My TEDxDar Nominations (6 of 6): Creators of Bongo: A Film & Web Series

TEDxDar is happening in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, on 22 May 2010. The organizers are asking us to nominate speakers we think will be relevant to the mission, in particular relating to the session themes:

"What would Nyerere do?"

"Hadithi Zetu: Creating content to narrate our stories"

"The In-Between Spaces"

One group of people I nominated are the creators of Bongo: A Film & Web Series -- Film Makers Leah Nelson & Jay Grandin and Producer Leah Mallen.

Click on this link to learn more about Bongo, the film.

Also check out these links:

Giant Ant Media

Twofold Films

And visit Urban Project: opportunities through art. From their home page:

"Urban Project is a registered charity (No. 80611 9350 RR0001) dedicated to promoting employment, education and safer living opportunities for disadvantaged youth in urban locations throughout the world.

"As a vehicle for redistributing funds, our goal is to engage youth in artistic projects that fit with their current interests and passions.

"All funds raised are used to support a youth-focused project in a specific urban location.

"In 2008 we traveled to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, to conduct a music and filmmaking project with a group of young men who live and work on the streets. We returned in 2009 to follow up with these youth and pay for another year of housing and school fees."

Day 8: Donald Trump and a Chinese Folktale

Donald Trump and a Chinese Folktale:
Work hard, have fun, fulfill your calling.

The story so far ~

Day 1...
Day 2...
Day 3...
Day 4...
Day 5...
Day 6...
Day 7…

Today ~ Day 8:

My angle:

The eldest son may be you or someone else in your life. Maybe he’s your own fears and your inner critic. Maybe he’s one of the nay-sayers you know—those people who tell you your dreams are impossible and to buckle down and get real.

Also— the eldest son didn’t “Tough It Out” and he didn’t “Do More; Always Do More” —two pieces of wise advice from Donald Trump (scroll down for more from Mr. Trump).

The mystical angle:

The Magic Tapestry:

The eldest son traveled for more than a month. Finally, in a remote mountain pass, he came upon a fantastic Dragon Tower. Guarding the tower was a fierce protector spirit, and standing nearby was a stone horse.

“Where are you going?” demanded the guardian. “To find my mother’s tapestry,” replied the son. “That heavenly tapestry was whisked away by the fairies of Sun Mountain so that they could weave copies of it,” explained the guardian.

“You can get the tapestry back, but it will be very difficult. First you must knock out your two front teeth and place them in my horse’s mouth. He will come to life and eat these magic apples. If you dare, ride him to Sun Mountain.”

“First, you will have to pass through the Mountain of Fire. If you utter the slightest complaint, you will instantly be burned to ashes. Then you will have to cross the Sea of Ice, where, if you make the slightest shudder, you will be frozen into a crystal pillar!”

The eldest son’s face became as white as a ghost’s. The guardian studied him long and hard and then said, “Perhaps you would rather have a box of jewels!”

The guardian held out a box of fabulous jewels. The eldest son took the treasure and left without saying a word.

On his way home, the eldest son thought aloud, “Why should I share these with my family?”

So he didn’t go home. Instead, he went to the city and kept all the jewels for himself.

The Trump angle:

Donald Trump in Trump 101: The Way to Success: “I’ve been very lucky, and I’ve had many advantages like a great education and fabulous parents. I’m also tough, determined, and persistent, and there’s no way I would have become successful without these traits.

“Constantly try to top yourself. Begin by working with your internal processes; for example, how you greet each day. Before you get out of bed, take a few moments to welcome the day. Think of the reasons why today can be special or important for your future. Say aloud to yourself, 'What a great day!' …

“I thrive on challenges—on doing what others think cannot be done. I use challenges for self-motivation. To me, the best challenges are the ones I give myself…

“Never be satisfied. Don’t rest on your achievements. Do more, be more, and give more.”

My TEDxDar Nominations (5 of 6): Caroline Uliwa

TEDxDar is happening in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, on 22 May 2010. The organizers are asking us to nominate speakers we think will be relevant to the mission, in particular relating to the session themes:

"What would Nyerere do?"

"Hadithi Zetu: Creating content to narrate our stories"

"The In-Between Spaces"

One of the people I nominated is Caroline Uliwa. Caroline is a journalist, poet, and singer. Her blog is Ketronique: "space for self-empowerment, artistic endeavors African or global, here is space to document humility and its strengths." She is also on Facebook.

