Swahili vs. Kiswahili
One of the weapons used comes from those who teach Swahili, a so-called language created to expedite the East Afrikan slave trade
By Kwaku Person-Lynn, Ph.D.OW Contributor

Lacking knowledge of self can cause great confusion. This was illustrated while watching an Afrikan film directed by Ossie Davis, which centered on the conflict of Christianity and Islam in Afrika. The topic itself could cause many fiery discussions, but that is not the focus here. The drama began when an elder man in Afrika transitioned to ancestorhood. One of his sons, who lived in Paris, France, arrived home for the funeral. The critical moment came when the brother from France was talking with his brother in Afrika. During their discussion on identity, the brother in Afrika told his brother from France, You are an Afrikan. The brother from France, with a snare on his face, pulled his passport out of his back pocket, opened it, putting it in the face of his brother saying, I am not Afrikan, I am French.This illustrates the kind of sickness that can follow when one has absolutely no knowledge of ones own history and culture. This issue became personal while engaged in a conversation with a really good brother from Sudan, who was dark as midnight. He was a proud Muslim. We were having an intense conversation about Afrikans on the continent and Afrikans in America. There was a topic that had to be brought up, but was discussed later so that we could develop a bond of brotherhood. But even in this brotherhood, we both knew that we were going to have to deal with the subject of Arab Muslims enslaving Afrikans in his country.When we got to that, he did not go off or get into denial, as some Muslims tend to do. Painful as it was, he admitted that it was happening. He had first hand knowledge of this. That wasnt the bombshell though. Somewhere in the conversation we got to the point of discussing how we saw ourselves. Without hesitation, I mentioned that I was an American-born Afrikan, an American Afrikan. With the same directness, he stated that he was Arab. There was a two second mental hesitation. All my historical knowledge failed me for a moment. Afrikan world history, being one area of specialty, it was known that during the Arab encroachment on the continent, assisting Afrikans expulsion of the Romans, the Arabs, through the vehicles of warfare and Islam, conquered large areas and began to forcefully prohibit the practice of Afrikan culture, including Afrikan languages.When the brother from Sudan said he was Arab, he was asked where his parents were from. He promptly said, Sudan. The next question, If your parents were born in Sudan, you were born in Sudan, all of you were black, how could you call yourself Arab? He explained by stating that he was a Muslim, but never gave, to my satisfaction, any clear response. Sensing his discomfort with the subject, it was not pursued any further. Later, analyzing the conversation, the historical reasoning revealed itself. It centers on the reason for slavery in his country today, Arab Muslims feelings of superiority over Afrikans, not to mention the Arab effort to control Afrikan land. This same sentiment was reflected in the American Europeans obsession of privilege and control over people of Afrikan descent.Ali Mazrui, one of the prominent Afrikan historians in the world today, and a Muslim, explains this Afrikan/Arab dichotomy regarding a Swahili town in Kenya, East Afrika, where many of the Afrikan Muslims believe that the foundation of their civilization is Arab. Some of the confusion was self-perpetrated, in the sense that many Muslims, among the Swahili people, preferred to identify themselves in Arab terms. They added the racist tendencies of outsiders, who wanted to deny Afrikans any credit anyhow. These Muslims had quasi-religious reasons for self-Arabization. Western observers had, for racist reasons, credited the Arabs with Swahili civilization. The two forms converge to create the confusion.Dr. John Henrik Clarke, the late distinguished Afrikan world historian gives a detailed perspective. There are Afrikan Muslims and there are Arab Muslims. The Arab fundamentalist Muslims wish to deny the Afrikan the right to be an Afrikan, in Afrika. They wish to deny him the right to have Afrikan loyalties that takes precedence over Islamic loyalties. Theres a great cultural and religious struggle going on in Afrika. Some of it is being imposed from the North by the Arabs, who intend to Islamize Afrika and destroy every aspect of indigenous Afrikan culture. They are for sale to the highest bidder. The Arabs, on sight, were forbidden to move into the hinterlands of Afrika. He moved down the coast of Afrika cohabiting with Afrikan women. After a generation or so, he had produced an Afrikan-looking Arab. These Afrikan-looking Arabs facilitated the spread of the East Afrikan slave trade. They even created their own language for trade.Lets end some confusion here and put the language of Kiswahili aside for the moment, then we can give an explanation. The language Swahili is not a language at all. Its a lingua franca. Its a mixture of several languages. It was a traders language. You can create a language with the bits and pieces of several languages. You could be understood by several types of people who spoke several different languages.When you say Kiswahili, that means the Swahili that was spoken before its Arab intermixture. This is spoken in parts of the Congo, even right now, along with Lingala. Kiswahili really is pure Swahili. Swahili is that mixed with Arabic terms.This simply illustrates just one of the areas of perplexity many Afrikan world peoples have to solve. Conquest, slavery and colonialism have done masterful jobs on the control of the global Afrikan mind. We imitate things without even understanding the damaging effects it has on our own self-esteem and our vulnerable young.One of the first things one would see while entering the ancient educational institutions in the Nile Valley, was the phrase, Know Thyself. If we understood what that really meant, the greatness of who we are and what we have done in the world, we would reject anyone teaching false Swahili.Minister Malcolm X once stated, The worst thing the white man ever did was to teach us to hate ourselves. That lesson was so thoroughly mentally penetrated that we actualize its meaning in various ways. The most striking example is how we have allowed to our youth to turn the most insidious word ever used against us as a word of endearment, the N word.Dr. Kwakus critically acclaimed film, Afrikan World Civilizations, is available at Eso Won Books

