Gye-Nyame Journey Media

  How to use Self Determination Kujichagulia is my favorite principle, because it exposes us to the power of defining. As you know I am a kuji baby, but even with that, I have to pay homage to the principle of the week (Ujamaa). This is the principle that deals with cooperation and resources, but Kujichagulia helps us identify what our resources are, how they can be used, and how they can and should be protected. Self Determination helps us decide as a group what borders we need to create on the community and tribal level. The same applies to our personal boundaries. These are important because it allows us to form unique identities that allow for separation. This separation allows us to distinguish between things. When we can distinguish we can take ownership. Now, many people are against this idea, but it is essential for us to understand this in the modern world. This is the foundation of Nation building. Once again the source is in Kujichagulia. Once we are able to identify the dif

  Great Ujamaa in this week of Ujima: These are two beautiful principles especially when they come together like today. we are forced to look at them and then take a hard look at ourselves, and think about whether we are exercising them. Ujima (which is the week that we are in) speaks to us about collective work and responsibility, but also in our system it represents the powerful and necessary principle of respect. Without respect nothing moves. Respect is like oil; it allows different parts to run smoothly together, and it reduces friction. Today's Principle is Ujamaa which talks to us about cooperation and resources, but it also represents the principle of gratitude, and reciprocity in our tribe. When we take the time and put these two principles together we get an unbeatable combination. A combination sorely needed in our communities. "Ujima reminds us of collective work and responsibility; but also respect, without it nothing moves." Today, I want to take a look at t

Before I go down the road of the title I want to reflect on what we discussed yesterday and bring it in line with today's idea. We focused on defining responsibilty. We stated that "taking responsibilty gives you power", but now brother ha2tim wants to to take it one step farther. When we take responsibility it puts us in the seat toward ownership, or it should. Ownership of a thing gives you control. There are many things in life that we cannot control; but, there is something that all men have some level of control over, and that is their own physical body - your mind and spirit too. See, I can't make the sun shine, but I can put on my shades. I can't make it rain, but I can get an umbrella or simply stay indoors. "Taking responsibility gives you power" When you think about your life, your career and all the things that are apart of your world, who owns them? Who do you give ownership to? If you think about your job, who owns it? Is it your company, o

Revolutions are not simply about tearing down the old and building up a new. They are about creating an environment to sustain change in a manner that has never been done before. In order for us to do that we must have an understanding of our resources and how to invest them into the things that will make change possible. In order for us to be successful in our revolution, we have to understand how we can create communities that support the development of future leaders. I know it sounds like a stretch but as you continue to read you will begin to see that it is necessary if we want change. The reason why this is so important is because our children are our future and if we do not teach them properly then we will get the same results over and over again. This is why Umoja & Ujamaa have been connected from the beginning of time - they are symbiotic with each other. If you want the freedom of Umoja then you have to have Ujamaa or else it will wither away like a flower without water.

Reciprocity is the act of returning something to someone who has given you something. In Gye Nyame culture, reciprocity is an integral part of daily life. To  understand why, one must first understand that the Ujamaa concept does not exist in isolation; it is at the very heart of our belief system and culture. Ujamaa requires reciprocity from everyone throughout the community which includes both giving and receiving within it. No other element or quality can be found in our system without it being regarded as lacking in some way if there was no reciprocity involved with it. The individual members of our community are taught that when they receive something, they must return the favor so that they are experiencing a balance of giving and receiving throughout their lives. This balance then allows us to experience an overall sense of harmony throughout our group which is necessary for us to function together in peace and tranquility since our group members recognize that they will be depe

Have you ever felt an overwhelming desire to do good for your people and community, but felt like you didn't have the resources or know-how to make a difference? If so, you're not alone. We've been conditioned to believe that our impact is limited to the amount of money we spend or the number of hours we volunteer. But what if there was a way to reach more people and make a bigger impact without spending a dime? Ujamaa is about learning how to share resources and cooperate so that we can build up our communities and move to the next phase of nation building. But it appears that many of us overlook the goldmine that is sitting right under our own feet. We think that our wealth sits outside of us in houses, cars, clothes, shoes or other material possessions, when in fact the only thing we truly possess are the five parts of our being. We are in the world today struggling to survive when we have not yet unleashed the full potential of our Kuumba. We have unleashed it for other

