MODÉ ADENIROKUN

Ulimuseum.com, founded by Winnie Awa, is your go to art space for learning, discovering and sharing Nigerian art. It is an online platform that is focused on cataloguing contemporary art and artists from Nigeria. Having discovered so many artists over the past few years, challenging the notion of art emerging from Nigeria through different styles and medium, there has never been a more exciting time to shed much needed light on these incredible artists and their work.

Please check out the latest features on the site below and LIKE the Facebook page for regular updates.

Website - www.ulimuseum.com
Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/UliMuseum

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Ms. Johnson a Freeport born native currently resides in New Providence. She has more than 10+ years in business management/administration, planning and organization in a broad range of industries and is a new comer to jewelry designs. She is presently pursuing a diploma with Ashworth College in Jewelry Making and Design. Her unexpected gift for designs has been a personal discovery as she herself didn’t know she had.

A Christian and a believer in faith she takes her role as a single mom to six year old son, Caliel with much pride. She enjoys family time and spending time with those that matters most. Her favorite past time is going to the beach, boating, watching romantic and action movies and not to mention watching the cartoon series Ben 10 with her son.

Chelsea Johnson

Chelsea was recently added to the list of “High-End” Authentic Bahamian Artisans by the Authentic Department of The Ministry of Tourism. Ms. Johnson work can be presently viewed online at the company’s website and with the Ministry of Tourism, Bay Street Festival every Saturday and Sunday, Downtown, Nassau.

Chelsea creates accessories that  reflects her own personal image, uniqueness, passion and style. It embodies the uniqueness of every woman that speaks class, sophistication and beauty. Each piece is handcrafted with the woman in mind.

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Three perspectives represented by the voice of one woman investigate the memory of a love lost while unerringly depicting the courage required to navigate a volatile gender gap.
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Poet Alexzenia Davis explores perspective and intimacy during a rush of mixed media footage that visualizes the characteristics of time. The short film titled “Make me a Doorway” is an experimental collaboration with filmmaker Jesse RussellBrooks that investigates the memories of past relationships, what photography makes of love lost and how these reflections mysteriously transform us.
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Jesse Russell Brooks
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Jesse Russell Brooks was born in Accomack, Virginia and received a degree in English Literature from Virginia State University. As a professional, Jesse spent the immediate decade after graduating from school working in New York City as a Stage Manager and assistant director. His projects included Walt Disney’s The Lion King, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, The Who’s Tommy and multiple cultural events and large venue concerts. During a stay as a studio assistant for video artist Bill Viola Jesse began to develop and author work as a filmmaker and artist. Brooks now focuses primarily on creating experimental short film and video that includes documentary, video art and narrative.
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Laila Petrone
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Laila Petrone was born in London and is of Italian and Dominican decent. She is the daughter of famous actress Iris Peynado. Laila was a very busy child travelling often with her family between The UK and Rome, Italy. Her performances as an actress began very early. A notable appearance can be found within Luigi Magno’s historical masterpiece “State Buoni, Se Potete”.
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As a college undergrad Laila studied International Affairs & continued to engage the screen. She appeared as the damsel in distress for the popular Italian music video “Guantanamera” by Banda Bassotti. Laila has also appeared in the role of Pina for Spike Lee’s “Miracle at St’ Anna” in 2007.
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Laila Petrone holds a Master of Media and Communications from The University of Florence and presently is an assistant director and producer. ??Her credits now include the award winning short films “Elron”, “Mr. 7 Minutes” and most recently “Sweatshop Kid”. Laila has taken The 2nd Place Pitching Award at The Roma Fiction Festival and received The Black Reel Award 2012 for outstanding Independent on her short film “The Bluest Note”.
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Film Credits
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Edited & Directed by Jesse Russell Brooks
Written & Performed by Alexzenia Davis
Film & Videography: Len Mazzone
Sound Recordist: Paul Gonzales
This film is a compilation of three poems:
“Make Me,” “My Silhouette,” and “A Lady’s Psyche”
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Written by Alexzenia Davis
Models in order of appearance:
Woman #1 Erika Ewing
Woman #2 Alexzenia Davis
Woman #3 Laila Petrone
Film Festivals
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Nova Cinema Brussels 2013
Cinethesia Feminist Film Festival 2013
New Voices in Black Cinema 2013
Post Alley Film Festival Seattle 2013
Visible Verse Poetry Festival Canada 2012
Black Women in Film festival 2012
Co-Kisser Poetry Festival 2012
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Exhibitions
Galerie Chartier Connecticut 2013
The December Laboratory London 2013
The Cleveland Institute of Art 2012
Art Grease Buffalo New York 2012
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MAKE ME A DOORWAY
ACTRESS & PRODUCER
LAILA PETRONE
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Dear Colleague,

Best regards,

Amanda Ebrus,

On behalf of:

Dr. Anthony A. Essien
Editor, African Educational Research Journal
E-mail: aerj@netjournals.org
www.netjournals.org

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Within the framework of the international Women’s Day Conference, Africa Femmes Performantes’international delegates were received on March 7, 2013 in the headquarter of the African Development Credit by Madam Honorine Neungoue, the President of the Board and her staff.

Participants and experts came from Morocco, the Democratic Republic of Congo, USA, Paris, Chad, Cote d’Ivoire, the Central African Republic and Cameroonian participants have joined them.

Delegates and ADEC discussed issues related to cooperation between the ADEC and the other countries in Africa, as well to the socio-economic situation in the African sub-region. They expressed their concerns about the strategies to implement a continental financial cooperative group for women.

 The inaugural ceremony of the conference took place in the “Palais des Congres” of Yaoundé. The opening ceremony was marked by the presence of eminent personalities including members of the Government, diplomatic and consular corps, development partners and private sector representatives.

The representative of theMinister of Women’ Affairs in Cameroon, Madam Martine Ongola called on women everywhere to commit to end violence against women and girls. She invited women to use all the ways possible to make a life free of violence a reality for women and girls in every country: from passing or improving laws; launching public awareness campaigns; providing safe houses, free hotline services and free legal aid to survivors; supporting education programs that address gender stereotypes and violence; and increasing women in law enforcement, peacekeeping forces and frontline services, their public interventions, workshops and seminars.

Madam EvelyneFrançoise SOUA NTYAM, Technical Advisor and Special Representativeof the Minister of Economy in Cameroon, stated the Ministry’s strategic direction to drive economic growth for a prosperous Cameroon by helping the Government ensure the best possible environment for business success. She detailed how the Ministry of the Economy will contribute to the Government’s goals to responsibly manage to build a more competitive and productive economy, deliver better public services and empowers women.

  In her address, President Patricia Secke explained the objectives and vision of theorganization Africa Femmes Performantes, aiming to promote anddevelop African women and African descent talents in all sectors, to strengthen the bridges between the diasporas and the Continent of Africa by conducting concrete and practical actions for a sustainable development.

Madam Honorine Neungoue, President of the Board of the Africa Development Credit, stated the importance of implementation of the various ADEC financed projects in Africa. Mrs. Honorine Neungoue acknowledged African woman have huge resources that should be devoted to sustainable development. It is up to women to invest more to improve their skills and address the requirement of funds more efficiently.

The general theme of the conference was: ”Empower Women financially” All the communications from the experts focused on educating and empowering women to take control of their finances in the future. Taking the African Development Credit institution as a co-operative business model, women received the necessary tools to integrate sustainable development into their business lines by addressing the environmental, social and economic imperatives simultaneously.

A continentalcooperative option for women has being discussed in a wide range of contexts; from local sector-specific issues, to larger-scale economic structural questions, such as legal aspects, procedures and policy initiatives that would advance the implementation. There is interest in exploring a cooperative solution for women in the whole continent of Africa.

Madam Queen Ayacodobae is Founder and President of The Clean Green Tour, Inc.She is an educational consultant and nutritionist, and has conducted an educational and informational awareness workshop:  Holistic Healing (natural care) and Family Lifestyles.

Another important workshop focused on a Conversational approach to Conflict Resolution, Dr. Aicha Lemtouni and Madam Fatima Rabbouz from Morocco has developed a mediation workshop by providing an introduction to mediation and Dispute Resolution Management: help to clarify and prioritize issues, crystallize needs, reality check and assist parties in searching for solutions. Be facilitators who guide and manage the parties through a process of controlled negotiations, as to avoid escalation of conflict.

Women of Cameroon have completed the picture with a panel highlighting the country such as:Ecotourism in Cameroon; Cameroon a land of peace and hospitality;Cameroonian women facing the challenge of accelerating economic growth.

In conjunction with the official program, the Democratic Republic of Congo with other delegates of Africa Femmes Performantes,Inc. Were honored with aspecial invitation at the Cameroon National Assembly for the 2013 opening sessions on March 11. To acknowledge the presence of Congresswomen in Cameroon, a private reception held at theResidency of the Vice-President of the National Assembly of Cameroon in the evening.

Conclusions:

The Democratic Republic of the Congo is the next destination for the implementation of the financial co-operative business model.

The 6th International Congress of African Women is announced and the host country will be the Republic of Cote d’Ivoire. Preparatory sessions of this major event will be held in Washington DC from May 23 to May 25, 2013.
Many thank to the Ministry of Economy in Cameroon for their support.

We thank all the delegates and experts for their commitment in the vision of Africa Femmes Performantes,Inc. Many thanks to our partners: The African Development Credit, Makwande Energy LTD South Africa, Institute for Leadership and communication studies in Rabbat Morocco, The Clean Green Tour,Inc Maryland USA.

General information on the Washington Roundtable (May 23-25, 2013) for the preparations of the 6^th International congress of African women: www.femmesperformantes.com

For any inquiry please email us atcongres@femmesperformantes.com orcongres.international@gmail.com

Tel: +1 571 606 5215 or + 1 301 434 2728

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(King Peggy)                          (Eleanor Herman)

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About the Book
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More about King Peggy:
www.kingpeggy.com

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Reach Out and Touch is Inspirational God inspired book about extending our hands to help others by giving to impact lives.
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I am grateful God allowed me to write this book and all glory belongs to him! Feel free to Rate and Review this book at the below links.Please share these links To Preview the book
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Reach Out And Touch: Paper Back Book
http://www.lulu.com/shop/suzanne-uzzell/reach-out-and-touch/paperback/product-20730592.html
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Reach Out And Touch: Ebook/ Epub
http://www.lulu.com/shop/suzanne-uzzell/reach-out-and-touch/ebook/product-20731834.html
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Reach Out And Touch: Ebook(PDF) DOWN LOAD NOW
http://www.lulu.com/shop/suzanne-uzzell/reach-out-and-touch/ebook/product-20731879.html

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I truly believe the message in this book will will transform and bless lives.
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Love Suzanne Uzzell

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About the Author
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About the Book
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About the Author
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About the Book
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More about Salihah Simone:
www.transientgirl.com

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About Tunette Powell
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About the Book
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The third annual convention of the Black German Heritage and Research Association (formerly the Black German Cultural Society NJ) will be held on August 8-11, 2013, at Amherst College in Amherst, Massachusetts. This year’s convention will focus on Black Germans in Diaspora. The conference will feature a keynote address by Maisha Eggers, Professor of Childhood and Diversity Studies at the University of Magdeburg, a screening of the 1952 film “Toxi” at the Amherst Cinema with an introduction and Q & A by Professor Angelica Fenner of the University of Toronto, author of “Race Under Reconstruction in German Cinema” (2011), and presentations by guest artists Sharon Dodua Otoo and Sandrine Micossé-Aikins, editors of “The Little Book of Big Visions: How To Be an Artist and Revolutionize the World,” published by the Berlin publishers Edition Assemblage in October 2012.
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The BGHRA Review Committee invites proposals for papers that engage the multiplicity and diversity of the experiences of Blacks of German heritage and on Blackness in Germany. We welcome submissions for twenty-minute presentations on three academic panels and two sessions devoted to life writing, oral history, and memoir. We are especially interested in life stories by and about Black Germans as well as academic papers. Please send a one-page abstract and a CV or short biographical statement to: bghrassn@gmail.com by April 8.
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Visit Blackgermans at: www.blackgerman.org/?xg_source=msg_mes_network

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(Joyce van Genderen-Naar)

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Dear All,
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I would like to share with you the information on the lunch meeting with WTO DG candidate Mrs. Anabel González, Costa Rica Minister of Foreign Trade. Organized by Friends of Europe in Brussels in a serie of conversations with WTO candidates.
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28 February 2013 – luncheon meeting with Costa Rica candidate for WTO DG Mrs. Anabel González
Background
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Anabel González is Minister of Foreign Trade of Costa Rica, appointed in 2010. In this capacity, she serves as the President’s principal advisor, negotiator and spokesperson on trade and investment policy issues. She currently acts as chair of the World Economic Forum Global Agenda Council on Trade. With experience in both the public and private sector, Minister González has been involved in trade and investment policy matters internationally and domestically for the past twenty years.

