I have not written on this blog for a short time because there are some changes coming to the Your Story blog.
The blog is going to become more closely related to the World Have Your Say blog – and the global conversation that is broadcast every weekday on the BBC World Service.
This means that I will be talking to the community who already post on there to see if they might want to work with me on developing their stories so that we can get them on air or onto this blog.
That doesn’t mean that I will stop working with other citizen journalists who are already contributing or thinking about doing so – oh no! It would still be great to hear from you.
There have been a couple of people who have contacted Your Story who I am in the process of sending recording equipment to so that they can start talking to the world.
The first is an experience of sexual abuse and cover up within a strict Islamic family in Abu Dhabi.
The other is the issue of racism in Ukraine.
I am in touch with someone who brought the death of Nigerian Shefiu Salawudeen, to our attention. Although as yet, there is no proven motive for his death – see the facebook page set up in his memory here.
I am always interested in the issue of racism – having experienced it myself many times throughout my life. But especially now in 2009. At a time when the president of the United States – the man who has the most power in the world, is a man of colour, how does it feel to live somewhere where you are still being judged by the colour of your skin, not in a polite or politically correct way, but in an overt and scary way.
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March 2, 2009 at 11:20 am
Citizen journalism on WHYS « BBC World Have Your Say
[...] Among other things right now I’m working on the issue of racism in Ukraine and sexual abuse within a strict Islamic family in Abu Dhabi. Read more about this here [...]
March 8, 2009 at 10:30 am
Ogola Benard
I have lived with different communities of people at different places and situations. I have also made many friends from around the world.
I look at racism in two ways, the first one is that one that is spoken and the other one is that one that takes the action. I am so used to the spoken racism and i feel nothing about it since it does not inflict pain into my veins and in all cases i bit the racist psychologically by ignoring him and contributing or making a logical statements full English phrases and not forgetting the is and was factors.
The second racism that involves action sometimes turns to violence. Its the one that you see the racist doing it, a signal that your color whether white,brown, yellow,kakie, red or black or even tribe and religion is time barred within the vicinity.
I find racism childish and something of no value and up to now i belief racism is as a result of selfish interest coming up from poor background, lack of education and early exposure, jealousy and wishes against Gods choice for humankind.