By Mabi Azefor Fominyen
And so it happened.
Barack Obama was sworn in at 12:05 pm ET . Tuesday.
His inaugural speech touched on a myriad of issues.
The challenges that await America, the situation in Iraq, the re-making of America......
"Our challenges may be new...."
Among other things he talked about some moments that have defined the times in America.The economy which needs bold and swift action.
Words like faith, hope over fear, freedom, strength of a nation , hard work, honesty, stood out clearly as he went on.
"What is required from all of us now is a new era of responsibility" Obama told his people.
Other highlights of the event included the song by the legendary soul singer Aretha Franklin "My Country Tis Of Thee" . The Poem read out by Elizabeth Alexanda an American poet . The thought-provoking words of prayer from the clergy.
Of course I can't fail to mention the two Obama girls plus Mum, all looked splendid. As I watched them I wondered what must have been going through their minds as Dad- Barack Obama took the oath of office.
Tuesday, 20 January 2009
IT IS ABOUT TO HAPPEN !
By Mabi Azefor Fominyen
My eyes have been glued to my TV set all day.
I do not want to miss a moment. It is thrilling! All of these side stories about the inauguration, make it look like fun.
Imagine: CNN announcing that Michelle and Barack Obama just had coffee with Laura and George Bush at the White House! Not many transitions happen like that in my dear Africa. Hope it comes to be. At least the Ghanaians made a step towards that.
But did you see Michelle's dress as the Presidential couples stepped out for a photo scene!
Thanks to CNN photos for the one on this post
And the coverage continues!
20 JANUARY 2009:OBAMA DAY IN WASHINGTON!
By Mabi Azefor Fominyen
Temperatures read 20°C in Washington DC this January 20 2009. Yet the crowd is braving it. "Yes we can"many are shouting and waving the American flag with pride. Many have covered thousands of kilometers to be part of a great moment. Part of history indeed.
Yes Barack Obama is America's 44th President. Yes he is black.US polls show most African Americans see this as a realisation of Martin Luther King Jr's vision.
There is no doubt this day means different things to different people and communities.
It's a moment of joy
A moment of hope.
A moment of love.
A moment of patriotism .
A moment to put on the OBAMA T-shirt or hat.
Many people have gone to the inauguration ground to catch a glimpse of Obama.Others to immortalise the event.
Thousands more are glued to their TV screens? others to their radio sets. Some are using search engines on the Internet for the latest.
According to CNN all twenty-nine thousand hotel rooms in Washington DC are fully booked for the event.Traffic is tight. Security measures as well .
From the look of things, there's so much enthusiasm in the air. There's hope in the horizon. Aspirations are high. The world is waiting! The people are expecting!Not just to have Obama take office as President but to see the so much heralded "change" come to the United States Of America and perhaps other parts of the world.
The incoming white house press secretary Robert Gibbs told CNN this morning, "Obama will be asking people to step-up and do more to change the country and take it to a better direction." He added that Obama will also talk about responsibilities- both for the citizens and financial institutions among other issues expected to feature in his inaugural speech.
Hopes are indeed very high.Obama is quite aware and "hopeful as ever". He will no doubt need to carry a huge dose of hope along to the white house to accomplish his daunting task.
Let's party as he becomes America's 44th President.
Temperatures read 20°C in Washington DC this January 20 2009. Yet the crowd is braving it. "Yes we can"many are shouting and waving the American flag with pride. Many have covered thousands of kilometers to be part of a great moment. Part of history indeed.
Yes Barack Obama is America's 44th President. Yes he is black.US polls show most African Americans see this as a realisation of Martin Luther King Jr's vision.
There is no doubt this day means different things to different people and communities.
It's a moment of joy
A moment of hope.
A moment of love.
A moment of patriotism .
A moment to put on the OBAMA T-shirt or hat.
Many people have gone to the inauguration ground to catch a glimpse of Obama.Others to immortalise the event.
Thousands more are glued to their TV screens? others to their radio sets. Some are using search engines on the Internet for the latest.
According to CNN all twenty-nine thousand hotel rooms in Washington DC are fully booked for the event.Traffic is tight. Security measures as well .
From the look of things, there's so much enthusiasm in the air. There's hope in the horizon. Aspirations are high. The world is waiting! The people are expecting!Not just to have Obama take office as President but to see the so much heralded "change" come to the United States Of America and perhaps other parts of the world.
The incoming white house press secretary Robert Gibbs told CNN this morning, "Obama will be asking people to step-up and do more to change the country and take it to a better direction." He added that Obama will also talk about responsibilities- both for the citizens and financial institutions among other issues expected to feature in his inaugural speech.
Hopes are indeed very high.Obama is quite aware and "hopeful as ever". He will no doubt need to carry a huge dose of hope along to the white house to accomplish his daunting task.
Let's party as he becomes America's 44th President.
Sunday, 14 December 2008
Oh Yes I Did It! I Designed The Hats!
