We are our own enemy
By: Famod Konneh
30 April, 2010
One of the greatest tribulations of our community today is the lack of unity and cooperation. Our community has been devastated and marginalized due
to the effect of this. We have seen our political strength plummeted and our peace and stability threatened by this situation. Our traditional values and
principle have been threatened by a common enemy. Historically, our community was addicted to the pursuit of peace through the advocacy and
brilliance of our forefathers. Today, we have seen our community being used by detractors as an instrument of division through hypocrisy, hatred and
many strategy of deception. Our young generation of educated minds has literally been obsessed with the pursuit of western education and the
acquisition wealth, (which is a good thing) but with very little reflection on the true sprit of our tradition and the elements that bound us together. I want
to pay special tribute to our fore fathers who without western education built a legacy which not only serve as a source of strength and hope for our
community, but also as a source of challenge. A challenge which has been taken for granted by our contemporaries. A challenge, which this generation
of young educated minds have lost sight off. A challenge, which has the propensity not just to stall our progress if not met, but might potentially
undermine the solid foundation that was laid by our forefathers.
My fellow Mandingoes, I am paranoid and apprehensive about our future as a community. With deep conviction, I must assert that we are our own
enemy. We find pleasure in ridiculing and resenting a fellow Mandingo at the whims and pleasure of others. We have refused to build internally an
institution of trust and mutual respect among ourselves. We need to consistently show respect and maintain a positive disposition in our interactions
with one another. We should not allow the negative actions of others to comprise our reaction and inhibits our ability to show restraint. These are
tenets that kept our ancestors united and made them into a formidable force in the history of human civilization. Our Mandingo tradition is a vast and
incredible tradition that we need to hold on, and not lose it or abandon it. Because the abandonment of this tradition is one of the most detrimental
things to our community. If we cannot unite and bring peace among ourselves, how can we unite and make peace with our neighbors? We need to
understand that unity within is fundamental to our political, social and economic survival, and it is a function of our overall success. Remember that “a
house divided against itself cannot stand” (Lincoln, 1856 Chicago). We need to begin to unite under one broad based principle.
A principle that will meet our challenges as one strong community. A principle that sees all Mandingoes as teammates and not competitors. This should
be a part of our 21st century political strategy if we are to succeed. I believe that UNITY and MUTUAL RESPECT is the principle that can help keep the
threat at bay and restore our cultural values. Our community has endured various challenges and injustices which have prevented us from forging
ahead under one agenda. These injustices were perpetrated against us due to the polarization of our community and its susceptibleness to
orchestrated social and political policy. We need to work in concert in attempt to avert the possibility of the resurgence of these injustices. As president
of ONYMA, I am committed to the realization of a united Mandingo association. I believe that the challenges we are experiencing today are transient and
it’s a test to our strength, belief, conscience and resilience. Our generation has to begin to adopt a new set of attitude in resisting these attempts. We
the young generation have been blessed with the opportunity to acquire knowledge. It is our responsibility to consistently and responsibly challenge
misguided policies not through arrogance, aggression or self-righteousness, but through civil interaction and dialogue. You can say the truth in many
ways and not comprise your belief and principle. The German philosopher Nietzsche said, animosity that arises from discussion arises more from the
tone of the discussion than what is being discussed.
Finally, we should encourage dissent not as a source of tension and chaos but as a unique function of our young political process, and embrace
changes that are fundamental to our existence. We should encourage divergence of views even when they are critical of our views or that might seem
illogical to us. Transparency and disclosure should be cardinal to our growth, because these principles are the pillars for restoring integrity and
community trust to our leaders and elders. These are the track things of democracy and modern civilization and if we succeed in meeting these
challenges, in my opinion, this will fundamentally reform our community and restore our values.
Long live ONYMA and May God bless the work of our hands…..and give us the strength in times of adversity.
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