Saturday, 30 August 2008
will smith in tanzania
Will smith in Tanzania.Here seen in picture with the Zanzibar President H.E Amani Karume
Waziri Mkuu,Mizengo Pinda akitoa taarifa ya maazimio kuhusu mkataba waRichmond,bungeni mjini Dodoma leo.
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Hatimaye Mhe.Waziri Mkuu ametoa taarifa ya utekelezaji wa mapendekezo ya Kamati ya Bunge.Cha kushangaza ni kuona taarifa yenyewe imekaa kama taarifa ya makusudio ya utekelezaji kuliko taarifa ya nini kimeshafanyika baada ya kupewa majukumu ya kuyafanyia kazi.
Ukiangalia taarifa ya utekelezaji utaona mambo yakiongelea kwa wakati ujao(Future tense).. Serikali ita..Serikali inatarajia...watanzania ni wasahaulifu sana,ndio imetoka hiyo. Katika sakata hili tunaona"misingi ya utawala bora"na"haki za binadamu"zinatumika.
Badala ya kuchukua hatua za haraka, watuhumiwa wamepewa muda wa kujieleza. Kama watuhumiwa walipata nafasi ya kujieleza kwenye kamati ya Bunge,maelezo ya ziada ni ya nini tena?Yafuatayo ni baadhi ya hatua za utekelezaji kama yalivyoainishwa na Waziri Mkuu:1.Sheria ya manunuzi ya UMMA kurekebishwa na kuimarishwa zaidi kwa kuipa nguvu za kuchukua hatua kwa wale watakaoikiuka.
2.PPRA kuwa huru zaidi kama alivyo CAG.
3. Mikataba mingine ya uzalishaji umeme wa dharura kupitiwa upya.
4. Suala la kumwajibisha AG limepelekwa kwa Rais.
5.Hakuna aliyechukuliwa hatua katika sakata hili, ila wote eti wameandikiwa barua za kujieleza ili mamlaka zao za nidhamu ziwachukulie hatua.
6.Wajumbe wote wa Government Negotiating Team kama vile Mgonja, Mwakapugi na wengineo nao wamepelekewa barua za kujieleza kabla kuchukuliwa hatua za kinidhamu.utetezi wao Mamlaka husika zinatarajiwa kuchukua hatua.
7. Mikataba mikubwa ya kibiashara kuwekwa kwenye Maktaba ya Bunge ili kamati husika za Bunge ziipitie na kutoa ushauri inapobidi.
Labels: Uchambuzi huu kwa Msaada wa Dr Faustine[Ikhsani: haki ngowi]
PRESS RELEASE: 30 AUGUST 2008 AS OLD AS MY TONGUE,THE MYTH & LIFE OF BI KIDUDE wins international award at Festival du Film Insulaire Each year since 2000,the French Island of Groix in Brittany has hosted the‘Festival du Film Insulaire’,a competitive documentary event showcasing films from islands around the world. The Lucien Kimité prize is awarded each year to the “most human” documentary in competition. We are very proud to announce that our début feature documentary As Old As My Tongue won this year’s award. With members of the production team currently scattered far and wide from Japan to Zanzibar and Cumbria to Cork,we invited our Zanzibari translation expert,Said el Gheithy of the Centre for Africa Language Learning to attend the festival. An extract from his entertaining speech before the jury is on page 3.As Old As My Tongue has now screened in more than 50 venues in 22 countries, winning 4 main awards and 4 further ‘best of the festival’ selections from juries and audiences. A full list of awards to date is on page 2. DVD to launch at end of October.ScreenStation [UK] is currently putting the finishing touches to a limited edition DVD of the film to be released in the UK on October 27th.They are pleased to have been invited to the UK’s biggest African film festival in Edinburgh and also selected as part of the festival’s UK wide touring programme during November and December. Confirmed dates so farEdinburgh Film House:October 28th ( plus Q&A and DVD launch partyGlasgow Film Theatre: October 29th plus Q&ANewcastle Star & Shadow Cinema: December 11th The UK release will be followed by a US and North America launch at the New York African Diaspora Film Festival in December.European launch is set for Cannes in January and last but not least,we return to Zanzibar for an African version at Sauti za Busara music festival in February 2009.Links to more informationhttp://www.asoldasmytongue.net/http://www.asoldasmytongue.net/ has a trailer,synopsis and pictures from the filmwww.myspace.com/screenstationwww.myspace.com/screenstationhas up to date screening information and morehttp://www.filminsulaire.com/http://www.filminsulaire.com/for pictures from the festival and more about the prizehttp://www.africa-in-motion.org.uk/http://www.africa-in-motion.org.uk/the latest news from the UK’s biggest African film festivalwww.busaramusic.org/festivals/2009Busara Promotions, Sauti za Busara festival and more on music of East AfricaFull list of As Old As My Tongue Awards to dateWINNER:‘Most Human’ Documentary Film FESTIVAL DU FILM INSULAIRE.Ile de Groix, France, 2008 WINNER:Best International Documentary Film ZUMA International Film Festival.Abuja, Nigeria, 2008 WINNER:Best Documentary Film IMAGES INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL.Harare, Zimbabwe, 2007 WINNER:Best International Documentary FilmWIFF (Womens International Film Festival) Miami, USA, 2007 JURY SPECIAL MENTIONVUES D’AFRIQUE PANAFRICAN FILM FESTIVAL. Montréal,Canada, 2008 Best of the Festival Selection AFRICALA FILM FESTIVAL.Mexico City, Mexico, 2007 Best of the Festival SelectionPANAFRICAN FILM FESTIVAL DU CANNES. Cannes, France, 2007 Audience Award SelectionMOFFOM (Music on Film, Film on Music) Prague, Czech Republic, 2006 Extract from speech by Said el Gheithy @ Festival du Film Insulaire.Ile de Groix, France on Saturday August 23rd 2009.I am delighted to be here to present this documentary, ‘As Old As My Tongue’, a celebration of the life and the musical career of the distinguished artist, Bi Fatma bint Baraka, popularly known as Bi.Kidude, and aptly described in the film as the ‘Treasure of Zanzibar’. I am particularly pleased to be here to witness the acknowledgement of this ‘Grand Dame’ of African musical artistry. In 2007 the Centre for Africa Language Learning, which I established, and manage, in London, was asked by the producer, Andy Jones to undertake post-production work on the language features of the film.I must say that the task of ‘perfecting’ the language of the venerable tongue of Zanzibar’s iconic cultural figure, Kidude, was quite challenging.I was only able to consider this task on the basis of the fact that my connection with Bi Kidude did not start with this film. She was one of the women who influenced my childhood memories, albeit indirectly, she was ever present in the neighbourhood in which my late grandmother resided in the suburbs of Zanzibar.I can recall my grandmother’s recollections of Bi Kidude as a high spirited, vivacious and rebellious girl.The film tastefully documents Bi.Kidude’s life through the use of her personal testimony,commentaries by her promoters and mentors,as well as through local and international performances held in recent years. It reveals the personal qualities from which she draws the resources which have gone into creating her popularity,reputation,and,as a record producer in the film puts it, the writing of her own legacy.She is a talented singer,with an extraordinary voice.That perhaps is an understatement. Though from a small island off the coast of East Africa, she has placed Zanzibar on the map of women singers of longevity,Ella Fitzgerald,Edith Piaf and Sarah Vaughan, amongst them,come to mind. She is one who is fiercely independent,committed to tradition and meaningful interaction with her adorers as well as members of the public, unpretentiously. An active member of her community, she uses her earnings from the performance work she does to support her people.And who,in Zanzibar,is not her people?‘As Old As My Tongue’ is a welcome change from the usual documentaries on Africa.Mostly they tend to focus on problem areas such as war,famine and disease. These are,of course,vital issues requiring constant exposure and support,but must not be overplayed.More still needs to be done to promote positive images of Africa,which are also part of its everyday reality.In spite of Zanzibar’s exotic appeal, the film portrays realistic images of the location, especially within the Stone town locality,which is a Unesco World Heritage City.History often records and pays tribute to the lives of ‘great men’,but not often ‘great women’.‘As Old As My Tongue’ conveys a powerful story whose main personality would otherwise be unseen or unheard. It is also a tribute to the diversity that is positively valued and characterises the islands of Zanzibar. I hope this event will signify a beginning of a relationship between Zanzibar and the Island of Groix.O As we say, ‘Unguja ni njema atakaye na aje’, ‘Zanzibar is a great place, you are all welcome’. I trust that I have supplied just enough information to whet your appetites for this production. May you enter the spirit of Kidude’s evocative Tarab and let it draw you in to the very soul of Zanzibar. Karibuni. Welcome to you all.[ends]For more information,contactbusara@zanlink.com(East Africa) and info@screenstation.net(rest of the world)More fire:6th Sauti za Busara music festival,Stone Town,Zanzibar,12 - 17 February 2009 -http://www.busaramusic.org/
Friday, 29 August 2008
Obama acceptance speech
"To Chairman Dean and my great friend Dick Durbin; and to all my fellow citizens of this great nation;With profound gratitude and great humility, I accept your nomination for the presidency of the United States.
Let me express my thanks to the historic slate of candidates who accompanied me on this journey, and especially the one who traveled the farthest - a champion for working Americans and an inspiration to my daughters and to yours -- Hillary Rodham Clinton. To President Clinton, who last night made the case for change as only he can make it; to Ted Kennedy, who embodies the spirit of service; and to the next Vice President of the United States, Joe Biden, I thank you. I am grateful to finish this journey with one of the finest statesmen of our time, a man at ease with everyone from world leaders to the conductors on the Amtrak train he still takes home every night.
To the love of my life, our next First Lady, Michelle Obama, and to Sasha and Malia - I love you so much, and I'm so proud of all of you.
Four years ago, I stood before you and told you my story - of the brief union between a young man from Kenya and a young woman from Kansas who weren't well-off or well-known, but shared a belief that in America, their son could achieve whatever he put his mind to.
It is that promise that has always set this country apart - that through hard work and sacrifice, each of us can pursue our individual dreams but still come together as one American family, to ensure that the next generation can pursue their dreams as well.
That's why I stand here tonight. Because for two hundred and thirty two years, at each moment when that promise was in jeopardy, ordinary men and women - students and soldiers, farmers and teachers, nurses and janitors -- found the courage to keep it alive.
We meet at one of those defining moments - a moment when our nation is at war, our economy is in turmoil, and the American promise has been threatened once more.
Tonight, more Americans are out of work and more are working harder for less. More of you have lost your homes and even more are watching your home values plummet. More of you have cars you can't afford to drive, credit card bills you can't afford to pay, and tuition that's beyond your reach. These challenges are not all of government's making. But the failure to respond is a direct result of a broken politics in Washington and the failed policies of George W Bush.
America, we are better than these last eight years. We are a better country than this.
This country is more decent than one where a woman in Ohio, on the brink of retirement, finds herself one illness away from disaster after a lifetime of hard work.
This country is more generous than one where a man in Indiana has to pack up the equipment he's worked on for twenty years and watch it shipped off to China, and then chokes up as he explains how he felt like a failure when he went home to tell his family the news.
We are more compassionate than a government that lets veterans sleep on our streets and families slide into poverty; that sits on its hands while a major American city drowns before our eyes.
Tonight, I say to the American people, to Democrats and Republicans and Independents across this great land - enough! This moment - this election - is our chance to keep, in the 21st century, the American promise alive. Because next week, in Minnesota, the same party that brought you two terms of George Bush and Dick Cheney will ask this country for a third. And we are here because we love this country too much to let the next four years look like the last eight. On November 4th, we must stand up and say: "Eight is enough."
Now let there be no doubt. The Republican nominee, John McCain, has worn the uniform of our country with bravery and distinction, and for that we owe him our gratitude and respect. And next week, we'll also hear about those occasions when he's broken with his party as evidence that he can deliver the change that we need.
But the record's clear: John McCain has voted with George Bush ninety percent of the time. Senator McCain likes to talk about judgment, but really, what does it say about your judgment when you think George Bush has been right more than ninety percent of the time? I don't know about you, but I'm not ready to take a ten percent chance on change.
The truth is, on issue after issue that would make a difference in your lives - on health care and education and the economy - Senator McCain has been anything but independent. He said that our economy has made "great progress" under this President. He said that the fundamentals of the economy are strong. And when one of his chief advisors - the man who wrote his economic plan - was talking about the anxiety Americans are feeling, he said that we were just suffering from a "mental recession," and that we've become, and I quote, "a nation of whiners."
