“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.

Saturday, September 10, 2011

G8 raises Arab Spring financing pledge to $38 bln

Reuters Africa, by Annika Breidthardt and Catherine Bremer, Sep 10, 2011

MARSEILLE, France, Sept 10 (Reuters) - Group of Eight finance chiefs pledged $38 billion on Saturday in financing to Tunisia, Egypt, Morocco and Jordan over 2011-13, widening a deal agreed in May and offering Libya the chance to partake too.

The IMF promised a further $35 billion in funding to countries affected by Arab Spring uprisings and formally recognised Libya's ruling interim council as a legitimate power, opening up access to a myriad of international lenders as the country looks to rebuild after a six-month war.

G8 chair France said the figure agreed at talks in the Mediterranean port of Marseille was roughly double a sum agreed in May, when the eight economic powers met in the northern French seaside town of Deauville. In Marseille, the original Arab Spring partnership was extended to Jordan and Morocco.

Finance Minister Francois Baroin said that Libya, whose National Transitional Council was represented at the talks, had also been invited to join the so-called Deauville Partnership.

"The institutions pledged to increase their financial network to $38 billion compared with the $20 billion pledged at Deauville," Baroin told a news conference. "These are not just words, an important step was taken this morning."

Getting IMF recognition is significant for Libya's interim leaders as it means international development banks and donors such as the World Bank can now offer financing.

"Libya attended this meeting as an observer and I'm very pleased to report that the IMF now recognises the interim governing council as the official government of Libya," IMF chief Christine Lagarde told a separate news conference.

"In this context the fund will stand ready to help the authorities through all the services the fund provides. I will be sending a team in the field in Libya as soon as security is appropriate for my people to be on the ground," she said, adding there would be a focus on aiding oil-exporting countries.

WARY OF AID-DEPENDENCE

The Marseille talks came a few days after world leaders agreed in Paris to free up billions of dollars in frozen assets to help Libya's interim rulers restore vital services and rebuild after a conflict that ended a 42-year dictatorship.

The financing deal by the Group of Seven major economies plus Russia is aimed at supporting reform efforts in the wake of uprisings in North Africa and the Middle East.

The financing is mostly in the form of loans, rather than outright grants, and is provided half by G8 and Arab countries and half by various lenders and development banks.

It includes $10.7 billion put up by the World Bank, $7.6 billion from the African Development Bank, $5.0 billion from the Islamic Development Bank and more from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and other lenders.

International financial institutions at the G8 talks warned of the challenges faced by Arab Spring countries trying to tap external finance while faced with high risk perceptions and social and financial strains at home.

Officials called for enhanced access to developed country markets for North African and Middle Eastern products and labour to avoid aid dependency and help build up the private sector.

The Deauville initiative was set up under France's G8 presidency to help countries swept up in the Arab Spring foster democratic reforms by making aid and development credits conditional on political and economic reforms.

G8 officials discussed the economic challenges faced by countries like Tunisia, Egypt and Libya and agreed to ramp up trade and open markets between the region and the developed world.

The EBRD is taking a lead role as it extends its lending mandate to encompass countries affected by the Arab Spring.

Delegations taking part in Saturday's G8 meeting included representatives of Libya's ruling interim council, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar and Turkey.

Regional bodies present included the Arab monetary fund, the Arab fund for economic and social development and the OPEC's fund for international development, OFID.

(Editing by Mike Peacock)

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