Ijeomaublogcreativity

2012 A Year of Definitive Change for Nigeria

2012-01-15T07:10:00.000-08:00

2012 has started with interesting developments in Nigeria. Developments that I am only too happy to see. I just hope that we as Nigerian citizens keep the ultimate goal in sight - rooting out corruption from government and making the perpetrators accountable - and not give up this fight, this call to salvage our great Nation, which has long been kept captive by criminals disguised as leaders.

We must keep in view that if we don't fight the system now, the rot will continue to fester and our children and grandchildren and generations to come will suffer for our neglect and the inability to stay the course. I am proud that Nigerians from every walk of life both the rich and poor are marching in peaceful demonstrations demanding that the government is accountable and transparent.

I believe 2012 will be a definitive year for Nigerians and Nigeria as a nation.

Aluta Continua!!

Beyond and Beneath N65 by Sonala Olumhense

2012-01-15T07:00:00.000-08:00

IF I were a swearing man, I would have sworn that had Mr. Goodluck Jonathan ever imagined that the word “transparency” would come to Nigeria’s street lexicon, he would not have hungered for the presidency.
“I do not make empty promises in my campaign because whatever I promise to do, I had already carried out adequate study to make sure I can accomplish it in the next four years” he told the people of Nigeria in Onitsha on February 27.

The proof does not support that claim, but at the time, some Nigerians seemed to agree with Jonathan that if he, once shoeless, could “do” it, so could they. Many said they hated his party, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) which had historically demonstrated poor faith and form, but they followed Jonathan, swearing they were voting for the man, not the party.

Think about it: for 12 years, through his predecessors, the issue was about control of power, which is why there are two Ps in PDP. It is only fair to assume that Jonathan calculated no differently for his four or seven years same.

He took office only on May 29, 2011, but by last week, many of his supporters were left hanging only to guilt and embarrassment. By callously and casually eliminating the phantom subsidy on oil, Mr. Jonathan tore Pandora’s Box open to reveal a side of Nigeria he did not know to exist. That is the one armed with the battle cry of transparency.

Let us be clear: there isn’t one Nigerian who does not believe that the subsidy, if it is genuine, should be retained. Not one. The issue is the amateurish and insensitive handling of it in the face of wholesale corruption, and the implications of that approach.

In a matter of days, against the background of some of Mr. Jonathan’s fiendish 2012 budget proposals, his own supporters were cursing his ancestry, ripping down his pictures and calling him the vilest of names. Rare it is in modern political history that “popularity” can turn to loathing so quickly; Mr. Jonathan has somehow managed it in seven months.

Other factors were at play: Before the entire world, Mr. Jonathan was setting aside for himself and his family a life of luxury and opulence, while throwing his beloved people to the wolves. He was surrounding and protecting himself with sophisticated security and armoured cars, while feeding his voters to Boko Haram. The President himself was making it clear: this was not a government of the people; this was a government for itself, by itself and in itself.

That is why it also became quickly obvious to the ordinary man that, beyond the so-called oil subsidy, this conflict is really about the way we are, and how we became this way. We prosper together or crumble together.

That is how, as Jonathan prepared to spend millions of Naira per day on food and gifts and toys, he found he had inadvertently educated Nigerians that the fuel subsidy is a byword for a terrible, more destructive disease: an ailment so fearsome that all the arms of the government are infected.

This ailment is responsible for an irresponsible executive that places no limits on absurdity; one with no commitment so strong it would actually implement an undertaking or a report.

This ailment is why the legislative arm of the government, established to make law, has become a law unto itself, its members arrogantly sitting not only atop Titanic salaries and allowances, but on “constituency” loot that violates the divide between the executive and the legislature.

In other words, the crisis in Nigeria is that those who rule Nigeria have lost all credibility in the eyes of the people. It took Mr. Jonathan only seven months to make this point clear.

Mr. Jonathan is said to be a man of “good luck,” although in the past two weeks, I have heard that name shredded creatively. If his government survives, he would have to understand that government-as-usual is over; Nigerians are insisting that the political power relationship must change so that those who rule do not expect to be served, or serve themselves.

Nigerians are asking for a true war against corruption. The evidence before us all is that Mr. Jonathan cannot offer such a commitment because his government is corruption itself. To begin with, Mr. Jonathan himself has refused to declare his assets, which is in many ways a confession of a dark secret. He has also failed to define his so-called transformation agenda; he talks about that agenda all day when all he has is a concept. An agenda, Mr. Reuben Abati would have told him in another life, has form and substance.

Take a look at his cabinet and special advisers, and the assortment of integrity-challenged personnel tells you that this is a government founded on rhetoric and hypocrisy. The paradox of Nigeria comes down to the fact that the people who are being asked to enthrone transparency do not know what transparency is.
Mr. Jonathan claims he wants to fight corruption, but he investigates nobody, arrests nobody, prosecutes nobody. No reports submitted to him are implemented.

This is particularly worrying when you consider his paranoia. Unable to fulfill his promise to bring Boko Haram to its knees, he has now declared it to be present in all arms of the government and the security agencies. Still, the President names nobody, arrests nobody, prosecutes nobody.

This confirms what some of us have been saying for a long time: there is nothing in the character or track record of Mr. Jonathan that makes him suitable to embark on the most fundamental demand Nigerians are making: the arrest of corruption. And yet, if we do not get that, the future will be outlined and defined by greater discontent and violence.

What next? The first thing is that the people must continue their rallies and protests, and insist that their efforts lead to substantive changes. If they do not, not only would all the suffering and deaths of the past two weeks have been for nothing, the Jonathan government will become worse, not better. Evil would have triumphed.
The challenge before us is that the social contract is broken and must be renegotiated. To that extent, the Labour Movement must be clear about one thing: this is a mass protest, not a labour strike. Labour must therefore be careful not to overestimate its role or overreach itself. It is making a wonderful contribution, but the protests preceded Labour intervention. Labour lacks the authority to speak for the people, some of whom are wary of a possible sell-out.

What Labour and others can help to do is help the government to understand that in 2012, the people want a government which locates its mandate in the electorate, not atop, or beyond. They want a government which implements the rule of law, not one which sides with criminals or hides them.

As a result of all this, the Labour Movement would be making a terrible error to assume anyone can turn off the rallies if Mr. Jonathan simply reverses his subsidy policy. If this is clear to Labour, they must work to broaden its discussion with the government to include all facets of society.

Only on such a table can the future, in terms of a meaningful peace deal be fashioned, and must include:
Defining a true offensive against corruption to include independent bodies;

Restructuring the government’s anti-corruption bodies so its principal officers are recruited using the same criteria developed by the Justice Uwais commission, through a competitive hiring process mediated by the judiciary;

An independent Ombudsman who publishes quarterly corruption-related reports and monitors public petitions;

A judiciary restructured to undertake corruption prosecutions swiftly and publicly;

A Loot Recovery Initiative for Development (LURID);

A law to protect and reward whistle-blowers;

An Office of Budget and Public Projects Review; and
Election Campaign Finance Law.

We are not going back to 2011.

"What is Democracy?"

2011-11-07T01:28:00.000-08:00

I watched the BBC series "How Facebook Changed the World" last night and this question started nagging at me again.

What is Democracy????

Here is what Dictionary.com says about Democracy;

de·moc·ra·cy

1. government by the people; a form of government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and

exercised directly by them or by their elected agents under a free electoral system.

2. a state having such a form of government: The United States and Canada are democracies.

3. a state of society characterized by formal equality of rights and privileges.

4. political or social equality; democratic spirit.

5. the common people of a community as distinguished from any privileged class; the common people with

respect to their political power.

Number one is usually the most popular definition of what a democratic state is.

Recent outcries since march of this year starting from Tunisia, then Egypt, Libya, Jordan, Yemen, Bahrain and Syria highlight what I have always suspected that democracy is a myth.

My definition of democracy is "the acquisition of political power and wealth by a few for the oppression of the masses." It is of course not so simplistic. The oppression of the masses is as a result of the greed of this small group and their desperation to hold onto power and wealth.

I thought we had it bad in Africa, at least our leaders do not pretend to be doing anything for the good of the citizenry, neither do they use religion as a shield. Their agenda is clear - loot and continue looting until you strip the State bear of everything!!

Now the Arab states, that is a whole new level of oppression, despotism and authoritarianism. Monarchies and dynasties, the God-given right to rule. Where is the people's voice, where is the power "vested" in the people and exercised "directly" by them?

The economic crises that reached its apex in 2008 and has continued to cause huge tremors around the globe is a clear example of what democracy is not. Every single nation around the world is affected by the shenanigans of their leaders who are supposed to be protecting their interests but have instead formed an "old boys club" via which they divide the spoils. This is what leadership has evolved into in the 21st century.

Unfortunately, governments around the world can no longer hide behind their largely deceptive propagandas of good governance nor can they hide their sins within their own borders. The internet has put paid to that. Any atrocity can be broadcast in real time around the globe instantaneously. And the power is in the hands of young people and they are using this power to register their contempt and dissatisfaction for oppressive governments.

The message is clear, no leader is safe any more behind his/her ivory tower of power, wealth and military might. Qaddafi is an example of a leader who refused to believe that his time was up, the people had spoken but he didn't want to listen to what they had to say.

We are in a new dispensation. how we navigate this road remains to be seen but it is clear that the youth - indeed every citizen around the world - are no longer content to stand by and let events unfold as they will.

The time is now, we must take our own destiny into our own hands and demand accountability from our leaders.

Our communal resources should be equitably distributed to the benefit of every citizen.

Celebrating the female, the woman, the vessel of life....

2011-08-24T14:17:00.000-07:00

August is women's month in South Africa, a month specially dedicated to focusing on the contributions of women, young and old. Celebrating who we are and what we have achieved in various sectors. It makes me think about the many seemingly small milestones womankind has surmounted and the long road ahead of more hurdles to be overcome, more victories to be won. But we are always hopefully and bravely trudging on.

As a woman in the 21st century, I proudly acknowledge where we are today, I have much more options than my mother, grandmother and great grandmother did. I am proud of what women have achieved today in terms of the rights that I am enjoying but I am also aware that it is a man's world and in most cases their rules apply.

Women have to work twenty times harder to gain respect and recognition in the corporate arena, even more so in the political arena where we are so few in number. And yet we actually perform better in political office, not just in terms of our work and dedication to effecting positive change but because we are fully aware of what is at stake. If we don't effect that change that will improve the lives of our constituents, it will impact on the future well being of our children and their offspring, which will definitely have a domino effect on society as a whole.

There are a lot of women that I look up to, women I know and have interacted with intimately. Women I have never met but who have had a profound impact on my life, friends, family members, my mother, my sister, my closest girlfriends. These are all women who have shaped who I am today and I pay homage to all of them.

I come from a country where the female is protected, loved, treated with dignity and respect by the males in their lives. It starts with the father who is undeniably regarded as the patriarch, the provider, the protector. My father obviously shaped and had a profound influence on my view of men. Perhaps I am speaking from a sheltered point of view but I am confident that a majority of Nigerian women will support my claim. I am of course not so naive as to claim that all women in Nigeria are equally protected and loved by their fathers or husbands but in general the culture supports the role of the male as a patriarch, protector and provider.

For me the role of the male and female are distinct but complimentary. I say this with all the power vested in me as a cosmopolitan woman of African descent born into a highly patriarchal culture. The role of any male in my life is as a protector, provider and patriarch. My husband will be treated as a king in our house because that is what he is to me, a king to my queen. He will be treated with the utmost respect and dignity because he deserves it. This is not to give the impression that I will be the docile wife waiting hand and foot on her husband like a slave. I refer to the kind of partnership where a wife supports her husband, nurtures his potential and nourishes his emotions and vice-versa. I don't know any normal man that is treated with respect, dignity and care that will not give back the same in return. It is really quite a simple recipe, avoid confrontational encounters, leave your egos aside and learn to communicate as man and wife. Hold your husband up to a higher standard in a non-abusive way, show him that you and the children look up to him and he will try to live up to those standards.

I am not a feminist, I don't believe that it is constructive to be a feminist in the 21st century, it is not a realistic approach to take certainly not in Africa. Perhaps for Western women it has worked after a fashion, in Europe and America but it is still very much a man's world even in those parts. I view myself as a realist with the positive outlook that the potential for the female to continue to grow in voice and relevance in the socio-economic and political arena is a given. I hold this view because the world continues to change and the level of accessibility for the female child keeps increasing. I can see it in the current generation of teens and pre-teens.

I am very proud to be an African woman in the 21st century, living in Africa. I salute all the female children, young and mature all around the world. I salute the resilience, doggedness and fierce protectiveness of mothers, sisters, aunts, wives the world over. I stand proud to be a woman and I would not change my gender even if I were to reincarnate in ten lifetimes.

The wind of change continues to blow and gain momentum, let us all embrace that change.

Happy Women's Month!!

And still more water under the proverbial bridge...

2011-07-26T12:19:00.000-07:00

June thru July has been very hectic for me at work and personally. A lot has happened, meeting new people, weighing my options here in South Africa, Nelson Mandela turning 93 on the 18th of July, a shocking bomb blast in Norway, famine in Sudan as well as a new state. The United States hanging on by the skin of its teeth in the face of an ever encroaching and looming threat that will further plunge the country into a prolonged economic crisis.

Closer home the labour unions are fighting wage wars and no agreements have been reached. At Gallery MOMO we're getting ready for Andrew Tshabangu's solo exhibition entitled Kibera Nimoja (Kibera is one) based on his observations of an informal settlement in Nairobi, Kemya. We are also preparing for Paris Photo and FRIEZE. It has been quite a good year for the gallery and for me as an arts administrator. I would really like to lean more towards academia next year and do more consulting in the arts and culture sector.

June 16th and other matters

2011-06-25T03:10:00.000-07:00

The month of June has seen many interesting and sad events occurring. We celebrated another anniversary of the 'Soweto Uprising' of June 16, 1976, looking at our past, present and future with a focus on our Youth. there is still so much to be done with regards to youth development in South Africa. But some progress has been made and we hope much more will be achieved in the coming years. The most important achievement in my view, would be for young people to have a feeling of self-worth, to value themselves as human beings and in doing so, extend that same regard to their fellow human beings. The most important legacy that my parents gave me, is to love myself in spite of all my faults and to believe that I can do anything, be anything. That has held me in good stead in my adult years.

