Global Voices » France

Peruvian Mathematician Claims Proof of 300-Year-Old Conjecture

Gabriela García Calderón — Fri, 24 May 2013 14:57:09 +0000

Peruvian mathematician Harald Andrés Helfgott made headlines after news broke that he had demonstrated the solution to a 271-year-old problem in number theory.

Back in 1742, Prussian mathematician Christian Goldbach‘s theory, known as Goldbach's conjecture, stated that “every integer greater than 5 can be written as the sum of three prime [numbers]”.

This conjecture, one of the most difficult problems in mathematics, has been investigated by many number theorists and confirmed by computers for all even numbers smaller than 1018. After working hard on the so called Goldbach's weak conjecture, Helfgott managed to fully demonstrate it.

Harald Andrés Helfgott, image shared on Facebook.

Helfgott has a position at the National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) in France, and has published two papers “claiming having improved the estimates of major and minor arcs, enough to prove unconditionally Goldbach's weak conjecture.”

The blog Cajón de sastre [es] republished the news [es] and included a link to the compete work on Helfgott's demonstration.

Meanwhile, Twitter users also expressed their opinion about Harald Helfgott's work using the hashtags #Helfgott and #Goldbach.

Alberto Anguiano (@Dr_LAAG) summed up the news in one tweet:

@Dr_LAAG: #Goldbach: “Todo número impar mayor que 5 puede expresarse como suma de tres números primos”, conjetura resuelta por un peruano #Helfgott.

@Dr_LAAG: #Goldbach: “every odd number greater than 5 can be written as the sum of three prime [numbers]“, conjecture solved by a Peruvian #Helfgott.

Twitter user and physicist V H Satheeshkumar (@VHSatheeshkumar) expressed himself in three tweets:

@VHSatheeshkumar: #Helfgott proves of one of the oldest open problems in #mathematics, the ternary #Goldbach #conjecture http://arxiv.org/abs/1305.2897 . #numbers

@VHSatheeshkumar: Strong #Goldbach #conjecture: “Every even #number greater than 2 can be written as the sum of two #primes.”

@VHSatheeshkumar: Ternary #Goldbach #conjecture: “Every odd number greater than 5 can be written as the sum of three prime numbers.”

And dmv.mathematik.de (@dmv_mathematik) asked:

@dmv_mathematik: progress made proving #Goldbach‘s #theorem? #Helfgott says so, proof published at http://arxiv.org/abs/1305.2897 #math #prime #conjecture

Norwegian mathematician Torgunn Karoline Moe (@TorgunnKaroline) shared Helfogtt's work enthusiastically in two tweets:

@TorgunnKaroline: Goldbach-artikkelen ligger her http://arxiv.org/abs/1305.2897 . Les med måte! #helfgott #goldbach #abel

@TorgunnKaroline [no]: Goldbach's article can be read here http://arxiv.org/abs/1305.2897. Read his work! #helfgott #goldbach #abel

@TorgunnKaroline: @alexarje For en fantastisk nyhet!! S2 #goldbach #helfgott

@TorgunnKaroline [no]: @alexarje For a fantastic news!!! S2 #goldbach #helfgott

Mexico_Today (@Mexico_Today) tweeted cheerfully:

@Mexico_Today: ►PERÚ: ‘INCREÍBLE!! MATEMÁTICO PERUANO RESUELVE CONJETURA DEBIL DE GOLDBACH’ #peru #matemáticas #goldbach

@Mexico_Today [es]: ►PERU: ‘INCREDIBLE!! PERUVIAN MATHEMATICIAN SOLVES GOLDBACH'S WEAK CONJECTURE’ #peru #matemáticas [mathematics] #goldbach

More ironically, Mario Daniel (@Desiderantes) said:

@Desiderantes: Ok señores, ya probaron la conjetura de #Goldbach, ya se pueden dormir http://arxiv.org/abs/1305.2897

@Desiderantes [es]: Very well, you all out there, #Goldbach has been demonstrated, you may go to sleep now http://arxiv.org/abs/1305.2897

As this is Peru we are talking about, a football reference could not be absent, as laslo rojas (@amnesico) wrote:

@amnesico: Confirmado: Harald Helfgott es la Foquita de las matematicas: http://ow.ly/ldsE0 #Goldbach #Math

@amnesico [es]: Confirmed: Harald Helfgott is the Foquita of mathematics: http://ow.ly/ldsE0 #Goldbach #Math

Jefferson Farfán, known as Foquita (little seal), is a Peruvian football player who is currently part of Bundesliga's Schalke 04 team.

Futhermore, Luis Biedma (@LBiedma) simply said:

@LBiedma: Acaban de probar la conjetura debil de #Goldbach!? Que leeeeendoooo!!! #OMG [Oh, Díos mío]

@LBiedma: #Goldbach‘s weak conjecture has just been demonstrated!? So niiiiiiice!!! #OMG

Lastly, Luis das Cragfeit (@Cragfeit) played with words:

@Cragfeit: ¿Entonces #Goldbach decía que si dos primos se casaban, siempre tendrían hijos que se dividieran por la mitad? #Preguntica #PrimeNumbers

@Cragfeit [es]: So, #Goldbach said that if two cousins got married, they would always have children that might be divided in halfs? #Preguntica [little question] #PrimeNumbers

In Spanish, “cousin” and “prime” are the same word: “primo.”

As Helfgott shared on Facebook [es]:

Me parece que lo importante es – mas alla de donde vivamos o trabajemos – mantener un compromiso con la educacion y la ciencias en el Peru y Sudamerica, y con la matematica local en particular. [...] Quisiera que esto sirva para que el trabajo que muchas generaciones han hecho por la matematica peruana sea apreciado.

I think the important thing -regardless of where we came from or where we live or work- is to stay engaged with education and science in Peru and South America, and with local mathematics in particular. [...] I'd like this to be useful so the work many generations have made for Peruvian mathematics might be appreciated.

PHOTOS: Guerrilla Art Project Captures Japan's Northeast in Portraits

Ian McKenzie — Thu, 16 May 2013 02:46:32 +0000

In November 2012, a truck departed from the northeast Japanese city of Kesennuma on a journey to Fukushima. Its sides were pasted over with pictures of a giant eye, and at the back of the truck was an opening like a mailbox slot. The truck was equipped with a camera to take people's photos and a large-format printer to print them out.

