Latest posts by Savannah Goyette
‘People Are Getting on Those Boats Because They Want to Live’
The rescue operation Sos Méditerranée publishes accounts of people who have survived journeys across the Mediterranean Sea to Europe on their blog.
Five Cameroonian Data Journalists Take Stock of Paul Biya's 33 Governments
A data journalism project sheds light on all 33 different governing bodies during the Paul Biya administration in Cameroon.
What Do Africans Think of the Film ‘Timbuktu’ About Life Under Islamic Militants?
In Africa, opinions are divided on the Mauritanian film "Timbuktu." Some love it, others think external factors are the reason for its success.
8 Things You Wanted to Know About Madagascar but Were Afraid to Ask
If you ever wonder about visiting Madagascar or simply want to know more about the island, here are a few facts to consider.
Five of the Most Celebrated French-Language African Films
Five of the most celebrated French-language African films (award-winning or not) that have left their mark on an entire generation of movie-watchers.
Nelson Mandela's Death: ‘Left Us in Body, But His Spirit Is Eternal’
"Mandela was about politics and he was about race and he was about freedom and he was even about force, and he did what he felt he had to do"
‘The Global Is Enriched by the Local': New French Webzine X, Y & Z
Global Voices speaks with Emmanuel Chila, the founder of new French community blog X, Y & Z.
Do FEMEN's Topless Protests Advance Women's Rights or Jeopardize Them?
When a man sets himself on fire in protest, no one accuses him of harming the movement he self-immolated for. Why does FEMEN face those accusations?
France's Employment Law Tries to Please Businesses, Workers
On April 9, France's National Assembly approved a new bill on employment--a legal transposition that successfully sanctions months of negotiations, during which the social partners agreed to improve business flexibility without compromising worker safety.
African Cinema Honored at Film Festival
Boukari Ouédraogo wrote [fr] about the 23rd Pan-African Film Festival of Ouagadougou (FESPACO, Festival Panafricain du Cinéma de Ouagadougou). The festival took place from February 23 to March 2, 2013: What I did notice is that African filmmakers are true messengers, real educators, historians, storytellers, etc. They speak directly to...
PHOTOS: Once Upon a Time in Madagascar
With the same desire to honor and archive Madagascar's history, two Facebook pages are archiving vintage pictures of the cities and the Malagasy people: Madagascar Hier (Yesterday's Madagascar) and Il était une fois Madagascar (Once upon a time in Madagascar). Here is a photo essay of Madagascar, once upon a time.
Why Are Tourists Not Wanted at French Carnival?
A video featuring a group of masked Carnival revelers in Dunkirk, France chanting "we don't like tourists" has some web users ruing the flood of visitors who come year after year unprepared for the festival's madness.
The Many Faces of Everyday Violence Against Women
The United Nations General Assembly designated November 25 as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. Abdoulaye Bah gives an overview of reactions in the francophone blogosphere on this important day.
French Government Eases Strict Immigration Policy
French Interior Minister Manuel Valls, during a speech in Toulouse in southwestern France, expressed his desire to change his country's immigration policy, amending the naturalization requirements and, in particular, doing away with the multiple choice tests and the need to have signed a permanent employment contract. Here is a summary of the reactions to these new measures.
France: Stories of Everyday Sexism
After being harassed and insulted by men in the streets of Brussels, Belgian student Sofie Peeters made a hidden-camera film to denounce the male chauvinism experienced every day by unaccompanied women in the streets. Under the hashtag #harcelementderue (street harassment), French women are testifying to the verbal abuse and sexual harassment that they are subjected to in the streets.
Northern Mali: Resistance in the Streets and Online
Northern Mali has been de facto cut off from its central government since the Tuareg rebels then the Islamists drove the army out of their territory. On the ground, tension is rising. Women were the first to go out on the streets and in all the northern cities, the young have taken up protest.
Cameroon: Questions and Doubts Over Upcoming Election
On October 9, Cameroonians will be called on for the sixth time in the country's history to choose a president for the Republic. The election is characterized by the large number of candidates and voters - and by questions about the practices of the commission responsible for organizing elections.
France: Worry and Hope in the Japanese Community
In France as elsewhere, the terrifying pictures of the tsunami and earthquake have had Japanese expatriates worried by the magnitude of the disaster. Many of them spent all day on Friday, March 11, 2011, trying to contact their loved ones through the Internet, and since then have been working to bring their compatriots some emotional relief.
Mauritius: Facing Their Past in South Africa's Footsteps
Like South Africa and other African countries, Mauritius created a "Truth, Justice, and Reconciliation" Commission in 2008 to heal the wounds of slavery, as well as to find national unity through the process of restoring historical truth.
