I Stories
29th November 2007
I Stories is a series of first hand accounts of gender violence from across Southern Africa produced by Gender Links for the Sixteen Days of Activism against Gender Violence.
Music in this podcast is brought to you by Busi Ncube from Zimbabwe, kindly provided by Thulani Promotions.
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Tanzania and the Protocol of the Rights of Women in Africa
22nd November 2007
Usu Mallya, the Executive Director of the Tanzania Gender Networking Programme (TGNP), talks to George Njogopa about Tanzania and the Protocol of the Rights of Women in Africa, which the country ratified in March this year. She applauds the political commitment shown by the government but says it now needs to make sure that Tanzania’s laws comply with the protocol and that women are made aware of their rights.
Music in this podcast is brought to you by Busi Ncube from Zimbabwe, kindly provided by Thulani Promotions.
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Voudou Priestess Madame Evonne Auguste
18th October 2007
Voudou Priestess Madame Evonne Auguste spoke to Sokari Ekine last August, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Madame Auguste is a member of Famm Voudou pou Ayiti (Voudou Women for Ayiti). In the interview she explains that Voudou is both a religion and a philosophy and speaks about the relationship between voudou and liberation theology. She also discusses the some of the reasons behind the demonetisation of the religion and why Famm Voudou pou Ayiti want to establish their own school.
Music in this podcast is brought to you by Busi Ncube from Zimbabwe, kindly provided by Thulani Promotions.
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Police torture in Nigeria
2nd August 2007
Damien Ugwu from the Nigerian Civil Liberties Organisation speaks to Sokari Ekine from Pambazuka News about endemic police torture in the Nigerian justice system. CLO estimate that five people a day are being extra-judicially killed by the police. Most vulnerable are unemployed youths accused of armed robbery. Damien Ugwu explores the reasons why torture and murder are common place and the cultural and political roots of the problem.
Music in this podcast is brought to you by Busi Ncube from Zimbabwe, kindly provided by Thulani Promotions.
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Madaraka Nyerere
19th July 2007
Madaraka Nyerere, the son of the former President of Tanzania, Julius Nyerere, talks to Adam Ma'anit from the New Internationalist for Pambazuka News.
Madaraka Nyerere was in London to re-launch the Arusha Declaration, the document which is the foundation of socialist principles practiced by Nyerere's government, with the Global Women's Strike.
Madaraka explores the reasons why Nyerere's policies have been demolished by capitalism, and the relevance of his father's work for modern Africa and the women's rights movement.
See Global Women's Strike for more on the publication of the Arusha Declaration.
Music in this podcast is brought to you by Busi Ncube from Zimbabwe, kindly provided by Thulani Promotions.
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Mobile phone activism in South Africa
6th July 2007
Sindy Mkhize of the Abahlali baseMjondolo Shackdwellers Movement of Durban speaks to Sokari Ekine of Pambazuka at the Pan African Mobile Activists workshops held in Nairobi in June. Sindy who is a member of the Abahlali Women's League discusses the pressure of living under constant attack from local government and local police and also the recent detention of members of the Kennedy Road location on charges of murder. Abahlali baseMjondolo Movement is the largest organisation of the militant poor in post-apartheid South Africa and is presently engaged in fighting the proposed "KwaZulu-Natal Elimination & Prevention of Re-emergence of Slums Bill".
For more see the Abahlali website.
Music in this podcast is brought to you by Busi Ncube from Zimbabwe, kindly provided by Thulani Promotions.
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Charles Taylor trial
21st June 2007
Charles TaylorStephen Rapp, chief prosecutor at the trial of the former Liberian president Charles Taylor, speaks to Robtel Pailey from Pambazuka News after giving his opening statement in the Netherlands on 4 June 2007.
Taylor has been indicted on 11 counts of crimes against humanity for his alleged participation in the Sierra Leone civil war, which lasted from 1991 to 2002. However Taylor was absent from the courtroom causing a huge uproar.
Robtel Pailey reports from the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, exploring the complexities of the case with Stephen Rapp. Also read Pailey's feature editorial ‘Even Former Warlords Deserve a Fair Trial’ in last week's issue of Pambazuka News.
Edited by Daniel Walter from CMFD in South Africa.
Music in this podcast is brought to you by Busi Ncube from Zimbabwe and kindly provided by Thulani Promotions.
