MABADILIKO YA DUNIA YANAVYOELEKEA KUTOKOMEZA UHAI

Climate Change Killing 300,000 Per Year
CNN
posted: 17 HOURS 35 MINUTES AGO
LONDON (May 29) -- The first comprehensive report into the human cost of climate change warns the world is in the throes of a "silent crisis" that is killing 300,000 people each year.
More than 300 million people are already seriously affected by the gradual warming of the earth and that number is set to double by 2030, the report from the Global Humanitarian Forum warns.Skip over this content
The Effects of Global Warming

David Longstreath, AP23 photos




A new report examines the human cost of climate change, which it said causes more than 300,000 deaths per year. The report, released Friday, shows the impact of climate change on population displacement, malnutrition and diseases, such as malaria. "Climate change is not something waiting to happen," said former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan.


Speaking to CNN's Becky Anderson in London on Friday, Annan said the migration of people from newly uninhabitable areas presents a security issue that needs to be addressed by the United Nations Security Council.
"This is one of the reasons why I've described climate change as all encompassing," he told CNN. "This threat to our health, this threat to food production, this threat to security. It raises political tensions, it will have people on the move -- and they are on the move -- and many more which will bring tensions."
The report, titled "Human Impact Report: Climate Change -- The Anatomy of a Silent Crisis" comes just six months before the United Nations Climate Conference in Copenhagen to forge a post-Kyoto climate agreement for 2012 and beyond. Skip over this content
Embedded video from CNN Video
Annan called on Member States to reach a "global, effective, fair and binding" outcome on climate change, as the report warned that the talks could "well be the last chance for avoiding global catastrophe."
He told CNN: "The U.S. administration has joined the mainstream about fighting climate change and that is a big step, and I hope that will also put a new momentum into the negotiations."
The report's startling numbers are based on calculations by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change that the Earth's atmosphere warmed by 0.74 degrees Celsius (1.33 degrees Fahrenheit) from 1906 to 2005, with much of that increase coming in recent decades. The panel predicts that by 2100 temperatures will have increased a minimum of two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) over pre-industrial levels regardless of what's agreed in Copenhagen.
"No matter what," the report concludes, "the suffering documented in this report is only the beginning." A rise of two degrees, it says, "would be catastrophic."
Of the 300,000 lives being lost each year due to climate change, the report finds nine out of 10 are related to "gradual environmental degradation," and that deaths caused by climate-related malnutrition, diarrhea and malaria outnumber direct fatalities from weather-related disasters.
The vast majority of deaths -- 99 percent -- are in developing countries which are estimated to have contributed less than one percent of the world's total carbon emissions.Skip over this content
Frightening Forecast for Earth


The report warns climate change threatens all eight of the Millennium Development Goals -- a set of goals agreed on by leading nations in 2000 that aim to reduce extreme poverty by 2015. The goals include eradicating hunger, reducing child mortality, and halting the spread of diseases including HIV/AIDS and malaria.
Around 45 million of the 900 million people estimated to be chronically hungry are suffering due to climate change, the report says. Within 20 years that number is expected to double. At the same time food production is expected to fall, driving food prices up 20 percent.
The countries considered to be most vulnerable are those in the semi-arid dry land belt that runs from the Sahara/Sahel to the Middle East and Central Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, South and Southeast Asia, Latin America and parts of the U.S., small island states and the Arctic region.Skip over this content
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Australia is singled out as the developed country most vulnerable to the direct impacts of climate change. Over the past 15 years, the combination of rising temperature and lower rainfall has produced the worst drought in the country's recorded history.
While developed countries -- including Australia -- have committed funds to counter the impact of climate change, the Global Humanitarian Forum says developing nations need a dramatic injection of funds -- up to 100 times more than is currently available to help them adapt to the changes.
The total economic cost of climate change each year is thought to be $125 billion, although the Forum warns that figure may be too conservative and doesn't take into account the impacts on "health, water supply and other shocks."
While commissioned by the Global Humanitarian Forum, the report was reviewed by a panel of experts, including Rajendra Pachauri of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), Jeffrey Sachs of the Earth Institute at Columbia University and Barbara Stocking of Oxfam. Skip over this content
High Water Risk in the U.S.



© 2009 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
2009-05-29 15:16:37

MAPISHI BORA YANAYOHIFADHI VIRUTUBISHI

Kutoka kwa Dr.Weil.com

4 Healthy Ways to Cook
Tip of the Day 5/30/2009

To get the most out of your meals, it's not just the ingredients you choose, but the way you prepare them that matters. Use the following tips to maximize the nutritional benefits of foods, and to help minimize the potential harm from improper cooking methods. Use a steamer. Steaming can retain nutrients better than other methods, such as boiling. Use marinades. Marinating meats (particularly chicken) may reduce the formation of heterocyclic amines (HCAs), which evidence shows may be carcinogenic. Garlic, rosemary, ginger and turmeric are all healthful spices to include in marinades. Use a slow cooker. What you put in - fresh vegetables, lean proteins - is a big part of what makes a healthful meal, but the lower temperatures slow cookers use may help preserve nutrients that are otherwise lost when food is cooked rapidly at high heat. When grilling, pre-cook meats on the stove or in the oven, and finish them off on the grill. Less time on the grill means fewer carcinogens in your meats.

HUKO NDIKO TUTARAJIE KWAMBA VITA KALI ZAIDI ITAPIGANWA

From the New York Times. May 28, 2009.

