Africa Day: What I Wanted To Say Yesterday

Yesterday was a day to celebrate the continent and our freedom to forge our own destinies.  I was unaware until I had a chat with MINI MI that for some African countries, this day is just another day even though it marks the commemoration of the African Union as well.  Nigeria does not seem to acknowledge the day.  It has been an official holiday in Zambia as far as I can remember. I think it is an important day for the continent to reflect, to take pride in who we are and resolve to be trailblazers who defy the world's expectations and become the great peoples we have the potential to be.  I say peoples as although we share a commonality in the African experience, we have unparalleled diversity that should be preserved and celebrated as well. 

It is an interesting time for Africa.  Sudan will be split into two soon.  Egypt is witnessing the cost of freedom.  Revolution is a long process and the media have not helped in perpetuating the illusion that demanding change culminates to democracy overnight and when they aren't oversimplifying they are spreading gloom and doom.  Unfortunately the Libya situation is worse than ever, and my fears have been realised.

However, progress has been made in Cote D'Ivoire with President Ouattara rightfully being sworn in as President as the people had chosen at the end of last year.  Let us hope that this is a huge step towards sustained peace in the region.  I hope that they finally deal with their human rights issues.  Here is a video of the inauguration:


As for me Africa Day was particularly invigorating.  The day before I saw David and Goliath battle in the 21st Century, when Rafa beat John Isner after being pushed to 5 sets for the first time at Roland Garros.  I have gushed about Nadal before, but I have gained a new level of respect for him after watching that match.  Watching him fail to find a way to penetrate Isner's game after he lost the break in the second set and seeing him transform in the fourth by taking a chance and going for Isner's mammoth serve and finally making inroads to break and take the last two sets to win was awesome possum :)))))).  Seeing him adapt and change, persevere and call on his inner-strength to will victory was just wow! My favourite match of his on clay for sure. Definitely a classic. You can watch his interview after the match here, (look for Day 3).

How does this relate to my Africa Day? Nadal's win despite what seemed to an insurmountable obstacle in his way gave me the strength to declutter my life literally and figuratively so that I can be receptive to God through faith in myself and my abilities.  The only person who can help you is yourself.  You have to find the strength within when you are faced with external trials and tribulations.  So I spent the day cleaning my personal space and clearing my head and I am now prepared to move forward with energy and optimism and most importantly faith in myself, my abilities and my contributions to life.

I will end with my fav African song of the moment.  Africa let's "hustle and stay focused" :)

Libya

As promised here information to get you up to speed on the Libya situation.

Gaddafi spoke to the BBC yesterday and laughed when asked if he would ever leave Libya. Very dismissive, very haughty, very eerie, very scary.  I don't think he's going to let go. Unlike Mubarak and Ben Ali, I don't think he will bow out with even a modicum of grace.  And his feelings of betrayal from the West has been exacerbated by the sanctions further cementing this unfortunate likelihood. He is a true despot: has a twisted love for his country and truly believes it is his sovereign right to protect and serve his people no matter what, including inflicting tough love through violence to keep them in check. All in a very calm and controlled manner.  If he is in any sort of panic, not even those his inner circle will know about it.  Those still waters of his definitely run deep, we just don't know how deep and won't till he wants us to. I love how he is using the loophole of having no official position as the reason he cannot resign and step down from power. As he is referred to as simply "The Leader" he is free to interpret that anyway he likes as it can mean anything really! And his interpretation is so profound and astute that it makes his craziness seem justified. He hasn't been leading for 42 years by chance, it has clearly been by very meticulous and purposeful design.

Here are some videos to recap what has happened in the last 2 weeks:

The "Day of Rage" February 17th



Government and military violence against protesters



Gaddafi addressing crowd in Tripoli



The exodus of the tens of thousands migrant workers to Tunisia.  They are from the vicinity and as far as China)!

Border between Libya and Tunisia reaching crisis point with all the refugees.

Unfortunately there is violence coming from the government to curb the protesting and migrant workers are caught in the crossfire.I do not see a peaceful resolution to Libya's version of the North African protest movement.  This makes me sad :(. This is going to be a long and painful methinks...

To follow the unrest, the BBC continues its dedicated live feed on the events in North Africa and the Middle East now titled Libya Revolt.

