KEEP FOSSIL FUEL AND TOBACCO INDUSTRY ACCOUNTABLE

By: Alagie Jinkang

Abstract

This article has three objectives. First, it examines the basic global governance structure. Second, it explores some of the most pressing global problems. Third, it considers a number of proposals or concrete initiatives that reforming domestic as well as international arrangements may redress global problems all in relation to climate change and why we should keep the fossil fuel and tobacco industry accountable. This article tries to meditate critically about the interrelation between international political theory and the world’s institutional structures, and thus to be able to assess current alternatives for bringing legal, political and moral duties to bear on global problems.

Introduction

It is naïve and perhaps erroneous to summarize in few lines a wide and complex thought like human rights and climate justice within a global debate. While there is no widespread  agreement on who decides “what is justice in climate justice” just as it is difficult deciding who partake in UN climate negotiation, the negotiation, we believe, should voice the sufferings of the most vulnerable and hold the perpetrators accountable rather than welcoming an open fruitless negotiation with capitalist fossil fuel and tobacco industry representatives sitting side by side their own victims. The end has always been an empty talk. 

Human rights have become one of the most important political and legal languages of our time. We use it often times in politics, economics, religions and in other spheres of life as a fundamental guiding principle. It is therefore not unanticipated that human rights’ articulation of the demand for climate justice and human rights’ claim to protect the vulnerable from state abuse, private corporations, and companies have become subject to intense scrutiny. This article first introduces briefly the international human rights regime and then focuses on a series critical approaches to human rights in relation to climate change –a debate of the century.

A brief examination of the nature of human rights obligations and their enforcement will be followed by a critical examination of the universality of human rights and its emancipatory potential in the light of “keep the fossil fuel and tobacco industry accountable”. More specifically, we will discuss the debate on cultural relativism, we will explore some of the dark sides of humanitarianism and we will interrogate the origins of human rights and the limits of the human rights in our globalized world.

International governance and the biosphere          

Traditionally, we understand coordination and cooperation between sovereign states to create a system of global governance without world government. In a world divided between sovereign states, basic moral and legal responsibilities of governments, private corporations and individuals are mostly confined within national boundaries. Today, however, economic and ecological interdependence as well as global migrations of capital, goods, people, ideas, conflicts and diseases challenge the Westphalian inter-state system and the distinction between domestic and international problems and responsibilities.

Exploring the contemporary structure of global governance from the point of view of some of the challenges imposed by pressing global problems, such as poverty, inequality, humanitarian crises and climate change in this case induced more by fossil fuel and tobacco industry and their international politics must be given focused through the human rights perspective for a consensus and specific regulatory mechanisms.

Does global interdependence, the globalization of economic exchange and the emergence of global problems also enlarge our legal, political and moral responsibilities beyond state borders? If in fact governments, private corporations, and peoples begin to accept legal, political and moral responsibilities beyond the boundaries of nation-states, how should the Westphalian interstate structure be transformed to make room for cosmopolitan –legal, political and moral– duties so that ? While giving a general diagnoses of the problem, we must not be scared to take pragmatic measures to bring the situation under control.

Since the 19th century, more and more societal problems began to be discussed merging them together as a mega problem with different facets. Some physicists have already started calling it a problem of perception. “There are solutions to the major problems of our time, some of them even simple. But they require a radical shift in our perceptions, our thinking, our values. And, indeed, we are now at the beginning of such a fundamental change of worldview in science and society, a change of paradigms as radical as the Copernican revolution. But this realization has not yet dawned on most of our political leaders. The recognition that a profound change of perception and thinking is needed if we are to survive has not yet reached most of our corporate leaders, either, or the administrators and professors of our large universities”(Fritjof Capra, 1996).

Evidence of climate change: droughts, global warming, hunger, poverty, diseases and natural disasters displacing millions are confirmations that we have exceeded nature’s limits and that we are not doing enough to put things right. But are we all to blame or have we all equal responsibilities? For the Global South, especially in food and agriculture, the impacts of climate change are devastating: draughts are artificial and more frequent, lands have refused to produce and their poor status cannot permit them to buy fertilizers from the very polluting industries. My own poor father used to tell me that when they were young, the earth was so amicable and sacred that they walk on it with prudence and that the soil was so fertile that when you deep your fingertip into it, it will germinate. Growing up within a society who regards the earth their eternal mother, are now sceptical if that belief is any longer sustainable. We are beginning to ask if our gods are any longer with us or whether they have not gone mad.

These pressing issues are so transparent and unbearable that the world needs to take a shift in its so-called governance schemes that has let us combat climate change today. Popularly spearheaded by the United Nations and few developed northern countries, the predicaments of climate change are possible because they have done so little to control it. Not only a thing of the global south, climate change is causing a general and almost irreversible impacts on our ecology that will go so far in interrupting future developments. Environmentalists have drawn closer their research interests towards our biosphere and human life but their relentless efforts have met very limited and insignificant support from the world’s policeman –the UN. More than anytime else the significance of the UN is being tested in whether it can handle the problem of our climate by holding the fossil fuel and tobacco companies accountable for burning the world. We are living in a society where consumption of fossil fuel continue to hamper the lives of millions of people every year while our politicians and international organizations fly with other agendas very far from our priorities. More sure for the tobacco industry as well.

Holding Fossil Fuel and Tobacco Industry Accountable

For winning the debate and holding the fossil fuel and tobacco industry accountable, we must first strengthen our domestic laws that will hold them accountable for the human rights violations which also constitute international crimes. However, while it is difficult to see any enforceable regulatory mechanism in international law, states have no other immediate option rather than assuming their own local jurisprudence against the exploitations and human rights violations of this industry. Under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (Emeka Duruigbo, “Corporate Accountability and Liability for the International Human Rights Abuses: Recent changes and reassuring challenges” (2008) 6 Nw U J Int’l Human Rights 222 at 224) states have the primarily liability to protect themselves.

