Friday, February 19 at 6:30 PM at the NYC Seminar and Conference Center, 71 West 23rd Street (6th Ave & 23rd Street) Economic Prosperity, Human Rights, and the Role of Free and Fair Elections – Case Studies Haiti and Niger A country’s economic development depends on its institutions: its system of government, property rights, land tenure, civil service, and justice. The Inter-Parliamentary Union notes that "In any State the authority...
Wells4Wellness, a nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing safe, sanitary water wells to the people of Niger, Africa, is holding a spring walk event fundraiser. The Moline-based organization is hoping to raise enough funds to add to the drilling of the next group of 6 wells. The fundraiser kickoff event is scheduled for Sunday, March 6 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Milltown Coffee, 3800 River Drive, Moline. Guests will sample American and Niger...
The Friends of Niger board would like to send out the following message from Glen Blumhorst, the president of our National Peace Corps Association, He talks about being deeply disturbed by the recent chorus of negative and aggressive speech targeting Muslims and refugees in our countries. He urges us to reach out, in large ways and small, to Muslims, refugees and other minorities in our communities. Now is the time for us to rededicate ourselves...
A small company led by Jehiel Oliver in Anacostia, D. C., is bringing small, versatile "Smart Tractors" to Nigera and Niger He devised a business in which farmers send a text to Hello Tractor’s U.S.-based dispatchers, who locate the nearest GPS-embedded Smart Tractor and ping the service provider. The tractors typically arrive within three days. Read about how this new tractor and business model are bringing increased efficiency to the...
As reported in the latest Camel Express, President Mammadou Issoufou of Niger joined us for the opening of L'Archive de la République du Niger, or AREN, on April 3 this past spring. AREN is a new archive in the African Studies department at Boston University dedicated to storing Niger-related media, giving easier access to a wide variety of materials dating back more than 50 years. From the archive's website: The Archive of the Republic of...
Memorial Day is about remembering those who have sacrificed their lives in service of this country. Let's not forget that there is another kind of service for our country, and take a moment to remember the nearly 300 Peace Corps Volunteers who lost their lives during their time abroad: the Fallen Peace Corps Volunteers. Fallen Peace Corps Volunteers is a web site dedicated to these volunteers, with the ultimate goal of honoring their...
Anthology Film Archives is airing a movie by filmmaker Christopher Kirkley this weekend. Akounak Tedalat Taha Tazoughai is a rare Tamashek language film, and worth checking out if you're in New York City this weekend. There are three screenings on May 8, 9, and 10: Sneak preview:
Friends of Niger is a big supporter of girls' education, and we're happy to pass on this message from the National Peace Corps Association announcing its partnership in the Let Girls Learn Program. Their focus will be on raising awareness about the initiative across our network of 215,000 RPCVs, and in the process spotlighting the RPCVs who promote girls’ education and empowerment. Direct...
Rock & Roll Africa: Tal National Thursday, April 2 | 7:30pm Schimmel Center 3 Pine St. Tickets: $19/$10 with student ID West African rockers Tal National hail from the small West African nation of Niger which is situated along West Africa’s ancient trade routes and is home to Songhai, Fulani, Hausa and Tuareg people, all of whom are represented in the group. The band’s hugely popular and entrancing sound is based on...
Wednesday, March 11 at 6:00 PM at the John Haynes Holmes Community House, 28 East 35th Street (Madison & Park) Niger in the Shadow of the "Giant of Africa" – Nigeria – and under Threat from Boko Haram Niger is rich in natural resources yet is beset by economic inequality, chronic poverty, and civil strife. This seminar is based on Amnesty International’s recent report "The State of the World’s Human Rights 2014 / 2015". Dr. Gladys...