1 Sudanese Pound = half U.S. dollar

Could the Sudanese pound be the strongest African currency against the US Dollar? US $= 2 Sudanese Pound!

The old Dinar is no more! The Old Sudanese Pound has been buried! Welcome the New Sudanese Pound! Show them what you must! Bring peace!

I hope this currency can bring about peace in the much troubled parts of Sudan - from Southern Sudan to Northern Darfur, Malakal, Nuba Mountains, .... - even in the face of the much cursed presence of Oil wells, Diamond, Gold, Timber and business opportunities in African nations! Bring the promise (New) Sudan. Welcome July.

I salute Cdr. 1st. Lt. Gen. Salva Kiir Mayardit, SPLA/M, VP Dr. Riek Machar, the people of Southern Sudan and all who were true to the liberation of the marginalised of the marginalised. My tributes also goes to the heros of freedom and liberty in the Sudan! My tribute to Cdr. Dr. John Garang, and also to the unsung hero, the one Cdr. always consulted, respected and saluted by all: Cdr. Gbutala. Here is an eulogy the other great unpublished, unsung, unknown, and yet a hero of the liberation movements of Sudan.

Gbutala
(A poem by Africano Mande, Southern Sudan)

There lies the MAN,
There rests the pride of nation,
The symbol of a cause,
In the yards of Maridi

Behind you,
Maridi still sings that,
Gbutala!!
You are the departed,
We are returning the soil,
When your are not in sight.
Maridi will still hold your spirit.

I will live to sing kudos,
For the nation to know,
For the children to commemorate,
For the pride of Maridi,
That not pledges,
Have tamed and derailed you.
Your past is free from guilt and apologies,
It gave gentle radiance with ideal.
Your struggle is free from shakedown,
It excelled you into the MAN.

Your will,
Is indestructible.
Your philosophy,
Consistent with reality.
Your vision incumbent.
Yes!
Westerners in the west,
Southerners in the south.
Called it natural reality and maturity.

As a living,
The oppressors built you up against their will and objectives,
Into a hero.
Your spirit denounced by them,
The vision detained,
But I promise that,
The generation will pick up your fallen spear,
To announce your spirit and free your vision.
I promise,
No sand,
No wind,
Will bury your footsteps.
No history,
Will out live yours.
No mind,
Will change your philosophy.
Your memory
Will give light to the blind.

With this post I welcome July 2007. May you bring the promises! Bless Uganda. Let me see similar blessings in Southern Sudan, Darfur and world over....

Uganda and Southern Sudan: National Information Society, ICT Policies and Strategies

Southern Sudan, and Uganda need their own national ICT, Telecommunications, Information Society, Media and appropriate human resource development policies and strategies suited to their local settings as opposed to borrowed and adopted models. In this way, they will have an Information Society of their own, avert social exclusion in the Information Society, build a strong national knowledge economy and be competitive in the knowledge economy - and never forget that the world's nations are in a competition of sorts - at war with each other!

Alarmist, isn't it? Yes! It is at http://borrowed civilisations.blogspot.com - be touched by the tales. What could be at the horizons of the developments of the Information age?

Let me analogise what I am driving at with my favourite board game! Chess. Chess is a game of strategies. In a game of chess, within the rules, two players aspire to capture each others king! A piece called the king and the chess player are the key players whose interest must be guarded: Avoid captured for the king and win the game for the player! Pieces have weights and some are collateral damages in the course of the game! The pond is the least among pieces in weight but only better than the surface on which the game is played - no value but it is needed for the game to be played! Cowards will flee before the end of the game. Brave fools will play even in the face of an impending defeat. Style and strategies are used against varying opponent and some times, no one wins in a game of chess! A draw is possible in chess!
In the Information Society, let us work towards a draw or avoid being the surface nor the collateral damages most economies of Africa and the world find themselves.

Each country will need its own set of key players in Information Scientists, information professionals, engineers, and researchers of Social Informatics at the helm of these national strategies so as to avert the exports of isms, being the pond and turf and receiving borrowed civilisations, extensions of foreign strategies, policies, goals and objectives. Southern Sudan, Uganda, Africa and indeed the world should guard against being mere chess pieces! Cease being players for foreign policies in your own national policy! At worst, let nations behave like kings or be the chess players themselves in the lengthy spell of the Information Society! We might never leave to see the winners at the end of it!

