More and more, the world’s people are coming closer and closer together in both community and understandings. Our relationships with one another are highlighted by our common purposes and our equal exposure to threats, natural or man-made. Today, as we mourn the loss due to the earthquake in China and the cyclone in Myanmar, we reflect on the earthquakes of Kanto, Kobe, and Chuetsu in Japan, or those of Turkey and Pakistan, the hurricanes Katrina and Mitch in the U.S., Honduras, and Nicaragua. The worldwide flu pandemic of 1917, or the persistent, almost annual floods of China, Bangladesh, and Africa. More vividly, the tsunamis of the Maldives, Indonesia, India, and SriLanka.
It is said there are no really new ideas, merely permutations of old. This wise saying owes its origins in the cyclical nature of the seasons. There is no shortage of goodwill among the world’s peoples. However, African peoples are markedly absent from the theatre of goodwill and philanthropy. Disproportionate to their numbers and endowments. Given the ubiquitous nature of natural disasters, all the world’s people must be encouraged and strengthened to contribute to the alleviation of suffering, little be it or much. This hope in cumulative worths is the impetus and philosophy of The GDP’s Bravo Company. I am confident you will find a way to grow with us.
Democracy, like all other lifestyles, cannot be forcibly or coercively imposed on a people, nor can it be banished from consideration by the same people. For in Democracy lies enormous opportunities and a conducive environment for commoner relief and sustainable growth for the human family. The rights and under-utilised capacities of the poor and physically or mentally challenged has been long recognised by champions of democracy since time-immemorial. We are missing out, not only on the value of African and other peoples’ participation in disaster relief and mitigation, but also on the immense and untapped potential of the poor and physically and mentally challenged. Just imagine when all these potentialities of the human family are brought to bear on a disaster, unfettered, we would likely be more worried about a tsunami of Goodwill than mounting casualty from the disaster proper. It is in this hope and recognition that the idea for The GDPcorps, Savanna Academy and Nyakoi Vision Institute will become an installment to yield compound dividends. Whether you are, or know someone who is infirmed of sight, you can be a valuable patron of the Nyakoi Vision Institute – deep in the Fouta Djallon Highlands, the Prairies, the Steppes, the Fjords, the deserts, or the rainforests. I therefore encourage you to find a way to join hands with us for attenuated good. Nyakoi Vision Institute and Educorps of The GDP afford a variety of opportunity.
Most natural disasters are predictable to a great extent and we are afforded a modicum of forewarning. Some of these natural disasters, and indeed all of the man-made disasters of genocide, civil wars, internecine violence, and structural failures, are caused by either misplaced governance, uneconomic growth, or flawed engineering, or a combination of these three. We are aware that the human population itself is growing at an alarming rate having already doubled. This combination therefore portends ominous yield for the human family because of this onerous link between human population and fuel for natural disaster or its attenuated scale. We speak more in terms of millions and billions now as opposed to hundreds and thousands when we describe disaster-loss. We at The GDP, recognise the value of economic growth and good governance in forestalling and ameliorating the scale of loss and suffering, and I am confident you will help grow the Sustainable Development Institute of the Savanna Academy and support our Law In The Classroom efforts.
Whether you are a recent high-school or college graduate, a new or seasoned professional, a skilled technician or unskilled worker, you are immensely valuable in and to The GDP. I encourage you to choose an area where you wish to grow with us. I personally promise an enriching and satisfying experience.
