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Political intimidation in Zimbabwe

2001-04-09

http://www.oneworld.org/amani/

Last June, parliamentary elections were held in Zimbabwe in an atmosphere of fear and violence. The elections marked the first time a strong opposition party, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), challenged the ruling Zimbabwe African National Union - Patriotic Front (ZANU (PF)) in the political arena. The MDC won 57 out of 120 contested seats but the price was high as pre-election violence erupted in the form of extra-judicial killings, beatings, property damage and intimidation around the country.

International observers and commentators including Amnesty International, the Commonwealth, the US-based National Democratic Institute and the European Union all released reports citing evidence that the elections were not free and fair. In fact, Zimbabwe's own Electoral Commission proclaimed the elections the bloodiest since the end of white minority rule in 1980.

Both political parties blame the other for incitement of violence. However, the MDC has brought legal challenges to the High Court of Zimbabwe in 39 constituencies in an effort to overturn election results in those areas. They are alleging that the violence perpetrated by ZANU (PF) agents, with the knowledge or active participation of the ZANU (PF) candidate at the time, unfairly affected the outcome of the vote thereby violating the Electoral Act of Zimbabwe. The cases have thus far involved numerous allegations of violence being perpetuated by veterans of Zimbabwe's war of liberation. Factions of these veterans are widely regarded to be militant and very close to ZANU (PF). War veterans are seen to be responsible for numerous acts of violence perpetrated against white commercial farmers in the past year in protest of what is perceived to be white domination of the industry. The vast majority of the electoral violence was perpetrated against members or perceived members of the MDC. They are asking that all elections in these 39 constituencies be re-run to achieve accurate results. If any member of parliament is found guilty of election misconduct in these proceedings, that member will be ineligible to run for public office for five years and a bi-election will be called in that constituency to determine a new sitting member.

In addition to allegations of violence, many protest the government's changes to the Electoral Act immediately preceding the election. The Electoral Act allows for the president to make changes to the electoral system. He did so in the following ways: 1) Changes in the postal ballot system were made on June 7, ahead of the voting dates of the 24th & 25th June, to make it more difficult for Zimbabweans abroad to cast their ballots, 2) The Electoral Supervisory Commission had its power to accredit observers and monitors revoked and placed in the hands of the Registrar General, 3) Sitting dates for the Nomination Courts were deferred from May 29 to June 3, 4) The Electoral Act's 21-day provision between nomination and polling was shortened to 20 days, and 5) Voter registration was extended from 16 April to 12 June. (All information regarding changes to the Electoral Act is courtesy of the Zimbabwe Human Rights Forum's report, 'Human Rights and Zimbabwe's June 2000 Election')

The Amani Trust, a Zimbabwean NGO advocating for victims of organized violence and torture, will produce a weekly report for the international community on the progress of these trials. This report will focus on cases of gross human rights violations and electoral abuses within constituencies that have cases before the High Court.

From The Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum - April 9, 2001, v.7
Zimbabwe Parliamentary Election Challenges Newsletter

The Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum – April 9, 2001, v.7
Zimbabwe Parliamentary Election Challenges Newsletter

Overview for 2nd April – 6th April

The MDC candidate for the Kariba constituency, Luka Sigobole, has decided to withdraw his election petition because of death threats he has received. Sigobole stated that his family also has received death threats from sources he would not identify. He stated that he withdrew his petition because he feared for the safety of witnesses and party members. Beatings and intimidation directed at witnesses in the election petitions have been reported in numerous constituencies over the past two months.

Note: The High Court is still in recess. The election challenges will reconvene 23 April.

Background

Last June, parliamentary elections were held in Zimbabwe in an atmosphere of fear and violence. The elections marked the first time a strong opposition party, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), challenged the ruling Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front (ZANU (PF)) in the political arena. The MDC won 57 out of 120 contested seats but the price was high as pre-election violence erupted in the form of extra-judicial killings, beatings, property damage and intimidation around the country.

International observers and commentators including Amnesty International, the Commonwealth, the US-based National Democratic Institute and the European Union all released reports citing evidence that the elections were not free and fair. In fact, Zimbabwe’s own Electoral Commission proclaimed the elections the bloodiest since the end of white minority rule in 1980.

Both political parties blame the other for incitement of violence. However, the MDC has brought legal challenges to the High Court of Zimbabwe in 39 constituencies in an effort to overturn election results in those areas. They are alleging that the violence perpetrated by ZANU (PF) agents, with the knowledge or active participation of the ZANU (PF) candidate at the time, unfairly affected the outcome of the vote thereby violating the Electoral Act of Zimbabwe. The cases have thus far involved numerous allegations of violence being perpetuated by veterans of Zimbabwe’s war of liberation. Factions of these veterans are widely regarded to be militant and very close to ZANU (PF). War veterans are seen to be responsible for numerous acts of violence perpetrated against white commercial farmers in the past year in protest of what is perceived to be white domination of the industry. The vast majority of the electoral violence was perpetrated against members or perceived members of the MDC. They are asking that all elections in these 39 constituencies be re-run to achieve accurate results. If any member of parliament is found guilty of election misconduct in these proceedings, that member will be ineligible to run for public office for five years and a bi-election will be called in that constituency to determine a new sitting member.

In addition to allegations of violence, many protest the government’s changes to the Electoral Act immediately preceding the election. The Electoral Act allows for the president to make changes to the electoral system. He did so in the following ways: 1) Changes in the postal ballot system were made on June 7, ahead of the voting dates of the 24th & 25th June, to make it more difficult for Zimbabweans abroad to cast their ballots, 2) The Electoral Supervisory Commission had its power to accredit observers and monitors revoked and placed in the hands of the Registrar General, 3) Sitting dates for the Nomination Courts were deferred from May 29 to June 3, 4) The Electoral Act’s 21-day provision between nomination and polling was shortened to 20 days, and 5) Voter registration was extended from 16 April to 12 June. (All information regarding changes to the Electoral Act is courtesy of the Zimbabwe Human Rights Forum’s report, ‘Human Rights and Zimbabwe’s June 2000 Election’)

The Amani Trust, a Zimbabwean NGO advocating for victims of organized violence and torture, will produce a weekly report for the international community on the progress of these trials. This report will focus on cases of gross human rights violations and electoral abuses within constituencies that have cases before the High Court.

Election results courtesy Zimbabwe Election Support Network ‘Report on the 2000 Parliamentary Elections: Zimbabwe’


Status of Cases
Chiredzi South is expected to start after the recess. Makoni West has adjourned until May 14th. The Buhera North case was completed after two subpoenaed witnesses did not report to court.

Constituency Case Status Ruling Appeal
Buhera North Tsvangirai vs. Manyonda Completed Pending
Chinhoyi Matamisa vs. Chinyangwa Completed Pending
Chiredzi North Mare vs. Chauke Completed Pending
Hurungwe East Chadya vs. Marumahoko Completed Pending
Kariba Sigobole vs. Mackenzie Withdrawn
Makoni West Makuwaza vs. Mahachi Reconvenes 14/5 Pending
Mutoko South Muzira vs. Muchena Completed Pending
Shurugwi Matibenga vs. Nhema Completed Pending
Zvishavane Maruzani vs. Mbalekwa Completed ZANU (PF) To Supreme Court

Sources: Witness statements, medical reports and court testimony.

*Election results courtesy Zimbabwe Election Support Network ‘Report on the 2000 Parliamentary Elections: Zimbabwe’


Prepared by the Amani Trust. Founded in 1993, Amani Trust is a Zimbabwe human rights non-governmental organization whose mission is to offer rehabilitation to survivors of organized violence and torture and their families. It also aims to make the nation aware of the consequences of organized violence and torture, and to work towards the prevention of future organized violence and torture. Amani Trust is also a member of the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum, a coordinating body and coalition of nine Zimbabwean human rights organizations, which works to provide legal assistance to political violence victims.
Address: 1 Raleigh Street, Harare, Zimbabwe
Email: amani@echo.icon.co.zw
Telephone: 792222

Chapter 2 Network

2001-04-09

http://www.advocacy.org.za/

The Chapter 2 Network is a clearinghouse of information and communication
for social justice issues in South Africa. Through its website, it provides
information about advocacy campaigns; training on Advocacy and lobbying,
including learning practical skills through the Advocacy game; research on
political intelligence, policy analysis and legislation monitoring and networking opportunities to interact with other civil society organisations who are engaged in social justice advocacy.

from peter eigen, transparency international

2001-04-09

http://www.transparency.org

Joyce Gampel, NON-PROFIT RESOURCE TRAINING

2001-04-09

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/letters/527

Matabaro Minani, Tanzania Esperanto Asociation

2001-04-09

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/letters/468

I take this opportunity to thank you for sending useful information to me who stand on behalf of my organisation. Thanks a lot.

HIV/AIDS Drama, Music And Song

2001-04-09

http://allafrica.com/stories/200102120388.html

Botswana's HIV/AIDS educators are turning to drama, song and poetry in an effort to reach young people who are becoming increasingly bored with politicians' speeches, bleak billboard campaigns and scary statistics.

Talents - African Capacity Building Newsletter

2001-04-09

http://www.mwengo.org

Attached is our first copy of our African capacity building newsletter - "Talents" for your perusal. Talents is a publication that is dedicated,
purely and simply to the capacity building of African civil societyorganisations. The belief behind this publication is that the time has come
for the introduction of a vehicle that focuses on capacity building and capacity building only. By facilitating debate, promoting dialogue and
encouraging analysis, research and self-discovery and challenging existing paradigms, Talents can contribute towards more conscious approaches to
capacity building that are driven by and reflect an African sustainability agenda. "Talents" will seek to promote African thought and the exploration
of alternative solutions to capacity building challenges facing African CSOs in a manner that reflects the aspirations and priorities of African
communities.

It is hoped that, over time, the humble beginning that this inaugural edition of Talents represents, will grow into a respected publication on
capacity building on the continent. For this to happen we will need to draw on the inspiration, encouragement and support of all of us. Any support
whether an idea, a thought, an article or whisper of encouragement will bring us a little nearer to that community of African civil society
organisations we envision.

FAWE Dismayed

2001-04-09

http://allafrica.com/stories/200104040399.html

The Forum for African Women Educationalists, (FAWE) Ghana chapter has expressed dismay about the way the mass media report defilement cases. FAWE says it was time the media stopped reporting rape cases and human right abuses with "glee" to entice their readers and listeners.

Sierra Leonean women's testimonies on rape by RUF terrorists

2001-04-09

http://www.afrol.com/Categories/Women/msindex.htm

New testimonies by refugees returning from Guinea to Sierra Leone, through the "safe passage through rebel-held territory", prove the systematic rape of Sierra Leonean women by RUF terrorists/rebels. The rebels "said they were not going to kill us, but that they would use us until they would be satisfied," one woman who was gang raped reported.

Struggles of African women underscored in North-South development report

2001-04-09

http://www.nsi-ins.ca/ensi/news_views/news27.html

Following more than four years of coordinated studies in ten African countries, The North-South Institute have launched Demanding Dignity: Women Confronting Economic Reforms in Africa. A groundbreaking and innovative study of African women’s struggles to deal with gender-bias in financial and economic policies, the 300-page volume covers 13 case studies in the countries of Togo, Mali, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Nigeria, Kenya, Chad and Ghana.

The information technology revolution:

Widening or bridging gender gaps?

2001-04-09

http://www.ilo.org/public/english/bureau/inf/pkits/wer2001/wer01ch4.htm

The information economy has flourished and is now evolving into a networking economy that is radically transforming the world of work. But will this revolution be a powerful vehicle for gender equality, or will increasing numbers of women find themselves caught on the wrong side of the digital divide?

Women and ICTs Project:

Economic Empowerment of Women through ICTs

2001-04-09

http://www.kabissa.org/wougnet/Documents/CEEWAU/ceewa_ict.html

The Council for Economic Empowerment of Women of Africa, Uganda chapter (CEEWA-U) with support from International Development Research Centre (IDRC) is implementing an Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) Project to promote Community Economic Empowerment. The main objective of the project is to enable women entrepreneurs and women organisations that promote enterprise development to explore ways and means of exploiting ICTs for community economic empowerment.

AI: torture in Burundi on the rise

2001-04-09

http://www.web.amnesty.org/web/news.nsf/thisweek?openview

Amnesty International expressed concern today at the significant increase in cases of torture and unlawful detention in Burundi. "Since the Forces nationales de libération (FNL), National Liberation Forces, attacked and occupied parts of the capital, Bujumbura, in late February and early March, there has been a noticeable escalation of torture by members of the Burundian security forces. We are also investigating a number of cases where people arrested have been taken to unknown places of detention and may have been extrajudicially executed", the organization said.
* News Release Issued by the International Secretariat of Amnesty
International *

3 April 2001
AFR 16/025/2001
61/01


Amnesty International expressed concern today at the significant
increase in cases of torture and unlawful detention in Burundi.

"Since the Forces nationales de libération (FNL),
National Liberation Forces, attacked and occupied parts of the
capital, Bujumbura, in late February and early March, there has
been a noticeable escalation of torture by members of the
Burundian security forces. We are also investigating a number of
cases where people arrested have been taken to unknown places of
detention and may have been extrajudicially executed", the
organization said.

All detainees, including children, are vulnerable to
torture and ill-treatment in the early stages of detention by the
military or gendarmerie in Burundi. This risk is increased if
they are held incommunicado or accused of a political offence,
such as suspicion of participation or collaboration with an armed
opposition group.

"We are calling on Burundian President Pierre Buyoya and
other top civilian and security force authorities to intervene
immediately to prevent further torture, deaths in custody, and
"disappearances" and to release those against whom there is no
evidence to substantiate the accusation.

