tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47439412239156282842024-03-14T07:03:50.184+01:00The ActivistMy aspiration is to be one of the builders of a world of equality, a world where diversity is respected and value for people's lives is paramount. A world where religion and culture are not used as weapons of dispute and destruction, where leaders serve and not steal, where everyone does not pretend to love each other but does so straight from the heart.The Activisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10208721217617791119noreply@blogger.comBlogger330125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4743941223915628284.post-54599899747063203532016-01-06T23:25:00.000+01:002016-01-07T00:13:05.035+01:00What really happened? Date Rape of Zebra Crossing on Etisalat 2015 Flash Fiction - Toyin Ajao<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nOynWD1zJEw/Vo2S6-V7G-I/AAAAAAAAWYU/5ae15uWlP2M/s1600/Etisalat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nOynWD1zJEw/Vo2S6-V7G-I/AAAAAAAAWYU/5ae15uWlP2M/s200/Etisalat.jpg" width="136" /></a><span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Early in November 2015 <a href="http://prize.etisalat.com.ng/about-the-prize/">Etisalat Prize for Literature</a> released its approved
2015 <a href="http://prize.etisalat.com.ng/flash/">Flash Fiction </a>Short Story entries. It enabled the public through the
social media to vote their preferred story after which the judges will select
winners from the top voted stories. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">The idea is to promote upcoming writers in Africa whose stories
are unpublished. Three winners will receive the following prizes: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Winning Author</span></b><span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">£1,000
cash prize.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">High
end device.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Published
e-book promoted online and via SMS.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> <b>Runners Up (2) </b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<ul type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">£500
cash prize (each)<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">High
end device<o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Sounds very promising?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There begins the exciting journey of friends rallying round <a href="http://prize.etisalat.com.ng/zebra-crossing/">ZebraCrossing</a>, one of the entries on the Etisalat Flash Fiction. The author of this satiric piece
that focused on poor service delivery, bad governance and people’s
lackadaisical attitudes is Ajisafe Michael Oluwafemi.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">He is
a promising writer who maintains Flexing Essential Random Thoughts (FERT), an
online page where his works are posted for his teeming readership. Ajisafe’s
friends in Nigeria and Overseas rallied round his story creating an active
support group. More than 10 friends reached over 500 online friends each to
vote for Zebra Crossing. In 10 days, his story got over 3000 votes!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">This
is when the problem started. Etisalat prize displayed “bytes exhausted” message
on his story link and the story was gone!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We contacted Etisalat to report this sudden “technical glitch”. No reply
was received and neither was the story restored for another two days! When the
story was finally back, we continued voting and sharing on social media
resulting or over 1,900 shares on groups and individual pages (this was
displayed on his link) not to mention the personal messages sent to friends.
But the celebration was short lived when the story suddenly disappeared again on
the same day. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then voting closed shortly
after on the 25<sup>th</sup> of November 2015. On the 28<sup>th</sup> of
November, it was discovered that Zebra Crossing is totally gone from Etisalat’s
webapage, replaced with “error 404” and<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>“this article not found” messages.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">I
had personally taken interest in all the 156 approved entries
and voted some captivating stories alongside my friend’s entry. I know for a
fact that we had the highest votes as at the time the story disappeared and I
had taken screenshots of the voting details. The smartest move of the century!
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Ajisafe's friends decided to contact Etisalat upon realising this new development. But our email
was of course never replied. Then we decided to go on their Facebook page and
on Twitter to expose this date rape experience of Zebra Crossing tagging their
judges and patrons. Etisalat has initially shortlisted 50 top stories from
entries that received over 2000 and less than 300 votes but the highest voted
story at our last inventory was not among this list! Finally, <span class="null">after
some 48 hours of unrelenting public outcry of many of us demanding to know what
happened to Zebra Crossing on their 2015 Flash Fiction Category, </span>Etisalat
finally gave into our pressure. Etisalat replied and promised to look at the
issue and give feedback. This is promising but I am not deterred to follow up.
Thus, the<span class="null"> issue did not rest there.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Etisalat
thereby restored Zebra Crossing and one other story - that now made the first spot - making the list 52 instead
of 50 and Zebra Crossing at number two. I looked through the updated list and I noticed another glitch. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Zebra Crossing vote history was gone and share
history on Facebook and Twitter displayed zero! What? I quickly checked other
stories and their votes and share history were intact! There ensued another
circle of tweeting to ask why. Finally, Etisalat released a separate list
showcasing the top<a href="http://prize.etisalat.com.ng/flash/vote/"> 52 stories</a> with voting details, authors names and stories
titles. Informing the public @etisalatread that this is the list the judges are
reviewing. While on their Etisalat Prize for Literature webpage, the votes and
share history of all the shortlisted entries are removed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FcFzSqBWp9Y/Vo2SzlkGHvI/AAAAAAAAWYM/ySL6u8bxM5w/s1600/Etireview.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="279" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FcFzSqBWp9Y/Vo2SzlkGHvI/AAAAAAAAWYM/ySL6u8bxM5w/s640/Etireview.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">I
am a still baffled at these inconsistencies and Etisalat’s lack of transparency
to tell us why in the first place we have to be having this conversation. A
large telecommunication company like Etisalat cannot be having bytes issues at
3000+ votes. It sounds ridiculous and to take out a story that did well on its
Flash Fiction category is suspicious to say the least.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">I
am therefore asking again for Etisalat to tell us the reason behind this
unpleasant situation. Nobody has forced the company to give back to the society
through African Literature promotion. It is a corporate responsibility that
Etisalat has chosen and carrying on with this duty without hidden agenda or
bias will be the way to go. If we had not had evidence to back up our claim
that Etisalat is bias or has sabotaged a story, it would have gone noticed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">To
put this matter to bed, it is desirable that Etisalat tells the Internet
community what happened in the first place. What happened?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="author-page-description" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<b><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Toyin
Ajao</span></b><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">
is a peace and conflict doctoral fellow and assistant lecturer at the
University of Pretoria, South Africa. She is also an alumna of the African
Leadership Centre, Nairobi, Kenya, King's College London, London, UK and
Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria. Her research interests include human
security, conflict transformation, citizen journalism, feminism, gender, and sexual
rights.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="author-page-description" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
The Activisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10208721217617791119noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4743941223915628284.post-61536277943324045502015-12-02T08:37:00.000+01:002016-01-06T23:26:24.097+01:00Etisalat Prize for Literature Amended and Published the Top 52 #2015FlashFiction<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
Due to our public outcry on social media, Etisalat Prize for Literature has restored #ZebraCrossing on its #2015FlashFiction category. It is now at the top #2 after Etisalat released the list of its top 52; now consisting of two apparently sabotaged stories! No explanation is given for why these two highly voted short stories disappeared! Published on their Twitter @etisalatreads is the list of the top #52 reflecting their voting details. I am at peace with that and I hope the list will be presented to the judges to make their final decision. I hope too that #ZebraCrossing wins!!!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-e4glcjGjj48/Vl6e-MF9q9I/AAAAAAAAWX4/mpUpYENaEog/s1600/Etireview.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="278" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-e4glcjGjj48/Vl6e-MF9q9I/AAAAAAAAWX4/mpUpYENaEog/s640/Etireview.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
The Activisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10208721217617791119noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4743941223915628284.post-6793789001536160302015-12-01T22:30:00.000+01:002016-01-06T23:26:40.958+01:00Zebra Crossing Vote and Share History Deleted by EtisalatPrize<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="_38 direction_ltr">
<span class="null">After the public outcry of many of us demanding to know what happened to the highest voted #ZebraCrossing #shortstory in the #2015FlastFiction of #EtisalatPrizeforLiterature, the story was restored. But the issue did not rest there.<br />
<br />
The story was restored but in the exchange between #EtisalatPrize and me or through its twitter handle @etisalatreads, no tangible explanation was given on why a popular story on their page disappeared from the final top 50 list!<br />
<br />
Something fishy is going on. I am convinced now because before the #ZebraCrossing #DateRape outcry, the top 50 stories have all the numbers of votes and their share aggregates on Facebook, Twitter and Google+. But now, the voting detail is gone!<br />
<br />
