REMINDER: Invitation as a Special Guest

Dear Sir/ma,

REMINDER: Invitation as a Special Guest

The Heal Nigeria Initiative is a non-governmental organisation that is dedicated to creating a better Nigeria by driving collective conscious effort on the part of the generality of Nigerians.  We realize that everyone living in, or associated with Nigeria desires a better Nigeria.  The Heal Nigeria Initiative therefore, was established to help bring about this change.  We do this by shaping public thought towards Nigeria through various means such as digital media; across popular social networking platforms and offline platforms such as peace symposia, workshops and like events.

The organization, which evolved from the popular Interfaith Network Project (INP), has been working to promote peace in Nigeria for more than 15 years. Its Peace Seminars have drawn attendance from notable people in the society including ambassadors, governors and corporate titans. Some notable people that have attended include Ambassador Segun Olusola, former Oyo State governor Dr Omololu Olunloyo, Chief Segun Odegbami, Mrs Sarat Lam-Adeshina, and Professor Sophie Oluwole among others.

This year’s event themed; “Heal Nigeria” is geared towards creating the Nigeria of our dreams collectively with the power of our thoughts.  This unique programme will take place at exactly 11am on the 11^th of November, 2011 (11:11/11/11) at House of Chiefs Secretariat, Ibadan, Oyo State Nigeria.

Sir/Ma, we wish to invite your distinguished self as  Special Guest . We look forward to your presence at this once- in- a century moment to heal and re- define the course of our great country, NIGERIA.

Peace profound

Adeniyi Akinbile

For: Heal Nigeria Initiative

www.heal9ja.org            

“Never doubt that a small group of committed citizens can change the world- indeed, it is the only thing that ever has” Margret Mead

11.11.11.11

The year 2011 is a very historic year. It is in many ways amazing, upturning, chaotic and healing all at the same time.  You don't need a soothsayer to tell you that this year is different in many ways. A closer look at many of the events that have characterized this year so far is enough to show it.

At the very onset, 2011 was heralded by happenings hitherto thought impossible. Revolutions in the least likely region; the middle east and Africa. The wave swept swiftly and firmly across several countries toppling many governments in its wake and ending decades upon decades of sit tight governance.

Natural disasters also took their pride of place. Japan has yet to recover from the devastating earthquake and flood it experienced earlier this year which affected its nuclear reactors and snowballed into a veritable nuclear disaster. The United States too is reeling from its share of hurricanes. Do you also remember the volcanic ash in Iceland that disrupted flight plans across Europe? Even Nigeria is not left out of the flood battle. Indeed, 2011 has been an amazing year so far.

In some schools of ancient wisdom, it is said that 2011 represents the last year within a 12 yearly cycle. It therefore represents the end of an era and also precedes a new one. Like the pain a mother experiences in order to birth a child; these occurrences are said to portray the birthing of a new era in our lives, individually and collectively. This is serious food for thought.

As a country, we believe it is an opportunity to pool our collective energies together to set Nigeria on a new course of prosperity and progress. What's more the year contains certain symbolic dates that we believe can be harnessed for just this purpose.

So at Heal Nigeria, we have set aside the 11th day of November this year to collectively rebuild our nation. The programme is slated for 11am and will have in attendance people from the Baptist Convention, Nasfat, Asabe Yaradua Foundation, Hare Krishna, Eckankar, Traditionalists, everyone who has a stake in this country and would like to see it grow from strength to strength. If you would like to be a part of this programme and we haven't formally invited you yet, please send us your contact details at heal9ja@gmail.com.

However, you can also participate in the programme without actually coming to the venue. All you need to do is set aside a few minutes on that day and do the same thing we will be doing at the venue. You may do this alone or with your friends and family. Simply let us know if you will be participating this way and we will send you copies of the CD "Prayer for Nigeria" which we will be unveiling and airing on radio stations on that day.

Nigeria has got to change for the better. We are happy to let this era end all the things we don't like about Nigeria and will be actively creating the Nigeria of our dreams on 11.11.11.11.

Football & The Nigerian Spirit 2

Nigerians are in  a state right now. And understandably too! The Super Eagles, the nation's national football team just failed to qualify for the African nations cup for the first time in 25 years! People are angry!!

