tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61906880496689548042024-03-13T21:25:23.511-07:00Voice of AfricaProf. Egara Kabajihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10899064119680990696noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6190688049668954804.post-12981457299774267452010-01-06T07:52:00.000-08:002010-01-06T07:52:28.803-08:00Feminists’ big lie about women’s oppression<h1>Feminists’ big lie about women’s oppression </h1><div id="article_tools"> <div id="dropshare"> <a href="http://digg.com/submit?url=http://www.nation.co.ke/magazines/lifestyle/-/1214/679186/-/8a1tluz/-/index.html&title=Feminists%E2%80%99%20big%20lie%20about%20women%E2%80%99s%20oppression" title="Submit to Digg"> <img src="http://www.nation.co.ke/image/view/-/600/data/44/-/lemu5gz/-/digg.gif" /> </a> <a href="http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=http://www.nation.co.ke/magazines/lifestyle/-/1214/679186/-/8a1tluz/-/index.html" title="Submit to Facebook"> <img src="http://www.nation.co.ke/image/view/-/602/data/45/-/8ggfgaz/-/facebook.gif" /> </a> <a href="http://del.icio.us/post?url=http://www.nation.co.ke/magazines/lifestyle/-/1214/679186/-/8a1tluz/-/index.html&title=Feminists%E2%80%99%20big%20lie%20about%20women%E2%80%99s%20oppression" title="Submit to del.icio.us"> <img src="http://www.nation.co.ke/image/view/-/604/data/46/-/4goy7v/-/delicious.gif" /> </a> <a href="http://www.stumbleupon.com/submit?url=http://www.nation.co.ke/magazines/lifestyle/-/1214/679186/-/8a1tluz/-/index.html&title=Feminists%E2%80%99%20big%20lie%20about%20women%E2%80%99s%20oppression" title="Submit to StumbleUpon"> <img src="http://www.nation.co.ke/image/view/-/606/data/47/-/hevdw2/-/stumble.gif" /> </a> <a href="http://www.stumbleupon.com/submit?url=http://www.nation.co.ke/magazines/lifestyle/-/1214/679186/-/8a1tluz/-/index.html&title=Feminists%E2%80%99%20big%20lie%20about%20women%E2%80%99s%20oppression" title="Submit to Yahoo Buzz"> <img src="http://www.nation.co.ke/image/view/-/608/data/48/-/ud2sl8/-/yahoo.gif" /></a></div><span id="article_rate"><div id="rating_679186"><!-- START starRating.tag --><div id="ratingStars_679186"><div class="stars" style="-moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; background: transparent url(/image/view/-/300/lowRes/737/-/s6lxe0z/-/starrow_white.gif) repeat scroll 0% 0%; height: 12px; position: relative; width: 60px;"><div class="currentStars" style="-moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; background: transparent url(/image/view/-/296/lowRes/118489/-/cf8lu6/-/starrow.gif) repeat scroll 0% 0%; height: 12px; left: 0px; position: absolute; width: 0px;"></div></div></div><!-- END starRating.tag --></div></span> </div><img alt="A woman carries her daughter on a bicycle. Feminists have convinced us that sexual identity, the social and cultural processes underlying the creation of the categories “men” and “women”, are structured to advance oppression of women. Photo/FILE " class="photo_article" src="http://www.nation.co.ke/image/view/-/679592/medRes/110792/-/maxw/600/-/fp0cp2z/-/f.jpg" /> <div id="photo_article_caption"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> A woman carries her daughter on a bicycle. Feminists have convinced us that sexual identity, the social and cultural processes underlying the creation of the categories “men” and “women”, are structured to advance oppression of women. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Photo/FILE</span><br />
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</div><div>Very few books attract the kind of attention that Esther Vilar’s <em>The Manipulated Man</em> elicited. The book went against the grain and challenged feminist arguments at a time when the West was suffering from the guilt of the realisation that patriarchal structures were oppressive to women. <br />
</div><div>The central thesis of the book is that all that feminists say about women’s oppression is a lie. It argues that women have never been oppressed. In fact they have, all along, strategised and oppressed men at every stage in their life. <br />
</div><div>Perhaps that is why feminists and gender activists rarely refer to this text. Scholars, unable to accept the psychological insights that the text brings to the gender debate, have remained tight-lipped. You could call it a conspiracy of silence. <br />
</div><div><strong>Gender wars</strong><br />
</div><div>We need to open up this debate in view of the gender wars witnessed today. It is a fact that not all of us have accepted the fact that women are an oppressed lot. Many people are questioning the basis of this argument.<br />
</div><div>It is, however, true that many of us have bought into the argument that relations of dominance and subordination in our society are driven by patriarchy. Feminists have convinced us to believe that sexual identity, the social and cultural processes underlying the creation of the categories “men” and “women”, are structured to advance oppression of women. <br />
</div><div>Esther Vilar turns this argument upside down. She argues that, on the contrary, women have trained men to become their slaves. What makes this text perhaps the most controversial and outrageous book ever published on gender relations is its stand on labour and production.<br />
</div><div>Its misreading of all the philosophies that have guided our understanding of gender is conspicuous. The author argues that man is always searching for something to enslave him. It is only in slavery that he feels secure and, as a rule, his choice falls on a woman as a slave owner, who exploits him in such a way that he feels safe.<br />
</div><div>Feminists, including Julia Kristeva, Helen Cixous and Luce Irigaray, have illuminated the internal contradictions in patriarchal structures. They attack ordinary notions of identity and selfhood. These scholars reinterpret traditional Freudian psychoanalytic theory and practice.<br />
</div><div>Their thoughts have roots in Simone de Beauvour’s <em>Second Sex</em>, which questions why women are the second sex or in post-modern terms why the woman is the “other”. Esther Vilar argues that woman has positioned herself to use her ‘‘otherness’’ to her advantage. While Kristeva, Cixious and Irigaray oppose the phallic symbols which have structured Western thought, Esther Vilar argues that a woman’s body is her source of power.<br />
</div><div><em>The Manipulated Man</em> posits that woman, in contrast to man, does not engage her mind and body seriously. At birth, men and women have the same potential. But women do not use their potential and their mental capacity disintegrates. Why don’t women make use of their potential? “They do not need to because men are there to work and think for them.”<br />
