Today News Africa Newsletter – Issue #111

Tigray’s defense forces take over region’s capital forcing Ethiopian government officials and forces to flee and declare cease-fire in massive turning point • Today News Africa..…READ MORE

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Today News Africa Newsletter – Issue #109

Here are our top stories today. Whenever our articles are shared by more than 65 thousand people , over 30 thousand people or even just over 9 thousand people as you can see from the first three stories below, we receive a lot of reactions from our readers, and sometimes also, a lot of negative emails. In recent weeks, we have been receiving a lot of negative emails from Ethiopia, mainly from supporters of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali telling us they would be winning the “cyber war” against Today News Africa and against the “western media”

To Read more inside Today NewS Africa Issue #109 Please CLICK HERE

Personal and Professional Development, How to Achieve it?

Growth is a continuous learning process of life. Personal and Professional Development are the two closely related terms in the growth process of humans. To become professional in any field of life, we first need to work on personal growth.

Albert Einstein once said that “if you continue to do things as you have always done them, you will get the same results”.

That is why if we want to achieve personal development we have to leave our comfort zone and continue to evolve since our attitude and what we do will mark our growth as a human. That maturity that we are going to achieve will extend to all areas of our lives, making us the professionals that all businesses and companies want to have. Hence, personal and professional developments are closely related to each other.

Let us show you how!

Personal development is the characteristic that helps you to be a better professional. The values being a person of integrity and honesty who behaves consistently is, without a doubt, one of the main values that someone can bring from a personal point of view to their working life. They are aspects that are united and that must be reflected in the way of acting in the workplace.

Humility:

Humility is a virtue that is learned and exercised throughout life. It consists of recognizing your own limitations and recognizing the worth of others.

Optimism:

Seeing things from a positive point of view will carry over into the workplace. There is nothing more disheartening than working alongside someone who always thinks everything is going to go wrong. Instead, the optimistic person infects their attitude.

Consistency:

Having a strong vision, being persistent and working hard is essential to achieve professional goals in life. Whoever does not give up on any aspect of their life ends up achieving most of their goals and what is fundamental in the world of work, spreads their attitude to the rest of the team.

Commitment:

Most companies today demand a commitment that goes beyond signing in and out. It requires considering the company as yours and living its successes and failures as if they are personal. If you are a committed person, it will be easier for you to establish links with the company.

Organize:

Being organized is very useful in the workplace and personally. All companies highly value a person who is capable of planning a series of actions and complying with the guidelines.

Image from Unsplash

Professional skills that can lead you to improve personal development:

“What holds most people back isn’t the quality of their ideas, but their lack of faith in themselves. You have to live your life as if you are already where you want to be.” Russell Simmons

Initiative:

Being able to make decisions, take risks, initiate projects and promote actions.

Leadership:

Those who want to be a leader in the workplace have to develop a series of qualities that they will incorporate into their private life at the same time, such as the ability to make decisions, identify objectives or manage teams. Here’s Leadership and Emotional Intelligence.

Work management:

Those who know how to manage their occupations well will also be able to do the same on a personal level. A person who learns to be organized in his work will extrapolate that knowledge into his private life.

The ability for interpersonal relationships communication and good disposition contribute to generating a good work environment. Having a tolerant and open attitude facilitates interaction with other people on a personal and professional level.

Flexibility:

Nobody wants a worker who castles in his position and is not able to twist his arm. Flexibility is vital and allows you to adapt, not only to working conditions but also to those around you.

Teamwork:

Working as a team is essential and learning to do it is not as simple as we may think. It requires being humble, knowing how to listen and if it is our role, to command.

Tips to improve personal and professional development:

Self-knowledge:

When you know yourself as a professional, you know yourself as a person. You will know your strengths, but also your weaknesses, which will make you a better worker, since you will know how to exploit the first and minimize the second.

Training:

If we want to grow in the labor market, training has to be constant. In a world that evolves at a dizzying pace, continuous training and retraining are essential; be growing through learning. Of course, you should try to enrich your profession and avoid dispersing.

Definition of objectives:

What goals do you want to achieve in the short and long term Do these goals imply changes on a personal level Verbalize your goals, analyze how to achieve them and rethink them if you think they are not realistic.

We all want to improve as professionals. If you put into practice all the advice that you have seen, you will surely achieve full personal and professional development.

What is Positive Self talk: It’s Importance and Benefits

What is Positive Self talk?

