Global Voices » Paula Góes

“Teaching through humiliation: tough love or cruelty?”

Paula Góes — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 12:13:28 +0000

Rose Kahendi ponders on the role of radio hosts who have public platforms reaching hundreds of thousands of listeners. “Their profession brings with it great responsibility. More so if they take it upon themselves to inform or educate their fans on matters that fall outside their immediate purview. Belittling their fans for lacking sophistication in professional etiquette is unprofessional. It is also a wasted opportunity to make a meaningful difference.”

Brazil: Occupation dwellers surprised by violent illegal eviction

Paula Góes — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 13:43:15 +0000

Solidariedade Pinheirinho [pt] recounts the surprise with which the Pinheirinho occupation, in Sao Jose dos Campos near Sao Paulo, was surprised this morning: ”Pinheirinho is being evacuated in a violent and ostentatious way by the Military Police despite the court ruling to the contrary! THE ACTION IS ILLEGAL! [There are] Helicopters, bombs, shootings rubber, everything imaginable. ”

United Kingdom: You cannot evict an idea

Paula Góes — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 09:08:19 +0000

Born from the marriage of the worldwide financial crises and the #Occupy Movement in London, the Bank of Ideas has been exciting many people in the capital of the United Kingdom. Independent journalist Ryan Gallagher explains the project:

On the fringe of London’s wealthy financial district, a four-storey building owned by one of the world’s largest companies has found an unlikely new purpose. 5-29 Sun Street, an office block owned by Swiss financial services giant UBS, was ‘repossessed’ last month [18 November 2011] by protesters part of the anti-corporate greed Occupy movement. Offering the opportunity to “trade in creativity rather than cash,” it is now bustling with art workshops and discussion groups focusing on everything from squatters’ rights to economic trade policy.

Photo by Ryan Gallagher

The choice of building holds no little significance for the protesters: UBS Bank was the subject of a $60bn bailout from the Swiss government in 2008, after piling up the biggest losses of any European lender from the global credit crisis. Regardless of what people think of the #Occupy Movement, @HeardinLondon says that “the idea of cleaning up an old building that has been disused for seven years and turning into a free arts space, education and community centre is hard to fault”:

What? I hear you exclaim, UBS who have been involved in massive tax evasion controversy in America? The same UBS that allowed a rogue trader to slip through the net with an estimated $2 billion? Not UBS who stung mortgage borrowers for up to 67% interest? The alleged bank of choice for Mr Bin Laden? Not the same UBS that many people say bank-rolled Saddam? Shockingly, it’s the very same UBS.

What could be a more perfect antithesis of the government’s slash and burn policies, than to rehouse the projects for the people which are being desecrated inside a bank?

The site is the third in London, set up by the economic justice campaigners who also have camps in Finsbury Square and next to St Paul’s. On YouTube, community powered news channel ynuktv posts a video about the initiative for the non-monetary trade of ideas to help solve the economic, social and environmental problems of our time:

Ideas flourishing

The place is now an open venue for free workshops and lectures held by a wide range of volunteers. Eviction proceedings have been launched against the protesters and the appeal case is expected in Court on the 23rd or the 24th January. Meanwhile, the project is entering the third month since the occupation and has free events scheduled well into December 2012, such as free university courses, permaculture workshop, an art gallery and yoga classes. Some of them are covered via live stream.

Guests and visitors have been using their blogs to report. Illustrator Isobel Williams catches a glimpse of the visitors in drawings and thoughts, whereas visual artist Raphael Franco reports on the Dr. Bike session he attended:

I met Paola and Toni, two lovely ladies who have been working with bikes and people for many years… I didn’t have much repair to do on Caca (my beloved bike), so just stayed there learning with the masters and doing some documentation of the event.

I had a great two hour session with them and learned some quite useful information about how to adjust the brakes and to work do some basic work on gears mechanic (cables, top and lower screws and balancing).

Journalist Peter Watts was surprised:

I didn’t know quite what to find inside, and while I expected a friendly welcome I was surprised by the depth of organisation that has gone into the enterprise, owing as much to the methods of middle management as it does the spirit of the co-operative. This is organised occupation on an impressive scale. There were flowcharts, spreadsheets and white boards full of information and advice on every surface, with people running round spreading messages and sharing news. I’ve worked in dozens of newspaper offices where communication was worse than this. It’s energetic, unifying and genuinely impressive on every level.