</div><div>By the age of 12 most women have decided what to be. They plan a future for themselves which consists of choosing a man and letting him do all the work. In return they provide sex. Vilar attacks fellow women as having no interest in serious literature, politics and the conquest of the universe. <br />
</div><div>“A woman’s demands on life will always be material, never intellectual.” Anyone who wakes up ready to conquer the world will definitely despise one who is not interested in such pursuits. “Woman takes interest only in that which has immediate personal usefulness to her. Man’s curiosity is universal.” This, to Vilar, explains men’s condescending attitude towards women.<br />
</div><div>The author becomes even outrageous by arguing that women are happy when men turn to look at them. They dress not to impress men, but to hold them to ransom. Man has importance only as a provider. Woman is immune to the looks of the opposite sex. <br />
</div><div>“If a woman flirts with her husband’s best friend, her intention is to annoy his wife whose feelings do matter unlike those of her husband.” The author of this book argues that it is the female sector of the population that spends the most money. This money is earned by men for them to spend.<br />
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<div><strong>Handsome men</strong><br />
</div><div>Manufacturers do not attempt to stimulate sales by advertising through display of handsome men. They use a beautiful woman. Men are simply providers and so the two sexes have almost nothing in common. “What, besides money, can bind a woman to a man?” she asks.<br />
</div><div>Man is looked at as a pathetic creature; some kind of Sisyphus. He has come into the world to learn to work and to father children and this will continue forever. Vilar wonders why a young man who gets married, starts a family and spends the rest of his life working at a soul destroying job. <br />
</div><div><strong>Unshackled man</strong><br />
</div><div>The man living for himself, working only for himself, sleeping where he likes, is rejected by society! That is why the free unshackled man has no place in a society that is structured in favour of women.<br />
</div><div>This book raises many serious questions that call intellectual introspection: Is it true that man is dependent on women from cradle to grave? Do men prefer to subjugate themselves to a deity called woman? Do men trust women because they are their surrogate mothers? Is man happy only when he is praised by a woman? <br />
</div><div>Experts on language will find this book interesting especially in its revelations about the secret language of women. The author argues that when a woman says “I love you”, she simply means you are an excellent workhorse! <br />
</div><div>When she says “I don’t believe in women’s liberation”, she simply means I am not such a fool. I would rather let you do the work for me.” More outrageous to some readers would be the assertion that woman will marry a man simply because he is wealthy. Sex is a reward that she is ready to provide.<br />
</div><div>Esther Vilar has an interesting suggestion to men in this world: if you want freedom, do not rush into marriage. Nevertheless, man has been manipulated by woman to the level where he cannot live without her. He fights for his life and calls it love! Do you agree?<br />
</div><div>To access a copy of this book go to: <a href="http://dontmarry.files.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">http://dontmarry.files.wordpress.com/</a><br />
</div><div><em>Prof Kabaji is the Director of Public Affairs and Communication in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs egarakabaji@yahoo.com</em><br />
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</div>Prof. Egara Kabajihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10899064119680990696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6190688049668954804.post-84839899497366056282010-01-06T07:47:00.000-08:002010-01-06T07:47:11.985-08:00Let’s not mislead the people on the draft constitution<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
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<div id="article_tools"> <div id="dropshare"> <a href="http://digg.com/submit?url=http://www.nation.co.ke/oped/Opinion/-/440808/815090/-/5ohmef/-/index.html&title=Let%E2%80%99s%20not%20mislead%20the%20people%20%20on%20the%20draft%20constitution" title="Submit to Digg"> <img src="http://www.nation.co.ke/image/view/-/600/data/44/-/lemu5gz/-/digg.gif" /> </a> <a href="http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=http://www.nation.co.ke/oped/Opinion/-/440808/815090/-/5ohmef/-/index.html" title="Submit to Facebook"> <img src="http://www.nation.co.ke/image/view/-/602/data/45/-/8ggfgaz/-/facebook.gif" /> </a> <a href="http://del.icio.us/post?url=http://www.nation.co.ke/oped/Opinion/-/440808/815090/-/5ohmef/-/index.html&title=Let%E2%80%99s%20not%20mislead%20the%20people%20%20on%20the%20draft%20constitution" title="Submit to del.icio.us"> <img src="http://www.nation.co.ke/image/view/-/604/data/46/-/4goy7v/-/delicious.gif" /> </a> <a href="http://www.stumbleupon.com/submit?url=http://www.nation.co.ke/oped/Opinion/-/440808/815090/-/5ohmef/-/index.html&title=Let%E2%80%99s%20not%20mislead%20the%20people%20%20on%20the%20draft%20constitution" title="Submit to StumbleUpon"> <img src="http://www.nation.co.ke/image/view/-/606/data/47/-/hevdw2/-/stumble.gif" /> </a> <a href="http://www.stumbleupon.com/submit?url=http://www.nation.co.ke/oped/Opinion/-/440808/815090/-/5ohmef/-/index.html&title=Let%E2%80%99s%20not%20mislead%20the%20people%20%20on%20the%20draft%20constitution" title="Submit to Yahoo Buzz"> <img src="http://www.nation.co.ke/image/view/-/608/data/48/-/ud2sl8/-/yahoo.gif" /></a></div><span id="article_rate"><div id="rating_815090"><div id="ratingStars_815090">By EGARA KABAJI</div><div id="ratingStars_815090">Posted Monday, November 30 2009 at 18:28</div><div id="ratingStars_815090">The Nation Newspaper</div><div id="ratingStars_815090"><br />
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<div>I have been studying the harmonised draft constitution for the past one week as I listened to our politicians talk about it. A good number of them have made misleading statements about it, seemingly, with the intention of scuttling it.<br />
</div><div>When the Committee of Experts (CoE) released the draft, they did not say we should vote for it; they said we should debate it and suggest how to improve it.<br />