A nation of whiners? Tell that to the proud auto workers at a Michigan plant who, after they found out it was closing, kept showing up every day and working as hard as ever, because they knew there were people who counted on the brakes that they made. Tell that to the military families who shoulder their burdens silently as they watch their loved ones leave for their third or fourth or fifth tour of duty. These are not whiners. They work hard and give back and keep going without complaint. These are the Americans that I know. Now, I don't believe that Senator McCain doesn't care what's going on in the lives of Americans. I just think he doesn't know. Why else would he define middle-class as someone making under five million dollars a year? How else could he propose hundreds of billions in tax breaks for big corporations and oil companies but not one penny of tax relief to more than one hundred million Americans? How else could he offer a health care plan that would actually tax people's benefits, or an education plan that would do nothing to help families pay for college, or a plan that would privatize Social Security and gamble your retirement?
It's not because John McCain doesn't care. It's because John McCain doesn't get it.
For over two decades, he's subscribed to that old, discredited Republican philosophy - give more and more to those with the most and hope that prosperity trickles down to everyone else. In Washington, they call this the Ownership Society, but what it really means is - you're on your own. Out of work? Tough luck. No health care? The market will fix it. Born into poverty? Pull yourself up by your own bootstraps - even if you don't have boots. You're on your own.
Well it's time for them to own their failure. It's time for us to change America.
You see, we Democrats have a very different measure of what constitutes progress in this country.
We measure progress by how many people can find a job that pays the mortgage; whether you can put a little extra money away at the end of each month so you can someday watch your child receive her college diploma. We measure progress in the 23 million new jobs that were created when Bill Clinton was President - when the average American family saw its income go up $7,500 instead of down $2,000 like it has under George Bush.
We measure the strength of our economy not by the number of billionaires we have or the profits of the Fortune 500, but by whether someone with a good idea can take a risk and start a new business, or whether the waitress who lives on tips can take a day off to look after a sick kid without losing her job - an economy that honors the dignity of work.
The fundamentals we use to measure economic strength are whether we are living up to that fundamental promise that has made this country great - a promise that is the only reason I am standing here tonight.
Because in the faces of those young veterans who come back from Iraq and Afghanistan, I see my grandfather, who signed up after Pearl Harbor, marched in Patton's Army, and was rewarded by a grateful nation with the chance to go to college on the GI Bill.
In the face of that young student who sleeps just three hours before working the night shift, I think about my mom, who raised my sister and me on her own while she worked and earned her degree; who once turned to food stamps but was still able to send us to the best schools in the country with the help of student loans and scholarships. When I listen to another worker tell me that his factory has shut down, I remember all those men and women on the South Side of Chicago who I stood by and fought for two decades ago after the local steel plant closed.
And when I hear a woman talk about the difficulties of starting her own business, I think about my grandmother, who worked her way up from the secretarial pool to middle management, despite years of being passed over for promotions because she was a woman. She's the one who taught me about hard work. She's the one who put off buying a new car or a new dress for herself so that I could have a better life. She poured everything she had into me. And although she can no longer travel, I know that she's watching tonight, and that tonight is her night as well.
I don't know what kind of lives John McCain thinks that celebrities lead, but this has been mine. These are my heroes. Theirs are the stories that shaped me. And it is on their behalf that I intend to win this election and keep our promise alive as President of the United States.
What is that promise?
It's a promise that says each of us has the freedom to make of our own lives what we will, but that we also have the obligation to treat each other with dignity and respect.
It's a promise that says the market should reward drive and innovation and generate growth, but that businesses should live up to their responsibilities to create American jobs, look out for American workers, and play by the rules of the road.
Ours is a promise that says government cannot solve all our problems, but what it should do is that which we cannot do for ourselves - protect us from harm and provide every child a decent education; keep our water clean and our toys safe; invest in new schools and new roads and new science and technology.
Our government should work for us, not against us. It should help us, not hurt us. It should ensure opportunity not just for those with the most money and influence, but for every American who's willing to work.
That's the promise of America - the idea that we are responsible for ourselves, but that we also rise or fall as one nation; the fundamental belief that I am my brother's keeper; I am my sister's keeper.
That's the promise we need to keep. That's the change we need right now. So let me spell out exactly what that change would mean if I am President. Change means a tax code that doesn't reward the lobbyists who wrote it, but the American workers and small businesses who deserve it.
Unlike John McCain, I will stop giving tax breaks to corporations that ship jobs overseas, and I will start giving them to companies that create good jobs right here in America.
I will eliminate capital gains taxes for the small businesses and the start-ups that will create the high-wage, high-tech jobs of on Saturday.
I will cut taxes - cut taxes - for 95 per cent of all working families. Because in an economy like this, the last thing we should do is raise taxes on the middle-class.
And for the sake of our economy, our security, and the future of our planet, I will set a clear goal as President: in ten years, we will finally end our dependence on oil from the Middle East.
Washington's been talking about our oil addiction for the last thirty years, and John McCain has been there for twenty-six of them. In that time, he's said no to higher fuel-efficiency standards for cars, no to investments in renewable energy, no to renewable fuels. And today, we import triple the amount of oil as the day that Senator McCain took office.
Now is the time to end this addiction, and to understand that drilling is a stop-gap measure, not a long-term solution. Not even close.
As President, I will tap our natural gas reserves, invest in clean coal technology, and find ways to safely harness nuclear power. I'll help our auto companies re-tool, so that the fuel-efficient cars of the future are built right here in America. I'll make it easier for the American people to afford these new cars. And I'll invest 150 billion dollars over the next decade in affordable, renewable sources of energy - wind power and solar power and the next generation of biofuels; an investment that will lead to new industries and five million new jobs that pay well and can't ever be outsourced. America, now is not the time for small plans.
Now is the time to finally meet our moral obligation to provide every child a world-class education, because it will take nothing less to compete in the global economy. Michelle and I are only here tonight because we were given a chance at an education. And I will not settle for an America where some kids don't have that chance. I'll invest in early childhood education. I'll recruit an army of new teachers, and pay them higher salaries and give them more support. And in exchange, I'll ask for higher standards and more accountability. And we will keep our promise to every young American - if you commit to serving your community or your country, we will make sure you can afford a college education.
Now is the time to finally keep the promise of affordable, accessible health care for every single American. If you have health care, my plan will lower your premiums. If you don't, you'll be able to get the same kind of coverage that members of Congress give themselves. And as someone who watched my mother argue with insurance companies while she lay in bed dying of cancer, I will make certain those companies stop discriminating against those who are sick and need care the most.
Now is the time to help families with paid sick days and better family leave, because nobody in America should have to choose between keeping their jobs and caring for a sick child or ailing parent.
Now is the time to change our bankruptcy laws, so that your pensions are protected ahead of CEO bonuses; and the time to protect Social Security for future generations.
And now is the time to keep the promise of equal pay for an equal day's work, because I want my daughters to have exactly the same opportunities as your sons.
Now, many of these plans will cost money, which is why I've laid out how I'll pay for every dime - by closing corporate loopholes and tax havens that don't help America grow. But I will also go through the federal budget, line by line, eliminating programs that no longer work and making the ones we do need work better and cost less - because we cannot meet twenty-first century challenges with a twentieth century bureaucracy.
And Democrats, we must also admit that fulfilling America's promise will require more than just money. It will require a renewed sense of responsibility from each of us to recover what John F Kennedy called our "intellectual and moral strength." Yes, government must lead on energy independence, but each of us must do our part to make our homes and businesses more efficient. Yes, we must provide more ladders to success for young men who fall into lives of crime and despair. But we must also admit that programs alone can't replace parents; that government can't turn off the television and make a child do her homework; that fathers must take more responsibility for providing the love and guidance their children needSo I've got news for you, John McCain. We all put our country first.
America, our work will not be easy. The challenges we face require tough choices, and Democrats as well as Republicans will need to cast off the worn-out ideas and politics of the past. For part of what has been lost these past eight years can't just be measured by lost wages or bigger trade deficits. What has also been lost is our sense of common purpose - our sense of higher purpose. And that's what we have to restore.
We may not agree on abortion, but surely we can agree on reducing the number of unwanted pregnancies in this country. The reality of gun ownership may be different for hunters in rural Ohio than for those plagued by gang-violence in Cleveland, but don't tell me we can't uphold the Second Amendment while keeping AK-47s out of the hands of criminals. I know there are differences on same-sex marriage, but surely we can agree that our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters deserve to visit the person they love in the hospital and to live lives free of discrimination. Passions fly on immigration, but I don't know anyone who benefits when a mother is separated from her infant child or an employer undercuts American wages by hiring illegal workers. This too is part of America's promise - the promise of a democracy where we can find the strength and grace to bridge divides and unite in common effort.
I know there are those who dismiss such beliefs as happy talk. They claim that our insistence on something larger, something firmer and more honest in our public life is just a Trojan Horse for higher taxes and the abandonment of traditional values. And that's to be expected. Because if you don't have any fresh ideas, then you use stale tactics to scare the voters. If you don't have a record to run on, then you paint your opponent as someone people should run from.
You make a big election about small things.
And you know what - it's worked before. Because it feeds into the cynicism we all have about government. When Washington doesn't work, all its promises seem empty. If your hopes have been dashed again and again, then it's best to stop hoping, and settle for what you already know.
I get it. I realize that I am not the likeliest candidate for this office. I don't fit the typical pedigree, and I haven't spent my career in the halls of Washington.
But I stand before you tonight because all across America something is stirring. What the nay-sayers don't understand is that this election has never been about me. It's been about you.
For eighteen long months, you have stood up, one by one, and said enough to the politics of the past. You understand that in this election, the greatest risk we can take is to try the same old politics with the same old players and expect a different result. You have shown what history teaches us - that at defining moments like this one, the change we need doesn't come from Washington. Change comes to Washington. Change happens because the American people demand it - because they rise up and insist on new ideas and new leadership, a new politics for a new time. .America, this is one of those moments.
I believe that as hard as it will be, the change we need is coming. Because I've seen it. Because I've lived it. I've seen it in Illinois, when we provided health care to more children and moved more families from welfare to work. I've seen it in Washington, when we worked across party lines to open up government and hold lobbyists more accountable, to give better care for our veterans and keep nuclear weapons out of terrorist hands.
And I've seen it in this campaign. In the young people who voted for the first time, and in those who got involved again after a very long time. In the Republicans who never thought they'd pick up a Democratic ballot, but did. I've seen it in the workers who would rather cut their hours back a day than see their friends lose their jobs, in the soldiers who re-enlist after losing a limb, in the good neighbors who take a stranger in when a hurricane strikes and the floodwaters rise.
This country of ours has more wealth than any nation, but that's not what makes us rich. We have the most powerful military on Earth, but that's not what makes us strong. Our universities and our culture are the envy of the world, but that's not what keeps the world coming to our shores.
Instead, it is that American spirit - that American promise - that pushes us forward even when the path is uncertain; that binds us together in spite of our differences; that makes us fix our eye not on what is seen, but what is unseen, that better place around the bend.
That promise is our greatest inheritance. It's a promise I make to my daughters when I tuck them in at night, and a promise that you make to yours - a promise that has led immigrants to cross oceans and pioneers to travel west; a promise that led workers to picket lines, and women to reach for the ballot.
And it is that promise that forty five years ago today, brought Americans from every corner of this land to stand together on a Mall in Washington, before Lincoln's Memorial, and hear a young preacher from Georgia speak of his dream.
The men and women who gathered there could've heard many things. They could've heard words of anger and discord. They could've been told to succumb to the fear and frustration of so many dreams deferred.
But what the people heard instead - people of every creed and color, from every walk of life - is that in America, our destiny is inextricably linked. That together, our dreams can be one.
"We cannot walk alone," the preacher cried. "And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back."
America, we cannot turn back. Not with so much work to be done. Not with so many children to educate, and so many veterans to care for. Not with an economy to fix and cities to rebuild and farms to save. Not with so many families to protect and so many lives to mend. America, we cannot turn back. We cannot walk alone. At this moment, in this election, we must pledge once more to march into the future. Let us keep that promise - that American promise - and in the words of Scripture hold firmly, without wavering, to the hope that we confess.
Thank you, God Bless you, and God Bless the United States of America.
KENYA HOUSING EXHIBITION UK 2008
A Bukusu circumciser from Maliki village, in Webuye sharpens his knives in readiness for the rite.
Traditional ceremony splits Bukusu communityBy Robert Wanyonyi and Stephen Makabila A carnival mood has descended on the greater Bungoma District as the month-long circumcision festivities gain momentum.
