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I.

INTRODUCTION

Advances in technology have produced radical shifts in the ability to reproduce, distribute and publish
information and by extension cultural artefacts such as books. For example, digitisation has
revolutionised reproduction in the same way that networks have transformed distribution of cultural
artefacts. Likewise, the Web has altered completely the conventional concept of publishing. What impact
do these technological advancements have on the future of the book? Will the book as we know it remain
in its present form? Unlike traditional publishing that has imposed an almost unsurmountable barrier to
publishing a book, the contemporary challenge is how a book stands out in the multitude of books made
possible by self-publishing on the Web. It also raises the possibility of an alternative foundation for
copyright. Scholars are of the view that alternatives to a copy-based model for protection of digital
information deserve consideration. Thus, two theorists have concluded that Digital technology has
made copyright and the conventional notion of authorship obsolete, (Murphie and Potts, 2003).
While there is a hint of over exaggeration in the foregoing statement, the threat of digital technologies to
copyright is real because the fundamentals of copyright reproduction and distribution are under
siege.

The Writers Association of The Gambia (WAG) commemorated the 2015 World Book and Copyright Day
with a symposium on the theme: The future of the book as a cultural product, which was broken into sub-
themes as follows:

The future of the book as a cultural product Madi Jobarteh, Programme Director, TANGO
The role of culture in promoting inclusive and sustainable development Mr Hassoum Ceesay,
Director of Copyright, National Centre for Arts & Culture.
Using school curriculum to promote a culture of reading Dr Burama Jammeh, Director of
Curriculum, Ministry of Basic & Secondary Education.
Promoting reading among young people and marginalised groups Mrs Sukai Mbye Bojang,
Author/CEO, Educational Services Enterprise.
Developing literacy through national languages Jainaba Sarr, columnist and writer.

The panelists drawn from diverse backgrounds examined the concept of the book in relation to its socio-
cultural, economic and ideological significance. Although the focus of the discussion veered off somewhat
from the conceptual framework of the theme, it nonetheless addressed felt challenges associated with
the book as a cultural product in The Gambia. At the core of the discussion was what should be done to
revive the seemingly dying culture of reading in The Gambia. This has varied implications educational,
social and economic implications not only for the cultural industry but for the entire nation. A reading
culture stimulates creativity and literary creations in line with the set goal of the copyright law to wit:
Promote the progress of science and the useful arts. The economic value of a vibrant reading culture is
obvious and must not be underplayed, as highlighted by Mr Hassoum Ceesay. One other thing that stood
out clearly from the discussion was the need for inclusiveness. In this respect, Mrs Sukai Bojang-Mbye
delineated the measures that would motivate youth and marginalised groups such as the disabled to
develop a love for reading. In the same, Jainaba Sarr made a case for the employment of national
languages in national literatures, as opposed to the adoption of foreign languages, for example the
English language and French, a trend that is steadily killing most indigenous languages. One way of
reversing this trend, as suggested by Dr Burama Jammeh, is to use the school curriculum more effectively.
Overall, as Mr Madi Jobarteh argued, the book is an ideological tool with contradictory potential:
emancipatory and oppressive, a pointer to the power dynamics inherent in the book as a cultural product.

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This is in line with the 2015 message of Director General of UNESCO read on her behalf by the Secretary-
General of the Gambia National Commission on UNESCO, in which she stated that the World Book and
Copyright Day is an opportunity to recognise the power of books to change our lives for the better and
to support books and those who produce them. As global symbols of social progress, books learning and
reading -- have become targets for those who denigrate culture and education, who reject dialogue and
tolerance. In recent months, we have seen attacks on children at school and the public burning of books.
In this context, our duty is clear we must redouble efforts to promote the book, the pen, the computer,
along with all forms of reading and writing, in order to fight illiteracy and poverty, to build sustainable
societies, to strengthen the foundations of peace.

II. PANEL DISCUSSION


a) The future of the book as a cultural product Mr Madi Jobarteh
Mr Jobarteh, the keynote speaker, with over two decades of experience in journalism and
development, made a robust case for the importance of the book as a cultural product. For him,
the book inspires, teaches, motivates, encourages, consoles, illuminates, enlightens, liberates in
the sense that knowledge of which the book is a repository destroys the debilitating shackles of
ignorance and sets one on the path of freedom. Because of its potent force to emancipate, the
book and absolutism have historically been on the warpath, often leading to its mass destruction
for example by burning. In the same way, the book can also be used to perpetuate the dominant
ideology, thus keeping the multitude in ignorance and servitude. In his view, therefore, there are
ideologically good books and bad ones. The ones that foster emancipation, he argued, are good
books, while the ones that pander to the whims of the establishment and promote dogmatism
are bad books.

Among the many books with liberating potential, in his view, are: The Philosophy and Opinions of
Marcus Mosiah Garvey (1923) edited by Amy Jacques-Garvey; Cheikh Anta Diop's African Origin
of Civilization: Myth or Reality (1986) as well as his many other works; the Destruction of Black
Civilization (1974) by the late Chancellor Williams; Stolen Legacy (1954); books by Kwame
Nkrumah especially his Africa Must Unite (1963); Autobiography of Malcolm X (1965) and Four
Agreements(1997) written by the American Indian author Don Miguel who seeks to highlight

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ancient wisdoms and values of Native Americans as a guide to live a happy, fulfilling and
rewarding life for oneself. I must admit that all of these are books and many more have enabled
me to discover my mission and as Frantz Fanon says, each generation must do to either fulfill or
betray, he said.

The others listed as among the 50 books that have changed the world include the following:

1. The Republic by Plato


2. The Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels
3. The Rights of Man by Thomas Paine
4. Common Sense by Thomas Paine
5. Democracy in America by Alexis de Tocqueville
6. The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli
7. Uncle Toms Cabin by Harriett Beecher Stowe
8. On Liberty by John Stuart Mills
9. Das Kapital by Karl Marx
10. The Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith
11. Guerilla Warfare by Che Guevara

The key recommendations that emerged from his presentation are:


The book as a cultural product should be safeguarded from destruction because it
preserves the world cultural heritage in a more permanent form than oral tradition.
Technology should be harnessed to preserve the book in whatever form that is
appropriate and useful.

b. The role of culture in promoting inclusive and sustainable development Mr Hassoum Ceesay,
Director of Copyright, National Centre for Arts & Culture.

Mr Ceesay set out to prove how cultural products such as music, film and books can bring about
inclusive sustainable economic and social development by using copyright in the book industry as
a case study. He argued that copyright protects an author both morally and economically and
through its economic empowerment of an author, copyright fosters sustainable economic
development. In his argument, he listed the value chain of the book production, with the author
receiving royalties for published works, the publisher providing employment and paying taxes to
the state, the distributor, the printer, the editor, the lawyer and the advertiser all making money
for themselves in the process and thus stimulating and nurturing economic development. He
therefore recommended that:
Books engender gross earnings for all involved to sustain livelihoods and bring about a
robust growth in the economy.
Culture is a vehicle for growth and social stability through employment and wealth
generation.

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c. Using school curriculum to promote a culture of reading Dr Burama Jammeh, Director of
Curriculum, Ministry of Basic & Secondary Education.

He conceptualised curriculum as a social construct of an educational proposal constitutive of


political configurations, beliefs, ideas and practices in relation to promoting educational
experiences and opportunities among students/learners through their interactions with teachers
and the provisions in an educational setting/institution. Seen in this way, a curriculum should
include: the political configuration of knowledge; principles and procedures for selection and
construction of what is to be taught; school culture and social interactions; pedagogical practices/
teaching methods; assessment and evaluation procedure; total experiences of students including
the norms, values, knowledge, skills and behaviour students learn from school whether or not
these are overtly included in the schools educational proposal or syllabus; school textbooks and
learning materials; school calendar and daily timetable; and school-based professional
development endeavours. All these elements, he said, induce a spirit of reading in students.