Hi everyone,
I thought i should take time to teach people what domestic violence is, be you a man or a woman. The definition and process, so as to try to inform victims that they are victims and should change thier positions to become survivors and victors.

Happy reading

What Is Domestic Violence?

Domestic violence is a pattern of physical, emotional, and coercive behaviors that one family member uses to exercise power and control over another. Most perpetrators of abuse and battering are: a spouse, ex-spouse, boyfriend, ex-boyfriend, girlfriend, wife or lover. Most often victims of abuse are women and children, although men are abused also. The abuse can be physical, sexual, verbal, emotional, financial and psychological.
Types Of Abuse:
PHYSICAL ABUSEHitting/KickingChoking/SuffocatingHair pullingHeld downBiting/ScratchingPoking/PinchingGrabbing/SqueezingPushing/Shoving/TrippingTicklingSpit onStabbed/CutBurningPushed out of carThrowing objectsDragged through houseKidnapped
VERBAL ABUSEYellingInsultsThreats to hurt or killCriticizes appearanceConstant blaming
EMOTIONAL ABUSEIsolation from othersRidicule, put-downsManipulates you (through lies)Blames you for faults
IntimidationCriticismPrevents you from going placesUses money to control youIgnoring partner/silent treatmentAbuse of petsMonitors conversationsActs jealous and possessiveMakes constant excusesMakes you account for timeEmbarrasses you in front of othersMake you feel "crazy"
SEXUAL ABUSERapeWithholds sexAbuse if you refuse sexProhibits use of birth controlForcing pregnancyCriticizes appearanceConstant sexual demandsForcing unwanted sexual actsMaking demeaning sexual remarksForces cohabitation
FINANCIAL ABUSEControlling moneyDemanding an account of all expendituresDestruction of propertyTaking keys or purse
The Cycle Of Violence
The cycle of abuse has three distinct phases: the tensions building phase, the explosive phase and the honeymoon phase. Each phase is characterized by many different actions and feelings. The length of each phase and cycle varies with couples and the circumstances. The cycle of abuse may answer the question of "Why do victims stay?" Victims' hear this question repeatedly from all that know her situation. The cycle of abuse provides an explanation to this question. Victims of abuse are not constantly being abused, nor is the abuse always inflicted at random times.
The cycle of abuse is outlined by the following stages:
Tension Building:
This is a period that is marked by minor violent incidents, including pushing, shoving, verbal abuse, and arguments. The victim usually attempts to manage the abuser by a variety of ways. The victim may attempt to calm the abuser by becoming nurturing or compliant. They may attempt to anticipate every whim or to merely stay out of the abusers way. The victim may acknowledge to the abuse behavior, but believes that conciliatory behavior will prevent the anger and abuse from escalating. The victim denies their own anger at being unjustly hurt physically or psychologically and may blame the incident on outside forces. Victims reason that if they wait it out, the situation will change and along with it so will his abusive behavior.
As tensions escalate, the victim's coping mechanisms diminish along with the ability to deal with the abuse and keep quiet. The abuser increases his alternating pattern of brutality and smothering and his attempts at psychological humiliation become more barbed and hostile.
The Explosion:
Tension that builds beyond the point of no return sets the stage for the acute battering incident. This is displayed through and uncontrollable release of tension through emotional and/or physical violence. The rage is so great at this point that the abuser appears to lose control over thier behavior. The abuser may start wanting to teach a lesson, not intending to inflict bodily harm, and then stops when they feel the point has been made clear. Unfortunately, by this time, the victim has generally been severely physically and emotionally battered. During acute battering incidents, the abuser often justifies their behavior by reciting many petty annoyances that occurred during stage one.
The actual attack is usually followed by shock, disbelief, and denial on part of both the abuser and victim. Both attempt to rationalize the extreme seriousness and often, if there is physical injury, the victim will minimize it. The victims tend to withdraw and isolate themselves following a violent incident. They usually have feelings of depression and helplessness.
The Honeymoon:
During this phase, the victimization becomes complete. Just as brutality marks the explosion, extremely loving, kind and remorseful behaviors characterize the honeymoon stage. The batterer behaves in a charming and loving manner and apologizes for the violence. They beg for forgiveness and promise that it will never happen again. Abusers typically reinforce apologies with candy, flowers, card, and other gifts along with vows to give up any and all behavior that contributes to the tension-building phase (drinking, affairs, working long hours and/or any other stressful factors that both would like to believe are the "cause" of the explosion).
The most disheartening part of the honeymoon phase is the false hope that it fosters. The victim gets a glimpse of what they thought, and still hope, they had in a partner. The kind behavior of the abuser reinforces the hope that the situation can truly be better, if only the stresses were removed. During this phase, the victim often senses that the batterer is desperate, lonely and alienated and feels responsible to be a bridge to their well-being.