</div><div>But some politicians are already dismissing it instead of channelling their views to the committee.<br />
</div><div>Some of the noises being made by politicians are quite annoying. Their obsession with Chapter 12 of the draft gives one the impression that they haven’t read the entire document.<br />
</div><div>A good number seem to have a hidden agenda: to mislead us into rejecting the draft on the basis of their perceived fears about the drastic shift suggested in this chapter which deals with the structure of the executive.<br />
</div><div>SOME ARGUE THAT EXECUTIVE authority should vest in an individual, either the president or prime minister, but not both, and this individual should be directly elected by the people.<br />
</div><div>These politicians seem to be suffering from collective amnesia. For many years, Kenyans have suffered due to the misuse of power by an individual with executive powers. They have forgotten that the people of this country are sick of being governed by individuals with total authority over them. Kenyans do not want imperial presidency or prime minister. They have said this loud and clear. <br />
</div><div>If this draft constitution is enacted in the form in which it is now, we will have said goodbye to the imperial presidency. An individual will not have the power to dish out the wealth of this nation to his cronies again — not ever. <br />
</div><div>We will also have minimised the competition for the presidency, which is what led to bloodshed last year. <br />
</div><div>Since the draft is presenting a shift from the past, some people who were brought up in the old system that guaranteed them opportunities by virtue of their surnames or political affiliation will definitely oppose it.<br />
</div><div>Others, especially those advanced in age, do not want change from an old order to a new one. They are uncomfortable. That is why they are agitating for a return of the old ways of doing things.<br />
</div><div>Kenyans particularly the younger lot, should not allow these politicians to confuse them. This is the moment to get a new constitution. <br />
</div><div>Politicians, who are seizing every opportunity, including funerals, to dismiss the draft on the basis of Chapter 12 are being irresponsible. This draft provides us with the best opportunity to chart new paths for this nation and cast into the dustbin of history the excess baggage that we have shouldered over the years.<br />
</div><div>The chapter on devolution is well-conceived. Again it presents a real opportunity for Kenyans to reclaim their role in our democracy.<br />
</div><div>For a long time, they have felt that a centralised governance system, which was inherited from our colonisers, was untenable. This system has been discredited and cannot withstand the challenges of the 21st century. It only breeds political prejudice. Indeed, devolution will serve both administrative and political functions, which are clearly delineated.<br />
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<div>The draft gives power of self-governance to the local communities. This system will, at best, enhance participation of the people in exercise of power.<br />
</div><div>The draft does not advance a majimbo (federal) system, as some people would like us to believe, but a decentralised system. An equally erroneous argument is that the draft law will be too expensive.<br />
</div><div>THIS LATTER ARGUMENT IS MISLEADING because the draft does not add anything on the existing structure, but replaces it with a leaner three-tier democratic system.<br />
</div><div>If there is anything that will resonate well with the Kenyans in the Diaspora, then it is the dual citizenship clause. For many years, Kenyans abroad have been agitating for this. With this, we shall be able to attract direct investment from Kenyans living in other countries.<br />
</div><div>Women will also have everything to smile about if the new law is enacted since it clearly provides for gender equity in representation. Now at every stage of leadership, women’s voice will be clear. In this provision, we all win.<br />
</div><div><em>Prof Kabaji is the director of Public Affairs and Communication in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (egarakabaji@yahoo.com)</em><br />
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</div></div>Prof. Egara Kabajihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10899064119680990696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6190688049668954804.post-3125882832797831202009-04-30T06:52:00.000-07:002009-04-30T06:54:17.030-07:00Kenya: Snake is Venerated in Many Cultures<p>Nairobi — Religious fundamentalism has many faces. It manifests itself through the suicide bombings we witness all over the world. But sometimes it comes out through verbal outpouring.</p> <p>Religious fundamentalism becomes interesting to a critic when it is found between covers of a book. That is why I took interest in Reverend David Githii's new books Exploring and Conquering Satanic Forces over Kenya.</p> <div id="google_inset" class="google_ad float-left"><!-- open google_inset div --> <!-- Display Google AdManager Ad for 'AllAfrica_Story_Inset'--> <script type="text/javascript" language="JavaScript"> GA_googleFillSlot( "AllAfrica_Story_Inset" ); </script><script src="http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ads?correlator=1241070683176&output=json_html&callback=_GA_googleAdEngine.setAdContentsBySlotForSync&impl=s&prev_afc=2&a2ids=%2COlIw&cids=%2CILZkO0&client=ca-pub-2420009840005975&slotname=AllAfrica_Story_Inset&page_slots=AllAfrica_Story_Leaderboard%2CAllAfrica_Story_BannerMid%2CAllAfrica_Story_Inset&cust_params=Language%3Denglish%26Topics%3Dreligion%26Countries%3Deastafrica%252Ckenya&cookie=ID%3D8e476b9ebd73b548%3AT%3D1241034861%3AS%3DALNI_Mb10YKIXdh9kgB2dNl33ok63Mh_qQ&ga_vid=308917725.1241005988&ga_sid=1241070683&ga_hid=531295715&ga_fc=true&url=http%3A%2F%2Fallafrica.com%2Fstories%2F200708060946.html&ref=&lmt=1241095952&dt=1241070686510&cc=100&u_h=768&u_w=1366&u_ah=710&u_aw=1366&u_cd=32&u_tz=180&u_his=4&u_java=true&u_nplug=16&u_nmime=57&flash=10.0.22"></script><div id="google_ads_div_AllAfrica_Story_Inset"> This book demonstrates how religious fervent can create fear of schizophrenic magnitude. Githii's book is a good example of a crude misreading. To Githii, virtually anything is a sign of the devils.</div> <script>_GA_googleAdEngine.createDOMIframe('google_ads_div_AllAfrica_Story_Inset' ,'AllAfrica_Story_Inset');</script> </div><!