A candidate inviting relatives to his big day, in Bungoma. PHOTO: ISAAC WALE
The practice is part of the cultural activities of the community and its done in August every even year. It is estimated that between 25,000 and 35,000 boys are to face the knife, known as ‘lukembe’, in a transition to adulthood. Schoolboys abandoned classes weeks back and have been going around villages with jingles, ‘chinyimba’, and traditional head gears ‘ekutwa’ to announce to relatives and family friends their day of reckoning. School children in uniform have been common features along major roads and highways. They have been escorting the candidates and singing circumcision songs, some obscene and others abusive. Although most schools in Bungoma have not closed the number of children reporting to school had reduced. "Traditional circumcision among the Bukusu is deep-rooted and it is very difficult to change the practice because it is part of our culture that has to be preserved at all costs," said Mr John Simiyu, a 60-year-old elder in Kanduyi. Conservative Bukusus, among them elders, political leaders and even leading professionals support the rite, although Christianity poses a challenge to its survival. Assistant Lands Minister Silvester Wakoli and his Kimilili counterpart Dr Eseli Simiyu urge the community to preserve its culture. The Inter-Christian Fellowship’s Evangelical Mission, (Icfem) based in Kimilili, has since 2002 circumcised 16,000 boys, in hospitals, and its crusade is currently paying considerable dividends.
A Bukusu circumciser from Maliki village, in Webuye sharpens his knives in readiness for the rite.
"This year, we have 16 circumcision centres in Bungoma, Trans-Nzoia and Lugari to circumcise boys who do not prefer the traditional way," says Mr Solomon Nabie, Icfem’s director. The organisation is targeting at least 12,000 boys this season. Christians are opposed to traditional circumcision rites. "In this era of HIV/Aids, one of the identified avenues for the transmission of the virus is traditional circumcision. Boys undergo a ritual that involves cutting of their foreskin by medically unqualified circumcisers who repeatedly use unsterilised knives," said Nabie. He says the ceremonies are accompanied by immoral activities, which lead to schoolgirls being impregnated, youths being infected with venereal diseases, and an increase in insecurity. Nabie says performance by primary schools in national examinations during even years is not impressive in the district since a lot of time is wasted over the festivities. Dr Nyukuri Mulati, a lecturer at Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology says cultures that are retrogressive should be abandoned. He, however, says circumcision decisions are made at the family level. "Traditional circumcision breeds poverty. A home can have as many as 1,000 guests or even more during the ritual and they all have to be fed," says Ms Evelyne Namalwa. In 2002 workshop convened by the provincial administration it was established that the minimum cost of traditional circumcision is Sh25,000. Nabie says the cost is much higher given the inflation in the country. "Today the traditional ceremony may not cost less than Sh60,000," adds Nabie who says hospital circumcision costs less than Sh1,000. The chairman of the Bukusu Association of Traditional Circumcisers Dr Isaac Misiko, however strongly dismisses this line of thought, saying most community members are preserving their culture. Circumcisers are drawn from all fields. Schooled circumcisers A case in point is this year’s rites, where six primary teachers, two secondary teachers, two medical doctors, one university lecturer and three elected councillors form part of the traditional circumcisers. There are several clans of the Bukusu from which the circumcisers are drawn from. They include Bayaya, Bamasike, Basime, Baleyi, Basonge, Baengele and Bakhoma. "Many community members never allow their children to be circumcised in hospitals. About 70 per cent do it traditionally," says Misiko. He says traditional circumcision gives blessings to the initiate. "The knife is sterilised because it is sharpened and kept hot throughout the night ahead of the ceremony. We also use one knife for each initiate," adds Misiko. He says circumcisers are trusted and honest and are carefully chosen. "We usually ensure circumcisers have no wounds on their hands, must be mentally sound and must know traditional practices that enhance hygiene," says Misiko. He also claims the cost of traditional circumcision is usually exaggerated. He says a family requires around Sh35,000 to carry out the ceremony. He however says traditional circumcision has some challenges, which include failure to dress the wounds immediately after circumcision. The mud that is used to cover the initiate may not be safe from germs. Wakoli, says traditional circumcision should be maintained as part of preserving culture. He says there is need for the Government to train traditional circumcisers on the proper hygiene.
Source: Standard
The High Commissioner Mr Muchemi's speech set the tone for the day and the audience were privileged to hear the government’s efforts to encourage the Role of the Kenyan Diaspora in Kenya’s Development. In 2006, the Government of Kenya launched a long-term strategic vision for the country - Vision 2030, which lays the foundation for an economic revolution of the country with the aim of transforming Kenya into a globally competitive and prosperous nation by 2030.
Kenya housing exhibition uk 2008
The 2008 INVEST IN AFRICA - BUILD AFRICA conference and exhibition was held at the HOLIDAY INN, LONDON-BLOOMSBURY, CORAM STREET, LONDON, WC1N 1HT.
The three day event was officialy opened by Minister of Housing, Hon. Peter S. Shitanda on Friday 22nd and run up to Sunday 24th August 2008.
There were a good number of speeches and presentations from the Kenya High Commission; major financial institutions and international trade promotion bodies.
The feedback from the event has been tremendous and the organisers seemed to be working flat-out with their partners to provide solutions for the huge number of investment enquiries. Nancy Muthoni from HFC (Housing Finance Corporation), said "its been a good day and the people we've seen today new what they were looking for"
pHOTOS: AYOUB MZEE, ABEINGO
The 2008 INVEST IN AFRICA - BUILD AFRICA conference and exhibition was held at the HOLIDAY INN, LONDON-BLOOMSBURY, CORAM STREET, LONDON, WC1N 1HT.
The three day event was officialy opened by Minister of Housing, Hon. Peter S. Shitanda on Friday 22nd and run up to Sunday 24th August 2008.
There were a good number of speeches and presentations from the Kenya High Commission; major financial institutions and international trade promotion bodies.
The feedback from the event has been tremendous and the organisers seemed to be working flat-out with their partners to provide solutions for the huge number of investment enquiries. Nancy Muthoni from HFC (Housing Finance Corporation), said "its been a good day and the people we've seen today new what they were looking for"
pHOTOS: AYOUB MZEE, ABEINGO
Thursday, 28 August 2008
Zimbabwe Parliament
Legislators to be sworn in today i Zimbabwe
Herald Reporter
ELECTED Members of Parliament will be sworn in today while the two MDC formations have identified their candidates for the post of Speaker of the House of Assembly. The official opening of the Seventh Parliament will, however, be held tomorrow with President Mugabe expected to officiate.There will be two swearing-in ceremonies starting with House of Assembly members this morning followed by that for senators in the afternoon.The convening of the Seventh Parliament comes after the Sadc Heads of State who met in Johannesburg, South Africa, two weeks ago proposed the august House should open to allow the will of the people as expressed in the March 29 harmonised elections to take effect.This was after the regional bloc received a report from South African President Thabo Mbeki, who is facilitating the inter-party dialogue between Zanu-PF and the two MDC formations.Secretary for Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Mr David Mangota said the Seventh Parliament was expected to formulate laws to pave way for the Human Rights Commission.The Human Rights Commission was created through Constitutional Amendment Number 18 and seeks to, among other things, investigate human rights abuses in the country."Constitutional Amendment Number 18 2007 makes provision for the birth of the Human Rights Commission. Parliament will, however, pass the necessary legislation, which would enable Government to establish the Commission. "One remains optimistic that the Commission will be born during the life of this about to be born Parliament," said Mr Mangota in response to inquiries on delays in the setting up of the Commission."Shortly after the passage of the enabling law, Zimbabweans became busy with preparations for and the actual electoral process as well as the presidential run-off election which took place in June 2008. "These matters remained of paramount importance and they stalled the establishment of the Human Rights Commission."He expressed hope that a new Parliament building would be constructed during the life of the Seventh Parliament."Construction of the new Parliament will commence sooner rather than later. Treasury will make available the requisite funds for the purpose. "The new Parliament building will, hopefully, be completed within the lifespan of this Seventh Parliament of Zimbabwe," he said.The legislators to be sworn in today are also expected to pass the necessary constitutional amendments that should give effect to the resolutions agreed upon during the inter-party dialogue held under the facilitation of President Mbeki.Some of them include the increase of the number of non-constituency Members of Parliament from the current five to 12 to accommodate those from the three political parties.It was also agreed, during the negotiations, to create the post of Prime Minister and the constitutional amendments should define his or her role.The two MDC formations yesterday confirmed their candidates for the post of the Speaker of the House of Assembly while Zanu-PF said it was still consulting with other political parties on the way forward.The election of the Speaker will be conducted this morning soon after the swearing-in ceremony of members.MDC-T spokesman Nelson Chamisa said they had nominated the party’s national chairman, Lovemore Moyo, for the post."We have unanimously settled for Mr Moyo for the post of the Speaker of the House of Assembly and we are prepared to back any other candidate from the other political party for the post of deputy."We are still consulting with other Members of Parliament from other political parties and some of them have endorsed our candidate," said Chamisa.A by-election would follow should Moyo be successfully elected as the Speaker as he is the Matobo House of Assembly constituency MP-elect.Spokesman for the MDC Edwin Mushoriwa said they had identified Gwanda Member of Parliament Paul Themba-Nyathi as their candidate.Mr Mushoriwa said his party was in the process of impressing upon other political parties that "it was in their interest to have a candidate from their formation"."It is strategic to have a person from our party because we feel that there would be more free debate when the presiding officer is from our side than any other side. We are still lobbying and persuading other parties to accept our candidate," he said."We are confident that something will come out of the consultations we are currently carrying out."Zanu-PF chairperson for information and publicity sub-committee Cde Patrick Chinamasa said the ruling party would convene its caucus this morning at Parliament Building for a briefing on the progress made in nominating the party’s candidate."Consultations are still ongoing and we will convene our caucus at 0800 this morning as part of our consultations," said Cde Chinamasa.The Herald is reliably informed that Zanu-PF’s national chairperson, Cde John Nkomo, is Zanu-PF’s candidate should they fail to reach an agreement with other political parties.Zanu-PF has 99 House of Assembly seats, MDC-T 100, the MDC with 10 while the remaining seat went to independent candidate Jonathan Moyo.The Seventh Parliament presents an interesting scenario where Zanu-PF and the MDC-T would be in a tactical battle to assert control over the law-making chambers.With the seat distribution, the scales are delicately balanced as they restrict either party’s inclination to dominance
Herald Reporter
ELECTED Members of Parliament will be sworn in today while the two MDC formations have identified their candidates for the post of Speaker of the House of Assembly. The official opening of the Seventh Parliament will, however, be held tomorrow with President Mugabe expected to officiate.There will be two swearing-in ceremonies starting with House of Assembly members this morning followed by that for senators in the afternoon.The convening of the Seventh Parliament comes after the Sadc Heads of State who met in Johannesburg, South Africa, two weeks ago proposed the august House should open to allow the will of the people as expressed in the March 29 harmonised elections to take effect.This was after the regional bloc received a report from South African President Thabo Mbeki, who is facilitating the inter-party dialogue between Zanu-PF and the two MDC formations.Secretary for Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Mr David Mangota said the Seventh Parliament was expected to formulate laws to pave way for the Human Rights Commission.The Human Rights Commission was created through Constitutional Amendment Number 18 and seeks to, among other things, investigate human rights abuses in the country."Constitutional Amendment Number 18 2007 makes provision for the birth of the Human Rights Commission. Parliament will, however, pass the necessary legislation, which would enable Government to establish the Commission. "One remains optimistic that the Commission will be born during the life of this about to be born Parliament," said Mr Mangota in response to inquiries on delays in the setting up of the Commission."Shortly after the passage of the enabling law, Zimbabweans became busy with preparations for and the actual electoral process as well as the presidential run-off election which took place in June 2008. "These matters remained of paramount importance and they stalled the establishment of the Human Rights Commission."He expressed hope that a new Parliament building would be constructed during the life of the Seventh Parliament."Construction of the new Parliament will commence sooner rather than later. Treasury will make available the requisite funds for the purpose. "The new Parliament building will, hopefully, be completed within the lifespan of this Seventh Parliament of Zimbabwe," he said.The legislators to be sworn in today are also expected to pass the necessary constitutional amendments that should give effect to the resolutions agreed upon during the inter-party dialogue held under the facilitation of President Mbeki.Some of them include the increase of the number of non-constituency Members of Parliament from the current five to 12 to accommodate those from the three political parties.It was also agreed, during the negotiations, to create the post of Prime Minister and the constitutional amendments should define his or her role.The two MDC formations yesterday confirmed