Self talk dialogue is your internal dialogue what you have with yourself. It is influenced by your subconscious mind and reveals your thoughts, beliefs, questions, and ideas. Positive Self talk can be one of the most powerful tools towards a better mental and physical health.

Self talk can be both negative and positive. It can be encouraging and on the other hand, it can be distressing. Much of your internal dialogue depends on your personality. If you are optimistic, your internal dialogue can be more hopeful and positive. The opposite is generally true if you tend to be pessimistic.

“Watch what you tell yourself, you’re likely to believe it.” Russ Kyle

Positive thinking and optimism can be used as an effective stress management tools. In fact, having a more positive outlook on life can provide you with some fruitful health benefits. For example, according to a 2010 study, optimists have a better quality of life.

If you think your self-talk is too negative, or you want to emphasize positive self talk, you can learn to change that self talk. It can help you be a more positive person and it can improve your health.

Why to practice self talk?

Let’s discuss the four reasons to practice self-talk. Looking in the mirror and starting an internal dialogue has some good benefits for your health and personality, do you know what they are?

Popular with kids and forgotten by adults; do you know what we’re talking about? The possibilities of finding an answer are endless, but we’ll give you a hint: it’s about imagining. Yes, internal dialogue usually requires some creativity and zero grief.

In addition, this act has other benefits for our minds. In general, experts say that this dialogue is healthy for both children and adults. Talking to yourself is often most productive when thought and action are combined.

Image from Unsplash ( Jack Sharp @jacksharp_photography )

In society, this practice can be perceived as eccentric because we have been taught that people with mental problems are the ones who tend to speak in whispers. It is true that some diseases can be expressed through internal dialogue. But let’s face it: it is time to leave prejudices behind, and if this activity allows you to find a better state of being, why not give it a try?

In this sense, Dr. Paloma Mari-Beffa, professor of psychology at Bangor University, explains the effects of talking to yourself. First of all, speaking out loud can be translated as an extension of the internal conversation. In addition, it can provide a disposition to mental stimuli, and this occurs from infancy to adulthood. Here’s How to Eliminate Negative Thoughts from your Life?

Benefits of internal dialogue:

Stimulate success:

The power of self-confidence at its finest, raising self-esteem works even when the stimulus is coming from yourself, so boost your confidence through this dialogue. According to a study carried out with 72 tennis players, who practiced internal dialogue had greater confidence and better results in their game.

But this not only works to improve our actions but also our self-perception. If we talk negatively about ourselves all the time, this will most likely lead to a negative result. So, talk amazing about yourself!

“The way you choose to think and speak about yourself (to yourself and others), is a choice! You may have spent your whole life talking about yourself in a negative way, but that doesn’t mean you have to continue that path.” Miya Yamanouchi

Self talk allows greater self-control:

One way to prevent negative words or actions from coming out is by speaking them internally. In this sense, an investigation from the University of Toronto points out that talking to yourself is a way to achieve emotional self-control.

“Loving or hating the life you are living is solely all in your repeated self-talk.” Edward Mbiaka

Somehow we give each other messages all the time and we intend to regulate those thoughts before carrying them out. If you think that your inner voice does not exist, before saying or doing something take a few minutes to see what your inner self responds.

Benefits internal dialogue from a Psychology point of view:

Increase cognitive performance:

If you think better, your brain works better. According to a study, when measuring the concentration and performance of some people who read aloud and others who read some instructions silently, it was found that reading aloud produced better results.

In a nutshell:

The stereotype of the mad scientist talking to himself, lost in his own inner world, could reflect the reality of a genius who uses all the means at his disposal to increase his intellectual capacity.

Strengthens memory:

The best recommendation that the experts have for you is that if you are looking to remember something, all you have to do is read it or say it out loud. According to a study, a useful way to retain written information is by reading aloud. “This study confirms that learning and memory benefit from active participation,” says Colin M. MacLeod, a co-author of this research. Here’s How to improve your memory?

How does it work?

Before going to practice more self-talk, you need to identify what negative thinking holds you back in life. This type of self-talk generally falls into 4 different categories:

• Customizing: You blame yourself for everything.
• Increasing: You ignore each and every positive aspect of a situation and focus on the negative.
• Catastrophizing: It is when you expect the worst will happen, and you rarely let logic or reason convince you otherwise.
• Polarizing: In this type of scenario you only see the world in black and white, or good and bad. There is nothing in between and there is no middle ground to process and classify life events.