During this phase, many victims who have sought professional help often abandon their support groups, counseling, drop charges, and/or discontinue with divorce or separation proceedings. They are under the false pretense that the situation has reversed itself. Ultimately the tension builds again and the cyclic action is repeated. A victim who has endured several cycles soon realizes that they have traded their psychological and physical safety for a temporary dream state. The victim's self-esteem and self-image slowly withers as they cope with the awareness that they have sold themselves for brief periods of bliss. In a sense, the victim becomes accomplices to their own battering.
Limitations of the Cycle of Violence:
The cycle of violence was first presented by Lenore Walker in her landmark book, The Battered Woman, to describe some women's experience of physical abuse in their relationships. Since then, the cycle has been widely used by domestic violence advocates and proved useful to many victims of domestic violence to explain their experience of abuse.
It is important to realize that there are some limitations to the cycle of violence, and this cycle does not describe all violent relationships or all survivors' experience of abuse. The following are some points to consider when discussing the cycle of violence.
This cycle may be more descriptive of events early in the relationship and may not be descriptive of chronic, long-term abuse.
The cycle focuses more on the experience of acute physical violence that may not occur regularly in abusive relationships while neglecting the other coercive controlling aspects of abusive relationships.
It presents violent episodes as isolated events rather than presenting contact of ongoing abuse.
Some survivors are offended by the use of the phrase "honeymoon stage" as this implies that the abuse has ended when there is no physical violence and that this time in the relationship is loving.
Not all victims of abuse experience abuse in this way. Comparing a victim's experience of abuse to this cycle may not accurately reflect their experience and lead to the advocateÕs inaccurate deciding that they are not a victim.
The cycle of violence theory does not take into account the other forms of abuse including sexual, emotional, financial, and mental.
Following this theory may lead helpers to focus their intervention with batterer's on anger management, which is not appropriate intervention for abusive partners
Myths & Realities Of Domestic violence
The facts behind the myths about domestic violence:
1. Domestic Violence only affects a small percentage of the population. Domestic violence is the single greatest cause of injury to women between the ages of 15-44; more common than rapes, car accidents, muggings combined. In fact, every 9 seconds a women is assaulted by someone that "loves" her.
2. Middle/Upper class women are not battered as frequently or as violently as poorer women. Middle/upper class women are more likely to keep domestic violence a secret for fear of social embarrassment or harming their husband's careers. However, domestic violence occurs across all socio-economic levels.
3. Batterers are violent in all of their relationships. Batterers in general are not violent in other aspects of their lives. Only 5-10 percent of convicted batterers have assault records with other victims.
4. Victims of domestic violence are uneducated and have few job skills. Nearly one-third (31%) of American women report being physically or sexually abused by a husband or boyfriend at some point during their lives. Victims of domestic violence come from all walks of life ranging from teenagers, children who witness abuse, professionals, doctors, clergy, stay at home parents, service providers, to shift workers.
5. Batterers are unsuccessful and lack the resources to cope with the world. As with victims, perpetrators of domestic violence come from every walk of life. Batterers can be judges, carpenters, service professionals, or your next-door neighbor.
6. Batterers are never a loving partner. When not in a violent episode, victims of domestic violence often describe their partners as playful, sensitive and exciting. The severe swings in a batterer's behavior is what perpetuates the "cycle of violence" and keeps a victim in a relationship.
7. Once a battered women, always a battered women. Women who received some beneficial intervention rarely remarried another batterer.
8. It is easy for a victim of domestic violence to leave if she really wanted. Victims of domestic violence are often leaving a highly controlled environment. They usually have been isolated from family and friends, have limited financial resources due to their partner controlling the money and assets. Women 75% more likely to be murdered once they separate from their abuser.
9. Batterers will end their violence once they are married. Often victims believe once they marry their batterer, the batterer will feel more secure and confident in their relationship and the violence will stop. However, usually the batterer's suspiciousness and possessiveness increase along with the rate of violence. Domestic violence will only increase in frequency and severity over time.
10. Children need a father, even if he is occasionally violent. Children living in violent homes have severe emotional and educational problems. Children who witness domestic violence are 700 times more likely to become abusers. Children who are victims of domestic violence are 1,000 times more likely to become abusers as adults.
11. Domestic violence is a "family problem." Domestic violence impacts every facet of our society. Ninety percent of all violent crimes against the elderly are domestic violence crimes. Forty percent of teenage girls report knowing someone who has been either physically or sexually assaulted in their relationship. Domestic violence costs businesses an estimated $5 billion annually.

