NOTICE

By Simeon Nkola Matamba


Hello dear readers!

Your sustained interest in reading my blogs is to me a great privilege. Hence I deemed important to let you know that articles will not be posted from this blog anymore. However, you will find them on the new blog (Click here) I have created to improve work quality as well as delivery. Feel free to read, comment, and share. Thanks for your support. I love you

DR CONGO: VAVA TAMPA WRITES

by Simeon Nkola Matamba (Follow on Twitter)

One of the big questions that we as congolese have been asking ourselves is: why isn't our crisis being broadcasted? Unlike tragedies and strife in Ukraine, Gaza, Syria or even frequent gun shootings in the US that get large scale media coverage, the "Congo Crisis" is not a priority as it does not benefit from enough coverage and airtime on mainstream media channels. Nevertheless, it is one of the saddest tragedies in contemporary history. In 2012 congolese nationals demonstrated in the UK outside BBC premises to make their voice heard. They pointed that years of wars and painful stories were being swept under the carpets in prominent media houses. It has not changed since.

To tackle the issue of the lack of coverage concerning the Congo's ongoing crisis-a war that was started in 1998 and claimed the lives of at least 6,000,000 people, equating the jewish genocide by Hitler-many countrymen are taking the initiative to speak out. Capitalizing on the social media revolution, they finally emerge to raise awareness and spread the word. Not only about the dead, but they also showcase war crimes and atrocities the living are forced to undergo, such as rape.

One of them is Vava Tampa (Twitter: @VavaTampa), a congolese part time activist  based in the UK. He has had the privillege to pen down articles for CNN, Forbes and theguardian, in which he raises issues around war in Congo and explores avenues to solve the crisis.

Vava Tampa is the founder of "Save the Congo!, a campaign to bring about a Congo at peace with itself".

Vava Tampa adresses the fact that the Congo humanitarian crisis being the most tragic one deserves "extensive media coverage".

He mentions the use of rape as a weapon of war perpetrated by gangs fighting in Congo. Those gangs aim at accessing and controlling valuable natural resources to provide them for sale on the international market.

He emphasizes on Rwanda's complicity but also regrets a tepid leadership from congolese authorities.

He advocates for diplomatic efforts from the US in terms of level of influence and amount of political leverage. As a mediator, the US can help curb and put an end to violence through the comitment of Rwanda and Congo in the pursuit of the establishment of a long lasting-peace in the region.

The perspective of creating an international criminal court for crimes commited in the DRC is one of the many solutions he advances. It will serve hamper and stop the air of impunity, the oxygen that emboldens individuals with dark motives as they think they can always get away after quenching their inhumane and barbaric thirsts.

The questions that we have been asking ourselves concerning media coverage of the crisis can find an answer if many of us become proactive like Vava. To the voice of many waters the world will not be able to turn a deaf hear. Like the power of strong waves our actions following our words can offer the perspective of attaining peace. Choosing to play our respective little roles in the revolution is the only way any fair minded person can follow.


                   

To my african brother and sister, the young generation, the actor of tomorrow

by Simeon Nkola Matamba ( Follow on Twitter)


Dear:

Undertaking to pen down what I have in mind and send it to you is not an easy exercise. I know you have a busy schedule but I dare hope you will consider this. I could have sent this via email, post office or fax, but I judged that pinning these words on the internet's wings would be easier and faster.

Despite being born of the same mother, I unfortunately came to hear of you only years later. And though I haven't seen your face yet, at least I keep learning about you, hearing your voice and feeling your strength, perceiving your courage and comitment for the common cause of our great family.

Many decades ago, the seeds were sowed for freedom and liberty. They germinated in a harvest whose firstfruits were pleasant to eat. But today, the fruits of the land are waxing bitter. Looking northwards or westwards for a better livelihood tends to become the rule. Our family suffers, poverty, unemployment, internal conflicts and what the heart doesn't delight in. The inheritance bequeathed to us is deteriorating.

I am writing to you after realizing that the onus for the future is on our shoulders. This future is foreseeable and does not lay at the end of the 22nd century.

Predictions show that Africa's population is set to double by 2050 to reach 2.4 billion.

Those are children meant to come out of our loins. The responsibility to care for them will transcend the "close family" ambit and require dynamism to adapt to the rythm of change and provide for the needs of our growing family.

The rise of human population entails de facto a rise of human needs and wants.

Adaptation and adjustment of strategies for the future is unavoidable except if we chose to embrace chaos. Our generation's role in coming years is determinant.

The compulsion to plan is awakening and our individual roles to contribute for synergy can't be downplayed. Not only in the political sphere, but mostly individually, every hand will be needed for a push. In this I mean that each one must find a place in the global vision for a better future.

I know we have had some hard times, but I believe that whatever we might have to go through must never be given the littlest opportunity to impede our movement for days and years ahead. So far, we have shown amazing resilience to such a way that living and evolving in extreme conditions is not only seen as a shame but has rather become a bragging right in some respects.

What reinforces my belief for change as a result of our concerted effort is your potential and your talents. In various fields such as art, science, music, sport, etc..your radiant energy has crossed the compound and illuminated the neighborhood with other continents desiring your limitless capabilities. With little exposure to the outer world and few opportunities, you have been able to achieve greatness.

The only hope left for a father whose dream is unfinished is to see sons  and daughters take over and perpetuate the cherished ideal of peace, independence, and  economic stability. The reward for a mother who gave all for her children's life is to be taken care of, granted rest, praise and dignity.

We can make it if we wake up and say: "Let Us Rise  And Build".


                                 

FOOTBALL IS THE OPIUM OF THE PEOPLE!

by Simeon Nkola Matamba (Follow on Twitter)

                     Karl Marx(1818-1883)

The man behind "religion is the opium of the people", Karl Marx, is not present to see how various entertainments now fit his description. The slogan that lowers the belief that religion is real and rational is very popular and still gets endorsements. Religion is identified to a drug relieving pain and creating fantasies for a short moment during which worries of life are on the wane as perceptions of the unseen are reinforced through spiritual exercising.

Today, more than religion, entairtenments fits Marx's view the best. The excitement around the ongoing World Cup competition is an example. From many countries around the world, hundreds of thousands of fans run to Brazil to support their team with songs, dances, shoutings and praises to exhaustion.

Those who can't travel connect to the event as games are broadcasted on TV. Every team has devoted worshipers and a talented priest in the forefront of the game. Argentina's Messi, Brazil's Neymar, or Portugal's Ronaldo are all charismatic figures worshipped by ecstatic supporters.

Last week when France beat Switzerland, on my Twitter timeline, the french whom I often see rant about their president and the disastrous economic situation were jubilating over their national team's performance. A wave of positivism and french pride was perceivable, as if de Gaulle had come back from the dead.