For addressing climate change and giving it a sustainable solution, the UN and states must reframe the argument in basically two ways. First, we need a public debate to discuss how much pollution is too much. To critically outsmart the immoral capitalist markets intentions, we cannot share the same UN roundtable all the times with careless fossil fuel and tobacco industries in fairly deciding about how much we are worth to have in terms of clean air, water, energy, food and good health. We will have to table climate justice negotiation without being distracted by these enemies of sustainability(fossil fuel and tobacco industry). This is called the new politics of the common good where the enemies of progress are tabled about and instructed to do for the good of all. We must begin to put stronger regulation upon free air and water that sustain all of us but been used by others as a tool of destruction. While their “unmanageable consumption” patterns create disasters for all, they are shared disproportionately mostly affecting the global south. Thus, our scientific pattern of creation is becoming both the problem and the solution (Prof. Steven Hawking). Therefore, we must ask ourselves who protect the vulnerable majority and who guarantees a sustainable ecology for the future generations. This is the debate we need to determine the moral limits of markets that have become catalysts of our major problems without trying to really give it any solution. We almost have passed those times when we can fully have faith in markets as protectors of our core values. The UN, States, and NGOs should enter into a democratic debate and put a cost-benefit analysis on the worth of our biosphere and set feasible regulations to hold the perpetrators accountable without diminishing us to monetary values. That is without putting monetary values on our lives.

From Rio de Janeiro in1992 to Kyoto Protocol in 1997 and all the negotiations in between up to the recent Paris 2015 negotiation, we have but seen very little actions from both stakeholders and private citizen in response to climate change, rather, the fossil fuel and tobacco industries are still hitting the earth to the best of their market metrics beyond the physical abilities of the planet earth. Why? In analysing to see which ways we must take in addressing climate change, we must first know where the chord of the problem lie and how to hold a public discuss to diminish climate injustice. Since 2014 IPCC confirmed that climate change was caused by the deliberate actions and inactions of man. Nothing more, nothing less. However, the cycle of unfulfillment on the part of the UN and the developed world continue to aggravate the problem. Some developed world is trying to reassume their responsibilities but others are yet to start and much more uninterested.  While global south, in particular, contribute very little to climate change, they bore most of the consequences ranging from poverty, diseases, lack of energy, global warming to name just a few, making them very vulnerable and powerless. Meanwhile, they have the rights to potentially decide over the biosphere and call for accountability - the power they just began to assume.

Towards the second answer, my own metaphor for this problem (climate change) is from the medical field: it is like the world has come to my clinic for a comprehensive medical analysis at the eve of the 21^st century commemorating man’s control of almost everything on the planet but threaten at the end by climate change. It was from the year 1992-2012 that climate causalities has attracted a global debate with 4.4 billion persons affected by environmental adversity or disasters: flooding, artificial droughts, storms and forceful environmental migration (UNISDR, 2012) with 1.3 million perished over the 80% in Asian-Pacific region (Laczkò and Aghazarm, 2009; IPCC V, 2014). Between 2008-2014 the number of persons affected have risen to 210 million, with variations ranging from 95.3 million in 2013 to 245.7 million in 2012 (IDMC/NRC 2015:9) affecting biodiversity, habitats, health, and general quality of life, stability and security. Yet many talks but fewer actions.

We must approach this with moral and spiritual oriented mindsets not only by dancing to the neo-liberal market tunes who now pause the faith of our planet in jeopardy.

When we technically approach the problem we cannot forget the history of climate change and how the US, EU, China, Russia, India have contributed to it unequally more than the rest. This way we do not ignore the injustice between and among countries and only on this very way the perpetrators can be held accountable for their acts. Other models when we choose to ignore history but yet want to hold them accountable, these industries must bear the cost of rehabilitating our planet with all the scientific resources it might take to reduce global warming. Yet, for a scientific model to be adopted to redress the problem, it must not be another market creation for them which at the end will not lead to solving the problem. It is unfair to abstractly put the blame on all since that means blaming no one and if we do fail to concretely face the truth scientifically and historically we will heavily miss  our target to reduce climate injustice and hold fossil fuel and tobacco industries accountable. And therefore, this industry most of them in the developed world should share the burden of climate change and pay for the consequences of their inhuman market models. Among the many solutions available on our tables, today which is scientifically sustainable verified and proven achievable are many and others even very simple if our politicians and institutions are ready to take up to the challenge. We cannot assume any sustainable form of a liveable planet without initiating natures inherited potentials until we change our dynamics of production, cultural activities and perceptions about nature as an infinitive or an end to a means – a whole change from capitalism to post-capitalism. The flag bearer of the above destructive paradigm affecting human existence this century and perhaps the future is the fossil fuel and tobacco industry. The general call for convergence to hold fossil fuel and tobacco industry accountable can follow the pattern below;      

1.     The fossil fuel and tobacco industry must work towards reducing environmental threats by strictly following regulations reached at the international level that puts the voice of the global south paramount and protect the human rights of the vulnerable majority.

2.     This industry must as a way of holding them accountable increase the environmental resistance to environmental stress. They must bear the cost of this rehabilitation process.

3.     They must enable mobility and migration to all vulnerable and those affected. This will include : strengthening the in situ and adaptation before disasters happened; take anticipating migration for those whose resilience and adaption depends on outside aid, provide and effective responses to environmental disasters when they start to happen, to provide at least the minimum condition of safety and protection for those who are forced to stay, to achieve return measures or to respect the option of selecting the non-return or resettlement elsewhere for displaced (Black et al., 2013:41). UN and the developed north should wear their moral and spiritual glasses to recognised many environment refugees to hold the developed world accountable.

4.     The world must begin to divest from fossil fuel and tobacco industry cutting all ties to keep their emissions below 2°C. Although, the earth is already boiling below and above us but never is it too late to protect the future. Thus, rather than providing financial resources to their disastrous activities through buying or holding loans, shares, bonds, among others, states, and the UN should come up with restrictive climate policies to hold this industry accountable. This also includes not buying their assets.