Why Do Victims Stay?
Many people, including victims themselves, may ask, "Why would someone stay in a violent relationship?" Here are some examples of barriers victims face when they consider leaving a violent relationship.
Fear: Fear of being alone, managing the home by oneself or consequences of leaving an abusive partner. Women are at a 75% higher risk of being killed by their abuser then those who stay.
Economic dependence: Who will support her and the children?
Parenting: The children need a father. "A crazy father is better than no father."
Religion/Culture: Gender roles, culture or religious beliefs may pressure the victim to keep the family together.
Loyalty: "He's sick. If he had a broken leg, or cancer, I would stay with him: this is no different."
Savior complex: If I stay, I can help him to get better.
Pity: She feels sorry for him.
Fear of his suicide: He says he'll kill himself if I leave.
Denial: It's really not that bad.
Guilt: She feels, and he claims, that the marital problems are her fault. She causes his difficulties, actions and problems.
Responsibility: It's up to her to work things our, to save the marriage.
Shame/Embarrassment/Humiliation: She doesn't want anyone to know.
Identity: Many women feel that they need a man to be complete.
Security: They feel secure because they have a relationship. Some victims believe that no one else would love them, because that is what their abuser tells them.
Optimism: Things will get better. He keeps promising me that.
Low self-esteem: It must be my fault. I must deserve it. I will never find anyone better. A little love is better than no love. A victim believes this because she hears it continuously from her abuser.
Survival: Fears about her own physical survival if she leaves, because he has threatened her life and maybe the lives of their children.
Community Resources: Resources for victims may not be well known or easy to use. Victims may not know about their options.
Isolation: Batterers often feel threatened by their victims' relationships and stop them from becoming close to others. The isolation makes the victim rely on the abuser for support.
Normal behavior: If a victim was raised in a violent home or has lived years of abuse, she may find the behavior to be normal.
Stockholm Phenomenon: When their captors hold hostages for a period of time, they begin to identify with them. Many victims of abuse, who are literally held hostage by their abusers, manifest this syndrome.
End effects of terror: When a person lives in never ending terror and stress, their ability to resist gets worn away. They lack the energy and become confused and exhausted.