One of Bujumbura's most notorious places of detention is
a gendarmerie building which belongs to an elite unit known as
the Groupement d'intervention, Intervention Squad. Torture and
cases of "disappearance" or suspected extrajudicial execution are
routinely reported from this building, and people living nearby
report hearing screams at night. It is virtually impossible for
human rights groups, and even members of the civilian justice
system, such as the State Public Prosecutor, to gain access to
detainees held in the building.

"Most of the people whose cases we are monitoring at the
moment have been severely beaten with gun buts, metal rods or
sticks, on the legs, back, head and face. Some have been tied
for hours or days leaving gaping flesh wounds. Others have been
threatened with execution, or denied food and water," the human
rights organization said.

In all the recent cases documented by Amnesty
International since late February, detainees have been arrested
on suspicion of collaboration with the FNL and have been tortured
in military and gendarmerie custody. However, in most cases,
the basis of the accusations seems to be largely unfounded.

Matenga, a farmer was arrested by soldiers on 18 March as
he visited friends in Maramvya, Mutimbuzi commune near
Bujumbura. The soldiers accused him of collaboration with the
FNL apparently solely because he was not from Maramvya but from a
nearby village.

"This is a typical case, where the detainee is held
outside the framework of the law, and the protection it offers,
he is extremely vulnerable to torture or even extrajudicial
execution."

In similar cases, the detainee may eventually reappear.
However, the failure of soldiers and gendarmes to abide by lawful
arrest and detention procedures, sometimes refusing to
acknowledge a detention, aggravates the situation.

Amnesty International has also been raising concern
for a group of men who were arrested by soldiers on 16 March, in
the Maramvya area. They were briefly held and severely beaten at
a nearby military facility, before being transferred to a
military camp in Cibitoke province, northern Burundi. All but
one of them, Emile Masabo, have now been released. He is still at
risk of torture.

Background
According to Amnesty International's information, at least three
people are currently detained by the Groupement d'intervention.
They reportedly include a teenager, Léonidas Ntakahutimana, aged
16, who is reported to have been severely beaten. He is accused
of collaboration with the FNL. He had been forced by FNL
combatants, as they retreated to their bases, to carry property
they had looted during an attack on his home district of Kinama
in late 2000. When he returned to Kinama he was accused of
collaboration with the FNL. On 29 March, he was returned to the
Groupement d'intervention.

A man, known as "Safari" who was arrested in connection
with an attack, attributed to the FNL, on a civilian aircraft
landing at Bujumbura airport in November 2000, was reportedly
tortured to death at the Groupement d'intervention. The State
Public Prosecutor set up a government commission of inquiry to
investigate the attack on the aircraft and the people arrested,
two of whom were also tortured at the Groupement d'intervention.

On 22 March 2001, Amnesty International published a
report, Burundi: Between hope and fear (AI Index: AFR
16/007/2001) which looked at the human rights situation prior to
and since signature of the peace agreement in August 2000, and
challenges facing those intent on restoring respect for human
rights.


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Former Rwanda prosecutor confident about international criminal court

2001-04-09

http://www.earthtimes.org/apr/humanrightsformerrwandaapr4_01.htm

Louise Arbour, the former chief prosecutor of the international Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda, predicted today that in spite of United States opposition, the International Criminal Court will become a reality because the question of personal accountability of leaders is an irreversible movement.

Homosexuals 'To Be Barred From Entering Namibia'

2001-04-09

http://allafrica.com/stories/200104060113.html

President Sam Nujoma yesterday said Government would immediately deport homosexuals who try to enter the country through Hosea Kutako International Airport. Speaking at the opening of an Agricultural Development Centre at Erwee in the Kunene region, Nujoma expressed his disgust at the recent weddings of gay and lesbian couples in the Netherlands.

International Trade Should Protect Human Rights

2001-04-09

http://www.ichrdd.ca/111/english/commdoc/prelease/announceReportFTAA.html

States cannot ignore their human rights obligations when they negotiate trade agreements is the message sent today by Rights & Democracy to trade ministers meeting in Buenos Aires in Argentina, to negotiate the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA).

Moi Will Leave in 2002, Says Raila

2001-04-09

http://allafrica.com/stories/200104090007.html

National Development Party leader Raila Odinga yesterday scoffed at attempts to extend President Moi's term of office beyond the year 2002. Such attempts were not only inconsequential but time-wasting, Mr Odinga said.

NGOS URGE GREATER EFFORTS TO ADVANCE ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL RIGHTS

2001-04-09

http://www.unhchr.ch/huricane/huricane.nsf/view01/948AA7542E3E991DC1256A2400456ABC?opendocument

Non-governmental organizations speaking before the Commission on Human Rights have pressed such issues as debt relief for poor nations, rural land reform, and greater efforts to reduce extreme poverty as they commented on the status of economic, social and cultural rights around the world.

REPORT ON THE INCIDENCE OF HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATION IN TANZANIA

Report by Concern for Development Initiatives in Africa

2001-04-09

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/rights/535

Young man in Tanzania is drowned due to the failure to pay the “poll tax” amounting to Tshs.5000.00 (about US$ 6), reports ForDIA- Kagera.
Place of Incidence: Malehe Landing Site, on-shore Lake Victoria, Kyamalange Village, Rubafu Ward, Bugabo Tarafa, Bukoba Rural District, Kagera Region, Northwestern Tanzania.

Date and Time of Incidence: June 3 2000 around 11.00 hours.

Act of Human Right Violation: Drowning of the young man known by the name of Augustine Gasper (22) victimized due to the failure to pay the “poll tax” amounting to Tshs.5000.00 (about US$ 6).

Reported by: Concern for Development Initiatives in Africa-Kagera Zonal Office (ForDIA- Kagera)

BACKGROUND
Tanzania is one of the 33 African Least Developed countries located in the South of Sahara. She occupies the hinterland of the Eastern Coast of Africa and including the islands of Zanzibar and Pemba in the Indian Ocean [World Development Report 1990:178]. It is the landmass surrounded by countries of (anti clockwise from North) Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, D R Congo, Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique. Tanzania has the geographical coverage area of 942800km2, with estimated population of about 31.5 million people. It is a poor country, with GNP per capita of US$ 210. Tanzania is predominantly a peasantry agriculture economy whose percentage share in GDP is 47.4%. Tanzanians have the life expectance of 49 years (men) and 52 years (women). The infant mortality rate in Tanzania is 92 per 1000 live births.

Like many other former nation-states, Tanzania succumbed to the early nineties winds of change, hence pursuing the plural and competitive sociopolitical/economic policy since the last eight years (1992 - 2000) ago. It had been the socialist state defacto since 1967, six years after independence when it was declared the nation-state pursuing socialist policy. In the year 1992 Tanzania was swept to bounce back into the plural and competitive society system.

However, the strategy of change that Tanzania adopted towards plural and competitive society cannot be characterized as either smooth or violent. Only cosmetic changes were effected to enable mere introduction of “many political parties”.

During the process of structural rearrangement and chance towards adopting plural and competitive social policy, the major economic and political commanding heights and realms were given mere lipstick service. The tax system and structure, which had earlier been designed purposely to siphon tangible incomes from the people thereby rendering the general public economically disempowered while strengthening the economic and political mighty of the state, remained intact. Workers have ever-since remained weak, disorganized and therefore poorly paid. Peasants have remained dependant upon the state’s designed sole crop marketing systems and structures, which have prerogative legal powers to market the crops on behalf of the peasants and farmers. The private entrepreneurial sector has remained weak growing at the snail’s rate. In fact all the potentially productive capacities of the peasants, farmers, workers and the private business sector, including the civil society have remained marginalized with bargaining disadvantage

During the process of shift from the closed to the open social arrangements the National Constitution could not be reviewed and discussed by citizens, thus giving all the people the opportunity to decide on a new and future national charter. The state monopolized the process and became the sole origins of the cosmology of contents of the major shift from nation-state to the open and competitive society.

In the course of the shift, poll tax -sweetly baptized as development levy, was reintroduced, but earlier since 1984, together with reintroduction of “local government” in Tanzania (Local governments were officially banned in 1971, ten years after independence). Although it is not the sole source, “poll tax” finances the local government upon which people have been being told to believe it would make and bring development to them. People’s willingness to pay the “poll tax” notwithstanding, many of them are unable to pay it. They are poorly paid! They are those whose crops can be marketed only if the process goes through the state marketing machinery! They are those heavily taxed to remain with mere slim marginal profits! They are those subsequently subjected to state bureaucracy and corruption! Sagaciously, therefore, there is rampant but sophisticated violation of human rights, notably economic human rights in Tanzania. The narration below provides and thus opening bare the referred to human rights violation in Tanzania.

THE INCIDENCE
On the day and at the place mentioned above, the Kishanje/Rubafu Ward Executive Officer (known by the name of Mr. Katembo) and the Kyamalange Village Executive Officer (known by the name of Mr. Prudence Mutagelekwa) respectively hereinafter referred to as WEO and VEO, together ordered and were accompanied by three local militiamen on duty mission to extract, garner and collect by force, the “poll tax” from dwellers-regular and irregular residents of Malehe Landing Site cum fish market place. The militiamen’s names are Mr. Dawson William, Mr. Edwin Joel and Mr. Jidi. The WEOs and VEOs are amongst the most underpaid and irregularly paid civil servants in Tanzania. The militiamen are not in any of the official pay roll except that they provide direct labour paid by those temporarily engaging them to execute a particular casual operation.

Upon arriving at Malehe Landing Site, the fateful fish market place, the WEO, VEO and militiamen forcefully accompanied by those whom they had “swept and arrested” on their way to the “operation place”, accusing them of evading to pay the “poll tax”, the population at Malehe, most of them poor, uneducated, undereducated and disempowered youths (victims) who are unable to pay the “poll tax” in time before the deadline, were found randomly undertaking the regular fishing-related activities. They were scared and therefore tried to escape or disappear from the sight of the coercive “poll tax” collectors by running away. They were escaping the intolerable physical and mental torture and social embarrassment that would befall on them.

However, because of the fact that the place is an enclave narrow bay, the victims realized were already rounded up by the militiamen and many of them were thus forced to “dive” into high waters offshore the Lake. Those able to swim did it and they well managed to escape. But amongst the victims was one irregular dweller of the place who had gone to the place only four days before to start the petty fishing undertaking. The poor unprepared young man who at the time was in thick clothing had never used to swimming and therefore drowned instantly!

EVENTS AFTER DROWNING OF THE VICTIM

Two of the militiamen conceived as direct responsible for the death of the innocent young man escaped from their regular village of residence to the distant but known neighbourhood village. The third militiaman remained in the village of his normal residence but undercover, at least for some time, conspicuously to see what would be the aftermath of the event and thus try to influence the village leadership and legal system to favour the perpetrators.

WEO and VEO were forced to remain behind at Malehe Landing Site by the grieved fishing community. The community took trouble to go to the nearby Iluhya Police Station (approximately 15km away from the scene) –the sole police station in Bugabo Tarafa, to report the incidence. Further, the community forced WEO and VEO to pay Tshs.25, 000.00 (US$ 30) to divers, who upon being paid dived and evacuated the body of the victim from water. WEO and VEO made the payments out of personal money, conspicuously using the dirty money they had grabbed from the powerless taxpayers in the pretence of local government authority. Until the police arrived at the incident the deceased’s body had already been evacuated from the water.

Three policemen (PC Kuboja Chikongo, PC James and Cpl Hamis) arrived at the scene accompanied by Kishanje Ward Rural Medical Assistant (RMA). Latter, the father of the victim Mr. Gasper Kamugisha also arrived. Upon arrival, however, the policemen did not do much other than conceding the postmortem carried out by RMA, which confirmed the victim, had died of drowning in water. Astonishingly, however, the same policemen pressurized the father of the victim to consent the RMA postmortem report and take the body of the deceased back home for burial. The victim’s father objected and forced the body of the deceased to be taken to the Bukoba Government Hospital (Regional hospital) for postmortem conducted by the qualified medical personnel as required by law. His plea was accepted. Nevertheless, only that two days latter the bewailing father was forced to pay the cost of transporting the dead body in the hired vehicle from the hospital back to his home village (Buzi village in Kaagya ward) about 27km North of Bukoba town. The deceased’s father shouldered all the cost out of his personal money.

No perpetrator was brought before the law! WEO and VEO were remanded for one day and thereafter were released on bail. The case was not brought to court. No follow-up concerning the case was carried out. No further legal action was taken!

Both WEO and VEO have since remained employed except that only the VEO was transferred from Rubafu to Bujugo Village in the Tarafa of Katerero, also in Bukoba rural district. The militiamen have ever-since returned back to their normal village of residence Kyamalange. They are emanating with normal life as usual.

CONCLUSION AND THE POSITION OF ForDIA
This incidence of violation of human rights (the right to live) for which ForDIA decided to make follow-up and report about is one of the many others taking place daily in many parts of Tanzania. The government is advised to take corrective measures in regard of defence, safeguard and promotion of human rights of all peoples in Tanzania. This will improve the Tanzania’s human right record/status before the civilized global society.

If the government in Tanzania is sincere to work for sustained peace, stability and development in the country the perpetrators should be brought before the law. Justice should be seen as being done. This is necessary. Activities of the notorious WEOs, VEOs and militiamen especially in rural areas should be closely monitored so as to reduce the rampant violation of human and people’s rights in rural areas.

God Bless Tanzania. God Bless Africa.

Senegal orders Habre out

2001-04-09

http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/africa/newsid_1266000/1266423.stm

The Senegalese President, Abdoulaye Wade, has said the former President of Chad, Hissene Habre, must leave the country. "We have given him 30 days to leave Senegal," President Wade told Sud FM radio in Dakar, the Senegalese capital. But he said Senegal had not been given sufficient evidence by the Chadian Government for the courts to prosecute Mr Habre for alleged crimes against humanity.

