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In the public’s eyes …

Chiamaka and Blurred Creations are getting noticed!

Host & Moderator of Equal Voice uOttawa’s She Will Run Conference 2015

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Chiamaka was invited by the University of Ottawa’s Equal Voice branch to host and moderate the team’s annual She Will Run conference. The event which was aimed at encouraging young women to develop interest in politics and consider running for office in the future, took place on March 7, 2015 and attracted about 50 people. Chiamaka moderated conversations between the audience and the guest speakers – two of whom are female politicians. The minister of labour and the status of women – Hon. Kellie Leitch, the president of the Ontario Liberal Women’s Commission – Lynne Steele and a candidate of the Green Party of Canada – Lorraine Rekmans were the guest speakers. In alignment with her personal mandates, Chiamaka’s role at the event was to be non-partisan and she had suggested the idea of having interactive sessions between the audience and these political figures.

Guest Appearance on Daytime Ottawa (April 25, 2015)

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Chiamaka with hosts – Derick Fage (L) and Dylan Black (M)

Chiamaka was invited on one of Ottawa’s most renowned news shows – Daytime Ottawa, to speak on her passion for social justice and on current human rights violation issues. Chiamaka shed light on the  marginalization of Indigenous people in Canada and briefly touched on police brutality in the United States.

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Terrorists vs the educated: A tragic, growing trend

Very depressing news came out of Kenya, this week. On Thursday, islamic militants of the al-Shabaab group invaded Kenya’s Garissa University and killed 147 students – most of whom can be assumed were Christians, as the main targets of the attack were people of the Christian faith. Graphic photos have emerged from Thursday’s massacre and they are beyond heartbreaking.

The attack on Garissa University is a reminder that terrorists are scared of children and youths who possess a book and a pen. This is not the first time that news has emerged about terrorists attacking a school. Last year, in the Chibok village of Borno state (Nigeria), over 200 schoolgirls were abducted from their school. Malala Yousafzai was shot in an attempt to silence her calls for girls’ rights to education. Oh, and there was that time when a suicide bomber dressed as a student, killed 47 people at a secondary school in Yobe state, Nigeria. Malala Yousafzai stated that “One child, one teacher, one pen and one book can change the world.”. This is a fact and this reality makes terrorists very afraid.

Students go to school and learn about team work, love, the value of diversity and the importance of social justice. Terrorists coerce to differ on such tenets of education and would rather kill, try to divide the Christian from the Muslim, cause children to become orphans and cause youths with big dreams to be terrified. A young person who has access to books, a pen and a classroom is the greatest threat to a terrorist. So, the latter will try to silence youths and put fear in the hearts of many who want to change the world, you want to foster a world that gives no comfort to people with barbaric desires.

A recurring occurrence is that after every attack, after every threat to our freedoms, our resilience grows stronger – the message of love echoes louder around the world, the realization that education is so powerful that it makes terrorists scared causes people to jubilate and makes us raise the awareness even more. See, the good in humanity stays winning.

The world is filled with so much love and extreme levels of hate. Governments around the world need to put in place security measures that will ensure that the public is protected and stays safe, if unexpected attacks on their freedoms occur. There should be sound security and surveillance systems put in place. The defence departments and agencies must be adequately funded. So many are families are being put into mourning, several dreams of a bright future have been shot away, fear is being instilled in many youths who want to better their lives by getting an education. Governments have a role to play in reducing the death tolls amongst youths who are armed with nothing but knowledge, books and pens – overall, armed with a voice that can change the world.

My heart goes out to the families of the 147 students who lost their lives in the Garissa massacre. I am pained at this occurrence and I encourage world leaders to tighten their security and give terrorists no chance of coming in contact with the future leaders of our world.

May the victims’ souls rest in eternal peace.

Love,

Chiamaka.

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Our First Time

Today is Election Day in Nigeria and I am aware that Nigerians are flooding polling stations amass to vote for who they want to lead us on for the next four years. I lived in Nigeria for 14 years, since I was born there and only for this election have I paid close attention to the public’s views and cared much about an election in Nigeria. Again, I was only a child while I was still living in Nigeria so as you can imagine Disney movies were more of a priority to me than observing arguments and reading well-thought-out articles with respect to an upcoming election. However, most times, the arguments and the newspaper headlines on elections, were sort of in my face and hardly avoidable. They would be centred on voting based on religious and cultural similarities.

I have followed the 2015 Election discussions for a while now and it is not what it used to be. Thanks to social media, for months and today, I have observed Nigerians’ zeal for whatever they think is change and for whomever they think will bring that change. I would go on social media and people were interested in the presidential debates, they were interested in the past successes and failures of the presidential candidates. What has been happening this time around is beautiful and I am in shock. A few years ago, not many cared so much about these. Religion, tribe and state, would determine who is well qualified to lead a nation that is undisputedly one of Africa’s greatest (both in population and economy size). Today, even displaced persons from Northern Nigeria are going out to cast their votes. The latter debunks a popular proposition by academics that people of low socioeconomic status do not vote. I am happily shocked at this development. Nigerians have been through a lot.

