Transcripts For LINKTV Democracy 20240704

The blaze devastates the city and surrounding areas. And speaking out against corruption and drug violence, it may have gotten killed. And even as its waging war in ukraine, russia is counting down to its First Moon Mission in half a century. Brent im brent goff. To our viewers watching on pbs in the United States and all of you around the world, welcome. Tonight, the possibility of a military conflict in niger remains very much on the table. The group of leaders of west african countries, known as ecowas, met today and ordered a Standby Force. The language is intentionally vague, but the message is intended to be clear if the military leaders do not reinstate the democratically elected president. It could put niger on a collision course with its neighbors. We have more now in this report. West African Leaders arrived in abuja to discuss their next move. This comes after the niger junta ignores orders to stand down after the power grab. All diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis have been rejected by the military leaders. Now they are ramping up pressures to restore democracy using this directive. We are activating the Ecowas Standby force with all of its elements immediately. Order the deployment of the ecous standby egcowas Standby Force to return stability to the republic of niger. The block also reiterated its commitment to finding a peaceful resolution. Earlier, the junta took to national tv to announce a new government. With niger is deposed president Mohamed Bezoum under house arrest, concerns are growing about his wellbeing. We are concerned about reports that the president and his family and his and his family are reported to be living without electricity, water, food or medicine, and continue to be arbitrarily detained by memory is of the president ial guard in niger members of the president ial guard in niger. People in niger are weary of what comes next. Our country is really leading the bad situation. Why do i say it is a bad situation . If you look everywhere, we can see everywhere lights up, lights up, lights up. I think the military will not intervene. Struggling in the jeer, people are dealing with power caps and supply disruptions as they await the next move in their countrys future. Brent earlier, i spoke to our west african correspondent and asked her to walk us through ego ecowas descision decision to activate this Standby Force. When many of us heard this statement, it was not clear what they mean. Does that mean troops essentially on the ground . If it does mean that, is it troops with nonaggression, perhaps . What does that clearly mean . They did not say. If you listen to all that analysts have been talking about, especially when the statement came out, the fact that we have been having to put in any force in any country is quite intensive. Ecowas is also investigating and saying, these are the things, if it needs troops, the countries that are going to contribute. Who knows where the resources will be coming from. That is clearly not put out, but they did mention that they will activate the force in all its elements. They are also saying there is a slow sense of aggression or threats as perceived in the first summit as regards with today. Brent ecowas has called on the African Union to endorse its decisions on niger. What difference would that make . I suppose that because of the major thing that have gone on in niger, this has also brought about a split in the members of the block. Echo us wants to do everything within its power vika ecowas wants to do everything within its power. People have said there is no difference between ecowas and the au, but ecowas is essentially also saying, please agreed to the sanctions, agree to everything we have said so the world, regionally and people abroad, will cs coming together and having a firm stance as far as this position is concerned towards niger. Brent nigers coup leaders defied the last headline posed by ecowas last weekend, and have gone so far as to name a new government. Half of the cabinet positions are going to civilians, but the other half are going to the military. How widely is it that this junta is going to back down . I mean, very unlikely. You know, thats part of the sentiments we are getting. Also having to establish their own leadership and consolidate the opposition, that they are not backing out. Having strategic leaders to really say, these are the people who will be in charge. It sends some sort of message to ecowas, saying, we are not moving out anytime soon. Maybe that will change, because of how ecowas is speaking very strongly this time on the need to negotiate and seek a peaceful resolution. There is going to be some sort of compromise, but yes, having that leadership established is a strong message to the body generally. Brent dws west african correspondent, no marco okoye nomaka okoye joining us tonight. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modis government has defeated a noconfidence vote in parliament. This after the government was accused of staying silent at about months of Ethnic Violence in the state of mono poor. They staged a walkout before the vote could be called. New crane has announced ukraine has announced a mandatory humanitarian corridor to allow ships trapped in the port to leave safely. But the Ukrainian Navy is warning that risks remain with mines and russian attacks. Pascal has ramped up strikes on moscows port mosque moscow has ramped up strikes on ukraine sports recently. If approved, this trial would begin two weeks before the first votes were cast in the 2024 republican president ial primary. Staying with the United States, 36 people have died in a wildfire on hawaii, on the island of maui. The deaths occurred in the Historic Town of lahaina, which has been devastated by the blaze. Hundreds of buildings have been destroyed, thousands of residents have fled the flames, and President Biden today declared the five fires