I learned a new word today.

Korloue

Korloue is an Ogoni word meaning say what you have in mind. I learned this word today from my friend Dum. He is from the Ogoni tribe in southeast Nigeria and currently resides in Port Harcourt, Nigeria.

Dum and I worked together at the William J. Clinton Foundation in the capital city of Nigeria, Abuja . I am inspired by his passion for his country and his deep awareness of its vast potential. I admire how in the face of adversity he has the courage and strength to continue to pour his heart into helping Nigeria.

Dum is representative of the many young Nigerians I met who often place the needs of their country and community higher than their own needs. It is these very youth that will help lead Nigeria towards a goal of creating opportunities for wealth (in all its wonderful forms) and meaningful work for all its people.

Their challenge will be learning to find their own personal balance between giving and receiving and through this example help their country’s systems find the balance between collaboration and competition. This, in my opinion, is not unlike the challenge we are currently faced with in North America.

Yes, our countries are different, but they are the same.

What is the mission of Korloue?

As per the Korloue website:

Korloue is an initiative to move young people away from the thought of violence as a means to an end. It advocates intellectual reaction to issues as opposed to violent confrontations, and seeks to promote agitation for changes and reforms without the loss of lives and property.

It seeks to channel grievances towards positive ends, by engaging the minds of the young in intellectual debates, competitions, and programs, and to create an avenue for reaching the world through writing. They are no longer mere observers in public opinions, but also participants, with a world-wide followership.

Korloue plans to erase the misconceived view that Niger Delta youths are all about militancy, but rather give the true picture of rational people who see their society from the ideal point, and react to it rationally, without a recourse to bombs and kidnapping.