African Potential in Social Media

I have written a number of times about how Zimbabwean’s should unite and focus on a targeted theme of revival within our country through a unified call for change. I have been very much encouraged by the private mail I have received from many corners and people who would prefer not to be as outspoken on the issue of regime change in Zimbabwe, but I am furthermore encouraged to see how other African nations are using the power of social media networks to unite the people in Diaspora to bring about change within their own government.

I genuinely believe that a responsible approach to the demand for change in Zimbabwe is needed, and it will only come from those of us who are in Diaspora to engage, co-ordinate and drive forward an agenda of change. Engaging with each other and talking on the same wave length can only bring about a general consensus that will pave the way for a charismatic leadership to take shape and promote our cause.

I recently became aware of group of Nigerians advocating for their government to provide more reliable power infrastructure. Their movement aims to highlight the problems caused to Nigerian people by the lack of a constant power supply in Nigeria and raise awareness of the situation globally. An unreliable power supply cripples industries and hinders advancements in health care and industrial growth they claim on their website.

This group have had a magnificent impact globally, and while their campaign may not be political, their tactics have brought international recognition to their plight and has people talking about their movement and situation all over the world. Through international attention, their situation has gone global and the international media are gearing up for a peaceful protest in October in Lagos, Nigeria. At this time the Nigerian government will fall under the spotlight as the international media comes to town to see how the government tackle the issue of their people demonstrating for change.

Ok fair enough, the impact of their efforts is uncertain granted, but I find it very exciting that a nation have proved my point, that through a combined effort, a unified approach, using the opportunities before us, and the tools we have such as social media, petitions, worldwide demonstration and public pressure, the attention is brought to town, and while change has not yet happened, I am optimistic that change will eventually come to Nigeria as their government realise that they have an entire world calling for them to deliver.

“Africa’s future is up to Africans,” President Obama told us when he visited Ghana on July 11. It is true that so many of us have come to this conclusion and I cannot stress enough how important it is for us to realise this sooner rather than later. The time of waiting for America and the world to sort our problems out has past. International politics are changing in ways that will mean foreign governments are more engaged with matters at home than engaging in international rescue operations.

“You have the power to hold your leaders accountable, and to build institutions that serve the people,” Obama said. Ok, those are strong words, and maybe what he is talking about is that we as a nation need to start talking with one voice and demanding better from our leaders. Perhaps if we as Zimbabweans are willing to unite and call for Mugabe to go, we will gain international support. Maybe what the new order are looking for is for us to take the initiative and paving the way for change to happen.

In whatever way Mugabe leaves, I don’t think that we really care anymore if he is brought to justice for his crimes. I guess there are those who are hurting enough to want to see him pay for his crimes against humanity, and maybe those that believe he should repay what he stole, give back what is not his and be stripped of what he has, but if this is our ultimate goal, how can we expect the man to willingly submit? To be fair I would tend to believe that most of us would just be happy for him to step aside and live out his days in whatever manner he chooses, as long as he does not interfere in politics in anyway shape or form. I do believe that there are people within the Zanu PF regime that very much fear prosecution and put pressure on Mugabe to remain in power to hide behind his frills in a manner of speaking. Truth be told, I do not believe that holding anyone to blame for the mal-governance of our nation is only going to prolong the ransom that Zanu PF holds over our nation.

It is for this reason that I say we need a responsible and reasonable call for change to take place. An unreasonable call for change is only going to prolong the course of change until such time as those who are suitable well fearful for their future are no longer in the picture. However a realistic route to repatriation through a process of reconciliation where people are mature enough to see beyond the past and look towards the economic stability and national security of the country is a course of change that becomes feasible.

The Internet is a powerful tool in empowering people. International and world opinion changes by what they see in the media, but more and more blogs, social media and interaction between people from all walks of life mean that we are more and more able to understand and engage with each other. This blog has opened a door to a whole world of people who may or may not agree with what I say, but who are willing to discuss my opinion and engage in meaningful dialogue. From Iran to China I have spoken with people who read and follow what I have to say. It is the power of this medium that Africa needs to use to its full potential.