"The Spirit of Democracy"

The seminal unrest that is going on in North Africa (and the Middle East) has inspired the change in Amashibi on the blog.  I never thought Gaddafi would be wobbled let alone in serious risk of being toppled.  The recent events in Libya have negated that view.  What is scary though is that each time a new country in North Africa walks in Tunisia's footsteps, the protests get more powerful and more violent and events seem to gain momentum much faster.  I feel like Eygpt's movement was on crack,  and now Libya is moving at warp speed!

I will blog about Libya in more detail next week.  It's been a long one and I'd like to be able to passively follow for a bit longer before I actively give my two cents.  Until then all I can say is I know one thing for sure - Richard Dowden, a British journalist who has covered Africa for decades is right:

"The spirit of democracy is not at all alien to Africa."


The BBC has been providing great coverage on a dedicated page of their website since the unrest began in the region.  You can keep up-to-date with live video here.

Innocent Mugabe

When my older sister led me to this article, the first thing I thought was: And they like to separate North Africa because this region is sooo different from sub-Saharan Africa, ha! Lies, lies I tell you because the Egyptian man who has named his first-born daughter Facebook has just displayed typical African behaviour by giving his child an inappropriate English word for a name.

In my country people are called Crankshaft, Anybody, Foluteer (a bastardisation of Volunteer) and many other highly inappropriate names.  Some names are translated straight from vernacular to English, immediately turning them from normal to inappropriate, as well as made up names that sound English and last but not least English names that are mispronounced and until they are spelt you would have no idea that that Kle-gee is actually called Craig. TIA, gotta love it :)

English names have a particular meaning in Southern Africa.  I have been asked many times what my Christian name is as I go by my Zambian name.  I will be a heathen forever, I like my name and I will use it proudly and am reconciled to the fact that some people will never be able to handle the consonant cluster at the beginning.   It is actually quite scary how colonised some people are that they think that using their English name makes them better than others or that it makes them seem more refined, more civlised.  Apart from the fact that most of the names that the English were forcing their colonies to adopt to prove that they were leaving behind their barbaric ways and had seen the light were English, not bible names.  Mary yes, Marjory not so much.  I like how a lot of Nigerians don't have any English names and make sure they are nice and long for people to trip over.  Naija pride, gotta love it. However, I do not believe that using your African name makes you prouder of your roots than those who don't either.

Today I came across the most perfect name and as I always say about real life, you can't write this stuff.  I have held many jobs that require me to come across a lot of names.  At school, working for the Alumni Association as a student caller had me come across names like the Asian Ping Pong.  Of course when his parents named him, they had no idea they had called him table tennis and that one day this would amuse me greatly. And now I have been notified that there is such a thing as an Innocent Mugabe.  Because he is Ugandan, I will believe his parents ;}.

All this led me to wonder if this phenomenon of erroneous use of English words for identification purposes is used around the world for all of two seconds. I stopped pondering this when I have reminded myself that celebrities have a penchant for doing this on a grand scale, as evidenced by names like Apple and Blanket.  All we need is now is Cake and Soda and we can have a picnic in the park ;}.  Contemplating this reminded me of A Song For Whoever by Beautiful South.  So I will end by indulging in a little 80s nostalgia as I absolutely loved this song as a child and still do. So innocent, so cute, so profound in its simplicity and my younger sister's name is mentioned.



"I love you from the bottom of my pencil case." CLASSIC! :)

Pharoah No More

FINALLY!!!! How much more violence, protesting and economic standstill could Mubarak have turned a blind eye to?! Then again he is an African leader and a typical one at that: an old school benevolent dictator that refuses to see that his children have grown up and don't need such heavy handed rearing because they can think for themselves. I am so glad that the Egyptians did not back down and fought to the end for what they believe in.  Even though the change came at more of a cost than it did for the Tunisians, at least they have been rewarded for their efforts. The Vice President announced today that President Mubarak was stepping down and relinquishing power to the armed forces, whom are still looked on favourably by the protesters it seems. Tahrir Square has lived up to its name - it has allowed the protesters to not be deterred by the "wall of fear" and provided a place for them to voice their demands these last two and half weeks and they have been rewarded with liberation from 30 years of autocratic rule.

