NIMEULIZWA SWALI

Prof. Nimefurahishwa sana na hiyo post ya wanafalsafa waliojitahidi sana kutuondolea hofu ya kifo. Swali langu kubwa ni hili: BILA KIFO KUNGEKUWA NA DINI?
Asante.
Edwin.
===========
Swali zuri na gumu ndilo hilo lishaulizwa. Eti jamani, kama tungekuwa tunaishi milele bado tu tungehitaji dini? Au dini zipo kama njia ya kutufanya tukishinde kifo - zikituahidi maisha baada ya kifo ama peponi au Jehanamu?

FALSAFA YA MLEVI (1)

Shairi hili la Falsafa ya Mlevi (1) nililiandika zamani kidogo na limo katika kitabu changu cha mashairi kiitwacho Mashing'weng'we kitakachotoka hivi karibuni. Nilipata msukumo wa kuliandika shairi hili baada ya kusoma shairi la Wimbo wa Mlevi ambalo limo katika katika kitabu mashuhuri cha mashairi cha Kichomi kilichoandikwa na Euphrase Kezilahabi. Katika shairi la Wimbo wa Mlevi Kezilahabi anasema hivi:

Kama Mungu angewauliza wanadamu

Wanataka kuwa nani kabla ya kuzaliwa

Hilo ndilo lingekuwa swali gumu maishani.

Mtawala na kabwela, mrefu na mfupi
Mweusi na maji ya kunde, mwembamba na mnene
Wote wangetamani kuwa kinyume cha walivyo.
Sijui nani angekuwa nani.

Lakini mimi mlevi ningependa kuwa ye yote
Mradi tu niruhusiwe kunywa pombe yangu.
Hapo nyumbani kwa baba Madaka hamjambo!
Ni usiku mi napita nakwenda zangu!

Katika Falsafa ya Mlevi (1), mimi ninasema hivi:

Walimwengu wanasema:

Kuna kujua

Na kujua kwamba unajua

Pia kuna kujua

Na kutojua kwamba unajua

Lakini pia kuna kutojua

Na kujua kwamba hujui

Pia kuna kutojua

Na kutojua kwamba hujui

Walimwengu pia wanasema:

Mtu anayejua

Na kujua kwamba anajua

Yeye ni mwerevu na msomi

Na mtu anayejua

Lakini hajui kwamba anajua

Yeye ni mdadisi na mgunduzi

Mtu asiyejua

Na anajua kwamba hajui

Yeye ni mwanafunzi

Lakini mtu asiyejua

Na hajui kwamba hajui

Yeye ni mpumbavu!

Mimi mlevi ninasema:
Yote haya ni uwongo na uzushi

Mtu anayejua

Na kujua kwamba anajua

Yeye ni mpumbavu!

Kwani wasomi, wanasayansi na wanasiasa

Hawakugeuka Mashing’weng’we,

Na kutufikisha Pagak?

Mimi mlevi nasisitiza

Mtu pekee mwerevu hapa duniani

Ni mtu asiyejua

Na hajui kwamba hajui!

Maneno Magumu:

Mashing’weng’we - mazimwi katika hadithi za Kisukuma

Pagak - kutoka katika kitabu cha Wimbo wa Lawino kilichoandikwa na Okot p'Bitek. Ni mahali ambako mtu akienda harudi yaani kuzimuni.

Je, unakubaliana na falsafa hii ya mlevi?

(c) Falsafa ya Mlevi (1) - Mashing'weng'we (uk. 11)
Na Dr. Masangu Matondo Nzuzullima

TUZUNGUMZIE KIFO

• Watu wengi huwa hawapendi kuzungumzia kifo. Mimi pia ni mmoja wao. Hata hivyo nimeamua kuandika kidogo kuhusu kifo baada ya kusoma makala ndefu juu ya kifo kutoka katika blogu ya Kamala (bofya hapa). 

• Niliposoma makala hiyo nilianza kufikiria mitazamo mbalimbali na hasa kutoka kwa wanafalsafa na jinsi wanavyokitazama kifo. Hapa chini basi ni mawazo machache tu yenye kufikirisha kutoka kwa wanafalsafa mbalimbali kuhusu kitu hiki kiitwacho kifo. Mbali na mambo mengine mkazo hasa wa wanafalsafa hawa ni kujaribu kutuondolea hofu ya kifo na kutufanya tusikiogope, kuomboleza na kutetemeka wakati tunapokabiliana nacho.