He therefore proposed that:


Students should read books at home
Parents should read to their children
Parents should ask children to read for them
Storytelling should be encouraged as part of the school curriculum and at home
Students creative writing skills should be developed by asking them to write stories they
heard or (especially at a later stage) make up their own stories or ideas.
Mobile phones should be used to promote a culture of reading.

d. Promoting reading among young people and marginalised groups Mrs Sukai Mbye Bojang,
Author/CEO, Educational Services Enterprise.

Her eclectic presentation reaffirmed some of the issues already discussed in both the first and
second presentation such as the importance of reading (and by extension the importance of the
book) most notably among them being the economic benefit. Here, she examined the socio-
economic and health benefits of reading and then posed a vital question as to why there was a
general decline in reading habit among young people. Although she provided no direct answer to
the question, it can be inferred from her discussion that she wants to see publishers take
advantage of the youth addiction to mobile technologies to foster a culture of reading among
them. Okadabooks in Nigeria which has created a mobile application to read African books, she
said, is a good example of using mobile technology to promote a culture of reading among young
people in addition to directing youth attention to the profusion of e-books that can be read on
mobile devices.

She therefore proposed the following as measures to improve reading culture in The Gambia:
Gambian writers should be more proactive by creating works that resonate with the
cultural, religious sensibilities of the people in order to induce wider appeal and
readership.
Parents should serve as role models for their children by reading habitually.

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Schools should commit more human and material resources to improving the culture of
reading among students. For example, creating a conducive space for reading.
Government should invest much more in libraries. For example, building more libraries
across the country and stocking them with up-to-date and relevant books.

e. Developing literacy through national languages Jainaba Sarr, columnist and writer.

As challenging as the topic was, Ms Sarr rose to the occasion as she identified the need for
effective trade, missionary work and political hegemony as some of the factors that
necessitate the adoption of national language as media for promoting literacy. For her,
developing literacy through national languages has numerous advantages including:
promoting linguistic, cognitive and academic development across subjects; promoting
self-confidence through meaningful learning experiences; using students language
and experience as a foundation for learning; and learning in a national language
alongside the official languages reinforces proficiency in the official language.
However, she expressed concern about the loss of nuances in translation as an
impediment.

The recommendations she proposed included:


Coordinating the production of standardized dictionaries and vocabulary literature in
the national languages.
Translating existing Gambian writings in the local languages
Focused work on developing literature materials in local languages for children, adult
learners, persons with special needs such as brail for the visually impaired and
standardized local sign language for hearing impaired, and literature for other
specific target groups.
The use of visual art, cartoons, books with national language scripts as well as the use
of performing/theatre arts in national languages would open a whole new world of
possibilities for us, from academic innovations in our own linguistic and cultural
contexts; to impactful innovations from the rural woman who can now be
functionally literate in the ways that are meaningful to her and thereby better placed
to contribute in her society.

The views that emanated from the floor included:

.. The need for writers to produce works that are relevant to local experiences

.. The need for substantial investment in the content industry


The need to create greater awareness of the importance/benefits of books and reading
The urgent need to include national languages in the school curriculum.

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III. CONCLUSION

The book as cultural product exists to serve a variety of purpose but principally as a repository and
transmitter of cultural values, norms and traditions. A threat to the book is therefore a threat to a way of
life. Although advances in technology pose a threat to the book as a cultural artefact, its essential value
remain intact. Consequently, efforts should be made to take advantage of technological developments to
improve the book, use it to serve promote literacy through national languages as most are in danger of
extinction, use the school curriculum to promote a culture of reading because ultimately reading and
knowledge production exemplified by the book are of immense value to society- culturally, socially,
economically. Despite the marked decline interest in reading in general, there is evident commitment on
the part key stakeholders such as WAG to bring a revival of zeal for the book together with full enjoyment
of all its concomitant benefits.

APPENDIX 1

World Book and CopyrightDay


Message from UNESCO's Director-General for 2015 read by Secretary General, Gambia National
Commission for UNESCO, Mr. Momodou Sanneh.

Mr. Momodou Sanneh

World Book and Copyright Day is an opportunity to recognise the power of books to change our lives for
the better and to support books and those who produce them.

As global symbols of social progress, books learning and reading -- have become targets for those who
denigrate culture and education, who reject dialogue and tolerance. In recent months, we have seen

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attacks on children at school and the public burning of books. In this context, our duty is clear we must
redouble efforts to promote the book, the pen, the computer, along with all forms of reading and writing,
in order to fight illiteracy and poverty, to build sustainable societies, to strengthen the foundations of
peace.

UNESCO is leading the fight against illiteracy, to be included as a crucial ingredient of the Sustainable
Development Goals to follow 2015. Literacy is the door to knowledge, essential to individual self-esteem
and empowerment. Books, in all forms, play an essential role here. With 175 million adolescents in the
world - mostly girls and young women -- unable to read a single sentence, UNESCO is committed to
harnessing information and communication technologies, especially mobile technology, to support
literacy and to reach the unreached with quality learning.

Books are invaluable platforms for freedom of expression and the free flow of information these are
essential for all societies today. The future of the book as a cultural object is inseparable from the role of
culture in promoting more inclusive and sustainable pathways to development. Through its Convention on
the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, which celebrates its 10th
anniversary this year, UNESCO is seeking to promote reading among young people and marginalised
groups. We are working with the International Publishers Association, the International Booksellers
Federation and the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions to support careers in
publishing, bookshops, libraries and schools.

This is the spirit guiding Incheon, Republic of Korea, which has been designated World Book Capital 2015,
in recognition of its programme to promote reading among people and underprivileged sections of the
population. This designation takes effect on World Book and Copyright Day and will be celebrated with
participants from the previous title-holder, Port Harcourt, Nigeria.

With Incheon and the entire international community, let us join together to celebrate books as the
embodiment of creativity, the desire to share ideas and knowledge, to inspire understanding, dialogue
and tolerance. This is UNESCOs message on World Book and Copyright Day.

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APPENDIX 2

A DISCUSSION PAPER ON:

Using School Curriculum to promote a culture of reading

Presented by Burama L. J. Jammeh (PhD), A Discussant to World Book and Copyright DAY 2015
organised by the Writers Association of The Gambia (WAG) at the Commemoration of the 2015 World
Book and Copyright Day under the main theme:

THE FUTURE OF THE BOOK AS A CULTURAL PRODUCT.

Held at the Auditorium, Faculty of Law, University of The Gambia, MDI Road, Kanifing: on Friday, 24 April
2015

Introduction

My discussion of the topic Using School Curriculum to Promote a Culture of Reading is structured as
follows

A brief review of literature in relation to curriculum definition

Presenting my own view in relation to what school curriculum is?

Tease out elements in my definition and discuss how each of the elements promotes or can
promote a culture of reading

I conclude by provoking our thinking about how school curriculum may be complemented in the
promotion of a culture of reading

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1. Literature - What is school curriculum?

Many people simply consider curriculum as the content or subject matter that is taught in schools

Elaborating the notion of planned curriculum, in an article entitled Thinking About Curriculum Carr
(1996) puts certain questions to be considered seriously when thinking about curriculum. These are: (i)
what should be taught? (ii) How should it be taught? (iii) To whom it should be taught? (iv) How should it
be assessed (p 2)? Carr (1998) considers this approach to curriculum as broader than a notion of
curriculum as the content or subject matter that is taught in schools (p 325).

Whereas answering these questions may, to some extent, assist in defining curriculum, some authors
(including Carr himself) consider it to be inadequate. This is because the definition focuses only on what
has been planned to be achieved and assumes that what is taught is what is learnt. It does not also
address the basis for planning or the selection of content, methods and assessment, hence fails to
account for many other ongoing unplanned educational activities in schools

Kelly (2004) suggests that curriculum definition must recognise and take into account the distinctions
between the intended and hidden curriculum; between planned curriculum and the received
curriculum; between the formal and the informal curriculum.

Whereas the intended curriculum consist of elements that the curriculum planner intends to be learnt,
the hidden curriculum consists of things pupils learn that are not overtly included in the planning or even
in the consciousness of those responsible for the school arrangement (Kelly, 2004, p 5). They include
learning that occurs as a by-product of the organisation of learning and the school system. School
organisational culture together with attitudes and values of teachers and school authorities such as
queuing for daily school meal, gender stereotyping imbued in students through their educational process,
teachers responses to racist remarks made by students are examples of hidden curriculum.

