Hopeful Voyager

It soothes, heals and delights. Music can be a balm for wounded souls. Music can also spring us out of our chairs to dance with gay abandon.
A song can light a fire in our hearts to soar to greater heights.
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I am Nyerere: a nation-builder, a sagacious leader and committed pan-African. I am Chinua Achebe: a pioneering writer, extraordinary wordsmith, and general master of all literary forms.

I am Wangari Maathai: a Nobel laureate, relentless environmentalist, and fearless, undaunted campaigner for women's rights. I am Nelson 'Madiba' Mandela. Tremendously forgiving, a visionary and a leader who selflessly put the interests of his people first before his own.
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Whoever you may be and wherever you may be in this world, there are some benign certainties about your life this day. These include harmless little yet profoundly significant facts such as your name, nationality, date of birth and height. But sadly, there are other infinitely grimmer and darker certainties about this day as well.

It is that some people will tragically lose their lives, others will plunder from their own people while others still will be heartlessly tossed into incarceration even though they are completely innocent of the criminal charges which are being leveled against them.
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