· February, 2012

Below are posts about citizen media in French. Don't miss Global Voices en Français, where Global Voices posts are translated into French! Read about our Lingua project to learn more about how Global Voices content is being translated into other languages.

Stories about French from February, 2012

Haiti: Joining the African Union

  28 February 2012

Mackendie Toupuissant writes [fr]: “The news went almost unnoticed. Until now,  Haiti was a mere “observer” in the African Union.  Since early February, the first black republic in history became  a” full associate member “of the African Union (AU).  This decision, the first of its kind for a country of the African Diaspora...

France : Who is French and who is not?

  28 February 2012

Abdellali Hajjat, author of the book The Boundires of National Identity: The Injunction to Assimilation in France and its Territories, explains in an interview [fr] on the blog Contretemps the ideological seeds of Islamophobia and the institutional logic that reinforces it. “Racism needs a crutch to provide the principle of...

Tunisia: McCain's Visit Stirs up Anti-US Feelings

  27 February 2012

Senator John McCain's visit to Tunisia on Thursday, February 23, left Tunisian Internet users angry over what they called Ennahda's 'double standards.' Hundreds of Facebook comments, dozens of tweets and many pictures filled social media platforms frequented by Tunisians after a controversial picture of Tunisian Prime Minister, Hamadi Jebali, hugging the Senator.

Italy: Historic ‘Guilty’ Verdict in the Eternit Asbestos Trial

  25 February 2012

It is a historic verdict: on February 13, 2012 in Turin, northern Italy, the two top senior executives of the multinational Eternit, a producer of asbestos, were sentenced to 16 years in prison after a criminal trial began in 2009. Here are the reactions of the associations and the families of asbestos victims in Italy and Europe.

Cameroon : Say No To Tribalism

  24 February 2012

Princess Akeelah talks on her blog [fr] about an online campaign launched to fight against Tribalism in Cameroon. In a country where it is estimated that 280 different ethnic groups live together, she explains that this diversity is a wealth and should be “the foundation of a National Union”.

Tunisia: Court Quashes Verdict Ordering the Filtering of Pornography

  22 February 2012

Today, the Cassation Court of Tunis (highest court of appeal) threw out a verdict to censor pornography on the Internet. On May, 26, 2011, a court of first instance issued a ruling ordering the Tunisian Internet Agency (ATI), to filter X rated websites. At the time, the decision was criticised by by bloggers, and free speech advocates, who believed that such step could limit freedom of speech, and thus pave the way for the return of censorship. Today's decision received a more favourable response online.

Sahel: Islamic Fundamentalist Organisations Tighten Their Grip

  22 February 2012

For a few months now, two religious Islamic fundamentalist organisations, Boko Haram and AQIM (Al-Qaeda Organization in the Islamic Maghreb), have intensified their war against the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the surrounding nations. The regional blogosphere has quickly reacted, showing concern and providing thorough analyses.

Morocco: “Stop French Made TGV Rail Project”

  22 February 2012

StopTGV.com is a web campaign launched by a number of Moroccan NGOs. It calls for the cancellation of the controversial French-made Tangier-Casablanca TGV rail link due to start operating by December 2015 and which is worth an estimated 20 billion dirhams (US$2.4 billion). The campaign calls on the authorities to...

Haiti: Online Reaction to the Duvalier Decision

  21 February 2012

The investigative magistrate looking into human rights charges against Haiti's ousted dictator Jean-Claude “Baby Doc” Duvalier, recently came to the decision that “the statute of limitations had run out” on those human rights abuses - but apparently not on Duvalier's misappropriation of public funds.

Mali: The River Niger in Pictures

  20 February 2012

Boukary Konaté, a member of the Global Voices community in Mali, recently toured rural schools on a traditional Malian boat as part of a digital literacy project. This boat trip was an opportunity to explore his own country and to illustrate the many aspects of the 2,600 miles-long Niger river. Here are some snapshots, taken during the journey.

Morocco: Historic Telecom Operator Blocks Skype

  19 February 2012

“What a dreadful news today!” laments the blog Moroccan Geeks [fr], which reports that the Moroccan historic operator Maroc Telecom is now officially blocking all VoIP services, including Skype. The news sparked a heated debate on social media. Many netizens speculate the move is meant to bolster Maroc Telecom‘s paying...

Madagascar : Why Malagasies Cannot Use Paypal

  18 February 2012

The Malagasy blogger Sam bemoans on Reflexium the absence of an electronic payment system in Madagascar  [fr]: ” It is ludicrous that Malagasy people can open accounts on Paypal but cannot withdraw money from their accounts or credit it. Madagascar launched a few initiatives to have Paypal services in the country. Yet, the...

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