Far From the Africa Crowd

A friend shared this with me a few months ago. I thought everyone should read it. The Art of Powerful Questions: Catalyzing Insight, Innovation and Action. I have posted a link on the Africa Agenda website. Perhaps this might be the right approach to help catalyze some Africa actions on our part in 2010 and the years to come.

Here is what I have been thinking lately:

Case in point: Haiti

The earthquake that has crippled the nation of Haiti, has led to many questions about the past, present and future of that country.

What could the government of Haiti have done differently if they knew the earthquake was near? The earthquake was predicted but no one thought it could happen in January of 2010.

What if? The questions are many and the answers are few.

Are our own African governments ready to deal with the many “What If’ scenarios which plaque them every day? Would African leaders lead better if they knew what might come their way?

A tsunami, genocide, a landslide, a volcano, an uprising, a military coup, tribal warfare, a disputed presidential election, a constitutional crisis, a failed government, a terrorist attack, etc

What if?

What possibilities exist that those who now govern our African nations haven’t thought of yet? How Can African Leaders Engage Powerful Questions?

The Art of Powerful Questions: Catalyzing Insight, Innovation and Action. By Eric V. Vogt, Juanita Brown and David Isaacs, just might help.

Enjoy reading!

As America joins hands tonight to call for relief for a battered Haiti, i like to ask that we also join our hands for the people of Haiti.

This is not all about money and how much each person can give. It is also about prayer. Lets not just pray for Haiti but ask questions why the earthquake that has crippled that nation happened.

“Prayer is asking and meditation is listening for answers”, Nancy Freier, Publisher-The Inner Voice

I have learnt two things today, January 15, 2010:
-Number one:
“You don’t have to live your life the way other people expect you to.” -Chris Guillebeau

-Number two:
In response to a yahoo group email about the future of Cameroon, I quoted Chris again in the following lines:
“Keep up the positive momentum. Look to the future, not the past. The U.S. election last fall was framed as a choice between the past and the future. Guess who wins a contest between old and new?”

This morning i read something quite interesting from a blog, Seth Godin and the ideas in it have kept me thinking all morning. Check it out:

The lesson from two lemonade stands
The first stand is run by two kids. They use Countrytime lemonade, paper cups and a bridge table. It’s a decent lemonade stand, one in the long tradition of standard lemonade stands. It costs a dollar to buy a cup, which is a pretty good price, considering you get both the lemonade and the satisfaction of knowing you supported two kids.

The other stand is different. The lemonade is free, but there’s a big tip jar. When you pull up, the owner of the stand beams as only a proud eleven year old girl can beam. She takes her time and reaches into a pail filled with ice and lemons. She pulls out a lemon. Slices it. Then she squeezes it with a clever little hand juicer.

The whole time that’s she’s squeezing, she’s also talking to you, sharing her insights (and yes, her joy) about the power of lemonade to change your day. It’s a beautiful day and she’s in no real hurry. Lemonade doesn’t hurry, she says. It gets made the right way or not at all. Then she urges you to take a bit less sugar, because it tastes better that way.

While you’re talking, a dozen people who might have become customers drive on by because it appears to take too long. You don’t mind, though, because you’re engaged, almost entranced. A few people pull over and wait in line behind you.

Finally, once she’s done, you put $5 in the jar, because your free lemonade was worth at least twice that. Well, maybe the lemonade itself was worth $3, but you’d happily pay again for the transaction. It touched you. In fact, it changed you.

Which entrepreneur do you think has a brighter future?