The truck was part of French artist JR‘s “Inside Out” project, an art concept based on public participation. The artist's project is centered on taking photos of people on the street in different parts of the world and then pasting their portraits on the sides of buildings. The project is a global platform for people to share their untold stories and transform messages of personal identity into works of public art.

Photographs of about 400 people were collected from Japan's northeastern Tohoku region, which still bears the scars of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami which killed nearly 16,000 people and devastated the area. A selection of these photographs were then put on exhibition.

Photo of the truck travelling through the rain on its way to Tohoku.

Two merchants from Kesennuma's fish market

Posters put on display in Kesennuma's shopping district

People check out portraits coming out of the truck.

People gather around the truck and begin mingling

JR's exhibition at the Watari Museum of Contemporary Art, which is located in Tokyo's Shibuya district, started in February, 2013 and runs until June 2, 2013. While JR's Inside Out Project was unfolding in Tohoku, the Watari Museum of Contemporary Art　put out a call for financial support[ja] for the project through Campfire[ja], a Japanese crowd-funding site.This call for support met with a favorable response, reaching the museum's two million yen (about 19,600 United States dollars) goal during the fundraising period.

Campfire is one of Japan's leading crowdfunding sites [ja]. In 2012, it raised [ja] about 92 million yen (about 903,000 US dollars), with one particular project netting a record-setting 5.3 million yen (about 52,000 US dollars). Compare this with well-known US crowdfunding site Kickstarter, which successfully raised one million dollars for 17 different projects and collected pledges totaling about 320 million dollars in 2012.

Despite the relatively small size of Japan crowdfunding market, the fact that Campfire was able to overcome such challenges and reach its goal is telling. The Watari Museum is now working once again with Campfire [ja] to raise funds aimed at nationwide expansion. [Update: The fundraising project was closed by May 10, 2013]

In addition to the Tohoku photo project, the museum is also presenting other “Inside Out” projects by JR in chronological order. There is even an area where people visiting the exhibition, which is called “Could Art Change the World?”, can have their photographs taken. Giving people the chance to have their portraits taken at the museum is a way of getting them involved in the “Inside Out” project.

JR discussed the idea behind the project during an interview with online news publication Blouin Artinfo:

[...] Although I helped with the construction and logistics, it’s important for me that the local people manage the truck, the photo booth, and all the operations themselves. It’s meant to be a project by the Japanese, for the Japanese. [...]

On Twitter, user TAKEI Toshifumi (@toshify) discussed his impression of the exhibition in a tweet:

@toshify:「JR展_世界はアートで変わっていく」（ワタリウム美術館、6月2日まで）を観た。
人の顔を大写しにしてストリートに掲示する手法で、社会問題を提起するフランス作家。
顔は私的なものという思い込みがあるが、パブリックな場に引き出されると
強烈なメッセージ性を帯びる。作家の言葉も美しい。

@toshify: I went to see JR's “Could Art Change the World?” exhibition (being held at the Watari Museum until June 2).
JR is a French artist who draws attention to social issues by taking photos of people's faces and then posting them on the street. While there is the belief that a person's face is something private, putting someone's face on display to the public can be used to convey a powerful message. The artist's language is also beautiful.

Pictures of Tohoku area project participants posted on the wall of the Watari Museum.

Reaction to the participation aspect of the project have been varied:

@Hiro183: JR展(13回目位)@ワタリウム美術館。なんでこんなに来るかって？
キャンプファイアーで金銭支援をし、この展示に参加しているから。
ARTは参加して意味がある。 http://instagr.am/p/XCA2IOGhOK/

@Hiro183: Visiting JR's exhibition at the Watari Museum again (this makes it my 13th visit). Why did I come to this kind of event? Because I am participating in the event through my financial contributions to Campfire. Art has a meaning only after we participate in it.

@hiswii: やっぱワタリウムのJR展、行って撮るだけで参加したって言いづらいよなー。
JRに不足する身体性というのはプロジェクト全体で補足すべきことなんだろうね。

@hiswii : I find it hard to say that I actually participated in JR's exhibitionat the Watari Museum just by going there and having my picture taken. JR's lack of embodiment should carry over to the project as a whole.

More images of the Tohoku project are available here. Shots of the exhibition at the Watari Museum can be seen here.

All photographs appearing in this article were published by the Watari Museum [ja]. Published in accordance with Campfire's intellectual properties guidelines in Japanese, which allow Campfire members to repost the image/text of materials appeared on the campaign page to their blogs.

Côte d'Ivoire: Opinions on Marriage for all

Jane Ellis — Mon, 06 May 2013 21:11:27 +0000

The ‘Marriage for All’ bill approved by France on April 23, 2013, allows gay men and women the same rights to get married as heterosexuals. Several months of bitter debates broadcast by Francophone Africa media have brought the subject home to many African countries, leading to interesting reactions.

Several media outlets in Africa have already reported the case of two South African men who married each other in the ‘traditional’ style:

However, in Francophone Africa, where homosexuality is still severely penalised in several countries, this event has not been copied.

In Abidjan, capital of Côte d’Ivoire, there has mostly been a jokey tone to comments. On Facebook people joked about the subject, making allusions to emigration by family regrouping:

“Le Mariage pour tous voté à Paris; Enjaillement [réjouissance] dans certaines rues de Babi. Djo le frère Madou peut venir marier [épouser] son frère ABLO et partir avec lui à Bengue, le frère DIGBEU peut venir épouser son ami SERI et PARIS est gagné…

Marriage for all voted in by Paris, rejoicing in some streets of Babi. Djo the Madou brother can marry his ABLO brother and leave with him for Bengue, the DIGBEU brother can marry his SERI friend and Paris is won…

The Côte d’Ivoire is one of the few countries in the region which does not penalise homosexuality. In a short film on YouTube, several Ivoirian internet users nonetheless underlined their fears and a showed a moderate point of view.

Some Ivoirians expressed their incomprehension of homosexuality and the possible consequences of the legalisation of gay marriage:

@MyMaLuyDealBi : Après ce sera au tour de la polygamie pour tous j’espère. Oui c’est cela aussi le mariage, en France ou ailleurs

@MyMaLuyDealBi : After this I hope it will be the turn of polygamy for all. Yes, that too is marriage, in France or elsewhere

@Lord225: La prochaine etape c'est d'adopter les enfants que les couples normaux auront fait. Pfff Grand N'importe Quoi #directAN

@Lord225: The next step is to adopt the children that normal couples have had. Pfff Doesn't make any sense #directAN

Gay people in Africa continue to be subject to violence and are sometimes even in danger of death. Homosexuality is still against the law in nearly 40 African countries, the most aggressively so being Uganda and Liberia.