5.     The global citizenry needs sensitization. Scientific information on the danger of the fossil fuel and tobacco industry must be embedded in our national and international policies more concretely and should state how they endanger human rights. Most politicians support the industry’s supplies for agriculture, transport, and construction this is because they failed the cost-benefit analysis between fossil fuel and green energy. Rethinking our business and political paradigms we all need to listen to climate reports and work collaboratively since no one nation or entity can do it all. To see the new business in green energy go further, we must first hold the fossil fuel and tobacco industry accountable or else we are justifying their evil activities.

The way forward to climate justice and accountability

The 21^st century might be the only century with immense scale of the future and the threats to our existence. Science has the solution to climate change, what is unclear is whether we are capable of assuming the solutions. It calls for more accountability with fewer debates and pragmatic solutions as the earth continues to suffer. For Astronomer Royal, Professor Martin Rees, “we are stewards of the world at a very special time” he said, “ man has the future in his own hands”.

As the world’s populations continue to burst at the seams, it comes with further attention towards redirecting our priorities at all level. Most importantly for climate justice, we have to ask whether mother earth will be able to inhabit the projected 9 billion people by 2050. We have the science to make it possible but are we ready to implement it? Attending to the need of the future generation(s) call for a convergence between science and law but also how much we are willing to confront the injustices that caused these threats. The future population will need just more than antibiotics to survive. Areas like agriculture and fisheries are under potential threats due to climate change and the world must find an urgent solution first by holding those who have driven us to this calamity(the fossil fuel and tobacco industry) and second by making policies to prevent such occurrences in the future. Much more iconic for environmentalists and policy makers is the current living standard of the developed world whose impacts lives it ugly marks mostly on the southerners living purely on agriculture. The present US level is 20 tons of carbon dioxide emissions per person per year, about 10 in the EU, 1.5 in China and India. To defeat the fossil fuel and tobacco industry, we must coordinate, develop and implement some general attitudinal change towards dirty energy: consuming not more than 2 tonnes of CO2 per year per person will help a lot while holding them accountable. In so doing, the developed world must lead the bandwagon near clean energy. The Nobel Prize-winning physicist Steve Chu, has it that clean energy is the future of global energy.

As we increase in population, the earth will also be warmer and the warmer it becomes the greater the risks. The melting down of Greenland’s ice cap is a further implication that the consumption of fossil fuel has to be drastically reduced if not totally eliminated at all levels. Energy, food, and climate security,  are the greatest concerns of the 21^st century and giving them a solution means the planet’s security.

As an African proverb put it, “a cow does not know the importance of its horn until it is gone away”. We must be prepared to hold accountable the bio-terror culprits like fossil fuel and tobacco industry before they shatter our fabric of civilization. More than village idiots, we are battling with scientific errors which do not seem to cease anytime soon. Therefore, by converging science and jurisprudence, we will be better stewards of our mother earth.

As scientific errors began to increase because science is under expansion and fossil fuel and tobacco industries began to govern our consumption patterns, we need a drastic revolution in technology, politics, law and in our individual lifestyles to live in harmony with nature without posing threats to for the future generations.

WHY AFRICA  THE WORST VICTIM OF CLIMATE CHANGE ?

By: Alagie Jinkang

Africa is still in a crucial and fragile state of transition.  Africans are beginning to change their conceptions on a whole lot of things. For example: what causes rain? What causes drought? are still a matter of what type of background one emanated from. Many still believe that droughts are caused by the number of twins born in a particular year while others refer it to the furiousness of the gods! However, a lot more traditional Africans are beginning to open themselves to the scientific knowledge that droughts are not caused by the number of twins born in a year and it has nothing to do with the gods either. This shift in paradigm from ignorant primitive African conception to the Western scientific realities of life is good. What is bad, however, is the evil eye of the same western lifestyle of industrialisation that continues to rob even more heavily the indigenous African from their typical harmony with nature. Droughts, food insecurity, hunger, poverty, diseases, global warming, force migration and gross inequalities here and there are different facets of the same problem  – climate change. Now Africans have to choose whether to revert to their own traditional life of consumption and be in perfect harmony with their gods and environment or infinitely suffer from the “unmanageable consumption” style of the industrial/developed world partly obligated on them!

Clearly, Africa is not the closest to the West  but perhaps is undergoing  the fastest stride of westernization human history ever to be recorded from the industrial ages to the so-called post-modernity. To understand the implications of this alteration, one must first consider the importance of culture as the lenses of reality –a  world-view. In what way did the industrial revolution( later to be called capitalism) changed the African perception of the world from ecological consciousness to over-consumption. Africans are the worst sufferers of the mechanistic Cartesian and Newtonian view of the world that has led to the great industrial revolution, the ramifications of which we now face in climate change(probably the most problematic).  Now more than anytime else the future of Africa is darker than the continent itself not least because of the political dwarfs saturated in the cities of South  Africa, Namibia, D.R Congo, Nigeria, Niger, Mozambique, Guinea, Tanzania, Ghana, Botswana to name just a few embedding and excessively exploiting  most of the continent's natural resources. Most Africans are much worried of how the extraction of these natural resources is impoverishing and disuniting them and how it enrich those outside their borders. Yet they suffer most from its implications –climate change.

Africa was long high jacked by its contact with the West, first through colonialism then to imperialism and the plundering of its natural resources and now neo-colonialism. This contact will/shall never be forgotten in other to make factual analysis of history, economics, and modern civilization the effects of which we all face today in climate change. Africa is the least industrialised yet supports most of the industrialized world with its natural resources. Before it was countries who plunder and inhumanly extract and now multi-national companies took the lead in the campaign for globalization and free market  exploitation –a neoliberal market model. For we Africans, the paradigm of pain and suffering is ever increasing and the present market model of capitalism is calling many of us to our untimely graves: lack of energy, hunger, droughts, diseases, financial insecurity, wars, exodus  and natural disasters are not in any way news to us. They are our painful living truth to which we contribute very minimal.

