15 octobre 2007
31 août 2007
05 juillet 2007
Citizenship: Europe goes... EUTUBE !
When the European Union opened its own video-site in YouTube, named EUTube, nobody could foresee that the site would register more than twenty thousand visits per day.
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However, videos on the agricultural politics of the EU and on road security are hardly seen, yet a clip with erotic scenes cut from several European films have become a huge success. Entitled "Film Lovers Will Love This", the video shows parts of European films with images of couples having sexual relations.
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Some consider the video celebrates European cinema, others more critical consider it "ponographic". As did british member of the European Parliament, Chris Heaton-Harris, who has affirmed to the BBC that the European Commission is wasting taxpayers money. "To show 44 seconds of soft porn in the Internet is not a brilliant form of improving the image of the European Commission", he considered. Expectedly, critics from Poland were even more severe. A member of the League of the Polish Families party has accused the EU Commission of using "immoral methods" to promote itself. European Commission spokesman Martin Selmayr said to the BBC that a wave of claims had come from Poland, in particular on one scene of the video. Polish conservatives allege that it is immoral to include a sex scene between two men, but the Commission does not comment on whether there is such a scene in the film. Irritated with what he called "an almost religious attack on the important cultural diversity within the European Union", Selmayr affirmed that the sex scenes come from films which have received awards, and that the Commission is proud of its rich cinematographic heritage. "The European Union is not a stronghold of bible readers, we believe in liberty of speech and in artistic creativity", the EU Commission spokesman added. In the launching of the video, last friday, the vice-president of the Commission, Mrs Margot Wallstrom, said: "It is very important for the Commission to be able to use all the possible means available, to communicate with European citizens".
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You can also watch another nice movie entitled "Joy" or another less glamourous yet frightening on climate change. Or this one.
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However, videos on the agricultural politics of the EU and on road security are hardly seen, yet a clip with erotic scenes cut from several European films have become a huge success. Entitled "Film Lovers Will Love This", the video shows parts of European films with images of couples having sexual relations.
.
Some consider the video celebrates European cinema, others more critical consider it "ponographic". As did british member of the European Parliament, Chris Heaton-Harris, who has affirmed to the BBC that the European Commission is wasting taxpayers money. "To show 44 seconds of soft porn in the Internet is not a brilliant form of improving the image of the European Commission", he considered. Expectedly, critics from Poland were even more severe. A member of the League of the Polish Families party has accused the EU Commission of using "immoral methods" to promote itself. European Commission spokesman Martin Selmayr said to the BBC that a wave of claims had come from Poland, in particular on one scene of the video. Polish conservatives allege that it is immoral to include a sex scene between two men, but the Commission does not comment on whether there is such a scene in the film. Irritated with what he called "an almost religious attack on the important cultural diversity within the European Union", Selmayr affirmed that the sex scenes come from films which have received awards, and that the Commission is proud of its rich cinematographic heritage. "The European Union is not a stronghold of bible readers, we believe in liberty of speech and in artistic creativity", the EU Commission spokesman added. In the launching of the video, last friday, the vice-president of the Commission, Mrs Margot Wallstrom, said: "It is very important for the Commission to be able to use all the possible means available, to communicate with European citizens".
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You can also watch another nice movie entitled "Joy" or another less glamourous yet frightening on climate change. Or this one.
Politics: What has Europe done for us?
Regional policy is undoubtedly among the main achievements of the European Union. It is one of the EU's achievements presented in the new ‘Speak Up Europe’ campaign which was launched in February 2007 by the international organisation European Movement with the support of the European Commission.
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Central to the campaign is an animation based on an excerpt from the Monty Python Life of Brian film. The animation What has Europe ever done for us? is combined with a series of around 300 local, national and/or European events across the EU. The aim is to offer a complete debating experience to a large number of EU citizens, in particular those which aremore 'euro-sceptical'.
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If you have any doubts about what the European Union has achieved, whatch this video.
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Central to the campaign is an animation based on an excerpt from the Monty Python Life of Brian film. The animation What has Europe ever done for us? is combined with a series of around 300 local, national and/or European events across the EU. The aim is to offer a complete debating experience to a large number of EU citizens, in particular those which aremore 'euro-sceptical'.
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If you have any doubts about what the European Union has achieved, whatch this video.
11 juin 2007
Lifestyle: another weekend on planet Earth
Another boring weekend in Brussels… grey skies, depressing weather, boring city. And yet quite a lot has happened. Not only here, throughout the world.
Not far from here, in Paris, at Roland Garros, the usual suspects won again (the glacial Justine Henin in a super fast match and the tennis machine Nadal, for the third time in a row, a muscled but passionless match).
At the same time, still in Europe, Mr Bush visited Albania, first visit of an american president to that country. That was a clear support to the independence of Kosovo, against the will of Serbia, which counts with the support of Russia. George Bush rejected in Tirana a “dialogue without ending” as regards the future of Kosovo and indicated that he was ready to support Kosovo’s independence even without the agreement of Russia. As a way of convincing Serbia, he indicated that Serbia could join the European Union. Amazing, since when does he decide what happens with the EU ?
In th emeantime, the big leaders of the G8 were meeting. At least they were nice enough to invite the leaders of some emerging powers, like Brasil, Mexico, South Africa India and China. But what about the poor powers, like Mali, Burkina Fasso, Bolivia, Mozambique or Vietnam? Shouldn't these issues be debated in the United Nations? Does the world need a G8, or G200?
Entre-temps, élections législatives en Belgique. Le pays tourne très nettement à droite. La coalition violette entre libéraux flamands et socialistes est finie. Au niveau fédéral belge la droite gagne bien, avec les trois premiers partis tous de droite, représentant 42,5% des votes. Les socialistes n’arrivent qu’après, 22% entre les deux socialistes, flamands et francophones… Le CD&V (chrétiens démocrates flamands) arrive comme prévu en tête des élections, avec 31 % des voix en Flandres( 28% en Belgique). Yves Leterme (son chef) a plaidé pour "Plus de sécurité, plus de justice et une réforme de l'Etat moderne, c'étaient les objectifs de notre programme et dès demain ce sera notre fil conducteur". On voit quelles sont les préoccupations de ce parti. La principale est l’indépendance de la Flandres ou au moins plus de pouvoir pour les régions fédérales. Leterme (tiens, un nom d'origine francophone) pourrait être le prochain (jeune, il a seulement 46 ans) Premier ministre belge, mais faut il attendre beaucoup de quelqu’un qui dit que les wallons (les habitants francophones du sud du pays) n’ont pas la capacité intellectuelle d’apprendre le flamand?
Le Vlaams Belang (parti d’extrême droite fasciste flamand) est maintenant le deuxième parti en Flandres avec 19% des votes! (et le troisième parti en Belgique, avec 12%). En même temps, les socialistes du nord et du sud sont en clair recul. En Wallonie le Parti Socialiste (PS) gagne encore avec 33% mais perd beaucoup de votes. Le parti Ecolo (verts) est en nette progression avec 10,5%. A Bruxelles, le MR (droite) gagne avec 23% et le PS arrive deuxième avec 14%. Mais même le Vlaams Belang y a pu obtenir 9,7% des votes (!), ce qui veut dire qu’une partie significative de la population flamandophone de Bruxelles a voté pour les fascistes. Mal, très mal. Bon résultat aussi à Bruxelles pour Ecolo (plus de 8%, en nette progression). Pas de quoi se réjouir, les élections belges. Il faut expliquer, pour les innocents, que dans ce pays (?) il n’y a pas de partis à niveau fédéral, mais qu’il y a des partis flamands et des partis francophones. Et oui, ils n'ont écrit leurs programmes que dans une seule langue. Au fait les langues, dans ce pays, au lieu de servir d’instrument de communication, servent souvent de facteur de ségrégation.
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A coté, en France, élections aussi pour l’assemblée Nationale (Parlement). Importante abstention, cette fois. Après la grande victoire de Nicolas Sarkozy dans les présidentielles, le parti de droite UMP du président est arrivé très largement en tête du 1er tour des législatives et devrait détenir une écrasante majorité à l'Assemblée, selon les instituts de sondages (faudra encore attendre le deuxième tour dans une semaine). En France on n'a pas un système proportionnel, si les candidats n'arrivent pas à obtenir 50% des votes au premier tour (25% de votes), il devront aller à un deuxième tour, qui aura lieu dans une semaine, le 17 juin.
L'UMP (droite) et ses alliés auront obtenu entre 45,6 et 46,4% des voix et devrait détenir entre 400 et plus de 500 des 577 sièges de l’Assemblée. Les socialistes (PS) n’auront qu’entre 35,6 et 35,7%, selon les sondages. Ils n'auraient qu’entre 69 et 170 sièges, très peu par rapport aux (déjà limités) 149 sièges actuelles. Le parti de Bayrou (Modem) par contre, n'a pas réussi un grand exploit, comme lors des présidentielles.
Le Premier Ministre, M. François Fillon, a indique que les électeurs veulent "donner un cap à la France". Il faut dire que ceci est difficile à avaler. Il semblerait que les électeurs ont une mémoire courte, puisque c’était justement ce parti qui était au pouvoir en France, lors des dernières années, et M. Sarkozy aussi, faisait depuis longtemps parti du même gouvernement. En plus il fau dire que depuis 1978 que le meme parti n’était pas reconduit dans le pouvoir en France. Alors je me demande comment peut ont appeler cette victoire un "cap"… Bien sur, Sarkozy y est pour beaucoup, avec une stratégie politique très intelligente, les résultats le démontrent, mais sera cette concentration de pouvoirs autour d’un seul homme positive, à la longue? On en reparlera dans quatre ans.
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On 10 June, the national day and of the Portuguese communities around the world was celebrated in Portugal. In Setúbal, military chars paraded and the president Cavaco Silva made a (boring) speech about the recent changes in the Portuguese armed forces, which were reduced from 300,000 man some 25 years ago to some 40,000 nowadays (now only professional). But why do we still have military parades on the national holiday? Aren’t there more interesting things to do? Other activities, speeches, something more creative? Or is it just an unavoidable formality?
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Something cultural as well… In Lisbon, the Book Fair in Park Edward VII ended and it seems that book sales increased between 30 and 50% from last year. Is this a sign that the economic chrisis is over? Or did the “alfacinhas” (Lisbon inhabitants) feel a sudden urge to read books?
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And in Venice, Italy, the 52nd Biennale opened to the public this weekend. It is the world's oldest and highest-profile international art exhibition, is to in northern Italy.
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Finally, Daniel Ortega, the president of Nicaragua, asked for a new world economic order which replaces capitalism and liberalism. He was in Iran, looking for support and investments for agriculture in his country. I agree with him, but maybe not in the same way. In any case, Chaves and Ahmadinedjad get a new ally in their crusade against Bush and the US.
Et voilà pour un weekend très animé… hélas pas ici.
<
Not far from here, in Paris, at Roland Garros, the usual suspects won again (the glacial Justine Henin in a super fast match and the tennis machine Nadal, for the third time in a row, a muscled but passionless match).
At the same time, still in Europe, Mr Bush visited Albania, first visit of an american president to that country. That was a clear support to the independence of Kosovo, against the will of Serbia, which counts with the support of Russia. George Bush rejected in Tirana a “dialogue without ending” as regards the future of Kosovo and indicated that he was ready to support Kosovo’s independence even without the agreement of Russia. As a way of convincing Serbia, he indicated that Serbia could join the European Union. Amazing, since when does he decide what happens with the EU ?
In th emeantime, the big leaders of the G8 were meeting. At least they were nice enough to invite the leaders of some emerging powers, like Brasil, Mexico, South Africa India and China. But what about the poor powers, like Mali, Burkina Fasso, Bolivia, Mozambique or Vietnam? Shouldn't these issues be debated in the United Nations? Does the world need a G8, or G200?