The story is now 52. Meaning there is one other story affected in this #daterape. Now with no voting detail, how do the judges gauge the public receptions of these stories? Now what is left are details of Facebook, Twitter and Google+ shares. Every other story now has those details except #ZebraCrossing with its 1900+ Facebook, 35+ Twitter and 12+ Google shares as at the time of its disappearance.<br />
<br />
This is becoming more interesting because it seems that EtisalatPrize deliberately sabotage #ZebraCrossing. But why?<br />
<br />
<span class="null">Why has this continued even in their effort to right
this wrong due to our public outcry? I ask EtisalatPrize to please be
very transparent and trustworthy by displaying all the voting and share
history of all the top 52 stories on the #2015FlashFiction.</span> <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DJ_pIY6uKOw/Vl6beUxQt-I/AAAAAAAAWXg/_Tb5N6VS8Ts/s1600/Screenshot_2015-12-01-19-59-57.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DJ_pIY6uKOw/Vl6beUxQt-I/AAAAAAAAWXg/_Tb5N6VS8Ts/s640/Screenshot_2015-12-01-19-59-57.png" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Recent Display of Voting and Share History</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gR09h-pSwWM/Vl6bgwqfFpI/AAAAAAAAWXo/C9BccG6hXD0/s1600/Screenshot_2015-11-21-11-23-06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gR09h-pSwWM/Vl6bgwqfFpI/AAAAAAAAWXo/C9BccG6hXD0/s640/Screenshot_2015-11-21-11-23-06.jpg" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="null">Previous Display of Voting and Share History (second to last screenshot)</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
</span></div>
</div>
The Activisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10208721217617791119noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4743941223915628284.post-62479063093291803532015-12-01T06:46:00.000+01:002016-01-06T23:26:59.640+01:00Etisalat Eliminated Zebra Crossing Highest Voted Short Story on Etisalat #2015FlashFiction<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div dir="ltr" id="yiv6652436398yui_3_16_0_1_1448915460653_13263">
<span class="yiv6652436398" id="yiv6652436398yui_3_16_0_1_1448915460653_4973"><span class="yiv6652436398" id="yiv6652436398yui_3_16_0_1_1448915460653_4975"><span class="yiv6652436398" id="yiv6652436398yui_3_16_0_1_1448915460653_4977"><span class="yiv6652436398" id="yiv6652436398yui_3_16_0_1_1448915460653_4979"><span class="yiv6652436398" id="yiv6652436398yui_3_16_0_1_1448915460653_4981">Dear
Etisalat Prize for Literature Coordinator, </span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="yiv6652436398" id="yiv6652436398yui_3_16_0_1_1448915460653_4973"><span class="yiv6652436398" id="yiv6652436398yui_3_16_0_1_1448915460653_4975"><span class="yiv6652436398" id="yiv6652436398yui_3_16_0_1_1448915460653_4977"><span class="yiv6652436398" id="yiv6652436398yui_3_16_0_1_1448915460653_4979"><span class="yiv6652436398" id="yiv6652436398yui_3_16_0_1_1448915460653_4981">we are reaching out again to
seek clarification and justification for abruptly eliminating Zebra
Crossing with the highest numbers of voters from the <a href="http://prize.etisalat.com.ng/flash/vote/">2015 Flash Fiction Competition</a>. Thus:</span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="yiv6652436398" id="yiv6652436398yui_3_16_0_1_1448915460653_4973"><span class="yiv6652436398" id="yiv6652436398yui_3_16_0_1_1448915460653_4975"><span class="yiv6652436398" id="yiv6652436398yui_3_16_0_1_1448915460653_4977"><span class="yiv6652436398" id="yiv6652436398yui_3_16_0_1_1448915460653_4979"><span class="yiv6652436398" id="yiv6652436398yui_3_16_0_1_1448915460653_4981">We,
the undersigned demand to know from Etisalat Prize for Literature why
Zebra Crossing by Ajisafe Michael Oluwafemi #2015FlashFiction short
story link was displaying "error 404" and why with its highest votes of
3000+ did not make the 50 top stories just released yesterday! Stories
that amassed 2000+ to 200+ votes made it but not Zebra Crossing! What
happened?</span></span><span class="yiv6652436398" id="yiv6652436398yui_3_16_0_1_1448915460653_4995"><span class="yiv6652436398" id="yiv6652436398yui_3_16_0_1_1448915460653_4997"><br class="yiv6652436398" id="yiv6652436398yui_3_16_0_1_1448915460653_5001" /><br class="yiv6652436398" id="yiv6652436398yui_3_16_0_1_1448915460653_5003" /><span class="yiv6652436398" id="yiv6652436398yui_3_16_0_1_1448915460653_5005">Ajisafe
Michael Oluwafemi is a promising writer who maintains Flexing Essential
Random Thoughts (FERT); an online page where his works are posted for
his teeming readership.</span><br class="yiv6652436398" id="yiv6652436398yui_3_16_0_1_1448915460653_5007" /><br class="yiv6652436398" id="yiv6652436398yui_3_16_0_1_1448915460653_5009" /><span class="yiv6652436398" id="yiv6652436398yui_3_16_0_1_1448915460653_5011">A number of us, his friends,
were excited about his being shortlisted for the Etisalat prize and
created a loose and active support team that shared the link to the
story via social media, and encouraged friends to read Zebra Crossing
and vote for it if they liked it. We were very excited to watch
endorsements for Zebra Crossing grow, exceeding our expectations by
amassing over 3,000 votes; the highest on the 2015 Flash Fiction
Category! You must then understand our confusion when the article's link
started responding with 'bytes were exhausted", "error 404" and "this
article not found" messages. Now followed by a complete exclusion of
this story in the top 50!!!</span><br class="yiv6652436398" id="yiv6652436398yui_3_16_0_1_1448915460653_5013" /><br class="yiv6652436398" id="yiv6652436398yui_3_16_0_1_1448915460653_5015" /><span class="yiv6652436398" id="yiv6652436398yui_3_16_0_1_1448915460653_5017">We've tried to contact Etisalat via emails and no response is received.</span> Neither are we getting any response via Twitter nor Facebook.<br class="yiv6652436398" id="yiv6652436398yui_3_16_0_1_1448915460653_5019" /><br class="yiv6652436398" id="yiv6652436398yui_3_16_0_1_1448915460653_5021" /><span class="yiv6652436398" id="yiv6652436398yui_3_16_0_1_1448915460653_5023">The
Etisalat Prize for Literature chose to include the online platform in
its short stories decision but why disregard the wish of the same online
platform by not reckoning with their votes? This is not about winning
but about fairness and transparency!</span><br class="yiv6652436398" id="yiv6652436398yui_3_16_0_1_1448915460653_5025" /><br class="yiv6652436398" id="yiv6652436398yui_3_16_0_1_1448915460653_5027" /><span class="yiv6652436398" id="yiv6652436398yui_3_16_0_1_1448915460653_5029">We demand to know what is going on!!!</span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="yiv6652436398" id="yiv6652436398yui_3_16_0_1_1448915460653_4973"><span class="yiv6652436398" id="yiv6652436398yui_3_16_0_1_1448915460653_4975"><span class="yiv6652436398" id="yiv6652436398yui_3_16_0_1_1448915460653_4977"><span class="yiv6652436398" id="yiv6652436398yui_3_16_0_1_1448915460653_4995"><span class="yiv6652436398" id="yiv6652436398yui_3_16_0_1_1448915460653_4997"><span class="yiv6652436398" id="yiv6652436398yui_3_16_0_1_1448915460653_5029">
</span></span></span></span></span></span>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" id="yiv6652436398yui_3_16_0_1_1448915460653_11312">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" id="yiv6652436398yui_3_16_0_1_1448915460653_11311">
<span class="yiv6652436398" id="yiv6652436398yui_3_16_0_1_1448915460653_4973"><span class="yiv6652436398" id="yiv6652436398yui_3_16_0_1_1448915460653_4975"><span class="yiv6652436398" id="yiv6652436398yui_3_16_0_1_1448915460653_4977"><span class="yiv6652436398" id="yiv6652436398yui_3_16_0_1_1448915460653_4995"><span class="yiv6652436398" id="yiv6652436398yui_3_16_0_1_1448915460653_4997"><span class="yiv6652436398" id="yiv6652436398yui_3_16_0_1_1448915460653_5035">See screenshots of evidence for more that 3000+ and 1800 FB share.</span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
</div>
<div dir="ltr" id="yiv6652436398yui_3_16_0_1_1448915460653_13540">
<span class="yiv6652436398" id="yiv6652436398yui_3_16_0_1_1448915460653_4973"><span class="yiv6652436398" id="yiv6652436398yui_3_16_0_1_1448915460653_4975"><span class="yiv6652436398" id="yiv6652436398yui_3_16_0_1_1448915460653_4977"><span class="yiv6652436398" id="yiv6652436398yui_3_16_0_1_1448915460653_4979"><span class="yiv6652436398" id="yiv6652436398yui_3_16_0_1_1448915460653_4981"><br /> </span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C9miMbrgzrs/Vl0yCZ56d5I/AAAAAAAAWXQ/yI9g74ng664/s1600/2015-12-01%2B07.28.15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C9miMbrgzrs/Vl0yCZ56d5I/AAAAAAAAWXQ/yI9g74ng664/s640/2015-12-01%2B07.28.15.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span class="yiv6652436398" id="yiv6652436398yui_3_16_0_1_1448915460653_4973"><span class="yiv6652436398" id="yiv6652436398yui_3_16_0_1_1448915460653_4975"><span class="yiv6652436398" id="yiv6652436398yui_3_16_0_1_1448915460653_4977"><span class="yiv6652436398" id="yiv6652436398yui_3_16_0_1_1448915460653_4995"><span class="yiv6652436398" id="yiv6652436398yui_3_16_0_1_1448915460653_4997"><span class="yiv6652436398" id="yiv6652436398yui_3_16_0_1_1448915460653_5035">Yours in solidarity,</span><br class="yiv6652436398" id="yiv6652436398yui_3_16_0_1_1448915460653_5037" /><span class="yiv6652436398" id="yiv6652436398yui_3_16_0_1_1448915460653_5039">Toyin Ajao on behalf of the undersigned.</span><br class="yiv6652436398" id="yiv6652436398yui_3_16_0_1_1448915460653_5041" /><br class="yiv6652436398" id="yiv6652436398yui_3_16_0_1_1448915460653_5043" /><a class="yiv6652436398" dir="ltr" href="https://www.facebook.com/olukayode.adegoke?hc_location=ufi" id="yiv6652436398yui_3_16_0_1_1448915460653_5045" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Olukayode Adegoke</a><br class="yiv6652436398" id="yiv6652436398yui_3_16_0_1_1448915460653_5047" /><a class="yiv6652436398" dir="ltr" href="https://www.facebook.com/dupe.kuku?hc_location=ufi" id="yiv6652436398yui_3_16_0_1_1448915460653_5049" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Dupe Kuku</a><br class="yiv6652436398" id="yiv6652436398yui_3_16_0_1_1448915460653_5051" /><a class="yiv6652436398" dir="ltr" href="https://www.facebook.com/tunrayolastnamealabi?hc_location=ufi" id="yiv6652436398yui_3_16_0_1_1448915460653_5053" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Tunrayo Alabi</a><br class="yiv6652436398" id="yiv6652436398yui_3_16_0_1_1448915460653_5055" /><a href="https://www.facebook.com/banire.m.olanshile?fref=ts">Banire Mutalib</a><br class="yiv6652436398" id="yiv6652436398yui_3_16_0_1_1448915460653_5059" /><a class="yiv6652436398" dir="ltr" href="https://www.facebook.com/bode.oje?hc_location=ufi" id="yiv6652436398yui_3_16_0_1_1448915460653_5061" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Bode Oje</a><br class="yiv6652436398" id="yiv6652436398yui_3_16_0_1_1448915460653_5063" /><a class="yiv6652436398edited-link-editor" dir="ltr" href="https://www.facebook.com/demar.binns?hc_location=ufi" id="yiv6652436398yui_3_16_0_1_1448915460653_5065" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">DeMars Binns</a><br class="yiv6652436398" id="yiv6652436398yui_3_16_0_1_1448915460653_5067" /><a