Façamos contas, há cerca de um ano aquando da cimeira Europa-África, por terras lusas discutia-se sobre o convite feito a Robert Mugabe para vir a Portugal, havendo mesmo quem fizesse birra e não viesse. Como dizia o outro, "Concordo com a primeira parte da pergunta! Discordo da segnuda parte da pergunta!". Neste caso é mais uma constatação e não uma pergunta, mas serve para o efeito. Mugabe não é, de todo, o tipo de governante com quem a UE deve ter relacionamentos. No entanto, Mugabe não é o único ditador africano, nem tão pouco no mundo, e nem por isso se erguem vozes contra outro tipo de situações semelhantes. Atenção, não quero com isto dizer que não devíamos ter impedido Mugabe de vir a Lisboa, não senhor. Apenas me parece estúpida a arrogância com tratamos uns e outros. Há que haver coerência.

Todos os países da UE, uns mais outros menos, mantém relações com países cujos governos são mais ou menos bons no que toca a espalhar destruição pela humanidade, sendo que alguns têm inclusivé privilégios nesse relacionamento, entre eles, Argélia, Angola, Marrocos, Líbia, Chade, Guiné-Bissau, Israel, Russia, China, Arábia Saudita, entre muitos outros. Para além destes, existe também um país que é, sem dúvida, campeão na arte da destruição, um país que, desde a sua independência, de 20 em 20 anos (aprox.) se envolve numa guerra de grandes dimensões. Falo claro, dos Estado Unidos da América.

Condoleezza Rice em Lisboa hoje e amanhã para encontros com Sócrates e Luís Amado in Publico.pt

Digo eu, que para dar o exemplo, que tal não receber a representante dos EUA em Portugal? A meu ver, e segundo o mesmo raciocínio que defendem para o Mugabe, faz todo o sentido.

UN / Urge Chad to Free Child Soldiers / Recruitment and Use of Children Persists Despite Government Commitments

NDJAMENA, Chad, September 4, 2008/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- The Security Council working group on children and armed conflict should urge Chad to take measurable, concrete steps to demobilize children from its armed forces and stop continued recruitment, Human Rights Watch said in a letter today.

On September 5, 2008, the working group will discuss violations of children's rights in Chad. The working group asked Chad to take steps to bring an end to the recruitment and use of child soldiers a year earlier, in September 2007, but government efforts to comply have been largely ineffective.

"Improving child protection in Chad depends on concrete actions on the ground, beginning with the government's implementation of the recommendations made by the Security Council," said Georgette Gagnon, Africa director at Human Rights Watch. "The Security Council should demand that the Chadian government cease child recruitment and release children from the ranks of the armed forces."

Far from demobilizing children, the government continues to recruit them. In June 2008, a Human Rights Watch fact-finding mission found recruitment of children into the Chadian National Army (Armée Nationale Tchadienne, or ANT) to be routine in displaced persons sites in eastern Chad, with instances of forced recruitment documented in Gouroukoun camp in the wake of a February, 2008 Chadian rebel invasion. Children in Sudanese refugee camps in eastern Chad are also subject to recruitment, primarily by the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), a Sudanese rebel group that receives backing from the Chadian government.

"We expect to see a new round of fighting later this year, and children are sure to be on the front lines," said Gagnon. "What is far less certain is how many child soldiers will die in combat before peace is reached Chad, and how many have already lost their lives."

SOURCE : Human Right Watch (HRW)

Elijah is just like me. He doesn't like looking at the clock, he likes to do things when his body tells him too. LIKE GO TO BED or GET UP! We despise the alarm clock. I would love to throw the thing out the window. I actually have three that go off. Yes, I am a snooze hitter big time.

So, as you may have guessed our first day of school didn't go according to our planned routine.

Monday Eli was to be in bed at 8:30. I think he finally wondered in at 9:15. GGRRRR! To my surprise we were up plenty early. He got in the shower right after Andrew and even got to play some Wii Tennis before heading down for the bus. (Which is super-duper awesome, picks him up right at the door.)

He said school went fine. His VI aide was there. His other two VI teachers will be coming today. They will be talking to the clas about Eli's eye disease and special equipment. I think this is so awesome to inform the other students.

He didn't get home until after 4:00. I guess the bus had it's own routine issues. He should be home earlier after they get settled. Then we had to rush off to get a  mouth guard for football practice. Thank goodness he remembered, because I had forgotten even though I was at four store earlier in the day.

Football practice was at 5:30 and I (thought) I had a meeting for Boy Scouts at 6:00. I run him to practice, head PooWee to G-ma's and the head to the meeting (that didn't exist). When I pulled the car up to the meeting place I looked to see what room we were in and to my surprise, it wasn't until next Tuesday. I even wrote it in my calendar on the right day. I can't believe I have to go through this again next week.

I called Mom and she just laughed at me. Thanks Ma! :) She told me to leave PooWee and go watch Eli's practice. It poured at practice, so I stayed in my warm car until it stopped. The boys were whining about having to practice in the rain. The coaches reply, "This is football, NOT ballet!" Eli thought that was funny.

I am very impressed with the coaches working with Elijah's vision. From past experiences I wasn't too hopeful that they would try to understand it, but they really work with him. The head coach even reminds him about his sunglasses when he takes them off or tells him he may want them because they are moving towards the sun. I must remember to thank them.

They have placed Eli with the defense players. Yesterday him and another boy practiced center (dude that gives ball to quarterback--right?) Then he was working on his tackling. He's a chunky guy, but in this group he was small. Let me tell you...those big guys have something to worry about. He held his own and then some. That's my E-man! Maybe having a 17 year old brother to wrestle with was a good thing.

Bedtime was a struggle again, BUT better. He owes me 15 minutes tonight. He got into bed late so has to make it up tonight. Cross you fingers it's a good night.

Andrew's first day went smoothly. But that doesn't surprise me. He has been getting himself up and ready since somewhere around the third or fourth day. I'll never forget the day that I thought we over slept. I flew out of bed and ran to get him up. Here he was gone, he got himself off to school. He had a note on the table that said, "Let you sleep. Went to school." What a sweet kid.

He had Cross-country practice until 5:00 and then went over to his girlfriends house until 9:00. When he came home he handed me a bundle of forms to fill out. I HATE FORMS as much as routine. Thanks Andrew!

