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23:49
To Sell Or Not To Sell?
» For Love and Money To Sell Or Not To Sell?
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20:32 The Grand Illusion & The Death of Democracy
» Kenyanentrepreneur.com “A ruling political party cannot also be in the opposition. You are either in Government or out of Government. The role of the backbench is to check the front bench,’’ said Raila in an interview with KTN. Raila Odinga is truly an amazing specimen. I wonder if he felt the same way when he was [...]
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18:10
Blueworld: South Africa’s Social Network
» White African Charl Norman is one of the great examples of new media entrepreneurs coming out of South Africa. He’s has an amazing work ethic, showcased in a growing blog empire and three popular social networks. What Charl has been able to do in the last couple years should put the fire under any other web entrepreneur in Africa. He does quality work, finds hidden niches and works hard to promote them.
One of the social networks that Charl created was Blueworld, a social networking site for (younger) South Africans. Recently 24.com acquired a controlling stake in Blueworld for an undisclosed amount. That’s a big success story for a little startup, and one that gives Charl enough money to go do even more exciting things.
Blueworld is a social community where anyone can join and create a profile so your friends can find you online, upload an unlimited number of photos, share videos, write your own blogs, support your peers with groups, send text messages to any network for free, discover new people and connect with friends.
I remember when Blueworld first came out a couple years ago. Like many social networks, it was fairly simple and bare-bones. Looking at the most recent version though, you can see major changes. There are a lot more people using it, and the site is more robust.
Like any other social network, once you gain enough users you have critical mass and the site grows on its own. With 137,000 registered users by March of this year, Blueworld is becoming quite a force in the web space in South Africa. By any measure, Blueworld is a resounding success story for Africa.
Find out more about Charl at his blog, but also check out some of his other work:
Bandwidth Blog (SA web startup news)
BlogBuzz (a mini SA blog aggregator)
Carblog
GayPeers (social network for gays/lesbians in SA)
NetBuzz (a mini SA news aggregator)
Powerloss (focused on power/energy issues in SA)
SA Rugby Blog
Zoopedup (automotive social network)
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16:50
immigration
» intricately me New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, in a commencement address
http://www.philly.com/inquirer/opinion/20080521_demand_true_change_from_presidential_candidates.html
to University of Pennsylvania graduates, argued "For America,
the key to innovation boils down to one word. The key to
innovation is immigration. Our nation's greatest historic
strength is that we've always welcomed the best and brightest
from every corner of the globe. And yet every year, Congress
shuts the door to hundreds of thousands of doctors, scientists,
engineers and artists from around the world who want to work
here. It's the greatest case of national self-sabotage and
attempted suicide I can imagine. If our country's future is going
to be as great as our past, we have to start realizing that
immigrants have always been - and always will be - one of our
greatest economic and cultural assets."
hmmm thoughts?
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13:03
The Top 7 Places An Immigrant Spends their Time
» The Displaced African I am a strong believer in the idea that we are what we do, especially what we do repeatedly. With that in mind, I thought I would break down some of the places immigrants find themselves majority of the time. Take a moment and think about it; where do you spend most of your time? Does spending it there make your life better? Does it make anyone else’s life better?
Have a look at the list below and see where you fall. In descending order:
1) Place of Work: It doesn’t matter whether you are coming here as a student, on a working visa or through buying government bonds. We are a hardworking lot, most of us anyway, and we have an insatiable appetite coupled with great material ambitions.
Try and make your place of work as nurturing and positive as possible. You will spend a lot of time there.
2) University libraries: Lectures and tutorials are basically the tip of the iceberg. If you are here as a student, you will spend countless hours in study groups, study sessions and probably checking out your exes Facebook profile. Carry a lot of nutritious food and a great deal of patience and perseverance. It’s only a few years anyway….Enjoy it!
3) Drinking Sessions/ Fellowship sessions: Depending on which side of the religious divide you fall, you will either spend most of your “free time” getting plastered or you will spend it getting lost in the spiritual relm. Make sure that you have good people to hold your hand. You’ll need them for those dark moments (whether tough questions that crop up in the midst of your spiritual oddysey or through passing out)
4) House Parties and Get Togethers: Much more informal than the drinking and fellowship sessions. This is basically where you get your heart to hearts and get to spend hours talking about nothing but realizing that it’s worth everything. These will be the most rare of times especially because of the time taken up working. Cherish these moments.
