VOTERS EDUCATION PART 2: SEVEN MORE THINGS ALL NIGERIANS SHOULD KNOW by Kemi Martins

1. THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A WASTED VOTE.

So you mean if I vote for a party which does not win, my vote is not wasted?
No, your Vote is not WASTED.
The PRIMARY PURPOSE of VOTING is not to WIN but to convey your OPINION of who should GOVERN your constituency based on your VALUES. The purpose of voting is to choose People that you can trust with your "Hard earned" Taxes for the next four years.
THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A WASTED VOTE.
Please Vote for your own conscience AND NOT because MORE People are VOTING for a certain party.
This is NOT a game of NUMBERS as ERRONEOUSLY BELIEVED; instead it is a LIFE DETERMINING FRANCHISE that you must exercise CAREFULLY AND OBJECTIVELY.

2. THE LESS PEOPLE THAT COME OUT TO VOTE THE EASIER IT IS FOR RIGGING TO OCCUR.

Yes, If you read the insight that Former Governor Donald Duke gave on Rigging elections, you would understand clearly that Elections were rigged by his former Party based on the great number of UNUSED Ballot Papers at the disposal of INEC agents.
It becomes clear that if there is a MASSIVE voter TURNOUT , there will be less Ballot Papers to use for Rigging.
Also If you look at BAUCHI and LAGOS States in 2007, you will realize that the Voter turn out made it difficult for RIGGING TO OCCUR on a greater scale.

3. THE PEOPLE THAT DETERMINE ELECTION RESULTS ARE NOT IN THE VILLAGES alone.

IT is a MYTH that those who determine election Results are in the VILLAGES. NIGERIA has forever at least since the 1960s had a problem of consistent Rural Urban Migration. Our Cities are overcrowded so it may not be so accurate to think that the people in the villages will determine election results. This sort of thinking breeds apathy amongst people and makes them abandon their responsibility of voting objectively because at the back of their minds they believe their votes don't really matter. Well, now you know- YOUR VOTE MATTERS.

4. YOU SHOULD NOT WAIT FOR RELIGIOUS LEADERS TO DETERMINE WHO YOU SHOULD VOTE FOR BECAUSE YOU THINK GOD WILL TELL THEM THE "CHOSEN" PERSON.

Well, I have said it before - We operate a DEMOCRACY not a THEOCRACY, In a DEMOCRACY their is NO DIVINE RIGHT TO RULE. THERE IS NO RULER and THERE IS NO THRONE. The only "chosen" person is the one you choose.
Those we are electing are PUBLIC SERVANTS and they are elected to lead, not to rule. God understands Democracy and He understands that leaders will be Elected based on Voters preferences.
For example, I know that a lot of People will be expecting Religious Leaders to tell them who to Vote for. However, the truth is that The RELIGIOUS LEADER is a Citizen of Nigeria just like you and I, and he also has a civic duty to vote based on his own Values. He knows God will not vote for him, he will have to vote by himself based on his own preferences.
THIS is GOD’S expectation of every Nigerian Citizen. If any Religious Leader fails in this CIVIC duty and teaches others to fail in performing their CIVIC duties, I can assure you that God will not be happy with that leader.
Another way we can look at it is in this way- Supposing God tells a prophet that a thief is the one who is going to win the election. Should the prophet then Vote for the thief ?
No, God would expect that the Prophet should still go ahead and vote for a honest person based on values.
This is what Voting based on values is all about.We should not vote for anyone because we think they are going to win or Because a Religious Leader says so. We should at all times vote for People who best represents the values we seek in Government.