Hostages and Ransom Payments: What is France's Policy?

Jane Ellis — Fri, 03 May 2013 21:29:11 +0000

Around three months after the French President François Hollande’s decision to stop paying ransoms to hostage takers, the Moulin-Fournier family were finally released, to the immense relief of their family and friends. However, there is still no information to shed light on how this liberation occurred.

Video of the hostages following their release via zoominwal [fr]:

In January 2013, François Hollande told the families of French citizens around the world that France would henceforth follow a policy of refusing financial dealings with the hostage-takers. The time of giving in to ransom demands had come to an end.

This change had been considered during the Sarkozy era, due to payment of ransoms increasing the greed of kidnappers. Abdoulaye Bah of Global Voices noted in 2010 that [fr]:

Plus de 90% du financement des groupes terroristes proviennent de paiement de rançons. [..] Tant que les pays occidentaux paient pour libérer leurs otages, les groupes terroristes garnissaient leurs «comptes».

More than 90% of funding for terrorist groups comes from ransom payments. [...] As long as western countries pay to free their hostages, the terrorist groups will add to their “accounts”.

The crisis in Mali accelerated the process [fr]. Since when, intelligence service agents have tried to adapt their negotiation methods, breaking with the French techniques which had prevailed until that time. The adopted model was along the lines of those used in Britain and America.

French Negotiation Techniques compared to those of Britain and the US

Bernard Kouchner talked of the different approaches [fr] when trying to resolve hostage situations:

On oppose souvent un modèle français qui paie et un modèle anglo-saxon qui ne paie pas mais les choses ne sont pas si claires que cela, chaque affaire d'otage est unique et plus complexe qu'on ne le croit.

People often compare the French method, which pays, and the ‘Anglo-Saxon’ method which doesn’t, but things are not as simple as that, each hostage situation is unique and more complex than can be imagined.

Contrary to in Britain and the US, where it is clearly spelled out to citizens that government policy will not make any type of concession regarding individuals or groups who take hostages, France has not set out a precise policy in its official documents, and instead only used to warn against kidnappings.

François Hollande therefore set in action a radical change when he made his clear announcement of France’s refusal to give in to ransom demands. However, the lack of transparency over the latest liberation of hostages in Cameroon leads the onlooker to believe that the actual situation is more complicated.

How were the Moulin-Fournier family freed?

The French family were taken hostage on February 19, 2013 in Cameroon, and claimed by Boko Haram, the Nigerian terrorist group. The hostages were freed on April 19. News website Slate Afrique asked Did France pay a ransom to Boko Haram? [fr] the day after their liberation:

Des questions qui se posent avec d’autant plus d’acuité que l’on se souvient des revendications de Boko Haram, lorsque la secte nigériane a confirmé être l’auteur de l’enlèvement de cette famille française, dans la localité de Dabanga, dans l’extrême-nord du Cameroun, le 19 février dernier

These questions take on ever greater importance when we remember Boko Haram’s demands when the Nigerian sect confirmed responsibility for the kidnapping of this French family, near Dabanga in the extreme north of Cameroon on February 19

The article also remarked upon the discretion of the French and Cameroon governments on this affair.

The French government has reaffirmed that it did not break its resolution and that it did not pay a ransom. The members of Boko Haram had let it be known in a video uploaded on February 25 that they wanted family members “imprisoned in Nigeria and Cameroon” to be freed. The Nigerian government then intervened, however, details of any negotiations [fr] were not disclosed.

As for the Moulin-Fournier family, they told the media through crisis management consultants gestiondecrise.com [fr] about their tough experience without disclosing any information concerning the conditions of their release. The question of what is French policy in hostage situations therefore remains open.

Car Explosion at the French Embassy in Libya

Rakotomalala — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 07:20:04 +0000

Explosion at the French embassy in Libya via @Eh4b10 on Twitter

Twitter user @Eh4b10 has posted several photos on twitter of a car explosion near the French Embassy today around 6:50 am local time in Tripoli, Libya.

Can Cyprus Turn Back from the Abyss? Three Options to Escape the Financial Crisis

Andrew Kowalczuk — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 06:21:34 +0000

The small island of Cyprus continues its race against bankruptcy. Following the European decision to tax all depositors, [fr] the Mediterranean republic faces a critical situation. Three options are emerging for the island: to carry out an agreement with Europe, to turn to Russia, or to declare bankruptcy and leave the Eurozone.

Origins of the crisis

This crisis arose after a significant loss in assets of the Popular Bank of Cyprus and the Bank of Cyprus, due to the debt restructuring plan in Greece, in March 2012. The two Cypriot banks then found themselves obligated to seek recapitalization in the capital city, Nicosia [fr].

Private-sector solution?

For their part, Greek banks are also closely tied to Cyprus. The Bank for International Settlements, [fr] or BIS, estimates the Greek banks’ investments in Cyprus at 12.6 billion euros, an amount not less than 28% of all Cypriot banks’ investments. This therefore rules out the possibility of a private-sector intervention plan on the island.

The offices of the Bank of Cyprus at Aglandjia, via Wikipedia CC-BY-2;0

So, if Cyprus could contribute from its banks the sum of 7 billion euros, refused to them by Europe, out of the 17 billion euros which it owes, Europe would be obligated to give aid to Greece again [fr], further weakening the recovering stability of the country. A renegotiation, particularly in the plan of the troika, would be risky. This is also partly why the Greek economy is affected by the tax on deposits.

Furthermore, organizing a private-sector intervention in Cyprus might be frowned upon by investors. It should not be forgotten that “the Greek case” is expected to remain unique. Otherwise, it would be tempting for other countries now experiencing a complex economic situation, such as Spain, Italy or Portugal, to seek private-sector assistance as well.

The consequences of this would be irrevocable. For the market to finance vulnerable states would become complex, even impossible, and restructuring of public debt for other countries, and of the European Central Bank, would loom dangerously on the horizon. In fact, regarding the deposits, this is another “unique case” which Europe hopes to create.

The Social Democratic Party of Germany [fr], or SDP, wants to make an example of Cyprus, in order to stop the vote in favor of European aid in the Bundestag [fr], which is essential to Chancellor Angela Merkel. So, aid for Cyprus is not likely to occur without the support of the Bundestag. The SDP sees a reserve of money in Cyprus which is noted to be of Russian origin, and suspected to belong to the “mafia”. The private sector intervention did not really hit the wallet of Russia, so the European solution should focus on deposits. Since Cyprus refused to accept a drain of deposits more than 10%, so as not to ruin the reputation of its economic system, it was necessary to broaden its tax base, and to spread the impact across all depositors, including residents. But this could still be enough to push Cyprus into the abyss. This is why it rejected the European plan.

