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Belize's Timbuktu

By Abdulmajeed K. Nunez

Belizeans in the Diaspora I feel like a pregnant mother
Having complications to deliver
I beckon you to contribute towards the restoration of Belize's Timbuktu
The legacy Garvey and Haynes left for you
It's gone full circle and his philosophy has proven to be true
Many of you who were the 40s, 50s and 60s babies
Can remember when Liberty Hall on Barack road was the epicenter

Most of our elders were Garveyites
Elders can remember their space on the floor
When Liberty Hall opened its doors
Liberty Hall was a boxing gym, a place where carpentry was taught in-depth
Decade before what we call ITVET
We talk about apprenticeship program
Well Liberty Hall was the number one

It was the practice place for the original messengers
It was the birthplace of all major political parties in the homeland
It was the birthplace of the Labour movement
That set the stage for Belize's hijacked Jesuit political movement
PUP, NIP, UBAD, Black Carcasses and L & POB
It was the place to be and became a hallmark of the country

Garvey helped us to get an Identity
When the colonial masters mid di chance we
It is true that many wanted to be British subjects
Making Garvey's visits to Belize suspect
He taught us one love, one aim, one destiny
He taught us that black is beauty
That we were created equally and were decedents of royalty
He propelled the consciousness with our black ancestry

Teaming up with the Coconut king
Who provided major funding
He went to America and took his doctrine
J Edgar Hoover was trembling, plotting and planning
To destroy Garvey's program for independent living
Liberty Hall was the birth place of the Annual Baby Pageant
Spearheaded by the Black Cross Nurses' movement
This was the first welfare system that led to what is left of our ministry of human development
Belize's first house of parliament
Where great minds converged to plan strategies to make Belize independent
It was more than just a place of entertainment

Liberty Hall was a hurricane shelter
Remember the two vats in the yard where people got clean water?
Remember Vivian Seay and Nurse Cleopatra?
Their efforts birthed the nursing school
It was also the birthplace of Excelsior High School
It was the meeting place for all new churches
That did not follow the orthodox doctrines

I implore the Belizeans in the Diaspora
To make a 2014 resolution
To restore Liberty Hall to its rightful position
A university for the upcoming generation
It needs restitution and renovation
To comfortably teach the children the Marcus Garvey program
This my friends is the solution
If the Diaspora was to make a $0.25 contribution
We can set up an education system that is proper
Instead of fighting this corrupted Westminister model
Garvey's model is a proven example
Especially with agriculture, agroprocessing, agro tourism,
Computer and black power
I call on the Diaspora, UBAD Education Foundation, NTUCB, COLA, all NGOs, Commoners, Legemeri Dangriga, NGC, SATIM, the Creole Council, the Chamber of Commerce, the Mayan Council and grassroots leaders
TV Ramos, Julian Cho, Vivian Seay, Cleopatra White, Evan X Hyde, Nuri Muhmmad, Emerson Guild, Dr Abigail McKay, Samuel Haynes, Phillip Goldson, Leotene Gillett, Maud Parks, Rita Berry, Ms March, Jessie Keliman, Thelma Gill and Antonio Soberanes
All suffered trying to pass on this mantra
Let's work together and not allow them to divide and conquer
Let's give them our National Agenda.

Priority?

By Abdulmajeed K. Nunez

After reading the UNICEF 2013 study on special needs and disabilities
I am left with many queries
Do insurance companies insure people with disabilities?
Are they entitled to special polices?
It seems to me they give out currencies based on
Loss of part of anatomies and life expectancies
Maim, and loss of extremities
Insurance after all does offer remedies
When people suffer casualties
Insurance in layman terms means, "When stuff happens"
We need to re-examine the premise upon which their policies are written
It seems to me they are capitalist driven

What about social security
Since there has been talk about disqualifying some elderly
Because they are believed to have support from their family
Hell, man, I served my country in various capacity
Then to top it off SSB has been giving loans to Zabaneh
Are they taking me for a ride because of my disability?
I have already worked for my pension and gratuity

They found out I got an electric wheel chair
To help with my mobility
Now they have taken away my little benefits from social security
People like me need a special attorney
They have taken away my little money
My dignity, monies I was depending on to turn over and feed my family
Now they want to change the pension age to sixty
What about medical opportunities
Are our hospitals equipped for people with disabilities?
Are our people with disabilities a part of the GoB priorities?

