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Graduation Speech : Class of Coxsackie-Athens High School 2010

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From: Yona Maro

The following speech was delivered by top of the class student Erica Goldson during the graduation ceremony at Coxsackie-Athens High School on June 25, 2010
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Here I stand

There is a story of a young, but earnest Zen student who approached his teacher, and asked the Master, “If I work very hard and diligently, how long will it take for me to find Zen? The Master thought about this, then replied, “Ten years . .” ?The student then said, “But what if I work very, very hard and really apply myself to learn fast — How long then?” Replied the Master, “Well, twenty years.” “But, if I really, really work at it, how long then?” asked the student. “Thirty years,” replied the Master. “But, I do not understand,” said the disappointed student. “At each time that I say I will work harder, you say it will take me longer. Why do you say that?” ?Replied the Master, “When you have one eye on the goal, you only have one eye on the path.”

This is the dilemma I’ve faced within the American education system. We are so focused on a goal, whether it be passing a test, or graduating as first in the class. However, in this way, we do not really learn. We do whatever it takes to achieve our original objective.

Some of you may be thinking, “Well, if you pass a test, or become valedictorian, didn’t you learn something? Well, yes, you learned something, but not all that you could have. Perhaps, you only learned how to memorize names, places, and dates to later on forget in order to clear your mind for the next test. School is not all that it can be. Right now, it is a place for most people to determine that their goal is to get out as soon as possible.

I am now accomplishing that goal. I am graduating. I should look at this as a positive experience, especially being at the top of my class. However, in retrospect, I cannot say that I am any more intelligent than my peers. I can attest that I am only the best at doing what I am told and working the system. Yet, here I stand, and I am supposed to be proud that I have completed this period of indoctrination. I will leave in the fall to go on to the next phase expected of me, in order to receive a paper document that certifies that I am capable of work. But I contest that I am a human being, a thinker, an adventurer – not a worker. A worker is someone who is trapped within repetition – a slave of the system set up before him. But now, I have successfully shown that I was the best slave. I did what I was told to the extreme. While others sat in class and doodled to later become great artists, I sat in class to take notes and become a great test-taker. While others would come to class without their homework done because they were reading about an interest of theirs, I never missed an assignment. While others were creating music and writing lyrics, I decided to do extra credit, even though I never needed it. So, I wonder, why did I even want this position? Sure, I earned it, but what will come of it? When I leave educational institutionalism, will I be successful or forever lost? I have no clue about what I want to do with my life; I have no interests because I saw every subject of study as work, and I excelled at every subject just for the purpose of excelling, not learning. And quite frankly, now I’m scared.

John Taylor Gatto, a retired school teacher and activist critical of compulsory schooling, asserts, “We could encourage the best qualities of youthfulness – curiosity, adventure, resilience, the capacity for surprising insight simply by being more flexible about time, texts, and tests, by introducing kids into truly competent adults, and by giving each student what autonomy he or she needs in order to take a risk every now and then. But we don’t do that.” Between these cinderblock walls, we are all expected to be the same. We are trained to ace every standardized test, and those who deviate and see light through a different lens are worthless to the scheme of public education, and therefore viewed with contempt.

H. L. Mencken wrote in The American Mercury for April 1924 that the aim of public education is not “to fill the young of the species with knowledge and awaken their intelligence. … Nothing could be further from the truth. The aim … is simply to reduce as many individuals as possible to the same safe level, to breed and train a standardized citizenry, to put down dissent and originality. That is its aim in the United States.”

Comment: The full passage reads: “The aim of public education is not to spread enlightenment at all; it is simply to reduce as many individuals as possible to the same safe level, to breed and train a standardized citizenry, to down dissent and originality. That is its aim in the United States, whatever pretensions of politicians, pedagogues other such mountebanks, and that is its aim everywhere else.”

To illustrate this idea, doesn’t it perturb you to learn about the idea of “critical thinking.” Is there really such a thing as “uncritically thinking?” To think is to process information in order to form an opinion. But if we are not critical when processing this information, are we really thinking? Or are we mindlessly accepting other opinions as truth?

This was happening to me, and if it wasn’t for the rare occurrence of an avant-garde tenth grade English teacher, Donna Bryan, who allowed me to open my mind and ask questions before accepting textbook doctrine, I would have been doomed. I am now enlightened, but my mind still feels disabled. I must retrain myself and constantly remember how insane this ostensibly sane place really is.

And now here I am in a world guided by fear, a world suppressing the uniqueness that lies inside each of us, a world where we can either acquiesce to the inhuman nonsense of corporatism and materialism or insist on change. We are not enlivened by an educational system that clandestinely sets us up for jobs that could be automated, for work that need not be done, for enslavement without fervency for meaningful achievement. We have no choices in life when money is our motivational force. Our motivational force ought to be passion, but this is lost from the moment we step into a system that trains us, rather than inspires us.

We are more than robotic bookshelves, conditioned to blurt out facts we were taught in school. We are all very special, every human on this planet is so special, so aren’t we all deserving of something better, of using our minds for innovation, rather than memorization, for creativity, rather than futile activity, for rumination rather than stagnation? We are not here to get a degree, to then get a job, so we can consume industry-approved placation after placation. There is more, and more still.

The saddest part is that the majority of students don’t have the opportunity to reflect as I did. The majority of students are put through the same brainwashing techniques in order to create a complacent labor force working in the interests of large corporations and secretive government, and worst of all, they are completely unaware of it. I will never be able to turn back these 18 years. I can’t run away to another country with an education system meant to enlighten rather than condition. This part of my life is over, and I want to make sure that no other child will have his or her potential suppressed by powers meant to exploit and control. We are human beings. We are thinkers, dreamers, explorers, artists, writers, engineers. We are anything we want to be – but only if we have an educational system that supports us rather than holds us down. A tree can grow, but only if its roots are given a healthy foundation.

For those of you out there that must continue to sit in desks and yield to the authoritarian ideologies of instructors, do not be disheartened. You still have the opportunity to stand up, ask questions, be critical, and create your own perspective. Demand a setting that will provide you with intellectual capabilities that allow you to expand your mind instead of directing it. Demand that you be interested in class. Demand that the excuse, “You have to learn this for the test” is not good enough for you. Education is an excellent tool, if used properly, but focus more on learning rather than getting good grades.

For those of you that work within the system that I am condemning, I do not mean to insult; I intend to motivate. You have the power to change the incompetencies of this system. I know that you did not become a teacher or administrator to see your students bored. You cannot accept the authority of the governing bodies that tell you what to teach, how to teach it, and that you will be punished if you do not comply. Our potential is at stake.

For those of you that are now leaving this establishment, I say, do not forget what went on in these classrooms. Do not abandon those that come after you. We are the new future and we are not going to let tradition stand. We will break down the walls of corruption to let a garden of knowledge grow throughout America. Once educated properly, we will have the power to do anything, and best of all, we will only use that power for good, for we will be cultivated and wise. We will not accept anything at face value. We will ask questions, and we will demand truth.

So, here I stand. I am not standing here as valedictorian by myself. I was molded by my environment, by all of my peers who are sitting here watching me. I couldn’t have accomplished this without all of you. It was all of you who truly made me the person I am today. It was all of you who were my competition, yet my backbone. In that way, we are all valedictorians.

I am now supposed to say farewell to this institution, those who maintain it, and those who stand with me and behind me, but I hope this farewell is more of a “see you later” when we are all working together to rear a pedagogic movement. But first, let’s go get those pieces of paper that tell us that we’re smart enough to do so!

Very well said, young lady!