Pentagon Plans New Arm to Wage Cyberspace

• 
  
  • PermaKutoka New York TimesBy DAVID E. SANGER and THOM SHANKERPublished: May 28, 2009

WASHINGTON — The Pentagon plans to create a new military command for cyberspace, administration officials said Thursday, stepping up preparations by the armed forces to conduct both offensive and defensive computer warfare.

The military command would complement a civilian effort to be announced by President Obama on Friday that would overhaul the way the United States safeguards its computer networks.

Mr. Obama, officials said, will announce the creation of a White House office — reporting to both the National Security Council and the National Economic Council — that will coordinate a multibillion-dollar effort to restrict access to government computers and protect systems that run the stock exchanges, clear global banking transactions and manage the air traffic control system.

White House officials say Mr. Obama has not yet been formally presented with the Pentagon plan. They said he would not discuss it Friday when he announced the creation of a White House office responsible for coordinating private-sector and government defenses against the thousands of cyberattacks mounted against the United States — largely by hackers but sometimes by foreign governments — every day.

But he is expected to sign a classified order in coming weeks that will create the military cybercommand, officials said. It is a recognition that the United States already has a growing number of computer weapons in its arsenal and must prepare strategies for their use — as a deterrent or alongside conventional weapons — in a wide variety of possible future conflicts.

The White House office will be run by a “cyberczar,” but because the position will not have direct access to the president, some experts said it was not high-level enough to end a series of bureaucratic wars that have broken out as billions of dollars have suddenly been allocated to protect against the computer threats.

The main dispute has been over whether the Pentagon or the National Security Agency should take the lead in preparing for and fighting cyberbattles. Under one proposal still being debated, parts of the N.S.A. would be integrated into the military command so they could operate jointly.

Officials said that in addition to the unclassified strategy paper to be released by Mr. Obama on Friday, a classified set of presidential directives is expected to lay out the military’s new responsibilities and how it coordinates its mission with that of the N.S.A., where most of the expertise on digital warfare resides today.

The decision to create a cybercommand is a major step beyond the actions taken by the Bush administration, which authorized several computer-based attacks but never resolved the question of how the government would prepare for a new era of warfare fought over digital networks.

It is still unclear whether the military’s new command or the N.S.A. — or both — will actually conduct this new kind of offensive cyberoperations.

The White House has never said whether Mr. Obama embraces the idea that the United States should use cyberweapons, and the public announcement on Friday is expected to focus solely on defensive steps and the government’s acknowledgment that it needs to be better organized to face the threat from foes attacking military, government and commercial online systems.

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates has pushed for the Pentagon to become better organized to address the security threat.

Initially at least, the new command would focus on organizing the various components and capabilities now scattered across the four armed services.

Officials declined to describe potential offensive operations, but said they now viewed cyberspace as comparable to more traditional battlefields.

“We are not comfortable discussing the question of offensive cyberoperations, but we consider cyberspace a war-fighting domain,“ said Bryan Whitman, a Pentagon spokesman. “We need to be able to operate within that domain just like on any battlefield, which includes protecting our freedom of movement and preserving our capability to perform in that environment.”

Although Pentagon civilian officials and military officers said the new command was expected to initially be a subordinate headquarters under the military’s Strategic Command, which controls nuclear operations as well as cyberdefenses, it could eventually become an independent command.

“No decision has been made,” said Lt. Col. Eric Butterbaugh, a Pentagon spokesman. “Just as the White House has completed its 60-day review of cyberspace policy, likewise, we are looking at how the department can best organize itself to fill our role in implementing the administration’s cyberpolicy.”

The creation of the cyberczar’s office inside the White House appears to be part of a significant expansion of the role of the national security apparatus there. A separate group overseeing domestic security, created by President George W. Bush after the Sept. 11 attacks, now resides within the National Security Council. A senior White House official responsible for countering the proliferation of nuclear and unconventional weapons has been given broader authority. Now, cybersecurity will also rank as one of the key threats that Mr. Obama is seeking to coordinate from the White House.

The strategy review Mr. Obama will discuss on Friday was completed weeks ago, but delayed because of continuing arguments over the authority of the White House office, and the budgets for the entire effort.

It was kept separate from the military debate over whether the Pentagon or the N.S.A. is best equipped to engage in offensive operations. Part of that debate hinges on the question of how much control should be given to American spy agencies, since they are prohibited from acting on American soil.

“It’s the domestic spying problem writ large,” one senior intelligence official said recently. “These attacks start in other countries, but they know no borders. So how do you fight them if you can’t act both inside and outside the United States?”

John Markoff contributed reporting from San Francisco.

SEV EN CANCER PREVENTION TIPS

from Dr. Weil.COM

Yesterday's Daily Tip focused on cancer and supplements; today we look at nutrition and its relationship to cancer. A healthy diet can help the body in its efforts to heal itself, and in some cases, particular foods can lessen the risks of serious illness. To help reduce your risk of some types of cancer, try the following: Avoid polyunsaturated vegetable oils, margarine, vegetable shortening, all partially hydrogenated oils, and all foods that might contain trans-fatty acids (such as deep-fried foods). Increase omega-3 fatty acids by eating more cold water oily fish, freshly ground flaxseeds, and walnuts. Reduce consumption of animal foods and try to replace them with vegetable proteins such as whole soy products. Use hormone-free, organically produced products whenever possible. Eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. Eat shiitake, enokitake, maitake, and oyster mushrooms frequently. Drink green tea daily.

