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kassma
334 Posts |
 Posted - 05 Mar 2006 : 11:11:33
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i ask because being away from Gambia for such a long, long time, i'm not really sure how Gambian/Senegalese relations are. on a personal level, to me it seems that Gambians and Senegalese are basically one, we are each others family members, friends, spouses, children and etc. however, it seems that neither country is preoccupied with uniting, even though we really are one people. when i recently asked my mother what she thought, she thought it would be a bad idea simply because Senegal would swallow Gambia. what do yall think? what are the pros? the cons? do you think some people would go actvely against it.
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kondorong
Gambia
4380 Posts |
Posted - 06 Mar 2006 : 18:35:12
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There is a wealth of studies done on this issue in the 1960s and the conclusion was NO. Gambians rejected it and the United Nations endorsed. The title of the study was Segambia Alliance or Entente.
I read it some 15 years ago and you can still access one at the National Records Office in the Gambia and is free. You need some one to go there for you and ask for the copy. May be checking with the United Nations online will help if they have a copy. |
“When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time, they can seem invincible, but in the end, they always fall. Think of it--always.” |
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kassma
334 Posts |
Posted - 06 Mar 2006 : 21:56:54
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| were those studies don't by Gambians and Senegalese or by the west cause i can't imagine the west wanting unification by any means. |
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kondorong
Gambia
4380 Posts |
Posted - 06 Mar 2006 : 22:42:38
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GAMBIANS AND SENEGALES ALL PARTICIPATED INFACT THERE WERE DEMONSTRATIONS IN THE GAMBIA ORGANISED BY GAMBIANS. IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE WEST. GAMBIANS REJECTED IT. UNITED NATIONS THOUGHT WE WOULD NOT SURVIVE AS A NATION AND WE WERE GIVEN GRANTS BY THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT TO PAY SALARIES AT THE TIME OF INDEPENEDENCE.
GAMBIA WAS WAY BEHIND AT THE TIME OF INDEPENDENCE WITH NO ROADS. PEOPLE USED TO WALK FROM THE PROVINCES TO THE KOMBOS ON FOOT AND THE STRONG ONES COULD DO IT IN A WEEK. THERE IS A LOT OF GAMBIAN HISTORY NOT TAUGHT IN OUR SCHOOLS WHICH IS VERY UNFORTUNATE.
GAMBIAN INDEPENDENCE HAD TO BE TABLED AT THE UNITED NATIONS WHEN WE ASKED FOR IT. THE UN WAS NOT PREPARED TO SEE A NATION STARVE ITSELF AND WAS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE WERE THE LAST COUNTRY IN THE REGION TO BE INDEPENDENT. |
“When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time, they can seem invincible, but in the end, they always fall. Think of it--always.” |
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kassma
334 Posts |
Posted - 07 Mar 2006 : 01:39:29
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wow, i have to admit i'm shocked. i was not expecting that. i guess Gambians refused unification at that time because of some misunderstanding that Senegal would dominate us or something or simply ignorance. either way i think it was a bad decision. plus at the end of the day, it really is inconvient cause half of my family is over there in senegal, and the fact that people have to cross borders to see their family, is nonsense. |
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kondorong
Gambia
4380 Posts |
Posted - 07 Mar 2006 : 02:06:57
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| I have families over the border brother and i do the same thing. Cross over to see them. But that is democracy for you. The majority is RIGHT. |
“When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time, they can seem invincible, but in the end, they always fall. Think of it--always.” |
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kondorong
Gambia
4380 Posts |
Posted - 07 Mar 2006 : 02:09:22
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| The jawara government with all its problems definitely took us a long way to where we were in 1994. One has to muster courage to give the devil its due. I am a liberal who would not hesitate to commend when you are right but also to tell you where you need to improve. |
“When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time, they can seem invincible, but in the end, they always fall. Think of it--always.” |
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kassma
334 Posts |
Posted - 07 Mar 2006 : 02:58:53
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quote:
Originally posted by kondorong
The jawara government with all its problems definitely took us a long way to where we were in 1994. One has to muster courage to give the devil its due. I am a liberal who would not hesitate to commend when you are right but also to tell you where you need to improve.
