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Over a decade after the 1994 Rwandan genocide, increasing numbers of Rwandan refugees are returning to their homeland. However, many remain hesitant about the returning to a place that invokes memories of tragedy and devastation. Musabyenamariya Fratenata, a widow with six children, fled Rwanda and sought refuge in Angola. Fratenata and her family are among 340 Rwandans living in Angola whose legal status as refugees has come to an end. The change is encouraging many to consider returning home, and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees is prepared to help all of those who want to return to Rwanda as part of its global drive to find ‘durable solutions’ for long-term refugees. An estimated 800,000 Rwandans, mostly Tutsis and moderate Hutus, were killed by their fellow Hutu countrymen over 100 days in 1994. Fratenata was unsure what the future would hold once she returned to Rwanda, which she fled at the age of 16. Many refugees fear the process of reintegration. Fratenata has spoken to her parents and relatives back at home on the telephone and says they are excited to welcome her back. This in conjunction with the assistance of the UNHRC has allowed Fratenata to feel ready to return to her home country.

Source: https://www.unhcr.org/enus/news/stories/2016/8/57bad29d4/rwandan-refugees-head-home-generation-angola.html

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The Seychelles is home to the Aldabra Atoll, which is a UNESCO world heritage site. Aldabra is a raised coral atoll that has been virtually untouched by humans, including the Persians and Arabs who found the island before the Portuguese arrived in 1511. The significance of this untouched ecosystem is that it allows for the study of evolutionary and ecological processes. The atoll is made up of four large islands composed of coral, boasting high levels of biodiversity. The island is difficult to access and as a result, has the largest population of giant tortoises in the world.  The tortoises feed on the shrubbery and grasses, which have evolved a growing pattern in response to the tortoises grazing pattern. The Aladabra Atoll is managed by the Seychelles Islands Foundation. This organization limits tourism and oversees protection of the ecosystems from invasive alien species, oil spills and climate change. People wishing to visit Aldabra must get permission from the Seychelles Island Foundation. While tourism increases the revenue needed to support the conservation and protection of Aldabra, limited contact with the ecosystem remains is the surest way to preserve this marvel of nature.

Source: http://www.seychelles.org/outer-islands/aldabra-atoll-islands

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In December 1995, the chief editor of French Elle magazine, Jean-Dominique Bauby, suffered a cerebrovascular seizure that left him comatose. Three weeks later, Bauby emerged from the coma unable to talk, breathe, or swallow on his own. Bauby was initially declared to be in a vegetative state, or essentially brain dead. However, doctors eventually discovered that Bauby had actually retained all his cognitive faculties and was in fact suffering from locked-in-syndrome. Locked-in-syndrome is a rare neurological condition that describes patients who are fully awake and conscious but have complete paralysis of all voluntary muscles except for those that control movements of the eye. Bauby was left with only the mobility of his left eye, which became his sole method of communication. Bauby developed a system where one person would read off the letters of the alphabet according to frequency of use, and he would blink to indicate the desired letter. Using this system and approximately 200,000 blinks, Bauby authored his memoir, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. Unfortunately, two days after his memoir was published, Bauby died of complications from an infection. Since then, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly has become a number one bestseller across Europe, allowing Bauby’s legacy to continue through his poignant account of the fragility of life.
Sources: https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/books/97/06/15/reviews/970615.mallon.html
https://people.com/archive/blink-of-an-eye-vol-47-no-21/
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Notorious Belgian Criminal Bids for Parole #10

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Notorious Belgian Criminal Bids for Parole #10

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Until recently, Marc Dutroux, one of Belgium’s most detested criminals, was in the midst of serving a life sentence for the abduction, rape, and murder of several girls in the 1990s. However, despite knowing that Detroux is a serial rapist and murderer, Detroux’s lawyer Bruno Dayez asserts that “his punishment has been sufficient, and it is time for Belgium to turn the page” (Peltier). The Detroux case took a new turn when a court agreed to Dayez’s request for a new psychiatric examination. The stipulations for the examination hold that if a panel of three psychiatrists concludes that Detroux no longer poses a threat to society, Detroux will be released on parole in 2021. In Belgium, a court can review a life sentence if it finds that the convict could be reintegrated into society. Fortunately, law experts believe that Detroux’s release is very unlikely to happen. At the time of his conviction in 2004, a psychiatrist testified that “Mr. Detroux was one of the most severe psychopaths he had ever seen” (Peltier). However, even the slightest possibility for Detroux’s release has ignited outrage and protests in Belgium. Despite being an old case, almost anyone who is old enough in Belgium can recall the horrific details of the murders. Detroux’s successful appeal has reopened old wounds, and the people of Belgium will not falter until justice is once again served to Mr. Detroux.