There are so many questions begging to be answered. Like, had Vincent Enyeama, our suspended first choice keeper, manned the goalposts, would the match have gone differently?

Had the coach, Samson Siasia brought in playmaker, Ike Uche much earlier, would we have won?

Had they, could they, would they? The press is going to be agog tomorrow. Blames are going to be traded and scapegoats would very nearly be found. Nigerians don't take kindly to defeat, especially not in football.

But it is striking to note that inspite of the many other issues in the country, not once did arguments about the match degenerate along tribal lines. It never happens with football in Nigeria. It doesn't matter that Ike Uche is  Igbo. Many people, Yoruba and Hausa inclusive, agree that he should have been brought in earlier in the game. Obinna Nsofor's ethnicity was irrelevant when he scored the first goal for the Super Eagles, everyone from every tribe leapt for joy.

There are so many lessons in unity to be learnt from football. It stares us in the face each time we watch a game. It doesn't matter what part of the country anyone is from, we are all one body working towards one ultimate goal. If we approach ourselves from that perspective, we would begin to see less differences and more common grounds. Only then can the process of healing our nation truly begin.

The Joy of Unity

A piece of news came out today in the international media about the racially different twins that were born to the same parents a while back. It's been scientifically confirmed that they have the same genes, even though one is black and the other, white.

This amazing phenomenon caused quite a ripple when the twins were born, and continues to be a point of reflection for sensitive minds. It speaks volumes on nature's disapproval of man's discrimination against man. How much more do we want the universe to speak to us about unity? Two children; borne in the same womb, to the same parents, yet one is black and the other is white.  Nature couldn't have sent a better message of unity.

It is a poignant reference point for us as Nigerians. Regardless of our many tribes and tongues, the whole of nature is one. The sun shines the same on all of us, the rain falls on all of us. The soul is the same, everybody is born the same way. Or have you ever heard that babies conceived in tribe A are carried in the womb for 5 months, as opposed to tribe B who may carry theirs for three months? Definitely not!

Healing Nigeria should not be such a difficult task for all of us. It simply involves going back to the  natural state of unity and brotherhood that we all knew before we started imbibing divisive tendencies learnt from the society around us. However, we forget these divisions during periods such as when we watch a football match. It never matters whether the striker is Hausa or Igbo, everyone rejoices together when he scores. This shows we are capable of loving one another truly only if we try.

It's time to transmute that unity we display in places such as the football pitch to our everyday lives on  permanent basis so that the world around us can be a better place to live in.  Please join us to heal Nigeria!

Bomb Scare at Law School

The call to bar ceremony of the Nigerian Law School is a prestigious occasion for all lawyers aiming to practice as a solicitor and advocate in the Federal Republic of Nigeria. It represents the induction of newly qualified lawyers into the ranks of the learned fellows.

This ceremony has traditionally taken place at the Nigerian Law School situated in Bwari, Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.  But this year, things have taken a slightly different turn. According to Sahara Reporters, the fear of bomb explosion has caused the management of the school to move this year's event, billed for October 5,  to the International Conference Centre, Abuja.

In as much as this move is predicated on the desire to safeguard lives and property, this is a welcome move. However, the question remains, for how long will we continue to run helter skelter? How long will we continue to run from our shadows? The constant threat of bomb blasts in Nigeria needs to be addressed holistically and effectively. Join us at Heal Nigeria Initiative as we proceed to create an enabling environment for peace and love to reign in Nigeria. 

We believe that change starts from the individual. We can change our reality if we are truly determined to do so. We are so determined. Are you? 11.11.11.11 is the perfect opportunity for you to do so. Change is coming to Nigeria. Let's join hands to make it happen!

Nigeria's Support for Palestinian State

It is no longer news that Palestine is seeking formal recognition as a sovereign state.  The leadership of the country have made this much known at the ongoing UN General Assembly Meeting in New York, a forum in which our own president Goodluck Jonathan delivered a speech.

According to the Vanguard Newspaper, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Olugbenga Ashiru reiterated Nigeria's belief that Palestine deserved to operate as a nation state.  Support for Palestine's sovereign aspirations is understandably dicey; seeing as it might set supporting nations on a collision course with Israel and its allies. However, more poignant is the reactions of Nigerians themselves to this perceived support.