(I) Seneca (Mwanafalsa wa Roma ya kale aliyeishi kati ya mwaka 4 K.K na 65 B.K.) anaonekana kuwa ni mmoja kati ya wanafalsafa ambao walihangaishwa sana na kifo. Katika makala yake ya “On Asthma and Death”, kwa mfano, anasema hivi kuhusu kifo.

“Kufa ni kutokuwako na ninajua hii inamaanisha nini. Ambacho kilikuwako kabla yangu kitakuwako tena baada yangu. Kama kuna maumivu au mateso katika hali hii ya kutokuwako basi ni lazima pia kulikuwa na mateso au maumivu kabla ya kuzaliwa kwetu. Kusema kweli, hata hivyo, hatukusikia maumivu yo yote kabla ya kuweko kwetu. Na ninawauliza, ati usingemwona kuwa ni kingunge wa wapumbavu yule anayeamini kwamba taa iko katika hali mbaya zaidi baada ya kuzimwa kuliko kabla ya kuwashwa? Sisi tufao, kama vile taa, huwashwa na kuzimwa na kipindi cha maumivu na mateso hutokea katikati – yaani baada ya kuwashwa na kabla ya kuzimwa. Lakini katika pande zote mbili -kabla ya kuwashwa na baada ya kuzimwa - kuna amani isiyo na kikomo”

Katika makala yake nyingine iitwayo “On Taking One’s Own Life” Seneca ana haya ya kusema kuhusu kifo:

“Hakuna mtu ambaye ni mpumbavu kiasi cha kutojua kwamba siku moja tutakufa. Pamoja na ufahamu huu, wakati wa kufa unapokaribia watu wengi huogopa, wakitetemeka na kuomboleza. Usingemwona kuwa ni mpumbavu kabisa mtu ambaye anaomboleza kwa sababu ati hakuwako miaka elfu moja iliyopita? Na usingemwona kuwa ni mpumbavu kabisa pia mtu ambaye anaomboleza kwa sababu hatakuwako miaka elfu moja ijayo kutoka sasa? Yote ni sawa: hutakuwako na hukuwako. Vipindi vyote hivi viwili si vyako”

(II) Marcus Aurelius (a.k.a Mwenye hekima) alikuwa mtawala wa himaya ya Roma ya kale kutoka mwaka 161 mpaka kifo chake mwaka 180 B.K. Mawazo yake kuhusu kifo yanapatikana katika kitabu chake cha Meditations alichokiandika kati ya mwaka 170 na 180 B.K. Anasema hivi kuhusu kifo:

“Hebu tazama kipindi kirefu kilichopita nyuma yako, na muda mrefu usio na kikomo ambao haujaja bado. Katika ombwe hili la muda kuna tofauti gani kati ya yule anayeishi siku tatu na yule anayeishi vizazi vitatu?”

(III) Epictetus – mwanafalsa wa Ugiriki aliyefundisha kwamba falsafa ilikuwa si somo tu bali jinsi ya kuishi. Alifundisha kwamba matukio ya nje yanatawaliwa na majaliwa (fate) na hatuwezi kuyadhibiti, na kwa hivyo tunaweza kukabiliana na jambo lolote bila papara wala kulalamika. Mateso na maumivu hutokea wakati binadamu anapojaribu kudhibiti mambo yasiyodhibitika, au kwa kupuuza mambo ambayo yako chini ya uwezo wake. Alifundisha kwamba binadamu wote walikuwa memba wa jamii moja ya kilimwengu na kwamba kila binadamu alikuwa na wajibu wa kuwatunza na kuwajali binadamu wenzake. Mtu ambaye angefuata mambo haya basi angepata furaha. Kutokana na mtazamo wake huu, mwanafalsafa huyu anasema hivi kuhusu kifo.

“Kifo – tukio ovu linaloogopwa kuliko matukio yote, si tukio linalopaswa kutuumiza kichwa kwa sababu tunapokuwapo kifo hakipo na kifo kinapokuwapo sisi hatupo”

(IV) Bembelezo bora kabisa la kutoogopa kifo linatoka kwa Epicurus – mwanafalsafa wa Kigiriki aliyeishi kati ya mwaka 341 na 270 K.K. na ambaye alitoa mchango mkubwa katika maendeleo ya sayansi kutokana na mafundisho yake ya kutoamini vitu hovyo hovyo hata kabla ya kuvipima na kuvichunguza sawasawa. Kulingana na mwanafalsafa huyu lengo kuu la falsafa lilikuwa kuleta furaha na maisha ya utangamano – maisha yasiyo na maumivu wala hofu ambayo aliyaita maisha yenye aponia. Kuhusu kifo alifundisha kwamba kifo kilikuwa ndiyo mwisho wa mwili na roho na kwa hivyo hakipaswi kuogopwa. Hebu fuatilia hoja kuu za Epicurus kuhusu kutoogopa kifo hapa chini.

