Stories about French from March, 2014
The “Happy Voting” Project Encourages Young Europeans to Vote
Drawing on the Pharrell Williams worldwide hit “Happy” and the associated equally renown music video (over 143 million views on YouTube), the Brussels-based film company Full Tunes Production has recently launched on facebook an enthusiastic project called “Happy Voting” that strives to encourage voting for the next European elections. The project...
The Challenges Facing Data Journalism in West Africa
Data journalism in West Africa often must work against a lack of data, funds and regulation.
Lebanese Launch Campaign in Support of Syrians Facing Racism
People in Lebanon joined hands to call for an end of racism towards Syrian refugees in their country, writes Joey Ayoub. "Our home is yours," they said.
750 Million People Expected to Speak French by 2050
Countering the assertion by John McWhorter at the New republic that learning French is pointless, Pascal Emmanuel Gobry writes on his Forbes blog that French might just be the language of the future: French isn’t mostly spoken by French people, and hasn’t been for a long time now. The language is...
First Tweet from President of Madagascar is the Ultimate Meta Tweet
The newly elected president of Madagascar Hery Rajaonarimampianina created his twitter account on March 23, 2014. Here is his first tweet : It is quite possibly the most meta tweet ever from a head of state. Only media mugol Rupert Murdoch might challenge the level of “metaness” of his first...
Jose Dos Santos, the 1.8-Billion-Dollar President of Angola
Meanwhile, 70 percent of Angolans live on less than two dollars a day.
Ebola Virus Outbreak Kills 59 in Guinea, Closes in on Conakry
An Ebola outbreak killed at least 59 people in Guinea and a few suspected cases near the Capital Conakry suggest that it may have spread to the Guinean capital. Barbara Krief provides the latest updates [fr]: Au moins huit agents de santé ont été tués à ce jour. En collaboration...
Six Women Held as Slaves in Southern Lebanon
Ivory Coast-based news site Koaci.com has uncovered the story of six women in southern Lebanon who were kept slavery-like conditions. Lebanese blogger Joey Ayoub draws attention to their plight.
The Daily Lives of Sub-Saharan Immigrants in Prague
Chadian blogger Réndodjo Em-A Moundona [fr] writes about the daily lives of African immigrants in Prague [fr] : Une petite discussion avec ces Africains suffit pour se rendre à l´évidence que la communauté n´est ni menacée, ni totalement intégrée. Comme fille africaine, il est quasi impossible de trouver un travail conséquent [..] En général, les...
Algerian Opposition TV Network Shuttered Ahead of Presidential Elections
Independent television network Al-Atlas TV, known for broadcasting Algerian opposition viewpoints without any restriction or censorship, was shut down by Algerian authorities on March 11.
Are ‘Left’ and ‘Right’ Outdated Terms in African Politics?
The cold war defined post-colonial African politics with its left vs right dichotomy. But is it still relevant for the continent today ?
African Technology: The TechAfrique Project Assesses How Far It's Come
Le continent africain apparaît comme la nouvelle frontière mondiale du développement numérique. Ce développement provoque une nouvelle impulsion entrepreneuriale en Afrique, et notamment en Afrique francophone. Mais ce potentiel reste très largement méconnu en Europe ainsi qu'en France. The African continent appears to be the new global frontier of digital development. This development has caused a new...
Young Woman in Madagascar Kills Herself after Photos Were Re-posted on Facebook
Koolsaina writes that a Malagasy girl killed herself [fr] after photos of her were posted on a Facebook page that showcase photos of young women from Madagascar without their consent. A call to Facebook administrators was initiated to take down the page. As of today (March 16, 2014), Koolsaina reports...
State Stops the Opening of Free Clitoral Repair Hospital for FGM Victims in Burkina Faso
The first hospital to offer free clitoral repair for victims of female genital mutilation (FGM) was open to the public its doors in Bobo Dioulasso, Burkina Faso on March 7 but the government refused to allow doctors to treat the 80 patients scheduled for surgery [fr] because of incompletion to fill in the...
5 Traditional Recipes From Across the Francophone World
Hungry for tajine, a meat or fish stew with vegetables or dried fruit from Morocco? Or how about ravitoto, a dish made from cassava leaves, onions and pork from Madagascar?
Reducing the Gap Between Africa's Rich and Poor
"Some take a plane to get treated for hay fever, while others are pushing up daisies because they can’t afford basic malaria treatment."
Major Unrest in Burundi ahead of Presidential Elections
At least 19 violent incidents have been documented since the beginning of 2014 in Burundi ahead of the presidential elections. The unrest centers on amendments to the constitution proposed by president Nkurunziza that could allow him to run for a third term. The CNDD-FDD ruling party and its youth wing...
Pascal Simbikangwa, Prime Accused in the Rwandan Genocide, Goes on Trial in France
Pascal Simbikangwa, charged with complicity in the 1994 Rwandan genocide, is finally being brought to trial in a French court, 20years after the massacre of about 800,000 ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus.
Tunisia: Pardoned Facebook User Released From Jail
Jailed for posting prophet Muhammad cartoons on Facebook, 30-year-old Tunisian Jabeur Mejri was freed last night.
The 2014 Forum for Francophone Women Opens in Kinshasa, DRC
The 2014 Forum for Francophone Women [fr] Opens today in Kinshasa, DRC. This is the second installment of the forum following the initial one in Paris in 2013. While the first forum focused on reducing violence against women in conflict areas, The objective of the 2014 forum will be dedicated to...
Funding Challenges for Scientific Research in France, African Countries
Funding for research is wanting worldwide.What is the impact of the stagnation on the economy and where are the solutions