Here is video of Hosni Mubarak's speech that he gave yesterday, refusing to step down and continuing to maintain that he loves Egypt, its people and is doing the best for the country because he selflessly cares about the demands the protesters have made and will endeavour to fulfill them:

It is quite clear that the Egyptians did not believe him and how quickly he changed his tune (well since yesterday anyways, not over the last few weeks obviously)! The protesters angered by his word, stormed Heliopolis, where the Palace housing the executive office of the President is located, and this was probably the final straw that irreparably broke the camel's back.

Here is a video of jubilant celebration after the news of Mubarak's demise:

If it is true that he has gone to Sharm El Sheik, I have no words! Has he just up and left all of a sudden and has decided to go on holiday?! Didn't he hear about the recent shark attacks in the area? ;} 

You can follow events live at the BBC and Al Jazeera.

Inshallah this is the beginning of a peaceful transition and the violence does not bleed into Egypt's next steps. And I hope that even though Mubarak may have outstayed his welcome, the Egyptians do let him fade into the background in a dignified manner as he has played a pivotal role in trying to keep the peace in the Middle East.

Kefaya!

I knew that kefaya meant enough but had no idea that it was actually an recognised moniker for an Egyptian coalition that has been opposing President Mubarak for quite some time.  There I was just trying to make sure that I was right and Google turned up this little nugget of information.  You learn something new everyday, it's true :).

I am however saying enough to the craziness of the Egyptian situation.  It has descended into people losing sight of their true goals I think.  Now there are machine guns, fire and stones drowning out the once peaceful protests against the current regime, now reduced to an echo we have to strain our ears to hear.  Mubarak has formally announced his commitment to stepping down in September, has officially declared that his son Gamal will not run in the next elections and has barred several ministers from fleeing the country by freezing their assets. And he has every right to fear that the country could fall into further disarray if he just ups and leaves as some would have him do. Now there are deaths and the injury count is inching ever closer to 1000 and all this happened in a day! At the same time, as many Western leaders have said, it looks unlikely that Mubarak can hold out until September.  The situation is getting worse and people fear what will happen tomorrow. I am happy that the army is stepping in now to separate the opposing groups.

Fear seems to be driving a lot of decisions lately.  In Algeria, in an attempt to counteract any attempts to protest a la Tunisia and Eygpt, the Algerian President has quickly employed countermeasures to appease his people.  President Bouteflika has annouced that the state of emergency imposed in the 90s to will be lifted very soon.  Who knew?!   There are so many things I do not know and it is no excuse that I am not the only one who was in the dark about North Africa.  I am glad that I am learning although I wish it had not been spurred by what is now turning into a tragedy.

To keep following the BBC is continuing its live feed with video and textual updates here.

You can also watch Al Jazeera live here.

The newly elected Prime Minister, Ahmed Shaqif, has apologised for yesterdays attacks.  He vowed that justice will prevail and  has condemned the violence stressing that the perpetrators will be sought out and punished.  Protesters believe that the pro-Mubarak factions are organised and sponsored by the government.  The weaponry that they are using is too sophisticated and it seems that they are working to a schedule.  The Prime Minister, while denying government involvement has indicated that if this is the case, it will be found out and dealt with all the same. Here is a video of his press conference:

Peaceful Protest No More

Unfortunately, after President Mubarak's speech yesterday, in which he asked for stability and talked about how Egyptian he is and how much he loves his country, today the once peaceful protests have taken an ugly turn.  Even though the internet and the banking system have been restored, people are not satisfied with Mubarak stepping down until September and the opposition have called for him to step down on Friday.  I have been gripped to this story all day, hearing how men on horses and camels have led those in support of Mubarak to clash with those who have been protesting for the last week.  And now Cairo is ablaze :(.  Why have these guys suddenly come out of the woodwork? Is this a clever political ploy as many of the protesters fear? Is Mubarak trying to swing public opinion to make him seem less like an autocrat and more like a benevolent dictator who is trying to make a dignified exit? Is he afraid he will have to live out his days in exile like his Tunisian doppelganger?

I am sad that unlike in Tunisia, where the power shift was quick to let the country make a peaceful transition, Egypt has turned violent.  One lady, who was interviewed by the BBC in the thick of things at Tahrir square, said she was fearful as even though the world thinks of Egypt as a moderate place with apathetic citizens, once Egyptians make up their minds they are stubborn.  She called for compromise and for people to see that they had won: Mubarak has stepped down and all they have to do is wait a couple of months for the election.  She could see no one who has enough support to go on TV and talk down the protesters and felt that the situation will only get worse if people do not see this victory for what it is.  I really hope that Mubarak did not pay people to start the fighting. And I hope that even though the West has a vested interest economically, politically and militarily that they do not interfere.  It will only make things worse.  We have to let the Egyptians come to their own truth otherwise if things further deteriorate Western intervention will be blamed and people will not take responsibility for their actions.

