· February, 2014

Stories about Western Europe from February, 2014

Mushrooms, France's Latest Food Trend

  26 February 2014

Like wine or seasonal fruit and veg, mushrooms are highly valued both in the mind and on the plate, associated with a better lifestyle and local produce.

First Open Heart Surgery in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo

  23 February 2014

The health international network La Chaîne de l’Espoir (The Link of Hope) reports that 7 Congolese children in critical conditions benefited from open heart surgeries [fr] on February 14 in Brazzaville, Congo. With the help of the Congo Assistance Fundation as well, Prince Béni and Maya, both suffering from cardiomyopathy were...

SmartNomination, a Counter to the Binge Drinking Game Neknomination

  18 February 2014

The online drinking game Neknomination that promotes binge drinking for teenagers has outraged many people around the world. Neknomination asks participants to film themselves drinking an alcoholic beverage in one gulp, upload the footage to the web and nominate others to do the same. Julien Voinson, a young frenchman from Bordeaux, decided...

“Another Face of Africa”: Call for Photos, Stories

  14 February 2014

A group of young volunteers from southern Germany, many of whom have lived in Africa, are calling for photos, essays, videos, blog posts or poems by locals of five major African cities: Lagos, Addis Ababa, Gaborone, Kigali and Kinshasa. With a forthcoming exhibition called “Sichtwechsel,” their goal is to show...

Remembering Dr Alison Jolly, Lemurs of Madagascar Expert

  11 February 2014

After leading a distinguished career as a primatologist at the Berenty Reserve of Madagascar, Dr. Alison Jolly has died at home in Lewes, East Sussex, aged 76. Dr. Jolly, a PhD researcher from Yale, made her name as the first scientist to do an in-depth account of the behaviour of the ring-tailed lemur, L. catta, beginning...

When Genocide is, apparently, a Laughing Matter

  7 February 2014

French humorist Nicolas Canteloup has come under fire for a sketch making light of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda [fr]. Following the outrage,  Mr Canteloup has yet to apologize for the sketch. Audrey Kucinskas, a blogger for the Plus asks the logical question: “can anything be a laughing matter?” [fr]:  Rire du...

Last Chance to Submit Papers for Re:Publica 2014

  7 February 2014

The organizers of Re:Publica in Berlin, Germany have extended the deadline for submission of papers for speaking topics to February 7, 2014. The topic for this year's conference, which typically attracts around 5,000 people, is INTO THE WILD, exploring the unknowns of a post-Snowden era. Submit your papers today! The...