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Health Experts To Combat HIV/AIDS Among African-born Immigrants

By
Swallehe Msuya
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Health Experts To Combat HIV/AIDS Among African-born Immigrants
Medical experts and healthcare providers in Minnesota who hail from Africa have teamed up under an umbrella organization named Pan-African Community Organization (PACO) to declare war on the spread of HIV/AIDS among African-born immigrants.
 
The PACO Chairman, Dr Crispin Semakula speaking at their first workshop organized at the American Red Cross of the Twin Cities in Minneapolis on November 17 said PACO was created to “address the ever-increasing challenges of HIV/AIDS among African-born persons in Minnesota.”
 
PACO intends to pool together the efforts of health experts, agencies (non-profits), service providers, community and religious leaders as well as HIV/AIDS activists from the African immigrants to stop the spread of AIDS in their communities.
 
“You must remember that new immigrants come from all sorts of educational background and civilization and yet very high expectations have been placed on them by their hosts, and for the most part, it is discriminatory. This is the source of overwhelming stress to their daily living state.” Dr Semakula admits that where these immigrants come from in Sub-Sahara Africa, you have the highest concentration of the global AIDS pandemic.
 
He maintains, “at PACO our mission is to enhance accessibility of social and human services to African immigrants of MN and empower them to live as self-sufficient citizens of our society. This mission is to positively impact the lives of people it serves by providing linguistically and culturally appropriate and applicable services.”
 
The theme of the one-day workshop was “Fighting HIV/AIDS in African born populations in MN: from leadership to communities.”
 
Papers presented included
  •  Nila Gouldin’s keynote address as the African American Health Coordinator, Office of Minority and Multicultural Health, MN Department of Health.
  • Luissa Pessoa-brandao, HIV Surveillance Coordinator, Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Prevention and Control Division, MDH
  •  Dr Laura Hoyt, Children’s Hospital and Clinics of Minnesota and the University of Minnesota Medical School
  • Japhet M. Nyakundi, Program Specialist, Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Prevention and Control Division, MDH
  • Dr Omobosola O. Akinsete, Division of Infectious Diseases and International Health, Department of Medicine, Hennepin County Medical Center
  •  Neville Ansley, HIV/AIDS Program Coordinator, American Red Cross of the Twin Cities
  • Dukassa Lemu, Executive Director of PACO
  • Paulie Salazar, PACO Vice Chair and workshop Facilitator
 
Workshop participants were told that efforts of the Health Department in Minnesota had reduced HIV/AIDS transmission from mother to child from 20 percent to one percent, and Rapid Testing facilities are available. However, sperm washing facilities have not been set up and STIGMA affecting the human rights of HIV/AIDS patients has proved a formidable task.
 
Japhet Nyakundi informed workshop participants that yearly $ 270,000 is disbursed by the state to address HIV/AIDS problems to African immigrant communities. A big chunk of this money goes in the work of prevention the spread of the pandemic and services provided to those infected.
 
Dwelling on the complex problem of STIGMA, he said the problem manifests itself through race, sexuality, class, religion, homophorbia, ethnicity, culture and gender.” He said people associate HIV/AIDS with the undesirable, not normal disease, something deviant and “people choose not to talk about it.”
 
He equated the stigma on AIDS to the biblical accounts of people with leprosy who were also segregated by their communities. Relationships break, marriages are on the rocks when one of the partners is infected and people lose friends and make enemies due to HIV/AIDS stigma
 
He said people had assumed the attitude of passing on the problem of HIV/AIDS to someone else, as it were “refer to refers” not because these people have no skills, but simply because they do not want to deal with such issues.
 
Since the pandemic has no cure in sight, people fear the unknown, the uncertainties, fear of imminent death and inadequate information. Drug and substance abusers, commercial sex workers, and gay communities are facing segregation as people have not come to terms with the fact that HIV/AIDS is here and affects us all.
 
Nyakundi was however encouraged by the mushrooming non-profits of people with compassion who provide services and care to the sick and commended such institutions like the ALIVENESS and Open Arms Minnesota for comforting people with AIDS with true love and tenderness.
 
He said in South Africa, a woman who announced that she was HIV-positive was brutally murdered and that is why the conference of HIV/AIDS that was held in South Africa had as its theme “Breaking the Silence” on the pandemic.
 
Nyakundi said in America, unlike in some third world countries where services are hard to come by, Minnesota is blessed with a variety of service providers addressing the HIV/AIDS pandemic. People should come out, get tested to determine their status and if found positive, they should embark on an early regimen. This way, they will enhance their chances of living a long life.
 
Medical and other service providers will continue to observe the law on privacy and confidentiality, he confirmed, but cautioned that once you begin receiving services, obviously some people will know that so and so in HIV-positive. He said if we don’t get tested, then unknowingly we shall continue to spread the pandemic that is proving to be devastating to our communities.

Immigrant Health Professionals to be Registered

By
Swallehe Msuya
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Immigrant Health Professionals to be Registered
The days when qualified medical professionals immigrating to Minnesota had to settle for menial work due to registration hurdles are almost over. Now there are clear procedures, guidelines and financial assistance to help trained professionals acquire licensure and accreditation to practice in Minnesota.
 
