Africa , My Heritage, My love

Africa, The beloved

2011-06-19T13:34:00.000-07:00

Africa, a vast land of the great and humble A meeting point of diverse cultures,

Africa, rising from the north to the south,
East to west,

Africa, different people, different cultures.
joined together in destiny.

Africa, referred to as the Dark Continent
Yet full of sunshine, life, and potential

Africa, the land of great athletes
clothed and blessed with great riches,

Africa, blessed with best coffee, tea, tropical fruits,

natural resources, minerals, diamonds, gold …

Africa, a sleeping giant lying unfulfilled
A land that has overcome many obstacles

Africa, enduring Slavery, colonization, apartheid
Poverty, diseases, drought, civil unrest

Africa, surviving the shame and abuse
Rising up to face another day

Africa, your destiny is at hand,
Let your power and your strength be known!

Ten African Women who have made a positive Impact nationally and internationally, Part 2

2011-05-21T10:43:00.000-07:00

In this second part, we continue to honor the different African women who have had a postive impact in their countries and internationally.

The ten women represent just a sample of the many African women who have made a difference in their world and internationally and in the process helped to change the status quo. We cannot forget the many African women who previously held leadership positions like, chieftainship with powers to mediate on local cases. Others have been in the monarchy advising the monarchy on how to govern.

6) Sally Hayfron Mugabe (Zimbabwe)

Sally Mugabe was born in Ghana, the then Gold coast, and was raised in a political conscious family at a time when African nationalist were rising up against colonial rule. The bright, inspiring, compassionate woman trained to be a teacher but was also a political activist.

Sally was the first wife of President Dr. Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe and consequently the first lady of Zimbabwe from 1987 until her death in 1992. She met her husband at Takoradi Teacher training College where they were both teaching and were married in 1961.

Sally went into exile in 1967 after Ian Smith the then leader of Rhodesia, arrested and jailed Dr Mugabe with other political activists involved in the struggle for independence in 1964. Dr Mugabe together with other activist would remain in prison for the next ten years and Sally spent the next eight years agitating for her husband’s and other political prisoners release.

Their only son born in 1963, died in 1966 from a malaria attack and she had to bury him alone because her husband was not allowed to attend the funeral. After the release of Dr Mugabe in 1975 she rejoined him in Mozambique where he had taken refuge. She became involved in helping the many Zimbabweans refugees who had escaped the brutal rule of their government at home. From this effort she earned the title “Amai” which means mother from Zimbabweans.

After Zimbabwe attained her independence, Sally was elected the ZANU-PF deputy Secretary for the Women’s League. She was officially elected “Secretary General of the ZANU-PF Women’s League at the Party’s Congress of 1989”. She is also credited as having initiated women and children developments projects both in Zimbabwe and in the United Kingdom to benefit African women.

Sally is fondly remembered as the mother of Zimbabwe and many consider Mugabe to have change after the lose of his real love.

7) Angie Elizabeth Brook-Randolph, (Liberia)

Angie Randolph was a Liberian woman who set many world pace for women and for Africa. Brook was the first Associate of justice in Liberia. She held a doctorate degree in Civil Law as well as many other academic degrees in Social science and Political Science.

Between 1953-1958, she was the Assistant Attorney General of Liberia as well as being a part time professor of Law at the University of Liberia. She was later appointed Assistant secretary of State and served in the position between 1956- 1973. She was appointed the President of the United Nations-Trusteeship Council between 1967-1968 and became the first African female to hold such a position.

Brook is also notable the only African female President of the United Nations General Assembly and the second female from any nation in the world to head the U.N. She was elected for the president’s position in 1969. Brook also served as her country’s ambassador at large and ambassador to the United Nations and Cuba between 1975 to 1977. In 1977 she was appointed a supreme court judge in Liberia. She died in September 2007 and was accorded a state funeral.

Read more: http://trifter.com/africa/zimbabwe/ten-african-women-who-have-had-a-positive-impact-nationally-and-internationally-part-two/#ixzz1N0fsv3DN

Ten African Women who have made a positive Impact nationally and internationally, Part 1

2011-05-21T10:36:00.000-07:00

This year 2011 is the 100th year celebration of women’s day. Women have come a long way to be where they are today. It is still a man’s world however, because most leadership positions are still the domain of men even though studies have shown that women are better leaders than men.

In certain parts of the world women are still treated as men’s property and have fewer opportunities to express themselves. However in the Western world, where women have had more opportunities it seems though like nothing much has changed in terms of perception.

More and more women seem to value themselves by their sexuality and are losing their dignity as women in the process. As long as women accept to be defined as “sex objects” paraded for men’s gratification, something is lost in the cause for women.

As we celebrate this 100th years, this writer honors the achievement of ten African women who have had an impact nationally and internationally.

1) Ellen Johnson Sirleaf (Liberia)

Ellen Johnson is a Harvard trained administrator and the 24th elected president for Liberia. She is also the first woman to be elected president in Africa. She took over the presidency when Liberia was very fragile after many years of civil war. Since her election to the presidency in 2006, Johnson is said to have ”revived national hope by strengthening the institutions of national security and good governance”.

This has apparently led to the “revitalization of the national economy and infrastructure” as well as ”restoring Liberia’s international reputation and credibility”. Liberia currently has one of the fastest growing economies on the continent of Africa. Ellen Johnson has received many awards and honorary doctoral degrees for her able leadership.

