tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-46225358440660849152024-03-12T23:37:28.791-07:00THE LION'S DENKNOWING THYSELF MATTERS!http://www.blogger.com/profile/03201003998066041446noreply@blogger.comBlogger31125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4622535844066084915.post-89261783347616037382013-12-24T12:05:00.002-08:002013-12-24T12:05:20.557-08:00Joseph Kaifala<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />KNOWING THYSELF MATTERS!http://www.blogger.com/profile/03201003998066041446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4622535844066084915.post-6391458067587593152013-02-14T13:18:00.000-08:002013-02-14T13:18:02.815-08:00If love were...<span style="background-color: white; color: #3d4141; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">If love were...</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #3d4141; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d4141;">If love were in a day </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #3d4141;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d4141;">I will ask the creator for a thousand more </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #3d4141;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d4141;">To quench this loving thirst that dries my lips </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #3d4141;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d4141;">Since last February fourteen </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #3d4141;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d4141;">When my lover beyond mountains flew </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #3d4141;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d4141;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d4141;">If love were in bouquets of flower </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #3d4141;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d4141;">So shall I pray for fertile ground </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #3d4141;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d4141;">Where my heart will blossom </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #3d4141;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d4141;">To fill the world with choking fragrance </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #3d4141;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d4141;">That all lovers may suffocate </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #3d4141;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d4141;">In this wild field of rose </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #3d4141;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d4141;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d4141;">If love were diamond rings </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #3d4141;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d4141;">A Jeweler's shop shall be my throne </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #3d4141;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d4141;">To bind my lover's heart forever </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #3d4141;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d4141;">In this shinny ring of love </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #3d4141;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d4141;">That she may always be my own </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #3d4141;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #3d4141;">Till death do us apart</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #3d4141; font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeueRoman, HelveticaNeue-Roman, 'Helvetica Neue Roman', TeXGyreHerosRegular, Helvetica, Tahoma, Geneva, Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #3d4141; font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', HelveticaNeueRoman, HelveticaNeue-Roman, 'Helvetica Neue Roman', TeXGyreHerosRegular, Helvetica, Tahoma, Geneva, Arial, sans-serif;">-Joseph Kaifala</span>KNOWING THYSELF MATTERS!http://www.blogger.com/profile/03201003998066041446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4622535844066084915.post-42059219527380568632011-03-15T13:10:00.000-07:002011-03-15T13:13:18.923-07:00Joseph Kaifala Interview<div>Please follow the link to watch an interview with me for the student in service award.</div><div><br /></div><a href="http://thepulsenetwork.com/Clip.aspx?cl=pla_630599a8-921d-4ff5-a70f-c1b902397b9b">03-15-11 Joseph Kaifala Interview</a>KNOWING THYSELF MATTERS!http://www.blogger.com/profile/03201003998066041446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4622535844066084915.post-63249650064515810852010-04-26T16:13:00.000-07:002010-04-26T16:27:55.223-07:00Sierra Leone: LION MOUNTAINS<span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12px;"><p title="MsoNormal" align="center" mce_style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center" style="text-align: left;margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">In the womb of Lion Mountains I was conceived</span></span></p><p title="MsoNormal" align="center" mce_style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center" style="text-align: left;margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; "><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">In her absence I have rediscovered myself</span></span></span></p><p title="MsoNormal" align="center" mce_style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center" style="text-align: left;margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; "><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I was forced to leave you motherland</span></span></span></p><p title="MsoNormal" align="center" mce_style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center" style="text-align: left;margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; "><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">But I am strengthened by your blood</span></span></span></p><p title="MsoNormal" align="center" mce_style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center" style="text-align: left;margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; "><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">The blood of freemen mixed with natives</span></span></span></p><p title="MsoNormal" align="center" mce_style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center" style="text-align: left;margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; "><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">On the western side of a continent</span></span></span></p><p title="MsoNormal" align="center" mce_style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center" style="text-align: left;margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; "><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">A home for Africa’s abandoned children</span></span></span></p><p title="MsoNormal" align="center" mce_style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center" style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; "><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span></p><p title="MsoNormal" align="center" mce_style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center" style="text-align: left;margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p title="MsoNormal" align="center" mce_style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center" style="text-align: left;margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; "><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">How I long to coil in your black belly again</span></span></span></p><p title="MsoNormal" align="center" mce_style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center" style="text-align: left;margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; "><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">And smell the aroma of </span></span><i mce_style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">foufou</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> and </span></span><i mce_style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">tola</span></span></i></span></p><p title="MsoNormal" align="center" mce_style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center" style="text-align: left;margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; "><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Cooked with hog-foot and </span></span><i mce_style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">canya</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span><i mce_style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">pepe</span></span></i></span></p><p title="MsoNormal" align="center" mce_style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center" style="text-align: left;margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; "><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">And the tang of Mama Jeneba’s </span></span><i mce_style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">pemahun</span></span></i></span></p><p title="MsoNormal" align="center" mce_style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center" style="text-align: left;margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; "><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Dispersed by the smell of </span></span><i mce_style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">kenda</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> and </span></span><i mce_style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">dry-fish</span></span></i></span></p><p title="MsoNormal" align="center" mce_style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center" style="text-align: left;margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; "><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">To fold my index finger and lick the </span></span><i mce_style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">masangé</span></span></i></span></p><p title="MsoNormal" align="center" mce_style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center" style="text-align: left;margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; "><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">That made me a strong and healthy boy</span></span></span></p><p title="MsoNormal" align="center" mce_style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center" style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; "><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span></p><p title="MsoNormal" align="center" mce_style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center" style="text-align: left;margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p title="MsoNormal" align="center" mce_style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center" style="text-align: left;margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; "><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Land that we love our Sierra Leone</span></span></span></p><p title="MsoNormal" align="center" mce_style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center" style="text-align: left;margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; "><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Where lunch was never salad or sandwich</span></span></span></p><p title="MsoNormal" align="center" mce_style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center" style="text-align: left;margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; "><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">But fine Bo gari and a slice of </span></span><i mce_style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">kanya</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> à la carte</span></span></span></p><p title="MsoNormal" align="center" mce_style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center" style="text-align: left;margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; "><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Where