The Cavin's

Tuesday, 30 July 2013

(A Must Read): We Know The System Is Broken, Why Aren’t We Fixing It? Or Talking Of Fixing It?

I think we may be seeing the consequence of a deficit in accountability. We are already well past the point at which our shamocracy pushed honesty and prudence out of public office. Now that the thugs and tribalists have taken over, they are systematically deconstructing our national identity and replacing it with ethnicities. This fracturing of identity makes it much harder for the people to mount collective action to punish thieving elites.
One of the primary ways (by no means the only one) the masses can enforce accontability is through elections. But we live in terror of elections. And with good reason. Elections work, when governments are evaluated on their performance, and when citizens watch whether governments keep their promises, and oust those that don’t measure up. Such accountability improves the provision of public goods, boosting incomes and welfare and reinforcing the sense of national belonging.
However, in poor and diverse societies such as ours, electoral competition undisciplined by accountability and enforced rules curtailing scope for cheating as well as constraints on the exercise of power, can be very dangerous indeed. Politicians are evaluated on their propensity for patronage, further polarizing the fractured identities and leading to higher risks of violence.

The lack of accountability and fracturing of the national identity is the road to hell. It is why we are deathly afraid of elections. When accountability for the deaths of 1500 Kenyans is swept under the carpet in the name of a fake reconciliation, when we elect thugs to public office and turn a blind eye to electoral malfeasance in the name of peace, we are just storing up further troubles down the road.
It is also proof positive of the hollowness of our democracy. A free people should have no reason fear electoral contests. And to the extent that we do, we are neither free nor a people.

So what is to be done? The politicians will not fix it. Their unrestrained greed for power and prestige is a big part of the problem. Also, the president and his henchmen do not want to broach the issue for fear of having to acknowledge that their victory is stained. None other than the Deputy President has openly declared that the IEBC, despite its manifold failures, did a “fabulous job.” Presumably he meant in installing the ruling clique’s preferred candidate. In Parliament, a similar reluctance to highlight the problems springs from similar motivations: impugning the integrity of the system impugns the legitimacy of all incumbents. It was telling that when calling for reforms, the opposition CORD alliance threatened to boycott the next General Election. But that’s in five years time! The system needs to be fixed today.
No. We have to look elsewhere. And we have a ready example from our recent past. It was a coalition of civil society, churches, media and disaffected politicians which mobilized the Kenyan people and the international community to stand up to the Moi dictatorship in the 1990s and to demand accountability. This coalition can be re-formed. But for that to happen, we need to shake off the fear and ignorance that seems to infect its parts.
Civil Society must come out from hiding and find the courage to speak out. The media must rediscover its core function of informing the public. The lobotomising of the news must stop and journalists should go back to being newsmen and not performing monkeys. The church (and the mosque) must rediscover their moral centres. And politicians must reacquaint with principle. Most importantly, the silence must stop. If this is done, then the people and the international community will regain their voice, just as they did twenty years ago and force reform on the elite.
But all this takes courage. It takes leadership. So the question is: In a nation where we have turned men into mice, who will bell the cat?

This piece was first published in this blog; Gathara’s World http://gathara.blogspot.nl/

Wednesday, 5 June 2013

THE BLIND LOYALTY TO TRIBAL DEMIgODS IN MY COUNTRY

It’s clear Kenyans are uncomfortable with laws. Its law that keeps us from returning to the jungle, where the strongest takes what they want. It’s the law that keeps us human, guiding us to realization that there are greater calling and higher satisfactions in life than constantly looking out for our own self-interest.

The moment when the community as a whole claimed for itself the right and responsibility to punish criminals, taking the role away from the injured parties, represent one of the great advances in the history of civilization.
True justice without vengeance. One measure of a civilization’s complexity is the distance between the aggrieved individual and administration of justice. The problem arise, however, when people fear that they cannot depend on society to administer justice, that the courts are slow, corrupt and unreliable or inclined to play favorites or that the law is full of loopholes that let the guilty escape as we always see in Kenya. Then we face the uncomfortable choice between letting a guilty person go free and taking the responsibility for punishment into our hands, with the bitter aftertaste and sense of moral compromise that often entails…This is why ICC is appropriate and if it fails we only condemn Kenya into a paralysis, stagnation or return to the jungle law.

Just imagine where the lie about loyalty to our tribal demigods has brought us to. Successive tribal regimes have dug in a protective system that will every now and then be manipulated by clever cons to their personal interests. That is what Uhuru and Ruto are doing now. Uhuru Kenyatta is so institutionally insulated in an impenetrable tribal human shield.

Kenyans know they are destined for better things and that is why the triumhalistic mentaliy being displayed by some communities is self-defeating. A monkey is monkey because of other monkeys, there cannot be a monkey without other monkeys. We are allowing our souls to be stunted by ignorance.There is no way we can win the war against hate and reviling as long as there are conditions that make people desperate. We cannot be human on our own. We can be human only together. There will never be PEACE without justice and safety only comes when desperation ends. It will end when we have leaders who are willing to take risks not just seeking to satisfy the often extreme feelings of their constituencies as we seeing now in our land.