The amount of satisfaction people draw from football is amazing. When crises bash the people, football is one of the many exhaust pipes to let off pressure. More than letting of pressure, hardcore football fanatics with an extreme love for the game transcend in admiration and display emotions labelled as ridiculous only when manifested by churchgoers.

Marx's "religion is the opium people" is the opium of religion's opponents in that it makes them think repeating it parrot fashion will have an impact on religion. And football is the opium of the masses, with an increased support as its industry expands.


                         

HUMAN RIGHTS THROUGH AMERICAN GLASSES

by Simeon Nkola Matamba ( Follow on Twitter )


In response to the anti-gay bill signed by the ugandan president Yoweri Museveni in February, the Obama administration has announced retaliatory measures by cutting financial aid, imposing visa restrictions on ugandan citizens if proven to have contributed to human rights violations(gay rights), and canceling a scheduled military exercise with the ugandan army. Uganda's tough sanctions against homosexuality go as far as to life imprisonment. Following the White House decision, the Ugandan government spokesman Ofwono Opondo said:"Uganda is a sovereign country and can never bow to anybody or be blackmailed by anybody".

Gay rights evangelism has clearly become one of the hallmarks of Obama's foreign policy and his top priority, when the world would have wished to see him more comitted in addressing issues that can change the prevailing wrong image millions worldwide have about america and dispel the growing anti-US feeling.

"Human rights" for Obama means "gay rights" as he willingly ignores all human rights violations that he can stop. During the 2008 campaign for the presidency of the United States, in his rousing speeches accompanied by the famous "Yes We Can", he promised to close Guantanamo. Not only he hasn't kept his word, but he will probably never do as the end of his second term is looming. Guantanamo is a stain on the american flag because of brutal interrogative methods and torture reminiscent of Middle Ages' savagery.

Fighting against terrorism, president Obama sends drones that end up killing innocent civilians. Additionally, stunning revelations by Edward Snowden gave a glimpse of America's spying techniques utterly violating people’s privacy, going as far as to spy on leaders of other countries like Angela Merkel of Germany, or Dilma Roussef of Brazil.

The country that violates human rights on a daily basis, that established, funded and supported African dictators for decades, that created Al Qaeda, that perpetrates coups and  arms heartless fighters in Syria; wants to dupe the world with the gay rights campaign.

Uganda is one of many african countries ruled by a dictator. Human rights violations and nonsensical brutal policies are very common to the extent that a TV channel was recently banned for showing Museveni slumbering in the parliament. Museveni who has been in power for decades never suffers enmity with Washington when political opponents are brutalized or when ugandans are victims of poverty caused by the country's resources mismanagement. The US shamelessly backed Museveni's dictatorship for years and his human rights violations.

To show that the USA is being hypocrite as always, Saudi Arabia, one of the US strongest allies has more laws and policies in place not only against homosexuality but even more concerning women as they cannot drive cars. Qatar as well is one of those countries sticking to principles of islam and banning everything contrary to its teachings.

Due to the importance of their strategic alliances, Obama casts a blind eye because there is more to lose than to win by threatining to stop relationships and cooperation with those two countries, unlike Uganda that lacks leverages in relations with the US to be taken seriously.

Nevertheless, either financial aid or not, ugandans are not fazed. Only officials that had an interest in aid flows have lost one of their sources of revenue. Repression against opponents and poverty will continue as the american top human rights chief will be playing golf.

But this issue is a good occasion to remember that african countries can survive without assistance. There is a good opportunity for africans to focus on their own potentials because Washington and European Union's aids are insignificant compared to what we can achieve ourselves. Africa as a whole can be a partner that will have a say in the world and more leverages than Saudi Arabia or Qatar if we work to position ourselves in the universe of nations. Then there will be no room for blackmail when we vote laws on par with our values and beliefs.

                       
     
                       

ACTIVISM: THE NEED TO ACT WITH A NEW PERSPECTIVE

by Simeon Nkola Matamba ( Follow on Twitter )

From day one of our physical existence, either consciously or unconsciously, we have a drive to fight for rights bestowed upon us by the Almighty. And beyond the scope of our private lives, we oppose the ever increasing level of injustice in the world, claiming rights of the oppressed by denunciations, online activism, petition signing, and the like. Imperialism, dictatorship, human rights violations, terrorism and all vices trigger a humane reflex to the extent that it is impossible for one to hold their peace.

Famous human rights fighters and supporters remain unconstested examples and sources of inspiration. Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Ghandi, or Martin Luther King Jr are among the most notorious ones in terms of recent history. Those were fighters of freedom, human rights and equality of all races.

But there is a disparity today when we consider methods they once resorted to for reaching their goals and win their battles compared to what we are doing. To them fighting meant sacrifice as far as to be rentrenched from the living. It is obvious that we are less effective. Activism that meant taking action and fully committing oneself for a cause is fading.

Today's battles are fought on sofas,  or behind computers as we relentlessly send thousands and millions of posts on social networks, sometimes in the comfort of an air-conditioned room. Our popular struggles though legitimate suffer from a lack of strategy and approach to have things moved ahead.

Not long ago the world was moved by the incident that took place in a stadium where the brazilian player Dany Alves was thrown a banana at. In a smart move, Alves ridiculed the person who threw the fruit by eating it. As a result, days that followed saw Twitter and Facebook being filled with pictures of people around the globe with peeled bananas in support to the player but mainly with the intent of fighting racism. But the question is: how does a banana picture tackle racism?

To mention another example, the more than 200 girls' abduction in Nigeria had a larger social network impact. The slogan "#BringBackOurGirls" went viral and became a meme which has seen a timid version of it, "#BringBackOurBoys", referring to the three boys kidnapped in West Bank by a terrorist organisation according to Israeli authorities. But simply showing sympathy towards grieved families of victims or spreading the word to get the world aware as said above cannot solve problems.

A cosmetic commitment is the least one can do and think they have done something. But more must be done. We cannot be proud of Mandela, Dr King, Ghandi or any other soldier of freedom and justice if we do not take solid action.

The Arab Spring despite its mitigated results was a great example of what can be done when the struggle ceases to be cosmetic and when one knows that they are risking their lives for a cause. Though social medias were used to raise public awareness, toppled presidents in Egypt and Tunisia resigned because of the people's resilience and no intent to give up, as they prolonged demonstrations.

Therefore, activists must endow themselves with a new perspective. Action must have an impact on the actor. Action cannot leave the actor unscathed. There is always a price to pay for what we do no matter how small it is. We look at scars with pride and see how strong we were to go through hard times and remain standing. And a work is valued when we run out of energy but reap benefits. It shows that our commitment must reach another dimension where we don't just tweet or pull an hashtag, but rather become soldiers in the battlefield.