dinner was served at the bottom of a pot</span></span></span></p><p title="MsoNormal" align="center" mce_style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center" style="text-align: left;margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; "><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">As numerous hands competed to feed each owner</span></span></span></p><p title="MsoNormal" align="center" mce_style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center" style="text-align: left;margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; "><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">And the children were left to scrape the </span></span><i mce_style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">krawo</span></span></i></span></p><p title="MsoNormal" align="center" mce_style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center" style="text-align: left;margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; "><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Knowing hands and ages were no fair distributors</span></span></span></p><p title="MsoNormal" align="center" mce_style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center" style="text-align: center;margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; "><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span></p><p title="MsoNormal" align="center" mce_style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center" style="text-align: left;margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p title="MsoNormal" align="center" mce_style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center" style="text-align: left;margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; "><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Land of my humble birth where I belong</span></span></span></p><p title="MsoNormal" align="center" mce_style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center" style="text-align: left;margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; "><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I weep for you in the silence of my night</span></span></span></p><p title="MsoNormal" align="center" mce_style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center" style="text-align: left;margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; "><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Knowing your children struggle for life</span></span></span></p><p title="MsoNormal" align="center" mce_style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center" style="text-align: left;margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; "><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">As you attempt to arise from the ruins of war</span></span></span></p><p title="MsoNormal" align="center" mce_style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center" style="text-align: left;margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; "><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Slowly and painfully your head penetrates the rubble</span></span></span></p><p title="MsoNormal" align="center" mce_style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center" style="text-align: left;margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; "><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Hope and your children pulling you up</span></span></span></p><p title="MsoNormal" align="center" mce_style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center" style="text-align: left;margin-top: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; "><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'times new roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">To manifest your zeal that never tires</span></span></span></p></span>KNOWING THYSELF MATTERS!http://www.blogger.com/profile/03201003998066041446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4622535844066084915.post-88635389188576700452010-03-25T12:48:00.000-07:002010-03-25T12:50:18.637-07:00For the love of God stop the killing!<a href="http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/letters/63279">http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/letters/63279</a>KNOWING THYSELF MATTERS!http://www.blogger.com/profile/03201003998066041446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4622535844066084915.post-21644514982717603372010-02-09T19:20:00.001-08:002010-02-09T19:22:20.336-08:00<!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Madiba</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center">From the forbidden slums of West Africa</p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center">To the sand dunes of the Sahara desert</p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center">And the highest tip of Mount Kilimanjaro</p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center">A dark continent chants your blessed name</p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center">All hail Nelson Madiba Mandela!</p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center">A King we can adorn with gold</p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center">When Africa’s children wailed in pain</p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center">From an iron fist a new king emerged</p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center">To bite off the chains of oppression</p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center">As he awoke in a silent manger</p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center">Where Africa’s leaders laid in pensive gaze</p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center">Like crouching lions beneath the savannah</p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center">All hail Nelson Madiba Mandela!</p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center">Visionary patron of Africa’s freedom</p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center">A warrior’s son who fought with words</p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center">To induce stronger hope in shattered hearts</p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center">Like the voices of Africa’s praise singers</p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center">That calm even the meanest of kings</p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center">All hail Nelson Madiba Mandela</p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center">A Thembu prince from a Xhosa nation</p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center">Rolihlahla the humble prince of peace</p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center">All of Africa adores your royal name </p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center">In your mighty warrior’s fist awakes</p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center">Shaka, Samorie, and Sundiata the Lion King</p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center">Let the rivers flow to the rhythm of you name</p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center">Let the mountains of Africa echo Madiba</p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center">As your voice consumes our fears</p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center">To brace ourselves for the battle ahead</p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center">Singing hymns of praise to our father</p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><i>Bayete a-a-a,</i><span style="font-style:normal"> Nelson Madiba Mandela</span></p> <!--EndFragment-->KNOWING THYSELF MATTERS!http://www.blogger.com/profile/03201003998066041446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4622535844066084915.post-16744717854158478712010-01-21T10:10:00.000-08:002010-01-21T10:10:27.240-08:00Pambazuka - The rule of law even when it is inconvenient<a href="http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/comment/61615">Pambazuka - The rule of law even when it is inconvenient</a>KNOWING THYSELF MATTERS!http://www.blogger.com/profile/03201003998066041446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4622535844066084915.post-45911353711001211462009-11-28T09:26:00.000-08:002009-11-28T09:28:52.886-08:00St. Joseph Secondary School Speech<p title="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;" mce_style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt; LINE-replaced: 150%; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span style="" mce_style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB" lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Cambria;">To those who doubted our resilience and to those who had very little faith in a few determined US college students, and also to those who were resolved to undermine the efforts of a few honest people, we prove that this land was once referred to as the Athens of West Africa.<span style="" mce_style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>We present here today a testament to our resilience and determination to re-brand Sierra Leone a fountain of education in Africa! Let us rejoice as we unveil the newly constructed St. Joseph’s Senior Secondary School!<span style="" mce_style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></span></span></span></p> <p title="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;" mce_style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt; LINE-replaced: 150%; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span style="" mce_style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB" lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Cambria;">A few weeks ago we were faced with the dilemma of whether to continue the construction or whether to terminate the project altogether.<span style="" mce_style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Some of us were disappointed by the behaviour of a few dishonest people, and others among us were disgruntled by the mentality and attitudes of many of our fellow citizens.<span style="" mce_style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>There were sufficient reasons to discontinue what we have just completed, but as a Christian and a fervent believer in the power of education, I could not let a dishonest few become an obstacle to the future of our children.<span style="" mce_style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Everyday I pray for the Lord to forgive my sins as I forgive those who trespass against me.<span style="" mce_style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>What kind of a believer would I be if I cannot do for my brothers and sisters what I constantly call on the Lord to do for me? <span style="" mce_style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>As we render our supplications unto the Lord, so too must we be willing to render unto our brothers and sisters what we require of our God.<span style="" mce_style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></span></span></span></p> <p title="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;" mce_style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt; LINE-replaced: 150%; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span style="" mce_style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB" lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Cambria;">There is a beautiful dialogue between Abraham and the Lord in the book of Genesis, chapter 19:1-16, when Abraham becomes aware of God’s intention to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah.<span style="" mce_style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>After hearing God’s plan, Abraham approached the Lord and said: “Lord, will you sweep away both the righteous and the wicked?”<span style="" mce_style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>“Suppose you find fifty righteous people living there in the city, will you still sweep it away and not spare it for their sake?” “Surely you won’t do such a thing, destroying the righteous along with the wicked.