It's Not Just Xenophobia

Here's a link to a policy and practice brief I co-authored with Dr Grace Maina whilst I was serving ACCORD as Programme Officer. The article brief focuses on the trend of burgeoning xenophobia in South Africa and suggests what could be done to contribute to its eradication.

www.accord.org.za/downloads/brief/policy_practice5.pdf

Please feel free to post any constructive commentary in relation to the content contained in the brief.

KaMwelase.

...for God is love

Yet again I stare blankly into my screen, my eyes swelling up with tears, like I did seven months ago. Well another knight in shining armour turns out to be a dork in tin foil (as learned from the #Noteboook).

The only thing that's different this time around is the plug was pulled without any reason being given whatsoever. We attended his friend's wedding weekend before last and three days later we argue over something quite stupid and next thing I know I am no longer his facebook contact and just like that all communication is cut. Yep! You could say I found out on facebook it's over.

And whilst the factors in this break up seem to be consistent with the previous one, I must give the previous ex credit for atleast cooking up a reason for calling it quits (yes he dumped me but as is typical of the "dumper" he wants me back now...unfortunately for him I don't eat puke). Anyway the point of this entry is to reiterate my belief in love. Sure I may be in some era of misfortune when it comes to finding the one who likes me enough to see the beauty I possess even on the inside and the love and fidelity that come with it (or even have the decency to inform me when it's over) but that doesn't stop me from still believing in the greatest gift ever given to humankind: LOVE. To stop believing in it would be, you could say, the death of my soul for my soul is a lover.

Yes I will never stop believing in love for God is love and just as He is the anchor and pillar of my existence, so is love. It really isn't love's fault that the men I have been with aren't strong enough to handle the might and genuity in the love that I possess or is it love's fault that they purpote to be wanting the give and receive it under false pretences only to realise when it's too late that actually in true nature they do need it. That's their problem not mine or love's. Like Lira put it I am born of love and I choose to let it remain in my heart and mind. Joy may not yet have decided to be my friend but love is my pillar.... and it's only a matter of time before joy comes to party.

KaMwelase.

Sometimes the best things are found in the virtual

Most of you will probably give me scornful looks for what you are about to read cause again most of you will pretend like this has or never even happens in your virtual world. And whilst your reaction might be justified (for some odd reason unknown to me) please do this with tact cause this is my testimony and I don't usually give a lot of these!

So where do I begin?...well let's just say so far none of my relations, both plutonic and otherwise, with the opposite sex (I am female by the way) have worked out. The worst being the intimate ones cause somewhere in ancient history probably exists a stone with a damning curse in a bold NOT GONNA FLY engraving on it. And God knows sengigrand ngalokho. And please don't feel bad cause hey as far as I am concerned I can't help it if fools choose to live in ignorance even when depth stares them blankly in the face! And as for my friend-friend males? Well the painful and usually absurd truth is they usually leave me for some thang they met usually after me whose benefits obviously just inherently carry more consistent weight than the one I bring! I'll say power to the you know what right there.

So just when I thought I couldn't win either way with my shameless male peers, and I still do love men, what do you know I "meet" someone with depth on all levels....ONLINE. There I said it! I am in a cyber friendship or whatever. Ok let's clarify two very essential things here: the gender is MALE and though we've met before in person it only lasted three seconds and since one minute encounters are already bad enough, three second ones DON'T count at all! And I must say I find him refreshing, intelligent, easy to talk to, funny and even emotionally and spiritually aware which is a rare commonality with men. And no he is not gay cause sometimes he's still brutal and pushes me to my limits!

Will it last? Who knows? Maybe when we meet again in person the mystery will evaporate leaving us with the disappointing but usually factual deduction that virtual reality is much more glorious than actual reality. But until then, I am going to continue soaking myself in the glory of this friendship. In the virtual world people seldom present their true form but all that matters is for now I can let loose and talk, laugh, share and be educated.

Would love to suggest this friendship to the rest of you but I think I will keep this one all to myself - for now anyway ;)

Moral of the story: not everything is cast and stone. The universe doesn't operate in one dimension. The best things in life are free and surround us everyday. And more importantly not all men are incapable of friendship (I think)!

KaMwelase.

Gallery: Japan hit by earthquake

Gallery: Japan hit by earthquake: "A massive 8.8-magnitude earthquake shook Japan, unleashing a powerful tsunami that sent ships crashing into the shore and carried cars through the streets of coastal towns."