their candidates for the post of the Speaker of the House of Assembly while Zanu-PF said it was still consulting with other political parties on the way forward.The election of the Speaker will be conducted this morning soon after the swearing-in ceremony of members.MDC-T spokesman Nelson Chamisa said they had nominated the party’s national chairman, Lovemore Moyo, for the post."We have unanimously settled for Mr Moyo for the post of the Speaker of the House of Assembly and we are prepared to back any other candidate from the other political party for the post of deputy."We are still consulting with other Members of Parliament from other political parties and some of them have endorsed our candidate," said Chamisa.A by-election would follow should Moyo be successfully elected as the Speaker as he is the Matobo House of Assembly constituency MP-elect.Spokesman for the MDC Edwin Mushoriwa said they had identified Gwanda Member of Parliament Paul Themba-Nyathi as their candidate.Mr Mushoriwa said his party was in the process of impressing upon other political parties that "it was in their interest to have a candidate from their formation"."It is strategic to have a person from our party because we feel that there would be more free debate when the presiding officer is from our side than any other side. We are still lobbying and persuading other parties to accept our candidate," he said."We are confident that something will come out of the consultations we are currently carrying out."Zanu-PF chairperson for information and publicity sub-committee Cde Patrick Chinamasa said the ruling party would convene its caucus this morning at Parliament Building for a briefing on the progress made in nominating the party’s candidate."Consultations are still ongoing and we will convene our caucus at 0800 this morning as part of our consultations," said Cde Chinamasa.The Herald is reliably informed that Zanu-PF’s national chairperson, Cde John Nkomo, is Zanu-PF’s candidate should they fail to reach an agreement with other political parties.Zanu-PF has 99 House of Assembly seats, MDC-T 100, the MDC with 10 while the remaining seat went to independent candidate Jonathan Moyo.The Seventh Parliament presents an interesting scenario where Zanu-PF and the MDC-T would be in a tactical battle to assert control over the law-making chambers.With the seat distribution, the scales are delicately balanced as they restrict either party’s inclination to dominance
Text 'STAR' to 82055
A text donation cost @1.50 +Std msg. This is not a subscription service. 16+ with bill payers' permission onlyThis is an opportunity to show your support to 3 exceptional young men who will walk 131 miles to make a stand against gun and knife crime and to raise money for 2 charities and a community organisation. The walkers will be setting off on the 26th August 2008 at 8am promptly and will arrive in Birmingham on the afternoon of the 29th August 2008. We will be gathering to send the walkers on their way from 7am on the 26th August @ Archway station. To date, in attendance will be Celebrities including Natty, the Mayor of Islington and neighbouring boroughs, Families of victims, Sponsors of STAR, and members of the general public. You are also invited to join us at the end of walk press conference on the 29th August 2008 at the Jurys Inns Hotel, 245 Broad Street, Birmingham, B1 2HQ from 6pm-8.30pm
You can also visit our website: http://www.thestarproject.co.uk/
A text donation cost @1.50 +Std msg. This is not a subscription service. 16+ with bill payers' permission onlyThis is an opportunity to show your support to 3 exceptional young men who will walk 131 miles to make a stand against gun and knife crime and to raise money for 2 charities and a community organisation. The walkers will be setting off on the 26th August 2008 at 8am promptly and will arrive in Birmingham on the afternoon of the 29th August 2008. We will be gathering to send the walkers on their way from 7am on the 26th August @ Archway station. To date, in attendance will be Celebrities including Natty, the Mayor of Islington and neighbouring boroughs, Families of victims, Sponsors of STAR, and members of the general public. You are also invited to join us at the end of walk press conference on the 29th August 2008 at the Jurys Inns Hotel, 245 Broad Street, Birmingham, B1 2HQ from 6pm-8.30pm
You can also visit our website: http://www.thestarproject.co.uk/
Wednesday, 27 August 2008
DEMOCRATS CONVENTION 2008
Watch the Dialogue on Monday 1 sept 2008 at 10 am Presented by Ayoub Mzee LIVE from the Democrats Convetion in Denver USA on BEN TV sky 194
DENVER -- Hillary Rodham Clinton, accepting defeat with grace and generosity, moved to close the divide among fellow Democrats on Tuesday night by offering a forceful and unequivocal endorsement of her fierce rival, Barack Obama.
I am honoured to be here tonight. A proud mother. A proud Democrat. A proud American. And a proud supporter of Barack Obama" said Hillary cinton
"Barack Obama is my candidate," she said to a thunderous roar from Democratic convention delegates, whose allegiance was split nearly evenly during a long and contentious primary season. "And he must be our president."
Whether you voted for me, or voted for Barack, the time is now to unite as a single party with a single purpose," Clinton said, as delegates waved signs reading "Hillary" on one side and "Unity" on the other."
Were you in this campaign just for me?" she asked. "Or were you in it for that young Marine and others like him? Were you in it for that mom struggling with cancer while raising her kids? Were you in it for that boy and his mom surviving on the minimum wage? Were you in it for all the people in this country who feel invisible?"
PHOTOS : Our Man Stuart at the convention in Denver USA
HILLARY CLINTON SPECCH : FULL TEXT
DENVER -- Hillary Rodham Clinton, accepting defeat with grace and generosity, moved to close the divide among fellow Democrats on Tuesday night by offering a forceful and unequivocal endorsement of her fierce rival, Barack Obama.
I am honoured to be here tonight. A proud mother. A proud Democrat. A proud American. And a proud supporter of Barack Obama" said Hillary cinton
"Barack Obama is my candidate," she said to a thunderous roar from Democratic convention delegates, whose allegiance was split nearly evenly during a long and contentious primary season. "And he must be our president."Whether you voted for me, or voted for Barack, the time is now to unite as a single party with a single purpose," Clinton said, as delegates waved signs reading "Hillary" on one side and "Unity" on the other."
Were you in this campaign just for me?" she asked. "Or were you in it for that young Marine and others like him? Were you in it for that mom struggling with cancer while raising her kids? Were you in it for that boy and his mom surviving on the minimum wage? Were you in it for all the people in this country who feel invisible?"
PHOTOS : Our Man Stuart at the convention in Denver USAHILLARY CLINTON SPECCH : FULL TEXT
I am honoured to be here tonight. A proud mother. A proud Democrat. A proud American. And a proud supporter of Barack Obama.
My friends, it is time to take back the country we love.
Whether you voted for me, or voted for Barack, the time is now to unite as a single party with a single purpose. We are on the same team, and none of us can sit on the sidelines.
This is a fight for the future. And it's a fight we must win.
I haven't spent the past 35 years in the trenches advocating for children, campaigning for universal healthcare, helping parents balance work and family and fighting for women's rights at home and around the world ... to see another Republican in the White House squander the promise of our country and the hopes of our people.
And you haven't worked so hard over the last 18 months, or endured the last eight years, to suffer through more failed leadership.
No way. No how. No McCain.
Barack Obama is my candidate. And he must be our president.
Tonight we need to remember what a presidential election is really about. When the polls have closed, and the ads are finally off the air, it comes down to you - the American people, your lives and your children's futures.
For me, it's been a privilege to meet you in your homes, your workplaces, and your communities. Your stories reminded me every day that America's greatness is bound up in the lives of the American people - your hard work, your devotion to duty, your love for your children and your determination to keep going, often in the face of enormous obstacles.
You taught me so much, you made me laugh, and ... you even made me cry. You allowed me to become part of your lives. And you became part of mine.
I will always remember the single mom who had adopted two kids with autism, didn't have health insurance and discovered she had cancer. But she greeted me with her bald head painted with my name on it and asked me to fight for healthcare.
I will always remember the young man in a Marine Corps t-shirt who waited months for medical care and said to me: "Take care of my buddies; a lot of them are still over there … and then will you please help take care of me?"
I will always remember the boy who told me his mom worked for the minimum wage and that her employer had cut her hours. He said he just didn't know what his family was going to do.
I will always be grateful to everyone from all 10 states, Puerto Rico and the territories, who joined our campaign on behalf of all those people left out and left behind by the Bush administration.
To my supporters, my champions - my sisterhood of the traveling pantsuits - from the bottom of my heart: thank you.
You never gave in. You never gave up. And together we made history.
Along the way, America lost two great Democratic champions who would have been here with us tonight. One of our finest young leaders, Arkansas Democratic Party chair, Bill Gwatney, who believed with all his heart that America and the south could be and should be Democratic from top to bottom.
And congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones, a dear friend to many of us, a loving mother and courageous leader who never gave up her quest to make America fairer and smarter, stronger and better. Steadfast in her beliefs, a fighter of uncommon grace, she was an inspiration to me and to us all.
Our heart goes out to Stephanie's son, Mervyn, Jr, and Bill's wife, Rebecca, who traveled to Denver to join us at our convention.
Bill and Stephanie knew that after eight years of George Bush, people are hurting at home, and our standing has eroded around the world. We have a lot of work ahead.
Jobs lost, houses gone, falling wages, rising prices. The supreme court in a right-wing headlock and our government in partisan gridlock. The biggest deficit in our nation's history. Money borrowed from the Chinese to buy oil from the Saudis.
Putin and Georgia, Iraq and Iran.
I ran for president to renew the promise of America. To rebuild the middle class and sustain the American dream, to provide the opportunity to work hard and have that work rewarded, to save for college, a home and retirement, to afford the gas and groceries and still have a little left over each month.
To promote a clean energy economy that will create millions of green collar jobs.
To create a healthcare system that is universal, high-quality and affordable so that parents no longer have to choose between care for themselves or their children or be stuck in dead end jobs simply to keep their insurance.
To create a world-class education system and make college affordable again.
To fight for an America defined by deep and meaningful equality - from civil rights to labour rights, from women's rights to gay rights, from ending discrimination to promoting unionisation to providing help for the most important job there is: caring for our families. To help every child live up to his or her God-given potential.
To make America once again a nation of immigrants and a nation of laws.
To bring fiscal sanity back to Washington and make our government an instrument of the public good, not of private plunder.
To restore America's standing in the world, to end the war in Iraq, bring our troops home and honor their service by caring for our veterans.
And to join with our allies to confront our shared challenges, from poverty and genocide to terrorism and global warming.
Most of all, I ran to stand up for all those who have been invisible to their government for eight long years.
Those are the reasons I ran for president. Those are the reasons I support Barack Obama. And those are the reasons you should too.
I want you to ask yourselves: Were you in this campaign just for me? Or were you in it for that young Marine and others like him? Were you in it for that mom struggling with cancer while raising her kids? Were you in it for that boy and his mom surviving on the minimum wage? Were you in it for all the people in this country who feel invisible?
We need leaders once again who can tap into that special blend of American confidence and optimism that has enabled generations before us to meet our toughest challenges. Leaders who can help us show ourselves and the world that with our ingenuity, creativity and innovative spirit, there are no limits to what is possible in America.
This won't be easy. Progress never is. But it will be impossible if we don't fight to put a Democrat in the White House.
We need to elect Barack Obama because we need a president who understands that America can't compete in a global economy by padding the pockets of energy speculators, while ignoring the workers whose jobs have been shipped overseas. We need a president who understands that we can't solve the problems of global warming by giving windfall profits to the oil companies while ignoring opportunities to invest in new technologies that will build a green economy.
We need a president who understands that the genius of America has always depended on the strength and vitality of the middle class.
Barack Obama began his career fighting for workers displaced by the global economy. He built his campaign on a fundamental belief that change in this country must start from the ground up, not the top down. He knows government must be about "we the people" not "we the favored few".
And when Barack Obama is in the White House, he'll revitalise our economy, defend the working people of America, and meet the global challenges of our time. Democrats know how to do this. As I recall, President Clinton and the Democrats did it before. And President Obama and the Democrats will do it again.
He'll transform our energy agenda by creating millions of green jobs and building a new, clean energy future. He'll make sure that middle-class families get the tax relief they deserve. And I can't wait to watch Barack Obama sign a healthcare plan into law that covers every single American.
Barack Obama will end the war in Iraq responsibly and bring our troops home - a first step to repairing our alliances around the world.
And he will have with him a terrific partner in Michelle Obama. Anyone who saw Michelle's speech last night knows she will be a great first lady for America.
Americans are also fortunate that Joe Biden will be at Barack Obama's side. He is a strong leader and a good man. He understands both the economic stresses here at home and the strategic challenges abroad. He is pragmatic, tough and wise. And, of course, Joe will be supported by his wonderful wife, Jill.
They will be a great team for our country.