It seems that in Yemen things have gone smoothly, and surprisingly in Jordan, there have been protests to oust their Prime Minister! I am shocked as I think of Jordan as like Egypt.  It is crazy how Tunisia has created such a domino effect in such a short period of time.

You can watch a live feed and get regular updates from the BBC here.

Here is a transcript of President Mubarak's speech yesterday.

Here is video of the clashes today:

North Africa Update - Egypt, Tunisia, Sudan

Egypt:

The protesting continues and has escalated to being more deadly that Iran's Green Movement and now people are looting :( and some are guarding their heritage, such as with the incident at the National Museum, while asking for their rights.  I am sad that things are not getting better and that violence is still playing a major role in this struggle.  I have no idea why President Mubarak thinks that having a Vice President for the first time and a Prime Minister is going to sway public opinion.  He is still at the top of the pyramid, which is where the people are calling for the most change! It also always amuses me when the international community put in their calls and pleas for this leader to step down or for justice.  No matter what the West says, what will be done in Egypt will be done and quite frankly sometimes I think that their 2 cents actually hinders rather than helps the process.  Due to the complicated and patronising relationship the West has with the rest of the world, it always seems that if people follow what they say, even if it is the right thing to do, then it causes accusations of puppetry and things.  Sometimes it is just best to watch, however painful it may be, and let people sort out their problems and be proffer help when it is sought.

For great background and ridiculously detailed and regular updates on what is going on in Egypt, take a look at this blog post on Mother Jones that is dedicated to keeping us up-to-date as developments arise.  Thanks to DR JOURNO for letting me know about this and helping me on my quest to get up-to-speed on the Eygptian situation historically and presently.

Here is a video with an update on how the army is responding.  I am glad that the army officer says "Demonstrate and express yourselves, but at night clear the streets and let us handle the thugs." Many people are ignoring the curfews put in place which are for their own protection.  The army is having difficulty distinguishing between the "good" and the "bad".  I hope that other army units take this human approach on board to keep the protests safe.



Here is a Al Jazeera edition of Inside Story that focuses on Mohammed El Baradei, a man who believes that he is the change Egypt needs and his support has been gathering momentum.  There is also a great and balanced discussion about the present regime and the barriers in place to keep the governmental status quo:



I also just want to touch on the fact that the regime shut down the internet two days ago when they realised that social media was part of the logistical tactics of the protesters.  This is unacceptable.  What I love about the internet is that it affords the average citizen the ability to express themselves in the public or private sphere at little cost.  It enables those who are not activists an easy entry to participation in political matters.  It provides low barriers to entry to protests.  All they need to see is when and where and they can mobilise, they don't need to have pledged allegiance to the fight or have paid dues.  This media tumblr image says it all in the case of Egypt.

Tunisia:

Ben Ali's brother in-law is seeking asylum in Canada but has been denied. Here is a list of the key players in the Tunisia's transition.  And here is a video outlining how Tunisia's protests were fueled by people being able to connect through social media to ultimately hit the streets and how Eygpt has been inspired and is following the same trajectory:



"Tunisia is alive.  Don't be afraid.  We are not dead." So beautifully powerful a statement in its simplicity.  Both Egypt and Tunisia are more alive to me that they ever were.  I feel like North African states are portrayed as the "dead" parts of the Arab world in the media.  They are the places you go holiday, places to find middle ground, but not the places that are really focused on as the axis of evil in the war on terror.  I am glad that they are defining themselves in their own eyes so publicly and thus enlightening us.

Sudan:

Secession is imminent.  99.57% voted for seperation and President Bashir has said he will acknowledge the results when they are officially announced next month.

