KNOWLEDGE SURGE

ALASSANE OUATTARA MAY BE ON THE PATH TO SOLVING THE CITIZENSHIP QUESTION IN CÔTE D’IVOIRE

2013-08-21T12:14:00.000-04:00

A fight exploded among Members of Parliament of Côte d'Ivoire as the thorny issue of citizenship is indirectly discussed at the national Assembly. On 8/19/2013 the government started the process of ratifying two UN conventions of 1954 and 1961 on statelessness. The bill authorizing ratification of the two conventions was finally adopted after 10 hours of hot debate. This is a rare occurrence in most sub-Saharan Africa countries.

The issues

MPs were asked to authorize the President of Mr. Ouattara under article 84 of the constitution to ratify UN conventions of 1954 and 1961 on statelessness define as “a person who is not considered as a national by any State under the operation of its law. The 1954 Convention deals with the Status of Stateless Persons and the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness are key legal instruments in the protection of stateless people around the world and in the prevention and reduction of statelessness. These two key treaties were never ratified by Côte d'Ivoire. Such step will go a long way to easing the tension and creating a spirit of reconciliation in the country. The case was presented by the Minister of justice and the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Strangely, the government started by arguing that there are no stateless persons in Côte d’Ivoire, but insists the risk of statelessness is very high.They rely on data from the most recent election, about 600 people in the so-called “gray list” and about 900,000 minors that may become stateless if the country doesn’t ratify the convention. It is not clear how they came up with 900,000 minors. From the opposition stand point the key point of contention is the linkage between the two UN conventions and the citizenship debate. The government insisted that the convention will not lead to citizenship "automatically." It is worth mentioning that the opposition is currently part of a governing coalition including the DPCI of Henri Konan Bedie, the man who instrumentalized the debate over citizenship when he was president of the country to keep Ouattara away from the presidency. Initially, the debate was going to happen within a special committee. Given the interest the conversation was brought to the floor. Some MPs went so far as to request that the question be submitted to the people via a referendum as they clearly fear a backlash when they return to their respective constituency!

Ouattara’s strategy
Ouattara’s hopes to use these 2 key conventions as a major stepping stone to deal with the elephant in the room, the citizenship/nationality question. This is very clear as one follow the argument made by the government (Sorry this video is in French). Essentially the government says “there are NO stateless people on this country but we want the ratify the convention anyway.” The government recommends creating a special committee to monitor the implementation of the law. Why would one monitor a convention that technically “has no use.” For those familiar with the pivotal role of 1961 convention, Ouattara is clearly laying the foundation of a much solid and broader approach to solve the citizenship crisis in his country.

Why are the UN Conventions of 1954 and 1961 important to Côte d’Ivoire and the Ouattara Government?
Under the laws of Côte d'Ivoire, ratified International Treaties and Conventions are above national laws. Consequently, internal laws must not contradict ratified international conventions and treaties. Article 85 of the current constitution of Côte d'Ivoire demands that peace treaties, and other international agreements impacting national laws be ratified through a bill introduce before the parliament. Basically, the president signs the ratification document after receiving an authorization from the parliament that decides by vote. Ouattara has essentially managed to legally bind the country to the requirement of protecting the rights of anybody considered stateless. It would be hard in the future to kick anybody out of the country, or deny that person any right if he/she claims statelessness. The 1954 law was created to solve issues arising from widespread displacement after WWII. The 1961 convention is the leading legal instrument on nationality law giving effect to article 15 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which recognizes that “everyone has the right to a nationality.” The 1961 convention clearly discuss citizenship/nationality issues with specific examples under article 1. In a sense, Ouattara has just accomplished the impossible by making it easier, through a solid legal framework, to leave and work and feel safe in Côte d’Ivoire.

From my view, despite the tension that was visible during the debate, this was an easy ride for the Ouattara team. Those who were previously denied nationality now have the legal framework to have their basic rights protected as listed under article 1 on the 1961 convention notably access to land and a potential path to full citizenship.

TWO NEW BOOKS ON HAITI AND THE SAME STORIES OF UNMET PROMISES

2013-01-26T04:14:00.000-05:00

FARMIFICATION: ANOTHER VIEW ON MIGRATION

2012-08-01T14:39:00.001-04:00

FARMIFICATION: Using farming to keep the factory community together when orders decrease.

Farmification is an experiment, or a story on the remaking of china in the post tech bubble era. A story/investigation/research conducted by a creative woman named Lisa Ma. This is also a story of a women who had set herself up to bringing forth a solution to one of the most challenging and yet untackled human catastrophes facing China. It is about building stronger communities. Between the bells of Wall Street and the lost hopes of Chinese farmers there are yet many more stories to be told, many more linkages to uncover. Far from East-West ideological battles, in China like anywhere else, it matters to have stable communities. It is not a secret that in the western world, China has become synonymous of punchbag for elected officials and wannabe elected officials.

Some questions...

what would have happen to Europe, America, if there was no China? the question is valid the other way around. what would have happen to all the American families that are unable to make ends meet because of lower wages. I mean would they have been able to feed their themselves if there was not Walmart?

What is FARMIFICATION?

As the tech world evolves, as new technologies replace old ones, it leaves behind lethal environmental decay as much as an uprooted and lost workforce. If nothing is done, in the coming days more 230 million farmers trained to perform basic factory tasks across China will become destitute. The ramifications are immense.

