Immigrants Keep Sweden Clean

The fact that immigrants (irrespective of academic qualification) are reduced to cleaning Swedish cities is probably no news to you, especially after reading articles like - A Mockery of Education in Scandinavia and Odd Jobs for the Highly Educated in Europe. However, you might be interested to learn that official figures from Statistics Sweden (SCB) have confirmed my worries - Sweden has no regard for [educated] immigrants.

According to an article published in The Local, a new report by SCB for 2008 shows that immigrants make up 41% of people working as cleaners in Sweden, although this vulnerable group makes up only 16% of the workforce.

In Sweden's capital and largest city - Stockholm, 80% of office or hotel cleaners were not born in Sweden. Other major cities like Malmö and Gothenburg register high percentages of immigrants in the same field - 66% and 56% respectively. Are immigrants good for nothing else?

The report shows that a good number of foreigners are nurses, hospital orderlies (people who do the hospital jobs that nurses won't do), child minders and personal assistants. Foreigners were under-represented in the military, police force, fire fighter departments and air traffic control.

All in all, the report reveals some good news; foreigners are well-represented in certain professions - many are bus drivers, tram drivers, dancers and language professionals. You must be surprised I termed this "good news", but trust me - Sweden has come a long way to even let foreigners drive buses and trams.

Note that the report does not mention highly skilled and relatively well-paid careers - those enjoyed by lawyers, bankers, doctors, etc. In my opinion, these are "no-go areas" for immigrants in Sweden, as of today. Whether or not the situation will change, is a matter of time.

What are your thoughts about these shameful statistics? Is Sweden doing enough to integrate immigrants?

I look forward to reading your comments.

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10 Favorite CNN Anchors and Reporters

Prior to the United States 2008 presidential campaign, I was not a fan of the Cable News Network (CNN), for obvious reasons - it focuses a lot on the U.S., with limited international news. During the campaign, I became a stunch fan of the news network - inspired by the professional reporters, anchors and political analysts like Bill Schneider, Roland S. Martin, Candy Crowley, David Gergen, who gave varying opinions about the man - Barack Obama who was taking the world by storm. The heated presidential debates on CNN were mind boggling and the panel of the "best political team on television" made the events surrounding the debates even more engaging. Below is a list (not in order of merit) of my 10 favorite CNN anchors and reporters, as of today.

1) Richard Quest: He covers breaking news and business stories. His regular programme - "CNN Business Traveller" is one of my favorite television programmes and source of one of my favorite quotes: "Wherever your travels may take you, I hope it's profitable." - Richard Quest.

2) Christiane Amanpour: She sits with royalties, interviews and debates with heads of states, including Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran, Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe, Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan, Tony Blair, Jacques Chirac, Pervez Musharraf, you name it - in her 30-minutes daily interview programme - Amanpour.

3) Larry King: Who doesn't know Larry King? He's the Emmy Award-winning host of CNN's highest-rated programme - Larry King Live. He's called the "master of the mike" and according to CNN has done more than 40,000 interviews.

4) Wolf Blitzer: He's CNN's lead political anchor and host of The Situation Room - a political news programme that airs every weekday and Saturday evenings. I vividly remember his coverage of the 2008 U.S. election night - when he said, "CNN can now project that Barack Obama, 47 years old will become the President Elect of the United States."

5) Anderson Cooper: He's one of the best anchors and reporters in the network, and host of the programme - Anderson Cooper 360°. I've watched him closely and would call him a "humanitarian in his own right" - for his role in the 2005 Hurricane Katrina and the 2010 earthquake in Haiti.

6) Jeanne Moos: She reports on unusual stories, with a touch of satire. She cracks jokes and makes fun of an otherwise depressing story. You'd agree that news is predominantly depressing, but thanks to people like Jeanne Moos, you can always find something to laugh about.

7) Isha Sesay: She anchors one of my favorite weekly programmes - "Inside Africa". As a matter of fact, yesterday, I watched an edition of another programme - "African Voices", where she highlighted the remarkable story of Isaiah Washington.

8) Errol Barnett: He incorporates social media into CNN reporting, in his programme - "iReport for CNN". He joined CNN recently - in 2008 and has prospects of a bright future with the network.

9) Becky Anderson: Presenter of CNN's "Connect The World". She presents with confidence and talks just like Richard Quest. A lady to watch!

10) Fareed Zakaria: Anchor of "Fareed Zakaria - GPS", a weekly programme focused on international affairs. According to CNN, Fareed has a bachelor's degree from Yale university and a doctorate in political science from Havard University. The guy is well-schooled and knows what he's talking about. You won't be disappointed.







Now that you know my 10 favorite CNN anchors and reporters, I'm confident you can decipher my favorite topics in the news.

Who are your favorite CNN anchors and reporters?

I look forward to reading your comments.

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Returnee African Americans

"The river that forgets its source will dry up."

Today, I watched a CNN programme - African Voices (recorded) that stroke a chode and exposed me to the fact that more and more African Americans want to return to Africa to start a new chapter of their lives. Is this the beginning of a new era in African and African American relationships? Many have apparently realised that it's important to know where you come from. This is the story of Isaiah Washington (played Dr. Preston Burke in Grey's Anatomy) - how he discovered his roots in Sierra Leone, West Africa and is determined to rebuild the land of his ancestors. I found the story of this iconic returnee African American very inspiring and worth sharing On The Road To Success.




After taking the DNA test that traced his roots to Sierra Leone in 2005, Isaiah Washington embarked on an ambitious mission of rebuilding a nation ravaged by war. In 2006, he traveled to Sierra Leone - a journey that changed his role from the spotlight in Hollywood to the poverty-stricken streets of Sierra Leone. According to CNN's Isha Sesay, a child trying to collect clean water from a broken pipe in the streets, forced him to take positive action to help improve the lives of the people of one of Africa's poorest nations. While in Sierra Leone, a visit to an old slave castle inspired Washington to shift his focus to Africa and make a connection with his ancestors.

In a bid to honor their son, Isaiah Washington was inducted chief by the Mende people and given an African name - Gondobay Manga. In 2007, he founded the Gondobay Manga Foundation to help rebuild Sierra Leone - "one village at a time".

Isha Sesay points out that in 1987, Washington's 10 year plan was to become a major actor - he did. In the next 10, he wanted to make more money - he did. No doubt therefore, Washington told CNN that he has always done everything in 10 years and by 2016, he would've helped rebuild a nation.

I welcome Isaiah Washington's move to trace his roots and reconnect with his ancestors. Many others have found their roots, why not you? I encourage you to do the same because it would go a long way to break the curse of servitude and give you some peace of mind. Remember, "DNA has memory."

That said, time will tell whether or not Washington will accomplish his ambitious goal of rebuilding his motherland - Sierra Leone.

Are you in search of your roots? Would returnee African Americans be accepted in the continent because it's their heritage or would they be welcomed because of their potential to help rebuild the motherland?

As always, I look forward to reading your comments.

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