Lindaedgecombe

Wednesday, January 31, 2007

Breathing new life into the struggle for change in Africa

In the 1960s and 1970s, Africa was symbolised by both royally devastation and the national liberation struggles that swept the colonisers' regimes away. The presence at the World Social Forum (WSF) of so many activist who are as disenchanted with their own governments as they are angry at those of the West illustrates how the hopes for liberation have been betray. But it also shows that a new creation of African left wing activists is beginning to emerge.

Now there is a chance to build a new movement that can go far further than the limits of the old national liberation struggles. "I think the potential is great but to realise it we require a programme of action to keep up the pace," says Wangui Mbatia from Kenya's People's Parliament. "The agenda of the left contains many issues that will have people rallying land, housing, employment, trade, and even migration. People here have huge difficulties moving across borders.

Monday, January 29, 2007

Minister who lost 3 sons counsels youth

The Rev. Leondis Fuller had three sons, and each of them died by the shot. On the funeral for the last one after Fuller gave his eulogy. He implores young people to come forward. "Now, as you make your way back to your seats, I want each of you to shake my hand, give me a hug and tell me you're going to change," Fuller said. Fuller was feed up with Milwaukee's inner city violence and dysfunctional family cycles. Gunfire stole his only three biological children from his 12-year-old, 21-year-old and 27-year-old sons all within a half mile and nine years.

He depleted 20 years addicted to alcohol and 14 years to drugs, but he turned his life around. Now, at 48, he spends nearly all his waking hours serving other battered souls, including father's right out of prison, and drug and alcohol abusers, and fighting the violence that claimed his sons. "We can't just turn our back toward the crime and violence in our city," he said, speaking frequently without notes, his voice rising and falling. Afterward, a couple sitting in the pew behind Fuller told him how sorry they were to hear of the death of his children.

Wednesday, January 24, 2007

Losing legs has not slowed this skydiving speaker

Ark City residents can seem to the sky this January in the hopes of catching a glimpse of the new aerial hero in town. World famous motivational speaker Dana Bowman will drop in literally for a three day series of speaking engagements beginning tonight.

The first of Bowman's speaking arrangements will be at Arkansas City's Chamber of Commerce annual meeting at 6:30 tonight. He will end his visit with a public presentation at 6 p.m. in the Brown Center auditorium on the campus of Cowley College. His theme will be "It's not the disability...it's the ability." Bowman crooked to motivational speaking after retiring as a First Class Sergeant from the U.S. Army. He was also a member of the Special Forces and the Army's best parachute team, the Golden Knights, according to his biography.

In 1994, Bowman's life completely altered. While practicing a standard parachuting plan called the "Diamond Track," a maneuver in which the divers streak away from each other for about a mile, turn 180 degrees and crisscross, he collided with his partner, Sgt. Jose Aguillon.

They strike at a combined speed of 300 miles per hour killing Aguillon instantly. Bowman parachuted to the earth with two severed legs. Nine months later, he astonished the world and himself when he jumped into his re-enlistment ceremony to become the first double amputee to re-enlist in the Army. As his accident, he has made over 1,000 jumps and has given as many speeches.

"I can able to skydive into an event in order to compel and bring inspiration," Bowman said in a meeting on his Web site. "Out of 4,500 men and women that are speakers in the United States, I'm the only skydiver."

His speeches wrap a broad range of topics including motivation, team-building, leadership, living with disabilities, conquering adversity, setting goals and mastering change. His motto is: It's not the disability . . . it's the ability," and he has lived his life true to that saying.