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 January, 2007
Madagascar: Ministers in the New Government
Madagascar Croissance posts (Fr) a list of the ministers that make up the new government.
Mayotte: Who Lives There?
Reunion Passion usually blogs on her homeland but recently she focused on nearby Indian Ocean French overseas department Mayotte (Fr): “Many cultures cohabitate in Mayotte, the first, of Comorian origin, constitutes 60% of the population, the second is Malagasy and is heavily influenced by the first and finally the French...
Haiti: Pre-Carnival Festivities A Blast for All
Due to regained security in the capital, pre-carnival festivities in Port-au-Prince have been about as well attended as carnival itself, says (Fr) HaitiXchange. Adds the site: “Marching bands and the better known DJs were all part of the festivities. People came from everywhere: Petion Ville, Delmas, Cite Soleil, Martissant…in order...
Haiti, France: Creole Language Catholic Mass in Marseilles
Collectif Haiti de Provence reports (Kr) on a Creole language mass that took place last Sunday in Marseilles, France for the Haitian community there: “More than 120 people showed up in their Sunday best. Restless young men weren't very excited about the music and hymns but they still showed up…...
Haiti: Pictures of Soccer Victory Celebration
Collectif Haiti de Provence posts (Fr) a slideshow of Haitians celebrating their win in the Digicel Caribbean Soccer /Football Cup final.
Guinea: Victory over Dictatorship?
Seckasysteme comments on the end of a national strike in Guinea last week that resulted in the signing of an encouraging agreement with the Lansana Conte regime (Fr): “The 17 days of violence with their arrests, killings, persecutions and sacrifices of all sorts were worth it for the valliant people...
Africa: French Double-Standard Vis-a-Vis China
Says Generation Consciente (Fr): “I'm not sure if I should laugh or cry about the French giving ethics lectures to the Chinese presence in Africa, urging them to encourage democracy and peace, as France itself hasn't ceased doing so for a half century through coups, killings of nationalist leaders and...
New Caledonia: Bloggers’ Meeting
Katuali is (Fr) organizing a meeting of New Caledonian bloggers and proposes a tentative March 3rd date.
French Caribbean DOMs: Welcoming Vaval, King of Carnival
Mas a kle, a Guadeloupe mas bandUploaded by Akynou No sooner were the 2006 holidays over that Martiniquans, Guadeloupeans and Guianese were kicking off the prelude to “Vaval”, their affectionate nickname for carnival which will take place in February, in a three-day celebration peaking on “Mardi Gras”, the “fat tuesday”...
Guadeloupe: Invited to Brooklyn's Labor Day Parade 2007
Atout-Guadeloupe explains that Guadeloupe has been invited to Brooklyn's West Indian Day parade in 2007 and notes (Fr): “It is an important event for Guadeloupean culture to be parading in Brooklyn, NY in 2007! Since October 2006, 5 carnival bands have converged into a single association , “K'Ribeens” to prepare...
Senegal: Unrest in Casamance
Says Blog Politique du Senegal (Fr): “As predicted, tensions are rising [in Casamance] following the death of Diamacoune. The measliest local chief is going to develop ambitions as a future president and launch “operations” in order to demonstrate his ability to flex his muscle. The hostilities have only just begun.”
Senegal: Flooded by Chinese Products
Blog Politique du Senegal is worried (Fr)about imports from China “flooding” local markets: “China has extremely low production costs … By opening its doors wide to Chinese products, Senegal is preventing itself from developing a national production. Meanwhile, the country's industrialization is the only means of providing work to thousands...
Madagascar: WordPress in Malagasy
Says L'Odyssee de Tattum (Fr): “Our national webmaster, Hery, has struck again! And it's all for the better! He redid and finalized the WordPress in Malagasy project begun by [blogger] Many to come up with: Blaogy.org, a new blogging platform powered by WordPress.”
Haiti: Caribbean Soccer Cup Champion
Says Collectif Haiti de Provence (Fr): “The national soccer team won the Caribbean Cup by defeating Trinidad in the final 2-1. A deserved victory for the Haitians… In Port-au-Prince the victory was celebrated in the streets. Thousands of fans assembled on the Champ de Mars exploded with joy when the...
French Guiana: Aerial Shots of Cayenne and the Forest
Carnet de Guyane posts (Fr) aerial shots of Cayenne and the guianese forest taken while flying over the country.
Why Independence for Quebec but not Guadeloupe?
Convention pour une Nouvelle Guadeloupe notes (Fr) that French Socialist presidential candidate Segolene Royal has endorsed the Quebecois party's principle of Quebecois independence. The blog continues: “We notice once more the double standard of socialist conservatives who share the goal of Quebecois Independence but reject the same outcome for Guadeloupe.”...
Haiti: Port-Morgan Tourist Destination
Collectif Haiti de Provence posts (Fr) pictures of the Port Morgan resort in Ile-a-Vache, Haiti.
Guinea: Conakry is Dying
Pourquoi L'Afrique Claudique reflects (Fr) on the Lansana Konte dictatorship in Guinea: “This country, considered one of the 20 poorest in the world despite its economic potential, will only be hurt by a general strike which has been going on for a week along with daily arrests. May those who...
Benin: Government Cracks Down on Telecom Sector
Says Ouestaf.com (Fr): “A study commissioned by Benins’ government came to the “bitter conclusion” that great anarchy prevails in the country's telecom sector, inciting the goverment to announce a series of drastic measures.”
Martinique: Homophobia and Segolene Royal's Socialist Party
The French Socialist Party's presidential candidate Segolene Royal. Photo by Manuel MC. Le Blog de [Moi], the blog of an out Martiniquan lesbian, tackled a budding controversy in local Martiniquan politics last week. Martinique, though in the Americas, is a French Overseas Department (what the French call a D.O.M.) and...
Madagascar: Forest = Pharmacy
Says Harinjaka (Fr): “Malagasy forests are like medicine cabinets. You can find 75% of medicinal plants used in Madagascar. A vital ressource for those who, by and large, live tens of kilometers from the closest clinic.”