Chad's first day is today. He just headed off. Because I was camping last week, during a meeting, we are not too sure of his schedule. We are crossing our fingers for the morning hours verses the afternoon hours. He took my car, so if I need to go in he'll come back and get me.

PooWee and I...well throughout the day we will be unroutined and just go with the flow. YAY! A few hours of sanity!

Tchad airline /
Al Ain Int'l Airport welcomes new cargo operator / Freight operator is 41^st Airline to operate from Abu Dhabi

NDJAMENA, Chad, September 3, 2008/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC), the owner-operator of Al Ain International Airport (AAN), has welcomed its latest airline to operate services from the Emirate in the form of Toumaï Air Tchad.

The national carrier of Chad, the North African airline operating from its main home base of N’Djamena International Airport will operate in conjunction with Cargolux a weekly service from Al Ain to N’Djamena

Initially operating up to two flights per week from Al Ain International Airport, Toumaï Air Tchad will also become the second cargo airline to start operations from Abu Dhabi's second major airport in 2008.

Abu Dhabi and Al Ain's growing status as dynamic and rapidly growing economies and its massive infrastructural developments can be said to be at the centre of the success the airports of Abu Dhabi are having in growing the number of cargo and airline operators keen to fly to and from the UAE capital and Al Ain.

Al Ain International airport's reputation as a cargo hub, in particular, is clearly growing as Mohammed Al Bulooki, Vice President of Airline Marketing and Aeronautical Revenue for ADAC, explains:

"The strategic location of Al Ain International Airport makes it a natural hub for freighter companies flying into the UAE as well as it acting as a desirable short and long-haul hub for regional or international freight."

Toumaï Air Tchad becomes the 41^st airline to have started operations from Abu Dhabi airports.

SOURCE :  Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC)

Chad / Daily press briefing by the offices of the spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General and the spokesperson for the General Assembly President

NDJAMENA, Chad, September 3, 2008/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Edmond Mulet is in Chad for a working visit. Earlier today in N'Djamena, he met with the President, President Deby. They discussed the performance of the UN Mission in Chad and the Central African Republic (MINURCAT) after a six--month presence in the country. Mulet also met with the head of Chad's main agency for coordination and support of the international humanitarian deployment in eastern Chad.

Both Mulet and Victor Angelo, the Secretary-General's Special Representative for Chad and the Central African Republic, are now en route to Bangui, where they are expected to discuss cooperation between the United Nations and the Central African Republic in the area of peacekeeping.

SOURCE : United Nations - Office of the Spokesperson of the Secretary-General

Chad / The First Lady of Chad Ready to Work with MINURCAT

NDJAMENA, Chad, September 2, 2008/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- The Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General (DSRSG) in Central African Republic and Chad, Ms. Rima Salah, paid today a courtesy visit to the First Lady of Chad, who expressed satisfaction about the visit, and said that she was ready to support the UN Mission in specific areas.

Ms. Salah, who was meeting with the First Lady for the first time, informed her that the purpose of the visit was to pay her respects, and to explain the mandate of the UN Mission in Central African Republic and Chad (MINURCAT), which was established in September 2007 by the Resolution 1778 of the Security Council.

The two ladies discussed the question of peace and security in the country, and especially the situation of refugee populations and IDPs in eastern Chad. The DSRSG briefed the First Lady on the activities of the UN Mission, particularly in the area of security, protection and human rights. She invited the First Lady to join her in a workshop in September on the Resolution 1325 of the Security Council. This Resolution expresses the commitment of the United Nations to involve women in conflict resolution, and to be protected against various forms of violence perpetrated against them.

The First Lady said she was ready to participate in the workshop and in similar activities.

SOURCE : Mission de l'ONU en République Centrafricaine et au Tchad (MINURCAT)

Quote from MMQB

k. The Dayton Daily News, one of the papers covering the Bengals daily, has begun referring to Chad Johnson as Chad Ocho Cinco, from the looks of Saturday's paper. "The week leading up to the Baltimore game represents the first full week of practice time Ocho Cinco, T.J. Houshmandzadeh and Carson Palmer will have together since the 2007 season finale at Miami,'' beat man Chick Ludwig wrote Saturday, apparently with a straight face.

I guess King did not get the memo that Chad legally changed his last name.

Visit that site, this page is a redirect

some pics from Feb, 2008 ::

The UN Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations on Official Visit to Chad and CAR

NDJAMENA, Chad, September 1, 2008/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- A delegation led by Mr. Edmond Mulet, Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, met today with the Chadian Head of State, President Idriss Déby Itno to discuss the work of the United Nations Mission in Central African and Chad (MINURCAT) after six months of presence in the country.

Mr. Victor Angelo, Special Representative of the Secretary-General in Central African Republic and Chad, accompanied Mr. Mulet in his meeting.

The Assistant Secretary-General met earlier with the Special Representative of the President of the Republic, Head of the governmental body, CONAFIT (Coordination nationale d'appui au déploiement de la force internationale à l'Est du Tchad).

Messrs. Mulet and Angelo will travel to the Republic of Central Africa to have discussions with the country's authorities on the same subject.

SOURCE : Mission de l'ONU en République Centrafricaine et au Tchad (MINURCAT)

Congratz Lowes team...now maybe u want to put teh bottles down?

Fresh off the United States Olympic Basketball team's gold medal winning performance in the Beijing Olympics, Jason Kidd goes and proves why he deserved to have someone hide a gun or drugs in his carry-on bag, when the team was boarding the plane to come back to the states. As reported in various media outlets, Jason Kidd plans to give his gold medal to Elayne Winn, wife of Steve Winn (the Las Vegas casino owner). He claims it is not because he is paying back any debt, but because when he was there last summer they (the Winns) treated them so well. I'm going to stop right there and take a deep breath. And exhale.

Jason, you double-stuffed O-R-E-O motherfucker. Do you not realize that the owners of casinos generally treat all of their millionaire guests "well". I'm willing to place a hefty wager that Elayne Winn would be willing to let you live out all of your wife-beater fantasies in her and Steve's bedroom while Steve chokes himself with the laces from your Nike Air Zoom Flight Five shoes.