At this point, Cyprus finds itself faced with several possibilities. Given the intense reactions in Europe, and especially in Cyprus, during recent days, some of the European decision-makers seem to want to backtrack, regretting their original choices. We see attempts to reduce the participation of Cyprus in its own bailout. However, Europe may not accept an attempted renegotiation. The debate about the complete participation of the ESM (European Stability Mechanism) [fr], which oversees 5.8 billion euros in aid, still remains.

Alliance with Russia

The second solution would be for Cyprus to ally itself with Russia. Indeed, Putin wants to defend Russian assets on the island, asking, in exchange, for large concessions on gas and Russian military facilities, not to mention the recent discovery of an oil deposit off the island. Russia could repurchase Cypriot banks [fr], notably the Laïka Bank, the second-largest banking establishment on the island, in order to save 2.5 billion euros in recapitalization. Russian aid would probably be complementary to European aid, and undoubtedly there would not be any actual rupture between Cyprus and the Eurozone. For its part, Russia would gain significant influence in strategically important Cyprus. The island would safeguard the interests of Moscow in Europe, but would risk creating some problems in the future.

But Russia is apparently in no hurry to make a decision. Andrei Kostin, director of VTB Bank [formerly the Vneshtorgbank], announced on March 21 that his institution was not at all interested [fr] in buying bank assets on the island:

Sur place, il y a deux banques dans une situation critique qui ont besoin d'être assainies. Il serait absurde de prétendre que nous aurions un intérêt là-dedans. Notre seul intérêt, c'est de retrouver au plus vite la faculté d'effectuer les paiements et de gérer les comptes de nos clients.

First, there are two banks in critical condition that would need to be cleaned up. It would be absurd to suggest that we would have an interest in those. Our only interest is to regain the ability to make payments as quickly as possible, and to manage the accounts of our clients.

And he added that his bank would need to:

arrêter son activité et quitter purement et simplement le marché chypriote” en cas de “décisions violant le droit, dictées par la politique.

”cease its activity entirely, and simply leave the Cypriot market” in the event of “decisions which violate the law, dictated by politics.”

Last resort – Bankruptcy

Finally, Cyprus can opt for the extreme but inevitable solution, if Russia and Europe deliver no proper support – bankruptcy. Then, recapitalization in Cyprus would be accomplished by banks issuing money.

That would mean leaving the Eurozone [fr], instituting strict controls over the flow of money, and blocking current accounts during the period of conversion to the new Cypriot currency. The island would be ruined, and its financial credit would be permanently damaged. This would be followed by a period of economic reconstruction under complex circumstances. And for the Eurozone, it would be a failure, and a disturbing precedent.

The final agreement reached in Brussels, with the intention to dismantle the largest bank of the country, and to tax bank deposits greater than 100,000 euros, is an ineffective hybrid solution, according to American economist Tyler Cowen:

What will the price of a Cypriot euro be, relative to a German euro? 50%? I call this Cyprus leaving the euro, but keeping the word “euro”, to save face.

Djibouti: Arrests follow ‘Democratic’ Elections

Jane Ellis — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 04:50:12 +0000

Several opposition leaders were arrested [fr] in Djibouti, a small, but strategically important country in the Horn of Africa, after demonstrations which followed the February 22, 2013 general elections. The elections saw yet another victory for the party in power, the People's Rally for Progress. President Ismail Omar Guelleh, who has ruled since 1999, received 80% of votes cast, leading to allegations of fraud on a massive scale. The arrests followed the demonstrations about allegations of massive fraud [fr]. According to the Djiboutian League of Human Rights organisation and the International Federation of Human Rights, 90 people were retained in the famously tough Gabode Central Prison. Arrests were still continuing at the time of writing, April 2013.

Spokesperson for opposition party Union for National Salvation, Daher Ahmed Farah, was sentenced [fr] to two months in the same closed prison for calling for rebellion after the election results were announced. The following video shows fighting in the streets between opposition demonstrators and the police (via Dillipress):

Elections in Djibouti have still not resulted in a real political alternative for power. Ismaïl Omar Gelleh has been president of the republic since April 9, 1999, and his ideologically conservative party, the People's Rally for Progress, has been in power since the country gained independence.

James Schneider from Think Africa Press has always believed that the elections only gave the appearance of democracy:

His most recent re-election, in 2011, came after he changed the constitution to be allowed to run for a third time; the vote took place without election observers and Guelleh won practically unopposed after the opposition withdrew citing harassment and the unfair nature of the poll [..] Guelleh’s illusion will have worked, at least in the short term: he will still have power but now with the veneer of a parliamentary opposition. Indeed, many people have much to gain from the electoral illusion. But sadly, this group is unlikely to include most ordinary Djiboutians. After all, you cannot improve freedom, development and wellbeing with illusions alone.

Djibouti European Quarter via Wikimedia – Public Domain

The party in power is contesting these allegations of fraud. Abdi Ismail Hersi, head of the independent National Electoral Commission, has stated that the elections took place in a transparent manner. This verdict was shared by a Malian commentator from the African Union, Cissé Mariam Kaïdama Sidibé, who stated:

The citizens of Djibouti were able to carry out their civic duties in total transparency.

On its facebook page [fr], the opposition party reported that arrests [fr] of opposition members were still continuing in the city of Arhiba:

A Arhiba, la journée du dimanche 7 avril a vu l'arrestation musclée avec force brutalité d'Abdo Mohamed Ahmed et Houssein Mohamed Kamil avant d’être conduits tous deux au centre de Nagad. Puis c’est vers 2 heures du matin dans la nuit du dimanche 7 au lundi 8 avril que la police a procédé à de nouvelles arrestations directement aux domiciles des individus pour tirer de leurs lits au moins trois hommes dont les noms ont été révélés : Abdo Ibrahim Mohamed, Abdo Ali Bouha et Abbatte Gadid Merito.

In Arhiba, Sunday April 7 saw the arrest with brutal force of Abdo Mohamed Ahmed and Houssein Mohamed Kamil, before they were both driven to the center of Nagad. Then, around 2 am on Monday April 8, the police made more arrests at individuals homes, to pull from their beds at least three men whose names have been revealed: Abdo Ibrahim Mohamed, Abdo Ali Bouha et Abbatte Gadid Merito.