-- close google_inset div --> <p>The book, to say the least is, bankrupt in many ways. Any study that claims to fall within the domain of cultural analysis should be situated within a concrete cultural context and not an imaginary world. Githii fails to recognise the fact that even before Christianity was introduced in Africa, people had their own religions which recognised totems as significant cultural symbols. The belief in these symbols is still very strong, even among Githii's flock.</p> <p>In this article, I examine the image of the snake in order to demonstrate how far Githii is from reality.</p> <p>Githii reads the devil in the snake, but he is far from what the snake stands for in African culture. Let me place this in context. African religions are geared towards procuring fertility.</p> <p>The rituals and prayers are made to obtain fertility for human beings and animals and for agricultural bounty. The African religions recognise the power of the ancestral spirits in their cosmology. They venerate these spirits to promote good health and the welfare of the community and family. The veneration of the ancestors revolves around family totems. Among the symbols of fertility is the snake, which Githii fears most.</p> <p>One of the snakes that are reared in most African homes is the puff adder, which is the royal snake. You may remember that the conflict in Chinua Achebe's Arrow of God revolves around this totem.</p> <p>But Africans are not the only people who revere the snake. The serpent has since the dawn of time been represented on every continent as having divine attributes. In many places, the serpent has been made into a deity, feared and adored for its extraordinary vitality and energy. The serpent is an important phallic symbol and above all, it serves as a link between the material and spiritual worlds.</p> <p>The fact that it sheds its skin offers a promise of rebirth. It is, consequently, both a symbol of death and rebirth, of life that is endlessly renewed, unchanging and eternal like sunrise and sunset. Its imagery is as flexible as its body. In ancient Greece, for instance, the serpent was seen as the incarnation of a soul that had just departed from the world.</p> <p>Silent and supple in form, the snake is a creature of mysterious and supernatural power. The Nagas of India have seven-headed mythological serpents that have been venerated since the earliest times. Serpents have a great deal of influence over Buddhism on account of the legend that when Siddharta Gautama was meditating in the forest before his enlightenment, a friendly cobra, the spirit of a nearby lake, came and coiled itself seven times around his body and spreading open its hoods over his head, protected him from other animals for seven days and seven nights.</p> <p>In Genesis, a book that Githii must have read, we are told that Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden of Eden for having eaten the forbidden fruit from the tree of knowledge, beguiled by the serpent. Since then, it is irrevocably associated with sin, destruction, temptation and the devil.</p> <p>But, any serious thinker should go beyond the myth and ask: Was this not the fruit of wisdom and awareness? The serpent told the first woman that if she ate the fruit, her eyes would be opened and she would be like God, to know evil and good. Eve gave the apple to Adam.</p> <p>After this, Adam and Eve realised that they were naked! In other words, they became aware of their individuality, restricted within space. Eden should, therefore, be seen as a metaphor, because man had to be chased out of paradise in order for the doors of his development to be opened. It brought a sense of awareness and thus, prevented him from being restricted to mere existence.</p> <p>Writing about the Himba of Northern Namibia, Crandall D P has observed that the Himba believe that God (Mukuru) is the one who created the world. His original creation was tortoise, which gave birth to the Puff adder which, in turn, begot all other snakes and so the Himba hold the Tortoise and Puff adder in high esteem.</p> <p>My own research among the Luhyia, Luo and the communities of Western Uganda reveal that the serpent is venerated. That is why no one can dare kill Omweri or Irihiri among these communities.</p> <p>The attributes of the totem should be examined before Githii condemn it as a devil. Although limbless, serpents are excellent climbers. They slide into narrow dark openings and emerge out of them without warning. This ability identifies them immediately as messengers from the underworld. It is not far-fetched to say that our people associated the snake with fertility, life's creative force in the world. The shedding of a snake's skin may have signified renewal.</p> <p>The serpent's exaggerated phallic shape makes it a symbol of male fertility. It is, for example, believed in most of our communities that one marrying from the family in which snakes are kept as totems, must receive one before the couple gets children. Failure to accept the snake would lead to sterility on the part of the couple.</p> <p>Many communities share the same perception of the serpent. Among the Ourobos, the ancient Greeks and Egyptians, a tail-devouring snake portrayed exactly the endless cycle of life, its completeness, rebirth and immortality.</p> <p>Although a masculine symbol, because of its phallic shape, it is a strong feminine symbol for its power to tempt and devour. It is a symbol of sensuality, the libido or unconscious desire. As is the practice in some communities in Uganda, the royal snake is considered a supernatural being, an honoured reptile, which is fed and generally cared for.</p> <p>To this day, it is believed that killing the puff adder would be followed by serious consequences even among those who do not keep them and who have converted to Christianity. When this snake dies, it is accorded burial rites fit for a human beings</p><p>Although other religions have been introduced into Africa such as Christianity and Islam, aspects of African religion and culture have remained glaringly visible. The royal snake is still a symbol of fertility, a totem that our people still venerate.</p> <p>Perhaps Githii should know that among his flock, nothing is as attractive as learning of the future through other means other than the Bible. What is Christianity if it is not a bastardised religion?