class="yiv6652436398" dir="ltr" href="https://www.facebook.com/deoladeed?hc_location=ufi" id="yiv6652436398yui_3_16_0_1_1448915460653_5069" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Deola Deed</a><br class="yiv6652436398" id="yiv6652436398yui_3_16_0_1_1448915460653_5071" /><a class="yiv6652436398" dir="ltr" href="https://www.facebook.com/teeajao?hc_location=ufi" id="yiv6652436398yui_3_16_0_1_1448915460653_5073" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Toyin Ajao</a><br class="yiv6652436398" id="yiv6652436398yui_3_16_0_1_1448915460653_5075" /><a class="yiv6652436398" dir="ltr" href="https://www.facebook.com/timothy.seye3?hc_location=ufi" id="yiv6652436398yui_3_16_0_1_1448915460653_5077" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Timothy Adegunle Seye</a><br class="yiv6652436398" id="yiv6652436398yui_3_16_0_1_1448915460653_5079" /><a class="yiv6652436398" dir="ltr" href="https://www.facebook.com/maduka.onwukeme?hc_location=ufi" id="yiv6652436398yui_3_16_0_1_1448915460653_5081" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Maduka Fidorocks Onwukeme</a><br class="yiv6652436398" id="yiv6652436398yui_3_16_0_1_1448915460653_5083" /><span class="yiv6652436398" id="yiv6652436398yui_3_16_0_1_1448915460653_5085"> </span><a class="yiv6652436398" dir="ltr" href="https://www.facebook.com/ewedairo.oladayo?hc_location=ufi" id="yiv6652436398yui_3_16_0_1_1448915460653_5087" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ewedairo Olaoluwa Oladayo</a></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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The Activisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10208721217617791119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4743941223915628284.post-78509430976571148542014-03-27T13:54:00.002+01:002014-04-22T16:17:42.534+01:00 This is goodbye to my blog!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A-70TA8BtB0/UzQd52E9SCI/AAAAAAAABzw/DCF1V7JegNA/s1600/goodbye.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A-70TA8BtB0/UzQd52E9SCI/AAAAAAAABzw/DCF1V7JegNA/s1600/goodbye.jpg" height="299" width="400" /></a></div>
I don't know how I feel about this but it is for a good cause. I have decided to close this blog not because I have run out of ideas or I am no longer interested in women and social issues but I have to make a crucial decision. I still remain a blogger and an activist. But at this point in my life, I am transitioning into the academia. I started my PhD a few weeks ago at the university of Pretoria. I will be focusing on the roles of citizen journalism in conflict transformation in Zimbabwe, looking at public perceptions. I have a research work on the sexual minority discrimination and the draconian law passed recently in Nigeria to "jail the gays". I want to work on getting this published. Now, I have three years of commitment to contribute to knowledge in the field of peace and conflict in Africa by taking a multidisciplinary approach and fill the dearth of knowledge in social media and conflict transformation. I will be lecturing too while at it.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ImXgYviEdds/UzQeCx97t-I/AAAAAAAABz4/iDzhXD0myU4/s1600/takecare.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ImXgYviEdds/UzQeCx97t-I/AAAAAAAABz4/iDzhXD0myU4/s1600/takecare.jpg" height="320" width="400" /></a></div>
This is a new and exciting journey that will require my consciousness, awareness and mindfulness on this quest. When I get a hang of this, I will fuse my activism with academia and I want to be a researcher and a lecturer with a difference. At least, in the next four years or so, I want to make meaning and continue to think of best approaches to finding sustainable solutions to human security challenges in Africa. I have nurtured and loved this blog for six years. I have met wonderful people, I have developed good friendship with amazing people and we have generated practical ideas of change together and to some, we have fought on principles and values. I have <a href="http://genderandme.blogspot.com/search/label/BlogHer%20Conference%20Scholarship">won</a> <a href="http://www.womendeliver.org/updates/entry/winners-announced-for-the-women-bloggers-deliver-competition">two</a> <a href="http://genderandme.blogspot.com/search/label/MDGs">international</a> <a href="http://free2runonline.com.ng/?p=453">awards</a> with this very blog just writing from my heart. Also, <a href="http://naijabloggersaward.blogspot.com/2009/03/and-they-wonthe-serious-category.html">two Naija blogger awards</a> for best use of activism and most likely to become a talk show-host. I say thanks to you all for sticking with me; with my grammatical errors and outstanding contributions. <a href="http://genderandme.blogspot.com/search/label/Interview%20Thursday">Interview Thursday</a> is a series that I will never forget as it was straight-forward honest opinions from the members of the Blogshere that I interviewed on serious issues and personal issues. I thank you all. </div>
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Check out my posts on <a href="http://genderandme.blogspot.com/search/label/Feminism">feminism</a>, <a href="http://genderandme.blogspot.com/search/label/Violence%20Against%20Women">women's rights, </a><a href="http://genderandme.blogspot.com/search/label/Gender">gender</a>, <a href="http://genderandme.blogspot.com/search/label/Gender%20Equality">equality</a>, <a href="http://genderandme.blogspot.com/search/label/Children%20Rights">children rights</a>, <a href="http://genderandme.blogspot.com/search/label/Poem">poems</a> and <a href="http://genderandme.blogspot.com/search/label/Cat%20lover">my love</a> for <a href="http://genderandme.blogspot.com/search/label/Cat%20Tuesday">cats</a> along side<a href="http://genderandme.blogspot.com/search/label/Interview%20Thursday"> interview Thursday</a>. You can also check out my contribution to <a href="http://free2runonline.com.ng/?s=toyin+ajao&x=0&y=0">Free2Run </a>blog on women in political leadership. I will be back but perhaps in a new blog with combination of themes that will speak to my growth and development as well as love for what I continue to do. I love you all!<br />
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The Activisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10208721217617791119noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4743941223915628284.post-57099195658540223532013-10-18T19:08:00.000+01:002013-10-18T19:11:01.353+01:00The Rainbow Intersection; Dialogue about Race, Culture and Sexuality<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tq_1e1gRyYo/UmF4GpnF8nI/AAAAAAAABwc/POSP48vadIk/s1600/Rainbow+Flyer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tq_1e1gRyYo/UmF4GpnF8nI/AAAAAAAABwc/POSP48vadIk/s640/Rainbow+Flyer.jpg" width="458" /></a></div>
Please, do not miss this event if you are in the UK as Ade Adeniji and Bisi Alimi look at the issue of Race, Culture and Sexuality in this Black History Month event... <br />
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The Activisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10208721217617791119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4743941223915628284.post-54022291976445583392013-10-05T20:20:00.000+01:002013-10-05T20:21:17.281+01:00RETHINKING AFRICA: Where is your Dignity (Omoluabi) Africans? By OBK<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}">Where is your Dignity (Omoluabi) Africans?<br /> <br />
Some Africans dislike that part of history that told how their fathers
fell from grace to the grass to sandy soil For this, they shy away from
debates. Africans that chose to degrade their fathers and make mockery
of their Ancestors are like muddy waters, their vision are unclear,
never afraid to analyze and engage them, you'll find out that they are
sha<span class="text_exposed_show">llow.<br /> <br /> I also give kudos to
the White man. Those that venture into athe unknown and became my
fathers captors for a successful expedition. The battles that captured
trade and commerce, culture and tradition and the image of God of my
fathers. I Acknowledge it. This might be the only way to learn and detox
yourself of hate against innocent White men. However, we can not learn
alone how to socially integrate with the white communities without
economy independence and development of our own communities and science
to preserve our unique way of life.<br /> <br /> Economy independence is the
war we have to fight. Within our communities and against imperialism
and economy enslavement by the western world. If we lose this battle,
Africans would remain in slavery forever. <br /> <br /> A wise man is always
learning from his mistakes. If our ancestors were once a slave. It is
your duty to know and learn from their error. So that what befell them
will not be your portion. Beware of those who claimed your fore fathers
worship lesser gods. Protect your household from your brothers that
hides behind Christianity, Islam and Atheism to camouflage their self
hate for everything African.<br /> <br /> Any religion or ideology that
teaches you that you are sons and daughters of savages. It is an
oppressive tool or it is you that has misunderstood what it teaches.<br /> <br />
Know this about your brothers who pride themselves on modernism and
false platform of progress. They will tell you they don't have a race,
that they are citizen of the world. But they are quick to flash their
red and blue passport.Take Pictures in front of Buckingham palace and
the Statue of Liberty. And proclaim their new citizenship. <br /> <br />
When did the British stopped being a gentlemen due to the inter
connectivity of the world through the World Wide Web (WWW)? When did
American stopped being cowboys because of the sudden rise of China? Only
African men and women wants to be everything else but an African. As if
their African identity stopped them from been a resident of this earth.<br /> <br />
To justify their anti African stands. They will quote white
supremacist. That killed, raped and loot their inheritance. Why would an
African want other Africans to accept the definition of Sir Lord Lugard
of the Niger area people now called Nigerians today? How can African
elders want wise young Africans with unlimited pride in their culture
and tradition; take them seriously if they continue to use the
description of P.W. Botha to qualify Africans?<br /> <br /> Why is the so
called African elite, would even attempt to defend such description of
Africans? Why do we allow the world to call us the, 'third world?" When
our natural resources developed everywhere else but Africa. Why do we
pride ourself how well we have adapted to foreign cultures but not how
well we have developed and evolved culturally and scientifically? Only a
crab rejoices about the size of his stomach and buttocks, looks at
everything with humongous pair of eyeball's but without a head.<br /> <br />
If the eyes are well rested, one would see the tip ones nose. To you,
the Monkey might look ugly, but that is the jewel in the eyes of the
Monkeys mother. When push comes to shove. The world has a name for you.