With regards to the distinction between the planned and received curriculum, planned curriculum
denotes what is outlined in the syllabus and prospectus while the received curriculum refers to the actual
learning experiences of pupils. Finally, while the formal curriculum, according to Kelly (2004) consists of
those activities for which provision is made in the school timetable, the informal curriculum refers to the
informal activities in which students are engaged in. For example, school clubs and societies as well as
their voluntary endeavours during break time and weekends.

Maintaining that curriculum planners and teachers must take responsibility for all learning experiences of
learners, Kelly (2004) proposes four dimensions of educational planning and practice to be included in the
definition of curriculum. These are: (1) the planners intention, (2) the procedure adopted in pursuit of
the planners intention, (3) the actual experience of learners from the procedures adopted by teachers
and (4) the hidden curriculum. Kelly (2004) uses the term total curriculum, defining curriculum as the
totality of the experiences the pupil has as a result of the provisions made (p 8). This seems a very broad
view of curriculum which accords greater responsibility to curriculum planners and teachers (in particular)
where they are responsible for the planning. Kellys argument is in favour of the central role of teachers in
designing and implementing school curriculum, assuming responsibility for all the curriculum experiences
discussed above.

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2) My own view on the definition of curriculum for the purpose of discussing how it is used to
promote a culture of reading

I conceptualise curriculum as a social construct of an educational proposal constitutive of political


configurations, beliefs, ideas and practices in relation to promoting educational experiences and
opportunities among students/learners through their interactions with teachers and the provisions in an
educational setting/institution (Jammeh, 2012). This definition is broad and encompassing because it
includes the following interrelated aspects/elements:

(1) Political configuration of knowledge,

(2) Principles and procedures for selection and construction of what is to be taught,

(3) School culture and social interactions,

(4) Pedagogical practices/teaching methods,

(5) Assessment and evaluation procedure,

(6) Total experiences of students including the norms, values, knowledge, skills and behaviours students
learn from school whether or not these are overtly included in schools educational proposal or
syllabuses,

(7) School text books and learning materials,

(8) School calendar and daily timetable and

(9) School based professional development endeavours.

Now lets look at elements of the definition of curriculum and how a culture of reading can be promoted
through each of them.

(1) Political configuration of knowledge

Weighted or representation of reading in our political configuration of knowledge?

(2) Principles and procedures for selection and construction of what is to be taught

Principle of prioritising reading skills acquisition in our knowledge construction (syllabuses, text
books and guide (our findings in the review of Grades 1 3 materials)

Principle of making the issue of reading to cut across subjects or themes in our selection and
construction of knowledge?

(3) School culture and social interactions such as:

a. Registration (can students be introduced to reading by identifying their names and


particulars in the main and attendance registers

b. assemblies (e.g. asked students to read and share daily newspapers during assemblies),

c. uniforms (do students read the school motto inscribed on school badges),

d. school clubs (e.g. reading clubs),

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e. Break periods

f. The use of library periods and corners

g. Labels and posters in the school premises

(4) Pedagogical practices/teaching methods

Promotion of a culture of reading through the teaching methods employed by the teachers. For
example, the pedagogy incorporating reading practice, giving assignments, project & research
works that requires the students to appreciate and develop reading skills and habit.

(5) Assessment and evaluation procedure,

Assessment of reading e.g. Early Grade Reading Assessment.

Reading is an essential component of the assessment and evaluation practices.

The use of assessment results can consciously identify reading difficulties for teachers to provide
remedial measures to enhance reading skills of students

(6) Total experiences of students including the norms, values, and knowledge, skills and behaviours
students learn from school whether or not these are overtly included in schools educational proposal or
syllabuses.

For example, encouraging students to visit national or community libraries, to download and read
different articles from internet, read instructional manual of items they use at home, such as manuals on
the use of radio, mobile etc.

(7) School text books and learning materials

Infusion of the culture of reading in the instructional materials

Pupils books are meant to be read and used by pupils

Other supplementary and or reference materials for students are examples of how curriculum is
used to promote the culture of reading.

(8) School calendar and daily timetable promotes the culture of reading by allocating time/period to
reading and the use of library for examples.

(9) School based professional development endeavours

Teacher professional development incorporates how to teach reading.

These are some of the ways the school curriculum promotes the culture of reading. However, I will
conclude with the need to complement school curriculum in promoting a culture of reading; and that
brings me to a conclusion

Reading books at home

Parents reading for children

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Parents asking children to read for them

Story telling

Develop childrens creative writing skills by asking them to write stories they heard or
(especially at the later stage) make up their own stories or ideas.

Use of mobile phones in promoting the culture of reading.

References

Carr, W. (1996) Thinking about the Curriculum, Unit Three of the Foundation Module M Ed (Educational
Studies), Division of Education, University of Sheffield.

Carr, W. (1998) The Curriculum in and for a Democratic Society. Curriculum Studies, 6 (3) pp 323 340.

Kelly, A.V. (2004) The Curriculum Theory and Practice, London: Paul Chapman Publishing Ltd.

Jammeh, B. (2012), Curriculum Policy Making: A Study of Teachers and Policy-makers Perspectives on The
Gambian Basic Education Programme; Sheffield, University of Sheffield - Thesis Submitted for the Degree
of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

APPENDIX 3

Presentation at the invitation of the Writers Association of The Gambia (WAG) in observance of 2015s
World Book and Copyright Day.

Theme: The Future of The Book as a Cultural Product

Discussant: Mrs. Jainaba T. Sarr-Sabally, columnist and writer

Topic: Developing literacy through national languages.

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Fellow panelists, members of the audience, Mr. Chairman, Jamangenam.

I would first like to take this opportunity to thank the WAG organizing committee for inviting me to be a
part of this esteemed panel. During lasts year celebrations, I was part of the audience and I was lucky to
have the chance to learn from a great panel which included the late Dr. Ya Harr Njie of blessed memory
who, in her short lifetime, has contributed significantly to the topic I will be presenting on.

Today, my aim is to facilitate an interactive discussion with a view to coming out of this forum with
practical recommendations/resolutions that can take lives of themselves as outcomes of the topic
Developing literacy through national Languages.

To be honest with you, when I first though about the topic, I was a bit apprehensive; I thought to myself,
do I think really national languages can help develop literacy? Is it important or even prudent for our
nation to start pushing for the use of national languages as media for reading and writing at a time when
practically all that we aspire for, is communicated in English, French or Arabic?

I sat for some quiet contemplation then it hit me

that the current status quo, wherein the medium of instruction is English, some French or Arabic,
stacks the odds greatly against us as a nation in fully gaining command of these languages let alone
excelling and innovating alongside our global counterparts for whom these are first languages.

that in spite of the admirable political will and concerted efforts in ensuring free basic education for all,
there remains a stubborn gap of about 8% of children in our population who are of school-going age but
are not enrolled in any formal schooling and therefore highly likely to grow -up as illiterate adults.

that there continues to be a concerning rate of dropouts from secondary and high schools for many
youths with no functional skill-sets to sustain them.

that if the current numbers of students passing Math and English are anything to go by; mediocrity
might as well be part of our long term goals.

that, the culture of reading, is collectively very poor for us as a nation. To put it in the words of the late
Nelson Mandela, One of the sad realities today is that very few people, especially young people read
books. Unless we can find imaginative ways of addressing this reality, future generations are in danger of
losing their history.

Having taken stock of some of the challenges we face in literacy- where being literate means the ability to
read, write and understand on ones own- I believe we can all agree that there is a need for a re-
orientation in our approach to improving and developing literacy.

The promotion of the use our national languages is not a new effort. Nations have promoted this for
various reasons, from colonialists who promoted the use of certain indigenous languages to facilitate
their trade, missionary work or as a divide and rule strategy; to Julius Nyerere of Tanzania, who
successfully championed the use of Swahili as a national language right alongside English, as a means to
foster unity, anti-tribalism and individual empowerment in his people.