Within this month of June, we have said goodbye to two great struggle icons and activists, Ma Albertina Sisulu and Professor Kader Asmal. I am honored to have been in South Africa to have heard of these two exemplary luminaries, to have known them through media reports. Their passing has left an indelible mark on me, I feel as if I knew them personally. I have the greatest admiration for what they have achieved, for their tireless work towards achieving the goals of the struggle. For never giving up on what they believed in and for their honesty and transparency.

This month of June also saw the return of South Africa to the Venice Biennale with the opening of the South African exhibition that featured 3 South African artists; Lyndi Sales, Mary Sibande and Siemon Allen with truly inspiring artworks that speaks to the many socio-political changes (both subtle and obvious) that South Africa has gone through since attaining democratic freedom in 1994.

So much water under the bridge...

2011-06-07T08:49:00.000-07:00

A lot has happened in my life since January 1 2011. We are mid-way through the year already and I feel as if I am in a runaway car going at break neck speed.

The gallery has certainly been a hub of activity. We are on our third solo exhibition. Our opening exhibition for 2011 was a fantastic feast of South African masters, George Pemba, Gerard Sekoto, Dumile Feni, Ezrom Legae, Ephraim Ngatane, Lucas Sithole and Sydney Kumalo. Following the masters was artist Sharlene Khan with the final works in her Xenophobia series marking 11 years of detailed research into the lives of immigrants from around Africa. Our next show was a solo exhibition by MOMO artist-in-residence Vitshois Bondo inspired by the political situation in Congo. Currently, we have a solo exhibition by American artist Gary Stephens entitled BRAID. A strong body of work rendered in a 3-dimensional style using strings to give an optical illusion of depth.

We also have two artists in our stable, Mary Sibande and Lyndi Sales exhibiting at the 54th Venice Biennale. That has certainly been a high point for the gallery in this first part of year 2011. The works they produced for the Biennale attests to the impressive talent of these two women. I personally look forward to watching them continue to make giant strides in the future. They are phenomenally talented!!

In the second part of the year we have some more exciting solo exhibitions from Guy Wouete, our second artist-in-residence, Andrew Tshabangu, Ayana Vellissia Jackson and Patricia Driscoll.

We will also be exhibiting a selection of all our solo shows including the works of Lyndi Sales and Mary Sibande from the Venice Biennale. It's going to be a fantastic end to a very fruitful year!!

On retreat

2011-04-01T22:42:00.000-07:00

This weekend I am on a spiritual journey at one of the Catholic missions in Johannesburg. I think I really need this time out to search myself and examine where I am going particularly during this Lenten season. I feel a withdrawal from the humdrum of daily life is essential to my spiritual development and growth.

Mapping out the South African Liberation Heritage Route

2011-04-01T22:40:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I was at the Convention Center in Midrand for the 2nd session of the LHR project. What really stood out for me was the fact that not all the groups that make up the diverse populace of South Africa were represented. It was dominated by black South Africans with a small smattering of white people, no Indians and a few descendants of the Khoisan.

I will be blogging in more detail about this but I'd like to leave you with this thought - is it possible to have a legitimate and successful representation of a country's heritage if all the voices are not included? The Khoisan (under which there are 5 ethnic groups) have practically been written out of the history of South Africa and yet they are the original inhabitants not the black tribes nor the Afrikaners.

My summation is that until every single story that is part and parcel of the history of this country is told, with honesty and respect, the deep wounds of the apartheid system will never be laid to rest.

Currently ANC is the one who pays the piper and its tune is the dominant one, so are the stories being circulated.

THE LENTEN SEASON IS HERE AGAIN!!

2011-03-19T02:48:00.000-07:00

Ash Wednesday fairly sneaked up on me this year and I am still not quite prepared for Lent. Today makes it 11 days into Lent another 29 days to go!!

This year has started with some really strange energy floating around. Interesting developments in my life but I feel quite unsettled as well. Too many ideas in my head, difficult decisions to make; I just cannot seem to pin anything down. This is definitely a time for self assessment and self reflection. To make tough and realistic decisions. To map the way forward.

I am confident that there will be resolution however long it takes, it will come. I will face myself squarely because the fear of self-examination is the beginning of the end, the unraveling of all self-belief and the denial of the truth about who we really are.

So....here's to truth and honesty.

'RE-NAMING A DOG' - GEN. MUHAMMADU BUHARI' by Tope Popoola

2011-03-17T06:09:00.000-07:00

Let me state ab initio that I am not a politician (although I am not apolitical). I hold no membership card of any party. I write this because of millions of Nigerians who are below 35 and who constitute a significant chunk of our voting population.

This is the ICT generation that is largely ignorant about the events of the Buhari era (1983-85) [Dec 83-Aug 85= 18months]... Emphasis mine .... and so is misinformed and misled by needless propaganda. I have had discussions with many in the under-35 bracket and those slightly above who only have faint recollections of that era. The level of ignorance is amazing.

I don’t have the General’s mandate to hold brief for him, but I am passionate about my nation. So it pains me when people stand facts on their heads to sway the minds of a naive generation for cheap advantage. Of all the present contenders for the office of Presidency, none has been as maligned as General Buhari. He has been variously labelled “rigid”, “fundamentalist”, “dictatorial” etc.

I was already a university graduate when he presided over the affairs of this country; so I can still clearly remember some things about that government. His achievements in only two years [less than 2yrs, 17months. Jonathan has been in power now for 13months (Feb 2010 - march 2011)] ... Emphasis mine.... dwarf those of all who came after him. I respect anyone’s opinion and political choices but I abhor misrepresentation of facts about anyone.

Before being military Head of State, Buhari had been Governor of one of the Northern States as well as Minister for Petroleum. He later served as Chairman of PTF under Abacha. He birthed and supervised the establishment of our existing refineries. Today, we import 70% of the fuel we use because those after him have literally crippled the refineries.

Under his regime, there was no religious crisis. It started under his successor! Buhari’s government reduced inflation from 23% under Shagari to 4%, by fiscal discipline and a homegrown economic team. Nigeria didn’t borrow and yet met all her financial obligations.

He only jailed corrupt leaders. In Ghana, Rawlings killed them and was celebrated for that!

As PTF Chairman, what Buhari did in road construction in that short period hasn’t been matched by any government thereafter. Hospitals and universities around the country never witnessed as much benefits as they got from the PTF from any government after or before that time.

Despite serving in senior capacity in the oil sector, first as Minister for Petroleum and then Petroleum Trust Fund Chairman, Buhari has no petrol station, much less a rig, refinery or an oil block like so many of his contemporaries. He could have retired into nauseating opulence like them but didn’t.

Instead of hobnobbing with the high and mighty, he has cast his lot with the common man most of whom follow him out of hope and belief in his values. He is the only politician in the North today who fills rallies without renting a crowd.

He refused to collect an allowance while serving as Chairman of the PTF because he said since he was already drawing a pension from government, his conscience would not allow him to draw another salary from the purse of the same government from which he was already drawing a pension.

He is the only former head of state that does not own property or land in Abuja. The man who took over the running of PTF with the aim of probing and indicting Buhari before it was scrapped, was the one who ended up being prosecuted for misappropriating $100m of PTF funds! Every attempt to rubbish Buhari through probes in time past had ended up vindicating him.

He has OPENLY challenged those who accuse him of religious fundamentalism to come out and show proof. I am surprised that no one has till today, taken up the challenge. I HONESTLY wish someone would! His personal driver of many years is a Christian from Plateau State!

Buhari’s government initiated the War Against Indiscipline that has made environmental cleanliness, queuing up, not urinating by the roadside etc, features of our national life even till today. With WAI, Nigerians began to understand basic elements of social responsibility.

For the records, IBB took us into full membership of OIC. Prof Omoruyi, one of Babangida’s hatchet men wrote in 2001, “The period of General Babangida (1985-1993) represented the beginning of unmitigated Islamization of Nigeria. ... General Babangida took the fateful decision in 1986 to face the Nigerian Christians in particular and Nigerians in general with the plan of Muslims.

He without the approval of the governing organs of the Federal Military Government organized a mission led by a non-member of the Government, the Sultan of Sokoto to formally admit Nigeria into the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC). When the Chief of General Staff, Commodore Ebitu Ukiwe complained that he knew nothing about it and definitely said that he could not remember the matter coming to the Armed Forces Ruling Council (AFRC), he was shown his way out.”

Was Buhari flawless? If he was, he wouldn’t be human.

Is Buhari Tough? Yes.

Is he corrupt? No.

Is he a Fundamentalist? No proof.

Our people should take positions based on facts, not cheap propaganda.

Ijeomaublogcreativity: Being inspired at the Barnard College 3rd Global Symposium in Johannesburg, South Africa

2011-03-17T05:44:00.000-07:00

Ijeomaublogcreativity: Being inspired at the Barnard College 3rd Global Symposium in Johannesburg, South Africa

Being inspired at the Barnard College 3rd Global Symposium in Johannesburg, South Africa

2011-03-15T13:50:00.000-07:00

Who am I?
Where do I come from?
How do I see myself?
Where am I going?
How do I get to where I am going?
What is my contribution to my immediate community?
What is my contribution to the larger society?
How do I see myself as a member of my community?
What is my role as a woman, a mother, a leader in my community ?

These are a few of the questions that emerged from various presentations from deeply inspiring women who have led by example, continuing to strive for equality, for fairness, for integrity, for core values, for valued principles and most importantly for a better society, a better country, a better world for their children and generations to come after their children.

Listening to these women speak about their lives and the careers they have carved in spite of sometimes difficult and challenging circumstances, and also hearing the questions raised clearly highlighted for me, the many complexities facing women in today's contemporary and fast-paced societies. It would seem that we sometimes start the race with an unfair disadvantage because as a female it is somehow imprinted in your psyche that if you don't devote your life to being a wife and a mother, you are self-centered and selfish and you have not fulfilled your role as a woman. I think that is a rather unfair burden to place on women folk.

How then do we navigate the treacherous waters of having a career, and being a wife and a mother? Can it be achieved successfully without one area suffering neglect? How do we find that balance without feeling that we are forsaking our spouses and children? Are more and more women deciding to perhaps work on their careers and then start a family later or are we perhaps choosing other options such as single parenthood? Or the worst crime of all choosing to be single and focusing single-mindedly on our careers?

One of the key challenges that constantly comes to my mind is the fact that as we climb up the corporate ladder or the chain of seniority in our various fields of expertise it seems to me that we sometimes loose focus of our key objectives, our principles and our integrity. We find that we become more and more immersed in navigating the challenges and difficulties that come with the territory of executive management. We focus on the strategic alliances that we need to maintain to keep climbing up that ladder and the result is that all the things that we fought for, fairness, integrity, principles, core values get swept away in the wake of our success.

Maria Ramos said something that resonated for me, when asked if she had ever been in a situation where she had to compromise her core values and principles, she said that for every organization that she worked for she made sure that they knew what she stood for upfront so there was never any question about what she was about. Gill Marcus was emphatic about leadership not being so much about the personality but more about the people that had faith in your ability to lead, to take up the task at hand and do it to the best of your ability. Justice Yvonne Makgoro (a woman I find most inspiring), spoke of leadership as the willingness to work tirelessly for a cause until the desired conclusion is achieved. She cited the realization of the principles guiding constitutional law in South Africa as a goal that she and many others continue to strive for tirelessly.

Mamphele Ramphela pointed out that as women and indeed citizens of our various countries around the continent (though the emphasis was on South Africa), the onus lies on us to bring about change 'we are all change agents' she said. No one can do it for us and it is vital that we understand this.

Senator Aloisea Inyumba from Rwanda, spoke about how Rwandese women are changing the political and socio-economic landscape with policies that speak directly to the issues that Rwandan women in particular and citizens in general are grappling with because they understand the change that is needed and have chosen to effect it.

We are living in a very complex world and it is going to get even more complex. As Susan Mboya wisely put it, African women in the 21st century and beyond will be required to navigate several cultural spaces. More and more African women have a western education and a mixture of a western and traditional upbringing. We are chameleons, constantly changing to fit into the various spaces we navigate daily.

There are no easy answers to these numerous dilemmas, challenges and difficulties that women constantly face. One theme that resonated clearly from all the speakers was the need to first know yourself. To love yourself, to nurture that self-esteem, that self-worth because if you don't love yourself how can you expect other people to love you? Believe in yourself, be realistic about your strengths and weaknesses but most of all be prepared to work hard. Do not expect things to be handed to you on a platter of gold. As Maria Ramos said, there is no easy road to success, at least to sustainable success. If you cut corners, you will definitely get bitten in the end.

Have respect for yourself and others, very wise advise from Gill Marcus. Be kind to your body, says Ndidi Okonkwo-Nwuneli keep it in good health because if you don't you cannot achieve anything. Something I thought that was really important and showed ingrained wisdom was a reminder by Nomfanelo Magwentshu to women to remember that their husbands are their partners (and I add not the enemy). Often in our rollercoaster ride to success we take out work and home frustrations on our partners. Nomfanelo advises that we make sure we give our spouses/partners the consideration and support they need as well. We do need their support to enable us manage all the various facets of our lives.

In my view, as a multi-cultural, Afropolitan, western-educated and cosmopolitan African woman, young women like me all over the African continent have to accept that at the end of the day whether you are a top executive, a movie star, a brilliant physicist, Miss World, the president of a country, a parliamentarian or a house wife and mother, if you have a man in your life, when you come home you take off whatever hat you wear out there and put on the hat of mother, sister, aunty, wife and basically the one that organizes everyone else's life. It doesn't matter whether you are in Antartica or Mali, as Susan Mboya said 'it is what it is'.

2011 IS FINALLY HERE!!

2011-02-02T04:19:00.000-08:00

Compliments of the new year!! At the beginning of a new year I start off feeling very optimistic, rejuvenated and ready to conquer the world. It's a time for new beginnings, leaving those mistakes in the old year and hoping not to repeat them. This year, 2011 is no different. I feel lucky because I have a job that I find interesting, that I think has a lot of possibilities and can present opportunities. I believe in creating opportunities for myself.

