Greetings,
I wished to give some basic information concerning the country of Namibia and its potential for sustainable development. I am not a business professional or economist, but I am a Pan Africanist and I wish to see the Motherland and its indigenous people, which includes those of us who are of the Africa Diaspora, to prosper.
Basic Overview:
Nambia is located on the southwest corner of Africa. Once occupied by Germans in the early part of the 20th century, it was annexed by the South African government until 1988 after a 20 year guerrilla war that was fought by SWAPO (South-West Africa People's Organization). Nambia won its independence from the Apartheid era South African government in 1990.
Land:
The land is mainly arid desert. The Kalahari lies to the east and the coastal desert on its western shore. The percentage of arable land equals 0.99% and the amount of permanent crops in that area is only about 0.01% The exportation of minerals is the largest economic boon for international trade. Mining is the mainstay for the country's economic stability. Non-fuel based mineral products consist of diamonds, lead, tin, zinc,silver, tungsten, copper, and uranium. A deeper rendering of the natural resources of the area can be found here:
http://www.fao.org/ag/AGP/AGPC/doc/counprof/Namibia/namibia.htm
The main crops for the usable farm area are millet, sorghum, grapes, and peanuts. The main live stock consists of fish as well as cattle, and goats.
Economy
Mining accounts for 8% of the GDP for the country. It has been reported by "Businesweek" that: “Growth is expected to recover in 2010 from last year’s slump and gather momentum, driven by a rebound in the mining sector as the world economy picks up,” Norbert Toe, head of an IMF delegation concluding a two-week visit to the country, told reporters today in the capital, Windhoek.
The IMF’s previous forecast was 1.7 percent, according to the Washington-based lender’s website." (http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-05-26/namibian-economy-may-grow-4-4-this-year-on-mining-update1-.html)
This could be an indicator that the country could become an economic powerhouse on the African continent over the next few decades should there be a constant up swing in GDP output.
One of the main challenges is how to maximize the use of arable land so that it can foster and sustain more people in the land despite arid conditions. Also, how can we in the Diaspora help in making the natural resources of the land more profitable for the indigenous people and perhaps partnering with them? There are much potential for the land, especially since it is rich in materials that allow for the creation of electronic components. Namibia is also taking bold steps in creating an IT infrastructure that perhaps can open up new economic avenues that may not have been realized before. Yes, there is great potential here, so the question is how we can help without disturbing their culture and being perceived as "dark skinned foreign intruders" trying to take over? There are many questions, but at least now we are armed with information that we can perhaps come up with intelligent solutions. I have included links to the sources I researched in order to bring you this offering of information.
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/wa.html
http://www.npc.gov.na/vision/pdfs/Chapter_6.pdf
http://www.grnnet.gov.na/ (Link seem to be having trouble as of 8/24/2010)
Monday, August 23, 2010
Friday, August 13, 2010
C:\My Mind\Culture\Consciousness\Eurocentrism.exe /forceuninstall
For those who don't know computers, the above line simply means "Delete this file (Eurocentricism.exe) by any means neccessary."
I, like many before me have struggled with identity. As a child of the African Diaspora, I have felt that I had to push away my culture because I was lead to believe that it was "un-Christian" to embrace one's cultural identity. This is something that is not taught in the Bible, but rather by those who instead of teaching the Scriptures by the Holy Spirit, they instead misused / abused it and turned the Bible into a "American /European" book; and Jesus into a European/American, instead of honoring Him for who He is, The Son Of God, Son of David, Lion of the Tribe of Judah. I was afraid to be who I really am. I was constantly bombarded with images of Africans being primitive, Bushmen who jabbered and killed "civilized White men". I was taught to hate my African heritage. Never was it taught to me that the first university to exist was Timbuktu in ancient Mali. I was never told that ancient Khemet/ Egypt was founded by Black Africans, and not Europeans. I thought the Greeks were THE founders of logic and philosophy, now I know better.
I have awakened from the "Matrix" of Eurocentric brainwashing. I now know that I can celebrate who I am, who God created me to be, a son of Africa. I worship the Creator of all things, the One who said "I am the Alpha and the Omega." He Himself is Spirit. God is not the "old White man in the sky", but is Spirit. I am to worship Him in spirit and truth through His ressurected son Jesus, again, not a White man. I wrote a poem that reflects where I now reside in myself. I wanted to share with those who would understand. This is not intended to offend or alienate anyone.
Asante,
Michael
The time has come...
The struggle is now over. I know who I am...