My TEDxDar Nominations (4 of 6): Demere Kitunga

TEDxDar is happening in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, on 22 May 2010. The organizers are asking us to nominate speakers we think will be relevant to the mission, in particular relating to the session themes:

"What would Nyerere do?"

"Hadithi Zetu: Creating content to narrate our stories"

"The In-Between Spaces"

One of the people I nominated is Demere Kitunga. Demere is director of Soma Book Cafe in Dar Es Salaam. She is a reading activist, publisher, and writer. Become a Fan of Soma Book Cafe on Facebook!

My TEDxDar Nominations (3 of 6): Muhidin Issa Michuzi

TEDxDar is happening in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, on 22 May 2010. The organizers are asking us to nominate speakers we think will be relevant to the mission, in particular relating to the session themes:

"What would Nyerere do?"

"Hadithi Zetu: Creating content to narrate our stories"

"The In-Between Spaces"

One of the people I nominated is Muhidin Issa Michuzi. Issa is an independent journalist, photographer, and blogger based in Dar Es Salaam. Click here to read his excellent blog.

My TEDxDar Nominations (2 of 6): Young Kimaro

TEDxDar is happening in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, on 22 May 2010. The organizers are asking us to nominate speakers we think will be relevant to the mission, in particular relating to the session theme: "What would Nyerere do?"

One of the people I nominated is Young Kimaro.

YOUNG KIMARO

Ms. Kimaro writes the weekly column, “Development with Commonsense” for Daily News of Dar Es Salaam

One of my recent favorites among her excellent weekly columns is

More on improving your child’s capacity to learn.

She and her husband now live in Moshi, where they have built a village library and are active in expanding its resources.

My TEDxDar Nominations (1 of 6): Ndesanjo Macha

TEDxDar is happening in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, on 22 May 2010. The organizers are asking us to nominate speakers we think will be relevant to the mission, in particular relating to the session theme: "What would Nyerere do?"

One of the people I nominated is Ndesanjo Macha.

NDESANJO MACHA is a Tanzanian blogger, journalist, lawyer, and digital activist. He is considered “the father of Wikipedia Swahili." Ndesanjo is the Sub-Saharan Africa editor at Global Voices Online. This is Ndesanjo on YouTube, in a 3-minute interview after he delivered the keynote at the Digital Citizen Indaba 2007 held at Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa:

Day 7: Donald Trump and a Chinese Folktale

Donald Trump and a Chinese Folktale:
Work hard, have fun, fulfill your calling.

The story so far ~
Day 1...
Day 2...
Day 3...
Day 4...
Day 5...

Day 6...

Today ~ Day 7:

My angle:
Donald Trump quotes Napoleon:
“A leader has the right to be beaten, but never the right to be surprised.”

Trump also says,
“If you don’t have problems, you don’t have a business.”

The mystical angle:

The Magic Tapestry:

Suddenly, when the older sons began to argue over who would sell the tapestry, a great wind blew in the window from the west. And swish—away went the tapestry out the door! Everyone chased after it, but it was blown too high. And then it vanished into the eastern sky.

The poor mother fainted. Her youngest son carried her into the house and laid her on a little wooden bed. He gently revived his mother with warm ginger soup, while the older sons only wailed at the loss of their fortune.

“Go, find my tapestry!” the mother pleaded with her eldest son as she opened her eyes. “It means more to me than life itself.” Reluctantly, the eldest son set out for the east.

The Trump angle:

Donald Trump in The Art of the Deal:
"Protect the downside and the upside will take care of itself. I happen to be very conservative in business. I always go into the deal anticipating the worst. If you plan for the worst—if you can live with the worst—the good will always take care of itself."

Donald Trump in Trump 101: The Way to Success:
"Expect problems to arise and never be surprised by them. No matter how carefully you plan, how well you anticipate, or how hard you work, problems will occur. Events will take place and situations will arise that are simply beyond your control. And they happen suddenly, without warning. That’s reality; that’s how it works…
"Keep your mind in the game: eliminate all distractions and give your full attention to your work. Understand that problems will occur, and some will be beyond your control. Concentrate on those you can control, and find people who can resolve the others."

Day 6: Donald Trump and a Chinese Folktale

Donald Trump and a Chinese Folktale:
Work hard, have fun, fulfill your calling.