Relevant points made by Mrs. Anabel González
a.. She is the candidate of a small country, Costa Rica, compared to the powerful WTO Members and candidates, but has the ability and leadership potential for this post. Also smaller countries could play an important role, referring to the leadership of Belgium, Luxembourg, Portugal in EU institutions. Furthermore Costa Rica is a good example of a developing country that diversified its economy, especially services and ITC, and developed in only a few years time from a two commodities exporting country (coffee and bananas) to a country that is exporting now more than 4300 different products to 145 countries.
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b.. If elected as WTO Director-General she you would like to contribute to re-energizing the WTO together with the WTO member states.
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c.. She would like to see more developing countries benefitting from trade contributing to economic development. ‘Trade as opposite of development is a misconception, which needs to be strongly addressed’, she said.
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d.. Developing countries’ share in world trade has grown, but it is still concentrated on a small number of countries and she would like to see the WTO supporting the integration of more countries into the world economy.
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e.. DDA: all WTO members stressed that they want to continue, Bali is a very important step, we have to restore the credibility. We should come back to DOHA, but also discuss shorter term agendas, such as trade facilitation, global value chains/manufacturing, trade and investments; it is essential to revitalise and to have these discussions in WTO, the house of trade, she said.
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f.. A strong WTO is needed, DOHA had an impact on the credibility. WTO Dispute settlement and Trade capacity building are good, but the negotiation function and monitoring have to be strengthened. Monitoring of Regional Trade Agreements (RTA) is very important for WTO, in order to know what is taking place in the different regions.
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g.. Also more monitoring of WTO of negotiations and implementation of FTAs/EPAs and mining/mineral agreements between multinationals and developing countries.
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h.. Involvement of Civil Society is very important, and is taking place through the WTO’s website and WTO Public Forum, however WTO issues are still too complex and need to be translated at local and regional level. Now it is only depending on knowledge of trade officials. Keep pushing for a strong civil society involvement in trade negotiations, it is a key element to produce good results, she said.
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Joyce van Genderen-NAAR,
Brussels Bar Lawyer descending from Suriname, South America
Member of the International Bar Association (IBA)
Member of the World Trade Advisors (WTA)
Emailaddress:  joycenaar@skynet.be

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use elsewhere was 8 March.
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maintained in all aspects of life.
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2011 is the global centenary year for International Women’s Day – 100 years since the first International Women’s Day event was run. More than one million women and men attended rallies in 1911.
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Visit www.internationalwomensday.com

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Samira Ibrahim
Coordinator, Know Your Rights

Egypt

A former marketing manager, Ms. Ibrahim was among seven women subjected by the Egyptian military to forced “virginity tests” in March 2011 after they were detained during a protest in Cairo’s Tahrir Square. Resisting enormous cultural pressure to remain silent about her ordeal, she brought charges against the government. A military tribunal in March 2012 exonerated the Army doctor involved, but Ms. Ibrahim succeeded in garnering worldwide attention, prompting the military to issue an order in December 2012 forbidding such procedures. Born in Sohag, Upper Egypt, she was arrested while in high school for writing a paper that criticized Arab leaders’ insincere support of the Palestinian cause. She continues to play an active role in Egypt’s evolving political scene. Ms. Ibrahim is the coordinator of the Know Your Rights movement, which works to raise political awareness and advocate for women’s rights in Upper Egypt.

Dr. Josephine Obiajulu Odumakin
President, Campaign for Democracy

Nigeria

Over the past twenty years, Dr. Josephine Odumakin has handled over 2,000 cases of violations of women’s rights, including cases of extrajudicial practices committed by government security agencies against women. These cases have included violations of women’s rights including extrajudicial killings of women by the police or their spouses, assault of women by law enforcement personnel for any pretext as well as deaths of children and women through negligence on the part of school or hospital authorities. Dr. Odumakin leads almost every protest, march, lecture or workshop aimed at encouraging the rule of law and governing justly and democratically. Her advocacy led her to be arrested and detained seventeen times during the dictatorship of General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida’s regime. Dr. Odumakin is currently the Executive Director of the Institute of Human Rights and Democratic Studies; President of Women Arise for Change Initiative; Chairman, Task Force of the Citizen Forum; Spokesperson, Coalition of Civil Society Organizations; and President, Centre for Participatory Democracy.

Fartuun Adan
Executive Director, Elman Peace and Human Rights Centre

Somalia

Ms. Fartuun Adan is the Executive Director of the Elman Peace and Human Rights Centre, a Somali NGO based in Mogadishu, Somalia. Ms. Adan has championed human and women’s rights, peace-building, development, and the rehabilitation of child soldiers across Somalia, often under insecure and dangerous conditions.

Ms. Adan and her husband worked for years as ardent peace activists. Advocating for education as an alternative to perpetual violence and as a means to lift Somalia out of its 20 year cycle of civil conflict, they jointly coined the popular Somali peace mantra: “Put down the gun and pick up the pen.” In 1996, Somali warlords assassinated her husband for his and Fartuun Adan’s peacemaking efforts. When her husband’s family took over the organization and left her with no financial means, Ms. Adan fled to Canada as a refugee where she raised her three daughters. She returned to Somalia in 2007 at the height of conflict in Mogadishu, between the Union of Islamic Courts, Warlords, and Ethiopian forces, to continue the work that she and her late husband had begun.

In 2010, Ms. Adan initiated a Sister Somalia program to support SGBV victims who had survived rapes and/or escaped forced marriages. She established Somalia’s first sexual violence hotline and rape crisis center in Mogadishu in 2011. To date, the center has served over 400 Somali women and girls, offering counseling and medical services, business start-up kits and funds, entrepreneurial skills training, and relocation to safe haven. Ms. Adan has also restarted the Elman Peace and Human Rights Centre’s efforts to reintegrate former child soldiers back into society by providing disengaged teenage child soldiers with both education and job training skills. These skills have allowed them to fill jobs created by the exodus of skilled laborers who fled Mogadishu’s violence. Many of these former child soldiers now work as teachers, electricians, and mechanics, as well as other professions. On average, she has trained 350 youths per year, and plans to expand this number to 700 for 2013 and to areas recently recaptured from al-Shabaab by African Union and Somali forces.

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Dr. Lüderitz Natural Cosmetics was founded by Dr. rer. nat. Liset Lüderitz. She was born in Cuba, where she completed a degree in chemical engineering. While working in the Research Center for Nutrition and Food Sciences in Havana she was also trained as an aroma specialist and developed aromas for the national food industry.

Dr. Luderitz

In the year 2000 she moved to Berlin (Germany) and besides falling in love with the city she soon noticed the lack of natural products for curly hair. As a scientist it quickly occurred to her that she could develop the products herself. While already using her own formulations she continued her scientific career, finishing a M.Sc. in Polymer Science and obtaining a PhD in Physical Chemistry at the TU Berlin.

The first product line – Havana Curls – addresses the essential needs of curly hair by combining scientific field knowledge with tradition.

The Havana Curls Leave-in Conditioner is a natural emulsion – a mixture of natural oils, plant extracts, vitamin, protein and water. With the selected natural ingredients and the balanced pH a well conditioned, shined and healthy curly hair is guaranteed. The two ingredients Shea Butter and Mango Butter with their high percentage (about 10%) of unsaponifiable components lead to a more moisturized and revitalized hair without a greasy feeling. Furthermore the synergetic effects of the ingredients result in an amazing softness of the hair.

For which hair types
The Havana Curls Leave-in Conditioner works for:
coily/kinky hair (type 4),
curly hair (type 3) and
wavy hair (type 2).

How to use
For hair type 4 the product can be applied to dry hair or to wet hair to make twists or cornrows.
For hair types 2 and 3 apply a small amount of the product to wet hair.

Ingredients
Aqua, Coconut Oil, Glycerin, Shea Butter, Emulsan, Mango Butter, Aloe Vera, Avocado Oil, Olive Oil, Citric Acid, Allantoin, Bay Oil, Cetyl alcohol, D-Panthenol, Jojoba Oil, Rosemary Leaf Extract, Rokonsal, Silk Protein, Vitamin E

Visit Dr. Luderitz’s website and sign up for the newsletter to receive a discount when the product launches.

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Samata Angel, award winning fashion designer, author and public speaker

The author, award-winning designer Samata Angel, explains how to take steps towards a fulfilling career – achieving creative, business and emotional balance – in this competitive and complex industry. The range of pertinent topics covered include working in the industry as a fashion designer, business planning, selling your brand, networking and using social media, emotional well being and environmentally and socially responsible fashion. The book also contains insights from a range of key industry influencers: Harold Tillman CBE, Chairman of the British Fashion Council; Sarah Curran, Founder of my-wardrobe.com; Nigel Barker from TV show America’s Next Top Model; Helen Jennings, Editor of ARISE magazine and Suzy Amis Cameron, Founder of Red Carpet Green Dress.

Emerging designers should read this book to get ahead; it also offers advice for anyone interested in exploring the industry, from first year fashion students looking to secure work experience, to the talented seamstress working to establish a reputation.

Purchase your copy of the Fashion Designer’s Resource Book today.

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Yours sincerely,
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Anthonia N.Emegha

Miss Africa Netherlands 2011-2012,

Pageant Coordinator,

Miss Africa Netherlands

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About the Author
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About the Book
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More about the book:
http://blaft.com/view_details.php?id=31

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About the Author
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About the book
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Shout-out also to Leeway Foundation, Art Sanctuary, and Black Classic Press for helping me to make one of my dreams come true; and to Toni Kersey, Biany Perez, and Charles Lowder for making the front and back covers look beautiful.
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More about the book:

www.facebook.com/InTributeToNinaSimone

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About the Author
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About the Book
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This keepsake is dedicated to our ancestors who marched and died, in order for us, to live the life they could only dream of. Their prayers and sacrifice should never be forgotten. Their strength in unison should be a reflection of each of us today.We were born for greatness, not less than.

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About the Author
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About the Book
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Diva’s Jotz N Tittlez is a book of quotes and poetry that will warm the heart soul and spirit.

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About the Author
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About the Book
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Additional information such as the character list and sample chapter are here:
CLICK HERE

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About the Author
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About the Book
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About the Author
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About the Book
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More about the book:
www.navigatinglifesroadways.com

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Yityish Aynaw

Ethiopian-Israeli wins Miss Israel pageant for first time

February 27, 2013

(JTA) — Yityish Aynaw, a former Israeli army officer, became the first Ethiopian-Israeli to win the Miss Israel pageant.

A panel of judges awarded the title to Aynaw, a 21-year-old model who came to Israel about a decade ago, at the International Convention Center Haifa on Wednesday.

