30 September 2007

Now they want our votes...2

Translation from Tamazight:
Speaker 1: From Tilmi Protests.

"Greeting to you Tmazighen and Timazighin,
We agreed on this action before the elections. Nobody should be telling you that young people are bringing us here. We agreed to do this before 2007. we know our tamara (misery).. we see it and we understand what is going on. We are doing this and we prepared it, from little ones to the elders… we were preparing this since 2006.

We are glad that 2007 came.. so you can come and talk to us!!. before that you just did not care about us. There was a flooding, there were no trucks, no roads no relief nothing. There is no Amazigh TV channel for us to understand what you say to us. do you think we know what that thing you call the constitution really means? We are just here.. we do not understand anything you say.
We agreed today from Abudjam to Ait Attou … we do not know what is the constitution we do not know what is democracy… all we want is roads and health care… we want places where our women can get help.. you have never known us.. now that for the sake elections you are bringing all your army up her to us.
We are all dead in here. But if we have die for our Tamazight that is alright. This is us from time long ago. If you want to arrest us, take us. do it. actually death is better than this kind of life we are leading here. We come to the health ceter and it is empty. If our kids get sick we them to the pharmacy who sells anything to us. We want roads, we want health center…."


29 September 2007

Now they want our votes...

Voices of People of Tilmi.(see map) People had to boycott the elections till Makhzen recognizes their presence… their existence.
"I am glad you are waking up.. we do not belong nowhere.. now they want our votes… nobody came during the floods...", said one of the women speakers. Video by Asekka

Larger Map

28 September 2007

BWM: Blond While Moroccan


“This is the little blonde girl the world desperately hoped was Madeleine McCann.” (!!) Says The Daily Mirror.
Bouchra, 3 year old Berber Rifian, ‘was seen’ by a tourist who was driving across Rif Mountains She might have been Maddy who disappeared a few months ago.
I feel for her family and hope they find her soon... But the photo taken by the Spanish tourist deserves more than a little stop...
It is really a shame and a pity that little Bouchra and her family are harassed by media and authorities just because she “might” have looked like another European person. Her family was called by the authorities. Her parents had to prove she was their daughter. I find this really strange, for lack a better word.
I wonder if the same acts of harassment would happen if “another Maddy-like blond little girl” is 'seen' in any places in Rural Alzas, Basque, Arizona, or Wales.

21 September 2007

El Fassi From Larbi.org to the present.

Abbas El Fassi prime minister as part of the puzzle unfolds. what is next?
His resignation for example. What does Si Larbi* think now?

*Larbi is one of the greatest influential bloggers from Morocco. One of the 100 people that move morocco (100 qui font bouger le Maroc), Telquel Magazine. Summer 2007.

17 September 2007

Electioned-out

Almost two weeks after the Moroccan elections, Caféman*, my friend, says there are still great amounts of colored paper on the streets of Rabat. Indelible ink on thumbs and forefingers of voters has gone or not depending on the amount of water and chemicals used. and Soap, sabone beldi, javel, lghessal...
The king has already 'met' the big 6 and the next government is cooking in a big pot; The Makhzanian pot. And only Allah and people close enough to his ceiling know what is going to happen. I mean the names that are going to be mentioned the most on the Moroccan TV for the next five years.
Other than that it looks like they want us to hold our breath
most Moroccans are already electioned out. There is so much said abut the elections that we think something miraculous is going to happen in a hitchkock-ian fashion. Now we are still trapped in the suspense. The thing is walu (nothing) is going to happen.
There are lots of files left open for the next government.it looks like. Thousands of unresolved issues. Water, land, forests, corruption, roads, health, Tamazight .. u zid u zid (etc). I would not want to be the next Prime minister unless I really have things I want to do for myself first and I do not care about Morocco. I would not want to deal with all the problems (for lack of a better word) left behind some cheap reformists like USFP. I would not want to cover the pit holes and collect garbage and bones after dogs feast. The outgoing government has not done much. (please remind me if there is something to give them credit for..walu ! I can’t find anything)
This is how “elecioned out” you can be.
Caféman thinks about his numbers trying to revive his numerology memories. He said:

"It has been a great year i think,

  • 2007, add it up 2+7 that’s 9.. like adding up these dates 72, 81, 90, 99 (9+9=>1+8=9) it is history, you know !
  • 63 percent of people who ‘ditched’ the ballots.. that also adds up as 9. it is 3 and 6.
  • We Moroccans do not like number like 6 and 66. We say “66 kshifa”. ( 66 hurdles, difficulties), it nogood staff...
  • The king Mohamed 6 met 6 of them already last week.. there is a link between all of that and 9.
  • “zid 6 3la 60” ( ad 6 to 60) when things refuse to get better and problems add up.
  • ...