TIBA ASILIA YA KUSHUSHA LEHEMU MWILINI

From Dr. Weil.com

5 Ways to Lower Cholesterol Through Diet
Tip of the Day 5/25/2009

For people battling high cholesterol, choosing meals wisely can be a challenge, but it is essential. Restaurants, parties, even an office potluck may present unhealthy temptations. But simple dietary modifications can help you eliminate those unhealthy choices, while still allowing you to enjoy your meals. Try these healthful ways to help lower your cholesterol: Reduce saturated fat. The richest sources of saturated fat (fat that is usually solid at room temperature) in the diet are red meat and dairy foods. Substitute whole soy protein for animal protein, and use low- or non-fat dairy products. Avoid trans-fat. Stay away from items that list "partially hydrogenated oil" on the label, especially snack foods. Try baked or air-popped versions instead. Use fresh garlic regularly in your meals. Garlic has been shown to help lower cholesterol levels. Drink green tea daily. The antioxidants in green tea help lower cholesterol and prevent the cholesterol in your blood from oxidizing. Eat plenty of soluble fiber. It has a powerful cholesterol-lowering effect. The best sources are beans and lentils, apples, citrus fruits, oats, barley, peas, carrots and freshly ground flaxseed.

KAJIFUNGUA WATOTO SITA KWA MPIGO BILA KUTUMIA HOMONI VIRUBISHO

Mwenzetu kajaaliwa kupata watoto sita bila ya kutumia tiba ya kileo. Maombi yake kwa Rabukka yamekubaliwa! Maana Ireland ni katika mataifa yenye familia zenye watoto wengi zaidi duniani.

Sextuplets arrive in five minutes

A mother has given birth to sextuplets in just five minutes.

Related photos / videos

Sister Patricia Denvir was the lead midwife as six babies were delivered within five …

The babies - four girls and two boys - weighed between 1lb 7oz and 2lb 2oz and doctors confirmed they were not conceived through IVF.

Their condition in intensive care at a Belfast hospital is described as "as good as could be expected".

Friday's successful Caesarean section birth - which involved 30 medical staff - was 14 weeks early and is believed to be the first case of sextuplets in Northern Ireland.

Neonatal consultant Dr Clifford Mayes said: "This is both a happy time and a potentially difficult time.

"This pregnancy isn't the result of IVF. It is an extraordinary thing to have witnessed but you are also struck by the fact that there are little babies in intensive care.

"We have planned very carefully for today and today went as well as we had hoped it would. The care of the babies would be the care we would normally expect for any baby."

The birth of sextuplets is rare, occurring in about one out of 4.5 million pregnancies.

Midwifery sister Patricia Denvir was the lead midwife involved in Friday's operation.

"It is a very stressful situation both for our staff, all of the staff involved and also for the parents, but it's a situation that went very well. The mother was very composed - under a very stressful situation, both parents were very composed and they dealt with it very well," she said.

BIBI KUPATA UJAUZITO NI KOSA LA JINAI KIDAKITARI !

Mwenzetu huyu kajaaliwa kupata ujauzito kwa kutumia tiba ya kileo ya kupandikizwa mbegu na anafurahia hali hiyo.

Age irrelevant, says mum-to-be, 66

Sunday, May 17 09:45 am

A 66-year-old businesswoman set to become Britain's oldest mother has shrugged off controversy over her

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News of a 66-year-old's pregnancy has caused debate

Elizabeth Adeney, of Lidgate, Suffolk - who is eight months pregnant - told the Sunday Mirror: "It doesn't interest me that I'm going to be the oldest mum in the country."

She also said that sometimes she felt as young as 39, adding: "It's not my physical age that's important - it's how I feel inside."

The childless divorcee travelled to the Ukraine for IVF treatment, the paper said, and is planning to give birth at a clinic in Cambridge.

She will be nearing 80 when the child becomes a teenager.

Ms Adeney, who runs a manufacturing business near her home and will be 67 in July, said: "I have young girls working for me in my factory and I'm fitter than half of them.

"I don't have to defend what I've done. It's between me, my baby and no-one else."

Most British clinics will not offer IVF treatment to women over the age of 50.

Professor Severino Antinori, who helped 62-year-old Briton Patricia Rashbrook give birth three years ago, said he was shocked at the prospect of Ms Adeney having a child.

"I respect the choice medically but I think anything over 63 is risky because you cannot guarantee the child will have a loving mother or family," he told The Sunday Times. "It is possible to give a child to the mother up to the age of 83 but it is medically criminal to do this because the likelihood is the child will lose his mum and suffer from psychological problems."

KIJANA MPIGANAJI USA KAPATA USHUJAA ASIOUOTEA

MAMBO YA VITA YA USA NA AFGHANISTAN HAYO !


U.S. defense chief lauds soldier in pink boxers

AP – Soldiers from the U.S. Army First Battalion, 26th Infantry take defensive positions at firebase Restrepo …
Thu May 21, 8:05 pm ET
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Thursday praised an Army soldier in eastern Afghanistan who drew media attention this month after rushing to defend his post from attack while wearing pink boxer shorts and flip-flops.
In fact, Gates said he wants to meet the soldier and shake his hand the next time he visits Afghanistan.
"Any soldier who goes into battle against the Taliban in pink boxers and flip-flops has a special kind of courage," Gates said in remarks prepared for a speech in New York.
"I can only wonder about the impact on the Taliban. Just imagine seeing that: a guy in pink boxers and flip-flops has you in his cross-hairs. What an incredible innovation in psychological warfare," he said.
Army Specialist Zachary Boyd, 19, of Fort Worth, Texas, rushed from his sleeping quarters on May 11 to join fellow platoon members at a base in Afghanistan's Kunar Province after the unit came under fire from Taliban positions.
A news photographer was on hand to record the image of Boyd standing at a makeshift rampart in helmet, body armor, red T-shirt and boxers emblazoned with the message: "I love NY."
When the image wound up on the front page of the New York Times, Boyd told his parents he might lose his job if President Barack Obama saw him out of uniform.
"I can assure you that Specialist Boyd's job is very safe indeed," Gates said in the speech.
The U.S. defense chief was scheduled to deliver the speech at New York's annual Salute to Freedom dinner in Manhattan.

