WELL DONE KIBAKI

Few days ago I put a link of the protests in Kenya with reference to the new media law bill that was proposed. Whether the western media machines were right or wrong to make the story make the headlines, is not a matter of apprehension at this point.

What is important to the point of making it in this blog that is now captivated to only good news is that President of Kenya, Mwai Kibaki, who was, by law, supposed to sign the bill in order for it to become a new law, has refused to do so describing it to be a threat to the democratic gains that Kenya has made in recent past.

To be balanced and fair, I applaud Mwai Kibaki.This is a proof, to whoever wants it, that there are leaders with common sense in Africa contrary to what many people in the west think.Of course we still have leaders who would sign such a bill even if woken from the middle of the sleep (meaning without even reading it let alone analyzing its impact). Leaders like Mwai Kibaki, on this one, deserves a congratulations for standing on his people and not misusing his constitutionally given power. Well done Kibaki. Other leaders should follow your path.

NKOSI SIKELELI

It’s Friday evening. After a long week I am getting ready to lay my head down and relax a little bit. But wait, I am attending a wedding ceremony tonight. What a great way to end a week! It’s an African centred wedding, a Muslim wedding. One little secret, it’s my first time to attend a wedding since I came to this country. Not to suggest that people don’t get married in Canada or where I live. They just tend to date more. Could it be a new cultural thing? Well I am not sure. What I am sure about is that times have changed. The way our parents viewed life is completely different to how we do today. Most of them had straightforward plans of life. Go to school, get a job, get married, and start a family. We have more than that, each one of us, separately. We complicate things a lot more. Deny it if you want. We call it democracy. Just another theory, or isn’t it?

I couldn’t think of a better way to say hello to motherland than using this anthem, an African anthem. Nkosi Sikeleli Africa. Have a Good Friday. Remember, don’t drink and drive not even driving after drinking as one brother claim that is what he does. Peace.

ARE AFRICAN ECONOMIES LIFELESS?

Is African economy lifeless? If you watch the way most western newspapers and TV news tell it, you may be tempted to conclude that there's little going on in Africa except poverty, famine, disease, and even genocide. That is a wrong assumption because there is a lot going on in Africa. They just rarely make it to the mainstream media. What makes it to the mainstream media is news like the protest of Kenyans on the proposed changes in the law dealing with media. Not necessarily a bad thing but the way it came on TV last night was to showcase uncivilization side of Africans. It’s the words used and the way they are used that makes the difference.

One documentary maker, Carol Pineau in 2005 released her documentary which highlighted the progress the African economies were making. I believe more progress have come along since the release of her documentary. As Africans, I believe, we have an obligation to tell the world about what is happening.If we don't we won't have good reasons to complain when all the western media shows are negatives.

Therefore, if you have any good story out coming out of your hometown,village,city etc write me an e-mail with details about it and I will be more than happy to highlight them here and elsewhere. Don’t forget to include pictures,video clips etc if you have.

FACES OF AFRICA

I remember once upon a time I was involved in a heated debate about which women/ladies are the most beautiful ones in the world? "Which" meant which country. The debate was hot because everyone had his/her idea about beauty and elegance.I being from Tanzania, I defended our women till when there was no more time for argument.

Surprisingly,last week I overheard a group of young people talking about the same topic.I smiled at them to assure them that I know where they are coming from.The big difference is that since my last argument about who is more beautiful than another, I have grown.I have come to agree about beauty being from a beholder's eyes.However, will you be mad if I say I am still biased to African women not necessarily Tanzanians? And lastly,can't we all agree,at least once, when we see someone who is not beautiful and at the same time not ugly? The video below shows some faces from the continent,not every country of course but a good sample is provided here. This is what they don't want you to see and know!

WHAT THEY DIDN'T WANT YOU TO SEE AND KNOW!

You have to forgive me for the little twist my blog has to take again. I have been a buffalo soldier trying to make sure that African continent is fairly represented in the western media. Right now when you hear a word “Africa” mentioned in television station and newspapers here, you’d think Africa is a single country sharing same troubles and humiliation. No wonder the fact like Equatorial Guinea is technically richer than USA never makes it to mainstream media.

I have therefore decided to rename the subtitle of my blog from The Stone That They Builders Refuse Shall Be the Head Cornerstone to What They Didn’t Want You to See and Know! Therefore, from now on much of the posts here will be focusing on great things that are happening in different countries across the African continent. I will be taking into consideration the fact that mainstream media channels out here ignores such news believing that you only want to see “bad news” to find the time you spend in front of your television or reading a newspaper, a book, a brochure worthy. We then shall see whether it’s true that good news doesn’t interests you.

