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Screensize: 640 x 480 800 x 600 1024 x 768 1280 x 1024 UserName: Password: Format Mode: Basic  Help  Prompt  Format: Videos: Font Andale Mono Arial Arial Black Book Antiqua Century Gothic Comic Sans MS Courier New Georgia Impact Lucida Console Script MT Bold Stencil Tahoma Times New Roman Trebuchet MS Verdana   Size 1 2 3 4 5 6   Color Black Red Yellow Pink Green Orange Purple Blue Beige Brown Teal Navy Maroon LimeGreen Message: * HTML is OFF * Forum Code is ON Smilies [quote][i]Originally posted by Momodou[/i] [br] ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 12 Jan 1998 13:07:32 -0500 (EST) From: mjallow@st6000.sct.edu (Modou Jallow) To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu Subject: Re: For Dr. Sall of CODESRIA Message-ID: <9801121807.AA59818@st6000.sct.edu> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Momodou Camara, you wrote: > > Tomaa, > I have just spoken to Mr. Mkandawire and he confirmed the > appointment. He lives a few hundred metres from me here and I met him > through Dr. Ebrima Sall last year. > Hey Tomaa, Thank you for the response. What a co-incidence that you and Mr. Mkandawire know each other! For another thing, I didn't even know that he was residing in Denmark. The last I heard he was in Sweden. Anyway, I am just glad that you were able to confirm the appointment. Now then, since you have been so helpful, I would like to ask of you one more favor. If it is not too much of a burden to you, could you kindly send me his phone number (or email address) in Denmark via private mail? As usual, your efforts are always appreciated... and... greetings to the family. Regards, Moe S. Jallow ====================================================================== mjallow@sct.edu mjallow@hayes.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 12 Jan 1998 19:49:27 +0100 From: Svend Ole Kvilesjo <svendok@online.no> To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu Subject: Re: New Members Message-ID: <34BA65B6.6117D60A@online.no> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Hi everyone! My name is Svend Ole Kvilesjoe (28). I am a web-journalist in the norwegian newspaper Aftenposten, based in Oslo. From 1992-1994 I lived in Bansang, The Gambia, working with the youth organization 4H. Its now operating in 27 villages throughout the country. I have many good friends in Gambia and have just returned from a four week visit. Now I am hard working with a new resource place at Internet, and i will keep you informed about the progress. The release will hopefully be in a few weeks. Anyone who has something to contribute to my Gambia-place at Internet, please send me a mail. Good photos, stories, news, general information, spesific information, - I will consider everything! I am also looking for a person - hopefully in Oslo - who can be able and villing to teach me the fula-language. I speak some mandinka, but would really like to learn fula before returning to the Gambia. Abaraka! Morro Camara, alias Svend Ole Kvilesjoe :) --------------------------------------- Svend Ole Kvilesjoe Journalist & photographer OSLO, Norway Mail: svendok@online.no URL: http://www.kvilesjo.no Phone work: +47 2286 4032 or 2286 4411 Phone home: +47 2267 9097 Mobile: +47 90 123 345 ---------------------------------------- ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 12 Jan 1998 14:12:02 -0500 (EST) From: mjallow@st6000.sct.edu (Modou Jallow) To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu Subject: Was the Minister in the Gambia? Message-ID: <9801121912.AA42488@st6000.sct.edu> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Hello folks, Apparently , the tour has taken the Honorable Louis Farrakahn to The Gambia. May I ask your views on the visit?? Please see: http://www.finalcall.com/worldtour/index.html Regards, Moe S. Jallow ===================================================================== mjallow@sct.edu mjallow@hayes.com --------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 12 Jan 1998 22:10:19 +0200 From: momodou.camara@post3.tele.dk (Camara, Momodou) To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu Subject: New Members Message-ID: <19980112211038.AAC12416@momodou> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT Greetings, Isatou Sanneh, Marie Darboe and Sulayman Mbenga have all been added to Bantaba. Welcome to Gambia-l, please send a brief introduction to gambia-l@u.washington.edu. Regards momodou Camara *** http://home3.inet.tele.dk/mcamara "To make friends is easy, just use pure ingredients"*** ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 12 Jan 1998 23:10:45 +0100 From: "Momodou S Sidibeh" <momodou.sidibeh@stockholm.mail.telia.com> To: "gambia-l" <gambia-l@u.washington.edu> Subject: IS IT IN OUR NATURE - PART 2 Message-ID: <199801122225.XAA01211@d1o2.telia.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit TO MY MIND, one of the most fundamental reasons for Africa's economic stagnation and permanent poltical instability is due to our inability to build strong, mass-oriented, and representative autonomous organizations. It will be clear in due course why I hold this belief. In the mean time let us begin by putting the whole issue in a concrete historical and gheographical context. Wherever, a couple of Gambians immigrate, they initially are bound to socialise, give one another mutual and material support and share in the sorrows and joys of one another. As other compatriots arrive, the first individuals play host to them, helping them out through bureaucratic chores and the basic practical realities of the new cultural environment. But as the group grows larger the old bonds of national solidarty eventually weaken as members feel more and more culturally and economically secure in the new place. The arrival of others belonging to other language groups, or from the same regions, same schools, help to further weaken the collective national identity. While everyone formerlly knew everyone else, at some later point in time, more and more become strangers to one another, to the extent that efforts at organizing collective activity is hampered by distrust and individualism in a situation where earlier on, edicts of one for all and all for one were the guiding principles. This is in general, how immigrant communities EVERYWHERE evolve and villages develop. However, the character of the factors hampering organisation will depend on the historical experiences and the social backgrounds of the individuals concerned Therefore, what we are talking about here is not about Gambians in Stockholm or in Washington D.C or in Oslo - or in Doha - per se. What we are looking at is simply how Gambian society operates in Gambia. So it is indeed useful, and even necessary, to locate the whole of this discussion on its natural historical and geographic setting. I would like to write about what, in my opinion, are some of the general reasons behind the failures of the autonomous orgainzations of Gambians, proceeding by taking up those aspects I think Mr. Ndow left out; and where I have an opinion, I shall venture suggesting what I think could be done to bring about improvement. One important belief I need to mention before proceeding is that I do not think that political questions are ingrained with any measure of absolute truth; a truth which rational people, through objective investigation, can ultimately discover. I think it is an instance of maximum naivete to believe that. Whatever truths there are cannot be more salient than the results obtained through social practice. Mr. Latjor Ndow excellent's contribution addresses the issues almost all organizations of Gambians are confronted with. It seems to me though, that the Organization of Gambians In Sweden (OGIS) is a special case in that it has been, more or less dominated, for more than ten years, by a tiny, effective, group of Gambian revolutionists belonging to the Movement for Justice in Africa (MOJA-G). This domination no longer obtains, and MOJA itself has long resorted to hara-kiri as a way of resolving contradictions spurred on by a devastatingly cheap opportunism and treachery. Having said that I should begin by directly answering Buharry's criticisms and say why I think some of these were unfair. NO, IT IS NOT IN OUR NATURE. One reason is that patriotic, broad-minded, rational, and democratically inclined Gambian parents CAN bring up children, who are generous in spirit, free from irrational fears and superstition, tolerant, intellectually honest, and with an ethnic identity that celebrates and respects difference rather than promotes societal discord; children who can be brought up to listen to and respect the opinions of others and children who, when they have become men and women, can make up their minds by objectively reasoning on the validity of ideas at stake without caring whether or not the persons behind the ideas are imagined or real enemies of their husbands or wives: Throughout the 80s and into the early 90s, the OGIS had been one of the most active immigrant organizations in Sweden. It operated a discotheque, organised children acticvites, cultural events - the most famous of which has been the yearly arranged Gambian Cultural Week - activities for women, symposia, debates and film shows. It sponsored week-end trips to either Oslo or Gothenburg every summer and occasionally invited and sponsored visiting Gambian artists and musicians to organise exhibitions and perform, respectively. It