What's Hot and What's Not at the WSF, Nairobi, 2007HOT*Southeast Asian peasant hats (you have to see it to
believe it)*
*China is the new imperialist, boo! (Fahamu rules)
*Slums and slum dwellers' associations* (Korogocho and
Kibera chic)
*Pakistani food vendors* (Anticapitalist curry was
very hot)
*Biofuels*
*Repudiation (of debt)*
*Dag Hammerskjöld 'What Next?' series
*Getting your hands on a programme
*The Weather
*Disability rights
*LGBTI activism in Africa (the Q-Spot was the ultimate
f@#k you to the Catholic CARITAS tent across the
road)*
*Spontaneous freedom singing (except from the CARITAS
tent)*
*Western Sahara (the new Palestine)*
*Dedan Kimathi and the Mau Mau*
*African Hip-Hop sung by disadvantaged yoof from the
slums, innit*
*Direct action at the WSF itself (who'd have thunk
it?)*
*Desmond Tutu* (token Nobel Laureate is still in this
year)
*Tusker Beer (medium bodied with a nose of honeysuckle
and melon and a candied apple finish).
NOT*Sunburned Dutchies flaunting Palestinian accessories
( ie 'we are all Palestinians!' badges… yeah, whatever
mate!)*
*Jambo! (touristy bastardization of Kiswahili
greeting)*
*Wangari Mathaai* (proof that single issue campaigning
is a bad idea)
*Che Guevara gear (I mean really, still!?)*
*The CARITAS tent (made songs of praise look like the
Rocky Horror Picture Show)*
*One Plank bridge over the river Smeg
*Oxfam driving around in their SUVs
*Chômage (French unemployment is sooo last year)
*'Out of Africa' film screening ("What? It's got
Africa in it….")
*Spontaneous freedom drumming
*LGBTI activist being heckled at the WSF closing
ceremony (that's just not cool)
*Climate change (it may be hot but not at the WSF)
*WSF Organisers* (wouldn't want to be one just now).
*Chanting 'Who let the war out? Bush, Bush and Blair!'
to the tune of 'Who let the dogs out? (thanks loser
Stop the War person from London, you know who you
are!)
*North American Indymedia activists from the West
Coast (How many hugs do you need?!)*
*Celtel – 'Making life more irritating!'