Good governance begins with me. A statement that I resoundingly echo as I read it. By making the first step in the direction of engaging with others, by taking an interest in the thoughts and feelings of those around us, we are able to engage in a change. Good governance is the new key words in the cyber world of politics, as so many people analyse the leadership and expectations of their government. Engaging with the grass-roots is the key to becoming powerful and is what most analysts have credited the Obama campaigns success to. His support of online tools to engage with middle America is what gained him huge popularity. The youth of today live through social media. I have watched as two children sitting right next to each other would rather text each other than engage in conversation. The reason is simple. It is easier to say in words the things you are too shy to say in person.

Capture the power of this medium and you can start a whirl wind. And this is where our potential power lies. I firmly believe that Zimbabweans can achieve their greatest goals, and that we will overcome. Rome was not built in a day, and people engage through a dialogue that takes weeks if not years before real substance is gained. Focusing our attention at this early stage in the right direction is our ultimate goal. We will gain recognition, engage with other people and build credibility for our cause. In this way we can only gain support and this ultimately will bring us to our goal. Like every Zimbabwean I know, we want a prosperous, viable, free and fair Zimbabwe to call home once more.

The costs and effects of Life Under Mugabe

It is all very well for the world to call for the removal of Robert Mugabe from power within Zimbabwe, but has anyone stopped to consider the effects of life under Robert Mugabe, and the void that would be left in his sudden removal? It is one thing for an invading force to remove a dictator such as we have seen through history when the Allied forces divided up Germany after the removal of Adolf Hitler, or when the American led coalition finally rid Iraq of Saddam Hussein. In these instances we saw the world pour massive amounts of aid into a war torn region to bolster up its people, give the interim government a chance to begin the rebuilding of their nation, but even with all this help, we have watched two nations slowly tear themselves apart before beginning the long walk to reconciliation, reconstruction and recognition on the international stage.

Fair enough, my two examples are slightly different in that they exist under totally different circumstances, both having come out of long and damaging wars, both being divided by powers from within, and both having the lime light of the international community shone directly on them as their situations took centre stage in world politics. I do not believe that Mugabe will ever command such an effect to create a media storm around his removal, but one does begin to wonder what will happen in the absence of the despot. How will the nation begin to rebuild itself without the immediate attention of a world eager to make sure that more of the same does not happen again? Is there any hope that Zimbabwe will reach a point of free fair elections without the presence of Robert Mugabe, or are we headed towards yet another African leader hell bent on lining his own nest as quickly and lavishly as he can?

How do you begin to deal with a nation of mind washed youths who have apparently been beaten into submission and taught to believe that Robert Mugabe is their saviour? How do you take a disillusioned young man who is suddenly faced with a world absent of the pillar of power that he has been taught to believe will be his salvation and bring success to his efforts and teach him that life without Robert Mugabe is a better place? While Zimbabwe is one of the most well educated countries of the African continent, that generation of well informed scholars has either fled their nation for greener pastures, or long given up on the hope of a better life under Robert Mugabe. But the question still stands that without Mugabe is there anyone who currently shows the world that there is hope under their leadership for a better Zimbabwe. Many of the people that you speak to who used to believe that the MDC stood for change now comment that the MDC seem as bad as Mugabe, quietly accepting their place at his table knowing that while they can they are reaping the rewards of being in government in Zimbabwe.

The sad reality for many is that Zimbabwe will more than likely never really reach its once glorious position as a power house of the African continent. Its army are said to be overwhelmed with soldiers suffering from HIV. Its police force is riddled with corruption and operates as an extension of Robert Mugabe’s private army, crushing opposition where ever it springs up across the country. Many of its rank and file will be worried about the possibility of life without Mugabe at the helm, for fear of prosecution for their crimes. The existing hierarchy within government have perpetrated extensive criminal acts through the seizure of land, human rights abuses, murder and corruption, theft and embezzlement of state funds and live in a manner of making hay while the sun shines. You have to wonder how they will react under life without Mugabe. Will there be internal strife in terms of a power struggle within this Hierarchy or have they already worked out between themselves who will take over when Mugabe dies? And will it be a natural death that will remove Mugabe?