VIHONGWE WA WENZETU WANAZALIANA NA FARASI !

A County Durham farmer is celebrating the birth of what she believes is the world's smallest mule. Skip related content
Related photos / videos
Miniature mule Pedro could be one of the world's smallest
Maisey Watson bred her horse with the farm's donkey Angus, resulting in the birth of tiny Pedro, who stands at just 20 inches tall.
The diminutive animal was born two weeks ago at Springwell Farm in Consett, and is now happily grazing at the farm.
Mules, which are bred by crossing donkeys and horses, usually grow up to be midway between the size of their parents.
But little Pedro, whose mother is just 30 inches tall herself, will only grow to the size of a Labrador dog, said Mrs Watson.
Baby Pedro is so small that Mrs Watson, 49, fears he might be pocketed by an opportunistic thief.
She told Newcastle's Journal newspaper: "He will be very valuable so I will be keeping a close eye on him.
"We knew he was going to be small when Mrs Pickles mated with Angus the donkey. He barely comes up to my knee-cap at the moment. I can pick him up and give him a cuddle."

MAZINGIRA YETU TUNAZIDI KUYACHAFUA DUNIANI

from www.isidelhi.org

ENVIRONMENT: GLOBAL WARMING/CLIMATE CHANGE (Top Page)
35. World's largest freshwater lake under dire threat from climate change (9)Washington (IANS): Siberia's Lake Baikal, the world's largest freshwater lake, faces severe ecological threats due to climate change, a new study has found. The planet's most biologically diverse water body, Lake Baikal is considered a treasure trove for biologists. It was designated a World Heritage Site by Unesco because a high proportion of its rich fauna and flora cannot be found anywhere else. Perhaps the most alarming imminent threat stems from the dependence of the lake's food web on large, endemic diatoms, which are vulnerable to expected reductions in the length of time the lake is frozen each winter. The study was based on a joint analysis by a US-Russian team which included Marianne Moore of Wellesley College, Massachusetts, and five co-authors, including four from Irkutsk State University in Russia. Moore and colleagues note that Lake Baikal's climate has become measurably milder over recent decades, and that annual precipitation is expected to increase. The average ice depth in the lake is known to have decreased, and the ice-free season has increased. Changes in the lake's food-web composition have been documented. Future shortening in the duration of ice cover is expected to curtail the growth of the lake's endemic diatoms. This is because unlike most diatoms, they bloom under ice in springtime and are highly dependent on ice cover for their reproduction and growth. The diatoms constitute the principal food of tiny crustaceans abundant in the lake, and these in turn are preyed upon by the lake's fish. Shortened periods of ice cover and changes in the ice's transparency may also harm the Baikal seal, the lake's top predator and the world's only exclusively freshwater seal. Because the seals mate and give birth on the ice, premature melting of the ice forces them into the water before melting and drastically reduces their fertility. A warmer, wetter climate may be the principal threat to Lake Baikal's unique biological heritage, but it is not the only one. The secondary effects of climate change, including greater nutrient input and industrial pollution from melting permafrost, may also exact a toll on an already-stressed ecosystem. (The Hindu 5/5/09)

HII NI MIUJIZA YA MWENYEZIMUNGU TU

Mum's Shock At Twins With Different Dads

4 hours 51 mins ago

© Sky News 2009

A mother of twins has had a shock after doctors revealed that her 11-month-old boys do not have the same father.

Related photos / videos

Mum's Shock At Twins With Different Dads Enlarge photo

Mia Washington decided to get some expert advice when she and her partner noticed that twins Justin and Jordan had different facial features.

Paternity tests then revealed what had happened - two eggs had been fertilised by two different sperm and there was a 99.99% chance the twins had different dads.

Doctors at the DNA lab in Dallas, Texas had never seen such a result.

Mia later admitted she had had an affair and got pregnant by two different men at the same time.

She told TV channel Fox 4: "Out of all people in America and of all people in the world, it had to happen to me. I'm very shocked."

Clear Diagnostics president Genny Thibodeaux said: "It is very crazy. Most people don't believe it can happen, but it can."

Sky's health correspondent Thomas Moore explains: "A woman can release two eggs from her ovaries, and the eggs will remain viable for 24 hours after ovulation.

"Sperm can survive up to five days inside a woman's body, so a woman could sleep with different men several days apart, and get pregnant not once, but twice."

And while it sounds rare, recent research indicates that one in 12 non-identical twins are so-called bi-paternal, with a rise in fertility treatment and changing sexual behaviour being blamed.

Mia's partner James Harrison is father to one of the boys.

He told Fox 4 that he had forgiven his fiancee for having the affair and intended to raise both children as his own.

However, he admitted it had been tough discovering the truth.

"It's a day by day thing. It's going to take time to build the trust like we had," he said.

The couple plan to tell the twins they are half-brothers when they are old enough to understand.

HATA SERIKALI SASA INAINGILIA HUDUMA YA MBWA

Overweight dog lands man in court

Wednesday, May 13 08:03 am

• Print Story

A man is due to appear in court charged with animal welfare offences after his dog was found to be dangerously overweight. Skip related content

Related photos / videos

Overweight border collieTaz (right), pictured with an average sized companion

Taz, a five-year-old border collie, was taken into the care of Brighton and Hove City Council after his owner, Ronald West, of Donald Hall Road, Brighton, ignored repeated orders to improve his diet.

