Pambazuka News is produced by a pan-African community of some 2,600 citizens and organisations - academics, policy makers, social activists, women's organisations, civil society organisations, writers, artists, poets, bloggers, and commentators who together produce insightful, sharp and thoughtful analyses and make it one of the largest and most innovative and influential web forums for social justice in Africa. 
Sexual trafficking
27th November 2008
Trafficking of women and children is an increasing problem around the world. Africa is not exempt - women are being sold and kidnapped for the purposes of sexual slavery and prostitution, domestic and commercial labour. African women are being sent away not only outside the continent but also to other African countries. This despite provisions in the Maputo protocol on the protection of women and prevention of trafficking. The programme looks at the plight of girls being kidnapped from the Great lakes region to end up in Uganda.
This episode was produced by Contact FM 89.7.
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Sexual violence against women - DRC and Kenya
20th November 2008
The right of women to not fear and be protected from sexual violence is enshrined in the Maputo declaration on women's rights, but this has remained a dead letter in several African countries. The programme looks at the horrific nature and extent of violence against women in DRC as well as a Kenyan writer's take on the violence unleashed against women in the wake of the December elections.
This episode was produced by Contact FM 89.7.
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Women and governance - Rwandan women come out on top in parliamentary elections
13th November 2008
The programme looks at the significance of the recent Rwandan elections which made history as women gained a majority in parliament - what do ordinary Rwandan women think of and expect from this success and what inspiration or message for the rest of Africa.
This episode was produced by Contact FM 89.7.
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Makupo’s Well
4th November 2008
Gwen Schulman discusses how remittances from Canada made it possible to sink a well in Makupo, a small village in Malawi. Easy access to water has transformed the villagers' lives—freeing up time for other pressing work and, indeed, for some leisure. But what is the impact of remittances on the structural inequalities that keep Makupo poor?
This episode was produced by Amandla.
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Black History Month
Black History Month: Interview with Horace Campbell
7th August 2008
The final interview of this series is with Horace Campbell, professor of African American studies at Syracuse University, and author of Rasta and Resistance, from Marcus Garvey to Walter Rodney, and Reclaiming Zimbabwe: The Exhaustion of the Patriarchal Model of Liberation.
This episode was produced by Contact FM 89.7.
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Black History Month: Interview with Dan Lyndon
23rd July 2008
On the other side of the Atlantic, Black History Month is also celebrated each October in the United Kingdom, which has had a substantial black population since the 16th century. In this interview Contact FM talks to Dan Lyndon, history teacher and member of the British and Asian Studies Association.
This episode was produced by Contact FM 89.7.
Related links:
blackhistory4schools
comptonhistory
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Black History Month: Interview with Patricia Sluby
13th July 2008
The history of African American science is still today an area not widely known about. Contact FM take a brief plunge into this history talking with writer Patricia Sluby, author of The Inventive Spirit of African Americans: Patented Ingenuity.
This episode was produced by Contact FM 89.7.
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Black History Month: Interview with Gabrilla Ballard
2nd July 2008
From Chicago, Contact FM go down South, where they talk with Gabrilla Ballard, singer, songwriter and activist, who tells them what it is like living in New Orleans after the massive 2005 flooding.
This episode was produced by Contact FM 89.7.
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Black History Month: Interview with Floyd Webb
24th June 2008
Taking a closer look at the origins of Black History Month, Contact FM talks to Floyd Webb, film-maker and web designer based in Chicago, about the relevance of Black History Month and his predictions for the future.
This episode was produced by Contact FM 89.7.
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Duniya yetu Arts Azimuts
27th March 2008
Between the 25th of January and the 2nd of Feb 2008, the town of Butare, Rwanda, hosted its first International Arts Festival organized by the University Centre for Arts. Entitled ‘Arts Azimuts’, this festival focused on theatre, music and dance, bringing together artists from Rwanda, Western Africa, Belgium and the United States. ContactFM.
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Du 25 janvier au 2 fevrier 2008,la ville de Butare au Rwanda a abrite son premier Festival International des Arts organise par le Centre Universitaire des arts. Intitule "Arts Azimuts", le festival incluait theatre,musique et dance et a rassemble des artistes du Rwanda, de l'afrique de l'ouest de laBelgique et des USA. ContactFM.
