Human Development News

A Note from GOD

2006-07-01T07:49:00.000-07:00

A MEMO FROM GOD
I am God.
Today I will be handling all of your problems.
Please remember that I do not need your help.
If life happens to deliver a situation to you that you cannot handle, do not attempt to resolve it.
Kindly put it in the SFGTD (something for God to do) box.
All situations will be resolved, but in My time, not yours.
Once the matter is placed into the box, do not hold onto it by worrying about it. Instead, focus on all the wonderful things that are present in your life now. If you find yourself stuck in traffic; Don't despair.
There are people in this world for whom driving is an unheard of privilege. Should you have a bad day at work; Think of the man who has been out of work for years. Should you despair over a relationship gone bad; Think of the person who has never known what it's like to love and be loved in return. Should you grieve the passing of another weekend; Think of the woman in dire straits, working twelve hours a day, seven days a week to feed her children. Should your car break down, leaving you miles away from assistance; Think of the paraplegic who would love the opportunity to take that walk. Should you notice a new gray hair in the mirror; Think of the cancer patient in chemo who wishes she had hair to examine. Should you find yourself at a loss and pondering what is life all about, asking what is my purpose?
Be thankful.
There are those who didn't live long enough to get the opportunity. Should you find yourself the victim of other people's bitterness, ignorance, smallness or insecurities; Remember, things could be worse. You could be one of them!

OUR FUTURE, OUR HOPE

2006-05-18T12:00:00.000-07:00

See the clouds, too weak to speak!
Without whom our earth’s laughter ceases
Yet we strike unkindly with unfriendly kisses
Knowing there is the abode of our hope of joy

See the waters, too angry to produce!
Without whom our land’s worth die
Yet offer steady greetings of chemical concoctions
Knowing well it is an abomination to our living

See the forests, too gray to be green!
Without whom our native pastures are cursed
Yet we embrace it with utter disrespect
Knowing it is our source of pride and survival

Look everywhere, nature laments continually
Her sacred pride profaned by mass nurtured cruelty
Time to stop talking; time to start walking
Enough about international integration

Let’s attend to persisting promises
Let’s attend to neglected needs
It is time to proclaim attainable aims
Aims based on environmental ethics

For how long will we secure survival?
Yesterday renewable resources
Today global climatic change
Tomorrow tactics of harmful help
Never is there sound solution
And incessantly we do pay prices
Prices of no reasonable results
If only we could act…

© Kofi Adu Domfeh

BLACK-on-BLACK

2006-05-18T05:18:00.000-07:00

Kofi Adu Domfeh

Slavery, Colonialism and Racism had emerged a tripartite phenomenon that the African has had to contend with over so many years. While formal slavery and colonialism have been laid to rest, the issue of racism, accompanied by its horrific experience of injustice to human dignity, continues to afflict the African, both on the continent and in the Diaspora. It is worthy to note that in times past, when the African continent fought against colonialism, the African in Diaspora fought against racism, in all aspects of civil action and agitation.

The proclamation of some international human rights instruments, such as the Universal Declaration of Human and Rights (UDHR), explicitly identify the numerous rights to revolve around the dignity and reverence of the individual personality, irrespective of race, colour, creed, religion or sex.

The issue of racism and its impact on human beings has been of paramount interest to the United Nations to the extend that its General Assembly designated the year 1971 as the International Year for Action to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination. It has since designated three Decades of Action to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1973–1983, 1983–1993, and 1993-2003). The UN General Assembly also observed the year 2001 as the International Year of Mobilization Against Racism. The Third World Conference Against Racism, which took place in Johannesburg, South Africa, focused on developing practical, action-oriented measures and contemporary forms of racism and intolerance. The general question, however, is what type of Racism exists today on the African continent?

Article 1(1) of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD) define the term “racial discrimination” as ‘any distinction, exclusion, restriction or preference based on race, colour, descent, national or ethnic origin which has the purpose or effect of nullifying or impairing the recognition, enjoyment or exercise, on an equal footing of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the political, economic, social, cultural or any other field of public life’.

