Tag Archives: Power

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Power, Potential and Social change

An interesting or even scary concept about leadership is how easily it can take turns – whether positive turns or shocking, disturbing ones. To people in the position of followership (as everyone is at some point in their lives), hope is what we hang on to as we are under leadership. The truth is that even when you are an avid supporter of someone and had a hand in getting that person into power, after he or she assumes leadership, hope is what you hold on to. This is because leadership can take turns. Someone who made impressive promises and seemed very compatible for a job, may turn out to be a poor performer. Or there may be systematic barriers that will slow the person down Or hopefully, the person could be the dynamo that you expected.

There are different angles that one may choose to analyze leadership from. However, leadership should be seen as a mandate to deliver, to make things better than before, to influence people positively, to produce solutions and to create future leaders. Leaders hold influence and as such, should be careful that their influence is being directed towards a greater good.

This week, the Pope’s visit to the United States was highly publicized. Social media was abuzz – news alert after news alert kept coming in. It was hardly impossible for me to not get caught up in the frenzy. I skimmed through the excerpts of the Pope’s speech to the US Congress and I was impressed. I could imagine the thousands or millions of Catholics in America and around the world who would have watched the Pope’s speech or read it with way more enthusiasm than I – and were being positively influenced. I considered Catholics lucky to have a leader that is seemingly open-minded and an advocate for the fair treatment of the marginalized and our environment. The events surrounding the Pope’s visit reinforced within me, the importance of using the fortune of influence for good.

In a world shaken by injustice, war and pain, we need leaders who are dedicated to using their role to lead people in the direction of unity, peace, success and care. We need leaders who can see above the powers they possess – to the potential that each individual possesses – and in this way, understands that people can be great contributors and changemakers when they are rightfully empowered. Picture the professor-student relationship: The professor has the leadership mandate in the classroom and imparts knowledge to people who have a potential to apply that knowledge in the near future, in service to others.

So, here’s to hoping for a world with leaders that are humbled to be in a position to guide and work with those they lead towards the path of greatness and social change.

Love & Peace,

Chiamaka

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Linking World Struggles to Power Gluttony

Recently, I attended a group discussion at which, Why is there pain in the world? was the subject of conversation. I did lend my voice to the discussions that were going on, and my answer to the question was that most of the pain in this world emanates from – an extreme desire to dominate.

I will explain further, as I did during that group discussion …

A lot of pain that people have experienced in the past, the ones that people are experiencing now and the ones that are a result of past vices can be traced to an extreme desire to dominate. The desire by a person or a group of people to be better than the other, always at the top. Evidence of such desire shows up when we think of colonization, racism and corruption.

Colonization, though this may not seem like the case, twisted cultures. I am Nigerian and my ancestors, for example, were persuaded to leave their own religion for Christianity and some people’s ancestors took on Islam. This is evidence of absolute domination. People were so much influenced that they left their religious practices with trust that the colonizers knew better. I love my religion – Christianity, but when I think of how it was acquired long ago in my country, I feel a little upset. English language became the norm of the day. Do note that several languages are spoken in Nigeria, but English became Nigeria’s lingua franca. The English language through Western supremacy, has dominated the world so much that if you are not from and in a French-speaking country, you are disadvantaged in many parts of the world.

At the root of racism is White supremacy – a desire to be the dominating race. For this cause, people have been lynched, and many degraded and not treated as human beings. Racism may not be as overt as it was a while ago, but it is still engrained in many Western societies. It has spread across several diasporas. It is not just a White to Black thing anymore, it could be a Black to White, Hispanic to Persian thing these days.

I find it hard to decipher why there are leaders in this world who continue to enrich themselves illegally at the expense of the poor. Leaders who are oblivious to the sufferings of others and want to benefit themselves, their family members and friends, irrespective of the condition of others. The cycles of corruption continue to keep generations on the margins.

We need to put a stop to the vices of the past and end those of the present because vices tend to be passed on to future generations. The random killing of black youths by police in America can be traced to a filthy history of segregation and stereotyping in that nation.

This is a summary of my contribution to that group discussion.

All sorts of extreme desire to dominate continuously rob people of the bond that we all have in common – the human bond. Our humanity becomes numb and we can care less about the other person. However, for peace to reign, we must have self-control and we must remember to be human because it is a good thing to be human in soul.

In the words of the Late Jimi Hendrix, “When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace.”.

Love & Peace,

Chiamaka.

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Government Is People, The Public Is People Too

It is people who stop vices, who change communities and it is also people who make up governments. That is just a reminder that no matter your position in your country, you can look around your community and/or the country and try to help where a change is needed. It is people who make change, whether they are categorized as a government or just as members of the public.

I recently visited my country, Nigeria, after nearly three years of being away in Canada. As I was driven around in Lagos, I was not impressed with a lot of things that I observed. For instance, there were hardly any direction signs in sight; there were little or no traffic controllers (people basically struggle for lanes). Such things made me sad. Especially as I was aware that I was in a country that has so much resources and great potential. Nigeria just lacks enough people in government and even people among the public who are ready to move it forward. A development that is long overdue.

The Nigeria that I grew up in, was one where the federal government was constantly blamed for the near stagnancy of the country. Don’t get me wrong, it is completely normal and actually, very necessary that members of the public keep the government accountable when things are going wrong. Government accountability is a great resource, especially for people who are disadvantaged e.g. the poor and the disabled. If you do not belong to any of those categories, waiting solely on government accountability may become illogical, if you do not act on your own, even in little ways. Again, this is because it is people who make change, whether they are categorized as a government or just as members of the public. Back to the point – most Nigerians blame the government a lot but some of us members of the public also contribute to the pathetic state of the country.

When you see immigration officers helping either people who they know or people who have paid them or both, to skip waiting for long hours to get new or renewed passports, you wonder if the government is the only one to blame. When a woman requests that you help her hold her bag then return it to her after you have successfully passed through the security search point at the airport, you wonder if the government is the only one to blame. When you hear that examination centres are set up with officials, who supply senior high school students with answers, you wonder if the government is the only one to blame. When you observe that a presidential candidate is endorsed not on merit but for the mere fact that he or she and the endorser are from the same tribe or state, you wonder if the government is the only one to blame.

People, human beings can be powerful forces of positive change. We can also be powerful at stagnating progress. The power to choose which category we want to belong to lies within us. I will choose the first option. I want a progressive Nigeria. I want every society that I am affiliated with, to move forward in a positive way. The Nigerian government needs a reformation and so does the public. Entertainers, philanthropists, doctors, lawyers, business people, writers, … just to mention a few; please use your position in the society to convince fellow Nigerians to do what is right for the country. Also, please educate the public on the importance of voting only for political candidates who merit the crown that they want to wear.

Again, it is people who make change, whether they are categorized as a government or just as members of the public.

Love & Peace,

Chiamaka

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