Education: Olympics - The Marathon Story.

The Battle that Changed Human History

Setting the Stage The first two decades of the fifth century B.C. marked one of the great turning points in world history. These were the years of the Persian and Greek wars. The powerful Persian Empire in 546 B.C. extended from Asia to Eygpt to what is now Turkey. This great empire built the first Suez Canal which linked the Mediterranean Sea with the Red Sea.

Greece on the other hand, consisted of a scattering of independent city-states, called poleis. These early city-states spawned the democratic ideas that have persisted into modern times. Athens eventually became the largest and most prosperous polis. Another Greek polis, Sparta, was not so democratic. They kept their kings and maintained a conservative, regimented society built around military training and the art of war.

 

The Persian/Greek War The Persian Empire over the years expanded to the Mediterrean Sea. In the process some Greek settlements were conquered. Ionia was one such settlement. After many years, they tried to revolt against the Persians but the uprising was immediately squashed by the powerful Persian Army. By the year 490 B.C., the Persian Army was ready to expand their territory and move into Europe. They landed a large force just outside of Athens on the plains of Marathon and prepared for attack.

 

The Role of Phidippides The Athens, vastly outnumbered, desperately needed the help of Sparta's military base to help fend off the attack. Time was short, so the Athenian generals send Phidippides (or Philippides) a professional runner to Sparta to ask for help. The 140 mile course was very mountainous and rugged. Phidippides ran the course in about 36 hours. Sparta agreed to help but said they would not take the field until the moon was full due to religious laws. This would leave the Athenians alone to fight the Persian Army. Phidippides ran back to Athens (another 140 miles!) with the disappointing news. Immediately, the small Athenian Army (including Phidippedes) marched to the plains of Marathon to prepare for battle.

 

The Battle of Marathon The Athenian Army was outnumbered 4 to 1 but they launched a suprise offensive thrust which at the time appeared suicidal. But by day's end, 6400 Persian bodies lay dead on the field while only 192 Athenians had been killed. The surviving Persians fled to sea and headed south to Athens where they hoped to attack the city before the Greek Army could re-assemble there.

Phidippides was again called upon to run to Athens (26 miles away) to carry the news of the victory and the warning about the approaching Persian ships. Despite his fatigue after his recent run to Sparta and back and having fought all morning in heavy armor, Phidippides rose to the challenge. Pushing himself past normal limits of human endurance, the reached Athens in perhaps 3 hours, deliverd his message and then died shortly thereafter from exhaustion.

Sparta and the other Greek polies eventually came to the aid of Athens and eventually they were able to turn back the Persian attempt to conquer Greece.

 

Concluding Remarks and Beginning of Olympic Marathon Races The Greek victory marked one of the decisive events of world history because it kept an Eastern power (the persians) from conquering what is now Europe. The victory gave the Greeks incredible confidence in themselves, their government and their culture.

In the two centuries that followed, the Greek culture spread across much of the known world. It made Europe possible and in affect won for civilization the opportunity to develop its own ecomomic life. Modern European-based nations such as the United States and Canada can trace their growth straight back through an unbroken chain of Western historical events back to the Victory at Marathon.Centuries later, the modern Olympic Games introduced a "marathon" race of (40,000 meters or 24.85 miles).  The winner was Spiridon Louis, a Greek postal worker from village of Marusi and veteran of several long military marches , His time was 2 hours, 58 minutes, 50 seconds for the 40 kilometer distance (average pace of  7:11 minutes per mile).
At the 1908 Olympic Games in London, the marathon distance was changed to 26 miles to cover the ground from Windsor Castleto White City stadium, with 385 yards added on so the race could finish in front of King Edward VII's royal box. After 16 years of extremely heated discussion, this 26.2 mile distance was established at the 1924 Olympics in Paris as the official marathon distance.

 http://www.lakepowell.net/marathon.html

Advices: THE PHILOSOPHY IS:

THE PHILOSOPHY IS:

Nakedness is an intention for the populace to glut upon and regard not as worthy.
but
Been clothed is a mental assignment to pursue and imagine what lays behind.