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Ugandan Women Speak about Women’s Protocol
6th march 2008
Marren Akatsa-Bukachi, executive director of the Eastern African sub Regional Support Initiative for Advancement of Women (EASSI), Solome Nakaweesi-Kimbugwe, executive director of Akina Mama wa Afrika and Patricia Munabi Babiiha, executive director of the Forum for Women in Democracy (FOWODE) speak to Firoze Manji about the challenges of persuading Uganda to ratify the AU Protocol on the Rights of Women in Africa.
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Interview with Peter Hallward
28th February 2008
Peter Hallward talks over the phone with Jacques Depelchin from the Ota Benga Alliance for Peace Healing and Dignity, and visiting Professor at the Centre for Afro-Oriental Studies at the Federal University of Bahia, Salvador, Brazil, and Firoze Manji, founder and co-editor of Pambazuka News, about his book and the lessons of Haiti.
Peter Hallward's book “Damming the Flood: Haiti, Aristide and the Politics of Containment”, published by Verso Press in 2007, is likely to become a classic reference on the most recent history of Haiti, thanks especially, to a fascinating and informative analysis of the clash between mass-based and elite driven politics. In the fierce battle over and around which ideological lens should one use to look at and make sense of Haiti's most recent history, including the overthrow and kidnapping of President Jean Bertrand Aristide, Peter Hallward's book is a welcome counterbalance to those offered by both mainstream journalism and books such as Alex Dupuy's “Prophet and Power: Jean-Bertrand Ariside, the International Community and Haiti” published by Rowman & Littlefield in 2007.
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Interviews with women in south Kivu
14th February 2008
In this series of interviews, Rwanda's Contact FM radio talks to activists in south Kivu fighting for justice for the women of Congo.
Christine Schuler Descrivers works closely with Panzi hospital in Bukavu and a leading campaigner against the sexual terrorism of women.
Dr. Denis Mukwege is chief gyneacologist at Bukavu’s Panzi hospital and a specialist in reparative surgery for women mutilated by sexual terrorism.
Venancie Bisimanabintou is executive secretary of the womens’ network for the defence of human rights and peace also based in Bukavu.
Image courtesy of jahnaitka
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Dans cette série d’entretiens, Contact FM du Rwanda parle aux militants du Sud Kivu qui se battent pour que les femmes du Congo obtiennent justice.
Christine Schuler Descrivers travaille en étroite collaboration avc l’hopîtal Kanzi de Bukavu, et est l’une des militantes les plus actives contre le terrorisme sexuel commis contre les femmes.
Dr. Denis Mukwege est chef gynécologue à l’hopîtal Kanzi de Bukavu, et spécialiste en chirurgic reparative pour les femmes mutilées victimes de terrorisme sexuel.
Venancie Bisimanabintou est secrétaire principale du réseau de femmes pour la défense des droits de l’homme et de la paix aussi basé à Bukavu.
Image courtoisie de jahnaitka
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Interviews with women in north Kivu
7th February 2008
The recent peace conference in Goma, north Kivu has raised hopes that a durable solution to the almost decade long conflict in eastern DRC will finally be found. But Congolese women of DRC are paying a huge price as each bout of fighting results in ever more women raped and mutilated. Rape is being used as a weapon of war in what increasingly looks like a no win situation for all parties concerned and Congolese women are upping the ante in the fight to break the silence about the atrocities committed against them for too many years. In this series of interviews, Rwanda’s Contact FM radio talks to women in north Kivu in the forefront of fighting what has been described as “femicide” in eastern DRC.
Justine Masika is president of ‘Synergy des Femmes pour les Victimes des violences Sexuelles SFVS’, based in Goma.
Salome Toubouba is a psychologist working for Christian Relief Network who lives in Goma.
Sylvie Vandenwildenberg is press attaché for the United Nations mission in Congo, based in Goma.
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La conférence de paix qui a eu lieu récemment à Goma au nord Kivu a offert une lueur d’espoir qu’une solution durable à un conflit qui sévit depuis presque dix ans en RDC de l’est puisse être enfin trouvée. Mais les femmes congolaises de la RDC payent/ont payé ce conflit au prix fort, puisque chaque phase de combat a eu pour résultat un nombre croissant de femmes violées et mutilées. Le viol est utilisé comme arme de guerre dans ce qui apparait de plus en plus comme une impasse pour toutes les parties bélligérentes, et les femmes congolaises ont mis la surenchère/augmenté la pression/dans la bataille contre le silence autour de ces atrocities commises depuis trop longstops. Dans cette série d’entretiens, Contact FM du Rwanda parle aux femmes du Nord Kivu qui de trouvent en première ligne de ce conflit souvent décrit comme un « fémicide » en RDC de l’Est.