5. THE BEST WAY TO VOTE IS TO VOTE BASED ON VALUES.

In the Past, Nigerians have voted based on tribe and tongue, military affiliations and financial prowess, we have even voted for people because they were corrupt and cunning, believing that these were good qualities of a politician. We cannot continue in that manner because 50 yrs is enough for us to see that all it has brought us is PAIN, HARDSHIP and MEDIOCRITY. We must now up the ante and Seek real values in Leaders.
So what are some of these values we should seek in Leaders?
a) INTEGRITY : Saying what you mean and meaning what you say. Example- Gani Fawehinmi
b) FORTITUDE : Courage to do that which is right even when it is unpopular. Example - Peter Akinola
c) PASSION FOR CHANGE : a dissatisfaction with status quo, A refusal to accept that things cannot be done in a better way- Example Tunde Idiagbon.
d) HONESTY: a leader who will not loot public treasury or collect bribes.- Examples A.A Bassey (of customs) and Nuhu Ribadu.
e) CONTRIBUTION: A willingness to sincerely contribute to Nation building.-Examples Ngozi Okonjo Iweala and Oby Ezekwesili
f) SELFLESSNESS: a leader that puts nation above self.- Example Aminu Kano
g) TRANSPARENCY: Accountability and openness knowing that you are a public servant and therefore you are accountable to the public.- Example Muritala Mohammed.
h) A CONSCIOUSNESS OF INTERGENERATIONAL EQUITY: A belief and knowledge that what we do today affects the future of our children and our children matter more than us, therefore we must ensure that we build not for our sakes alone but for posterity. It is this particular value that also translates into VISION. - Example Obafemi Awolowo.
(The examples above are subjective because they are my examples, I am sure you have your own examples too, you may even disagree with mine –that is not important, what is important is that you take note of the values.)
This time around we must vote based on values

6. IF WE WANT AN ENVIABLE NATION, THEN WE MUST BUILD ONE.

It won't Just happen, We Must PARTICIPATE.
We must participate in Nation Building, If we don't, we will continue to suffer.
We must understand that though we may prosper individually, we cannot be said to have really prospered if our community is not prospering.
It is OUR DUTY to ensure that our commonwealth is not handed over to thieves.
We must engage candidates, we must ask questions.
No candidate should be elected without us making sure that they hold at least 10 townhall meetings.
The days of coming to campaigns and just reeling out promises is over. Candidates must go through debates.
Journalists must be ready to grill candidates
( and Please Journalists should stop standing whilst candidates sit to address them - that is the wrong order. If anyone wants to serve they should learn to stand while the people sit at meetings or at best everybody sits)
(Journalist should learn to address Public servants in a way that impresses on them , the status of Public servants; STOP ALL this YOUR EXCELLENCY this, YOUR EXCELLENCY that. Call them MISTER- Mr Govenor, Mr President)
We must participate, we must sacrifice time and effort for the change we desire- we have no choice.

7. FINALLY we MUST EDUCATE OURSELVES and EDUCATE OTHERS

How can I do that?

Firstly, share this note. You have friends on Facebook, so please share with them. It is good to share.
Afterall, you shared that picture, and you shared that joke and of course you shared that church program. Kindly share this one too. For the sake of others and for the sake of the next generation.
Please Campaign for your candidate & Donate towards his or her campaign. GET INVOLVED. Infact, it is a test of whether you really believe in them.
Encourage others to vote based on values and to Guard their votes.
You can also share the First PART of this note for more education on Voting.
Find it here

http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=151180541569709&id=100000476801912&ref=mf

We will continue to pursue this form of electorate education until we see change. Thank you. God bless Nigeria.

N.B
PLEASE if you are blessed with the Gift of translation please kindly translate and transcribe to your native dialect and disseminate. Thank You.

Reblogging Why We Tell Stories by Su Chuen Foo on ALC fellows' panel at CSW

March 3, 2011, New York – It is uncommon to find a panel discussion staffed by all young, African women leaders. That is why it was such a refreshing change to hear their voices at yesterday’s session on “Documenting Women’s Experiences in Peace & Security as a Research Tool.”

These women were alumni of a joint fellowship program between the African Leadership Center and King’s College London aimed to train young, capable African women leaders to take a greater part in shaping the future of their country and its citizens. Coming from all over Africa including Nigeria, Kenya, and Sierra Leone, these women gathered to share their stories with us, as well as the stories of other women during peace and security, and of the importance of documenting them.

Telling the stories of women in war - before, during and after - takes on a more personal note for these women, one which we at Women for Women International comprehend fully. Documenting and sharing the stories of these women is more than just keeping a record of war’s experiences.