The Role of Online Publication in the Promotion of Democracy

2001-04-09

http://allafrica.com/stories/200103300095.html

The Internet is Africa's political corrupticians' nightmare. In other words, news-media-information censorship by political dictators is curtailed at the door of the Internet.

UNHCR: Robinson to stay for another year

2001-04-09

http://www.unhchr.ch/huricane/huricane.nsf/view01/2E25A79C6D8EFF25C1256A240026CF29?opendocument

The Chairman of the Commission on Human Rights, Leandro Despouy, this morning informed the Commission of the decision made by Mary Robinson, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, to accept the extension of her mandate by one year.

UNRISD: New Online Publications

2001-04-09

http://www.unrisd.org/

Democracy, Governance and Human Rights Programme Paper 3 Efficiency, Accountability and Implementation: Public Sector Reform in East and Southern Africa, Ole Therkildsen. Gender Justice, Development and Rights: Selected papers.

Zimbabwe Parliamentary Election Challenges

2001-04-09

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/rights/421

All judges presiding over the parliamentary election challenges have adjourned for the April recess. No trials were held last week. Of the trials held two weeks ago, Shurugwi and Chiredzi North have been completed while Makoni West is scheduled to reconvene on 14 May.
The Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum – April 2, 2001, v.6
Zimbabwe Parliamentary Election Challenges Newsletter


Overview for 26th March- 30th March, 2001

All judges presiding over the parliamentary election challenges have adjourned for the April recess. No trials were held last week. Of the trials held two weeks ago, Shurugwi and Chiredzi North have been completed while Makoni West is scheduled to reconvene on 14 May.

The only court activity last week was the reopening of the Buhera North case in which MDC President Morgan Tsvangirai contested his loss to ZANU (PF) MP Kenneth Manyonda. The trial was supposed to be reopened so a Central Intelligence Organization agent, Joseph Mwale, a war veteran leader, Kainos Zimunya and two associates could rebut testimony that implicated them in the petrol-bombing death of MDC supporters Talent Mabika and Tichaona Chiminya. Although the Court subpoenaed these men, they did not report to the hearing and their whereabouts are currently unknown. The Court left the responsibility of the subpoena to the petitioner. Ms. Sheila Jarvis, Mr. Tsvangirai’s lawyer, stated that the subpoenas were served at the workplaces of both men. Judge James Devittie stated that he will nevertheless make a decision with or without the testimony of the two men and will announce his judgment during the last week in April.

NOTE: Unless there is out-of-court activity with the challenges, the Zimbabwe Election Challenges Newsletter will publish its next issue on 30 April when the Court reconvenes. That issue should contain the decisions from the Buhera North and Shurugwi cases.


Background

Last June, parliamentary elections were held in Zimbabwe in an atmosphere of fear and violence. The elections marked the first time a strong opposition party, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), challenged the ruling Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front (ZANU (PF)) in the political arena. The MDC won 57 out of 120 contested seats but the price was high as pre-election violence erupted in the form of extra-judicial killings, beatings, property damage and intimidation around the country.

International observers and commentators including Amnesty International, the Commonwealth, the US-based National Democratic Institute and the European Union all released reports citing evidence that the elections were not free and fair. In fact, Zimbabwe’s own Electoral Commission proclaimed the elections the bloodiest since the end of white minority rule in 1980.

Both political parties blame the other for incitement of violence. However, the MDC has brought legal challenges to the High Court of Zimbabwe in 39 constituencies in an effort to overturn election results in those areas. They are alleging that the violence perpetrated by ZANU (PF) agents, with the knowledge or active participation of the ZANU (PF) candidate at the time, unfairly affected the outcome of the vote thereby violating the Electoral Act of Zimbabwe. The cases have thus far involved numerous allegations of violence being perpetuated by veterans of Zimbabwe’s war of liberation. Factions of these veterans are widely regarded to be militant and very close to ZANU (PF). War veterans are seen to be responsible for numerous acts of violence perpetrated against white commercial farmers in the past year in protest of what is perceived to be white domination of the industry. The vast majority of the electoral violence was perpetrated against members or perceived members of the MDC. They are asking that all elections in these 39 constituencies be re-run to achieve accurate results. If any member of parliament is found guilty of election misconduct in these proceedings, that member will be ineligible to run for public office for five years and a bi-election will be called in that constituency to determine a new sitting member.

In addition to allegations of violence, many protest the government’s changes to the Electoral Act immediately preceding the election. The Electoral Act allows for the president to make changes to the electoral system. He did so in the following ways: 1) Changes in the postal ballot system were made on June 7, ahead of the voting dates of the 24th & 25th June, to make it more difficult for Zimbabweans abroad to cast their ballots, 2) The Electoral Supervisory Commission had its power to accredit observers and monitors revoked and placed in the hands of the Registrar General, 3) Sitting dates for the Nomination Courts were deferred from May 29 to June 3, 4) The Electoral Act’s 21-day provision between nomination and polling was shortened to 20 days, and 5) Voter registration was extended from 16 April to 12 June. (All information regarding changes to the Electoral Act is courtesy of the Zimbabwe Human Rights Forum’s report, ‘Human Rights and Zimbabwe’s June 2000 Election’)

The Amani Trust, a Zimbabwean NGO advocating for victims of organized violence and torture, will produce a weekly report for the international community on the progress of these trials. This report will focus on cases of gross human rights violations and electoral abuses within constituencies that have cases before the High Court.

Election results courtesy Zimbabwe Election Support Network ‘Report on the 2000 Parliamentary Elections: Zimbabwe’

Status of Cases

Chiredzi South is expected to start after the recess. Makoni West has adjourned until May 14th. The Buhera North case was completed after two subpoenaed witnesses did not report to court.

Constituency Case Status Ruling Appeal
Buhera North Tsvangirai vs. Manyonda Completed Pending
Chinhoyi Matamisa vs. Chinyangwa Completed Pending
Chiredzi North Mare vs. Chauke Completed Pending
Hurungwe East Chadya vs. Marumahoko Completed Pending
Makoni West Makuwaza vs. Mahachi Reconvenes 14/5
Mutoko South Muzira vs. Muchena Completed Pending
Shurugwi Matibenga vs. Nhema Completed Pending
Zvishavane Maruzani vs. Mbalekwa Completed ZANU (PF) To Supreme Court


Sources: Witness statements, medical reports and court testimony.

*Election results courtesy Zimbabwe Election Support Network ‘Report on the 2000 Parliamentary Elections: Zimbabwe’


Prepared by the Amani Trust. Founded in 1993, Amani Trust is a Zimbabwe human rights non-governmental organization whose mission is to offer rehabilitation to survivors of organized violence and torture and their families. It also aims to make the nation aware of the consequences of organized violence and torture, and to work towards the prevention of future organized violence and torture. Amani Trust is also a member of the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum, a coordinating body and coalition of nine Zimbabwean human rights organizations, which works to provide legal assistance to political violence victims.
Address: 1 Raleigh Street, Harare, Zimbabwe
Email: amani@echo.icon.co.zw
Telephone: 792222

ZIMBABWE: Civic groups prepared for "mass action"

2001-04-09

http://www.reliefweb.int/IRIN/sa/countrystories/zimbabwe/20010404.phtml

Civic groups in Zimbabwe are willing and able to take on the government over a new constitution, Thoko Matshe head of the National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) told IRIN on Tuesday. "We're talking mass action and civil disobedience on a wide scale if government ignores the people," Matshe said.

FORCED MIGRATION AND MORTALITY

2001-04-09

http://www.nap.edu/books/0309073340/html/

Roundtable on the Demography of Forced Migration, Committee on Population,
Holly E. Reed and Charles B. Keely, Editors, U.S. National Research Council,
2001. Millions of people uprooted by war, famine or natural disasters are on the
move in countries across the world, seeking shelter, food and other necessities of life. Using case studies from Cambodia, Kosovo, North Korea and Rwanda, a new collection of papers from the National Research Council examines mortality patterns during recent forced migrations and suggests how these patterns may change during this century.

Guinea: refugees must be protected

2001-04-09

http://www.amnesty.org/news/

Amnesty International today called for a vigorous international presence in Guinea to protect hundreds of thousands of Sierra Leonean and Liberian refugees and Guinean civilians caught in a vicious six-month old insurgency in Guinea.
* News Release Issued by the International Secretariat of Amnesty
International *

5 April 2001
AFR 29/003/2001
63/01


Amnesty International today called for a vigorous international
presence in Guinea to protect hundreds of thousands of Sierra
Leonean and Liberian refugees and Guinean civilians caught in a
vicious six-month old insurgency in Guinea.

In a statement issued at the end of an Amnesty
International fact-finding mission to Guinea, the organization
recommended that: "The present UN force in Sierra Leone, UNAMSIL,
or the proposed ECOWAS intervention force in the border area,
should be mandated immediately to provide support for such an
initiative and ensure strong human rights monitoring. It is time
to bring this West African human rights disaster to an end."

Sierra Leonean refugees had fled to Guinea to escape
vicious fighting, marked by widespread killings, abduction, rape,
and amputation. Until recently there has been safety in Guinea.

Guineans generously took in close to 700,000 refugees who
streamed across the border over the past decade. They lived and
worked alongside each other. However, as the region's spiralling
violence and human rights abuses spilled across borders, Guinea's
President Lansana Conte declared in September 2000 that it was
time for the refugees to go home, and the place of refuge has now
become a virtual hell on earth.

Over the past six months, Sierra Leonean and Liberian
refugees have fled from one camp to another and Guinean villagers
from one village to another, in a desperate attempt to avoid the
chaotic violence that has descended in south eastern Guinea. As
they flee camps, the camps are burned, to prevent return.

The UN and aid agencies are working feverishly to
establish new camps, further inland, hopefully beyond the reach
of the cross-border raids. Most refugees express resentment and
anger at the prospect of further transfers to other camps. They
have had enough and want only to go home, even though they know
the situation there is no better. "If I must die, at least let me
die at home", many of them told Amnesty International delegates.

The mission found overwhelming evidence of violence from
so many different directions and forms. One after another, camps
have been emptied because of attacks or rumoured attacks. While
fleeing, countless refugees have been killed or abducted by
rebels. Others have disappeared after being abducted by Guinean
soldiers, such as the nine refugees who disappeared after being
arrested in Forecariah in September 2000. Checkpoints have sprung
up everywhere, sometimes set-up by the Guinean military,
sometimes the local population, where refugees are forced to pay
money or turn over their supply of rice and cooking oil in order
to pass.

Mabinte Bangura told Amnesty International that she fled
Sierra Leone 3 years ago, after witnessing her husband being shot
in the back by the RUF. Three weeks ago at Kilibenda, the RUF
stopped her family and 20 others, who were fleeing an attack.
Terrified, she watched as her fifteen year old daughter Salaymatu
Bangura was taken away by the rebels, and her seventeen year old
son Sorie Bangura was beaten almost senseless.

A 75 year-old-man told how five of his grandchildren,
aged 10 to 35 years, were taken away by the RUF following the
March 9th attack on Nongoa. A few days later, his son was
arrested by the Guinean military after a villager accused him of
being one of those very same rebels. His body was later found in
Nongoa, with his throat and belly cut.

Alfred Kaloko, a 35 year-old farmer and refugee from
Sierra Leone, and his two year-old son were shot in the back by
uniformed men when they tried to flee the attack on the Katkama
refugee camp in December 2000.

Meanwhile the Guinean army conducts sweeping arrests in
the refugee camps when rumours mount of impending rebel
incursions. Authorities often hold individuals bearing tattoos,
an RUF trait. However, distinctions are frequently not made
between such tattoos and common traditional marks and protective
tattoos which are prevalent throughout the region.

The Amnesty International delegation visited Massakoundou
Camp the day after a massive and seemingly arbitrary round-up of
some 400 refugees. The detainees were held in appalling
conditions in a local prison, and all but a handful appear to
have been released within 48 hours. Amnesty International was
told by local authorities that the round-ups did not constitute
arrest and detention, but were simply part of a verification
process.

Often forgotten in the midst of the refugee crisis is the
plight of some 300,000 Guineans who have fled their homes. The
once vibrant market town of Guéckédou lies in near total ruins
following a frenzy of fighting there two months. Delegates were
able to tour the city, to which only a handful of citizens have
begun to return.

During visits to villages in and around Kissidougou and
Guéckédou, as well as to Kolomba Camp, at the far end of the
Parrot's Beak, where over 40,000 refugees have not received any
food since November 2000, the delegates documented
heart-wrenching cases of Guinean men, women and children who were
killed, raped and abducted by Sierra Leonean rebels during an
incursion far into Guinea in mid-December.

In Waltou Village Amnesty International heard one man
describe how rebels took women, including his wife, and young
girls, one as young as six or seven, into a building to be raped,
while he was made to listen outside.

In Waltou Gbaran, Tamba Leno told the mission that his
wife Sia Teukiano, thinking the rebels had left the village,
returned home because she was worried that animals were
disturbing the family's crops. But she was captured and her
body, burned beyond recognition, was found later and could only
be identified by virtue of a deformed finger.

In order to end the abuses and safeguard the physical
integrity of these refugees, Amnesty International is "urging all
parties to the conflicts in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea to
abide by international human rights standards and the principles
of international humanitarian law. Other states and the
international community as a whole, must use all opportunities to
exert strong pressure on the governments and armed groups
involved in the fighting".

There is a pressing need for more support if the basic
needs of refugees and displaced Guineans are to be met. The
international community must ensure that UN agencies, aid
organizations and the Guinean government have adequate resources
to provide the assistance that is required. And those agencies
and organizations should not be prevented in any way from doing
their work.