It does not matter the color of your passport or your present
citizenship.<br /> The world is not blind or ignorant about where you came from. Why is it so difficult for you to accept that fact?<br /> <br />
I would not lie to you it has not been easy. At the same time I love
me for me. I am a Yoruba African. A Yorubian by birth from Oyo Ile. I
have no problem accepting every good and bad of my people. I have no
shame in telling you the greatness of my ancestors. And part of my
culture and tradition I wished never existed. Why would you think I
should be furious when you call me, "Afrocentric?" It could be the same
reason why Europeans are Eurocentric. Just saying.<br /> <br /> Even if you
find me across the Atlantic Ocean. I would not change but grow old and
frail into a better 'Omoluabi.' Don't get me wrong. Africa can not
survive in isolation. At the same time, Africans can not be respected in
this modern world as a perfect caricature others. We have to stop
believing in the independence of Africa that was documented and thought
in our schools. In reality, Africa is still a plantation. She can never
be free until you liberate yourself from the invisible shackles of
economy slavery. <br /> <br /> Odua Balogun Kakanfo (OBK).</span></span></div>
The Activisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10208721217617791119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4743941223915628284.post-23557402502788608722013-08-22T15:40:00.001+01:002013-08-22T15:40:45.578+01:00Call on Applications on Course on Leadership & Society<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #37404e; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">The African Leadership Centre (ALC) invites applications from scholars practitioners and policy makers from the Southern Africa region to attend a 10-day training course on Leadership and Society from 17th to 27th October 2013 in Lusaka, Za</span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #37404e; display: inline; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">mbia.<br /><br />This course is convened by the African Leadership Centre in partnership with King’s College London. Please find attached announcement with more details.<br /><br />For more information visit: <a href="http://applications.africanleadershipcentre.org/professional" rel="nofollow nofollow" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://applications.africanleadershipcentre.org/professional</a><br /><br />Kindly apply and/or circulate among your networks.</span><br />
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The Activisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10208721217617791119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4743941223915628284.post-31046167693294022292013-06-25T11:22:00.000+01:002013-06-25T11:35:31.597+01:00Sindi Medar-Gould Memorial<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-amsg6fhroZU/Ucluu2iCvwI/AAAAAAAABug/sKyaEAcd94A/s1600/sindi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-amsg6fhroZU/Ucluu2iCvwI/AAAAAAAABug/sKyaEAcd94A/s320/sindi.jpg" width="235" /></a></div>
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<span itemprop="description"><span class="fsl">The
Nigerian Feminist Forum (NFF) hereby invites you to a memorial in honor
of the Late Sindi Medar-Gould who until her death was a steering
committee member of the Nigerian Feminist Forum.</span></span></div>
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<span class="fsl"><span itemprop="location"><span class="visible">TERRA Kulture, Plot 1376, Tiamiyu Savage, Off Ahmadu Bello Way, Victoria Island, Lagos. </span></span></span><br />
<span class="fsl"><span itemprop="location"><span class="visible">Wednesday 26th, June, 2013.</span></span></span><br />
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<span class="fsl"><span itemprop="location"><span class="visible">Let's make this a celebration of life for our dearest Shameless Sindi. </span></span></span></div>
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The Activisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10208721217617791119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4743941223915628284.post-37380879661683087462013-06-20T18:40:00.000+01:002013-06-20T18:41:05.351+01:00ALC Africa's Debates<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
A must to attend... There is also online streaming on the 24th of June. <br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XZiNSBJmSAE/UcM-DEak1mI/AAAAAAAABuE/8SSayVRsD8w/s1600/ALCAfricaDebates2013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XZiNSBJmSAE/UcM-DEak1mI/AAAAAAAABuE/8SSayVRsD8w/s320/ALCAfricaDebates2013.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
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The Activisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10208721217617791119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4743941223915628284.post-89799829566519750422013-06-19T11:33:00.000+01:002013-06-19T13:21:38.124+01:00African Leadership Centre Public Lecture, Nairobi<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4Y-uh_vD25g/UcGISb6aovI/AAAAAAAABts/RNg8No0Sa-U/s1600/ALCPublicLecture2013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="userContent"><span style="color: black;">Africa Leadership Centre Public event on the
24th of June at the University of Nairobi where real issues on Global
Militarism and the Resilience of Women in Africa will be discussed by no
other than the erudite, Prof. Amina Mama; the director of Women and
Gender Studies, University of California. Be there</span></span></a></div>
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The Activisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10208721217617791119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4743941223915628284.post-38290170513698415422013-06-17T22:26:00.000+01:002013-06-17T22:36:31.959+01:00African Leadership Centre Simulation event Nairobi (2013)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-snMLe3Xd9-A/Ub9-n5m8CVI/AAAAAAAABtU/iuEyBbKSDb4/s1600/image001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-snMLe3Xd9-A/Ub9-n5m8CVI/AAAAAAAABtU/iuEyBbKSDb4/s1600/image001.jpg" /></a></div>
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The African Leadership Centre (ALC) invites you to the ALC Africa Debates:</div>
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“Is the current wave of global interest a new struggle for Africa?”</div>
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24th June 2013 at 1000–1230</div>
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ED 213, Education Building, University of Nairobi</div>
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The African Leadership Centre (ALC) was established in Nairobi in June 2010 as a joint initiative of King`s College London and the University of Nairobi. Through its Fellowship Programmes, the ALC aims to contribute to Africa’s long term security and development by mentoring the talent of young African leaders.</div>
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The ALC Africa Debates are a core part of the ALC Fellowship programme. These are high-level role-play sessions where Fellows discuss and act out the roles of key personalities involved in the management of significant security situations in Africa. The Simulation sessions provide an opportunity for the Fellows to display their analysis of current affairs from a variety of perspectives as well as their capacity to critically engage with the public on the most pertinent issues affecting Africa today.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
This year`s ALC Africa Debates is titled ‘Is the current wave of global interest a new struggle for Africa?’ This simulation seminar will consider the current wave of global interest in a continent that was once characterized as ‘the scar of the conscience of the world’. This state of affairs has led to positive outcomes on the one hand with high and rising information technology absorption and production levels and on the other hand, negative outcomes with national and regional insurgencies with links to global terrorist-related networks. International interests in Africa have never been so diverse from former colonial powers, the increasingly prominent emerging economic powers: BRIC and more clandestine elements, including AQIM.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
These developments have occurred against the background of energized global economic policy regimes; international peace and security interventions; as well as international engagement on the delivery of justices. However, rebellion against this overarching system has also been used as the rallying cry for global radicalization processes that have sometimes tipped over into violent extremism. We must ask whether the gains are sufficient to tolerate the negative outcomes.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The debates are an excellent tool to help us understand the problems that our continent faces from all perspectives: those that we are comfortable with and even those that we are less comfortable with. The event will also give us a glimpse at the wonderful work being done by the African Leadership Centre, King’s College London and the University of Nairobi on preparing young Africans for their leadership roles today. So please come and join the debate!</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Arrival: 1000</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Welcome Remarks: 1030-1100</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Dr 'Funmi Olonisakin, Director, ALC</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Coffee: 1130-1130</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Simulation seminar: 1130 – 1230</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The Simulation Exercise is undertaken by: ALC Peace and Security Fellows</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
(Current Fellows are from Burundi, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar and Sudan)</div>
</div>
The Activisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10208721217617791119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4743941223915628284.post-68913353233548712652013-06-10T07:13:00.004+01:002013-06-10T07:19:37.991+01:00Human 16.0 by Ronke Akintade-Ogunleye<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Dear Who- or Whatever designed humans,</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I
noticed your attempts at humans 1.0 - from the apemen, to
your homo-erectile [dysfunction] attempt or whatever that funny name is,
and several other attempts, and now us -the homo sapiens (I heard there
are 15 designs in all!!!). I just thought you might like my idea since
you are so adventurous :)</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Here are some suggestions for HUMAN 16.0:</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
1. Be sure to install a mechanism that will automatically regrow another organ when the existing ones begin to tire out.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
2.