Entre-temps, élections législatives en Belgique. Le pays tourne très nettement à droite. La coalition violette entre libéraux flamands et socialistes est finie. Au niveau fédéral belge la droite gagne bien, avec les trois premiers partis tous de droite, représentant 42,5% des votes. Les socialistes n’arrivent qu’après, 22% entre les deux socialistes, flamands et francophones… Le CD&V (chrétiens démocrates flamands) arrive comme prévu en tête des élections, avec 31 % des voix en Flandres( 28% en Belgique). Yves Leterme (son chef) a plaidé pour "Plus de sécurité, plus de justice et une réforme de l'Etat moderne, c'étaient les objectifs de notre programme et dès demain ce sera notre fil conducteur". On voit quelles sont les préoccupations de ce parti. La principale est l’indépendance de la Flandres ou au moins plus de pouvoir pour les régions fédérales. Leterme (tiens, un nom d'origine francophone) pourrait être le prochain (jeune, il a seulement 46 ans) Premier ministre belge, mais faut il attendre beaucoup de quelqu’un qui dit que les wallons (les habitants francophones du sud du pays) n’ont pas la capacité intellectuelle d’apprendre le flamand?
Le Vlaams Belang (parti d’extrême droite fasciste flamand) est maintenant le deuxième parti en Flandres avec 19% des votes! (et le troisième parti en Belgique, avec 12%). En même temps, les socialistes du nord et du sud sont en clair recul. En Wallonie le Parti Socialiste (PS) gagne encore avec 33% mais perd beaucoup de votes. Le parti Ecolo (verts) est en nette progression avec 10,5%. A Bruxelles, le MR (droite) gagne avec 23% et le PS arrive deuxième avec 14%. Mais même le Vlaams Belang y a pu obtenir 9,7% des votes (!), ce qui veut dire qu’une partie significative de la population flamandophone de Bruxelles a voté pour les fascistes. Mal, très mal. Bon résultat aussi à Bruxelles pour Ecolo (plus de 8%, en nette progression). Pas de quoi se réjouir, les élections belges. Il faut expliquer, pour les innocents, que dans ce pays (?) il n’y a pas de partis à niveau fédéral, mais qu’il y a des partis flamands et des partis francophones. Et oui, ils n'ont écrit leurs programmes que dans une seule langue. Au fait les langues, dans ce pays, au lieu de servir d’instrument de communication, servent souvent de facteur de ségrégation.
.
A coté, en France, élections aussi pour l’assemblée Nationale (Parlement). Importante abstention, cette fois. Après la grande victoire de Nicolas Sarkozy dans les présidentielles, le parti de droite UMP du président est arrivé très largement en tête du 1er tour des législatives et devrait détenir une écrasante majorité à l'Assemblée, selon les instituts de sondages (faudra encore attendre le deuxième tour dans une semaine). En France on n'a pas un système proportionnel, si les candidats n'arrivent pas à obtenir 50% des votes au premier tour (25% de votes), il devront aller à un deuxième tour, qui aura lieu dans une semaine, le 17 juin.
L'UMP (droite) et ses alliés auront obtenu entre 45,6 et 46,4% des voix et devrait détenir entre 400 et plus de 500 des 577 sièges de l’Assemblée. Les socialistes (PS) n’auront qu’entre 35,6 et 35,7%, selon les sondages. Ils n'auraient qu’entre 69 et 170 sièges, très peu par rapport aux (déjà limités) 149 sièges actuelles. Le parti de Bayrou (Modem) par contre, n'a pas réussi un grand exploit, comme lors des présidentielles.
Le Premier Ministre, M. François Fillon, a indique que les électeurs veulent "donner un cap à la France". Il faut dire que ceci est difficile à avaler. Il semblerait que les électeurs ont une mémoire courte, puisque c’était justement ce parti qui était au pouvoir en France, lors des dernières années, et M. Sarkozy aussi, faisait depuis longtemps parti du même gouvernement. En plus il fau dire que depuis 1978 que le meme parti n’était pas reconduit dans le pouvoir en France. Alors je me demande comment peut ont appeler cette victoire un "cap"… Bien sur, Sarkozy y est pour beaucoup, avec une stratégie politique très intelligente, les résultats le démontrent, mais sera cette concentration de pouvoirs autour d’un seul homme positive, à la longue? On en reparlera dans quatre ans.
.
On 10 June, the national day and of the Portuguese communities around the world was celebrated in Portugal. In Setúbal, military chars paraded and the president Cavaco Silva made a (boring) speech about the recent changes in the Portuguese armed forces, which were reduced from 300,000 man some 25 years ago to some 40,000 nowadays (now only professional). But why do we still have military parades on the national holiday? Aren’t there more interesting things to do? Other activities, speeches, something more creative? Or is it just an unavoidable formality?
.
Something cultural as well… In Lisbon, the Book Fair in Park Edward VII ended and it seems that book sales increased between 30 and 50% from last year. Is this a sign that the economic chrisis is over? Or did the “alfacinhas” (Lisbon inhabitants) feel a sudden urge to read books?
.
And in Venice, Italy, the 52nd Biennale opened to the public this weekend. It is the world's oldest and highest-profile international art exhibition, is to in northern Italy.
.
Finally, Daniel Ortega, the president of Nicaragua, asked for a new world economic order which replaces capitalism and liberalism. He was in Iran, looking for support and investments for agriculture in his country. I agree with him, but maybe not in the same way. In any case, Chaves and Ahmadinedjad get a new ally in their crusade against Bush and the US.
Et voilà pour un weekend très animé… hélas pas ici.
<
05 juin 2007
01 juin 2007
Musique: Statik Dancin' in Bruxelles
Bruxelles prouve bien être bien intégrée dans la scène clubbing electro européenne avec les soirées STATIK DANCIN' proposées par le DJ DARKO. Et n'oublions pas non plus les soirées DIRTY DANCING @ Mirano et les (maintenant finies...) soirées CATCLUB avec Lady Jane (dommage)
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Ce samedi 2 juin Statik Dancin @ RECYCLART nous amène le DJ et musicien allemand SUPERPITCHER (qui ne se rappelle pas de "Baby's on fire"?) et la chanteuse et productrice berlinoise MIA du label Sub static (présentation live qui fait partie de son TOUR MIA "BITTERSÜSS" TOUR 2007 ). Et bien sur il y aura aussi DJ DARKO aux platines.
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who wants to join?
31 mai 2007
Development: The Global Peace Index and Sustainability
In a new global ranking of the world's most peaceful countries, published yesterday, Portugal ranked 9th. European countries are majority in the group of the ten most peaceful and safe countries. The list is led by the 'usual suspects' in the statistics, first comes Norway, together with the Scandinavian countries with Ireland, New Zealand, Japan and Canada. Belgium comes at 11, Spain at 21, Italy at 33 and France at 34. The U.S. ranks at 96, just beating out Iran which came in at 97. Iraq understandably appears in the last position (121), while Sudan, Israel, Russia, Nigeria, Colombia, Pakistan, Lebanon, Ivory Coast and Angola complete the list of the ten last. Some countries were noticeably absent from the list, namely Afghanistan and North Korea. That was due to the inability to get data.
The Global Peace Index, was elaborated by Australian philanthropist Steve Killelea for the Economist Intelligence Unit, part of British magazine “The Economist”. A team of international peace experts also provided valuable input, including HH Dalai Lama, President James Carter, Sir Richard Branson and Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
"The objective of the Global Peace Index was to go beyond a crude measure of wars by systemically exploring the texture of peace," said Global Peace Index President Clyde McConaghy. He considered that the effort proves "peace can and has and will continue to be measured."
The Global Peace Index, was elaborated by Australian philanthropist Steve Killelea for the Economist Intelligence Unit, part of British magazine “The Economist”. A team of international peace experts also provided valuable input, including HH Dalai Lama, President James Carter, Sir Richard Branson and Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
"The objective of the Global Peace Index was to go beyond a crude measure of wars by systemically exploring the texture of peace," said Global Peace Index President Clyde McConaghy. He considered that the effort proves "peace can and has and will continue to be measured."
The index has been tested against a range of potential 'drivers' or determinants of peace - including levels of democracy and transparency, education and material wellbeing. The index table was calculated on the basis of 24 factors, which were weighted by the importance the analysts attached to them, included the levels of violence and of organized crime, the number of internal and external conflicts fought between 2000 to 2005; the number of deaths from organized internal conflict; the number of homicides, jailed people, internal security personnel, and military expenditure per 100,000 people of the population. The income level of the citizens and the education level are also important factors to determine the position of each country in this 'ranking'.
For more information on the Global Peace Index, including more detail on the results, methodology and potential uses, please visit www.visionofhumanity.com.
For more information on the Global Peace Index, including more detail on the results, methodology and potential uses, please visit www.visionofhumanity.com.
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Musique: festival Les Siestes électroniques
The festival Les Siestes électroniques has been inviting some spur-of-the-moment electronic music artists to a cosy park for five years now. Dedicated to innovative music, it offers "quality, hedonism and conviviality". It’s a quite rare opportunity to enjoy some favourite electronic musicians laying on the grass in the mild climate of the South of France, they claim.
This year, from June, 27th to July, 1st, see you in Toulouse, and listen to Sebastien Tellier, Fujiya & Miyagi, Château Flight, Isolée, Superpitcher, Joakim and Todd Terje, among others.
This year, from June, 27th to July, 1st, see you in Toulouse, and listen to Sebastien Tellier, Fujiya & Miyagi, Château Flight, Isolée, Superpitcher, Joakim and Todd Terje, among others.
Music: The season of summer music festivals has officially started!
This year's Primavera Sound Festival has just started in Barcelona, until June 2nd. Its lineup includes groups/singers such as Architecture In Helsinki, Patti Smith, Hot Chip, Ivan Smagghe, Justice, Blonde Redhead, Kid Koala, Bonde Do Role, Klaxons, Shitdisco, Chromeo, The Smashing Pumpkins, Sonic Youth, David Carretta, Los Planetas, Spank Rock, Spiritualized, Diplo, Sr. Chinarro, Luomo, The Durutti Column, Maxïmo Park, Erol Alkan, Umek, The White Stripes, The Fall, Múm, Wilco, Fujiya & Miyagi and Nathan Fake, among others, less well known.
It has become quite mainstream and probably overtaken SONAR festival, in popularity.
But SONAR (a festival for experimental electronic music) is still alive and will come later, between 14 and 16 June, also in Barcelona.
Another famous Spanish festival is FIB, the Festival Internacional de Benicàssim in Valencia, Spain, later on, between 19-21 July 2007. It will have a quite eclectic lineup, yet very up to date, with, among others, Fangoria, Fischerspooner (yes!), Klaxons, B'52!, Nouvelle Vague, The Rapture, Sascha Funke, Simian mobile, Rufus W., Cansei de SerSexy, Vialic, Peter Von Poehl, Antony & the Johnsons and Digitalism.
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In France there are also many many festivals, one of the best known is certainly the Eurockeennes (http://www.eurockeennes.fr) festival in Belfort, between 29 June and 1st July. It will showcase Les Rita Mitsouko, Justice, Peter Von Poehl, Simian Mobile Disco, The Hives, Queens Of The Stone Age, Phoenix, Digitalism, Maxïmo Park, I'm From Barcelona, Shitdisco, Arcade Fire, Air, TV On The Radio, Antony & the Johnsons, Laurent Garnier and Klaxons, among other groups.
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Yet one of my favourites, if nothing for its name is the Siestes éléctroniques" festival, in Toulouse, south of France – see next post.
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Also in Belgium there are a couple of good festivals, very crowded, despite the (usual) summer rain… Among them, Rock Werchter and Pukkelpop.
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And Portugal too, has got its share of summer festivals, one of the biggest is the Superbock-Superrock festival in Lisbon (trend: rock), presenting Maxïmo Park, Klaxons, LCD Soundsystem, Scissor Sisters, The Rapture, Block Party, Arcade Fire, Interpol, TV on the radio, among others. The biggest festival is certainly the Festival do Sudoeste, in the southern coast of Portugal at Zambujeira do Mar, between 2 and 5 August.It invites groups like Oasis, The Streets, Mika, Bonde do Rolê, Patrick Wolf, Cassius, I'm from Barcelona, etc.
So... enjoy the summer, enjoy the music!
20 mai 2007
Citizenship: internet censorship is growing
L'hypocrisie mondiale non plus, elle ne cesse d'augmenter... surtout de la part des pays dits développés et de ces dirigeants...
