The Art of Electioneering

The Art of Electioneering

Besides the strategies and qualitative knowledge around election issues, and how to outsmart your opponent, think about introducing  the art of electioneering to 8-16 year olds and groom them around election issues. with that I foresee future smart players in the game of politics. That is the only way to save the election institution.
Am I right? To say the college graduates and all concerned are loosing confidence ------they are disgruntled in election outcomes which are supposed to save as a determinant of their right?
Reasons for such attitudes points to ----- lack of transparency in the conduct of elections! leading to one's vote not counting at all, regardless of one's choice.
 Lets catch tomorrow's political players at an early age. We will be assured of political election smart players.

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Role of Election Observers Questioned

Role of Election Observers Questioned

What if the world look at it differently? Instead of just election observing which simply means casting your eyes on the process, record what you see and report. What if we slot in 'name and shame' to the role of observers?
I have always wondered the extent of the role of international election observers. How relevant are they? Admitting intermittently it is the world I enjoy so much. Now that I look back wondering did I do any justice to the people? I find that hard to answer. The simple fact is , my role was limited to observing and recording in a set standard form designed on the basis of set Norms, Standards and  Guidelines of Election for the SADC (PF). The form would be accompanied by a report of the day's proceeding of election polling stations and later to submit both to the command center.

It makes me feel good that I have walked proud steps into the presiding officers office which is usually the polling station and managed to silently exude confidence that infects the electorate lining up to cast their vote. In depth of their mind they are confident the election will be free and fair simply they are observers who jetted in a few days before election day. Does the electorate know the extent of the role of an observer? Lest we save them comfort of confidence that they feel when they see observers.

I understand, an election is a composition of 1. pre-election  2. election day 3. post election. Unfortunately an observer is not involved in the sprucing of the voters roll before an election for the reason of avoidance of ghost voters neither are they involved in the voter registration process. Even if the presence of an observer is sought during the voter registration, alas their role as said before is to observe, record and report. What an anomaly? The most critical preparation stage of election is compromised. A gap is already created which de enfranchise the potential voter.

The set standard form, as limited as it is, purports to be an overseer of the whole election process. Souls should be saved here as observers do not accompany the ballot boxes from the polling station to the counting center. Although some have improved in that area by counting from the polling station, no fare options here the results are posted the outside the polling station and that breads intimidation before election and retribution.
These are some but worries that embolden my mind. We as a people living this 21st century have to improve around this area.

 

MY CURRENT USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA AND HOW I WILL USE IT IN THE FUTURE

Social Media Effective Use

 

I joined Facebook social media in 2010. With the intent of making good use of it as I would reconnect with old friends all over the world and basically felt good about it. Although I would come across friends who were keen on knowing how I was doing family and workwise I would prefer to limit the information I were to post on Facebook. At the back of my mind, divulging more information about me meant someone somewhere would be able to enter my inbox, take advantage and manage to use the information against me. So I would make sure the information posted is limited as much as possible. To top it all up, I would be excited to post issues to do with my personal development such as achievements academically and I would also ask friends to help me search for a job as I was not happy in the job I was in. I would only post such sentiments to personal friends which meant privately. I was also skeptic of letting many people on Facebook know me so I would ensure I stayed as private as possible. Although I am a well-known political figure in my country, the parliament contributions and informative knowledge on current issues and of voters in my constituency made me become a household name. I also took care in selecting friends I would network with. In addition I would not propose friendship to strangers though I would know of their high profiles neither would I push myself to know of other informative sections advertised on Facebook. I was in the dark and in a way refused to learn more. Little did I know Facebook was one of the tools I could use to profile my personal brand to potential employers?

 I joined LinkedIn social media early this year but was very fascinated of how others were posting their profiles really showing they were talking to would be possible employers. Frankly I didn’t know how to market my brand. I felt I needed to look deeply into my LinkedIn profile since I'm at dissertation stage to complete my degree MA international Relations and the World Order. I now know the importance of LinkedIn and the way to boost my career prospects. The networking and Employability course I'm doing currently has taught me how to play the game of posting my personal brand on networks in a confident manner really laying out all that an employer may need to know of the brand I am. As a person in the know that social media is the network to portray the brand I'm made out of, I happen to be at the urge to let the world know.

 I do use twitter and to post my daily work schedule. As an Ambassador representing my country in a foreign land, I have realized people back in my country are starved of information of the country leadership. However people need to know and with that I have attracted quite a following. I intend to really do a motivating lay out of my profile on LinkedIn as currently there is no good work done on my personal brand.  

