There is always hope when people listen to both sides

In several African countries, more than half the population is illiterate. Many don't have access to good education, regular, affordable access to the internet. The politicians exploit this statistics to promote 'totalitarian lies with chronic media manipulations'. Even in liberal democracy some governments are experts in 'falsehood' to continue business as usual. The few educated elites become sycophants and agents to power-holders.


 In a world where everyday stories is war, famine, disasters, human cruelty , human inequality and injustice without hope or proposed solutions, it's very natural we get scared and compelled to lend our voices to change our world. 


There are good stories about people taking individual and collective action to change laws, save lives and change the course of history, change the society. The truth is that anyone can make a difference in the world, anyone can change the world. You don't need to be a politician to change the world.


According to Bernadette Russell, ''You can start right now. You don't need money, or  an organisation, or be in a position of power to begin. You just need to start  writing your own story. What those other stories have in common is each started with someone making a decision to do something, and making a start by doing just one small thing"(The Little Book of Kindness- Bernadette Russell).


 Lending our voices to the debate about the future is of great significance, and must start now.  You don't need a permission to start."Even in authoritarian countries, the power-holders do sometimes respond to the voice of their people"-Timothy Carton Ash.(Free Speech; Ten Principles for a Connected World).


 Quite often we hear stories of how to resist the diaspora and how the diaspora is creating problems for their local societies. I have read about some of these stories on facebook.  This narrative is un-intellectual, obsolete and retrogressive, mocking our convictions of civility.
Diaspora is good force for development as they bring new attitude, new ideas, education and skills including funds to drive development.


The essence of being a citizen of a democracy is that you can work to effect change in the society, and you can work from anywhere especially in this era of liberation technology. Let us learn to work together for change and say no to 'herd mentality' of listening to just what we want to hear; the narratives of the few.


"There is always hope when people are forced to listen to both sides, it is when they attend only to one that errors harden into prejudices"-John Stuart.


 Listening to both sides, listening to competing arguments and weighing competing reasons for actions is one way we can drive change.


Uche Okeke