in 49 countries worldwide. Both agencies are
> > planning to post senior agents to South Africa on a permanent
> > basis in 1997.
> >
> > Many other countries have law enforcement liaison officers in
> > their embassies here, and numerous exchanges, conferences,
> > technical assistance and training seminars involving foreign
> > crime fighters are occurring. It is an ominous indication of
> > the degree to which South Africa is considered one of those
> > countries most vulnerable to international criminal
> > operations. The spectre of Colombia and Nigeria, whose basic
> > government institutions were undermined and corrupted by
> > criminal organisations, fuels the desire of experienced
> > international law enforcement to provide timely and useful
> > support for South Africa.
> >
> > On the drug front, the problem is bad and is likely to get
> > worse. South Africa's status as a narcotics transit country
> > has become well established. In fact, it has become
> > increasingly central for global commerce in contraband of all
> > kinds.
> >
> > The region's extensive air, sea and land infrastructure make
> > it a prime conduit for moving illegal cargos. The number of
> > airlines operating from Johannesburg International Airport has
> > increased from 20 in April 1994 to more than 120 today,
> > including those originating in drug source countries like
> > Thailand, India and Brazil. Long, porous borders and weak
> > border controls, including undermanned ports and numerous
> > secondary airports, give drug traffickers and other smugglers
> > nearly unlimited access .
> >
> > The large banking and financial sector in South Africa and
> > lack of adequate money laundering controls allow profits from
> > illegal trade to mix easily with legitimate revenues. Police
> > forces in the region are understaffed and undertrained.
> > Current customs and immigration laws cannot adequately cope
> > with the massive volume of international connections.
> >
> > Regarding the domestic consumption of drugs, the question is
> > not whether it will rise, but by how much. Transit countries
> > tend to become user countries. It is happening quite quickly
> > in South Africa, and, like so many other ills, it can be
> > blamed in part on the shaky rand.
> >
> > The economics are quite simple and predictable: Drug transit
> > countries with fluctuating currencies quickly become drug
> > consumption countries because traffickers (more specifically,
> > the in-country controllers who monitor and oversee courier
> > activity) would rather be paid their share of the profits with
> > the product itself, which doesn't lose value, than with cash
> > in an unpredictable local currency. Controllers with product
> > to sell need domestic buyers, and they employ a wide variety
> > of techniques to generate demand. These invariably result in
> > rocketing dependency.
> >
> > One DEA agent who asked not to be named observed this
> > phenomenon first hand when he was stationed in Pakistan in the
> > early 1980s: "Pakistan was a premier heroin producer and
> > transit country for markets in Europe and the United States.
> > When I got there, we estimated there were fewer than 100
> > heroin addicts. The traffickers had just begun taking their
> > cuts in product and selling it locally. In just two years,
> > the number of addicts was up to half a million. Today, the
> > government of Pakistan says the number of addicts is 1.3
> > million, but I think even that estimate is low.
> >
> > Speaking at a conference on crime in August, Sylvaine de
> > Miranda, director of Johannesburg's Phoenix House, confirmed
> > the emergence of this trend in South Africa: "Four years ago,
> > heroin was almost unobtainable in South Africa. now free
> > samples of heroin are often provided when you buy cocaine or
> > crack."
> >
> > The Nigerian Connection
> >
> > Africa did not play a significant role in the international
> > drug trade until fairly recently. Producing neither opium nor
> > coca, it was not a source for heroin or cocaine. Although
> > Africa has a long tradition of dagga [marijuana] cultivation,
> > it was never a significant international supplier since
> > virtually every other region of the world also produced
> > marijuana.
> >
> > Africa's real contribution to the international drug trade
> > began in the early 1980s when a group of Nigerian naval
> > officers undergoing training in India organised a trafficking
> > ring to smuggle Southwest Asian heroin to Europe and,
> > eventually, to the United States. Organised around a virtual
> > army of couriers, this initial effort was boosted by the
> > collapse of the Nigerian economy in the mid-80s, allowing
> > smugglers to be recruited more cheaply and in greater numbers.
> >
> > Today, Nigerians run some of the premier drug trafficking and
> > organised crime networks in the world. They still rely
> > heavily on individual couriers known as "swallowers," who
> > transport drugs by wrapping them in condoms or the fingertips
> > of surgical gloves and ingesting them. Upon safe arrival at
> > the delivery site, they are given a laxative and a magazine.
> > (Users should think about that the next time they consider
> > snorting a line of coke.) This method precludes the seizure
> > of large, costly shipments even if it means only small amounts
> > can be smuggled at any one time. The networks continuously
> > make significant operational adjustments to avoid detection
> > and apprehension (for example, they changed the "profile" of
> > their couriers from West African men to mostly young or
> > middle-aged white women).
> >
> > According to a recent DEA report, Nigerian groups are major
> > traffickers in both heroin and cocaine in South Africa:
> > "Since 1993, 60,000 Nigerian citizens have moved to the
> > Johannesburg/Pretoria area, particularly Johannesburg's
> > inner-city, high-rise suburb of Hillbrow. Many enter South
> > Africa as tourists, illegally obtain South African
> > identification books, and then apply for South African
> > passports. Some have claimed South African citizenship
> > through political asylum
> >
> > "According to SANAB [South African Narcotics Bureau], many of
> > these individuals have no visible means of support, yet are
> > living very affluent lifestyles."
> >
> > Law-abiding Nigerians are, of course, unhappy with the
> > international reputation for drug trafficking and fraud that
> > the nation's active criminal minority has attracted. Whether
> > the stigmatisation is fair or not, the threat is real and
> > growing. Jonathan Winer, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of
> > State for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement, told a
> > Congressional committee in September that Nigerian enterprises
> > were organised and active in at least 60 countries worldwide.
> > "They are adaptable, polycrime organisations. They launder
> > money in Hong Kong, buy cocaine in the Andes, run prostitution
> > and gambling rings in Spain and Italy, and corrupt legitimate
> > business in Great Britain.South African authorities have
> > advised the US of their deep concern over Nigerian criminal
> > penetration of the entire southern African region, including
> > heroin and cocaine trafficking, frauds, car theft, alien
> > smuggling and gang activities."
> >
> > The situation is so bad that the US government is afraid to
> > offer anti-fraud training to Nigerian police or central
> > bankers for fear that the training will merely increase the
> > sophistication of Nigerian crooks.
> >
> > Thankfully, criminal organisations in South Africa have not
> > penetrated government agencies to that extent, and foreign
> > governments are eager to assist South African crime fighters.
> > The DEA report quoted above has high praise for the South
> > Africa Narcotics Bureau: "There is no evidence of
> > drug-related corruption among senior drug law enforcement
> > officials. SANAB has earned a reputation worldwide as a
> > highly-dedicated and competent law enforcement agency. SANAB
> > is aggressively cooperating with drug law enforcement
> > officials from the United States and other countries "
> >
> > But SANAB is just one entity with approximately 340 agents
> > fighting an illicit industry worth billions. There can be no
> > doubt that they are on the front lines of a bitter struggle
> > when one considers that between 1994 and 1995, 31 SANAB
> > officials were shot in the line of duty or died as a result of
> > job-related stress. The question remains whether all the
> > offers of international assistance and cooperation will be
> > enough.
> >
> > International Training and Collaboration
> >
> > Peter Gastrow, a Special Adviser to the Minister of Safety and
> > Security, describes different stages in which South African
> > law enforcement needs have changed.
> >
> > South Africa had first to form one service out of 11 different
> > police organisations, and a new training and integration
> > curriculum was necessary. It received assistance in that
> > effort from a number of countries, including the UK,
> > Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, Zimbabwe, and Namibia. Ongoing
> > planning and training requirements signal a different phase in
> > which French, Belgian and British police forces have assisted
> > with public order police training, community policing, and
> > provincial law enforcement efforts.
> >
> > In the current stage, says Gastrow, South Africa's focus is on
> > improving overall effectiveness in a range of areas, and he
> > views international cooperation as critical: "The Ministry
> > wants to expand international contact and cooperation.
> > Southern Africa has been our immediate focus, and this has
> > resulted in some restructuring in our police services. We
> > have reinforced our connection with Interpol, and that is
> > yielding good results. And we are finalizing a number of
> > international agreements to facilitate exchanges and
> > information sharing. Cooperation can only improve if police
> > agencies like the FBI and DEA have an ongoing presence here in
> > South Africa."
> >
> > The areas which he identified as benefitting from
> > international expertise include: detection and investigative
> > methods; narcotics trafficking; motor vehicle thefts and
> > smuggling; white collar crime, including money laundering and
> > fraud; official corruption; general management and
> > administrative techniques; and cross border arms smuggling.
> >
> > In some ways, the United States is a latecomer to the process.
> > Anti-apartheid legislation remaining on the books in America
> > prevented any police assistance to South Africa during the
> > pre-election period that the European Union, Commonwealth and
> > United Nations were sending police and security observer
> > missions here.
> >
> > It appears, however, that the US is making up for lost time.
> > In addition to the planned opening of DEA and FBI offices
> > here, there has been a great deal of US-sponsored activity:
> > the US Customs Service has conducted several courses in
> > border, air and seaport control for South African and
> > neighbouring country police; the US Marshal's Service has
> > provided technical assistance for South Africa's witness
> > protection program; the Department of the Treasury has held
> > several courses on methods to thwart money laundering; and the
> > DEA has conducted several drug enforcement seminars and has
> > helped SANAB establish a trafficker database.
> >
> > South African participants in these and other nations'
> > training programs are generally enthusiastic about them. A
> > five year veteran of SANAB, Captain Kadwa has been to ten or
> > so internationally sponsored conferences or training programs.
> > "Any effort on the drug side, any strategy will always have to
> > have an international effort. Any isolated effort will not
> > work. We used to have just mandrax and cannabis to worry
> > about. Now we are dealing with cocaine, heroin, and a big
> > Nigeria connection. We have to learn their mentality,
> > understand their tactics and their modus operandi.
> >
> > "The US knows these guys already and can provide helpful
> > information. They have also developed various laws like the
> > one to fight money laundering . They've had that law for 26
> > years. They can show us how it evolved, and then we can adapt
> > it in ways that make sense for South Africa."
> >
> > Not all of these programs have filtered down to the street
> > cops on the front lines. Police in the Soweto Dog Unit have
> > not received much assistance from abroad since a DEA dog
> > trainer worked with them two years ago.
> >
> > With 50 people in the dog squad, they cover all of Soweto 24
> > hours a day. At any given time, they are a few handlers short
> > that they have lost to border patrol or other special duties.
> > The lack of manpower would make it very difficult for them to
> > take advantage of training courses even if they were
> > available, but they would like to have access to information
> > about new techniques, drugs, and developments. All their
> > information, they say, they get from the street.
> >
> > The Globalisation of Law Enforcement
> >
> > According to some observers of the situation in South Africa,
> > training and good police work are not enough by themselves.
> > The criminal justice system in its entirety must work
> > reasonably well or effective law enforcement techniques will
> > not matter.
> >
> > The establishment of laws that authorise conspiracy
> > investigations, promote criminal asset seizure and forfeiture
> > and prohibit money laundering, for example, would allow police
> > to employ the more sophisticated types of investigative
> > techniques that have been used successfully against organised
> > crime in some other countries. Some of this legislation,
> > modelled on those laws but adapted to South Africa's needs,
> > has already been proposed.
> >
> > The judicial system must also have the procedural capacity to
> > successfully prosecute, convict and imprison guilty criminals
> > even when they have enormous legal talent at their disposal.
> > Incompetent or corrupt judges must be identified and properly
> > dealt with by a strong internal control system.
> >
> > In addition, priorities based on sound information must be
> > established. Veteran law enforcement officials from abroad
> > refer to South Africa as a "target-rich environment," meaning
> > that there are a lot of criminals, or targets, for law
> > enforcement to go after. The problem with such an environment
> > is that government can quickly squander its limited crime
> > fighting resources and achieve only marginal results if they
> > use them to pursue highly elusive or unimportant targets.
> >
> > An example of this might be using the entire SANAB force,
> > including its undercover agents, to arrest all the petty
> > dealers in Yeoville and Hillbrow. Arrest statistics would
> > rise temporarily, a few of the dealers would be successfully
> > prosecuted, and all of the agents' covers would be blown.
> >
> > The only way law enforcement can "work smart" in a target-rich
> > environment is to have enough information to identify the size
> > and nature of the threat, assess its consequences, and design
> > an effective strategy to impose the most damage on the
> > criminal organisation at the least relative cost.
> >
> > Going after syndicate leaders and financiers is one method
> > used successfully against the Cali drug cartel in Colombia.
> > The arrest and successful prosecution of a number of Cali
> > kingpins in 1995 was the result of years of front-end
> > information gathering and analysis. North American, European
> > and Asian law enforcement agencies worked closely with the
> > Colombian police in that process. There is no reason that the
> > same forces couldn't be marshalled against South Africa's
> > emerging criminal kingpins.
> >
> > If the world were a fair place, South Africa would be given a
> > breather to sort out its own domestic political and economic
> > issues after all it's been through in the last 50 years. It
> > should not have to deal with gangs of highly mobile,
> > well-funded, and destabilising crime syndicates putting down
> > roots here. But the world is not fair, and the threat is
> > real. At least, South Africa will not have to go it alone.
> > Indeed, it appears that the world's best law enforcement
> > entities have concluded that, against modern criminal
> > organisations, no one can.
> >
> >
> > ************************************************************
> > This material is being reposted for wider distribution by the
> > Africa Policy Information Center (APIC), the educational
> > affiliate of the Washington Office on Africa. APIC's primary
> > objective is to widen the policy debate in the United States
> > around African issues and the U.S. role in Africa, by
> > concentrating on providing accessible policy-relevant
> > information and analysis usable by a wide range of groups and
> > individuals.
> >
> > Auto-response addresses for more information (send any e-mail
> > message): africapolicy-info@igc.apc.org (about the Africa
> > Policy Electronic Distribution List); apic-info@igc.apc.org
> > (about APIC); woa-info@igc.apc.org (about WOA). Documents
> > previously distributed, as well as the auto-response
> > information files, are also available on the Web at:
> > http://www.igc.apc.org/apic/index.shtml
> >
> > To be added to or dropped from the distribution list write to
> > apic@igc.apc.org. For more information about material cited
> > from another source please contact directly the source
> > mentioned in the posting rather than APIC.
> >
> > For additional information: Africa Policy Information Center,
> > 110 Maryland Ave. NE, #509, Washington, DC 20002. Phone:
> > 202-546-7961. Fax: 202-546-1545. E-mail: apic@igc.apc.org.
> > ************************************************************
> >
> >
>
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 28 Jan 1997 21:09:05 -0500 (EST)
From: MJagana@aol.com
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Re: Rethinking Basic Education
Message-ID: <970128210022_-1912246217@emout14.mail.aol.com>
Dear Gambia_Lers,
I strongly believe this is a topic worty of talking about, and I personally
thank all the contributors.
EDUCATION IS THE CORNER STONE OF DEVELOPMENT
momodou jagana
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 28 Jan 1997 21:34:57 -0500 (EST)
From: ABDOU <at137@columbia.edu>
To: The Gambia and Related Issues Mailing List <gambia-l@u.washington.edu>
Subject: Re: On the "development" myth
Message-ID: <Pine.SUN.3.95L.970128212347.22827A-100000@terve.cc.columbia.edu>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
On Tue, 28 Jan 1997 Mbk007@aol.com wrote:
> The information you gave is very disturbing, and I was wondering where you
> read, or got this information. Please let me know if you can, for there might
> be more relevant information that can be obtained from this source (present
> &future).
Fortunately, there is more than one choice for eco. data. If you
type "Gambia" as a keyword on Alta Vista, you will get 100,000 references.
Try your local library, the World Bank, the IMF, CIA ,etc. The 1994
figures I have were from The Gambian government's own eco. report for that
year.
On "This is very true but in the case of our country you only
stated that "the average Gambian is poorer today than he was when Jammeh
came to power" but failed to provide us with supporting indicators.", this
is based on a simple mathematical fact: if the average of a distribution
(mean, median, or mode,) in this case per capita income, grew more than
the erosion in incomes and more than inflation (avg of 12%), The Gambian
economy would be booming. In other words, it is impossible to say -x + x=
x.
-Abdou.
*******************************************************************************
A.TOURAY
Dept. of Computer Science
Columbia University
New York, NY 10027
URL ON THE WWW= http://www.cc.columbia.edu/~at137
A FINITE IN A LAND OF INFINITY.
SEEKING BUT THE REACHABLE.
I WANDER AND I WONDER.
ALAS, ALL RESPITE IS FINAL.
*******************************************************************************
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 29 Jan 1996 12:23:52 +0300
From: BASS KOLLEH DRAMMEH <KOLLS567@QATAR.NET.QA>
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Re: Sarian's message
Message-ID: <310C9228.70E6@QATAR.NET.QA>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
Modou Jallow wrote:
>=20
> On Tuesday, 1/28/97, Sarian wrote:
>=20
> > Hi,
> >
> > I just returned from the Gambia after a month vacation and this much =
I can tell you the country is very expensive and the economy is also very=
unstable. Its a fact that "some" businessmen (having talked to few) ar=
e very apprehensive of the economy and
> thus are holding out on imports. This was also confirmed by several p=
eople in the Gambia Ports Authority/Customs dept of the alarming rate dro=
p of containers /consignments that usually flood the sheds of the traffic=
department waiting to be cleared.
> >
> > According to these sources the Maersk lines are pretty much empty co=
mpared to the 400 - 500 containers they used to deposit that are now down=
to 60 - 70 containers per ship and this should be of concern to all of u=
s because there is indeed a lot of une
> mployment in the country (can't claim percentage cause I don't have the=
statistics but there is a lot of poverty in the home land and I keep won=
dering how many are making it.
> >
> > Even with our US dollars some of us vacationing were feeling the pin=
ch. Example of a cost of toilet paper D29.00 for some what mediocre qual=
ity, paper napkins the same. To eat a decent meal one has to spend at le=
ast D100 for a single meal (small fami
> ly). So one couldn't help wondering how these people are really making=
it with the low salaries/wages and thats why when one is vacationing the=
y think you can solve all their financial needs which sends you to the ba=
nk to dip into savings account or if t
> hat is not available to get cash from your credit cards, and I know qui=
te a bit of Gambian's living abroad who were faced with this situation in=
cluding myself.
> >
> > In my opinion, all that money that was spent building the arch could =
have been used on other high priority projects e.g. some of the roads are=
still very bad in Banjul and the kombo areas. The main roads were fixed=
alright but there are some streets th
> at taxis cannot still get by in Banjul. Electricity is still a problem=
its on and off all the time I was there. Thats all for now.
> >
> > Sarian
>=20
> Of all those who came back from Gambia, I must say you are the only one
> who's been truthful to list members about the situation in the Gambia.
> It's not like we do not know what is going on, but we fail to see it as=
it
> is.
>=20
> The situation in Gambia is worse that one can imagine. Survival has
> become a means that we can not truly apprehend. How do you imagine the
> people back home are surviving from day to day? What I would like to se=
e
> is the changes that this regime promised the Gambian people.
>=20
> Business has been stagnant for the past couple of years due the governm=
ent's
> inability to encourage fair practices. The Jammeh regime destroyed what=
used
> to be the most succesful business region in West Africa. There was a ti=
me when
> anything and everything was availabe...now there is almost nothing!
>=20
> Well, what happened to the businessmen? The Lebanese got run off and th=
e
> Fullas (& Sarahulleys) found better countries to invest their fortunes.=
Where
> does that leave the Gambia? These people help build the economy of the =
Gambia
> by opening up the borders to neighboring countries. In many ways Gambi=
a
> the events in Gambia since the coup have conspired against progress, wh=
ere
> the future of the generation will remain a hostage of the past. And who
> will be the victims? None but the young generation.
>=20
> Despite the awesome problems facing the country, many of us spend a gre=
at
> deal of time looking for scapegoats such as what we've seen on this lis=
t. We
> must be able to impose self-criticism or we will suffer humiliation,
> especially if our government cannot back its words with deeds.
>=20
> Ramadan Karim to all.
>=20
> Regards, Moe S. Jallow
>=20
>=20
> =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D
> mjallow@sct.edu mjallow@hayes.com
> =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D
MOE!!
You are absolutely right! WE must exercise self-critism,but me must
also try,when telling how bad the situation has become,to include all
the other NON-Jammeh variables that have played a role in the bad
situation.
You are right; many SarraHullehs and Fulas and Libanese business people
have now found it very difficult to conduct their buisnesses as
before,but the last time I checked with some of my co-tribesmen,the
Sarrahullehs,what they cited as the crucial factor was the 50%
depreciation of the CFA (the currency used by Senegal and other
francophonic African countries),so if His Excellency Sir Dawda Kairaba
Jawara can UNDO that I,for one, will not hesitate to vote for his
return.The other variable cited by these people on the ground is the
almost BELICOSE trade and commercial policy being adopted by the Joof
regime in Dakar towards Gambia,simply because Mr.Jammeh has become
more popular than himself in his own country,which is not very difficult
to figure out why!!I AM SURE YOU KNOW WHY.
"KEEP HOPE ALIVE,KEEP HOPE ALIVE!!" Mr.JALLOW; I AM VERY HOPEFUL THAT
THE VERY HAND THAT BUILT THE NOW 'NOTORIOUS'ARCH AND THE FARRAFENNI
HOSPITAL THAT ALMOST EVERYONE IS DECIDEDLY SILENT ABOUT HERE ON THIS
LIST - THAT VERY HAND IS CAPABLE OF SOLVING OUR THOSE TWO PERRENIAL
GAMBIAN PROBLEMS,NAMELY ELECTRICITY AND BAD ROADS.EVER HEARD OF ONE
THING AT A TIME?
SINCE WE MEEKLY GAVE THIRTY-TWO STRAGHT YEARS TO OUR FORMER PRESIDENT
WITHOUT EVER SAYING A WORD,AND WOULD HAVE ALLOWED HIM TO KEEP GREYING IN
OFFICE UNTIL HE DIED THERE HAD THE BUYAM BOY NOT OBJECTED,WHY CAN'T WE
GIVE JUST ONE THIRD OF THAT NUMBER OF YEARS
TO THIS ENRGERTIC MAN AND SEE HOW THINGS WOULD TURN OUT? WELL,WE DIDN'T
MIND THEN,AND I CAN'T SEE WHY IT SHOULD START, ALL OF A SUDDEN, TO
BOTHER US THIS TIME AROUND.
REGARDS BASSS!!=20
--=20
SZDD=88=F0'3Af=A8=03
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 29 Jan 1997 10:41:01 +0100 (MET)
From: Olafiaklinikken Olafia <olafia@online.no>
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Re: New member
Message-ID: <199701290941.KAA01367@online.no>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
At 16:39 28.01.97 +0000, you wrote:
>Gambia-l,
>Omar S. Saho has been added to the list and as a custom, we expect to
>have an introduction from him. Welcome to the Gambia-l Omar, please
>send an introduction of yourself to the list.
>
>Regards
>Momodou Camara
>
>*******************************************************
> http://home3.inet.tele.dk/mcamara
>
>**"Start by doing what's necessary, then what's
> possible and suddenly you are doing the impossible"***
>
>Thank you very much for enrolling me as a new member. My name is omar Sheik
Saho and currently residing in Norway. I am a Consultant at Ullevaal
University Hospital, Olafia Department for STD and HIV. Hereby looking
forward to interesting correspondanse with my fellow Gambians and others who
in the the net Gambia-l
With best regards
Omar S. Saho
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 29 Jan 1997 08:00:12 -0500
From: Ceesay Soffie <Ceesay_Soffie@ems.prc.com>
To: "'gambia-l@u.washington.edu'" <gambia-l@u.washington.edu>
Subject: P.C. buying - interesting ratings
Message-ID: <c=US%a=_%p=PRC%l=CRY1-970129130012Z-34828@mcl2.prc.com>
Here is a ratings list on PCs by PC magazine and PC world. Thought I
would share it with all of you.
The rating from PC Magazine is from Lab Tests, and the rating from PC
World is from surveys of thousands of customers.
DESKTOP PC PC MAGAZINE PC WORLD
VENDORS Grade for Grade for
service & service /
reliability reliability
---------- ----------- -----------
Acer C Fair/Poor
ALR D ----------
Apple B Fair/Best
AST C Poor/Worst
AT&T GIS/NCR C Fair/Good
Austin C ----/Poor
Compaq A Fair/Best
Compudyne D ----------
Dell A Best/Best
Digital B Good/Good
DTK C ----------
Epson C ----------
Everex D ----------
Gateway 2000 B Fair/Fair
Hewlett-Packard A Good/Best
Hyundai D ----------
IBM A Fair/Fair
Insight Direct D ----------
Leading Edge D ----------
Micron B Best/Best
MidWest Micro D Fair
NEC B Poor/Fair
Packard Bell D Worst/Worst
Quantex - Fair/Poor
Tandy C -----------
Tri-Star B -----------
Unisys D -----------
Wyse C -----------
Zenith Data D Fair/Good
ZEOS* C -----------
*Bought out by Micron
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 29 Jan 1996 16:26:30 +0300
From: BASS KOLLEH DRAMMEH <KOLLS567@QATAR.NET.QA>
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Re: New member
Message-ID: <310CCB05.1920@QATAR.NET.QA>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
Olafiaklinikken Olafia wrote:
>=20
> At 16:39 28.01.97 +0000, you wrote:
> >Gambia-l,
> >Omar S. Saho has been added to the list and as a custom, we expect t=
o
> >have an introduction from him. Welcome to the Gambia-l Omar, please
> >send an introduction of yourself to the list.
> >
> >Regards
> >Momodou Camara
> >
> >*******************************************************
> > http://home3.inet.tele.dk/mcamara
> >
> >**"Start by doing what's necessary, then what's
> > possible and suddenly you are doing the impossible"***
> >
> >Thank you very much for enrolling me as a new member. My name is omar =
Sheik
> Saho and currently residing in Norway. I am a Consultant at Ullevaal
> University Hospital, Olafia Department for STD and HIV. Hereby looking
> forward to interesting correspondanse with my fellow Gambians and other=
s who
> in the the net Gambia-l
>=20
> With best regards
>=20
> Omar S. Saho
=20
OMAR!
WELCOME TO THE BANTABA! I AM SURE YOU WILL LOVE EVERY MINUTE OF IT.JUST
FEEL FREE AND TELL US WHAT YOU THINK ON THE VARIOUS
ISSUES.AND,PLEASE,TRY FROM TIME TO TIME TO TELL US WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT
THE UPS AND THE DOWNS OF THE CURRENT PUBLIC HEALTH POLICIES OF THE
GAMBIA AND HOW THAT IS POSITIVELY OR NEGATIVELY IMPACTING ON THE LIVES
OF THE ORDINARY PERSON ON THE STREET.
AGAIN,WELCOME MR.SAHO;WE INDEED NEED EXPERTS IN ALL FIELDS ON THIS LIST.
REGARDS BASSSS!! =20
--=20
SZDD=88=F0'3Af=A8=03
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 29 Jan 1997 14:50:03 -0500 (EST)
From: Raye Sosseh <gt8065b@prism.gatech.edu>
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu (gambia)
Subject: Africa (US News & World Report)
Message-ID: <199701291950.OAA26584@acmez.gatech.edu>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
Forwarded message:
>From gt4833d@prism.gatech.edu Wed Jan 29 13:23 EST 1997
Date: Wed, 29 Jan 1997 13:22:51 -0500 (EST)
From: Kwadwo Ampofo Appiah <gt4833d@prism.gatech.edu>
To: asa@magtwo.mirc.gatech.edu
Cc: ebaffoe@emory.edu
Subject: Africa (US News & World Report) (fwd)
Message-Id: <Pine.SOL.3.95.970129132203.1346C-100000@acmex.gatech.edu>
Mime-Version: 1.0
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Food for thought, huh?......
Kwadwo Ampofo Appiah
Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta Georgia, 30332
uucp: ...!{decvax,hplabs,ncar,purdue,rutgers}!gatech!prism!gt4833d
Internet: gt4833d@prism.gatech.edu
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Tue, 28 Jan 1997 20:02:38 -0800 (PST)
From: Acha Leke <leke@leland.Stanford.EDU>
To: Ajua Alemanji <axa130@psuvm.psu.edu>, Aza Teh <aza@amgen.com>,
baba-willy <william.darkwah@gte.sprint.com>,
fly-b <bcarrol@us.oracle.com>, boo <bolutade@magtwo.mirc.gatech.edu>,
carmen-yanic <s1283694@uottawa.ca>, dmc <dmcomer@vnet.IBM.COM>,
Kamau Bobb <kamau@cml.ME.Berkeley.EDU>,
kodjo <gt4833d@prism.gatech.edu>,
Ruth Mukoko-Mokeba <rmm@astro.ocis.temple.edu>,
Lisa Saldano <saldano@mit.edu>, mat <abakah@nortel.ca>,
manams <Leleti@aol.com>, stevo-the-man <okelo@emu.sp.trw.com>,
Ulli Etoke <ullietoke@aol.com>
Cc: Camnet <camnet@vm.cnuce.cnr.it>,
Robert Leke <Robert_Leke@cam.healthnet.org>
Subject: Africa (US News & World Report) (fwd)
very intesrestiing piece....any comments?
......acha.
_________________________________________________________________________
WORLD REPORT
The same old excuses
A black American's tough prescription for Africa's ills
BY KEITH B. RICHBURG
There wasn't much left of Kibassa Maliba's son. I saw the grisly
photographs, and there were only charred remains.
Kibassa was a key leader of Zaire's united opposition movement, the
Sacred Union. When unpaid Army troops went on a rampage in Kinshasa in
1994, some soldiers loyal to President Mobutu Sisi Siko went straight to
Kibassa's house and blasted open the steel front gate with seven
rockets. Once inside, they shot Kibassa's 28-year-old son, who had been
sleeping in the front room. Just for spite, they doused the body with
gasoline and set him on fire. It's tough in Africa when you decide to
oppose the Big Man.
Kibassa was one of my best contacts in Kinshasa, and one of
the few Zairean politicians I admired for his straight talk. That day, I
found him holding court in the covered courtyard of a new house he had
just moved to. "My son has paid the price," he said, "but I will continue
to fight." His mood was defiant, but then he shook his head, resigned,
and he stared off as if in deep contemplation. Finally, he said, "In the
20th century, why should people act this way?"
I keep asking Kibassa Maliba's question: Why? It wasn't supposed to be this
way, not when I first set out for Africa. The 1990s were to be Africa's
"decade of democracy," or so I had been told. The Western donor
nations were finally getting tough, demanding open elections, legal
opposition parties, more monitoring of foreign dollars. Internally, too, an
explosive new combination of forces was said to be eroding the
decades-old acquiescence to authoritarianism: Urban populations had more
access to information, and a younger generation carried no living memory
of white colonialism.
I know that many black Americans feel a sense of alienation in the
United States, and like to look longingly at Africa as a mecca of black
empowerment. It's a seductive image; here, after all, are black nations, ruled
by blacks, the mirror opposite of the condition back home where many blacks are
made to feel like a permanent and unwanted minority in the country of
their birth.
But that's the problem with the image--it's a mirage. Of course the countries
became independent, the flags changed, the names were Africanized, new
national anthems were sung, new holidays observed. The picture of the
Big Man replaced the portrait of the queen. But in country after
country, power simply passed from a white colonial dictatorship to an
indigenous black one--and the result has been more repression, more
brutality. For the Africans, the ordinary, decent, long-suffering
Africans, precious little has changed.
This analysis may sound too harsh, an exaggeration. But for that I can offer no
excuses, because I've been there, and I've seen it. And because that's been one
of Africa's biggest problems, the lack of straight talk even from--or
should I say particularly from--Africa's friends in the West who want to
help.
The Asian angle. Before my arrival in Africa, I spent four years reporting from
Southeast Asia. Almost all of the Southeast Asian countries have risen from
poverty to create huge and stable middle classes and enter the first
tier of newly industrialized economies. Why has East Asia emerged as the
model for economic success, while Africa has seen mostly poverty,
hunger, and economies propped up by foreign aid? Why are East Asians
expanding their telecommunications networks when in most of Africa it's
still hard to make a phone call next door? Why are East Asians now wrestling
with ways to control access to the Internet while African students still must
use cardboard drawings of computer keyboards in classrooms? Why are
Southeast Asian leaders negotiating to ease trade barriers while Africans are
chopping up their neighbors with machetes because they belong to a
different tribe?
There was nothing inevitable about Asia's success and Africa's despair.
I realize I'm on explosive ground here; it's all too easy to stumble
into the old racial stereotypes--that Africans are lazy, that Asians are simply
smarter, that blacks possess a more savage, primitive side. But I am black,
though not an African, and so I am going to push ahead here, knowing full well
that some will say I am doing a disservice to my race by pointing out
these painful realities.
First, let's look at the cold, hard statistics. Africa's children are
the most likely on Earth to die before the age of 5. Its adults are least
likely to live beyond the age of 50. Africans are, on average, more
malnourished, less educated, and more likely to be infected by fatal
diseases than are people any other place on Earth. Africa's economy has
contracted. Its share of world markets has fallen by half since the
1970s, and the dollar value of its global trade actually declined during
the 1980s. African trade accounts for less than 0.1 percent of American imports.
Talk to me about Africa's legacy of European colonialism, and I'll give you
Malaysia and Singapore, ruled by the British and occupied by Japan during
World War II. Talk to me about the problem of tribalism in Africa, about
different ethnic and linguistic groups lumped together by Europeans inside
artificial borders, and I'll throw back at you Indonesia, some 13,700 scattered
islands comprising 360 distinct tribes and ethnic groups and a mix of languages
and religions. Now talk to me about some African countries' lack of natural
resources, and I'll ask you to account for tiny Singapore, an island
city-state with absolutely no resources and one of the world's most
successful economies.
I used to bring up the question of Asia's success wherever I traveled around
Africa, to see how the Africans themselves--government officials, diplomats,
academics--explained it. What I got was defensiveness, followed by anger, and
then accusations that I didn't understand history. And then
I got a long list of excuses. I was told about the cold war, how the United
States and the Soviets played out their superpower rivalry through proxy
wars in Africa, which prolonged the continent's suffering. And I would
respond that the cold war's longest-running and costliest conflicts took
place in Korea and Vietnam; now tell me which continent was the biggest
playing field for superpower rivalry.
When the talk turns to corruption, then at least we are moving closer to
brass tacks. Of course there's corruption in East Asia, too. One
watchdog group ranked Indonesia as the world's most corrupt country. South
Korea's former president has been jailed for taking bribes from business
conglomerates. Yet Korea is an economic superpower, Indonesia has reduced
poverty more per year than any other developing country in the last quarter
century, and Thailand, Vietnam, and China are posting annual growth rates
of about 8 to 10 percent.
So endemic is African corruption, and so much more destructive than its
Asian counterpart, that the comparison has even spawned a common
joke that goes like this:
An Asian and an African become friends while attending graduate school
in the West. Years later, each rises to become finance minister of
his country. One day, the African ventures to Asia to visit his friend and
is startled by the Asian's palatial home, the three Mercedes-Benzes in
the circular drive, the swimming pool, the servants.
"My God!" the African exclaims. "We were just poor students before. How on
earth can you afford all this now?" The Asian takes his friend to the
window and points to a new elevated highway in the distance. "You see
that road?" he says,and then proudly taps himself on the chest. "Ten percent."
A few years later, the Asian returns the visit of his old friend. He
finds the African living on a massive estate. There's a fleet of
dozens of Mercedes-Benzes, an indoor pool, an army of uniformed
servants. "My God!" says the Asian. "How do you afford this?" This time the
African leads his friend to the window and points. "You see that
highway?" he asks. The Asian looks and sees nothing, just an open field
with a few cows. "I don't see any highway," he says. The African taps
himself on the chest. "One hundred percent!"
Africa "experts." That joke was first told to me by an American diplomat in
Nigeria, who had also spent time in Indonesia. But one of the things I
found most frustrating about Africa was the far more typical
unwillingness of even the most seasoned academics and "Africa experts"
to give me their honest, coldhearted, unsentimental assessment of the
continent and its problems. Africa has consistently been held to a double
standard, an "African standard." There's a reluctance to push too hard,
too fast, for reform.
The reason, of course, is that Africans are black. Too much criticism from white
countries in the West comes dangerously close to sounding racist. And
African leaders seem willing enough to play that card, constantly
raising the specter of "neocolonialism." I remember the Kenyan foreign
minister, on my first day in Africa, lambasting the American ambassador
for having "the mentality of a slave owner." It was a well-targeted gibe,
aimed at playing on the greatest of white fears: the appearance of
sounding racist.
But as I see it, the reluctance to talk straight about Africa is the greater
disservice. If I sound tired of the old excuses, it may be because I've
heard so many of them before. And I'm not talking just about Africa
here--I'm talking about America, too. My father is a straight talker--not
much formal education, a few years of college, some union training
courses. But he's extremely well read, he has a keen knowledge of
history, and he can sure cut through the crap. Once when I was home from
Asia, and we were sitting around the dining table for a cousin's
Thanksgiving turkey, I decided to deliberately broach a pretty delicate
subject, just to see what responses I'd get. I had noticed a real boom in
Korean-run grocery stores in the old neighborhood. Why is it, I asked, that the
new immigrants can come into black neighborhoods and prosper while we're still
stuck on the bottom rung after 400 years? Then I told the story of a
Vietnamese-American friend of mine who came here in 1975. Her family had
lost everything and had to start from scratch. But she graduated from a good
university, went on to earn a master's degree, and had just been hired by a big
Houston-based energy company. Why can an immigrant kid who didn't even
speak English 20 years ago do so well when so many blacks are still hustling on
the street just trying to make ends meet?
Boy, did I cause a moment of silence, and they weren't pausing to bless the
turkey. But it was my old man who came to the rescue, and his blunt manner
hadn't been made any smoother by his 70-plus years. "Because," he said, "those
black folks you see out there on the streets think the white man owes them
something. They're still waiting for that 40 acres and a mule!"
Co-conspirators. In Africa, there's a lot of that same backward-looking
attitude. In both cases, you're left with black people wallowing in a
safety net of dependency. In that sense, I guess some of the old African
tyrants are right--there really is a white conspiracy that keeps black
people down. Only it's not the conspiracy they're thinking of, but it's even
broader and more insidious. What I'm talking about is the grand
conspiracy of silence, a collective willingness, of white people in the
West to bury their heads when the talk turns to Africa. Of course blacks,
too, are unindicted co-conspirators. Here I'm talking about those
self-anointed spokesmen who purport to represent all of black America. They
make their ritual demands for ever increasing foreign aid to these
corrupt little black potentates. They have even now begun trumpeting the
call for "reparations" to African countries for the past crime of
slavery--even though the traditional African rulers of the time were the ones
rounding up the slaves for the white traders. All of this talk skirts
the real issue--the need for a critical re-examination of independent
Africa's internal failings.
What's missing is the straight talk.
>From Out of America by Keith B. Richburg. Copyright /1997 by Keith B.
Richburg. Reprinted by arrangement with Basic Books, a division of
HarperCollins Publishers Inc.
Copyright U.S. News & World Report, Inc. All rights reserved.
**************************************************************
* Raye Sosseh *
* George Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering *
* Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta Georgia, 30332 *
* Internet: gt8065b@prism.gatech.edu *
* *
* Quote of the week *
* ----------------- *
* After you've heard two eyewitness accounts of an *
* auto accident it makes you wonder about history *
**************************************************************
------------------------------
|
|
|
Momodou
Denmark
11511 Posts |
Posted - 19 Jun 2021 : 13:58:37
|
Date: Wed, 29 Jan 1997 15:40:55 -0500
From: "Malanding S. Jaiteh" <msjaiteh@mtu.edu>
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: GEA Fellowships - Information on GEA Project
Message-ID: <199701292040.PAA01816@spruce.ffr.mtu.edu>
----- Begin Included Message -----
>From owner-GEAFELLOWSHIPS@envlib2.harvard.edu Wed Jan 29 15:07:47 1997
Date: Wed, 29 Jan 1997 14:47:59 -0400
From: Nancy_Dickson/FS/KSG@ksg.harvard.edu
To: geafellowships@envlib2.harvard.edu
Subject: GEA Fellowships - Information on GEA Project
X-Lotus-FromDomain: KSG
X-Listprocessor-Version: 8.0 -- ListProcessor(tm) by CREN
From: Nancy Dickson@KSG on 01/29/97 02:47 PM
To: GEAFELLOWSHIPS List-server subscribers
Many of you have sent me inquiries asking for more information on the
Global Environmental Assessment project based at Harvard University. What
follows is a copy of the Progress Report submitted to the National Science
Foundation. We hope this information will be useful to you if you intend
to apply for a fellowship. Please recall that applications are due
February 15.
