Virginia Friends of Mali

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/15/world/africa/trump-shithole-africa.html?emc=edit_tnt_20180116&nlid=35302644&tntemail0=y Trump Comments, Infuriating Africans, May Set Back U.S. Interests By KIMON de GREEF and SEWELL CHAN JAN. 15, 2018 CAPE TOWN — South Africa and Nigeria have joined a chorus of nations condemning President Trump’s inflammatory remarks on immigration, as Africa experts warned that the controversy threatened to set back American interests across the world’s fastest-growing continent. Since Thursday, when several participants in a meeting with Mr. Trump said he had asked why the United States should take in migrants from “shithole countries,” including Haiti and African nations, the Trump administration has been erratic in its account of what happened. On Friday, Mr. Trump insisted on Twitter that “this was not the language used,” and on Sunday, he told reporters , “I’m not a racist.” On Monday, Mr. Trump said that a Democratic senator who attended the meet...

The president of Mali, Mr Ibrahim Boubacar KEITA (IBK), has accepted the resignation of prime minister Idrissa Maiga (meaning that he was fired!) an requested a former Minister of Defense to form the next government. Mr Soumeylou Boubeye MAIGA (SBM) is the fifth PM chosen since IBK became president in Aug-Sept 2013 (he was elected in August, sworn-in in September). Your correspondent believes this to be a good move. Idrissa was a party political operator, the campaign manager for IBK during the 2013 presidentials. SBM is a political operator of a different caliber. He was a member of the Adema party that won the first presidential and parliamentary elections back in 1992, and said to be close to both the army (he was twice Minister of Defense) and to certain militia groups in the north of Mali. SBM comes from Gao, and he knows everybody in the northern political firmament. Under the first elected president, Dr Alpha Oumar Konaré (AOK, also known to journalists as “Alpha O.K.”), SBM ...

Walking Wounded are a 5 piece band from East London playing a wide variety of original material from Rock. Their “World Music” original compositions come mainly from the inspiration of guitarist Hugh Poulton, an original Punk musician who became converted to World Music through his work for Amnesty International in the Balkans. You can feel the influence of the Balkans in his composition Sebrenica and the fact that Hugh sings it in SerboCroat. He speaks Turkish and the Balkan languages and is the author of a book titles” “Who are the Macedonians?” Later Hugh and his partner Christine Taylor branched out towards the roots of American music, by visiting West Africa. Titles on the “Well What?” CD (2013) include Go Go Bamako (a pop tune), Djoliba (the Bambara name for the Niger River) and La Falaise de Bandiagara, a beautiful place for hiking and for discovering the spiritual and philosophical beliefs of West Africa. I recommend the CD for interesting – and unusual – World Music listen...

VFOM new president, Lydie Alapini-Sakponou, in 2012, with then Malian Ambassador Mamoun KEITA, Segou Project Manager Robin Poulton and the ambassador's Chief of Protocol, during our annual National Mali Day program. VFOM held its annual board meeting on October 26, 2017 and elected a new president and vice president. Ana Edwards, who has served as president since the formation of the sister city relationship with Segou MALI in 2009, has shifted to vice president and organizational representative on the Richmond Sister Cities Commission. "I happily and proudly yield the leadership position to Lydie Alapini-Sakponou. She was a founding member of the organization and has a long record as an outstanding educator in Chesterfield County schools. Lydie will bring warmth, experience and a keen talent to the job." The board also welcomed a new category, Student Board Member, and with it three new student members from Virginia Commonwealth University. Click here to...