Stories about French from July, 2010
Diaspora and Development in the Francophone World
The diaspora of the developing countries worldwide is often mentioned as a potential driving factor for poverty reduction and the francophone region is no exception. Still, the suggested policies involving the diaspora are not without challenges and require more avenues for discussion between all development actors
Morocco: Public Toilets Under Scrutiny
Moroccan blogger Big Brother Maroc [Fr] reports on the launch of Bitelma [Fr] (which translates to Water Closet), a website that invites visitors to publish pictures of “the worst public toilets in the country” listed by city and address (train stations, bars, restaurants, malls, universities…) in an effort “to pressure...
France: A Concert in Support of Illegal Immigrants
« Rock Sans Papiers » a concert in support of illegal immigrants in France will be held in Paris (Bercy) on September 18, 2010 [Fr]. Many household names in the French music scene such as Jacques Higelin and Abd Al Malick have committed to participating.
Côte d'Ivoire: Reporter Guy-André Kieffer Gone Missing for Six Years Now
French-Canadian reporter Guy-André Kieffer went missing in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire on April 16, 2004. Blogger Ménilmuche who knew him personally has written a complete dossier on the matter and provides updates on the story [Fr]. Updated informations on Kieffer are hard to find in the French mainstream media .
Macedonia, Belgium: Endangered Democracy
Macedonia in EU blog commented [MKD] on the article by Brussels-based journalist Tanja Milevska published in the Belgian [FRA] and Macedonian [MKD] press, advocating that with Belgian Presidency, the European Union must take active steps – primarily providing a date for the start of the EU membership negotiations – to...
Africa: Children Playing with Makeshift Football
Ariniaina shares photos of children playing with a makeshift soccer ball in Antananarivo. The scene is reminiscent of the remarkable photo essay by Julius Mwelu at the road-to-2010 blog about “the ingenuity of children to keep the joy of soccer alive”. [Additional photos at africamediaonline]
D. R. of Congo: Independence Cha Cha
The Democratic Republic of Congo is celebrating the 50th anniversary of independence from Belgian rule. As the state proudly wheeled out some expensive new military hardware for the delectation of visiting dignitaries, bloggers Kakaluigi and Congo Miliki describe the parades in Kinshasa and Lubumbashi, while other Congolese bloggers reminisce about the era of independence.
Togo: Women and Adolescents Embrace Technology for Development
On June 17th, the third panafrican conference on best practices in ICT in francophone Africa opened in Ouagadougou. The Togolese blogosphere is embracing the potential of information technology for development, especially women and young people.