The use of national languages as a means of developing literacy is a relatively new one with emerging
studies indicating high promise.

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The move by our Ministry of Basic and Secondary education to include the use of national languages as
tools of instruction in its Education Policy objectives -with pilot programs already in progress is a
commendable one.

Studies in countries -where successes are celebrated - like Bangladesh, the Philippines, and The United
States of America through the Haitian Literacy Program, have shown that the use of national languages as
a medium of learning has significant merits.

These include that:

(i) It promotes linguistic, cognitive and academic development across subjects;

(ii) It promotes self-confidence through meaningful learning experiences;

(iii) Uses students language and experience as a foundation for learning; and

(iv) That learning in a national language alongside the official languages reinforces proficiency in the
official language.

For me however, it begs the question: do we really need studies to tell us this?

Discussion point (1): Has anyone heard the saying or seen the movie lost in translation? What is your
understanding of it?

For me, it is about the nuances and important little details what we call chaf-ka bi in Wolof- that get
deleted from a narrative when translating it to a different language. The end product of the translations
of our unique narrative as writers and curators of our nations culture and history may be unintended and
completely different from the original product.

There is also the problem of what I call the catch up game which can be associated with the current
state literacy, and by extension, development in most developing and under-developed nations vis--vis
the developed world a situation of which language has a big part to play.

The picture depicts the constant race to catch up with someone who had one heck of a head start
(language) in a race and has no intention of waiting for those the others to do so.

Another example of disadvantage caused by the current official language policy is seen in the low
representation of women in decision-making positions such as the national assembly. There are
numerous women mobilizers who are very au-fait with the issues, competent, confident and eloquent in
the national languages, but due to their low education levels largely resulting from the lack of grasp of the
English language they do not have the qualifications to be elected as members of parliament.

Aside from scientific justifications, our natural learning tendencies show ease in learning from the known
to the unknown. It would therefore make a whole lot of sense to begin our academic education in the
context and language that we already know. Not only would this facilitate ease of understanding but also
garner more interest in the subject matter as the context would be more relatable, thereby ensuring a
participatory approach to learning. This is particular relevant for adult literacy where man of the students
would have a stronger grasp of the language and would aid in the teaching process.

A study on building interest in reading asserts that One reason a reader may have difficulty
comprehending a text is sheer disinterest. If a reader doesnt feel motivated to read a passage, why

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would they make that extra effort to apply any kind of critical thinking or analysis to it? Lack of interest
leads to lazy reading and lack of comprehension.

Discussion point (2): Sometime last year, as part of my personal efforts to improve the culture of reading
in The Gambia, I was running a reading project under my Creating Readers Program. We were operating
out of The American Corner in Bundung and had an enrollment rate of up to 200 children ranging from
ages 5 to 15 and from varying school backgrounds including those who were only learning Arabic at the
Madrasas. There, the most popular book was again, the Late Ya Harr Njies Kumba ak Samba which had
very relatable themes and pictures alongside sing-alongs in Wolof.

*Explanation of the childrens reactions to the book follows.

The case of the Brazilian born bestselling author Paolo Cuoelo also cannot be overlooked. Undoubtedly
one of the greatest writers of our time, he wrote most of his award winning novels including The
Alchemist in his native Portuguese tongue which have since been translated into more than 200
languages including English. The lesson here is that, if it is good, they will come for no matter the form.

Another shining example closer to home is Kenyan born Ngugi Wa Thiongo of the acclaimed Weep not
Child. His deliberate decision to stop writing in English and to only write in his native tongue of Kikuyu
has not stop the interest in this writings which continue to be translated by other writers in many
languages.

In conclusion, the role of the writing community in its vast spectrum of discipline and creativity is a critical
one in pushing the frontiers of literacy in our country and bridging the gap of illiteracy worldwide. Our
writers will be key in providing the new literature in Mandinka, Fula or Wollof and our other languages.

One fascinating fact I learnt is that the Fulas are the largest nomadic group in the world with a spread in
over 20 African countries in their dialectic variants. Can you imagine the impact of an effort to find a
standard Fula dialect and through it produce literature to speak to the common heritage and
advancement of this group spread across West and Central Africa?

Some practical ways to start would be:

(i) Coordinating the production of standardized dictionaries and vocabulary literature in the national
languages.

(ii) Translating existing Gambian writings in the local languages

(iii) Focused work on developing literature materials in local languages for children, adult learners,
persons with special needs such as brail for the visually impaired and standardized local sign
language for hearing impaired, and literature for other specific target groups.

The use of visual art, cartoons, books with national language scripts as well as the use of
performing/theatre arts in national languages would open a whole new world of possibilities for us, from
academic innovations in our own linguistic and cultural contexts; to impactful innovations from the rural
woman who can now be functionally literate in the ways that are meaningful to her and thereby better
placed to contribute in her society.

I truly belief that this would be the much needed catalyst for accelerated development- tapping into our
languages to bring out the core of our capabilities.

15
References

Republic of The Gambia Department of State for Education. 2004. Education Policy 2004 2015.MOBSE:
The Gambia.

Archer, David and Sarah Cottingham. 1996b. Action Research Report on Reflect: the experiences of three
Reflect pilot projects in Uganda, Bangladesh and El Salvador. London: Overseas Development
Administration.

Archer, David and Kate Newman (comps). 2003. Communication and Power: Reflect Practical Resource
Materials. London: ActionAid.

Barton, David and Mary Hamilton. 1998. Local Literacies: reading and writing in one community. London:
Routledge.

SIL International. 2003. Women in Literacy: 2003 Report. Dallas: SIL International.

Kosonen, Kimmo. 2005. Education in Local Languages: Policy and Practice in Southeast Asia a. In First
Language First: Community-based Literacy Programmes for Minority Language Context in Asia. Bangkok:
UNESCO.

Mansour, Gerda. 1993. Multilingualism and Nation Building. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.

Eade, Deborah (ed). 2002. Development and Culture. Oxford: Oxfam.

Paris, C. 2014. 7 Literacy Strategies That Work: Improve Reading Comprehension Today.
https://blog.udemy.com/literacy-strategies

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APPENDIX 4

The future of the book as a cultural product


By Madi Jobarteh

Good evening to everyone and all protocols respectfully observed.


Let me first of all express my joy and deep feeling of humility to the organizers of this event, the writers
Association of the Gambia for identifying a simple man like myself to serve as the keynote speaker amidst
such men and women of high caliber, especially on this auspicious day of April 24th the actual date of
independence of the Gambia. Happy 45th Independence Day to you all.
I do not consider myself an author or a writer even if I believe that indeed I am a lover and reader of
books. I must say that books, many various books have indeed impacted on my life and changed my
entire outlook about myself, my society and my environment. The Philosophy and Opinions of Marcus
Mosiah Garvey (1923) edited by Amy Jacques-Garvey is among the leading books that have served to
give me a sense of purpose in life. Cheikh Anta Diop's, African Origin of Civilization: Myth or Reality
(1986) as well as his many other works, and the Destruction of Black Civilization (1974) by the late
Chancellor Williams and also the Stolen Legacy (1954) by Georges James are indeed books that have
lifted up my sense of humanity, self pride and dignity and an understanding of my being as a person and
an African. The militancy in me can be traced to the impact that books by Kwame Nkrumah especially his
Africa Must Unite (1963) and as well as the Autobiography of Malcolm X (1965) by Alex Haley have on
me. One of my most enjoyable and valuable books is the Four Agreements (1997) written by the
American Indian author Don Miguel who seeks to highlight ancient wisdoms and values of Native
Americans as a guide to live a happy, fulfilling and rewarding life for oneself. I must admit that all of these
are books and many more have enabled me to discover my mission and as Frantz Fanon says, each
generation must do to either fulfill or betray.
World Book and Copyright Day has been designated by UNESCO as "an opportunity to recognize the
power of books to change our lives for the better and to support books and those who produce them." The
day also seeks to promote a culture of reading and writing. Thus I wish to commend the organizers of this