How many of his very own people hold things over him as he approaches the end of his days, and is he ever nervous that his past transgressions will come out of the closet to haunt him? Will this haunting be behind closed doors, away from the glare of the media spot light? Is he really as untouchable as he seems and are his days numbered? Obviously there will come a time where breath will leave his body, but it is very intriguing to contemplate the future of Zimbabwe without Mugabe.

There will certainly be a very long road to recovery for anyone to walk down in the rebuilding of Zimbabwe post Mugabe. First of all the spirit of the people will be of prime importance for any leader taking the stage in his absence. The nation as a whole will rejoice at the removal of the dictator from power, be it by force or be it by natural causes, there will be much cause for celebration and jubilation among the Zimbabwean people. But after that initial rejoicing, the realisation of the task at hand will return to face everyone. Change for the man on the street will not be something seen for a long time for the average Zimbabwean, as it will be a huge undertaking for any new leader to initially prove to a sceptical world that they are not more of the same. Life for most Zimbabweans won’t change until real investment returns to the shattered state, and one wonders how in this time of Financial Down Turn any meaningful investment can be rallied to support the new leader. With vast tracts of land promised to the likes of the Chinese in mining rights, mineral rights and various other rights, one wonders what else a new government can offer to a world hungry of cheap raw materials.

Maybe the option of cheap labour will be of interest to the lesser contentious nations of the world like Russia and parts of Eastern Europe, but with the West frowning heavily on the use of cheap labour I can’t see that being much of a leap forward for the Zimbabwean economy, and they would also be competing against the giants of rock bottom labour in India and China where doing it for next to nothing has already got a well established market. With the massive effect of brain drain, there is a huge hole in the people power within Zimbabwe, and one does wonder if without real jobs and the creation of sustainable and viable projects how many of the professional Zimbabweans will want to return in the early stages of a new nation under a new government. I tend to think the majority of us would love to return, but the reality of job security and value for living, many of us will choose to remain where we are for now.

I do wonder about agriculture in Zimbabwe. For Zimbabwe agriculture is the future, but it would appear that vast resources need to be put into teaching the new land owners to maximise the output of the land they now own. Massive investment needs to be pumped into the infrastructure of the agricultural industry and with much of that support coming from the west, one wonders if Zimbabwean’s are going to be willing to open their doors to that kind of invasion of the land they have just won so bitterly, even if the majority of it is now owned in one way or another by the elite of the nation. Will the new leadership have the ability to see beyond colour and realise that only through international co-operation can the agricultural sector be kick started into effective growth patterns. Is there a sense of understanding hidden below the table that will rise up once Mugabe has gone and oust those fooled into the ideology of Mugabe to make way for a democratic growth of the nation, based on the realisation that, “we can’t go it alone!”

The fundamental truth is that in as much as they probably hate to admit it, Zimbabwe needs the white man and the west more than they need it. The African Zimbabwean has for so long dreamt of living a comfortable life style. They have persevered so much, been patient for so long, and deserve some quality of life. I think personally as a Zimbabwean most of us don’t care who wins the war of words. Most of us are not really interested in who’s the boss in the seat of power, as long as they are fair, equal and worthy of our trust. For the average Zimbabwean man, woman or child we would be more than willing to work side by side, be it white, coloured or black. Prosperity and contentment is all we seek, and while life without Mugabe will be a difficult one for the large part until things come together and the world can see we want to be a part of the international community on an equal basis, our government is democratically elected by the people and representative of the interests of its people, then the doors will open for our dreams to come true. Many challenges face us before that day, and huge uncertainties lie before all of us, but I have faith that Zimbabwean people might carry the scars of life under Mugabe with them, but given the chance, given a good leader, given opportunity and the tools to do it, we will rise above.