I am a son of Africa, one of millions taken from their rightful home. I am the son of a griot, a hunter, a scribe. I am the progeny of ancient genius. I am the result of those who lifted stones from the earth and made the Pyramids. I tasted the sands of time as I built Khemet. I smell the cooking fires and watch closely as the children gather around the village elder to hear the stories of long ago. I am the drummer who plays the Djembe as the warriors dance to my rhythms. I am the scholar who teaches the eager minds of the young in Timbuktu. I am a son of Africa... and I have returned.
I, like many before me have struggled with identity. As a child of the African Diaspora, I have felt that I had to push away my culture because I was lead to believe that it was "un-Christian" to embrace one's cultural identity. This is something that is not taught in the Bible, but rather by those who instead of teaching the Scriptures by the Holy Spirit, they instead misused / abused it and turned the Bible into a "American /European" book; and Jesus into a European/American, instead of honoring Him for who He is, The Son Of God, Son of David, Lion of the Tribe of Judah. I was afraid to be who I really am. I was constantly bombarded with images of Africans being primitive, Bushmen who jabbered and killed "civilized White men". I was taught to hate my African heritage. Never was it taught to me that the first university to exist was Timbuktu in ancient Mali. I was never told that ancient Khemet/ Egypt was founded by Black Africans, and not Europeans. I thought the Greeks were THE founders of logic and philosophy, now I know better.
I have awakened from the "Matrix" of Eurocentric brainwashing. I now know that I can celebrate who I am, who God created me to be, a son of Africa. I worship the Creator of all things, the One who said "I am the Alpha and the Omega." He Himself is Spirit. God is not the "old White man in the sky", but is Spirit. I am to worship Him in spirit and truth through His ressurected son Jesus, again, not a White man. I wrote a poem that reflects where I now reside in myself. I wanted to share with those who would understand. This is not intended to offend or alienate anyone.
Asante,
Michael
The time has come...
The struggle is now over. I know who I am...
I am a son of Africa, one of millions taken from their rightful home. I am the son of a griot, a hunter, a scribe. I am the progeny of ancient genius. I am the result of those who lifted stones from the earth and made the Pyramids. I tasted the sands of time as I built Khemet. I smell the cooking fires and watch closely as the children gather around the village elder to hear the stories of long ago. I am the drummer who plays the Djembe as the warriors dance to my rhythms. I am the scholar who teaches the eager minds of the young in Timbuktu. I am a son of Africa... and I have returned.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Chapter 2: A Bridge Too Far - Answers in Genesis
Chapter 2: A Bridge Too Far - Answers in Genesis
Posted using ShareThis
This link contains a chapter of "Darwin's Plantation" by Dr. Charles Ware. The book talks about where the races came from and how evolution promotes racism. This link is to Chapter 2 of the book. Please read.
Peace,
Michael
Posted using ShareThis
This link contains a chapter of "Darwin's Plantation" by Dr. Charles Ware. The book talks about where the races came from and how evolution promotes racism. This link is to Chapter 2 of the book. Please read.
Peace,
Michael
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Tiger Tiger Burning Bright
Unless one has been on a deep space mission the last couple of weeks, you have undoubtedly heard of travail of Tiger Woods. Allegedly he has broken his marital vows and has had affairs with other women. Here's my issue. This whole thing started with the news reporting that Tiger was in an accident. Can someone tell me how in the world that the media goes from reporting an accident to accusing Tiger of cheating? Were they bored? Was there nothing else more important to talk about? Wait, there was...
The President of the United States security was threatened when two uninvited people people crashed the State Dinner. The Secret Service protocols were not followed, and they allowed two potential threats into the White House. Does the media mean to say that alleged rompings of a sports figure outweigh the breach of security that could have been potentially disastrous to our Commander and Chief? Please understand, Right or Left politics are irrelevant, my only concern is that our news media decided to quietly put away a presidential security issue to focus on a sports person. The news has its priorities slightly...ok, majorly skewed. So what's next? If, God forbid, another security issue comes up for the Pres, what will the media do? Run a story on Lady GaGa's new hair extensions?
Until Next Time...
The President of the United States security was threatened when two uninvited people people crashed the State Dinner. The Secret Service protocols were not followed, and they allowed two potential threats into the White House. Does the media mean to say that alleged rompings of a sports figure outweigh the breach of security that could have been potentially disastrous to our Commander and Chief? Please understand, Right or Left politics are irrelevant, my only concern is that our news media decided to quietly put away a presidential security issue to focus on a sports person. The news has its priorities slightly...ok, majorly skewed. So what's next? If, God forbid, another security issue comes up for the Pres, what will the media do? Run a story on Lady GaGa's new hair extensions?