Historically, racial discrimination has been identified on the level of White-Black basis, especially during the colonial, apartheid and segregation eras. The White against Black paradigm has occupied our minds to an extent that contemporary trends of racism on the African Continent, which needs urgent address, have been overlooked.

Today, the expression of racism, xenophobia and other forms of intolerance reign supreme on the entire continent of Africa. It is very much clear that most Africans are racist without necessarily being aware. These forms of racism are mostly carried out along tribal, ethnic, religious, gender and national circles.

Tendencies for racism exist owing to fear or uneasiness toward other group of people; instituted intolerance resulting from a calculated effort to put the person down; and lack of knowledge or education to foster inter-relationship as well as provide understanding of difference among tribes and nationalities.

It is expedient for all to note that the African and the African continent are on the threshold of time. Times have past when all our woes and tribulations were attributed to the Western world. Gone are the days when racism was a White and Black issue. It is now time to reflect on what is actually afflicting the African on a Black-to-Black basis. There is a pertinent need to seriously examine our Religious, Economic, Political, Educational and Family institutions with a view to addressing the present predicament of racism, xenophobia and other forms of intolerance badly affecting us.

The effects of xenophobia and intolerance have resulted in bloody ethnic and religious clashes, which in most countries ended in civil wars and genocide. It has also culminated in severe hostilities among nationalities and continues to be a major factor in inter/intra border clashes between nations. Ethnic conflicts, religious fundamentalism and arm struggles continue to have negative impact on the rule of law and fundamental freedoms of the African. Factors such as exploitation, environmental degradation, demographic boundaries, ethnic composition, migration flow, marriage patterns, unequal distribution of state portfolio, other cultural and religious issues can be subdued to enable the continent achieve economic prosperity, peace and harmony among its peoples’. What can therefore be done to curtail these “reservoirs of hostilities” among Africans?

“Until the philosophy which holds one race superior and another inferior is finally and permanently discredited and abandoned… until there is no longer first class and second class citizens of any nation, until the colour of a man’s skin is of no significance than the colour of his eyes… until the basic human rights are equally guaranteed to all without regard to race ... and until that day, the dream of lasting peace, rule of international morality will remain nothing but a fleeting illusion to be pursued, but never attained”.__ Robert N. Marley.

In a plan of action, the African must understand that the fear of the unknown is a symptom of ignorance and to curtail the anomaly, each individual in a community must learn to respect the views and ways of life of other persons or group of people, no matter how absurd such lifestyles or opinions may appear. Appreciating the difference and dynamism of cultures and religions of other people is a sure way to building lasting relationship between nations in Africa. We must also realize the fact that we had been living together before the partitioning of the continent which led to the creation of artificial boundaries.

The United Nations consider that:
· The Universal Declaration of Human Rights proclaims that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights and that everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set out therein without distinction of any kind, in particular as to race, colour or national origin;

· Convinced that any doctrine of superiority based on racial differentiation is scientifically false, morally condemnable, socially unjust and dangerous and that there is no justification for racial discrimination either in theory or in practice anywhere;

· Reaffirm that discrimination between human beings on the grounds of race, colour or ethnic origin is an obstacle to friendly and peaceful relations among nations and is capable of disturbing peace and security among peoples and harmony of persons living side by side even within one and the same state;

· Convinced that the existence of racial barriers is repugnant to the ideas of any human society;

· Resolved to adopt all necessary measures for speedily eliminating racial discrimination in all its forms and manifestations, and to prevent and combat racist doctrines and practices in order to promote understanding between races and to build an international community free from all forms of racial segregation and discrimination;

· Have agreed that: “State parties undertake to adopt immediate and effective measures, particularly in the field of teaching, education, culture and information with a view to combating prejudices which lead to racial discrimination and to promoting understanding, tolerance and friendship among nations and racial or ethnical groups, as well as to propagating the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the United Nations Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination”.

