Background

When I first came across the ancient Mayan calendar many years ago, it did not strike me that the world as we know it will cease in a global cataclysm on December 21, 2012. In fact, I was rather excited at the possibility of a renewal, a rebirth, a re-awaking of the earth and the human race.

I quickly forgot about it until Yahoo directed me to a trailer for the movie 2012. The movie implores you to search for 2012 and thus began my research. What caught my eye were the number of web sites on how to survive 2012, notably howtosurvive2012 and December212012 . Not to be outdone are video documentaries on History and Discovery channels exploring the possibility of the end of the world on December 21, 2012.

Then there are also the web sites that debunk the 2012 doomsday predictions. Many of them are not well put together suggesting that debunkers have little to say or as one of the few best sites put it, "It is safe to say that the 2012 debunking and bunking parties are again more preoccupied with fighting each other than seeking the facts."

My interest is solely about Africa and 2012.

I don't singularly believe that the world will end on December 21, 2012. Some cataclysm event might well happen but to end the world as we know it is beyond belief. Some life, including human life, will survive any cataclysm that may befall earth in 2012, just as has happened in the past. As my brother poignantly puts it, the end of the world happens individually to each one of us when we die. So here is to hoping you and I don't die before, during and well after 2012.