Amnesty further calls on:

the international community to put in place a meaningful process
of resettlement, including adequate resources, which provide
refugees with safe haven elsewhere, to the extent that Guinea
remains dangerous;
the United Nations to immediately set up the Special Court on
Sierra Leone to try those responsible for serious human rights
crimes and, thus, end impunity.

Background
Parties to the conflict include Sierra Leone's Revolutionary
United Front (RUF) based in both Sierra Leone and Liberia; the
Guinea-based Liberian rebel group ULIMO-K; the Guinean army;
Guinean Civil Defence Forces; traditional Kamajor fighters from
sierra Leone; an elusive armed Guinean opposition group, the
Rassemblement des Forces Democratiques de Guinée; and bans of
villagers who have, out of fear, begun to turn on their refugee
neighbors.

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Arms firm supplied cars to ANC officials

2001-04-09

http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,3604,470580,00.html

A European weapons maker at the centre of an investigation into alleged influence-buying in South Africa has admitted delivering luxury cars to 30 top government, defence and aviation officials while bidding for a multimillion pound arms contract.

Arms Groups in Lucrative Deal

2001-04-09

http://allafrica.com/stories/200104050413.html

Two companies at the centre of the probe into the multibillion-rand arms deal have just added another lucrative deal to their portfolios. Futuristic Business Solutions (FBS) and African Defence Systems (ADS) are now the black empowerment partners of Agusta SpA, the company that won, in controversial circumstances, the contract to supply helicopters to the South African Air Force.

Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) of some Nile Basin countries

2001-04-09

http://www.nilebasin.com/

The 2000 CPI relaesed by Transparency International (TI) shows that the included 5 Nile Basin countries (Ethiopia, Egypt, Tanzania, Uganda & Kenya) of the 90 countries surveyed occupy the lower 1/3 of the ranks, i.e. perceived to be more corrupt. The TI survey included only 90 countries of the world.
Relative to each other, Ethiopia (60) is perceived to
be the least corrupt followed by Egypt (63). Kenya is
perceived to be the most corrupt (82) preceded by
Uganda (80).

We hope that all Nile Basin countries {surveyed or
not) would concentrate its efforts on fighting
corruption, for the following concerns (as adopted by
Transparency International; TI}:

* humanitarian, as corruption undermines and distorts
development and leads to increasing levels of human
rights abuse;

* democratic, as corruption undermines democracies and
in particular the achievements of many developing
countries and countries in transition;

* ethical, as corruption undermines a society's
integrity; and

* practical, as corruption distorts the operations of
markets and deprives ordinary people of the benefits
which should flow from them.

See the ranking of Nile Basin countries:
http://www.nile.ca/discus/messages/462/1786.html?986388866#POST100

See the TI CPI for 2000:
http://www.transparency.org/documents/cpi/2000/cpi2000.html


=====
Nabil M. El-Khodari
"If the people will lead, the leaders will follow." David Suzuki

Join the Nile Basin Society:
http://www.nilebasin.com/
Join the Nile River mailing list (un-moderated):
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NileRiver

Falana Explains Weakness of Anti-Corruption Laws

2001-04-09

http://library.northernlight.com/FB20010331900000043.html?cb=0&dx=1006&sc=0#doc

A Lagos based lawyer and human rights activist, Mr. Femi Falana has observed that laws alone cannot successfully eliminate corruption in any society. Speaking on Anti-Corruption Measures: Legal Perspective at a seminar organized by Life Theological Seminary of the Four Square Church, Ikorodu, Falana said a government that is seriously determined to fight corruption must create an environment that will make corruption unattractive.

Nairobi's Reforms already derailed

2001-04-09

http://globalarchive.ft.com/globalarchive/articles.html?id=010404001349&query=Leakey

Kenyan reform derailed before Leakey left: Nairobi's anti-corruption strategy was already in retreat, but the government may still persuade the international community to keep giving.

SOUTH AFRICA: Corruption governs South Africa: Heath

2001-04-09

http://www.mg.co.za/mg/za/archive/2001apr/04apram-news.html#corruption

CORRUPTION governs a South Africa led by people who are not serious about fighting it, and steps have to be taken to ensure the country does not "go the same way" as Third World Africa, says graft-busting Judge Willem Heath. Heath, the controversial head of the special investigating unit, said the government was not dedicated in the fight against corruption.

Uganda's Museveni Files Defense in Election Suit

2001-04-09

http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20010329/wl/uganda_dc_1.html

Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni has filed his defense against a petition aimed at annulling his March 12 re-election that was lodged by rival Kizza Besigye.

Zimbabwe: Minister Sues "The Daily News"

2001-04-09

http://allafrica.com/stories/200104030501.html

Zimbabwe Minister of State for Information and Publicity Jonathan Moyo has filed a Z$450,000 (US$8,000) lawsuit against "The Daily News" for publishing alleged defamatory articles about him, "The Herald" reported on 30 March 2001.

As poverty soars, how reliable is the World Bank, IMF development policy?

2001-04-09

http://www.misanet.com/development2.html

The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), major backers of economic reforms in developing countries, have once again unveiled a new poverty reduction approach which they claim gives borrowing countries an opportunity to determine their own strategies. However, critics have been quick to dismiss it as just one of the many faces of the Bretton Woods institutions, which have repeatedly failed to answer development needs of the world's poorest countries ever since they came into being more than half a century ago.
Southern African Research and Documentation Centre
(SARDC) - Harare - 01/June/2000 - Grace Buhera

The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund
(IMF), major backers of economic reforms in developing
countries, have once again unveiled a new poverty
reduction approach which they claim gives borrowing
countries an opportunity to determine their own
strategies. However, critics have been quick to
dismiss it as just one of the many faces of the
Bretton Woods institutions, which have repeatedly
failed to answer development needs of the world's
poorest countries ever since they came into being more
than half a century ago.

Historically, development policies of the West towards
the Less Developed Countries (LDCs) have usually led
to a vicious circle of vulnerability and crisis,
including reactive aid, which has not benefited the
intended countries. Six countries from the Southern
African Development Community (SADC) region - Lesotho,
Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe -
have adopted structural adjustment policies (SAPs) on
the recommendations of - and under pressure from - the
IMF.

Generally, the enforcement of the IMF prescription has
not achieved the desired results. Most countries, with
the exception of Mozambique, are still grappling with
under-achieving economies - high inflation, serious
budget deficits and low gross domestic product (GDP).
It is interesting to note, however, that Mozambique is
one of the few African countries that has qualified
for aid under the Highly Indebted Poor Countries
(HIPC). Recent catastrophic floods earlier this year
will undoubtedly also constrain the country's growth.

Recognising the limited effectiveness of their SAP
reform strategies, the IMF and the World Bank recently
introduced initiatives "to mitigate costs, create
social safety nets, improve the composition of public
expenditures and the equity aspects of economic
policies," a recent World Bank report says.

The September 1999 annual board meetings of the IMF
and the World Bank came up with a mandate to integrate
objectives of poverty reduction and growth more fully
into the institutions' operations in 75 poor
countries. A new facility was the result, the Poverty
Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF) or the New
Washington Consensus, in the language of the two
institutions. The change in policy direction by the
Bank and the Fund to PRGF is perhaps recognition of
the complementarity of macroeconomic, structural and
social policies. It can also be interpreted as
reflecting the realisation that a comprehensive policy
approach is needed to make consistent and broad-based
inroads into poverty reduction in developing
countries.

Under this new policy thrust, documents called Poverty
Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs) will be prepared
locally by government representatives, with active
participation of civil society, NGOs, donors and
international institutions.

The Bank is currently training country teams,
comprising government officials and the civil society.
The exercise was launched at a seminar in Abidjan,
Ivory Coast, in March.

Locally produced PRSPs, the Bank and the Fund say,
will help countries own reform programmes, which may
encourage them to be more committed to the process.
This "consultative process" has already begun in many
African countries including Tanzania, although it is
still too early to measure the degree of its success.
<cut>
Read the full analysis from:
http://www.misanet.com/development2.html

cosatu statement on Minerals Development Draft Bill

2001-04-09

http://www.cosatu.org.za/press/latest.html

COSATU and NUM have made a joint submission on the Minerals Development Draft Bill. They urge government to resist the hysterical campaign of the Chamber of Mines to try to blackmail the government into amending the Draft Bill in
favour of the mining companies so they can continue their unfettered exploitation of the country&#8217;s mineral resources.
COSATU statement on COSATU/NUM&#8217;s submission on
the Minerals Development Draft Bill

COSATU and NUM have made a joint submission on the
Minerals Development Draft Bill. They urge government to
resist the hysterical campaign of the Chamber of Mines to try
to blackmail the government into amending the Draft Bill in
favour of the mining companies so they can continue their
unfettered exploitation of the country&#8217;s mineral resources.

COSATU and the NUM are broadly supportive of the
proposed legislation, particularly the contention that mineral
rights are a domain of the state and not private interests. We
do, however, have certain concerns with the proposed
legislation and believe that it needs considerable strengthening
and some amendments.
· The Draft Bill does not set out a clear role for the
state in the industry, particularly in productive mining.
The legislation, and government policy more broadly,
needs to provide for a more active direct role for the
state.
· The Draft Bill should explicitly set out to transform the
ownership and control of an industry which is
currently owned by a small, predominantly white
group. It should reduce monopolisation and provide
for direct ownership and control by mineworkers.
· The Draft Bill needs to be far more &#8220;people-centred&#8221;,
dealing with issues of direct concern to workers and
surrounding communities, such as living and working
conditions and health and safety.
· In the interests of transparency and public
participation, there should be better provision of
information to communities affected by mining
projects.
· To better guide decision-making on the granting of
prospecting, mining and other rights, applicants should
provide more information. The benchmarks for
evaluating applications should be clearer and include
employment, miners&#8217; living and working conditions, a
social plan for mineworkers, their families and affected
communities, and the contribution the applicant will
make to the local and national economies.
· There needs to be consultation and negotiation with
affected workers over the possible curtailment of
mining operations.
· Consideration should be given to reducing the periods
for mining rights;
· Provision should be made for timely state intervention
to deal with mismanaged mining operations.
· The Draft Bill should set up a Permanent Statutory
Commission on Mining and set out what its
responsibilities should be.
· The government must ensure there are no loopholes
for undermining the objectives of the legislation.
· In the proposals in the diamonds and petroleum
chapters of the Draft Bill, there should be stronger
regulations, including around conflict diamonds and
broader obligations on petroleum exploration rights
holders.
· Lastly we raise sub-contracting and outsourcing,
working and living conditions, small-scale mining and
health and safety standards as issues of concern we
believe the legislation should also speak to.
The Draft Bill must promote, more actively, mineral
beneficiation in South Africa and create jobs downstream.
There needs to be a tightening of provisions in order to give
effect to the &#8216;use it or lose it&#8217; principle. Mineral rights that are
not used benefit no-one. A retainer who does not use his or
her rightsshould lose them for someone who can exploit them
for the benefit of society and its economy.

We are embarking on a Nedlac process in which we hope to
reach some agreement amongst stakeholders on the
legislation. We are also pursuing bilateral engagement with the
Ministry.

For the full submission, please visit our website on
http://www.cosatu.org.za/docs/2001/mddb.htm

For further information please phone Fiona Tregenna,
COSATU Parliamentary Office, on 021 461 3835

Siphiwe Mgcina
COSATU Spokesperson

siphiwe@cosatu.org.za
082-821-7456
339-4911

*********************************************************

Visit the COSATU web site at http://www.cosatu.org.za/press/latest.html for copies of our most recent press statements.

Cosatu statement on the Draft Co-operatives Bill

2001-04-09

http://www.cosatu.org.za/docs/2001/coopsbil.htm

The co-operative sector has a vital role to play in the economy. Many of COSATU’s structures and members, as well as retrenched former members, are active in co-operatives. Therefore the federation welcomes the opportunity to comment on the Department of Agriculture’s Draft Co-operatives Bill.
Cosatu statement on the Draft Co-operatives Bill - 4.April
2001

The co-operative sector has a vital role to play in the
economy. Many of COSATU’s structures and members, as
well as retrenched former members, are active in co-
operatives. Therefore the federation welcomes the opportunity
to comment on the Department of Agriculture’s Draft Co-
operatives Bill.

Co-operatives allow the poor and working people to
participate in the mainstream economy as owners, rather than
as non-owners. However, success of the co-operative sector
will, to a large extent, depend on the way government makes
the necessary institutional interventions and provides resources
towards its vibrant operation.

South Africa has a rich and diverse history of co-operatives,
including a large, relatively informal sector of stokvels, burial
societies and other forms of community savings organisations.
Although they may not consciously define themselves as co-
operatives, such experiences of organic co-operative activity
can form the basis for a strong and vibrant co-operative
movement in South Africa.

Legislation needs to draw on such experiences, and draw
existing and nascent co-operatives into a regulatory net and
provide appropriate support and capacity building.

COSATU believes the approach to co-operative policy and
legislation has to be neither top-down nor market-based.
State support and policy for co-operatives has to create a co-
operative environment conducive to the development of a
powerful and viable co-operative movement and sector.
Hence policy legislation must be enabling, providing a clear
and accessible regulatory framework, incentives and
institutional support.

Policy should also be activist, allowing government to
intervene to directly promote a co-operative sector and assist
emerging co-operatives. Support, technical training, after-
care and even capacitation work should be spread out
amongst several organisations - apex bodies, co-operative
federations, NGOs, training co-operatives, specialised training
centres, tertiary institutions and so on - so that a powerful
network is built up around and within the co-operative
movement. The state has a crucial facilitating role in this.

We believe the Draft Bill has the potential to frame the
development of this sector. However, it has a number of
serious shortcomings both in structure and content. Our key
criticisms of the Draft Bill are that:
· The structure and style are confusing and inaccessible;
· The language and content are overly corporate and
business-oriented;
· The relationship between the state and the co-
operative sector needs clearer conceptualisation;
· The Draft Bill is not sufficiently rooted in member
ownership and control.