If there is going to be real African Renaissance, governments of Africa must inculcate real commitment and zeal towards the implementation of policies. The expression of hypocrisy must stop and selfish interests shunned. It is however very expedient that the entire segments, institutions and bodies on the continent of Africa and interested bodies in other places be carried along in the new African Union. For this to be achieved, there must be effective measures aimed at tackling corruption, nepotism, xenophobia and other forms of intolerance, which promote widespread hostilities. Peaceful co-existence must be ensured in each nation of the continent, because if one group feels threatened, bullied or relegated, integration would certainly end up in a fiasco.

The African Union must consolidate democracy, bring lasting peace, eradicate poverty, tackle diseases and sustain development, thereby bringing the continent into the mainstream of the world economy.

In conclusion, it must be pointed out that real Union is attainable if issues of power equity are well addressed. The selfish sought for power must not be allowed to overcome the collective interest of the people of African. This generation cannot be wasted!

“If Africa unites, it will be because each part, each nation, each tribe gives up a part of its heritage for the good of the whole. That is what Union means, that is what Pan-African means” __William B. Du Bois.

Xenophobia (or jingoism) and intolerance, especially on religious and racial levels, leads to nothing but havoc, not only to the mind and personality of the subject but also of the perpetuator. Let’s adhere to the stipulation of article 1 of the UDHR that ‘all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and in rights, they are endowed with reason and conscience and must act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood’. Let us be our brothers’ keeper in all its importance, and the dream of a United States of Africa would be a reality!

ONCE SHE WAS ALL

2006-05-18T05:14:00.000-07:00

Wow! You cannot but be amazed!
Only hypocrites resist second look
Her dazzling eyes sparkling like diamonds
A smooth skin of an African queen
Model-like legs and shape to behold
And a backside that send men panicking
Her front view, a sure winner of any Beauty Pageant
Always smiling to reveal good mouth goods

Her popular name is sizzle
Called by all but none
Always willing, accessible and ready
A pride of those who could approach boldly
Just forget your status, image or taste
The colourful paper is a password to cyber Ville
Sometimes she snubs the sadist,
Humiliate the humble and mum the muggings
And most often does it for fun
‘Enjoy Yourself While a Youth’, her motto

She never thought that some seen innocent were guilty
Until her ignorance turned to stupidity
Caution had not being part of her game
The Highly Infectious Vamp never thought of HIV
Until she exchanged men’s aid for AIDS
A predicament from nowhere with no future

Rumours spread far and wide of her POSITIVE Test
And soon all started loving to hate her
Family, Friends, Fiancés found wanting
Suddenly exhausted all earnings on life saving remedies
But thinking and wondering rendered her insecure
Now the once eagle-watchers run on seeing her
Avoiding her touch of negative infection
Shame and fear keep her indoors
Keeping the idol object from people’s eyes

The youthful days never got to maturity
As days went by with no assistance
She withered away like a Saharan flower in hammattan
Her balloon-like gadgets turned to writing pads
Her skin competing with the bones for space
And the eyes hid from the face to the skull
As all her tight clothing turned oversized

She lay in an act of a slow painful death
The thing of beauty couldn’t last forever
Now she’s become an evil saint
In wait for a divine intervention
O! She cries, ‘I wish I had…’

© Kofi Adu Domfeh

INTELLECTUAL CASUALTIES

2006-05-18T04:42:00.000-07:00

O ye dead ones of conceptual suicide
The mental causalities of professionalism
Having nothing new to offer
But awaits the intellectual undertaker

You are members of the intellectual terrorism gang
Always hooked on idea-wrecking ventures
Worshipping the past of dogmatism
Yet offering no substitute for the present

You impede creative talents of progress
By resisting any doctrinal change
Adjustment to the new is impossible
And delay decisions by playing the ‘No’ game

You ritualistically engage in a dance with dead ideas
Fearful of looking new thoughts in the eye

© Kofi Adu Domfeh

SPIRITUAL SCHEMER

2006-05-15T04:48:00.000-07:00

He approaches with an unassuming character
Claiming to have been called by the Omnipotent
Armed with impeccable eloquence
He hides under the vestment of spiritual farce
To galvanize his gullible preys
Manipulating them with thoughts of hallowed materialism
Feeding them with evil miracles and breakthroughs
Quick to avoid serious intellectual intercourse of salvation
Tagging any confront as heresy; an unbeliever you are
Advancing with great inventions in propaganda
He makes an investment on his victims
In the reverie of ‘give and it shall be given’
Before long, he establishes himself in true prosperity
Yet his flock still awaits their fall of manna
Constantly kept an empty vessel to be filled by the schemer

