Tag: Years

  • Guilt Is a Useless Emotion

    Guilt Is a Useless Emotion

    [ad_1]

    I once read a poem in my doctor’s office that went something like this:

    If a child is raised in anger, he will feel anger.

    If a child is raised with guilt, he will feel guilty.

    If a child is raised with shame, he will feel shame.

    If a child is raised in love, he will feel love.

    Of course that is not the whole poem, but you get the point. At the time, the poem was just something to read while I waited. Today the meaning is very clear to me.

    There is no such thing as guilt, you can not go to the store and buy a pound or bag of guilt. It is a man made ego minded emotion this is detrimental to humans living to their full potential.

    It seems to me that women carry so much guilt, whether it stems from being a woman, or the way we raised our children, or for being/or wanting to be successful, to being a sexual human. Where did it all start? Why have we continued to pass this down to each new generations? Mostly we do it subconsciously, although I know there are times when it is used for our advantage in certain situations.

    Many moons ago the female Goddess energy was the ruler of the universe, it was honored and valued. Did guilt arise when we stopped tuning into that energy and were slowly overpowered by the male energy that has dominated the universe for so long? Was it because we stopped standing our ground and speaking our truth? Who knows were guilt originated. I am not saying it is a female only emotion, nor pointing fingers, my point is for this particular article only.

    Guilt has kept so many stuck in the same place for years. Why? Just like the poem says, it is passed down through the stories we were told by our parents, grand parents, teachers and role models. These stories were laced with limiting beliefs that blocked us from actually achieving our full potential in life. This useless emotion became a vicious circle that many are still trying to step out of, or don’t even realize they are in.

    You get a great idea that will make you lots of money. Then the guilt thinking comes in, you start to hear the old stories, you can’t make more money than your husband, men are supposed to support the family. You may even see pictures of the people telling the story. OR, even worse, you want to express your sexuality, or your sexual energy and you hear that voice saying “good girls don’t” Well guess what, good girls do, and they have been for years. Even those catholic girls in high school that swore they didn’t. They do. We are human, we don’t need to feel guilty about anything. Especially expressing our true selves.

    Everyone makes mistakes in life, everyone, but we don’t have to feel guilty about it and carry it with us the rest of our lives. It is time to free ourselves of the past, to free ourselves of the guilt. It is time to forgive ourselves for allowing this to control any part of our lives.

    Guilt is an emotion that comes from fear based thinking. If we take a really good look at why we feel guilty for any particular situation, we will probably find that the thought process is not even our own. It was something passed down to us from someone else. And to think that is ruling our days!!

    Fortunately there is good news. The choice is ours as to whether we are going to carry the guilt or let it go. Give a moment to think how you would feel if you decided right this moment to let go of it. How would it feel to have put it out with the garbage on Monday morning? How does it feel? Light? Airy? Expansive? Free? Now ask yourself this. How often do you put the garbage out at the road, and then walk out and bring it back into the house? Never, Right? The same needs to happen when letting go of guilt, once you put it out, leave it out. In fact don’t even go back to smell it.

    How can we release guilt? Here are a few steps, these require you to love yourself enough to give yourself permission to feel good.

    1. Write out what you feel guilty about and why. Take one situation at a time. Write adamantly, don’t hold back on anything, just let it all go, allow the emotions to flow. Once you are done, set it down for a few moments, then go back and write a little more. Don’t read it over, tear it up, or burn it. As you do repeat ” I now choose to let this go, it no longer affects my life.”

    2. Sit with a situation in mind. Allow yourself to feel how you feel about it, visualize it, hear the stories other people told you about the situation. Feel where you feel this in your body. Ask yourself if the guilt is yours or someone else’s? When you have sat with it as long as you can, allow yourself to let it go. Visualize it leaving your body, feel it leaving your body and say I choose to let this go. I no longer need this in my life. I let it go in exchange for peace.

    3. Change the story you are telling yourself. When you catch yourself telling the guilt story either to yourself or someone else, catch it, don’t judge it, just change it to something possible, with positive emotions. Be aware of the thoughts and stories you tell, after all we get to choose them, they might as well be positive.

    4. Train your mind to look for thing to be grateful for. You will always find what you are look for, again it might as well be positive.

    In doing these exercises you will release the emotional charge the thoughts and feelings have on you. The memories may come back from time to time, but the emotions will not take hold of you, they will not control you. Quilt really is a useless emotion, with a choice attached. I choose to let it go so I can soar through the rest of my life free as a bird. Free yourself.

    [ad_2]

    Source by Jenn Prothero

    Views: 0

  • Marriage Advice: Eight Steps to Marital Harmony

    Marriage Advice: Eight Steps to Marital Harmony

    [ad_1]

    The formula for marital harmony and success is not a mysterious secret. It’s actually very straightforward.

