Just what are beliefs? They are the conscious and unconscious information that we have accepted as true. Unfortunately, our beliefs often imprison us and deny us access to what is real. A filter of
misconceptions prohibits Truth’s passage and we see only what we want, and reject everything else.
Truth can never be revealed to the so-called “firm and real believer.” You know the type: always quoting “facts.” He does not want to recognize anything outside of his belief and sees everything with which he disagrees as a threat.

 He goes through life labeling all that is new, different and enlightening as “evil” or, at least “unacceptable,” and all that is old, traditional and suppressing as “good.” He cannot understand
that Truth – no matter how painful – is always by its very nature, “good,” and that a lie – regardless of how much we are in love with it- is always, by its very nature, “bad.” To protect his beliefs, he builds a wall around his world. Some “firm believers” have a big wall and some a small one but, regardless of the size of the structure, it can only serve to shut out more of the Truth than it can hold.

The person who is a “firm believer” has no option to change his mind. This makes him ignorant. He can only recognize what lies within the walls he has built around himself and is prevented from exploring the limitless Truth, which lies outside the wall. What he fails to realize is that Truth is always greater than any structure built to contain it. Belief and faith are not the same thing and should not be confused.

Unlike belief, faith is not totally limiting. It recognizes there is more to discover and know, and that one must always seek to unfold more and more of the Truth. With faith, all things are possible. The “firm believer” always thinks he knows the answer. The person with faith, aware that there is always more to learn, about his or herself, constantly seeks enlightenment.

 

Maafisa usalama kaskazini mwa India jimboni Haryana na Punjab wamekuwa katika tahadhari ya hali ya juu kabla ya hukumu tata dhidi ya mhubiri mkuu wa dini nchini humo kukutwa na hatia ya ubakaji.

Wafuasi wa Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh walianzisha vurugu kufuatia hukumu dhidi ya kiongozi huyo ilipotishwa mwishoni mwa wiki. Inaarifiwa kuwa watu thelathini na nane wamefariki dunia katika ghasia hizo.
Kufuati hali hiyo Shule na vyuo waliamriwa kufungwa katika mji wa Rohtak, mahali ambapo mahakama maalum iliandaliwa ndani ya jela moja.
Wakaazi wa eneo hilo wameshauriwa kutotoka majumbani kwao . Mtuhumiwa alijiweka katika hali ya utakatifu maishani mwake , ambaye anadai kuwa na mamilioni ya wafuasi, anakabiliwa na kifungo cha chini cha miaka saba jela na kifungo cha maisha jela.
Serikali ya BJP katika jimbo hilo imekumbwa na upinzani mkubwa na lawama ya kushindwa kudhibiti vurugu hizo.

 
Funding for Arts, helps the practices and developments of culture for a community. Funding for arts is provided to;
-Individual artists
-Organizations that base their practices in arts.
Many organizations offer grants which are mostly designed for organizations and not for an individuals, though there are few organizations open the doors for Individual artists.
Funding for arts organizations include; organizational operations, organizational development, project assistance etc.
Procedures on selecting an Arts Funding Program

• Ensure the program best fit your project
• Make sure your project relies under artistic discipline, in most cases artistic discipline are defined in the following areas; visual arts, dance, music/sound, theater/performing arts, writing story, media arts, interdisciplinary arts etc.
• Ensure your project idea nature falls under the artistic discipline , and basically project will relate to travel, creation for new works, art production, capacity building etc.
• Consider your level of experience. In arts, the level of experience is determined by training and apprenticeship.

 
Katika hatua ya uibuaji wa mradi (Project Plan), ni baadhi ya taarifa tu (facts and issues) hujulikana na zingine hazijulikani. Kutojulikana kwa taarifa hizi zingine (Unknown facts &issues/total guesswork) haipaswi kuwa sababu ya kutokuwa na mradi, hivyo ni jukumu la timu ya uibuaji wa mradi kujenga dhana juu ya taarifa hizi ambazo hazijulikani (Assumptions on unknown facts & issues) Dhana lazima zijengwe kwa uangalifu na ufikiriaji mpana (They should be educated guess; a likely conditions, circumstances)

Dhana na vikwazo mradi (Project Assumptions&constraints) ni matukio (events) au hali (circumstances) zinazotarajiwa kujitokeza wakati wa uhai/utekelezaji wa mradi.