My plans for this year? I have two to three core objectives for the year and I will push myself to achieve them. But most importantly for me is to enjoy myself more, I find myself falling into that pattern of work, work and more work. No play. That has to change this year, I want to do more things that bring me pleasure, enjoy the moment more, put myself 'out there' more so to speak.

Well, I am not going to reveal all, but I plan to have one hell of a year so that at the end of 2011, when I look back on the year I will say ''that was one hell of a year'', with great satisfaction and fewer regrets.

David Adjaye ''African Metropolitan Architecture''

2010-10-30T06:41:00.000-07:00

Our current exhibition 'African Metropolitan Architecture' by David Adjaye was one of my first major projects at Gallery MOMO and even though logistically it was a bit of a challenge, I enjoyed working on it. The opening on the 30th of September crowned the end as well as the beginning of my first relatively successful outing as the Projects Manager at Gallery MOMO.

What do I like about working at MOMO? There are quite a number of things, for instance actually being part of the team has given me new insight into the artist Mary Sibande's artistic world. She is like an onion, each layer presents yet another layer to peel off. She is a deep thinker and her work is so subtly nuanced. Mary's work has garnered considerable international attention resulting in invitations from different cultural organizations around the world wanting to collaborate with us.

I believe next year will be a very good year for the gallery, already we have projects throughout 2011 and beyond. I am really looking forward to an artistically exciting year!!

Where do I begin???

2010-10-29T08:27:00.000-07:00

It has been way too long since I blogged and I am not very happy about it but what can I do? I am overwhelmed by trying to keep up 3 facebook pages, a website, my blogs, my LinkedIn page etc, etc. It becomes too much. I have missed my blog though and I would like to be more constant in my blogging, sometimes I have some great blog posts but then I wait too long to post and it's gone with the wind!!

However, this year has been quite interesting for me. Many challenges, good ones because each new challenge gave me the opportunity to challenge myself further. And even though I feel as if I haven't quite made the cut I can safely say it hasn't been such a bad ride. I am looking forward to next year with anticipation, some anxiety, but a lot of hope.

I have learnt so much in the 6 months I have been here and I hope to learn even more next year.

Reflections on the 2010 FIFA World Cup in Johannesburg, South Africa

2010-06-20T02:22:00.000-07:00

The euphoria of the first ever FIFA World Cup in Africa is wearing a bit of a pall due to the less than satisfactory performance of the six African teams in the tournament.

I am personally torn between fatalistic optimism and reality. Cameroon virtually bought a one-way ticket out of the tournament with a loss to Denmark last night. Nigeria has lost in it's last two matches to Argentina and Greece respectively. The Nigerian and Cameroonian teams and indeed majority of the African teams boast world class players who play in prominent international teams, they are experienced players of considerable talent. What then is the problem here one might ask? I don't have a clue quite frankly!!

Ghana thankfully recorded a win in its first game against Serbia, its second game against Australia ended in a draw but at least they have their 3 points, which is more than I can say for the other African teams. For Bafana Bafana and Nigeria it is most likely curtains that's 3 African teams gone with the wind!! And Algeria, not looking very promising either.

So the hopes of the continent hinge on Ghana and Ivory Coast, what a shame!! But I haven't given up hope totally, I remain optimistic that the tide will turn for the better for Africa.

It's Father's Day today!!

2010-06-20T02:12:00.000-07:00

Today is that special day set aside for fathers, usually it's the moms who get all the attention mother's day is as big as valentine's day and I am guessing dads sometimes feel marginalized because they never get fussed over like moms are.

So I am taking out some time to salute our fathers especially mine because he means the world to me and I cannot describe the love I have for him. He has been a constant in my life, he has taught me so much, most importantly he has set an example for me by his conduct, the way he lives his life, his principles, motivations, inspirations, aspirations, convictions and ambitions.

I doubt that I could have asked for a better father had I been asked to send in my specifications.

I duff my hat for all those men who do what they do for love of their wives and children, their extended families, they have huge responsibilities but they caryy out those responsibilities with grace and good cheer.

We, your mothers, wives, children, sisters, cousins and friends love and appreciate you for everything you do and the person that you are.

Settling in at Gallery MOMO

2010-06-16T12:51:00.000-07:00

I have spent three weeks now at Gallery MOMO and it has been an interesting three weeks. last week on Tuesday, I went with my boss and the gentlemen from the Dionysus Foundry, owned by artist Angus Taylor, to the Morris Isaacson High School in Soweto (Johannesburg, South Africa) for the erection of the Tsietsi Mashinini sculpture commissioned by the Gauteng Provincial Government and the City of Joburg.

Today is the 16th of June and a public holiday in South Africa that commemorates the Soweto Youth uprising of June 16th, 1976, when students from high schools around Soweto rose in protest against the imposition of Afrikaans by the apartheid government as the official language to be used for teaching.

Tsietsi Mashinini was teh younster that started the protest and he was a student at Morris Isaacsons High School. A foundation has been instituted in his name, he was forced into exile after the uprising and died in exile. The statue sculpted by Johannes Phokela a prominent South African artist of immense talent, and cast in bronze by the Dionysus Foundry.

It was a really interesting experience for me to be at Morris Isaacson, to be in Soweto with all the excitement of the World Cup, Soweto was abuzz with even more energy than usual. I was even interviewed by a foreign news team from Israel. These are really interesting times for the arts and culture sector in South Africa, in Johannesburg in particular. There is so much happening at this time.

Last night I went to see two performances in the cultural precinct of Newtown, at the Market Theater known for its experimental theater and social commentary. The House of Holy Afro, the second performance I saw was really quite risque for the South African audience, I could see people were shocked. But I found it very entertaining and fresh.

I hope after the World Cup the arts and culture sector will not again take a back seat until the next time when it is dusted and brought out to be put on show again.

Starting out on a new journey

2010-05-18T12:50:00.000-07:00

I started my new job at Gallery MOMO yesterday (17th May), it was all very intense but I know I will enjoy working with the Gallery MOMO team. I look forward to being involved in current and upcoming projects. Gallery MOMO was voted one of the top three galleries in South Africa, it has built a sterling reputation on promoting cutting edge art and boasts a stable of incredibly talented and reputable artists working in various media.

Another blog, another opportunity to explore who I am and where I come from

2010-05-16T05:35:00.000-07:00

Recently, in honour of my father, I started a blog about him. In this blog DI NKA, I explore my relationship to my father, what he means not only to me but to my mother and siblings (from my perspective of course!!) and his contribution to the arts and culture sector in Nigeria.

This journey has brought back many memories of growing up at the Univeristy in Nsukka and of the many things that have happened in my life directly and indirectly because of being my father's daughter.

This for me is also a journey of self-discovery and self-evaluation. Being my father's daughter has brought me so many things both positive and negative but most of all it has brought me joy and security because I have no doubt that he loves me and always will.

Wading the treacherous currents of unemployment and triumphing

2010-05-16T04:44:00.000-07:00

In the past four months I have been applying for positions and going for interviews with art organisations, and waiting, waiting, continually waiting for feedback. In some instances I was overqualified and therefore the organisation though interested in employing me could not afford to.

This is a serious problem for me with the art sector. The word on the street is that there are not enough trained art and culture managers, researchers and curators, then you go and train to be all of these and suddenly you are overqualified.

During these four months I did some consulting for the Human Resources Research Council on the visual arts sector in South Africa, which was challenging but enjoyable for me. I also did some work for Gallery MOMO in Johannesburg and as a result of a combination of negotiations over a couple of months and actually doing some work for the Gallery, I was offered the position of Assistant Gallery manager.

I am quite excited to be working for a gallery of MOMO's repute, both in Southern Africa, the African Continent and internationally. It will be a really great learning curve for me as well as an opportunity to channel the skills and training I have gained over the years and contribute positively to the further growth and development of the gallery.

Visit our website via www.gallerymomo.com. I'll keep you updated on my progress there.

Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria!!

2010-05-06T14:27:00.000-07:00

I received the news of the death of Nigerian President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua earlier today. It didn't surprise me in any way because to my mind he was already dead when he made no appearance since his disappearance into some hospital abroad. Everything regarding his condition became very hush-hush and as a result governance in Nigeria ground to a halt.

I feel relieved that that impasse is at an end, at least Mr. Goodluck Jonathan is now recognised as the legitimate President of Nigeria, let us see how he'll steer the mother ship in the little time left to him. It doesn't really matter if it's a day or 3 months, if you have the propensity to lead and the right vision, most importantly the discipline to keep your focus on the prize, a Nigeria that is seen to improve in some way, however little, is better than the rot we find ourselves in at the moment. The hopelessness, poverty, greed, insecurity, violence, unemployment, failed education system, massive levels of corruption, the daylight robbery and so on and so forth.

There must be a way to forge ahead in a more positive manner, there must be a way to uplift the situation of thousands of Nigerians barely eking out a living, there must be a way to stop the needless deaths from lack of affordable health care, these and basic amenities should be a priority, a god-given right to Nigerian citizens.

I am hoping the our new President as his name indicates will bring us much needed 'good luck 'and turn the tide of misfortune that has dogged us in the past 15 years at the least.

World Cup Fever!!

2010-05-02T08:01:00.000-07:00

What an exciting time to be in South Africa, it truly is. Everyone is looking to cash in on the numerous opportunities particularly in the hospitality sector. There is a great vibe, lots of items are on sale to help fans support their countries and favorite teams. I have purchased a team jersey for the Nigerian Super Eagles and still have to buy a Bafana Bafana jersey for my adopted country's team, South Africa that is.

I am certain by the end of this month (May), there'll be so many flags from different countries on cars and buildings all over Johannesburg. I look forward to the month of June!!

South Africa for the very first time in it's history since the demise of the Apartheid government will be hosting thousands of visitors from all over the world.

What a milestone!! This is a true reflection of teh gains of South Africa's fairly new democracy.

Well done to the Republic of South Africa!!!

It's been a while!!

2010-05-02T07:57:00.000-07:00

Boy!! I haven't blogged in a couple of months and it feels good to be back. My blog needs to take a new direction though.

I am currently job-hunting in this current economic environment of job cuts, lay offs, fewer jobs and more job seekers.

It's a challenging time to be looking for employment.

2010 is here!!

2010-01-23T06:35:00.000-08:00

The much anticipated 2010 is finally here. For me the beginning of the new year was spent in quiet reflection and meditation.

So, here we are with high hopes for the fruits hosting the FIFA World Cup will yield both economically and socially. I hope we will not be disappointed on so many levels.

For the arts and culture sector there is a frenzy of 'cultural' experiences planned around 2010. The tourism and hospitality industry stands to reap the benefits of the large numbers of sports fans that will be coming through from the West and from within the African continent.

What ever our expectations, whether fulfilled or unfulfilled, 2010 promises to be a year like no other in South Africa.

I for one look forward to the personal and collective outcomes of this key year for the African continent as a whole.

Viva 2010!! Viva Soccer!!

What's been going on with me...

2009-11-11T01:23:00.000-08:00

It has been a challenge to blog regularly as my responsibilities increase as manager of the Africore Galleries. It has been a challenging couple of months but worth it in terms of professional and personal growth.

We are currently working on developing projects for 2010, which promises to be an exciting year in the arts and culture sector as well as for sports and recreation. Funding is always a challenge but we look forward to some really interesting collaborations between artists from Nigeria and their counterparts in South Africa.

I am off to Nairobi, Kenya for a 2-day seminar on cultural policy sponsored by the ARTerial Network from the 24th to the 27th of November.

I have also gone into a private business venture with two other partners, I think it is important to have other alternatives in these unstable financial times. Particularly in light of the current downsizing exercise by the Africore Group our parent company.

Please log onto the link below to visit the facebook page of the house of A.N.K.A.R.A.

Thank you!!

http://www.facebook.com/note.php?created&&suggest&note_id=197027111003&id=94074446029#/pages/Johannesburg-South-Africa/Africore-Galleries/94074446029

Re-visiting Lagos

2009-09-20T13:31:00.000-07:00

I just got back from a two-week stint in Lagos and find myself re-charged and re-vitalised. it's difficult to describe the vibe that is Lagos, the energy, the drive..it is so uniquely Lagos.

I was happy to immerse myself in the madness. the endless traffic jams, the aggressive hawkers that make it easy for busy workaholics to shop from the comfort of their air-conditioned cars. only in Lagos I always say can you see such sights.

I loved and hated every minute of the stress and wahala. but it gives you a natural high, makes your senses stand alert because you just have to be smart or risk being outsmarted in Lagos. eko for show!!

I achieved quite a bit now i sit here thinking about it but while I was there it fel as if I didn't achive a single thing.

I started discussions regarding representation with 7 artists, I got five cds of images and a few cv's as well.

Basically, I have launched myself back into the arts and my past credibility still serves me well.

I am all set to achieve great things at Africore but i want to do it systematically and lay a sound foundation that will form a solid base on which to grow and develop the gallery.

It's been a while

2009-07-29T05:07:00.000-07:00

I have been so busy with my new job as the manager for the Africore Gallery that I really have not had time to post anything new. I also have more obligations in terms of putting information on the web.

Africore Galleries has a face book page, a weblog and a website and just putting information on the face book page alone is time consuming but I love it!! It's wonderful to have all these choices at your disposal and they save you the cost of advertising before your are ready to.

I am almost at the end of my second month at Africore and we need to be moving to the next stage of being self-sustaining. It is a huge responsibility especially in these 'dark' days of recession to be selling a 'luxury' product like paintings. But it can be done, people still do need to have beautiful things around them don't they? We just need to find ways of making these objects of beauty more accessible.

So, I have my thinking cap on and the ideas are coming but of course one has to weed through and pick the most practical and efficient way of actualising these goals.

Pondering Peter Areh by Okey Nwafor...

2009-07-06T02:38:00.000-07:00

As I reflect on the news of Peter's death, I interrogate the concept of violence in Africa and elsewhere. I interrogate violence in Africa because of the multiple dimensions violence has assumed in this continent. Ranging from large scale, collective ethnocidal violence to various forms of organized individual killings and extending to what Appadurai describes as "extreme forms of political violence against civilian population,"

I get cross at the rate of the escalation. Although you cannot divorce these kinds of violence from other continents but the contention here is the alarming senselessness which Africa’s own has assumed. I get worried that the terrains of my country are becoming more dangerous with the passing days. Things keep on degenerating without visible attempt by the so called government to address them. As a matter of fact, without being utterly pessimistic here, I have never seen or heard of any assassination case in Nigeria whereby the culprits were ever apprehended.

