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kayjatta
2978 Posts |
 Posted - 10 May 2010 : 07:45:58
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The Gambia recently (last Wednesday, April 5th) finally signed a 1998 agreement with Qatar, an oil-rich Gulf state.
The agreement will enable Gambians residency and employment in Qatar, while Qatar could invest in the Gambia's struggling industries including agriculture and oil and gas exploration.
African workers in arab nations have been subjected to serious abuse in the past. Therefore, the Gambia government's decision to export Gambian workers as human-cash-crops to Qatar could open the door for human trafficking and a new form of slave labor. Also the fact that this agreement has been shelved for twelve years, since 1998, raises further doubt about its prospect. It could also be recalled that Jammeh's cousin (Ansoumana Jammeh)who was the head of the Jammeh Foudation for Peace (JFP) has recently been deployed as Gambian Ambassador to Qatar.
This decision by the Gambia government contradicts its longstanding opposition to migration from the country, as indicated by its agreement with Spain to deport Gambian migrants, inceases in passport fees, and open ridicule of Gambians abroad as unpatriotic.
http://observer.gm/africa/gambia/article/gambia-qatar-sign-labour-agreement
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Edited by - kayjatta on 10 May 2010 07:58:31 |
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Moe
USA
2326 Posts |
Posted - 10 May 2010 : 09:39:56
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Kayjatta did you just say the Gambia government's decision to export Gambian workers as human-cash-crops to Qatar could open the door for human trafficking and a new form of slave labor ? What makes you think it raises doubts about it's prospect ? back up your assertions before I give you my reply .While you at it I hope you care to differentiate between the two types of migrants 1) The illegal back way to Spain which is not only dangerous but illegally by all means. 2)Gambian workers going to Qatar legally? If you decided to be that ignorant fool once again Please try to define "Outsourcing" for me and tell me what the hell all these Goddamn Indians are doing taking over the telecommunications industry in America. "Jamm Kathey Singa bi" I am pretty sure you are wasted once again.But hopefully you take your dear time ,I am just helping you to get a stronger defence, Research baby ,hopefully you've seen the UDP mission statement or are you just ignoring it ,don't forget it's also awaiting your kind criticism ........................................................................Peace |
I am Jebel Musa better yet rock of Gibraltar,either or,still a stronghold and a Pillar commanding direction
The GPU wants Me Hunted Down for what I don't know ..... |
Edited by - Moe on 10 May 2010 09:45:11 |
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kayjatta
2978 Posts |
Posted - 10 May 2010 : 10:00:57
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India and other countries whose citizens are issued work visas into the USA have surplus of highly trained, highly skilled people who are redundant in their own countries and therefore could be cost-effectively employed by the U.S companies. The Gambia has no such surplus highly trained, highly skilled people. It will be disastrous for the Gambia to 'sell' its few and much needed skilled professionals to Qatar in exchange for drilling oil. I know the Chairman has the oil thing in his head, however. Therefore, the Gambians that are likely to be packaged and exported to Qatar are likely to come from the lower rung of the society. I fear they may end up serving as only little more than domestic servants.
Do you remember fate of the batch of Gambian women to Kuwait in 1995/1996?
I have not read the UDP Mission Statement yet, but I commend them for that. I know they are doing a good job... |
Edited by - kayjatta on 10 May 2010 10:04:01 |
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Moe
USA
2326 Posts |
Posted - 10 May 2010 : 10:22:29
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| Drilling Oil? from what source did you get your poorly established notion Kayjatta ? Did you sit to consider what role these highly skilled Gambians are gonna be filling ? whether slave or master,you mean you just wanna sound cute since I guarantee you that you ain't gonna be able to establish that fact ,You do not know at what capacity they will be going there. I already have friends of mine from Gambia Working in Qatar and this is prior to the signing of this agreement and they are no JAMM's much rather experts in their field of work. Gambia lacking skilled labor? That made me laugh,you'll be surprised how many Gambians nowadays have Mba's and Msc's like it's cheese cake not to mention the UNIVERSITY or students studying petroleum engineering. You can sit in Babylon and think you are smarter and doing better than Gambians, but rest assured if you ever wander back to Gambia you will not only be suprised but a fool like you has to be told which way ,how and where,I swear to god...........................................................Peace |
I am Jebel Musa better yet rock of Gibraltar,either or,still a stronghold and a Pillar commanding direction
The GPU wants Me Hunted Down for what I don't know ..... |
Edited by - Moe on 10 May 2010 10:23:00 |
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kayjatta
2978 Posts |
Posted - 10 May 2010 : 10:35:52
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JUST A LITTLE RESEARCH:
Qatar has a poor human rights record, as evidenced by this finding on wiki:
Main article: Human rights in Qatar
Qatar is a destination country for men and women from South and Southeast Asia who migrate willingly, but are subsequently trafficked into involuntary servitude as domestic workers and laborers, and, to a lesser extent, commercial sexual exploitation; the most common offence was forcing workers to accept worse contract terms than those under which they were recruited; other conditions include bonded labor, withholding of pay, restrictions on movement, arbitrary detention, and physical, mental, and sexual abuse.[9]