Now, John McCain is my colleague and my friend.
He has served our country with honor and courage.
But we don't need four more years ... of the last eight years.
More economic stagnation … and less affordable healthcare.
More high gas prices … and less alternative energy.
More jobs getting shipped overseas … and fewer jobs created here.
More skyrocketing debt ... home foreclosures … and mounting bills that are crushing our middle-class families.
More war ... less diplomacy.
More of a government where the privileged come first … and everyone else comes last.
John McCain says the economy is fundamentally sound. John McCain doesn't think that 47m people without health insurance is a crisis. John McCain wants to privatise Social Security. And in 2008, he still thinks it's okay when women don't earn equal pay for equal work.
With an agenda like that, it makes sense that George Bush and John McCain will be together next week in the Twin Cities. Because these days they're awfully hard to tell apart.
America is still around after 232 years because we have risen to the challenge of every new time, changing to be faithful to our values of equal opportunity for all and the common good.
And I know what that can mean for every man, woman and child in America. I'm a United States senator because in 1848 a group of courageous women and a few brave men gathered in Seneca Falls, New York, many traveling for days and nights, to participate in the first convention on women's rights in our history.
And so dawned a struggle for the right to vote that would last 72 years, handed down by mother to daughter to granddaughter - and a few sons and grandsons along the way.
These women and men looked into their daughters' eyes, imagined a fairer and freer world, and found the strength to fight. To rally and picket. To endure ridicule and harassment. To brave violence and jail.
And after so many decades - 88 years ago on this very day - the 19th amendment guaranteeing women the right to vote would be forever enshrined in our Constitution.
My mother was born before women could vote. But in this election my daughter got to vote for her mother for president.
This is the story of America. Of women and men who defy the odds and never give up.
How do we give this country back to them?
By following the example of a brave New Yorker , a woman who risked her life to shepherd slaves along the Underground Railroad.
And on that path to freedom, Harriett Tubman had one piece of advice.
If you hear the dogs, keep going.
If you see the torches in the woods, keep going.
If they're shouting after you, keep going.
Don't ever stop. Keep going.
If you want a taste of freedom, keep going.
Even in the darkest of moments, ordinary Americans have found the faith to keep going.
I've seen it in you. I've seen it in our teachers and firefighters, nurses and police officers, small business owners and union workers, the men and women of our military - you always keep going.
We are Americans. We're not big on quitting.
But remember, before we can keep going, we have to get going by electing Barack Obama president.
We don't have a moment to lose or a vote to spare.
Nothing less than the fate of our nation and the future of our children hang in the balance.
I want you to think about your children and grandchildren come election day. And think about the choices your parents and grandparents made that had such a big impact on your life and on the life of our nation.
We've got to ensure that the choice we make in this election honours the sacrifices of all who came before us, and will fill the lives of our children with possibility and hope.
That is our duty, to build that bright future, and to teach our children that in America there is no chasm too deep, no barrier too great - and no ceiling too high - for all who work hard, never back down, always keep going, have faith in God, in our country and in each other.
Thank you so much. God bless America and Godspeed to you all
My friends, it is time to take back the country we love.
Whether you voted for me, or voted for Barack, the time is now to unite as a single party with a single purpose. We are on the same team, and none of us can sit on the sidelines.
This is a fight for the future. And it's a fight we must win.
I haven't spent the past 35 years in the trenches advocating for children, campaigning for universal healthcare, helping parents balance work and family and fighting for women's rights at home and around the world ... to see another Republican in the White House squander the promise of our country and the hopes of our people.
And you haven't worked so hard over the last 18 months, or endured the last eight years, to suffer through more failed leadership.
No way. No how. No McCain.
Barack Obama is my candidate. And he must be our president.
Tonight we need to remember what a presidential election is really about. When the polls have closed, and the ads are finally off the air, it comes down to you - the American people, your lives and your children's futures.
For me, it's been a privilege to meet you in your homes, your workplaces, and your communities. Your stories reminded me every day that America's greatness is bound up in the lives of the American people - your hard work, your devotion to duty, your love for your children and your determination to keep going, often in the face of enormous obstacles.
You taught me so much, you made me laugh, and ... you even made me cry. You allowed me to become part of your lives. And you became part of mine.
I will always remember the single mom who had adopted two kids with autism, didn't have health insurance and discovered she had cancer. But she greeted me with her bald head painted with my name on it and asked me to fight for healthcare.
I will always remember the young man in a Marine Corps t-shirt who waited months for medical care and said to me: "Take care of my buddies; a lot of them are still over there … and then will you please help take care of me?"
I will always remember the boy who told me his mom worked for the minimum wage and that her employer had cut her hours. He said he just didn't know what his family was going to do.
I will always be grateful to everyone from all 10 states, Puerto Rico and the territories, who joined our campaign on behalf of all those people left out and left behind by the Bush administration.
To my supporters, my champions - my sisterhood of the traveling pantsuits - from the bottom of my heart: thank you.
You never gave in. You never gave up. And together we made history.
Along the way, America lost two great Democratic champions who would have been here with us tonight. One of our finest young leaders, Arkansas Democratic Party chair, Bill Gwatney, who believed with all his heart that America and the south could be and should be Democratic from top to bottom.
And congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones, a dear friend to many of us, a loving mother and courageous leader who never gave up her quest to make America fairer and smarter, stronger and better. Steadfast in her beliefs, a fighter of uncommon grace, she was an inspiration to me and to us all.
Our heart goes out to Stephanie's son, Mervyn, Jr, and Bill's wife, Rebecca, who traveled to Denver to join us at our convention.
Bill and Stephanie knew that after eight years of George Bush, people are hurting at home, and our standing has eroded around the world. We have a lot of work ahead.
Jobs lost, houses gone, falling wages, rising prices. The supreme court in a right-wing headlock and our government in partisan gridlock. The biggest deficit in our nation's history. Money borrowed from the Chinese to buy oil from the Saudis.
Putin and Georgia, Iraq and Iran.
I ran for president to renew the promise of America. To rebuild the middle class and sustain the American dream, to provide the opportunity to work hard and have that work rewarded, to save for college, a home and retirement, to afford the gas and groceries and still have a little left over each month.
To promote a clean energy economy that will create millions of green collar jobs.
To create a healthcare system that is universal, high-quality and affordable so that parents no longer have to choose between care for themselves or their children or be stuck in dead end jobs simply to keep their insurance.
To create a world-class education system and make college affordable again.
To fight for an America defined by deep and meaningful equality - from civil rights to labour rights, from women's rights to gay rights, from ending discrimination to promoting unionisation to providing help for the most important job there is: caring for our families. To help every child live up to his or her God-given potential.
To make America once again a nation of immigrants and a nation of laws.
To bring fiscal sanity back to Washington and make our government an instrument of the public good, not of private plunder.
To restore America's standing in the world, to end the war in Iraq, bring our troops home and honor their service by caring for our veterans.
And to join with our allies to confront our shared challenges, from poverty and genocide to terrorism and global warming.
Most of all, I ran to stand up for all those who have been invisible to their government for eight long years.
Those are the reasons I ran for president. Those are the reasons I support Barack Obama. And those are the reasons you should too.
I want you to ask yourselves: Were you in this campaign just for me? Or were you in it for that young Marine and others like him? Were you in it for that mom struggling with cancer while raising her kids? Were you in it for that boy and his mom surviving on the minimum wage? Were you in it for all the people in this country who feel invisible?
We need leaders once again who can tap into that special blend of American confidence and optimism that has enabled generations before us to meet our toughest challenges. Leaders who can help us show ourselves and the world that with our ingenuity, creativity and innovative spirit, there are no limits to what is possible in America.
This won't be easy. Progress never is. But it will be impossible if we don't fight to put a Democrat in the White House.
We need to elect Barack Obama because we need a president who understands that America can't compete in a global economy by padding the pockets of energy speculators, while ignoring the workers whose jobs have been shipped overseas. We need a president who understands that we can't solve the problems of global warming by giving windfall profits to the oil companies while ignoring opportunities to invest in new technologies that will build a green economy.
We need a president who understands that the genius of America has always depended on the strength and vitality of the middle class.
Barack Obama began his career fighting for workers displaced by the global economy. He built his campaign on a fundamental belief that change in this country must start from the ground up, not the top down. He knows government must be about "we the people" not "we the favored few".
And when Barack Obama is in the White House, he'll revitalise our economy, defend the working people of America, and meet the global challenges of our time. Democrats know how to do this. As I recall, President Clinton and the Democrats did it before. And President Obama and the Democrats will do it again.
He'll transform our energy agenda by creating millions of green jobs and building a new, clean energy future. He'll make sure that middle-class families get the tax relief they deserve. And I can't wait to watch Barack Obama sign a healthcare plan into law that covers every single American.
Barack Obama will end the war in Iraq responsibly and bring our troops home - a first step to repairing our alliances around the world.
And he will have with him a terrific partner in Michelle Obama. Anyone who saw Michelle's speech last night knows she will be a great first lady for America.
Americans are also fortunate that Joe Biden will be at Barack Obama's side. He is a strong leader and a good man. He understands both the economic stresses here at home and the strategic challenges abroad. He is pragmatic, tough and wise. And, of course, Joe will be supported by his wonderful wife, Jill.
They will be a great team for our country.
Now, John McCain is my colleague and my friend.
He has served our country with honor and courage.
But we don't need four more years ... of the last eight years.
More economic stagnation … and less affordable healthcare.
More high gas prices … and less alternative energy.
More jobs getting shipped overseas … and fewer jobs created here.
More skyrocketing debt ... home foreclosures … and mounting bills that are crushing our middle-class families.
More war ... less diplomacy.
More of a government where the privileged come first … and everyone else comes last.
John McCain says the economy is fundamentally sound. John McCain doesn't think that 47m people without health insurance is a crisis. John McCain wants to privatise Social Security. And in 2008, he still thinks it's okay when women don't earn equal pay for equal work.
With an agenda like that, it makes sense that George Bush and John McCain will be together next week in the Twin Cities. Because these days they're awfully hard to tell apart.
America is still around after 232 years because we have risen to the challenge of every new time, changing to be faithful to our values of equal opportunity for all and the common good.
And I know what that can mean for every man, woman and child in America. I'm a United States senator because in 1848 a group of courageous women and a few brave men gathered in Seneca Falls, New York, many traveling for days and nights, to participate in the first convention on women's rights in our history.
And so dawned a struggle for the right to vote that would last 72 years, handed down by mother to daughter to granddaughter - and a few sons and grandsons along the way.
These women and men looked into their daughters' eyes, imagined a fairer and freer world, and found the strength to fight. To rally and picket. To endure ridicule and harassment. To brave violence and jail.
And after so many decades - 88 years ago on this very day - the 19th amendment guaranteeing women the right to vote would be forever enshrined in our Constitution.
My mother was born before women could vote. But in this election my daughter got to vote for her mother for president.
This is the story of America. Of women and men who defy the odds and never give up.
How do we give this country back to them?
By following the example of a brave New Yorker , a woman who risked her life to shepherd slaves along the Underground Railroad.
And on that path to freedom, Harriett Tubman had one piece of advice.
If you hear the dogs, keep going.
If you see the torches in the woods, keep going.
If they're shouting after you, keep going.
Don't ever stop. Keep going.
If you want a taste of freedom, keep going.
Even in the darkest of moments, ordinary Americans have found the faith to keep going.
I've seen it in you. I've seen it in our teachers and firefighters, nurses and police officers, small business owners and union workers, the men and women of our military - you always keep going.
We are Americans. We're not big on quitting.
But remember, before we can keep going, we have to get going by electing Barack Obama president.
We don't have a moment to lose or a vote to spare.
Nothing less than the fate of our nation and the future of our children hang in the balance.
I want you to think about your children and grandchildren come election day. And think about the choices your parents and grandparents made that had such a big impact on your life and on the life of our nation.
We've got to ensure that the choice we make in this election honours the sacrifices of all who came before us, and will fill the lives of our children with possibility and hope.
That is our duty, to build that bright future, and to teach our children that in America there is no chasm too deep, no barrier too great - and no ceiling too high - for all who work hard, never back down, always keep going, have faith in God, in our country and in each other.
Thank you so much. God bless America and Godspeed to you all
Will Uganda achieve the MDGs by 2015?