When we tell the stories of women, we let others into the daily realities of women in conflict and post-conflict zones. We give the world a glimpse of what it means to lose your husband to armed rebels, to be raped in front of your sons and daughters, to be constantly afraid to leave your house for fear of being attacked, and to be shunned by your own community because you have become one of the many thousand victims of sexual violence through no fault of your own.

When we tell the stories of these women, we shine a spotlight on the existing gaps between policy rhetoric and women’s experiences on the ground. We tell policymakers that regardless of how well-intentioned their policies and programs are, that if it was not formulated with women in mind, it will fall far short of their goals.

When we tell the stories of these women, we remind donors and politicians that there is more to war than just military intervention. We share with them aspects of women and children’s lives that become lost in translation in the midst of urgent military decisions during conflict, decisions such as whether to send additional troops into countries experiencing chaos as opposed to seriously contemplating and acting upon the critical need to increase humanitarian aid to conflict countries.

When we tell the stories of these women, we are ensuring that women’s courageous actions before, during, and after the war are not forgotten, ignored, neglected, and swept under the rug during peace talks. According to Debra Mwase, who was one of the panelists from Zimbabwe, part of the reason women have been excluded during peace negotiations in Africa is because their role and actions have been for the most part, invisible. Without documentation, it becomes almost impossible to advocate, assert, and fight for women’s valuable contributions toward peace.

When we tell the stories of these women, we are putting a human face to the problems going on far, far away from many of the world’s citizens. Vivid images, stories, and interviews with these women will hopefully light a fire in people’s conscience, reigniting empathy for all humankind, and drive them to take action to end the mass violation of these women’s rights. When we hear of these stories, they shame us into remembering that, regardless of our intentions and experiences, solutions to problems need to come from women themselves. As the representative from Open Society Institute - East Africa Region, who closed the session yesterday shared, even after losing everything – their husbands, children, homes, and source of income, the Congolese women she met with only wanted soap, so that they can clean themselves and so that they can restore a sliver of their dignity.

Finally and above all else, when we tell the stories of these women, they remind us that women are not just victims of violence and oppression, but most of all they are also agents of change and of peace. Despite atrocities, loss, and violence, women survivors of war are able to defy odds to rebuild their lives and the lives of countless other women like them. Slowly but surely, many of the women survivors of war that have gone through the year-long program at Women for Women International have shown us the power of what little knowledge and resources can do for a woman’s future.

One such success story is that of of Violette, one of the women survivors of war from Rwanda that Women for Women International served. In attempts to flee the rebels who were tearing her village apart, Violette ran away with her children to a nearby church to seek protection. Little did she know that the church was also grounds for a mass massacre. To avoid getting killed, Violette smeared blood on her and her children and laid on the floor pretending to be dead for one week. With little money to support her children, Violette enrolled in Women for Women International to learn vocational skills so that she can earn some income to feed her children and send them to school. Relying on her entrepreneurial skills, Violette’s business of harvesting sorghum and beans flourished. Violette was making an average of $1800 a year when the average income in Rwanda was $260 according to the World Bank. Inspired to share her wealth and fortune with her community, Violette applied and received a bank loan to build a water pipe for her community, where women spend hours a day catching water from the wells.

There are many other stories like Violette - of women who are heroes to many of us, and these stories need to be told.

Before I end, it is important to note how symbolic the panel of young women leaders was when we talk about UN Security Council Resolution 1325. This landmark resolution passed in 2000 and for the first time recognized the unique role and contributions of women in peace and conflict times. It called for women’s increased role in peace negotiations and for the protection and prevention of women from insecurity. The fact that this panel consisted of all young women leaders presents a laudable step in the right direction. After all the ongoing discussions about the lack of progress on UNSCR 1325, this panel is helping keep hope alive for me.