Egypt - Following in Tunisia's Footsteps

It seems that Egyptians are committed to following in their North African brothers' footsteps and are looking to oust President Mubarak who has been in power for even longer than Tunisia's Ben Ali, having had a tight grip on the Land of the Pharaohs for 32 years now. Curfews are now in place as the violence escalates.  I do not condone violence, I'd like to think that as an intelligent species we can use reason and logic through carefully crafted arguments to battle and win, but as a collegue remarked in a conversation last week, we humans forget that we are animals.  We are just as visceral  as we are cerebral.  Sometimes violence is our only recourse.  And it is clear that North African citizens are tired of trying to reason with words or staying quiet through inaction.  With the Tunisians successfully removing and calling for Ben Ali's arrest, while moving forward towards democracy, is it any wonder that other states are following suit?

Here is a video showing just how passionate Egyptians are for change and just how much the current establishment is committed to resisting.



The man showing his bloody hands really got me thinking.  He said:

"They shot at us! Why? I don't know! Who are we, the enemy?! Am I an enemy of the state? I just came here to ask for rights, I came here to ask for a home, for a dignified life. For a regime who's been in power for 30 years to go away."

There is such disillusionment in Egypt that I had no idea about.  I keep thinking of ads I see on CNN about going to Egypt and that is the image that I have:



I think of them as being vital to peace in the Middle East - helpers rather than struggling for their own peace and freedoms. The unrest starting with the Coptic killings has really taken me by surprise.  I am ashamed that I have not looked past the media to understand all parts of the African continent better.  I am glad that I have made the effort this year to cover the whole continent more fairly that I did in the last.

It is interesting that social media has paid a huge part in coordinating protests and engaging not just activists, but the average citizen in both Tunisia and Eygpt.  As a blogger taking advantage of the affordances mobile and online technologies have brought us, I am happy to see it working to help citizens exercise their rights.  I hope it will also be used to educate, not only those who are in the thick of it, but the rest of us in the periphery so that we have an understanding too. I just hope that the violence ends soon.  Tunisia has also inspired a similar movement in Yemen.  I wonder if other African countries will be inspired too.  I am glad that Sudan is dealing with the referendum in a peaceful fashion and seems ready for the change, I think enough blood has been shed there already so I am thankful.  Will other apathetic nations, and I am thinking of one in particular somewhere in Southern Africa find their voice too?

I leave you with the words of the woman in the video who is clearly searching desperately for an oasis in the desert and is prepared to drink sand until she finds it (I know, a very cheesy yet appropriate metaphor I think): "We are tired....We are Egyptians, we love Egypt, but stop this!" Inshallah, her wish will be granted soon.

Art Is The Theme It seems

It seems that all that I am seeing right now pertains to Art.  Maybe like Angola, I am looking to heal with creativity as I keep seeing horrible headlines about fighting between Marocco and Western Sahara, of violence after the polls in Guinea, a couple killed on their honeymoon in South Africa and something going on in Egypt! If it bleeds it leads is really being applied to Africa this week :(.

So I am going to focus on more happy things.  Catching up on blog reading exposed me to more Angolan art and also alerted me to a huge art exhibition in New York at the Museum of Arts and Design called The Global Africa Project that starts tomorrow. All facets of African creativity are showcased in both old and traditional forms and new hybrid ones.  The exhibition seeks to show the varied dimensions of work that Africans worldwide have produced and have organised The Global Africa project "around several thematic ideas.  These include: the phenomenon of intersecting cultures and cultural fusion; the branding and co-opting of cultural references; how art and design is promoted in the international market and the creative global scene; the use of local materials; and the impact of art-making on the economic and social condition of local communities.  In addition to providing a broad framework for the exhibition's organisation, these themes will encourage audiences to discern how global African artists grapple with the commodification of art production and the meaning and value of art in society - an increasingly significant issue for nations in a rapidly changing global context."

 

For a better and more knowledgeable analysis of the exhibition, as well as images of the exhibits, read Afri-Love's post and the Museum's blog. I am happy to see our creativity being showcased both in Africa and around the world :)

Art's Healing Power

I am finally keeping to my word and writing a post I promised to write ages ago.  When I was flying home I read about this wonderful art festival happening in Luanda right now.  Il Trienal de Luanda is a triennial arts exhibition started by one of Angola's sons, Fernando Alvim.  It is the most renowned of its kind in Africa and features outdoor billboard paintings, formal exhibitions, television and radio debates, educational programmes, theatrical performances and more, with the proceeds from these events financing the finale in December. This celebration of art started on the 12th of September and goes on till December 19th so you still have time to catch it if you happen to be going to Angola any time soon. The point of the Triennial is to celebrate Angolan history and heritage, but also to help heal the wounds suffered from years of fighting.  I think this is a great way to attract people to Angola, just as with them holding the Africa Cup of Nations earlier this year