Regards,
Nancy Dickson
Center for Science and International Affairs
Kennedy School of Government
Harvard University
nancy_dickson@harvard.edu
ANNUAL NSF GRANT PROGRESS REPORT
NSF Programs: Methodology, Measurement, and Statistics Program, and
Division of International Programs
NSF Award Number: SBR-9521910 - "Global Environmental Assessment Team"
PI Name: William C. Clark
PI Organization: Harvard University
PI Address: Center for Science & International Affairs, Kennedy School of
Government, Harvard University, 79 JFK Street, Cambridge, MA 02138
Period Covered By This Report: July 15, 1996-February 1, 1997
Date: 28 January, 1997
Continued Funding is Requested
Contents:
1. RESULTS AND RELATIONSHIP TO GOALS OF THE GRANT
2. WORK TO BE PERFORMED IN YEAR 2
3. FUNDS ESTIMATED TO REMAIN UNOBLIGATED AT END OF YEAR 1
4. PROPOSED BUDGET FOR YEAR 2
5. CURRENT AND OTHER PENDING SUPPORT FROM SENIOR PERSONNEL
6. CONTRIBUTION OF PROJECT TO EDUCATION AND HUMAN-RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
7. ANIMAL CARE AND USE, INSTITUTIONAL BIOHAZARD COMMITTEE AND HUMAN
SUBJECT CERTIFICATION
1. RESULTS AND RELATIONSHIP TO GOALS OF THE GRANT
1.1 Objectives and Expected Significance
The Global Environmental Assessment project is a collaborative team study
of global environmental assessment as a link between science and policy.
The Team is based at Harvard University, but includes substantial
contributions from the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis
(IIASA) in Austria, Cornell University, Duke University and the Center for
Integrated Study of the Human Dimensions of Global Change at Carnegie
Mellon University funded under the National Science Foundations' Human
Dimensions of Global Change initiative.
The Team's goal is to understand how formal assessment activities can
better scientific understanding with the progressive design,
implementation, and evaluation of effective policy responses to global
environmental change. We believe that achieving this integration is the
most fundamental challenge that must be met for societies to more
effectively manage, and live with, global environmental change.
This project reflects our belief that global change poses unprecedented
challenges for informed and effective policy making, challenges that
existing scholarship and policy experience -- grounded largely in domestic
environmental management or in international agreements on other problems
-- have not prepared society to meet. Knowledge relevant to the management
of global environmental change is growing rapidly. But it remains
incomplete, selective and contested. Relevant policymaking has likewise
advanced substantially in recent years. But it remains fragmented, diffuse
and tentative.
This Team effort pursues two related conceptual advances that we believe
are necessary if the present situation is to be significantly improved.
First, we seek to formulate, test, and apply a useful alternative to the
conventional "pipeline" model of science and policy in the global
environmental realm. Through integrating research, drawing from our
diverse backgrounds in the social and natural sciences, we seek better to
understand the ways that the research, assessment and policy processes
actually interact in shaping social responses to global change. A linear,
"decisionist" model of science, assessment and policy has been implicit in
much contemporary response to global change. Missing in this approach is
any hint of the dynamic, indeterminate, relationships among science,
assessment and policy described by both scholars and practitioners of the
policy process. The uncritical adoption of the linear model in global
change debates has resulted in several predictable pathologies: unrealistic
demands for closure in science; underestimating the role of political
processes in framing problems and solutions; and excessive focus on
international- or n
ational-level policy making that neglects regional, local and sectoral
responses. More effective integration of science, assessment and policy
will require more nuanced and realistic understanding of their
interactions. That understanding must strive to embrace (at least) the
nature and origins of uncertainty in young, trans-disciplinary scientific
fields such as global change; the problematic role of consensual science in
politically charged, high-stakes global change contexts; the importance of
complex interdependencies among nations and institutions in shaping policy
agendas and their demands on expert assessment; the multiple framings of
problems that actors with different histories, interests, and political
cultures bring to global environmental problems; and the problems of policy
coordination and compliance that result from the weak authority of
international accords, coupled with the crucial role of regional, local and
sectoral decisions in shaping actual responses to global change. A
principal objective of the team is to develop a more realistic and synoptic
model of the actual relationships among science, assessment, and management
in social responses to global change, and to use that model to understand,
critique, and improve current practice of assessment as a bridge between
science and policy making.
Our second goal is to develop and explore new "adaptive" methods,
procedures and institutional designs that can remedy the inappropriately
static view of science, assessment and policy that dominates most
contemporary discussions of global change. This static approach is
reflected in unhelpful debates over such questions as "Do we know enough to
act?" or "What level of emission reductions is needed?" Since both
scientific understanding and the political context of policy response
change continuously, however, any static view of assessment and policy on
an issue is guaranteed to become rapidly obsolete. Likewise, the spread of
new knowledge, assessments, policy options and institutions from one part
of the globe to another cannot be taken for granted. There has been far
too little systematic work on designing dynamical, adaptive approaches to
policy design, implementation, and evaluation for global change.
Particular attention is needed to approaches for dealing with inevitable
scientific and social surprise; learning from policies-as-experiments,
enhancing the diffusion of effective policy options and using data and
information systems to enhance compliance. A principal objective of the
Team is to elucidate a strategy of adaptive assessment and policy for
global environmental problems, along with the methods and institutions to
implement such a strategy in the real world.
1.2 Strategy for the Team
The Team consists of a core group of nine scholars with a wide range of
experience -- and accomplishments -- in research on the natural and social
science dimensions of global environmental change, and in the related
fields of policy and decision analysis. We have previously collaborated in
pairs and triplets on global change research. Over the last several years,
we have increasingly come to see that some of the most important questions
with which we have individually been wrestling require something
approaching our collective perspectives and skills for their resolution.
This has already affected a number of collaborative ventures.
Name Title Institution Discipline
William Clark, Professor, Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University
systems ecology, public policy
John Holdren, Professor, Kennedy School of Government & Dept. of Earth and
Planetary Sciences, Harvard University
environment, science, and technology
Jill J?ger, Deputy Director, International Institute for Applied Systems
Analysis (IIASA) climatology
Sheila Jasanoff, Professor & Director, Dept. of Science & Technology
Studies, Cornell University
social studies of science
Robert Keohane, Professor, Dept. of Political Science, Duke University
international affairs
James McCarthy, Professor & Director, Museum of Comparative Zoology,
Harvard University oceanography
Michael McElroy, Professor & Chair, Dept. of Earth and Planetary Sciences,
Harvard University
atmospheric science
Edward Parson, Associate Professor, Kennedy School of Government, Harvard
University
public policy
Robert Stavins, Associate Professor, Kennedy School of Government, Harvard
University economics
We collaborate through a four-pronged strategy designed to leverage our
shared research interests and harness them in a common, interdisciplinary
effort. The strategy involves: 1) An annual summer workshop to present and
critique results that includes participants from communities of assessment
scholars, producers, and users and allows for sustained interdisciplinary
cross fertilization, criticism and collaboration. 2) An annual recruitment
of a group of doctoral- and post-doctoral Fellows to work with and amplify
the contributions of Team members in our endeavor. 3) A year-long training
and research seminar held at Harvard and IIASA, involving fellows, faculty,
and guests and four day-long project meetings; and 4) Production of case
study research papers and monographs on global environmental assessment.
1.2.1 Summer Workshop
The project was launched with a summer workshop held in Bar Harbor, Maine
June 9-15,1996 that was attended by 11 of the senior project personnel.
The meeting addressed the objectives, research activities, and strategy
that the project would pursue. It was agreed upon that the project would
engage in three principal types of research activities: 1) a description
of assessment characteristics and context; 2) explanation of the causes,
dynamics, and effects of assessment; and 3) evaluation of the efficacy of
assessment as a tool for managing the global environment. Plans were made
for the fellows arrival, future meetings with all project participants, and
the fellows residence at the International Institute for Applied Systems
Analysis.
A second summer workshop is scheduled for June 22-28, 1997. Active
participants in the project will be invited as well as selected includes
participants from communities of assessment scholars, producers, and users.
Fellows and faculty members will be responsible for bringing to the summer
workshop completed drafts of working papers for whichthey have emerged with
lead responsibility (see section 1.2.4 below). The Team as a whole will be
responsible for a number of synthesis papers around which the workshop
discussions will be based. At the end of the workshop, one or more Team
members and Fellows will take on the task of guiding a monograph based on
the submitted papers and discussions through revisions to a publishable
status. The 1997 Workshop will be conducted jointly with the Center for
the Application of Research on the Environment. Supplementary funding is
being sought from a coalition of federal agencies.
1.2.2 Fellows Recruitment
Central to our research strategy is the annual recruitment of a group of
Fellows to join the core Team in its work. Announcement of the 1996-97
fellowship was posted to half a dozen electronic mail list servers that
distribute messages on global environmental change topics internationally.
Over 200 applications were received from around the world. We selected
five fellows, four pre-doctoral fellows and one post-doctoral fellow. In
addition, the Carnegie Mellon University Center for Integrated Study of the
Human Dimensions of Global Change funded a sixth fellow who resides at
Harvard. In addition five other fellows not funded under the NSF grant
but already enrolled at Harvard, Carnegie Mellon, or IIASA were included as
full participants in the team effort. Four of these fellows are American
citizens and the other two are from India.
The fellows are advanced doctoral students and post-docs with a track
record of excellent research in areas related in global environmental
assessment. They are either trained in the natural sciences and wanting
more exposure to the policy use of their science, or trained in the social
sciences but wanting a firmer scientific grounding for their efforts.
Pre-doctoral NSF Fellows:
Shardul Agrawala, Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International
Affairs, Princeton University
Karen Fisher-Vanden, Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University
Wendy Franz, Government Department, Harvard University
Marybeth Long, Civil and Environmental Engineering Department and the
Department of Urban and Studies and Planning, Massachusetts Institute of
Technology
Post-doctoral NSF Fellows:
Clark Miller, Dept. of Science and Technology Studies, Cornell University
Milind Kandlikar, Dept. of Engineering and Public Policy, Carnegie Mellon
University
Other Fellows:
David Cash, Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University
Alastair Iles, Harvard Law School
Anthony Patt, Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University
James Risbey, Dept. of Engineering and Public Policy, Carnegie Mellon
University
Willemijn Tuinstra, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis,
Vienna, Austria
All six of the NSF fellows departed for the International Institute for
Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) in early January where they will reside
for one to three months. They are working with Team member Jill Jaeger and
her colleagues in a series of research workshops similar to those conducted
at Harvard in the Fall. They are using IIASA as a base of operations for
collecting data on European and international aspects of the research.
1.2.3 Project Seminar and Meetings
The project ran a public research seminar and a closed fellows working
group in Fall 1996. Typical sessions consisted of the presentation of a
relevant conceptual or empirical paper prepared for the meeting, formal
cross-disciplinary commentary on the presentation, and interdisciplinary
discussion.
Two day-long project meetings of the entire group were held on September
20 and November 22, 1996. The September meeting was the first time that
fellows met with core faculty members to discuss the project in detail.
The project's goals and definitions were reviewed. Working groups
structured around particular conceptual topic areas were organized. The
November meeting focused on empirical research tasks. Two more day-long
project meetings are scheduled for April 4, 1997 and May 13-14, 1997.
1.2.4 Papers
The approach to the project has both "basic" and "applied" dimensions.
Some researchers are emphasizing more what can be learned from experience
with a global environmental problem that might help to "improve" assessment
practice. Others are focusing more on what the study of assessment
experience can teach us about broader questions of the relations of
knowledge and action in the globalizing society.
Research during Fall 1996 focused on the case of climate change. Fellows
completed a preliminary analysis of twelve American and international
assessments using a standard research protocol designed by project
participants. The protocol defines specific research questions that each
fellow has agreed to examine and report on. These include: the origins and
context of the assessment; assessment characteristics; observable
consequences; and the effects of assessments. A limited number of global
climate change assessments in India and Germany will also be assessed in
Spring 1997.
In December of 1996, the project was asked by the Intergovernmental Panel
on Climate Change (IPCC) Chairman, Robert Watson, to review a draft
discussion paper on the design of the third IPCC assessment by drawing on
the research findings to date. Our comments focused on major design issues
that may be relevant to the third assessment report and subsequent IPCC
work.
During the Spring 97 semester, the fellows and faculty will be
concentrating on three research themes in the domain of global climate
change:
1) What accounts for the kinds of assessments we do perform, versus those
we might, but don't?
2) In what ways does assessment affect "public" knowledge or understanding
about the problem?
3) In what ways does assessment affect policy responses to the problem?
The fellows are preparing papers on the following topics that will be
available for distribution and peer review in Summer 1997 (lead
responsibility is exercised by the listed fellow; most papers will reflect
collaborative research among the fellows and faculty)
Climate Change on the International Policy Agenda (International), Wendy
Franz
Origins and Process History of the IPCC: 1987-1996 (International),
Shardul Agrawala National Responses to the Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change, 1988-1995 (US, Germany, India), Clark Miller
Responsibility for a Changing Climate (International, USA, Germany, India),
Clark Miller Impact Assessment (USA, International), Marybeth Long, Milind
Kandlikar, Clark Miller Catastrophe and Climate Change, Tony Patt
The Form of Instruments in the Climate Change Debate : A US Case Study
(USA), Karen Fisher-Vanden
Policy Responses to Climate Change (India), Milind Kandlikar
Climate Change Assessment and the US Agricultural Sector, David Cash
"Uses" of Assessment (International, OECD, India), Milind Kandlikar and
Ambuj Sagar Institutional Structures and Assessments , Alastair Iles
Reports of these working groups and the research papers will be available
as working papers of the project by summer of 1997. We intend that most
will be submitted for publication in established journals or in a special
monograph early in academic year 1997-98.
2. WORK TO BE PERFORMED IN YEAR 2
The focus in year 2 will extend the work on global climate change to
include research on long range transport and tropospheric air pollution.
We have launched next year's fellowship competition. An announcement of
the fellowship was posted to ten electronic mail list-servers that
distribute messages on global environmental change topics internationally.
Interested applicants were informed as to how to self-subscribe to a
list-server that provides information on the fellowship and the application
procedure. As of late January 1997, we had received over 600 inquiries
from 38 countries. Applications are due February 15.
We will be selecting 4-5 fellows for Year 2 under NSF support. We have
entered into discussions with various federal agencies and others in the
assessment community to explore the possibility of funding additional
fellow slots.
After one, and in some cases two, years of residence at Harvard, Fellows
will rotate back to their home institutions where we will endeavor to keep
them engaged in our ongoing venture. Selected alumnae fellows will be
brought back to join the Team during subsequent summer workshops, allowing
for sustained interdisciplinary cross fertilization, criticism and
collaboration.
3. FUNDS ESTIMATED TO REMAIN UNOBLIGATED AT END OF YEAR 1
We do not expect more than 20% of funds to remain unobligated at the end of
year 1 funding.
4. PROPOSED BUDGET FOR YEAR 2
We will be using the budget contained in the original proposal.
5. CURRENT AND OTHER PENDING SUPPORT FROM SENIOR PERSONNEL
In year 2 Clark and Parson have the following additional support from other
grants:
Department of Energy Assessment Strategies for Global Environmental Change
PIs: Edward Parson and William Clark
Clark: 0.56 academic months; Parson: 0.53 summer months
National Institute for Global Environmental Change
Towards Useful Integrated Assessments: A Bottom-up Approach
PI: William Clark
Clark: 0.81 summer months
Center for Integrated Study of the Human Dimensions of Global Change
Carnegie Mellon University (subcontract from NSF via CMU) The Use of
Integrated Assessments
PI (subcontract): William Clark
Clark: 0.57 academic months
Pending Support:
National Institute for Global Environmental Change
Towards Useful Integrated Assessments: A Bottom-up Approach, Year II
Clark: 1 academic and 1 summer month
Center for the Application of Research on the Environment Workshop on the
Global Environmental Assessment and Policy Process (subcontract from NOAA
via CARE)
PI (subcontract): William Clark
Clark: 0.5 summer months; Parson: 0.5 summer months
6. CONTRIBUTION OF PROJECT TO EDUCATION AND HUMAN-RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
As described in the proposal, there is a shortage of people with a modern
understanding of assessment in its scientific and political context. The
projects' fellows' training program is a key component of the project.
The GEA project "information strategy" consists of a Database, an Archive,
and a Library. The Database is a consistent electronic bibliography, with
summary and annotation, of both the Library and the Archives. It uses a
popular, stand-alone software package, Endnote, that works with a number
of popular word processors. There presently are over 4,000 records in
this database. The Archives is a physical collection of material produced
by the project, duplicated in a set of electronic files. The Library is a
physical collection of information resources (books, copies of articles)
that the project holds but did not produce.
7. ANIMAL CARE AND USE, INSTITUTIONAL BIOHAZARD COMMITTEE AND HUMAN
SUBJECT CERTIFICATION
Not applicable to this project.
END.
----- End Included Message -----
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 29 Jan 1997 15:55:52 -0500 (EST)
From: Anna Secka <secka@cse.bridgeport.edu>
To: BASS KOLLEH DRAMMEH <KOLLS567@QATAR.NET.QA>
Cc: The Gambia and Related Issues Mailing List <gambia-l@u.washington.edu>
Subject: Re: Sarian's message
Message-ID: <Pine.SUN.3.91.970129155040.621B-100000@cse>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
Content-Transfer-Encoding: QUOTED-PRINTABLE
Bass,
=09I think we all know that two wrongs never make a right. A wise=20
man will quickly learn from other people's mistakes that his own. From my=
=20
point of view you seem to to advocating "Well Jawara made some mistakes,=20
so why don't we all shut up(excuse my language) and let Jammeh make more=20
mistakes". Please remember that at times it is too late to correct a=20
mistake; in some case, you don't even have the chance to correct it.
On Mon, 29 Jan 1996, BASS KOLLEH DRAMMEH wrote:
> Modou Jallow wrote:
> >=20
> > On Tuesday, 1/28/97, Sarian wrote:
> >=20
> > > Hi,
> > >
> > > I just returned from the Gambia after a month vacation and this much =
I can tell you the country is very expensive and the economy is also very u=
nstable. Its a fact that "some" businessmen (having talked to few) are ve=
ry apprehensive of the economy and
> > thus are holding out on imports. This was also confirmed by several p=
eople in the Gambia Ports Authority/Customs dept of the alarming rate drop =
of containers /consignments that usually flood the sheds of the traffic dep=
artment waiting to be cleared.
> > >
> > > According to these sources the Maersk lines are pretty much empty co=
mpared to the 400 - 500 containers they used to deposit that are now down t=
o 60 - 70 containers per ship and this should be of concern to all of us be=
cause there is indeed a lot of une
> > mployment in the country (can't claim percentage cause I don't have the=
statistics but there is a lot of poverty in the home land and I keep wonde=
ring how many are making it.
> > >
> > > Even with our US dollars some of us vacationing were feeling the pin=
ch. Example of a cost of toilet paper D29.00 for some what mediocre qualit=
y, paper napkins the same. To eat a decent meal one has to spend at least =
D100 for a single meal (small fami
> > ly). So one couldn't help wondering how these people are really making=
it with the low salaries/wages and thats why when one is vacationing they =
think you can solve all their financial needs which sends you to the bank t=
o dip into savings account or if t
> > hat is not available to get cash from your credit cards, and I know qui=
te a bit of Gambian's living abroad who were faced with this situation incl=
uding myself.
> > >
> > > In my opinion, all that money that was spent building the arch could =
have been used on other high priority projects e.g. some of the roads are s=
till very bad in Banjul and the kombo areas. The main roads were fixed alr=
ight but there are some streets th
> > at taxis cannot still get by in Banjul. Electricity is still a problem=
its on and off all the time I was there. Thats all for now.
> > >
> > > Sarian
> >=20
> > Of all those who came back from Gambia, I must say you are the only one
> > who's been truthful to list members about the situation in the Gambia.
> > It's not like we do not know what is going on, but we fail to see it as=
it
> > is.
> >=20
> > The situation in Gambia is worse that one can imagine. Survival has
> > become a means that we can not truly apprehend. How do you imagine the
> > people back home are surviving from day to day? What I would like to se=
e
> > is the changes that this regime promised the Gambian people.
> >=20
> > Business has been stagnant for the past couple of years due the governm=
ent's
> > inability to encourage fair practices. The Jammeh regime destroyed what=
used
> > to be the most succesful business region in West Africa. There was a ti=
me when
> > anything and everything was availabe...now there is almost nothing!
> >=20
> > Well, what happened to the businessmen? The Lebanese got run off and th=
e
> > Fullas (& Sarahulleys) found better countries to invest their fortunes.=
Where
> > does that leave the Gambia? These people help build the economy of the =
Gambia
> > by opening up the borders to neighboring countries. In many ways Gambi=
a
> > the events in Gambia since the coup have conspired against progress, wh=
ere
> > the future of the generation will remain a hostage of the past. And who
> > will be the victims? None but the young generation.
> >=20
> > Despite the awesome problems facing the country, many of us spend a gre=
at
> > deal of time looking for scapegoats such as what we've seen on this lis=
t. We
> > must be able to impose self-criticism or we will suffer humiliation,
> > especially if our government cannot back its words with deeds.
> >=20
> > Ramadan Karim to all.
> >=20
> > Regards, Moe S. Jallow
> >=20
> >=20
> > =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D
> > mjallow@sct.edu mjallow@hayes.com
> > =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D
>=20
> MOE!!
> =09You are absolutely right! WE must exercise self-critism,but me must
> also try,when telling how bad the situation has become,to include all
> the other NON-Jammeh variables that have played a role in the bad
> situation.
>=20
> You are right; many SarraHullehs and Fulas and Libanese business people
> have now found it very difficult to conduct their buisnesses as
> before,but the last time I checked with some of my co-tribesmen,the
> Sarrahullehs,what they cited as the crucial factor was the 50%
> depreciation of the CFA (the currency used by Senegal and other
> francophonic African countries),so if His Excellency Sir Dawda Kairaba
> Jawara can UNDO that I,for one, will not hesitate to vote for his
> return.The other variable cited by these people on the ground is the
> almost BELICOSE trade and commercial policy being adopted by the Joof
> regime in Dakar towards Gambia,simply because Mr.Jammeh has become
> more popular than himself in his own country,which is not very difficult
> to figure out why!!I AM SURE YOU KNOW WHY.
>=20
> "KEEP HOPE ALIVE,KEEP HOPE ALIVE!!" Mr.JALLOW; I AM VERY HOPEFUL THAT
> THE VERY HAND THAT BUILT THE NOW 'NOTORIOUS'ARCH AND THE FARRAFENNI
> HOSPITAL THAT ALMOST EVERYONE IS DECIDEDLY SILENT ABOUT HERE ON THIS
> LIST - THAT VERY HAND IS CAPABLE OF SOLVING OUR THOSE TWO PERRENIAL
> GAMBIAN PROBLEMS,NAMELY ELECTRICITY AND BAD ROADS.EVER HEARD OF ONE
> THING AT A TIME?
>=20
> SINCE WE MEEKLY GAVE THIRTY-TWO STRAGHT YEARS TO OUR FORMER PRESIDENT
> WITHOUT EVER SAYING A WORD,AND WOULD HAVE ALLOWED HIM TO KEEP GREYING IN
> OFFICE UNTIL HE DIED THERE HAD THE BUYAM BOY NOT OBJECTED,WHY CAN'T WE
> GIVE JUST ONE THIRD OF THAT NUMBER OF YEARS
> TO THIS ENRGERTIC MAN AND SEE HOW THINGS WOULD TURN OUT? WELL,WE DIDN'T
> MIND THEN,AND I CAN'T SEE WHY IT SHOULD START, ALL OF A SUDDEN, TO
> BOTHER US THIS TIME AROUND.
>=20
> =09=09=09=09=09=09REGARDS BASSS!!=20
> --=20
> SZDD=88=F0'3Af=A8=03
>=20
>=20
**********************************************
*=09Anna Secka=09=09=09 *
* 312 Barnum Hall=09=09=09 *
* University of Bridgeport *
* Bridgeport, CT 06604 *
* Email: secka@cse.bridgeport.edu *=20
**********************************************
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 29 Jan 1997 16:03:59 -0500 (EST)
From: "Fatou N'Jie" <gs01fnn@panther.Gsu.EDU>
To: Gambia-L <gambia-l@u.washington.edu>
Cc: Musa Sowe <chemsm@panther.Gsu.EDU>
Subject: Re: New Member
Message-ID: <Pine.GSO.3.95.970129160226.3610A-100000@panther.Gsu.EDU>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
Can you add Musa Sowe to the list? His address is
"chemsm@panther.gsu.edu". Thanks.
********************************************
* Fatou N'Jie *
* Decision Sciences Department *
* Georgia State University *
* *
* Email: fanjie@gsu.edu *
* http://www.gsu.edu/~gs01fnn/index.html *
********************************************
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 29 Jan 1997 14:30:43 -0800
From: sarian@osmosys.incog.com (Sarian Loum)
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: New Member
Message-ID: <199701292230.OAA27301@thesky.incog.com>
Musa Sowe has been added as requested. Musa please send in your intro to the list and Welcome onboard!
Sarian
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 29 Jan 97 20:38:23 -0600
From: Francis Njie <francis_njie@il.us.swissbank.com>
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Re: Taiwanese trade with the Gambia
Message-ID: <9701300238.AA03003@new_delhi>
Mime-Version: 1.0 (NeXT Mail 3.3risc v124.8483.5)
Content-Type: text/plain
Perhaps I should rephrase my previous inquiry... Why on earth would Taiwan be
interested in a country as poor as the Gambia, especially at a time when the
Gambia is not exactly popular in the "international community"?
Anyone know if the current regime has signed a waste-dumping contract with the
Asian country or something? :-}
- Francis
Begin forwarded message:
Date: Mon, 27 Jan 97 14:11:49 -0600
Reply-To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Sender: GAMBIA-L-owner@u.washington.edu
From: Francis Njie <francis_njie@il.us.swissbank.com>
To: "GAMBIA-L: The Gambia and Related Issues Mailing List"
<gambia-l@u.washington.edu>
Subject: Taiwanese trade with the Gambia
X-Listprocessor-Version: 8.1 beta -- ListProcessor(tm) by CREN
Does anyone know how much inport/export activity Taiwan is engaged in with the
Gambia? Also, how much fishing does Taiwan do in Gambian waters? Thanks...
- Francis
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Standard Disclaimers:
The opinions/ideas expressed here are mine alone. They do not reflect the
policies of my employer in any way whatsoever.
Furthermore, because I have no political affiliation, political figures and
parties mentioned here are necessarily incidental to my opinions.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 30 Jan 1997 01:52:55 -0500 (EST)
From: mjallow@st6000.sct.edu (Modou Jallow)
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Re: Sarian's message
Message-ID: <9701300652.AA26868@st6000.sct.edu>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit
Bass, you wrote:
> > MOE!!
> > You are absolutely right! WE must exercise self-critism,but me must
> > also try,when telling how bad the situation has become,to include all
> > the other NON-Jammeh variables that have played a role in the bad
> > situation.
> > "KEEP HOPE ALIVE,KEEP HOPE ALIVE!!" Mr.JALLOW; I AM VERY HOPEFUL THAT
> > THE VERY HAND THAT BUILT THE NOW 'NOTORIOUS'ARCH AND THE FARRAFENNI
> > HOSPITAL THAT ALMOST EVERYONE IS DECIDEDLY SILENT ABOUT HERE ON THIS
> > LIST - THAT VERY HAND IS CAPABLE OF SOLVING OUR THOSE TWO PERRENIAL
> > GAMBIAN PROBLEMS,NAMELY ELECTRICITY AND BAD ROADS.EVER HEARD OF ONE
> > THING AT A TIME?
Bass,
I can understand your stance for the Jammeh Regime. Sometimes, in looking
at all the troubles that have haunted Gambia over the past years, one
tends to forget how young the "Jammeh Regime" is as a civilian government.
Maybe many Gambians, including me, expect too much too quickly. One
reasoning you fail to realize is that there is still no incentive for the
individual to produce. In other words, self-interests is still ahead of
national interests. Thus, without the implementation of a realistic plan
for the country's growth through economic reforms, one can only wonder
what will happen to the business sector. Without the freedom of trade, the
economy will only become weaker due to the lack of commodities. People
will have fewer things to buy since they also have less money to spend.
You can continue to deny the fact that too many people are migrating in
search of food, goods and jobs but the economy spells it out really well.
Here then, is where the government comes into the picture. With a strong
government, that is willing to put nationalism ahead of the so-called
tribalism and self-interests, its leadership should be capable of
establishing priorities for the population as a whole. In this way, the
people will have something to gain by seeking to achieve their true
potential..
I do agree that many changes lie ahead for Gambia but Jammeh alone can not
take the credit for all the things that are being done.(except for the
ARCH). The questions that we need to think about are numerous to list
here. Nonetheless, we must ask ourselves the following: How can
corruption and greed be contained? Will the soldiers stay in the barracks
if the government continues to err? Will tribalism surface as a
destructive tool of society? And how will national energies be utilized
towards the common goals of the Gambian people?
The lesson of the terrible Jawara regime need not be repeated here if
there is a strong central government. However, the people must have the
desire to be part of the solution to the problems and not part of the
problem itself. But unless the government stops circulating the money
around the top, the only means of survival will be corruption and bribery.
Finally, I must say that the Gambians have great potential if we can pull
together as one people. It's time we start thinking as a nation instead of
tribes so that we can hopefully move toward economic stability and
national collaboration. To do so, self-criticism once again will have to
be used as tool of enhancement rather than destruction. No matter how fair
or corrupt a government is, there are those who will still challenge it.
That's the whole idea of a democratic society.
Ramadhan Karim to all.
Regards,
Moe S. Jallow
==============================================================================
mjallow@sct.edu mjallow@hayes.com
==============================================================================
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 30 Jan 1997 08:26:33 +0100
From: Abdou Gibba <Abdou.Gibba@smr.uib.no>
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Re: Taiwan's trade with the Gambia
Message-ID: <2.2.32.19970130072633.006bfe70@alfred.uib.no>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Francis, You wrote:
"....Why on earth would Taiwan be interested in a country as poor as the
Gambia, especially at a time when the Gambia is not exactly popular in the
"international community"?
Well, you have already stated the obvious: "....especially at a time when
the Gambia is not exactly popular in the "international community". Taiwan
and Gambia, like Cuba and Libya will be foolish not to accept any friendly
hand "especially at a time when they are not exactly popular in the
"international community". Why can't we expect the best out of this rather
than worst? Is that not pessimism or negative thinking? One unfortunate
thing is, it seems many are just sitting and waiting for the time bomb to
blow off for the government in Gambia...and then they would say: "ah! ha! I
knew it." Too sad, but the truth.
PEACE
::)))Abdou Oujimai
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 30 Jan 1997 09:10:57 +0100
From: Abdou Gibba <Abdou.Gibba@smr.uib.no>
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Taiwan pledges Support For Senegal's Food Programme
Message-ID: <2.2.32.19970130081057.006876cc@alfred.uib.no>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Hi all, check this out:
PEACE!
::)))Abdou Oujimai
Senegal
Taiwan pledges Support For Senegal's Food Programme
Panafrican News Agency - January 24, 1997
DAKAR, Senegal (PANA) - Taiwanese Foreign Affairs Minister John Chang has
promised his country's help to Senegal's in increasing agricultural
production to achieve food self-sufficiency.
He told reporters after discussions Friday in Dakar with Senegalese Prime
Minister Habib Thiam that agricultural cooperation was the focus of their
deliberations.
Chang's Senegalese counterpart, Moustapha Niasse, attended the one-hour
meeting. Chang said they discussed implementation of a major irrigation
project covering 75,000 hectares of the Fossil Valley, in northern Senegal.
Both delegations also discussed road construction projects.
Chang, who arrived in Dakar on Thursday, for a 72-hour official visit, was
received by President Abdou Diouf.
On Friday, he met with Niasse; the Economy, Finance and Planning minister,
Pape Ousmane Sakho, and the the minister of agriculture, Robert Sagna.
Chang is on an African tour which has already taken him to Swaziland,
Malawi, Guinea-Bissau and Gambia. He will leave Dakar Sunday for
Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
China suspended diplomatic relations with Senegal in 1996 after Dakar
decided to restore ties with Taiwan, which Beijing regards as a renegade
province.
Copyright 1997 Panafrican News Agency. Distributed via Africa News Online.
All rights reserved. May not be redistributed, posted to any other location,
published or used for broadcast without prior written
authorization from Africa News Service.
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 30 Jan 1997 11:17:47 GMT+1
From: "Famara A. Sanyang" <famaraas@amadeus.cmi.no>
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Re: Sarian's message
Message-ID: <C293BA120C@amadeus.cmi.no>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT
Brothers & Sisters,
I would like to thank Sirian and the other list members for sharing
the experiences of their visit with us.
Some of the arguments presented by the Sirian and Abdourahman (Touray),
have been dealt with by other members. I would like to come with new
perspectives in relation to the businessmen.
One thing I will like to add is that, the attitude of some of our
businessmen is not what I will call patriotic. Ideologically I am in
for a more keynesian model of development, but that does not mean that I
will close my eyes for the facts presented in modernisation studies,
which amplify the role of the bourgeoisie. Most of the
countries which went through the modernisation process, had a very
patriotic / loyal bourgeoisie. Some will tell me that, but, in The Gambia,
we only have a petty - bourgeosie. My main point is that, our business
class was mainly interested in short term profit, and not in long
term nation building. Allow me to give some credit to some members of
our traditional business tribe The Sarahules for their investments in industries.
Most of the Sarahules earn their wealth abroad, and come back home to invest,
while some of those who produce / earned their wealth at home take the
proceeds abroad mainly to Europe and America, what a paradox!
My second and final point has to do with the issue of taxation. Those
of us who have been following the commission reports know that
many of the businessmen were not paying tax, (at least not through
the right channels). This group also involved some lawyers (what a
shame). In 1985, when the Jawara regime initiated a crackdown on customs,
revenues increased by 32 per cent. This was supposed to teach the regime a
lesson, but, it loosen up after a while. The main point here is that
for a nation to build infrastructures which will directly or
indirectly benefit everyone we should all make contributions in
our different ways. One possible explanation for the departure or
running away of some businessmen is, because the new regime is
serious about collecting taxes. Some of the business men as
far as I know owe quiet a lot, no wonder they disappeared.
The Senegalo-Gambia border crisis is not new, if you are in doubt you
can refer to the 1994/95 Budget speech of Mr. Bakary Darboe of the
then PPP government who cited the sealing of the trade routes to the
neighbouring countries as one the events which affected the economy.
What we need is a more patriotic bourgeosie, which will actively
participate in nation building.
Moe Jallow, I don't think Jammeh is any left-wing radical who can scare the
business community. As far as I can see Jammeh is just pursuing the
market liberalistic policies the PPP regime started.
The question one should ask is how are these economic reforms
benefiting the average Gambian. The only difference may be the tendencies
in the new regime which gives some hope, to people like me who
strongly believe that social investments is also good economics.
Just one little thing, allow me to repeat the point that, IF WE WANT
TO CREATE A JUST SOCIETY, THE NEW REGIME SHOULD MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE
ARE PAID SALARIES WHICH CAN GIVE THEM A DECENT LIVING. Civil servants
never complain of low salaries, because they knew that they could
balance their real expenses in other ways. If the new regime is
serious about its anti - corruption campaign, a salary review committee
should be establish immediately.
I will stop here for now.
Shalom,
Famara.
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 30 Jan 1997 14:20:58 +0100 (MET)
From: Olafiaklinikken Olafia <olafia@online.no>
To: <gambia-l@u.washington.edu>
Subject: THE GAMBIA DILEMMA OF A SINKING NATION
Message-ID: <199701301320.OAA10980@online.no>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
Hello to all members and how are you all fine hope fine. First of all, a
happy 1997 to you all. I hope this year will bring us Good Health,
Prosperity, Luck and all that Jazz. It is very interesting reading allthese
comming mails. I would like to share these series i have written during a
visit to the gambia in 1992 and was there for over a period of 9 months.
This was written out of what i saw and the frustration of the people at that
time.This was sent to all ministers and president Jawara likewise it was
circulating in the public.This first chapter was dedicatted to the gambian
sincere women.
DEDICATED TO THE SINCERE WOMAN
WITH A BUCKET ON HER HEAD A BABY
ON HER BACK, A HOE IN THE HAND AND
MUDS ON HER FEET. GLORY TO HER WITH=20
ELEPHANTIASIS FEET WHO TIRELESSLY
WORK THE DAY LIGHT OUT OF HERSELF IN
IN THE RICEFIELDS, THE SAVANNAH,
MANGROVESVAMPS AND NOT LEAST AT=20
HOME TO MAINTAIN AN FEED A FAMILY.
FACTS ABOUT THE GAMBIA:
GNP 1979 $356 MILLION WITH A PER CAPITA INCOME OF $930
GNP 1992 $160 MILLION WITH A PER CAPITA INCOME OF $230
GRANTS: THIS IS A WORLD DEVELOPMENT REPORT 1990 SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA, IT IS IN
MILLION DOLLARS
1975 1980 1985 1986 1987 =20
8 54 50 101 103
There is no doubt that the last few decades has witnessed a considerable
terrible of political thinking in the Gambia. This revival or part revival
came after three decades of political stagnation. But recent years more and
more democratic politicians has began to further attention to the problems
of political ideology, have tried with various degrees of Success (PDOIS).
To reach individual conclutions as to the type of man and the society of
politics. Some of these politicians were and are sufficiently original to
open up new wisoms in political ethics like sociology, political science or
economics whilst others merely play on words. But most of these politicians
whether originally or not has contributed in some measures to the awekening
the spirit of enquiry among Gambians, and thus to a realisation that we have
some how at some point of our history. Jawara and his government made us
lost our else whilst orientation and betrayed the Gambian people. The
promise, the cultural promise by the early beginning of independence for the
Gambia. Nevertheless this useful realisation has not yet become the or
widespread achievement ofthe Gambian community such in contrast of few
genuine creative politicians who played a role in the Gambian development
and economy per 1992. Most of our vocal comtemporaries are still if on the
defensive relying far more on the praising of the achievements of the
Gambian past, then on our possible strength to fine a way out of the
economical and development jeopardy we find ourselves. The Jawara regime
were still doing ARITHMETIC dealing with the countrys budget and economy.
And so if one look at the fictonal politicians in the Gambia per 1992 one
finds that a good deal of them if not most were devoted to self sufficiency.
ThThese politicians painted glory word picture of what Gambia and gambian
people meant three decades ago.
They never failed to contrast that brilliant primitive conditions of
politics and democracy in the Gambia. There of course nothing wrong with
these stories, but the trouble with them is they are out of all relations to
our strile present, and so there effects is rather in the nature of a
propaganda. obviously it cannot be healthy to allowed our brains to be
clouded by easy self flattering words of glories by these politicians.
Memories of a politicians past are of living importance only if they carry
themselves a tense of responsiblity with regard of their own present time
doings and deeds. Otherwise they are bann of life like a wind that drives
over the deserts coming from nowhere and going to nowhere and destine to be
forgotten for always. It goes with a bound that our civilisation is very
great indeed and our pride in it is justify but only up to a certain point,
it is justify only so longour present will bear a comparission in democracy
atleast, with that past which is so persistently awoke. If we could claim
for our selves in the absess of a comparable achievement, at least a
comparable intergrity of purpose then we would have the right to say that
was our democracy. Even though if we have fallen short of it in
manyrespects, we still endeavour to carry it forward in a creative,
democratic and honest spirit and therefore we are truely attached to it. But
unfortunately the true state of affairs is vastly different as a community,
we lost since a very long time all creative urge all our present
achievements in the last few decades in industry, politics, education,
health are pure imitative fiascos thanks to Jawara. The rise from the
experience of the modern west had bear no relationship without our own
constructive ideologies. It will far go beyond scope of this topic to
examine in details the historical reasons for this economical developement
chaos of ours.
One basic reason of our present day decadents stands glaringly visible to
everyone to his eyes to see, namely our entrancement from the ideology of
which our past achievements were based upon. From the very out set Gambians
look upon life and the Gambian economy and developement was built
exclusively on the message of Jawara and his politicians. In other words it
would and coul be an ideological giving civilisation the worst from the
concepts of stagnation, and nation which play a great role in our deep
governing factors in each others view. So long as the message of democracy
and governing was understood, and was a living identity. Unconciously
accepting the civilization born out of it, which was alive and creative.
But it seems as that message came the politicians reduced it to a blind
partial repititin of formulars and mechanical observation of politics, and
it gradually became just like an echo of the past. Whilst we have always
pretended to believe that the politicians are sure guidance in all concerns
of our lives , which it is but not practically. So they deprive us of our
life giving significance , whilst we always claim that politics is a subject
of reason which infact it is. Nevertheless has the politicians sympthaty on
us or welcome the surpression of their reasons by anyone who just happen to
be regarded as an opposition. Authorities and Jawaras cabinet members has
been telling us for decades that they can only help and save us. They
blindly see the surffering of the people and deafly hear their views and
behave like parrots in other to defend their deed and turning their
attentions away from the fundamental neccessities of the masses.
These parrot-like behaviours explains to us why they have failed miserably.
The meaning of these neccessities like education, health and jobs, but it
implies no more or no less than only lies from these politicians and
authorities. The Jawara govenment didn=B4t offer the people all the guidance
and protection they needed, but waht we get back is to oppress approximate
on our behaviours and our endeavours to the type of existence they expect,
thats is the offer. The Jawara government should have stood on moral and
ethic valuation towards corrupstion and inefficiency. To built an
environment of social agreement to what is good and desirable. The message
of this politics is the growth conciousness, and moral earnessness in
furthering our ability to atune ourselves positively to what is so often
describe as nature. All gradual victory of injustice, ignorance, poverty,
hunger and disease would one day be replace by achieving more justice, more
dignity, more wisdom and ultimately more individual and social happiness. It
have been clear to all great politicians and democrats thinkers of all times
that politicians should truely be aware of elements of conciousness
demanded by the masses and express in statements like inside conciousness
excesseble to reasons. I am calling upon all Gambians to the faculty of
understanding based on inside conciousness as well as tropically on evidence
excesseble to the intellect or varifiable by the intellect of their deep
understanding of democracy as well as the basis of general knowledge
available to them at their particular time. There high degree of learning
gain by life long devoted studies taught by early commentators of politics
and democracy.