These policies and strategies must be strategically local to nations, with local goals, objectives and understanding for the times ahead. These policies must be safe guarded and to to their destinations by generations and generation. In reality, Information Societies are war fronts be it economical, cultural, and militarily. Let us not forget that the internet was firstly a military tool! A tool to win battles! Has any one forgotten the history of the internet! What brought about the internet? What is it with the new quest for IPv6 The Next Generation Internet?

King captured So we have learnt

Sometime I get to over indulge in verbal arguments! I am slightly rebellious and will provoke thoughts! Will argue over nothings and serious issues, suspect points of views, argue for fun, argue for entertainment and also to demystify the different shades of everyday life! I argue with friends! Serious with the rest. Deeply also controversial at times by my own insight! But how shall we explore unhindered? At times, arguing is better suited than discussions, debates and all those formal dialogues! It is a democracy of sorts, so personal, true and will teach you to hold your emotions! Yap at will, relieve stress, and the mind, brain and soul seem to take in and vomit at a faster pace. At the end, you balance your individual scrap notes - and for pride's sake - in private!

You see, I love deity (God), humanity, distrusts religion and every thing religious, women and men inclusive! Women first! Women first because of my not-so-larger-than-life love for women! Love justice, hates democracy for puppet African countries, their leaders, name it! A non conformist and I will brag here: It is a reason perhaps why I am more innovative, solves problems faster, open minded (so I will claim), than you! Sorry them. I try to get the better of them by using some sociological perspectives that I have clues of! I must justify. And also justifies in a game of chess -the battle of wits and when their king is captured, I win!

I argue with Henry, Anselm, William, Andrew, Sam, Francis, Mike, - No girl? - Dan, Oltar, Don, ... Okay! McDorothy, Pat, Flav, Jes, Justine, Irene, Charity, Slyanto, ... and others. It is a whole spectrum of professionals: Social Scientists, Information Technologist, computer scientists, Civil Engineers who construct VIPs with baby ventilations, Lawyers, Food(ists) Scientist, Librarians, accountants, Vets, ... eh!, Information scientist - yours cruelly, and with a hard-to-tell bloggers. What about my friend who is a she? Well we also argue, agree, disagree and reconcile and fall apart like Kampala City's urban plan.

So we argue. Yes! Maybe we are still young - threatening a decade - my -hoof years- and are trying to understand our being, context, what is bedeviling us, our environment, society, ways of life, politics, information, Oh Yes! Religion, norms, dos and don'ts, social action, why we sleep, marriage and weddings, sports, games, borrowed civilisations for words, name it! Systems Theories, Occam's Razor for logic, Freudian theory and religion, Functional Theories, Humanist Movement, Bahai faith, among others! I add: Sex!

We argue! this, this and that, and we avoid attempts to exercise weak intellectual muscles which could lead to a Somalia situation by agreeing to sort it out in a game of Chess! My idea! You lose, you are taught! You were not smart enough! Yours truly wallops them with a regularity, so gets the bragging rights, sometimes and the right to teach them. These at takes us to square one, another argument, another game, a game of scrabble - now to clarify who our old school mates were ... get a lesson on perspectives to life ... so goes a learning process.

The first victims in the information society

Unique definitions and understandings of what an Information Society is. What is this information society that the WSIS 2006 couldn't even think of defining? Where are the [information] Scientists we have ignored in the information Society and age? I sought some answers from Google about what an Information Society is thus: define:information Society And here are some picks and my comment about those definitions are in bold:

That Information Society is:
A society in which economic and cultural life is critically dependent on information and communications technologies. Popularised in Europe by the 1994 Bangemann report on 'Europe and the global information society'. Similar to the NII and GII concepts but focusing less on technology, more on uses.
www.christlinks.com/glossary2.html

Christlinks.com's definition is an ICT only definition void of the substance called Information! Unfortunately, this is perhaps the driving force behind the ICT4D movements, Telecentre Movements and indeed the force behind the recent WSIS and reckless borrowed civilisations in ICTs.