As the 21^st century clarifies , the above problems are all interconnected and interdependent. They are a systematic problem and needs systematic solutions. If we are to uphold our moral standards and think more openly about the biosphere as “Commons” and that we must pay some fundamental obligation rather than excessively viewing it as an infinite resource, some sufferings on the African people could be reduced. We might have to forgo overconsumption to fair distribution, inequality to the contrary and from dirty energy that has revamped African civilization to clean energy to revitalize us with our old moral gods.  As the worst sufferers of climate change, we ask the developed world to change their perception from an outdated worldview that is incapable of dealing with our overpopulated, hunger-reached, impoverished, and speedy decaying continent. The developed world needs some fundamental changes in science and society, politics, and law, from immorality to spirituality –a change as radical as the Copernican revolution – at least in so doing, Africa might survive climate change.

As we continue to suffer from climate change, I believe that a sustainable society must be premeditated in such a way that its ways of life, economy, physical structures, and technologies do not hamper with nature’s inbuilt capability to withstand existence/life.

I am right you are wrong to that of I am right you are death”

Dialogue an attribute so fundamental to the uniformity of the Gambian opposition is given unattended faces. It’s completely alien. It’s not our culture!
The faces of political parties and organisations continue to be chanted in names like: Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction , National Alliance for Democracy and Development, National Democratic Action Movement, National Reconciliation Party, People's Democratic Organisation for Independence and Socialism, People's Progressive Party, United Democratic Party, Gambia Party for Democracy and Progress, National Convention Party, Gambia Democratic Congress, Gambia Moral Congress, the names continue even at this point swimming in and out and against the tides of a progressive movement of any sort.
Oppositions aren’t the army of God. Neither are they the army of the voters. They are ding-dongs for their own agendas at least this is clear about the Gambian case. The ruling party takes its legitimacy to bounce at everything and everywhere they wish to drill. At least we are convinced that the future is cheerful –an unconscious fool’s paradise every Gambian is dreaming in. We want to harvest the best fruit of democracy, drink the best juice of human rights and dance in the paradise of this world without preparing to face the concrete matters that thwart our progress. We need first to figure out where these fundamental differences lie and what should be done about them. As it continues to happen in all elections, parties and party leaders will come out to propaganda without convincing even themselves. While many who converge at those scenarios aren’t particularly there to examine their manifestos but rather to chill out, amplify our living political uncertainties. The heaviest load that is betrayed by the Gambian press will never let us to the Gambia we all dream for. Journalists should have taken out on political parties and made them know to the voters. It’s the duty of the press to let transparency lead the wimps of politics and not otherwise. This, however, is unsatisfied. Journalist is ill-equipped as the other ignorant population over matters that govern them.
Politics without serious engagements isn’t worth the blessings that come with it. If you can eat your cake and have it, then you can eat the fruits of politics without voting for the right person or go through serious struggles. We all want love to eat freely from the national cake but few would love contributing to making it. However, we’ve all become fanatics in one way or the other reluctant to negotiate with each other, thus, compromising national interest. We’ve become separated almost eternally from each other and from national interest due to some insubstantial matters –you would not like to know.
Resolutions are far ahead to sure. Our energy reserves are exploding out of nothing and neither of the contestants is taking advantages nor the common people are aware of their own potentials. Or to be fair enough, the masses aren’t given the progressive patterns. The Gambia in simple terms hasn’t a sustainable governing process and this isn’t the fault of one individual or a party.
Nature of the most dangerous thing in our unification is fanaticism. We enjoy lonely travels within common political structures –unbelievable to realise. Even more heart-breaking is the fact that party leaders are consistently inconsistent in all their transparent endeavours. What more do we expect from figures who can’t back their own emotions publicly? According to Achebe the situation of this disunity is like “I am right you are wrong to that of I am right you are death.”
Development of humanity with the sound and sustainable ideas it comes with should soon reach the Gambia and safe the faiths of the mass innocent population whose lives are in the hands of unmanageable political dwarfs lying centrally wimps of their breath.
Protests, demonstrations and capitulations will continue to exist without a stop and solution as long as positive rules and symbols are still absent while misconducts from political Lilliputians continue to address matters. Genuine commitment is abruptly solicited from all Gambians.

Cover your own yard from prays first...

We are all naked. Dig it your way!

The Gambian political tragedy has failed almost everyone. Be it the incumbent or not. The political examination has never left any story good to be maintained. Neither the opposition nor the ruling governments were able to create a state of well-being. Well, We are all bunches of the same statement -a mismanaged population. A failure we all are and contributing to. Perhaps some would want to know why I put it so banal! My reasons are outrageous: there isn't a system of complete purity anywhere in this political world, what people try to create to justify democracy are fundamental branches made by the common people: the executive, the judiciary and the legislative. In The Gambia as in many African countries, these branches aren't working as supposed. And there can't be enough insult to any democracy than the failure of these branches that should keep the political game balance. Even Magna Carta never wholly defined any atmosphere free from injustice, what makes the authoritative book to follow generations is its unique view of justice dispensation. Magna Carta from the days of slavery purely acclaimed unity via the common yards of the proletarians: it puts it that until the farmers and buyers are converged over the same round table, no representation will bring their wellbeing. It is pretty well the same metaphor I wish to use to analyze the Gambian political journey. Most of us aren't observers and even the few who claim to be aren't getting to the problem. Rather, the problem is getting much stronger than their analytical spectacles. Their glasses are broken. They can't see far.

We haven't representatives! We got men and women who campaigned to secure political positions for their individualistic wishes. They aren't there for us. They are unconscious lone travelers in the wilderness of the Gambian political framework. What is more exacerbating than a political figure failing his/her voters is the voters' failure to elect a competent person. This is not just a Gambian failure but a common African jeopardy. We might now have time trialing behind every slogan of justice but never do we ask for whom and why it was established at the first place. We failed to investigate into the causes of injustices before they started: we are excellent at waiting for accomplished failures such as that of mass ignorance or illiteracy, poor health, disunity, mass imprisonment, diseases so go the infinitive list of predicament. And the politicians know this well. 

