Popular protests in Burkina Faso

Burkina Faso borders on Mali in the west and north, on Niger in the northeast, on Benin in the southeast, and on Togo and Ghana, and Cote d'Ivoire in the south. Ouagadougou is the capital and the largest city.  

Burkina Faso, the tiny West African nation, has a vibrant youth who has been protesting against the regime.

A student, Justin Zongo who was placed on custody, has been killed. Justin Zongo's mistreatment led to his death. The police said that the student had menigintis which is not true! This lie has amplified the protests to the entire country. 

Since the end of the so-called revolutionary period after the coup d'état on 15 October 1987, which took the life of Thomas Sankara, there have been several face-offs with the regime of Blaise Compaore.

Lila Chouli gives a behind-the-scenes view on protests. She wrote, "The regime quickly returned to its authoritarian and military reflexes when demonstrations spread throughout the country and a turning point came on 11 March, the day the student union ANEB had called for a mass demonstration."

Then, she added, "The capital was completely sealed off by the army, the police and the gendarmes, who put down the protests. It was only that evening that Blaise Compaore deigned to address the nation for the first time since the unrest began. But he only talked about the material damage caused to public and private property."

Burkina Faso is a parliamentary republic governed under the constitution of 1991, as amended. The executive branch is headed by a president, who is elected by popular vote for a five-year term and is eligible for a second term.  

The prime minister, who is the head of government, is appointed by the president. The unicameral legislature consists of a 111-member National Assembly, whose members are popularly elected to serve five-year terms. Administratively, the country is divided into 45 provinces.

Is Nigeria ready for Fair and Clean Elections?

Amnesty International has urged the Nigerian authorities to act to stem a rising tide of political, ethnic and religious violence.

Nigerian authorities have decided to postpone Saturday's parliamentary elections to Monday. There are not able to organize themselves even though they have spent hundreds of millions of dollars in public money trying to hold this election which is already running at least three or four months late.

"The federal government has directed that all land borders be closed from 12pm (1100 GMT) on Friday, 1 April, 2011 to 6am (0500 GMT) on Sunday, 3 April, 2011," Emmanuel Ihenacho, the minister of interior, said in a statement.

Goodluck Jonathan, from the country's south, is expected to win the presidential poll. His main challenger, Muhammadu Buhari,running on the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) platform, has major support in the country's mostly from the North. 

I hope that Nigeria can break with a history of vote fraud and violence. Nigerians have a strong desire for change. They have been outbursts of violence, including bomb blasts and attacks on political rallies.

No voting equipment, no election officials, and no security. How do we expect people to go and vote!! Nigeria must organize elections for 150 million people across its 36 states.

Africa's most populous nation is facing its most unpredictable polls!

Petition in defence of Desmond Tutu

Archbishop Desmond Tutu has criticized publicly Israel's policy towards Palestinians living in Gaza and the West Bank. 

Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu has publicly criticised Israeli policy towards Palestinians living in Gaza and the West Bank. He has also criticised Palestinian attacks on Israeli civilians. These criticisms are well-known.

During the Second World War, Nazi Germany killed socialists, Roma people, resistance fighters, and six million Jews were transferred to ghettos and concentration camps before being murdered. This crime against humanity must never be forgotten. Its legacy and lessons must be guarded by all of humanity. 

But to call the Archbishop Desmond Tutu an anti-Semite, that is not acceptable!! to call him an anti-Semite because he has attacked the policies of the Israeli government is OUTRAGEOUS! 

Desmond Tutu embodies the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the rights contained in which pertain equally to Palestinians and Israelis. Desmond Tutu has dedicated his life for a more caring and just society in which Palestinian rights must be respected and valued and Israeli rights must be respected and valued. 

Nobel Peace Laureate Desmond Tutu calls for an END to Israeli Occupation. People in America are scared "to say wrong is wrong because the Jewish lobby is powerful, very powerful," Tutu said, and because they fear that to criticize Israel is "to immediately be dubbed anti-Semitic."  


Reverend Canon Richard Toll said, "All religions, men and women from all over the world are waking up and giving one message: END THE OCCUPATION"

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/defend-tutu/ "Tutu's life has been lived in the spirit of "never again" - the ultimate lesson of the Holocaust"

Economic Freedom

I believe that individual freedom in economic decision making is a necessary rampart against the tyranny of the state of economic power of priviliged elites.

If women are not financially independent, they cannot feel secure. Even in the sweetest of marriages, a woman needs that economic freedom and power. 

Teachers in developing countries have most of the time annually renewable contracts. In order to ensure a clean, healthy physical environment in school buildings, teachers need to have a contract that make them feel secure. 

Teachers do not get the respect, the freedom, the compensation, or the rewards that many of them deserve. The way that teacher salaries are set in is nonsensical. Effectiveness in the classroom does not lead to higher salaries. A dynamic teacher and a weak teacher have the same salary! A teacher's experience must push him/her higher up the scale. Each September, teachers on the main pay scale must move to the next point on the scale.

A proper teacher contract should take into consideration health insurance, life insurance, working days, vacation and sick days, a step program, and cost of living increase. Unused sick days must be exchange for a bonus.

 

A teacher contract must also stress professional growth and it must cover the time frame of one school year.