a major disaster, unlocking federal aid. A paradise lost. You only escape was by sea. Some waited until the last moment to flee. If anyone is still out here, the fire is on front street and it is time to go. I was the last one off the dock when the fire started to come through the abandoned street and took everything with it. I ran to the beach, ran south and helped everyone i could along the way. I dont know when you can. Fire ripped through the tourist hotspot with little warning. Many of these buildings no longer stand. Witnesses say much of lahaina has been turned to ash. We have the worst disaster i have ever seen. All of lahaina is burnt to a crisp its like an apocalypse. Emergency rescue attempts were disrupted by power and Telephone Service outages. Maui island was waiting to ignite drought had left the dense bush len dangerously dry bush land dangerously dry. We were preparing for the hurricane, and we expect rain. Sometimes we expect floods. We never anticipated in this state that a hurricane, which did not make impact on our islands, would cause these types of wildfires. Wildfires that wiped out communities. Wildfires that wiped out businesses. Wildfires that destroyed homes. Officials urged tourists to stay away from the holiday island. Thousands took shelter in the airport, waiting to evacuate. We were going to greece this summer, but there are a lot of wildfires there. We did not go to greece because of the wildfires, but we came here and hawaii is one of the latest environments affected by extreme conditions. Scientists say the world has experienced its hottest month in recorded history, exacerbated by human climate change. Brent ecuador has declared a state of emergency after a president ial candidate was assassinated on the campaign trail. Speaking to supporters in what became his last speech. This democracy cost our lives. This country has cost our lives. We wont permit a new treason. President ial candidate fernando v of this nco was shot inside a truck, Fernando Villa vincencio was shot inside a truck moments after leaving the stage. Nine others were injured in the shooting. The gunman was reportedly killed by police. We experienced a horror movie. 30, 40 shots were fired with machine guns and we saw the wounded fall. I know there are some dead and sadly, fernando the incense io vincencio was one of them. He had a long history of challenging those in power. First, exposing a Corruption Scandal further then current president , leading him 18 months in prison. Later, the National Assembly was dissolved, triggering the election. He ranked fifth out of eight in the polls. As a candidate, he had spoken about receiving multiple Death Threats prior to his assassination. He is believed to be the latest victim of rising Gang Violence that has seen a string of assassinations that included a mayor and a parliamentary candidate. I deeply regret the murder of Fernando Villa vincencio for his family and followers. While the vote will go ahead as planned, some candidates have suspended their Campaign Events in the runup to the election day. Brent did he have a target on his back, and what does this mean for the other candidates . I asked natosha lin instead, a south american political analyst at the university of essex. He was very critical and outspoken about the links between organized crime and politicians, the military and police. The perpetrators of this were trying to send a clear message, dont mess with us. If you are to openly critically of to openly critical of organized crime, we are going to go after you. This is reminiscent of what take place took place in columbia for decades, where five president ial candidates were murdered. We are seeing that organized crime has taken over ecuador and they are completely involved, affecting the outcome of elections. Brent we have been seeing ecuador spiraling more and more into this violence due to foreign cartel operations. How did this happen . Ecuador was once, relatively speaking, one of the safer states. If you look at what happened in 2016 with the priest agreement Peace Agreement in columbia, the groups that already had footing in a good or were able to move into ecuador and do whatever they wanted. Some of this was helped by the fact that former president Rafael Correa took on some policies that were not particularly effective. He got rid of the surveillance of the coast, allowing them more free reign on the coast to operate. He privatized the ports and airports, which made it more difficult for the state to stream goods. Screen goods. He dismantled the elite investigative unit, which was important, and then his predecessor attacked successor attacked and weakened the judicial systems that allowed these groups to operate with impunity. They were deciding what was going to happen and basically calling the shots. Brent how destabilizing to this assassination be on the political process in the country . I understand other candidates have suspended their president ial campaigns ahead of the elections. Its incredibly destabilizing and damaging to democracy when Something Like this happens, because it affects what people feel like they can say, where they can campaign, what they can do and not do. From what i have heard, it will be too difficult to postpone it. It will be problematic, given the constitutional rules, but it definitely affects the ability of people to campaign effectively. Brent the tosha, we appreciate your time and insight tonight. Thank you. Here are more stories making headlines this hour. U. S. President biden has allowed new curbs on American Investments on sensitive technologies in china. Investors in the u. S. Will be barred from funding Chinese Companies in an artificial intelligence. This is meant to stop china from getting its hands on military technology. And the arrival of Russian Wagner group mercenaries in belarus last month has sparked security concerns in warsaw. The leader of belarus has said that he is restraining