LOOKING PASS THE CURRENT(PERSONAL OPINION)

ARE THERE ANYWAY AFRICANS CAN RISE UP TO THE OCCASION TO MOVE PASS A CRIPPLING SYSTEM FOR THEIR OWN SEEK?
This is a question asked during a long dialogue I had with a few budding friends on Zimbabwe's a recently held election. I have tried avoiding commenting on the Zimbabwean election for several reasons one of which is:
the final decision still lays with that constitutional court. Still one finds it difficult to extricate oneself completely from the on going debate on what is best based on what has been said at different quarters as regard to the final outcome so far. This is also important considering the fact that ordinary peoples life are what is at stake.
This question was posed also with the background knowledge that no one knows a people better that the people themselves. Politics we all know is dirty game played by those who engage on it and from a stand point of where I am and writing from, there is no better way of dowsing the fire than diplomacy itself as it is the only best alternative to war.
The people spoke! From varying stand point differences remains. How can the critical situation on ground gets bypassed considering the fact that the real bearers of the blunt aren't the politically connected rather the ordinary man on the street.
I totally agree with the South African President Jacob Zuma's sentiment that the sanctions 'be lifted'-if not on the moral grounds but on the condition that the final decision by the court which is yet to be made-so as to give the due process of the law a backing and help the country's functional institution self correct itself.
I would like to repeat the slogan that has found its way into the diction of most Africans 'African solution to African problems. This I would like to be understood based on the obvious crisis that exist which can only be solved by the people whom are directly connected to it. Ours I would suggest is to support it. I make this assertion on the ground that most countries today still have disputed election of which the West is not spared.
Sanction I believe has served its purpose/course of which i submit most, if not all has learn a lesson thus far.
It is time we support efforts aimed at bringing this ones beautiful country on the part back to lost glory although we can argue how flawed this election ended.
Zimbabwe and its institutions aren't perfect,I submit,they will self correct,this way we are helping the country rather than conditioning an outcome.

KINGSHIP MENTALITY A DILUTION TO DEMOCRACY

Today I had time to discuss some strange issue about my continent with a friend of mine,finally afterwards the theme above came to my mind and I felt I should share it.
The kingship mentality of most at the corridors of power is much a bigger challenge in the struggle towards achieving the real democratic aspirations of the continent and its people.The dilemma we are faced with are not exclusive to a particular region or state within the continent but seems to be a recurrent manifestation that afflicts leadership at every level of our politic.
It is a problem we as a people are faced with as we try to make sense of workable democratic system in the continent. Democracy many would argue, has roots within our kingship formula. This I would strongly say does not hold water, further supported on basis  of -the absence of accountability-which in all intent and purpose is completely not built within as to the way the kingship formula was arranged.When we take directly from what we had, which in principle isn't workable in this current system and put into what we have-democracy as it should be, we create a non workable system which disenfranchises the participant -the general masses,leaving a system of subject/master relationship- a King which is unchallengeable the ruler and the Yes Subject who are ruled. This is the possible tendencies of sit tight/never ready to give up power rulers, which has continued to mare our style of democracy which has perpetuated lack of or therein of substantive leaders within the continent of Africa. This is one part to inability to develop leaders who are capable to lead the continent and its people into the 21st century.
This is a mindset that needs to be changed that old guards may give way to up and coming would-be leaders of tomorrow. the Kingship mentality needs to be RIP to allow the continent benefit from its Human Capital.       

A LONE PLAYER AND THE GAME LOVERS

Please permit me to tickle your mind a little, a lone player hired four spectators to man the goal post, he instructed them with these words not exactly you know what I mean 'make sure I score as much as I shoot'. All this to the dismay of others who voiced their displeasure-this is a boring game-observers comment.
Am a great admirer/stanch follower of democratic principles not just on the structure of the words buts also on what it aim to achieve on the people who practice and observe it. The rule is simple and easy to be played.
Egyptian military played the USA  to this game. The redefinition of the word 'coup' to the outside spectator is boring. The dilemma for the USA shouldn't be on redefining the word rather on protecting the democratic believes of which we all profess. The USA should be worried of what lovers of democratic principle thinks of when it is compromised. This is potentially dangerous and could lead to a situation where 'a spade cannot be called a spade'. This is 21st century, of which, the definition of coup should not be ambiguous. By failing to call it by its name,that would create a scenario in which a  pseudo military politician would think-it is lawful to take unlawful action when there is an opportunity. This is a green light to which I say God forbid.
Coming from a country in West Africa, having witnessed the destabilizing effect of military take over-coup,which resulted in many years of democratic erosion and under development which we still experience its hang over, with every slightest fear they might strike again,makes it important that Washington should understand that we the people places our hopes on what comes forth from them.
 The people of Egypt deserves the slightest truth of which ambiguity is the lest expected not for now, as they try to make meaning of what democracy is all about and how the game is played.
I wrote this in my personal capacity to plead to the USA-The President,Congress and others in policy formulation, the meaning/definition of coup is still the same,lets not fall into the game played by a lone player-the military in Egypt. Leadership is all about truth/decisiveness,bending the rule is not to anyone interest- A COUP IS A COUP. IF IT LOOK LIKE A COUP AND SMELLS LIKE ONE IT IS A COUP. Lets not be played at our game. 