5) Concerts, Parties and Festivals: Whether it’s going to a Malaika concert, or going to check out the rugby, these may be rare but you’ll probably talk about them long before and long after they are gone. Never forget though, it’s not about the event, it’s about people and what people do during the event. So perhaps do something worth talking about.
6) Worship: Some of y’all will be immaculate with your church attendance. Some of you will only stop by the church if sme1 has died or there’s free food and/or music. You will meet some great folk here who can really stand by you and make your life and world better when you need it the most. Contribute to this community.
7) Online: Well you’re reading this aren’t you? The Internet is a bit like a printer (bad analogy, I know but stay with me). It will only print out what you input into the computer. In the same way, you will only get out of your Internet experience what you consciously seek online. If you are simply in the market for empty sensations there’s more than enough of it online.If you want to learn how to do JUST ABOUT ANYTHING the information can be found somewhere online. You have the power, please use it wisely.
If you are liking this place and think you might want to spend some more time here, please subscribe for regular updates by email or RSS.
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9:31
Kakuzi 2008 AGM
» bankelele Kakuzi 2008 AGM
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9:13
Poverty and Politics in Africa
» What An African Woman Thinks Gallup conducted a survey across sub Saharan Africa between 2006 and early 2008 on hunger and nutrition. According to the findings, only 36% of Kenyans said they or their family members had never had to go without ‘enough to eat.’
That percentage is lower than in sixteen countries across sub Saharan Africa. At the other end of the scale, 36 % of Kenyans reported that they or their families had had to go without ‘enough to eat’ several times or more, which percentage is higher than 15 other countries across sub Saharan Africa.
We’re in 2008, and 36 % of our people are still languishing at the bottom of Maslow’s hierarchy. That’s as stinging an indictment on our claim to nationhood as I’ve come across lately.
And it takes me right to the doorstep of something I’ve come to understand only recently: you cannot build political stability on empty stomachs. No ifs no buts. It is as it is.
Which would explain why Africa is what it is today.
There have been food riots in diverse countries across Africa lately, from Ivory Coast to Madagascar to Somalia. But even where the chaos has not overtly been about food, hunger and poverty have been the underlying themes.
The chaos in Kenya at the beginning of this year was catalysed by botched elections, yes, but at its heart was the deep grievance of those who felt that others were feasting at the table of a ‘growing economy’ while they held no hope of receiving even the crumbs from that table.
The xenophobic attacks in South Africa have the same genesis: poor disenfranchised people are channelling their frustration and anger at the innocents within their reach, but their real grievance is that they are poor and disenfranchised and they can see no means to secure their livelihoods.
This is not a revelation to many, I know. But it’s hit home for me as never before this year. And it’s changing the way I read the headlines as they trickle in from around the world.
Sometimes when I’m busy making my judgments from my place of relative comfort, I stop and ask myself what I really know about quashed aspirations, about eking out a miserable living from bleak to day to bleaker day and about real hunger and what it can drive a person to do.
How stable a country can you boast, really, when 36% of the people have to go without ‘enough to eat several times or more?’
For more on that gallup survey, follow this link.
PS, there's an African Union Food and Nutrition Security Conference scheduled to take place in South Africa next week. I wonder what will come out of that.It's my window, but I don't own the view.
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6:05
Exporting Deception, Lessons From Football
» You Missed This First congratulations to all drunk and sober souls still savouring last night's victory and glory in Moscow. Still here waiting to DETOXIFY before the visa waiver expires. THERE IS ONE UNITED and WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS.
With that double gloat off my chect, what can we learn as Kenyans from the beautiful game? One no shortcuts. You cannot afford to win a trophy via top up. But most important NO IMPUNITY and fair play is enforced to the letter. Those traits leaves you with a sour taste when you think of ELECTION THEFT. If one Samuel Kivuitu would have been a referee worth his name and beyond reproach Kenya would be the much better devoid of IDPs and the 1500 souls still alive. But then you cannot polish Lucifer in any angelic gab. or can you?
