Are we making the right choices in life

It's been a while since I visited my blog, in fact since I wrote anything i have found interesting in my journey of life. I think writting is a very therapatic experience and more than that it helps us record our own thoughts and share perspectives that may help look at certain experiences in life from a different angle.

I thought I should share and try to explore the subject of 'choice' in life. I think most of us know and appreciate that choices have consequences, it's a basic fact of life, which we sometimes take for granted and only realise when it's too late that we should have perhaps given that opportunity a bit more time to think before actually making the choice. However on other occassions following our 'intinct' does indeed sometimes result in satisfying outcomes.

I'm going to use Zimbabwe my country of birth as an example in this article. There seems to be a state of confusion in our socio-economic and political enviroment, on one end you have political leader's fighting for power, position and control. These conflict of interest are not unique to just one political camp but seem to have affected all including some new comer's who all seem to believe they are making the 'right choices' to solve the current never ending socio-economic and political crisis.

We also have the street activists who may be influenced by events in other countries and now believe the only way to fix the challenges they face is to take a stand at Africa Unity Square and hope that the people will see their stand as the 'right choice' and a positive step forward in forcing the current government to step down after 34 years of leadership that blames everyone but themselves for the failure of socio-economic and political progression. We also have various diaspora based groups who also believe that protest action in countries that Zimbabwe trades with is the right choice if they are to apply pressure to force government to change some of it's retrogressive policies and improve service delivery.

Most of what's happening now has been tried and tested, power struggles have existed and been crashed on many occassions, unless these repeat strategies have a new angle to them I personally am failing to see how they would turn the table's without facing the same obstacles that many before them have tried to deal without success. I am by no means discouraging those individual or group efforts from pursuing their objectives but am simple suggesting that they should think about the consequences that will follow their actions. It is very important to stop and think before one pursues a public act demanding constitutional  rights.

It seems to me people are not thinking but reacting to changing circumstances. There is also a 'silent section' of our society who act as if everything is ok, one wonders why some people do not seem to care about the decisions being made on their behalf. There seems to be complete lack of emotion or motivation towards any united effort to resolve the current stand offs and incompetences and corruption in public institutions. Perhaps there are some who think they are perfect and they cannot go wrong, no matter which way they choose. Such attitudes will not help us address our complex issues, it does not matter who you are, you should equally think about your choices before acting, silence can be easily misintepreted as agreeing with injustice. I know this is very short, simple and generalised article, however it may be just worth the thought during this period where some of us have our priorities in total disarray.

The choice you make today may change your life for ever, so think before you act.

Our actions are our choices!

"Thank you for visiting my blog...this is just my personal perspective not an academic paper so feel free to share your comments..I may just appreciate your own perspective of how you see choices."

How does the average African understand the meaning of 'Human Development'?

'Human development is defined as the process of enlarging people’s freedoms and opportunities and improving their well-being. Human development is about the real freedom ordinary people have to decide who to be, what to do, and how to live.'

Historically, development was mostly perceived in terms of economic performance. We have too long been preoccupied with material production and there has been a search for a good measure of it. Surely, per capita income has been proved to be a good candidate and has dominated the scene ever since. One can ask - why per capita income? First it is an attractive single indicator for assessing economic performance. Second, it is also useful to for dividing the world into groups as in rich and poor, developed and developing, which may be a good criteria for allocating official development assistance at international level. We have seen how good reliable and solid data on national income accounts were available to calculate per capita income at a point of time and over time.

Nowadays, development is not about economic performance alone, but most importantly about people and their well-being. I guess some will ask why should we shift from economic performance to people and what is the rationale? The reality is because people are the ultimate objective of development. Economic growth is not an end by itself, it is a means to enhancing people’s lives. The benefits of growth must be translated into lives of people.

Contrary to the above, in Zimbabwe some seem not to fully grasp the concept of human development, certain section of our society associate it with economic empowerment [making money], academic excellence [having high level academic qualification]..but does having more money or high academic qualifications automatically translate to human development or are they just some of the components that can help human growth and development?