While some think its a good idea, some others regards Palestine as a country that allegedly has links to terrorism and as such, should not be supported by Nigeria. Worse still, some see Nigeria's stance as unnecessary when domestic calls for independence by some sections of the country, e.g. Biafra, have yet to be addressed. 

Again, the the issue of tribal sentiments seem to be rearing its ugly head here. Indeed, it seems to find a way to creep into virtually every discourse involving Nigeria.  This has got to stop! We cannot possibly hope to create a better Nigeria for ourselves and for our unborn children to live in if we continue to delineate the country along ethnic lines.  The time has come for us to move beyond our differences and unite in the pursuit of our common good. When the chips are down, we bear the same passports and outside the country it doesn't matter to anyone where you are from. This is our country and it is up to us to make it a better place for ourselves. Let's come together to heal Nigeria. It is a collective effort that takes you and me.

ABSU Saga Update

The ABSU rape incident has continued to generate public outcry and outright condemnation from many quarters.   The international media have also picked up the story, with Daily Mail and Yahoo News publishing articles about it in the last 24- 48 hours.

Within Nigeria itself, concerned youths have reportedly raised close to N1.7million as donations towards a reward for anyone who can come forward with useful information leading to the arrest of the 5 men involved in the incident. As at yesterday, the full names of 3 out of the 5 was said to have emerged. This morning, Honourable Abike Dabiri-Erewa raised the issue on the floor of the national assembly. If this tempo is sustained, it is very likely that the perpetrators of the heinous crime will be brought to book very soon.

This highlights the awesome power of Nigerian youths and their capacity to bring about change in the country if they just pool their energies together. It was Nigerian youths who started the public reaction towards the ABSU incident. It could otherwise have been swept under the carpet, but Nigerian youths were resolute and united in their condemnation of the incident. Such was the intensity of their strident calls for justice that the Minister for Youth Affairs, Bolaji Abdullahi swung into action on Sunday, calling the Minister for Police Affairs, Vice-Chancellor etc and tweeting the outcome of their conversations immediately. When a group of people are united in voice, focus and action; they constitute a dynamic force that cannot be stopped.

We at Heal Nigeria Initiative are calling on Nigerian youths to unite in thought and action to create a positive change in Nigeria. It's the 11.11.11.11 movement. All well meaning Nigerians are welcome to join us

The ABSU Saga

The Nigerian cybersphere went agog with reactions to the ABSU rape saga.  Social networks such as twitter was set so much ablaze that the hashtag #ABSUrape trended all through yesterday.

 Apparently, a young female undergraduate of the Abia State University was gang-raped by 5 men of the same institution. The men also videotaped their heinous act and shared it via mobile phone until the video made its way to the internet. 

While the incident is said to have happened on the 16th of August, it only just made its way to the internet and has since been generating huge public outcry. The Minister of Youth Affairs, Bolaji Abdullahi lent his voice to the public condemnation of the act and also assured that relevant government agencies had been instructed to take up the matter and see that the perpetrators face the full wrath of the law.

An amazing offshoot of the public outcry is the insight it gave into the mindsets of people generally. While many people condemned the act, some people actually tried to justify it.  Some people voiced the opinion that if a girl is raped, she probably deserves it. This raises the question of ideals, morals and fundamental sense of right and wrong.

Has our society sacrificed the inculcation of higher values on the altar of academic learning? Shouldn't we ordinarily expect more refined behaviours from students within our ivory towers of learning? Or did the boys simply exhibit the cultural inclination of our society towards women? So many questions begging for answers.

At a very basic level, we are all souls. We are the same soul, from the same source, merely housed in different bodies. If the boys knew this, would they have undertaken such a grievous offence knowing that any offence against another person is an offence against their true selves? 

A return to higher values is a fundamental step towards healing ourselves and by extension, our nation. We need to stop seeing the other person as unconnected to us, because we all are. If something happens to the arm, the rest of the body cannot pretend not to be affected. Humanity is one and we should see it as such. 

What is Heal Nigeria?