Now we have Kenyans running for their dear lives down in South Africa. Reason? Hostile local environment left no option of making it at home. And while abroad these Kenyans are overtly or covertly exporting our national pastime of DECEPTION hence the resentment. Very soon Southern Sudan will be the next xenophobic hot spot. Kenyan business people are used to SHORTCUTS to riches and the Sudanese are not taking it lightly.
Deception no industry
We are a country led by pretenders whose forte is DECEPTION which they defend with selective application of law. As a result Kenyans export ILLEGAL practices that readily boil to tensions outside our borders. As a nation are unwittingly caging ourselves into an exclusive home of scoundrels disguised as INDUSTRIOUS. This is no ethnic bashing by any means but a reality check. While locally those who raise their voices in opposing these vices are derided as DOMO, elsewhere the consequences are so grave so much so that the victims are often exterminated altogether.
Charity begins at home and you don't need to be a Nobel Economic laureate to see the local economic gloating for its true cheapness. While a section of Kenya brag of hosting more than 90% of Kenyan millionaires, their backyard is littered with abject poverty. The murderous Mungiki is an apt consequence of this HELL-FOR-LEATHER mentality. Simpy put we are in a hole and must stop digging. But again money rules our lives and preaching to the converted is a harlequin task. We can try though.
Check out Kasarani.com, a new way to meet and keep in touch with Kenyans worldwide. You can even start your own blog on Kasarani! Click here to go to Kasarani.com now
What A Pervert! -
How Safe Is Our Money In The Banks?
» You Missed This It seems banks are not the revered places that we once thought. Just a week after writing about a friend who suffered an infiltrated account under an indigenous bank, today the daily nation money magazine is reporting the case Mr. Walubengo who had chillingly similar woes but this time with a local subsidiary of a heavily capitalized international bank which they say was among last year’s aggressive lenders.
Mr. Walumbengo and his wife Alice first lost Kshs.32,000/-in 1996 when they were transferring their money from the Nyeri to Nairobi branch. The money seems to have disappeared in transit with the Nyeri branch insisting that they had transferred it while the Nairobi branch of the same bank denied receipt of the same. They traveled extensively to Nairobi trying to trace their cash but gave up in frustration as the bank kept passing the buck between the branches. They decided to let go of the money.
February this year the couple noticed some curious ATM withdrawals from their statements. Another Kshs.32,000/- had disappeared from their accounts between December, 2007 and January, 2008. Some of the withdrawals were made at midnight in locations where they didn’t even know the bank has ATMs. Incidentally the withdrawals were made in branches where the ATMs have no security apparatus like CCTV. The bank insisted that the withdrawals were made using Mrs. Walubengo’s card and heaped blame on her for letting someone else access it. But according to her nobody else except her husband knew her PIN number. They were simply asked to retrace their steps while the bank too carried out their investigations.
But the bank was not done with the couple yet. Even after reporting the case, another Kshs.4,000/- disappeared and they decided to freeze the account. Two weeks later they were hit with another weird withdrawal of Kshs.31,000/- in cash advances even when for over 10 years they had never used a credit card to withdraw cash. They closed the account in frustration. But after the credit card saga, an account that the couple keeps with the same bank for heavy medical expenses was infiltrated and they lost a further Kshs.43,000/-. The bank is still investigating that too.
An employee of the bank admitted that there are numerous card fraud cases and many are still being investigated.
This story is adopted from the Daily Nation Money Magazine.
See also: Is your money safe in the bank?
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4:35
Johny, be a John, Joy and Other Things
» My part of the world....... 
Little Johnny jokes have always cracked me up and that letter up there is on a level of it's own!
I was sent this sometime back on the net and if a name says alot about you, I guess this chica's name says everything we need to know. I wonder if she has a pal called Kuro?
Oh lest I forget, I have to congratulate all Man U fans out there! At the end of the day Man U's experience came out on top of Chelsea's billions. Now onto the season break and the transfer market. I guess we'll have to count on Olympic soccer to keep us going till the 2008 - 2009 season begins.
I came across this spoof vid of T-pain and Akon, enjoy!
I hear that Nelson Mandela is having major birthday celebrations soon and one of the invited performers is Will Smith. I was like WTF?! What on earth is Will Smith going to perform for Mandela?! Parents don't understand? Miami? Or maybe the Fresh Price theme song. I hope that was a mistake by whoever announced it and that he's just going to be a host.