           

BY THE BANKS OF THE RIVER

by Simeon Nkola Matamba ( Follow on Twitter )

By the banks of the river I sat
Watching endless rolling waves
Travelling with my reflection on the waters
So far for eyes to follow

I sat, hearing the humming water
Tears rolling down my cheeks
The river in me is flowing
As I think of Land beyond the river

Lightnings, thunders, winds and storms
Shaking me, threatening life
But also this river I am watching
Waves stirred by sea monsters

Darkening skies, darkening life
Lights of strength and health going off
No power for a new breath
No hope for mortals

By the banks of the river I stand
As from afar I can see
Like a dot coming closer
Finally to look like a Ball of Light

In the beginning God created the world
And His Spirit moved upon the waters
Faster than the speed of my life's light
Upon the waters it comes to take me

In Fire Ball I am wrapped
Storms, lightnings, wind smiting behind
Travelling faster than the speed of light
My condition has come to change

I crossed the river, fading memories
I have come to the Haven of rest
Sun always shining, eversweet wind
All is beauty, all is peace

By the banks of the River I sit
This River of Life I have found
This River boiling in me
And its waters the thirsty desire



                       

AFRICA:  THE DISSONANCE IN ECONOMICS

by Simeon Nkola Matamba ( Follow on Twitter )


For last years news have been awash with reports of growth in african economies. Apart from BRICS and asian economies' emergence, Africa is also drawing attention. To mention but a few countries, Nigeria has been recently promoted the first african economy, ahead of South Africa, after a GDP rebasing. Also, the war torn Democratic Republic of the Congo is believed to be experiencing growth in GDP(7 to 8 % between 2012 and 2013). Not forgetting Ghana, Angola, etc .

The African Development Bank foresees a 4.8%  expansion of average growth in 2014 and 5.7%  in 2015. Updates of numbers, figures, curves, graphs enhance the "Africa Is Rising" creed, in spite of the fact that not everybody can fathom their significance.

But contrary to what it should be, increased GDPs surprisingly don’t directly influence populations' daily lives. Though economists would like to demonstrate that the rise is coming, nothing so far dispels the feeling that things are moving on the opposite direction. For the child who wakes up to find no food, the father who keeps his head down in shame because he cannot keep the bread on the table, or the mother selling coal at the market to support her family, growth is nonexistent.

The large majority is not ready to believe in any idea of growth. Not because production is not expanding but rather because of the persistent precarity in access to basic goods and services. African countries still have high levels of unemployment, famine(239 million undernourished according to estimations by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation ), lack of infrastructures, poor health care systems causing rulers to brazenly go abroad for treatments, wars and endless conflicts. The list is not exhaustive.

Growth alone is not enough, as showed Tresor Chovu (@chovenstone) a congolese business negotiator I encountered on Twitter. To growth must be added the notion of fair distribution of wealth and opportunities. One of the main causes of not sensing growth is the corruption scourge that does not facilitate an organised allocation of benefits of growth to different sectors of the economy. Institutionalised corruption is sand in Africa's machine, blocking the steering movement so as to near development

Fair distribution does not mean dishing out bank notes or organising charity-style events that we often see when a politician goes out to test their popularity and feed their ego with the poor coming out to sing praises.

There are a some areas that can be considered for improving living conditions. For instance education, health care, agriculture, or energy. A good education resulting in a skilled population in various domains is a great factor of  development and it also enables workers to get rewards based on their qualification. Efforts to create sustainable and affordable health care will lengthen life expectancy, halt the spreading of diseases or at least visibly reduce them. Agriculture's role as one of the key areas to attain food security must not be downplayed as Africa houses 60% of the world uncultivated land. Outstanding potentials for energy need to be focused on because energy is of paramount importance for households, as well as individuals and firms in production chains.

Novices in economics are more concerned about their living conditions. Obviously we want to believe that Africa is rising but what matters most is to see the rise of the african man. It is achieved when respective governments deal with priorities with the aim of lessening the burden of life upon people's shoulders. Showers of figures-there are also critics to the growth narrative-cannot blot out poverty unless there is impulsions in concrete projects aimed at improving living conditions. That is what we need.



                   

RELIGION IS NOT THE ENEMY OF THE WORLD

by Simeon Nkola Matamba ( Follow on Twitter )



As always, religions keep witnessing an increase in the number of followers. Predictions that technology and development would wipe off religions or cause the whole world to embrace materialism and atheism are being proven wrong. On the contrary, technology's instruments are now vehicles for all groups to reach out and impart beliefs and philosophies. Also, mass medias are well integrated in religious activities.

With teachings to regulate the lifestyle of followers, different levels of interpretation determine the scope of someone's conduct and involvement in social life. Loathsome religious fanaticism is an example. Though jihadists' acts are more notorious, the Middles Ages' persecution by the catholic church widely known as "The Inquisition" against heretics cannot be disregarded. Wars have been fuelled by religious motives and continue to be.

It opens the door for religious critics to holler. In an advanced world where humane feelings and peace must prevail, religions are seen as disruptive. Slogans uttered parrot fashion reinforce that impression as it is easy to believe such when the propensity to view religions as vicious is big.

But not all wars and crimes are motivated by religious points of view. Despite extremist groups like Boko Haram that recently abducted over 200 girls in the name of islam, and several other extremist groups, a greater responsibility resides at another level. The civilized world  keeps producing more weapons and means of destruction that contribute to destroying mankind in the name of technological progress. The danger it represents is above all what religious extremists put together can do.

The Second World War itself is familiar with bloodthirsty characters Hitler and Stalin whose cruelty is almost unparalleled. Their actions can't be blamed on religion but their egos.

Fanatics warring to impose beliefs and moral codes cannot do it all alone. They walk hand in hand with science-weapons- meant to liberate the world from barbarism and religious nonsense.

Al Qaeda, the most famous terrorist organisation initially founded to fight the USSR in 80s could not exist without the support of the USA. Advocates of human rights and peace trigger troubles only to blame religious fanatics. It also applies to Boko Haram with last year's reports about its suspicious funding. Also in Syria, jihadists fallaciously called "syrian rebels" benefit from sustained support from western capitals to topple Bachar All Assad.

Religions are not the enemy of the world. Religions speak of justice, peace and love towards neighbours. There is a minority of fanatics that cannot be mixed with the majority. And, most of all, western powers use fanatics as proxies for conflicts they don't want to be direclty involved in. Thus it cannot always be blamed on religion. Religion has neither face nor adress. It must be blamed on evildoers, men and women using religion as a cover for wickedness and cowardice to assume their acts.


