With or without Artificial Intelligence (AI), the importance of Worldwide Literacy is arguably the most neglected global responsibility. However, with AI, worldwide literacy becomes even more vital. If millions of educated folks are worrying about how AI may negatively impact their lives or livelihoods, then do they ever ponder how AI may affect the tens or hundreds of millions of illiterates around the world, especially the neglected children? A target must have a timeline, so my target is worldwide literacy within five years, including adults. The need for reforms in school punishment is between indifference and care. We must see children as the greatest trust beyond parents, near relatives, national treasure or burden, but up to world level as caring or civilised species. Neglecting the educational dues of a child anywhere is a crime with primary and secondary failures, but the indifference up to global level is a varyingly different crime. So we are in groups from families to species level. The groups that are varyingly guilty of negligence and/or indifference can repent and amend, but the best of us may first have to proclaim or confront the guilty, from education to punishment where need be. Since the nature of humankind is very diverse, I will present ideas that nations can varyingly accept and learn from each other between months or years.
Like anything of our age, funding is often a debatable issue, but priorities and getting the right people to discuss matters enough will often reveal funding a needed good should not be hard. How can we have trillions for weapons, trillions or hundreds of billions for AI, but still claim we cannot find tens or hundreds of billions to educate even the poor children.
How do we get presidents, ex-presidents, opposition leaders, or politicians in general to admit they failed millions of children in or beyond their borders? How do we get billionaires or rich folks around the world to lead the cause in a collective spirit as human repentance? I almost named the article ‘billionaires for worldwide literacy’, but realized I do not personally know any billionaires, will need poor and ordinary working folks to share or donate, etc. In a nutshell, the question of ‘care’ seems more vital and realistic. My birth country, the Gambia, is yet to have a billionaire, but do we have caring millionaires, or what type of crowdfunding possibilities for the national level if the world drags its feet? Our first president Dawda Jawara died neglecting which efforts on children’s education; our second president Yahya Jammeh is in exile after neglecting how many children; our third and current president Adama Barrow is guilty of indifference until when ? Similarly, not one of our opposition leaders is speaking out for the tens of thousands of neglected Gambian children on educational needs. For my international readers, the Gambia is a tiny poor country with near zero ‘natural resources’ compared to the average African country… This means using the Gambia, bigger Nigeria, and the u.s as examples will likely help as thumbnail pictures.
As said, the Gambia is small and poor. I roughly estimate about one to five percent of Gambian children are sadly neglected in even basic education. A slightly higher percentage do suffer unnecessary dropouts. Care means making efforts more than Portugal made efforts when about ‘one percent’ of their adult population was reportedly on drugs. Care means ‘no child’ left behind, indifference means calling it negligible, finding excuses, ignoring your extended collective responsibilities, etc. A bigger and richer Nigeria reportedly has millions of neglected children on even basic education. A much richer United States of America is similarly neglecting countless children on even basic education. Although my title or target says: Worldwide Literacy, I am obligated to give children priority, but I do support adult literacy programs within the same five year period.
Human evolution on at least learning is real. You cannot compare every mum minimally teaching children to like the hard camps of religious teachings over one or few books. Similarly, conventional learning may not be perfect yet, but far outweighs what traditional hard camps offer. Almost every reader of this article will likely prefer to see their biological children in conventional schools, but are they indifferent to others’ children? Do not tell me guilty parents do not exist or are the only ones to blame. I believe relatives, neighbours, local leaders, international NGO representatives, etc can at least share the burden of re-educating guilty parents, then governments may punish where need be.
Every good starts with an idea, so woe onto those who belittle great ideas, including so-called educated folks. I differentiate learning from formal education, but I clearly accept formal education is crucial in the human journey of our times and may help you beyond wealth, but also on health and even conscience or character uplifting. As a lovist, founder of the formal Showlove Trinity philosophy, I may have differences with the capitalist folks, but can we agree on issues like universal care on literacy for children at the national or worldwide level? As a top politician, do not blame the parents+ if you refuse to charge negligent parents against children, then what other forms of negligence will you charge others for? As a top journalist, you will likely educate your children, but how many times did you urge for the children or against the guilty parents to the guilty politicians? As an ordinary person, we are in the age of social media, so ch.103 says those who refuse to ‘urge, confront, exhort the negligent parents ‘ are in a state of loss or guilt beyond atom’s weight, as per ch.99+. The good news is every living person has the opportunity to repent, amend, and proclaim in the spirit of ch.2:160, ch.103, and ch. 91. If you cannot write, then refusing to share what may help billions or millions is a crime.
