Funny how the 2009 floods now seem like a distant memory. Subsequent, more dramatic events like flooding in Saudi Arabia (of all places) and more catastrophic disasters like the Haiti earthquake, have completely over-shadowed floods in Tunisia... however, the pain for those affected remains real and the need for better planning and infrastructure ever more pressing to avoid similar consequences from the next event.
A survey to assess to need for an organization of Tunisian American is available on-line at:
https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=dEd1WmFsNmVaMXpyUlJ2MGlCOUlvU0E6MA
Tunisian American deserve an organization that is professional and transparent to fulfill such needs as:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1zwtH7Kgys&feature=related
Thanks for sharing this report. Speaking about "groups that have been working hard to protrary Muslims as terrorists and as a threat" I share with you this video:http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xb2bhq_desinformation-les-arabes-dans-le-c_news
What happened lately in Switzerland in very shocking: Switzerland, through its system of direct democrcy, outlawed (by a majority of 56%) the erection of minarets in mosques!! This means churches can have their identifying architectural features but mosques cannot. This is blatant discrimination in a country that boasts to be tolerant and just. How can a minaret be a threat to anyone?
This is the fruit of years of fear mongering by right-wing racist groups that have been working hard to protrary Muslims as terrorists and as a threat. We see similar groups doing the same thing in other European countries (Denmark, Netherlands, France, etc) and in the US, such as the publicity board in Colorado.
Muslims in the West cannot let terrorists highjack their religion and must be positive participants in these societies to give the others a chance to know them and not fear them. That is the best way to defeat the fear mongers.
I found this report by the International Federation for Human Rights to be good reading on the subject.
The situation in Switzerland is worst ! Have a look at these posters :http://www.lemonde.fr/europe/article/2009/11/30/suisse-les-affiches-de-choc-de-la-droite-populiste-decryptees_1274290_3214.html
I posted the above article after learning of the disastrous flooding that swet across Tunisia, especially the South and particularly the town of Redaief where official reports put the number of victims to around 25. The above article talks about the floods of 1969 which I remember clearly since I was barely 6 years old going to school for the first time in my life. I remember walking to school with the books and school supplies in a bag above my head and water up to the waist line. After walking the distance of 2 km, we found the school was closed.
Researching the topics of floods in Tunisia, I learned this is not an odd occurrence and that Tunisia as a whole is faced with severe flooding with catastrophic damage (in lives and infrastructure) on a regular, fairly predictable pattern. What is astonishing is this issue is that very little is done to avoid the same fate everytime. Why are people allowed to build within flood zone?
Tunisian soccer team (Carthage Eagles) was eliminated from the World Cup 2010 race by unsuspecting Mozambique. Apparently, the Eagles were counting on Kenya to win the game for them by beating Nigeria and were attemtping to hold on to a draw. Not only did the Eagles lose to Mozamique, but also Nigeria beat Kenya to earn the qualification to the World Cup 2010 in South Africa.
In some ways, the withdrawal of the Eagles is a blessing in disguise. One can only count the blessings especially when we see the unbelievable ramifications of the Egypt-Algeria duel. If these are possible ramifications of the game of soccer, we would be better off without it.
Some may think that the Bush days of racial/religious profiling and overt bigotry against Muslims are over. By a good measure, they are but we still see signs of simmering prejudice such as indicated on this billboard in Westminster, Colorado.
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Rates for calling Tunisia from the US are ridiculously high compared to other countries and even to neighboring countries. Cheapest plans out there offer $0.45/minute for mobile and somewhere around $0.25/min for landlines. For neighboring countries, rates around $0.10/min for mobile are common. For countries in Europe or Asia, we are taking few pennies per minute. Why are rates for Tunisia so high? It is short-sighted policy to tax communications to death because such a policy hurts the economy as whole. Fewer communications means fewer exchanges which translates into less economic activity.
Time.com, Dec. 19. 1969
"We were three days short of a Biblical record," said Foreign Minister Habib Bourguiba Jr. He was not smiling. For 38 days in September and October, rain fell steadily on Tunisia, leaving 600 people dead, destroying 70,000 homes, and making refugees of 300,000 of the nation's 4,500,000 people. Touring the country last week, TIME Correspondent William Rademaekers reported that the floods have set economic growth back five years.