<span style="" mce_style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Why, you will be treating the righteous and the wicked exactly the same! Surely you won’t do that!” And the Lord replied, “If I find fifty righteous people in Sodom, I will spare the entire city for their sake.”<span style="" mce_style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Abraham said: “but Lord, what if there are only forty-five righteous folks?”<span style="" mce_style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>And the Lord assured Abraham that he would surely not do such a thing.<span style="" mce_style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Abraham went down in fives until he came down to ten righteous folks, and the Lord continued to assure him likewise.<span style="" mce_style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I am no reverend, but what I intend to illustrate is that just as none among us will neglect his farm because of a few troublesome weeds, we shall never abandon our children’s education simply because a few people among us would rather selfishly squander what we toil so hard to achieve.<span style="" mce_style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>We are gathered here today to show the detractors that nothing can stand in the way of even a small group of people determined to work for the common good!</span></span></span></p> <p title="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;" mce_style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt; LINE-replaced: 150%; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span style="" mce_style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB" lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Cambria;">A few weeks ago, President Barack Obama of the United States of America, himself of African descent, spoke to his African brothers and sisters from Accra, Ghana.<span style="" mce_style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Apart from the symbolic choice of Ghana as a beacon of Africa’s freedom, the country is also serving as an exemplary of what our aspirations for the government of the people, by the people, and for the people can become.<span style="" mce_style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>While the sound of democracy may transmit shivers into the hearts of Africa’s despots and totalitarians, it is in fact our only hope for progress and development.<span style="" mce_style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The West can render us every possible service we deem necessary, but the only way we can transcend the current shades of extreme poverty, disease, and general underdevelopment is to embrace the good governance that is the stepchild of democracy, and to commit ourselves to a culture of self-reliance, good neighbourliness and community service.<span style="" mce_style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>It is out of such keen observations that President Obama recently committed the future of Africa into the hands of Africans.<span style="" mce_style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>In similar spirit then, I call on all young Sierra Leoneans to share the responsibilities of our nation’s future.<span style="" mce_style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>For in your hands, not with presidents or cabinet ministers, lies the obligation to fulfil the responsibilities of our freedom papers and to face the challenges of our shared destiny.<span style="" mce_style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></span></span></span></p> <p title="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;" mce_style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt; LINE-replaced: 150%; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span style="" mce_style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB" lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Cambria;">A few weeks ago I served as a Tom Lantos US Congressional Fellow.<span style="" mce_style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I was very fortunate to be a frontline observer of President Obama’s first six months in office.<span style="" mce_style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>President Obama made several remarkable appearances during my tenure as a Lantos Fellow in Washington DC, but it was his first address to the joint houses of Congress that left an indelible mark on my life. <span style="" mce_style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The address was a reaffirmation of his beliefs and devotion to the promise of change in America.<span style="" mce_style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>But the most important message for me was his admonition to American students never to quit.<span style="" mce_style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I wish I had a President, when I was growing up, to remind me of my duties as a young democratic citizen; a president that could buttress my juvenile ambitions with unwavering moral guidance.<span style="" mce_style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>However, I was lucky to have a father who taught me never to quit, albeit not in those words. <span style="" mce_style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>My father taught me that education is the only legacy that cannot be taken away from an individual.<span style="" mce_style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>To quit, therefore, is an abandonment of one’s duty to self, to family and to society at large.<span style="" mce_style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Even though a commitment never to quit can be a difficult decision in a country like Sierra Leone, the alternative is worst for the individual, the family, the community and the country at large. <span style="" mce_style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Democracy is a worthless ideal if the vast majority of our country remains uneducated and divided against each other on regional and tribal markers. </span></span></span></p> <p title="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;" mce_style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt; LINE-replaced: 150%; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span style="" mce_style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB" lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Cambria;">I have enjoyed working with you over the past few months, but I will not relent to say that I was disappointed in those of you who, even in good faith, queried me about choosing to build this school in Northern Sierra Leone instead of in the South-East, my own region of origin.<span style="" mce_style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I will never forget Pendembu, my hometown, but the education of Sierra Leone transcends all regional, religious, ethnic or fraternal lines; it is a matter of shared national obligation and social duty.<span style="" mce_style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Just as our common nationality was the sole agenda of our founding fathers, so too should our development be a matter of from each according to his ability and to each according to his needs. <span style="" mce_style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Sir Milton Margai’s militancy was not for Mendeland or Krioland neither was Pademba’s generosity limited to an especial group of Sierra Leoneans.<span style="" mce_style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>From the province of Freedom to the Lion Mountains, Sierra Leoneans have always been their brothers’ keeper.<span style="" mce_style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></span></span></span></p> <p title="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;" mce_style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt; LINE-replaced: 150%; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span style="" mce_style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB" lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Cambria;">I have made several contributions to the reconstruction of this country since the end of the civil war, but I am particularly excited about the course of education.<span style="" mce_style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>There is nothing more important to the development of a nation than education. Like Nelson Mandela, I believe that “education is the greatest engine of personal development. It is through education that the daughter of a peasant can become a doctor, that the son of a mine worker can become the head of the mine, that the child of farm workers can become the president of a great nation.”<span style="" mce_style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>To the future students of St. Joseph’s Secondary School, I admonish you to take your education seriously. The onus is with you now.<span style="" mce_style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I grew up in Sierra Leone and Liberia during two of the most brutal civil wars of contemporary history.<span style="" mce_style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Children like you were conscripted to fight and kill even before they knew how to spell their names, women and their daughters were raped, many men were compelled by circumstances to commit some of the most heinous atrocities of our history, and children as young as six months old had their hands chopped off by rebels using machetes.<span style="" mce_style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>At a very young age, I was arrested with my father by Charles Taylor`s National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL) rebels and incarcerated on the outskirt of Voinjama, Liberia.<span style="" mce_style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>It was the first time I came face to face with torture, starvation and death.<span style="" mce_style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>That experience instantly transformed my young heart into the heart of a man determined to live through each dark day with fervent hope.<span style="" mce_style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I never had the luxury of quitting! </span></span></span></p> <p title="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;" mce_style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt; LINE-replaced: 150%; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span style="" mce_style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB" lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Cambria;">To the parents, I will not disregard the difficulties of educating your children in a country like ours, but you must never quit simply because the child could generate more immediate cash by selling mangoes and cold water.<span style="" mce_style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>While an extra cash of two thousand Leones could save a family for a day, imagine that your child could be the next teacher, Lawyer, doctor or Agricultural researcher that saved a nation.<span style="" mce_style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Silver and Gold I do not have, but education is the testimony of my successes.<span style="" mce_style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>And to those parents who think that support for a child’s education ends with paying the school fees, I say please do more.<span style="" mce_style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>School fees only secure your child a space in the classroom; keeping him/her there is your parental duty.<span style="" mce_style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Let us make this thought a part of our decisions to bear children, for education is no less a fundamental human right.