BAOBABCONNECTIONS Newsletter 6
Dominique Sindayiganza - 10.09.2002 19:49
Baobabconnections wants to grow into a multimedia platform for internet journalism about globalisation. From Amsterdam we produce this website with people in several African countries. This is our newsletter...
BAOBABCONNECTIONS Newsletter 6
September 10th 2002
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About Baobabconnections
---------------------------------------------Baobabconnections wants to grow into a platform for internet journalism.
We are working hard to make the website a place where people can find
information on globalisation from different perspectives. From Amsterdam
to Cape Town… We have coordinators in 7 African countries, we produce our
own content and publish it directly online. It is good to see that our
online community keeps on growing. We now have 390 subscribed members from
42 countries. And still we feel that this is only the beginning…
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Dear people,
This is our sixth Baobabconnections Newsletter.
In this update we would like to inform everybody about 4 things:
1. Online magazine: Movinng from the WSSD in Johannesburg to the global issue of refugees
2. The results of Johannesburg…?: Baobabconnections co-hosts public debate in Amsterdam
3. Online magazine excerpt 1: Article: Words of wisdom about from Rigoberta Menchu
4. Online magazine excerpt 2: Audio track: Words of resistance from Manu Chao
5. Baobabconnections wins Highway Africa Award
If you want to be excluded from this list in the future, just send a blank
email to:  idontwanttoknow@baobabconnections.org
If you want to subscribe to this newsletter, send a blank email to
subscribe@baobabconnections.org.
We hope you like what you read,
Vrede,
Dominique Sindayiganza
Baobabconnections Team
dominique@baobabconnections.org
---------------------------------------------1. Online magazine: Movinng from the WSSD in Johannesburg to the global issue of refugees
Well, they came, they talked, and they went home without any binding agreements on the most pressing environemntal and development issues of the day. The World Summit on Sustainable Development has just wound up in Johanesburg – a complete failure by all intents and purposes. The issues were there – enormous and fatal. The delegates turned up in their thousands. The heads of state were there. And indeed the solutions too were there – within their mortal reach. Yet all that was missing was the political will to make it happen. You can read more about this failure of politcal will and the decade of corporate sabotage behind it, in “It’s a corporate world: Hello Johanna, Good-bye Rio”
And for a first hand, behind the scenes look at the Earth summit read the reports from Gilbert and Chris the bright young Baobabconnections competition winners who were in Johanesburg and served us the scoop in a series of incisive diary entries.
And so, while the failure of the Earth Summit ensures that the world of renewable energy, common access to natural resources and enviornmetnal protections is not yet at hand, the indecision in Jo’burg does ensure that the ranks of global refugees and displaced persons – already estimated to be about 45 million people – will continue to grow and grow. Because, so long as summits like this one fail, and inequity and social disasters prevail, there will be refugees. So in our upcoming online magazine Baobabconnections turns the spotlight on the issues of refugees.... we consider the causes of refugee-ism, we document the real-life story of one ‘alien’ in Holland, we lead you to sites of action, we offer you poetry from celebrated Nigerian writer Segun Akinlolu and more. So check it out, and don’t forget to post those replies!!
Keep running comrades, until the old world is far behind!
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2. The results of Johannesburg…?: Baobabconnections co-hosts public debate in Amsterdam
Baobabconnections is a project of the Dutch North-South Association Inzet (www.inzet.nl). Following the World Summit on Sustainable Development, the 10th anniversary of INZET offers an opportunity to look back and analyse its outcome – or lack of outcome. We invite everybody for a public debate on Saturday, September 14th in Amsterdam At Berlage’s Vakbondsmuseum from 14.00 – 17.00 h.
We will have a panel with video-impressions from Baobabconnections in Johannesburg and the following participants and experts:
- Prof. Hans Opschoor, rector of Institute for Social Studies in Den Haag and co-chair of the Dutch NGO-coalition for the WSSD,
- Wolfgang Sachs, editor of the Johannesburg Memo of Boell Foundation,
- Gilbert Ndahayo, coordinator of the INZET-project Baobabconnections in Rwanda, participant at the WSSD,
- Rajendre Khargi, Seiko Nederland, board member of the NCDO,
- Paul Metz, staff of INZET
(for more information about the debate:  http://www.inzet.nl/agenda.php)
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3. Online magazine excerpt 1:
Article: Words of wisdom about from Rigoberta Menchu
Rigoberta Menchu is the leader of the indigenous movement and she is a Nobel Peace Prize winner. She gave a speech in Johannesburg about the Rio agreements, the future of humanity and the demands of indigenous peoples. Thanks to the dedication and translation of our Mexican correspondant Martha E. Gutierrez we can present you the English version of the speech.
Read the speech here: http://www.baobabconnections.org/artikel.php?id=212
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4. Online magazine excerpt 2:
Audio track: Words of resistance from Manu Chao
Manu Chao, a musician and superstar in many parts of the world, is also an anti-globalisation hero. Listen to these words of protest from Manu Chao: http://www.baobabconnections.org/music/manuchao.ram
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5. Baobabconnections almost wins bronze medal at Highway Africa Awards
On August 21st 2002 Baobabconnections reached the third place at the Highway Africa Awards for Innovative Use of New Media in Africa. The jury report said: ‘Issues related to globalisation, culture, education and economics are raised and explored at Baobabconnections in a unique way.’
Highway Africa, the leading conference on New Media for journalists in Africa, is an annual event organised by the Department of Journalism and Media Studies, Rhodes Univerisity, Grahamstown, South Africa. Read full jury verdict here : http://www.highwayafrica.org.za/awards.html
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6. Stopping the stoning in Nigeria
On 19 August, a Sharia court of appeal in Funtua, Katsina State, Nigeria, took the decision to uphold the sentence of death by stoning imposed on Amina Lawal. She is currently waiting for an appeal. If her life is saved it will be related to the numbers of people around the world who have taken the time to protest the unimaginable and barbaric which sentence she has recieved. So, if you haven’t already please take action now by following the link below and sending an email to the President of Nigeria.
Take Action http://web.amnesty.org/web/content.nsf/pages/gbr_nigeria
---------------------------------------------7. What can you do to help Baobabconnections stay alive and grow?
Become a member
Write a reaction to an article
Send us a link to a relevant information about globalisation (websites, audio, video, images, art…)
Tell your friends about this website
Wear our T-shirt (if you have one) and smile!
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 E-Mail: dominique@baobabconnections.org  Website: http://www.baobabconnections.org
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