This text tells only a fraction of the story and as one can see, it seems like it was written by an African America. For the readers who do not know much of about the Civil Rights Movement in the United States of America, Rosa refers to Rosa Parks, the mother of the Civil Rights Movement. She was the lady who sat in a seat meant for whites only in a public bus and that defiance kick started the Civil Rights Movement. Martin refers to Martin Luther King and he was the Civil Rights leader who led the march in WashingtonDC and as for Obama, I do not need to explain who he is but in case you do not know he is the President elect of the United States of America, the 44thPresident of the United States of America.

Like I said earlier, the above text tells only a fraction of the story and that is the African American perspective, but the election of Obama as the President of the United States of America has a much more wider implication not only in the USA but through out the universe. The impact of this election will echo throughout the world and when one looks at how diverse the campaign crowds of Obama were, one could understand what I am saying. The crowds of Obama reflected the real America, the melting pot of the world and as the mantra goes in the USA “be all you can be” and an African American has become the President of the United States of America, the President of the strongest country in the world, the President of the MOST DEMOCRATIC country in the UNIVERSE.

America has once again reasserted her leadership in the World at a time when we are faced with the worst financial crisis of our time, just like during the Second World War when the United States of America intervene to safe the World from Hitler.

There are several lessons the entire World can learn from this experience and like any great leader would do, America is leading by example. It has demonstrated to the World that it is the real champion of democracy. For a Blackman, first generation African to rise from nothing to become the President of America after all the racial problems that existed in America, just goes to show the whole World that our safe and peaceful future is guaranteed only through reconciliation and by “giving the devil its due”. We Africans in particular should follow the democratic examples of America. If Americans can elect a Blackman without any problem whatsoever, why can’t we Africans elect our fellow Africans without a problem? Racism is much stronger than tribalism and if America can reconcile their racial differences, I do no see any reason why we cannot reconcile not only our tribal difference but all other artificial differences. Like he said in his acceptance speech:

“If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer”

With President Obama in the helm, the entire world will look at America with more respect and for the first time in a long time the world will look at America with admiration and for inspiration. The approval rating of America will rise to amazing heights and will definitely surpass the surge during the Kennedy era.

I stayed all night switching channels and following the American Presidential elections, talking to friends in America over the phone like millions of people did all around the world. I tell you, when I was listening to Obama’s speech, I could not hold my tears back. This is the kind of effect his Presidency will have not only in America but through out the world. Here is a leader who rekindles all hope that we can be all want to be if we work hard enough for it. Once in a generation a great leader will emerge and we have all witness history in the making with the election of Obama as the 44thPresident of the United States of America. A great leader has emerged.

It might be too early to say he would be great United States President, but by analysing his speeches and statements, we can safely say that the world will become a much more peaceful and safer place now that the United States of America is led by Obama. To quote Obama once more:

“The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even one term, but America, I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there. I promise you: We as a people will get there.”

This applies to the entire World, the current financial crisis, along with the political, economic and social problems can be resolved if we all work together as a people and put the interest of our people, our countries and our GLOBAL VILLAGE first, we will be in a safer and more peaceful World.

A NEW WORLD ORDER! A NEW WORLD ORDER!! A NEW WORLD ORDER!!!

amRa (www.amracorp.com)

In 2004, they switched to touch screen machines at a cost of $16million. But there was no printed record of votes, which raised suspicions about the tallies. So the electronic machines were scrapped.

This year, for $7million more, progress means a step back in time- using paper and No.2 pencils. The ballots are fed through optical scanners, then preserved on metal shelves in a country warehouse for at least 22 months.

Wednesday October 29this the sixth anniversary of the Help America Act vote of 2002, which was designed to upgrade states’ voting equipment. But officials here across the nation aren’t so sure the broad changes inspired by Bush’s disputed victory over Democrat Al Gore in 2000 have helped improve the way America votes.

As Tuesday’s election approaches, what they know is that it has cost $2billion, confounded election administrators and left voters facing new challenges.