Sources:
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/29/world/europe/marc-dutroux-release-parole.html

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The Pere-Lachaise cemetery is the largest cemetery in Paris and is the most visited necropolis in the world. Serving as a popular tourist destination, the Pere-Lachaise cemetery boasts more than 3.5 million visitors annually. Spanning 110 acres, Pere-Lachaise is in the north-east side of Paris contains 70,000 burial plots. The Pere-Lachaise cemetery is named after King Louis XIV’s confessor, Father Francois de Lachaise, who resided in a Jesuit retreat that predated the cemetery. The cemetery that is known today debuted in 1804, and since then burial in Pere-Lachaise has become a status symbol of great honor and prestige. Many famous people are buried in Pere-Lachaise. The remains of the tragic lovers Abelard and Héloïse (who died in 1142 and 1164, respectively) are reportedly the oldest identifiable bones in the cemetery. It is a tradition for young couples to leave love letters at the tomb of Abelard and Heloise to commemorate their tragic love story that was preserved through their famous correspondence. Other notable people buried in Pere-Lachaise include Molière, Eugène Delacroix, Jacques-Louis David, Georges Bizet, Frédéric Chopin, Honoré de Balzac, Marcel Proust, Georges Seurat, and Oscar Wilde. Wilde’s tomb is one of the most popular destinations for tourists. Oscar Wilde’s tomb is especially conspicuous due to the tradition where fans would kiss his tomb leaving lipstick marks. However, in 2011, a glass barrier was put around the tomb to make it “kiss proof”, thus protecting it from further vandalism.

Sources: https://frenchmoments.eu/pere-lachaise-cemetery/

http://parisbym.com/10-famous-people-buried-in-pere-lachaise-cemetery/

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Devil’s Island is one of history’s most infamous penal colonies. It is located 7 miles off the coast of French Guiana, and it housed some of France’s worst criminals. In 1852, Emperor Napoleon III converted the 35-acre island into a penal colony. Officially named “Bagne de Cayenne”, prisoners quickly renamed the island “Devil’s Island” to reflect the horrible conditions. Prisoners were detained in tiny dark cells, where they were forbidden to talk, smoke, read, or even sit before nightfall. Additionally, prisoner-on-prisoner violence was common and tropical diseases were rampant. Over 80,000 prisoners were incarcerated on Devil’s Island and less than 2,000 survived. Of the few survivors, murder-convict Henri Charierre actually managed to escape the island in 1941. He subsequently published the memoir Papillon, where he gives detailed accounts of the horrors of Devil’s Island. However, the worldwide public discovered the inhumane conditions of Devil’s Island through the highly publicized accounts of the French army captain Alfred Dreyfus. Captain Alfred Dreyfus was the center of the infamous political scandal known as the “Dreyfus Affair”, where Dreyfus was wrongly convicted of treason in 1894 and eventually served five years on Devil’s Island. Public outrage over the inhumane conditions led to the island’s penal system ending in 1946 at the conclusion of WWII. The rest of the island’s functions closed in 1953 and it presently serves only as a tourist destination.

Sources: http://www.prisonhistory.net/famous-prisons/devils-island/
https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/ile-du-diable

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The King of Morocco has pardoned independent newspaper journalist, Hajar Raissouni, who was charged with a one-year prison sentence for attempting to have an abortion. Authorities intercepted both Raissouni and her fiancé as they were leaving a gynecologist’s office last August in Rabat, the capital of Morocco. King Mohammed VI’s pardon is being viewed as an extremely benevolent and merciful action. According to sources close to the king, King Mohammed VI was motivated to pardon the couple because he wants to “preserve the future of the two fiancés who plan to found a family in accordance with religious precepts and the law” (Alami). Morocco has a long-standing law that makes non-marital sex and abortion illegal. Despite Raissouni and her fiancé's release, human rights advocates remain enraged. They claim that Raissouni’s conviction was “unjust and politically motivated”, as the conviction reflects the state’s persecution of independent journalists (Alami). Additionally, other human rights advocates claim that Raissouni should have never been convicted, as her conviction reflects increasingly archaic Moroccan laws. However, the human rights advocates find some peace in how this incident has opened debate in Morocco. Now there is an overwhelming public demand for justice for the jailed journalists and the repeal of the criminalization of non-marital sex. The human rights advocates assert that they will not be silenced until there is a change.

