Conflict minerals: the bloody Pandora’s Box…

I usually don’t wear jewelry. Diamonds may be a girl’s best friend but they are definitely not mine. So when I heard about blood diamonds years ago, it didn’t come as a big disillusion. In 2007 I posted about Hotel Rwanda, Syriana, Blood Diamond… Not only entertainment. These films are informative movies the general public needs, and ... More

BLK JKS, Amadou & Mariam and Angélique Kidjo live from Soweto

I think everyone knows that by now: FIFA World Cup will start on Friday, June 11 2010 and end on Sunday, July 11 2010. Even if I am not a big football fan, I will watch some matches. But World Cup 2010 is not only about football: the world’s biggest superstars will come together live on VEVO on June 10 from Soweto/Johannesburg, South Africa for the ... More

International Women’s Day: Ordinary Extraordinary Women

Yesterday I met with extraordinary women. It was the 100th 99th Anniversary of International Women’s Day and I was invited to talk with women coming from many different countries. There was Betti from Rwanda, Clara from Mexico, Armita from Iran and French women: Fatima, Laurence, Karima, Francesca, Caroline… All had in common a difficult life ... More

Darfur, Congo, Burma: is ‘good will’ enough?

The plights in Darfur, Congo and Burma are different on many aspects but the initiatives launched by organizations (human rights, humanitarian, etc) all have the same goal: help the people living in danger and provide them assistance when needed. As you may already know, I truly think Tall oaks from little acorns grow, nevertheless I am not naive and I know ... More

Martin Luther King Jr. and Obama’s election: Free at last?

Martin Luther King Jr. holds a special place in my life. When I was at school I studied everything he said, everything he did; I used to write articles about him for my student newspaper. I am not into religion at all so sometimes I was uncomfortable with some of his speeches but Martin Luther King’s strength, commitment and powerful discourses ... More

News cycle turnover: today’s worst enemy?

I was recently part of an interesting debate with sharp-minded people about the role of media in the society, and since some of you expressed a keen interest for my thinking over a specific issue, I wanted to share my thoughts with you on that topic. I promise my next post will definitely be on a lighter note. Every day seems to bring a new round of bad ... More

Will the Sama Water Tank save the world?

The Sama from the World Of Sama, as you may know, have a duty: protect humans and sometimes plan ahead like the Sama Water Tank does. Water will soon be an issue, if not already; it is soon to be a rare commodity… The ocean noise, the constant sound of a waterfall, a fountain shooting up water, having a tub or simply drink it; water is essential for ... More

Darfur: a World Wide Role Playing Game

I’m not talking about the Legend of Zelda here or any other MMORPG, but about the much less dreamlike crisis in Darfur in a very specific ‘real life game genre’ I dub World Wide Role Playing Game – WWRPG. Last year I wrote an article titled: ‘Darfur: History, a never ending story’and I was wondering if we could learn from ... More

Tall oaks from little acorns grow

With only a few hours left before 2008, I find myself, as I do every year, reflecting on the highs and lows of the past twelve months. As we approach the tradition of New Year’s resolutions, I look back with hope that the coming year will bring meaningful progress. I’m not saying each new year is worse than the last, but the improvements often feel ... More

Hotel Rwanda, Syriana, Blood Diamond… Not only entertainment

Reading your comments about my posts: Davis, Flynn, Dietrich… They did it their way, Dr. Strangelove: Or How I Learned The Power Of Satire and Scarface: first and second impact showed your interest into movies addressing real issues. The movies I like the most watching are the ones with strong themes, whether they are political or about social trends, so ... More