May 21-23, 2001, Cairo, Egypt - This research initiative involves a tripartite collaboration of researchers from the American University in Cairo (AUC), the networks of the Middle East Awards Program (MEAwards) and the Organization for Social Science Research in Eastern and Southern Africa (OSSREA). The Working Group on the Reconstruction of War-Torn Communities reflects the emerging research issues in forced migration, protracted conflicts and post-conflict tasks of rebuilding war torn communities.

Subscribe to GILC Alert, the newsletter of the Global Internet Liberty
Campaign. We are an international organization of groups working for
cyber-liberties, who are determined to preserve civil liberties and human
rights on the Internet.

In a special initiative to mark the 10th World Press Freedom Day on 3 May, the World Association of Newspapers has asked world leaders: "What does press freedom mean to you?" Their responses are included in a package of editorial and advertising materials that newspapers are being encouraged to publish on World Press Freedom Day. The package is now available for downloading from the WAN web site and will soon be mailed to thousands of newspapers world-wide. WAN is encouraging newspapers to commemorate 3 May by publishing these materials.

New technologies like the Internet and mobile phones could accelerate progress in developing countries. But the first priority is education, access and entrepreneurs says Klaus Schwab, founder and president of the World Economic Forum.

South African President Thabo Mbeki signed a series of agreements in Havana this week with his Cuban counterpart Fidel Castro, one of which could clear the way for the two countries to cooperate in producing low-cost AIDS drugs while ignoring drug company patents.

A profile on the Bolivian health network, PROCOSI (Programa de Coordinacion en Salud Integral); the first in a series of profiles that traces the history, growth, challenges, accomplishments, and impact of a health network on its members and on the health of the communities they serve.

Ugandan authorities have fueled political and ethnic strife in eastern Congo with disastrous consequences for the local population, Human Rights Watch charged in a report released today.

OmniE Labs has been contracted by 2pipe.com, an international
telecommunications company, to design and build an advanced IP-over-
satellite network for high-speed voice and data transmission between
the U.S. and Nigeria.

The World Trade Organisation wants to press Asian governments to commit to a new trade talks at the WTO ministerial meeting in Qatar in November. But most developing countries are opposed to a new trade round. They have not yet absorbed the demands on them made at the Uruguay Round.

Foreign Aid Can Promote Enduring Growth and Reduce Poverty When Countries 'Drive' Their Own Development Strategies. 'Conditionality' cannot replace national commitment to reform process says World Bank.

A key Republican leader in the US House of Representatives said on Sunday that the persecution of Christians and other minority ethnic groups in Sudan is "horrible" and the United States must get involved.

The Democratic Republic of Congo has lifted restrictions on the free movement of people and goods in a measure linked to progress in ending the country's conflict, a senior minister said last week.

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), has accused the Federal Government of encouraging corruption in the public sector, in view of its refusal to pay workers in its employ for upwards of four months.

Principles and Practices in Managing Financial Records: A Reference Model and Assessment Tool is now available online from The International Records Management Trust.

Communities of present-day or former hunter-gatherers live in scattered communities across the world, although their precise numbers and status are uncertain. Their often marginalized status and ethnolinguistic diversity has made it hard to articulate their case for land rights outside Australia and North America. Hunter-gatherers' preferred subsistence strategy, hunting, often comes into direct conflict with conservation philosophies and protected areas often fall within traditional hunting grounds. An ODI paper reviews their situation and asks, how best can hunter-gatherers' livelihoods be incorporated into more conventional natural resource management strategies?

How are poor record keeping and bad financial management connected? Is the one a symptom of the other? To what extent does accurate financial information prevent corruption and fraud? An International Records Management Trust study examined the link between record management and financial accountability in sub-Saharan Africa. How do different record keeping systems reflect government and donor agency strategies for financial control and accountability? Are they related to success in reducing economic crime?

The effect of Tanzania's wide-ranging economic reforms on the performance of its manufacturing industries has been the focus of debate. How far have protectionist policies of the pre-liberalisation era rendered domestic firms vulnerable to increased competition? Has the removal of market distortions facilitated greater long-term efficiency?

id21News - is the Newsletter of the id21 Development Research
reporting service, bringing you the latest and best UK-based development
research.

In schools across South Africa, thousands of girls of every race and economic group are encountering sexual violence and harassment that impede their access to education, Human Rights Watch charged in a report released this week.

In a year that saw unbounded confidence in the nation's
economy turn to increasing uncertainty, U.S. grantmaking
foundations raised their contributions to nonprofit organi-
zations a record $4.3 billion, according to a new report
from the Foundation Center.

Two out of every three people in the world will be facing water shortages by 2025, says a new report launched by Christian relief and development agency Tearfund.

The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) today completed the second review of Uganda's performance under the third annual arrangement under the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF). This will enable Uganda to draw SDR 8.9 million (about US$11 million) immediately from the IMF.

