Posted by:
on Apr 01, 2012
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When you hear your cabinet ministers making silly grammatical errors or your State President mauling the State of the Nation address, give them one piece of advise: READ NOVELS
Books are the best teachers of morals, manners and language. Even a work of fiction is ever so well researched that most of the seemingly incidental bits, are actually facts. Sadly, we are the death of literature. There just is little reading left inAfrica today, especially in the youth. The only people who one finds reading, are mostly politicians: reading their speeches badly.
Young people today do not find much wisdom in recreating the beauty of poetry in recital, bringing to life the joy of our maze of life brewed into story. Studying is only perusing for the examination, leaving students with high pass marks and near zero knowledge. This leaves us in the dangerous, scary tide of ignorance.
I used to sell books a couple of years back. I would go buy popular volumes at a charity shop near my apartment for R5 each. I would then sell them on the internet for R50 to R100, depending on the writer. Not anymore! The books have become cheap and are not being bought. I stopped when I found one I was selling for R60 was now going for R1 on the same website – and not finding a buyer. It was titled “Long Walk to Freedom”
I cannot blame internet, because I know that reading is a habit that you cannot drop. It is impossible to hear of a youngster caught stealing a book in a library. The new generation of our youngsters simply does not have the culture of examining literature, because their parents have forgotten how to be life teachers. Adults who are readers are role models. Reading needs to be encouraged.
Without literature, a nation is faceless and disheveled. It loses its makeup of so much diversity and complexities.
The habit of reading brings the joy of isolation while travelling in another world of wonder in words. This excitement teaches us to love reading so that we cannot be swindled by insurance companies during contract signing. Reading sharpens the mind and makes it younger. The mind is like a shark. A shark has to swim all the time: when it stops it dies. The mind has to assimilate all the time to restore its intelligence.
We should see more promotion of reading, where it catches attention without fail. At Taxi rank of people queuing for hours, doing nothing but waiting is the best stop to promote reading. Such hours can be well spent in a book. Publishing houses, if they still want to make money, should start a major campaign for reading, using popular methods and celebrities.
They may help bring back a powerful habit. Else we shall have a society of moving zombies and simpletons who braai by burning books
All Best
Mordekai Chikambure Shumba
President – Organisation of African Youth (OAYouth)
Johannesburg
Posted by:
on Mar 28, 2012
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The Human Rights Day workshop that was organised by OAYouth in Johannesburg on Wednesday was very thrilling in the volume of young people and students that attended; and the quality of content of discussions.
We started the day capped by a couple of popular Radio and TV shows, where our officers showcased the workshop and the efforts that OAYouth has been doing to fireup youth to act; and the projects that are improving the lives of struggling youth, that OAYouth has initiated. The workshop was a great success and was not an end in itself. We had professionals who made valuable presentations. The youth and students then made commitments to be Human rights ambassadors and focal points in making the respect of Human Rights the permanent African way of life.
This was another platform that Organisation of African Youth has asserted its leadership in bringing together and unifying the voices of political youth groups, students, academics and professional Non-governmental Organisations.
Posted by:
on Mar 15, 2012
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Why Mandela still matters to South Africans fearful for future
By Robyn Curnow, CNN
Johannesburg (CNN) -- When Nelson Mandela was admitted to hospital, South Africans took a deep breath and prepared themselves for the worst. Despite the government issuing statements telling concerned citizens not to panic, they did. Mandela holds such a special place in South African's hearts that they fortify themselves with the inevitable day when he takes his last breath.
At 93, many here are grateful the former president and Nobel Peace Prize winner is still with them. He has long left the public and political stage but the knowledge that he is still around -- enjoying retirement on a farm in the Eastern Cape -- gives them a sense of comfort.
Nelson Mandela is held in deep affection because he reminds South Africans of how far they have come. Mandela rekindles South Africans nostalgia for a time when this country was a miracle of democracy. Mandela is the embodiment of the South Africa that was promised in the election of 1994.
Posted by:
on Mar 13, 2012
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Finally our new website is here! We are thrilled beyond measure.
We are very grateful for the advise we got from members who had the opportunity to view it whilst it was in the hangar. Now its ready to glide away.
There is still a lot of stuff to add to build it up. The new website comes at time when more and more work is being done by our members in Africa, and it's only fitting that it must be updated every day.
You will notice that there are several functions that you can now use to network with other members. We have our own "facebook". When people join the OAYouth family, they will be able to chat, post articles and befriend each other.
Each country has a page that displays the contact details of our Coordinators, as well as the work being done by the team. All events can now be posted straight on the website so those interested can register.
There is more, you can chat to us anytime you want and we will respond fast. Lets now begin building Africa - brick by brick.
All Best
Mordekai Shumba
Pres