Many people have been asking us; what is Heal Nigeria Initiative all about? Especially since we flagged off our Facebook campaign, we've been inundated by barrages of questions. We explained at the inception of our publicity drive. We are taking time to explain again: Heal9ja is an acronym for Heal Nigeria Initiative; a non- governmental, not-for -profit organisation that is working assiduously to promote peace and tranquillity in our country Nigeria.

We have been organising peace seminars for many years, bringing together people from different religions, tribes and schools of thought.  The massive success of these seminars has convinced us that the majority of Nigerians desire peaceful coexistence among all sects living in the country regardless of tribal or religious leaning.

Furthermore, the average Nigerian has a mental picture of their ideal Nigeria even though present circumstances seem to conspire to push this picture to the background. We at Heal Nigeria, have taken it upon ourselves to bring these positive images of Nigeria to the forefront of our minds as a first step towards allowing it to translate into reality. We believe that if you hold a mental picture of a thing in a certain way, for a certain time, everything around around you begins to readjust themselves so that the thing may become a reality for you. In our individual lives we do this so many times, and often unconsciously, so we seldom realise the creative power of our thoughts.

Heal Nigeria has decided to provide a common platform to coordinate a conscious creation of a new Nigeria through individual power of positive thoughts, visualization, meditation, affirmation, prayer or anything you may want to call it. We are non-religious, non- sectional, multicultural, multi-denominational and all inclusive body, and as such, open to everybody.

If you are a Nigerian, a a friend of Nigeria, and desire a better Nigeria, we welcome you with open hands. We ask you to stay tuned to this blog as we unfold details of how to create a better Nigeria in the coming days and weeks. You can also follow us on Twitter: @heal9ja or Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Heal-Nigeria-Initiative/109840482454949

Football & The Nigerian Spirit

If ever there was a Guinness World Record for the most unifying sport in the world; football would no doubt emerge as a strong contender.  The passion for the game exhibited by both players and fans is largely unrivalled.  On the field of play, it doesn't matter if the keeper is black and the defender is white; everyone works together to ensure the success of the team.

When we talk about calling up players to the Super Eagles, Nigeria's national team, the 'zoning formula' that is so prevalent in many other spheres doesn't rear its head. You don't hear it said that the strikers are from the north, therefore the midfield should be reserved for the south. It's more of, who possesses the requisite skill to fill the position.

The larger Nigerian society has so much to learn from sports. The universe itself presents a lot of illustrations in daily life that serve as a pointer to ways in which we can achieve peaceful co-existence.  If we saw Nigeria as a huge football field, and all the tribes as players playing different functions by virtue of their positions on the 'field', would we be less angry at ourselves? Most likely.

Heal Nigeria Initiative is canvassing a change in the way we perceive the nation, starting from how we perceive ourselves.  Nigeria must change! It will change!! Join us in the 11.11.11.11 movement. Let's heal Nigeria!!!

Bombings Again!

These days in Nigeria, " if it aint one thing, it's another";apologies to Luther Vandross.

While the nation is still reeling from the chilling bloodshed in Jos, yet another bomb blast has gone off in Maiduguri. Only yesterday, panic and pandemonium broke out in the University of Ibadan, when news filtered in that it might be a target for bombing.  Visitors to the premier university yesterday had colourful tales to tell about the beefed up security checks they had to endure before being allowed to go about their normal business activities within the campus. Without doubt, there is a palpable fear that cuts across several quarters.

Any avoidable loss of life is always regrettable, and even more so under such grave circumstances. Our hearts go out to all the families of the victims of bomb blasts in the country, and indeed the rest of the world. We must heal Nigeria. We could sit and talk all day about the different ways in which we believe the security situation in the country should be addressed. But without doubt, we would all come to this same conclusion; Nigeria has got to change for the better! 

We seek a positive change. We believe there is a way to achieve this. What do you think?

Jostified.......Enough is Enough!

"The recurring wave of violence and bloodletting in Jos, Plateau State has once again thrown up the vexed issue of citizenship rights in the country".  This is the opening paragraph of the Daily Sun's article on the fresh crisis in Jos, Nigeria

(http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/opinion/editorial/2011/sept/12/editorial-12-09-2011-001.html).  

