http://www.pambazuka.org/images/articles/324/blogs_01_afrigadget.gif World junk – Africa recycles! I find my more and more of my friends are recycling household waste including food for fertilizer but there is still a lack of imagination in using junk as art or simply repairing a consumer item such as phones, computers, cameras etc. In Africa and other parts of the Global South it’s a different story. African Gadget presents a short photo essay of sculpture, Simon Mwangi who

“calls himself a mabati (sheet metal) blacksmith. He takes junk and creates beautiful metal animal sculptures. If you happen by his roadside shop on Ngong Road in Nairobi, you’ll see a number of crocodiles and if you’re lucky, a full sized giraffe”

http://www.pambazuka.org/images/articles/324/blogs_02_kameelah.gifKameelah Writes along with thousands of other bloggers, participates in the “National Day of Panhandling for Reparations” across the United States.

“I am participating in this performance because I believe that a conversation about reparations has been pushed aside for way too long. This country has paid reparations for some of its past injustices, but not for slavery. Why not? I am sitting with this sign to show that I want reparations for American Slavery to move forward.

You can participate too. Bloggers- spread this post to any and all blogs that you belong to. This performance is a great way to generate dialogue and re-energize the stalled conversation about reparations, and a great way to show the power of blogs for connecting people, art, social issues and dialogue!”

http://www.pambazuka.org/images/articles/324/blogs_03_olawunmi.gifSilent Storms in an Ocean of One comments on the recent attack by armed robbers on Nigerian rapper 2face idibia

“this was an act of needless violence, but who protects us? where do we get justice when the people charged with protecting the nation are among the very rank of murderers and thieves? last year my dad got robbed at a chackpoint by men he was certain to be policemen. his car was taken and he was left on the streets with no means of contacting his family. at least he was unharmed. most people are not so blessed.

2face idibia has struggled all his life to get where he has. what he really needs to do is be allowed to enjoy the success that his God-given talent has brought him. but to some people he's just another wealthy mark to be robed and harmed for loot. but why did they have to shoot him? at least if you leave the victim alone they have their lives to live, and with time they will replace what was taken. but how do you replace a life, or a limb? and how do you console a family whose joy has been stolen by a random act of violence?”

As usual in Nigeria there are rumors surrounding the attack such as it was not random but someone or group attacked him out of jealousy, he is dead, he is not dead, he was robbed, he was not robbed and so on. Whatever happened armed robbery such as this is endemic in the country and has been for the past 30 years. Members of my own family have been victims as have friends and friends of friends.. Who in Nigeria does not know someone who has been a victim of this type of crime?

http://www.pambazuka.org/images/articles/324/blogs_04_ajao.gifOluniyi David Ajao comments on why paypal and other electronic payment systems are not available in Nigeria and has started an online campaign to try to rectify the situation and ask for PayPal to be available in the country.

“Whatever their reasons are, I am using this blog post to agitate that full Paypal services be made available to residents of Nigeria so they can fully partake in global e-commerce.

Are you a Nigerian resident in Nigeria? Do you agree that Paypal services should be available to Nigeria? Share your thoughts here and now by posting your comment”

http://www.pambazuka.org/images/articles/324/blogs_05_curiosity.gifNigerian Curiosity writes on the failure of Bill Gates to obtain a Nigerian visa.

“Apparently, Mr. Gates recently needed a visa for a planned visit to Nigeria. He was initially refused said visa on the premise that the authorities required proof he would not reside in Nigeria indefinitely, which would cause a strain on social services.

Eventually, the situation was cleared and Mr. Gates received a tourist visa to travel to the country of my fathers. He had to get a letter from his bank, though.” Hilarious!

http://www.pambazuka.org/images/articles/324/blogs_06_ntwiga.gifSome music for a change.Steve Ntwiga is my favourite blog for African music. He specialises in seeking out old tunes and bands from the 60s and 70s. Everything here is wonderful and I only wish I knew where he found these gems.

http://www.pambazuka.org/images/articles/324/blogs_07_bennloxo.gifStaying with the music theme – Benn Loxo is the next best African music blog to Steve’s and in this post he features some rumba music from Tanzania

“There’s something really sexy about the word ‘rumba’. It’s also a bit of a misnomer in that over the years it came to represent a variety of Cuban-influenced musical styles popular across Africa, not all of them ‘rumba’ in its original sense.

While the heart of rumba was in the country-formerly-known-as-Zaire, there were many great groups in other countries as well. One reason is the civil war that erupted in Belgium Congo during the 1960s. It forced many Congolese musicians out of the country, a bunch of whom ended up in Tanzania”

http://www.pambazuka.org/images/articles/324/blogs_08_bl.gifBlack Looks comments on the findings by the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission that the US government has been funding anti-gay and lesbian organisations in Uganda as well as supporting Iran and Cameroon in preventing gay rights groups from having consultative status at the UN.

"The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) has published a disturbing story reporting that the US Government has been funding anti gay and lesbian groups in Uganda such as the Makerere University Community Church and the Ugandan Muslim Tabliqh Women’s Desk who have said they will form an “anti-gay squad to fight homosexuality.”

“The US has also supported Cameroon and Iran in preventing gay rights groups from having consultative status at the UN. At the same time that the US government is funding anti gay and lesbian organisations, it’s own State Department has issued a report on human rights giving details of abuses by some governments based on “sexual orientation and gender identity”. Not surprisingly the report failed to include the US government’s own human rights record in the report.”

* Sokari Ekine is Online Editor for Pambazuka News

* Please send comments to [email protected] or comment online at http://www.pambazuka.org