G H A S B O U B A

Jamma Lafna effect

2008-07-07T02:47:00.002+01:00

French ad about a drink and Jamaa Lafna effect. This is not an exercise in semiotics but i can't look at it without remembering Edward Said and Roland Barthes. How could all that happen in a 19 seconds is hugely beyond my heads and their abilities.

Rokia Traore: "M'Bifo"

2008-06-06T04:23:00.000+01:00

Sublime !

Happy Amazigh New Year

2008-01-13T06:12:00.001Z

one more...

Happy Amazigh New Year,
Asseggwas ighudan i imazighen marra wala kul medden yaden,

Amazigh New Year 2958 is today Jan 13

Imazighen known as Berbers have stated their calendar 950 BCE and have used it ever since.
Most farmers in North Africa, having forgotten the origins of this calender, still remember that January (yanayer) 13 is the start of the Year. celebrated as Haguza, yennayer and many other names.

Petition for the Touaregs,

2008-01-07T05:49:00.000Z

To: Government of the Republic of Niger, United Nations, European Commission

"Since its independence, the state of Niger has been in latent conflict with the Tuareg population living on the Nigerien territory. This situation escalated in 1990 with a massacre of this population group in Tchin-Tabaraden and resulted in an armed conflict. After the conclusion of a treaty of peace, which was intended to make allowances for certain claims brought forward by the Tuareg organizations in 1995, this conflict calmed down. Today, it seems that the implementation of the treaty has failed. This caused new dissatisfaction among the population in the north of Niger. A new Tuareg movement “Mouvement des Nigériens pour la Justice” (MNJ, Movement of Nigeriens for Justice) has formed whose central claim is that the peace accords signed in 1995 be met..."
Read and sign the Peace in Niger Petition >>

More Resources:
1- watch video about French Uranium and the Toureg rebellion. (FR)
2- Uranium Scandal in Niger. (FR)
3- COGEMA, la Hague site, major extractor of Uranium in Niger and The a zero impact policy lie.
4-Indian company joins the game.(read)

Touareg Genocide

2008-01-06T09:34:00.000Z

Understanding the Touareg struggle for liberation.
Another way of getting rid of the Touregs of Niger and Mali is to exploit their lands through massive extractions of Uranium by the French government and corporations. Now a whole population is exposed to radiation and government oppression.
The world is "just looking".
This is what Assouf Ag Maha is explaining in this interview. ( 18 Minutes/ French)

Interview Issouf Ag Maha
Video by envouaturesimone

happy new year every1

2008-01-01T10:08:00.000Z

Lakota Sioux Declare Independence From US,

2007-12-23T08:04:00.000Z

“This is an historic day for our Lakota people,” declared Russell Means, Itacan of Lakota. “United States colonial rule is at its end!”

“Political activist Russell Means, a founder of the American Indian Movement, says he and other members of Lakota tribes have renounced treaties and are withdrawing from the United States.
“We are now a free country and independent of the United States of America,” Means said in a telephone interview. “This is all completely legal.”
Means said a Lakota delegation on Monday delivered a statement of “unilateral withdrawal” from the United States to the U.S. State Department in Washington.
The State Department did not respond. “That’ll take some time,” Means said.Meanwhile, the delegation has delivered copies of the letter to the embassies of Bolivia, Venezuela, Chile and South Africa. “We’re asking for recognition,” Means said, adding that Ireland and East Timor are “very interested” in the declaration.Other countries will get copies of the same declaration, which Means said also would be delivered to the United Nations and to state and county governments covered by treaties, including treaties signed in 1851 and 1868. “We’re willing to negotiate with any American political entity,” Means said.” (Read mo+ read comments)

Sources:
Common Dreams (dot org).
Press Release: 19 December 2007

Official website

The Story of Staff..

2007-12-14T21:08:00.000Z

Bali now…
UFNCCC negotiations about the climate change face challenges of all kinds... consumer industry and the counter attacks of global corporations. Clean environment just does not work for everybody. There are certain pockets, I mean people, who just do not care.
I think we all know how we all got here and how dangerous it is to live in this planet now and how worse it is getting every minute.
Annie Leonard tries to make the lesson more real. She is talking to a US audience but it is interesting to see what she has to say and how she does say it.
Click here to watch the video.
Annie Leonard is an expert in international sustainability and environmental health issues, with more than 20 years of experience investigating factories and dumps around the world. Coordinator of the Funders Workgroup for Sustainable Production and Consumption, a funder collaborative working for a sustainable and just world, Annie communicates worldwide about the impact of consumerism and materialism on global economies and international health. (read more)
Watch Teazer:

Jaque derida on writing...