    The “behind the scenes” part is the constant work that’s required to keep the channels of love and communication clear from obstruction. Diligent spouses consistently spend time and energy addressing issues as they come up so that anger and hurt feelings don’t accumulate.

    Spouses who want satisfying marriages also look for ways to keep their love strong, such as remembering to show affection and appreciation frequently. They know that the more they feel connected and bonded, the more motivated they will be to resolve problems and hang in there when things are difficult.

    The following eight steps will guide you in looking at what you can do to increase your chances for creating a happy, harmonious marriage:

    1. Work on yourself and your own issues that you brought with you into the marriage.

    Many responses that you have to your spouse’s actions are triggered by past events going back to your childhood. If one of your emotional wounds is feeling disrespected, then when your partner inadvertently does something that triggers those feelings, you’ll experience an intense reaction. Individual counseling can help you to be more self-aware of what’s behind your intense reactions and what you can do so that you don’t over-react to issues in your marriage.

    2. Avoid blaming your partner for problems in the marriage.

    Blame only causes the other person to become defensive and angry, and it decreases the probability that the two of you can find a win-win solution to your problems. When you focus on blaming your spouse for what’s happening in the marriage, you are planting seeds of resentment that can hurt the relationship. A marriage is composed of two people, and each contributes to the quality of the relationship and shares responsibility for it.

    3. Be empathetic and put yourself in your partner’s place when issues come up.

    Really try to understand where your partner is coming from when you disagree or when your partner does something that you can’t make sense of. Ask your spouse to talk about his or her feelings. Listen respectfully and ask your spouse to clarify points that you don’t understand. Develop a curiosity for learning more about your spouse’s feelings and take special care to create an emotionally safe environment for the discussions with your spouse.

    4. Look for ways to make your partner’s life easier and to show your love.

    Many of the irritants and stressors in modern day life are the little things—the extra time it takes to pick up the cleaning on the way home from work or to put the clean dishes in the dishwasher away. When you see some errand or task that you can do to save your partner time, offer to do it.

    Look for opportunities to give your spouse a few minutes to relax or have downtime. Watch for things you can do to pamper your partner when you can. It’s often the little things that can make a big difference in marital happiness and satisfaction.

    5. Express appreciation often and say form the habit of saying “thank you.”

    As months and years go by, many spouses take each other for granted and neglect to express appreciation or say “thank you” to each other. Numerous spouses complain that their partners only focus on what they do wrong and never compliment them.

    It’s sad to think that the one person who means the most to you might have to wonder whether or not you appreciate them. Let your spouse know how much he or she means to you on a frequent basis. Give compliments and praise freely, and express thanks for all that your partner does to enrich your life and marriage.

    6. Apologize quickly and sincerely, taking responsibility for your part in whatever happens in the marriage.

    The truth is that sometimes it’s hard to say “I’m sorry.” That’s when it’s time to remember the question, “Would you rather be right or would you rather be happy?”

    Accept that things don’t always make sense in a relationship and that confusion and misunderstandings can happen easily. It’s a mark of maturity when you can say, “I’m so sorry for my part in what has happened between us.”

    7. Have interests, hobbies and activities in your life that you enjoy so you’re not thrown off center so easily if you have a tiff or quarrel with your spouse.

    It’s important to have interests and activities of your own that are satisfying to you that can help to keep you balanced and anchored if other areas of your life are upsetting. That way, you can more easily regain a sense of perspective and be able to withstand the on-going stress.

    For example, if you and your spouse are encountering some rocks along the relationship path, you could go on a long bike ride, go fishing with a friend, visit a museum, or read an interesting book. Those activities and interests can add pleasure to your life to help balance out the temporary problems in your marriage. You’re always ahead of the game when you know some ways to lift your spirits.

    8. Look for fun activities and bonding experiences to share with your mate.

    Be on the lookout for activities that could be fun for you and your spouse to do together. Search the local newspaper for plays, concerts, new movies, museum exhibits, neighborhood fairs and festivals, and new restaurants that are advertised. Laughter and having fun is bonding and can help to create those “Kodak moments” that are so delightful.

    Also look for activities that represent causes you and your spouse believe in, such as spending a Saturday helping a local charity with a garage sale or volunteering together at a local soup kitchen. These experiences can serve to remind you of what you have in common with your spouse and of how good it feels to be working in unison with a shared purpose.

