Around the world without leaving your bedroom - great for rainy days.

We all know about those days...Its cold and rainy outside, and all you want is to stay home... But you do feel nostalgic and want to experience stuff...

No problem, you can do it all in your own cozy bedroom.

Lets twist the globe and see where we want to go to...hmmm...Jamaica!? all possible! go on instagram, #Jamaica, and feel the nice jamaican vibe...the beautiful island, tropical weather, blue-green sea....






How about you are in Berlin, and are looking at fun things to do tomorrow, when the weather would be looking good again... anything great... Just check out what people are doing in the city that apparently now doesn't seem to sleep...ever...





alright, here we go! Soul Explosion party flyers in Kreuzberg..just so typical!


Now if you would like some more foody experiences...how about we see what is happening in Morocco food wise... everybody knows Moroccan food is just beautifully yummy!

Alrighty, here we go:




So this is all now beautiful...let's go crazy, see what our friends are up to and where they are... #London #Berlin #Paris #Marrakech #Dakar #Jamaica #Bali... You name it!


#Berlin



#Disneyland Paris


#Forest in #Orleans


#NusNus coffee in #Marrakech


#Beautiful woman haha



#Fes #Foody




#Essaouira



#Ladies in #London




#Leicestersquare #London



#Dindefelo #Senegal





#FreeGaza


#Creperie in #Paris



That being said, I believe we should all make efforts and actually google other places at least. We have the internet so fast now, we can go anywhere around the world with just one single click... we can not make excuses of not knowing certain things like "do they have internet in Africa" or "all Asians are Chinese".

I believe that by being open minded and hungry for knowledge, our generation and any following generations should be open minded about a lot of things and also have a general knowledge so much wider considering that we all know people from different background.

Another thing really important is: in contrary to China, we can google everything and find out what really is going on around the world... For example, how Israel is bombarding Gaza over and over again, or how the Syrians are fighting for survival, how a University in Kenya gets blown out and hundreds of student die...

I dont want to get too deep into these subjects as I believe they are too long for this one post... but I will come back with some more fun and intellectual challenging stuff!

AfricAvenir - Patrice Emery Lumumba showing

Patrice Lumumba.


For those who don't know: Patrice Lumumba was the first prime minister and leader of the Independent Belgian Congo.




He played one of the most important roles in the campaigning for the independence from Belgium. Considering the fact that he died at the age of only 36, his actions and what he had achieved is something that can only be called heroic. An intelligent, well-spoken, intelligent and educated man, that loved his country and his people.

AfricAvenir chose to screen the ARTE movie about Lumumba's life yesterday in an open air cinema in Berlin. Surprisingly, the Facebook event had many people wanting to participate, which I believed was great. Unfortunately, due to the weather conditions weren't very convenient, and many didn't show up. Still, thankfully, a lot of people did show up and show interest despite the cold and windy weather. This was something that, I presume, must have been highly appreciated by the organisers.






French Trailer













English Trailer


The movie was in the original version, mainly French and sometimes Lingala, with German subtitles for every one to understand.







The movie about Patrice Lumumba was in my opinion just perfect. It highlighted a lot of points that I think are to be considered. In Lumumba's life, he ended up getting betrayed by his own people. I believe, that during his career he did make a couple of mistakes due to his young age. He underestimated how selfish and jealous some people can be, and therefore ended up having important people as enemies and pushed them further away rather than keeping them close. One of them was Mobutu, future corrupt president of Zaire/DRC. He had met him long before Mobutu became Mobutu Sese Seko Kuku Ngbendu Wa Za Banga. But he had underestimated him and ended up being victim of a coup by Mobutu with the help of the Americans and Belgians. At the same time, former President Kasa-Vubu was involved in the coup.

Lumumba had, in my opinion, strong and great ideas and also the passion and love for his country, but unfortunately not the wisdom and diplomacy necessary to rule the country.

Interestingly enough, the movie did also highlight that part. It starts with a narration that seems as if Lumumba himself was writing a letter explaining some details. It also ends with the same narration and the end of the letter. During this narration, we hear how Lumumba mentions that he did come 50 years to early, which somehow joins my theory of him being too young, and also the population of Congo not being 100% ready for him he was so eager and sometimes acted a little undiplomatic.


What went perfectly about the evening in combination with the film, the emotions and the spirit of Lumumba, was the end of the movie. With the off screen narration, the camera zooming into the fire, the wind and the cold of Berlin, the trees and birds in the wind, and the message of Lumumba...as if it has been transported by the wind... The whole crowd kept quite, it felt like Lumumba's spirit was present, like his message has been travelling for so long so that we could all sit there, and listen to it. It felt like the narration wasn't necessarily a letter to his wife, as you first believe, but maybe to his Country. He says "ma compagne" which could have also mean his country. it felt like it was a message for us, for the people watching the movie.


