Fellows of the Stone, by Kogoyanak Modla

Fellows of the Stone,

Buried deep within our hearts,

Your kinship means more to me

Than words can express.

Kwun Yum Shan; 

Eloma; 

Manyelalung.

The ancestors watch and wait; 

Hear the longing

In our prayers, as we

Stumble toward perfection.

Timbuktu in Mali is home to one of the World's oldest University

Today Mali 🇲🇱  Had A  University in the 1200 AD that taught Astronomie, Geographie, medicine, Mathematics and  so on. Home of Mansa Musa, Richest Man in the History of Mankind!!!

Timbuktu in Mali is home to one of the World's oldest University, Sankore which had libraries filled with manuscript written in Ajama (African languages such as Hausa written in scripts in form of Arabic) in the 1200AD.

University of Sankore is believed to be built by Mansa Musa around 988AD the richest man in history. Subjects studied in the university included Geography, Astronomy, Medicine, Mathematics, Science and even history, despite the fact that history was never part of any teaching curriculum in the Islamic world at the time.

When Europeans and Asians begin visiting and Colonizing Mali in the 1300s to 1800s the Malians began hiding their Manuscripts in basement, attics and underground in fear of destruction or theft by foreigners.

In recent history many as 700,000 scripts had been rediscovered and is in modern and advanced mathematics.

#Books #Africa #Beauty

Making free liquid fertilizer from various sources is a sustainable and cost-effective

Making free liquid fertilizer from various sources is a sustainable and cost-effective way to provide nutrients to your plants. Here’s how you can make liquid fertilizer from common household and garden materials:

 Materials You Can Use:

1. Kitchen Scraps:

   - Fruit and Vegetable Peels: Banana peels, potato peels, citrus peels, etc.

   - Coffee Grounds: Rich in nitrogen.

   - Eggshells: Rich in calcium.

2. Yard and Garden Waste:

   - Grass Clippings: Rich in nitrogen.

   - Weeds: Before they seed, to avoid spreading weeds.

   - Trimmed Plant Material: Leaves, stems, and prunings.

3. Other Ingredients:

   - Manure: Preferably aged or composted to avoid burning plants.

   - Seaweed: Rich in trace minerals.

   - Fish Scraps: Heads, bones, and guts (for a fish emulsion).

 Methods to Make Liquid Fertilizer:

 1. Compost Tea:

- Ingredients: Compost or compostable materials (kitchen scraps, yard waste).

- Method: Place compost or compostable materials in a bucket or barrel filled with water. Let it steep for a few days to weeks, stirring occasionally. Strain out the solids and dilute the resulting liquid before using it to water plants.

 2. Manure Tea:

- Ingredients: Aged or composted manure (cow, horse, chicken).

- Method: Place manure in a burlap sack or old pillowcase and submerge it in a bucket of water. Let it steep for several days to weeks, stirring occasionally. Dilute before using to avoid burning plants.

 3. Weed Tea:

- Ingredients: Weeds (before they seed).

- Method: Place weeds in a bucket or barrel filled with water. Let them steep for several weeks. Strain out the solids and use the liquid as fertilizer. Dilute before use.

 4. Seaweed Extract:

- Ingredients: Fresh or dried seaweed (preferably rinsed to remove excess salt).

- Method: Rinse seaweed and chop it into small pieces. Place in a bucket or barrel filled with water. Let it steep for a few days to weeks. Strain out the solids and dilute the liquid before using it as fertilizer.

 5. Fish Emulsion:

- Ingredients: Fish scraps (heads, bones, guts).

- Method: Fill a bucket with fish scraps and cover with water. Let it ferment for several weeks, stirring occasionally. Strain out the solids and dilute before using as a liquid fertilizer.

 Tips for Making and Using Liquid Fertilizer:

- Dilution: Always dilute liquid fertilizers to prevent burning plants. A typical ratio is about 10 parts water to 1 part fertilizer.

  

- Application: Use liquid fertilizer as a soil drench or foliar spray. Apply it to the base of plants or directly onto leaves.

- Frequency: Apply liquid fertilizer every 2-4 weeks during the growing season, or as needed based on plant growth and nutrient deficiencies.

- Storage: Store liquid fertilizers in sealed containers in a cool, dark place. Use within a few weeks to maintain effectiveness.