Larry

http://divinecosmos.com/start-here/larrys-corner/larry-articles/860-the-best-graduation-speech-ever

Canadian gold mining firm is closing its operations in Mozambique to concentrate its activities of gold prospecting in Western Kenya

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Reports Leo Odera Omolo

A Canadian owned gold prospecting firm, African Queen Mines Ltd is reported to be in the process of quitting Mozambique to focus on its gold exploration activities in Western Kenya after reviewing its portfolio of exploration properties in South West and East Africa.

The move is expected to reduce the company’s operational costs and prioritize projects for development in 2013.

The firm’s Chief Executive Irwin Olian was recently quoted as saying that African Queen Mines Limited will halt development of King Solomon project in Mozambique to concentrate its activities in Western Kenya regions of Rongo and Ugunja gold fields in Kenya and Noyem and Nyadonam in Ghana.

The discovery of large deposits of gold reserves in Western Kenya in the past five years continues to attract foreign interests with several international mining firms taking acreage.

Statistic show that in 2010, Kenya earned Kshs 6’3 billion {USD 72.9 million) from the sale of five tones of gold – three times mote than the year before, indicating how rapidly the commodity is growing down as the most important export product in the country. and especially focusing on the Western Kenyan regions.

More gold exploration companies such as Africa Barrixck,Linear Metals, Red Rocks Resopurves and Gold Plat are narrowing down on Kenya and especially focusing on the country’s Western regions.

Last November, London based African Barrick Gold plc acquired mineral prospecting area in Western Kenya from Aviva mining Limited,a firm which is wholly owned Cubstation of the Monorovia Stock Exchange quotes Aviva.

Recent survey by the government and private companies have revealed gold deposits around Migori and \Kakamega Counties in Western Kenya.

However, the gold prospecting ground in many parts of Western Kenya might not be the fertile ground for business following the recent rising in concerted agitation by the local miners, particularly the indignant Kenya, who felt that foreign companies were out to exploit the country’s minerals while not making any meaningful return to the |Kenya | Treasury.

There is discontent by local small scale miners in Migori area, which has recently led to the revocation of one company’s prospecting license. the firm, Mid Migori gold mines Limited, has been in conflict of interests between the local miners and politicians, who have been accusing them of dishonesty.

There were accusation that Mid-Migori, a firm which has been in exploration work in the area for the last ten years, was actually prospecting gold and exporting its product by road via the neighboring Tanzania without having gone through the country taxation system under the Kenya Revenue Authority. The conflict also is with the local Member of parliament Edick Omondi Anyanga, and in September last year a team of Parliamentary Select Committee on minerals and natural resources visited Migori area and held talks with the local and foreign miners. He committee had recommended the revocation of Mid-Migori Gold Mines, though one of its manager later wrote from London suggesting the change of names and accused the former area MP of under mining its activities in the area.

The local miners through the managing director of Migori Mining Company limited, a self-help group comprising local and small scale miners Mr Timon Oliewo Sure, a Kenyan mine engineer with the vast experience in gold mining gained after long service in South African gold mines came out in full support of the local MP insisting that the MP had their mandate to speak on behalf of the much exploited local miners.

Kenya is not benefiting from its abundant minerals because of illicit dealing and rackets of exporting the commodity secretly.

Ends

Sustaining community action. Strategy 2013 – 2020

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From: Yona Maro

This new global strategy articulates our determination and our strengths as an Alliance.

It has been developed through wide consultation with Linking Organisations and other partners, and has been approved by our international board of trustees.

The strategy provides high-level direction and sets 17 ambitious but measurable goals for the whole Alliance. The targets have been set up until 2015, at which point we will review our progress and revise the goals up until 2020 accordingly.

Linking Organisations will use this strategy – together with their own national plans – to shape their future strategies. The international secretariat will use it to develop our operational plan.
Link: http://www.aidsalliance.org/publicationsdetails.aspx?id=90626

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THE FIASCO OF ODM PRIMARY NOMINATION IN NYANZA HAS EXPOSED THE PARTY LEADERSHIP AS NOT BEING SERIOUS WHILE CRUSADING FOR REFORM AND DEMOCRACY IN KENYA.

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News Analysis By Leo Odera Omolo In Kisumu City.

.It is like as if the ODM leadership is preaching water while they drink wines. The outcome of the last week’s flawed ODM primary nomination should place the party leadership into a very shameful position which needs a lot of concentrate and more energy in public relations work.

This mismanaged nomination has obviously given and equipped Raila Odinga rivals in the presidential race with ammunition with which they could use to discredit his crusading for reforms and democracy.

Despite of the strong of massive rebellion against the Prime Minister by his Luo supporters in his home backyard in Nyanza, the corruption ridden and much flawed ODM preliminary nomination exercises has left “Agwambo” like a wounded bull of buffalo.

What has since emerged like selection and not election will see Mr Odinga sitting in the eleventh parliament with not very credible MPs who can be said to be enjoying the public confidence, but a bunch of selected group rigged into the August House. And because the Prime Minister is facing an up-hill task of overcoming his opponents in the presidential race, he really needed a solid support and backing from his Luo home backyard in a similar fashion which he enjoyed in the 2007 general election.

This is so important because of Kenya’s politics is based on ethnicity strength and numbers, it appears here as if the Prime Minister had taken his tribesmen for granted and made no effort of sensitizing the on the importance of maintaining high standard of discipline in their undertakings, especially on matters related to the competitive politics.

Here are the list of the number of parliamentary constituencies where no genuine voting took place, and people purported to have won the nomination and those who are purported to have won the primaries in these constituencies were only handed the nomination certificates by the ODM in silver platter.

In Homa-Bay County, there were no elections which took place in Kabondo-Kasipul, Kasipul, Rangwe, Homa-Bay Town, Ndhiwa, Mbita and Gwassi..It was a big miss because the election materials either arrived in those places twenty four later after the expiry of the dateline and deadline set by the ICEBC.

The valid reason for the apathy shown by the voters in those places could as well be attributed to non-arrival or late arrival of election materials from the ODM headquarters in Nairobi, massive corruption practiced openly by those who were appointed and sent into those rural constituencies either as presiding or returning officers as well as polling stations clerks.

These personnel who were supposed to be responsible in supervising the nomination exercises went into bribery spree accepting money from the competing aspirants and then declaring those who had performed dismally at the polls as the winners to the chagrins of the electorate. After accepting bribes the returning officer later faked stories of kidnapping, some said they were intimidated and that their lives were placed in great danger. and yet some of the were known to have laughed all the way to the banks after receiving fat bribe money.

Still in Homa-Bay county, here no voting took place in places like Mbita, Homa-Bay, Town, Rangwe, Kabondo Kasipul, Kasipul Gwassi and Ndhiwa. Thee only place where members of the public had the slightest chances of casting their votes was in Karachuonyo constituency. Bribery is said to have not been confined within the constituencies, but had also started all the way from the party head office where some ballot boxes were poorly packed and sent out in insecure condition which were prone to interferences while the documents were still in transit

Some places receiving ballot boxes and ballot papers without bearing the names of some candidates or some candidates had their names missing from the ballot papers. This was the case of Kabondo-Kasipul. .In Migori County, genuine voting exercises only took places in two constituencies, namely Migori East and Migori West. It was only in Rongo constituency where the actual voting exercise took place, though there were inadequate election materials.

In the newly created Awendo cons politician with contact and influence at the ODM headquarters is believed to have prevailed upon the party’s election board members to have his political surrogate and sycophant declared the winner in a place which had not received even one single ballot box.

Rumors were also rampant that a vehicle loaded with panga Machetes] had ferried the consignment from Kisumu to Awendo. The machetes are said to have been distributed to the youths, for the purpose of committing a felony during the primaries and thereafter during the election proper.

