Baby 'Esperanza' waits above

"...It started as a tragedy...and ended as a blessing." These were the words that Chilean President, Sebastián Piñera, chose to describe the story of the rescue of the 33 miners, who were trapped, 700 meters below ground for 69 days.

For the first 17 of the 69 days, there was no contact between the trapped men and rescue teams. The men were alone. What kept them going? What kept the rescue teams searching?

In mid-September, just about 40 days after the collapse of the San Jose mine shaft, Elizabeth Segovia, wife to Ariel Ticona Yanez, gave birth to a baby girl. The parents decided to name her, "Esperanza", Spanish word for 'Hope', instead of Carolina, their first choice.



In his book, 'Liberation from Life's Shadows', J.Maurus explains that "...hope is an indispensable ingredient of daily life and changes a grey world into one of warmth and brightness."
Indeed, what would life be without hope? At the beginning of this week, i would like to share with you, some reflections on hope, in the words of Fr. James Keller, an American priest.

Fr.James Keller, MM

Hope looks for the good in people instead of harping on the worst.

Hope opens doors where despair closes them.

Hope discovers what can be done, instead of grumbling about what cannot.

Hope draws it power from a deep trust in God and the basic goodness of humankind.

Hope "lights a candle" instead of "cursing the darkness".

Hope regards problems, small or large, as opportunities.

Hope cherishes no illusion, nor does it yield to criticism.

Hope sets big goals and is not frustrated by repeated difficulties or setbacks.

Hope pushes ahead when it would be easy to quit.

Hope puts up with modest gains, realizing that "the longest journey starts with one step".

Hope is a good loser, because it has the divine assurance of final victory.

Have a hope-filled week! Nunca perder la esperanza

Is there blood on your mobile phone?

The world's attention has this week been centered on the 'dramatic rescue' of 33 men, who for 69 days were trapped underground in a mine in Chile. This episode has brought to the fore the sad reality, of the hazards...the dangers...that many people around the world put their lives on the line to earn a living...and for the rest of us to enjoy the conveniences of our modern lifestyles.

The mobile phone you own...that laptop from which you are probably reading this post right now...the DVD player from which you will most likely be enjoying movies from this weekend - gadgets that we cannot imagine living without - all carry electronic capacitors, manufactured from tantalum - which is extracted from the mineral Coltan.

Some of the largest reserves of coltan in the world, are to be found in the Democratic Republic of Congo. In fact, the DR Congo is estimated to have $24trillion ( equivalent to the combined Gross Domestic Product of Europe and the United States) worth of untapped deposits of raw mineral ores. The provinces of North and South Kivu in the eastern DRC are filled with mines of cassiterite, wolframite, coltan and gold - minerals needed to manufacture everything from lightbulbs to laptops, from MP3 players to Playstations. According to the Global Witness report (July 2009), armed conflict in the eastern region of DRC, has for the past 12 years been funded by the exploitation of these valuable natural resources. Often, the supply chain of these minerals from the armed militias, to the middlemen to international buyers is difficult to track. This means that by the time metals reach electronic companies, they may have changed hands as much as seven times.

So; without a clear supply chain -  when you go to that important meeting and set your cell-phone to vibrate, a function enabled by the mineral wolframite-it is virtually impossible for you to know whether you are using wolframite mined by children in the eastern DRC, the site of horrific fighting, rape and massacre. It is estimated that between 6 and 7 million people have been killed since the conflict started in 1996. Armed groups frequently force civilians, many of them children, to mine the minerals, extorting taxes and refusing to pay wages.

DR Congo is rich in minerals but much of it has been plundered over the years

DR Congo is rich in minerals but much of it has been plundered over the years

A UNICEF report notes that almost an entire generation of Congolese children have missed out on an education, and concludes that "children in the DRC have suffered far too much and, if this situation is allowed to continue, there is a risk that a new generation will be created that has known nothing but violence...thus compromising the country's chances of achieving lasting peace." An entire generation? Now that is frightening. It implies that 20 to 30 years from now, we might still be talking about the conflict in the DR Congo. This is as long as there is a thirst for more sophisticated electronic devices.

What can we do? What can you do? I don't know. I haven't any answers. But after the events in Chile, i have resolved to learn as much as i can about the conflict in Congo, what fuels it, and what my responsibility, as a consumer of electronic products is - and to let others know. I will be sharing these reflections, reports, documentaries...here and on my Facebook page.




Please watch this documentary, 'Blood Coltan" : http://www.sprword.com/videos/bloodcoltan

If you are reading this...please...spread the word. Its probably the least you can do. Ideas are welcome though! When you make that phone call...or receive that text message..or make that important power point presentation...spare a thought and say a prayer for the children of the DRC.
Is there blood on your mobile phone? Probably.