<span style="" mce_style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></span></span></span></p> <p title="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;" mce_style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt; LINE-replaced: 150%; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span style="" mce_style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB" lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Cambria;">Finally, let me extend my thanks and appreciation to my mother Tewa Kaifala—a woman who gave her all to guarantee my education.<span style="" mce_style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Even as a single parent living in a refugee camp with four children, she made sure we all got as much education as she could afford.<span style="" mce_style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I thank the Assistant Directors of the Jeneba Project: Liat Krawczyk and Peter S. Brock; without their indefatigable work this school would not have been possible.<span style="" mce_style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I also thank my friends Anthony Mancilla, David Gettens and Andrew Mancilla who have been very vital to the realization of this dream.<span style="" mce_style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>My gratitude goes to my family for their enormous sacrifices and patience.<span style="" mce_style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I thank my uncle Mr. Sahr J. Tolno, my brother Francis, my sisters Hawa, Amie and Watta.<span style="" mce_style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></span></span></span></p> <p title="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;" mce_style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt; LINE-replaced: 150%; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span style="" mce_style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB" lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Cambria;">Let me also take this opportunity to thank members of the Jeneba Project, especially Professors Michael and Catherine Golden-Marx—the two have not only been fervent supporters of the Jeneba Project since its inception , they have also treated me like a son ever since we met.<span style="" mce_style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>My appreciation also goes to Jesse and Emmet Golden-Marx—two young Americans who heard the story of Sierra Leone and devoted extraordinary time and energy to making sure education becomes a fundamental human right for children here.<span style="" mce_style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>My appreciation also goes to Professor Kate Graney of Skidmore College, who has also offered extraordinary moral and financial backing to me personally and to the Jeneba Project.<span style="" mce_style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></span></span></span></p> <p title="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;" mce_style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt; LINE-replaced: 150%; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span style="" mce_style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB" lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Cambria;">To all those who have rendered extraordinary services to make this project a success, I say thank you.<span style="" mce_style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>My heartfelt gratitude goes to the Small Scripture Group of the Church of St. Peter in Saratoga Springs, the Congregation as a whole, Humanity in Action, Seventh Generation Inc, Sierra Leone Now, the United World Colleges, Susan E. Wagner High School, Irvington High School, Sierra Leone Now, Skidmore College and the Staff and students of St. Joseph Secondary School, Masoila.<span style="" mce_style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Let me also extend my appreciation to all the contractors, especially Joseph Penikin.<span style="" mce_style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>A special thank you to Fr. Edwin, Mr. Sesay, Ms. Kotio, Mr. Atto, Mr. Bendu and the Krawczyk family.<span style="" mce_style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>To all those whose names have not been mentioned, I say thank you to you, too.<span style="" mce_style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></span></span></span></p> <p title="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;" mce_style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt; LINE-replaced: 150%; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span style="" mce_style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB" lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Cambria;">To the young generation of Sierra Leoneans, Let me leave you with the words of Sir Milton Margai on the occasion of our independence.<span style="" mce_style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Work hard, for you are the future leaders of your country.<span style="" mce_style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>We endeavour to lay traditions of which you must be proud.<span style="" mce_style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>It will be for you to unhold them and to build upon them in the future.<span style="" mce_style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></span></span></span></p> <p title="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;" mce_style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt; LINE-replaced: 150%; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span style="" mce_style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB" lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Cambria;">I Thank you!</span></span></span></p> <p title="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: justify;" mce_style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt; LINE-replaced: 150%; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span style="" mce_style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB" lang="EN-GB"></span> </p> <span style="" mce_style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB" lang="EN-GB"></span>KNOWING THYSELF MATTERS!http://www.blogger.com/profile/03201003998066041446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4622535844066084915.post-67695517758057404462009-10-11T18:30:00.000-07:002009-10-11T18:35:14.733-07:00Manifesto #1: Female Circumcision Must Go<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;">History helps human societies maintain the things of the past, which they can cling to for the future, and those they can safely cast into the bottomless ditches of obsolete traditions. The confidence of societies in determining the things they can keep, improve, or delete altogether is called progress. Progress or more appropriately ‘learning from history,’ is necessary for societies for the casual fact that we are prone to mistakes, prejudices, biases or uncontrolled changes in society. Sometimes the factors that led to a certain truth simply disappear. Nowadays, incessant improvements in technology, globalization and affordable education grant us the opportunity to do things in more facile manners, identify our individual errors, or merely jump on the bandwagon of globally accepted norms; why not? </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">It is with such ideas of progress that I declare the practice of female circumcision obsolete and unnecessary in Sierra Leone in particular and Africa especially. This is not a question of denigrating Sierra Leonean traditions and the long social services that the institution of circumcision rendered to our people; it is a matter of progress and human rights as required by our participation in the global community, especially the United Nations. The use of culture and tradition in the twenty-first century to rationalize the unnecessary removal of the female clitoris is a sign of our refusal to embrace the teachings of history and to accept the progress our country clearly needs. Apart from the usual blind cultural nonsense we use to defend our unwillingness to change, no one in Sierra Leone can truly explain the contemporary necessity of clitoridetomy. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">Some even argue without the slightest hesitation that female circumcision is intended to prevent promiscuity in women. While this is a good intension, promiscuity is however not some exclusive female syndrome. In fact we all know that women are not the most promiscuous in Sierra Leone. But to prove this further, it is arguable that among all the ethnic groups of Sierra Leone, the Krios are less promiscuous, and they don’t even practice female circumcision. In a behavioral sense, there is nothing that an uncircumcised Creole girl does in the streets of Freetown today that is not done by a circumcised Temne or Mende girl. One sex cannot be blamed for the debauchery of society. As a Nigerian comedian puts it, ‘there are two things involved.’ Or as the good lord himself says, ‘let he who is without sin cast the first stone.’ </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">Another argument that sounds credible, if it was made in the middle ages, is that female circumcision is hygienic and prevents stench in women. Well, wouldn’t the simplest solution be bathing! We do not scrape the skin off our armpit or heinously cut off our arms simply because our armpits sometimes produce odor. There are other unpleasant analogies of secreting body parts we could remove, but I’ll leave that to our individual imaginations. The rational truth is that there is nothing female circumcision can do for the clitoris that cannot be done in modern hospitals, if need be. Globalization has granted me the opportunity to move around a little, and having lived among both the circumcised and uncircumcised of the earth, I cannot attest to any pungent stench in one that is not in the other, depending on their sanitation routine. If religion, which is more fundamental than culture, recommends ablution to deal with our bodily impurities, why can’t our common sense catapult us beyond the laziness of cultural excuses? </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">My dilemma with this issue had always been the admirable fact that before the advent of colonialism, and with it Western institutions, the bondo, Sande, Poro etc. served as our educational institutions where the elders of our societies as carriers of the goods of our past transmitted vital elements of savior-vivre to adolescents. Our elders, as trustees of our societies, scrutinized the elements of their time and transmitted the things that were absolutely necessary for the preservation of their kind. The variables of these teachings change from generation to generation, and it becomes imperative for the current generation to lay conscious foundations for the next. But if you don’t, I hope you would have better explanations for your daughters than the defeatist haven of culture and tradition. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;">I am aware of the fact that there are those among my people who would quickly taunt me for being brainwashed by Western ideas and ideologies. By all means I accept, but if you are reading this, so are you. If we accept Western education, Western-styled parliaments, Christian names, Western suits other than pihuin, some even reject their languages, and so on and so forth, then we have to use them to better our societies not damage them further. It is my patriotic duty to condemn the decadent aspects of my country while promoting the good. It is not enough, as the national anthem compels us, to pray that ‘no harm on thy children may fall.’ We must always employ the entirety of our devotion, strength and might to stand for her rights. Only then shall we be truthful to the ‘land that we love, our Sierra Leone.’ </span><br /></div>KNOWING THYSELF MATTERS!http://www.blogger.com/profile/03201003998066041446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4622535844066084915.post-34790910775666702712009-04-17T09:47:00.000-07:002009-04-17T09:48:01.239-07:00Special Court of Sierra Leone Delivers!