wagner fighters who want to attack poland. The emmy awards have been postponed by almost four months because of the strikes by hollywood actors and writers. Televisions biggest night of the year typically takes place in september, but will now be held in midjanuary. The strikes mean that alist stars and nominees will not be allowed to attend the event. After decades of space agency disinterest in the moon, the last few years have seen a boom in missions there. Certainly, a number of countries seem interested in grabbing a piece of the lunar pieinthesky. Russia is due to launch of the temp to put a lander on the surface of the moon. The lunar 25 mission is the first time russia has tried to reach the moon since the lunar 24 went there and back again in 1970 six, when russia was still part of the soviet union. This latest mission has been plagued by delays, but if all goes according to plan, the 800 kilogram lander could touch down on the lunar surface by the end of august. Russias Space Agency Says after arrival, the lander will analyze soil samples and conduct other research for a year. His findings will not be shared with esa or nasa. We have discontinued the Corporation Cooperation after the russian invasion, but we still have the cooperation and scientific objectives to have a better understanding on the regulation. A range of missions sponsored by different nations and Even Companies have failed in recent attempts at soft landing on the moon. Although first safely accomplished in the mid1960s, landing safely on the lunar surface rather than crashing their remains a challenging technical proposition. The Indian Space Agency knows only too well how difficult a soft landing can be. It launched a Second Mission to land on the moon in mid july. Its first attempt in 2019 failed. This flight has a longer flight plan, so it could be touching down around the same time as we are 25. Both missions are aimed at the moons southern pole. The polls are scientifically the most interesting areas, not only to look for the history of the universe, but also, we know there is an abundance of water in the craters. Icy water, and the water can be used to produce hydrogen, oxygen, and as we all know that is the source of life. As nations gear up for what many experts see as a new era in space exploration, the moon will play a central role, both for its resources and as a steppingstone for further endeavors. With the lunar 25 mission, russia is also trying to get in on the ground floor. Brent well, i asked dws correspondent how important this Lunar Mission is for russia. I think this Lunar Mission plays a very Important Role for russia. Russia is totally isolated internationally, at least for the rest of the world, and has only made negative headlines because of the war in ukraine. Now, the world is talking about possible russian success in lunar exploration. I want to see how successful this mission will be, but the fact that russia is mentioned in a different context is a politically important thing for the kremlin. Space is the only thing beyond earth politics almost. Brent when will we learn if the mission is successful . I dont know if and when and what possible success of the russians on the moon during this Lunar Mission will find out, because only the russians report it, but what i cant well imagine is that this mission will play an Important Role in russian propaganda. The researches should last a year. The main purpose of the mission is the exploration of water and other resources on the moon. The success of the mission is important for russian scientists, because russians have almost no International Cooperation anymore. The only place the cooperation is still going on is the International Space station, the iss. Thats why russia wants to prove they can continue brent brent the space program. You mentioned this could be good for pieinthesky propaganda, but what does this mean to ordinary russians . To the russians, it has been true for decades. We are catching up and taking over america in space. Its a decadelong competition and started with the first man in the cosmos, who was russian, eureka guardian yuri gregorian, who all russian children learn about. Then there was a loaner competition. It became quiet around the moon after americans walked on the moon, and the last pride of russians in space exploration, was that for years, they use rockets that would bring americans and europeans to the iss. I was lucky enough to be present at the launch of such a rocket, and remember feeling solidarity with the west over earthly politics, but thats over now too. They have been flying elon musks rockets for a few years now, so there is not much left. Brent maybe we will have to go to the moon to find unity among earthlings again. Yuri, thank you. Tennis news now, caroline was the aggies run to the care of caroline wozniackis run in the canadian open was brought to an end. There was also a win for canadian champion carlos alcaraz. Carlos alcaraz took the court for the First Time Since winning wimbledon in mid july. In one of the last preparation tournaments before the u. S. Open , the defending champion showed a dominant performance at the canadian open in toronto. The 20yearold world number one beat american ben shelton in straight sets to reach the round of 16 and extend his winning streak to 13 matches. Former world number one andy murray also progressed to the next round after a hardfought 76, 36, 7five win over max purcell. this winter set up a of 16 clash with janik csinner. At the wta event in montreal, caroline wozniackis dream return was brought to an end. Vondrousova will take on coco gauff in the next round, while preparations continue for the u. S. Open. The last grand slam of the year starts on the 28th of august. Brent here is a reminder of our top story. West African Leaders meeting in nigeria have ordered the activation of a Standby Force to restore civilian rule in niger. After a short break, i will be back to take