Que d'excitation, que de joie. Mon projet "ACACIA EAU POUR TOUS" qui vise à lutter contre la désertification dans le Sahel tunisien et à créer une économie rurale alternative et durable, a été présélectionné par le concours Changemakers de Ashoka International. Cela signifie que je fais parti des 25 finalistes, sur 600 soumissions.

Pour en savoir plus sur mon projet : http://www.changemakers.net/en-us/node/13734

Ce projet sera réalisé à Bir Salah, situé entre El Jem et El Hencha, en coopération avec les jeunes de la Ligue Culturelle et Technique de Bir Salah et des étudiants tunisiens résidant en France.

1e étape : mise en place de la pépinière.

Membres du RETAP, fans de Culture,

Le Secrétariat Général du RETAP, chargée momentanément du Pôle Culturel, met en place l'activité
"Les RETAPIENS au Louvre" chaque premier vendredi du mois.

Cette activité débute le Vendredi 5 Décembre 2008 à 19H pour une visite de 1H30 ayant pour thème "Les Chefs d'Oeuvres du Louvre" visite introductive de ce programme qui entamera à partir de janvier un parcours thématique chronologique, débutant par l'Egypte, puis l'Antiquité, l'Art Islamique, Le Moyen-Age...et ce tout à long de l'année.

Au programme de cette visite : Découverte des trois grandes dames du musée : La Vénus de Milo, la Victoire de Samothrace et La Joconde et des plus grands chefs d'oeuvre du musée, le tout accompagné de fins commentaires et annecdotes.

Les places étant limités (30 à 35 personnes par visite), merci de réserver auprès de la Secrétaire Générale Adjointe, Insaf Chebaane insaf84@hotmail.fr en précisant en objet "Réservation visite du Louvre le 5/12" avec votre nom, prénom, numéro de téléphone.

Le point de RDV sera confirmé par mail quelques jours avec la visite pour toutes les personnes ayant réservé.

Du 15 au 17 Novembre 2008, à Strasbourg en France, se tiennent les Journées Européennes du Développement. Rassemblant 3000 participants représentant plus de 1200 organisations de la famille du développement, cet évènement s'impose comme un évènement majeur de la Commission Européenne.

TakingITGlobal, partenaire de Plan International, est présente sur le stand 75, représentée par sa Community Connector française Sarah Toumi, qui sera là pour aiguiller les jeunes journalistes sur la plateforme en ligne.

Les jeunes journalistes de Plan International, venant de huit pays différents, vous ferons vivre l'évènement en temps réel grâce à ce blog mis en ligne pour l'occasion.

Jeunes membres de TakingITGlobal, n'hésitez pas à participer virtuellement à cet évènement d'envergure en posant des questions et en commantant les articles de jeunes journalistes présents.

MUNGU AKUBARIKI (ANGELS OF AFRICA)

I LAY IN BED AND CLOSED MY EYES
I THOUGHT THAT I WAS DREAMING
NOW I STAY AWAKE EACH NIGHT
TO HEAR THE ANGELS SINGING

MUNGU AKUBARIKI MUNGU AKUBARIKI
GOD BLESS THE ANGELS OF AFRICA
MUNGU AKUBARIKI MUNGU AKUBARIKI
GOLDEN ANGELS DRAPED IN WHITE

I ASKED THE MAN WHO MADE THIS LAND
TO SET MY PEOPLE FREE
YOUR PRAYERS THEY WILL BE ANSWERED SOON
THE ANGEL SANG TO ME

(CHORUS)

DON'T LET THIS WORLD BRING YOU DOWN
HOLD YOUR HEAD UP RISE ABOVE
THINK OF THEM AND SING THIS SONG
IT WILL FILL YOUR HEART WITH LOVE

(CHORUS)

Words by Clarita Zarate
Music by Barry Finnerty and Clarita Zarate

[Summary: new application to send real snail-mail postcards from Facebook - interesting way to explore intergenerational interaction with young people]

I’ve long been interested in how the explosion of amazing networking and interactivity on the social web can bridge to the offline world of paper and pens. Well, thanks to a tweet from Alberto I just came across a great Beta project exploring exactly that.

Send with Peggy is a facebook application from Participle (put together by the fantastic MakeMode) that makes it easy to create and mail a real postcard direct from within Facebook.

Participle take the message typed on screen, and then get a postcard with the message, and with a pre-prepared reply envelope, delivered to the person of your choice. The Facebook generation can type, whilst the paper generation can write.

This probably falls into the class of one of those positive aspects of social network site to explore with young people…

(BTW - if you find this project interesting, you may want to keep an eye on some of the other things Particle is exploring around youth engagement. The fantastic Sarah Schulman has just started working with Particle to head up a new youth programme there… so I’m expecting exciting innovations to be emerging soon…)

Subject: Watch the all new Obama ad
Also available at YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XywL8Xc7ko

How to get a job in the Obama administration

If Barack Obama inspired you so much that after voting for him you now want to work for him, there are thousands of jobs to be had in the new administration.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27476450/from/ET/
INBOX: Email 1 of 21

I came across this story early this morning. I don't know who wrote it. It is very beautiful:

The Betrothal of Snow Bird, Princess of the Seneca Indians


The only daughter of chief Bald Eagle and his wife, White Rock, was Snow Bird. As a young girl she played at the base of these towering rocks, often gazing at their topmost peaks and longing to be able to climb to the tallest of them. As a young woman, she became the most beautiful of all the maidens of the Senecas. Her rank and beauty brought many men from her tribe and neighboring tribes courting her. The rivalry caused her to face the serious problem of choosing a mate. When the day arrived to choose a mate, seven young warriors, all suitors for the hand of the Seneca princess, assembled in an open space and arranged themselves in a semi-circle facing the mighty rocks. The faint-hearted had dropped from the contest, not daring to face the ordeal to which they were sure they would be subjected. Silence reigned on all sides. This rush of expectancy was on all until the beautiful Princess Snow Bird clad in the royal garb of her tribe, moved swiftly and gracefully into the circle and faced her lovers. She lifted her hand and silence fell upon the assembled. Ever since I was a little girl, I have watched yonder rocks push their rugged summits into the heavens and many times I have longed to be able to climb to their topmost crags. There have I spent the happiest, the most enjoyable days of my life. Of all the Seneca Indians, I am the only one who has accomplished the feat. One day, about a moon past, I decided upon a contest, a trial of bravery and endurance. You will soon engage in this contest, and to the successful one of you, I will give my hand, my heart and my life."

Princess Snow Bird set out on the journey, followed by the seven braves. Upward they climbed, the sure-footed maiden always leading. As the climb became more and more difficult, three of the seven turned back, dispirited and disappointed. Another followed to the fifth pinnacle and then wearied of the struggle and gave up. A fifth man crumpled in a heap near the same pinnacle and was rescued from death by the fourth, who led him back to safety. The two that remained followed closely in the footsteps of the maiden. Finally, with renewed determination, they set out on the last and most dangerous stretch of the journey, the maiden as always, in the lead. At last she reached the summit and turned to look for her most persistent suitor. He was only a few feet below her. In this moment of waiting, his foot slipped on the ledge of rock. The maiden hesitated for a fraction of a second. Was he not the bravest and strongest of the Senecas? Where would she ever find his equal? So with the alertness and strength of her young arms, she caught the falling brave and drew him to safety and to herself. Long they sat together talking of their future, and then as darkness approached, the two lovers descended by the trail at the rear of the gigantic rocks. They stood before Chief Bald Eagle and White Rock. The great chief conferred upon his newfound son-in-law the authority to become his successor as chief of the tribe.