SUDAN REVOLTS

Sudanese Security Forces Using Live Bullets and Excessive Force Results in the Death of More than Ten, the Arrest of Hundreds, and the Torture of Peaceful Demonstrators

General Bashir, who is ruling Sudan by iron and blood for nearly 25 years and who commits genocide, war crimes and the killing of political detainees under torture, using more than 70% of the Sudanese national budget for war and less than 2% for education and health, whose policies have divided Sudan and continue to threaten its unity, a friend of Osama bin Laden and deeply involved with the different fanatical terrorist groups from Somalia to Mali and indoctrinating African youth (in the African Islamic University in Khartoum), which threatens the unity of many African countries.  

In the last five days, Sudanese youth, women, and people living in the residential areas of big cities, such as Khartoum, Wad Madani, Atbara, Kosti, and many others are witnessing peaceful demonstrations against the austerity measures by the Bashir government, which puts the burden on the poor and marginalized groups, at the time that the ruling party leaders are involved in huge corruption and embezzlement of public funds and repression measures against all those who are looking for democratization of the country and ending the wars.

 The campaign of the regime against the peaceful demonstrations using live bullets resulted in the death of more than ten demonstrators and most of them are from Wad Madani city in central Sudan and arresting hundreds among whom many were tortured.  It is to be recalled that earlier the security forces have killed many peaceful demonstrators in Nyala city, the capital of South Darfur earlier this month.  The SRF and the SPLM-N condemn the killing of peaceful demonstrators and urge the Sudanese people in Diaspora and the friends of Sudan, civil societies and democratic countries to condemn the Sudan government and urging them to stop killing, torturing and detaining peaceful demonstrators.

The SRF and the SPLM-N are supporting a peaceful uprising in Sudan, which will open a way for a democratic peaceful settlement for war issues and building a new society that is based on equal citizenship and democracy.  We have urged our supporters all over Sudan to participate effectively in the peaceful demonstrations.

Yasir Arman

Secretary General, SPLM-N

Secretary of External Affairs, SRF

September 25, 2013

The News or Propaganda?

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"If the people in the media cannot decide whether they are in the busineess of reporting news or manufacturing propaganda, it is all the more important that the public understand that difference, and choose their news sources accordingly." 

~ Thomas Sowell.

Most of us would like to believe we are free and perhaps tis' true, to a certain extent, that some of us may be more awake compared to others, however, truth is, we all fall victims to the system in one way or another at some point. Some things beyond our control, others manufactured by the ignorance that stems from our laziness, and some, are just well produced that even the 'awake mind' ends up trapped in.

The media brings you the "news". What exactly amounts to news though, is something that has definitely not been well defined.

The Macmillan Dictionary defines news as:

1) information about something that has happened recently

2) information about recent events that is reported in newspapers or on television or radio

3) the news a television or radio broadcast that gives you information about recent events, read by a newspaper with special reports by correspondents.

This is only the idea of what "news" should be, not what we actually get. Definition 3 of the oxford dictionaries however, is relatable:

• a person or thing considered interesting enough to be reported in the news

The above is precisely what we get today. Stories considered interesting enough. The dirtier the mud, the more we're rolled in it. Good news, does not make for news. It's just not "interesting" enough.

Through out the Trayvon Martin case, mainstream media appeared to be some what of revolution starters. "Has justice been served?", "Oh no, we think it's because Trayvon was a black man? What do you think?"

Now the reason I find the Tray case ironic, is simply because these media houses, are the same ones that enforce the stereotypes they appeared to be fighting against. Think of the last time you saw a crime committed by a Christian man. The headlines didn't read "Christian Man kills wife with dutch oven" now did they? More like "Dutch oven went horribly wrong" or "Husband kills wife with Dutch oven". To be fair I don't actually know if Mr Flannery was Christian or not, that was just an illustration. Which simply further goes to emphasise my point, all that is made relevant in a non-muslim committed crime, is the nature of crime, not religion of the criminal(for most part that is). 

The point here, is simple, I could go on and on, but a friend once told me "once you feel people understand your argument, it makes no sense to keep going." Since I believe you pretty much get the big picture here, i'll just quote Thomas Sowell again, "If the people in the media cannot decide whether they are in the business of reporting news or manufacturing propaganda, it is all the more important that the public understand that difference, and choose their news sources accordingly." 

Understand the difference, choose your sources accordingly, read widely and don't base your arguments on what one source tells you should be your argument,  instead, formulate your own by assessing all available dimensions to every tale. 

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Love As A CHOICE

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"Love is a choice you make from moment to moment"

~ Barbara De Angelis

Before you read i'd like to let you know that my arguments here will not be raised based on any school of thought(I have not done any research with relation to love to actually learn the different theories of love). This post is merely based on opinion and practical thinking, which is of course relative as everyone has their own perspectives so do feel absolutely free to share yours, if different.