Selon l'agence de nouvelles Belga, et selon une étude, la censure sur internet ne cesse de progresser dans le monde entier. Vingt-six pays sur les quarante étudiés dans le monde censurent l'internet, bloquant l'accès à des informations politiques, religieuses, sociales ou culturelles, a indiqué dans un rapport, un groupe d'universités britanniques et nord-américaines. "La censure sur internet progresse dans le monde entier", selon John Palfrey, professeur de droit à l'université de Harvard. "Une certaine régulation est attendue au fur et à mesure que ce media évolue, mais le filtrage et la surveillance peuvent gravement nuire aux libertés civiles et à la vie privée, et empêcher les communications mondiales", a-t-il indiqué. Apparament, "La façon dont la censure est effectuée devient plus sophistiquée à mesure que les outils internet s'améliorent", note l'étude. Aujourd'hui les censeurs sont désormais en mesure de bloquer des applications entières comme YouTube, Skype et Google.
Les pays 'démocratiques' occidentaux critiquent cette situation, demandent une ouverture, etc... mais les outils informatiques et techniques sont habituellement développés dans ces-mêmes pays occidentaux et vendus à ces pays-censeurs! Rien de nouveau, on pense, ce n'est guère différent que ce qui se passe par exemple avec l'armenent militaire et les mines... Nothing new under the sun... mais bien sur, on ne peut pas contribuer à augmenter le chômage et puis, certains marchés tels le chinois sont trop importants.
Check the Opennet initiative.
Selon l'agence de nouvelles Belga, et selon une étude, la censure sur internet ne cesse de progresser dans le monde entier. Vingt-six pays sur les quarante étudiés dans le monde censurent l'internet, bloquant l'accès à des informations politiques, religieuses, sociales ou culturelles, a indiqué dans un rapport, un groupe d'universités britanniques et nord-américaines. "La censure sur internet progresse dans le monde entier", selon John Palfrey, professeur de droit à l'université de Harvard. "Une certaine régulation est attendue au fur et à mesure que ce media évolue, mais le filtrage et la surveillance peuvent gravement nuire aux libertés civiles et à la vie privée, et empêcher les communications mondiales", a-t-il indiqué. Apparament, "La façon dont la censure est effectuée devient plus sophistiquée à mesure que les outils internet s'améliorent", note l'étude. Aujourd'hui les censeurs sont désormais en mesure de bloquer des applications entières comme YouTube, Skype et Google.
Les pays 'démocratiques' occidentaux critiquent cette situation, demandent une ouverture, etc... mais les outils informatiques et techniques sont habituellement développés dans ces-mêmes pays occidentaux et vendus à ces pays-censeurs! Rien de nouveau, on pense, ce n'est guère différent que ce qui se passe par exemple avec l'armenent militaire et les mines... Nothing new under the sun... mais bien sur, on ne peut pas contribuer à augmenter le chômage et puis, certains marchés tels le chinois sont trop importants.
Check the Opennet initiative.
Politique: renouveau politique en France?
Eh bien voilà, la France a choisi son Sarkozy. Est ce que après le Berlusconi italien, le Bush américain, la France a aussi droit a son président populiste? Ou bien, rien à voir? Je ne vais pas cacher, je n'aime pas particulièrement Sarkozy, son populisme, sa démagogie et, je crois, l'absence de projet politico-idélogique. Je crois que son projet c'est le pouvoir, mais le futur le dira. Je le trouve plus conservateur que libéral ou réformateur. De toutes façons, et surtout après la désignation de son gouvernement, il est difficile à avaler le message qu'il a voulu passer, celui d'un renouveau politique en France...
Lui et une grande partie du nouveau gouvernement ont fait partie du pouvoir et du 'système' pendant les dernières années... donc bon... ce sera peut être un truc de magie (et surtout de langage et capacité politique) que tout d'un coup, on a de l'innovation dans la politique française.
Il faudra en tout cas reconnaitre l'intelligence politique de Sarkozy. Lors des elections il a réussi à annuller l'extreme droite de Le Pen, en conquérant son electorat. La, avec son ouverture aux socialistes (et à des figures socialistes) avec l'inclusion de B. Kouschner dans son gouvernement, il essaie de conquérir (une partie au moins) des socialistes et contribue, quelque part, à diviser encore plus les socialistes.
Je ne sais pas si Ségolène Royal aurait été un meilleur choix, ce qu'elle aurait pu faire en termes économiques ou européens (là je suis convaincu que la plupart des diriegeants européens sont très heureux avec l'élection de Sarkozy). J'ai certains doutes, surtout au niveau économique, elle ne semblait pas être très libérale (Sarkozy d'ailleurs non plus, plutôt un conservateur-protectioniste) mais une chose est certaine: elle représentait surement un certain renouveau, à l'intérieur du parti socialiste ainsi que dans la politique française. Voyons comment ce capital 'renouveau' saura être capitalisé par la gauche française, ainsi que le capital réuni par Bayrou... On verra, lors des prochaines éléctions pour le Parlement français de juin.
En tout cas, on risquera peut être un jour de regreter le départ de Chirac... ou pas. Je conseille la lecture d'un article très intéressant sur Chirac, et son rôle en Europe et dans le monde, par Tony Judt, du International Herald Tribune, article paru en anglais dand le New York Times et en espagnol dans El Pais (il est aussi disponible en portugais). Bonne lecture et bonne chance pour la France. L'Europe en aura besoin d'une réussite de Sarkozy.
Lui et une grande partie du nouveau gouvernement ont fait partie du pouvoir et du 'système' pendant les dernières années... donc bon... ce sera peut être un truc de magie (et surtout de langage et capacité politique) que tout d'un coup, on a de l'innovation dans la politique française.
Il faudra en tout cas reconnaitre l'intelligence politique de Sarkozy. Lors des elections il a réussi à annuller l'extreme droite de Le Pen, en conquérant son electorat. La, avec son ouverture aux socialistes (et à des figures socialistes) avec l'inclusion de B. Kouschner dans son gouvernement, il essaie de conquérir (une partie au moins) des socialistes et contribue, quelque part, à diviser encore plus les socialistes.
Je ne sais pas si Ségolène Royal aurait été un meilleur choix, ce qu'elle aurait pu faire en termes économiques ou européens (là je suis convaincu que la plupart des diriegeants européens sont très heureux avec l'élection de Sarkozy). J'ai certains doutes, surtout au niveau économique, elle ne semblait pas être très libérale (Sarkozy d'ailleurs non plus, plutôt un conservateur-protectioniste) mais une chose est certaine: elle représentait surement un certain renouveau, à l'intérieur du parti socialiste ainsi que dans la politique française. Voyons comment ce capital 'renouveau' saura être capitalisé par la gauche française, ainsi que le capital réuni par Bayrou... On verra, lors des prochaines éléctions pour le Parlement français de juin.
En tout cas, on risquera peut être un jour de regreter le départ de Chirac... ou pas. Je conseille la lecture d'un article très intéressant sur Chirac, et son rôle en Europe et dans le monde, par Tony Judt, du International Herald Tribune, article paru en anglais dand le New York Times et en espagnol dans El Pais (il est aussi disponible en portugais). Bonne lecture et bonne chance pour la France. L'Europe en aura besoin d'une réussite de Sarkozy.
Homophobia: May 17th was International Day against Homophobia
May 17th was the International Day against Homophobia. ILGA has chosen this time of the year to launch a report on State homophobia around the world to raise awareness of the extent of institutionalized homophobia around the world.
Download the report:
In English
In Spanish
In Portuguese
In French
The date of May 17 signals 1990, when the WHO (World Health Organisation or OMS in french) erased homossexuality as a mental illness, putting an end to "more than one century of medical homophobia", according to Louis-Georges Tin, president of the Idaho Committe (initiated this day). The association has taken as moto "no to homophobia, yes to education".
In 2007, still no less than 85 member states of the United Nations still criminalize consensual same sex acts among adults. Sometimes those countries make a distinction between lesbians which are more tolerated and male homossexuals, condemned. In no less than nine countries (Mauritania, Nigeria, Sudan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Yemen), consenting homossexual relations between consenting adults is condemned with death penalty! And it can lead to jail in Algeria, Morocco, Cameroun and Libya. All muslim countries. And the tendency is not for things to get better in those countries.
Luckily however, in the rest of teh world things are improving, in particular in Europe and Latin America (NOT the US). In many countries same-sex partnerships are being legalised and the legal repression of homophobia is getting ground.
26 avril 2007
Lifestyle: Get a Second Life!
Do you already have a SECOND LIFE? if not, what are you waiting? Nowadays, the internet allows us more and more to escape boring everyday routine, meet "interesting" people all around the globe (why be limited to your boring next door neighbours or your uncreative work colleagues?), get to know people with who you have things in common, join different communities with similar interests, date interesting people, etc. The problem with a lot of those is that it is all quite 'virtual' and hardly ever goes 'real'.
Just think of MySpace, Hi5, Tunefeed, Meetic, gaydar, gayromeo, Youtube, MSN, and all those 'virtual communities'. Many of those have become quite trendy and if you don't have a profile there, you're NO one... It goes so far that there are even companies that 'create' fake 'friends' to fill your Myspace page (www.fakeyourspace.com). And not even Wikipedia escapes with 'fake' people writing fake 'facts' about the most different issues.
But now there's SECOND LIFE and that goes even further. With this virtual game (although it's not really a game) you can re-invent yourself or create multiple characters, become the gorgeous one you always dreamt of, etc, do all the things you never had the courage to in real life. And who knows, after all, whether this is not all a dream within a dream. Or if in our 'real world', we are only the 'avatars' of some bored beings somewhere out there in another dimension?
"Second Life (abbreviated as SL) is an Internet-based virtual world which came to international attention via mainstream news media in late 2006 and early 2007. Developed by Linden Lab, a downloadable client program enables its users, called "Residents", to interact with each other through motional avatars [characters or profiles], providing an advanced level of a social network service combined with general aspects of a metaverse. Residents can explore, meet other Residents, socialize, participate in individual and group activities, create and trade items (virtual property) and services from one another.
Second Life is one of several virtual worlds that have been inspired by the cyberpunk literary movement, and particularly by Neal Stephenson's novel Snow Crash. The stated goal of Linden Lab is to create a world like the Metaverse described by Stephenson, a user-defined world of general use in which people can interact, play, do business, and otherwise communicate. Second Life's virtual currency is the Linden Dollar (Linden, or L$) and is exchangeable for US Dollars in a marketplace consisting of residents, Linden Lab and real life companies.
While Second Life is sometimes referred to as a game, it does not have points, scores, winners or losers, levels, an end-strategy, or most of the other characteristics of games. In all, more than five million accounts have been registered, though many are not active, and some Residents have multiple accounts. Despite its prominence, Second Life has notable competitors, including Active Worlds, There, and newcomers such as Entropia Universe, Dotsoul Cyberpark, Red Light Center, and Kaneva."
Second Life is one of several virtual worlds that have been inspired by the cyberpunk literary movement, and particularly by Neal Stephenson's novel Snow Crash. The stated goal of Linden Lab is to create a world like the Metaverse described by Stephenson, a user-defined world of general use in which people can interact, play, do business, and otherwise communicate. Second Life's virtual currency is the Linden Dollar (Linden, or L$) and is exchangeable for US Dollars in a marketplace consisting of residents, Linden Lab and real life companies.
While Second Life is sometimes referred to as a game, it does not have points, scores, winners or losers, levels, an end-strategy, or most of the other characteristics of games. In all, more than five million accounts have been registered, though many are not active, and some Residents have multiple accounts. Despite its prominence, Second Life has notable competitors, including Active Worlds, There, and newcomers such as Entropia Universe, Dotsoul Cyberpark, Red Light Center, and Kaneva."
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SL is a virtual world entirely built and owned by its residents. It has been so successful that it went from 1 million avatars in the beginning of 2006 to some 6 million profiles around the globe, by the beginning of 2007. It doesn't mean that there are as many as 6 million people using SL, in fact some people may create several characters. Indeed, why get bored? But it shows the growing interest it is creating.