In other words the majority of Jawaras regime came to believe that the
subjective conclusions of the early politicians and democrats arrive within
a particular histrocal environment, and at a particular stage or stages of
scientific development which are valid in absolute sense and for all times
to come from the democratic point of view. Nothing would have been more
disastorous than this popular believe, it would lead to a stand still of all
political thoughts as with Jawara. I would rather say, thus and a gradual
decay of the civilization that have been built on that thought. More over
many of us realize now that this attribution of finality embrace of human
thoughts whether social, religious, or political is an error of the first
mgnitude. Simply because we know that our conception of ideology is a
subjective process, which cannot be disassociated from the individuals
background of knowledge or experience be sort from all those miserable and
intangible things which are comprise inthe term of human personality.
That is to say, all knowledge and understanding of anything must always
remain subjective. It is not possible for a human being to think
objectively on matters like interpreatation of poltics and democracy.
Interpreating politics and democracy means to try to approach it on the
basis of one s own reason and of the teachings of human understanding. We
should remember that our understanding of the gambian politics is a very
objective process. As soon as we grasp the psychological facts combimne with
our convictions that politics and democracy is enexaustible in its depth,
and therefore all this is open to our enquring spirit. We cannot remain
permanently satisfy with the interpreatation of the jawara politicians and
cabinat members in their way of governing. Great is who valued his point of
views . If we have no confidence in ourselves by challenging the
ineeficient Jawara regime we are then defeated twice in the race of life.
We cannot wait for anyone to free us from our sinking holeland not even the
west which is pro Jawara we must have to liberate ourselves.
We should stop allowing the wretched Jawara reginme feeding us once every
five years , in other to get our votes for the price of twenty-five dalasis.
We should eat what we grow if we allow them to feed us once every years,
then one day we shall be without for politics is not permanent jobb one
might lose an election or who knows what? President Jawara was of the
opinion that gambian people should have dominion over the wealth that they
generate then use it to create and developed a peaceful and economis state
but he failed miserably. The demonstration of power is the caused of
developement fiascos, economical embrassment and stagnation in the Gambia.
The entire cabinet is full of dimvits thats the reason of our sinking
nation. Gambia is just an are of 11,295 sq.km. (4,361 sq.mls.) since the
attaining of independence februsry, 18. 1965 the government hasn=B4t built a
single high schoolor a hospital of its own. All the high schools in the
Gambia are beeb built and owned by private institutions like the Ahmadiyya
mission, Roman Catholic mission, Gambia Muslim Association and other private
interesses. After the 1987 general elections the revenue of the Gambia is as
follows.
YEAR REVENUE
1987 454 MILLION DALASIS
1988 423 MILLION DALASIS
1989 498 MILLION DALASIS
1990 647 MILLION DALASIS
THE FOLLOWING TABLE SHOWS THE PAYMENT OF LOANS
YEAR PAID
1988 110 MILLION DALASIS
1989 153 MILLION DALASIS
1990 202 MILLION DALASIS
1991 269 MILLION DALASIS
The rural developement project(RDP) was a total blunder, 29 miillion dalasis
went right into the drain. Now the total debt is 3000 million dollars. This
amount could have built numerous high schools and hospitals. The now revive
educational system willleave the following drop our after primary 6.
EVERY YEAR 10,000
FIVE YEARS 50,000
TEN YEARS 100,000
Then the rise of socio-economic problems, criminality and drug abuse becomes
the order of the day, due to the siple fact that a 12 or 14 year old is not
qualified for a job. Unemployement will be sky rocket. The only two
hospitals in the Gambia to serve a population of approx. one million were
left over from the British colonial masters. The Royal Victoria Hospital in
Banjul and Bansang Hospital, the sig of the Royal Victoria Hospital is a
disgrace in the capital, sure late queen Victoris is turning in her grave.
Jawara has exhaust the economy so bad that work places cannot be maintained
everything have to go on auction. These are some of the place s sold:
THE DOCK YARD
THE COTTON GINERY
THE GAMBIA RIVER TRANSPORT
THE GAMBIA COMMERCIAL AND DEVELOPEMENT BANK
THE FISHERIES COMPANIES
THE FORT AT MAcARTHY (WE SLAVES WERE BEEN KEPT NO HISTORY, NORELICS DROP=
DEAD!!)
The saddest of all was in case of the Gambia River Transport, people went to
work as usual in the morning and found police and gendarmes who were ordered
by the government to seal the place.
The ministered were furnished with three vechicles
MERCEDES BENZ OFFICIAL AND PER SONAL CAR 24 HOURS A DAY ANY HOUR OF THE
DAY OR NIGHT WITH THE TAXPAYER FINANCING THE FUEL
PAJERO FOR TOURING THE PROVENCES OR DRIVINGON THE PLOUGHS THERE
CALL ROADS
PEUGEOT 505 UTILITIES CARS FOR HE ERRAND OF THE WIVES, FETCHING
FIREWOODS, CHILDREN TO SCHOOL, WHILST THE TAXPAYERS CHILDREN
ARE LATE EVERY DAY
The cost of allthese cars and the fuel sponsored by the tax payer ould have
atleast bought some ambulances. Saihou Sabally whilst been minister of
Agriculture built bore holes in his farm which brough an annual income of
96,000 dalasis per annum but the ones he built for the people failed never
came to production. The Gambia fire department is a mess an old building of
almost 400 hundred years was nort from the british but the Portugueses. The
biggest city in the Gambia Serrekunda has no hospital. During the general
elections of 1992 insearch of a microphone delayed the interview of one of
the presidential candidates. Lets look upon the matter constructively all
teh cars to the ministers ans civil servants are fuel by the tax payer.
Whilst an ambulance driver will be complaining for fuel to transport the
very sick tax payer. The yundum airport was just like a military check point
the same old story no development bur cam have balls were rhey awarg tiltles
like
INITIALS MEANING MY MEANING
O.B.E ORDER OF THE BRITISH OBEDIENT BOY OF THE EMPIRE
EMPIRE
K.C.M.G. KNIGHT COMMANDER KINDLY CALL ME GOVERNOR
ST. MICHAEL & ST. GEORGE
G.C.R.G. GRAND COMMANDER OF THE GET COMFORTABLE RICH AND GO
REPUBLIC OF THE GAMBIA
G.O.R.G. GRAND ORDER OF THE GO ON REACH FOR THE GROUP
REPUBLIC OF THE GAMBIA
O.R.G ORDER OF THE REPUBLIC OF ORGANISATION OF RICH=
GAMBIANS
THE REPUBLIC OF THE GAMBIA
Jawara and his his cabinet has raped our homeland and puncture the whole
system.All these mismangement, lack of morals carefree attitude
inefficiency, incompetency and so started from 1962. One side of the above
moral is the naming of the childrens wing and the marternity clinic after
Jawaras wives and have they never contributed to the historical development
of the Gamsbia. Jawaras system was teaching us to forgat those who fought
against oppression, colonialism or whatever. To name few: FRANCIS SMALL,
CHAM JOOF SHEIK OMAR FAYE, FODAY SILLAH, FODAY KABBA DUMBUYA, MUSA MOLLOH
BALDEH, AMANG KANYI, PAUL BALDEH ans so on. It it only cra island school
which honoured some of these people. The Gambias true humanitarian tradition
and peacefulness should be forwarde by implying true democracy, and by doing
that we have to fulfil the justice of human life to give the people a decent
way of life. We should not be silent if we are silent about justice,
inefficiency, embezzelement, mismangement, corruption etc then life would be
meaningless ad it would be a tragedy. Knowledge kills fear.
Whenever i protest about hunger, injustice, oppression the answer is always
frustration. For Jawara, ministers and respomnsible authorities inflation is
just the word of the mouth and deflation totally unknown to them. The
subject of disvontinuity in relation to commitment is a crime. Every now and
then we run into assumptions that if one person is committed others will
committ themselves too. If you are committed your interesses and actions
will mulyiply. Our western education taught caution, so we hesitate before
crossing the great part of democracy. One might say let yourself go, but
then what if one laughs at the wrong moment and finds it ever embrassing. I
think we have dedicate ourselves to what we are going to do. That means we
must study, do we study a thing or do we study with someone? Could do it
alone or do we need a teacher whose disciple we would become. So back to
conmmittment, the point is is us we draw two lines indicating that we have
dedicated ourselves to it without question that is committment. Now is
question time, must we lie awake at night in preparation for decision in
other to be taken seriously by ourselves. We must believe in ourselves=
first.
When we see to the right and everything resembles that of the left, feeling
that infront of us there is a centre of interest, activity, buisness with of
course the usual allowances pf imperfection. We see too much of a democratic
point of view as it is equally aritocratic. So my dear friend invade areas
whatever, wherever we happen to be to accomplish our dedication so that
everyday will be a pleasant day. Let us try to have time sense developed!!!
Changing from situation to another at appropiate moments. For this practice
a reason that mmakes our work experimental, unpredictable and definite. Why
so much mixed feelings towards others who criticise a system were you have
a relation or realatives? Why the anxiety of mixed feelings? Feeeling is to
cry and feel sorry, angry, bitter, symphatetic and friendly.
TO BE CONTINUED
WITH JUSTICE COURAGE IS WEAK Benjamin Franklin 1706-1790
=20
WITH BEST REGARDS
OMAR S. SAHO, CONSULTANT
ULLEVAAL UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL
DEPT. OF STD AND HIV
POSTUTTAK GR=D8NLAND PK
N-0133 OSLO
NORWAY
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 30 Jan 1997 09:30:32 -0500
From: "Malanding S. Jaiteh" <msjaiteh@mtu.edu>
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Re: Taiwanese trade with the Gambia
Message-ID: <199701301430.JAA02004@spruce.ffr.mtu.edu>
> From GAMBIA-L-owner@u.washington.edu Wed Jan 29 21:40:40 1997
> Date: Wed, 29 Jan 97 20:38:23 -0600
> From: Francis Njie <francis_njie@il.us.swissbank.com>
> To: "GAMBIA-L: The Gambia and Related Issues Mailing List" <gambia-l@u.washington.edu>
> Subject: Re: Taiwanese trade with the Gambia
> Mime-Version: 1.0 (NeXT Mail 3.3risc v124.8483.5)
> X-Listprocessor-Version: 8.1 beta -- ListProcessor(tm) by CREN
>
>
> Perhaps I should rephrase my previous inquiry... Why on earth would Taiwan be
> interested in a country as poor as the Gambia, especially at a time when the
> Gambia is not exactly popular in the "international community"?
>
> Anyone know if the current regime has signed a waste-dumping contract with the
> Asian country or something? :-}
>
> - Francis
>
>
> Begin forwarded message:
>
> Date: Mon, 27 Jan 97 14:11:49 -0600
> Reply-To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
> Sender: GAMBIA-L-owner@u.washington.edu
> From: Francis Njie <francis_njie@il.us.swissbank.com>
> To: "GAMBIA-L: The Gambia and Related Issues Mailing List"
> <gambia-l@u.washington.edu>
> Subject: Taiwanese trade with the Gambia
> X-Listprocessor-Version: 8.1 beta -- ListProcessor(tm) by CREN
>
>
> Does anyone know how much inport/export activity Taiwan is engaged in with the
> Gambia? Also, how much fishing does Taiwan do in Gambian waters? Thanks...
>
> - Francis
>
>
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
> The Standard Disclaimers:
> The opinions/ideas expressed here are mine alone. They do not reflect the
> policies of my employer in any way whatsoever.
>
>
> Furthermore, because I have no political affiliation, political figures and
> parties mentioned here are necessarily incidental to my opinions.
>
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
Francis, I thank you for raising this question. Perhaps Gambians particularly those within the country should be concerned about this 'something for nothing marriage' between an economic giant and an under-developed nationwith little hope of of offering nothing more than land and sea resources. This is one area where investigative journalist should not ignore.
Malanding
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 30 Jan 1997 11:02:37 -0500 (EST)
From: TSaidy1050@aol.com
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: COMMENTARY
Message-ID: <970130110209_242015952@emout03.mail.aol.com>
Gambia-l,
The discussions on the list have been very interesting of late, especially
since the National Assembly elections. It was also good that some members of
the list were in The Gambia during the elections and witnessed first hand how
open and fair the elections were.
Some of the comments or reports by those who were in The Gambia recently are
some times very baffling. We owe it to ourselves and our people to be honest
and truthful when it comes to matters affecting our nation. Some of us, our
uncles, cousins, fathers, family friends etc. have been affected by the
coming of Jammeh in to The Gambian political scene. However, we should not
allow these relationships to cloud our thinking and judgement. I know it is
very difficult some times to discuss issues relating to The Gambia without
being personal.
For some of us there is nothing Jammeh can do to satisfy them, and this is
the beauty of the whole matter. The Gambia is now a democratic country and
every one has the right to whatever opinion he or she has. The Gambia-l is
also an other democratic forum where we all can agree to disagree, or
disagree to agree. This does not however give us the licenses for
misinformation propaganda and bending the truth. As the proverb goes-- " you
can force the horse to the river but you cannot force it to drink".
I was startled by Sirains comments and observations of the situation in The
Gambia. I believe the facts were grossly over stated to put it mildly. The
examples she gave were not good ones, especially judging from the realities
in The Gambia. She gave an example of the cost of toilet papers, and the
movement of cargo at the ports authority.
My question is how many Gambians buy toilet papers and how many Gambians care
how much a toilet paper cost. We need to remember that this is The Gambia we
are talking about and not Washington DC, Atlanta or New York City, were
practically every house hold uses toilet papers. Less than 10% of Gambian
house hold buys toilet papers, in fact it is almost impossible to get toilet
papers in any shop outside the Greater Banjul area.
There are more essential items such as sugar, rice, cooking oil, fish, meat
etc. whose price have gone down in the last six months. For example a 100
kilos bag of rice can be bought for D150.00. For some of us who buy rice for
our parents and family friends, would notice that after the military take
over the price of rice when up to D200. 00 per bag, or even more. The
business community have regain confidence in the economy and as such there
are no shortages and prices are falling by the day.
Some have suffered since the military take and some are still suffering, but
the majority of Gambians are happy with the achievements of Jammeh. Those who
were living a false live and living beyond their means are the ones suffering
the most. Those who were earning D1500.00 per month and spending D5,000.00
to D10,000.00 a month are the ones suffering the most because they no longer
can steal the money to finance their live style. For some of us, who whenever
we go to The Gambia, visit friends and relatives in the provinces, know that
things have improved since July 22, 1994.
It is true that the volume of trade at Gambia Ports Authority has dropped
since the military take over. The trend has since changed and it is picking
up. There are a lot of factors to explain the low volume of cargo coming in
to Banjul. More than 60% of commodities being imported into The Gambia are
re-exported in to the neighbouring countries through Senegal. In 1993 the
Senegalese Government closed the borders with The Gambia for the transhipment
of goods. This created a big problem and the borders are still closed, but
the good thing is that there are on going negotiation to open the borders for
transhipment of goods. The borders will be opened soon. Because of this
border closure, entrepreneurs are finding it difficult to sell their
commodities and as such the volume of imports dropped. Even with this drop,
there has not been any lay-off or redundancies at the Ports Authority. The
people affected the are the daily paid labourers, and those officials who
were bribed by importers for fast clearance of the goods. Most of these
labourers are absorbed in the ongoing projects. Thousands of Gambians have
since found employment in the projects, but most of us are blind to this. I
bet you those in the construction industry are not complaining, and the
additional teachers employed are not complaining either. The unemployment
rate in the country is very low compared to the Jawara era. Again it is a
democratic forum some of us will see only the things they want to see.
It is true that not all streets of Banjul are paved, it is only the 16 major
streets that have been paved. The rest of the streets will be taken care of
in the phase of the BANJUL STREETS PROJECT that will commence by the end of
the year(after the rainy season).
This is part one.
PEACE
TOMBONG SAIDY
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 30 Jan 1997 11:16:49 -0500
From: "Malanding S. Jaiteh" <msjaiteh@mtu.edu>
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Forwarded: faculty position University of Massachusetts,
Amherst
Message-ID: <199701301616.LAA02010@spruce.ffr.mtu.edu>
----- Begin Included Message -----
>From owner-forgrad-l-outgoing@mtu.edu Thu Jan 30 10:50:15 1997
X-Received: MTU Resend v1.1 for forgrad-l
X-Sender: jmoore@141.219.149.237
Date: Thu, 30 Jan 1997 10:50:04 -0500
To: forgrad-l@mtu.edu
From: "James B. Moore" <jmoore@mtu.edu>
Subject: Forwarded: faculty position University of Massachusetts,
Amherst
Mime-Version: 1.0
From: Blair Orr <bdorr@mtu.edu>
Subject: faculty position
Job Posting. FYI.
>X-Authentication-Warning: mtu.edu: Host igc7.igc.apc.org claimed to be
igc7.igc.org
>Date: 30 Jan 1997 05:48:39
>Reply-To: Conference "saf.news" <saf-news@igc.apc.org>
>From: dbk@forwild.umass.edu
>Subject: faculty position
>To: Recipients of saf-news <saf-news@igc.apc.org>
>X-Gateway: conf2mail@igc.apc.org
>Errors-To: owner-saf-news@igc.apc.org
>Lines: 125
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FAA24572
>
>From: DAVID BRAYTON KITTREDGE JR <dbk@forwild.umass.edu>
>
>Greetings. Please share this position description widely. Thank you in
>advance for your assistance.
>Dave Kittredge
>
>
>FACULTY POSITION
>ECOSYSTEM-BASED MANAGEMENT/LANDSCAPE
>ECOLOGY
>Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management
>University of Massachusetts, Amherst
>
>
>POSITION: Faculty position in Ecosystem-based
>Management/Landscape Ecology. This is a nine-month, tenure-track
>appointment as an Assistant/Associate Professor. Salary is commensurate
>with experience and qualifications.
>
>
>AVAILABILITY: The position will begin September 1, 1997.
>Applications should be received by 15 April 1997 to receive priority
>consideration.
>
>
>QUALIFICATIONS: A Ph.D. in an ecological-based discipline is
>required. Experience with resource assessment technology, including
>GIS, is required. Experience in interdisciplinary research is highly
>desirable, as is prior research grant writing and publication experience.
>University level-teaching experience is highly preferred.
>
>
>RESPONSIBILITIES: Teach 3 courses: a required 500-level capstone
>course in ecosystem-based management; a course in ecosystem-based
>assessment techniques, including GIS and dynamic landscape modeling;
>and a graduate-level course in a subject area of choice. Develop a
>research program that is interdisciplinary in nature and addresses complex
>landscape management problems at various scales of time and space.
>Serve on Departmental and university committees as needed.
>
>
>APPLICATION: A letter of application must include a statement of
>personal teaching and research goals, and be sent along with official
>transcripts, curriculum vitae, reprints of appropriate published work, and
>the names and addresses of three references to:
>
>David B. Kittredge, Jr.
>Search Committee Chair
>Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management
>University of Massachusetts
>Amherst, MA 01003
>413-545-2943 FAX 413-545-4358
>dbk@forwild.umass.edu
>
>
>
>THE DEPARTMENT: B.S. degrees are offered in Forestry, Wildlife
>and Fisheries Conservation, Building Materials and Wood Technology,
>and Natural Resource Studies. M.S. and Ph.D. degrees are offered in
>Forestry and Wood Technology, and Wildlife and Fisheries Conservation.
>Current enrollment is approximately 800 undergraduates and 85 graduate
>students, with a faculty of 20, and 15 administrative/professional support
>staff. The Department enjoys a number of cooperative agreements with
>State and Federal agencies which are housed in Holdsworth Natural
>Resources Center or elsewhere on campus, including: the MA
>Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, jointly sponsored by the
>Biological Resources Division of the U.S. Geological Survey, the MA
>Divisions of Marine Fisheries and Fisheries and Wildlife, the Wildlife
>Management Institute, and the University of Massachusetts; the
>Cooperative Marine Education and Research Program, sponsored by the
>National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration's National
>Marine Fisheries Service; a USDA Forest Service Northeast Forest
>Experiment Station laboratory and regional center of Excellence in Urban
>Forestry; and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service's Region 5 GIS laboratory.
>In addition, the Department has served as the coordinator of the Southern
>New England GAP Program. The Department's Resource Mapping
>Office has provided over 45 years of expertise in land use mapping and
>land cover change analysis, and more recently has been active in using
>GIS and digital imagery for a wide variety of applications including:
>biodiversity assessment, urban forestry, vegetation mapping, and wetland
>identification. The Department has its own GIS teaching laboratory, and
>the University has developed a new, state-of-the-art facility for that
>purpose, as well.
>
>ORGANISMIC AND EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY: The Graduate
>Program in Organismic and Evolutionary Biology (OEB) is an
>interdepartmental program focusing on the ecology, function, diversity,
>and evolution of organisms. OEB trains master's and doctoral degree
>students whose research centers on organisms and their functional
>biology, their ecology, or the evolution and diversification of life. The
>program includes faculty members from 11 departments and related on-
>and off-campus institutes, united by a commitment to the comparative
>study of biological diversity and evolution. Program interests span 7
>major subject areas, including: comparative morphology, embryology,
>and physiology; systematics and biodiversity; historical geology and
>paleontology; ecology and climatology; behavior and behavioral ecology;
>population biology and evolutionary theory; and physical anthropology.
>
>THE UNIVERSITY: The Amherst campus is located in the historic
>Pioneer Valley of western Massachusetts. The 1,200-acre campus
>provides a rich cultural environment in a rural setting. There are 1,300
>full-time faculty with more than 18,000 undergraduate and 5,000
>graduate students on campus. The University is a member of the Five
>College Consortium with Amherst, Hampshire, Mount Holyoke and
>Smith Colleges. Boston is a 2-hour drive from Amherst.
>
>The University of Massachusetts, Amherst prohibits discrimination on the
>basis of race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, age, marital
>status, national origin, mental or physical handicap, political belief,
>membership or non-membership in any organization, or veteran status, in
>any aspect of the admission or treatment of students or in employment.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>==================================================================
>David B. Kittredge, Jr. Extension Forester/Associate Professor
>Department of Forestry & Wildlife Management
>Holdsworth Hall, University of Massachusetts
>Amherst, Massachusetts 01003
>413 545-2943 413 545-4358 fax dbk@forwild.umass.edu
>==================================================================
>
>
-------------------------------------------------------------
James B. Moore
Systems Administrator
School of Forestry and Wood Products
Michigan Technological University
Houghton, Michigan 49931
Internet: jmoore@mtu.edu
-------------------------------------------------------------
----- End Included Message -----
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 30 Jan 1997 11:21:44 -0500 (EST)
From: TSaidy1050@aol.com
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: COMENTARY-PART TWO
Message-ID: <970130110233_1313053136@emout19.mail.aol.com>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=unknown-8bit
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
Gambia-l,
This is the continuation of my commentary.
PART TWO
Francis needs to know that decisions to maintain or have a relationship w=
ith
a country is not based on popularity contest or on whether the country is
poor or not. Why would The Gambia have to sign =91a waste-dumping contrac=
t or
something=92 with Taiwan for there to be a relationship. Taiwan courted =
The
Gambia, and among other reasons, Taiwan needs The Gambia=92s help in the =
UN.
Taiwan is not a member of the UN, and it needs friends that will help in =
its
re-instatement in to the UN. Irresponsible assumptions like this could le=
ad
to unfounded rumours. This Government will never sign such a contract wit=
h
any country no matter how large the sum of money being offered. We care a=
bout
this country for it is all we got, we will never sacrify the lives of
Gambians for financial gains.
Shifting gears, Mr. Lamin Drammeh observed that =91our Speaker of the Hou=
se was
sworn-in to office by yet another foreign Chief Justice.' It is our
collective faults why we do not have a Gambian Chief Justice. The Governm=
ent
have been trying very hard to recruit Gambian Judges to no avail. I spoke
personally to some Gambian lawyers, and they were not interested. Most of
them said Government cannot pay them enough for them to quit their privat=
e
practices. Even the late Solomon Njie, it took for ever to persuade him t=
o
take up the Judgeship. The Government is presently trying to recruit Gamb=
ian
Judges, but it is finding it very difficult. Financially the Government
cannot justify paying them what they want, and even if Government succeed=
s in
paying them enough, the doctors, nurses, police and others will start mak=
ing
noise about their salaries and benefits. The Government is studying other
strategies to attract Gambian Lawyers to the bench and suggestions from
members of the list are welcomed. After all is said and done, it does not
really matter whether the Chief Justice is Gambian, Nigerian or South Afr=
ican
as long as justice prevails.
>From a budgetary perspective, most of these foreign judges are technical
assistance to the Government and the Government does not pay them salarie=
s.
They are paid by their countries of origin and The Gambia Government prov=
ides
them with accommodations and transportation. Looking at it from a differe=
nt
angle what difference does it make who cures you as long as you are cure=
d.
The situation is no as we have some unemployed Gambian doctors or lawyers=
who
would gladly replace these foreigners. Also no matter how develop a count=
ry
is there is always the need for foreign labour. Go to any American Hospit=
al
and see how many foreign doctors and nurses are there. Or better yet go t=
o
any university anywhere and see how many foreigners are lecturing there. =
The
World is now a Global village, and we are World citizens. Are we also say=
ing
that Americans should starting questioning why the Dr. Darboes, Dr. Nyang=
s,
Dr. Chams, etc. are teaching their children instead of American professor=
s ?.
The PMO is sending not only accounts technicians but also doctors, nurses=
,
agric-engineers etc. The Government cannot train enough doctors in two ye=
ars,
and for those of you have a copy of the VISION 2020, will know that the
Government has good plan for the country.
The achievement of Jammeh in the past two months is done not only without
help from the Western donor countries, but at the same time paying all de=
bt
obligations of the government. 35% of the budget is spent on debt servici=
ng.=20
Japan did not rise simply because of its highly cherished human resources.
How about the break and compensation they got from America after the war?.
Even Europe got help after the War, through the Marshall Plan. We are try=
ing
and by any standard The Gambia did extremely well these past two years,
taking all factors in to consideration.
Allah will bless and guide us to do the right thing for the country.
Peace
Tombong Saidy=20
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 30 Jan 1997 11:27:46 -0500 (EST)
From: fatima phall <fphall1@gl.umbc.edu>
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: list managers
Message-ID: <Pine.SGI.3.95.970130112241.10186A-100000@umbc9.umbc.edu>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
To List Managers,
please add a friend of mine to the list. His name is Assan
Jagne, and his e-mail address is ...AJagne@aol.com.
Peace Fatima.
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 30 Jan 1997 11:38:50 -0500 (EST)
From: TSaidy1050@aol.com
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: THE PRESIDENT'S SPEECH -NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
Message-ID: <970130113004_1760429094@emout20.mail.aol.com>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=unknown-8bit
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Gambia-l,
This is the speech by our beloved President Jammeh during the opening of =
the
National Assembly, January 16, 1997. Sorry for the delay in relaying the
speech.
Peace=20
Tombong Saidy
ADDRESS BY HIS EXCELLENCY COLONEL YAHYA AJJ JAMMEH, PRESIDENT OF THE REPU=
BLIC
OF THE GAMBIA, ON THE OCCASION OF THE OPENING OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF=
THE
SECOND REPUBLIC OF THE GAMBIA - THURSDAY 16TH JANUARY 1997
=20
Honourable Mr Speaker,
It is a matter of great honour and privilege to me to be here on this
historic occasion of the inauguration of the National Assembly of the Sec=
ond
Republic of The Gambia. I cannot but begin by congratulating you, Mr
Speaker, on your election to the high office of Speaker of the National
Assembly.
Through you, Mr Speaker, I also congratulate the Deputy Speaker on her
election, and all elected and nominated members on their election or
nomination as members of this august Assembly.
This is indeed one of the most significant events in the history of The
Gambia, marking the country=92s successful two-year transition to a truly
democratic constitutional rule following the holding of free and fair
Presidential and General Elections. I therefore take this opportunity to
congratulate the entire people of The Gambia. I will mention, in particu=
lar,
former Council and Cabinet Members as well as all public servants,
consultants, contractors and advisers, including representatives of some
development partners and funding agencies, who all worked so diligently t=
o
make the implementation of the numerous components of the transition
programme so successful.
We the people of The Gambia must however realise, Mr Speaker, that the ta=
sk
of rescuing the nation from stagnation, nay, retrogression, and to develo=
p it
and raise the standard of living is not over. Indeed, we have merely
embarked upon it. This Assembly has a major part to play in this nationa=
l
endeavour. I am sure, Mr Speaker, Honourable Members are fully aware of
this. It would not be amiss, however, to emphasise the fact that members=
of
the Assembly should work in the collective interest of all Gambians, and =
not
personal interest. They should work together to build a better country f=
or
all. Rather than spend virtually all the time arguing in the House, memb=
ers
should work together as patriotic Gambians united for a common purpose, t=
hat
is, to build a better Gambia for all.
Impending Business for Assembly=20
Among the first matters to be put before this Assembly are various ECOWAS
Protocols on Mutual Defence Assistance; the Establishment of the proposed
West African Health Organisation; Relations, and ratification of a number=
of
Conventions. There will also be the ratification of Loan Agreements;
establishment of a National Sports and Recreation Council; adoption of a
National Policy on Sports and Recreation Development and the Establishmen=
t of
the National Youth Service Scheme itself. Also worthy of mention are the
establishment of a Maritime Service Agency and Highway Authority and the
ratification of a Protocol on International Fund for Compensation for Oil
Pollution Damage.
Mr Speaker,
This is by no means the full list, but it would suffice as indication of =
the
impending volume of business for this Assembly.
The New Constitution
The Assembly has taken the right step forward by, first of all, passing a
Resolution this morning ratifying the Draft Constitution of The Gambia,
1997, which I was later pleased and privileged to assent to thereby putti=
ng
it into the effect.
The new Constitution is truly the Gambian people=92s own Constitution in =
that
in addition to actually participating in the drafting the final draft was=
put
before them in a referendum in which they approved it with a majority of
57.8%. This is The Gambia=92s first Constitution that has been produced =
in
this democratic manner.
The Constitution is also first in many other respects. It enfranchises t=
he
younger generation between the ages of eighteen and twenty-one; provided =
for
the rights of women, children and the disabled; and establishes an
Independent Electoral Commission. It prohibits tribalism and other forms=
of
sectarianism in politics; makes Secretaries of State, formerly Ministers,
also answerable to the National Assembly and not only to the President wh=
o
appoints them. It provided for Assembly Committees with Judicial powers =
to
inquire into the activities of Ministers and Departments, and into any ma=
tter
of public importance.
Elected members are no longer able to cross the carpet without going back=
to
the electorate.
In the area of the Administration of Justice the Constitution provides fo=
r a
Supreme Court which shall be The Gambia=92s final Court of Appeal, as wel=
l as a
Special Criminal Court to hear and determine all criminal cases relating =
to
theft and misappropriation of public funds.
To ensure accountability, transparency and probity, the Constitution also
provides for an Independent National Audit Office, an Office of the
Ombudsman, and a Lands Commission for the proper administration of all pu=
blic
lands. To foster these virtues in the management of the Public Service, =
the
Public Service Commission has been given additional powers and wider
jurisdiction.
It is now obvious that the extensive consultations and concerted effort
devoted to the production of the new Constitution were worthwhile. I ent=
rust
this Constitution., the Supreme Law of The Gambia, the source of all Rule=
s
and Regulations, to this Honourable Assembly to uphold, defend and enforc=
e at
all times.
Mr Speaker,
While national issues will naturally occupy most of our attention and the
deliberations of this Assembly, we must continue to make our voice heard =
on
world issues. This august body will thus have a major part to play in bo=
th
domestic and external affairs.
Here at home, so little has been achieved so far since independence and t=
here
is much to be done. We must therefore continue the hard work we embarked
upon so diligently during the past two years.
With the elections now behind us, a democratic Government in place and an
atmosphere of peace and stability prevailing, our development partners, o=
ld
and new, are here to help. Already, generous assistance has been promise=
d by
partners in both groups. But these are just helping hands. We must make=
the
greater effort to develop our country through hard work, wise planning, a=
nd
above all, honesty and accountability.
Agriculture=20
While major infrastructure development calls for considerable foreign aid=
,
agricultural work aimed at self-sufficiency in food crops could be achiev=
ed
mainly through our own endeavour. The Gambia Government will therefore
continue to devote great attention to Agriculture, particularly rice
cultivation. Too much of our staple food is imported. Apart from the
enormous costs in foreign exchange this represents poor food security.
Every effort must be made to achieve self-sufficiency in food crops. It =
is a
matter of regret and concern that The Gambia, an agricultural country wit=
hout
any mineral resources available, but blessed with abundant arable land an=
d
big river ideal for irrigation farming, has been depending for so long on
imported foodstuffs, particularly its staple food, rice.
It is not the case that Agriculture has been neglected in favour of
industrialisation. It is also not the case that food crops have been
relegated to second place in favour of cash crop since the latter, ground=
nut,
has greatly diminished in tonnage from an annual 140,000 tonnes to merely
30,000 tonnes. Government is not determined to develop agriculture by gi=
ving
farmers all possible support in the form of tractors, power-tillers,
fertilisers and other inputs. To this end, last year, Government signed =
with
the International Fund for Agricultural Development and the African
Development Bank a US $12 million lowland Agricultural Development Projec=
t to
develop an additional 8,075 hectares of land for agriculture, particularl=
y
rice cultivation. This project will be diligently implemented. In addit=
ion,
following my visit to the Republic of China, the rice development project
under technical co-operation with that country will expanded
Mr Speaker,
Health=20
In the Health Sector, there has always been a great need for a third refe=
rral
hospital in the country. In addition to the Royal Victoria Hospital in
Banjul, there was only Bansang Hospital in the entire Provinces. To meet
this demand, work on a third hospital commenced in Farafenni last year, a=
nd
the complex is now nearing completion at a cost of US 6.4 million.
The chronic shortage of drugs has largely abated, not only through increa=
sed
supplies but also through better security and control of stocks. The
measures now in place against the diversion of supplies will be strengthe=
ned
and enforced even more rigidly. At the same time the current intensive
effort to maintain adequate stocks through budgetary provisions and bilat=
eral
and philanthropic assistance will continue.
The Government will pursue the modernisation of theatre equipment and
instruments in order to make specialist treatment available, not only to =
the
wealth few who can afford to go overseas for such treatment, but also to =
the
majority of Gambians. Hitherto this majority remained uncatered for unti=
l
September last year when the first endoscopic surgical equipment and
accessories were commissioned, at a cost of $250,00 at the Royal Victoria
Hospital. This is the first of their kind in the country and virtually i=
n
our region.=20
The arrival of a large number of doctors from Cuba and Egypt has greatly
complemented Government=92s efforts, the programme being partly financed =
by the
Republic of China.
On the preventive side, the people=92s ready co-operation and participati=
on
made the various immunisation projects very successful.
As far as the refuse collection and disposal effort is concerned, however=
,
there leave much to be desired particularly in Kombo St Mary. There are =
too
many unauthorised household rubbish dumps from where litter is blown alon=
g
the streets. Vigorous legal steps will be taken to remedy the situation =
if
significant improvement is not made.
Considerable success has been achieved in Government=92s campaign against=
skin
bleaching. This is confirmed by genuine reports reaching us from all sec=
tion
of the community including a large number of former users of the obnoxiou=
s
bleaching substances, whose skin now looks healthy and natural without da=
ily
coloration costs. This is the sole objective. Once the old habit is
completely abandoned and soon forgotten, the banning laws would likewise =
be
forgotten in the archives.
Education
In the field of Education, Mr Speaker, the heart-breaking, acute shortage=
of
High School places resulting in a large number of primary school dropouts
annually, was resolved last year as a result of the construction of a num=
ber
of Junior and Senior High School as part of the Government=92s priority
development programme. We will now consolidate our gains by making more
books and equipments available, and training more teachers, particularly =
high
school teachers.
Higher Education
The University Extension Programme under the auspices of the University o=
f
Nova Scotia will be implemented with the utmost care and determination,
leading to the eventual establishment of the proposed Gambia University.
More Gambian graduates, in the appropriate fields, will be awarded
scholarship for post graduate studies to equip them to contribute as
lecturers.
In the meantime, 165 students are enrolled in the programme and the first
graduate will pass out in 1998.
I sieze this opportunity to acknowledge the valuable and continuous
assistance Sierra Leone, Nigeria and, Senegal have been giving to The Gam=
bia
in the field of Higher Education by accepting so many Gambian students wh=
o
would otherwise have had no opportunity to further their education. A
similar number of students go every year to other universities around the
world, particularly Commonwealth countries, especially the United Kingdom=
and
Nigeria, and to Europe and the United States. We thank these countries t=
oo.
=20
Special thanks go to Canada for the University of Nova Scotia=92s great h=
elp in
the University Extension Programme.
Functional Literacy Project=20
Government is also launching an Integrated Functional Literacy Project at=
a
total cost of US $1,422,831. The UNDP is contributing US $980,000 and Th=
e
Gambia Government D5,320,652 in kind covering personal and other local co=
sts.
The objective is to enhance the literacy and functional skills of about
20,000 people, the emphasis being on women and girls to compensate for th=
e
low literacy rate among women, and low enrolment of girls in the formal
education system. As evidenced by the new skills centres, vocational
training will be given increasing attention.
Mr Speaker,
Private Enterprise
Last year, Government acknowledged the important role of the Indigenous
Business Advisory Service, by ensuring the availability of funds. More h=
as
to be done to enable it to help potential indigenous entrepreneurs start =
and
run viable businesses on sound basis. This would result in the emergence=
of
enterprising investors whose success would be due to diligence and frugal=
ity,
and the ploughing back of profits, instead of to easy access to unsecured=
and
non-repayable bank loans.
The Gambia will, however, continue to rely partly on foreign capital for =
the
development of the private sector. A new Investment Code has therefore b=
een
initiated offering an attractive package for investors. In line with
Government=92s Vision 2020, the Code provides the necessary legal framewo=
rk and
prevents delay in the processing of serious proposals.
Energy
A major setback to the development of light industries have been lack of
adequate and reliable power supply for the past 19 years. Accordingly in
1996 Government expanded Kotu Power house to accommodate a 11 MW generato=
r
costing D58 million. As a result, the power station will for the first t=
ime
be meeting the full demand for electricity.
In addition Government has entered into a contract with Mirrlees Blacksto=
ne
of the United Kingdom for the supply and installation of a new 3.4 MW
generator at a cost D20 million to be commissioned in October 1997.
Negotiations are on for a new 6.4 MW generator. In view of this increas=
e in
the generation capacity arrangements are also being made for the construc=
tion
of a 10 tonne Heavy Fuel Oil Tank at Half Die.
Transport and Communications
To encourage and facilitate greater efforts and investments in the variou=
s
sectors of the economy particularly agriculture and commerce, the
construction of the coastal highway across the Kombos, and the
Barra-Farafenni trunk road, including the proposed Kerewan Bridge, will b=
e
expedited with the help of the Republic of China. The Kanifing-Brikama
highway will be constructed, and the old Brikama-Soma section of the Sout=
h
Bank highway rehabilitated.
In conjunction with the road construction projects, 10 new MAN buses were
acquired last year, and five ferries partly financed from a grant are
expected this year, all in order to improve and expand the bus service.
Arrangements are also being made for the replacement of the Banjul/Barra
ferries. In view of the importance attached to highway and road construc=
tion
and maintenance, a Highway Authority will soon be establishment.
To attract more Airlines to Banjul International Airport, work on the Eas=
tern
portion of the runway has been completed thereby retaining the full 3.6 k=
m
length and high international standard of the runway. To expedite and
considerably improve the handling of the increasing number of passengers,=
and
to introduce better security measures, a spacious, modern Terminal Buildi=
ng
has been constructed during the past eighteen months. As from the openin=
g of
the new building, the Customs Officers would, then be able to detect
contraband such as drugs and offensive weapons, and to prevent pilfering =
and
extortion. In addition to all these great advantages, the magnificent,
imposing Terminal Building has already improved the hitherto poor image o=
f
our airport.
Mr Speaker,
I assure this Honourable Assembly that these developments at the airport =
are
not at the expense of the Port of Banjul. Intensive negotiations with th=
e
African Development Bank at the highest level, resulted in the launching =
of
the Third Phase of the Port Development Project. Work is progressing
satisfactorily. The project comprises the expansion of the main jetty an=
d
the construction of dolphins for the moving and accommodation of roll on-=
roll
off vessels.
The hitherto busy Dockyard where thousands of men once worked as
shipwrights, divers, welders and painters, but which was allowed to decli=
ne
over the years and eventually disposed of through so-called privatisation=
,
has since been repossessed by the Government. This is with a view to
developing the Dockyard again thereby restoring its past glory still
indelible in the minds of Banjulians.
Tourism
In response to the sharp decline in tourism in 1996, the Ministry of Tour=
ism
and Culture set out to explore for new markets in the European mainland a=
s
well as the United States. As part of this drive The Gambia=92s first Na=
tional
Policy on Tourism was formulated and the first Roots Home Coming Festival
held. The result has been additional charter flights from Europe and mor=
e
visitors from the United States.
Mr Speaker,
The Economy
Against this background, during the transition period, we managed to main=
tain
the overall fiscal deficit at a low level of 2.5% of GDP. This has been
primarily attributed to improved revenue collection, particularly Income =
Tax.
