The New Year!

As always we start of this year, by wishing all our friends and family a happy new year filled with prosperity. I for one wish everyone a fulfilling and fantastic, 2008. Oh and just so by the way it is a leap year and leap years are apparently notorious for Bad luck, I wonder who came up with that piece of junk. 

 I am not sure if I am being selfish but 2008 will be a ME year, we have so many things, people that need more of our attention and resources. Most of the time these people that you forever have to assist are not invalids, but are people that really could stand up for themselves.

I want an issueless year, concentrating my energies on self development, leisure and of course because I am that kind of person, fun. I believe that whatever drives you as a person should be where  you invest your energy. 

For the new year I say that it is very important to stay true to yourself and Please forget all the problems of 2007, especially people that you feel, you have not benefitted anything from and caused you more grief then anything else.

 To all those great friends and family of 2007, I cherish your friendship and hope this will be a fantastic 2008 where we can learn, love and be there for each other!!! 

The Namibia Bankers Union (NBU)

The NBU EXCO

Back row from left to right: Fritz Horaeb(National Organizer), Richie Stephen Vries (Executive-Vice President), Joram Kohona(Treasurer). Front row from left to right: Daisy Mashego(President), Getrud Shilongo(1st additional member), Barry van der Waldt( 2nd additional member) his photo is not available

Namibian Bankers Union(NBU)

The Namibian Bankers Union (NBU) had it’s congress in November at the Greiters conference centre to elect it’s new executive leadership. The insert above gives the description of the leaders and their respective positions.

The newly elected leadership of the NBU promised to fight for workers interest in terms of negotiating for market related wages, fairness in hearings, a good working environment and for consultation with the union in regard to policy implementation mainly at First National Bank (FNB).

The NBU after the foundation has been laid would like to expand other Banks. For now however we are going to concentrate on our duties in the FNB group and work toward making it a progressive force to be reckoned with. We hope to sign the recognition agreement when we have finalized the number of members, but getting that would not be a hurdle.

The EXCO organized a retreat for the 5th January 2008, to carve out a plan of action for 2008. I will post more information after the retreat!

I am very excited because it is my first major achievement and it is a platform for wonderful things to come in terms of my career and ultimately experience I gain in the corporate world. 

We need a “Zuma”ologist!!!

Call me ignorant but really now, what happened at the ANC congress!. They elected a man who has been accused of rape,acquitted though, admitted to having unprotected sex with a relative who is HIV positive. not only that his financial adviser is in prison for corruption! I think South Africa needs a Zumaologist!

This event can be compared to the same day, that bag of male testosterone called Richard won the U$ 100 000.00. for the big brother Africa show. For me it was the most disappointing day of my life, I do not care what those die heart freaks of Richard who actually made him win think. This also goes for the election of Zuma as president, people now really what are we thinking. You have an adulterer winning money, and you have a blatantly irresponsible man the president of one of the most famous party in the world. I think that is absurdity! Seems to me like the popularity of these man are based on all the wrong reason!

Back Home: Namibia

The weekend of the 5th, the same weekend I was in Stockholm, we had an extra ordinary congress of the Congress of Democrats (COD). The official opposition party in Namibia (view link). This congress I could not attend but as it is now, although there are differences in the party, everything that occurred will be solved amicably, this is specifically to have a truly democratic and progressive party in our country. This is not just for Namibia, but for Africa as a whole and those fellow socialist and comrades who assisted us all the years of the existence of the (COD).

I will have a weekly update on that story and update on my opinion of how progressive organizations should function.

I salute you

Stockholm

As I said before that my first weekend was spend in Stockholm, the capital city of Sweden, I was attending a course on sustainable development. This is where I got to now the functions of the organization and specifically how campaigns are filtered to the district level.  I met a lot of youngsters at the course, which will be future leaders of the SD  and the SSU.

