Hi folks,
Below is the draft PR I mentioned in a prior posting.
Please note that I have left the "Contact" sections blank because being a template, some specific information in the release will have to wait until when it is to be released before filling it in. The same with the date, by the way.
You'll also notice that I have two "About ..." sections. The "About The Gambia" can be left in as standard, but the "About Concerned Gambians" is more meant to show a format for other organizations. These parts are usually called the "boiler plate" parts of the PR, because they seldom change in the different PRs from an organization. A good way of getting a sense for the format for a "boiler plate" part is to look at the releases from different companies. I suggest you visit any of the PR sites I sent previously, and look at a series of releases from anyone company. You'll notice that there's one section, the "boiler plate" that's common, to all of them.
Please note that there is a convention (at least in the US) to end a PR with either a - 30 - or ### I used the - 30 - in the draft I'm sending and it should be left in. The reason for these endings is that they mark the end of the PR. This way, the reader doesn't have to worry about whether or not they've missed anything.
I would like to suggest that we use PRWeb (http://www.prweb.com) to send out our releases for the simple reason that their service is free. In addition, I would suggest that anyone interested in helping distribute the releases, and related material we put out by visiting the Internet Press Agency site (http://www.wwideweb.com/agency.htm). They have a listing of Press Agencies around the world, and it would be great if we can have volunteers to select which agencies they will like to contact. Please let us know if you've selected an agency so we don't have any duplication of efforts.
Similarly, the Editor and Publisher site lists the Web sites of News papers around the world. You can find their site at the following address: http://emedia1.mediainfo.com/emedia/ Again, I would like those interested in helping to visit this site and select which media outlets they'd like to work with, and let us know which ones they've selected.
Also, we might want to contact some Think Tanks and Public Policy institutes around the world. For these, about the best starting point is Japan's National Institute for Research Advancement (NIRA) site, which has a comprehensive list of Think Tanks around the world: http://www.nira.go.jp/ice/tt-info/nwdtt96/index.html It would also help if some people can volunteer to thoroughly comb the site for Think Tanks that are interested in African affairs. Again, do let us know if you find anything, and tell us how you would like to assign people to work with those Think Tanks you find.
The next resources on the Internet would be mailing lists, and Usenet groups, and Africa-oriented sites. For a start, I would recommend the African Studies Association site (http://www-sul.stanford.edu/depts/ssrg/africa/guide.html). You should be able to link to different mailing lists (like Gambia-L), and Usenet Newsgroups (e.g. news:soc.culture.african) with the intent to identifying which we should focus on by delegating people to subscribe to them and/or be responsible for forwarding our releases to them.
We cannot, of course, forget the importance of working with different governments, and officials. In this regard, I have already e-mail messages (with copies of my May 15 "Framework ..." paper) to the following:
1. Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (http://www.mofa.gov.tw/emofa/eframe3.htm). In particular, I sent the e-mail to their Dept. of African Affairs (http://www.mofa.gov.tw/emofa/eframe20b.htm), the Dept. of Trade and Economic Affairs, and also to their Congressional Liason Office (they are not officially recognized by the US). We would need to follow-up on these e-mail messages, and try to arrange in-person meetings with the Congressional Liason Office in Washington, DC.
2. I also sent an e-mail to Dr. Mohammad Ahmed Al-Sharif via the World Islamic Peoples Leadership site (http://www.wipl.org/), asking his help in stopping Libya's support for the Jammeh government. Other offices I would like us to contact include the Libyan American Friendship Association (http://www.mnsinc.com/aaljaran/index.html), and the Libyan Mission at the United Nations (http://www.undp.org/missions/libya/Default.htm).
In all these e-mails I sent, I forwarded my May 15 "Framework ..." posting, and informed them that continued support for the Jammeh government would in the long run be detrimental to their interests. Furthermore, we will also be informing the whole world who President Jammeh's supporters are, and they will certainly be indentified with supporting a repressive government if they continue to support President Jammeh.