What is actually happening? If you think of any advanced and developed society you can count on Nigerians as one of the most successful groups in any field of human endeavour. But if you come back to Nigeria it would seem as though hell has been let loose. I don’t intend to use this space to cast aspersion on my beloved country but sometimes it makes me think sh*t when I remember the state of things in a country which should be one of the richest countries in the world.

Don’t misunderstand me as this write-up comes as a sudden emotional ejaculation to the death of Peter. Yes it’s true one cannot cry over spilled milk but let it be known to the world that the milk was most insensibly and brutally spilled that one cannot help crying out loud. Adieu Peter! Jee nke oma (Go well).

I am so terribly shocked!!

2009-07-02T02:56:00.000-07:00

This morning I got the most shocking news about a colleague and a friend. I haven't seen him in over 4 years now but I was hit in the solar plexus literally by the news of his death and worse the circumstances of his death seem so senseless, so pointless.

This just hasn't been my week, from one stressful situation to another. I don't know what to feel, the question that just runs through my mind is WHY?????

WHY PETER??? Sadly I don't have the answer to that question........

A job is a job is a job.......

2009-06-22T06:17:00.000-07:00

What does a job mean to us individually? Really? Let's give that question some careful thought. For me a job is not just a meal ticket or the means to paying bills, I have to enjoy what I do and be committed to it. I have the ability to make the most mundane task take on a life of its own. Ideas begin to swirl around in my head, possibilities, opportunities, prospects. But on the other hand I have learned through experience to be realistic about the pros and cons.

I have been employed to manage a gallery with little visibility and a fairly new product. This is both an opportunity and a challenge. An opportunity because the product has not been introduced by any other organization into the market ever before, therefore there are opportunities to chart our own cause and create a new brand. However, there are a few pitfalls in there, hence the challenge. One needs to tread carefully but at the same time be bold in approach to catch the attention of the target market.

A solid foundation needs to be laid and the momentum sustained.

I am looking forward to the challenge.

This is a test of my experience both academic and professional, inherited knowledge, as well as my ability to be adaptable, to make the right decisions, and expand my marketing and business horizons and skills.

And we keep on marching.....

2009-06-09T07:29:00.000-07:00

It's been about a month and some since I visited my blog but I'm never far away from it, sometimes life gets in the way of blogging that's all.

Well, I spent most of May rounding up outstanding administrative issues at the former GCAP offices in CIVICUS House in Newtown. GCAP shut down their offices in Johannesburg because the hunt was still on for a new campaign manager and a mobilisation manager so it was not really clear where these persons would be situated. The logical and most cost-efficient step was for existing staff to work from home.

Where was I positioned within this transitional period? As I mentioned in a previous post, I applied for the position of secretariat assistant but since the recruitment process was stalled for various reasons, I found myself without an anchor so to speak. At this point I was having discussions with the partners of a private business entity that had opened a gallery in 2007 and who were looking for a professional to manage the gallery for them. And best of all the gallery was dealing in Nigerian art, West African art to be precise.

I was torn between accepting their offer and facing the challenge of being instrumental in building up a business or taking the safe route and waiting to be re-instated back into GCAP. There was however no certainty that I would infact be offered a permanent position at GCAP but sometimes one feels safer with the status quo.

I decided to bite the bullet and accept the offer to work with the Africore Group and manage the Africore Gallery. There are a lot of things to consider particularly in this economic climate but I am excited and challenged to do the best I know how to do and to push myself beyond the limits of my area of expertise. To stretch myself mentally and to learn as much as I can from this experience.

I was at the Jo'burg Art Fair

2009-04-05T10:29:00.000-07:00

It has been quite a while since I went to see an exhibition or a performance and for someone who grew up in and around the arts this is unacceptable.

It was wonderful to be at the Jo'burg Art fair and the art community was fairly well represented given the current economic downturn and the fact that the arts are always the first to be deprived of funds.

It was a good show though and there was so much to see, I didn't get to see everything. I was however proud to see my friend and curator, Bisi Silva from Nigeria. She brought a group of artists from around Africa. It was a good outing.

I'll revisit this topic in another blog.

I have been away too long...

2009-03-30T03:19:00.001-07:00

I cannot believe that I have not blogged in 2 months!! And in those two months a number of things have happened on the employment front, nothing momentous but I daresay some progress has been made.

My internship period at GCAP was extended until April 30th and I have applied for one of the advertised positions within the organisation. This is an interesting time to be in GCAP because it has become an independent organisation. The registration for the GCAP Global Foundation was finalised in February. So, we are severing the umblical cord from CIVICUS come May 30th.

I am quite excited about GCAP's independence, which gives us more room to carry out our mandate of mobilising civil society around the issues of poverty and inequality more agressively. These mobilisations are organised around the following key events for 2009;

1. International Women's Day, 8th march
2. G20 Summits, April 2
3. G8 Summit, July 8-10
4. Stand Up and Take Action/International Day for teh Eradication of Poverty, 17th October
5. UNFCCC Climate Change Conference, 30 November - 11 December
6. World Dignity Day, 5th December

Our aim is to force governments to address the issues of poverty and inequality by making more efficient policies that take the plight of the marginalised poor into consideration. And most important of all to hold governments accountable for the well-being of their citizens by honoring their promises with regards to the Millenium Development Goals (MDGs).

I could go on but I am afraid it would require volumes of text to do justice to the subject. I therefore encourage you to visit our website via www.whiteband.org to learn more about what we do and the actions we will be undertaking this year.

I have learned so much these past five months and I will say that during my one year at the Bard Center for Environmental Policy I did not forsee that I would be working in an organisation where I would actually use the knowledge I gained. I have rather moved away from my first love - cultural heritage management, but I think everything is connected because we need better policies to be able to preserve our cultural resources and assets. If poverty and inequality are eradicated, there would be an increase in the appreciation of our cultures and in preserving that
heritage.

I have tried not to be too rigid about remaining true to my initial career objectives, it has been a little difficult but it is getting easier to keep an open mind and have a sense of direction but not try to restrict new opportunities because they do not correspond to my original career master plan.

I am thoroughly enjoying working here at GCAP. Our structure is totally decentralised and we have staff working from different parts of the world. We spend a lot of time on skype, email, teleconferences and phone calls. I haven't met a number of the people I work witrh face-to-face but because we communicate daily I feel as if I know them.

We are a prime example of a virtual work space and it works, sometimes not too smoothly but it has been a succesful system.

A Tribute to a Mentor, a Teacher and a Mother.

2009-03-30T03:01:00.000-07:00

Jean Helen Power was laid to rest on the 26th of March, 2009, on a beautiful day with clear skies, a slight wind and sunshine.

She was lauded, remembered and missed in a memorial service that was befittingly held out on the lawns of the Inanda Club in Ilovo, Johannesburg. As the presiding priest said 'I now know why her family decided to have this memorial out here in the open, because Jean's spirit cannot be confined'.

That is very true, her spirit cannot be confined. It is so large that it is everywhere. Jean's sudden illness and death was extremely shocking to me particularly because I spoke to her a few weeks ago and was in fact supposed to have met with her to discuss my future career plans.

I learned a lot of things from Jean and Lesley as individuals and from the WoW programme in general. Jean made an impression on me from the onset due to her personality and character. She was a breath of fresh air to a foreign student that was battling to understand the complexities of the South African society.

To meet a person like Jean was wonderful, she was frank, genteel and warm. She genuinely cared about each individual participant of the WoW programme and did her best to be encouraging and supportive. Jean was not a saint, she was just exceptionally human.

It is said that you lead by example and Jean did that. She was constant, reliable and generous with her personal resources. I was not surprised to hear what was said about her at the memorial service, it was an affirmation of what we already knew.

I am certain she's already at work wherever she is now lending a helping hand.

How can Nigeria's problems be solved?

2009-01-30T01:43:00.000-08:00

It is the people in distress that can understand these things. Unless you have a society in which the citizens feel passionately about freedom and justice, fair-play and transparency, that is, a situation in which you can tell and see where the money that belongs to you goes, Nigeria's problems may continue to defy solutions.

Nigeria is a country where money simply disappears. Some efforts have been made to keep records of the transfer of budgetary allocations from the center and the middle to the bottom. And it was something new when it was presented to the public and those who presented it said, 'this is what we have done; this is how much that was derived from the Federal Government, and how much that belongs to the state governments and local governments'.

These details are absolutely necessary. These are rituals that you must insist on. Unless it happens in Nigeria, our money will keep on disappearing in black holes.

Prof. Chinua Achebe

http://odili.net/news/source/2009/jan/29/401.html

The 44th President of the United States of America

2009-01-22T22:55:00.000-08:00

It is encouraging to witness in these very tumultuous, uncertain and often-changing landscapes that embodies the 21st century, the kind of inspiration and hope that one individual represents. Particularly in a world where people have become increasingly cynical and individualistic.

I was lucky to have been in the States at the beginning of this incredible journey that brought former Illinois Senator Barrack Obama to this point. I first saw him on Oprah Winfrey and was immediately captivated by his confidence, calmness, self-assurance and faith in the goodness of humankind. A truly remarkable man by any standards.

I have heard comments such as 'he's a politician and in the end he will go the way of others before him'. Hmmm...I don't know. I see in him the zeal to work for the 'people' as the machinery of government was set out to do. There is a certain 'purity' if you will in his character that demands that he does the right thing. This is my opinion of course. But I think this man is a remarkable individual who will achieve great things. He is idealistic and I believe idealism is a required ingredient for people that effect change, particularly under difficult circumstances.

It is certain (to me) that he will definitely do his best. He will go beyond the call of duty and move mountains to make sure that homes are saved, jobs are created and most of all that the dignity of labour is once again restored, and that the United States of America will again rise as a truly democratic entity with its ideals once again restored.

What ever happens these first four years of Obama's presidency, it is apparent that change has indeed come to America and the hands of the clock can never be turned back....ever.

This should send a message to governemnts around Africa that have enslaved their citizens into a life of hardship, poverty and civil strife. I speak personally of my country, Nigeria, where there is so much wealth but this great wealth is being distributed amongst a greedy few and their foreign counterparts. I am speaking of a country like Zimbabwe and the fact that President Robert Mugabe has totally destroyed an economy that was a shinning example on the Continent. And my question is 'why on earth is he still there?'. where is SADEC, the AU? Do we need to wait for the UN and the West to place sanctions on Zimbabwe? Sanctions that further crush the ordinary man on the street?

I refer to DRC Congo where there are numerous natural resources but no infrastructure and increasing poverty. I am talking about governments that sell their 'birth rights' to China, Europe and America at the expense of their citizenry personally 'pocketing' billions, trillions of dollars while their citizens out of desperation seek refuge in other countries. And pay the prize of being 'third class' citizens in foreign lands, sometimes paying for this so-called 'freedom' by loosing their lives.

It is totally unacceptable and obviously these 'leaders' are not interested in the long-term, in generations to come. What will be left behind for their children, grand-children and great-grand children? I wonder....... It makes my heart so heavy and the fact is that poverty can be eradicated in Africa if governments acknowledge that governance is not about lining your pockets while your country falls into a decline and rots away. When will we learn? When will we put our house in order and stop looking to the West to do it for us???

What Do Internships Do for Job-seekers?

2009-01-16T03:04:00.000-08:00

Internships are seen as the easiest way to secure a permanent position within an organisation. As my economics professor at Bard would say..... it depends.

I am doing an internship right now, I have learnt some new things and I am happy to have had the opportunity to learn those things. Particularly since a lot of the things that GCAP deals with are related to what I learned at the Bard center for Environmental Policy. I am indeed grateful to have the opportunity to at least observe the practilisation of the knowledge gained from the coursework.

I find myself not really doing what I would like to be doing - practicing as a cultural heritage manager. This is a dilemma for me because the arts, culture and heritage sector is supposed to be lacking practitioners but now I ask myself 'where are the jobs?'. I had to find some way to make an 'entrance' so to speak into the job market and an internship seemed the only viable way to do so.

Back to the question, how viable are internships as a path to being permanently employed? Again, I think it depends...on the organisation and how the internship process has been defined within the organisational structure wouldn't you say? I am not too sure what value this particular internship is adding to my career goals. Seems to me you have to make a number of 'unsuitable' career choices before the right one finally comes your way. Depressing.....or perhaps self-employment is the answer. It's becoming harder and harder to make an informed decision with the options that are available in the 21st century job market.

Interning at GCAP

2009-01-06T11:49:00.000-08:00

I didn't write too much about GCAP last year because I just had a snapshot before it was time to go on holidays. What I can say is that it is a most interesting organisation given the way it evolved.

My course in environmental policy exposed me to the various challenges the human population faces worldwide, some populations more affected than others. Words like climate change, social corporate responsibility, good governance, economic policies, public policies, civil society, social movements, environmental law and statistics took on a whole new meaning when looked at through the lense of human rights violations, poverty, corporate irresponsibility, oppressive governments and bad public policies.

This is basically what GCAP is fighting against...poverty and all the things that cause this state of abject human degradation around the world. The organisation does this by mobilising the victims themselves, the ordinary citizen to stand up against governments who ignore the suffering of their citizenry.

To learn more about what GCAP is about please log onto www.whiteband.org and www.standagainstpoverty.org.

A new year, new perspectives, a fresh start.....

2009-01-06T11:21:00.000-08:00

I like the beginning of a new year, I always feel rejuvenated, motivated, hopeful. And this year, I feel even more hopeful than usual for some inexplicable reason. It could be because I finished all the things I started in 2005 last year. And I added on a few things I had not planned and completed them as well. Now I am ready to move on to the next step.

Reading my profile just now, I see that I have grown so much mentally, psychologically and spiritually over these past three years. I have evolved and I am still evolving. That is what I love best about being alive.......the possibilities. As one matures, the possibilities increase (I believe) because there is the advantage of experience, lessons learned and knowledge gained, which hopefully leads to better choices.

This new year, I would like to use what I have learned academically and from the 'university of life' to explore the possibilities out there. My fields of study - heritage studies and environmental policy are relatively new areas that will continue to grow and right now employment opportunities in the sector are few but there is room for growth.

So, this is a definitive year for me in terms of career choices and other more personal choices. Wish me luck!!

