Madagascar Development

Washington -- American magazine reporter Eduardo Cue believes promoting democracy and good governance is an exercise best done through the exchange of ideas and experiences, a practice he recently put to the test in the Republic of Congo (Brazzaville), the Democratic Republic of Congo (Kinshasa) and Madagascar. REACHING OUT TO A NEW GENERATION OF JOURNALISTS In Madagascar, Cue ran media workshops March 3-11 with more than 225 journalists, students and media owners participating. His visit was timely, the U.S. Embassy in Antananarivo, Madagascar, reported, because "a new generation of journalists, looking to emulate the United States by breaking with embedded poor or corrupt practices, wants to move Madagascar toward participation in a global economy as a credible democracy." The highlight of Cue's trip to Madagascar was a three-day "train-the-trainers" workshop for 17 leaders of media associations, which he conducted in French. The exercise focused on basic jou...

Following are UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan's remarks to the Academie Malgache, in Antananarivo, Madagascar, 17 March: Thank you for that warm welcome. Thank you as well for the honour you have bestowed on me today. It is a privilege to be admitted as a full member of this highly respected academy. I know I join some very distinguished men and women from many realms. I take this recognition as an expression of your support not only for me, but for the United Nations in general. Such support is especially encouraging at a time when we are striving hard to adapt and renew the Organization to better serve the world's peoples. Let me also say what a pleasure it is to be visiting Madagascar at this time. To see this country's renowned cultural and natural riches is a real treat. I have had very good talks with the President, the President of the Senate, the President of the National Assembly and Prime Minister. I also met representatives of the opposition. In just a short time...

Former Sen. Arthur Brown of Utah is a footnote to history — more interesting than most, though, because a woman claiming he had fathered two of her children gunned him down in a hotel room in 1906. Brown's entry is among the 12,000 or so — from Aandahl to Zwach — in the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, 1774-2005, the definitive reference book about federal lawmakers, now online for the first time. ADVERTISEMENT The entries in the directory's 16th edition, the first update since 1989, were written by congressional historians to provide basic information — dates, places and positions — rather than personal stories. Occasionally, though, startling tales appear amid the plain facts. Jeremiah Haralson, once an Alabama representative, is listed as having been killed by "wild beasts" near Denver around 1916. He was one of at least six former slaves who served in either the House or the Senate. Michigan Rep. William Wedemeyer drowned in 1913 after he fel...

China's government is trying to boost public interest in its figurehead parliament and its companion advisory body by setting up Web logs for members as they meet this week. Called "bo ke" in Chinese, blogs are popular with young people despite strict censorship rules. In one posting, National People's Congress delegate Zhou Hongyu wrote that serving in the legislature is a way to "fulfill my duty and be a better deputy." "I hope to collect the wishes of the people, listen to their will and experience the people's lives," wrote Zhou, a representative from the southern province of Hunan who advocates education reform. The patriotically named "Strong Country Blog" is run by the People's Daily, the newspaper of the ruling Communist Party. "Its open attitude and attention to the expression of opinion reflects the voice of the people," says a handbook given out by the People's Daily. The blogs are housed at http://blog.pe...