Be sure to make humans have both sex organs so they they can use
whichever they are in the mood for. That should put paid to the issue of
gender or sexual discrimination!</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
3. And while you are
at it - could you make it so they don't have to kill anything in order
to eat? - not even plants. I don't know how you're gonna do it, but you
are the genius. Figure it out.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
4. Could you also ensure
that people reproduce just enough to replace them? And if some choose
not to reproduce, then grant the baby lovers extra - but just enough to
replace the non-reproducers. That should take care of population
problems.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
5. Better yet, how about babies grow just
like plants - in our gardens! They should watch how things are done from
their transparent pods. And when they are ready, drop with a fanfare,
and join the rest of us - already potty trained and able to get their
own food etc. None of the helpless crying bit! That should stop all the
pre-natal and post-partum problems. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
6. How about you
get rid of dying as we know it? When it's time to go - we go with a
fanfare just as we came. We invite friends and family, hold the best
party of our lives and poof! disappear while dancing. That would be cool
as heck!</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I feel it's necessary to go because that eternity thing
isn't what it's cracked out to be. I can't imagine being in the place,
doing the same thing, knowing the same people for eternity. I'll be
bored stiff after a couple of hundred years!</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Now, what should we call HUMAN 16.0?……... How about HOMO-PERFECT!</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Lol.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Thanks for listening….or not.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
It's just me again - your imaginative being,</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Ronke</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uN5FTATsX8Q/UbVuQmrc_II/AAAAAAAABtA/M6AJkrOvk7s/s1600/homo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="233" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uN5FTATsX8Q/UbVuQmrc_II/AAAAAAAABtA/M6AJkrOvk7s/s320/homo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
The Activisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10208721217617791119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4743941223915628284.post-27301820849797780352013-06-06T00:30:00.000+01:002013-06-06T00:30:00.842+01:00Poetry 14 - MODELING FOR MY SANITY BY KRWILLIAMS<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h5 class="uiStreamMessage userContentWrapper" data-ft="{"type":1,"tn":"K"}" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="messageBody" data-ft="{"type":3}"><span class="userContent"><br /> stretched out against your back<br /> at five oclock in the morning<br /> touching you and affirming my basics<br /> flowing into the day<br /> <br /> model with a body<br /> that draws out greed and passion<br /> adds dreaminess to my eyes<br /> and forces my lazy lips into a <br /> satisfied smile<br /> <br /> watching you <br /> from muramvya to gitega<br /> my brown vision work your sexy frame<br /> taking a little and teasing myself<br /> seeing no other<br /> your eyes cut into me<br /> instigating a silent, sweet flood<br /> your mouth<br /> I join peter abrahams in describing<br /> The deep beautiful things on your face that<br /> Want to be kissed<br /> your delicious smile<br /> then your back<br /> i could rest on you<br /> forever<br /> <br /> except for the times when you <br /> make my passion soar<br /> or move to the front<br /> feeling you more<br /> <br /> your gentle strength<br /> is physically threatening<br /> to those who sense the value<br /> in this mirage<br /> <br /> male model with a body<br /> that sustains pleasure, passion<br /> and my mind</span></span></h5>
</div>
The Activisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10208721217617791119noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4743941223915628284.post-22849782475952062013-06-03T00:03:00.000+01:002013-06-03T00:03:00.024+01:00Why I Am a Male Feminist - Byron Hurt<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="mbl notesBlogText clearfix" style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
<div>
The word turns off
a lot of men (insert snarky comment about man-hating feminazis here) --
and women. But here's why black men should be embracing the "f" word.<br />
<br />
When
I was a little boy, my mother and father used to argue a lot. Some
mornings, I would wake up to the alarming sound of my parents arguing
loudly. The disagreement would continue until my father would yell with
finality, "That is it! I'm not talking about this anymore!" The dispute
would end right there. My mother never got the last word.<br />
<br />
My
dad's yelling made me shrink in fear; I wanted to do something to make
him stop raging against my mother. In those moments, I felt powerless
because I was too small to confront my father. I learned early that he
had an unfair advantage because of his gender. His size, strength and
power intimidated my mother. I never saw my father hit her, but I did
witness how injurious his verbal jabs could be when they landed on my
mom's psyche.<br />
<br />
My father didn't always mistreat my mother,
but when he did, I identified with her pain, not his bullying. When he
hurt her, he hurt me, too. My mother and I had a special bond. She was
funny, smart, loving and beautiful. She was a great listener who made me
feel special and important. And whenever the going got tough, she was
my rock and my foundation.<br />
One morning, after my father yelled at
my mom during an argument, she and I stood in the bathroom together,
alone, getting ready for the day ahead of us. The tension in the house
was as thick as a cloud of dark smoke. I could tell that my mother was
upset. "I love you, Ma, but I just wish that you had a little more spunk
when you argue with Daddy," I said, low enough so my father couldn't
hear me. She looked at me, rubbed my back and forced a smile.<br />
<br />
I
so badly wanted my mother to stand up for herself. I didn't understand
why she had to submit to him whenever they fought. Who was he to lay
down the law in the household? What made him so special?<br />
<br />
I
grew to resent my father's dominance in the household, even though I
loved him as dearly as I loved my mother. His anger and intimidation
shut down my mother, sister and me from freely expressing our opinions
whenever they didn't sit well with his own. Something about the inequity
in their relationship felt unjust to me, but at that young age, I
couldn't articulate why.<br />
<br />
One day, as we sat at the kitchen
table after another of their many spats, my mother told me, "Byron,
don't ever treat a woman the way your father treats me." I wish I had
listened to her advice.<br />
<br />
As I grew older and got into my
own relationships with girls and women, I sometimes behaved as I saw my
father behave. I, too, became defensive and verbally abusive whenever
the girl or woman I was dating criticized or challenged me. I would
belittle my girlfriends by scrutinizing their weight or their choices in
clothes. In one particular college relationship, I often used my
physical size to intimidate my petite girlfriend, standing over her and
yelling to get my point across during arguments.<br />
<br />
I had
internalized what I had seen in my home and was slowly becoming what I
had disdained as a young boy. Although my mother attempted to teach me
better, I, like a lot of boys and men, felt entitled to mistreat the
female gender when it benefited me to do so.<br />
After graduating from
college, I needed a job. I learned about a new outreach program that
was set to launch. It was called the Mentors in Violence
Prevention Project. As a student-athlete, I had done community outreach,
and the MVP Project seemed like a good gig until I got a real job in my
field: journalism.<br />
<br />
Founded by Jackson Katz, the MVP
Project was designed to use the status of athletes to make gender
violence socially unacceptable. When I met with Katz, I didn't realize
that the project was a domestic violence prevention program. Had I known
that, I wouldn't have gone in for the job interview.<br />
<br />
So
when Katz explained that they were looking to hire a man to help
institutionalize curricula about preventing gender violence at high
schools and colleges around the country, I almost walked out the door.
But during my interview, Katz asked me an interesting question. "Byron,
how does African-American men's violence against African-American women
uplift the African-American community?"<br />
<br />
No one had ever
asked me that question before. As an African-American man who was deeply
concerned about race issues, I had never given much thought about how
emotional abuse, battering, sexual assault, street harassment and rape
could affect <i>an entire community,</i>just as racism does<i>.</i><br />
The
following day, I attended a workshop about preventing gender violence,
facilitated by Katz. There, he posed a question to all of the men in the
room: "Men, what things do you do to protect yourself from being raped
or sexually assaulted?"<br />
<br />
Not one man, including myself,
could quickly answer the question. Finally, one man raised his hand and
said, "Nothing." Then Katz asked the women, "What things do you do to
protect yourself from being raped or sexually assaulted?" Nearly all of
the women in the room raised their hand. One by one, each woman
testified:<br />
<br />
"I don't make eye contact with men when I walk down the street," said one.<br />
"I don't put my drink down at parties," said another.<br />
"I use the buddy system when I go to parties."<br />
"I cross the street when I see a group of guys walking in my direction."<br />
"I use my keys as a potential weapon."<br />
"I carry mace or pepper spray."<br />
"I watch what I wear."<br />
<br />
The
women went on for several minutes, until their side of the blackboard
was completely filled with responses. The men's side of the blackboard
was blank. I was stunned. I had never heard a group of women say these
things before. I thought about all of the women in my life -- including
my mother, sister and girlfriend -- and realized that I had a lot to
learn about gender.<br />
<br />
Days after that workshop, Katz offered
me the job as a mentor-training specialist, and I accepted his offer.