As the site says "From the moment you enter the World of SL, you'll discover a vast digital continent, full of people, entertainment, experiences and opportunity. Once you've explored a bit, perhaps you'll find a perfect parcel of land to build your house or business. You'll also be surrounded by different creations of your fellow residents. Because residents retain the rights to their digital creations, they can buy, sell and trade with other residents."
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So what are you waiting for? Go explore the virtual world of SL...
25 avril 2007
Citizenship: Ready or not for climate change?
By identifying specific targets for environmental performance and measuring how close each country comes to these established goals, the Pilot 2006 Environmental Performance Index (EPI) provides benchmarks for current national pollution control and natural resource management results.
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The issue-by-issue and aggregate rankings facilitate cross-country comparisons both globally and within relevant peer groups. The EPI thus provides a powerful tool for improving policymaking and shifting environmental decisionmaking onto firmer analytic foundations.
The EPI centers on two broad environmental protection objectives: (1) reducing environmental stresses on human health and (2) protecting ecosystem vitality. Derived from a careful review of the environmental literature, these twin goals mirror the priorities expressed by policymakers, most notably the environmental dimension of the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals. Environmental health and ecosystem vitality are assessed using sixteen indicators tracked in six established policy categories: Environmental Health, Air Quality, Water Resources, Biodiversity and Habitat, Productive Natural Resources, and Sustainable Energy.
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The Pilot 2006 EPI deploys a proximity-to-target methodology focused on a core set of environmental outcomes linked to policy goals for which every government should be held accountable. Top-ranked countries—New Zealand, Sweden, Finland, the Czech Republic, and the United Kingdom—all commit significant resources and effort to environmental protection, resulting in strong performance across most of the policy categories. The five lowest-ranked countries—Ethiopia, Mali, Mauritania, Chad, and Niger—are underdeveloped nations with little capacity to invest in environmental infrastructure (such as drinking water and sanitation systems) or aggressive pollution control and systematic natural resource management. Every country lags its peers on some issues. This suggests that all governments stand to benefit from using the Pilot EPI to identify policy options and models to borrow from other countries. Globally, considerable work remains to be done to put the planet on the path toward environmental sustainability.
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Portugal does not perform too bad, coming in place 11, France 12, Germany 22, Spain in 23, USA 28, Brasil 34, Belgium 39 (surprise...), Mexico 66 and the worst european country is Romania in 90.
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Indicators used: child Mortality , Indoor Air Pollution, Drinking Water, Adequate Sanitation, Urban Particulates, Regional Ozone, Nitrogen Loading, Water Consumption,j Wilderness Protection, Ecoregion Protection, Timber Harvest Rate, Agricultural Subsidies, Overfishing, Energy Efficiency, Renewable Energy, CO2 Per GDP.
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Indicators used: child Mortality , Indoor Air Pollution, Drinking Water, Adequate Sanitation, Urban Particulates, Regional Ozone, Nitrogen Loading, Water Consumption,j Wilderness Protection, Ecoregion Protection, Timber Harvest Rate, Agricultural Subsidies, Overfishing, Energy Efficiency, Renewable Energy, CO2 Per GDP.
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For a copy of the complete Pilot 2006 EPI Report and additional materials, visit:
www.yale.edu/epi
www.yale.edu/epi
Check also: http://www.ciesin.columbia.edu/programs.html
Politique: quelle Constitution européenne aurons nous?
En 2005, le philosophe Jürgen Habermas manifestait ses craintes sur le processus de ratification du Traité constitutionnel européeen. Il avait bien raison, la France et les Pays-Bas, deux des six partenaires fondateurs, ont voté 'non' en referendum. Quelques années plus tard, on n'est pas sorti de l'auberge... Angela Merkel , la chancellière allemande, et le Président Barroso, veulent trouver une sortie rapide et 'facile', en proposant une version "light", "déca", "zero" calories, qui ne s'appelerait peut être "Constitution" et qui pourrait être ratifiée par les Parlements nationaux sans passer le difficile test des referendum nationaux. Il semble qu'ils ont déjà 'orchestré' une tactique pour faire passer ce Traité sans faire trop de bruit. L'important c'est que le nouveau traité dote l'Union des structures démocratiques de décision qui permettent une gouvernance européenne efficace permettant à l'Union de conquérir sa place de 'puissance' mondiale. Au Portugal, le Président de la République, coordonnée avec Barroso, a déjà fait savoir qu'il serait pour une ratification sans referendum... et en France, quelle approche ira adopter le nouveau Président? Si Sarkozy pourrait accepter l'idée d'un mini-Traité sans referendum, Ségolène Royal a promis un nouveau referendum. Et aux Pays Bas? et au Royaume Uni? Et qui feront les 17 pays qui ont déjà ratifié la Constitution? enfin, on n'est pas encore sures d'avoir une Constitution ratifiée en 2009, comme le prétend Barroso et Merkel...
Politique: France, victoire de la démocratie !
Dimanche dernier c’est la démocratie qui a gagné en France !
Avec une participation au vote de l’ordre de 85% des électeurs inscrits, ce fut la plus grande participation depuis 1964. Pendant que dans la plupart des pays démocratiques la participation citoyenne dans les votes recule, atteignant dans certains pays des chiffres honteux pour une démocratie (Etats-Unis par exemple), en France, elle atteint des pourcentages record. En plus, il faut dire que le vote n’y est pas obligatoire comme dans d’autres pays, comme la Belgique ou l’Argentine, par exemple.
A part ça, il y a eu deux victoires et deux défaites. Première victoire pour Sarkozy (31% des votes), qui, avec une campagne intelligente à droite, a su séduire l’électorat qui avait auparavant voté pour Le Pen. Du coup, grande défaite pour celui-ci, qui est désormais ‘fini’, avec ces 11%. Et, honnêtement, je ne le crois pas capable de revenir dans cinq ans…
Défaite aussi pour Bayrou, qui, malgré ces 18,5% de votes, n’aura pas réussi son pari, celui de passer au deuxième tour. Malgré tout il sera peut être désormais un nom incontournable du changement et de l’inévitable restructuration politique en France. Probablement il ne donnera pas indication de vote, reste à voir, même si Mme Royal essaie bien de le ‘séduire’.
Finalement, victoire pour Ségolène Royal, première femme à passer au deuxième tour des présidentielles en France. Elle a su maintenir sa deuxième place, malgré des difficultés de parcours, avec 25,5%.
Finalement, cette fois-ci les sondages se sont révélés assez proches des résultats. Pour le deuxième tour, Sarkozy remportera probablement le vote des français, sauf péripéties de dernière heure, alliances improbables, révélations bombastiques…
Jusqu’à présent il est clair que ces élections ont dynamisé le débat politique en France et que les partis et la politique ne sera peut être plus jamais la même. Indépendamment de qui gagne le 6 mai prochain, ce qui est vraiment important c’est que la France reprenne ça place de leadership dans la construction européenne, s’ouvre vers l’extérieur et vers le monde, aie confiance dans ses potentialités et n’aie pas peur, ni de la construction européenne, ni de la globalisation. Car l’Europe en a besoin et aussi les pays de l’Europe du sud.
Personnellement je voterais pour Royal, si jamais je pouvais voter en France. Malgré ses contradictions, hésitations et gaffes, je crois davantage dans son projet et dans sa volonté de changer et apporter une différence. Je la vois moins pliable aux intérêts américains et moins partisane d’une France ‘grand-pays’ au sein de l’Union européenne, donc plus favorable à un équilibre entre les grands et les petits pays, moins arrogante, finalement. Comme elle-même disait dans un comice à Toulouse, tandis que «le projet de M. Sarkozy c’est lui-même», les citoyens sont au cœur de son projet (Royal), en tout cas certainement plus que dans le cas de son rival. Bonne chance!
Avec une participation au vote de l’ordre de 85% des électeurs inscrits, ce fut la plus grande participation depuis 1964. Pendant que dans la plupart des pays démocratiques la participation citoyenne dans les votes recule, atteignant dans certains pays des chiffres honteux pour une démocratie (Etats-Unis par exemple), en France, elle atteint des pourcentages record. En plus, il faut dire que le vote n’y est pas obligatoire comme dans d’autres pays, comme la Belgique ou l’Argentine, par exemple.
A part ça, il y a eu deux victoires et deux défaites. Première victoire pour Sarkozy (31% des votes), qui, avec une campagne intelligente à droite, a su séduire l’électorat qui avait auparavant voté pour Le Pen. Du coup, grande défaite pour celui-ci, qui est désormais ‘fini’, avec ces 11%. Et, honnêtement, je ne le crois pas capable de revenir dans cinq ans…
Défaite aussi pour Bayrou, qui, malgré ces 18,5% de votes, n’aura pas réussi son pari, celui de passer au deuxième tour. Malgré tout il sera peut être désormais un nom incontournable du changement et de l’inévitable restructuration politique en France. Probablement il ne donnera pas indication de vote, reste à voir, même si Mme Royal essaie bien de le ‘séduire’.
Finalement, victoire pour Ségolène Royal, première femme à passer au deuxième tour des présidentielles en France. Elle a su maintenir sa deuxième place, malgré des difficultés de parcours, avec 25,5%.
Finalement, cette fois-ci les sondages se sont révélés assez proches des résultats. Pour le deuxième tour, Sarkozy remportera probablement le vote des français, sauf péripéties de dernière heure, alliances improbables, révélations bombastiques…
Jusqu’à présent il est clair que ces élections ont dynamisé le débat politique en France et que les partis et la politique ne sera peut être plus jamais la même. Indépendamment de qui gagne le 6 mai prochain, ce qui est vraiment important c’est que la France reprenne ça place de leadership dans la construction européenne, s’ouvre vers l’extérieur et vers le monde, aie confiance dans ses potentialités et n’aie pas peur, ni de la construction européenne, ni de la globalisation. Car l’Europe en a besoin et aussi les pays de l’Europe du sud.
Personnellement je voterais pour Royal, si jamais je pouvais voter en France. Malgré ses contradictions, hésitations et gaffes, je crois davantage dans son projet et dans sa volonté de changer et apporter une différence. Je la vois moins pliable aux intérêts américains et moins partisane d’une France ‘grand-pays’ au sein de l’Union européenne, donc plus favorable à un équilibre entre les grands et les petits pays, moins arrogante, finalement. Comme elle-même disait dans un comice à Toulouse, tandis que «le projet de M. Sarkozy c’est lui-même», les citoyens sont au cœur de son projet (Royal), en tout cas certainement plus que dans le cas de son rival. Bonne chance!
20 avril 2007
Cinema: IndieLisboa FilmFestival has started!
The fourth edition of IndieLisboa – Lisbon’s International Independent Film Festival - started yesterday, April 19, 2007. Until April 29, 226 films from all over the world will be screened. That includes 19 World premieres and 10 european premieres, but also film-concerts and talks. The opening ceremony will be followed by the screening of the movie-concert “LIFE IN LOOPS - A MEGACITIES REMIX”, by Timo Novotny/ by austrian group SOFA SURFERS.INDIELISBOA aims to meet some of the most recent and interesting works of independent cinema from all over the world. The Festival intends to discover new films and new directors, in the universe of independent cinema. In only three years it was able to become the second most important Portuguese festival.
For the international competition, IndieLisboa will comprise short and feature films that have never been publicly screened in Portugal, and that have been concluded in 2006 or 2007. There is also a section for shorts and features and an Observatory as a radar on what’s being done in the independent film scene. There's also a laboratory section that explores the new territories of filmmaking. IThe festival will also organize the LISBON SCREENINGS: PORTUGUESE PREMIERES, a special event on the 20th, 21st and 22nd of April 2007.
The international competition section includes, among others, Mexico's DRAMA/MEX (by Gerardo Naranjo, 2006), Chile's RABIA (by Oscar Cárdenas, 2006), Argentina's EL AMARILLO (by Sergio Mazza, 2006), Israel's CLOSE TO HOME (by Vidi Bilu & Dalia Hager, 2006) and Germany's SUMMER '04 (by Stefan Krohmer, 2006). There are also some 31 films also in the short film section .