He residents have appealed to the police to launch a thorough investigation with the view to unearth the whereabouts of the huge consignment of machetes. The same could be used on March 4, 2013 for the purpose of causing mayhem.

Hired political goons were deployed everywhere, including inside polling booths. In places where the goons perceived that their master was on the losing end, they moved, invaded the polling stations,seized ballot papers and destroyed election materials including the votes which had already been casted. To-date nobody had appeared before a court of law charged with the offences causing willful damages to property.

It was in Uriri constituency within Migori district where the voters were able to vote, though in a small scale. And they sent the former MP Cyprian Ojwang’ Omolo packing and replace him with the populist Eng Kobado, a former Principal of the Kenya Railways Training School, the only man in greater Southern Nyanza who is believed to have won his primary nomination genuinely.

The former Luo-Nyanza MPs who lost the nomination, though some of them later found their way after their names had been submitted to the ICEBC include Ayiecho Olueny [uhotoni} Otieno Ogindo{Rangwe} Oyugi Magwanga {Kasipul], Edick Omondfi Anyanga [Nyatike}, Fred Outa {Nyando}, Pollyins Ochieng’ Daima, {Nyakach, Jakoyo Midiwo {Gem{, Olago Aluoch {Kisumu Town West[.

Hose who had defended their seats successfully included Eng. Nicholas Gumbo [Rarieda],Shakeel Ahmed |Shabbir {Kisumu Town East, Dalmas Otieno,{Rongo}John Pesa [Migori East}Eng James Rege [Karachuonyo} and John Mbadi {Gwassi}.

EAC community is working on single tourist passport and visa for people visiting the region

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Reports Leo Odera Omolo

The East African Community {EAC} secretariat based in the northern Tanzanian city at Arusha has singled out tourist visa and common passport as its top priority projects to be implemented this year as the bloc battles to reverse credibility crisis over failed projects.

The EAC Secretary General Dr Richard Sozibera was last week quoted as saying that the EAC passport, the single tourist visa and liberalization of the airspace will boost free movement of people across the region, a promise that the bloc has fallen behind in achieving three years after signing the Common Market convention on people movement across the region.

“Frustration is growing among business executives from the member states over delays in pushing through key projects like opening up the region’s airspace, rolling out a single passport and visa and the elimination of the non-tariff tariff barriers {NTBs}, saying this was slowing trade and business envisaged by the protocol.

The implementation of the monetary union is among the 77 articles needed for the creation.

Observers, however, say the EAC technocrats will be judged by how they handle the integration process in 2013 after the delays experienced last year.

“While the five EAC partner states of Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi had in principle agreed to remove NtbS BY November 2012 in the absence of a legally binding framework, little action was taken. The latest report from the EAC secretariat shows that while 35 NTBs were reported as unresolved, ten new NTBs emerged in 2012 alone.” said Dr Sozibera.

A source at the Arusha based secretariat of the EAC said the bloc has set a deadline of between March and June 2013 for the commencement of printing the new EAC passport.

On the single tariff visa, the EAC Principal Tourist Officer Shedrqack Mshauri was recently quoted by the local media as saying the delay were being caused by lack of consensus over visa for collection and revenue sharing model among the EAX partner states.

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EAC: Food experts and analysts are meeting in Nairobi to deliberate on food security in East African region

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Writes Leo Odera Omolo

FOOD experts and analysts drawn from Europe, Asia and the entire Eastern African region to deliberate on strategies that can be used to enhance food security in the region.

The Workshop organized and sponsored by the European Union and the East African Community {EAC} under the joint EU-Africa’s Strategies- will seek ways of strengthening the harmonization of the food hygiene management through training.

The four days workshop dubbed Regional workshop on harmonization of food security in Africa will take place between January 22-25.

The Arusha based secretariat of the EAC has stated that food safety can only be achieved through the application of reference framework and introduction of guidelines that will harmonize the management of food hygiene and enhance inter-regional trade and integration in Africa.

The delegates to the four days workshop will also deliberate on how to secure fertilizers with the AU Commission and other regional economic blocs such as the Comesa, Ecowas in order to demonstrate and apply the reference guidelines for harmonization food hygiene in Africa.

The EAC is currently in the process of implementing its food security action plan [2012 – 2015} and preparing to implement the regional SPS Protocols, which was recently approved the Community’s Council of Ministers and the EAC Summit.

The SPS measures will focus on plytosanitary measure and procedures for mammals, birds and bees.

Food security analysts in the region said last week that food security in Eastern Africa countries has improved as the number of people at risk of starvation declined by over one million.

Ends

KENYA: SCIENTISTS AND CONSERVATIONISTS HAVE SOUNDED WARNING ABOUT EXCESSIVE POISONING OF RARE MIGRATORY BIRDS SPECIES IN AREAS AROUND LAKE VICTORIA.

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Reports Leo Odera Omolo In Kisumu City

SCIENTIST, conservationists and environmentalists have sounded a stern warning and the alarm over wanton poisoning of rare migratory birds species along the shorelines of the Lake Victoria by illegal hunters.

The experts say the move is threatening tourism in the region and increasing gains made in controlling common diseases in the area.

Illegal hunters are said to have taken the advantage of the fact that thousands of immigrant and wetland birds species appear on rice plantation every year, some having flown from far away as Northern Europe and Asia to spend the winter months in the Southern hemisphere.

During the rain season, especially when it is also the time for planting water foods in the fields and attract a variety of wetland birds.

Another issue of urgent and great concern around Lake Victoria is the reported increase in cases of excessive chemical fishing, which is posing threat to have the fish from Lake Victoria boycotted by importers in foreign countries, and at the same which could endanger the lives of the local consumers of the fish commodity.

The department concern, which is part of the \ministry of Fisheries and Natural Resources seemed to be sleeping on the job and very little is being done to protect the fishing industry around the lake, paving the way for the unscrupulous fishermen to engaged on illegal and crude method of fishing by using chemicals which kills the fish in their thousands including fingerlings, immature and destroying the breeding grounds.

IN Luanda Kotieno beaches in Uyoma West Location within Rarieda District in Siaya county fishermen recently cornered one unscrupulous fisherman who was caught red handed while using unorthodox method by way of spraying substance of poisonous insecticide in the lake at night. The fishermen beat up the suspect to death.

It was after this incident when the police moved in and arrested score of youths suspected to have lynched the illegal fishermen. The youth and members of the fishing fraternity in the region have complained bitterly that the have been reporting to the higher authorities the presence of chemical fishing along the lake, but their reports have always been ignored by

The incident resulted in scores of people living around Luanda Kotieno being rounded up by the police and taken into custody. Dozens of them have appeared before a Kisumu court on suspicion of illegal killing of the fisherman, who was reported to have travelled into the area along way from Seme in Kisumu West district.

Once highly poisonous chemical is sprayed in the surface of lake waters it kills fish in their thousands and the fishermen business is only to collect the dead fish and thereafter sell them to unsuspecting consumers.

Fear persist that bad publicity about chemical fishing in Lake Victoria could jeopardize the fish export, which is fetching Kenya millions of shillings in foreign exchange from European Union countries, Japan, Middle East and the United States.

Poachers interested in catching and selling the birds meat as food. The poachers then wait till the birds have consumed the baits move very quickly and clobbered the birds before killing and taking the poisoned birds for selling in the villages.

Up to 50 per cent of large flock of wetland birds are killed in single session which amount to some 6,000 being killed per one month.

“Bush meat is more often associated with the mammals said one expert Mr Martin Odino who is himself a conservationist in the area.

