I subscribe to greenbele newsletters and today I received this one from them. Don't know what to say. Please show your support. Follow this link for more information.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Friends and Supporters,
We would like to urge you to take two actions organised by Amnesty International to support the
peace process in Kenya and to protect Wangari Maathai and other human rights defenders.
Urgent Action For Wangari Maathai
Nobel Peace Laureate Wangari Maathai received three death threats by mobile phone text message at around 12.30 am on 19 February, which read, “Because of your opposing the government at all times, Prof Wangari Maathai, we have decided to look for your head very soon, you are number three after Were, take care of your life.”
Two people working for her received similar threats on 19 and 21 February. The threats were signed “Mungiki”, the name of an outlawed gang mainly of Kikuyu ethnicity, that has claimed responsibility for beheadings and other murders involving mutilation. Prof Wangari Maathai is a former Member of Parliament. “Number three after Were” refers to MP Melitus Mugabe Were, who was killed outside his home in Nairobi on 29 January. A second MP, David Kimutai Too, was killed in Eldoret town on 31 January.
Prof Wangari Maathai believes the threats were a response to her call for increased pressure on both President Kibaki and opposition Orange Democratic Movement leader Raila Odinga to reach an agreement to deal with the political crisis in Kenya, and for her criticisms of politicians allied to the ruling Party of National Unity.
Take Action to protect Wangari Maathai and those defending human rights in Kenya
INTERNATIONAL DAY OF ACTION FOR KENYA TODAY
27th February is a day of public and online action to demonstrate solidarity with the people of Kenya and call on the Kenyan government to protect people from politically-motivated and ethnic violence. There are street protests taking place all around the world.
Take Action for Kenya by joining public and online protests
Kenya Office: Hughes Building, 1st Floor, Muindi Mbingu Street, Kenyatta Avenue Wing, PO Box 67545-0020, Nairobi
Europe Office: Development House, 56-64 Leonard Street, London EC2A 4LT
North America Office: 4245 N. Fairfax Avenue, Suite 860, Arlington, VA 22203
Support the Green Belt Movement www.greenbeltmovement.org
Forward this email to a friend
Please let us know if you wish to be taken off this mail list.
Wednesday, 27 February 2008
Saturday, 23 February 2008
This is funny!
Okay, so much for a hiatus, but I had to share this - kindly stolen from Joseph with laughter.....
I bet the website owner answering has had these silly questions for so long he doesn't care about potentially offending. Those questions are stupid though - and funny!
---------------------------------------------------------------------
These questions about Kenya were posted on a Kenyan tourism portal by potential tourists from various western Countries and
were answered by the website owner.
Q: Does it ever get windy in Kenya? I have never seen it rain on TV, so how do the plants grow? (UK)
A: We import all plants fully grown and then just sit around watching
them die.
Q: Will I be able to see elephants in the street? (USA)
A: Depends how much you’ve been drinking.
Q: I want to walk from Mombasa to Nakuru - can I follow the railroad
tracks? (Sweden)
A: Sure, it’s only two thousand kilometres….take lots of water.
Q: Is it safe to run around in the bushes in Kenya? (Sweden).
A: So it’s true what they say about Swedes!
Q: Are there any ATMs (cash machines) in Kenya? Can you send me a list
of them in Nairobi and Mombasa? (UK)
A: What did your last slave die of?
Q: Can you give me some information about
Koala Bear racing in Kenya? (USA)
A: Aus-tra-lia is that big island in the middle of the Pacific.
A-fri-ca is the big triangle shaped continent south of Europe which
does not…oh forget it. Sure, the Koala Bear racing is every
Tuesday night in Koinange Street. Come naked.
Q: Which direction is north in Kenya?(USA)
A: Face south and then turn 90 degrees. Contact us when you get here
and we’ll send the rest of the directions.
Q: Can I bring cutlery into Kenya? (UK)
A: Why? Just use your fingers like we do.
Q: Do you have perfume in Kenya? (France)
A: No. We don’t stink.
Q: I have developed a new product that is the fountain of youth. Can
you tell me where I can sell it in Kenya? (USA)
A: Anywhere where a significant number
of Americans gather.
Q: Can you tell me the regions in Kenya where the female population is
smaller than the male population? (Italy)
A: Yes, gay nightclubs.
Q: Do you celebrate Christmas in Kenya? (France)
A: Only at Christmas.
Q: Are there killer bees in Kenya? (Germany)
A: Not yet, but for you, we’ll import them.
Q: Are there supermarkets in Nairobi and is milk available all year
round? (Holland)
A: No, we are a peaceful civilisation of vegan hunter-gatherers. Milk
is illegal.
Q: Please send a list of all doctors in Kenya who can dispense
rattlesnake serum. (USA)
A: Rattlesnakes live in A-meri-ca, which is where YOU come from. All
Kenyan snakes are perfectly harmless, can be safely handled and make
good pets.
