#BringBackOurGirls!

The #BringBackOurGirls campaign has taken over social media yet many people still don't know what is actually going on, so I'll give you a quick break down.

On the 15th of April 2014 nearly 280 (number varies by report) school girls were kidnapped from the Chibok Government Secondary School in Nigeria by a terrorist group known as Boko Haram. I refuse to give terrorists any kind of coverage so you can Google it if you like but this campaign isn't about them, it's about 280 missing girls and their families.

As people we often tend to turn a blind eye to things that don't occur at our doorstep, forgetting that the reason it doesn't occur there is because of campaigns like this. By tackling issues like this with unity and intolerance we prevent it becoming acceptable and therefore, in the long run, making the world a safer place.

Don't misunderstand me, the world is full of evil and some things simply cannot be prevented however, as the famous saying goes, "You can't stop what happens to you but you can choose how you react to them". I'm not even going to get into the muddy puddle that is Nigerian politics or comment on any of the many conspiracy theories, all I am going to say is that today is the 4th of June and girls are still missing. 

I'm not a huge fan of social media as I feel it has greatly diminished the levels of privacy (yes I have Facebook, Twitter and Instagram! :-P) however, at a time like this I am grateful that I live in an era where civilians can have a say in the way things are dealt with by 'the powers that be'. Without it, this situation and its outcome may have never been as widely reported. As a result of the worldwide coverage that this situation is getting, the Nigerian government has had no choice but to deal with it (I use the term loosely) instead of turning a blind eye or sweeping it under the rug. 

Personally all I care about is the return of those girls. I, like all of you, have females in my family that I hold very dear, I can't imagine what their families have been going through these past few weeks. 

Nigeria, it's been too long! #BringBackOurGirls

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Kony 2012

Last night the social networking world exploded with emotions, from rage to sadness. The reason? Kony 2012.

Unless you are devoid of internet you probably already know what I'm talking about but just in case you don't here is a video that explains it better that I ever could.

While watching this video (when did Youtube start allowing uploaders more than 10mins in video length?) I went through an emotional rollercoaster, I felt everything from rage to indignation to shame. I know we live in an imperfect world and politicians are arseholes mainly responsible for their own countries but to see that they've known about this disgusting creature known as Joseph Kony for 10 years and did nothing just feels so callous! 

But then I felt ashamed. I'm a prime culprit of applying the 'out of sight, out of mind' rule. Fair enough I didn't know about Kony but I am fully aware that many countries have tyrants that use child soldiers, what have I ever done about it? I sat there watching young people going out of their way to make a difference and I felt selfish and ungrateful for not doing more to help countries like Uganda and taking my living conditions for granted.

I'm not saying I'm going to become a freedom fighter but I am definitely going to try to start doing my bit for humanity beyond donating food and clothes. I'm going to start by raising awareness to help stop Kony. 

This man has to be stopped! Although it may not solve the overall problem, it's a start.

#Kony2012