This year, IndieLisboa will pay tribute to japanese director Shinji Aoyama and to the New German Cinema. In 2004 the festival paid tribute to the Sundance Film Festival and in 2005 to the New Argentinean Cinema and chinese cineast Jia Zhangke. In 2007, ten years after "Henry Fool", Hal Hartley returns to the story of Fay Grim and Henry Fool, also to be seen in Lisbon.
The closing Film will be the much awaited DEATH OF A PRESIDENT (by Gabriel Range - United Kingdom, 2006) (in which President G. W. Bush is assassinated in Chicago…).
This is all very promising! Pitty I will not be in Lisbon to enjoy all this…
19 avril 2007
16 avril 2007
Citizenship: 50 reasons to love the European Union
As the EU celebrates its 50th anniversary, the British newspaper The Independent looks at 50 benefits it has brought, from a British point of view of course, and asks: "What has Europe done for us?"
Very interesting. Check it here.
Very interesting. Check it here.
06 avril 2007
Politics: Belgian Jews support far-right party
In the meantime, while some try to promote cultural integration, others promote active segregation, and not only.
Something very strange (or maybe not) is happening in Belgium these days: a small but important number of Jews (there is a wealthy important community, in particular in Antwerp) are supporting a far-right party whose founders were Nazi collaborators. The xenophobic party, Vlaams Belang (previously Vlaams-Blok), has grown on fears of immigrants (mostly arabs and turks) claiming Belgium to the belgian (well... more Flanders to the flemish, that is...) and, unlike the prewar parties from which it is descended, courts Jewish votes! according to an article by the IHT, some 5% of the Jews in Antwerp voted for the Vlaams Belang in the last election... Now it remains to be seen what will happen in this year's elections. In the last ones, this party got 1/3 of the votes in Antwerp.
read more here....
Something very strange (or maybe not) is happening in Belgium these days: a small but important number of Jews (there is a wealthy important community, in particular in Antwerp) are supporting a far-right party whose founders were Nazi collaborators. The xenophobic party, Vlaams Belang (previously Vlaams-Blok), has grown on fears of immigrants (mostly arabs and turks) claiming Belgium to the belgian (well... more Flanders to the flemish, that is...) and, unlike the prewar parties from which it is descended, courts Jewish votes! according to an article by the IHT, some 5% of the Jews in Antwerp voted for the Vlaams Belang in the last election... Now it remains to be seen what will happen in this year's elections. In the last ones, this party got 1/3 of the votes in Antwerp.
read more here....
Politics: Tariq Ramadan and Eurabia
Tariq Ramadan is a well-known intellectual activist in Europe. He wants the arab minority in Europe to become mainstream, and the muslim religion too, to become sort of institutionalised. He claims that it is the only road to the integration of muslim citizens in Europe. The IHT - International Herald Tribune, wrote an article on him and his view of Eurabia.
"Tariq Ramadan, Muslim, scholar, activist, Swiss citizen, resident of Britain, active on several continents, is a hard man to pin down. People call him "slippery," "double-faced," "dangerous," but also "brilliant," a "bridge-builder," a "Muslim Martin Luther." He wants Muslims to become active citizens of the West but four years ago was himself refused permission to enter the U.S. He could not take up the teaching position he'd been offered at the University of Notre Dame. Oxford University took him on as a visiting fellow instead.
To his admirers, he is a courageous reformer who works hard to fill the chasm between Muslim orthodoxy and secular democracy. Young European Muslims flock to his talks, which are widely distributed on audiocassettes. A brilliant speaker, he inspires his audiences, rather like Black Power leaders did in the 1960s, by instilling a sense of pride. A friend of mine saw him last year in Rotterdam, talking to a hall packed with around 1,000 people, mostly Muslims. To them he had the aura of an Islamic superstar. Even my friend, an Iranian-born Dutchman with entirely secular views, was impressed by the eloquence of this Muslim thinker, who wishes to press his faith into the mainstream of European life. His critics see things differently: they accuse him of anti-Semitism, religious bigotry, promoting the oppression of women and waging a covert holy war on the liberal West."
Read the whole text in the IHT.
"Tariq Ramadan, Muslim, scholar, activist, Swiss citizen, resident of Britain, active on several continents, is a hard man to pin down. People call him "slippery," "double-faced," "dangerous," but also "brilliant," a "bridge-builder," a "Muslim Martin Luther." He wants Muslims to become active citizens of the West but four years ago was himself refused permission to enter the U.S. He could not take up the teaching position he'd been offered at the University of Notre Dame. Oxford University took him on as a visiting fellow instead.
To his admirers, he is a courageous reformer who works hard to fill the chasm between Muslim orthodoxy and secular democracy. Young European Muslims flock to his talks, which are widely distributed on audiocassettes. A brilliant speaker, he inspires his audiences, rather like Black Power leaders did in the 1960s, by instilling a sense of pride. A friend of mine saw him last year in Rotterdam, talking to a hall packed with around 1,000 people, mostly Muslims. To them he had the aura of an Islamic superstar. Even my friend, an Iranian-born Dutchman with entirely secular views, was impressed by the eloquence of this Muslim thinker, who wishes to press his faith into the mainstream of European life. His critics see things differently: they accuse him of anti-Semitism, religious bigotry, promoting the oppression of women and waging a covert holy war on the liberal West."
Read the whole text in the IHT.
Citizenship: Music for all!
The music e-shop Apple is under fire from the European Commission, which will take measures against music shops in Internet that sell music separately by country, such as iTunes of Apple.
Apple has been selling songs for the iPod-users for some years on the Internet, via iTunes. iTunes customers can only buy music in the shop of their own country. That is contrary to European rules. In iTunes, for each country a separate e-shop has been set up with its prices, but not a shop for all countries, that is! According to Apple, that is so because of the rules set by the record companies. But the European Commission considers that it goes against the consumer's freedom of choice in Europe. The commission confirmed last Tuesday that they had sent a letter to the concerned companies, expressing the Commission's objections, according to European rules. The European Commission could apply important fines if the rules are not accepted. A British consumer group had already complained in 2005, concerning the fact that songs in France and Germany were cheaper than in Great Britain, but it is not possible for British consumers to buy in other shops (unless they have a credit card from the country). Apple can block people from buying abroad by checking the credit cards data.
But the iTunes internet-shops are also controversial in Europe because of the copying right imposed on the music files. Songs bought in iTunes can only be played (directly) on iPods and there are rights preventing people from listening to them in other supports. Already in France, lastyear, iTunes was given a deadline to make the technical changes necessary so that the music format sold can be used in other supports (mp3). According to different consumer groups the buyer should be entitled to listen to music wherever he wants, once he has bought it.
But the iTunes internet-shops are also controversial in Europe because of the copying right imposed on the music files. Songs bought in iTunes can only be played (directly) on iPods and there are rights preventing people from listening to them in other supports. Already in France, lastyear, iTunes was given a deadline to make the technical changes necessary so that the music format sold can be used in other supports (mp3). According to different consumer groups the buyer should be entitled to listen to music wherever he wants, once he has bought it.
Things are moving slowly but surely! Already last week, EMI, one of the major record companies, has agreed to drop the rights preventing people from listening to their music in other supports and burn it wherever thay want. And it might be that soon we will have more competition in the internet music buisiness and that iTunes will be forced to have a global e-shop without borders...
In the meantime check my favourite sites for mp3 music download (sometimes more than 99 cents per track though):
Beatport: https://www.beatport.com/
DJdownload: www.djdownload.com
E-music: www.emusic.com
Fnac-music: www.fnacmusic.com
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Be careful with which airline you fly!
Lost and mishandled baggage
When flying, you'd better avoid big airport hubs, and in particular Heathrow and BA...
The UK's Air Transport Users Council (AUC) has published a report on mishandled baggage. It includes data provided by the Association of European Airlines (AEA). According to the airlines' own data, the major European network airlines mishandled over 5.6 million bags in 2006, of which 85% were delivered within 48 hours. This figure, however, relates only to the twenty-four airlines that are members of the AEA.
The 2006 figures show that the AEA airlines that tend to have the worst performance are the larger carriers. The three biggest carriers – Air France, Lufthansa and British Airways – have the worst records (together with the smaller TAP-Air Portugal - of course...). The worst performing AEA airline in 2006 was British Airways with 23 lost luggage per 1000 passengers. The problem is that Heathrow also has the worst record of flight delays! And Brussels the best!
Airlines that operate most of their flights from major hub airports, where many of their passengers take connecting flights, show a higher risk of mishandled baggage. And of course, passengers on connecting flights are exposed to the highest risk of all.
The Montreal Convention The Montreal Convention sets out airlines’ liability for passengers and their baggage (it also covers liability for cargo). The good thing about the Convention is that it says that an airline must accept liability for passengers’ baggage. The bad thing about it is that it limits an airline’s liability to around £800 (depending on exchange rates) per passenger. An airline will typically need to be convinced that a lost suitcase, for example, really did contain what we say it did. And that is easier said than done.
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Energia: o SOL chega finalmente a Portugal
Como se pode ver no mapa do potencial para produzir energia solar fotovoltaica na Europa, Portugal (e o sul em particular) é das regiões mais beneficiadas. E, parece que finalmente o Sol vai chegando a Portugal.
A central solar de Serpa (Alentejo, Portugal) começou a funcionar recentemente, com 52 mil painéis fotovoltaicos, uma potência total de 11 megawatts (suficiente para produzir energia electrica para 8.000 pessoas). Finalmente o governo português apostado em aproveitar ao máximo as excelentes condições do país desenvolver as energias renováveis, e não apenas a energia eólica. O Governo português pretende produzir 100 MW até 2010, produzindo electricidade para mais de 75.000 pessoas. Outras centrais fotovoltaicas estão previstas, como em Moura, com 52 MW. Alémdisso, outras tecnologias, para além dos painéis foto-voltaicos, serão experimentadas, como torres de aquecimento para turbinas a vapor - ver artigo no Público.
Mas por outro lado ainda não se utiliza suficientemente no país (como acontece noutros, e muitas vezes com bastante menos potencialidades) os colectores ou painéis solares térmicos, para aquecimento de água, embora existam incentivos fiscais para isso.
Paralelamente, e aproveitando certamente as excelentes possibilidades do país, a empresa alemã Bosch vai instalar em Aveiro um centro de investigação sobre energias renováveis, nomeadamente, a solar térmica, prevendo-se a criação de em 100 postos de trabalho até 2010. o grupo Bosch pretende produzir painéis solares térmicos, pois o retorno do investimento é de cinco a seis anos. No entanto, a Bosch não pretende desenvolver actividade no sector solar fotovoltaico pois, segundo o seu representante, o investimento é menos rentável, até agora, com um retorno do investimento de 13 a 15 anos.
A central solar de Serpa (Alentejo, Portugal) começou a funcionar recentemente, com 52 mil painéis fotovoltaicos, uma potência total de 11 megawatts (suficiente para produzir energia electrica para 8.000 pessoas). Finalmente o governo português apostado em aproveitar ao máximo as excelentes condições do país desenvolver as energias renováveis, e não apenas a energia eólica. O Governo português pretende produzir 100 MW até 2010, produzindo electricidade para mais de 75.000 pessoas. Outras centrais fotovoltaicas estão previstas, como em Moura, com 52 MW. Alémdisso, outras tecnologias, para além dos painéis foto-voltaicos, serão experimentadas, como torres de aquecimento para turbinas a vapor - ver artigo no Público.
Mas por outro lado ainda não se utiliza suficientemente no país (como acontece noutros, e muitas vezes com bastante menos potencialidades) os colectores ou painéis solares térmicos, para aquecimento de água, embora existam incentivos fiscais para isso.
Paralelamente, e aproveitando certamente as excelentes possibilidades do país, a empresa alemã Bosch vai instalar em Aveiro um centro de investigação sobre energias renováveis, nomeadamente, a solar térmica, prevendo-se a criação de em 100 postos de trabalho até 2010. o grupo Bosch pretende produzir painéis solares térmicos, pois o retorno do investimento é de cinco a seis anos. No entanto, a Bosch não pretende desenvolver actividade no sector solar fotovoltaico pois, segundo o seu representante, o investimento é menos rentável, até agora, com um retorno do investimento de 13 a 15 anos.