This roadmap to alleviate the problems of medical professionals and health providers immigrating to Minnesota was made possible thanks to a bill submitted to the state legislature by Rep. Karen Clarke. Through this April 4, 2006 bill, the state of Minnesota was able to appropriate US $ 450,000 to launch a one year-pilot project staring July 2006 to turn this problem around.
 
Three agencies, each to obtain $150,000 were identified to implement this project following an earlier Needs Assessment study that indicated that Minnesota had manpower shortages, especially nurses and dentists while 165 foreign medical professionals were unregistered. The three agencies assigned this pilot project are:
·         The International Institute of Minnesota,
·         The Rochester Workforce Center;
·         The African and American Friendship Association for Cooperation and Development (AAFACD Inc).
 
 The pilot project will be administered by the Department of Employment and Economic Development in Minnesota and the role is to assist foreign-trained health care professionals acquire licensure to practice in Minnesota. According to AAFACD Inc Project Coordinator, Anne Lutomia, her agency is currently working towards assisting 30 doctors, 22 nurses, one physical therapist, one veterinarian doctor and one clinical doctor to obtain licensure.
 
The medical professionals being assisted come from Liberia, Somalia, Kenya, Cameroon, Sudan, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Mexico and Burma. Training covers such areas as language proficiency, computer knowledge, interpersonal communication skills, externship, residency and internship as well as steps I, II, and III in coping with qualifying examinations.
 
Advocacy groups are emerging to challenge the law that stipulates that if one graduated more than ten years ago cannot get residency; and the absence of malpractice insurance makes access to residency a near impossibility and these professionals are looking for a breakthrough.
 
Anne Lutomia informed this reporter that some funding has been secured from Headwaters Foundation to help in capacity building for advocacy skills, to enable professionals in transition address legislative issues.
 
 She explained that a Consultant with AAFADC Inc. Dr Wilhelmina Holder conceived the idea to assist foreign trained medical professionals meet registration needs prompting a study by Nancy Omondi, Graduate Research Assistant at the University of Minnesota. Her findings in a 2005 report on the utilization of foreign healthcare professionals in Minnesota and shortages that this category of staff can help fill forms the bedrock of this project.
 
AAFACD Inc was formed in 2003 by Liberian-born Burleigh Holder and his daughter Yende C. Anderson as a 501(3) c non-profit to give Minnesota an “opportunity to better understand their new neighbors.” Its role was to use the tools of acculturation and offer culturally sensitive services to empower African immigrants the means to fully integrate into Minnesota’s growth and development.
 
The $ 150,000 grant given to AAFACD Inc does not cover administrative costs but is designed to meet the costs of foreign trained health professional prepare and sit for qualifying examinations that will enable them register as Minnesota professionals. The money is intended also to meet the costs of acquiring deficient skills.
 
Other institutions that have partnered with AAFACD Inc are KAPLAN, Park Nicollet Foundation, various colleges and Universities where these professionals undergo internships.
 
AAFACD Inc invites other foreign medical professionals who have not registered with this program to contact the Program Coordinator, Anne Lutomia via telephone no. (651) 645-5828; or visit their offices at 1821 University Avenue, Suite # 328 at St Paul.
 
This pilot project is of one-year duration and it ends in June 2007 and those involved are to submit their implementation reports by October 2007.
 
The 2005 Study titled: “Assets and Needs Assessment of Foreign Trained Medical and Nursing Graduates in Minnesota and Utilization of Foreign Trained Healthcare Professional Graduates” explained the existing problem in the following words:
 
“U.S. has hundreds of physicians who have immigrated to Minnesota with a medical degree from a non-North American school and are unable to practice here. There are also hundreds of Foreign National Graduates who are pursuing the licensure process. Both groups are needed in Minnesota and have been frustrated by the lack of available assessment opportunities to enable them to qualify to practice here.
 
“Experts have suggested several ways to solve the problem of Foreign Trained Health Care Professional Graduates, though solutions might be costly, it requires legislation.
 
To address these problems, a system to facilitate participation in Externships or Observership has emerged, Need based matching or training procedures created, easing certification of doctors serving ethnic communities introduced, and a new approach in assessing qualifications that did not compromise quality of professionals is being developed.
 
These are some of the challenges now being tackled and the immigrant foreign-trained professionals in the medical field must come out to take advantage of these emerging opportunities.

Largest Black Controlled Law Firm Is Dissolved

By
Tom Gitaa, Editor-in-Chief
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The largest Black-controlled law firm in the country, Blackwell Igbanugo, has been dissolved effective November 1 according to one of the leading partners, Herbert Igbanugo. Mr. Igbanugo told Mshale during an interview at the Blackwell Igbanugo offices in Edina that he has formed Igbanugo Partners International Law Firm which will be headquartered at the Marquette Plaza (former Minneapolis Federal Reserve building) in downtown Minneapolis. The firm will occupy 8,500 square feet of office space on the 10th floor.
 