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/16/world/africa/morocco-pardon-journalist.html
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Ballet is one of the most widely recognized and popular forms of dance. While ballet technically originated in Italy during the Renaissance, it was formalized and made popular in France. Ballet can be traced back to 15th century court dances that were a popular form of entertainment for the Italian aristocracy. In 1547, the Italian aristocrat Catherine de Medici married King Henry II of France, bringing ballet with her from the Italian courts to France. In 1581, Catherine de Medici commissioned the Ballet Comique de la Reine, which is considered to be the first ballet. Over the next 100 years, the ballet technique was formalized, and the official French terminology (that is still used today) was codified. French dancer and choreographer, Pierre Beauchamp, codified the trademark five positions of the feet and arms. The development of ballet reached a peak during King Louis XIV’s reign. King Louis XIV founded the Académie Royale de Musique which eventually became the first professional ballet company: the Paris Opera Ballet. The Paris Opera Ballet remains one of the world’s most prestigious ballet companies to this day, and serves as a reminder of the truly French origin of ballet.
Sources:
http://www.dancefacts.net/dance-history/history-of-ballet/
https://www.atlantaballet.com/resources/brief-history-of-ballet
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The New Orleans Doughnut aka The Beignet 🍩🍯 #5

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The New Orleans Doughnut aka The Beignet 🍩🍯 #5

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The beignet is an extremely popular treat that is a trademark of the New Orleans French Quarter, and Louisiana’s state doughnut. However, this treat did not originate in Louisiana, as it possesses a rich cultural history from abroad. Europeans have been eating fried dough for hundreds of years dating back to the Scriblita in Ancient Rome. French cooks eventually followed suit, developing two basic types of pastries. The two variations include doughs that use yeast as a raising agent and doughs that use their own steam. Beignets belong to the latter group, which are known as choux pastries. In the 17th century, French settlers brought beignets with them to the east coast of Canada in a settlement known as Acadia. After the British forced thousands of Acadians to migrate, many ultimately settled in Louisiana. The Acadians brought their language as well as their cuisine (including beignets) to Louisiana. This group of displaced Acadians eventually became known as Cajuns. Over three hundred years later, the beignet remains widely popular and has spread far beyond New Orleans. More importantly, this treat serves as a reminder that a rich cultural history often exists behind popular cuisine.

Source: https://www.nationalgeographic.org/media/beignets/

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"Les Indes Galantes": Introducing House to the Paris Opera House #4

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"Les Indes Galantes": Introducing House to the Paris Opera House #4

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The Paris Opera House that is normally home to the Paris Opera Ballet is embracing a new style of dance. This year the opera house presents a new production of Rameau’s controversial “Les Indes Galantes” that incorporates unconventional dance genres such as krump, house, and vogue. “Les Indes Galantes” is an 18th century opera-ballet that was choreographed to represent the triumph of the French Enlightenment over other ‘exotic’ cultures. The controversy arises in the ballet’s tendency to present a “French-gallantry-conquers-all plot that can across as propaganda for colonialism” (Mainwaring). For example, one depicts two Parisian men that become involved in a love triangle with their slaves. While they are performing one master expresses that love is necessary to sweeten the hardship of slavery. However, Ms. Dembélé and Clément Cogitore, the artist and filmmaker making his stage debut as the production’s director, firmly believe they can subvert the offensive message by incorporating new styles of dance that underscore the frustrations of the oppressed. The street styles that are incorporated throughout this production of “Les Indes Galantes” developed as an outlet for the oppressed minorities. The incorporation of these styles in a traditional ballet bridges the differences between characters in the production and will hopefully inspire more inclusivity in the future productions in the Paris Opera House.