Furthermore, the reduction of the corporate tax to a relatively low leve=
l of
35% in January 1996, and the continued strengthening of Customs revenue
collection can be singled out as major contributing factors. Thus, despi=
te
the continued Senegalese border closure and the attendant negative effect=
it
has on the re-export trade and Customs revenue thereform, international t=
rade
tax revenue collected in respect of the first half of the fiscal year was
D203,17 million, representing an increase of 12.6% over the figure for th=
e
same period last year. With regard to corporate tax revenue, collection =
for
the first half of 1996/97 fiscal year surpassed last year=92s collection =
by D1
million indicating a modest but significant increase of 2.4% . In additi=
on,
Income Tax collections increased by 12.7% over the figure for last year.
Our economic success has been due to improved revenue collection and
restraint on expenditure, and this measure will continue to be the centra=
l
pillar of Government=92s macroeconomic policy framework. As a result of =
our
restrictive demand management policy, inflationary pressures were placed
under those control, hence the annual inflationary rate has been declinin=
g
steadily from 4.4% in July 1996/97 to a record low of 2.1% in November of
this fiscal year.
But for the Senegalese border closure the economic would have been much
better. The closure is a major setback to subregional trade, affecting a=
ll
the states trading with The Gambia. We are, however, affected most of al=
l,
since all other borders are open. We will however not let this problem b=
e a
wedge between us and our kith and kin separated from us by an accident in
colonial history.
The Gambia Government will however continue to sieze every opportunity to
work with the Senegalese Government in search of a peaceful and equitable
solution.
At the bilateral and international levels we strongly believe in the
maintenance of the cordial relations between states, based on mutual resp=
ect
and the principle of peaceful co-existence. Misunderstanding between any=
two
states should be peacefully resolved through dialogue, mediation or
arbitration, the Security Council intervening, even-handedly, in time to
avert a conflict. Where conflict has already broken out between any two
nations, the Council should shoulder its full responsibility and discharg=
e it
impartially.
In keeping with the policy The Gambia Government will continue to maintai=
n,
and strengthen even more, the existing friendly relations with other
countries especially its closest neighbours.
The International Community
With regard to the international, organisation such as the United Nations=
,
the Organisation of African Unity, the Commonwealth, the Non-Aligned
Movement, and the Organisation of the Islamic Conference, The Gambia take=
s
its membership very seriously and will continue to play an active part in
their activities and to pay its contributions.
Mr Speaker,
Conclusion
The foregoing indicates the enormity of the tasks and challenges facing b=
oth
the Executive and Legislative with regard to domestic and external affair=
s.
Our foreign policy is strictly based on consultations and discussions at
bilateral, sub-regional, regional and international levels. We can only =
play
our part, sincerely, at all levels and hope that other states and members=
of
the international community will do likewise in the furtherance of world
peace and stability.
At home, the preoccupation will likewise be the maintenance of peace and
stability, but also, of course, the development of the nation.
Obviously, Mr Speaker, the deliberations in this House will not be plain
sailing on every issue; but despite party affiliations, business should
always be conducted with decorum and in a respectful and respectable mann=
er
befitting the dignity of this Honourable House. The responsibility and t=
he
power to ensure this are vested in you, Mr Speaker, and I am confident th=
at
you will discharge this duty with distinction.
In conclusion, Mr Speaker, I thank you for the attention of this Honourab=
le
Assembly, and wish you every success and Allah=92s guidance in all your
deliberations.
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 30 Jan 1997 11:40:38 -0500 (EST)
From: Bekaye Keita <gs01bkk@panther.Gsu.EDU>
To: The Gambia and Related Issues Mailing List <gambia-l@u.washington.edu>
Subject: Re: New Member
Message-ID: <Pine.GSO.3.95.970130112411.8221A-100000@panther.Gsu.EDU>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
On Tue, 28 Jan 1997, Sarian Loum wrote:
> All,
>
> Bekaye Keita has been added as requested. Welcome! and please send in your intro to the group.
>
> Sarian
>
All,
I am bekai keita and am currently pursuing an MBA degree in the risk
management and insurance department of georgia state university.
I must congratulate you all for setting up a network where gambians and
Gambia's friends can find news on the dear motherland.
Good luck.
THANKS
Bekai.
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 30 Jan 1997 11:56:58 -0500 (EST)
From: TSaidy1050@aol.com
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: WHITE PAPER ON THE GAMBIA
Message-ID: <970130112751_817822371@emout07.mail.aol.com>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=unknown-8bit
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
GAMBIA-L,
Below is a White Paper on The Gambia for your information.
Tombong Saidy=20
THE GAMBIA:
THE SECOND REPUBLIC
1997
=20
A WHITE PAPER PRODUCED BY
THE GOVERNMENT OF=20
THE REPUBLIC OF THE GAMBIA
FACT SHEET: THE SECOND REPUBLIC AT A GLANCE
Geography: =20
Location: In West Africa, bordering the Atlantic O=
cean
and both the banks of The Gambia
river, =20
surrounded on all three sides by
Senegal. =20
Area: 11,300 sq. km - the smallest count=
ry
on=20
in West Africa.
People:
Population: 1,200,000
Ethnic Groups: Mandinka (42%), Fula (18%), Wolof (16%),
=20
Jola(10%), Serahulleh(9%)
Religions: 85% Muslim, 12% Christian
Languages: English (official), Mandinka, Wolof,
Fula,=20
Jola, and other indigenous
languages
Government:
Type: The Second Republic of The Gambi=
a
(1996), =20
after the Transitional
Government(1994-96)
Capital: Banjul
Constitution: 1996
Political Parties: 4 registered political parties, the large=
st
of =20
which are:
n The Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and=20
Construction(APRC)
n United Democratic Party(UDP)
Suffrage: Universal
Economy: =20
GDP: $740 million
Growth Rate: 3.25% annually (1996 estimate)
Inflation: 5%
Per Capita Income: $800
1=20
The Gambia`s Transition to Democracy
>From independence in 1965 until 1994, The Gambia was ruled by Sir Dawda
Kairaba Jawara. During the Jawara years, The Gambia experienced politica=
l
lethargy, economic stagnation and poverty. The Gambia began to decay in =
an
environment of economic decadence, social collapse and moral bankruptcy.
Although democratically-elected, the Jawara government was renown for be=
ing
corrupt and inept. Jawara`s patronage ensured his constant election
throughout his 30 years in power.
In July 1994 a small group of army officers peacefully stood up to the
patronage and corruption of President Jawara`s government. Jawara fled =
the
country. Because the Jawara government was out of touch with the people=
,
the Gambian people began to see that democracy must go hand in hand with
transparency, accountability, equality and economic development. They
understood that a democracy can not exist, under any circumstances, witho=
ut
sustainable economic, political and social advancement. The goal of thes=
e
officers was to establish a responsive and responsible government that wo=
uld
provide effective leadership and stimulate the development of The Gambia.
The Armed Forces Provisional Ruling Council (AFPRC) was formed to lead Th=
e
Gambia through a transition period which would lead to the establishment =
of
the Second Republic. In December of 1994, AFPRC Chairman Yahya A J J Ja=
mmeh
established a National Consultative Committee (NCC) which was charged wit=
h
conducting a nation-wide consultation with the Gambian people on the
timetable for the transition. The Gambian people, through the NCC, voice=
d
their preference for a two-year timetable instead of the four years
originally envisioned by the AFPRC. The AFPRC accepted the recommendatio=
n of
the NCC and presidential elections were scheduled for July 1996, although
this was later pushed back to September 26 for organisational reasons.
In preparation for the establishment of the Second Republic, a new
constitution was drafted and, after thorough debates, review and amendmen=
ts
by all concerned citizens, was put before the Gambian people in a nationa=
l
referendum. With a voter turnout of about 83%, Gambians overwhelmingly v=
oted
to approve the new constitution on August 8, 1996. The new constitution
provides for the separation of powers and establishes checks and balances
among the various branches of government. Among other things, the
constitution also lowered the voting age, guarantees the independence of =
the
media, and protects the rights of women, children and the disabled.
Candidates from four political parties competed in the presidential elect=
ions
of September 26, 1996. Yahya Jammeh, the AFPRC Chairman who had recently
retired from the military, received 56% of the vote while Mr. Ousainou
Darboe, a prominent lawyer and Vice Chairman of the Gambia Bar Associatio=
n,
pulled 36% of the vote. The two remaining candidates shared the remainin=
g
votes and Gambians danced in the streets to celebrate the electoral victo=
ry
of Jammeh, who had guided the country to a new era. President Jammeh was
sworn in as the first President of the Second Republic of The Gambia on
October 18, 1996.
The final step to conclude The Gambia`s transition to democracy and the
establishment of the Second Republic was the National Assembly elections.
All four political parties competed in the parliamentary elections, whic=
h
were held on January 2, 1997. The elections were peaceful and were obser=
ved
by international monitor teams. President Jammeh`s party, the Alliance f=
or
Patriotic Reorientation and Construction, won 33 of the 45 seats while M=
r.
Darboe's United Democratic Party, won 7 seats. In addition to these elect=
ed
legislators, President Jammeh then nominates another four, creating a tot=
al
of 49 MPs. All four registered political parties are represented in the
National Assembly with the UDP capturing 7 seats, NRP 2 seats, PDOIS 1 s=
eat
and there are also 2 independent candidates(do not belong to any politica=
l
party) who also won a seat each.
The electoral campaigns for the presidency and the National Assembly were
competitive and divided the country along partisan lines. President Jamm=
eh
has called upon all Gambians to put aside partisan differences and to uni=
te
for the good of the country. It is the dawn of a new era in The Gambia, =
an
era of genuine democracy, accountability, transparency and probity.
With the transition to democracy complete, President Jammeh has summarise=
d
his aspirations for the Second Republic: " to transform The Gambia into a
financial centre, a tourist paradise, a trading, export-oriented agricult=
ural
and manufacturing nation, thriving on free-market policies and a vibrant
private sector, sustained by a Well-educated, trained, skilled, healthy,
self-reliant and enterprising population, and guaranteeing a well-balance=
d
eco-system and a decent standard of living for one and all, under a syst=
em
of government based on the consent of the citizenry". To accomplish this
task, the Government of The Gambia, in collaboration with the private sec=
tor,
has commenced the implementation of a comprehensive plan to transform the
country socially, economically, and scientifically over the next quarter
century. A cardinal aspect of this plan, christened VISION 2020, is its
emphasis on the private sector as the engine of growth.
With the transition to the second Republic completed, Gambians look
optimistically to the future.
Socio-Economic Development
Beginning under the AFPRC and continuing under the Jammeh administration =
of
the Second Republic, the socio-economic development of The Gambia has bee=
n
given a high priority. During the 30 years of benign neglect under the
Jawara regime, little emphasis was placed on the development and/or
maintenance of The Gambia`s infrastructure. As a result, the country fel=
l
into decay.
To compensate for decades of neglect, The Gambia has embarked on a
multi-million dollar series of ambitious, far-reaching social-development
projects which are of practical, every-day use to the Gambian people. Sin=
ce
mid-1994, the Gambian Government has expanded and improved the country=92=
s
road network, including building numerous bridges, drainage ditches and
pipelines; boosted the strength of the national radio station to cover th=
e
entire country; established the country=92s first television station; fun=
ded
the construction of clinics and an up-country hospital(the first ever bui=
lt
by the Government since independence); opened over a dozen middle and hig=
h
schools in the rural areas; renovated Banjul port; upgraded the faciliti=
es
at the existing air port; and completed the construction of a new, modern
international airport. The results have been impressive by any standard,=
but
all the more so because they were accomplished without developmental aid =
by
Western donor organisations.
The Government has also completed beautification projects such as Arch 22=
, an
impressive 115-foot monument welcoming tourists to The Gambia`s capital. =
The
Arch, named after the July 22, 1994 coup, is dedicated to the liberation =
of
the Gambian people from the corruption of the Jawara regime.
President Jammeh also intends to found The Gambia`s first university. In=
the
meantime, arrangements have been made with several Canadian institutions =
to
develop a university extension program for Gambian students.=20
As a developing country, The Gambia has welcomed any and all efforts by
nations which are interested in contributing to its development. For exam=
ple,
The Gambia has welcomed the technical and medical assistance of doctors
provided by Cuba, which also provide for other developing countries. Alth=
ough
there may be doctors just as skilled from other countries, the Cuban doc=
tors
are an affordable option for The Gambia=92s developmental budget. The Gam=
bia is
a non-aligned country and the developmental assistance which it receives =
is
economically- rather than politically-motivated.
The Gambia has a very liberal and investor-friendly economic policies. T=
he
economy has been opened to greater private sector participation and gener=
ous
tax policies have been developed to achieve a simplified system for grant=
ing
incentives to foreign investors. Foreign investors do not need Gambian
partners in order to invest and there are no restriction in the repatriat=
ion
of profit or capital as long as all required taxes are paid. The Gambia =
is
the investment haven of Africa.
Foreign Policy
In an era of increasing interdependence among countries, no country can
achieve any meaningful socio-economic development in isolation. At the s=
ame
time, a country can not develop without peace and stability. Therefore, =
the
foreign policy goals of the Second Republic of The Gambia will be to adop=
t a
more pro-active stance in international affairs, with the aim of mobilisi=
ng
greater support for the country=92s development. The focal points of Th=
e
Gambia`s foreign policy objectives stem not only from the desire to ensur=
e
national security, but extend to the realm of economic development
assistance.
The Gambia will continue to participate fully with global, regional, and
sub-regional bodies in the implementation of programs and plans to enhanc=
e
the insertion of our country in the international scene. Special attenti=
on
will be given to increasing south-south co-operation and improving
collaboration with The Gambia`s West African neighbours. As a member of =
the
Economic community of West African States (ECOWAS), The Gambia will ensur=
e
its full compliance with ECOWAS protocols on the free movement of goods,
capital and labour within the integrating markets of the sixteen ECOWAS
member states.
The Second Republic will also look for international donor organisations =
to
provide assistance in developing The Gambia. In particular, The Second
Republic hopes to be a trusted friend of the West. With the dissolution =
of
the Armed forces Provisional Ruling Council and the establishment of the
Second Republic, any apprehension that the West may have had about the st=
ate
of democracy in The Gambia should be put to rest. The President and the
legislators in the National Assembly are the directly elected representat=
ives
of the Gambian citizens. The Second Republic is a functioning, multipart=
y
democracy which is responsive to the needs of its people.
The Gambia is a responsible member of the international community and is
actively engaged in promoting greater co-operation and understanding betw=
een
nations. The Gambia is currently a member of United Nations and its
principal organs, the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) and the British
Commonwealth of Nations, among other entities. The Second Republic will
ensure that The Gambia continues to participate in peace-making,
peace-keeping and peace-enforcement operations on the African continent a=
s
well as elsewhere in the world.
Human Rights Policies in The Gambia
The most essential human rights are the necessities of existence - food,
shelter, education, medical care, clean water, work and the opportunity t=
o
live and develop in a free society and in peace and dignity. The Second
Republic pledges to work assiduously towards making these rights accessib=
le
to all Gambians.
Chapter IV of The Gambia`s Constitution of 1996 upholds and enshrines the=
se
human rights and fundamental freedoms, particularly the rights to life,
personal liberty and property, and freedom of speech, association, assemb=
ly,
movement, privacy, equality before the law and freedom of the press.
At the same time Gambians of all backgrounds can proudly look back at a
common background of tolerance and peaceful co-existence. Gambians recog=
nise
that rights and freedoms are not absolute. Instead, they are accompanied=
by
the notion of social responsibility. Gambians know where one=92s rights =
end
and where an other=92s rights begin.
The Gambian population is a mix of many ethnic groups with a rich and div=
erse
culture coupled with different religious affiliations. In contrast with =
many
African nations, a high degree of religious and ethnic tolerance exists i=
n
The Gambia. The inter-marriage between people of difference religious an=
d
cultural identities are common.
Religious tolerance is also practised in The Gambia. Although Islam is t=
he
predominant religion, the country is a secular state with the citizenry
manifesting respect for each other's cultural, religious and traditional
values. The high level of cultural and religious tolerance continues to
provide a sound basis for the peaceful coexistence of the Gambian people.
=20
To receive more information about
tourism, investment opportunities, and doing business in The Gambia,
visit The Gambia Web Page:http// www.gambia.com ; call or write to:
Department of Communication and Public Affairs
Ministry of External Affairs
Banjul, The Gambia
West Africa.
Tel: (220) 225-654, Fax: (220) 223-578
********
=20
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 30 Jan 1997 12:10:12 -0500 (EST)
From: TSaidy1050@aol.com
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: NEWS FROM THE GAMBIA
Message-ID: <970130115258_-2112471944@emout11.mail.aol.com>
MENA, in Arabic, 1830 gmt 27 Jan 97
Source: Arab Republic of Egypt Radio, Cairo, in Arabic 1230 gmt 27 Jan 97
Text of report by Egyptian radio on 27th January
Talks were held at the Foreign Ministry today between Egyptian Foreign
Minister Amr Musa and his Gambian counterpart, Babakr Gagan.
The two sides reviewed bilateral ties in every field, especially trade and
economic, and the means to strengthen them. They also reviewed the situation
in Africa, the OAU's problems, the situation in Sierra Leone and Liberia, and
the two countries' efforts to stop the situation deteriorating in these
areas. The two sides also agreed to promote bilateral ties and increase
Egypt's exports to Gambia, particularly textiles.
The Gambian foreign minister stressed his desire to see an increase in
Egyptian businessmen's activities in his country and the strengthening of
joint investments.
[The Egyptian news agency (MENA, in Arabic, 1830 gmt 27 Jan 97) later
reported that the Gambian president had "bilateral talks" with Egyptian
President Husni Mubarak. The agency also quoted Foreign Minister Amr Musa as
stating that the Egyptian and Gambian ministers of foreign affairs, trade,
interior and tourism had held meetings. "With regard to security cooperation,
Musa said, agreement has been reached that Egypt will train Gambiansecurity
cadres in Egypt."].
(c) BBC Monitoring Summary of World Broadcasts.
BBC MONITORING SERVICE
BBC MONITORING SERVICE: MIDDLE EAST 29/1/97
Brussels, 28/01/1997 (Agence Europe) - On 24 January, the Dutch EU Presidency
adopted the following Declaration:
"The European Union has taken note of the National Assembly election on 2
January 1997. The Union congratulates the people of the Gambia and the
Provisional Independent Electoral Commission (PIEC) on the way the
preparation and the handling of these elections have taken place. The Union
considers the elections as an important step for the Gambia on its return to
civilian democratic government, in spite of the ban imposed before the
presidential elections, on three former political parties, their leaders and
former ministers, which remains in force. The European Union hopes that the
National Assembly will soon be able to fulfil the important tasks bestowed on
it by the Constitution.
The EU has welcomed the release of a number of detainees in November last and
urges the Government of the Gambia to release without delay those who remain
in detention for political reasons.
The EU calls on the Gambian authorities to proceed further on its path to
democracy, good governance and human rights in line with the new Constitution
and is willing to reinforce its dialogue with the Gambia on these and other
matters of common concern".
Not Available for Re-dissemination.
(c) Agence EUROPE, Brussels 1997.
EUROPEAN UNION
AGENCE EUROPE 29/1/97
THE HAGUE, Jan 28 (Reuter) - The European Union congratulated Gambia on
Tuesday on its return to civilian government after two years of military rule
and urged the administration to release all political prisoners without
delay.
"The Union considers the elections as an important step for the Gambia on its
return to civilian democratic government," the Dutch government said in its
role as EU president.
It said the EU welcomed last November's release of several detainees and
called on the Gambian government in Banjul to "release without delay those
who remain in detention for political reasons".
The tiny West African state installed a new parliament on January 16 after
elections were won by Yahya Jammeh, leader of the 1994 coup which plunged the
country into military rule.
(c) Reuters Limited 1997
REUTER NEWS SERVICE
THE HAGUE, Jan 28 (Reuter) - The European Union congratulated Gambia on
Tuesday on its return to civilian government after two years of military rule
and urged the administration to release all political prisoners without
delay.
"The Union considers the elections as an important step for the Gambia on its
return to civilian democratic government," the Dutch government said in its
role as EU president.
It said the EU welcomed last November's release of several detainees and
called on the Gambian government in Banjul to "release without delay those
who remain in detention for political reasons".
The tiny West African state installed a new parliament on January 16 after
elections were won by Yahya Jammeh, leader of the 1994 coup which plunged the
country into military rule.
(c) Reuters Limited 1997
REUTER NEWS SERVICE
CAIRO, Jan 27 (Reuter) - Gambian President Yahya Jammeh met Egyptian
President Hosni Mubarak in Cairo on Monday.
They discussed West Africa and the conflict in the Great Lakes region of
central Africa, officials said.
Jammeh arrived on Sunday for a four-day official visit.
(c) Reuters Limited 1997
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 30 Jan 1997 18:24:31 +0000
From: momodou.camara@post3.tele.dk (Camara, Momodou)
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: New member
Message-ID: <19970130172546.AAA8082@LOCALNAME>
Gambia-l,
Assan Jagne has been added to the list and as a custom, we expect to
have an introduction from him. Welcome to the Gambia-l Assan, please
send an introduction of yourself to the list.
Regards
Momodou Camara
*******************************************************
http://home3.inet.tele.dk/mcamara
**"Start by doing what's necessary, then what's
possible and suddenly you are doing the impossible"***
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 30 Jan 97 11:45:48 -0600
From: Francis Njie <francis_njie@il.us.swissbank.com>
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Re: Taiwan's trade with the Gambia
Message-ID: <9701301746.AA00443@new_delhi>
Mime-Version: 1.0 (NeXT Mail 3.3risc v124.8483.5)
Content-Type: text/plain
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe Taiwan has been more than popular in
the West because of its secession from China and its strides towards democracy.
I believe we all saw the fuss that was made over China's threats when Taiwan
held democratic elections last year sometime.
It seems Taiwan has little reason to feel alienated in the "international
community" and as such should not feel compelled to make friends with the
Gambia... unless, of course, it has somewhat immediate interests in the Gambia.
The amounts stated in the Ebou Jallow affair (much, if not all, of which were
donated by Taiwan) are not small by any stretch of the imagination. There's got
to be a better reason for Taiwan's interest in the Gambia...
- Francis
Begin forwarded message:
Date: Thu, 30 Jan 1997 08:26:33 +0100
Reply-To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Sender: GAMBIA-L-owner@u.washington.edu
From: Abdou Gibba <Abdou.Gibba@smr.uib.no>
To: "GAMBIA-L: The Gambia and Related Issues Mailing List"
<gambia-l@u.washington.edu>
Subject: Re: Taiwan's trade with the Gambia
X-Sender: nsmag@alfred.uib.no
X-Mailer: Windows Eudora Pro Version 2.2 (32)
X-Listprocessor-Version: 8.1 beta -- ListProcessor(tm) by CREN
Francis, You wrote:
"....Why on earth would Taiwan be interested in a country as poor as the
Gambia, especially at a time when the Gambia is not exactly popular in the
"international community"?
Well, you have already stated the obvious: "....especially at a time when
the Gambia is not exactly popular in the "international community". Taiwan
and Gambia, like Cuba and Libya will be foolish not to accept any friendly
hand "especially at a time when they are not exactly popular in the
"international community". Why can't we expect the best out of this rather
than worst? Is that not pessimism or negative thinking? One unfortunate
thing is, it seems many are just sitting and waiting for the time bomb to
blow off for the government in Gambia...and then they would say: "ah! ha! I
knew it." Too sad, but the truth.
PEACE
::)))Abdou Oujimai
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 30 Jan 1997 13:54:48 -0500 (EST)
From: "N'Deye Marie Njie" <njie.1@postbox.acs.ohio-state.edu>
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Internet Job Bank; (fwd)
Message-ID: <2.2.16.19970130135528.25d718e8@pop.service.ohio-state.edu>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
a) National Association of Graduate and Professions Students' Internet Job Bank
If anyone is interested in subscribing to the National Association of
Graduate and Professional Students' Internet Job Bank, please e-mail
nagps@netcom.com. This service is FREE to all graduate students, if the
Council of Graduate Students in your respective schools is a member of
NAGPS. Undergrads, you might want to check and see if it applies to you too.
b)a) Jobs: Assistant Professor - Extension Recreational Fisheries and
Fisheries Biology and Assistant Professor - Ichthyology at Auburn
University, Alabama
A message received via Dr. Jeffrey M. Reutter:
Auburn University, Alabama 36849-5419
College of Agriculture, Department of Fisheries and Allied Aquacultures
203 Swingle Hall, Auburn University, AL 36849-5419
Telephone: (334) 844-4786 Fax: (334) 844-9208
1.Assistant Professor - Extension Recreational Fisheries and Fisheries Biology
Closing Date: March 10, 1997, or until a qualified applicant is identified.
How to Apply/Rank and Salary:Send letter of interest, resume, and names and
phone numbers of three professional references to: Dr. Michael Masser,
Department of Fisheries and Allied Aquacultures, 211 Swingle Hall, Auburn
University, Alabama 36849-5628. Inquires can be addressed to Chair of
Search Committee via phone (334/844-9312) or e-mail
(mmasser@acesag.auburn.edu). This is a twelve month tenure-track position
with Extension (50%), Teaching (25%), and Research (25%) appointment.
Salary commensurate with experience.
Job Summary: Develops and carriers out Extension educational programs (50%)
related to the wise use of aquatic resources with special emphasis on
recreational fisheries. The major emphasis of this position is to be
directed at the recreational fishing industry and related programs directed
towards rural and community development. Teaches two undergraduate/graduate
courses (25%) in Fisheries Biology and Management of Small Impoundments.
Develops a research program (25%) and directs graduate students compatible
with job assignment and professional interest.
Qualifications: A Ph.D. degree in fisheries biology or related area, good
communication skills, relevant experience in outreach/teaching/research
desirable, and to be able to provide right of work documentation for the
U.S. Auburn University is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.
Minorities and women are encouraged to apply.
2. Assistant Professor - Ichthyology (12 month, tenure track)
Closing date: March 10, 1997 and continuing until a qualified applicant is
identified.
How to apply/rank & salary: Send letter of interest, resume, and names with
phone numbers of three professional references to: Dr. John Grover, Search
Committee Chair, Department of Fisheries and Allied Aquacultures, 209
Swingle Hall, Auburn University, Al 36849-5419. Inquires can be addressed
via phone (334/844-9208) or e-mail (jgrover@acesag.auburn.edu).
Job summary: Position initially will be budgeted at 40% teaching and 60%
research. Teaching will involve instructing at least one course in general
ichthyology plus developing another course within area of expertise,
maintaining teaching materials, and participating in the graduate program.
Research will involve developing projects within the Alabama Agricultural
Experiment Station and seeking extramural support consistent with the
Departmental mission and goals.
Qualifications: Ph.D. is ichthyology or closely related field, possess
excellent communication skills, have relevant experience in fish diversity
and
environmental issues, and be able to provide right-to-work documentation
for the U.S. Auburn University is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity
Employer. Minorities and women are encouraged to apply.
c) Request for Laboratory service: Aquatic Biology Laboratory Services
Request for Bids Great Lakes Ballast Technology Demonstration Project
A message recieved via Dr. Jeffrey M. Reutter:
The Great Lakes Ballast Technology Demonstration Project requires
laboratory services for the analysis of phytoplankton, zooplankton and
bacteria samples from ballast water. The following specific laboratory
services are sought:
1. Sorting and quantification of zooplankton samples preserved in formalin to
higher taxonomic levels;
2. Quantitative analysis of phytoplankton via chlorophyll extraction from
frozen samples;
3. Quantitative analysis of live whole water and sediment samples for total
coliform bacteria.
Samples will be generated aperiodically, but will have a delivery rate of
up to 100 samples (divided roughly evenly among the three types of tests)
up to four times a month for nine months (April-December 1997).
Chlorophyll and bacteria samples will not be archived, but plankton samples
will require preservation and return shipping for permanent storage by the
project. Adherance to the Standard Operating Procedures and Quality
Assurance/Quality Control Guidelines developed by the Great Lakes National
Program Office of the Environmental Protection Agency for phytoplankton,
zooplankton and chlorophyll extraction analyses is a must. In order for the
findings to be useful in informing the direction of the experiment,
turn-around on the analysis should be as soon as possible but no longer
than two weeks after receipt of a delivery of samples. Some interpretation
of the raw data in the form of charts, graphs and narrative comments is
also desired. Please contact Allegra Cangelosi of the Northeast-Midwest
Institute (202)-544-5200 (acangelo@nemw.org) for more information. Please
submit your bid (itemized on a per sample basis) by February 15, 1997 to
the following address: Allegra Cangelosi, Northeast-Midwest Institute, 218
D St. SE Washington, DC 20003. Deadline February 21, 1997.
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 30 Jan 1997 19:10:51 +0000
From: "BALA SAHO" <B.S.Saho@sussex.ac.uk>
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Re: Taiwanese trade with the Gambia
Message-ID: <m0vq1pP-000XFIC@maila.uscs.susx.ac.uk>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT
Malanding,
I just don't understand your point. Do you mean that we are not
worthy of a noble relationship or are you just making fun of us. Are
you just trying to ctreate discussion? Despite everything it is
ourselves and only ourselves can make the difference. And I think
that is what many are trying to do.
Peace
Bala
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 30 Jan 1997 14:01:17 +0000
From: "NJIE OMAR E" <964NJIE@alpha.nlu.edu>
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: New Member
Message-ID: <199701301959.LAA18655@mx5.u.washington.edu>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT
List Managers,
Could you please add Mambuna Bojang to the list? His address is:
paomar@iglou.com
Thanks,
Omar.
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 30 Jan 97 14:13:08 -0600
From: Francis Njie <francis_njie@il.us.swissbank.com>
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Re: COMENTARY-PART TWO
Message-ID: <9701302013.AA00464@new_delhi>
Mime-Version: 1.0 (NeXT Mail 3.3risc v124.8483.5)
Content-Type: text/plain
>> Why would The Gambia have to sign ?a waste-dumping contract or
>> something? with Taiwan for there to be a relationship...
"Anyone know if the current regime has signed a waste-dumping contract with
the Asian country or something?" is justified sarcasm... yes, justified,
because sub-Saharan African regimes, be they civilian or military, clearly do
not have a record of commitment to the common good. Drawing from an article
posted yesterday... rather than embezzling 10% and investing 90% in their
countries, they tend to prefer it the other way around. Indeed, given the
record, waste dumping contracts are unfortunately not as "far out" as some of
us would think...
Besides, any confidence many Gambians could have had in the current regime has
been lost. The Ebou Jallow hoopla, clearly revealed the underhandedness of the
current regime. To date, you have not offered a logical explanation for the
fact that PUBLIC funds ended up in PRIVATE accounts. In fact, you cannot...
simply because the court documents (which ACCURATELY stated the accounts, their
owners and the amounts in these accounts) were generated in Western courts and
were freely accessible... I say you cannot explain this one away because I'd
certainly never be foolish/irrational enough to believe that the remittance of
numerous millions to private accounts IN SWITZERLAND was for the common good.
Ever thought of the good that could have been done if only a couple of
millions of US dollars had been stowed away in our Central Bank's caches? The
foreign exchange woes of the Gambia would have all but disappeared for one, for
at least a couple of years.
>> Taiwan courted The Gambia, and among other reasons, Taiwan needs The
>> Gambia?s help in the UN.
In the interest of transparency, would you care to elaborate on the other
reasons mentioned?
- Francis
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Standard Disclaimers:
The opinions/ideas expressed here are mine alone. They do not reflect the
policies of my employer in any way whatsoever.
Furthermore, because I have no political affiliation, political figures and
parties mentioned here are necessarily incidental to my opinions.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 30 Jan 1997 15:20:56 -0500
From: "Malanding S. Jaiteh" <msjaiteh@mtu.edu>
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Cc: msjaiteh@mtu.edu
Subject: Re: Taiwanese trade with the Gambia
Message-ID: <199701302020.PAA02038@spruce.ffr.mtu.edu>
Bala, Certainly my comments were not intended to insult the Gambia. However, I find it hard to see what the Gambia has to offer in this relationship other than the land and sea resources.
I find it extremely important for the many Gambians who have come to understand international politics not to repeat the same mistakes made during the Jawara days. That is to accept and believe without questioning everything I mean everything our government does or says.
You will agree with me that the Chinese who built us the magnificient stadium were the same who went on to monopolize our construction industry hauling in millions with substandard housing (go to Sapu) agric station) and squeezing our own contractors out of business.
I do not believe that we should acuse the Taiwan government of the same but we must ask ourselves and our government "the what if's" in order that we do not fall prey again!
Malanding
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 30 Jan 1996 23:25:47 +0300
From: BASS KOLLEH DRAMMEH <KOLLS567@QATAR.NET.QA>
To: GAMBIA-L@U.WASHINGTON.EDU
Subject: ANNA, I DISAGREE
Message-ID: <310E7ECB.3D3E@QATAR.NET.QA>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
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Anna!!
I have never said or implied that Jawara had made mistakes.I
have
always maintained that FaFa did one and only one thing in the Gambia :-
NOTHING.The only person who can make mistakes is the person who is
trying to do something.When you try to do something in a place that is
not used to seeing and saying anything,you are definitely entering
uncharted territory here,starting an entirely new ball game;and that
even
if enormously rewarding at the end,the road leading to it could
nonetheless be very
hazardous.That is precisely Jammeh's dilemma.He simply happens to
believe that Gambia can absolutely become as prosperous as a Singapore
or a
Taiwan,and he also happens to know that the one and only way to make
that happen is to work and work and work and work and not by playing and
playing and playing and playing golf for thirty-two years while the
country and the people in it slowly rot into the Middle Ages.But,Poor
Mr.Jammeh!
he is the president of the wrong country.And these people have been
hypnotised
into inertia for so long that they simply cannot appreciate someone who
wants to
Shake Things Up a Little at the present time so that all of us ,or our
children,for that matter, will have a rendez vous with a promising
future.And, in addition to that,
it would be insane for any observer to assume that the various social
forces that Jammeh's revolution has so dramatically disinherited would
ever have a good night's sleep before they could fatally puncture this
very process that disgracefully
threw them out of the corridors of power.
So,to directly respond to your concern,I am not in anyway saying that we
should
just "shut up" and let Mr.Jammeh make mistakes he may not be able to
rectify later
on,all I am saying is that it can't be good for the health and the
future of our
nation if we the elite are so NEGATIVISTIC towards the only black
president in West Africa who is trying to get something done for his
motherland before his time finshes.
Instead of being so tedentiously hostile,how about the following:-" Okay
Mr.Jammeh,you rudely shot yourself into the highest office in our land
without first conferring with us,we didn't like it one bit.But now that
you are the president,and now that we know you are not the blood-thirsty
maniac we thought you to be,and now that we know that you are a
get-it-done-as-quickly-as-possible pressident,we want to have a good
working relationship with you.And that entails three things.First,we
would give you our moral support as a matter of
principle.Second,whenever you have done something good for our
country,we would not look the other way or try to belittle it,instead we
would look you straight in the eye and say to you 'Mr.President,that was
great.Congratulations for a
job well done!'Finally,we would however reserve our right to say
'Mr.President,your this one socks and we would like you to change it.We
don't think its good for the country' " This is,in my opinion,the kind
of CONSTRUCTIVE ATTITUDE that could pull our tiny nation from the
darkness of three decades of NOTHINGNESS into the dawn of a shinning
21st Century.Surely,that can't be too much to ask of your own people!
Can it?
REGARDS BASSSS!!
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 30 Jan 1997 17:13:51 -0400 (AST)
From: "Inqs." <nfaal@is2.dal.ca>
To: BASS KOLLEH DRAMMEH <KOLLS567@qatar.net.qa>
Cc: The Gambia and Related Issues Mailing List <gambia-l@u.washington.edu>,
;@is2.dal.ca
Subject: Re: BASS, I DISAGREE
Message-ID: <Pine.A41.3.95.970130165237.181424D-100000@is2.dal.ca>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
Mr Drammeh, excuse me if the future does not seem as rosy as you
make it out to be. If your definition of shaking things up is a clamp
down on media, year-long arrests for civilians who remained for the most
part uncharged, a multimillion dollar scandal, with huge sums of money in
private accounts, money that was supposedly meant to be invested in the
Nation and not in its leaders, a contracting economy, and an increase in
the number of people living below the poverty line, then I guess you are
right.
Excuse me, if i may seem sceptical about the present govt, but for
should they prove me wrong, it would be better for both sides. Nigerian
leaders each produce tokens justifying their ascension to power, roads,
hospitals, schools, universities etc, yet you cannot tell me that their
governments are highly unsuitable. The infrastructure though commendable
(well at least some), is outweighed by some of the more negative things
that unfortunately leave a bitter taste in the mouth, and healthy concern
for the viability of these investments.
Negativistic implies that we have no reason to be so, yet evidence
abounds to the contrary. Moral support should not be given blindly, we
should agree with what we support so that if negative consequences arise,
we can take responsibility. Once again, criticism of the gov't can only
be voiced when we have a means, freedom of speech, freedom of expression
etc.
However, to each his own. When we are displeased with what we
see, we should be allowed to disagree without be subtly accused of being
part of the previous bourgoisie, related to the ex-govt or having personal
incentives, Surely everyone on the list can accept the fact thar we are
rational human beings who can make accurate conclusions based on evidence.
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 30 Jan 1997 14:27:53 -0800 (PST)
From: Latir Downes-Thomas <latir@earthlink.net>
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Re: Taiwan's trade with the Gambia
Message-ID: <854674172@switzerland-c.it.earthlink.net>
In a previous posting Francis wrote:
> It seems Taiwan has little reason to feel alienated in the "international
> community" and as such should not feel compelled to make friends with the
> Gambia... unless, of course, it has somewhat immediate interests in the
> Gambia.
>
> The amounts stated in the Ebou Jallow affair (much, if not all, of which were
>
> donated by Taiwan) are not small by any stretch of the imagination. There's
> got
> to be a better reason for Taiwan's interest in the Gambia...
I think Taiwan's reasons here are multifaceted. Their interest in the Gambia is primarily of recognition, i.e. the Jammeh regime (AFPRC & APRC) of Taipei.
In the last few years they have made a concerted effort to make their case for U.N. membership. I believe they see that their long term economic stability necessitates that the rest of the world recognize overwhelmingly that they are a sovereign state, whether officially or not, and not a renegade province as the People's Republic of China sees them. It has worked to a certain extent because just last year when China threatened military action, the rest of the world (not just the the US) overwhelmingly condemned China's actions. Taiwan's economy cannot afford further threats and thus the reason for their campaign.
Apart from lavishing funds to countries that recognize them, they have conducted a huge media blitz and even recently offered to pay the dues it would be have been assessed had it been a U.N. member to the cash-strapped body. China ,of course, made sure that the offer was not even entertained by the U.N. and has also stepped up it's effort to prevent other countries from recognizing Taiwan.
Senegal is a case in point where at one time both China and Taiwan were throwing money in Dakar's way at the same time to try and gain favor. Senegal decided to stick to Taiwan but they recently paid for it when they were prevented from nominating their foreign minister Mustapha Niasse as a candidate for Secretary-General of the U.N. in face of China's veto in the Security Council. Niasse, a long time and widely respected diplomat, could have given Annan, the newly elected SG, a run for his money.
Just two weeks ago, Guatemala was also in trouble for it's Taiwan relationship when China vetoed a U.N. peace-keepeing observer mission to see that country through the end a long, grueling war. China relented last week only after the Guatemalan's , reports say, agreed to temper their pro-Taiwanese stance.
Taiwan even announced that they would cease their money-diplomacy campaign to try to gain new recognition after they received the blow from South Africa who no longer recognizes their sovereignty and has reopened ties with China. South Africa's decision is one that many countries, like the Gambia and Senegal, which have diplomatic ties with Taipei may eventually have to face.
While Mandela inherited South Africa's Taiwanese ties when he took over and while China was always more sympathetic to the anti-apathied movement, his government was probably moved by the fact that China is a world economic power with the world's biggest market. In the era of globalization, South Africa's plans for economic development could not ignore China.
Perhaps South Africa is at a crossroads that the Gambia and Senegal will not meet for years to come but the fact of the matter remains that China IS A superpower and not maintaining good ties with her could prove problematic in the future.
In Senegal's case, they are at least receiving a huge amount of money. Ours on the other hand, I find is a bit more worrisome. Reports were, and perhaps some of our list members in the U.K. can confirm this, that a member of the House of Lords (perhaps a friend of the former president) last year gave an account, against the Jammeh regime, on how the money Gambia received from Taiwan was in the form of loans not grant, as many believed and continue to believe, and that the British government, who are somewhat sympathetic to the Taiwanese cause, should pressure the authorities in Taipei not to finance ''illegal governments'' like the AFPRC.
A report in the January edition of ''New African'' attempts to confirm the notion that the money received by the AFPRC were indeed loans.
This brings me back to Francis' question. I think that having already met the primary objectives of obtaining the Gambia's recognition, Taiwan will now do what any foreign country with a bit of influence would try to do and that is exploit whatever can be had. Just because they do not come from the west we should not expect the Taiwanese to act any differently.
Once confidence and the economy pick up again, the Gambia can assume its position as a major re-export trade route in the sub-region. Jammeh's ''Vision 2020'' and Jawara's ''Gateway'' (guess what everyone, they are all the same!) depend largely on this. Formally, quite a number of ''Made in China'' ''mass-production'' goods went through our ports and I'm quite sure the Taiwanese wouldn't mine seeing those goods replaced with ''Made in the Republic of China''.
Another sector of potential and probable interest, one which worries me most, is fisheries and water resources. It's funny how history has a way of repeating itself.