    [ad_2]

    Source by Nancy Wasson

    Views: 0

  • Youth Leadership and Entrepreneurship Development Mentorship – The Perspective

    Youth Leadership and Entrepreneurship Development Mentorship – The Perspective

    [ad_1]

    The youth are the leaders of the future and deserve to be treated like we would treat any candidate of a succession planning in any organization, institution, and company. Such candidates are often enrolled in some sort of development programme in preparing them for the future challenges they would face. Such programme could and should include mentorship development programme.

    The Mentorship Development Programme could include projects that expose the youth to the opportunity to practice leadership as early as possible in their lives. The most effective programmes are those that are designed by the youth, for the youth, under the mentorship of the elderly and/or experienced members of the society, the institution, the organisation or the company.

    The progressive members of the society see the mentorship of the youth as their responsibility and they take the ownership. They would contribute to the formulation of the youth leadership development mentorship. They go all out to also oversee the successful implementation of such a programme. The programme should create the opportunity for the contribution by the parents and guardians where practical.

    The effectiveness of the youth leadership development mentorship programmes is seen in the evolving leadership qualities of the youth. Hence, the need to create the space in the NGOs, Community Organizations, and Clubs for the youth to practice their leadership. Countries are encouraged to introduce national youth development organizations, projects and programmes to absorb those youth that are truly committed to taking their leadership development to the higher level.

    The mentorship guidelines for the youth leadership development programmes are the basis on which to package the programmes. These guidelines are based on experience over many years, but also the lessons from benchmarking local and international programmes. They evolve over time. They are genuinely supporting the youth initiative.

    The youth leadership development programmes that requires mentorship intervention could cover diverse areas as education, community development, art, culture, sport, entrepreneurship, business, etc. They therefore genuinely form part of the country’s real sectors and areas of development need. It is therefore expected that the mentorship programmes be informed by the needs of the society under these sectors and areas. Making resources available for such programmes, including the mentorship programme, should be viewed as investment in the future.

    The youth leadership programme could take a specialist dimension, for example entrepreneurship development. Developing the youth in entrepreneurship early in their lives caters for the supply of future businessmen and women. The majority of the youth respond positively to the mentorship programmes dedicated to the entrepreneurship development. The entrepreneurship opportunities for the youth are mostly in the technology sector. The 4th Industrial Revolution is the main reason why this is the case. The start-ups in technology by the youth is becoming a norm. This, however, provides a challenge to a number of mentors, as they require the understanding of the context from which these youth are functioning.

    Entrepreneurship will always be the most direct option to employment for the youth. As more companies are shedding jobs, more people would see entrepreneurship as the direction to follow. This makes demand for youth entrepreneurship mentorship to grow. The mentors assist the youth entrepreneurs in accessing the markets through their network. Most governments have entrepreneurship support programmes and incubators. These incubators are making mentors available to the youth entrepreneurs.

    It is important for the youth to make a shift and consider entrepreneurship not as a survival means but an opportunity to innovate solutions that mitigate the challenges in the society. Since they are the youth, they are expected to continue paying attention to their holistic development. Involvement in the youth entrepreneurship development initiatives must not become replacement of their education and development. The mentors must continue to challenge the youth to explore many options about their future. We do not expect them to jump certain stages of their development and become adults too soon. They must enjoy their life journey.

    The business case for early youth leadership and entrepreneurship development is very strong. They are laying strong foundation for future responsibilities as entrepreneurs and leaders in the society. They could become serious value chain additions in the various economic sectors of their countries and international. They are the future ambassadors of their countries.

    [ad_2]

    Source by Sam Tsima

    Views: 0

  • Why Every Entrepreneur Needs An Exit Plan

    Why Every Entrepreneur Needs An Exit Plan

    [ad_1]

    When an entrepreneur starts a business, it makes sense for them to consider what the long-term strategy is for the idea. If there is no way to create an exit strategy, it might not be the right business choice (depending on your life goals).

    Let’s look at reasons every entrepreneur needs an exit strategy and the different types of exit strategy.

    People Get Burned Out

    If your business is run only by you, and you’re the only face of your business, it can cause serious problems with burnout. Forming an idea in your mind and putting it down on paper about how you’ll exit the business and approximately when, can help you avoid burnout because you know what the options are.

    You May Want to Retire Some Day

    Lots of entrepreneurs, especially individual freelancers and service providers, have the idea that they’ll simply work forever. The problem with that is that you’re probably vastly underestimating how you’re going to feel in a few years. If you’re 30 today, you have no idea how you’re going to feel at 50 or 60. If you plan for an exit, it doesn’t mean you have to stop, but it’s good to have a plan in case you ever do want to retire.

    Helps Create Better Decisions

    When you have your business planned out from start to finish, you’ll have an easier time making business decisions that work. If you are open to retiring and someone offers you money for your business, you may be more likely to take up the offer.