Although I didn't know much about gender issues from an academic
standpoint, I quickly learned on the job. I read books and essays by
bell hooks, Patricia Hill Collins, Angela Davis and other feminist
writers.<br />
<br />
Like most guys, I had bought into the stereotype
that all feminists were white, lesbian, unattractive male bashers who
hated all men. But after reading the work of these black feminists, I
realized that this was far from the truth. After digging into their
work, I came to really respect the intelligence, courage and honesty of
these women.<br />
<br />
Feminists did not hate men. In fact, they
loved men. But just as my father had silenced my mother during their
arguments to avoid hearing her gripes, men silenced feminists by
belittling them in order to dodge hearing the truth about who we are.<br />
<br />
I
learned that feminists offered an important critique about a
male-dominated society that routinely, and globally, treated women like
second-class citizens. They spoke the truth, and even though I was a
man, their truth spoke to me. Through feminism, I developed a language
that helped me better articulate things that I had experienced growing
up as a male.<br />
<br />
Feminist writings about patriarchy, racism,
capitalism and structural sexism resonated with me because I had
witnessed firsthand the kind of male dominance they challenged. I saw it
as a child in my home and perpetuated it as an adult. Their analysis of
male culture and male behavior helped me put my father's patriarchy
into a much larger social context, and also helped me understand myself
better.<br />
<br />
I decided that I loved feminists and embraced
feminism. Not only does feminism give woman a voice, but it also clears
the way for men to free themselves from the stranglehold of traditional
masculinity. When we hurt the women in our lives, we hurt ourselves, and
we hurt our community, too.<br />
<br />
As I became an adult, my
father's behavior toward my mother changed. As he aged he mellowed, and
stopped being so argumentative and verbally abusive. My mother grew to
assert herself more whenever they disagreed.<br />
<br />
It shocked me
to hear her get in the last word as my father listened without getting
angry. That was quite a reversal. Neither of them would consider
themselves to be feminists, but I believe they both learned over time
how to be fuller individuals who treated each other with mutual respect.
By the time my father died from cancer in 2007, he was proudly sporting
the baseball cap around town that I had given him that read, "End
Violence Against Women." Who says men can't be feminists?<br />
<br />
<b><i>Byron Hurt is an award-winning documentary filmmaker and anti-sexist activist. </i></b><br />
<b><i><a href="http://www.theroot.com/views/why-i-am-male-feminist">http://www.theroot.com/views/why-i-am-male-feminist </a></i></b></div>
</div>
</div>
The Activisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10208721217617791119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4743941223915628284.post-76930591796789128072013-05-31T00:00:00.000+01:002013-05-31T00:00:06.755+01:00Relax and Release...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}">Relax the muscles<br /> Release the tensions<br /> Restore the smile<br /> Refocus on the goal<br /> Rearrange the thinking<br /> Rejuvenate the mind<br /> Resurrect the day</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
The Activisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10208721217617791119noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4743941223915628284.post-36180178404437251492013-04-14T12:16:00.000+01:002013-05-02T00:51:35.784+01:00Where I call HOME<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: center;">
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</style> <span style="font-family: "Calibri","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Home is where my heart beats.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Where I find my peace.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Where I co-exist with others.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Where I gaze at the world with
happiness and wonder.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Home is where my feet touch.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">My mouth grins and feeds. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">My hands, a firm grips on the
simplicity of life.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">My body moves to the rhythm of
beats and music.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
Home is where I call home. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Home is where I find my freedom.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I am a gypsy woman, a citizen of
the universe.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
Home is where I go.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Home is where I stay.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Wherever that may be.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
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The Activisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10208721217617791119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4743941223915628284.post-84817290014398096582013-04-10T10:45:00.000+01:002013-05-05T01:01:37.520+01:00Goodnight Sindi Medar-Gould<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span class="userContent">You will be missed <a data-hovercard="/ajax/hovercard/user.php?id=1149183915&extragetparams=%7B%22group_id%22%3A0%7D" href="https://www.facebook.com/smedargould?group_id=0">Sindi Medar-gould</a>.
You have inspired many. You have touched endless lives (mine
inclusive). A wonderful leader, an ardent feminist, a committed
change-maker. Am glad we passed through each other's ways. You will be
loved forever- till the end of my days.</span><br />
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<span class="userContent">GOODNIGHT, GOODBYE SHAMELESS SINDI. </span></div>
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The Activisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10208721217617791119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4743941223915628284.post-41577973604337968042013-03-11T15:01:00.000+01:002013-05-02T00:15:02.861+01:00WORDS, BIG AND SMALL by Donald Molosi<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
rings and roses vanish, fleet and pass without leaving a trace.<br />
but words are forever so, speak for this love lives on words<br />
and words alone can ink themselves deep into my heart and<br />
not rings, not roses, not a new house. no. no.<br />
speak and i will live on your words, i will drink every word and i will<br />
follow the breath of your lips to where it will land a new loving word.<br />
no rings, no roses - they vanish, they fleet, they pass;<br />
speak! and i will swallow your words deep into me<br />
and make of them my core and essence. yes. yes.<br />
keep speaking and giving me words big and small.<br />
my darling artist, keep talking, writing and<br />
painting your words and in all of them i will delight.<br />
but like my Lord i will ask again that if you build me a mansion then you should build it in<br />
the path of a flood.</div>
The Activisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10208721217617791119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4743941223915628284.post-79660679081627462372013-03-07T16:37:00.002+01:002013-04-25T01:40:28.552+01:00The African Leadership Centre now offers Postgraduate courses at King's College, London<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">The African Leadership Centre is pleased to announce that from the 2013-2014 academic year it will be offering two new MSc programmes at King's College, London. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">These two fantastic postgraduate programmes are:</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">1. The MSc Leadership & Development.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">2. The MSc Security, Leadership & Society.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Both programmes are availab</span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">le now for online application via the King’s College London application system.</span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">To apply for The MSc Leadership & Development please visit: </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">1. <a href="http://www.kcl.ac.uk/prospectus/graduate/index/name/leadership-development/alpha//header_search/leadership" rel="nofollow nofollow" style="cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://www.kcl.ac.uk/prospectus/graduate/index/name/leadership-development/alpha//header_search/leadership</a></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">To apply for The MSc Security, Leadership & Society please visit: </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;">2.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><a href="http://www.kcl.ac.uk/prospectus/graduate/index/name/security-leadership/alpha//header_search/leadership" rel="nofollow nofollow" style="cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://www.kcl.ac.uk/prospectus/graduate/index/name/security-leadership/alpha//header_search/leadership</a></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">For more information on the programmes and their modules please visit the ALC website: <a href="http://www.kcl.ac.uk/aboutkings/worldwide/initiatives/global/alc/index.aspx" rel="nofollow nofollow" style="cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://www.kcl.ac.uk/aboutkings/worldwide/initiatives/global/alc/index.aspx</a></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;">You are looking the opportunity to advance your knowledge on leadership, security, development and the society with practical tools and solutions? You have found the answers!</span></span></div>
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The Activisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10208721217617791119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4743941223915628284.post-89273845401121833362013-03-01T12:14:00.000+01:002013-04-25T01:40:00.153+01:00Pls Support Adel's Education<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b style="font-weight: bold;">ADEL’S STORY</b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"></span></div>
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I gave birth to Adelaide Shekwoshimi Hideyoshi Ogidion May 30 2007. I was 46 years old, eleven years older than his father and Adelaide(<b style="font-weight: bold;">Adel for short</b>) is our Only child. He was diagnosed with two holes in the heart (a PDA and VSD) when he was 5 months old. His life was ebbing away as his heart grew weaker, larger, occupying virtually all his chest, with more than 50% shunt of the blood pumped from his heart into his lungs. He was weak and blue when I took him to Hudrulaya Narayana (a Heart Hospital) in Bangalore where he had a surgery with support from feminists and friends like Meena Seshu, Pramada Menon, Bene Madunagu, and the humanitarian desk of the hospital. This is where Adel was diagnosed with the Down Syndrome.</div>
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He recovered gradually from the impact of the heart condition</div>
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He took a little longer in his case to sit without support, crawl, stand and took his first steps when he was 26 months old.</div>
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At this point, I had started bombarding him with Sesame Street, Barney and Vegetale videos. He took interest in them was learned over the next two years to say his alphabets, sing along and dance.</div>
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In all the sessions we had, with his paediatricians and the endocrinologist, they were convinced that he could cope in a regular school because he displayed high level of intelligence. The Endocrinologist in fact concluded that he must have the mosaic pattern of down syndrome since other children his age could not do certain tasks that Adel was capable of.</div>
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At four I enrolled him in a kindergarten class of a faith based institution. I moved him from there to a private Primary School believing that they had a standard that will enable Adel progress well in his education.</div>
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Till this point, I had had to fight discrimination and stigma including from family members (his father and his relatives) who saw Adel as an abnormal and handicapped child. The traditional way of receiving a child born into a family was not performed for Adel. All through the hospitalisation and surgery, his father’s relations did not visit him in the hospital. A huge statement of rejection given what should ordinarily have been the case in a cultural setting where extended families are closely knit.</div>
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At three, Adel could call elevators, select the floors, he could identify our hotel rooms, he could tell his way around town, as wrong turns would draw a cry. From the age of two, he could operate the DVD player, select channels from the TV, operate the mobile phone in and out of various folders, identify all the letters of the alphabet and numbers in whatever order they are presented, including mirror image.</div>
