TWENTIETH ISSUE
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6. SCRIBBLED POETRY SECTION WEEPING ANGEL
SUBILA E. CHILUPULA
8. CONDOLENCES
#TEAMSKIES
10. WHICH REGIME TYPE (DE-
MOCRACY OR AUTHORITARIANISM) DO YOU FEEL IS MOST UNSTABLE IN TODAY’S WORLD? SOFIA POLIZZY CARBONELLI
18. REMEMBER THE COCONUT TREE
MICHAEL DALE-ASIEDU, (GHANA)
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WEEPING ANGEL By Subila E. Chilupula (Zambia) Like them on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ScribbledPoetry
SCRIBBLED POETRY SECTION
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SUBILA E. CHILUPULA
A thick mist forms a blanket on her home Or what remains of the once beautiful dome She wears a cloak of sadness Her crown graced with a cap of disgrace A throne of fears Her face bowed down as she sheds a million tears From her throne flows a stream of pain and despair Scattered around her like a million diamond pieces Lie her shattered heart’s pieces Her tears, frozen icicles Her fears dance in endless circles So many shades of gray Snow blocking her heart’s driveway The chambers of her heart Cold dark dungeons in the shadows set apart Chambers of hate, chambers of pain Summer was too late, so it’s winter again Shroud of disaster, cloak of rage Ink of blood her skin her page Down on her knees on the wet sands Face buried in her hands A broken wing, her halo a dim ring Her face bears the scars of her tears Tears intoxicated with the acid of her fears Down they fall upon the ground Sick Soul, her heart bound
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CONDOLENCES
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#TEAMSKIES
As the awakening of #TeamSkies
on the 1st of December 2013, we have witnessed the shocking loss of an Actor that never really won an Oscar. But, more importantly; won the hearts of millions around the world through his contributions in the famous franchise of the fast and furious. We would like to send our condolences to the family of Paul Walker, the man that left us with reminiscence and souvenirs to always celebrate what he has done. In the accident, Paul was with another man, his friend Roger which was overshadowed by the media coverage. And we believe that it is only fair to send his family our condolences too. Yes, we love Paul and his soul. But, let us not exaggerate our grief just for the sake of the Syrians, Iraqis, Africans and all the people that die everyday due to war, hunger and injustice. Our sincere condolences to all those who lost their loved ones. #TeamSkies Photography Credits Manu Brabo
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Which regime type (democracy or authoritarianism) do you feel is most unstable in today’s world?
Sofia Polizzy Carbonelli
WHICH REGIME TYPE (DEMOCRACY OR AUTHORITARIANISM) DO YOU FEEL IS MOST UNSTABLE IN TODAY’S WORLD?
T
“ o be or not to be? That is the question.” When Shakespeare wrote this quote, he didn’t mean for Hamlet to contemplate ‘to be’ as to live and ‘not to be’ as to do nothing about it, Shakespeare defined ‘to be’ as to commit suicide and therefore be free and ‘not to be’ as to continue living under the oppressive regime that was his life. To be a democracy or an authoritarian regime in todays world? There is a common perception that democracies are more stable than authoritarian regimes, because ‘to be’ under a democracy means freedom of speech and the right to vote, while ‘not to be’ in an authoritarian regime would mean living under dictatorship and poverty. However, in this essay I will contemplate whether democracies or authoritar-
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ian regimes are more stable in today’s world by looking at empirical phenomena’s such as economic, political and social reasons. It is my belief that just because in the developed world we believe that democracies are more stable, it does not mean that it’s the truth, in the end every regime is different and carefully adapted to each nations needs. Applying general standards of regimes to every country will result in instability. Therefore I will argue that there is no single answer to this question. I am going to argue that authoritarian regimes and democracies can be both equally unstable and stable because I don’t believe that there is one correct political structure, nor one incorrect one. Every country is dif-
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ferent; we all have different histories, cultures, languages, likes and dislikes. How could we apply one type of regime and declare it more stable than the other? There have been some amazing dictators in this world that have created peace and stability in their countries, as well as amazing presidents and prime ministers that have only remained in power for a short amount of time. How could we ever judge which system is more correct than the other? It would be futile to argue that democracies are more stable than authoritarian regimes because that’s not true. There are multitudes of democracies and dictatorships and it’s hard to generalize them and to apply them to any random country. Moreover we have to remember
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that a regime, regardless if it’s authoritarian or democratic it will always be less stable if it has high inflation, low unemployment, high levels of corruption and poverty plague its country. It’s the circumstances that surround the regime that make it unstable. For example, lets look at Mandela in South Africa and all the work that he did in order to end the Apartheid, and he only stayed president for one term in order to maintain the values of democracy even though his people would have loved for him to stay longer as president. South Africa today is a democracy however can we call it a stable democracy when its population actually wants less democracy? Lets examine Nasser, the
WHICH REGIME TYPE (DEMOCRACY OR AUTHORITARIANISM) DO YOU FEEL IS MOST UNSTABLE IN TODAY’S WORLD?