An information society is one which the creation, distribution and manipulation of information is becoming a significant economic and cultural activity. The knowledge economy is its economic counterpart whereby wealth is created through the economic exploitation of knowledge.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_society

This definition is ICT Shy of the reality of our age. With Wikipedia, this definition may change! Perhaps Wikipedia shouldn't be relied upon for any definition !

A society in which information becomes the main product or essential to other products, with a recognition that organizations success depends on the ability to exploit information, and most workers depend on information flow to perform their jobs. In practice, information is heavily dependent on computerised processes and the internet.
www.csa.com/hottopics/internet/gloss.php

CSA.COM's definition cometh closest! Although With the high convergence of ICTs in a computer, ICTs are more than Computers only!
However this is my buy for a definition of Information Society

A type of society in which information and information access plays a central role, economically, socially and individually. Governments are making efforts to bring countries into this era.
mobileman.projects.supsi.ch/glossary.html

Another ICT shy definition!

Now what is the Information Society working definition of different motives, countries', and organisations', definitions? Isn't Europe's information society unique from Africa's for instance? Must Uganda's, Southern Sudan's, West and South's definition be one?
Individual infrastructures in terms of GDPs, education, literacy, human demography, industralisation, science and technology, rural vs urban, basics for life and think of the level of their Information Society.
I repeat: Where are the Information Scientists we have ignored in the information Society and age?

Free Computers to Africa

Free! Because that is the suitable catch phrase for dumping outdated computers to Africa! Dumping, Yes! Dumping because these computers are stone age old, monstrous consumers of our inadequate electricity, with snail fast processors and worthless specifications.

These are hoped to accelerate the (under)development of Africa! The developed countries might have realised that it was far much cheaper to donate outdated computers to Africa, and her rural communities than try to dispose off these toxic gadgets in their tiny countries without endangering their environment! Africa has to will to receive these kind donations! We receive naively! Maybe they give naively too! We (we and them) might be adding to Africa's woes!

Here is a reality bound for Kenya. Similar ones are already in Uganda and soon in Southern Sudan!

Outdated computers bound for Africa : Kenyan researchers will use laptops to aid water analysis

Twelve laptops that have reached the end of their use in the North Hunterdon/Voorhees Regional High School District will soon make their way to Kenya.

That was ICT and environment. Now I ask, where is the wisdom we have lost in ICTs? How many National ICT strategies for African countries? And whose ICT strategy? Ours or their corporations?

Stabbed!!

T14 has stabbed Arsenal fans and believers of loyality! No more bragging rights in the names of T14 for Arsenal! How else would a captain stab?

He had to go! Thanks for your services to Arsenal FC but you chose to leave in the evening of your career! So good night to the impending darkening of your career!

I wish I were a psychologist! I wished to better read the looks of tata Tea!

Gilberto is a more deserving captain! V. Persie, Bayo and Theo now have more playing time! Ehhe! November Bravo!

An urgent call to have information literate citizens - Part 2

We need a skill to safe guard the citizens of the information society. It is called Information literacy. I too feel Information literacy is urgently needed for that age they call the an Information Age, and the Knowledge Economy! Gullible is also word in English language! I haven't agreed to a scholarly definition of Information Literacy, but let us look at information in the context of our times. There is too much information all around. The more information we get, the less knowledge we seem to derive, the more we get confused, the more we realise our senses and brains are inadequate in sustaining understanding and causing wisdom proportional wisdom! If this post is too lengthy to complete, try Gullible.info and tell us something!

My blogging clarification of Information Literacy is that skill needed in the information age for reason to and how to get, where to receive, how to share, and knowing the motive, context, and possible outcome of consuming that package bundled in what is called in information. I will not give any other definition but will refer you to other attempts towards defining Information Literacy. Definition 1, 2, and a Site, otherwise you may also want to Google the internet for a definition of Information Literacy. Lets continue!

By information I mean that which through a communication we receive, makes us have knowledge (I correct, Not Wisdom yet!). I hate to define information. It is as vague as differentiating it from Information, communications, misinformation, and disinformation!
It is as abstract defining information as it is a defining what is God! You only come miles close but never get to the epicenter! Too many opinions and hard choices to make. Yet we must seek meaning. And thank God I must mistrust every religion! Lord where are you? Help me understand.