Cristina reports on the meditation class she held there:

From the moment we arrived, we felt that we were in a special place, and among special people. These were courageous individuals engaged in a monumental effort; a peaceful struggle to achieve deep social and economic transformation. They wanted a fairer society, and we could see that they were striving, through inner and outer challenges, to become that new society.

£5 rent proposal

A bank statement. Credit: @heardinlondon. Used with permission

To carry on providing room for community groups and other public services that have lost their space due to Government spending cuts, the team at Bank of Ideas has offered to pay £5 rent to UBS, for continued use of its building. It is the full amount that the giant investment bank has claimed as the rateable value of this prime site commercial property in the heart of London, according to a recent re-rating application to the tax office. It has fallen from around £100,000 to just £1 per floor – or a total of £5 in all:

Occupy London would like to take this opportunity to make an open, warm hearted offer to UBS – we want you to help us to begin to build the Big Society.

Bank of Ideas has renovated this derelict building, without state intervention and through volunteering and skill sharing. Since it was publicly repossessed, Bank of Ideas, located in one of the boroughs worst hit by the summer’s social unrest, has been used as a community centre where many local organisations affected by the cuts have a place in which to continue their vital work.

UBS has been accused of many unsavory practices in its time. Now, Occupy London and Bank of Ideas are publicly asking them to work with us to wipe the slate clean – to enable community organisers to permanently manage this site on behalf of the people of Hackney – the border of which is but one pavement’s distance from some of the wealthiest companies on earth.

Whether or not UBS decides to reply positively, remains to be seen; meanwhile, Peter Watts advises people to pay a visit as soon as possible, just in case:

I recommend you pay a visit quickly, before the dead hand of corporatism crushes another lowly outlet of fun and dissent.

: By Blickr user by Elco_, published under a Creative Commons license (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

Uruguay: How to turn waste into a wallet

Paula Góes — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 13:53:55 +0000

After running into a Uruguayan artisan who turns waste products into beautiful and useful objects, Lucía Terra shows how to turn an empty coffee bag into a wallet by upcycling. “And 10 minutes later had my own upcycled, colorful, waterproof wallet with triple compartments for coins, small bills, and large bills. On top of everything, it smells like coffee. Isn't that much nicer than dirty coin smell?”

Philippines: Unvisited Corners

Paula Góes — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 10:33:10 +0000

Two weeks after coming back from a journey to her motherland Philippines after travelling thirty cities, nine countries, and three continents, Justine Abigail posts about her travel adventures in 2011: ”I don't think I've left any part of myself there, but rather I've found pieces of myself”.

Panama: Tropical Hummingbirds feeding

Paula Góes — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 10:20:05 +0000

Jane Ellis publishes a video of hummingbirds at the feeder, shot at Pipeline Road in Gamboa town, Panama. She says: “For me, seeing birds like this on my doorstep is one of the major highlights of living in this tropical paradise.”

Brazil: “We Have Overtaken the United Kingdom's GDP. So What?”

Paula Góes — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 12:43:08 +0000

The news made headlines in virtually all media outlets in Brazil in the last week of 2011: Brazil has overtaken UK as the sixth-largest economy in the world. Quoting the December 26, issue of British newspaper The Guardian, the news reported on a forecast by the Centre for Economics and Business Research stating that the country will end the year with the sixth largest GDP worldwide: $2,500 billion.

Being the first time that Britain has lagged behind a South American country in this kind of ranking, the news evoked a humorous comment by Cebr Chief Executive Douglas McWilliams: “Brazil has beaten the European countries at soccer for a long time, but beating them at economics is a new phenomenon”.

In the country, the news also brought good humour, as shown by a collection of illustrations in Humor Político (Political Humour) [pt] blog.

Crowned Dilma Rousseff, President of Brazil. Illustration by Alberto Alpino Filho, published in Yahoo! Brasil and republished with permission.

The Sarico Blog [pt] elected the news as the best of the year:

Esta é, sem nenhuma dúvida, a maior notícia de 2011. E esta boa nova é fruto de um trabalho de muitas mãos, começado há 20 anos. Construir uma nação como o Brasil, requer muitas mãos e um longo período recheado de altos e baixos e com muita dúvida. O País do futuro tem nome e cores e fala português.