</p>Prof. Egara Kabajihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10899064119680990696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6190688049668954804.post-5001686561440963852009-04-30T06:50:00.000-07:002009-04-30T06:51:47.352-07:00Children need inspiration from the literary works<span lang="EN-GB"><p><span style="font-size:85%;">Betelheim Bruno, one of the most authoritative educational psychologists, has argued that there is nothing as fulfilling and enriching to a child as good literature. </span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">In his phenomenal book, The Uses of Enchantment, he confesses that of all experiences he has gone through, nothing parallels the enchanting lessons he learnt through listening to fairy tales. To him, good literature has a therapeutic effect on the minds of children. </span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">In view of Bruno’s assertion, I state there is no time the Kenyan child has needed literature of hope and reconciliation like now. </span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">Let me explain: We are just emerging from the most traumatic period in our short history. Following the flawed last year’s elections, our children have been exposed to some of the most disturbing images. Some have actually been victims of post-election violence. In their innocence, the children are oblivious of the magnitude of hatred now harboured in adult minds and hearts, yet they are deeply affected by what they saw happening.</span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">We can argue that our children are traumatised. What they witnessed is, to say the least, repugnant to their innocent sensibilities. The long-term effects are too painful to contemplate. That is precisely why mitigating factors are essential if we have to rehabilitate our children to lead normal lives and grow up as well adjusted individuals. They have to be taught to relate effectively to other people as human beings.</span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">Children need not grow up harbouring hatred against other people. If they do, they will become maladjusted adults unable to respect human life and dignity. This is a recipe for future chaos. To guarantee our future and that of our children and grandchildren, concerted efforts must be made to restore order in children through literature. </span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">We have to consciously provide literature that will present, to the child, images and models for emulation. We need to give children literature that will help them find meaning in life. It should be the kind that will help them restrain from violence or from instigating violence. </span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">A cultured person is a balanced mind. Such a person hates cruelty, injustice and oppression wherever it is found. At the darkest hour, such a person does not swerve from a certain minimum standard of decency and fair play. </span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">We have to provide good children’s literature, which will bring grace and wisdom to their hearts and enchant them. Our obligation is to provide literature that undermines stereotype and instils the spirit of reconciliation in them. Such literature would help inculcate a democratic spirit. It should help children recognise the infinite possibilities of human fallibility and implant the highest ideals of our age. It has to teach them that money appeals to selfishness and always tempts its owners irresistibly to abuse it. </span></p><b><p><span style="font-size:85%;">Grace and wisdom</span></p></b><p><span style="font-size:85%;">To me, the greatest challenge to publishers and creative writers is how to intervene in this crisis. We urgently need an ideological strategy. We have to produce books that will restore hope in children. These books, while reflecting on the reality and without duping the child about evils done, have to mirror their emotional landscape. The <a itxtdid="8966898" target="_blank" href="http://www.eastandard.net/arts/InsidePage.php?id=1143993272&cid=291&#" style="border-bottom: 0.075em solid darkgreen ! important; font-weight: normal ! important; font-size: 100% ! important; text-decoration: underline ! important; padding-bottom: 1px ! important; color: darkgreen ! important; background-color: transparent ! important;" classname="iAs" class="iAs">stories</a> have to aim at instilling a sense of our common humanity and destiny. </span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">My experience, while writing for children, informs me that good children’s literature does not just teach, but has, at the same time, to be entertaining and arouse curiosity in the children. It should aim at eliciting empathy and sympathy in the children. Besides, good children’s literature enriches children’s lives while stimulating their imagination. Overall, it helps the children develop intellect and clarify disturbing emotions. </span></p><b><p><span style="font-size:85%;">Difficulties</span></p></b><p><span style="font-size:85%;">We writers have to give full recognition to the children’s difficulties and suggest solutions to their problems within the creative realm. Our works have to reflect a clear ideological position that imparts values of peace, harmony, care, justice and reconciliation. We must help children gain confidence in their society and people. In order to do so, we have to give full credence to the crisis facing the country. The controlling thesis should be to promote confidence in children to face the future with hope.</span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">While creating literature for children, we have to remember children are sensitive. They know good and bad literature. That is precisely why we need to be honest in depicting the crisis. </span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">Also, we should not ignore the value of magic and fantasy in the making of children’s literature. It is this aspect that opens up possibilities in children’s imagination.</span></p><p><span style="font-size:85%;">What I am postulating is not really something out of the ordinary. It can be done. Our publishers have, on several occasions, taken the initiative and become proactive in moments of crisis. They have produced a series of books that focus on various issues that affect society. At the moment, what is needed is literature of hope and reconciliation.</span></p></span><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size:85%;">By Egara Kabaji</span></span>Prof. Egara Kabajihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10899064119680990696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6190688049668954804.post-77034274250292333542009-04-29T18:34:00.000-07:002009-04-30T13:22:06.281-07:00Books By Egara Kabaji<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCBGf_5sZhsUa6Vbcuf3qyaCWuKWhekW8fgRMqnJb7GAhwC2DTQVSAS7HbgUU2SxYzS0YohyphenhyphenQR7DKAnk6GX8tMtnRUbYIu4DxKP-kugAiLuhXRoRjCFg3MFN9l7js2n-03PZMDkl2TloU/s1600-h/P4290009.