Fernando Alvim is also curator of the Sindika Dokolo Collection, which is the largest collection of contemporary African Art in the world.  Artists from Algeria, Angola, Benin, Cameroun, Congo, Cote D'Ivoire, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Madagascar, Marocco, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Tunisia and Zimbabwe are showcased, as well as artists from around the world.  I am particulary taken with this set of prints and this photo is so eerily involving. And I can't get over the fact that there is an artist called Nastio Mosquito ha ha ha ha ha ;}.

I have a love/ hate relationship with contemporary art. Some of it just seems so self-involved and important. I visited LACMA earlier in the year and the collection they had showing had me thinking: really??!!! Some of it you could put together yourself but as they say that is not the point, it's all about the experience. Whatever. I expect to be wowed by something I couldn't do myself.  I need to see creativity and ability that I cannot produce to appreciate.  A pile of boxes just doesn't do it for me I'm afraid...

North Africa And Women's Issues

This is not how I wanted to be able to showcase the North of the continent but today two articles came up on my homepage, which is set to BBC News Africa, to make sure I'm kept up to date while on foreign soil.  Unfortunately, two stories came up that are not happy stories, but at least one of them comes with a silver lining.

I'll start with the worst one, don't want to end the post badly ;).  19 Sudanese men were flogged for cross-dressing and breaking Sharia law.  They were too womanly, leading people to think that they were gay.  Right now I am very mad at people who make irrational conclusions about sexuality and gayness from the most random of evidence.  The average gay person does not going around dressing like a woman.  Most gay men I know are nothing like me, I have never thought that any of them are trying to be womanly or like me.  Even the ones who act effeminate don't seem womanly to me either.  These men weren't even given the chance to defend themselves either.  They could have been a drag troupe or dressing up for a fancy dress party or a play.  We will never know.  However these sentiments are not just Muslim, even Southern Sudan and other devoutly Christian areas of Africa do not tolerate what are considered overt and blatant gay actions.

The second is an encouraging development from a terrible situation.  An Eygptian woman came forward on television to speak up about her rape by policemen.  This is a very big step, albeit having to be made with her completely covered from head -to-toe in black so as not be identified.  I cannot for the life of me find the YouTube video that people have been able to watch of her appearance :(. Instead, here is a video of Eygptian women debating with a man over the way rape is treated in their country.  The issue they are talking about is very serious and polarised views clash, but I must also warn you of other clashes.  Your eyes may not be able to reconcile the rather suspect blond wig adorning one of the ladies' heads so as to hide her hair in place of a hijab.



The good news is that there is debate going on about the injustices that are being sanctioned by religion and that women are trying to take control of their lives and their bodies.

Hilary Clinton Speaks to the President's Forum of Young African Leaders: "Africa's future is up to Africans"

Hilary Clinton delivered a great speech during the first day of the President's Forum for Young African Leaders. It inspired me to finally start a new blog feature, AMASHIBI, (a-ma-SHI-bvi/ wi), which means words. She described the continent as a place "brimming with potential" and the fact that 60% are under the age of 25 means that there is a really opportunity for us to be leaders.  With poverty and child mortality on the decline, even though it may not seem we are not making progress due to the fact that there is a systematic focus on negativity when reporting on the continent, Africa is set  to fulfill its "promise of becoming a leader."

She said it was time to focus on the "gains" not on the challenges to help inspire people.  She commended the elections in Ghana, Botswana and SA as "models of freeness".  She quoted Obama who had said in Ghana last year that "Africa's future is up to Africans." She then acknowledged that the US needs to view its relationship with the continent differently - it needs to be partners with it, not the benevolent dictator.  She called for expanding trade agreements to be more conducive to bilateral exchange and to encourage intercontinental trade as well.  She also called for full female participation and mentioned the African Women's Entrepreneurship Program that kicked off in DC on the 26th of July and is moving to Kansas City tomorrow. She talked about needing to take climate change seriously too.