<div align="justify">There is a popular saying in Sierra Leone that there are ninety-nine days for a thief and one day for the master. Three former leaders of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) rebel group, Issa Sesay, Morris Kallon and Augustine Gbao, have outlived their ninety-nine days glory and landed in the master’s court. The <a href="http://www.sc-sl.org/HOME/tabid/53/Default.aspx">Special Court of Sierra Leone</a>, a United Nations mandated court, has sentenced the trio to a total of nearly 120 years in prison for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the 1996-2001 period of the decade-long civil war in Sierra Leone. Issa Sesay was sentenced to 52 years, Morris Kallon to 40 years and Augustine Gbao to 25 years. Even though the war lasted from 1991-2001, the Special Court of Sierra Leone was only mandated to try those who bear the greatest responsibility for serious violations of international humanitarian law and Sierra Leonean law committed in the territory of Sierra Leone since November 30, 1996.<br /><br />The conviction of the trio may not seem extraordinary seven years after the end of the war, but for most Sierra Leoneans, it serves as a milestone in the process of reconciliation and rehabilitation. Reconciliation has been very successful among ordinary Sierra Leoneans; those who were merely executing orders from their commanders and those who were victims of that macabre moment in our national history. Although most Sierra Leoneans would agree that we were all victims, one way or another, there was need for a human face responsible for the horrors of our past. The sentence serves as justice for our victimization and as lesson for other African leaders that the days of impunity are coming to a close.<br /><br />The fact that the civil war descended into a summary blood bath in which we were all spilling each other’s blood made it difficult to recognize individual perpetuators beyond Foday Saybana Sankoh of the RUF, Sam Hinga Norman of the Civil Defense Force (CDF), and Charles Taylor of the National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL). The death or disappearance of RUF’s Sam Bockarie, a.k.a Mosquito, Johnny Paul Koroma of the Armed Forces Revolutionary Front (AFRC), and the subsequent deaths of Foday Sankor and Hinga Norman during the Special Court trials made it seem like justice for war crimes in Sierra Leone was a futile endeavor. Many Sierra Leoneans lost expectations and patience for the slow pace of the process, especially because they needed to proceed with their normal lives in a shattered country.<br /><br />Apart from Charles Taylor who is now facing eleven charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity at The Hague, where he is accused of backing rebels responsible for widespread atrocities in Sierra Leone, Issa Sesay, Morris Kallon and Augustine Gbao are the three most responsible people for the decade of rape, amputation and summary killings in Sierra Leone. The conviction comes at a time when community reconciliation among ordinary Sierra Leoneans is almost complete, and past atrocities can now be written into the memorial scrolls of our dark days. Justice can never be attained for the thousands of people who lost their lives, victims of rape and torture, and those who got their limbs hacked off. However, we must accept the price of our collective failures and proceed with the process of reconstruction for a better future.<br /><br />The conviction does not only guarantee that our suffering was not entirely in vain, it also serves as a warning to other African leaders that it is no longer acceptable to ignore human rights and International Law in the name of meaningless revolutions. We hope the International Criminal Court will expedite the Taylor case and allow us to move on altogether. Sierra Leoneans are tired of constant reminders of their victimization by the everlasting process of trying those responsible for the massacre, rape, and amputation of thousands of innocent civilians. </div>KNOWING THYSELF MATTERS!http://www.blogger.com/profile/03201003998066041446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4622535844066084915.post-62501234720448170702009-01-06T07:29:00.000-08:002009-01-06T07:30:23.571-08:00Sierra Leoneans Reflect on War<div align="justify">On January 6th, 2009, Sierra Leoneans commemorate the tenth anniversary of the Revolutionary United Front rebel invasion of Freetown, the capital. The invasion which attracted a long overdue international intervention in the civil war was one of the bloodiest and most destructive battles. For over a month, RUF rebels, ECOMOG peacekeepers and militia loyal to the government of Tijan Kabbah fought for the control of Freetown. Thousands of people were killed, amputated or raped. Residential houses and public buildings were burned down or destroyed by rebels and ECOMOG aerial bombardment.<br /><br />On October 22nd, 1999, the United Nations Security Council established the United Nations Armed Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) to cooperate with the government of Tijan Kabbah and the Revolutionary United Front in implementing the Lome Peace Agreement and to assist in the implementation of the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration program. By May 2000, the authorized strength of UNAMSIL comprised 17,500 military personnel, including 260 military observers. The kidnapping of almost 500 UNAMSIL military personnel by RUF rebels, however, called for the involvement of a stronger international force. The British responded by deploying the 1st. Battalion Parachute Regiment in May 2000. The operation was code-named Palliser. <br /><br />Skirmishes between rebels and peacekeepers continued until the disarmament process was completed at the end of 2001. The decade long civil war was declared over on January 18th, 2002. Sierra Leoneans who survived the war still live with tremendous scars in what is viewed as the poorest country in the world. But as Sierra Leoneans reflect on the progress of their country a decade after the massacre of January 1999, we are reminded of a Sierra Leonean proverb that states that ‘a man who wages war in his living room and breaks his furniture must learn to squat on bare ground.’ We fought each other for a decade and destroyed every fabric of our country without achieving any productive outcome. A look at the country today reveals that we killed each other in vain. There are no significant socio-political changes and the country remains a replica of past failures.<br /><br />Sierra Leone has secured a permanent position at the bottom of the United Nations Human Development Indices. According to a recent <a href="http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1842278-1,00.html">Time Magazine</a> report, Sierra Leone currently has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world. There are only sixty-four government doctors in a country of more than six million people. Most Sierra Leoneans would readily argue that political corruption is one of the reasons we went to war. But recent accountability indices illustrate that we have learned nothing from the consequences of past prebendary and clientelist institutions of governance. Sierra Leone is still at the low end of <a href="http://www.transparency.org/news_room/in_focus/2008/cpi2008/cpi_2008_table">Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index. </a> The mentality of public service in Sierra Leone remains what former President Siaka Steven poignantly instituted as usai you tie goat nah dae e dae eat—a goat grazes where it is tied. <br /><br />What is heart-wrecking about the situation in Sierra Leone is that the common people remain victims whether during war or peace time. The reality is that most of the poor socio-economic conditions that culminated into civil war are reemerging in society. While it is no longer likely that Sierra Leoneans would take up arms anytime soon, it is also not advisable to test their patience. If the poverty is not revealing enough, local musicians continue to remind people of the socio-economic deprivation and systemic failure of political leadership. Emmerson, in his popular song Swegbe, declares that Sierra Leoneans are tired of listening to long political speeches. It is time for action!<br /><br />As the nation reflects on the horrors of the past, it must make serious commitments to improving the future. Sierra Leoneans must work together to tackle the cankerous corruption that is constantly undermining the fabric of national aspirations. Political leaders must apply total transparency in governance and public affairs. Sierra Leone has most of the resources it needs to survive; what it needs now is better management and leaders who put the interest of the people first. </div>KNOWING THYSELF MATTERS!http://www.blogger.com/profile/03201003998066041446noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4622535844066084915.post-83247268630536787872008-12-31T14:01:00.001-08:002008-12-31T14:06:20.354-08:00RESOLUTION 2009<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgelvumqgATe5lTiFgAAvQsC4Nn2Vd9l-q0nFiRTPwHhrn4432Wq4X7ww0ykp5Az_TwuQKbqCNZtiv_OCRtERo8_byZvkY_3w805Z3IFgj18nKMTwr3hIZVxLts_u1X89VMTrPpAK-fnEs/s1600-h/DSC00629.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5286078068122580978" style="WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgelvumqgATe5lTiFgAAvQsC4Nn2Vd9l-q0nFiRTPwHhrn4432Wq4X7ww0ykp5Az_TwuQKbqCNZtiv_OCRtERo8_byZvkY_3w805Z3IFgj18nKMTwr3hIZVxLts_u1X89VMTrPpAK-fnEs/s400/DSC00629.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="justify">It is that time of the year again when we make resolutions for the coming year. The only problem is that some of us realize we are pledging the same resolutions we made for the past year. Whether it concerns the end of our smoking or drinking habits, a new job, better behavior, or bigger matters such as world peace and the end of poverty, most of us find ourselves making recycled declarations tonight. Champaign, of course, brings out the better of us!<br /><br />However, I would like to take this opportunity to make a New Year resolution for those who see the whole process of wish-making as a waste of precious time they could spend preserving their lives. The people of Somalia have resolved to remain silent and hope that the New Year will be quiet. We have sworn Never Again, but the people of Darfur no longer care what we swear. The dwellers of the dusty quarters of Afghanistan will throw no ball or fireworks. My resolution is not to think of Baghdad tonight. I get this gangrene whenever Iraq is mentioned. We all know how impossible it is to end a year without a showdown in Palestine. Yes, they know you won’t see anything beyond the discount in the gift shop.<br /><br />The people of Northern Uganda do not know it’s already a New Year. They have no time to sleep; they cannot know that the Old Year has passed and a New Year has come. It is all a very long day for them. Let’s make different resolutions tonight, then. Let us resolve that by this time next year, we are not repeating the same wishes we are yelling tonight. We must also remember to wish for those who cannot wish tonight.<br /><br />My New Year resolution is that you will begin to care for those who are struggling to preserve their lives all over the world. Let us wish for tolerance, love and peace in this New Year! </div>KNOWING THYSELF MATTERS!http://www.blogger.com/profile/03201003998066041446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4622535844066084915.post-58736765681205515152008-10-21T11:13:00.000-07:002008-10-21T11:24:59.952-07:00Skidmore We Rejoice To Sing Thy Praise!<div align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnjrNi-cHjsCqKuQ6_LoMkO3WjWfGmUNf3l-ElpMwkjlfNHnGjUP1qqmXizQQDotVbOoEXo2QXD3R8dFVucIFiKn3IuHDkYK-xyNxbd_Jv4U-Kjnd4Bul_jZ7Rk65oTuS2xszsVTZ1iKM/s1600-h/DSC01820.