By Mabi Azefor Fominyen
I once received a young and talented male hat designer as guest on the Cameroon TV breakfast show 'Hello'. He weaved a hat on-set and I was marvelled by the art!
I love wearing hats and have always wanted to design them. I couldn't figure out how to.
Recently I decided to investigate the art of millinery. I read a story about a reknown hat designer Patricia Underwoods and how she got into the art. Her story inspired me especially when she said: "A hat should not call attention to itself. It should flatter the face and relate to clothing...you have the material, the sewing machine and the mirror at hand...think of making a hat as an adventure, make one that suits you....".
Why not give it a try, I thought!
So I went to the market, bought a few items and accessories I imagined would make the hat beautiful, got home and started working on something.My idea was to come up with a, nice but simple piece. I checked in the mirror every now and then to see what it looked like.
Hey! Behold I did it! Oh yes I made a red hat !My sister Lynda couldn't believe it when she got me on the webcam as we chated and I was showing off what i just designed.
"You did that!?" she wondered.
Oh yes I did.
After making the hat I thought now that's interesting . The following day I was off to the market again to get more material so I could give it another try. See what I have been able to design since my debut in hat-making...
I am about to enroll in a milliners' course at a fashion Institute to perfect the art!
I'll see what my talent, my love for arts & craft, plus sewing would lead me into!
Wednesday, 26 November 2008
Stop Violence! Real Men Don't Abuse Women/Girls!
By Mabi Azefor Fominyen
She is sometimes beaten in class by her male classmate, threatened at home by her brothers, sexually harassed in her office by her male colleagues, raped in her community by a man, coerced into sex by another man , molested by her husband or male partner, abused by a family member, assaulted by a neighbour, a stranger.................. .....................! Yet she deserves a better world!
Violence and abuse may vary in form. Sometimes it's the physical.This includes, pushing, slapping, hitting with fist, pulling of hair, chocking and the use weapons. It could be sexual and in some cases men use damaging objects without the woman's consent (stories of such acts are now common in the media ). It could be psychological as well as emotional- sometimes causing traumas.
Throughout the world, violence against women and girls, kills and maims vast numbers; it fills their lives with pain and terror from which some never recover.It affects the young and the old, the married and unmarried. It also affects people who are dating, single, cohabiting, divorced, gay or lesbian. People from all social, ethnic, religious, racial and economic groups.
"Violence against women is perhaps the most shameful human rights violation.And it is perhaps the most pervasive. It knows no boundaries of geography, culture or wealth. As long as it continues, we cannot be making real progress towards equality, development and peace" (Kofi Annan, March 8, 1999)
In spite of efforts to curb violence and abuse, statistics still paint a horrifying picture of what women go through in different communities. Violence has not been abated. Some gender specialists and activists have opined that violence against women has become as much a pandemic as HIV/AIDS or malaria.
Why then do men continue to abuse women/girls ? And how comes women continue to bear it?
At this point am tempted to share some of the responses and words I got when I put this question to a cross section of people as I sampled opinions needed for my radio programme:
"because some men think it makes them stronger", " because many societies celebrate male dominance and encourage men to do so coupled with rigid gender roles", " some cultural, traditional, economic and social factors put women in a tight corner, making her vulnerable thus she gets abused by the man", " men who abuse women were equally abused in their childhood ", "some men are weak , alcoholics, possessive and think by using violence it makes them appear macho", " marital violence", "some women bear it out of love, others have no other option so the men take them for granted hence, some are poor so they are used and abused, others just fell into the wrong hands ........................."
In addition to raising awareness on issues surrounding violence and abuse, there's certainly the need for a change in perception and attitudes. The need to move from mere rhetoric to concrete actions such that perpetrators of acts of abuse get adequately exposed and punished, while victims report to the right quarters and survivors speak out in a bid to check such abuses. Of course governments and other individuals would have to give it more attention than is the case in most countries today.
To the woman or girl who is being abused , its important to asses the situation and look carefully at the options in front of you. Meantime, you might want to draw up a strategic safety plan , stretch out for help from family members, individuals and organisations and try getting much information that could be helpful even as you try to make better the situation.
To you the man, why not start treating 'HER' like a queen? Afterall 'SHE' treats you like her king quite often. Besides she is a human being and not an object meant to be abused. Above all she is your sister, friend, mate, wife, mother, colleague, neighbour, daughter, partner, grandmother, aunt, niece and you name it.
She is sometimes beaten in class by her male classmate, threatened at home by her brothers, sexually harassed in her office by her male colleagues, raped in her community by a man, coerced into sex by another man , molested by her husband or male partner, abused by a family member, assaulted by a neighbour, a stranger.................. .....................! Yet she deserves a better world!
Violence and abuse may vary in form. Sometimes it's the physical.This includes, pushing, slapping, hitting with fist, pulling of hair, chocking and the use weapons. It could be sexual and in some cases men use damaging objects without the woman's consent (stories of such acts are now common in the media ). It could be psychological as well as emotional- sometimes causing traumas.