THE MASTERPIECE

'Life is but a dream'
knowledge of which we can't deny
few have come to see its dual sides
the one who gives and the other which recieves
most fall short of the given.
yours is the side hard to topple
thanks for what we've known now
-it's all about selflessness.
 
(dedicated to Nelson Mandela as he turns 95yrs)

A TRIBUTE TO CHINUE ACHEBE

(one last word to A HERO and A MENTOR)


Here you lay in a coffin made of wood
unaware of the fellowship you've made 
a man of virtue with much yet to say
I've cried, now not a tear drops
You left with so much achieved.
Achebe; deeper thought of mankind
a man built in humility.
I learnt thy ways in'THINGS FALL APART'
am still on it: ...while You were called.
hope is, we never forget how freedom is,
a walk to the dream land.
you have seen it,
yet we abide by Him who recalls.
goodbye see us soon for surely that road awaits.
please let me border thy one more time,
tell Him to guide us as we meditate and imitate your ways.

From Celestine Chidi
 
 

New Social Order, Demise of the Old

New Social Order, Demise of the Old

The social re-evolution must not be considered as haven taken us by surprise. Maybe/maybe not, we haven’t taken note or we are too quick to forget. Society seems to run with the wave then wait for another , then another…

Let me not confuse things and rather get to my point. Recently the world was rattled by the confession/admission by Lance Armstrongn to the doping. Confession/admission let me remind us that when one admits and confesses there is forgiveness.

Am not interested in Lance as a person but rather looking at how he got to this point and how much societal demands may have contributed to the product of what we get. The big question always to be asked is does society share in this blame? How much does society play in making its own. I see Lance from the lens that the society throws on itself.

When we as a society are constantly spurring our own,constantly making failure as well as success as a do or die issue, creating the notion that failure does not associate itself when there is a success, those who falls within the bracket of success never admitting to accepting the possibility they can fall found themselves in this backwardness of unimaginable lies,secret to keep inspired even when they are on the dying/dead bed.

We should take blame for what/ how far the young man has lived in deceit. The society indirectly asked and got what it gets. We have in one time or another constantly played Gods. It is time we remember we are humans and as humans capable of mistakes . we should look inward, play our part in building a society that accepts both failure as well as success as part of the same life experiences, in so doing, eliminate desperate acts and false being/hood that pushes forth within, just like we have seen in the past from what has come to emerge from individual short comings.

We all have a part to play.

DIPLOMACY A NECESSITY

THE URGENCY OF CRISIS MANAGEMENT: A DIPLOMATIC NECESSITY.(Mali A Case Study)

By Celestine Chidi( undergraduate student of International Relation and Diplomacy)

At the end of a seemingly unending wars in Asia-specifically, Afghanistan and Iraq; hotspots on the war on terror, Africa had seen a ghostly peace of somewhat probable in the sense that much of the Western colonial powers were busy chasing those classified thereby overlooking this part of the world.

This gave a breathing space for what I would have loved to call, 'full epiphany' of how organized we are in managing our own crisis. While the so much talked about phrase ‘African solution to African problem, much of which political analyst haven hoped would be the rise of a sleeping giant, would be so shocked at the recent happenings in Mali.

Malian crisis had once again opened the debate on whether we as Africans are well equipped to handle our own crisis, employing the right technical capabilities and capacity. The big question remains on how ready are we to tackle our own problems without looking up to other powers outside the continent. Can we really handle problems on our own?

Are the right policy for crisis management and diplomacy at the continental level at its best? Over the years the western approach to solution have-not yielded much needed result as we can see in the Middle Eastern region. The high dependency on military approach as a solution is yet to produce the required or desired effect and calm.

A lot have been said about honest brokering, of which we can generally agree is behind much of the stalemate as much of the participant comes into negotiation with a certain interest in mind. That Economic Community Of West African States (ECOWAS) had to allow internal indecisiveness before the issues in Mali can be tackled gave little to desire of its ability to look after the interest of this region which inevitably gave room for France to come in order to help contain the threat posed by radical extremism.

Security and pace and how to achieve these should be at the back of the mind of leaders at all time in Africa as the only way towards uplifting the backwardness that has bedeviled this region of the world. A clear policy formulation, well articulated-aware of the fact that there are more than enough academicians to guide into this, should be the rallying point for the future.

Malian crisis has once more made us a laughing stock in international politics as we again struggle to take and stake our mark/role as a people/Government willing and ready to take its place in international community.

Hence my idea would be for us to elect and mandate proactive leaders who can lead us in this direction to avoid much of the blunders of the past which requires external intervention from outside the continent, we can do this, if we as the people stop playing internal self interest at the expense of other countries interest and issues.