The story so far ~
Day 1...
Day 2...
Day 3...
Day 4...
Day 5...

Today ~ Day 6:

My angle:
Live in time (focus, work, immersion) and outside of time (divine inspiration, don’t worry about how long or short it takes) at the same time (to achieve the finished result I want).

The mystical angle:

The Magic Tapestry: "Still, she kept on weaving day and night. Then at the end of the third year the mother went to her sons and declared, 'My work is finished!' And there it all was—the most heavenly tapestry ever made. Flowers shimmered with threads of brilliant sunlight and little animals danced magically throughout the woven pattern. The tapestry seemed to breathe with life."

The Trump angle:

Donald Trump in The Art of the Deal: "Think Big. One of the keys to thinking big is total focus…almost a controlled neurosis, which is a quality I’ve noticed in many highly successful entrepreneurs. They’re obsessive, they’re driven, they’re single-minded…but it’s all channeled into their work. Where other people are paralyzed by neurosis, the people I’m talking about are actually helped by it. I don’t say this trait leads to a happier life, or a better life, but it’s great when it comes to getting what you want."

Day 5: Donald Trump and a Chinese Folktale

Donald Trump and a Chinese Folktale:

Work hard, have fun, fulfill your calling.

The story so far ~

Day 1...
Day 2...
Day 3...
Day 4...

Today ~ Day 5:

My angle:

Fulfilling my calling as a writer is part divine inspiration, and part the grassroots drudgery of putting pen to paper.

The mystical angle:

The Magic Tapestry: "A year passed. The poor woman kept weaving every day. And she wove every night by the light of burning pine branches. The smoke hurt her eyes so much they became red. But still she would not stop. When her tears began to drop on her work, she wove them into the fabric as a clear flowing river and a crystal pool for fish...

"Another year passed and her reddened eyes began to bleed. She wove those tears of blood into the fabric as rays of the sun and petals of crimson flowers."

The Trump angle:

Donald Trump in Trump 101: The Way to Success:

"Where there’s a will, then a win. Being positive and persistent are inseparable…"

"Zap negative thoughts and replace them with positive ones. Whatever energy you expend will build the positive stamina that is vital for success."

"Keep Your Momentum Rolling…the powerful burst of energy that creates force, strength and the impetus to drive you forward."

Day 4: Donald Trump and a Chinese Folktale

Donald Trump and a Chinese Folktale:

Work hard. Have fun. Fulfill your calling.

The story so far ~

Day 1...

Day 2...

Day 3...

Today ~ Day 4:

My angle:

I let my intuition guide and re-energize me for the work I need to do.

The mystical angle:

The Magic Tapestry: "The youngest son understood his mother’s heart, so he alone went up to the mountain every day and chopped enough wood for the whole family."

The Trump angle:

Donald Trump in Trump 101: "Your gut is your best advisor. Identify your values and most cherished beliefs. Reinforce in your mind what is most important to you. Simply thinking about your values will influence the decisions you make…

Arrange some quiet time for yourself every day because it’s hard to think clearly when you’re always surrounded by commotion. Sometimes we have to tune out to tune in."

Day 3: Donald Trump and a Chinese Folktale

Donald Trump and a Chinese Folktale:
Work hard. Have fun. Fulfill your calling.

The story so far ~
Day 1...
Day 2...

Today ~ Day 3:


My angle:
Find the diamonds in the criticism and use them for my benefit. Then forget the haters and get back to work.


The mystical angle:



The Magic Tapestry: "Month after month, day after day, she worked on her loom. The two older sons began to complain, 'Mother, now you weave all the time but never sell anything. We are tired of chopping wood to support you.' 'I must finish this tapestry,' replied the widow."



The Trump angle:

Donald Trump in How to Get Rich: "Keep critics in perspective. Critics serve their purpose. Sometimes they serve a larger purpose, and sometimes they serve their own purpose. You have to assess the criticism and decide.

The Buck Starts Here. Maintain Your Momentum. Stay Focused.

Homework Is Required and There Will Be a Test. People see the finished product. Wow, a skyscraper! What goes into it is another story. Construction isn’t glamorous. It’s a serious and often dangerous endeavor…

The world moves along at such a fast clip that we have little patience when things are slow, whether it’s the line at the supermarket or Internet access. We’ve become intolerant of those things that cannot be accelerated or skipped entirely. I can’t speed up the foundation work for a building, nor can I expect to play piano like Glenn Gould just because I want to…

Find out as much as you can yourself about what you plan to do, and don’t expect anyone to act as your favorite grandmother in wanting what’s best for you. Most people want what’s best for themselves, not for you."