West will appear at Brighton Magistrates' Court on charges under the Animal Welfare Act 2006.

The animal was found with overgrown nails and weighed 40kg when animal welfare officers visited West's flat, earlier this year.

Dog faeces were found on the floor in every room, and the flat was also strewn with rubbish.

West, 62, was advised by the officers to clean up the flat, exercise Taz and take him to the vet for advice on weight loss. However, on a further visit to the flat they are said to have found the conditions even worse.

West is said to have told officers that the dog was overweight due to being give too many treats by him and his friends, and that he had been unwell and so was unable to clean up the flat or walk the dog.

WANYAMAPORI WA AFRIKA HAWANA MIPAKA

Jamani, WANYAMAPORI wetu wa Afrika tangu lini wamewekewa mipaka? Tuliowekewa mipaka ni sisi wanadamu tu. Hawa hawana hatia. Kama wanafanya uharibifu, ni dalili ya wazi kwamba wenzetu jirani wameshaharibu mazingira yao kiasi kwamba sasa hawana jinsi ya kujipatia chakula; na ndio sababu ya kuvamia mashamba upande wapili ! Tusiwalaumu wanyama, tujilaumu sisi wanadamu hatuko makini na maliasili zetu.


Date: Thursday, May 14, 2009, 3:44 PM

TEMBO, NYUMBU WA KENYA WAHARIBU MAZAO KILIMANJARO

Written by Rehema Matowo

MKUU wa Wilaya ya Siha mkoani Kilimanjaro, Anarose Nyamubi ameiomba serikali kuchukua hatua za haraka kuwaondoa wanyama wakali kutoka nchini Kenya waliovamia makazi ya watu katika Wilaya hiyo na kusababisha wakazi wa maeneo hayo, kuogopa kutoka nje kwa kuhofia kujeruhiwa na tembo na nyumbu. Nyamubi aliyasema hayo, katika kikao cha 18 cha ushauri cha Mkoa kilichofanyika juzi na kuhudhuriwa na viongozi mbalimbali na kufafanua kuwa kundi la Nyumbu, tembo na swala kutoka katika msitu wa hifadhi wa Amboseli nchini Kenya wamevamia katika Wilaya hiyo na kuharibu mazao ya chakula. UNAONA BASI, HATA WANYAMA WA KENYA WANATAKA KUHAMIA TANZANIA! Jitukali.

UZURI WA MALIASILI YA ROCKY GAP RESORT, USA

WAMAREKANI NA MALI ASILI ZAO

Tangu Mei 10, 2009 hadi Mei 13, 2009 tulikuwa mkutanoni; mkutano ambao ulikuwa wa kutathmini kipindi cha miezi 10 tuliyokuwa hapa Washington DC tukijifunza mambo mbalimbali kutegemeana na kila mmoja wetu jinsi alivyojiamulia. Mimi nilikuwa nasomea sheria, hasa katika masuala ya Haki za Binadamu, nikijikita zaidi katika Haki ya kila mtu ya kupata huduma ya kupata haki yake (Access to Justice).

Hivyo siku hizo tatu ilikuwa pia ni mkutano wa kuagana kwa wanafunzi wote 163 tulioanza masomo yetu Agosti 3, 2008 katika vyuo 15 mbalimbali nchini Marekani, tuliotoka katika nchi zinazoendelea katika Ufadhili wa Serikali ya Marekani chini ya Mfuko wake wa Hubert Horatio Humphrey (HHH). Ufadhili huu hutolewa kila mwaka kuanzia mwaka 1978 na hutangazwa dunia nzima kupitia kwenye intaneti, na wenye bahati ya kutimiza sifa ndio huteuliwa kuhudhuria mafunzo haya. Kundi letu; yaani wafadhiliwa wote wa Mfuko huu tuliotoka nchi zinazoendelea kwa mwaka 2008/2009; litokalo katika nchi 90 duniani linamaliza rasmi masomo haya Juni 12, 2009 na hivyo tarehe hiyo ikifika, kila mmoja wetu anatakiwa awe keshapanda ndege akielekea kwao. Tulishaarifiwa mapema kwamba hata bima ya afya tuliyokatiwa inakwisha siku hiyo. Pamoja na hayo, tumepewa siku 30 zaidi kwa anayependa kuendelea kuwepo hapa kama Mtalii. Mkataba wetu unasema, baada ya kuondoka tarehe hiyo, hutakiwi kuonekana nchi hii hadi uwe umemaliza miaka 2 nchini kwenu ili ulichokisomea huku matunda yake yaonekane kwanza; yaani kikawasaidie wananchi wa kwenu.

Kundi langu mimi, lililokuwa na wanafunzi 11 lilikuwa katika Chuo kiitwacho American University, Washington College of Law, kilichopo jijini Washington DC, Marekani. Ikumbukwe tu kwamba jiji hili ambalo ndio mji mkuu wa serikali wa nchi hii, lina idadi ya Wakazi 700,000. Katika kundi langu nipo mimi kutoka Tanzania. Wengine ni Kayum Ahmed kutoka Afrika Kusini (South Africa), Anneen De Jay kutoka Namibia, Michelle Maharajh-Brown kutoka Trinidad & Tobago, Wei na Cheng Dong kutoka China, Abdulhamid Nawaz Dilip kutoka Sri Lanka, Tarmelan Ibraimov kutoka Kirghizstan, Andrea de Souza na Flavia Pixoto toka Brazil na Roberto Moreno kutoka Panama. Katika nchi zilizowakilishwa na wanafunzi wawili wawili ni kutokana na ukubwa wa nchi hizo; yaani China na Brazil.