Make every effort to give Zimbabwe a good name!

It is so easy to focus our attention on the bad in Zimbabwe. So much of the news pouring out of one of the finest nations I know, is pure evil. On the face of it, Zimbabwe has the worst reputation for a failed economy, political corruption, human rights abuses, and a host of other problems. It is a country struggling to survive with a window of opportunity that is always half closed as the people of Zimbabwe are the ones that suffer daily as a result of international failure to face the problem head on.

It is little wonder when you talk to almost anyone from Zimbabwe that one of the first things that we tend to talk about is the state of our home land. As a Zimbabwean myself, I am often asked the deep probing questions that leave you discussing the failure of Zimbabwe’s politicians to be upstanding, proud leaders of their people. Very often I find that I dodge the questions by saying I am South African, just to avoid yet another depressing conversation about one man and his honcho’s greed.

Allow me to pose a question then. I know that it is the job of the news to follow politics, and to find out about the state of play in a country. Yes the media must concentrate their attention on news worthy stories and things that matter, but I am often left wondering about the good things that happen in a country. What about the good that comes out of the harsh realities of living in such difficult conditions? Ok yes, I am not advocating that Zimbabweans are lying about the conditions that they have to endure in living within the failed state. But I have to be honest when I say that I feel that as Zimbabweans we are perhaps blinded by the ills of our nation to see the beauty of our country, its people and the things that come out of Zimbabwe. What about the good of Zimbabwe?

Zimbabwean art is just one thing that springs to mind. Our stone carvers are second to none in the word in my opinion. Yet we forget about the humble stone carver. I look at the cloth that traditional Zimbabwean dresses are made from and I am often amazed at the colours, patterns and designs that appear. Some Zimbabwean Tie and Die artists produce truly amazing works of art. It’s a fact that many international art dealers return year on year to Zimbabwe to buy cheap art products and return to New York, Sydney, London, Milan and other cities all around the world where these works are sold for considerably more than they were bought for. I have been into these stores of international art. I can quite comfortably say that when put up against art from other African countries, Zimbabwean art stands out from the crowd. Yet we forget this, and are shy to admit it publicly. It is easier to talk about the difficulties of finding work than seeing the potential that Zimbabwean art presents to us to open the doors of discovery and new conversation.

I know for a fact that we come from one of the most amazing countries on this planet in terms of scenery. Yes there are countries all over the world that have places that are breath taking and beautiful, butZimbabwe… As a country the whole nation is breathtaking and beautiful. Ok yes I am biased as it is the place of my birth, but in reality Zimbabwe is so much more than that. It is one of the last remaining places on earth that you can see a White Rhino running wild. It has some of the greatest numbers of wildlife on the African continent. Elephants, leopards, gazelle. Its open savannah is home to some of the most incredible creatures that god chose to create. And they all call Zimbabwe home. But it is not only the wild life that you can go on about. From the highlands to the valleys there is always something of beauty found nowhere else in the world that you can stop and stare at. Victoria Falls, the Save River, The Limpopo, Hwange Game Reserve, Mutusodona Mountains, Lake Kariba, Matopos Hills, Chimanimani, Mazvikadei, Honde Valley, Great Zimbabwe, Bulawayo, the mighty Zambizi. I could go on and on listing sights and places of majesty, adventure and heart stopping beauty. Admittedly this is one of the things that you frequently hear Zimbabwean’s talking about, but it’s not something you see in the press or talked about by the media very often, and I think it is a shame that some of the most spectacular landscape in the world isn’t talked about more often.

The average Zimbabwean is a good person. A great friend, a hard worker, someone determined to be the best that they can be in life. Most of them just want a chance to live and be happy, put food on the table, pay their bills, drive a car, and be able to go watch a movie when they want too. They are normal people just like you and me. They read the newspaper, complain about the weather, worry about their children, moan at the bank rates and get on with life. I love Zimbabwean people. They are passionate, funny, easy to please, and willing to give everything they have to treat you well as a guest. I challenge anyone to visit a Zimbabwean village, even in these tough times and get a more heart warming and genuine welcome anywhere else in the world. Show me any place on earth where the people will go without just to ensure that their guest is well fed, well looked after and treated with respect and reverence. This is probably their short coming as a people. They are more concerned with making their elders, guests and leaders feel respected and important than taking the bull by the horns and getting rid of the rot that erodes their country from within.

