EDITORIAL: We salute world day of (extended) families

Today – May 15 of the year – has its fair share of ‘firsts’ in History down the ages. This is regardless of the fact that not all such events are of much historical significance.

However, May 15th has two major events of global or universal implications for countries in particular, and humankind in general.

These are the ‘International Day of Families’ (IDF) and the ‘International Conscientious Objectors Day’ (ICOD) – both of which can be observed by one and all, regardless.

But, we choose to deal with the former here today...

Proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly as Resolution A/RES/47/237 of 1993, the International Day of Families has since then been observed worldwide on May 15 of each succeeding year.

If nothing else, this reflects the importance the international community attaches to families. With ‘Families and New Technologies’ its theme this year, IDF-2021 focuses on the impact of new technologies on the well-being of families...

As it is, megatrends – including new technologies, demographic shifts, rapid urbanization and migration trends, as well as the seemingly relentless climate change – have been dramatically shaping our world every which way.

This is to say nothing of the prolonged new coronavirus pandemic code-named ‘Covid-19,’ which has amply demonstrated the importance of digital technologies for work, education, communications and health-care in general since it surfaced in China late in 2019.

Basically, ‘family’ means a parent or two and their children living together as a unit. But, in Tanzanian and African culture, the term traditionally means a ‘family’ that extends beyond the nuclear family – and usually includes grandparents, aunts, uncles and other relatives living in one household or nearby.

Therefore, the annual ‘International Day of Families,’ May 15, means a lot for us in Tanzania and Africa generally – and, if only because of this, we have every reason to acknowledge and salute Families Day!

GO GET IT DONE, SIMBA SC!

Tanzania’s premier sports club Simba play South Africa’s Kaizer Chiefs in their first-leg quarterfinals football match of the African Champions League at the FNB Stadium in Johannesburg from 7pm Tanzanian time.

The encounter is important for Simba if it is to qualify for the semi-finals for the first time ever.

Simba reached the quarterfinals in 2018/19 – but failed to qualify for the semi-finals.

We, therefore, urge the Simba players not to rest on their thinly-spread laurels this time.

They must realise that they are playing against one of the toughest teams in Africa – and must, therefore, try hard to do their best in today’s match.

Indeed, the players must not only excel in the quarter-and-semis; they must also focus on winning the Caf trophy – thereby getting into African soccer’s history books.

The players must, beginning today, double and redouble their efforts on the playing field to sustain their winning streak well into the Championship’s finals.

Simba has already done this in the previous matches, and nothing should really be in their way in seeking to win match after every coming match, thereby taking Tanzania’s reputation in the soccer stakes to higher regional, continental – and even global – levels.

C’mon, Simba, we say: go on out there and GET IT DONE!