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Radical community radio in Soweto
7th June 2007
Molefi Ndlovu from the Center for Civil Society in Durban, South Africa speaks to Sokari Ekine from Pambazuka News about the radical community radio project RASA FM in Soweto. The radio station ran without a license in Soweto for six months in 2005 and was hugely popular with the local community. RASA became a victim of its own success when the power of its appeal proved too big a threat to the corporate media and it was shut down. In this podcast organiser Molefi tells RASA’s amazing story and explores the nature of community media and what is possible with the medium. See Rasa Radio discussion at UKZN for more information.
Music in this podcast is brought to you by Busi Ncube from Zimbabwe, kindly provided by Thulani Promotions.
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Freddy Macha speaks to Pambazuka
24th May 2007
Freddy Macha, Tanzanian writer and artist, speaks to Robtel Pailey from Pambazuka News about being a journalist during censorship in Nyerere’s administration. He explores the nature of music and expresses his thoughts on a range of subjects from satirising urban life, promoting African languages and culture and the connections between modern life and constipation. You can find out more and hear Macha’s music at http://www.freddymacha.com/.
Music in this podcast is brought to you by Busi Ncube from Zimbabwe, kindly provided by Thulani Promotions.
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Environmental justice in Nigeria
10th May 2007
Patterson Ogon from the Ijaw Council for Human Rights and Ifieniya Lott, a women's rights activist speak to Sokari Ekine from Pambazuka News about the environmental justice issues people face in the Niger Delta. As the recent elections have been criticised for widespread rigging particularly in the Niger Delta region, this podcast reflects on the problems people are encountering and what the future holds. For more information on the issues see Black Looks: Niger Delta and Environmental Rights Action.
The music in this podcast is brought to you by Busi Ncube from Zimbabwe and kindly provided by Thulani Promotions
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Firestone in Liberia
26th April 2007
Ezekiel Pajibo and Kofi Woods speak to Robtel Pailey from Pambazuka News about the role of Firestone tyre company in Liberia. Firestone has operated in Liberia since the 1920s and been accused of using forced labour, polluting water sources and tax evasion by activists. The new administration in Liberia is currently embroiled in a difficult process of renegotiating the contract with Firestone.
In this podcast, Liberian Minister of Labour Kofi Woods and activist Ezekiel Pajibo explore the role of Firestone in Liberia and what is being done to redress the asymmetrical relationship between the company and the people of Liberia. You can find out more about the struggle against Firestone by going to the Stop Firestone Campaign website.
See also the Pambazuka News article Slavery Ain’t Dead, It’s Manufactured in Liberia’s Rubber by Robtel Neajai Pailey.
The music in this podcast is brought to you by Busi Ncube from Zimbabwe and kindly provided by Thulani Promotions
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Shackdwellers rise up in South Africa
12th April 2007
System Cele from shackdweller association Abahlali, based in Durban, speaks to Sokari Ekine of Pambazuka News about the struggle for rights to land and housing in new South Africa. Five members of her group are now on hunger strike after being arrested in what Abahlali sees as a politically motivated murder charge. In this interview System speaks about why the community are struggling to stay in their area and the obstacles they face in both daily life and political organising. For more on shackdwellers issues and updates on the hunger strike see the Abahlali website.
The music in this podcast is brought to you by Busi Ncube from Zimbabwe and kindly provided by Thulani Promotions
See also the Pambazuka News article An Anatomy of a Hunger Strike by Raj Patel.
Listen to System Cele (mp3 file)
Zimbabwe youth protest in London
29th March 2007
Free Zim-Youth, a group of young Zimbabweans living in the UK, demonstrated outside the South African embassy in central London in protest at the ANC's silence on the Mugabe regime. Commemorating the anniversary of the Sharpeville Day massacre during apartheid rule, the youth group accused the ANC of betraying the people of Zimbabwe. In this podcast hear the voices of the protesters and the sounds of the demonstration. To contact Free Zim-Youth email them at freezim6 at yahoo.co.uk
The music in this podcast is brought to you by Busi Ncube from Zimbabwe and kindly provided by Thulani Promotions
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Art therapy with children in Uganda series
15th March 2007
David Odwar, an artist and cultural activist from Uganda, speaks to Robtel Pailey from Pambazuka News about his experiences of growing up in Uganda, and his brother’s abduction by the Lord’s Resistance Army. He recounts his subsequent exile in the UK. David then returned to Uganda where he set up an arts centre where the local community may explore and express the traumas of war through art, and established the project ‘Through Art Keep Smiling’.