Talking about S. Africa, for any bloggers out there ie Bomseh and those of you who have friends and relatives out there; I am hoping and praying that things settle down soon for their sake. I guess the Rainbow nation has now turned into a nation of storms.
Coming soon: You People Part II........
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3:54
no fish for oil
» Black Looks Sweet crude for shell, bitter oil for people Part 2 Tags: Niger Delta Oil Enviornment SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "no fish for oil", url: "http://www.blacklooks.org/2008/05/no_fish_for_oil.html" });
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1:58
50 years of Africa Liberation Day, 25th May: How far is Africa from unity?
» Kenyanpoet MAY 25TH PUBLIC CELEBRATIONS ORGANIZED BY:
The Forum for African Affairs, Fahamu, All African Peoples Revolutionary Party (AAPRP), Niaje?YOUTH, One African Initiative and the Centre for Pan-African Initiative
50 years of Africa Liberation Day: How far is Africa from unity?
WHEN: Sunday, 25th May 2008 TIME: 1.00 – 7.00 pm
VENUE: Lenana Room, KICC, Nairobi
12.45-2.00 Film Screenings (Mau Mau, 500yrs and Fidel Castro)
2.00 – 2.10 Opening Songs: Spirit of Africa by Sara Mitaru
Poem by Tempa Tella & Allo Allo by Agwambo Odera
2.10 – 2.20 Opening Remarks:
2.25– 2.55 Speaker: Prof John Trimble, AAPRP, Rwanda
Speaker: Godwin Murunga, Lecturer of History, Kenyatta University
2.55 – 3.05 Poetry by Githuku/ Biko/ Open mic
3.05 – 3.35 Speaker: Wahu Kaara, Executive Director, KENDREN
Speaker: Awino Okech, ACORD
3.35 – 3.45 Poetry by Grandmaster Masese
3.45 – 4.30 Plenary Session - All
4.30 – 4.50 Responses from speakers
4.50 – 5.00 Closing Remarks by Hilary Mulalia, One Africa Initiative
Moderators: Hakima Abbas (AU Monitor, Fahamu) & Agwambo Odera (niaje?YOUTH)10 MIN BREAK FOR REFRESHMENTS THEN ENTERTAINMENT
5.10 – 5.40 Sara Mitaru and the Villagers
5.40 – 5:50 Poetry by Tempa Tella, Philo Ikonya and the Villagers
5.50 – 6.20 Performance by Islandos & Ukoo Flani
6.20 – 6.50 Performance by the Warriors
6.50 – 7.10 Performance by Michelle and Senta lain
MC – Agwambo Odera & Hakima Abbas
ContextMay 25th 2008 marks 50 years of the celebration of Africa Liberation Day and 48 years of the founding of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) now African Union (AU). The African Liberation Day emerged out of the conscious struggle of African people against oppression and is celebrated every year to mark the onward process of the liberation movement and to symbolize the determination of the people of Africa to free themselves from foreign domination and exploitation. 50 years since the inception of the African Union, how far has Africa come and how far are we from achieving political and economic integration? What are the benefits of African unity? What have been the major highlights and the low points for Africa since 1958? What are the new frontiers for Africa. Join this exciting discussion as we recapture one of Africa’s finest moments and draw lessons for Africa today and the future.
For further information contact: Dolphine Ndeda – Email: panafrica1@oxfam.org.uk. Tel: 254 20 2820159
Background
On April 15, 1958, in the city of Accra, Ghana, African leaders and political activists gathered at the first Conference of Independent African States. This conference was attended by representatives of the governments of Ethiopia, Ghana, Liberia, Libya, Morocco, Sudan, Tunisia, The United Arab Republic (which was the federation of Egypt and Syria) and representatives of the National Liberation Front of Algeria and the Union of the Peoples of Cameroon. This conference was significant in that it represented the first Pan-African Conference held on African soil.
The Conference called for the founding of African Freedom Day, a day to “mark each year the onward progress of the liberation movement, and to symbolize the determination of the People of Africa to free themselves from foreign domination and exploitation.” Between 1958 and 1963 the nation/class struggle intensified in Africa and the world. Seventeen countries in Africa won their independence and 1960 was proclaimed the Year of Africa. Further advances were also made with the defeat of U.S. imperialism in Asia and the Caribbean.
