FB. A window on our world, GAH glances at the history in its continuum. It's exciting to follow the Peulh girl going to the nearby river as well as a traveler sipping a Colombian coffee at a Manhattan Starbucks where life is as beautiful as ever... it's not just a matter of seeing, it's rather the way you look at our world. Wow!. Because it is the same planet, the same people and finally all the same humanity. frantz bataille, MD
J'imagine bien des jeunes, des adolescents donnant leur vie pour des causes mal definies dans cette Europe qui n'a pas su panser ses blessures ni enterrer, au nom de cette jeunesse, la hache de guerre nee des conflits de frontieres et de rancunes longtemps ruminees. Depuis 1871, la guerre a conduit a la guerre. Meme apres le traite de Versailles,de 1919, les semences d'une autre guerre vont encore alimenter l'eternel conflit franco-allemand. En attendant, il y a un siecle, au moment ou Alain Fournier tombait sans avoir connu de son vivant le succes de son unique roman, Le Grand Meaulnes, les soldats retranches dans ces abris a demi souterrains qu'on appelera les Tranchees, surent observer une halte pour celebrer la Noel au nom du renouveau et de ces rites de passage datant des druides de Chateaubriand.
Joyeux Noel montre bel et bien l'absurdite de la guerre. Ceux qui s'entretuent ont -ils toujours raison de le faire?
Never had Africa been at a turning
point like it is in Equatorial Guinea.
Almost twelve years ago, farming, fishing and
forestry had been predominating in the making of a living for the two thirds of
the population of this former Spanish colony located in the sub-Saharan Africa
Nowadays, compared to what Equatorial Guinea used to be, it seems that a
Cinderella-like fairy tale had occurred to the half million of
people which are scattered in the islands off Malabo and the continent.
Believe or not, this tiny country of Central Africa had now the higher
per capita income, once in the mid 90s, oil extraction had been removing it
from African Middle ages.
Now, a good part of the population rely on ‘Western
standards for mobile communication in which the Orange group
predominates. Landline is no longer a luxury since N. Obiang seized power
in 1979. Although critized for dictatorship, the Guinean
president is backed by American groups and institutions such as the
Sullivan Foundation and the likes. Recently, public figures
and international organizations namely USIS and World Bank head Mr. Paul
Wollowitz had agreed to participate at a reward ceremony for even the
controversial head of state.
Things were going bad when in 1979 Obiang came to
power. A microscome entity, given its size, Equatorial Guinea became
wealthy overnight. Today its per capita income range the …,
allowing the president to envision the so-called Horizon 2020 for a better life
to his people. Housing, road infrastructure and tourism are on the rise.
A paradise for fortune seekers coming from UK, Spain, Morroco and France, let
alone the US, Equatorial Guinea had left a lot behind, but from a macro
perspective, an African miracle is underway beyond the Sub- Saharan
sands. It was said that “the discovery of large oil reserves in 1996 and
its subsequent exploitation have contributed to a dramatic increase in
government revenue. As of 2004, Equatorial Guinea is the third-largest oil
producer in Sub –Saharan Africa. Its oil production has risen to 360,000
barrels per day (57,000 m3/d), up from 220,000 only two years earlier”. Equatorial
Guinea was labeled the “emirate or the Dubai of Africa.” Furthermore, “under
Obiang, the basic infrastructure of Equatorial Guinea has improved. Asphalt now
covers more than 80% of the national roads and ports and airports are being
built by Chinese, Moroccan and French contractors across much of the country”
From another point of view, Equatorial Guinea is
also the rainbow of Central Africa. Located at a very cross roads, and being
part insular and part mainland, Equatorial Guinea seems to be a place dedicated
to the mixing of nationalities and races. What actually determines an open
policy. Equatorial Guinea gathers “settlers of other nationalities, including
British, French and Germans. There is also a group of Israelis, and Moroccans.
After independence, thousands of Equatorial Guineans started moving back
and forth not only through the Black continent but also overseas, because of
the dictatorship of Francisco M. Nguema . Some Equatorial Guinean
communities are also to be found in Latin America, the United States, Portugal,
and France. OIl extraction has contributed to a doubling of the
population in Malabo.” Put simply, the velocity of exchanges and trade could
explain this kind of the country for openness, at the core of the business
sector.
Even though rumors of corruption persist and
permeate public opinion in the European Shenghen space or in
America, Equatorial Guinea is facing a bright future. That’s what concludes Mr
Emmanuel Marsigny, the young lawyer of Obiang family by
claiming straightly “ the economic picture in Equatorial Guinea had brightened,
with the country now enjoying “double-digit growth.”
That’s not so bad, that’s enough for a lot of hearts
to miss a beat.
Ernst Racine- Ernst Racine has an impressive background. He was a very successful professional soccer player. In fact at one point Ernst and the legendary Pele were team mates on the Cosmos Team. To this day Ernst is a superstar among many in his native Haiti and to those who follow "football". Ernst then went into finance and is now a personal tennis coach for the monied set in Bergen and Westchester Counties. Ernst is also a hub and has connections with the owners Empire Steak Houses in the NYC and a connection with the Crown Hotel chain. He is a man who can get things done by going to those who greenlight and write the checks.
“To
see a world in a grain of sand, and a heaven in a wild flower, hold infinity in
the palm of your hand, and eternity in an hour.” William Blake
My name is Roberto Malfatti. I am an
italian nature photographer and creative. Please, click
here to see my recent photos. They are not classified by topic or quality
level, simply are displayed in chronological order. Many of them got more than
1,000,000 and also more than 5,000,000 views, on Google. I intend to set up a selection of my best photos in
the future.
Roberto
Malfatti,