“Democracy is based on the majority principle. This is especially true in a country such as ours where the vast majority have been systematically denied their rights. At the same time, democracy also requires that the rights of political and other minorities be safeguarded. In the political order we have established there will regular, open and free elections, at all levels of government — central, provincial and municipal. There shall also be a social order which respects completely the culture, language and religious rights of all sections of our society and the fundamental rights of the individual.” NELSON MANDELA Inaugural speech (1994)
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We should be more modest in our belief that we can impose democracy on a country through military force. In the past, it has been movements for freedom from within tyrannical regimes that have led to flourishing democracies; movements that continue today. This doesn’t mean abandoning our values and ideals; wherever we can, it’s in our interest to help foster democracy through the diplomatic and economic resources at our disposal. But even as we provide such help, we should be clear that the institutions of democracy – free markets, a free press, a strong civil society – cannot be built overnight, and they cannot be built at the end of a barrel of a gun. And so we must realize that the freedoms FDR once spoke of – especially freedom from want and freedom from fear – do not just come from deposing a tyrant and handing out ballots; they are only realized once the personal and material security of a people is ensured as well. BARACK OBAMA, speech, Nov. 20, 200
THE OVERSEAS’ DREAM
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MICHAEL DALE-ASIEDU
WHICH REGIME TYPE (DEMOCRACY OR AUTHORITARIANISM) DO YOU FEEL IS MOST UNSTABLE IN TODAY’S WORLD?
Egyptian dictator from the 1950’s till the 1970’s, his dictatorship was defined as ‘soft-hearted authoritarianism’, and even though Egypt was plagued by instability in that time, nobody in Egypt doubted Nasser and his leadership. When he decided to resign after losing the 1967 war against Israel, the Egyptians went out in the street and begged him to go back in power. Does that make his dictatorship any less stable than Mandela’s? Any less legitimate? On the other hand, we can argue exactly the opposite. Some of the most oppressive regimes in the world are authoritarian regimes, such as that of Kim JongIl, that of Gaddafi in Libya, or even Spain its self under
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Franco; nobody was surprised when a bloody revolution sparked and nobody will be surprised if there is a revolution in North Korea in the next ten years. However, even democracies can be fully unstable, as some countries use and abuse the title democracy but hide underneath it a world of corruption and greed. Other countries merely flaunt the word democracy as to gain international credibility. For example, Russia, is it a democracy? And if it is, can we categorize it as stable? We have been accustomed to affiliate democracy with economic growth, fairness and stability. Authoritarian regimes on the other hand with instability, greed and poverty, but its roles can be reversed. As my fi-
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nal example, I would like to bring up the case of the USA, democracy or authoritarian regime? Stable or unstable? Developing or not? The USA is a funny case to analyze; every four years they hold democratic elections, where its population is allowed to vote essentially for two parties, the Democrats and the Republicans. Just starting with this we can see that Americans don’t really have much freedom to choose. Second of all, in 2012 Obama won the elections with a 51.1% of the vote, making him president. However, its important to highlight that he won not by a massive landslide not even my a tiny one, he barely won. His opposition, Mitt Romney won 47.2% of the votes, that’s still a huge number that we cannot ignore. Its nearly half the population, how can it be a democracy that represents the wants and needs of the
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people when half of them did not vote for that president? Moreover is America a stable country? With the economic crisis that hit the world in 2008, the Occupy Wall Street movement, its constant complex to go and ‘save’ countries that are in need, and my favorite, the government shutdown, does that make it stable? To conclude I would like to say that there is no exact single answer for this question. We live in a world with 7 Billion people, over 200 countries and 7 continents, how could we ever apply one regime system and declare it more stable than the other? Every country is different, with the invention of technology and the evolution of globalization we have learned to socially adapt to rapid changes however our political system is still lagging behind. Political systems are something unique
to its own country, its own people and its own historical/cultural background. The American version of democracy could never work in China, nor could the French system work in Ghana. We should stop trying to force our (by our I mean the European Union and the USA because we are the ones that have been dictating politics for the past hundred years) perfect version of political regimes on different countries, as if it was a puzzle piece that could not quite fit. That puzzle piece no matter how hard we might push it, cut it and squeeze it will never be quite right and will result in instability, regardless if it is an authoritarian or democratic regime.
Sofia Polizzy Carbonelli
WHICH REGIME TYPE (DEMOCRACY OR AUTHORITARIANISM) DO YOU FEEL IS MOST UNSTABLE IN TODAY’S WORLD?