The key principles that underpin our approach to the building
of co-operatives are that they should play an important role in
the provision of economic and social needs of the working
class and poor through democratic participation, rather than
operating on a “free market” basis. They must attempt to
subordinate the operation of market forces to the broader
objectives of meeting socio-economic needs.

Their primary activity is to fulfill the needs of their
members and communities, rather than maximise profit.
Any reference to ‘co-operative business’ throughout the Bill
should be removed and where applicable replaced with ‘co-
operative activity’.

The legislation also needs to promote:
· A more equitable distribution of resources;
· Democratic forms of ownership;
· Economic and development benefits to its
membership and society as a whole;
· Economies of scale;
· Income redistribution;
· A democratic ethos;
· Access to economic ownership for the poor and the
working class;
· Economic services at a reasonable cost.

COSATU suggests that the operation of a co-operative shall
be informed by the following internationally accepted
principles:
· Voluntary and open membership;
· Democratic member control;
· Member economic participation;
· Autonomy and independence;
· Education, training and information;
· Co-operation among co-operatives and concern for
community.

Co-operatives existing by themselves or as "islands" are not
sustainable and are prone to collapse or degeneration. For co-
operatives to develop and grow it is essential to build a
powerful, self reliant and self-managed movement and that
they privilege their relationships with each other over other
kinds of economic enterprises, and thus secure and strengthen
their economic viability.

COSATU believes that political democracy, without
socialising the economy, cannot resolve the legacy of
apartheid. Sustainable development requires people to have
access to and control over their economic and social
resources to fulfill their own needs. The co-operative sector is
an important vehicle to ensure that people achieve this.

For the full submission, please visit our website on
http://www.cosatu.org.za/docs/2001/coopsbil.htm

For further information please phone:
Fiona Tregenna, Parliamentary Office, on 021 461 3835

Siphiwe Mgcina
COSATU Spokesperson

siphiwe@cosatu.org.za
082-821-7456
339-4911

Court battle over Nigerian oil wealth

2001-04-09

http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/africa/newsid_1267000/1267925.stm

The Nigerian federal government is bringing an action in the Supreme Court on Monday, asking it to rule on the contentious issue of how to share oil revenues.

Halving Poverty by 2015

2001-04-09

http://www.worldbank.org/developmentnews/stories/html/040301a.htm

World Bank President James Wolfensohn called on politicians Monday to help launch a global campaign to meet the international development goal of reducing the proportion of people living in extreme poverty by half by 2015.

Outcomes of the Extraordinary Nile Council of Ministers Meeting

2001-04-09

http://www.nilebasin.org

Proceedings of the Council of Ministers of Water Affairs of the Nile Basin States (Nile-COM) who held an Extraordinary Meeting in Khartoum, Sudan, on March 28-29, 2001.
The Council of Ministers of Water Affairs of the Nile
Basin States (Nile-COM) held an Extraordinary Meeting
in Khartoum, Sudan, on March 28-29, 2001 as scheduled.
At the meeting:

- The Nile Technical Advisory Committee (Nile-TAC)
presented to the Nile-COM a set of joint project
proposals for endorsement.

- The Council approved the following SVP project
proposals:

Confidence Building and Stakeholder Involvement
NileBasin Regional Power Trade
Water Resources Planning and Management
EfficientWater Use for Agricultural Production
Socio-economic Development and Benefit-Sharing
Applied Training
Nile Transboundary Environmental Action Project and
the Nile Transboundary Environmental Analysis

The Council instructed the Nile-TAC to proceed with
the final editing and publication of the above
documents for presentation to the first International
Consortium for Cooperation on the Nile (ICCON).

With regard to project areas being identified under
the two sub-basin Subsidiary Action Programs (SAPs)
i.e. the Eastern Nile (SAP) and the Nile Equatorial
Lakes (NELSAP), the Council commended the two SAPs to
the consideration of the first ICCON for detailed
studies thereafter.

The Council endorsed June 26-28, 2001 as the dates for
the first ICCON. It invited the World Bank President,
James D. Wolfensohn, to open the ICCON proceedings in
Geneva, Switzerland.

The Council expressed appreciation for the performance
of the Nile Secretariat (Nile-SEC) Executive Director,
Mr. Meraji O.Y. Msuya and approved his reappointment
for a further term of two years from June 1, 2001 to
May 31, 2003.

Implementation of the above Nile-COM decisions is
already underway.

==========================================
The Nile Basin Initiative Secretariat
Executive Director: Mr Meraji O.Y. Msuya
E-mail: nbisec@afsat.com
Web: www.nilebasin.org
Webmaster E-mail:info@nilebasin.org

P.O.Box 192
Entebbe
Uganda
Telephone: +256 (41) 321 329/321 424
Fax: +256 (41) 320 971

Patents and Development: What Role for the World Community?

2001-04-09

http://www.ids.ac.uk/ids/news/patents.html

The court case brought by a group of pharmaceutical companies against the Government of South Africa has focused attention on the relationship between intellectual property rights and development. The law in question allows the South African Health Minister to disregard patent rights under certain circumstances in order to supply more affordable medicines to protect public health.

POVERTYNEWS

2001-04-09

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/development/448

News about poverty and development issues.



POVERTYNEWS. News about poverty and development issues. To join, send an
email to <povertynews-subscribe@egroups.com>. To unsubscribe from this
group, send an email to:
povertynews-unsubscribe@egroups.com


------------------------------------------------------------------------

There are 4 messages in this issue.

Topics in this digest:

1. AID TO AFRICA FALLS DRASTICALLY.
From: Carlos Ani <carlosani@yahoo.com>
2. AIDS CARE FOR AFRICA AFFORDABLE, STUDY SAYS.
From: Carlos Ani <carlosani@yahoo.com>
3. GERMAN GOVT PRESENTS ACTION PLAN TO FIGHT POVERTY.
From: Carlos Ani <carlosani@yahoo.com>
4. ASIA URGED TO PUSH FOR GREATER CORPORATE GOVERNANCE.
From: Carlos Ani <carlosani@yahoo.com>


________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

Message: 1
Date: Fri, 06 Apr 2001 11:22:04 +0800
From: Carlos Ani <carlosani@yahoo.com>
Subject: AID TO AFRICA FALLS DRASTICALLY.


AID TO AFRICA FALLS DRASTICALLY.

Development assistance to Africa has fallen
drastically and rich countries are not honoring their UN commitment to
devote
0.7 percent of their annual GDP to overseas aid, the Post of Zambia reports.

At a recent meeting with 22 African heads of state, World Bank President
James
Wolfensohn said it is painfully ironic that at the time when many African
governments were putting in place effective social and economic policies and
committing to reform development aid was being cut. And Zambian Finance
Deputy
Minister Godfrey Simasiku on Tuesday said the 0.7 percent of annual GDP
developed countries were supposed to commit was not being realized and
instead
what was going out as official development assistance (ODA) did not exceed
0.4
percent. Development assistance to Africa has fallen drastically from US
$32 per
head in 1990 to just US $9 per head as at 1998.

Simasiku asked developed nations and other partners not to give assistance
to
refugees alone. He advised that the international community must not only
deal
with side effects but must also be involved in the causes.

Wolfensohn said African leaders were determined as never before to lead
their
own renaissance but that they also needed increased development assistance
to
support those reforms and access to developed country markets. He observed
that
the difference between these figures was worth $100 billion a year. "For
millions, this is the difference between life and death," he said.

The story notes a new World Bank report on Aid and Reform in Africa
showcasing
lessons from ten case studies, including Zambia, states that foreign aid can
help key economic reforms take root in developing countries provided
recipient
governments and their people broadly support the need for change because
without
this "country ownership", external cajoling or donor-imposed
"conditionality"
was unlikely to make poor countries adopt reforms which they oppose.







=========
Carlos Ani
Microfinance Consultant
Email: carlosani@yahoo.com
=========




________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

Message: 2
Date: Fri, 06 Apr 2001 11:23:05 +0800
From: Carlos Ani <carlosani@yahoo.com>
Subject: AIDS CARE FOR AFRICA AFFORDABLE, STUDY SAYS.


AIDS CARE FOR AFRICA AFFORDABLE, STUDY SAYS.

Millions of people with AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa could be treated with
sophisticated antiretroviral drugs for about $1,100 per patient annually,
the
Washington Post (p.A16) reports a Harvard study released yesterday says.
The
study, signed by 128 Harvard researchers, physicians, and economists, argues
that the price is one that the world's richest nations can easily afford to
pay
and calls for 3 million Africans to enter treatment within the next five
years.
The $1,100 figure covers the drugs themselves-calculated to be provided "at
cost" by pharmaceutical companies-as well as clinical trials and
epidemiologic
studies conducted by international experts to gauge the effectiveness of
various
treatment approaches.

The proposal also calls on wealthy nations to dramatically increase their
current expenditures for international AIDS programs and to pool their
donations
into a "global trust fund" jointly administered by the UNAIDS program and
the
World Health Organization. Jeffrey Sachs, director of Harvard's Center for
International Development and a signer of the proposal, said the costs could
reach $7 billion annually-including prevention programs and
non-antiretroviral
treatments-in five years, of which the US should pay about one-third.

The study notes that treatment for AIDS is necessary for economic
development,
USA Today (p.1D) reports. Without treatment, productive people will die,
leaving crucial jobs unfilled. In Zambia, teachers are dying of AIDS as
quickly
as they are trained, says the story.

Sachs said that a comprehensive plan for treatment is overdue, particularly
now
that several drug companies have cut prices on their AIDS drugs in Africa,
the
Wall Street Journal (p.B10) reports. Still, Sachs said, he is asking the
pharmaceutical industry to make all AIDS drugs available at cost in
sub-Saharan
Africa.

Meanwhile, an editorial in the Washington Post (p.A26) says that 20 years
into
the AIDS epidemic, there has been significant progress in treating AIDS and
halting its symptoms. But on the most important long-term weapon, an AIDS
vaccine, research has lagged. That is partly because of the scientific
difficulty of the puzzle-but mostly because of economic factors that steer
companies' efforts and investments toward drugs.

The promising early results of tests of an AIDS vaccine on monkeys,
announced by
Merck and Co. at a scientific meeting last weekend, are a turnaround on both
counts. Though not the only vaccine experiments to report progress,
Merck's are
significant both for the scientific approach they describe and for the
signal
they send of serious involvement by a major drug company.

But far from ending the race for a vaccine, the Merck results should speed
it
up. HIV's multiple strains and its ability to mutate quickly mean a
combination
of vaccines may ultimately be needed. And the scientific breakthrough, if
it
pans out, is only a tiny fraction of what needs to be done. If Merck or
some
other researcher can finish testing a vaccine in three to five years-a
super-optimistic estimate-it will still face the stiff challenges of
getting it
to the destitute and hard-to-reach populations that need it most.

Companies typically market vaccines first to developed countries, where high
profits can recover the costs of research. For AIDS, where 95 percent of
the
15,000 new infections a day occur in Africa, that pattern would be tragic.
Until now the vast majority of the $20 billion a year spent by governments
on
AIDS has gone to treatment. A vaccine, even if it ends up emerging from a
big
drug company, will likewise need significant public support to find its
mark,
says the editorial.

Further, former US Food and Drug Administration Commissioner David Kessler
writes in USA Today (p.11A) that US President Bush has the opportunity to
save
millions of lives by a tax break for the pharmaceutical industry-one large
enough to spur the major drug companies to make AIDS therapies available to
the
Third World at no cost, the only price most who live there can afford.

If Bush acts, Kessler says, other pieces of the international AIDS battle
could
fall into place. Prevention and education could become the focus they
should
be. Developing nations and their non-governmental allies could manage drug
delivery and health care. US tax incentives for pharmaceutical companies
would
bless developing countries with the same progress against AIDS as
industrialized
nations now enjoy.

Without such incentives, AIDS will lay waste to the world, creating
conditions
comparable to the devastation of the bubonic plague in medieval Europe.
AIDS is
leveling Africa, and threatens Asia and Latin America, writes Kessler.

Meanwhile, BBC Online reports that the South African government has released
a
long-awaited report on AIDS in South Africa, but the findings show a deep
divide
between panel members. President Thabo Mbeki's comments last year that HIV
was
not necessarily the primary cause of AIDS led to widespread condemnation and
there were hopes that the panel would lay the matter to rest once and for
all.





=========
Carlos Ani
Microfinance Consultant
Email: carlosani@yahoo.com
=========




________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

Message: 3
Date: Fri, 06 Apr 2001 11:23:34 +0800
From: Carlos Ani <carlosani@yahoo.com>
Subject: GERMAN GOVT PRESENTS ACTION PLAN TO FIGHT POVERTY.




GERMAN GOVT PRESENTS ACTION PLAN TO FIGHT POVERTY.

Germany yesterday was the first industrialized nation to pass an action
plan to
fight extreme poverty, reports Die Welt, (Germany, p. 4). Through the
program,
presented to the cabinet and passed yesterday, it is hoped that extreme
poverty
will drop by 50 percent in 2015, as agreed at the UN Millennium Summit last
September. Some 1.2 billion people in the world live in extreme poverty,
which
according to World Bank criteria means they are living on less than $1 a
day.

Also reporting, the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (Germany, p.1) notes that
German Development Minister Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul said that under the
plan,
the policies of other ministries will also support the fight against
poverty.
The fight against poverty is today an overarching aim of development policy
today, she noted, with 53 percent of bilateral development aid going to
poverty
reduction. "In 2005, we aim to raise this to 65 percent," Wieczorek-Zeul
said.

