Landmines in Casamance (Senegal)

Bonjour tout le monde,

I hope you learned a lot from Moussa's film, "Against The Tide Of History," about the devastating effect of landmines in the Casamance region of Senegal.

As we learned, Senegal has been involved in a raging internal conflict since 1982, when the Senegalese government and the “Mouvement Des Forces Démocratiques de la Casamance” (MFDC), who are fighting for the independence of the Casamance, are in conflict. Despite several cease-fire agreements, there has been no sustainable peace.



On 24 September 1988, Senegal signed and ratified the Ottawa Treaty, which prohibits the use of landmines, compels the State Party to destroy remaining landmines, and to provide assistance to landmine victims for rehabilitation and social reintegration. Yet the landmines are still being planted, with horrifying consequences.




We heard interviews from scholars, journalists, military members, psychologists, and surgeons. But most of all, the stories of the the victims haunt us. The victims who were profiled are, for the most part, civilians, and within the 15-30 year-old range at that. Not only are they physically left paralyzed and amputated, their states of mind and their futures have been shattered by one blow of a mine.

These innocent people have lost hope: they need immediate physical rehabilitation, international recognition, and psychological help. The renowned human rights organization RADDHO and the UN have tried to bring awareness to their plight. You now have the chance to spread awareness, too.



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VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES: CAN YOU HELP?

Please contact the filmmaker (and French teacher!) MOUSSA BOCOUME at mouboc@yahoo.fr:

-- If you want to learn more about the content in the film
-- If you want to donate money or otherwise help the landmine victims of Casamance

In addition, Moussa also has spots available for volunteers who can help with fundraising for his current project, the film "Yellitaare." This new film chronicles the phenomenon of forced marriages and the resulting spread of AIDS. Please contact Moussa at mouboc@yahoo.fr:

-- If you want to help Moussa attract donors who can fund his new film

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Please consider these opportunities to get involved. Even if you don't have the time or money to help right now, you may know someone who is able to do so. Please forward them this message and ask them to get in touch with Moussa.

I hope you have been as moved as I have by Moussa's work. Thank you.

A demain!

Sincerely,

Caroline

Hermes

Hermes is a French company founded in 1837 by Thierr Hermes to make leather goods for well-healed clients.  His family was originally from Germany and later settled in Paris around 1828.  His son Charles-Emile Hermes and grandsons Aldolphe and Emile-Maurice continued to run the family design house after Thierry died.  Robert Dumas-Hermes introduced the Hermes tie, beach towel, and perfume collection soon after his great grand father passed away, which marked a major turning point for Hermes.  Products suddenly became more accessible.  When Robert died in 1978 his son Jean Louis took control of the company and functioned as the 5th generation family Chairman of Hermes to take a personal role in product development.  He traveled extensively all over the world cultivating inspirations to perpetuate his family's brand's success.  As you can see, Hermes has remained a devoutly family based brand although the ready-to-wear division has been manned by many notable designers such as Jean Paul Gaultier who assumed the helm of the division in 2003.  Only three weeks ago was his position usurped by Pierre-Alexis Hermes, thereby transferring control back into the family.  He is now the sole artistic director for all Hermes product divisions.  The tightly knit family brand is sustained because of the long-standing fact that only 20% of its shares are publicly traded on the Paris Bourse exchange.  The inimitable success of Hermes is evidenced in its annual sales which are well over $2 billion and growing every year despite worldwide financial crises and recessions.  This is partly because of the ethic of meticulous craftsmanship that is based in saddle-making and boutique methods that ensure lasting consistency for the company.  Hermes sales are made up of 30% leather goods such as bags and wallets, 15% clothes, 12% scarves, and 15% ties, and other miscellaneous products.

