Dept. of ethnologica, kerlone, December 17, 2002 at 11:32:07 AM CET

McDonalds lost in Mexico

After protests of mexicans, the government of the city Oaxaca in mexico did not allow the company McDonalds to build a fast food restaurant under the historic stone archways of Oaxaca's 16th century central plaza, also known as the zocalo. Gurdian Unlimited reports. So this is a case, were one culture refuses the adoption of a foreign culture.

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Dept. of ethnologica, kerlone, December 17, 2002 at 11:03:48 AM CET

The Influence of Terror on Indonesia

Indonesia got stuck in a deep crisis after the terror assault of Bali. What in the world happened with this country, asks the german newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung.

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Dept. of ethnologica, matamata, December 10, 2002 at 11:08:36 AM CET

Atarnarjuat - The Fast Runner

Indyweek reports about a new Inuit movie: "In a brilliant telling of an Inuit legend, a warrior battles an evil spirit that threatens to upend his community...

The thrilling success of The Fast Runner strikes a blow for the promises of digital technology. A decade ago, a minimally funded group of Inuit filmmakers could not have made such a gorgeous film, but now, the cheapness and reasonable quality of digital video make it possible for remote, voiceless people to generate their own movies. In fact, those who lack resources may well make the most urgent films with this new technology. The Fast Runner is 20 times better than Steven Soderbergh's current excursion into guerrilla filmmaking, the profligately pointless Full Frontal.

It's much too early to tell if Kunuk and his crew have fired the first shot of a coming invasion of aboriginal films made by small collectives with a few bucks, a video camera and a vision. It may well turn out that The Fast Runner is a one-shot masterpiece, but the operative word is masterpiece."

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Dept. of ethnologica, zephyrin, December 9, 2002 at 1:26:05 PM CET

DAVO-Newsletter

The current newsletter of the German Middle East Studies Association for Contemporary Research and Documentation (DAVO) has just arrived. It comprises information on:

1. Six Fellowships for Postdoctoral Researchers, Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin
2. MA Program, Central Asia/Caucasus, Humboldt-University, Berlin
3. Postes à pourvoir à Beyrouth (IFPO-CERMOC)
4. Workshop: "Re-evaluating Urban Heritage: Documentation, Rehabilitation and Preservation of Architecture and History", Tripoli, 11 - 14 December 2002
5. Workshop: "Negotiating Power, Contesting Violence, and Assessing Perspectives for Transcultural Approaches: Gender and Nation State in Muslim Societies", Oldenburg, 12 - 14 December 2002 [See older story at Ethno::log ;o) ]
6. Short Course: "Forced Migration and Refugee Studies: Ethical Issues in Humanitarian Assistance", American University Cairo, 28 December 2002 - 2 January 2003
7. Seminar on Central Asia and Caucasus: "Prospects of Security and Cooperation in Central Asia and the Caucasus: Iran, Regional Countries and the Trans-Regional Powers", Tehran, 20 - 21 January 2003
8. International Conference on Policy Modeling, Istanbul, 3 - 5 July 2003 Read more ...

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Dept. of ethnologica, zephyrin, December 9, 2002 at 11:33:44 AM CET

Ethnomed

"Ethnomed, the Institute for Ethnomedecine, is a network of over 5000 international scientists, researchers, practitioners, societies, and traditional healers. Ethnomed coordinates events, publications, and contacts worldwide. Ethnomed provides informations about publications, media contacts, research contacts, and an event calendar." Ethnomed publishes a newsletter which will be send either by e-mail, snail-mail or both. On their website the Newsletter can be ordered for free. Older newsletters, proceedings of their conferences, informations on conferences that will take place, a publications list, and more can be read there, too -- both in German and English.

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Dept. of ethnologica, kerlone, December 6, 2002 at 6:11:48 PM CET

New Evidence of Early Form of Writing in Mexico

Centuries before the famously literate Maya, even before the Zapotecs, the Olmecs of ancient Mexico were carving symbols on stone and ceramics 2,600 years ago in what a team of archaeologists thinks is the earliest form of writing ever found in the New World, writes the NYTimes. Read more .... If you don't have an free account at NYTimes, you can use mine: user:ethno password:log123

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Dept. of ethnologica, kerlone, December 6, 2002 at 8:17:45 AM CET

How the Ashaninka from Peru created a Website

How the Ashaninka build their own Internet server and website (nice long hut, by the way!), with help and sponsoring of western organications. This is an older story, but was requested by a student of our institute who is doing research on the adoption of technology. Further examples are appreciated. Via Mosaikum

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Dept. of ethnologica, kerlone, December 6, 2002 at 8:08:12 AM CET

Africa's new tech warriors

As part of a weekly series on women in business, BBC News Online talks to women in Africa who have taken up a career in technology, a field normally dominated by men. Via Wired News

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Dept. of ethnologica, kerlone, December 3, 2002 at 7:12:39 PM CET

Does Skull prove that the first Americans came from Europe?

Scientists in Britain have identified the oldest skeleton ever found on the American continent in a discovery that raises fresh questions about the accepted theory of how the first people arrived in the New World, reports The Independent

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Dept. of ethnologica, kerlone, December 3, 2002 at 7:10:17 PM CET

Alaska: Moose hunt-ban conflict

Anchorage Daily News about troubles with a hunt-ban of moose, which the Yup'ik of Alaska traditonally shoot.

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Dept. of ethnologica, kerlone, December 3, 2002 at 6:41:26 PM CET

Alabama Indian Tribe Seeks Federal Recognition

AP reports about the MOWO, a Choctaw tribe in southwest Alabama, which are fighting for federal recognition, accompanied by anthropologists.

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Dept. of ethnologica, kerlone, December 2, 2002 at 11:25:21 PM CET

The Very Modern Prince of Tonga

A marvellously written reportage about the prince of the island Tonga, who is not only a mambo-dancer, a collector of japanese art and founder of a brewery, but also a irrepressible cybervisionary of the South Pacific: He's bent on bringing his country into the brotherhood of first- world nations and reversing its growing reputation for blundering. His strategy is to expose government-held monopolies to competition while arming Tonga with a satellite communications network that will allow back-office outsourcing to the country and create investment opportunities to rival Singapore's. With his new venture, Tonfön, the prince has staked $15 million of his own money on the belief that free-market competition and a fast Internet connection can transform his country. If he's right, Tonga could become a model for resource-challenged nations everywhere. If he's wrong, it will just confirm what many people already believe: Tonga is the sucker of the South Pacific. Read more at Wired

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