Has the World Gone Mad???

2008-12-01T05:07:00.000-08:00

Last week and this week have been very eventful with all the horrifying news on the local and international media. Bombing and shootings in Mumbai, life-threatening cholera epidemic in Zimbabwe, religious violence and the Niger Delta problem in Nigeria, the domino effects of the financial crisis, airport under seige in Thailand, piracy in Somalian territorial waters, more upheaval in Democratic Republic of Congo (interesting that the word democracy features in the country name) and more turmoil in Iraq and other parts of the Middle East. When will it all end??

In the midst of all this world crises I have started my internship at GCAP and I am happy to finally be in an organisation where my various skills and streams of knowledge are an asset not a liability. During the World of Work Programme (2007) there was a lot of talk about how organisations are looking for individuals that are versatile and flexible but in a 'real world' scenario, it is a lot more complex. I know because while I was in Newyork I searched for those kind of organisations. There are a few but the competition is high and the opportunities to be employed few.

I will discuss the objectives of GCAP in my next blog post and as the internship process unfold, the value my qualifications and skills add to the organisation will emerge. Also the wealth of knowledge that I stand to gain in the course of carrying out my duties here.

The verdict is in!!

2008-11-04T21:50:00.000-08:00

Senator Barrack Obama was announced as the 44th president of the United States of America a few minutes ago and this news affected me so profoundly. It is indeed a proud day for black people all over the world but even more significant to the African-American, Hispanic, Asian and Native American Indians.

What a night!! What a day!! It is all so overwhelming. I watched the Reverend Jessie Jackson and Oprah Winfrey totally overwhelmed by emotions.

People turned out in large numbers to cast their votes, old and young. Some voting for the first time or after a long while. There was no shouting, thuggery or intimidation as is the usual practice in Africa (Nigeria and Zimbabwe for instance). I am proud of the citizens of the United States of America.

God bless the 44th President of the USA!!

Working for GCAP in Jo'burg

2008-11-03T20:08:00.000-08:00

I was fortunate enough in these hard times to be accepted into an internship with the Global Call for Action against Poverty (GCAP). I start as soon as I return to Johannesburg in less than two weeks. I am really excited at the prospect and will keep everyone update on what the internship involves and how my skills and recent qualifications from bard College and Wits University are beneficial to me and the organisation in the course of the internship.

Countdown to election day...

2008-11-03T19:50:00.000-08:00

It has been a most illuminating experience for me being here in the United States during the presidential electoral process. Not only is it significantly different from the way elections are run in my home country Nigeria, it is also a first-hand demonstration of democracy in action as it were.

The surprising thing is that no matter how it is 'cloaked', democracy in the United states is just a more 'civilized' version of the power play that goes on in Africa. However, Senator Barrack Obama has run a unique race, not in terms of his politics but in terms of the approach he took. His campaign was not really about him but about what can be achieved when a campaign involves the people who in a democratic setting should be involved in choosing who will govern them.

Barrack Obama represents the struggles of slaves and the sons and daughters of slaves who now live in a so-called 'free' society. He represents civil rights and human rights movements by African-Americans as well as in black Africa and other parts of the world where people are still struggling to achieve some measure of political freedom.

It is a historic moment in the United States the so-called 'free world' where a person of colour has never made it to the point of being a presidential candidate. Senator Obama has carried his campaign with dignity, confidence, humility, reverence and above all class. I am even prouder that I am black person in these times.

Viva Senator Barrack Obama!

Since I have been here......

2008-09-26T13:42:00.000-07:00

This year has been a tumultous one for the citizens of the United States of America. So much has happened that I don't even know where to begin.

The housing crash seems a good place to start, that left thousands of Americans reeling with shock. As a result a large number of people are homeless, others cannot even sell their houses because the value had fallen extensively.

There are the natural disasters, tornadoes in New Orleans, Iowa and Texas. What a year it has been. And again September 11 rolls around and is observed with solemn memorial services and painful memories.

And now the financial crises on Wall Street, the last straw. All through this the president was in denial until it became clear that there is a crises that can no longer be ignored. And now the bail out.....if it happens.

Time flies when you are having fun...

2008-09-04T19:32:00.000-07:00

It is unbelievable that it is September already an indication that 2008 is in it's last months. I cannot believe how much has happened within what seems like such a short time.

The republican and democratic presidential elections here in the States have stirred up a lot of controversy and excitement. Obama and African-American of kenyan descent has become the first of his race to be a presidential nominee on teh democratic party ticket. It is a proud moment for all black people. I am however even prouder of him for not succumbing to playing the race card and declaring himself an American running for the office of the president. And while all the racial discuss rages around him he is determined to keep it 'clean' and not allow these side issues to blurr his objective......to serve the American people.

I admire what he stands for and the fact that he has stood strong in his convictions that there needs to be a change in the way America is governed. A lot of people dub him an idealist but isn't that how great nations were built? Isn't that what the United States of America was built on? That spirit of idealism? It is very interesting for me to be in the US at this crucial period in their history when the country is in recession, billions of dollars are spent weekly on an endless war that seems so insignificant compared to the loss of military personnel, depletion of the social security fund, the real estate crash, unemployment and rising oil prices.

Americans are feeling the burden of the War on Terror in Iraq and a bad president. It is a sad situation. One has to be here to understand what is happening to this great nation where 'dreaming big' is an important prerequisite for personal and national success.

Swimming in the currents of change...

2008-09-04T19:15:00.000-07:00

I signed up with a temping agency here in the States while I continue searching for my 'ideal' job. I am determined to source out that job that I feel will be the right kind of stepping stone to what I really want to be doing.

I was encouraged to apply for a position in UNDP by my professor from the Bard Centre for Environmental Policy, Monique Segarra. She is my policy professor and has a very interesting background in political studies and international relations. I did not get the position because UN staff are given priority as candidates for UN vacancies.

Policy analysis and development is an area that I am keenly interested in. I want to have the opportunity to develop my skills in the field of 'knowledge management'. The position in UNDP was titled 'knowledge analyst', which I understand is the new 'buzz' word for researcher. It sounds very sophisticated and to my mind is indicative of extensive expertise in research, analysis and development of policy, as well as related sectors.

I applied for a position at the Africa Centre in Cape Town and I am keeping my fingers crossed that I am shortlisted and interviewed. It sounds like the kind of organisation I would love to work with. It is of great importance to me that we develop and grow research in the arts, culture and heritage sectors in particular, as well as begin to train more arts and cultural heritage managers.

Wish me luck!!

Job Applications.....

2008-08-23T19:15:00.000-07:00

I recently made the decision to return to South Africa and I made it based on my observations about the opportunities available to me in the heritage sector here in the States, and my immediate chances of accessing those opportunities. It seems to me that to be taken seriously as an expert in African arts and cultural heritage, I should be working in Africa.

I have therefore decided to return to South Africa. I am in the process of applying for a number of vacancies in the arts and culture sector. I hope something works out before my imposed departure date of november 2. wish me luck everyone. I know America is seen as the land of opportunity and dreams but the reality is they are also experiencing the current world wide recession. I look forward to coming home to where I belong and where my heart is.....on the continent.

What in the World is Going On????

2008-08-11T08:56:00.000-07:00

A week ago a really grisly incident occurred on a greyhound bus in Canada. Reading about it, it just seemed so surreal. A Chinese immigrant stabs a young man sitting next to him 60-70 times then cuts of his head with a large knife and eats parts of his body. It sounds like a hollywood movie but it is not. It happened in real life. What in the world is going on? The claim is that he suffered some kind of manically insane episode. What on earth does that mean? Now a 22 year old man is dead and I cannot begin to imagine how his family is suffering.

I hate watching the local news here because just like in South Africa it is usually about murder and mayhem with sex-related scandals thrown into the mix. Sad news everywhere you turn. Just yesterday there was news about a taxi driver who got shot in the eye by three girls that flagged him down. It seemed that they were teenage girls as well. One of them shot him point blank in the head and now he's blind.

My friend and I were looking for a birthday present for her soon-to-be 3 year old son as well as the older boy who is 4. At Kmart we noticed that all the action figures looked fierce, aggressive, violent and just down right scary!! What happened to all the nice happy action figures of yester years? Why are kids being taught to be so violent? Everything is about aggressive success, winning at all costs and looking muscular or looking like an emaciated barbie doll. What is that all about? And we wonder why there is so much violent crime? Cartoons that used to be nice and educational are now all about shooting and hitting and yelling. Unbelievable!!

It makes me so scared. I am terrified about the kind of generation we are breeding because the wars will never stop. The violent crimes will never stop. We are now living in a world full of angry, malfunctioning individuals. God help us.

Life Happens....

2008-08-05T20:54:00.000-07:00

I have not posted anything in the past month because I have been busy getting acquainted with the US job market. It has not been easy given the current economic downturn and the rising rate of unemployment. To give myself a boost in unfamiliar territory I have employed the services of an employment agency. I am confident that being with an agency will expand my chances of getting my resume out to many more employers. I'll keep you posted on how it all pans out. Wish me luck.

What a disgrace.........

2008-07-01T08:16:00.000-07:00

I really don't care if African leaders want to avoid 'criticising one their own' in front of 'former colonial masters', I think it is disgraceful that a leader who is oppressing his people and maintaining his position as president through brutality and illegal practices should have been allowed to be present at an African Union summit. What message are we sending to the rest of the world? Below is an excerpt from the Zimbabwean presidential spokes person, personally it sounds like so much drivel and rubbish. Robert Mugabe should be a pariah on the African continent and should be shorned by decent, pro-democracy Africans around the world. Frankly I think the time for diplomacy is over.

Charamba told reporters that Mugabe would not step down.
"Isn't that an odd question. He's a few days into office and you expect him to retire, do you? ... Five days have expired, not even a week after. ... Why is the issue of the retirement of the president of Zimbabwe such an obsession for the West?" he said.
"He has come here as president of Zimbabwe and he will go home as president of Zimbabwe, and when you visit Zimbabwe he will be there as the president of all the people of Zimbabwe," Charamba told reporters.

And we think that we will ever gain the respect of nations around the world? Look around the African continent, it is always stories of brutality, war, hunger and greed. We can keep on saying that the Western media is villifying Africa and its leaders but that excuse is old now. African leaders need to be able to stand up for fairness, human rights, equality, unity and progress. It is time for our leaders to realise that they have responsibilities to their citizenry and not only to their greedy ambitions and power-mongering. I am really tired of individuals like Mugabe thinking that they have the god-given right to be president ad-infinitum. It has to stop!! This is why African nations are not realizing their full potential and will continue to dance to the tune of the West.

Job-hunting and other matters....

2008-06-11T23:18:00.000-07:00

It have once again updated my resume, it did not come out in the original format but it is much shorter. I find myself job-hunting at a very interesting moment in the political and economic history of the United States of America. The war on Iraq has taken its toll on the US economy and its citizens are paying dearly for it. Recently oil prices reached an unprecedented high of $135 per barrel, causing a simultaneous rise in the price of food and other goods and services. At the pump gas is now $4.00.

What a time to be looking for not just any job but the job. I have to be very realistic about what is on the ground and the possibilities and opportunites that are realistically available to a non-immigrant in present day US. What is my strategy? I have narrowed down my target organizations to think tanks, UN agencies, World Bank and NGOs that work in policy research and development, as well as organizations that are working towards achieving realistic and sustainable environmentally friendly goals. I am of course keeping my fingers and toes crossed.

The shifting political climate here in the States is also noteworthy. I have been following the presidential primaries with great interest since I arrived here in August of 2007. Barrack Obama the senator from Illinois has forever changed the path of presidential candidacy in this country by wining the presidential nomination over Senator Hillary Clinton. What I find incredible is that in spite of his best efforts to present himself as an American citizen and an individual who aspires to become the president of the US, the media is intent on casting him as a ''black'' candidate. Yes, he is a black man but most importantly he is first and foremost a citizen of the United States of America. I have found that race is still very much embedded in the US psyche, much like it is in South Africa. The major difference is that it is so subtle that if you do not read between the lines, perceive the nuances, you may think you are mistaken. Racism is living and breathing in America even worse, in my view, than in the 60's, 70s and 80s.

Commentary on recent attacks on non-South Africans in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban

2008-06-02T17:43:00.000-07:00

Some really graphic photographs of humanbeings being burnt to death by mobs in townships in Johannesburg have been circulating on the internet, leaving recipients with a very negative view of South Africa and South Africans.

Here in America where the masses are little informed about other parts of the world, particularly Africa they find these visuals very disturbing, horrifying and alarming. I doubt that this will encourage tourists to come for the world cup in 2010.

More and more, South Africa is seen as a violent country where violence is random and unpredictable. I think this is a pity because as a country and a people I believe South Africa and South Africans have a lot to offer. I am however not surprised at this intense outburst of violence. I blame the South African governement for ignoring the signs of discontent and frustration from the unemployed and impoverished masses in the townships. I think this mayhem could have been averted.

I blame the governments of Zimbabwe, Malawi, mozambique, Nigeria e.t.c., for making life so difficult in these countries that their citizenry are forced into exile and exposed to the kinds of vulnerabilities that lead to violence and death. I blame the kind of leadership that promotes divisiveness amongst Africans. Why can we not love ourselves? Why do we maim and fight and destroy each other? As an African I should feel safer in any country in Africa than in America or Europe. Why should I be made to feel like an alien in Africa?

I can understand that our black brothers and sisters in South African have been through a lot but now they are turning on people who did not have anything to do with their pain and suffering. They are turning on people who reached out a helping hand to them. That is not acceptable. As Africans our cultures promote hospitality, we welcome strangers into our midst we don't kill them. I am just so profoundly saddened by the senseless loss of lives and ashamed of my brothers and sisters in South Africa.

Free at Last!!

2008-05-24T10:07:00.000-07:00

I finally concluded my programme in environmental policy on Friday May 23rd, 2008. I also received a letter from the faculty of Humanities informing me that my research report has been graded and I passed.

My three year stint in academia is over for now and I walk away with so much knowledge. I am now in the job market. I'll keep you all updated on what my strategy is and how the hunt is going. Watch this space!

Looking ahead..