We should have guaranteed our civil liberties without compromising with the authorities: this is the trace of a proud lineage. Gambians haven't passion for politics, we haven't the eloquence and all w
that we have is the irrelevant lyrical reference of hard-won freedoms of our ancestors which we aren't even struggling to defend. We as oppositions of bad governance should challenge ourselves first before falling down with our faces at our backs. We aren't disunited as they wanted us to be but we aren't united at all. This is the self-harming clarity even an unattended enemy would spot straight. The Gambian oppositions aren't a diaspora climate separated from each other like their borders; the Gambian opposition ban wagon aren't even up to their goals. Honestly we lost the go-ahead, the speed and the relevance. I know very little about the Gambian political situation but that little is core. I am willing to see a better Gambia under a party whose equations are intact and who relate to the common people at all times not because they need votes but because it is politics and they deserve it. An apposition that will strengthen the common good of all by first establishing its moral standards. We need to vote on these grounds and they must manifest this. Not only a bad government should tell us why and how, all the good and the bad share the same system of transparency under real democracy.

The Self Portrait

When your tradition inspires justice, you are safe, vice versa. 

The unrest in The Gambia is as a result of the untold truths, corruptions, killings and all the rest that culminated into the unprecedented social injustices for decades. It's this situation that has crept and paralyzed our society. Now, triumph is a matter of great luck that is associated with the principles that govern us. I am not discouraged, instead, I am optimistic that the positive air that blows outside our yards will soon reach us. We will have to breath it but not without difficulties and shall be difficulties that we are able to table, challenge and tackle.

The climate of fear that terrorized every soul "death and alive", must come to a hold through a collaborative model that is representative of the voices of the suffering. Though, even those who take pleasure in tormenting the less powerful amongst us, are suffering themselves. Their sufferings should be a positive energy that will unite us together to create a better society. The option on our table is clearer than ever before in our history. We have to take patience, resist and be intolerant to the devil. What connect every one of us now, without any sort of differences is the climate of fear. This strange atmosphere that is disintegrating our small powerful society must be eliminated with the model we all vehemently believe and share.

Assuming to be right, is the first predicament to any tragedy. Contemplating that you are wrong is much better since you will be careful. The Gambia has never seriously engaged in any democratic model that is sustainable and representative of the voices of the suffering. This could be viewed from almost all levels without getting yourself tired. Our educational, healthcare, security and political tools in use since independence are but just an illusion of whatever we would want to see in this 21 century! What we are left with is the very sights of a decaying society. A relationship between the subject and the master- where the latter merely survive. An unfair symbiosis that corrupts the physical and mental values of a society. We must not relinquish our potentials in times of troubles -they are part of our reality. Painful they are, but there was never any effortlessly accomplished paradise. The rights we have today and the liberty we labour for aren't just any commodity. There are priceless values of a transitional society: many died for it.These sufferings are nearly inevitable. 

When your tradition inspires justice, you are save, vice versa. 

This unrest in The Gambia is as a result of the untold truths, corruption, killings and all the rest that culminates into the unprecedented social injustices for decades. It's this situation that has creeped and paralyzed our society. Now, triumph is a matter of great luck that is associated to the principles that govern us. I am not discouraged, instead, I am optimistic that the positive air that blows outside our yards will soon reach us. We will have to breath it but not without difficulties and shall be difficulties that we are able table, challenge and tackle.

The climate of fear that terrorized every soul death and alive, must come to a hold through a collaborative model that is representative of the voices of the suffering. Though, even those who take pleasure in tormenting the less powerful amongst us, are suffering themselves. There sufferings should be the positive energy that will unite us together to create a better society. The option on our table is clearer than ever before in our history. We have to take patience, resist and be intolerant to the devil. What connect everyone of us now, without any sort of differences is the climate of fear. This strange atmosphere that is disintegrating our small powerful society must be eliminated with the model we vehemently all believe and share.

Assuming to be right, is the first predicament to any tragedy. Contemplating that you are wrong is much better since you will be careful. The Gambia has never seriously engage in any democratic model that is sustainable and representative of the voices of the suffering. This could be viewed from almost all levels without getting yourself tired. Our educational, healthcare, security and political tools in use since independence are but just an illusion of whatever we would want to see in this 21 century! What we are left with is the very sights of a decaying society. A relationship between the subject and the master- where the latter merely survive. An unfair symbiosis that corrupt the physical and mental values of a society.

Il clima di paura

La maggior parte di ciò che abbiamo di fronte oggi non è un fatalità storica; il riscaldamento globale, le guerre, la povertà estrema, il terrorismo, la fame, gravi violazioni dei diritti umani, e la migrazione forzata. Questi sono i ​​risultati delle nostre azioni miopi e disinteressate. Le vostre scellerate scelte politiche ed economiche hanno bloccato la vita di milioni di vite innocenti. Io chiamo questa atmosfera globale "il clima di paura". Questo non vuol dire che sono un codardo, piuttosto che voglio interpretare la nostra verità vivente. La verità che ci pone l'uno contro l'altro. Laddove la differenza di colore significa tutto.

In un modo o nell'altro, siamo tutti terrorizzati sia negli Stati Uniti, Gambia, Italia, Palestina, Siria, Iraq o in Francia. Ricco o povero, bianco o nero, sano o malato, tutti noi condividiamo il clima di paura anche se - ovviamente -  in proporzioni diverse. Come africani i miei antenati erano terrorizzati dalleinvasioni dell' "uomo bianco", attraverso il colonialismo e la schiavitù  ci avete distrutto in eterno. Avete stuprato, derubato, distrutto i tessuti sociali che ci tengono insieme e ora siamo in ginocchio completamente a pezzi. Ora siamo perennemente poveri, affamati, e terribilmente malati manonostante la nostra terribile situazione siamo più umani di voi!  Vi siete rifiutati di dialogare con noi, di condividere la nostra empatia, di lasciare le nostre terre. Dimostrate il vostro cordoglio e sostegno con le bombe, la fame e la povertà! Continuate a controllarci da lontano attraverso il vostro subdolo modello di mercato o nel peggiore dei casi utilizzate la guerra come mezzo politico. In Libia, Somalia, Siria, Iraq, Palestina, Congo, Nigeria, Costa d'Avorio, Egitto ecc l'aria che queste persone respirano è inquinata dal vostro imperialismo.