Who cares if Chinese workers are victim of their own success?

These are migrant workers who no longer fit in the rural life style they were born into, nor do they belong in the tech world that is already changing as they set foot in the production chain. The stake is huge for the most populated country in the world. When the world factory is in trouble, it should matter to the world not because the price of goods will increase in the US, not because Apple’s production chain will be affected but simply because we are human being.

Jisa Ma is a self describe creative "creative sprawling thinker" known for a technique called “Brain-dumping” consisting of overloading the listener with a lot of information from the speaker's mind in order to create random connection.

Please take a minute to watch the video above.

THE BLACK LIST OF 279 AIRLINES BANNED WITHIN THE EUROPEAN UNION: BEYOND THE HEADLINES

2012-06-12T11:11:00.000-04:00

The EU has just released the list of 279 airline companies not allowed to fly into the EU air space. There are 17 African countries out of a total of 21 worldwide. Check out the full list in French and in English.

This is a big blow for many companies in the developing world as they seek to tap into a growing business sectors that just a few years ago was reserved only to western companies. One can argue that with the EU in economic crisis, all is been done to protect the European market. The travel and tourism sector in the EU is one of the last lifeline of the economy. A plane crash in EU sky will be very damaging for the economy.

The table below shows the impact of travel and tourism in the economy.

http://www.wttc.org - travel & tourism in the economy

In 2010 when the list was publised the African Airlines Association shot back with the following statement:

“The ultimate beneficiaries of the ban are European airlines which dominate the African skies to the disadvantage of African carriers. If any list is to be published, it should be done so by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), the global regulator of aviation safety, which has a known track record of impartiality.” According to AFRAA, the EU list has the effect of damaging the reputation and business of many scheduled African airlines whose safety records and adherence to ICAO safety standards are comparable to the best airlines anywhere in the world.

The Association contends that a detailed examination of the EU list reveals some contradictions. For example, • The majority of the African airlines on the list have never operated scheduled flights to Europe, do not plan to do so and have no aircraft with the range to fly to any EU state.

The list includes many airlines that only exist on paper and are not operational. The list indicates that neither the operating license nor the ICAO registration number of most of the banned airlines are known.

In contrast to the position taken by the EU on African air safety challenges, the USA introduced the “Safe Skies for Africa” initiative aimed at upgrading capacity, developing skills and providing infrastructure to improve safety. All this is being done at a time when only a few US carriers are operating to Africa. AFRAA calls upon the EU to emulate the good example of the US and launch an air safety improvement programme for Africa rather than issue a “blacklist” which has not proved to be helpful in solving the problem."

Very often in "third world" countries, when there is a crash, local institutions are blamed, primarily the
government for not doing a proper oversight. Cases of corruption related to aircraft inspections are frequent. Recently a jailed former high official of the government of Cameroon in a spirit of vengeance revealed with documentation that the current Information Minister received USD 171,247 in kickbacks after awarding an inspection contract of the late CAMAIR -the defunt national airline company- to a South African company. As a result, inspections were rarely done leading which led to a crash that killed dozens of passengers. The sad part of this story is that, although the government of Cameroon was compensated, the families of the victims never received any form of compensation from the government. The opposition is demanding that the parliament launches a full investigation on the matter. The government is yet to make an official statement on the matter.

Looking deeper, it is not surprising that the majority of planes operated by companies located in developing countries have been banned in western countries because of various safety reasons. Some of the technical issues on these planes are very complex and may not be easily fixed by replacing a few parts here and there. parts. the importance of well-trained inspector is crucial. Here is a revealing transcript with commentary of a routine inspection of a flight operated by an African airline company.

In many cases private airline companies operating in developing countries are subsidiaries of western company, a sort of cash cow to generate extra revenues in an environment of total lack of state control or weak regulation.

Just last week you probably heard about the crash in Nigeria and Ghana of two planes owned by Nigerian companies. These crashes where apparently linked to pilot error and the fact that the airports where located in densely populated area.

You will be surprised to hear that there is no age restriction for aircraft in the EU. However the inspection system is stringent enough to ensure that flights can be operated in a safe environment.

In Africa and Asia, countries are starting to take things in their own hands. DRC, Bolivia, Malaysia, Mongolia, Russia, Uganda, Venezuela and Zimbabwe are adjusting existing age limitations or imposing new age caps on locally operated aircraft. It is a good step. However regular shop visit are needed to ensure that aircrafts are fit for flight.

Banks are afraid these new restrictions will have a significant impact on their ability to finance older aircrafts since depreciation is going to be accelerated. I personally believe this will create a sound business environment and weed out rapacious and aggressive investors eager to make a profit while putting at risk peoples’ lives. Bankers are disappointed to see such regulatory move in the so called "Growth market" in India, China, Russia and Indonesia.

"America is really, really secure" said Stephen M. Walt from Foreign Policy Magazine

2012-06-06T19:32:00.001-04:00

At times it hard to believe the size of the US defense budget, let alone programs and funding that are kept in secrecy. Mr. Walt is right. America is really really really secure.

