eGovernment, Uswahili and Manly Bosoms.

So Aida says to me: "... In a way the level of accountability in this country will only improve when we as citizen wake up to our responsibilities in this matter." I can't come up with a better way of summarizing the crucial point, whether talking about Presidential powers or donor 'responsibility' or even the selection of a candidate to back during elections. A citizenry that is awake is more likely to give rise to a robust indigenous civil society, and all the good that comes with that.

The TEDxDAR link is up, also found and put up some other interesting links. Want to know what CUF's official position is? Want to know whose hands Jay Kay has been shaking this week? Click on over. Corporate political blogs are an exciting thing, I think, and although there are only two so far you can bet I will be on the lookout for some more. And, for the terminally obsessive who might just read a Hansard if it came their way, I have included the Bunge site. In the interest of balance, if there is anyone who should be represented be sure to let me know the URL in the comments section.

On a different tack- the term 'Uswahili.' Pejorative? Reclaimed? Racial slur? Class issue? No big deal? Its a loaded word, to be sure. Recently in a meeting that brought together Tanzanians of different walks of life, I noticed that users of the term were corrected more than once and encouraged to say either 'Uswazi' in reference to informal urban housing areas, and 'wananchi' instead of 'Waswahili.' Jenny B Colls has a whole blog dedicated to the issue...

And for those who enjoy the occasional bodice ripper- Dear Author and SBTB, where books with heaving manly bosoms on the cover are critically examined by readers who love them.