2008-05-06T05:29:00.000-07:00

Last Friday and Saturday, we had a two-day workshop sponsored by the Luce Learning Across Borders Scholarship/Fellowship fund. Since I am a Bard-Luce Scholar and a BCEP student I was mandated to attend. But that is not the point.

These workshops were organized by the BCEP faculty to map the way forward for the programme. In the past year, four prospective director candidates have been interviewed. We almost got one last year but he decided to take up another offer. This year we've met one new candidate and another will soon be coming for a series of interviews.

It is important to forge new partnerships and expand the ambit of the programme. Currently, BCEP students in the Masters of Science programme, which is for a period of two years, have to do a four month internship on which they base their thesis in the second semester. The Luce funding will expire in 2009 and other sources of funding have to be earmarked before then.

More importantly, the workshops addressed issues relating to the future of students in the programme. Discussions ranged from current teaching practices and new ways of approaching the curriculum, to how to position students emerging into the workplace with an interdisciplinary background.

There is a lot in the pipeline for BCEP moving forward. Bard college is a very small private institution with a total student population of approximately 1800. That's a very different dynamic from Wits University where I came from. In spite of its size, it has a formidable reputation for excellence particularly in the liberal arts. It is in the process of increasing its postgraduate student body.

The Bard Center for Environmental policy is therefore, part of that process. I wish them all the best as they move into the next phase of expansion.

Updated Curriculum Vitae

2008-05-01T19:58:00.000-07:00

I have updated my curriculum vitae by streamlining it and adding current information. It is just three more weeks to the end of my programme and the job search is on. I have decided to spend another year here to gain some 'international' perspective.

The conundrum...

2008-04-27T10:52:00.000-07:00

As my course draws to an end, I face the burning question of how to integrate all this different components of knowledge acquired from my arts, culture and heritage management, heritage studies and environmental policy programmes. The question I keep asking myself is how do I market myself in a way that incorporates all these different streams of knowledge that cut across multiple sectors?

I am in the process of up-dating my curriculum vitae (cv) in a way that highlights these various elements. It is not an easy task at all. I have also found that my cv is too long. No prospective employer has the time to read through reams of paper. Here in the States they just want a very tight and effective summary of your key career accomplishments, objectives and achievements.

It is a real conundrum.....

Alternative Sources of Energy.......wind farms

2008-04-27T10:19:00.000-07:00

Last week on Monday (21st April) my class took a trip to a wind farm in Utica, New York State. It was an eight hour drive to and fro', through scenic farm country situated in very small towns in the middle of nowhere, it seemed.

What is a wind farm? You have to see one to be able to visualize 195 wind turbines over a land area of 23,000 acres. Depending on if you are for or against wind farms, it is a pretty awesome sight.

Wind farms have been around since the 1930s as alternatives to non-renewable energy sources such as fossil fuels (e.g. oil, natural gas), but it really took off after the 1973 oil embargo by OPEC countries spearheaded by the Middle East. It is seen as a zero-polluting form of energy generation (this is particularly important in relation to global warming and green house gas pollution). And the United States is one of the few countries in the developed world, that has subsidized the development of wind energy technology. With oil prices soaring to unprecedented heights in the past year and recently, the Bush administration's energy policies focuses on developing renewable energy sources. The intent is to drastically reduce dependency on foreign oil.

Wind energy is currently a very low percentage of total US energy generation (for electricity in particular), the aim is to increase it to about 20 percent by 2010/2015. It is however not all smooth sailing as there is strong opposition from some quarters as to the environmental impacts (killing of migratory birds that fly into the turbines) as well as the impacts on local tourism. The NIMBY phenomenon (not-in-my-backyard) of people not wanting their 'view sheds' obstructed is another major issue. Opponents have also cited the high cost of installation as a negative.

The U.S. government is investing a lot of money in wind energy in spite of the opposition from these various communities and environmental groups. It is a really interesting debate and I cannot possibly do it any justice in this blog post. If you would like to know more about it visit www.awea.org (the American Wind Energy Association website) or just google wind energy.

Asides from the U.S. other world leaders in wind energy technology are Germany (is number one in wind energy development), U.S. is second then Spain, Denmark, India, Netherlands, Italy, Japan, United Kingdom and China.

But back to our wind farm visit. The name of the farm is Maple Ridge Wind Farm and it is the second largest in the U.S. and the largest in New York State. It was commissioned in 2005 and took two years to complete. It leases land from a number of farmers and pays them between 45,000 to 50, 000 dollars per annum in rent. About 85 farmers are involved in this lease agreement. Some have only two wind turbines while others have as many as seven. It does not interfere with their farm operations in any way and provides electricity to about 750 residents in the area. Farmers can plant crops up to the base of the turbines. I could go on, however this post is already too long. I will revisit this topic again.

Spring at last!!

2008-04-17T17:55:00.000-07:00

It's spring finally!! My head has been buried deep in my books for the past three weeks. Mid-terms and all that jazz. There's no relief even though we finished our exams on Tuesday. It's barely four weeks to finals.

We are going on a field trip to a wind farm on Monday. I am looking forward to it. We've been talking about renewable sources of energy since the beginning of the semester. If you remember from my previous blog posts, that was all I talked about!!

It's very interesting to read about Bhutan's Happiness Index on blog thinking our WOW yahoo group mail. We had to analyze this index in our second economics problem set, and compare it to the GDP index. The question was, is this a useful way of measuring human well-being, which is the cornerstone on which modern economics is premised. It is an interesting debate and I have been reading the 2008 WOWers thoughts (and those of Lesley Emanuel who set the ball rolling) on it with great interest.

I have barely five more weeks to the end of this programme and I feel nostalgic already. I will miss the conducive environment at Bard College. And particularly my professors and classmates. It has been a really intellectually intense one year.

Panel presentations and other scintillating events....

2008-03-24T16:36:00.000-07:00

Today we had our panel presentations on topics picked from Michael Pollan's 'The Omnivore's Dilemma'. You'll find this very interesting Susan Arthur. My topic was 'feeding animal protein to animals:safety and regulation'. In the U.S. farmers feed offal and bloody entrails to cattle (as well as other domestic herbivores)as protein to safeguard them against disease.

Farming here is highly industrialized with animals kept in confinement as opposed to being set to pasture. They operate what is known as Confined Animal Feed Operations (CAFOs) and Animal Feed Operations (AFOs). If you're interested in knowing the gory details, please read Pollan's book. It has become very controversial here in the States among agricultural circles as he exposes some practices that agri-industries would rather keep under wraps.

Spring is finally here. I actually sat out in the sun today. It's been very windy and chilly. It's wonderful to feel the warm sun on your face. I do hope everyone had a great easter. Well, back to the grindstone!!

70 days and counting

2008-03-14T17:09:00.000-07:00

Do forgive my obsessive countdown but at this point I'm rearing to go out and use what I have learnt!!

Today I spent 3 hours working on one problem from my economics problem set on peak oil. Please google peak oil and read about Hubbert's Peak and Deffeyes' theory that production of oil has already peaked by 2004.

In a week's time we will be presenting our topics from Micheal Pollan's book 'The Omnivore's Dilemma', worth a read. It will give you a whole new perspective on food and corn in particular. Apparently, all the food in the United States is one form or other of corn. Interesting. My view is more like a suspension of disbelieve. Is it possible for any group of people to be more neurotic about what goes into their mouth?

72 more days to go...

2008-03-12T14:49:00.000-07:00

I am counting the days to the end of this programme. It has been a wonderful learning curve but now I want to go out and practice what I have learnt!!

Time flies when you're having fun...

2008-03-12T14:40:00.000-07:00

I cannot imagine how we got to March so fast. I have been extremely busy with classes, assignments and reading. Spring is almost here and it is a wonderful feeling. The birds are singing again, the sun is shining (even though it is windy and freezing!!) and plants are slowly beginning to bloom. The snow has almost melted away. We are expecting more snow fall though before spring finally pushes out the winter. I say bring it on!!

Winter Storm...

2008-02-29T19:53:00.000-08:00

The weather forecast for this weekend does not bode well for any out-of-doors activities. It has already started ''flurrying''. By midnight it will be a full-scale storm. No fun at all. But the winter landscape upstate New York, is as beautiful in its starkness as the legendary autumns for which it is best known. I have taken loads of pictures. I am still trying to work out how to load them onto my blog to make a slide show. Please bear with me.

What a week!!

2008-02-29T19:39:00.000-08:00

My week has been consumed with energy-related issues. Oil and gas, coal, and renewable energy such as biofuels/biodiesel (from corn ethanol and soy beans), solar power (nuclear energy), and wind energy. Very fascinating and topical issues.

With the ''doomsday'' multiple predictions of oil production ''peaking'' (i.e. the Peak Oil theory) in the very near future leading to economic disaster worldwide. Even more alarming, the imminence of ''oil wars'' with countries attacking each other in their bid to gain control of oil reserves.

A very bleak future indeed. The good news is that inspite of all these projections (2004 was the ''Peak Oil'' year) oil production has continued to increase in billions of barrels per day from OPEC countries and other non-OPEC states. New reserves have been discovered- North Sea (Europe) and in Alaska (the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR)).

The Bush-Cheney National Energy Policy makes for very interesting reading. The American quest for oil is the sole motivating factor for its troops being in the Middle East. The greatest fear of the U.S. government is being cut off from its sources of oil. Oil security is a complex and real problem. I would be very interested in seeing how Bush's predecessor deals with this issue. What happens to U.S. investments in oil reserves when the troops are withdrawn from the Middle East (Iraq in particular)?

Saint Valentine calls again....

2008-02-14T21:00:00.001-08:00

Yes, it's here again. The day for lovers and (I think) very special friends. For me the day was filled with two exhausting two and a half hour classes. I broke the monotony by going to the movies with my friends and classmates, Irynka and Ann-Marie. A ladies night out. We saw the premier of ''Definitely, Maybe''. A chick flick I guess but worth seeing. A nice valentine's day movie. I hope everyone did something they enjoyed with a special someone or a couple of special people. HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!!

From toxicology to nuclear energy

2008-02-14T20:47:00.000-08:00

This week we went into our energy module: nuclear energy, oil and gas, biofuels, coal, renewable energy and all other alternative sources of energy. Fascinating topic. last week I did a presentation on arsenic. It made me look at toxins in a whole new light. Particularly with regards to what damage they can do to our internal organs, not to mention the adverse impacts on the environment.

I will not go into the chemistry involved but here is a tip. Arsenic occurs naturally in soils and can therefore be taken up by plants in the process of photosynthesis. It is prevalent in our fruits and vegetables, in pesticides and herbicides. In our water, through seepage from the groundwater into our drinking water. It is a pervasive inorganic compound, odourless, colourless, therefore hard to identify (isn't that scary). My classmates presentations had even scarier toxins.

Today, we looked at a paper by a gentleman named Vaclav Smil. He writes very strongly about the economist and geologist ''views'' on how long we will be able to extract oil in particular. A lot of doomsday predictions and projections as to how long these resources can be extracted at manageable cost has been ricocheting back and forth. His book titled ''Energy at the Crossroads'' makes for very interesting and dense reading.

Super Tuesday!!

2008-02-04T18:53:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow (5th February) is ''Super Tuesday'' here in the U.S. This is the day that the presidential candidate for the republican and democratic party are chosen. One candidate, one platform, one president.

The whole election saga is incredibly fascinating to me. This is democracy at its best. For the first time in America, no one can predict the outcome. Senator Barrack Obama has brought a new set of rules to the game. I remember watching him on Oprah last year in May or June. No one can believe how far he's come.

The interesting thing is that he has supporters from all camps....black, white, young, old, rich, poor, stars, truckdrivers the list goes on. Infact here at Bard College there's a huge rally going on tonight organised by Bard students. It's incredible. Americans are comparing him to Martin Luther King Jnr. He certainly has the charisma and truly believes that he can bring change, and that this change cannot be achieved without the help of American citizens.

Now every other candidate has jumped on the ''change'' band wagon. Let's see how super Tuesday plays out.

Looking back at Hurricane Katrina

2008-02-04T18:46:00.000-08:00

Today in policy class we took a critical look at the unbelievable circumstances surrounding the Hurricane Katrina disaster. To think that this happened in a democratic society like the United States of America in the 20th century is one of the great paradoxes of our times.

The level of inadequacy and inefficiency from local to state, and up to the federal government clearly showed the inability of the mayor of New Orleans and the governor of the state of Loiusiana to correctly assess the risks before the hurricane struck and in the aftermath.

This is a good example of how governments fail to make proactive choices based on information given before hand, that could avert or mitigate circumstances that create huge socio-economic impacts like Katrina.

Next week Monday we look at the nuclear plant explosion in Chernobyl more closely.

Toxicology and Risk Assessment.......the Spring Semester takes off!

2008-02-02T18:03:00.000-08:00

The semester has started off to a promising preview of things to come. This is the time to assess whether the deluge of information we had to assimilate last semester (2007) made any impact. It seemed like system overload to me (I felt my system crashing) but a lot of information did stick.

This year we have started off with the nitty-gritty details of toxicology (organic chemistry), risk assessment and analysis, in our science class. This theme cuts across the board. In economics we look at how to use statistical data to analyse environmental impact and the risks involved. Policy takes us on a journey back in time to the Chernobyl nuclear disaster and Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans (U.S.). In law we look at the legal implications of risk assessment and the various environmental laws and statutes. How effective are they? That is the million-dollar question.

Finally, we have an exciting new addition to our coursework this semester.....GIS! Geographical Information Systems. I am very excited. It is wonderful to be in an interdisciplinary (or should I say multi-disciplinary) such as this, and even though science is really not my favourite subject it is infinitely intriguing, and the possibilities in scientific research are tremendous.

Best news ever!! I finally submitted my thesis for Wits University. I feel as if a huge weight was lifted off my shoulders. The combination of my research report and the course work in the environmental policy programme was just too much!! I enjoyed working on my research very much, I met a lot of wonderful people and learnt so much about World Heritage Sites in South Africa and around Africa.

Doing the ''culture-improvement'' rounds

2008-01-11T09:25:00.000-08:00

I visited the Brooklyn museum on Wednesday. It is huge. I was only able to view two exhibitions from the African section, and a new show of American ''impressionists'' exhibiting water color traditions between the 18th century to the 20th century.