It is times like this that I find myself hoping that Coach K goes back to Durham, N.C. and hires a group of the Cameron Crazies to hop up and down on Jason Kidd's knees. If anything, he could have done the right thing and given his gold medal to Coach K. It's already total bullshit enough that he doesn't get a medal, but to have the creaky old, brick-laying, cafe mocha motherfucker slap him in the face by giving his gold medal to some old rich bitch that has been reworked more than her husband's hotel is just a travesty.

So Jason Kidd, you're on blast. I hope Mark Cuban dances your ass out of the back door of the AAC for this shit.

Next on my list. Chad Ocho Cinco. Formerly, Chad Johnson of the Cincinnati Bengals. I have to call him this because this stupid mofo went and changed his name legally. Further proving that if you can't get positive attention for your ability to play on the field, then you might as well go and drum up all sorts of negative attention off of the field. Seriously man, if you put half the effort into running routes and catching footballs, that you spend getting your dumbass on Sportscenter, your team might do more than provide a low intensity workout for 13 teams of the NFL every year. I hope you have a kicker in your contract that accounts for jersey sales, so you will shut the fuck up about not getting paid enough.

Do you know why Larry Fitzgerald (WR from the Arizona Cardinals) got paid $40 for 4 years this summer? It's because he's good. He shows up, works his ass off, catches balls, scores touchdowns, and then goes home. He takes care of his biz like a pro and doesn't throw his team's chances of winning under the bus so that he can do the cabbage patch in the endzone with a tiger striped shoe shoved up his ass.

It used to be that fans and other teammates laughed along with you. You're obviously a showman. But the little stunt you pulled of you wearing a Hall of Fame jacket pretty much flipped the switch for everyone. The players that have had spectacular careers and earned their way into the H.O.F. could never support someone that goes so far as to declare that he will be in the Hall. You don't even deserve to be allowed into the H.O.F. to gawk at the history that you will NEVER be a part of. If Michael Irvin fell into the category of "maybe someday" prior to making it into the H.O.F, then you have no shot in hell. Neither you or your showboating twin, Joe Horn.

Chad Eight Five, you and Jason Kidd are beyond lame. You're both fucking mockeries of hard work and perserverence. I understand that you had to be good to get to the level of play that you have, but evidently you didn't have to maintain any sort of humility or intelligence to find yourself as my Lame Ass Celebrities of the Week.

BTW, another thing that is so awesome that if you tried to describe how awesome it is you would mess it up, Chad Johnson has legally changed his last name to Ocho Cinco. Thanks to my buddy Vin for letting me know about this, and it is true, Bengals.com reports. God I hope he gets traded and can't get 85, NBD.

Chad / Unexploded ordnance kills one, injures five / 95 victims this year

NDJAMENA, Chad, August 30, 2008/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- Unexploded ordnance (UXO) has killed one child and

injured five on 28 August in eastern Chad's village of Tine, on the border with the Sudan's Darfur region.

This brings the current year's total toll of victims of mines and UXO in the country to 95, of whom 17 were

killed and 78 injured, the majority of them being children.

"This is one more occurrence, in a fatal wave of UXO explosions affecting innocent civilians and especially

children", said Jean-François Basse, Child Protection specialist at the United Nations Children Fund

(UNICEF) in the Chadian capital N'Djamena.

According to available reports, the UXO exploded when the children started playing with it, unaware of the

danger it posed. The six affected children were taken to the hospital in the town of Iriba. But during the

journey, which lasted over seven hours due to the heavy rains, one of them died. On arrival at the hospital,

two of the five surviving children had limbs amputated. "This is a sadly frequent event in Chad", said

Christine Jamet, Chief of Mission of Médecins Sans Frontières – Luxembourg (MSF-L) in Chad. MSF-L

supports the hospital, and provided medical care to the children, who are now in a stable condition.

The latest previous UXO explosion occurred in a crowded market in the Chadian capital N'Djamena on 04

August 2008. Four persons were killed, and 30 injured. "This is just one of the dramatic aspects of continued

civil warfare in this country", said Eliane Duthoit, from the Office of the Humanitarian Coordinator for Chad.

"Most of the problems are in the east and south-east of the country, but also in other areas affected by the

latest rounds of fighting, including indeed the capital", said Eva Faye of the United Nations Office for Project

Services (UNOPS), who is working to support the Chadian National Demining Centre in clearing the

country's territory of mines and UXO.

Chad's Humanitarian Appeal for 2008 includes three projects in the mine action sector, requesting a total

amount of $ 1.04 million, but none of them are underway, due to a total lack of funding for these activities.

However, thanks to funds provided by the Government of Canada, the United Nations Development

Programme (UNDP) and UNOPS have been supporting the Chadian authorities since 1998 in devising mine

action initiatives. Additionally, UNICEF conducts awareness campaigns among refugees, internally

displaced persons (IDPs), and local communities, on the dangers posed by mines and UXO.

SOURCE : Office of the Humanitarian Coordinator for Chad

CINCINNATI -- Maybe receiver Chad Johnson can go by the name that his head coach hates.

Ocho Cinco

The Cincinnati Bengals receiver has legally changed his name to Chad Javon Ocho Cinco in Broward County, Fla., a switch that became official this week. Johnson, who lives in Miami, didn't return a message left on his cell phone Friday night.

"It's something I don't think anyone has ever done before," he told the team's Web site. "Have I ever had a reason for why I do what I do? I'm having fun."

Two years ago, Johnson gave himself the moniker -- a reference in Spanish to his No. 85 -- and put it on the back of his uniform before a game. Quarterback Carson Palmer ripped it off before the kickoff. After the season, coach Marvin Lewis -- who dislikes Johnson's attention-getting stunts -- referred to the receiver as "Ocho Psycho."

Bengals spokesman Jack Brennan said the Bengals had no comment on the matter.

Johnson has been a concern for the Bengals this season. He unsuccessfully lobbied for a trade in the offseason, threatening to sit out if he didn't get his way. When the Bengals refused, he relented and showed up for minicamp, but complained that his right ankle was bothering him.

