Monday, February 21st

Well whoever thought that unrests would stop after the fall of Tunisia and Egypt's dictators. They were wrong. Now it is the turn of Libyans who are protesting heavily against the "supreme guide of the revolution", the infamous Gadhafi. And last sunday, it was Morocco's turn to see thousand of people in the streets of the capital but also in Casablanca, Tangiers and Marrakesh. Their demands are different from those that we heard in Tunisia or Egypt. But there are common points: corruption and more liberty. Will the king listen to those people who invaded the streets or will he be as deaf as the other former chiefs of states?

And now? What's next?

Everybody is talking about the Arab people uprising and wondering which country will be next? Fingers point to Yemen, Algeria, Jordan and Morocco. Before asking if those countries could get rid of their leaders, it would better to try to see if there are comparable to Tunisia and Egypt? Apart from the fact that they are Arab countries and not really democracies, they are very different. Their regimes and rulers are different. Their problems also. But what is exactly the same is the situation of the lowest class of people and the youth. The poor are poorer and they don't have a lot of opportunities to rise from their level of poverty. There is not enough work and reasonably well paid works for them nor for the youth. And the other problem that is common to all those countries is corruption. It is an endemic situation with no apparent will to eliminate or at least reduce it. The rulers know about this illness (we really are faced with an illness of people who rule a country in non democratic countries) but don't fight it. Or at least not officially. And there remains the main problem in countries like Morocco and to a certain point Jordan. The two other countries have also the problem of non democracy. So which country could be next? But before trying to answer this question, it'll be good to see those uprisings not as a trend but as a real will to change. The people, accessing the Internet and therefore what is happening in other free and democratic countries, start thinking that they have the right to be free, to live a better life and to be able to express themselves without restrain and without the threat of jail or/and tortures.

Situation in the Arab countries

A few weeks ago, Tunisian people started an uprising against their leader, a dictator who has been ruling the country for more than 25 years. And surprisingly they succeeded in ousting the president who had to flee with his family to Saudi Arabia. Since then, a lot of changes happened, the most important being the return of democracy. All political opponents, who were in exile in other countries and some in jail, are now free to express their opinions and some of them belong to the government that is organizing transition. Then uprisings started in other Arab countries, such as Egypt and Algeria but also Yemen and Jordan. The later has already taken measures to try to calm Jordan citizens who were angry about how the country was ruled. But the most surprising is Egypt where the people started huge demonstrations against the government and their rulers. And it is still going on. The president is trying to stay but he has already taken measures such as the nomination of a vice president and some reforms that his government will conduct shortly. Unfortunately for him Egyptian people are not satisfied and want him out immediately. As well as other governments, including the US. President Obama asked him to leave quickly in order to let people decide for their future. But as today, Friday February 11th, Egyptian president has not understood his people.
This is history and everyone can follow events in the world in various medias. But what is important is that finally Arab people are voicing their anger against their governments and their leaders who think that the country belongs to them. Arab people are fed up with the way their leaders rule their countries. They are fed up with corruption, poverty and the fact that no freedom exists. Opponents are jailed or in exile. There is no freedom of speech and newspapers and medias are just communicating what the leaders want to say. Will other countries follow? It is probable unless their leaders understand that this is the time for democracy, real democracy.

Hi guys

Hi guys. Are you taking advantage of your holidays? It is time to travel and there are some great places to visit. Brazil is one of them. Also because of the coming two huge events (soccer world Cup in 2014 and the Olympics in 2016) the country is beginning to become interesting for a lot of businesses all around the world. Don't hesitate to contact me for more information.
cheers

Soccer World Cup

Hi guys,

Did you see how the US team played? Fantastically, having in mind that soccer is not the main sport in the country. Yes some of the players are in European teams, which means that they are well trained. But the will they showed in every game, mainly against Algeria (scoring at injury time), is almost unique for the World Cup. Some teams, seen as weak, have shown the same will to win: Japan for instance, also qualified for next round, didn't stop striking and they have great goals. Not to forget Slovakia that slashed title holder, Italy, in a great game (for both, one has to recognize it) and South Korea. This World Cup underlined that teams coming from Asia and American continent (both north and south) are getting stronger and will not be seen anymore as the weakest in the world. At the same time, it is showing that African teams are in very bad shape. Some of the best players in the world, mainly playing in European clubs (Drogba - E'Too to name the most famous), didn't show their real level. A lot of reasons could be found but what's important is that a team should be and play as a team and not as some individuals who only want to score and/or show their talents. Managing a club or a country team (and it is not only true in soccer but in all other team sports) should also be like managing a company. Maybe that is what some coaches have forgotten. And some country's soccer federations.
At least we had and will have great games. And that is what it is about for us.

A lesson to the world

Yes, the USA is giving a lesson to the world by voting for a candidate who is from African descent and electing him to the top job. I am particularly proud of you. In 1968, Martin Luther King was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee and exactly 40 years later a Black American has been elected to be the president of the USA. Barack Obama, whose father was from Kenya, was elected on November 4th the 44th president of the US. It is a great day for democracy in the US but also a lesson to the world. Except some countries, such as Great Britain and eventually Brazil are able today to have a Black President. But a country like France is far from ready to cross this line. Actually the president is probably one of the worst one France has, in relation to racism. In any case, France will not for a long time elect a president who would be from African or Arab descent. The French who want to give lessons to the rest of the world in various areas, including in human rights and racism and anti-semitism, are the first who have those feelings toward people who are not WASPs.
I am proud of you Americans.