    Enhances the Value of Your Business

    Creating a business that can exist with or without you naturally ups its value. The reason is that it can essentially live forever if it’s adopting and changing based on the market rather than on the people working there.

    To Make More Money Faster

    If you’re open to selling and you build your business to the top of the earning curve, selling it at that point can be a real winning move. When you break it down mathematically, every business looks like a bell curve with a top-earning moment that can last for years and years – but probably won’t last forever. Selling at the top of the bell curve will garner you more money with less work than keeping it until it goes down.

    Types of Exit Strategies

    There are several existing strategies that you may want to investigate as you’re building your business, so that you can plan on doing what is most realistic for your type of business. Some options include an initial public offering (IPO), liquidation, mergers, acquisitions, selling and more. What will work for you depends on the type of business, the lifetime potential of the business, and more.

    [ad_2]

    Source by Jon Allo

    Views: 0

  • What Is Affiliate Marketing In A Nutshell?

    What Is Affiliate Marketing In A Nutshell?

    [ad_1]

    Affiliate marketing in a nutshell is you promoting other people's products and services in exchange of a share of commissions.

    It can be digital products such as e-learning programs – which comprised of e-books in PDF, video courses, software tools and website templates – and physical goods as in things that people like you and me buy everyday from shops for consumer and entertainment purposes.

    To sign up as affiliate is very simple. Simply do a Google search for affiliate programs and you will find dozens in the result listings. But from my 10 years of internet marketing experience, Amazon, ClickBank, Market Health and JVZoo are by far the most popular. While Amazon deals with consumer products, ClickBank and JVZoo specialize in digital ones I just mentioned above. Market Health – as its name implies – mainly focuses on healthcare products. Besides these, you can also promote services as well like autoresponder, domains registration and web hosting that most marketers need as their online tools to start their own online businesses.

    While those companies focuses on rewarding you with commissions for every sale you generated for them, there are others who paid you for every lead you get for them whether or not that prospect buys. This comes under the term of Cost Per Action or CPA marketing. Never Blue and Peerfly are 2 most popular networks that stand out while you can also scout for others via Offer Vault and O'Digger CPA search platforms.

    Upon signing up, you will be given a choice of whether you want to receive your commissions via checks or direct bank deposit depending on where you live. For ClickBank, you need to generate at least 5 sales before being issued a check and option of whether you want to continue receiving checks or direct deposits. For Amazon, you need to generate at least $ 100 in commissions before receiving a check if you are living outside US or have those same 2 options if you are American.

    Once you are approved, you can start promoting their products and services. Because most of my 10 years has been spent on promoting Amazon and ClickBank, I will touch upon them. Now as much as it is important to learn and earn, you need to focus on who your target prospects are and how you can help them with their needs and wants. For Amazon, the answers are very obvious. I normally look for the best sellers, hot releases and products with at least 4-5 star ratings. But for ClickBank, I will look for those who pay commissions of at least $ 30 and with high gravity as in most affiliates promoting before I considered whether I should do the same as well.

    Upon deciding on what to promote, I simply placed ads first through classified websites like Adlandpro, Adpost, Backpage, Craigslist and Gumtree for quick cash for a start. Then I focused on creating content for long-term passive income such as writing articles, blogging, e-books, press releases and videos.

    For information products, I normally link them to my squeeze page and over time once they become my subscribers, I followed up with them on not just email promotions but content and links to my blog posts.

    For physical products, that will be my affiliate sites I am sending my visitors to. But I do my best not to make my site look like an affiliate site but a really professional-looking e-commerce site using WordPress, Ink Themes and WooCommerce. So far I have promoted air purifiers, digital cameras, guitars, kindles, robot toys and seasonal gifts like Thanksgiving, Christmas and Chinese New Year.

    Now with emergence of Facebook as an all-in-one social media and marketing platform, I now channeled my time and efforts towrds it. Such as fanpages, groups and ads which enable me to target my ideal prospects on based on their age, gender, interests and earning potential based on their occupations.

    On the whole, affiliate marketing is like referral marketing but done mostly online and can still earn you a great long-term passive income if you know how and what to do correctly and regularly. It is not a get rich quick scheme but a plan that helps you to earn long-term passively.

    Even without meeting and even talking to people as compared to traditional marketing like direct sales and telemarketing.

    [ad_2]

    Source by Amuro Wesley

    Views: 0

  • What Will Romance and Marriage Look Like in 100 Years?

    What Will Romance and Marriage Look Like in 100 Years?