Viva o Brasil!

No doubt this is the biggest news of 2011. And this good news is the result of the work of many hands, starting 20 years ago. Building a nation such as Brazil requires many hands and a long time, full of ups and downs, and with much uncertainty. The country of the future has a name and colours and speaks Portuguese.

Hooray Brazil!

For the financial manager Hamilton Silva [pt], Brazil heads to fifth place on the world league table of leading economies and a future even more promising awaits. He commented in his blog:

Todos esses fatores e um otimismo das autoridades levam o país a crescer muito mais que o previsto, ou seja, poderemos sim atingir uma posição mais confortável. A quinta posição econômica mundial revela que a nação brasileira deverá ter papel de destaque no Conselho de Segurança Permanente da ONU, deve ser ouvido de forma mais efetiva na OPEP e precisa ser respeitado quando for acionado na Organização do Comércio e outras. Deve ter papel destaque no G8, G20 e demais organismos internacionais, como FMI e Haia, enfim chegamos.

All these factors and the optimism from the authorities have led the country to grow much more than expected, that's to say, we can indeed achieve a more comfortable position. The position as fifth world economy reveals that the Brazilian nation should have a prominent role as permanent member of the UN Security Council, should be heard more effectively by OPEC and must be respected when called by the [World] Trade Organization and others. It must have a prominent role in G8, G20 and any other international bodies such as IMF and The Hague. There we are at last.

If Brazil is doing well in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) maths, the same cannot be said of its position in the Human Development Index (HDI), which measures quality of life in each country. Economist Frederico Matias Bacic [pt] unravel the news, explaining why “we cannot boast.” He recalls that:

O crescimento do PIB mostra que ocorreu um aumento da atividade econômica (pode-se dizer que esse crescimento acarreta em geração de empregos e renda), o que é formidável, mas não mostra uma melhora social efetiva. Temos o sexto maior PIB do mundo, mas se olharmos o IDH (Índice de Desenvolvimento Humano) ocupamos a posição 84°, estamos atrás de países como Trinidad Tobago. México, Argentina, Bahamas. Se observarmos o PIB Per capita a nível mundial ocupamos a 76º posição.

O que quero dizer como essa pequena postagem é que existem índices econômicos/sociais mais importantes que o PIB para serem observados. Ter simplesmente um dos maiores PIBs do mundo não quer dizer, por si só, que estamos indo bem, é preciso olhar uma gama de dados, não podemos nos vangloriar em cima de uma única variável. Para ilustrar melhor o que quero dizer imaginemos o seguinte: que todos os países da África se unissem formando uma nova nação, com certeza, esse novo país teria um dos dez maiores PIBs do mundo, mas isso não quer dizer que se tornariam desenvolvimentos e socialmente justos. Seria apenas um grande país, com um grande PIB, como uma grande população miserável, repleto de problemas sociais.

GDP growth shows an increase in economic activity (we can say that this growth leads to jobs and increased income), which is fantastic, but it does not show an effective social betterment. We have the sixth largest GDP in the world, but if you look at the HDI (Human Development Index), we occupy the 84th position, well behind countries such as Trinidad and Tobago, Mexico, Argentina, Bahamas. If we look at GDP per capita in the world, we occupy the 76th position.

What I mean with this little post is that there are more important economic/social indicators than GDP to be looked at. Having just one of the highest GDPs in the world does not mean, by itself, we are doing well, you need to look at a range of data, we cannot boast over a single variable. To better illustrate what I mean, imagine this: that all African countries unite to form a new nation. Of course, this new country would be in top ten GDP ranking in the world, but this would not mean that it would become socially developed and just. It would just be a big country with a large GDP, with a large, miserable population, full of social problems.

Illustration by Enio Lins, published with permission.

Also looking at other indicators, journalist Sérgio Utsch [pt] urges caution. He warns:

O perigo dessa notícia que atiça o orgulho nacional é a cegueira que ela pode gerar. Mais importante do que termos um bolo enorme é que todos consigam comer um pedacinho digno. O “adversário” que acabamos de ultrapassar na tabela do campeonato econômico conseguiu fazer isso, enquanto nós brasileiros nos afogávamos num imenso oceano cheio de corruptos, ditadores e incompetentes. Tudo bem que o fermento do bolo inglês não anda funcionando muito bem, mas por aqui, ao contrário do Brasil, a maioria já tem um pedacinho garantido.

