Patrick Awuah | Leadership through Education

Patrick spoke at the TED Africa conference in 2007 about his vision on critical thinking and liberal arts. He is part of a generation of young Africans who after being blessed with education at home or abroad are looking to change the political landscape of the continent through clear thinking and rational. Even though some may see this as a simplified approach which does not take into account a lot of the externalities affecting African countries this is a start. Watch the video and catch the vision.

Zimbabwe | A Thousand Words

Regardless of what happens next this is a powerful image.

A More Perfect Union

Could this speech be the kicker for the presidential candidacy? Or is he too close to the truth?

Mo Ibrahim and African Leadership

Mo Ibrahim is in my African Hall of Fame! Mo Rocks!

The famed entrepreneur was interviewed in the Financial Times in February mostly about his Foundation which is passionate about governance, accountability and leadership across the continent.

The article states

African leaders, Ibrahim continues, look to retirement as they would to the edge of a cliff, beyond which lies a dizzying fall towards retribution and relative poverty.

“We don’t have financial institutions for ex-presidents to go and run, or boards of great companies. There is life after office in other parts of the world. I just read that Tony Blair was paid half a million pounds to make a speech in China. People like Blair always have a place in society, they have secure financial futures,” he says.

Afrosphere 19.03.08

Been away for a little while but some interesting posts around the afrosphere.

• DMX on Barack Obama. I still cant believe this is serious!
• White African, Afromusing and Mentalacrobatics needing your vote for Ushahidi
• Ethan Zuckerman reviews The Bottom Billion by Paul Collier. I need to buy that book even if Collier is a fan of Sachs.
• Aid is a bigger curse than oil by Emeka Okafor.
• A debate about the N Word on Friction TV.

Go Derrick

Derrick Ashong holding his own on why he would vote for Obama. Having met Derrick in Tanzania last year I know he is an articulate and well read brutha who can hold his own.

This youtube video has become viral too and the blogosphere is picking it up big time. Some examples can be found here, here and here.

Blogwatch: Ushahidi

Following the recent unrest in Kenya Afromusing, Mentalacrobatics and White African have developed a web site called Ushahidi.com. This site has been one which has caught a lot of news and blog attention recently including BBC, Boing Boing, TED and Global Voices.

Profile: James Baldwin

And so starts the black history month here in the UK. I have set myself the challenge to feature some of my favourites from history, both living and those who have died.

James Baldwin (1924- 1987)was an American writer and civil rights activist. Originally influenced by another black American writer Richard Wright he was known for writing essays, novels and poets that took a critical eye at sexual identity and race.

His famous works include Go Tell it on the Mountain, Notes of a Native Son, Another Country and The Devil finds Work.