Today we have some sections of our society advocating for monarchs and within that monarch system a totem structured hierarchy that discriminates other tribes/totem names based on some concorted historical relevance. How can a monarch system recognise individual excellence and achievement if it's only limited to a particular family line based on some ancient selection criteria? Wait a minute I thought according to some historical accounts there were wars that disposed some of these monarch systems in the past where they would be replaced by the victor, so then why should any so called royal selection process be limited to a specific totem name and not consider individual qualities? Sadly we still have some sections of our population who seem to be treating politicians like monarchs and demi-gods and also advocating for some kind of a similar dynastical system.

Please don't get me wrong, I have no problems with individuals aspiring for political office with historically links with individuals who were prominent figures in society, however these aspiring candidates/leaders need to first demonstrate they have what it takes to be considered for those leadership roles based on a very authentic, transparent nomination and election process that also highlights their career track record and positive contributions in terms of their work with communities.

Why should we leap backwards when the rest of the word is leaping forwards? Our media is now more about personalities than productive and progressive socio-econmic and political issues capable of developing our societies, those who aspire for leadership seem more interested in positions and power rather than servitude and justice.

I believe that anyone committed to social justice and equal rights must concern themselves with the importance of encouraging equal opportunity as a way of helping to ensure that all individuals in our society have an equal opportunity to succeed. Some of our current crop of leaders have constantly failed to acknowledge that their socio-economic and political empowerment policies have so far been based on a partisan basis in addition to racial prejudice and discrimination of minorities based on spoken language,

For the past thirty four years, using race along with other highlighted factors has marginalised the educational experience on our nation’s Educational Insititutions and lessened equal opportunity for people from minority backgrounds in many aspect affecting human development.
If we are to innovate and develop human ability, knowledge and skill beyond current levels we should not forget the fact that first and foremost we are all 'Human Beings' before placing all other lables on ourselves.

Community Politics in a changing Zimbabwe

Politics will not work without the people playing an active part in the decision making process in terms of development in their Communities.There is no doubting that Zimbabwe needs a injection of ambitious leadership to inspire local communities and create a better future for the people and localities they intend representing.

The challenges that have been faced by local government since Zimbabwe's independence is to empower communities and individuals so that they feel a sense of ownership and pride of belonging to a nation where everyone is given a fair opportunity to unleash their full potential in life.

There is a serious need to encourage councillors to take the lead in devolving power back to the people and communities. This can be done by working closely with political parties that have the interest of the communities needs at heart, to create a culture of shared responsibility, developing and sharing their thinking on agreed agendas within both party traditions and values and within the communities moral and ethical boundaries.

Ubuntu or Hunhu has traditionally been one of the core beliefs of Zimbabwean society, however the centralised system of governance promoted by the ZANU PF led government since independence we have seen how the marginalisation of the periphery has grown at pace over the last 34 years, too often local communities have found themselves being dictated to from the centre. Power has remained largely in the grasp of the national politicians, and not in the hands of the people who elect them to those positions of authority.

The difference now is that there is exist an opportunity to reclaim that right by people committed to reversing that. Zimbabwe needs a people party that does not go around holding rallies and promising people unrealistic outcomes based on unverified and sources of investment, we need a party that is willing to have conversations with members of society, a party prepared to listen to what people have to say about the difficult situations they continually find themselves in. 

The era of presenting lucrative looking economic policy proposals that are disconnected from the reality on the ground are fast loosing their relevance in a society where individualism, greed and intollerance have become the centre of attraction. Zimbabwe now has an unparalleled opportunity to deliver on the changes that have been planned but not fully implimented for decades. The people together ralling behind an untainted political platform can now reverse creeping state centralisation, and put power back in the hands of local communities. 

It's time people realised that they have the power and will to turn government upside down – ‘power from bottom up, not top down’ – just like was espoused by those who fought for the independence from colonial rule before us.It's high time people had freedom to innovate. To experiment. To deliver their own ideas, not those imposed on them by technocrats consipiring with politicians to retain economic power and control of our national resources.

