Comrades:
It is high time that we revisted our strategy in collecting funds for the opposition. I still believe that decentralizatioon will be the best alternative in increasing our potential.
We should also establish a temporary planning committee and set a date to meet and draft a platform, in which Gambians in diaspora can participate. I was disturbed to learn that a constitution has being setup. If this is true, why such a rush?
The process of collecting funds for the opposition should be done with the understanding that communal effort plays an integral role in our efforts. If you look from the initial stage, very few Gambians are listed on the L. It will be very difficult to convince Gambians to commit to a monthly contribution. The first thing one would ask is; what is the purpose of such? I therefore, support Sister Jabou's position.
In talking to Gambians in North Carolina, many are supportive of a decentralized effort. Many also would endorse a meeting involving Gambians from diaspora. They do not support the idea of an already established consitution. Many do not understand why such should be put in place.
I suggest that we meet in the future and ask citizens their input for a coalition. I sincerely belief that a coalition candidate should serve only one term.
Naphiyo,
Comrade ML Jassey-Conteh
-------Original Message-------
From: Momodou S Sidibeh <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: 08/05/03 06:25 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Save The Gambia Fund
>
> Brother Joe Sambou,
I must begin by thanking you profusely for using your time to respond to
enquiries I made on the matter of the Coalition Summit in Atlanta. I found
the report carried on The Independent quiet informative eventhough obvious
important details must have been filtered by the newspaper's editors. I
suppose that is one important reason why there is high-pitched recommendation
for readers to acquire the video. In any case, the rest of us owe much to
those whose practical efforts made the Summit a success. Year 2006 is not
distant in political terms, and therefore those concerned for the evolution
of true democracy in Gambia need to hurry in setting up concrete
objectives for a Post-APRC Gambia. Unfortunately that work has not begun, as was
clearly spelled out in the paper referred to above.
Before doing that (perhaps in a future posting) there is an urgent need to
debate, rephrase and reassert the role of diasporan Gambians of all walks
of life in the current thrust towards building a democratic Coalition
capable not only of wresting power from the hands of the APRC, but injecting
into Gambia's political experience a new era of inclusion and openness,
qualities for whoich we have been gifted by both our history and geography. In a
country where hardly anyone remains anonymous for any reasonable length of
time, it is incredible that its citizens have proven incapable of building
on old communal bonds of mutual solidarity to form the basis of a
consensus politics. A culture of tolerance and decency in political conduct need
not remain alien to the Gambia. To survive in a dignified way in a world of
brutal economic realities, Gambians need to strive for such "utopias" to
attain some competitive advantage.
The current actuality of socio-economic strife, the brutal distribution of
poverty, the abrogation of Human Rights and destructive levels of
corruption, power arrrogance and abuse are symptoms of a society adrift. A
vaccilating foreign policy frantically searching for ever-elusive foreign
invesments, that is hoped to rescue the econnomy from incontinent hands while
thousands of Gambian high school graduates waste away in denigrating unemployment
bespeak a political culture in need of swift resuscitation.
There is nothing mysterious about our current societal torpor and infact,
we have talked and quarelled about its different apparels over the years;
and in the process we have argued, raised funds, befriended one another,
discovered fakes, flushed out dweebs from our midst and once in a while
insulted those we believe deliberately are guided not by their true lights.
Yet, my friends, now when our country needs us the most, when we cannot have a
night's good sleep, inspite of our cosy Swedish apartments and condos,
without entertaining agonies of the sadness in the eyes of Gambian children
yoked by malarial parasites, we are, as if by design, failing ourselves.
Instead of producing ideas, lending our voices to those whose own have been
silenced by fear, courageously asserting our RIGHT to be heard as concerned
and enlightened citizens many seem to want to solemnly banish themselves to
the margins of Gambian history, to the role of chief fund-raisers. Is that
the best we can do? Where are all those voices of protest? Shall we believe
that soemone else is going to award us the right to have a say?
When that most eminent of Gambians, Sister Jabou Joh, protested in Mr.
Sambou's hopes to hang out to shame those who have not measured up to the
Save the Gambia Fund standard, I hoped that Mr. Sambou would take the cue and
withdraw his phrase. Obviously, Joe Sambou and many on this list,
including myself all want a Gambia much promising than what obtains now. But
fund-raising is definitely, not the issue.
Needless to say, money is going to make a huge difference in helping
practically. But at this stage 50 names on a list donning money monthly as a way
of helping save Gambia from itself is a far cry from the 80,000 strong
diasporan community whose political leverage is not being canvassed.
Our role at his point in time is to TELL all Gambian politicians the kind
of Gambia we want to see after the next general elections. Together with a
subsequent coalition our this vision of Gambia must be debated and refined
to suit a compromise position adoptable by the opposition to become the
basis of a platform for change. i.e. SOPI! Then it would make better sense to
financially subscribe to a Save the Gambia Fund. I urge all of you,
especially Joe Sambou and Abdoulaye Saine and all those who took the initiative
for the Fund to rethink your strategy of creating a mailing list of those
simply putting money in a collection bin. An organisation with so serious a
mission should not be that narrow and elitist.
For Our Common Future,
Momodou S Sidibeh
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