Leaders and Ex-leaders: I think the ex-leaders have the greatest roles of repentance+ to do. Part of the task is both gratitude and care. President Bush declared ‘no child left behind’, but did he truly follow up with that even inside America, let alone worldwide? Did he start any foundation alone or will he join hands with others for greater than what any foundation is yet to meaningfully target? President Clinton started the ‘global Clinton foundation’, but how global is the foundation, especially on education or literacy? President Obama is about to unveil his ‘Obama presidential Library’ for mainly the literates, but can he partner up for a greater good? How about the ex-leaders of Africa, Europe, and beyond? My point is many of them care about their personal family, trying to lead in ‘follow me’ style rather than a genuine partnership for global purposes for the most vulnerable or needy children. Imagine if Obama or xyz called every world leader, Billionaire+, he knows: ‘I know many of us have our foundations, but can we set-up the mother of all foundations in partnership spirit’. Imagine if ten to hundred ex-leaders willingly participate, ten to hundreds of billionaires+ participate, and billions of working people contribute regularly. Well, we admit ideas matter. God chooses me for the idea, but will you publish and share until God facilitates it ?
NGO for re-education and beyond: I think an NGO must be part of the plan. Different countries are at different levels and with different issues at play. The parents with questionable religious issues can be re-educated through religion, but will 50% to 100% subdue by when? We cannot waste too much time detailing the tactics we may use, but to dismiss God will not help us with 25%, 50%, 75%, etc in which countries are too pessimistic. A country like the Gambia may need very few new schools built, but the needed re-education and helpful tools can still be costly, even for children alone. A country like Nigeria may need many more schools built, and the many school associated costs. Can the NGO handle it all or will the capitalist governments pressure guilty companies towards education tax bills, or to nationalise what percentage of the resources? Trickle down theories failed on even ascertaining access to basic education. Countries like the u.s need better regulations and laws. Again, mass educating the populace will reduce the task at hand. We cannot have parents who refuse child support in jail , but refuse to consider imprisonment against parents who neglect children’s education. We know different states may have different ideas, but we can find a range at the federal level and have states regulate and punish where need be.
The sad nature of many Capitalists is self-centered, implicit cruelty, and indifference. So the elite capitalist may strive for top private schools for his or her kids, or claim ‘I passed through the public schools’ that expelled or indifferently let troubled children drop out. Some may claim ‘parental responsibility’, but are they blind to secondary responsibilities, or indifferent to even kids in their respective countries? I do not think ‘being nice’ to immigrants is enough, but helping all countries understand the importance of mass education like or better than Cuba? Then you will have less or better immigrants. You may notice that I did not mention Trump, partly because I doubt if he cares. If he is trying to pass all the financial burden to the states, then no country should expect much from the u.s government under Trump. Trump and all these presidents that may neglect even the basic education of American children will draft the males for questionable wars and gamble the females against the Epstein type. An illiterate person is easier to abuse, so an abusive system will likely create abusable citizens. As much as I despise what evil folks do, I want to know what God and the Godly will do? God will claim he saved me and you from illiteracy and testing our gratitude. The narrow minded among us may over credit our parents, but many others often worked hard and subsidised our schooling. Even where our parents did it all, can we be pioneers or those who seed good for the orphans, children of the poor, and children of the simply negligent or mistaken parents? I am even open to punishing guilty parents or even kids. Prison for the defiant parents and hard camps or boarding schools for defiant children. I promise you it will be better than the prison trap or war zones they may force you.
Suppose the Global level partnership is slow, how can we have continental or national level collaboration for 100% literacy ? Again, re-education can be very helpful. Even poor Gambia can find caring millionaires or what percentage of our diaspora folks+ to crowdfund the initiative. Beside creating videos and having programs on the media, what is the cost of networking nationwide? Can we get the contact numbers of every chief and village head for what level of partnership with or without government on punishment? Again, I am very optimistic that re-education can rescue tens of thousands of kids in tiny Gambia, millions in Nigeria, and how many in your country? It must range from gentle re-education to blunt disparaging of guilty parents, utilising more sane family members, and even re-educating potential victims at a certain age.
