Six on Africa: How a colonial dream ran Morocco dry; Congo, Coltan, and Cell Phones: A People’s History; 'Tibeb Girls' fight

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philip panaritis

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Sep 27, 2018, 7:36:25 PM9/27/18
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Six on Africa: How a colonial dream ran Morocco dry; Congo, Coltan, and Cell Phones: A People’s History; 'Tibeb Girls' fight for girls' rights in Ethiopia; Why One Island Grows 80% of the World's Vanilla; The Future Is in Africa, and China Knows It; Gambian migrants’ choice: bury the straggler alive or be killed;


How a colonial dream ran Morocco dry.

Last fall, the residents of Zagora, a Moroccan city on the edge of the Sahara, decided they were fed up with the watermelons. Plagued for years by water shortages, they pointed a finger at the prosperous, export-oriented fruit farms outside the city for hogging their wells. In what became known as the “thirst protests,” people from throughout the region rallied in Zagora to decry the shortages. They were met by police, who cordoned off the city, broke up the crowd, and arrested twenty-three of the demonstrators. “Are we really human beings,” asked one activist, “if we’re being treated this way?”






Congo, Coltan, and Cell Phones: A People’s History

"Just as the bloodshed of the colonial period was financed by highly lucrative natural resources like rubber, the violence today is likewise fueled by natural resources. One of those is coltan, a mineral required for cell phone production. Congo is rich in coltan. By studying this history, we can see a direct connection between the brutality of colonialism and the contemporary injustice in Congo: highly coveted natural resources, exploited by distant, powerful nations."







'Tibeb Girls' fight for girls' rights in Ethiopia

"Power Girl, Whiz Kid Girl and Empathy Girl are cartoon heroines who stand up for girls' rights and tackle the problems many Ethiopian girls face, providing role models in an educating and fun way. The heroines wield magic powers essential for girls in Ethiopia and beyond."






Why One Island Grows 80% of the World's Vanilla

"After all, vanilla isn’t even native to Madagascar. The main source of vanilla is the Vanilla planiflolia orchid. Long cultivated in Mexico, the flavoring from its long pods was used in rituals and in the traditional Aztec drink of ground, spiced chocolate. As Spain’s conquistadors dismantled the Aztec empire in the 16th century, they sent Mexican silver, chocolate, and vanilla back to Europe. Vanilla, with its floral, subtle taste, quickly became a favorite, especially as an accompaniment to chocolate and cream. But when Europeans tried to grow it in their botanical gardens and their colonies, the long pods didn’t develop. Vanilla’s main pollinator was back in Mexico: the Melipona bee."









Gambian migrants’ choice: bury the straggler alive or be killed

Water was running low as the convoy drove through the desert into Libya, so Khadim was given a terrible choice: bury a sickly fellow migrant alive, or be killed by their smugglers.

“They told us to bury him in the sand,” said Khadim, 29. “They started waving their guns. ‘If you refuse, you’re dead.’ We started digging and digging. As we buried him he said, ‘I’m not dead yet, why are you doing this to me?’ ”

Khadim is one of about 2,600 migrants repatriated to the Gambia from Libya on flights paid for by European countries trying to stem crossings of the Mediterranean. The vast majority of those coming home are young men, who arrive at Banjul airport with at most a few belongings in a plastic bag, sometimes after spending years in Libyan detention centres.

They are the among the first to be sent back since footage emerged in November of migrants being sold at slave markets in Libya. African and EU leaders agreed an emergency plan shortly afterwards to repatriate thousands."

A malnourished baby cries after being weighed and measured by visiting doctors during a mobile clinic visit in Amboro, Madagascar..jpg
Migrants from Niger and other countries head toward Libya from Agadez, Niger, on June 4. They are part of the mass migration toward Europe, some fleeing violence, others just hoping to make a living..jpg
Migrants from Niger and elsewhere head toward Libya from Agadez, Niger, on June 4. Every Monday evening, convoys filled with the hopeful pass through a military checkpoint at the edge of the city..jpg
soldier walks inside the Roman theater in Sabratha, Libya. The site was damaged during recent fighting for the control of the city between Ahmed Dabbashi’s militia and a group called the Anti-ISIS FightingRoom.webp
More than 6,000 people have been rescued on the central Mediterranean route from Libya to Italy in the last few days.jpg
The village under the baobabs #madagascar #sunrise #baobabs #craftsmen #morondava.jpg
A woman in Toliara, Madagascar, cooking with charcoal, which is cleaner and easier to use than firewood, and cheaper and more readily available than gas or electricity.jpg
These baobabs, which rise to heights of nearly a hundred feet, are found only on the island of Madagascar, where they’re known as renala, Malagasy for “mother of the forest.”.jpg
A woman sells vegetables in Banjul, Gambia.jpg
Supporters of president-elect Adama Barrow celebrate his victory in Banjul, Gambia,.jpg
Vine David -Base Nation- List of US Military Bases Overseas 2016 FINAL 23 May 2016.xlsx
Zinn congo_coltan_cellphones.pdf
On his way back to Morocco in 1348, Ibn Battuta encountered history’s greatest pandemic, the Black Death, which affected the Middle East as dramatically as it did Europe.jpg
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