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 294px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCBGf_5sZhsUa6Vbcuf3qyaCWuKWhekW8fgRMqnJb7GAhwC2DTQVSAS7HbgUU2SxYzS0YohyphenhyphenQR7DKAnk6GX8tMtnRUbYIu4DxKP-kugAiLuhXRoRjCFg3MFN9l7js2n-03PZMDkl2TloU/s400/P4290009.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330582253403961074" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2aPIiqm5HR0GebgN6H-7X-9lBLoxAvxzD1vEgGi62n1DbAl8jgu8nlcsPBVdv6_-1xk1NZP9X28gvOlxYseQ9wHLm5XXtPaTHX-9Fl-Xv-nMVdvBO8A5syUFpSuu0kM-OADqQIWT3TVc/s1600-h/P4290007.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 280px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2aPIiqm5HR0GebgN6H-7X-9lBLoxAvxzD1vEgGi62n1DbAl8jgu8nlcsPBVdv6_-1xk1NZP9X28gvOlxYseQ9wHLm5XXtPaTHX-9Fl-Xv-nMVdvBO8A5syUFpSuu0kM-OADqQIWT3TVc/s400/P4290007.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330582134385911730" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKo7Kn2EgZyryJcc0OkV1a0j4gLFaPD0UN6JNHlbHxUZNMeKzk0n2TpwaQa_hRnYDl_Te4pG850z5AzhTxlb1EjlnpTnRQfOQTesvTvx0b3PshtLBT-NkA5-YV5HQMg-_SnxfvmI1GN6k/s1600-h/P4290005.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 285px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKo7Kn2EgZyryJcc0OkV1a0j4gLFaPD0UN6JNHlbHxUZNMeKzk0n2TpwaQa_hRnYDl_Te4pG850z5AzhTxlb1EjlnpTnRQfOQTesvTvx0b3PshtLBT-NkA5-YV5HQMg-_SnxfvmI1GN6k/s400/P4290005.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330580504691384226" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw8MAzOpagfy7BHo2Pwr3h3nm9TSPMuUt-yVWyWZZbaAlDtqFj2PFM8qlOX3joGeel3gQGcnik2LuCrIShcSFYnAnTm81MuQGpdjs76qWyNyYbY0zrmg4oIH32Fo3C2s576UDjwb8vM38/s1600-h/P4290176.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 286px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw8MAzOpagfy7BHo2Pwr3h3nm9TSPMuUt-yVWyWZZbaAlDtqFj2PFM8qlOX3joGeel3gQGcnik2LuCrIShcSFYnAnTm81MuQGpdjs76qWyNyYbY0zrmg4oIH32Fo3C2s576UDjwb8vM38/s400/P4290176.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330306486936059346" border="0" /></a>NYENYEKA THE CHAMELEON:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Some people don't want to be themselves. What happens when a chameleon decides to be a human being? How does God take this? You will laugh. Read on! </span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ_pgpa9NiU5zFVOibo9BGdv_DYLFnn1mgsey1qwHmitVNX_K0GVg3om9l5BVCGahc1UEwyzS-Nq7Bpizl6_akslJeGVXOQpbu4VyXD0RYSRzdCDUmLJgaVY7UeiETp8_rLv3F8Yl9JE4/s1600-h/P4290174.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 280px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ_pgpa9NiU5zFVOibo9BGdv_DYLFnn1mgsey1qwHmitVNX_K0GVg3om9l5BVCGahc1UEwyzS-Nq7Bpizl6_akslJeGVXOQpbu4VyXD0RYSRzdCDUmLJgaVY7UeiETp8_rLv3F8Yl9JE4/s400/P4290174.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330305392382836658" border="0" /></a><br /><br />THE CRYING STONE:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Any visitor to western Kenya has seen this phenomenal structure: The Crying Stone. Did you know that the crying stone is Kaliyesa, the greatest woman who ever lived. Read on!</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGpIx20YGdZ-TCwmrwo-uJAqNz0mAnNOSokmNgbNEPlFEj-hGE1s39I8Ror2G3G_B27z4aQ_FW41WDA0uijyL00kuwykMsYcqVg87YzuUFiI4_YK-9u8fxVTDhu1FrYde_lgPgH5iZK8Q/s1600-h/Jomo+kenyatta.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 169px; height: 250px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGpIx20YGdZ-TCwmrwo-uJAqNz0mAnNOSokmNgbNEPlFEj-hGE1s39I8Ror2G3G_B27z4aQ_FW41WDA0uijyL00kuwykMsYcqVg87YzuUFiI4_YK-9u8fxVTDhu1FrYde_lgPgH5iZK8Q/s400/Jomo+kenyatta.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330304022252932994" border="0" /></a><br />JOMO KENYATTA: FATHER OF HARAMBEE:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">What makes a leader? Who was Jomo Kenyatta? This is a story of a humble village boy who becomes the first president of the Republic of Kenya.</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB0XWf66BXSUt6-MyhGuxfTwZt8FK8dgXo1VWmOP_N4uBvubjw3v9Uz9Z_9u6Dx1sARRbs-wGSLLzvoRZmWeUzsHg4f8mDb078UepMjtu1f4BHsA4t1qeVZ-l2Aj1-GeXKNFb55vaDsKw/s1600-h/P4290171.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 279px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB0XWf66BXSUt6-MyhGuxfTwZt8FK8dgXo1VWmOP_N4uBvubjw3v9Uz9Z_9u6Dx1sARRbs-wGSLLzvoRZmWeUzsHg4f8mDb078UepMjtu1f4BHsA4t1qeVZ-l2Aj1-GeXKNFb55vaDsKw/s400/P4290171.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330302715054856146" border="0" /></a><br />THE KING OF ALL FISH:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Did you know that fish talk to one another? Did you know the life that fish lead under the water? Do you know the name of their community? Read on!</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQmkUxTi3DFacHI5EaoitABbG79aoy_CFFBSJy-iq_G5buYm7mrpC5O8ObQRDVgisBo01Jxr8TGoZiQTPq-uFKwD903Ed9dOqnQq_nVsNwpADSsx7MQkcLbQxAPBgtSzt_uM39-PzUz00/s1600-h/P4290170.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 292px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQmkUxTi3DFacHI5EaoitABbG79aoy_CFFBSJy-iq_G5buYm7mrpC5O8ObQRDVgisBo01Jxr8TGoZiQTPq-uFKwD903Ed9dOqnQq_nVsNwpADSsx7MQkcLbQxAPBgtSzt_uM39-PzUz00/s400/P4290170.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330301281559349314" border="0" /></a><br />SEDI AND HIS FRIEND TURA:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Should we let children play and learn through it?</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> Nothing is so important than play in a child's </span><span style="font-style: italic;">life. Experience the little nasty things that children d</span><span style="font-style: italic;">o. </span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQJB5OeSgEIaiVqDELdDqYXNSGqufxERHdeDZ-zRXEtp4AZftXCYl47uhtuXgnrzZzLwafPABXn72Y5jhzOVvGji_hxf-pE0EfdAC8dgL_sHUbeCWsgqXbMfNmJtjKZXs9IYYw_afUZuY/s1600-h/P4290167.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 286px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQJB5OeSgEIaiVqDELdDqYXNSGqufxERHdeDZ-zRXEtp4AZftXCYl47uhtuXgnrzZzLwafPABXn72Y5jhzOVvGji_hxf-pE0EfdAC8dgL_sHUbeCWsgqXbMfNmJtjKZXs9IYYw_afUZuY/s400/P4290167.