    [ad_1]

    Now, I’m not a paranormal writer (at least, not yet) but you do have to wonder…

    Look back 100 years – 1917

    • Some marriages were still arranged
    • Dating was done in groups or with a chaperone
    • Receiving gifts was very much a part of the romance
    • Virginity was more common until the wedding night
    • Many women married in their teens, not finishing high school
    • Women over 25 years old were considered spinsters
    • It was romantic to cook a lovely meal with a candle lit table setting
    • Kink was considered something very private, as well as the act of sex
    • Sex was often times considered only for procreation
    • Marriages lasted many years – divorce not being considered, even in the worse circumstances due to its stigma.

    Looking at today – 2017

    • Many couples meet via social media or internet dating sites
    • Dating is rarely chaperoned
    • Gifts are typically only given for special occasions
    • Virginity is a rarity – many couples have sex by the third date, if not sooner
    • Many women opt for high school and college graduation prior to considering marriage
    • Many women wait until their 30’s and 40’s to marry the first time – waiting until their careers are established or hoping to find the right one later on when they’re more mature – avoiding divorce
    • A romantic dinner out is preferred to avoid cleanup
    • Kink is freely talked about in order to find a more suitable mate
    • Sex is considered a must not an option – even without the need to procreate, thanks to advances in birth control
    • It’s typical to find a mate who has been married multiple times due to divorce being a ready option for difficult relationships

    Flash Forward 100 years – 2117

    • Couple paring will be arranged for more equality in intellect
    • Dating will be obsolete
    • Gifts will be unnecessary
    • Virginity will be in demand as to keep couple paring limited
    • Advanced education for both parties will be the norm
    • All will be pared by age 30
    • Kink will again be private and underground
    • Sex will be demanded for only procreation, all other options for sex will be private and underground
    • Divorce will be obsolete

    Of course, all this is my own personal option. What do you think romance and marriage will be like in 100 years? I’d love to hear your ideas.

    [ad_2]

    Source by Linda Bolton

    Views: 0

  • The Sorry State Of Nigeria’s Judiciary Among Others Makes The Battle Cry For A Revolution Inevitable By Francis Adewale

    The Sorry State Of Nigeria’s Judiciary Among Others Makes The Battle Cry For A Revolution Inevitable By Francis Adewale

    Lawyers
    Lawyers

    “Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.”
                                                   – President John F. Kennedy (1962)

    This week may be one of the worst weeks for Nigerian judiciary and they might have made the much vaunted Sowore’s revolution inevitable. The first salvo was the list of judges released by the National Judicial Council replete with the names of their sons and daughters as well as hangers on. Second is the farcical decision in EFCC vs Kalu where the Supreme Court “suo motu” created a new section to the constitution of Nigeria by vacating a conviction duly given under an extant law. The strange rationale by the Supreme Court is that the presiding judge, now elevated to the Court of Appeal should not have pronounced the sentence. The Court conveniently ignored the fact that the accused counsel had invited the judge to come back and continue the hearing by a formal letter!

    Gone are the days when Nigerian judiciary is famously celebrated as the last bastion of defense for the common man. The days of Kayode Esho, Chukwudifu Oputa, Muhammed Uwais is long gone. Our judiciary is no more like Caesar’s wife, above board. The problem however is not necessarily down to the hydra headed monster of corruption alone but a more sinister evil called, nepotism. It is my humble opinion that an opaque process for selection of judges led us to where we found ourselves this week. And the problem did not start with the current chief justice. The dysfunction and bastardization have been long in coming, and as we will find out in this piece, the cancer has eaten deep into the fabric of this nation. The revolution is inevitable. 

    The Sorry State Of Nigeria’s Judiciary Among Others Makes The Battle Cry For A Revolution Inevitable By Francis Adewale 1Lawyers


    What precipitate this write up is a social media post by a good friend of mine and I obtained his permission to repost his comment with my personal edits:
    “It took Orji Kalu only 4 months including Covid lockdown challenge to move from the High Court to Supreme Court to get his so called sound judgment from Supreme Court while it took ten years to get his case completed at the High Court level. Ten good years! And we are told justice in Nigeria is not cash and carry? The Supreme Court is preparing the ground for a revolution and very soon something extraordinary will take place. The same Supreme Court that will give 2021 and 2022 court date for poor defendants, sat and summarily decide a case within 4 months while cases of those facing a life sentence languish in the labyrinth of jungle justice!”