***lgk***

My Poems: Maim Me not

Maim Me Not

Its not love
Yes love it is
Not
When you maim me, into pieces
With my piece of heart, torn and shredded
Been a sullen one needy of thee

I claimed it's love
And you claimed it's an experiment?
Where thou our aim...
Our thesis to arrive, upon these injurious travails
Loving you so dearly to see the end
As you wallow in the milky way, you create

Mamacitta,
Lovingnetta
See through the dark
Maim me not and love me not
When your heart speaks no word of mercy
To me a soul hungry for your caress.....

I shall be glad, to row home alone
Upon the silence paths to far far a land
Not to suffer a wrong fate
As a rippen fruit fallen from the adored oak
Thee my heart yet a bait
Ready to trap and encircle me

maim me not, maim me not.

(c) Lamptey Godson K. 2012

Culture: Anlos - Our Dances and meaning

 

Atrikpui

War Dance Drama Music of the Southeastern Ewe of Ghana Dzodze Apetepe Atrikpui Ensemble.
Atrikpui, one of the oldest traditional music and dance of the Anlo- Ewe of Ghana was originally a war music and dance ceremony performed before and after battles to prepare for impending battle and also to celebrate victory or defeat. This music was transformed and renamed Agbomasikui and later Agbadza. The original form is still performed on special occasions such as the funeral of a chief or an elderly person.

The Military Culture

The military culture embodies various institutions and skills devoted to the security of the traditional state, its people and values. In the military culture, the dance-drumming repertoire, among other things, assumes the responsibility for the emotional and spiritual preparedness of the population for battle. For example, among the Anlo-Ewe people of southeastern Ghana, the repertoire of Atrikpui dance-drumming is replete with centuries of valued Anlo-Ewe war-fighting tactics and military codes of honor. Through the text, texture and choreography of Atrikpui, the military valor and skill (prowess) of ancestral heroes are invoked in exhorting their descendants to emulate. 

Another ancestral Anlo-Ewe dance-drumming repertoire of the military culture is Atamga, "The Great Oath." Atamga derived its name from the highest oath of loyalty and patriotism among the Anlo-Ewe. Its text, choreography and texture drew directly from valued Anlo-Ewe war-fighting tactics, memorable military operations and the prowess of traditional heroes in dramatic and inspirational dance-drumming episodes.

Atamga's institutional responsibilities included, the military preparedness of warriors for battle and debriefing warriors for a smooth transition into normal life after battle. During the last three centuries, the Anlo-Ewe traditional state evolved gradually into a peaceful coexistence with their neighbors and the institutional functions of Atamga also was modified. The name was changed to Agbeko which means "lives are safe" and was dedicated to the pursuit of peace through a spirited remembrance of the horrors of warfare.

http://www.azaguno.com/pages/publications.html

http://home.comcast.net/~dzinyaladzekpo/Kusum/Military%20Culture.htm

News: Nigeria's Naive Murderers.

Bomb blasts and sporadic gunshots were heard in parts of troubled Maiduguri Friday forcing many residents run into their homes for safety.

This left most of the major roads in the town during the peak working hours deserted with people afraid of being caught up in the bomb blasts and gunshots, which no one knew the direction they were coming from.

Confirming the incident, the spokesman of the Joint Task Force, Lt. Col. Sagir Musa in a press statement said: “A JTF patrol vehicle was attacked at about 1300 hrs Friday in Shehuri general area by suspected Boko Haram terrorists and the attack was resisted.”

He added: “The incident led to the killing of two Boko Haram terrorists, two JTF personnel were wounded and are stable and are responding to treatment at UMTH.

“Twenty-five suspects have so far been arrested in connection with the episode.”

Speaking further he said: “Similarly, an improvised explosive device was detected by our troops and defused by the bomb disposal unit of the task force.”He said this incident “occurred at Bulumkutu area of Maiduguri metropolis. Friday at about 1130 hrs.”

Musa stated that “Following intelligence report, a special operation was conducted on Thursday, July 26, and early hours of Friday, 27 July, 2012 in Maiduguri.

“The operation led to the arrest of 26 suspected terrorists believed to be members of the terrorists group at Biafra Bula-Bulin, Kasuwan Shanu and GRA in Maiduguri metropolis.”