Mr. Igbanugo cited diverging interests as one of the reasons behind the splitting of the firm. He new firm will have five attorneys and six support staff. He would not reveal names of any partners that will be joining him at the new firm because negotiations were still going on. But he did say during the interview that “Our Sub-Saharan African law group will feature an experienced team of U.S. and African educated, African born lawyers that are experienced in handling a broad spectrum of matters and who will bring a wide range of legal, cultural, linguistic, and geopolitical skills and experience to bear when serving clients in this region.”  
 
By the time of the breakup, Blackwell Igbanugo had grown to a firm of 40 lawyers with a staff of 70 and had opened satellite offices in Troy, Michigan and Washington, DC. Mr. Igbanugo said the expansion was a strain on the form and only served to amplify differences between the partners. The other partner was Jerry Blackwell who focuses on corporate litigation. He was quoted in the local press after news of the dissolution became public that his new firm Blackwell Burke will still be the largest firm with a majority of Blacks as shareholders. He is also moving his new form to downtown Minneapolis.
 
Mr. Igbanugo, one of the most distinguished African lawyers in the country in the area of immigration law said besides immigration, his new firm will focus on international trade law with a narrow focus on Sub-Saharan Africa. He said with American corporations taking advantage of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), Africa is now the final frontier of untapped potential. He said he believes his new firm will unravel Africa for the corporate clients he serves as “we have fashioned strategic alliance counsel relationships with exceptionally talented lawyers in key markets of Sub-Saharan Africa to help with this venture.”
 
Igbanugo also stressed that the individual immigration clients he has served in the past can continue to expect excellent service from his new firm. All the immigration lawyers that worked under him at Blackwell Igbanugo are moving to his new firm. It is the question of partners that was yet to be resolved as we went to press. “The exclusive column my team pens for Mshale, will also continue uninterrupted”, he said during the interview. Other than a change of location, clients should not expect any major changes. Both partners are retaining their separate corporate clients according to Mr. Igbanugo. Some of the clients that Igbanugo has had include the musician Prince. Mr. Igbanugo also became a familiar face in Twin Cities television broadcasts when he was retained to represent Francisco Javier Serrano, the Mexican student who was arrested for turning his former Apple Valley High School into his sleeping quarters.
 
Blackwell Igbanugo was formed in 2000 by four partners, former Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth Saffold, David Engen, Jerry Blackwell and Herbert Igbanugo. Saffold and Engen left early on during the partnership with Blackwell and Igbanugo remaining to be the two main partners.
 
Igbanugo told Mshale that Blackwell Igbanugo had a strong impact in the increased hiring of minorities in top Twin Cities law firms as these firms hired minorities to compete with his firm for corporate clients that wanted to steer business to law firms committed to diversity.
 

Diaspora Kenyans Join Race for Parliament

By
Julia N. Opoti
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Diaspora Kenyans Join Race for Parliament
Against a colonial background, and a couple of decades of finding its political journey, Kenya continues to seek effective political leadership. Like most African countries, there has been a flight to the Diaspora by thousands of Kenya in search of greener pastures. While the Diaspora hosts some political refugees, most Kenyans leave home for education and economic gain. Minnesota is home to over 5,000 Kenyans. With a stable political environment, many Kenyans in the Diaspora feel a need to go back home and participate in the development and change of the country.
 
There is an unprecedented number of Kenyans in Minnesota aspiring for public office in next year’s General Election. Presidential and parliamentary will be held later in 2007. They visited Mshale’s editorial offices to discuss their vision for the areas they aspire to represent. Philip Bosire, Charles Nyakweba, Joshua Onserio, Ferdinand Obure, and Mohamed Abdi participated in a candidate meeting at Mshale on November 21. Also in the profile is Richard Kathuka, who lives in Illinois and Thomas Nyambane of Minnesota. Their experience living and working away from home has made them want to directly participate in the political, social, and economic development of Kenya.
 
Like all Kenyan politicians, they are faced with several challenges, the greatest of which is delivering on their promises to an already disillusioned electorate. Recent polls conducted by Strategic Public Relations and Research, a survey firm based in Nairobi, Kenya, have shown that Kenyans are more interested in issue-based campaigns rather than the usual political rhetoric. From November 3-7, 2006, 3,008 people were interviewed in all regions of Kenya.
 
The general consensus from these parliamentary aspirants is that there is a need for fresh ideas. With their professional experience acquired from the West, they hope to offer different solutions to Kenya’s development needs. Due to extreme poverty, many voters are easily bribed during the weeks preceding elections. The aspirants have committed themselves to invest in voter education where they will discuss their issues. Most of the aspirants would like to confer with their constituents, when they go back to Kenya in December and January to begin their campaign, before declaring their party affiliation.
 
The recurring theme from all the aspirants is the need for transparency by Members of Parliament (MPs) while serving their constituents. They recognized that some progress had been made by the current government, headed by President Mwai Kibaki, but said more was yet to be achieved. Initiatives lauded include: Constituency Development Fund (CDF), monies that allow local residents to spend money on their development initiatives, and free primary school education.
 
