Introducing the Baraclava; Eat your heart out Shepard Fairey

Nadir Gullu, chef and baklava master of Karakoy Gulluoglu, shows off his portrait of President Obama made of baklava, also known as the Baracklava.

Turks rejoiced when Barack Obama was elected president last November, and he remains a popular figure in predominantly Muslim Turkey. But sentiment has been mixed in Istanbul, as the president winds up his European trip there this weekend.

It’s Obama’s first visit to a Muslim country since his election and perhaps the sweetest expression of Turkey’s attitude toward Obama comes from Istanbul’s famed bakery, Karakoy Gulluoglu. Bakers there have created a portrait of the president out of baklava. Owner Nadir Gullu said it took five chefs working for two days straight to create the pastry portrait, which they’ve taken to calling — yes — Baracklava.

Source: npr.org

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Danny Boyle, on why we need art in the Congo as well as peace

Children's Paintings, Ameema, DRC - War Child, UK

Danny Boyle, the director of the Oscar winning movie, Slumdog Millionaire writes on how the arts should play a vital role in post-conflict relief for coping with and expressing individual trauma.

Why the Congo needs art as well as food | Danny Boyle – Times Online

For children – and for many adults – art plays a vital role in helping them to express feelings and difficulties that they aren’t otherwise able to articulate. Its importance is never greater than in post-conflict conditions. Of course, water, food, and first aid are essential during a crisis, but none of these things can restore human dignity to a person dying from disease or help a rape victim to cope with their outrage.

To suggest that the only things that maintain our humanity are those that serve our biological needs seems to me palpably incorrect. We are not just what we eat. We are also what we feel, what we fear, what we love and what we hate. Unexpressed tensions find their strength in violence.

For children in conflict nations, “art is not an adjunct to life but can transform it. It has an educative, restorative, reorienting power, not despite but precisely because of their desperate circumstances”, Danny suggests.

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Papal fatigue in Africa

Many of the crowd simply made their own outfits

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The ‘dusty foot philosopher’ makes waves again

Somalia-raised, Toronto-based rapper K’naan thinks like Bob Marley, flows like Eminem and mixes African music with conscious hip-hop, unabashed pop and even metal. The results are usually catchy and interesting – Rolling Stone, Feb 5, 2009

Along with his mother and his brother, 13-year-old Keinan Warsame left Somalia on the last commercial flight from Mogadishu to join his father in New York; the family settled in Toronto’s “Little Somalia” shortly thereafter. K’naan has been speaking out publicly about his country’s plight since 2001. Recently he joined Youssou N’Dour, to appear on his album of “refugee voices,” Building Bridges, and a subsequent tour.

K’naan’s Troubadour hits stores on Tuesday, Feb. 23. Check out “Bang Bang” by K’Naan free on iTunes this week. http://urlbrief.com/f7aef1

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On why Obama’s win matters to Africa and what the continent expects from America

Today in the Daily Nation, Kenya’s premier newsprint, there is a beautifully written article on Obama’s win, what it means to the country that gives him his last name, and what Africa expects from an Obama-Biden administration.

On what Africa expects from the United States:

Africa does not expect alms from the United States now that an African-America is soon to be sworn in as its president.

That was not the point of the overwhelming goodwill and support that the continent lent to President-elect Barack Obama in his audacious, and wildly successful, fight for the most powerful office on the planet.

Kenya is proud of Mr Obama, his almost unimaginable achievement, and just like he has inspired tens of millions of Americans, we too shall draw inspiration from his example.

On what Barack Obama’s win means for Africa:

His victory provides evidential justification for disadvantaged minorities and people of color to reassure their children that they too can rise above the limitations of their station, the sins of their parents, and the disadvantages of their circumstances.

And it is a lesson to every African father to create the right conditions for their children, to not allow the limitations of their own vision to be a hindrance to the aspirations of their offspring.

To Africa and the entire black race, Mr Obama is the vindication of our humanity.

and On Africa’s hope for Barack:

Africa hopes Mr Obama realizes that access to opportunities is not a preserve of Americans. While protecting America’s prosperity, he must have something to say about fair trade, particularly for Africa.

The earth is dying, poisoned by the avarice of man. Those who profit from the poisoning will not even acknowledge that their activities pose a danger to humanity.