“We know that on Nov 4ththe voting system will fail somewhere,” says Lawrence Norden, Director of voting technology and the BrennanCenter for Justice at New York University School of Law.

“There is no perfect system. All of these systems have problems.”

More than 40% of the nation’s registered voters live in areas that have switched equipment since the 2004 presidential election.

Since 2000, the figure is 68% that increases the chances of human error in tabulating election results, because voters and poll workers are less familiar with each new method of voting. 

Long lines, machine breakdowns and mistakes by voters and poll workers have plagued the run-up to this year’s historic election at a time when more than 30 states are having early voting periods to try to boost turnout and reduce logjams at the polls on Election Day.

In 2006, some machines in Ohio didn’t work and some technicians didn’t show up or couldn’t fix them. In this year’s primaries, precincts from California to the District of Columbia ran out of paper ballots, and more poll workers were needed.

In recent months, registration databases, required by the new federal law, have come under scrutiny as election officials compare voter’s identifications with motor vehicle and Social Security records. The matching process has led to law suits as voters’ registrations are challenged.

Some of the money congress spread among states and counties has improved the staffing and procedures at election administration offices. But two thirds of it went for new equipment, even though federal standards for such equipment had not been set.

In many cases, the quick shift in voting systems has confused voters and poll workers.

Ousainou Njie, a 22-year old from Fajara, has the potential to be the first Gambian to break into hip-hoop’s mainstream. Ousainou who goes by the artist name OOZ (or Double O to the Last Letter) came to the USA at the age of 9 and has lived in Maryland since then. He recently moved to Tennessee where he is attending college majoring in Business administration.

At the age of 14 when he was in the 9th grade, OOZ started rapping with a couple of friends in a group called BLACK FACE but was not taking it seriously. It was in 2003 when his producer and band mate B.K.W Da Wild Child started to take the work more seriously that OOZ stepped up his game and produced his first song "CATCH ME IF U CAN".

His encounter with experienced people in the game polished his skills over the years and now he stands by himself, doing it big. He has been featured in a lot of mixed-tapes and his music and lyrics are well known and appreciated in the DC/Maryland area.

As hard as it is to have one's song played on the radio because of the competition and too many options in the game, OOZ is the first Gambian whose song "BANGER" is played on the radio stations in the DC metro area.

A pride to the Gambia indeed! OOZ and 9 other artist under the same record label (One Tribe) released an 18 track album in 2004 called "Beneath The Underground" which did fairly well in the DC area and beyond as they sold about 5000 copies in the streets.

OOZ who has not release a solo album yet plans to release his first Album "Super Stardom the Manuel" this summer (2007). So look out for it. He refused to take anything as a challenge or success as far as his music is concerned.

He came back to The Gambia for the Tobaski & Xmas holidays last year for the first time since he started music and had a very good reception and welcome from the Gambians fans which motivated him more. During his visits to the Smiling Coast of the Gambia last Tobaski and all his fans were always thrilled whenever he goes on stage.

During his stay he made a remix of M.L.K's Doh -Deh Ham called Doh Deh Ham Si Yenen Lah Deh Neka, which proved to be another hit throughout the globe. The track also features Amie Dibba, and G-Baby. OOZ was also nominated in two categories on the 1st Annual Gambian Talents Award, which was held early this year.

"Going back home and getting love from my people that was a wonderful feeling, I was only there for three weeks and I had a major buzz. The people really appreciated what I do,  so I returned with enthusiasm and I feel like I have to do it big for my people because they have faith in me and that's all I need, for people to show love which they manifested ," said OOZ joyfully.

 OOZ's music is clean and original in every sense and is indeed touching to all music lovers. As well as working on his next mixtape, OOZ keeps making headlines with his banging tunes. His latest  tunes Who Dat There  & Supafly (which features Scoot J, another talented rapper) are a clear testimony of his talent. For more info about OOZ, or log on to www.gambuster.com or http://www.myspace.com/doubleoz

Courtesy of Sering –B in the UK

Despite the fact that at this year’s meeting they pledged 10 billion in food aid several reports published during the last two years show the extent of the financial shortfall. One report is from the organisation established by Bono and Bob Geldof, Debt AIDS Trade Africa, or DATA. The DATA report monitors how the G8 countries are falling short of the commitments it promised to deliver—$25 billion a year in development aid by 2010.