The original clients of Thierry Hermes included the Parisian high society or beau monde and various European royalty, including the emperor Napoleon III and his empress Eugenie.  But Thierry's true and favorite client was the horse.  He had an insatiable passion for equestrianism that he fueled through his many designs for horses especially saddles, which are still sold today.  The saddle segment of Hermes was and still is an extremely custom business that requires measurements from both the horse and rider.  Because of this, another longstanding trademark of Hermes emerged: the long but well worth wait.  Every item is hand-stitched and therefore cannot be rushed.  The effects of this are seen historically when at many points royal coronations were postponed or held up until Hermes fittings for the carriage and royal figures had been completed.  Nonetheless, customers continue to flock to Hermes undisturbed.  In this century, the waitlist for popular cultish items such as the Birkin bag, which was created for and by Jane Birkin in 1984, can be up to 5 years in length.  This is because each bag takes at least 18-25 of man hours to make and the Paris workrooms only produce 5 bags per week to ensure optimal quality control.  In addition, only 12 highly trained craftsmen and -women work in total on the bags.  Currently, an Hermes bag is the only bag on the market that has never seen its resale value dip below its purchase price.  In fact, most of the time, an Hermes bag increases in value and never dips below retail.  Also adding to Hermes's success is the popularity of their silk scarves.  In Paris alone, one scarf is sold every 20 seconds.  Hermes has and most likely will remain among the world's premier luxury labels that endure steadfastly. 

Haute Couture-Jamie's presentation

Literally means "high fashion" in French.

• The term originally referred to Charles Worth's (an Englishman) works of fashion art, but later was used for all haute couture--> The House of Worth was founded in 1858 in Paris, France.
  
• A couture house has to be certified by the Chambre de commerce et d'industrie de Paris based in Paris. Their rules state that only "those companies mentioned on the list drawn up each year by the commision domiciled at the Ministry for Industry are entitled to avail themselves" the label of Haute Couture.
• The criteria for Haute couture was established in 1945 and then revised updated again in 1992.
• Those houses include: Chanel, Christian Dior, Givenchy, Jean Paul Gaultier, Christian Lacroix and a few more less known designers in the U.S.
  
• There are also some foreign members who partake in haute couture: examples include Armani and Valentino.
  
• Each yeah each couture house has to present a full fashion line..
• All very expensive- can cost from 10,000 euros up to hundreds of thousands.
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The Champs Elysees

The Champs Elysées (Elysian fields) were originally nothing but fields, until Marie de Medicis decided in 1616 to put up a long tree-lined pathway. In 1667, Le Notre extended the vista of the Tuileries and the Champs-Elysees became a very fashionable place to walk. In 1724, the avenue was extended up to Chaillot hill, now the site of the Arc de Triomphe and the Etoile.

The actual avenue of the Champs-Elysées did not become city property until 1828, when they added footpaths and fountains. They also added gas lighting at this time. Today, the Champs Elysées is one of the most famous streets in the world, with its cinemas, cafés, and luxury specialty shops. This special status made it the site of much growth and activity. At the very heart of Paris, it is one of the most symbolic places in the city, representative of its spirit and glory.  

The Champs Elysees is the most visited street of Paris ... The large Avenue spread from the Place de la Concorde to the Arch of Triumph. Originally fields and market gardens the place was transformed in 1616, when Marie de Medici decided to extend the garden axis of the Palais des Tuileries with an avenue of trees - There is much to be seen along the avenue and it may take from 1 to 4 hours to walk the 2km line depending on your interest for history or shopping - The most famous luxury brands have outlets there.

The Eiffel Tower, by Taylor Stern

History of the Eiffel Tower

The Eiffel Tower was built for the International Exhibition of Paris of 1889 commemorating the centenary of the French Revolution. Of the 700 proposals submitted in a design competition, Gustave Eiffel's was unanimously chosen.

 

The Eiffel Tower is 300 meters tall, more when the antenna is factored in. The tower weighs 7,000 tons and was the world's tallest building until 1930.

Other details about the Eiffel Tower include:

2.5 million rivets

300 steel workers, and 2 years (1887-1889) to construct it.

Sway of at most 12 cm in high winds.

Height varies up to 15 cm depending on temperature.

15,000 iron pieces (excluding rivets). 40 tons of paint. 1652 steps to the top.

