Maybe one way, how endangered languages can survive, is just tested by three European minority languages: codes & sofware are crawling & filtering the internet and then curating & presenting the findings in its specific language. One latest example (Feb. 2014): of such a news aggregator is the #Welsh website ffrwti.com following the examples of the Catalan sustatu.com and the Basque umap.eu.

For more information see also this article on Global Voices.

tonight 20h CET :  Malian music of Festival au Désert

‘Festival au Désert im EXIL’ with Khaira Arby, Kante und Orchestre Amanar de Kidal in Volksbühne Berlin

streaming link – live NOW:
http://stream.codeone.tv/projekte/2014markrump/index.php?ts=1389279837

organized by:
Operndorf Afrika   &   Partnership with Africa Foundation

photo © Désirée von Trotha

Even though it has been widely reported (again) in the first half of 2013, it still is not common knowledge, that the country Rwanda has successfully banished the use of plastic bags. The law went already in effect in 2008 and was preceded by nationwide cleaning-up activities as the BBC reported in 2006, making Rwanda today the most environment-conscious country in Africa with the “cleanest capital”.

The Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA) states on their website only briefly, that “Rwanda with a vision to maintain a clean, healthy and wealthy environment has by law banned the use of non biodegradable plastic bags.” and that these measures serve the goal of sustainable development.
This was the result of year-long efforts of course – particularly by its director general, Dr. Rose Mukankomje. In 2011 she told the Canadian “The Dominion”: “In 2004, the Ministry of the Environment began to conduct studies on the use of plastic bags in Rwanda,” … “At that time people had started to see plastic invading everywhere—black, yellow, red colored bags—causing even visual pollution.”

Understanding the importance of environment friendly policies and  including the population in the efforts certainly have helped to bring the initiative to life. But what else has helped in this success story? A steady and determined government? the widespread wish for healing and productive, positive change after the genocide of 1994?

In February 2013, Tom Carver reasoned in his article “The country without plastic bags“, that it may have also something to do with a general different mind set: “Certainly, Rwanda seems to me to occupy a different psychic space to other African countries, much closer to the German mindset of hard work, self-discipline, orderliness. Perhaps it is no coincidence that both countries have experienced similar depths of genocidal depravity and remarkable economic success subsequently.”

Whatever the reasons, the good news of environment friendly development in a “poor country” deserves more attention. For an even more in-depth analysis watch the news report (12 min video) from April 2013 by France24: “Rwanda´s platic bag-free utopia“. In this short 12min documentary video it is also explained, that using, utilizing or even trafficking plastic bags is now against the law and did already lead to prison sentences for “plastic smugglers”.

#Environment #PlasticBags #Rwanda

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After a long night, we have added our video this morning to the diversity video contest on facebook, which is organized through the facebook page “do one thing for diversity and inclusion“. The contest itself is run by the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations.  Because the video could only be one minute long, it was not easy to chose from exisitng materials, but a small music-take from a self-recorded video of Abeer Nehme was so beautiful, that we needed to take it as  the basis. The recording is from this year´s Fés Festival of World Sacred Music and her concert was a personal highlight.

watch the video here –>>  Diversity

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