Mohamed Abdi (Mandera East, Mandera)
A young man from Mandera in the North Eastern province of Kenya, Mr. Abdi is excited about the prospect of winning. He is aspiring to represent the Mandera East constituency in Mandera District. The financial support that Mr. Abdi has received from the Diaspora community and his American comrades will allow him to have an effective grassroots campaign that will reach all individuals. He feels he will be a better representative to his potential constituents because the incumbent is a member of the old guard, mired in allegations of corruption and far removed from the issues affecting the common man. Mr. Abdi would like to fight corruption from the top. He argues that the money “stolen” by junior government officials is nothing compared to that pocketed by senior government officials such as MPs. A few months ago, Mr. Abdi met with Mshale to discuss his goals for Mandera.
 
Mr. Abdi discusses his vision further, for Mandera East, on his website.
 
 
Philip Bosire (Kitutu Masaba, Gucha)
A certified accountant in Kenya and the US, Mr. Bosire prides himself on his money-managing skills. Most MPs, he argues, are not in touch with their constituents since they don’t leave the capital city, Nairobi. To remedy this, he promises to hold frequent meetings with his constituents. On the youth, Mr. Bosire affirms a need for the government to dedicate specific funds to address their needs. Through the formation of a youth co-operative, the youth in Kenya will have positive interaction with each other where they can create income-generating ventures. While he recognizes the importance of women in the legislature, Mr. Bosire says, “Let us not underrate women. If we cannot have women on the ballot, we should find other ways in which they can participate, such as committee members of not only parliamentary committees, but also local ones.”
 
Mr. Bosire is the CEO and founder of P & N Services Inc. He is also the Chair of the following community organizations in Minnesota: Minnesota Kenyan International Association (MKIDA), and Kitutu Masaba Wayforward Organization and a church elder with the Kenya Community Seventh Day Adventist church.
 
Richard Itumo Kathuka (Kangundo, Machakos)
A member of FORD (Forum for the Restoration of Democracy), Mr. Kathuka has a clear vision on his goals should he get elected. His campaign addresses basic needs: water, healthcare, education, roads, agriculture, insecurity and issuance of title deeds.
 
Machakos has been hit by severe drought over the past few years. “My goal in this [water] regard is to rehabilitate existing boreholes and sink new ones to ensure that all the townships within the constituency have clean piped water within my first five years as the area member of parliament. This will be done by utilizing the Constituency Development Fund-CDF. “
 
On his website, Mr. Kathuka has outlined more of his goals.
 
Charles Nyakweba (Bobasi, Gucha)
Over the years, Mr. Nyakweba has increased his experience working to serve people. He began his career as a lecturer at the Rift Valley Institute of Science and Technology in Kenya. He strongly believes in the revival of polytechnics, which are technical schools that offer hands-on training in sectors that are relevant to a maturing economy. If elected he will push for the creation of apprenticeship programs that will allow the youth to train in productive farming and fishing is essential in entrusting the land back to the people. Currently, to head start this initiative, Mr. Nyakweba has partnered with Bayer East Africa, Kenya Seed, and the Fisheries Department.
 
“We need to empower the people, not only politically, but also economically,” he asserts.
                       
Mr. Nyakweba hopes to work with other parliamentarians in developing a country where every individual has the opportunity to gain employment and live a decent life. He disagrees with the current structure of distributing funds to local constituencies through CDF saying it is flawed where MPs are in charge of the funds. As an MP, Mr. Nyakweba would push for an amendment to the CDF Act outlining professionals, educated individuals, as the ones in charge of constituency funds.
 
Mr. Nyakweba is a Mortgage Consultant. For two years, he also served as the Vice Chairman of Mwanyagetinge, a Kenyan community organization in Minnesota.
 
Thomas Nyambane (Bobasi, Gucha)
Kenyans continue to be disenfranchised as an electorate, and it is Mr. Nyambane’s hope to change this. He is keen on fostering relationships with other communities around his constituency while uniting those within his. His main focus if elected will be on rural electrification, abandoned children, tea export and women empowerment.

There is still a stigma attached to children with special needs, both mental and physical disabilities. Mr. Nyambane would like to sensitize his constitution and educate them on catering to the needs of these children. CDF, he contends, is one of the best things to happen to the people of Kenya. He will create a grassroots committee that will prioritize the needs of the constituency allowing the citizens an opportunity to have a say in their local government.

"Kenya is a subsistence economy relying heavily on farming. However, the farmers do not get adequately accommodated for their goods. I will educate the farmers on market prices, and cut out the middle man to increase the gains the farmer makes."

On farming, Mr. Nyambane will also work with the Ministry of Transport to ensure that the infrastructure will support transport between trading ports.

He will be running on a Kenya African National Union ticket.

 
Ferdinand Obure (Bomachoge, Gucha)
Mr. Obure is not new to the Kenyan political arena. He was an MP before moving to the United States. His view is that the Kenyan constitution is supposed to educate the masses, it is therefore, important to let citizens know the articles in the constitution. While campaigning, and if elected as an MP, Mr. Obure will invest in educating individuals on their citizenry rights. Some areas in Kenya are less developed than others, Mr. Obure stresses on the need for equal treatment on the national level to assure national coherence and identity.
 