Throughout the world, violence against women and girls, kills and maims vast numbers; it fills their lives with pain and terror from which some never recover.It affects the young and the old, the married and unmarried. It also affects people who are dating, single, cohabiting, divorced, gay or lesbian. People from all social, ethnic, religious, racial and economic groups.
"Violence against women is perhaps the most shameful human rights violation.And it is perhaps the most pervasive. It knows no boundaries of geography, culture or wealth. As long as it continues, we cannot be making real progress towards equality, development and peace" (Kofi Annan, March 8, 1999)
In spite of efforts to curb violence and abuse, statistics still paint a horrifying picture of what women go through in different communities. Violence has not been abated. Some gender specialists and activists have opined that violence against women has become as much a pandemic as HIV/AIDS or malaria.
Why then do men continue to abuse women/girls ? And how comes women continue to bear it?
At this point am tempted to share some of the responses and words I got when I put this question to a cross section of people as I sampled opinions needed for my radio programme:
"because some men think it makes them stronger", " because many societies celebrate male dominance and encourage men to do so coupled with rigid gender roles", " some cultural, traditional, economic and social factors put women in a tight corner, making her vulnerable thus she gets abused by the man", " men who abuse women were equally abused in their childhood ", "some men are weak , alcoholics, possessive and think by using violence it makes them appear macho", " marital violence", "some women bear it out of love, others have no other option so the men take them for granted hence, some are poor so they are used and abused, others just fell into the wrong hands ........................."
In addition to raising awareness on issues surrounding violence and abuse, there's certainly the need for a change in perception and attitudes. The need to move from mere rhetoric to concrete actions such that perpetrators of acts of abuse get adequately exposed and punished, while victims report to the right quarters and survivors speak out in a bid to check such abuses. Of course governments and other individuals would have to give it more attention than is the case in most countries today.
To the woman or girl who is being abused , its important to asses the situation and look carefully at the options in front of you. Meantime, you might want to draw up a strategic safety plan , stretch out for help from family members, individuals and organisations and try getting much information that could be helpful even as you try to make better the situation.
To you the man, why not start treating 'HER' like a queen? Afterall 'SHE' treats you like her king quite often. Besides she is a human being and not an object meant to be abused. Above all she is your sister, friend, mate, wife, mother, colleague, neighbour, daughter, partner, grandmother, aunt, niece and you name it.
Friday, 21 November 2008
Say Hello In An Attempt To Forster Peace
By Mabi Azefor Fominyen
Did you know that November 21 is World Hello Day?
Oh yes!
A day to say hello to atleast ten people.
A time to say hello to all those who are so special to you and also to those with whom you have been out of touch for some time.
World Hello Day is an opportunity to learn about the value of saying" hello."
It is a day to express concern for world peace and anyone can participate in the activities.
Did you know that World Hello Day greeting card exist?
Oh yes!
World Hello day began in 1973 , in an attempt to promote peace between Egypt and Isreal .
Since then , the day has been observed by people in different parts of the world.Today there are over 180 countries, as well as individuals and communitees involved in an attempt to forster peace.
World Hello Day was also created to urge world leaders to try communication rather than military force in settling conflicts and crisis.
How about greeting ten people or more for peace?
Did you know that November 21 is World Hello Day?
Oh yes!
A day to say hello to atleast ten people.
A time to say hello to all those who are so special to you and also to those with whom you have been out of touch for some time.
World Hello Day is an opportunity to learn about the value of saying" hello."
It is a day to express concern for world peace and anyone can participate in the activities.
Did you know that World Hello Day greeting card exist?
Oh yes!
World Hello day began in 1973 , in an attempt to promote peace between Egypt and Isreal .
Since then , the day has been observed by people in different parts of the world.Today there are over 180 countries, as well as individuals and communitees involved in an attempt to forster peace.
World Hello Day was also created to urge world leaders to try communication rather than military force in settling conflicts and crisis.
How about greeting ten people or more for peace?
Friday, 7 November 2008
Re-discovering Africa's Majesty Through InterAction
InterAction Mabi 1 year after
Uploaded by esungeft
By Mabi Azefor Fominyen
It is a year now since I experienced a renaissance in terms of my perception of Africa.
Before joining the InterAction Leadership Programme run by the British Council, I had no belief in Africa. I was pessimistic about the continent's future. All I could see was poverty, underdevelopment, failed leaders and nations in crisis.
My journey into this new prism started at the Pan-African Event held in Dakar –Senegal in October 2007. Through the people I met, discussions we had and the displays on the Wall of Greatness, I realized that Africa was greater than I perceived. I became a witness to the continent's immense cultural, natural and human resources.
This video is my tribute to those life-changing moments at the Pan-African Event. It is also my way of reminding Africans and all peoples of the world that if we accept each others' differences, we can make Africa and the World a better place for all.
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