    My first response to the post, is to retort that the problem did not start with judiciary, but they seem to have led the “nunc dimitis” for the internment of democracy in Nigeria. The judiciary may have pushed us to the praecipe but they were not the only one. We all recalled the impunity days of PDP rule and how they ride roughshod on people’s right, celebrating acquisition of jets obtained from corrupt practices while hordes of masses suffer the indignity of scrapping for foods from the gutter. Towards the end of that era, we all thought, if we can just get a man of integrity into Aso Rock, someone who will brook no atom of corruption, we will change the country. The election of 2015 seems to have lulled Nigerians into thinking that all we need is someone or a duo with integrity, so we elect Buhari and Osinbajo, a puritan and a pastor and went home satiated. What we were not prepared for or more appositely choose to ignore is the fact that the vehicle that brought them into governance is none other than the decrepit system that PDP used to feather their nest. In the first 4 years, we were told that the problem is with the National Assembly where the legistlooters shifted their control of the vortex of power in Abuja, opposing every anti-corruption moves of the executives. Then come the last election where the ruling party now controls the executive and legislative arm, but corruption runs through the gamut of the judiciary and Aso Rock looks the other way while nepotism festers in its rank.

    It is as if the cancer has completely swallowed up the entire fabric of the nation. Cases involving the poor dragged on for years while those who can afford senior advocate can get quick justice. Many warned that this will sound the death knell of democracy in Nigeria. Every attempt to even build on free and fair election has been truncated by the judiciary. What with the recent confounding judgment from Imo and Bayelsa. Our two gargantuan political parties now owned our judiciary lock, stock and barrel. They sit in smoke filled rooms to determine who will be governors, legislators and judges, and those who will play ball are readily appointed as pawns in the chest board of the Nigerian ruling class, wives, nephews, cousins, sons and daughters are made judges and senior advocates overnight without recourse to any modicum of meritocracy. A friend of mine recently quipped that the problem of nepotism is not just that it defeats meritocracy and breeds mediocrity but that it infects the entire body politics and renders it comatose. Corruption can be traced, and ill-gotten wealth recovered but nepotism is more sinister. Those who obtain position of power and authority through nepotism hold fealty only to their masters who appointed them. Such appointee will readily twist the constitution, made up section that does not exist all at the behest of their “godfather”. It is insidious and evil.

    I graduated from Nigerian Law School 30 years ago, after an excellent stint at Great Ife. My class at Ife, drawn from the north, east, west middle belt and south-south has in its rank some of the best legal minds any country will be proud of. We graduated with high hopes to take on the world and change the land. Few of us found ourselves abroad on scholarship where we flourish and excel. Those in legal practice in Nigeria, either at the federal or state ministry of justice or private practice are the ones my heart bleeds for, especially those without access to members of the National Judicial Council. I have had the privilege to advance my career abroad as an attorney and public defender. I frequently sit on panels that recommend colleagues for appointment as judges in a fair, open and transparent process; something my colleagues in Nigeria could only dream of.

    When I look at the state of Nigerian legal practice my heart bleeds. The career growth of colleagues in the legal profession in Nigeria is stunted not for lack of excellence but influence in the right place. Influence peddling is an art form in Nigeria and politicians used to have the exclusive preserve of selling it to the highest bidder, but our Judicial Council seems to have mastered the art. The problem will not be this pronounced if the sons and daughters they are foisting on Nigerian judiciary are steeped in the Nigerian experience or have a modicum of merit. As many of my colleagues are apt to complain, majority of the recent appointees hardly spend few years in Nigeria. They all went to schools abroad. Totally devoid of the Nigerian experience, and constantly removed from the everyday life Nigerians suffers under. Majority of them lives in the gilded mansions of their forbears in Abuja and other state capitals, where they are rarely touched by the “better angels of our nature” to use the phrase coined by Abraham Lincoln. It is therefore no surprise that they care only for what their “godfather” demand.

    Let me however warns that the biggest mistake we could make is to think that the rot is only in the heart of our judiciary. Think again. Nepotism is next door, next street, next town and everywhere in Nigeria. It rampages through the land, be it North, East or West. Just look at our churches and mosques, who do you see minister or lead the prayers when the founder/visioner is not around? You guess right,  if you say their sons and daughters. Gone are the days when Pa Fadayomi push to have a meritorious doctor of aerodynamics succeed him. Gone are the days when the leader of the faithful in Nigeria is selected by their aptitude in the knowledge of the Quaran. Nowadays, the exit of the leader is the beginning of the reign of the progeny. It has infected our colleges and universities, scholarship and opportunities that used to be available on merit are now exclusive preserve of the vice chancelor’s children and family members. Woe betide the school senate members that dare ask questions. Advertisement for jobs that has already been reserved for the children of the privileged are means to extort money in the form of application fees a la Abba Moro immigration recruitment scheme. A recent recruitment without advertisement at our apex bank reported by Sahara Reporters shows that successful applicants names were picked out of the rolodex of the governor. Commercial Banks staff are not an exemption, they are either recruited based on sex appeal or influential ministers/senators’ “recommendation” which doesn’t come easy for the educated but less privileged applicants.