Julius N. Uma[MONITOR]
Nearly eight years ago, 189 heads of states and governments from the North and South (acting as representatives of their citizens) collectively signed the Millennium Declaration at the 2000 UN Millennium Summit. During this summit, world leaders from rich and poor countries alike reportedly committed themselves-at the highest political level, to a set of eight time-bound targets that, when achieved, will eradicate extreme poverty worldwide by 2015. The Millennium Declaration, which led to the eight Millennium Development Goals, set out mutual commitment to cut poverty in various manifestations. In 2002, then UN Secretary General, Mr Koffi Annan, commissioned the UN Millennium project to develop a more practical plan of achieving the MDGs. In 2005, the Millennium project’s synthesis report, entitled “Investing in Development” was launched and set forth key recommendations on how to achieve the MDGs in rural sub-Saharan Africa.Currently, the Millennium village project, one of the first 12 Millennium Village sites in sub-Saharan Africa is implementing these recommendations in 10 counties in the sub-Saharan Africa. But what are these so-called MDGs, one may ask? The much-publicised MDGs are centered on; eradicating extreme poverty and hunger; Achieving Universal Primary Education (UPE); promoting gender equality and empowering women; reducing child mortality rates; improving maternal health; combating HIV/AIDS, Malaria and other major diseases; ensuring environmental sustainability and developing a global partnership for development. But what progress has Uganda so far made in its path towards achieving the MDGs, ahead of the 2015? According to the 2005 civil society report on MDGs launched by Uganda National Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) Forum, a lot has to be done if Ugandans are to benefit from these initiatives. The report, titled “A Long Way to Go – Civil Society Perspectives on the Progress and Challenges of Attaining the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in Uganda,” presented a mixed fact sheet for Uganda’s progress towards attaining the MDGs. Critics have strongly argued that Uganda still has a long way to go in achieving the MDGs. Among the issues cited as stumbling blocks towards the 2015 Millennium challenge are; the rampant corruption in government circles that usually lack public accountability, nepotism and regional imbalances in job distribution, restriction of media and press freedoms, the constant harassment of the opposition and members of the civil society sector, among others. In its effort to review Uganda’s progress on the MDGs, the UN Millennium campaign recently launched a publication entitled, “Good Policies, Poor Policing.” During the Accra, Ghana event, UN Millennium campaign Deputy Director, Dr Tajudeen Abdul-Raheem noted, “I believe that Africa has adequate resources to reduce the crippling burden of poverty and meet the Millennium Development Goals by 2015. What is lacking is focused leadership, development of appropriate policies and proper prioritization.” Further note that last year (2007) was the halfway mark towards achieving the MDGs, and many countries in Africa are reportedly making significant progress towards achieving these goals, come 2015. However, progress in some countries is being hampered by the lack of political will and weak public policies. Recently, Uganda police arrested two youths found slaughtering a dog. Moses Bogere, 36 and Edward Kitumba were charged with injuring an animal. Shall we ever eradicate poverty, one of the key MDGs in less than a decade, when our youths, the most productive age groups resort to eating or trading in dog meat as survival antics? Your guess is as good as mine. The writer is a Kampala-based journalist interested in social issues.
Julius N. Uma[MONITOR]
Nearly eight years ago, 189 heads of states and governments from the North and South (acting as representatives of their citizens) collectively signed the Millennium Declaration at the 2000 UN Millennium Summit. During this summit, world leaders from rich and poor countries alike reportedly committed themselves-at the highest political level, to a set of eight time-bound targets that, when achieved, will eradicate extreme poverty worldwide by 2015. The Millennium Declaration, which led to the eight Millennium Development Goals, set out mutual commitment to cut poverty in various manifestations. In 2002, then UN Secretary General, Mr Koffi Annan, commissioned the UN Millennium project to develop a more practical plan of achieving the MDGs. In 2005, the Millennium project’s synthesis report, entitled “Investing in Development” was launched and set forth key recommendations on how to achieve the MDGs in rural sub-Saharan Africa.Currently, the Millennium village project, one of the first 12 Millennium Village sites in sub-Saharan Africa is implementing these recommendations in 10 counties in the sub-Saharan Africa. But what are these so-called MDGs, one may ask? The much-publicised MDGs are centered on; eradicating extreme poverty and hunger; Achieving Universal Primary Education (UPE); promoting gender equality and empowering women; reducing child mortality rates; improving maternal health; combating HIV/AIDS, Malaria and other major diseases; ensuring environmental sustainability and developing a global partnership for development. But what progress has Uganda so far made in its path towards achieving the MDGs, ahead of the 2015? According to the 2005 civil society report on MDGs launched by Uganda National Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) Forum, a lot has to be done if Ugandans are to benefit from these initiatives. The report, titled “A Long Way to Go – Civil Society Perspectives on the Progress and Challenges of Attaining the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in Uganda,” presented a mixed fact sheet for Uganda’s progress towards attaining the MDGs. Critics have strongly argued that Uganda still has a long way to go in achieving the MDGs. Among the issues cited as stumbling blocks towards the 2015 Millennium challenge are; the rampant corruption in government circles that usually lack public accountability, nepotism and regional imbalances in job distribution, restriction of media and press freedoms, the constant harassment of the opposition and members of the civil society sector, among others. In its effort to review Uganda’s progress on the MDGs, the UN Millennium campaign recently launched a publication entitled, “Good Policies, Poor Policing.” During the Accra, Ghana event, UN Millennium campaign Deputy Director, Dr Tajudeen Abdul-Raheem noted, “I believe that Africa has adequate resources to reduce the crippling burden of poverty and meet the Millennium Development Goals by 2015. What is lacking is focused leadership, development of appropriate policies and proper prioritization.” Further note that last year (2007) was the halfway mark towards achieving the MDGs, and many countries in Africa are reportedly making significant progress towards achieving these goals, come 2015. However, progress in some countries is being hampered by the lack of political will and weak public policies. Recently, Uganda police arrested two youths found slaughtering a dog. Moses Bogere, 36 and Edward Kitumba were charged with injuring an animal. Shall we ever eradicate poverty, one of the key MDGs in less than a decade, when our youths, the most productive age groups resort to eating or trading in dog meat as survival antics? Your guess is as good as mine. The writer is a Kampala-based journalist interested in social issues.
Tuesday, 26 August 2008
OBAMANIA
Live From Denver: Let The Convention Begin
By Katharine Q. Seelye
Michelle Obama praised her husband’s values and accomplishments.
By Katharine Q. Seelye
Michelle Obama praised her husband’s values and accomplishments.
(Photo: Brendan Smialowski for The New York Times)
The Democrats kicked off their convention today, hoping that they could inspire party unity and heal divisions from their long and bruising primary battle. Follow tonight’s events, including the tribute to Senator Edward M. Kennedy and a speech by Michelle Obama.
11:30 p.m. Wrap Up: Wrap: Cute as those final moments were with Michelle and the girls on stage, and as interesting as Michelle’s shout-out to Hillary Rodham Clinton was, the night belonged to Edward M. Kennedy.
Much of the clan was there to watch him pass the torch to Mr. Obama: “There is a new wave of change all around us,” he said, after a soaring video tribute by Ken Burns, “and if we set our compass through, we will reach our destination.”
His speech already echoed perhaps his most famous line, with which he ended his 1980 campaign against Jimmy Carter, when he said: “For all those whose cares have been our concern, the work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die.”
Tonight, he concluded: “The hope shall rise again, and the dream lives on.”
Of course, off stage, you-know-who was still busy ironing out how her own historic run for the presidency will be marked by this convention.
The Associated Press reported that aides to Mrs. Clinton and Mr. Obama had agreed to limit the roll call on Wednesday night, allowing some states to cast votes for both before ending the roll call in acclamation for Mr. Obama. Mrs. Clinton herself may cut off the vote and recommend unanimous nomination of Obama.The drama shall never die.
11 p.m. Live From Kanas City, Mo.: Our colleague Jeff Zeleny sends the following dispatch:
As his wife delivered the closing speech of the night at the Democratic convention in Denver, Senator Barack Obama watched from a living room here in Kansas City.
Mr. Obama is winding a path through battleground states as he makes his way to the party gathering in Colorado. His campaign selected the home of Jim and Alicia Girardeau, both of whom are social workers, to watch Michelle Obama give her prime-time address.
He sat at one end of the couch next to Jim, 45, with Alicia, 44, seated in an overstuffed chair next to him. As a video tribute to his wife played, he smiled as he watched with his hands folded under his chin, his elbows resting on his knee.
When his wife took the stage, Mr. Obama turned toward a small group of reporters and said, “It’s nerve-wracking.” As he turned back to the television, with an image of his wife on the screen, he added: “She’s pretty cute.”
The backdrop was purposefully selected to underscore a key theme of the evening, that the Obamas understand the challenges facing working-class Americans. After the speech, Mr. Obama was beamed into the convention hall via satellite from the Girardeau’s home, where he waved to the crowd.
“Hey sweetie! Hello, everybody. Hello from Kansas City,” Mr. Obama said. “How about Michelle Obama? Now you know why I asked her out so many times, even though she said no. You want a persistent president.”
“Hi daddy!” said Sasha Obama, speaking to her father from long distance. “What city are you in?”
“I’ll see you guys on Thursday, all right?” Mr. Obama said.
10:57 p.m. More Michelle: Mrs. Obama recounts her parents’ blue-collar lives, and much of the speech serves to underscore the message that the Obamas are like everyone else. Her husband will achieve his goals — of ending the war, building the economy and making health care affordable — “the same way he always has — by bringing us together and reminding us how much we share and how alike we really are.”
And she wraps it up six minutes before the 11 o’clock news. She is joined on stage by her daughters as the sound system blares “Isn’t She Lovely?”
Then, Barack Obama appears on a big screen behind them on a live camera from Kansas City, Mo. (although he initially said he was in St. Louis).
“How about Michelle Obama?” he says to the crowd as his daughters coo and chatter. “Now you know why I asked her out so many times, even though she said no. You want a persistent president.” There’s a big applause in the hall. (Interactive Video and Transcript)
The Obamas have had practice with these video calls. He frequently calls in from the trail to say goodnight to his daughters via video cam.
10:45 p.m. Props to Clinton: Michelle Obama talks about standing at the crosscurrents of history, with the anniversaries this week of women winning the right to vote and of Dr. Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech.
She lauds people who work hard every day, and among them: “People like Hillary Clinton, who put those 18 million cracks in that glass ceiling” — here she steps back from the podium and applauds Mrs. Clinton along with the crowd in the hall — “so that our daughters and sons can dream a little bigger and aim a little higher.”
10:37 p.m. Mrs. Obama Takes the Stage: Michelle Obama is up, just about on schedule. She pays tribute to her parents and her brother, and of course, her husband. A sea of blue- and-white ‘Michelle’ signs in the hall.
10:30 p.m. Introducing Michelle Obama: In the video set-up, Mrs. Obama is talking about her former law firm being abuzz with word of this “hot-shot” summer intern.
The biographical video creates a little suspense and tension to her courtship by that hotshot, with Mr. Obama saying he noticed that Michelle didn’t have a ring on her finger. They draw out the saga a little more, with Michelle saying that Barack finally made his “big move” and the camera switches to Barack, who says the scene was the company picnic. “And on the drive back, I offered to buy her ice cream.” That did the trick.
The whole show at this point is to make Michelle and Barack seem as all-American and down-to-earth as everyone else. Craig Robinson introduces his sister by noting that her favorite TV show as a child was “The Brady Bunch.”
10:22 p.m. Republican for Obama: Senator Claire McCaskill of Missouri is on-message in her intro to Mrs. Obama’s brother, Craig Robinson. Lots of mentions of the American dream.
(Photo: Todd Heisler/The New York Times)
10 p.m. Republican for Obama: Here’s Jim Leach, a Republican and former congressman from Iowa and the Democrats’ answer to Zell Miller, the Democrat who spoke at the Republican convention in 2004.
Mr. Leach endorsed Mr. Obama earlier this month and is now on stage at the Democratic convention. Alas, this speech didn’t start out as interestingly as his comments when he made his endorsement: “It’s been a very difficult thing for me because I’ve never endorsed a Democrat before,” he said then, adding, “but sometimes in life you come to a juncture where it’s very clear the national interest trumps party discipline.”
It had a bit more punch than what he is saying now, even as he lists what he perceives as the faults of the Republican Party (war, out-of-control spending, etc.). He is not nearly as emotional as Mr. Miller was, but concludes coolly: “I stand before you proud of my party’s contributions to American history but as a citizen, proud as well of the good judgment of the good people of this party in nominating a transcending [sic] candidate who, I am convinced, will recapture the American dream and be a truly great president.”
9:30 p.m. Senator Kennedy Takes the Stage: Senator Kennedy comes on stage, walking, with his wife. He’s lost some of his hair.