For decades, our resources have been looted by even our own people. In recent years, terrorism has nearly become synonymous with the nation. Several people are living in poverty in Nigeria. The insurgence of Boko Haram has made many become displaced persons and several have fled Nigeria as refugees. Soldiers are not well-equipped. Over 200 school girls were abducted last year and our nation could not save them. I was told Nigeria used to help other nations fight wars. So you see, Nigeria is in a state of concern. For years, we have treated the Presidential election process as an experiment and the consequences have been dire. So, I am surprised to see the nature of the debates among the public change but I understand why it would.

Today, Nigerians are making history. I have never seen the public so zealous for change for the good of all Nigerians. I stand proud of my people. We are so ready for change that I see it becoming a reality. Well done, Nigerians. Thank you for today. I hope that whoever wins this election will bring the change that we so desperately seek and need.

2014, leading up to this day, marks the the first time that age and maturity have let me pay very close attention towards a Presidential Election, in Nigeria. I am so glad that in the future, I can talk about this experience and say that my first time was very special.

Best of luck to Nigeria,

Chiamaka

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Click! Click! Make Links

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There are so many ideas you have and it is very easy for you to feel that your idea is best achievable by you alone. There is truth in that – only you, may be just enough to operate a company at the start, for example. However, when you start working towards your idea, you will need people to help you keep that idea moving. This is why you need to connect and align yourself with people who can light up one of your bulbs when you think it has died.

The people that you connect your ideas and works with are the ones who can push your dream further in the direction that you aim to keep it moving in. This help may come in the form of advice, collaborations or business transactions. Reach out to people who are in a similar field and who can relate with your work. You may not know it immediately but sooner or later you will find out how important it is to back yourself up with soul partners (sort of).

You may have been to an event, where, you are looking through the pamphlet when you find a page on the event sponsors. It’s interesting because most times, the trend is that the mandate of those sponsors align at least to some extent, with those of the event organizer. Making links! In connecting, you lift one another up. Still using the sponsorship example, the sponsor is easing the financial burden of a certain organization and in turn the latter, is advertising the sponsor’s brand.

Some months ago, I was enrolled in a social change and activism course. There was a lecture on the importance of activists making links with organizations and associations who are also passionate about social justice. With the lecture, was a very enlightening example on how some student protesters in Quebec were able to gain lots of solidarity and support from organizations because of the similar mandates they had.

It is important to connect with and stay connected with people who share a passion for your kinds of ideas and whom you feel you learn a lot from. It is a mutual relationship because you stimulate each other’s ideas and achievements.

Love,
Chiamaka

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Volunteering in developing countries – beware not to cross the line

Humanity calls us to love, to care and to help others who seem to be in need. Volunteering is one of the ways that such tenets of humanity are put into practice. It is a vocation that has grown so much in popularity. It is taken up by people of different socio-economic status and even by those who have demanding paid jobs. It is only proper that this vocation is emphasized in schools as it tends to be these days. Volunteering is a precious way of living out our humanity.

It is admirable that some travel from their nation to a country or continent much further than theirs, to render their help where it can be used. Sadly, there is a conflict that emerges with this type of volunteering – a conflict between reinforcing our humanity as equals – and ethnocentrism. It should be said that this is not always the case with people who travel abroad to volunteer but it is common and to be fair, it is probably unconscious.

However, this conflict of what humanity should mean and the invasion of ethnocentrism started long ago. It was present during colonial times. Speaking from a Nigerian perspective, the British colonized Nigeria and disrupted our cultures, including our religious practices – e.g. through the missionaries who thought that they were being of help to Nigerians.

In more recent times, the conflict is manifested and made obvious through social media. It usually entails a Westerner going to a developing country. Frequent reports will be made on social media. The ethnocentrism may take the form of posting pictures of the ways of life in the new community that seem sub par to what you are used to. Sometimes, a caption will follow to express gratitude for the better standards of living in your own country. Then, to finally establish your niche as a wonderful human, you will post a picture with a starving child. A child that has a twinkle in his or her eye and smiles and seems to trust you as someone who has come to save. However, in the blink of an eye you are off to your ‘paradise’. You come all the way to help, you introduce and possibly like the British missionaries did in Nigeria – over-introduce but you do not empower in any way. The people that are left behind feel the need to meet up and there must be over-exaggerations in their passion because you came like a god and now they are brainwashed and if there was something positive to imitate, now they feel powerless. It is crucial to teach others to help themselves even as you render help. Human beings should empower each other and be sure to never demean the ways of life of a people.