you through the day. Stick around. Well be right back. West African Leaders have decided to deploy what they are calling a Standby Force to restore democracy in niger. In the meantime, there are reports the junta in niger is threatening to kill the president if theres any kind of military intervention. U. S. President joe biden declares a major disaster in hawaii. Wildfires have killed at least 36 people on the island of maui where historical town was all but destroyed. And suspects accused of killing a president ial candidate in ecuador are said to be part of organized crime groups. Ecuador is under a state of emergency, and elections are moving forward as planned in 10 days despite the assassination. Thanks for joining us here on france 24. West African Leaders have decided to deploy what they are calling a Standby Force to deploy democracy in niger. Word came after the regional bloc ecowas held an emergency meeting to determine how to restore democracy following a coup two weeks ago. Ecowas had previously threatened military action to return the president to power but the deadline for that to happen past with no action from the hunter. In the meantime, the junta has dissolved the government in niger and there are growing concerns about the health of the president , who is said to be under house arrest in the president ial palace. Heres the president of Ecowas Commission speaking earlier. The authority have not considered the memorandum presented by Ecowas Commission on the emergency situation in niger, signed as follows. The direct committee of defense of the chief staff, to activate and Ecowas Standby force with all of its elements in niger, order the deployment of the Ecowas Standby force to restore Constitutional Order in the republic of niger, underscored its continued commitment to the restoration of Constitutional Order through peaceful means. Echo us has said that no option is off the table, but there are still many Unanswered Questions about this Standby Military force. Earlier, i spoke to catherine for strength in abuja for some clarification. Ecowas very much keeping the military option on the table. In saying they are activating an immediate permit Standby Force, that means they are calling on troops to get ready. We dont know many details about this. We dont know the locations, the timing, the budget, or indeed final confirmation of troops and which countries would be involved before this meeting. We have had various meetings with Prime Ministers saying troops would take part, but that has not been confirmed. An awful lot about this is not clear, but it is ramping up pressure on the hunter in niger, very much signaling that ecowas is willing to take military action if needed to reinstall or what they call democracy in niger. They said they will continue down the diplomatic path as well and will also continue enforcing sanctions, so they are basically taking all the action that they can at the moment. In terms of the details, the financing, the organization, it could take weeks perhaps to get a Regional Force together, including soldiers from armies in different countries, so this by no means is an Immediate Intervention inside the territory of niger, but it sends a very strong signal tonight to the leaders of nigers military junta. Meanwhile, there are reports that the hunter in niger is threatening to kill the president if theres any kind of literary intervention. What do we know about that . Extraordinary reports have come out from u. S. Diplomatic sources. We have also heard them eco to our team by western diplomatic sources as well. This was apparently communicated to u. S. Assistant secretary of state on her recent trip to meet with members of the hunter. This report says the junta has threatened to kill the ousted president if indeed there is a military intervention in niger, so we know there has been a lot of concern about conditions under which he is being held. The u. S. And United Nations have relayed their concerns about that and his party has also expressed concern describing his conditions tantamount to torture in their words, saying that he has not had electricity for over a week, running water, and that they are running out of fresh food. There are very much tonight concerns about what could happen to mohammed was in Mohammed Bazoum and his family as tensions have ramped up another notch. Next, to some developing news, the u. S. And iran have reached an agreement on a prisoner swap, effectively freeing five jailed americans and several iranians. The deal follows two years of negotiations. The deal also includes allowing iran access to about 6 billion in oil revenue that had been frozen in south korea. Under the deal, iraq could use the money for humanitarian purchases such as food and medicine. Next, to the massive wildfires burning in hawaii. U. S. President joe biden has declared a major disaster unlocking federal aid. The fires have killed at least 36 people on the island of maui where a Historic Town was all but destroyed. The death toll could climb as rescuers reach more remote parts of the island. Oh, my god, look at the harbor. This footage shows the devastation on the coastal resort of mauis largest tourist destination. Wildfires fueled by the wind of hurricane door, which pacified which passed by the south of the island. Too many did not get out in time. This will take years to fix. Years. This is not even the worst of it. So many dead bodies in the water floating and on the seawall. Theyve been sitting here since last night. Weve been pulling people out since last night, trying to save peoples lives and i feel we are not getting the help we need. Officials said searchandrescue missions continued. President joe biden ordered all available federal assets to help with response. The damage to the infrastructure is not just buildings. These were Small Businesses that invested in maui. These were local residents, and we need to figure out a way to help a lot of people in the