                         

DEMOCRACY-PILL, THE PANACEA FOR AFRICA, IS A COUNTERFEIT PRODUCT

by Simeon Nkola Matamba ( Follow on Twitter )



Underdevelopment, famine, malaria, wars, mass abductions, corruption, unemployment, poverty: the diagnosis of Africa's condition cannot be darker. The wave of independence and freedom that swept over the continent 50 years ago allowed natives to take control of their own destiny. The movement was the epitome of the fundamental right for populations in different countries of Africa to exert power for their own sake. That is the basis of the democracy concept as outlined in its most spread definition. Nonetheless, the dream of autonomy for africans would later be destroyed by the work of heartless dictators turning countries into personal ranches, helping themselves by looting resources and enforcing brutal repressive policies against the slightest gesture of opposition. Few rulers embodied a vision of total independence and the courage to pursue it. Among them are Lumumba, Sankara, who not only believed, but most of all, fought for african development and Pan-Africanism, at the expense of their lives.

A second wave started rolling in the early 1990s, shaking fortifications of old established systems. Apartheid was halted, a dictator like Mobutu had to  loosen his grip on the people. But it is mainly in the last decade that all kinds of elections have been held in most african countries. Either presidential and national assembly elections or referendums, voting has become a trend that restores the feeling that the people is again at the center of future and destiny.

It's been years now that we keep swallowing the pill supposed to put an end to plagues and chaos. Despite enthusiasm and propaganda, support from westerner pharmacists providing the pill in large quantities, the plague is still roaming throughout the land. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation's estimations are of 239 million undernourished people in Africa. Regarding poverty, incomes are not sufficient, hence not enough purchasing power to acquire food and have access to basic goods and services. Around 400 million people live in dire poverty. Unemployment is also bringing its share of disaster in a continent were youth population is expected to reach 75 percent in 2015. Corruption, military conflicts and mass abductions complete the list.

The status quo is too critical to naively believe in a panacea :"democracy-pill". I am not saying that I am against democracy, but rather that we must pay close attention to what we are doing. No mentally stable person can believe that we are attaining sustainable development, by casting a piece of paper called ballot paper in a box called ballot box. Democracy as power of the people is basically the right and the will of the people to be heard and served. This not only when it comes to voting, but most of all, the people must be involved in all stages of the political course.

Democracy-pill, in its african version, poses a threat to the people meant to be its main beneficiary. There is a trap in two ways. First, democracy-pill is basically a counterfeit medicine produced in cheap laboratories. Sold to the poor lacking what it takes to purchase better, the counterfeit product doesn't only fail to heal, but brings horrendous side effects. Democracy-pill, african version, comes along with intimidation, repression of political opponents, and fraud. The second threat is that the pill is designed in a way to get things locked in a dangerous conformism. There is no african country whose elected president is impeached due to corruption or incompetence. It means that no matter what a president does, citizens must hold their peace and say nothing on the grounds of respecting the democratic constitutional order that stipulates that he was elected for a five years term for instance. Or, fraudulent legislative elections give presidents majority in the parliament and free way to amend laws and make oneself eternal president. All this shows that the demos is very far from having the kratos.

Years have passed, we have the same problems we had in the past. Only now folks start realising  that democracy in the way it was presented to them is a scam. Indeed, democracy-pill is less dangerous than dictatorship in terms of little evolutions in freedom of expression and liberalization of information, or the right to freely create or join a political representation. But all that is meager compared to crucial issues. People of power means power to appoint rulers who in return serve the people. People of power means power to hire politicians and fire them whenever they go astray from what they are meant to do.

Hadn't it been radical changes 50 years ago, african countries wouldn't have been able to snatch independence. And today to find the way back to development fathers of independence died for, a new leadership is highly needed. There must be a radical change in the way we view democracy. It must stop to be a morning stroll ending at a polling station where we cast papers in boxes. The solution should be the appointment of leaders and the establishment of clear provisions in laws enforcing the principle of accountability. Democracy can only be attained if the people have the right to fair elections and the power to hold their rulers accountable. Democracy is attained when the people's demands are fully respected.

                         

               AFRICAN STEREOTYPES

by Simeon Nkola Matamba ( Follow on Twitter )



The 18th century is commonly known as the century of lights with regards to the revival in sciences, arts and knowledge. Yet the 21st century can be tagged as the century of information. Never before information was easily accessible for large numbers. The complexity of the world and its different components can be grasped, erasing limited and simplistic beliefs held for absolute truths in past years. Stereotypes are meant to be dethroned by more accurate elements, giving a sight to the wonderful diversity different universes are made of.

 Nevertheless, the overwhelming amount of data stored in search engines and books does not always get the attention of many civilized people. Their scope of knowledge is limited to a bit of popular singing and some other stuff acquired from school and memorized through rote learning. That is what explains persistent stereotypes about Africa. Around the world,  the craddle of mankind is oversimplified with petty assumptions that are ridiculous at the same time.

A friend of mine forwarded me links to Youtube videos she posted two years ago about the issue. She is a congolese, grew up in South Africa and joined Canada some years ago. In the videos, she adresses the issue of african stereotypes through what curiosity would have some of her friends ask her. Of course, folks still thought Africa was a country, but some of the few questions she had to answer are: "You're coming from Africa,  so you speak African?", "In Africa,  do you have things like pizza?", "Do you have roads?".

I can't put all questions here but I won't forget to mention that someone was concerned about knowing if africans like chicken. It is  appalling and hilarious at the same time.  It is very paradoxal that in the age where knowledge and information is within reach, having smartphones, tablets,  the internet, platforms like Amazon or Scribd where self-education is not expensive, many people around the world don't know things that are merely basic.

This directly reminded me that few years ago, back home in Congo,  we entertained a whole family coming from the UK. They came in Kinshasa for an important ceremony taking place in our religious community. The kids were amazed to see people in Africa living in a big house, because they were told that in Africa we sleep in trees. They enjoyed their stay and were shocked that things didn't look like what they had been taught.

I recall that in high school we learnt about Europe, America, and Asia. We studied about kingdoms, emperors like Alexandre The Great, the Hellenistic civilization, phoenecians, Crete, and many other things. We also dealt with modern history and geography, countries, capitals, populations and so forth. It enabled us to know a bit more about the world, and today with news channels and various sources of information we keep on track with what happens everywhere.

Stereotypes are a result of a lack of interest in learning about others. Why will they learn about Africa? Will it change the fact that they are developped super powers?  Many europeans and americans hear of a country in Africa or somewhere else only when their boots are sent for military interventions. On top of that, as I said on my article about social medias, big channels focus on the negative side of things. As a result, the level of ignorance is unbelievable with stereotyping as the only option.

Citizens of the civilized world don't have to behave like primitives whose knowledge of the world was limited to how far their eyes could see. The world is big and beautiful and has to be explored for its diversity to be enjoyed.

