Global Voices

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The world is talking, are you listening?

Vanilla bean in Madagscar by David Darricau on Flickr CC license NC-BY-2.0

Antoine Ganne tells the unique story of how Vanilla came to populate the island of Madagascar and Reunion island [fr] from the Gulf of Mexico. Ganne explains that European traders brought Vanilla from Mexico to Louis XIV who wanted to grow it on Reunion Island but failed. A young Reunionese slave, Edmond Albius, solved the issue by inventing the technique of hand pollination. Madagascar Vanilla is now the most produced vanilla in the world.

The “new” pills are not without risks. The risk of phlebitis or pulmonary embolism is increased two fold, from 2 to 4 accidents per 10,000 users. This increase might seem low in terms of public health but it is significant at the individual level considering the fact that other satisfactory alternatives are available..

Dr Pascale This weighs in [fr] on the intensely debated subject of the risks of 3rd generation contraceptive pills in France. France health insurance will stop reimbursing [fr] for these pills in 2013 but others wonder whether the current media frenzy over the issue could also lead to detrimental measures towards [fr] women's health.

A group of Mauritanian activists initiated a Facebook campaign entitled “Knowledge for all” [ar], which aiming to gather 30,000 books before Mauritania's Independence day [Nov 28] and hand them to the National Library. The campaign was met by great enthusiasm from Mauritanian intellectuals and figures, who praised the campaign and and donated many books. Hussein Ould Mohammed Omar blogged about the initiative [ar]:

The group started their campaign by a Facebook announcement on the page dedicated for the event for those who would like to donate books. After that they suggested visiting important figures in the culture sector. The group members were leading the campaign by donating old books themselves. The Egyptian Cultural Center, which is an active cultural party in Mauritania, also contributed by donating some of their special magazines.

The Stone Forest a.k.a Tsingy in the Strict Nature Reserve of Bemaraha in Madagascar on wikipedia CC-license-3.0

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Respecting the soil is fundemental to us. It is where we get our food from and how we will provide for our children

Suelia explains [fr] how the agroecology approach (bringing ecological principles to bear in agroecosystems) has helped many in her community grow a sustainable business model by diversifying their products and therefore letting the soil rest. Thee programme is also suported by french NGO CCFD-terre solidaire.

After a series of scandals surrounding the academic achievements of German politicians who cheated on their dissertations, the online satire magazine“Der Postillon” is now calling for a complimentary Ph.D. [de] for all politicans:

This way, the embarrassing and politically dishonorable rescinding of doctorates can be avoided. The Ministry of Education has already given the green light for the “Dr. pseud.”

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