The generally accepted rule is that love is a feeling we have no control over. Classical accounts also have it that love is not a choice we make, but is instead, something we fall into and have no control over. I'd like to challenge that.

The widely accepted notion of love as a feeling we lack control over is the reason we have women who stay in abusive relationships and young girls making compromises early in life because they are "in love" and would therefore do anything/accept everything as they just "can't help it". 

Love As A CHOICE

Remember the last time you met that young man/lady(respectively) and thought "damn, who's your mother?" only to realise his/her mother was that Aunt you had not met? Now remember how all those feelings you had building up retraced themselves back very quick, never to re-emerge again and after a few awkward moments you were bro's? Last time I checked there was no element of the human body that instantly shuts love out because of blood relations. *Obviously different where relatives can marry*

Wouldn't you then say it was a conscious decision you made not to have any romantic feelings towards him/her because you ended up being relatives? That can only mean we choose who to love because it is ok and vice versa no?

Some women in India, for example, forced into arranged marriages, say they learnt to love the people they were with in time and given the choice, would have it no other way. Then there's those who would be out the door given the choice. The difference between the two would be personal choice wouldn't it? Or that love is something that can be "learnt", and if it is learnt, it can be unlearnt too? Just like a bad habit(not that i'm saying it is one)

To be clear, I do not support arranged courtships, however, this beats the belief that one is "meant to be" with someone and so they should make compromises. If someone who was forced into a relationship can in time fall in love with their spouse, then you who has the choice to be with whomever you please can definitely be with the person who treats you right and stop compromising everything simply because you "lack control over your feelings."

Love as an uncontrollable feeling has built a feeble society, dictating that it is an innate feeling we have no choice but to accept. It is always easier to accept we have no control over hard decisions, but choice comes with a sense of freedom. Once we accept love as a choice, we'll then be able to make wiser choices and not be trapped in circumstances simply because it has long been believed and deemed uncontrollable.

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21 Simple Things

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I will be turning 21 soon. Well, not really that soon, but "soon" doesn't come with an expiry date so yeah, I will be turning 21 soon, and I just randomly decided to do a blog on the 21 simple things I have come to learn or simply dislike(mostly from uni). I don't know where i'm headed with this post but the idea came to mind and I had to answer to the calling. lol

I strongly believe it's in uni we begin to build solid foundations of our characters. But then again, it's not like I know better, so i'll come back to this 5 years from now and assess whether my sentiments were true or not. 

P.s these are just things i've learnt not THEE ultimate things one needs to learn as I am still but in the learning curve. Anyway here we go.

1) NOT EVERYONE WILL LIKE/LOVE YOU!

Speak your mind, say what you feel and be yourself. Only watch what you say/how you express what you feel when it is hurtful to others, not because you know it isn't what people want to hear. Bottom line; don't try to please people or appeal to everyone because you'll end up "gaining the world" and losing yourself in the process. So stop worrying too much about what others think of you and start doing you because the only approval you need, is your own(or maybe your family's, if you are a family person like I am).

2) MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS! 

Speak your mind, but limit this to things that only affect you or others(in cases where you are speaking out for someone e.g when they are being victimised) but don't get involved in stuff that's none of your business(who's getting with who, who's having a baby, who's trying to be Nicki Minaj)... In short, don't be a gossip girl, or the male version for that matter. If you are opinionated, talk about things that matter. UNLESS of course they are your little sisters or brothers, now that's damn right your business. Lock them in a room till they are married off if you must to keep them decent. 

3) KNOW YOUR PRIORITIES!

Do what you need to do to get to where you want to be! Forget this "we are a team" business. Before you jump into conclusions, I am not saying don't be a team player! So have a seat \_ and read on. What i'm saying is remember how you got to where you are and how you will leave. In uni for example, you meet awesome people, some of whom you'll be lifelong friends. However, remember you didn't come there with these friends and you won't leave with them(technically you all go your own ways whether you keep in contact or not). When you get that degree after completion of your course, it will have only your name on it not you & your "crew", so keep loving the crew but don't forget your priorities. Those who don't understand when you need to sit and get your stuff together are just not suppose to be in your inner circle. Simple as. 

4) BE A GENUINE & HONEST FRIEND! 

Build relationships you are ready to be loyal to. Don't make friends only to sit around and talk smack about them when they aren't around. And don't make someone believe they have a friend whom they can put their trust in when you are the first to mock them or speak ill of them. If someone's character or personality does not appeal to you, then don't have them close to you believing you "like" them & that you're friends. That only shows lack of character on your part. So be that friend you would want your friends to be to you. 

5) ACT LIKE A HOE GET TREATED LIKE ONE! 

