I was deeply touched when I heard the news about 14 years old Malala Yousafzai’s shooting by the Pakistan Taliban.
Like Malala, my mother fought tooth and nail to get an education. My grandparents did not believe in girl child education and married off six of their eight daughters as soon as their turned 13.
My mother is the only one who stood up against her parents and was sponsored through school by a very poor uncle who could hardly feed his family.
Like Malala, she soldiered on and became the only educated member of her family. The result was that my generation stood up for education and all the 32 grandchildren of my grandparents went to school.
My point? It takes just one person to stand up against what is wrong to ignite the power of WE.
We need to unite and fight for the Malala’s of this world. Education is power and the Taliban know that.
Even as Taliban activists celebrate their evil act against Malala and other innocent girls, we should all stand up against these bullies. Together we can make it possible for every Pakistan or Afghan girl to go to school without fear.
Remember when you educate a woman, you educate the world. Let us make a better world for the girl child. Together we can. Viva Malala!!!

CTA Web 2.0 and Social Media for Development Workshop

Attending the CTA Web 2.0 workshop (September 10-14, 2012) was such an enriching experience, one that has changed the way I look at the internet’s development and social power.
My online sight is now clearer and I can confidently use Web 2.0 in both my personal and professional dealings.
In the past I tried to teach myself all I could about Web 2.0 tools but it is good to have someone offer a formal explanation. In the process, I realized that there was actually a lot that I did not know about Web 2.0, especially about the many available helpful tools and resources.

What I learnt Web 2.0 and Social Media

In this module, we travelled through the ideas behind social media and how we can use it to generate content (which is at the core of my work as a blogger), network and collaborate.
I learnt that social media goes beyond content creation by providing platforms for people to interact and share or re-use content.
What’s more, social media does not only provide tools for individuals but it can also be used positively by larger group who are able to form online communities and even corporations and businesses that want to connect with their targeted audiences or potential clients.
Using Web 2.0 tools, content can be shared either as text documents, videos, and photos or in audio form.
Social media does not recognise geography, which allows people from across the globe to network, collaborate and form communities.
Facebook has the largest share of social media networks but other platforms such as Hi5, Linkedin and myspace also claim their own respective shares.
Web 2.0 allows anyone, regardless of their technical skills, to create and publish content.

What I learnt about Social Media Tools and Services

1. Groupware – this type of software allows users to work with others. One of the tools that I liked was Google Drive. This is an awesome tool that allows a group to work on the same document, at the same time directly on the Internet. No more emailing back and forth. I intend to maximise my use of Google Drive. Of course we learnt about other services that allow conferencing, video calls, group chats, texts and forums. Groupware also involves emailing to larger audiences through D-groups, newsletters and others.

2. Blogs – This allows users to easily share information. Anyone can own a blog, they don’t need and technical skills to do that. It is simple to set up (everyone in my class managed to do that within five to ten minutes, oh that is everybody except Mwila, who only managed to do that 24 hours later, LOL). A blog can be about anything and it can be presented in any creative way. There is no style guide. I would encourage Zambians to blog more for our country to claim a larger share in the global blogosphere.

3. Micro-blogging – For those who are not able to write whole articles, they could perhaps try micro-blogging. This only requires one to publish a few sentences, normally 12o characters. The largest micro- blogging platform is Twitter. Micro-blogging a very good tool that can be used to publish breaking news.

4. Video sharing – this is another tool that is used to share visually documented information. The videos can be uploaded on platforms such as YOUTube, Facebook and many others. We heard during our training, that YOUTube actually has videos that provide information on nearly anything. For instance, Simunza had a problem with this Mac and says he used a YOUTube how to video to repair it. To upload videos, you simply create an account on the platform you want to use.

5. Photo Sharing – Ok, this one we all know. Many of us have shared pictures on social platforms such as Facebook. But just a word of caution from Simunza “it is not a good idea to post children’s pictures online because you never know where they will end up.” I guess I have to keep that in mind because my cuties always appear on my Facebook timeline. Pictures can also be shared on Flickr. One can simply create an account and invite friends or colleagues to view them and post comments.

6. Pod casting – this is used to share audio information. You can record your grandmother in Luapula singing ichimbo chamalilo and show the world how your people mourn their dead with song and dance. Interesting, ka?

