Back in the Netherlands: finally internet again.

After three weeks without decent internet, I am sitting on the couch with a cold Dutch beer and final read - instead of quickly scan - my favorite news sources:

• Africa is a country; a great source on about everything with regards to Africa; especially the more cultural things.
  
• Congosiasa; a great blog with information on Congo.
  
• Chris Blattman is professor at Yale, does very interesting work, and he keeps a great blog. How every academic should be.
  
• IRIN news; humanitarian news by OCHA.
  
• Project Syndicate; lots of commentary by often really good academics.
  
• Reliefweb; a UN website that provides information to humanitarian relief organizations.
  
• Texas in Africa; blog by Laura Seay; great commentary on Africa.
  
• Wronging Rights; brilliant commentary on serious issues.

From these sources (I know, I just recycle), hereby five interesting things:

• For my dissertation I am, among others, interested in natural resources and it's relation to conflict. I read the solution to Congo's mineral problems... drones! Of course, I should have thought of that.
• On a much more serious note, last summer Simon and I befriended a very bright Congolese student; he is studying to become a priest. Already some days ago he sent us an email on recent attacks on Catholic priests and nuns in Eastern DRC. The above sources wrote about it as well, one linked to this. Please also read the post by Texas in Africa who discusses the importance of the Catholic Church in Eastern Congo.
• Some nice pictures and postcards from Africa.

• In my previous post I had a link to a documentary regarding DRC's gold on CBS' 60 minutes. Please also check this out for three problems with the documentary.
• Finally, Chinese in Africa. Indeed, last summer when I was in the DRC, each public goods project - although few in number - had at least one Chinese walking around there as well.