Sia in Asia, Medio Oriente o Africa, la vostra presenza ci ha solo portato la guerra e il terrorismo, la fame e la sete, la subordinazione e la supremazia occidentale, i conflitti e la disunione, continue violazioni dei diritti umani e migrazioni di forza - in altre parole: una tragedia totale. E continuate a trattarci come merce rifiutando del tutto la nostra condizione umana.

L'Europa e forse il mondo intero si accorgeranno che i tempi stanno cambiando - oramai viviamo tutti in un mondo iperconnesso e i delitti che avete perpetuato per secoli, li pagherete con gli interessi. Dopo 400 anni di schiavitù e dicolonialismo, l'Occidente continua a dettare la sua supremazia sul resto del mondo attraverso l'uso strumentale di guerre per instaurare un clima permanente di instabilità politica e sociale. Non è abbastanza? le vostre azioni brutali hanno prodotto:Boko Haram, PKK, al-Shabab, LRA ecc che hanno ormaistabilito legami che superano i confini assumendo una supremazia ideologica pericolosissima. Milioni di persone in Asia, Africa e Medio Oriente vivono in decadenza assoluta giorno dopo giorno. Queste persone hanno il diritto alla vita e meriterebbero di decidere il loro futuro. Purtroppo, le nostre vite sono telecomandate dagli imperialisti occidentali.

Quello che noi continuiamo a sperimentare ora è il nuovo volto della realtà, una realtà dolorosa - i funghi bianchi sono pericolosi. Forzare la migrazione come conseguenza di molte tragedie occidentali, potrebbe essere proprio l'inizio!

L'Occidente dopo aver distrutto tutte le nostre istituzioni locali per un futuro migliore, non è riuscito ad accogliere le proprie vittime. Noi siamo le vostre vittime! A causa delle vostre attività disumane e senza senso all'interno dei nostri confini continuiamo a soffrire di là dell'immaginazione umana. Ci avete distrutto ma non siete riusciti a reggere le conseguenze.

Molti leader autocratici in Africa, Medio Oriente e Asia sono stati sostenute e sono sostenuti da voi. Li aiutate mentre terrorizzano la propria gente, mentre si prendono tutte le loro ricchezze. Questi dittatori hanno le loro università, sanità, aerei, armi, riparo e alcuni addirittura importano l' acqua per le loro famiglie a spese dei loro contribuenti. Ma l'Occidente invece apre loro le banche dei paradisi fiscali permettendogli cosi di sostenere i ribelli locali e di saccheggiare tutte le risorse naturali.

Noi non siamo gente povera: siamo diventati poveri attraverso lo sfruttamento occidentale e la mala gestione. Eravamopersone molto sane, infatti, ci prendevamo cura delle vostrepiantagioni, le fabbriche, le miniere, e le infrastrutture - la raccolta di pomodori e arance - ma abbiamo pagato tutto questo con le malattie.

Ora, voi dovreste  restituirci ciò che ci avete rubato -Il nostro stato naturale. Vi preghiamo di lasciarci in pace! Questo mondo non è solo per le persone dagli occhi blu. Questo pianeta è un bene comune. Noi abbiamo il diritto di condividere i suoi frutti. E questo è il motivo per cui io non sono una identificazione -Non sono un migrante - Io sono un essere umano come voi.

More than 200 Gambians in prisons in Italy

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The number of Gambians at different prisons in Italy has gone up to 212 of whom 210 are male and 2 female, information from the Italy Ministry of Justice has revealed.The prisoners are feared to be facing deportation. The statistics, released on 30 April 2016, have stated that there are 18,074 foreign prisoners in Italy. Other African nationals in the Italian prisons are Senegal 258, Egypt 44, Guinea 50, Niger 20, Sierra Leone 18, Sudan 35, Mali 1, and Cameron 15. Our correspondent in Italy said the staggering number is not only a growing concern to nations of affected nationalities, but also for the host country, as the prisoners have to be given food, medicine, healthcare at the expense of the Italian government. However, due to the present economic condition in Italy, it is feared that many of the basic needs of the prisoners are not attended to. For Gambians, the number is too much, but what is even more challenging for them is access to justice.  Many have already been in jail for years as they know very little about the judicial procedure to seek freedom.  The Centre for Identification and Expulsion in Italy said it has “a staggering number of Gambians” undergoing the judicial procedures on whether or not to be deported.  Considering the fact that there are thousands of Gambians in Italy “illegally”, the number of Gambian detainees and prisoners could increase further, our correspondent said. Author: Alagie Jinkang in Italy

THE GAMBIA'S FACEBOOK REVOLUTION

I am not prepared to understand that Facebook revolution is not effective rather I am more concern about its effects on the society. The very name itself has said it all - it's seeing people's faces from a digital platform. Seeing them without knowing them, touching them without feeling them, analyzing them without empirical basis,a collaboration without a real  association. Arguably, it might be a civil commons. Nonetheless, I am not convinced that this “fictional characters” we might sometimes call them embed in themselves  a lot of nonfictional potentials. They are able to communicate from long ambiguous distances and conditions: they can try to explain or confuse matters, improve or worsen situations, encourage or discourage social, economic and political platforms. What is clear, however, is that every citizen can be a user. The modeling of Facebook is super illusionary. One might call it democracy - the freedom to say and do what you want and willing to bare the consequences. But in a real  democracy, Inasmuch as the citizenry is free to associate and exercise their rights to freedom and association, they are also monitored and controlled by some values which give essence to its whole existence. Of course, I am not saying per se, Facebook is bad neither am I saying what my dearest Gambians are doing on Facebook is all good. What I aim saying here is that, though Facebook might have its own private marketing regulations, we must also be aware of our own and use them. I am not a moralist nor am I changing from fundamentalism. What we need doing is to concretize our objectives through our common values and seek them at all cost and not the opposite. However, to me, it seems pretty much that we do not suit the Facebook democracy for now. We are totally lost, angry and unfocused. But this is not a failure in the journey rather obstacles to be challenged and improved. Now, what has gone wrong and what can be done about it?