Africa expects Mr Obama to add his voice to those cautioning that we shouldn’t live just for today but must take care of tomorrow too.

What just happed in America on Nov 4th, 2008 with Obama’s win

These pictures were were taken at the election eve rally at the Prince William Fairgrounds in Prince William county, a few hundred yards from the city limits of Manassas, Virginia, November 3, 2008.

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Le Tour du Faso, Burkina Faso

BBC NEWS: Sierra Leone's Mohamed Thorley rides past spectators during the third stage of the 22nd Tour du Faso, a major African cycling event, which has been taking place in Burkina Faso this week. Photo: Christophe Ena/AP

What’s fascinating about this contest is that twelve of the 18 national teams are from the continent and the race is run by the organizers of the Tour de France. Oh, and in case you are wondering Burkinabes have won 10 of the past 19 Tours.

More than 100 cyclists from around the world are pedaling their why across Burkina Faso this week in the 20th annual Tour de Faso. Burkinabes are passionate for the event.

In the capital Ouagadougou, police try to hold back excited crowds as cyclists enter the city.

After the races speed by, one spectator says it was a thrill to see the caravan. He says he was not able to catch it on television, so he went to see it in person.

The Tour de Faso is Africa’s premier cycling event.

source: Cyclists Converge on Burkina Faso for Tour de Faso Competition

The Stages

Don’t Vote …

Leonardo DiCaprio
Tom Cruise
Cameron Diaz
Snoop Dogg
Harrison Ford
Julia Roberts
Ben Stiller
Will Smith
Steven Spielberg
Justin Timberlake
Sacha Baron Cohen as Borat
Zach Braff
Colin Farrell
Neil Patrick Harris
Scarlett Johansson
Shia LeBeouf
Tobey Maguire
Ryan Reynolds
Jason Segal

…. encourage you to vote

These public service announcements to encourage American youth to vote were created in partnership with Google, YouTube, Declare Yourself, and MySpace. The non-partisan PSAs, produced by DiCaprios Appian Way, were created to engage and inspire young people to vote and participate in the upcoming election.

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Calvin and Hobbes on War

more ..

On Victory Gardens in San Francisco and what’s wrong with the American Green Movement

When I first read about San Francisco’s Victory Garden, I was elated. Victory gardens were first planted in North America during World War I and World War II to reduce the pressure on the public food supply brought on by the war effort. In addition to indirectly aiding the war effort these gardens were also considered a civic morale booster where community gardeners could feel empowered by their contribution of labor and rewarded by the produce grown.

San Francisco’s Victory garden was started this summer in front of the City Hall as part of the privately sponsored “Slow Food Nation” festival. Once the food fest ended in late August, however, the mayor decided to keep the garden going as part of his drive to turn the Civic Center into a model of green sustainability.

Here is where dear ol’ Gavin Newsom lost the plot:

Pricey security’s at S.F. ‘Victory Garden’

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom is paying thousands of dollars a week in city money for private security guards to play scarecrow over the “Victory Garden” growing in Civic Center Plaza.

Only in this case, it’s not birds that are being shooed away, but the homeless people and the drunks who drift into the plaza once the sun goes down.

The garden is a collection of veggies and herbs planted over the summer as part of the privately sponsored “Slow Food Nation” festival. At first, it was protected at night by volunteers.

It’s amazing how quick we are to adopt “models of sustainability” but fail to encourage the community to build upon the initiative. Rather than spend thousands to keep the homeless away, the city should encourage all residents of that neighborhood, including the homeless to adopt the gardens. It has been done before in places like inner city Detroit an Kibera in Kenya. Detroit’s gardens have no fences and greed has not been a problem as people take only what they need; many of the regular gardeners come from rehabilitation programs linked to the county jail; and offenders say they have earned self-respect, as well as local thanks, for literally doing the spade-work.

I had the privilege to work a block away from the San Francisco City hall for 3 good years; I have known some of the less fortunate who line those streets; and have seen them struggle to maintain the little dignity they can salvage in these harsh streets — I appreciate all that the Mayor’s office has done to highlight their plight but when it comes to the victory gardens, Newsom needs to rethink his stance.

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