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In November 2011, his father left us discontinuing his financial support. One of the reasons he gave was that since I was treating cancer (I have been on treatment for CA breast since December 2010 when I had RMM) and was not in a position to give birth to more children, and the only son I gave him was not normal, he needed to go find some other woman who will have more children for him. It was an additional pain when in September 2012 the School wrote me a letter advising me to withdraw my son from their school. This was shocking because he had passed his examinations. Convinced that his expulsion from school was a discrimination based on his birth condition, I sued the school and presented evidence of his continually improving performance. The Judge ruled on 14<sup style="font-size: 10px; line-height: 0; position: relative; top: -0.5em; vertical-align: baseline;">th</sup> February 2013 that the school had acted “in the best interest of the child”. To pursue appeal on the case, is further depletion of resources needed for his education especially since financial support from his father was no longer forth coming.</div>
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With the little resources I had left I approached other much cheaper schools to get him back to school, but the efforts have failed. He is constantly rejected and I am told to take him to the school of the “deaf and dump”, only school for people with hearing and speech impairment.</div>
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The options I have exist only outside Minna, the town where I live and work. Please I need your financial support to take him to Abuja or Lagos to offer him the education he so desperately needs and record a success story that debunks myths, stereotypes and taboos.<br />
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I thank you, Adel thanks you For taking the time to read our story and for your anticipated support. <br />
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Contribute your token to Adel's education's please by visiting <a href="http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/346300/x/2409476">Indiegogo</a></div>
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The Activisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10208721217617791119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4743941223915628284.post-76968452922726203892013-02-13T00:05:00.000+01:002013-05-02T00:08:58.392+01:00"Africa: A Continent of Beggars - Anonymous<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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What is going on? Why have we turned into a continent of beggars?</div>
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<span class="messageBody" data-ft="{"type":3}">Our leaders go abroad to beg for “aid” to support the national budget or else they can’t run our countries. They beg for loans, grants, and experts to develop Africa. It makes no sense, when you have everything you need at home to cook a good meal, to go begging your neighbour for their food."<br /><br />What is going on in Africa? From Burkina Faso to Madagascar, from presidents to street children, I have never come across so much begging in my life. Every single day, no matter which African country I am in, I am accosted by beggars. And I don’t just mean the regular beggars we see on the streets everywhere in the world. No. The African culture of begging permeates all spheres of life–from extended family members to the young bank teller; everyone seems to think begging is okay. In fact, some of us have even become professional beggars and live solely by this way of life. Can you imagine the frustration of arriving in a country and dealing with immigration staff that are nothing more than beggars in uniform? I have known situations where immigration officers, on the pretence of checking for contraband goods, have rummaged through my belongings and begged for whatever item catches their fancy.<br /><br />Recently, on arriving at the airport in Accra, Ghana, I was disgusted when an immigration officer actually begged that I give him the biscuits I had bought for my children. Just ordinary biscuits, which he could easily have bought on the streets of Accra! Naturally I refused. Can you believe another young officer escorted me to my waiting car, all the while trying to convince me to part with the biscuits? What kind of begging is this? After extracting myself from that irritating situation, it was time to go home. But not before the hangers-on at the airport had demanded I give them “pounds or coins”. All across the continent, you see young men standing at the airports, ready to help you push your trolley to your car for some “small change”. Whether you seek their assistance or not, everybody is keen to “help” you.<br /><br />But of course you soon find out this “help” comes at a cost. These days, one of the biggest beggars (like our immigration officers) also comes in uniform. I am talking about African policemen and women. Even if you are the victim of a crime, the police have no shame in begging you for money before coming to your assistance. Right now, drivers in Ghana are being accosted every day and night by these “beggars in uniform”. Because of the high incidence of robberies in the past, the Ghana police started mounting barriers at night, as a way to protect innocent members of society. The idea really is for the police to search each vehicle to make sure it is not full of robbers carrying dangerous weapons such as guns.<br /><br />Instead, when a driver gets to a barrier, the police shine their pathetic torch lights in the car and, sometimes, ask for something “small for iced water or Fanta”. I mean, what kind of life is this? Why should policemen and women turn themselves into professional beggars? I know they are underpaid, but come on, begging for money from the populace is not cool. These “beggars in uniform” are all over the streets of West Africa and travelling by road from say Ghana to Benin is no laughing matter. You will come across so many barriers and you know at each one, a beggar in uniform will demand something from you. For doing their job! That is what gets to me the most. The majority of people begging in Africa are in full-time gainful employment.<br /><br />Yet they beg for money from you for them to do their jobs! Can you imagine, after withdrawing your money from a bank, the bank teller begs for “something” from you? I have heard of secretaries who, no matter how many times you visit their offices, will tell you their boss is unavailable. Yet the same secretaries have no shame in begging you for “something”. “Something” which, when it materialises, guarantees you a meeting with the “absent” boss.<br /><br />This culture of begging has permeated the whole African social order, from our governments down to every sector of society. In the classrooms, teachers beg schoolchildren for their “luxury foods” such as apples which they cannot afford on a teacher’s salary. Pathetic but true! Visit any establishment and the security officer will act as if he is helping you to find a parking lot. The minute you step out of your car, the begging starts: “Oh madam, I dey ooo!”You stop at the traffic lights and young children who are supposedly trying to earn a living by cleaning your car windows or selling chewing gum, all of a sudden turn into professional beggars. These days, many of our young men are creating work for themselves by filling in the potholes on our roads, whilst at the same time begging for money!<br /><br />What is going on? Why have we turned into a continent of beggars?<br /><br />Our leaders go abroad to beg for “aid” to support the national budget or else they can’t run our countries. They beg for loans, grants, and experts to develop Africa. It makes no sense, when you have everything you need at home to cook a good meal, to go begging your neighbour for their food. You may not be a good cook, but once you have the ingredients, surely you can only try? For as long as we keep begging foreigners to produce for us, we will never know how to manufacture anything. We may not know how to mine and polish diamonds, but how can we know when we do not learn? We would rather beg foreign investors to come and do it for us, on their own terms! "</span></h6>
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The Activisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10208721217617791119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4743941223915628284.post-25718406759284460072013-01-31T13:23:00.000+01:002013-05-13T10:55:41.936+01:00Girl Soldier poem made into a Song <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Words by Standtall-The Activist Song/Instrumentation written and sung by Donald Molosi</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I wrote and blogged<a href="http://genderandme.blogspot.com/search/label/A%20girl-Soldier"> this poem</a> in 2009 and Donald has made an outstanding job of making it more meaningful by making it into a song. This is fantastic! </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Girl Soldier -</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Injustice, corruption, discrimination she saw.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Deeply entrenched in her society. Ruling all and sundry.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">She carried a gun to fight. Gun of truth. Gun of passion. Gun of selfless service.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Originally blogged on</span> </span><a href="http://www.blacklooks.org/2013/01/girl-soldier/">Black Looks </a></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Original Poem here: </span><br />
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<b>The Girl-Soldier:
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</span>Injustice, corruption, discrimination she saw
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Deeply entrenched in her society
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Ruling all and sundry
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Her youthful innocent heart bleeds
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She shields blood and not tears
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She was too disappointed to understand
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Then she carried a gun to fight
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A gun of truth
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The gun of passion
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The gun of selfless service
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Her gun is her passion to make a difference
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The courage to be the change</div>
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The determination to make a change
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There goes the girl-soldier
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The Activisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10208721217617791119noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4743941223915628284.post-86029585366781855332012-11-28T19:47:00.000+01:002012-11-28T20:00:09.379+01:00Groups You May Love to Join - Freedom begins from self<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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When they say 'there is more to life'. I see sense in this saying but it is subject to interpretation. Are we talking about materialistic essence or the real essence of living and loving life in the simplest ways? I have chosen the latter. I am inviting you to a DIY (Do It Yourself) Wellness group created on Facebook by me and a friend who understood how eating well and exercising enhances happiness, good health and improves the quality of our thinking and intelligence. This is a kind of salvation that is very Free. If you want to buy into it, just request for an add on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/DIYwellness/">DIY Wellness page</a>.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-D5v494d6O-0/ULZabMwgz9I/AAAAAAAABng/jb7kSY2AIgo/s1600/green-smoothie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-D5v494d6O-0/ULZabMwgz9I/AAAAAAAABng/jb7kSY2AIgo/s320/green-smoothie.jpg" width="279" /></a></div>
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It does not end there, music is good for the soul and it takes you to a very happy place. There is a group for sharing good music for body and soul. Live and love your life! Join <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/feelthebeats/">Feel The Beats group</a></div>
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Release yourself and be taking away to a better place. Live and Love your Life!</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/gte3BoXKwP0" width="560"></iframe><br /></div>
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The very last but not the list group for radical thinkers who see spirituality beyond what they were told. Who loves the universe but does not belief in any deity or does not think the UNIVERSE has been given the proper interpretation, welcome yourself to the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/AfricanAtheistsPlus/">African Atheist Plus (AA+) group</a>!!!</div>
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<span class="userContent"> AA+ is devoid of bigotry, sexism, misogyny,
homophobia, ableism or racism. There is no question that will be met with 'blasphemy'.