The danger of this national pride stirring news is the blindness that it can generate. More important than having a huge cake is that everyone can eat a decent piece of it. The “opponent” who we have overcome in the economic league table have managed to do this, whereas we Brazilians drown in a huge ocean full of dictators, corrupt and incompetent people. It is true that the yeast of the English cake is not working very well, but there, unlike in Brazil, most people already have their slice guaranteed.

Economist Rodrigo Constantino [pt] says one just needs to look around the country to see that there is nothing to celebrate in poverty, crime, illegitimate concentration of income through corruption and impunity, among other social problems. He asks:

Sim, somos o sexto PIB do mundo. Sim, passamos o PIB do Reino Unido. E daí? Com tantos problemas que nos saltam aos olhos diariamente, é o caso de perguntar: Who cares?! Alguém aí melhorou de vida após saber desta notícia? Então que tal voltarmos nossa atenção para a imensa quantidade de problemas que temos de resolver para tornar o Brasil um país melhor, mais próspero, livre e justo?

Yes, we have the sixth GDP of the world. Yes, we have overtaken the United Kingdom's GDP. So what? With so many problems cropping up in front of our eyes every day, it is appropriate to ask: Who cares?! Has anyone's life improved after learning this news? So how about we turn our attention to the large number of problems we must solve to make Brazil a better country, more prosperous, free and fair?

Daisy [pt] shows optimism without losing common sense. She even keeps the celebration for a more opportune time:

Vamos celebrar quando alcançarmos o mesmo padrão de vida dos britânicos!

Let's celebrate when we reach the same standard of living as the British!

Economy: Brazil overtakes the British. Illustration by Benett, published with permission.

According to the Cebr, the ranking of the largest economies is led by the United States, followed by China, Japan, Germany, France, Brazil and the United Kingdom. According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Brazil's GDP in 2011 should amount to $2,518 billion, which confirms the projections of the Cebr. In 2010, Brazil was in 7th place, with $2,090 billion GDP.

Blogging carnival on the future of education

Paula Góes — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 11:21:39 +0000

Internet en el Aula [es] invites everyone to take part of “The future of education” blogging carnival. The main issues revolve around the following questions: “How do you think education will be in 10 or 20 years? Will we still use textbooks? Will the use of digital media online be widespread? Will teachers and students change roles and ways of working? Will there be different learning and assessment methodologies? Will the appearance and layout of classrooms and school areas be different?”

Comoros: A Hub for Drug Trafficking?

Paula Góes — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 10:05:53 +0000

The nomansland blog publishes a post [fr] stating: “Due to its geostrategic position and its socio-economic and political difficulties, the Comoros archipelago has become a hub for international drug trafficking to Europe and Indian Ocean”.

Africa: The 4th edition of the African Media Leaders Forum

Paula Góes — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 10:33:03 +0000

Writing about the 2011 African Media Leaders Forum (AMLF) held on November 10-11 in Tunis, EVINA in the africapress.over-blog.com provides possible reasons [fr] for the increase in the number of participants: 55 people attended the first edition that took place in Dakar (Senegal) in November 2008, and 250 participants gathered in Yaounde, Cameroon in 2010.

United Kingdom: At Age 77, a Life of Inspiration

Paula Góes — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 00:01:11 +0000

Julie Kertesz is someone who celebrates her 77 years of age as she celebrates life itself. Retired but very active, Julie defines herself as a storyteller and photographer. She is also a prolific blogger, a videomaker and is just getting started in stand up comedy.

She was born in Transylvania (then part of Hungary, later Romania), moved to France at the age of 30, and has lived in London since July 2008.

According to one of her followers on the photography sharing website, Flickr, Patrick Barry Barr, she is a “role-model to people of all ages who desire to lead full and active lives of learning and doing.” He said (in 2005):

Julie70 exhibits a spirit that belies her age, as we tend to think of people in their 70’s, and I marvel at her enthusiasm, the way in which she relishes meeting strangers and sharing her enthusiasm with them. I will be 67 on 11 May, and when I grow up I want to be just like Julie Kertesz.

Self portrait – Julie Kertesz

Julie loves learning and has never stopped studying – not even when it was forbidden by the communist regime of Romania. While working in Paris, she returned to the classroom as a mother of two, only to leave university at age 43 with a PhD in physics.