Birds, he added that the birds too do attract more visitors to the region, particularly the lover and bird watchers.

Other crude methods are used by poachers is killing the birds including rainy snails with caboturan on the ground another highly poisonous.Insecticides. The bait is then left in the field for the yellow billed stocks. After eating poisoned snails the large birds are clubbed to death and the meat of the . . .

ENDS

KENYA: BRIBERY, NEPOTISM MANIPULATION OF VOTERS WHILE THE HIRED POLITICAL GOONS REIN SUPREME EVERYWHERE FEATURED PREEMINENTLY DURING THE MUCH FLAWED ODM PRIMARIES IN LUO-NYANZA.

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News Analysis By Leo Odera Omolo In Kisumu City.

MASSIVE bribery of voters, political manipulation, nepotism and undercutting were the order of the day during the two days of the much flawed ODM primaries conducted inside Luo-Nyanza.

The outcome of the poorly conducted nomination primaries could spell doom to the presidential ambition of the ODM leader Raila Odinga, and perhaps ruins his chances of clinching the presidency come March 2013.

Failure to conduct credible and fair nomination primaries in many parts of the region has left many wounds in the hearts of the electorate who are left nursing the feeling that the Orange Democratic Movement {ODM} and its enlarged CORD alliance lacked disciplinary of making credible nomination in its own.

According to the chairman of the ODM election board, Mr Franklin Kipng’etich Arap Bett, who is also the Roads Minister all the nomination exercise should have come to an end by |Midnight on Friday. However, by Saturday morning, the voting was still going on in some places, like Homa-Bay, Ndhiwa, Mbita Awendo, Nyando and Muhoroni in total defiance of the IEBC rules.

What is most interesting is that one of the newly created parliamentary constituency in Migori, Awendo never received even one single election materials include ballot papers and voting boxes.

Awendo had ten aspirants, each of the paid a nomination fees of Kshs 100,000 bringing it to a total of Kshs One Million. But the aspirants had waited from Day one, Day two, up to Day three, in vain without receiving any election materials.

In places where the voting took places, the polling stations were marred with acts of lawlessness such as stone throwing and destruction of the election papers. In some places the coordinators and returning and presiding officers were forced to flee the polling station as drunken bands of hired goon emerged from the nearby “Chang’aa drinking dens, settled on the election materials with kicks and destroyed even ballot boxes.

A number of Raila’s loyalists were floored and forced into exit. Other who survived did so narrowly, but with flurry of complaints from their rivals claiming they were shameless rigged in.

Raila’s own older brother Dr Oburu Oginga suffered heaviest defeat in his ambition to become the first governor of Siaya County, forcing the election coordinator a Ms Monica Amolo, a perennial parliamentary election loser in Ndhiwa to use mobile tallyng centers, which the voters in Siaya violently disputed as not “ very credible’.

Citing insecurity and safety of her team, Ms Amolo shifted from Siaya Town where she was supposed to announce the outcome of the governorship contest between Dr Oburu Oginga and the populist Paul Oduol and moved to Bondo,.The voters were, however, not amused and saw the move as one way of rigging Mr Oduoo votes. It actually happened, when the figures were turned upside down with new figures reading that Dr.Oburu Ogingsa had [polled 62,000 votes against Oduol’s 35,000 sparking off the strongest protest.

Fears now persist that with thousands of voters in the region dissenting the outcome of the ODM primary nomination, the likelihood massive fallout cannot be ruled out. Those voters who feel offended after being denied the right to choose their own representative could turn into a major rebellion and cast their voters to Raila Odinga’s rivals in the presidential race.

In Homa-Bay County, things were so bad that marauding political goons destroyed or burnt most of the election materials meant for the various constituencies in the region. These included ballot boxes and voting materials meant for Kabodo-Kasipul, Kasipul, Homa-Bay Town, Ndhiwa and Mbita.

In some places the goons beat up election officials and party leaders sensilessly. In Muhoroni within Kisumu County one man suffered serious knife stab and had to be rushed to Ombei Dispensary in Nyando district.

In Kisumu Town East, the outgoing Shakeel Ahmed Shabir had won his primary, But the rumor went round that the party bosses were in the process of issuing Shabbir’s rival a Mr. Micholas Oricho with the nomination certificate. This deadly rumor immediately raised political temperature in the violence prone Kisumu City.

In the contest for the lucrative and powerful position of the Kisumu County governor, the excessively arrogant Raila Odinga’s sister Ruth Adhiambo Odinga became another casualities within the Odinga family She lost the governorship to the former senior accountant with the KRA Jack Ranguma who beat close to six other aspirant.

Ruth Odinga is the managing director of the Kisumu based Odinga family business flagship The Spectre International, which is managing the Kisumu Molasses.

This particular position was contested by among other aspirants Mrs Rhoda Ahonnobadha, former AFC regional manager for Nyanza and Western Provinces, the former cabinet Minister Ojwang’ K’Ombudo, Prof.Menya Kariaga, a senior lecturer in one of the US universities Dr. Barrack Abonyo, a Nairobi based business woman –cum-lawyer Atieno Otieno.

The outspoken Raila ‘s sister Ruth Adhiambo Odinga had been advised to abandon her ambition for the governorship by close friends and relatives, but she defiantly went on and contested the position fairing badly.

Other Raila casualties included the abrasive Nyatike MP Edick Omodi Anyanga, Uriri MP Cyprian Ojwang’ Omolo who lost to a former Principal of the Kenya Railways Training School Eng. Kobado. Nyakach Mp Ochieng;’ Daima,Eng Philip Okundi, who contested Homa-Bay County governor, Raila’s cousing Jakoyo Midiwo, the gem MP

Other whose position remain unclear by late last night included Muhuroni Mp Patrick Ayiecho Olueny, Nyando MP Fred Outa who is married to Raila Oding’a cousin.

In Karachuonyo constituency also withinHoma-Bay County, the election loser ganged up hired drunken goons ws were heard singing derogatory songs saying No Adipo Okuome No Raila or Rege Must Go.

The song implying that without Adipo Okuome they voter would not votefor raila in his presidential bid on March 4, 2013.

This was so despite of the fact tat the outgoing MP Eng. James Rege had beaten his rivals hands down with a big margin.

ODM need to out its hoiu8se in order, and instill high discipline among the party youths.

Ends

KENYA: ODM NOMINATION PRIMARIES IN NYANZA WAS A SHAM AND MOCKERY TO DEMOCRATIC TENETS AS IT WAS MARRED BY ACTS OF HOOLIGANISM AND POLITICAL THUGGERY

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Writes Leo Odera Omolo In Kisumu City

THE just concluded ODM primary in many parts of Luo-Nyanza was a sham reflecting a political movement in crisis with its members.

It has since sparked off discontent and complaints which the party supreme at the headquarters should move with the snake speed and have the anomalies rectified before the March 4, 2013.

The primaries were marred by acts of hooliganism and political thuggery of the highest order. The marauding goons moving in groups of between 30 or more made it sure that no credible primary nomination took place.

The outgoing MPs from the region stand lamed for the lawlessness and criminal activities meted out by their supporters to the genuine voters who had turned out in their thousands ready to caste their votes and chose leaders who would take the community to the next level of development.

The voters in several parliamentary constituencies were in actual sense de-franchised and denied their rights of voting.

In the newly created Kabondo-Kasipul constituency in Rachuonyo South district, the ballot papers and other election material arrived late close to noon hour. But some of the aspirants, particularly the populist Hebert Ojwang’ had his name missing from the ballot papers.

In the neighboring Kasipul about 50 goons raided a polling station near Agoro-Sare High School within Oyugis Town and seized all the election materials. The goons sent the presiding officer and his entire team of election clerks fleeing for their dear lives.