                         

HEAR THE CALL AND MOVE FORWARD

by Simeon Nkola Matamba ( Follow on Twitter )


Three years ago, I was excited about completing high school to join South Africa to further my studies. I was readying to embark on a promising journey offering new opportunities to bring plans and ambitions to fruition. I had to leave my lovely parents and beautiful two sisters, travelling alongside with my older brother. The strong link built with family, friends and members of my community had to be stretched hence made less strong because I was going away. My awareness was brought to the fact that when life calls, one is always compelled to leave their comfort zone. Venturing to join an unknown outer world is something that keeps repeating itself.

Though life has a special way of treating us, we don't always like it. By observing we see that separation is a routine. A foetus to be born hears the call of life and the compulsion to leave mother's womb for an unknown yet better condition. Nevertheless the fear of the future's uncertainties is the major hindrance to answering the call of life. We have a strong propensity to refuse the call and remain in the comfort of the order of a situation. Change is not always taken as an opportunity but fear is deeply anchored in us.

The call of the future must yet be answered with a lot of positivism. Leaving the only world I ever knew was painful. But with hindsight, that was the best thing to do in terms of reaped benefits. Someone said "The future is not an inheritance, it is an opportunity and an obligation". An opportunity to get better and the obligation to do so. Not embracing the future is akin to death, lives stuck in the past, frozen stories that cannot be continued.

When life calls, answer. When the future calls, be bold to rise and move forward. It takes motivation and self confidence. My Dad likes telling us:"life does not spare anyone". If life never spares us, forcing us to go through all kinds of things it is made of, why do we spare life and are afraid to force it to accept that we are able to shape it and come out reinforced? Hear the call, embrace the future.


                       

AFRICA: LEADERSHIP IS WHAT WE NEED

by Simeon Nkola Matamba ( Follow on Twitter )


In every group or community leadership is of paramount importance. It is one of the fundamental functions in managing organisations.  Not only planning, organising and controlling are necessary activities, leading is what sees to it that an organisation is efficiently led to the attainment of its goals. Mastering the art of leadership ensures that a dream or a vision is made real. The question has been generating endless arguments, some arguing it is an innate faculty given to a few, others asserting that it can be acquired through a process of learning and practicing. Validating or refuting either one or the other theory is far from being our focal point. The focus is on how as a cure to various problems left without solutions it is not resorted to. Its role is neglected in the pursuit of development and sustainability.

Leadership is a word we hear a lot when it comes to making remarks about Africa. It is obvious that Africa is experiencing a dearth of such an important force.  A leader as the word shows is one meant to lead, embodying a vision or a dream driving him or her to influence others for realising things. A leader is able to motivate, and get the work done for reaching a specific purpose by using necessary means and suitable strategies.

Instead of leaders at heads of states we rather have simple rulers whose duties are limited to minimum service activities. Leaders with a dream and a vision for their country are a rare resource. Our presidents don't have any vision of the people's future and the future of the country. When their projects come under scrutiny-if they even dare present one-what catches the attention is how limited and poor their ambitions are. In a country with a high level of illiteracy for instance, a president found better to offer to build a stadium for young people to go watch sports, meanwhile there are not enough schools.

On top of the lack of leaders because of no dream and vision, we notice that rulers themselves don't lead by example. Politics is in general perceived as evil, linked to corruption and mischiefs. But it seems it's in Africa that the rule is very much verifiable. Involved in graft, corruption, embezzlements, money laundering and so forth, politicians have no accountability at all. When the head is rotten, much cannot be expected from other members of the body. It is very much like having a human body with a rotting brain. Depending on the brain to move and act, the whole body becomes unable to function naturally.

Suffering from a lack of strong leadership to allow that resources through planning, organising and controlling are used in the most intelligent way, we are friends to chaos. Short-sighted rulers unable to see beyond their lives' span or families' circles abandon millions submerged in abysses of underdevelopment and mediocrity.  With no vision of a better condition to lead the people to, nothing great can be expected. And as long as a strong and responsible leadership is absent, countries will be endlessly going through the fatal and notorious cycle of failure.

                 
                         

   AFRICA IN THE HOUR OF SOCIAL MEDIA

by Simeon Nkola Matamba ( Follow on Twitter )




The rapid evolution of events in Africa is a matter of interest. On one side wars, diseases, sicknesses, underdevelopment, on the other side an emerging continent with countries struggling to transcend and find a place in the universe of developed countries. Africa as a whole is the theatre of diverse evolutions that the eye cannot always catch. TV and radio stations are far from providing a full and accurate picture of various occurrences. Most of the time, the emphasis remains on the dark side. Wars, diseases, poverty and all that goes with it are the main topics. Mainstream medias are relied on to keep the world posted on the rhythm of events, having gained an aura that their words and reports are taken as gospel. Disagreeing means one is victim of some mental deficiency called “conspiracy theorism”, a disease of the century affecting huge numbers of people around the world.

The social media revolution has at least for now changed this reality to a small extent. The beginning of the twenty-first century has seen the rise of social networks, using the internet to connect people. It is now more difficult to suffer from a severe paucity of information, because masses have in their hands necessary tools to learn what is happening in their fields of interest, to spread whatever they deem relevant. First computers, now phones, the internet has made information easily accessible and shareable, and passed are the times the gospel of news was delivered by the only ordained and consecrated medias. A 12 year old kid with a phone can holler, using a hashtag on Twitter, getting hundreds of people to join and promote a cause. On Facebook, networks are built with random friends and one needs some skills plus brain power to manage and control a big circle of friends.

Like everywhere, Africans are very well implanted in social medias. Millions of them connect every day and share stories. Nevertheless, their impact in the social media landscape remains meager. Meager because posts' contents on Facebook or Twitter, Instagram, etc.. are simply appalling.  Most of the time private lives, pictures of parties, selfies, comments on a certain movie or song by an american artist, or some live-tweeting of an award ceremony are at the top of the heap. Africans have trivialized the power of social media and the impact of crucial information in the development and revolution we all believe in.

Following the last bomb attack that made 71 victims in Nigeria, I read a tweet that caught my attention. A nigerian was complaining that if the bomb attack had taken place in Europe, there would have been an outcry all over the world. With the liberalization of information, do we still complain that our stories are not making headlines to trigger an outcry, meanwhile we have large audiences on social networks? Africa does not need mouth pieces from Al Jazeera, CNN, BBC or whatever channel. Events known as “The Arab Spring” could never electrify whole countries and get crowds to come in droves for demonstrations if social networks were not used efficiently. The same approach has to be used on a larger scale for the whole continent.