If we happen to have solid government partnership, then it can be an institution with vested powers. I have highlighted how politicians tend to care about votes above anything and may not risk tackling guilty parents, even if they happen to be about one percent. We may be lucky to have leaders daring enough to start an independent institution for such, or a strong opposition willing to pass private bills (laws) that will pressure a government towards such. The constitution of the Gambia actually states ‘every citizen has the right to education’, but no administration or opposition leader ever meaningfully helped to ascertain those rights. Since the child cannot fight for such rights, then only an independent institution may help. Otherwise, the text is dangerously interpreted as parents have the right to deny you even education… Explicit abuse is not the only form of abuse. A government or people who encourage semi-explicit abuse or negligence against children is dangerously guilty. Let us reach out to each other and realize the amendments as repentance.
In regard to adults’ literacy programs, we can offer better than what Cuba offered. Again, the narrow interpretation that education is just for work or wealth building is very faulty. Our illiterate parents and grandparents are now using smartphones with advantages and disadvantages. Literacy can help boost their health and even character, Lord be willing. Even two to four hours for three to five days a week can greatly help. In the case of Africa, many are largely gifted with language learning abilities. Preparing great learning materials may need to start with research and development competition of less than a month in verifiable records, then proceed with diverse approaches of the top three agreed methods. I do not want to waste much time on such, because it may be harder to sell. However, it can also save us money like ‘translation time’ and other issues. By using evening and night classes in present schools, we can facilitate enough practice. We can also use TV, Radio, Apps, etc to help speed up the learning journey.
Arabic to reduce Arab influenced ills: In countries like the Gambia, Senegal, and beyond, the indoctrination around Arabic language is indeed challenging. The good news is Arabic is not very difficult as claimed by even Arabs and we can use the Quhr-aahn and common sense to reduce how they overvalue Arabic… Some parents gamble their children and orphans, mainly boys, to these hard camps to learn Arabic in the name of religion. Rather than harsh confrontation, I think we should strive to incorporate some Arabic and Quhr-aahn learning in better ways than how our conventional schools offer. I have Juts Quhr-aahn and other better ways of learning Arabic that can be tested. We also have schools like Academy of Excellence and Al Furqan with verifiable improvements of fast Quhr-aahn learning than traditional hard camps. I think governments can seek funding beyond Arab states, but perhaps caring Arab billionaires if they exist, to help fund this project.
A small discouragement fee and culture of cameras in these classes may help. The poorest working adult should be willing to sacrifice a little to be literate, but can our envisioned NGO or government help at what level of subsidies? Can Al Furqan, Academy of Excellence, etc offer Arabic and Quhr-aahn Adult literacy programs at what costs and under what conditions? I think even government schools can follow suit if we provide enough great material and learning systems. From the driver, watchman, to the cleaner, go for literacy classes or we replace you and start charging you translation fees and double time in some places. You offer a fraction of them low jobs, but I offer all of them learning opportunities and potentially better rewarding jobs…
Again, we will need new learning materials and I can help with that. By offering better options to both children and adults, Arabic literacy can boost conventional learning participation and give harder challenges to misinterpretations. Are there Arab billionaires ready to help for religion+, or are there western+ billionaires who understand a successful Arabic in conventional schools will help kill the hard camps with no or least fights, and rescue millions of kids from hard suffering? Language tends to require practice. So we must raise the dedicated hours to Arabic for a few months at which age to efficiently attain functional Arabic to the average student? Part of it requires research, but Arabic is a consistent language in reading. There are minor adjustments and approaches that can significantly raise fast learning of Arabic to months for literate adults and arguably less than 3 years part time for the kids in our conventional schools. Regardless of your take, the Quhr-aahn through conventional learning can be ‘heaven’ upon earth, reducing ills like drug use and challenging the misinterpretations of students from the hard camp.
Reforms on School Punishment: We must do away with suspensions and expulsions that Westerners+ taught us. Instead, we should have detentions to replace suspensions. We can have transfers to boarding schools as a replacement for expulsions. We can also have things like community services, but never should we indifferently let kids away from the minimal number of hours for schooling. I do not care what you claim suspensions and expulsions ‘served’ for decades or centuries. Lovism is very different from capitalism, so access to education is an undeniable right in Lovism and the responsibility is varyingly from parents to the state or international level.
We have heard people suggesting sterilisation for men convicted of rape, but wrongly convicts exist and questionable women exist, I cautiously disagree. Should we sterilize women+ who defy our child limits or neglect children through DNA verifications above flimsy rape accusations? Those who care about women or questionable women with voting power versus those who care about children for a God who should help us much more?
