http://patsibo.tigblog.org/ What's on the minds of young leaders from around the globe? en-us http://patsibo.tigblog.org/post/339389 Thu 28 Feb 2008, 12:10 GMT
6 minutes ago
NAIROBI (Reuters) - Mediator Kofi Annan said Kenya's government and opposition had reached understanding on a power-sharing deal at talks on Thursday to end a deadly post-election crisis.
"We have come to an understanding on the coalition agreement," Annan told reporters after talks with President Mwai Kibaki, opposition leader Raila Odinga and African Union head Jakaya Kikwete. Annan said he would give details at 1 p.m. British time.

AP News Alert
22 minutes ago
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Mediator Kofi Annan says Kenya's rival politicians "have an agreement."
]]> Thu, 28 Feb 2008 08:24:00 EST http://patsibo.tigblog.org/post/339389 -1.2833333 36.8166667-1.283333336.8166667 http://patsibo.tigblog.org/post/318691 YOUTHS CALL FOR PEACE IN KENYA
Fellow Youths,
All young leaders and the young at heart in the country are joining hands in reaching out to all of us irregardless of race,tribe,political boundaries or cultural/religious affiliations to embrace peace and stop the violence that is going on. It's you and I that have the power to stop by not allowing ourselves to be used to instigate violent acts against our neighbours.

Deep within our hearts we Kenyans are peaceful and united. This has always been seen by the way we turn out in large numbers to support one another irregardless of tribein times of joyful celebrations and when tragedy hits us. Let us not wait until its too late for us to wish we had embraced the call for peace earlier.

Pamoja as youths united we stand,divided we fall, and together we have the power to save our Nation from falling. Most importantly as youths we ought to know that the future of our Nation actually lies in the hands of us youths because we are the majority and the leaders of today!

Rising out of tribalism is much harder than just relying on the media and the International community.We need ourselves to do that succesfully and as one of our TakingITGlobal staff in Canada stated,this begins with a “paradigm shift: an attidude adjustment, on the part of all Kenyans and in fact all those stuck in this mindset.”

Here is a message to all of us from one of an ABC4ALL member from the United States
“Like you I am seriously concerned about the deteriorating situation in
Kenya. The violence must stop. As we wait on the government, the opposition
and world leaders to respond to our urgent call to end the violence in
Kenya, I believe we can and must do something on our own, just in case their
intervention comes too late.
We must continue to demand they take action but
I wonder if we should put our hopes in them as they are the very people
whose greed for power and poor judgment is the cause of these grievances. It
is our fellow ordinary citizens, friends, family and neighbors that are
dying or killing, burning the country or could be victims or potential
victims of the situation. We must do whatever we can to prevent another
Liberia or Rwanda in Kenya. Let us not take this situation for granted at
all. Rwanda should remind us of what could happen within less than 24 hours
of mayhem.Here are some simple actions you can and must take:

· + You must resolve as an individual not to participate in,
instigate or entertain any form of violence whatsoever. Encourage and insist
that everyone you know do same.

· + I just composed a text message that I sent to all Kenyan friends
in my phonebook, which I have asked them to forward to every Kenyan they
know. Please type this as a text message and forward to all the people you
know in Kenya. Here is the message *"Read/Forward to every Kenyan u know: I
have personally RESOLVED NOT TO participate, instigate or condone any form
of violence. I want u every1 u know to do same. The violence must STOP"*

· + Call, text or email someone you know and encourage them to make
it their duty to seek/ maintain peace around them as much as they can. They
should talk to friends and family.

+ And of course those of us (home and abroad) who are still senselessly
provoking or justifying mayhem through list-serves, blogs or circulating
mails must reason up.

I am so frustrated right now. These are just some quick ideas that came to
me sitting here watching these unfortunate development on CNN and BBC. I am
not a Kenyan but a fellow African. I visited Kenya twice in 2008 and I think
you have a wonderful country. I ask you to do this for your country Kenya
and for our Africa. After all, a leaders who chose to put their greed for
power above the welfare of his people and peace of his country is not
worth being a leader and certainly not worth dying for.......Peace,”
MAWULI DAKE
International Human Rights Strategist,
Washington DC,
+1 917 327 5235


patsibo@takingitglobal.org- TakingITGlobal(Kenya Coordinator)Patricia Sudi 0727847948
copudo@gmail.com- STIGMA GROUP' Christabel Opudo 0722888385
YES KENYA CHAIRMAN-Emmanuel Dennis 0722619005]]> Sat, 05 Jan 2008 04:04:00 EST http://patsibo.tigblog.org/post/318691 -1.2833333 36.8166667-1.283333336.8166667 http://patsibo.tigblog.org/post/318573
Like you I am seriously concerned about the deteriorating situation in
Kenya. The violence must stop. As we wait on the government, the opposition
and world leaders to respond to our urgent call to end the violence in
Kenya, I believe we can and must do something on our own, just in case their
intervention comes too late. We must continue to demand they take action but
I wonder if we should put our hopes in them as they are the very people
whose greed for power and poor judgment is the cause of these grievances. It
is our fellow ordinary citizens, friends, family and neighbors that are
dying or killing, burning the country or could be victims or potential
victims of the situation. We must do whatever we can to prevent another
Liberia or Rwanda in Kenya. Let us not take this situation for granted at
all. Rwanda should remind us of what could happen within less than 24 hours
of mayhem.

Here are some simple actions you can and must take:

· + You must resolve as an individual not to participate in,
instigate or entertain any form of violence whatsoever. Encourage and insist
that everyone you know do same.