The strategic position of this country in the Horn of Africa makes Djibouti a significant ally for Western countries including France, its previous colonial power, in the fight against the pirates and Islamic terrorists of the region.

President Ismaïl Omar Guelleh (right) and Donald Rumsfeld (left), 2002 via wikimedia Public Domain

Luke Lythgoe of Think Africa Press explained how this background makes it difficult for Western countries to criticise the current government:

Djibouti may be a country few in the West know about, yet Western foreign policymakers have placed disproportionate emphasis upon the tiny nation as a strategic base for their operations in the Horn of Africa – particularly in combating piracy and the militant Islamists al-Shabaab in Somalia. Perhaps understandably, considering the higher profile crises on its doorstep, the West has treated Djibouti as little more than a tool in its arsenal – as a military base, launch pad for drone strikes, or venue for regional diplomacy – rather than a situation worth addressing in its own right.

Hackers in Arab Cities: Fab Lab and Tech in Egypt

Thalia Rahme — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 14:56:45 +0000

Sabine is a journalist, Ophelia is a photographer and a videomaker: both are former contributors to OWNI (a Global Voices media partner in France) and are currently shooting a web-documentary entitled ”Les hackers dans la cité arabe (Hackers in Arab Cities) about technology, applications, hacker labs and maker spaces, that are blossoming nowadays in the Maghreb and the Middle East.

Ophelia Noor (left) and Sabine Blanc (right)

Sabine and Ophelia are currently taking part in the World Social Forum in Tunis (March 26-30). They will speak about “hacking”. In the West, hacking is more or less considered part of a geeky and rather privileged culture. On the other side of the Mediterranean, it is rather the product of revolution, giving a new impulse towards collaborative practices and innovations, spaces that are open to everyone.

Over the next weeks, Global Voices will re-publish and help translate in three languages (Arabic, French, English) excerpts of their journeys and encounters with young open source developers from Algeria, Egypt, Tunisia, Lebanon and Iraq. We begin this series with an interview with Mahmoud El-Safti, co-founder of a hacker space in Giza, Egypt.

Mahmoud El-Safti on the creation of a hackerspace in Giza

Mahmoud el Safty (Photo Ophélia Noor, used with permission)

Mahmoud El-Safty co-founded Giza Hackerspace and Fab Lab Egypt, the first of their kind in Egypt, with both projects located in Giza, in the suburbs of Cairo. This young, smiling engineer speaks with enthusiasm about his faith in hackerspaces/makerspaces.

To listen to the podcast in English click here. Below is a transcript of the interview.

I think starting initiatives like having maker spaces and hacker spaces, where people can gain practical experience and share knowledge and practice theoretical information they have, will have a great impact on society and on the educationnal system, and changing people's minds as well. When people collaborate in a fun atmosphere, not gathering to study for an exam but rather to work on projects they are passionate about and interested in, of course they will make it the best they can. Probably later, a lot of projects to come out of such spaces will be products and start-up companies. In fact, we have open source products, software and hardware, that are currently available in the market that come from hacker spaces et maker spaces.

Text and sound by Sabine Blanc.

Inside the 2013 Central African Republic Crisis

Dieyna Ba — Sun, 31 Mar 2013 16:59:49 +0000

[Update: President Bozizé has left the Central African Republic (CAR) and is now in Cameroon]

[All links forward to french articles unless otherwise stated]

As rebel leader Michel Djotodia solidifies his control as the new Central African Republic President [en] and the rebel coalition of Séléka announce their control of capital city Bangui, it is important to understand why the failure of the January 2013 Libreville peace deal [en] between the rebels and then-President Francois Bozize, was predictable.

The original Libreville peace deal, as signed in 2008, stipulated that the opposition that signed the deal would participate in the governing body.

As the Séléka rebels broke the original deal and advanced towards Bangui, France declined François Bozizé's request for army assistance last December to halt the rebels’ advance. This, in turn, forced the Central African President to sign the new Libreville agreements which now imposed a prime minister from the political opposition in a newly formed government. This new government had little chance to succeed because of several shortcomings: one of them is that multiple ministry positions were created to dilute the effective power of the prime minister, another reason is that the rest of the items on the agreement were not followed through (freeing of political prisoners and new census for the electoral lists).

Furthermore, since the signing of the Libreville agreement, the army of pro-Bozizé neighbouring Chad, has been fighting Islamist groups in Mali. Chad and its army has long been an instrumental ally for Bozizé [en] in reaching power and controlling the rebellion. But Chad's commitment in Mali, stirred another rebellion against Chadian president Idriss Déby himself which wants to remove him from power. It became impossible for Chad to provide further support to Bozizé's army and weakened his grasp on power tremendously.

With this context in mind, let's look at the state of the CAR as the coalition of Séléka submitted a list of eleven demands to President Bozizé while regaining control of several cities.

The French government then called for an emergency meeting at the UN.

Rebels in Central African Republic via wikipedia CC-BY-2.0

On his blog, Francis Laloupou writes about the challenging birth of a nation in his post Centrafrique, Etat zéro ( translation: Central African Republic, Ground Zero) :

Le premier président centrafricain, Barthélémy Boganda, disparu en 1959, quelques mois après son élection … avait dans un élan visionnaire … imaginé une parade aux prévisibles errements de son pays en militant, en vain, pour la création d’un Etat unique d’Afrique centrale comprenant la Centrafrique, le Cameroun, le Congo et le Gabon.

The first president of the CAR, Barthélémy Boganda, died in 1959, a few months after his election. He had a vision. He imagined a way to prevent the predictable mishaps of his young country. He tried in vain to create a single Central African state that would encompasse CAR, Cameron, Congo and Gabon.