Decades ago, I wrote a psalm or poem called ‘mystical child’. In that psalm, I clearly indicated children are entrusted to us at levels or layers of security or responsibilities. Meaning, even in finance, each parent is a layer before a partner. So if a child needs thousand dollars a year for education in your country, each parent should be able to afford the total cost because one or both may die. Then family members and society or the state is a different layer of security, including advice and helping needy children. I also mentioned the ‘mystical child can strike at three levels if neg-lec-ted!. At juvenile or teenage strike or problematic child can be far beyond parents; at adulthood can even be repetitive as culprit against children; then on judgment day, as victim, witness, and/or culprit… I have evolved to understand children demands much more than money. So the time dues of the child is hardly debated, because guilty mothers+ fight for only themselves or women. The richest billionaires should not have endless kids or where is time dues per kid and with siblings+? Instead, consider sponsoring orphans and the poor children. We all have only 24hrs, so what is time ch. 103 and the contents of time on children based on standards before your counterparts around the world? Awe! Those who focus or under-serve even their children may not have time for others’ children. So tell Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, Ms. Mackenzie Scott, etc to challenge Arab Billionaires and top politicians towards a higher challenge.
To the Muslims: Ihqrah or learn! Is a commandment by the Lord of the two easts and wests, so woe on to those who look down on any form of learning. I wish I knew it like that, then perhaps I would have respected schooling as worship and bag how many degrees? Well, no need to regret, but to repent and help others where you and I can. Thankful that I beat many PhD holders in some aspects, so learning is beyond formal education, but my little formal education greatly helped or still helping. Further in ch.96 it says, ‘who teaches man what he never knew’, to give him what he never had? So how many conventional schools are now in Saudi Arabia or paying billions to u.s+ for conventional schools or its products? Even your adored kaabah or sacred house in Mecca was rebuilt by students of conventional schools, so only ungrateful Muslims in Nigeria+ disrespect conventional schools.
Challenge to present and ex African+ leaders : Although this article takes a milder tone of ‘worldwide literacy ‘ instead of ‘mandatory education up to age 18 or 20’, I think present African leaders must repent, which means past leaders failed by how much. President Kwame Nkrumah, Mandela, etc failed to think about mandatory education or failed to learn from president Fidel Castro of Cuba? I will not debate you long on that, but why are your present leaders not doing it? Perhaps because you over praise the leaders who neglect many children on even formal education, while educating their children. Do not tell me Ebrima Traore, Faye , or anyone is promising unless they start mandatory education for even the poorest. The living present or ex-leaders of South Africa, Nigeria, or Africa at large can repent at national level or beyond. Introduce laws or help set up foundations better than your western counterparts. Go beyond name carving for yourselves and beyond your country. I suspect the first ladies are guilty of indifference, or can any woman love like Jarga? Oops! Is Jarga sexist or just courting Michelle Obama to help him with Obama; ms. Tinubu on Tinubu; two ms. Barrows and how many ms. Jawaras+ to pressure Barrow +? Either way, God is the ultimate witness that I stand for the most vulnerable children of the Gambia and the world more than your questionable first ladies and their husbands. Is there any journalist who stands for the children and truth like I do and for no money for years? Activists are arguably higher than the journalists and politicians+ we inspire and they neglect or under echo the best of us. Can Mo Ibrahim, Dangote, Youssou Ndure, etc work together like or more than Musicians did for short term famine relief, or like sitting politicians do for good , evil, or questionable good?
AI versus Humans and other vital historical lessons: We can start with what non historians can relate to. We are witnessing billions robbed from humans by Arabs+ through oil overpricing and billions through trust or debts by the u.s to educate AI over humans or what percentage of humans? When a species is looking or banking on other ‘species’ above their own, then percentage and context matter. No matter how much you argue the benefits of AI may be to few or all, do you agree 10% or 25% or xyz of all AI investments should match or be invested towards the children who may learn? I won’t wait for your answer, but let history be a lesson and don’t be a fool or idiot to God or Satan, but choose truth as the safest God worthy of worship. Fear, greed, and arrogance are the enemies in each group before the testing between groups. Indifference to the poor at the personal level or collective level at the national or international level can be gauged or guessed through experience or claims of the questionable media. Do not quickly buy Africa was great before the Arabs or whites came, because if they seeded indifference+ on us by when, then who or how can we undo evil by when? Even if I am assured to score 99% at personal level and Gambia to be ahead of Nigeria and u.s+, I am the type that wants 100% with the God of kindness, including helping Nigerians above the best Nigerians, helping u.s above the best Americans. Helping with truth and love.