It notes: “Collectively, the G8 are badly off track with their development assistance promise to Africa. In total G8 assistance to sub-Saharan Africa has increased by only $2.3 billion since 2004, when it should have increased by $5.4 billion over that period.... Concern is heightened by the small increases in aid that are in the pipeline for many G8 countries for 2007 and 2008. If G8 does not react quickly to get back on track with the needed scale-ups in assistance, the early successes...will be squandered....”

Yet again the poorest nations of the world have been fed a diet of lies by the worlds wealthiest nations. It is increasingly clear that promises to “make poverty history” are nothing more than hot air.

This point is all too clearly highlighted by a report in the UK published Guardian newspaper last year. It quoted Russian civil servants involved in the G8 negotiations as saying, “We only made those promises [debt and aid relief] because we felt sorry for Tony Blair after the terrorist attacks on 7/7.” This was a reference to the bombings of a bus and tube trains in London, which had happened the previous day. Does nobody feel sorry for Africa? Do the G8 leaders not understand the predicament of the world’s poorest billion people? Either they don’t and are ill-informed to the point of ignorance or they do and they simply do not care.

What the wealthy nations of the world value is money. They care nothing for the plight of their fellow human beings in the world’s poorest nations. This is exemplified by the recent global financial crisis. According to Dan Timms, a spokesperson for the campaign group Oxfam, “When you realise that, faced with a financial crisis, rich countries have bailed out their banks to the tune of a trillion dollars, it highlights how comparatively little we are asking leaders to deliver to the developing world to meet the promises they have made.”

A fraction of what the worlds richest nations have spent saving their financial institutions would have saved millions of lives in the world’s poorest nations and helped us to achieve the Millennium Development Goals throughout sub-Saharan Africa.

We must not depend on the G8 for anything. They have made it perfectly clear what they value and how much they are willing to actually contribute to the development of a more just global society. Accept what they give but take what they say with a very large grain of salt.

Delivering his sermon at the mosque, Imam Leigh stated that politics affect Muslims equally well and that, as such, it is important to understand the teachings of the prophet of Islam, Muhammed (SAW) as relate to such human activity.

“In order to draw inspiration from the current campaign going on in the US, it is important to note that Obama’s father was a Kenyan immigrant. Despite this, however, the people of the USA are putting him up as the first black presidential candidate,” he observed.

In Imam Leigh’s view, it is no secret that the greatness of America lies in its dynamism and openness in accommodating diverse human populations and cultures from all over the world, such as those endowed with great skills and knowledge. This, he opined, enhances US’sability to attract great minds from other countries like The Gambia.

The Kanifing East Imam however lamented that in certain Muslim countries, children of immigrant black families are not accorded citizenship status as others, noting that this seriously contravenes the basic principle of Islam which teaches oneness.

“Despite all the beautiful pronouncements made in Islam, which aims to build a world of peace and love, yet all these remain unachievable because we rather choose to pay lip service and not practise them. Why would we be so naïve about citizenship to such an extent that we cannot tolerate each other as Muslims?” he queried.

According to Imam Leigh, all these ugly practices are happening when the Almighty teaches in the Holy Quran that he created the world for mankind to co-habit peacefully together.

“It is even more saddening when one looks at the xenophobic attacks going on in South Africa against other black African immigrants. Was it not just yesterday that South Africa broke off the yoke and shackles of apartheid thanks to the immense and immeasurable solidarity and support in the liberation struggle they received from other Africans?” Imam Leigh recollected.

According to Imam Leigh Muslims need to examine themselves, since they believe that they are the best of creation in being the Ummah of Muhammed (SAW). “We need to draw lessons to guide and learn from such developments as Muslims that educate our existence. It is time we appreciate and accommodate one another despite our so-called differences in language,” the Imam advised.