invited intellectuals to give lectures on many formerly current and topical issues of concern to Africans and African-Americans. (We had Ngugi Wa Thiongo, Professor Abdul al Akalimat - I do not remember from which US university, and two other African professors, one of them an expert on Aids working at Rikshospitalet in Copenhagen, and the other Dr. Felix Konotey Ahulu, a world-famous Ghanain expert on Aids and sickle-cell anaemia, based in London. The Ogis published a news magazine, the Gambia Newsletter, which, I am sure, many of you must have known about. In 1993 it sent a container loaded with medical equipment and other hospital supplies, worth 100.000 SEK, to the RVH in Gambia, and again just a few months ago it financed the transportation of a container loaded with technical aids valued at 250,000 SEK to the Gambian Association of the Physically Disabled. OGIS was so active and respected by the Swedish authorities that any group of Africans wanting to organise on any pan-African issue were advised to involve OGIS members. If nothing else, this, I think shows that with all our backwardness, with the hosts of predicaments we have, Gambians can come together and make progressive things happen. The present inactivity and general laxity in OGIS now is principally the result of the withdrawal of MOJA members. While some, like myself, are still involved, most are so disillusioned by their experiences that their former enthusiasm to organise Gambians is simply gone. After their active participation, it became obvious that the kind of discipline, dedication, and sacrifice that running such an orgainzation requires has proved almost impossible to induce Gambians to undertake. Nevertheless, even during its most active periods, OGIS co-existed with other less known organizations of Gambians. Comparing Ogis with say the Eritreans, as Buharry did, was unfair because the motivations to organise came from quite diiferent sources. The thirty-year war with Ethiopia, and internecine battles amongst different liberation groups produced the highest concentration of nationalist sentiments amongst all classes and ethnic groups of Eritreans. It was the searing thirst for national liberation and the threat of this common external enemy which forced Eritreans, by dint of sheer necessity, to close their ranks and hold on to one another. Eritrean nationalism was one sealed in blood, and even after the war it is this experience that still affects the level of sacrifice they are willing to undergo for their country. Gambians have never had that kind of violently induced collective bonding. So our nationalism is one we have to create ourselves, by other means. Similar reasoning can explain why Ugandans also find it easier to get along. Theirs has been, unfortunately, bonding produced by a long line of post-independence tragedy, from Idi Amin Dada, the endless fighting, the scourge of AIDS, to the present climate of optimism. Mr. Ndow wrote: as a matter of > fact, one does not have to be a rocket scientist to identify these. go > to any 'kampeekaay' and raise the issue of our community's condition and > you will hear (between sips of attaya of course) some of the most > brilliant analyses on why we are divided. age, gender, ethnicity, > educational or religious background all become non-issues when the > gambian mind goes to work dissecting 'our problems'! the issue then, it > seems to me, is not our lacking in understanding of the nature of our > problem. we know it intimately! where we have fallen short has in devising solutions and implementing them.... But then therein lies our tragedy. I mean that, if our predicament is only that much difficult to access and assess, why then do we have a problem devising solutions and implementing them? My understanding being that a problem is what to do about a predicament. My belief is that what we think are brilliant analyses are in fact never thorough. If we believe that age, gender, ethnicity, religious background are causes of our fragmentation (as they obviously are) I think we need to stretch our logical investigation further and ask: why is age a predicament? why is gender a predicament? why ethnicity and religion????? In order to change our present reality we need to know not only what factors constitute our reality. We must also know how these factors interact and operate as they influence that reality. Pinpointing these factors, to my mind, is not the same as analysing them thoroughly. Nevertheless, I must declare quickly that I should not pretend to be able to do that. If this reasoning is convincing, then we would have agreed on a useful point of departure. (Part 3 follows). Momodou S Sidibeh, Kartong/Stockholm. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 13 Jan 1998 02:43:42 +0100 From: "Momodou S Sidibeh" <momodou.sidibeh@stockholm.mail.telia.com> To: "gambia-l" <gambia-l@u.washington.edu> Subject: IS IT IN OUR NATURE?? - PART 3 Message-ID: <199801130154.CAA16700@d1o2.telia.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Added to placing the historical and geographical context in Gambia, I would like to also say that I will be now and then commuting from realities in Gambia to the realities of Gambians elsewhere. The points are quite numerous so I will try to be brief: 1. OUTSIDERS: As was well paraphrased in OGIS constitution, there are those Gambians who believe they have finally come to the Swedish paradise and would have nothing to do with their embarassing Gambian past. There are still others who believe that our undeveloped circumstances are the work of God and they would not waste their time trying to undo what was the work of ALLAH. Others feel they are too good to associate with lumpens , and would have nothing to do with any riff-raffs. The only way to convince these sort of people is perhaps through activity. 2. POOR EDUCATION: There certainly were coup plots to remove Mojanites from influential positions in the Executive Committee. But these never amounted to anything more than bickering. My believe is that in spite of their great numerical superiority, most Gambians were intimidated by what they felt was the intellectualism of Mojanites. Serious articulate cases could never be brought up to garner sufficient support. This has telltale parallels with how the masses of Gambians define PDOIS, for instance, and even how ordinary people relate to those considered to be intellectuals. Obviously, here the problem is not with the people but with those who are eager to get them organised. 3. INFORMATION: In the old days in Gambia, communities were small and people devised ingenious ways of spreading information: messengers, talking drums, coded language, signs and symbols. Technological change and literacy added the radio and newspapers to these and they became an effective instrument of coercion and propaganda in the hands of governments. The only news that was news was always that which served the interest of the state. Truth, and nothing but the whole truth became a very rare commodity. So the people created their own information systems, the radio "kang kangs" of this world. Rumours grow on land where timely, reliable information is not sown. Gambians in Sweden are world champions in spreading rumours. They would always talk about "the money". Some would still, jokingly, ask me...."suma raka! ana halis bi!?" , refering to the of reasonably large amounts of money OGIS accumulated over the years. 85% of Stockholmers never pay their membership dues. So most of them have no rights whatsoever, to the money they are constantly asking about. The failure on the part of the organisers was that financial reports were rarely given and these occasions were few and far between. By their inaction, they contributed to the rumour mongering. Because we are so poor, and because corruption is a real problem, leaders and people in responsible positions do not only have to be accountable, but information about national resources ought to be frequent, comprehensive, and understandable. In our organizations some would stay on the outside because they would have persuaded themselves that some insiders are stealing the money. But once information about the money is made regularly available, they would have one less excuse for staying away. BTW, the misuse of collective funds in rural village organsations is a rather widespread problem in Gambia. The reasons, I think, are related to the social distribution of power. 