· + I just composed a text message that I sent to all Kenyan friends
in my phonebook, which I have asked them to forward to every Kenyan they
know. Please type this as a text message and forward to all the people you
know in Kenya. Here is the message *"Read/Forward to every Kenyan u kno: I
have personally RESOLVED NOT TO participate, instigate or condone any form
of violence. I want u every1 u kno to do same. The violence must STOP"*

· + Call, text or email someone you know and encourage them to make
it their duty to seek/ maintain peace around them as much as they can. They
should talk to friends and family.

+ And of course those of us (home and abroad) who are still senselessly
provoking or justifying mayhem through list-serves, blogs or circulating
mails must reason up.

I am so frustrated right now. These are just some quick ideas that came to
me sitting here watching these unfortunate development on CNN and BBC. I am
not a Kenyan but a fellow African. I visited Kenya twice in 2008 and I think
you have a wonderful country. I ask you to do this for your country Kenya
and for our Africa. After all, a leaders who chose to put their greed for
power above the welfare of his people and peace of his country is not
worth being a leader and certainly not worth dying for.......


Peace,

MAWULI DAKE
International Human Rights Strategist,
Washington DC,
+1 917 327 5235]]> Fri, 04 Jan 2008 03:22:00 EST http://patsibo.tigblog.org/post/318573 -1.2833333 36.8166667-1.283333336.8166667 http://patsibo.tigblog.org/post/266565
YHRI teaches the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which was written shortly after the Second World War, and accepted by the member countries of the United Nations. Today the United Nations numbers 191 countries as members.

Since 1948 when this Universal Declaration was accepted, none of these member states of hte UN have taught the declaration, they have not conducted human rights education programs in their countries.

This document is factually Universal, catering for men, women and children everywhere.

One has to understadn ones rights. One has to know that one has rights.

Every one of us has these rights by virtue of the fact that we are a human being.

We are born with these rights. We do not need to ask for them or apply for them or buy them.

Along with these 30 rights comes responsibility.

In order to enjoy these rights we have to be responsible for everyone else knowing and respecting these rights. That means we have to help teach others about these right, while teaching them their responsibilities too.

You cannot demand these right while not respecting the rights of others.

There are people in the world today who have no idea that they have these rights, and the result is that they are often the victims of abuse.

The Right to Education for example is one that is often violated. There are villages in India and Nepal where woman are not allowed to have an education.

The Right to No Slavery is often violated in this modern era. Many people do not believe that slavery even exists today. But it does - today it is referred to as Human Trafficking.

People disappear all the time. They are sold on the balck market into hard labour, prostitution and other similar atrocious circumstance. Most are never recovered and many die before they reach their final destinations.

The point : human rights education is vital to the future; vital to ensuring that the people of Earth can enjoy these rights and live in peace and harmony.

All of you here today can influence others. So take the opportunity to help others learn about their human rights. If they don't know they could possibly violate your rights.

Get involved and find out more. Visit the websitre www.youthforhumanrights.org.

Thank you very much.

Shaleen Wohrnitz
Africa Coordinator
Youth for Human Rights International
Delete Reply Forward Spam Move...
]]> Thu, 11 Oct 2007 05:35:00 EDT http://patsibo.tigblog.org/post/266565 -1.2833333 36.8166667-1.283333336.8166667 http://patsibo.tigblog.org/post/262733 a school in Garsen, Tana River District, are being
hounded out of classrooms and transformed into mothers
by their classmates and teachers is not only shocking
story but also shameful.

According to the report male teachers and pupils who
impregnate and force them to drop out of school have
been doing that for long without being noticed. The
report further indicates that two sisters, 14 and 20
in class four and five, are nursing babies who were
delivered by a local midwife some weeks ago.

Another girl, 13, in class eight, is preparing to sit
the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education Examination
and expecting to deliver as Mr Joseph Rugo, who until
March this year was the school chairman, resigned
because he could not cope with illicit affairs.

This is the photo of a ten-year old Gladys Chelagat
holding her baby weighing 2.8kg at Kericho District
Hospital in Rift Valley Province. She was lured into
sex by an elderly man fro money to buy food. File
photo.

The worst part of the story is that efforts to
protect girls from being lured into sex according to
the area Assistant chief, Mr Raphael Misiko Mbuya has
been in vain. In other words, girls do not look at it
as a problem but as a right to have sex.



The issue is not only girls having sex, but also their
parents force them for early marriages as happened for
six girls who were recently forced by their parents to
be married. Even the efforts by police to save these
young girls from illicit sex have never been fruitful.



The shocking revelation however, is that the problem
with teen sex in schools is spreading as fire in many
schools in Kenya ever than before. In Mtondia, a small
village in Kilifi district on the Kenyan coast is now
considered a cursed village as so many of its young
girls are either pregnant or have children.



Many girls as 10-years-old have got their first child
according to the report. Some of the girls interviewed
get pregnant due to forced sex by their teachers or
are raped. Some of the girls have up to two children
at their tender age.



In most cases some of the girls interviewed say they
were enticed into a love affair by an older man who in
return give them some money to buy food. Some of the
girls are strongly warned never to report the matter
to their parents.



While some girls are enticed into love affair, some
are getting involved with the men willingly. They in
fact enjoy the affair and feel offended if told to
stop. The sad story however, is that when they get
pregnant these men are not responsible.



Although the rise in the numbers of under-age mothers
in Mtondia has repeatedly been blamed on poor
parenting and a breakdown of traditional family
structures, poverty and lack of sex education among
the teenagers have been said as some of the
contributing factors.