“It’s important that a member of the Ethiopian community wins the competition for the first time,”

she was quoted by Israeli media as telling the judges in response to a question.

“There are many different communities of many different colors in Israel, and it’s important to show that to the world.”

Aynaw came to Israel with her family when she was 12. Acclimating to Israel was difficult at first, Aynaw said, but she picked up the language quickly with the help of a friend.

She has been working as a saleswoman at a clothing store since her army discharge.

During the competition, Aynaw cited the slain American civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. as one of her heroes.

“He fought for justice and equality, and that’s one of the reasons I’m here: I want to show that my community has many pretty qualities that aren’t always represented in the media,”

she said.

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Hi! I am Lucy Lau Bigham, a textile surface designer with extensive experience in community development for the economically challenged. A year ago my husband and I started a social enterprise and a project titled “Recycled Treasures” that addresses the proliferation and inadequate disposal of plastic bags.

WE HAVE TRAINED 180 women/artisans from urban and rural low-income communities in Kenya. These producers are now engaged in making in making HIGH FASHION BAGS OUT OF CLEAN USED PLASTIC BAGS utilizing their traditional weaving and knitting skills .

We have initiated a collection program for the bags with the 3 major supermarkets in Kenya, who have provided us with the opportunity to sell in their 75 mega stores. Currently we have bags retailing in 15 of these stores. Our efforts can provide an income of $25 a week for people who earn less than a dollar a day.

Our business has been published in the University of Penn of Pennsylvania Wharton Small Business Development Center as one of their “Success Stories”.

Recycled Treasures

We are pleased to share our “Creating Recycled Treasures” project back ground with you and look forward to your support.

Our “Recycled Treasures” Project was recently covered in the LA Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer and other Kenyan media.

On behalf of all the artisan communities we work with, my husband and I, appreciate this opportunity to share our project and plans. Our project provides support for improving the environment, health and providing sustainable incomes for hundreds of people in rural communities.

Visit our online shop in our website
www.toshekadesigns.com for purchases of these unique one of a kind bags!

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First Lady Michelle Obama

New official portrait of First Lady Michelle Obama.

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Black Pete, Zwarte Piet: The Documentary is a film about the blackface tradition of Zwarte Piet, a Dutch folklore character associated with the celebration of Sinterklaas. According to folklore, Sinterklaas arrives in the Netherlands via steamship every November, rides into town on his horse, and is assisted by his helper Zwarte Piet, which literally translates to “Black Peter.”

Documentary project by

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For more info: Click Here

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Stephanie Rawlings-Blake

I want to take a moment to let you know how excited I am about serving you and our fellow Democrats as Secretary of the Democratic National Committee. Serving you is a tremendous honor, and I look forward to working with you over the next four years as we stand together to support our President and our Party. I want to thank Secretary Emeritus Alice Germond for her leadership over the last decade. It has been a pleasure to see how she has worked for our Party and please know that I am committed to building upon her legacy of service.

I also want to thank our Chair, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, for being so incredibly insightful and supportive in these first few weeks. Through the work of our Chair, the other Officers, and members like you, our Party will do great things. My pledge is to be an advocate for you in the process.
I can only say that serving as Secretary of the Party seems like a natural progression in my journey as a proud Democrat. It is a journey that began when I was a little girl and always wanted to go to work with my Dad in Annapolis where he proudly served as a Democrat in the state legislature.

With service to others in mind, I worked hard and became the youngest person elected to the Baltimore City Council at age 25. Since then, I’ve continued that work being elected as President of the City Council and now currently with my election as Mayor of the City of Baltimore. I want you all to know that I will bring the same passion, determination, advocacy, and commitment to my role as Secretary.

Moving forward, we will continue communications from my office that I hope will help you in your role as a DNC member. As much as my schedule allows, I plan to get out on the road so that I can meet with you and be of any assistance I can provide. I am committed to working with each of you to move our Party forward and to ensuring that our Party functions are carried out in the best tradition of the DNC. So, please do not hesitate to contact me via my DNC office with any requests.

As I serve in this role, I am reminded of what President Obama said about the power of our voices on January 21st:

“You and I, as citizens, have the obligation to shape the debates of our time – not only with the votes we cast, but with the voices we lift in defense of our most ancient values and enduring ideals.”

Over the next four years, I look forward to standing shoulder to shoulder with you to be heard and to shape our Nation’s most crucial debates. Again, please contact me or my office should you need anything to continue the critical work of supporting our President and our Party as we move our Country forward.

All the best,
Stephanie

—————————-
Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake
Secretary
Democratic National Committee

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As Founder of the National Black Women’s Town Hall, Inc. (NBWTH), I need your help!  2013 marks the beginning of an expanded strategy toconnect our national black women and girls organizations, corporations, foundations, professionals, institutions, bloggers, media networks, individuals, and families, to one another.

One of our most effective strengths throughout history has been “word of mouth.” Let’s overuse this skill in 2013 to make sure we can find, support, connect with, and share things together.  I’m good at connecting the dots and bringing concepts to life but what I want is to get better at connecting to and with more of you; sisters doing the dang thing!

Social media has proven that who you know and who they know can exponentially impact millions over time. The NBWTH wants to use concept to expand the members of our town hall and increase its impact in a measurable way! We want to use technology to boost our presence, enhance our capabilities, and engage the genius of black women and girls nationally and abroad.

The National Black Women’s Town Hall, Inc. (NBWTH), a 501(c) 3 organization, is positioned to create a brain trust that will become a diverse yet centralized online and offline collaborative network/community that supports creative thinking and innovative actions inter-generationally. We can learn so much with and from one another.

To accomplish this audacious vision it will require a village of phenomenal women, like you, dedicated to self-determination through collective efforts and a unified purpose.  The National Black Women’s Town Hall (NBWTH) is your organization with our best interest at heart!  

We have accomplished some amazing collaboratives since we our first town hall was held in Washington, DC, in July 2008, at the headquarters of the National Council of Negro Women(NCNW) in association with Dr. Dorothy Height followed by Howard University in 2009, Bennett College for Women in 2010, and other activities throughout 2011 and 2012.  There’s much more in store with your dedicated input, feedback, support, and sponsorship.

On behalf of the NBWTH, I graciously and enthusiastically invite you to join us in building our national Board of Directors and Council of Advisors.  We need your talent, your input, your leadership, and your blessings!

• Would you be interested in donating your time, talents, or resources to the NBWTH?
• Are you, or someone you know, a savvy social media professional, journalist or blogger?
• Are you a webmaster, graphic designer, writer or internet expert who could lend your expertise to our website and internet presence?
• Are you seeking a worthy cause to make a donation, endowment, or event sponsorship?
• Are you aware of funding or collaboration opportunities for the NBWTH?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, please contact me directly by sending an email to blackwomenstownhall@gmail.com or call/text me at (202)497-4564.

Come join and grow with us! All we need is a few more amazing sisters to help us take the next steps!

Exciting things happen when sisters come together!

Blanche Williams, M.S.

Founder/Executive Director
National Black Women’s Town Hall, Inc. (NBWTH)
202-497-4564
www.blackwomenstownhall.com

“Exciting things happen when sisters come together.”

Inaugural Year 2008 C-Span Coverage

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www.facebook.com/events/294272294013099/?fref=ts

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Source: US Embassy in Malta

Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley, was sworn in as U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Malta on Wednesday, April 18, 2012, and presented her credentials to H.E. Dr. George Abela, President of Malta, on Wednesday, May 2, 2012.

Ms. Abercrombie-Winstanley, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service with the rank of Minister-Counselor, joined the Foreign Service in 1985 and served as Consul in Baghdad, before being posted to Jakarta and Cairo.  She then served as Special Assistant for Middle Eastern and African Affairs to Secretary of State Lawrence Eagleburger.

After a year of advanced Arabic, she served as Political Officer in Tel Aviv with responsibility for the Gaza Strip.  Before assuming her most recent position as Deputy Coordinator for Counterterrorism she was posted as Director of the Office of Egypt and the Levant where she handled the countries of Lebanon, Syria, Egypt, and Jordan, and served as Chairwoman for Middle East Area Studies at the Foreign Service Institute–the premier training facility for U.S. Diplomats; as Consul General in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; Policy Advisor to the Director of the Near East–South Asia Center for Strategic Studies at the Department of Defense; Senior Advisor for Middle Eastern Affairs at USUN; Director for Near East South Asian Affairs with responsibility for the Arabian Peninsula at the National Security Council of the White House; and Director for Legislative Affairs, also at the NSC.

Prior to that, she was awarded a Pearson fellowship and worked on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for the Ranking Member, Senator Joseph Biden.

Ms. Abercrombie-Winstanley is the recipient of Senior Performance Pay, Meritorious and Superior Honor Awards, including “For acts of courage during an attack on the U.S. Consulate General, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on December 6, 2004 by al-Qa’ida terrorists.”

Ms. Abercrombie-Winstanley has a Bachelors degree from George Washington University and a Masters degree from Johns Hopkins University and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.  She served on the Boards of the International Career Advancement Association and the Forum for Education Abroad.

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President Barack Obama nominated career diplomat Bisa Williams to be U.S. ambassador to the African nation of Niger on November 30, 2009, but she was not confirmed by the Senate until August 6, 2010.

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Black Artists Network of Nova Scotia The Secret Codes January 28 – February 8, 2013 Alderney Landing Theatre, 2 Ochterloney Street Dartmouth, NS FREE http://www.banns.ca/ The Secret Codes: An exhibition of contemporary narrative and picture quilts inspired by the story of the Underground Railroad and created by African Nova Scotian quiltmakers. In The Secret Codes, the quiltmakers explore the quilt as a vehicle of storytelling and community history. Quiltmakers worked from drawings by artist and writer David Woods, as well as their own original designs to create a series of quilts that capture African Nova Scotian community and history, as well as their personal stories.		Charles Taylor Hall Theatre Society Dreamgirls February 1 & 2, 2013 Alderney Landing Theatre, 2 Ochterloney Street Dartmouth, NS Ticket Price: General $29.50, Student/Senior $19.50 http://www.charlestaylortheatre.com/ Set in the 1960’s, Dreamgirls is a very popular musical that fuses a blend of soul, motown, and gospel music. The story follows the dramatic development of a young, Black, female singing trio from Chicago who ascend to stardom through an amateur singing competition. This Canadian staging features a concert piece, alongside play excerpts. The production involves five professional artists and ten emerging, established, and community-based artists.

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Cultural Ambiguity Exhibition Cultural Ambiguity February 1 – 28, 2013 Fritzi Gallery – Great Canadian Theatre Company, 1233 Wellington Street West Ottawa, Ontario FREE http://www.gctc.ca/ This contemporary art exhibition is a celebration of culture, showcasing the works of 3 local artists, Chikonzero Chazunguza, Allen Andre, and Elbagir Osman. The presented artwork is a dynamic and colourful display of the ambiguous nature of culture.		National Arts Centre Molly Johnson March 8, 2013 National Arts Centre: Studio Theatre, 53 Elgin Street, Ottawa, ON K1P 5W1 Ticket Price: $39 http://nac-cna.ca/en/presents/event/3450 Molly Johnson has earned her reputation as one of Canada’s greatest voices… She has rocked standing-room only audiences in nightclubs and bars from coast-to-coast as a pop artist, and seduced the patrons of salons and lounges with her luscious interpretations of jazz and blues standards. In 2008 she was honoured with becoming an Officer of The Order Of Canada. In the fall of 2008, after creating a critically acclaimed body of original music, Molly released her fourth full length album; a long awaited record of standards entitled LUCKY via Universal Music Canada & Universal Music France. LUCKY won the 2009 JUNO for Best Vocal Jazz Album. Molly also received the 2009 National Jazz Award for Best Female Vocalist.