Dhana na vikwazo katika mradi vina hali (conditions) zifuatazo;

• Zipo nje ya uwezo wa mradi (Outside project control)
• Lazima zitokee ili mradi uweze kufanikiwa

Dhana/vikwazo katika mradi huweza kuwa; hali ya kisera/kisiasa, hali ya kiuchumi, taratibu/mila na desturi za jamii, hali ya teknolojia n.k. Kimsingi hali zote hizi zina uwezo wa kuathiri utekelezaji wa mradi wako.
Dhana (assumptions) huleta uwezekano (possibilities) katika utekelezaji wa mradi wakati vikwazo (constraints) huleta mkwamo (limits) katika utekelezaji wa mradi.


Katika hatua ya kwanza kabisa ya uibuaji wa mradi; dhana na vikwazo (assumptions & constraints) ni vyema vikaanza kuangaliwa katika vipengele vifuatavyo;

• Bajeti; makadirio ya gharama za shughuli na rasilimali zingine zinazotakiwa ili kukamilisha mradi
• Ratiba (schedule); makadirio ya upangaji wa shughuli na matukio mengine katika mradi ili kuendana na ratiba ya mradi.
• Ugavi; makadirio katika utendaji wa watoa huduma ya ugavi ili kuendana na matakwa na viwango vya mradi.
• N.k

Namna ya kukabiliana na dhana & vikwazo katika mradi (Managing project assumptions and risks)

• Utambuzi (Identifying); tambua dhana na vikwazo vyote ambavyo unadhani vina nafasi kiathari katika mradi wako.
• Zitathmini (Assess); baada ya kuwa umezitambua dhana na vikwazo; tathmini matokeo na athari zake katika utekelezaji wa mradi.
• Kuzihusisha katika mpango wa mradi (Incorporation)
• Udhibiti (Control); wakati wa utekelezaji wa mradi; dhana zitakuja kuthibitika ni za kweli au si za kweli na kuathiri utekelezaji wa mradi, hivyo ni jukumu lako kukabiliana na mazingira haya.
  
• Mapitio (review) hii hufanywa baada ya mradi kuisha, hatua zote ambazo zilipitiwa kuanzia utambuzi, mpaka uthibi wa dhana na vikwazo zinapaswa kufanyiwa tathmini.

 

Music is an art form and cultural activity whose medium is sound and silence, which exist in time.Music is an art that, in one guise or another, permeates every human society. Modern music is heard in a bewildering profusion of styles, many of them contemporary, others engendered in past eras. Music is a protean art; it lends itself easily to alliances with words, as in song, and with physical movement, as in dance. Throughout history, music has been an important adjunct to ritual and drama and has been credited with the capacity to reflect and influence human emotion.

Popular culture has consistently exploited these possibilities, most conspicuously today by means of radio, film, television, musical theatre, and the Internet. The implications of the uses of music in psychotherapy, geriatrics, and advertising testify to a faith in its power to affect human behaviour. Publications and recordings have effectively internationalized music in its most significant, as well as its most trivial, manifestations. Beyond all this, the teaching of music in primary and secondary schools has now attained virtually worldwide acceptance.

But the prevalence of music is nothing new, and its human importance has often been acknowledged. What seems curious is that, despite the universality of the art, no one until recent times has argued for its necessity. The ancient Greek philosopher Democritus explicitly denied any fundamental need for music: “For it was not necessity that separated it off, but it arose from the existing superfluity.” The view that music and the other arts are mere graces is still widespread, although the growth of psychological understanding of play and other symbolic activities has begun to weaken this tenacious belief.

Music therapy 

Is an interpersonal process in which the therapist uses music and all of its facets physical, emotional, mental, social, aesthetic, and spiritual—to help clients to improve or maintain their health. In some instances, the client's needs are addressed directly through music; in others they are addressed through the relationships that develop between the client and therapist. Music therapy is used with individuals of all ages and with a variety of conditions, including: psychiatric disorders, medical problems, physical handicaps, sensory impairments, developmental disabilities, substance abuse, communication disorders, interpersonal problems, and aging. It is also used to: improve learning, build self-esteem, reduce stress, support physical exercise, and facilitate a host of other health-related activities.

