On Sunday, March the 21st. 1975, a group of 20 Gambians gathered in the discotheque Shaft to discuss the common problems they faced as Gambian immigrants in Sweden. The problems were, even then, many and overbearing. Apart from the general problems they shared with the rest of other immigrants, the Gambians then also had some typically Gambian problems. Unlike the bulk of other immigrants who were mostly Nordic (the Finns), guest workers (Greeks, Turks etc.) refugees (Eastern Europeans), Latin Americans and Eritreans), or guest students (Iranians), the majority of Gambians were then “anknytnings”-type (connection) immigrants. This means that they had to be directly exposed to the tough and depressing problems of cultural clashes often resulting in escapist trends of alcoholism, drug abuse, mental restlessness, high rates of violent divorces and so on and so forth. Unlike many of the other immigrant groups, the Gambians came young, single and could therefore not fall back on the moral support of close relatives. Petty criminality was widely spread among them and their reputation with authorities and other immigrant groups quickly worsened. The problems were clear enough for everybody to see when they gathered that Sunday afternoon but few believed there were any solutions.
There were those who believed it was in our nature to be like how we are and that only Allah could do something about it. They were not ready to waste time trying to undo what was the “word Allah”. There were the “tribalists” who were for various reasons opposed to the unity of Gambians both at home and at abroad. There were the “individualists” who thought they have finally come home to the Swedish “paradise” and that all contacts that remind them of their “embarrassing” Gambian past had to be vigorously wiped out and would, as a matter of course, have nothing to do with any Gambian organisation. And finally, there were the “conservatives” whose vision of the Gambian society is one divided between the haves and have-nots, those from “good” families and those from “bad” ones, the “respectables” and the “non-respectables”, the elders and the youngsters, and they were certainly not going to mingle with any riff-raffs.
All these sorts made it extremely difficult for the activists who were ready to launch an organisation to bring to about the broadest form of unity. Even now, the dream of uniting all Gambians under the organisation in Sweden only remains a dream far from reality. The solution to our problems and our interests as immigrants could best be served by an organisation; an organisation that is non-political, non-religious, non-tribal and based upon the voluntary participation of it's members in the implementation of it's programs for the creation of unity and understanding among Gambians and the Swedish community. The Organisation of Gambians in Sweden (GOIS) was thus born, an organisation that shall be non-political, non-religious, non-tribal; an organisation that shall be inclusive and shall respect and work for the best interests of Gambians in Sweden.
