Erykah Badu's eyes can speak louder than words, but her make-up is definitely hitting the mark. I love how her make-up is simple and sultry at the same time. Last year I treated myself to a Sephora eye shadow pallet with about 36 different colors and I am hoping to achieve this look. What do [...]

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Did you know every guy in Ethiopia has my name? If you didn't know, then you don't know Ethiopia as well as you think you do. Yea, so by default, my Ethiopian alter ego is called Ato. More on this in about 3 minutes. We are talking about a country that was never colonized. The country of 13 months of sunshine. The country that uses its own calendar. Yeah, forever young, you can't beat that. The country of Haile Selassie. No, I am not a Rastafarian, amegsenalo very much. But I can tell what I am. So after Ayooluwaato Eze from Nigeria, Richard Nshuti Mayanja from Uganda, David Ochieng Mwangi from Kenya and Hamis Ambwene Massawe from Tanzania, I introduce to you all (Ato) Girma Goitom Gemechu, my Ethiopian alter-ego.

When I was born (in the US, more on this later), I didn't cry as much as most ...

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Last week, Guatemala City, Guatemala, played host to the first "Do It Yourself" (DIY) TechCamp. TechCamps are a signature program under Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton's Civil Society 2.0 initiative; they aim to build the digital literacy of civil society through two-day, interactive training events. To date, the State Department has coordinated 11 TechCamps around the world, convening more than 1,000 participants. So, how did Tech Camp Guatemala differ from past ones?

Civil society leaders and technologists in Guatemala used "TechCamp in a Box" to organize the event themselves. In the spirit of encouraging innovation and empowering civil society organizations to create change in their own community, we have made all of the planning materials for our TechCamp... more »

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Eita my fellow South Africans, Yes, it is that time. The London Olympics have officially begun and are already on day 6. There is a buzz around the country and where ever one looks, you can see Olympic fever is here. Even Google has the fever, start typing in basically anything and it will drop [...]

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More: Trip Page | Interactive Travel Map

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton will travel to Africa, July 31 through August 10, 2012. On her trip, she will make stops in Senegal, South Sudan, Uganda, Kenya, and South Africa. Throughout the trip, Secretary Clinton will emphasize U.S. policy commitments outlined in the Presidential Policy Directive -- to strengthen democratic institutions, spur economic growth, advance peace and security, as well as promote opportunity and development for all citizens.

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It is now possible to receive funds sent from abroad through Western Union Money Transfer services via the M-pesa Platform ! This comes as particularly good news to Kenyans both in the diaspora and locally who have been seeking an efficient and seamless service when it comes to money transfer.

On 16 July 2012 the global payments service provider announced a promotion set to run till 7 September 2012 with intent to popularize the service especially among Kenyans in America. Customers who tell at least three friends and family members through a qualifying referral about the Western Union® Mobile Money Transfer service from the U.S. to Kenya will receive a coupon for a $0-fee* transaction. To qualify for the coupon, U.S. customers must "tell a friend" through www.westernunion.com/mpesa ...

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Former President Bill Clinton delivered an energizing "call to action" at the closing session of AIDS 2012, encapsulating the high hopes and the sobering challenges facing the fight against global HIV/AIDS. Calling for renewed commitment despite the difficult economic environment, he told the packed conference hall: "If you scale it up and it works, the money will be there to fund it."

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En Français

The Olympic Games began last week in London, and more than half of the planet--some 4.8 billion people--have been tuning in to watch. To help you join in the excitement and glory of the Games, we've put together google.co.ke/olympics. Here's a quick look at the updates, results and other content we're bringing you from London 2012.

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When working with women and girls in conflict or displacement situations (actually, when working with anyone, in any situation), we often make assumptions. In this case, the assumption is that "economic opportunities for women and adolescent girls have positive roll-on effects", according to Mendy Marsh, UNICEF's Gender Based Violence (GBV) Specialist in Emergencies. We assume [...]

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Zim looks set for a full-scale strike by government workers over pay. This after finance minister, Tendai Biti rebuked them for talking about striking for proper wages. Their demands, however, would require a significant increase in the country's wage bill, including, for example, an increase from $296 to $564 for the lowest-paid workers. At least this strike looks set for school holidays,

[view whole blog post ]

Did you know every guy in Ethiopia has my name? If you didn't know, then you don't know Ethiopia as well as you think you do. Yea, so by default, my Ethiopian alter ego is called Ato. More on this in about 3 minutes. We are talking about a country that was never colonized. The country of 13 months of sunshine. The country that uses its own calendar. Yeah, forever young, you can't beat that. The country of Haile Selassie. No, I am not a Rastafarian, amegsenalo very much. But I can tell what I am. So after Ayooluwaato Eze from Nigeria, Richard Nshuti Mayanja from Uganda, David Ochieng Mwangi from Kenya and Hamis Ambwene Massawe from Tanzania, I introduce to you all (Ato) Girma Goitom Gemechu, my Ethiopian alter-ego.

When I was born (in the US, more on this later), I didn't cry as much as most ...

[view whole blog post ]

Zim looks set for a full-scale strike by government workers over pay. This after finance minister, Tendai Biti rebuked them for talking about striking for proper wages. Their demands, however, would require a significant increase in the country's wage bill, including, for example, an increase from $296 to $564 for the lowest-paid workers. At least this strike looks set for school holidays,

[view whole blog post ]