Lets be real here. If you go to a job interview drunk and oozing of alcohol wearing your pyjamas and sandals, you'll probably not make it even through the introduction phase. How you carry yourself around will determine how people treat you. And that alone will gain you the respect you deserve without even demanding it. Sometimes you have to stomp your foot on the ground and demand it. In this case create a damn earthquake if you must. e.g You walk into a club, head straight for the dance floor... Everything from how you carry yourself just shows you're there to jam. Some random dude thinks it wise to touch on your behind... My girl, bring the house down if need be! 

6) KNOW YOUR WORTH LADIES! 

I cannot stress this enough. Ladies your value is not set in the price tag of the red bottomed heels you wear or the length of your skirts. It is not in how much cleavage you show, or how much booty you share with the world. Your value is already self asserted in the fact that you are a WOMAN! So be a woman. Keep it decent & keep it classy. Not just in terms of how you dress, but also how you act and speak. 

7) HAVE FRIENDS WHO CHALLENGE & MOTIVATE YOU(Healthy competition)! 

From the simplest things like getting essays done, to how big you dream and what you want to achieve. Have those friends who ask you why would you want to be a fly when you can be a dragon, why would you want to be the employee, when you can be the employer or why would you want to be a goodwill ambassador when you can be the president?... Those with whom you can stay up hours discussing business plans, debating headlines and even better, those who challenge your outlook on things. Those who's accomplishments motivate you to do better, not feel like you've got company with your "failures". So know your circle, have people who build you up, not pull you down. Those concerned with far better things than what party's on this weekend or which celebrity's dating who. Most importantly, those happy to see you succeed and celebrate your achievements like their own. 

8) SET THE TONE AT THE BEGINNING OF EVERY RELATIONSHIP! 

Whether it's a new friendship or a new entanglement, set the tone at the beginning. People only treat you the way you allow them to. If you allow people from the get go to push you around, it will turn into a continuos cycle. So don't be the girl/guy on the side then years later be wondering why you're always the girlfriend/boyfriend number 2. Make it clear the kind of person you are and what it is you have tolerance for from the very beginning. Those who accept who you are, are the ones you need. You need be defined by your traffic lights. Green - Who you are, Red - Who you are not & Amber - Where you can compromise. Never make compromises where you have to set aside the principles that make you the person you are, or the person you are not. Instead walk away. 

9) YOUR CHARACTER/VALUES SHOULD NEVER BE CONDITIONED! 

Marry your values, have them and hold on to them, everyday, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do you part. If your character is conditioned and changes from time to time, then you are lacking in character. If how you treat people depends on who you are interacting with or their status(be it social, financial, or any other) then you've got to get working on your character, for your own good. 

10) DON'T ALLOW YOURSELF TO BE USED! 

Be nice, but not stupid. Know the difference between people who genuinely need your help, and those who just want to use you. The difference between those who are with you for who you are and not what you are, what you do or what you have. Guys, if you have to open your wallet to impress a lady, then it's either a) she's just a goldigger or b) you're just a plonker. If the former, you deserve much better, and if the latter is the case, work on having more going for you than just how big your wallet is. 

11) BE HUMBLE! 

Never think yourself better than anyone. Don't look down on others. There's a difference between confidence, and arrogance. Remember life has no guarantees. You could easily be that person you look down on because of what you have or what you are. So have regard and respect for every individual and despite what you have accomplished, remain humble. Remember life is interdependent, you didn't get where you are on your own(wherever that may be). 

12) RUMBLING ON ABOUT WHAT YOU OWN! 

If you're that kind of person who likes to go off every time about what you own, STOP IT. It doesn't make you cool, it doesn't make you better than anyone. It just makes you sound foolish and you come off as a very annoying prick! Just have yourself a seat and shut up! 

13) ARGUING WITHOUT KNOWLEDGE! 

It's not hard to say "I don't know" or "I don't know enough to discuss this". Don't be that person who argues with ignorance. Just stay out of a conversation if you have no understanding of it because you might actually learn something, instead of opening your mouth and showing ignorance. Besides, as the saying goes, "it's better to be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt". 

14) STOP TRYING TO CHANGE PEOPLE! 

The secret probably summarises this best; "You cannot change the people around you. But you can change the people you choose to be around. Some people are just toxic to your life, and it doesn't mean that they are bad people. It just means that your lives are going in two different directions, and that the only way you both can live your best lives is to split apart so that you both may have room to grow." So stop always pointing the problem outward and instead search inward and know that solutions can only come from you. 

15) UNDERMINING OTHERS' WORK! 

Criticise constructively, don't be a hater. Hating only means there's something the other person has that you don't. So if others' progress makes you mad, stop spending your time looking for negative stuff to point out just for the sake of undermining their work. Instead get to work and build yourself something. Find inspiration to get your stuff going through others not the constant need to put them down. So when looking at something, don't approach it with the intention of criticising, look for something to appreciate. Because we always find what we are looking for. 