" [...] Americans are constantly fretting about supposedly grave threats in far-flung corners of the world, and marching off to spend billions (or even trillions) fighting long and inconclusive wars in strategic backwaters like Afghanistan. To be perfectly blunt, it makes one wonder if the national security establishment in this country is even capable of a careful, sober, even-tempered analysis anymore."

This also means that in times of crisis like these, defense spending must be reduced. Currently at 1.5 trillion dollars, about 19% of total US budget. The US outspend the world when it comes to defense.

In 2009, Congressman Barney Frank, D-Mass., called for a reduction in the defense budget: "The math is compelling: if we do not make reductions approximating 25 percent of the military budget starting fairly soon, it will be impossible to continue to fund an adequate level of domestic activity even with a repeal of Bush's tax cuts for the very wealthy."

The belief in uncertainty in the post cold war area is bogus and baseless and the reliance on private contractors to fight the war gives a picture of a system built to benefit a few! However, America should not stop creating and inventing while at the same time ensuring that the quest for financial gain does not undermine national security. You've probably heard about the outsourcing to china of critical US national defense equipment parts. Outsourcing is going to be the biggest national defense threat to the US.

The US must stop using fake Chinese electronic parts in combat airplanes.

Controversy Over the New French President’s Official Portrait

2012-06-05T12:36:00.002-04:00

The New French President has his official portrait. It was done by Raymond Depardon, a 69 year old photographer considered to be a political photographer. He was previously involved in the election of former président Valéry Giscard d'Estaing.

Mr. Holland is pictured outside, standing in the garden sourounding Champs Elysée, the Frenc h equivalent of the White House. Paris Match, a French newspaper stated that the new French president does not look serious or thoughtful on the picture. The French flag looks hidden in the background next to the EU flag. Here are two revealing comments from the internet:

“Ridiculous ! His arms hang down. One who has copied Mitterrand could have use him as an inspiration .... Who is this photographer anyway?”

“For me Mr Depardon was an excellent photographer, and then there is this picture of a desperate normality. Difficult to recognize the Élysée, our flag looks like clothes hung from a window, almost off-camera. As for Mr. Holland, for a first picture, I am very disappointed”

Nicolas Sarkozy’s picture, the former president, was taken in the presidency’s library a formal setting. Jacques chirac was the first to have his picture taken in the lawn with the presidency in the background.

On his state portrait, Francois Mitterand had a book of Montaigne’s essay's in his hands and pretending to read! I found that a bit strange.

Giscard d’Estaing, Mitterand's predecessor was smiling with a flag on the background. He was dubbed the candidate of modernity "candidat de la modernité. " The minimal background of his official portrait tells it all. Giscard was the first president to go out of classical official portrait of French presidents. One small but important fact about him was his complicated relationship with his "friend" the African dictator of the country of Central Africa Republic (CAR), Jean Bokassa. Giscard d’Estaing did his first official visit in CAR.

Check out this video if you are wondering what goes on behind the scene at the Palais de l’Élysée. The basement is unfinished like that of any other public building; and of course there is a cellar for French wine.

SHIFTING TRENDS ON LABOR MIGRATION: LESSONS FROM INDIA

2012-05-19T06:14:00.003-04:00

Screen shot from France 24,

Please click on this caption to watch the video

According to France 24 English an international French news agency, highly skilled worker seeking work in the West are now less likely to stay abroad for more than 4-5 years as they seek to return to their country of origin to enjoy their earning, or start a business. This particular trend is happening in India, a country that has witness unbelievable economic growth over the past 15 years. Given their high saving potential, Indian doctors and engineers are returning home to put their entrepreneurial skill to work.

It is estimated that there are 200 million migrants worldwide and only 1/3 is composed of labor migrants and 2/3 is family migration.

Mark Twain: The First Truly International Advocate of Congo (DRC - Former Zaire).

2012-01-26T11:17:00.003-05:00

King Leopold II and some of his unfortunate Victims.

Images from Mark Twain's soliloquy

Mark Twain is one of the most celebrated American writers. His failed business ventures are well- documented but his writing to advocate for human rights and global inequality are less known.

In 1905 Mark Twain published “King Leopold's Soliloquy: A Defense of His Congo Rule,” a powerful satire/drama of King Leopold who basically ruled Congo with a ruthlessness unmatched even by the late dictator Mobutu Sesse Seko. Mark Twain used his pen as a weapon to fight imperialist ideas.

His criticism of European imperialism in general was intense. King Leopold'sSoliloquy is a harsh political satire about his private colony, the Congo Free State. Before 1900, there were wide reports of outrageous exploitation and surreal abuses that finally convince the embryonic civil society of the time to organize a protest, perhaps the first large-scale human rights movement. “King Leopold's Soliloquy” served as a hymn to the movement. The suffering of rubber gatherers has been widely documented. They were tortured; their hands were cut off until the beginning of the last century when the Western world outrage forced Brussels to stop the inhuman abuses.

The pictures above are from “King Leopold's Soliloquy: A Defense of His CongoRule.” It is worth noting that the US was the first Nation to recognize that Congo was a private property of King Leopold II of Belgium. No wonder the US has remained the key player in Congo; which in term of size is bigger than all of Europe.
Below is and excerpt from the soliloquy.

