Ethiopia at the World Travel Market

KONSO MONUMENTS

Ethiopia is participating at the World Travel Market (WTM) in London and visitors have been flocking to the Ethiopian stand, designed to reflect its ancient civilization.

Local tour operators are on hand to display a wide range of tours and Ethiopian hospitality. The stand also provides reminders of Ethiopia's unique stature as the cradle of humankind and a presentation underlining this was held on Monday (November 5th) at the Natural History Museum in London. Paleontologist Dr. Berhane Asfaw spoke on the country's record of human and hominid remains spanning several million years. In his discussion, he noted the plethora of rare species and fossils to be found in landscape of volcanic lakes and mountains, which he said made Ethiopia, a Palaeolithic 'zoo'. Dr. Berhane noted that out of a total of 14 widely recognized hominid species, 11 are found in Ethiopia, making it a unique center for research on the evolutionary records of the last six million years. Hominid remains for example are found in the Omo Shringura at all levels, stretching from about 4 million years ago to 200,000, and other areas of research, including Dikika, Warenso Milla, Middle Awash, Konso andChorora as well as the Omo.


http://allafrica.com

KENYA: Push to meet 2013 male circumcision targets

More than 477,000 Kenyan men have been circumcised since 2008

With just over one year left to achieve its target of having some 1.1 million men circumcised as part of HIV-prevention efforts, Kenya's government is ramping up efforts to bring more men into clinics, compensating them for their time and encouraging them to bring friends in for the procedure.

Medical male circumcision programmes have started giving men vouchers worth 100 Kenya shillings (about US$1.17) when they complete the procedure; these vouchers are redeemable for cash once the man returns for a follow-up visit. The men are encouraged to return with a friend or relative also wishing to be circumcised.

"Compensation for time lost to such persons has seen many of them turn up in large numbers to get circumcised," Walter Obiero, the clinical manager at the Nyanza Reproductive Health Society, told IRIN/ PlusNews.

Loss of income is a reason frequently cited by men rejecting circumcision, many of whom wrongly believe they will be unable to work during the entire six-week healing period. In fact, men can usually return to work within three or four days.

Fellowship Winners :: The First Peace Agent Summit

Congratulations!

Here is the list of Peace Agents who are qualified to join the First Peace Agent Summit: Agents Reloaded. From the nine fellowships with 173 Peace Agents, only 15 people could pass the tough challenge by the Peace Revolution Committee. We are so proud of them and we are very happy to welcome them again to the next chapter of Peace Revolution.

Raphaela Simões Pedroso
Brazil

Anca Gliga
Romania

Diana Esmeralda De La Cruz Belleza
Peru

Marco Antonio Bermudez
Colombia

Araceli Mendiluce
Bolivia

David Javier Santos
Peru

Tissione Parmar
United Kingdom

Suha M. Ayyash
Jordan

Julenne Asela Esquinca
Mexico

Udochukwu Kennth Ajunwa
Nigeria

Kuldeep Singh
India

Aya Chebbi
Tunisia

Ilse Marel Vazquez Vidal
Mexico

Barbara Contreras Preisler
Chile

Anna Oleshkevych
Ukraine

http://www.peacerevolution.net/chill-news/

Mulatu Astatke - Interview

Legendary Ethio-Jazz musician Mulatu Astatke

Astatke talks to 3news.co.nz chief editor James Murray about his start in music at a Welsh high school, how the history of Ethopia has affected his music, the influence of John Coltrane on his sound and outlook and what punters can expect on Friday.
Click on the video tab above to listen to the interview with Mulatu Astatke.

Read more: http://www.3news.co.nz/Mulatu-Astatke---interview/tabid/418/articleID/233629/Default.aspx#ixzz1f06Fhmxa

Ghyslaine Tchouaga of Cameroon Crowned Miss Africa USA 2011

                Ghyslaine Tchouaga, 22, from Cameroon, has won the 6th Miss Africa USA Pageant.New York (TADIAS) – Twenty-two-year-old Ghyslaine Tchouaga of Cameroon was crowned Miss Africa USA 2011 on Sunday after beating fifteen other finalists. Ms. Tchouaga was born and raised in the capital Yaoundé and migrated to the U.S. six years ago.
The scholarship and beauty pageant, which celebrated its 6th anniversary, was held at the Hilton in Silver Spring, Maryland. It also included cultural performances by the participants.
Tsige Hussein, a 29-year-old aspiring Nurse from Virginia who represented Ethiopia, finished in the top ten but did not qualify for the final rounds. She was named Miss Photogenic. “I gave it my best shot,” she said.

Tsige Hussein and Markos Huluka at the 2011 Miss Africa USA Pageant. Tsige, who represented Ethiopia, was named Miss Photogenic.
“Over all she did good, but her speech needed more work,” said Markos Huluka, who represented Tsige through his Konjo Models & Fashion Group. “Her cultural performance brought down the house.”
Tsedey Aragie, who covered the event for Tadias said: “It’s true that her song selection [from the South] was fantastic. But, had she also incorporated a monologue explaining elements of our culture and history, it may have worked out better.”
“Given that she had only two months to prepare, I think she did fine,” Markos said. “What I witnessed today was the beauty, grace, and the diversity of the African continent.” He added: The lesson for us is that we can easily win this thing.”
Markos said he is already looking forward to 2012. “We’re going to go out to over 22 states to find the winning candidate for next year,” he said. “We’re going to reach out to colleges and universities across the country.”
According to the organizers, the pageant is designed to empower young women in the United States as goodwill ambassadors to Africa. Past winners have gone on to join forces with Habitat for Humanity, Concern USA, as well as Russell Simmons’s Diamond Empowerment Fund, to help raise money for various causes benefiting communities in Africa and the United States. Last year’s winner, Fifi Soumah of Guinea, a student at Montgomery College in Maryland, established a foundation in her native country to help promote free education for disadvantaged young girls.
The competition this year included a series of interviews which required each candidate to present a social message. The winner said she wants to use her new role to “raise awareness about hunger in Africa.”

source: tadias.com

Ethiopian woman entrepreneur, Samrawit Moges, was honored, as one of a 100 women from across the globe, with inspirational achievements.

	The award, organized by The International Alliance for Women, was held in Washington DC on the 27th of October. “We have been inspired and humbled by the stories of people like you who, often without fanfare, have taken action to support women’s economic empowerment and advancement in society and business” read the letter of award to Samrawit. Samrawit is the first Ethiopian to be honored in the entrepreneurial category. She was nominated by Nigist Haile founder and Executive Director of the Center for African Women Economic Empowerment and honorary member of TIAW. Samrawit is the manager of Travel Ethiopia, member of the board of the Addis Ababa Chamber of Commerce and Sectoral activities and the first female president of a branch of the Rotary Clubs Ethiopia as well as maintaining interests in several business concerns. The Association of Women in Business (AWiB) celebrated Samrawit’s award at an event organized at the Panorama Hotel on the 3rd of November. The AWiB is made up of women with vision and talents committed to fostering national change said Roman Kifle, Vice President of AWiB. Success requires the help and support of others said Samarawit speaking at the event. She recognized her mother and her husband for the role they played in supporting and guiding her. Two other Ethiopian women Yetnebersh Nigussie, Program Manager of the Ethiopian Center for Disability and Development and Salsawit Tsega Ketema, entrepreneur, designer and founder of Sel Art Gallery were also recipients of the award this year. Source: News Dire

The legend of Ethno-jazz music, legendary Ethiopian musician Mulatu Astatke. IN St.Petersburg, Russia .