Church groups praised the passing of the action plan, notes Die Welt, but
the
FAZ notes that the German Christian Democratic opposition said the plan
would be
useless unless it was backed up by financial resources.





=========
Carlos Ani
Microfinance Consultant
Email: carlosani@yahoo.com
=========




________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

Message: 4
Date: Fri, 06 Apr 2001 11:24:45 +0800
From: Carlos Ani <carlosani@yahoo.com>
Subject: ASIA URGED TO PUSH FOR GREATER CORPORATE GOVERNANCE.


ASIA URGED TO PUSH FOR GREATER CORPORATE GOVERNANCE.


Asian countries must continue to pursue greater transparency and corporate
governance even if global economic conditions worsen, Agence France-Presse
reports experts said today. Otherwise, countries in the region run the
risk of
losing their long-term competitiveness in a globalize economy, said the
experts
attending a conference on corporate governance.

"If you want to compete in the global economy, you need to attract long-term
capital," said Olivier Fremond, a program coordinator at the World Bank.
"Therefore you need to comply with international standards."

Fremond noted that corporate governance was essential to economic
development
because it would improve the flow of private capital into developing
countries
as public funds dry up. "At the World Bank, we view corporate governance as
having a major importance in the development agenda," he said. "We
consider it
a critical part of creating the investment climate which will allow
developing
countries to broaden and deepen their access to capital."

With public funds inadequate to meet investment needs in emerging markets,
"private funds must be mustered," he said. "But to attract private capital,
corporate governance reform is essential," he said.

The three-day meeting in Singapore, organized by the OECD, the World Bank
and
the ADB, will propose a reform agenda to be submitted to governments,
private
groups and international organizations, the story notes. Reuters also
reports.

News of the conference in Singapore comes as AFP notes in a separate report
that
the UN yesterday endorsed the use of capital controls as a mechanism to
fend off
fiscal meltdown, saying measures like those adopted by Malaysia could help
prevent contagion and panic. "In some circumstances capital controls may be
necessary on a temporary basis," said UN Economic and Social Commission for
Asia and the Pacific (UN-ESCAP) executive secretary Kim Hak-Su. "There needs
to be a destigmatization of capital controls."











=========
Carlos Ani
Microfinance Consultant
Email: carlosani@yahoo.com
=========

President Says No Thanks to 'Donors With Agendas'

2001-04-09

http://allafrica.com/stories/200104050082.html

President Sam Nujoma yesterday accused some donor countries of attempting to impose their governments' "policies and culture" as a precondition to granting aid. In his State of the Nation address to parliament, Nujoma said Namibia would not accept aid "with strings attached".

Privatisation of Egyptian state-owned banks not important

2001-04-09

http://www.newafrica.com/economy/newsletter/articlepg1.asp?ID=18502

Officials of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said they considered the privatization of the Egyptian state-owned banks not important as the country's banking system depends largely on these banks' power and competition, on the contrary the privatization may yield adverse outcomes if the government gives up these significant tool in controlling the monetary policy.

RWANDA: Poverty threatens development - FAO

2001-04-09

http://www.reliefweb.int/IRIN/cea/countrystories/rwanda/20010406.phtml

The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has warned that despite the relatively calm situation in Rwanda, rural and urban poverty pose a serious threat to the country's economic and social development. In a report, it noted that out of 8 million inhabitants, 28,130 were Congolese refugees, 5,087 were internally displaced, 52,242 were recent returnees, 60,195 were affected by drought in the south and east of the country and some 2 million people were living in difficult conditions.

Should the IMF cease long term lending?

2001-04-09

http://www.id21.org/zinter/id21zinter.exe?a=0&i=S8aGB1g1&u=3acd9631

As a long-term lender to low-income countries, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) also tackles problems of poverty and growth. Should the IMF withdraw from development finance leaving it up to donors and the World Bank, as critics suggest? Is it appropriate for the Fund to return to its traditional role? And could the World Bank provide more effective support for necessary structural adjustment?
As a long-term lender to low-income countries, the
International Monetary Fund (IMF) also tackles
problems of poverty and growth. Should the IMF
withdraw from development finance leaving it up to
donors and the World Bank, as critics suggest? Is it
appropriate for the Fund to return to its traditional
role? And could the World Bank provide more effective
support for necessary structural adjustment?

Analysis by the Universities of Surrey and Sheffield
suggest that critics have been unduly negative in
their assessments of the IMFs development role. Yet,
empirical evidence suggests that the IMFs long-term
lending has been beneficial to economic growth by
strengthening the underlying fiscal position and
creating social capacity for maintaining sustained
stability.

Further findings suggest that:

* Scant evidence exists to support the view that IMF
lending causes problems of moral hazard, where the
prospect of an IMF bail-out causes excessive private
capital lending to poor countries, which some see
behind the economic crises in Mexico, East Asia,
Russia and Brazil in the 1990s.

* There is no penalty for failing to complete an IMF
sponsored programme, yet frequent failures might mean
a different economic approach is needed rather than an
end to IMF lending.

* There are difficulties in assessing the track record
of IMF conditionality, especially that of the Enhanced
Structural Adjustment Facility (ESAF), now re-named
the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF). Some
evidence does, however, support the view that ESAF has
been effective in encouraging economic growth and
building social capacity to manage change and foster
macroeconomic stability.

* Phasing out IMF long-term lending and increasing the
World Banks role will not necessarily improve the
IMFs balance sheet, while both poor and rich
countries could lose out in the long-term.

* Relying more heavily on aid donors to provide
long-term finance could well prove unsustainable given
declining trends and the political economy of
international aid.

Over the last few years, a number of poor countries
have begun to move into a process of sustained growth
under the tutelage of ESAF/PRGF (namely Bolivia,
Ghana, Lao PDR, Tanzania, Uganda and Mozambique), with
consequent benefits for their trading partners.

As an alternative to phasing out the role of the IMF,
suggestions for policy include:

* continuing efforts to improve IMF conditionality and
to strengthen its role in developing countries
combining aid with IMF involvement which may be more
effective than aid alone

* adopting a more holistic approach that accommodates
the problems faced by poor countries to assist them
and their creditors.

Contributor(s): Graham Bird and Paul Mosley

Source(s):
Should the IMF discontinue its long term lending role
in developing countries? by G. Bird and P. Mosley,
Paper presented at the Development Studies Association
conference, SOAS, (November 2000)

Date: 4 April 2001

Further Information:
Graham Bird
Surrey Centre for International Economic Studies
University of Surrey
Guildford GU2 7XH
UK

Email: gbird01@granite.tufts.edu
Email: gbird@surrey.ac.uk
Website: http://www.surrey.ac.uk/

Source:
http://www.id21.org/zinter/id21zinter.exe?a=0&i=S8aGB1g1&u=3acb4e6e

Wolfensohn Chides Rich Nations for Falling Short of UN Aid Target

2001-04-09

http://www.oneworld.net/ips2/mar01/05_22_002.html

The World Bank President James Wolfensohn has criticised developed nations for their failure to uphold their promise to allocate 0.7 percent of their gross domestic product (GDP) for official development assistance (ODA) to the needy countries, particularly in Africa.

WTO Can Help World's Poor Farmers

2001-04-09

http://www.iht.com/articles/14849.html

When prices for a farmer's harvest fall, as they have in recent years, despair haunts rural families and communities. Farmers invest less in their own land and children leave home, searching for a better life in cities. But farmers, especially those in the poorest nations, are not just battling a global oversupply of grain. In a distressing number of cases, they are fighting against the financial power of the world's richest governments.

Aids drug prices cut for poorest countries

2001-04-09

http://www.independent.co.uk/story.jsp?story=65180

The UN Secretary General Kofi Annan has won agreement from six major drug companies to keep cutting prices of Aids treatments for the world's poorest nations.

Aids report: condoms or cucumbers?

2001-04-09

http://www.mg.co.za/mg/za/news.html#aids

AN interim report by a controversial Aids advisory panel to the South African government shows little more than a predictable chasm between dissidents and orthodox scientists, say analysts.

CAMEROON SIGNS UP FOR CHEAP AIDS DRUGS

2001-04-09

http://www.iclinic.co.za/apr01/reuters/aidsdrugs5.asp

Cameroon became the fifth African country on Wednesday to strike a deal with
major pharmaceutical companies to ensure cheap access to AIDS drugs.
GlaxoSmithKline, the world's largest supplier of HIV/AIDS medicines, said
the West African country had reached agreement with five leading drug firms
under a UN initiative.

Discrimination of People Living with HIV/AIDS in Uganda

2001-04-09

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/hivaids/439

We People Living with HIV/AIDS in Uganda wish to register our concern at the consistent derogatory remarks made by the President and members of his cabinet.
For a long time we have complained about the cynicism, conspiracy, discrimination and condemnation of People Living with HIV/AIDS. The
statements, which have been made recently by the President, are intended to incite the public and society to marginalize, discriminate and ostracize us.
We People Living with HIV/AIDS in Uganda wish to register our concern
at the consistent derogatory remarks made by the President and mem-
bers of his cabinet.

For a long time we have complained about the cynicism, conspiracy,
discrimination and condemnation of People Living with HIV/AIDS. The
statements, which have been made recently by the President, are in-
tended to incite the public and society to marginalize, discriminate
and ostracize us.

We wish to point out that these open statements are taking us back to
a time when no body wanted to talk about AIDS and therefore destroy-
ing all the achievements made over the years. It is unbearable that
the President who has been a darling of the world for appropriate re-
sponse to HIV/AIDS becomes the leading President to discriminate and
stigmatise People living with HIV/AIDS. For example;-

1. In his interview with John Githongo of Executive Magazine,
Museveni said ".I am worried about other things. AIDS is not really
such a big crisis. Voluntarily you go and look for it. What will hap-
pen is that many people will die and then others will begin to
fear... The population of Uganda is now 17 million. Even if you as-
sume that 2 million will die, you will still remain with 15 million
which is higher than the population of 1956..."
Executive, Sept 1993, pg 36.

2. We strongly believe that this continued use of HIV/AIDS in this
light is meant to create contempt on the lives of People living with
HIV/AIDS. This is expounded in his interview with Riz Khan of CNN in-
terview during the United Nations Security Council meeting early
2000. President Museveni should realize that of people infected and
affected with HIV/AIDS are children who are completely innocent of
their plight.

3. He is on record that while passing out 167 army cadets and 91 po-
lice officers at Jinja, Museveni said ".that there is no reason why
People living with HIV/AIDS should be offered opportunity in the
army. Because training officers who later die not from bullets in
combat but from AIDS is so frustrating. It is like fetching water in
a basket with holes."
See Monitor 26th. Aug. 2000, Pg 1 & 2.

4. According to the Monitor 12th. March 2001 the president said, "A
president should be someone fully in control of his mental and physi-
cal faculties both mental and physical", adding that, "there is no
reason to wait for someone to get into office and get sick". The
president therefore implied that a Person with HIV/AIDS has no busi-
ness looking for a job because he is as good as dead. In December
2000 while in Addis Abbaba during the African Development Forum the
President said that the army was not a hospital, implying that HIV
positive people had no place in the army. This was even confirmed by
his government policy in promoting UPDF soldiers. As Commander in
Chief of UPDF, Minister of defence and Chairman of High Command, his
policy was stated by his Minister of State for defence Steven Kavuma
in the New Vision of September, 8TH. 2000, "... With the advent of
HIV, one of the factors considered when promoting individuals in the
army is their HIV status. If your HIV status may not be conducive to
your training... that would reflect against your chances of advancing
further." This form of discrimination is not only unconstitutional
but its implications are very far reaching:

* An army officer with HIV/AIDS is a liability;
* He/She is shunned, demoralized and frustrate;
* There is more fear, more stress and depression;
* He /She ultimately quickly weakens and dies.

While this discrimination goes on there is no policy to ensure that
UPDF soldiers receive AIDS treatment. Those who receive it do so un-
der patronage of the President. Many of you may have heard about the
recent derogatory statements during President Museveni's campaigns
against People living with HIV/ADS where his statement infers that
People Living with HIV/AIDS should never aspire for any employment.

In view of the continued persecution of People Living with HIV/AIDS
we have written and circulated a call requesting the government to
address the Employment policy for People Living with HIV/AIDS and
other disadvantaged Groups. It is therefore very sad that government
does not seem to care about the plight of People living with HIV/AIDS
and instead condemns them. People Living with HIV/AIDS now live in
fear and bewilderment not knowing where to go because the statements
made by the President have been meant to incite the public and pri-
vate sector to discriminate against People Living with HIV/AIDS. Con-
sequently, we are seeing unacceptable behavior in the private sector
such as mandatory testing for HIV before one gets a job, compulsory
termination, lack of promotion and ostracism by other workers. Unfor-
tunately this situation is setting the clock back and taking all the
efforts of Ugandans in fighting the spread, stigmatization, and de-
nial down the drain.

Uganda has been hailed as a model of fighting the war against AIDS in
Africa; See New Vision Nov. 8th. 2000. The President of World Vision
International among many leaders hailed our efforts. He said that
within a year World Vision would be multiplying the good work done
here in Uganda through out Africa. "Every project that the World Vi-
sion runs on the continent will incorporate elements of this campaign
into its structure". We fear that President Museveni and his govern-
ment's continued attacks on People Living with HIV/AIDS will cause a
serious social damage. For instance the Vice President of Uganda with
a medical background said in parliament on 27th. March 2001 that Peo-
ple with HIV/AIDS should be told in the face since AIDS is like ma-
laria. These utterances are inciting people further. The Vice Presi-
dent is inciting violence against People Living with HIV/AIDS and we
should not be surprised if we see a Gugu Dlamini incident happen in
Uganda. Gugu is a South African woman Living with HIV who was stoned
to death by her neighbours when she openly declared her HIV status on
World AIDS day 1999 in Kwazulu Natal. Gugus's only crime was to de-
clare that she had HIV and that was enough to incite the public to
stone her to death.