In answering this question, we must take a brief historical passage to the times when Facebook usage was not a Gambian scenario. When messages were carried by direct telephone calls which were not, of course, smartphones as well. We must travel to the times when letters were the mode of communication and pictures and scenes were written instead of photographed or videotaped. Regardless of how less attractive and less efficient those means of communication might have been, they were consistent in their the goals of that time. Meanwhile, that old world has gone and the new Facebook democracy is struggling to be born. I must agree to the fact that we have all gone digital but I refute the fact that it suits all. Since democracy itself has its own bad tastes. We might all struggle to go hungry or brake social relationships just to go digital but are we prepared for it? 

Yes Facebook has led to many successful revolutions and continue until now to do so: the Arab Spring for example, the ISIS distraction, the market, the creation of groups, mass communication and so on. For Gambians, we are seeing our images from distant lands and from within. We can create and destroy, encourage and discourage, promote and demote but what is most important for the Gambian Facebook revolution is to build up a stronger, well focused and planned set of objectives embedded in well grounded common values that represent us. We must not be loss in this focus by forces that are constructed or unconstructed against our aims to a successful revolution -leading to the real democracy we are struggling for and that which will picture both the enemies and the friends. Enemies must exist and they will be stronger and most of the times well-focused than those terms as friends with a mission. 

I think the Gambian Facebook democracy can turned into a real political democracy only if it is aware of it current situation and prepared to take certain invaluable mechanistic and spiritual approaches as suggested below;

First, Gambian Facebook revolution must have a strong framework focused at emancipating Gambians but of course this must first welcome divergence within itself. It must first call for divergence and then convergence. There cannot be a flat ground for revolution anywhere in this world. It isn't that easy. There are barriers everywhere: from cultural, religious, and religious values. So there must be conflicts that that should not distract us: every conflict should lead to a positive construction. Thus, the communication mechanisms must be all embracing. 

Secondly, Facebook is often termed as a fictional platform. Though, arguable but not totally untrue. However, Facebook users might have to model out what realities they want to reach  and what realities are on the ground. Jumping and cropping anything in Facebook might call for a revolution but its sustainability will be very fragile. A revolution have to be stronger and depicts the reality.

Thirdly, a revolution is not a day venture. The Arab Spring took some years with unceasing genuine efforts to disempower the oppressors. They have been consistent and they did it although with a lot of controversies deepening on how one looks at it. However, my opinion is that the Arab Spring was focused at annihilating the oppressors without a concrete model prepared to be applied after its success. And this is why we continue to doubt if they will ever finish to democracy. This must be avoided in any revolution.

Thirdly, Gambian Facebook revolution has attracted audiences from all over the world but most of its active users for this purpose are not experiencing the realities at home themselves. This might have a little relevance but it do have a lot of relevance when those genuine efforts are augmented by those on the ground experiencing the brute facts as it inevitably begins to happen. There must be a collective effort to challenge a collective problem. The agenda is that of self inclusion but also that of a common responsibility. Gambians everywhere have more than just the Facebook democracy to express their genuine likes and dislikes towards their authorities. It is more than being present on the ground. We all are spiritually interconnected.

Fundamentally, is the language usage. It must be our moral duty to communicate responsibly to implement the changes we want. This must be done with a cordial language that suits Gambian consumption . We might have to learn that we still have our own cultures that are strong and healthy and we are proud of them. Unhealthy languages whether coded or not are very detrimental and might go all long to disempower the power of our cultures, languages and most importantly our revolutionary language.The weaponry power is language is a polite truth. 

We must work out a better holistic and systematic approach that will suit first our revolution and then our democracy -we are on the fight for. Language can bring you more friends than enemies and vice verse. 

Everything is under construction and everything is taking form. The Gambian Facebook Revolution must avert the ongoing political tragedy and not add to it. 

The Gambia’s Facebook Revolution

THE GAMBIA'S FACEBOOK REVOLUTION 

I am not prepared to understand that Facebook revolution is not effective rather I am more concerned about its effects on the society. The very name itself has said it all - it's seeing people's faces from a digital platform. Seeing them without knowing them, touching them without feeling them, analyzing them without empirical bases,a collaboration without a real  association. Arguably, it might be a civil commons. Nonetheless, I am not convinced that this “fictional characters” we might sometimes call them embed in themselves  a lot of nonfictional potentials. They are able to communicate from a long ambiguous distances and conditions: they can try to explain or confuse matters, improve or worsen situations, encourage or discourage social, economical and political platforms. What is clear, however, is that every citizen can be a user. The modeling of Facebook is super illusionary. One might call it democracy - the freedom to say and do what you want and willing to bare the consequences. But in real  democracy, Inasmuch as the citizenry is free to associate and exercise their rights to freedom and association, they are also monitored and controlled by some values which gives essence to its whole existence. Of course, I am not saying per se, Facebook is bad neither am I saying what my dearest Gambians are doing on Facebook is all good. What I aim saying here is that, though, Facebook might have its own private marketing regulations, we must also be aware of our own and use them. I am not a moralist nor am I changing from fundamentalism. What we need doing is to concretize our objectives through our common values and seek them at all cost and not the opposite. However, to me it seems pretty much that we do not suit the Facebook democracy for now. We are totally lost, angry and unfocussed. But this is not a failure in the journey rather obstacles to be challenged and improved. Now, what has gone wrong and what can be done about it?