[…] These meddlesome American missionaries! these frank British consuls! these blabbingblabbing Belgian-born traitor officials! -- those tiresome parrots are always talking, always telling. They have told how for twenty years I have ruled the Congo State not as a trustee of the Powers, an agent, a subordinate, a foreman, but as a sovereign -- sovereign over a fruitful domain four times as large as the German Empire -- sovereign absolute, irresponsible, above all law; trampling the Berlin-made Congo charter under foot; barring out all foreign traders but myself; restricting commerce to myself, through concessionaires who are my creatures and confederates; seizing and holding the State as my personal property, the whole of its vast revenues as my private "swag" -- mine, solely mine -- claiming and holding its millions of people as my private property, my serfs, my slaves; their labor mine, with or without wage; the food they raise not their property but mine; the rubber, the ivory and all the other riches of the land mine -- mine solely -- and gathered for me by the men, the women and the little children under compulsion of lash and bullet, fire, starvation, mutilation and the halter […]

I also suggest you read this excerpt from a debate in the Belgian Parliament in Brussels in July 1903, one can only laugh!

"This work of 'civilization' is an enormous and continual butchery." "All the facts we brought forward in this chamber were denied at first most energetically; but later, little by little, they were proved by documents and by official texts." "The practice of cutting off hands is said to be contrary to instructions; but you are content to say that indulgence must be shown and that this bad habit must be corrected 'little by little' and you plead, moreover, that only the hands of fallen enemies are cut off, and that if the hands are cut off 'enemies' not quite dead, and who, after recovery, have had the bad taste to come to the missionaries and show them their stumps, it was due to an original mistake in thinking that they were dead”

Here is another excerpt, the last one - I assure you - from the report published by the King’s Commission that investigated the atrocities after a great international pressure led by Mark Twain started to bear fruit. I hope you will have the stomach for it!

"Missionaries, both Catholic and Protestant, whom we heard at Leopoldville, were unanimous in accentuating the general wretchedness existing in the region. One of them said that "this system which compels the natives to feed 3000 workmen at Leopoldville, will, if continued for another five years, wipe out the population of the district."

"Judicial officials have informed us of the sorry consequences of the porterage system; it exhausts the unfortunate people subjected to it, and threatens them with partial destruction."

"In the majority of cases the native must go one or two days' march every fortnight, until he arrives at that part of the forest where the rubber vines can be met with in a certain degree of abundance. There the collector passes a number of days in a miserable existence. He has to build himself an improvised shelter which cannot, obviously, replace his hut. He has not the food to which he is accustomed. He is deprived of his wife, exposed to the inclemencies of the weather and the attacks of wild beasts. When once he has collected the rubber he must bring it to the State station, or to that of the Company, and only then can he return to his village where he can sojourn for barely more than two or three days because the next demand is upon him."

Kim Jong Il Popularity Hits All-Time High

2011-12-23T09:20:00.000-05:00

Late North Korean Leader Kim Jong Il

Incredible hand-painted portrait

As indifferent as we all want to be since Kim Jong Il passed away, we must recognize that he shaped world politics in his own way. All major international news outlets are writing about the future of the North Korea as if the stability of the world depended on NK future. While the news outlets are pouring over whatever material they can put their hands on, NK appears united more than ever. The official website of the country is in full swing campaign mode. Below are some pix I’ve selected for you including videos!In the midst of all this the New York Times publishes and article titled North Korea Warns South to Show ‘Respect’ for Kim Jong-il in an attempt to infuse the frequent rivalry we are all use to between the North and South Korea.

Another import fact from the great leader of NK is that there are more that 5,000 recent news article on the passing of he leader and about 2 billion entries when one does a Google search with his full name! Amazing compare to 800 million when you google Barack Obama. Mao Tse tung appears about 2 million times and Michael Jackson 800 million times. This speaks volume. Kim Jon Il may be the most popular internet sensation of our time.

Senior NK military officers cry before Kim Jong Il casket

Meanwhile at the United Nations, the UN General Assembly on September 22nd observed a minute of silence to acknowledge Kim Jon Il death. This was criticized by the US, Europe and Japan who boycotted the initiative organized by the current UN General assembly Nassir al-Nasser of Qatar who believes UN protocol that requires one minute of silence when a seating head of state passes away must be respected.

A Ban for Soccer Superstar Samuel Eto’o may Bring a Different Kind of Revolution to Cameroon

2011-12-21T06:36:00.000-05:00

Samuel Eto'o playing for the Cameroon National Soccer

team during the World Cup in South Africa in 2010

Soccer may bring a political revolution in Cameroon if the government of Cameroon doesn’t act quickly. Soccer star Samuel Eto’o, the captain of the national squad, was handed a 15 match ban because he allegedly instructed team mates to boycott an arranged friendly match with the Algerian National Soccer team. The Cameroon Soccer Federation (FECAFOOT) has been sanctioned and is paying a fine for not meeting its obligation.
New! Download the full report of the Cameroon Soccer Federation sanctioning Samuel Eto'o

The fans are angry and there are reports of protests been organized in several parts of Cameroon. Former stars such as Roger Milla and Joseph Antoine Bell have taken the airwaves to voice their discontent for Etoo's ban. The federation said Eto'o was banned for "violating the internal regulations of the national team relating to loyalty and obligation of participating in a match."

