NAMES THAT SAY A MOUTHFUL,A BOY NAMED "GODKNOWS"

This an interesting article i landed on which explains the characteristics of the new wave of naming children in some parts in southern africa and probably in many other regions.The names are very interesting and really funny and they strictly represent circumstances ante or post birth.Please share my curiosity in this interesting article from Zimbabwe.

BULAWAYO, Zimbabwe: Thirty-two years ago in western Zimbabwe, a baby boy named Tlapi was born so sick that his parents feared he would die. They took him to sangomas, or traditional healers, and to Western-style doctors, but nothing worked. It seemed that God, not man, would decide his fate.

So when he was 1 year old, Tlapi's parents changed his name to reflect that.

"Some people think I'm lying when I tell them my name," said Godknows Nare, who survived to become a freelance photographer. "They think I am teasing them. But I'm not."

Not at all. In Harare, the Zimbabwean capital, another Godknows was a waiter at a popular outdoor café. So was a man named Enough, about whom more will be said later. Across southern Africa, in fact, one can find any number of Lovemores, Tellmores, Trymores and Learnmores, along with lots of people named Justice, Honour, Trust, Gift, Energy, Knowledge and even a Zambian athlete named Jupiter.

Some Westerners chuckle. Perhaps they are oblivious - Oblivious is another Zimbabwean name, actually - to the fact that they once idolized a cowboy star named Hopalong, or that many baby girls carry the name of a jewelry store through life.

Indeed, Godknows, Enough and company are a continuation of an African tradition arguably more logical than the one that churns out excess Justins and Tiffanys. In southern Africa, a child's name is chosen to convey a specific meaning and not, as is common in the West, the latest fashion.

Increasingly, however, those traditional names are bestowed not in Ndebele, Sotho or some other local language, but in English, the world's lingua franca. English names arrived with colonial rule, were further imposed by missionaries and, for some, became fashionable with the spread of Western culture.

But for Godknows, Enough and others, the result can be confusion - and sometimes, hilarity - even among fellow Africans.

"Quite a few people tell me I am cursed," said Hatred Zenenga, an editor at the main Zimbabwean government-controlled newspaper, The Herald. "They say my name is un-Christian. They tell me that I should change it to Lovewell, or some other Christian name. And others are just surprised - 'How did you get that name?' "

Hatred got his name the way millions of other children here have - as a means of recording an event, a circumstance or even the weather conditions that accompanied their births.CLICK FOR EXCERPTS HERE UNDER;
A boy named Godknows: In southern Africa, names that say a mouthful - International Herald Tribune

MANDELA returns to SOWETO ,open's huge MAPONYA Mall

I am not a south African but i grew up being one after the soweto student uprising in 1976."SOWETO 1976",i was still a small lad and i remember my father's narations about what was happening down south Africa,about heroic men and women who fought and resisted among all odds for freedom,justice and equality.The picture of this story and many more others has always accompanied my life.In secondary school though a science student ,i decided to study African history and the stories of these great people has contributed to my way of life and thinking today as a man.Africa will always be my prime and my pride.
Last year, Soweto marked the 30th anniversary of the 1976 uprising when students rebelled against the white apartheid state in a protest over the use of Afrikaans as the medium of instruction in schools.
This post is a message of hope to all those who are suffering,to all who are in difficulties,persecuted and discriminated.The examples shown by great men like MANDELA and MAPONYA are evidences to everyone that "if there's the will,there must be a way."

Former South African President Nelson Mandela has opened the largest shopping centre in southern Africa in Soweto.

The Maponya Mall marks a transformation for the Johannesburg township, once an impoverished centre in the struggle against apartheid. CLICK THE LINK BELLOW FOR EXCERPTS;

Nelson Mandela returns to open huge mall - Times Online

AFRICA Vs EUROPE FAIR TRADE IMBROGLIO

I'm coming back to this african and european trade imbroglio which is seeming continuosly bleak for the africans,due to the vehemence of their european counterparts to allow africa to have it's merited share in world trade.This perplexes me a lot and we'll soon see them coming to give"aids" and "loans" and "charity" and what have you.I think we should be all pissed up with such hypocrisy!Come and see them pretending they want to make poverty history!!! Read on and leave a comment:
SPAIN: Rock Stars Collect 600,000 Signatures for Fair Trade with Africa
By Tito Drago.


MADRID, Sep 25 (IPS) - Several popular Spanish rock groups helped collect 600,000 signatures and delivered them to the government Tuesday in support of an international campaign calling for the Spanish government to modify its trade policy towards Africa and eliminate restrictions on imports from that region.

Singers Miguel Bosé and Shuarma, members of the Dover rock band, and Ariana Arpa, the head of Intermón Oxfam -- Oxfam International’s Spanish affiliate -- were received in the seat of government where they presented a statement titled: "100 Days: Trade Negotiations Threaten Europe’s Commitment to Africa".

