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AFRICA: Opportunity to Lead the Way - Great Britain

Spiral3Two messages arrived from Chukwuji Ogbonna and Ethelbert Nwobi and I wanted to share my response with all of you. Read my original post and their responding messages.

No one knows the angst of Biafrans except for Biafrans themselves, as my fellow Biafrans, Chukwuji Ogbonna and Ethelbert Nwobi remind us all in their “Lamentations.” It is not just collective anguish with a capital “A”: such torment in fact feeds down the arteries and veins and umbilical cord down to the individual being, yes, through the capillaries down to the individual biological cell. At once collective and personal, such torment of Biafrans is total—systemic, organic: thorough. No one knows the true angst of the unfathomably oppressed. “Unfathomable,” because, there is no conceivable reason why Biafra and Biafrans should remain oppressed by Britain and Nigeria today—nor in the past, for that matter. So, allow Chukwuji and Ethelbert to ventilate.

While hopeful that “…setting the peoples of Africa free is one of the reasons why Great Britain has voted in favour of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of the Indigenous Peoples…” (referring to UN General Assembly A/RES/61/295 of September 12/13, 2007; document A/61/L.67; (http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2007/ga10612.doc.htm); (http://www1.umn.edu/humanrts/instree/declaration.html); http://daccessdds.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N06/512/07/PDF/N0651207.pdf?OpenElement, it is rather most likely that GB / UK voted for this Resolution in order not to provoke its own Scottish Nation into an accelerated process of political Independence from UK. It is common knowledge that Scotland is engaged in a determined and systematic Self Determination process, a process which UK has not tried stop or to perish: compare and contrast this with the behavior and policies of UK in faraway but still technically British-colonized Africa, especially Biafra-Nigeria. As the British themselves would say, “What is good for the gander is [apparently NOT] good for the goose…” when it comes to the Scots of UK Versus the Biafrans in the Nigeria geopolitical space.

Tony Blair, the past leader of UK, is quoted to have once said that:

"The state of Africa is a scar on the conscience of the world."
"But if the world as a community focused on it, we could heal it."
"And if we don't, it will become deeper and angrier."
Source: BBC News Tuesday October 2001 15:28 GMT 16:28 UK
You are in UK Politics; “BLAIR: Key quotes”

Consider the hypocrisy? oxymoron? naivete? flippancy? Or, just sound-bites? You be the judge:

1) Does the world have a conscience when it comes to Africa? (Hint: China has just stepped into the same pernicious colonial jackboots introduced 300 years ago by Britain in Africa; UK is carrying out the same colonial policies in Africa—she never really stopped nor left).

2) Whose conscience, really, if there be such—the world’s or UK’s? (Hint: the original injury was caused by Britain. Today, Britain / UK is still the lead-State supporting colonial African puppet and unworkable governments, when such governments would have since died a natural death to allow for the indigenous Nations—Nations such as Biafra—to evolve into their own.)

3) “’World-as-a-community’ focus”? (Hint: the World “Powers” have partitioned the unfortunates [including entire hapless Africa] into “areas of influence”—actually, “possessions” wherein each Power does as it pleases with its own possession, without scrutiny or challenge. There is no world “community”—just fiefdoms. Who can forget US Nixon’s soliloquy [revealed in declassified US government documents] as Nixon literally wrung his hands in utter helplessness while Wilson of UK starved Biafran children, pregnant women, old men and old women, to the tune of mindboggling 2 million or so, in 1968-1970?)

4) “…Heal…Africa…”? (Hint: how can you heal Africa when you are busy causing and sustaining further injuries in Africa, as a matter of policy, while refusing to listen to the pleas of the suffering people?)

5) "And if we don't, it will become deeper and angrier." This one is self-commenting, seeing that Africa’s injuries have indeed “become deeper and angrier”—thanks to the author of these statements who also led his contemporary government in UK’s ongoing malicious policy in Africa.