He had bone spurs removed from the ankle and was limited at the start of training camp. In the second preseason game, he landed awkwardly and temporarily dislocated his left shoulder. Johnson is wearing a harness and expects to play in the season opener against Baltimore.    *swipe

WesLex

In September a new book about the Stags (Mansfield Town FC) is due out from At Heart Publications: Mansfield Town: the end of an Era [ at Heart, £12.99 9781845472153 ] is the story of the club with an emphasis on more recent events including of course the demotion of the club out of the Football League. Recently I spoke to the author of the book, the Chad Sports Editor, John Lomas about the new book. You can hear what he had to say about that, as well as his summing up of the recent troubled period of the club’s history plus his assessment of the club’s future prospects.  

Just click here [audio http://www2.mansfieldtoday.co.uk/podcasts/johnlomas.mp3]

As you can hear in the interview, John certainly knows his stuff, so this book is bound to be a must for any Stags fan. For more of the latest local football news, read John Lomas’ blog on the Chad website or listen to Stags Talk, downloadable as a podcast – also from the Chad website.  The book will be out very soon, but if you can’t wait for it to get to the shops, you can pre-order from the at Heart website.

.For those who are not Stags supporters, there’s one more book I saw in Northern Ireland, which I want to mention.

43 years with the same Bird by Brian Reade [ Pan Macmillan £12.99 9780230709683 ]  is the story of a lifelong “love affair” with one football team. When I tell you that the “bird” in the title is the Liver Bird, you’ll know that we’re talking about Liverpool FC. Brian Reade writes for The Mirror and was named Sports Columnist of the year in 2003, so it should be a good read. As well as presenting the stories behind the 48 trophies won by Liverpool FC during the time he has been an ardent fan, it also includes the Hillsborough disaster and what is described as a miracle on a football pitch at Istanbul. Read more on the Panmacmillan website.

Finally for those who aren’t interested in football, here’s my pick of some of the new titles from bestselling authors due out this Autumn ;

Maeve Binchy  Heart and Soul  hdbk Oct

                   and This Year it will be Different  pbk Sept.

Michael Connelly  The Brass verdict  hdbk Oct

Bernard Cornwell  Azincourt  hdbk Oct

Clive and Dirk Cussler  Arctic Drift  hdbk Nov

P D James  The Private Patient  hdbk  September

Ian Rankin  Doors Open  hdbk Sept.

Alexander McCall Smith  The Comfort of Saturdays  hdbk  Sept.

Josephine Cox   Songbird  pbk Sept

Danielle Steele  Amazing Grace  pbk Nov

By the way, I’m specially interested in new books about North Notts or East Derbys., so if anyone out there knows about new or forthcoming publications , I’ll be pleased to hear from them.

The weird thing is that Brett and I have never met each other face to face. While he's known about me being his step brother his whole life, I only learned about him when I was 23. That's when I found out that Papa Bob actually adopted me and that I had a different biological father. I know you've heard parts, but It's an interesting story that I'll save for another post.

Brett has a brother named Chad and they both live in Kansas City, MO. They live about 15 miles away from each other with Brett on the north side of the city and Chad on the south. They continue to be very close to one another and to their dad, Jim. Chad is an elementary school teacher and is an assistant wrestling coach at a high school in the area. Brett works in commercial construction in the Kansas City area.

Chad and his wife Jenni had a baby last summer. Her name is Ella. I need to get an updated picture...

Here's a picture of Jim with Brett (left) and Chad (right).

And now for something completely different. I've always liked the song that they play during the Geico commercial where the caveman is on the moving sidewalk through the airport. The song is Remind Me by Royksopp and the video for the song is awesome.

Job description

World Concern is seeking an Environmental and Water Engineer to implement and coordinate all aspects of World Concern's environmental and groundwater program and it's integration with health and hygiene promotion. Will provide technical support for ongoing environmental protection and groundwater development, monitor projects and delivery of appropriate training.

Requirements include:

• BA in environmental studies, water, rural development or a suitable field
• intermediate French, fluency preferred.

Application deadline: 31 Oct 2008

Apply online on the World Concern web site

Chad Floods / Daily press briefing by the office of the spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General

NDJAMENA, Chad, August 26, 2008/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- An estimated 30,000 people have been affected by floods in southern Chad, where 10,000 people have lost their homes.  And that's according to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).  OCHA says it is working with the Government to bring life-saving assistance to those in need as soon as possible.

So far, the World Health Organization (WHO) has delivered an initial stock of emergency medical supplies.  The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) is helping with mosquito nets, as well as water kits and high-protein biscuits.  And the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is working to assess the damage to agricultural production.  And there is more information in a press release upstairs.

SOURCE : United Nations - Office of the Spokesperson of the Secretary-General

Chad / Trial of HISSENE HABRE / Statement by French minister of Foreign Affairs

NDJAMENA, Chad, August 26, 2008/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- What's your reaction to the sentence handed down on former president

Hissene Habre by the Chadian judicial authorities even though he is

being prosecuted in Senegal?

In July 2006 the African Union mandated Senegal to prosecute former

president Hissene Habre for war crimes and torture while he was

president of Chad from 1982 to 1990. We applaud Senegal's commitment

to prosecute Hissene Habre on its territory. This is a courageous act

and sends a strong signal in the fight against impunity in Africa and

elsewhere.

Like the African Union and many NGOs, we attach great importance to

this trial of Hissene Habre.

In order to assist, we've undertaken alongside the European Union to

support the Senegalese authorities in the organization of the trial.

The EU appointed a mission of European experts in Dakar in order to

examine the various aspects of the procedure, particularly at the

judicial and financial levels.

With regard to Hissene Habre's recent sentence in a trial conducted by

the Chadian criminal court, we have taken note of the information from

the Chadian judicial authorities that he was prosecuted on charges

other than those for which Senegal has been mandated. Consequently

this shouldn't affect the trial in Senegal.

We also reaffirm the steadfast opposition of France and the European

Union to the death penalty, whatever the circumstances involved.

SOURCE : France - Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Chad / United Nations / The Chadian Minister of Human Rights and MINURCAT's Deputy SRSG Visit Arkoum IDP Site

NDJAMENA, Chad, August 26, 2008/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- The
Chadian Minister for Human Rights and Protection of Liberties and Ms. Rima Salah, Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary General (DSRSG) in Central African Republic and Chad, completed a three-day mission to eastern Chad on 22-24 August. The scope of the mission was to visit internally displaced persons' (IDPs) to have a first-hand impression of their situation and to identify key human rights concerns in the region.