"According to the Trafficking in Persons Report by the US State Department, men and women who are lured into Qatar by promises of high wages are often forced into underpaid labor. Many of these people are commonly known as peasants. The report states that Qatari laws against forced labour are rarely enforced and that labour laws often result in the detention of victims in deportation centres, pending the completion of legal proceedings. The report places Qatar at tier 3, as one of the countries that neither satisfies the minimum standards nor demonstrates significant efforts to come into compliance." |
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Moe
USA
2326 Posts |
Posted - 10 May 2010 : 10:45:25
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| What you have highlighted is nothing new to me my friend . The same can be said for most developing and emerging countries Mr Kay. Have you taken a good look at the human right records of your chosen destination and place of residence. You are being unrealistic and still swaying from my questions.Answer them and then we can talk about POSSIBILITIES and PROBABILITIES................................................Peace |
I am Jebel Musa better yet rock of Gibraltar,either or,still a stronghold and a Pillar commanding direction
The GPU wants Me Hunted Down for what I don't know ..... |
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kayjatta
2978 Posts |
Posted - 10 May 2010 : 10:50:35
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| So having acknowledged that Qatar may be an unsafe destination for Gambian migrant workers, would you still go ahead with the deal? |
Edited by - kayjatta on 10 May 2010 10:51:19 |
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toubab1020
12311 Posts |
Posted - 10 May 2010 : 13:24:44
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| I think that Qatar is an opportunity of employment for Gambians who " want to take a chance" after all nothing is guarenteed in this world,remembering that Gambia has NO JOBS available for many of its people and the family structure is at the moment leaning towards the man being the breadwinner,one serious problem facing those who wish to "take a chance" is that they MAY well have a big problem returning to Gambia before their contract has expired as the "Employeer" or his "Agent" would pay the outgoing travel, if conditions and pay are not as promised then the employee is unlikely to have the funds for the return trip to Gambia.He or she may of course get ensnared in the protracted "legal" system and be held in less than ideal conditions if they break their contract of employment. |
"Simple is good" & I strongly dislike politics. You cannot defend the indefensible.
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Edited by - toubab1020 on 10 May 2010 13:28:50 |
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Moe
USA
2326 Posts |
Posted - 11 May 2010 : 09:37:22
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I doubt if I acknowledged anything ,am acknowledging the fact that it is from Wiki and could have been written by any unreliable source ,quite possibly a psycho like yourself. Let me tell you a little bit of something,the country you live in today ,the great old USA had a worst track record,this is a country where slavery was practiced and the effects of slavery is still lingering in the atmosphere. From 1889 to 1918 more than 2,400 African Americans were hanged or burned at the stake. Many lynching victims were accused of little more than making "boastful remarks, "insulting a white man" or seeking employment "out of place. but am assuming that did not stop you from venturing in your case for greener pastures to the land of the FREE. The last known officially recorded lynching was in 1968 but don't forget as recent as 1998 James Byrd was lynched in Texas by Goons created by you know "WHO".Please show me some other sources and stay the hell away from wiki and the human rights records,Did you say you were once a teacher?...............................................Peace quote:
Originally posted by kayjatta
So having acknowledged that Qatar may be an unsafe destination for Gambian migrant workers, would you still go ahead with the deal?
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I am Jebel Musa better yet rock of Gibraltar,either or,still a stronghold and a Pillar commanding direction
The GPU wants Me Hunted Down for what I don't know ..... |
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kayjatta
2978 Posts |
Posted - 11 May 2010 : 10:30:46
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| " Amnesty International expresses concerns about human rights violations in Qatar in the context of the death penalty, restrictions on the right to freedom of expression, discrimination and violence against women, exploitation of migrant workers, arbitrary arrest and detention without charge, and arbitrary deprivation of nationality", Amnesty International (February, 2010) |
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Moe
USA
2326 Posts |
Posted - 11 May 2010 : 10:34:16
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| I thought So.............................................Peace |
I am Jebel Musa better yet rock of Gibraltar,either or,still a stronghold and a Pillar commanding direction
The GPU wants Me Hunted Down for what I don't know ..... |
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mansasulu
997 Posts |
Posted - 11 May 2010 : 21:53:35
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Kay, temporary agriculutral workers (with valid visas) who work in the farming industry in the United States are not highly trained or highly skilled either. Would you say that a form of human cash crop export is going on there as well?