2) Professor Wangari Maathai (Kenya)

Professor Wangari Maathai is a Kenyan woman with many first to her name. She was the first woman in East and Central Africa to earn a doctorate degree and the first woman to be chair of the Department of Veterinary Anatomy (1976) and an associate professor (1977) in Kenya.

Professor Wangari is internationally recognized for her persistent struggle for democracy, human rights and environmental conservation. She is tenuous in her efforts and she managed to stop the Kenyan government, then led by president Moi, in building offices at the famous Uhuru Park (freedom park). During her campaign against the endeavor she was insulted by the male dominated leadership attacking her gender and personal life. She is often quoted for her response to the men when she challenged them to forget “ the anatomy below the belt, but focus on the anatomy above the neck”.

Read more: http://trifter.com/africa/south-africa/ten-african-women-who-have-made-a-postive-impact-nationally-and-internationally-part-1/#ixzz1N0e8dqiD

How the Western Media conspire in the Global evil

2011-05-10T10:24:00.000-07:00

Many times news is peddled in a way that communicates a message that influences how people think or react. More and more it is becoming very clear that the Western media is the intrument that is used to peddle lies as truths to the unsuspecting public.

Unfortunately the majority of the public have a for along time looked at the media as a god who told them who they were, how to think, who to hate, who to love, and why they should support the evil committed by their governments against others.

In 2001, a Kenyan journalist by the name of Philip Ochieng articulated this issue very well in an article he wrote. In the article titled “ How Western media connive in global evil” Ochieng discusses how different news media like the Time magazine created stories or distorted facts to portray “only the narrowest corporate American subjectivism”.

Churned Lies

The media, it is becoming clear, has always been a willing partner of the government to misinform the public in wars that the government engages in or intends to engage in. Some of the vilest lies were told during the Angolan crisis during which correspondents such as David Lamb and Sanford Ungar churned the vilest lies about “Soviet, Cuban and East Germany mischief”. It was shocking therefore for Henry Kissinger, the then USA secretary of State (1973-1977), to finally admit that AP and UPI news media had willingly used CIA agents as correspondents.

Apparently during the Falklands wars, the British Defense Ministry persuaded journalists to sign a documents requiring them “to submit all dispatchers to a censor”. Israel did the same thing with its media in its assault of Beirut in 1982. The worst for this writer however is what the media did after the so called 911 event. CNN showed a footage of Palestinians it said were rejoicing over the 911 tragedy.

It turns out that the footage used had been taken during a different event in 1991, ten years before the events of 911. The journalists involved justified the cruel lie on the basis of “national duty”. They only admitted that it “was mildly embarrassing”, perhaps because they were caught?

Read more: http://newsflavor.com/world/middle-east/how-the-western-media-conspire-in-the-global-evil/#ixzz1LyGtcuas

The Danger of practising Homosexuality in Africa

2011-05-10T10:14:00.000-07:00

Homosexuality as a lifestyle is something that is scorned at in Africa and those who choose to live such a lifestyle do so at their own peril. For most Africans homosexuality is something foreign and taboo and in fact it is illegal in at least 37 countries Africa.

In Uganda lawmakers are considering a bill that would sentence homosexuals to life in prison and include capital punishment for “repeat offenders.” In contrast South Africa in 2006 was the sixth country in the world and the first in Africa to legalize gay marriage.

Making something legal does not however make people in a society accept something they consider wrong and have little understanding of. An article in the Washington Times suggests that a wave of intense anti-gay actions is washing across Africa.

London based gay activist Peter Tatchell, whose organization tracks abuse against gays and lesbians in Africa states that “Across many parts of Africa, we’ve seen a rise in [anti-gay] violence,”. According to him the violence has “been steadily building for the last 10 years, but has got markedly worse in the last year.”

Different means of dealing with homosexuals have been observed in different countries. For example,

South Africa: In South Africa something referred to as “correctives rape” is performed on homosexuals. Corrective rape involves the rape of lesbians to “cure” them of homosexuality. The latest reported victim was a thirteen year old girl who apparently was open about her being a lesbian.

A gay activist in South Africa estimates that about 510 women report of corrective rape each year. Some of the women after being raped are also murdered. Although legally South Africa has some of the most Liberal laws on homosexuality, this has not transformed how people feel about homosexuality as is evident by their actions.

Read more: http://socyberty.com/gay-lesbians/the-danger-of-practising-homosexuality-in-africa/#ixzz1LyF9MyGF

Kenya the Magnetic Country

2011-05-10T10:09:00.000-07:00

The country called Kenya is on the East Coast of Africa and has a population of about 36 million people. That there is something special about this country, cannot be denied by those who have tested it. It has in fact endeared both the nobility and the simplest of human beings.

Kenyans in the Diaspora will be the first ones to tell you of how much they miss home no matter how successful they maybe in whatever country they may find themselves in. This writer has also known of many Americans and Europeans who visited the country and after that they could not extricate themselves from it.

It is therefore not that much surprising for Prince William to have waited until he was in Kenya to propose to his now princess. Prince William has a special attachment for Kenya and visits often for some charity work and just to get away from everything. Rutundu log cabin where he proposed to Kate lies hidden on the slopes of Mt Kenya and is very serene and secluded that anyone needing privacy can find here.