next several years. The dangerous combination of wind and drier than normal grass fires has made conditions particularly dangerous, conditions exacerbated by climate change, which not only drives up temperatures but also makes stronger hurricanes more likely. Next, to spain, where one of the countrys most popular tourist destinations is underwater restrictions, which means both residents and visitors have to turn the tap off overnight to ensure there is a supply of water during the day. Filling a bucket with water has become a new part of the ritual. I put in some water for nights in case i need to go to the toilet, for example. The last month or so, this village has had no water from 9 00 a. M. To 9 00 in the morning because of the drought. Angela is 83 and does not remember water being limited this way before. I feel tired just inking about carrying water to the bathroom. This really is turning the clock back. The mayor of this district says the restrictions have reduced water consumption by 20 . How are you coping . Im trying to make the best of it. Collect all the measures we have taken her for the good of the residence. The good of the residents. We need to make sure everyone can have some. The Water Reservoir this year was at a record low. Hotel and hospital staff explain the situation of clients. When we brush our teeth, try to turn the top off, for example. If this hostel did not have a 2000liter water tank as a backup, it would have already closed. We have already lost a lot of bookings. It makes a lot of people worried about coming. I really hope it rains next winter. The region is hoping salt desalination can offer a lifeline. It will be at least five years before returns. That was sarah morris, our reporter. Ecuador is under a state of emergency, following the assassination of a president ial candidate. A wake is being held this thursday. The 59yearold was shot to death while getting into his car after a Campaign Rally wednesday night. As a candidate, he was unafraid to take on criminal networks, and the suspects in this killing are said to be colombian nationals who are said to belong to organized crime groups. These were the last moments before he was shot, ambushed as he left a Campaign Rally in the ecuadorian capital. The president ial hopeful later died of his gunshot wounds in hospital. Nine other people were hurt in the shooting. The alleged attacker was shot and killed by security personnel. Persecutors said 6 prosecutors said six other suspects were later arrested. He had vowed to tackle corruption and organized crime. Either the gangsters triumph and return or the good people, the democrats, the great people win the battle and get their homeland back. Ecuadors second largest criminal gang has released a video statement claiming responsibility for the assassination. Prior to the shooting, the 59yearold centrist said he received multiple Death Threats including from leaders of Mexicos Sinaloa cartel. Violence in mexico has surged, fueled by the growing presence of narco traffickers. From this moment, the armed forces will be mobilized and the whole National Territory to guarantee the security of citizens a piece of the country and free and democratic elections on august 20. Recent polls put him as a second favorite of the eight candidates running to be president. The former journalist and unionist was a fierce anticorruption crusader. Other candidates denounced as murder and said they were suspending their campaigns. In eastern france, investigators are still trying to determine what caused a fire that ripped through a Vacation Home for disabled people, killing 11. Prosecutors said this thursday the home was unlicensed and flouted fire safety standards. The blaze moved quickly through the building. The towns mayor said the home was not authorized to serve as a home for the disabled. So far, no one has been charged in connection with the tragedy. For the first time, Virgin Galactic has launched tourists into the weightlessness of space. The three passengers floated gravityfree in the spacecraft about 45 minutes after blasting off. They included an 80yearold man and former olympian with parkinsons disease along with a 46yearold woman and her 18yearold daughter. All three won their tickets in a charity sweepstakes. Tickets for future flights are expected to cost as much as 450,000 apiece. The Company Called the flight the culmination of a nearly twodecade pursuit to fly tourists into space. That is it for now. Stay tuned for more world news coming up here on france 24. After her sensational arrival on the art scene, joanna was the first female artist invited to present her work at the chateau de versailles in 2012. Her bombastic fantastical exhibitions have since flourished in galleries, museums , and part spaces. Hello. Tree of the, like many of your pieces is sitespecific tree off life, like many of your pieces is sitespecific. There are two women referenced in this piece. Art was very important to catherine de medici to make the world a better place. The result of her politics is that she finished this building and intervened a lot in the art world, so in respect to her, i think this piece presents a depth and dimension she had and to see that everything is interconnected and you can value things by putting them altogether. It all started in for geiser when i thought of doing the tree it is all started in borghese. That did not happen, but living through covid, i sent my teams home, and everybody was like, what shall we dont have anything to do at home everybody was like, what shall we do . We dont have anything to do at home, and i said lets start by embodying some myths. How do you see some of the big ideas of the story in dialogue with your work . I think it is an important aspect because she decided for her own life and her own destiny. She did not want to be a victim of the historical situation, and she decided to be a tree that could be planted with somebody she loved. Many of your