Similar shocking media story in 2004 that from Nakuru
alone some 44 girls had dropped out of school due to
pregnancy left several Kenyans wondering where we are
heading. As usual teachers were alleged to have been
responsible.



The cause for illicit sex was attributed to poverty.
It was alleged that sisal plantation workers lured the
girls with money for a better diet since in most Kenya
schools foods are not only very poor, but also one
type of food is eaten throughout the week.



Girls also need money for their essential needs that
neither the school nor s parents can offer them. This
is the real picture of what is happening in our
schools. It explains why teenage pregnancy in schools
will always remain a big problem.



Although studies show that about 30 per cent of
teenage girls are sexually active before they reach
15, and that by the time they are 18, more than 90 per
cent are sexually active and 80 per cent may have had
one or more acts of unprotected sex according to
Pathfinder International, lack of sex education and
poverty are to blame in part.



The report by Pathfinder International is even scaring
that if nothing is done urgently to curb the causes
there is fear that about six million girls — in or
out of school — are at risk of accidental pregnancy.



If what Dr Alan Ferguson, who carried out the first
comprehensive study on school girl pregnancies in the
country in 1988 is saying is true that about 45 per
cent of Kenyan girls aged 19 are already mothers or
pregnant, then something is terribly wrong with our
Kenya society.



Unlike the past, when a girl got pregnant her father
would force her to get married to the man responsible,
today the man is able to desert the girl leaving her
to nurse the pregnancy alone, not even village elders
or a chief would force him to take care of the baby.



In similar reports that revealed that the results of
the 1st survey, including drop-out rates for 1985-86,
between 1985- 87 10,000 girls dropped out of school
because of pregnancy; Harambee secondary schools being
the highest drop-out rates as Nyanza and Rift Valley
provinces having the highest regional drop-out rates
for primary and secondary levels, while the exit
classes had the highest drop- out rates and drop-outs
were older and had poorer academic records than their
classmates tells allot.



Although according to the result dropout rates
increased for both primary and secondary schools in
1988. An estimated 8000 teenage girls dropped out of
school because of pregnancy-related reasons.



The 16 Harambee secondary schools doubled to 25.1/1000
in 1988 after showing a decline in 1985 and 1987. The
most dramatic results were increases in the rates in
Central Province (from 5.4 to 15.1/1000) and Nyanza
(18.7/1000) with declines in Rift Valley to 9/1000,
today the number of dropouts have significantly increased.



]]> Thu, 04 Oct 2007 05:38:00 EDT http://patsibo.tigblog.org/post/262733 -1.2833333 36.8166667-1.283333336.8166667 http://patsibo.tigblog.org/post/240545 Also when it comes to the general public in the political arena,how inclusive are they in a political level? Democracy for all entails a participatory approach. Let us all pull up as community leaders and politicians and give a chance to our citizens to develop. we ahve an obligation to ensure that there is full participation for peolpe to participate in the democratic process irregardless of gender and disability.]]> Thu, 09 Aug 2007 07:51:00 EDT http://patsibo.tigblog.org/post/240545 -1.2833333 36.8166667-1.283333336.8166667 http://patsibo.tigblog.org/post/237783 It is really unfair isn't it? But if one pleads innocence they would be put in remand to await a hearing date and this is often not done in due time.It can take months to bve put on trial which in turn might take years. Insisting on your innocence thus means rotting in jail. Unfair,isn't it?]]> Sun, 29 Jul 2007 11:23:00 EDT http://patsibo.tigblog.org/post/237783 -1.2833333 36.8166667-1.283333336.8166667 http://patsibo.tigblog.org/post/220663
Information law must demystify State secrets


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


By Stephen Ndegwa


To open up its operations to public scrutiny, the Government has drafted the Freedom of Information policy and Bill.

The policy is a precursor to the Bill set to be tabled in Parliament. The Information and Communications ministry is organising meetings that bring together organisations and individuals who deal with information issues, particularly in the public sector and civil society.

The workshops provide an opportunity for stakeholders to discuss views and recommendations on the draft policy and Bill. But for the policy to become effective, a few issues need to be addressed.

First, the policy is in a hurry to state its vision and mission. The world, Kenya included, is marching towards an information and knowledge society. Countries that will reap benefits from the New World Information Order are those that wield the power of information. It is, therefore, crucial that the draft policy carries a preamble that reflects this and shows exactly what Kenya intends to achieve from the free flow of information.

The policy should be guided by the principles that establish it — the vision of a knowledge-based society. The policy underscores the importance of access to information held by public institutions and the Government as being crucial to the promotion of democracy and good governance".

Second, the policy is preoccupied with checks and balances, rules and regulations. Instead of being progressive and visionary, it dwells on controls. Granted, the country is coming from a culture of secrecy where even harmless statistics could be released to third parties only after approval from the highest authority.

Rules and regulations should come at the end of the document. The gist of the policy should be on how the Government will create an environment for the free flow of information to the highest number of people. Official secrets are some of the most sensitive. We must be realistic and should not expect the Government to release information indiscriminately. It does not happen anywhere in the world!

For the sake of national and State security, there are instances when the Government will keep some information top secret. But this does not mean that reports on corruption scandals such as Goldenberg and Anglo Leasing should be swept under the carpet.

The policy is silent on the categories of information the public is entitled to. Its tone is defensive and portrays a situation where people could appear to be wrestling secret and confidential information from Government. Is information predominantly something that reflects negatively on Government? Are people just hungry for information on scandals?

Information should empower people to get solutions to their problems. Nobody should feel threatened if information is released to third parties since it is for the common good.