The Daily Mail quoting a source concerning the place stated that “‘Short of being inside the SAS’s base at Hereford, this is the safest place in the world for William. ‘It is the one place he can be himself. And he does not have to be guarded because the wildlife there are his guardians.”.

Prince William’s grandmother, Queen Elizabeth 11 (then princess Elizabeth) was also vacationing in Kenya when she learnt of the death of her father, which would make her, being the heir in waiting, Queen Elizabeth 11. It is therefore symbolic that Kate too acquired her future title in Kenya.

Currently, the most powerful nation in the world has a president who also has connection with Kenya through his father. President Obama’s father is a Kenyan and so again American top leadership has something starting in Kenya. Perhaps Kenya has some prophetic mission in the world that one day we will discover.

Read more: http://trifter.com/africa/kenya/kenya-the-magnetic-country-that-hooks-many/#ixzz1LyDaczrQ

Questions to president Obama about Libya

2011-04-26T09:35:00.000-07:00

Mr President, It bothers me that you honestly think that people who are well versed with world affairs can buy the reason you and your allies have given for bombing Libya. To suggest that you went in to protect civilian lives when the people that were being attacked by the government were themselves armed and fighting back, is laughable.

Could it be that you actually believe that people are gullible enough to believe everything you say? For your information, there are people that are aware that there has been a campaign through your controlled media to portray Gaddafi as a monster to garner support to achieve your motives. The same method was used against Saddam Hussein before he was ousted.

I suppose this is how things are done when a super power wants to get rid of one of the so called third world leaders that has gone rogue. Iraq was attacked on the basis that there were weapons of mass destruction. When that was proved a lie, the story changed to that of ousting a dictator. Now you have gone to Libya with the excuse of protecting civilians when we know that the real motive is regime change.

Your government want to impose on the people of Libya a leader that will take care of your interests than those if its people. Surely, if the Libyan rebellion was popular, your Western media would be parading the people support of the rebels just like it has been in Egypt , Saudi Arabia, Tunisia among such regimes.

Yet unlike these other areas, in Libya all we see are armed people fighting to oust Gaddafi. People who are begging your government to give them more weapons to damage their own country? Mr President, try and reverse the role and make it American and see how you would like that.

Incidentally in these other places in the Middle East, the regimes have unleashed terror on unarmed civilians yet we have not heard you declare your interest to “protect civilians” while invading the countries. The most you have asked is that the government exercise restraint. I wonder why Mr. President? This is even worse because unlike Libya, these are unarmed civilians .

Read more: http://newsflavor.com/world/middle-east/questions-to-president-obama-about-libya/#ixzz1KeDQxGLv

Now Obama has ordered the use of armed drones in Libya

2011-04-26T09:28:00.000-07:00

The war in Libya is slowly but surely becoming what it was intended to be from the beginning. What has happened within a week is an eye opener to those who may have doubted the motive behind the invasion of Libya.

The so called allies justified the quick invasion of Libya on the grounds that they were going to protect civilians. There were so many things that did not add up considering that similar uprisings were happening else where in the Middle east and North Africa but with different responses.

In fact in Libya the uprising was led by armed militias, unlike in other areas which were by unarmed civilians. Immediately before the allies attack on Libya, Gaddafi called for a cease fire and asked for mediation. The allies who were on their imperialistic mission and seeing an opportunity not to be missed, totally ignored Gaddafi and continued with their mission.

There are many people who supported the invasion of Libya because a reason that they could identify with was given to them. Their emotions were invoked by the media campaign to portray Gaddafi as a monster out destroy his people. In the same way, many Americans supported the Iraq war on the grounds that it was a war against terror with Iraq being portrayed as an enemy.

Yet people forgot that Bush had insisted that there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and when that was proved a lie, he still proceeded with the war. Like in Libya, the war had been planned in advance and all Bush needed was a justification to sell the war.

The no fly zone passed by the United Nations security council was rushed and became a license to invade Libya with the USA starting the bombing campaign. On the 4th of April the USA purportedly handed over the operation control to NATO. We are still in April and yet Obama has approved the use of armed drones in Libya, thereby authorizing U.S. air strikes on ground forces for the first time.

This is interesting considering that the USA was only interested in protecting civilians in Libya. The other day Obama’s administration approved the provision of $25 million in nonlethal military assistance to the rebels in Libya. But what does “non lethal military assistance” mean? How is it that the USA government is siding with one part of an internal insurgence?

Read more: http://newsflavor.com/world/middle-east/now-obama-has-ordered-the-use-of-armed-drones-in-libya/#ixzz1KeBwC0bH

Let Britain own up and Apologise to kenya and Kenyan Freedom Fighters, for their autrocities in Kenya

2011-04-12T23:27:00.000-07:00

The Kenyan freedom Fighters, the Mau Mau veterans, filed a suit against the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) in London for the inhumane treatment during the British colonial rule seeking an apology and compensation for damages suffered a result.

The British government is however trying to strike off the action on grounds “that they are not liable for the actions and omissions of the British Colonial Administration”. How convenient! To understand the basis for the claim, one needs to understand the History of Kenya’s struggle for Independence.

The History of Kenya, and indeed most colonized states, have for a long time been told from a Europeans perspective distorting the truth in the process. But as time goes by and a new generation hungry for truth emerges, the truth is finally being exposed. Kenya like most African countries was forcefully colonized by the British from the early part of the 19th Century.