Meanwhile, I am sorry that I am going to have to remain real to my countrymen. If I smell something wrong, I am going to put it here as well and clearly tell you why that way will never make us proud.

Therefore WELCOME TO WHAT THEY DIDN’T WANT YOU TO SEE AND KNOW!

TANZANIAN BLOGGERS LEADING BY EXAMPLE

I have said it before, please bear with me,I have to say it again.Different people blogs for different reasons. Among those reasons, Tanzanian bloggers, including myself, can proudly say they are blogging for social change.

You may agree with me that blogging for fun, although its necessary in order to see another day, would not be all that fun when brothers and sisters are dying for completely preventable causes.For that matter,Tanzanian bloggers wants to lead other african countries by blogging for social changes.

In a recently published information on what has been taking place in Tanzania bloggers spheres,Ndesanjo Macha of Global Voices breaks it down, simple and plain, the entire process.

JUST IMAGINE

Its a Friday morning, I was hoping to have a great day.The weather is warm,unusually warm for most Canadians.But for me,who lived in Dar-es-salaam where the weather rarely goes below 25 degrees,its just a lovely day.

However,my hopes for the best day were not to last that longer.Its because I came across an article which made me sad and just wonder, whats wrong with some of us,human beings? Probably it wouldn't be something to disturb me as it has.But being an immigrant in Canada myself,it made me think.What if it happened to me? Just go through this article and ask yourself the same question.What if it happened to you.

HOW TO HONOR MADIBA

Yesterday was Nelson “Madiba” Mandela’s 89^th birthday. Congratulations and best wishes ahead Madiba. The name Mandela does not need lots of fanfare preamble. He is one man who is globally well known, loved and respected. He is among African sons that we are so proud of. His comrades like Julius Nyerere are among other African leaders that I truly admire, respect and love and wish I could have dinner with. I still remember how Mandela and Winnie passed pretty close to where I was standing and wet due to heavy rain that had just fallen. They were graciously waving to all of us, broad smiles on their faces. That is when the couple visited Tanzania, Morogoro to be specific. Tanzania was one of the first countries he visited after being released from jail. The town of Morogoro was special to South Africa because that is where one of the biggest camps for freedom fighters was located. It was known and still known as Solomon Mahlangu Camp although the camp is now part of The Sokoine University of Agriculture. That is the closest I have come in meeting him. To this day, I still hope to meet him and have a little chat with him and of course take a picture with him. Then I will hang the picture in my office for inspiration. I am serious.

His life story tells a tale that is quite rare among us. I am talking about forgiveness. After spending a great deal of his life behind bars, he came out and said, I have forgiven you, please let us build a new South Africa together! He definitely had great hopes of changing the world. His humble beginnings, told well in his autobiography Long Walk to Freedom, prove his intentions since his childhood.

Unfortunately, as he celebrates his 89^th birthday, his dream of a more peaceful world remains a myth. There are countless conflicts, armed and unarmed, around the world. One certain reason for all the conflicts is that someone could not just be like Mandela and say, I am for peace, lets forget the past.

The renowned world leaders, including two former presidents of United States were among the high table guests in the party. Knowing how much the US contributes to the conflicts around the world, I wonder what kind of conversation goes on in that table. The smiles, the wines, soda and chips are accompanied with what conversation? How do we honor and celebrate Madiba’s birthday? I guess I am preparing his 90^th birthday. Happy Birthday Madiba.

MY INTERVIEW WITH GLOBAL VOICES!

Different bloggers, blogs for, different reasons. I blog for lots different reasons. However, just as Global Voices identified me recently, I blog for social change.

Social changes comes slow, they face lots of resistances. In Africa, where I come from and proud to be from, social changes are even slower due to the fact that if allowed, they come as threats to most leaders. Therefore, these leaders normally preach what they actually don’t believe in. For hooks and crooks, they want to remain in power even if it means changing the constitutions undemocratically. Democracy means death to most of them. They wish even the word did not exist.

On the other hand, completely far from the other hand, I no longer believe in political leadership as a tool for positive changes in our societies. That is when I embrace the idea of blogging for social change not through politicians but through common people like you and me. After over forty years of claiming to be independent, it is obvious that, nothing much can come along. I am not giving up, I am just keeping it real. Gears need a shift. And guess what, it will be done sooner than later. What we need is conscious. What we need is to inform each other, load the arsenals of information.

As pointed above, I was recently interviewed by Global Voices where I discussed some of these matters. The interview is available at this link.