2007-12-06T04:59:00.000Z

Other meanings for culture

2007-11-20T07:53:00.000Z

This is Mola Sylla, a Senegalese singer accompanied by a group of musicians from Armenia, Iran and Romania. A west African voice that challenges the limitations of local scales and fles above them to meet all the airs that the Mediterranean can provide.
this is another meaning for culture (to the best of sounds). sharing and collaboration in creating an art that transcends the boundaries of culture and nation states...
enjoy

[source: newsounds.nl]

Moha: Amazigh blogs presentation

2007-11-03T04:19:00.001Z

Moha* Arehal, from Ait Negh Blog , was the speaker today in a presentation given at the Institute for Amazigh Culture in Rabat (IRCAM). The Topic of the presentation wan Amazigh Cyber Activism. Moha touched upon different issues and questions of Tamazight and the internet , what is a blog, blogging ethics and blogging for social change, moroccan blogs (Blogma) and the place of Amazigh blogs in the world of pixels.
He talked to Academicians, professors and policy makers commonly used to reading their morning news papers in the offices with their café noir … and also people who are interested in alternative media.

This is a little synopsis of the presentation:
In Absence of reliable sources of information, Imazighen have weaved many ways through internet to make themselves heard and connected. The importance of ethics and committed Bloging where posts can be criticized, corrected, commented upon, in an open and civilized way which a lot of other media would not allow.
“ we learn a lot more from people who think we are wrong than those who agree with us” says Moha “ that is listening to the difference in opinion and integrating it in ones work . Not going out looking for lies to get to a false equilibrium. It is allowing people the right to say their opinion when they think you are wrong”

The most important principles for the success of Bloging is transparency and observing ethics, integrity, commitment, and honesty in a world where anonymity and independence, as internet allows, do not keep you away form your duties as a blogger. Human issues are more than personal.
Finally the academic some of the academic institutes are opening up and considering that online cyber activism can work. Bogging for Tamazight is one of many ways of acting but it is going to maybe become the fastest and the most efficient way.

--------------

*Moha: stands as one of the most prominent Amazigh activists in Morocco. writer,blogger, journalist, rural engineer, lecturer, political analyst, hydrologist, desert lover, ... to name a few . He writes for many Moroccan News papers. Le Monde Amazigh is one of them.

Web: [ Blog negh..]

Morocco: a country of marvels

2007-10-30T07:24:00.000Z

Press Code Reforms...

2007-10-26T21:49:00.000Z

The latest approach to Morocco Press Freedom is technocratically called : reform.
The new government is taking press freedom seriously !!. One of many things that were left in the hands of the “past” government, as they walked out of the Ambassadors' Gate, was Media, Press, Censorship, detentions of journalists...

Maghreb Arab Press, MAP, the walking stick of this all governments, said:

Rabat, Oct. 24 - Morocco is determined to amend the Press Code and to gather the legal texts governing this field into one Act, Prime Minister, Abbas El Fassi assured Wednesday before the House of Representatives.
The government, he said in the statement of the new government's program, will see to the practice of the freedom of the press - within the total respect of the law - and introduce new mechanisms, such as the National Council of the Press, due to play a key role in the implementation of the professional rules.
The PM also affirmed that the government will erect communication as a major instrument for the construction of a democratic and modern society, as declared by the monarch back in 2004 when he said that the reform of the media is a prerequisite for improving the political scene.

MAP published this information under the rubric of culture !]

I hope these words will stay fresh in the heads of the new hires, the brand new government.They sound great (the words). but even if i really try to put my skepticism in a jar an through it out in the ocean, i would always think that

Inerview with Gobal Voices

2007-10-22T21:04:00.001Z

Lucky Dube is no more !

2007-10-20T06:49:00.000Z

One the most famous and the most peaceful artists of South Africa, Lucky Dube, 43 was gunned down in front of his two kids by some gangster carjackers. He was driving in the outskirts of Johannesburg yesterday.
Reggae music admirers, fans and musicians as well as people in his town are still under shock. He left seven children. The youngest of them, Melokuhle, is only three months.
Lucky Dube was a freedom fighter, a social justice activist.. a complete and mature African artist. He sang and danced for the poor and the oppressed Africans. His songs educated a lot of people for generations. He was censured and imprisoned.. but struggled and gained an international renomé and inspired people…
It is outrageous that he gets killed by a bunch of gangsters hired to steal cars to make little money when the rest goes to the big ones...
BBC reported reactions of people protesting against the violence and crimes that take more than 50 lives everyday in south Africa.
it's the way it is.. one of my favorite Dube songs.