(Photo: Brendan Smialowski for The New York Times)
After an extended standing ovation, Senator Kennedy begins: “My fellow Democrats, my fellow Americans, it is so wonderful to be here. And nothing, nothing is going to keep me away from this special gathering tonight. I have come here tonight to stand with you, to change America, to restore its future, to rise to our best ideals and to elect Barack Obama president of the United States. As I look ahead, I am strengthened by family and friendship.”
He speaks of Mr. Obama, and pledges “that I will be there next January on the floor of the United States Senate when we begin the next Congress.” This, he says, is a “season of hope,” and he returns to his signature issue, vowing that every American will soon have decent, quality health care.
He smiles throughout, occasionally adjusting his round glasses, and concludes: “The hope rises again and the dream lives on.” The crowd chants, “Teddy! Teddy!”
A stool had been placed behind the podium if needed it to lean on; now Vicky comes to lead him off stage, as “Still the One” rises over the sound system. Various Kennedys and others flood the stage, with hugs and grins all around. He waves away attempts to help him off.
This was by far the most gripping segment of the convention so far. (Interactive Video and Transcript of Kennedy’s Speech)
9:25 p.m. The Kennedy Video: The video opens with the Kennedys sailing, with Senator Kennedy saying that the sea has always been a metaphor for life. He’s at the helm. And now, a cavalcade of black-and-white pictures of Senator Kennedy with his brothers John F. Kennedy and Robert Kennedy, and clips of Senator Kennedy’s great speeches: “Like my three brothers before me, I pick up a fallen standard… .”
Vicky, Senator Kennedy’s wife, says in the video that he reads once a week to children as part of a literacy program. There are tributes here too from families who are unknown. His wife calls him “the pied piper in this family,” and the video segues into the Obama story
9:16 p.m. Kennedy Tribute: Caroline Kennedy takes the stage to pay tribute to her uncle, who is struggling against brain cancer, and a sea of “Kennedy” signs is washing over the hall.
“I’m here to pay tribute to two men who have changed my life and the life of this country — Barack Obama and Edward M. Kennedy,” Caroline says. “Their stories are different but they share a commitment to timeless American ideals.”
Mr. Biden has tears in his eyes as Caroline says that more than any senator of his generation, or any generation, Teddy has made life better for everyone. “He’s been a Senator for all who believe in a dream that’s never died,” she says. Tears are streaming down Maria Shriver’s face.
Now the video.
Senator Ted Kennedy was driven in a golf cart from to attend the Democratic National Convention. (Photo: David Scull/The New York Times)
8:53 p.m. Senators Kennedy, Biden Arrive: Senator Edward M. Kennedy just arrived at the convention hall, along with Senator Joseph R. Biden Jr., Mr. Obama’s running mate. They came in separate motorcades to a back loading dock, where Mr. Kennedy was helped from his Suburban into a golf cart and driven into the arena. Mr. Biden walked into the hall and is now in a skybox, just below the NBC booth, chatting with Howard Dean and others. (Graphic: Seating chart inside the Pepsi Center.)
Earlier, Ethel Kennedy, Maria Shriver and several other Kennedys came into the hall.
Energy in the hall seems to be picking up now that pictures of Mr. Biden have been flashed on the overhead screens. We’re not sure where he is, and the Obama camp is mum on plans for rolling him out, so to speak, before he accepts the vice presidential nomination on Wednesday night.
These extended musical interludes (“We’re going to have a funky good time”) are adding to the “American Idol” aura of this show.
8:40 p.m. The Carters: Former President Jimmy Carter, and his wife, Rosalynn, came out on stage and waved, but that was it. We thought he might want to say a few words, and maybe he did… He did speak in 2004, when he talked about his foreign policy achievements. Also, he and the only other living Democratic ex-president, Bill Clinton, spoke on the same night. Not this year; Mr. Clinton’s big night comes Wednesday.
By the way, we’re writing to you from just outside the Pepsi Center, in a media tent, where we have been seated under air ducts that are loudly blasting cold air all over us. Some of our colleagues are inside the hall with the convention-goers and are reporting back that the atmosphere is a bit subdued (except when Nancy Pelosi mentioned Hillary Clinton and the Texas delegation, of all places, erupted in cheers).
8:30 p.m., Eastern Showtime! DENVER — Hi everyone. The 45th quadrennial Democratic National Convention is underway, at least the parts that the Democrats want to show off in prime time. We’ll be with you through the evening and tonight’s finale, the speech by Michelle Obama, who will take the podium around 10:30 p.m., Eastern. The Obama campaign has released excerpts of her speech.
The emotional highlight is likely to be the appearance of Senator Edward M. Kennedy. He was not expected to come because of his brain cancer; reports say that his doctors deem his appearance here risky because his immune system has been so compromised by his treatment. But he has said that he couldn’t imagine missing it.
It is still not clear whether Teddy will speak, which will depend on how he’s feeling. He’ll be introduced by his niece, Caroline Kennedy, and there will be a short movie tribute to him.
And here’s something a little different. You’ll be able to watch all the proceedings live right here on this post courtesy of our friends at MSNBC — and keep up with our running commentary at the same time.
So sit back and enjoy the show.
The Democrats kicked off their convention today, hoping that they could inspire party unity and heal divisions from their long and bruising primary battle. Follow tonight’s events, including the tribute to Senator Edward M. Kennedy and a speech by Michelle Obama.
11:30 p.m. Wrap Up: Wrap: Cute as those final moments were with Michelle and the girls on stage, and as interesting as Michelle’s shout-out to Hillary Rodham Clinton was, the night belonged to Edward M. Kennedy.
Much of the clan was there to watch him pass the torch to Mr. Obama: “There is a new wave of change all around us,” he said, after a soaring video tribute by Ken Burns, “and if we set our compass through, we will reach our destination.”
His speech already echoed perhaps his most famous line, with which he ended his 1980 campaign against Jimmy Carter, when he said: “For all those whose cares have been our concern, the work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die.”
Tonight, he concluded: “The hope shall rise again, and the dream lives on.”
Of course, off stage, you-know-who was still busy ironing out how her own historic run for the presidency will be marked by this convention.
The Associated Press reported that aides to Mrs. Clinton and Mr. Obama had agreed to limit the roll call on Wednesday night, allowing some states to cast votes for both before ending the roll call in acclamation for Mr. Obama. Mrs. Clinton herself may cut off the vote and recommend unanimous nomination of Obama.The drama shall never die.
11 p.m. Live From Kanas City, Mo.: Our colleague Jeff Zeleny sends the following dispatch:
As his wife delivered the closing speech of the night at the Democratic convention in Denver, Senator Barack Obama watched from a living room here in Kansas City.
Mr. Obama is winding a path through battleground states as he makes his way to the party gathering in Colorado. His campaign selected the home of Jim and Alicia Girardeau, both of whom are social workers, to watch Michelle Obama give her prime-time address.
He sat at one end of the couch next to Jim, 45, with Alicia, 44, seated in an overstuffed chair next to him. As a video tribute to his wife played, he smiled as he watched with his hands folded under his chin, his elbows resting on his knee.
When his wife took the stage, Mr. Obama turned toward a small group of reporters and said, “It’s nerve-wracking.” As he turned back to the television, with an image of his wife on the screen, he added: “She’s pretty cute.”
The backdrop was purposefully selected to underscore a key theme of the evening, that the Obamas understand the challenges facing working-class Americans. After the speech, Mr. Obama was beamed into the convention hall via satellite from the Girardeau’s home, where he waved to the crowd.
“Hey sweetie! Hello, everybody. Hello from Kansas City,” Mr. Obama said. “How about Michelle Obama? Now you know why I asked her out so many times, even though she said no. You want a persistent president.”
“Hi daddy!” said Sasha Obama, speaking to her father from long distance. “What city are you in?”
“I’ll see you guys on Thursday, all right?” Mr. Obama said.
10:57 p.m. More Michelle: Mrs. Obama recounts her parents’ blue-collar lives, and much of the speech serves to underscore the message that the Obamas are like everyone else. Her husband will achieve his goals — of ending the war, building the economy and making health care affordable — “the same way he always has — by bringing us together and reminding us how much we share and how alike we really are.”
And she wraps it up six minutes before the 11 o’clock news. She is joined on stage by her daughters as the sound system blares “Isn’t She Lovely?”
Then, Barack Obama appears on a big screen behind them on a live camera from Kansas City, Mo. (although he initially said he was in St. Louis).
“How about Michelle Obama?” he says to the crowd as his daughters coo and chatter. “Now you know why I asked her out so many times, even though she said no. You want a persistent president.” There’s a big applause in the hall. (Interactive Video and Transcript)
The Obamas have had practice with these video calls. He frequently calls in from the trail to say goodnight to his daughters via video cam.
10:45 p.m. Props to Clinton: Michelle Obama talks about standing at the crosscurrents of history, with the anniversaries this week of women winning the right to vote and of Dr. Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech.
She lauds people who work hard every day, and among them: “People like Hillary Clinton, who put those 18 million cracks in that glass ceiling” — here she steps back from the podium and applauds Mrs. Clinton along with the crowd in the hall — “so that our daughters and sons can dream a little bigger and aim a little higher.”
10:37 p.m. Mrs. Obama Takes the Stage: Michelle Obama is up, just about on schedule. She pays tribute to her parents and her brother, and of course, her husband. A sea of blue- and-white ‘Michelle’ signs in the hall.
10:30 p.m. Introducing Michelle Obama: In the video set-up, Mrs. Obama is talking about her former law firm being abuzz with word of this “hot-shot” summer intern.
The biographical video creates a little suspense and tension to her courtship by that hotshot, with Mr. Obama saying he noticed that Michelle didn’t have a ring on her finger. They draw out the saga a little more, with Michelle saying that Barack finally made his “big move” and the camera switches to Barack, who says the scene was the company picnic. “And on the drive back, I offered to buy her ice cream.” That did the trick.
The whole show at this point is to make Michelle and Barack seem as all-American and down-to-earth as everyone else. Craig Robinson introduces his sister by noting that her favorite TV show as a child was “The Brady Bunch.”
10:22 p.m. Republican for Obama: Senator Claire McCaskill of Missouri is on-message in her intro to Mrs. Obama’s brother, Craig Robinson. Lots of mentions of the American dream.
(Photo: Todd Heisler/The New York Times)
10 p.m. Republican for Obama: Here’s Jim Leach, a Republican and former congressman from Iowa and the Democrats’ answer to Zell Miller, the Democrat who spoke at the Republican convention in 2004.
Mr. Leach endorsed Mr. Obama earlier this month and is now on stage at the Democratic convention. Alas, this speech didn’t start out as interestingly as his comments when he made his endorsement: “It’s been a very difficult thing for me because I’ve never endorsed a Democrat before,” he said then, adding, “but sometimes in life you come to a juncture where it’s very clear the national interest trumps party discipline.”
It had a bit more punch than what he is saying now, even as he lists what he perceives as the faults of the Republican Party (war, out-of-control spending, etc.). He is not nearly as emotional as Mr. Miller was, but concludes coolly: “I stand before you proud of my party’s contributions to American history but as a citizen, proud as well of the good judgment of the good people of this party in nominating a transcending [sic] candidate who, I am convinced, will recapture the American dream and be a truly great president.”
9:30 p.m. Senator Kennedy Takes the Stage: Senator Kennedy comes on stage, walking, with his wife. He’s lost some of his hair.
(Photo: Brendan Smialowski for The New York Times)
After an extended standing ovation, Senator Kennedy begins: “My fellow Democrats, my fellow Americans, it is so wonderful to be here. And nothing, nothing is going to keep me away from this special gathering tonight. I have come here tonight to stand with you, to change America, to restore its future, to rise to our best ideals and to elect Barack Obama president of the United States. As I look ahead, I am strengthened by family and friendship.”
He speaks of Mr. Obama, and pledges “that I will be there next January on the floor of the United States Senate when we begin the next Congress.” This, he says, is a “season of hope,” and he returns to his signature issue, vowing that every American will soon have decent, quality health care.
He smiles throughout, occasionally adjusting his round glasses, and concludes: “The hope rises again and the dream lives on.” The crowd chants, “Teddy! Teddy!”
A stool had been placed behind the podium if needed it to lean on; now Vicky comes to lead him off stage, as “Still the One” rises over the sound system. Various Kennedys and others flood the stage, with hugs and grins all around. He waves away attempts to help him off.