Until Next Time...
Monday, November 30, 2009
A lesson of the heart
Last week, i found out that a person who was like my brother, took his own life last year. This was an emotional devastation of unprecedented scale in my life. Me and this person had not spoken for some years because of something that I thought important at the time wasn't important to him. Now, I will never get a chance to reconcile with him. The lesson is life is too short and unpredictable to sit and hold a grudge against someone. We are not promised tomorrow, so if you have ANYTHING against someone you may have been close with, but are no longer, please seek reconciliation today, because you may not have that opportunity tomorrow. Just as God reconciled Himself to us through the death and resurrection of His Son Jesus the Messiah, we need to be reconciled to one another.
Until later,
Michael
Until later,
Michael
Monday, October 19, 2009
Love American Style...
...truer than the red, white, and blue", at least that is what the theme from the 70's TV classic show says, but for some reason that idea skipped New Orleans, LA. Here in 2009, a couple was denied a marriage license by a justice (and I use that tern loosely) of the peace becasue the couple were of different ethnicities. A Black man and White woman were denied the blessing of being lawfully wed because the judge didn't think it proper to marry a mixed couple becasue he was concerned about them having mixed offspring. Mixed offspring? The last I checked, we were all mutts, no "pure" anything. If he goes back far enough, I'm sure the good judge will find some chocolate and brown sugar in his family mix, it's LOUISIANA!!! The "swirl" has been there for centuries! Let's be honest people, Massa' was up in the slave quarters and doing as he pleased with his "property" often against her will, sometimes not.
This brings me to a revelation I had in my own heart that I have had to struggle with. In our society, it has become a common sight to see a Black man with a White, Hispanic, or sometimes, an Asian woman. Now what you don't see a lot of is a Black women with White men, at least I haven't. I found that I didn't react to the former, but felt different about the latter. I had to confront this hypocrisy in my own heart. It is becasue of my knowledge of the history of slavery in this country that caused me to feel "hurt" when I saw a Black woman with a White man. As I described above, it was the sickening norm for female African slaves to be raped and molested by the captains and crew of the slave ship. The humiliation continued for centuries on the plantation. If the woman happened to have a husband (even though the marriage wasn't legally recognized by the state), the master or foreman could and did, take the woman and have their way with them in the presence of the husband at times. How? The husband knew that he was powerless to do anything about it without putting the lives of his family and himself in danger. Any resistance would be met with beatings, selling off of the children, or being hung.
With this knowledge, I projected the evils of something from the past onto the people of the present. No longer is a Black woman forced into a relationship she does not want. What right did I have to think "Wow, are there no good Black men anymore that you have to take a White man as a boyfriend or spouse?" Because of the negative portrayal of Black men in the media, my thought was that she was buying into the stereotype of the "no good, lazy, violent, womanizing, no good coon", and opting for the "wealthy ,powerful, hard working White man who built this country from scratch and saved it form the "evil" indigenous people." It was a kick in the stomach to me. I thought that she must have suffered from a type of "Stockholm Syndrome", where the captive begins to sympathize with the ideology of their captors and take their point of view, the captors being the media in this case.
I had to repent and check myself. When a man and a woman love each other and vow to serve each other in love, who cares what ethnic group they belong to? In the eyes of God it is IRRELEVANT! Love has nothing to do with color, it has to do with dying to yourself and putting the others needs above your own, "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." 1 Corinthians 13:4-7.
Love American style indeed.
This brings me to a revelation I had in my own heart that I have had to struggle with. In our society, it has become a common sight to see a Black man with a White, Hispanic, or sometimes, an Asian woman. Now what you don't see a lot of is a Black women with White men, at least I haven't. I found that I didn't react to the former, but felt different about the latter. I had to confront this hypocrisy in my own heart. It is becasue of my knowledge of the history of slavery in this country that caused me to feel "hurt" when I saw a Black woman with a White man. As I described above, it was the sickening norm for female African slaves to be raped and molested by the captains and crew of the slave ship. The humiliation continued for centuries on the plantation. If the woman happened to have a husband (even though the marriage wasn't legally recognized by the state), the master or foreman could and did, take the woman and have their way with them in the presence of the husband at times. How? The husband knew that he was powerless to do anything about it without putting the lives of his family and himself in danger. Any resistance would be met with beatings, selling off of the children, or being hung.
