Review by Mr Monie Ralph Captan Former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Liberia and President, Liberia Chamber of Commerce at the Kairaba Beach Hotel, Kololi, The Gambia, on 10 April 2010.
Kairaba captures the beauty and cultural traditions of Africa in such detail and familiarity that any African reading this book could easily immerse himself in the narrative as though Kairaba was sharing one aspect or another of their life. From the happiness of growing up in the village and working on the farm, to the close bonds with parents and the extended family, to the abundant festivities and celebrations, to the periods of hard time and the fear of disease, to the exposure to modernity and western education; Kairaba is the story of an African. Yet, the story does not end with Africa, but it succeeds in the convergence of the African story with the Western story, the step outside the traditional society to the modern society, where education became a sort of preparation and training for the challenge of modern nation building. This process became an essential necessity especially at its time, considering the unknown implications of World War II for colonial rule.
The traditional frame of reference with its strong bonds and a modern education provided the opportunity for those who would provide leadership to do so from a background of understanding and empathy with the needs and aspirations of their people. Kairaba is such a story; a rich story of integrity, hard work, dedication, commitment, and patriotism; a story we wish could be the story of every African leader today.
The author drew from his rich experience as a veterinary officer, a responsibility which took him throughout the Gambia, bringing him face to face with his compatriots of all walks of life; an introduction to the aspirations of the common man, his fears, strengths, and his beliefs. It was a political lesson that would prepare him to be the father who gave birth to a modern Gambia. This experience, which was common to many Gambians was humbling, not only for Sir Jawara and his compatriots, but also for many Africans as well. What distinguished Sir Dawda Jawara, was the manner and the way in which he played the "hand he was dealt".
The opportunity for leadership came in the background of the desire for political participation and representation by the peoples of the protectorate. However, Sir Jawara was quite cognizant of the fact that any attempt to muster national leadership depended also on the support of the voters in the colony. He was therefore constrained to find a formula for his PPP that would win over the majority of Gambians by transcending the narrow interests of any particular constituency. He first moved to change the restrictive name of the Protectorate People's Party to the People's Progressive Party. Next, he pursued a formula which he described as: the solid understanding of the sacredness of the cause of the PPP to bring al/ the peoples of the protectorate to the mainstream of life in the country, involving them hand in hand with the people of the colony in building a truly united nation. This would ultimately bring development to the doorsteps of every Gambian. Nation building for Sir Jawara was about unifying the people, and involving them in their own development; not the pursuit of sectarian interest which too often adulterates political activity with sectarianism.
The author's autobiography coincides with the history of the Gambia. He traces the period of Colonial rule to internal self-governance to Independence, and later to constitutional reforms leading to a republican democracy. This history was also a history of tedious nation building challenged by various interests. The author captured this challenge when he wrote: Everything we did or would do in the future would therefore have to be directed at reducing our dependence on grantssin-aid. We could not forget that that was the single factor everyone pointed to as the determinant of our independence.
Although loyalty and patriotism attended the jubilations of Independence, Sir Jawara recognized the essential role of democratic governance to sustainable nation building. Despite the temptations to waiver in the strict adherence to the tenets of democracy, he stood steadfast in protecting its venerable principles. Giving insight into this demanding situation, he proffered: Democracy and what it meant and how it was to be executed often fell prey to malpractice. I had on many occasions found myself having to dig my feet in to ensure that there was no misuse of it, no matter how easy the short cuts or how inconvenient it was for the individual or for the party. This insistence on democratic principles did not endear me to many people inside and outside the PPP or within the government itself.
Buttressing this principle, he found support in the concept of tesito, a form of self reliance that conjoined the people and their government in nation building, subjugating individual interest to that of the common good. He appealed to the grassroots community, learning well the lessons of his father, Mawdo, who thought him the value of communal solidarity and its importance for the survival of the people of Barajaly and Walikunda, and even the migrant community of farmers. He further carried tesito beyond the grassroots community to all Gambians thus building a national consciousness that drove the development of Gambia, by Gambians, for Gambians.
One of the major achievements of the author is his ability to establish linkages between traditional wisdom and modern best practice. He wrote: I did not wait to be in government or out of it to believe in democracy. In every dealing with my fellows the first line of engagement had to be the understanding of the sanctity of life, the inviolability of the rights of the individual as well as those of groups and cultures and for the individual's adherence to the rule of law. These were the sine qua non of a happy, stable and well-run society. It was the way I learnt it from my father, reinforced by my mother, who on a daily basis in her every interaction with family, friend or even foe drilled values into me just as did others in my adolescence.
The right of nationhood brought with it the responsibility to play a meaningful role in the community of nations; a role the author embraced not only as a responsibility, but as an essential element in contributing to the survival of the Gambia in an interdependent world. The Gambia therefore did not engage in mere lip service or public relations campaigns at international meetings, but contributed wholeheartedly to global debates guided by unflinching principles, especially the principles of the right of self determination, human dignity, tolerance, peace, and solidarity. Whether in the halls of the OAU, ECOWAS, UN General Assembly, or other multi-lateral and bi-Iateral settings, the clarion call did not depict the smallness of the Gambia, but the universality of its principles.
Kairaba is entertaining reading, and yet tedious, if not studious. The reader is confronted with the intricacies of international relations, development, economics, animal science, electioneering, governance, security, education, agriculture, and health science. The book makes for wholesome reading on the multi-faceted aspects of nation building. Such attention to detail is based on an empiricism that is instructive in its successes and failures.
The author's period of exile, provided a renewed sense of commitment to protect the achievements made by his country in democracy, development, the rule of law, and human rights. These were achievements worth fighting for, and for which he laboriously lobbied to protect and uphold even from across the Atlantic. The period of exile was also a period of inward reflection, a reflection that we are all human beings, mortal and dispensable. We come and go, but our deeds remain behind for posterity to judge us all.
The reconciliation that has characterized Sir Dawda Jawara's return home is a reflection of the kind of leader he was, and the asset that he is to his people, Africa, and mankind. Had his leadership been otherwise, his story today would have certainly had a different final chapter, the ones we are too accustomed to in Africa. One gets a sense of deep satisfaction as an African reading this book, a satisfaction embedded in the courage to hope for a better day and a better Africa. If I were to select a lesson from Kairaba, it would undoubtedly be that despite all the modernity around us, there is still wisdom in the words of our elders.