I spent the better part of the day at the French high school in Morningside, Johannesburg today, having a great time. I was a teacher of French for eight years in Zimbabwe, before joining the private sector. I was invited, as a result of my private sector and teaching experience to help evaluate the presentations by 14 year old learners who had just spent 4 days in a work environment shadowing an employee or job title of their choice.

Nope, it is not a typo, I did write 14 year old and they did spend 4 days observing General Managers, Chefs, Marketing Coordinators, Sports coaches and Vets. Firstly, I was delighted to be back in the field of my first love (in terms of work) and secondly, how refreshing to see 14 year old children presenting living documents via power point on a smart board and in detailed bound dossiers, on real life and giving their own opinions on the job. As I said before, I have been a teacher before and I have traveled with school children to France and Reunion Island for more than ten years. I have to declare, that the level of analysis, thought and presentation when you compare apples with apples is far greater in pupils in the French system than in the British one, which encourages rote learning and regurgitation of copious amounts of notes and facts.

French learners not only have a wonderful turn of phrase, their approach to life is philosophical and reflective. It would be worth the while of those seeking to reform education systems in Anglophone countries to have a look at the French.

I had a great day today.

I saw joy yesterday. I simultaneously experienced it too as I witnessed it. It was my spontaneous reaction to the spontaneous reaction of a little Ukrainian boy after 35 year old gladiator Andrei Shevchenko scored for his country. The quick action by the camera person delivered a joyous celebration that was at once pure, innocent and beautiful in its expression to millions of homes across the globe. I have a soft spot for Sheva from his days at AC Milan and I felt sorry for him for the way he was treated a few years ago at Chelsea. The fact that he rolled back the years after a difficult season of injuries and naysayers made me happy for him when he scored. Follow that up with the idea that he scored the opening goals for his country in their opening match while they host a soccer tournament whose pre-tournament publicity has been negative and you have the joy of all Ukrainians. It is their veteran star and Captain who scored and created hope for progress to the next round, especially after group favourites England and France drew in their match in the process dropping points. It does not mean they will win the tournament but no one can deny them their joy.

What are your simple joyful moments during your day? When I drive on the highway with Ali Farka Toure strumming his guitar over the speakers that, for example, is joy. Below is a great example of joy that I have ever found. It is from the Honey Sutras by Ingrid Goff-Maidoff:

"When I add a spoon of honey to my tea, I give thanks to a dozen bees for the work of their whole lives. When my finger sweeps the final drop of sweetness from the jar, I know we've enjoyed the nectar from over a million flowers. This is what honey is: the souls of flowers, a food to please the Gods. Honey eaters know that to have a joyful heart, one must live like the bees, sipping sweet nectar from each moment as it bloooms. And life, like the world of honey, has its enchantments and stings."

Yesterday, I saw and experienced joy!

Still trying to change the world, one person at a time, as I go on about citizenship.

http://www.newsday.co.zw/article/2012-06-06-innerzela-pawns-and-power/

Its been a hectic week with Syria, marches about paintings and Liverpool's search for a new Manager. The Syrian situation is grabbing all the headlines for obvious reasons and in the midst of this other injustices do not get the headlines they deserve. One of them is the treatment of African refugees in Israel where a significant section of the Tel Aviv population went on the rampage attacking the refugees and wanting them out of the country. A politician went as far as describing them as a cancer!

What I want to focus on, though, is the plight of a lone Sudanese woman who has been accused of adultery. You know what is coming. Intisar Sharif Abdalla who, according to media reports is between the ages of 15 and 17 is accused of having a sexual relationship outside of wedlock and falling pregnant by a man who is not her husband. The man has not been accused of anything, of course. A Judge, Sami Ibrahim Shabo, sentenced her to death by stoning on 13 May after one hearing and following hours of brutal torture by her own brother who instigated the case according to The Observer, a Ugandan online publication. She is apparently currently shackled in a prison in Sudan.

This is one for all of us to tackle. If you are in the media, use your column or tv programme to be heard on this matter, if a member of Amnesty International, you know what to do. The people I am appealing to the most, though, are the ordinary man and woman in the street who have a member of parliament they can write to and hassle so that (s)he can raise the issue in their parliament and ask the government of the day to raise their voice in protest all the way to Addis Ababa at the AU headquarters and Khartoum the seat of the Sudanese Government. Africa, and the rest of the world must stand up as one not just to condemn this injustice but also to stop the sentence from being carried out. This is the power of one. You can all play your role in this matter and help save one more human being from injustice at the hands of fellow man.