Before colonization, Kenyan Africans had traded with Europeans without incidence until the arrival of the Imperial British East Africa company which started the process of colonisation. Kenya became British East African protectorate in 1895. The colonizers settling in brutalized Africans attacking villages with their modern weapons. They murdered Africans in groves as they stole their cattle and sheep pushing people out of their land and forcing them into reserves.

From early 1900, White settlers started arriving in Kenya and started forcefully occupying the highlands, then kikuyu land. These highlands became known then as the white highlands. As time went by, more and more rights of the people were taken away including forced labor and forced land tax. It is for this reasons that Africans started rising against such oppression and different movements were formed by various groups advocating for independence and clamoring for their land.

The Mau Mau movement by the Kikuyus, from the central province of kenya, greatly affected by land loss, was formed. The movement advocated for independence from the colonial masters as well as getting back their land from the foreigners. Those involved in the movement had to take an oath of allegiance which was what bound them together.

The Mau Mau Movement

The British referred to Freedom fighters, like the Mau Mau as terrorist which goes to show that to one man a person is a terrorist while to another the person is a liberator. For along time the British version of events regarding Kenya’s struggle for Independence was what was taught in schools even after independence. In fact it is only recently that Kenya has started acknowledging and recognizing some of her freedom fighters.

Kenyan Scientist Affirm Herb causing commotion in Tanzania, as having capabilities to Treat Drug -Resistant form of Herpes Virus

2011-04-12T23:08:00.000-07:00

A retired pastor in the East African country of Tanzania has in the last few months attracted publicity due to his claim to have a “wonder drug” that treated many chronic ailments including Cancer and AIDS.

Due to the positive response by those who have taken the pastor’s concoction, the road to the pastors residence in a remote village of Tanzania has caused traffic commotions leading to the Government’s intervention.

The concoction known as Mugariga uses a herb which apparently local tribes in the region have previously used for various ailments. According to Rev Ambilikile Mwasapile, the Pastor behind the treatment, a single cup of Mugariga, together with special prayers, was able to cure chronic diseases such as diabetes, cancer, Tuberculosis, and AIDS.

The Tanzanian government started an investigation to establish the drug’s safety early in the month as people continued to flock the herbalist home. Laboratory tests have so far cleared it as safe for human consumption. The Government is currently investigating whether the herb does in fact cure the chronic conditions the cleric claims it does. So far the government has had over two hundred people volunteer for the study.

In the meanwhile the government has had to intervene to control the inflow of traffic towards the clerics village. According to a local news paper, as of the week ending on the 27th of March 2011, there were 24,000 ailing people and their relatives stranded in a queue of more than 4,000 vehicles that extended several kilometers.

What is of interest though is that the “magic herb” was actually identified by Kenyan Scientist four years ago as “a cure for a drug -resistant strain of a sexually transmitted disease”. Apparently the drug is one of the most common traditional cure for many disease.

The herb known as “Mtandamboo” in Swahili, has been used to treat gonorrhea among some Kenyan ethnic groups, namely the Kikuyus, Samburus and the Maasais. The Kambas on the other hand have used the herb for chest pains while the Nandi have boiled it and used to for the treatment of breast cancer, headache and chest pains.

In 2007, Kenyan scientific researchers led by a Dr. Festus M. Tolo of Kenya Medical Research Institute (Kemri), found that the herb could provide alternative remedy for herpes infections. The herb Scientifically known as Carrisa Edulis was reported in the journal of Ethnopharmacology to have “ exhibited remarkable anti-herpes virus activity for both wild type and drug resistant strains”.

The Scientific report further stated that “The mortality rate for mice treated with extract was also significantly reduced by between 70 and 90 per cent as compared with the infected untreated mice that exhibited 100 per cent mortality.” Studies have further shown that the herb contains “ingredients that make it a good diuretic”.

Diuretics are used to increase the frequency of urination to as a measure of removing excess fluid in the body as a result of medical conditions like congestive heart failure, kidney disease and live disease. Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia has also done a study of the herb and established it as powerful diuretic.

Read more: http://healthmad.com/alternative/kenyan-scientists-affirm-herb-causing-commotion-in-tanzania-as-having-capabilities-to-treat-drug-resistant-form-of-herpes-virus/#ixzz1JNe4W9d4

Things about Gaddafi that the Western Media will never tell you about

2011-04-12T22:50:00.000-07:00

The Western media has demonized Gaddafi to a point that what most people know about him is that he is a "terrorist" and a monstrous dictator. This by the way is how any leader of the so called third world countries who shows independence of thought and resist Western control of their country is treated.

This has been more so in Africa where the West has done everything to ensure that Africans do not liberate themselves from the shackles of imperialism and start focusing on their own needs than those of the imperialist. People judge Africa by what they see and on the propaganda perpetuated by the same Western media without understanding the real powers behind the events that happen in Africa.

While it is true that Gaddafi has made many mistakes during his leadership, which he should be accounted for, it is also true that Gaddafi has done a lot of good for Libya, Africa in general and even as concerns the Arab world. Those Western leaders who vilify him have done worse things for the world yet no one seems to hold them accountable for their deeds.