Another bunch of hired political goons invaded five polling station in Kachien location, destroyed ballot papers and other election materials forcing the stations to be closed prematurely, though the election material had arrived late from Nairobi. Despite of high provocation, the voters persevered and continue voting into the late hours of darkness, but only for the goons to return again , ransacking the polling station n seized ballot boxes and destroyed them.

In Homa-Bay Town a presiding officer by the name Mulei was ambushed at 4.a.m and beaten senseless and left for the dead by un known goons.AS A RESULT BALLOT BOXES AND VOTING Election materials meant for for the neighboring constituencies of Mbita, Gwassi, Ndhiwa, Homa-Bay Town, Rangwe and other places were displaced like Mbita, Ndhiwa, Gwassi .Homa-Bay Town, Rangwe and other places went missing. The region was later become awash with rumours of ballot papers being recovered mysterious at places like Kodiera, Mbita Junction .

Election materials which arrived in Mbita Town were found to be inadequate. However, the aspirants jointly reached a consensus after consultation to produce duplicates of the few ballot papers that had arrived late in the evening on the first day of the nomination. All the ballot papers and election material were kept at Mbita Town offices of the ODM. But the next morning the office was found to have been broken and all the material missing either destroyed with no trace.

The same goons are said to have set a blaze dozens of ballot boxes containing ballot papers in Ndhiwa Town not far away from the local |D.C’s office and got away scot-free with this heinous crime. The song was the same in Awendo and Rongo constituencies as well as in the neighboring Uriri, In all those places no voting took place on the first day. The reason being non-arrival of the elections materials and the election official having failed to turn up in time to serve the electorate.

Thousand of the would be enthusiastic voters who turned out in their thousands went home disappointed after waiting for the whole day with no election material on sight. The situation became so pathetic and the disillusioned and frustrated voters walked home.

From the looking of things it appeared as if all the outgoing MPs in Luo-Nyanza had conspired secretly with some top officials of the ODM at the Orange house, Nairobi and hatched a secret plan so the frustrated the outgoing MPs could maintain their status quo.

These anomalies were experiences in Siaya, Migori and all other places. In Siaya a vehicle packed with crude weapons were intercepted by police and close to 32 occupants nabbed.

IN Nyakach voting did not take place in five sub-location with over 3,000 registered voters, though the returning officer a Mr Okoth defiantly announced the result in favor of one of the aspirants. Similar incidents were evidence everywhere.

In some places even police and members of the Provincial administration appeared to have been compromised. They became toothless bulldogs and made no effort to prevent crime or any act which fueled violence in the polling stations.

What emerged was that political parties are not capable of organizing successful and credible nomination exercises in this country and the sooner political parties deliberated on this issue and found a solution the better.

The abrasive Raila Odinga’s cousin Jakoyo Midiwo of Gem was one of the leading casualities and so was the Prime Minister own elder brother Dr. Oburu Ogings the Finance Assistant Minister whose bid to become the first governor of Siaya suffered the heaviest blow.

Ends

Sudan: Resolving the Abyei Crisis

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From: Yona Maro

The report calls for the resolution of the dispute over Abyei, a resource-rich region straddling South Sudan and Sudan. After the Enough Project traveled to the region and conducted interviews with member of Abyei’s two communities in December 2012, the urgency of resolving the disputed territory’s status and subsequently preventing violence during this year’s dry season became even more apparent.

[ Attachment 1: Download Resource (.pdf) ]
http://allafrica.com/download/resource/main/main/idatcs/00051578:13c89a9a93ce11f1446a13e853ff024f.pdf

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Global Risks 2013

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From: Yona Maro

The Global Risks Report 2013 analyses 50 global risks in terms of impact, likelihood and interconnections, based on a survey of over 1000 experts from industry, government and academia.

This year’s findings show that the world is more at risk as persistent economic weakness saps our ability to tackle environmental challenges. The report highlights wealth gaps (severe income disparity) followed by unsustainable government debt (chronic fiscal imbalances) as the top two most prevalent global risks.
Link: http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_GlobalRisks_Report_2013.pdf

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Beyond Theory: e-Participatory Budgeting and its Promises for eParticipation

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From: Yona Maro

This paper concerns the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) as a strategy for reinforcing democratic processes -broadly defined as “electronic democracy” practices -and focuses on the use of ICTs in participatory democracy initiatives. By considering the experience of the e-Participatory Budgeting (ePB) in the city of Belo Horizonte (Brazil), the aim is to understand some of the possible prospects and limitations offered by ICTs in participatory processes at the local level. Given that citizen participation in the process of allocation of budgetary resources is becoming increasingly common in Europe and elsewhere, the Belo Horizonte case should be of particular interest to practitioners and academics working in the domain of eParticipation.
Link:
http://www.researchgate.net/publication/230822653_Beyond_Theory_e-Participatory_Budgeting_and_its_Promises_for_eParticipation
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Kenya: A voter in Homa-Bay County wants Minister Otoeno Kajwang’ to be barred from contesting any elective position on integrity

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A HOMA-BAY VOTER HAS WRITTEN TO THE LSK AND IEBC AND ASKED THAT IMMIGRATION MINISTER OTIENO KAJWANG IS UNFIT TO HOLD ANY PUBLIC OFFICE AND SHOULD BE BARRED FROM CONTESTING ANY ELECTIONS.

Writes Leo Odera Omolo In Kisumu City

A Nairobi based firm of lawyers has written to the Law Society of Kenya {LSK} raising questions about Immigration and R4gistration of Persons Minister Gerald Otieno Kajwang’s suitability to vie for public office given that he was struck off the Rolls of Advocates a couple of year ago.

The law firm is acting on behalf of a registered voter in Homa-Bay County Mr Edward Ochieng’ Otieno who raised eleven [11] point issues of complaints about the minister’s suitability to hold any elective office or the appointive one.

The law firm of Ekuru and Nyamuthwe company advocates wrote to the Chief Executive Officer of the LSK Apolo Mboya,and copied to the Attorney General the chairman of the LSK Eric Mutua, the chairman of the LSK, Mrs Gladys Shollei, Chief Registrar of the Judiciary, Franklin Bett, the chairman of the ODM Elections Board, the ODM, The party leader Raila Odinga, the ODM’s Secretary General Prof. Peter Anyang Nyongo’o, the leader of the Wiper Democratic Movement, the leader of the Ford Kenya Moses Wetangula and the chairman of the Independent Electoral Boundary Commission [IEBC].

Observers in Kisumu and its environs were quick in pointing out that barring Otieno Kajwang’ from contesting the Homa-Bay Senate seat would dealt a heavy blow to the ODM leader Raila Odinga.

Kajwang’is believed t0 be Raila Odinga’s pointman, especially in the greater Southern Nyanza. He is currently the ODM Homa-Bay county branch chairman.

The action came about after the voter in question had learnt that the ODM headquarters had already cleared Minister Otieno Kajwang’ to participate in the party’s primaries on Thursday {17th January 2013].

The contentious letter states, ’We have been retained by Mr Edward Ochieng’ Otieno, a registered voter who seeks clarification on a number of issues pertaining to the Hon.Otieno Kajwang’.

In addition, our client wishes to bring to the attention of the Law Society of Kenyaevents that requires your attention. Thus we write to you as follows.-

{1} That in exercise of his civic duty as a registered voter in Homa-Bay County, Mr Otieno is keenly monitoring the extent to which the rule of law in respect of the above person {HON. Kajwang’] under the reference is being followed. This issue arises because of what has come to the fore that Hon. Kajwang’ has been struck off the Roll of Advocates and therefore a person not fit to hold, let alone applying for public office whether elective are appointive.”

