Stories about French from January, 2010
Haiti: Awarded Haitian born writer expresses grief and hope
Four days after the tragedy started, world-famous Haitian-born Dany Laferrière, in Port-au-Prince at the time of the terrible earthquake, tells about his experience, respect for his people and hope for the future. Read the whole article, republished by blogger Haititempo, here [Fr].
Haiti, USA: When politics challenge compassion
In a post [Fr], Haitian writer Alain Mabanckou exposes the right-wing American radio host Rush Limbaugh, who has told his listeners that President Obama is using this catastrophe as a part of a political strategy towards minority voters and therefore asked the American people not to donate.
Haiti: Predicted Disaster?
In his blog, Haitian writer Claude Ribbe writes a post [Fr] quoting a scientific article published in the mainstream Haitian newspaper “Le Matin” in October 2008, announcing the high probability of this major earthquake.
Haiti: Raw video footage
From current.com comes the series of raw videos by afitzgerald showing different aspects of life in Haiti after the quake. Shown are tent cities, makeshift morgues as well as aid workers and survivors stating their need for aid: they see the planes full of supplies and/or food, but see none...
Haiti: Citizen Videos of the Aftermath
Through online video, both live and recorded, people come together to help Haiti: whether by showing different aspects of the tragedy, by keeping others informed or by bringing together volunteers with specific needs that have to be covered.
Haiti, Cuba: Cooperation
Espas Ayisyen Toulouse posted a long speech [Fr] by Fidel Castro, who states his pride at the historical cooperation in the field of medical studies between Cuba and Haiti.
Haiti: “Solidarité Haïti”
After a few days of silence, the collective blog Solidarité Haïti, born after the 2008 hurricanes, has eventually posted [Fr] about a dozen solidarity and relief efforts led by French Caribbean people in Europe or elsewhere.
Haiti: Blogging daily updates on human and logistical situation
As of January 14th, the blogger at Haiti Solutions updates the logistical situation of the ” Frères de l'Instruction Chrétienne en Haïti” [Fr] while Réseau Citadelle [Fr] publishes Alain Paret's list of survivors and casualties in Port-au-Prince and surrounding areas.
Haiti: Renowned Haitians announced dead
Though communicating inside and outside Haiti has been a huge challenge and most people have not been able to have reliable -if any - information concerning their relatives and friends, news has come, interestingly enough, from bloggers outside of Haiti, about famous people missing or already declared dead.
Haiti: Oxfam streams Survivor testimonies and takes questions
Through video streaming service Ustream, @PierreCote organized a live video show where at 10:30 pm, survivor Philippe Barthole who worked at Multilink Haiti dialed in through Skype to speak in French and Creole about the earthquake aftermath at Port Au Prince. He described it as apocalyptic and highlighted the dire...
Tunisian Diplomat Dies in Haiti Earthquake
Hedi Annabi, a 66-year-old Tunisian diplomat and the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary General for Haiti (Minustah) is thought to be among those who perished in Haiti's violent earthquake. Tunisian bloggers lament his loss.
Haiti: Le Cap Haitien sends some news
Wednesday January 13th: The day after the terrible 7.0 earthquake which has left Haiti in an undefinable situation, and the island is facing seemingly insurmountable communication challenges. Still, bloggers are trying to get the word out...
Haiti: Experiences of the Earthquake
So far the casualty reports from Haiti's earthquake have focused on the terrifying statistics, but very few names had been attached to those numbers. Here is a look at some of the experiences that the survivors of this natural disaster are sharing online...
Haiti: First reactions to the 7.0 earthquake
The first blog posts written in French about the earthquake in Haiti have come from outside the country, announcing terrible news of the Presidential Palace , a hospital and other buildings collapsing and also of the threat of a tsunami. According to MetropoleHaiti, The USA have already proposed humanitarian assistance.
Arab World: Article on polygamy causes a stir
Nadine al-Bedair's article entitled "Me and My Four Husbands" has caused controversy and outrage amongst the Arab and Muslim blogosphere. However, there are also those that have defended her piece. Katharine Ganly explores these reactions.
Togo Disqualified from African Cup Following Deadly Attack
Togo's national football team has been formally disqualified from the African Cup of Nations following Friday's deadly attack on the team's convoy in Cabinda, a region of Angola long troubled by separatist violence. With plenty of criticism for the Angolan government and African football officials, Togolese bloggers ask hard questions about the tragedy.
The Year that Was in Madagascar : Part III
Mialy reviews the final weeks of 2009 in Madagascar in the last of a three-part series.
Guadeloupe: 2010 another year of social struggle?
The Guadeloupean blogosphere has been buzzing for about a week around one question: “2010, a year of social struggle?” asked by blogger Shakazulu [Fr Cr], sparked by another recent rise in the price of oil products, as explained by Shakazulu [Fr Cr], Indiscrétions [Fr] and Bondamanjak [Fr]
Martinique, French Guiana: Referendum for more autonomy from France
Bloggers from Martinique [Fr] and French Guiana have been posting for months about the upcoming popular referendum to decide whether they want to change their political status and gain more autonomy from France [Fr], or keep the same status. Answer on Sunday, January 10th 2010 [Fr].
Haiti: New Year & Independence
In Haiti, January 1st 2010 was the date of the double celebration of both New Year's day and the 206th anniversary of the National Independence. Haiti Connexion Network posts a cheerful slideshow entitled “Bonne Fête Haïti Chérie”.
The Year that was in Madagascar: Part II
In part two of a three-part summary of the year in citizen media in Madagascar, Mialy Andriamananjara takes a look at May to November, which saw more protests, the boycott of Andry Rajoelina at the UN, the strength of Malagasy citizen media, and a devastating toxic spill.