Embora a produção de energias renováveis em Portugal tenha aumentado significativamente nos ultimos anos, ainda é relativamente insuficiente, no contexto Europeu, embora países como a França (que apostou no nuclear) façam claramente pior. Em 2004 Portugal produziu 21 (1000 tep- toneladas equilavelentes de petróleo) de energia fotovoltaica, enquanto o total na Europa (dos 25) foi de 7473 (Espanha 62, Grécia 108, Alemanha 269, França 19 e Itália 19). No mesmo ano, Portugal tinha produzido 70 (1000 tep) de energia eólica – para um total da EU25 de 5033 (e a Espanha 1341, a Alemanha 2173, Dinamarca 566, França apenas 49 e Itália 159). Mas, em relação a energia electrica eólica, Portugal produziu 816 GWh, de um total na EU25 de 58521 GWh (Espanha 15601, Grécia 1121, Alemanha 25270, Dinamarca 6583 e França 573).
30 mars 2007
Dance: Pina Bausch in Lisbon
For the Children of Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow
coreografia de Pina Bausch/ Tanztheater Wuppertal
Não sei se Pina Bausch é já mais burguesa e menos revolucionária que antes, a coreógrafa continua a manter a sua aura de mistério e a sua distância, próprios de um mito da dança contemporânea. No entanto, a sua dança, as coreografias do Tanztheater Wuppertal, continuam a encantar-me mesmo se nem sempre são surpreendentes ou transcendentes. Tenho visto várias coreografias suas, algumas já estreadas há bastantes anos como "Café Müller" , pois a sua companhia sempre volta a trazer ao palco obras anteriores ao mesmo tempo que estreia novas coreografias. Gosto da expressividade dos bailarinos, da emotividade e paixão das suas coreografias e dessa fronteira que pisam entre teatro e dança, bem enquadradas por excelente música. E do facto que os bailarinos (e sobretudo as bailarinas) não têm em geral aqueles corpos perfeitos e estilizados dos dançarinos(as) habituais. Apesar de tudo, parece inegável hoje o génio daquela que foi uma das coreógrafas mais influentes dos últimos 25 anos do século XX e que ainda hoje é uma referência no mundo da dança. Mesmo que, como alguns hoje afirmam, se tenha tornado 'conservadora', dentro do seu 'mundo' e projecto, sem se 'abrir' ao mundo da dança contemporâneo. Eu, sempre que posso não perco um espectáculo da sua companhia.
A sua coreografia "Para as crianças de ontem, hoje e amanhã" (For the Children of Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow) chega ao Teatro Camões, em Lisboa, integrada na comemoração dos 30 anos da Companhia Nacional de Bailado, de Lisboa. A produção teve estreia absoluta em 2002 e já passou por vários países como Espanha, França, Itália, Brasil, Estados Unidos e Japão.
No Teatro Camões, Lisboa, dias 5, 6 e 7 de Abril às 21:00, dia 8 de Abril às 16:00.
coreografia de Pina Bausch/ Tanztheater Wuppertal
Não sei se Pina Bausch é já mais burguesa e menos revolucionária que antes, a coreógrafa continua a manter a sua aura de mistério e a sua distância, próprios de um mito da dança contemporânea. No entanto, a sua dança, as coreografias do Tanztheater Wuppertal, continuam a encantar-me mesmo se nem sempre são surpreendentes ou transcendentes. Tenho visto várias coreografias suas, algumas já estreadas há bastantes anos como "Café Müller" , pois a sua companhia sempre volta a trazer ao palco obras anteriores ao mesmo tempo que estreia novas coreografias. Gosto da expressividade dos bailarinos, da emotividade e paixão das suas coreografias e dessa fronteira que pisam entre teatro e dança, bem enquadradas por excelente música. E do facto que os bailarinos (e sobretudo as bailarinas) não têm em geral aqueles corpos perfeitos e estilizados dos dançarinos(as) habituais. Apesar de tudo, parece inegável hoje o génio daquela que foi uma das coreógrafas mais influentes dos últimos 25 anos do século XX e que ainda hoje é uma referência no mundo da dança. Mesmo que, como alguns hoje afirmam, se tenha tornado 'conservadora', dentro do seu 'mundo' e projecto, sem se 'abrir' ao mundo da dança contemporâneo. Eu, sempre que posso não perco um espectáculo da sua companhia.
A sua coreografia "Para as crianças de ontem, hoje e amanhã" (For the Children of Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow) chega ao Teatro Camões, em Lisboa, integrada na comemoração dos 30 anos da Companhia Nacional de Bailado, de Lisboa. A produção teve estreia absoluta em 2002 e já passou por vários países como Espanha, França, Itália, Brasil, Estados Unidos e Japão.
No Teatro Camões, Lisboa, dias 5, 6 e 7 de Abril às 21:00, dia 8 de Abril às 16:00.
Música: Felix Lajko, Nana Vasconcelos, Caetano Veloso, Bugge Wesseltoft, Amon Tobin, MAri Boine, Shirley Horn, Nina Simone, Lisa Ekdahl, Gerry Mulligan, Uhuhboo Project (Korea), Cinematic Orchestra, Goldfrapp, Gothan Project, Guem, Hughscore, Koop, Labradford, T.O.M., Prince. Textos: Harmonia Caelestis de Péter Esterhazy, "Keepers of the Night - Native American Stories and Nocturnal Activities for Children" de Michael J. Caduto e de Joseph Bruchac "How the Bat Came to Be".
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Development: the global warming survival guide
The Global warming survival guide:Can one person slow global warming? Sure! You can!... along with scientists, businesses and governments, we can create paths to cut carbon emissions. TIME magazine presents in its last edition a guide to some of the planet's best ideas, with an assessment of their impact and feel—good factor. Of course most of this was prepared as the US for reference, but most of it remains valid elsewhere... Strangely enough, this article prones in many respects going back in time to a sustainable lifestyle, forgetting about 'globalisation' practises & 'benefits' and capitalist consumption patterns...basically, adopt the lifestyle of the german alternatives...
here the 51 things you can do to save the world:
1. Turn food into fuel
2. Improve residential energy efficiency
3. Change Your Lightbulbs
4. 'Light Up' Your City (using LEDs for public lighting)
5. Pay the Carbon Tax
6. Ditch the Mansion (downsize the place you live)
7. Hang Up a Clothes Line (in Brussels, you're kidding)
8. Recycle old clothes, in particular polyester ones
9. Build 'green' buildings
10. Turn Up the Geothermal Heat
11. Take Another Look at Vintage Clothes
12. Capture the Carbon
13. Work Close to Home
14. Ride the Bus (& the tram, & the subway)
15. Move to a High-Rise (yes!)
16. Pay Your Bills Online
17. Open a Window (& use less AC)
18. Ask the Experts For An Energy Audit of Your Home
19. Buy Green Power, At Home or Away
20. Check the Labels before buying
21. Isolate your Water Heater
22. Skip the Steak (international meat industry generates roughly 18% of the world's greenhouse-gas emissions)
23. Copy California (planning to reduce the state's emissions 80% by 2050)
24. Just Say No to Plastic Bags
25. Support local farmers
26. Plant a bamboo fence (it absorbs CO2)
27. Straighten up and fly right (until tele-transport arrives...)
28. Have a green wedding
29. Remove the tie (mostly in summer, less AC)
30. Shut off your computer
31. Wear green eye shadow (ecofriendly makeup)
32. Kill the Lights At Quitting Time
33. Rearrange the Heavens and the Earth (new technologies to restrict the Earth's overheating)
34. Rake in the Fall Colors
35. End the Paper Chase (buy more recycled paper, go paperless)
36. Play the Market (carbon-emissions trading)
37. Think Outside the Packaging (no paper no plastic)
38. Trade Carbon for Capital (Kyoto's Clean Development Mechanism)
39. Make Your Garden Grow (use homemade fertilizer or none)
40. Get a Carbon Budget (a revolutionary one!)
41. Fill your car Up With Passengers
42. Pay For Your Carbon Sins
43. Move to London's New Green Zone (the city's zero-carbon housing development to open by 2010)
44. Check Your Tires
45. Make One Right Turn After Another (if you can...)
46. Plant a Tree in the Tropics
47.If You Must Burn Coal, Do it Right
48. Drive Green on the Scenic Route (rent hybrid cars or use biodiesel fuel)
49. Set a Higher Standard (as regards Carbon-emission limits)
50. Be aggressive about passive housing (eg. low cost loans for those who build a passive house)
51. Consume Less, Share More, Live Simply! (it nearly sound buddhist... Live simply. Meditate. Consume less. Think more. Get to know your neighbors. Borrow when you need to and lend when asked)
...and I would add another one:
go politically active!: participate in NGOs that make political pressure on local, regional and state governments to vote sustainable policies and laws that contribute to reducing CO2 emissions, save energy, and give fiscal benefits to individuals and business who do!Contribute to organise local or global campaigns, demonstrate. Be active, don't wait for others to do it for you!
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28 mars 2007
27 mars 2007
Desenvolvimento: as vantagens da integração europeia de Portugal
[english version bellow]
Se ainda restam algumas dúvidas sobre as vantagens da adesão de Portugal à União Europeia, as estatísticas aí estão para comprovar os benefícios. Certo, é hoje difícil avaliar (e muito menos quantificar) como teria evoluído o país se tivesse ficado de fora, "orgulhosamente só" como certamente muitos teriam desejado. Por um lado não teria recebido os milhares de milhões de euros dos Fundos europeus (se não me engano cerca de 50), em particular dos Fundos estruturais e de coesão, para melhorar as infraestruturas, etc. As empresas portuguesas não teriam tido acesso a um enorme mercado de consumidores e compradores. Claro, algumas empresas teriam tido menos concorrência no mercado caseiro, mas, como conseguiriam ser competitivas no mercado global, se não se integrassem no mercado internacional? As empresas têxteis e de calçado por exemplo, teriam conhecido igualmente a concorrência exterior, em particular chinesa. E pouco teriam beneficiado. Por outra parte, o facto de estar ‘dentro’ permitiu atrair muitos investimentos importantes, no início certamente atraídos pelos salários moderados em termos médios europeus. Investimentos que o país ultimamente tem tido dificuldade em seduzir. Mas certamente que a localização geográfica e os salários, agora mais elevados, não ajudam, nem as novas adesões ao 'club' a leste.
Mas vejamos a evolução estatística entre o “antes” e o “hoje” (ver semanário Expresso, de 24/3/07). O saldo migratório passou de -26.949 a 47.229 (antes os portugueses emigravam, nos últimos anos o país tem atraído imensos imigrantes (de Africa, Brasil, Ucrânia, Roménia, Bulgária, etc). A esperança de vida dos homens passou de 70,3 a 74,5 anos e a das mulheres de 77,1 a 81, estando na média da Europa dos 15. A mortalidade infantil passou de mais de 15 por 1000 nados-vivos a 4, melhor do que a média europeia. Ao mesmo tempo a fecundidade (n° médio de crianças por mulher) passou de 1,7 a 1,4 (o que é preocupante pois o valor que permite que não haja um decréscimo natural da população é de 2,1). O analfabetismo passou de 30% para 8% hoje em dia, ligeiramente abaixo da média europeia, mas bem melhor!. O número de estudantes no ensino superior explodiu, de 102 (por 1000 pessoas em idade escolar) a 400 (e com predominância feminina!). A participação da mulher na economia activa também aumentou muito sendo das mais altas na Europa. A taxa de escolarização do ensino secundário passou de 17,8% a 62,5% (embora a taxa de abandono escolar continue a ser das mais elevadas na EU, junto com Malta). A extensão das auto-estradas passou de 196 kms a 2.091 kms (e densidade acima da média europeia). O número de médicos passou de 2,3 a 3,3 (por mil habitantes) ainda abaixo da média europeia, mas o número de camas de hospital ainda é de apenas 365 (por 100.000 habitantes, para uma média europeia de 639). O número de automóveis passou de cerca de 170 a 558 (por 1000 habitantes), valor acima da média europeia (e um mau investimento…). Portugal tem valores de penetração de telemóveis também acima dos valores médios (mais de 100/100 habitantes), enquanto a percentagem de lares com acesso a internet apenas seja de 35% (média europeia de 51%) e o acesso a banda larga é de 13% (média europeia de 14.8%). Se as despesas públicas em saúde aumentaram de 4 a 6,5% do PIB, e o próprio PIB/capita se multiplicou por seis (embora ainda esteja a pouco mais de 70% da média europeia, pois o crescimento tem praticamente estagnado desde 2000), as despesas de protecção social ainda estão abaixo da média europeia (2.967 €/habitante para uma média de 5.772), assim como as despesas em I+D (investigação e desenvolvimento tecnológico) - 0,78% do PIB contra 1,92 na UE (tendo a UE fixado o objectivo de 3% segundo os objectivos de crescimento de Lisboa, para 2010).
