Stories from 1 February 2006
Vietnam: Eulogy for a Mandarin
Virtual Doug writes a eulogy to Dr. Bưu Châu, a descendant of Vietnamese imperial mandarins who returned to Huê to live out his last days.
Cambodia: Painter of the Khmer Rouge
Phatry Pan interviews Vann Nath, who painted Khmer Rouge propaganda and portraits of leader Pol Pot in return for his life being spared.
Malawi: board games
Soyapi Mumba points to a new online Malawian shop where you can buy Bawo (called Ayo in Nigeria) “a popular Malawian and African” board game.
Cambodia: Truth in Khmer
Kwii's Conscience discusses how, since the Khmer Rouge auto-genocide, Khmer people have a difficult time forming honest relationships. “During the war, all that trust was broken. Family and friends turned on each other for survival. So no one trusts anyone–especially Khmer people.”
Nigeria: Abacha Days
Musings of a Naijaman comments on two recent events in Nigeria that remind him of the dark dictatorships days of the late General Abacha…”This style of guttersnipe communication, where any government criticism was met with a barrage of blistering personal attacks was honed under the Abacha government, and for those...
Barbados: Opposition leader's volte-face
Barbados Free Press writes that the crossing of the floor by Barbados's opposition leader has “fueled cynicism — especially among the non-partisan electorate”. And was the attack on the Barbados Free Press web site politically motivated?
Barbados: Men and domestic violence
Titilayo takes issue with statements made by the chairman of Barbados's Men's Education Support Association in a report on a recent conference.
Guyana: Snake dreams
Guyana-Gyal has a dream about a snake. “If you is Guyanese and you dream 'bout snake,” she says, “it mean you got a enemy, real or not!”
Bahamas: More on majority rule
Sir Arthur Foulkes continues his discussion of majority rule in the Bahamas, noting that “the architects of the progressive movement in the Bahamas in the Sixties often told the uncompromising old guard that the country would be better off if the old guard dealt with them rather than face a...
Africa: Cup of Nations
Black Star Journal has a report on the African Nations Cup as the first round comes to an end.
Somaliland: Somalia
The Voice of Somaliland points to a Reuters report “Somaliland has reacted angrily to a call by African leaders for a partial easing of a United Nations arms embargo on lawless Somalia, fearing the weapons may one day be turned against the breakaway enclave.“
Human Rights diminishing
Curious writes on the “law of diminishing human rights” in Britian….”These days, all you have to do to be suspected and possibly accosted under the terrorism act is forget to shave for a few days and attempt to use the London underground. It appears that as our societies get more...
Nigeria: Free HIV drugs
Kid's Doc in Jos announces the start of a new programme that will provide “free anti-HIV drugs (antiretroviral or ARV) to patients.
Kenya: dog food for children
White African points to a story in Yahoo News that a New Zealand woman planned to send dog food to “Kenya's starving children“.He asks if this story is possible?…”The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights condemned the offer as a degrading assault on the dignity of the country’s children.”
Nigeria: Medical tourism
Timbuktu Chronicles reports that Medical tourism has arrived in Nigeria… “The facility to be known as “…CAMP SINAI INTERNATIONAL ® is planned to meet the highest standard of quality, functionality, aesthetics and service delivery comparable to some of the best hospitals in the world.”
Africa: Bono
Ethiopundit comments on an interview with Bono published in Der Spiegel in which he discusess “Meles and other African dicatators.”
Kenya: moving back home
Kenyan Pundit writes joins the Kenyan debate on moving back home and uses her own personal experiences…”In my experience, you first have to commit to the idea of going back. Like really commit. No ten year plans. No once I make this much money. Cut the crap. Wake up and...
Zimbabwe: arrest of students
The Passion of the Present reports on the arrest of 4 Zimbabweans who were carrying out research “on the effects of the government's controversial urban clean-up campaign after mistaking them for journalists.”
Ethiopia: journalist arrested
My Heart's in Accra points to a report by the Committee to Protect Journalists that the Ethiopian government have arrested “Frezer Negash, a correspondent for Ethiopian Review, a website fiercely critical of the Zenawi government. Negash is being held without charge.”
South Africa: Marxism
South African blog, Floyds Perspective publishes an essay on Marxism and South Africa which asks…..”Marxist tool of analysis is relevant to South Africa. Like many other African countries, South Africa was a colonial and/or imperial country, though conceptualised as that of a special type”.
Laicity and Football deception in the Moroccan Blogs
Last Monday was the first day of the new Hegire year 1427 and the Moroccan Blogsphere wished Muslims all over the world a happy new year (French). Soumiaz author of Imta , started an e-discussion with foulla‘s Refusenik about Islam and laicity . While most of the Moroccan bloggers posted...