Let it be put another way: Everything you read, hear or otherwise lets it be known to you mind, soul, and brain through a communication, education system or as information you consumed are hardly pure! You consumed a mixture of truths, lies and facts and falsehoods, imaginations and fiction, thoughts and adulterated, distorted history! Information, communication, and education, socialisation and interactions have purposes! There is a motive behind every information and communication you receive, send, forward and share! In the information age, you are interacting with a billions squared possibilities.

At borrowed civilisations, allow someone to be one of your knights in the information society and age! Ok? Oh yes! Thank you your worship! Did I hear you say you too! Ah! Otherwise revisit the site always to know what tickles this blogger and and combine synergies with the blogger when ever need arises! Let me remind you of the route again: http:www.owerahbits.blogspot.com You can't get lost! You may ask Google, and other search engines. Ask for Henry Owera or Borrowed Civilisations. Or anything to do with what is happening in the information society especially in Uganda and Southern Sudan.
You have just consumed my motive in that nutshell!

But why the fuss about information literacy now? Because we apparently are living at a time where there is a precious commodity termed information! These have been influenced by factors such as a more aggressive capitalist market, a communication revolution causing more social interactions of cultures, knowledge economy, attempts for control of resource, and virtualisation of realities!

The world has become tinier and we must face the realities of the information society, and the information age. FUDs (i.e Fear Uncertainty and Doubts) mostly in businesses, Propaganda, Big Lies (employed for politics, imperialism and maybe religion) sheer shared imaginations, and fiction are here with us. These can't bring about human development the majority need! Who will clarify information to you?

People in Africa, Uganda and South Sudan and other people with similar realities must survive, become more knowledgeable, participate in the information society like other people but are being bombarded and hindered by an avalanche of information, some worthless, evil, misleading and corrupt information. Information literacy skills are urgently need and these must be entrenched in education systems if the quagmire in Southern Sudan, Uganda, Africa and other worlds are to be wiped out!

True Wife Confessions

I have always wished to understand what ticks at the minds of the daughters of Evelyn! The psychology of women!
Readers of borrowed civilisations might wish to read all the confessions from number 1 - till the current Confession #1891 and counting at the blog True Wife's Confessions.

What your wife wishes
she could tell you..or not.

Notable misses

I haven't blogged some issues because of a grudge I hold against them!

Information Society Day. May 17Th. I hate them! I think another interest is undermining important issues for a healthy information society. They are busy widening a market. The Information Society they preach is one for the Internet and computer society! A starving child everywhere doesn't need the Internet nor the information society that promises foreign technology. They need information! And if that information will be delivered on the horse's back so let it be! Why scream ICT for Development (ICT4D) then wispher Information for All? Why? Because ICT4D is a hoodwink. The fact is, it is ICT4Business and the poor should be caused to buy! To hell with ICT4D at the moment! Africa, Welcome I4D Information for Development.
Urgent Call to have information literate citizens -Part nth are on the way. I haven't forgotten. The portion is being concocted!

Benny Hinn came to Uganda! Just a spit away, he came! I didn't hurry to attend his crusades nor find the miracle and annoitings. Why bother? Why did he vow never to perform miracles to a live television audience? I am a tele-christian. No more offerings! These prophets buy Humvees, gulf stream jets and cream suits using the lord's offerings!

Nigeria vs Uganda! Part one was so painful. Uganda was robbed 1:0 For the first time I had to hate the Nigerian team. Kanu! Kanu scored their legitimate goal while the the ref was a thug. He cancelled Uganda's legitimate goal!
Part 2! Kanu begins by promising aid to the Uganda Heart Foundation through his Kanu heart Foundation! He thought Uganda's hearts needed to be well attended to. He was about to wreck our hearts again! So bad for him! Uganda won! 2:1. It was another tele-entertainment and revenge! Kanu had prepared to be hospitalised in Uganda!

Uganda matyrs day! June 3rd I didn't attend! Saw no need to. Thank God, I Am not so religious perhaps. Some trekked miles to Namugongo but from the backyard of my swamp, it didn't cross my mind to go Namugongo. These fellows were disrespectful to an African king. Now we call them matyres! Sorry if you are a weak hearted religious fellow! I am not! The day is just for shrewd good business!