UNCLUTTERING OUR SYSTEM

To be called or named by the superfluous English aristocratic Dame & Knighthood status of AM, AK, AD, AC, OC, OG, OM, OA, MA, Sir, Madame, Lady and so forth is worthless and a lamented honour. I very much respect some of the honours given to deserving Australian robin hoods for their worthy contributions apart for celebrity or socialite status.

 

George Ayittey, a Ghanaian economist & president of the Free Africa Foundation in Washington DC, calls the young African educated individuals who take responsibility of their country’s future as “Cheetah Generation” we similarly know them as Gen Y and in contrast “Hippo Generation” as older or we call them Gen X who are rigid and uncompromising archetype remaining in the old beliefs out of simple complacency relying on the government to change everything.

However, Australian Hippo and Cheetah Generations are by far different compared to the African ones.

Australia’s cheetah generation is vocal, free to demonstrate for their freedom and free to speak their minds to see change in the political system and the hippo generation, like African power mongrels, have chosen to stay with whatever is available to them and remain on the sidelines with their legs crossed acting like the three wise monkeys shamefully to stay with an old political culture with very little or no corruption unlike the African hippos.

Australian Gen Y, younger “Cheetah” generation must learn the mistakes of older, Gen X “Hippo” generation and try to redeem themselves mindfully and magnanimously without impertinence for Hippos no matter how things have happened, either self-aggrandizingly or inadvertently.
 
Tony Abbott's, our conservative and enigmatic, PM’s resurrection of “God Save the Queen” knighthood status which was “cremated & buried” long time ago is a self-promoting & sanctimoniousness move to achieve that honour at the expense of all Australians.
 
Sorry, Sir Tony! sorry, PM, nobody’s been consulted and voted for it. We believed we are moving forward by cleaning up all our historical mistakes and renewing reconciliation, recognition, republicanism, new coat of arms and flags with an Australian symbolism without looking back, picking and piling up old system of debris again.

We must change our mindset of “if ain’t broken why fix it” scenario. (Read more stories www.simenehmakonnen.blogspot.com.au/2011/02/what-is-australia-day.html)
 
We’re so lucky that our elected leaders are only serving their term voted-for unlike leaders of African dictators, “Hippos”, who are clinging to power in order to serve their life time once they are elected which is detrimental to any political and economic changes and prone to corruption and stagnation.
   
It is time for Australian “Cheetah” generation to advance Australia fairly with the rest of the world by maintaining the spirit of humanity ‘oneness’ by accomplishing all the changes mentioned as proposed without any preconditions.

Doing so eliminates intolerance and attracts all Australians, young & old, boys & girls, women & men, all races, sexes, colours, religions, dogs, cats, kangaroos, koalas, wombats, possums, crocs, Tassie devils, kookaburras, cockatoos … sorry if I left some out, and be able to sing “I am, you’re, we’re all Australian”. 

12 YEARS A SLAVE

My partner and I went to see, 12 years a slave, a very compelling and emotionally rousing movie, at times tempting me to scream out or enrage, about the shameful acts humans did to another human being. A truly powerful film well directed, choreographed and acted and has to be honestly endured and appreciated for its depiction of harsh realities.

Then, again, I contained myself mindfully for the ignorance that happened for eons and insightfully observed the rest of the movie. However, my partner’s continuous sobbing about the overwhelming condition, at times, put me under extreme pressure to screech out but when the film’s actor said to his colleagues “don’t despair”, I took that as premonition and continued to see the rest of tragedies in silence.

This type of enigma does happen even among the same/different races in Africa under altered name of subjugation and despotism even, today, the same colour people oppressing each other. Victimized viewers should not feel anger or animosities toward what happened in the draconian time and check their attitudes thoughtfully in their life time. Two hundred years later, what has changed? We have to be realistic that racism still exists discreetly and hard to amplify for those honest individuals and it’s our business to do our share with NO preconditions. Hopefully, those who saw or about to see the film should not be offended or sorry about the precarious atrocities committed by ignorance and ultimately learn to move on with a renewed approach/attitude.

የኛ - Y E G N A

Yegna (our) – the new Ethiopian Spice Girls sensation is an all Ethiopian Girls Band united to educate, empower & aspire the younger generations, especially, girls as well as women & message for the society to open their eyes to see the harsh realities of living under disparities, suppressions, oppressions, nepotism & despotism and transcend them with love & understanding with no exclusions.

The song is called ‘ABET’ –‘we are here’ -A call & a cry message for recognition for everyone to hear & understand their sufferings & disrespect. Disenchanted & dissatisfied of the harsh living conditions, enough is enough, they started singing educational songs as an entertainment to entice more audiences & in doing so, to free themselves & bring the changes that are necessary for all Ethiopians.

A very exciting, heart-warming cultural dance entertainment at the start & showcasing eclectic & jaw dropping dance moves of Ethiopian idols half way to the end.
Simply magnificent!

Hey, hey… The groups proved it’s in my DNA, why people wondered that I was such a good dancer all those years.

Hey! I still am!! Thank you.

T H E A W A K E N I N G

We need to be mindful i.e. to be fully present in the moment and with each moment of any involvement outwardly or inwardly, be able to restore our emotional suffering and make our life come alive by attaining blissful healing, by making radical personal & social transformation, invincible liberation by freeing ourselves from our preconceived mindset & self-criticism, mental projections of all sorts imagining problems, - negative endless internal opinions & dialogues constantly reinforcing & justifying how things must turn out, prejudging situations & conversations long before they happen, if they ever happen.

We need to break free from negative emotions of the past & out-dated beliefs of inherited collective mind-patterns that have kept our parents & ancestors in captivity, without blaming anyone, creating so much of their suffering for eons manifesting in our misery today, thus transferring that into our eternal parenthood obligations. If my poor Mom & Dad only knew all the predicaments & survival kits! Thank you for everything.

Our own wellbeing is inseparable from the wellbeing of those around us. No matter how separated we are geographically, culturally or by social status, our interests are inextricably linked even with those who disheartened, disappointed, abnegated, frustrated, and you name it, us in our relationships & close encounters.
 
An English Philosophical Poet, John Donne, wrote, “No man is an island.” an expression emphasizing a person's connections to his or her environs. Similarly, South African philosophy of UBUNTU which roughly translates to human kindness toward others is the belief in a universal bond of sharing with all humanity replaces the simple greeting of ‘How are you?’ with the more sentimental response ‘I’m well if you are well.’

Now, create or choose a strong and dynamic affirmation, time and again, that will take you through the days, weeks, months & years and repeat it to yourself every time your head is trying to spiral.
Here is one good act to follow: “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.”

I came across the highly charged Eddie James, African-American, spiritual singer, singing “awakening”, while I was writing awakening & cherry-picked him to be relevant to my focus of humanity’s pursuit of self-realization through awakening irrespective of their religious & spiritual choices or beliefs.