Safari Notes

“The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” "And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same” “It always seems impossible until its done.” “There is no passion to be found playing small - in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.” “As I have said, the first thing is to be honest with yourself. You can never have an impact on society if you have not changed yourself... Great peacemakers are all people of integrity, of honesty, but humility.” “I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.” "I dream of the realization of the unity of Africa, whereby its leaders combine in their efforts to solve the problems of this continent. I dream of our vast deserts, of our forests, of all our great wildernesses" More On Mandela: Nelson...

I have had Friends! Few, but friends. And I still have a few. Friends whom, I can rely on no matter what. And at any time. I have had friends as a child and when growing; I have had friends during my teens and early manhood. It's not easy having friends; it's even more difficult maintaining friendship. A change took place once I started having children; though I still have other friends, my children have gradually but surely become my closest friends and confindants. From my first daughter, whom I had in the early eighties to my last born son, who is about nine. I am friends too to all my nine siblings; and apart from being my mentor and first teacher, I shared a lot of adventures with my late Dad; as for my Mom, she has been the friend I have had longest. And I am still very good friends with my first wife just as I am with my present one. Which brings me to music. I like music. Just as I love reading! My taste in music is varied and ranges from the classic to pop; from the ol...

There are many definitions of terror : panic: an overwhelming feeling of fear and anxiety The United Nations has never come to a consensus opinion on the subject. A.P. Schmid proposed this short definition to the U.N. in 1994: "Act of Terrorism = Peacetime Equivalent of War Crime". The academic consensus definition , also by Schmid states "Terrorism is an anxiety-inspiring method of repeated violent action, employed by (semi-) clandestine individual, group or state actors, for idiosyncratic, criminal or political reasons, whereby - in contrast to assassination - the direct targets of violence are not the main targets. The immediate human victims of violence are generally chosen randomly (targets of opportunity) or selectively (representative or symbolic targets) from a target population, and serve as message generators. Threat- and violence-based communication processes between terrorist (organization), (imperiled) victims, and main targets are used to manipulate the ma...

A few days ago, I read a very disturbing report on the BBC! The story of the sixteen-year-old Kenyan girl, used as a captive sex slave, and when she became pregnant and useless to her captors, she was abandoned. Apart from the money her captors had made out of her, s he had suffered "imprisonment, beatings and systematic rape". This is just: one story. But there are many - thousands, could be millions, just in the same situation like the sixteen-year-old Kenyan girl. Many, would never get out of that situation. From Himalayan villages to Eastern European cities, people - especially women and girls - are attracted by the prospect of a well-paid job as a domestic servant, waitress or factory worker. Traffickers recruit victims through fake advertisements, mail-order bride catalogues and casual acquaintances. Upon arrival at their destination, victims are placed in conditions controlled by traffickers while they are exploited to earn illicit revenues. Many are physically confin...

When it comes to the best way to fight and control HIV/AIDS, I completely agree with the Ugandan and Kenyan First Ladies: Mrs. Janet Museveni and Mrs. Lucy Kibaki ! Behavioral change is the best way to fight AIDS! Of Mrs. Museveni: "As a result of ..... national call for sexual abstinence for unmarried individuals and faithfulness within marriage, 95% of Ugandans in the year 2000 had either zero or only one sexual partner. Primarily because of this, HIV rates have declined by two-thirds in Uganda over the last decade and a half," and: " As a result of her incredibly powerful and effective role in showing that it is realistic for leaders to model and call for healthy behavior ..." And Mrs. Kibaki: "Mrs. Kibaki stressed the need for students to abstain from sex until after marriage, saying she was against the use of condoms by students as it promoted immorality and was not the best tool in the fight against HIV/AIDS. "You know how you can be infected with ...