Kondorong, i'm a female, your sister; anyways, how come most of the the movies and music we listen to come from Senegal, really isn't that weird or i'm i wrong. |
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ylowe
USA
217 Posts |
Posted - 07 Mar 2006 : 07:06:05
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| Most of the music and movies comes from Senegal because senegalaise had the opportunities to manifest their talents. Now in the Gambia we see artists emerging on a daily basis cause they can go to recording studios and record their music which wasn't available ten years ago. i am not saying the credit belongs to the government but individuals who invested in those areas. I have a dream that oneday the african child will be able to manifest his talents to the fullest. Bye |
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kondorong
Gambia
4380 Posts |
Posted - 07 Mar 2006 : 18:48:56
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There is one thing about Gambia which is unique. Gambian like things foreign and we are ready to pay higher for them. Senegal was another France. The colonial systems were different and most of the culture in Senegal has been seriously diluted.
Senegal is more western and in the Gambia, you could not cross the cultural divide and i think we are more conservative and difficult to assimilate. Senegalese are more open and adapt easily even in foreign countries.
May be i am wrong.
In senegal music is just another profession and all is welcome. In the Gambia, you have to belong to the Griot family to get acceptance and hence there was not commercialisation for profit until recently. There is a case of one boy from Brikama who hails from the marabout family and plays music. If you listen to his songs, he is preaching about being accepted and not look down on him as having crossed the divide. Another boy is in the Unite States who is a brother of Ousainou and he also sings about that. it is an unwritten rule but one you are always reminded of as soon as you cross the line.
Senegalese are more ceative and diplomatic. They can sell an airconditioner to an Eskimo even though they are freezing to death. |
“When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time, they can seem invincible, but in the end, they always fall. Think of it--always.” |
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kayjatta
2978 Posts |
Posted - 07 Mar 2006 : 18:58:47
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It is true that the Gambia's viability at independence was questioned because of its size and limited resources.
However , both Gambia and her larger neighbor , Senegal are a product of colonialism .Therefore merging Gambia and Senegal at the time of the former's independence could just be an equivalent of handing it over to another dorminant power (French Senegal , an already independent and established nation). Therefore the Gambia probably could just have ended up another province of Senegal resulting in long term serious consequences , such as that seen in Cassamance.
Gambia's decition to chart an independent course to nationhood despite all the odds is courageous and probably ultimately good.
Now is it still possible for Gambia and Senegal to unite ? Absolutely yes. If the political will is there, now is the time for that union to emerge on fair conditions and terms for each country , rather than forty- one years ago. |
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kondorong
Gambia
4380 Posts |
Posted - 07 Mar 2006 : 19:09:57
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| I will be the first person to vote for a United Sates of Africa when it comes up. I am a Pan Africanist who loves to see a unification. |
“When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time, they can seem invincible, but in the end, they always fall. Think of it--always.” |
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njucks
Gambia
1131 Posts |
Posted - 08 Mar 2006 : 15:31:36
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thanks for enlgihtening us kondorong, i didnt know that gambians demonstrated and that this was even a serious issue at independence!!
i think from our point of view most gambians fear being swallowed by senegal which is almost 10 times our area,population or economy. from their point of view some 'regions' of senegal are far bigger than the gambia (region de tambakunda or casamance). but all this is just in the mind.
i think if you just have only gambia and senegal in a union then there will always be 'tension' especially when it comes to making key decisions, who decides? the argument would always be bipolar and there will only be three possible outcomes;
1) a concession,
2) stalemate or
3) one party walks out.
this is not healthy in any relationaship especially if the options are always there. i dont know why the confederation broke up but it ended in one of the above.