16) BELIEVE IN YOURSELF! 

You should be your biggest fan. If you don't believe in yourself, nothing will work out for you no matter how many people believe in you. It all starts with you. 

17) YOUR ATTITUDE DETERMINES YOUR LATITUDE! 

If problems have a solution, seek the solution, if they have none, move on and avoid crying over spilt milk. Don't react to circumstances, instead respond to them. Also known as the Cockroach Theory for self-development.

Understand that you are in the drivers seat and in control of which side your wheels turn. Everything else is just but a bump, which you either have control of, or is simply outside of your control. Everything that is within your control, take charge of it and drive that stick shift car instead of an automatic one. And if you happen to hit a hard bump, as long as you're still breathing, get up and keep going.

18) FORGIVE EASILY!

Don't hold grudges, be it towords yourself, or others. Allow yourself to air out your negativity. If someone hurts you, say it. If you are disappointed in yourself, talk about it. Don't let things build up and don't allow yourself to be bitter. Because the more anger you trap in your system, the more of an angry person you become and all this eventually comes out in form of dysfunctional self-disruptive behaviour. 

19) APPRECIATE MORE!

Appreciate life more, appreciate the people around you more. Understand the worth of every single person you have in your life and how they all play their roles respectively in the person you are and show your appreciation often. 

20) YOUR FAMILY SHOULD BE YOUR STRONGEST LINK!

You never know when the world can turn against you. So have your family be your strongest link. Don't have a "don't care" attitude and think you "can do without" your family, because you can't. Once again, the world is not guaranteed, but your family is. So if you must go to round the globe to make ends meet, without hesitation, do it. 

21) TODAY WAS YESTERDAY'S TOMORROW!

Every new day is an investment into your future and every lost day comes with it's consequences. So be wise and stop doing things today that you know, will leave your tomorrow blurry. Instead try as much to paint a clear picture of that tomorrow and work towards it. You might not get the tomorrow you envisioned, but you will sure get what you invest in. So as my dad would say, establish whether you are working hard, or hardly working.

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In The Name Of Humanity(Nuba Mountains)

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"We look forward to the time when the Power of Love will replace the Love of Power. Then will our world know the blessings of peace." 

~ William Gladstone

  

Find the spoken word here:

https://soundcloud.com/sanna-arman/in-the-name-of-humanity-nuba

Her innocence they fed on, to the bushes they led her,

Spread her legs as if a bed they laid on her,

Too weak to fight back, all she could do was beg them to stop,

Four men, but none ever stopped to consider the blood or tears she shed,

Just like that they fled, leaving her for dead. 

Next to her lifeless body he laid,

For her life back he desperately prayed,

Covered in a pool of blood, his life for hers he was willing to trade,

Her bloodied face he hoped was just a mask, for a moment there he thought this was just a masquerade, 

His desperate attempts to wake her were all in vain, eventually, his screams began to fade.

What if I told you, I know of a place, 

Where families play hide and seek with Antonov bomber planes, forcing them to travel back in time and live in caves, in hiding,

Where the youth don't need to smoke tobacco, for their lungs are already black, from constantly inhaling heavy clouds of smoke from their burning homes,

Where tomorrow is not guaranteed, not by an act of God, but by that of men, driven by greed,

Where democracy is relegated to the books, and freedom, just but a mere illusion. 

Here dictators brutally kill civilians because their choices, they disagreed with,

"They chose wrong side" they say, nothing, but disposable rotten seeds,

Too complex for their creed, so it's got to be a misdeed,

With political ambitions, blinded by greed, for humanity they never concede,

But even this, doesn't break my people because they believe one day, they will be freed.

What if I told you the name of this place? 

Would it make you want to lend your voice, lead a protest or wave a banner?

Would you understand the pain of a mother burying her son?

That of a father, watching his daughter burn?

Or that of a young boy, whose only education in life, has been how to target and pull the trigger to protect his family?

Would the nightmares in that 6-year-old girls head make you want to share a sweet dream? 

Would it make you want to stand up for humanity, and alter your predisposition to embrace ignorance as bliss? 

Would it make you want to pen tomorrows chapter, of a future where the people of Nuba Mountains dance to the rhythm of love, instead of running at the sound of gun shots?

In the words of Charlie Chaplin, 

"To those who can hear me, 

I say “Do not despair.” 

The misery that is now upon us is but the passing of greed,

The bitterness of men who fear the way of human progress.

The hate of men will pass, and dictators die, 

And the power they took from the people will return to the people. 

And so long as men die, liberty will never perish.

Soldiers! Don’t give yourselves to brutes, 

Men who despise you and enslave you,

Who regiment your lives, tell you what to do, what to think and what to feel! 