He particularly deplores a history of power struggle between incompetent leaders:

… la Centrafrique aura mis en scène, aux yeux du monde, le spectacle de son inexorable déchéance. Une effarante descente aux abîmes, orchestrée par des régimes aussi indigents que caricaturaux. … Bokassa autoproclamé empereur avec la bienveillance de son compagnon de chasse Valéry Giscard d’Estaing, avant d’être renversé en 1979 par ce dernier … Afin d’éviter toute vacance du pouvoir, l’Elysée avait pris soin d’aménager une place au sieur David Dacko dans l’un des aéronefs transportant vers Bangui les soldats de l’opération « Barracuda ». Déjà, l’histoire bégayait en Centrafrique : Giscard d’Estaing réinstallait au pouvoir, en lieu et place de Bokassa, David Dacko, lui-même ancien chef d’Etat, renversé en 1965 par… Bokassa. Deux ans après, en 1981, David Dacko, qui n’a pas inventé la poudre, sera la victime d’un nouveau putsch portant au pouvoir le général André Kolingba …

… The CAR has displayed in the eyes of the world a show of its inexorable decline. A frightening descent into the abyss, orchestrated by regimes as deficient as cartoonish. … Bokassa, the self-proclaimed emperor, got the silent approval for his self-proclamation from his hunting companion french president then Valéry Giscard d’Estaing, before being overthrown in 1979 with a push from the same companion the latter. Indeed, in order to avoid a power vacuum, the french president has arranged for mister David Dacko to take over. In fact, he was in one of the aircraft carrying troops to Bangui during operation « Barracuda ». History was already repeating itself in CAR: Giscard d’Estaing put David Dacko back in power instead of Bokassa; Backo was the former head of state who was overthrown in 1965 by, you guessed it, Bokassa. Two years later, in 1981, David Dacko who was not the sharpest knife in the drawer, fell victim of a new coup by General André Kolingba …

Later on, Laponou argues that elections in CAR were “democratic” only in name :

En 1993, la Centrafrique, à l’instar de nombre de pays africains, opte pour le multipartisme, et Ange-Félix Patassé accède au pouvoir à la faveur d’élections « démocratiques ».

In 1993, CAR, like many other African countries, opted for a multi-party system, and Ange-Félix Patassé came to power after “democratic” elections.

Sylvain Andzongo explains how many African leaders live in fear of being overhrown. He writes in a post BOZIZÉ, DEBY, SASSOU, OBIANG: Des putschistes dans la hantise d'être victimes de putsch (Bozize, Deby, Sassou and Obiang: the putchists who fear of becoming victims of coups):

Le 15 mars 2003, alors que soit ex-compagnon Ange Félix Patassé est en voyage au Niger, M. Bozizé rentre d'exil et s'empare de Bangui sans coup férir.

March 15, 2003, while his ex-companion Ange Félix Patassé is in holiday in Niger, Mr.Bozizé returned from exile and seized Bangui without resistance.

Joseph Akouissone highlights an important point in his blog post: Centrafrique: Annus Horribilis:

François Bozizé s’est emparé du pouvoir en Centrafrique avec l’aide décisive du gouvernement tchadien. Depuis, la République Centrafricaine vit sous la tutelle d’Idriss Déby, Président du Tchad.

François Bozizé seized power in CAR with the decisive help of the Chad government. Ever since, Central African Republic lives under the guardianship of Idriss Déby, president of Chad.

François Bozizé remained in power for the next ten years. Centrafrique-presse argues in the post: Mine de rien, le soudard Bozizé fête ce 15 mars 2013, le 10ème triste anniversaire de son coup d’état (Without much ado, former soldier Bozize has now celebrated on March 15, 2013 the 10th anniversary of his sad military coup):

Il avait prétendu au début que c’était juste pour mettre de l’ordre dans le pays … Entre temps, il a organisé deux mascarades électorales en 2005 puis en 2011 qu’il a prétendu avoir gagnées et se prépare à briguer un troisième mandat après 2016 lorsque la rébellion de Séléka est venue faire vaciller son pouvoir en décembre dernier…
En dix ans de gestion du pays, Bozizé a mis la RCA sens dessus dessous ; la RCA est à feu et à sang. Il n’y a plus d’état, plus d’armée, plus assez à manger, plus de pays quasiment. La misère et la pauvreté sont le lot quotidien des fils du pays. Le territoire est mis en coupe réglée et dépecé par des bandes armées étrangères, ougandaises, soudanaises, tchadiennes, sud-africaines …

At first he claimed that it (the coup) was just to keep the country safe … By then, he has organized two fraudulent elections in 2005 and 2011 that he claimed to have won and prepares to seek a third term in 2016, although Séléka rebellion has shaken up his power…
In ten years of running the country, Bozizé has turned CAR upside down and the country is ablaze. There is no more state, no army, not enough food and nearly no more country. Misery and poverty are the daily ongoings of the country's children. The land is being fleeced and butchered by foreign armies from Uganda, Sudan, Chad, South Africa …

The civilian population remains the victim of this conflict. This Red Cross video presents the growing insecurities in the country:

Exploring New Approaches For Poverty Reduction

Julie Owono — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 11:32:19 +0000

Global Voices bloggers have been commissioned to liveblog the OECD Global Forum on Development in Paris on April 4-5, 2013. Leading up to the meeting, our team is submitting posts about development issues that help serve as weekly online discussion topics on their website (#OECDgfd)

Cloth for sale in Makola Market in Accra, Ghana. Photo by Caroline Beaumont shared by Transaid on flickr (CC BY-NC 2.0)

The quest is on for solutions to poverty reduction with the approach of the 2015 deadline for the UN Millenium Development Goals (MDG). Many organizations are exploring new avenues for answers hoping it can lead to fresh ideas. Among the goals agreed to by the international community more than a decade ago was to halve the number of people suffering from hunger, and for the world's poorest citizens to gain productive employment. Most of the targets are far from being met in most countries, but progress has been made, for instance in Sub Saharan Africa where the proportion of people living on less than $1.25 a day, poverty declined from 58% to 51% between 1990 and 2005 [pdf].

Ideas exchange on the internet

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) will hold their annual Global Forum on Development in Paris on April 4-5, 2013. This year, the OECD is exploring more inclusive approaches to tackle the poverty issue by inviting to an open pre-forum discussion online with OECD scholars. All the main conversation topics on the agenda are laid out for everyone to see and contribute.

Another interesting approach to online ideas exchange is hosted by Concerned African Scholars, an organization of scholars and students of Africa. Among the many issues explored is the impact of the hundreds of billions of dollars flowing illicitly out of Africa on the slow progress of poverty reduction. The author, Janvier D. Nkurunziza, suggests one key to bringing down poverty would be “the repatriation of the resources which are currently held abroad and not benefiting the continent.”

Had Africa had not lost so much resources in the form of illicit financial transfers, it is likely that poverty would have been less acute. The logic is that keeping these resources in Africa would have produced higher rates of investment, allowing African countries to invest in productivity enhancing sectors such as infrastructure, creating jobs, and raising incomes, resulting in lower levels of poverty.