The delegation first arrived in Abeche, and continued to Hadjer Hadid to brief the local authorities on the reasons of the visit. The mission then proceeded to Arkoum, a village near the border with Sudan and currently hosting some 13,700 IDPs. The Minister took the occasion to highlight the importance of human rights for her fellow citizens: "Human Rights are everyone's business," she said. "The rights to security, health, food, the very right to life, are fundamental and inalienable rights. There cannot be any development if these rights are not respected and implemented," she added. The issue of violence against women was also among the major concerns the Minister touched upon.

In Arkoun, the Minister and the DSRSG had also the opportunity to listen and speak directly to IDPs, who gathered for the occasion. They informed the Minister about their plight: "We fled our villages and arrived here four years ago due to insecurity. Almost 200 of our people were killed by armed elements forcing us to leave our homes," said one man. "We want to go back to our villages, but we cannot until the conditions for our return are created," he implored. The Minister assured them that the Government is fully aware of their problems, and action will be taken in conjunction with the United Nations Mission in Central African Republic and Chad (MINURCAT) and the humanitarian community. The DSRG explained that MINURCAT was established with the specific mandate to help the Government improve the security conditions for refugees and IDPs.

At the end of the visit, the Minister expressed her gratitude for the help and support provided by MINURCAT to make her mission possible. "From now on, the Ministry of Human Rights and MINURCAT will speak with one voice," she said.

SOURCE : Mission de l'ONU en République Centrafricaine et au Tchad (MINURCAT)

Es un humano, amigo y compañero de clase de Kurosaki Ichigo. Tiene raices mexicanas. Destaca sobre los demás gracias a su gran altura y su cuerpo fornido, pero detrás de este aspecto que a más de uno le infundiría respeto, se esconde una persona amable y que se preocupa por la gente que le importa. Suele ser muy serio y callado.

Chad nació en Okinawa, pero sus padres fallecieron y se tuvo que ir a vivir con su abuelo a Mexico. Durante esa época, Sado se metía en constantes problemas, aprovechando su fuerza para pelear con los demás.

Pero un día se metió con gente que era mayor que él y estuvo en serios problemas hasta que apareció su abuelo, que se puso en medio y se dejó golpear sin defenderse hasta que los otros se cansaron y se fueron.

Con esto le quería enseñar a Chad que si tenía ese cuerpo tan fuerte era para defender a la gente, no para atacarla. Le dió una moneda y le hizo prometer que no usaría nunca los puños para pegar a la gente, solo para defenderla. Esta moneda la conserva y la lleva puesta hasta hoy en día.

Ya en la historia principal, Chad se encuentra un día a un periquito llamado Yuichi Shibata, el cuál trae la desgracia a la gente que le rodea. Todo esto es por culpa del Hollow que mató a su madre y tan sólo está participando en el horrible juego del monstruo. Chad se acaba enfrentando, junto a Rukia, a dicho Hollow. Sado no puede verlo y por eso toma la ayuda de Rukia que hace de sus ojos. Finalmente llega Ichigo para derrotarlo.

Tal y como pasó con Inoue, a partir de esta experiéncia, Chad empieza a sufrir cambios en su percepción de espíritus. El día que cientos de Hollows invaden Karakura debido al cebo de Ishida, Chad consigue salvar a la hermana de Ichigo (Karin), sacando a relucir su poderoso brazo.

Al final del combate, Chad cae al suelo y será rescatado por Urahara que se lo lleva a su tienda, junto a Inoue, y les cuenta quien es realmente Ichigo.

Más tarde, Byakuya y Renji se llevarán a Rukia a la Sociedad de Almas. Yourichi se encargará de entrenar a Sado e Inoue para que ayuden a Ichigo a salvarla.

Después de una entrada en el Seireitei algo aparatosa, Chad cae solo y empieza su búsqueda. En su camino se llega a cruzar el tercer Oficial de la Novena División, el cuál es derrotado por Sado.

Pero llega un momento en el que se cruza con un hueso duro de roer: el Capitán de la 8ª División, Shunsui Kyoraku, que le gana sin dejar ni que le toque.

Sado será encarcelado en una celda donde permanecerá junto a Ganju e Ishida. Más tarde, Zaraki Kenpachi los rescatará, acompañado de Inoue y varios de sus oficiales. Se encaminan todos hacia la cima del Seireitei pero en el camino se cruzan con los Capitanes Tousen y Komamura y sus Tenientes.

Se quedarán con ellos Zaraki, Ikkaku y Yumichika y Chad, Ganju, Ishida e Inoue proseguirán su camino. Mientras avanzan notan el fuerte reiatsu que desprende la batalla de Ichigo y Byakuya en la cima.

Finalmente, cuando acaban llegando el combate ya ha acabado, pero entonces es cuando se descubre la traición de Aizen, Ichimaru y Tousen a la Sociedad de Almas y no pueden hacer nada cuando Sousuke extrae el Hougyoku de Rukia, ya que están sometidos bajo la gran presión espiritual de Ichimaru Gin.

Ya en la Saga de los Arrancar, Yammy y Ulquiorra aparecen en Karakura. Chad acude junto a Orihime al lugar de los hechos. Nuestro amigo se intenta enfrentar a Yammy pero es derrotado fácilmente y su brazo resulta gravemente herido. Inoue se encarga de curarlo e Ichigo acaba apareciendo.

Ichigo se enfrentará a Yammy y pese que la pelea parecía fácil para él, su Hollow Interior acabará apareciendo y le causará graves problemas. Los encargados de salvarlos a todos serán Urahara y Yourichi, que anulan a Yammy y provocan la retirada de los Espada.

Durante los siguientes días, Sado se encuentra en fase de recuperación de sus heridas, hasta que aparecen Grimmjow y sus secuaces para atacar a Karakura.

Chad se enfrenta esta vez a un Arrancar llamado D-Roy. Lo pasa bastante mal en este combate e Ichigo tiene que rescatarle y le dice que se mantenga al margen. Estas palabras afectan al orgullo de Chad y le pide a Urahara que le entrene para poder ayudar lo máximo posible.

Urahara le pide a Renji que entrene a Sado, ya que su Bankai no serviría. Entrenan durante mucho tiempo hasta que los Arrancar vuelven a atacar Karakura. Esta vez Renji y Chad están muy agotados para acudir al combate y Urahara va en su lugar.