[2} That to this very date, the Hon. Kajwang’ stands struck off the roll of Advocates and as such he is a dishonored member of the legal profession reason why he was removed from the Roll of honour of advocates in accordance with the enabling law.

The letter went on, ’Our client now requests for a confirmation from your offices whether Hon. Kajwang’can be said to be a member of the LSK in good standing? How many times has been struck off the Roll of Advocates?

{3} That it has come to our client’s attention that Hon.Kajwang’ has initiated from you whether indeed Hon. Kajwqng’ has initiate this process and who are the parties or institution presiding over the proces? a process to be reinstated into the Roll of Advocates. Our client seeks to know from you whether indeed the Hon. Kajwang’ has initiated the process and who are the parties or institution presiding over the process?

{4} That further to the foregoing our client seeks further to know the process that an Advocate who has been struck off the rolls of Advocates follow? Our client further seeks to know from you whether it is indeed that Hon. Kajwang’ has indeed initiated a process seeking to clear him to stand for elective office?

[5] Our client points out to you that the Hon. Kajwang’ now seeks to be elected as a member of the Senate to represent the County of Homa-Bay. Our client contends that Hon.Kajwang’ has initiated this process with the full knowledge that he has serious integrity issues on account of having been struck off the Roll of Advocates. This is convenient cleansing on his part that is intended to defeat chapter 6 of the Constitution on leadership and integrity.

{6] Our client is aware of the good role the LSK continues to play in issuing Clearance Certificates of good conduct and standing during the recruitment of its members to various public offices, interlia, the IEBC. Could you confirm to us whether you intend to follow the same process in clearing those seeking elective posts such as Hon. Otieno Kajwang’?

[7} Our client asserts that the LSK should guard the Constitution and refuse to allow the LSk to be used conveniently by those now seeking clearance to vie for elective posts. Our client contends that the Hon. Kajwang’n is a man whose integrity to hold public office is very wanting and cannot therefore be cleared by the LSK to stand for the Senatorial seat for Homa-Bay County.

{8}Our client observes that the Hon. Kajwang’ has conveniently initiated the process seeking to be restored to the Roll of Advocates. Our client contends that the requirement for public officers to demonstrate integrity is a gain in the new Constitution and the LSK should protect that gain at all costs.

{9} Our client further seek to know if it is indeed true that hon. Kajwang’ has appeared in the recent past before the Advocates Complaints Commission and whether he indeed apologized for having misappropriated clients money; reason why he was struck off the Rolls of Advocates in the first instance?

[10}It is true that the Hon. Kajwang’ on his own admission that he had stolen client’s money, what does the LSK plan to do with this confession on the part of Minister Otieno Kajwang?’. It is our client’s firm conviction for that Hon. Kajwang’ should be prosecuted forthwith.

[11} Our client urgently requires the information herein sought to enable him make a determination whether to proceed to court or not for reasons that our client is aware that the Orange Demcratic Mvement Party{ODM] plans to include the Hon. Kajwang’ as one of the candidates for the Senatorial seat for the Homa-Bay County.

It is our client’s firm conviction that Hon. Kajwang should not be cleared by the LKSK to stand for any public office until such time that he is properly retored into the Roll of Advocates.

Hon Oteno Kajwang’; could not be reached for his immediate comment over the issue, but the matter is increasingly becoming an election issue within the Homa-Bay County.

Ends

Can Transparency Transform Mineral Wealth into Wellbeing?

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From: Yona Maro

This paper provides a critical assessment of the linkages between mineral governance and economic development.
Link:
http://www.revenuewatch.org/sites/default/files/MineralWealthintheMaghreb.pdf

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East Afraca: Confusion over multiple memberships of EAC countries into several African trading blocs

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Writes Leo Odera Omolo

IMPORTS into the East African Community countries from two key African trade blocs will continue to enjoying zero tariff for one more year.

With effect from January 1, 2013 imports from the Common Market for East and Southern Africa {Comesa} and the Southern African Development Community [Sadc] will continue enjoying preferential treatment courtesy of the East African Community Customs Management Act 2004 which expired on December 30, 2012.

The chair person of the EAC Council of ministers Shem Bqrgeine recently moved to have the Bill amended as the EAC is yet to complete the negotiation of the Tripartite Free Trade Area [FTA] which would establish a market of 525 million people with an output of the USD One Trillion.

The TFTA is a grouping of 27 countries members of the Common Market for Eastern and southern Africa [Comesa}, and the Southern African Development Community [Sadc.

The Tripartite arrangement is expected to remove intra-regional trade distortions in the three regional groups of Customs, EAC and SADC.

Last month, EAC member states said the common external tariff will take effect in 2013.

The five member states signed a protocol establishing the EAC Customs Union and the Common External Trade [CET] in 2005.

The delay in establishing the CET and a single customs territory is hindering the free movement of goods, capital and people across member country borders, even though the common market protocol was officially launched in 2010.

However, the harmonization of trade deals between the EAC member countries remained complicated as long as countries belong to several different economic blocs.

BURUNDI FOR EXAMPLE IS A MEMBER OF Comesa, FTA, EAC the Comesa Free Trade Area {FTA}, the EAC and the Economic Community of Central African States {ECCAS], Kenya is a member of Comesa,Comesa FTA, EAC and IGAD, Rwanda is a member of Comesa,Comesa FTA, EAC and ECCAs,Tanzania is a member of SADC AND eac WHILE Uganda is a member of Comesa,Comesa FTA,EAC and IGAD.

This means that partner states apply different external tariff because of their membership in the different trade blocs.

According to the provisions of the EAC Customs management Act 2004, goods imported by the EAC partner states under Comesa and Sadc attract preferential tariff treatment as proscribed in each of the member states legislation.

For example, Burundi, Kenya and Rwanda charge tariff on all imports from SADC member countries, because they do not have a trade arrangement with the bloc. However, all SADC countries that are members of the Comesa are accorded preferential tariff treatment under the Comesa and EAc arrangement.

The issue of multiple membership is pushing up operational costs for business in East Africa. It is understood that the region’s business community is paying heavily, and losing money as a result of multiple membership because in some countries within the EAC when they ought to pay less in trade tariff, they are forced to pay more.

For instance, while Tanzania is trading with SADC using the rules of origins, goods imported from Sadc into Kenya, Rwandfa, Burundi and Uganda have to be charged according to EAC member countries, apart from Tanzania are 4xempted from an external tariff.

Ends

Tanzania under heavy pressure from environmentalists to shelve its plan to construct an international airport inside the Serengeti world heritage site

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Writes Leo Odera Omolo

INFORMATION emerging from Dar Es Salaam says the United Republic of Tanzania is facing renewed pressure to shelve the construction of an International Airport next to the world heritage and famous Serengeti National Game Park, creating fears of possible delays in the multibillion dollar project.

THE Deputy Transport Minister Charles Tizeba was last week widely quoted by the local media houses as saying that the construction of the airport outside the Serengeti National Game Park is likely to fail because of an on-going campaign by environmentalists to stop the project.

“The government is facing real pressure from some circles, but it will go ahead despite all these,’ he said.

The construction of the USD 350 million airports was expected to start early this year and the Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority had approved the project, he added.

The government move to put up the airport included the construction of a 321 kilometer tarmac road through Serengeti. This element was shelved over the concerns that it would interfere with the wildebeest migration, the only one of its kind in the world and crucial to the existence of the Serengeti ecosystem.