Conclusion: 9 and 6 are just numbers.. that’s 15. one person five more years but it is a 6.
See you guys. do not waste your time thinking about solutions. It is all about the 6.
caféman is good man"

* imaginary friend.. works for the municipality... cleans streets.. in Rabat

Post Script: Setta u dama. ( i do not how to translate this one) [right number is 3 tlata not 6 Setta, Mohamed El Kortbi of Partageons nos passions. see comments...


16 September 2007

Kabyle tunes




15 September 2007

UN General Assembly Backs Indigenous Peoples' Rights

The UN General Assembly on Thursday adopted a non-binding declaration upholding the human, land and resources rights of the world's 370 million indigenous people, brushing off opposition from Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States.

The vote in the assembly was 143 in favor and four against. Eleven countries, including Russia and Colombia, abstained.

The declaration, capping more than 20 years of debate at the United Nations, also recognizes the right of indigenous peoples to self-determination and sets global human rights standards for them.

It states that native peoples have the right "to the recognition, observance and enforcement of treaties" concluded with states or their successors.

Indigenous peoples say their lands and territories are endangered by such threats as mineral extraction, logging, environmental contamination, privatization and development projects, classification of lands as protected areas or game reserves and use of genetically modified seeds and technology.

Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, the Philippine chair of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, joined UN chief Ban Ki-moon in hailing the vote.

"It marks a major victory for Indigenous peoples," said Tauli-Corpuz, adding that the document "sets the minimum international standards for the protection and promotion of the rights" of native peoples.

But Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the United States, countries with sizable indigenous populations, expressed disappointment with the text.

They said they could not support it because of their concerns over provisions on self-determination, land and resources rights and giving indigenous peoples a right of veto over national legislation and state management of resources.

"Unfortunately, the provisions in the Declaration on lands, territories and resources are overly broad, unclear, and capable of a wide variety of interpretations, discounting the need to recognize a range of rights over land and possibly putting into question matters that have been settled by treaty," Canada's UN Ambassador John McNee told the assembly.

Among contentious issues was one article saying "states shall give legal recognition and protection" to lands, territories and resources traditionally "owned, occupied or otherwise used or acquired" by indigenous peoples.

Another bone of contention was an article upholding native peoples' right to "redress by means that can include restitution or when not possible just, fair and equitable compensation, for their lands and resources "which have been confiscated, taken, occupied, used or damaged without their free, prior ad informed consent".

Opponents also objected to one provision requiring states "to consult and cooperate in good faith with the indigenous peoples ...to obtain their free and informed consent prior to the approval of any project affecting their lands or territories and other resources, particularly in connection with the development, utilization or exploitation of mineral, water or other resources."

Indigenous advocates note that most of the world's remaining natural resources - minerals, freshwater, potential energy sources - are found within indigenous peoples' territories.

A leader of Canada's native community, Phil Fontaine, slammed his government's stance.

"We're very disappointed with Canada's opposition to the declaration on indigenous peoples," said Fontaine, leader of Assembly of First Nations, who came to New York to lobby for adoption of the text.

Canada's indigenous population is about 1.3 million people, out of a total population of 32.7 million.

Adoption of the declaration by the assembly had been deferred late last year at the behest of African countries led by Namibia, which raised objections about language on self-determination and the definition of "indigenous" people.

The Africans were won over after co-sponsors amended an article to read that "nothing in the declaration may be ...construed as authorizing or encouraging any action which would dismember or impair, totally or in part, the territorial integrity or political unity of sovereign and independent states."

The declaration was endorsed by the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council last year.

Source: truthout.org.

By Gerard Aziakou, AFP--13/09/2007

Painting: Khadija Hassi Labiad. Watercolor, Bouba.

