To be an activist, you don't have to become a prophet of doom. Activism shouldn't be about sharing hoaxes and causing people to lose faith in humanity.
It shouldn't be depressing; it should instead be uplifting. It should manifest the best in humanity despite the jerkassery and endless lunacies in diverse places.
Saturday, 30 September 2017
What's in an arbitrary label anyway?
When people are really good at what they do, their names become definitions. Michael Jordan's for instance is a definition of excellence, not only in sports. Mandela's for someone willing to be put in prison for adhering openly to a belief, and Delilah for an attractive and seductive but ultimately dangerous woman.
So, Lawyer Darboe being dubbed Mandela, in my opinion, and in the non-literal sense that it's usually said is not necessarily equating him to the celebrated South African lawyer and freedom fighter; their realities are a bit similar but different. It's just a figure of speech, dammit!
In fact, if we try harder, some names on social media may become definitions of 'opal' (uppity), 'sehw' (nitpicking), and 'kawuyehyaa' (foolhardiness)... but I'll have a problem with y'all calling Barrow 'Kurangmala Mansa' even if he fixes the disgrace at NAWEC; that name's just not sexy.
So, Lawyer Darboe being dubbed Mandela, in my opinion, and in the non-literal sense that it's usually said is not necessarily equating him to the celebrated South African lawyer and freedom fighter; their realities are a bit similar but different. It's just a figure of speech, dammit!
In fact, if we try harder, some names on social media may become definitions of 'opal' (uppity), 'sehw' (nitpicking), and 'kawuyehyaa' (foolhardiness)... but I'll have a problem with y'all calling Barrow 'Kurangmala Mansa' even if he fixes the disgrace at NAWEC; that name's just not sexy.
What communal progress abhors the most...
Progress abhors a community where largess and volunteerism constitute a fard (legally binding obligation), and where people are so afraid of taking responsibility yet so quick and so good at delegating culpability for something negative or undesirable.
So everyone expects someone to do everyone's job, including things that are so easy that anyone could've done. In the end, no one sees the need to do for such a community what anyone could have done, because the consequences are usually not fair valuations, and that's so annoying.
So everyone expects someone to do everyone's job, including things that are so easy that anyone could've done. In the end, no one sees the need to do for such a community what anyone could have done, because the consequences are usually not fair valuations, and that's so annoying.
New Gambia, still...
Gambia - coming on social media to cast aspersions, just for the heck of controversy, and perhaps because it’s how you see it happen elsewhere is neither "building" an enviable "New Gambia," nor is it keeping The Gambia Gambian.
I have said this before and I will reiterate: some tendencies, beliefs, norms, attitudes and behaviours are people and geography specific. And really, the level of disrespect, pseudo-intellectualism, gutsy lampooning and trash talking on here lately is so NOT us.
Maybe some are too young to remember how it was before July '94, maybe too forgetful or too unwilling to appreciate how ours was generally a politics of wits, of tolerance and mutual jokes, known by the Wolofs as 'Kalantu' and 'Sanawuyaa' in Mandinka. Or maybe like NAWEC, we need prayers - some serious soul searching. Maybe I'm too old school or too "hypocritical," but I thought I should say this... suma yown si golo bussi pudaroo.
I have said this before and I will reiterate: some tendencies, beliefs, norms, attitudes and behaviours are people and geography specific. And really, the level of disrespect, pseudo-intellectualism, gutsy lampooning and trash talking on here lately is so NOT us.
Maybe some are too young to remember how it was before July '94, maybe too forgetful or too unwilling to appreciate how ours was generally a politics of wits, of tolerance and mutual jokes, known by the Wolofs as 'Kalantu' and 'Sanawuyaa' in Mandinka. Or maybe like NAWEC, we need prayers - some serious soul searching. Maybe I'm too old school or too "hypocritical," but I thought I should say this... suma yown si golo bussi pudaroo.
Wednesday, 27 September 2017
Our recovery from idiocracy...
The New Gambia – Commission of
Inquiry - lessons being conveyed – emotions alternating between ‘mungork, nyaw!’
and disappointment, between should and shouldn’t, could and couldn’t, why and
why not, et cetera
Some respondents come calm, composed and to the point.
Some will talk almost non-stop, until you’re like, hey, e’fanang! Can’t you see
that was a leading question to what you said you had no clue? Others get caught
between answering affirmatively and risk making judgmental statements or say no
and get grilled further.
That’s what circumstantial allegiance to power does.
It fetters the will and disrobes the mind of its duty of care - of its nobleness.
Before one knows it, one’s caused to do very reckless things, things that one will
look back in anger, frustration and shame like, how did I let this happen? Wishing
you could go back in time and fix your part of the mess.
Despite all these, it wouldn’t be abnormal for the
human in you to feel for the respondents; I do that all the time - like, c'mon,
we all knew what it was like. You know, like, under the circumstances then, anyone
would've done likewise. But is that so? ‘Alama mumino beh tankala kataa ning katatola.’
Tuesday, 26 September 2017
The kehbehtou!
If our social media community is representative of a fair sample, it's safe to say that The Gambia has more drama kings than queens.
Pay attention and you'll see that on here, most of what was stereotypically feminine is adoptively masculine - the pettiness, the exaggerated reaction to issues, the struggle to always have the last word, the interpersonal intrigues, the vindictiveness, et cetera.
Pay attention and you'll see that on here, most of what was stereotypically feminine is adoptively masculine - the pettiness, the exaggerated reaction to issues, the struggle to always have the last word, the interpersonal intrigues, the vindictiveness, et cetera.
"Enabling environment"
An "enabling environment" is not just the legal, organisational, fiscal, informational, political, or cultural design, it's also attitudinal. The environment must shed every mentality that isn't conducive to the claim of enablement.
In fact, it's safe to say that no environment is enabling where hearts are disenabling, where struggling to escape the many interpersonal intrigues, pettifoggings, attacking of (supposed) adversaries, inflammation of division and other wedge issues is business as usual.
In fact, it's safe to say that no environment is enabling where hearts are disenabling, where struggling to escape the many interpersonal intrigues, pettifoggings, attacking of (supposed) adversaries, inflammation of division and other wedge issues is business as usual.
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