When parents spend thousands of shillings in educating children, it is disheartening for them to have their children unemployed by an economy that cannot support itself. Mr. Obure will work toward the revival of polytechnics and recreational centers to keep the youth busy. Kenyan students, to compete with the rest of the world, need to be prepared for the 21st century: the government needs to invest in this. Mr. Obure argues that the West continues to rob Africa by enticing the educated African to build their economies.
 
Mr. Obure points out that, “The Kenyan in the Diaspora will never fit into this society. We need to emulate the development of the Jews. They have created networks across the globe sustaining Israel.”
 
Mr. Obure would like the government to have a specific fund for the campaign of women MP aspirants to allow them fair competition since they have sustained the Kenyan economy.
 
Joshua Onserio (Bobasi, Gucha)         
Once bitten twice shy. Well, not Mr. Onserio who serves a board member in the Maple Grove school district in Minensota. This is his third time running for office, and he feels his odds are better than before. Losing to his opponent, has not slowed down Mr. Onserio. Eight years ago, together with other youth, Mr. Onserio opened a primary school that was named after him. His interest in the development of his people has led him to hold leadership seminars for the youth in Bobasi. His work entails empowering the youth on their rights as an electorate.
 
“Working on a small budget, my success from my humble background has taught others that money does not rule.”
 
As a financial consultant, Mr. Onserio says he has learnt the importance of proper management and delegation and will use these if elected. He is keen on creating investment opportunities not only by creating an enticing economic environment, but also by fostering relationships with foreign investors. He would like to serve Kenya as a Foreign Affairs minister. He is CEO of United Home Lending, a mortgage company with a sprawling office in Plymouth, Minnesota that he founded
 
Education on basic rights and general information such as family planning, AIDS, formal education and domestic violence are paramount to his campaign.

Minnesota Kenyans Welcome New Ambassador

By
Tom Gitaa, Editor-in-Chief
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Minnesota Kenyans Welcome New Ambassador
The recently accredited Kenyan ambassador to the United States, Peter Nicholas Rateng’ Oginga Ogego, urged his nationals to register with the embassy to make the provision of consular services to them easier. The ambassador who got posted to Washington last September, also pledged to make available his itinerary on the embassy’s website. The ambassador was speaking in Minneapolis during a hurriedly called town hall meeting with Kenyans here. He was in town for official business.
 
The ambassador, who has received a warm reception from Kenyans in the United States, outlined the reforms he has put in motion at the embassy in an effort to streamline and make it easier for Kenyans to access services at there. Veteran Kenyans here have likened him to the popular Ambassador Dennis Afande who served through the early 1990s and was widely perceived as accessible and open to engaging Kenyans.
 
He asked those in the audience of about 100 to view the embassy as an ally during their stay here. In that regard, he said he is in favor of dual citizenship and described his efforts in the past to encourage members of parliament to introduce a bill in parliament to that effect. "We are there for you and have no hidden agenda," he said during brief remarks before engaging in a lengthy question and answer session. He said that he believes the best way to approach the issue of dual citizenship for Kenyans is to de-link it from the constitutional reform agenda and introduce it as a standalone bill in parliament. Kenya does not currently recognize dual citizenship and the issue ranks high on the agenda for Kenyans residing abroad.
 
He said he has put in motion a revamping of the Information Technology infrastructure at the embassy to better serve his nationals. Ambassador Ogego was accompanied by the embassy’s First Secretary for legal affairs, Stella Orina and Nyambura Kamau, the Consul General at the Kenyan Consulate in Los Angeles. The ambassador was full of praise for Ms. Kamau for the work she put into reopening the consulate in Los Angeles which was closed for fifteen years.
 
The trio described themselves as a “great team” with each easily deferring to the others’ area of expertise. Ms. Orina explained the intricacies involved when the US government gets ready to deport a Kenyan national and how she becomes involved in her role as the Legal Secretary. She stressed the importance of not falling foul of the law. She told the audience that when arrested, they should ask to speak to a consular representative as the law requires. She also urged those present to be on the lookout for trade opportunities for Kenya and to get in touch with the commercial attaché at the embassy.
 
Ms. Nyambura echoed Ambassador Ogego’s call for Kenyans to register. She described how frustrating and heartbreaking it was for her not to provide an estimate of how many Kenyans may have been affected by Hurricane Katrina. That region of the country affected by the deadly hurricane is served by her consulate. The ambassador also announced that Minnesota will be served by the Los Angeles consulate for consular services going forward.
 
The capabilities of the consulate in Los Angeles are a little known secret according to Ms. Nyambura. She said the consulate can do virtually everything the Washington embassy does including passport renewals and turnaround times may be faster.
 
During a lively question and answer session, Ambassador Ogego responding to a question from local physician, Dr. Edwin Bogonko, said he was not aware of the number of Kenyans incarcerated and the rising HIV/AIDS infections amongst Kenyans in the state. Stating that he is aware the challenges presented by the disease, he asked those present to sensitize the wider Kenyan community on the matter. He commended Mwanyagetinge Umoja which organized the town hall meeting for its health seminars. Mwanyagetinge is a Kenyan organization in Minnesota. The ambassador shared with the audience that he convened the first HIV/AIDS conference in the Nyanza province of Kenya leading to then Present Moi declaring AIDS a national disaster. He has in the past served as the consulting director of Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Foundation a Kenyan charitable organization that focuses on HIV/AIDS and poverty.