I wonder if there is a conspiracy
To simply dismiss those with no or poor mobility
The visually and hearing impaired
When I lost my legs I was totally unprepared
Now I feel weird but just as I have feared
My country is not prepared

The disability population is growing
GOB best start preparing
They need to take a break off the hustling
Start bring storming, analyzing, reforming
Their backwardness is alarming and depressing
People with disability need to start advocating
For improvement of their standards of living
For some reason those in power don't
Think their time is coming.

Therapists!

By Abdulmajeed K. Nunez

Stella Maris already has a physiotherapist
There is also a need for an occupational therapist
To teach children to fix wheel chairs, make corner seats and fittings.
To make balance boards and all these disability aids
We had them once in the ole days. Anyways!

There is no speech therapist in the ministry
And one is desperately needed in country
With Creole being our first language
Would a foreign speech therapist be at a disadvantage?
Weh happen to the Creole Council
What are they doing to make this possible?
I guess what's important is that they have the title of representing the people

Specialists are expensive
But the ministry must take the initiative
They should be training some native
If indeed they are thinking progressive
National development requires this investment
Grenada and Mexico have lots to show
With their disability population on the grow
They are the future of tomorrow

They've catered for their differently-abled
Creating job for them in the productive sector
Harnessing their talents in specific areas
Producing items for the tourism industry
Ensuring they can sustain themselves economically
Realizing all specially-abled persons won't do well academically
Depending on the severity of their disability

They have creative minds too
And must not be left behind
They want to contribute in kind
Their passion is mine
Belize, lets break our confines!
We are lagging behind!

Disability Cooperatives!

By Abdulmajeed K. Nunez

We dare to dream of opportunities
Despite our country lacking visionaries
Why are we importing toys from foreign countries?
With enough talent here to channel those energies
Perhaps we could set up cooperatives
For persons like me living with disabilities
If public sector and private sector could pool together their resources
Then we could offer products and services
With adequate training in agro- business (processing)
We do not want to become menaces
We want opportunities in business
We can produce jams, jellies and juices

Those into trade can do well with help from BELTRADE
We can help build wheel chairs for Help Age
The young ladies, could get into sewing, embroideries, curtains and gift baskets, earrings, trinkets and bracelets
All they would need is capital and an outlet
They can have stores and take orders
Mexico, Japan and Grenada are setting the stages
They have invested in their disabled
Helping them to make honest wages
Perhaps Belize can borrow some pages
Persons living with disabilities need equal opportunities
All the way up to tertiary
We are all taking it for granted that disability dah fi all a wi
Diabetes, stroke, car crash, elderly,
Random violence, cataract, stray way bullet, war pan the block,
Glaucoma and vaccination,
Pregnancy complication
Autism is on the rise in this nation
We must invest now in our disabled population
There are communities in the United States
That teaches them to be independent
But some parents are afraid of allowing them to discover their talents
They stifle their child's confidence
By not allowing them to find their competence

Perhaps if there was an art and craft school
To teach disabled children to make cartoon
Doll making and embroidery
Belize could lead the Caribbean with a toy factory
Doll making ranks number two in the most toys sold worldwide
Why is there no Caribbean country trying to fill this void

Every celebration season
We import toys from overseas
Plastic toys laced with lead contributing to our children disease (autism)
Why not make wooden toys for both our girls and boys?
An opportunity for the differently-abled to get employed
So that at Christmas time our children could be jumping with joy.