17
event for I strongly believe that one bane of African development is the absence at least in our modern
era of the culture of reading and writing.
Chairperson,
The need to promote books and the culture of reading and writing is most significant for Africa if we are
to further civilize and strengthen our culture, appreciate the value of knowledge for our development,
improve good governance and the respect for rights, and empower our people to optimize the huge
potential and resources that litter this great continent for our continued survival, security and
development. The culture of any society is carried in the memories of that people which is expressed
through speech and written forms. I am very much aware of this because from a socio-cultural point of
view, I belong to the caste in my culture that carries the responsibility for the use and preservation of the
spoken word for the public good. The griots or Jali in Manding society as in many of our Senegambia
cultures are the historians, soothsayers, jesters, peace makers and as well as the custodian of the values
and standards of society among other responsibilities including speaking truth to power. They have this
incredible responsibility simply because of their mastery of the spoken word and their ability to memorize
and narrate the histories and ethos of a people. According to the Mande Charter otherwise called the
Kurukan Fuga Charter of 1235, the constitution that lays the foundation for the establishment of the Mali
Empire, the role of the users of the spoken word was spelt out in Articles 1 and 2:
1. The Great Mande Society is divided into sixteen clans of quiver carriers, five clans of marabous,
four groups of nyamakalas and one group of slaves. Each one has a specific activity and role.

2. The nyamakalas have to devote themselves to tell the truth to the chiefs, to be their counselors
and to defend by the speech the established rulers and the order upon the whole territory.

Ladies and gentlemen, I will not belabor the point about culture for it is obvious that culture is the
complete way of life of a people; their language, ideas, environment, time, materials, values, laws,
institutions and their ceremonies, practices and customs among others. All of these constitute the
products of culture without which no culture could be said to function properly and responsively, with
relevance and efficacy. But among all the products of culture, the most defining commodity is language.
In fact in his book, Decolonizing the Mind (1986) Ngugi Wa Thiongo who now only writes in his native
Kikuyu after he stopped writing in English noted that,
Berlin of 1884 was effected through the sword and the bullet. But the night of the sword and the
bullet was followed by the morning of the chalk and the blackboard. The physical violence of the
battlefield was followed by the psychological violence of the classroom. [. . .] In my view language was the
most important vehicle through which that power fascinated and held the soul prisoner. The bullet was
the means of the physical subjugation. Language was the means of the spiritual subjugation.
Ngugi went further to explain that language was not just a string of words. It had a suggestive power well
beyond the immediate and lexical meaning. He recalled how the imposition of the colonialists language
in Kenya as in other parts of Africa served to separate him from his culture:
The language of my education was no longer the language of my culture. It was after the declaration
of a state of emergency over Kenya in 1952 that all the schools run by patriotic nationalists were taken
over by the colonial regime and were placed under District Education Boards chaired by Englishmen.
English became the language of my formal education. In Kenya, English became more than a language: it
was the language, and all the others had to bow before it in deference.

18
We must in mind that language is written and spoken at the same time and through it we pass messages
and ideas that shape and express the behaviors, attitudes, ambitions, needs and desires of a people and
their culture. Language is the warehouse for knowledge and technical information which a person and
her society utilize to bring about change, hence development. Human society therefore cannot exist
without the spoken and written forms of language, such that even sign language is nothing other than
silent language founded on the sounds of language.
Ladies and gentlemen, I am making this point in order to broaden our perspectives and provoke our
understanding of the value and position of the book in the sustainable development and good
governance of a society within the framework of the relationship between the book and culture. The idea
is also to promote that need for the standardization of our national languages to be used in our
institutions of learning, business, governance, and development. This is because a book is inconceivable
without a writing system, and if you consider that language is the most dominant aspect of culture and
development, therefore it is by necessity that the culture of writing or codification of language is a
necessary condition for the development and production of books.
But what therefore is the function of the book in the sustenance of language and culture. In exploring this
issue I would like to dwell a little bit on the history of the book. The production and use of books have
lived with human society from a long time. While the book could be described today as a collection of
papers bound together in various forms, styles, shapes, sizes and colours, we must realize that long
before our time, the book was of a different kind. From Ancient Africa to Ancient China or from the
Levant to Europe, writing first took place on dried leaves, animal skins, bones, clay tablets among other
types of materials. With the development of human knowledge and technical skills, the book developed
until it reached its present form and still undergoing various transformations.
The presence and purpose of the book in society has been immense. While there exists limited existence
of written African languages such as Amharic and Swahili with considerable efforts in many countries to
standardize national languages such as Zulu, Yoruba, Hausa and Wolof among others, yet we know that
Africa had been a place where writing and books did flourish with so many authors in the past. There
existed many personal as well public libraries in various centres of learning and worship around Africa.
For example, in the Malian city of Timbuktu, Mansa Musa built the Djinguerebere Mosque in the 14th
Century where there was a university in which 25,000 students studied under great writers and
intellectuals like Sidi Yayia. We also know that many old West African families had private library
collections that go back hundreds of years. The current onslaught of the Tauregs against Mali, a replica of
the Almoravid invasions against Old Ghana, have exposed to us that indeed there are many individual
families in Timbuktu owning huge collections of manuscripts. I understand that currently the University of
Pretoria has a project to digitalize these materials to save them from destruction by man and nature.
Records show that in Ancient Mali, collections of books run into hundreds of thousands of volumes.
Professor Ahmed Baba of Timbuktu was recorded as saying that he had the smallest library of any of his
friends he had only 1600 volumes.
Thus in the art of writing and producing books, one can see that Africans particularly have not been left
out in this aspect of human endeavour. There are records to show that the practice of basic arithmetic in
Africa dates back 25,000 years ago with the use of the Ishango bone as a writing tool in what is now called
Congo. Also around 300 BC, the Sudanese invented a writing script that had 23 letters of which four were
vowels and there was also a word divider. Hundreds of ancient texts have survived that were in this script
and some are said to be on display in the British Museum.

19
Thus in light of the foregoing, I would say that in the first place, in my view a book is a container of ideas,
information and knowledge. A book is a reference material that you can pick again and again to read in
order to be reminded of an idea, hence a book is a memory tool. Thus for me, the book is that
indispensable material in which lies the entire culture of a people, hence the book is not only a product of
culture but actually a carrier of culture and society. In fact Robert Darnton, an American cultural historian
and academic librarian, in his 1982 article on What is the history of Books said the book might even be
called,
the social and cultural history of communication by print because its purpose is to understand
how ideas were transmitted through print and how exposure to the printed word affected the thought and
behavior of mankind during the last five hundred years.
I contend that the book is the repository of our collective memory that can be preserved and retrieved till
the end of time. Compared to speech, the book is more durable and longstanding, that can outlive
individuals and cultures and provide credible information and knowledge for the use of future
generations for self actualization in all forms. Thanks to the book, we are still very familiar with the
writings of Socrates, or Confucius or Sheikh Ahmed Bamba, many centuries after their demise. When you
consider that there now exists Do-It-Yourself books which guide you to cook a particular dish or fix a
certain material in your house, you begin to understand the value and role of the book in the promotion
and practice of culture, hence development.
But the book faces threats.
Direct threats from both religious and secular governments and other individuals for various reasons. For
example, following the infamous military coup against Kwame Nkrumah on 24 February 1966, books and
photos of The Osagyefo were deliberately burnt and banned through the use of State power at the time
with the aim of obliterating the myth of Nkrumah. Even earlier, in the heydays colonialism, the British
had banned the acquisition of a copy of the Negro World newspaper of Marcus Garvey in the colonies
which was considered a capital offence.
But the destruction of books predates these incidents because since the ancient times, various leaders,
governments and members of society have deliberate destroyed books through burning, banning and
even the persecution of authors to stop writing and producing books.
But why is this the case?
To understand the onslaught against books, lets hear the reasons why Ngugi decided to abandon English
as his language of writing:
I started writing in Gikuyu language in 1977 after seventeen years of involvement in Afro-
European literature, in my case Afro-English literature. [. . .] I believe that my writing in Gikuyu language, a
Kenyan language, an African language, is part and parcel of the anti-imperialist struggles of Kenyan and
African peoples. In schools and universities our Kenyan languages - that is the languages of the many
nationalities which make up Kenya - were associated with negative qualities of backwardness,
underdevelopment, humiliation and punishment. We who went through that school system were meant to
graduate with a hatred of the people and the culture and [instead with] the values of the language of our
daily humiliation and punishment. I do not want to see Kenyan children growing up in that imperialist-
imposed tradition of contempt for the tools of communication developed by their communities and their
history. I want them to transcend colonial alienation. [. . .] But writing in our languages per se [. . .] will not
itself bring about the renaissance in African cultures if that literature does not carry the content of our
people's anti-imperialist struggles to liberate their productive forces from foreign control; the content of