Blogs on African Soccer and politics in Cameroon are on fire at the moment. The news website Cameroon online calles it a "state crisis". Many people leaving comments in forums and chat rooms are portraying the FECAFOOT as corrupt and a symbol of the current government led by President Paul who had just won a new 7 year term. Paul Biya is doing everything he can to come out of this issue clean without appearing as imposing his own unilateral decision. Sports minister Adoum Garoua says in a statement that the government is “looking at the possibilities of bringing together the various parties involved” in a bid to “resolve the problem and restore harmony.

Etoo, who is currently the most expensive soccer player in the history of the sport, is respected throughout the world and in particular in Cameroon where he is loved by virtually everyone including the president’s family. Recently he just handed to the government a key of a new hospital dedicated to health of mothers and children built in the neighborhood where he grew up.

The president of Cameroon, Paul Biya is taking the matter into his own hands and has based on many sources instructed the Secretary General of the presidency to do all that’s possible to diffuse the growing tension in the country. Samuel Eto’o is reported to have said it is time for a “Jasmine revolution in Cameroon”. It is not clear whether he was calling for the people to take over the street of whether he was just referring to the specific situation that the players of the national have faced for years.

Samuel Eto’o’s interview on local TV station on Tuesday December 20^th night made revelations about the shady deals of the managers of the Cameroon FA. He described them as corrupt officials orchestrating fraudulent dealings. Eto’o, who was speaking on the saga that earned him a 15-match ban, revealed that money is the sticky issue and that he has been against the policies of the Iya Mohammed, the current president of the Fecafoot administration for more than five years.

“There are so many things going on in the national team and a lot of financial dealings which are not clear. All the officials are only interested in is money. This has continued over the years and things cannot continue to go on like this" said Eto'o

"One cannot explain why the officials would prefer to fly players eight hours or two hours just to go and train elsewhere when it can be done in the country. Arrangements for friendly matches are not made known and the players are just asked to go and play.

"They use us to play and they get the money. We swell Fecafoot’s account through our work. We work and others enrich themselves from our sweat. There are a lot of financial improprieties in the team but they do not want to put the players in the best conditions before games,” Eto’o reeled out.

He went on: We want things to be clear and let officials take responsibility for their actions. I spent five years without talking with the Fecafoot President Iya Mohamed because I disagreed with his policies,” Eto’o explained.

The decision of the disciplinary committee of the Cameroon football federation has continued to receive widespread disapproval especially from the Cameroon soccer squad that cemented the country’s reputation in the game. The all agree it is a death sentence for Eto’o’s career and perhaps may be a beginning of strikes in Cameroon’s streets.

Samuel Eto'o Honours

ClubsMallorca
Copa del Rey (1): 2003

Barcelona
La Liga (3): 2004–05, 2005–06, 2008–09
Copa del Rey (1): 2009
Supercopa de España (2): 2005, 2006
UEFA Champions League (2): 2005–06, 2008–09

Internazionale
Serie A (1): 2009–10
Coppa Italia (2): 2010, 2011
Supercoppa Italiana (1): 2010
Supercoppa Italiana Runner Up: (1) 2011
UEFA Champions League (1): 2009–10
FIFA Club World Cup (1): 2010

International

Cameroon
African Cup of Nations (2): 2000, 2002
LG Cup (1): 2011
Cameroon Olympic Team
Olympic Gold Medal (1): 2000

Individual Honours

Young African Player of the Year: 2000

African Player of the Year: 2003, 2004, 2005, 2010

ESM Team of the Year: 2004–05, 2005–06, 2008-09, 2010–11

FIFPro World XI: 2005, 2006

UEFA Team of the Year: 2005, 2006

African Cup of Nations Top Scorer: 2006, 2008

UEFA Champions League Best Forward: 2006

La Liga Top Scorer: 2006

African Cup of Nations All-Time Top Scorer

RCD Mallorca All-Time Top Scorer

Cameroon All-Time Top Scorer

2005 FIFA World Player of the Year Third

UEFA Champions League Final Man of the Match 2006

FIFA Club World Cup – Golden Ball 2010

CAF Starting XI in the Africa Cup of Nations Egypt 2006

Russia's Jasmine Revolution in the Making

2011-12-07T07:46:00.000-05:00

As we've seen through out 2011, this time around it is Russia's turn to call upon a special branch of the arm forces to bring "order". Only time will tell if what is true in Arab world has any place in Putin's country.

H.E. Ms. Susan Rice, Permanent Representative of the UN Talks Tough on Eritrea

2011-12-06T13:54:00.000-05:00

On December 5, 2011, H.E. Ms. Susan Rice, Permanent Representative of the United States of America to the United Nations talks tough following the adoption of Security Council resolution 2023 (2011) on Eritrea. The small country of Eritrea is accused of destabilizing the Horn of Africa and supporting terrorism. Eritrea is also accused of failing to comply to Resolution 1907 passed 2 years ago and for attempting to bomb A.U. headquarters. Russia accused the UN of rushing the resolution through; that the evidence was not available. The Eritrean government was absent at the UN when 2023 was adopted.

The full transcript of Ms. Rice communication can be found here.

