by janko a contributor at www.gambia.dk/forums
   
            

  Gambia
248 Posts
          Posted - 21 Apr 2008 :  20:34:02        
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      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. 

      
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  Saa bukka dingko sing barri a kéey laa wollaa


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