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About the Author

About the Book

More about the book
Www.pacificravenpress.com
Www.sandraasimms.com

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About the Author

About the Book

More about the book:
www.joycewilliamsbooks.com

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About the book

Find the book at: Click Here

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Fondation Fabienne Colas FONDU AU NOIR (FADE TO BLACK) February 1 – 28, 2013 | 5 – 7 :30 pm Cabaret du Mile-End (5240 Ave du Parc) Grande Bibliothèque ( 475 de Maisonneuve Est) Théâtre Le Plateau ( 3700, Calixa-Lavallée) Ticket Prices: $15 – $30 www.fonduaunoir.ca Fade to Black is a multidisciplinary program that celebrates Black History Month through movies, music, theatre, dance, visual arts, food tastings and conferences, from February 1 to 28, 2013.		Table ronde du Mois de l’Histoire des Noirs (Black History Month Roundtable) I Have a Dream: Exposition February 1 – 28, 2013 Various Locations FREE www.moishistoiredesnoirs.com The “I Have a Dream” exhibition highlights great moments from the life of the staunch defender of freedom in the US and includes archives from his visit to Canada. Through visual, text and sound archives, the exhibition provides visitors with an overview of the life of one of the most influential men of the 20th Century. In addition to archival documents, the exhibition will include a creative component featuring works by Black Canadian artists reinterpreting King’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech. The free exhibition will be presented at Place des Arts and provide Montrealers with a look back at this page in history while providing a contemporary context through the eyes of visual artists.

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Muhtadi International Drumming Festival Drum Beats January 14 – February 25, 2013 Various Schools FREE www.muhtadidrumfest.com The Muhtadi International Drumming Festival presents Drum Beats - a series of performances and drumming activities for communities in Greater Toronto Area libraries, community venues and schools by eight professional performing artists or groups involving children, youth, and adults during Black History Month 2013. The program features Black artists and drumming traditions of Africa and the Caribbean. Jan. 14 Njacko Backo Humewood PS, Toronto Feb. 9 Njacko Backo TPL-Morningside Branch, Toronto Feb. 11-20 Njacko Backo West Prepatory Public School, Toronto Feb. 20 Beyond Sound Empijah TPL-Parkdale Branch, Toronto Feb 25-Mar. 1 Njacko Backo Corpus Christi School, Mississauga		Ryerson Image Centre Human Rights, Human Wrongs January 23 – April 13, 2013 Ryerson Image Centre: Main Gallery, 33 Gould Street Toronto, Ontario, Canada FREE www.ryerson.ca/ric Using the 1948 Universal Declaration as a point of departure, Human Rights, Human Wrongs examines whether images of political struggle, suffering and victims of violence work for or against humanitarian objectives, especially when considering questions of race, representation, ethical responsibility and the cultural position of the photographer. This exhibition is made possible through the generous support of TD Bank, Ryerson University, and The Paul J. Ruhnke Memorial Fund.

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March 7-10, 2013

The Africa Femmes Performantes international Women’s day Conference to take place in Yaoundé Cameroon from March 7-10, 2013, is dedicated to a major concern:  FINANCIAL EMPOWERMENT FOR WOMEN OF EXCELLENCE

It is our great pleasure to invite you to join us. This conference represents a unique and exceptional learning and networking platform. You will also have the opportunity of discovering or deepening your connections with Cameroon, its leadership and business men and women.

Following the 5th International Congress of women held in Casablanca Morocco in November 2012, the main outcome was to build a financial institution aiming to financially empower the women throughout the Continent of Africa in accordance with the recommendations of Africa Femmes Performantes, Inc.

The Yaoundé meeting will be an opportunity for women to build on the successful partnership made in 2012 between Africa Femmes Performantes, Inc. And theAfrican Development Credit (ADEC): a financial Institution initiated by women in Cameroon. ADEC is affiliated with the OHADA act (Organization for the Harmonization of Business Law in Africa).

The 2013 Africa Femmes Performantes financial conference will highlight the best practices in finance with sessions on:

Strategy and talent development, leveraging knowledge and best practices; build institutional capacity in microfinance. Empowering the Poor out of poverty, women projects practical analysis, How to structure their workforces, New ideas about how to maximize unity and corporate performance. Enhancing Profits by lending onindividual basis member or project whose borrowing base is a group of members.Experts will advise members in their projects before approval. Building and developing projects according to the OHADA act. Procedures.

REGISTRATION AND GENERAL INFORMATION: Contact us at:

Congres.international@gmail.com

Inscription2013@femmesperformantes.com

annie@femmes performantes.com

Tel:+1 240 7013972 ou +1 571 606 5215

www.femmesperformantes.com

VIDEO DREAM CATCHER AWARDS WASHINGTON 2011

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGVSVNx_WXk

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Los Angeles, CA (January 9, 2013)–  Walking in the Feminine: A Stepping Into Our Shoes Anthology is a new book that focuses on the perplexities of Women’s lives; which in spite of all the advancements made by the feminist/womanist movements, remain hidden. This project is being developed and Co-edited by authors, writers, public speakers, bloggers, and poets Cherise “Reese” Charleswell and Arletta “Naked Thought” Saafir. The co-editors are both very passionate about women’s issues and are no stranger to providing a platform for the expression of feminine viewpoints. Cherise is the creator, host, and producer of the Wombanist Views radio show and also serves as the Co-Chair of the Graduate Student Caucus of the National Women’s Studies Association. While Arletta has developed the UNLEASHEDMENT: A 90 Day Sensual Guide to Awakening the Feminine.

The Co-editors are inviting women of  all ages and ethnicities, who are willing to share their thoughts and add their voices to this anthology ,which seeks to illustrate the unique journey to womanhood. “We believe that every single woman has an interesting and fantastic Story to tell.

We’re looking for funny, educational, interesting, inspiring, and powerful essays about your adventures “Walking in the Feminine”; in short, the stories of womanhood, discrimination, sexual liberation, teenage angst, relationship disappointments, workplace advancement, motherhood, menopause, and more”, states co-editor Cherise Charleswell.

Submission topics include Girlchild, Coming of Age, Moontime Stories, Key to Daddy’s Heart, Light of Mama’s Smile, Sheroes, Independent, Successful, Alone, 21st Century Female, 70s Baby, 80s Baby, 90s Baby, The Baby Boomers & Revolutionaries, Elusive Search for Mr. Right, Fierce Warrior Queens, Size, Shape, Beauty Delusion, Loving Ourselves, Hidden Hurt, Pleasing Him or Satisfying Me, Finding Normalcy in Alternative Lifestyles, Shame and Pain of it All, and Footsteps Abroad. Submissions are accepted until April 30, 2013 at midnight (PST) .

Submissions may be emailed to walkinginthefeminine@gmail.com or by using the online form at          http://walkinginthefeminine.wix.com/walkinginthefeminine.

CONTACT

Cherise Charleswell

Walking In The Feminine

Address: PO Box 93727, Pasadena CA 91109

P: (818) 521-8422

F: (626) 397-5848

Email: eclecticlifediva@yahoo.com

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Eligible TechWomen participants are women who are engaged or rising in professional careers that require significant expertise and knowledge of STEM fields and/or innovative application of these skills, and who already are –or show promise of being—role models for women and girls.

TechWomen is accepting applications for the 2013 program from women who are permanent residents of Algeria, Cameroon, Egypt, Jordan, Kenya, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Nigeria, the Palestinian Territories, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tunisia, Yemen and Zimbabwe.

2013 TechWomen Eligibility Requirements

An applicant must:

• Be a woman with a minimum of two years of full-time professional experience in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) fields and/or a career requiring significant expertise/knowledge/application of technology;
• Have a university degree;
• Be proficient in written and spoken English;
• Demonstrate a willingness to participate in exchange programs, welcome opportunities for mentoring and new partnership development, and exhibit confidence and maturity;
• Be citizens or permanent residents of Algeria, Cameroon, Egypt, Jordan, Kenya, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Nigeria, the Palestinian Territories, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tunisia, Yemen or Zimbabwe at the time of application, and while participating in the program;
• Not have applied for an immigrant visa to the United States, or participated in a visa lottery in the past five years;
• Be able to obtain a U.S. visa;
• Not hold U.S. Citizenship or be a U.S. legal permanent resident.

Preference will be given to applicants who:

• Have demonstrated themselves as emerging leaders in STEM fields;
• Have limited or no prior experience in the United States;
• Have a record of voluntary or public service in their communities;
• Have demonstrated entrepreneurialism and commitment to innovation.

Application deadline: February 22nd, 2013

The TechWomen program will cover travel and housing costs and provide a per diem for all selected participants.

If you have questions about the program, or the application process, please contact us at techwomen@iie.org or Tel: +1-415-362-6520 (Ext. 257)

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Watch Reverend Marcia Dyson spend ’2.5 Minutes With genConnect’ on the advancement of women in politics, her work in Haiti and her panel discussion at the Aspen Ideas Festival, “Are the Girls Beating the Boys?”

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Learn how to do a smokey eye in this makeup tutorial for black women from Howcast.

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HOW TO END THE YEAR ON A HIGH and prepare for an amazing 2013…

=================================

This isn’t a complicated process by any means but it does involve setting aside some quiet time for reflection and a little writing. Don’t worry, nothing too laborious

You’ll need about 30-60 minutes to complete this exercise.

You’ll also need a pen and three sheets of paper (printer paper works great.)

A. CREATE YOUR GRATITUDE LIST

First, create your gratitude list. Understanding why we are grateful for something or someone allows us to not only experience an even deeper level of gratitude and raise our vibration but also attract more of the same on a more conscious level.

Step 1

Take a sheet of paper and draw a vertical line down the middle so that you have two columns.

At the top of the left-hand column write the words “WHAT I AM GRATEFUL FOR IN 2012.” At the top of the right-hand column write the words “WHY I AM GRATEFUL.”

Step 2

Now, in your mind, replay your year from January through December pausing to write down the positive highlights from each month in the “what I am grateful for” column. These can include the people in your life, your health, your wealth, your home, business achievements, how you handled tough situations, where you grew emotionally, fun events, happy memories, family additions, new connections, anything that makes you and your heart smile as you recall them Really allow yourself to go hog wild here, using more than one sheet of paper if you wish. If you find the calendar approach is too linear for you, simply write whatever you are grateful for as it comes to you.

Step 3

Next, opposite everything you feel grateful for, write down the reason WHY in the “why I am grateful” column. The easiest way to do this is to say “I am grateful because…” and then fill in the blank.

No matter how “good” or “bad” you think your year has been, I guarantee you will see it in a whole new light once you complete this exercise

B. RELEASE WHAT YOU NO LONGER WANT

Now that you have spent several minutes re-experiencing happy thoughts and feelings and raising your vibration, it’s time to release what you no longer want, so you can start 2013 unhindered.

Step 1

Take a second sheet of paper and draw a vertical line down the middle so that you have two columns.

At the top of the left-hand column write the words “WHAT I NO LONGER WANT.”

At the top of the right-hand column write the words “WHAT I WANT INSTEAD.”

Step 2

Replay your year again only this time write down anything that you wish to leave behind in 2012 in the column entitled “what I no longer want.” Once again, go hog wild! This is your opportunity to pull out of you all the thoughts, feelings, emotions and situations you no longer wish to experience in the future.

Step 3

Next, opposite everything you no longer want, write down what you want instead.

By focusing on the positive instead of the negative, we immediately raise our vibration and put ourselves in a position to attract what we DO want.

C. DREAM UP YOUR IDEAL 2013!

Now comes the fun part: dreaming up your ideal 2013.

Step 1

Take your third sheet of paper and, at the top of the page, write the words:

“MY AMAZING 2013!”