Q: I was in Kenya in 1969 and I want to contact the girl I dated while
I was staying in Mombasa. Can you help? (USA)
A: Yes, but you will probably still have to pay her by the hour.
Q: Will I be able to speek English most places I go? (USA)
A: Yes, but you’ll have to learn it first
I bet the website owner answering has had these silly questions for so long he doesn't care about potentially offending. Those questions are stupid though - and funny!
---------------------------------------------------------------------
These questions about Kenya were posted on a Kenyan tourism portal by potential tourists from various western Countries and
were answered by the website owner.
Q: Does it ever get windy in Kenya? I have never seen it rain on TV, so how do the plants grow? (UK)
A: We import all plants fully grown and then just sit around watching
them die.
Q: Will I be able to see elephants in the street? (USA)
A: Depends how much you’ve been drinking.
Q: I want to walk from Mombasa to Nakuru - can I follow the railroad
tracks? (Sweden)
A: Sure, it’s only two thousand kilometres….take lots of water.
Q: Is it safe to run around in the bushes in Kenya? (Sweden).
A: So it’s true what they say about Swedes!
Q: Are there any ATMs (cash machines) in Kenya? Can you send me a list
of them in Nairobi and Mombasa? (UK)
A: What did your last slave die of?
Q: Can you give me some information about
Koala Bear racing in Kenya? (USA)
A: Aus-tra-lia is that big island in the middle of the Pacific.
A-fri-ca is the big triangle shaped continent south of Europe which
does not…oh forget it. Sure, the Koala Bear racing is every
Tuesday night in Koinange Street. Come naked.
Q: Which direction is north in Kenya?(USA)
A: Face south and then turn 90 degrees. Contact us when you get here
and we’ll send the rest of the directions.
Q: Can I bring cutlery into Kenya? (UK)
A: Why? Just use your fingers like we do.
Q: Do you have perfume in Kenya? (France)
A: No. We don’t stink.
Q: I have developed a new product that is the fountain of youth. Can
you tell me where I can sell it in Kenya? (USA)
A: Anywhere where a significant number
of Americans gather.
Q: Can you tell me the regions in Kenya where the female population is
smaller than the male population? (Italy)
A: Yes, gay nightclubs.
Q: Do you celebrate Christmas in Kenya? (France)
A: Only at Christmas.
Q: Are there killer bees in Kenya? (Germany)
A: Not yet, but for you, we’ll import them.
Q: Are there supermarkets in Nairobi and is milk available all year
round? (Holland)
A: No, we are a peaceful civilisation of vegan hunter-gatherers. Milk
is illegal.
Q: Please send a list of all doctors in Kenya who can dispense
rattlesnake serum. (USA)
A: Rattlesnakes live in A-meri-ca, which is where YOU come from. All
Kenyan snakes are perfectly harmless, can be safely handled and make
good pets.
Q: I was in Kenya in 1969 and I want to contact the girl I dated while
I was staying in Mombasa. Can you help? (USA)
A: Yes, but you will probably still have to pay her by the hour.
Q: Will I be able to speek English most places I go? (USA)
A: Yes, but you’ll have to learn it first
Friday, 22 February 2008
Temporary Hiatus
I seem to have run out of steam for this blog at the moment, so will be doing the others more till I find something I'm compelled to blog about here. Kenya is still beautiful, bad things are still happening in the aftermath of all the recent violence, people are still dying, only this time more especially children *sigh*, are dying of disease due to crowding and lack of sanitation. Stories are circulating about Red Cross volunteers favouring other tribes more than others and I'm stumped, but I sure will be back with hopefully some happier, brighter blogging other than mostly negative stuff.
On a brighter note, I'm now blogging about my hair as I really want it to be beautiful and long stay natural. All afro hair owners out there know I'm not exaggerating when I say it's a challenge. Hence my decision to make caring for my hair a hobby, alongside my gardening and trying to live green.
Okay...I know, I know, I'm blogging crazy, but hey, if I feel passionate about it and want to keep track of it, blogging is my favoured way of logging progress and hiccups (and getting people to read and offer suggestions)! One of these days I'll create one big blog to incorporate all my blogs, but as I'm struggling to build a website for my business venture, I'll leave the blog for now and use what I got!
On a brighter note, I'm now blogging about my hair as I really want it to be beautiful and long stay natural. All afro hair owners out there know I'm not exaggerating when I say it's a challenge. Hence my decision to make caring for my hair a hobby, alongside my gardening and trying to live green.
Okay...I know, I know, I'm blogging crazy, but hey, if I feel passionate about it and want to keep track of it, blogging is my favoured way of logging progress and hiccups (and getting people to read and offer suggestions)! One of these days I'll create one big blog to incorporate all my blogs, but as I'm struggling to build a website for my business venture, I'll leave the blog for now and use what I got!