Volunteers are power houses. They reinforce the natural mandate of humanity. This is why when that mandate clashes with superiority, a need to win hearts (changing your Facebook picture to one with a starving child), taking pictures and insinuating that life here is the crux of primitivity (without understanding that culture may be at play) – start over.

Love,

Chiamaka

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Reaching beyond comfort

Seems like it has been a long while, since I wrote on self-actualization haha Well, it feels good to be back at it for this post.

That whole talk of “moving out of your comfort zone” that you have heard people say and possibly you have read on here, is pretty crucial. It is important to be bold enough to reach out to a stranger to – share an idea, ask if there is a job vacancy, propose measures that can move your career forward etc. Not everyone has the privilege of having the right connections amongst their family and friends. The reality for most is that they go out, make efforts to prove themselves and get audiences that are enthusiastic for all that the individual can offer.

When you read success stories or watch people narrate their journey to high achievements, there is one key message that emerges. It is that there is no magic to success. The journey is turbulent, sometimes intimidating but persistence is the weapon.   You may have received 50 ‘No’s but achieving a ‘Yes’ response is not impossible. It is very easy to succumb to rejection and feel that you are not good enough. However, rejection is inevitable. It does not mean that you are not a star (you are!), it may mean for example, that the person/organization that rejected you admires your ability but does not have a vacancy or may fail to understand the kind of expertise that you aim to contribute. In the latter case, it is that person and/or organization that is missing out, not you. Keep your head up, keep learning and with every given opportunity, ensure that you put in your very best.

Also, ensure that you are contributing your skills to places and individuals that indeed need them. Do not waste your time. If you have a passion for A, do not, in desperation (I have had those thoughts) offer to lend your skills for B. Why? You need to feel happy and fulfilled while using your skills. Also, you need to keep developing on your skills. These cannot happen, if you are not applying your skills in the right place. So, reach out only to people and places that have a passion for the kinds of things that you are interested in. Their creativity will enhance yours and your creativity will enhance theirs.

Getting into media has shown me how accessible people are. I have been able to reach to out to journalists, entrepreneurs and advocates for interviews and in turn receive very warm, enthusiastic responses. Of course, there have been rejections. My point is – it is worth it to take that bold step of reaching out because eventually there will be positive responses.

Love,

Chiamaka

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Race Has To Be The Greatest, Most Punishing Social Construct Ever

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For 14 years of my life, I never had to say – “I am black”. I was born and raised in Nigeria and my first sense of identity was that I am a Nigerian, not even that I am African. I was not black, a visible minority, a coloured person or all these classifications that people in the West who look like me, have for years, been grouped into. It was when I came to Canada that I started seeing and taking part in the divisions of skin colour. You are white, you are brown, you are black. Till today, it still feels weird to call myself and other black people, “visible minorities”. It feels demeaning with respect to where I have come from. When I was in Nigeria, I never thought of myself as a minority. Why would I? When, first all, each human being no matter where they come from is first human.

However, I am not too naive, in Canada for example (and like many parts of the West), Caucasians make up a majority of the population and like many other countries in the West, it has a history of racism. So, I do not mind being a visible minority in this sort-of new country, because being a minority comes with rights and protections. Still, that title, that classification that I now hold doesn’t sound right.

Race is a concept that was socially constructed. The idea of a racial supremacy is man-made. These constructions create stereotypes, they demean, they leave some at the margins, they make some conscious and suspicious – “perhaps that happened because I am black” etc. The constructions that have been made around race itself are things that must be challenged. Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr, the people who took to the streets to protest after an unjust ruling was made on the Eric Garner case, those who condemn racism, those who know never to limit themselves because of the colour of their skin – these are the kinds of people that have challenged the ideas of race in the West.

We live in an unequal world, no doubt. However, we can break down unacceptable constructs that have put people on the margins, by striving for excellence, breaking down stereotypes and making history.

By the way, Happy Black History Month!!:)

– Chiamaka

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"You are not alone", Going blank, Inter-connectedness

When We Go Blank, We Draw from The Universe

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Since Friday, I had been contemplating what I will be writing on, today. Different ideas floated around in my head but I was not satisfied. At a point, I was looking at my screen feeling blanked out – till I thought to myself that surely there must be something that I have learnt from people and experiences which is worth sharing, today. One thought did eventually win. That was the  thought that it is impossible to not have a story or an experience to share in a world where people are so connected and in which interactions occur, everyday. The world is so inter-connected. No news is missed and ideas are easily transferred from place to place.

In this article, going blank will be given different meanings tapped from the general meaning that we all know.