Another shortcoming of the draft policy is its failure to recognise the role of information communication technologies. In the near future, the use of ICT will be as pervasive as mobile phones.

The Government has recognised the looming ICT wave and has started projects such as e-government and rural information centres in the districts. Through the Internet, people in the rural areas will access Government services without visiting public offices.

It should be possible for people to make general inquiries and get solutions and services from relevant Government websites.

A freedom of information policy must provide for procedures in seeking information and instances when it can be denied, exemptions, public authorities to be affected, vexatious requests and access to historical records.

]]> Tue, 19 Jun 2007 12:24:00 EDT http://patsibo.tigblog.org/post/220663 -1.2833333 36.8166667-1.283333336.8166667 http://patsibo.tigblog.org/post/218303 Enjoy the following article by Mutuma Mathiu which appeared in the Nation on 20/05/2007:


At the risk of sounding Afroskeptic, I was horrified on reading that since we attained independence, we Africans have succeeded in shrinking the size of our economy, sinking deeper into poverty, shortening our lives and starting more wars than the rest of humanity combined.

Gold is still coming out of our soil, oil is still flowing from our wells, crops are still growing in our fields - the resources we had at independence are all there - and today we have even more people to work. But instead of prospering like the rest of the world, we are heading in the other direction.

That is, of course, a generalisation. Some parts of Africa are working. The stock market here is creating millionaires, we have some sort of growth, we are reasonably secure and stable and we have a modicum of respect for the rights of individuals and communities.

But we also have a situation where thugs are slaughtering people in Mt Elgon and Mungiki is putting police officers in the ground, or the ICU.

We have a government that is seeking to take control of the media in order to hide the disgraceful private conduct of its members and the corruption it perpetrates.

WE HAVE IN POWER A GOVERNMENT that committed to spending more than Sh50 billion on fishy contracts and one of our neighbours is the only place on earth without a government.

We also live in a country where thousands of fools are putting their money, lots of it borrowed, in con schemes, some of them so ridiculously classic "connish" that one wonders whether some Kenyans have swapped their brains for posho.

Their brains have seeped out of their skulls, to be replaced by dreams of instant, effortless riches.

It has always baffled me that anyone should expect to make money without creating/adding value.

You give somebody Sh10,000 and they promise to pay you back Sh30,000 in five weeks. Unless you are taking the money for multiplication prayers how, in the name of Jesus, do you create a 300 per cent return in a month? Some pretend that the money is invested off-shore. Off-shore returns are in the single digit.

There is no legitimate business in the Republic of Kenya which will triple your money in a month. Period.

The way these con games work is that they take your money, keep a percentage of it and use the rest to pay off those whose "investment" has matured. They will continue to do that so long as the new fools joining are bringing in enough to pay off the old ones.

When the stream of new fools dwindles, the base of the pyramid begins to shrink, then there will not be enough to pay the old fools and the whole thing collapses. The owners of the scheme will quietly close shop and disappear, leaving queues of conned people lining up in offices looking for someone to kill.

There is a vicious cycle somewhere there, feeding into the crisis in African leadership. I don't know whether it is the leaders who have learnt from the people, or the people have learnt from their leaders, but this culture of free things is going to put Kenya in the grave. There is no pride in accomplishment and achievement through sweat and hard work. People want to floss with wealth they have stolen. I don't get it.

I get the feeling that the reason people go to politics, for example, or offer themselves for leadership, is so that they can sponge off the rest.

Politicians in government who in 2002 could not afford a set of tyres for the vehicles are today some of the richest people in this region. Our civil servants, whose salaries are modest, are also among the richest Kenyans.

THIS WEALTH DOES NOT COME FROM hard work or superior knowledge of the science of investment. It is money stolen from the public.

And this is not a recent development. The thieves were forged at independence. The first generation that was weaned on the dole is preparing to take over from their fathers to continue the culture of thieving, ruining and ruling the country.

As a matter of fact, these children of privilege stand a better chance, because of their "royal" connections and status, of ascending to office than the most selfless and dedicated, honest Kenyan.

And what does the public do? It cheers the thieves, idolises the corrupt and sticks out its hand for handouts.

We have created the perfect conditions for the perpetuation of poverty and suffering.

My horror was totally misplaced.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Information minister Mutahi Kagwe wants me to go to him and ask him for permission to write this column.

If he does not like what I write, he will refuse that permission and I will be out of a job.

It's not direct, but the effect is the same. Mr Kagwe has written a law creating a government-controlled body which will decide who can and who cannot be a journalist in this country.

The free press is such a nuisance isn't it? It needs some sense beaten into it by the minister. I mean, an Armenian can't fly in, go about his business with his own gun at the airport, kiss dames and set his dogs on the police in peace. No, the pesky press has to come and ruin everything.

Mr Kagwe's proposed law holds no fear for me. At the end of the day and at the conclusion of what I know will be a bruising battle, it is freedom, rather than carefully cloaked repression, which will come out on top.

You wait and see.



]]> Wed, 13 Jun 2007 10:35:00 EDT http://patsibo.tigblog.org/post/218303 -1.2833333 36.8166667-1.283333336.8166667 http://patsibo.tigblog.org/post/218305 Enjoy:

Africa Insight: DR Congo chiefs give away forests for bags of sugar
Published: 6/01/2007
By:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

King Leopold II of the Belgians treated the entire Congo as his personal estate. Now timber companies are doing slightly better by duping chiefs into signing away vast swathes of forest, some with trees each worth £4,000 in Europe



An Okapi grazes in a protected part of a DR Congo forest: In the wake of dubious logging concessions, Greenpeace and other international environmental NGOs say the fate of the Congo forests depends on the World Bank and other donors, including Britain, rejecting industrial logging in the country and demanding a comprehensive land-use plan.
On February 8, 2005, representatives of a major timber firm arrived to negotiate a contract with the traditional landowners. The place was Lamoko, 150 miles down the Maringa river on the edge of a massive stretch of virgin rainforest in central Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Few in the village realised that the talks would transform their lives in the wrong way, but in just a few hours, the chief, who had received no legal advice and did not realise that just one tree might be worth more than £4,000 (Sh528,00) in Europe, had signed away his community's rights in the forest for 25 years.