It is a place of minds and Non-Africans are welcome. </span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eUPVZ5sBVkk/ULZbw0wJ1VI/AAAAAAAABno/Skg73sP3A7U/s1600/A+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eUPVZ5sBVkk/ULZbw0wJ1VI/AAAAAAAABno/Skg73sP3A7U/s320/A+.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Want to change the world? Start from yourself!</div>
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The Activisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10208721217617791119noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4743941223915628284.post-985677295074034102012-11-07T07:00:00.000+01:002012-11-07T07:00:00.883+01:00Is Femi Fani-Kayode a Christian Right-winger? - Mohammed Shomo Sodangi<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">If
you’re not careful, the newspapers will have you hating the people who are
oppressed, and loving the people who are doing the oppressing </span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">-Malcolm
X</span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">After taking my time to read Femi Fani-Kayode’s
article titled ‘Is Obama the Anti-Christ?’ on a Nigerian national newspaper, I
felt compelled to write a rejoinder against it because it is filled with
Christian far-right rhetoric, propaganda and agenda devoid of objectivity and rationality,
views imported into Nigerian media that can mislead the public in a harmful way.
It’s like Mr. Fani-Kayode has been watching Fox News channel on his satellite
dish too much and swallowed the conservative ideals hook, line and sinker. He
has obviously been brainwashed and also lacks knowledge of American politics.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">I believe Mr. Fani-Kayode is a Christian
right-winger based on the religious political group views and stances that has
reflected in his article, I do not intend to write this article to draw a
debate with him seeing that it will be futile but I would like to enlighten the
Nigerians on this right-wing group who has hijacked the Republican Party and
influence their toxic policies in US that affects the rest of the world
negatively for decades but before I start, allow me the chance to explain the American
political system that I will use to debunk his implied statements that US is
founded as a Christian nation with Christian values seeing that he is
criticizing President Barrack Obama for violating the so called ‘Christian
values’ and 'faith values’ which I find it silly.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">One of the erroneous statements that the Christian
right-wingers are fond of asserting or implying is that US is a Christian nation.
Contrary to that, USA is founded as a secular country that separates Religion
from the state by the founding fathers whom most of them are not orthodox
Christians; Benjamin Franklin, James Madison, George Washington and Thomas
Jefferson (who was critical of organized religions), were known as deist. What
is Deism? Deism is a belief system that rejects religious knowledge based on
revelations such as holy scriptures and supernatural events such as miracles
but depends on reason and observation of natural world to determine the
existence of a creator, also they don’t believe that God intervenes with the
functioning of the natural world but rather allow it to run in accordance with
the laws of nature.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Was USA founded as a Christian nation? NO, the first
amendment has made it clear that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">‘Congress
shall make NO law respecting an establishment of religion’.</i> Thomas Jefferson
(3<sup>rd</sup> President of the United States) has wrote to say the 1<sup>st</sup>
amendment made <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">‘a wall of separation
between the church and state’. </i>One of the founding fathers who was the 4<sup>th</sup>
President, James Madison was quoted as saying ‘<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Strongly guarded…is the separation between religion and government in
the constitution of United States’</i> Not convincing enough? Ok, here is
another quote from an International treaty, the treaty of Tripoli drafted in
the 1700s that states;</span><br />
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<i><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“As
the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on
the Christian religion,</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> as it has in itself no character
against the laws, religion or tranquility of Mussulmen (Muslims) and as the
said state never entered into any war or act of hostility against any Mehomitan
Nation (Islamic nation) it is declared by both parties that no pretext arising
from religion opinions shall ever produce an interpretation of harmony existing
between the two countries”</span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This disproves the implied statements made by Mr.
Fani-Kayode that US was founded as Christian nation.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Classical Liberalism has always been the dominant
ideology of US ever since it was founded, which Mr. Fani-Kayode is blindly
opposing an ideology that espouses Freedom of religion that has been the
cornerstone of every secular country that separates religion from the state. It
is inane of Mr. Fani-Kayode to criticize President Obama for violating the so
called ‘Christian values” which is the subject of criticism
that Christian right-wingers love to indulge in, so it’s no surprise that the
Former Federal Minister of Aviation is jumping on the bandwagon.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Which brings me to another topic of discussion.
Democratic Party which Obama belongs to, position itself as Left-of-center in
American politics and supports Modern liberalism while the Republican Party
which Governor Romney-the candidate that Mr. Fani-Kayode is endorsing- belongs
to, generally positions itself as right-of-center and supports neo-conservative
platform.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It is essential for me to shed more light on the
Republican Party, a party that has been hijacked by Christian right group whose
coattail Mr. Fani-Kayode is hanging on to. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Who are the Christian right-wingers? Christian right
wingers are part of a group that support conservative policies and seek to
apply Christianity to politics and public policy. Ironic isn’t it? Seeing that
the group is violating the first amendment of the United States constitution
which Mr. Fani-Kayode fails to understand.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The root of the movement has been dated to back to
1940s and has been influential since 1970s as reactionaries to Sexual and Cultural
Revolution that took place as at that time, it started right from the grassroots
before it spread over on a national level. Most of the adherents are white
conservative evangelical Protestants and they were significant for advancing
socially conservative positions on issues (which Mr. Fani Kayode shares and
wants to import the values over here via media) as follows;</span><br />
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<u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">1. Economics</span></u></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Christian
rights are often in support of
laissez-faire economy which they have been parroting and making vogue
statements in favour of it, they believe that economy should be left to
run on
its own without government intervention, history has proved that this
theory
has never and would never work in practical.This is something that the
founding fathers have fought against for fear that they may be dependent
on the
European monarchs and it has been proven to fail again when the Great
Depression occur in the late 1920s and early 1930s, as a result of that
Keynesian economics was
introduced. Despite all that, the republican Christian right-wingers
remained
stubborn and try to implement it back during the Bush regime in the
2000s hence the
recession and Bush left a huge mess for Obama to clean up.Mr.
Fani-Kayode accuses Obama of turning US into <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“quasi
welfarist state where big government reigns and in which the tradition engine
room of growth that is known as the American middle class is being
systematically weakened and destroyed”. </i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t know how he came to that conclusion
but it’s no surprising that he is following the line of the Christian right
group dogmatic views and also forgot that Romney is responsible for the
Auto-industry crisis in Detroit which lead to rising unemployment, not to
mention that he is outsourcing jobs to China whom he accuses of being a
currency manipulator.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">2.<u>Middle East and Foreign Policy</u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It is well known that Israel has a strong support
from the group encouraging U.S. government to support and even help them wage
war against Iran for possessing nuclear weapon, and also refuse the right of
Palestinian state to exist because they are “terrorists”. This is what caused the resentment
of America by the Muslim world that birthed extremism and jihadists as
reactionaries.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The paradox of the whole issue is that the hatred of
Muslims that Christian right winger’s exhibit which Mr. Fani-kayode never fails
to do so in public causes the Muslims to be reactive, it has become a ping pong
match between the right-wingers and Muslim extremists reacting against each
other in hatred. Also Mr. Fani-Kayode, Obama is not responsible for the
emergence of Boko Haram in the North.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Also this policy explains the reason why he was
being critical of Obama for bowing down to the King of Saudi Arabia, King
Abdullah, which has been the subject of criticism among the Christian rights in
the Republican Party during the first year of Obama’s administration which is
weak </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Finally this explains why he is trying to allude
that Obama is a closet Muslim, also a subject of criticism from the group
within the party.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">3.<u>Bioethics and Sexuality</u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Christian
rights have opposes abortion, believing that life begins at conception and that
abortion is murder, they also opposes the use of contraception based on their
religious beliefs which they are trying to impose on American women which also
violates their reproductive rights, it’s ridiculous how these clowns are trying
to take control of women's womb but can’t take control of the country’s economy.
Recently a republican congressman contesting for US senate seat, Todd Akin, who
opposes abortion was asked about women who get pregnant due to rape, to the
horror of the viewers he claims that <i>"from what he understand from the doctors,
it’s really rare and if it’s a legitimate rape, a female body has a way to try
to shut things down and avoid a pregnancy!"</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It’s no surprising that Mr. Fani-Kayode is critizing
President Obama for endorsing women’s right to abortion but he was wrong to
accuse him of denouncing ‘right to life’ of unborn babies because he never did
so but rather he sees it as a choice left for the women to decide.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">These are the positions that Romney/Ryan advocates
and are willing to implement those policies should they get elected which explains
why Mr. Fani-Kayode is endorsing them because he shares the same principles
with them and the group. It’s ironic that he is supporting closet racists and
the group who were once against the civil rights movement in the 60s<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i>.</i></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It was comical of him to blame President Obama for
the occurrence of natural disaster in US which reminds us of Pat Robertson, an
American televangelist, also a renowned Christian right-winger who claimed that
Hurricane Katrina was “God’s Punishment” in response to America’s abortion
policy and he also claim that Haiti’s founders had sworn a “pact with the
devil” in order to liberate themselves from the French slave owners and
attributed the 2010 Haiti’s earthquake as a consequence of Haitian being cursed
for rebelling against their masters in the 19<sup>th</sup> century. Obviously
Mr. Fani-Kayode is taking a leaf from him.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It’s quite alarming how the former minister compare
Obama with Hitler who massacred the Jews in a concentration and almost
eliminated the whole ethnic group and it’s also unfortunate that he is endorsing
Romney/Ryan whom intends to cut social benefits for the American masses, cut
taxes for the wealthy class and corporations just to increase military
expenditure to launch more wars in the future.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This is enough for me to believe that Mr. Femi
Fani-Kayode is a Christian right-winger who intends to mislead the public with
falsehood and defamations on President Barrack Obama with a typical rhetoric
borrowed from the group and also a pathological attention seeker who will do
anything irrational to seek relevance.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Mohammed Shomo
Sodangi</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">shomosodangi@gmail.com</span></div>
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The Activisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10208721217617791119noreply@blogger.com1