Hapa kwenye mkutano katika Wilaya ya Cumberland, jimboni Maryland panaitwa Rocky Gap Lodge & Golf Resort. Pana ziwa dogo liitwalo HABEEB ambamo mna samaki pia. Wapenzi wa kuendesha ngalawa na mitumbwi wanafurahia sana kutembea, kuvua na kufanya mazoezi katika ziwa hilo. Kina sisi wapenda kuendesha baiskeli kuna njia zetu pia za kupita na baiskeli kulizunguka ziwa hili. Vivyo hivyo pia kuna pia huduma za Gofu, kutembea kwa farasi, vigari vidogo vya kuendeshwa kutalii eneo hili, endapo mtu hawezi kutembea mwenyewe kwa miguu, bwawa la kuogelea ingawaje ziwa lipo hapo hapo, na kuna hao wenye afya zaidi ambao huamua kulizunguka ziwa hili kwa miguu, ambalo ukilimaliza lote ni kama wastani wa maili kati ya 6 hadi 8 hivi. Lakini njia za kutembea kwa miguu zimegawanywa katika sehemu fupi fupi pia.

Mandhari ya eneo hili kwa kweli sijawahi kuona katika umri na matembezi yangu niliyowahi kuyafanya popote pale. Kwa ufupi tu ni kama bakuli hivi. Yaani eneo limezungukwa na milima ya urefu wa kiasi katika pande zake na ziwa liko katikakati. Hiyo milima iliyozunguka ni kivutio tosha maana imevikwa misitu mizuri ya kijani kwa wakati huu wa mwezi Mei, kwani majani yalishaota baada ya kipindi cha kipupwe (winter) ambapo majani huwa yanadondoka na miti huachwa pepepe. Kutembelea mahala hapa ni ushuhuda mwingine wa kuonyesha ni kiasi gani wenzetu wanavyothamini mazingira yao na kuenzi mali asili zao. Hapa ni mahali pazuri mno kiasi kwamba ukifika hutaki kuondoka. Nafsi yako inakuambia ukodoleeee tuu.

Siku tulipofika, tulikuta barua toka kwa Meneja wa zamu (Front Desk Manager) Jaime Gordon iliyotufahamisha kwamba kuna ukarabati unaondelea wa kubadilisha televisheni vyumbani. Hivyo asiyependa usumbufu huo aweke tangazo mlangoni kwake ili asisumbuliwe (Do Not Disturb). Jambo hili nimeona ni la kiungwana sana la kutoa taarifa kwa wateja juu ya nini kinachoendelea.

Katika tembeatembea yangu katika hifadhi hii, nilikutana na sungura pori ambao ni wadogo kuliko sungura wa kufugwa na pia wana rangi zinazopendeza zaidi kwani rangi yao sio moja kama vile nyeupe tu. Sungura hawa ni wa rangi ya udongo na mkiani wana mstari mweupe unaopakana na mistari miwili mieusi. Utafikiri mtu kawachora mikiani. Kumbe ndivyo walivyoumbwa na Mola.

Pia katika pitapita yangu, nilikutana na jiwe pana kiasi cha mita moja kwa mita moja lililochongwa vipepeo na kuandikwa jina la mtu. Jiwe hili halikusimamishwa kama nilivyozoea kuona mawe yakisimamishwa kwa mfano kutambulisha kitu. Jiwe hili lilikuwa limelazwa chini lakini maandishi yake yalikuwa yanasomeka vizuri. Lilikuwa linatunzwa vizuri. Nilipouliza hotelini jina lile lililoandikwa jiweni lilikuwa la nani. Nikaambiwa kwamba mmoja wa wadau wa hotelini pale aliyekuwa na Kampuni ya kuwahudumia watu katika burudani mbalimbali (Western Maryland Adventures LLP) alikuwa na mtoto alifariki. Lile lilikuwa ndio jiwe la kumbukumbu la marehemu huyo aliyekuwa akiitwa KELSEY MICHELLE MILLER amezaliwa 1987 na amefariki 2004. Hiki pia kwangu kilikuwa kitu kigeni. Tumezoea kwetu Afrika mawe ya kumbukumbu yanawekwa makaburini lakini kumbe wenzetu wanaweka popote pale wachaguapo, pamoja na lile jiwe la malaloni.

Kwa kweli ilipofika saa tano kamili siku ya tarehe 13 Mei, 2009 na basi likang'oa nanga mahala pale, kila mmoja kati yetu alikuwa anajutia nafsini mwake kwa nini hatukukaa zaidi mahali pale. Itokeapo siku nawe msomaji wangu ukatamani kufika mahala hapo, tovuti yao ni hii hapa:

www.rockygapresort.com

Jamani, huko Moshi kwa nini serikali ya mabavu inaendelea? Kwanza ilikuwa Afisa wa Polisi kamkwida na kumfunga pamoja na pipa la taka Mmachinga hapo Stendi ya Moshi, sasa na hili. Mstahiki Meya mzima amzaba kibao Mlinzi wa Amani jamani! Uongozi nchini Tanzania unakwenda wapi? Hawa ni watumishi wa wananchi kweli? Aibu ilioje !

MOSHI MAYOR IN TROUBLE FOR SLAPPING GUARD !


