A STROLL WITH JOSEPH FERRIS III (For International Day Against Nuclear Tests)

     “In a nuclear war there would be no victors, only victims…” ~Pope Benedict XVI

Joseph Ferris with some North Korean kids
(Image Credit: Joseph Ferris)

A nuclear weapon making, world war threatening, missile parading, stubborn country; this is the picture the international media has painted in our minds about North Korea, but how true is this image? This is the question we will answer on today’s episode of the stroll.

Welcome to the STROLL, my name is Ebenezar. Today, I’d be shinning the spotlight on a country that has been in the news for some time now because of her nuclear policy and the international sanctions that have followed her. Contrary to what you see on TV, I’m not trying to castigate North Korea rather I’m going to give you an exclusive tour of this country through the eyes of a person who knows North Korea more than many of us.

My guest Mr. Joseph is a master mariner, photographer, North Korean guide with Young Pioneer tours, and creator of the popular blog 'American in North Korea'. Having visited North Korea countless times; he’s fully equipped with a robust knowledge of the North Korean people and culture, and it’s that knowledge he’d share with us on this stroll. This is not a journalism speculation, media hype, or a politically motivated press report. This is, a stroll in North Korea. See for yourself:

THE SLAVE TRADE: ITS EMERGENCE AND EFFECT ON AFRICA

Guest Writer: Carl Terver             

Shackles used to bind slaves. UN Photo/Mark Garten

                                         

Invention rules the world, and it can be speculated that those who invent steer the course of the world. Man has invented a lot; adventure for example, is typical of spurring invention. 

Before the 15th century and the centuries that followed the era of the slave trade, slavery had existed under varying guises. You only have to look back in history to observe that. Before I go further I’ll want us to look at the stages of development man has undergone beginning from the Stone Age, Neolithic age and the modern times. Man was a wanderer (hunter) before settling; organising the home and cultivating crops. This period was known as communalism, until society was stratified into feudalism and then capitalism. These stages of development were characterised by the level of civilisation attained across respective worlds. In this discourse I shall settle for where ‘division of labour’ emerged as an inevitable partner in the civilisation progress. The key word is ‘labour’, human labour.

A STROLL WITH THE INTERNATIONAL SLAVERY MUSEUM (For International Day For The Remembrance of Slave Trade and its Abolition)

 

“Whenever I hear anyone arguing for slavery, I feel a strong impulse to see it tried on him personally” ~Abraham Lincoln

Image Credit: International Slavery Museum

It is one of the darkest periods of human existence so far... mothers lost their sons, husbands lost their wives, and children lost their parents. With chains around their necks and ankles, these innocent people were packed and shipped to the west; made to work in fields and coal mines; for days and nights without food or water; in sweat tears, and blood they worked. Tilling the hard soil, hoping someday freedom will fall from heaven.

Well, those years are gone, but we can’t forget the lives that were lost in a hurry. In my quest to relive the experience of those victims of slave trade, I decided to take a stroll in the International Slavery Museum, Liverpool. My guide on this tour is Mr. Stephen Carl-Lokko (The Collections development officer, International Slavery Museum, Liverpool)

I invite you to take this stroll with us, as we relive the years and relearn the lessons slave trade taught us. Here we go:

A STROLL WITH OPEYEMI AUDU (For World Fashion Day)

                           “Fashion changes, but style endures” ~Coco Chanel

Image credit: Opeyemi Audu

In the quest to cover their nakedness, some people dress to kill while others just kill the dress... but whichever way fashion is one thing the world cannot turn a blind eye to for it is hugely embedded in all we see around; in nature, art…in our choices about decorating; whether our bodies or any other thing we hold dear.

This year’s World Fashion Day is focused on the spirit and art of fashion. My guest on the stroll is a God lover, tech-entrepreneur, and modest fashionista. She is the founder of Taata Beads and is dedicated to preaching the message of modest, beautiful and healthy dressing—something you’d agree with me is lacking in our society today.

We talked about culture and its role in dressing, what qualifies as modesty in relation to dressing, runway shows, modelling, and lots more. At this junction I must say that I have noticed an alarming graduation in the area of dressing and what people consider fashionable. I do not understand this, and I sought for understanding by taking this stroll and focusing on dressing instead of art which any day I’d rather do. I hope whatever question you have as regards the obvious change in fashion especially dressing will be answered after this stroll. Sit awhile and enjoy:

A STROLL WITH IAN KOMAC (For World Photography Day)

“What I like about photographs is that they capture a moment that’s gone forever, impossible to reproduce” ~Karl Lagerfeld

Image Credit: Ian Komac

To achieve big things in life we need to keep our eyes on the big picture. I admire photographers a lot because they are experts in the art of making these big pictures. With a trained eye and simple click they reveal the beauty that lies in and around us.

Ian, my guest on the stroll today is a unique photographer with a unique photography technique. He makes pictures that mimic dreams; capturing moments from the subconscious and making them real and alive.