In return for the signed permission to log thousands of hectares for exotic woods such as Afromosia (African teak) and Sapele, one company promised to build Lamoko and other communities in the area three simple village schools and dispensaries. In addition, the firm said it would give the chief 20 sacks of sugar, 200 bags of salt, some machetes and a few hoes. In all, it was estimated that the gifts would cost the company £10,000 (Sh1.3 million) - some pick up trucks cost more.

It was the kind of "social responsibility" agreement that is encouraged by the World Bank, but when the villagers found out that their forest had been "sold" so cheaply, they were furious.

They complained to the local and central government that there had been no proper consultation; that the negotiations had been conducted in an "arrogant" manner, and that people had been forced to sign the document. They demanded that the company pull out.

Since February 2005, logging roads have been built deep into the forests near Lamoko and the company has started extracting and exporting timber, but the villages have yet to see their schools and dispensaries.

"We asked them to provide wood for our coffins and they even refused that," said one man who asked to remain anonymous.

The Lamoko agreement is just one of many contracts, or concessions, that European companies have signed with tribal chiefs in the DRC as the country begins to recover from a decade of civil wars and dictatorship.

But according to a Greenpeace report, Lamoko did better than many communities. Some contracts seen by The Guardian newspaper show only promises of sugar, salt and tools worth about $100 (Sh7,000) in return for permission to log.

Others have reported that pledges made three years ago have still not been fulfilled. The report, which took two years to compile, claims that industrial logging backed by the World Bank is now out of control. "Younger people feel that elders have failed to look after the long-term interests of the community," it says.

Community leaders say that their villages will sink into destitution if the logging isn't stopped. As many as 40 million of the poorest people in Africa depend on the Congolese forests and all the concessions handed out by the transition government in May 2002 are in inhabited areas. More than a third are home to Pygmy communities.

"If the trees go, then we will have nothing. The forests are our only hope. If they go, we only become poorer," said a man who lives near Kisangani. Like most people in the area, he did not want to give his name for fear of intimidation from corrupt local authorities.

"The logging companies are obliged to employ local people, but they bring in their own people and we are left at best with unskilled jobs for which they less than 50p a day," said another man.

It is believed that 20 foreign-owned timber companies are active in the DRC, and that Chinese and other logging groups are also seeking to gain concessions. Ordinarily, the ought to be prevented from doing so by a moratorium negotiated by the World Bank in 2002 as part of an initiative to control the forestry industry. Most of the major logging companies, including Danzer, Trans-M, TB, NST, Olan, and Sicobois have concessions signed after the World Bank moratorium, but although there is an investigation into their legality, the majority are expected to be rubber stamped this year.

"Most of the companies have benefited from the World Bank's failure to ensure that the moratorium it negotiated with the transitional Congo DRC government has been enforced," says Greenpeace's Africa forests campaigner, Stephan van Praet.

The companies, which export both logs and sawn timber, supply wood all over Europe but considerable amounts are thought to be shipped to Britain, mostly as finished products such as flooring, windows, furniture and doors.

African Teak wood is protected by a global agreement and cannot be exported from some tropical countries such as Cameroon, which have few trees left, but there are still no restrictions on its export from the DRC.

Greenpeace and other international environmental NGOs say the fate of the Congo forests depends on the World Bank and other donors, including Britain, rejecting industrial logging and demanding a comprehensive land-use plan for Congo DR, a country that is effectively lawless, and insisting that the government tackles corruption.

The bank accepts that logging could destroy the forests in a short time, leading to immense social problems.

"If we do nothing it is certain that the forests will disappear and poverty will increase. Not one dollar of tax that has been collected has returned to the provinces," says Kankonde Mukadi, the forest officer for the World Bank in Kinshasa.

There is also concern because rainforests are important carbon sinks.

Meanwhile, adds GITAU MUTHUMA, despite the recent historic elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo that saw President Joseph Kabila retain power, the government has yet to fully control the whole country. Various rebel groups are still operating in the east primarily for the control of natural resources.

The DRC is rich in minerals, including copper, diamonds, uranium, gold and coltan. Coltan, a combination of columbium-tantalite, is today among the most important strategic minerals found in the Congo due to its use in the ever increasing number of mobile phones.

Coltan is found in abundance in the highlands near rivers and riverbeds throughout the two Kivu and Maniema provinces. Coltan deposits are also found in farms, forests, savannahs, on private and government land. In South Kivu province, coltan is mostly exploited in forests that constitute critical habitats for biodiversity conservation. The uncontrolled influx of thousands of people for coltan mining onto different sites has therefore impacted negatively on the environment.

While 80 per cent of the world's coltan reserves are said to be in Africa, the DRC accounts for 80 per cent of these African reserves. This explains in part why recent conflicts have been concentrated in the eastern part of the country. The mineral resources of the Congo are so immense and so easily accessible that they continue to generate, without any substantial investments, considerable amounts of wealth measured in billions of dollars.