20
the need for unity among the workers and peasants of all the nationalities in their struggle to control the
wealth they produce and to free it from internal and external parasites.
You would all agree with me that not only did Ngugi provoked the wrath of the colonialist, but came
under an even more intense repression under the Moi regime for the ideas of liberation and
empowerment that his books carried. At one point he had to go into exile to protect his life and continue
to produce books.
Thus the book is not only a container of the collective memory of society and a carrier of culture. But by
this definition, the book is also fundamentally a tool for the production and dissemination of ideas; ideas
of liberation and resistance and divergent and dissenting opinions. From this perspective, it is clear
therefore that the book is a weapon that will be used by individuals and people to determine themselves.
It is therefore no wonder that in all liberation movements and revolutions in the world over, one will also
find books playing a central role as a tool for the collection and dissemination of ideas, as well as a tool
for mobilization of the masses. These books can come in the form of publications such as the Little Red
Book in China or as newspapers as in the Senegambia Reporter of EF Small in the Gambia in the 1920s. In
the revolutions of the US and in Europe, the writings of Jock Locke, Thomas Paine and even of such earlier
authors as Montesquieu and Voltaire among others served to generate public awareness about the
dynamics and conditions of life, hence leading to mass movements for liberation and enlightenment
through major political changes in those societies. Among the list of 50 books said to have changed the
world include the following:
12. The Republic by Plato
13. The Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels
14. The Rights of Man by Thomas Paine
15. Common Sense by Thomas Paine
16. Democracy in America by Alexis de Tocqueville
17. The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli
18. Uncle Toms Cabin by Harriett Beecher Stowe
19. On Liberty by John Stuart Mills
20. Das Kapital by Karl Marx
21. The Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith
22. Guerilla Warfare by Che Guevara

One of the major books of resistance and dissent is the Pedagogy of the Oppressed (1968) by Paulo
Freire as a tool for education for critical awareness intended to challenge the mainstream mode of
education that sought to impose the dominant ideas of the oppressor on the oppressed. In the book he
argues that,
Education either functions as an instrument which is used to facilitate integration of the younger
generation into the logic of the present system and bring about conformity or it becomes the practice of
freedom, the means by which men and women deal critically and creatively with reality and discover how
to participate in the transformation of their world.
From this perspective, one can see that books have also served at times a very personalised urge to be
free by an individual. For example, in his seminal work, I Write what I Like (1969) by Steve Biko, the
banned author took a very blunt analysis of his society and what had to be done about it. Similarly, in the
Vagina Monologues (1996), the author, Eve Ensler said that her fascination with vaginas began because
of growing up in a violent society in which women's empowerment was deeply connected to their

21
sexuality. The book is informed by the painful experiences of women as a result of violence, rape and
incest, which are things deeply connected to their vagina. It must be noted that it is this groundbreaking
work that forms the foundation of the V-Day movement against gender-based violence. It is such
contradiction, inequality, oppression and hypocrisy in society that also fueled the production of Animal
Farm (1945) by George Orwell.
What the foregoing depicts is that the book is indeed a powerful tool for resistance and liberation as well
as the promotion of knowledge and empowerment. For this reason, the book has become one of the
foremost cultural products that have always faced constant threats and assaults in human history.
I have recorded from Antiquity to the 21st Century more than 150 major incidents of book burnings
around the world. In our time, i.e. in the past 15 years alone, here are 10 incidents of book burning:
1. In January 2001, the Egyptian Ministry of Culture ordered the burning of some 6,000 books by
the well-known 8th Century Persian-Arab poet Abu Nuwas, even though his writings are
considered classics of Arab literature.

2. Following the 2003 invasion of Iraq, Iraq's national library and the Islamic library in
central Baghdad were burned and destroyed. The national library housed rare volumes and
documents from as far back as the 16th century, including entire royal court records and files
from the period when Iraq was part of the Ottoman Empire. The destroyed Islamic library of
Baghdad included one of the oldest surviving copies of the Qur'an

3. In May 2008, copies of the New Testaments were burned purportedly by the mayor of the town
of Or Yehuda in Israel for promoting Messianic propaganda".

4. Pastor Terry Jones of the Dove World Outreach Center in Florida announced in July 2010 that he
would burn 200 copies of the Qur'an on September 11, 2010, but then did not do so. However,
after promising not to, he proceeded to burn a Qur'an in the sanctuary of the church on 20 th
March 2011. His action then sparked series of attempted and actual acts of burnings of both the
Quran and the Bible by various individuals around the world.

5. In September 2010 the Pentagon bought and burned 9,500 copies of Operation Dark Heart, a
memoir of Lt. Col. Anthony Shaffer nearly all the first run copies for supposedly containing
classified information.

6. On December 2011, protesters against the military government in Egypt, burnt the library in the
Institute d'Egypt in Cairo. They burnt thousands of rare books, journals and writings. The cost of
the material is estimated at tens of millions of dollars much that was lost was considered
priceless.

7. In February 2012, 4 copies of the Qur'an were burned at Bagram Airfield due to being among
1,652 books slated for destruction. The remaining books, which officials claimed were being used
for communication among extremists, were saved and put into storage.

8. In May 2013, two San Jose State University professors were photographed holding a match to a
book they disagreed with, The Mad, Mad, Mad World of Climatism, by Steve Goreham.

22
9. Islamist rebels in Timbuktu burned two libraries containing thousands of the Timbuktu
Manuscripts in January 2013. Dating back as far as 1202 and written in such languages
as Arabic, Songhai, Tamasheq, Bambara, Hebrew, and Turkish, the writings were almost wholly
undigitised. Notable works included copies of the Tarikh al-Sudan and Heinrich Barth's letters of
recommendation.

10. During the 2014 unrest in Bosnia and Herzegovina, large amounts of historical documents were
destroyed when sections of the National Archives of Bosnia and Herzegovina, housed in the
presidential building, were set on fire by protesters.

According to Fernando Baez, author of the first-ever world history of the destruction of books, A
Universal History of the Destruction of Books: From Ancient Sumer to Modern-day Iraq (2008), the
destruction of books ultimately attest to the lasting power of books as the great human repository of
knowledge and memory, fragile yet vital bulwarks against the intransigence and barbarity of every age.
The author traces a tragic story: the smashed tablets of ancient Sumer, the widespread looting of libraries
in post-war Iraq, the leveling of the Library of Alexandria, book burnings by Crusaders and Nazis, and
censorship against authors past and present. A publishers review of the book notes that the wide-ranging
reasons why books are destroyed include the desire of conquerors to eradicate their predecessors or
foreign cultures, religious intolerance, fire and other natural or man-made disasters.