Because Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero is in New York for the United Nations General Assembly, they were met by the government’s top spokesman, José Moraleda, and cabinet chief José Enrique Serrano.

The majority of the signatures came from people attending the concerts of Bosé, Shuarma, Dover, Amaral, a pop/rock duo, and the La Oreja de Van Gogh pop/rock band this year as part of Oxfam’s Make Trade Fair campaign (known as "Comercio con Justicia" in Spain).

The statement urges Zapatero’s socialist government to reconsider its position with respect to the negotiations between the European Union and 78 former colonies in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific (ACP) on the Cotonou Agreement that was signed in 2000 in the capital of Benin and expires on Dec. 31. (Cuba is the 79th member, but it joined after the Agreement was adopted).

The Cotonou Agreement establishes trade conditions between the ACP and the EU that are not overly favourable to developing nations.

But the European Commission (the EU executive) now wants ACP countries to sign market-opening deals known as Economic Partnership Agreements (EPA) with it by the end of this year.

Arpa told IPS that in the entire history of Europe, there have never been more unequal trade negotiations than the ones currently underway, "in which the EU countries are negotiating as equals with a region that has the highest poverty rates in the world."

She added that "Spain is defending the most hard-line position…which runs counter to the achievement of a coherent development policy for poor countries."

"Not one European politician would last a single day in their post if they tried to apply in their own countries the draconian deregulation that they are attempting to impose on the economies of the poorest countries on the planet," she said.

The document presented by Intermón Oxfam says that if the trade liberalisation that the EU is pressing for wins out in the negotiations, the ACP countries would have to eliminate most of their import tariffs on farm products, "while the EU dedicates about 50 billion euros (70 billion dollars) a year to subsidising its agricultural production and exports."

Carlos Galián, who coordinated the Intermón Oxfam report, said "the inflexibility of the Spanish government’s position is surprising, given that this country’s trade with the ACP is very insignificant."

Spain’s exports to the ACP countries represent a mere 1.91 percent of the country’s total exports, and its sales to the 78 ACP countries are equivalent to what it exports to the Netherlands alone.

Arpa said the European Commission, "with Spain’s support," is threatening to impose conditions on the ACP that would lead to one billion euros (1.4 billion dollars) in annual losses for West Africa alone.

In other ACP regions the situation is similar. One example of what that means, said Arpa, is what would happen in Namibia if the EU gets its way in the negotiations. "In the first year alone, that country would lose some 45 million euros (63 million dollars), equivalent to nearly one-third of its annual health budget."

Another illustration is Kenya, where the dairy sector would be hit so hard that 650,000 families that depend on livestock raising would see their incomes drastically reduced, and around 400,000 direct jobs would be lost.

"The future of 750 million people living in poverty depends partly on the EU and the ACP reaching an agreement that puts trade at the service of development, and the solution is not to impose a system that could trigger an economic crisis in Africa, starting on Jan. 1, 2008," she said.

Bosé told IPS that "a right that is not contained in any constitution, but which is clear and real, must be upheld: doing what is fair, and if we're talking about justice, then we have to make trade fair."

The world-renowned singer acknowledged that the Spanish government dedicates a significant percentage of its budget to development aid, a proportion that has grown under the current administration. "But its position is not consistent; it's as if we were throwing that money into the garbage if the country’s stance on trade is not modified," he argued.

That is why, he said, "we, the citizens, those who pay the taxes that feed the government budget, are demanding a position in foreign trade that is neither counterproductive nor negative to the development of the countries of Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean."

"There are 100 days left to do that," before the Cotonou Agreement expires, he said, adding that in the negotiations, Spain should play a positive role in leading the EU towards a more progressive position.

One of the most harshly criticised stances taken by Spain is its protectionist tariffs that protect bananas from its own Canary Islands, located off the northwest coast of Africa.

Intermón Oxfam is calling for the elimination of that protection, to make it possible for producers from countries of the South to compete on an equal footing.

But sources with Spain’s Ministry of Industry and Trade told IPS that the initiatives it is discussing do not include support for free trade in that sector. (END/2007)

Ya Ma'Afrika (TV-DRAMA)-NEW!!

Whenever i come across these beautiful things from Africa or her diaspora,i always have palpitations tintillating al over my body.This is "YA MA'AFRICA",a fictional drama show that will be on air shortly on 3A TELESUD and AFROVISION.TV.The cast is not just beautiful but also rich in talent and curriculum.C'est magnifique!
SOUNDVIEW AFRICA brings you the ultimate entertainment with this TV Drama Series that fuses the lives of 4 African women living in New York City.Yetunde (Nigeria), Kui (Kenya), Chipo (Zimbabwe) and Welisane (Cameroon) are housemates from all corners of Africa with different backgrounds.