When I get heartbroken at social injustices going on in the world and there is usually an urge to force myself to blank out of ideas on world change. In that process of re-engineering my mind, I will come across an article on Martin Luther King Jr,, people who are helping to repair a defaced mosque or I will receive an uplifting message from my sister (Ebele) – and my mind immediately goes back to reality and to my truth. One can go blank in many ways and for different reasons and when you do, remember that you can draw ideas and strength from the universe.

It is easy to imagine how victims of bullying must feel when people who they know nothing about gather together and create social media initiatives to counter bulling and transfer the shame to the perpetrators. Just when a victim must have thought that he or she was alone in this battle – hundreds, thousands emerge to reinforce that previously seemingly-false thought that probably goes like this: “You are not alone”. That blank space is filled up.

Random acts of kindness are good reinforcers of that notion that though there are lots of scars on humanity in our world, its (humanity’s) beauty still exists. Those instances when a service provider, a stranger etc., has gone the extra mile to help and please you – are reminders that truly we can draw from the universe for love, care and a sense of direction.

Do not spend your precious time thinking of why you may not be good enough but use your time to tap into the wealth and beauty of humanity that exists for you and everyone else.

Love,

Chiamaka

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Monopoly Alert: Innovators are gradually leading the world

It is the people who are bold enough to create that are constantly dominating and improving the world. They are the ones who refuse to follow norms that are applied at ‘whatever cost’. They are creators. They challenge broken systems of governance. They are the ones who will work for a person, organization or group, while they simultaneously think of ways that they can build something from their own brand. They are the ones who will not ignore the most intrusive of their talents. They are the ones that make world change seem to be a possibility. Good politicians also fall under the category of – innovators.

Every human being is a unique brand, but no brand comes to life if it is not worked upon. You must believe that you can transcend barriers, challenge systems, transcend glass ceilings and stereotypes … basically, you must believe in the greatness that lies within you – to build on your own brand. The world is moving more and more into the hands of creators, the self-believers. These people give hope to – the hopeless, the victims of war and oppression and social inequities. They give hope to the concerned wealthy. Most innovators are taking over in order to mend broken systems. They do not belong to a clique (people have the right to do what they can, to improve systems in the world). They are not in cliques but they are an open group – always welcoming more ideas, change makers and in general, brands that are willing to self-explore for good.

These creators that are gaining monopoly over crucial systems in the world, are not perfect. That is obvious from their stories. What is also deductible from their stories is that they decided to move out of their comfort zones to create, to be judged, to learn from criticism and to serve. We have seen such traits in people like Oprah Winfrey, Malala Yousafzai, Steve Jobs, Martin Luther King Jr., Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, Bill Gates and many more. Hopefully, this monopoly will cease to exist soon and rather it will be a norm of our world, that every individual is a self-believer and cares about making our world a better place.

Love,

Chiamaka

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The Raif Badawi Case: With every lash, our humanity weeps

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Raif with his three young children (Source: Bloomberg News)

Raif Badawi is a Saudi-Arabian blogger who was arrested in 2012 by Saudi Arabian authorities. Stories regarding the reason(s) for his arrest vary as some say he was arrested for “insulting” Islam and others state that he wrote against some Islamic clergy. Infact, he was accused of apostasy. In the year 2013, Badawi was sentenced to 10 years in prison, a fine and 1000 lashes (which would occur over the course of 20 weeks).

It is impossible to make any assertions, since people do not know why exactly Badawi was arrested and sentenced to such conditions (we do know that in general, that he was accused of somehow being against Islam). So, I will take caution with the way I phrase the following words – If indeed Badawi insulted Islam which is a people’s belief, that was a very wrong course of action to take. We should respect people’s beliefs unless those beliefs are thoroughly proven to be structured to cause nothing else but harm. I am pretty sure that this is not the case with Islam.

However, there is no justification for the kind of punishments that have been assigned to Badawi. A simple letter or phone call to Badawi would have been a more humane response, not a 10 year sentence that will be accompanied by 1000 lashes. The first 50 lashes were served on Friday last week. The 31-year old blogger was meant to receive 50 more, yesterday but wounds from the first set are yet to close. The wounds are indications of the very barbaric nature of the sentence. When Badawi heals, he is expected to continue receiving the lashes. Let us hope that the Supreme Court to which Badawi’s case has now been transferred, can help stop this injustice.

In the meantime, you can help by signing this petition that Amnesty International created for Raif Badawi: http://e-activist.com/ea-action/action?ea.client.id=1770&ea.campaign.id=32768 Thank you!

I do not see how one can claim to love God yet does not love the ones that God has sent for him/her to love. You cannot claim to love God yet you pronounce unjust rulings and cause harm, in the name of God. That is an ugly juxtaposition.

Free Raif,

Chiamaka

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