As she describes in her life story on her blog, there is life after 70:

We are not giving up!
Each of us does something, either to live better or to rest alive.
Alas, I met also old people who looks as if they did already give up, and even some very young ones.
Lonely, in the metro.
Just look at them in the metro of Paris. How different with the man I met yesterday, working in the market. And so many others of us, living our lifes as full as possible.
Ok, we have a certain age, but we do not feel old inside!

Julie uses Flickr, blogs, and personal storytelling to inspire others. In a comment on her blog entitled “Courage to laugh at yourself” (in French) a reader shows appreciation for her endeavors:

[…] tu sais Julie, tu es Une Sage, je le pense. Tu m'aides souvent dans des moments compliqués, je me dis “attends, l'effet Julie va se produire, ça va aller”.

[…] you know, Julie, I think you are a wise-woman. You often help me in my complicated moments, I tell myself “wait, the Julie effect will materialise, it will be OK”.

Perhaps the source of such wisdom is the readiness to dare to experience something new. In the video below, Julie uses her fourth language to illustrate some of her first-time experiences between the ages of 25 to 70:

It was precisely at the age of 70 that Julie discovered photography. In 2006, she created the !afterclass! group, a masterclass on Flickr where 2,500 people get together to learn photography. She also created the people reading group; the never too old group; and strangers no more:

No more strangers. I met them, I spoke to them. I remember them.

This last group inspires people to approach others and, with every interaction, a beautiful human being is unveiled. Click on the pictures below to discover the delightful stories Julie uncovered through “human Interactions” with strangers.

Global: Reflections on Peace Day 2011

Paula Góes — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 11:12:19 +0000

Every year since 1982, people all around the world join forces on September 21, the International Day of Peace, to show their own commitment to worldwide peace and to work in cooperation for this goal. Events around the world range in scale from private gatherings to public concerts, and online initiatives.

Among these, there is The SunFlower Post, a new project where young females from different parts of the world write local news from a gender perspective. Their bloggers have chosen worldwide peace as the theme of the month, as the Editor in Chief, and Global Voices author, Andrea Arzaba explains:

Our bloggers will be writing about different issues towards Peace with a gender and local perspective. Do not miss this opportunity to learn about their countries. Let’s create a space for multicultural discussions and understanding.

Kicking off the series from Mexico, Andrea Arzaba comments on the last yearly governance report speech given by the president, and his focus on the future. She advocates that for a country to achieve future peace, it is necessary to focus on the actions of now:

Calderon focused on the drug war problems and situation that has grown during his presidency, as well as the economical crisis that Mexico faces. He focused on insecurity, on the moment of confusion and sadness that people are living today. He focused on “a better tomorrow”. But … what about today?

I felt he did not gave importance on his actions for achieving peace, which is crucial at this moments of uncertainty. I believe his intentions are good – trying to defeat drug-dealing crimes, but we need to pay attention on the roots of the problem.

Educated children and values are crucial to achieve peace. When we have young people involved in the drug war this is because they did not have a proper education, they did not have enough opportunities to do something else and earn money in a different way. They are inside this cycle, one that will not let you get out easily.

Photo by Flickr user jm (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

From China, Amily Yang points out that traditional Chinese wisdom like Dao and Zen can be recipes to achieve inner-peace. Paradoxically, reflecting on a recent high-speed train crash that killed more than 35 passengers, she laments that this wisdom is barely present in the fast-paced China of today. She challenges her fellow Chinese to slow down in order to find inner peace:

The high-speed train was supposed to be a gift for the nation, yet officers were getting commands to fasten the project. One example is that a driver only spent 10 days learning – and normally it would take him about 3 or 4 months in training.

EVERYTHING is fast in China. Students hurry to find a job and get promotion, workers hurry to make more products, women hurry to find a husband and get married, officers hurry to make the GDP number shining and good for their promotion. We are moving towards a better society, for we think we are moving faster and developing.

Yes, developing is the key word, especially when an economy is emerging. That is the only focus today for the country.

“Please my China, slow down and wait for the people to follow up, do not focus too much on just hurrying up.” is a popular phrase, widely spread.

We have peace now, with no war or conflict in the country.

We have peace now, so that the State focuses on developing our economy.