One of the earliest mentions of music therapy was in Al-Farabi's (c. 872 – 950) treatise Meanings of the Intellect, which described the therapeutic effects of music on the soul. Music has long been used to help people deal with their emotions. In the 17th century, the scholar Robert Burton's The Anatomy of Melancholy argued that music and dance were critical in treating mental illness, especially melancholia. He noted that music has an "excellent power ...to expel many other diseases" and he called it "a sovereign remedy against despair and melancholy." He pointed out that in Antiquity, Canus, a Rhodian fiddler, used music to "make a melancholy man merry, ...a lover more enamoured, a religious man more devout." In November 2006, Dr. Michael J. Crawford and his colleagues also found that music therapy helped schizophrenic patients. In the Ottoman Empire, mental illnesses were treated with music

 
Trump has accepted Merkel's invitation to attend the upcoming G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany, in July.
Last year  during the G20 Summit held in China  Trump reportedly said he would have immediately turned around and flown back to the US after a recent bust-up between officials in China when Air Force One landed with President Obama.
  “They won't even give him stairs, proper stairs to get out of the airplane. You see that? They have pictures of other leaders who are … coming down with a beautiful red carpet. And Obama is coming down a metal staircase,”
 Apart from accepting the invitation; the two leaders  discussed the situation in Middle East, North Africa and Russia

"The president and chancellor also agreed on the NATO alliance's fundamental importance to the broader transatlantic relationship and its role in ensuring the peace and stability of our North Atlantic community," a White House statement said.

"In this vein, the leaders recognised that NATO must be capable of confronting 21st century threats and that our common defence requires appropriate investment in military capabilities to ensure all Allies are contributing their fair share to our collective security."   

It said the pair agreed to boost cooperation to fight terror and violent extremism, as well as to stabilise conflict zones in North Africa and the Middle East.

 

 

Project management is about managing work processes and leading people. The technical skills of a project manager (the ability to organize the project and develop a scope, budget, and schedule) are critical to executing a project that will finish on time, within budget, and to the project specifications. However, the project will not be a success if the important stakeholders are unhappy with the
results.
Project stakeholders often have a significant role in the success of a project. The ability of the project manager to understand the expectations of the various stakeholders and motivate them to contribute to the project success is a major aspect of the project manager’s leadership role. One of the definitions of project success focuses on achieving client satisfaction.
This definition highlights the importance of the client as critical for both defining and achieving project success. The client is an important project constituent and in most cases the most important constituent. Project success often includes meeting project goals and specifications, and it also includes understanding and meeting the expectations of the client. Depending on the complexity level of the project, the plan to meet the client’s expectations can range from having a general discussion with the project leadership team to developing a formal plan that is tracked during the life of the project. Following strategies if used effectively can help  to fulfill the clients expectations.

Educate the Client from the Beginning
Often the client does not have the project management experience of the project manager or project team. An experienced project manager understands the phases of the project and the requirements of the different phases. A less experienced client may become frustrated at the changes in the management approach required for the different phases of the project. For example, during the early phases, the project leadership is encouraging creative approaches to accomplishing the project goals. As the project proceeds and the project plan becomes more firm, the project leadership focuses on accomplishing the project goals.

The types of meetings, the agenda of the meetings, and the general project atmosphere change as the project moves from the planning phase to the production mode of the execution phase of the project.
During the last phases on a project, project team members are often tired and beginning to anticipate the
transition that will take place at the end of the project. The motivational approach that worked during the
early phases of the project is less effective during the final phases, and the project manager applies different approaches to motivating the project team.

These changes can be disconcerting on a person’s first project. By explaining what to expect and planning with the client a process to minimize the impact of these changes, the project manager prepares the client for these events and reduces the frustration.