Step 2

Now, unleash onto the paper everything you want to create in 2013. In business, in your personal life, in your relationships, in your health and body, in your finances… This is your opportunity to start attracting NOW what you want to experience in the New Year and beyond.

An easy way to do this is to fill in the blank after the following sentence:

“I am so happy and grateful now that….”

For example:

I am so happy and grateful now that I am 100% healthy and happy.

I am so happy and grateful now that I earn over $10,000 every month.

You can also include what you wrote in your gratitude list, as well as the opposite of what you chose to release from the “what I want instead” column.

Note – whatever you write should be in the present tense and be positively-worded. For added closure, you can also burn the list of things you no longer want and watch the flames transform them into new energy.

Step 3

Keep your Amazing 2013 sheet of paper handy and read it on a daily or regular basis, incorporating as much emotion as you can and visualizing how good life will be.

And that’s it, a simple but effective way to end the year on a high and prepare for an amazing year ahead.

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International Food, Wine and Travel Writers Association sponsors an annual writing contest for the best writer in the Professional Journalism category among the non-member community. The writing subjects must be travel, food or wine.

Lola Akinmade Åkerström, of Stockholm, Sweden, won the IFWTWA 2012 Professional Journalism Scholarship Award for her story “Slow Food from Sapmi,” a window into the culinary traditions of the indigenous Sami people of Arctic Sweden.

The inspiration for Åkerström’s story was her belief that exploring cultures that may seem polar opposites of our own produce some of the most compelling stories. Her keen interest in cultural traditions and relationships has been a long journey that began in her native Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation with 250 unique tribes and languages.

“I’ve always been intrigued by cultural nuances in terms of food, place, and traditions that separate yet unite us all,”

Åkerström says.

“Even after becoming a US citizen and moving to Sweden for personal reasons, I’ve always had my nose to the ground looking for untold place-based cultural stories.”

Åkerström’s award includes a one-year membership in IFWTWA with all regular member benefits and complimentary attendance at IFWTWA’s 2013 Annual Conference in Hawaii.

“Ms. Åkerström is very deserving of this award,”

says Maralyn Hill, IFWTWA President.

“I am excited to welcome her to IFWTWA.”

The Professional Journalism second place winner was Sandra MacGregor of South Africa, and Maida Pineda of Philippines took third place.

Watch for “Slow Food from Sapmi” by Lola Akinmade Åkerström on IFWTWA’s online publication Global Writes in January 2013. For more information about Åkerström and her work, visit her website athttp://akinmade.com.

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Since the beginning of time, Black women have played a key part in the nurturing of ideas, and the use of inventions. In Ancient Egypt (Kamit), Black women, working with science through meditation and trance, and understanding the role of nature in the area of reproduction and cultivation, took simple grasses and developed the grains (wheat, barley, millet and corn) that have fed the world for thousands of years. Black women’s keen insight into mundane and spiritual laws, continues to give them the ability to assume the roles of queen mothers, chiefs, priestesses, presidents, heads of state, prime ministers, mayors, senators, congresswomen, leaders, businesswomen, doctors, lawyers, healers, scientists and inventors in their societies. All great civilization can be measured by their treatment of women and the education of the children.

For example:

Joan Iyabo Amienmenaghene Campbell, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom, awarded nine international patents related to fowl and avipox virus promoters, 1989-1993.

Francis E. Amoah, Cardiff, United Kingdom, co-inventor of ten domestic and international patents related to tissue treatment systems, electrosurgical method and electrosurgical generators, 2000-2004.

Christine Nare, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, received a patent for a formula to derive alcoholic drinks from cereals and fruit, 2001.

Sarah O.E. Ayuk, Yaounde, granted a patent for Calvary soap and its manufacturing process, 2006.

Jamila Ismali, Brussels, co-inventor, received a patent for the generation and use of new types of dendritic cells, 2003.

Nancy Tidjissa Leo Wouodjiwoua, Paris, developed the extraction of a sapogenin from the trunk of the bedehi plant, and used for medicinal purposes, 1999.

Carol V. Ndlovu, Capetown, co-inventor created a method of protecting plants against viral infections, 1992.

Phiwayinkosi Gift Mbuyazi, South Africa, received two patents for simulating braided hair and another patent to unravel braided hair, 2000.

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Renee Robinson photo Andrea Mohin

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I wish to preserve America’s Classical Music, Blues, Jazz,Gospel. The same people who go to Church on Sunday go to the Clubs on Monday!

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The research of the 2013 Laureates demonstrates exceptionally original approaches to fundamental research in the Physical Sciences, from contributing to better understanding climate change to advancing research on neurodegenerative diseases and potentially uncovering new energy sources.

The Laureates of the 2013 L’Oréal-UNESCO Awards in Physical Sciences are:

•  Professor Francisca Nneka OKEKE, University of Nigeria, Nsukka (Nigeria): For her significant contributions to the understanding of daily variations of the ion currents in the upper atmosphere which may further our understanding of climate change.
•  Professor Pratibha GAI, University of York (United Kingdom): For ingeniously modifying her electron microscope so that she was able to observe chemical reactions occurring at surface atoms of catalysts which will help scientists in their development of new medicines or new energy sources.
•  Professor Reiko KURODA, Tokyo University of Science (Japan): For discovering the functional importance of the difference between left handed and right handed molecules which has wide applications including research on neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s.
•  Professor Marcia BARBOSA, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre (Brazil):For discovering one of the peculiarities of water which may lead to better understanding of how earthquakes occur and how proteins fold which is important for the treatment of diseases.
•  Professor Deborah JIN, National Institute of Standards and Technology, and University of Colorado, Boulder (USA): For having been the first to cool down molecules so much that she can observe chemical reactions in slow motion which may help further understanding of molecular processes which are important for medicine or new energy sources.

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Le Royal Mansour  Meridien

The International Congress of African women, a two days training and 2 days Congress held in Casablanca will address the theme “Global women: Our impact on Africa and beyond!”The agenda focuses on innovation and sustainable development and includes sessions on Entrepreneurship, Health and Education.(Sessions will be held in English and French).

This Congress will gather more than 500 women and men leaders in Morocco and all over the world, from all sectors of the economy and society, including business, politics, law, media, and partnerships. Participants will network and discuss the crucial challenges for Africa and the input of the Diasporas.

Registration still now open!    http://femmesperformantes.com/registration.html

Click on www.femmesperformantes.com  for more information about the program and registrations or contact us at: annie@femmesperformantes.com or casablanca@femmesperformantes.com

Tel: +1 571 606 5215 or + 1240 7013972

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Visit Angelica’s Plane Simple Travel
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More about Tammy Lisa Carmen
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Renee Rochelle is a St. Louis native, mother of two teenage daughters, working in corporate america.

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What started as a conference 13 years ago has evolved into one of the world’s most extraordinary leadership communities, convening the preeminent women in business—along with selected leaders in government, philanthropy, education, and the arts—for wide-ranging and inspiring discussions.

Editor’s note: I’ve highlighted the powerful black women who will be speaking:

Speakers include Edna Adan, Founder, Edna Adan Maternity Hospital; Ursula M. Burns, Chairman and CEO, Xerox Corp.; Tiffany Dufu, President, The White House Project; Lori Fouché, President and CEO, Fireman’s Fund Insurance Co.; Mellody Hobson, President, Ariel Investments; Catherine Nyambala, Founder and Director, Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Africa (STEMAfrica); and Precious Simba, Founder/Director, Girls Development Initiative.

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About the Author

About the Book

Contact Michelle on-line at www.Facebook.com/RightBeforeMyEyes

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My Swede’s good friend asked me why I thought it was important to attend the Democratic National Convention. I got the feeling that he thought it was a bit over the top and didn’t understand a delegate’s roll or why I would travel so far just to wave an American flag.

I answered that it was not only an honor to go and represent Americans living abroad as we cast our votes to nominate President Obama and Vice President Biden to run for a second term, but it was my duty to be active in a political system that for years excluded women and blacks. It was my duty to be vigilant as certain forces move now to enact voter laws that would restrict the participation of many including students, the elderly, the poor and others without ID thought would be acceptable as proof of identity to vote.

I answered that it was my duty to engage Americans overseas and in the US to register and vote against those who would deny you health care, a women’s right to choose about her body, have blocked legislation such at the Jobs Act, or opposed the right of gays to openly serve in the military. The list is long. But my mission is clear: Get Out The Vote! And vote informed. What kind of America do you want?

Ok, My Swede’s friend said. But isn’t it silly to have to nominate a President who is already in office? Silly? Coming together at the convention not only keeps in line with “the rules” of nomination and accepting said nomination, but it gives the Party the chance to show unity, clarity, and showcase was it stands for, and highlight our up and coming leaders. It’s a chance to bring out the Hollywood elite who share our values. It is a chance to bring out the average Americans who have benefited from Obama policies or influenced them.

It was a chance for me to reinforce my beliefs, fuel my enthusiasm, shake hands with the 1st Lady and be a part of history. At this point my Swede’s friend stopped asking questions. He was truly happy for me to have had this experience. No doubt he still thinks we Americans are a bit over the top with the flag waving, campaign button wearing, and passion we bring to the issues. I could see it in his smile. But he could also see my pride and the urgency I feel about this election.

See all of my photos and videos on Pinterest.

Here is what I experience in Charlotte that has me fired up and ready to go:

Day 1.

Photo: Bob Vallier

The DNC volunteers were wonderful. They were warm and welcoming and were waiting for me as soon as I deplaned to help me find my way to the shuttle bus to my hotel.

Next came the Welcome Party for Delegates for Democrats Abroad, Kentucky, Indiana,

Oklahoma, U.S. Virgin Islands Delegates at the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art 420 S. Tryon Street Uptown Charlotte.

This gave me the opportunity to meet my fellow Democrats Abroad Delegates. Together we came from 5 continents. I must say that there is no shortage of parties during convention week. No shortage. So one must pick and choose very carefully how much partying one will do because there are breakfast meetings each morning that Delegates must attend. I went with a few of my fellow delegates to the Governor’s Party (that took place each night).

It was a chance to meet other delegates and get watered and fed again.

Day 2.

After breakfast at our budget hotel in the airport zone, our delegation met with Congressman Mike Honda of California in a conference room at the neighboring Marriott.

Lots of delegations were staying there and I think every conference room was being used for breakfast meetings. For example I spotted Rev. Jesse Jackson going into one room and others saw Al Franken roaming the halls.

CarolinaFest was that day which was a hug outdoor family friendly festival with music and food, etc. It was super hot, hot, hot that day and I picked up my blogger credentials, cooled out in the Congressional Black Caucus/Visit Myrtle Beach hospitality

suite at Blackfinns where I had lunch and met up with a member of Democrats Abroad Australia.

I was interviewed by the Philadelphia Tribune and later met up with members of Black Women for Obama at the Westin Hotel. One of the members was a delegate from Massachusetts and she introduced me to Patrick Duval.

I attended the African American Caucus that day and heard Valerie Jarrett

and Donna Brazille talk.

That night I had tickets to an event where The Roots were performing but I ended up at the Massachusetts Delegation party before going to the Congressional Black Caucus party which were close to each other. As I said, one has to pick and choose where to go in the evenings, keeping in mind that there are important things to do during the day! Oh, the Democrats Abroad Chair and Vice Chair dropped by the Caucus party along with one of our delegates from Afghanistan.

Day 3.

After breakfast in our meeting room at the neighboring hotel, we got our credentials! Yea!

Credential distribution is the most important thing that happens at the breakfast meetings followed closely by visits from legislators. Today we had a visit from Congressman Rush Holt of New Jersey, another ally of Americans living overseas. His daughter lives in Europe which makes him a perfect voice for us in Washington.

Among our issues that he is working on are FACTA and FABAR.