This fictional thinking has seized on the fear of freedom, fear of making choices, because the world is too complicated for us. Its hard to understand it. We do not know who to trust, so we are vulnerable to the person who says, “ too many decisions? Let me simply life for you. Make one decision, vote “jubilee” and you will never have to agonize over choosing between the right and wrong again. Uhuru and Ruto will tell you what is right and we will surround you with a supportive officials in the NIS to reassure you that no matter what the misguided souls of other communities may say you are protected and on the right path”

At its worst, this kind of vulnerability gives us an Adolf Hitler, who strode into the moral decay and economic ruin of Germany in the 1930’s and said, “ Follow me, never question me, and I will lead you out of this” We consider ourselves rid of nazism because we abhor its brutality and we did not live in the 1930’s Germany. We forget that Nazism was ultimate product of a philosophy which despised the ‘weak’ and admired the ‘strong’. In essence Nazism was a doctrine that the ‘strong’ shall rule over the ‘weak’ and that the ‘weak’ are contemptible because they are ‘weak’

Reconciliation cannot avoid confrontation. But when we merely seek to gloss over our differences or metaphorically paper over the cracks as we did after the 2007/08 PEV we must not be surprised that in next to no time we are at it again, hammer and tongs, perhaps more violently than before. True reconciliation is based on forgiveness and forgiveness is based on true confession and confession is based on penitence, on contrition on sorrow for what had been done. Equally confession, forgiveness and reconciliation in the lives of nations and communities are not just airy-fairy religious and spiritual matters, nebulous and unrealistic. They are the stuff of practical politics. Superficial reconciliation can only bring superficial healing.

+Martin Mule Freelance journalist.(Truth needs to be shared)

Friday, 17 May 2013

AFRICA AGAINST CANCER

Fruits And Vegetables

The Johns Hopkins Hospital recommends that you increase your intake of fruits and vegetables for cancer prevention and to defend against cancer recurrence. Fruits and vegetables contain phytochemicals that have antioxidant properties. Antioxidants are substances that protect you from free-radical damage. Free radicals are substances that attack your body and cause cellular damage, infection and illness. Fruits and vegetables might help strengthen your body's ability to fight current or future illnesses. Good fruit choices include apples, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, cherries, oranges, lemons, limes and kiwis. Good vegetable choices include cruciferous vegetables, such as cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage and brussels sprouts. These cruciferous vegetables are particularly rich in antioxidant content, according to Johns Hopkins Hospital. Other good vegetable choices include kale, spinach, bell peppers, and Swiss chard.

Whole Grains

Whole grains are also important for cancer prevention and treatment, according to the Johns Hopkins Hospital. Whole grains are grains that have not been processed and stripped of their bran component. Therefore, they are good sources of fiber, which is important for a healthy diet because it helps keep you satiated, helping to prevent weight gain that can increase your risk of cancer. Fiber also helps add bulk to your stool matter and keep your bowel movements regular and healthy. According to the Johns Hopkins Hospital, a high fiber intake might be beneficial because it can alter hormonal actions of breast cancer and other cancers that are hormone-dependent. Johns Hopkins Hospital recommends you consume 25 to 35 g of fiber daily. Whole grains are a good source of fiber, and good choices include oatmeal, brown rice, quinoa, buckwheat, barley, and whole wheat bread.

Moderate Fat Consumption

The type of fat you eat might lead to the onset of breast cancer. Johns Hopkins Hospital recommends that you limit your intake of saturated fats, the fats that can increase your cholesterol and put an extra workload on your heart. Saturated fats can be found in foods such as lamb, beef, organ meats, high-fat cheeses, cream, and ice cream. You can replace such foods with leaner fare, including lentils, beans, lean chicken, low-fat dairy and tofu. Fish is also a good food to choose because it contains omega-3 fatty acids. According to Johns Hopkins Hospital, research suggests that omega-3 fats might help prevent the growth of breast cancer tumors. Johns Hopkins suggests you consume fresh fish one to three times per week to help prevent or fight colorectal cancer.

Avoid Alcohol And Caffeine

Avoiding alcohol and caffeine might help fight cancers and their symptoms, including breast cancer and colon cancer. These beverages can be dehydrating and can contribute to cancer symptoms such as diarrhea, constipation, upset stomach and nausea. Consult your doctor if you have any concerns. However, alternative choices that are good for a healthy body include water, natural fruit juices and low-fat milk.

Thursday, 10 January 2013

Hi
welcome to my start looking foward to making the world a better place in technology and also promoting Africa as a great manufacturer of new technoloigies.

Help me promote technology in Africa.
Regards Ouma Cavin +CavinOuma