PETER TEMBA in Moshi, 13th May 2009 @ 23:47, Total Comments: 0, Hits: 115

Moshi Mayor, Lameck Kaaya, yesterday appeared in court here charged with assault for slapping a municipal guard in March. Before Magistrate Geni Dudu, the mayor pleaded "not guilty" and was released on bail after signing a 300,000/- bond with the court.

The prosecution said investigation was incomplete and the case was adjourned to June 2, when it will be mentioned. Prosecuting, State Attorney, Ms Scolastica Lugongo, had earlier told the court that on March 16, at around 11:00am, at the Moshi Municipal Council, the accused slapped Christina Jeseph (26) on her cheeks.

Kaaya is defended by Professor Robert Msanga while the complainant has hired legal services of a Moshi-based seasoned lawyer, Ms Elizabeth Minde. Meanwhile, the complainant has alleged here that some of her key eyewitnesses, who are employees of the Council, have been threatened by their heads of departments not to testify against the accused person. When the Municipal Executive Director, Ms Bernadette Kinabo, was contacted to comment on the allegation, she said she was not aware of such threats.

UKEKETAJI BADO NI TATIZO TANZANIA, AFRIKA

Thursday May 14, 2009

Feature

Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is illegal in Tanzania

The ordeal of FGM Most Read Beautiful breasts and perfect breasts Yanga reschedule trip to Comoro, now fly out tomorrow Indian held over grisly murder of Dar businessman Tulawaka mine achieves record output Let’s flog the GTV chaps in public CRDB Bank posts 39bn/- net profit Man held in Dar for possession of counterfeit notes Dar set for major IMF conference Yanga executive approve Ngassa deal Female Genital Mutilation is illegal in Tanzania More News Transforming the face of Khanga Violence against women high in Zanzibar Women and property before and after LMA MALARIA: a scourge to be fought most aggressively Media ethics and commercialisation of the news Three cheers to the young mothers of today in their daily struggles 2010 elections in Zanzibar tipped the most competitive Making ends meet in Mwanza City Mtwara strategises to counter potential food shortage Most women remain in menial jobs Reaping the fruits of great efforts From wives and husbands to wives of husbands Rose Valentine – Tanzania’s accomplished fashion designer Tricky rocky hills of Mwanza still safe GrAFfiTi…giving life to dreams! Local market 'full of counterfeit goods' Discrimination, stigma kill AIDS victims Meela: An exemplary civil servant Govt loses billions in massive tax evasions Women and Matrimonial Property ALLOYCE KOMBA, 12th February 2009 @ 01:31, Total Comments: 6, Hits: 9094 The World Health Organization (WHO) defines Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) as constituting all procedures that involve the partial or total removal of the external female genitalia, or other intentional mutilation of the female genital organs, whether for cultural or any other non-therapeutic reasons. According to research findings on the practice of FGM in Tanzania conducted by the Legal and Human Rights Centre (LHRC) four years ago, it is estimated that about 18% of Tanzanian women undergo FGM. However, the actual extent of the problem is not fully known because of the reluctance of women in some communities to talk about the practice which deprives their rights of equality and life under the veil of customs and traditions. FGM is a human rights abuse to women and girl child although it is has been accepted in some sections of our society as part of deep-rooted cultural and traditional values. It is practiced during initiation ceremonies when girls who have reached the age of puberty are mutilated of their genitalia. The practice is believed to be a sign of passage from childhood to adulthood. The girls are taught on the roles of women in the community. Other reasons for the practice have been the need to control a woman’s sexual desire, so that she remains faithful to her husband; belief that the female genitalia becomes more hygienic if removed and belief that the clitoris will kill a child coming through the birth canal. There is also a belief that performing FGM on the girl child pleases the ancestors; hence will protect the family from harm. If the girl child is not circumcised, they believe harm (bad omen) will befall the family. FGM has physical, psychological and sexual consequences. The post-FGM health issues show permanent physical damage to the girl child. There is continuous bleeding, tetanus infections because of the tools used, loss of woman’s elasticity at the vaginal opening which causes problems in childbirth. Apart from the physical damage to the girl child, there are psychological problems emanating from nightmare of the pains of mutilation. The psychological trauma is said (by doctors) to cause women to tighten their legs during delivery and kill their babies because they remember the pain of FGM! Research findings in Mara, Dodoma, Singida, Kilimanjaro, Arusha and Mtwara regions have disclosed that due to FGM, women do not experience a lot of satisfaction during sexual intercourse and many find it painful because of the resulting non-elasticity on their vaginal opening. Due to lack of sexual desire on the part of a mutilated woman, nowadays there are reports of high incidences of marriage difficulties because husbands look elsewhere, usually to uncircumcised women for sexual pleasure. In Tanzania, FGM is illegal. Apart from international conventions ratified, the government passed the Sexual Offences special Provisions Act, 1998 (SOSPA). The law specifically states under section 21 that FGM is illegal. Although women over the age of 18 are excluded from the provision of the law, there are calls from human rights activists that it has to be amended because the effect is the same regardless of age. At the international level, FGM is a violation of human rights of women and the girl child. The United Nations Sub Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities appointed a special rapporteur in 1994 to study traditional practices affecting the health of women and children. The Rapporteur states in her June 1997 report that: “…we can no longer swathe these traditional practices and female genital mutilations in chaste cloak of social values and standards. It is no longer simply a case of health but a human rights and violation of those rights.” Therefore, the international community has taken a very strong stand against FGM. The UN and many other governmental and Non Governmental bodies are actively calling for the eradication of the practice. More recently, international human rights documents have begun to specifically identify FGM as a human rights issue. Article 2 of the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women (Beijing, 1995), states that violence against women includes female genital mutilation. In the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, FGM is recognized as a harmful practice and a violation of the rights of the girl child. In 1994, the UN produced a Recommendation specifically on female circumcision, calling upon governments to take steps to eradicate this harmful practice which is so detrimental to the health of women. In 1997, a year before SOSPA was enacted in Tanzania, the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) issued a joint statement confirming the universally unacceptable harm caused by FGM and issued an unqualified call for elimination of this practice in all its forms. To conclude our discussion, we must note that human rights cut across our cultural and traditional norms or beliefs and are not negotiable. Those practices, like FGM, which deny human rights to parts of the community, cannot be supported under the guise of cultural integrity. The writer of the article is a human rights lawyer and a freelance journalist. He is available for questions, opinions or comments through mobile phone numbers 071... or 0786 362 544 and e-mail address: alloycekomba@yahoo.com.