 

 

      

My Treasured Journey

I have found my journey getting smoother each day as I progress with the course in Employability: Personal Development. In the comfort of receiving knowledge, on personally developing myself, identifying my weaknesses and working on them has given me a feeling ‘I have done it’ though I am not close to the finishing line of the course.

The journey started when I was in the process of finalizing my dissertation in MA International Relations and World Order. At that stage a number of questions started forming at the back of my mind in that, can I be the quality of an employee that an employer may look for? What did I need to do to be a unique, professional and out-standing potential candidate amongst others vying for the same job as me? Sometimes I would comfort myself by believing as soon to be degreed person; there was no need to worry about other areas as I already was a qualified competitor who has what it takes to get there. With my job experiences acquired before and the job I’m currently doing, I consoled myself in that those two achievements would speak for themselves that I am the quality the employer would jump for. I was wrong in soothing myself that way. I didn’t know myself well, and that I did not have the skills needed to exude confidence and precisely know how to market myself better in a way that leaves the employer captivated about the way I present myself.

As I travel the academic journey, I have since realized there is need for personal branding skills to be able to enter the job market empowered.

Whilst doing my degree, analyzing and summarizing articles was my biggest challenge. I totally lacked the skill and had at one time decided to drop out of my MA studies. I am very proud of myself as I can place value on data by knowing which is more relevant that I can use. I can logically summarize information at the same time I can manage to define a problem and its contributing factors.  

I happen to be employed as a representative of my country. Although I am a product of Zimbabwe Diplomatic Training School and Czech Republic Diplomatic School, it was very difficult for me to know what the practical side of the job entailed. Initiative and creativity skill is what I needed to be able to identify opportunities and turn around ideas into actions. I hated doing things the way they were done historically. I yearned to grow more impact than originally envisaged for an Ambassador representing her country. With that I can comfortably say I have since grown the traffic of people between Zimbabwe and Sudan through tourism activities. I have managed to initiate cultural exchange groups between the two countries.

I can safely say I’m celebrating my personal brand as I can see my performance appraisal graph realizing growth. Employability: Personal Development course has answered most of the questions which were worrying me and I am motivated though I’m still in the process of learning more skills.

 

What is keeping me busy?

Wednesday, 17 July 2013


I'm a distance learning student at Leicester University studying MA International Relations and the World Order. I'm at dissertation stage level. At the same time I'm doing a module in Employability: Personal Development which is helping me in instilling discipline to my studies. The award has taught me a skill in that I have develop an art of responsibility and loving to do things perfectly in stages. Juggling the two studies has been a learning process in itself as it has taught me time management skills. Each day from work I dedicate time to my studies. I have taken advantage of sleepless nights as they have turned to study nights. In my study of International Relations I'm interested in the way the world signals its direction which in most cases is unpredictable but allowing the analysts to add up likely questions that come with the challenges experienced. With a political background that is almost a decade and a half, I'm able to analyze world events for example the war in Syria and what solutions that the International Community should implore to allow peace and security to develop. The studies have helped me in developing confidence to join in discussions to do with worldly diplomacy not withstanding what has to be done for diplomacy to rise above political machinations.

My dissertation is about the aftermath of South Sudan Secession. In view of South Sudan that has succeeded in seceding, one question that has always remained relevant in most secessions is whether or not they have adequately achieved the intended purpose considering the high expectation euphoria that come with the success. That is, whether the situation after secession has always been better than what it was before the bid secession was sought. Although the discussion is now abundant in the literature, and also even though there is paucity of consensus on the outcome of secessions there is a missing link in the peace documents. In my research I have noted that what has remained clear is that the outcome of secession is determined by both pre- and post-secession factors. Whether it is the right thing to allow for secession or promote good governance in sovereign states to allow co-existence and celebration of diversity of different ethnic groups. Which way is best to avoid suffering of the people? How has the world reacted to the aftermath of South Sudan secession which is all out war with Sudan? Is the oil discovery windfall one of the instability causes of the aftermath violence? Is it that there was noninvolvement of all stakeholders to the peace process who would have contributed to perfectly polishing the development of the peace document? My task here is to investigate through the peace document Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) which was signed by the two warring parties Sudan and South Sudan if the document contents were very comprehensive not to allow loopholes which are viewed by many as the cause to unstable South Sudan secession aftermath.