She also brought up the need to continue to educate Americans about Africa.  She talked about how when she had made a visit to the continent in the late 90s as First Lady, she realised she needed to be proactive in this regard.  This was confirmed when a reporter asked her "So what's the capital of Africa".  Oh dear! Oh dear dear dear dear...As LOLZ likes to say "Africa is not a country, its a continent." It inspired a lovely T-Shirt I know have that was made for Africa week for my undergrad's African Students Association that had a little Africa filled in solid at the front with the country bit and then large Africa that covered the back with all the boarders outlined and the continent part of the quote.  I decree that this should be an initiative the American government takes up: passing out free t-shirts to the public like the ones we had ;). Although an African American once told me she was led to believe that Africa was a country because the map was presented to her as the outline of the continent with the country borders inside and this was the same way they presented America to her with the state borders so she assumed that that what in actuality were countries were in fact states.  Quite a logical deduction when you think about it.  So the word continent has to be featured on the back in LARGE LETTERS with the outline in order for this initiative to really educate ;}.

She also touched on how we are pioneers in Information Technology.  It always blows my mind how people do not know that we had mobile phones too by the mid-90s and by the year 2000 our adoption was exponential.  My "proudly" Canadian friend told me about an aid worker's joke that plays on the fact that the difference between Manhattan and Northern Ghana is that they can get reception in the remote area in which they were stationed :). Clinton mentioned Ushaidi, meaning testimony in Swahili, an application that was originally pioneered in Kenya using google maps to alert people on their phones as to where violence was occurring during the 2008 elections.  It has now been used in Burundi, South Africa, DRC, Sudan, Namibia, India and Haiti.  She also mentioned Apps-4-Africa, an initiative to foster application development for mobile phones.  Winners are to be announced in September.  She believes that this will lead to being able to implement e-government in African countries.  We know how to use "good ideas [to] leapfrog technologies and borders."

For the amount of times she mentioned Africa holistically, you would think North Africa was represented.  You are talking to Sub-Saharan Africa, not the whole continent.  Let us be clear about that.  Still very annoyed about this.  It irked me even more when she talked about the separate entrepreneurship program aimed at Muslim countries which included Eygpt.  She made it seem like they weren't serious. I would gander they were skeptical because of US sentiment towards Islam. The only low point in what was a very inspiring speech.

President Obama's Forum With Young African Leaders: 3-5 August

Tomorrow The (US) President's Forum with Young African Leaders kicks off.  115 attendees from 47 Sub-Saharan Africa will be engaged.  Already spotted a problem.  The North and everything South of that divide is being perpetuated.  Why are they not engaging North Africa at the same time?  The whole continent has been connected for millenia.  I know it is to do with the whole Middle East crisis where the majority of Northern African countries have a majority Muslim population and somehow this negates their Africaness!  They had special colonisation tactics for Muslim populations, and this sort of thinking is being perpetuated every time that Sub-Saharan divide is enforced.  Sub-Saharan Africa is not all the same, diversity amongst regions and within countries is very evident and some of that diversity comes from Muslim populations. So systematically singling out North Africa really is quite unfounded when dealing with the continent as a whole. Africa's problems will not be fully solved without cohesive, inclusive and interconnected plans. Alienation is not the answer.

However, I am sure that positives will come from this conference. It is definitely important to keep building bridges. To follow what is going on you can watch things live at US State Department's blog, DipNote, as well as read news as it comes in.  Here are some articles of interest that have already been posted on DipNote: youth empowering citizens, investing in female education, and mobile technology and development.

Here is a list of the attendees.

World Cup Lessons

So sad...we have to wait another 4 years to experience World Cup fever again :(.  But have no fear, a little nostalgia will prolong the feeling just that little bit longer...Well just two days longer, the Final was only on Sunday...

So what have we learned over the last month? Have no fear I am here to tell you :)

World Cup fever does have an antidote. His name is Suarez. And he got what he deserved.

Karma is something not to take lightly.  If you trifle with it, there will be vengeance. Uruguay learned this. And if you think about it Algeria did too after their equally dodgy qualification to the Finals.

The Hand of God is alive and well and still wielding its power in football, albeit it in a twisted form, as demonstrated by the Green and Suarez.

Africans are not very good at using their own juju.  It seems to have helped the Europeans more. Sure Cote D'Ivoire were in the group of death and South Africa really didn't have a chance but what was Cameroun's excuse? And Algeria should have played better after denying Egypt, the African champions the chance to shine.

The next time we have a World Cup in Africa it should not be held in one of the coldest countries on the continent during "winter".  We need to take advantage of the heat like South America do to stop European teams from winning!

