Please send visionaries.
[The following is a guest post from Fred, the winner of our submit-a-humanitarian-blog contest. Thanks Fred for being so responsive with the links and the post!]
Hello. Thanks Elizabeth, it’s good to be here. Extra Extra promises photography, commentary and interesting links, so here’s a bit of each:
The Photograph:
Zongo falls, Bas-Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo (two more pictures here).
The Commentary:
True or false? This dubious Pinteresque dialogue was recently overheard in St Petersburg:
- We can’t stop this unless you get this international business agreed.
- Yeah.
- I don’t know what you guys have talked about, but as I say I am perfectly happy to try and see what the lie of the land is, but you need that done quickly because otherwise it will spiral.
- I think Condi is going to go pretty soon.
- But that’s, that’s, that’s all that matters. But if you … you see it will take some time to get that together.
- Yeah, yeah.
- But at least it gives people …
- It’s a process, I agree. I told her your offer to …
- Well … it’s only if I mean … you know. If she’s got a … or if she needs the ground prepared as it were …
True, I’m afraid. You may be familiar with the protagonists, both of whom are self-proclaimed champions of democracy (it certainly seems to have worked for them). Might there be a clue here to some of the credibility problems of the current motley crew of ‘world leaders’?
The Links:
Alertnet’s newsblog features Jeffrey Sachs discussing adaptation to climate change with thought-provoking reference to examples from Hurricane Mitch to Darfur.
The NewsMap offers a new and engaging way to browse the headlines.
If you’re sick of all the bad news, maybe you’d like to visit Country X?
Finally, this extract from the fictional journals of the only black nun in a French convent under siege in 70’s Zaire is extraordinary. (By V.Y. Mudimbe, a Congolese writer who lives in the US.)
- Uncategorized, Aid and Development | Time: 06.1.38 (UTC+8)
I like the NewsMap, except that when you click on Caucasian Georgia you get news on elections in American Georgia..
Comment by Sylvie — 19.07.2006 @ 07.1.42
Thanks Sylvie. I hope you sent your feedback to the Newsmap people.
Comment by Fred — 19.07.2006 @ 08.1.41
You know, Bush was more articulate and less ignorant-sounding in all of the presidential debates, and yet still people voted for him. It just makes me throw up my hands in disbelief…
Comment by sideshow bob — 19.07.2006 @ 13.1.49
Bush wuz just hangin out wi his homies, YO!
That was quite sickening. I hate them both.
Comment by Sylvana — 19.07.2006 @ 23.1.36
Oh, That transcript just makes me cringe.
Fred- Simply amazing photos!
Elizabeth- I’m sorry for being so pathetic in my feeble, feeble attempt to find blogs for you list. I did google something at somepoint.
Comment by Shannon — 20.07.2006 @ 04.1.21
SSB- is a “than” missing in your comment? I don’t get it.
Sy- Sigh.
Shannon- No worries, I believe we are all happy with Fred’s guest post, so you can save up for next time.
Comment by Administrator — 20.07.2006 @ 06.1.21
Thanks everyone. It’s been fun to hold forth on someone else’s blog - like staying at someone’s house and being invited to repaint a wall. Or something.
Comment by Fred — 20.07.2006 @ 20.1.13
Fred- no, thank you. That was very interesting, though I do hope it was slightly better than re-painting a wall.
Comment by Administrator — 21.07.2006 @ 06.1.08
Well, I have strange tastes. Perhaps I should have said ‘mural’
Comment by Fred — 24.07.2006 @ 06.1.27
Oh, well that’s not so bad, then.
Comment by Administrator — 24.07.2006 @ 11.1.07