The friends of the Serengeti movement have repeatedly denounced having an airport so close to the world heritage site, saying it would attract human activities near the fragile Serengeti-Mara ecosystem.

Opponents of the project have maintained an argent saying that the landing and takeoff of large planes in Mugumu could damage wildlife migration patterns.

“The new airport”, said the Minister, “would offer tourists the option tour KilimanjaroIntrnational Airport and after visiting Tarangire.LakeManyara, Ngorngoro Crater and SERENGETI International Airport to fly back homer”.

Analyists,however, say the airport would increase the number of visitors from 800,000 annually to 1.6 million by the year 2015 and double tourism revenue from the current USD 1.4 million to USD 2.8 million annually in the next three years.

Ends

10 bold ideas for ending the HIV/AIDS epidemic

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From: Yona Maro

When Celine, a housewife in West Cameroon, was diagnosed with HIV six years ago, she signed up to be part of a clinical trial that gave her the antiretroviral drugs she needed, for free.

However, when doctor and clinical researcher Boghuma Kabisen Titanji met Celine five years later, she had gone without antiretrovirals for a year and a half. She had little understanding of what the clinical trial she had been a part of was studying. Meanwhile, she couldn’t afford a bus ticket to the local health clinic, and was too sick to walk there.

Celine’s case hammered home an important question for Titanji: What happens to research subjects after the research is over?

As Titanji explain in today’s talk, filmed at TEDxGoodenoughCollege, HIV researchers have a wide variety of reasons for choosing to do research in sub-Saharan Africa rather than in their countries of origin. The first reason: because 70% of the approximately 30 million people with the disease live in the region. But there are other factors, too, less high-minded ones: because review of clinical research is far less stringent there, because the poor populations there are likely to sign on for any offer of medical assistance, and because there is a far lower risk of litigation there. Whatever the reason for doing research in sub-Saharan Africa, Titanji wants to make that researchers recruit their test subjects and take care of them with proper respect.

“I do not stand here today to suggest in any way that conducting HIV clinical trials in developing countries is bad. On the contrary, clinical trials are extremely useful tools and are much needed … However the inequalities that exist between richer countries and developing countries in terms of funding pose a real risk for exploitation,” Titanji says. “How do we ensure that in the search for the cure we do not take an unfair advantage of those who are already most affected by the pandemic?”

To hear the four areas that Titanji suggests researchers think deeply about before conducting studies, watch her talk. And after the jump, 9 more powerful talks with ideas for rethinking — and hopefully stopping — the spread of HIV and AIDS.

Emily Oster flips our thinking on AIDS in Africa
The traditional thinking goes: encourage people to abstain and use condoms, and AIDS will disappear. But in this talk from TED2007, economist Emily Oster challenges this idea, pointing out that this logic only holds in areas where people feel that they are likely to lead a long, healthy life. Oster gives a surprising answer for how to actually change behavior and roll back new HIV infections — by dedicating resources to solving the other health problems that lead to low life expectancy in Africa.

Shereen El-Feki: HIV — how to fight an epidemic of bad laws
At the TEDxSummit in Doha, TED Fellow Shereen El-Feki tells the story of a man who was deported … for being HIV positive. Apparently, 50 countries around the world still have laws that allow for this. In this impassioned, talk El-Feki brings attention to the epidemic of bad HIV laws, which effectively criminalize having the disease and draw it underground.

Mitchell Besser: Mothers helping mothers fight HIV
A disproportionate number of people living with HIV are in sub-Saharan Africa and, yet, doctors are scarcer here than anywhere else in the world. At TEDGlobal 2010, Mitchell Besser shares an initiative to train HIV-positive mothers in the area to support and take care of each other, as well as to educate their communities about the disease.

Elizabeth Pisani: Sex, drugs and HIV — let’s get rational
Self-proclaimed “public-health nerd” Elizabeth Pisani knows that there are two things that make people act irrationally: sex and addiction. At TED2010, she shares what’s she learned working with at-risk populations — that counter-intuitive measures could dramatically prevent new cases of HIV.

Hans Rosling on HIV: New facts and stunning data visuals
Data master Hans Rosling says that HIV is one of the most misunderstood diseases out there. In this talk from TED2009, Hans Rosling “plays” the HIV epidemic in a moving graph, which gives a new understanding of what can be done to halt deaths from the disease. The key: stopping new transmissions.

Seth Berkley: HIV and flu — the vaccine strategy
When will there be a vaccine for HIV? At TED2010, epidemiologist Seth Berkley shares that we are getting closer because of leaps and bounds advances in the understanding of how vaccines work. Watch for a look at the mechanics of a potential HIV vaccine.

Kristen Ashburn’s photos of AIDS
This talk shows the human toll of the AIDS epidemic in Zimbabwe. At TED2003, documentary photographer Kristen Ashburn shows her heartbreaking and beautiful images of people — many of them women and children — living their lives with AIDS.

Amy Lockwood: Selling condoms in the Congo
HIV is a huge problem in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Aid organizations have flooded the country with condoms — but only three percent of people are using them. At TEDGlobal 2011, former marketer Amy Lockwood points out that the messages on the packaging for these condoms stresses fidelity, health and prudence — not exactly the things on people’s minds when they’re thinking about whether to use a condom.

Annie Lennox: Why I am an HIV/AIDS activist
Best known for her music, at TEDGlobal 2010, Annie Lennox shares what inspired her to devote her life to raising money and awareness to combat HIV and AIDS through her campaign, SING. Spoiler alert: it was the words of Nelson Mandela.

Link:
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TEDBlog/~3/9trbk0xihjw/

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KENYA: MINISTER DALMAS OTIENO”S MOTORCADE CAME UNDER HALE OF STONES AMID ACCUSATIONS BY ODM ASPIRANTS IN MIGORI COUNTRY THAT HE HAD HATCHED A DICTATORIAL PLAN OF DISHING OUT DIRECT NOMINATIONS CERTIFICATES TO THE PREFERRED CANDIDATES.

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Writes Leo Odera Omolo In Migori Town

The on going electioneering campaign by people who are vying for various elective position in ODM tickets had become the sources of discontent in many parts of Luo-Nyanza with aspirants vying for the various elective positions within Migori County have accused Dalmas Otieno the Minister for Public Service of gross interference in what could otherwise be a smooth and peaceful elections campaigns in the region ahead of next week’s ODM nomination exercise.

Earlier this week Minister Otieno ‘s convoy of several sleek campaign vehicles had come under halls of stones, a clear indication that things are not moving smoothly in favor of the Minister who is also the incumbent Rongo MP, and who is defending his parliamentary seat.

The Minister was driving back to his Rongo rural home after addressing a series of campaign rallies at Kamgundho, Cham-Gi-Wadu when rowdy and drunken youths hurled stones to his motorcade.

The symptoms that the Minister is not all that a comfortable man even at his family level is the fact that his elder son Jared Oteno aged 46 is among the aspirants who have signed a statement requesting the ODM headquarters at the Orange House to instill some amount of discipline to the Minister.

The aspirants want the ODM to stop his plan of dishing out nominations certificates to certain preferred candidates a head of the ODM nomination exercise schedule for January 17, 2013.

The protest by ODM aspirants came about after Dalmas Otieno had released a press statement detailing how all elective positions will be dished out in Miori County. The statement has it that the position of Miogori governor would go to Prof. Edward Akong’o Oyugi, while the deputy governor positions will go to Zachary Okoth Obado, and the Senator seat will go to Dr Walter Machage the current MP for Kuria.

The aspirants have said that Dalmas Oteno ha no constitutional mandate of giving direct nomination to any aspirants and they insisted that all the aspirants irrespective of their status within the society should be subjected to open, fair and just nomination. They termed Dalmas Otieno’s action “dictatorial and mockery to the democratic principles.