Su Chuen Foo

Missing the 100th celebration of International Women's Day

If I had not being so afraid of the turbulence up there in the sky, I would have discussed having an International Women's Day celebration in the sky aboard Air France plane with the cabin crew. It would have being fun, I would have still got the opportunity to anchor the very programme I missed in Nigeria due to Air France big fault! Well, missing a plane is better than losing a life! Air France had to do what they had to do to prevent crashing again, so I understand but then it pained me that I still missed the event that made me schedule my flight back to Nigeria from the 55th Commission on the Status of Women's events at the UN in New York.


I could just have started something in the plane to commemorate the day; that I have reasons to be thankful for days like this. Thankful that there are many feminists and women's rights defenders and activists that have made remarkable differences and contributions all over the world to change the status of women for better, to campaign and fight for the rights of women, to advocate and work for existence of many laws and policies for the protection of women and girls. Thankful for the support of many men that are advocating for the advancement of women and soliciting for better treatment of women in the society. Thankful also that many remarkable landmarks of achievements had being made and that many will still be achieved against all odds.


Happy 100th International Women's Day to you all.

African Leadership Centre Fellows present Documenting Women's Experience in Peace and Security at the CSW New York on 2nd March, 2011

DOCUMENTING OF WOMEN’S EXPERIENCES- THE POWER OF EMPOWERING WOMEN TO DOCUMENT THEIR EXPERIENCE IN PEACE AND SECURITY AS A RESEARCH TOOL

BACKGROUND:

Conflict and civil war continue to destabilize the African continent. While majority of the casualties continue to be civilians, the plight of women in these conflicts is dire. However, due to structural inequalities in society, women are excluded from peace negotiations and crucial processes in the region.

In the context of the continued peace and security challenges facing the African continent, the African Union declared 2010 as the Year of Peace and Security in Africa. To keep this momentum growing so as to generate concrete achievements for women, the AU has declared 2010-2020 as the African Women Decade.

Making the Decade a success will require addressing major security and socio-economic challenges in women and girls’ lives, such as high maternal mortality rate, HIV/AIDS, poverty, gender-based violence, low participation in political and peace processes, among others. At the heart of addressing all these barriers to the promotion and protection of women’s human rights is education. It is believed that investing in women and girls’ education, empowering them to take ownership of issues affecting the societies in which they live, and supporting their leadership is essential for making the African Women Decade and beyond.

Outstanding among efforts to empower women through education is the Peace and Security Fellowship Programme for African Women, which is carried out by the Conflict, Security and Development Group (CSDG) of King’s College, London and the African Leadership Centre (ALC). The programme is designed to expose young professional African women to the complexities of conflict, security and development, as well as build a new community of leaders generating cutting edge knowledge on these issues.

In 2009/10, eight young African Women got on the fellowship,and this intensive fellowship allowed for the young professional women to have both theoretical and practical knowledge on peace and security for African Women thereby building mass movement of African scholars and practitioners that will use this experience around the core values of independent thinking, accountability and African led idea for change. These eight fellows that have benefited from the 2009/10 important educational programme, will like to share their experiences and discuss why documenting women experience in peace and security discourse is crucial!

The panel will therefore looking at:

• Leaving the next generation of the girl-child with a glimpse of hope: the role of the ALC.
• The ALC fellowship programmes: nurturing young talented women in peace and security.
• Importance of women documenting their experience in peace and security discourse.
• The use of social media in documenting women’s experience.
• Importance of documenting women’s experiences to influence policy: looking at HIV/AID incident and the marginalized women in Ethiopia and sexual violence perpetrated by the states in Zimbabwe.
• Fellows experience
• Research institutions in Africa: what they are doing and what can still be done.
• 
  

This discussion will feature eight fellows listed as follows:

VICKY KARIMI (NAIROBI), SHUVAI NYONI (ZIMBABWE), PHIDELIA AMEY (GHANA), ‘TOYIN AJAO (NIGERIA),HAJA SARAMBA KANDEH (SIERRA LEONE),DEBRA MWASE (ZIMBABWE), SELAM TEREFE (ETHIOPIA) MYRIAM WEDRAOGO (BURKINA FASO)

DATE: WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2ND, 2011

TIME: 10AM TO 11.30AM

VENUE: 2^ND FLR ROOM, CHURCH CENTRE, UN PLAZA, NEW YORK