Include the Client on Selected Project Teams
The project client translates the needs of the organization through chartering the project and defining the project scope to the project manager and the project team. The client also has an oversight role. This oversight is often accomplished through regular project reviews and reports from the project team. Depending on the complexity level of the project, the reviews can vary significantly. On less complex
projects, the review might be conducted in a one-hour meeting with a one-page summary document serving as the project progress report. On more complex projects, a full-day meeting might be necessary for the project progress to be fully understood, and the project report may be one hundred pages or more. In addition to providing the formal overview of the project, most clients would like to actively participate in the success of the project. This is a delicate balance. The participation of the client can have undue influence on project decisions. The advantage of including the client in project activities is to gain the client’s personal investment in the project plan, to create a better understanding for the client of the problems the project encounters during the life of the project, and to gain the insights and contributions of the client in problem solving. Involving the client in teams where the client’s special knowledge can add value to the team discussions and activities contributes both to the success of the team and the satisfaction of the client.

 

Miradi ndio uti wa mgongo wa taasisi zisizo za kiserikali (NGOs), kupitia miradi taasisi huweza kujiendesha, kutimiza malengo yake ya kimkakati (Strategic objectives) na pia kufikia uono wake (vision attainment). Upatikanaji wa fedha kwa ajili ya kufadhili miradi imekuwa ni changamoto  kwa taasisi nyingi na kupelekea baadhi ya taasisi kusitisha shughuli.

Ili taasisi iweze kupata fedha kutoka kwa mfadhili kwa ajili ya kutekeleza mradi; haina budi kuwa na ujuzi katika mbinu na matakwa yatakiwayo na mfadhili husika. Mbinu zifuatazo endapo zitatumika ipasavyo zitaiwezesha taasisi husika kupata fedha za mradi kutoka kwa mfadhili yeyote.

·         Kuwa na ufahamu juu ya taasisi ambazo zinatoa fedha za miradi. Kuna taasisi za ndani kwa mfano Foundation For Civil Society, hawa wanatoa kuanzia Shilingi milioni 20 ( kwa miradi midogo  yaani Innovative projects  ya mwaka mmoja)  mpaka Shilingi milioni 250 (kwa miradi mikubwa ya miaka mitatu yaani Strategic projects), wanafadhili miradi iliyojikita katika utawala bora (Good governance), kujengea taasisi uwezo (CSOs capacity development) na maendeleo ya kiuchumi (Economic development)

Kwa upande wa taasisi za nje kuna Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA), Agency Francaise de Development (AFD), UK Government Department for International Development (DFID), European Union (EU) na zingine nyingi. Baada ya kuzifahamu taasisi hizi; ni vyema ukafahamu pia  wakati gani wanaanza kupokea maombi kwa ajili ya fedha za miradi.

·         Kuwasilisha andiko zuri la mradi (Effective project proposal), hii ndio dira inayoonesha ni namna gani mradi utatekelezwa na nini kinatarajiwa baada ya utekelezaji .Uwasilishaji wa maandiko thabiti ya miradi imekuwa ni changamoto kwa taasisi nyingi hapa nchini, maandiko mengi yanakosa uhalisia na hayapimiki (unrealistic and can’t be measured) Kuna miundo mbalimbali katika uandaaji wa haya maandiko, na kila mfadhili huwa na muundo anaopendekeza. Hivyo ni vyema taasisi husika ikafahamu mfadhili anataka muundo gani katika andiko kisha kuliandaa kikamilifu na kuwasilisha.

·         Kuwa mshindani (Be competitive) upatikanaji wa fedha kwa ajili ya utekelezaji wa miradi umejaa ushindani kwa kiasi kikubwa. Hivyo ni jukumu la taasisi husika kuibuka mshindi katika ushindani huu ili kuweza kupata hizo fedha. Njia bora na ya uhakika ya kuwa mshindani ni kuhakikisha unatimiza vigezo na masharti yote utakiwayo na mfadhili; kama vile uwasilishaji wa taarifa za benki, nakala ya katiba ya taasisi, barua ya utambulisho kutoka mamlaka za mitaa n.k, pia uwasilishaji wa nyaraka unapaswa kufanywa mapema kabla ya muda kuisha.

·         Kuwa na ushirika madhubuti (Having an effective partnership), mashirika kama Umoja wa Ulaya (EU) mara nyingi hutoa fedha kwa miradi ambayo inatekelezwa katika ushirika. Imekuwa ni tatizo kubwa kwa taasisi nyingi hasa pale zinapotakiwa kuchagua taasisi-mshirika ili waweze kupatiwa fedha kwa ajili ya kutekeleza mradi. Kutokana na kutojiandaa mapema katika kutafuta mshirika sahihi, taasisi nyingi hujikuta zinashindwa kutimiza vigezo vya kutafuta ushirika na hatimaye kukosa fedha kutoka kwa mfadhili.