13 September 2007

Tamazight Studies project


Finally a department of Tamazight is going to shoof (see) the light.
A small department at the University of Ibn Zohr in Agadir.
This is a dream for a lot of Amazigh students and Intellectuals. The Moroccan department of Ed and IRCAM are the two institutions that might provide the oversight.
According to the official speak, this is part of a bigger project aiming at “integration of Tamazight in the Moroccan national education system". The Amazigh dept is going to be neighbors with Arabic, French, English, history and geography and the famous department of Islamic Studies.
The theory behind creating this department practically is to solve the immediate needs for Amazigh professionals in the field of education. It also seems that a four year experience of teaching Tamazight in elementary schools did not meet the great expectations of many people although there is no real evaluations of this project.
My friends who are school teachers always complained about the need for more trainings. They are not really given anytime to teach. 45 minutes a week in not enough. However, more kids now read and write in Tamazight than some older people who never had a chance to study it. ( illiteracy !?)
A wide majority of people speak 'about' Tamazight in other languages like French and English (which I am doing here right now !!) but there are also great Amazigh brains out there that can do a lot for their culture and language. some of them have joined IRCAM for that purpose and I am sure more are going to join the University if they are not there already. scattered in other departments.
The kind of research that has been done before was a little awkward. Amazigh linguistics, for instance, happens in every department. People write in every language except in Tamazight. Now it is time. three years, six semester and a lot of papers to get a ‘License’ (BA) then a year for a Metrise then gradate studies, which we are not yet talking about.
The stone that Tamazight officials are standing on right now is the support of the Moroccan king himself. IRCAM runs on a budget drawn from the king’s personal money. And this is what most Amazigh activists find shwiya iffy. Now Ibn Zohe has a department and it looks like this is what people were fighting for a really long time….
We will wait and see how this is going to unfold.
On the way there we are not talking about "autonomist inclinations". ! Azul.


(photo ref souss.com)

12 September 2007

Breaking News: Tamazight

>>>>Tamazight at the university of Agadir.
A new department opened finally at the School of Letters andHumanities at Ibn Zohr University.
Read more. more in souss.com (Fr)

11 September 2007

One Question Interview with Eatbees:


I tried to gather some courage for this question for ‘almost’ a year now to ask Eatbees if there is a story behind the name he has chosen for his blog. Now I did it. but first, I found out about Eatbees last October. I g****ed Morocco blogs. Followed some blue links. A first post came up… like this:

“I’m writing to you from Asheville, North Carolina. This blog will deal with politics, religion and culture, and the intersections among the three. The hidden fourth subject is technology, because that is what enables us to communicate in this way.” (Sept 10, 06)


After a while I thought.. this is a different blog.. . I realized that Eatbees pulls out all the meanings attached to words like democracy, Human rights, morocco, Iran, technology, photography… and engages his readers in a deep reflective and intellectual effort round them. He is still crafting his words carefully sharing the passion and love for countries like Morocco.. in attempt to rebuild the puzzles of culture and socio-economics without getting trapped in the usual paradigms of western academic superiority.

“In fact, the reason I write a blog is because I want to communicate with other people in order to learn from them!
At first I was timid to share my feelings about Morocco if I thought they were controversial, because I was afraid the "real" Moroccans might say, "Who are you anyway to be giving your opinion? You don't understand anything about this." But no one reacted that way, so I've become more sure of myself over time because the rest of you are helping me out!

How did “Eatbees” become name or a title for your blog?

This isn't the first time I've been asked this. The fact is, the name "eatbees" has been around a lot longer than the blog. Originally, eatbees.com was a collective website with a few friends, and when we started it, I asked them all for ideas for the name. Our favorite was dontblink.com, but that was already taken, so we settled on eatbees.com as our second choice. I'm the one who thought of it, and I'm not sure where it came from. I was looking for a name people wouldn't forget easily.
It's true that I love bees and see them as a model for many good qualities, such as industriousness and working together. I've read that bees were a symbol of wisdom in the ancient Middle East. They are vital for agriculture, and Einstein once said that if bees ever disappeared from the Earth, humans would have only four years left to live! I have a fantasy of raising bees as an old man, maybe in Chefchaouen. They produce honey which is good for the health, but when you want to eat it, sometimes the bees get in the way. Maybe that's where the name "eatbees" comes from. If you want to taste the honey, you've got to feel the sting!

Shoukran Eatbees.

Best Eatbees Clickables:
Eatbees earned the award of Thinking Bloggers.
Browse www.eatbees.com for more writings and photos.
The photo project Morocco, a Cruel Country
eatbees blog header photo. All the picture. (Bees on glass, the whole glass)


Favorite Eatbees quote (one of)

“To understand Morocco, it is necessary to spend time in bus stations at strange hours of the night.”
( from half-crazy desperations)

10 September 2007

Meknes for example...