On the 25th of May 1963, the First Conference of Independent African States was held in the city of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Thirty-two leaders of independent African states attended this meeting and it is at this historic meeting that the leaders founded the Organization of African Unity (OAU). They renamed Africa Freedom Day "African Day" and changed its date to May 25th. By then more than two thirds of the continent had achieved independence from colonial rule.
African Liberation Day (ALD) emerged out of the conscious struggle of African People against oppression. It marks the onward progress of the liberation movement in Africa, and symbolizes the determination of the people of Africa to free themselves from foreign domination and exploitation”. This important, historic event has been observed and institutionalized in various places worldwide, every year since its inception.
Though ALD began on the continent of Africa, people of African descent and their allies celebrate ALD throughout the world. It has become an expression of African peoples’ self-determination, and solidarity with other progressive struggles. This year is the 50th anniversary of ALD and the 45th anniversary of AD.
"The total liberation and unification of Africa under an All-African Socialist Government must be the primary objective of all Black revolutionaries throughout the world. It is an objective which, when achieved, will bring about the fulfilment of the aspirations of Africans and people of African descent everywhere."Kwame Nkrumah.
He Had A Dream, An African Dream
It all started as a vision of one man,
A the dream of one son,
A son of Ghana, a Nkrumah who sang a song
whose words were written with the blood of our brothers sailed off
to plantations as slaves to white masters.
A song whose rhythm and tune was hummed
by the cries of our people
Feet shuffling, hands trembling, mouths begging
We don’t know them!
We don’t know the freedom fighters
The rhythm of whips cracking on their backs
The sound of gunshots reigning in the dull yet sunny days,
Dark, yet moonlit nights.
The sounds had become a dirge to their ears
Maafa, Maafa
his was a song whose commas and full stops,
verses and chorus was the stamping of weary dusty feet
forcibly led into crammed concentration and detention camps
to die of hunger, thirst,
Informers, turncoats or home guards
His dream’s song like a bush fire, spread across the land,
Across the great Nile, Lake Tanganyika, the Zambezi and Chania
Kingston, Harlem, the Caribbean.
The strained tunes of this sweet song became a spell
Its spirit haunting Edward Wilmot
W.E.Dubois, Muamar Ghadafi
His majesty Emperor Haille sellasie,
Marcus Garvey,Julius Nyerere
Malcolm X, Fela Kuti,
The fathers of Pan-Africanism.
This was a song of pain
The Pain of being an African
A black man, a native
The pain of being un civilized
uneducated, uncultured
The pain of being colonized by a fellow human being
whose religion, traditions and language
was no more superior than our own.
Maafa, maafa
They sang a song of strength
A song of unity
A song of one enemy
A song of liberation
Africa’s Liberation
Like a chain, their weakness,
Would be their greatest strength
Being black, being African
This song gave them a reason to unite, to fight
To think as one country, one man, one mindThis song was the cry of
A unified Africa
United States of Africa
Umoja Africa
I too sing that song today
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N. W.
Feb 08,2008
All right Reserved©
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“As to the pure mind all things are pure, so to the poetic mind all things are poetical”
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1:26
Ushahidi: Thank You!
» Afromusing crossposted on the Ushahidi Blog.
During the month of March we appealed for your help with Ushahidi’s entry into the N2Y3 Mashup challenge. It is with your support that we are delighted to announce Ushahidi’s participation in the last phase of the mapping challenge. We could not have made it without you and we sincerely Thank each and every one of you for your votes, your encouragement and most of all for your ideas. David and Erik will be going to San Fransisco next weekend to participate in development sessions with other technical experts, product managers, and engineers. It will be a great opportunity for Ushahidi to get some funding towards further development of the Mashup. Wish them luck would ya?
For now, we just wanted to thank you again for your support. A big part of Ushahidi is your participation, and with that, we are looking forward to making this project an even bigger success.
Asanteni Sana!! [Thank you very much]
**More updates will be posted on the Ushahidi blog and also on the NetSquared blog. Ushahidi also has a twitter channel http://twitter.com/ushahidi for bite-sized updates.