Stories about French from February, 2012
Guinea: The Indifference Towards Women with Disabilities
Boubacar Sanso Barry wrote for the site Yanous [fr]: “Example of the indifference and the negligence in Guinea towards disability issues: It is almost impossible to find an organization that is capable or likely to concern itself with the lives of disabled people, or that would think to tackle those...
Madagascar: The Aftermath of Cyclone Giovanna in Videos and Photos
Cyclone Giovanna made landfall on February 13 at 20h00 local time. The cyclone is classified as a category 4, with winds of up to 194km (120mph) ripping up trees and electricity pylons. Official reports stated that there are at least 10 casualties as of now.
France : Dozens of Anti-ACTA Protests
Despite freezing temperatures, a few thousand netizens joined the Saturday Feb. 11 worldwide protests against ACTA, in Paris and some 40 other cities in France. One can find pictures on clubic.com, a video of the protests [fr] on Madmax's blog, an Anti – Acta France Facebook page and the details [fr] of a petition on the Gizmodo blog.
Italy: New Volunia Search Engine Intrigues Blogosphere
Volunia is a brand new search engine which encourages interaction between people searching for the same topics in different languages. It's creation was only recently announced, but already Volunia has caused quite a stir in the blogosphere.
Martinique, Guadeloupe, France: MP Letchimy Against Minister Guéant
Bloggers and mainstream journalists around the French-speaking blogosphere have been buzzing once more about French Minister of Home Affairs, Claude Guéant, who is notorious for suggesting extreme right-wing policies about national identity, religion and immigration.
Martinique: All together around Creole
The Creole language in the Caribbean and the cooperation between islands were recently discussed during the Creole-speaking Regions Days, as explained in this post on Tous Créoles [Fr Cr/Fr]. One of the most debated issues was a visa waiving program between the French Caribbean islands and the rest of the...
Senegal: Reasons Behind the Pre-Election Turbulence
Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade was elected head of state in 2000 and has decided to stand for a third term even though that should not be allowed under the constitution. Many Senegalese are protesting the decision to allow him to stand.
Tunisia: Social Media Campaign to Legalize Marijuana Underway
Legalize It was an album by the Jamaican and pro-marijuana consumption, Peter Tosh, in 1976. Now Legalize It! is a social media campaign for the legalization of marijuana in Tunisia. Ahmed Medien sums up netizen reactions to consuming marijuana ahead of a protest planned in front of Parliament to call for its legalization on Saturday, February 18.
Antigua, Guadeloupe: From the Common Past
For the past decade, the tight historical and geographical bonds between the West Indian islands of Antigua and Guadeloupe have been analyzed by historians. A recent conference entitled “Antigua: From the Amerindians to an Independant Nation” [Fr] was organized in Guadeloupe by the group Yo Té Pou Nou Sé. Bloggers...
Madagascar : Crowdsourcing Information about Cyclone Giovanna
Cyclone Giovanna was expected to make landfall on February 13th at 23h00 local time in Madagascar. Malagasy Bloggers have set up a citizen reporting platform to crowd source information during the storm. If you have any relevant information regarding the cyclone, you can share those with mutliple channels: via SMS...
Tunisia: Spoiling the Revolution
Jolanare is weary of where the Tunisian revolution is heading to in terms of women's rights [fr]. She writes: “A young man verbally attacked me because I was wearing red lipstick. He shouted at me : “these are the so-called women of the democracy.” I replied that it is thanks...
Germany, France: Disparities in Policies Regarding the Integration of Foreign Students
Elsa Doladille writes [fr] on the Educators Without Borders blog : ” While the Guéant Bill in France aims at toughening the conditions for foreign students to obtain a work permit, Germany encourages the integration of students from abroad in their workforce.”
France: How Are PACS and Marriage Different?
Pierre Vicari [fr] had this to say about the results of a survey [fr] which appeared on the site Lefigaro.fr, “To the ignoramuses who say that PACS and marriage are the same thing: No! A PACS does not provide any of the same rights as marriage! In addition, you intolerant people who do not...
France: A Drone Campaigning… for President
Dédé l'Abeillaud (another name for a drone – a male bee in a colony of social bees, which inspires his costume) is the self-proclaimed candidate of biodiversity for the French presidential election of 2012. He boasts of winning over 300 promised votes for local officials, as much as the National...
Africa: 2012 Cup Semi-Finals Put West Africa in the Spotlight
The semi-finals of the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations are causing great excitement in West Africa, as three out of four teams still in competition hail from this region. Francois-Xavier Ada-Affana reports on the action.
Sahel Region: 1.6 Million Children at Risk of Malnutrition
Afrik.com reports that [fr]: ” because of the low harvest and an increase of 60 to 80 % in cereal pricing, 10 millions people across Niger, Mali, Mauritania, Burkina Faso and Chad will be affected by food security issues, including 1.6 million children.”
Tunisia: Reports About a Court to Decide on “Interim” President's Title Refuted
The office of the ¨Presidency in Tunisia denied rumors initiated by a local newspaper claiming that on February 13, a court in the capital will issue a verdict about the use of the term “interim” by the state media when referring to the current President Moncef Marzouki and his government.
Morocco: Busted for Posting Caricatures of the King on Facebook
On February 7, Walid Bahomane appeared before a court in the Moroccan capital Rabat. The 18-year-old is accused of "defaming Morocco's sacred values" by posting pictures and videos on Facebook mocking king Mohammed VI of Morocco. Moroccan netizens are closing ranks in solidarity with Bahomane.
Tunisia: Decision to Expel Syrian Ambassador Sparks Heated Debate
On February 1, Tunisia, the birthplace of the so-called Arab Spring, has started procedures to expel the Syrian Ambassador in Tunis, and to withdraw recognition of the Syrian regime. Netizens react to the decision.
France: The first Muslim public cemetery
Hanan Ben Rhouma of Saphir News reports [fr] that: “The first Muslim public cemetery in France was open in Strasbourg on Monday, February 6. In a sense, it is a unique cemetery of that kind because it is the first to be managed by local public authorities based on the Alsace-Moselle Accord...
Italy: Volunia, a Serendipity-based Search Engine
On the blog Presse-citron, Jean-Marie Le Ray wites about”Volunia” [fr], the new search engine in 12 languages invented by Professor Massimo Marchiori of the University of Padua (Italy) : “this is a new concept of navigation of our times I think a test, a laboratory of ideas , also with a prospective vision...
