Ylva, thanks for this forward.  It is a good day for Africa and a step in
the right direction for our people.  I hope those that practice FGM in the
Gambia to be inspired by their cousins in Senegal.  However, it does not
bode well when the Religious leaders like Bandang Drammeh all but continue
to endorse the practice, and using religion as his defense.  You also have a
president who is ill informed and ventures to attack the activists that
speak against the practice.  The Vice President, being a woman, and on the
side of the president, shows her ignorance and lack of understanding too.
Kudos to Imam Lee for challenging the misdirection of the Supreme Islamic
Council leader for his excesses.  I hope more of the stakeholders in the
Gambia to add their voice to eradicate this practice.

It would also be helpful for the readership to know that Diolas are diverse
and not all Diola groups practice FGM.  In particular, the Diola Cassa do
not practice FGM, among many others.  In the Gambia, the Diolas that
practice FGM are the Diola Fonis.  I hope this lil bit helps the readers.

Chi Jaama

Joe

>From: Ylva Hernlund <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list
><[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Public Declaration at Marakissa (fwd)
>Date: Wed, 18 May 2005 10:48:05 -0700
>
>
>
>---------- Forwarded message ----------
>Date: Wed, 18 May 2005 17:40:06 +0000
>From: Molly Melching <[log in to unmask]>
>To: B. Shell-Duncan <[log in to unmask]>,
>     Ylva Hernlund <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Public Declaration at Marakissa
>
>PUBLIC DECLARATION FOR
>FGC AND CHILD MARRIAGE ABANDONMENT
>MARAKISSA, KOLDA - MAY 15, 2005
>
>« It is a wonderful day for all of us Diolas living in the United States.
>We
>now can send our daughters home to the village during vacation so they can
>know their family and our positive Diola traditions without worrying that
>they will undergo this cutting practice, which can lead to serious health
>problems."
>-Sadia Dieme (Son of the Village Chief of Marakissa now living in Houston,
>Texas)
>
>On Sunday, May 15, 2005, hundreds of representatives from 44 villages in
>the
>region of Kolda, Department of Sedhiou, gathered in the village of
>Marakissa
>for a joyful celebration to announce to the region, the nation and the
>world
>their communal decision to abandon the practices of FGC and child marriage.
>
>Participants from Tostan classes prepared this declaration over the past 18
>months, holding inter-village meetings and consulting with members of their
>family now living in Ziguinchor, Dakar, the Gambia and even the United
>States.  After much debate among groups of young girls and women, boys and
>men, traditional and religious leaders, and traditional cutters, the
>decision was made to definitively end FGC and prohibit marriage of girl
>children, who in the past were married by their relatives as early as 12
>years old.
>
>Having been directly involved in this decision, family members contacted
>during the meeting process decided to travel to the declaration to
>participate in the celebration. In fact, many busloads of men, women and
>adolescents now living in Dakar and the Gambia arrived in Marakissa to take
>an active role in declaration activities.
>
>On Saturday, May 14, 17 journalists from Kolda, Ziguinchor, Dakar and
>Finland visited the neighboring village of Niadieme to learn about the
>process that led to the abandonment of these practices. Village
>participants
>in the Tostan program presented plays and songs and discussed the human
>rights and responsibilities that influenced their decision. The journalists
>interviewed women, men and children throughout the village.
>
>Khalifa Tamba spoke for the Niadieme villagers who are living in other
>countries, stating that he himself visited Iran, an Islamic country where
>people are surprised that a practice such as FGC exists.  "When Iranians
>asked me if we practiced this tradition in my village, I was embarrassed
>and
>said 'No,' even though it was not true.  Now I will not have to lie because
>we have finally abandoned the practice here.  FGC is not an Islamic
>obligation and can bring pain to women throughout their lives.   It can
>even
>harm their relationship with their husbands.  We are proud to participate
>in
>this historic event because it restores women's dignity and gives them
>their
>rightful place in our society."
>
>Not all of the focus was on traditional practices during the Niadieme
>visit,
>however. Villagers noted that people are no longer leaving for other cities
>and countries because the village has started several income generating
>projects.   They proudly showed off a honey-producing "factory" and
>discussed the other small projects they have started through micro-credit
>loans.  In addition, they noted that the Community Management Committee has
>made significant progress on its projects: a large garden has been planted
>with hundreds of fruit trees; construction is underway for both a health
>station and a two-room schoolhouse for the children of Niadieme‹a school
>that now has a teacher thanks to the public service lobbying skills the
>Community Management Committee learned to use during the Tostan program.
>
>The declaration ceremony itself began at 10 AM on Sunday, May 15, with
>traditional singers and dancers welcoming the delegations of Tostan
>education program participants from Thies, Dakar, Matam, St. Louis,
>Kaolack,
>Tambacounda, Kidira, Kolda, and Ziguinchor, as well as many other guests
>who
>came to witness the public pledge.   The Imam of Marakissa then gave the
>opening welcome and prayer, clearly stating his support for the abandonment
>of FGC and child marriage.  He was followed by the Village Chief, the
>President of the Community Management Committee, the President of the area
>youth group, the village nurse, representatives of villagers living in
>other
>cities or countries, and a traditional cutter.  Their determined and
>forceful statements in Diola (translated for the guests) clearly summarized
>their reasons for abandoning FGC and child marriage, and all were
>enthusiastically applauded by the crowd.   Between speeches, costumed
>performers representing traditional forest animal figures interacted with
>colorful Diola dance groups, providing a wonderful example of positive
>Diola
>traditions.  A play was presented by the Marakissa class on the health
>dangers and human rights violations related to FGC.  The official public
>statement declaring the abandonment of FGC and child marriage was then read
>in Diola, French and Mandinka by village women.
>
>The guests attending the ceremony included representatives from UNICEF
>(Senegal and the Gambia), UNFPA, USAID, NGOs, and numerous national and
>local Government officials and members of the Senegalese Parliament,
>notably
>the Vice President of the National Assembly and the President of the
>Regional Council of Kolda. These visitors congratulated the participants on
>their decisive and positive action.   The UNICEF-Senegal Representative,
>Mr.
>Mamadou Wane, explained that this "family decision" was a bright torch that
>would illuminate the way for other communities seeking better health for
>girls and women.
>
>As the first declaration to directly involve emigrant relatives in the
>decision to abandon FGC and forced marriage, the declaration of Marakissa
>marked an important new direction in the declaration process, which so far
>has seen a total of 1,571 villages publicly abandon these harmful
>traditional practices.

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