The importance of social media must not be downplayed. Mainstream medias’ monopoly of information keeps crowds forced to swallow dirty substances of propaganda. Biased news and reports will only contribute to reinforcing the image the world has of Africa.  Africans needs to take advantage of the social media revolution, come with their own narrative, their own methods, to tell the truth of what is happening, without forgetting to mention stories of success, because not everything is dark. Africans are pretty set to act and no one will do that for them.

                           

FORGOTTEN GENOCIDE, WORSE THAN HITLER

by Simeon Nkola Matamba ( Follow on Twitter )

                               King Leopold II of Belgium (1835-1909)



The Twentieth Century is known to be one of the most tense periods in modern history. Starting with the First World War, nations would engage in a larger and deadlier conflict, the Second World War. One of the headlines of the Second World War is the Holocaust, a genocide in which 6,000,000 jews died. Down through the century, conflicts and wars characterised human existence, untill the rwandan genocide in 1994. The duty to study history makes us ensure we remember those two genocides, in which lives came to a brutal end. Nevertheless, another tragedy remains overlooked. A tragedy whose horror is more terrifying than the mentioned twos. The forgotten genocide took place in the "Congo Free State" (1885-1908), orchestrated by worse than Hitler. Leopold II, king of Belgium, owns the record Hitler was not able to break. The Congo Free State genocide in which our fathers died, is a nonevent for many. A forgotten genocide, a forgotten story.

Leopold II, uncomfortable in his tiny domain, would convince the international community to let him occupy the country now known as "Democratic Republic Of The Congo". The intent was to bring development and spread civilization in faraway lands of Africa. European nations in deep naivety let him get his "slice of the african cake", as the need to free Africa from Middle Ages was compulsory. Leopold II inherited the land, eighty times as big as the tiny belgian kingdom. Leopold II owned the whole territory of DRC as a private property, forcing natives to work to exhaustion, in collecting rubber and ivory in the jungle. Brutal mistreatment of natives followed. When quotas of rubber were not reached, relatives of men working in the biggest Gulag camp, worse than Stalin's, had hands chopped off.

Resorting to murder, starvation, exhaustion, exposure, disease against local people, Leopold II brought masses into subjection. The death toll is believed to number up to at least 10,000,000. That is more than the shoah and the rwandan genocide combined. The tragedy inspired Joseph Conrad to write "Heart Of Darkness", describing the nightmarish condition in  which worse than Hitler had put millions. Others like Arthur Conan Doyle also raised voices to denounce atrocities commited by Leopold II, in the land ironically named Congo Free State. Doyle had to mention in his book The Crime Of The Congo what follows :"Finally Mr. Murphy says: "The rubber question is accountable for most of the horrors perpetrated in the Congo. It has reduced the people to a state of utter despair. Each town in the district is forced to bring a certain quantity to the headquarters of the Commissary every Sunday. It is collected by force; the soldiers drive the people into the bush, if they will not go they are shot down, their left hands being cut off and taken as trophies to the Commissary. The soldiers do not care whom they shoot down, and they most often shoot poor helpless women and harmless children. These hands -- the hands of men, women and children -- are placed in rows before the Commissary, who counts them to see the soldiers have not wasted the cartridges. The Commissary is paid a commission of about a penny per pound upon all the rubber he gets; it is, therefore, to his interest to get as much as he can." "

The Congo Reform Association and many others, came to realize that the humanitarian and philanthropic mission of Leopold II consisted of creating an industry of death in the heart of Africa. Human rights violations were denounced, and when Leopold II passed away, the Congo Free State fell under the control of Belgium. Fifty-two years had yet to pass before congolese snatched their independence. That period is not among the most glorious times of our history. Even though Leopold II was no more, the same colonial objective was being pursued by his successor, denying and violating human rights. Campaigners of civilization behaved savagely, showing a retarded behavior that natives met only in the jungle where there is no law.

No one hears about this genocide. There is no Yad Vashem to honor the memory of our victims. There is no international concern to remember that tragedy like in other cases. There is injustice in writing history. That is why we decide to take our pens to write. We decide to tell our stories. Passed are the times the gospel of news was delivered by the only ordained and consecrated medias. Passed are the times we all had to gather around the table to listen to a news bulletin. Comes the time we are all capable of bringing crowds to awareness of hidden realities that happened, that are about to happen in our lands. Comes the time we don't care about mainstream medias, whose role is nothing but excelling in manipulating and subjugating masses, forcing millions around the globe to swallow dirty matters of propaganda. Comes the time the memory of Leopold II victims has to be remembered, by all who have a sense of humanity in the current decaying condition of the world.



                         

          FEMINISM, NOT FEMADNISM!

by Simeon Nkola Matamba ( Follow on Twitter )

You suppport woman's cause, you fight for human rights and emancipation of women, I wish not to hurt you. Like you, I understand who women are and their contribution to mankind. No woman means no life. No life means death. We all cherish women in general and our mothers in particular. We are reminded how great is the role they played, that without them we wouldn't be here. But the cause of women has been hijacked by a minority. Vowing to be advocates of women,  they are destroying the very essence of womanhood. That is what I decide to call FEMADNISM, instead of feminism.

Some cultural backgrounds show that women remained in the backyard for long. Theories were developped, arguing that a woman cannot do more than childbearing and cooking food for her family. Today, minds are being transformed and wee see women having the right to education, enabling them to enter professional careers, giving their best and moving the world forward. This time not only with their wombs, but with other assets: their brains and minds. Women have proven that they are able to achieve great things when they are given opportunities. I myself have two little sisters, I want them to study and go far in terms of knowledge. Women deserve all of our respect and consideration. Nevertheless, there is still a long way to go in respecting the rights of women in the world. I am from DRC, one of the countries where the rights of women are totally sabotaged.  DRC is the country where women have become a tool, being abused in the ongoing war, raped, trodden down. Those are stories that make us cringe.  Much has to be done and women deserve our support, to see to it that they gain their dignity, and occupy in our society the throne of honor.

But there is a movement nowadays that I find quite bizarre. The struggle for women's rights is one of the sacred causes one can commit their minds to. Unfortunately, some so-called feminists have adopted an approach totally absurd.  They go out topless to demonstrate,  showing off their bodies, as if that made any difference. So-called feminists will stand, defending prostitution and everything that goes with it, on the ground of women's rights. That is not feminism.  That's FEMADNISM. Femadnism because that's madness. Why not give back to women what they deserve? I never heard of those so-called feminists speak in favor of abused women in DRC, or little girls being married by bearded men who make them go through a calvary, or stand for any natural woman right. They are out there, shouting for some insignificant matter, meanwhile topless. Is that what feminism is about? That is certainly not what women need. That does not help the cause.