Police State

By Abdulmajeed K. Nunez

We are living in a police state
Police no longer investigate
Drive in tinted vehicle without licence plate
Licensed firearm around their waist
Some of them draw with haste
Beating our youth till they have to wear brace
Slapping mothers in their face
Tazering them and spraying them with mace

Officer turn car dealer
Uses his girlfriend fi go register
But whenever he comes to town there is a murder
Is he for real or is he a grim reaper
We have heard of state execution
He and all the badman deh pan par
He has been instrumental in all the turf war
Now when it looks like he is observing from far
He is evidently the superstar

Babylon get wi youth enna state sponsored program
Some mi di grow tilapia pond
They use the youth sell dope and jack man
These officers di abuse them position
Hiding behind the police organization
Retired policeman high up in the organization
Went to American for recreation
Then get beat up by bad man

Death squads throughout the Caribbean
Rumor were that Jagan had one
Weh mek unu think Belize noh have one?
Deh say when you play with puppy you get fleas
So when you work with criminals, oh geezzz
I di try noh fi sneeze
Ghost town and Backa town di beef
Such decision are made under sheet
Ranking officer weh lost his computer
Went to KHMH for high blood pressure
Just like Mr Penner, needs to work harder
Instead of impressing the prime minister
Stop playing politician, you'll never be commissioner.

Phillip Goldson - Belize's first true Black Leader

By: Abdulmajeed K. Nunez

They are saying Dean Barrow is the first black Prime Minister in Belize History
They need to go back and check their story
In 1961 when the governor abandoned his post
Goldson stepped up when we needed him the most
This is not talked about by most folks
The Queen declared martial law over Belize
Goldson was appointed to charge with ease
Making him Belize's first black leader in Belize
He was a man with a vision
To build a Nation

In the state of emergency the Premier
Or the Prime Minister is no longer in power
The power is vested in the Governor
In those days there was not a Governor General
Walter Hasting was the governor at the time and was absent
Her majesty over the country's management

He had the power to form his own government as Prime Minister
But he went Coalition with UDP in 1993
His was the tying vote between the PUP and the UDP
According to the constitution he was the Boss
He could have proclaimed himself prime minister and choose his own people
Instead he made Esquivel talk him into going into a coalition
He was blind but if you got fifty men
To run in his constituency he would have beaten them as a blind man
And all the power is vested in the governor for the situation to resolve
Goldson the most important historical figure in our country
He should have been give the title "Father of the Nation"

They are always giving Price credit for our independence
They aught to give it to Goldson who showed real competence
He was the only one that stood up to England
Whilst Price's nose was brown sucking up to the Crown
And Scotland Yard came to take Goldson out of town
Goldson was head strong
UDP stood against Goldson for standing up
And Ex communicated him from the party
The man started NABR Party

If there is a state of emergency the Prime Minister's seat becomes invalid
Until after the state of emergency
The sole leader of the country becomes Sir Colville Young
I argue Colville Young is politically appointed
Dame Minita Gordon was the only Governor General
That was sworn in by her majesty's Crown Council
They removed her on a political strong hold
And appointed Sir Colville Young
The man needed to be neutral
In the forming NIP turn UDP he was instrumental
The Dame was such a good Governor General
She did not favor NIP nor PUP and stood Neutral

We as Belizean tend to hold back our own
Belizeans are Belizean but they want to push things to the level of racism
Here is not like Honduras where you have black Hondurans and Spanish Hondurans
Where blacks are not considered natives of the nation
Belize is up top
People don't realize is that our country was not designed for poor people
Any common wealth government is designed for the rich to get richer and the poor to be oppressed
So when they say we have democracy that is propaganda, being sold by the press
De Burrow is the biggest oppressor this country could ever feature
Talking above the head of the common people
He has no control of his cabinet
PUDP is basic cronyism
PUP as well had less accomplishment but better administrative ideals
Belizeans need to wake up and start getting real

Stink!