4. HISTORICAL PRECEDENTS: A major difficulty in our efforts to create successful autonomous organizations is the fact that historical comparisons are not available. There is little in our collective experience that informs us that Fulas, Jolas, Mandinkas, Wollofs, and other ethnic groups did in fact come together to pursue common ideals; much less to organise themselves on the basis of equality and mutual respect. The Muslim -soninke wars were mobilising. But they incidentally (in many cases at any rate) were made on ethnic lines. Besides, at independence, the major political parties were also formed and organised on tribal basis, even if the smaller ethnic groups, it may appear, had the freedom of choice of association with any of the larger, organised ones. Here, I think the role of the schools are important. From say, the fourth grade, pupils should be taught and encouraged to build ideal associations run by elected classmates. Here the basics of a democratic tradition can be inculcated by, say, practicing debate, listening to others, speaking in turns, voting according to beliefs, learning to control funds, and giving reports, etc...I think ethnic division is a major hurdle partly because we cannot fall back onto major, historically significant cases of inter-ethnic solidarity and cooperation. This is far from saying that these never occured. I am saying instead, that most of us do not know about them. 5. DIFFICULT CHILDHOOD: The majority of us have experienced admonitions such as "children should not ask that kind of question", or that "you must not listen to elders conversing or discussing" or at any rate you are supposed to be mute even when the elderly say a lot of things you know to be untrue. Also, threats about djinns (spirits) and others such as "suluwo kanaale" (bukki baange nyew /the hyena is coming) simply become sources of future irrational fears and superstitious beliefs. These kind of codes of conduct are simply destructive to the curiosity of children. Instead of filling our curious intellect with information at the earliest time possible, we are sometimes stopped from learning how things fit together. This way scientific intelligence which is the result of a curious intellect is often thwarted. We are also taught to supress our opinions as children, so that by the time we are grown-ups we become experts in supressing the opinions of others. We are not just unable to listen to others whose views differ from ours, we cease every chance we have to make sure that they get no chance of saying something. Should anyone wonder why journalism is one of the riskiest professions in Africa? Another major difficulty here is when as children, our language skills remain underdeveloped because we are often denied speaking without fear in our hearts. I suspect that this affects us in our communication with others. Where we feel slighted in discussions or arguments we may tend to take short cuts (instead of argueing out our case) by heaping insults and invectives on our opponents. Communication becomes impossible at that point, and the meetings just break down, for example. (Bass can you say something about this? I think there is more to it than I have mentioned.) Superstition simply encourages constant trips to the marabouts and we learn very early, how to believe things without a shred of evidence. The mere suspicion that she must have said something wicked about you becomes the source of the most akward mutual public persecution ("taysantay"). 6. INNOCENT ETHNIC BEHAVIOUR: At any one naming ceremony in D.C or Oslo or Stockholm, you will mostly likely discover that the Gambian public present is disproportionately representative of the same ethnic group as that of the hosts. I do not believe that this happens deliberately, i.e through planning. It simply happens that if your wife and you are Wollof, most of your acquaintnces, and friends are likely going to be Wollofs as well. So they form the croud at your child's naming ceremony. In other words, you unconsciously organise an ethnically biased significant cultural program. So you can never think of yourself as being tribalist. And that itself is dangerous enough, because behaviour that is automatic in times of "peace", is likely to be reinforced, and sanctioned by conscious planning in "war" time! We can all do something about this right away. Next time you have such a great programme, you MUST DELIBERATELY invite members of other ethnic groups, even if they are mere acquaintances. In fact you may begin by learning a second Gambian language! I must stop here for tonight! I am simply too tired to continue. I have just two more paragraphs left. If you however think that I am wasting your time with so much rubbish, kindly consider my apology as already given. Good night. Modou S Sidibeh, Kartong/Stockholm. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 12 Jan 1998 23:20:56 -0000 From: "archibald.graham@commit.gm" <gambia-l@commit.gm> To: <gambia-l@u.washington.edu> Subject: Re: Help!! Message-ID: <B0000035482@south.commit.gm> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Sent by "Archibald H. R. Graham" <archibald.graham@commit.gm> via Commit Karafa Badjie I refer to your following note on the List: > I am urgently in need of the telephone number of St. Augustine's High > School in Banjul. Please help as soon as possible if you are in possession > of the telephone number. > My thanks in advance! You may dial St Augustine on: 229598 or 228128 Regards Archi ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 13 Jan 1998 03:21:46 +0100 From: "Momodou S Sidibeh" <momodou.sidibeh@stockholm.mail.telia.com> To: "gambia-l" <gambia-l@u.washington.edu> Subject: IS IT IN OUR NATURE? PART 1 Message-ID: <199801130233.DAA28516@d1o2.telia.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Elakeh, Sister Jabou is a good muslim and good muslims do not get angry during Ramadan. They are forgiving and conciliatory. I am therefore convinced that Jabou would not come to your aid. Thank you for supplying me with part of Buharry's questions. I have no illusions however about rendering justice to this subject, even if I categorically refuse to be "just at one place". Edward Said says we should be everywhere, and black people have more reasons than any other people to, indeed, be everywhere. But this has taken too much of my time. Thanks to your encouragement, it is almost done. keep up the good work down there! Modou Sidibeh, KARTONG... ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 13 Jan 1998 11:51:29 +0100 From: "Momodou S Sidibeh" <momodou.sidibeh@stockholm.mail.telia.com> To: "gambia-l" <gambia-l@u.washington.edu> Subject: IS IT IN OUR NSTURE? - PART 3, CONTINUATION Message-ID: <199801131126.MAA23579@d1o2.telia.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit A more appropriate sub-heading for point 4 above is Absence of Historical Precedents. 7. THE SOCIAL DISTRIBUTION OF POWER: Mandinka society, like many others, is well organised structurally. From children at the age of five or six, to village elders, social roles are designed for everyone. Ultimate power, however rests in the hands of the elderly men, the women simply playing consultationary roles. This however is not just because they are elderly. The significant factor is that elders are the repository of culture, they know the society's history, its enemies and friends, its totems and taboos. In short their experience is the ultimate source of wisdom for the klan and village. And then came colonialism, the Western model of government and its institutions, and eventually, so-called democracy. To make matters short, I am suggesting that democratisation is effectively the process of wresting power from the hands of the elderly in order to distribute it, somewhat evenly, in the the society at large. It is one way of stating that knowledge and wisdom is no longer the private property of the elderly; and everyone knows that no one gives up power with enthusiastic readiness. (During the Transition Period, this confusion of roles - the exercise of traditional power and that wielded by the democratic state - is what accounts for President Jammeh's famous confrontations with the elders). That age is a hurdle in building organizations could be looked at from this perspective. Our society simply accorded respect to those who are older on the basis of that fact because largely i think these latter have been thought to be wiser. Now that age does not automatically imply wisdom, we are faced with giving respect just for the sake of age. I think our society MUST continue to accord the elderly respect on the basis of age. (That way we ensure that everyone dies in dignity, among other things). We have to be innovative in searching for ways of interacting with those who are older in every possible way without being disrespectful. How we speak to one another, how we rectify one another are important considerations in this respect. 8. GENDER CONSIDERATIONS: I only remember that as a child, after being circumscised and lived in the bush during the process of healing and initiation into manhood, I was taught the most elaborate and ingenious ways to insult women: words, symbols, and signs designed to cause tremendous pain and anguish. I cannot now in retrospect understand why we were being taught to hurt our mothers and sisters. Was it because our fathers wanted to sever our close ties with our mothers, knowing that we are more emotionally attached to them. i.e their own roles as fathers pale into insignificance when compared to what our mothers endure in our behalf? We must support all things for the economic empowerment of women...