Women from all sides, the struggle is being hijacked as serious matters are not being adressed. A woman will never be fulfilled the day she is granted the right to walk naked or have sex with as many as partners she wants. If the struggle is about showing off one's body parts, or having sex, haven't female animals reached total emancipation? Woman's dignity is beyond that. Woman's  dignity is divine and sacred. May the struggle be focused on serious matters, such as education, security, opportunities,  rather than insignificant pieces of insignificance.

                             

                                    ILLUSIONISM

by Simeon Nkola Matamba ( Follow on Twitter )



As  I come to meet people and get acquainted to their views, plans and projects in life,  I came to a strange discovery. It deals with the standard from which every dream is built. Stories of success in terms of finances, assets and so forth, became a pattern to which every human achievement is compared. Easily, they want to be like Bill Gates who made his first million while very young, or any other rich person. I have nothing against such, and I myself would be proud and happy if I could realize what Gates did. The concern is that struggling to make one's life be like Gates' is more likely to fail, and is a proof of a lack of creativeness in bringing a new story of success, hence venturing to  live someone else's life.

Illusionism has led some to have big dreams with small work. Those ambitions of greatness have an ephemera effect on minds, like drugs, relieving the subject for a moment, while lost in fantasies and fairy tales. It would be appreciable if people had a clue on how to build their future.  However, they only have blind faith in something that doesn't exist nowhere, except in their minds. Faith is not blind, faith is real. When one gets into his car, they are sure they have enough strength in their hand to take the key and start the engine. Faith is knowledge of having the potential to fulfill greatness. Faith is not an illusion, faith is real.

I am a strong believer in myself and in people, but I also believe that sometimes we need to "take our heads off the clouds and hit the ground". Let every man work in accordance to his calling, let his dream be exceptional. There is no greatness in adopting someone else's path. There is glory in opening a way through a rock. Once we get there, we see life differently. When we are sure we have the elements to fulfill our dream, we don't dream but rather work. As a common saying states: "before a dream to become reality, one has to wake up".

                               

                 MOTHERLAND

by Simeon Nkola Matamba ( Follow on Twitter )

In the center of Africa is a land
Made of rivers, valleys, forest and sand
Full of minerals and full of riches
A place of rest and refuge for the troubled
A haven of rest, heart of a desired continent
Whose beauty and glory reminds of paradise

To the land desolate and away from people's sight
Came the first humans in the great adventure
How amazed they were to discover beauty of a jewel
That would attract the attention of many more
As the course of time carried on the race

From the North they came, not to contemplate the beauty of motherland
They came with lust and greediness to devastate and destroy
As mother was defenceless, her children were not strong enough
To make sure her beauty remains spotless
In the perfection her Creator bestowed upon her

Years of blood and years of shame
Oppression, humiliation and human's violence
Mother was stabbed in the heart, her precious children fell victims with bowed heads
As the world watched her blood run
Till the streams became like a river of death
In which martyrs of the independence drowned
With wolves around quenching their thirst

But in fact mother was in travail, having severe birth pains
About to bring forth a child
A child that finally stood strong and firm
Defying brutality and dominion of predators
Who looked confused without understanding
The driving force of their will
To be free from boundage and contemplate the beauty of mother

What a blast and what a thunder
In the ears and minds of oppressors
They were struck by a lightining
That blinded their colonial ambitions
Because the child was resolved to fight and bring mother to glory
To make her a paradise
In which future children would come
To enjoy the blessings of the land
And to kiss her with love of sons and daughters

Mother to whom we remain true, whose dress(flag) we honor
Mother that brought us into the world
And that opened the door of the worlds to us
Mother we will always love. Mother still young
Mother regenerating herself
Mother still flourishing with greatness
DRC our Motherland.

                         

HOMOSEXUALITY, WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

by Simeon Nkola Matamba ( Follow on Twitter )

        Today, human rights have become of great concern to everybody, political leaders and countries are judged by their way of dealing with people's rights and freedom. Western leaders are the ones advocating for human rights-though they violate them everyday with their NSA and whatever spying techniques, torturing people, Guantanamo and so forth-and some go as far as to deliver sermons of love and tolerance, as they mention Jesus and the Bible to support gay rights. I am writing about this issue to show what the Bible really says about same sex relations, so that people may know where to draw their arguments from and to show if there is any way to rest upon the Bible to be an advocate of homosexuality and gays.

Starting with Genesis which is the "seed book" of the Bible, we discover God's attitude towards homosexuality in the narrative of Sodom and Gomorrah. We find  in Genesis references about it as follows: Genesis 13, verse 13:"Now the people of Sodom were wicked and were sinning greatly against the Lord." The story carries on like this: Genesis 19, verses 1 to 10 inclusive:"The two angels arrived at Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gateway of the city. When he saw them, he got up to meet them and bowed down with his face to the ground.“My lords,” he said, “please turn aside to your servant’s house. You can wash your feet and spend the night and then go on your way early in the morning.” “No,” they answered, “we will spend the night in the square.” But he insisted so strongly that they did go with him and entered his house. He prepared a meal for them, baking bread without yeast, and they ate.  Before they had gone to bed, all the men from every part of the city of Sodom—both young and old—surrounded the house. They called to Lot, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them.” Lot went outside to meet them and shut the door behind him and said, “No, my friends. Don’t do this wicked thing. Look, I have two daughters who have never slept with a man. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do what you like with them. But don’t do anything to these men, for they have come under the protection of my roof.”  “Get out of our way,” they replied. “This fellow came here as a foreigner, and now he wants to play the judge! We’ll treat you worse than them.” They kept bringing pressure on Lot and moved forward to break down the door.  But the men inside reached out and pulled Lot back into the house and shut the door. Then they struck the men who were at the door of the house, young and old, with blindness so that they could not find the door."

The story ends when God finally destroys Sodom and Gomorrah with fire in the same chapter from verse 23 to 28:"By the time Lot reached Zoar, the sun had risen over the land. Then the Lord rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah—from the Lord out of the heavens. Thus he overthrew those cities and the entire plain, destroying all those living in the cities—and also the vegetation in the land. But Lot’s wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt. Early the next morning Abraham got up and returned to the place where he had stood before the Lord. He looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah, toward all the land of the plain, and he saw dense smoke rising from the land, like smoke from a furnace." God's attitude towards homosexuality is clearly defined here.

Those supporting homosexuality on the ground of God's love must suffer that we present yet other biblical references because they are speaking about what they do not know. God driving the children of Israel out of Egypt in the great exodus told them not to imitate customs and habits of people living in Canaan at that time. Among those filthy habits homosexuality is once again mentioned,  as we can read in Leviticus 18 verse 23:"Do not have sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman; that is detestable." The Bible clearly condemns homosexuality and considers it as a sin! In the New Testament in 1 Corinthians chapter 6, verses 9-11 the Bible says again:"Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who have sex with men, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor slanderers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God."