The Photo that threw me off

2007-10-19T03:30:00.000Z

Photography has always been a fascinating art and a great expression that can go beyond the boundaries of verbs. Some photos as just eternally beautiful (like this one) and they teach us constantly about ourselves and the world round us. transmitting the message of beauty would be one of many goals of photography. This is a photo of a photographer. It is the cover picture of a photo book or a coffee table book as known among designers, where the photographer is preparing herself for the shot.
This is a horrible photo....!!! (ps)
I almost fell off my chair.I want to go and get lost in the desert and never come back again. Looking at this picture and reading the "reviews" wrote on the web site of Amazon dot com, I almost fainted.. hen the comments…!!
Lalla Mira, please help... Jjawi , some fasukh ( insense) or anything.
I just… please have a look.

(my apologies to your eyes... i just wanted to share)

Peace and global warming

2007-10-14T02:48:00.000Z

Al Gore is a man from warm places!
He is interested in Politics, global warming and the area in between...
Al Gore’s movie Inconvenient Truth which won Academy Award(s) is a Documentary film about global warming and climate change.
Nobel Committee pronounced the Nobel Peace Prize this year goes to HIM and to the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) equally ( fifti-fifti) for their jobs in showing humans how they messed up with their universe.
This is official Nobel Committee statement:

“for their [winners] efforts to build up and disseminate greater knowledge about man-made climate change, and to lay the foundations for the measures that are needed to counteract such change" (more).

Miranda Devine of the Sydney Morning Herald writes beyond the glamours of the event and tries to answer some "warm" questions like:

“Since Al Gore was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize you might have been wondering what global warming had to do with peace...” (read more).

The conversation is still going on.. may be heating up soon. watch out.

Che, Abdelkrim and Imam

2007-10-09T06:36:00.000Z

Forty years ago Che Guevara was assassinated..today he is still alive..\
he shared the legend with Adelkrim and Sheik imam.

They all shared the love for freedom. They said it out loud. They fought for it.
Who could have guessed that the most iconic figure of “people’s liberation”, Che Guevara, would be a humble student of Abdelkrim Khattabi the engineer of the Rifan revolution in the 1920s. Che would have wished he me this mentor in the Rif but… They met in Cairo (1959) where Abdelkrim was exiled. During one of the meetings Guevara was reported to have spent many hours talking to Abdelkrin, his Guerillaro Mualim.

le 14 juin 1959, à l'ambassade du Maroc au Caire. “Abdallah Ibrahim a présenté Che Guevara à Abdelkrim Khattabi, alors en exil au Caire. Puis Guevara et Khattabi se sont isolés au fond du jardin de l'ambassade pour une conversation de plusieurs heures sur l'expérience de la guerre du Rif”. (Telqulel)

Che visited Morocco many times in private and by invitation from the first socialist government of morocco. A story told Telquel (Fr) sheds the light on the different layers of Che’s experience in morocco and how he got arrested by the Moroccan police before the Prime Minister Abdellah Ibrahim goes himself to liberate him from Balima Hotel/jail and takes him to a private residence.

The Egyptian exile of Abdelkrim did never prevent him from sharing his knowledge with all the movements of liberation in through t the world as well as his experiences: the battle of Anwal to the declaration of the first Republic of the Rif to the lost hopes in the communist parties of France and Spain. In His book La question berbere.. , Ammar Ouerdane generously gives an a account of these relationships. In fact, Tangier was the international city that hosted different diplomatic and business communities right there on the Riffan coasts. Non of these were ready to recognize the new Riffan Republic then, although promises of had flooded after Anwal (1921) was won by Abdelkrim and his companions.

Egypt was the classroom where Abdelkrim would teach the knowledge and the experience of a movement of liberation and a republic that did not last too long.

It is the same classroom where Sheikh Imam sang for freedom and for the poor for decades before he had to live his own country. he sang for the poor and for all those who fought for them.

“Guevara Mat” ( Guevara died , Video) is one of his most famous songs written by Ahmed Fouad Najm, his companion and comrade. (lyrics Ar.) .

These are the three icons that are still inspiring the world and reminding everyone that a better world can be possible regardless of the corporate iconism.

Omaar re-discovers Spain

2007-10-02T06:23:00.000Z

Rageh Omaar, former BBC journalist goes in a journey he called a look at what "impact Muslims had on European art, science and philosophy."
What interests me personally in all of this is the question. The presence or absence of the old Moors ( berbers) in the historical discourse devised both by Europeans and Arab muslims is a different area of investigations that has to wait a little more. However, Rageh Omaar tries to educate his fellow Europeans about facts like the bridge was not really that wide.

Now they want our votes...2

2007-09-30T06:37:00.000Z

Translation from Tamazight:
Speaker 1: From Tilmi Protests.

"Greeting to you Tmazighen and Timazighin,
We agreed on this action before the elections. Nobody should be telling you that young people are bringing us here. We agreed to do this before 2007. we know our tamara (misery).. we see it and we understand what is going on. We are doing this and we prepared it, from little ones to the elders… we were preparing this since 2006.