Though habitually found with the Holy Book
Nonetheless ignorant of its liberating words
For their faith is entrusted in his tactics
Forcing them to be engaged in spiritual prostitution
Keeping their minds and bodies in constant bondage
Will they ever search for the truth to be blessed?
He cash in on their quest for laying of hands
For they seek too much pleasure in miraculous deeds
Hardly heeding to the deadly danger of the narrow path
Even in their strength in health, they are kept weak
Blindly following the self-righteous schemer
Rarely partaking in acts of redemption
Where is the love of sharing in fellow-feeling?
In obeying and trusting the Divine words
Blessed are they that seek first the Kingdom
And beware of the promises of man
Never be led to doom!

© Kofi Adu Domfeh

PROSPERITY THEOLOGY AND GOVERNANCE IN AFRICA

2006-05-15T04:16:00.000-07:00

Kofi Adu Domfeh

Take a good look around your neighbourhood! It is almost impossible not to come across one church or another. Names such as Evangelical, Charismatic, Apostolic, Episcopal, Pentecostal, among many others, abound at any nook and cranny. Indeed, the most investor-friendly enterprise in Africa today is the church!

The church in Africa is booming in such astronomical heights that it has become impracticable to distinguish between an individual home, school building, hotel, cinema hall, club house and other social avenues from a typical church building, especially on a Sunday. The growth of churches on the continent of Africa in recent years makes one wonder whether it is the true manifestation of the Lord to liberate the African from its continual woes and sufferings.

Of certainty, the growth of churches in Africa has its own positive dimension in this era of wars and hostilities among Brethren of nations. Christianity as a way of life preaches peace and love, helping to sensitise people on the need to live in one accord. This is mostly demonstrated on Saturdays and Sundays when people from different tribes and nationalities converge to give thanks and praises to their God; worshipping Him in dignity and in a spirit of brotherhood.

Over the years, many believers have moved massively out of mainstream missionary churches in search of new, promising and very charismatic churches. Instant miracles in healing and prosperity had been the major factors to this trend. While worshiping in the so-called colonial churches has been observed as boring, the new found congregations entice their converts with the art of instrumental music and dance. The message of old has been ‘Waiting on the Lord, for God’s time is the Best’, but today ‘the hour of fulfilment is NOW’!

It is really not surprising to witness such exodus to the new found faith, especially among the African youth. The young African of today knows of nothing but obtaining some peasant pocket allowance from parents, who most often live from hand to mouth. Graduates roam the streets in search of some form of livelihood that is almost non-existent. Our ladies have no other choice than to desperately massage the ego of some ‘self-made’ men who would save them from the horror of wrinkling away under their parents’ roof.

Therefore in the midst of abject poverty, the church assumes the best potential of all places, where the young African can seek solace and break away from the shackles of affliction. It is only in the church that one can get hold of the devil, which is thought to be the propagator of unfavourable conditions, and there and then break his head with the Holy Ghost Fire.

There is much raison d'être for young persons in Africa to put all hopes in the new found faith as the promises are just marvellous; ‘receive financial breakthrough, even when you are unemployed; get good husband, when you know not the rudiments of good house-keeping; pass an examination, when you’re unaware when last you reviewed your lecture notes; obtain quick promotion, when you’ve not gone beyond your GCE certificate; brake away from the devil, when you run around with five ladies beside your wife; cast out demons, when there is love lost between you and your neighbour.

The emphasis on prosperity and other trends of breakthrough have outrun the much cherished moral standards that certainly lead to the Kingdom of Heaven. The massage given by the Lord Jesus Christ in Matthew 4:4 seems to have been relegated to another generation. The majority need their bread NOW! For it is the only commodity that can strengthen them to worship the Lord ‘In Truth, In Spirit and In Faith’. No one would want to doubt this fact, but the question is who is expected to provide and distribute this so-called Bread?

