Marriage Equality Lost Opportunity

This Saturday, 27 June 2015, I believe there will be the biggest and most amazing Gay Parade ever seen in Ireland.  How can it not be after the Marriage Referendum was passed.  I watched the debates, listened to points of views and read the articles and the posters and even had conversations of my

own on marriage equality and it was so amazing how passionate everyone was were they stood on the debate.  The most amazing conversations I had were with my kids and a few of their friends.  Regardless of where everyone stood it was clear the country was engaged in one of the biggest life changing (legally changing too) path of all generations.  I learnt a great deal and it was very encouraging to see how everyone was involved in some way in the conversations that were being held.

Only one area left me concerned, the reaction and involvement of organisations that represent immigrants in Ireland.  Some supported without question the YES/NO campaign and even had the messages on their websites.  Others remained quite and said nothing either way.  I felt let down by all these stances because nobody took the time to start the debate within the immigrant population.  The ones that didn't state where they stood did so not to rock the boat by saying YES and losing their members and not saying NO because the organisation would be seen as homophobic and possibly cost them their funding.  Those that said NO did so because they believe their members and groups they work with for religious and cultural reasons were mostly going for the NO and others supported the YES campaign to encourage immigrants to vote YES.  

What Name Should I Answer To?

Recently in Ireland there seems to be an urgency for people of African descent to not only need  but to want really badly to have an umbrella name for themselves.  Go into most public places in small or

Who?

even large numbers and the question asked is "So what do we call you?"  Its a very loaded question and I don't know whether it's intrigue, curiosity, ignorance or pure laziness that's propelling this question to be thrown around.  You see I grew up in a country which is inside a continent and I never used to define who I was beyond my name most times.  Sometimes my surname would come in and other times where my father's ancestors were from with people asking for the exact place since from my words and accent there would be no mistake that I am Karanga.  Kkkkk! That's taking you quite deep I know unless you are Zimbabwean and you get what that means.  Since moving to Ireland I just say I am Zimbabwean and that's it.  Few times people with a broader understanding of the country would ask are you Shona or Ndebele and though I respond the response if you are Zimbabwean is as verge as saying I am African.  It means a lot and it also means nothing.

When A Black Girl Moves by Neltah Chadamoyo

When a black girl moves she does it like no other
As each limp swings it's almost like telling a story
There is purpose and beauty
Its more than just getting one leg in from of the other
Its more than just going
Its an art that can get you lost in wonder

When a black girl moves
Its like pure gold both hard and fluid
In synch like nothing else ever seen

Its like an experiment that has never been done
And yet you do get to see
It's smoothness and hardness that only exists
When a black girls moves

"If" by Rudyard Kipling

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or being hated don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise;


If you can dream–and not make dreams your master;
If you can think–and not make thoughts your aim,
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build ‘em up with worn-out tools;


If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings,
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: “Hold on!”


If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings–nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And–which is more–you’ll be a Man, my son!

Tomorrow's Work. Why Yesterday's Expectations Are Ruining Today's Future

I found this video greatly informative. I have worked in various work plan spaces; open space, shared office, own office and I have to say I agree with what Ben Hammersley is saying here. Hope its helps you too and maybe you may get the guts to tell your boss either to watch or to change the set up.