Circumspecte

It's day three of the year 2012. Already! First off, I wish each and every one of you a great year ahead. May you have enough of everything you need to achieve your biggest dream and highest potential, and may you never want for the love, support, strength and confidence to get to where you want to be. Second, Youssou Ndour - world renowned Senegalese musician - just announced his candidature for Senegal's presidential election on February 26, 2012! I'll admit, the first person I thought of when I read the news was Wyclef Jean who put in a similar bid for Haiti's presidential seat in 2010. But let's not dwell on that. It's a new year and if the recent past has been any indication, it's that anything is possible. Besides, unlike Jean who didn't even meet the constitutional requirement of having lived in the country for at least five years, Ndour has been very visible on the local scene - mainly through his music - and is also a UN goodwill ambassado...

A tune of devastation plays over the land Time is trying to heal yet still no one understands A lifetime of work all buried under endless rubble And all over the land people gather in a huddle In search of an explanation that for now remains a mystery Mourning the many thousands, their eyes unleashing their misery Through disobedient tears And the debris of disaster does little to diminish their fears Dark clouds continue to hover ominously above Seemingly relegating all hope to some dark inaccessible enclave Forlorn faces now adorn the streets with much murkiness Shattered dreams scattered around with great sullenness The battle for survival rages on unabated While the shrill cries for help are constantly reverberated Across the globe with one simple plea, “Help Us” Gloomy images are beamed live on our TV screens Of mothers earnestly in search of their children And men so palpably grief-stricken That they can’t help but break down and cry As their whole life’s w...

When will Haiti get a break? In the midst of extreme poverty from tsunamis to floods to earthquakes, these people have endured more than some of us can ever imagine. My heart breaks for Haiti . Not because it's poor, but rather because these people's efforts at rebuilding their lives are continuously thwarted. Some people don't understand what the fuss about Haiti is. After all, earthquakes are nothing new. A so-called evangelist, Pat Robertson - who apparently ran for the U.S. Presidency?! -  went as far as saying that the earthquake is a result of a "pact" Haiti made with Satan . Seriously, give Haiti a break. Haiti Profile  I heard about the earthquake during a Young Professionals in Foreign Policy event I was covering for work Tuesday night, when the Brazilian representative mentioned it. Brazil and many other countries have a strong presence in the Caribbean nation as they strive to help it get on its feet. This country which was once a beacon of ...