“Jasmine Revolution”
Symbol of peace: Flowers placed on the barrel of a tank
in very much calmer protests than in recent days in Tunisia

'The Protester' - Time Person of the Year 2011

'The Protester' - Time Person of the Year 2011
Mannoubia Bouazizi, the mother of Tunisian street vendor Mohammed Bouazizi. "Mohammed suffered a lot. He worked hard. but when he set fire to himself, it wasn’t about his scales being confiscated. It was about his dignity." (Peter Hapak for TIME)

1 - TUNISIA Democratic Change / Freedom of Speech (In Transition)


How eyepatches became a symbol of Egypt's revolution - Graffiti depicting a high ranking army officer with an eye patch Photograph: Nasser Nasser/ASSOCIATED PRESS

2 - EGYPT Democratic Change / Freedom of Speech (In Transition)


''17 February Revolution"

3 - LIBYA Democratic Change / Freedom of Speech (In Transition)

5 - SYRIA Democratic Change / Freedom of Speech (In Transition)

"25 January Youth Revolution"
Muslim and Christian shoulder-to-shoulder in Tahrir Square
"A Summary" – Apr 2, 2011 (Kryon channelled by Lee Carroll) (Subjects: Religion, Shift of Human Consciousness, 2012, Intelligent/Benevolent Design, EU, South America, 5 Currencies, Water Cycle (Heat up, Mini Ice Ace, Oceans, Fish, Earthquakes ..), Middle East, Internet, Israel, Dictators, Palestine, US, Japan (Quake/Tsunami Disasters , People, Society ...), Nuclear Power Revealed, Hydro Power, Geothermal Power, Moon, Financial Institutes (Recession, Realign integrity values ..) , China, North Korea, Global Unity,..... etc.) -
(Subjects: Egypt Uprising, Iran/Persia Uprising, Peace in Middle East without Israel actively involved, Muhammad, "Conceptual" Youth Revolution, "Conceptual" (without a manager hierarchy) managed Businesses, Internet, Social Media, News Media, Google, Bankers, Global Unity,..... etc.)
"The End of History" – Nov 20, 2010 (Kryon channelled by Lee Carroll)
(Subjects:Abraham, Isaac, Ishmael, Muhammad, Jesus, God, Jews, Arabs, EU, US, Israel, Iran, Russia, Africa, South America, Global Unity,..... etc.) (Text version)

"If an Arab and a Jew can look at one another and see the Akashic lineage and see the one family, there is hope. If they can see that their differences no longer require that they kill one another, then there is a beginning of a change in history. And that's what is happening now. All of humanity, no matter what the spiritual belief, has been guilty of falling into the historic trap of separating instead of unifying. Now it's starting to change. There's a shift happening."


“ … Here is another one. A change in what Human nature will allow for government. "Careful, Kryon, don't talk about politics. You'll get in trouble." I won't get in trouble. I'm going to tell you to watch for leadership that cares about you. "You mean politics is going to change?" It already has. It's beginning. Watch for it. You're going to see a total phase-out of old energy dictatorships eventually. The potential is that you're going to see that before 2013.

They're going to fall over, you know, because the energy of the population will not sustain an old energy leader ..."



African Union (AU)

African Union (AU)
African Heads of State pose for a group photo ahead of the start of the 28th African Union summit in Addis Ababa on January 30, 2017 (AFP Photo/ Zacharias ABUBEKER)

Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela
Few words can describe Nelson Mandela, so we let him speak for himself. Happy birthday, Madiba.

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Persecuted for refusing to sing for Gaddafi

RNW, 19 January 2011

Libyan artist Ali Fates, by (photo: RNW)

The Libyan artist Ali Fates has a mission: “To revive Berber culture.” For years he has been stateless in his own country, after the authorities confiscated his papers for refusing to sing for the country’s leader Muammar Gaddafi. The young man fled to the Netherlands, where he was granted asylum.

By Mohamed Amezian

Mr Fates didn't choose the Netherlands deliberately, "It just happened that way - I just wanted to get out of Libya." He left a younger brother and sister behind. “It hurts to leave them. I hope what happened in Tunisia will happen in Libya. Then I would go back quickly.”

Ali Fates became interested in Berber culture after hearing Ider, a famous Algerian Berber singer. He then started writing lyrics and learned to play guitar. But why sing in Berber? He refuses to sing in Arabic out of principle. “It is my right.”

Raided

In Libya, Mr Fates was arrested for singing at an important Berber festival in Tangier in North Morocco with his band Oessane (Days) in 2006. He was asked to sign a promise never to sing in Berber again in custody, but he refused.

“I lived in Libya without papers for four years. Secret agents watched me perform. I sang in the Berber language Tamazight under surveillance. Last year I was asked to sing at a private occasion at a farm near Tripoli. Armed police raided the farm and threatened us with weapons.”

Other channels

According to Ali Fates, Berber "does not exist" as far as the authorities are concerned in Libya. "Berber artists are treated terribly. I tried to record tapes in a studio in Tripoli, but the owner was sent a warning straight away.”

So Berber artists have their own channels to promote their work, "via mobile telephones, cassettes and computers. You can build a studio at home. We’ve tried everything, but the continual intimidation makes it difficult for Berber artists."

Endangered culture

In the Netherlands, Ali Fates has formed a group with two Dutch friends. They have recently started performing in the Netherlands and Belgium. In Libya he sang about love and daily life, but now his songs are about the political situation in his country. He often dedicates them to prisoners at home. “In Libya, one Berber singer has spent five years in prison.”

Fates is trying to give a new life to Berber society. “I have a mission. I want to revive an endangered culture.”

(ae)

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