I received an invitation from the international Ombudsman of the SSU head office to visit a workshop that was presented by the Olof Palme centre. I went to this workshop and met politicians and the staff at the Palme Center. I briefly introduced myself and told the delegates about my stay so far in Sweden. I realised at that moment that it would be expected of me to speak and I should not be reserved. This meant speaking in-front of large groups and politicians of stature in Sweden.

The session I attended was the session on the Social Democrats (SD) cooperation with the socialist parties in Eastern Europe and state of the cooperation and of course the shortcomings of these parties. This workshop was presented by Oscar Stenstrom, the International relations adviser of Mona Sahlin the president of the (SD). I could not stay there long and had to leave.

I would just like to thank Faraj and Ule for making my brief stay at that workshop very rewarding and eye opening. 

Sadly I had to return to the workshop on sustainable development, because that same night I had delegates over for a talk on Africa, this discussion went for about three hours, before the facilitators had to intervene. I hope with that presenation , I awakened an interest for Africa and my mother land Namibia in specific.

 Sunday we left back for our homes, I should mention that the trains are therapeutic and I had a comfortable ride back home, to Goteborg I mean, from Stockholm. If I return to Sweden I hope I will get more time to actually see more of Stockholm.

Cheers

My good friend Amir is guest blogging

Just came home after a long walk with Stephen in my old hometown Värnamo. We where at the yearly carnival where Anna Bok was the “carnival queen” so to say. I would rather call her something else, but I wont mention that word hear in this blog. We have spent a couple of days at my parents place since I’m off work and just resting after a hectic weekend with the Africa Conference. Tomorrow we are going back to lovelyy Gothenburg and lets hope no more birds will leave their mark on my friends head.

 Peace and understanding

The Arrival and the stay.

I am Richie Stephen Vries, born on the 24th day of May, in a town called Windhoek, Namibia, which is roughly explained as South West Africa, the former name of this vast country with 1.8million people and roughly three times the size of Sweden. (logto: www.namibian.com for more information). I am the second youngest of four children to my mom. Enough of me lets get blogging about my stay in Sweden  

I officially arrived in this Scandinavian country called Sweden on the 30th May 2007. I am still here.

For me, when I hear Sweden it is synonymous with a great system and great splendorous lakes and of course Volvo and SAAB. Let us not forget the great people and the successful integration.

 I was picked up by friends of mine at the Airport and I noticed that there were no law enforcement agents who “harass” , if I can call it that, when we arrive at the airport, probably because I landed at the Goteborg Airport. From there everything has been a breeze until now, where I have seen a lot to take back home. This is specifically how to make our organization the Young Democrats (YD) more progressive in Namibia. ( Read more about the YD in the article below)

I arrived in Sweden just at the right time to witness the Kings birthday celebrations happening apparently all over Sweden, we just had a get together with the SSU members in Goteborg and I got to know the first taste of Sweden and then of course the lovely people of this country. I think that a lot of you are thinking that I am sucking up but on the contrary, I have experienced and I am very glad, the politeness of Swedes in general. First impressions of course last.  I am living in the greatest and lively cities in Sweden but have not seen the night life, my host says that I did not come for that, but as a grateful and humble Namibian that I am, I graciously excepted that fact, but that will not stop me from saving up for a trip to Sweden just to experience a bit of the nightlife, if and when I return.

Goteborg, a pleasant and a cosmopolitan town , the old mixed with the new, the squares which make for a very laid back and picturesque atmosphere, a true reflection of the way in which Europeans relax.

The second day of my stay in Sweden I went to the 1st of May demonstration, where around 6500 people gathered at the Götaplatsen to listen to speeches delivered by the SSU President of the Goteborg District and the charismatic and oh so popular former Foreign Minister Jan Eliason. I enjoyed the demonstration speeches, except the bird, out of 6500 people decided to conveniently shit on my head. Very controversial, because some people might say it is the most disgusting thing and as an African I believe it is a sign of leadership and a blessing from heaven. See it the way you guys want to, I believe it is a sign.

 The first weekend in Sweden was spend in Stockholm at a confernce center. The conference was about sustainable development, this is where I met an old friend of mine calles Rasmus Lenefors. He was in Namibia