(that is almost a cliche these days). If the President were me he should do two things this year: 1. Declare 1998 a year for the FREEDOM FROM VERBAL ABUSE, and pass legislation banning insults (we must simply learn to direct our agressions into argueing rather than resorting to verbal violence!), 2: On Women's day, the men in all families should simply get into the kitchen, do the laundry, fetch firewood, do the beds, clean up and fetch water! It is time we practically show our mothers and sisters, just once a year, that we do appreciate what they do for us by letting them take the day off. If dad is too old to get into the kitchen, well we the sons and brothers should ask him to give a special present to mom. We should also ask all the women in the family to forgive us for all the pain we may have caused them even if unintentionally. (In fact I might just send this to the Vice President!! ...:-) :-) 8. INTELLECTUALS...Except for the emergence of PDOIS in Gambia this century, I think it can be safely claimed that Gambian intellectuals never in any meaningful way engaged in dialogue with the rest of the population. Except in the pursuit of narrow private interests, or in the service of the state the intellectual class distinguished itself by being completely marginal in public life, always under the shadow of authority and power, almost always against the fundamental interests of the people. Always aloof and taciturn, they in fact never did talk to each other openly, much less to the people for whom they ought to have readily made available their book knowledge in, say, public lectures...telling the people about the world, democracy,our history, offering suggestions for solving their problems, informing them on how governments work, about the law, basic hygiene...man, you name it! Eventhough Islam caused a lot of blood letting in Gambia during much of the last 60 years of the 19th century, muslim clerics were active in spreading their knowledge of the Holy Koran and the Hadith. They built schools, preached about the kingdom of Allah publicly, and travelled extensively sharing their knowledge. I think that is one reason why the homes of Imams are usually crowded even today. Common people simply wish to get advice and guidance on how to conduct their lives. Gambian intellectuals need to create similar connections with the people and make themselves available if they should be respectably looked upon to help in building and leading autonomous organizations for any noble aims. In fact it is wishful to think that even in Gambia-l, we are any better. There is no reason why anyone should believe that academic snobbery does not exist here... those from Harvard think that by some measure they occupy a higher pedestal than those from Gambia college and so engage in Oxfordian snobbery. I do really hope that such a trend is now forever broken. When Katim initiated this list, and others at columbia, and perhaps elsewhere made it a reality, a very significant historical landmark was made. For the first time, Gambian students, academics, professionals, and many other people exchange views and write about their concerns for Gambia and the world reasonably well. Well, we should be more than grateful for that. At the same time, well-educated compatriots such as Katim , Latjor Ndow, Jabou Joh, Sulayman Nyang, (and many others I do not know about) who paricipate in discussions and make available their views, beliefs, and comments, and who have argue with us, not minding our questioning their points of view, deserve much more thank simple thank yous...they ought to be told that they are tremendously important sources of inspiration and hope. Hey, that is all for now, and I got to go. Momodou S Sidibeh, Kartong/Stockholm. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 13 Jan 1998 12:16:26 +0100 From: "Momodou S Sidibeh" <momodou.sidibeh@stockholm.mail.telia.com> To: "gambia-l" <gambia-l@u.washington.edu> Subject: Re: NEW MEMBERS Message-ID: <199801131127.MAA23900@d1o2.telia.com> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Lams and General Mboob, I am ceasing this opportunity to welcome you heartily to the 'bantaba'. The same applies to all new members. Cheers, Momodou Sidibeh. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 13 Jan 1998 11:05:19 -0600 (CST) From: Paul Jammeh <st2063@student-mail.jsu.edu> To: The Gambia and Related Issues Mailing List <gambia-l@u.washington.edu> Subject: Re: SUBSCRIBE GAMBIA-L Lamin Bojang Message-ID: <Pine.LNX.3.95.980113105603.26423A-100000@student-mail.jsu.edu> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Hi Lamin, WELCOME ABOARD THE BANTABA. WE HOPE TO HEAR YOUR BEAUTIFUL CONTRIBUTIONS. THIS IS PAUL JAMMEH IN JACKSONVILLE, ALABAMA OR IN ATLANTA (SMYRNA). PEACE, PAUL On Sun, 11 Jan 1998, LBojang wrote: > Hi, my name is Lamin Bojang, and I recide in Georgia. I appreciate you adding > me to the list; I will surely try to contribute as frequently as possible. > Thanks > ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 13 Jan 1998 13:26:18 -0500 From: jalibaa <jalibaa@bellatlantic.net> To: Gambia-l@u.washington.edu Subject: UPCOMING ISSUE OF JALI BAA Message-ID: <34BBB1CA.7BAE@bellatlantic.net> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF PUBLISHING THE FIRST ISSUE OF JALI BAA-THE PUBLIC OPINION ORGAN FOR SENEGAMBIA JANUARY 1998.WE ARE CALLING ON GAMBIANS AND AFRICANS IN GENERAL TO SUBSCRIBE AND SUPPORT THE ORGAN BY CONTRIBUTING ARTICLES, POSITION PAPERS OF INTEREST TO GENUINE DEVELOPMENT AS OPPOSE TO MALDEVELOPMENT(HEALTH,POLITICS,ECONOMICS,AND CULTURE).WE URGE ALL INTERESTED AFRICANS TO ENGAGE US IN STRUGGLE, LET'S UP THE ANTE, WE CANNOT KEEP ON LIVING UNDER THESE WRETCHED CONDITIONS ASSOCIATED WITH AFRICAN EXISTENCE. WE MUST "INVENT THE FUTURE".FORWARD INTO THE 21ST CENTURY WITH REKINDLED CONFIDENCE AND OPTIMISM. FOR INQUIRES, COMMENTS,CRITICISMS CONTACT US AT: JALI BAA BOX 56436 WASHINTON, DC.20011 OR AT jalibaa@bellatlantic.net OUS MBENGA ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 13 Jan 1998 16:52:03 -0500 (EST) From: "N'Deye Marie N'Jie" <njie.1@osu.edu> To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu Subject: Internship opportunities, deadline Feb 27 '98 (fwd) (fwd) Message-ID: <199801132152.QAA11483@postbox.acs.ohio-state.edu> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" >Date: Mon, 12 Jan 1998 22:00:34 -0500 (EST) >From: "Fatou N'Jie" <gs01fnn@panther.Gsu.EDU> >Subject: Internship opportunities, deadline Feb 27 '98 (fwd) (fwd) >To: "N'Della N'Jie" <ndella@iastate.edu>, > "N'Deye Marie N'Jie" <njie.1@osu.edu>, > Yasanthi Perera <ychanper@iastate.edu> > > >Deparment of Commerce >>>National Oceanic and Atmosheric Administration >>> >>>Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) is recruiting >>>undergraduate and graduate students for NOAA internships in the >>>Washington, DC metropolitan area and in field sites throughout the >>>country. This ten week program is designed to provide research >>>experience to college students majoring in biology, environmental science, >>>oceanic science, astmospheric science, marine science and computer science. >>> >>>DATES of the program: June 8-August 14, 1998 >>> >>>Bonus: Undergraduate students will receive $360 per wk. Graduate >>>students will receive $450 per wk. Stipends will include a 15% >>>dislocation allowance based upon appointment location. >>> >>>Travel: One round trip ticket from your home or academic institution to >>>assigned faculty. Reimbursement for distances over 50 miles one way >>>will be AVAILABLE. Assistance in locating housing will be AVAILABLE. >>> >>>Eligibity: Students must be enrolled in an undergarduate or graduate >>>program, pursing a degree in one of the PHYSICAL OR BIOLOGICAL >>>sciences. Must be a permanent resident alien or U.S. citizen. >>> >>>Apply Now: Interested students should complete an application and >>>resume by February 27, 1998. Application forms are available in Office of >>>Multicultural Affairs, Telephone 202-885-3651, Butler 404 >>> >>>Return Completed Applications to: >>>ATTN: Harold Rider >>>ORISE/ETD >>>P.O. Box 117 >>>Oak Ridge, TN 37831-0117 > > > > ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 14 Jan 1998 00:11:50 +0200 From: momodou.camara@post3.tele.dk (Camara, Momodou) To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu Subject: GambiaNet's Progress Report & Response to Recent Inquiries/Comm Message-ID: <19980113231216.AAB57402@nijii> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT Dear Gambia-L, If you may recall, some days ago, Mr.Torstein, the Managing Director of Commit, the private company that provides Email services in the Gambia, announced the launching of a Gambian paper on the Internet.The name of the paper is FRESH, a bi-monthly paper that intends to specialize mainly in providing Sports and Entertainment news in the Gambia. The maiden appearance of a Gambian paper on the Internet is a very Happy occasion not only for the company that owns that medium, but also for the Gambian nation. It must also be a very happy occasion especially for the Gambian diaspora as they constantly struggle to reconcile between the Need to be physically away from their homeland and the Want to be regularly informed of the comings and the goings of this very special place to their hearts. So, we very sincerely Congratulate and Welcome FRESH for its pioneering presence on the Internet and hope that we could have with them and Committ, a workable working relations in the not too distant future towards an end that would serve their interest, ours and that of our wider Gambian National Interest. But as we mentioned above, FRESH is not a paper about Politics and not about Economics; it is ultimately about Sports and Entertainment, things that are meant to make us feel good even if the reality of our lives are not that pretty to watch. Not that anything is wrong with selling us an escapist medium, only that we want to highlight the fact that a paper like that can only be an addition to but certainly cannot be a substitute for an independent, aggressive and politically and economically oriented paper that has made it its job to tell us both the good and the bad news about the political and economic health of our nation.To our mind, that is the kind of paper we in the diaspora especially need and should want when considering paying for