The legitimate and illicit extraction and exploitation of Congo's natural resources is a recurrent feature of Congolese history. Economic activity outside the formal legal sphere of the state is a predominant element in post-colonial Congo, particularly in the eastern parts of the country. As the economy under Mobutu's regime collapsed the informal, often illicit and sometimes violent, economy grew. Mobutu's regime, which was progressively unable to provide basic services to its population encouraged people to fend for itself.

In the Kivu's where the state entirely ceased to provide social services, the population took things in their own hands to provide the minimum of services, with some support from NGOs and churches. Businessmen abandoned Kinshasa as their point of reference for most of their commercial exchanges and turned to Rwanda, Burundi,

Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya as the transit or destination points for their goods. Local rebel administrations sprang up to fill this vacuum but were more interested in natural resource exploitation than in initiating any development projects.

In the absence of strong state apparatus, coupled with the need for high technology development materials in international markets, multinational corporations, local entrepreneurs and rebel groups, such as RCD-Goma, who are reportedly backed by Rwanda, have allied themselves with specific African countries to access these minerals.

As a result of coltan extraction, many Congolese families have been forced to leave their homes and lands and live in camps or in towns, especially Goma and Bukavu. The excuse for evicting them is to protect them from "negative forces" but it is commonly assumed that this is simply an excuse to vacate them from what is known as the Red Zones where coltan is found in abundance. Coltan is therefore a curse for the local population rather than a boon since people have been plunged into a state of hopelessness.

There is perceptible resentment among the Congolese population against the perceived invaders who are grabbing their land and pillaging their resources and they are longing for justice.

*Adapted from The Guardian with permission.



]]> Wed, 13 Jun 2007 10:35:00 EDT http://patsibo.tigblog.org/post/218305 -1.2833333 36.8166667-1.283333336.8166667 http://patsibo.tigblog.org/post/214419

For further details on directions from Nakuru town to Egerton get in touch with me or precisely Eric Ochieng,who is in Egerton at:eribros@yahoo.com. Thanks.
PATRICIA

]]> Mon, 04 Jun 2007 08:09:00 EDT http://patsibo.tigblog.org/post/214419 -1.2833333 36.8166667-1.283333336.8166667 http://patsibo.tigblog.org/post/212189 By contrast the scarcity mentality is a belief that your success will imply someone else's failure; that there are scarce resources and if you get them you must deny someone else; that there is scarcity of jobs; that the cake is not enough and I must grab my share. The scarcity mentality is one of our biggest problems in this country today with politicians believing that they have gone to parliament to ensure they get the largest share of the national cake for 'their people/electorate! '

People with an abundance mentality have an internal security based on a principled centered living. Their value system is self-anchored. They are not too worried of saying/doing the wrong thing because they ordinarily talk from a point of truth. This frees their mind to bigger/better thoughts because they have nothing to cover. What they said yesterday is what they will repeat today without contradiction. This internal security enhances their humility. It allows them to enjoy professional freedom. They can choose what they want to do. By contrast people with a scarcity mentality seek their validation from groups. They will rarely want to take action on their own. The group must validate what they do.
People with an abundance mentality seek solitude and enjoy nature. By taking time out in solitude and nature, you allow yourself to access your deepest thoughts and hence your human spirit with which we are all equally endowed.Theykeep their mind and body tuned through wide reading and exercise. It is a pity that most of us stop reading on graduating. Most successful people read voraciously- they are in sync with what is going on around them. They are current. They do not spend an hour reading newspapers or watching TV but will spend hours reading the latest management thoughts
People with an abundance mentality serve others. Like one writer put it and I quote "Service is the only rent to pay for the privilege of living in this world" Are you paying or are you robbing the landlord? Service enhances internal security and fuels the abundance mentality.

People with an abundance mentality have a long term view of life and hence are visionaries- they are able to see what many cannot discern. They create uncharted territories. This is because they already believe everything is possible- How many times have you wondered how come that many times that successful guy/lady is ultimately right? Many say he/she knew what they were doing. The truth is that such people operate from a paradigm of abundance.They are problem solvers and are hence popular with their superiors. They provide unusual solutions to problems. They are able to separate people from the problems. They attract others into the team with their sincerity.

People with an abundance mentality understand and respect the law of the Farm or the law of the harvest. They know how/when to forego immediate gratification in favor of delayed and long term satisfaction. They appreciate that you will reap what you planted! They understand the need to prepare the ground, plant, weed, water and tend before you can harvest. They are not moved by peer pressure. They are passionate about everything they take up- They live their short lives in greater harmony than mediocre people. They are ordinarily positive about much in life and this seem to produce a self-fulfilling prophecy of success. When they see a mountain they think of how best to climb it and not about the dangers of climbing. They see opportunity where others see no hope.


]]> Wed, 30 May 2007 12:49:00 EDT http://patsibo.tigblog.org/post/212189 -1.2833333 36.8166667-1.283333336.8166667 http://patsibo.tigblog.org/post/209297
Are you below the age of 45 years? .Then you are young!

Do you love your country Kenya? Do you think you have a stake in the
happenings in the country Kenya? Does the future of our beloved country
mean anything to you?

Think for a moment: if you are 45 and below - to reach Mwai's age you
have at least 30 more years to live! Do you want the group that calls
itself leaders in this country to chart your future for you? Or do you
want to be part of the change that is necessary to build this country?

Let us sample a few : this is not about tribal chiefs and their
kingdoms

for our progressive future requires that we grow up and shed the tribal
and regional glasses and think as a nation and tap on our potential-
while appreciating our diversity which must be celebrated as opposed
to
being use to divide us.