These women confront issues ranging from relationships to employment and immigration. The show is glamorous with a level of sophistication and at the same time it is raw, and touching on real issues.
For those who can access 3A TELESUD,watch out for the scedule on "MAAFRICA.TV " while the rest can watch it on "AROVISION.TV"(find the link in my top links section).
Follow the link bellow for details of the movie and the cast,buona visione!!!!:-

MAAFRICA.TV

africa's malady!

I decided to publish this comment from our anonimous contributor who commented on my last post "good news for africa,but who gets these resources?".I was particularly impressed with his critical view of what really happens with most governments in Africa.I thus thought it wise to publish his words in the post section.Read and comment!

Africa has also suffered particularly because the proceeds of corruption tend to
be banked or spent outside of the continent. Capital flight is possibly Africa’s
biggest financial problem. The African Union estimates that $148 billion a year
leaves the continent because of corruption28. This represents a quarter of the
continent’s GDP29. Other estimates of the amount of total illicit proceeds coming
out of Africa (including corrupt, commercial and criminal proceeds) are in the
order of $100-200 billion30. This dwarfs the aid and debt relief Africa is receiving:
“We have been putting some $25 billion a year of foreign aid into Africa in the most recent years.
Compare that with my estimate of the amount of money that goes illegally out of Africa and
ultimately into Western coffers, $100-200 billion. In other words, for every $1 of foreign aid that
15
we are generously handing out across the top of the table, we are taking back some $4-8 in dirty
money under the table.”31
Furthermore, in Africa’s case the outflow of illicit money tends to be permanent ----
From a report by the Africa All Party Parliamentary Group (UL) 2006.

good news for africa, but who gets these resources?

I have always dreamt of real humans taking care of the affairs of their fellow humans who for one reason or the other are not opportuned to handle certain issues concerning their immediate communities.In this i mean our"beloved" leaders who always think about their well-being and that of their western godfathers who protect this persistent "chop a chop", forgetting the people they represent;what does this mean?Oh,waiting for your comments!!!
September 17, 2007
Countries to Get Help Recovering Stolen Assets
By WARREN HOGE

UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 17 — The World Bank and the United Nations announced this afternoon that they were setting up a system to help developing nations recover assets stolen and sent abroad by corrupt leaders that amount to an estimated $40 billion a year.

“There should be no safe haven for those who steal from the poor,” Robert B. Zoellick, the bank’s president, said in unveiling the plan with Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

Mr. Zoellick estimated that the overall cross-border flow of global proceeds from criminal activities, corruption and tax evasion totaled $1 trillion to $1.6 trillion a year and said even a small portion of that could finance a significant level of social programs.

He said that every $100 million recovered could pay for immunizations for four million children, provide water connections for 250,000 households or finance treatment for more than 600,000 people with HIV/AIDS a year.

The problem of stolen assets is widespread but most acute in Africa, where an estimated 25 percent of the gross national product of states is lost to corruption, he said.

The new system will work to build the capacity of developing countries to track stolen money going overseas and to emphasize ways that financial centers can better detect and deter money-laundering.

“This is not just a developing-country issue because the funds inevitably end up in developed countries,” said Danny Leipziger, the bank’s vice president for poverty reduction and economic management.

In addition, the bank intends to assist countries in devoting recovered money to proper development use “to make sure it is not stolen twice,” Mr. Leipziger said.

The program is being developed in partnership with the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime, whose executive director, Antonio Maria Costa, said the initiative came at a time when the sophistication of financial transactions made recovery an increasingly complex process requiring expert assistance.

“Once stolen assets leave the victim country, they are broken up so cleverly, into so many different bundles and hidden in so many financial vehicles that they are hard to identify,” he said.

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the former finance minister of Nigeria, who oversaw the return of $505 million to her country from Switzerland, said the new plan would help countries like hers by denying corrupt officials a foreign place to hide the money.

“It means that people who are corrupt will know that any money sent out will be sent back to the countries from which they came,” she said.

Ms. Okonjo-Iweala said that at the time she was working to repatriate Nigerian money in 2005, the campaign had to be conducted on a bilateral basis and did not produce timely results. “There are some countries — I don’t want to name them — whose legislation only allows them to freeze the assets if they are discovered, and there is nothing that says they should repatriate them,” she said.

That has changed since the United Nations Convention Against Corruption came into effect in December 2005 that obliges countries that ratified it to cooperate.

However, there are 98 countries that have not ratified it, including Canada, Germany, India, Israel, Italy, Japan and Switzerland. “Part of our advocacy role will be to urge countries that are not parties to become parties,” Ms. Okonjo-Iweala said.

Mr. Leipziger said the bank was setting up contact points so that interested countries could report suspicions about stolen money leaving their countries in a prompt and confidential manner.

He said that there had been cases where countries would make the sensitive political decision to go after the money but then had no way of pursuing it.

“Even if you took the police side of it and said, ‘We know where it is,’ in order to get your hands on it, you have to go through a number of very laborious steps, and we think we can help in that process,” he said.