It has been alleged that back in the seventies when China went on a similar global campaign and the Gambia switched allegiance, in return for the money that built our Independence stadium and the ill-fated rice projects that the present regime is once again undertaking, China received the rights or licences to fish ''like crazy'' in our waters.
I've also noticed that two of our new friends, Libya and Iran, have also expressed their wish to set up fisheries ''projects''. Those of you who are or were recently back home might have noticed that the fishermen are increasingly complaining about foreign trawlers plowing our seas of our fish. The sad thing is that just two months ago the issue of depleting water resources came up at the U.N. yet I my efforts to find Gambia's role and position in the discussion proved futile.
I hope that now that our government is legitimizing itself and that we now have the most competent parliament we've seen in years, this issue will be properly and fairly debated. While the majority of members belong to the APRC, I hope they will at least attempt to approach matters of this sort as independent members of the National Assembly and not as ''Jammeh henchmen''.
A side note: If it is true that the funds from Taiwan were in fact loans then that would mean that money used to build the arch, the airport, the hospital and all the other ''infrastructural improvements'' will one day have to paid back. As great as these projects are some people are questioning our capacity to maintain them. The hospital is HUGE. The airport is GRAND. The arch is made of concrete and painted white. In order to keep it aesthetically maintained for the tourists, who will be responsible for it's upkeep (according to architect Kujjaby), it will have to be doused with paint after every 'nawet-season''. Now it's seems as though we will also be paying interest as well. Can we?
Peace.
Lat
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 30 Jan 1997 17:02:33 +0000
From: "NJIE OMAR E" <964NJIE@alpha.nlu.edu>
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Re: COMENTARY-PART TWO
Message-ID: <199701302300.PAA09055@mx5.u.washington.edu>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7BIT
>
> Besides, any confidence many Gambians could have had in the current regime has
> been lost. The Ebou Jallow hoopla, clearly revealed the underhandedness of the
> current regime. To date, you have not offered a logical explanation for the
> fact that PUBLIC funds ended up in PRIVATE accounts. In fact, you cannot...
> simply because the court documents (which ACCURATELY stated the accounts, their
> owners and the amounts in these accounts) were generated in Western courts and
> were freely accessible... I say you cannot explain this one away because I'd
> certainly never be foolish/irrational enough to believe that the remittance of
> numerous millions to private accounts IN SWITZERLAND was for the common good.
>
=================================================
There is an article in this week's issue of "The Economist"
concerning the Ebou Jallow hoopla. It seems there is a lot of
substance to Mr. Jallow's story.
Omar.
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 30 Jan 1997 15:10:30 -0800
From: sarian@osmosys.incog.com (Sarian Loum)
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Re: COMMENTARY
Message-ID: <199701302310.PAA28321@thesky.incog.com>
Hi Tombong,
Before you go on accusing people of dishonesty, untruthfullness, baffling comments or reports, misinformation propaganda and bending the truth, you ought to stop and think about what you just said and how contradictory it is. You just agreed that:
>It is true that the volume of trade at Gambia Ports Authority has dropped
>since the military take over.
So what and how have I grossly overstated and misrepsented facts? Again you said:
>It is true that not all streets of Banjul are paved, it is only the 16 major
>streets that have been paved.
Again how am I dishonest from my observations which other people by the way have mentioned? As far as the price of rice, sugar & the rest being dropped, does that mean its affordable to all? And the answer is certainly no! You may not be aware of the high unemployment in the country especially these teens being thrown out of the school with the lousy educational system we have, because you are employed and one of the so called elites that can't or don't have the time to hang around with these needy people. If I were the only person that complined of the situation in Gambia then one could say aha shes a whiner or just an unhappy camper but this comes up again and again. Like I said even with our US dollars one was really feeling the pinch thus the realization that people are striving hard to make it on a daily basis. I've forgotten for a while what it feels like to wake up and be penniless and wonder how bread gets put on the table, thanks to my holiday in Gambia. I'm !
no Jawarra supporter and in no means suggesting poverty wasn't around during the Jawarra regime but it is still present and worst.
I buy toilet paper and I have every right to complain about how expensive it is. Whether the average Gambian buys it or not is besides the point. And talking about being a propagandist, need I not remind you that out of the whole Gambia-l members you are the most propagandist who dutifully tells us of all the wonderful things your employer has done for the nation and neglect to mention all his blunders and unaccountability. Just remember that before you go running your mouth and accusing someone of the above, you are the most guiltiest of your statement below.
"This does not however give us the licenses for
misinformation propaganda and bending the truth".
For a change you should be truthful about our country and your employer and be brave enough to say the good and bad he does even if that cost you your job, instead you ignore some of our inquiries especially the Swiss bank scandal because that implicates your employer and theres no way of defending him. The Jammeh and the Jawarra government have one thing in common "CORRUPTION" one did it in three decades and the other is just starting.
BTW - your reply to my mail didn't come as a surprise at all, infact it was expected I was just wondering why it took so long.
Sarian
> From TSaidy1050@aol.com Thu Jan 30 08:06:35 1997
> Date: Thu, 30 Jan 1997 11:02:37 -0500 (EST)
> From: TSaidy1050@aol.com
> To: "GAMBIA-L: The Gambia and Related Issues Mailing List" <gambia-l@u.washington.edu>
> Subject: COMMENTARY
> X-Listprocessor-Version: 8.1 beta -- ListProcessor(tm) by CREN
>
> Gambia-l,
>
> The discussions on the list have been very interesting of late, especially
> since the National Assembly elections. It was also good that some members of
> the list were in The Gambia during the elections and witnessed first hand how
> open and fair the elections were.
>
> Some of the comments or reports by those who were in The Gambia recently are
> some times very baffling. We owe it to ourselves and our people to be honest
> and truthful when it comes to matters affecting our nation. Some of us, our
> uncles, cousins, fathers, family friends etc. have been affected by the
> coming of Jammeh in to The Gambian political scene. However, we should not
> allow these relationships to cloud our thinking and judgement. I know it is
> very difficult some times to discuss issues relating to The Gambia without
> being personal.
>
> For some of us there is nothing Jammeh can do to satisfy them, and this is
> the beauty of the whole matter. The Gambia is now a democratic country and
> every one has the right to whatever opinion he or she has. The Gambia-l is
> also an other democratic forum where we all can agree to disagree, or
> disagree to agree. This does not however give us the licenses for
> misinformation propaganda and bending the truth. As the proverb goes-- " you
> can force the horse to the river but you cannot force it to drink".
>
> I was startled by Sirains comments and observations of the situation in The
> Gambia. I believe the facts were grossly over stated to put it mildly. The
> examples she gave were not good ones, especially judging from the realities
> in The Gambia. She gave an example of the cost of toilet papers, and the
> movement of cargo at the ports authority.
>
> My question is how many Gambians buy toilet papers and how many Gambians care
> how much a toilet paper cost. We need to remember that this is The Gambia we
> are talking about and not Washington DC, Atlanta or New York City, were
> practically every house hold uses toilet papers. Less than 10% of Gambian
> house hold buys toilet papers, in fact it is almost impossible to get toilet
> papers in any shop outside the Greater Banjul area.
>
> There are more essential items such as sugar, rice, cooking oil, fish, meat
> etc. whose price have gone down in the last six months. For example a 100
> kilos bag of rice can be bought for D150.00. For some of us who buy rice for
> our parents and family friends, would notice that after the military take
> over the price of rice when up to D200. 00 per bag, or even more. The
> business community have regain confidence in the economy and as such there
> are no shortages and prices are falling by the day.
>
> Some have suffered since the military take and some are still suffering, but
> the majority of Gambians are happy with the achievements of Jammeh. Those who
> were living a false live and living beyond their means are the ones suffering
> the most. Those who were earning D1500.00 per month and spending D5,000.00
> to D10,000.00 a month are the ones suffering the most because they no longer
> can steal the money to finance their live style. For some of us, who whenever
> we go to The Gambia, visit friends and relatives in the provinces, know that
> things have improved since July 22, 1994.
>
> It is true that the volume of trade at Gambia Ports Authority has dropped
> since the military take over. The trend has since changed and it is picking
> up. There are a lot of factors to explain the low volume of cargo coming in
> to Banjul. More than 60% of commodities being imported into The Gambia are
> re-exported in to the neighbouring countries through Senegal. In 1993 the
> Senegalese Government closed the borders with The Gambia for the transhipment
> of goods. This created a big problem and the borders are still closed, but
> the good thing is that there are on going negotiation to open the borders for
> transhipment of goods. The borders will be opened soon. Because of this
> border closure, entrepreneurs are finding it difficult to sell their
> commodities and as such the volume of imports dropped. Even with this drop,
> there has not been any lay-off or redundancies at the Ports Authority. The
> people affected the are the daily paid labourers, and those officials who
> were bribed by importers for fast clearance of the goods. Most of these
> labourers are absorbed in the ongoing projects. Thousands of Gambians have
> since found employment in the projects, but most of us are blind to this. I
> bet you those in the construction industry are not complaining, and the
> additional teachers employed are not complaining either. The unemployment
> rate in the country is very low compared to the Jawara era. Again it is a
> democratic forum some of us will see only the things they want to see.
>
> It is true that not all streets of Banjul are paved, it is only the 16 major
> streets that have been paved. The rest of the streets will be taken care of
> in the phase of the BANJUL STREETS PROJECT that will commence by the end of
> the year(after the rainy season).
>
>
> This is part one.
>
> PEACE
> TOMBONG SAIDY
>
>
>
>
------------------------------
|
 |
|
|
Momodou
Denmark
11511 Posts |
Posted - 19 Jun 2021 : 14:00:29
|
Date: Thu, 30 Jan 1997 18:52:56 -0500 (EST)
From: Anna Secka <secka@cse.bridgeport.edu>
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Correction
Message-ID: <Pine.SUN.3.91.970130184910.17819A-100000@cse>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
Content-Transfer-Encoding: QUOTED-PRINTABLE
Sorry I meant "A wise man will quickly learn from other people's mistakes h=
is own".
Bass,
=09I think we all know that two wrongs never make a right. A wise=20
man will quickly learn from other people's mistakes that his own. From my=
=20
point of view you seem to to advocating "Well Jawara made some mistakes,=20
so why don't we all shut up(excuse my language) and let Jammeh make more=20
mistakes". Please remember that at times it is too late to correct a=20
mistake; in some case, you don't even have the chance to correct it.
On Mon, 29 Jan 1996, BASS KOLLEH DRAMMEH wrote:
> Modou Jallow wrote:
> >=20
> > On Tuesday, 1/28/97, Sarian wrote:
> >=20
> > > Hi,
> > >
> > > I just returned from the Gambia after a month vacation and this much =
I can tell you the country is very expensive and the economy is also very u=
nstable. Its a fact that "some" businessmen (having talked to few) are ve=
ry apprehensive of the economy and
> > thus are holding out on imports. This was also confirmed by several p=
eople in the Gambia Ports Authority/Customs dept of the alarming rate drop =
of containers /consignments that usually flood the sheds of the traffic dep=
artment waiting to be cleared.
> > >
> > > According to these sources the Maersk lines are pretty much empty co=
mpared to the 400 - 500 containers they used to deposit that are now down t=
o 60 - 70 containers per ship and this should be of concern to all of us be=
cause there is indeed a lot of une
> > mployment in the country (can't claim percentage cause I don't have the=
statistics but there is a lot of poverty in the home land and I keep wonde=
ring how many are making it.
> > >
> > > Even with our US dollars some of us vacationing were feeling the pin=
ch. Example of a cost of toilet paper D29.00 for some what mediocre qualit=
y, paper napkins the same. To eat a decent meal one has to spend at least =
D100 for a single meal (small fami
> > ly). So one couldn't help wondering how these people are really making=
it with the low salaries/wages and thats why when one is vacationing they =
think you can solve all their financial needs which sends you to the bank t=
o dip into savings account or if t
> > hat is not available to get cash from your credit cards, and I know qui=
te a bit of Gambian's living abroad who were faced with this situation incl=
uding myself.
> > >
> > > In my opinion, all that money that was spent building the arch could =
have been used on other high priority projects e.g. some of the roads are s=
till very bad in Banjul and the kombo areas. The main roads were fixed alr=
ight but there are some streets th
> > at taxis cannot still get by in Banjul. Electricity is still a problem=
its on and off all the time I was there. Thats all for now.
> > >
> > > Sarian
> >=20
> > Of all those who came back from Gambia, I must say you are the only one
> > who's been truthful to list members about the situation in the Gambia.
> > It's not like we do not know what is going on, but we fail to see it as=
it
> > is.
> >=20
> > The situation in Gambia is worse that one can imagine. Survival has
> > become a means that we can not truly apprehend. How do you imagine the
> > people back home are surviving from day to day? What I would like to se=
e
> > is the changes that this regime promised the Gambian people.
> >=20
> > Business has been stagnant for the past couple of years due the governm=
ent's
> > inability to encourage fair practices. The Jammeh regime destroyed what=
used
> > to be the most succesful business region in West Africa. There was a ti=
me when
> > anything and everything was availabe...now there is almost nothing!
> >=20
> > Well, what happened to the businessmen? The Lebanese got run off and th=
e
> > Fullas (& Sarahulleys) found better countries to invest their fortunes.=
Where
> > does that leave the Gambia? These people help build the economy of the =
Gambia
> > by opening up the borders to neighboring countries. In many ways Gambi=
a
> > the events in Gambia since the coup have conspired against progress, wh=
ere
> > the future of the generation will remain a hostage of the past. And who
> > will be the victims? None but the young generation.
> >=20
> > Despite the awesome problems facing the country, many of us spend a gre=
at
> > deal of time looking for scapegoats such as what we've seen on this lis=
t. We
> > must be able to impose self-criticism or we will suffer humiliation,
> > especially if our government cannot back its words with deeds.
> >=20
> > Ramadan Karim to all.
> >=20
> > Regards, Moe S. Jallow
> >=20
> >=20
> > =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D
> > mjallow@sct.edu mjallow@hayes.com
> > =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D
>=20
> MOE!!
> =09You are absolutely right! WE must exercise self-critism,but me must
> also try,when telling how bad the situation has become,to include all
> the other NON-Jammeh variables that have played a role in the bad
> situation.
>=20
> You are right; many SarraHullehs and Fulas and Libanese business people
> have now found it very difficult to conduct their buisnesses as
> before,but the last time I checked with some of my co-tribesmen,the
> Sarrahullehs,what they cited as the crucial factor was the 50%
> depreciation of the CFA (the currency used by Senegal and other
> francophonic African countries),so if His Excellency Sir Dawda Kairaba
> Jawara can UNDO that I,for one, will not hesitate to vote for his
> return.The other variable cited by these people on the ground is the
> almost BELICOSE trade and commercial policy being adopted by the Joof
> regime in Dakar towards Gambia,simply because Mr.Jammeh has become
> more popular than himself in his own country,which is not very difficult
> to figure out why!!I AM SURE YOU KNOW WHY.
>=20
> "KEEP HOPE ALIVE,KEEP HOPE ALIVE!!" Mr.JALLOW; I AM VERY HOPEFUL THAT
> THE VERY HAND THAT BUILT THE NOW 'NOTORIOUS'ARCH AND THE FARRAFENNI
> HOSPITAL THAT ALMOST EVERYONE IS DECIDEDLY SILENT ABOUT HERE ON THIS
> LIST - THAT VERY HAND IS CAPABLE OF SOLVING OUR THOSE TWO PERRENIAL
> GAMBIAN PROBLEMS,NAMELY ELECTRICITY AND BAD ROADS.EVER HEARD OF ONE
> THING AT A TIME?
>=20
> SINCE WE MEEKLY GAVE THIRTY-TWO STRAGHT YEARS TO OUR FORMER PRESIDENT
> WITHOUT EVER SAYING A WORD,AND WOULD HAVE ALLOWED HIM TO KEEP GREYING IN
> OFFICE UNTIL HE DIED THERE HAD THE BUYAM BOY NOT OBJECTED,WHY CAN'T WE
> GIVE JUST ONE THIRD OF THAT NUMBER OF YEARS
> TO THIS ENRGERTIC MAN AND SEE HOW THINGS WOULD TURN OUT? WELL,WE DIDN'T
> MIND THEN,AND I CAN'T SEE WHY IT SHOULD START, ALL OF A SUDDEN, TO
> BOTHER US THIS TIME AROUND.
>=20
> =09=09=09=09=09=09REGARDS BASSS!!=20
> --=20
> SZDD=88=F0'3Af=A8=03
>=20
>=20
**********************************************
*=09Anna Secka=09=09=09 *
* 312 Barnum Hall=09=09=09 *
* University of Bridgeport *
* Bridgeport, CT 06604 *
* Email: secka@cse.bridgeport.edu *=20
**********************************************
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 30 Jan 1997 19:24:30 -0500 (EST)
From: Anna Secka <secka@cse.bridgeport.edu>
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Cc: The Gambia and Related Issues Mailing List <gambia-l@u.washington.edu>
Subject: Re: BASS, I DISAGREE
Message-ID: <Pine.SUN.3.91.970130192406.17819Q-100000@cse>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
Bass, I think Nkoyo has said it all.
On Thu, 30 Jan 1997, Inqs. wrote:
> Mr Drammeh, excuse me if the future does not seem as rosy as you
> make it out to be. If your definition of shaking things up is a clamp
> down on media, year-long arrests for civilians who remained for the most
> part uncharged, a multimillion dollar scandal, with huge sums of money in
> private accounts, money that was supposedly meant to be invested in the
> Nation and not in its leaders, a contracting economy, and an increase in
> the number of people living below the poverty line, then I guess you are
> right.
> Excuse me, if i may seem sceptical about the present govt, but for
> should they prove me wrong, it would be better for both sides. Nigerian
> leaders each produce tokens justifying their ascension to power, roads,
> hospitals, schools, universities etc, yet you cannot tell me that their
> governments are highly unsuitable. The infrastructure though commendable
> (well at least some), is outweighed by some of the more negative things
> that unfortunately leave a bitter taste in the mouth, and healthy concern
> for the viability of these investments.
> Negativistic implies that we have no reason to be so, yet evidence
> abounds to the contrary. Moral support should not be given blindly, we
> should agree with what we support so that if negative consequences arise,
> we can take responsibility. Once again, criticism of the gov't can only
> be voiced when we have a means, freedom of speech, freedom of expression
> etc.
> However, to each his own. When we are displeased with what we
> see, we should be allowed to disagree without be subtly accused of being
> part of the previous bourgoisie, related to the ex-govt or having personal
> incentives, Surely everyone on the list can accept the fact thar we are
> rational human beings who can make accurate conclusions based on evidence.
>
>
>
>
>
**********************************************
* Anna Secka *
* 312 Barnum Hall *
* University of Bridgeport *
* Bridgeport, CT 06604 *
* Email: secka@cse.bridgeport.edu *
**********************************************
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 30 Jan 97 19:35:54 -0600
From: Francis Njie <francis_njie@il.us.swissbank.com>
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Re: Taiwan's trade with the Gambia
Message-ID: <9701310136.AA01646@new_delhi>
Mime-Version: 1.0 (NeXT Mail 3.3risc v124.8483.5)
Content-Type: text/plain
Latir, thanks for an informative response. Going through my e-mail archives
this morning, I came across an IPS article forwarded to the list by Momodou
Camara, which says the same things about Taiwan and its 'dollar diplomacy' in
Africa.
You also raise a rather disturbing question... Were the funds allegedly
'donated' to the Gambia in fact interest-earning loans?
- Francis
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Standard Disclaimers:
The opinions/ideas expressed here are mine alone. They do not reflect the
policies of my employer in any way whatsoever.
Furthermore, because I have no political affiliation, political figures and
parties mentioned here are necessarily incidental to my opinions.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 30 Jan 1997 20:52:13 -0500 (EST)
From: Anna Secka <secka@cse.bridgeport.edu>
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Correction
Message-ID: <Pine.SUN.3.91.970130205019.21928C-100000@cse>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
Content-Transfer-Encoding: QUOTED-PRINTABLE
=20
Sorry I meant "A wise man will quickly learn from other people's=20
mistakes than his own".
=20
=20
Bass,
=09I think we all know that two wrongs never make a right. A wise=20
man will quickly learn from other people's mistakes that his own. From my=
=20
point of view you seem to to advocating "Well Jawara made some mistakes,=
=20
so why don't we all shut up(excuse my language) and let Jammeh make more=
=20
mistakes". Please remember that at times it is too late to correct a=20
mistake; in some case, you don't even have the chance to correct it.
=20
=20
> On Mon, 29 Jan 1996, BASS KOLLEH DRAMMEH wrote:
>=20
> > Modou Jallow wrote:
> > >=20
> > > On Tuesday, 1/28/97, Sarian wrote:
> > >=20
> > > > Hi,
> > > >
> > > > I just returned from the Gambia after a month vacation and this muc=
h I can tell you the country is very expensive and the economy is also very=
unstable. Its a fact that "some" businessmen (having talked to few) are =
very apprehensive of the economy and
> > > thus are holding out on imports. This was also confirmed by several=
people in the Gambia Ports Authority/Customs dept of the alarming rate dro=
p of containers /consignments that usually flood the sheds of the traffic d=
epartment waiting to be cleared.
> > > >
> > > > According to these sources the Maersk lines are pretty much empty =
compared to the 400 - 500 containers they used to deposit that are now down=
to 60 - 70 containers per ship and this should be of concern to all of us =
because there is indeed a lot of une
> > > mployment in the country (can't claim percentage cause I don't have t=
he statistics but there is a lot of poverty in the home land and I keep won=
dering how many are making it.
> > > >
> > > > Even with our US dollars some of us vacationing were feeling the p=
inch. Example of a cost of toilet paper D29.00 for some what mediocre qual=
ity, paper napkins the same. To eat a decent meal one has to spend at leas=
t D100 for a single meal (small fami
> > > ly). So one couldn't help wondering how these people are really maki=
ng it with the low salaries/wages and thats why when one is vacationing the=
y think you can solve all their financial needs which sends you to the bank=
to dip into savings account or if t
> > > hat is not available to get cash from your credit cards, and I know q=
uite a bit of Gambian's living abroad who were faced with this situation in=
cluding myself.
> > > >
> > > > In my opinion, all that money that was spent building the arch coul=
d have been used on other high priority projects e.g. some of the roads are=
still very bad in Banjul and the kombo areas. The main roads were fixed a=
lright but there are some streets th
> > > at taxis cannot still get by in Banjul. Electricity is still a probl=
em its on and off all the time I was there. Thats all for now.
> > > >
> > > > Sarian
> > >=20
> > > Of all those who came back from Gambia, I must say you are the only o=
ne
> > > who's been truthful to list members about the situation in the Gambia=
..
> > > It's not like we do not know what is going on, but we fail to see it =
as it
> > > is.
> > >=20
> > > The situation in Gambia is worse that one can imagine. Survival has
> > > become a means that we can not truly apprehend. How do you imagine th=
e
> > > people back home are surviving from day to day? What I would like to =
see
> > > is the changes that this regime promised the Gambian people.
> > >=20
> > > Business has been stagnant for the past couple of years due the gover=
nment's
> > > inability to encourage fair practices. The Jammeh regime destroyed wh=
at used
> > > to be the most succesful business region in West Africa. There was a =
time when
> > > anything and everything was availabe...now there is almost nothing!
> > >=20
> > > Well, what happened to the businessmen? The Lebanese got run off and =
the
> > > Fullas (& Sarahulleys) found better countries to invest their fortune=
s. Where
> > > does that leave the Gambia? These people help build the economy of th=
e Gambia
> > > by opening up the borders to neighboring countries. In many ways Gam=
bia
> > > the events in Gambia since the coup have conspired against progress, =
where
> > > the future of the generation will remain a hostage of the past. And w=
ho
> > > will be the victims? None but the young generation.
> > >=20
> > > Despite the awesome problems facing the country, many of us spend a g=
reat
> > > deal of time looking for scapegoats such as what we've seen on this l=
ist. We
> > > must be able to impose self-criticism or we will suffer humiliation,
> > > especially if our government cannot back its words with deeds.
> > >=20
> > > Ramadan Karim to all.
> > >=20
> > > Regards, Moe S. Jallow
> > >=20
> > >=20
> > > =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D
> > > mjallow@sct.edu mjallow@hayes.com
> > > =3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=
=3D=3D
> >=20
> > MOE!!
> > =09You are absolutely right! WE must exercise self-critism,but me must
> > also try,when telling how bad the situation has become,to include all
> > the other NON-Jammeh variables that have played a role in the bad
> > situation.
> >=20
> > You are right; many SarraHullehs and Fulas and Libanese business people
> > have now found it very difficult to conduct their buisnesses as
> > before,but the last time I checked with some of my co-tribesmen,the
> > Sarrahullehs,what they cited as the crucial factor was the 50%
> > depreciation of the CFA (the currency used by Senegal and other
> > francophonic African countries),so if His Excellency Sir Dawda Kairaba
> > Jawara can UNDO that I,for one, will not hesitate to vote for his
> > return.The other variable cited by these people on the ground is the
> > almost BELICOSE trade and commercial policy being adopted by the Joof
> > regime in Dakar towards Gambia,simply because Mr.Jammeh has become
> > more popular than himself in his own country,which is not very difficul=
t
> > to figure out why!!I AM SURE YOU KNOW WHY.
> >=20
> > "KEEP HOPE ALIVE,KEEP HOPE ALIVE!!" Mr.JALLOW; I AM VERY HOPEFUL THAT
> > THE VERY HAND THAT BUILT THE NOW 'NOTORIOUS'ARCH AND THE FARRAFENNI
> > HOSPITAL THAT ALMOST EVERYONE IS DECIDEDLY SILENT ABOUT HERE ON THIS
> > LIST - THAT VERY HAND IS CAPABLE OF SOLVING OUR THOSE TWO PERRENIAL
> > GAMBIAN PROBLEMS,NAMELY ELECTRICITY AND BAD ROADS.EVER HEARD OF ONE
> > THING AT A TIME?
> >=20
> > SINCE WE MEEKLY GAVE THIRTY-TWO STRAGHT YEARS TO OUR FORMER PRESIDENT
> > WITHOUT EVER SAYING A WORD,AND WOULD HAVE ALLOWED HIM TO KEEP GREYING I=
N
> > OFFICE UNTIL HE DIED THERE HAD THE BUYAM BOY NOT OBJECTED,WHY CAN'T WE
> > GIVE JUST ONE THIRD OF THAT NUMBER OF YEARS
> > TO THIS ENRGERTIC MAN AND SEE HOW THINGS WOULD TURN OUT? WELL,WE DIDN'T
> > MIND THEN,AND I CAN'T SEE WHY IT SHOULD START, ALL OF A SUDDEN, TO
> > BOTHER US THIS TIME AROUND.
> >=20
> > =09=09=09=09=09=09REGARDS BASSS!!=20
> > --=20
> > SZDD=88=F0'3Af=A8=03
> >=20
> >=20
>=20
> **********************************************
> *=09Anna Secka=09=09=09 *
> * 312 Barnum Hall=09=09=09 *
> * University of Bridgeport *
> * Bridgeport, CT 06604 *
> * Email: secka@cse.bridgeport.edu *=20
> **********************************************
>=20
>=20
>=20
**********************************************
*=09Anna Secka=09=09=09 *
* 312 Barnum Hall=09=09=09 *
* University of Bridgeport *
* Bridgeport, CT 06604 *
* Email: secka@cse.bridgeport.edu *=20
**********************************************
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 30 Jan 1997 21:00:18 -0500 (EST)
From: ABDOU <at137@columbia.edu>
To: The Gambia and Related Issues Mailing List <gambia-l@u.washington.edu>
Subject: Re: Taiwan's trade with the Gambia
Message-ID: <Pine.SUN.3.95L.970130204210.24473D-100000@terve.cc.columbia.edu>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
Hi Folks,
To add to the Taiwan issue, there is an article in The New York
Times yesterday (1-29-97) that says that Taiwan recently paid North Korea
to store some of Taiwan's nuclear waste. If you add this to the fact
that Taiwan was one of the staunchest supporters of apartheid, the
picture becomes less rosy. The Taiwanese government has in fact acquired
a reputation for paying struggling countries to do things that they would
not otherwise do.
An example of this was when The Gambia introduced a resolution
last year in the UN seeking Taiwan's admittance to the UN. This is an act
that even the US is afraid of committing for China is a veto-wielding
power. What price The Gambia will pay for this confrontation I am sure we
will find out soon for China does not shy away from confrontation.
To give you a taste of the prowess of the Gambian Foreign Ministry
consider the following story. According to the Januray 2nd, 1997 issue of
The Observer, The Gambian High Commissioner to the UK was openly
campaigning for John Major. This not only violates the cardinal rule of
diplomacy, non-participation in partisan politics, but is not a clever bet
because according to most polls, Tony Blair is heavily favored to win the
elections. Again, we cannot say how this will affect our beloved country.
But do not be surprised if Blair is not excited that a poor country like
The Gambia was spending its scarce resources to campaign against him.
And Latir, on the issue of Gambia's participation at the UN, I ran
into the same problem; they hardly seem to be doing anything. Even when
there are negative articles about The Gambia in the press, they do not
bother to defend the country unlike most other embassies do.
Thanks and bye for now,
-Abdou.
*******************************************************************************
A.TOURAY
Dept. of Computer Science
Columbia University New York, NY 10027
MY URL ON THE WWW= http://www.cc.columbia.edu/~at137
A FINITE IN A LAND OF INFINITY.
SEEKING BUT THE REACHABLE.
I WANDER AND I WONDER.
ALAS, ALL RESPITE IS FINAL.
*******************************************************************************
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 30 Jan 1997 22:53:23 -0500 (EST)
From: AJagne@aol.com
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Re: New member
Message-ID: <970130224645_817914481@emout14.mail.aol.com>
Hi I am Al-Hassan Jagne. I am happy to be a member of Gambia-l to discuss
issues with others about Gambia.
Thank you,
Al-Hassan
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 31 Jan 1997 13:14:54 JST +900
From: binta@iuj.ac.jp
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Re: Fwd: Re: what a shocker!
Message-ID: <199701310410.NAA03439@mlsv.iuj.ac.jp>
Mime-Version: 1.0
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Gambia-l,
Can our members in the US comment on this? I doubt its authenticity,
but I do not know the facts.
Lamin Drammeh.
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From: WILSON ALBERT A <WILSON_ALBERT_A@LILLY.COM>
Subject: Re: what a shocker!
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>amanfuor,
>this came from the african-american network at my job. this is both
>shocking and interesting!. aluta continua, blacks are really under seige!.
>read on.
>preacher.
>**************************************************************************
>>To: Everyone in group UNKNOWN IVM1
>
>>Please read this everyone, if not today, soon.
>>
>>
>> Hello everyone,
>>
>> Over the Martin Luther King Jr. weekend, I had the pleasure and
>>opportunity to participate in the "The Road that Led to Freedom" trip,
>>sponsored by V-103, 106 Jamz, Seaway National Bank, Southwest Airlines,
>>Ameritech and other sponsors. During this trip, we visited Birmingham,
>Selma,
>>Tuskeegee, Montgomery and Atlanta. I cannot begin to explain what an
>>enlightening experience this was! We went through various cities
>becoming
>>even more familiar with Dr. King's (as well as other civil rights
>leaders)
>>mission and vision. We also were privileged to gain an abundance of
>>information regarding the "foot soldiers" who assisted our leaders during
>the
>>movement. There was, in particular, an issue which was brought up that
>will
>>effect EVERYONE so, please read on. As everyone should be aware, in
>1965,
>>President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Voters Rights Act. This was
>created
>>to allow Blacks the right to vote.
>>
>> In 1982, President Ronald Reagan signed an amendment to extend this
>right
>>for an additional twenty-five years. You guessed it... In 2007 (ten
>years
>>from now), Congress will decide whether or not Blacks should retain the
>right
>>to vote. In order for this to be passed, thirty-eight states will have
>to
>>approve an extension. For me, as well as many others, this was the first
>time
>>that we had heard this -- thus, bringing concern to all of us! What many
>>Blacks before us fought and even died for as well as the milestones that
>we,
>>as Blacks have achieved, this can be taken away from us...AGAIN!
>>
>> If this issue has taken you by surprise as well, I encourage YOU to
>contact
>>your Congressperson, alderperson, senator -- anyone in government, that
>you
>>put your vote behind and ask them what are they doing to -- firstly, to
>get
>>the extension and furthermore, make our right to vote a LAW. This has to
>>become a law in order for our right to vote to no longer be up for
>discussion,
>>review and/or evaluation. (Remember: Blacks are the only group of people
>who
>>require permission under the United States Constitution to vote!)
>>
>> Secondly, ask your representative how can we as Black individuals make
>our
>>voice a louder one and become a foot soldier of the present! Bonnie
>DeShong,
>>co-host of V-103's "The Monds Squad", who was also surprised to hear of
>this,
>>will be recapping this weekend's events on the afternoon show. John
>Davis of
>>V-103 and CBS will also have excerpts of this trip aired on Channel 2
>during
>>Black History Month (dates to be determined).
>>
>> As American people, we cannot "drop the ball" on this one! We have come
>too
>>far to be forced to take such a large step back. So, please let's push
>on
>>and forward to continue to build the momentum towards gaining equality.
>>
>> Please pass this on to others, as I am sure that many more individuals
>are
>>not aware of this.
>>
>> Thanks
>>
>>
>>Gil Edozien
>>Barb Eppes
>>Tim Butts
>>------------------------------ Forwarded Message
>-----------------------------
>
>
>
---1560463-1908670810-78577:#1216872448--
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 31 Jan 1997 13:39:28 JST +900
From: binta@iuj.ac.jp
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Re: Fw: The Ebonics Debate...
Message-ID: <199701310434.NAA03807@mlsv.iuj.ac.jp>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; CHARSET=US-ASCII
Gambia-l,
How about this on Ebonics?
Lamin Drammeh.
On Thu, 30 Jan 1997 22:32:56 +0900, ussy@mlsv.iuj.ac.jp wrote...
>
>
>Enjoy the humor..Ty
>For those of you who don't the background on this, Ebonics is a language
>that originates from the inner-city African-Americans.
>
>A Friend of mine has a 16 year old son named Leroy. He attends Oakland
>High School where they teach EBONICS as a second language. Last Week
>he was given an easy homework assignment. All he had to do was put each
>of the following words in a sentence. This is what Leroy did...
>
>1. RECTUM....I had two cadillacs and my old lady Rectum both.
>
>2. HOTEL....I gave my girlfriend da crabs and the Hotel Everybody.
>
>3. ODYSSEY...I told my bro, you Odyssey the jugs on this hoe.
>
>4. STAIN....My mother-in-law axed if I was Stain for dinner again.
>
>5. SELDOM...My cousin gave me two tickets to the Knicks game, so I
>Seldom.
>
>6. PENIS....I went to the doctor and he handed me a cup and said
>Penis.
>
>7. CATACOMB..DON King was at the fight the other night, man, somebody
>give that Catacomb.
>
>8. FORCLOSE..If I pay alimony this month, I'll have no money Forclose.
>
>9. UNDERMINE..There is a fine lookin' hoe livin' in the apartment
>Undermine.
>
>10. TRIPOLI...I was gonna buy my old lady a bra but I couldn't fine no
>Tripoli
>
>11. DISAPPOINTMENT...My parole officer tol me if I miss Disappointment
>they gonna send me back to the Big House.
>
>12. INCOME...I just got in bed wit dee hoe and income my wife.
>
>13. HONOR...At the rape trial, the Judge axed my buddy, who B Honor
>first?
>
>14. FORTIFY...I axed da hoe how much? And she say Fortify.
>
>15. ISRAEL..Alonso tried to sell me a Rolex, I said man, that looks
>fake. He said, no Israel
>
>
>Needless to say Leroy got an A God Bless America..
>
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 30 Jan 1997 21:13:11 -0800
From: sarian@osmosys.incog.com (Sarian Loum)
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Re: COMMENTARY
Message-ID: <199701310513.VAA28455@thesky.incog.com>
BTW - Tombong you lied about something.
"The business community have regain confidence in the economy and as such there are no shortages and prices are falling by the day".
I was not successful in locating a single snakes and ladders game for my brother, Tony. I ended up sending him the old one I had here in California because there is a shortage of the game. No matter how insignificant the item is, a shortage is still a shortage. So get your facts straight before you attack/accuse anybody.
Sarian
> From sarian@ns Thu Jan 30 15:16:05 1997
> Date: Thu, 30 Jan 1997 15:10:30 -0800
> From: sarian@ns (Sarian Loum)
> To: "GAMBIA-L: The Gambia and Related Issues Mailing List" <gambia-l@u.washington.edu>
> Subject: Re: COMMENTARY
> X-Listprocessor-Version: 8.1 beta -- ListProcessor(tm) by CREN
>
> Hi Tombong,
>
> Before you go on accusing people of dishonesty, untruthfullness, baffling comments or reports, misinformation propaganda and bending the truth, you ought to stop and think about what you just said and how contradictory it is. You just agreed that:
>
> >It is true that the volume of trade at Gambia Ports Authority has dropped
> >since the military take over.
>
> So what and how have I grossly overstated and misrepsented facts? Again you said:
>
> >It is true that not all streets of Banjul are paved, it is only the 16 major
> >streets that have been paved.
>
> Again how am I dishonest from my observations which other people by the way have mentioned? As far as the price of rice, sugar & the rest being dropped, does that mean its affordable to all? And the answer is certainly no! You may not be aware of the high unemployment in the country especially these teens being thrown out of the school with the lousy educational system we have, because you are employed and one of the so called elites that can't or don't have the time to hang around with these needy people. If I were the only person that complined of the situation in Gambia then one could say aha shes a whiner or just an unhappy camper but this comes up again and again. Like I said even with our US dollars one was really feeling the pinch thus the realization that people are striving hard to make it on a daily basis. I've forgotten for a while what it feels like to wake up and be penniless and wonder how bread gets put on the table, thanks to my holiday in Gambia. I'!
m !
> no Jawarra supporter and in no means suggesting poverty wasn't around during the Jawarra regime but it is still present and worst.
>
> I buy toilet paper and I have every right to complain about how expensive it is. Whether the average Gambian buys it or not is besides the point. And talking about being a propagandist, need I not remind you that out of the whole Gambia-l members you are the most propagandist who dutifully tells us of all the wonderful things your employer has done for the nation and neglect to mention all his blunders and unaccountability. Just remember that before you go running your mouth and accusing someone of the above, you are the most guiltiest of your statement below.
>
> "This does not however give us the licenses for
> misinformation propaganda and bending the truth".
>
> For a change you should be truthful about our country and your employer and be brave enough to say the good and bad he does even if that cost you your job, instead you ignore some of our inquiries especially the Swiss bank scandal because that implicates your employer and theres no way of defending him. The Jammeh and the Jawarra government have one thing in common "CORRUPTION" one did it in three decades and the other is just starting.
>
> BTW - your reply to my mail didn't come as a surprise at all, infact it was expected I was just wondering why it took so long.
>
> Sarian
>
>
>
>
> > From TSaidy1050@aol.com Thu Jan 30 08:06:35 1997
> > Date: Thu, 30 Jan 1997 11:02:37 -0500 (EST)
> > From: TSaidy1050@aol.com
> > To: "GAMBIA-L: The Gambia and Related Issues Mailing List" <gambia-l@u.washington.edu>
> > Subject: COMMENTARY
> > X-Listprocessor-Version: 8.1 beta -- ListProcessor(tm) by CREN
> >
> > Gambia-l,
> >
> > The discussions on the list have been very interesting of late, especially
> > since the National Assembly elections. It was also good that some members of
> > the list were in The Gambia during the elections and witnessed first hand how
> > open and fair the elections were.
> >
> > Some of the comments or reports by those who were in The Gambia recently are
> > some times very baffling. We owe it to ourselves and our people to be honest
> > and truthful when it comes to matters affecting our nation. Some of us, our
> > uncles, cousins, fathers, family friends etc. have been affected by the
> > coming of Jammeh in to The Gambian political scene. However, we should not
> > allow these relationships to cloud our thinking and judgement. I know it is
> > very difficult some times to discuss issues relating to The Gambia without
> > being personal.
> >
> > For some of us there is nothing Jammeh can do to satisfy them, and this is
> > the beauty of the whole matter. The Gambia is now a democratic country and
> > every one has the right to whatever opinion he or she has. The Gambia-l is
> > also an other democratic forum where we all can agree to disagree, or
> > disagree to agree. This does not however give us the licenses for
> > misinformation propaganda and bending the truth. As the proverb goes-- " you
> > can force the horse to the river but you cannot force it to drink".
> >
> > I was startled by Sirains comments and observations of the situation in The
> > Gambia. I believe the facts were grossly over stated to put it mildly. The
> > examples she gave were not good ones, especially judging from the realities
> > in The Gambia. She gave an example of the cost of toilet papers, and the
> > movement of cargo at the ports authority.
> >
> > My question is how many Gambians buy toilet papers and how many Gambians care
> > how much a toilet paper cost. We need to remember that this is The Gambia we
> > are talking about and not Washington DC, Atlanta or New York City, were
> > practically every house hold uses toilet papers. Less than 10% of Gambian
> > house hold buys toilet papers, in fact it is almost impossible to get toilet
> > papers in any shop outside the Greater Banjul area.
> >
> > There are more essential items such as sugar, rice, cooking oil, fish, meat
> > etc. whose price have gone down in the last six months. For example a 100
> > kilos bag of rice can be bought for D150.00. For some of us who buy rice for
> > our parents and family friends, would notice that after the military take
> > over the price of rice when up to D200. 00 per bag, or even more. The
> > business community have regain confidence in the economy and as such there
> > are no shortages and prices are falling by the day.
