Brother Joe Sambou,
I cannot but sincerely commend you for your work and dedication to the coalition-building effort. Whatever shortcomings that may have emerged from your side must be weighed against your overall efforts towards a cause you believe in.
In your engagement with Sister Jabou Joh, there seems to me to be important matters you are missing.
On April 18th, Abdoulaye Saine posted to Gambia-L the Guidelines for Save the Gambia Fund/Association. The second paragraph in that GUIDELINES reads thus:
"...In light of the growing interest over the FUND/ASSOCIATION, I have drafted some guidelines, a working document in progress, to provide both structure and direction for the FUND/ ORGANIZATION. Your input is important and needed to ensure that the organization is open and accountable to its membership. As Joe Sambou pointed out in an earlier email, every cent will be accounted for. Once your input is made, I, with the help of others will craft a more comprehensive document".
The very last line of the guidelines reads: "
What do you think? Your input is needed to make it a better and more comprehensive document! "
The quotation marks are my emphasis.
A number of clear deductions can be made from Dr. Saines posting.
1. That the guidelines are indeed only guidelines, neither a finished document nor a Constitution. It could be understood as a draft constitution.
2.That because it was not a finished document, inputs are welcome and deemed as important.
3. That once inputs are made, a more comprehensive document will be crafted.
Well, as far as I know no finished document, supposedly the Constitution of the Save the Gambia Fund has been posted to Gambia-L since April 18th. There has not been any information as to what happened to inputs posted form subscribers to Gambia-L. There has not been any indication as to whether or not inputs from interested individuals were considered at all in making the guidelines " a better and more comprehensive document". There has not been any indication as to whether such inputs needed to be submitted for consideration within a specified time limit.
Does the Save the Gambia Fund have a Constitution that was produced from the draft/guidelines?. Was this information submitted to readers on Gambia-L? Since people were requested of their opinion in the guidelines, was it not just natural and indeed a welcome development that they indeed responded to that request, suggesting, asking questions, talking all these months? Or was it that one was not supposed to talk unless one paid a pledge? Was that indicated in the guidelines?
Brother Joe, I am not holding you responsible for any failure anywhere. I personally think that you did your best. But this is just to suggest to you that the onus of responsibility for any breaches here cannot be placed on the heads of those of us on Gambia-L who "knew" nothing about what was going on. Besides, if I may say so(!) all over the world organisations are built first when their aims and objectives are outlined in a FINISHED Constitution, that people can study and accept whether or not to join said organisations with all their contingent rules and regulations. Perhaps I missed some important coded words in the guidelines that would have made me privy to developments concerning the fund/organisation. But even then I ought to have been alerted to my misreading. After all, I am Gambian who pledged support for the direction of the fund.
Thanks for your time,
Momodou S Sidibeh
----- Original Message -----
From: "Joe Sambou" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, August 19, 2003 6:05 PM
Subject: Re: Opposition Coalition
> Jabou, thanks for your response. Due to time limitation, I would just
> attempt to address the core of your concerns. If we have only ideas with no
> money, do you think anyone in the Gambia will listen to us much more ask us
> to draft anything? I do not think so. The Alternative came because we
> promised to fund them in terms of both money and logistics. If a Gambian is
> really interested in joining this effort, they cannot just say they just
> want to discuss and that's it. If that is the case, then we can use the
> Gambia-L and Gambia Post to do that. I don't think anyone is denying any
> Gambian the right to speak and as I write, folks are expressing their
> opinions on Gambia-L and Gambia Post with no hindrance. So why do you need
> a listserve to do the same? Consider the Diaspora as an interest group that
> wants to put their MONEY where their MOUTH is and dictate policy to effect
> change. You cannot say that folks can dictate policy without their money.
> Those who are contributing are not speaking for all Gambians either. What
> they are doing is they are going to the table with money in hand to discuss
> with the parties. On the contrary, if a section of our population feels
> that they can just go to the table with the Alternative, empty handed, they
> have all the power to do so too. However, if a majority of the contributors
> agree that we want both a participant's voice and money, I see no reason why
> a few should force a U-turn. I do not think it will kill Jasseh conteh to
> contribute to the fund and also voice his opinion at the same time. If that
> is the case, then why do people seem to think that they do not have to
> contribute to formulate policy. This is not just Joe talking, but the
> contributors. There is Joe the pass through collector for the fund and Joe
> the contributor. This is Joe the contributor that is talking, not the
> collector. If we say we are democratic, why do the very few keep trying to
> change the course of the majority? And I frankly do not believe that Jabou
> or Conteh could not contribute and at the same time join to discussion in
> the listserve.
>
> Folks, we started this effort since April, what have we achieved, aside from
> what the contributors have put up and the pledge from the Alternative. The
> rest has been talk, talk, and some more talk. At this rate, 2006 will be
> upon us and we will still be running on the same spot. Thank God no one has
> a monopoly of starting a listserve to exercise their rights to not
> contribute to anything that they do not wish to. I am with the majority
> decision. The Save The Gambia Fund is to fund our ideas (contributors
> ideas) not all Gambians and I do not think it is representing anyone that
> does not wish to be represented. Conteh just stated that he wants the
> Alternative to listen to the demands of NC, that is their right, Why?
> Because they feel they have money in their hand. The same applies to folks
> in Scandinavia that would contribute only if they choose their own
> candidate. Yet, others want to not contribute but want to dictate policy.
> And so the demands continue to pile on.
