Global Voices

English

The world is talking, are you listening?

Rumbidzai Dube explains why 2012 is the year for African women: “2012 has been a progressive year for African women in global politics. In April Joyce Banda of Malawi became the first ever female president of Malawi and the Second Female president in Africa [...]Just yesterday, Dr Nkosana Dhlamini-Zuma became the first female Chairperson for the African Union Commission.”

Austin explains why Malawi needs to rebuild brand Malawi: “Over the past year or so Malawi has not been projected internationally in very positive light. The warm heart has been mired in problems, shortages and intolerance of varying kinds and magnitudes.”

Nlex describes the road to abolishing the death penalty in Malawi: “Malawi’s Legal Aid volunteers sift through a pile of files of those on death row. They are doing everything they can to abolish the death penalty in the country and lessen existing prisoners’ sentences. At least 29 men currently sit on death row in Malawi; however, no one has been executed in the country since 1994. Those sentenced to death are entitled to a mandatory appeal in the Supreme Court.”

Moving Windmills is a documentary that tells the true story of William Kamkwamba, a young innovator from Malawi, Africa who taught himself to generate electricity by building a windmill from found materials and scrap parts.

Gregory Gondwe argues the Malawian president talk better in English than Chichewa, a Bantu language widely spoken in Malawi: “Whether it is a piece of fortune or a curse it is not for me to say. I believe there is evidence that two of our three Executive Heads that have presided over the country had experienced or experience problems to communicate in proper vernacular Chichewa.”

Sonya Donnelly writes about the plight of Malawian women in prison: “Prison is often a very expensive way of making vulnerable women’s life situations much worse. Once a woman is incarcerated miles from her home, sometimes for months or years without the case progressing, she may lose her home, her relationships and her children in the process.”

I Love Malawi is a blog that showcases photos from Malawi: ” If you have some interesting photos about Malawi, send us an email and we will post them on this blog. The photos will be rightly attributed to you in the blog!”

The Blantyre Free and Open Source Software Users Group has a new blog: “Welcome to the blog of Blantyre Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) Users group. Blantyre Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) Users Group is a grouping of individuals that use free and open source software but are based in Blantyre, southern Malawi.”

The Zeleza Post shares two articles discussing terror and political crisis in Malawi. One of the articles is written by Robert Chasowa, the murdered student, which many in Malawi believe led to his tragic death: “The nation is shellshocked at the depths of the bankrupt regime's political depravity and the naked terror it is prepared to unleash on this lovely, small and poor nation that overthrew a thirty-year postcolonial dictatorship only seventeen years ago.”

Mabvuto Jobani says that Malawian police know the people who were involved in the death of Robert Chasowa – a fourth year engineering student at the university of Malawi: “Two Blantyre police officers who asked for anonymity told me that so far two theories have emerged as to why he was murdered.”

Nsanje Port in Malawi has turned into a fishing ground, Face of Malawi reports: ”We’re happy that Mutharika built us a fishing pond.We used to go very far away crossing shire river but now we are doing it at the port.”These are words of fishermen based in Nsanje district where the port was built.

Read Dadakim's account of protests in Malawi: “It’s also important to realize that the protests were not spontaneous. Civil society organizations had previously attempted a similar protest in February and university students and lecturers successfully staged protests in May primarily rooted in demands for academic freedom. It is thus important to put these protests in context.”

Malawi on the brink: “Contrary to stereotypes about the docility and peaceful nature of Malawians, Malawi has a long history of mass protests going back to the colonial era including the struggles against the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland that saw the demise of the federation and the country's independence in 1964.”

Most Malawians are not happy to be called satans by Malawi's presidet: “According to an opinion poll conducted late last night on 21st July by a Faith Based Relief and Development Non Governmental Organizations in Bangwe Township, in the outskirts of Blantyre, over 90% of the citizens interviewed felt the public address by President Bingu wa Mutharika was empty.”