We are glad that 2007 came.. so you can come and talk to us!!. before that you just did not care about us. There was a flooding, there were no trucks, no roads no relief nothing. There is no Amazigh TV channel for us to understand what you say to us. do you think we know what that thing you call the constitution really means? We are just here.. we do not understand anything you say.
We agreed today from Abudjam to Ait Attou … we do not know what is the constitution we do not know what is democracy… all we want is roads and health care… we want places where our women can get help.. you have never known us.. now that for the sake elections you are bringing all your army up her to us.
We are all dead in here. But if we have die for our Tamazight that is alright. This is us from time long ago. If you want to arrest us, take us. do it. actually death is better than this kind of life we are leading here. We come to the health ceter and it is empty. If our kids get sick we them to the pharmacy who sells anything to us. We want roads, we want health center…."

Now they want our votes...

2007-09-29T23:19:00.000Z

Voices of People of Tilmi.(see map) People had to boycott the elections till Makhzen recognizes their presence… their existence.
"I am glad you are waking up.. we do not belong nowhere.. now they want our votes… nobody came during the floods...", said one of the women speakers. Video by Asekka

Larger Map

BWM: Blond While Moroccan

2007-09-28T21:41:00.000Z

“This is the little blonde girl the world desperately hoped was Madeleine McCann.” (!!) Says The Daily Mirror.
Bouchra, 3 year old Berber Rifian, ‘was seen’ by a tourist who was driving across Rif Mountains She might have been Maddy who disappeared a few months ago.
I feel for her family and hope they find her soon... But the photo taken by the Spanish tourist deserves more than a little stop...
It is really a shame and a pity that little Bouchra and her family are harassed by media and authorities just because she “might” have looked like another European person. Her family was called by the authorities. Her parents had to prove she was their daughter. I find this really strange, for lack a better word.
I wonder if the same acts of harassment would happen if “another Maddy-like blond little girl” is 'seen' in any places in Rural Alzas, Basque, Arizona, or Wales.

El Fassi From Larbi.org to the present.

2007-09-21T18:26:00.000Z

Abbas El Fassi prime minister as part of the puzzle unfolds. what is next?
His resignation for example. What does Si Larbi* think now?

*Larbi is one of the greatest influential bloggers from Morocco. One of the 100 people that move morocco (100 qui font bouger le Maroc), Telquel Magazine. Summer 2007.

Electioned-out

2007-09-17T09:06:00.000Z

Almost two weeks after the Moroccan elections, Caféman*, my friend, says there are still great amounts of colored paper on the streets of Rabat. Indelible ink on thumbs and forefingers of voters has gone or not depending on the amount of water and chemicals used. and Soap, sabone beldi, javel, lghessal...
The king has already 'met' the big 6 and the next government is cooking in a big pot; The Makhzanian pot. And only Allah and people close enough to his ceiling know what is going to happen. I mean the names that are going to be mentioned the most on the Moroccan TV for the next five years. Other than that it looks like they want us to hold our breath
most Moroccans are already electioned out. There is so much said abut the elections that we think something miraculous is going to happen in a hitchkock-ian fashion. Now we are still trapped in the suspense. The thing is walu (nothing) is going to happen.
There are lots of files left open for the next government.it looks like. Thousands of unresolved issues. Water, land, forests, corruption, roads, health, Tamazight .. u zid u zid (etc). I would not want to be the next Prime minister unless I really have things I want to do for myself first and I do not care about Morocco. I would not want to deal with all the problems (for lack of a better word) left behind some cheap reformists like USFP. I would not want to cover the pit holes and collect garbage and bones after dogs feast. The outgoing government has not done much. (please remind me if there is something to give them credit for..walu ! I can’t find anything) This is how “elecioned out” you can be.
Caféman thinks about his numbers trying to revive his numerology memories. He said:

"It has been a great year i think,

2007, add it up 2+7 that’s 9.. like adding up these dates 72, 81, 90, 99 (9+9=>1+8=9) it is history, you know !
63 percent of people who ‘ditched’ the ballots.. that also adds up as 9. it is 3 and 6.
We Moroccans do not like number like 6 and 66. We say “66 kshifa”. ( 66 hurdles, difficulties), it nogood staff...
The king Mohamed 6 met 6 of them already last week.. there is a link between all of that and 9.
“zid 6 3la 60” ( ad 6 to 60) when things refuse to get better and problems add up.
...

Conclusion: 9 and 6 are just numbers.. that’s 15. one person five more years but it is a 6.
See you guys. do not waste your time thinking about solutions. It is all about the 6.
caféman is good man"

* imaginary friend.. works for the municipality... cleans streets.. in Rabat

Post Script: Setta u dama. ( i do not how to translate this one) [right number is 3 tlata not 6 Setta, Mohamed El Kortbi of Partageons nos passions. see comments...

Kabyle tunes

2007-09-16T07:59:00.000Z