Musa said that the suspects were believed to be the brains behind the killing of two Indians on Wednesday in Maiduguri.

“Some of the suspects were responsible for the killings of two Indians, a cleric and several others in Maiduguri in the recent past.’’

Two AK 47 Rifles, three magazines, 200 rounds of 7.62 mm Special ammunition were also recovered during the raid.

“We also recovered a primed Improvised Explosive Device, which was detonated by the Bomb Disposal Unit of the JTF as well as cutlasses, daggers and charms.

“There was also a blood stained cloth used during the killing of a cleric in Kasuwan Shanu, Maiduguri.” Said Musa.

Education: Patriotism and effects on nation building

Patriotism and Nationalism in Africa - African Nationalism After World War II

The next significant event in the development of African nationalism was World War II. Nearly two million Africans were recruited as soldiers, porters, and scouts for the Allies during the war. When these soldiers returned home, they returned to colonial states that still considered them inferior. Many veterans had expected that their dedication to colonial governments would be recognized and they would be rewarded accordingly. This was not to be, and these soldiers returned home to conditions worsened by a weak global economy. Because they had fought to protect the interests of the colonial powers only to return to the exploitation and indignities of colonial rule, these men became bitter and discontented.

In 1945, the Pan-African Manchester Congress in England marked a turning point because it attempted to address the needs of all blacks. Pan-Africanism began to stress common experiences of blackness and sought the liberation of all black people around the world. African leaders became more influential in the movement as they used it to attack colonial rule, and the movement would become more African-based after 1945.

Pan-Africanism proved very popular among nationalist African leaders because it offered a way for them to overcome both regionalism and ethnic divides by stressing commonalities and a common oppression. By the 1950s, Pan-Africanism had profoundly influenced almost every African nationalist leader: Kwame Nkrumah, Kenyatta, Nyerere, Kenneth Kaunda (1964–1991; Zambia), Haile Selassie (1892–1975; Ethiopia), Albert Luthuli (c. 1898–1967; South Africa), and Nnamdi Azikiwe (1904–1996; Nigeria), all were deeply affected by the movement.

Kwame Nkrumah is regarded as the father of "Africanized" Pan-Africanism. Nkrumah detested colonial rule. Schooled in the United States, he was deeply influenced by the African American civil rights struggle, and began to emphasize the similarities between those struggles and those of African peoples. He argued that African workers and peasants needed to reclaim their independence, and advocated the use of force if necessary. For this to happen, Africans had to shed their strong ethnic or religious identities and see themselves simply as black or African rather than Yoruba or Fante. Nkrumah's intense disdain for colonial rule, zealous enthusiasm for independence, and the ideal of a United States of Africa made him popular among Africans throughout the continent. Nkrumah argued that they could not look to any outside power for support, and believed that foreign economic and political forces eroded African values. He also disagreed with the idea of returning to "African tradition." Instead, he argued that a new African identity must be created out of Islam, Christian, and traditional cultures.

Nnamdi Azikiwe was a prominent Pan-Africanist and an important thinker. Unlike most Pan-Africanists, Azikiwe rejected various aspects of Africa's past such as chieftaincy and informal education. He also rejected Nkrumah's united Africa, and advocated the use of colonial boundaries to define nations. For him, a united Africa meant cooperation, but not an actual unification of the continent. As Nigeria achieved independence and rapidly moved toward regionalism, Azikiwe abandoned his Pan-Africanist ideals for regional politics.

Pan-Africanism reinforced notions of black pride, and African history was used to foster a national identity. Many nationalist leaders stressed past empires (for example, the Mali and Asante), achievements (such as those of great Zimbabwe and ancient Egypt), and leaders (Shaka Zulu [c. 1787–1828] and Emperor Menelik of Ethiopia [1844–1913] among them) as a means to instill pride among African peoples. By stressing the continent's successes throughout its history, African leaders sought to convince their followers of their own worth and that Europeans were not superior to them. Again, the aim was to restore pride in Africa and create a sense of unity that nations could use to foster nationalism.

