The Chinese communist junta that provides technology to African dictators like Meles Zenawi for jamming radio station such as the VOA is giving a seminar on media to journalists from Africa. What a joke!
(GNA) — Professor Liu Liqun, Dean of the Communication University of China (CUC), on Wednesday noted that the activities of the media had made the world a global village, facilitating communication and international relations.
The media, she said, should, therefore be expected to play its role effectively, to ensure world peace and mutual prosperity amongst nations.
Prof. Liu was opening a seminar on Media and Media Education for 43 journalists drawn from 22 developing countries in the Chinese capital of Beijing.
The 15-day seminar was being organized jointly by the Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China, and the CUC.
Prof. Liu expressed the hope that the seminar, an exchange development programme, would go a long way to enhance China’s policy of opening to the outside world.
She said it would also deepen her friendship and understanding of the developing world.
Prof. Yang Xiuwen, Vice-Dean of the International Communications College of CUC, stressed the need to sustain the programme, in order to strengthen the bond of relationship among developing countries.
Ms. Ljiljana Toskovic of the Embassy of Montenegro, thanked the organizer for the seminar, and hoped the participants would use such experiences to help shape the destiny of the developing world.
The participants are from Ghana, Liberia, Benin, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Ethiopia, Congo, Vietnam, Grenada, Montenegro, Nepal, Seychelles and Kenya.
The rest are from Fays, Myanmar, Eritrea, Macedonia, Lesotho, Afghanistan, Vanuatu, Timor, and Micronesia.
Participants will be taken through lectures related to basic conditions of China; traditional Chinese culture; higher education development process in China; and the countries cooperation and communication with other developing nations.
They will also learn about the history and policies of international communication in china; the history and status quo of Chinese media; history of development and status quo of higher education for the media in China; cultivation of Chinese media talents; and the international communication of media education in developing countries.
Source: GNA
(MyNews) — A Legislation that imposes sanctions against the countries, including India, who refuse to take back illegal migrants who have been convicted of crimes in the United States, has been introduced in the House of Representatives.
The bill, a companion to the Accountability in Immigrant Repatriation Act of 2008 introduced in March in the US Senate by Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, was introduced by Congressmen Charlie Dent of Pennsylvania and Michael Castle of Delaware.
“Shockingly, criminal aliens (illegal migrants) who have served time in US prisons are routinely released onto our streets after their home countries refuse to take them back,” Castle said.
“This represents a serious loop-hole in our immigration system and I believe our legislation, combined with efforts to expand border enforcement and target fraudulent identification documents, can improve security and the spending of taxpayer dollars,” he added.
As of February 11, 2008, eight countries – Laos, Iran, Eritrea, Vietnam, Jamaica, China, India, and Ethiopia – have refused to repatriate a total of over 1,39,000 illegal migrants. More than 18,000 of them were convicted criminals and were released back onto American streets.
“The AIR Act would suspend all pending visa petitions from those countries until they agree to repatriate our deportees. The legislation would also direct the State Department to withhold funds under the Foreign Assistance Act to countries that persist in this refusal,” Dent’s office said in a statement.
You don’t need to experience all the flights to know that new york flights are far better than any other, whether it is the las vegas flights or the orlando flights.
By Olubunmi Ishola, Medill Reports
CHICAGO — The men sit around tables, lingering over beer, coffee or tea, after enjoying a dinner of watt, a variety of spicy and mild stews served on top of injera, a pancake-like bread.
The cream-colored walls of the large restaurant are adorned with pictures depicting landscapes, buildings and noble figures.
In the midst of this fragrant and colorful environment, the men often discuss, and sometimes argue, mostly about politics – Ethiopian politics.
This is a common scene at Edgewater’s Ethiopian Diamond Restaurant described by owner Almaz Yigizaw.
Many of these men have been in the United States for more than 10 years, Yigizaw said, but they still show a strong passion for what happens in their country.
A country known for its bad human-rights record and oppressive government, Ethiopia will have local elections this Sunday and again on April 20.
Many Ethiopian immigrants kept up with past elections, but their interest this year is tempered by the lack of a democratic process in their homeland.
Edgewater resident Berhim Melese said he used to be interested, but when the people’s hope was crushed after post-election violence in 2005, he stopped caring.
“At this time everybody is tired of talking about politics,” he said. Many of them, Melese said, are not even aware local elections will soon take place.
During the 2005 elections, the results from the National Election Board showed the opposition parties in a strong lead. However, the board eventually declared the ruling party as the winner.
Protests ensued, resulting in over 60,000 citizens arrested and at least 200 killed. Leaders of the opposition parties were arrested and only released within the last six to eight months.