Who drill you, diet you, treat you like cattle, use you as cannon fodder!

Don’t give yourselves to these unnatural men!

Machine men with machine minds and machine hearts! 

You are not machines! You are not cattle! You are men! 

You have a love of humanity in your hearts! 

You do not hate! Only the unloved hate,

The unloved and the unnatural.

Soldiers! Don’t fight for slavery! Fight for liberty! 

In the seventeenth chapter of St. Luke it is written, 

“The kingdom of God is within man”, 

Not one man nor a group of men, 

But in all men! In you!

You, the people, have the power, 

The power to create machines, the power to create happiness!

You, the people have the power to make this life free and beautiful, 

To make this life a wonderful adventure. 

Then in the name of democracy, let us use that power.

Let us all unite. 

Let us fight for a new world, 

A decent world that will give men a chance to work, 

That will give youth a future and old age a security. 

By the promise of these things, brutes have risen to power. 

But they lie! They do not fulfil their promise. 

They never will! 

Dictators free themselves but they enslave the people!

Now let us fight to fulfill that promise! 

Let us fight to free the world! 

To do away with national barriers! 

To do away with greed, with hate and intolerance!

Let us fight for a world of reason, 

A world where science and progress will lead to all mens' happiness.”

So in the name of humanity, let us all unite!

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Kenya Stand Up!

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I will make this as simple and plain as I can, so bear with me.

I have always been very reluctant to speak out on Kenyan politics. I put up a few status'  up here and there but for the most part, I refrain from putting up an opinion piece on my blog. This is because I usually feel it's not in my place to start something or say something as I am not Kenyan and to be frank I usually feel that if Kenyan youth(the people I know) are not that vocal about things, who am I to speak out. But it's now getting frustrating and I will address it. I was born and raised in Kenya, so Kenya to me is pretty much home away from home(SUDAN & SOUTH SUDAN) and I got much love for my Kenyan peoples ;) so I write this because of that connection to Kenya that I have, and also, as most of you know, I have an problem with keeping my opinions on social issues to myself ESPECIALLY when it comes to that sweet motherland(AFRIKA). 

When I was young, my father used to ask me, "what do I do?" and my answer was always "you're a politician" and he'd tell me "No, I am not a politician, i'm a freedom fighter". My thoughts back in the day were, "erm, sure sure daddy, but tomaEto, tomaHto, big difference"... And it's not until recently, (past 4 years or so) that I actually understood that there's a thick line between the two. So I will start by drawing that distinction between Freedom Fighters(the people our leaders are actually suppose to be) and Politicians(the people they actually are). 

A POLITICIAN: A person who fights for self interest AT THE EXPENSE OF humanity.

A FREEDOM FIGHTER: A person who fights FOR humanity IN THE INTEREST OF humanity. 

#NeverGetItTwisted 

A distinction made pretty clear to me by my father. Not through his words, but through his actions. God bless you papa! 

"Seek not greatness, but seek truth, and you will find both" ~ Horace Mann 

Obviously by now you've guessed that what triggered this is the recent vote by Kenyan MP's for a raise in salary to a monthly salary of about $10,000 (£6,540). COMPLETE BULLOCKS!!!!!!!!! 

The average Kenyan earns about $1,700, this is of course that guy who has it reeeeaaaalll good because a significant number of the population are living under $1 a day, so a good month has them living off $29, $30 or $31 depending on the month. 

The wage bill currently stands at Sh458 billion which is over 12 percent of GDP and as President Uhuru Kenyatta recently stated, "This is unsustainable and poses a serious threat to the funding of important development projects, and has the potential to severely affect the country's economic prospects. All arms of government must set the example and lead the way in brining this wage bill down." (http://allafrica.com/stories/201304171517.html) 

This I think is the point where I ask you to put your political affiliations aside and avoid turning this into a politically driven piece despite your sentiments on the President of Kenya because whether you like him or not, what he stated is true. 

What Kenya has, is politicians. Men driven by greed, ready to step on anyone to have their way. Selfish men who don't give a hoot about that child in the slums of Kibera silently suffering from Malaria because his/her parents don't have the money to afford him/her healthcare, the woman in streets of Dagoretti who has given up on wearing her underpants and has accepted rape as a normal state of being because she believes "what's the point if they are going to take it off anyway"(insecurity), the youth in Kawangware who have lost all hope in life due to the rise in unemployment and have resulted to smoking bhangi, drinking alcohol and doing drugs out of idleness, the mothers in Mathare who die everyday giving birth because there isn't a healthcare system effective enough to cater for all(yes yes I know about the recent changes in maternity, but I am speaking in a general sense so look at the underlying message and don't be petty!) 

I could go on and on, but you get the point! 