 

The tower was almost torn down in 1909, but was saved because of its antenna used both for military and other purposes, and the city let it stand after the permit expired. When the tower played an important role in capturing the infamous spy Mata Hari during World War I, it gained such importance to the French people that there was no more thought of demolishing it.- used for telegraphy at that time.

From 1910 and on the Eiffel Tower became part of the International Time Service. French radio (since 1918), and French television (since 1957) have also made use of its stature.

During its lifetime, the Eiffel Tower has also witnessed a few strange scenes, including being scaled by a mountaineer in 1954, and parachuted off of in 1984 by two Englishmen. In 1923 a journalist rode a bicycle down from the first level. Some accounts say he rode down the stairs, other accounts suggest the exterior of one of the tower's four legs which slope outward. 

Neuchâtel

Neuchâtel, which means "new castle" in French, is a town of 32,000 people in western Switzerland. Although this may not seem like many people, it is actually a fairly large city by Swiss standards. In fact, it is the largest town in the region and is the capital of the canton of the same name. A canton is comparable to a U.S. state in its relationship to the federal government, but in terms of size it is comparable to a county.

The town was founded in 1011 by Rudolph III of Burgundy when he built a castle there for his wife. Over time, the city grew up around the castle and developed into a burgeoning town. In 1530, the town broke away and became its own principality, nestled between France and the Swiss confederation. It stayed a principality until 1848, when the republic of Neuchâtel was declared. In 1814, the city joined the Swiss Confederation, where it remains to this day.

The town is part of the quarter of the Swiss population that speaks French. Although it is just minutes away from German speaking sections of Switzerland, almost all signs are in French and the population speaks almost exclusively French. Although the people there are proud to be Swiss, they are also proud of the French culture. My grandmother’s cousin, for example, refuses to speak German unless he absolutely has to (i.e. when he was President of the Swiss Parliament).

Nestled on a hill, the town overlooks the lake of Neuchâtel. It is a very picturesque city, with a rather extensive “old town”. Numerous buildings date from the Middle Ages and Renaissance and most buildings have an interesting history. My family’s ancestral estate, for example, dates back from the Renaissance and was the former abode of Louis Alexandre Berthier, Napoleon’s Marshal of France. The town has a university there, founded in 1838. Both my grandparents attended the university there, thus giving it special interest to me.

The town as a whole is quite interesting. I highly recommend visiting it, especially since you all will know some French. It is one of the most pristine, clean, and beautiful places that one can visit.

French Holidays, By Taylor Stern

Bastille Day

Bastille Day commemorates the storming of the Bastille, which marked the beginning of the French Revolution on July 14, 1789. The Bastille was a prison and a symbol of the absolute monarchy and the storming of it commemorated that the people no longer wanted the king’s power to be absolute. Bastille Day symbolizes the beginning of the French Republc. Bastille Day became a holiday many years later and is similar to the U.S.’s 4^th of July or Independence Day.

 

 

Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday

Mardi Gras takes place the day before Lent begins. The official colors of Mardi Gras are purple, le violet, which signifies justice, gold, l’or, which signifies power, and green, vert, which signifies faith.

 

The slogan of Mardi Gras is “let the good times roll” or “Laissez les bons temps rouler” and masks are often worn during Mardi Gras.

 

 

St. Nicolas Day or la fête de Saint Nicolas

On St. Nicolas Day, French children put their shoes in front of the fireplace, hoping that Père Noël will fill their shoes with little things like candy, fruit, small toys, etc. On Christmas itself, some French families go to Midnight Mass, or La Messe de Minuit on Christmas Eve. After la Mess de Minuit, some families have a huge feast, known as le Réveillon.

 

French deserts during French Christmas season include la bûche de Noël ( a Yule Log), which is a traditional log-shaped cake, usually made with chocolate and chestnuts and la galette des rois, which is a King’s cake. It is a cake baked with a little charm inside and whoever finds the charm is the King or Queen and sometimes gets to choose someone to kiss.

 

There are many French Christmas Carols. Below is a link to “Au Royaume du bonhomme hiver”, which is the French equivalent to “Winter Wonderland.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ba_2n9zeDGA