As said, AI is not the first blessing in history. We enjoyed many blessings in Africa but when those who respect learning or their poorest more than us came, they benefited from our natural resources and we benefited from their learning and working… The worst of our journalists+ tell us ‘Africa should not suffer because of our resources’, but until we change the song to ‘Africa should not suffer because we respect learning and working opportunities for our poorest…’ then I am not sure what repentance means.
History told us, countless whites+ said, ‘Africa will be great when colonisation was about to formally end…’ Only the type of abusers changed, care never descended, and victims celebrated their abusers like a different type of house negro in the nasty hierarchy of Capitalism+. Within the u.s, before I was born, history taught us they said: ‘Simple technology will reduce human working hours and enrich how many’? There is some truth that technology has reduced human work by what percentage, but how many Americans work two to three jobs to make ends meet or are still poor? Leadership matters and systems matter, or they may claim they do not know how China uplift their poor ones in a short period of time. I think over population was a sin China repented from, but some questionable Africans are still sinning with over population, over gambling children, and spreading it as lies or assets. Can the earth handle fifty billion people with how many robots for each, how many billions of each animal, insects, AI, etc?
History taught us enslaving of blacks or under ten percent of blacks was due to race, but common sense also reveals the nature of people/species matter. Were blacks the least resisting or most fearful until when? Why do blacks+ utilize tame animals differently from wild animals? Reactions matter, not just actions.
History taught us that the u.s did technological transfer to Asia, not Africa. Blame them for that choice, but can Africa initiate, buy, or influence what level of technology ‘transfer’ today? Do you always have to beg or reject your best ones like me and Researchers Access Store (RAS) as an example?
History taught us that after simple technology, robots came. Did they tax robots or did robots change the lives of few versus many in which ways, inside and outside the u.s? Did they give robots to Africa+ after how many decades or you assume they will give much more powerful AI powered robots to Africa by when? Do you know what is enough giving and if Africa continues to grow in quantity, not in quality? Do you know guilty poor also exist, or put cameras in villages and poor cities to reveal refusing to learn (ignorance), lies, and cruelties exist at which levels? Well, the article is about negligence and indifference, but those subranches also exist. Adama Barrow or Tinubu cannot be indifferent to their poorest and claim the west+ should care for poor nations. Barrow and others cannot claim they will not listen to me because I am poor and said rich countries should listen to poor countries. Listening is a right based on ch.103 and good things can come through the poor.
They can collect African resources until God says otherwise, but can they collect the sun I enjoy more than Barrow, Tinubu, or even Trump? Well, I also have personal challenges I wish God takes away. I am thankful that I am uplifting the human mindset or character beyond my borders. So I may enjoy and cannot fear life after death if I care about poor citizens more than the leaders they entrust their lives with. I work less and more in some ways; serve higher in quality and quantity than my days in the west; I enjoy more but financially poorer until God says otherwise. My health fluctuates, but who knows what would have happened if I stayed in the west? I think more important is what God is giving or will give me. Indifference to the poorest is not an option and I refuse to beg to be a minister, diplomat, or have a free room in the state House. Considering my history with Barrow, I am capable of flirting with him to a high position, but I rather work with the God of truth and kindness. If Barrow or xyz wants to join me in the higher lane, then let him or better one call. Until then, I am a witness for or against Barrow, the rich, and even the poor around the world.
Time and space for the children means sacrifice. So let even print media try to accommodate me or write their own. Anything I left out can be debated or you may complain ‘too long’. Summarise your version and mention or link the original article. Your parents were chosen for you, but your country and world was also chosen for a purpose. If you are indifferent to any even at the mindset level, it means God can be indifferent to you or charge you with indifference until you learn. Besides mindset level, your words and actions can help, or your inaction is a witness on standards and compared to which counterparts? How many people are guilty of negligence against the children in your country, continent, and the world then and now? How many are guilty of indifference and will they repent sincerely? Among those who repent, I suspect they must be in levels, because the Lord of atom’s weight cannot be indifferent after seeing diverse efforts? Lord, how am I compared to every Activist, Journalist, leader, ordinary person, Angel, AI, and every spirit towards the children on needed opportunities? May God conquer and realize worldwide literacy and other goods. May God bless Showlove Trinity: let’s learn, let’s work, let’s have fun.
By Jarga Kebba Gigo
An Activist and Transformer
Author of Juts Quhr-aahn