But how about inner peace? Could the State somehow slow down a little bit, to catch up with what the citizens really need, as family values, as food security, as trust among the nation, as no corruption. Are people allowed to slow down a little bit, to find peace?

That could also be a question for individuals. I dare you slow down, to make a choice among all the good stuff you desire, and find what you really care for? To find your inner peace…

Where Does Peace Begin? This is one of the eternal questions that Natalia Semicheva constantly asks herself. She is from Russia, a country that according to the Global Peace Index 2011 occupies 147th place among 153 peaceful states, this means a high level of violence and crime. She argues that the more aggressive you are, the more you start to understand peace:

Not in the UN resolutions, but in our families. Peace should come from your mother’s hug, from your husband’s kiss, from the first steps of your child. We should start focusing in our relatives and friends, respecting our parents, taking care of our children. Before loving humanity, we should first learn to love each other in our little family world. Only then we could share that inner peace with everybody that we meet in our life.

Photo by Flickr user Trey Ratcliff (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

From Turkey, Neslihan Çiflik wonders about the end of war:

I haven’t been present in any period of war during my life. I’m watching death like watching a movie on TV. My consciousness can’t accept reality. Even I can’t put myself in their place. I can’t think that it could also happen to me.

Unfortunately, there is war with or without guns.

It’s embarrassing to sit safely at home and write a letter of peace.

You know why? Because it sounds terrible that a human is killing some other, more than when someone is killed somewhere, far away. I’m not dying with this dying person. I’m getting dirty with the killer and I’m carrying this disgrace in my skin, in my blood.

Maybe I’m collapsing someone’s safe house, stealing his or her breath and his or her smile in this world. And maybe stealing her children’s smile as well.

I couldn’t believe that I can do or may do all of these. It’s a terrible shame.

This can’t be our aim to be born. My existence can’t give any pain to another person.

According to me that war is unbelievable from these sides. People die of disease or disaster. But this is not a disease, this is not a disaster, this is not faith.

Why do I do this? Our old world needs peace. Human, nations, environment, animals and herbs, and states are tired.

Finally, Anna Zemblicka from Latvia remembers August 23, 1989, the day two million Estonians, Latvians and Lithuanians joined hands to form a massive human chain. It was The Baltic Way that Moved the World:

The Baltic Way encouraged democratic movements throughout the Soviet Union and with it, international society payed attention to the Baltic region in a great extent. Within a year and a half, all three Baltic countries formally declared their independence. By September 1991, the world’s governments recognized their independence.

Historians and other experts claim that the Baltic Way “created a precedent that was and hopefully will be, followed by a number of countries all over the world – the triumph of humanity over totalitarianism in a peaceful way”.

The The SunFlower Post will publish more stories throughout the month. Check back at the website or follow the project on Twitter and Facebook to read what bloggers from other countries will add to the peace series.

Photo by Fabio Gismondi (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

Peace Day is an opportunity for reflections on individual and planetary progress toward peace, and time for “commemorating and strengthening the ideals of peace both within and among all nations and peoples”, as the U.N. Resolution that established the International Day of Peace explains.

Zimbabwe: Preventive Circumcision for Ministers and MPs

Paula Góes — Sun, 04 Sep 2011 10:37:45 +0000

A post published [fr] by senegal.senego.com states that: “The Zimbabwean ministers will be circumcised as part of a campaign to curb the spread of HIV, to set an example, said Deputy Prime Minister Thokozani Khupe, stating that the idea has met some disapproval. Members of Parliament should follow suit”.

Cameroon: Deeply homophobic laws

Paula Góes — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 11:53:39 +0000

Talking about risk of toughening the law on homosexuality in Cameroon, the bonaberi.com site reveals [fr] that: “While the first paragraph of Section 347-1 of the penal code banned homosexuality, the second and third sections state sentences of up to eight years for homosexuality committed by minors between 16 and 21 years of age, and 10 to 15 years for minors under 16.”

Cameroon: Alcohol consumption, a cultural phenomenon

Paula Góes — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 11:40:28 +0000

On Africavox, Jean-Baptiste Ketchateng interviewed [fr] Paul Abouna, an anthropologist at the University of Yaoundé, about binge drinking in Cameroon. He reminds us that “alcohol consumption [in Cameroon] is a cultural phenomenon. It existed before colonization. Alcohol was made with barks and roots.”