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The relationship between countries, is rarely established and maintained on the basis of altruism and equality.  But rather on principles of national self-interest, personal ambitions of the ruling elites, and geo-political considerations.  How strong and sustainable these relationships become, is likely to be dependent on the level of mutuality and complementarity between the principles and policies of the respective nations As the China-Africa Forum closes in Beijing, China, with encouraging speeches from co-chairs, Presidents Xi Jinping and Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa.  With Senegal's President Macky Sall welcoming the opportunity to work with the leaders of China and Africa to promote the partnership, as the new co-chair.  It is an opportune time to pose the question: 'What do  China and African countries have to win and lose, in this already much developed partnership? In recent times, China has been actively involved in Africa for many d

They are the people who will be afraid of losing their positions of influence, their power, the jobs and source of income, if this war is brought to an end.  For these people with a vested interest in death and destruction, a break out of peace is to be feared, and seen as a formidable enemy to be defeated. And, it is in the interests of these people, the rebels fighting the Syrian government and people, and their western supporters, handlers and paymasters.  That the Western media and its handlers is putting up the 'smokescreen' about the great slaughter which could befalls Idlib, if the Syrian government and its supporters attack it.  For crying out loud, Donald Trump, the President of the United States of America, is even raising the spectre of hundreds of thousands of Syrians being killed.  Well, it is very unlikely that that will happen. It did not happen in the 'Battle for Aleppo', and it did not happen in the 'Battle for Ghouta.

So that, especially for those of us who have strayed too far away from our floral and faunal roots.   We can, once again, begin to re-learn how to communicate with plants, trees, the soil, mother earth, and the different varieties of faunal life which normally inhabits it.  That we, on an individual as well as collective level, re-establish the symbiotic and complementary relationship which exist between floral and faunal worlds.  And not have to leave this necessary interaction to take place through the more impersonal, more profit-driven and exploitative relationship between business and our floral and faunal inheritances.  Between our environment and eco-systems and industrialists, governments and, oftentimes, corrupt politicians. It is time for us to relate more to our environment, our eco-system, as if they were and are sentient life forms.  Something which some philosophers and scientists might even argue, that they really are; sentient.  But that is

And so, it has become a matter of grave concern to me, as I tether on the point of imploding on myself.  As those who have responsibility for funding, managing and effectively and efficiently carrying out the services which are expected of me.   Become confused, bicker and petrified by the constantly increasing and seemingly impossible challenge with which they are confronted. And so it is that I risk having all or most of those who depend on me and those on whom I depend, becoming frustrated, alienated and dissatisfied.  Always becoming more critical and attacking, and, in so doing, continuing demoralise and undermine the morale and commitment of those on whom I depend on to deliver my services to the public, to patients.  Thereby feeding and making worse what has, initially, been a manufactured crisis, but now a real one. So, you might be thinking, what will become of me, as governments and politicians who are in charge of me change, and make changes

If the news is accurate, then, the Syrian people, both those who support and those who are against the Syrian Government.   Could be about the see the ending of the bloody battles which have characterised the country's 7 years of Hell.  This is not to say all the fighting will end, as we can and should expect that, at least for a period of time.   After the ending of the bloody confrontations on the battlefield, between Syrians against Syrians, aided and abetted by their respective foreign supporters.  We are likely to have the 'homicidal-suicide bombers' causing their own brand of savagery and havoc. But for now, if, as I have said already, the media and the Syrian government and its allies are to be believed, by the end of 2018, the war in Syria should have been brought to an end.  Such an event should be a welcomed one, by all who are appalled by the level of bloodletting, slaughtering of men, women and children.   As it seriously compromis

After all, what happens when he loses a race? Should he not be attributing his and his Team's failure to God?   Who, at such times, does not seem great, instead of inferring that he and Team Mercedes has come up short?  If to God the glory when a person, team or people triumph, then, should it not also be to  God the ignominy of their defeat? In the weighting of drivers and their teams, we need to ask the question: Who is the most important, who is making the biggest contribution towards success or failure?  Is it the driver or the rest of the team?  In answering this question, we might want to consider the status and relevance of the jockey and the horse.  Is one greater or more important than the other? Can the jockey win his races without the input of the horse, or the horse without the stewardship of the jockey? Neither can the Formula 1 driver, however sublime and masterful his skills and performances.  Realises his driving aspirations and goals

Whom we imagine to be capable of living for ever. It is about taking pleasure in and enjoying the proverbial 'simple things in life,' while we are able to do so.  It is about not forgoing these simply pleasures, and pursuing a life of piety, of piousness.  In the hope of being rewarded in an unproven 'life hereafter.' It is about doing the best we can with 'our small bone', and not despising, not neglecting or dropping it.  And, above all other things, devote ourselves pursuing the 'larger shadow' which it projects.  It is about being mindful of the fact that, we can only truly live life as and when an event is occurring.  We do not fully live it in recalling the event, we can only reflect on it, as we only have control over what we remember or choose to remember.  We cannot effectively and objectively change what occurs while the event was transpiring. Life is about living the moment, and not so much planning. Interactive life is t

I have grown old, and no longer function efficiently in all that is being asked of me. Is what the NHS might have said to anyone who cared to ask this benevolent institution. It is not just a matter of me not having enough resources, enough staff to do what the government and people expect of me, the personified NHS would have said.  No, it is more than that, much more. The are asking the impossible of me. They have allowed me to grown too big and I have become unmanageable.  They have tried to tidy me up, streamline and standardise me. Make me fitter, healthier and more efficient, but they have failed dismally.  Because I am simply too big, too unwieldy to be contained under one management and as a unitary organisation.  So they have tried to break me down into separate trust or groups of hospitals, with their own budget limits, but that has also not worked.  Not least because they are not able to remain within their financial limits.  And how can t