But let us also highlight the fact that the book in whatever form has also been used as a tool by
individuals and societies to destroy culture, defame individuals and mislead a whole set of people or
distort history. As an African proverb noted, until lions write their own history, the tale of the hunt will
always glorify the hunter. As Africans we have been direct victims of this in the various books, journals
and newspapers of the colonialists who had described our religion as fetish and our way of life as barbaric
and a people without history. It is precisely because of the deliberate and skillful manner in which
European and Arab writers sought to distort the history of the world and Africa in particular that there
emerged a whole army of Afro-centric writers determined to proclaim the true history of the continent
and its contributions to humanity and civilization. Such authors and books have been noted to serve this
purpose quite effectively:

1. Black Athena: The Afro-asiatic Roots of Classical Civilization by Martin Bernal


2. They Came Before Columbus by Ivan Van Sertima
3. Barbarism or Civilization by Cheikh Anta Diop
4. The Stole Legacy by George James
5. The Destruction of Black Civilization: Great Issues of a Race from 4500BC to 2000 AD by
Chancellor Williams

Kwame Nkrumah had argued that because these anti-African books were introduced into the education
system Africans therefore lost touch with what their forefathers discovered and knew. He said it was this
system of education that prepared us for a subservient role to Europe and things European, and directed
at estranging us from our own cultures in order the more effectively to serve a new and alien interest.
This is why there is little wonder even today you would have well educated Africa intellectuals who glorify
colonialism with nostalgic memories of the days of colonialism, not to mention the fact that despite the
production of millions of intellectuals from its universities, the African intellectual and leader are still
unable to produce the right ideas, set up the right institutes to optimise the incredible potentials and
opportunities to position Africa on the path of sustainable development and good governance. It is this
mis-education and intellectual impotency that the late great Nigerian mind, Chinweizu concluded in his

23
The West and the Rest of Us: White Predators, Black Slavers, and the African Elite (975) that the Africa
university is one of the major obstacles to African development, hence called for the decolonization of
literature on the continent. To further illustrate the use of the book to deny a people their history and
legitimacy, Chancellor Williams recalled an old Sumer legend in this narrative:
"What became of the Black People of Sumer?" the traveler asked the old man, "for ancient records
show that the people of Sumer were Black. What happened to them?" "Ah," the old man sighed. "They lost
their history, so they died.
Ladies and gentlemen, it can therefore be said that an attack on the book is an attack on culture, hence
an assault on the survival, history and development of a people. This is why therefore the promotion and
proliferation of the book should be an urgent agenda for Africans to get each and everyone not only
writing but also reading. I am sure you are aware of the clich in America that if you want to hide
anything from the African-America put it in a book because they do not read.

But we must also realise that the book faces other threats that do not seek to obliterate the contents or
message, rather these new forms of attack seek to transform the book from its traditional form to some
other totally different and more sophisticated forms. I am talking about eBooks in this instance. The
emergence of the electronic book on such gadgets as the kindle, and other tablets have posed a direct
threat to the production and use of the book as we know it so far, as well as the library. Nowadays one
can carry hundreds of books in a small iPad in your handbag. Furthermore, the emergence of online
bookstores such as Amazon among others also poses direct threats to traditional bookshops. It is that in
2011, sales of print books in the United States dropped 9 percent from the previous year. E-book revenue
meanwhile grew an astonishing 1,274 percent from 2008 to 2010.

Benefits of the Book


The promotion of the production and use of the book, i.e. the culture of reading and writing augurs well
for all societies that must be encouraged by all. Not only does it provide ideas and information and
knowledge, but books also do carry economic benefits for the whole of society. For example, it is
estimated that revenue from the William Shakespeare heritage, i.e. tourist visits to his birthplace and
purchase of his books and other memorabilia contributes 26.4 billion per year to the UK economy.
In light of this I wish to conclude this discussion by highlighting what we can do in the Gambia to not only
promote and preserve the book as a tool for the preservation of our culture, but also to generate our
development individually and collectively. Essentially what the Gambia needs to do is to create the
necessary legal, policy and institutional frameworks for the production, circulation and use of the book in
all facets of our lives. In this regard we must:
1. Enforce copyright laws by raising public awareness and creating conducive processes and
structures to facilitate enforcement and derive benefits for writers;
2. Set up well funded and well equipped school, local or community libraries around the
country;
3. Support Gambian writers especially young writers in terms of training, editing, publishing and
promotions;
4. Create and promote reading and writing competitions in schools and communities
5. Codify and promote the use of national languages;
6. Facilitate the production and publishing of books in support of new and existing writers
7. Overall, there is need for a high level of political commitment and allocation of resources in
the promotion of reading and writing of books.

24
I dare say that indeed the book has an unending future in not only the Gambian society but also in the
rest of the world. Human beings have only two means of preserving their culture and passing it on to
future generations. These two means are the written word and the spoken word. The spoken word
resides in the minds of individuals and therefore goes with them when the individual passes on. In other
instances the spoken word is prone to disappearance as individuals lose memory or fail to transmit to
others around them due to various factors. While the written word is more durable and sustainable for
longer periods, but as I indicated, the written word also faces incredible amounts of threats that seek to
destroy writing, hence books. The book remains the most durable and sustainable material to serve as
the storehouse and conveyor of culture and all it contains. The book though is undergoing revolutionary
transformations thanks to technology. The good news is that while these transformations may change the
form of the book, yet they maintain the essence of the material so that tablets and eBooks, and eLibraries
as well as audio books only serve to present the book in formats that are more durable, sustainable and
easier to manage and use. In fact technology and the internet in particular could be said to have now
become the final protector of the book, hence culture and knowledge from any form of destruction. For
example, thanks to the internet, I have been able to create my own eLibrary where I possess hundreds of
volumes of books that would have been obviously unaffordable and inaccessible to me probably for my
entire life. Thus the internet has come to protect the book as well and make it available to all and sundry
which goes to further ensure the continuous existence and use of the book as a cultural product and
carrier.

That notwithstanding, it is necessary to highlight that despite the opportunities that new technologies
provide for the protection and existence of the book, the most important opportunity still remains the
creation of the necessary legal, policy and institutional architecture designed to provide an enabling
environment to ensure the flourishing of the practice of reading and writing. Societies need an
environment that is free and open to allow for all ideas and opinions to be expressed and critiqued as a
means to promote knowledge development and distribution and consequently empowerment of citizens.

I thank you, and once again Happy 45th Independence Anniversary.

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APPENDIX 5

Promoting reading among young people and marginalized groups

By Mrs Sukai Mbye-Bojang

Sir Francis Bacon had said that Reading maketh a full man, conference a ready man, and writing an exact
man.

Then Ill say aloud: Lets write and lets read!

Ill start by asking:

1. Why should people read?

Reading supports learning, develops self-esteem, promotes confidence, enjoyment and use of our power
of imagination. It was the ability to read that mostly created the difference between social classes in the
olden days. Reading is a window to the world.

Research evidence shows that reading for pleasure can benefit young people beyond the classroom and
into adult life in turn enriching the world around us. According to the Position Statement published in
1999 by the International Reading Association:

Adolescents entering the adult world in the 21st century will read and write more than any other time in
human history. They will need advanced levels of literacy to perform their jobs, run their households, act
as citizens, and conduct their personal lives. They will need literacy to cope with the flood of information
they will find everywhere they turn.

26
Reading also helps people to relax and promotes well-being. The National Health Service of UK introduced
a Reading and You scheme that encourages mental health patients to read more as part of their therapy
for reducing stress and overcoming anxiety, depression and social isolation. Reading is good for health.

People with poor reading skills find it difficult to get employment. If they do secure employment, they
receive lower wages and get fewer opportunities to advancement. Poor reading skills are not for the
youths of this century and beyond.

According to the 2011 EFA Global Monitoring Report

2. Are people reading?

During the time of the African Writers Series, James Hadley Chase and Pacesetters, people read. One
could easily pick up books by Dr Lenrie Peters, Camara Laye, Cyprian Ekwensi, from Methodist and
Chaaku bookshops and others in our country. Those popular African series are now gone. Today,
storybooks are sold in trickle at bookshops and supermarket shelves. This means that people are not
reading literature as before.

We often see adults reading the Holy Koran either individually or collectively. The Christians have their
Mothers Union and other groups for religious reflection. Our adult population is interested in religious
writings because they get religious salvation and satisfaction. Some Nigerian writers have cleverly tapped
into these new tastes and come up with a new genre called Christian fiction. Novels have been aligned to
this new interest. Abimbola Dares The Small Print is a humorous contemporary novel that tells the kind
of story that the growing Pentecostal Christians in Africa like to read.