Show me a British kid who given a box full of fencing wire would create a BMW. Or any European child who given a plastic packet creates a football to kick around a dusty pitch after school. I admire the way that Zimbabwean’s take their lot and learn to live with it. They create a lifestyle for themselves in any given situation. This I believe comes from being forced for so many years to live without. Watching through the wires from within their tribal trust lands, Zimbabwean children learnt skills that modern society could never dream to posses. A generation of people that now live under a tyrant who is not interested in sharing his power with his people, leaders who rise up and are corrupted and warped by the riches and power that comes with being elected into the halls of power within Zimbabwe, and an international community that far too easily turns its back on its responsibilities of demanding for free, fair and equal democracy throughout the world.

We as Zimbabwean people are frequently guilty of selling Zimbabwe short. Yes the country faces a whole dynamic that is unheard of in any other nation in the modern world. Yes we face challenges that no other community has ever had to face as a creed of people. I believe that is all the more reason for us to present a united front. It is time to call endlessly and incessantly for change. Daily we should be forming alliances with each other. Networking and meeting with like minded people, who are passionate about all things good in Zimbabwe. Let us begin to take pride in our nation. Let’s start to talk up the good points of Zimbabwe. I am proud to say I have been to the villages and eaten sadza and lacto, and enjoyed it. I’ve had a braii on the banks of Lake Kariba and eaten fresh bream I caught that afternoon. I am proud to say I am a supporter of Dynamos football team, even though I am from Mashonaland. I’ve watched Lions hunting and enjoyed seeing elephants up close. I love the tie and die print I have hanging on my wall in my office. These are the good things that I remember from Zimbabwe. These are the things that I want to be talking about when I speak with Zimbabweans. Our country is a great place. Our people are beautiful people, and we should be so damn proud to be Zimbabwean. I really believe that we should begin to set aside our differences, and unite as a nation, as a people and make every effort to give Zimbabwe a good name once more. Let’s be an African leader among nations, not an African disaster. Let’s have a reason to shout loudly that we are Zimbabwean and not quietly avoid conversation by saying we are South African. Zimbabwe. Let’s be proud to say that name.

Don’t find fault, Find a remedy – Henry Ford

I have recently tried to associate myself with positive things. A desire to be more positive about the world and a willingness to be more willing to see the good in every situation. In my search of inspiration i came across Inspiration Magazine. An online magazine that tells the stories of some pretty amazing people, and stories that pick you up. I truly believe that in order to be positive you need to surround yourself with positive things. It is very easy to become disillusioned in the world we live by focusing on the daily bombardment of negative images, news, stories and general goings on. The press and media on the whole love to tell us about how bad things are around the world. Hostages being killed in Iraq, protests in Iran, corruption in parliament in the UK, F1 racing in turmoil over greed, teenager arrested after beating an MP, Tributes to a dead British soldier, Setanta goes bust. And that’s just reading off the BBC news front page.