We are finally appealing to all Ugandans, the International Community
and particularly this august gathering of gallant Women and Men of
Africa gathered in the name of HIV/AIDS to condemn the behavior of
anyone especially the political leaders in breach of the Dakar and
Paris declaration of 1991 and 1994 respectively.

From:

* NGEN+: National Guidance and Empowerment Network of People Living
with HIV/AIDS
* NACWOLA: National Community of Women Living with HIV/AIDS
* NESPPHA: Network of Skilled and Professional People Living with
HIV/AIDS

--
Marianne Tshihamba
The Global Health Council
1701 K Street, NW, Suite 600
Washington, DC 20006, USA
mailto:mtshihamba@globalhealth.org

--

Documents of the GTZ-Reproductive Health Project

Tanzania 1998-2000

2001-04-09

http://www.afronets.org/tz/start.htm

All operational research studies as well as planning documents and some background information of the Reproductive Health Project in Tanzania are now available on the AFRO-NETS Server for downloading. Study topics include service quality (including youth friendliness), community based activities and adolescent reproductive health.

Dear Colleagues,

all operational research studies as well as planning documents and
some background information of the Reproductive Health Project in
Tanzania are now available on the AFRO-NETS Server for downloading.
Study topics include service quality (including youth friendliness),
community based activities and adolescent reproductive health.

A start page gives you an easy orientation and allows you to open
or download either the cover page, the document or only the abstract.

Direct your browser to:
http://www.afronets.org
click "Reproductive Health Project - Tanzania"

or go directly to:
http://www.afronets.org/tz/start.htm

and you can share the experience with your colleagues from Tanzania.

Best regards,

Regina Goergen
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
mailto:repro-gtz@africaonline.co.tz

Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report s 2-6 Apr 2001

2001-04-09

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/hivaids/416

Sachs to Announce Plan for 'Massive New Effort' Aimed at Fighting AIDS in Africa. Conference to Address Children Orphaned by AIDS Begins in Uganda.
--
Sachs to Announce Plan for 'Massive New Effort' Aimed at Fighting
AIDS in Africa

Harvard economist Jeffrey Sachs is expected to announce today an "un-
precedented" coordinated effort to combat AIDS in Africa, the Phila-
delphia Inquirer reports. The United Nations, U.S. government offi-
cials, the European Union, African governments, the World Health Or-
ganization, the World Bank, pharmaceutical companies and private
foundations, such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the
Rockefeller Foundation, have been discussing the plan -- which calls
for US$ 6 billion a year from industrialized nations -- "privately
for months," the Inquirer reports. Nearly half of the money raised
would go toward the purchase of antiretroviral medications for more
than 10% of the estimated 25.3 million HIV-positive Africans, while
the rest would be used to "greatly accelerate" HIV prevention pro-
grams in Africa. Drugs would be "carefully" distributed using the
continent's existing medical infrastructure and possibly a network of
HIV prevention trial sites recently established by the National In-
stitute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, the agency responsible for
coordinating AIDS trials in the United States, in South Africa, Zam-
bia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Tanzania and Uganda. Drug therapies would also
be "closely monitored," most likely using a system of "direct[ly] ob-
served therapy," which involves volunteers visiting patients at home
to observe them taking their medications. The "proposed assault" on
AIDS would be the largest campaign ever waged against a single dis-
ease anywhere in the world and would also include plans for improving
treatment of tuberculosis and malaria. Today's announcement by Sachs,
who is director of the Harvard Center for International Development
and a consultant to the project, will offer the first details of the
program, including the estimated number of Africans who will receive
medication, the cost of the plan and the size of donations needed to
subsidize the proposed programs.

U.S. Involvement

The announcement is also "aimed at influencing the Bush administra-
tion to take the lead" in supporting the effort. It "remains to be
seen" whether the administration will fully support the effort, but
the Inquirer reports that Secretary of State Colin Powell is said to
be "receptive to the relief program." The needed U.S. contribution is
projected to be about US$ 2 billion a year, well above the current
US$ 260 million the government currently spends on AIDS in Africa.
Most of that money goes toward HIV prevention efforts and care of
people affected by the epidemic, such as AIDS orphans. "Almost none"
goes toward the purchase or distribution of antiretroviral medica-
tions. Sen. Bill Frist (R.-Tenn) is working on a budget amendment to
increase U.S. funding for African AIDS programs, but does not cur-
rently have a dollar amount. "The U.S. will come in strongly and
rightly. The current line they are taking is absolutely right. They
are giving warm encouragement and waiting to see what will happen,"
an unnamed WHO official said. Italy and Great Britain have already
come out in favor of an international fund for AIDS medicines. U.N.
officials hope to have "specific financial commitments" from the
United States and other G7 nations by their July meeting in Italy.

Why Now? What's Changed?

The new proposal was made possible by the recent price reductions
from the world's major pharmaceutical companies, according to the In-
quirer. The price cuts have turned what was once thought to be "hope-
less" into a "do-able, if ambitious, treatment effort," the Inquirer
reports. Most patients will be given a three-drug combination ther-
apy, projected to cost US$ 500 per patient annually. U.N. agencies
have reached a "consensus" that in exchange for the price reductions,
the pharmaceutical industry's patent rights will be protected in
their "core markets" in the West. The plan now hinges on funding.
"The beginning and end of this is U.S. money. The drug companies are
not going to solve the problem on their own. This has finally come
down to the bottom line of whether the taxpayers will help do that,"
Sachs said last week. The consortium hopes to have a "concrete plan"
prepared in time for the U.N. General Assembly's special session on
the AIDS epidemic at the end of June (Collins/Warner, Philadelphia
Inquirer, 4/4).


--
Conference to Address Children Orphaned by AIDS Begins in Uganda

The Eighth International Society of Women and AIDS in Africa Confer-
ence (SWAA) began Monday in Kampala, Uganda, with this year's summit
focusing on children orphaned by the epidemic. Titled "Children and
AIDS: Challenges and Strategies to Cope," the five-day conference
will examine the epidemiology of HIV in children, the reduction of
mother-to-child transmission, health care for HIV-positive children,
"child-headed households" and social support systems for children af-
fected by the virus (Agence France-Presse, 4/3). Conference Chair Dr.
Margaret Muganwa said, "The conference is a call for Africa to under-
take a critical appraisal of its HIV/AIDS priorities and re-focus in-
terventions and strategies to stop HIV/AIDS among and on behalf of
our children, the next generation" (Muganwa speech, 4/2). Col Sec,
director of country and regional support for UNAIDS, added, "There
are orphans on [the] streets, orphans only with one parent, or or-
phans who are heading households. All this is really a disaster." Sec
said that many orphans become "vulnerable to infection" as a result
of sexual abuse, others "suffer from neglect" after their parents
die, and some can "find themselves living with already over-burdened
relatives." Janet Museveni, wife of Ugandan President Yoweri
Museveni, opened the conference. Tanzanian first lady Anna Mkapa and
Nigerian first lady Stella Obasanjo are also attending the event
(Agence France-Presse, 4/3).

--
Cecilia Snyder
mailto:csnyder@ccmc.org

Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report - Mon, 2 Apr 2001
----------------------------------------------

* Merck AIDS Vaccine Slows Progression to AIDS in Monkeys, Does Not
Prevent Infection
* Poor Nations' Health Systems Must Be Built Up to Benefit from
Cheap, Available Drugs
* South African Women Note Country's 'Frankness' in Discussing Sexu-
ality, HIV/AIDS
* Nigeria Faces 'Dilemma' in Discussing Safe Sex
* Kenyan Minister Claims to Have Healed Thousands of AIDS Patients,
New York Times Reports


--
Merck AIDS Vaccine Slows Progression to AIDS in Monkeys, Does Not
Prevent Infection

Merck & Co. scientists announced yesterday at an AIDS conference in
Keystone, Colo., that a common cold virus has proven to be an "effec-
tive vehicle to deliver a potent anti-AIDS vaccine to monkeys," the
Philadelphia Inquirer reports. At a closed-door meeting on "AIDS Vac-
cines in the New Millenium," scientists announced that the vaccine,
delivered in "disarmed" adenovirus, did not block HIV infection nor
rid the body of infection, but suppressed the virus to levels "too
low to be detected," allowing HIV-infected monkeys to remain healthy
for more than a year (Collins, Philadelphia Inquirer, 4/2). Twenty-
one monkeys were infected with an "especially nasty" combination of
HIV and simian immunodeficiency virus, the monkey counterpart to HIV.
The virus "quickly" manifested and generated 100 million virion cop-
ies per cubic centimeter of blood. Of the six control monkeys that
were not given any vaccine, five developed AIDS-like illnesses and
four have died, according to John Shriver, Merck's director of vac-
cine research. None of the monkeys given the adenovirus vaccine have
developed any "AIDS-like" illnesses and the amount of virus in the
bloodstream has been reduced to about 500 copies per cubic centime-
ter. Shriver warned that the studies are "very early," and that it is
"impossible to predict" whether any of Merck's experimental vaccines
will work in humans (Sternberg, USA Today, 4/2).

Using the Gag Gene

The vaccine is an improved version of one detailed by company scien-
tists last year. Working with "relatively new" knowledge of the in-
teraction between HIV and the human immune system, researchers became
"convinced" that an effective vaccine "must" stimulate the release of
CD8+ cells, or "killer T cells," specific immune cells that can "seek
out" HIV-infected cells and "destroy" them, thereby "squelching the
virus' ability to replicate and spread." Researchers learned that
proteins produced by three of HIV's major genes stimulated a killer T
cell response, but the gene known as gag was the most effective
stimulator. Researchers first injected monkeys with the genes alone,
an approach called "naked DNA," but the genes alone were not generat-
ing the "strong response" for which researchers had hoped. Last year,
researchers "stitched" the genes into a deactivated adenovirus, which
is unable to cause colds. Researchers hoped they could "harnes[s]"
the adenovirus' "natural viral action" to deliver the DNA to immune
cells in order to trigger the release of the killer T cells (Wald-
holz, Wall Street Journal, 4/2). Adenovirus was chosen because it
typically invades dendritic cells, cells that play a "pivotal" role
in immune response because they "pick up" invading viruses and
"alert" other immune cells into response. They are found in all parts
of the body, including mucosal cells in the vagina, making them "po-
tentially very important" in fighting sexual transmission of HIV
(Philadelphia Inquirer, 4/2). In all, researchers tested five vac-
cines, each containing the gag gene. In addition to the adenovirus
vaccine, one vaccine used gag in vaccinia virus, the virus used in
the original smallpox vaccine, and three vaccines used the naked DNA
approach with or without booster shots of adjuvants. The naked DNA
approach with a booster of an adjuvant called CRL-1005 produced an
immune response "similar" to but "less dramatic" than the adenovirus
vaccine.

'Good Stuff' Down the Road

"This [research] is the manifestation of what we in the field have
been saying: We have good stuff in the pipeline," Anthony Fauci, di-
rector of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases,
said. Two other research groups -- one at Emory University and one at
Harvard Medical School -- have achieved "similar" results, but the
Merck project is the only one to use a "cell-mediated immunity" ap-
proach (Brown, Washington Post, 4/2). Merck's vaccine is still in the
early stages and faces "at least" three years of safety trials before
it can move into large-scale efficacy trials, which may take an addi-
tional three to five years to complete. Merck plans to continue test-
ing the adenovirus vaccine and the naked DNA/adjuvant approach, as
well as an approach that "prime[s]" the immune system with naked DNA
before administering the adenovirus, which yielded the study's "best"
results. Small human trials are being conducted in several U.S. medi-
cal centers to determine whether "double inoculation" is safe. The
ultimate goal of HIV vaccine research is to block the virus from
"ever taking hold," John Moore, a vaccine researcher at Weill Medical
College-Cornell University, said. But researchers have not determined
how to produce an antibody response to "stimulate" the necessary com-
bination of "neutralizing antibodies" and killer T cells (Wall Street
Journal, 4/2). A vaccine that prevented infection would still "likely
have a major effect on the spread of the virus" because epidemiologi-
cal evidence shows that people with lower viral levels are "less
likely" to transmit the virus (Philadelphia Inquirer, 4/2).


--
Poor Nations' Health Systems Must Be Built Up to Benefit from Cheap,
Available Drugs

The benefit of getting more and cheaper AIDS drugs for poorer nations
could be derailed unless those countries' public health systems are
strengthened, American and African experts say, the New York Times
reports. Representatives of American foundations and African health
officials say that "ineffective distribution or misuse" of the drugs
could lead to new strains of drug-resistant HIV. The Times reports
these concerns in advance of two "major" meetings to be held in Af-
rica this month that will highlight drug distribution and use, among
other issues surrounding the pandemic. African experts and American
donors will meet April 18 to April 20 in Kampala, Uganda, and an Af-
rican regional meeting on AIDS will be held from April 25 to April 27
in Abuja, Nigeria. In addition, a special "high-level" U.N. General
Assembly session on AIDS will take place in June.

Preparing for Wide Use

The Times reports that while countries such as Uganda and Senegal
have been "leader[s]" in strengthening their public health and infor-
mation systems, "many countries in Africa and Asia do not have simi-
lar services" (Crossette, New York Times, 4/1). In Malawi, for exam-
ple, there are only two doctors per 100,000 people, the Boston Globe
reports (Donnelly, Boston Globe, 4/1). The Associated Press reports
that the African continent would have to "undergo a construction
revolution" before a comprehensive drug administration program could
begin, building roads to remote villages and laboratories to analyze
blood samples. "Most people do not even have enough food to help them
digest AIDS drugs, or a clean glass of water to wash down the pills,"
the Associated Press adds (Associated Press, 4/2). But the Globe
notes that there no formal plans to build such an infrastructure yet
exist, adding, "No one has an accurate cost estimate. There is no
country-by-country analysis of what needs to be done. In fact, there
is no analysis of what needs to be done in even a single country in
sub-Saharan Africa" (Boston Globe, 4/1).