As I strolled leisurely through the African exhibition all I could think was that these works were ''stolen'' from my continent. Those thoughts deemed the pleasure of my ''viewing'' considerably. But I was also proud to identify with these works of exquisite beauty and craftsmanship from Mali, Togo, Nigeria, Gabon, Ghana, Cameroon, Kenya, Ethiopia, Sudan, DRC, Congo Brazaville, Liberia, Sierra leone, South Africa, Angola, Namibia and Zambia.

It also made me wonder why in West Africa particularly, we are not able to boast of these kinds of institutions where the best of our national creative treasures should be displayed. Instead we have to go to museums in America and Europe to view our artistic and cultural legacy. I place the blame squarely on the shoulders of African governments, for not recognising and appreciating the value of creating a home where our arts and cultures can be preserved for posterity, and as a link between past and future generations.

Yikes!! No more lovely pics..

2008-01-08T12:50:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone, I seem to be having technical problems with my photographs. So, until I sort that out I will not be able to put up my lovely photographs from Bard, New York city, and from my trip to Brunswick, Georgia in the South of the United States. Not to worry I will do my best to sort it out sooner than later.

The way forward

2008-01-08T12:35:00.000-08:00

The joy of the new year is fast fading, the question now is ''which way forward?'' Frankly....I am not sure. There are a lot of possibilities, things that have the potential of materializing into good opportunities. Who knows? I am currently looking into vacancies, fellowships, research opportunities and internships.

The level of growth that I have achieved is phenomenal. I cannot believe how much I have absorbed these past four months, as well as in the two and a half years studying at Wits University in South Africa. I am ready to conquer the world once I finish with my course at Bard.

Meanwhile, I am totally fascinated by American politics the Clinton and Obama way. The American view of democracy is certainly unique. Far removed from our ''elimination'' politics in many parts of Africa. In the united States oponents have a go at each other during campaign rallies and debates, afterwards they go out and have a meal or a couple of drinks. Interesting take on politics is it not?

2008.........!!!!

2007-12-31T19:20:00.000-08:00

It is amazing to realize that 2007 is over! In a few hours it'll be a new year. Unbelievable!! Happy new year everyone!! 2007 has been a very interesting year for me. A lot of changes, good and bad. It has been a most eventful year in which I have grown, so very much. I look forward to 2008 and what it will bring.

What I have learnt these past four months..

2007-12-27T09:14:00.000-08:00

This programme has been an incredible learning curve for me. It is unbelievable how ignorant I was about the environment in general, and my environment specifically. Now, I am extra-aware of the implications of my actions on the environment. I am even more aware of the implications of my home-country's (Nigeria) government's total neglect of the environment.

I find myself at a crossroads at the moment. I would like to be able to use what I am learning here in a way that is meaningful to my continent and my country. I will have to figure out how to do that. The head of my programme at the University of the Witswatersrand is in the States currently. I met up with him in the west village at the New York University (NYU), and he asked me what the next step was now that I have finished my research report. I honestly don't know. I do know that I will be job-hunting next year since my course at Bard finishes in May 2008.

Well, let's see how it goes. I have four more months to go.....anything can happen. I do know I want to blend my knowledge and experience in arts, culture and heritage management with environmental policy.

Endings.....

2007-12-27T09:00:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone, I am a free woman for a month!! The last three weeks of the semester was tough!! Loads of assignments, readings, presentations and back-to-back exams. I cannot believe it's been a week now since my last exams on the 19th of december.

I escaped on the 21st to the city and celebrated christmas with my family here. Christmas!! What a frenzy! Shopping, shopping and more last minute shopping!! Quite exhausting.

Imagine, 2007 is fast coming to an end, and this morning the sad news about Benizir Bhutto....what a shame. On Wednesday night I watched the CNN Heroes awards ceremony at the New York museum of natural history. It was very emotional for me, and wonderful to see 'ordinary' men and women perform acts of selflessness and heroism. There is still hope for humanity.

I wish you all happy holidays (as they say in America) and a very properous new year!!

Frost and chilling breezes

2007-11-30T16:30:00.000-08:00

It is a relief to get to the end of the week. Thank god it's Friday (TGIF)! I am totally worn out. This is our last module for the semester and we're now looking at biodiversity and what it means. A very interesting topic.

One really unique aspect of the BCEP programme is that if we are studying air and atmosphere in science, we look at it across the board in economics, policy and law. It makes it so much clearer how these various components intersect when formulating policy.

You'll be hearing more about biodiversity (which simply means biological diversity), which is a science that combines both the social and biological sciences. I'm extremely tired and though it is just 7:37 pm, and getting colder and frostier, I am going to hit the sack.

By the way, the weather forecast predicts snow, it gets dark by 4 pm now. I always think its midnight. I am disoriented most of the time. Always shocked when I see that it's just 5:30 pm or 6:00 pm.

Thanksgiving.......the aftermath

2007-11-23T09:09:00.000-08:00

I had a very enjoyable dinner with my uncle and cousin at a lovely restaurant on the Hudson River in Weeboken, New Jersey, with an absolutely stunning view of Manhattan. I saw where the twin towers of the World Trade Center used to be. The empire state building with its steeple lit in autumn colors. Incredibly beautiful at night with all the lights twinkling and blinging like millions of tiny diamonds.

After a wonderful dinner, we drove through times square, 5th avenue, 7th avenue and all the other avenues that tourists flock to New York throughout the year to see. The weather was somewhat warmer so lots of people were walking. New York is a one-of-a-kind city. It was interesting to learn that the state (NY) makes millions of dollars from tourism every year. Are you paying attention Johannesburg??

Well.......they say there's no where like the Big Apple!!

Thanksgiving in the city

2007-11-20T14:17:00.000-08:00

Thursday the 22nd of November is thanksgiving, this is a very significant holiday in the United States. I asked my friend's husband what it was about and he said it started as a Native American Indian custom in which they invited white settlers to celebrate with them and 'give thanks' for the land and community. It was also a way of welcoming the white settlers into the community. History has it that after that thanksgiving the white settlers carried out a surprise attack on the natives killing many of them and taking over their land.

My thought was ''and look what happened to them after that party!'' Anyway, it continues to be celebrated in the United States as a way of 'giving thanks' in keeping with Native American Indian tradition.

I am celebrating the thanksgiving with my cousin and uncle in New York city. Usually turkey is the bird of choice, with stuffing and a variety of traditional American cuisine. We'll be dinning out at a nice restaurant (Jozi style). I am certain it'll be lovely, this is the big apple with millions of restaurants. A diner's haven.

Happy thanksgiving everyone!!

christmas is already in the air. Sometime in the coming week the christmas lights will be turned on in times square. A major New York event. I'll miss that unfortunately.

Taking on Climate Change at the NYSERDA Conference

2007-11-20T13:46:00.000-08:00

Finally!! A week of no classes but that does not mean that the work stops. Nope, I am loaded down with assignments that need to be submitted in the coming week, naturally.

On Thursday and Friday last week, we attended a two-day conference in Albany (the capital of New York State) at the Marriot Hotel, hosted by the New York State Environmental Research Development Agency (NYSERDA). They were showcasing their current scientific research (very cutting edge) on the chemistry of climate change and its impact on land, water and air.

A lot of the research revolved around elemental mercury (Hg) speciation, particulate matter (PM 25), forest acidification through nitrogen oxide (NOx), sulphates (SOx) and carbon dioxide (CO2) and their impacts on the environment.

Presenters at the conference did not paint a very pretty picture. They did however show that levels of mitigation are possible if we begin to implement these measures now. Another thing that was evident, was the levels of commitment shown by New York State and other states (particular in the industrial North-west, North-East and agricultural mid-west)around the United States to drastically reduce emissions of toxic chemicals by 2009 and beyond.

It is clear that there is a lot of research being done towards finding realistic solutions to mitigating the adverse effects of chemistry on the environment. What is still not too clear is how to go about it. It is however apparent that there is need for a change in the way humanbeings interact with the natural environment.

Alternative energy solutions such as biofuels need to replace fossil fuels which are the source of a large percentage of air pollution. One of the major obstacles to implementing fome of these alternatives is the high cost. Again, there is a need to factor economics into the equation and at this conference (unlike the previous ones) there was a conscious effort to consider the costs and benefits of each alternative.

The burning question is; where do we go from here?

Auntumn Leaves and freezing weather...

2007-11-13T04:56:00.000-08:00

It's getting colder and colder but the landscape is so beautiful. I will share with you some pictures I took last Sunday as the week goes by. I hope you find them as aesthetically pleasing as I do. Have a great week!!

A Global Community.......

2007-11-09T16:58:00.001-08:00

This programme on Environmental Policy has brought closer to home the ''smallness'' of the so-called global village. The fact that the burning of coal in China affects the quality of air in Los Angeles, Japan and other parts of the Asian continent and beyond, supports this reality. In the same vein dust from the African continent moves far beyond the continent to affect countries in Europe and the Americas. So also degradation of forests in South America, Asia and Africa, which reduce the numbers of ''natural sinks'' for carbon dioxide thereby increasing global warming. There are so many causes and effects in the unfolding history of global warming and climate change.

Within this week, we looked at the various statutes and policies that address environmental protection in the US, such as the Clean Air Act (CAA), Clean Water Act (CWA), and Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). These laws have been in existence from the early 70s and have been modified over time, adjusting as environmentalism evolved and became more substantive.

It is quite alarming for me personally, when I think that the US has been in the forefront of environmentalism, yet a lot of its citizens are not very informed about the consequences of environmental degradation, which are evident now and will worsen in the future. Imagine that in Africa, very few governments have even started to think seriously about the levels of deforestation, pollution and degradation to the environment in their regions. Our problems are multitude because we are still dealing with issues like hunger, political instability, inequality to name a few.

I really don't know what the future holds for the African continent. It is not that we are not capable of dealing with these issues, the priorities of African governments are very skewered. It is difficult for one to know where to begin to contribute to effecting change and creating awareness that translates into positive action. I constantly ask myself this question....''what can I do for my country, my continent?'' I have not found the answer as yet, but there is hope......always.

Weekend Trip to Washington, DC...

2007-11-07T09:48:00.000-08:00

Hello!! Just to let you know very quickly (I have to dash to class soon!!) that I drove down to DC last Friday with my friend and classmate, AnnMarie Gantner. We went to do some research for our law assignment and tap into her lawyer sister's expertise. Sorry, did not get to say 'hi' to George W. Bush and sadly didn't even do the prerequisite tourist sites. I plan to go down there again soon. I'll tell you all about it when I do.

What a week!

2007-11-01T03:36:00.000-07:00

This is the most stressful week I have had since I started this programme. Two exams back to back yesterday (Wednesday 31st) in environmental law and policy. It was difficult to know which one to read as they are both quite voluminous. Today (1st November) I have environmental science. What fun!! Wish me luck.

By the way, yesterday was Halloween. Everyone was walking around the Bard campus wearing all sorts of interesting costumes. Please google 'halloween' to find out what it's all about. Sorry, I did't take any pictures. I was too drained after my exams and I completely forgot it was halloween.

Autumn's a-coming..

2007-10-27T17:38:00.000-07:00

Hello again. It's autumn here and it is so beautiful. The leaves are turning red, gold, brown and russet. Absolutely amazing. Last time I promised to send pictures of our canoe trip on Thursday last week. I have also been writing about wetlands, now I can show you an example of one from my pictures.

This week it's exams in environmental policy, law and science. I'm also beseiged with assignments. One thing I can say with authority is that I am perpetually being challenged mentally to think in different ways, conventional and unconventional, out of the box and inside the box. It's wonderful and exhausting at the same time!

You may not hear a lot from me this week but I'll keep changing the pictures!! It's also halloween today, so lots of parties, pumpkins and scary costumes!! My policy professor invited the class to a party but sadly not many of us will be attending. Ironically, she gaves us an assignment that needs to be in by Monday. Tough luck!!

Wetlands and Canoes

2007-10-19T23:42:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we went on a field trip in my science class. All week we've been talking about 'wetlands' and what kinds of ecosystems services they provide. As well as looking at a case involving a development company and the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The company wanted to build on a parcel of land that included a wetland in a small town in the state of Massachussets (New England) in 1984. This would have brought economic development to the town so they really encouraged the development. It would however compromise the wetland, this caused a lot of controversy as some were pro-development while environmental groups were of course up-in-arms.

To understand the concept of wetlands better, below is a general definition of what they are;

''Wetlands are complex ecosystems that, depending on their type and on circumstances within the watershed, can improve water quality, provide natural flood control, diminish droughts, recharge groundwater aquifers, and stabilize shorelines. They often support a wide variety of plants and animals, including rare and endangered species, migratory birds, and young of commercially valuable fishes. Their beauty and diversity contribute recreational value'' (National Academy of Science, online source http://www.nap.edu, accessed 19/10/07).

Some examples of wetlands are swamps, certain types of forests, rice paddies and marsh. Each continent has its own specific variation of wetlands but they all have the same properties. In the US rigourous effort was made to restore wetlands (in the 80s and 90s) that were lost over the years through deforestation and landfill for construction. As a consequence there are very strict laws protecting wetlands.

It has been a very interesting week. I will post pictures of our canoe trip over this weekend.

I guess I was wrong....

2007-10-11T21:55:00.000-07:00

We got back our comments and scores for our group presentations today. My team scored 97%! Thank you Des Patel for your class on presentation skills!! Here are excerpts from comments made by our science professors -Mara Ranville and Jennifer Phillips;

Praise;

''Excellent job of interpreting and summarizing material for audience. Information well-organized. Very nice introduction to talk. Nice use of case studies through out the talk. It seemed clear that all of the team really understood what they were presenting on, giving the idea od being ''experts'' that could answer questions from the audience. Good job of quickly deciding deciding what to skip and wrapping up professionally''

Criticisms;

''The terms human and social capital were used a lot without defining- might have helped to give examples to be sure everyone has same meaning. Problem with timing- need to practice to be sure you can do whole talk in alloted time''.

Thanks to Lesley Emanuel and Jean Power the WOW program administrators and facilitators.

Another busy week bites the dust....

2007-10-09T22:35:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone, I just seem to be getting twenty times busier each week. Last week I wanted to share some of the highlights and low points of my week. Last Thursday (in science class) we had group presentations on science papers (great fun!) from the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) working groups.

