Paradoxical Commandments

(Because the original page is no longer available online: http://prayerfoundation.org/mother_teresa_do_it_anyway.htm)

 The verses below reportedly were written on the wall of Mother Teresa's home for children in Calcutta, India, and are widely attributed to her. 

Some sources say that the words below were written on the wall in Mother Teresa's own room.  In any case, their association with Mother Teresa and the Missionaries of Charity has made them popular worldwide, expressing as they do, the spirit in which they lived their lives. 

They seem to be based on a composition originally by Kent Keith, but much of the second half has been re-written in a more spiritual way.  Both versions are shown below.

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1. The version found written on the wall in Mother Teresa's home for children in Calcutta:

              People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered.  Forgive them anyway.

            If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives.  Be kind anyway.

            If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies.  Succeed anyway.

           If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you.  Be honest and sincere anyway.

            What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight.  Create anyway.

            If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous.  Be happy anyway.

            The good you do today, will often be forgotten.  Do good anyway.

         Give the best you have, and it will never be enough.  Give your best anyway.

         In the final analysis, it is between you and God.  It was never between you and them anyway.

-this version is credited to Mother Teresa

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2. The Original Version:

The Paradoxical Commandments

by Dr. Kent M. Keith

1. People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered.
   Love them anyway.
2. If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.
   Do good anyway.
3. If you are successful, you win false friends and true enemies.
   Succeed anyway.
4. The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.
   Do good anyway.
5. Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.
   Be honest and frank anyway.
6. The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds.
   Think big anyway.
7. People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs.
   Fight for a few underdogs anyway.
8. What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.
   Build anyway.
9. People really need help but may attack you if you do help them.
   Help people anyway.
10. Give the world the best you have and you'll get kicked in the teeth.
    Give the world the best you have anyway.

© 1968, 2001 Kent M. Keith

"The Paradoxical Commandments" were written by Kent M. Keith in 1968 as part of a booklet for student leaders.

Citizens Data used in government registers need better protection

I need your help.

I have entered the Web Summit People's Stage and need your vote. Please follow the link and press like if you support my entry.

My topic is:

"Most African countries (e.g. Namibia) are creating central registers for voters rolls, home affairs data, etc. using biometric collection methods. Yet many do not have Data Protection or Electronic Transaction laws or even basic Consumer Rights legislation. How must Governments create mechanism that protect basic personal data rights while still using technology to ensure improved service delivery of government services? Governments and civil society have to work out methodologies that protect not only the data or the possible theft of data, but also the methods of seeking citizens permission of the way their data is used"

Link: http://www.websummit.net/competitions/peoples-stage/entries.html#3-526

Rights of Passengers Using Road Transport in Namibia

The Namibia Consumer Protection Group (NCPG) has taken note of the continued loss of lives on our roads and wishes to propose a Passenger Charter for Road Transport in Namibia. The following core rights must be applicable to all regular services, irrespective of the distance of the service provided:
• non-discriminatory transport conditions,
• access to transport for disabled persons and persons with reduced mobility at no  additional cost and the financial compensation for the loss or damage of their mobility equipment,
• minimum rules on travel information for all passengers before and during their  journey as well as general information about their rights; and
• a complaint handling mechanism by carriers available to all passengers.


If the distance travelled is 250 km or more (long-distance services) we propose:
• passengers be given a ticket (printed or cellphone message) proving their entitlement to transport,
• compensation and assistance in case of death, injury, loss or damage caused by accidents,
• information when the service is cancelled or delayed in departure,
• right of reimbursement of the full ticket price or rerouting in case of cancellation or long delay,
• adequate assistance in case of cancelation or long delay (only applicable when the scheduled duration of the journey is more than 3 hours),
• compensation up to 50 % of the ticket price if the service provider fails to offer the passenger the choice between reimbursement of the ticket price or rerouting in case of cancellation or long delay; and
• specific assistance at no additional cost for disabled persons and persons with reduced mobility both at bus terminals and on board.

The Ministry of Works and Transport has created specific legislation and regulations to govern the usage of roads through licencing fees, etc., but very little has been done to enure the rights of cosnumers of public transport are respected.

We would like to encourage all stakeholders, including the Ministry, Namibia Bus and Taxi Association, Media and consumer bodies to correct this lack of consumer protection for users of public road services.

11 June 2013
Milton Louw
Volunteer Director

Namibia should speak for its brothers in Zimbabwe

"Without moral and intellectual independence, there is no anchor for national independence." - David Ben-Gurion

Namibia has a duty to speak out against all acts that deprive any individual of their fundamental human rights. The first line of the preamble to our Constitution states “Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is indispensable for freedom, justice and peace;”

It is therefore the duty of each Namibian citizen, and all our political leaders to show moral leadership in our undertakings with all countries of the world.

http://www.creativereview.co.uk/cr-blog/2011/march/the-zimbabwean-the-voiceless-campaign

A new advertising campaign for The Zimbabwean highlights the newspaper's role in giving a voice to the people of Zimbabwe. The posters feature images taken by photojournalists who have worked in the country over the last two years, and direct viewers to the newspaper's website, where the photographers describe the circumstances in which the shots were taken.

Namibia has lost its godliness.

The discussion about bible studies at school is a reaction to our realising that we have lost our moral compass as a nation. Because we remember the days of pre-independence as being without this type of lawlessness, it is easiest to point to a single change, such as the removal of bible studies from schools, and say we should reinstate this and then things will become better.

Unfortunately this is too easy an argument and might even detract us too long while these things continue to occur in our communities.

We need to tackle the root of the problem directly; There is a lack of godliness in our culture since we embraced our Independence. By this I refer to the feeling that as individuals we are aware that our deeds on earth will be judged when we pass from this earth. This feeling is the one that makes you look around when you are about to do something wrong. That feeling that makes you come to the defence of those more vulnerable in our community, that feeling that makes us give of our time, money and even possessions to make life a little easier for those around us.

This feeling of fraternity, or brotherhood, is not natural to being human. At birth we are naturally self-centred and believe ourselves to be the centre of the universe and that everyone around us is there to serve our needs. As we grow our parents and community teach us that we are part of the human race, and need to invest into our relationships with those around us to also receive something in return. This education is part of growing up and provided by our parents. It starts with our Mothers’ teaching us to no longer drink from her breasts but to eat on our own and eventually be able to earn our own living to enable us to purchase our own food.

In the same way, our parents have to teach us that we are not the centre of the universe in terms of possessions or earthly goods but rather that “we should love others as we love ourselves”.
This is what gives us human beings our godliness: Our ability to understand that we must respect and cherish all that is around us on earth. This includes our partners, our children, our institutions and even our natural world. If we can teach this awareness of godliness from birth we will soon have s society that we can all be proud of.

Godliness is thus not about a specific religion, or book, but the universal teaching of us treating each other as the gods we all are.

A sense of godliness in each of us will see less need of laws stopping the

• abuse by companies of consumers,
• abuse by men of women in relationships,
• abuse by those in power of the trust of those who put them there, and
• abuse of the very earth and its natural surroundings that is the Land of the Brave.

It might be better to have a class at schools teaching future parents their responsibilities towards the education of their children?