Doing the same thing and expecting different results is the definition of insanity. This is a fitting description of Gambians’ current struggle for political freedom in the Gambia for the last fifteen (15) plus years. Gambian political activists in the Diaspora and political parties on the ground have been working on the same methods and ideas for several decades to fight against impunity in Gambia with little or no measure of success whatsoever. Every five years political parties go to the polls only to lose the elections. Diaspora activists have organized all sorts of conferences, demonstrations, online discussions, formed organizations to brainstorm on how to force the Jammeh regime to effect political reform and or allow freedom of the press and respect for basic human rights. These have all led to the same results – Jammeh’s stronger hold on to power.
During a citizen engagement discussion on Gainako radio on Saturday May 17th, 2014 participants from across the political spectrum discussed the ways and means through which Gambians can critically look at the status quo of the struggle and think about ideas on how to refocus the fight against dictatorship in Gambia. Neneh Bojang one of the women participants joining from Norway made a bold suggestion in passing that may be a Diaspora women conference needs to be held to engage Gambian women to help search for political way out of our current deadlock. The idea was hardly noticed but not before the host of the program pointed out that this was a brilliant idea and a breaking headline out of the discussion.
As the great American first lady Eleanor Roosevelt said “Great minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events and small minds discuss people” Victor Yuzo added “No army can withstand the strength of an idea whose time has come” and the author John Steinbeck opined “Ideas are like rabbits, you get a couple, learn how to handle them and pretty soon you have a dozen” And the great Civil Rights icon Dr. Martin Luther King summed it up by saying “ history will have to record that the greatest tragedy of this period of social transition was not the strident clamor of the bad people, but the appalling silence of the good people”. It is on this spirit of possibilities, of exploring great ideas that we encourage the initiation of new ideas and approaches for possible dynamic change in our struggle for political change.
A Diaspora summit led by prominent women activists blessed by seasoned experience women leaders in Gambia and around the world could be the beginning of the end of the political stagnation our struggle have seen for the past decade. It could also be the start of the launching of new political leadership led by women – a trend many parts of the world are moving towards. Certainly Gambia has demonstrated it has young smart and experienced women leaders who with political empowerment could lead Gambia towards a new direction. It is a fact that traditionally African/Gambian women are leaders in the homes and many community projects. They have played key roles in promoting education, social equality and political representation in Gambia. Prominent Gambian women have championed the fight against Female genital mutilation (FMG) and other internationally recognized endeavors such as equal education and treatment for women.
As a result, Gainako believes that the time is ripe for Gambian women who have shown time and again that they have mastery of the political courage and will to help lead our struggle into a different direction. We therefore encourage and call on all Gambian women young and older, new and experienced to take advantage of this new idea and coordinate a summit led by women activists to brainstorm on how to reshape the political struggle. They can draw from experiences of other women activists who have led the political fight in their countries and finally became leaders of those nations. Such an organize summit can reach out to prominent women activists domestic and international to give the conference an international dimension to lunch a new political leadership for Gambia. We also encourage Gambian men young and seasoned to rally behind such an idea and make it a reality. It is inevitable that when the women lead to organize any program men show up with will and necessary support for the women. The result of such a move could be the exact opposition of the definition of insanity – thus it would lead to new dynamic ideas that would go down in history as the beginning of the turning point of the fight for political freedom in Gambia. The idea is still in an infant stage and high interest has already been shown by many women activists. Gainako will convene another discussion to help pursue this idea into reality.