Land of tomorrow I

I believe in a world without geographical barriers and frontiers, where we can move with freedom and without fear. I believe that, although we don't choose the place where we are born, we can live in a place of our desires and dreams. Maybe it is a place we will never be, but it hides deep in our heart and thoughts. That is what keep us moving in this world: the desire of reaching a place of tranquility and peace, away from wars and greed.
Thinking of it, I chose Wayne Visser's poem to illustrate the feelings of this Thursday evening.

I weep for Africa –
And my tears water the ground
Where the tree of life first took hold
And its severed roots still spread wide

I weep for Africa –
And my tears salt the wounds
Where the battle for freedom first was fought
And its fallen heroes still lie scattered

I weep for Africa –
And my tears mark the stain
Where the blackness of slavery left its trail
And the rust of chains still bleed red

I weep for the invisible:
For all those who still live in darkness
Because the light of the world's media is dim
And poverty's face does not sell

I weep for the forgotten:
For all those who died nameless
Because the eye of the world’s memory is blind
And history only remembers the conquerors

I weep for the ignored:
For all those who cry out in vain
Because the ear of the world’s commerce is deaf
And free trade is freedom for the few

I weep for Africa –
Whose mountains are scarred by greed
And whose deltas are slick with corruption
Because power is like cancer

I weep for Africa -
Whose valleys are lined with graves
And whose rivers flow with blood
Because revenge feeds on itself

I weep for Africa –
Whose villages are skeletons of mud
And whose cities are phantoms of dust
For progress leaves many homeless

I weep for the mothers:
For all those who cradle sickness
Because their compassion does not pay
And life still has a price tag

I weep for the fathers:
For all those who sweat for food
Because the forges of industry are infernal
And labour is still just a commodity

I weep for the children:
For all those who grow up too soon
Because the killer virus reaps a bitter harvest
And childhood is still a luxury

I weep for Africa –
But not tears of pity
For this is a land of countless assets
And a people of abundant resourcefulness

I weep for Africa –
But not tears of despair
For this is a land of vast potential
And a people of inextinguishable hope

I weep for Africa –
But not tears of judgement
For this is a land with its own destiny
And a people whose sun is on the rise

Yet for my forgetting of her ancient ways
And my ignorance of her hidden secrets
For my deafness to her fireside stories
Africa weeps for me too

And for my dwelling in her shadows past
And my cutting loose her community ties
For my arrogance looking from the outside in
Africa weeps for me too

Yes, for turning my back on her wild spirit
And bleaching the arc of her rainbow vision
For my veil of salty tears shed for her
Africa weeps for me too

Land of tomorrow II

An inspiring poem by Waine Visser (www.waynevisser.com):

I Am An African

I am an African
Not because I was born there
But because my heart beats with Africa’s
I am an African
Not because my skin is black
But because my mind is engaged by Africa
I am an African
Not because I live on its soil
But because my soul is at home in Africa

When Africa weeps for her children
My cheeks are stained with tears
When Africa honours her elders
My head is bowed in respect
When Africa mourns for her victims
My hands are joined in prayer
When Africa celebrates her triumphs
My feet are alive with dancing

I am an African
For her blue skies take my breath away
And my hope for the future is bright
I am an African
For her people greet me as family
And teach me the meaning of community
I am an African
For her wildness quenches my spirit
And brings me closer to the source of life

When the music of Africa beats in the wind
My blood pulses to its rhythm
And I become the essence of sound
When the colours of Africa dazzle in the sun
My senses drink in its rainbow
And I become the palette of nature
When the stories of Africa echo round the fire
My feet walk in its pathways
And I become the footprints of history

I am an African
Because she is the cradle of our birth
And nurtures an ancient wisdom
I am an African
Because she lives in the world’s shadow
And bursts with a radiant luminosity
I am an African
Because she is the land of tomorrow
And I recognise her gifts as sacred

A dream of a soundtrack

It may not be a surprise for many of you, but one of my recent discoveries is youtube. It has been an useful source for me on news and music, especially. It is like being connected to the different worlds there might be in this world.
I made a list of what I will call "A dream of a soundtrack", the songs I will take with me forever, wherever I go. Some of them I discovered with my friends at UPEACE, others I brought from Brazil, my home country. Enjoy them!

o Clocks (Coldplay)
o Talk (Coldplay)
o The hardest part (Coldplay)
o Don´t panic (Coldplay)
o Good Luck – Boa Sorte (Vanessa da Mata & Ben Harper)
o Gigi (singer from Ethiopia)
o Is it like today? (World Party)
o Man on the moon (REM)
o All Good Things (Come To An End) Nelly Furtado
o Try (Nelly Furtado)
o Saa Magni (Oumou Sangaré)
o Yala (Oumou Sangaré)
o Iowya (Angelique Kidjo & Dave Matthews)
o Ngomorera (Oliver Mtukudzi)
o Dzoka Uyamwe (Oliver Mtukudzi)
o Outro Lugar (Milton Nascimento)
o Aquarela (Toquinho)
o Requisitoire (Taby Ley Rochereau)
o Sisters are doin´ it for themselves (Aretha Franklin and Annie Lennox)
o Ooh, child (Nina Simone)
o O Relicario (Cassia Eller & Nando Reis)
o Dreams (The Coors & Fleetwood Mac)

Long time no see!

I have not been around for a long time... Since January, to be more precise. But I promise that I will be back soon. I am still in Costa Rica, in the last weeks of my masters program in Gender and Peace Building at the University for Peace (UPEACE). There is so much to do and to think about that I almost forgot my blog. Today I learnt about my friend Karla Santos´s blog (dublinenses2008.blogspot.com)and just loved it! This is just a quick text to say that I am still around, learning and living in a speed that reminds me of my time in New York City (1994-1997), where everyday was different from the previous one, and that in every corner you found a new surprise.