Financial Planning Tips for December 2006

By
Chuck Chuckuemeka
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Make Charitable Contributions
Consider making charitable contributions before year-end both to obtain the maximum tax deduction and to fulfill any charitable programs or commitments you may have established.
 
Buy a New Car
If you need a new car, now is the time to purchase or lease. Frequently, dealers are anxious to clear out last year’s inventory prior to year-end. In making your choice, consider the federal tax (and occasional state tax) advantages for buying fuel-efficient vehicles.
 
Examine Investments
Examine your current investments to determine those with unrealized losses. Consider selling those investments to take the loss this year. You can deduct up to $3,000 in capital losses in excess of capital gains. However, do not let the tax savings outweigh the investment potential. You might consider "swapping" for a similar company in the same industry if you like the potential of the industry.
 
Pay Tax-Deductible Expenses
Consider paying tax-deductible expenses prior to year-end. Some common examples are real estate taxes, quarterly state or local income taxes, investment-related expenses, dues. These must be paid by December 31 to obtain a deduction this year. Professional guidance will be helpful here.
 
Evaluate Your Progress
Evaluate your progress for the year. How close were you to your budget? Recalculate your net worth. Compare it to the value at the beginning of the year. How did you do?
 
Tax Due Dates for December 2006
 
December 11th; Employees who work for tips: If you received $20 or more in tips during November, report them to your employer. You can use Form 4070.
 
December 15th;  Corporations: Deposit the fourth installment of estimated income tax for 2006. A worksheet, Form 1120-W, is available to help you estimate your tax for the year.
 
Employers: Social security, Medicare, and withheld income tax – If the monthly deposit rule applies, deposit the tax for payments in November.
 
Employers: Nonpayroll withholding – If the monthly deposit rule applies, deposit the tax for payments in November.
 
A list of Financial Planning Do’s & Dont’s
 
Here are a few financial planning suggestions that can add to your peace of mind about financial matters and simplifying your life:
 
  • At least once a year, write down your investment goals and what strategy you will use to reach them. This will keep you focused.
 
  • Instead of giving money to many different charities, pick a few that are important to you, and give them a larger amount. This type of directed giving not only makes more sense, but will make it easier to track your donations at tax time.
 
  • Inventory your household possessions, with a camera or camcorder if you desire. Keep the inventory at work or in a safe-deposit box. This inventory will help should you need to submit a homeowner’s insurance claim.;
 
  • Use one insurance agent and one financial adviser for your transactions.
 
  • If you have doubts about entering into a transaction, don’t do it. You’ll probably save yourself money, time, and aggravation.
 
 
 
 
 
 

Excommunicated Archbishop Wants Dialogue with Vatican on Married Priests

By
Jfrankstonlorin
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A former Roman Catholic archbishop from Africa, excommunicated for installing four married clergy as bishops, has said he will ordain more married clerics in his crusade against the Vatican’s celibacy policy for priests.
 
Archbishop Emmanuel Milingo — whose 2001 marriage to a woman chosen by Sun Myung Moon scandalized the Roman Catholic Church — said he plans to install three more men Dec. 10 in West New York, N.J., after a two-day convention of his advocacy group Married Priests Now!
 
"This is a groundswell movement — a church within a church — that is forming and the Vatican is in a state of denial," Milingo said at a news conference on November 28.
 
Pope Benedict XVI convened a Vatican summit this month in response to Milingo’s campaign and reaffirmed that celibacy should be mandatory for priests.
 
Still, Milingo, 76, said he wants a dialogue with the Vatican on allowing married clergy to return to the church.
 
Milingo, who was the archbishop of Zambia, installed four married men as Catholic bishops in September, including Peter Paul Brennan, of New York, and Patrick Trujillo, of Newark. But the church does not recognize the installations as valid.
 
They and eight other married clergy spoke in favor of Milingo’s movement on November 28  in New Jersey. Seven of the men said they were ordained as Catholic priests but left after they married.
 
Analysts of the Vatican’s actions have said church leaders fear Milingo’s campaign could create a breakaway Catholic movement as renegade bishops ordain new ones. However, Milingo insists he is not promoting a schism.
 
Brennan said reinstated priests would help end the church’s priest shortage. He estimates about 150,000 men around the world — including 30,000 Americans — have left the priesthood because of marriage.
 
In the United States, the number of priests has dropped from about 58,600 in 1965 to 41,790 this year, according to the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown University.
 
"To continue to require such a condition only exacerbates an already deteriorating and hemorrhaging situation within the Roman priesthood," said Milingo, who called celibacy outdated.
 
However, Roman Catholic leaders have repeatedly rejected the argument that making celibacy optional would replenish their ranks.
 
Milingo has had a troubled relationship with the Vatican for years.
 