The New Face of Humanitarian Ads

2011-11-18T10:38:00.001-05:00

Image 1

Image 2

Gone the times where NGOs from the North used and overused images of starving African children to make their case before potential supporters. Above are the key images from the 2 ads discussed in a recent article by New York Time Jane Levere titled “Antihunger Campaign Forgoes Images of Starving Children” published Nov 14th 2011,

I see an attempt to clean up the humanitarian ad business. I am sure readers familiar with the late night public announcements were stunned by the minimal imagery next to the article. The ads are part of a campaign to seek donation towards addressing acute malnutrition in poor part of the world by Action Against Hunger a nonprofit group that fights malnutrition.

As you will see in the article there is a connection between Action Against Hunger and Vodka. Yes Vodka! I know many of you will question the relationship between the two. To me it is the least of my concerns. We will never know how and where donors out there acquired their fortune before donating part of it to worthy causes. I suggest we focus on the images for now.

Despite all the critics from all the "expert" out there with regard to the reference to Pizza as "bad food" and Vodka seen as "bad drink" I believe this is a major step towards the right direction and Action Against Hunger must be commended for this.

Here is an excerpt from the article:

[T]he campaign consists of two print ads that solicit donations for the efforts of the United States operation of Action Against Hunger to combat acute childhood malnutrition. Ads are running in December issues of five magazines in space donated by Ultimat Vodka, a brand of Patron Spirits International.
Instead of employing photographs of starving children — as many organizations in the field often do — the ads take a different tack. One shows a line of seven simple paper dolls; the doll in the middle is a stick figure compared with the other six. Copy in this ad says, “3.5 million children die each year from acute malnutrition. Take action. Save a child. ActionAgainstHunger.org.”
The second ad shows an open pizza box with a miniature pizza inside. The copy asks, “Hungry? Imagine living on only a tiny fraction of what you eat each day. Every year, 3.5 million children try — and don’t survive. You can help prevent this.” The ad then urges readers to visit Action Against Hunger’s Web site or text a $10 donation to it.
Both ads contain a small logo of Ultimat Vodka, calling it a “proud sponsor.” The ads will run in the December issues of Esquire, Harper’s Bazaar and Saveur; the Dec. 15 issue of Wine Enthusiast; and the Dec. 18 issue of The New York Times Magazine.
The ad space, worth an estimated $400,000, was donated by the liquor company to Action Against Hunger. Patron Spirits International also donated similar magazine space to Action Against Hunger in late 2010; public service ads appearing then were created internally by the aid group.
Founded in Paris some 30 years ago, Action Against Hunger today has five offices in Europe and North America that operate programs in more than 40 countries dealing with nutrition, water, sanitation, hygiene and other issues.
According to data compiled by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the World Health Organization, of the 925 million people worldwide who are considered undernourished, there are 19 million children affected by the most deadly form of hunger, severe acute malnutrition.

The Lancet, the British medical journal, says 3.5 million children under 5 die from hunger-related causes worldwide annually. It is this last group the new public service ads aim to help.
Geoffrey M. Glick, director of external relations for the New York-based United States Action Against Hunger, said the new ads deliberately did not feature photographs of starving children because the aid group is “trying to communicate in a more positive, upbeat way, focus more on the solution and less on an actual distancing image of a child with an illness so removed from our world.”
“We wanted the concept to stop people as they flip through the magazine, quickly communicate and pull them in,” said Bruce Henderson, chief creative officer of G2 USA, part of the WPP Group.
He called the paper doll imagery “universal” and easily understood, while he said the agency had tried to create a “little surprise, or cognitive dissonance” with the pizza box concept.
“Most of us in the U.S. expect a daily abundance of food. The image of the small pizza where you expected a large one leaves you with a feeling of discomfort or hunger,” Mr. Henderson said.
He said G2 also chose not to use photos of famished children because viewers might be suffering from what he called “compassion fatigue.”
“As we move through the magazine, it becomes easier to skip over the ads,” Mr. Henderson said. “We wanted to create something people had perhaps not seen before.”
Matt Carroll, chief marketing officer of Patron Spirits International, said the aim of the public service ads was to “build awareness” for Action Against Hunger, not for the vodka brand. “We hope people will have a positive outlook if they associate Ultimat Vodka with Action Against Hunger, but that’s not our main goal,” he said.

The Way We See Africa - Insight View From Howard French

2011-05-16T13:36:00.000-04:00

Howard French is correct! War stories from Africa is part of the normal, We've seen it in Angola, in Rwanda, Liberia etc... The narrative of hopelessness in Africa is been re-written by the media. Many international NGOs are tempted to use this same narrative to draw the attention of the international community and major funders. This will generate interest, funders in this time of hardship for many NGOs may start coming in to help support lifesaving programing in DRC. In the end, in most cases, one cannot help it but just seat and watch the distortion by the media and the insensitivity of the general public in Africa and elsewhere to horror stories that take place in Africa on a daily basis. Thank you professor French!

Professor Howard French, Columbia University

What is brewing up in Algeria? Thousands of Students Took to the Streets to Protest Against the Lost of Value of Their Degrees. Is This Another Version of the Jasmine Revolution?

2011-04-12T17:06:00.001-04:00

Here is a short piece from RFI on the protest (IN FRENCH)

Heurts entre étudiants et policiers lors d'une manifestation à Alger ce mardi 12 avril 2011.

