That is why you are my only nbarindin. you are open minded and humble but some times, george bush like, unpredictable.i will extend your invitation to janko.
Haruna Darbo <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
Thanx Suntou for sharing janko's sobering treatise. I enjoyed it thoroughly.
Tell Jank we'd like to have him here were he so to desire. It would be nice
if listmanagers could subscribe Janko's company here.
Haruna.
In a message dated 4/22/2008 2:34:07 P.M. Mountain Daylight Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:
by janko a contributor at www.gambia.dk/forums
Gambia
248 Posts
Posted - 21 Apr 2008 : 20:34:02
---------------------------------
Cherno Baba Jallow´s (C.B.J) article "When Journalism is the Enemy", Gainako
April 10th, 2008, is a wake-up call that goes beyond Online Newspapers and
their self-styled journalism/reporting. Thanks to the communication
revolution. Whatever prompted his position, whatever validity his critics might have,
the issue call for a fraction of self-search, self-reflection. On the other
hand, those days are long gone when the preacher commands his addressees; “do
as I say and not as I do!” Spent are the days when members of the congregation
are spectators and not active participants in the reliability scrutiny.
This communication revolution, when everything seems speedy and the only
means forward is self-proclamation, gives occasion to re-evaluate not only
professionalism but also the concept of time and space. The question we are faced
is how we compensate the lost notion of distance and whether the principle of
“immediacy”: that the nearer an event the more newsworthy, is still valid.
The perception of time and space has changed therefore news reporting is
based on the relationship a reporter has to an event and not how near (distance)
the event is to the reporter. However, cautiousness is a very appropriate
tool.
Nevertheless, that is not the point here, rather focus is on C.B.J`s
observation, which insinuates a bigger misconception, the catch-22 of
professionalism amid us Gambians. It is when self-proclamation becomes overwhelming to the
limit of becoming unhelpful, that we are obliged to scrutinise its validity
and its root in our society and discuss its disadvantage to our aims and
objectives for development.
It is widespread that people claim being doctors, lawyers, accountants,
managers, students, businesspersons, civil servants, politicians, police,
security personnel etc. without acquiring any formal training, on-the-job-training
or classroom training. However, self-given titles post great risks for
existence. What I intend to discuss here is the possible origin of the idea of
self-proclamation in our society, by remembering my own growing-up, along with
recalling some events connected to self-proclaimed professionals.
Blowing ones own trumpet, self-proclamation is a human virtue that did not
start with cyber journalists or cyberjournalism nor initiated by the
communication revolution. It is typical but not genetic. From where is this egocentric
and self-fulfilling disposition? Surely, not a genetic disposition hence our
grandparents had selfless collective social and economic relations and being
humble and honest are some of the benchmarks of good neighborliness and a
yardstick for good human being. Subsequently the self –proclamation virus is
from our, environment’s learning process, an educational system that excludes
our everyday reality and history. The self-proclamation virus I claim is
implicit in the education mechanism, in Mary’s little lamb whose face was white
like snow and not bright like morning sun, or grey like rice-field-mud, or
brownish like groundnut-field-soil. The question is complex and there is no
absolute answer. One thing is certain; it is a toubabou karanding
virus. Therefore, to get a grasp of where the virus infection began calls
for focusing the microscope on the school and daily activities of the toubabou
karandingo therein.
The school day begins at home, a completely different environment from the
school. The aesthetics manifested by the school-uniform sets a difference
between us going to school and they farm workers, and those going to Koran
school, they and we demarcation therefore establishes at a very early stage of our
upbringing. Thereby a hierarchy between the traditional collective
consciousness and individual consciousness is established. With the help of transition
rites in songs, content of textbooks and other behavioural coaching the
hierarchy is strengthen in the school system.
From the morning assembly to the classroom the pupils sing: “We are all
going to our classes with clean hands and faces to pay great attention to what we
are told. Oh… learning is better than silver and gold.” The song transits
the singer from normality into the roll of a pupil and signals the beginning
of no vernacular (no speaking of mother tongue) principle. In the classroom,
the pupils learn everything else except that pertaining to the everyday
reality they live in. I remember the most popular teacher in the school was the
geography teacher who specialised on the American Tundra region. We loved him;
his lessons were always about the weather seasons in America and Europe
nothing about our seasons or climate. Another song that ends the school day goes: “
Our daily school is over we are going home, goodbye, goodbye teacher, we hope
to see again.” This song transits the pupils back to their everyday reality
and signals the end of the no vernacular period. Back at home, the
pupils find themselves in the everyday reality, again (a child of two
cities).
Going to school is a privilege, pupils are treated different and feel
different at home, they are exempted from farming even whereas they work, less is
expected from them than others who are in the same age. Discontinuing school
at primary school level, or junior secondary or secondary high, or technical,
or form one, or upper six, or college or university does not change belonging
to the toubabou karandingo category. The dilemma of the primary school
dropout is not learning other skills like farming and yet has no qualification to
get office jobs but still belongs to the category of the “educated”. On the
other hand, this false title came to hunt many in the mid 90s in the form of
a new phenomenon call “nervseh”. Which befall only young unemployed youths:
presumably, those inevitably accepting the false title, educated. The symptom
of this disorder is insistent obsession with thoughts of going abroad,
toubaboudu. The fatigue from restlessness, the false hope plus other
social shortcomings results in psychoses, nervseh.
The early 80´s witnessed another very serious incident caused by
self-proclamation. A gentleman from toubaboudu (a been-to), proclaimed himself a medical
doctor and people entrusted him with their lives, which turned out to be a
deadly misfortune for some and a lifetime injure for others. On arrival in
Gambia, the said gentleman made a tour of the provinces. He went from village to
village injecting patience with his bewitched malsterilized syringes. By the
time, he was through with his rampage many healthy persons lost their lives
and many more left lamed for life. Would the outcome of this unethical
expedition have been the same had the gentleman had a proper training? No, because
the danger of using un-sterilized syringes is a basic professional knowledge,
thumb rules of medical expertise.
I met a classmate the last time I was in Gambia, 2008. While we exchanged
greetings he told me; “I am a doctor now”. I was very glad for him for I knew
him a hardworking man who took good care of his family. When where you
citified, I asked. Oh, no, not like that, I mean, I have a motorbike, travel
upcountry and sell medicine, he said. What kind of medicine do you sell or and
administer, I asked. Everything, from tablets to injections, he said. Oh… was my
reaction, from the stunt. Nevertheless, I managed parting with him cordially.
When I later complained to my friend walking with me: these kinds of doctors
are in abundance here, he replied, without a grain of surprise in his voice.
Self-proclaimed professionals lack basic merits. Professional qualities are
not just rules and regulations but achievements gotten through many years of
on- the- job- training or through a form of classroom training. The training
provides not only the occupational capability but also gives a sense of
maturity to detach work from pleasure, private from public and gives the insight
that, rights come with responsibilities, priorities with obligations,
possibilities with limitations. Hocus-pocus has never been a way to achieve
professional qualities.
Is it possible that this, self-fulfilling, self-proclamation,
self-entitlement, self, self, self is the virus eating up the spirit of our collective
identity? If so, we need a concoction, an immunization and an antivirus program
to remedy the deterioration. This chronic infection hinders national
development and the sense of national pride.
---------------------------------
Saa bukka dingko sing barri a kéey laa wollaa
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