In answering this question, we must take a brief historical passage to the times when Facebook usage was not a Gambian scenario. When messages were carried by direct telephone calls which were not of course smartphones as well. We must travelled to the times when letters were the mode of communication and pictures and scenes were written instead of photographed or video taped. Regardless to how less attractive and less efficient those means of communication might have been, theywere consistent to the goals of that time. Meanwhile, that old world has gone and the new Facebook democracy is struggling to be born. I must agree to the fact that we have all gone digital but I refute the fact that it suits all. Since democracy itself has its own bad tastes. We might all struggle to go hungry or brake social relationships just to go digital but are we prepared for it? 

Yes Facebook has led to many successful revolutions and continue until now to do so: the Arab Spring for example, the ISIS distraction, the market, the creation of groups, mass communication and so on. For Gambians, we are seeing our images from distant lands and from within. We can create and destroy, encourage and discourage, promote and demote but what is most important for the Gambian Facebook revolution is to build up a stronger, well focused and planned set of objectives embedded in well grounded common values that represent us. We must not be loss in this focus by forces that are constructed or unconstructed against our aims to a successful revolution -leading to the real democracy we are struggling for and that which will picture both the enemies and the friends. Enemies must exist and they will be stronger and most of the times well-focused than those terms as friends with a mission. 

I think the Gambian Facebook democracy can turned into a real political democracy only if it is aware of it current situation and prepared to take certain invaluable mechanistic and spiritual approaches as suggested below;

First, Gambian Facebook revolution must have a strong framework focused at emancipating Gambians but of course this must first welcome divergence within itself. It must first call for divergence and then convergence. There cannot be a flat ground for revolution anywhere in this world. It isn't that easy. There are barriers everywhere: from cultural, religious, and religious values. So there must be conflicts that that should not distract us: every conflict should lead to a positive construction. Thus, the communication mechanisms must be all embracing. 

Secondly, Facebook is often termed as a fictional platform. Though, arguable but not totally untrue. However, Facebook users might have to model out what realities they want to reach  and what realities are on the ground. Jumping and cropping anything in Facebook might call for a revolution but its sustainability will be very fragile. A revolution have to be stronger and depicts the reality.

Thirdly, a revolution is not a day venture. The Arab Spring took some years with unceasing genuine efforts to disempower the oppressors. They have been consistent and they did it although with a lot of controversies deepening on how one looks at it. However, my opinion is that the Arab Spring was focused at annihilating the oppressors without a concrete model prepared to be applied after its success. And this is why we continue to doubt if they will ever finish to democracy. This must be avoided in any revolution.

Thirdly, Gambian Facebook revolution has attracted audiences from all over the world but most of its active users for this purpose are not experiencing the realities at home themselves. This might have a little relevance but it do have a lot of relevance when those genuine efforts are augmented by those on the ground experiencing the brute facts as it inevitably begins to happen. There must be a collective effort to challenge a collective problem. The agenda is that of self inclusion but also that of a common responsibility. Gambians everywhere have more than just the Facebook democracy to express their genuine likes and dislikes towards their authorities. It is more than being present on the ground. We all are spiritually interconnected.

Fundamentally, is the language usage. It must be our moral duty to communicate responsibly to implement the changes we want. This must be done with a cordial language that suits Gambian consumption . We might have to learn that we still have our own cultures that are strong and healthy and we are proud of them. Unhealthy languages whether coded or not are very detrimental and might go all long to disempower the power of our cultures, languages and most importantly our revolutionary language.The weaponry power is language is a polite truth. 

We must work out a better holistic and systematic approach that will suit first our revolution and then our democracy -we are on the fight for. Language can bring you more friends than enemies and vice verse. 

Everything is under construction and everything is taking form.

WHY ALWAYS AFRICA? DOES IT REALLY MATTERS?

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This question is banal. It is difficult and simple at the same speed. Both th the stupid and ignorant could answer it. Is an awesome disgrace to the modern era that such a mother is left abandoned, deliberately forgotten, plundered and raped. No question whatsoever is asked over why she is denied justice, and dignity of her true status.

Africa is both the mother and child of all continents. The source of originality, civilization, and power. The birth of who we are today has it largest holds from this poor rich continent.

The people who are knowledgeable and ignorant of the soccer game. The game of witch hunting each other. They(Africans)share and claim unanimity in every livelihood activities- thus signifies the word Africa-the home of communism.

Africa the continent rich in everything and nothing. Has it bearings to the outsiders. The naked terrorists. The plunderers. The dictators in white paints. The murderers with stain hands.

The hungry continents outside Africa have eaten even their own hands-Africa. Amicable ignorant Africa has given more than it has and now helplessly hungry. Motherland Africa can hardly recover her originality. Her enemies have it all in the second-hand fashion- albeit they claim authority over it. Now Africans are “copy-carts”. They are compelled to believe in their complexion in regards to knowledge. They are labelled “the dark continent” when they are really the opposite. The land that serves or exports everything now receives almost everything just in their bad situations.

The crying mother-Africa shall not die in malnutrition nor should her ungrateful children(other continents) allow her mourn perpetually. She must live well for her children’s prosperity. Though many of her children are ignorant of this nursery fact. They think she must give away for their survival not knowing that will backfire themselves.

The present sociopolitical crisis has a lot to say. Africa must be given her motherhood, her dues, her true status that belongs to only her for a peaceful solution to our uncontrolled catastrophic atmosphere that metamorphosis itself only in the wrong direction.

The ‘empathy’ that is manifested by her children is but only false. They have at lest to compensate her. They should acknowledge their true source. There is no independent second stage without an origin.

The world’s problem is one. That is the injustice. The denial of our golden holy truth. The courage to lie. The faith for falsehood. A masterpiece plan to plunder the weak and the poor. The birth of total bastardization. The final Infinitive retrogress. They love of individualism and the birth of evil Capet skyrocketing capitalism.

The fall of the big tree cannot gather together the little birds. Things are at the mercy of the devil. The self who wish nothing good for itself. The truth must be told. History cannot be denied forever. Those denying the peaceful protesters will give rise to a violent one. Should the guilty world keep silent of wrong things that matter, then we shall finally extinguish humanity...

The survival of the fittest is never conclusive nor constructive.

rite a response…

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