SEXUAL HARASSMENT AND ABUSE AT PLACES OF WORK AND COMMUNITIES

The Women’s Movement in Zambia has received with great consternation, reports of sexual abuse at the Zambia Air Force (ZAF). The movement has been greatly disturbed that a woman who dared to voice out the abuse is being victimized and has been sent to live away from her family as a form of punishment.

We are also concerned that there has been an attempt to cover up and protect the abuser. We are also concerned about the threats and intimidation would be informers, other women who have also indicated that they have been abused in a similar manner and those wanting to seek justice for the woman are being subjected to by ZAF.

We are also aware that this is not isolated to ZAF alone, cases of sexual harassment and abuse at work places are rampant in the country.

The Women’s Movement is further concerned that inspite of the numerous reports on the matter, the Criminal Justice Agencies and other investigative wings have failed to move in and investigate this case, therefore hampering the woman’s protection and access to justice. We wish to state that vulnerability to on-going victimization is one of the most important issues for justice agencies to address, women who experience sexual abuse and other forms of gender based violence often do not report these crimes due to poor response if they do.

In this regard, the Women’s Movement is demanding that the Government, the Zambia Air Force, the Human Rights Commission and the Anti Corruption Commission:-

a) thoroughly and fully investigate the claims of sexual abuse at ZAF,
b) provide protection and amnesty for people wanting to provide information on sexual and other abuses at ZAF and specifically for the woman who has already made the sexual abuse charges.

c) ensure personal protection for the victims and informers of abuse which includes protection from losing their jobs.

d) ensure zero tolerance to abuse of this nature. We warn the would be abusers of women that the women’s movement in Zambia has declared a zero tolerance on Violence Against Women and will endeavor to expose all abusers, regardless of their status in society.

We call upon all activists to support the victims of abuse at the ZAF and also urge Government to uphold the basic tenets of human rights and ensure that justice is done.

I met some very interesting people this July, Burke Conrad, aka Erick from Capetown in South Africa. He is a very passionate man about journalism, his kids and really looking forward to retiring so that he can write and paint at his own pleasure.
He reminded a group of trainers the importance of having Passion as a drive, believing and wanting more as a drive to better training and journalism as a whole despite conditions surrounding you in your daily work.

The second amazing person i met was Sabbie from Lesotho, she was a very silently exciting woman, intelligent and free. I found her company intriguing and inspiring because she did not use her experience as a barrier or shield for progress but rather shared her problems in day to day training hoping to learn more. Such is a type of attitude needed for a progess journalistice world.

The third person who tickled my interest was, Snoeks, a Local driver. I have known him for three years now but on this trip I got an indepth perpective of his real life other than his occupation. He shared with me his achievements, joys and even sorrows.
I think he is a wonedrful husband and father, patient and traditional.