·         Usimamizi madhubuti wa mradi (Effective project management), ni bahati mbaya sana taasisi nyingi hutoa nafasi za ajira pindi tu fedha za mradi zinapopatikana, baada ya mradi kuisha; ajira zinafika kikomo. Hivyo taasisi kila siku hujikuta iko na watu wapya katika kutekeleza miradi. Hali hii huifanya taasisi kutokuwa na watu wenye uelewa katika usimamizi wa miradi inayofadhiliwa na mfadhili husika, hivyo huleta changamoto katika ufikiaji wa matarajio ya mfadhili.

 

The definition of project success is obviously critical. After all, that’s how you’ll be judged as a project manager. Unfortunately, there are almost as many definitions of project success as there are project management professionals. To add to the confusion, every organization has its own view of what matters in project outcomes.
So, instead of trying to focus on one definition, an article is going to offer a framework of thought on success. It has been found valuable in the many discussions taken place all over the years. If you consider the various ways that projects could be deemed successful, you come to realize that project success exists on four levels, each with a unique perspective and set of metrics. And despite the specific values used to quantify success or failure, the principle remains constant. Following are the four levels of success that are mostly used:

Meeting Project Targets
Did the project meet the original targets of cost, schedule, quality, and functionality? Although it’s certainly admirable to beat these targets, the concept of success is tied to whether the project manager did what was expected. In other words, maximum success is zero variance between project targets and results.
There are at least two reasons why this interpretation is embraced .First, it supports the organization’s need for certainty. Second, It is believed that project managers who chronically beat targets are
suspect, at best.

Project Efficiency
How well was the project managed? This is a metric for the process. If the project meets its targets, but the customer groups, project team, or others were adversely affected by the project experience, the project will probably not be perceived as successful. Project efficiency can be evaluated through the use
of criteria such as the following:
• The degree of disruption to the client’s operation
• How effectively resources were applied
• The amount of growth and development of project team members
• How effectively conflict was managed
• The cost of the project management function

Customer or User Utility
To what extent did the project fulfill its mission of solving a problem, exploiting an opportunity, or otherwise satisfying a need? If you do not satisfy the true need, the project may be perceived as a failure.
Here are some questions to help assess customer or user utility success:
• Was the original problem actually solved?
• Was there a verifiable increase in sales, income, or profit?
• Did we save as much money as expected?
• Is the customer actually using the product as intended?

Organizational Improvement
Did the organization learn from the project? Is that knowledge going to improve the chances that future projects will succeed at each of the three levels described above? High-performing organizations will learn from their failures—and their successes—and use that knowledge to improve their success rate in over time. This level assumes a long-term perspective and measures organizational learning and a resultant increase in project successes. The primary tools for organizational improvement are the maintenance of accurate historical records and the widespread use of lessons learned

 

Confidence to a person can be damaged in different ways, among the ways which can damage and kill your confidence  is;  use of certain words, though some folks take them for granted, I assure you some words are the confidence killer, Don’t you believe me? Let’s take a journey to see those words

Try

The first word is try. Have you ever heard someone try to do something? There’s a difference between trying to do something and doing something.
Quite simply, trying is lying. As you remember that, you can eliminate that from your vocabulary. Just like in Star Wars, when Yoda said, “There is no try, only do.” Yoda was right on the money. There is no try. If you talk to someone and you say, “Hey, would you do this favor for me?” And they say, “I’ll try.” You can count on them not doing it. Because otherwise, they’ll say, “Yeah, I’ll do it.” Similarly, avoid using that in your own vocabulary. Instead use the word ‘do’. I will do it. I will perform this. I will do this favor for you. I will call you back. I will complete this task. Eliminate the word try. Don’t try to eliminate the word try, do it. Eliminate the word try.

