Beyond that it has been hard to find any imaginative thinking about how we outside the political circles should at least do our part to keep the pressure on for some kind of action…I mean is a press conference really the best civil society can come up with (and I care because if the post-election crisis doesn’t get us to change things fundamentally I shudder to think just how far we need to sink as a country the next time around). So despite the fact that I have 99 other problems to think about (channeling Jay-Z), I’ve found myself slowly dragging my lawyer hat out of the closet and dusting it off…what options are out there, assuming that the politicians will be politicians?

I’ll start with some reality checks…

First, it is important to remember that the recommendations are just that - recommendations. The coalition government can ignore them.

Second, even if the government succumbs to pressure and goes the tribunal way, there is no immediate indictment of the named individuals as the trusty-always-there-to-help-clean-up-government-shit A-G Amos Wako reminds us. Beyond that expect lots of razzle dazzle distractions, court cases challenging the constitutionality of any such tribunal, and a process that would be like the Goldenberg Commission on steroids with the requisite hook-ups for lawyers.

Third, everyone assumes that the ICC will be an automatic storo if the local tribunal fails to take off. I think the prosecutor is unlikely to pick up the case mainly for political reasons than anything else. Notice how EVERYONE is insisting that any follow-up be local, the government and those who fear indictment are already building a PR case around no outside interference etc. Expect the clarion of voices challenging any ICC process to build up among the trusty impotent AU and others, and unlike the mediation process where the EU, UK, US were worried enough about the spillover effects of the violence in the region to dip their hands into our mess…Kofi Anaan will be a lonely figure this time around. Given the heat the ICC has been catching about the Bashir indictment and the fact that all their indictments so far have been of African leaders, they might not want to touch Kenya any time soon even with a strong case.

Next post…what options are swirling in my mind.

Ken Banks, who I’ve become even better friends with since we roomed together for the PopTech Fellows program, spoke today about FrontlineSMS. With his British accent, talk of Daleks from Dr. Who, and witty comments he won over the room.

Two of my favorite speakers were in the first session of the day, Clay Shirky (Here Comes Everybody) and Chris Anderson (The Long Tail). Just read their books, it’s probably the best advice I can give you.

From the PopTech Blog:

“In Zulu, the word masiluleke means “lend a helping hand” and “give wise counsel” - a concept at the heart of a new project announced this morning at Pop!Tech. Project Masiluleke, which spun out of a talk by HIV campaigner Zinny Thabethe at Pop!Tech 2006, is attempting to wrestle back some initiative in the HIV-Aids crisis in Africa.”

When the team who worked on this went through the numbers, the impact and the process created to attack the issue of HIV in South Africa, it was incredibly emotional. Robert Fabricant of Frog Design worked on this, and I’ve learned first-hand how this man can laser in on strategic design challenges - and they did the same for this project.

Really, this was an all-star team, Gustav Praekelt - one of the most knowledgeable mobile phone specialists in Africa - is helping to run the program. It’s done using the 120 character free space in “Please Call Me” SMS system that’s used in South Africa. They tack on messages to get people to come to get HIV treatment in private, so that they don’t have to worry about what stigma attached to that treatment.

A Happy Life is:

Pleasant emotions (Think about that great feeling you have after great food, an awesome movies, theme parks and sex)

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A life filled with moments of flow ( When you engage fully in what you are good at. Time and space stand still as you are one with what you are putting out into the world. Check out this interview where its briefly discussed)

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A meaningful life (taking your unique gifts and applying them towards the achievement of something greater than yourself

A Very Important Idea to Remember

I have a running hypothesis in my head that as human beings we are naturally wired to hold on to, experience and be guided by what makes us feel pain as opposed to what makes us feel pleasure.

What I mean by this is that, we appear to more naturally remember, want to converse about, and have our actions guided by the one time an employee screwed us over as opposed to the Saturday we went out and watched a great movie.

I have a Discovery Channel derived idea on why that is but that isn’t the point of today’s discussion.

Here’s The Thing

The skills that are neccesary to eliminate negativity and negative emotions ARE NOT the same skills that make us happy.

Let me say that one more time:

The skills that we use to make us stop feeling like crap ARE NOT the same ones that will make us feel happy to be alive.

So, if you are buying into the belief that:

I will be happy when I get rid of this person/this job/retire/this weight etc etc etc you might be right, but chances are, science and literature have repeatedly shown, you are probably holding on to a fool’s gold.

Ladies and Gentlemen

In case you did not watch the video please set aside just a little bit of time today and learn how to be happy for the rest of your life:

Have a day just brimming with positive emotions where you love what you do so much that the time-space continuum does not exist and you truly are bigger than your body,

Mwangi

Indeed, just a few years ago, it would have been difficult to imagine this sort of interest, and even harder to imagine that the New York Times would countenance the sorts of politics espoused in Michael Pollan’s Farmer in Chief essay, or David Reiff’s subtle dissection of the Gates Foundation’s African Adventures.

Want more?