Tony Blair’s metaphor of “scar” regarding Africa reveals genius.  By genetic predisposition, many Africans form “bad” scars: the scars are called “Keloids.”  I should know: I am African (Biafran, to be precise); and I am a Physician. Keloids, in a sense, may even be regarded as a form of Skin Cancer. They won’t kill you, but they are grotesque; if you cut one out, an even larger, uglier one regrows in its place—same for if you irritate it. Yet, many African cultures master this invasive skin scarring and deliberately inflict and exploit it while skillfully turning it into a beautiful, desirable, appealing live-skin art. Genius: Africa’s or Blair’s? Think about it.

In the modern times, Tony Blair represents that which is completely wrong with UK’s Africa policy, and nowhere is this more obvious than in the case of Biafra-Nigeria. Nowhere is the result as destructive and as catastrophic as in victimized Biafra.  Sadly, even Nigeria, used by the UK government as the ribbing-point of this malevolent policy against Biafra and Biafrans, is in ruins, as a result. As such, if we are talking about “conscience,” allow us to tickle the conscience, not of the world, but first, of Britain / UK.

The question which should be on everyone’s mind, as we return to Chukwuji’s and Ethelbert's apt and shared “Lamentations” is this:

“Just what of Biafra would threaten or jeopardize the British Government’s interest, or the interest of the people of UK?”

Why is the British government, with relish and apparent determination, directly and indirectly killing the Chukwuji’s and Ethelbert's of Africa—the Biafrans? Talk to the World, Chukwuji and Ethelbert. Talk to Great Britain. Where there is conscience, it can be tickled. If there is a conscience…

Oguchi Nkwocha, MD
A Biafran Citizen
California, USA

On behalf of the Nation and People of Biafra

RELATED PODCAST AND STORIES:
PODCAST with Oguchi Nkwocha, M. D.
STORY #1: NIGERIA: Did you know people are dying?
STORY #2: NIGERIA: GREED, HUMAN ABUSE, STEALING and loving your neighbor?
STORY #3: NIGERIAN LEADERS STOLE 100 BILLION SINCE 1999 

Tuesday, January 01, 2008 at 08:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Tags: Africa, Biafra, Nigeria, Tony Blair

Standing In Peace

MotherearthAs the most powerful leaders in the world work to discover pathways to peace, the Interfaith Encounter Association in Jerusalem continues to help us discover how people are leading the way. I was taken by one of events they shared in their newsletter that was organized by the Jerusalem Municipality. In its simplicity, it is the children demonstrating that a new world vision begins with each of us valuing our good neighbors.

They held an exhibition at Jerusalem's City Hall plaza. The exhibition was called Buddy Bears, featuring 138 "Buddy Bears" representing as many bears as countries acknowledged by the United Nations.

Ieabuddybears_3As was written in a plaque describing the exhibition, "They stand peacefully hand-in-hand promoting tolerance and understanding between different nations and cultures." It was described as an enjoyable "trip around the globe" with a chance to view these "designer" bears from around the world. (Click on the picture to see a bigger view.)

I continue to be grateful for IEA's work in connecting with people around the world to help us all see the good that can be done. The work by the Jerusalem Municipality is a wonderful example. Dr. Stolov shared the story of the Interfaith Encounter Association (IEA) mission with me:

"Some years back, I joined with a group of long-time activists in interfaith dialogue to form the Interfaith Encounter Association. Each of us felt a compelling need to make interfaith dialogue a widely used tool for building harmonious inter-communal relations in the Holy Land and the Middle East. Our vision was to make interfaith dialogue a real social movement---one that would transform these relations of mutual ignorance at best---and violence at worst---into mutual understanding, respect and trust.

We started with a framework of inclusion from the start. Our Board was composed of two Jews, two Muslims, two Christians and two Druze. These inclusive qualities attracted many people very quickly. We were moved by the response that included thoughts signing up for our mailing list and thousands of people participating in hundreds of dialogue programs.

...After being involved in these interactive dialogues focused on building mutual understanding, respect and trust, I believe real peace is possible and that it is
much easier to achieve than one would think."