Before his marriage, Catholic officials accused him of promoting African indigenous beliefs by performing mass exorcisms and healing ceremonies. Then, in 2001, he married Maria Sung, a South Korean acupuncturist Moon chose for him, at a mass wedding in New York.
 
Four months later, Milingo renounced the union following a personal appeal from Pope John Paul II. But Milingo said he grew frustrated by restrictions on his ministry, so he fled Rome.

Seasoned Africanist Becomes First U.S. Envoy to African Union

By
Jfisherthompson
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Seasoned Africanist Becomes First U.S. Envoy to African Union

Ambassador Cindy Courville is capping more than 20 years of involvement with African issues with a challenging assignment as the first U.S. envoy to the African Union (AU), headquartered in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

 

More than 200 diplomats, friends and family members joined Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who presided at the November 8 swearing-in for Courville at the State Department. National Security Council (NSC) Advisor Stephen Hadley also attended.

 

Courville’s brother, Ronald, and husband, Edward, stood beside her as the new ambassador pledged to "support and defend the Constitution of the United States," the oath that all U.S. government officials take before assuming public office.

 

Courville was President Bush’s top Africa adviser on the NSC before being named to the new diplomatic posting. Before that, she taught political science at several universities and served for a number of years as an Africa analyst for the Defense Intelligence Agency.

 

Rice, who attended the University of Denver with Courville, called the new

ambassador "the ideal candidate" to represent America to the increasingly

important AU, lately called upon to furnish peacekeeping troops to crisis areas such as Darfur in Sudan.

 

Courville’s knowledge and understanding of conflict issues, as well as the

continent’s development needs, are a good match for the ongoing spirit of

"partnership" and cooperation that characterizes U.S.-African relations, Rice

said. And since "the AU has been one of our very important partners…," she

said, "the evolution of that relationship takes a natural turn today with the

appointment" of Courville.

 

"The United States has worked effectively with the African Union … to bring

Africans together" to work on critical issues such as "the terrible tragedy in

Darfur," Rice said. And Courville will be a key participant, she added, "as we

continue to work together to build strong strategic relationships throughout the continent."

 

Courville said, "It is the African ambassadors, that corps, who supported me

also, and I hope will continue to be part of the American-African dream to build upon that partnership and build upon the promise of freedom and prosperity that President Bush sees on the continent."

 

To the AU representatives, she said: "I look forward to being on the continent.

I look forward to the challenges — and I know they are going to be tough. But I

know there is a vision" for the future and that "you will allow the United

States to participate in that partnership … and I know there will be nothing

less than success."

 

 

Free or Low-cost Wi-Fi Mobile Phone Calls

By
jaime
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Not too long ago wireless devices such as laptops were used to take advantage of wireless access points but in the recent times cell phones have been added to this list of devices. An example is a Wi-Fi cell phone made by Belkin. This new mobile phone device allows users to make free or low-cost cell phone calls over the Internet. This particular cell phone is designed to tap into several wireless access points installed in businesses, Internet cafes and most importantly homes.
This is to the advantage of those with high-speed Wi-Fi access in their homes, for they should be able to use it as a medium for free or inexpensive calls as well as an option to conventional phone service.
 
Availability
 
This technology is starting to materialize commercially and companies such as Vonage and Skype are now selling or supporting mobile devices that use Wi-Fi networks.
 
Usability
 
One of the biggest obstacles the user faces when using the Wi-Fi phone to make calls is the fact that the Wi-Fi radio frequency spectrum is not licensed and therefore not maintained by any specific company, so call quality can be poor at times. If you are trying to make free cell phone calls off someone else’s wireless network, you cannot expect to get the best reception and you cannot always expect all your calls to go through. As the saying goes “You get what you pay for.”
Wi-Fi cell phones also have a short battery life but the technology is improving quickly.
 
Free or low-cost phone calls?
 
Where free calls are concerned, Wi-Fi cell phones that come pre-loaded with Skype or Vonage allow you to make free calls to anyone on Skype without using a PC. For calls to ordinary phones (without Skype or Vonage) it only costs pennies per minute.
 
Technical Details
 
1.      Enjoy free unlimited phone calls over Wi-Fi networks without your PC.
2.      Skype / Vonage Certified to work just like your existing Skype or Vonage account.
3.      Connect to any secured or open access Wi-Fi network that does not require browser-based authentication.
4.      Exceptional Voice Quality.
5.      WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy), WPA and WPA2 (Wi-Fi Protected Access) Supported.
 

Immigrants: We need them as much as they need us

By
LDeMaria
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"In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person’s becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American…
There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn’t an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag… We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language… and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people."
— Theodore Roosevelt 1907
 
 
When Teddy Roosevelt uttered those words 100 years ago, the United States was again being flooded by yet another wave of immigrants. And there was resentment and resistance from the "Americans" already in residence – most of whom, of course, were descended from earlier immigrants.
In Lincoln’s time, the Know Nothing party was created to fight the influence of German immigrants moving into Pennsylvania, Ohio and other middle-western states. Politicians catering to that bias drove many German-American voters into Lincoln’s camp, ensuring his election, thank God.
Later, the influx of the Irish into the Northeast provided cannon fodder for the Union Army, even as it precipitated discriminatory laws against the new immigrants in Massachusetts and elsewhere. The Poles, Italians and other immigrants of the late 19th and early 20th centuries were also looked upon with disdain.
 