It would be naive of me or anyone else to think such an under-taking will all  be plain sailing, because it won't. It's public knowledge that due to the levels of corrupt practice across almost every sector of our social fabric, the nation’s finances have been left in a naked state by a ZANU PF government that was spending money from national resources as if it was their God given right to use it as they saw fit for their own personal and partisan needs.

There is no question that difficult decisions will need to be made, but that fact only makes a people's agenda even more crucial. Our Councils have been dis-empowered and therefore won’t be able to provide effective solutions to the problems that they face whilst wearing a centrally-imposed straight 
jacket. ‘Business as usual’ just isn’t an option any more. Many Councils will have to innovate and come up with new ideas and new solutions, ready or not. 

I am currently helping build a new political party called Freedom Justice Coalition Zimbabwe Party, and getting stuck in grass-roots engagement, across three chapters (UK, South Africa and Zimbabwe), to a once in a life-time transformation of ‘them and us’ into ‘citizens of Zimbabwe’.We’ve got an immense opportunity ahead of us to really change the way we see politics and they way we make politics work for us. 

It's not what can my country or party do for me but what can I do to change what I want to see improved in my country.

How to Contact Freedom Justice Coalition Zimbabwe Party

Public Enquiries : info@fjcz.org
Membership Enquiries : join-us@fjcz.org
Student Volunteering : fjcz-student@fjcz.org
Website : https://www.fjcz.org
Facebook Page : Freedom Justice Coalition Zimbabwe Party

Twitter Page : https://twitter.com/FJCZIM

We all Dream, Martin Luther King had a Dream. However Dreams Need to be Lived in Reality

Independence Day April 18 1980 is a significant day in our history which all who understand and appreciate our history should appreciate as many before us made sacrifices to make it a possibility. However what has followed in the 34 years of political rule under ZANU PF and its leadership should not be endorsed as representing the kind of independence in the minds of the majority struggling people of Zimbabwe.

The mass migration of citizens out-side the country is a clear indicator that tells the realities of the disconnection current leaders have in terms of understanding and addressing the real needs of the populace, part of which includes access to opportunities and creating an environment conducive for economic growth and socio-political development. The high employment levels and the closing down of companies are all clear indicators of a failing system of governance.

In every society even the most developed societies in particular where capitalism has become the driving force of economies, there will always be a pyramid structure where a privileged few at the top with access to the control of the country’s most valuable resources will do everything in their power to maintain their domineering power structures in some cases with disregard to human dignity and respect for common laws.

Such was the situation during the colonial era where there was no fairness in terms of access to opportunities and resources, this cycle of suppression and oppression of the majority has changed hands and those who were our liberators have now become our worst nightmare, the new black elite conspiring in every section of society and using every dirty tactic in the book to suppress growing dissent against their greedy and selfish egoistic ways.

What's the solution? Because of changing times solutions require different and intelligent approaches, yes they may have achieved their means from the barrel of a gun but that approach today will not serve a progressive solution, if we have learnt anything from our past it should be that violence is destructive and leaves deep wounds that can remain in people's minds for many years after they have been inflicted.

So our war is to fight for changed attitudes, it's time we all realised that depending on someone else to fix our problem will not produce the results we want to see mostly because we prefer to be silent observers complaining from the side-lines without playing any part in helping design what we aspire for. we all have responsibilities and politicians should work for us not us working to fatten their pockets, people need to understand what transparency and accountability means in nation building.

As long as we remain in dependence mode reluctant and fearful of failure and the unknown future, expecting free hand-outs, free land, free companies, free hand-outs during election times without looking for ways to equip our-selves with the skills and knowledge to acquire those things on our own, we will remain enslaved to the thought of a better Zimbabwe one day with no realistic vision to attain those objectives.

Attitude is everything when you are willing to change your situation.

~Voice of Freedom~