Erku Yimer said these results have led the East African nation to lose hope in elections in general.
“The election board, it’s appointed by the government,” Yimer, the executive director of the Ethiopian Community Association in Chicago, said. “It’s not neutral. It’s an arm of the government, so [Ethiopians] have no belief in the election board.”
Melese said that while many in Ethiopia’s diaspora may not know about these local elections, they are still very important to the political development of the country. Unlike the 2005 elections, which were national, these elections are for the lower levels of the administration which provides services to the Ethiopian public.
While media like the Voice of America, the BBC and even The Economist have reported on them, Melese said “real information is from the inside, and there is none.”
There is only one media in Ethiopia, controlled by the government, he said. And when he talks to family and friends in Ethiopia, Melese said none of them can speak freely about political situations.
“At this time it’s very hard [to know what’s happening in Ethiopia], because there’s nothing open,” he said. “There’s no clean information.”
“To have democracy, you need media,” he added. “The government now controls all things.”
Assefa Delil, a minster counselor at the Ethiopian Embassy, said he doesn’t expect many Ethiopians in America to be interested in these elections. He compares it to the interest overseas Americans have in the U.S. primaries. However, the interest in the country, located in the Horn of Africa, is very large, he said.
“There’s some 27 million voters registered, and this is even bigger than the national elections in 2005,” said Delis. “In May 2005 we had about 23 million.” In a country with almost 80 million people, the third largest in Africa, he sees this as democratic progress.
“It looks democratic, but it’s not,” Yigizaw said. “People have given up hope, they’ve stopped caring politically.” Of Delis, she said, “He holds a government job; he may feel different internally, but he can’t say so.”
The little news that has gotten out of the country all points to an election that will be just as unfair as the last. The ruling party and its affiliates have more candidates than any of the opposition parties, observers say, and many of the parties have faced problems registering, or have yet to receive a license to legally function as a party.
Almost 5 million seats are up for grabs in this local election, 99% of which are allegedly uncontested, as sources say potential candidates are intimidated by the current government and are afraid of being imprisoned.
Delis said that 27 parties are participating in this current election. Anyone can file, he said, so some of the candidates are also independents. While the ruling party may have more candidates, he said this is because many of the opposition parties are newer and therefore have lesser capacities.
“It depends on the capacity of the party,” he said. “You cannot expect everybody to file the same number of candidates … you cannot blame the party that has more capacity.”
Yimer said many of the opposition parties have found financial supporters in the diaspora, many of whom also help the parties network with human-rights organizations. However, he said these numbers are small.
“I think many of the people think of what is happening in Ethiopia and want to help in any way possible,” he said. “But in many ways, they don’t like the government that is in power now they aren’t fully participating in the help and development of the people.”
A proposed bill in Congress will help establish a democratic process in Ethiopia and rekindle hope in its people, Yimer said, which is what the people want.
Melese said the legislation is good for the Ethiopia’s future, and thinks all Ethiopians should support it.
“For Ethiopia, that’s the key,” he said. “That’s the only hope for Ethiopian people, otherwise you cannot have change.”
By Blake Stone-Banks (cityweekend.com.cn)
In addition to being Beijing’s only Ethiopian restaurant, Ras strikingly sets itself apart from the city’s mid-range and upscale restaurants with its decor. Colorful, Ethiopian umbrellas hang upside down from the ceiling, photographs of Ethiopia cover the walls, and above the bar is a large painting of Chairman Mao holding hands with Haile Selassie.
Traditional Western-style tables line Ras’ perimeter, but at the center floor, there are a number of mesobs, vibrantly colored hand-woven baskets that are traditionally used as tables, especially recommended for diners with short legs. Ethiopian cuisine offers a range of tastes, from chilled bean salads to hot, spicy meats, but the process of eating is forever the same: Injera, Ethiopia’s spongy flat bread, is spread across a large plate, and various entrees are spooned on top. Diners tear off pieces of injera, which they use to scoop up the dishes. For an introduction to Ethiopian cuisine The Taste of Ethiopia (300 yuan) is an excellent sampler of the menu and is sufficient for two to three diners. The We’t Combo (120 yuan) offers four small dishes, of which we recommend the Te’siga We’t (berbere spiced lamb) and Gomen (collard greens). For those wanting to try larger entrees, the Kitfo (120 yuan) is a delectable steak tartare served with kibe (herbed butter).
There are live dances each night at 8. The music may be too loud for casual conversation, but diners looking for a taste of Ethiopian culture over a quiet meal will enjoy the coffee ceremony each night at 7.
Tel: 8479-8388
Add: 14 Jiangtai Lu,H14