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5259674337043010914" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnjrNi-cHjsCqKuQ6_LoMkO3WjWfGmUNf3l-ElpMwkjlfNHnGjUP1qqmXizQQDotVbOoEXo2QXD3R8dFVucIFiKn3IuHDkYK-xyNxbd_Jv4U-Kjnd4Bul_jZ7Rk65oTuS2xszsVTZ1iKM/s400/DSC01820.JPG" border="0" /></a>Life has been particularly beautiful these past few days. I have been mostly reconnecting and coming into contact with my past lives. I passed through New York City where I attended the tenth anniversary service of Humanity in Action and spent some moments with Liat and other recent Skidmore graduates of my class year. It was nice to share stories with members of my grade who are also trying to create a niche in the so-called Real World. I enjoyed the words of consolation and hope for what the most recent public parlance refers to as ‘bailout.’<br /><br />I am now at Skidmore where the reconnection is even better. It has been very exhausting trying to update everyone on my most recent activities, but it is a pleasure to be at home. In the life of a professional vagabond, home is where friends are. When I walk around Skidmore, I relive four years of toiling hard and ripping the most of the opportunities I was granted.<br /><br />I am giving a public lecture on Thursday at 7pm in Ladd 206 relating to African development. I hope to share my two-penny worth of knowledge with my eager friends here. I have done quite a few public speaking, but at Skidmore, I am guaranteed love even when I blunder. I shall endeavor to give love in return!<br /><br /><br /><div align="justify"></div></div>KNOWING THYSELF MATTERS!http://www.blogger.com/profile/03201003998066041446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4622535844066084915.post-9236387918752236972008-09-29T19:41:00.000-07:002009-04-17T09:59:04.996-07:00AMO, ERGO SUM<div align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC0jAKYb0cRAFu-LJFqagmj-AzStnqRTdjTN5BCgQEm6kiZAcX411L0XxeSXovVsfI0GTCHnlRxRz_CNfaofBZrTiwU41apoBd5ApfTnfWwtulku0mauyaD-NBjaHhM6EDQRlV2NR7Tko/s1600-h/DSC01939.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5251639688119245410" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC0jAKYb0cRAFu-LJFqagmj-AzStnqRTdjTN5BCgQEm6kiZAcX411L0XxeSXovVsfI0GTCHnlRxRz_CNfaofBZrTiwU41apoBd5ApfTnfWwtulku0mauyaD-NBjaHhM6EDQRlV2NR7Tko/s320/DSC01939.JPG" border="0" /></a>We know how to use love, but most of us do not yet know how to love. This simple word has been the puzzle of most pundits, poets and philosophers since time immemorial. The fundamental question on my mind is whether love of one’s wife should be the same as love of one’s child, one’s friend, one’s enemy, other animals and God. Is this four letter word the same when applied to any one of the various entities or should we make distinctions?<br /><br />I do not think the meaning of love is universal, just as we do not onto our wives as we do onto our enemies, who we must also love in accordance with most scriptures. But what matters is the fundamental basis of love: lack of hate, no prejudice, compassion, altruistic, respect for the other, and the capacity to share in the joy and pain of others.<br /><br />If one were to love the Gandhian way, their heart would be incapable of any distinctions among the beloved. If we are to be lovers of God, his options would be either to remain alone or make the whole world a beloved. That is to say that there is no distinction between love for God and love of the world. Since we do not see God, at least not physically, as far as I know, is it then possible that it makes sense to love each other as we would love a god?<br /></div><div align="justify"><br />It is written in the Bible that we should love our neighbours as ourselves, which in essence means we shall not not love ourselves. Therefore selfishness is a virtue…to love ourselves so much that we are willing to love others as much. Is it then possible that we could over come many fears by simply loving? Gandhi held a firm conviction that we could convert our greatest enemies by love. This idea resonates the turning of the other cheek and letting the coat thief have thy cloak too.<br /><br />No matter what your beliefs or ideals, learn to love; you shall no longer need any other commandments. For J.C. himself said that love is the greatest commandment of them all. While we might not know exactly what the word means, in Gandhi’s words, love can make a friend of even a sworn enemy. So, as you face your battles in life, remember to wear the armor of love...for that alone shall protect you. </div>KNOWING THYSELF MATTERS!http://www.blogger.com/profile/03201003998066041446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4622535844066084915.post-17969548836527613492008-08-22T21:35:00.000-07:002008-08-22T21:38:43.846-07:00Poverty<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwa9mzuD5h5YjSWY-dCbQHR_Hx-b368TGEoIK6UGEqj8RpowXyBU00hBvsOQakBlyDuPwGXmfmMONT-9u3MPnFmmV1oCgXZBj72muSGglZ0le6UViEsgPt1w7zK1Xd0IsA0KT3yxYTsHw/s1600-h/DSC00568.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5237567568122750082" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwa9mzuD5h5YjSWY-dCbQHR_Hx-b368TGEoIK6UGEqj8RpowXyBU00hBvsOQakBlyDuPwGXmfmMONT-9u3MPnFmmV1oCgXZBj72muSGglZ0le6UViEsgPt1w7zK1Xd0IsA0KT3yxYTsHw/s400/DSC00568.JPG" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:130%;">Allow not yourself to be poor<br />A degrading key to misery’s door<br />It sucks the man in human<br />And leaves the soul in demand<br /><br />Lord, if I desire to be poor<br />Let not your light shine at my door<br />But if this be not my fault</span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;">Punish me not by default<br /></span></div><div align="center"><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></div>KNOWING THYSELF MATTERS!http://www.blogger.com/profile/03201003998066041446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4622535844066084915.post-64390797537371394652008-08-19T23:55:00.000-07:002008-08-20T00:02:07.482-07:00SERVANTS OF THE EARTH<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJpaZqYt40K_i5NoyJivOAdnt31yobBz177v5MGBkeQ-qx4gefPDmzc4nwQxTDMftPllRBvvLz4165-v1hZNL-QngQAFAgcWmBxHv3SnkJXngGq88zjCWZhXUzhIcOz5pvoTD3mpvE6is/s1600-h/DSC01789.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5236491381914203730" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 475px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" height="300" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJpaZqYt40K_i5NoyJivOAdnt31yobBz177v5MGBkeQ-qx4gefPDmzc4nwQxTDMftPllRBvvLz4165-v1hZNL-QngQAFAgcWmBxHv3SnkJXngGq88zjCWZhXUzhIcOz5pvoTD3mpvE6is/s400/DSC01789.JPG" width="415" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="center"><strong>Indentured servants of the earth<br />Loving it as a whole<br />To let it serve all as one<br />And take only as needs be<br />What blessings it has to offer<br />For all of humanity<br /><br /></div></strong>KNOWING THYSELF MATTERS!http://www.blogger.com/profile/03201003998066041446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4622535844066084915.post-66224706168657909442008-08-06T16:45:00.000-07:002008-08-18T12:41:42.974-07:00World Peace<div align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwQg-Gr9lLc-jDiFwXowN5WZ1Luq5LyRj37CDDsF3gtKCuDpOlFAiJMJLZJUaBiJiNazT68PEm9Xol8JluuGT97OHqIj2-YO8bdQJel3_HL-Si0iaKK9cgPu3ky-rj7p3-Y8KcQ6jc8XQ/s1600-h/DSC01896.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231555433007358114" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwQg-Gr9lLc-jDiFwXowN5WZ1Luq5LyRj37CDDsF3gtKCuDpOlFAiJMJLZJUaBiJiNazT68PEm9Xol8JluuGT97OHqIj2-YO8bdQJel3_HL-Si0iaKK9cgPu3ky-rj7p3-Y8KcQ6jc8XQ/s320/DSC01896.JPG" border="0" /></a> A friend of mine asked me recently whether I believe that World Peace is really possible. I responded in a very jovial manner that I was not contesting for Miss Congeniality, but I love peace. In any case I took the question very seriously because apart from those contesting for miss this-and-that beauty pageant, even our politicians and nongovernmental organizations seem to chant World Peace whenever the opportunity presents itself. I have used it a few times…we all do every now and then; I mean the good guys.<br /><br />Do I believe World Peace is possible? I have too much faith in humanity not to believe that we are capable of peace just as we are capable of evil. However, we must not equate world peace with an absence of skirmishes; we cannot survive without little misunderstandings that can lead to a disturbance of the peace. My hope is that in a peaceful world, we would be capable of finding humane solutions to our problems.<br /><br />People often cite heartless brutes like Hitler to make a point that humans are not all that good. Point uncontestable, but we must also remember that while Hitler was on his mission to extinguish whatever was not Aryan, a slim fellow named Mahatma Gandhi was on a mission to unite the world with love even for one’s enemy. My point is that world peace remains impossible because not many of us believe in it. Evil doers are often determined to achieve their aims, while the good give up all too easily in the face of bigotry.<br /><br />Ghandi teaches us that in order to achieve the purest anarchy, which I choose to call World Peace, we must be willing to offer love for hate, because ‘an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.’ The Bible offers similar instructions when Jesus asks us to turn the other cheek when slapped in one, and offer our coats when our cloaks are snatched away. Some might think this is impossible to do, but think of a society in which everyone is willing to follow these instructions. We wouldn’t have to worry about getting slapped or thieves taking our cloaks away.<br /><br />So World Peace is not impossible, but we have to be willing to make concessions for one another. But I must acknowledge that we have to use other channels towards the ultimate goal of World Peace. We must seek equal rights, justice, and a socialist ideology that make each of us think that our lives are incomplete if others must suffer to make us happy. Thus I admonish every Miss America to change their dreams as of now into a quest for equality and justice for all. I bet you will earn the crown.<br /></div>KNOWING THYSELF MATTERS!http://www.blogger.com/profile/03201003998066041446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4622535844066084915.post-52653280253148418952008-08-06T15:17:00.000-07:002008-08-06T15:37:41.435-07:00HOPE<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgxTuW4QhfnhnMukrFttjZoRRQRuc3vVsP7GPa02NukbpcusEnVQKAdduFg2fvJ4MzG97RsS273si0eWIufFMwt9t133Q4tinTcyfOkSGhYBqspZ3iSsd5EqDaowRgstCWVIj1vlf6kj0/s1600-h/DSC01946.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231537374282731106" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgxTuW4QhfnhnMukrFttjZoRRQRuc3vVsP7GPa02NukbpcusEnVQKAdduFg2fvJ4MzG97RsS273si0eWIufFMwt9t133Q4tinTcyfOkSGhYBqspZ3iSsd5EqDaowRgstCWVIj1vlf6kj0/s400/DSC01946.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Hope brings forth night<br />And the break of dawn<br />Cock crows the morning<br />To the start of day<br />Even those without plan or chore<br />Hope brings courage at dawn<br />To the lowly wretch<br />As fall flowers blossom in spring<br />So too may we smile<br />As stars someday will shine<br />Even on the wretched divine </span></strong></div>KNOWING THYSELF MATTERS!http://www.blogger.com/profile/03201003998066041446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4622535844066084915.post-63746891622460012932008-07-27T19:45:00.000-07:002008-07-27T20:16:18.071-07:00TO CHILL OR NOT TO CHILL<div align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_sjL5_2vOWNgEnVMUBYEH1_8qjc0ivrKuWG8IT4XBg7SrNmzgP7L97s25FV-l0XBYI3V752o-dVqlclknf_eClQguu5_3L1lqcmeWJpEq2auUsShsNQdvcWZWY0eozJBa9PYpwRyctFY/s1600-h/DSC01880.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5227891169835946130" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_sjL5_2vOWNgEnVMUBYEH1_8qjc0ivrKuWG8IT4XBg7SrNmzgP7L97s25FV-l0XBYI3V752o-dVqlclknf_eClQguu5_3L1lqcmeWJpEq2auUsShsNQdvcWZWY0eozJBa9PYpwRyctFY/s320/DSC01880.JPG" border="0" /></a> Most of us spend our times on the run, moving up and about every moment of the day, chasing one thing or another. We become so entangled that there is often no more time for our friends or those we used to chill and laugh with, the ones we don't have to be formal to; those who simply accept our silliness, albeit out of love.