  You Don't Owe Anyone $#!+ For Free. This might sound harsh, but it's not—it's inspiring. It's liberating. It means that you don't have to do things just because they want you to. You don't have to conform. You don't have to give in or give up your dreams and goals. Everyone is trying to get you to give up something of value to them, whether it's your time, your money, or even just your attention. But you don't owe anyone any of that. You can choose to do what you want, when you want, and how you want. You can choose to be selfish and self-centered if you want. It's all a matter of choice. The world is made of people who choose to make choices that benefit themselves in both a good as well as a bad way. And because everyone has a different set of values and things they're looking for in this world, the best way for us to create wealth is to make sure we have something valuable to offer and then make sure others have access to it. That requir

"How can we overcome failure if not through action?" Today we are called to look at the power within the cycle of reciprocity. The power to overcome failure, the power to lead yourself and those around you, and the power to build strong communities that break the shackles of poverty. The cycle of reciprocity is built on a fundamental truth: Sow what you want to reap. What this means is if you want to reap something in your life, you must sow it first. As Marcus Garvey would say: "A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots." So first we must understand where we come from and what our history has been in order to change our future. It is our goal today to learn more about the roots of reciprocity so that we can continue to sow seeds of success for ourselves and others. In order for us to create a healthy environment for our children, there must be an understanding that we have all sown some good and some bad i

I think we could all agree, at the least abstractly, that we want to live in a world without fear. Let's break it down and go on a run-through of some ideas, principles and practices which are fundamental to overcoming fear. Then maybe you'll see why you should take a closer look at the principle of Ujamaa, and how it's intersection with other principles helps us overcome fear and build friendship through the proper use of reciprocity and gratitude. The first idea I'd like to bring up is Ma'at, which is roughly equivalent to the western idea of justice - but with an important distinction. Ma'at wasn't about punishment or vengeance; it was about restoration, harmony and balance. One way to think about it is this: when someone violates a boundary, they have knocked the system out of balance, and Ma'at is there to restore that balance by restoring that boundary. If someone steals your bike, Ma'at seeks not to punish them as much as it seeks to return yo

 Great Ujamaa: In this episode we explore the difference between being serious and taking ourselves seriously. Taking our history seriously, really looking at it, and understanding how we got to where we are today is essential. Taking our principles seriously is also essential. Being serious about them, however, will not get us anywhere. What will? Taking ourselves personally seriously, being accountable and responsible for everything that we do and say, realizing that what truly matters is how we live. If we live with integrity – if we are kind and compassionate towards others – the rest will follow. We can change the world by changing ourselves first. And when I say "we", I mean "you", because you are in charge of your own life. Responsibility and accountability are the keys to making things happen in our own lives. How much do you take yourself personally seriously? How much do you really want to make a change in your life? Do you have enough responsibility and a

Peace FAM: Wasted resources are killing our community. Especially resources that we have control over. I am going to hit on some sensitive ideas in this article and the video so I need to warn you advance. I woke up and started thinking about the role of gender in a culture, and asked why were they important. Gender roles were established to help bring order in the culture. Each individual was assigned roles at birth, as well as from the community. These roles helped to advance the society. The interaction between the genders produced the life that enabled the culture to exist as well as the community that adhered to the role. Now in these days and times these roles have been allowed to slip into each other forming whole other groups of individuals. Now where you stand on this is your business, and is not part of my discussion, but it is something that I felt that I need to cover. We as Africans in America, also known as Black folks are in no position to be arguing about these gend

Peace FAM: Pardon the lateness, but the files with the effects are bigger than I imagined and this one took 2 hours to upload, so that throws off my time table and I have to wait for a break to post. Break time and today is moving in slow motion for me. I am struggling on the warrior diet, because my body is telling me that it wants to eat, but it is more of a want than a need. Yesterday I ate my meal, and could not finish it. This was shocking because I thought I was hungry then as well. Taming the body is a Herculean task but I am up for it. I know you are reading this wondering what does the warrior diet have to do with today's topic. I am discovering that I am eating to feel emotional lacks in my life. Eating gives me a sense of comfort. Like many of you who will take the Challenge , you will begin to discover new things about yourself, and you will begin to recognize where you are wasting alot of energy. Our emotions are the driving force in our lives, and if we don't l