Oooh, Mashada's back!
Unfortunately with all the hard talk, there's still some badness, though not as bad as just after the elections. I was hoping there'd be zero tolerance but I gues once established, always there huh? Still, I find myself visiting lol.
Tuesday, 5 February 2008
So, Mashada is down and closed
It's about time. See, I love online communities. I visit forums which discuss my passions and interests. I find it easier discussing many issues in writing more than I do face to face. Plus, the array of people with similar interests worldwide always brings forth different perspectives, both suitable and unsuitable, which gets me thinking and choosing what's suitable for me. You just don't get this in real life, unless you've some massively impressive connections.
Anyway, my most recent addition to the numerous forums I visit fairly regularly was Mashada. An African but mainly Kenyan forum. Finding Mashada was like finding a long lost friend - kinda. Not quite, but you know... Anyway, all these people on the forum reminded me so much of Kenya. I felt like I was in Kenya when I visited the forum and joined in on discussions. I related to forumites in Kenya as I remembered the 'good old days'. I related to kenyans abroad seeing as that is what I am. However, it was soon apparent that there was hardly any moderation. X-rated contents were allowed and discussions would go on and on. Offending members were revered by some and described as funny. Offended people hardly had anyone to stand their corner and I tried but it was in vain. The offended then also became offenders when responding to others postings and it seemed this was a vicious cycle. I thought I'd ignore some people and avoid certain folders, but that wasn't as easy. Posts that seemed to genuinely ask for advice or express interest were littered with nasty comments here and there. It seemed there were many with too much time in their hands just dedicated to offend and mock. I gradually drifted away, but I kept visiting back. Then came the elections and the aftermath. Hatred seethed left, right and centre. Still, no signs of moderation as such. Something got put in place but it wasn't enough. I gave up and have not visited since December. Now I've just learnt from Global Voices that Mashada is actually down, thanks to members being mean to each other. I expected this would happen eventually as the hatred got so bad. Mashada had potential to be a great forum, but it lacked leadership - just like Kenya lacks leadership right now. Comparisons have been made between what happened in Mashada and what is happening in Kenya right now. Kenyans against Kenyans. Mashada 'leaders' tried to control things but in vain. Will Kenyan leaders realise too late that they need to take action to curb the war on each other? Thankfully Mashada can be closed. What will 'closing' Kenya actually mean to it's people?
Anyway, my most recent addition to the numerous forums I visit fairly regularly was Mashada. An African but mainly Kenyan forum. Finding Mashada was like finding a long lost friend - kinda. Not quite, but you know... Anyway, all these people on the forum reminded me so much of Kenya. I felt like I was in Kenya when I visited the forum and joined in on discussions. I related to forumites in Kenya as I remembered the 'good old days'. I related to kenyans abroad seeing as that is what I am. However, it was soon apparent that there was hardly any moderation. X-rated contents were allowed and discussions would go on and on. Offending members were revered by some and described as funny. Offended people hardly had anyone to stand their corner and I tried but it was in vain. The offended then also became offenders when responding to others postings and it seemed this was a vicious cycle. I thought I'd ignore some people and avoid certain folders, but that wasn't as easy. Posts that seemed to genuinely ask for advice or express interest were littered with nasty comments here and there. It seemed there were many with too much time in their hands just dedicated to offend and mock. I gradually drifted away, but I kept visiting back. Then came the elections and the aftermath. Hatred seethed left, right and centre. Still, no signs of moderation as such. Something got put in place but it wasn't enough. I gave up and have not visited since December. Now I've just learnt from Global Voices that Mashada is actually down, thanks to members being mean to each other. I expected this would happen eventually as the hatred got so bad. Mashada had potential to be a great forum, but it lacked leadership - just like Kenya lacks leadership right now. Comparisons have been made between what happened in Mashada and what is happening in Kenya right now. Kenyans against Kenyans. Mashada 'leaders' tried to control things but in vain. Will Kenyan leaders realise too late that they need to take action to curb the war on each other? Thankfully Mashada can be closed. What will 'closing' Kenya actually mean to it's people?
Monday, 4 February 2008
Wakenya Pamoja
Superb. Kenyan musical artists from various tribes perform together... 'Wakenya Pamoja' translates to 'Kenyans Together'
Saturday, 26 January 2008
On a lighter note...
''Kids in Kibera have a new game. They have fashioned their own cameras out of mud, baked hard in the sun, and run around “filming” the mob of journalists that gathers on a hill overlooking their slum each day.''
Whilst on my regular nightly Kenyan blogs surf, I came across Rob's blog via Ory's. Just loved the above (pic and quote courtesy of Rob Crilly of course) of kids in Kibera - one of the worst affected or perhaps the worst affected slums in Nairobi - turning the tables on the journalists. Isn't this just adorable? Clay cameras? Shame they are so affected by the bad things happening in Kenya right now, sigh.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