Since we do not have a tax-free salary, then the school must pay the teacher for one school year. 

Teachers play an important role in shaping the minds of our youth, by engaging, inspiring and challenging them. People who choose to teach as a career do it because they love to teach. 


Therefore, teachers deserve your support and your gratitude.

"read the word and the world"

Pablo Freire (1972) invited literacy learners to "read the word and the world". With that invitation, he introduced them to critical literacy as a means to fundamentally approach text from a uniquely positioned stance.

According to Freire (as cited in Cervetti, Pardales, & Damico, 2001),

Critical literacy understands that literacy practices must always have social justice, freedom, and equity as central concerns. Further, textual meaning is understood in the context of social history and power relations, and not solely as the product or intention of the author.

Sus principales obras y aportes han sido tres:

• La educación como práctica de la libertad. En esta obra, como nos deja ver su nombre, resume lo que veníamos exponiendo; el empleo de la educación para desarrollar la libertad de las personas.
• Pedagogía del oprimido. Aquí realiza un estudio y análisis de las causas que oprimen a un hombre y cómo hacer para dar vuelta dicha situación.
• Extensión o comunicación. Profunda critica a las tradicionales formas y campañas de alfabetización, las cuales Freire considera que adolecen de graves y grandes faltas.

Bejamin Franklin on Pros and Cons

“My way is, to divide half a Sheet of Paper by a line into two Columns, writing over the one PRO, and over the other CON”

Benjamin Franklin (1772)

Revision for Exams: Fact or Opinion

What is a fact? A fact is something that can be verified and backed up with evidence, e.g. In 2005, Brazil and FC Barcelona star Ronaldinho was named FIFA World Footballer of The Year. We can verify these details by looking at FIFA records. Facts are often used in conjunction with research and study.

To sum up, facts

• can be verified in reference books, official records, and so forth.
• are expressed in concrete language or specific numbers.
• once verified, are generally agreed upon by people.

What is an opinion? An opinion is based on a belief or view. It is not based on evidence that can be verified, e.g. Wayne Rooney is the best football player in the English Premier League. Are there players in the English Premier League who are better than Wayne Rooney? 

Opinions are often introduced by verbs and adverbs that suggest some doubt in the writer's mind:

• It appears she was confused.
• She seems to have the qualifications for the position.
• They probably used dirty tricks to win. 

FACT OR OPINION: Let's practice!

Curry is the best dish in the world

Cricket is played in England.

William Shakespeare is the greatest English writer.

Travelling by caravan is the best way to see England

Birmingham is located in the West Midlands

Ibiza is a great holiday spot.

The new Wembley Stadium will seat 90,000 people.

Canada day is celebrated each year on the 1st of July

The overall quality of life has decreased in the last ten years.

The written component of the driving test must be completed before the practical component.

Access courses are designed to prepare students for higher education.

Country living is the only way to live.

If you live in the London Borough of Harrow - you can pay your council tax online.

Local councillors should spend more time listening to residents and less time listening to each other.

Finding a place to live is a long and frustrating process

Reading a good book is better than watching a good soap opera on television.

There are 646 Members of Parliament (MPs) in the UK House of Commons.

English professional football puts too much emphasis on money.

According to the latest survey, families are purchasing more household items on credit.

This product might cause stomach upset for some people in years to come.

Professor Morag MacRae argues that the effect of carbon emissions on the surrounding environment will only get worse.

The research team has discovered a new method for conducting this complicated chemical analysis.

The latest poll shows a marked increase in employee dissatisfaction.

I think public opinion will change over time.

This book is an enjoyable story of life in a small village

The use of computers at the college has increased and the stationery budget has doubled in the last few years

Governments must invest more in the environment.

Nine out of ten respondents answered the questions correctly.

Writing Summaries: Get Prepared for the Exams

• The goal of writing a summary of an article, a chapter, or a book is to offer as accurately as possible the full sense of the original, but in a more condensed form. A summary restates the author’s main point, purpose, intent, and supporting details in your own words.

• The process of summarizing enables you to better grasp the original, and the result shows the reader that you understand it as well. In addition, the knowledge gained allows you to better analyze and critique the original.

• First, try to find the main idea in the reading; it’s usually in the first paragraph. Next, skim through the article, glancing at any headings and graphics. Then, read the conclusion. The intent here is both to give yourself a review of the work and to effectively engage yourself with it.

• Now go back and read the original text carefully, jotting down notes on or highlighting the important points. Write the central idea and the author’s reasons (purpose and intent) for holding this viewpoint. Note the supporting elements the author uses to explain or back up her/his main information or claim.

• Make an outline that includes the main idea and the supporting details. Arrange your information in a logical order, for example, most to least important or chronological. Your order need not be the same as that in the original, but keep related supporting points together. The way you organize the outline may serve as a model for how you divide and write the essay.

• Write the summary, making sure to state the author’s name in the first sentence. Present the main idea, followed by the supporting points. The remainder of your summary should focus on how the author supports, defines, and/or illustrates that main idea. Remember, unless otherwise stated by your instructor, a summary should contain only the author’s views, so try to be as objective as possible.

• As you revise and edit your summary, compare it to the original and ask yourself questions such as: Have I rephrased the author’s words without changing their meaning? Have I restated the main idea and the supporting points accurately and in my own words?