We Blog the World – A South African Bloggers Tour

by on Nov 12, 2008 at 11:18 pm

I am really chuffed to be a part of a fantastic (and very smart) initiative by the International Marketing Council (IMC).
The basic idea, as I like to understand it, is that 11 international bloggers who are all prominent in their respective fields will all be heading for SA for a ten day whirlwind tour […]

South African Singer Miriam Makeba Dies

by on Nov 12, 2008 at 8:25 pm

Miriam Makeba passed away right after a performance in Italy on November 9th.

Writes the New York Times about her history and life, “Miriam Makeba had been a prominent exiled opponent of apartheid since the South African authorities revoked her passport in 1960 and refused to allow her to return after she traveled abroad. In South Africa, she stood as an enduring emblem of the travails of black people under the apartheid system of racial segregation that ended with the release from prison of Nelson Mandela in 1990 and the country’s first fully democratic elections in 1994.”

Announcing South African Blogging Expedition

by on Nov 12, 2008 at 2:52 pm

Brand_south_africa In my most recent post, I announced the launch of a new blog I’ve been working on for a couple of months called We Blog the World. Here, as well as on the Brand South Africa blog, a group of American and South African bloggers will be posting stories, video and photos as they tour the country starting Thanksgiving week.

The International Marketing Council (IMC) is sponsoring the blogging expedition. IMC’s Simon Barber, who is organizing the tour schedule together with Graeme Addison, is putting together an incredible agenda that includes Stellenbosch, Darling, Alexander Bay, Port Nolloth, Carltonville, Magaliesberg, Cradle, Soweto and Johannesburg. Renown South African blogger Matthew Buckland who will be joining us on-site also wrote about the tour kick-off in depth. Simon wrote an extensive blog post about the tour this week on thoughtleader, so be sure to check it out.

I’ve been working with Simon and Graeme to organize a diverse group of 10-12 bloggers who will tour the country from late November to December 10th. More on the itinerary as we get closer.

Joining me on this exciting tour is:

Zadi Diaz

Mona Gable

Ray Lewis

John Gartner

Chris Morrison

David Sasaki

Eliane Fioret

Graeme Wood

I’ll be blogging to both Down the Avenue and We Blog the World

South Africans bloggers onboard the tour include:

Simon Barber

Nick Haralambous

Ndumiso Ngcobo

Below is a snippet of the We Blog the World South Africa page which will be fleshed out after the tour begins later this month.

We_blog_the_world_logo

Mandela vs Obama – no comparison

by on Nov 11, 2008 at 11:30 pm

There is no comparison.
Mandela is a different person from a different time who called for a different following to achieve different goals. The closest these two come to one another is the tone of their skin color.
End.
Similar Posts:Dear Mr President

5th World Summit on Media for Children

Nelson Mandela statue in Britain

Madiba’s humble home – […]

Introducing We Blog the World

by on Nov 11, 2008 at 6:54 pm

Weblogtheworld_logo_final Introducing We Blog the World, a new blog I’ve been working on for a few months.

The creation of this blog was pushed forward to prepare for an upcoming blogging tour I’ll be taking with 11 other bloggers to South Africa in late November. More on the International Marketing Council sponsored tour in a follow up post including a list of participating bloggers.

We Blog the World is dedicated to global storytelling from multi-faceted views. These stories range from general travel experiences, background on a country’s infrastructure, economic changes and the effect they have on one part of the world to social changes, the political landscape, cultural nuances, art and music.

Together with other bloggers from around the world, we’ll write about the latest Web 2.0 solutions, green technology and other tech initiatives that are making an impact internally and externally. Some posts may include an interview with a CEO or founder so you’ll get a flavor of the personality behind the innovation. You’ll also catch posts on travel logistics as well as food, wine and fun things to do, all with rich photographs and video to help narrate the experience.

Look for updates here and on We Blog the World in the next week as we gear up for the tour. A screenshot of the home page below although I suspect there will be some tweaks between now and we head off. Thanks to Michael Gray, a WordPress and SEO genius who has been helping me make this launch possible.

Weblogtheworld1

Should expats be allowed to vote?

by on Nov 11, 2008 at 3:58 am

This is an extremely tricky and sensitive debate to have. I think that there are many heated opinions held by people who still feel strongly about their country of birth (South Africa). This feeling clearly leads them to feel some ownership of SA and the countries ruling party.
But I am not so sure.
I […]

In memory of Miriam Makeba

by on Nov 10, 2008 at 7:20 am

This post was originally published at gregorrohrig.com. Gregor is an absolutely incredible photographer who i have much respect for. His Miriam Makeba photographs are moving and incredibly relevant right now. Here is his post:

This morning I heard the sad news about the passing of Miriam Makeba, the Grammy Award-winning South African singer, also known as […]

How to approach content in the digital age

by on Nov 09, 2008 at 3:53 am

The phrase “User Generated Content” (UGC) has always been a troubled notion. At its heart it emphasises a divide between the user and the professional, with the implication that users have their place, and the professionals have theirs.
Perhaps the aversion to this phrase stems from the fact that it is so simplistic. It doesn’t […]

Click on headline link to visit matthewbuckland.com for full article

President Barack Obama all the way!

by on Nov 05, 2008 at 2:01 am

I was biting back the tears during Barack Obama’s victory speech as president-elect of the U.S. There was so much at stake in this election. Without trying to overstate and get carried away, we can still safely say that its probably been the most significant election, ever, in the history of the world. This is […]

Click on headline link to visit matthewbuckland.com for full article

Will the Youth Vote Turn Out for Obama?

by on Nov 03, 2008 at 1:18 pm