FWD
> GENERAL APPEAL TO BANJUL COMMUNITY MEMBERS
> STOCKHOLM-SWEDEN
> 19 SEPTEMBER 1999
>
> On the 19th of September a group of concerned Banjulians met in Stockholm
to
> discuss the economic, social, cultural unity and other crisis facing
> Banjulians. We came to the conclusion that Banjulians both at home and
> abroad need to take a very serious stock of their community and assume
the
> responsibility to addressing the situation. Our community is at a
crossroads
> of dying out or dignified rebirth. We have chosen rebirth and are
confident
> that tens of thousands of our people are out there with their hearts
bleeding
> and only waiting for the call of duty to restore dignity. PLEASE JOIN US.
> ..
> We are confident that Banjulians will accept the challenge. We must
mobilise
> the best community committed, honest and competent brains into collective
> research teams to identify and analyse all aspects of the crisis. We must
> come with plans to be submitted in a series of seminars and conferences
> for the reconstruction and development of the community. We have enormous
> reserves of intellectual, human and material resources at our disposal to
> solve the crisis. An absolute condition for success in our aims requires
> unity and democratic methods of work. We must begin a process of all-
> round,s elf-reliant, economic,social, cultural, scientific and
> technical development that will restore the dignity of our people and
> radically transform the material conditions of our community as a place
> fitting for a dignified people.
>
> THIS APPEAL IS NOT BASED ON ANY PARTY POLITICAL, RELIGIOUS, ETHNIC, CLAN,
> FAMILY OR CASTE INTEREST. THE INTEREST OF THE TOTAL MEMBERS OF THE
COMMUNITY
> AND THE FUTURE OF OUR CHILDREN IS THE FOUNDATION OF THIS APPEAL
>
> AIM: Maximum mobilisation and unity of all sections of the Banjul
community
> both at Home and overseas for development
>
> ECONOMY: The economic basis is one of the most important foundations
> determining the survival or death of any communityThe economic history of
Banjul
after the arrival of the europeans and asians is mostly characterised by
plunder of the human
an matreial resources.The economic structure imposed was principally to
serve
foreign interest and their local agents and not the community. Our
community has
never had an enpowering influence on the bases of an economic foundation
to sustain it.
The majority of the population in the community is non-productive and
principally consumer,
with the greatest majority of the people unemployed or underemployed,
resulting in the
absolute character of the humiliating allround material
poverty,mal-nutrution, ignorance,
disease and high mortality rate visible all over.
>
> MOBILISATION: Our community is dying economically therefore the urgent
need
> for a total mobilisation of the intellectual, professional, human and
> material resources and placing it at the disposal of a well studied all
> round self-reliant, reconstruction and development plan.The plans must be
> directed by the most community committed, professionally competent,
honest and
> delivery oriented sons, daughter, mothers and fathers of our community.
We
> are convinced that guided by the productive history of our hard working
> ancestors and contrbution from all ,we will not only turn the tide of
collective economic suicide
> but will build an economic model of a community of high standards of
prosperity and a potential
for solidarity to areas where our GLORIOUS ANCESTOR left to settle in
BANJUL.
>
> SOCIAL: As the economic base degenerates so follows all aspects of social
> life. The fabric of social life of our community has degenerate to the
> extent that Banjulians have almost lost a whole generation as a result of
> the break down in the family social structures and values. Like the
> economic front we have no alternative but to start studying the extend
of
> the social damage and plan the social reconstruction of the community .
> ..
> CULTURE: Despite the common cultural identity and the origin of the
> population of Banjul in our sub-region, the destruction of the common
> cultural identity of the community by the drive for short term selfish
aims
> is near total.We will need a cultural reeducation plan to restore our
> common cultural identity and values, in a modern, scientific, African
setting,
> doing away with all aspects of the theories, practices and values of
> backward feudalism and blind cultural imitation of foreigners.
>
> UNITY: The Banjul community has been subjected to the policy of divide
> and rule for centuries The European military invasions combined brute
force
> and the communal division to carry out history's most inhuman crime of
> slavery in Banjul. Centuries of division have left great scars on the
> people. The damage done by Banjulian agents of foreign and local rulers
to
> the unity of the community has also a long and shameless history.The
crisis
> cannot be solved without unity and unity would require an understanding
of
> past mistakes and a process of correction. We have no alternative to
> unity, and dare not think of the consequences of continued disunity
>
> RECONCILIATION: We must develop a program of education on the question
of
> the importance of communal reconciliation and unity in our reconstruction
> and development aims. We must develop a Banjulian personality that will
> never be allowed to be divided, humiliated and used and later dumped on
the
> basis of party politics, religion, ethnicity, clan, family and caste
> so-called selfish interest. The vicious circle of division must be closed
> and we must pledge never to allow the community to be divided against
> itself..We must and can face the future confidently united for the
interest
> of the coming generations.
>
> PEACE: With the community united, we will not only be able to achieve our
> reconstruction and developmental aims but will ensure permanent peace and
> stability and never allow our community to be subjected to long term
> humiliations and threats to our survival. We must Develop relations with
our
> neighbouring communities based on mutual peace, respect and developmental
> solidarity .We must also continue to make our national contributions with
> utmost responsibility as ambassadors of the Banjul community.
>
CONVINCED that many members of the Banjul community both at home and
> overseas have been doing the same hard reflections on the nature of the
> crisis and solutions to it, we appeal to all members of the community
> wherever we are, to spread this appeal and start the process of
> discussing, linking up and organising the best ways to reconstruct and
> develop rebuilding the Banjul community .We must and can make moral,
> intellectual and material contributions by spreading this massage, being
a
> contact person, organising a group and linking up with Banjulians all
over
> the world in BANJUL FAMILIES DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION.
>
>
> CONFERENCES: We hope that we will be organising a mini-conference by
> December or January in London and a major conference in Banjul in the
year
> 2000 based on the process of developing THE ASSOCIATION AND MASTERPLAN
FOR THE RECONSTRUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE BANJUL COMMUNITY
THANK YOU ALL
FOR MORE INFORMATION
JACK SARR SWEDEN TEL 46-8-7955477
[log in to unmask]
MRS YAMSODA BAH SWEDEN TEL 46-8-7955477
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MR PA JENG TEL 46-8-936276
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MR OUSU CEESAY TEL 44-0171-9231226
UNITED KINGDOM
MRS ANCEH JAGNE CEESAY TEL 44 -0171 9231226 UNITED KINGDOM
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