It ended up being a very inspirational evening, deep and giving the viewers food for thoughts.


I also recommend to everyone needing inspiration and motivation in their life to watch the movie of a great international hero who has fought all his life for his convictions, and took it as far as dying for his loved ones.

Being "Hard" - being "Judgmental"

So, this post is about a lot of different things that I've come across today...

Lets start with the first one... people try to be hard and ghetto... The whole music and movie industry brainwashing us, making us want to be one thing or the other... where exactly does that lead us?

I saw this video today showing a good example of it... this 13 year old boy gets sent to jail to meet some real criminals, and ends up crying and begging etc... This video has shown a lot of controversy, but personally, I believe that it is definitely a good lesson for those youngstas trying to be or act hard...

Growing up in a not so great or posh area, I know how it is to be friends with the bad guys, and you think it's cool to be friends with them, you want them to like you or whatever... well you shouldn't! I think it is important to be cool with them, but not to that extent where you join the gang or anything, especially not at that age!

I absolutely loved the inmates harsh but true comments, showing his wounds and explaining that it all happened because he was hanging around the wrong people, thinking they were his friends, but then he is the one with the wounds and in jail - but at least alive I must add!


You see a lot of statistics about how young men/women end up dead...the lucky ones get out of it, the less lucky ones in jail, and the really unlucky ones dead...


This actually brings me to my second point - being judgmental!


So you know how people don't hire you because you were in jail or because you have a criminal record or whatever...or how people look at you, especially here in Europe/Germany, and make fun of the way you talk because you're from the ghetto, though they act all hard and listen to 2Pac or Biggie, but judge you because you were raised in the ghetto!? Even if you are educated, this etiquette is going to follow you around, people are going to look at you differently, or make comments like "Yes but you're different". No you're not! you just know how to use what language!! You know how to behave in both situation, your vocabulary and language is so much more diverse than theirs ever would!

You know how to handle certain situations with a lot more patience, knowledge AND balls!

Growing up in the ghetto doesn't make you stupid...maybe you don't have that Harvard education but hell, you know how to provide, respect and help people! Which I believe is a lot more important!

I have now seen this other video of a 23 year old Berliner lady being disgustingly rude and disrespectful to other passengers...what I thought was quite interesting, the first passenger who stands up and tells her to stay in her lane is, based on his language, someone who either is from or know a lot of people from less fortunate places in Berlin, the fact that he stands up and says something is another indication that this guy not only has certain values and has had a pretty good education... most likely from a so called "third world country" or "Islamic country" or something similar... I dont know him, so I cant really tell..

now the second man who is also the guy filming stands up, and not only tells her to stay quite, but he says something really interesting. He just got out of jail a couple of days ago, AND YET, being the "bad boy put aside by society" etc etc, you can tell that he has more respect and more courage, than everybody else, including the guy she spit on! He tells her to apologize, and gives her 23 years of education in a couple minutes...












Now this guy is probably someone coming from a hard and difficult place, who doesn't talk Harvard, but at the same time, shows how smart, respectful and well educated he is! For those who speak German, you will notice how elegantly his chose his words, and how while all people make fun of the "ghetto" or "religious" or whatever kind of connotations, he has a point! Now people listen to him and even clap! If he would be talking to his friends, I am not sure how the response would be, even the guy whom he defended might have thing of him as a "ghetto baba"...

Long story short: Stop judging people because of where they're from or how they talk! it does not make the stupid or less intelligent or respectful than any other human alive!!

That's it from me...some stuff I had to let go of... it just was really bothering me! Stop making fun of other people! end of Story..! It's all about helping and being there for other people, not thinking you're better than this or that person!

Refugee Camp in Berlin Kreuzberg

A few of us are aware of the "refugee camp" that is - or better yet was - established in Berlin Kreuzberg, on the Oranienplatz. Lets dig a little deeper into the subject and find out what it is, and what really is going on here.


As already mentioned, Berlin's most popular district nowadays called Kreuzberg, has been the center of attention for the German left wing parties. A lot of people started to being aware of a camp that, at first, started out just to be a temporary solution for those refugees, but in the meantime, became more and more permanent...until today.


Refugee Camp





In the beginning, a few refugees just started to build a few tents on the Oranienplatz, until a better solution came along. Unfortunately, it took them over 2 years to finally come up with something, which apparently wasn't enough. The first strikes you can actually find about those refugees is the ProtestMarsch - von Wurzburg nach Berlin (Bayerisches Fernsehen, 08.09.2012), which was about Refugees that marched from Wurzburg to Berlin.

From what I know, those refugees were here since the War in Libya in 2011. Most of the refugees at the Oranienplatz are fron Libya, Sudan, but also other countries such as Afghanistan and Iran.

I spoke with one of them, who actually told me about their conditions, where most of the refugees are from, what happened and what is going to happen from now on, moving forward.