My group (of 4 females) had the dubious pleasure of working on Adaptation looking at adaptive capacity, opportunities and constraints. Here's a definition of Adaptive Capacity - the ability or potential of a system to respond successfully to climate variability and change. It was a very interesting topic but each group had 20 minutes only!!

I tried to remember all the things that Des Patel taught us during the WOW training session on presentation skills. In the end I just wasn't as well prepared as I would have liked to be. Also as a team, my group did not really communicate (hi Susan A!!).

However, the presentation wasn't too bad, I even got to illustrate one of the key issues raised around the fact that there was uneven distribution of resources amongst countries to cope with climate change and the cost of building adaptive capacity. My example came from India and I used a really cool map to show areas with high vulnerability. We had a nicely put together powerpoint as well.

This week has been terribly stressful as I sprint towards the finish line with regards to my MA research report. I certainly don't want to pay R14, 000 in international fees!!

Wish me luck.

Life is not all about careers and studies........

2007-09-29T20:48:00.000-07:00

It's important to find time to enjoy life. I might be overloaded with work at the moment but there was a time when I found the time to have fun. I still do.......... As you can see in the picture centre stage. Susan A., Temitope and Valentin were there!! Have a great week everyone!!

Sneak preview....

2007-09-29T19:54:00.000-07:00

Here are some of the very interesting and controversial topics we'll be covering this week; International policies on climate change, greenhouse gas emissions and conventions on biodiversity, marine and wildlife conservation, cultural heritage preservation, air and water pollution.

As I go further into this environmental policy programme, the connections between science (organic chemistry, biogeochemistry and geophysics), economics, law, statistics, policy, and their various functions in relation to environmentalism become clearer. Also the importance of knowing how these various sectors overlap and intersect, with a view to understanding their various roles in policy formulation and implementation.

As I indicated in my opening paragraph, we will be looking at the various international policy instruments that struggle to find immediate and future solutions to environmental degradation, caused by emission of greenhouse gases which affect climate change, causing severe air and water pollution.

The two major international policies under the auspices of the united nations, are the Montreal Protocol which entered into force on 1 January 1989. The second major international policy is the Kyoto Protocol which came into being in 1997. The Montreal Protocol celebrated its 20th anniversary in Montreal, Canada, on the 16th of September, and has been in the spotlight very recently due to meetings held at the United Nations on September 24th, 2007, and later in the following week in Washington (US).

In a turn-around the US, who previously withdrew as a signatory to the Kyoto Protocol, chaired the Washington meeting and promised to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2009. You can read more about this via the link below, to an article in a Japanese editorial. You can also google Kyoto Protocol and Montreal Protocol to read the full texts of these treaties. As well as an article in the New York Times titled ''From Ozone Success, a Potential Climate Model'', by Andrew C. Revkin.

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/editorial/20070930TDY04007.htm

In spite of the various UN treaties and conventions, as well as the ongoing efforts of developed countries to cut down on greenhouse gas emissions, it is clear that more work needs to be done by industrialised nations such as US and European countries to reduce atmospheric pollutants. China and India are also among nations that emit large volumes of carbon gases into the atmosphere due to very fast growing economies leading to mega-industries. China recently agreed at the meeting on September 18th, to work rigorously towards reducing carbon emissions caused by coal burning in the near future.

Developing countries are adversely affected by climate change. There is an ongoing debate about the problems developed nations are causing for developing countries through the greenhouse gas emissions. China and India are in the forefront with demands that US be made accountable for it's very high greenhouse gas emissions due to fairly recent advancements in fossil fuels and nuclear energy technologies. It is predicted that in the next 50 years, developing countries will exceed the West and Europe in air and water pollution, due to a rising shift of industries to countries with cheaper labour and less stringent environmental laws.

More food for thought......

2007-09-27T14:27:00.000-07:00

A number of articles which we were given to read for our environmental science, law and policy classes this week, were focused on air pollution. The law reading was about the National Environmental Policy Act of the United States (NEPA). Administered by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). We have been examining the intricacies of policy enforcement through the clean air act (CAA).

More disturbing are the readings from our organic chemistry class that talks about the six primary sources of pollution. These are termed criteria pollutants by the US, and the level of emission allowed for each chemical substance is carefully regulated by the CAA. I won't be able to give you all the gory facts but suffice it to say that after reading the Global Mercury Assessment by United Nations Environment Programme, you will be afraid to breathe in air or eat fish.

The six main criteria pollutants are nitrogen oxides (NOx), Sulphur dioxide (SO2), carbon monoxide (CO), particulate matter (PM), and lead (Pb). Mercury is another very problematic pollutant and is found in very high levels in certain species of fish. There are also other highly volatile and reactive chemical substances which together are known as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that cause havoc in the atmosphere.

Our policy reading was a very interesting paper on coal pollution in China, and the ways in which the Chinese government is struggling to implement policy to reduce the significant air pollution through new technologies. Asia has the highest levels (through coal burning industries) of air pollution followed by Africa. Unfortunately, particulate matter (mainly flyash and soot) can be carried very far by wind action, which is why pollution is a global issue. Air and water cannot be demarcated or restricted to any one country, hence there is cross-boundary pollution from continent to continent. The current severe state of pollution in China is affecting states on the West coast (US), like carlifornia and Los Angeles causing thick hazy fogs known as photochemical smog.

It is interesting that industrialisation which led to the creation of new more efficient technologies, is a major source of pollution. Technology is also a necessary, and some might say crucial tool to finding solutions to air and water pollution, which are major sources of environmental degradation. It is certainly impossible to turn back the hands of time, it is also not practical to think that humanbeings will give up the efficiency and comfort that cutting edge technology represents. This is the dilemma that governments face in terms of environmental policy formulation and implementation -economic advancement versus environmental stability.

On which side of the debate are you?

It's been quite awhile....

2007-09-22T13:55:00.000-07:00

Thank you so much Susan A., Thomas, Adam and Themba for all your comments on my few posts. I have not had a moment to sit down and post comments throughout the past week. Something I do want to share with you all is my visit last Saturday to Professor Chinua Achebe. The 2007 winner of the Booker (the man)International Literary Price, and the author of the African series novel ''Things Fall Apart'' and ''No longer at Ease''.

I was pleasantly surprised to learn that he was a member of the Bard community. He is also a good friend and contemporary of my father. He lectured at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, where I did my undergraduate studies in the english literature department. I spent a delightful afternoon with him and his wife, Professor Christie Achebe, talking about a wide range of topics. My Cameroonian classmate also had the pleasure of being invited as well. For me, it also represented a 'slice of home' in a foreign country.

I am beginning to find some equilibrium (thinking in economic terms) in the midst of an extremely demanding academic programme. I am hopeful that I will be able to post comments at least twice a week. I have had my one hour break, so it's back to the books!!

Ending the week on a musical note..

2007-09-14T21:08:00.000-07:00

It has been a long hard week, filled with the stress of academia and loads of assignments!! To de-compress before diving back into the huge pile of weekend reading and assignments, my Ukrainian friend Irynka and I decided to attend a classical concert at the Fisher Center inside Bard College.

The Richard B. Fisher Center for the performing arts, is a very beautiful contemporary building and home to the American Symphony Orchestra (the Orchestra that played tonight). People come from New York city (and neighbouring towns) to attend concerts there, and it is affiliated to top music intitutions in the city.

My spirit was greatly up-lifted for the duration of the concert and beyond. The acoustics was fabulous and the Orchestra simply amazing! Now I can plunge into the coming week with renewed vigour.

Three weeks two days and counting...

2007-09-08T14:12:00.000-07:00

Today, I counted the number of days I've been at Bard, and realised it has been three weeks and two days!! How time flies when you're having fun.

It has been a truly exhilarating and mentally challenging three weeks plus. I am beginning to think like a biochemist, an economist, a statistician and a lawyer (almost). Seriously though, these past weeks have really exposed me to the scientific, economic and policy implications of issues like global warming, the use of pesticides, nuclear and other human-generated waste disposal, green house gases and by-products of energy waste disposal.

At the root of all this information are the various questions we need to address as future policy-makers. The most pertinent to my mind, would be (and I'm really focusing on US environmental policy, and perhaps thinking also about the differences in approach between developed and developing economies ) - why are current policies not working and how do we change that? I also think about what this means for Africa, particularly since a majority of African coutries are yet to address problems related to environmental degradation.

This and other pertinent questions are not easily answered, due to the fact that environmental policy has economic implications, which can lead to a landslide of negative effects. At the same time, there are also implications that have the potential for severe environmental degradation.

How do we find the balance as policy-makers between science/technology, economics, legislation/policy and environmentalism?

Calculus and econometrics

2007-09-05T13:57:00.001-07:00

For over a week now, we have been navigating the choppy waters of calculus, stastistics and econometrics. Well, I should say the choppyness is in varying degrees for each individual class member. Personally, it is a challenge that I am trying to find creative ways to surmount.

Luckily, the system here provides you with every possible back up. So, I have asked for a tutor for these three courses. This is a considerable challenge for me as I studied foundation chemistry and economics ten years ago (no statistics though), and only in the first three years of high school. Thereafter, I was allowed to choose between arts or science subjects.

I must confess though that inspite of these challenges, the programme is quite exciting and very interesting. I am learning so many new things. Not necessarily new as in novel, but in the sense that the programme addresses real issues relating to conservation and preservation, that cut across the board. Environmental issues are increasingly taking on global dimensions with very serious implications for our collective existence now and in the future.

Today, we had our first lecture in environmental law. I am very interested in the way law intersects with policy and vice-versa. I will explore some of these issues further, in future blog posts. Now I have to go back to the huge volumes of reading waiting for me.

A weekend in the City

2007-09-02T20:55:00.000-07:00

It's 11:55 pm here and there's an impromptu party going on outside my window. The undergrad students are back!! The fall semester begins technically on Monday (September 3), only it's Labour Day, a significant day in US history and therefore a holiday. Unfortunately, Bard students don't get the day off but the BCEP programme does, thank god!! After the week I just had, I deserve some rest. Please note that I am not knocking the tranquility that upstate New York offers in abundance.

I took a train ride down to the city (NYC of course) with three of my course mates on Friday (31st August) via grand central station smack in the center of Manhattan, near fifth avenue (a shopperholics paradise). I stayed with my friend in the 'famous' east village (11th street, east side)and soaked up that special vibe that is New York. It was particularly wonderful to be in a place where I was not starring out at stretches of vegetation (spectacular landscapes admittedly) with very little sign of human habitation.

There was constant motion, a wide variety of places and peoples to look at. It reminded me of Lagos in a way. Now I have to organise my thoughts and do some reading for this week's classes. It's going to be a long week!!

Back to school with a vengeance!

2007-08-28T12:44:00.000-07:00

Last week's activities did not prepare me for the onslaught of academic work this week. We had our first set of classes yesterday. The morning class (from 9.00 am to 11.30 am) in Environmental Science of Natural Environments and the next (from 1.00 pm to 3.30 pm) in Environmental Law and Policy. Both courses required that we do substantial amounts of readings prior to the classes. This is just a small preview of what we should expect from this programme. Luckily today it was just one class in the morning on Natural Resource Economics.

Having said that, it is important to point out the merits of reading widely (which is what is encouraged academically in the States). It gives you a much broader perspective on any given issue and encourages critical thinking whilst generating healthy debates. It has been mentally exhausting at this beginning stage (and I find that the other international students feel the same way), and presents many challenges in terms of assimilating new terminology and learning new ways of thinking.

The challenges however, make it even more interesting for me, inspite of my present difficulty in calculating chemical equations and in econometrics. The wonderful thing about the system in US universities is that they make things easy for students. There are always newer and better ways to make the academic experience enjoyable (student-friendly really) and easier. I expect that at the end of nine months, I would have recorded considerable growth and added to the knowledge and experience I acquired in my two years at Wits university in Johannesburg.

Boating Down Historic Hudson River

2007-08-23T14:44:00.000-07:00

This week (Monday 20 -Friday 24) was the BCEP version of Orientation week. We visited a local farm on Tuesday, in the Hudson Valley area. This is a very historic area apparently. The famous West Point Military Academy is located a few miles from us. The Hudson Valley is the 'birthplace' of modern day United States environmentalism as well.

We went on a boat cruise of the Hudson River earlier today. The river stretches all the way up into Canada. The American civil war was fought in part in the Hudson Valley Area. Americans from the state of New York are very proud of the rich history of the area.The area between New York and New Jersey is known as the Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area.

Bard College is located within this very picturesque and beautiful setting. From my dormitory window I look out at wide vistas of rolling hills and lush vegetation. It is very humbling to realise that I am one little speck within such an awesome natural phenomenon.

When I think of the College slogan - Bard, a place to think - it really resonates, because it reflects quite aptly the sort of atmosphere that permeates the university environs.

From Live Earth to Environmentalism

2007-08-22T13:47:00.000-07:00

Attending the Live Earth concert certainly didn't prepare me for the terminology I am constantly being bombarded with in the environmental policy programme. I will confess that during that long trip from Johannesburg thru Dakar to Dulles airport in Washington, I had some doubts as to the viability of this journey and the programme.

I am very glad to have had the opportunity to be part of the Bard Center for Environmental Policy (BCEP) programme. Apparently, it is quite a competitive programme. There are fourteen of us, five international students and seven local students. The international students come from around the world - China (1), Ukraine (1), United Kingdom (1), Cameroon (1) and Nigeria (1). Only myself and the Ukrainian are females among the international students.

Our class is peopled with individuals mostly with environmentalism backgrounds, with at least three of us from arts, public relations/advertising backgrounds. 'Environmentalism' is the latest terminology for the practice of managing the environment. You'll see the word a lot in my blog posts over these nine months.

A portion of the American public is absolutely fascinated with this word 'environmentalism', and currently there is a hue and cry over the depletion of natural resources through bad practices. Such practices refer to global warming, poor waste disposal management, greenhouse and gas emissions (a combination of agricultural and gaseous emissions) and nuclear waste. No one seems to be paying much attention to the dire warnings of environmentalists/environmental groups.

The BCEP programme's main objective therefore, is to produce future policy-makers who are sensitised to the 'burning' environmental issues of our times, and equipped to make a difference (hopefully). The course work ranges from economics to politics and legislation.

It promises to open up (for me personally) new ways of looking at the environment, particularly in relation to cultural heritage management and tourism.