Stories from Quick Reads and French Guiana
The Challenges of Family Healthcare in Apatou, French Guiana
Henri Dumoulin, Global Voices contributor, recalls his stay in Apatou, French Guiana, located in the heart of the Amazon Forest. He explains how, as the physician of Mother and Child Health Protection programme there, he had to rely on the informal colloboration with the Suriname health system and navigate the...
Explaining the Evergrowing Tradition of “Chanté Nwèl” (Singing Christmas) in the French West Indies
Between late November and December 25, a unique tradition is taking place every year in the Francophone Caribbean islands, especially in Martinique and Guadeloupe. “Chanté Nwel” [fr] is a time when people come together to not only sing traditional Christmas songs but also share a meal as a community. Although the...
Have Racist Behaviors Been Unleashed in France ?
Epitomized by racial taunts [fr] towards the French Guiana-born Minister of Justice Christine Taubira on the cover of the weekly newspaper Minute, many observers bemoan the rise of racist behaviors [fr] in France. One of those observers is Harry Roselmack, a prominent reporter born in Martinique, who wrote an editorial in which...
Amazon: Improving Public’s Perception of the Forest
InfoAmazonia is a platform that brings together organizations and journalists from nine countries of one of the most biodiverse areas in the world to freely provide news and reports of the endangered Amazon region. The website maps deforestation, fires, oil and mining, and calls for public participation through the submission...
Latin America, Caribbean: Increase in Food Prices
Bloggings by Boz writes: “The FAO reports that February 2011 was a yet a new high on food prices. This has led to several warnings from organizations in Latin America and the Caribbean including ECLAC [Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean] and the IICA [Inter-American Institute for Cooperation...
Blogger asks: “Could instability spread to Latin America?”
Considering the recent and ongoing events in Tunisia and Egypt, Bloggings by boz asks: “If it is a crisis year, what would it mean for Latin America?”. Boz goes over several points to answer this question and opens up a thread to discuss Latin American stability with readers.
Caribbean: environmantal atlas
Repeating Islands links to a new Latin America and the Caribbean Atlas of our Changing Environment, published by the United Nations Environment Programme, which “uses over 200 images to highlight the region’s diverse ecosystems.”
St. Lucia, French Guiana: Googol
“What if a superhero was born today in French Guiana? How do you cope with inviting her into your plan – wherever or whoever you are? I am Googol explores these questions”: Caribbean Book Blog profiles the Caribbean national behind the world's newest superhero.
Guadeloupe, Martinique, French Guiana: Nestlé Going Local
Blogger Anba pyé mango-la [Fr/Fr Cr] is sharing skeptical opinions about the new moves of multinational food company Nestlé towards the adaptation of local products and recipes from the French Caribbean.
Martinique, French Guiana: Murder & Politics
Martinican blogger Bel Balawou posts [Fr] an homage to the late policeman (from French Guiana) who was killed in the line of duty by an ETA Basque terrorist in the suburbs of Paris, last week. This murder happened between the two rounds of the French regional elections, causing more political...
French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique: March 19th 1946
Guadeloupean blogger Anba pyé mango-la wonders [Fr] about the situation of French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique and Reunion, former colonies which became the four overseas departments of the French Republic, sixty-four years ago.
Haiti: “Solidarité Haïti”
After a few days of silence, the collective blog Solidarité Haïti, born after the 2008 hurricanes, has eventually posted [Fr] about a dozen solidarity and relief efforts led by French Caribbean people in Europe or elsewhere.
Martinique, French Guiana: Referendum for more autonomy from France
Bloggers from Martinique [Fr] and French Guiana have been posting for months about the upcoming popular referendum to decide whether they want to change their political status and gain more autonomy from France [Fr], or keep the same status. Answer on Sunday, January 10th 2010 [Fr].
Guadeloupe, Martinique, St. Maarten, French Guiana: Autonomy?
Repeating Islands notes that the French Overseas Territories “are to vote on more autonomy in January 2010.”
French Caribbean: Farewell Mickael
The news of the death of the King of Pop was like an earthquake felt around the world. The shock wave reached the French Caribbean, where bloggers from Martinique, Guadeloupe, French Guiana, all pay homage to the late artist.
French Overseas Departments: Questioning the “Estates General”
Guadeloupean Mycho blogs [Fr] about her doubts concerning the “Estates General of the French Overseas Departments” to re-think the status of its distant departments, while bloggers Anba pyé mango-la and indiscrétions [Fr] also report on developments.
Martinique: President Sarkozy
French President Nicolas Sarkozy has finally met with elected representatives of French Guiana, Martinique, Guadeloupe and Réunion, regarding the crisis which has been shaking the French West Indies for the last month. Martinican bloggers Imaniyé and blogde[moi] are dissatisfied and note that his TV address raised two questions: Why was...
France, French Caribbean: Mobilization in Paris
It has often been said that l'Ile de France (Paris and its surroundings) is the Fifth French Overseas Department, due to its huge population of French Guianese, Guadeloupeans, Martinicans and Reunionese. In this announcement published by CaribCreoleOne, a group called Continuité LKP [Fr] invites the diaspora to march in Paris...
France Antilles news website launched
le blog de [moi] writes about the launch of a new, daily news website for the French Antilles[fr], featuring the latest from Guadeloupe, Martinique and Guyane: “What joy! Yes, pure and simple joy, because it was really ridiculous not to use [the internet] at a time when everything is going...
France: The use of the French language in international communication.
The general delegation for the French language and languages in France, a branch of the Ministry of Culture and Communication recently published a report on the use of the French language in the digital world. The objective of the delegation is to promote the use of the French language in...
French Guiana: Noni and turtles in season
In French Guiana, it's the season for noni and for turtles. Cafe Creole has pictures (Fr).