an Online News Service. It is because of this fact that we at GambiaNet decided some one year ago that, by Gambian standards, the paper that comes closest to meeting these criteria was the country's Daily Observer. And since then, we have tirelessly worked on the project of bringing this particular paper to the Internet and are glad to say that the entire basic infrastructure is all set now. And if it has not been for the few technical difficulties that our Gambian partner, The Observer Group, has been facing, the Online Version of this paper would have been a reality a long time ago. A quick visit to our Website and a perusal of the impressive Observer Demos that our technical team has assembled there should make that demonstrably clear for even the hardened cynic. Once the Online version of this particular paper is up and running, and hopefully very soon, especially now that we have finished drafting the Contract between us and the Observer Group, we would explore the possibility of bringing the other prominent Gambian papers onbord, especially an aggressive one like Foroyaa, if possible. So, we are pleading with all those who have shown interest in this project to continue to be patient with us as we sort out and try to overcome the outstanding bottlenecks on our way towards a working and reliable Observer online news services. Maybe a complaint is in order here! This Observer Online project has taken a little bit far too long to complete.That is true no doubt, but as any Gambian living and working abroad knows too well, the number of hours and amount of energy that is normally left for us to use for ourselves in any given day after performing that routine but delicate balancing act between giving our hundred percent to our workplaces, our schools and our families is minuscule, at best. And to squeeze into those few remaining hours of the day and tiny amount of energy left of us a volunteer work such as we perform at both Gambia-L and GambiaNet can prove extremely taxing sometimes for anyone of us. But all the same, all of us still contribute, albeit at varying degrees. We do, partly because all of us need and want to be constantly informed of the latest news in and about our motherland, and where else could we do that better than in our lovely Gambia-L?! And also partly because all of us know that the kind of Gambia our children will inherit tomorrow will largely depend on the amount of hardwork and sacrifices we the Gambians of today are prepared to make for our homeland. This brings to the other reason why we are writing this article.The Mail that we referred to in our opening paragraph that Mr.Torstein had sent to the Gambia-L to announce the Launching of the FRESH newspaper infact contained more than a mere annoucement of that fact. In a not so subtle manner, he among other things savaged our competence, our lack of preparedness to make the sacrifices necessary to finish this observer project, and our partial dependence on his company, Commit to help train the observer people. But nothing could be further from the truth, and the facts of the matter are as follows:- (a) The only request we have made of Commit to date is to help the Observer with hardware and software installations and to train a couple of Observer staff members in the use of the equipment. (b) We have not thought of asking Commit for technical solutions because there is no need to. (c) In our dealings with Commit, they have not (not even once) had to "push" for us (the "Observer group") to get anything done. (d) Rather than use the little free time we have experimenting with implementing an HTML converter on Macs we do not have access to, we logically decided to buy a Quark to HTML converter priced at under $100, with our own funds of course. (e) We pooled our funds to form GambiaNet which will allow the Observer Online service to be legally provided on a tax-free basis. (f) We have finished a contract which we have sent to the Observer. (g) Our volunteerism will ensure that any profits earned by the project will satisfy the stipulation in our bylaws that profits be applied towards Gambia-related development initiatives, especially in education. (h) We continue to work towards bringing the Observer online and that the Observer, despite our visits and telephone calls, has remained a reluctant partner. (i) If the Observer does not tell us something definite about the contract within next couple of weeks, we will start looking for another Gambian paper to bring online. (j) The URLs (http://www.xsite.net/~c3p0/gambianet/ , the no-frames version at http://www.isr.umd.edu/~isatou/gambianet and http://www.xsite.net/~c3p0/gambianet/admin/) point to barebones testbeds for the final site we have had in place since early last fall. (k) It should be noted that the site will provide us the operational ease and efficiency we all desire given our time constraints. So, unless Torstein intended those irresponsible remarks about us as a huge Ramadan joke, we cannot resist the temptation of concluding that our friend has not done any meaningful homework on us, else how could we explain the masochism inherent in his attacking the intelligence and competence of the shakers of the very platform that makes his otherwise very boring Emailing services such an exciting proposition for his customers in the Gambia. Of course, it has never been our style to either over-react or lose our good sense of humour; and for that reason, we won't say more than this on this subject, but we, of course, expect him to reciprocate us with the kind of courtesy and respect we accord him, his brother and the company that they run in our country. We know that even though profit is the main reason why they are in the Gambia, they are nonetheless contributing to the technical development of our country, and we like them for it. And we definitely have no problems whatsoever if Mr.Torstein finds sending a Gambia paper to the Internet as easy as "a piece of cake" That is the way it should be, because that is his livelihood and he can afford to spend much, if not all, of his twenty-four hours on it, whereas ours is a mixture of hobby and volunteer work on which we can't afford to spend except a tiny percentage of our spare time.That is the fundamental difference between our two situations that our friend either chose not to remember or simply deliberately ignored when he sent his that message to the Gambia-L. So, we hope he would in the future show a higher degree of civility in his dealings with us. And we thank all of you for your patience in reading this report! Those of you interested in the observer Online Services but who have not yet registered, please do so now by sending an Email to Momodou Camara at :Momodou.Camara@post3.tele.dk Regards from Momodou Camara for GambiaNet Inc. P.S. The attachement is Mr.Torstein's original mail to which we have just responded. Sent by "Torstein Grotnes" <tgr@commit.gm> via Commit Hi Gambia-L. Resending this intro message...and adding some critisism!! ------------------------------------- Hello Gambia-L We are happy to announce a Gambian addition to the growing amount of newspapers on the web. The bi-monthly (twice every month) FRESH newspaper is now on the Internet. -------------- As the first Company in the Gambia the Informer Media Group Company Ltd. has introduced a Online version of the bi-monthly newspaper FRESH on the World Wide Web. If you have Internet access you can check us out on these addresses for the first ALL FREE Online edition of FRESH; http://w1.2220.telia.com/~u222000299 http://home.sol.no/~tgrotnes If you are a member with Commit in the Gambia, the address is: http://www.commit.gm The Informer Media Group would like to invite any interested parties to come up with suggestions for changes or content to the FRESH Online version. The FRESH paperversion is now sold in one thousand copies around The Gambia. The Informer Media Group are welcoming any international advertisers and interested investors.. Please send any enquiry and comment to the FRESH e-mail address: lamkins@commit.gm Address: The Informer Media Group Company Ltd. Publishers of FRESH, The Sports & Entertainment Chronicle, YMCA opposite MDI, Kanifing, The Gambia P.O. Box: 2735, Serrekunda, The Gambia , Fax: 225833, ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Anybody has any comments on the paper? Are you able to read it at the addresses? And why this silence from the Observer-group people on this topic?? Just to make sure; The reason we believe Observer is NOT on the web is due to two things: Observer itself and the Observer group. As a company we cannot put on such a project, without having other people that are actually pursuing the topic actively. If we always have to push and push to get this thing to go through we will in the end think "why do we try to do this for these people when they don't even seem to be able to something about it themselves.?" I mean, come on, you guys (and girls) are supposed to be a bunch of high educated fellows with some resources, so this thing should be a piece of cake!! It's nothing I would be more happy about than see The Observer going online, but i demands ACTION from the group. Just to give you an example; you now know what kind of equipment (MAC) Observer use. Is it so impossible to try out a system similar to that for some of you and to spend SOME time developing this automatic Observer page-converting?? Why do you not ask us any questions if it is possible to do this or that, or if we can implement any solution you come up with?? COME ON guys and girls. Is it RAMADAN that takes a knock on you?? Regards, Tosh "full speed" Commit PS. please tell anybody interested in The Gambia about the addresses for the FRESH Online paper. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 13 Jan 1998 18:14:02 GMT From: David Gilden <dgilden@tiac.net> To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu Subject: Taking the Train to Mali Message-ID: <l03110701b0e15f0ad958@[204.215.135.128]> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Winter greetings to all, I am going over land to Bamako, starting in the Gambia into 2 weeks. Does anyone know how much the train will cost from Tambakunda to Bamako. What day/time the Senegalise Train comes through Tamba. Any info at this time would be greatly appreciated. Thanks Dave *Cora Connection Your West African, Manding Music Source* http://www.drive.net/kora.htm ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 14 Jan 1998 11:42:16 -0500 (EST) From: "Malanding S. Jaiteh" <msjaiteh@mtu.edu> To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu Cc: msjaiteh@mtu.edu (Malanding S. Jaiteh) Subject: Gambia Education Support Organization Plan- reminder Message-ID: <199801141642.LAA08916@aspen.ffr.mtu.edu> Content-Type: text This is just a friendly reminder that its been a week since the Gambia Education Support Organization (GESO) constitution and operation plan had been sent to all members of Gambia-l for their approval. To our new members. Just about 1 yr ago a proposal was sent to Gambia-l to establish an organization for assisting Gambia individuals and institutions in education. Ain education committee was established and to develope a plan for this organization. Early this month a final draft of the plan was submitted to Gambia-l for member approval. It is hoped that once an approve or not approved not is received from all members of Gambia-l interested members will be called upon to register. So far the education committees drafting team received only 5 responses. We hoped that this do not reflect the true feeling of the members. Certainly a number of people must be very busy or missed the posting. To that effect I will once more send the document (its in 2 parts). My apologies to those who received my previous posting. malanding Jaiteh ps I thought I might add that the proposal could only be implemented if people do not show interest and approving or not approving in one sure way of doing that. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 14 Jan 1998 11:50:13 -0500 (EST) From: "Malanding S. Jaiteh" <msjaiteh@mtu.edu> To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu Subject: Re: SV: Endangered Gambian Beaches!! Message-ID: <199801141650.LAA08930@aspen.ffr.mtu.edu> Content-Type: text Fafa, thank you for that technical perspective on coastal erosion. Its good to have experts around. keep up the good work up/down there as Bassss would say. I hope the ice storm missed your part of the world? Malanding Jaiteh > > Hi, Malanding and all the Bantaba people, > I have been following the very interesting discussion on coastal erosion > in The Gambia. > > I am a geologist by training and profession and I have been higly involved > in thinking and trying to seek a sollution if there is any to coastal > erosion in The Gambia.The theories of geological and geomorphological > processes of coastal environment are really complex and cannot be dealt > in this limited time and space.So what I would rather do is to give a > very brief history of response measures so far taken to combat coastal > erosion in The Gambia and some general ideas I have gathered trough my > personal experiece and readings. > > The entire coastline of west and central Africa, from Mauritania to Angola > is retreating at diferential but alarming rates in almost all these > countries (see UNEP Regional Seas Report and Studies No. 107, 1989).In > Senegal for example, shoreline retreat at Rufisque has been estimated at > between 0.45 and 2.46 m/yr (1959 to 1980).As recently as 1997, the > Sangomar spit that borders the saloum river was been completely cutoff, > totally > inundating the village of Jiffere (personal visit to the site in July > 1997).In The Gambia, studies ( mainly aerial photo interpretation ) have > indicated a general erosion rate of 1-2m/yr. In Localized severely > affected areas such as the Banjul muslim cemetery area, Rufisque and > Jeffere, in senegal and many other areas in the subregion such as the > victoria beach Lagoes erosion rates are much higher. The Geology > department of Chiek Anta Diop University in Dakar has carried many > studies,like wise other parts of the subregion and overseas including > the US but there is yet no conclusive answer to the problems of coastal > erosion. > > In The Gambia like many parts of the world, several hard and soft > stabilization efforts were tried but so far the success story is hardly > told anywhere. Even in the US a lot of failures of beach protection > efforts have been reported. > > In 1957, the Banjul muslim and christian cemetery area suffered from > flooding during spring tide. Groynes of ruhn palm were constructed with > concrete pannels as respose . This was latter abandonned and rhun palm > piles connected by timber walling and ruhn palm sheet piles, jetted into > the sand secured > to the walling by means of nailing was tried. Both efforts have worked for > sometime and latter failed as we observe today.A combination of groynes > and > boulder stone pitching retained in gabions have also been tried, with no > success. > > Resently the muslim community heaped some boulder stones on the seaward > side of the muslim cemetery and this also could not work. This effort was > followed by another gabion basket (bolders in coated wire mesh ) method of > protection which is also failing.The most recent effort is UNDP sponsured > effort which has been mentioned in one of the e-mail messages. > > The above is just a synopsys of the problems and efforts. The biggest > question is which stabilization method is most suitable and why all these= > =20 > methods are failig. All methods > including concrete wall have failed in many places and infact such > methods have a very serious side effects of the sea attacking the two ends > of the > wall and thus aggravating erosion at these sides.There are several > examples of > this which I cannot give here, but the various sea wall trials in > Rufisque, in senegal are typical and near home examples. The sea wall at > Radio Syd is proved to only hold the sea temporally, The effect of end > erosion can be seen there too. > > Therefore the issue of coastal erosion is global and the causes are not > very clear in many places including the Gambia and Senegal. The current > trend of thought is better coastal zone planning, i.e the planning and > management of human activities in the coastal environment. Relocation of > human activities including settlements are some of the solutions in some > literature.This is a very costly venture but it may worth thinking and > planning at an early stage. The village of Jeferre, in Senegal was forced > to relocate by nature within a very short period of time. The US > Geological Survey > report " Coasts in Crisis " by S.J. Williams, K Dodd, and K. K.Gohn, 1991 > suggested that the first step needed to manage the coastal crisis is" to > understand our- coast better, to build a solid foundation of earth-science > data on coastal processes and evolution". =20 > > Thus Sand mining, infracstructure development are all anthropogenic > activities which have been blamed for causing or aggravating coastal > erosion. This cannot be denied but, natural factors such as low > topography,unconsolidated rocks, aggressive hydrodynamic system, and more > importantly sea level rise should be serious looked into, particalarly in > the case of west Africa region. > > Malanding, this is done in a big hurry but I think I need to share little > I know in the Senegambia region with all of you. I am curently writing a > short paper on costal erosion in The Gambia.This cannot be available > immediately, because it has to go through academic scrutiny. > > Anyway the National Environment Agency (NEA) can be of some help in > providing more recent interventions and the current coastal zone > management paradigm in the Gambia =20 > > Thanks > > Fafa > On Wed, 7 Jan 1998, Malanding S. Jaiteh wrote: > > >=20 > > > From GAMBIA-L-owner@u.washington.edu Wed Jan 7 03:48:57 1998 > > > Date: Wed, 7 Jan 1998 09:49:26 +0100 > > > From: =3D?iso-8859-1?Q?Asbj=3DF8rn_Nordam?=3D <asbjorn.nordam@dif.dk> > > > To: GAMBIA-L: The Gambia and Related Issues Mailing List <gambia-l@u.wa= > shington.edu> > > > Subject: SV: Endangered Gambian Beaches!! > > > MIME-Version: 1.0 > > > Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable > > > X-To: "'gambia-l@u.washington.edu'" <gambia-l@u.washington.edu> > > > X-Priority: 3 > > > X-Listprocessor-Version: 8.1 beta -- ListProcessor(tm) by CREN > > >=20 > > > Jabou, I made the same experience when I visited Gambia in November. > > > Some oceanographers must come to gambia and advice the government. As I > > > see it they have started to prevent just outside Banjul where you have > > > the cementary. But at the same time the coast, and the beach where I wa= > s > > > staying this time was taken. The beachbar at the Hotel Atlantic was nea= > r > > > to disappear one night. Banjul will one day (if not allready) be an > > > island. The Sea want to break through, and if the government want to > > > preserve, they need experts. All the sand taken from the beaches go to > > > all the building-activities, because the tradition is building with > > > concrete-blocks.