Gaddafi’s positives can only be appreciated by those who have been victims of the Western systems meddling in internal affairs of independent states at the expense of the common citizenry of the nations.

1) Gaddafi on getting to power adopted an independent foreign policy as well independent internal policies. This has continuously aggravated the West because they prefer puppets who can do their bid. When international issues crop up, the West always blackmail African leaders, to support their view, which most of them do as a means of survival. Gaddafi on the other hand would not succumb to such Western tactics and would act on what he felt was right without consulting the West first. If he was wrong in his decisions, at least it was his choice not some arm twisting by the West.

2) The Arab world and other oil nations should be thankful to Gaddafi because it as a result of him that the West pays a reasonable price for their oil. Most African countries have their resources benefiting the West than their people because of the policies that the West pushes on them. When Gaddafi took power in Libya in 1969, a barrel of oil was only 40 cents (USA currency). He went on a crusade for the Arab world to withhold selling oil to the West unless the West paid more for it. The results were that the price of oil went to about $20 a barrel. In 1973, as a result of the Arab -Israel war the oil price went up to $ 40 a barrel. Most of the puppet Arab nations opposing Gaddafi have amassed their wealth in part because of Gaddafi’s efforts to fight exploitation by the West.

Read more: http://trifter.com/africa/things-about-gaddafi-that-the-western-media-will-never-tell-you-about/#ixzz1JNaI5NPL

How the Western World is Entertained by the Poor of Africa

2011-04-12T22:43:00.000-07:00

It has always bothered this writer that when the world talks about poverty, Africa is always highlighted. What is of concern though, is how this issue is portrayed and by who. It seems like there is a calculated move to ensure that the image of a begging and impoverished Africa is perpetuated.

There are many causes started in the western world on the basis of raising money for helping some miserable souls in Africa. This causes are always supported with pictures of dehumanized African children with flies circling around them. The images are aimed at making the person seeing them feel disgusted as well as favored and special compared to that poor African.

If indeed this money collected is aimed at Africa and gets to Africa, surely by now we would no longer have any poverty in Africa. The fact of the matter is that some of these pictures are fake and do not have any bearing to the truth or are half truths.

A young man from Uganda was shocked to see a so called non profit organization in Britain, raising money to help poor African children, using his picture. This man was a grown man and independently living in England. The photo must have been taken by some sneaky person when he was a child and without his permission.

This raises another question that is very disturbing. Most of these dehumanizing pictures are taken without the consent of the people or without explaining the reason for the pictures. This is a violation of these people’s right of privacy and would never be allowed in the Western world.

This continuous negative portrayal of Africans has made the person in the Western world view the African with disdain. Recently the British started a program where their rich celebrities were taken to one of Kenya’s slums by the name of Kibera. Kibera has become a cash cow for many non profit organizations because of how it is portrayed.

The numbers of people living in the slums were inflated to the effect that Kibera was considered the largest slum in the world. The recent Kenyan census results, however showed a very different picture. It is shameful to imagine the British on the guise of exposing celebrities to poverty are actually entertaining themselves at the expanse of the wretched of the earth

Read more: http://socyberty.com/society/how-the-western-world-is-entertained-with-the-poor-of-africa/#ixzz1JNYqqbgB

The Hypocrisy and Double Standards of the Western Powers in Libya is laughable if not pathetic

2011-04-12T22:38:00.000-07:00

When the uprising started in North Africa and spread to other parts of the Middle East one saw it as a people’s movement. The uprising and the determination of the people caught the regimes and their Western allies by surprise.

It will be observed that all the regimes that are fallingapart are ones that were aligned to Western powers. They were autocratic and suppressed their people’s freedoms while the Western powers watched and enjoyed the benefits of such oppression.

Libya has followed a different path because Gaddafi has refused to surrender and has promised to fight to the end. The Western powers want him out because it gives them an opening for their occupation considering that they are fast losing control of the region due to the uprisings.

One cannot however not forget that Gaddafi is the only North African leader who for a long time aligned with Sub -Sahara African nations. In the early years Gaddafi funded the African National congress in South Africa at a time that the Western powers considered Nelson Mandela a Terrorist.

Gaddafi has also been vocal about the formation of a united States of Africa and has been the chairman of the African Union. Perhaps this is why Hilary Clinton on the 28th of February 2011 at the United Nations Human Rights council was quick to suggest that Gaddafi was using African mercenaries to kill his people.

There has been no evidence of such accusations, to this writers knowledge, instead what has happened is to put working African immigrant in harms way. Many have been Killed by Libyans on the guise that they were mercenaries based on Clinton’s allegations and on the color of their skin.

For a long time Gaddafi had negative relationship with Western powers and was a revolutionary at heart. In the 90’s and 20’s his leadership changed as he got involved in too many causes, some good and some not so good. He eventualy succumbed to Western powers demands and like the other falling regimes, has enjoyed amicable relationship with them.

However since the uprising in Libya started, the Western powers have adopted their normal game of acting as the good guys helping the people dismantle a dictator. As the Libyans gets divided between those fighting against Gaddafi and those supporting him we are again witnessing the hypocrisy or is it opportunism of Western powers.

Seumas Milne writing for the Guardian Newspaper so aptly says “The same western leaders who happily armed and did business with the Gaddafi regime until a fortnight ago have now slapped sanctions on the discarded autocrat and blithely referred him to the international criminal court the United States won’t recognize”.