> >
> > Some have suffered since the military take and some are still suffering, but
> > the majority of Gambians are happy with the achievements of Jammeh. Those who
> > were living a false live and living beyond their means are the ones suffering
> > the most. Those who were earning D1500.00 per month and spending D5,000.00
> > to D10,000.00 a month are the ones suffering the most because they no longer
> > can steal the money to finance their live style. For some of us, who whenever
> > we go to The Gambia, visit friends and relatives in the provinces, know that
> > things have improved since July 22, 1994.
> >
> > It is true that the volume of trade at Gambia Ports Authority has dropped
> > since the military take over. The trend has since changed and it is picking
> > up. There are a lot of factors to explain the low volume of cargo coming in
> > to Banjul. More than 60% of commodities being imported into The Gambia are
> > re-exported in to the neighbouring countries through Senegal. In 1993 the
> > Senegalese Government closed the borders with The Gambia for the transhipment
> > of goods. This created a big problem and the borders are still closed, but
> > the good thing is that there are on going negotiation to open the borders for
> > transhipment of goods. The borders will be opened soon. Because of this
> > border closure, entrepreneurs are finding it difficult to sell their
> > commodities and as such the volume of imports dropped. Even with this drop,
> > there has not been any lay-off or redundancies at the Ports Authority. The
> > people affected the are the daily paid labourers, and those officials who
> > were bribed by importers for fast clearance of the goods. Most of these
> > labourers are absorbed in the ongoing projects. Thousands of Gambians have
> > since found employment in the projects, but most of us are blind to this. I
> > bet you those in the construction industry are not complaining, and the
> > additional teachers employed are not complaining either. The unemployment
> > rate in the country is very low compared to the Jawara era. Again it is a
> > democratic forum some of us will see only the things they want to see.
> >
> > It is true that not all streets of Banjul are paved, it is only the 16 major
> > streets that have been paved. The rest of the streets will be taken care of
> > in the phase of the BANJUL STREETS PROJECT that will commence by the end of
> > the year(after the rainy season).
> >
> >
> > This is part one.
> >
> > PEACE
> > TOMBONG SAIDY
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 31 Jan 1997 14:28:14 JST +900
From: binta@iuj.ac.jp
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Re: Tombong, watch out.
Message-ID: <199701310523.OAA04998@mlsv.iuj.ac.jp>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; CHARSET=US-ASCII
Tombong,
In my postings I try to be as impersonal as possible. The reason
being, I hate to take on others personally. But this time I am
motivated by your posting to do exactly that. It is indeed against the
ethics of human understanding for one to take on his representative;
an 'ambassador' of one's dear country. However, if your comprehension
skills are as low as you have demonstrated of late, please permit me
to say that I am disappointed. My posting on 'political reasoning'
may be thought provocating, but by no means a condemnation of APRC nor
a praise-singing of the former leadership. I hate to do both because
of my vantage position. I have never licked the boots of PPP and I do
not intend to do that for any other. I have my conscience! Where is
yours? Even a grade 6 pupil back home will be at odds with what you
called a 'shift of gears'. The dearth of human resources within the
Gambia cannot be the creation of a two-year old regime; lack of
doctors, judges and what have you transcend politics. Even the
fiercest supporters of APRC couldn't complain about what I wrote, but
perhaps you have been deluded into an illusion that whenever a person
mentions the Gambia the AFPRC is under attack. Behold! 'Straight
Talk' is the new paradigm. Ride with the wave and save our country.
If you are looking for someone anti-APRC, look somewhere. I am not
available for trivial personal discourse. It sags my brain! Please,
have a second go at the postings in question and repent. Otherwise, I
will petition our President about how you can misunderstand even
written communication which can be read over and over for comprehension.
Am I clear?
Lonta!
Lamin Drammeh
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 31 Jan 1997 07:18:34 +0000
From: momodou.camara@post3.tele.dk (Camara, Momodou)
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: New member
Message-ID: <19970131061955.AAA14740@LOCALNAME>
Gambia-l,
Isatou Bojang has been added to the list and as a custom, we expect to
have an introduction from her. Welcome to the Gambia-l Isatou, please
send an introduction of yourself to the list.
Regards
Momodou Camara
*******************************************************
http://home3.inet.tele.dk/mcamara
**"Start by doing what's necessary, then what's
possible and suddenly you are doing the impossible"***
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 31 Jan 1997 07:18:34 +0000
From: momodou.camara@post3.tele.dk (Camara, Momodou)
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: (Fwd) IPS: AFRICA: New Figures Paint New
Message-ID: <19970131061955.AAB14740@LOCALNAME>
/* ---------- "IPS: AFRICA: New Figures Paint New" ---------- */
Copyright 1996 InterPress Service, all rights reserved.
Worldwide distribution via the APC networks.
*** 21-Jan-97 ***
Title: AFRICA: New Figures Paint New Privatisation Picture
By Darius Bazargan
LONDON, Jan 21 (IPS) - New studies suggest that some views of
privatisation of state enterprises in sub-Saharan Africa may have
been based on out-of-date data that obscures much higher levels of
privatisation since the early 1990s.
In those African countries where state owned business dominates
the formal economy, comprehensive privatisation programmes are seen
by the World Bank and the IMF as key to the development of a strong
private sector -- itself the medium-to-long term objective of the
structural adjustment programmes set by the two across Africa.
''A lot of these companies could be operating at a profit,'' Eric
Chinje, World Bank External Affairs officer for Africa, told IPS
from Washington, ''so evidently there is a direct connection
between state management of these companies and their potential, or
lack of it, for making a profit.''
Until this year most privatisation studies in Africa had been
based on two World Bank data sets, the second of which --
'Privatisation and Foreign Investment in the Developing World 1988-
92, World Bank Staff Working Paper 1202 -- revealed a story of
slow, often faltering privatisations, with only 172 transactions
listed.
Both reports concentrated on only a handful of countries, namely
Cote d'Ivoire, Gambia, Guinea, Niger, Togo and Uganda in the first
instance, and Ghana, Mozambique and Nigeria in the second.
Now new World Bank statistics -- 'A Summary of Privatisation of
Public Enterprise : African Development Indicators, 1996' -- which
lists some 1,019 sales to the end of last year, paint a busier
picture.
''One of the problems is that, until last year, some countries,
such as Madagascar, were just not included in their (the Bank's)
data set at all,'' analyst Paul Bennell told IPS from Harare.
A fellow at Sussex University's Institute for Development Studies
Bennell is the author of a new study -- 'IDS Working Paper 41,
Privatisation in Sub-Saharan Africa: Progress and Prospects for the
1990s.' This study found a total of 1,165 transactions up until mid-
1996.
''When you look in detail at a particular country there are quite
a number of transactions that are not included by the World Bank.
It's both missing countries and missing data in countries that are
covered,'' he says.
In Mozambique, for example, the IDS study found that the total
number of sales transactions between 1980 and mid-1996 was 647.
Even discounting the large number of very small privatisations --
the Bank's African privatisation data only includes transactions
valued at 50,000 dollars or more -- this figure was nearly double
the Bank's final 1996 figure for the country of 394.
Africa's experience of privatising state business has been varied.
and in a global context, meagre. Though IDS figures for 1980-1995
African privatisations may exceed past Bank estimates, at 2.73
billion dollars between 1988-1995, sub-Saharan African
privatisation adds up to just one percent of the value of all such
divestitures worldwide.
''In some (African) countries it's very far ahead and in others
it's quite slow,'' says Michael Power, Director of Institutional
Group Affairs for Africa and the Middle East at Barings Asset
Management, whose 'Simba' fund has invested 30 million dollars on
the continent.
''In places like Mozambique, Uganda and Zaire, they have been
fairly radical in terms of their privatisation campaigns and have
got things going.''
On the other hand, adds Christina Quattek, an Africa specialist at
the Economist Intelligence Unit, there are quite a number that only
paid lip service to privatisation. ''In Zimbabwe the process hasn't
actually advanced that much, whereas in Ghana over the last few
years there have been progressive steps taken towards privatisation
and commercialisation.''
''Most firms have been incredibly badly managed under the state
sector for the past 20 to 30 years,'' says Francis Beddington of
Britain's Overseas Development Administration. ''A lot of these
institutions are a heavy drain on government resources that could
be better used for health, education and so on.''
The IDS Working Paper defines three groups of countries in Sub-
Saharan Africa. 'Major' privatisers include Benin, Guinea and Mali.
'Modest' privatisers, where typically less than 10 percent of the
total value of public assets has been divested include Burkina
Faso, Cote d'Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal and
Togo in West Africa, and Kenya, Madagascar, Mozambique, Tanzania,
Uganda and Zambia in East and Central Africa.
The rest, some 25 other African nations, are dubbed 'minimal and
non-privatisers'.
Of the 1,165 privatisation deals -- including 895 outright sales
and 168 liquidations -- in 32 African countries by mid 1996, more
than half were in the manufacturing sector. Agriculture, finance,
hotels and tourism, and trade accounted for a further 27.7 percent.
The largest state enterprises, mainly utilities, mining and
transport enterprises, have generally remained untouched, however.
The obstacles are generally assumed to be political. ''If you are
restructuring or privatising the tendency is to initially lay
people off until these companies become profitable again.'' says
Chinje.
''At a time of general macroeconomic reforms the idea of putting
people on the streets is a politically sensitive one.''
But Bennell argues that progress against national targets has been
poor in most countries even though political opposition is said by
some, not to be the factor it once was.
''Political opposition to the handing over of strategic
industries, possibly to foreign ownership is far less of an issue
compared to the late 1980s,'' says Bennell.
''In countries like Tanzania and Zambia there are concerns about
indigenous people having the resources to buy these enterprises,
but when it comes to the crunch the governments haven't objected to
local white and Asian capital buying these enterprises off, or the
limited involvement of foreign companies in very big enterprises.''
In Uganda over half of all privatised enterprises have been
repossessions by their mainly Asian former owners. ''Uganda has
been preparing state owned banks (for sale),'' notes Quattek -- it
has been a drawn out process to prepare them for privatisation
because of the large amount of bad debt that the banks had. But I
think it will go ahead in the next year. I do see it picking up.''
''There will be a couple of big privatisations in places like
Kenya,'' adds Power. ''These are the ones I tend to look at because
there is a stock market to back them up. Countries where there
aren't stock markets; Mozambique, Tanzania, Uganda and places like
that have seen privatisations continuing fairly quickly too. There
will be a couple of newcomers, Malawi will join the game as well.''
Bennell maintains that the privatisation process will accelerate
throughout 1997 and beyond. ''My view is that in five to seven
years time most of these state run enterprises will have gone.
''Ten years ago the key question for most governments in Sub-
Saharan Africa was why they should privatise, now they are
primarily concerned with how privatisation programmes can be
designed and implemented most effectively.''
But the question that remains, notes Kevin Watkins of Oxfam's
Policy Unit, it whether African privatisation is being safely
pursued.
''I think the problem in a lot of contexts is that privatisation
has become a euphemism for the creation of a private sector
monopoly,'' Watkins says. ''This doesn't necessarily address many
of the problems it was supposed to.
''For public utilities, like water distribution, the case for
public ownership is very strong. The problem has been that donors
and the World bank have pursued this agenda in a very ideologically
driven way without concern for looking at the specific
circumstances of particular industries.''
Watkins cites the case of Zambia where there was a strong case for
increasing private sector equity in the copper mining industry, but
a much weaker one for privatising the grain marketing board.
''We are not saying there shouldn't be a private sector
involvement in grain marketing,'' he says.
''But where you have a very large segment of the population that
depends on public facilities in order to get access to markets, and
in which the private sector might not wish to operate because it's
not profitable, then there is clearly a tension between the pursuit
of private sector profit and the public good.
''In a lot of these sectors words like 'profit' and 'loss' are
somewhat dubious.'' (END/IPS/DB/RJ/97)
Origin: Amsterdam/AFRICA/
----
[c] 1996, InterPress Third World News Agency (IPS)
All rights reserved
*******************************************************
http://home3.inet.tele.dk/mcamara
**"Start by doing what's necessary, then what's
possible and suddenly you are doing the impossible"***
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 31 Jan 1997 07:18:33 +0000
From: momodou.camara@post3.tele.dk (Camara, Momodou)
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: (Fwd) IPS: AFRICA: African World Bank And
Message-ID: <19970131061955.AAC14740@LOCALNAME>
/* ---------- "IPS: AFRICA: African World Bank And" ---------- */
Copyright 1996 InterPress Service, all rights reserved.
Worldwide distribution via the APC networks.
*** 17-Jan-97 ***
Title: AFRICA: African World Bank And IMF Governors Urge New Approach
By Angeline Oyog
PARIS, Jan 17 (IPS) -- Long used to being told what to do, top
representatives of African countries to the World Bank and the
International Monetary Fund (IMF) are taking the front seat to
define by themselves their development goals and priorities.
In a three-day meeting in Paris which ended Friday, Bank and IMF
governors met from Africa with donors to discuss an initiative to
rely on African resources in building up the capacities of their
institutions.
''Many things have been done to boost Africa's capabilities, by
the World Bank or others. But we have noted that these efforts have
not been successful,'' said Marcel Doupamby-Matoka, Finance and
Economic Minister of Gabon and president of the African group.
''When the question was raised in 1995, we said that the analysis
must come from the Africans themselves. The heart of the problem
is, Africans must define their own needs. We don't want development
at any price,'' said Matoka.
The African Ministers came to Paris armed with the conclusions of
the working group tasked with studying the impact of World Bank
policies and programmes in improving the capacities of African
institutions.
The report was presented to the donors this week, after being
submitted to World Bank President James Wolfensohn last October in
time for the annual meetings in Washington.
The report proposes organising a consultative group that would
include African representatives and donors whose mission is to see
through this changing relationship between Africans and donors, to
collect information and criticise and correct what they see as
wrong.
Sharpening Africa's capacities lies at the heart of its
development, the report concludes. It means developing its human
resources, reforming its public institutions and improving
procedures and systems.
Africa recognises that if it does not develop its capacities, it
may never be able to overcome the enormous social and economic
difficulties it is facing. It must be able to manage its own
resources, plan and execute its own reform programmes, develop its
personnel through education and training and provide essential
social services.
It is Africans, however, and individual countries who must take
charge of reinforcing their capacities. While the different
countries share common points, the aptitudes of their people and
the level of competence of their institutions vary from country to
country.
To be able to reinforce their capacities, African countries must
set down ''good'' government practices and give weight to
transparency and responsibility. They must also professionalise and
de-politicise public service, upgrade the personnel's competences
and change the system of recruitment and promotion.
They must likewise evaluate the needs, the levels of competence
and the weaknesses and the strengths of their institutions.
While acknowledging the efforts of the Bank to beef up their
capacities, African countries put the blame on its failures on
inappropriate practices and approaches.
The Bank, the report pointed out, has invested a lot in capacity-
building in Africa but has often complained about how their
clients' lack of competence has compromised its work.
According to a Bank study, only 28 percent of the institutional
capacity-building projects financed by the Bank's Africa region met
their objectives.
In Africa's eyes, the Bank's failed efforts can be explained by a
narrow interpretation of capacity-building, resulting in limited
activities and incoherent policies. Programmes to reform the public
service have also been badly conceived. It has also neglected the
importance of higher education.
After an investigation, the Bank's borrowers feel that it has
burdened them with bureaucratic requirements without taking note of
the African administrations' capacities. The Bank, they feel, has
also favoured foreign technical assistance and dismissed local
expertise.
To compensate Africa's lack of capacities, the Bank, they feel,
has tended to take charge of defining the policies, and in the
conception and execution of projects. As a consequence, it has let
go of occasions of developing Africa's competences and using its
own resources. (END/IPS/AO/MOM/RJ/97)
Origin: Amsterdam/AFRICA/
----
[c] 1996, InterPress Third World News Agency (IPS)
All rights reserved
*******************************************************
http://home3.inet.tele.dk/mcamara
**"Start by doing what's necessary, then what's
possible and suddenly you are doing the impossible"***
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 31 Jan 1997 01:30:59 -0600
From: Greg Fegan <gfegan@mailhost.tcs.tulane.edu>
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: A parable from NPR
Message-ID: <2.2.32.19970131073059.0068d8dc@mailhost.tcs.tulane.edu>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Gambia-L'ers,
I have been lurking on this list since I subscribed some 10 days ago. I
must confess that I have been somewhat distressed about the level of vitriol
that has been evident in the postings that I have read. Unfortunately, my
knowledge of the socio-economic and political situation is not as informed
as I'd like it to be and I hoped that this list would help me become more au
fait with matters Gambian. Unfortunately, IMHO there has been more heat
than light.
This situation came to mind whilst I was listening to a program on the US
National Public Radio. The report concerned an argument between developers
and environmentalist over Lake Tahoe, a famed natural beauty spot in the
western united states. Following an earlier court case the judge, wisely in
my opinion, made a condition of the settlement that the two parties should
hold meetings together and concentrate on points of consensus rather than
conflict. This they did and through this process out of approximately 25
outstanding issues they managed to concur and develop strategies for about
17 of them. There were still some issues that the two parties involved were
at odds with but they had managed to make progress on many fronts that they
had not previously known about. As many of you know who are based here in
the states, the passions involved over environmental issues are often
greatly inflamed. However, this process of consensus building enabled
resolution of many problems that previously seemed intractable.
Surely, the motivating factor for belonging to such a list as this, is that
there is a love of homeland or affection of a place once lived, as in my
case, that engenders a heartfelt desire for a better future for Gambia.
Thus when someone posts good discussion points be it about education or
health or politics shouldn't we try and focus on these kind of issues where
we can strive for a consensus that may help the future prosperity and well
being of the citizens of Gambia. Obviously mistakes have been made in the
past and they will be made in the future, and they should be noted; but
isn't the point that something should be learned from such things.
I for one do not learn well when all I hear is noise.
Just my tuppence worth. :)
Greg
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------
TCS Liasion Officer (on leave until March 4th 1997)
Tulane School Of Public Health & Tropical Medicine Tel(504) 584 1759
Email: gfegan@mailhost.tcs.tulane.edu
WWW:http://studentweb.tulane.edu/~gfegan
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 31 Jan 1997 10:06:47 +0100
From: Abdou Gibba <Abdou.Gibba@smr.uib.no>
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Re: A parable from NPR
Message-ID: <2.2.32.19970131090647.006c52b4@alfred.uib.no>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Greg!
Thanks a lot for giving a fair and well elaborated judgement of the state of
affair on Gambia-l and/or within Gambians. It's always fruitful to be seeing
things from another angle. Its rather unfortunate that egotism dominates
most of individual opinion here; and so much sad that despite we all know
that without some consensus of opinion, progress is never achieved, we still
put self-interest ahead of national interest. I appreciate the fact that
self-interest is very human and is in every animal but it cannot and will
never be a prerequisite for nation building. Curbing such a mentality within
ourselves (Gambians) is yet another path within all other hard roads we
ought to walk through, before reaching the destination of progress, and for
someone to remind us of this is just an incredible gesture. Once again, Thanks!
PEACE!!
::)))Abdou Oujimai
At 01:30 31.01.97 -0600, you wrote:
>Gambia-L'ers,
>
>I have been lurking on this list since I subscribed some 10 days ago. I
>must confess that I have been somewhat distressed about the level of vitriol
>that has been evident in the postings that I have read. Unfortunately, my
>knowledge of the socio-economic and political situation is not as informed
>as I'd like it to be and I hoped that this list would help me become more au
>fait with matters Gambian. Unfortunately, IMHO there has been more heat
>than light.
>
>This situation came to mind whilst I was listening to a program on the US
>National Public Radio. The report concerned an argument between developers
>and environmentalist over Lake Tahoe, a famed natural beauty spot in the
>western united states. Following an earlier court case the judge, wisely in
>my opinion, made a condition of the settlement that the two parties should
>hold meetings together and concentrate on points of consensus rather than
>conflict. This they did and through this process out of approximately 25
>outstanding issues they managed to concur and develop strategies for about
>17 of them. There were still some issues that the two parties involved were
>at odds with but they had managed to make progress on many fronts that they
>had not previously known about. As many of you know who are based here in
>the states, the passions involved over environmental issues are often
>greatly inflamed. However, this process of consensus building enabled
>resolution of many problems that previously seemed intractable.
>
>Surely, the motivating factor for belonging to such a list as this, is that
>there is a love of homeland or affection of a place once lived, as in my
>case, that engenders a heartfelt desire for a better future for Gambia.
>Thus when someone posts good discussion points be it about education or
>health or politics shouldn't we try and focus on these kind of issues where
>we can strive for a consensus that may help the future prosperity and well
>being of the citizens of Gambia. Obviously mistakes have been made in the
>past and they will be made in the future, and they should be noted; but
>isn't the point that something should be learned from such things.
>
>I for one do not learn well when all I hear is noise.
>
>Just my tuppence worth. :)
>
>Greg
>----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>--------
>TCS Liasion Officer (on leave until March 4th 1997)
>Tulane School Of Public Health & Tropical Medicine Tel(504) 584 1759
>Email: gfegan@mailhost.tcs.tulane.edu
>WWW:http://studentweb.tulane.edu/~gfegan
>----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>--------
>
>
>
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 31 Jan 1997 04:25:45 -0500 (EST)
From: Mbk007@aol.com
To: Gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: DV-98 LOTTERY PROGRAM
Message-ID: <970131042544_1446899013@emout12.mail.aol.com>
Hello fellow members,
Thought you might be interested to know that
the final lottery program will be in effect on february third. This find
round is a month long, so make sure you send in your forms by the fifth of
March. The registration period will begin at noon on Monday, February 3,
1997. The forms should be available at your personnel office, or at any
immigration office. GOOD LUCK.
M.B. Krubally
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 31 Jan 1997 10:45:51 +0100 (MET)
From: Olafiaklinikken Olafia <olafia@online.no>
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Re: WHITE PAPER ON THE GAMBIA
Message-ID: <199701310945.KAA24091@online.no>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
Tombong, i read you "WHITE PAPER ON THE GAMBIA" and was not really happy
with the FACT SHEET. I would=B4t say it was badly but poorly written with=
many
facts left out. That means to say it would be an insufficient introduction
to foreigners. If i were you iwould have written it in this manner:
GEOGRAPHY: AFRICA
LOCATION: WEST AFRICA 13 DEGREES WEST, 16 DEGREES NORTH
CAPITAL: BANJUL
BOUNDARIES: NORTH, EAST, SOUTH BORDERED BY THE REPUBLIC OF
SENEGAL, AND WEST THE ATLANTIC OCEAN
AREA: 11,300 SQ. KM. (4,361 SQ MLS)
POPULATION: 1,2 MILLION
CURRENCY: DALASI
RESSOURCES: GROUNDNUTS, FISHRIES, PALM KERNELS
LANGUAGES: ENGLISH (official) TRIBAL LANGUAGES
RELIGIONS: ISLAM, CHRISTINIATY, ANNIMISM
ETHNIC GROUPS: MANDINKA, FULA, WOLLOF, JOLA, SERAHULLEH, MANJAGOS
INDEPENDENCE: 18. FEBRUARY 1965
1. REPUBLIC: JULY 1970, FIRST PRESIDENT SIR DAWDA K. JAWARA
2. REPUBLIC: 1996 PRESIDENT YAYA A.J.J. JAMMEH
NATIONAL ANTHEM: FOR THE GAMBIA
POLITICS: MULTI PARTY SYSTEM
FLAG: RED, BLUE, GREEN HORIZONTAL STRIPES, WITH NARROW
WHITE STRIPS EDGING THE BLUE
MEMEBER: UN, GATT, ECOWAS, COMMONWEALTH, IBRD, OAU, MUSLIM=
LEAGUE
SUFFRAGE: UNIVERSAL
GROWTH RATE: 3.25 % (1996)
INFLATION: 5 %
GNP: $ 740 MILLION (WHAT IS GDP)
PER CAPITA INCOME: $ 800
PEACE
OMAR. S. SAHO
=20
At 11:56 30.01.97 -0500, you wrote:
>GAMBIA-L,
>
>Below is a White Paper on The Gambia for your information.
>
>Tombong Saidy=20
>
>THE GAMBIA:
>
>THE SECOND REPUBLIC
>
>1997
>
>
>
>
>=20
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>A WHITE PAPER PRODUCED BY
>THE GOVERNMENT OF=20
>THE REPUBLIC OF THE GAMBIA
>
>
>FACT SHEET: THE SECOND REPUBLIC AT A GLANCE
>
>Geography: =20
>
>Location: In West Africa, bordering the Atlantic=
Ocean
> and both the banks of The Gambia
>river, =20
> surrounded on all three sides by
>Senegal. =20
>
>Area: 11,300 sq. km - the smallest country
>on=20
> in West Africa.
>People:
>
>Population: 1,200,000
>
>Ethnic Groups: Mandinka (42%), Fula (18%), Wolof (16%),
> =20
> Jola(10%), Serahulleh(9%)
>
>Religions: 85% Muslim, 12% Christian
>
>Languages: English (official), Mandinka, Wolof,
>Fula,=20
> Jola, and other indigenous
>languages
>Government:
>
>Type: The Second Republic of The Gambia
>(1996), =20
> after the Transitional
>Government(1994-96)
>Capital: Banjul
>Constitution: 1996
>Political Parties: 4 registered political parties, the largest
>of =20
> which are:
>n The Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and=20
> Construction(APRC)
>n United Democratic Party(UDP)
>
>Suffrage: Universal
>Economy: =20
>GDP: $740 million
>Growth Rate: 3.25% annually (1996 estimate)
>Inflation: 5%
>Per Capita Income: $800
>
>1=20
>
>The Gambia`s Transition to Democracy
>
>
>>From independence in 1965 until 1994, The Gambia was ruled by Sir Dawda
>Kairaba Jawara. During the Jawara years, The Gambia experienced political
>lethargy, economic stagnation and poverty. The Gambia began to decay in an
>environment of economic decadence, social collapse and moral bankruptcy.
> Although democratically-elected, the Jawara government was renown for=
being
>corrupt and inept. Jawara`s patronage ensured his constant election
>throughout his 30 years in power.
>
>In July 1994 a small group of army officers peacefully stood up to the
>patronage and corruption of President Jawara`s government. Jawara fled=
the
>country. Because the Jawara government was out of touch with the people,
>the Gambian people began to see that democracy must go hand in hand with
>transparency, accountability, equality and economic development. They
>understood that a democracy can not exist, under any circumstances, without
>sustainable economic, political and social advancement. The goal of these
>officers was to establish a responsive and responsible government that=
would
>provide effective leadership and stimulate the development of The Gambia.
>
>The Armed Forces Provisional Ruling Council (AFPRC) was formed to lead The
>Gambia through a transition period which would lead to the establishment of
>the Second Republic. In December of 1994, AFPRC Chairman Yahya A J J =
Jammeh
>established a National Consultative Committee (NCC) which was charged with
>conducting a nation-wide consultation with the Gambian people on the
>timetable for the transition. The Gambian people, through the NCC, voiced
>their preference for a two-year timetable instead of the four years
>originally envisioned by the AFPRC. The AFPRC accepted the recommendation=
of
>the NCC and presidential elections were scheduled for July 1996, although
>this was later pushed back to September 26 for organisational reasons.
>
>In preparation for the establishment of the Second Republic, a new
>constitution was drafted and, after thorough debates, review and amendments
>by all concerned citizens, was put before the Gambian people in a national
>referendum. With a voter turnout of about 83%, Gambians overwhelmingly=
voted
>to approve the new constitution on August 8, 1996. The new constitution
>provides for the separation of powers and establishes checks and balances
>among the various branches of government. Among other things, the
>constitution also lowered the voting age, guarantees the independence of=
the
>media, and protects the rights of women, children and the disabled.
>
>Candidates from four political parties competed in the presidential=
elections
>of September 26, 1996. Yahya Jammeh, the AFPRC Chairman who had recently
>retired from the military, received 56% of the vote while Mr. Ousainou
>Darboe, a prominent lawyer and Vice Chairman of the Gambia Bar Association,
>pulled 36% of the vote. The two remaining candidates shared the remaining
>votes and Gambians danced in the streets to celebrate the electoral victory
>of Jammeh, who had guided the country to a new era. President Jammeh was
>sworn in as the first President of the Second Republic of The Gambia on
>October 18, 1996.
>
>The final step to conclude The Gambia`s transition to democracy and the
>establishment of the Second Republic was the National Assembly elections.
> All four political parties competed in the parliamentary elections, which
>were held on January 2, 1997. The elections were peaceful and were=
observed
>by international monitor teams. President Jammeh`s party, the Alliance for
>Patriotic Reorientation and Construction, won 33 of the 45 seats while Mr.
>Darboe's United Democratic Party, won 7 seats. In addition to these elected
>legislators, President Jammeh then nominates another four, creating a total
>of 49 MPs. All four registered political parties are represented in the
>National Assembly with the UDP capturing 7 seats, NRP 2 seats, PDOIS 1=
seat
>and there are also 2 independent candidates(do not belong to any political
>party) who also won a seat each.
>
>The electoral campaigns for the presidency and the National Assembly were
>competitive and divided the country along partisan lines. President Jammeh
>has called upon all Gambians to put aside partisan differences and to unite
>for the good of the country. It is the dawn of a new era in The Gambia, an
>era of genuine democracy, accountability, transparency and probity.
>
>With the transition to democracy complete, President Jammeh has summarised
>his aspirations for the Second Republic: " to transform The Gambia into a
>financial centre, a tourist paradise, a trading, export-oriented=
agricultural
>and manufacturing nation, thriving on free-market policies and a vibrant
>private sector, sustained by a Well-educated, trained, skilled, healthy,
>self-reliant and enterprising population, and guaranteeing a well-balanced
>eco-system and a decent standard of living for one and all, under a system
>of government based on the consent of the citizenry". To accomplish this
>task, the Government of The Gambia, in collaboration with the private=
sector,
>has commenced the implementation of a comprehensive plan to transform the
>country socially, economically, and scientifically over the next quarter
>century. A cardinal aspect of this plan, christened VISION 2020, is its
>emphasis on the private sector as the engine of growth.
>
>With the transition to the second Republic completed, Gambians look
>optimistically to the future.
>
>
>Socio-Economic Development
>
>
>
>Beginning under the AFPRC and continuing under the Jammeh administration of
>the Second Republic, the socio-economic development of The Gambia has been
>given a high priority. During the 30 years of benign neglect under the
>Jawara regime, little emphasis was placed on the development and/or
>maintenance of The Gambia`s infrastructure. As a result, the country fell
>into decay.
>
>To compensate for decades of neglect, The Gambia has embarked on a
>multi-million dollar series of ambitious, far-reaching social-development
>projects which are of practical, every-day use to the Gambian people. Since
> mid-1994, the Gambian Government has expanded and improved the country=92s
>road network, including building numerous bridges, drainage ditches and
>pipelines; boosted the strength of the national radio station to cover the
>entire country; established the country=92s first television station;=
funded
>the construction of clinics and an up-country hospital(the first ever built
>by the Government since independence); opened over a dozen middle and high
>schools in the rural areas; renovated Banjul port; upgraded the facilities
>at the existing air port; and completed the construction of a new, modern
>international airport. The results have been impressive by any standard,=
but
>all the more so because they were accomplished without developmental aid by
>Western donor organisations.
>
>The Government has also completed beautification projects such as Arch 22,=
an
>impressive 115-foot monument welcoming tourists to The Gambia`s capital. =
The
>Arch, named after the July 22, 1994 coup, is dedicated to the liberation of
>the Gambian people from the corruption of the Jawara regime.
>
>President Jammeh also intends to found The Gambia`s first university. In=
the
>meantime, arrangements have been made with several Canadian institutions to
>develop a university extension program for Gambian students.=20
>
>As a developing country, The Gambia has welcomed any and all efforts by
>nations which are interested in contributing to its development. For=
example,
>The Gambia has welcomed the technical and medical assistance of doctors
>provided by Cuba, which also provide for other developing countries.=
Although
>there may be doctors just as skilled from other countries, the Cuban=
doctors
>are an affordable option for The Gambia=92s developmental budget. The=
Gambia is
>a non-aligned country and the developmental assistance which it receives is
>economically- rather than politically-motivated.
>
>The Gambia has a very liberal and investor-friendly economic policies. The
>economy has been opened to greater private sector participation and=
generous
>tax policies have been developed to achieve a simplified system for=
granting
>incentives to foreign investors. Foreign investors do not need Gambian
>partners in order to invest and there are no restriction in the=
repatriation
>of profit or capital as long as all required taxes are paid. The Gambia is
>the investment haven of Africa.
>
>
>Foreign Policy
>
>
>In an era of increasing interdependence among countries, no country can
>achieve any meaningful socio-economic development in isolation. At the=
same
>time, a country can not develop without peace and stability. Therefore,=
the
>foreign policy goals of the Second Republic of The Gambia will be to adopt=
a
>more pro-active stance in international affairs, with the aim of mobilising
>greater support for the country=92s development. The focal points of The
>Gambia`s foreign policy objectives stem not only from the desire to ensure
>national security, but extend to the realm of economic development
>assistance.
>
>The Gambia will continue to participate fully with global, regional, and
>sub-regional bodies in the implementation of programs and plans to enhance
>the insertion of our country in the international scene. Special attention
>will be given to increasing south-south co-operation and improving
>collaboration with The Gambia`s West African neighbours. As a member of=
the
>Economic community of West African States (ECOWAS), The Gambia will ensure
>its full compliance with ECOWAS protocols on the free movement of goods,
>capital and labour within the integrating markets of the sixteen ECOWAS
>member states.
>
>The Second Republic will also look for international donor organisations to
>provide assistance in developing The Gambia. In particular, The Second
>Republic hopes to be a trusted friend of the West. With the dissolution of
>the Armed forces Provisional Ruling Council and the establishment of the
>Second Republic, any apprehension that the West may have had about the=
state
>of democracy in The Gambia should be put to rest. The President and the
>legislators in the National Assembly are the directly elected=
representatives
>of the Gambian citizens. The Second Republic is a functioning, multiparty
>democracy which is responsive to the needs of its people.
>
>The Gambia is a responsible member of the international community and is
>actively engaged in promoting greater co-operation and understanding=
between
>nations. The Gambia is currently a member of United Nations and its
>principal organs, the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) and the British
>Commonwealth of Nations, among other entities. The Second Republic will
>ensure that The Gambia continues to participate in peace-making,
>peace-keeping and peace-enforcement operations on the African continent as
>well as elsewhere in the world.
>
>
> Human Rights Policies in The Gambia
>
>
>The most essential human rights are the necessities of existence - food,
>shelter, education, medical care, clean water, work and the opportunity to
>live and develop in a free society and in peace and dignity. The Second
>Republic pledges to work assiduously towards making these rights accessible
>to all Gambians.
>
>Chapter IV of The Gambia`s Constitution of 1996 upholds and enshrines these
>human rights and fundamental freedoms, particularly the rights to life,
>personal liberty and property, and freedom of speech, association,=
assembly,
>movement, privacy, equality before the law and freedom of the press.
>
>At the same time Gambians of all backgrounds can proudly look back at a
>common background of tolerance and peaceful co-existence. Gambians=
recognise
>that rights and freedoms are not absolute. Instead, they are accompanied=
by
>the notion of social responsibility. Gambians know where one=92s rights=
end
>and where an other=92s rights begin.
>
>The Gambian population is a mix of many ethnic groups with a rich and=
diverse
>culture coupled with different religious affiliations. In contrast with=
many
>African nations, a high degree of religious and ethnic tolerance exists in
>The Gambia. The inter-marriage between people of difference religious and
>cultural identities are common.
>
>Religious tolerance is also practised in The Gambia. Although Islam is the
>predominant religion, the country is a secular state with the citizenry
>manifesting respect for each other's cultural, religious and traditional
>values. The high level of cultural and religious tolerance continues to
>provide a sound basis for the peaceful coexistence of the Gambian people.
> =20
>
>
>
>
>To receive more information about
>tourism, investment opportunities, and doing business in The Gambia,
>visit The Gambia Web Page:http// www.gambia.com ; call or write to:
>
>Department of Communication and Public Affairs
>Ministry of External Affairs
>Banjul, The Gambia
>West Africa.
>Tel: (220) 225-654, Fax: (220) 223-578
>
>
>
>
> ********
> =20
>
>
>
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 31 Jan 1996 14:47:08 +0300
From: BASS KOLLEH DRAMMEH <KOLLS567@QATAR.NET.QA>
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Re: A parable from NPR
Message-ID: <310F56BC.6FB7@QATAR.NET.QA>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
Greg Fegan wrote:
>=20
> Gambia-L'ers,
>=20
> I have been lurking on this list since I subscribed some 10 days ago. =
I
> must confess that I have been somewhat distressed about the level of vi=
triol
> that has been evident in the postings that I have read. Unfortunately,=
my
> knowledge of the socio-economic and political situation is not as infor=
med
> as I'd like it to be and I hoped that this list would help me become mo=
re au
> fait with matters Gambian. Unfortunately, IMHO there has been more hea=
t
> than light.
>=20
> This situation came to mind whilst I was listening to a program on the =
US
> National Public Radio. The report concerned an argument between develop=
ers
> and environmentalist over Lake Tahoe, a famed natural beauty spot in th=
e
> western united states. Following an earlier court case the judge, wise=
ly in
> my opinion, made a condition of the settlement that the two parties sho=
uld
> hold meetings together and concentrate on points of consensus rather th=
an
> conflict. This they did and through this process out of approximately =
25
> outstanding issues they managed to concur and develop strategies for ab=
out
> 17 of them. There were still some issues that the two parties involved=
were
> at odds with but they had managed to make progress on many fronts that =
they
> had not previously known about. As many of you know who are based here=
in
> the states, the passions involved over environmental issues are often
> greatly inflamed. However, this process of consensus building enabled
> resolution of many problems that previously seemed intractable.
>=20
> Surely, the motivating factor for belonging to such a list as this, is =
that
> there is a love of homeland or affection of a place once lived, as in m=
y
> case, that engenders a heartfelt desire for a better future for Gambia.
> Thus when someone posts good discussion points be it about education or
> health or politics shouldn't we try and focus on these kind of issues w=
here
> we can strive for a consensus that may help the future prosperity and w=
ell
> being of the citizens of Gambia. Obviously mistakes have been made in =
the
> past and they will be made in the future, and they should be noted; but
> isn't the point that something should be learned from such things.
>=20
> I for one do not learn well when all I hear is noise.
>=20
> Just my tuppence worth. :)
>=20
> Greg
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------=
-----
> --------
> TCS Liasion Officer (on leave until March 4th 1997)
> Tulane School Of Public Health & Tropical Medicine Tel(504=
) 584 1759
> Email: gfegan@mailhost.tcs.tulane.edu
> WWW:http://studentweb.tulane.edu/~gfegan
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------=
-----
> --------
Greg!!
That was GREAT! We have always wanted,needed and appreciated such
powerful neutral voices like yours around here.I hope all of us would
listen to you and people like you when something flares up again.
KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK DOWN THERE!!
Regards Bassss!!
--=20
SZDD=88=F0'3Af=A8=03
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 31 Jan 1997 17:46:28 +0100
From: =?iso-8859-1?Q?Asbj=F8rn_Nordam?= <asbjorn.nordam@dif.dk>
To: "'gambia'" <gambia-l@u.washington.edu>
Subject: a parable from NPR and education
Message-ID: <c=DK%a=_%p=DIF%l=DKDIFS02-970131164628Z-616@dkdifs02.dif.dk>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
Friends, I=B4m sorry to say that my employer Danish Sports Federation =
had
a computor-breakdown, so for 5 days I lost connection, just after my
first and only message here. Therefor I=B4 ve not seen the comments to =
it,
if there were any.
On the debate Jammeh contra Jawara it seems to me, that some of you have
a very high idealistic standard of the intellectual level of the person,
you should accept should be worthy of president of your country or even
a cabinet member. He or she should be well educated, have high knowledge
in business, international affairs, and you clame very high moral
standards. Who are we to judge ? In principle every man or woman in the
country should be able to receive the privilege being elected president
or cabinet- or parliament-member.
Personnally I agree what Greg Fegan just said. All of you and all the
gambians, who I over 17 years have come to know, are motivated of this
love for the homeland. When you criticise your leaders, it=B4s because =
you
have that deeply wish for a better future for the country, the people,
your families and friends. That is also what force me.
I often ask my gambian friends: "all of you, who more or less are
experts in different fields, sitting all over the world, having many
influent colleques and friends, what will you personally do to help your
country and your people (not only your family) ?" And I could go further
and ask all of you, who have acces to this Gambia-L: "What should be
your first-second- and third advise or priority to do right now, if you
yourself sad in the cabinet, parliament, ministries ?" And "do you dare
to lift a small lab of your future personal plans on returning back
home, what will you do there ?" "Are you prepared to sacrify more than
you do allready and had done up till now in your life ?"
You are allowed to involve me or advice me, my country, EU, the west
etc. Please, what should we do ?"
I know from your own introductions or I can see from your adresses, that
many of you are "specialists". Where should we start ? The main targets,
and let=B4s look for some kind of consensus.
Those of you who found time to read my first comment, will know that I
give education high priority. There has been a short dicussion, and my
comments should be:
My first surprise of the educational system in The Gambia was not the
lack of facilities, og materials, but the fact, taht the
teaching-laguage was a foreign one, english. In Denmark we would never
teach small children, who come eager to learn, to be educated, in
german, english or french (all laluguages familiar to our own). If I
should compare to what a gambian child must feel, it should be if a
danish 5-6 year old child was taught in mandinka. All my gambian friends
have tried to convince me of all the positive facts and results on that.