The Minister’s own son Jared Otieno is among those contesting for the Migori governor seat and he is in a different and parallel election campaign camp.Jared Otieno launched his campaign last Sunday with pop and pageantry in Migori town.

He has since been tearing into his father’s private life and questioning the Minister’s integrity as a leader. While the Minister is reported to have disowned his son in private, but never uttered any tired vitriols against his son publicly, and the campaign by the two against each other is drawing a lot of interests in the region and could weaken the ODM voting strength unless the party acted with speed and have the sanity restored.

The Senate seat has also attracted the former Mathare MP Ochieng’Mbeo who has twice served as a member of the East African Legislative Assembly in Arusha, John Magaiwa,the ODM Migori County branch chairman,Prof. Chacha Nyaigoti. One of the aspirants who got disgusted Phrares Oluoch Kanindo a one time two terms MP for the large Homa-Bay constituency has since pulled out in anger and declared that he would contest the Senate seat as an independent candidate.

Many other aspirants on ODM tickets in Migori County said they would consider ditching the party unless Dalmas Otieno is disciplined by the ODM head office.They are arguing that the Minister is contradicting the party’s declared policy that nobody would be given a direct nomination,a stand which the Prime Minister RailaOdinga has persistently reiterated many times make it quite clear that no such a thing will happen and that all must go to the ballot boxes to determine the winner.

The protest note was signed by one Paul Abuor who is perceived to be a Dalmas Otieno’s protégé and who is an aspirant in Rongo parliamentary seatand Jared OtIeno the Minister’s own sons.

The stoning of the Minister’s vehicles came in the wake and after only a week after another aspirant for the governor position Mrs Anne Omodho Anyanga had her cart windscreen smashed by rowdy youths suspected to be supporters of Dalmas Oteno I Rongo Town. The youth roughed up Mrs Anyanganga who is the wife of the Nyatike MP Edick Omondi Anyanga,who has mounted the most elaborate campaign using a hired chopper.

Mrs Anyanga, who was traversing the entire Rongo constituency, had landed at Rongo Primary School, which is allocated inside main Rongo market.

Market and a crowd rushed to the scene where she was addressing a huge crowd which had formed itself instantly at the places .
.
The youth were shouting “Gonywa Gonywa” and menacingly demanding that she give the money, but sensing the danger of her persona l safety Mrs Anyanga jumped into her vehicle which drove to the Choper.The chopper took off amid hails of stones thrown to it in the air by the youth.

Looking shaken Mrs Anyanga flew out of Rongo and landed in some other places within the constituency like Opapo, Ranen, Kodero Bara, BUT SCATHINGLY CONDEMNED THE INCIDENT , WHICH SHE SAW AS AN ATTEMPT TO DISCRIMINATE THE GENDER AND WOMEN FROM CONTESTING PUBLIC OFFICES.

ENDS

From Poverty to Power : How active citizens and effective states can change the world

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From: Yona Maro

From Poverty to Power, 2nd Edition argues that a radical redistribution of power, opportunities, and assets, rather than traditional models of charitable or government aid, is required to break the cycle of poverty and inequality. Active citizens and effective states are driving this transformation. Why active citizens? Because people living in poverty must have a voice in deciding their own destiny and holding the state and the private sector to account. Why effective states? Because history shows that no country has prospered without a state structure that can actively manage the development process. There is now an added urgency: climate change. We need to build a secure, fair, and sustainable world within the limits set by scarce resources and ecological realities.

Link: http://policy-practice.oxfam.org.uk/publications/from-poverty-to-power-2nd-edition-how-active-citizens-and-effective-states-can-249411

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Kenya: Nairobi based business magnate has joined the race for Awendo seat causing great panic among other aspirants

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Writes Leo Odera Omolo In Awendo Town.

The latest entry into the contest, for the newly created Awendo parliamentary constituency, of a Nairobi based business magnate, Walter John Owino Sirawa, has sent a half a dozen or so parliamentary hopefuls into great panic.

Owinoi Sirawa entry into the Awendo race has hit the ground with thud forcing his rivals into resorting to unorthodox means including character assassination

Sirawa is the managing director of Gillies Security Guards. His entry into the race has drastically changed the contest while his popularity has hit the region like Tsunami. His candidature has attracted a large following by the youths and women folks within Awendo Town and its environs.

Walter Owino photophotograph of Walter John Owino Sirawa

Within only a week or so Mr.Sirawa’s campaign trail has hit the sugar cane growing region like thunderstorm attracting the attention of the usually marginalized and manipulate sugar cane growers in the area.

Sirawa told this writer by phone that his vision for the Awendo residents is to thrive for the unity of purpose of all the stakeholders without discrimination based on clanism.

His other visions include youth empowerment through training for self sustenance and fighting for the rights of cane farmers.

Also to be given priorities under his leadership is women economic, empowerment – strengthening women groups. Poverty eradication, better educational facilities, good feeder and access roads and the stamping out of the menace of cattle rustling in the region.

Other priorities included economic infrastructure such rural electrification. He will thrive to ensure that the residents get good and clean water for health in their homes.

Other priorities include taking care of the old and aged people and ensure that they enjoyed the government funds, To protect and assist the boda-boda motorbike and bicycle riders.

His other priority will be to ensure that Awendo has a well equipped technical school and village polytechnics in all the five administrative locations that makes the constituency. And to facilitate funds for the assistance of both primary and secondary school teachers to pursue their further academic ambition and to work close with the teachers to ensure their welfare.

Insecurity in Awendo and its environs will get top priority so that the residents of the agricultural rich rural constituency could go about their daily business without being molested by criminal thugs. On CDF projects, he said there will be zero corruption.

During his tenure as the MP for Awendo, Sirawa said he would work hard in collaboration with the NGOs, all registered farmers’ primary co-operative societies, and civil servants, in order to expedite development activities in the region.

He challenged his rivals to get prepared for a bruising election contest, to stop panicking or getting involved in unorthodox and cowardly crude methods of undercutting through character assassination.

He an ODM stalwart and life member who had been dong everything in promoting the party in the region and appealed to the residents to vote as a bloc for the Prime minister Raila Odinga to realize his presidential ambition come March 2013.

Sirawa is facing five other aspirant who included the former KRA top official Jude Ayieko, a former Gamba High School Principal Jared Kopiyo, and executive with the NGO Eric Oyoo, Joseph Owuor who is the PA to Dalmas Otieno the Minister for Public Services.

Ends

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from: ” . . . gillyssecurity . . . ”
Sent: Monday, 7 January 2013, 17:02
Subject: Fwd: Picture for Walter Owino

Mr Leo,

Trust you are well, we spoke earlier. Please find attached my photo.

My vision for Awendo people are outlined below,

1 Unity of purpose for Awendo people (no clan discrimination)

2. Youth empowerment through training for self sustenance

3. Fighting for the rights of farmers

4. Women empowerment – strengthening women groups.

5. Infrastructure – roads/electricity.

6. Clean water for all homes

7. Good health care for all

8. Care for the old – funds for the aging elders

9. Road safety – Boda boda riders welfare

10. Equitable college, high schooland primary school bursary for students

11. improve school infrustructure

12. Have a technical institution in Awendo

13. Have a university college in Awendo

14. Assist teachers pursue further studies

15. Improve teachers morale.

16. Empower widows,orphans, people with disabilities & special interest groups.

17. CDF projects for all – ZERO discrimination.

18. Improve security for all.

19. Collaborating with NGOs/civil societies to improve livelihood for the people of Awendo.

regards
Walter.