(1) Unapokuwapo kifo chako hakipo; na kisichokuwepo hakiwezi kukudhuru

(2) Kifo chako kinapokuwepo wewe haupo; na kisichokuwepo hakiwezi kudhuriwa

(3) Ni upumbavu kuogopa ambacho hakiwezi kukudhuru

(4) Ni upumbavu pia kuogopa ambacho hakiwezi kudhuriwa

(5) Katika wakati wo wote ule ama wewe unakuwepo au kifo chako kinakuwepo

(6) Kwa hivyo katika wakati wo wote ama kifo hakiwezi kukudhuru, au huwezi kudhuriwa na kifo

KWA HIVYO (anahitimisha Epicurus);

(7) Ni upumbavu katika wakati wo wote ule kuogopa kifo!

• Unakubaliana na hoja na uchambuzi wa Epicurus? Baada ya kuzisikia hoja hizi za wanafalsafa wa Kimagharibi, sasa unakionaje kifo? Bado unakiogopa? Au tumaini lako liko katika kufufuka baadaye na kwenda kuishi milele peponi/ahera/paradiso?

• Hebu tuwasindikize wanafalsafa hawa kwa wimbo huu wa "Kifo" wa Remmy Ongala ambaye yeye mwenyewe baada ya kuugua sana na kuzushiwa mara nyingi kwamba kafariki alipona na kuamua kuokoka na kuanza kumtumikia Mungu kwa kuimba nyimbo za injili.

BARUA YA OBAMA KWA MABINTI ZAKE NA WATOTO WOTE WA MAREKANI

BARUA YA OBAMA KWA MABINTI ZAKE NA WATOTO WOTE WA MAREKANI

(AHADI KWA KIZAZI KIPYA)

Baada ya kushinda uchaguzi wa uraisi wa Marekani na kabla ya kuapishwa, raisi wa Marekani Barack Obama aliwaandikia barua mabinti zake Malia (10) na Sasha (7) pamoja na watoto wote wa Marekani. Barua hiyo ilichapishwa katika gazeti la Parade la tarehe 18/1/2009. Katika barua hiyo (ambayo nimeitafsiri haraka haraka katika Kiswahili hapo chini) Obama anawaeleza mabinti zake na watoto wote wa Marekani sababu kubwa zilizomfanya agombee uraisi: kuwajengea ulimwengu ambao hautazikinza ndoto zao za kupata cho chote wakitakacho, kuwa na nafasi sawa za kujifunza, kuelimika na hatimaye kuweza kuiboresha dunia hii. Akisisitiza mambo aliyojifunza kutoka kwa bibi yake na historia, rais Obama anataka watoto wote wa Marekani wawe na nafasi sawa za kwenda shule zenye uwezo wa kuvichanuza vipaji vyao na kuwafanya wawe wadadisi. Anataka kila mtoto wa Marekani aweze kwenda chuo kikuu hata kama wazazi wake si matajiri kwani kazi nzuri na zenye marupurupu mazuri zinategemea sana elimu nzuri na ya kiwango cha juu. Isome tafsiri yangu ya haraka haraka ya barua hiyo yenye kugusa moyo na kuonyesha upendo halisi alio nao mzazi kwa mtoto wake ampendaye na kumtakia mema hapo chini. Ukitaka kuisoma barua hiyo kama ilivyoandikwa na raisi Obama katika lugha ya Kiingereza bofya hapa