I heard the sigh ( and e-sigh) of relief after the election results from almost every one I know ...
May be people are losing trust in the big heads. Meknassi people, for instance,
have not voted for Ssi Mohamed Al Achaari, the present minister of Cultural Affairs. known as one of the Moroccan intellectuals, poets...etc. Born in moulay Idriss Zarhoune (shay llah). He was president of the Moroccan Writers Union for a very long time. Amazigh writers and journalists know him very well (insert). He lost his seat in the parliament where he “sat” for two terms representing the communities of Zarhoune for a two terms.
The other person is Nouzha Chakrouni (bio, Fr). Who does not know here. Very nice women. Moved on the Moroccan cabinet from minister in charge of cooperation, social affairs and disabilities to Moroccan Community Living Abroad, MRE. People did not vote for her.. wili hshouma, lalla Nesha looses her seat.
“I feel for her, meskina.” said Café-man in a phone conversation today. “She is the most drifa person in the whole cabinet. At least she was very approachable during the election campaign. She talked to every one. Well all of them do that and you never see them again, ever after.”
She was a
devout USFP “activist” head of the Meknes list. One of the strongest women in the Moroccan government. She had not been very successful in putting the MRE council to work although she had been traveling all over the place… (at the expenses of Moroccan tax payers). She really wanted to continue doing her politics… but no luck.
Lmuhim,
the surprises were great and again we think it is a great time for change. But in my opinions nothing really is going to move as long as more than 60% of Moroccans are saying: “ la 3afek, I do not want to vote and I do not want to talk about it”.
This is the word.

06 September 2007

What is New in 2007 elections.

Abdelhay Moudden ,political science professor at MoV university,
answers questions of differences and proximity for aljazeera.
what's new in the 2007 elections?



03 September 2007

Amarg Fusion: the music


a break from lpolitka !!
this is a real great Amazigh music . the song 'Sawel a Rrays' is a real gift.
I will post more links if people are interested.
good luck every one.
(Mouss, Tanemirt atas. Tudert i tmazight)

01 September 2007

One day after the Blog day:


These are.. the blogs I found very lately. One word they all share: We can talk about it.
1- Red jenny: On indigenous peoples. very nice and pleasant to read.
2-Desert Rock blog: “Remember, we still live in the shadow of Enron”, issues of water and displacement.
3-Tusna Inw: Again what happens when you write about it..
4-Blog des hommes libres: Blogging the Imazighen.
5-The Mostly Water Collective is an autonomous body based in "Canada". Our purpose is to aid in the creation of a free society, a world with freedom of expression and freedom from want, a world without oppression, where power is shared equally. We do this by providing communication resources to allies engaged in struggles against capitalism and other forms of oppression.

These guys do not afford the time to be “snarky” about it.. the intellectual luxury of verbiage and lhedra lkhawya.

Imazighen Bycott L'vot

Students and Amazigh activists call for boycotting September 7th elections in Morocco; protesting against the gov’s detaining Amazigh students in Universities of Errachidia, Meknes, taza, Agadir... And also protesting against the “economic embargo” the Moroccan regime forced on the South East region.(this is on the Goulmima side)
For Imazighen this is more then just a protest..
It does not make any sense to vote in a structure that does not recognize you as a voter. What I mean by that is there is difference between voting and offering your vote to further ignore you. Fhemti?
There is a feeling among some of Moroccans that if you do not vote, you are ‘throwing your voice away’ instead of using it ‘to make a change’ which is totally true for those who know their voice is going to be heard.

This might sound cynical and too nihilistic for those who can not think outside the box, i mean a Bernsteinian box, but voting or not voting makes no difference as long as the Moroccan constitution is still the same. This is a constitution that does not recognize the Amazigh people’s rights. This is not a simple question of social identity or “diversity”, as some people like to call it, This is a question of universal right to exist in your language, cultural Identity, land…etc.

The Moroccan government is still denying people the right to have Amazigh names for their kids. Well it is the same government that is privatizing water and forests, selling public companies and lands to international corporations, and doing all sorts of things to oppress people.
That is why a lot of Imazighen want constitutional reforms first. They want a constitution that would cover their political action when “politics hot the fan” and therefore they are speaking against cheep rhetorics of the government as in “your vote is your voice”.
That what the boycott means. It also means that ma lot of people are saying: “no thank you, I pass…”






From amazigh.org