Do not underestimate the power that Mr. Boateng's loins has had on football and will have in the future.  Watch out the English Premier League!

The Black Stars are the light in African skies!

It is easy to pick what team you are on sometimes.  When it comes to Twilight (I know, my love of film takes me to very strange places) it's easy - Team Jacob. However when your fever has been mollified it can be hard to think logically when your mind is clear. I know, what an oxymoron.

The more you listen to Waka Waka, the more you realise how cartoonish and stereotypically useless the song is and wonder more and more why Wavin' Flag was not the official song...

Footballers are hot! ;} See here, here, here and here for proof he he he...

Nike and Coca Cola know how to market and create great adverts.

Paul the Octopus is amazing! Is it terrible to wonder whether his football prophesising is also an indicator of how tasty he is?

Footballers know how to cry appropriately - either due to the emotionality of losing quite terribly ala Gyan, of winning ala Iker Casillas or when appreciating the importance of the Word Cup ala "The People's Rooney".  Federer crying after losing the Australian Open because he couldn't tie Sampras' all-time Grand Slam record not so much.  His scant of tears of joy when he later won the French for the first time to equal Sampras and that fact that when he actually became the all-time great a month later at Wimbledon he didn't even cry wasn't good either!

Spain have something in their water. In the last two months Pau Gasol won the NBA Championships, Nadal has won the French and Wimbledon back to back for the second time and La Roja have won the World Cup!!!!

Whatever anyone may say i.e. the constant referral to how even though South Africa, a proxy for Africa, may be developing there are still problems - cue pictures of slums and little boys playing football in raggedy clothes, South Africa should be proud of the World Cup they hosted.  Having travelled the world some, this is true everywhere.  It may manifest itself differently, but whether you are in the West or the East, the North or the South of this planet, there are always disparities between the rich and the poor, but for some reason Africa is constantly being berated for this difference and in other places, the media is perfectly happy to hide them.  Which by the way makes it all the more shocking when you stumble upon these things, especially in the West.

South Africa 2010 will be remembered as the World Cup of firsts.

FOOTBALL IS THE BEST GAME ON EARTH!!!!!! And even though the Americans are to be commended for continuing to learn to appreciate the game, they have a long way to go in the media.  Even Paul who is an octopus gets it! Come on! I do have to say having watched a coupla matches at bars, it is clear that the public are getting into it.  However, this article REALLY annoyed me.  What kind of nonsense is this???!!! And to make it worse its written by a woman who is perpetuating the stereotypical view that women do not understand sport and couldn't care less. Silly silly woman! Which leads me to my next point...

It is a myth that women do not understand nor care for sport.  This is because a. sport is full of men in their prime flexing their muscles and being men which is thoroughly entertaining when coupled with the highs and lows of playing whatever game they are playing and b. you just need to be patient if the woman has been denied the opportunity to love sport and teach.  This is proven by the video below, which contains a lovely woman I know, but shall remain nameless, showing what World Cup fever can do to ESPN viewers and also by the fact that I have officially turned one of my roommates into a Nadal, basketball and football loving woman over the past year! Oh an the fact that my blog has been dominated by sports commentary for most of its short life ;)



We are ready for Brasil 2014 already he he he...

Ubuntu

Despite the disappointment surrounding the African teams, each one is proud of being at the World Cup and is honoured to represent Africa.  This article has some great quotes.


Gyan of Ghana: "We are praying for the other African countries because it is very, very important for us Africans to make sure that we go further than in the past. That is our ambition, not Ghana, but the whole of Africa."


Yahia of Algeria "It's important because Africa has made a huge contribution to the game of football. To host this World Cup is a great source of pride for us as Africans, and to be able to represent Algeria on African soil really doubles that feeling of pride."


This article also highlights how the Sahara being used to divide the continent is fabricated.  It is something I have always not liked about how Africa is presented in Western Media.  Every time I watch the Africa Cup of Nations I always think about how North African teams are just as passionate, they do their dances when they score just like the rest of the continent and are proud to win, as Egypt was earlier this year.  If they didn't feel African, why would they bother to be associated with the competition?  Why would Libya be calling for a United States of Africa? I hate how divisions are created and/ or sustained to perpetuate the fractures caused by history on the continent.  We Africans also need to do better to expose and deny them too!