Fahamu - learning for change - has been awarded a grant to develop an interactive training guide on human rights education in rural populations in collaboration with the Kenya Human Rights Commission, and to develop supplementary materials on Training Skills for the Adilisha Project (http://www.fahamu.org/). The award has been made by the Human Rights Project Fund of the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office (http://www.hrpd.fco.gov.uk/). The Human Rights Project Fund (HRPF) is the FCO's dedicated fund for human rights projects.

In April 2001 Earth Report features stories on: Biodiversity under threat from invasive species; The industrialisation of Amazonia and its link with carbon emissions trading; How ill-informed use of pesticides is poisoning Cambodian farmers.'Earth Report' is broadcast weekly on BBC World at the following times GMT: Monday at 03:30 & 21:30, Tuesday at 08:30, 11:30 & 14:30, Wednesday at 01:30 & 05:30, Saturday at 18:30, Sunday at 07:30.

TI representatives from 11 African countries adopted the Nyanga Declaration, launching a campaign to repatriate Africa's stolen wealth. The declaration, signed at the regional conference in Zimbabwe, calls for "the sealing of all known loopholes, requiring banks to open their books for inspection where there is reasonable cause to suspect illegal activity, and mandatory liquidation and repatriation of assets known to have been corruptly acquired". The chapters called on members of the United Nations to adopt an international treaty to expedite the tracing, recovery and repatriation of wealth stolen from developing countries and transferred abroad.

Participants expressed their support for the Wolfsberg Anti-Money Laundering Principles adopted by 11 leading international banks as "a first step towards stopping the movement of illicit wealth". The Declaration calls upon the Organisation of African Unity to "take a leadership role in representing the interests of Africa with regard to the return of Africa's stolen wealth wherever it may be found on the globe and, as a first step, (to) adopt all reasonable measures to prevent the illegal appropriation and transfer of moneys from Africa's treasuries".

The full text of the Declaration can be found at:

COSATU notes with regret the worsening situation revealed by the statistics released by Community Agency for Social Enquiry (CASE) (Sowetan, 29 March) indicating that South African youth are receiving insufficient education, especially tertiary education, which leads to them being unemployable. What is even shocking is that the hardest hit by this problem are African youths, both females and males.

The president has pledged to end corruption as a way of life. The results so far have been mixed.

We are pleased to announce that we have recently started to offer FREE, hands-on training in the use of our most popular electronic resources. Follow along with the instructor as you learn the ins and outs of our funding research tools!

The Democratic Republic of the Congo President Joseph Kabila urged Zimbabwean
companies to invest in his mineral-rich country on Tuesday, saying that they should take advantage of the strong political ties between the two states.

Join the 50+ people who signed the "Save the Kenyan Forests" petition to the Kenyan Government. The petition will be closed April 9!! Sign now...

Amnesty International is concerned that recent statements made by President Sam Nujoma of Namibia may lead to the persecution of individuals identified as lesbian or gay and to further attacks on human rights groups advocating support for lesbian and gay rights.

The National Organization for Women has declared a state of emergency to save women's rights to self-determination and reproductive freedom. NOW is calling on activists everywhere to take part in a national campaign which will kick off with an Emergency Action for Women's Lives in Washington, D.C. at 11am on Sunday, April 22.

Hijack a plane in Afghanistan and fly it to London. Board a rusting tub in Turkey and be wrecked off the coast of Italy or washed up in France. Camp in a container for weeks until your ship is unloaded in Canada. Hang to the wheel of a jumbo jet and hope not to freeze or suffocate. Splash across the Rio Grande. Float in a rubber ring to Florida. Walk the Sahara and sail to Spain. If you live in a miserable part of the world, just do something to reach a place more promising.

Country briefs from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees discuss asylum issues in individual countries.

The Horizons Project and PSI have conducted a descriptive, cross-sectional study of female condom users, male condom users, and non-users of either barrier method. The goal of this research is to increase understanding of the patterns and dynamics of female condom use in order to inform policymakers and program planners involved in decisions about promotion and distribution of the female condom.

An important component of HIV voluntary counselling and testing (VCT) programs is encouraging clients to inform partners of their serostatus. Yet many clients do not disclose results to partners. Researchers have found that a serious barrier to disclosure for women is fear of a violent reaction by male partners and that HIV-infected women are at increased risk for partner violence. Building on previous research, this study explores the links between HIV infection, serostatus disclosure, and partner violence among women attending the Muhimbili Health Information Center (MHIC), a VCT clinic in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Roger Winter, Executive Director of the U.S. Committee for Refugees (USCR) testified before the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Africa and the Subcommittee on International Operations and Human Rights on Wednesday, March 28, 2001. The testimony, regarding U.S. policy toward the Sudan, can be accessed on the USCR website.