Nilipoisoma barua hiyo ilinifanya nifikiri ni wazazi wangapi wa Tanzania ya leo ambao wanaweza kutoa ahadi kama hizi kwa watoto wao na kutegemea kuzitimiza. Wakati ninapoandika makala hii kuna watoto wengi wa Kitanzania ambao wamenyimwa nafasi ya kurudi chuo kikuu kuendelea na masomo yao kwa vile, mbali na vijisababu vingine, wazazi wao hawana uwezo wa kuchangia gharama za elimu yao. Inavyoonekana huu ndio mwisho kwa watoto wa masikini (ambao kwa bahati mbaya ndiyo wengi) kupata elimu ya juu katika nchi yetu. Wakati taifa kubwa lililoendelea na lenye nguvu kuliko yote duniani linajiwekea ahadi na mikakati ya kuhakikisha kwamba watoto wake wote wanapata nafasi ya kwenda chuo kikuu, sisi ndiyo kwanza tunajenga vizingiti kuzuia watoto kutoka familia masikini (nasisitiza tena – ambao ndiyo wengi) wasipate nafasi hiyo muhimu. Elimu ndiyo mkakati mama kabisa katika ukombozi wa jamii yo yote ile katika jitihada zake za kujikomboa na hatimaye kuondokana na ujinga, maradhi na dhuluma - jamii yenye watu waliokaramka na ambao wako tayari kupambana na vipingamizi vya kijamii, kisiasa, kijamii, kiuchumi na kimazingira. Baba wa Taifa Mwalimu Nyerere alilitambua jambo hili vyema na ndiyo maana alipigana sana kuhakikisha kwamba kila mtoto wa Kitanzania anapewa nafasi sawa ya kupata elimu bila kujali uwezo na nafasi ya mzazi wake. Ni ukweli ulio wazi kwamba bila mwalimu Nyerere kutupigania wengi wetu tusingeweza kusoma na kufika chuo kikuu. Ati, tunapowanyima watoto wa familia masikini (ambao ndiyo wengi) nafasi ya kupata elimu ya juu, tunataka wafanye nini? Hakuwezi kuandaliwa utaratibu mzuri wa mikopo utakaowaruhusu watoto kutoka familia zisizojiweza kupata elimu ya juu? Ni jamii gani ambayo tunajaribu kuijenga? Nini itakuwa athari ya matabaka haya kinzani ambayo tunajaribu kuyajenga na kuyaimarisha kwa utaifa, umoja na amani yetu? Jamii yetu inaelekea wapi?

Hii hapa chini ndiyo tafsiri yangu ya haraka haraka ya barua ya Raisi Obama kwa mabinti zake Malia (10) na Sasha (7) pamoja na watoto wote wa Marekani.

Wapendwa Malia na Sasha;

Ninajua kwamba nyote mmeifurahia sana miaka miwili iliyopita katika kampeni – kwenda kwenye pikiniki na paredi, maonyesho ya biashara na kula kila aina ya vyakula-nenepeshi, vyakula ambavyo pengine mimi na mama yenu tusingewaruhusu mvile. Ninajua pia kwamba wakati mwingine haikuwa rahisi kwenu na mama yenu na ingawa mna furaha sana kuhusu mbwa mpya mtakayempata hivi karibuni, yote haya hayafidii muda ambao hatukuwa pamoja. Ninajua ni kwa jinsi gani nilivyotamani kuwa nanyi katika miaka miwili iliyopita na leo ninataka kuwaambia ni kwa nini niliamua kuichukua familia yetu kwenda katika safari hii.

Nilipokuwa kijana nilifikiri kwamba maisha yalinihusu mimi pekee – jinsi ambavyo ningetafuta nafasi yangu katika dunia, kufanikiwa na kupata vitu ninavyovitaka. Halafu ninyi wawili mkaja katika maisha yangu mkiwa pamoja na udadisi, utundu na matabasamu yenu ambayo kamwe huwa hayashindwi kuujaza furaha moyo wangu na kuichangamsha siku yangu. Ghafla mipango yangu mikubwa ya maisha haikuonekana kuwa ya muhimu tena. Niligundua mara moja kwamba furaha kubwa katika maisha yangu ilihusiana moja kwa moja na furaha yenu. Niligundua pia kwamba maisha yangu hayangekuwa na maana sana kama nisingekuwa na uwezo wa kuhakikisha kwamba mnapata kila aina ya nafasi na ridhiko katika maisha yenu. Matokeo yake, mabinti, hii ndiyo sababu iliyonifanya nigombee uraisi: kwa sababu ya kile ninachowatakia ninyi na ninachomtakia kila mtoto katika taifa hili.

Ninataka watoto wote waende katika shule zenye uwezo wa kuvipevusha vipaji vyao - shule ambazo zitawachochea, kuwatia hamasa ya kujifunza na kuwafanya wawe wadadisi wa ulimwengu unaowazunguka. Ninawataka wawe na nafasi ya kwenda chuo kikuu hata kama wazazi wao si matajiri. Na ninawataka wapate kazi nzuri: kazi zenye mishahara mizuri na zitakazowapa marupurupu kama bima ya afya, kazi ambazo zitawapa muda wa kukaa na watoto wao na kustaafu kwa heshima wakiwa na uwezo wa kujikimu.