But I still can not from a pedagogical point of view see the advantage.
=20
Next is school-fees. I can and will never accept that basic learning
should be payed for. That is a human right, and knowledge is the only
way out and up.The school-reform 3 or 4 years back was not to the
benefit of the gambian youth. It=B4s important to keep the youth in
connexion to some schooling. But I think that there should be more
practical training/work for the eldest school-children. Some could
learn mecanics/engineering and be responsible for the mashines at the
school and in the village. They should be supervised by that man (men)
in the village, who do this things. Build the practical education on the
knowledge of their parents, also to involve them and make them feel that
it=B4s impotant, that their children still go to school. Some children
should learn electronics and run the installations, again supervised by
someone from the village. A computor put up could be the connection
inside Gambia but also world wide. Some should exercise the
music-traditions, the drama, dance, and some do radion/tv-transmissions,
so the village could be entertained by youth, and the respect of the
culture maintained. Some make the local newsletter, set up films etc.
Some help putting up wires, digg pipes for water-supply, soem work in
the fields, farming, fishing etc. Some are taught health and do
clinic-work. And so on. Maybe I=B4m a dreamer.=20
How can we solve the problems getting enough buildings, materials and
teachers, who have salaries they can live for ? How much will it cost ?
Can any of you tell me something about it ? Those of you who know
anything could maybe put up a 5 or 10 years plan of action.
How many of you could, when you returned one day, come together in
groups and by mutual agreements and maybe by financial supports from
your foreign friends and colleques, start to build up gambian
institutes, where you give lessons to young gambians, so they don=B4t =
have
to get abroad for further education ? Just a suggestion. Or what about
local night-schools for adults ? And I know how popular the library set
up by foreigners f.in. in SereKunda is for the youngsters.
My first inside view of a school was many years back in Kartong. And I
payed visits to Yundum Teacher Training College (now police-camp) in
early 80=B4es And I went home very worried. I=B4ve seen young boys after
they left school, go up the river to serve as non-qualified teachers in
primary-schools. And I didn=B4t envy them, but I admired their entusiasm
and have deep respect for their decision to go and serve that way. Today
I have a special friend, who is teaching at Gambia College, and I=B4ve
seen the facilities there. I=B4ve supported some young gambians studying
at GTTI, and I visit that intitution as well. But again I=B4m very
frustrated. Lack of qualified teachers. If they are lucky, there will
maybe come someone lecturer from Ghana.
To me education is in the long term the best way to develop. All of you
know someone, who has the potential, who is so brillant in school, and
never get the possibility to get further. That is waste of people. It
does not mean, that you can expect a job is waiting for you, when you
finish your studies. There is no garantee on that. And many of us, also
in the West, where the possibilities are 100-times better than in The
Gambia, become frustrated after studying, and then being unemployed. But
we get a chance. And all children and youth all over the world should be
given a chance. I blame all regimes, all governments who by bad planning
(purposely og unconscious) keep people out of education.=20
Asbj=F8rn Nordam
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 31 Jan 1997 11:58:20 -0500
From: Ceesay Soffie <Ceesay_Soffie@ems.prc.com>
To: "'GAMBIA-L@U.WASHINGTON.EDU'" <GAMBIA-L@U.WASHINGTON.EDU>
Subject: CONTRIBUTIONS
Message-ID: <c=US%a=_%p=PRC%l=CRY1-970131165820Z-36852@mcl2.prc.com>
Dear All:
I was notified of a murder of a 23 year old Gambian woman in New York.
She lived in the Washington, DC area and was in New York to buy supplies
for a salon she was getting ready to open. The body is to be taken to
Gambia after the police release it.
IF YOU CAN, PLEASE SEND A CONTRIBUTION TOWARD TAKING THE BODY HOME. FOR
NOW, IT CAN BE SENT TO - SOFFIE CEESAY, 8660 PINEY BRANCH ROAD, 204,
SILVER SPRING, MD 20901. Once her brother gets back, I will ask for his
address so that the contributions can be sent there. Thank you!
V/R,
Soffie
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 31 Jan 1997 12:56:16 -0500 (EST)
From: ABDOU <at137@columbia.edu>
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Forwarding Omar Mbai's intro.
Message-ID: <Pine.SUN.3.95L.970131125530.28394F-100000@terve.cc.columbia.edu>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
Dear Gambia-L,
My name is OMAR F. M'BAI . I am a law student
currently studying at the BAR OF ENGLAND AND WALES
where I hope to qualify as a Barrister in the summer of this year .
I have learnt from my Gambian colleague at Bar School , Mr.
Edrissa sissoho , that to be a member of this elusive organisation,
one has to apply through e-mail which exactly what I am doing .
I hope that my application will be approved. Thank you and
represent.
Secondly, about the perpetual problems in our beloved Country the
Gambia, I personally believe and I'm sure you'll acquisce with me
that we fellow Gambians don't know the importance of one very
significant WORD------------ THE TRUTH!!!!!!
This is what I have to say about the TRUTH.
GOOD IN CONFORMITY WITH TRUTH IS JUSTICE
JUSTICE IS THE PRACTICE OF REASON
REASON IS THE WORD OF REALITY
REALITY IS THE SCIENCE OF TRUTH
TRUTH IS THE IDENTITY OF IDEA AND BEING.
I believethe soonerthe
brothers and sisters become aware of this definition
the better. Thank you.
O.F. M'BAI
LONDON.
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 31 Jan 1997 10:01:57 -0800
From: sarian@osmosys.incog.com (Sarian Loum)
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Re: WHITE PAPER ON THE GAMBIA
Message-ID: <199701311801.KAA28689@thesky.incog.com>
Hi,
Since you asked what GDP is, its "Gross Domestic Product".
Sarian
> From olafia@online.no Fri Jan 31 01:48:11 1997
> Date: Fri, 31 Jan 1997 10:45:51 +0100 (MET)
> From: Olafiaklinikken Olafia <olafia@online.no>
> To: "GAMBIA-L: The Gambia and Related Issues Mailing List" <gambia-l@u.washington.edu>
> Subject: Re: WHITE PAPER ON THE GAMBIA
> Mime-Version: 1.0
> Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
> X-Authentication-Warning: pilt.online.no: Host oslo704.online.no [148.122.225.100] didn't use HELO protocol
> X-Sender: olafia@online.no (Unverified)
> X-Listprocessor-Version: 8.1 beta -- ListProcessor(tm) by CREN
>
> Tombong, i read you "WHITE PAPER ON THE GAMBIA" and was not really happy
> with the FACT SHEET. I would´t say it was badly but poorly written with many
> facts left out. That means to say it would be an insufficient introduction
> to foreigners. If i were you iwould have written it in this manner:
>
> GEOGRAPHY: AFRICA
>
> LOCATION: WEST AFRICA 13 DEGREES WEST, 16 DEGREES NORTH
>
> CAPITAL: BANJUL
>
> BOUNDARIES: NORTH, EAST, SOUTH BORDERED BY THE REPUBLIC OF
> SENEGAL, AND WEST THE ATLANTIC OCEAN
>
> AREA: 11,300 SQ. KM. (4,361 SQ MLS)
>
> POPULATION: 1,2 MILLION
>
> CURRENCY: DALASI
>
> RESSOURCES: GROUNDNUTS, FISHRIES, PALM KERNELS
>
> LANGUAGES: ENGLISH (official) TRIBAL LANGUAGES
>
> RELIGIONS: ISLAM, CHRISTINIATY, ANNIMISM
>
> ETHNIC GROUPS: MANDINKA, FULA, WOLLOF, JOLA, SERAHULLEH, MANJAGOS
>
> INDEPENDENCE: 18. FEBRUARY 1965
>
> 1. REPUBLIC: JULY 1970, FIRST PRESIDENT SIR DAWDA K. JAWARA
>
> 2. REPUBLIC: 1996 PRESIDENT YAYA A.J.J. JAMMEH
>
> NATIONAL ANTHEM: FOR THE GAMBIA
>
> POLITICS: MULTI PARTY SYSTEM
>
> FLAG: RED, BLUE, GREEN HORIZONTAL STRIPES, WITH NARROW
> WHITE STRIPS EDGING THE BLUE
>
> MEMEBER: UN, GATT, ECOWAS, COMMONWEALTH, IBRD, OAU, MUSLIM LEAGUE
>
> SUFFRAGE: UNIVERSAL
>
> GROWTH RATE: 3.25 % (1996)
>
> INFLATION: 5 %
>
> GNP: $ 740 MILLION (WHAT IS GDP)
>
> PER CAPITA INCOME: $ 800
>
> PEACE
>
> OMAR. S. SAHO
>
>
> At 11:56 30.01.97 -0500, you wrote:
> >GAMBIA-L,
> >
> >Below is a White Paper on The Gambia for your information.
> >
> >Tombong Saidy
> >
> >THE GAMBIA:
> >
> >THE SECOND REPUBLIC
> >
> >1997
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >A WHITE PAPER PRODUCED BY
> >THE GOVERNMENT OF
> >THE REPUBLIC OF THE GAMBIA
> >
> >
> >FACT SHEET: THE SECOND REPUBLIC AT A GLANCE
> >
> >Geography:
> >
> >Location: In West Africa, bordering the Atlantic Ocean
> > and both the banks of The Gambia
> >river,
> > surrounded on all three sides by
> >Senegal.
> >
> >Area: 11,300 sq. km - the smallest country
> >on
> > in West Africa.
> >People:
> >
> >Population: 1,200,000
> >
> >Ethnic Groups: Mandinka (42%), Fula (18%), Wolof (16%),
> >
> > Jola(10%), Serahulleh(9%)
> >
> >Religions: 85% Muslim, 12% Christian
> >
> >Languages: English (official), Mandinka, Wolof,
> >Fula,
> > Jola, and other indigenous
> >languages
> >Government:
> >
> >Type: The Second Republic of The Gambia
> >(1996),
> > after the Transitional
> >Government(1994-96)
> >Capital: Banjul
> >Constitution: 1996
> >Political Parties: 4 registered political parties, the largest
> >of
> > which are:
> >n The Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and
> > Construction(APRC)
> >n United Democratic Party(UDP)
> >
> >Suffrage: Universal
> >Economy:
> >GDP: $740 million
> >Growth Rate: 3.25% annually (1996 estimate)
> >Inflation: 5%
> >Per Capita Income: $800
> >
> >1
> >
> >The Gambia`s Transition to Democracy
> >
> >
> >>From independence in 1965 until 1994, The Gambia was ruled by Sir Dawda
> >Kairaba Jawara. During the Jawara years, The Gambia experienced political
> >lethargy, economic stagnation and poverty. The Gambia began to decay in an
> >environment of economic decadence, social collapse and moral bankruptcy.
> > Although democratically-elected, the Jawara government was renown for being
> >corrupt and inept. Jawara`s patronage ensured his constant election
> >throughout his 30 years in power.
> >
> >In July 1994 a small group of army officers peacefully stood up to the
> >patronage and corruption of President Jawara`s government. Jawara fled the
> >country. Because the Jawara government was out of touch with the people,
> >the Gambian people began to see that democracy must go hand in hand with
> >transparency, accountability, equality and economic development. They
> >understood that a democracy can not exist, under any circumstances, without
> >sustainable economic, political and social advancement. The goal of these
> >officers was to establish a responsive and responsible government that would
> >provide effective leadership and stimulate the development of The Gambia.
> >
> >The Armed Forces Provisional Ruling Council (AFPRC) was formed to lead The
> >Gambia through a transition period which would lead to the establishment of
> >the Second Republic. In December of 1994, AFPRC Chairman Yahya A J J Jammeh
> >established a National Consultative Committee (NCC) which was charged with
> >conducting a nation-wide consultation with the Gambian people on the
> >timetable for the transition. The Gambian people, through the NCC, voiced
> >their preference for a two-year timetable instead of the four years
> >originally envisioned by the AFPRC. The AFPRC accepted the recommendation of
> >the NCC and presidential elections were scheduled for July 1996, although
> >this was later pushed back to September 26 for organisational reasons.
> >
> >In preparation for the establishment of the Second Republic, a new
> >constitution was drafted and, after thorough debates, review and amendments
> >by all concerned citizens, was put before the Gambian people in a national
> >referendum. With a voter turnout of about 83%, Gambians overwhelmingly voted
> >to approve the new constitution on August 8, 1996. The new constitution
> >provides for the separation of powers and establishes checks and balances
> >among the various branches of government. Among other things, the
> >constitution also lowered the voting age, guarantees the independence of the
> >media, and protects the rights of women, children and the disabled.
> >
> >Candidates from four political parties competed in the presidential elections
> >of September 26, 1996. Yahya Jammeh, the AFPRC Chairman who had recently
> >retired from the military, received 56% of the vote while Mr. Ousainou
> >Darboe, a prominent lawyer and Vice Chairman of the Gambia Bar Association,
> >pulled 36% of the vote. The two remaining candidates shared the remaining
> >votes and Gambians danced in the streets to celebrate the electoral victory
> >of Jammeh, who had guided the country to a new era. President Jammeh was
> >sworn in as the first President of the Second Republic of The Gambia on
> >October 18, 1996.
> >
> >The final step to conclude The Gambia`s transition to democracy and the
> >establishment of the Second Republic was the National Assembly elections.
> > All four political parties competed in the parliamentary elections, which
> >were held on January 2, 1997. The elections were peaceful and were observed
> >by international monitor teams. President Jammeh`s party, the Alliance for
> >Patriotic Reorientation and Construction, won 33 of the 45 seats while Mr.
> >Darboe's United Democratic Party, won 7 seats. In addition to these elected
> >legislators, President Jammeh then nominates another four, creating a total
> >of 49 MPs. All four registered political parties are represented in the
> >National Assembly with the UDP capturing 7 seats, NRP 2 seats, PDOIS 1 seat
> >and there are also 2 independent candidates(do not belong to any political
> >party) who also won a seat each.
> >
> >The electoral campaigns for the presidency and the National Assembly were
> >competitive and divided the country along partisan lines. President Jammeh
> >has called upon all Gambians to put aside partisan differences and to unite
> >for the good of the country. It is the dawn of a new era in The Gambia, an
> >era of genuine democracy, accountability, transparency and probity.
> >
> >With the transition to democracy complete, President Jammeh has summarised
> >his aspirations for the Second Republic: " to transform The Gambia into a
> >financial centre, a tourist paradise, a trading, export-oriented agricultural
> >and manufacturing nation, thriving on free-market policies and a vibrant
> >private sector, sustained by a Well-educated, trained, skilled, healthy,
> >self-reliant and enterprising population, and guaranteeing a well-balanced
> >eco-system and a decent standard of living for one and all, under a system
> >of government based on the consent of the citizenry". To accomplish this
> >task, the Government of The Gambia, in collaboration with the private sector,
> >has commenced the implementation of a comprehensive plan to transform the
> >country socially, economically, and scientifically over the next quarter
> >century. A cardinal aspect of this plan, christened VISION 2020, is its
> >emphasis on the private sector as the engine of growth.
> >
> >With the transition to the second Republic completed, Gambians look
> >optimistically to the future.
> >
> >
> >Socio-Economic Development
> >
> >
> >
> >Beginning under the AFPRC and continuing under the Jammeh administration of
> >the Second Republic, the socio-economic development of The Gambia has been
> >given a high priority. During the 30 years of benign neglect under the
> >Jawara regime, little emphasis was placed on the development and/or
> >maintenance of The Gambia`s infrastructure. As a result, the country fell
> >into decay.
> >
> >To compensate for decades of neglect, The Gambia has embarked on a
> >multi-million dollar series of ambitious, far-reaching social-development
> >projects which are of practical, every-day use to the Gambian people. Since
> > mid-1994, the Gambian Government has expanded and improved the country’s
> >road network, including building numerous bridges, drainage ditches and
> >pipelines; boosted the strength of the national radio station to cover the
> >entire country; established the country’s first television station; funded
> >the construction of clinics and an up-country hospital(the first ever built
> >by the Government since independence); opened over a dozen middle and high
> >schools in the rural areas; renovated Banjul port; upgraded the facilities
> >at the existing air port; and completed the construction of a new, modern
> >international airport. The results have been impressive by any standard, but
> >all the more so because they were accomplished without developmental aid by
> >Western donor organisations.
> >
> >The Government has also completed beautification projects such as Arch 22, an
> >impressive 115-foot monument welcoming tourists to The Gambia`s capital. The
> >Arch, named after the July 22, 1994 coup, is dedicated to the liberation of
> >the Gambian people from the corruption of the Jawara regime.
> >
> >President Jammeh also intends to found The Gambia`s first university. In the
> >meantime, arrangements have been made with several Canadian institutions to
> >develop a university extension program for Gambian students.
> >
> >As a developing country, The Gambia has welcomed any and all efforts by
> >nations which are interested in contributing to its development. For example,
> >The Gambia has welcomed the technical and medical assistance of doctors
> >provided by Cuba, which also provide for other developing countries. Although
> >there may be doctors just as skilled from other countries, the Cuban doctors
> >are an affordable option for The Gambia’s developmental budget. The Gambia is
> >a non-aligned country and the developmental assistance which it receives is
> >economically- rather than politically-motivated.
> >
> >The Gambia has a very liberal and investor-friendly economic policies. The
> >economy has been opened to greater private sector participation and generous
> >tax policies have been developed to achieve a simplified system for granting
> >incentives to foreign investors. Foreign investors do not need Gambian
> >partners in order to invest and there are no restriction in the repatriation
> >of profit or capital as long as all required taxes are paid. The Gambia is
> >the investment haven of Africa.
> >
> >
> >Foreign Policy
> >
> >
> >In an era of increasing interdependence among countries, no country can
> >achieve any meaningful socio-economic development in isolation. At the same
> >time, a country can not develop without peace and stability. Therefore, the
> >foreign policy goals of the Second Republic of The Gambia will be to adopt a
> >more pro-active stance in international affairs, with the aim of mobilising
> >greater support for the country’s development. The focal points of The
> >Gambia`s foreign policy objectives stem not only from the desire to ensure
> >national security, but extend to the realm of economic development
> >assistance.
> >
> >The Gambia will continue to participate fully with global, regional, and
> >sub-regional bodies in the implementation of programs and plans to enhance
> >the insertion of our country in the international scene. Special attention
> >will be given to increasing south-south co-operation and improving
> >collaboration with The Gambia`s West African neighbours. As a member of the
> >Economic community of West African States (ECOWAS), The Gambia will ensure
> >its full compliance with ECOWAS protocols on the free movement of goods,
> >capital and labour within the integrating markets of the sixteen ECOWAS
> >member states.
> >
> >The Second Republic will also look for international donor organisations to
> >provide assistance in developing The Gambia. In particular, The Second
> >Republic hopes to be a trusted friend of the West. With the dissolution of
> >the Armed forces Provisional Ruling Council and the establishment of the
> >Second Republic, any apprehension that the West may have had about the state
> >of democracy in The Gambia should be put to rest. The President and the
> >legislators in the National Assembly are the directly elected representatives
> >of the Gambian citizens. The Second Republic is a functioning, multiparty
> >democracy which is responsive to the needs of its people.
> >
> >The Gambia is a responsible member of the international community and is
> >actively engaged in promoting greater co-operation and understanding between
> >nations. The Gambia is currently a member of United Nations and its
> >principal organs, the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) and the British
> >Commonwealth of Nations, among other entities. The Second Republic will
> >ensure that The Gambia continues to participate in peace-making,
> >peace-keeping and peace-enforcement operations on the African continent as
> >well as elsewhere in the world.
> >
> >
> > Human Rights Policies in The Gambia
> >
> >
> >The most essential human rights are the necessities of existence - food,
> >shelter, education, medical care, clean water, work and the opportunity to
> >live and develop in a free society and in peace and dignity. The Second
> >Republic pledges to work assiduously towards making these rights accessible
> >to all Gambians.
> >
> >Chapter IV of The Gambia`s Constitution of 1996 upholds and enshrines these
> >human rights and fundamental freedoms, particularly the rights to life,
> >personal liberty and property, and freedom of speech, association, assembly,
> >movement, privacy, equality before the law and freedom of the press.
> >
> >At the same time Gambians of all backgrounds can proudly look back at a
> >common background of tolerance and peaceful co-existence. Gambians recognise
> >that rights and freedoms are not absolute. Instead, they are accompanied by
> >the notion of social responsibility. Gambians know where one’s rights end
> >and where an other’s rights begin.
> >
> >The Gambian population is a mix of many ethnic groups with a rich and diverse
> >culture coupled with different religious affiliations. In contrast with many
> >African nations, a high degree of religious and ethnic tolerance exists in
> >The Gambia. The inter-marriage between people of difference religious and
> >cultural identities are common.
> >
> >Religious tolerance is also practised in The Gambia. Although Islam is > the
> >predominant religion, the country is a secular state with the citizenry
> >manifesting respect for each other's cultural, religious and traditional
> >values. The high level of cultural and religious tolerance continues to
> >provide a sound basis for the peaceful coexistence of the Gambian people.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >To receive more information about
> >tourism, investment opportunities, and doing business in The Gambia,
> >visit The Gambia Web Page:http// www.gambia.com ; call or write to:
> >
> >Department of Communication and Public Affairs
> >Ministry of External Affairs
> >Banjul, The Gambia
> >West Africa.
> >Tel: (220) 225-654, Fax: (220) 223-578
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > ********
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 31 Jan 1997 13:19:29 -0500
From: fceesay@brynmawr.edu (Waterloolu)
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: unsubscription
Message-ID: <v01540b00af17a294a632@[165.106.1.62]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Could I please be unsubscribed from the list.
Thanks.
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 31 Jan 1997 10:44:51 -0800 (PST)
From: Latir Downes-Thomas <latir@earthlink.net>
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Gambia and the UN.
Message-ID: <854747187@iberia-c.it.earthlink.net>
In a previous posting, Abdou Touray wrote:
''And Latir, on the issue of Gambia's participation at the UN, I ran
into the same problem; they hardly seem to be doing anything. Even when
there are negative articles about The Gambia in the press, they do not
bother to defend the country unlike most other embassies do.''
Actually, you would be surprised to know that our Ambassador there, Pa Jallow, is actually quite good. He has a very good reputation among the rest of the diplomatic corps, especially the among the Africa group. The sad thing is that he has very little support. The office is staffed by around four to five members, with only two professional diplomats, the Amb. and Consular. Those two have a tremendous amount to cover at the Secretariat. During the General Assembly, someone from the ministry was also here but clearly that is not enough.
In light of what Greg Fagan was saying I would SUGGEST that those who concur with what I'm saying join me in advising our government to try and rectify the problem.
While rescores back home are scarce, those few funds that are available may be serve us well by increasing the staff here at our mission to the United Nations. The Gambia is an a position (or should be in a position) where they can contribute positively to the various debates and discussions at the U.N.
This year we have a perfect opportunity to improve our image on a global level after Amb. Jallow was successful in getting the Gambia elected to the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations. The problem now is that membership to ECOSOC requires quite a bit of committee work that quite honestly, those two cannot cover on their own.
The addition of two or three good hard working diplomats with the ability write their own statements would be great for the Gambia. There is quite a bit that goes on here in New York. Just about all the countries of the world are represented. The additional staff would free our Amb. of the burden of this committee work and allow him to act like his counterparts of other countries. He could then help move Gambia's foreign policy agenda more effectively working one on one with officials from other countries and the U.N. while at the same time Gambia could be properly represented as an actively participating member of the U.N.
Now that we are back to constitutional rule, there must be quite a bit of mending vis a vis our relations with the U.S. I'm sure our Embassy in Washington needs some help too, especially now the next year's budget (i.e. foreign assistance) is going to be deliberated in Congress soon. I'm sure the extra staff could be effectively shared between New York and Washington to move both agenda's forward.
Again, in the spirit of Greg's posting, if you agree why not let the rest of the list know. If you disagree or have additional or better suggestions lets hear it as well.
We are quite fortunate in that we have a Gambian diplomat amongst us who, if he doesn't mind, I'm sure will be quite happy to forward our advice to the appropriate authorities on Marina Parade in Banjul.
Peace.
Lat
------------------------------
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Momodou
Denmark
11511 Posts |
Posted - 19 Jun 2021 : 14:00:55
|
Date: Fri, 31 Jan 1997 11:39:25 -0800 (PST)
From: "A. Loum" <tloum@u.washington.edu>
To: Gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: First anniversary
Message-ID: <Pine.OSF.3.95.970131091705.5406B-100000@saul5.u.washington.edu>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
Hi Everyone,
Let us take a time out for a moment from the hot and substantive debate
topics to reflect on the fact that today, January 31st is the first
anniversary of our listserv Gambia-l hosted by The University of
Washington.
Contrary to what many may have believed, I am not the original
founder of Gambia-l. That honor belongs to Dr Katim Touray of Madison,
Wisconsin. He first started a discussion group after the 1994 Jawara coup
d'etat
with a few friends. I believe that Dr Amadou Janneh was among the original
few. I was introduced to Katim in 1995 by a Senegalese called
Moussa Samb whom I met in the newsgroup soc.culture.africa. I think that
I was the sixth member to join the group which Katim informally ran
through his email account at The University of Wisconsin, Madison. By the
beginning of 1996, we were informed by him that we needed a new host since
some reasons, we would not be carried past the end of January. So, the
search for a new host site started but with no luck and success. At the
last resort, I contacted my University and got a pleasant and affirmative
response. We brainstormed on the configurations that reflects the current
setup of Gambia-l which was a collective decision from the relatively few
members at the time. Those included the following: Amadou Janneh,
Malanding Jaiteh, Latjor Know, Lamin Drammeh, Roddie Cole, Sammy Bruce
Oliver, Sarian Loum, Momodou Camara, Abdou Touray, Morro Ceesay, Latjorr
Ndow, Modou Kolley, Sarjo Bojang. If I should miss anybody's name,
it is unintentional, please point that out to me and you will be
recognized. Since, we decided that we wanted to be global and be visible
world wide, we had to select a name for the list. Suggestions were
tossed around ranging from Gambia-Net to others but finally settled on
Gambia-L which was first suggested by Malanding Jaiteh, if my memory is
correct. On April 8th 1996, Katim shocked everyone by abruptly resigning
from the group over a philosohical disagreement with the rest of
the members
regarding the adoption of certain rules and regulation for the list. I was
deeply saddened over his departure. He had worked so hard and did so much
with the technical configurations. I personally appealed to him to reverse
his decision and return but was not successful. Hopefully, sometimes in
the future, he might relent. That void in the technical management was
admirably taken over by Abdou Touray, who up to this date is doing an
absolutely marvellous job.
Gambia-l has come a long way from our humble beginnings. This
date, one year ago, we were less than 20 members. Today we have over 180
members enrolled. We can boast of membership in all the continents. All
praise is due to you members for your interest in becoming involved and
spreading the word of our existence to Gambians and friends of The Gambia.
As you can see, we are still growing weekly.
I am forwarding the very first posting in Gambia-l that took
place exactly one year ago today. I hope that this brief piece our history
will be of interest.
Thanks
Tony
========================================================================
Anthony W Loum tloum@u.washington.edu
Supervisor, Business Administration Library 206-543-4360 voice
100 Balmer Hall 206-685-9392 fax
University of Washington
Box 353200
Seattle, Wa.98195-3200
=========================================================================
PINE 3.95 MESSAGE TEXT <mail/[]> gambia-l Msg 1 of 1,208 TOP
Date: Wed, 31 Jan 1996 18:00:24 -0800 (PST)
From: "A. Loum" <tloum@u.washington.edu>
Reply-To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
To: Multiple recipients of list GAMBIA-L <gambia-l@u.washington.edu>
Subject: We did it !
Hi Everyone,
Congratulations to all of us and welcome to GAMBIA-L. I have added
everybody to the list and you should all have received the standard
welcome message. We have not yet added the additional piece drafted by
Katim which will be done soon. I am taking this opportunity to take an
inventory of the list. I want to make sure that everybody has been added
on, in the event that some typos were made in the addresses. So, I am
asking that everybody responds to the list and confirms that they
received this message and the welcome. Katim and I will match it against
what we have now to ensure that everybody is properly added on.
We will finalize the administrative functions soon. So, I am
asking Katim to continue taking the lead role to ensure the smooth
functioning of GAMBIA-L.
Again, let us congratulate ourselves for sticking
together to lead ourselves to even greater heights.
Sarjo, I have made sure that Modou Kolley is included. I
will give you a call later on tonight.
Katim, I have sent you two messages on your calshp
address. I hope that you will receive them before the deadline of the
termination, otherwise I will forward them again tomorrow.
Thanks
Tony
========================================================================
Anthony W Loum tloum@u.washington.edu
Supervisor, Business Administration Library 206-543-4360 voice
100 Balmer Hall 206-685-9392 fax
University of Washington
Box 353200
Seattle, Wa.98195-3200
=========================================================================
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 31 Jan 1997 15:01:49 -0500
From: "Malanding S. Jaiteh" <msjaiteh@mtu.edu>
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu, tloum@u.washington.edu
Subject: Re: First anniversary
Message-ID: <199701312001.PAA13347@aspen>
> From GAMBIA-L-owner@u.washington.edu Fri Jan 31 14:44:52 1997
> Date: Fri, 31 Jan 1997 11:39:25 -0800 (PST)
> From: "A. Loum" <tloum@u.washington.edu>
> To: "GAMBIA-L: The Gambia and Related Issues Mailing List" <gambia-l@u.washington.edu>
> Subject: First anniversary
> Mime-Version: 1.0
> X-To: Gambia-l@u.washington.edu
> X-Listprocessor-Version: 8.1 beta -- ListProcessor(tm) by CREN
>
>
>
> Hi Everyone,
>
> Let us take a time out for a moment from the hot and substantive debate
> topics to reflect on the fact that today, January 31st is the first
> anniversary of our listserv Gambia-l hosted by The University of
> Washington.
> Contrary to what many may have believed, I am not the original
> founder of Gambia-l. That honor belongs to Dr Katim Touray of Madison,
> Wisconsin. He first started a discussion group after the 1994 Jawara coup
> d'etat
> with a few friends. I believe that Dr Amadou Janneh was among the original
> few. I was introduced to Katim in 1995 by a Senegalese called
> Moussa Samb whom I met in the newsgroup soc.culture.africa. I think that
> I was the sixth member to join the group which Katim informally ran
> through his email account at The University of Wisconsin, Madison. By the
> beginning of 1996, we were informed by him that we needed a new host since
> some reasons, we would not be carried past the end of January. So, the
> search for a new host site started but with no luck and success. At the
> last resort, I contacted my University and got a pleasant and affirmative
> response. We brainstormed on the configurations that reflects the current
> setup of Gambia-l which was a collective decision from the relatively few
> members at the time. Those included the following: Amadou Janneh,
> Malanding Jaiteh, Latjor Know, Lamin Drammeh, Roddie Cole, Sammy Bruce
> Oliver, Sarian Loum, Momodou Camara, Abdou Touray, Morro Ceesay, Latjorr
> Ndow, Modou Kolley, Sarjo Bojang. If I should miss anybody's name,
> it is unintentional, please point that out to me and you will be
> recognized. Since, we decided that we wanted to be global and be visible
> world wide, we had to select a name for the list. Suggestions were
> tossed around ranging from Gambia-Net to others but finally settled on
> Gambia-L which was first suggested by Malanding Jaiteh, if my memory is
> correct. On April 8th 1996, Katim shocked everyone by abruptly resigning
> from the group over a philosohical disagreement with the rest of
> the members
> regarding the adoption of certain rules and regulation for the list. I was
> deeply saddened over his departure. He had worked so hard and did so much
> with the technical configurations. I personally appealed to him to reverse
> his decision and return but was not successful. Hopefully, sometimes in
> the future, he might relent. That void in the technical management was
> admirably taken over by Abdou Touray, who up to this date is doing an
> absolutely marvellous job.
> Gambia-l has come a long way from our humble beginnings. This
> date, one year ago, we were less than 20 members. Today we have over 180
> members enrolled. We can boast of membership in all the continents. All
> praise is due to you members for your interest in becoming involved and
> spreading the word of our existence to Gambians and friends of The Gambia.
> As you can see, we are still growing weekly.
> I am forwarding the very first posting in Gambia-l that took
> place exactly one year ago today. I hope that this brief piece our history
> will be of interest.
> Thanks
> Tony
>
>
> ========================================================================
>
> Anthony W Loum tloum@u.washington.edu
> Supervisor, Business Administration Library 206-543-4360 voice
> 100 Balmer Hall 206-685-9392 fax
> University of Washington
> Box 353200
> Seattle, Wa.98195-3200
>
> =========================================================================
>
> PINE 3.95 MESSAGE TEXT <mail/[]> gambia-l Msg 1 of 1,208 TOP
>
> Date: Wed, 31 Jan 1996 18:00:24 -0800 (PST)
> From: "A. Loum" <tloum@u.washington.edu>
> Reply-To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
> To: Multiple recipients of list GAMBIA-L <gambia-l@u.washington.edu>
> Subject: We did it !
>
>
>
> Hi Everyone,
>
> Congratulations to all of us and welcome to GAMBIA-L. I have added
> everybody to the list and you should all have received the standard
> welcome message. We have not yet added the additional piece drafted by
> Katim which will be done soon. I am taking this opportunity to take an
> inventory of the list. I want to make sure that everybody has been added
> on, in the event that some typos were made in the addresses. So, I am
> asking that everybody responds to the list and confirms that they
> received this message and the welcome. Katim and I will match it against
> what we have now to ensure that everybody is properly added on.
> We will finalize the administrative functions soon. So, I am
> asking Katim to continue taking the lead role to ensure the smooth
> functioning of GAMBIA-L.
> Again, let us congratulate ourselves for sticking
> together to lead ourselves to even greater heights.
> Sarjo, I have made sure that Modou Kolley is included. I
> will give you a call later on tonight.
> Katim, I have sent you two messages on your calshp
> address. I hope that you will receive them before the deadline of the
> termination, otherwise I will forward them again tomorrow.
> Thanks
> Tony
>
>
> ========================================================================
>
> Anthony W Loum tloum@u.washington.edu
> Supervisor, Business Administration Library 206-543-4360 voice
> 100 Balmer Hall 206-685-9392 fax
> University of Washington
> Box 353200
> Seattle, Wa.98195-3200
>
> =========================================================================
>
>
>
Wow! That was quite a trip. It was all like yesterday!!
Keep it up Tony.
Malanding Jaiteh
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 31 Jan 1997 11:47:10 -0500 (EST)
From: Isatou Bojang <isatoub@student.umass.edu>
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Introductions
Message-ID: <Pine.OSF.3.91.970131113004.23289C-100000@asimov.oit.umass.edu>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
Dear fellow subscribers,
As a new member, I would like to introduce myself to the group
and hopefully engage in some meaningful dialogue on issues which concern
The Gambia.
My name is Isatou Bojang and I am a graduate student at the
University of Massachusetts at Amherst. I hope to complete my Masters
degree in Public Health this May and pursue an internship with an NGO
over the summer before heading back to the W. Africa region (hopefully
with a job offer!) I am interested in working on youth development
programs and Maternal and Child Health projects, so if anyone shares an
interest or knows of work being done in W. Africa, I would love to hear
from you.
Again, I look forward to engaging in some good discussions with
you all.
Thanks for welcoming me to the list.
Isatou
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 31 Jan 1997 15:01:05 -0500
From: NDARBOE@SUNSET.BACKBONE.OLEMISS.EDU
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Re: First anniversary
Message-ID: <v01510103af17ffcb6bb5@[130.74.128.43]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY GAMBIA-L!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hope you will continue to coalesce Gambians and friends of the Gambia. We
might eventually have a lot of consensus in combatting some of the problems
facing our beloved Nation.
Numukunda
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 31 Jan 1997 15:02:55 -0500
From: NDARBOE@SUNSET.BACKBONE.OLEMISS.EDU
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Re: First anniversary
Message-ID: <v01510104af18002f8362@[130.74.128.43]>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY GAMBIA-L!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hope you will continue to coalesce Gambians and friends of the Gambia. We
might eventually have some consensus in combatting some of the problems
facing our beloved Nation, although our opinions are very divergent at this
moment.
Numukunda
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 31 Jan 1997 23:56:44 +0000
From: momodou.camara@post3.tele.dk (Camara, Momodou)
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Re: First anniversary
Message-ID: <19970131225808.AAA7378@LOCALNAME>
Happy ANNIVERSARY Gambia-l !!!!!
Thanks for the the reminder Tony.
Below is the draft message and I wonder why it is not being sent to new
members. I hope that someone finds it useful.
My best regards every one on the list.
Momodou Camara
***********************************************************************
DRAFT MESSAGE
-------------------------
YOU'RE ON ...
WELCOME to GAMBIA-L, a mailing list for discussions on The Gambia, and
related issues. The Gambia is a small country in West Africa with a strong
tradition of peacefulness, in a generally turbulent region. GAMBIA-L is
geared
toward providing a forum for the exchange of ideas and information between
people interested in developments in The Gambia, and issues relevant to the
welfare of the country.
The mailing list is an open, collaborative one aimed at being as
inclusive as possible, and at the same time fostering an atmosphere for
healthy
dialogue and debate. It is our sincere hope that you find the list enjoyable,
and worthy of your while. This file describes the background, purpose, and
features of GAMBIA-L as well as guidelines on getting the most out of the
service.
THE GAMBIA
The Gambia is a small (4,000 square miles or 11,295 sq. km) country in
West Africa. It is surrounded by Senegal on all sides, except on the Atlantic
coast, and for this reason the two countries have a lot of ethnic and cultural
ties. In contrast to Senegal, a former French colony, The Gambia was
colonized by Britain and gained it's Independence on February 18, 1965.
From Indepdence in 1965 to April, 1970 the country had a pariamentary
democracy with a Prime Minister, and the Queen of England as the Head of
State.
The country became a Republic in April 1970, with an Executive President as
the Head of State, and the Parliament as the Legislative body. In contrast to a
number of African countries, The Gambia retained a democratic tradition,
holding universal adult suffrage elections every 5 years. These elections
were contested by a number of parties, again in contrast to the single-party
'democratic' systems that were popular in a variety of African countries. The
election system was slightly modified in 1982, with a change to the direct
election of the President, rather than indirectly by the Members of
Parliament.
The democratic tradition of The Gambia was briefly interrupted in
July, 1981 with an abortive attempt to overthrow the government by the then
paramilitary Field Force. This attempt was crushed by Senegalese troops, who
intervened on the pretext that the coup attempt was foreign inspired, and a
threat to the welfare of the Senegalese community in The Gambia. President
Jawara was thus restored to power, and in the aftermath of the events, entered
into a Conferedation called Senegambia with Senegal. This confederation
however, was to be dissolved in September, 1989 following irreconcilable
differences between the parties.
A major milestone in The Gambia's political history was the overthrow
of the Jawara government in July, 1994, by young, and junior officers of the
Gambian military which had been built up by Jawara himself. The military
officers, under the leadership of now Captain Yaya Jammeh, alleged rampant
corruption and incompetence as the main reason for overthrowing the Jawara
government. The military takeover was roundly condemned by the International
community, most especially because Jawara had in the almost 30 years of his
rule managed to establish an international reputation for adherence to
democratic rule and human rights. Following intense pressure from both within
The Gambia, and without, the military-led government announced a timetable for
transferrring power to civilians in 1996, following a review of the
constitution, probes in the weealth of public servants, and elections. The
transition program is presently on.
On the economic front, The Gambia has been a primarily agricultural
country. An estimated 81% of the population is engaged in agriculture, while
groundnuts (peanuts) account for about 85% of export earnings (Country
Profile 1993/94: The Gambia, and Mauritania. The Economist Intelligence Unit.
1993). With a trade policy traditionally more liberal than it's neighbors, because of
a smaller industrial base to protect, The Gambian economy has always had a
brisk re-export sector. Tourism, has been a large component of the service
sector, which has accounted for up to 60% of the gross domestic product (GDP).
Despite it's size, The Gambia is relatively densely populated, with a
predominantly Mulsim population of slightly over 1 million (1993 census
figures), and growing at an annual rate of approximately 3%. Major ethnic
groups are Fula, Jola, Mandinka, Serahule, and Wollof. The illiterary rates
is very high (73%), and this generally reflects the low Human Development Index
(HDI) scores the country has. Thus, for 1992 The Gambias' HDI ranked 173 out
of 192 countries. Per capita income, estimated at $360 (US) in 1991 was also
amongst the lowest in the world.
Despite the economic poverty and political setbacks, The Gambia has
always active in the International arena, being a member of the United
Nations, the Organization of African Unity, and the Economic Community of West African
States (ECOWAS). The Gambia has also provided troops to regional
peace-keeping efforts, most notably in Liberia, as well as being an active participant in
mediation efforts. This strong tradition of peacfulness, and respect for
human rights was the reason why the African Center for Democracy and Human Rights
Documentation was headquartered in The Gambia.
Given the relatively short but eventful history of The Gambia, it is
obvious that fostering debate and dialogue is not only a Gambian tradition,
but also particularly important now that the country is embarking on a transition
that will lead to a return to civilian and democratic rule. GAMBIA-L hopes to
provide another forum for such much needed debate and exchange of ideas.
GAMBIA-L
Developments in communications technology in general, and the Internet
in particular has resulted in great opportunities for people in far-flung
places in engage in almost instantaneous exchange of ideas. The most popular,
and probably most powerful, of these technologies is electronic mail, e-mail
for short. It is around this technology that an off-shoot service, mailing
lists, have developed.