When you begin to recognize your negative thinking types, you can work to turn them into positive thoughts. This task takes practice and time and does not happen overnight. But the good news is that it can be done. A 2012 study about self talk shows that even young children can learn to correct negative self-talk.

You might also like, How to Reduce Stress with Mindfulness Meditation?

What are some examples of Positive and Negative self talk?

Let’s show you some examples of how you can turn negative self-talk into positive self-talk. But again, remember that it takes practice. Recognizing some of your own negative conversations in these scenarios can help you develop skills to turn your mind around when it occurs.

Negative: I will disappoint everyone if I change my mind.

Positive: I easily can change my mind. Others will understand.

Negative: I failed and embarrassed myself.

Positive: I’m proud of myself for even trying. That took courage.

Negative: I am overweight and out of shape. It might as well not bother me.

Positive: I am capable and strong, and I want to be healthier for myself.

Negative: I disappointed everyone on my team when I didn’t score.

Positive: Sport is a team event. We win and we lose together.

Negative: there is simply no way this will work.

Positive: I can and will give everything to make it work.

How do I use this daily?

Positive self talk takes practice, effort and consistency if it’s not your character. If you are generally more pessimistic, you can learn to change your self-talk to be more positive and encouraging.

However, developing a new habit takes time and effort. Over time, your thoughts can change. Positive self-talk can become your norm. However, here are the tips that can help:

Identify negative thinking: Many different situations can increase your doubts and lead to more negative self-talk. Work events, for example, can be particularly difficult. Noting when you experience the most negative self-talk can help you anticipate and prepare.

Control your feelings: Stop during bad days or events and evaluate your self-talk. Is it turning negative? How can you turn it around?

Find the humor: Hilarity is one of the best tools to relieve stress and tension. When you need a boost for positive conversation, find ways to laugh, like watching funny animal videos or a comedian.

Surround yourself with positive people: Society has a greater impact on a person’s mindset. Whether you notice it or not, you can absorb the perspective and emotions of the people around you. This could be positive and negative, so choose the company of positive people where possible.

Give yourself positive reminders: Sometimes seeing positive words or inspiring images can be enough to redirect your thoughts. Post small in your office, at home, and anywhere you spend a significant amount of time.

Why is it good for you?

Self-talk can improve your performance and general well-being. For example, research shows that self-talk can help athletes with performance. You can help them with stamina or power through a set of heavyweights.

Additionally, positive self-talk and a more optimistic outlook can have other health benefits, including:

• Increased vitality
• Greater satisfaction with life
• Improved immune function
• Reduced pain
• Better cardiovascular health
• Better physical well-being
• Reduced risk of death
• Less stress and anguish

It’s unclear why optimists and people with more positive self-talk experience these benefits. However, research suggests that people with positive self-talk may have mental skills that allow them to solve problems, think differently, and be more efficient in dealing with difficulties or challenges. Moreover, positive self talk can reduce the destructive effects of stress and anxiety.

When should I seek support to practice self talk?

Positive self-talk can help you improve your personality and also your perspective on life. It can also have positive health benefits, including better well-being and a better quality of life. However, self-talk is a habit created throughout life.

If you tend to have negative self-talk and are wrong on the side of pessimism, you can learn to change it. It takes time and practice, but you can develop positive and stimulating self-talk with mindfulness.

Note: If you find that you are not successful on your own, talk to a therapist. Mental health experts can help you identify sources of negative self-talk and learn how to flip the switch. You can take advice from a healthcare provider, or ask a friend or family member for a better suggestion.

Welcome to Project Gutenberg

Project Gutenberg is a library of over 60,000 free eBooks….To Find Out More…

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Hawassa University Rules & Regulations for Examination & Invigilation

Dear Colleagues,

Kindly find the rules and regulations for examination in our University.

Regards,

Fisiha Getachew (PhD)

Academic Vice President, Hawassa University

1-hawassa-university-rules-and-regulations-for-examination-and-invigilationDownload

Governing contested cities in Federations:Urban Politics,Confilcts and Policies of Addis Ababa & Dire Dawa, Ethiopia_ By Milkessa Midega

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The Law of Attraction: Tech and Teens in the Library

Technological initiatives that can be used to attract students to the library

Attracting young people to the library can often be a challenge, there’s many competing demands on a student’s time, so how can school libraries engage with this busy cohort? A great way to entice young people in to any library is by utilising new and innovative technologies. Let’s take a look at some of the current technologies and how libraries are using them to catch everyone’s attention!