By Abdulmajeed K. Nunez

In the land down under
Gangsters are informers
Working for minister and for the mafia
Making connection, picking up wet drops
Cocaine packs
Cooking drug in pots
Drug planes being guided, protected and off loaded by cops
Smuggling drugs in crops trying to avoid mishaps
When gangster starts selling at Finnegan marketplace
This what the police should di investigate
But then again they contented di participate

In Belize there are two Mafias
First there are local don and cartels
Hey does state execution ring a bell
There are police officers involved as well
Confiscating guns and ammunition on operation
Selling them to bad man for protection
Buying information from people in various organizations
Every morning the PM gets this information

Babylon confiscate whaka off George Street
Got rude boy di sell fi dem pan Victoria Street
Babylon beat man fi give them gun off the street
Then drop them dah area weh dem and other man di beef
Babylon pretend fi arrest skool boy and carry him go thief
When they bring the spoils they reap the sweets
Babylon got girlfriends in each district and every area
Babylon got bad man gun fi hire
Babylon get hit agreement from business owners
Drive under ice and pickup gangster
And pay di man fi shub down his neighbour

There is too much power in the hands of a few
Look pan GSU, there is nothing the commissioner can do
One officer to the COMPOl, "I don't answer to you!"
All operations officers have unlicensed, ammunition and firearms
That has been happening from the devil was born
In the military and this has become the norm
When an officer talk bout 'buck she'
That means I have extra bullets weh di job no give me
Badman rent Babylon illegal piece
Fi jack shipment from off the walk
You weh get you kick when man drunk they love to talk

Wastage!

By Abdulmajeed K. Nunez

PUDP is keeping the citizens hostage
By engaging in so much wastage
This country should at advance stages
With its citizens benefiting from all sorts of advantage
With better wages and advance drainage
Now the IDB is recommending that GoB increase the percentage
Of the citizens who have not yet received proper sewage
This nonsense makes me cringe
People still di empty chamber pot under Belcan Bridge
And waste control still di pick up feces in garbage
Prisoners are still carrying out night soil
Buoy these things make my blood boil!

Two weeks ago at a teachers rally
Hector Silva made recommendations to GoB
On how they could save much needed money
To pay teachers their increase in salaries
With experience in assisting in preparing eighteen annual budgets
Experience no one in the UDP has yet

His first suggestion was for the reduction in government ministries
From seventeen to ten which would cut vehicle expenses by seven million
His second was to keep the trips abroad to a minimum
Suggesting instructions from the so called "father of the nation"
To his ministers to write letters.
Now there is even telecommunication, teleconference and the internet
A minister ca sit at his desk and talk to anyone anywhere on the planet
There is no need for all these exorbitant monies to be spent
He also suggested to reduction in the number of embassies to four
One in New York, London, Europe and one roving ambassador
With these saving they could do more for the working poor

He called on GoB to do away with political appointees
Who are making exorbitant salaries?
In most cases they lack the qualification
Buoy cronyism is killing this nation!
It's unforgivable that San Ignacio
Does not have an ambulance
At times doctors are not in attendance
With no blood extractors
When police was pursuing child molesters

There is a few I recall from before
Those were made by uncles Theodore
The building of a highway from Dangriga to Belmopan
Every year that would have saved us 10 million
Hundreds of millions from (then to now) the time of the suggestion
George Price messed up that one!
Reopening the Commerce Bight Port
This did not require much effort it Belize only natural Port
The spend millions dredging Mango Creek and Port Loyola Ports

Before I forget I want to insist
That Belmopan hospital does not have a cardiologist
What type of nonsense is this?
In this area the Venezuelan government can assist
The agreement is on your table just sign the shizzz
This government is not about the people
They are about filling their pockets

Architects of Human History

By Abdulmajeed K. Nunez

When Garinagu talk about Ahari
They are talking about Annikai or Annikari
The architects of human history
February is the month of Black History
What an irony?
It's amazing how our story has been commercialized by the oligarchy
Hell bent on being subjects of the monarchy
We noh di teach our pickney
Their rich heritage, culture and legacy
Di tell dem rass bout slavery mi betta fi wi
When Africa was the cradle of humanity
Timbuktu is the blueprint of all modern universities

We have made the slave master our deity
They have used religion to enslave wi
By having us subscribe to religiosity
Ignoring our African spirituality
Calling it necromancy, we even gave the world freemasonry
Which they stole and corrupted calling it Illuminati
The truth is black family is the blue print for modern society
No other people in human history
Has done more for humanity
Black is beauty, no wonder the world is filled racism and jealousy
COINTELPRO, Eugenics, HIV, GMO are all tools of these fools desperation
To instill fear and fulfill their dreams of world domination