One politician recently stated that 'this[lack of raise] will force us into other things[corruption].' I don't remember where I watched that, but it was on one of the local news sources. A shame I don't remember his name because it would be my honour to state his full names(I will find it though and add it on later). Firstly, for politicians to get to a point where they feel comfortable to state such on national T.V, rafiki, there's a BIG PROBLEM. And secondly, this is the highest state of lacking integrity and morality there can ever be!!!! A man with dignity and integrity would never compromise no matter the circumstance, and more so, not in this scenario where it's just greed! 

Have you ever looked in the queues during election times? There's always hope in peoples faces. Hope that their votes will change somethings, hope that their voices will be heard and their cries answered. That the new government will come in and make a difference in their lives and up lift the ordinary mans way of life. Let's be honest, those like you & I who went to private schools, have a good education and can buy iphones whenever we please are never too worried, most times we don't vote. The guys who own big businesses never need to worry because whatever governments comes in, will protect the interests of the "rich" since the personalities are themselves the wealthy. It is always that askari(guard), that househelp or that lady who choma's mahindi(sells roast maize) by the corner that wakes up at 4 am to go que! But at the end of the day, they remain in the same position they were in before they cast their vote. 

When the new government came in, MP's should have been concerned with how to improve the lives of all these people, but noooo, they are more concerned with what car they will drive, what new suit they will wear or the new house they will move into. Keen on filling their own pockets, and draining that of the Kenyans. 

Anyway, I'm a person of many words and I can write for ddaaayysss but I said i'll make this simple so let me get to the end and not drag this on. It is time, we all started to speak out and became the voices for all those that go unheard. Tomorrow you'll still attend brookhouse, braeside, braeburn or whatever school it is you go to. But a child somewhere cannot afford that $300 for a term in school. Let's not be selfish! Speak out for that child! Let them know you care despite the difference in circumstances and let the MP's know you are done, as the youth, taking shit from them(do forgive my french, but i lacked better terms to describe their business)! If you don't speak out now, tomorrow another ridiculous bill will be proposed because it's just like getting a kid used to having sweets whenever they want. 

There's the "Occupy Parliament" movement taking place, join it, be at the frontline of those protests, write about this nonsense, make videos on your frustrations and just let them know you will not be quiet because at the end of the day, even if you don't want to do it for others, do it for yourself because this is the generation that will pay for all these debts! Obviously their decision is being challenged in courts and what not by civil organisations, but where is your voice in all this? 

Last, but definitely NOT least, much respect to the MP's who didn't vote for and to all the young people out there fighting against this. 

TAKE BACK YOUR COUNTRY.

KENYA STAND UP! 

Ok i'm done :) Do forgive any typo's, i gotta run so no time to read through it. 

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Live Everyday Like It's Your Last

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"I want to be remembered as a kid who went down fighting, and didn't really lose."

~ Zack Sobiech

This is going to be my shortest blog post ever, simply because there's nothing I could write, that would speak as much volume as the video you are about to watch. I have so much I could say, but i'll let you watch it, and take what you will from it, just as I did. The least you could do after watching this is share the video, be it on your own blog or whatever other social forum(facebook/twitter...) 

And his song "clouds":

If you were touched/inspired by his story and probably interested in doing more to help others like Zach, it is his family's request that you donate any amount to the cancer research fund set up on his behalf. (Click here)

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Asking All Them Questions xD

Not intended to relay any message(at least none i'm aware of), simply to provoke thought.

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"The important thing is not to stop questioning, curiosity has its own reason for existing."

~ Albert Einstein

Do you ever wonder if life has an arriving point?
Or is it a moving plane with no destination?
If we were to say that someone has arrived or reached their destination,
Would that mean they possess the ultimate knowledge?

But then again, how do we measure the ultimate knowledge?
Out of the many possibilities and impossibilities of life,
How do we tell apart what we really know from that we don't know?
How do we tell apart what is from what we think is?

When we pay to be educated, what are we seeking?
To leave with an understanding and knowledge or to leave with a qualification?
Which then raises a question of comparing two concepts,
The concepts of learning, as opposed to that of passing.

Do you read to learn or do you read to pass?
Are you a leader, or a follower?
Do you play it safe and follow in others' paths?
Or do you turn rough roads into highways?

Are your dreams goals you work to achieve when you wake?
Or do they remain land locked in your mind?
Will you build your dreams or help others build theirs?
Do you know the difference between that which you need as opposed to that you want?

What is your definition of success?
Do you equate financial gain to happiness?
How far are you willing to go to achieve it?
Are you ready to sacrifice your integrity for fortune?

Why do you learn rules and concepts that are already there?
Do you learn them to follow or to guide you make your own?
Do you believe in how much you can achieve and in the greatness in you,
Or do let people along the way put you down and tell you you're no good?