Library Website

The library’s website is usually our first impression for young library patrons, so it’s worth getting it right. A clunky and out-dated website is a sure fire way to immediately lose people’s interest. Take some time to read and learn about web design; a lot of the theory is easy to understand and implement. To start: get rid of daggy clipart, reduce the text, embrace white space, and build from a user’s perspective. Talk to your patrons and find out what their key needs are – are they mainly interested in library programs? Or finding books? Make this information front and centre, and avoid Librarian jargon if you can.

A library’s website is not ‘set and forget’ – it’s a fluid site that needs consistent updates. Has a program ended or a deadline passed? Remove that information from your pages! Broken links are frustrating for patrons, so make sure to check them frequently. Include patron created content like book reviews or video book trailers if you can, as utilising their voices helps to create a sense of ownership and community. You don’t need to be a tech whiz to build a great website, many providers offer simple ‘drag and drop’ templates for you to fill in with your information. Look into companies like LibGuides, Softlink, or even WordPress.

eBooks & Audiobooks

Now that you’ve  got a great website, you can fill it with digital content. Attracting students to the library can encompass both the physical and digital spaces. We’ve found our students still prefer print books over eBooks – but that doesn’t mean they don’t have a place! During remote learning, eBooks were a necessity. Over school holidays, students can still access our collection. Popular books that are hard to get their hands on, are usually still available as an eBook alternative. Even students who forgot their book for English class can easily borrow the eBook to get them through the day. Audiobooks have also proven popular, and have enabled more accessibility by providing a wider range of formats.

Our school library doesn’t purchase individual licenses, we pay a subscription fee to OverDrive whose Librarian curates a collection for high school students. We share access to this collection with some other schools. If cost is a barrier, remember there are many free eBooks available, mostly the ‘classics’. You can use a website such as Project Gutenberg and add these resources in to your catalogue.

Makerspaces

Makerspaces are an incredibly popular way to bring exciting technology into the library. These spaces usually offer services like 3D printing, coding clubs, tinkering with robotics, and all sorts of STEM related activities. The most important step in starting a makerspace is having a clear plan. Deciding to purchase a pile of shiny new technology because it’s ‘the cool new thing’ without a cohesive plan is a recipe for disaster. Think about what activities would best suit your patrons, as well as who will be able to offer training on the technologies in use. Also, how will you ensure appropriate use of these likely expensive products? Are there going to be ongoing costs for extra parts or supplies, and will you charge users any fees? Do you plan to allow use of the Makerspace only through library led sessions, or can patrons book in at their leisure? How do you intend to promote this new space? There are many questions to think about before getting started to ensure successful implementation of your new space.

The reason Makerspaces are so effective at engaging young people is that they are hands on. It’s learning through play, where the learning isn’t explicit or the main goal. It’s more of a consequence of having fun with the technologies (or other-low tech products like LEGO) on offer. Giving students free range to be creative and use their imagination to make anything they want is a powerful way to open up the library to them.

Games

Continuing on the theme of having fun – offering games can be an excellent way to engage young people. Many libraries have capitalised on the popularity of games such as Minecraft to connect with their patrons. For example, check out LibraryCraft run by Western Australian Libraries. Some Libraries lend out video games, others have consoles and computers set-up to play in their space. There’s a broad range of ways to utilise these games, offering co-operative clubs like eSports teams, or some friendly competitions such as a Mario Kart battle. Simple and free games such as Google Quick Draw can be a fun way to catch people at your entrance way (try a big touchscreen!) and entice them to continue inside for more . Designing a library leader board is a great way to showcase and encourage participation.

To take it to the ‘next level’ (pardon the pun), Libraries can integrate virtual or augmented reality technologies.  For example, some libraries utilised Pokémon Go’s augmented reality game, where students could catch Pokémon hiding in the library. These technologies don’t have to break the bank, with options including open source cardboard smartphone viewers. These technologies can be a lot of fun and will likely continue to improve and become more accessible in the coming years.

There’s a broad range of technologies to try out, with options for a range of contexts and budgets. Getting your student’s foot in the door is half the battle, so use that tech to catch their attention and give them the opportunity to see all the great things your library has to offer!DOES YOUR LIBRARY HAVE PROBLEMS WITH PRINTING?

We will be back next week with another interesting article from the library world!

Want more insights from libraries across the world?

Find us on Twitter and Facebook and subscribe to our blog to receive new library insights directly to your e-mail.

