Stories about French from December, 2011
A Radical Solution For Global Poverty: Open Borders
Various experts say that extreme poverty isn't inevitable. The most radical solution to drastically reducing global poverty would be, for many economic experts, opening the borders between countries and allowing workers to migrate where labor is most needed.
Morocco: The Tale of the February 20 Movement in 20 Videos
A look back at how the Moroccan pro-democracy movement "February 20" has used videos, as very powerful and viral social media tool to get its message across. Hisham Almiraat shares a selection of the 20 most popular and viral videos that marked the course of the February 20 Movement over the past 10 months.
Video Highlights: Protests, Elections, Culture and GV
A selection of Global Voices' recent and interesting stories including video from Middle East and North Africa, Sub Saharan Africa, Eastern and Central Europe, the Caribbean and Latin America, selected by Juliana Rincón Parra.
Italy, Senegal: Strong Reactions Follow Murder of 2 Senegalese Men in Florence
On December 13, Gianluca Casseri opened fired on a group of Senegalese in two outdoor markets in Florence. The horrific event resulted in the death of two street vendors from Senegal, as well as the perpetrator. Abdoulaye Bah reports on the country's reactions.
Morocco: Singer's Performance in Tel Aviv Ignites Debate on Israel's Cultural Boycott
Moroccan netizens are divided as to whether to support a call for a boycott of a Moroccan singer who performed in Tel Aviv despite calls for her to cancel the performance in Israel.
Tunisia: Moncef Marzouki the New President of the Republic
Tunisia, the country that was the spark of the so called Arab Spring almost a year ago, now has a new interim President: Moncef Marzouki. Tunisian netizens react to the 66-year-old human rights activist's new position.
France, Syria: Syrian Cartoonist Ali Ferzat Receives Reporters Without Borders Award
Syrian cartoonist Ali Ferzat has been awarded the Reporters Without Borders Press Freedom award for 2011. François Forcadell on Iconovox [fr] gives the link to a video interview [fr] of Le Monde's political cartoonist Plantu, paying hommage to his Syrian colleague.
Confusing information for NGOs at COP 17 in Durban
Addressing the 17th Conference of Parties (COP17) in Durban on climate change, René Audet complained on the website blogueaqlpa.com: “Since the arrival of Ministers in Durban, negotiations have been taken to another level, so to speak. Now, this level is inaccessible to observers like us. Information circulates well within NGO networks, but they are confusing.”
D.R. of Congo: Congolese Diaspora Erupts Against Kabila
While the DR of Congo awaits the final tally of the presidential and parliamentary elections, the Congolese Diaspora, although not allowed to vote, has shown its commitment to making its voice heard. Julie Owono reports.
DR of Congo: Congolese Citizens Find a Way to Circumvent SMS Ban during Tense Electoral Count
While observers apprehend the post-electoral period as allegations of fraud surface, Congolese citizens have found a way to circumvent the general ban on SMS [fr] that was imposed by the government after violence flared up [fr] in Kinshasa.
Francophone Africa: The Important Literary Contributions from Former Colonies
The Genevan blog of Rémi Mogenet, Le Savoyard de la Tribune, explains with supporting examples that [fr]: “Mythological African traditional stories have made a remarkable entrance into francophone literature”. He quotes the Mandika epic tale of Soundjata, written and published in French by Guinean D. T. Niane, as well as, for...
France : Strike against the RFI – France 24 merger project
The blog Écrans, published on the online version of the daily French newspaper Libération, explains the issues [fr] of the merger of the RFI radio and the TV channel France 24 [fr] and its impact on the French public broadcasting system for international news. The RFI staff, worried about the radio...
Ghana : No juridical basis to ban homosexual marriages
According [fr] to West Africa online Radio, “The attorney general of Ghana, Ediké Amidou, recently said to a local radio at Accra that the Ghanaian law about sexual unions doesn't make provisions for homosexuality. As a result, consented relationships between two adults wouldn't be criminally punished.”
Madagascar: Debating the Worth of Foreign Direct Investment
While Madagascar attempts to find a way out of a prolonged political crisis, Malagasy bloggers are discussing the value of foreign direct investments. Many Malagasy believe that Madagascar, like many other African countries is rich with natural resources but that the land has been plagued by poor governance and unfair trade deals.
World: “Faithbook”, a Project Against Religious Intolerance
Two young “faith-trotters” Anne-Laure and Frederic launched “faithbook” [fr], a project that will take them across the world to meet similar pro-peace initiatives. They look to start a dialogue between people of faith who believe in peaceful coexistence through initiatives in various domains such as sports, education, culture and environment. They will shortly...
African Bloggers React To UNESCO's Admission Of Palestine
The admission of Palestine as a full member of UNESCO on 31 October 2011 has prompted an intense debate, with people taking very different stands. Africans from the continent as well as the diaspora have also taken an active part in the debate online. However, whether they agreed or disagreed with Palestine's admission to UNESCO, the different sides have often projected the debate onto the internal problems of their own countries.
France: A Magazine For Women Living with Breast Cancer
Rose (Pink) is a new bi-yearly French magazine for women living with breast cancer or who had survived one. The publication is resolutely upbeat and “glossy”, it covers health issues as well as fashion and beauty, to fight the stigma and silence attached to breast cancer. An online version of...
Madagascar: French Passenger Convicted of Racial Abuse Towards a Flight Attendant
A passenger on a flight from Mauritius to Paris was convicted of racial abuse by a Malagasy court after he told a Malagasy flight attendant that [fr] “his ancestors were slaves and so is he because he is black. He (the passenger) is white therefore the flight attendant should do...