In a TEDx talk in UlaanBataar, Mongolia on “Social Media and Poverty Reduction” in September 2012, Robert Reid, the Resident Country Director of the Millennium Challenge Corporation in Mongolia, highlighted the necessity of a broad public participation in poverty reduction projects, stressing the importance of private sector involvement for sustainable development. “It's important that the involvment of the private sector be considered at the beginning of discussions on how to reduce poverty,” he says.

This multistakeholder approach is also a key tenet of the open data movement, which is progressively penetrating the development sphere.

The Uganda Open Development Partnership Platform, a civil society organization-led public initiative, is an example of what open data could bring to the debate on poverty reduction:

Open development is where organisations are using information technologies, among other information sharing channels, to provide and share information. Open development enhances transparency and accountability about resources that are available to be invested in development, how those resources are invested and what results they achieve. In the end, all the stakeholders involved in this information sharing chain; the data owners and users benefit from this mutually reinforcing ecosystem

Global Voices at OECD Global Forum on Development

Solana Larsen — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 11:18:54 +0000

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is an international economic organisation of 34 countries that supports democracy and world trade. The Global Forum on Development is focussed on poverty reduction and social cohesion and attracts a wide range of participants from governments and civil society to help discuss solutions.

Lova Rakotomalala, Julie Owono, and Rayna St of Global Voices will be attending and blogging the meeting in Paris in their own personal capacity.

The hashtag for the meeting is #OECDgfd.

Tweets about “#oecdgfd”

24 hours in the Life of a French Newsroom

Rakotomalala — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 22:39:13 +0000

The Journalism School of Lille [fr], in partnership with Canal France International (CFI), set up a website for online resources on journalism: 24 hours in the life of a newsroom. The objective of the site is that anyone who so wishes can learn through the experience of media professionals. The site unpacks the work of a newsroom in 24 steps for four media categories : print, television, radio and web. It is available in five languages, including Arabic and Swahili.

US Rape Case Resonates in France

Rakotomalala — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 08:48:32 +0000

The ramification of the Steubeunville rape case has had an impact beyond the US borders. Following the sentencing of the perpetrators for rape of a minor, CrêpeGeorgette [fr] tries to unpack the rape culture [fr] that has sneaked in in today's society.

The fact is that we are living in societies that find excuses, normalize and tolerate rape.

French Magazine's 50 People Shaping Japan

Keiko Tanaka — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 19:39:05 +0000

Interest for Japan is at its peak among readers in France [fr] despite the Asian nation's gloomy economic outlook. Therefore, French Magazine ZoomJapan [fr] has featured 50 Japanese people that are transforming the archipelago; from architect Kyohei Sakaguchi―who established what he calls “independent government”―, to dancers, activists, business entrepreneurs, and journalists. The compilation is available online in French, Japanese and in English.
(more…)

Activists Worldwide Mourn French Author Stéphane Hessel

Alison — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 21:00:08 +0000

Writer, human rights advocate, and French resistance fighter Stéphane Hessel, whose bestselling manifesto on peaceful uprising inspired the disenchanted of Europe and the United States to organize into protest, died on the night of February 26, 2013. He was 95.

Hessel came to the worldwide recognition with the 2010 publication of his short pamphlet ”Indignez-vous!” (Time for Outrage!), which quickly became a publishing phenomenon – the work has sold some 4.5 million copies in 35 countries including China and been translated into 34 languages. The manifesto became the bedrock of global protests, including Spain's Indignants movement and the international Occupy movement.

Following the news of his death, more than 500 people paid homage to him at the Place de la Bastille in Paris. A peaceful march is planned on March 7, 2013, the day of his funeral.

A man who spoke meaningfully in simple words, Hessel sought to impart optimism to a disillusioned generation. He was the quintessential European, starting with his birth in Berlin, then his childhood in Paris, and right up to his latest European tour presenting and commenting on his book “Time for Outrage”. Hessel says that he found out what being European meant in the Buchenwald concentration camp, where he had been deported in 1944 for acts of resistance:

Cette expérience m’a ouvert politiquement. Nous étions là, solidaires, à partager un douloureux quotidien entre des milliers d’Européens. Il y avait là un brassage, une génération qui a inventé un monde nouveau dans son opposition au nazisme.

This experience was a political awakening. There were a thousand of us, fellow Europeans, sharing a very painful lot, and supporting each other. It was a melting pot, a generation whose opposition to Nazism had given rise to a new world.

Internet users celebrate Hessel on the page Facebook “Par millions rendons hommage à Stéphane Hessel” (One million pay homage to Hessel).

He became a diplomat with the United Nations and worked for development aid, making the fight for human rights his daily struggle. But it was after his retirement in 1983 that he fought his most outstanding battles. Called upon to defend the rights of undocumented foreigners in France in the 1990s, he also gained attention for defending the right of self-determination of peoples, alongside the Sahrawi and the Palestinians. He explained his point of view [fr] to Philosophie Magazine:

J’ai le sentiment d’appartenir à l’histoire des Juifs, d’autant que la Shoah m’a touché de près. Je me suis enthousiasmé pour le sionisme et la création d’Israël. Mais je ne partage pas le repli d’une partie de la communauté juive. Je déteste l’entre-soi communautariste. Depuis 1967, je refuse la politique de colonisation et de territoires occupés par Israël. Gaza est une prison à ciel ouvert.

I feel that I am a part of Jewish history, especially having been so personally affected by the Shoah. I was enthusiastic about Zionism and the creation of Israel. But I do not share the inward-looking attitude of a certain part of the Jewish community. I abhor self-centered isolationism. Since 1967, I have rejected the settlement policy and the occupied territories of Israel. Gaza is an open-air prison.

Today this pro-Palestinian stance has earned him severe posthumous criticism from the Representative Council of Jewish Institutions in France [fr].

He penned “Time for Outrage!” in 2010, a 32-page pamphlet promoting non-violent uprising, which would become a source of inspiration for hundreds of thousands of activists around the world [fr]:

Aussi, appelons-nous toujours à une véritable insurrection pacifique contre les moyens de communication de masse qui ne proposent comme horizon pour notre jeunesse que la consommation de masse, le mépris des plus faibles et de la culture, l'amnésie généralisée et la compétition à outrance de tous contre tous. A ceux et celles qui feront le XXI ème siècle, nous disons avec notre affection : CRÉER, C'EST RÉSISTER. RÉSISTER C'EST CRÉER.