1. Kalonzo Musyoka : a member of Moi government as cabinet Minister for
over 20 years! The Nyayo torture chambers were run - we all knew about
them -while he was a senior member of the government that was torturing
its own people.
We never had his voice! What makes him a spokesman of the down
trodden??

Under NARC he oversaw the plunder in funds misuse at the Ministries for
3 years- see local dailies for details. He quit the government in June
2002 since he knew there was no way KANU was going to win the election-
a selfish move. He was a Part of the ODM last year - if he is Mr. clean
where did he and his colleagues get the money for the NO campaign.
One of the directors of Kalonzo foundation is Renzo Barnade who is a
partner with Lee Nyachae at Kenya Bunduki- the Nyachae's are known to
work closely with Aura Perera- the NARC regime Kamlesh Patni- Young
Kenyan the conclusion is yours.



2. Mwai Kibaki- a member of the government for 40 years - see
no evil hear no evil let no evil enter into your mind! Until an
opportunity occurs for you to ascend to the top seat for the sole
purpose of sitting on that seat! Kenyans were fools to imagine that a
man who had been in the system for 40 years could cause any change- he
knows no difference.

2. William Ruto : A senior member of the amorphous group called
Youth for
KANU 92. It is common knowledge the plunder this group of young
thugs
did to our Country Kenya during the early 90's- being young does
not mean the same thing as integrity! It made him an overnight
millionaire!!! Could he say what honest job he did, where and when to
amass the wealth he has? Do we want a leader who have grabbed
properties
to leads us to destruction? He was a member of the MOI repressive
regime
until the end. IF he is Mr. clean shouldn't he answer three simple
questions - who funded the YK92-where are the audited accounts, who
funded the referendum campaign, what made him a savior after being part
of regime that tortured Kenyans who spoke their
minds?

3. Uhuru Kenyatta : Young Kenyan with a bright future . His
family owns
250,000 acres of land in Kenya - this is equivalent to the area
covered
by Nyanza province. In free market economy this could be
acceptable save for the fact that we all know that this was stolen from
the Kenyan people by his father! In a country where 60% live below the
poverty line a dollar a day - he should be ashamed when he stands
before
us and tells us about prosperity of our Nation and Our rights! 80% of
Taveta residents are squatters in his family land = 40,000 acres. SHAME
ON YOU UHURU FOR ATTEMPTING TO HOODWINK US AND GRAB more!

4. Otieno Kajwang- he has been struck from the role of Advocates
in Kenya for stealing client's money- how can he possibly talk to us
about good governance and ethics while he is a thief himself? Case of
log in your eye..........................

5.Raila Odinga - 7 political parties in a period of less 10
years means
the man believes in nothing. It was all about what is in this
for me- Kibaki
Tosha call was an own stomach call since he knew the history of
the man- he was in the government that detained him for 12 years.
Before
my Luo brothers lynch me I would like them to consider this issues
seriously for the first time - what benefit does a man derive by
following another blindly to a non defined destination? Would it not be
more profitable, if we were all to take responsibility for our lives?
The future is in our hands! Luo thrift, Kisumu Molasses Plant, Supply
of
Butimen to the GOK, highest spending Ministry on luxury Cars was his,
did all Luo Nyanza MPs bribe their way to parliament?

6. Nyachae................... more corrrrrrrrrrrrrupt than you
and me.

7. Mwiraria/ Murungi - the arrogance of power and the ANGLO
FLEECING SAGA whether real or imagined speaks for itself. A LAST Deal
might have been done on Tuesday 31st January to supply Radio
communication equipment by the famous Kamani Group- worth 2.6 billion!

8. Mukisa Kituyi - there is a rumour that the man owns a
helicopter after
only 3 years of being a minister. Period to the run up to the
2002 election, it is rumoured that he owned very little!

9. Ole Ntimama - the tribal chief- remember the "lie low like an
envelope" remark that caused death of several Kenyans in what was
called tribal clashes- turned spokesman of the people! HOW?

10. William Kabogo - Known in the underworld circles as a great
Drugs kingpin...... yet he claims to be an advocator for area residents
of Juja.

..................... THE LIST GOES ON AND ON ...........Mwenje,
Kombo, Kivutha, Amos Kimumnya, Njega Karume, Gideon Moi, Ngalas,
Sunkulis, etc................

I do not need to go further in analyzing them. It points to a
need to
completely change our political clothing for this country to
change the direction we are taking. There is nothing special about all
this characters and we need to send them packing whenever the elections
are called. Let us spread word that there is need for complete overhaul
of the elected leaders.

LET US VOTE OUT ALL THE 220 MPs currently in the August house!
Let us refuse the bribery during the campaign period - we are 73% of
the
population and must answer to our Children what we did to make their
lives better!!

IF YOU LOVE YOUR COUNTRY ENCORAGE YOUNG KENYANS TO DO THE RIGHT THING!
AND
TELL THEM TO ACT WHEN CALLED UPON!