What have we noticed about our youths? The youths carry their mobile phones everywhere and play with
them even in company. They read books, listen to music, watch movies and play games on this small
device that has now replaced the book as the object of pride and source of information. Okadabooks is a
Nigerian company that has created a mobile application to read African books. Another area that is being
tapped into is e-books that can be read on mobile devices.

3. How do we promote the culture of reading?

UNESCO annually selects a book capital and for 2015, Incheon in the Republic of Korea has been chosen.
The Republic of Korea passed a Reading Culture Promotion Act in 2006. The Ministry of Culture, Sports
and Tourism led the implementation of a national action plan for the promotion of reading.

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Between 2001 and 2010, 738 public libraries were established. The number of school libraries rose from
8101 in 2002 to 10,937 in 2010. Between 2005 and 2008, the number of small libraries rose from 130 to
3324. Reading competitions were organised annually at different levels and awards given to the best.
Weekly reading classes in libraries were conducted by librarians and instructors to help poor readers. The
government, local authorities, schools, libraries and communities joined hands to implement a national
plan to promote reading.

The 2010 National Reading Statistics revealed progress was achieved in the implementation of the plan.
Adult visits to libraries increased by 2.6%. The number of primary and secondary school children visiting
libraries rose to 65.1% by 2009.

a. Writers

Borrow a leaf from the Republic of Korea and Nigeria. Storytelling content books largely based on their
traditional tales, DVDs, picture books, storytelling animation DVDs were developed and distributed to
libraries. Nigerian authors are producing content to satisfy religious interests and pursuits.

Gambians are just as religious. Humorous stories with positive religious undertones will attract adults. For
our technologically inclined youths, our stories should be available for distribution as eBooks and through
the mobile phone. In the digital form of the book, reading can take place anywhere and anytime.
According to the Sub Saharan Africa Observatory of 2012, The Gambia has a mobile phone penetration
rate of 120% among a population of 1,812,608. It is fourth to Gabon, Botswana and South Africa. This
must be tapped.

b. Parents

Parents have to read so that the children will follow. They should read to their young children at night.
Another way is to have a reading time for the family. Children should be taken to the library by parents. If
a parent goes out with a child and he/she wants a book, buy that book for your child. Parents must show
their children that they also enjoy reading. Trips to the bookshop can attract children to reading.

c. Schools

Identify a room for a library as well as a member of the staff that is interested in managing the place.
Some training should be given to that staff. Reading must have a place in the timetable. Weak readers
need support and remedial periods should be catered for during the week. Libraries are very important in
the promotion of reading.

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d. Government

Government can concentrate on stocking the National Library and its branches as well as the school
libraries. Adult literacy providers hold Reading competitions on International Literacy Day. The
conventional system can borrow a leaf from them and individual schools can organise them. There is a lot
that we can do to promote reading with a small amount of money. But collaboration is very important at
all levels.

References

1. Ejugbo, C. 2014. Do Africans Read? http://www.africaontheblog.com/africans-read/


2. Heung, L S. 2011. Korean National Strategy for Library Development and Reading Promotion for
children and adults. http://conference.ifla.org/past-wlic/2011/114-lee-en.pdf
3. 2011. Reading Culture Promotion Act.
http://elaw.klri.re.kr/eng_mobile/viewer.do?hseq=28073&type=sogan&key=8
4. 2012. Sub Saharan Africa Observatory. http://www.gsma.com/spectrum/sub-saharan-africa-mobile-
observatory-2012/

APPENDIX 6

The role of culture in promoting inclusive and sustainable development

By: Hassoum Ceesay

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Introduction

The general theme for this 2015 World Book and Copyright Day is The Future of the Book as a Cultural
Product?, which is indeed pertinent to us as cultural and copyright administrators. The question raises
issues of survival and sustainability for those in the book sector and the general conference and
confluence of players in the culture field. But before we delve into the discussion proper, a few terms in
the topic should be put into context: first, culture is indeed a very broad term which could refer to such
things as varying as customs and culinary habits, arts and fashion, artefacts and objects, music and
literature, sports and games. This means that there is hardly any aspect of daily routine which goes out of
the culture parameters. This tells us that culture is therefore the totality of our experiences as a people.
Now for culture to be inclusive, it must be accessible to all and sundry, in spite of gender, creed, race
and region or religion. Like water, cultural products should therefore be readily accessible for life to be
meaningful. Now sustainable development the other term in this topic which I believe needs elucidation,
can only come about if people notice a consistent progress in their lives which is not a flash in the pan,
but which stays and even grows to heights.

The questions now arises Mr Chairman, what can cultural products such as music, film and books do to
bring about inclusive sustainable economic and social development? I will answer this question using
copyright in the book industry, as a case study.

Cultural products and development: copyright as a case study

I believe that culture is a tool for development and the potentials which inhere in copyright is enough to
illustrate this assertion. Copyright refer to the right to allow one to use or not use ones creative work.
Copyright is automatic; it comes into force the moment a work is created in fixed or tangible form like a
cd or book. Where registration process is needed in national laws like our own Copyright Act, it is basically
to provide an archival database of works and proof of ownership.

Under copyright, the writer for example is protected morally and economically. The moral protection lies
in the writers right to be associated with or disassociated with a certain work he or she has created. The
name of the author on the cover of a book is a good example of an assertion of a moral right.

The economic rights are in the claims of the writer of a book to financial compensation for the use of his
or her work. Herein lays the potential of copyright to bring about sustainable development. All the links in
the book chain, music chain or film chain have one form of economic rights or another.

Writer: the author of the book can receive royalties from the book which is in circulation and is given a
public performance or broadcast. These royalties depend on the contract the writer has signed with the
publisher. When the book is for example used to do a film script or adaptation, this is called derivative
work and the writer of the book on which that film is based is also entitled to further royalties. Also, the
writer can benefit from royalties from reprographic rights, which means that when the book is
photocopied for use in schools or colleges; parts of it I mean, monies also accrue to the writer for his or
her benefit.

Publisher: The book publisher is the person or company which brings out the book in its finished form.
Here also, in normal situations, it is the publisher who finances the production of the book, and takes in a
certain lions share of the sales from the book. Publishers make money, hire workers, pay taxes and
therefore play a role in economic and social development.

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Distributor: The other link in the book chain who make money and therefore bring about sustainable
development is the distributor of books. We used to call them bookshops, but now, due to online sales of
books and Amazon does, we call them distributors. They too sell the books supplied by the publisher, but
in the case of The Gambia, supplied by the writer, and sell it at a cover price and take a per cent of the
sales and give the rest to the publisher or writer as the case may be.

Printers: The publisher contracts the book to a printer who makes copies as agreed. Printers too make
money from the book as a cultural product. They print and get a one off payment for their work. Printers
too of course, employ people and pay taxes to the state and therefore are stakeholders in the quest for
sustainable economic development.

Editor : In copyright, the editors of books just like printers do not get royalties but are paid by the
publishers to cross the Ts and dot the Is, a job which proof readers also do. Editing and proof reading are
skills which could be nurtured for national development.

Lawyers: Legal services are always needed by all the players in the book sector. Writers, publishers and
others now and then need the services of lawyers to advise them on contracts, libel, copyright
infringement etc at a cost, of course. Best-selling writers and major publishing outfits cannot do without
the services of legal counsels.

Advertisers: When the book comes out, it has to be marketed through launch ceremonies, reviews in
book pages of newspapers, and other publicity and marketing gimmicks aimed at distributing the book as
widely as possible. Advertisers and marketers also make revenue from the book as a culture product.

Conclusion

In conclusion, we see that a particular culture product like the book alone can engender gross earnings
for all those involved to sustain livelihoods and bring about a robust growth in the economy. This is one
reason why culture should be seen as a vehicle for growth and social stability through employment and
wealth generation.

Thanks you all.

References

Helen Shay. Writers Guide to Copyright and Law, HowtoBook, 2005.

Government of The Gambia. Copyright Act, 2004.

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PICTORIAL

Audience Audience

Contribution from the floor WAG President, Mr Alamami F. Taal

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