With this knowledge, I projected the evils of something from the past onto the people of the present. No longer is a Black woman forced into a relationship she does not want. What right did I have to think "Wow, are there no good Black men anymore that you have to take a White man as a boyfriend or spouse?" Because of the negative portrayal of Black men in the media, my thought was that she was buying into the stereotype of the "no good, lazy, violent, womanizing, no good coon", and opting for the "wealthy ,powerful, hard working White man who built this country from scratch and saved it form the "evil" indigenous people." It was a kick in the stomach to me. I thought that she must have suffered from a type of "Stockholm Syndrome", where the captive begins to sympathize with the ideology of their captors and take their point of view, the captors being the media in this case.
I had to repent and check myself. When a man and a woman love each other and vow to serve each other in love, who cares what ethnic group they belong to? In the eyes of God it is IRRELEVANT! Love has nothing to do with color, it has to do with dying to yourself and putting the others needs above your own, "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." 1 Corinthians 13:4-7.
Love American style indeed.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Roaring Silence and "Dagger Vision"
Last weekend, I had an experience that I will not soon forget. An elder from our church and I went to see a brother who was incarcerated in S. Illinois. During the 400 mile trip, the elder and I were talking about race and how the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the only true healing solution to this problem. We visited the man and were blessed by his warmth and joy in the midst of his situation and the harsh environment he is in. The elder and I stayed overnight and left on Monday morning. On our way back, we stopped in a small town McDonald's to get breakfast.
Then the adventure began...
As we stepped into the restaurant, I made for the men's facilities, that's when I noticed the stares. I came out of the restroom and went to stand in line to order. The person who took my order was pleasant and smiling. As my friend and I received our order and sat down, I felt the eyes upon us and the silence was deafening. One old farmer in particular was staring at me. I caught his glance and smiled and nodded at him, needless to say the gesture was not returned. Now one could argue that it was just the one guy, but wait there's more. While we continued our meal, two town sheriffs came and ate next to us. When I tried to say hello, I was ignored. Why? My friend also noticed the thick and very unwelcoming atmosphere. This was a town that time forgot. One would think they have stepped back fifty years into a restaurant that would have proudly displayed a sign that said "WHITES ONLY". Even the music that was being piped in was from the early 1960's. If you have ever seen "Forrest Gump", there was a scene where Forrest was a teenager being chased by guys in a pickup truck. The music they were playing in the background accurately matched the atmosphere we found ourselves in.
As we left the restaurant, my friend, an older white gentleman, saw and sensed the uneasiness I felt and he also saw the behavior of the camouflage cap wearing hunters and farmers who glared at me. For this writer, I now see that the silent stare is now the new way of saying "nigger".
This is a situation that challenges one to pray fro those who may despise you. If someone had shouted out "Get out out of here nigger, and take your nigger lovin' friend with you.", it would have been my duty towards Christ to forgive and pray for them. I did pray for them. In this day and age, many still hold on to the evils of the past and refuse to move on. It is a shame and a sad thing for them, but we must love then nonetheless as Jesus does.
Then the adventure began...
As we stepped into the restaurant, I made for the men's facilities, that's when I noticed the stares. I came out of the restroom and went to stand in line to order. The person who took my order was pleasant and smiling. As my friend and I received our order and sat down, I felt the eyes upon us and the silence was deafening. One old farmer in particular was staring at me. I caught his glance and smiled and nodded at him, needless to say the gesture was not returned. Now one could argue that it was just the one guy, but wait there's more. While we continued our meal, two town sheriffs came and ate next to us. When I tried to say hello, I was ignored. Why? My friend also noticed the thick and very unwelcoming atmosphere. This was a town that time forgot. One would think they have stepped back fifty years into a restaurant that would have proudly displayed a sign that said "WHITES ONLY". Even the music that was being piped in was from the early 1960's. If you have ever seen "Forrest Gump", there was a scene where Forrest was a teenager being chased by guys in a pickup truck. The music they were playing in the background accurately matched the atmosphere we found ourselves in.
As we left the restaurant, my friend, an older white gentleman, saw and sensed the uneasiness I felt and he also saw the behavior of the camouflage cap wearing hunters and farmers who glared at me. For this writer, I now see that the silent stare is now the new way of saying "nigger".
This is a situation that challenges one to pray fro those who may despise you. If someone had shouted out "Get out out of here nigger, and take your nigger lovin' friend with you.", it would have been my duty towards Christ to forgive and pray for them. I did pray for them. In this day and age, many still hold on to the evils of the past and refuse to move on. It is a shame and a sad thing for them, but we must love then nonetheless as Jesus does.
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