    A friend concluded an animated discussion on social media on this issue with a distinctively Nigerian resignation: “It is clear that those who do not want things to work properly in Nigeria are more powerful than those who are working towards finding solutions to our problems.” Again, my response is what do we have to lose if we embrace Omoyele Sowore’s revolution, even with its youthful disdain for experience? Especially when our current experienced leadership seems to treat the Nigerian masses with contempt. Look at it this way: They do not need our votes to win election, as they could procure midnight judgment in Abuja a la Bayelsa and Imo. They do not need to legislate to fill any lacunae in our constitutional experience as the Supreme Court proved in Kalu’s case. In fact, as long as oil flows and they have the means to fill their Cayman Island bank accounts, we may as well not exist. Greed and avarice have become the directive principle of Nigerian ruling class. To rescue ourselves from their vice grip, we need revolution now!

    Francis Adewale
    Tioluwanimi@gmail.com

    Opinion

    AddThis

    : 

    Original Author

    : 

    Francis Adewale

    Disable advertisements

    : 
    The Sorry State Of Nigeria’s Judiciary Among Others Makes The Battle Cry For A Revolution Inevitable By Francis Adewale
    Read More
    http://saharareporters.com/2020/05/09/sorry-state-nigeria%E2%80%99s-judiciary-among-others-makes-battle-cry-revolution-inevitable

    Views: 0

  • You can ‘see’ the closest known black hole to Earth with the naked eye

    You can ‘see’ the closest known black hole to Earth with the naked eye

    Astronomers found a star that appeared to be orbiting nothing at all – but it’s actually the closest black hole ever at just 1000 light years away
    You can 'see' the closest known black hole to Earth with the naked eye
    Read More
    https://www.newscientist.com/article/2242741-you-can-see-the-closest-known-black-hole-to-earth-with-the-naked-eye/?utm_campaign=RSS%7CNSNS&utm_source=NSNS&utm_medium=RSS&utm_content=home

    Views: 0

  • Commemorating Smallpox Eradication – a legacy of hope, for COVID-19 and other diseases

    On 8 May 1980, the 33rd World Health Assembly officially declared: ‘The world and all its peoples have won freedom from smallpox.’ 

    The declaration marked the end of a disease that had plagued humanity for at least 3 000 years, killing 300 million people in the 20th century alone.

     

    It was ended, thanks to a 10-year global effort, spearheaded by the World Health Organization, that involved thousands of health workers around the world to administer half a billion vaccinations to stamp out smallpox.

    The US$ 300m price-tag to eradicate smallpox saves the world well over US$ 1 billion every year since 1980.

    Speaking at a virtual event hosted at WHO-HQ, involving key players in the eradication effort, WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, “As the world confronts the COVID-19 pandemic, humanity’s victory over smallpox is a reminder of what is possible when nations come together to fight a common health threat.”

    The world got rid of smallpox thanks to an incredible demonstration of global solidarity, and because it had a safe and effective vaccine. Solidarity plus science equalled solution!

     

    Dr Tedros highlighted that smallpox eradication also offers hope for efforts to eliminate other infectious diseases, including polio, which is now endemic in just two countries. To date, 187 countries, territories and areas have been certified free of Guinea worm disease, with seven more to go. And the fight against malaria has so far resulted in 38 countries and territories certified as malaria-free. In the case of Tuberculosis (TB), 57 countries and territories with low TB incidence are on track to reach TB elimination.

    At the event, Dr Tedros unveiled a commemorative postal stamp to recognize the global solidarity that drove the initiative and honour the efforts of health workers who ensured its success.

    The stamp, developed by the United Nations Postal Administration (UNPA), in collaboration with WHO, signifies what national unity and global solidary can achieve. Numerous countries, such as Guinea, India, Nigeria, Philippines, Togo and others issued smallpox stamps to show support for, and raise awareness about WHO’s Intensified Smallpox Eradication Programme launched in 1967.

    WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti’s earliest memories of smallpox is of her father. “I was visiting WHO headquarters, and I saw a photo of my Dad, standing with the other experts on the Global Commission. I remember him going out, doing follow-up visits with patients.  He often would go with a driver and disappear into the bush for days. I felt in awe of his tireless work. The strategies used to eradicate smallpox still apply today.”

     

    “Lessons learned from smallpox are used today to respond to disease outbreaks. For example, house-to-house active case-finding underpins the polio eradication programme, and ring vaccination of contacts is helping to combat the spread of the Ebola virus disease. Similarly, surveillance, case-finding, testing, contact-tracing, quarantine, and communication campaigns to dispel misinformation are central to controlling COVID-19, “ explained David Heymann, Professor of Infectious Disease Epidemiology at The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and  Distinguished Fellow, Global Health Security at Chatham House, London.