The Lord gives to all without any form of discrimination – even non-Christians receive their own. But the Lord in His wisdom has delegated certain people on earth to steer the affairs of the various states and has also endowed them with some form of resources and the will, skill and knowledge as to how to utilize these resources. Some of these people are our priests and pastors, who cater for our spiritual well-being. Others are the governments of nations, who execute or handle mostly, economic, political and other social needs. These needs are known as Human Rights, which are universal, inalienable, and indivisible and meant for all without regard to race, sex, creed, faith, country of origin, etc. However, what can be said to be the relationship between these two providers?

There is no doubt that we are living in the end times and therefore it is pertinent for man to desist reliance on his fellow man, but rather on God. However, the influx of Africans moving from one church to the other in search of instant manifestation of the mercy of God, as the falling of manna in Biblical era, seems to represent another form of image worshipping. Unfortunately, many rely so much on priests/pastors, forgetting that they are only servants of God.

And how does one ascertain that all the so-called miracles that most of them claim to perform are of the Lord? “For both prophet and priest are profane; yea, in my house I found their wickedness, saith the Lord” _ Jeremiah 23:11. Hypocrisy has set its ugly face in the House of the Lord and the African has forgotten that not all that glitters is gold. “But in vain they do worship me, teaching the doctrines of the commandments of men”. Most of these pastors are aware of the prophesy in direction to the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, but seeking their own selfish prosperity, they are leading many to destruction.

Today, on the continent of Africa, both spiritual and economic needs are all taken to the religious leaders. Of grave concern is the new shift of seeking economic liberation from the government to new-age pastors, who at the time of starting their churches possessed nothing but their Holy Bibles. The Lord giveth to him that ask but certainly not instantly because He is a God of time. Do we blame our merciful Lord when our leaders are corrupt and perverse in their ways? Is it not the government that is supposed to provide food, shelter, education, healthcare, etc. for all? Who is expected to create employment opportunities for the youth? Who is supposed to develop the rural areas? Who is expected to draw and implement programmes to reduce poverty (if alleviation is a dream)? God gave us our will; the will to create wealth with the numerous resources and the will to rule with an iron fist, waste resources and fight foolishly. Whom do you blame when you are poor?

We as Africans must realize that our salvation or redemption lies not on our priests or pastors, but on God. And for us to observe the magnitude and benevolence of the Lord, we should propel our governments, both spiritually and physically, to live up to their responsibility of protecting the people. If God through Christianity made Europe what it is today, why can’t the African be at par with them in terms of infrastructural development and standard of living? WE SHOULD NOT WORSHIP THE LORD IN VAIN! The African must profess Christianity with valuable work and positive action. There lies our redemption before Eternal Life!

It is not God’s will for the Christian to be passive in the face of wickedness, injustice and human need. Let our Christian faith continue to grow from strength to strength being conscious and cautious of the negative proliferation. Prosperity, financial breakthrough, miracles, healing, signs and wonders, and other good promises may be of the Lord. But we need to be sceptical as the old devil is wiser and faster than men. The Word of God is the only hope in these times! The African must therefore mandate the governments on earth to do their own part because our predicaments are mostly through their atrocities, inability to respect the dignity of the individual and their lackadaisical attitudes to addressing the needs and sufferings of the African. Heavens help those who help themselves!

The high level of social poverty on the continent has helped perpetuate economic poverty as well. It is the duty of African governments to eradicate the Unholy Trinity of Hunger, Disease and Illiteracy. It is high time we propelled governments to respect the rights of the people as stipulated in National Constitutions as well as the numerous Human Rights documents, such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR), of which they are signatories.

Then, when all is done, we can open the Holy Book to Lamentations 3 and say: “I called on thy name, O Lord, out of the low dungeon. Thou hast heard my voice: hide not thine ear at my breathing, at my cry. Thou drewest near in the day that I called upon thee: thou saidst, fear not. Oh Lord, thou hast pleaded the causes of my soul; thou hast redeemed my life… The LORD is good unto them that wait for him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD. It is good for a man that he bears the yoke of his youth”. God bless the continent of Africa!!!