REUTERS/Ramzi Boudina

Par RFI

En Algérie, les manifestations ont beau être interdites, des milliers d'étudiants ont défilé ce mardi 12 avril dans les rues de la capitale. Ils ont contourné les barrages des forces de police pour protester contre la dégradation des conditions de travail dans les universités et contre la perte de valeur de leurs diplômes. Des affrontements avec les forces de l'ordre ont eu lieu en fin de manifestation près de la présidence de la République. Plusieurs étudiants ont été blessés selon les manifestants.

Les forces de l’ordre n’ont pas pu contenir les milliers d’étudiants rassemblés dans le centre ville d’Alger pour manifester. Brisant les cordons de policiers, ils ont réussi à marcher jusqu’à la présidence de la République. Les étudiants se sont fait entendre tout au long du parcours en scandant leurs revendications. Sur leurs banderoles, on pouvait lire : « On veut l’augmentation des bourses », « Non à la dévalorisation du diplôme de l’ingénieur », ou encore « Rendez nous notre université ».

Les étudiants protestent en fait contre une récente réforme de l’enseignement supérieur qui, selon eux, dévalorise leurs diplômes. Ils accusent le gouvernement de ne pas les avoir consultés et de faire d’eux des « cobayes » comme le disait un étudiant qui participait à la manifestation.

En effet, l’Algérie a instauré le système LMD (licence-master-doctorat) en 2006, mais sans prévoir de passerelle avec l’ancien système qui continue d’exister dans certaines facultés, créant des problèmes d’équivalence de niveaux entre les diplômes. Depuis, la colère gronde et les étudiants ont déjà protesté à plusieurs reprises contre cette réforme et contre le manque de moyens dans les universités.

Le gouvernement maintient qu’elle est bénéfique, mais quand un quart des jeunes diplômés sont au chômage il est difficile de convaincre.

Breaking News : Former Egyptian President Hosni Moubarak Victim of a Heart Attack

2011-04-12T16:45:00.000-04:00

After leaving the presidency, Moubarak is disoriented and lost. His days might be numbered. He apparently recorded a tape for his defence against charges of embezzlement and the killing of civilians. He is losing it and cannot believe he is out of the presidency as this happened almost overnight.

France announces 145 million dollar Aid Package to Côte d'Ivoire One Day After the Capture of Gbagbo

2011-04-12T16:31:00.000-04:00

France shows the rest of the world that they mean business in Côte d’Ivoire. The French minister of finance says her country will provide 145 million dollar to rescue Côte d’Ivoire shattered economy. Ms. Christine Lagarde made the announcement in N’djamena and pointed out that it will help covert urgent need related to debt repayment and basic needs of the population.

As you all know, Aid is a hot topic when it comes to Africa. Early critics on the blogosphere are warning Mr. Ouattara not to get his hands tied up by France the first day of his presidency. Ouattara is a veteran when it comes to international finance having held some of the top jobs and rescue many African countries from the abysses of financial failure.

Will keep you updated.

Breaking News: Gbagbo Arrested! Here are the first images

2011-04-11T14:23:00.000-04:00

President Gbagbo, was finally flushed out of his bunker at the presidency. He appeared exhausted and covered with a lot of sweat. The chase underground must have been very long. It is not clear whether he has been mistreated. The video shows a soldier dressing him up. In any case the Ivorian people must continue to treat him with dignity.

Breaking News: Two Gbagbo’s Generals Have Contacted the UN for Surrender While Gbagbo is Hiding in the Presidency Bunker

2011-04-05T09:53:00.000-04:00

Two Gbagbo’s generals have contacted the UN for surrender.
Gbagbo is now in the presidency bunker and he his quoted to have said he “is ready for negotiation” of the term of his surrender with the UN. Direct negotiation between the two parties are apparently being mediated by the French as I send you this update

Breaking News: Gbagbo may have left the presidency of Côte d'Ivoire and is now hiding in the South African Embassy of

2011-03-30T16:57:00.000-04:00

Based on unverified information, Laurent Gbagbo may have left the presidency of Côte d'Ivoire and is now hiding in the South African Embassy. I will provide more information as soon as I know more.

It is clear that the forces linked to Alassan Ouatara are in control of the political capital of Côte d'Ivoire, Yamoussoukrou.

"JARABI" A Truly West African Classic by Sona Jobarteh

2011-03-28T22:20:00.000-04:00

The word Jarabi or Yarabi or Nyrebi or Nýereby is a Mandingue word that means “sweatheart.” This deep song is about lost love. Whether you speak Mandingue or not this son will touch you and make your mind wander.

Very beautiful, especially with a glass of palm wine!

China's Unlikely Pop Star

2011-03-17T03:05:00.000-04:00

I would like to share with you the story of this great Nigeria singer who has taken the Chinese music scene by storm, refreshing...

The Best Way to Stay in Power: Keeping Your Fellow Citizens Happy

2011-03-07T00:16:00.001-05:00

It seems at first as a no-brainer but wait, it is not that easy these days especially in the Arab World. This is the big news to leaders in that part of the world. Give away won’t buy power anymore. Leaders must show that here are no hidden agenda, that you are not eating the national cake alone and only distributing crumbs.

This strategy could have worked a few months ago. It might be too little too late. Arab leaders are now eager to give out incentives, may be too late to pacify the country with incentives. The population feels more empower and they are asking for more.

