Ndesanjo Macha Duniani of Digital Africa - (http://digitalafrica.blogspot.com/) has been reporting from the Helsinki Conference 2005 for Global Voices (http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/globalvoices/).

The conference is a joint initiative between the governments of Tanzania and Finland addressing issues of democracy and globalization. Some of the topics under discussion have been “Why are Africans so Poor?” The chairperson of the Tanzania Association of NGOs asked: "If we are so poor why are western multinationals so busy investing on the continent? If we are so poor that we cannot even pay back our debt, why do western nations and banking institutions keep on lending us?" An excellent question. She went on to ask participants to redefine the term “poverty”.

Tanzanian Blogger Ndesanjo Macha Duniani also gives us a brief insight into Finnish history and society and two fellow Tanzanians blogging. The Tanzanian blogosphere is quite an interesting one as it is one of the few African countries blogging in an African language as well as English.

For those readers that speak Swahili, Tanzania photographer Muhiddin Issa Michuzi, Michuzi (http://issamichuzi.blogspot.com/) is one of those blogging in Swahili and you can find some photos taken from the conference on his blog.

Ethiopian Paradox - Ethiopian Paradox (http://hahuhi.blogspot.com/) has a poem “The People United Will Never Be Defeated” which is dedicated to “terror prime misery, Meles Zenawi”.

“Meles, man of power, is he really human? He wants to rule this age and hour,
until we stand together, and stop his horror, so that we may end the innocents plight, so, we, united will never be defeated, once again we ask, whose Ethiopia is it anyway? for judgment day, only truth will give way”.

Nigerian Blogger, Emeka Okafor of Timbuktu Chronicles - Timbuktu Chronicles (http://timbuktuchronicles.blogspot.com/) has a short piece on EPOPA (Export Promotion of Organic Products from Africa) aims to aid development through organic trade. EPOPA “ aims to give African smallholder farmers a better livelihood through developing local and international organic markets. The increase in agricultural production benefits rural communities, thus the farmers.”

Finally this week Egyptian blogger -
The Big Pharaoh (http://bigpharaoh.blogspot.com/ ) The Big Pharaoh gives us his take on the recent (no surprise) re-election of President Mubarak in which turn out was an appallingly low 23%!!

Fraud, forgery, and dirty political maneuvers are an integral part of Egyptian politics. Yesterday's elections were not different. I believe that even if Ayman Noor came in second, the state will still put him third. The government cannot accept a young mischievous member of parliament to be right under Mubarak in the second seat. They can accept Nomaan Gomaa, the leader of a well known party, but definitely not Ayman Noor, definitely not this "kid" so to speak. Some say that Gomaa decided to run for president only to "break" Ayman Noor who was once a member of Gomaa's party.

Despite the predictable according to TBP there are two surprises:

First, Mubarak's share of the votes. Second, the rise of Ayman Noor who came in second, beating the leader of a well established party.