7. Wikis – this was my favourite topic during the training. A wiki is a website that can be edited online, by anyone, yes you read right, by anyone! What happens is you can create a wiki, which can then be viewed by other, and those people can edit the post. One interesting feature about wikis is that the history is recorded and you can revert it back to where you want it to be even if others have edited it. And it documents all those who edit it. Oh, I almost forgot, wikis are created offline and then posted when all is done.

8. Chats (voice, video inclusive) and Instant Massaging – this is straight forward, right? We are use it but just in case there is someone from Eastern province who doesn’t understand, these are tools that allows users to communicate if there are connected to the internet at the same time. In case of video chats, users can use platforms such as Skype to chat and see each other. By the way, I just learnt that Skype is illegal in Zambia, so don’t get caught but use it at every available opportunity.

In conclusion, let me just say, I learnt too many things that I cannot mention all of them. I will definitely use the information, knowledge and skills I have acquired and above all, I will network with many of my fellow participants.
Thank you Simunza for your patience and thanks to CTA for organising this workshop. I loved every bit.

Media in Conflict Seminar 2012 Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hBSlLxNl18&list=HL1347484432&feature=mh_lolz

Thursday, 13 September 2012 : SCB DAILY BRIEF
EXCHANGE RATES (Indicative)
Currency Pair
BID OFFER

USD/ZMK
4,990.00
5090.00

ZAR/ZMK
604.78
616.86

EUR/USD
1.2828
1.3030

GBP/USD
1.6012
1.6213

GBP/ZMK
8,040.39
8,201.52 LIBOR RATES


COMMODITIES

CURRENT/PREVIOUS

COPPER($/ton)
8080.25/8090.00

BRENT($/barrel)
GOLD ($/ozs)
115.34
1,730.00
114.60
1,736.90
Z
AMBIA ECONOMIC INDICATORS

CURRENT/PREVIOUS

Inflation (%)
6.2/6.7

GDP (%)
7.6/6.5

FX Rsrvs (bn.$)
2.43/2.34

GLOBAL EQUITIES

CURREN/PREVIOUS

LUSE
3,900.00
3,829.78

FTSE 100
5,670.30
5,662.30

S&P 500
1,360.60
1,362.75

DOW 13,060.40 12,878.88


LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL NEWS

ZMK
Increased local corporate demand mainly from the energy and telecoms sectors saw local unit surge to 5050 late in the afternoon. The move higher was further boosted by lack of significant inflows on the market. The Kwacha retracement is imminent after broad dollar losses on the international market following Germany parliament ratification of a permanent rescue package for the euro zone that saw the Euro currency rally to a four months high of 1.2929. The correlation is expected to filter through to emerging market currencies. Focus range to day 4970-5070.
Energy
 Markets remained quiet with APPEC in the backdrop, trading in a narrow band of less than $1/bbl.
 Oil rose for a fifth day on speculation that the Fed will announce additional measures to stimulate the economy, increasing fuel demand. Prices headed for the longest streak of gains since July before a two-day Fed meeting starting today.
 The DOE report showed Crude inventories climbed by 1.99 million barrels last week, against expectations of 2.9 million barrels build.

User:Banasylvia/my first page - WikiEducator

User:Banasylvia/my first page - WikiEducator

The Rebased Kwacha Will Raise Inflation

During the UNIP rule, Zambia had very few millionaires; in fact, people almost worshiped anyone who crossed the million kwacha mark. Today, a million means nothing more than a shopping fling at Arcades or Manda Hill and usually it’s not enough to cater for the needs of the normally large Zambian families.

Next month, the country will again have very few millionaires when the government rebases the Kwacha. Millionaires will be very rare when three zeros bid farewell to our currency. The biggest note will be K50, the equivalent to what we now know as the 50 pin.

To make a million, one will need the equivalent of a billion kwacha. The million as will know it will be reduced to a mayor one pin. But don’t despair, that one pin will definitely take you shopping and pay for your expenses as its value will still correspond to K1, 000, 000.

Actually worrying about having three zero figures in one’s account is misplaced. The worry should be more on what the rebasing of the currency will do to the economy, in particular its effect on inflation.
The Jesuit Centre for Theological Reflections (JCTR) addressed that concern in its position paper on the topic.

