Journey to the Motherland
Crossing continents to explore the real Africa
Wish You Were Here
by Grace Bastidas (The Village Voice)
“All I wanted to do now was get back to Africa,” Hemingway once wrote. “We had not left it yet, but when I would wake in the night I would lie, listening, homesick for it already.” This longing is common among visitors to the dark continent. Scarred by poverty, war, disease, and other maladies, the real Africa is a paradox: All that is sad and beautiful meet there. It’s a destination said to be so vast and varied that it keeps luring tourists back for more. On a recent trip to the southern portion of the motherland I set out to discover why. (more…)
The Africa Channel to Provide American TV Viewers with Daily Window into Modern Africa
LOS ANGELES–(BUSINESS WIRE)–July 18, 2005–The Africa Channel:
1,200 Hours of Original and First Run Television Programming to Include Popular Genres: News and Information, Travel, and Lifestyle, Music, Feature Films, Documentaries, Soaps, Talk, Reality and Event Specials
The Africa Channel, a new independent cable television network showcasing the rich and diverse perspectives of the people of the African continent, has set its launch for the third quarter of this year. The network has already secured a corporate agreement with Atlanta-based Cox Communications Inc. and anticipates it will conclude additional carriage agreements shortly. (more…)
Geldof, Bono Praise G-8 Aid for Africa
GLENEAGLES, Scotland - Rockers Bob Geldof and Bono, two of the world’s best known Africa fund-raisers, declared victory Friday in their campaign to push leaders at the G-8 summit to double aid to the continent.
“We’ve pulled this off,” said U2 frontman Bono.
He and Geldof praised the Group of Eight summit for pledging to double aid to Africa to $50 billion, saying the move will save the lives of hundreds of thousands of people who would have died of poverty, malaria or AIDS.
“The world spoke and the politicians listened,” Bono said. (more…)
Stars’ push for huge Africa aid from G8 at knife edge
GLENEAGLES, Scotland (AFP) - Negotiations between celebrity campaigners and leaders of the G8 group on doubling aid to Africa are at a knife-edge, the U2 frontman Bono told journalists.
“It’s all to play for in the next 24 hours. One last push and I really do believe we can get” the deal, he said.
Bono and fellow rock singer Bob Geldof head a massive publicity drive to secure a doubling of African aid from the Group of Eight — Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the United States — whose leaders are meeting at the luxury Gleneagles golf resort. (more…)