The Law talks about 'the reasonable person' standard,
Societies way of defining what is and what isn't as per the common standard.
But if we were all created differently with different strengths and weaknesses,
How then can there be a common standard?

How can students with different abilities be tested the same?
How do we tell the 'intelligent' and the 'dumb' apart?
And is there even such a thing?
After all, if you judge a fish by it's ability to climb a tree, it is bound to fail no?

Why do some have everything yet others nothing?
Why do some build large castles with pools,
While others live in shacks with no water,
If we are all bound to disappear in the end?

Why is peace ironically more expensive than war?
If we do learn from our mistakes, why do the wars keep spreading?
Will we ever have peace or will the world only find peace when all is lost at war?
Where will our souls travel to then? Eternal darkness or eternal paradise?

Will we be questioned for that which we could have done but didn't do?
Do all dictators actually go to hell or is death their ticket from justice?
Is there really such a thing as hell?
Or is it an item of our creation to console us for that which we failed to stop?

Do you have answers to all these questions?
How do you know your answers are the correct answers?
And how can I oppose you claiming they are not?
Please don't ask me why i'm asking all them questions, just use them in whatever way you see fit, if any :D

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Size 10 or Nothing!

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"If you're not outraged, you're not paying attention"

~ Unknown

Michael Jeffries

Photo credits: David Turner

Abercrombie & Fitch only cater for ladies who are no more than size 10 because they don’t specialise in “fat” women wear. For the men, you can breathe, they have XL and XXL in order to “appeal to large athletes”(Lewis in Elite’s Daily feature on Abercrombie & Fitch, May 2013).

CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch Mr Michael Jeffries in a 2006 interview with Salon mentioned that they only hire ‘good-looking’, ‘hot’ people, ”because good-looking people attract other good-looking people, and we want to market to cool, good-looking people. We don’t market to anyone other than that.”

He further stated that their brand aims to sell to the “cool kids”. In his words, “Candidly, we go after the cool kids. We go after the attractive all-American kid with a great attitude and a lot of friends. A lot of people don’t belong [in our clothes], and they can’t belong. Are we exclusionary? Absolutely.”(Basically anyone who isn’t a size 10 or less, isn’t cool or attractive, has a bad attitude and few friends). Criticising other brands for lacking excitement in their strategy he said, “those companies that are in trouble are trying to target everybody: young, old, fat, skinny. But then you become totally vanilla. You don’t alienate anybody, but you don’t excite anybody, either.”

I think by now you’ve guessed i’m here to criticise. Let me start by eliminating the most obviously judgement of me that you’ve already made here. I’m not critiquing because I feel attacked by the brand as a result of my weight as I wouldn’t fall into the “fat” category. As a matter of fact I could easily walk into an Abercrombie & Fitch store and fit me some size 8 pants. But I don’t as I wouldn’t walk into a store and buy jeggings for £130 since i’m a cheap shopper, in the words of Sidney Poitier, “there’s no shame in what you wear, as long as it is clean.” And now, from this knowledge of its discriminatory policy, it’s not a store i’d buy from even if I would spend that much on jeggings.

Having said that, I think you now understand this is not a post driven by emotions from my own insecurities but one as a result of social ethics.

Firstly, I chose the best picture of Mr Jeffries to use in this post(my buddy google can confirm this, though I did contemplate using the worst but that wouldn’t be fair), which forces me to ask; weren’t there ‘better looking’ people A&F could have hired if we are reduced to speaking of hiring based on looks. But needless to say, he was hired based on his credentials as a scholar from CBS and LSE. Now this makes his statements very ironic I must say. Obviously i’m not saying people should be stopped and asked for credentials when shopping, my point is, Mr Jeffries should know something about looks not being everything.

Secondly, let’s not kid ourselves here! The statement that the reason they have up to XXL for men only and not women, in order to appeal to large athletes in the case of men, if anything, is only 30% true(Now you’ll have to forgive me, I don’t do well with numbers, so that was just a rough estimation to help emphasise my point.) The other 70% that is a lie or maybe just something the brand avoids mentioning is something along the lines of “nobody in contemporary society cares how men look”, which then leads me to my third & most important point.

WHY THE DOUBLE STANDARD? I’m not saying don’t have XXL for men, i’m saying have XXL for women too. Why is it that women are objectified, reduced to mere objects, SEX OBJECTS. Why should it matter what size a woman is, if she can pay for the clothes?

Let’s now move away from the pocket value and look at moral values.

Imagine a young girl who’s bullied daily in school as a result of her weight. Everyday, all she looks forward to is the end of the day as she can finally breathe because in school she just feels suffocated by the constant harassment. Bullying in schools is a sensitive issue that our society is currently finding ways to deal with but Mr CEO and A&F here are taking it a notch higher and moving it to the market place; you’re not considered part of the “in crowd” in school, so this is not the place for you either, is basically what they’re saying. Sort of like that clique in an American high school movie others can’t hang out with because they are not tall, skinny and blonde. Like come on, what are we in high school?