A few years ago, mailing lists linked people all over the world who
had common interests that they wanted to exchange ideas and conduct debates on.
The focus of these interest-groups varied from recreational to regional
political developments. For example, a number of lists focusing on African
and development-oriented issues were formed, and to this day some of them continue
to thrive.
With increased access to the Internet, it was going to be long before
the interest groups became more specialized. Thus, a variety of specialized,
and country-specific groups started cropping up. These mailing lists
generally were geared to linking nationals of different countries, as well as
Internationalists with particular interest in these countries. Examples of
these country-specific mailing lists include SENEGAL-L, and ZAIRE-L.
You can now add GAMBIA-L to that list.
Although GAMBIA-L is only being formed in early 1996, much after a
number of lists have left the gates, it has an respectable pedigree based on
voluteerism and cooperation. The fact of the matter is that a manual mailing
list on Gambian issues has been running for since 1994, following the
overthrow of the Jawara government. The time has now come to formalize the list, and
thus open opportunities for more people subscribe, thereby enriching the
debate.
GAMBIA-L is aimed providing Gambians and those interested in Gambian
and related issues, a means to communicate with each other, and exchangeg
ideas and information of common interest. In the process, it is hoped that a spirit
of cooperation, of exchange of ideas, of healthy debate and dialogue for the
National good will be cultivated. True, ours might the one of the more recent
lists, but be sure that we intend to make it one of the very best lists in
cyberspace.
To attain the excellence we're talking about, GAMBIA-L will make
maximum use of it's #1 ingredient: subscribers. Thus, management of the list
will be shared by a number of volunteers, that will be rotated as and when
needed. Further, the list will be organized such that all subscribers will be
visible to others. We will not habor any concealed subscribers on this list.
GAMBIA-L will also provide a rudimentary directory service, based on the
requirement that each request for subscription be approved conditional on
submission of a brief self-introduction by the applicant. These intros will
be archived, and accessible to all list members. For this very reason, each
applicant will be expected to have an intro on file, since it's only fair
other's have access to theirs, if they're going to be able to obtain info
about them.
As alluded to above, subscription to GAMBIA-L will be open, but
conditional upon approval by designated list owners. This approval will
depend only on applicants submitting a self-introduction to be archived. Subscribers
will be expected, and required to maintain a mature, and responsible tone in
the contributions they send to the list. Political partisanship is definetly
out. Further, slandering and libelling of people will not be accepted, and
will result in immediate and permanent loss of subscription.
The main features of GAMBIA-L are as follows:
1. Subscription is open to all, conditional upon submitting
a self-introduction to the list
2. Subscribers will get copies of whatever they send to the
list
3. Subscribers will be able to get a list of other subscribers,
and their e-mail addresses and names
4. Subscribers will NOT be able to conceal their e-mail
addresses and names from other subscribers
5. The list will be unmoderated, that is, all contributions
will be distributed without intervention
6. The list will be published globally, meaning that it will
be added to the globals list of lists
7. A sister ARCHIVE will be available to subscribers to
enable them retrieve old messages
The above features, and other more mundane ones such as the maximum
number of messages to be sent out per day, have been chosen to provide the
greatest convenience, security, and use to subscribers. Thus, sending
contributors a copy of their submissions will enable them to keep track of
debates going on. Also, denying subscribers the option to CONCEAL thier
subscriptions will ensure that everyone knows everyone on the list, or would
if they so choose. This will hopefully allay fears about who is snooping, who
isn't.
COMMUNICATING WITH THE LIST
We are sending a file called INFO under seperate cover, detailing
simple instructions on how to communicate with the mailing list. If you have
any further questions, please do not hesistate to contact the list owners, or
the list itself. Alternatively, you can also send an e-mail to the following
address:
listproc@u.washington.edu
Leave the 'Subject' field empty, and put the word 'help' as your message.
CONCLUSIONS
The above was aimed at providing a brief introductory overview of the
purpose, uses, and features of GAMBIA-L. It is hoped that all subscribers to
the list will find it most useful, and enjoyable. In addition, it is hoped
that the list will provide great opportunities for subscribers to not only get
to know new people, and each other more, but also to find it useful in getting
information about information. In the end, that is the greatest key to the
prosperity of The Gambia.
Finally, all this would come to naught if subscribers do not discharge
their responsibilities with diligence. It is absolutely important that an
atmosphere of cooperation, collaboration, and mutual respect be created and
maintained. That, quite simply, is the only way to ensure that GAMBIA-L grows
to be the very best it can be.
On behalf of all subscribers, we would like to welcome you to
GAMBIA-L, and wish you a most rewarding experience.
Listowners
**********************************************************************
*******************************************************
http://home3.inet.tele.dk/mcamara
**"Start by doing what's necessary, then what's
possible and suddenly you are doing the impossible"***
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 31 Jan 1997 16:21:04 -0800 (PST)
From: "A. Loum" <tloum@u.washington.edu>
To: The Gambia and Related Issues Mailing List <gambia-l@u.washington.edu>
Subject: Re: First anniversary
Message-ID: <Pine.OSF.3.95.970131161823.1938C-100000@saul7.u.washington.edu>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
Momodou, thank also for reminding us about the draft message that was
supposed to be included in the welcome message to new members. That was
something, certainly overlooked. I will review the user manual and try to
add it on there.
Thanks
Tony
On Fri, 31 Jan 1997, Camara, Momodou wrote:
> Happy ANNIVERSARY Gambia-l !!!!!
> Thanks for the the reminder Tony.
> Below is the draft message and I wonder why it is not being sent to new
> members. I hope that someone finds it useful.
>
> My best regards every one on the list.
>
> Momodou Camara
>
>
> ***********************************************************************
> DRAFT MESSAGE
> -------------------------
>
>
> YOU'RE ON ...
>
> WELCOME to GAMBIA-L, a mailing list for discussions on The Gambia, and
> related issues. The Gambia is a small country in West Africa with a strong
> tradition of peacefulness, in a generally turbulent region. GAMBIA-L is
> geared
> toward providing a forum for the exchange of ideas and information between
> people interested in developments in The Gambia, and issues relevant to the
> welfare of the country.
>
> The mailing list is an open, collaborative one aimed at being as
> inclusive as possible, and at the same time fostering an atmosphere for
> healthy
> dialogue and debate. It is our sincere hope that you find the list enjoyable,
> and worthy of your while. This file describes the background, purpose, and
> features of GAMBIA-L as well as guidelines on getting the most out of the
> service.
>
> THE GAMBIA
>
> The Gambia is a small (4,000 square miles or 11,295 sq. km) country in
> West Africa. It is surrounded by Senegal on all sides, except on the Atlantic
> coast, and for this reason the two countries have a lot of ethnic and cultural
> ties. In contrast to Senegal, a former French colony, The Gambia was
> colonized by Britain and gained it's Independence on February 18, 1965.
>
> From Indepdence in 1965 to April, 1970 the country had a pariamentary
> democracy with a Prime Minister, and the Queen of England as the Head of
> State.
> The country became a Republic in April 1970, with an Executive President as
> the Head of State, and the Parliament as the Legislative body. In contrast to a
> number of African countries, The Gambia retained a democratic tradition,
> holding universal adult suffrage elections every 5 years. These elections
> were contested by a number of parties, again in contrast to the single-party
> 'democratic' systems that were popular in a variety of African countries. The
> election system was slightly modified in 1982, with a change to the direct
> election of the President, rather than indirectly by the Members of
> Parliament.
>
> The democratic tradition of The Gambia was briefly interrupted in
> July, 1981 with an abortive attempt to overthrow the government by the then
> paramilitary Field Force. This attempt was crushed by Senegalese troops, who
> intervened on the pretext that the coup attempt was foreign inspired, and a
> threat to the welfare of the Senegalese community in The Gambia. President
> Jawara was thus restored to power, and in the aftermath of the events, entered
> into a Conferedation called Senegambia with Senegal. This confederation
> however, was to be dissolved in September, 1989 following irreconcilable
> differences between the parties.
>
> A major milestone in The Gambia's political history was the overthrow
> of the Jawara government in July, 1994, by young, and junior officers of the
> Gambian military which had been built up by Jawara himself. The military
> officers, under the leadership of now Captain Yaya Jammeh, alleged rampant
> corruption and incompetence as the main reason for overthrowing the Jawara
> government. The military takeover was roundly condemned by the International
> community, most especially because Jawara had in the almost 30 years of his
> rule managed to establish an international reputation for adherence to
> democratic rule and human rights. Following intense pressure from both within
> The Gambia, and without, the military-led government announced a timetable for
> transferrring power to civilians in 1996, following a review of the
> constitution, probes in the weealth of public servants, and elections. The
> transition program is presently on.
>
> On the economic front, The Gambia has been a primarily agricultural
> country. An estimated 81% of the population is engaged in agriculture, while
> groundnuts (peanuts) account for about 85% of export earnings (Country
> Profile 1993/94: The Gambia, and Mauritania. The Economist Intelligence Unit.
> 1993). With a trade policy traditionally more liberal than it's neighbors, because of
> a smaller industrial base to protect, The Gambian economy has always had a
> brisk re-export sector. Tourism, has been a large component of the service
> sector, which has accounted for up to 60% of the gross domestic product (GDP).
>
> Despite it's size, The Gambia is relatively densely populated, with a
> predominantly Mulsim population of slightly over 1 million (1993 census
> figures), and growing at an annual rate of approximately 3%. Major ethnic
> groups are Fula, Jola, Mandinka, Serahule, and Wollof. The illiterary rates
> is very high (73%), and this generally reflects the low Human Development Index
> (HDI) scores the country has. Thus, for 1992 The Gambias' HDI ranked 173 out
> of 192 countries. Per capita income, estimated at $360 (US) in 1991 was also
> amongst the lowest in the world.
>
> Despite the economic poverty and political setbacks, The Gambia has
> always active in the International arena, being a member of the United
> Nations, the Organization of African Unity, and the Economic Community of West African
> States (ECOWAS). The Gambia has also provided troops to regional
> peace-keeping efforts, most notably in Liberia, as well as being an active participant in
> mediation efforts. This strong tradition of peacfulness, and respect for
> human rights was the reason why the African Center for Democracy and Human Rights
> Documentation was headquartered in The Gambia.
>
> Given the relatively short but eventful history of The Gambia, it is
> obvious that fostering debate and dialogue is not only a Gambian tradition,
> but also particularly important now that the country is embarking on a transition
> that will lead to a return to civilian and democratic rule. GAMBIA-L hopes to
> provide another forum for such much needed debate and exchange of ideas.
>
>
> GAMBIA-L
>
> Developments in communications technology in general, and the Internet
> in particular has resulted in great opportunities for people in far-flung
> places in engage in almost instantaneous exchange of ideas. The most popular,
> and probably most powerful, of these technologies is electronic mail, e-mail
> for short. It is around this technology that an off-shoot service, mailing
> lists, have developed.
>
> A few years ago, mailing lists linked people all over the world who
> had common interests that they wanted to exchange ideas and conduct debates on.
> The focus of these interest-groups varied from recreational to regional
> political developments. For example, a number of lists focusing on African
> and development-oriented issues were formed, and to this day some of them continue
> to thrive.
>
> With increased access to the Internet, it was going to be long before
> the interest groups became more specialized. Thus, a variety of specialized,
> and country-specific groups started cropping up. These mailing lists
> generally were geared to linking nationals of different countries, as well as
> Internationalists with particular interest in these countries. Examples of
> these country-specific mailing lists include SENEGAL-L, and ZAIRE-L.
>
> You can now add GAMBIA-L to that list.
>
> Although GAMBIA-L is only being formed in early 1996, much after a
> number of lists have left the gates, it has an respectable pedigree based on
> voluteerism and cooperation. The fact of the matter is that a manual mailing
> list on Gambian issues has been running for since 1994, following the
> overthrow of the Jawara government. The time has now come to formalize the list, and
> thus open opportunities for more people subscribe, thereby enriching the
> debate.
>
> GAMBIA-L is aimed providing Gambians and those interested in Gambian
> and related issues, a means to communicate with each other, and exchangeg
> ideas and information of common interest. In the process, it is hoped that a spirit
> of cooperation, of exchange of ideas, of healthy debate and dialogue for the
> National good will be cultivated. True, ours might the one of the more recent
> lists, but be sure that we intend to make it one of the very best lists in
> cyberspace.
>
> To attain the excellence we're talking about, GAMBIA-L will make
> maximum use of it's #1 ingredient: subscribers. Thus, management of the list
> will be shared by a number of volunteers, that will be rotated as and when
> needed. Further, the list will be organized such that all subscribers will be
> visible to others. We will not habor any concealed subscribers on this list.
> GAMBIA-L will also provide a rudimentary directory service, based on the
> requirement that each request for subscription be approved conditional on
> submission of a brief self-introduction by the applicant. These intros will
> be archived, and accessible to all list members. For this very reason, each
> applicant will be expected to have an intro on file, since it's only fair
> other's have access to theirs, if they're going to be able to obtain info
> about them.
>
> As alluded to above, subscription to GAMBIA-L will be open, but
> conditional upon approval by designated list owners. This approval will
> depend only on applicants submitting a self-introduction to be archived. Subscribers
> will be expected, and required to maintain a mature, and responsible tone in
> the contributions they send to the list. Political partisanship is definetly
> out. Further, slandering and libelling of people will not be accepted, and
> will result in immediate and permanent loss of subscription.
>
> The main features of GAMBIA-L are as follows:
>
> 1. Subscription is open to all, conditional upon submitting
> a self-introduction to the list
> 2. Subscribers will get copies of whatever they send to the
> list
> 3. Subscribers will be able to get a list of other subscribers,
> and their e-mail addresses and names
> 4. Subscribers will NOT be able to conceal their e-mail
> addresses and names from other subscribers
> 5. The list will be unmoderated, that is, all contributions
> will be distributed without intervention
> 6. The list will be published globally, meaning that it will
> be added to the globals list of lists
> 7. A sister ARCHIVE will be available to subscribers to
> enable them retrieve old messages
>
>
> The above features, and other more mundane ones such as the maximum
> number of messages to be sent out per day, have been chosen to provide the
> greatest convenience, security, and use to subscribers. Thus, sending
> contributors a copy of their submissions will enable them to keep track of
> debates going on. Also, denying subscribers the option to CONCEAL thier
> subscriptions will ensure that everyone knows everyone on the list, or would
> if they so choose. This will hopefully allay fears about who is snooping, who
> isn't.
>
>
>
> COMMUNICATING WITH THE LIST
>
> We are sending a file called INFO under seperate cover, detailing
> simple instructions on how to communicate with the mailing list. If you have
> any further questions, please do not hesistate to contact the list owners, or
> the list itself. Alternatively, you can also send an e-mail to the following
> address:
>
> listproc@u.washington.edu
>
> Leave the 'Subject' field empty, and put the word 'help' as your message.
>
>
> CONCLUSIONS
>
> The above was aimed at providing a brief introductory overview of the
> purpose, uses, and features of GAMBIA-L. It is hoped that all subscribers to
> the list will find it most useful, and enjoyable. In addition, it is hoped
> that the list will provide great opportunities for subscribers to not only get
> to know new people, and each other more, but also to find it useful in getting
> information about information. In the end, that is the greatest key to the
> prosperity of The Gambia.
>
> Finally, all this would come to naught if subscribers do not discharge
> their responsibilities with diligence. It is absolutely important that an
> atmosphere of cooperation, collaboration, and mutual respect be created and
> maintained. That, quite simply, is the only way to ensure that GAMBIA-L grows
> to be the very best it can be.
>
> On behalf of all subscribers, we would like to welcome you to
> GAMBIA-L, and wish you a most rewarding experience.
>
>
>
> Listowners
>
> **********************************************************************
> *******************************************************
> http://home3.inet.tele.dk/mcamara
>
> **"Start by doing what's necessary, then what's
> possible and suddenly you are doing the impossible"***
>
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 31 Jan 1997 21:19:02 -0500 (EST)
From: MJagana@aol.com
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Re: Gambia and the UN.
Message-ID: <970131211858_473035500@emout17.mail.aol.com>
Dear Gambia Lers,
I may suggest that the embassy in D.C> and the representives in new york
could do with some voluntary services from the gambians residing in these
localities.
This could be a good experince for the participants, and hopefully reduce the
financial burden on the nation of the gambia.
I think this is defenitely something MARINA PARADE RESIDENCE, should
consider.
momodou jagana.
THE MIND IS AN ENDANGERED SPECIES.KEEP IT ALIVE.READ A BOOK.
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 1 Feb 1997 16:36:15 +0900 (JST)
From: binta@iuj.ac.jp
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Re: First anniversary
Message-ID: <199702010730.QAA18781@mlsv.iuj.ac.jp>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; CHARSET=US-ASCII
Tony and Gambia-l:
I could vividly remember those early days, and in retrospect I would
say we have come a long way. To everyone out there thanks for your
contributions on Gambia-l. Congratulations to all members!
Lamin Drammeh.
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 1 Feb 1997 03:00:17 -0500 (EST)
From: TOURAY1@aol.com
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Re: Omar .f. Mbai
Message-ID: <970201030017_1478911705@emout01.mail.aol.com>
Hi Omar F. Mbai,
Omar, this is Lamin Touray .Please write back to me . My E.Mail address is
touray1@aol.com
Lamsdou
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 1 Feb 1997 03:29:40 -0500 (EST)
From: Mbk007@aol.com
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu, tloum@u.washington.edu
Subject: Re: First anniversary
Message-ID: <970201032938_304243994@emout14.mail.aol.com>
I would like to take this moment to thank all the founders of Gambia-l. This
is probably one of the most socially productive things you have done so far,
and I hope we the youngsters will keep your dream alive. Once again lets work
together towards our nations developement. This can only be done if we
communicate and respect each others point of view without being fearful of
expressing those opinions.
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 1 Feb 1997 05:39:14 -0500 (EST)
From: TSaidy1050@aol.com
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Re: New member
Message-ID: <970201053911_1512475442@emout04.mail.aol.com>
Manager,
Please add Nuha Jatta to the list. His email adress is:
b96nj@mh1.hh.se(Nuha Jatta)
Peace
Tombong
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 1 Feb 1997 07:05:21 -0500 (EST)
From: TSaidy1050@aol.com
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Re: Taiwan's trade with the Gambia
Message-ID: <970201070520_915106265@emout04.mail.aol.com>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=unknown-8bit
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
Gambia-l,
Here we go again. Abdou wrote that -=91According to the January 2nd ,1997=
issue
of The Observer, The Gambian High Commissioner to the UK was openly
campaigning for John Major=92. This is some of things I was referring to =
when I
said we should avoid bending the truth or making irresponsible statements=
and
assumptions.=20
First of all, The Gambia does not have a High Commissioner in the UK, and
this has been the case for over a year. I am head of this Mission and as =
far
as I am concern, I never campaigned for John Major and even if I was a
British citizen I will not campaign nor vote for John Major or any other
candidate the Tory Party might present for the Presidency. =20
Secondly, I think it is incumbent on Abdou to clarify this allegation to =
the
list members, and to apologise to all of us if he mistakenly misstated t=
he
facts or misunderstood what he claimed to have read. I personally would l=
ike
to know from which Observer you read this article. The Gambia Daily Obser=
ver
did not carry this story and as a matter of the Observer in Banjul did n=
ot
publish any paper in this particular date you referred to(January 2nd, 19=
97).
The last Observer published in 1996, was published on December 31st, 1996=
,
and the first Observer of the year came out on Saturday, January 4, 1997.=
I
called the Observer in Bakau and they could not collaborate you statement.
The only other possible source I could think of is The Observer in the UK=
,
which comes out ones a week, and it comes out on Sundays. January 2nd, 19=
97
fell on a Thursday and The Observer was not published that day. =20
I have all the issues of The Gambia Daily observer of the past two years,=
I
even have yesterday=92s Observer( Friday, January 31-February 2-Weekend),=
but I
could not see this article you mentioned. I called the Daily Observer in
Banjul and could not remember carrying this story. I also have the past
issues of the Sunday Observer (from UK) and the said story is not mention=
ed
in any of them. I also called the news editor of The Observer in London a=
nd
he did not remember reading of writing that story in his paper.
I would like you to do us a favour, and tell us where you read that story
from and if possible the name of the reporter who wrote the story. Better
yet, make a copy of the Article and fax it to me (fax 44-171-937-6316)
I have a particular interest in this article because I could sue somebody=
for
libel. Technically I am the Gambian High Commissioner in the UK, and I kn=
ow
for a fact that I did not campaign for John Major either openly or covert=
ly.=20
Looking forward for your response.
Peace
Tombong Saidy=20
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 1 Feb 1997 15:50:18 +0000
From: momodou.camara@post3.tele.dk (Camara, Momodou)
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: New member
Message-ID: <19970201145145.AAA8610@LOCALNAME>
Gambia-l,
Nuha Jatta has been added to the list and as a custom, we expect to
have an introduction from him. Welcome to the Gambia-l Nuha, please
send an introduction of yourself to the list.
Actually, yours is the first Gambian name to be added to Gambia-l from Sweden
and we look forward to your contribution.
Regards
Momodou Camara
*******************************************************
http://home3.inet.tele.dk/mcamara
**"Start by doing what's necessary, then what's
possible and suddenly you are doing the impossible"***
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 1 Feb 1997 10:40:00 -0500 (EST)
From: AJagne@aol.com
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: SEECIAL REQUEST
Message-ID: <970201104000_-1744611865@emout15.mail.aol.com>
Hello my fellow Gambians,in the name of peace i greet you all.
We Gambian have a long hard work to do for our country,because for 30yrs
that beloved country has seen nothing but under development,failed promises
and corruption.Now we have to let that go and move on.
I would like the president to subscribe Gambia L. and talk to us.if we talk
then we
can understand each others views and where we are coming from so that we can
try and find solutions to the lasting problems of our country.People,Gambia
is our country and it is our duty to make the country we all want it to be.We
do dont want our grandchildren to go overseas like us ,because it is hard
overseas.We want our kids and grandkids to have oppotunities at home before
considering overseas.For me i would not stand aside looking somebody harming
my country and my people,i will do anything necessary to put them in the
right direction.
There is no time for malice or hatered ,lets all be one and make the
ultimate sacrefice to build and develop our nation for the people of the
nation.Time is going but we still have time so:
MY FELLOW GAMBIANS LET US RALLY TOGETHER
LET NATION BUILDING BRING US TOGETHER
LETS DO SOMETHING FOR OUR NATION
LETS FORGET ABOUT THE PAST AND MOVE ON
LET TRIBAL OR ETHNIC ORIGIN FADE AWAY,
-
LETS JOIN OUR HANDS TOGETHER FOR A COMMON GOOD,
---- LETS MAKE THE ULTIMATE SACREFICE TO
BUILD OUR NATION
LTE US BE ONE
May peace be on you all
ASSAN JAGNE
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 31 Jan 1996 22:26:30 +0300
From: BASS KOLLEH DRAMMEH <KOLLS567@QATAR.NET.QA>
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Re: Forwarding Omar Mbai's intro.
Message-ID: <310FC266.4C7D@QATAR.NET.QA>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
ABDOU wrote:
>=20
> Dear Gambia-L,
> My name is OMAR F. M'BAI . I am a law student
> currently studying at the BAR OF ENGLAND AND WALES
> where I hope to qualify as a Barrister in the summer of this year .
>=20
> I have learnt from my Gambian colleague at Bar School , Mr.
> Edrissa sissoho , that to be a member of this elusive organisation,
> one has to apply through e-mail which exactly what I am doing .
> I hope that my application will be approved. Thank you and
> represent.
>=20
> Secondly, about the perpetual problems in our beloved Country the
> Gambia, I personally believe and I'm sure you'll acquisce with me
> that we fellow Gambians don't know the importance of one very
> significant WORD------------ THE TRUTH!!!!!!
> This is what I have to say about the TRUTH.
> GOOD IN CONFORMITY WITH TRUTH IS JUSTICE
> JUSTICE IS THE PRACTICE OF REASON
> REASON IS THE WORD OF REALITY
> REALITY IS THE SCIENCE OF TRUTH
> TRUTH IS THE IDENTITY OF IDEA AND BEING.
> I believethe soonerthe
> brothers and sisters become aware of this definition
> the better. Thank you.
> O.F. M'BAI
> LONDON.
Mr.Nbaye!!
WEll,its quite clear from your warning shots that you are not a shy
person; so please take up your seat and feel free to express yourself.
Once again,WELCOME to the PENCHABI!!
Regards Basss!!=20
--=20
SZDD=88=F0'3Af=A8=03
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 01 Feb 1996 19:21:41 +0300
From: BASS KOLLEH DRAMMEH <KOLLS567@QATAR.NET.QA>
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Re: SEECIAL REQUEST
Message-ID: <3110E894.340E@QATAR.NET.QA>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
AJagne@aol.com wrote:
>=20
> Hello my fellow Gambians,in the name of peace i greet you all.
> We Gambian have a long hard work to do for our country,because for 30=
yrs
> that beloved country has seen nothing but under development,failed prom=
ises
> and corruption.Now we have to let that go and move on.
> I would like the president to subscribe Gambia L. and talk to us.if w=
e talk
> then we
> can understand each others views and where we are coming from so that w=
e can
> try and find solutions to the lasting problems of our country.People,Ga=
mbia
> is our country and it is our duty to make the country we all want it to=
be.We
> do dont want our grandchildren to go overseas like us ,because it is ha=
rd
> overseas.We want our kids and grandkids to have oppotunities at home be=
fore
> considering overseas.For me i would not stand aside looking somebody ha=
rming
> my country and my people,i will do anything necessary to put them in th=
e
> right direction.
> There is no time for malice or hatered ,lets all be one and make the
> ultimate sacrefice to build and develop our nation for the people of th=
e
> nation.Time is going but we still have time so:
> MY FELLOW GAMBIANS LET US RALLY TOGETHER
> LET NATION BUILDING BRING US TOGETHER
> LETS DO SOMETHING FOR OUR NATION
> LETS FORGET ABOUT THE PAST AND MOVE ON
> LET TRIBAL OR ETHNIC ORIGIN FADE AWAY,
>=20
> =
-
> LETS JOIN OUR HANDS TOGETHER FOR A COMMON GOOD,
> ---- LETS MAKE THE ULTIMATE SACREFI=
CE TO
> BUILD OUR NATION
> LTE US BE ONE
>=20
> May peace be on you all
> ASSAN JAGNE
Mr.Jagne!!
Thanks for your sensible plea.Just keep the faith,"we shall overcome
some day"
Regards Basss!!
--=20
SZDD=88=F0'3Af=A8=03
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 01 Feb 1997 13:20:57 -0500
From: "PA-MAMBUNA O. BOJANG" <paomar@iglou.com>
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Greetings.....
Message-ID: <32F38989.3E90@iglou.com>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
Beloved brothers and sisters:
It feels great once again to be able to read interesting
articles from Gambia-l. I don't have much to say, but I would like to
plea to some folks to cool down a bit. The purpose of the list is to
discuss ideas. If one of my ideas/suggestions don't comply with Jonh's,
it does not mean that I should "always" condemn John's. There will be
times when John has a very sound idea, so regardless of whether John
surported or criticized my previous posting, I should not judge John
based on his position about what I said before. This might just be my
personal understanding of some responses I've been reading, so do
forgive me if I happen to misunderstand. May be I 've been out too long
....oops.
However, I do believe and know one thing, we are all working for
a common goal - to make Africa and for that matter Gambia a better place
to live. I therefore pray to Allah, the omnipotent, to make our
aspirations come true. Tombong, please calm down. You are at the
forefront of our nation, so you should be able to accept blows without
retaliating. You are doing a terrific job for providng current info.
keep it up. Dr. King said, "AN EYE FOR EYE LEAVES EVERYONE BLIND",so
allow us to criticize and doubt your gov't., we might just be your
reality checks.
Happy Ramadan to you all,
PA-MAMBUNA O. BOJANG.
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 1 Feb 1997 20:02:20 +0000
From: momodou.camara@post3.tele.dk (Camara, Momodou)
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: FWD: Agreement Signed For Microfinance Service for West Africa
Message-ID: <19970201192401.AAB18390@LOCALNAME>
01 Feb 97 - United Nations-Fund
Agreement Signed For Microfinance Service for West Africa
From Segun Adeyemi ; PANA Staff Correspondent
UNITED NATIONS, New York (PANA) - The West African Development Bank
and the United Nations Capital Development Fund have signed an
agreement for the establishment of a microfinance system for the
subregion.
The agreement was signed Friday at the U.N. headquarters in New York
by the bank's president, Boni Yayi, and the fund's
executive-secretary, Poul Grosen.
The director of the regional bureau for Africa of the U.N.
Development Programme, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, also signed the
agreement on behalf of the organization.
Under the agreement, the development fund will provide about 4.5
million dollars over an initial three-years for the establishment of
the system, which is aimed at providing loans to small-scale
entrepreneurs.
The Lome-based development bank will oversee the disbursement of the
loans to beneficiaries through designated commercial banks in its
member states. The U.N. Development Programme will help disseminate
information about the project to potential beneficiaries through its
country offices.
At a news conference after the signing, Yayi said that the bank
would establish a management and follow-up committee to oversee the
execution of the project.
He said that women's groups, local cooperatives, farmers' union and
small-scale business owners and unemployed young people would be
among the beneficiaries. The project will be extended if the first
phase is successful.
Yayi also said that the development fund, the principal U.N. agency
involved in microfinance projects, chose to work with the
development bank because of the latter's experience in the area of
rural development infrastructure.
The development bank, established in 1976 by the member states of
the West African Economic and Monetary Union, started off with a
capital base of 500 million dollars.
Yayi said that the bank had succeeded in its main objectives of
providing loans through banks in a region where 60 percent of the
people have no access to credit.
Representatives of 13 of the countries in the region witnessed the
signing of the agreement.
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 1 Feb 1997 15:16:57 -0500 (EST)
From: ABDOU <at137@columbia.edu>
To: The Gambia and Related Issues Mailing List <gambia-l@u.washington.edu>
Subject: Re: Taiwan's trade with the Gambia
Message-ID: <Pine.SUN.3.95L.970201150534.16554B-100000@terve.cc.columbia.edu>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
Content-Transfer-Encoding: QUOTED-PRINTABLE
On Sat, 1 Feb 1997 TSaidy1050@aol.com wrote:
> Gambia-l,
>=20
> Here we go again. Abdou wrote that -=91According to the January 2nd ,1997=
issue
> of The Observer, The Gambian High Commissioner to the UK was openly
> campaigning for John Major=92. This is some of things I was referring to =
when I
> said we should avoid bending the truth or making irresponsible statements=
and
> assumptions.=20
> I would like you to do us a favour, and tell us where you read that story
> from and if possible the name of the reporter who wrote the story. Better
> yet, make a copy of the Article and fax it to me (fax 44-171-937-6316)
>=20
> I have a particular interest in this article because I could sue somebody=
for
> libel.
> Peace
>=20
> Tombong Saidy=20
>=20
=09The article was carried in the Gambian Daily Observer's column
titled "Private Eye With Adama". It seems like you will be suing this
paper for libel because they did say exactly what I said they said. I am
sure you missed it because it is definitely there.
=09Since you can call The Gambia at will, why not call the office
again and ask for the columns written by Adama ? If you cannot do this, I
will produce the article for the list albeit through a slower medium.
=09Thanks and bye for now,
=09-Abdou.
=09
***************************************************************************=
****
A.TOURAY
Dept. of Computer Science=20
Columbia University=20
New York, NY 10027
MY URL ON THE WWW=3D http://www.cc.columbia.edu/~at137
A FINITE IN A LAND OF INFINITY.
SEEKING BUT THE REACHABLE.
I WANDER AND I WONDER.
ALAS, ALL RESPITE IS FINAL.
***************************************************************************=
****
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 1 Feb 1997 16:11:44 -0500 (EST)
From: KTouray@aol.com
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: 'Portrait of an imagined session'
Message-ID: <970201161144_948710037@emout02.mail.aol.com>
Here is an account of a thought that occured to me recently. Of course none
of the events i recount actually happened but i figured the graceful members
of this wonderful list would allow me to take them on journey that is part
fantasy and part reality most of us yearn. It begins with the President
welcoming members of his inner circle at a recent strategy session:
' Gentlemen good evening and thank you for coming on such short notice. I am
especially grateful that you are all clinging to your gov't issued mobile
telephones because it enables this President not only to count on a
dedicated cabinet from mon-fri but also to be in a position to track down
each of you on weekends when some of you may be tempted to venture into
forays that may not be very ministerial(laughter). On a more serious note , I
called this rather informal meeting to indulge with you my friends and
comrades into what i call a thorough and unbriddled self assessment in our
capacity as the leadership this nation. I want all of you to let your guards
down and frankly look into what we have done from the time we marched
triumphantly into office on July 22 to this mild january evening of 1997. To
a very large extent I sincerely believe that the country is headed in the
right direction and as a nation we are in a better shape than we were. By the
same token i want acknowledge that in our quest to better the lives of our
people we did make some significant errors primarily as a result of being too
brash, inexperienced or sometimes vengeful. I am especially proud of the fact
through our efforts we have succeeded in transforming the nation's psychi
from one that tolerated graft and embezzlement to one that demands redress
from those very acts. We have instilled in people that the only reason one
Gambian would be materially better off than his neighbor is through hard
work rather than a propensity to loot from the public. Gentlemen this is a
significant change the magnitude of which we realise even today. We have also
succeeded in reforming our gov't so that services are rendered in a more
appropriate fashion giving the taxpayer a pretty good bang for his buck. We
did it by purging the gov't of those individuals who we felt were primarily
responsible for the decay that has long parlayed progrees in this country. We
can also claim partial success in our efforts to improve education with the
limited resources we have. I must however say we do have a lot to do in that
area because the problems we have in the area of education are both
structural and financial. Without going into much tidious detail i think
evaluating the course we are on against what we set out to do it is fair to
say we have stayed the course. Success in itself is only an end not a means
so we should be proud of our journey so far.
On our shortcomings gentlemen i believe the majority of the people in this
country while greatly appreciative of our desire to do good are at best
ambivalent to our methods. Most of them were justifiably rattled by actions
towards people they are convinced did the nation wrong. We frankly
overreacted in our zeal to clean house and hence gave the majority of the
population the impression that we are primarily victorious soldiers who the
population had better learn to get used to because we are the Sherif in town.
This greatly undermined confidence and helped creat an atmosphere of fear and
ambivalence from that segment of the population whom a little restraint on
our treatment of the wrong doers would have assured that the pursuit of
justice was all we wanted.Instead we came across as vengeful and they feel
defeated. In the same vein I am convinced that the continous detention of
prisoners convicted of political crimes or those accused of being security
threats are to be released . I believe their continous detention is an
aberation and most importantly their release on humanitarian grounds would
serve as a good will gesture. I would be willing to consider a redress of
some sort because most of them went to jail for no good reason at all. In
retrospect i believe the gravest error we have made so far is the rather
strong arm tactics we employed in determining the outcome of the elections.I
erred in excluding people who had a fair chance of making the race
competetive not because they did anything conclusively wrong to disqualify
them but becauseI could not be assured of the outcome if they contested. I
now know that it was an aggregious mistake. We had the opportunity to once in
the history of this continent ask for the support and confedence of the
people based solely on the merit.Instead our actions forced a coronation
marked by violence and seriously tarnished our credibility the world over.
Since the results of the elections cannot be undone I have decided to reach
out to the opposition both within and outside parliament. I intend to hold
informal talks with some of them, the aim being to ultimately offer them upto
five cabinet positions with the understanding that they would be free to draw
up thier own agendas and help move the country forward. This must in no way
be seen as an affront to your efforts . We are the revolution but we can
longer afford to be exclutionary. Proper governance requires pragmatism and
reaching out to those who have been unfairly cut off from the life of their
nation seems to me to be the right thing to do . Thank you and as always you
have been a most .........queit audience'
karamba touray
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 30 Jan 1997 13:28:33 JST +900
From: binta@iuj.ac.jp
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Re: Greetings.....
Message-ID: <199702020423.NAA25230@mlsv.iuj.ac.jp>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; CHARSET=US-ASCII
Mambuna,
Welcome to Gambia-l once again!
Lamin Drammeh.
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 1 Feb 1997 23:49:09 -0500 (EST)
From: MJagana@aol.com
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Re: Taiwan's trade with the Gambia
Message-ID: <970201234908_1660108429@emout17.mail.aol.com>
In refrence to john major and the british electoral presint, they do not
elect PRESIDENTS, but PRIME MINISTERS--- there is a big difference.
momodou jagana
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 2 Feb 1997 00:08:58 -0500
From: "Malanding S. Jaiteh" <msjaiteh@mtu.edu>
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Re: CONTRIBUTIONS
Message-ID: <199702020508.AAA17743@cedar.ffr.mtu.edu>
> From GAMBIA-L-owner@u.washington.edu Fri Jan 31 12:21:03 1997
> Date: Fri, 31 Jan 1997 11:58:20 -0500
> From: Ceesay Soffie <Ceesay_Soffie@ems.prc.com>
> To: "GAMBIA-L: The Gambia and Related Issues Mailing List" <gambia-l@u.washington.edu>
> Subject: CONTRIBUTIONS
> X-To: "'GAMBIA-L@U.WASHINGTON.EDU'" <GAMBIA-L@U.WASHINGTON.EDU>
> X-Listprocessor-Version: 8.1 beta -- ListProcessor(tm) by CREN
>
> Dear All:
>
> I was notified of a murder of a 23 year old Gambian woman in New York.
> She lived in the Washington, DC area and was in New York to buy supplies
> for a salon she was getting ready to open. The body is to be taken to
> Gambia after the police release it.
>
> IF YOU CAN, PLEASE SEND A CONTRIBUTION TOWARD TAKING THE BODY HOME. FOR
> NOW, IT CAN BE SENT TO - SOFFIE CEESAY, 8660 PINEY BRANCH ROAD, 204,
> SILVER SPRING, MD 20901. Once her brother gets back, I will ask for his
> address so that the contributions can be sent there. Thank you!
>
> V/R,
> Soffie
>
Our heart goes to the family of the deceased. May she R.I.P.
Malanding
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 2 Feb 1997 02:01:08 -0500 (EST)
From: ABDOU <at137@columbia.edu>
To: The Gambia and Related Issues Mailing List <gambia-l@u.washington.edu>
Subject: Re: Taiwan's trade with the Gambia
Message-ID: <Pine.SUN.3.95L.970202013510.11550B-100000@terve.cc.columbia.edu>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
Content-Transfer-Encoding: QUOTED-PRINTABLE
On Sat, 1 Feb 1997 TSaidy1050@aol.com wrote:
> Gambia-l,
>=20
> Here we go again. Abdou wrote that -=91According to the January 2nd ,1997=
issue
> of The Observer, The Gambian High Commissioner to the UK was openly
> campaigning for John Major=92. This is some of things I was referring to =
when I
> said we should avoid bending the truth or making irresponsible statements=
and
> assumptions.=20
Mr. Saidy,
=09Here we indeed go again. If you remember, you had the same
sanctimonious and uncouth response when you were kicked out of the US by
the American government. You gave a series of reasons, the most
convincing and likely being that you were being expelled for street
brawling. You maintained these concoctions even after the State
Department and various news agencies contradicted your story. You
continued this until I unearthed an article from Reuters saying that you
were actually expelled for battering and abusing your wife. After I sent
this article to the list, you dropped silent and have yet to sue Reuters
or anyone for that matter. And this is just one example where logic and
facts have consistently triumph over your versions of the "truth". The
crying shame is that this has not made you temper your language. I am
actually the FOURTH person THIS WEEK that you have labelled with this
recycled and tired statement. This does indeed sound familiar.
=09Another interesting thing I find in this very undiplomatic letter
is the curious logic. You ask a couple of people whether they know X and
they tell you they don't, you therefore conclude that X does not exist !
=09I believe that people who make statements should back them up with
facts if reasonably challenged. I will therefore produce this column for
the list. If you want a fax of the column, all you have to do is look in
your personal archives for the column is there.
=09Thank you,
=09-Abdou.
***************************************************************************=
****
A.TOURAY
Dept. of Computer Science=20
Columbia University=20
New York, NY 10027
MY URL ON THE WWW=3D http://www.cc.columbia.edu/~at137
A FINITE IN A LAND OF INFINITY.
SEEKING BUT THE REACHABLE.
I WANDER AND I WONDER.
ALAS, ALL RESPITE IS FINAL.
***************************************************************************=
****
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 1 Feb 1997 23:40:00 -0800 (PST)
From: Latir Downes-Thomas <latir@earthlink.net>
To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu
Subject: Re: Taiwan's trade with the Gambia
Message-ID: <854880115@denmark-c.it.earthlink.net>
Abdou,
Come on now! This is a bit too personal for this forum.
> Mr. Saidy,
> Here we indeed go again. If you remember, you had the same
> sanctimonious and uncouth response when you were kicked out of the US by
> the American government
If you have something to say to Mr. Saidy, or anyone for that matter, just let them know directly or keep it to yourself. The last thing we need here is a barrage of personal attacks. For one one it turns people off and secondly others will not take you as seriously as you deserve. Since I've been on this list I've found your contributions quite positive. This simply isn't necessary.
Just take it easy ma man.;-)
Peace.
Lat
P.S. I hope this isn't the beginning of all out personal attacks list-wide! I urge others to show restraint and keep the discussion healthy. :-)
------------------------------
End of GAMBIA-L Digest 53
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gambia-l: LOG9702B - Digest 53