We talked about Belgium, his photography technique, his dream tourism destinations and much more. Here is my stroll with Ian, lights, camera, action:

A STROLL WITH NINA DEVANI (For World Internet Appreciation Day)

     “The internet is becoming the town square for the global village of tomorrow” ~Bill Gates

Image Credit: BBC

Have you ever forgotten your password?  Has your social media account ever been hacked? Have you ever been scared or worried about your personal data online? Well, worry no more oh earth! Somebody is here to save us. (hehehe) Ladies and gentlemen, meet Nina Devani.

Nina is one of the youngest entrepreneurs in the world today. At only 14, she’s the founder & CEO of Prompt Me Nina—an application designed to help people remember all their passwords without ever giving them away. Which is totally awesome I must say; and considering the rising tension in the world lately as regards cyber security, I decided to take a stroll with Nina for today’s World Internet Appreciation Day.

She told me about how Prompt Me Nina works and how she plans to expand her idea, about what she thinks of the recent cyber security challenge the world is facing, and lots more. Here’s my stroll with Nina:

RURAL-URBAN-INTERNET MIGRATION

Guest Writer: Milliscent Maduagwu

Image Credit: brainsolis

The internet has totally changed the way we do things. It has accelerated the speed of the jet age; fast banking, fast shopping, fast communication, fast marriages... It has just generally increased the speed at which the earth rotates around its axis

Although this same speed hasn't been without its hiccups. The NSA scandal, Wikileaks revelations, and multiple attacks from hackers have made us rethink our stand on this great invention. An invention that has really come a long way, and has been developed by so many minds.

A STROLL WITH KEITH MILSOM (For International Left Handers Day)

“The right half of the brain controls the left half of the body. This means that only left handed people are in their right mind” ~Anonymous

Lauren and Keith Milsom

Lefthanders have rights! Yeah! They do…and most especially today because, it’s lefthanders day! Happy Lefthanders day to every left hander on earth :)

Although as a child I really didn’t think they were special, on the contrary I even felt they were disabled (hehe). Maybe it’s due to the number of times I was corrected—mostly with a cane—by my parents for using my left hand to eat, write, or collect/give things to my elders. But I think my view about left-handedness has changed a great deal since then.

My guest on the stroll today is a leftie who is doing so much for other lefties in the world. He’s the founder of the Lefthanders day, and he also runs ‘Anything Left-handed’; a shop that sells only left-handed things! Awesome right? (heheh)

In course of our stroll he told me about the challenges a lefthander faces in a right-handed world, about what motivated him to found the Lefthanders day, and if he thinks being left-handed is a blessing or a curse…well, here we go:

THE CHANGE THEY DO NOT DESERVE…

Image Credit: abcnews

It is quite fascinating the way people stratify and stereotype. If the society frowns at something, it is bad. If tradition forbids it, it is totally destructive. What justifies something being good, bad, acceptable, unacceptable, right, wrong…public opinion? The majority weighed against the minority? 

YOUTHS SPEAK: GETTING HEARD, CREATING CHANGE!

Today is International Youth Day recognized by the UN and even though this year's theme is focused on youth immigrants and the challenges faced, Write Paragraphs decided to go fundamental by shining the spotlight on youths from different countries, paying attention to the challenges they face and finding the possible solutions. In doing this, we decided to get youths to write in two paragraphs the challenges faced and solutions. Here are some of the entries we got;

A STROLL WITH GRACE IHEJIAMAIZU (For International Youth Day)

                           “It takes a very long time to become young” ~Pablo Picasso

Image Credit: Grace

It is often said that “the young shall grow...someday”, but when is that someday? The youths of this generation are tired of ‘waiting to grow’, ‘waiting for tomorrow’, ‘waiting to ripen’...

 

My guest on the Stroll today is a young social entrepreneur who is also tired of waiting to get ‘ripe’, and so she founded the RYPE initiative ; dedicated to raising young and productive entrepreneurs who will provide solutions to the problems the world faces on a daily basis. Grace founded RYPE in 2010 and since then her efforts have been recognized by the US Department of state, the British Council, Google, and recently the Future awards.

We talked about; youth and youth development, her social entrepreneurship projects, and her nomination for ‘The Future Awards Africa Young Person of the Year 2013’’. Here’s my stroll with Grace, get inspired:

TEARS FOR OGONI

Guest Writer: Annah Dornubari

Image Credit: UNEP

Women weeping and wailing 
Hearts pounding and pounding
Boots worry the weary feet to flee
Then suddenly 
And so soberly suddenly 
Your offsprings are sliced, slain and slaughtered 
Still some sawn asunder 
Your once bright streams 
Blurred by your black blood

THAT EXTRA BOTTLE...

Guest Writer: Milliscent Maduagwu

Image Credit: International Beer Day

Ask them they'd tell you; ask the drunkard lying in that gutter; ask that club girl who is having a kidney problem or the guy that can't pay his children's school fees today, when only last night he had his pocket filled with his salary just before he entered that bar. Ask them and they'd all tell you the same thing; it's that extra bottle that took everything away.