After breakfast I attended the Unconventional Women: Presented by Political Parity at the Kanvas Gallery 525 East 6th Street #117. Getting there was a huge inconvenience as the direct route was blocked off and I had to walk at least 10 blocks out of the way. In the heat. But I had on sensible shoes. In fact my Converse where my shoes each day with a pair of “dress” shoes in my bag to help me transition from day to night.

On the way over I saw all kinds of police out in force. On bikes,

in the air,

on choppers,

And on four legs. It was worth the walk, as I arrive Nancy Pelosi was speaking.

Next I attempted to attend a rally to rally to free the District of Columbia’s budget

but there was some commotion going on caused by right to lifers so I avoided the area. I saw people with DC Statehood t-shirts on walking in the opposite direction and they told me they couldn’t even get to the meeting point. Oh well.

The convention gavel falls at 5pm and so it is wise to get through security by 4.30 to have a good chance to see what’s happening at the convention center before taking your seat on the convention floor.

Here was Tuesday’s schedule:

Starting at 5 p.m.

• Call to order

• Chair of the DNC Debbie Wasserman Schultz
• CEO of Democratic National Convention Committee Stephen Kerrigan
• Bishop Vashti McKenzie

• Mayor Julian Castro (San Antonio, Texas)
• Attorney General Kamala Harris (California)
• Gov. Martin O’Malley (Maryland)
• Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (Los Angeles, California)
• Rep. Steny Hoyer (Maryland)
• Andrew Tobias, DNC treasurer
• Alice Germond, DNC secretary

6 p.m.

• Rep. Barbara Lee (California)
• Lt. Gen. Claudia Kennedy (Ret.)

• Mayor Cory Booker (Newark, New Jersey)

• Gov. Bev Perdue (North Carolina)
• Ryan Case
• Mary Kay Henry, international president of Service Employees International Union
• Rep. Charles Gonzalez (Texas)
• Rep. Nydia Velazquez (New York)
• Gov. Pat Quinn (Illinois)
• Firefighter Doug Stern (Cincinnati, Ohio)
• Former Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine, U.S. Senate candidate

7 p.m.

• Mayor Anthony Foxx (Charlotte, North Carolina)
• Sen. Harry Reid (Nevada)
• Ken Salazar
• Joe Kennedy III, U.S. congressional candidate (Massachusetts)
• Former Rep. Robert Wexler
8 p.m.

• Mayor R.T. Rybak (Minneapolis, Minnesota)
• Rep. Jared Polis (Colorado)
• Maria Ciano
• Nancy Keenan, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America
• Nate Davis
•

Tammy Duckworth, U.S. congressional candidate (Illinois)

• Gov. Lincoln Chafee (Rhode Island)
• Rep. James Clyburn (South Carolina)

• Stacey Lihn
• Rep. Xavier Becerra (California)

9 p.m.

• Former Gov. Ted Strickland (Ohio)
• Kathleen Sebelius
• Mayor Rahm Emanuel (Chicago, Illinois)
• Kal Penn
• Craig Robinson and Maya Soetoro-ng

• Lilly Ledbetter
• Gov. Deval Patrick (Massachusetts)

10 p.m.

• Gov. Martin O’Malley (Maryland)

• Joaquin Castro, U.S. congressional candidate (Texas)

• Mayor Julian Castro (San Antonio, Texas)
• Elaine Brye

• First lady Michelle Obama

Long day, eh? After the convention I had planned to go to the Planned Parenthood Action Fund Sex, Politics, and Cocktails Party, but I didn’t. I have to honestly say that I can’t remember what I did that night. It may have been one of the nights when I actually caught the shuttle bus back to the hotel and sat and talked with DAFrance delegate Bob Vallier.

Day 4

After breakfast and over at our room at The Marriot, we the Deputy Assistant to the President and Counselor for Strategic Engagement to the Senior Advisor, Michael Strautmanis, whose father lives in France come and speak to us.

Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney also popped in.

Before breaking up we took a delegation photo.

After that I went to the African American Caucus at the convention center. There was buzz that Mrs. Obama was going to speak and near hysteria when she actually did. Here is a bit of what she said:

And I thought people were going to faint when she came to greet the attendees. So how do you think I felt when I shook her hand? Like traveling to Charlotte from Stockholm was well worth the trip.

On a high I managed to eat lunch and then attend the Global Women’s Innovation Network’s afternoon tea and champagne reception for Board Members, supporters, and friends to celebrate women’s contributions to technology and innovation policy. That was on the 29th floor of the Bank of America building. After that I hustled over to the Emily’s List reception.

I couldn’t attend the American University Alumni event as is coincided with the opening of the convention at 5pm. On the schedule was:

Starting at 5 p.m.

• Call to order: Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa
• Rep. Luis Gutierrez (Illinois)
• Rep. Diana DeGette (Colorado)
• John Perez, California State Assembly speaker
• Mayor Thomas Menino (Boston, Massachusetts)
• Rep. Judy Chu (California)
• Steve Westly, former California state controller
• Rep. John Larson (Connecticut)
• Ken Myers, deputy sheriff (Carroll County, Iowa)

6 p.m.

• Richard Trumka, AFL-CIO president
• Rep. Steve Israel (New York)
• Sen. Patty Murray (Washington)
• Rep. Pedro Pierluisi (Puerto Rico)
• Tom Steyer, Advanced Energy Economy co-founder
• Sen. Charles Schumer (New York)
• Rep. Karen Bass (California)
• Rep. Al Green (Texas)

• Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (Missouri)
• Gov. Dannel Malloy (Connecticut)

7 p.m.

• Denise Juneau, Montana Office of Public Instruction superintendent
• Rep. Nancy Pelosi (California)
• Tom Vilsack
• Sen. Barbara Mikulski (Maryland)
• Arne Duncan
• Johanny Adames
• Jim Hunt, former North Carolina governor
• Harvey Gantt, former mayor of Charlotte, North Carolina

8 p.m.

• Elizabeth Ann “Libby” Bruce
• Cecile Richards, Planned Parenthood Federation of America president
• Rep. Steny Hoyer (Maryland)
• Rep. Barney Frank (Massachusetts)
• Ed Meagher
• Gen. Eric Shinseki
• Mayor Michael Nutter (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
• Gov. John Hickenlooper (Colorado)
• Simone Campbell, NETWORK executive director
• Gov. Jack Markell (Delaware)
9 p.m.

• Karen Mills
• Bull Butcher
• Kamala Harris, California attorney general
• Benita Veliz
• Cristina Saralegui
• Sandra Fluke
• Austin Ligon, Co-founder and retired CEO of CarMax
• Karen Eusanio
• Bob King, UAW president
• Randy Johnson, Cindy Hewitt and David Foster
• Rep. Chris Van Hollen (Maryland)

10 p.m.

• Jim Sinegal, Costco founder and former CEO

• Elizabeth Warren, U.S. Senate candidate (Massachusetts)
• Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa

• President Bill Clinton

Wow. What a night. Bill at his best. In his element. I had planned to go to the NARAL Pro-Choice America Convention Reception to end the night but instead went to a party with my DAFrance buddy. We made it back to the hotel on the last shuttle. This may have been the night that we ordered pizza with two other delegates and ended up sharing some with our Co-Chair who came in even later than us.

Day 5

We didn’t have a speaker scheduled on Thursday morning and were allowed to get to the convention center as soon as possible to attend the caucuses. Again there was buzz that Mrs. Obama would be making personal appearances. So over to the Women’s Caucus I went.

And it’s a good thing I went early because it was packed.

And the place erupted when Mrs. Obama and Mrs. Biden entered and took the stage.

Mrs. Biden spoke briefly and passed the stage over to Mrs. Obama who got us even more fired up.

Then the two of them greeted the crowd and for the second day in a row I was nearly crushed to death as I too eagerly positioned myself to greet the First and now Second Lady too. I’m happy to report that I shook both Mrs. Obama’s and Mrs. Biden’s hands.

I believe you can hear me say, “Thank you Michelle”. Like we’re on a first name basis.
After that excitement I headed over to the Gay, Lesbian, Bi and Transgender Caucus where Mrs. Biden held court.

Mrs. Obama addressed the Hispanic Caucus the previous day. All that was left for me for me to do was eat lunch, regroup and head over to the convention site super early because the President would accept our nomination and I knew I would need to be in my seat early to help fend off people who would try and take our delegations’ seats. And I was right. It was a constant battle.

Starting at 4:30 p.m.

• Sen. Kay Hagan (North Carolina)
• Lt. Gov. Walter Dalton (North Caolina)
• Rep. G.K. Butterfield (North Caolina)
• Rep. David Price (North Caolina)
• Rep. Mel L. Watt (North Caolina)
• James Rogers, CEO Duke Energy
• Call to Order: Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa
• Carol Berman
• Rep. Donna F. Edwards (Maryland)
• Rep. Barney Frank (Massachusetts)
• Harvey Gantt, former Mayor of Charlotte, North Carolina

6 p.m.

• Rep. John Lewis (Georgia)
• Jason Crow
• Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (Florida)
• Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa (Los Angeles, California)
• Rep. Tammy Baldwin (Wisconsin)
• Mayor Michael Nutter (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
• Zach Wahls

7 p.m.

Pledge of Allegiance

• Jim Messina (Campaign Manager, Obama for America)

• Kenyetta Jones, Ryan Case, Ed Meagher, Martha Figueroa, Lucas Beenken, Rob Hach
• Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa
• Beau Biden
• Rep. James E. Clyburn (South Carolina)

• Scarlett Johansson and Kerry Washington

8 p.m.

• Caroline Kennedy
• Rep. Xavier Becerra (California)

• Former Gov. Jennifer Granholm (Michigan)

• Eva Longoria
• Gov. Brian Schweitzer (Montana)
• Former Gov. Charlie Crist, Jr. (Florida)
And we all wondered where this John Kerry was when he was running for President.

• Sen. John Kerry (Massachusetts)

9 p.m.


• Admiral John B. Nathman, U.S. Navy, Retired

• Angie Flores

• Dr. Jill Biden

• Vice President Joe Biden

10 p.m.

• Sen. Dick Durbin (Illinois)

• President Barack Obama

After that, we were done! Put a fork in me. But the night wasn’t over, of course. Now we really had cause to celebrate. Nomination accepted. Message heard. Tons of work to be done.

So what better way to finish the week by going to the Urban League/Black Entertainment Network party in the convention center ballroom.

On my way there I met Dr. Eric Dyson. And the night kept getting better. Salt & Pepper (remember them?) took stage and rocked it old school style.

So 2 weeks later I am still fired up and ready to go. I have been doing my best to get out the vote, I’ve requested my absentee ballot, and I’ll tell anyone who listens to do the same.
Thanks again for helping me get to the convention and back. I’ll never forget my time in Charlotte and I’ll never forget your support.

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Ten years ago, Adriana Barbosa and a friend found a solution to being broke. The result being Feira Preta (Black Expo), one of the largest events of black culture in Latin America. The proposal was to bring together, in one location of São Paulo, theater, music concerts, literature, fashion and even gastronomy, all with an afro theme. Back in 2002, the two were unemployed.
The solution: look at all of the expos in the city. Her friend was selling pastries and Adriana started a thrift store. Until the idea of creating her own show came to her. At the time they came up with the show, the black scene was bubbling over in São Paulo, embodied by black music-oriented bands like Clube do Balanço.

“I wore a suit during the day to raise sponsorship, and a baseball cap at night, to spread my ideas in bars,”

she remembers.

Read the full story on Black Women of Brazil.

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Starting on Monday, 3 September, I will be blogging live from the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina.

I’ll be on the convention floor as a delegate for Democrats Abroad and attending caucuses, rallies, and events as an officially credentialed blogger.

Check back here for photos, videos, and notes from the convention.

Follow my special convention Pinterest board, and my Tweets on @bwie.