This latest orgy of violence is jarring, chilling and thought provoking at the same time. It makes you want to question the deep set lines of tribal division that always seem to run close to the surface of the fabric of the nation. And not just at the national level, but also internationally, many would argue. On a global level, blacks would complain of discrimination or marginalisation in certain countries. Hispanics would say similar in certain other countries. Eastern Europeans would say same in yet some other countries. 

At the continental level, North Africans might say same of say, Central Africans. That is even too far. Within West Africa alone, Ghanians may tell you they have their reservations about Nigerians. Within Nigerians themselves, the Igbo man may not trust the Hausa man. The Yoruba man may have doubts about the Igbo man. And so the circle goes on and on.....

Enough of this madness! All these divisive, occlusive, sectional and narrow-minded thoughts cannot aid our progress as a nation nor as a people. How far has it gotten us in the past? Nowhere! If after all this time, we've been doing things in a certain way that has yielded unsavoury results, shouldn't we amend our approach, our thoughts?

Heal Nigeria Initiative certainly thinks we should. Nigeria cannot continue this way. There has to be a change. And that change must come from you and me. No more excuses, no more complaints. We have always complained, how far has that taken us? We propose a more constructive and positive path to peace. And we welcome your opinion. Tell us what you think!

Wikileaks Or Not!

If you are a Nigerian living in Nigeria, or indeed any part of the world, the latest news making the rounds from wikileaks must no doubt have caught your attention.

We are all more than acutely aware of the recent gruesome bombings in Nigeria, most recently the United Nations building in Abuja. It is not a surprise therefore, that the screaming headline in the Punch Newspaper raised more than a few questions. According to it, wikileaks alleges that some prominent Nigerians are complicit in the activities of Boko Haram, the body which has often claimed responsibility for the bomb attacks in parts of the country.  Tongues have been wagging, eyes have been raised but at Heal9ja, we are calling for a different kind of action.

Our premise is simple; talking hasn't gotten us very far in the past, so it's time for a more wholistic approach. The immutable laws of the universe have shown time and again that what we talk about, we bring about. And what the majority of a people talk about often determines their collective reality.

Imagine if the whole of a particular state consciously decided to speak nothing but positive things about that state.  The sun will continue to shine the way it shone before. The rain will fall only when it is supposed to fall. But as science has proven that like attracts like; the situations and circumstances that those people will be experiencing will be positive because their outlook is positive.

So at Heal9ja we encourage you to form a positive thought about Nigeria today. Wikileaks or not, hold the thought in your mind as you go through the day. Healing Nigeria starts from you and me.

Heal9ja Catching On!

Hi people,

Glad to be able to inform you that the Heal9ja movement is fast gathering momentum and gaining ground.

We started out only a few days ago and we are already pulling a decent crowd on social media networks. We want more! We need you to help us spread the word.

What's the word? We recognise that there a number of issues facing our nation. We also recognise that there are  any number of issues facing every nation in the world as well. We also know that believing is seeing. In other words, what we focus our minds on usually multiplies in our realities or vision. This manifests regularly in our daily lives even though we barely take note of it.  How many times have you thought about or stared at the picture of a car in the magazine only to see it drive past you the next day? Aha!

What we think about, we usually 'feel about'. And what we 'feel about', we usually see. So Heal9ja is out to mobilise people to think positive thoughts about Nigeria in order to start seeing the kind of Nigeria we would like to see. Even if you can't do it everyday, or if you can't sustain it every time, at least on a common day; at a common time; in a common place, let's work together to generate positive energy to heal Nigeria.

So tell your friends, spread the word; come 11am, 11th November, 2011 we shall all heal Nigeria! For more info leading up to that day, Follow us on twitter; @heal9ja, Facebook; Heal Nigeria Initiave, www.heal9ja.org and stay tuned to this blog.

It promises to be very interesting  and productive.

Healing The Nation

Hello! Welcome to our corner of the world.

 The Heal Nigeria Initiative is dedicated to restoring peace,
love, joy
and prosperity to Nigeria through the collective efforts of
everybody.

Healing the nation takes you and me. We invite you to join
hands with us to create the Nigeria of our dreams...