pieces reference powerful women who have influenced the course of history. I do think of the valkyrie simone, which you installed in a Department Store a few years back, a nod to the famous simones in french history. Tell us a bit more about the process and the valkyries he created. The valkyries are again the valkyries you created. The valkyries themselves and body tradition. They are flying goddesses and have the power to bring back alive dead warriors. These were years that died on the battlefield are brought again to life by them. This figure of female goddesses and warriors at the same time or in a way of the women we are talking about. The simones, or even here, catherine de medici, they are women that in their own time played an Important Role and decided history. Without them, history would not be the same. Being able to be free, being able to express myself as i want, i always think about the others that could not do the same that i did and the effort that they have to making their own time to express themselves, so i want to keep paying homage to these women who did not have the same opportunities that i do today. Speaking of inspiring creative women, portugal lost an inspiring artist last year. Her work, always engaged with the place of work of women in society. In 1998, she made that series of abortion paintings on the practice was still illegal in portugal. What do you think her legacy is today for women, for artists . She was an amazing conscience and an amazing woman and she spoke about things which are taboo for cultural aspects and for religion aspects, but they are about womens private life, womens history. She was not afraid to express them and not afraid to talk about them. She made a huge difference in art history and giving women a voice through painting, and she is considered the queen in the art world in portugal. The truth is it is important women keep on talking about womens issues until we have the same privileges and the same rights. I am for human rights, and every time a woman talks about human rights, we keep the line shorter until we have the same rights and we still dont, so it is important that all Women Artists and women all over the world keep talking about it because the privileges we have in europe are not the same all over the world. You also address womens sexuality and bodies in your work. Your piece in 2005 was made of 10 pounds, and that was a bit of a taboo at the time because we were not permitted to show inside versailles at the time. How do you think perspectives on the female body, that sort of issue, have changed in that decade . Do you think we are a bit more open now . I hope we are. Im not sure if we are more open. When i see that situation, i question myself. I did a piece many years ago that was refused many times in many locations like the bride in versailles. That was 10 years ago, and when i see the news about it, i ask myself, have we evolved . And we havent. In many ways, it depends the level of consciousness of every country. Im more conscious about certain issues than others. I hope that humankind is able to have an equal system and that everybody has the same human rights. Thats what i aim for, and i want to play my part in it. I think we are better than we were 10 years ago, but i feel i still have a lot to do. Your work has always showcased the incredible craftsmanship or craftswomanship , but at a time of laser cutting instead of hand cutting or 3d printing and artificial intelligence, do you think the laborious handmade crafts will still be viable financially, practically in the future . I think we live in amazing times. Technology plays an important part of evolution, and it is Important Technology keeps evolving because it brings so many things. At the same time, we have to value tradition and the handmade. We live in a very bipolar world between crafts and technology. Therefore, i like to value and to show that you can do both. This piece is very crafts, but its very technological, too. Without it, it would not have liked. I put craft and technology together, but i emphasize craft and not technology. Normally, crafts are the boring and poor parents and technology is the fancy aspect of life, but i see it the other way around. Technology is not to look far but to look close. If you look close to your country and look to your materials that are developing the country and if you can even do that in your home with your family, you are reducing your footprint in the world, so thats what i do. I dont look far. I dont go finding things elsewhere. I use things i have around me. Tree of life represents a connection between all living things. During the pandemic, did you develop a connection between individuals, societies, artists . What would your philosophy be . When i arrived here, i had the apocalypse. That is where it started, the idea of the tree of life, a new beginning, a new connection, your body, your mind, and how you can interconnect everything and how we are all interconnected, and through the pandemic, we understood that. We had a day of the week that we would meet together, the studio people, and we opened a zoom where we would get together and meet everybody in their own homes, and without, lets do this for the studio. There were people in france and italy where everybody was joining us, and it was like the virtual space was allowing us to be all together. We will keep on doing the crafts, but we were technologically connected. Thank you. You can choose elizabeth, sarah, kate, as well as jeannie, julia, or catherine, but from july 20 to august 20, will choose alex. Experience the womens world cup with france 24. 08 10 23 08 10 23 [captioning made possible by democracy now ] amy from new york, this is democracy now with the arrival of the military in burkina faso and mali, we have seen a reduction in security. We even think in niger, niger doesnt need fringe or armed forces in this country. We want logistical resources to help to defend