It it notable that the Interfaith Encounter Association has been acknowledged for their groundbreaking efforts in generating peace and acknowledging the peace that people are generating for themselves with their time, ingenuity, and hearts, including these IEA honors:

Women's Peace Initiative Award - 2007
INTR°A-PROJECT AWARD for the Complementation of Religions - 2007
Prize for Humanity by the Immortal Chaplains Foundation in the U.S. - 2006


IEA's courageous work, and the work of people, like those involved from the Jerusalem Municipality, is a compelling call to leaders around the world and to all of us. Peace begins with each of us and we need to teach it to our children looking to us for leadership.

"It may be long before the law of love will be recognized in internal affairs. The machineries of governments stand between and hide the hearts of one people from those of another." --- Mahatma Gandhi

As we move into a new year may we all stand for peace wherever we find ourselves in the world. It is by living by the law of love that our world will be transformed.

Debbe

debbe kennedy
founder, president and CEO
Global Dialogue Center and
Leadership Solutions Companies
www.globaldialoguecenter.com

9781576754993lpodtwIEA is also featured in my new book...
www.puttingourdifferencestowork.com

Putting Our Differences to Work  Pre-Order at Amazon

The
Fastest Way to Innovation, Leadership and High Performance
by Debbe Kennedy
 ▪ Berrett-Koehler ▪ May 2008 – Hardcover
Foreword by Joel A. Barker, futurist, filmmaker and author
Paradigms: The Business of Discovering the Future

Sunday, December 16, 2007 at 08:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Tags: books, current affairs, middle east, world peace

Start Building a New World in Your Mind

PeacesymbolI am fond of old books that came before me. I can't tell you why, but they have intrigued me since I was very young. It is not about looking at the past. It is more about having an interest in hearing what others have to say --- and I've learned there is much wisdom that is passed down to us to take in and apply to our lives and world today.

Once in a while through my research on other things, another old book comes to me. I particularly like ones that seem to be in conversation with me. Recently, I found one entitled, TAKE A SECOND LOOK AT YOURSELF written in 1950 by John Homer Miller. There is a great chapter in it called "Start Building the New World in Your Mind." Here are some excerpts to share.

"You want a better world. What you need to help make the world better is not more education of your intellect, but something spiritual and ethical added to your knowledge. You need educated emotions and a dedicated heart. Shakespeare once said that he can always tell a wise many by the fact that everything he says and does smacks of something greater than himself.

...only the consciousness of a purpose mightier than any man and worthy of all men can compose and fortify and control the soul of man. Knowledge is not enough. Knowledge is knowing about things which you can control, which you can master. Wisdom is knowing about and putting yourself under the influence of things which can master you.

Before you do what you can do for the world, do the more difficult thing---let something be done for you. Before you have any right to face the world, you must face yourself. Before you can really say anything worth while to others, you must first let something be said to you. Before can help make the world right, you must be made right within.

Great souls start from within and move out; they start at the center of civilization and move out toward the circumference.

Unless within my heart I hold
Abiding Peace,
No league of nations can succeed,
Nor will strife cease.

If I myself see every fault
In kin and friend,
The world may never see the day
When war will end."

How are you starting from within to build a new world in your mind?
May it lead to you being a beacon of PEACE. Imagine its power when connected to others with the same vision. Hold that thought!

Debbe

debbe kennedy
founder, president and CEO
author, virtual speaker and dialogue leader
Global Dialogue Center and
Leadership Solutions Companies
www.globaldialoguecenter.com

new book!
Putting Our Differences to Work
The
Fastest Way to Innovation, Leadership and High Performance
by Debbe Kennedy
▪ Berrett-Koehler ▪ Spring 2008 –
Hardcover
Foreword by Joel A. Barker, futurist, filmmaker and author
Paradigms: The Business of Discovering the Future

Sunday, September 09, 2007 at 08:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Tags: books, civilization, knowledge, mind, peace, Shakespeare, vision, war and peace, wisdom, world peace