<br /><br />But then again, we have to live. So we spend most of our lives embellishing different facets of ourselves to please whoever is in charge simply because they have to pay us. While such comformity is sometimes necessary, we must not forget that every human being needs a sigh. We must find time in our busy lives to lick some ice-cream, listen to rub-a-dub and speak without censorship. This may sound foolish for those who are on the run to accumulate as much wealth as possible, but for those who are satisfied with just enough to make ends meet, chilling is the essence of living.<br /><br />We are all dependent on each other, and like machines, our energy sometimes depreciates or otherwise we get bored from doing one thing over and over. I believe that we are much more productive when we create a balanced life of work and play. The ability to take time off might not be as forthcoming for some people due to the kind of professions they are engaged in, but no matter what, we all need some time to be foolish. Go ahead, dance in the bathroom when no one's looking, lick that ice-cream, and speak some french without apologizing. </div>KNOWING THYSELF MATTERS!http://www.blogger.com/profile/03201003998066041446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4622535844066084915.post-69991926657429054512008-07-20T21:50:00.000-07:002008-07-20T21:54:19.598-07:00JABBER NOT MY FRIENDS!<div align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf909Z45c7HldVvExq_HUxgBt-HTrRoq6BjIcxiP1TW-wExM8PEG0CVkzVYByHAW7ulNZ6EVNtnhilqYSMsNs3IJlrij_-63U8pbdyelfjA5WuJwkieG23mjiHTolF1sNZ_krJPLQt9KA/s1600-h/DSC02004.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5225325681910362706" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf909Z45c7HldVvExq_HUxgBt-HTrRoq6BjIcxiP1TW-wExM8PEG0CVkzVYByHAW7ulNZ6EVNtnhilqYSMsNs3IJlrij_-63U8pbdyelfjA5WuJwkieG23mjiHTolF1sNZ_krJPLQt9KA/s320/DSC02004.JPG" border="0" /></a>I am sure we’ve all had moments when we wished someone could just shut up and maybe listen. Human society is full of the need to talk, sometimes leading to unnecessary jabbering until we loose our listening ears. Balanced dialogue is as important to good conversation as balanced diet is to good health. What we have to say might be very important, but we must be willing to give others the chance to express themselves so that a formidable conclusion may come in the end. Those who selfishly uphold their own voice and opinion to higher truth often fail to hear the echo of reason on the other end. <br /><br />Improvements in telecommunication have made what is ought to be a two minute conversation into a quarter of an hour of mumbling and no new information. Our streets are full of people clinging to cell phones for hours and saying virtually nothing. Ours is one of the most modernized societies, but we are a generation most intoxicated by bullshit. I always admonish my friends to make an attempt in every conversation to cut the bull and say the shit. Eloquence is not about how long you speak, it is about how good is the information rendered. We could prevent our audience from descending into intellectual slumber by simply avoiding unnecessary tangents and saying just what’s ought to be said. <br /><br />Simply put, the economy of words is vital to those who are public speakers. The more we can express ourselves in a few words, the better we can convey our message and avoid the temptation of falsehood. The curse of oratory is to feel that you always have to say something. There is nothing wrong with saying “I have nothing to say at the moment.” According to Gandhi, “silence is part of the spiritual discipline of a votary of truth.” Many misunderstandings can be avoided just by saying what one has to say, in order words, cutting the bull from the shit. As the Mahatma most accurately emphasizes, “a man of few words will rarely be thoughtless in his speech; he will measure every word.” <br /><br />We can save ourselves from many unnecessary ‘he said, she said,’ by simply measuring our words and remaining silent where there is no pressing need to utter a word. To heed my own advice, I think I have said enough on this matter. A cooking pot for the chameleon is a cooking pot for the lizard. Hush now!<br /></div><div align="justify"></div>KNOWING THYSELF MATTERS!http://www.blogger.com/profile/03201003998066041446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4622535844066084915.post-68686735136146297272008-07-12T16:39:00.000-07:002008-07-14T12:14:11.446-07:00HELP TO SELF-HELP<div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif_JtlpQ9yBpLM79q1h5eGF5kIDFNzkIDax3WFYiyTDA8T9qL0UvExuA4C9AhM78YBHIlnQISjXV_KsUauYfRztAePBrCH1X7gce9OrelvrGw_7Xo48bPa-Z4DVyxtW3U4Pi3c-FpjgH8/s1600-h/DSC00156.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5222278713820005922" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; CURSOR: pointer" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif_JtlpQ9yBpLM79q1h5eGF5kIDFNzkIDax3WFYiyTDA8T9qL0UvExuA4C9AhM78YBHIlnQISjXV_KsUauYfRztAePBrCH1X7gce9OrelvrGw_7Xo48bPa-Z4DVyxtW3U4Pi3c-FpjgH8/s320/DSC00156.JPG" border="0" /></a>The ideology of help to Self-help is an idea of self-empowerment that is used by the Danish Kofoeds Skole system which now operates in several countries in Europe. It promotes self-reliance among people of socio-economic difficulties.<span style="font-size:0;"> </span>Such empowerment is highly needed in developing countries where hopelessness often arises from severe destitution.<span style="font-size:0;"> </span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><?xml:namespace prefix = o /><o:p></o:p></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify">I became interested in the idea of help to self-help after visiting the Kofoeds Skole in Copenhagen, where people are gradually empowered and encouraged to self-regulate and become full participants in society.<span style="font-size:0;"> </span><?xml:namespace prefix = st1 /><st1:country-region st="on"><st1:place st="on">Denmark</st1:place></st1:country-region> can afford to take good care of most of its citizens through the welfare state system, but they believe it is also necessary for everyone in society to participate in the maintenance of the system so that it does not crumble.<span style="font-size:0;"> </span>Citizens and residents who receive welfare benefits are encouraged to find employment for their own development; otherwise their benefits are gradually reduced until it is sometimes taken away completely. </p><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><o:p></o:p></p><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify">However, one element which deters people from engaging in full time employment is the fact that their qualifications are no longer on demand in the rapidly evolving labor market.<span style="font-size:0;"> </span>Globalization and improvements in technology lead to rapid changes in society and the labor market.<span style="font-size:0;"> </span>Hence even recent college graduates need to become flexible and prepared to learn new skills that can make them marketable.<span style="font-size:0;"> </span>The motive of creating alternative skill training for those who need it makes the Kofoeds Skole a paradigm for developing countries.<span style="font-size:0;"> </span></p><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><o:p></o:p></p><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEIGj4_5rrM7K7qdZmBZm292LGHeF-r9VDgzwAnP1AgnBznMRmWLQCZz66UVViVtHqEkif7sX2Jwj1EPJnMdZ91yqpvRIXzb_XZXyyJ9JCwe0j32jex9TiRGsCkBdsUASKBzJ2I_eFrwU/s1600-h/DSC00160.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5222278040167758562" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; WIDTH: 243px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 182px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEIGj4_5rrM7K7qdZmBZm292LGHeF-r9VDgzwAnP1AgnBznMRmWLQCZz66UVViVtHqEkif7sX2Jwj1EPJnMdZ91yqpvRIXzb_XZXyyJ9JCwe0j32jex9TiRGsCkBdsUASKBzJ2I_eFrwU/s320/DSC00160.JPG" border="0" /></a>The Danish Kofoeds Skole also attempts restorative ideas such as accepting those who are often regarded as ‘rejects’ of society.<span style="font-size:0;"> </span>These are people with problems of drug abuse and alcoholism.<span style="font-size:0;"> </span>Often times we tend to forget that behind the destructive element of substance abuse are bigger problems of family crisis, domestic violence, personal loss or other forms of disasters.<span style="font-size:0;"> </span>While the Kofoeds Skole does not directly solve these problems, it gives individuals an alternative life by empowering them to help themselves through the concept of help to self-help.</p><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><o:p></o:p></p><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify">I believe that the concept of help to self-help can be a pragmatic element in African development because of the fact that Africa’s problem is not the lack of resources or other forms of human capital.<span style="font-size:0;"> </span>What most of Africa is suffering from is the lack of organization, planning and the incapacity to put the existing resources to efficient use.<span style="font-size:0;"> </span>For instance, development is not entirely possible without a drastic increase in the literacy level in Africa today.<span style="font-size:0;"> </span>But it will also be foolish to halt development until everyone is educated.<span style="font-size:0;"> </span>We would have to invent other creative means of survival while we embark on educational or infrastructural development.<span style="font-size:0;"> </span></p><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><o:p></o:p></p><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify">Through the methods of the Kofoeds Skole system, we can improve upon practical skill training institutions for those who can no longer frequent the normal academic school system and improve skills of subsistence agriculture or ameliorate local production.<span style="font-size:0;"> </span>While a Ph.D in agriculture is very important, we do not need it to grow rice, cassava, potato or yam which is mostly our staple food. </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><?xml:namespace prefix = v /><v:stroke joinstyle="miter"><v:f eqn="if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0"><v:f eqn="sum @0 1 0"><v:f eqn="sum 0 0 @1"><v:f eqn="prod @2 1 2"><v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelWidth"><v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelHeight"><v:f eqn="sum @0 0 1"><v:f eqn="prod @6 1 2"><v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelWidth"><v:f eqn="sum @8 21600 0"><v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelHeight"><v:f eqn="sum @10 21600 0"><v:path connecttype="rect" gradientshapeok="t" extrusionok="f"><o:lock aspectratio="t" ext="edit"><v:imagedata title="DSC00156" src="file:///C:\Users\RASTAF~1\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtml1\01\clip_image001.jpg"><?xml:namespace prefix = w /><w:wrap type="square">The difficulty of acquiring higher education in most of Africa makes it very prestigious to be a college graduate than to be a farmer even if one is extremely successful.<span style="font-size:0;"> </span>It is therefore necessary for Africans to know that while formal education is absolutely necessary, the lack of it should not become an incapacity to obtain other skills.<span style="font-size:0;"> </span>The carpenters, tailors or farmers are as important as the mathematicians or the philosophers in the process of development.<span style="font-size:0;"> </span>In fact, it is extremely vital that we diversify our intellects so as to leave room for a varied approach to development.