By making liquid fertilizer from household and garden waste, you can reduce waste, improve soil fertility, and promote healthier plant growth without relying on synthetic chemicals. It’s an eco-friendly and sustainable gardening practice that benefits both your plants and the environment.

This is where it all began

This is where it all began. The Fertile Crescent. The cradle of civilization. 

For the first 190,000 years or so of human existence, we roved about in small hunter-gatherer bands, eking out a subsistence living day to day, constantly in fear of predators and of other humans. But about 10,000 years ago, in the Mesopotamian area between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers in what is now Iraq, some people decided to stay put. It is impossible to overstate the importance of that decision.

In the Fertile Crescent an agriculturally-based society arose. Rather than wandering around searching for food in a constant state of conflict, humans began to plant seeds and grow their own crops. To store it they began building structures. To protect it they banded together in cooperation and mutual defense. Whereas before human societies were typically limited to a few dozen people, now villages arose—then towns, then cities. And humanity flourished.

Here, in these early settlements in the Fertile Crescent, humans first developed written language (probably to keep track of accounts). They domesticated animals. They invented the wheel, the plow, and multi-story architecture. Monotheistic religion arose. By about 2500 B.C. the first libraries were created. The things that we think of as characterizing “civilization” began here.

A few thousand years ago people from the Fertile Crescent fanned out into Europe and Asia, taking with them the knowledge accumulated there. And seeds and farm animals. The rest is history.

Of course, it wasn’t all pretty. We were still humans after all. Although social cooperation emerged on a scale that would have been previously unimaginable, violence and what we would now regard as superstition and injustice remained. But in the Fertile Crescent humans had taken an immensely important first step toward the flowering of the incredible civilization we enjoy today.

If "LAND IS LIFE", Why do Governments and NGOs Promote Participatory Mapping of Customary Land and Registration to Government Office?

 

Opening Comments to Paradox 01

I am puzzled when knowing that governments across Melanesia, starting from West Papua to Fiji, New Caledonia to Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea, governments of modern nation-states are promoting what they call, "Land Registration Campaign".

They say that our Customary Land will be properly protected when it is registered, and that if it is not registered, then there will be so many conflicts that will hinder development policies and activities in the field.

This Is truly paradoxical: It is Paradox 01

In one side, our customary land across Melanesia were safe and in good hands before modernisation processes reached our islands and villages, our families, clans and tribes. In fact, the land was always ours and we never got into trouble. For millions of years our customary lands were never registered. Modern nation-states by the names of Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and so on never existed then. 

But now interestingly, just lately before Corona Virus hit us globally, the issue of land reigstration and land mapping becamse big issue, central issue across Melanesia.

In one hand, our land has been in good hands, in good condition without governments, before nation-states were born, or given names by colonial masters. But on the other hand, they are telling us that our customary land without map and registration at this "new animal office" called "Government office", then they say to us, "Your land will not be safe".

On top of this, many non-governmental organisastions also go around Melanesia and campaigning among villagers and islanders,  that they will bring in money, bring projects and help us map our customary lands, and they will help us register our lands to the government offices: most obviously to the Lands Department of the modern nation-state.

These NGOs appear like they are heroes who help indigenous peoples map their lands and reigster to the governments. They are proud that they help the tribal peoples.

THE FACT IS THE OTHER WAY AROUND!!!!

The fact is the these NGOs are helping the multinational and national companies and government offices to easily deal with land-owners in order to clear forests, draw contracts for plantations or mining, or give compensations to land owners whose land will be used to build fields or buildings for public use. The mapping and registration make it easier for the robbers and thieves to come and take away our natural resources, and even to take over our land.

Remember, that the land we call customary lands are not handed over to use for sale. It is our life, it is our future, it is our past. Our land is our life. Mapping land is mapping life! Registering land to the government offices is registering life to these new alien and consuming animals called "nation-state" and "government".

The paradox is for the government, they are saying they want to help, but in fact they are wiping out our customary land, become land readily mapped for exploitation. The paradox is the NGOs, they are saying they help us map our land and help us register to the Lands Departments on the modern nation-states' government offies, but they are actually speeding up the process of taking over our land and pushing us away from our customary lands.