Malawi news go mobile: “Just this week [post was written June 17, 2011], Malawi's leading publishing house, BNL Times, publishers of the Daily Times, Malawi News, Sunday Times and Weekend Times inconjuction with TalkAWE announced that it will soon launch an initiative to bring breaking news on your mobile phones.

Malawian blogger Victor Kaonga blogs about his recent trip to Jamaica: “When it comes to African countries, three seem to have a special place in the heats of Jamaicans. These are South Africa because of Nelson Mandela after is named the popular Nelson Mandela Highway, Zimbabwe because Robert Mugabe who invited Bob Marley in 1980 and Ethiopia because of Emperor Haille Selassie.”

Daniso's thoughts about the “old grumpy president” of Malawi: “Our president brooks no criticism and doesn’t tolerate complaints. Dare criticize and in his eyes you’ll be nothing but an unemployable fool. Dare slight his performance on governance and he’ll take to the podium to rant that you're a nkhwezule, an insignificant being.”

African movies that MightyAfrican would like to watch: “Africa United (Rwanda), Figurine (South Africa), From a Whisper (Kenya), Seasons of a Life (Malawi), Teza (Ethiopia)”

Fashion Police blog from Blantyre, Malawi: “Coz we do fashion on a budget in Blantyre, Malawi (however, some people need to be fined!)”

What is the best method for pushing the gay agenda in Africa?: “Malawi is playing the ‘foreign aid tied to homosexuality promotion’ card. It is a tough one…But, we cannot underestimate the value that that card has. Here is the Malawi government. Apparently, aid is refused on the grounds that Malawi is not promoting some Civil liberties.”

Harold Williams says that Malawian President is a piggy bank economist: “Whoever said that Bingu wa Mutharika is an economic engineer, got it very badly wrong, as most of you may have concluded as you waste your precious time searching for and queuing for fuel.Come to think of it, it had to have been Bakili Muluzi himself who invented those two deceptive titles.”

Gregory Gondwe writes about Malawi's studio wizard: “Tapiwa Bandawe is a producer who can lionise a musician none of us have ever heard of and how he does this is a subject of conjecture.”

Gregory discusses the need to connect tourism and music industry in Malawi: “Taking advantage of the fact that music pulls and attracts people and their world the tourism industry which sells our places out there would intensify promotion of the varieties at their places.”

Our Malawi News is Ushahidi based platform for stories & events around Malawi where & when they happen.

The Musicians association of Malawi (MAM), announced that it has established its Digital Music Recording Studio, Gregory Gondwe reports: “This is a courtesy of the Royal Norwegian Embassy that is assisting Malawi’s Support Scheme through the Copyright Society of Malawi (COSOMA).”

Saving lives in rural Malawi with knowledge management and mobile phones: “The most important item in Amon Chimphepo’s medical kit is a small cell phone. This single piece of technology has proved to be a lifeline for people living in one of the most remote regions of Malawi. Its power to reach and initiate help immediately from the closest hospital is saving lives and improving health outcomes.”

Cryton Chikoko posts new 29 new tweets about Malawi:missbwalya - “Is anyone really surprised at Mutharika's mismanagement of Malawi's top job? Rewind to COMESA days. #Malawi”

An introduction to Malawian urban music: “In Malawi, urban music is said to have started when a group called Real Elements consisting of Louis ‘Marvel’ Chikuni, Kimba ‘Plan B’ Anderson-Mutaba, Jerome ‘Stix’ Kalinani, and Quabaniso ‘Q’ Malewezi hit the industry with their brand of music.”

On expanding African science cafes: “Science cafes are slowly and steadily spreading across the African continent. Regular cafes are being held in South Africa, Kenya, Uganda, Malawi, Ghana, and Morocco. It began in 2007 at a workshop on African Science Cafes in South Africa supported by the British Council.”

MalawiSoc is a Social Boookmarking site devoted to news and blogs about Malawi.