    Following smallpox eradication, WHO and UNICEF launched the Expanded Programme on Immunization, under which 85% of the world’s children are vaccinated and protected from debilitating diseases.

    With the potential of a COVID-19 vaccine ahead, ensuring sufficient supplies and reaching people in hard to reach places is a high priority. Addressing vaccine hesitancy poses a significant challenge to stop the virus. Access to accurate public health information and education is critical to ensure that the public has the facts to keep themselves and others safe.

    To permanently commemorate the eradication of smallpox and the lessons learned on a global scale, rather than every 10-years, WHO is calling museums, exhibition companies, designers, curators and associations to develop an immersive, interactive and educational exhibition on smallpox and its relevance for COVID-19 and global health security.  The exhibition, which will be unveiled later this year, will promote a better understanding of public health and empower people to keep informed and safe during a pandemic.

    Notes to the media

    Smallpox stamp

    The smallpox stamp is in the denomination of CHF 1,70. It was designed by Sergio Baradat (United Nations) in collaboration with the World Health Organization and is available for purchase at unstamps.org. The stamp can be used to mail postcards and letters around the world, provided that they are sent from the UN headquarters in New York, Geneva or Vienna respectively.

     

    Smallpox Eradication dates

    On 9 December 1979, a global commission certified that smallpox had been eradicated, and this certification was officially accepted by the 33rd World Health Assembly in 1980.

    Museum Exhibition

    Exhibition design companies, museums, curators and other companies/organizations in this field are invited to express their interest to develop an immersive, educational exhibition on smallpox and its relevance for COVID-19 and global health security by writing to privatesectorpartners@who.int

    Read More
    https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/08-05-2020-commemorating-smallpox-eradication-a-legacy-of-hope-for-covid-19-and-other-diseases

    Views: 0

  • Billions worldwide living with herpes

    Billions worldwide living with herpes

    About half a billion people worldwide are living with genital herpes, and several billion have an oral herpes infection, new estimates show, highlighting the need to improve awareness and scale up services to prevent and treat herpes.

    About 13% of the world’s population aged 15 to 49 years were living with herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) infection in 2016, the latest year for which data is available.  HSV-2 is almost exclusively sexually transmitted, causing genital herpes. Infection can lead to recurring, often painful, genital sores in up to a third of people infected.

    Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) is mainly transmitted by oral to oral contact to cause oral herpes infection – sometimes leading to painful sores in or around the mouth (“cold sores”). However, HSV-1 can also be transmitted to the genital area through oral sex, causing genital herpes.

    Around 67% of the world’s population aged 0 to 49 had HSV-1 infection in 2016 – an estimated 3.7 billion people. Most of these infections were oral; however, between 122 million to 192 million people were estimated to have genital HSV-1
    infection.

    Genital herpes is a substantial health concern worldwide – beyond the potential pain and discomfort suffered by people living with the infection, the associated social consequences can have a profound effect on sexual and reproductive
    health” says Dr Ian Askew, Director of the Department of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Research at the World Health Organization (WHO). 

    Herpes and HIV

    People with HSV-2 infection are at least three times more likely to become infected with HIV, if exposed. Thus, HSV-2 likely plays a substantial role in the spread of HIV globally. Women are more susceptible to both HSV-2 and HIV. Women living in
    the WHO Africa Region have the highest HSV-2 prevalence and exposure to HIV – putting them at greatest risk of HIV infection.

    No cure: vaccine needed

    There is no cure for herpes. Antiviral medications, such as acyclovir, famciclovir, and valacyclovir, can help to reduce the severity and frequency of symptoms but cannot cure the infection.

    Better awareness, improved access to antiviral medications and heightened HIV prevention efforts for those with genital HSV symptoms are needed globally. In addition, development of better treatment and prevention interventions is needed, particularly
    HSV vaccines.  

    “A vaccine against HSV infection would not only help to promote and protect the health and well-being of millions of people, particularly women, worldwide – it could also potentially have an impact on slowing the spread of HIV, if developed
    and provided alongside other HIV prevention strategies” says Dr Meg Doherty, Director of the WHO Department of Global HIV, Hepatitis, and STI Programmes.

    Authored by staff at the University of Bristol, the WHO, and Weill Cornell Medical College-Qatar, and published in the Bulletin of the World Health Organization, this new study estimates the global infection prevalence and incidence of HSV-1 and HSV-2
    in 2016. 

    Billions worldwide living with herpes
    Read More
    https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/01-05-2020-billions-worldwide-living-with-herpes

    Views: 0