In his best-selling book titled The Road Less Travelled, M. Scott Peck opens the first chapter with this very short and profoundly accurate statement, “Life is difficult.” I’m sure most, if not all of us, have uttered these words in various ways. Another common expression is, “Life is meaningless.” Particularly in times of hardship and loss, we tend to ask ourselves, or each other, "What is this all about anyway?"

Education is the foundation of any society. It is the process by which society deliberately transmits its accumulated knowledge, skills and values from one generation to another. The history of education reflects human history itself - the history of the knowledge, beliefs, skills and cultures of humanity. In the early stages of human history, education was transferred orally and through observation and imitation.

Religion plays a huge role in many societies around the world and this is especially true in Nigeria. The country is home to the largest number of Anglicans in the world, has the fourth largest population of Roman Catholics and the fifth largest population of Muslims.

Though I firmly believe that anything can be achieved with the right mindset and determination, I have not always been sure of what to do with this philosophy. Even when I began to develop certain interests, it took a while before I could mold these interests into practical action. But, gradually, things began to fall into place. I discovered that when I worked with creative people from diverse cultures, I found peace and fulfillment.

I want Africa to discover her destiny. I want her to be a place that people will love to visit, a place of peace and prosperity for all. Many visions and prophecies have been told about Africa being the next world power. Africa is about to experience a dramatic change that will inspire the whole world. Young people and highly inspired people like us will make this vision a reality. But we must understand that 'every change begins with a vision and a bold decision to take dogged action.'

If I have to describe Derrick Ashong in one word, it would be inspiring. He is intelligent, passionate, and driven to make a positive difference. Derrick was born in Accra, Ghana and currently lives in the United States. This Renaissance man is the leader of a band called Soulfege. He and the band recently completed the production of a new album, Afropolitan, due to be released this summer. He is also a radio host on SIRIUS XM's Oprah Radio (satellite radio) and is working on a new television show that will air on Al Jazeera, titled "The Stream." Through his music and everything else he does, Derrick encourages us to be creative and express ourselves boldly.

The African Union (AU) has declared 2010 to be the “Year of Peace and Security” and is promising extra effort in resolving conflicts and in building a robust architecture for peace and security. AU’s efforts will be focused on Sudan, where it has a chance to crystallize political solutions to the crises in that troubled country.

"We all incarnated on Earth at this time to experience the closing of a 5,128 year cycle of history and help initiate the opening of a new cycle," says Tajh Abdulsamad, our featured Conscious Artist in this issue. Tajh and many others are talking about “the shift”, a transformation in the consciousness of human beings. Some are calling it the biggest movement in history, the greatest social transformation of all times.

Perhaps you are familiar with those seminars in Washington D.C. that address challenges typically associated with Africa—HIV/AIDS, inadequate healthcare, famine, poverty, war, dictatorship, poor infrastructure, low agricultural productivity, gender inequity, insecurity—the list is long though quite predictable. You may have noticed, too, that the "expert" orators at these gatherings are fairly consistent and essentially constitute a circle of recycled speakers that speak to an equally consistent bunch of recycled listeners.

For 10 million African-born emigrants, the word “home” is synonymous with the United States, Britain or another country outside of Africa. Personally, I have continuously lived in the United States for the last 30 years. My last visit to Africa was 17 years ago.

"We all incarnated on Earth at this time to experience the closing of a 5,128 year cycle of history and help initiate the opening of a new cycle. This period of transition and transformation is known as “The Shift”.

Imagine that it is May 25, 2063, the 100th anniversary of Africa Day, a day for reflecting on Africa’s successes and failures. The newspaper headline announces, “Last Remaining Oilfield in West Africa’s American Territory Dries Up.”

The article continues: “The last patch of rainforest will soon be empty land scarred by oil pipelines, pumping stations, and natural gas refineries. Wholesale pollution will be the environmental legacy for future generations.