Read more: http://newsflavor.com/world/middle-east/the-hypocrisy-and-double-standards-of-the-western-powers-in-libya-is-laughable-if-not-pathetic/#ixzz1JNXSUmqb

Stop Bleaching your skin, My African (black) brothers and Sisters

2011-02-26T13:47:00.000-08:00

This writer was shocked to learn that there are people of her color who are bleaching themselves so that they can look “white”. These people have been brainwashed to believe that the white skin is superior to their skin and have as a result resorted to crazy ways to “change” their skins. Some are actually using liquid bleach that is normally used for cleaning on their skins to make a change.

A while back Tyra Banks had a show in which she interviewed women who confessed bleaching their skin. One woman stated that her mother used to bleach her and now she was bleaching her three young sons. This woman’s explanation was that light skinned people had it easier even if they were black than dark skinned people in America. It was clear through the program that this is something that the African America community in America believe.

This however is not only an American problem because women from Africa and the Caribbean’s also bleach their skin for a more lighter skin. Men, particularly in the entertainment industry, are also known to bleach their skins to a more lighter shade. It is in fact alleged that VYBZ KARTEL a Jamaican musician recently bleached his face. Was Michael Jacksons’ skin change as a result of bleaching or was it a skin pigmentation problem?

How then do you explain this weird behavior?

The African was colonized and enslaved by the white person. With colonization the African was forced into a culture that brainwashed the African to believe that her culture was inferior. This coupled with the fact that the master was of a different shade of skin psychologically indoctrinated some Africans to believe that it is how they look that is the problem. So them changing their skin color will perhaps make them acceptable and respected by the white person.

The black person in America also suffers from the same inferiority complex since the slave master was also white. There were some black people who were born as a product of the master having illicit sex with the slave. Since they were of a mixed race their skin color would be lighter and consequently, according to black Americans, more favorable to the white master and treated less harshly. This self doubt is so deeply ingrained in many black Americans which also explains why they would try to change their hair to look more like that of the Caucasian.

With black men, their self hatred is exposed in their attraction to the white female. Most successful black men end up marrying white women perhaps to wipe out their blackness or maybe perhaps because they hate their black sisters skin. Or is to prove to themselves that they are worthy since they are marrying from their masters heritage?

This is a confusing phenomena but psychologist have proved that you can program people on how to think. If you keep on repeating the same thing for along time people will come to believe it as truth. The kind of woman paraded by the media as beautiful is always white with certain features that are only common to the Caucasian race. If she is black she is of a lighter complexion with similar features as those of a Caucasian woman. This has continued the brainwashing of the African that they are not good enough hence their bleaching to look beautiful.

Read more: http://socyberty.com/ethnicity/stop-bleaching-your-skins-my-african-black-brothers-and-sisters/#ixzz1F6VYXAYx

Sunguprot, a Kenyan Discovery of Major treatment for HIV

2011-02-20T14:42:00.000-08:00

HIV/AIDS is a disease that has caused a lot of havoc and pain to those infected or affected by it. This is because it is a disease that attacks one’s immune system and unless one can afford the cocktail of medicine that helps with the disease most sufferers die a fast and miserable death.

Many die out of fear and the stigma that the disease still carries. The fact that the disease attacks the immune system makes it worse for someone who was already not healthy. These are the ones that succumb to the disease very fast.

There have been many theories about how the disease came into being but this writer believes it was a creation of some twisted human being and now certain communities are more affected than others. Regardless of the genesis of the disease, the disease is with us and continue to cause untold suffering in many communities.

A cure for the disease has eluded the scientific community who have only been able to come up with vacine and medicine to control the symptoms. The only problem is that the medicine can be very expensive and out of reach of most people, particularly those in the developing world. Further this is not a cure but a sure way to ensure that one remains on medication for the rest of one’s life.

Yet this is the mode of treatment encouraged and well like by the pharmaceutical companies for obvious reasons. Things like nutrition and natural herbs are factors to be considered in dealing with HIV yet they are never emphasised.

It was therefore exciting to read that Kenyan Scientist have discovered a herb that has been proven to have antineutron- viral properties. Imbasal (Tylosema Fassoglenis) is a vine grown in the Western part of Kenya which has proved effective in treating HIV/AIDS symptoms. Studies for qualities found in the herb have been done both in Kenya and the USA.

Researchers led by Dr Michael B. Odotte, have developed a food supplement called “Sunguprot” currently under commercial observation at the Kenya Industrial Research Institute. According to Dr Odtte, the product “is a protein based protease inhibitor, meaning that it stops the replication of HIV in the body and has been certified by the Kenya Bureau of Standards as fit for human consumption”.

Petals of the African Woman, Part 2

2011-02-20T14:38:00.000-08:00

As stated in part one of this article, there is an ignorance or misconception of Africa by many based on a biased reporting by the media. To many people all Africans in particular women all fit a particular stereotype.

Africa however has the greatest disparity of looks and cultures. Some have adopted Western cultures while others have retained the traditional cultures with pride. Some are light skinned while others are of a darker shade. In this second part we explore the many faces of the African woman from the various regions with a focus on South, Central and West Africa.

South Africa and Central Africa

The face of a South African woman with traditional cape

South Africa is the region in the Southern part of Africa.