"They marched in Capetown...and apartheid fell"

"...The time has now come to slow down...to sip Roiboos tea with my beloved wife in the afternoons...to watch cricket..to travel to visit my children and grandchildren...rather than to conferences and conventions and university campuses."
Most Reverend Desmond Mpilo Tutu - is a man who needs no introduction. Listening to him announcing his retirement from public life last Thursday, 7th October 2010, on his 79th birthday, my mind went back to January 2008. Kenya was burning. And quite literary so. Apparently no one in Kenya at the time had enough credibility to even attempt to bring the two political camps, each claiming victory, to the negotiation table.
I remember very well, how the presence of Archbishop Tutu in Nairobi, helped to raise the hopes many Kenyans, that at last the politicians would start contemplating negotiations; urged on by the Archbishop.

Mandela and Desmond Tutu

At the Copenhagen climate-change talks, Archbishop Tutu spoke very passionately, about the need for justice; the need to get 'the real deal'.



During the opening ceremony for the World Cup in South Africa, the way he charged up the crowds, made me truly feel proud to be an African. His retirement now means that we will; see less of him in the press...i will surely miss his wonderfully infectious giggles!

Where it rains 'fishes and frogs'

Strange events have been happening in my hometown of Nakuru, famed for its flamingo birds at the Lake Nakuru national park, among other attractions. These strange occurrences, in my humble estimation will soon lead to several consequences.
A few days ago, fish and frogs 'rained' from the sky in Nakuru, and weather experts have warned Kenyans to expect more such spectacles. According to Dr. Joseph Mukabana, the director of the Kenya Meteorological department, "...this is going to occur more often because of climate change." Now, i have for a long time had an axe to grind with the Kenyan weather department and 'weather forecasters'. They never 'forecast' anything, but are always making predictions, based on 'reported' occurrences. But i digress.

Dr.Mukabana-Kenya's Chief 'weather forecaster'

Back to Dr. Mukabana-statements attributed to him, explaining the phenomenon are that fish and frogs are sucked from the water surface by strong winds into the clouds, which eventually rain down all that has been collected. He went on to add that when this happens on land, it is referred to as a tornado but if it occurs on water, it is called a waterspout.
I suspect that teachers of the English language in schools in and around Nakuru are about to have a very difficult time. They will no longer be able to convince (or even confuse) their students that the expression 'raining cats and dogs', used in the English language to mean 'raining heavily', holds any water. The fact is, they have seen with their own eyes, fish and frogs raining from the skies, climate change or not. The phrase 'raining cats and dogs' is thought to have been coined in the filthy streets of 17th/18th century England, where heavy rains would occasionally carry along debris comprising of dead animals, cats and dogs included. I doubt any teacher in 21st century Kenya would have it easy explaining that away, in the context of the 'Nakuru fishes and frogs phenomenon'.
My other suspicion is that some 'pastors' and 'street-preachers' are already having a field day. I am wont to think that many 'ordinary' citizens of my beloved hometown, have no clue who Dr. Mukabana is, let alone what 'climate change' means, or the spelling of 'meteorological' is. The only source of 'official' explanation about the 'fishes and frogs', in my considered opinion, for the 'ordinary folks' would come from the usually vocal and enterprising 'pastors' and 'street-preachers'. I imagine they would be inclined to make strong comparisons to 'manna', which in Christian parlance, is the name for the food miraculously sent to the Israelites during their 40 years sojourn in the desert.
The only trouble is, frogs are not yet a culinary delicacy in Kenya! To my fellow Nakuru citizens, make sure you have strong umbrellas-or better still, don't leave your buckets at home-fishing has just become much easier!
I wonder what else 'climate change' is going to change!!

FRAN

Nigeria - the Federal Republic of Nigeria - recently held celebrations to mark the 50th anniversary of their independence from the United Kingdom - October 1st 1960. Now, Nigeria is a country known for many things-one of the world's largest oil producers; the most populous country in Africa, with recent estimates from the United Nations putting it at over 154 million; world re-known writers such as Wole Soyinka and Chinua Achebe and a vibrant music and film industry.

Other facts are less known- such as the fact that Nigeria has three satellites in space; that it is the United States' largest trading partner in Sub Saharan Africa and that it is the world's 32nd-largest country.

The incumbent Nigerian president, Goodluck Jonathan, recently declared his intention to run for re-election, via a social networking site, Facebook. He probably is the 1st presidential candidate in Africa, if not in the world to do so. And i still wish him good luck!

What i would like to talk about Nigeria, is not about the bomb attacks in Abuja, allegedly orchestrated by the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), on independence day celebrations; but about FRAN.

The acronym FRAN stands for 'the Free Readers Association of Nigeria' - every morning around Nigerian cities, people gather around newsstands, not to buy, but to read the newspapers and magazines on display for free. They then proceed to engage in lively discussions about the news items making the headlines in the day's papers.  According to an article by Vincent Ukpong Kalu, Dennis Ugbudian and Wole Balogun, these people are reffered to as " members of the unofficial Free Readers Association (FRA)" .