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About the Author
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About the book
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Did you know that the long and difficult struggle for women’s right to vote lasted 72 years? Certainly the struggle was compounded by the fact that women were not even allowed to speak at public forums in that era. Can you imagine that in this current election year?!

Now, both men and women in the United States celebrate Women’s Equality Day on August 26th. It was on that day in 1920 – eight days after it had been ratified – that the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was declared in effect, giving female citizens the right to vote in all U.S. elections. Sad to say, only one of the suffragists who attended the historical Woman’s Rights Convention in Seneca Falls in 1848 was still alive to vote in the 1920 presidential election.

The 19th Amendment was not only a landmark for democracy in our nation’s history; it was the first step on a long path towards raising consciousness about equality – equality for women of all social ranks and equality for women and men of all skin colors and religious denominations.

Let’s turn to the present 2012 Presidential Election Year. Will this be an “election all about women,” as the title of an April 2, 2012 article in The Atlantic suggests?

The presidential and vice-presidential nominees

It’s an all male race in November with the exception of candidates chosen by the Green Party, which selected two women, presidential nominee Jill Stein and vice-presidential nominee Cheri Honkala. Women may not be running in the two largest political parties, but their votes will have a major impact on who wins. The candidates know that they will ignore them only to their own peril.

The issues

The issues are being hotly discussed, but according to a USA Today/Gallup Swing-State Poll in April, “Men and women (among registered voters in 12 of the top swing states) show somewhat different priorities when identifying issues that are ‘extremely important’ in influencing their vote for president.”[1] And the closer we get to the election, the more women it seems are bringing up the issues specifically related to females.

Political discourse via social media tools

Everyone would probably agree that social media tools have become an increasingly important means for political discourse and information sharing today. So who is using these tools? In 2011, female Facebook users in the U.S. outnumbered male Facebook users in all age categories![2] Facebook reported that the 55 – 64 age group, which included two million more female users than male users, was almost the size of the 13 – 17 group, in which there were one million more females than males. An anecdotal observation is that these older female Facebook users may be just as likely to be sharing political links as they are to be sharing pictures of their grandchildren.

Most reports are also indicating that the number of females in the U.S. using Twitter is slightly higher than the number of male Twitter users.

The presidential debates

Largely thanks to the efforts of three teenage women, the moderators for this year’s presidential and vice-presidential debates will be evenly divided between male and female journalists. When sixteen-year-olds Emma Axelrod, Elena Tsemberis and Sammi Siegel, all from Montclair, New Jersey, learned in civics class that it has been twenty years since a female journalist moderated the presidential debates, they started a Change.org petition.[3] The 122,000 signatures they collected fell slightly short of the number needed but their campaign caused a lot of attention and in the end brought success!

Women in Congress

Little has changed since I started writing articles for Women’s Equality Day in 2006, when 81 of the 535 House and Senate seats were held by women. Now women hold 90, or 16.8%, of the 535 seats in the 112th U.S. Congress — 17, or 17.0%, of the 100 seats in the Senate and 73, or 16.8%, of the 435 seats in the House of Representatives. In addition, three women serve as Delegates to the House from Guam, the Virgin Islands and Washington, DC.[4] It is not a dramatic increase, but at least it is in the upward

direction. We can all see we are not equal yet!

Voter turnout – the gender factor

If the turnout of voters in the upcoming presidential election follows the trend of the past three decades, the proportion of eligible female adults who will vote will exceed the proportion of eligible males who vote. According to The Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP), Eagleton Institute of Politics, Rutgers University, 70.4 million women and 60.7 million men voted in the 2008 Presidential Election. Even among citizens between the ages of 18 – 24, the percentage of women voting was higher than that of their male peers.[5]

Taking these hard facts into account, you can see that a woman will very likely cast the deciding vote on November 6.

I close with this message:

May Women’s Equality Day be a reminder to ALL of us to express our precious right to vote! Remember this isn’t just a presidential election; it’s a general election, so lots of seats for Congress will be decided too. Look up your candidates, see where they stand on the issues, make your choice and vote on November 6, 2012 — whether you live at home or abroad!

Some helpful voter resources:

• Non-partisan information on elected officials’ voting records and candidates’ positions: Project Vote Smart
• Non-partisan information about Congress including more demographic information: Congress.org
• A non-partisan organization providing online tools and services for U.S. voters living abroad: Overseas Vote Foundation  and their website for young voters  Youth  Vote Overseas – both  provide a handy Candidate Finder
• A non-partisan organization that provides young women and girls with the skills and confidence they need to become the political leaders of tomorrow: Running Start

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Photo: REUTERS/Eddie Keogh

“She has toiled out of difficulty to become a symbol of greatness and has shown that it doesn’t matter where you come from. From her small village in Limpopo, where the people are full of poverty, she has become the symbol of a courageous young woman.”

–South Africa’s sports minister Fikile Mbalula

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Claressa Shields

LONDON — Throughout the Olympics’ first women’s boxing tournament, U.S. middleweight Claressa Shields would refer to the ultimate prize as “my gold medal.” After Thursday, she can proudly claim that it is.

Shields, 17, defeated Nadezda Torlopova of Russia on Thursday night, 19-12, to claim the gold medal in the middleweight division, in the Olympic event’s inaugural year. She’s the second-youngest fighter to win gold in either men’s or women’s boxing.

Read the full story on Yahoo! Sports.

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Photo credit: Chang W. Lee/The New York Times

Jeter’s final leg capped a blistering race for the United States team, which won its first gold medal in the event in 16 years and did it in emphatic fashion. The winning time of 40.82 seconds shattered the world record of 41.37, which was set in 1985 by East Germany, whose athletes were later found to be part of a state-run doping system.

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Photo credit: Doug Mills/The New York Times

LONDON — In an American high school, a new jacket or the newest cellphone can be a status symbol. Lia Neal will arrive for her senior year at Convent of the Sacred Heart in Manhattan with something tough to trump: an Olympic medal.

“Everything was just so beyond my expectations,”

Neal said.

Read the full story on the NYTimes.com.

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Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images

LONDON — Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce leaned across the finish line of the women’s 100 meters, then looked up at the blank scoreboard for the name of the next Olympic champion.

Five seconds passed, then five more.

Was it the Jamaican, Fraser-Pryce, or the American, Carmelita Jeter?

The race couldn’t have been any closer, and when Fraser-Pryce’s name finally came up first, she fell to the ground and shouted,

“Thank you, Jesus!”

Allyson Felix
Source: ESPN

Clive Brunskill/Getty Images

LONDON — No more heartbreak for Allyson Felix. No more silver, either.

Denied twice on the world’s biggest stage, Felix won the Olympic gold medal she’s been yearning for, taking the 200 meters Wednesday night to fill the last, and biggest, hole in her otherwise stellar resume.

Felix won the race in 21.88 seconds, topping Jamaica’s Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, who won the 100 four nights earlier, by .21 seconds. American Carmelita Jeter added bronze to go with her silver in the 100 meters.

“I think it was all for a reason,”

Felix said.

“It kept me motivated and it made this moment very special. It was a big weight being lifted.”

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‘I wrote Diaspora Blues with my mother Rahel as a tribute and means to express my love and respect for Africa. As an Ethiopia Diaspora who was born and raised in Europe and now lives in America. Its a song that in a way, has lived in my heart for as long as I can remember. I thought it was time to share it with my brothers and sisters all over the world”.

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On behalf of the Democratic National Committee, I am pleased to congratulate you on your election as a Delegate to the 2012 Democratic National Convention. This email serves as your Official Certification to this historic gathering in Charlotte, North Carolina, September 4-6, 2012. As your Secretary, this is one of my most serious responsibilities as we prepare for our nominating convention.

This is an important time for the Democratic Party. The nation, and indeed the world, will be watching as we continue to chart our course and vision for the future. We will showcase the accomplishments of the Obama Administration and the talent of our leadership. Our Convention will reflect the diversity and grassroots of our Party – and America.

We will come together to celebrate and enthusiastically re-nominate Barack Obama and Joe Biden. Plus, we will prepare for the General Election. Imagine what we will be able to accomplish when we reelect our President, elect more Democrats to the US Senate, take back the House of Representatives, and our candidates succeed at every level of government. Frankly, I can hardly wait.

We encourage you to visit the 2012 Convention website.

Your State Delegation is your primary point of contact during your time in Charlotte. The morning delegation meeting is the most critical. At that meeting, your daily credential, the schedule with gavel time, caucuses, events and transportation updates, as well as issue discussions, voting procedures and other convention materials will be delivered. Often there are speakers including State Party leadership and others. In addition, on Sunday evening, September 2^nd you are invited to attend your Delegation Welcoming Party. Please continue to be in touch with your State Party for further details on this and other information.

The Office of the Secretary can be reached should you have any questions.

Thank you for your service to the Democratic Party. It is an honor to represent President Barack Obama at the Democratic National Convention. Your commitment to his victory, your hard work and sacrifice are appreciated, and will be for generations to come.

See you in Charlotte.

Alice Germond
Secretary, Democratic National Committee

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About the Author

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About the book

To learn more about Jamila Gomez, visit:
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www.jamilagomez.com

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About the Author

About the Book

More about Yamina:
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Blog:
www.Yaminatoday.com

Facebook:
Facebook/yaminatoday

Twitter:
Yaminatoday

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More about the Calendar 2012-2013

www.kemeticcalendar.org

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More about MaShiAat:

www.mashiaatoloya.com

www.facebook.com/thekemeticcalendar

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Tammi, Tamika, & Tiffany

Tammi, Tamika, & Tiffany are sisters who were born & raised in Washington, DC. As kids they were always taking their creativity to new levels, whether putting on homemade fashion shows in their moms closet or turning the whole house into an amusement park!

The three have always kept in touch with their creative side and it was always encouraged by their artist father, and their fashion forward mom. So working in a creative field seemed to be fate for each sister. Studio85 came to be one morning at a coffee house, in their parents hometown of Lancaster, South Carolina.

They were singing songs, making jokes, & somewhere the idea of making funny names for nail polishes came about, and that’s how they came up with idea of creating this line. The name “Studio85″ just seemed to flow with the women. They knew they wanted a studio and CEO Tiffany was born in 1985, completing their artistic semi-circle.

Once the company name was decided, the three narrowed down the hundreds of names & color combinations to develop the now exclusive S85 Nail Gloss. With their love for the arts, and their eager ambition to make all things possible these sisters are looking forward to presenting you with all things art and apparel with, Studio85.

Editor’s note: I’m a native Washingtonian and like the DC collection.

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Ron Gluckman for The New York Times
The Arunji founder Janice Wilson showing a hair extension that is ready to ship from Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Mission
Our purpose is to honor the beauty of cultivation and service.
Description
Arjuni is a socially conscious human hair supplier and manufacturer that empowers our employees, clients and global community through cultivation and service.

Arjuni is the only supplier and retailer in the world that manages every aspect of virgin human hair extensions, including collection, fabrication and sanitization. Because of our unique position in the industry, our clients are confident that their virgin tresses are authentic and of impeccable quality.

Based in Cambodia, our facilities are located at Studio 33, Street 173 Sangkat Olympic, Chamkamorn in Phnom Penh.

Read more about Janice and Arunji on Essence.com and in the NY Times.

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Click on the image to view video highlights of the match.

“For me it’s been definitely a journey,”

Venus said after the match.

“ I’m sure it still will be. But I’m definitely very inspired by her [Serena] and everything that she’s done. Like I said, we’re not into the whole getting defeated thing; we’re into the conquering thing.”

Read more on the Wimbledon website.

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Click photo to be taken to video highlights of match.

“I wanted to win here so badly,”

she said, just an hour after she became Wimbledon champion 2012.