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330300211788410850" border="0" /></a><br /><br />CHICHE NA MWIZI WA REDIO:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">We should never underrate children. This is what a thief learns when a child reveals who the thief is. A good moral lesson for those who do not want to work hard. </span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM1pwiqWD5kaPttaX0Mw2B4MakjziJ7wm0xWPMr0s0xkVgsqL1-0ccfiBBLPw5sLwFfQd9iaEgBSLCVttbQvYyM_HXKrSRIk6SaTGUnOFU1WOP68Kxiyh6K7PRMWhQKvzTedF-WTBp8Yk/s1600-h/P4290165.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 276px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM1pwiqWD5kaPttaX0Mw2B4MakjziJ7wm0xWPMr0s0xkVgsqL1-0ccfiBBLPw5sLwFfQd9iaEgBSLCVttbQvYyM_HXKrSRIk6SaTGUnOFU1WOP68Kxiyh6K7PRMWhQKvzTedF-WTBp8Yk/s400/P4290165.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330299418869171346" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />WACHAWI WA ZAYANI:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">We only understand the value of peace when we do not have it. What happens when two leaders realise that war is bad? Read this story that focuses on our recent history in Kenya.</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw3pKs99dJsVPpqe2sNrM_tvPBAGSqtRouGi_wUwd6etjUta2pmUQAMjTo9u1OZHqU1JBIw6K6xpHl8iNG18c7v_2mjfLniGCnNY-WW606SHymbWhVmNGUj8TX_AQ9GtJzaw6DmmAiri4/s1600-h/P4290163.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 291px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw3pKs99dJsVPpqe2sNrM_tvPBAGSqtRouGi_wUwd6etjUta2pmUQAMjTo9u1OZHqU1JBIw6K6xpHl8iNG18c7v_2mjfLniGCnNY-WW606SHymbWhVmNGUj8TX_AQ9GtJzaw6DmmAiri4/s400/P4290163.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330297975973174962" border="0" /></a><br /><blockquote></blockquote><br /><br /><br /><br />MAGICAL BIRD OF NAVUHI:<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><blockquote><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></blockquote><span style="font-style: italic;">This is the story of a mysterious bird that could change peoples lives. It is full of adventure and moral lessons.</span>Prof. Egara Kabajihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10899064119680990696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6190688049668954804.post-52128178564642496482009-04-12T14:34:00.000-07:002009-04-12T14:37:46.455-07:00EGARA KABAJI: To beat her enemies, Karua must now change strategy<div><p>Martha, I remember you as a fiery young lawyer going by the name Martha Njoka</p></div><div><p>Those days, you rattled powerful people in President Moi’s government. Your courage and audacity made many admire you.</p></div><div><p>I am happy to note that the fire in you still burns. </p></div><div><p>Now you have demonstrated that you are a real warrior by resigning as minister for Justice, National Cohesion and Constitutional Affairs.</p></div><div><p>Unlike other politicians who change once they taste power, you have remained steadfast. </p></div><div><p>You are bold, too bold for the powerful men in government. </p></div><div><p>They actually fear you, but because you are a woman, and you are making dangerous blunders, they will try their best to bring you down.</p></div><div><p>That is why I have some advice for you. To defeat your enemies, change your tactics. </p></div><div><p>It is good that you have declared interest in the highest office in the land. That is why you shouldn’t use the same tactics your competitors do. You are different.</p></div><div><p>Unlike a number of them, your upbringing resonates very well with the experiences of ordinary Kenyans. </p></div><div><p>You were not born with a silver spoon between your lips. As the daughter of peasant parents, you understand poverty very well. </p></div><div><p>You are fully aware of the pangs of hunger, the devastating effects of jiggers and the suffering of a mother who has nothing to feed her children. </p></div><div><p>Some of the people you worked with did not need to struggle for leadership as you did. Use this fact to move close to the ordinary Kenyans in every corner of the country.</p></div><div><p>No one can contest the fact that you are eloquent. </p></div><div><p>But you are not using this quality to enhance your image. In a number of cases, you have been involved in shouting contests with your colleagues.</p></div><div><p>As a good debater, use this quality to cajole, persuade and endear yourself to ordinary Kenyans. </p></div><div><p>Since you are going for the top seat in the land, don’t attack everyone. Spare your breath to expound on your philosophy, ideals, values and principles.</p></div><div><div><p>A good number of your competitors have been implicated in corruption scandals.</p></div><div><p>For that reason, you are ahead of them. As they try to clear their names, you should be marching ahead. </p></div><div><p>We all saw you putting up a formidable defence for your party during one of the most trying moments in our history. </p></div><div><p>You fought hard for your boss and your party, but look at what they are doing to you.</p></div><div><p>They have sized you and think you do not have the pedigree for the top position. They look at you just as a “mere stubborn woman”. </p></div><div><p>Most of those who see you in this light are from your native Central Province. They want to lock you out of that important voting block to neutralise you. That is why you need to change strategy.</p></div><div><p>Since they can only mobilise along ethnic lines, do not take the same path. Ethnic ideology, as you know, is bad. </p></div><div><p>You are the kind of person who can mobilise Kenyans along the lines of a new ideology. So what is your new ideology?</p></div><div><p>You seem not to have one. Evolve one immediately. We know you are fighting corruption, yes, but put this in a framework that can appeal. </p></div><div><p>Go national with the ideology. Once you have a sizeable following in other parts of the country, your home province will fall in place. </p></div><div><p>Martha, you have another weapon which you have never used. Do you know that it is good to be a woman? </p></div><div><p>Use the secrets of your femininity to charm Kenyans to declare they want to try a woman for the top seat. Do you know the secrets of femininity? Through self-effacing strategies, women rule the world. </p></div><div><p>Go for the hearts of Kenyans. Women disarm men using this tactic. Borrow heavily from this inborn quality. </p></div><div><p>Sometimes you should present yourself as a Cinderella in need of their support. Tell Kenyans that it is time for a Mama. </p></div><div><p>Use all means at your disposal to appeal to Wanjiku in every village.</p></div><div><p>Repair your image with the media. At the moment, I am sure you know that you have not strongly come out to defend the media. Free media will be useful to you.