A newsstand in Nigeria

The debates are not only impassioned, but the participants, according to the article, are also "analytical, knowledgeable and above all political. The free readers are said to constitute the lead panel at such debates, that are also known as 'roadside parliaments'. The 'parliamentary sessions' discuss a wide variety of subjects ranging from politics, sports, economy, high society and other topical issues.

Free Readers Associations probably exist in many other African countries, where joblessness, a thirst for knowledge and vibrant political atmosphere, create interesting ways of interaction.

So, no money to buy the daily newspaper? No problem! Join a FRA in your city or town today! Association meetings begin every morning at a newsstand near you!

The Peculiar Kenyan

Its great to be back..updating my blog! This afternoon i went to the StoryMoja Hay Festival (which according to the organizers, is Kenya's leading literary event), at the Railways club in Nairobi.
Several events were taking place concurrently in different marquees, which meant i had to make a choice as to which one to go to.Scanning quickly through the day's program, my attention was drawn to a forum hosted by Pauline Odhiambo, a journalist with a local daily, and Sunny Bindra, a management strategist, popular columnist and author of 'The Peculiar Kenyan'.

Left to Right: Sunny Bindra and Pauline Odhiambo at the StoryMoja Hay Festival

For several years now, Sunny has been writing in the Sunday Nation newspaper.  'The Peculiar Kenyan' is a collection of Sunny's perspectives on the peculiar things that happen only in Kenya, or are uniquely Kenyan.This afternoon's discussion was on this new book, 'The Peculiar Kenyan'. I would like to share with you a few of these 'peculiarities'.

• Kenyan judges still wear white blonde wigs, a tradition that was supposedly inherited from the colonial times. Problem is, British judges discarded their wigs long time ago. Why on earth are our judges still clinging to theirs, making them look like ridiculous father Christmas figures? Very peculiar!
• Only Kenyans start a sentence with the words 'Me i...' Whether it is meant for emphasis, is not clear. In a conversation you will hear, "Me i told him to go away" or "Me i don't go there nowadays". Another strange use of language, peculiar to Kenyans is when someone walks into a meeting in the morning and greets those seated "Good mornings!" Exactly how many 'mornings' are being referred to? Peculiar!
• Only in Kenya do we have traffic lights and traffic police working to control traffic and all at the same time, but usually issuing conflicting directions. Automation and labour working together! The lights turn red, but the traffic police officer is motioning the motorists to keep driving! Why spend money on setting up traffic lights if the police are going to be controlling traffic? Peculiar. Very peculiar!
• Television news anchors in Kenya speak in a fake British/American accent, and end up looking like they will dislocate their jaws the very next moment. Apparently, they are 'coached' by their 'news managers' to speak the way they do. Tragedy is, kids are now mimicking their style of speaking. Why cant they just speak naturally like Kenyans? For heaven's sake, when the British and Americans read Kenyan words, they make no attempt to sound 'Kenyan'. Why should our news anchors? Peculiar!
• Only Kenyans accept to be treated contemptuously by matatu crews. They will drive dangerously, charge twice or thrice the normal fare, because it is raining, and Kenyans will not protest. Until there is a grisly accident, and the next few days will be dominated by analysis of 'road rage' on Kenya's roads. Then it it will be back to business as usual-until the next accident. Very peculiar! 
• Lastly, i could not buy a copy of Sunny's new book because the shipment was delayed at the port of Mombasa. But we carried on discussing a book that only the author and the moderator of the forum had read. Kenyans are quite a resilient lot. Maybe this is not peculiar...or is it?

Sunny's book is intended to be a humorous way of looking at ourselves as Kenyans, having a good laugh, and later, reflecting on the little things we can change, to make our society a more hospitable place to live in.
Sunny Bindra's 'The Peculiar Kenyan' is a must read. Watch out for news of the book launch and get yourself a copy. Better still, be a peculiar Kenyan, and wait for someone else to buy it...then you can always borrow!

Patient Trust

Many times i get really fired up and enthusiastic about something. To get something done...to get a project going. Often times i find it hard to be patient...to really and truly trust. This morning i came across a meditation about 'Patient Trust', written by Pierre Teilhard de Chardin (1881-1955), a French philosopher and Jesuit priest; and decided to share it with you:

Above all, trust in the slow work of God

We are quite naturally impatient in everything
      to reach the end without delay.
We should like to skip the intermediate stages.
We are impatient of being on the way to something
      unknown, something new.
And yet it is the law of progress
      that it is made by passing through
      some states of instability ---
      and that it may take a very long time.

And so I think it is with you.
      Your ideas mature gradually --- let them grow,
      let them shape themselves, without undue haste.

Don't try to force them on,
      as though you could be today what time
      (that is to say, grace and circumstances
      acting on your own good will)
      will make of you tomorrow. 

Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

Only God could say what this new spirit
      gradually forming within you will be.
Give Our Lord the benefit of believing
      that his hand is leading you,
and accept the anxiety of feeling yourself
      in suspense and incomplete.