Day 2: Donald Trump and a Chinese Folktale

Donald Trump and a Chinese Folktale:
Work hard. Have fun. Fulfill your calling.

The story so far ~
Day 1...

Today ~ Day 2:


My angle:
What do I love to do?
What is my calling in life?
How can I fulfill my calling and use my power to do more good in the world?


The mystical angle:

The Magic Tapestry: "Long ago, a poor widow and her three sons lived in southern China. She was a weaver, as her mother and grandmother had been before her. But she had a special gift. She could weave the most beautiful tapestries of all."

The Trump angle:

Donald Trump in The Art of the Deal: "I don’t do it for the money. I’ve got enough, much more than I’ll ever need. I do it to do it. Deals are my art form. Other people paint beautifully on canvas or write wonderful poetry. I like making deals, preferably big deals. That’s how I get my kicks."

"I don’t spend a lot of time worrying about what I should have done differently, or what’s going to happen next. If you ask me exactly what the deals I’m about to describe all add up to in the end, I’m not sure I have a very good answer. Except that I’ve had a very good time making them."

Donald Trump in Trump 101: "Set the bar high. Make people ooh and aah. In everything you take on, ask, 'How can I make it better, how can I make a stronger statement, and how can I make it reflect better on me?' Then go out and do it."

Day 1: Donald Trump and a Chinese Folktale

Donald Trump’s hair changed my life—and starting today, it may change yours, too.

My story begins before Donald Trump’s hair came into my life — on the serendipitous day in fall 2006, when I discovered a certain Chinese folktale in the children’s section of my library. The folktale is called The Magic Tapestry, and is retold and illustrated in an out-of-print book by the children’s author Demi.

The Magic Tapestry captivated me as a story, and even more so as a blueprint for success and achieving my dreams. But because it’s a mystical story, I kept losing my mental grip on how to actually apply what it teaches.

Then Donald Trump arrived in my life.

Until January 2007, here’s all I knew about Donald Trump: success, rich, hair, confident. I didn’t watch “The Apprentice,” had not read Donald Trump’s books, and didn’t know any details of his career in real estate development. But one night that January, Donald Trump called into “Larry King Live” and started talking about his hair— which he loves. Larry King mentioned how Rosie O’Donnell was mocking his hair, but Donald could not have cared less. He LOVES his hair. And I thought, “I want that kind of confidence.”

I immediately read three of Donald Trump’s books: The Art of the Deal, How to Get Rich, and Trump 101: The Way to Success — and immersed myself in his attitude and approaches.

As I read his books, I realized how much Donald Trump’s perspectives jive and mesh with The Magic Tapestry.

In fact, Donald Trump and this Chinese folktale interweave into a phenomenal blend of the mystical and the pragmatic, creating a powerful blueprint for success — how to achieve your dreams.

Beginning tomorrow, I will show you how.

"TANZANIA"

Peace Through Fiction book proposal

The 11 novels of Peace Through Fiction ~

Tender Is the Night
by F. Scott Fitzgerald

White Noise
by Don DeLillo

Fight Club
by Chuck Palahniuk

The Handmaid’s Tale
by Margaret Atwood

Paradise of the Blind
by Duong Thu Huong

House of Sand and Fog
by Andre Dubus III

Beloved
by Toni Morrison

Devil in a Blue Dress
by Walter Mosley

The River Between
by Ngugi wa Thiong’o

The Reluctant Fundamentalist
by Mohsin Hamid

The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears
by Dinaw Mengestu

Peace Through Fiction book proposal

These are the 11 novels I'm using in Peace Through Fiction:

Tender Is the Night, F. Scott Fitzgerald
White Noise, Don DeLillo
Fight Club, Chuck Palahniuk
The Handmaid’s Tale, Margaret Atwood
Paradise of the Blind, Duong Thu Huong
House of Sand and Fog, Andre Dubus III
Beloved, Toni Morrison
Devil in a Blue Dress, Walter Mosley
The River Between, Ngugi wa Thiong’o
The Reluctant Fundamentalist, Mohsin Hamid
The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears, Dinaw Mengestu