So, let us all commit to a truly peaceful insurrection against mass media, whose only offer to our youth is mass consumerism, contempt for the weak and for culture, widespread amnesia and merciless competition pitching everyone against everyone else. To those who are going to create the 21st century, we say, with all our affection: TO CREATE IS TO RESIST. TO RESIST IS TO CREATE.

Hessel believed that society must always push itself to be better. In December 2010, he confided to Le Monde des Religions (The World of Religions) [fr]:

Nous ne sommes nous-mêmes que lorsque nous essayons de nous dépasser, lorsque nous ne nous contentons pas de l’acquis.

We only come into our own when we seek to surpass ourselves, when we are not satisfied with what has already been achieved.

Hessel understood well the social and ideological leanings of the younger generations and the opportunities opened up by modern means of communication and information. What he saw was the possibility for the young activists to consolidate their revolt [fr]:

Je constate avec plaisir qu’au cours des dernières décennies se sont multipliés les organisations non gouvernementales, les mouvements sociaux […] qui sont agissants et performants. Il est évident que pour être efficace aujourd’hui, il faut agir en réseau, profiter de tous les moyens modernes de communication.

I am pleased to note that over the past few decades, more and more active and efficient NGOs and social movements have appeared [...] These days, it seems quite clear that in order to be efficient we need to network and make the best use of all modern means of communication.

And thus, demonstrators in France, Spain, Greece, Italy, and Portugal throughout 2011 and 2012 began to call themselves The Indignants, or in the case of New York, Occupy Wall Street, in line with Hessel's writing. The pamphlet also found a significant place in the recent uprisings against dictatorial regimes in the Arab world.

In Syria, a project to publish the book in Arabic was yet to be completed. A volunteer group composed of Syrian writers and researchers decided to revive the idea and published the translation of Time for Outrage in Arabic on their website The Republic [ar] just days after the author's death.

A video posted on YouTube on February 27, 2013 honors Hessel, combining readings of his appeals to the younger generation in English, French, and German with footage of demonstrations all over Europe:

In Spain, some have wrongly labeled Hessel as the “father” of the 15-M movement, where his book has lent a name, notoriety, and media coverage to activists going under the name of “Los Indignados“. Juan-Luis Sanchez commented [es] on the connection between Hessel and the 15-M movement:

La aportación más importante de Hessel al 15-M fue la de transmitir, con su edad y trayectoria política, un tipo de credibilidad que los grandes medios necesitaban para poder hablar de las movilizaciones en calle sin sentir que daban voz a lo que caricaturizaban como un latido antisistema. [...] Su palabra, “indignación“, fue un regalo: un ejemplo perfecto para la nada y el todo a la vez. Para esa militancia inclusiva que usaba términos que no dejaran a nadie fuera.

Stephane Hessel's main contribution to the 15-M movement is that, due to his age and political career he has conferred a necessary credibility to mainstream media, so that they may speak of citizen mobilization without having the impression of giving voice to what they caricature as being a wave of anti-system sentiments [...] the word “indignation” was a gift : a perfect example of everything and nothing all in one, for this all-inclusive activism using expressions that leave nobody out on the cold.

The German online magazine diesseits.de called Hessel the “ideological father” of global protest in a headline [de]:

Der 95-jährige Stéphane Hessel war der ideologische Vater der demokratischen Aufstände weltweit. Von Arabellion bis Occupy Wallstreet kamen die Menschen seiner Aufforderung nach Entrüstung und Einmischung

At 95, Stephane Hessel was the ideological father of the pro-democratic rebellion that shook the world. From the Arab Spring to Occupy Wall Street, people have answered his call for insurgence and commitment to a cause.

Homage of the Indignants in Marseille. Photo shared on the Facebook page One million to pay hommage to Stéphane Hessel

ALL JUX wrote on his blog [fr]:

Stéphane Hessel a réveillé l'esprit critique, le sens humain et la raison. Il a encore su initier le mouvement d'indignation politique qui se répand sur les continents en publiant un tout petit livre par le nombre de ses pages mais d'une puissance sans mesure par la portée de ses propos.

Stéphane Hessel has awakened critical awareness, human sense, and reason. He has also implemented a worldwide movement of political indignation by publishing a book: a very small book, going by the number of pages, but containing powerful comments of immeasurable impact.

Portuguese blogger Helena Araujo described why youth should listen to Hessel in her blog 2 dedos de conversa [pt]:

Indignez-vous! Engagez-vous! – é a consciência do século XX que nos fala, a voz de um homem livre que atravessou o pior e o melhor que o século passado nos legou”

Get Angry! Get Involved! – the conscience of the 20th century is talking to us, the voice of a free man who has lived through the best and the worst of what the last century has bequeathed us.

Gathering in memoriam of Stéphane Hessel at Bastille (Paris) on 27/02/2013- Photo by Célia Bonnin for the facebok pageOne million to pay hommage to Stéphane Hessel

On the Facebook page Par millions rendons hommage à Stéphane Hessel [fr] (One Million Pay Homage to Stéphane Hessel), Rüdiger Bender expressed his gratitude:

Wir denken voller Dankbarkeit an Stéphane Hessel …dankbar für ein Leben exemplarischer Menschlichkeit und tapferen Engagements für die unantastbare und gleiche Würde aller Menschen … dankbar für seine Fragen und Anstöße und noch mehr für seine Ermutigung für uns und sein Vorschußvertrauen auf uns: dem gilt es nun gerecht zu werden.

We owe a debt of recognition to Stéphane Hessel…recognition for a life of exemplary humanity and courageous commitments in favor of the inviolable and equal dignity of all human beings…recognition for his questioning and motivation and even more so for his encouragement and trust in us: it is now up to us to rise to the challenge.

On the Facebook page en Hommage à Stéphane Hessel [fr], Sweekitt Carlson exclaimed:

Un résistant est mort, pas la Résistance!

A resistance fighter is dead, but Resistance is not!

A petition requests his entering in the Pantheon in Paris [fr] (where distinguished dead French citizens are kept):

Nous souhaitons ardemment que la pédagogie civique et la mémoire collective témoigne de l’importance de l’esprit de résistance. Parce qu’avec Stéphane Hessel, c’est une vie consacrée à l’intérêt général et au service d’une certaine idée de la France qu’il s’agit d’honorer.

We fervently hope that our civic awareness and collective memory bear witness to the importance of the spirit of resistance. Because in the case of Stéphane Hessel, it means honoring a life devoted to the well-being of all and in the service of a certain idea of France.

[This text was written with the help of contributions by Pauline Ratzé, Paula Goes, Katrin Zinoun and Thalia Rhame.]