>
> Chi Jaama
>
> Joe Sambou
>
> >From: [log in to unmask]
> >Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
> ><[log in to unmask]>
> >To: [log in to unmask]
> >Subject: Re: Opposition Coalition
> >Date: Tue, 19 Aug 2003 10:28:09 EDT
> >
> >In a message dated 8/18/03 8:35:16 PM Central Daylight Time,
> >[log in to unmask]
> >writes:
> >
> > > <<Like you, I have expressed my opinion in contrast to the notion that
> >only
> > > those who have actually "put their money where their mouth is" ought to
> >be
> > > part of the list-serve that is set up for discussion, which I am
> >currently
> > > running. But there seem to be the wisdon of majority in that regard so
> > > far.>>
> >
> >Laye Jallow & Joe Sambou,
> >
> >Thanks to you and Joe Sambou for posting the address of the listserve of
> >the
> >coalition fund.
> >Laye, you had stated that I should not refrain from joining the group just
> >because my wishes are not met, or something to that effect. Please excuse
> >my
> >choice of words if it conveys something else other than what I intend it to
> >convey, but I think you get the gist of what I mean.
> >
> >However, although you have made it clear that you also do not share the
> >view
> >that only those who subscribe to the fund should be allowed to join the
> >list (
> >I commend you for that) the fact still remains that Joe Sambou has
> >reiterated
> >that the purpose of the list was for fund raising and that the list
> >guidelines stated that only those paying into the fund should be part of
> >the list.
> >He also said that when Dr Saine wrote the guidelines for the fund drive and
> >asked for suggestions or changes, everyone acepted the guidelines. How was
> >it
> >determined that everyone accepted the guidelines, ,and was there a
> >condition
> >that the imput from people have to be given by a particular deadline or
> >they are
> >no longer acceptable?
> >However, I have stated numberous times already that if the fund drive wants
> >to keep these guidelines, this is their choice and is fine, so long as that
> >list is restricted to teh collection of funds only.
> >
> >To be fair, I did join the list and what I witnessed also confirmed to me
> >that the prevailing wisdom on that list was that only those who pay into
> >the fund
> >can be part of the list, and according to the response that people who
> >objected to this notion received, there did not seem to be a willingness
> >then nor
> >now to be flexible as far as this was concerned, and I think Joe Sambou's
> >response to Conteh has also proven that there does not seem to be any
> >changes
> >regarding that opinion.
> >Therefore, in this regard, and also because Joe Sambou has also confirmed
> >what all of us know, he said:
> >
> >"Issues facing us must be addressed. What is the platform for a a
> >coalition? How long should the nominee serve? How many terms should the
> >nominee serve? How can we meet the leaders of the opposition or their
> >representatives in the U.S.? "
> >
> >This is exactly true and I believe that this issue mentioned above is a
> >separate issue from that of the fund drive, especially since those
> >instrumental in
> >the fund drive as well as others on that list serve have made it clear what
> >the guidelines of belonging to the list are. The guidelines limit
> >participation
> >and since the issue of working out the details of a colaition should be a
> >matter of public debate among Gambians, I think that to undertake the issue
> >of
> >the details of a coalition on a list that has set limits as to who can
> >participate is inappropriate and limits the rights of Gambians to take part
> >in this
> >process, which the members of the fund drive listserve do not have neither
> >the
> >mandate nor the right to do.
> >
> >Therefore, I think the fund drive listserve undertakings should be
> >separate
> >from the debate to work out the details of a coalition. I think we need to
> >invlove as many Gambians as possible in that process, and I also think
> >that the
> >politicians should make an effort to talk to us as well as we to them
> >because
> >it is not just an issue of collecting funds for them and letting them do
> >what
> >they think is best for us. This is the issue those of us who want to see a
> >coalition become reality first before collecting funds are talking about.
> >
> >Gambians need to have an imput because these people are representing us. My
> >experience with the last election was that at least with one political
> >party,
> >even simple questions were not responded to, leaving the impression that
> >they
> >were telling us to merely collect funds and we do not need to answer any
> >questions. These politicians claim to be working for a sociaty where every
> >Gambian
> >has a voice, yet, when they run into Gambians who know they can have a
> >voice,
> >there seems to be the notion that they do not owe us any response, feedback
> >etc. We all saw the results of what self interest and a lack of sincerity
> >to the
> >committment to form a coalition of all opposition parties despite the
> >impressions given affested the outcome of the last elections.
> >
> >The opposition parties know that a solid opposition coalition is the only
> >hope there is in the next elections and we as regular citizens who want to
> >support this idea must also have the responsibility to make sure that we
> >see to it
> >that we do not just provide them with funds, ,but that we make sure that
> >all
> >the things that will result in the coalition becoming a reality are put
> >into
> >place, that it is sincere and real, and as many Gambians have as much
> >imput into
> >that process as possible. Then we can feel confident that there will be a
> >true representation of the pople,and we can work hard as heck to collect
> >funds
> >to back them.
> >This is the idea, and not that one is interested in forming any meaningless
> >faction groups that has not helped us throughout our political history and
> >will
> >never help us in any way.
> >
> >However, again, if folks want to collect funds starting now, it makes sense
> >that only contributors to that effort should be part of the list set up for
> >that purpose, and that is fine, but please do not infringe upon and hinder
> > the
> >people's right to participate in this process by undertaking to have the
> >effort regarding the details of the coalition to be discussed in the fund
> >drive
> >list which has set limits for participation and regarding which limitation
> >they are unwilling to be flexible.
> >
> >Jabou Joh
> >
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