dunia duara (the world is round)

#Photo from #OccupyParliament Yesterday in #Nairobi #Kenya.

Protesters walked from Freedom Corner to Parliament. I left around 13:00 before the police decided to break it off, so there's more to the truth than my peaceful photos: phttp://youtu.be/SHrcrFNQEJ8.

Big respect to the the Kenyan activists who keep going - so please share photos and send encouragement back to Kenya!

More photos here (Facebook) and here (Flickr).

NB. Activists used live pigs and blood yesterday. During the confusion it caused I - and others - believed a pig had been slaughtered. The blood was presumably from a cow and bought in a slaughterhouse in Dagoretti. 

#Flashmob, # magnetictheatre' or 'ni kama ndrama ni kama vindeo'?

'Important clarification went on the past week during a media and communication training session I facilitated for a youth group from Dagoretti Division in Nairobi.

'Why do people use the word 'flashmob'?' I was asked, when I tried to explain the phenomenon from both a British and a Kenyan example.

The guys explained that to them it's either 'magnetic theatre' or 'ni kama ndrama ni kama vindeo' - like dram and moving pictures.

And that the concept originates from Kasarani where a person supposedly gave this explaining to the police when he had to explain what went on....

Social Media Trend: From X to #Boston with Love - “I wish there was something I could do.”

I have followed the Palestine Loves Israel and Israel Loves Palestine initiatives on Facebook for a while. There are plenty more - i.e. Turkey Loves Israel and America Loves Iraq. Look them up on Facebook. 

After the explosions in Boston the Facebook pages started sharing some of the images above.

Others come from the blog Principle Pictures which here explains the background for posting these images. I guess these may be the main source of inspiration for others to do similarly - but I am not totally sure of the swing of things. 

Back at the blog Principle Pictures the author, Beth Murphy, explains how it all started with a: “I wish there was something I could do.” I love that. No matter how hopeless things are, and how unjust the media coverage is depending on where in the world the bombs are exploding, there is something you can do. 

However, I had to add the graphic illustration which is shared on primarily Kenyan social media (below) - (some) Kenyans seem to follow a much more cynical track here. 

And on Twitter the infamous (Kenyan) @RobertAlai tweets: 'After the explosion in Texas we should have a #ViolenceInUSA tag just to get to CNN.'

It is not all love out there. 

 Please note that you may click each image for source of origin, 

#DarBuildingCollapse: Please, contribute to News Update for @GlobalVoices

Dar es Salaam friends, I'm updating yesterday's sad news for Global Voices (in English) in regards of the collapse of the building in central Dar es Salaam. 

I've heard from friends who were there when the building collapsed and who helped getting people out of the rubble yesterday, and others who stayed on during the night.

I've heard reports of a community supporting across religion, race and nationality. Aunties, teachers and neighbours exchanging grievance and comfort. I have read the blame and the anger, bits and pieces of what people believe should be done to the owner of the building, and to prevent future catastrophies.

Do let me know if you think certain issues should be mentioned. (Suggestions preferably need to be backed by a link to a public online website - like Twitter, online newspapers, blogs etc. - not people's private Facebook)

Kenyans vote today. Follow reports from elections online

Crowsourcing at Uchaguzi here.

Twitter:#KenyaDecides