He explained how they've started to build their little living spaces with wood, in order to stay warmer as the cold doesn't penetrate as much as tents. That Place became home to some of them, and they all didn't completely understand each other, but they had enough in common. Most of them spoke Arabic or a derivation of the Standart Arabic mostly spoken in the Middle East.





Building houses out of wood


Today, 08.04.2014, was the day where that refugee camp has been demolished and taking off. What happened to the refugees you ask ? They have been put in a Hostel in Friedrichshein for more or less two weeks, and afterwards, they will move into a more permanent place. They received a Visa called "Duldung" - a temporary suspension of deportation, which will be reviewed in 6 months time.


To me it sounds like a pretty fair deal, after 2-3 years of staying out in the cold, living in tents and not having a real home, being able to have a proper job have proper food... But, the left wing parties still want to protest against that, as they think it is not the right way to handle it.

Consequence ? Another pretty wild protest went on today in Kreuzberg, all day, and is still going on as I am writing this (its 11.53). People are fighting for those refugees's rights to remain in the country in good and liveable conditions. The whole area was filled with dozens of police cars and over 1000 protestants. I didn't go check that one out, as my brother who is in the German Military warned me that it might become dangerous, and I have a job to go to in the morning *bad timing for a joke*









Man fighting for his home






Oranienplatz at 6.30 pm




So far, I have kept myself pretty neutral, sticking with the facts, but now here comes my opinion, that is probably not very appreciated by a lot of people...but then again, I am not writing this to please people, but to share my thoughts on different matters.


From my previous post, you can tell a bit about me and how I travelled around a lot, and therefore have a very specific view on subject matters.


I believe that all those protests to keep the camp is way too much... I didn't gather all the facts to the fullest extent though...but from what I know, and what I've seen, I believe that this situation, which was supposed to be temporary to begin with, is not and will never be THE solution for those refugees, as there are a lot of facts that need to be considered.

Firstly, the human rights - It is neither in Germany, or anywhere else in the world, allowed to let people live like this. Berlin and Germany is fighting really hard, especially in winter, to get homeless people off the streets, as records show that the most important cause for them dying, is dying by freezing to death. How would any civilisation agree to let people live on the streets, in improvised homes ? It is not a solution to let those refugees stay here, camping for years, and expect them to be happy - considering that they don't have any Visas, and therefore can't even work and contribute to the society.


Secondly - As usual, the Left Wing Parties want to fight for those refugees's rights, which I do respect a lot. But what really is bugging me here, is that they did NOT consider the political effects that all this might have. Giving all of them a indefinite stay Visa would not only create a huge mess internally, economically but also would generate a huge wave of refugees, which would actually make everything worse. Yes we need to help political refugees, but how about treating the problem at its root, and see how we can ameliorate the situations in their countries, and around the world.


Thirdly - It has all come to an extent where no one is happy about what is going on, and just keeps on fighting for something that hasn't even been considered properly. Whilst I was talking to the refugee earlier today, I was also talking to two other young activist who were enraged by what was going on, and wanted to fight so that those refugees won't be forgotten and they would be able to stay here forever. As good hearted as I thought those two young girls were, their approach still was very immature and not thought through. As I told them, and that young man, there is no way to wanting to move forward looking backwards. What is done is done, the camp is destroyed, there is nothing left of it. They will build an information center, but now it is time to face the reality. Not one single Government would give permeant stays. My argument was in regards to the refugee wave that this would enhance. But the young man I spoke to had a far more interesting point of view - they can't do it, because the risk of refugees going to other european countries, and doing the same in order to get permanent stays there is way to high.


Which is why I believe that a Duldung, a proper roof over their heads, monetary help in order for them to be able to feed themselves is a very good compromise. Yes it will be reviewed in 6 month, yes a few of them might end up being deported... but you can't forget that they all have the capability to play the system and win. Play by the Big Mans rules. Learn German, be pro-active and show that you are looking to being an active part of the society, and they won't have any reasons for deportation. Instead of fighting them head on head, creating big protests (that are keeping me from sleeping...sorry boss, if I'm tired tomorrow at work... I blame the Left wing Party), drawing more attention than needed, they should rather play smart, do what it needed in order for them to at least join a society and not live as outsiders with no home and living in fear of deportation.



I do wish them all the best, and hope that they would be able to live a happy life after this not too bright episode. I am not a politician or ideologist, My Background coming from a military family taught me that it is not always easy to deal with those sorts of things. I have lived in a country with war and I have experienced a lot. I do know that my mom was chased whilst being pregnant by me and praying to God that they won't find her and my older brother, who was 1 year old at this time, doesn't make any noise. (She ended up having soldiers guarding the house after that - good thing about having a renowned and good placed military daddy I guess).

Again - I hope this situation will get sorted out and that those refugees will find happiness after all.

Protest this evening @ Oranienplatz