</p></div><div><p>Lastly, don’t take on everyone at the same time. Know when to retreat and when to attack. When you take on everyone at the same time, you give your enemies enough ammunition to neutralise you.</p></div><div><p>Before I forget, please Martha, get some little time and study Robert Greene’s The 48 Laws of Power. </p><div><p>It will give you great insights into this game you are involved in. I wish you success.</p></div><div id="article_related"> <p class="newstype"><br /></p></div> <div><p><em>Prof Kabaji is a Fulbright scholar in Residence based in Pennsylvania, USA. (egarakabaji@yahoo.com)</em></p></div></div></div>Prof. Egara Kabajihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10899064119680990696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6190688049668954804.post-6563052890925156862009-04-05T10:52:00.000-07:002009-04-05T11:00:20.213-07:00Why University Students Love Destroying Property<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWBRVZ4pC42jF4ceZCEbeT2UYuXamMnT93LksjbPpJsxb2KyFF7DGzVnVwTadfh6KAo05cK1Nihx7ZHIGSVLidAKSVIZyRNL8FTbAaw_U0XmVRzzGh9WGL1k3J06Ufo-iTxjIAbsv1wnM/s1600-h/untitled.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321267149829277378" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 197px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 260px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWBRVZ4pC42jF4ceZCEbeT2UYuXamMnT93LksjbPpJsxb2KyFF7DGzVnVwTadfh6KAo05cK1Nihx7ZHIGSVLidAKSVIZyRNL8FTbAaw_U0XmVRzzGh9WGL1k3J06Ufo-iTxjIAbsv1wnM/s320/untitled.bmp" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Within a few weeks, students in at least four of our seven public uni versities have, in varying degrees, demonstrated that they do not care about other means of resolving conflict except violence.<br />So far, students at the University of Nairobi, Egerton , and Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology have demonstrated that they have a warped understanding of reality. The latest and, indeed, shocking is Kenyatta University students' riots. The destruction left behind in the wake of the Kenyatta University riots beats them all: burning of a hostel, a students' centre, a multipurpose hall and vandalising of a laboratory.<br />What may not be acceptable are the reasons they posit for destruction of property. It is becoming more and more obvious that our students seem to find something heroic in wanton destruction. And this is a tragedy.<br />Without absolving the university administrations from blame for lack of foresight, inability to instill a sense of responsibility, communication flaws and, obviously, undemocratic practices, I want to say that a certain minimum sense of restraint is expected from university students. Univer sity students are being trained to be thinkers.<br />As thinkers, they are expected to engage university administration in dialogue and, when dialogue fails, strategise to drive their point home without jeopardising their future. What logic would drive one to burn a hostel and vandalise a laboratory which he or she hopes to use after calm has returned? These suicidal instincts can only be a product of an imprudent mind.<br />Other reasons not withstanding, the latest destruction at Kenyatta University, we are told, is as a result of students demanding to be registered for examinations at the last minute. It may be unfair for university administrators to fail to understand the strain that students go through in view of our economic conditions. Parents are struggling to pay fees; sometimes they only manage to complete payment when the semester is ending.<br />While it is understandable that universities all over the world operate by adhering to a strict calendar, surely rules are not cast in stone. Bending a rule for a better cause wouldn't cost us much. Negotiation and adjustment of the deadline should never have been too painful to the administration, especially in view of the struggling parent.<br />Egara Kabaji, USA. </div>Prof. Egara Kabajihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10899064119680990696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6190688049668954804.post-15604198258799020552009-04-04T14:09:00.001-07:002009-04-04T14:09:39.629-07:00TALKING P OINT - Why university students love to destroy property <a href='http://anax1c.pressmart.net//DN/DN/2009/04/05/index.shtml'><b>TALKING P OINT - Why university students love to destroy property </b></a><br/><br/><a href='http://anax1c.pressmart.net//DN/DN/2009/04/05/index.shtml'><i>read more...</i></a>Prof. Egara Kabajihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10899064119680990696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6190688049668954804.post-50306262685396854672009-03-31T16:38:00.000-07:002009-03-31T16:38:49.767-07:00Writing for Children<div style="MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIofOrdLjn5ZzFF7B9ovYMW1_4wQJqDEzEbS8oJZsOvYGCoHbHBsDXqAw4cQTC5X93O-jKMzWa5V7Jr33MjRAsWppmVvmT_a_259ODX-qTjCowqHpcQ9z_3RBNPuFRwDo-NjyhcwNw2Do/s1600-h/P3130079.JPG"><img alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIofOrdLjn5ZzFF7B9ovYMW1_4wQJqDEzEbS8oJZsOvYGCoHbHBsDXqAw4cQTC5X93O-jKMzWa5V7Jr33MjRAsWppmVvmT_a_259ODX-qTjCowqHpcQ9z_3RBNPuFRwDo-NjyhcwNw2Do/s320/P3130079.JPG" border="0" /></a> </div><div style='clear:both; text-align:CENTER'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div>Prof. Egara Kabajihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10899064119680990696noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6190688049668954804.post-14990535241101485482009-03-31T16:36:00.000-07:002009-03-31T16:36:07.589-07:00Egara in DC<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZta2n6gnCz36CvKwT0Eno5NPiYv_NQ03wpEAAAVFafF3BgjlsEC9iQkdKwDLNz7orPXQK8moelh_5OYUTtYZTxUzZ_9xGDNVz02NRj2_e6_zNdDqqjDOEXB-r544a2AMZuLUghwTWBeg/s1600-h/P3270111.JPG"><img style="CLEAR: both; FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZta2n6gnCz36CvKwT0Eno5NPiYv_NQ03wpEAAAVFafF3BgjlsEC9iQkdKwDLNz7orPXQK8moelh_5OYUTtYZTxUzZ_9xGDNVz02NRj2_e6_zNdDqqjDOEXB-r544a2AMZuLUghwTWBeg/s320/P3270111.JPG" border="0" /></a><div style='clear:both; text-align:LEFT'><a href='http://picasa.google.com/blogger/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbp.gif' alt='Posted by Picasa' style='border: 0px none ; padding: 0px; background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 50%; -moz-background-clip: initial; -moz-background-origin: initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /></a></div>Prof. Egara Kabajihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10899064119680990696noreply@blogger.com0