My name is Alice Backer. I am founder and former team leader of GV Lingua, which amplifies Global Voices in languages other than English. I used to be Francophonia Editor. I was once an editor of New York University School of Law's Review of Law & Social Change. I have been blogging about Haiti, Haitian-Americans and the Caribbean for 5 years at kiskeácity and I tweet from @kiskeacity. I am also a lawyer and campaign consultant.
Latest posts by Alice Backer from April, 2006
DRC: T.I. Petition & Elections Debate
“Master of the Universe,” a threat to Kabila? By Etienne Ngandu Today UDPS Liege echoes an AFP article announcing the presidential election will take place July 30. The election was postponed for a year last June and the July 30 date is later than the June 30 deadline mandated by...
Rep. of Congo: Activists Free At Last
Le Pangolin celebrates (FR) the liberation of human rights activists Mounzeo Christian and Brice Massoko. But the blogger cautions vigilance because “they are not yet completely free to go about .” He adds: “dictators are afraid of publicity regarding their ugly ways. Since they like to act as saints, we...
Martinique: Tourists Turned Off
Bien Vu worries (FR) that Martinique is turning tourists off. Some have complained to him, he says, about: “a poor welcome, bad company, not feeling safe during their vacations and to top it all off, women being the subject of obscene insults.”
Martinique: Gas Ration In Case of Strike
Bien Vu laments (FR) rumors of an imminent gas station strike and hopes a new twenty Euro per person ration is not in vain. “You don't want to be driving a 4X4 right now” he says.
Martinique: Do Not Piss Here
Bien Vu finds a “Do not piss here” bilingual french/creole sign near the Tourism Bureau in downtown Fort-de-France and concludes “In Martinique, we spell things out.”
DRC Diaspora: UDPS Wallonie May 1st Forum
On May 1st, UDPS Wallonie will hold a conference in Liege, Belgium to explain why UDPS will not partake in the upcoming DRC elections, says (FR) UDPS Liege. Details are in the post.
DRC: Blogger Wants to Petition T.I.
Blogger Tony Katombe proposes (FR) on Prince du Fleuve du Congo that he and compatriots from the country and abroad petition Transparency International to “investigate the allegations of the implication of Louis Michel, William Lacy Swing, Aldo Ajello and other international officials in the illicit exploitation of mining resources in...
Dominica: Karib Cultural Village
French Antilles blog Bondamanjak describes (FR) a new cultural village located in Dominica which showcases the history and culture of native Karibs. Dominica retains a rare community of the Caribbean indigenous group.
Martinique/Gwada: Palm Tree Shaped Antennas
Technophile InternetRapide.com praises (FR) the aesthetic value of Morocco's palm tree-shaped antennas.
DRC: UDPS Predicts “Electoral Comedy”, “Terror”
UDPS Liege discourages (FR) the Congolese from taking part in the upcoming “electoral comedy” unless of course certain conditions are met. They predict that “Joseph Kabila will be elected on the first round with 72%. He will be protected by European Union and MONUC [UN Mission to the DR of...
Martinique: Parental Rant
Bien Vu wonders (FR) why his/her teen-aged son is being taught History in French class. “Martinique doesn't do anything like anyone else [in the French school system],” says the blogger “unless this is our very own national curriculum.”
DRC: Report Says Ruling Party Received Illegal Corporate and State Funds
NIZA, a Dutch NGO, published a report alleging President Kabila's party (PPRD) is illegally funded by private enterprises of the Katanga region and has received government funds, says (FR) Le Blog du Congolais.
DRC: “A Poem From My Heart”
Lines from a poem posted (FR) by Prince du Fleuve du Congo: “Son of this Sacred Land, I cry for your misfortune/Yet for your salvation, I fight with fortitude.”
Image from DRC: Kobolo Humor
A Kobolo is a public transportation vehicle in the DRC. It is also the Congolese word for trunk. Photo courtesy Le Renouveau Congolais. In a humorous photo essay, Le Renouveau Congolais lists (FR) all the different positions that make Kinshasa public transportation bearable.
French Antilles: Banana Drama
InternetRapide.com points (FR) to recent efforts to promote Martinique and Guadeloupe bananas, including a commercial and website featuring athletes from the two islands. The blogger cites increased competition from American corporations and international regulations limiting French government subsidies as threats. Caribbean Free Radio gave the commercial a thumbs up.
Image from Haiti: Sell Art, Support a School
La Bonne Recolte by J.B. Chery. Image courtesy AyitiCherieConnexion AyitiCherieConnexion posts a slideshow of Haitian paintings and writes (FR): While surfing the web the other day I discovered a not-for-profit project from New York which uses Haitian art to fund a school in Haiti. I'm talking about the Vassar Haiti...
DRC: Cardinal Asks Congolese to Protect DRC From Foreigners
Archbishop of Kinshasa, Cardinal Etsou, asked Congolese to protect their country from foreigners, reports (FR)Renouveau Congolais. “You have left this beautiful country to foreigners who are carving it out” said the Cardinal to local political actors.
DRC: Informal vs. Official World Order
UDPS Liege contrasts (FR) the official world order (UN and other international bodies) to the informal world order (multinational corporations and secret service agencies). According to the informal world order, the DRC is not a sovereign nation, continues the blogger.
Haitian Blogger Yon Ayisyen: “I'm No Revolutionary Hero”
Yon Ayisien (whose name means “A Haitian”) blogs at Ayisyen Sa Nap Regle? (“What's Up Haitians? ” in Creole) and might as well be renamed HaitiPundit. He is the only Haiti-based Haitian blogger who blogs about politics and his blogging wit and vision is surprising for a 25 year-old. Though...
Haiti: Sixth Anniversary of Jean Dominique's Assassination
To commemorate the 6th anniversary of slain Haitian journalist Jean Dominique's death, blogger AyitiCherieConnexion talks (FR) about his life, his death and Jonathan Demme's The Agronomist. The blogger also treats us to a slideshow of the human rights activist in action.
Caribbean: Billionaires Investing in Local Telecoms
Last week Irish billionaire Dennis O'Brien announced his company Digicel was purchasing the Caribbean arm of Bouygues Telecom . This week Mexican billionnaire Carlos Slim announces he is purchasing three Caribbean and Latin-American subsidiaries of Verizon, an American telecom, writes (FR) InternetRapide.com. The Verizon subsidiaries to be purchased by Slim's...