Furthermore, I like to think there’s a difference between “fat” and just other body sizes. “Fat” is unhealthy, there’s no possible way you can argue that everyone who weighs more than a size 10 is unhealthy so how does the brand make such a generalisation to call them “fatties”(“No Fatties” is A&F’s marketing strategy). Hypothetically speaking, say they all pass for “fat”, is it really in the place of a brand, or anyone for that matter, to say they can’t sell to such people? And who says people who are size 12, 14, 16 e.t.c are not “good looking”?

Finally, I understand that every brand needs a marketing strategy and it is not in my place to question it, but they make it my business(just as it should be yours) when they openly discriminate, objectify and look down on women. As I stated in a previous post, as we slowly break away from racial divides, a different basis of judgement, amongst many, has emerged. Women are now, more than ever, being judged by the size of their bodies, rather than the content of their characters. Such a primitive social structure should not be allowed and people should not remain quiet simply because it does not affect them.

I will not let this drag on any longer, I think I have stressed my point enough.

For something closely related, read my piece on “What size should be promoted?” here.

Source: Elite Daily.

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What Is YOUR Driving Force In Life?

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“You were put on this earth to achieve your greatest self, to live out your purpose, and to do it fearlessly.” 

~ Steve Maraboli, Life, the Truth and Being Free 

My cousin just asked me; "It seems you deeply feel what you write or support, what do you think motivates you or triggers you? Is it an experience you had? Or an ideal you dream of? Or to make sense of life and find purpose. I don't know what I'm asking, perhaps I'm asking you what makes some people active and others passive... Why are some leaders, others followers and yet others neither. I guess, all one can do is theorize... But it all boils down to me again asking, what is your particular driving force?"

I ended up writing her an essay. At first I didn't know what to say, but I think it's a question I needed to answer for myself too. So thank you for asking Achai. I thought it was worth sharing (or maybe not. but either way, it might help one person out there so here goes it)

"Is it an experience you had? Or an ideal you dream of? Or to make sense of life and find purpose."

^^^ All the above. I think we are all born leaders. Some embrace it, others don't. Leadership I think, takes courage, it takes eliminating fear and having a cause. As my friend put it, "when you have a cause, you don't fear". Thing is, it takes hard work, it's a learning curve. You can't speak from mere opinion or just write from mere opinion. You make informed choices, but to do that, you have to refer to the great men that lived before you(wisdom). Read widely and read on all sorts of theories(knowledge). 

Today our generation is blessed, we have the internet. We can travel from just behind our computers, learn a lot, visit places and the best part about it, as yet another friend once put it to me, it is the "cheapest and safest way to travel - the power of browsing". It means taking anything at face value is an option. We don't have to take what we see on the t.v or others' opinions as facts. We have the choice of learning more, and then forming our own judgements. That however is the harder path. To sit and spend hours reading different theories, learning new things, listening to different people instead of watching twerk videos, or posting them for that matter or sitting to watch celebrities and other people to simply judge their lifestyles without any particular message(hating). The latter is the easier option. It's worthless and it doesn't take hard work because judging, is easier than understanding.

I personally don't consider myself a leader(in terms of changing the world leadership), and not a follower either. I'm just that person who thinks/knows life is greater than me and that there's so much more that I don't know. So as I slowly learn, I share that, hoping that someone too can learn from it(or perhaps correct and teach me otherwise).

When it comes to my drive, it is all the lives I could potentially change, simply from the life i'm blessed with. I know change begins with one and if I can lend a voice to someone, give food to another or simply educate someone from the little I know, then why not? After all, life's purpose is unknown, but one thing is certain, if you leave it better than you found it, whatever little or big a difference you've made, then you can say you have done something for humanity. 

And all this, I have learnt from my father. Now he's a leader, no doubt. And for that i'm thankful. Because he's taught me values and principles all the riches in the world can never buy. So I can't say I understand life or my drive precisely, but i've just decided to lead a 'good' life(whatever that means). Do good unto others and just be human. I might err sometimes, but at the end of the day, to err is to man, what matters most is usually the intention behind our mistakes. They should just be that; mistakes. Not self-centred, maliciously driven intents. 

*** I guess my point for sharing this is just to let you all know, we have a choice. Ignorance might be bliss, but it does more harm than good. Have that thirst for knowledge and that thirst to learn, that it actually scares you how insignificantly significant you are in this life(just accept that, it made sense in my head :p) We are ALL born leaders, some just embrace it, while others ignore it. And we are, everyday leaders, sometimes we just don't see it(watch the clip below) So, what is YOUR driving force in life? *** 

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