Germany and the World Cup I

Above is the second of a series of audio recordings of phone conversations during the World Cup. Thanks to Nina Jürgens in Stuttgart for the generosity of her time and expertise.

To accompany her account of a trip to a local bakery, Nina forwarded the picture to your left, taken with what the Germans smartly dubbed a 'Handy.' We welcome follow up comments.




Note: the conversation is presented in its entirety. For convenience, the audio is presented via YouTube without graphics. We hope people will multitask while listening in.

Mexico and the World Cup I

Having negotiated some unexpected technological challenges, we present below the first of a series of audio recordings of phone conversations during the World Cup. Thanks to Anne Peacock, an American living and working in Guadalajara, for the generosity of her time and expertise.

Notes: The conversation is presented in its entirety with the exception of a lost connection at the 6 minute mark which results in an audio hiccup. For convenience, the audio is presented via YouTube without graphics. We hope people will multitask while listening in.

The World [Cup] Factbook - Table I

Not surprisingly the United States Central Intelligence Agency provides a wealth of global demographic information on its World Factbook website.* Below in the first of a series of posts is a country by country comparison of the life expectancy at birth of participating World Cup countries. Of course a number of socio-economic and national health issues factor into the numbers.**

* Source
** South Africa's # 215 ranking [out of 224] is in no small part due to the AIDS HIV pandemic.

Germany, four years later

The World Cup 2006 gave Germany a boost - both in terms of the nation's self-understanding and in the way it was received by the rest of the world. Suddenly Germany was cool, funny, tolerant, a nice place to hang out and peacefully celebrate "König Fußball" (King Football). The mood during the tournament was exceptional: everywhere fans from all over the globe could be found watching the games in various open air locations and the sun shone night and day (it seems in retrospective). Friendships were formed (some only for the duration of 90 minutes, some lasting until today), tears were shed, victories and defeats duly celebrated or quickly forgotten. But the World Cup was exceptional in another way as well: the event had set something free in the German soul which due to the nation's history had long been buried. Suddenly the German flag became a staple element in everyday life: cars and balconies were adorned in black-red-gold; people would dress in the colours from head to toe; little pennants could be seen hanging almost everywhere. It had become acceptable to actually be proud of one's country: it was cool to be German. German self-esteem was at its best. But what about now? An empirical survey of Stuttgart's streets and squares shows: out of 50 cars only three have re-used the leftover flags from four years ago. Yes, there are some charming private guerilla-garages hosting semi-public-screenings of the games. Yes, almost every restaurant has put up a TV or a big screen in order to cater to football fans' needs. And yes, as I am writing this I am watching Nigeria playing against Greece. But is it in any way comparable to the blast that was the 2006 World Cup? Hardly. Now that the spotlight is on South Africa, what once was a major topic for Germany is now only a minor one in the context of current national and global affairs. The financial crisis, the oil disaster, serious dissonances in Germany's government - these are all topics for which the WC offers some comic relief. But the "Sommermärchen" (summer fairy tale) that once was is certainly over by now. Just as with any summer love, this might not be for the worst: sometimes the past is the better present.

June 17
Stuttgart, Germany

16 June 1976: 'This is our day'

16 June 1976: 'This is our day'
by Lucille Davie

"It is a day violently etched on the South African collective conscience. Commemorated over 30 years later as Youth Day, an official holiday, it is the day that honours the deaths of hundreds of Soweto schoolchildren, a day that changed the course of the country's history: 16 June 1976.

On that day the government and the police were caught off guard, when the simmering bubble of anger of schoolchildren finally burst, releasing an intensity of emotion that the police controlled in the only manner they knew how: with ruthless aggression. SA History Online puts the number of dead at 200, far higher than the official figure of 23."

more

[From the History and Heritage section of SouthAfrica.info. Photo by Sam Nzima.]

Hector Pieterson Museum

Hector Pieterson Memorial Museum
8287 Khumalo Street, Orlando West, Soweto
South Africa

"The Hector Pieterson Museum is a heritage site intrinsically linked to the origins of the Soweto Uprisings and its aftermath. By 10.30am on 16 June 1976, thousands of students had gathered in Orlando West around Vilakazi Street and the precinct where the Hector Pieterson Museum is presently located, to begin a protest march against the imposition of the Afrikaans language as the medium of instruction in Soweto’s schools. Police opened fire, killing Hastings Ndlovu and Hector Pieterson.

The shooting sparked off days of unrest and hundreds of deaths. The Soweto uprisings had begun. After 16 and 17 June 1976, nothing in South Africa would be the same again. An old era was past. A new one was beginning. The Hector Pieterson Museum’s Orlando West precinct includes important sites, such as the spots where both Hector Pieterson and Hastings Ndlovu were shot dead by the police. The precinct also includes: Nelson Mandela’s Orlando West house."

see linked National Youth Day post below.

[Graphic from Copa das Confederações blog. Caption from sahistory website: "Soweto June 1976. "Mbuyisa Makhubu carries the body of Hector Pieterson, shot by police during the student protest against Afrikaans as the school language medium. (Sam Nzima / South Photographs)"]

National Youth Day in South Africa

On June 16 South Africa celebrates National Youth Day to commemorate the anniversary of the Soweto Uprising.

The World Cup affords an opportunity for nations across the globe to celebrate competition, athleticism and teamwork at its  best. It also provides an opportunity to spotlight national and global social issues.

Youth Day reminds us of the history of South Africa and the struggle against apartheid.

From Wikipedia entry for Soweto uprising:
"On the morning of June 16, 1976, thousands of black students walked from their schools to Orlando Stadium for a rally to protest against having to learn through Afrikaans in school. Many students who later participated in the protest arrived at school that morning without prior knowledge of the protest, yet agreed to become involved. The protest was intended to be peaceful and had been carefully planned by the Soweto Students’ Representative Council’s (SSRC) Action Committee, with support from the wider Black Consciousness Movement. Teachers in Soweto also supported the march after the Action Committee emphasized good discipline and peaceful action."

The uprising was a key moment in the struggle by South Africans to defeat the regime and its policy of apartheid.

[Graphic from Google image search for 'Soweto uprising.' Caption: "Soweto June 1976. Mbuyisa Makhubu carries the body of Hector Pieterson, shot by police during the student protest against Afrikaans as the school language medium. (Photograph by Sam Nzima)"]