Michelle De Aizpurua

Michelle De Aizpurua is an ALIA qualified Librarian with a Master of Information Studies from Charles Sturt University. She has six years industry experience in tertiary and secondary educational libraries, and is the current Library Coordinator at East Doncaster Secondary College in Melbourne. She has previously worked across both Business and Law faculties at Monash and Deakin Universities. Michelle’s career focus has been on developing students’ information and digital literacy skills, particularly by utilising eLearning tools. She is passionate about supporting educators, innovating and utilising new technologies, promoting literacy, and instilling a life-long love of reading in her library patrons.

Twitter: @MissLibraryGrrl

Blog: https://misslibrarygrrrl.wordpress.com/

Email: michelle.deaizpurua@education.vic.gov.au

Be true to Yourself | Love Yourself

What does this mean: “Be true to yourself”, words like honesty, integrity, value systems, and self-worth comes to mind. If you really love yourself, be true to yourself.

Actually, being true to yourself is identifying your inner-self, inner compass, and sticking to it. It means you aren’t trying to please people to prove your goodness; rather you are focused on doing what is right. Sometimes this will require you to go against the grain of popular cultural traditions or societal norms and beliefs. However, it is the most redemptive way to live. If you’re true to yourself then you can be true to anyone and this is the main thing everyone needs to achieve in life.

Being true to yourself isn’t so easy that can be done without any efforts. It is not a small task and does not happen overnight. Instead, it happens in the small picks of everyday life. It is deliberately choosing not to bend over with every wind that blows and declining to be a people pleaser but choosing the right things that matter the most.

Image Source: Unsplash

To Be true to Yourself:

In this article, I am going to share 6 tips that might be helpful for you to be true to yourself. So, you must;

1. Know your Self-worth:

Do you know what your ethics and values are?

Identify your ethics and values and stick with them. Sit down and analyze the kind of person that you are and the kind of person that you want to be, and then work on becoming that person.

Find out what you really want out of life and chase it. Recognize your Self-worth boost up your self-esteem. Accept yourself, flaws, and all.

“If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything” Alexander Hamilton.

2. Tell yourself the Truth:

Stop sugar coating things. Be honest with yourself. Live your life with integrity and honor. If you can’t be honest with yourself, then you can’t be honest with others.

Be authentic and take responsibility for your life and your actions.

As Mahatma Gandhi nicely quoted; “Be congruent. Be authentic. And be your true self.”

3. See the Best in You:

Treat yourself in the best possible way. The way you treat yourself tells people how to treat you. Love yourself and love people around you. Loving each other is the key to success, the push that some people need to overcome their limits.

Success needs improvement in yourself, your skills, and your abilities. Speak kind words to yourself. Be the best version of yourself every time, even when no one is watching.

4. Learn from your Mistakes:

Mistakes and failures are part of our lives. No one is perfect. Everyone makes mistakes. So, it’s okay to make mistakes sometimes because you as a human being are imperfect. See your mistakes as learning opportunities. Be kind to yourself even after doing something injudicious. Allow yourself; to grow, improve, and evolve with every change.

So, you don’t have to be the same person you were yesterday. Learn from your mistakes and learn to be true to yourself.

5. Learn to say No:

In a world, where everyone seems to be selfish and jealous of others, not everyone will like you and your choices. Be okay with that, after all, you’re not ice-cream. Surround yourself with positive people who support you; who encourage you and see the best in you.

6. Improve your Self-confident:

Don’t be afraid to be you. Speak up, live boldly, and freely. Don’t shrink yourself to feed people’s insecurity. God has created you gorgeous; so be the person that God wants you to be.

Image Source: Unsplash

Believe me! Everything is possible. It is only a matter of self-belief. Something basic in life is setting small goals that can be achieved. Big goals lead to big failures; however, small short-term goals will be your great ally to achieve your final goals. If you believe in yourself, that you can achieve it, then your path begins to straighten and with effort and perseverance, you achieve what you set out to do.

Where insecurity and low self-esteem reign, failure usually reigns. If you don’t believe in yourself, it is very difficult for you to achieve what you set out to do. Self-confidence is something fundamental and it serves on many occasions to guide our paths.

I like to be able to encourage you, be part of your day to day and show you that if I want something, something costs me, but I get it. There is nothing that perseverance and hard work cannot achieve.

So, fight for what you want and you will reach very high. In my case, my luck to be able to work on what is my passion, allows me to share hundreds of stories every day. Every day when I wake up, I know that there will be new people wanting to change their life, and this is a real boost of energy for me.