Meteorologists blame the flood on a shift in the Azores high-pressure area from 35° north latitude, where it normally centers, to 45° north. The shift eliminated summer rains from most of Europe and brought unusually warm and sunny weather. Meanwhile, cool air suddenly began to flow from the Soviet Union toward the Mediterranean. A low-pressure system over Northern Africa created a bowling-alley effect, directing the moisture-laden air mass straight at Tunisia. On the Tunisian-Algerian border, the Atlas Mountains blocked the air and caused the rain to fall. The mountains also set up a swirling air flow in which clouds gathered up new water.
The Map Revised.
Rivers crested 36 feet above normal. Whole villages vanished. Thirty-five major bridges were washed away, and the map of Tunisia was drastically revised. At least 1,000,000 livestock drowned and 10,000 olive trees were uprooted. The Zeroud and Marguelil rivers, swirling together, created a torrent eight miles wide. The force was so great that 100-ton concrete slabs, used to anchor bridges, were hurled downstream. An irrigation project that took two years and $7,000,000 to construct was washed away in six hours. As late as last week the Mediterranean was still an oozing ochre sore from the Gulf of Tunis to the Gulf of Bou Grara because of topsoil washed into the sea by the boiling rivers.
Here and there the floods left a boon. On the Kairouan plain, 80 miles south of Tunis, a three-foot layer of soil was washed away, uncovering a sizable Roman village. Inland lakes eight miles wide were created by rainfalls of 16 inches in 24 hours. The lakes are now draining down to raise the water table, and farmers are assured of at least four years of well-watered soil. Most important, the rains that battered 80% of Tunisia bypassed coastal resort areas whose hotels account for $40 million in tourist revenues annually. Even so, cancellations already total $1,000,000.
Help from Abroad.
Foreign Minister Bourguiba, son of the founder and President of Tunisia, has spent most of his time since the flood pleading for foreign assistance. Morocco, France and the U.S. sent helicopters that brought food and medical personnel to isolated areas and flew stranded families out. The U.S. also allotted nearly $1,000,000 and West Germany $2,500,000 in loans and grants. French, Belgian, Dutch and Spanish engineers are already at work rebuilding rail lines and restoring the water system. Russia dispatched $20,000 worth of blankets, food and medicine and a message of sympathy. In all, 24 nations are providing assistance.
Though neighboring Libya and Algeria are helping out, along with Morocco, Tunisia may have difficulty getting aid from other Arab countries. President Bourguiba has consistently sided with the West. He is opposed to war with Israel and is reluctantly coming around to the idea of coexistence with the Jerusalem government. As a result, most of the Arab states have done nothing to help with Tunisia's recovery."
The following is a flood hazard map from the World Health Organization: http://www.emro.who.int/eha/pdf/tun_flood.pdf
Hi Redondo - I hope you a blast watching this game which did not disappoint.
Does anyone have information on where to watch this HUGE match in the Washington, DC metropolitan area? Are there any cafes or restaurants that plan to show the match? Kickoff is set for 12:00PM Eastern time. Local kick-off time in Abuja, NIGERIA is 1700 hrs.
Dear readers:
If you know of networking websites and organizations for Tunisian expatriates around the world, please post a link here! This could be the start of interactions and the slow establishment of a sense of community. In our search, we have found the following:
We are looking to develop a unique and meaningful logo for the Tunisian Community Network (TCN). TCN aspires to be a networking hub for Tunisian expatriates everywhere.
Please unleash your creativity and post your ideas here or send them to tcn0906@gmail.com!
This year, airfare between Tunisia and the US has risen more than any year I can remember. It is either that or the fact I now shop for multiple tickets. In any case, airfare alone has a crushing impact on the family budget. Round trip airfare at the peak of summer is close to $2000! The largest portion of this airfare is associated with the Europe to Tunis leg of the trip because I frequently see flights across the Atlantic advertised for a few hundred Dollars. Anyone has any ideas on how to bring this cost down to bearable levels?