Hope

Another word that is not a word of confident people is “hope”. Now, hope is nice and hope is surely better than nothing. However, ‘hope’ presupposes a lack of action. Like, “I hope things get better. I hope my situation resolves itself.” Contrast this with, “I’m going to take action and I’m going to make it happen.” “I’m going to make my situation better”. This is a subtle yet powerful difference between a reactive mindset. Hoping for something to happen is being reactive, whereas you are proactive when you take action and expect success. Eliminate the notion, “I hope that this could happen”. Think, if yourself using the word hope, stop yourself and say, “Now what specific action could I take in order to make that happen or to maximize the likelihood of that happening?”

But

But negates everything in the sentence that precedes it. An example is, “I want to go to a movie but I have a lot to do.” In this example, it sounds as if the person will not be going to the movie. When someone hears the word but, they immediately know that what was previously said should be disregarded. An example that is similar yet semantically different is, “I have a lot to do but I want to go to a movie.” In this example, it sounds as if the person will be going to the movie. But always negates so be aware of how you’re using it if you do use it. If you want to communicate the same thing without using the word ‘but’, substitute these words, ‘and yet’. So, suppose you need to turn down an invitation to an engagement. You could say, “Well, I’d like to do that and yet right now I still have something going on that prevents me from going”.

The Three “oods”: Would, Could, and Should

 All right - would, could and should. The three ‘oods’ that are no good. As we go through each ‘ood’ we’ll discover how their use in some places decreases confidence, and we’ll learn how to replace them with words that will propel you even further to success.
Would Would makes something conditional. It’s not confident. It’s not absolute. Would is conditional and presupposes there’s something or some condition that’s stopping you. So it’s pointless to use the word would. Eliminate that word from your vocabulary.

Could ‘Could’ is the next ‘ood’ that we will eliminate. So if someone says, “I could go meet that person” then my question is “What’s stopping you?” Using what’s known as the conditional tense of the word could implies that there is a condition attached to your action. Like, “I could go meet that   person. I could go market my business to ten new people and expand it. I could make some calls on the phone and sell some more products. I could go give some strangers some compliments and smile at them and make them feel wonderful. Could presupposes that there’s some condition that’s stopping you. It’s unnecessary. Eliminate it from your vocabulary. Preferably use phrases like, “I can, I will, I do.”

Should Should is the worst of the ‘oods’ Should implies that there’s some sort of expectations projected onto you and that you lack a choice in how you want to behave. Think of the sentence, “I should be doing this right now.” Well, you should be doing this according to whom? Ask yourself that, according to whom? Whose expectations? It’s all about your own expectations, your own internal frame of reference. After all, you’re running your brain, you’re leading your own life. You’re a unique, divine individual in charge of what you’re doing. So, saying should is like keeping yourself hostage by limiting your choices. If you have a preconceived notion that you should do something all the time in a certain circumstance, then you’re not going to investigate other options because you’re just going to do what you “should do”. And that’s a limiting perspective because whenever you have fewer choices, you’re less empowered and have less control over your life.

Attempt

This word is similar to try. When people say, “Hey,. What are you going to do next?” You say, “I’m going to do this, I’m going to do this, and I’m going to do this”. So, in the same way, the difference between doing something and attempting something is vast. Think of a basketball player. They will tell you how many free throws he’s made or she’s made and how many free throws he or she has attempted. They understand the difference and while it’s a subtle nuance in wording, when you change your language you’ll change your perspective in life and thus become more empowered. So again, consider your goals: you’re going to go for them and you’re going to achieve them. You are going to do this. You’re not going to “attempt” to do this or that, you’re going to go for it and you’re going to do it. If you catch yourself using the word attempt, that’s fine. Simply switch your language and repeat the same phrase with the words, “I’m going to do this.” Instead of saying, “I’m going to attempt this goal”, say “I’m going to go after this goal, I’m going to achieve this goal, I’m going to accomplish this goal, I’m going to make this happen.” When you speak the language of confidence, your life will become easier as you passionately pursue your goals. Speaking the language of confidence empowers you and reaffirms to yourself that you will achieve whatever you set out for

Wish

The final word for you to eliminate is “wish”. Have you ever heard of wishful thinking? That’s exactly that. Think of the associations the word “wish” creates in you: throwing a penny into some magic fountain and hoping that your wish will come true. And we already talked about what hope is. So just by wishing, it’s as if you’re not willing to take action and will it to happen, to do whatever it takes to accomplish what it is you want so you can lead the life of your dreams. So eliminate the word wish from your vocabulary.