Ninataka tufanye mapinduzi makubwa katika ugunduzi ili katika maisha yenu muweze kushuhudia teknolojia na ugunduzi mpya ambao utayaboresha maisha yetu na kuifanya sayari yetu kuwa salama na safi zaidi. Ninataka sote tuzitumie ipasavyo karama zetu za kibinadamu bila kujali tofauti za rangi na kieneo, jinsia na dini – tofauti ambazo mara kwa mara hutufanya tusiyaone mambo mazuri ya kila mmoja wetu.

Wakati mwingine inatulazimu kutuma vijana wetu wa kike na kiume kwenda vitani na hali zingine za hatari ili kuilinda nchi yetu. Ninataka kuhakikisha kwamba tunapofanya hivyo ni lazima iwe ni kwa sababu nzuri kabisa na kwamba tujaribu kila tuwezalo kutatua tofauti zetu na wengine kwa njia za amani, na tufanye kila tuwezalo kuhakikisha kwamba wanajeshi wetu wako salama. Ninataka kila mtoto afahamu kwamba karama ambazo wamarekani hawa mashujaa wanazipigania siyo za bure na kwamba upendeleo mkubwa wa kuwa raia wa nchi hii unaambatana na wajibu mkubwa.

Hili ndilo jukumu kubwa ambalo bibi yenu alijaribu kunifundisha nilipokuwa na umri kama wenu, aliponisomea mistari ya mwanzo katika utangulizi wa Tangazo la Uhuru wa Marekani na kuniambia juu ya wanaume na wanawake ambao waliandamana kupigania uhuru kwa sababu waliamini kwamba maneno hayo katika utangulizi wa Tangazo la Uhuru wa Marekani yaliyoandikwa karne mbili zilizopita ni lazima yalimaanisha kitu fulani cha muhimu.

Alinisaidia kufahamu kwamba Amerika ni taifa lenye nguvu na lililoendelea si kwa sababu halina mapungufu yake bali ni kwa sababu linaweza kuboreshwa na kuimarishwa zaidi na kwamba kazi ambayo haijamalizika ya kuliimarisha na kuliboresha taifa letu ni yetu sote. Jukumu hili tunalirithisha kwa watoto wetu – kila kizazi kikiukaribia zaidi uhalisi wa Amerika kamili tunayoitamani.

Ninatumaini kwamba nyote mtajitwika jukumu hili, mkisahihisha makosa mnayoyaona na kuwapa wengine nafasi ambazo ninyi mmezipata. Inabidi mfanye hivyo si kwa sababu tu eti mna wajibu wa kuifanyia kitu nchi hii ambayo imeifanyia familia yetu mambo mengi- ingawa kusema kweli wajibu huo hauepukiki - bali ni kwa sababu mna wajibu kwenu wenyewe. Ni pale tu mtakapotamani mambo makubwa zaidi yenu ndipo mtakapoweza kukifikia kilele halisi cha uwezo na vipaji vyenu.

Hivi ndivyo vitu ninavyowatakia – kukulia katika ulimwengu ambao hautaziwekea mipaka ndoto zenu, kupata cho chote mkitakacho na hatimaye mkue na kuwa wanawake wenye huruma – wanawake makini watakaosaidia kujenga dunia njema. Na ninataka kila mtoto kupata nafasi za kujifunza, kuota ndoto na kuimarika kama mlizopata ninyi mabinti. Hii ndiyo sababu nimeichukua familia yetu katika safari hii. Ninyi ni mabinti ninaojivunia sana na upendo wangu kwenu hauna kikomo. Ninashukuru kila siku kwa ukarimu wenu, ushwari wenu, neema na ucheshi wenu hasa wakati huu tunapojitayarisha kuanza maisha yetu mapya pamoja katika ikulu ya Marekani.

Awapendaye;

Babenu.

Imetafsiriwa na Dr. Masangu Matondo Nzuzullima
Chuo Kikuu cha Florida

Tazama pia tafsiri ya barua hiyo kutoka gazeti la KIU HAPA CHINI:

MANABII WETU NA SAFARI ILIYOSHINDIKANA YA KUELEKEA NCHI YA AHADI

Baadhi ya sura hapa ni za manabii wetu wa kweli waliotukomboa (au wanaopigania kutukomboa) kutoka "Misri" yetu ya umasikini, magonjwa, dhuluma na kutuahidi kutupeleka katika nchi ya ahadi. Mbona safari yetu inaonekana kama vile imekwama? Bado tunazunguka jangwani au ndiyo tumeshafika walikoahidi kutupeleka? Wanakotupeleka ndiko? Je, nchi ya ahadi ipo? Kuna anayejua iliko?