I have to admit having read the story about the teenager beating a local MP I had a little chuckle to myself. I am always amazed at how easily the government are willing to sweep yob rule under the carpet and fail to face it head on. Maybe a good clobbering of a couple of MP’s would wake them up to the reality of the problems that their constituents face daily living in today’s Britain. In finding a solution to the problem MP’s and society as a whole are constantly brought back to the reality that without morals, without adequate discipline and without a proper upbringing children left to their own devices are going to go off the rails. The solution to the problem lies in creating a strong sense of family once more in Britain. We need to learn again how to discipline our children. Political interference in the role of parenting has ruined our country. I do not endorse thrashing a child black and blue, but I was given a hiding when I was naughty as a kid and it never damaged me. Could you imagine telling the army they could not discipline their cadets? Well if the army can do it then so should a parent. After all it is in the tender years that a kid learns right from wrong, and negotiating with a child is ridiculous when the child has no concept of negotiation. Lets be realistic. There are as many different approaches for discipline as there are individuals. What works for one is not always going to work for another. Some kids are strong willed and need a firm hand to guide them. Instead in Britain today, parents faced with difficult children would much rather just give up and let them roam the streets than be bothered taking real responsibility for them. Why? Because it is easier to let the state deal with them and avoid a criminal record than to try to take action. We seem to be happier letting a stranger at school teach our children the important fundamentals of life and then wonder why they won’t talk to us, nor have any respect for us when we suddenly try to step in. It is through a real love for your children and a absolute desire to see them receive the best in life that you take the hard decisions to keep them close, discipline them out of love not anger, coach them out of joy not obligation and love them unconditionally not when it suits you most. I would suggest a possible solution of introducing National Service. It’d make gentlemen out of a whole lot of yobs.

But I fear I digress from the initial reason I began this blog today. As I was saying I came across this magazine and I have found its contents to be both encouraging and inspiring. Life is hard. No one promised us it would be easy. And it is hard for us all in different ways. Sometimes when we hear about other peoples hardships we are humbled and inspired to be better people, and the more I hear or read the more I want to read, as I have found a real desire to want to become a better person. Inspiration Magazine tells the story of people that have come from hard walks of life and made a life for themselves. They are people who took the world by the horns and changed it for their own benefit. They gave up on waiting for life to make things easier for them and learned to do it on their own.

There is a great saying on the rear cover of the magazine. It has an image of the word Give on a piece of cardboard. They kind of sign you might expect a beggar to use. It goes on to say. Give – Verb – To present voluntarily and without expecting compensation; This magazine is a gift to you. Give it to someone and let them be inspired by your giving. When someone on the street asks you for some change, just be glad that you are not the one asking. How poignant that is. It cannot help but provoke an emotion within you.

I also came across a website called Make Your Mark. It has the success stories of many individuals. And yes once again I take heart from reading about people that have learnt that they are not the failures that society expect them to be. They are real people with ideas, hopes, dreams and a slightly differnt attitude to the world at large. They have a determination to prove the world wrong. A desire to set the record straight and a willingness to do whatever it takes to make a success of themselves. eg…

Fire Stead left school at 16 with no qualifications, unsure of what to do with his future. Now he finds himself in back in schools every week – running a successful dance business and building pupils’ fitness and social skills through salsa!

Fire is profoundly dyslexic and left school unable to read and write, his teachers predicting he would end up on the dole or in prison. They couldn’t have been more wrong: now nearly 50, Fire is running his own hugely successful dance education company, I Love Salsa.  He was even chosen as one of five inspirational people to feature in a short promotional film for the 2012 Olympics.

Dance classes have long been a fitness trend for adults, but it took a figurehead as dynamic and charismatic as Fire Stead to introduce dance to schools. Some head teachers weren’t convinced that pupils, particularly boys, would be interested in learning dance steps. In fact, the classes have been universally popular. The energetic dances keep the pupils fit; memorising the steps improves their concentration; and dancing with partners has helped has helped pupils to integrate and develop their social skills.

Fire has also been responsible for developing the first ever internationally recognised qualification in teaching salsa dance, the the I Love Salsa Edexcel BTEC.

Fire thinks persistence is the most important quality if you want to bring an idea to life. “My biggest barrier initially was just getting people to listen,” he says. “I am a great believer in always knocking on doors until someone listens.”

I guess the moral of the story is that we all attain our own personal success through perseverance and determination. How we come about to reaching that point in life is individual to each of us, but there is very defiantly one thing that we all need. A positive attitude. By being positive we have a chance to achieve all we desire, and to be positive is a state of mind that takes determination and hard work. And that is wehre we need people around us that are poisitive people. People that lift us up and help us achieve all we can, not thost that pull us down.