JAMANI MALIASILI ZETU TANZANIA !

Nakuunga mkono Bwana Adam Lusekelo kwa kuongezea zaidi kwamba hawa watu huko Wizarani wanavunja Katiba ya Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania, ibara ya 27 (1) na (2) na kwa sababu hiyo wanastahili kushtakiwa na taifa hili ili. Pamoja na kwamba baadhi ya uharibifu umeshafanyika, hatujachelewa kuilinda nchi yetu na maliasili zake! Kwa nini tujimalize huku tunajiona? Kwa nini hatujifunzi kwa wenzetu kama Wamarekani? Nipo hapa (Mei 14, 2009) Washington, DC ambao ndio mji mkuu wa Serikali ya Shirikisho la Marekani (USA). Nawahakikishia ndugu zangu Tanzania na Afrika kwamba hapa Washington DC pana misitu minene na ipo ndani ya jiji hili, ina wanyama, ina ndege na inalindwa ipasavyo watu hawathubutu haiharibu. Thursday May 14, 2009 The madness continues! Lusekelo Adam. Most Read Beautiful breasts and perfect breasts Yanga reschedule trip to Comoro, now fly out tomorrow Indian held over grisly murder of Dar businessman Tulawaka mine achieves record output Let’s flog the GTV chaps in public CRDB Bank posts 39bn/- net profit Man held in Dar for possession of counterfeit notes Dar set for major IMF conference Yanga executive approve Ngassa deal Female Genital Mutilation is illegal in Tanzania More News The madness continues! Who watches the watchdog? Love your children, be the mother you are… When editors, reporters take sides! Kikwete right on EA regional integration What is the marriageable age…? Learning life’s lessons through the ‘whipping’ arm of my mum Politicians should warn us they would raise their pay once elected Let us get rid of parliament before next general election Will JK, can JK rise up to the occasion? In Kibera, a ‘Mini slum City close to Nairobi’, sex workers are useful members of the public Death traps in your house! The media and the battle of the ‘sharks’ and ‘whales’ And now let's rumble! A week of bliss without my mobile phone Do onto you as you’d like do 4 others… Why do men like to dominate thee? Local media and 2010 elections Of Ilala, Tabata, Madiba and all that: Soliloquay How many more Mbagalas to go? Lusekelo Adam, 13th May 2009 @ 02:24, Total Comments: 5, Hits: 362 I HAVE been thinking, and that brings great fear into my mind. Right now, I hear the world-famous heritage, the Ngorongoro Crater National Park, is about to be scrapped from the world natural heritages list. Reason? Some government nincompoops have okayed the rapid increase of human activities around the area under the control of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority. This is simply madness! For heaven's sake, the Ngorongoro Crater is one of the wonders of the world. It is a place of breathtaking beauty by any account. The wildlife concentration is second to none in the world. And then you hear that some fellas in government have allowed farming activities in the Ngorongoro. Why, for God's sake? Wildlife should strictly be treated as that - wild! I am sure neither the majestic lions nor any other wild creature at the Crater invited a species known as homo sapiens to go and farm in the conservation area. I am sure the comical hyenas of the Crater did not ask human beings to go and build kiosks, bars and guesthouses there. The animals in the Crater are strictly teetotalers, anyway. It's all just human greed! The animals are great to watch - at a distance. I am sure they don't want to have homo sapiens as neighbours. Government rulers like to brag that we have 40 million hectares to spare. There are even very uncomfortable noises of offering land to foreigners. Surely, the local agriculturists can be offered some land for agriculture, instead of having people squeezing animals at the national parks. It's just criminal to turn Ngorongoro into a zoo. Some 300 cars are allowed to go into the Ngorongoro Crater daily. More madness! If we have any responsible authority (I doubt it, sometimes) the number of vehicles going into the park should be halved, yesterday! This is a God-given present and we are duty bound to cherish and protect it. We shouldn't reduce it to a gigantic car park. Likewise there is madness, not unlike Ngorongoro in the Serengeti National Park. They have just completed building a five-star 77-room Kempinski hotel called the Bilila Lodge. The 'investors' are said to have carried out the construction at a site rich in wildlife in such a way that 'one moves around the large site on elevated walkways with the animals underneath'. Which is a load of crap. They want to turn it into a Serengeti zoo. I insist that only demented people in the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism would okay such a venture. Wild animals should be left to be just that - wild. You don't go about building a concrete jungle pat on the middle of a national park! It is simply ugly. Why should one plan to make zoos of our national parks? Kenya tried the same nonsense inside national parks. These contributed to an incredible reduction of wildlife in national parks in the last three decades. That will also happen here if this trend by mad people is left unchecked. There must be an end to human greed somewhere. Leave our national parks alone! alusekelo@gmail.com adamlusekelo.blogspot.com