Post Apartheid......not really.

In South Africa, the educational system has been hit hard by racism which still persists way after apartheid has ended. Black Africans are said to be continuing to university in low numbers compared to whites and the few who are continuing are described as ill-prepared, and are not graduating. When a deeper analysis was performed, it showed that not only were the materials that the students used inferior to those of white students, but that the teachers were also ill-prepared, and/or were leaving class early to focus on projects/businesses of their own.

Reading about this, I couldn't help checking the date of the article as I felt like I was watching an "Eyes on the Prize" documentary of segregation in the American South. However, the problem can be compared to present day America, because just like in America, a system that doesn't care doesn't produce graduates or signs of promising students. I don't think anyone is naive enough to believe that after apartheid race relations will magically become 100% better than they were before. However, blatant apathy towards the promise of young Black Africans is too insulting to be ignored.

Laicite trumps Muslim attire.....again????? awwwww mannn!!!

Remember back in the day when President Sarkozy was Senator Sarkozy and actually supported Muslim girls wearing hijab (headscarf) to school? Well not only have times changed, the music has changed as well, and President Sarkozy is singing to a very different tune.

Resolved: Laicite=secular, removal of religion from the state. France's explanation in advocating for laicite: to bring about equality in schools. In 2003 and on there was an uproar in Muslim girls having to remove the hijab if they were to go to public school. The French government stood firm on the issue.

Presently, legislation is moving so that women will not be allowed to wear the niqaab (face covering) in public. If they do, they will be sent home, the first and second time. The third time they will be issued a fine. The French government stands firm saying that the niqaab is not obligatory in Islam. Officials have also been noted as saying that women who wear it are submitting themselves to a lower position than men which goes against the French culture of equality. Claims have also been made that Muslim women are segregating themselves from the French culture so them taking off the veil will "assimilate" them into the culture.

My take? When I was in France I had friends of all backgrounds, but everywhere in this world is racism, and fear of the unknown. For the length of time that Muslims have been in France there is no excuse for "segregation" between the cultures. Neighborhoods that housed north African and middle eastern cultures were on the borders of most towns and (frankly) many French individuals openly spoke of their dislike/discomfort of the cultures. This being known, are they forcing themselves out of French culture or is the French government forcing them in. We've all seen this story before. How will it end this time?

Haitian bodies dumped...not buried and denial from the government

When we were informed that Haitians were being buried in mass graves we thought that it would be in Port au Prince. Well, maybe that's not realistic, so we might say that we thought it would be in coffins, or make-shift coffins, to be put into mass graves. However, we were wrong, bodies were not being buried, they were being dumped into the graves. A crew from, CNE (Centre National d'Equipments), has been shown to be dumping bodies at gravesites. The bodies are not buried, they are still exposed. On Anderson Cooper 360, he spoke with a government official who denied the event(which has been happening for weeks) ever took place. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buh1iFM3vOA

Polygamous advocate defends gender equality?

As if there need to be any more insults from the South African President, Jacob Zuma, he has issued a statement on how he "values" gender equality.Yes, even with newest...and youngest wife number 3, he still says he advocates women being equal to men. Should anyone believe what he says? Isn't this the same leader who admitted to having unprotected sex with someone who had AIDS, and then said that he didn't have HIV even though he didnt get tested???? Well....so is life.

What happened to the news?

Okay, we all knew that the news would go away from the vast crisis in Haiti, but I don't think any of us thought it would be this quick. I mean really? it's only been two weeks, I'm not saying to kill us with photo-ops, but updates would do. What concerns me is that the only updates we're seeing lately are about the amount of money that's been donated through telethons, politicians, or celebrities. I think we should have all learned our lesson about what ignoring Haiti can do, the media should act like it, send longer term correspondents, and focus on the issue.

Back from brief hiatus...i mean illness

Yes everyone! sorry for my brief absence, I had surgery and am now back to blog about all the hot issues

France and Rwanda...Friends again?

France and Rwanda, cut diplomatic ties in 2006 when French judge, Jean Louis Brousiere, accused current Rwandan president Kagame, and other Tutsi officials of shooting down former Rwandan president Habyaremana's plane.The shooting sparked the Rwandan genocide in 1994. Sarkozy has announced he will be visiting Rwanda, making him the first French president to visit since the genocide in 1994. Rwanda, a former Belgian colony, was francophone until recently, when the judge's remark angered Rwandan officials into changing the official language to English. Diplomatic ties have been restored after a French official visited Rwanda. However, it still begs the question as to why, even before 2006, it has been so long since a French President has visited "the land of a thousand hills." Sarkozy's upcoming trip is very important for diplomatic ties between the two countries. His Presidency has never wasted time so I doubt that this will be an over rated trip, it's just interesting to see the events that will take place afterwards.

Black channels, special for earthquake victims

Okay, so we all know that statements have been made on commercials and time slots have been given on various shows on both BET and TV One; both channels geared toward black America. However, I am expecting a special. Nothing fancy, a telethon will do. Even when news was breaking the days after the hurricane, both of these channels resumed regular programming. I am of the opinion that since this is affecting a majority black nation both of these channels which I watch to the point of being addicted would at least air something more than the token cameo given to BET news at 6:30 each evening. Maybe something is in the planning stages. However, for a humanitarian issue like the one in Haiti at the moment, time is of the essence!!

Calling all detectives...Where is the Hatian President?

Has anyone wondered about the Haitian President's absence the past few days. I saw him on Saturday but there has been little sightings of him at least consoling earthquake survivors, making statements about strategic plans for rebuilding. His behavior is characterized as strange by many, mainly because of his interview the night after the earthquake. Speaking to Sanjay Gupta at the airport he said, "I can not sleep in the palace, I can not sleep in my own house." He also said that he had plenty of time to find a bed. A bed? Really? So for one night, you can't live like everyone else in your country?
We all understand the emotional toll this must have taken on him, his family, and his staff. However, part of a country recovering is the visibility of and reassurance from its leader that things will improve and that (s)he is one of them. Nothing about his recent actions or his interview with Dr. Gupta say any of those things.

What's going on?!!

Did something happen to my moral compass? Or did i just see another air drop of relief supplies to Hatians? This time, the American military dropped supplies through a parachute, last time a helicopter from a source that wasn't confirmed dropped supplies. Why would they throw supplies to them from the air? Is it entertaining to them to see Hatians scattering and fighting for food? I hope it's not. If my memory serves me correctly, soldiers are trained to jump in parachutes. Soldiers are trained to climb ladders from helicopters. Why couldn't groups of People pass supplies to People? If this is done systematically and often, then maybe, just maybe people won't be so desperate for supplies that they're fighting eachother or aid workers. It's just a thought. What do you think?

Aid arrives and desperation rises after Haiti's Earthquake

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8465152.stm
Earthquake survivors have little more than bare possessions to their name as marines arrive in Haiti. Worries rise about violence in the area due to the heightened desperation of people in Port au Prince for Food, Medicine and other relief supplies

Donations at the Hatian Embassy in DC

WOW!!!! Now this is what help looks like. Donations flooded the Haitian Embassy in DC.

Former Guinean leader speaks from exile

After a mass assassination of 150 people opposing his government, and almost being killed (causing him to be hospitalized in Morocco), former Guinean leader Dadis Camara has stepped down. Speaking from exile in Burkina Faso, he pleaded with the people of Guinea to accept the transition to democratic government whose President and Prime Minister will be decided by current military leader Sekouba Konate.