Stories from Quick Reads and Ethiopia
Second Most Spoken Languages in Africa
Don Osborne discusses a news feature on the Olivet Nazarene University website showing a map of “The Second Most Spoken Languages Around the World.” He points out key problems from the map: The first issue is assuming that “The most spoken language in any country is often obvious; usually, it’s...
How Bloggers Ended Up in Prison for Writing About Human Rights in Ethiopia
Melody Sundberg analyses freedom of expression in Ethiopia after detained Ethiopian bloggers spent 100 days in prison: Ethiopia is with its almost 94 million population the second most populated country in Africa. Nevertheless, it does not according to an interview with Endalkhachew Chala by Global Voices, have an independent daily...
Google Docs in Amharic: A Security Tool for Ethiopian Bloggers
Cyber Ethiopia explains why Google Docs in Amharic is an important internet security tool for Ethiopian bloggers and how to enable it: The Ethiopian government uses many methods to spy on bloggers, but by far the most invasive involves the covert installation of malware on their computers, which captures keystrokes,...
Justice Matters for Ethiopian Bloggers
Justice matters is a blog that reports on the trial of detained Zone9 bloggers and journalists in Ethiopia for expressing their opinions: This blog contains the most current information about advocacy efforts, press coverage, and the legal status of the Zone9 bloggers in Ethiopia. It is dedicated to report on...
Is Power Too Sweet for Ailing African Leaders to Step Down?
Gershom Ndhlovu looks at the reasons why ailing African leaders wont step down: There have been rumours, innuendoes and even insinuations regarding the health, or the lack of it, of Zambia’s President Michael Chilufya Sata, in office since September 2011. These have been spread by the largely unregulated online media...
The Legalisation of Political Repression in Ethiopia
Beza Tesfaye describes how the Ethiopian government legalises political repression in the country: It has been one month since the latest round of repression against government critics in Ethiopia began. Last weekend, the Zone9 bloggers and three journalists who were arrested in late April appeared in court. To date, very...
Ethiopia: #FreeZone9Bloggers Trending on Tumblr
Global Voices Advocacy started a Tumblr in early May to rally support for nine bloggers and journalists — four of them Global Voices members — who are currently being detained in Ethiopia because of their work. Allies from across the globe have submitted photos, messages of solidarity, videos and artwork...
Why Blogging is a Threat to the Ethiopian Government
Beza Tesfaye explains why blogging is a threat to the Ethiopian government following the arrests of nine Ethiopian bloggers: As I write this, I am eerily reminded that in Ethiopia, expressing your views can get you a first class ticket to prison. From April 25 to 26, 2014, nine Ethiopian...
The Joke is on the Media: April Fool's in Ethiopia
Ethiopians on Twitter are celebrating April Fool's day with fake news headlines that imitate the lies of state owned media. Says one Ethiopian tweep: “They broadcast black deceptions 365 days a year, and we are giving back to them dozens of false headlines as much as we can”. Follow and...
Should Africa Learn From the Crimea Referendum?
“Is Crimea referendum a good model for Africa?” asks Richard Dowden: Africa’s arbitrary borders, mostly drawn by people who had never set foot in the continent, have always been an obvious target for renegotiation. But Africa’s first rulers, who foresaw chaos and disintegration if the nation states were reconfigured, ruled...
“Another Face of Africa”: Call for Photos, Stories
A group of young volunteers from southern Germany, many of whom have lived in Africa, are calling for photos, essays, videos, blog posts or poems by locals of five major African cities: Lagos, Addis Ababa, Gaborone, Kigali and Kinshasa. With a forthcoming exhibition called “Sichtwechsel,” their goal is to show...
#Kality Tweet Chat on Ethiopian Imprisoned Journalists
Join Tweet chat on Ethiopian imprisoned journalist using the hashtag #Kality: Ethiopian journalists Reeyot Alemu and Eskinder Nega have been locked up in Ethiopia’s Kality prison since 2011 – simply for being journalists trying to hold their government accountable for its actions. Although they have been honored with numerous prestigious...
The State of Torture in the World in 2013
On January 23, 2013, an excerpt from the annual report of l'ACAT-France, A World of Torture 2013, makes a fresh assessment of the state of torture in the world [fr]: “A report called A World of Torture in 2013, assesses torture practices that continue to be alarming, from Pakistan to...
Impact of Factory Jobs on Workers’ Wealth
Work for Chris Blattman in Ethiopia to assess the impact of low-skill, low-wage factory jobs on the worker’s wealth, health and politics (among other things).
When Bob Marley Went to Africa
The film opens on the Ghanaian coast at the remnants of a slave post, the camera then pans over the Atlantic, finally settling on the green hills of rural Jamaica (Marley’s birthplace Nine Mile) from where it picks up Bob Marley’s story, thus cementing a link between the continent and...
Ethiopia: Online Reactions to Meles Zenawi Death
Samuel Gebru, the founder of EGI (Ethiopian Global Initiative) writes on his personal blog: Ethiopia and Africa has lost a formidable leader who worked tirelessly for the transformation of his country and continent. Prime Minister Meles was not perfect and I did not agree with every decision he made. I openly...
Ethiopia: Father of Ethiopian Jazz Honored
“Ethiopian jazz giant Mulatu Astatke has been honored by the world-renowned Berklee College of Music. Mulatu, often dubbed as the father of Ethiopian jazz, was presented honorary doctor of music degree yesterday from the university’s president Roger H. Brown at 2012 commencement,” Arefe reports.
Africa: African Perspectives Online
African Perspectives is an online platform for Africans on the continent or in the Diaspora – that is People of African Descent – to showcase their very own perspective on a given situation, a cultural event in their region, talk and discuss approaches of investments in their country or how...
Ethiopia: PEN Awards Top Prize to Jailed Journalist and Blogger
Ethiopia journalist and dissident blogger is the recipient of 2012 PEN/Barbara Goldsmith Freedom to Write Award: “Nega, a leading advocate for press freedom and freedom of expression in Ethiopia, was arrested on September 14, 2011, and is currently being tried under the country's sweeping anti-terror legislation…. He could face the...
Greece: Athens, 1st African Film Festival Week
The first African Film Festival will take place in Athens, Greece, from February 23 to 29, 2012, with the collaboration of various African countries’ embassies and consulates. Twenty one films from Angola, South Africa, Morocco, Tunisia, Nigeria, Egypt and Ethiopia will be screened. The event is hosted by the Greek Film...
Ethiopia: a Body of Legislative Acts Opposing Freedom of Speech
Reporters without Borders released a report on freedom of expression [fr] a report regarding the freedom of expression and the working conditions of Ethiopian journalists stating : “During the last three years the country has adopted a series of laws – on civil society, anti-terrorism etc. – against alleged breaches...