HOTUBA YA RAISI OBAMA KWA TAIFA LA MAREKANI WAKATI WA KUAPISHWA KWAKE

My fellow citizens:

I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.

Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often, the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forebearers, and true to our founding documents.

So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.

That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.

These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land -- a nagging fear that America's decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights.

Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America: They will be met.

On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.

On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn-out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.

We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.

In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of shortcuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the fainthearted -- for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things -- some celebrated, but more often men and women obscure in their labor -- who have carried us up the long, rugged path toward prosperity and freedom.

For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life.

For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.

For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sahn.

Time and again, these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.

This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions -- that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.

For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act -- not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. And all this we will do.

Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions -- who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage.

What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them -- that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works -- whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. And those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account -- to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day -- because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.

Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched, but this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control -- and that a nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous. The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our gross domestic product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on our ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart -- not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.

As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our Founding Fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake. And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: Know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more.

Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.

We are the keepers of this legacy. Guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort -- even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people, and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan. With old friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the specter of a warming planet. We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.

For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus -- and nonbelievers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.

To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West: Know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.

To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.

As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us today, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages. We honor them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service; a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves. And yet, at this moment -- a moment that will define a generation -- it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.

For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.

Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends -- hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism -- these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility -- a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation and the world; duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.

This is the price and the promise of citizenship.

This is the source of our confidence -- the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.

This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed -- why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent Mall, and why a man whose father less than 60 years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.

So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have traveled. In the year of America's birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people:

"Let it be told to the future world ... that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive... that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet [it]."

America. In the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested, we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back, nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.

"VICHAA" WA AFRIKA

Eti, hawa wanaume ambao huyu aliyeweka hii video katika youtube amewaita "vichaa wa Afrika" wametoa mchango gani katika maendeleo ya bara letu? Ni kweli wote wanastahili cheo cha "kichaa"?

MAISHA NI KULA NA KULIWA - LITERALLY

Picha hii imenivutia kwani inaonyesha jinsi msimbo tata wa maumbile unavyofanya kazi. Huu ni ulimwengu wa kula na kuliwa - literally. Siku ukienda Serengeti katazame vizuri - kila mnyama yuko kwenye harakati ama ya kumla mnyama mwingine au kuzuia asiliwe. Ni ulimwengu wa kula-kuliwa. Halafu kuna binadamu ambaye akilinganishwa na wanyama wengine kimaumbile ni kiumbe dhaifu sana - hana makucha wala meno makali, hana umbo la kutisha, hana ngozi ngumu kujikinga na hali mbaya ya hewa wala mashambulizi ya adui, hana harufu mbaya kuwakinaisha maadui zake wa kimaumbile wasimle, hana... Isitoshe binadamu ni mmoja kati ya wanyama ambao watoto wao huchukua muda mrefu zaidi kuweza kujikimu na kujilinda wenyewe. Hebu mlinganishe mtoto wa binadamu na mtoto wa swala ambaye humchukua si zaidi ya nusu saa kuanza kukimbia. Mbali na mapungufu yote haya binadamu ameweza kukwea mpaka kileleni kabisa mwa msimbo wa Ikolojia na maumbile kutokana na uwezo wake wa kufikiri. Uwezo huu umemwezesha kuwafanya wanyama wengine wamtumikie. Kinachoshangaza hata hivyo ni kuona jinsi binadamu anavyovuka mipaka ma kuutumia vibaya uwezo huu. Binadamu leo ni mnyama pekee ambaye anaweza kuua wanyama wenzake kwa sababu zinginezo mbali na chakula au kujilinda. Na wajanja wachache huweza "kuwala" binadamu wenzao kwa kuwanyonya na kuwakandamiza. Wewe uko katika kundi gani - linalokula au linaloliwa? Kama uko katika kundi linalokula wenzie basi kaa chonjo kwani mambo yamebadilika...Na wewe unayeliwa, utaliwa mpaka lini na hawa wajanja wachache?

"MADIKTETA" WA AFRIKA

Kwa kuwa dikteta wako anaweza kuwa shujaa wangu, ni kweli wote hawa ni madikteta?