Más tarde se enterarán que este ataque era tan sólo una estrategia para raptar a Inoue y llevársela a Hueco Mundo.

Ichigo, Chad e Ishida decidirán ir a Hueco Mundo a rescatarla.

Una vez allí, caen en una trampa que les han puesto los Arrancar Demoura y Iceringer. El primero se enfrenta a a Ishida y Iceringer a Sado. El combate, en un principio, se decanta del lado de los Arrancar, ya que sus habilidades impiden luchar al 100% a Ishida y Chad.

Pero la lucha pega un cambio radical ya que nuestros amigos deciden intercambiar oponentes. A partir de allí, el combate se pone más fácil y acaban derrotándolos con gran facilidad.

Prosiguen su camino. Ya pueden divisar el palacio de Las Noches a lo lejos. Durante el trayecto se encuentran a unos curiosos Arrancar: Nel, Pesshe y Dondochakka. No parecen peligrosos, sino todo lo contrario, y finalmente se acaban uniendo al grupo. Estos Arrancar tienen una mascota llamada Bawabawa con la que pueden continuar su camino subidos a ella.

Cuando ya están más cerca de Las Noches, un Hollow llamado Lunaganga les ataca. Llegan a estar en problemas, pero gracias a la aparición de Kuchiki Rukia, acompañada por Renji, utilizando su shikai, acaban derrotándolo.

Después de este último obstáculo, logran penetrar en Las Noches. Llega un momento en el que se tienen que dividir ya que hay 5 caminos posibles.

Chad, como Ishida e Ichigo, va a parar al Nido de las Tres Cifras, donde residen ex-Espada. Nuestro amigo se enfrentará al Arrancar 107, Gantenbein Mosqueda.

En un principio el Privaron Espada toma la ventaja pero a la vez sabe que Chad tiene un poder oculto y que aún no lo ha sacado a relucir. Le sigue atacando, insistiéndole para que le enseñe ese poder. Pero Chad no reacciona.

Entonces Mosqueda se dispone a darle el golpe de gracia y por fin Chad, parando el golpe, nos muestra lo que estaba escondiendo. Nuestro amigo, le cuenta al Privaron Espada que desde que llegó a Hueco Mundo había notado algo diferente en su poder, pero no sabía el qué. Estaba confundido y hasta ese momento no podía controlarlo. Pero ahora nos muestra su Brazo derecho de Gigante.

Sado le explica que desde que llegó a Hueco Mundo, notó algo especial en sus poderes. Eso nunca lo había notado en la Sociedad de Almas. Cuando Mosqueda le atacó es cuando sus poderes despertaron sus ganas de pelear.

Ahora se sentían como si hubieran regresado del lugar de donde provienen. Y es que sus poderes son diferentes de los de los Shinigamis y los Quincy, pero muy parecidos a los de los Hollow.

Entonces comienza una lucha entre Mosqueda y Sado, en la cual este último lleva bastante ventaja, igualando e incluso superando el Sonido de su oponente.

Llega el momento que Mosqueda muestra su verdadera forma y lanza un ataque a Sado llamado “Dios, ruego nos perdones”.

Pero Sado lo para facilmente y a continuación le revela toda la verdad sobre sus nuevos poderes. Le dice que su brazo derecho guarda el alma de su abuelo y está hecho para defender, pero su brazo izquierdo en realidad está hecho para atacar y se llama : Brazo Izquierdo del Diablo.

Con este nuevo poder, Sado derrota facilmente a Mosqueda, con su ataque "La Muerte" y se dispone a seguir con su camino, perdonándole la vida, ya que gracias a él había obtenido sus nuevos poderes.

Pero antes de que se vaya, aparece un nuevo personaje, un Espada llamado Nnoitra, que para, sin ningun problema, el ataque de Sado.

Cuando Nnoitra y Tesla se disponen a marcharse, Chad le ataca con sus últimas fuerzas, pero la Fracción del Quinto Espada se pone en medio para parar el ataque, cosa que enfurece mucho a Nnoitra.

Posteriormente aparecen los caballeros Exequias en el lugar donde están Chad y Mosqueda, pero cuando van a ejecutarlos, aparece la Capitana de la Cuarta División, Unohana Retsu, junto a su Teniente, Isane Kotetsu, para salvarles y curarles.

Más tarde Aizen les comunicará a todos que el rapto de Inoue ha sido tan sólo una estrategia para dejarlos a todos encerrados en Hueco Mundo y así poder atacar Karakura más fácilmente.

Mientras están allí encerrados, Ichigo va a por Ulquiorra. Chad, junto a Rukia, Renji e Ishida ayudarán a Ichigo a seguir su camino, derrotando a todos los caballeros Exequias que se les cruzan.

Recently, an American friend sent me this question by email. I decided it was an important enough issue to do a blog post on.

No, Islam does NOT encourage or condone cheating people who are of another religion. Yet this is often given for a rationale when it happens. How is this so?

What this is all about is that the person in question (doing the cheating) is already WANTING to cheat, is a dishonest person. He is looking for an excuse. This isn't about religion; it's about who's in the IN group, and who's in the OUT group. The person is essentially looking for a reason to rip someone off, and is rationalizing it by saying to himself, "This person is not one of us, so it's OK."

In Muslim countries, the easiest criteria by which to say that is religion, and the second most common excuse is being a foreigner (he's not one of us). Now let's suppose for a moment that you have a shopkeeper in Luxor, Egypt (just picking an example city and country I have spent considerable time in). When presented with another Egyptian Muslim (same religion, same country), he will have no problem saying, "He"s a 'city-slicker' from CAIRO; he's NOT one of US!") So the person from another city will get ripped off, too.

Now suppose a Luxor man goes to Cairo, and takes a taxi. The taxi driver will have no problem saying to himself, "He's from out-of-town, a 'hick' from Luxor; he's NOT one of US." The taxi driver will drive him all around and take the long way!

In just about every country in the world (and I've traveled to about 90), I've found that the taxi driver's first question, seemingly to make conversation, is, "Oh, where are you from?" It's to establish if you are a "local," or know the local ways as a frequent visitor (your first visit here, Sir?), and if they think they can get away with setting the meter on the higher night price, starting it at a higher price than they should, not using it at all, claiming "it's broken," or just driving by very long routes to your destination.