<span style="font-size:0;"> </span></p><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><br /></div><br /></w:wrap></v:imagedata></o:lock></v:path></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:stroke>KNOWING THYSELF MATTERS!http://www.blogger.com/profile/03201003998066041446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4622535844066084915.post-28950011493160883292008-07-01T18:03:00.000-07:002008-07-01T18:10:01.233-07:00IT IS IN YOUR HANDS NOW<div align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQs97SjFZYdpIqYbsRcMsoh-M8qYg-hVlOI3-84z6zkGrT9OI34rC0qxnvJmMKZMOZDvpfGkAPbLByvsZMt0KTaZ4vwvhbRs7PHOQNYOOpqJwPxxpyUiVNNVeJoW0OEj-NuXXMD0T6ofw/s1600-h/Nelson_Mandela_portrait.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5218216334366857922" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQs97SjFZYdpIqYbsRcMsoh-M8qYg-hVlOI3-84z6zkGrT9OI34rC0qxnvJmMKZMOZDvpfGkAPbLByvsZMt0KTaZ4vwvhbRs7PHOQNYOOpqJwPxxpyUiVNNVeJoW0OEj-NuXXMD0T6ofw/s320/Nelson_Mandela_portrait.jpg" border="0" /></a>I was unable to attend the birthday celebration of my greatest hero, Madiba Mandela, but I was glued to my television set without blink to hear the message from one of the greatest men alive. Nelson Madela has championed history and set a challenge for freedom loving people all over the world. It is with no mistake that we gather together every year to celebrate the day on which we were blessed with the birth of an extraordinary man who was not afraid to risk his life for the liberty of his people. When faced with the dilemma of being bought by tyrants against his own people, Madiba chose instead, to remain in incarceration until the wind of freedom touches the heart of all South Africans.<br /><br />Instead of indulging into glorious speech about his well deserved heroism, he offered us a simple phrase: ‘it is in your hands now.’ This phrase is very important for us today as witnesses to global tyranny, disease and starvation. As Africans, we have remained passive to the ‘failure of leadership’ in Zimbabwe, we continue to witness the human carnage in Somalia, and poverty and disease are taking a severe tour on our future generation. The challenges of our time are enormous, but our refusal to act against the ‘failure of leadership’ on the continent of Africa is inexcusable. More than fifty years after independence, we can no longer cast blames on the colonialists for the wave of violence that overshadow the freedom of our continent.<br /><br />Another important aspect of this phrase is that it is embedded with the implication that the onus of finding solutions to our problems rests with us. Incapacity is no longer an excuse for refusing to act when the people of Zimbabwe wail, when xenophobia leads us to raid each other, and when the hunger for power drives us to murder our own people. We cannot blame the West for doing nothing if we ourselves in our own small huts remain crippled in the face of violence, poverty and disease. Leadership is not a position of selfishness, it a position in which one should be prepared to die, ‘if need be,’ to champion the cause of freedom, liberty and the rule of law.<br /><br />What about those of us who live in the more prosperous regions of the world? Should we adhere to the warnings of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. that ‘injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere?’ How much are we willing to sacrifice as democratic citizens, in the spirit of Nelson Mandela, for the freedom of others whether they live in Burma, Iraq, Sri-Lanka, Palestine, Uganda or Afghanistan? Some of us will prefer to remain akimbo, but our common humanity in the age of globalization requires that we stand up against tyranny, prejudice and threats to human flourishing. It is crystal clear that on many occasions when humanity had cried out together, the heaviest walls of tyranny have crumbled.<br /><br />What then, prevents us from standing up for the freedom of our fellow human beings? Is it the comfort of our own freedom or the weight of our guilt? While things may seen deceptively normal in our immediate spheres to make us think that there is nothing to worry about, we must be reminded that it takes very little for sunshine to turn into rain. We must never relent to stand up for equal rights and justice even in the remotest of places around the world. Madiba has now passed the baton to us, and it is in our hands now. The question is: are we determined to champion the next phase of history?<br /></div><div align="justify"></div>KNOWING THYSELF MATTERS!http://www.blogger.com/profile/03201003998066041446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4622535844066084915.post-10309877953795548312008-06-30T21:54:00.000-07:002008-07-16T14:26:33.742-07:00CHRIST<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz4zlEGj5PMm_xiTGpa_QYpxkXDRY0bn2UZKAhidZglHLqG420yzbHrCP1pD2IQbJyQNGJb_oKdYd41Y3z7oalP2PxG1NeHSIwRRqM8d6Qm8xRNlPYChgDJXFy58JRFjXU9iGmkUca8hc/s1600-h/DSC01895.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5217906415064190866" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz4zlEGj5PMm_xiTGpa_QYpxkXDRY0bn2UZKAhidZglHLqG420yzbHrCP1pD2IQbJyQNGJb_oKdYd41Y3z7oalP2PxG1NeHSIwRRqM8d6Qm8xRNlPYChgDJXFy58JRFjXU9iGmkUca8hc/s400/DSC01895.JPG" border="0" /></a><strong><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:85%;"> </span><span style="font-family:times new roman;">My dear Christian brothers and sisters<br />Fear not the Armageddon and the looming lake of fire<br />Pray instead, for the courage and ability<br />To turn the other cheek<br />And dare to love your neighbor as yourself<br />Making the rapture a marching band<br />And the lake of fire a caressing wind<br /><br /></span></strong></div>KNOWING THYSELF MATTERS!http://www.blogger.com/profile/03201003998066041446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4622535844066084915.post-76119947982455440792008-06-28T20:00:00.000-07:002008-06-28T21:18:09.188-07:00How To Love The Bomb<p align="justify"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxaTBQbIRBByJZonTlP7CodCNjJ93hASIXxog0i3kuFbxq6HXpGr1ykZAD6GUXPgQvfhNRyZ_uJxWTq1Dlf0A' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>The past week started with a cause for celebration. The long awaited deal between his majesty King Jong Il of North Korea and almighty Commander in Chief Bush sarted taking some significant shape. Those of us interested in the issues of nonproliferation smiled a little, but some of us also have it at the back of our mind that we cannot yet put on our dancing shoes.</p><p align="justify">However, the UWC fellows and Interns at the Center for Nonproliferation decided to go out on the coast of California to consult the goddess or god of nature on the ensuring matters. It was then that we realized that each one of us is a jack of all trades, but a master at none. Nevertheless, nonproliferators would do whatever is necessary to stop the bomb. </p><p align="justify">As for the UWC fellows, it was time to consult the good old belief that there are no problems for us, only challenges...challenges they were. In the end the strategy worked and the reactors were demolished. For security reasons, we can only show you what is on record. But you can contact the producer for materials off the record...trust me, they are entertaining. All we need is love...well, maybe. </p>KNOWING THYSELF MATTERS!http://www.blogger.com/profile/03201003998066041446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4622535844066084915.post-10972984062168921252008-06-14T20:34:00.000-07:002008-06-14T20:39:11.543-07:00Soccer: A Diplomatic Ball<div align="justify"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIsz-oSvu4vWIOv_hFgsR1TCRtNXO3jouhft4oNId0bPf49LZrPYDZNdBvhy14dmuJdQhv-P9FsAq7y2T7tp1V_UdXlhsLTzPwl4uALnL78TGF-WDm5KbDn-5_klqq-ZJ_4WPYF82N5Is/s1600-h/soccer+ball.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5211947138942521906" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIsz-oSvu4vWIOv_hFgsR1TCRtNXO3jouhft4oNId0bPf49LZrPYDZNdBvhy14dmuJdQhv-P9FsAq7y2T7tp1V_UdXlhsLTzPwl4uALnL78TGF-WDm5KbDn-5_klqq-ZJ_4WPYF82N5Is/s320/soccer+ball.jpg" border="0" /></a>This magnificent game of dribble and shoot-on-goal is to many an opportunity to booze, wear funny garments, body-paint, walk nude or sing and dance. No matter the category you find yourself, soccer has become one of the most efficient instruments of global diplomacy and unity. Every time we are together, whether it is for the various continental club leagues, regional championships, nations’ cups, and the almighty World Cup, we are moved by the tears of winners and losers together. We celebrate our individual countries and clubs with a splendid display of national and club regalia, forgetting the issues at home, and holding ourselves only to the rules of the game, to win by fair play. In such gatherings, the only constitution that matters is the world football federation, FIFA.<br /><br />We can all agree that our world is full of skirmishes and rough edges at every corner. It is appalling and real that we have not solved the problem of Darfur, Somalia, Sri-Lanka, Iraq, Afghanistan, Columbia, Uganda, nuclear armament, terrorism, immigration, discrimination, civil wars, and all other forms of bigotry. We are also confronted by a battle against natural disasters such as earthquakes, climate change, drought, famine, and what Fanon refers to as ‘rape of the environment.’ But throughout history, soccer matches have brought adversaries together in the same open space to wave their flags and sing songs of love to their national heroes. Even in countries at war, we come across youths sharing the pleasure of soccer on dusty roads and street corners. Albert Camus is known to have said that ‘everything I know I learned from football.’<br /><br />Soccer players are the only group of diplomats who have fans in the most obscure areas of the globe. Sometime we cannot help but wonder how every youth in the hidden villages of Africa wants to emulate not President Bush or Blair, but people like Maradona, Pele, Beckenbauer, Zidan, Beckham, Essien, Ronaldo, Opong Weah, Zlatan, Eto, Figo, Ballat, Kanu, etc. We celebrate champion nations like Argentina, Brazil, France, Nigeria, Cameroon, England, Germany, Sweden, and rising African countries like Ivory Coast, Senegal and Ghana. Everywhere in the world one can be assured of fans of Man. United, Arsenal, Chelsea, Juventus, Real Madrid, Bolton, etc. In the spirit of the game of soccer, we are champions of the ball. Whether it is the players on the pitch or the supporters in the stands, we feel what Shaggy, in this amazing soccer song calls the ‘rush.’ The rush of winning, losing or just good play by our favourite players.<br /><br />However, in every aspect of our lives we cannot escape the curse of being human. In Nietzschean rhetoric, the curse of man is that he was ‘once a child.’ Even this beautiful game is sometimes susceptible to the cruelty of angry fans and overzealous players. We often hear rumours of match fixing and racism. But we should never allow the bigotry of the nonchalant few to overshadow the beauty of our game. Our soccer heroes have also taken their success on the pitch to numerous philanthropic and humanitarian endeavours. Many players and clubs have their own foundations and charities all over the world. We also encounter people like Beckham, Thierry Henry, George Weah, Ronaldo, etc as Unicef’s good will ambassadors, inspiring children and revealing destitution in the most wretched areas of the Earth.<br /><br />As long as soccer exists, we must continue to feel the rush from all corners of the globe and celebrate the warriors who stand firm for our nations in the battlefield of soccer. Whether they win or lose, we must cheer them for engaging in the greatest diplomacy of our time. In a world full of civil wars, poverty, and other forms of human sufferings, we must never relent to feel the rush from a diplomatic ball.<br /></div><div align="justify"><br /><br /></div><div align="justify"></div>KNOWING THYSELF MATTERS!http://www.blogger.com/profile/03201003998066041446noreply@blogger.com0