Efectivamente o nível e a qualidade de vida aumentaram significativa e visivelmente em Portugal. É evidente. A mobilidade e acessibilidade aos transportes, o abastecimento de água, o tratamento de águas residuais (embora ainda algo haja por fazer), e tantas outras coisas.
Basta dizer que Portugal foi (depois da Irlanda) o país europeu em que o indicador de desenvolvimento humano das nações Unidas mais cresceu entre 1975 e 2003 (ver gráficos) – HDI - (indicador composto que tem em conta a taxa de escolaridade, a riqueza do PIB per capita em paridade de poder de compra e a esperança de vida). Isso é bastante significativo e dá uma ideia do grande desenvolvimento de Portugal.
E porque o desenvolvimento e a qualidade de vida não se resumem a dados estatísticos, Francisco Sarsfield Cabral indicou os cinco factos mais positivos e mais negativos da integração europeia (ver Expresso de 24/3/07). Citou como positivos a estabilidade política, a melhoria da defesa do consumidor (normas de protecção), a abolição de fronteiras, a concorrência como factor positivo para a economia e a introdução do Euro (impondo limites às finanças públicas). Como negativos mencionou a “subsidodependência” (muitos investimentos mas nem sempre bem aproveitados, como por exemplo os Fundos para formação profissional do Fundo Social europeu), a falta de estratégia para o país na utilização dos Fundos europeus (veja-se a Irlanda), o alargamento da UE para leste colocando Portugal numa posição mais periférica, a corrupção causada em parte pela “caça” aos fundos europeus (efectivamente segundo Transparency international, a percepção da corrupção aumentou em Portugal). E termina com o “alheamento”, pois em Portugal já quase não se fala de Europa, nem mesmo nas campanhas eleitorais.
E eu completaria ainda com a consolidação da democracia, que se deu efectivamente em Portugal, como o atestou o Economist na última edição da sua revista “The world in 2007”, ("A pause in democracy's march") estando Portugal na média europeia, acima de países como a Bélgica, a Itália ou a Grécia e de todos os países do leste europeu.
Afinal, motivos suficientes para que os portugueses estejam orgulhosos e confiantes no futuro.
Mas vejamos a evolução estatística entre o “antes” e o “hoje” (ver semanário Expresso, de 24/3/07). O saldo migratório passou de -26.949 a 47.229 (antes os portugueses emigravam, nos últimos anos o país tem atraído imensos imigrantes (de Africa, Brasil, Ucrânia, Roménia, Bulgária, etc). A esperança de vida dos homens passou de 70,3 a 74,5 anos e a das mulheres de 77,1 a 81, estando na média da Europa dos 15. A mortalidade infantil passou de mais de 15 por 1000 nados-vivos a 4, melhor do que a média europeia. Ao mesmo tempo a fecundidade (n° médio de crianças por mulher) passou de 1,7 a 1,4 (o que é preocupante pois o valor que permite que não haja um decréscimo natural da população é de 2,1). O analfabetismo passou de 30% para 8% hoje em dia, ligeiramente abaixo da média europeia, mas bem melhor!. O número de estudantes no ensino superior explodiu, de 102 (por 1000 pessoas em idade escolar) a 400 (e com predominância feminina!). A participação da mulher na economia activa também aumentou muito sendo das mais altas na Europa. A taxa de escolarização do ensino secundário passou de 17,8% a 62,5% (embora a taxa de abandono escolar continue a ser das mais elevadas na EU, junto com Malta). A extensão das auto-estradas passou de 196 kms a 2.091 kms (e densidade acima da média europeia). O número de médicos passou de 2,3 a 3,3 (por mil habitantes) ainda abaixo da média europeia, mas o número de camas de hospital ainda é de apenas 365 (por 100.000 habitantes, para uma média europeia de 639). O número de automóveis passou de cerca de 170 a 558 (por 1000 habitantes), valor acima da média europeia (e um mau investimento…). Portugal tem valores de penetração de telemóveis também acima dos valores médios (mais de 100/100 habitantes), enquanto a percentagem de lares com acesso a internet apenas seja de 35% (média europeia de 51%) e o acesso a banda larga é de 13% (média europeia de 14.8%). Se as despesas públicas em saúde aumentaram de 4 a 6,5% do PIB, e o próprio PIB/capita se multiplicou por seis (embora ainda esteja a pouco mais de 70% da média europeia, pois o crescimento tem praticamente estagnado desde 2000), as despesas de protecção social ainda estão abaixo da média europeia (2.967 €/habitante para uma média de 5.772), assim como as despesas em I+D (investigação e desenvolvimento tecnológico) - 0,78% do PIB contra 1,92 na UE (tendo a UE fixado o objectivo de 3% segundo os objectivos de crescimento de Lisboa, para 2010).
Efectivamente o nível e a qualidade de vida aumentaram significativa e visivelmente em Portugal. É evidente. A mobilidade e acessibilidade aos transportes, o abastecimento de água, o tratamento de águas residuais (embora ainda algo haja por fazer), e tantas outras coisas.
Basta dizer que Portugal foi (depois da Irlanda) o país europeu em que o indicador de desenvolvimento humano das nações Unidas mais cresceu entre 1975 e 2003 (ver gráficos) – HDI - (indicador composto que tem em conta a taxa de escolaridade, a riqueza do PIB per capita em paridade de poder de compra e a esperança de vida). Isso é bastante significativo e dá uma ideia do grande desenvolvimento de Portugal.
E porque o desenvolvimento e a qualidade de vida não se resumem a dados estatísticos, Francisco Sarsfield Cabral indicou os cinco factos mais positivos e mais negativos da integração europeia (ver Expresso de 24/3/07). Citou como positivos a estabilidade política, a melhoria da defesa do consumidor (normas de protecção), a abolição de fronteiras, a concorrência como factor positivo para a economia e a introdução do Euro (impondo limites às finanças públicas). Como negativos mencionou a “subsidodependência” (muitos investimentos mas nem sempre bem aproveitados, como por exemplo os Fundos para formação profissional do Fundo Social europeu), a falta de estratégia para o país na utilização dos Fundos europeus (veja-se a Irlanda), o alargamento da UE para leste colocando Portugal numa posição mais periférica, a corrupção causada em parte pela “caça” aos fundos europeus (efectivamente segundo Transparency international, a percepção da corrupção aumentou em Portugal). E termina com o “alheamento”, pois em Portugal já quase não se fala de Europa, nem mesmo nas campanhas eleitorais.
E eu completaria ainda com a consolidação da democracia, que se deu efectivamente em Portugal, como o atestou o Economist na última edição da sua revista “The world in 2007”, ("A pause in democracy's march") estando Portugal na média europeia, acima de países como a Bélgica, a Itália ou a Grécia e de todos os países do leste europeu.
Afinal, motivos suficientes para que os portugueses estejam orgulhosos e confiantes no futuro.
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[english]
If any doubts on the advantages of the integration of Portugal in the European Union still remained, statistics are there to easily prove the benefits. Of course, it is today impossible to assess (much less to quantify) how the country would have changed had it remained outside, "proudly alone" as some would have certainly preferred. On the other hand the country would not have received the thousands of millions of euros from European Funds (some 50), in particular from the structural and cohesion funds, to improve its infrastructures, among other things. Portuguese companies would not have had access to a huge market of consumers and buyers. Clearly, some Portuguese companies would have had less competition at home, but, how could they be competitive in a global market, if they did not open up internationally? Textile and footwear industry, for example, would have equally known external competition, in particular Chinese. On the other hand, being ‘inside’ allowed to attract many important investments to Portugal, in the beginning certainly attracted by the moderate wages. Investments that the country has lately had difficulty in seducing. But certainly, the geographic localization and the wages, now higher, do not help. And neither does competition from an enlarged Europe.
But let’s take a look at the statistics "before" and "today" (see also the weekly newspaper Expresso, of 24/3/07). The migratory balance changed from -26,949 to 47,229 (before the Portuguese used to emigrate, in recent years the country has attracted many immigrants, from Africa, Brazil, the Ukraine, Romania, Bulgaria, etc). Life expectancy of men passed from 70.3 to 74.5 years and that of women from 77.1 to 81. Infantile mortality decreased from more than 15 (per 1000 newborn) to 4, better than European average. At the same time the number of children per woman passed from 1.7 to 1.4 (which is worrying because the value needed to avoid a natural decrease of population is 2.1). The illiteracy passed from 30% to 8% nowadays, slightly below European average. The number of students in superior education exploded, from 102 (for 1000 people in school age) to 400 (and with an higher feminine share). The tax of participation in secondary education improved from 17.8% to 62.5% (even though school abandoning is still one of the highest). The extension of highways has increased from 196 km to 2,091 km (the density is above European average). The number of doctors slightly increased from 2.3 to 3.3 (for 1000 inhabitants) below European average, but the number of hospital beds still is only 365 (per 100,000 inhabitants, for a European average of 639). The number of cars increased strongly from some 170 to 558 (for 1000 inhabitants), value also above the European average. Portugal also has among the highest values of mobile phone subscriptions per head in Europe (more than 100 per 100 inhabitants), while the access to broadband is only of 13% (14.8% in Europe) and the percentage of households with internet access is of 35% (51% in Europe). If public expenditure in health has increased from 4 to 6.5% of the GDP, and if GDP per capita has multiplied by six (still only being little above of 70% of European average in PPP, since growth has practically stagnated since 2000), social protection expenditure still is below average European values (2,967/person for an average of 5,772). Also expenditure with R&D (research & technological development) is only 0.78% of the GDP against 1.92 in the EU (and the EU has fixed the value of 3% as an objective for 2010).
Effectively the standard and quality of living has increased significantly and visibly in Portugal. Mobility and accessibility to transport, water supply, waste water treatment, etc, even though a lot certainly remains to be done.
It is revealing to know that Portugal was (after Ireland) the European country where the United Nations’ indicator of human development – HDI – has increased most between 1975 and 2003 (see graphics). The HDI indicator takes into account the education level, life expectancy and the GDP per head level.
Yet development and quality of life cannot be limited to figures, and Francisco Sarsfield Cabral has summarised the five most positive and five most negative consequences of Portugal’s European integration (see Express of 24/3/07). He named political stability, the improvement of consumer protection, the dismantlement of borders, the economic competition and the introduction of the Euro (imposing strict limits to public finances). As negative he mentioned the "subsidy-dependency" (many investments but nor always used in the best way), the lack of economic development strategy to make the best use of the European structural funds. Also the enlargement of the EU towards the east, meaning that Portugal is more peripheral nowadays. The corruption caused partly to "chase" European funds (according to Transparency international, the perception of corruption in Portugal has indeed increased, although it is far from being one of the worst in Europe). And he ends with the "indifference” as regards Europe, which is not anymore an issue of debate, not even in political campaigns.
Effectively the standard and quality of living has increased significantly and visibly in Portugal. Mobility and accessibility to transport, water supply, waste water treatment, etc, even though a lot certainly remains to be done.
It is revealing to know that Portugal was (after Ireland) the European country where the United Nations’ indicator of human development – HDI – has increased most between 1975 and 2003 (see graphics). The HDI indicator takes into account the education level, life expectancy and the GDP per head level.