Zulu women in traditional attire

According to the United Nations geographical scheme, the nations considered to be in the Southern part of Africa are the Republic of Southern Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, and Swaziland.

Traditional dancers, Zimbabwe

Read more: http://trifter.com/africa/petals-of-the-african-woman-part-two/#ixzz1EXcwvQMa

Petals of the African Woman, Part 1

2011-02-20T14:33:00.000-08:00

Many people when they talk of Africa have a particular perception. Perhaps to most, Africans all come in the same shade and same features. The continent of Africa however has the greatest disparity of looks and cultures.

Some Africans have adopted modern western culture while others have retained the traditional cultures with pride. Some are light skinned while others are dark . Some Africans, particularly those in North Africa refer to themselves as white Africans. They insist they are Africans but of white descent. In this article we explore the many faces, features, dress and beauty of the African woman. The article is divided in regions for better exploration of different cultures and perhaps the features of the African woman. This first part will consider North and East Africa.

North Africa: The people in this region are more related to the Arabs and consider themselves “white” Africans.

Algerian woman

The United Nations definition of North Africa includes seven countries or territories as follows; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia and Western Sahara.
a different complexion Algerian woman

Malindi a Kenyan tourist Destination wher Italian billionares converge

2011-02-20T14:29:00.000-08:00

Malindi is one of the towns in the Coastal part of Kenya. It lies about 120 kilometers northeast of the city of Mombassa.

Malindi has been the home of Swahili culture since the 14th century. On the south of the city lies the Gedi ruins, a remnant of a Swahili city believed to have existed between 14th and 17th century.
Gedi Ruins

Also in the city is the pillar of Vasco Da Gama a Portuguese explorer and trader who is said to have visited the city in 1498 and signed a trading agreement with the city’s authorities.
Pillar of Vasco Da Gama

Malindi city is a tourist destination and for some reason it attracts Italian some of whom have eventually settled in the city. English and Swahili are the national languages of Kenya, but there is a joke that Italian maybe soon be another national language due to their presence in Malindi.

Read more: http://trifter.com/africa/kenya/malindi-a-kenyan-tourist-destination-where-italian-billionaires-converge/#ixzz1EXadtzdX

Traditional and cultural South and Central African Homes

2010-10-09T17:32:00.000-07:00

The countries of Southern Africa are closely related to each other and some of their houses though in different countries may resemble. Countries like the Republic of South Africa were colonised the longest yet have retained some of their Historic past through their houses.

The countries in South and Central Africa include the Republic of South Africa, Lesotho, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana, Namibia, Swaziland, Angola, Malawi and Mozambique. The material used to construct most African traditional homes included, brick, mud, dung, grass and stone depnding on the area on the person status in society. Most African societies were ran by kings and chiefs and those who held such positions were ranked highly in society and consequently would have homes signifying this status.

Bee-hive like Zulu hut, South Africa: The Zulus are ethnic South African group who have a rich History. The famous Shaka Zulu was from thsi group. This traditional Zulu hut of South Africa is made using stone at the base and the upper part has the design of a beehive-style dome look. This house is more modern as the traditional ones as shown below used differnt materials.

Traditional and Cultural East and North East African Homes

2010-10-09T17:24:00.000-07:00

In this second part of the article, the traditional houses of the countries in East and North East Africa are examined. The countries of East and North East Africa include Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Somalia and Sudan.

The houses in East Africa are made with materials that make them cool in the hot weathers and warm in the cold rainy seasons. The materials used range from mud, brick, dung, grass and stone depending on the area. The homes would be huddled together in a homestead in a viallage based on the African communal nature. The close promixty identifies the relatedness of the people and also traditional acted as a form of protection against outsiders.

Cone Like Houses, Ethiopia: These houses were built with stone, mud and daub, and thatched with straw. They are higher up but narrower than some other African homes. The ones that have a square look are the more modern homes and the roof is made from corregated Iron.

Read more: http://www.bukisa.com/articles/365530_traditional-and-cultural-african-homes-part-2#ixzz11uWTMvk3

Traditional and Cultural West African homes

2010-10-09T17:17:00.000-07:00

Africa has some interesting traditional houses. Most of the houses are round with a triangular thatched roof while others are of square design. Most of the houses were built based on the ethnic group needs.

Some groups were more concerned about their security and so fortified the buidings while others had houses which were more temporaly and looked like tents because they were pastoralists. What is interesting about these structures is that they are weather proof although looking at them one may not think so.

The houses are made in a way and with materials that make them cool in the hot weathers and warm in the cold rainy seasons. The materials used range from mud, brick, dung, grass and stone depending on the area. Africans are a communal people and most of the homes would be huddled together in a homestead as an extension of each other and for protection against outsiders.

In this first part I explores traditional homes in West Africa. West Africa has a rather humid climate and that may explain most of their traditional houses compared to those in the East and South Africa. The countries that make West Africa include Nigeria, Ghana, Togo, Ivory Coast, Mali, Senegal, Cameroon, Bukina Faso and Niger.

Dogon Villages, Mali: Historically Dogon Villages established in the Bandiagara area due to their resistance to Islam1000 years ago. The insecurity of Islam encroachment to their culture forced them to locate their villages in defensive positions along the walls of an escarpment. The huts are built of banco a mixture of earth and straw. The Kitchen is round and is covered by a thatched roof. They also had houses built for menstrating women as women were considered unclean during menstration.