I agree that taking Gambian workers to Qatar is fraught with many unknowns, in terms of their safety, rights and dignity. However, we should reserve judgement until the first batch goes and see what happens. This may be the only opportunity employment wise for a lot of our young folks who wouldn't find any other means of work otherwise. |
"...Verily, in the remembrance of Allâh do hearts find rest..." Sura Al-Rad (Chapter 13, Verse 28)
...Gambian by birth, Muslim by the grace of Allah... |
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toubab1020
12311 Posts |
Posted - 12 May 2010 : 00:20:51
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"However, we should reserve judgement until the first batch goes and see what happens. This may be the only opportunity employment wise for a lot of our young folks who wouldn't find any other means of work otherwise."
That's nice mansasulu,you agree with me  |
"Simple is good" & I strongly dislike politics. You cannot defend the indefensible.
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Edited by - toubab1020 on 12 May 2010 00:21:31 |
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kayjatta
2978 Posts |
Posted - 12 May 2010 : 07:28:36
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quote:
Originally posted by mansasulu
Kay, temporary agriculutral workers (with valid visas) who work in the farming industry in the United States are not highly trained or highly skilled either. Would you say that a form of human cash crop export is going on there as well?
I agree that taking Gambian workers to Qatar is fraught with many unknowns, in terms of their safety, rights and dignity. However, we should reserve judgement until the first batch goes and see what happens. This may be the only opportunity employment wise for a lot of our young folks who wouldn't find any other means of work otherwise.
1) I did not pass any judgement. What I did is simply to raise a red flag about the potential dangers of exporting Gambian workers to Qatar, a country that is consistently cited by human rights groups for its abuse of migrant workers.
2) It is out of point to raise the issue of the U.S. here, as you always do whenever another country is criticized. The issue is the Gambians wholesale exportation of its citizens to Qatar, amid Qatar's dismal human rights record.
Besides, there is rule of law in the U.S. unlike Qatar. Any body, without regards to immigration status or national origin, can resort to the courts for redress because abusive labor practices are criminalzed and law enforcement often crack down on suspected violators. There is no such thing for migrant workers in Qatar. Instead victims of abuse are often detained, stripped off their legal status and threatened with deportation.
3)The Kuwaiti experience should serve as an example here. When a contigent of 'freshly harvested' Gambian women were packaged and shipped to Kuwait in 1995/1996, the result was just dissastrous. Apparently their Kuwaiti employers assumed that a female employee was supposed to double up as a sexual object...
4) Large scale out-migration from a country, especially as small as the Gambia, has serious negative economic and social consequences (please refer to what happened to Mozambique). Therefore, a govt policy of getting rid of its able-bodied men (and women)to Qatar as migrant workers is likely to backfire. This policy cannot be the best solution to unemployment in the Gambia. |
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toubab1020
12311 Posts |
Posted - 12 May 2010 : 11:56:08
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Kay,I think that everyone agrees that " a govt policy of getting rid of its able-bodied men (and women)to Qatar as migrant workers is likely to backfire. This policy cannot be the best solution to unemployment in the Gambia."
What is the answer to the MASS unemployment in The Gambia? I can think of NO SOLUTION due in part to the fact that many Gambian men do not want to work,one understandable reason is that quite often they do not get paid for the work they do,( or they are promised payment at some time in the future AFTER they have done work )so these people slip down and down making their self esteem very small after such experiences.
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"Simple is good" & I strongly dislike politics. You cannot defend the indefensible.
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kayjatta
2978 Posts |
Posted - 12 May 2010 : 12:33:07
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There are no easy solutions to the Gambia's unemployment problem. However, the following will help:
1) strengthening the private sector will help. The private sector should be given incentives in tax breaks and the like for hiring outside their immediate family. Most Gambian businesses employ only familiy members. One prominent banker and entrepreneur once told me in the Gambia that "you must always avoid hiring close family members in the business; if you must then involve them as shareholders".
2)Education up to high school should be free. Most high school grads are likely to find a job, or continue to higher education.
3) The flow of unskilled rural dwellers into the urban centers must be reduced by serious decentralization of social amenities and development projects.
3)reforming the financial system to enable responsible individuals to easily acquire (govt-backed)credit for starting and operating small businesses.
4) Above all the politcal atmosphere in the country needs to improve to attract foreign investment in agriculture, tourism, and other areas. A nation whose citizens are afraid to talk, write and travel around cannot go very far in any direction. |
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