Justine Masika est présidente de l’association Synergie des femmes pour les victimes de la violence sexuelle, située à Goma.
Salome Toubouba est une psychologies vivant à Goma travaillant pour Christian Relief Network.
Sylvie Vandenwildenberg est l’attachée de presse Pour la mission des Nations Unies au Congo, basée à Goma.
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Sous les volcans
31st January 2008
Prepared and presented by Michael Gabriel Mudimbi of Contact FM, "Sous les volcans" talks to women of the Kivus, the victims and the activists in an attempt to break the silence about what is happening to women in eastern DRC.
There seems to be no end in sight to the appalling violence against women in the Kivu region of eastern DRC. In North Kivu alone, there are 250 cases of rape reported each month and the unofficial figure could be much higher. Every hospital and health centre in both Kivus report cases of sexual violence on a daily basis, and the victims range from six months to 95 years of age. This is sexual violence in its most barbaric form, since rape is invariably accompanied by torture and mutilation leading some activists to describe what is happening to Congolese women as femicide. The trauma of these women is exacerbated by the fact that they are often rejected by their families and that perpetrators seldom brought to justice. All factions involved in the fighting in Kivu are accused of brutality against women though the majority of crimes are attributed to the Interhamwe militia, still active in Congo after fleeing Rwanda when the Rwandan Patriotic Front took control of the country and ended the genocide in 1994.
La violence effroyable menée contre les femmes de la région du Kivu à l’Est de la RDC semble être sans fin. Dans le nord Kivu seulement, on compte 250 cas de viols déclarés chaque mois, et les chiffres non officiels pourraient être bien plus élevés. Chaque hôpital et centre de soins dans les deux Kivus rapportent des cas de violences sexuelles au quotidien, et les victimes sont âgées de 6 mois à 95 ans. Il s’agit là de violence sexuelle sous sa forme la plus barbare, car le viol est invariablement accompagné de torture et de mutilation, ce qui a poussé certains militants de décrire comme fémicide ce qui est en train d’arriver au femmes congolaises. Le traumatisme subi par ces femmes est d’autant plus violent qu’elles sont souvent rejetées par leurs familles et que les criminels ne comparaissent que très rarement devant la justice. Toutes les factions bélligérentes au Kivu sont accusées de brutalité contre les femmes, bien que la majorité des crimes sont attribuables aux milices del’Interhamwe, encore actives au Congo après avoir fui le Rwanda lorsque le Front Patriotique Rwandais prit contrôle du pays et mit fin au génocide en 1994.
‘Sous les volcans’ parle aux femmes des deux Kivus, aux victimes et aux militantes, et ceci afin d’essayer de rompre le silence autour de ce que subissent les femmes en RDC orientale. Un documentaire préparé et présenté par Michael Gabriel Mudimbi pour Contact FM.
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Post Election Violence in Kenya
31st January 2008
Jamhuri parkFiroze Manji speaks on post election violence in Kenya as a symptom of long term debates within Kenya surrounding the constitution, and a legacy of Kenya's history under colonialism.
Since the December elections in Kenya an estimated 600 people have died as a result of the unrest, and another 100,000 at least have been displaced. The violence erupted after incumbent Mwai Kibaki was sworn into office in the midst of acusations that the election was rigged, led by opposition candidate Raila Odinga. International observers have called the election "flawed." In this interview Firoze Manji speaks on post election violence in Kenya as a symptom of long term debates within Kenya surrounding the constitution, and a legacy of Kenya's history under colonialism.
Produced by Seth Porcello
You can also find this Interview, along with other independently produced programs, at Urgent Uploads
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Flag and Future
11th January 2008
Neema Ngwatilo Mawiyoo is a young writer and musician based in Nairobi. She asks and seeks to answer difficult artistic and human questions. She does not always reach an answer, and the dialogue is not always pleasant. To contact Ngwatilo: nmawiyoo [ at ] gmail.com.
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