The point of this text was to show that the Bible is totally against homosexuality. There is no way to take the Bible and preach that God supports homosexuality. Standing for homosexuality tantamounts to standing against the Bible! Homosexuality is a choice that people make and they remain free to choose that. But the Bible is against that. Going through the scriptures-you have had the opportunity to read the Bible today- gives a clear understanding. God is a God of Love and compassion, forgiving sinners, but also a God of anger when people do what He declared to be wrong in His Bible. Our God, the One we believe in, is against homosexuality. I accept that people are free to be gays, but I totally refuse them the right to use the Bible to pretend it is acceptable. It is not acceptable, it is detestable.

                           

   ATHEISM vs RELIGION

by Simeon Nkola Matamba ( Follow on Twitter )

 We cannot pretend to understand the world when we overlook the elements that constitute it. The world is made up of people whose lives are controlled by their beliefs, their values, and that is what drive their acts. Speaking about the world today does not only refer to the earth as a planet, but to a dynamic set which comprises different people, different views, different laws and cultures. With this approach I am going to speak about a topic which is of great concern to me: Atheism and Religion. With the development in our way of living, materialism has had a strong impact on our minds and has led us to believe that the natural craving for the unseen and the supernatural is a foolish thing, that only what we see and prove can be established as true. All this needs to be discussed and we have to look at this issue very seriously.

When we look back in history, we get acquainted to discovering that all civilizations of old allotted a great importance to the divine and the unseen, they all had a certain concept of God which they defined in their cultures and religions by rituals and forms of worship. It is also noticed that philosophers like Socrates-one of the pillars of western philosophy- and even those who came before him, believed in the existence of a God. Socrates is associated with the famous "Know Thyself", which referred to God or gods. Another great philosopher, Descartes, came to realise the existence of God when he divided our ideas in three categories: ideas that we receive from others, ideas that we create ourselves and ideas that we are born with. He discovered that he was born with the idea of perfection that he declared came from God himself. But on the contrary, today, science and wisdom mean rejection of any idea of God. Only mentioning these two great men, we see that their work and ideas explain a very natural thing: man's desire to worship, man's knowledge that there is something somewhere that we are pursuing. This aspect shows that man is not just a mass of flesh like any other animal, but men are given a supernatural element that enables them to connect with the unseen.

Now, atheists will tell you that there are many religions and many gods. It is true that in their quest for the supernatural, men have come across many discoveries. That quest being a journey, like explorers, they have come to places and so forth, they have seen many things, each one tried to describe it in their own way, gave it names according to their own understanding. When an equation is given for people to solve it, the fact that each one finds a different answer does not tantamount to the answer not existing. It is rather the greatest proof that the answer is there somewhere.

Atheists will depict us as blind believers and people lost in the wilderness, but that is not true. I met someone as I was travelling in a train; he told me something of paramount importance. He said "always believe in something, either it is right or wrong". I don't encourage people to believe errors and false things, but the principle of believing something cannot be neglected. Yes, atheists are also believers, and they're blind believers too. When you read about the BIG BANG, you have to wonder whether the people who believe in it where present to witness that oh so great event. And even when they mention the evolution of the universe and the evolution of man, they are really believers in something, except that their belief has to be seriously questioned. In terms of logic, you can't say that creationists are wrong because they believe in creation. The Big Bang that atheists believe in is their explanation of the creation of the worlds that we have today. They are creationists too, because the very elements from which the universe and men evolved had to be created first!

Athesists ask for a proof that God exists! That seems to be a stronghold in their mind. But what is essential about it is that they are asking only for scientific proofs while they know that everything cannot be proven scientifically. And before something is scientifically proven, it already exists even though you are not yet aware of it. Television was discovered not long ago, but waves always existed. We were late to discover how to grasp them and have images displayed on screens. Man is too slow to grasp all the good things that God put down here. The story of Galileo Galilei is very telling. People who have the ability to discover things that are contrary to the common way of thinking are treated as fools. The point here is that as long as all the elements have not been explored, calling oneself an atheist is a wrong conclusion. To refute the existence of God you must explore and master everything. And as long as atheists are still asking for the evidence of God's existence, which evidence they may get one day very soon, it does not make any sense that they quickly decide to call themselves atheists. 

I therefore conclude that atheism is based on materialism, an approach that has totally denied the supernatural self of humans and has lowered them to the level of beasts, flies or any other kind of animals. Atheism denies human nature, atheism is against the world, atheism is against life (because there's no life without a Source of life), atheism is one of the worst ideas and philosophies that ever came out of someone's brain, and unfortunately many people have fallen for it. Religion is one of the greatest things that happened to mankind. Doctors will tell you that it plays a role in having a good health. Religion is the first step to unlocking the mystery of God, the universe, and mankind. Religion remains. Contrary to Nietzsche God is not dead, He remains alive while Nietzsche is dead and will never live again.

                                    

DEATH

by Simeon Nkola Matamba ( Follow on Twitter )

Last Sunday I came across the news that a person I knew, a quite beautiful girl, was shot dead by robbers. This news was saddening and up to now I still think about it and it's really touching and shocking. In this I came to realize once again that human life is so fragile. I compare it to a man walking on a very small rope, without being certain of how long he'll go, being quite aware that he can either make a mistake and fall down, or the rope can break, making him wander in void space and fall on the ground in terrible destruction. That's the image I think is suitable to describe our fragile existence.

The lesson I learn from this event and that I'd like to share with you is that we don't know when we'll be leaving this place. We came here on earth without our will as we were never asked wheter we wanted to be born or  not. Dad and Mum decided to bring us. So it is for death. We don't have a word to say about it, but the One who controls it can direct it our way whenever He wants.

The main concern is for us to be ready to meet the unknown reality that unfolds after death. To be sure that we're not dying like cowards, that we're not flies vanishing, but we're the supreme form of life that exists. There's a supreme condition awaiting us if we have lived right all the way and have made ourselves ready to face death. With courage, strength, we can leave behind us footprints that others can follow, memorial to the world around us. That's the only way death will be precious to us, a deliverance from sufferings and struggles in this difficult life.
                               
                         

Happy New Year

by Simeon Nkola Matamba ( Follow on Twitter )

May this new year 2014 bring what Heaven has in store for you. May you face the new year with much hope and faith, go through the challenges ahead being more decided and resolved. "New year" doesn't mean turning a new page or changing the calendar, "new year" means turning to God, the only Master of time to Whom we owe our devotion and all we are. Let's get closer to Him in this 2014 so we'll be sure when time and years are gone, Eternity is insured for us, as we'll be living with Him FOREVER. I love you. Simeon Nkola M