“Winning is so amazing. Each title is special but this is super-special because it’s a huge comeback for me. Oh my gosh, I still can’t believe I was able to come through and win my seven matches.”

Read all about Serena’s historic win on Wimbledon’s website.

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Photo: El Youm El Sabei

Source: The NY Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/28/world/middleeast/naglaa-ali-mahmoud-an-egyptian-everywoman-in-the-presidential-palace.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit_th_20120628

With her image as a traditionalist everywoman, Ms. Mahmoud has come to symbolize the dividing line in the culture war that has made unity an elusive goal since the ouster of Hosni Mubarak. For some, she represents the democratic change that the revolution promised. She is a woman in the presidential palace who looks and lives like their sisters and mothers.

But to some in the westernized elite, she stands for a backwardness and provincialism that they fear from the Islamists of the Muslim Brotherhood.

“I can’t call her a first lady under any circumstances,” complained Ahmed Salah, 29, a banker having coffee with his friends on the Nile island of Zamalek. “She can’t be an image for the ‘ladies’ of Egypt.”

Read the full story on the NY Times.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/28/world/middleeast/naglaa-ali-mahmoud-an-egyptian-everywoman-in-the-presidential-palace.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit_th_20120628

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Photo Credit Maisha Galen and Timmy Miansangi

She has proudly represented the African culture in Sweden since 1977. Together with her fellow countryman the passionate Bedu Annan, she became one of the first teachers of African dance in Sweden. With this year’s [Maisha] theme in mind; a tribute to strong African mothers, and for a lifetime achievement with an inspiring approach, we present this woman with this honorary award.

About Maisha Gala – http://www.maishagalan.se/

The goal of the Maisha Gala is to recognize the achievement of women for the Black/African community in Sweden and Africa. It works to promote the African Diaspora involvement and include the voice of women on various issues of concern to the community. The Maisha Gala is a celebration of African culture that also promotes artists and young talents and the empowerment of youth. Maisha Gala is also networking and advocacy with the thematic approach and focus on pertinent issues.

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Photo Credit Maisha Galen and Timmy Miansangi

She is an Officer of the Order Of The British Empire (OBE) for her Contribution to the Arts.

She is the artistic director of both the National Swedish Theatre for the Deaf and TRYKK,who work for the promotion and development of Black Theatre and black art events.

She is a recipient of numerous awards and the director and producer of many acclaimed works.

She is the current chair woman at CinemAfrica, a non-profit organization who work to update the image of Africa, and to add to the body of African images and voices in Sweden, by distributing films and documentaries from Africa by Africans.

Ironically,her career spans over 25 years, but this brilliant woman has only recent come to our attention!

Ladies and gentlemen The Maisha Award for Newcomer of The Year goes to actress, director and producer, Josette Bushell-Mingo.

About Maisha Gala – http://www.maishagalan.se/

The goal of the Maisha Gala is to recognize the achievement of women for the Black/African community in Sweden and Africa. It works to promote the African Diaspora involvement and include the voice of women on various issues of concern to the community. The Maisha Gala is a celebration of African culture that also promotes artists and young talents and the empowerment of youth. Maisha Gala is also networking and advocacy with the thematic approach and focus on pertinent issues.

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Photo credit-Maishagalen and Timmy Miansang

The phrase “Lead by example” comes to mind when one thinks of this Sene-gambian woman.

She is the founder of Rock Africk which is an initiative with the objective of spotlighting and celebrating noteworthy African achievement, as well as an outreach to African youth in Africa.

She is a 2012 Semi-finalist in TV4′s The Voice, a vocal competition where the strongest voices across the country compete for a recording contract.

She is an Air Chrysalis songwriter and Hitlab artist. If Akon can sign her, we can co-sign for her.

She is the little woman with the big voice.Ladies and gentlemen,The 2012 Maisha Award for Artist of the Year goes to Mary N’diaye.

About Maisha Gala – http://www.maishagalan.se/

The goal of the Maisha Gala is to recognize the achievement of women for the Black/African community in Sweden and Africa. It works to promote the African Diaspora involvement and include the voice of women on various issues of concern to the community. The Maisha Gala is a celebration of African culture that also promotes artists and young talents and the empowerment of youth. Maisha Gala is also networking and advocacy with the thematic approach and focus on pertinent issues.

Sene-gam

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She is the co- founder of the Women of the African Diaspora website and co-editor of BlackExpat.com

She is also the founder of JobsInStockholm.com (and JobsinGothenburg.com), and has created a platform to celebrate women of the African diaspora living in Europe with her multiple award winning Black Women In Europe blog.

She is enriching both ethnic and expatriate communities and impacting and influencing the lives of others through Social media.

She is building bridges and building brands, handling her business and proving that content is QUEEN, ladies and gentlemen the 2012 Maisha entrepreneur of the year is Adrianne George Lind.

Editor’s note: Adrianne is also the founder of AG Communications Group.

About Maisha Gala – http://www.maishagalan.se/

The goal of the Maisha Gala is to recognize the achievement of women for the Black/African community in Sweden and Africa. It works to promote the African Diaspora involvement and include the voice of women on various issues of concern to the community. The Maisha Gala is a celebration of African culture that also promotes artists and young talents and the empowerment of youth. Maisha Gala is also networking and advocacy with the thematic approach and focus on pertinent issues.

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This woman is recognized for her great commitment and active participation in working to combat racism in Sweden, through her involvement in several organisations.

She has been involved in the African Diaspora movement during many years and participated in debates on integration and diversity issues in Sweden.

She is conducting her PhD in Work and Organisational Psychology at the University of Stockholm.

This woman has clearly demonstrated her expertise at a national and international level through her commitment in working with development aid issues.

Editor’s note: Margaret Gärding hails from South Africa.

About Maisha Gala – http://www.maishagalan.se/

The goal of the Maisha Gala is to recognize the achievement of women for the Black/African community in Sweden and Africa. It works to promote the African Diaspora involvement and include the voice of women on various issues of concern to the community. The Maisha Gala is a celebration of African culture that also promotes artists and young talents and the empowerment of youth. Maisha Gala is also networking and advocacy with the thematic approach and focus on pertinent issues.

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At the recent Global Convention Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, Democrats Abroad announced that President Barack Obama had won the organization’s Global Primary. The Democrats Abroad Global Primary was conducted May 1-6, 2012 at more than 90 voting centers in 33 countries.

“There was an overwhelming show of support for President Obama and his many accomplishments, including putting Americans back to work, reforming Wall Street and protecting consumers, making college more affordable, ending the War in Iraq, repealing ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,’ and delivering affordable health care,” said Kenneth E. Sherman, International Chair of Democrats Abroad in Canada. “As Americans living abroad, we’ve also seen first-hand the gains President Obama has made repairing the U.S. image overseas.”

The election results also determined the 17 delegates who will attend the Democratic National Convention along with 8 DNC members September 3-7, 2012 in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Convention delegation was elected in a combination of both the May 1-6 voting center elections and elections at the May 18-20 Democrats Abroad Global Convention which were held in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Democrats Abroad especially thanks the 160 members who stood for election as delegates in the multiple elections.

2012 Democrats Abroad Delegation to the DNC Convention in Charlotte

Regional Delegates

AMERICAS:
Roberta (Dee Dee) Camhi (DA-Mexico)
Tim Whiting (DA-Mexico)
Sandra Loridans (DA-Mexico)

ASIA PACIFIC:
Alexander Montgomery (DA-Hong Kong)

EMEA:
Kathleen Burnett (DA-Germany)
John Morris (DA-France)
Martha McDevitt-Pugh (DA-Netherlands)
Robert Vallier (DA-France)
Adrianne George (DA-Sweden)
Zachery Miller (DA-France)
Stephanie Stewart (DA-UK)

PLEO (party leaders and elected officials):
John Chudy (DA-Gautemala)

Global-Large Delegates
Maria Dolores (Lola) Quintella (Peru)
Gil Carbajal (DA-Spain)
Adrienne Jones (DA-Canada)

Alternate Delegate
Sebron Toney (DA-Afghanistan)

DNC
Ken Sherman (DA-Canada), ex-officio
Vicki Hansen (DA-Luxembourg), ex-officio
Lauren Shannon (DA-Japan)
Stanley Grossman (DA-UK)
Caitlin Kraft Buhman (DA-Switzerland)
Leo Perez Minaya (DA-Dominicon Republic)
Theresa Morelli (DA-Italy)
Joe Smallhoover (DA-France)

Standing Committee
Chistine Marques (DA-Switzerland) – Rules Committee
Louis Hureston (DA-South Africa) – Credentials Committee
Dean Jannone (DA-Spain) – Platform Committee

Page
Mara Elizabeth Larson Richard

Register to vote and/or get your absentee ballot now.

The U.S. Presidential Election will take place on November 6, 2012. Deadlines for requesting overseas absentee ballots vary per state. To vote in the U.S. Presidential Election in November, overseas voters must request a ballot from local voting authorities in the place where they or their family last resided in the U.S.

Voters can register now at www.VoteFromAbroad.org

Kenneth E Sherman,
International Chair

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Irene Opira

Irene Opira is the founder of the Maisha gala. She is immensely proud of her African heritage and has been the project leader and producer of the gala since its inception in 2007. The same year she simultaneously introduced the Miss Africa Sweden concept, an initiative to show a broader definition of beauty which includes African ideals, empower young women and celebrate the beauty of diversity.

Irene was born in Kitgum Northern Uganda and is the daughter of Ugandan politician and legend Jeremiah Lucas Opira. The family fled from the Idi Amin regime and was invited to seek political asylum in Sweden during the mid-1970s. Irene has studied the Social Sciences at the University of Stockholm where she successfully completed a B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Social Anthropology. She is currently working for the Swedish National Federation of Immigrant Women’s Associations and serves as a board member in several organizations including Noah’s Ark.

About Maishagalen

The goal of the Maisha Gala is to recognize the achievement of women for the Black/African community in Sweden and Africa. It works to promote the African Diaspora involvement and include the voice of  women on various issues of concern to the community. The Maisha Gala is a celebration of African culture that also promotes artists and young talents and the empowerment of youth. Maisha Gala is also networking and advocacy with the thematic approach and focus on pertinent issues. The 2012 theme: maternal mortality and maternal health on the African continent; the Stand Up for African Mothers campaign, in collaboration with AMREF/Flying Doctors.

Future goals

From 2012 the Maisha Gala will evolve into being incorporated as a central part of the newly established Maisha cultural association: Kulturföreningen Maisha. In the future the association is to develop and expand the Maisha concept in Sweden and beyond.

Maisha Galen 2012 – 5 year anniversary

Nominees and Winners

Woman of the Year – Margaret Gärding

This year’s inspiration – AnnaLena Tell Eriksson

This year’s entrepreneur – Adrianne George (Lind)

This year’s artist - Mary Ndiaye

This year’s newcomer: Josette Bushell Mingo

Maisha Pioneer Prize: Clementina Akuyo Brown

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The book, published by the Crown Publishing Group and featuring a cover photograph of Mrs. Obama, is priced at $30. Proceeds go to the National Parks Foundation.

Source: NY Times

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She is a multiple award winning artist including the ABF Gothenburg Culture Prize 2012, the Maisha Gala Artist of the Year 2011, and the Year’s Culture Woman 2010.  She has been engaged in many different contexts; from sport events and national day celebrations, to lectures and weekends for choirs. Floid has been on several successful tours in different parts of Sweden.

In her repertoire you will also find African tales, dancing, drum rhythms and self-produced material.

Music is both a joy for all the fantastic things in life, and a help in hard times. The power of the African freedom and gospel songs is something I would like to share with others, Floid says.

Floid is fluent in English, Swedish and four African languages (Shona, Ndebele, Venda, Sotho). Listen to Floid’s music on MySpace and visit Floid’s website for more information.

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