ALBONE

  A young Kenyan’s  perspective on the  latest Conference of Parties. So, the 30th COP (Conference of Parties) concluded last month in Belém, Brazil. It was quite eventful, but not necessarily in a good way. Protesters made their voices heard at the event, expressing pent-up frustrations at governments for treating the Amazon rainforest like a cheap commodity. As a young man from a country in the Global South, someone who’s seen the effects that events like severe droughts can have on vulnerable communities, I also feel frustrated at the lack of action on the environmental front by governments.   Personally, I feel like COPs are more of a talk show than anything. The said ‘parties’ frequently make vague agreements which are often either forgotten about or abandoned entirely. To combat anthropogenic climate change, concrete, practical steps need to be taken to transition towards using sustainable and renewable energy sources.   However, certain bodies, such as ...

Can Christmas and business go together? It's December. Christmas is almost here. But let's be real, the Christmas buzz has been around for weeks, if not months. Decorations go up in early November. Stores begin offering Christmas deals soon after. Coca-Cola Santa, Christmas songs playing nonstop in supermarkets (my condolences to anyone who works in retail), it begins to look a lot like Christmas long before the 25th of December. This is something that has irritated me for years. Christmas is my favourite holiday, a great time of the year. But it's more than just an excuse to get presents and eat nice food. As a Christian, Christmas is a significant celebration; it's a time to commemorate the birth of Jesus. The fact that our society has reduced Christmas to nothing more than a commercial event, which is all show with little substance, is something that irks me. However, this isn't a black-or-white issue. People need to buy decorations, cards and gifts for Christmas...

 Celebrating with family and friends and taking   time to express gratitude should be more  common. Each year, Americans celebrate Thanksgiving on the fourth Thursday of November (Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving on the second Monday of October). The holiday was first celebrated in the early 15th century in what is now Massachusetts. The English colonists (known as Pilgrims) of Plymouth celebrated a harvest festival alongside the native Wampanoag people in 1621. From then on, the Pilgrims would continue celebrating Thanksgiving; it was a time to give thanks to God for favours they had received, share food with their community and enjoy themselves. Thanksgiving was eventually made a national holiday in the USA and is still celebrated to this day. Even though I am not American and don’t live in the States, I really like the idea of Thanksgiving. Having a holiday where family and friends can reunite and eat delicious food (roast turkey, apple pie and stuffing sound SO g...

Religious persecution is wrong. It's about time we did something about it The words “Christian persecution” may call to mind the martyrdom of believers in Ancient Rome or perhaps more recent events, such as the oppression of Christians under communist regimes in the Soviet Union or China in the 20th Century. But the truth is that Christians are still being attacked and killed for their faith. Despite the fact that we live in an era characterised by an increasing respect for human rights, Christians are the most persecuted religious group in today’s world. Sadly, mainstream media often pays lip service or outright ignores the plight of millions of people who are subject to attacks simply for being Christian. In Nigeria, terrorist groups attack churches. In countries such as Afghanistan and Pakistan, converts to Christianity are forced to practice their faith in secret or leave their homes, as being known to be a Christian is akin to a death sentence. Unfortunately, governments in su...

We will all have to face death someday, so we might as well come to terms with it.                 November is a month associated with death. Think about it. In the Northern Hemisphere, November is a time when trees shed their leaves as autumn progresses. Many plants will eventually die as winter begins in December. Mexicans and a few other Latin American communities celebrate Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) on the first two days of November.  On the 1st of November, the Catholic Church celebrates All Saints' Day, remembering all those who have died and are in Heaven. The following day, All Souls Day is celebrated, where Catholics remember all the souls in Purgatory. The Catholic Church dedicates the entire month of November towards praying for the dead.  On November 11th, nations around the world remember the armistice that ended World War I, a conflict that took millions of lives. Veterans, those who gave their lives in armed con...

From three-day weekends to holographic technology, the future has a lot of potential. I'm back! I wrote a blog post a while back on 10 things I think will happen by 2050 (In case you haven't read it, you can do so  here ). So here's a list of 10 more of my predictions for the next 25 years. 11. A four-day work week will become the norm in several organisations worldwide. As a result of multiple factors, including an increasing shift to working remotely and demands from various labour and employment groups, companies and organisations have experimented with a four-day work week model. Studies have shown promising results, with observed improvements in mental and physical health, as well as stress reduction. The idea is still very much in its infancy, but a lot can change in 25 years. By 2050, we may just see a global shift towards a four-day work week, which entails a three-day weekend. Sign me up! 12. Anti-AI Trade Unions will be widespread. People have already begun to voi...