"The secret of US success is neither Wall Street nor Silicon Valley, but its long-surviving rule of law and the system behind it... Democracy is the most urgent; without it there is no sustainable rise. Ideals of democracy are not restricted by national borders, or by historical ones. If a system fails to let its citizens breathe freely and release their creativity to the maximum extent, and fails to place those who best represent the system and its people into leadership positions, it is certain to perish,” and promised that in the next ten years, China would certainly see political change. GENERAL LIU YAZHOU (刘亚洲), POLITICAL COMMISSAR OF THE NATIONAL DEFENCE UNIVERSITY
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REMEMBER THE COCONUT TREE
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REMEMBER THE COCONUT TREE
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MICHAEL DALE-ASIEDU, (GHANA)
t is said that what the old can see and comprehend when sitting down, the young cannot come to a minutest grasp of it even when they are on top of an Iroko tree. Wisdom has long been associated with the old. What grandma used to say somewhat jokingly years ago finds resounding significance now in my growing years; this is what she used to say many times when she threaded this part of our planet called earth, a true story. “Remember the coconut tree”.
minutes away from giving up, “remember the coconut tree” never ceased to depart from her lips as if they possessed some magical prowess to lighten their heavy burdens and appease their weary souls instantaneously. It was later in life that I realized the sublime, pear like and profound magnanimity that those words portray. The depth of symbolism of these words is beyond measure; far beyond what my frail skills as an up and coming writer can capture. Come to think of it.
Grandma used to say this every now and then. When there was no choicy food in my village home. She will say, “Remember the coconut tree”. When there was chaos, quarrelling and bickering, she will repeat those same words. The sheer significance she attached to those words, heavens only can tell. To me she had said it so severally that it had become a default rendition of her very being and existence. When her children, my mum and aunts who were mostly traders returned with not so good a sale, she cheered them up, ‘’remember the coconut tree’’. When they were
The coconut tree is one of the most important crops of the tropics. The slender, leaning, ringed trunk of the tree rises to an appreciable height from a swollen base and is surmounted by a graceful crown of giant, featherlike leaves. Mature fruits, ovoid or ellipsoid in shape; have a thick, fibrous husk surrounding the familiar single-seeded nut of commerce. A hard shell encloses the insignificant embryo with its abundant endosperm, composed of both meat and liquid. Some people believe that coconut palm is the symbol of romance in the tropics.
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They use the liquid for a nice refreshing drink. The dried meat of the coconut is called Copra. Oil is pressed from Copra. Coconut oil has a surprising number of health benefits, from relieving stress to bolstering your immune system. It’s rich in the lauric, capric and caprylic acids. These omega three fatty acids give it its antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anti-fungal properties. It can be used to cook food, moisturize skin, and treat infections. Aside the myriad of benefits obtained from the coconut it projects also, varying degrees of symbolism. Ever seen how it sways during windy and stormy periods yet calm in stable weather? In this dispensation, it speaks to our very core as earthly beings, the ups and downs of life gets to us so much that we fail to even consider and remember that those times too shall pass. Life at times manhandles us so inhumanely that we fail to realize and foresee that those tempests too will revert and become stable someday, only if we do not weary. In these moments when we trudge rather discouragingly, let us take solace in grandma’s words, “remember the coconut tree “for no matter the intensity of the storm it cannot go on forever, the sun will shine again and the coconut tree
will regain its cool once again. Yet so, the coconut tree like many other trees especially when it is not grown for commercial purposes is mostly found alone. In villages, it is mostly used to demarcate one plot of land from the other. In most of these cases, it is planted as a lone and solitary tree. Many at times we find that we need the whole efforts of a group to be able to soar higher. If you want to go far, go in a group, if you want to go faster go alone, they say. Inasmuch as there is a lot of truth in this adage some decisions ought to be taken alone, that tough career choice, that fruitless relationship that is regressing you, that decision ought to be taken albeit by yourself, like the coconut tree that has solitarily been used for the demarcation purpose you have to take that decision by yourself. You will never walk alone, so goes the Liverpool motto and anthem but sometimes you should ignore the decisions of the crowd and look within because when it is all said and done, none knows you than you. “Remember the coconut tree”. The coconut tree also epitomizes life itself, from its fibrous roots depicting its grounded firmness to its refreshing heart
REMEMBER THE COCONUT TREE
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MICHAEL DALE-ASIEDU, (GHANA)
soothing coconut drink. It describes all life could stand for; it flourishes in seasons wet and triumphs in seasons dry. The fruit’s resistance and ability to survive floatingly for longer periods even in rivers and turbulent oceanic conditions brings to bear its depth in strength of character and willingness to surge on. What is more, at the tender stages of its fruit, the drink is so sweet but turns otherwise as it matures into the copra state. There are countless number of journeys we can embark on, nameless daring adventures we can attempt, fail and succeed in our youthful years but like the coconut drink it loses its sweetness as it matures. Our strength may fail as we soldier on in life, our youthful exuberance may depart from us but all in all, let us “remember the coconut tree”. When the dry seasons birth uncharacteristically even in seasons wet, ’remember the coconut tree’’. When the godforsaken and ill begotten tsunamis spring forth, “remember the coconut tree”. It is only when our anchor is able to hold firmly like the coconut tree in the storms of life that our ship will not sink nor drift.
Michael Dale-Asiedu, (Ghana) michaeldaleasiedu@gmail.com michael.daleasiedu@facebook.com
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