This was by far the most gripping segment of the convention so far. (Interactive Video and Transcript of Kennedy’s Speech)
9:25 p.m. The Kennedy Video: The video opens with the Kennedys sailing, with Senator Kennedy saying that the sea has always been a metaphor for life. He’s at the helm. And now, a cavalcade of black-and-white pictures of Senator Kennedy with his brothers John F. Kennedy and Robert Kennedy, and clips of Senator Kennedy’s great speeches: “Like my three brothers before me, I pick up a fallen standard… .”
Vicky, Senator Kennedy’s wife, says in the video that he reads once a week to children as part of a literacy program. There are tributes here too from families who are unknown. His wife calls him “the pied piper in this family,” and the video segues into the Obama story
9:16 p.m. Kennedy Tribute: Caroline Kennedy takes the stage to pay tribute to her uncle, who is struggling against brain cancer, and a sea of “Kennedy” signs is washing over the hall.
“I’m here to pay tribute to two men who have changed my life and the life of this country — Barack Obama and Edward M. Kennedy,” Caroline says. “Their stories are different but they share a commitment to timeless American ideals.”
Mr. Biden has tears in his eyes as Caroline says that more than any senator of his generation, or any generation, Teddy has made life better for everyone. “He’s been a Senator for all who believe in a dream that’s never died,” she says. Tears are streaming down Maria Shriver’s face.
Now the video.
Senator Ted Kennedy was driven in a golf cart from to attend the Democratic National Convention. (Photo: David Scull/The New York Times)
8:53 p.m. Senators Kennedy, Biden Arrive: Senator Edward M. Kennedy just arrived at the convention hall, along with Senator Joseph R. Biden Jr., Mr. Obama’s running mate. They came in separate motorcades to a back loading dock, where Mr. Kennedy was helped from his Suburban into a golf cart and driven into the arena. Mr. Biden walked into the hall and is now in a skybox, just below the NBC booth, chatting with Howard Dean and others. (Graphic: Seating chart inside the Pepsi Center.)
Earlier, Ethel Kennedy, Maria Shriver and several other Kennedys came into the hall.
Energy in the hall seems to be picking up now that pictures of Mr. Biden have been flashed on the overhead screens. We’re not sure where he is, and the Obama camp is mum on plans for rolling him out, so to speak, before he accepts the vice presidential nomination on Wednesday night.
These extended musical interludes (“We’re going to have a funky good time”) are adding to the “American Idol” aura of this show.
8:40 p.m. The Carters: Former President Jimmy Carter, and his wife, Rosalynn, came out on stage and waved, but that was it. We thought he might want to say a few words, and maybe he did… He did speak in 2004, when he talked about his foreign policy achievements. Also, he and the only other living Democratic ex-president, Bill Clinton, spoke on the same night. Not this year; Mr. Clinton’s big night comes Wednesday.
By the way, we’re writing to you from just outside the Pepsi Center, in a media tent, where we have been seated under air ducts that are loudly blasting cold air all over us. Some of our colleagues are inside the hall with the convention-goers and are reporting back that the atmosphere is a bit subdued (except when Nancy Pelosi mentioned Hillary Clinton and the Texas delegation, of all places, erupted in cheers).
8:30 p.m., Eastern Showtime! DENVER — Hi everyone. The 45th quadrennial Democratic National Convention is underway, at least the parts that the Democrats want to show off in prime time. We’ll be with you through the evening and tonight’s finale, the speech by Michelle Obama, who will take the podium around 10:30 p.m., Eastern. The Obama campaign has released excerpts of her speech.
The emotional highlight is likely to be the appearance of Senator Edward M. Kennedy. He was not expected to come because of his brain cancer; reports say that his doctors deem his appearance here risky because his immune system has been so compromised by his treatment. But he has said that he couldn’t imagine missing it.
It is still not clear whether Teddy will speak, which will depend on how he’s feeling. He’ll be introduced by his niece, Caroline Kennedy, and there will be a short movie tribute to him.
And here’s something a little different. You’ll be able to watch all the proceedings live right here on this post courtesy of our friends at MSNBC — and keep up with our running commentary at the same time.
So sit back and enjoy the show.
Monday, 25 August 2008
Zimbabwe Parliament
Laying in State in mulungushi -Farewell levy mwanawasa, Africa will miss you [RIP]
Legislators to be sworn in today i Zimbabwe
Herald Reporter
ELECTED Members of Parliament will be sworn in today while the two MDC formations have identified their candidates for the post of Speaker of the House of Assembly. The official opening of the Seventh Parliament will, however, be held tomorrow with President Mugabe expected to officiate.There will be two swearing-in ceremonies starting with House of Assembly members this morning followed by that for senators in the afternoon.The convening of the Seventh Parliament comes after the Sadc Heads of State who met in Johannesburg, South Africa, two weeks ago proposed the august House should open to allow the will of the people as expressed in the March 29 harmonised elections to take effect.This was after the regional bloc received a report from South African President Thabo Mbeki, who is facilitating the inter-party dialogue between Zanu-PF and the two MDC formations.Secretary for Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Mr David Mangota said the Seventh Parliament was expected to formulate laws to pave way for the Human Rights Commission.The Human Rights Commission was created through Constitutional Amendment Number 18 and seeks to, among other things, investigate human rights abuses in the country."Constitutional Amendment Number 18 2007 makes provision for the birth of the Human Rights Commission. Parliament will, however, pass the necessary legislation, which would enable Government to establish the Commission. "One remains optimistic that the Commission will be born during the life of this about to be born Parliament," said Mr Mangota in response to inquiries on delays in the setting up of the Commission."Shortly after the passage of the enabling law, Zimbabweans became busy with preparations for and the actual electoral process as well as the presidential run-off election which took place in June 2008. "These matters remained of paramount importance and they stalled the establishment of the Human Rights Commission."He expressed hope that a new Parliament building would be constructed during the life of the Seventh Parliament."Construction of the new Parliament will commence sooner rather than later. Treasury will make available the requisite funds for the purpose. "The new Parliament building will, hopefully, be completed within the lifespan of this Seventh Parliament of Zimbabwe," he said.The legislators to be sworn in today are also expected to pass the necessary constitutional amendments that should give effect to the resolutions agreed upon during the inter-party dialogue held under the facilitation of President Mbeki.Some of them include the increase of the number of non-constituency Members of Parliament from the current five to 12 to accommodate those from the three political parties.It was also agreed, during the negotiations, to create the post of Prime Minister and the constitutional amendments should define his or her role.The two MDC formations yesterday confirmed their candidates for the post of the Speaker of the House of Assembly while Zanu-PF said it was still consulting with other political parties on the way forward.The election of the Speaker will be conducted this morning soon after the swearing-in ceremony of members.MDC-T spokesman Nelson Chamisa said they had nominated the party’s national chairman, Lovemore Moyo, for the post."We have unanimously settled for Mr Moyo for the post of the Speaker of the House of Assembly and we are prepared to back any other candidate from the other political party for the post of deputy."We are still consulting with other Members of Parliament from other political parties and some of them have endorsed our candidate," said Chamisa.A by-election would follow should Moyo be successfully elected as the Speaker as he is the Matobo House of Assembly constituency MP-elect.Spokesman for the MDC Edwin Mushoriwa said they had identified Gwanda Member of Parliament Paul Themba-Nyathi as their candidate.Mr Mushoriwa said his party was in the process of impressing upon other political parties that "it was in their interest to have a candidate from their formation"."It is strategic to have a person from our party because we feel that there would be more free debate when the presiding officer is from our side than any other side. We are still lobbying and persuading other parties to accept our candidate," he said."We are confident that something will come out of the consultations we are currently carrying out."Zanu-PF chairperson for information and publicity sub-committee Cde Patrick Chinamasa said the ruling party would convene its caucus this morning at Parliament Building for a briefing on the progress made in nominating the party’s candidate."Consultations are still ongoing and we will convene our caucus at 0800 this morning as part of our consultations," said Cde Chinamasa.The Herald is reliably informed that Zanu-PF’s national chairperson, Cde John Nkomo, is Zanu-PF’s candidate should they fail to reach an agreement with other political parties.Zanu-PF has 99 House of Assembly seats, MDC-T 100, the MDC with 10 while the remaining seat went to independent candidate Jonathan Moyo.The Seventh Parliament presents an interesting scenario where Zanu-PF and the MDC-T would be in a tactical battle to assert control over the law-making chambers.With the seat distribution, the scales are delicately balanced as they restrict either party’s inclination to dominance
Herald Reporter
ELECTED Members of Parliament will be sworn in today while the two MDC formations have identified their candidates for the post of Speaker of the House of Assembly. The official opening of the Seventh Parliament will, however, be held tomorrow with President Mugabe expected to officiate.There will be two swearing-in ceremonies starting with House of Assembly members this morning followed by that for senators in the afternoon.The convening of the Seventh Parliament comes after the Sadc Heads of State who met in Johannesburg, South Africa, two weeks ago proposed the august House should open to allow the will of the people as expressed in the March 29 harmonised elections to take effect.This was after the regional bloc received a report from South African President Thabo Mbeki, who is facilitating the inter-party dialogue between Zanu-PF and the two MDC formations.Secretary for Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Mr David Mangota said the Seventh Parliament was expected to formulate laws to pave way for the Human Rights Commission.The Human Rights Commission was created through Constitutional Amendment Number 18 and seeks to, among other things, investigate human rights abuses in the country."Constitutional Amendment Number 18 2007 makes provision for the birth of the Human Rights Commission. Parliament will, however, pass the necessary legislation, which would enable Government to establish the Commission. "One remains optimistic that the Commission will be born during the life of this about to be born Parliament," said Mr Mangota in response to inquiries on delays in the setting up of the Commission."Shortly after the passage of the enabling law, Zimbabweans became busy with preparations for and the actual electoral process as well as the presidential run-off election which took place in June 2008. "These matters remained of paramount importance and they stalled the establishment of the Human Rights Commission."He expressed hope that a new Parliament building would be constructed during the life of the Seventh Parliament."Construction of the new Parliament will commence sooner rather than later. Treasury will make available the requisite funds for the purpose. "The new Parliament building will, hopefully, be completed within the lifespan of this Seventh Parliament of Zimbabwe," he said.The legislators to be sworn in today are also expected to pass the necessary constitutional amendments that should give effect to the resolutions agreed upon during the inter-party dialogue held under the facilitation of President Mbeki.Some of them include the increase of the number of non-constituency Members of Parliament from the current five to 12 to accommodate those from the three political parties.It was also agreed, during the negotiations, to create the post of Prime Minister and the constitutional amendments should define his or her role.The two MDC formations yesterday confirmed their candidates for the post of the Speaker of the House of Assembly while Zanu-PF said it was still consulting with other political parties on the way forward.The election of the Speaker will be conducted this morning soon after the swearing-in ceremony of members.MDC-T spokesman Nelson Chamisa said they had nominated the party’s national chairman, Lovemore Moyo, for the post."We have unanimously settled for Mr Moyo for the post of the Speaker of the House of Assembly and we are prepared to back any other candidate from the other political party for the post of deputy."We are still consulting with other Members of Parliament from other political parties and some of them have endorsed our candidate," said Chamisa.A by-election would follow should Moyo be successfully elected as the Speaker as he is the Matobo House of Assembly constituency MP-elect.Spokesman for the MDC Edwin Mushoriwa said they had identified Gwanda Member of Parliament Paul Themba-Nyathi as their candidate.Mr Mushoriwa said his party was in the process of impressing upon other political parties that "it was in their interest to have a candidate from their formation"."It is strategic to have a person from our party because we feel that there would be more free debate when the presiding officer is from our side than any other side. We are still lobbying and persuading other parties to accept our candidate," he said."We are confident that something will come out of the consultations we are currently carrying out."Zanu-PF chairperson for information and publicity sub-committee Cde Patrick Chinamasa said the ruling party would convene its caucus this morning at Parliament Building for a briefing on the progress made in nominating the party’s candidate."Consultations are still ongoing and we will convene our caucus at 0800 this morning as part of our consultations," said Cde Chinamasa.The Herald is reliably informed that Zanu-PF’s national chairperson, Cde John Nkomo, is Zanu-PF’s candidate should they fail to reach an agreement with other political parties.Zanu-PF has 99 House of Assembly seats, MDC-T 100, the MDC with 10 while the remaining seat went to independent candidate Jonathan Moyo.The Seventh Parliament presents an interesting scenario where Zanu-PF and the MDC-T would be in a tactical battle to assert control over the law-making chambers.With the seat distribution, the scales are delicately balanced as they restrict either party’s inclination to dominance
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