More recently, legal immigrants from Asia and South America have also faced hurdles, which the best of them, like the best of the earlier waves, have overcome with hard work, education and assimilation.
I’m one of those who believe that legal immigration will continue to be the lifeblood of our nation – and the only way it will survive in an increasingly dangerous world. The crucial word is "legal." We must get a handle on the problem of illegal immigrants, not only because millions of them strain our social services, but because they also make a mockery of the trials and tribulations of all the legal immigrants who played by the rules.
 
How important are legal immigrants who are willing to assimilate – and protect – America now? You only have to look at the problem facing many European countries. The "native" populations of Italy, Spain and Greece, for example, have fertility rates that range between 1.1 and 1.3 per couple, which is less than is needed to maintain those populations. (The U.S. rate is 2.1; good, but not great.) No civilizations in history have ever survived with their identities intact with rates like those in Europe.
 
Europe‘s population is being maintained by millions of immigrants from Muslim countries, many of whom don’t want to assimilate. The "cradle to grave" welfare mentality of many European countries (which saps initiative, and, apparently, the reproductive spirit), combined by a political unwillingness to confront religious extremism and exclusion, is a recipe for disaster. We can’t afford to let that happen here.
 
Immigrants come to America looking for a better life, one that provides both economic opportunity and freedom. We must do everything possible to bring new immigrants into the American mainstream. We must give them a stake in our democracy, our way of life. We should insist that they learn English (if only so they can relate to their kids, who WILL learn English). We should inculcate them in our history and our laws. We must not, out of a misguided interpretation of "civil rights," allow them to put their political, religious and cultural beliefs ahead of their duty to their adopted country. The Constitution, as was famously stated, is not a suicide pact.
 
For our part of the bargain, we should honor and protect legal immigrants, and our country, by solving the problem of illegal immigration, no matter what it takes.
 
 
 

Liberians Express Concern over Truth & Reconciliation Commission Mandate

By
morris
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0
Liberians Express Concern over Truth & Reconciliation Commission Mandate

It was Sunday, November 19, 2006. Liberians from all walks of life assembled for a Town Hall Meeting at the Brooklyn United Methodist Church in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota. The purpose of the meeting was two-fold to listen to the Chairman of the Liberia Truth & Reconciliation Commission, Cllr. Jerome J. Verdier and to pose questions about atrocities committed by “freedom fighters” (perpetrator) during the civil war.

 

Welcoming Liberians and guests at the meeting, the President of the Organization of Liberians in Minnesota (OLM), Mrs. Martha Tala Sinoe, noted that reconciliation is important and that Liberians should keep an open mind because the process is long.

 

Mrs. Sinoe said the occasion was “a great milestone in the struggle of Liberian people worldwide.” She said she was impressed when she held with Cllr. Verdier Thursday evening prior to the meeting. She said the Commission did not make a mistake to elect Cllr. Jerome Verdier as Chairman of the TRC.”

 

The OLM President commended the Minnesota Advocate of Human Rights for the crucial role the organization is playing in Minnesota.

 

Speaking on behalf of the Minnesota Advocate for Human Rights, the Deputy Director, Mrs. Jennifer Prestholdt, noted that in order to create an accurate record of what happened in Liberia, the truth must be told. She said her organization would make recommendations to the Liberian government.

 

Addressing Liberians and guests at the Town Hall Meeting, the Chairman of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), the soft-spoken Cllr. Jerome J. Verdier, said “Liberians should take part in the reconciliation process and sit and talk with each other.”

 

Cllr. Verdier, who holds Bachelor degrees in Business Administration from the University of Liberia and a Bachelor of Laws from the Louis Arthur Grimes School of Law, stressed that “the TRC is not a court and cannot persecute perpetrators in the Liberian civil conflict.”

The TRC Chairman, a leading human rights and civil society advocate prior to serving on the TRC, said the nine-member Commission comprises professionals with diverse backgrounds. He said the Commission has Lawyers, Journalists, Religious Leaders, Human Rights Activists, etc.  He said the Commissioners are people with integrity.

Cllr. Verdier said that after two years, the TRC would be dissolved and emphasized that it is the TRC’s responsibilities to ensure that the Government of Liberia implements the Commission’s recommendations. 

He said the TRC was launched simultaneously in all 15 counties in Liberia and that his Commission has employed 192 statement takers.

 The Chairman said his Commission has been mandated to “investigate and document human rights abuses which occurred in Liberia from 1979 to 2003.”

Many Liberians at the meeting told their stories about their relatives and friends who were killed during the war. They asked whether the perpetrators would be persecuted. Cllr. Verdier said his Commission would recommend some perpetrators for prosecution. He made it clear that the TRC is not a court. The TRC was inaugurated last February in Liberia by president Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf and formally began its work in June. It is charged with investigating and documentring  crimes that occurred during that country’s 14-year civil war.

In the United States, the Minnesota Advocates for Human rights is handling the taking of statements from victims and perpetrators.

 

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