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/25/arts/music/indes-galantes-paris-opera-hip-hop.html

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Over the past two years, violence has erupted within the borders of Cameroon. The source of this divisiveness stems from the language divide within the country. Cameroon is a predominantly French speaking country with only 20% of its citizens speaking English. Until recently, the different language speaking groups lived in relative harmony. The government of Cameroon now claims that armed English-speaking separatists have terrorized civilians and attacked government forces with the intent of creating a new nation called Ambazonia. However, dozens of interviews from displaced English-speaking citizens create a different picture. Siobhan O’Grady from the Washington Post relegates these accounts stating, “Soldiers often arrived to Anglophone villages early in the morning, they said. But instead of looking for armed independence fighters, they fired indiscriminately, at times leaving the bodies of young men piled in the streets”(O'Grady). Rather than extinguishing the rebellion, the violent retaliation from the government is only exacerbating the conflict as an increasing number of Cameroonian moderates have declared allegiance with the separatists. With hundreds having been killed and hundreds of thousands having been displaced, any future growth of this conflict will complete the demise of Cameroon.

Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2019/world/cameroon-anglophone-crisis/

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Papadakis and Cizeron: France's Ice Dancing Phenoms ❄❄ #2

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Papadakis and Cizeron: France's Ice Dancing Phenoms ❄❄ #2

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When one thinks of figure skating, France is typically not the country that comes to mind. However, French ice dance pair Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron are putting France on the map as they pile on the victories in the international ice dancing circuit. Last March in Saitama, Japan, Papadakis and Cizeron won their fourth World Figure Skating championships. Papadakis and Cizeron first performed their tango influenced rhythm dance to “Oblivion” and “Primavera Portena” by Astor Piazzolla. The couple scored 88.42, setting a new world record. The following day, the couple performed their emotional free dance to selections by Rachel Yamagata. Once again, the pair eclipsed their own world record scoring 134.23 points in the free skate for a total score of 222.65 points. With their most recent victory, Papadakis and Cizeron have joined an exclusive group of six ice dance teams that have won four world championships.

For all the gold medals that Papadakis and Cizeron have brought home to France, one would expect Olympic gold to lie among their collection. However, at the 2018 Olympics in PyeongChang, an unfortunate wardrobe malfunction cost Papadakis and Cizeron the illustrious gold. Following the painful defeat, Papadakis described her experience stating, “My worst nightmare came true at the Olympics”. The pair hopes to return to the Olympics to win the gold that they argue “should have been theirs”. In the meantime, Papadakis and Cizeron have continued to revolutionize their sport, paving the way for future figure skaters in France.

World's Rythm Dance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w05rGD5O9XA

World's Free Dance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xlt7TP-W320

Sources:
https://olympics.nbcsports.com/2019/03/23/papadakis-cizeron-win-fourth-world-title-hubbell-donohue-land-on-podium/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/early-lead/wp/2018/02/19/major-olympic-wardrobe-malfunction-strikes-during-french-ice-dancers-short-program/?noredirect=on

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A Simple Favor: How I Discovered French Pop Music 👄 #1

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A Simple Favor: How I Discovered French Pop Music 👄 #1

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Last March my sister and I had the opportunity to participate our high school's annual Dancing with the Teachers fundraiser. The theme of the competition was “A Night at the Movies” and my sister and I were assigned the blockbuster movie A Simple Favor. When we began the process of selecting music, we were surprised to discover that the movie soundtrack was almost entirely in French. Lionsgate, the corporation that produced A Simple Favor, released an official movie playlist on Spotify that featured hit songs from popular French artists. This soundtrack included all kinds of music from Saint Privat’s dainty, coy number “Poisson Rouge” to hard-hitting beats like “Changement” by rapper Orlesan. I noticed that French songs possess an element of mystery and sophistication that is lacking in popular American music. According to Bustle, an American women’s magazine, “The soundtrack of A Simple Favor will make you feel like a 1950s cat burglar a la Alfred Hitchcock's To Catch a Thief, scaling the balcony of a vacation home overlooking the French Riviera”. Even though we did not win the competition, the unique French music certainly allowed our dance to stand out, and more importantly, I have a new study playlist.

Spotify Playlist Link: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0fcYi3wu1QLpGi7kcluvt3

Source: https://www.bustle.com/p/the-a-simple-favor-soundtrack-will-transport-you-to-a-parisian-cafe-11906519