The Way forward for the Media in Africa

2010-10-09T17:11:00.000-07:00

“The words of a man’s mouth are deep waters, but the fountain of wisdom is a bubbling brook” Proverbs 18:4.

The media is the greatest tool that the world has today in influencing ideas and opinions. It is accessible to most people in one form or another. How the news is portrayed and what becomes news is determined by the media. It also influences how people think about a particular item or event by how the news is reported. This is why the media must be careful at what it reports and how it reports. One way or another it will covey a message which may have great ramification on those reading or receiving the message.

The western media has for the most part portrayed the African continent as backwards and inferior in every aspect while glorifying the animals found in Africa. All that one reads about Africa is the perceived ignorance, poverty, and corruption of the Africans. This seems to have become the symbol of Africa and has been done so with a motive which the ignorant reader may not even recognize.

To most people in the western world poverty, disease and animals is what Africa is about which opinion is based on how news from Africa is reported. Good things happening in Africa is not news, but a continuous report about calamities, diseases and roused civil conflicts and poverty is acceptable news. The same media reports to the African a glamorized Western world; perhaps an ideal of what is good

The idea here is to portray one as superior and the other as inferior to the other. Some of the comments that I have read on an article on Africa, from those in the Western world are despicable and full of ignorance yet it is the acceptable view. No wonder then that the African has for a long time perceived himself as inferior because of this deception while the person from the West erroneously believe he is superior.

This is why the media from localized African countries have as of necessity a duty to campaign for Africa in order to change perspective on Africa. The media has to go further and plant seeds of pride and acceptance among Africans for themselves and their culture. It should promote what is African and create a spirit of accountability by following up on issues that promote integrity and honor among Africans. The media should influence by suggestions and not just analysis.

The media must intentionally and consciously go out to promote anything and everything good about Africa. It must as of necessity start the process of influencing Africans to be proud of being Africans by exposing positive things about Africa and by continuously hailing good acts by Africans. The media in Africa should not report about its own people in the same way the Western media reports but should instead offer a different perspective that is liberating and honoring to the people of Africa.

Read more: http://www.bukisa.com/articles/333965_the-way-forward-for-the-media-in-africa#ixzz11uU4sWrF

Technology Entrepreneurs doing wonders in Africa

2010-10-08T23:37:00.000-07:00

I get amazed at the creativity of human beings given the opportunity and the right atmosphere. One of the greatest amazement of our times is the way the Information Technology (IT) has grown and developed within such a short span of time.

IT encompasses a wide variety of areas including things like “Processes, Computer Software, Computer Hardware, programming languages and Data Constructs. In short, anything that renders Data, Information or perceived Knowledge, in any visual format whatsoever, via any multimedia distribution mechanism, is considered to be a part of the domain space known as Information Technology (IT)”. (Wikipedia)

More and more we read of great creative innovation by people with little resources coming up with new technologies suitable to their environment and of benefit to their communities. This goes to show that the mind left untethered can do wonders as it the part that actualizes the human being creative powers associated with his maker.

Read more: http://scienceray.com/technology/technology-entrepreneurs-doing-wonders-in-africa/#ixzz11qCgcSuy

Africa's Historic past told by buildings, monuments and artwork part 3

2010-10-08T23:33:00.000-07:00

In this last article West Africa’s rich past is examined through the culture, buildings and monuments, artwork and writings.

West Africa is known to have heard a rich culture and History with strong kingdoms and wealth. It is also the region in Africa south of the Sahara that Islam seems to have had more effect or adopted as a religion. In this section we shall also include part of Central Africa as well as West Africa. The Countries in this region include Nigeria, Mauritania, Ghana, Togo, Mali, Gambia, Cote D’Ivoire, Senegal, Chad, Niger, Cameroon, Gabon, Sierra Leone, Liberia and Congo.

Grand Mosque in Bobo-Dioulassoi, Bukina Faso:This mosque was built out of mud bricks with sticking poles out the walls which help in climbing up the mosque when in need of repair. It is said that the mosque was built by people of all faith. A common proverb in Bukina Faso claims that “50% are Muslim, 50% are Christian, and 100% are animist” (Wikipedia) which could explain how the building of this mosque involved people of all faiths.

Read more: http://quazen.com/arts/architecture/africas-historic-past-told-by-buildings-monuments-and-artwork-part-3/#ixzz11qBfm2TH

Africa's Historic past told by buildings, monuments, landmarks, and artwork part 2

2010-10-08T23:29:00.000-07:00

In this second part of the article we look at the East and North East African countries. The countries of East and North East Africa include, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Somalia and Sudan. Ethiopia was the only country in the south of Sahara Africa that was never colonised. For this reason much of its History has been left intact.

Gondar -Ethiopia: The city of Gondar is in the north of Lake Tana, in Ethiopia. The city was founded by emperor Fasilidie about 1635 and was the capital city of Ethiopia until 1855. Emperor Fasilidie reigned from 1632-1667. He is said to have restored the power of Ethiopian Orthodox church by suppressing Roman Catholic institutions. He is credited to have mounted major building campaigns which includes a number of churches, his castle and seven stone bridges.

Read more at: http://trifter.com/africa/africas-historic-past-told-by-buildings-monuments-landmarks-and-artwork-part-two/