It's NOT the Muslim religion that says this; it's INDIVIDUAL DISHONEST PEOPLE who are looking for an excuse. With a foreigner, religion is the first "difference" that comes to their mind where they can put the person in an "out" group. It might be similar to how a group of blacks might treat a white who was in the wrong neighborhood in the United States, or vice-versa.

Islam emphasizes honesty and forthrightness, just as does Christianity. But some people follow a "cafeteria" Islam, just as some people follow a "cafeteria" Chistianity. Sometimes Muslims go to the mosque, yet cheat people in business during the week. (And some "Christians"do the same!) Sometimes Muslims put more emphasis on PRACTICE (saying prayers five times daily), yet don't follow through in their daily actions.

Islam does NOT say it is OK to lie; but SOME Muslims have the idea that saying your prayers washes out all your sins (kind of like "confession" in Catholicism). We had a maid who used to pilfer constantly, yet she was always praying! My fifteen-year-old Muslim daughter pointed out to me, "Mom, if she wants it, she takes it. That's all. She just thinks that if she prays, it takes away all her sins!"

Don't forget there are MANY, MANY honest Muslims. Unfortunately, tourists most often encounter those out to make an easy buck. When I became a teacher in the Muslim world (instead of working in tourism) I began to meet the DECENT people. It's often hard to meet the right people as a tourist, however (in ANY country).

Eileen

Remeber How Weird The Neptunes Used To Be?
And then how, when they hooked up with their boy and formed a rock group, you couldn’t figure out what they were going for? Well, they’re still weird—at least compared to the baggy-jeaned aesthetic that ruled hip-hop when they first came around—but their brand of weird has become the new center. From fringe to mainstream, Pharrell and Chad remade hypebeasts in their own images. When it comes to N¤E¤R¤D, though, they’re still searching

How is it that their beats for-hire business has been a gold mine for years, yet their do-for-self mission has been so hit-and-miss? Easy answer: Weirdness is a risky business. When they provide the backdrop and let someone else deliver the message, they’re a novelty, and an infectious one. When they’re delivering their own message, though, it’s a lot harder—being at the vanguard is lonely when no one can match your speed.

They&rsquore doing their best to bring people up to tempo, though; their most recent record, June’s Seeing Sounds, adds a sprinkling of high-energy dancefloor sounds to their usual stew. And as an act on ’Ye’s phenomenally successful Glow In The Dark Tour, they’ve inundated the country with “Everybody Nose,” their ode to nasal candy and the eye candy that loves it.

Bottom line: Weirdness is the cousin of genius. Madness and artistry go hand in hand, and it’s what’s made them design icons in addition to just musical ones (LV, BBC, Bape—should we go on?). And most important, they’re just being themselves. You might not understand it, but you gotta respect it. N¤E¤R¤D = life, son!

Besides this shoot, I heard that KAWS recreated the Sistine Chapel in your house using Smurfs. Is that true?
Pharrell: Yeah. I’m a huge Smurfs fan. And he did some Family Guy stuff for me, and he also did SpongeBob. There’s a bunch of that kind of stuff in my room.

What is it about his stuff that you like?
Pharrell: I like his mentality, I like how he approaches things—he makes use of negative space. But I think he does it in a great cartoon way.

Are there any artists or designers that you think are really underrated?
Shay: There’s this group out in Ohio, and they started a clothing line called Fresco. It’s a dope brand—I rocked one of their shirts in the [“Everybody Nose”] video. They have dope quotes across the back.
Chad: I think Pharrell Williams, as a designer. I think people are sleeping on that.

[Laughs.]
Chad: Seriously.

How are people sleeping on him?
Chad Hugo: People look at [BBC] and they see the imaginary rocket ship and a lot of the animation, and it’s hard to understand at first ’cause it doesn’t fit into the mold of, like, Izod and regular name brands.

Musically, you guys aren’t exactly mainstream, but you’re probably the biggest producers that ever made it from the world of hip-hop. But then from a style standpoint, it seems you try to keep a proximity to the exclusive shit. You don’t have BBC brand in Macy’s, which you could. Why do you feel that’s the way to go for clothes, as opposed to how you handle your music?
Pharrell: Certain things are meant to be amongst a smaller populace. You don’t want everything you do to be ridiculous, you know? Exclusivity is a good thing. It keeps it close to you.

But at the same time, a lot of styles you guys pioneered, and Nigo started, sort of trickled down to a lot of the mall brands. Does that worry you?
Pharrell: I’m not here to take credit. I’m just really appreciative of the opportunity. The most important part is the process.

The process of designing?
Pharrell: The process for everything. It’s just having fun, being creative. Of course you want to think futuristically, but I think that if you just kind of walk with today, and you never fall backwards on yesterday, and you’re not stepping too quick towards tomorrow, it’s fun. Today is a process that leads to the finish line of tomorrow. Does that make sense? I’m not trying to be all philosophical and shit.

You don’t try to overthink it.
Pharrell: Yeah, I just have fun. I think that’s the most important part. If you build this brain-fuck labyrinth for yourself, you become too entrenched in the fact that it’s your stuff. Instead of looking at it like it’s my stuff, I like to look at it like it’s my world and I can have it my way. You can design your life. Whatever it is you want to be, there’s a blueprint for it. And that’s the fun part: creating the blueprint and following the instructions.

When you guys first came out as The Neptunes, you were outsiders: You dressed different and the music was on some next-level shit. But now you’re on this big tour with like-minded artists, there’s an avant-garde sensibility to it. Clearly, the musical climate has changed. Is this tour meaningful to you for that reason?
Chad: We’re from the same influences, and we influence each other. We’re for the same cause, which is moving hip-hop and the culture. It’s a culture thing. We’re all very honest.

What does it say that these artists, who five or 10 years ago were probably looked at as unusual, are now on the biggest tour out there?
Pharrell: We’re all fighting the same fight.