The music in this podcast is brought to you by Busi Ncube from Zimbabwe and kindly provided by Thulani Promotions
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Sexuality and Social Justice Exhibition series
8th March 2007
Fikele Vilakaz, director of the Coalition of African Lesbians talks to Sokari Ekine from Pambazuka News in the first of our special series on sexuality and social justice. The interview is part of an online exhibition produced by Gabrielle Le Roux and Sokari Ekine that combines audio content with portraits of the subjects drawn during the World Social Forum in Nairobi. It pays tribute to these inspiring activists who risk their lives in the fight for sexual rights in Africa, India and Latin America.
The music in this podcast is brought to you by Busi Ncube from Zimbabwe and kindly provided by Thulani Promotions
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Caine Prize winner Segun Afolabi speaks to Pambazuka News
1st March 2007
Segun Afolabi, winner of the 2005 Caine Prize for African Writing, the leading literary prize for short stories from the African continent, speaks to Robtel Pailey of Pambazuka News. In the podcast, Segun, from Nigeria, reads an excerpt from his award winning short story 'Monday Morning'. He discusses the impact of winning the prize on his literary success, the situation of publishing in Africa, and themes such as migration, diaspora, memory and loss.
Segun Afolabi’s winning story is available in a collection of Caine Prize entries entitled, The Obituary Tango ( New Internationalist, 2006). The story is reproduced in this podcast with the kind permission of Random House.
The music in this podcast is brought to you by Busi Ncube from Zimbabwe and kindly provided by Thulani Promotions
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Lesbian women’s football in South Africa
22nd February 2007
Phumla Masuku, the manager of a South African lesbian women’s football team speaks to Sokari Ekine from Pambazuka News about the team she founded, The Chosen Few. Based in Soweto the team have encountered much homophobia and racism but successfully made it to the international Gay Games in Chicago where they won the Bronze Medal.
The music in this podcast is by Freddy Macha
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China in Africa: A new colonialism or South-South solidarity?
9th February 2007
Robtel Pailey speaks to participants at the 2007 World Social Forum about China’s contemporary role on the African continent. She explores China’s historical legacy in Africa, cultural exchange, economic assistance, trade, mining, oil and questions of human rights, notably in Sudan.
The music in this podcast is by Freddy Macha
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Special Reports from the World Social Forum
WSF special broadcast: Conscious music from the Nairobi slums
23rd January 2007
Hope Raisers, a local Kenya group of ‘conscious musicians’, living in the slums of Nairobi speak to Robtel Pailey from Pambazuka News about their music, justice and the obstacles they face as political artists. This podcast is brought to you as part of our special reports from the World Social Forum in Nairobi.
The music in this podcast is by Freddy Macha
WSF special broadcast: Occupation of Western Sahara
21st January 2007
Abd Mohammed speaks to Sokari Ekine from Pambazuka News about Morocco’s ongoing occupation of Western Sahara. This podcast is a special report brought to you from the World Social Forum in Nairobi.
The music in this podcast is by Freddy Macha
WSF special broadcast: LGBT rights in Zimbabwe
21st January 2007
Fadzai Muparutsu from Gays and Lesbians of Zimbabwe (GALZ) speaks to Sokari Ekine from Pambazuka News about lesbian and gay rights in Zimbabwe. This podcast is a special report brought to you from the World Social Forum in Nairobi.
The music in this podcast is by Freddy Macha
WSF special broadcast: Lesbian rights in Africa
21st January 2007
Fikele Vilakazi and Vanesha Chitty speak to Robtel Pailey from Pambazuka News about their work on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights in Africa. This podcast is a special report brought to you from the World Social Forum in Nairobi.
The music in this podcast is by Freddy Macha
House of Hunger poetry slam in Zimbabwe
11th January 2007
The House of Hunger poetry slam features Zimbabwean voices on topics ranging from forced removals to women's empowerment. They demonstrate that at a time when freedom of expression is stifled in Zimbabwe people are finding their voices through art..
Please note two poems are in Shona language. A translation PDF is available.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.5 License.