Alice Backer
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Haiti Special CoverageMy name is Alice Backer. I am founder and former team leader of GV Lingua, which amplifies Global Voices in languages other than English. I used to be Francophonia Editor. I was once an editor of New York University School of Law's Review of Law & Social Change. I have been blogging about Haiti, Haitian-Americans and the Caribbean for 5 years at kiskeácity and I tweet from @kiskeacity. I am also a lawyer and campaign consultant.
Latest posts by Alice Backer
21 February 2007
Arts & Culture
Le Pangolin posts (Fr) the synopsis of new film “Africa Paradis” (Fr), a film about two struggling Europeans attempting to migrate to a mythic, rich, future Africa. He also posts an english synopsis.
Martinique
Amandine posts (Fr) pictures of this year's carnival in Martinique, including one of Miss Carnaval 2007.
20 February 2007
Guadeloupe
Vert-Tige Tropical posts pictures of Guadeloupean Carnival and adds (Fr):”The parade starts with a float carrying the King of Carnival ‘Vaval' who will be burnt at the end of the 3 partying days “
Guinea
At Pourquoi l’ Afrique Claudique, Senegalese novelist Ndické Dieye tells (Fr) Guinea’s embattled head of state: “Lansana, leave if you have even an inkling of conscience or patriotism left! Leave to avoid an unnecessary blood bath! … I ask the police … to refuse to execute any illegal order given by Conté. ” The writer is pained by “the aiding and abetting silence of the international community” and is confident that Guinea’s intellectual elite can bring peace and development to the country.
France
Le Pangolin posts (Fr) a Manifesto for the United States of Africa written by the Working Group of African Students in France. The document was presented to Alpha Omar Konaré, the President of the African Union Commission, in March 2004 and was inspired by other country unions around the world created after the fall of the Berlin wall.
19 February 2007
Haiti
Haitistream.com, belradio.com and sakapfet.com broadcast Haiti Carnaval 2007 live starting at 4pm today and tomorrow.
China
Blog Politique du Sénégal outlines (Fr) poor working conditions for Senegalese workers at Henan Chine, a chinese-owned factory in Senegal: “Holidays are not paid, social contributions are not made even though they are withheld from salaries.” Adds the blog: “Can things be any different given the rights (or non-rights) of workers in China?…I don't see why [the Chinese] would treat Senegalese workers better than they do their own.”
Haiti
The official site for Haiti's carnival explains (Fr) the Solèy Leve [Rising Sun] theme of this year's carnival: “The theme was chosen to pay homage to the Saint-Soleil Haitian artistic movement. The logo, a woman embracing the sun, is taken from a painting by Prosper Pierre-Louis, one of the artists of the movement.” The site and carnival committee salute Jean-Claude Garoute (Tiga), one of the founders of the Saint-Soleil school, who passed away last December.
17 February 2007
Reunion
La Réunion local official Eric Fruteau writes (Fr): “After the end of slavery in 1848, after departmentalization in 1946 and all the other fights to end colonial misery, instaure the great social laws that have marked our island, after the achievement of social equality, we must now anticipate and prepare for reflection on the future and lasting development.”
Madagascar
Za'Gasy posts (Fr) pictures of Mahajanga, Madagascar and asks readers to post about what they inspire.
Nice post Aparna. Good to see that Kolkata men and women are organizing against street...