“It should be noted that rebasing is not an end in itself and will not bring about the meaningful development that Zambian’s need,” JCTR stated.
JCTR notes that while currency rebasing is an acceptable economic exercise for countries, it is largely neutral on the quality of life of people as it doesn’t change the buying power of the currency.

“Rebasing may enhance confidence in the currency in the short run, but it is important to realize that it may fuel inflation especially in the absence of other initiatives to tame inflation. People always have an illusionary feeling that they have lost buying power and thus tend to increase price of goods and services. The transition must therefore be managed to maintain people’s confidence in the currency by widely disseminating information on the rebasing exercise.”

And reacting to information that the exercise of rebasing the kwacha was not budgeted for in the current fiscal year, JCTR. is demanding an explanation from the government on the total cost of the project and also to advise the country on the source of funding.
“If the country fails to instill discipline in the way we spend public resources, the three zeros that we are knocking off from the currency now will soon resurface,” JCTR warned.

World Bank Needs Its Own

American Dr Jim Yong Kim will be the new president of the World Bank.
While America has the last say on who leads the World Bank, it can no longer be ignored that the balance of economic power in the world has shifted to emerging market countries that are contributing more to global growth and therefore have earned a right to decide who leads the Bank.
At this point in history, it is no longer one’s nationality which should determine the leader of the World Bank but a financier with experience and understanding of how the bank works.
World Bank and International Monetary Fund statistics show that in the last five year, emerging market economies have contributed more than 50% to global growth.
Under an informal agreement between the U.S. and its allies in Europe, only an American can claim the top job at the World Bank, while a European has always led the International Monetary Fund.
As of Friday, three candidates were successfully nominated to succeed Bob Zoellick but the interviews will just be a formality and Kim will definitely be given the top job.
The World Bank board of directors announced that “Dr Jim Yong Kim, a U.S. national and President of Dartmouth College, José Antonio Ocampo, a Colombian national and Professor at Columbia University and Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, a Nigerian national and Coordinating Minister of the Economy and Minister of Finance,” were the three successful nominees.
While we cannot ignore the fact that, Kim, a physician by profession, has been very successful in the health field, the World Bank needs its “‘own”’ for its transition from the Zoellick era to be smooth.
For those who may not be aware, Dr Kim formerly chaired the department of global health and social medicine at Harvard Medical School and was a co-founder and executive director of Partners in Health.
The organization began with radical; community- focused health care programs in Haiti, and quickly expanded to Peru. The program executed treatments based on local needs and by training community members to implement them.
By 1998, extremely successful results curing both common and serious ailments prompted the World Health Organization to embrace the Partners in Health Program model, and support the adaptation of community-based care to impoverished communities around the world, particularly success in treating tuberculosis and putting three million people in developing countries on treatment by the end of 2005.
In saying that the World Bank needs its “own” to take over from Bob Zoellick, I mean Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, who told journalists in Johannesburg at the weekend that if the U.S, the nation with the largest World Bank voting bloc, and Europe hold together in the wider vote, her candidacy would be doomed.
Okonjo-Iweala, a respected economist and diplomat is a former World Bank managing director who says her hands-on experience running one of Africa’s largest economies, as well as a proven track record at the bank helping nations in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East tap financial markets to fund development is enough to make her the best candidate for the job.
“We’re not asking the US not to compete, we’re just asking for a level playing field where candidates can be evaluated on their merits,” she said. “I don’t have a learning curve because I know how the institution works and I know what needs to be done to make it work better and faster for developing countries. I know what its strengths are its weaknesses and importantly I know what policymakers need. I’ve actually done it.”
Okonjo-Iweala is banking on the World Bank’s 187 member nations to hold true to their pledge for an open, merit-based process.
“My biggest hope is that this will be a fair contest. We are not just going into this saying to ourselves we are already defeated,” she said. “We are hoping that the Bretton Woods institutions and their shareholders will keep their word.

StandChart

Johannesburg, 27 March 2012 - Grindrod Limitedhas appointed Standard Chartered Bank as the Sole Financial Advisor on theexpansion project of the Maputo Coal Terminal (TCM) in Mozambique, estimated atUS$800 million. The expansion project will increase the capacity of the port’scoal terminal from an existing output level of 6 million tonnes per annum to 20million over a period of 6 years.