White African - (http://whiteafrican.com/?p=262) is a blog largely devoted to developing communication technology ideas in Africa. In this post he is asking why there is a lack of interest from e-commerce sites on the potential of the African market:

“As the mobile telecoms and banks of East Africa try and develop platforms that allow people to tie into their particular system, they end up missing the big picture. It’s not about your particular bank or phone platform, it’s about people being able to trust and pay using an agnostic payment system. Meaning, the credit and payment system should interact with all banks and phones regardless of type.”

He poses the challenge of starting an African type PayPal scheme which was started with only $3 million and suggests the name “Afripay” – time is of the essence:

“As I mentioned to someone while in Kenya last week, it’s not as if there isn’t a banking mogul’s son who isn’t looking to try his own thing, or even an investor that would turn away a chance at millions.”

The Moor Next Door - The Moor Next Door (http://wahdah.blogspot.com/2006/08/white-boys-cant-fight-jihad-that-is.html) takes up the issue of racial profiling of US Muslims suggested by US Congressman. The Moor Next Door believes this is discriminatory and that it cannot work:

“Sure, you can profile Muslims, who come in all shapes, sizes and colors; but there really is no reason to profile Americans that happen to be Middle Eastern, who are really more likely to be Christian or atheist anyway. You'd probably have more luck picking up a terrorist by choosing the white guy with a blonde beard and a funny cap than the swarthy guy with chest hair popping out of his shirt and a uni-brow.”

He gives the example of the DC sniper who was an African American Muslim convert and not an Arab and as he quite rightly points out the whole idea shows the ignorance by the Congressman who seems to confuse being Muslim with being Arab and vice versa.

Naija to the core - Naija to the core (http://aramide.blogspot.com/2006/08/proudly-nigerian-tribute-to-nigerian...) celebrates Nigerian literature by highlighting the various authors and the literature prizes they have won recently. Commenting on 18-year-old Onyeka George Nwelue he writes:

“Onyeka George Nwelue began to write at the age of eleven and won the THOMSON Short Story Prize in 2000 (at the age of twelve) with 'Chants of a Poet'. He was nominated as the International Library of Poetry Best Poet of 2005, and won the Outstanding Achievement in Poetry Silver Bowl and the 2004 Afro Poet of the Year. He is presently both the founder and editor of Flames magazine and BritNig Poetry Club, based in Lagos, Nigeria and Wales, UK.”

Zimbabwean Pundit - Zimbabwean Pundit (http://zimpundit.blogspot.com/2006/08/life-in-zimbabwe.html) points to an article by Nelson Katsande in “Ohmynews International” on the life of prostitutes on the streets of Harare.

“Tsitsi, 15, ran away from poverty and abuse in the Musana communal lands. She was lured into prostitution by her elder sister, who died of HIV/AIDS six months ago. Tsitsi started prostitution at the age of 14 after having been subjected to physical abuse by her father. She reported the matter to her mother, who accused her of lying. She later made a report to the police and her father was arrested. He is currently serving a 10-year prison sentence for child abuse as well as cattle rustling.”

What is heart rendering is that the stories here are similar to those of young girls across the world. Children are abused and instead of finding support from within their families and communities they are accused of lying and in some cases driven out to fend for themselves when they become pregnant. In Zimbabwe like many other African countries the situation is made worse as children are often abandoned as they become HIV/AIDS orphans which then puts them at risk of contracting the same illness that killed their parents."

Chippla’s Weblog - Chippla's Weblog (http://chippla.blogspot.com/2006/08/babangida-and-presidency.html) posts on the presidential hopes of Nigeria’s ex military dictator, Ibrahim Banbaginda who he writes was one of the country’s most corrupt leaders in a country full of corrupt leaders.

“Nigeria surely does not need an expired politician as its potential leader and surely not one who misused an eight year opportunity at the helm of affairs. A Babangida presidency in 2007 would be a huge joke and nothing but that. It is up to reasonable and thinking Nigerians who have the means to prevent this from happening. The National Electoral Commission of Nigeria would be wise to ban all previous Heads of State and Presidents from contesting at the polls again—though I doubt it has the power to do so. These people ought to retire from party politics. They have practically nothing to offer to young Nigerians, who in every sense have become both the present and the future.”

The NEC may not have the power to ban previous dictators from running but the National Assembly only needs to make a constitutional amendment to ensure these people never have the opportunity to lead Nigeria ever again.

On the occasion of the 16th International AIDS conference, Black Looks - Black Looks (http://www.blacklooks.org/2006/08/blogging_against_aids.html) blogs against AIDS by posting an interview with Masias Cowper:

“...who’s been HIV positive for 13 years discusses her status and the problems of disclosure that continue to exist and the forming of new relationships. She talks about disclosing her status to her family which she describes as 'the worst thing ever'. It took her 6 months and when she did disclose to her partner the reaction was violent and negative even though it was he who was the source of the infection. Slowly she began to come out to her family and her workplace despite being fired from her job. '...five years after my diagnosis was five years of recovery' - recovering her rights as a woman, to love, to be reproductive, to be respected, to be in a relationship, have a job, participate in her community."

* Sokari Ekine produces the blog Black Looks, www.blacklooks.org

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