Yet development and quality of life cannot be limited to figures, and Francisco Sarsfield Cabral has summarised the five most positive and five most negative consequences of Portugal’s European integration (see Express of 24/3/07). He named political stability, the improvement of consumer protection, the dismantlement of borders, the economic competition and the introduction of the Euro (imposing strict limits to public finances). As negative he mentioned the "subsidy-dependency" (many investments but nor always used in the best way), the lack of economic development strategy to make the best use of the European structural funds. Also the enlargement of the EU towards the east, meaning that Portugal is more peripheral nowadays. The corruption caused partly to "chase" European funds (according to Transparency international, the perception of corruption in Portugal has indeed increased, although it is far from being one of the worst in Europe). And he ends with the "indifference” as regards Europe, which is not anymore an issue of debate, not even in political campaigns.
I would complete this with the consolidation of democracy. The Economist has confirmed this in a recent study in its magazine "The world in 2007", Portugal displaying high democracy levels in Europe, above countries like Belgium, Italy or Greece as well as all the European countries.
After all, good enough reasons for the Portuguese to be proud and confident about the future.
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Cidadania: "a única 'eleição' que Salazar ganhou"
Como o jornalista José Vitor Malheiros escreve na edição de hoje do Público num excelente artigo, "Salazar no top diz-nos que a sociedade autoritária, repressiva, retrógrada, machista, fechada, pobre, colonialista e de guerra criada pelo ditador de Santa Comba se transformou na memória de muitos num paraíso de ordem, respeito e honestidade, gerido com bonomia por um burguês paternal de fato de três peças." E ainda "Se a escolha do 'maior português' de todos os tempos nos mostra alguma coisa, ela mostra uma falta de identificação com a democracia e um gosto pela autoridade e pelos homens providenciais".
Mais palavras para quê?
Mais palavras para quê?
26 mars 2007
El rapto de Europa
(Foto fromLaNacion.com)Very interesting article by Carlos Fuentes in the newspaper La Nación (in spanish). Some excerpts:
"Visite Europa por primera vez en 1950. Las bombas de la Blitzkrieg habían dejado vastos huecos en el centro de Londres y la bombas de la Real Fuerza Aérea Británica habían devastado la ciudad alemana de Dresden. Viena estaba ocupada por las cuatro potencias victoriosas (los Estados Unidos, la URSS, Gran Bretaña y Francia). Las efigies de Lenin y Stalin cubrían la fachada imperial del Hofburg. De Milán a Nápoles, los niños robaban, pedían limosna y carecían de zapatos. Medio siglo más tarde, Europa es el principal bloque económico y comercial del mundo. Con 500 millones de habitantes, posee el nivel de educación, comunicaciones y bienestar general más alto del orbe. Con un ingreso medio per cápita de 29.000 dólares anuales.
(…)
México y la América latina, por último, están obligados, por elementales razones de salud, a diversificar sus relaciones exteriores más allá del continente americano. Vivimos con un gigante herido que acaso se dispare a una catastrófica furia hacia delante, arrastrándonos a un despeñadero. Europa aparece, más que nunca, como factor de equilibrio y de salud internacional. Y nosotros, los iberoamericanos, con tan hondas raíces en España y Portugal, ¿no somos lo más semejante a Europa fuera de Europa? No permitamos que Europa nos sea raptada."
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Cidadania: O pior português de sempre
O antigo ditador português Salazar foi escolhido como o "melhor ou maior português de sempre" num concurso promovido pela principal tv pública estatal, a RTP1, pelos telespectadores que votaram no concurso (com 42% dos votos). No segundo posto ficou Álvaro Cunhal (19%), antigo dirigente comunista, seguido pelo diplomata Aristides de Sousa Mendes (13%), que permitiu salvar milhares de judeus das garras nazis, durante a II Guerra mundial. Os dez finalistas incluiam ainda Afonso Henriques (primeiro rei do país), Fernando Pessoa (escritor/poeta), Infante D. Henrique (grande responsável das viagens marítimas no séc. XV), D. João II (rei da época dos descobrimentos), Luís Vaz de Camões (escritor do séc. XV que escreveu o épico "Os Lusíadas" da história de Portugal), Marquês de Pombal (primeiro Ministro da recontsrução de Lisbo após o terremoto de 1755) e Vasco da Gama (descobridor do caminhomarítimo para a Índia). A votação decorreu de 18 de Janeiro até 25 de Março.É certo que se tratava apenas de um jogo, tendo mesmo sido bastante criticado em Portugal, bastante 'leviano' e artificial, e que apenas votou quem quis, tendo-se certamente mobilizado sobretudo aqueles que queriam "provar" algo. Certamente a maioria das pessoas, como eu, nem ligou ao concurso nem votaram, uns por o considerarem uma farsa (como eu, desde que soube que Salazar tinha sido nomeado) outros por o considerarem pouco ou nada democrático. Como muito bem disse Odete Santos, defensora de Álvaro Cunhal, este resultado da RTP não pode servir como "branqueamento do fascismo" ou de Salazar. É no entanto muito triste que se tenha chegado a este resultado, certamente "politicamente incorrecto" e incómodo, e se cria assim um sentimento de mal-estar democrático, tendo sido dada uma péssima imagem do país.
Já a nomeação dos 10 finalistas me tinha deixado os cabelos em pé! Como era possível escolher como finalistas, um ditador fascista que esteve no poder durante 40 anos e um líder comunista que queria instaurar um regime pró-soviético (à imagem da ex-URSS) em Portugal? Isto não faz sentido num Estado democrático! Trinta e sete anos após a sua morte, António de Oliveira Salazar continua a suscitar sentimentos contraditórios junto dos portugueses. Mas pelos vistos não apenas de ódio e amargura, mas também muita admiração. Certamente os que votaram por Salazar têm a memória bem curta (ou a inteligência ou ambas). Porque se esqueceram de como o Senhor Salazar deixou o país (económica e socialmente), do clima dictatorial que se vivia, da guerra escusada com milhares de mortos nas ex-colónias portuguesas, do atraso cultural e educacional (30% de analfabetos, pior do que a maioria dos países sul-americanos na época!), dos milhares de presos políticos – não eu não esqueci os doze anos (sim, DOZE!!!) que um tio meu passou na prisão nos Açores, por ter distribuido panfletos com reivindicações laborais na fábrica onde trabalhava, nem de como isso lhe destruiu a vida e a da família. Mas a lista de desgraças não termina aqui… Independentemente de algo positivo que Salazar tenha podido fazer pelo país, que espero certamente tenha feito, é inaceitável que tenha chegado a ser finalista e que tenha sido eleito. Ainda por cima num país em que a televisão tem uma enorme influência na opinião pública. Mas é também na RTP (incluindo no canal internacional), televisão pública, que ainda temos que aguentar os programas tediosos de José Hermano Saraiva, "ex-ministro de Salazar", que vai afirmando, de quando em vez, que o 'fascismo' em Portugal 'nunca existiu"!
Noutros países, concursos similares deram resultados bem menos polémicos e 'normais', Winston Churchill na Inglaterra, Charles de Gaulle em França, Konrad Adenauer na Alemanha, Ronald Reagan nos EUA (esse sim algo controverso diria eu). Os checos elegeram figuras como Václav Havel e Dvorak (compositor). Os Sul-africanos, Nelson Mandela, os belgas optaram por Jacques Brel (cantor), Eddy Merckx (ciclista) e Hergé (criador do Tintim).
Como consolo é bom saber que Salazar foi também eleito "O Pior Português de Sempre" na categoria "Quem mais contribuiu para a ruína / estado a que chegou o país?", com 39.2% dos votos.
Portugal mudou muito desde Abril de 1974, mas por vezes parece que o analfabetismo, a ignorância e o espírito pequenino continuam a ser reis. E que muitos portugueses querem mesmo voltar à época de alienação dos três "F", Fátima-Futebol e Fado… ou será que já voltámos e eu ainda não dei por isso? De qualquer forma, pouco importa, vou já pedir a nacionalidade belga, Hergé é muito mais divertido e Brel escreveu coisas bem interessantes, como o poema que aqui deixo:
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Desejo-vos sonhos sem fime a vontade indómita de realizar alguns.
Desejo que amem o que deve ser amado e que esqueçam aquilo que dever ser esquecido.
Desejo-vos paixões.
Desejo-vos silêncios.
Desejo-vos cantos de pássaros ao despertar e risos de crianças.
Desejo que nunca se acomodem, que resistam à indiferença,
e a todas os defeitos da nossa época.
Desejo-vos que sejam vocês mesmos.
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no original em francês:
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Je vous souhaite des rêves à n'en plus finiret l'envie furieuse d'en realizer quelques-uns. Je vous souhaite d'aimer ce qu'il faut aimeret d'oublier ce qu'il faut oublier. Je vous souhaite des passions.Je vous souhaite des silences. Je vous souhaite des chants d'oiseau au réveilet des rires d'enfants. Je vous souhaite de résister à l'enlisement, à l'indifference, aux vertus négatives de notre époque. Je vous souhaite d'être vous.
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[in english]
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The former Portuguese dictator Salazar was just elected as the "best or more important Portuguese of all times" in a competition promoted for the main state television, RTP1, by the channel's audience who voted in the competition (with 42% of the votes). In second place came fomer communist leader Alvaro Cunhal (19%), followed by the diplomat Aristides de Sousa Mendes (13%), who allowed to save thousands of Jews from the nazis, giving them visas to enter Portugal (against Salazar's will), during World War II. The ten finalists included Afonso Henriques (first king), Fernando Persoa (writer/poet), Infant D. Henrique (responsible for the maritime discoveries during the XV Century), D. João II (king at the time of the discoveries), Camões (writer of the XV century, who wrote the epic " Lusíadas" about the history of Portugal), the Marquis of Pombal (prime minister who rebuilt Lisbon after the earthquake of 1755) and Vasco da Gama (seaman who discovered the maritime way to India).
I was already sceptical with the nomination of the 10 finalists… How was it possible to choose a fascist dictator who was in the power during 40 years and a communist leader who wanted to have a pro-Soviet communist regimen (to the image of former USSR) in Portugal? This does not make sense in a democratic State! Thirty seven years after his death, António de Oliveira Salazar continues to cause controversy in Portugal. However, not only feelings of hatred and bitterness, he seems to have much admiration! Those who have voted for Salazar, certainly have a short memory (or a short intelligence or both). Because they surely have forgotten how Salazar left the country (economically and socially) after he died, the dictatorial climate lived in the country then, the politic police, the unnecessary wars in the former colonies, where thousands died, the cultural and educational lagging behind of the country (30% of illiterates, worse than most South American countries at the time), the thousands of political prisoners – and I have not forgotten yet, the twelve years (yes, TWELVE!) that an uncle of mine passed in prison in the Azores, for having prepared and handed out political leaflets with labour claims, in the plant he worked, and how that destroyed his life and that of his family. But the list of disasters does not finish here... Independently of anything positive that Salazar might have done for the country, it is unacceptable that was a finalist and could be elected. Even more so in a state television that has a strong influence on public opinion.
In other countries, similar competitions have given less controversial results, Winston Churchill in England, Charles de Gaulle in France, Konrad Adenauer in Germany, Ronald Reagan in the U.S.A. (well, that is quite controversial I would say). In the Check Republic Václav Havel and Dvorak (composer). The South Africans chose Nelson Mandela and the Belgians opted for Jacques Brel (singer), Eddy Merckx (cyclist) and Hergé (the graphic creator of Tintim).
To make up for it, it is good to know that Salazar was also elected "the Worse Portuguese of All times" in another competition launched by a blog, in the category "Who has contributed most for the ruin of the country", with 39.2% of the votes. Portugal changed a lot since April of 1974 (year of the democratic revolution), but sometimes it seems that illiteracy, ignorance, lack of information and a limited outlook on life and democracy continue to rule. It seems that many Portuguese want to go back to the years of alienation of the three "FFF", Fátima(religion), Football and Fado (sad songs)... or maybe the country is already there and I haven't noticed… In any case, it doesn't matter because I have already asked for the Belgian nationality, Hergé is so much more fun…
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