Which is what?
Pharrell: Individuality

There are a lot of artists right now, like Gym Class Heroes, who are bringing N.E.R.D.’s mix of hip-hop and rock to the mainstream. Do you feel like the marketplace is more open?
Pharrell: We say, “Thank God.” We’re glad that those groups exist.
Shay: I feel like early Black Eyed Peas, bands like OutKast, bands like N.E.R.D. definitely paved the way for Gym Class Heroes, Gnarls Barkley. But as a team, we still have a lot more to do. Music right now is a little redundant. I feel like it’s definitely open for something else to creep through and shake up the airwaves a little.

Do you think that’s what going to happen with this album? With the much better reception from the radio and so on…
Shay: I definitely feel like the window’s open for something. ATL had its run, Florida is having their run right now, and fans are eager to hear something a little more refreshing.

In hip-hop, it’s no longer only about being a dope-boy rapper. Groups like the Cool Kids and the whole ’80s-baby style have really proven that things are opening up. Do you feel responsible at all?
Pharrell: I’m very excited that music is finally far more diverse. It’s come like a 20 on a Richter scale to the industry because they don’t know how to recoup their money anymore—the new program director is not the radio station, it’s a kid who’s been armed by Steve Jobs. Steve Jobs has disseminated the virus of individuality. And the record industry is hopelessly and helplessly collapsing from the inside.

Are you a fan of any of these younger artists? The Cool Kids? Wale?
Pharrell: Of course, we’re working with Wale. I like all those guys. The only thing I don’t like is when things become incredibly repetitive. And I don’t like when program directors get in the way of DJs who want to spin innovation.

When you guys are in the studio as N.E.R.D., how is the working relationship different than when you guys are doing a Neptunes record or a Pharrell album?
Chad: It’s about…I don’t know…hallucinating and transmitting thoughts between each other.

Transmitting thoughts?
Chad: We don’t say anything, we just speak through the notes and the speakers. So whatever comes out just kind of has enhanced transmitted notes on a theme. And it’s documented onto digital tapes.

How did “Everyone Nose” come about?
Pharrell: We listened to a bunch of jazz records really fast.

I can see that.
Pharrell: I really like tempo, man.

So you listened to a bunch of jazz records and you just got that beat…
Pharrell: Our song is 140 BPMs. When I was a kid, I couldn’t stand drum and bass. It just didn ’t make sense to me. So I wanted to make our contribution to what it felt like to me, but I also wanted to make it edgier and rocky.

Everyone knows what Chad and Pharrell do from the Neptunes. But what does Shay do?
Shay: I just try to push them to the full extreme and have them do records that they normally wouldn’t do. That’s why we’re always like, “Neptunes is what they do, and N.E.R.D. is who we are.”

So give me an example. How do you challenge them to think outside the box?
Shay: I mean, throughout the hiatus, I was doing my research, listening to tons of jazz records, listening to tons of rock records, and they were doing it as well on top of working—and by the time we got in the studio last summer, we had so many ideas of going about this album. That’s why we call it Seeing Sounds.

How would you say this album sounds compared to the previous ones?
Shay: Naturally, we matured. The first two albums were like fronting records that we threw out there, but this has more of a purpose.

Let’s talk about the Ice Cream shit a little bit. How difficult has it been to find acceptance in the skateboard world?
Pharrell: I never really gave it that kind of thought—the only thing that really matters to me is that I’m offering them an opportunity I didn’t have. I wasn’t good enough, by the way.

To skate?
Pharrell: When you hear “Skateboard P,” that’s just like in the hood, skating around. They never called me that, but that’s the name I wish I would have had. When I was a kid, I never had a nickname; it was always just Pharrell.

Back when Clones came out, there was talk about you guys making a movie called Dude, We’re Going to Rio.
Pharrell: Are you trying to torture me right now?

No, I’m just curious what happened to that.
Pharrell: It was just bad. Not surrounded by the right people. Just a shitty arrangement. Those guys were nice, but I didn’t know what was appropriate. But now I’m working with Joel Silver so we’re producing something. I’m doing some television things with McG.

I’m surprised you haven’t made the Hollywood move already.
Pharrell: But that’s not my place. I think Hollywood is great, but I don’t think that ’s where I’m supposed to live or be stationed.

But can you see yourself producing movies and stuff like that? More behind the scenes?
Pharrell: Yeah, we’re working on a couple of things.

Speaking of movies, I saw a video on YouTube called “Is Chad Hugo happy?”
Chad: Really?

And it was just a bunch of pictures of you not smiling.
Chad: Oh yeah, I produced that myself.

You did?
Chad: Yeah, sure…I just took all these pictures. People need to smile. Where they could just grab a Coke and have a smile.

So for the record, you do smile.
Chad: Yeah, of course. No, I actually don’t know who made that, but I’ll look into it.

P, you often rap—and sometimes sing—about a very hyper-consumerist lifestyle. Do you feel conflicted about that when we’re in a recession?
Pharrell: That was one little small era. All of that is just the nerdy guy going, “Ha ha!” But when’s the last time you heard me rap about that stuff? At this moment, right now it’s all about N.E.R.D. and it’s about energy. I’m just inspired by that. When I was doing that kind of stuff before, it was because I felt like I was doing something different, but in essence it wasn’t really. It was the same shit I’d been hearing.

Are you referring to the solo album [In My Mind]?
Pharrell: Yeah, that’s an album that should have been made into a compilation.

Any new projects outside of music you’re into?
Shay: I’m working on two cartoons. One Adult Swim cartoon and a Teen Titans-style cartoon.

Are you actually animating, or are you the big-picture idea guy?
Shay: I’m an idea guy. I work with my partner Dub, he’s a great artist. We sketch the characters, me and another guy wrote the story line. Now it’s under development. I’m sending it to guys out in Hong Kong to bring the characters to life.

Any other high-fashion collabos going on?
Pharrell: Well, I just did jewelry with Camille Miceli and Marc Jacobs from Louis Vuitton. That just hit the stores. I just did a chair with Domeau & Pérès. It’s cool, a little pricey though—like three G’s. I think that’s going to come in spring. And a sick, sick, sick, stupid, retarded collaboration with Brooklyn Machine Works. We did one for Barneys, a BBC x Brooklyn joint with another company I can’t tell you. Marc Newson and I are gonna do something together too, but I can’t talk about it.

All right, man, I see how it is. Don’t talk about it.
Pharrell: [Laughs.] I’m not trying to be funny. I promise you. But it’s going to be cool. I’m thankful, man. I can’t complain.