African women were major contributors to resistance to colonial rule and the promotion of nationalism. Many argue that women fared the worst under colonial rule. Governments such as those in Rhodesia, Kenya, and South Africa sought to restrict women's movement and even banned them from urban areas. In rural areas, they were often expected to maintain food production and raise children while their husbands rotted in jails, migrated to other areas in search of wage labor, or fought in wars (both in World War II and various liberation struggles). These women did not idly sit back and allow colonial governments to impinge on their rights, and, in response to their harsh situation under colonial rule, they organized protests, boycotts, workers' strikes, and demonstrations. In Kenya, Zimbabwe, Algeria, and other areas that attempted armed struggle, women as well as men carried messages, spied, and prepared meals. Overall, their impact on the anticolonial and nationalist movements throughout Africa was profound.

While Africans were widely successful in fostering nationalism in order to overthrow colonial oppressors, maintaining this unity after independence proved far more difficult. African nationalism was overtly anticolonial. For these nationalist movements, energy was concentrated on gaining freedom rather than planning how to run a country once freedom was achieved. Overthrowing colonial regimes was quite difficult, so these leaders could not afford to spend manpower, funds, and effort planning how to govern their new nations if they were successful.


Source:http://science.jrank.org/pages/10398/Nationalism-in-Africa-African-Nationalism-after-World-War-II.html

MY POEMS

TRACES...

A faint footstep left behind since my birth
And a thousand years later, I found so clear
A burning vision from the flames of wailing hearts
A drum-beat, a bull-horn sound, a clap
A music of realities dorn, this hour...

... somewhere this day...
I live to see it clear, my footsteps; so clear
From within the mirages I foresee a future
So my hearts' wish now is the sun's dawn
So I sing the lost rythm "Hail Thee Son's Afrikana"

At long last! oh what a day....
For the sun's blesses upon my heard
Times' testimony to my thirsts
For what we lost long ago, wailing as losts......
Traces of our footsteps yonder the dark clouds

Today is a merry day
For traces recoverred
For ideas emanciped
For the shackles clang of freedom
Worthy for none than the stocks* liberated now.

Human conciousness, human liberation
Spiritual Rediscoveries, soul cleansing
Races fostering bonds, lands-boundaries collapses
Hungers eradication, lives elongation
When the accordions laugh, as the twilights blazes.


(c) Lamptey Godson K 2012

Fare Thee Well

Fare Thee Well

Say no more a word
Let the silent rule
Crave for the world in the haze
That is where the next panting emerges
Where thy worth shall be implored

"Ye did a good deed"
..the scrolls open and declared...
The landlord, King adores, they servant
Who just entered from the narrow gate, this noon
Atta, Atta, egya Atta Mills..

Yeoman* truely, thy blood plays
A whole country upon your shoulders, for a quarts period
Oh great Atlas* of my black soil
Hail thee, Hail thee, Hallowed thy name
Black world fare thee well..

I cry, oh mother! our lost so great
A gangartuan loss
A real great demise.
Fare thee
Fare thee! I cry..Atta Mills.

(c) Lamptey Godson K. 2012

Faith! What its worth.

A blind boy sat on the steps of a building with a hat by his feet. He held up a sign which said: "I am blind, please help." There were only a few coins in the hat. A man was walking by. He took a few coins from his pocket and dropped them into the hat. He then took the sign, turned it around, and wrote some words. He put the sign back so that everyone who walked by would see the new words. Soon th...e hat began to fill up. A lot more people were giving money to the blind boy. That afternoon the man who had changed the sign came to see how things were. The boy recognized his footsteps and asked, "Were you the one who changed my sign this morning? What did you write?" The man said, "I only wrote the truth. I said what you said but in a different way. "I wrote: 'Today is a beautiful day; but I cannot see it.'"Both signs told people that the boy was blind. But the first sign simply said the boy was blind. The second sign reminded people how fortunate they were to have their sight. Should we be surprised that the second sign was more effective? Moral of the Story: Be thankful for what you have. Be creative. Be innovative. Think differently and positively. When life gives you a 100 reasons to cry, show life that you have 1000 reasons to smile. Face your past without regret. Handle your present with confidence. Prepare for the future without fear. Keep the faith and drop the fear. It's a beautiful thing to see a person smiling. But even more beautiful is knowing that you are the reason for the smile!Faith is not about everything turning out OK. Faith is about being OK no matter how things turn out.