There's also the issue of contacting US Legislators. In this regard, I would appreciate a quick turn-around in this round of editing the update to the May 15 posting so that I can send it to Sen. Feingold's office. I will also be sending it to some members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), especially those that were reported by Tombong Saidy to have visited The Gambia. They are:
1. Hon. James E. Clyburn (Democrat, South Carolina, 6th District)
2. Hon. Earl F. Hilliard (Democrat, Alabama, 7th District)
3. Hon. Bennie G. Thompson (Democrat, Mississippi, 2nd District)
By the way, the CBC Web site is at http://www.house.gov/clyburn/cbc.htm and again, we will need people to arrange meetings with them or their aides to discuss efforts at restoring respect for human rights and the rule of law to The Gambia.
May I mention that I would like us to revive the issue of creating a central Web site. I am inclined to agree with Saul Khan's suggestion that we should build an umbrella organization from the ground up, given that there presently isn't an organization that fits the bill. In this regard, I would appreciate it if Sophie Ceesay would let us know if it would be OK to use the name "Concerned Gambians" for this site. I will also contact Yankuba Njie (Pope) to ask his help in getting a site up, so we can use it as a portal to information and updates about what is looks like will be a campaign that will last a while.
I have to end this e-mail here. This is probably longer than a fair length, and for this reason, I would like to beg your pardon about it being so long.
Have a great week, and best wishes.
Katim
----------------------------------- Start of Draft Press Release -----------------------------------------------------
ANOTHER AFRICAN TRAGEDY IN THE MAKING?
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
WASHINGTON, D.C., July 4, 2000. On April 10 and 11, 2000, Gambian security forces opened fire on demonstrating students killing 13 (including a journalist), and since then, another 2 students have died of injuries they sustained when they were shot. Late last June, a clash between opposition party and government supporters resulted in one death. There have also been reports of arbitrary dismissals of government officials, and people being kidnapped by security officers.
While the government has steadfastly refused to investigate allegations of killings, and is yet to publish the coroners reports on last April's killings, the Gambian parliament recently rejected a motion to investigate a crude oil deal involving the President, and in which 20,000 barrels per day of Nigerian crude oil was sold on behalf of The Gambia, and the proceeds were diverted to a Swiss bank account.
These recent and ominous developments have created an atmosphere of fear, threatened the independence of the judiciary, and consequently, eroded prospects for peace, stability, and the rule of law in the country. It is no wonder then, that many are asking if The Gambia is on a path to becoming yet another African tragedy.
To avert the Gambia's becoming another failed State, Gambians all over the world, in concert with concerned friends and partners are launching a global effort to first inform the world about the ineptitude and crimes of the present Gambian government, and also to exert pressure on it to respect human rights, and the rule of law in The Gambia.
ABOUT THE GAMBIA
The Gambia is a small, English-speaking country of about 4,000 square miles on the West African coast. It is very poor, and ranked 163 (out of 174 countries) in the 1999 Human Development Report of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). The country had an estimated population of 1.2 million in 1997, and a per capita gross national product (GNP) of $350, compared to $29,000 for the US.
Sir Dawda K. Jawara, who lead the country to Independence from Britain was it's Prime Minister from 1965 to 1970, and it's President from 1970 until he was overthrown on July 22, 1994 by junior army officers, lead by then Lt. Yahya Jammeh. After about 2 years of miliatary rule, Jammeh resigned from the army, and contested elections which returned the coutny to civilian rule in 1996. In contrast to the reputation the Jawara government had for respecting human rights, President Jammeh's rule has been characterized by incompetence, corruption, abuse of human rights and press freedom, and killings. In addition, the Jammeh government is seen by many as a possible threat to regional stability.
ABOUT CONCERNED GAMBIANS
Concerned Gambians is a coalition of individuals and organizations brought together by last April's killings, and the need to launch an effective, global campaign to avert disaster in The Gambia. The group's primary concern is the restoration of respect for human rights, the rule of law, and stability in the Gambia.
Contact:
- 30 -
----------------------------------- End of Draft Press Releas ------------------------------------------------------
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