]]> Thu, 24 May 2007 11:15:00 EDT http://patsibo.tigblog.org/post/209297 -1.2833333 36.8166667-1.283333336.8166667 http://patsibo.tigblog.org/post/209299 WOULD LIKE YOUR HONEST OPINION ON THIS AS MEMBERS HAVING LOOKED AT THE FACTS.
FELL FREE TO TALK TO BOTH THE DEFENDANT AND THE ACCUSED AND LETS HEAR WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY ON THIS:


Hi Madelaine?
I guess you have already read the response on the site by the Moses who
apparently was positively identified by Carthy as having cionned her.I
have also pasted his response below.
Inspite of the evidence against him,Moses having refused this accusation
is turning abusive if i may put it this way judging by his response on the
site.Moses, i would like you to take note of the following facts:
1)You claimed to madelaine of havinh been impersonated,if so why is it
that all the time you were in custody your account was inactive?-the TIG
account,if it was a case of impersonation while you were still in custody
the person who impersonated you coluld still be using it
2)If this was a lie,how would have carthy known how to get hold of you
were it not for the fact that you were in the process of conning someone
else whom you had responded to and requested to meet under the same
circumstances you conned carthy not knowing this person was known to
Carthy and it was a trap to nab you?If it was someone else impersonating
you,shouldnt that someone else been the one who was nabbed on that
particular day?
3)You went to burgerdome,surfed,both ur yahoo mail and TakingITGlobal Site
and left without paying the bill,the guys sent you an email which is still
in their records to avail yourself and pay and you never did that.if you
claim to be honest,avail yourself in burgerdome and prove it is not you
but someone else impersonating you.
4)Without this proof,then it means you are a liar and a very dangerous
person and for the security of Carthy and members and officials of
burgerdome who identified you,its of utmost importance that the police
takes further notice of you just in case any harm comes to them or myself
as a representative of TIG in the country.
Madelaine, having looked at the above facts and Moses response,i would
like further advise from your office on how this issue can be resolved.
As for Moses,as the law states,one is innocent till proven guilty and a
guilt person has a right of defence,why dont you do the necessary avail
yourself at burgerdome and defend your claim of innocence in walking away
with the bill,also provide conclusive proof on your clainm that Carthy is
wrong and under what circumstances were you meeting the guy you requestd
cash from too that led to Carthy getting hold of you having used the guy
to nab you.Thanks.

YOUR RESPONSE WILL BE FULLY APPRECIATED TOO DAN AS AN OFFICIAL OF
BURGERDOME CYBER CAFE.

Why dfo i have to be PERSECUTED?Because of some mistake and something i
didnt DO!


Recently some lady on this site clamed that i conned her of MONEY and a
PHONE.I have been on this site for years and it strikes me that i have
conned someone i dont know i have never met and she claims she knows
me!She gave me the phone and she also claims that she gave me money!I need
to know how many more people i have met on this site i have done that to!I
am human and i have made some mistake but to give a stranger a phone and
money with no documentation whatsoever and then claim you know them and
then turnish my name on this website just does it for me!I wonder why i
cannot communicate with my friends now on the TIG messenger which has been
disabled!I have been suspened and i cleared my name then now this what the
hell is happening to you people!If its necessary that u take me out of the
site then do that why hang on things and keep me in the dark as if i will
NOT discover what you have done!I NOW cannot communicate to anybody,i am
not seeing my mail and private messages because they have been disabled
and the person who did what,is who knows where quite because he or she
felt that she will gain favour from some sought of position and people she
know TO HELL!Do what u have to and YES i know u will tell me i have used
abusive language which is against this site!Wekll do what u have to rather
than keeping me in the dark!Byee to those who know aht i stand for on this
site,i really hate it but it had to come to this!@








]]> Thu, 24 May 2007 11:15:00 EDT http://patsibo.tigblog.org/post/209299 -1.2833333 36.8166667-1.283333336.8166667 http://patsibo.tigblog.org/post/205437 Wed, 16 May 2007 14:08:00 EDT http://patsibo.tigblog.org/post/205437 -1.2833333 36.8166667-1.283333336.8166667 http://patsibo.tigblog.org/post/200327 Wed, 09 May 2007 08:40:00 EDT http://patsibo.tigblog.org/post/200327 -1.2833333 36.8166667-1.283333336.8166667 http://patsibo.tigblog.org/post/195087 Wed, 02 May 2007 06:47:00 EDT http://patsibo.tigblog.org/post/195087 -1.2833333 36.8166667-1.283333336.8166667 http://patsibo.tigblog.org/post/193981 Mon, 30 Apr 2007 05:54:00 EDT http://patsibo.tigblog.org/post/193981 -1.2833333 36.8166667-1.283333336.8166667 http://patsibo.tigblog.org/post/193341 Sun, 29 Apr 2007 11:11:00 EDT http://patsibo.tigblog.org/post/193341 -1.2833333 36.8166667-1.283333336.8166667 http://patsibo.tigblog.org/post/188429 Mon, 23 Apr 2007 09:36:00 EDT http://patsibo.tigblog.org/post/188429 -1.2833333 36.8166667-1.283333336.8166667 http://patsibo.tigblog.org/post/177639 Fri, 06 Apr 2007 12:31:00 EDT http://patsibo.tigblog.org/post/177639 -1.2833333 36.8166667-1.283333336.8166667 http://patsibo.tigblog.org/post/176531 Wed, 04 Apr 2007 08:55:00 EDT http://patsibo.tigblog.org/post/176531 -1.2833333 36.8166667-1.283333336.8166667 http://patsibo.tigblog.org/post/175973 Tue, 03 Apr 2007 13:05:00 EDT http://patsibo.tigblog.org/post/175973 -1.2833333 36.8166667-1.283333336.8166667 http://patsibo.tigblog.org/post/174407 Sat, 31 Mar 2007 06:05:00 EDT http://patsibo.tigblog.org/post/174407 -1.2833333 36.8166667-1.283333336.8166667 http://patsibo.tigblog.org/post/167416 Wed, 21 Mar 2007 11:36:00 EDT http://patsibo.tigblog.org/post/167416 -1.2833333 36.8166667-1.283333336.8166667