we cannot repeat the same mistakes so it might be prudent/wise to consider adding a third party to this union, perhaps guinea-bissau (we are equally more or less the same people & history) that way all decisions would be by majority and less tension. just as we say gambia and senegal are the same people, in senegal they say they are the same people with mali for instance and in Casamance they say they are the same people with guinea bissau. |
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kondorong
Gambia
4380 Posts |
Posted - 08 Mar 2006 : 18:41:01
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That is true. The problem now is language. One of the reasons why the confederation collapsed was cost. It was very hard for gambia and senegal to understand each other. At the official hardly were any gambians who could speak FrencH although More Senegalse Goverment officials speak English. Our legal code is totally different, Local goverment setupis different and these are very fundamental to a unification.
Remember the folks in the villages also have a stake. Gambians had a lot to do or adjust to before they could effcetively benefit in the new set up.
Njuks i think having Bissau join will allay our fear of being consumed by senegal. gambian are very proud people who do not want to go underground and not maintain their identity. The indirect rule by the British has left a lot of our social structures in tact unlike senegal where they are almost non existence. Traditional chieftancies do not exist in Senegal and at the village levels they are mostly elected whereas in the Gambia it is inherited.
Our system may have its own problems but that is what we are used to to and the fear of loosing control may have caused the resistance.
Mind you gambians had their own local newspaper during the colonial era called the INTELLIGENTIA. That paper is more than 100 years old to this day. But there is only one copy of the paper any where in the Gambia and i am not sure if it is still in shape. It had broken down to smaller pieces almost most like puzzle pieces and needed restoration. This was back in 1991.
It is at the National Archives. My guess is that it is no longer inexistence as there were no funds to restore it and the Gambia Media fraternity did nothing to save the first gambian Newspaper for posterity. i tell you very few if any our journalist have ever heard of this paper. The Daily Observer is no the first private paper. There were altleast three that preceeded it. Gambian history has not yet beeen taught in schools. The marabout war, saloum baol is very superficial. There is a lot of gambian history yet to be told. I spend one year reading Gambian History from 1812 to 1965.
You may have heard of the hut tax in Sierraleone which led to revolts by BAI BUREH. Edward Francis Small started a similar crusade in the Gambia called no taxation without representation. He was among our independence heroes. Jawara and PPP are very recent. Today there is no significant monument on him which is a betrayal of our history.
I am thinking of having a fund in the name of Edward Francis Small for Gambians who have dedicated their lives for Fredom and Justice or atleast a scholarhips for academic excellence. Mr Small enlightened gambians about self reliance and democracy. Are you guys ready to help me see this become reality. It requires sacrifice and putting up some money.
Please no excuses. WE CAN DO IT. WE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN COMPLAINING. THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN YOUR COUNTRY
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“When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time, they can seem invincible, but in the end, they always fall. Think of it--always.” |
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kassma
334 Posts |
Posted - 08 Mar 2006 : 20:06:59
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| what could possibly prevent Gambia from teaching its own history? Kondorong, your offer, sure, i'm willing, but off course, are you trustworthy? and what are your plans. build a statue, a scholarship, a campaign for teaching Gambian history? |
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kondorong
Gambia
4380 Posts |
Posted - 08 Mar 2006 : 20:37:45
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My plans are to have a scholarship fund. I have already started my own and i currently have one student i am sponsoring at Kotu Senior secondary shool. I do not know him and have never met or seen him. It is managed by his principal.
I only read about his problem in the point newspaper. Most people not will question my trustwothiness. You have to understand that not everyone agrees on the same thing. My problem is having someone in the Gambia who can administer this. The easiest way is to provide scholarship to the student with the most outstanding results. But then there might be others who did not do as well because of lack of opportunities like having a candle to study, bus fare to school, school fees delays or even an exercise book.
I am the crusade I am on the crusade and hope that i make more money to help more people. I have dedicated myself to the cause and sometimes it is good to avoid a crowd that will only argue and do nothing.
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“When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time, they can seem invincible, but in the end, they always fall. Think of it--always.” |
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