The UBS Art Gallery in New York City is hosting an exhibition to highlight the life and art of Mariana Yampolsky, an American-born artist whose work celebrates Mexico's culture, history, and landscape. “Embracing Mexico: Mariana Yampolsky, Life and Art,” is featured in the Gallery until August 3rd. Yampolsky (1925-2002), who was born in Chicago, went to Mexico in 1944 […]
In this five-minute video, we can hear an Afghanistani official's opinion and will to follow official, nation-building policy; the best-faith efforts of an Afghanistan soldier who is supervising poppy eradication, an enormous manpower effort on one field of many. This is followed by an attack by Taliban forces on U.S. troops; and the troops’ return to safety. […]
In yet another angle on the Zimbabwe crisis and the relationship between Zim and South Africa, The Mail & Guardian reports that skilled and semi-skilled construction workers are flooding from Zimbabwe to work on jobs building facilities for the 2010 World Cup. The deluge seems less problematic for South Africa, as despite its own unemployment […]
Madonna and Brangelina have been in the news for their adoptions of African babies. But ordinary folks (well, ordinary white folks with quite a bit of resources) are also adopting African children in increasing numbers. Ethiopia has become a popular source of these children, which is raising some concerns in that country. There is a […]
Mexico's National Human Rights Commission, an independent government council investigating the 2006 unrest in Oaxaca, recently concluded that the federal government should have intervened sooner after state authorities were overwhelmed. The commission also said that hundreds of human rights complaints it received from the uprising were credible, and the 12 people killed in the clashes were mostly protesters […]
Mr. Grono and Ms. Nathan of the International Crisis Group have written a new article in the Christian Science Monitor about the two most prominent debates concerning Afghanistan's opium/heroin economy. They accurately note that neither poppy eradication nor legalizing pharmaceutical-end use poppy cultivation looks like a workable idea–they’re right. They target instead the corruption of Afghanistan's officials: they’re right […]
Well, the authorities nabbed Mr. Aliev as he returned from the barber shop, based upon a court order issued in Vienna. Personally, with his millions, I would have asked for a house call. The puns that come to mind are endless: e.g., giving one's head for washing. . . but on to the serious aspects […]
This video explains a little about poppy cultivation:[kml_flashembed movie=”http://www.youtube.com/v/Aqn-6Asqixo” width=”425″ height=”350″ wmode=”transparent” /] And then this is the next half of the video instruction. [kml_flashembed movie=”http://www.youtube.com/v/KbIFmPBsN7Q” width=”425″ height=”350″ wmode=”transparent” /] These were number 4 and 5 of a six-part series at YouTube, and I know I learned a lot.
It has been a good weekend for South African sport. The Springboks took on England and after a slow first half — they actually trailed 17-19 at the break — came on strong in the second and pounded England again, 55-22. Bryan Habana and Pierre Spies, both stars for the Northern Bulls, scored two tries on […]
I was, to be honest, prepared to be defensive about a recent Mail & Guardian article titled “Can 'someone in a Hotel Room’ Report on All of Africa.” After all, I think it is perfectly possible for someone to engage in commentary if they have the background and intelligence and understanding even if they are […]
Dear Readers, It's only three months, and I promise never to do this again: this somewhat self-indulgent summation. But after over 100 posts and 150 comments, who knew the great people I would meet who talk and write about Central Asia? I only know you by your writing, your comments and letters, the quality of your analysis […]
Morgenie Pillay, the Andrew Mellon lecturer in the department of politics and international studies at one of my old stomping grounds, Rhodes University, and a visiting doctoral research scholar at the London School of Economics asks (and tries to answer) an important question in The Mail & Guardian: “Why are there so few up-and-coming new […]
Liberia's former President, Charles Taylor, one of Africa's most ruthless thugs (a bold claim, to be sure) will go on trial at a UN-backed Special Court at the Haguie next week. He will face war crimes charges stemming back to his years as Liberia's Big Man. A couple of colorful quotations reveal the loathing that […]
The United States has announced that it will increase sanctions on Khartoum as part of President Bush's much ballyhooed “Plan B” to deal with the human rights catastrophe that is Darfur. Smith College's Eric Reeves, one of the most perspicacious Sudan observers, argues that sanctions will prove useless and that they represent “nothing more than […]
A Zimbabwe's inflation rate, which long ago reached the status of being the worst in the world, doubles and trebles, the country's humanitarian crisis worsens. Thabo Mbeki continues to try to facilitate dialogue between Robert Mugabe's thugocracy and the opposition, most notably the Movement for Democratic Change, as per his mandate from SADC, but the […]