(Which I will change with my house in Gambia) The more > > > houses, the more sand they transport from your beaches. And because of > > > the big lorries going to Gunjur-Kartong, to bring sand from the beach, > > > the main road is totally spoiled. The government got a foreign loan, (a= > s > > > I was told on the news in november) to build a new road from > > > Serekunda/Bijilo to Gunjur along the coastline. What that will come to > > > mean of exploitation of natural ressources, or rich gambians to buy the > > > costal area for housing in the long run, or better conditions for the > > > people living down there, better transport, better service etc., will b= > e > > > interesting to follow. How the government will balance the development > > > and the preservation of nature and natural ressources at the same time= > , > > > is interesting for a foreigner as me, who can se the result in Denmark > > > from just thinking of progressing the infra-structure, and now have to > > > repair from the investments in the past. It all helps to give a better > > > NGP !! First take the ressources and build the towns, the roads and all > > > that, and now "repair" the nature again. Just a comment Asbj=F8rn. > > =20 > >=20 > > I thank Jabou and Asbjorn for bringing up the Gambia beach problem. Let m= > e start by saying that I am no expert in this subject. I happen to be a con= > cern somebody having the feeling that somthing is not right.=20 > >=20 > > Jabou some legend say that Banjul will be consumed by the sea. I am no b= > eliever in legend but I think the threat to Banjul and the surrounding is n= > o doubt real and I believe it is well understood by the government. What is= > not clear is whether the real cause of it is undertood. Theories say that = > sand mining is the major cause followed by construction particularly on the= > south Bank of the estuary. However several attempts have been made to miti= > gate the problem including banning sand mining between Banjul and Bijilo p= > erhaps even beyond. What is interesting is that the problem seems to be inc= > reasing. The only things that really seem to work (only for a short while t= > hough) is the artificial Barriers on the beach. I will call expert to corre= > ct me on this. If that seems to be the case then we might want to look beyo= > nd sand mining on the south Bank. I think that big picture approach may giv= > e us better understanding. A complete study of ocean and river currents on = > both sides of the ! > > ! > > ! > > ! > > ! > > river.=20 > >=20 > > I say that one reason. For quite sometime now (perhaps 20 yrs) there is a= > growing sand bank near Barra around the ferry terminal and former GPMB de= > pot. The problem was so serious that the Ferry terminal had to be regularly= > dredged. That problem could have come from the construction of those stuct= > ures. If so then one may ask, where would all that sand be if the structure= > s were never built? Perhap we could hydrologists and physicists in the Bant= > aba who are familar with the area to put in their thoughts.=20 > >=20 > > Asbjorn, one can understand your feelings about the potential impacts of = > the new road. Let me say that there is no land between Tanjeh and Banjul th= > at one can call "really public" except for a few patches. Also unless thing= > s changed since 1994, much of the lands in the area along the proposed road= > had been purchased by affluent Gambians aware of the plans since early 199= > 0s. The road had been part of the tourist development plan and almost all t= > he beach (except a few strips) had been desinated Tourist Develepment Area.= > Talking of Natural Resources, it is sad to say,there is very little of tha= > t. > >=20 > > Malanding jaiteh > >=20 > >=20 > ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 14 Jan 1998 13:19:59 -0500 (EST) From: "Malanding S. Jaiteh" <msjaiteh@mtu.edu> To: gambia-l@u.washington.edu Cc: msjaiteh@mtu.edu Subject: GESO plan for approval Message-ID: <199801141819.NAA09088@aspen.ffr.mtu.edu> Folks, this is part 1 of 2 of the GESO document for gambia-l approval. My apologies if you received it earlier on. malanding jaiteh Gambia Education Support Organization I. Mission The mission of the Gambia Education Support Organization is to provide assistance to Gambians and Gambian institutions in education in the Gambia. A vital part of the Organization's mission will be to become a medium through which intellectual, logistic and material resources of Gambians and friends of the Gambia can be utilized to improve education in the Gambia. To this end, the Organization will: Provide intellectual, material, logistic and other support to individuals and institutions in need at all levels of education in the Gambia. Facilitate access to information and resources on education and research in the Gambia. Improve coordination and communication among members to support education in the Gambia. Develop and maintain a responsive and financially stable organization. II. Organization structure: General Membership Membership to the Organization is open to all (Gambians and non-Gambians). There shall be two categories of membership, voting and Honorary members. Voting members will be required to pay annual membership fees as determined by the Organization. All voting members will have the right to vote and run for office. Members who fail to fulfill their obligations will cease to have the above rights. All other contributors who do not fall under this category shall become Honarary members. Executive Committee The Organization will conduct its overall activity through the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee will oversee the planning and implementation of the Organization's activities. The Committee will be voted in every two years. It shall consist of the Executive Director, Deputy Executive Director, ex-Executive Director, three Zone Coordinators (Gamabia, Europe and North America), and a Treasurer. Zones/Regions Geographically the Organization will be divided to three zones: Europe, North America and Gambia. Members in other regions can chose their zone of affiliation at their convenience. Zone Coordinators will oversee the Organization's activities in their zones and will act and speak on behalf of their zones. III The Constitution Article I The Name of the Organization. The name of the organization (hereinafter referred to as the Organization) shall be the GAMBIA EDUCATION SUPPORT ORGANIZATION, GESO. Article II Location and Address The Principal office of the organization shall be at the address of the current GESO Exective Director. Article III Membership Section 1. Membership of the Organization is open to all (Gambians and non-Gambians). There shall be two categories of membership, voting and honorary members. Voting members shall be required to pay annual membership fees to be determined by the the Executive Committee in consultation with the Financial and Fund Raising Committee. All voting members will have the right to vote and run for office. Contributors who do not wish to be active members in the Organization shall become honorary members. Section 2. The membership year is the calendar year ending December 31. Article IV Membership fees The following membership fee will be charged accordingly. US $10 per month for non-student members residing in North America, Europe, Australia New Zealand and Japan. US $2.5 adult members elsewhere including Gambia. US $5 Students in North America, Europe, Australia and Japan. US $1.00 for students elsewhere. Article V The Executive Committee Section 1. The Executive Committee, subject always to the provisions of this Constitution, shall have general supervision and control of the management and administration of the affairs of GESO and may exercise all or any of the power of GESO including, without limitation , power to make donations of, and accept donations to, the funds of GESO and to invest and reinvest its funds in any property, real or personal, to such extent deem advisable PROVIDED, however, no such donation shall be made to any member and no such investment shall be made in the securities of, and no loan made to, any member. Section 2. Special meetings of the Executive Committee may be called by the Executive Director or by any four (4) or more of the officers. Section 3. A quorum for the transaction of business at any meeting of the Executive Committee shall constitute a simple majority of officers. Section 4. Every officer shall be entitled to vote at any meeting on all matters. Section 5. The Executive Director shall give notice of every meeting of the Executive Committee to each officer at least one (1) week before the meeting. Notice of the Executive Committee meetings must specify the purpose. Article VI Officers Section 1. The officers of GESO shall be a Executive Director, Deputy Executive Director, a Treasurer, and three Zone Coordinators, one from each Zone. An Executive Committee shall consist of all the officers, who shall have the power of a Board of Directors and other such members that the Executive Committee shall appoint to serve from time to time at the discretion of the Committee. Section 2. The Executive Director, Deputy Executive Director and Treasure shall be