Tuesday 27 September 2011

Tribute to Wangari - let's see what we missed out on

In my usual cynical way I take this opportunity to remind Kenyans of our failures.

We are mourning an icon - Wangari was just that an icon, larger than life. For this reason I have posted all her awards below just so we can see the kind of person we will not have in our ranks anymore.

While doing this let us also reflect about our choice of leaders ....we had a chance to have this wonderful lady as our president and she didn't even place. We have to ask ourselves about our criteria, what do we look at? What is our rationale in selecting leaders? Do we look at gender? Are we biased against women? Do we look at service? Because when I look at our current parliament I don't see "watumishi wa wananchi" servants of the people ....all I see are "watumizi wa watu" users of the people.

We are good at mourning and forgetting ....so "Lest we Forget" it is time for a hard look at the kind of person we will miss....and it is time to start to looking for someone like her among our ranks a woman or a young person we have ignored who could truly serve and lead our country.

Professor Wangari Maathai’s Awards: 1983 – 2010

2010: Earth Hall of Fame, Kyoto (Japan)
2009: Earth Hall of Fame, Kyoto (Japan)
2009: Humanity 4 Water Award for Outstanding Commitment 2 Action
2009: The Order of the Rising Sun, Japan
2009: Judge, 2009 Geotourism Challenge, National Geographic, USA
2009: NAACP Chairman’s Award , USA
2008: Dignitas Humana Award, St John’s School of Theology, USA
2008: Cinema Verite, Honorary President, France
2008: Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), Honorary Fellowship, UK
2007: The Nelson Mandela Award for Health & Human Rights, South Africa
2007: The Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding, India
2007: Cross of the Order of St Benedict, Benedictine College, Kansas, USA
2007: World Citizenship Award, World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts
2006: The Indira Gandhi International Award for Peace, Disarmament & Development, India
2006: Premio Defensa Medio Ambiente, Club Internacional De Prensa, Spain
2006: 6th in 100 Greatest Eco-Heroes of All Time, The Environment Agency, UK
2006: Medal for Distinguished Achievement, University of Pennsylvania, USA
2006: Woman of Achievement Award from the American Biographical Institute Inc., USA
2006: The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights,
Milele(Lifetime) Achievement Award
2006: Legion D’Honneur, Government of France
2006: The IAIA Global Environment Award,
International Association for Impact Assessment, Norway
2006: Disney Wildlife Conservation Fund Award, USA
2006: World Citizenship Award
2005: New York Women’s Century Award, New York Women’s Foundation, USA
2005: One of the 100 Most Influential People in the World: Time magazine, USA
2005: One of the 100 Most Powerful Women in the World: Forbes magazine, USA
2004: Nobel Peace Prize, the Norwegian Nobel Committee, Norway
2004: Sophie Prize, the Sophie Foundation, Norway
2004: Elder of the Golden Heart, Republic of Kenya
2004: Petra Kelly Environment Prize, Heinrich Boell Foundation, Germany
2004: J. Sterling Morton Award, Arbor Day Foundation, USA
2004: Conservation Scientist Award,
Center for Environmental Research and Conservation, Columbia University, USA
2003: Elder of the Burning Spear, Republic of Kenya
2003: WANGO Environment Award,
World Association of Non-Governmental Organizations , USA
2002: Outstanding Vision and Commitment Award, Bridges to Community, USA
2001: Excellence Award, Kenyan Community Abroad, USA
2001: The Juliet Hollister Award, Temple of Understanding, USA
1997: One of 100 in the World Who’ve Made a Difference in the Environment:
Earth Times, USA
1995: International Women’s Hall of Fame,
International Women’s Forum Leadership Foundation, USA
1994: The Order of the Golden Ark Award, the Netherlands
1993: The Jane Addams Leadership Award, Jane Addams Conference, USA
1993: The Edinburgh Medal, Medical Research Council, Scotland
1991: The Hunger Project’s Africa Prize for Leadership, United Nations, USA
1991: Global 500 Hall of Fame: United Nations Environment Programme, USA
1991: The Goldman Environmental Prize, the Goldman Foundation, USA
1990: The Offeramus Medal, Benedictine College, USA
1989: Women of the World Award, WomenAid, UK
1988: The Windstar Award for the Environment, Windstar Foundation, USA
1986: Better World Society Award, USA
1984: Right Livelihood Award, Sweden
1983: Woman of the Year Award

Saturday 24 September 2011

Guess who's back? JeiPea is back

It's been ages since my last post.

Just a few quick updates on what's been up.

Well finally I have started work on Kenya Freelancers Outsourcing. I hope the next time I post about it, it will be on a company website not my blog page. I want to keep my blog page for all those other interesting things in life like falling in love - which I am not, but I am listening to an awful lot of love songs, aging - which I am ...I just hit a critical birthday last week I will put a photo of an older me in a bit.
Drop your Blindfold

come and see

For those who do not know critical birthdays I will speak about only the ones I have experienced - 18 is when they stop adding the prefix "under" to your age, you become a total teen not an under-something, you can sue be sued, drive a car, vote, take alcohol during allowed hours or from a supermarket shelf ....I know what you are thinking ....you can live without all these things - which is pretty much true since my 18th birthday I have used the voting bit more than all the others.

Don't laugh at me I know elections come every once in five years so you can estimate the use of all the others is pretty much close to zero. So anyway 18 is an important age because all these things seem very useful to you before you have them - and very useless after you do.

Next important age is 25 ...it is a silver jubilee, you feel like you have lived a halfway through your life ....you make all those target of things you would like to do by 30 your energy is at peak - I don't know about you I know mine was at peak. I can't remember what my goals were then - but I am sure having more money was among them (Yeah, I know that is not a SMART goal - it doesn't say how much money - but I was only 25 remember).

Next critical birthday is 30 ...that is when you realize aging is real ...don't laugh ...aging is not in the face...I have a "fair and lovely" face - they should use me as living proof of that cosmetic - I still get asked for identification or proof of age the times I have ventured out to a night club. Anyway aging is how you feel and I am beginning to feel ancient. A friend of mine told me 30 is the new 20.... she was being sweet well I think it is the refurbished 20 ...even if you look 20 which I might pass off for - you feel the whole 30 inside (draw the Intel logo and put 30).

Anyway ....just to get into the spirit of things with my new age - I went for a four day retreat to focus and plan and pray. I am now a very focused and well planned and prayerful 30 year old (this is not a singles advert). The next step of course is I am just trying to be just as good an implementer which is much more a difficult task. But as with all good things this will take time and continuous effort.

So not as a part of my newly acquired age - I also want to be posting a bit more to my blog ....you know with all these stories of a world climatic catastrophe in 2012 I want to leave this hieroglyph for the next inhabitants if they are as intelligent as we are.

I also have a new theme song for my new age "Forever Young" by Alphaville - enjoy because this is the only way to be, the only way to live - forever young.