Closing Notes

1. If "Land is Life!" then land is not to be mapped by foreigners or foreign institutions!
2. If "Land is Life!" then land is not for sale, then land should not be registered to foreign offices: including governments and NGOs offices! Indigenous tribes should own the map, register the land for themselves, in their own office.
3. If "Land is Life!" then land is for our future generations, not for us to sell now and finish it off in this generation!
4. If "Land is Life!" then mapping and registering lands for foreign interests and uses will wipe out our titles to the land, our identity with the land, our stories on the land.

We have witnessed Americans, Aborigines, Africans who have been taken away from their lands, and suffered a lot, due to colonial governments policies.

Today we are witnessing and experiencing those governments of free nations, governments officials and NGOs workers who are natively from our own islands and clans, they are they ones that forcing us to map and register our lands.

They are saying they are helping us, but the matter of fact is that they are actually wiping out our lives and our histories from our ancestral lands. This is truly a paradox.

The Happiest Man on Earth" by Eddie Jaku is a memoir

"The Happiest Man on Earth" by Eddie Jaku is a memoir that recounts the author's experiences as a Holocaust survivor and the lessons he learned about resilience, kindness, and the pursuit of happiness. 

Here are ten lessons from the book:

1. The Power of Positive Thinking: Eddie Jaku's unwavering optimism and positive outlook on life, despite enduring unimaginable suffering, serve as a testament to the transformative power of positive thinking in overcoming adversity.

2. The Importance of Resilience: Resilience is the ability to bounce back from hardship and adversity. Jaku's resilience in the face of persecution and loss highlights the strength of the human spirit to endure and persevere.

3. The Value of Kindness: Acts of kindness, no matter how small, have the power to make a profound difference in the lives of others. Jaku's experiences demonstrate the importance of compassion, empathy, and generosity towards one another.

4. The Dangers of Hate and Prejudice: The Holocaust serves as a stark reminder of the dangers of hate, prejudice, and discrimination. Jaku's story underscores the importance of combating intolerance and promoting acceptance and understanding.

5. The Gift of Forgiveness: Forgiveness is a gift that liberates both the forgiver and the forgiven. Jaku's ability to forgive those who caused him harm illustrates the transformative power of forgiveness in healing wounds and fostering reconciliation.

6. The Beauty of Diversity: Diversity enriches our lives and communities. Jaku's experiences highlight the beauty of embracing diversity and celebrating the richness of different cultures, religions, and backgrounds.

7. The Fragility of Freedom: Freedom is a precious gift that should never be taken for granted. Jaku's story serves as a poignant reminder of the fragility of freedom and the importance of safeguarding democracy and human rights.

8. The Resilience of the Human Spirit: Despite enduring unimaginable suffering and loss, Jaku's story is ultimately one of hope and resilience. His ability to find joy and meaning in life, even in the darkest of times, is a testament to the indomitable nature of the human spirit.

9. The Power of Love and Family: Love and family provide a source of strength and support during times of hardship. Jaku's deep love for his family and his determination to survive for their sake underscore the importance of familial bonds in sustaining hope and resilience.

10. The Pursuit of Happiness: True happiness is not found in material wealth or external circumstances but rather in cultivating gratitude, finding meaning and purpose, and cherishing the moments of joy and connection that life has to offer.

These lessons encapsulate the profound insights and universal truths found in Eddie Jaku's inspiring memoir, inviting readers to reflect on the enduring values of resilience, kindness, and the pursuit of happiness.

Book: https://amzn.to/4aza2jw

You can also get the AUDIO BOOK for FREE using the same link. Use the link to register for the AUDIO BOOK on Audible and start enjoying it.

Bob Marley was so right when he said.

Bob Marley was so right when he said.....💚🌿

“You may not be her first, her last, or her only. She loved before she may love again. But if she loves you now, what else matters? She's not perfect—you aren't either, and the two of you may never be perfect together but if she can make you laugh, cause you to think twice, and admit to being human and making mistakes, hold onto her and give her the most you can. She may not be thinking about you every second of the day, but she will give you a part of her that she knows you can break—her heart. So don't hurt her, don't change her, don't analyze and don't expect more than she can give. Smile when she makes you happy, let her know when she makes you mad, and miss her when she's not there.”

🙏👏