elected by the members as specified in Article IX. Zone Coordinators shall be chosen by their Zones to represent them on Executive Committee. Section 3. The Executive Committee may designate one or more individuals as temporary officers, to continue as such during such term as shall be specified by the Executive Committee. Such temporary officers need not be members of the Executive Committee. Section 4. Any temporary officer appointed by the Executive Committee may be removed from office by the Executive Committee when his or her duties as prescribed by Executive Committee, has been executed out as determined by the Executive Committee. Section 5. Any officer may resign by filing with the Recording Secretary or filed with the Executive Committee a written resignation, which shall take effect on being filed or at such other time as may be prescribed therein. Any vacancy at any time existing in the Executive Committee or in any other office or in any committee may be filled by the Executive Committee at any meeting and the person chosen to fill the vacancy shall hold office for no more than 120 days or until an elected member is chosen. Any officer may be removed from office with just cause by the Executive Committee following notice, which states her/his removal, is proposed. Article VII Powers and Duties of officers Section 1. The Executive Director shall be the chief executive officer of GESO, shall preside at all meetings of GESO and of the Executive Committee, and shall have the general and active management of the affairs of the Executive Committee, subject to the approval and direction of the Executive Committee. Section 2. In the absence of the Executive Director, or in case of her/his death, resignation, incapacity or refusal to act, the duties pertaining to the office shall, until the election of new Executive Director, be performed by the Deputy Executive Director, or in the event of the absence, death, resignation, incapacity, or refusal to act by the Deputy Executive Director, the Executive Committee shall designate one member to act. Section 3. The Treasurer shall be in charge of all moneys of GESO, shall collect all moneys due to GESO, shall have the power to accept donations to GESO and (subject to the control of the Executive Committee) shall deposit the funds of GESO in its bank account, and may invest the funds of GESO subject to the prior approval of the Executive Committee. She/he shall keep such books as may be necessary for the duties of her/his office, which at all times shall be open to the Executive Committee. She/he shall report in detail annually, and as often as required by the Executive Committee, all moneys collected, expended or invested, all outstanding obligation of GESO, and such other matters as may be deemed proper in connection with her/his office, and shall perform such other duties as the Executive Director or the Executive Committee may require. She/he shall keep updated records of the membership and updated records of the mailing lists with the help of the Recording and Corresponding Secretary. Section 4. The Deputy Executive Director and three (3) Zone Coordinators of the Executive Committee shall be responsible for convening standing and ad hoc Committees, and responsible for conference programs, minutes from Executive Committee and Annual meetings, and other GESO documents. All four (4) shall perform such other duties as the Executive Director and the Executive Committee may require. Section 5. The Executive shall nominate the appointment of a Recording and Correspondence Secretary for approval by the General membersip within sixty (60) days from the day of nomination. The Recording and Correspondenece Secretary can not vote in the Executive Committee. Section 6. The primary responsibility of the Recording and Corresponding Secretary shall be to act as liaison between GESO and outside organizations; the secretary shall insure that notification of GESO meetings be posted. The Recording and Corresponding Secretary shall also assist the Treasurer in updating mailing lists. She/he shall conduct all correspondence of GESO and assist the Executive Director in maintaining contact with the standing committees. She/he shall perform such other duties as the Executive Director and the Executive Committee of GESO may require. Section 7. Zone Coordinators. Geographically, the Organization will be divided to three zones, Europe, North America and Gambia. Members in other regions can chose their zone of affiliation at their convenience. Each Zone Coordinator will oversee Organizational activities in their zones and will act and speak on behalf of their zones. Article VIII Committees The Executive Committee and the Executive Director may from time to time appoint such committees, consisting of such persons, for such purposes and with such powers as the Executive Committee or the Executive Director shall determine. The members of any such committees shall serve at the discretion of the Executive Committee. A member of the Executive Committee shall serve on, but need not chair, each committee, and shall act as liaison between the committee and the Executive Committee. Ad hoc Committees (Working Committees) The Working Committee members will be appointed by the Executive Committee on need bases. The Working Committees will be technical working groups to prepare activity plans, or implement activities. The Working Committee will be dissolved at the end of their assignment or at the discretion of the Executive Committee. Financial/Fundraising Committee: The Organizations will raise the necessary finances through membership fees, individual contributions and fundraisers. The Committee will be the Organization's official fundraiser. The committee shall coordinate all fundraising activities and will consist of four members. The Committee will be responsible to consult with Executive Committee to determine annual membership dues. If this Organization is dissolved all its net funds will be donated to an institution or institutions of its choice. Audit Unit This unit will help ensure that the organization's funds are used as specified. The unit will comprise of a Chairperson and two committee members. Members of the committee will be appointed by the Executive Committee as needed. The unit will prepare its own operational document to be approved by the General membership. Article IX Elections and Nominations Section 1 A four (4) member Elections and Nomination committee shall be chosen by the general membership to oversee and supervise nominations and elections of officials. The Elections and Nominations Committee shall elect one (1) of its members to serve as head of the Committee. Members of this committee can not run for any other office during their tenure as election officials. The committee shall have final say on election results. Section 2. The Nomination and Election Committee shall request suggestions from the members for nominations for the GESO'S officers at least two (2) months before elections. The Committee shall devise and mail to the voting members a proposed slate of nominees at least thirty (30) days prior to the annual meeting. Biographical sketches, together with optional statement of intent consisting of no more than one hundred words, shall accompany all nominations. All nominations shall also submit a statement to the Committee on Nominations of their willingness to serve. Section 3. All elections shall be held by ballot and candidates receiving the largest vote cast shall be considered elected. In the case of ties, there shall be another vote between the two top contenders. Section 4. A Executive Director shall be elected every two (2) years and shall serve in the two succeeding years as Executive Director. The term of the Executive Director shall be two years. Section 5. The Deputy Executive Director, Treasurer and Zonal Coordinators shall be elected every other year to a two-year term. Section 6. The term of the office shall begin on the first Moday after the first day of January end on the third Monday of December. Each officer shall serve a maximum of two terms in the office. Article X Checks, Notes, Drafts and Other Instruments The treasurer must draw up checks, Notes, Drafts, and other Instruments for the payment of money drawn or endorsed in the name of GESO but he or she should not sign it. The signatories are the Executive Director and two (2) other Executive Committee members besides the Treasurer. Neither the Executive Director nor other members shall sign any such instrument as foresaid unless authorized by the Executive Committee to do so. Article XI Fiscal Year The Fiscal year of GESO shall be the year ending with the thirty-first (31) day of December of each year. Article XII Amendments Section 1. All proposed amemndments to the Constitution, together with comments and recommendations of the officers of GESO shall be submitted to all voting members for ballot by postal or electronic mail. Section 2. A two third majority of the members returning their ballots within thirty (30) days of the date of mailing of the proposed amendment(s) shall amend the Constitution Article XIII Agreement of GESO The provisions of the Agreement of GESO as they from time to time exist are a part of this Constitution. We, whose names are hereto sunscribed, do, by this agreement, associate ourselves with the intention of forming an organization under the General Laws of ... Address: [/quote]   Check here to include your profile signature.