- Syria is announcing $250m to low income families.
- Kaddafi is giving $400 to anyone willing to fight for him.
- The Arab league is committing $2bn to support local economies in the hope that it will be seen as a strategy against high unemployment and rising prices

What can leaders do the keep up with the people's request? It is not clear where the money is coming from. People needs serious radical reform.

The king of Saudi Arabia is promising total financial package of $36 bn. In the meantime some voices are rising, questioning the costs of some of the social projects. There are allegation of costs being over-inflated. The big issues will be whether the Saudi king will dismantle the security forces or even step down?

One of the ways Arab leaders may improve their image could be by releasing or reviewing detainees cases who have been in jail for decades and very often without judgments.

The idea that financial security is the most pressing issue in the Arab World is ludicrous. Redistributing money may not work. This may have a short term effect in delaying the revolt but the measure is likely to be unsustainable in the long run.

To be fair there are many issues in the Arab World. The certainty at the moment is the failure of Arab states to take care of their people. The current revolt is proof of the political maturity of North African states' citizens. It is a clear sign that a new social contract between the people and the leadership must be drawn to bring a minimum level of satisfaction to the citizens. The government has failed to actually integrate their society. The leaders have used division to control power and perpetrate their ruling. In a way, it was ineluctable that a form of uprising was going to happen anyway.

A few days ago in Saudi Arabia, families of detainees met the assistant interior minister with direct ultimatum. They demanded that their love ones be freed.

In Jordan people are demanding constitutional monarchy and they may achieve it. A monarch with much more symbolic powers may be the next step. That may be a solution but it will take a long transition for proper change. The regime must be ready to have a public talk however, this may be the last option in the king's mind. The democratic fervor sweeping the region may become a time bomb. Nobody knows what will happen in the next few days. Jordan has a recent monarchy that can’t be compared to the British monarchy.

The head of the Arab League, Secretary-General Amr Moussa told the region's leaders shortly after the upheaval in Tunisia that the events was linked to deteriorating economic conditions throughout the Arab world, he warned them that their people's anger has reached unprecedented heights.
Amr Moussa told the Arab economic summit in Egypt that "the Arab soul is broken by poverty, unemployment and general recession." An advice that Mubarak, at the time, never took seriously. The recent wave of “public charity” and other “gifst”Arab leaders and kings are distributing across the region may be a sign that Arab leaders have done some reality check and are now resolute to follow the League’s advice.

Mindful of these events, Arab leaders are committing $2bn to support local economies in the hope that it will be seen as a strategy against high unemployment and rising prices. More money is pouring in. Saudi Arabia and Kuwait have each pledged $500m.
At the time of the summit, Mubarak said "we have realized that the priority of economic co-operation and development is no longer just about progress for our people ... but a basic demand of Arab national security," let’s hope it was what he had in mind and not just another political speech.

Libya's Torture Camp Now Opened for Public Viewing

2011-03-02T15:53:00.001-05:00

If there was only one thing true about leadership, it should be that the leader/president/revolutionary leader or call it whatever you want is the first person responsible for acts committed under his/her regime. This is true in the North, East, West and certainly in the South. When the times are good the leader takes most of the credit. the reverse should also be valid.

The discovery of the torture chambers and equipment hidden in Kaddafi's military camps in Benghazi is going to put and extra pressure on the embattled leader. His sons can mount all the media campaigns they want. The game is over!

This is Muhammed Abdul Ali, he was in jail three times during the course of his life. Listen to the riveting account of the events told by Muhammed himself. He was hang up side down and was beaten to paralysis. He was left with permanent brain damage and severe deformities. No human being should go through that. This is one of the most damaging evidence against Kaddafi. Surprisingly, these types of pictures didn't surface in Tunisia or in Egypt, or at least they did not receive this type of publicity. one could also argue that Ben Ali and Mubarak were pretty good at hidding the facts.

Kaddafy's secrete police crushed Muhammed body but not the spirit of this great man. As I've pointed out in a previous post, Kaddafi killed about 1200 political prisoners in 1996. It is clear that more similar cases are going to pop up here and here and make him a ripe target for the ICC.

Libyan Major Cities out of Kaddafi's Reach - In the Hands of Anti-Government Forces

2011-02-27T14:21:00.001-05:00

CLICK ON CITIES BELOW TO SEE A DETAILED GOOGLE MAP

Zawiyah

Anti-government forces have reportedly mounted tanks and guns throughout the city center, as forces loyal to Kadafi surround the city, according to reports Sunday, February 27.

Tripoli

The capital city is a Kadafi stronghold. He has reportedly blocked entrance to the city with tanks and cleared the streets of protesters.

Sabratha

Kadafi appears to be losing control of Sabratha, one of his strongholds. People fleeing the town have reported sporadic gunfire as anti-government sentiment spreads

Benghazi

Libya's second city is in the hands of anti-government forces, who have formed a National Libyan Council to represent the revolution. The city has reportedly sent fighters to Tripoli to topple the gov...

Derna

The eastern city has reportedly fallen from Kadafi's power. It has long been considered a hotbed of anti-Kadafi sentiment, and an Islamist stronghold.

Misurata

Libya's third-largest city is also in the hands of anti-government forces.

Zuwarah

The opposition claimed control of Zuwarah, about 30 miles from the border with Tunisia, after local army units sided with the protesters and police fled.

Tobruk

The eastern city was one of the first to be controlled by anti-government forces.