According to a Reuters news agency report over the weekend, a 50-something year-old man committed suicide by burning himself outside the Italian parliament. He was protesting against his joblessness, and according to the report, this was one of many suicides related to unemployment as Italians reel under harsh government austerity measures.

It got me thinking about the tough conditions Zimbabweans have endured since good governance and sound management of the economy went out of fashion. It got me thinking about the 80-plus percent unemployment in the country and just how far the jobless have tolerated their circumstances, just what figures we would be counting of self-immolation outside parliament. It does cast a very bad light on the economic injustices that have been endured here, the indignity of fathers failing to provide for their families. Indeed, troubled mothers have been heard saying such horrible things as, “if I could swallow back these kids, I would.”

That’s how bad economic injustice can be, yet the worst that emerges from these miserable circumstances is insistence by the same politicians who sow these seeds of abject misery that they deserve the people’s vote come elections.  From petty crime to crossing the crocodile infested Limpopo to larger-than-life government corruption, all this in different ways has gave its own forms of death and its time we asked ourselves tough questions as we prepare for a bruising time ahead of elections about where are headed and who we want to preside over our economic destiny.

Already, we know that some humanitarian agencies have attracted Zanu PF’s ire for claiming some people have died over the years because of starvation. How do we know some didn’t kill themselves because they couldn’t take it anymore? The story of that Italian is very telling. Yet some will say different societies have different value systems that determine how they deal with these such things suicide, yet the human condition essentially remains steeped in the basic pursuit of happiness.

And politicians have made it their sworn mission to deny people this right to happiness.

A statement just in from SAFAIDS:

Homophobia and Violence will not Prevent HIV

SAfAIDS Statement on violence on Sexual minorities in Zimbabwe SAFAIDS

HARARE – SAFAIDS would like to express its solidarity with GALZ whose members have been subjected to recent arrests. As an HIV organisation involved in the prevention of HIV, we would like to raise awareness on the implications of violence on sexual minorities on the fight against HIV.

Research has shown that sexual minorities contribute to HIV prevalence (9-25%). The violence on sexual minorities only pushes them to go into hiding where it is hard to reach them with the relevant protective messages and services. Some have gone to the extent of getting married to women while having partners secretly. This puts these families at even higher risk. As SAfAIDS we believe pushing sexual minority groups into hiding because they are afraid of being arrested is not a public good.

The Zimbabwe National Strategic Planning Document clearly acknowledges MSM as an important population that needs targeting for HIV prevention. This can only be achieved when people are open about who they really are. How do they do this if they risk being arrested? The current achievements that we have in our HIV response are a result of sound and progressive policies and practice. We need not reverse this now- ending HIV is within our grasp now, achieving Zero HIV, Zero Stigma, Zero discrimination can only be realized when we reach everyone who is sexually active .

As SAfAIDS we are appealing for tolerance and respect of people of different sexual orientation from what we consider as norm. These people are our children, sisters, brothers and children, let’s accord them the space to live without fear.

As Zimbabwe joins the world towards the goal of zero new HIV infections, SAfAIDS believes we must break down all barriers of stigma and discrimination and ensure that people of all sexual orientation have access to quality legal, and health services that meet their needs. As an organisation, we support efforts to ensure that the country continues in its success path and this can only be realized through respecting the rights of all populations. With tolerance and acceptance to diverse groups, together we Can Prevent HIV.

Source: Trespass: A History Of Uncommissioned Urban Art

Prestige is just fossilized inspiration. If you do anything well enough, you’ll make it prestigious. Plenty of things we now consider prestigious were anything but at first. Jazz comes to mind—though almost any established art form would do. So just do what you like, and let prestige take care of itself. Prestige is especially dangerous to the ambitious. If you want to make ambitious people waste their time on errands, the way to do it is to bait the hook with prestige. That’s the recipe for getting people to give talks, write forewords, serve on committees, be department heads, and so on. It might be a good rule simply to avoid any prestigious task. If it didn’t suck, they wouldn’t have had to make it prestigious.
Paul Graham

Read more on How to Find Your Purpose and Do What You Love from Brainpickings

I really want some meaning. It used to be easy to toss it off. Now it’s harder and harder. You have to navigate just to find something that has nourishment. It’s the absence of nourishment. What do you do in place of nourishment? It’s usually junk. Either it’s junk food or junk clothes or junk ideas. TONI MORRISON on love, loss and modernity.