We gave the world language, math, physics, botany, agronomy,
We gave the world its first open heart surgery
We gave the world astrology, built pyramids so perfectly
We gave the world spirituality. That there fools at trying to control from Vatican City
We gave the world drafting but withheld the knowledge of cloning
We gave the world aviation, after mastering telepathy
We gave the world navigation, we were voyaging to and fro the Caribbean
Long before Columbus the madman made his first one

Belize was the trading guru of the region
When it came to agriculture and shipping we were number one
Stemming five hundred year in the region
200 years without competition
It was our blood sweat and tears that built Spain and England
We are still supplying our raw material to through Guatemala
Because our leaders have no vision, turning us into a nation of beggars
We need to teach our children about Samuel Haynes, Marcus Garvey, Phillip Goldson,
Cleopatra White, Cleopatra White and the Coconut King, TV Ramos and all the men and women of the various labour unions
Their life's work in making Belize a nation
The crowning of the Miskito kings
Henry Feaweather's surveying
Afreda Reyes and Loetene Gilletts frontline fighting
Nuri Muhammad, Bert Tucker, Cynthia Ellis and her father,
Evan X Hyde and the UBAD, Justice and Omar Shabazz
And the Nation of Islam
We need to teach the children about BREDDA and the Consortium
Tell them thanks
So they can tell us welcome, cause our work has just begun

Meeting the demands of the 21st century
Belize needs to rewrite its history
The history of its stolen legacy
Through the UN using the IMF money and their attempt to enslave wi
As a country we are struggling for a definition
Still struggling to integrate with the Caribbean and the Diaspora
Accepting labels like minority
When in fact we are the majority
The UN refuses to accept Belize as a black nation
The only black nation in Latin America
Giving us USAID, Amnesty international and the international economic citizen program
When they do not get their way they create a scandal
If you don't believe, ask the jackals

Apprenticeship Program

By Abdulmajeed K. Nunez

Belize has always had an apprenticeship program
That is one of the hallmarks of the this nation
This is an area in which many have made a contribution
Friendship youth club, Stafford youth group program
This was a part of the 50s, 60s, 70s Belize youth revolution
Liberty Hall had one for generations
Back in the days every established tradesman was part of the program

However after the heads of agreement in 1980 bredda man
The youth movements in Belize suffered deterioration
Killing the youths' dreams and aspirations
Ensuring that there was not another youth insurrection
The ruling party stifled all these programs
Encouraging political patronage
Systematically destroying the youths' vigor and courage
Any initiative for the youth upliftment was discouraged

They started half ass initiatives
Employing espionage; anytime they got too powerful they employed sabotage
Our best craftsmen and sports men went abroad searching for greener pastures
Whenever NGOs brought proposals government reneged
Imagine where Belize would be if the government fully supported
Imagine if where Belize would be if programs evaluation and monitoring was entrenched
Imagine where Belize would be if the Youth Enhancement Academy was supported
Imagine where Belize would if the multi-sporting complex proposal from NCH was accepted
Minster Montejo was not interested
Now we are reaping the benefits for not having invested

Belize needs a skilled labour force
The dropout rate for males is getting worse
The public service is saturated of course
Going back to the apprenticeship system is our only recourse
But it needs vision of course
Merging technical to for UB was a curse
Clearly our politicians were thinking like Smurfs

Thanks to the Almighty for Dianne Finnegan
With a range of experience from youth for the future and the prison
This sister clearly has the vision
With her youth apprenticeship program
Our youths are getting and education that well rounded
With international personalities the youths are elated
Her conviction is solid
Her principles are splendid
I am deeply moved by not afraid to speak truth to power
Molding youth to take over
Lobbying government getting the program fully funded
I'll give credit where it is due she must be supported
Getting parents and the community actively involved
Apprenticeship in Belize has indeed evolved
Our youth deviance problem is slowly being solved
This program must continue even after this government is dissolved