Fears of Resistance

In addition, the Times reports that many public health officials are
concerned that people need to be taught to take the "new AIDS drugs
correctly," which could be a "big burden" to governments and local
health authorities. Dr. Gordon Perkin, director of the global health
program of the Seattle-based Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, said,
"There's a lot of concern about compliance -- that if you don't get
large numbers of people taking [the drugs] consistently and cor-
rectly, you risk the probability of getting a resistant strain of HIV
emerging. Just like antibiotics" (New York Times, 4/1). Resistant
strains could also emerge if African governments temporarily run out
of money to buy medicines, the Associated Press reports. "You'd be
better off taking the money that you'd use making antiretrovirals
available across the country and pouring it into prevention programs
across the country," Dr. Robert Carter, an American working in Zam-
bia, said, adding that focusing so much attention on medicating all
AIDS patients is "simply irresponsible" (Associated Press, 4/2).

'Opportunity for Corruption'

Arthur Mbanefo, Nigerian ambassador to the United States, also said
there exists a "great opportunity for corruption in making, selling
or distributing AIDS drugs." According to experts in Nigeria, studies
have found that over-the-counter sales of pills often are "fraudulent
or substandard." Furthermore, organizers of the U.N. special session
say they "want to move the conference beyond the issues of drug
prices and accessibility." Penny Wensley, Australian ambassador to
the United Nations, said, "There's no doubt that access to drugs is
important for huge numbers of people who are suffering from HIV/AIDS
and are currently unable to afford them. But we have to deal with
this in a comprehensive and sustainable manner. At this special ses-
sion, we've got to galvanize the community, we've got to mobilize re-
sources." She added, "We have to look at distribution systems. We
have to look at health infrastructure, and we have to look at quality
control. We have to make sure that there are continuing incentives
for research" (New York Times, 4/1).


--
South African Women Note Country's 'Frankness' in Discussing Sexual-
ity, HIV/AIDS

A "sexual revolution" in South Africa is "underway," with more South
Africans realizing the need to discuss sex and HIV/AIDS openly, mem-
bers of the Women's Health Project of South Africa told activists
gathered in Boston Thursday. The Boston Globe reports that Ndivhuwo
Selinah Masindi, one of the group members, said that religious groups
in South Africa "have realized that [counseling] abstinence is not
effective." Group member Zanele Hlatshwayo added that South Africans
have a "sense of empowerment" that resulted from the end of apart-
heid, giving many in the country a feeling that "anything is possi-
ble, including reducing HIV." However, the resulting "frankness"
about sexuality and fighting HIV are "lacking" in the United States,
Hlatshwayo said. "I expected the United States to be even more open
about issues of sexuality. ... I'm surprised. I find Americans very
conservative," she said. Masindi added that Americans "shrink away"
from "certain words" associated with sexuality. The members of the
women's health project hope to spur women to "have control over and
decide freely and responsibly on matters related to sexuality." In
their native South Africa, the women are currently focused on trying
to "prod" the country's criminal justice system to "deal effectively"
with sex crimes (Mishra, Boston Globe, 3/30).


--
Nigeria Faces 'Dilemma' in Discussing Safe Sex

A conflict over radio advertisements alerting Nigerian youth to the
"dangers" of unsafe sex illustrates that Nigeria "still struggles
with straight talk about sex," Agence France-Presse reports. In
March, a series of radio commercials aimed at informing young people
about the consequences of unsafe sex were pulled from the air after a
complaint by the state-run Advertising Practitioners Council of Nige-
ria. The council objected to the ads' "near-the-knuckle language,"
stating that the commercials violated a broadcasting code that barred
broadcasts "offensive to public feeling ... or disrespectful to human
dignity." After talks among the health ministry, government officials
and the nongovernmental organization that co-sponsored the campaign,
the advertisements are expected to be aired again soon but with some
of the language "toned down," ministry officials said. However,
Rhythm FM, a Lagos-based radio station, earlier this year began air-
ing its own safe-sex campaign by opening and ending its news broad-
casts with a series of warnings about HIV/AIDS. Jacob Akinyemi-
Johnson, a spokesperson for the station, said, "We have a responsi-
bility as a radio station for enlightening the community. AIDS is a
plague that could wipe out an entire generation of Nigerians." He
said that the "difficulties" surrounding the subject of sex in Nige-
ria could be "overcome." "[P]eople understand what we are saying," he
said. However, the country's "cultural ... sensitivities" and "power-
ful" Islamic and Roman Catholic traditions make the open discussion
of sex a "dilemma," Agence France-Presse reports (Cunliffe-Jones,
Agence France-Presse, 3/30).


--
Kenyan Minister Claims to Have Healed Thousands of AIDS Patients, New
York Times Reports

Thousands of Kenyans with HIV/AIDS are seeking the assistance of the
"charismatic" Rev. John Nduati and his Church of God's Power to heal
them, the New York Times reports. Nduati, a Protestant minister who
says he began healing people at age 10, claims that he has cured
thousands of Kenyans -- residents of a nation that "has become noto-
rious for AIDS quackery" -- of AIDS, the "mainstay of his ministry."
Of Kenya's 29 million residents, about 2.3 million have HIV, the
Times reports. On a recent Sunday, 161 people with HIV came to a ser-
vice, seeking healing. During the service, Nduati healed Francis Ma-
nene, a 41-year-old with AIDS, saying, "You are mighty and wonderful
and there is no other God like you. This brother has a bad disease.
He would like to be healed. Change him from positive to negative, and
he will live to glorify your name." Nduati "dismisses any suggestion
that the healing is not real" and claims he can produce hundreds of
people with documentation proving their healing. He added that "his
credibility [is] bolstered by the fact that his services [are] free."
He said, "I want this country to be like Switzerland. Free from cor-
ruption and free from criminals. ... If I were supported, I [would]
reach the whole world. And they [would] be healed" (Fisher, New York
Times, 4/1).

--
The Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report is published for kaisernetwork.org,
a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, by National
Journal Group Inc. c 2001 by National Journal Group Inc. and Kaiser
Family Foundation. All rights reserved.

Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report - Fri, 6 Apr 2001
----------------------------------------------


* US Senate Approves Additional $700 Million Over Two Years to Fight
HIV/AIDS in Developing Nations

* IAVI, U.S. Biotech Firms, Indian Manufacturers Collaborate to De-
velop AIDS Vaccine

* Annan Gets Continued Price-Reduction 'Assurances' from Six Drug
Makers at 'Secret' Meeting in Amsterdam

* Editorials Weigh in on Cheaper Drug Access in Developing World


--
US Senate Approves Additional $700 Million Over Two Years to Fight
HIV/AIDS in Developing Nations

The Senate passed by voice vote yesterday an amendment to the budget
proposal that would allocate an additional $700 million over the next
two years to fight HIV/AIDS in developing nations, the Philadelphia
Inquirer reports. The measure would boost total U.S. funding for in-
ternational HIV/AIDS efforts to $1.1 billion by 2003, with the "bulk"
of the new funding going to countries in sub-Saharan Africa that have
"developed clear plans to combat the epidemic" (Collins/Warner,
Philadelphia Inquirer, 4/6). The amendment calls for increases of
$200 million in fiscal year 2002 and $500 million in FY 2003, with
the new funding to be taken from the budget surplus. This year's
budget for international AIDS initiatives is about $460 million, but
the House has made "[s]imilar calls for doubling AIDS spending," the
Washington Post reports (DeYoung, Washington Post, 4/6). A spokesper-
son from the State Department declined to comment on the funding in-
crease, but said that the Bush administration plans to "propose an
increase in spending on the global epidemic in its 2002 budget," with
details to be disclosed later this month (Philadelphia Inquirer,
4/6). Secretary of State Colin Powell has asked for a 10% increase in
the department's global AIDS funding (Washington Post, 4/6).

International Fund

The amendment, sponsored by Sen. Bill Frist (R-Tenn.), would place
foreign aid for HIV/AIDS into an "international fund," which would
also contain contributions from other developed nations, private
foundations and "possibly even private corporations," the Inquirer
reports. The money in the fund, which would be overseen by interna-
tional monitors, would go toward the bulk purchasing of antiretrovi-
ral drugs "at greatly discounted prices." The proposal "does not
specify" how much of the new funding will go toward purchasing AIDS
drugs, but Frist added that "drugs alone are not enough," and called
for the expansion of HIV prevention programs and a greater number of
medical clinics and staff. Frist, chair of the Senate Foreign Rela-
tions subcommittee on African affairs, said, "Americans have always
been among the first to tackle the most difficult challenges of the
times. We must do no less when confronted with perhaps the worst in-
ternational health crisis since the bubonic plague ravaged Europe 600
years ago." He added that community-based organizations in Africa are
likely to be the "linchpin of success" in fighting the epidemic. The
United States currently spends about $260 million annually to fight
HIV/AIDS in Africa (Philadelphia Inquirer, 4/6). The spending in-
crease will bring the country "a considerable distance toward meeting
its part" of the United Nations' recommendation of $3 billion to $5
billion from wealthy nations to fight the spread of the disease in
Africa (Washington Post, 4/6). Harvard economist Jeffrey Sachs, how-
ever, said that the proposed spending increases are "not enough." On
Wednesday, Sachs outlined a plan, supported by United Nations agen-
cies, that calls for the United States to provide $1.5 billion per
year "immediately," with that contribution rising to $3.3 billion per
year over three years (Philadelphia Inquirer, 4/6).


--
IAVI, U.S. Biotech Firms, Indian Manufacturers Collaborate to Develop
AIDS Vaccine

U.S. and Indian researchers are "embarking on a bold experiment" to
determine if "reasonably priced AIDS vaccines" may be tested and
manufactured in developing countries without violating patents from
companies in developed nations, the Wall Street Journal reports. The
International AIDS Vaccine Initiative is negotiating a deal to permit
Serum Institute of India Ltd. to manufacture a vaccine using patented
vaccine-making technology developed by U.S. biotech firm Therion Bio-
logics Inc. "free of charge." At the same time, U.S. biotech company
Chiron Corp. is "scouting" for an Indian partner to assist with the
funding and development of an AIDS vaccine that is close to human
trials. Chiron may contract a $30 million technology-transfer fee
with either Shantha Biotechnology or Biological Events Ltd. to help
fund Chiron's initial vaccine research costs.

Avoiding a 'Battle'

IAVI President Seth Berkley is hoping for an AIDS vaccine to be si-
multaneously introduced in rich and poor countries, an unprecedented
move. "By investing in U.S. companies, and acting as a broker between
them and developing-world companies, IAVI is trying to avoid some of
the bruising battles over prices and patents that have enveloped
AIDS-treatment drugs recently," the Wall Street Journal says. For In-
dia, working with the United States on AIDS research may help "boost"
its goal of becoming a biotechnology power, and provide a way to stop
a disease that has infected 3.7 million Indians. U.S. biotech compa-
nies' ability to combine research efforts with those in India is
beneficial because vaccine research and production costs are lower,
and the country is a "fertile ground" for human clinical trials, as
the disease is rapidly spreading. However, researchers face a "sensi-
tive political issue" with human testing in India, and there is no
guarantee that the vaccines will work or be more effective than those
produced by other firms.

Protecting Technology

The Wall Street Journal reports that "protecting a technology while
spreading it isn't easy," as it can "leak out" to other manufacturers
or be applied to make other vaccines. But Indian officials and vac-
cine makers are aiming to convince foreign companies that they can be
trusted with the use of patented technologies, as long as the uses
are restricted. South Africa is also seeking an intellectual property
agreement with Chiron to grant it the right to make the vaccine for
southern Africa. For firms that are hesitant to transfer technology
for security concerns, IAVI has formed a "social venture capital"
fund that invests research and development funds in three biotech
companies, including Therion, and two academic institutions. Rather
than asking for monetary returns, IAVI requires its partners to price
the vaccine at a low cost for poorer countries while no limit is set
on prices for richer countries. IAVI retains the right to solicit
bids from other manufacturers in developing nations "to put teeth in
the agreement" (Schoofs/Pearl, Wall Street Journal, 4/6).


--
Annan Gets Continued Price-Reduction 'Assurances' from Six Drug Mak-
ers at 'Secret' Meeting in Amsterdam

U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan yesterday received "high-level as-
surances" from the chief executives of six of the world's "most pow-
erful" pharmaceutical firms that they would continue to "accelerate"
price reductions on AIDS medications for the developing world, the
Wall Street Journal reports. In return, the United Nations will not
take part in the "escalating crusade" against patent protection, the
Journal reports, calling this a "crucial concession." In a post-
meeting interview Annan said, "We affirmed to [the CEOs] that the in-
tellectual property regime is essential if companies are going to
have the incentive to do the research to produce effective medicines
for these diseases." Annan met for three hours yesterday with offi-
cials from Abbott Laboratories, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Boehringer
Ingelheim, Pfizer, Roche Holding and GlaxoSmithKline in Amsterdam on
"very short notice." Merck & Co. was "[n]otabl[y]" absent from the
meeting. Company executives had planned on attending but decided
against it on Wednesday night when lawyers warned them that "any talk
about specific pricing might be seen as price fixing" (Freedman, Wall
Street Journal, 4/6). The meeting was kept "secret" from reporters,
who were told a dinner with Dutch Queen Beatrix was the only commit-
ment on Annan's schedule (AP/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 4/6). World
Health Organization Director Gro Harlem Brundtland and UNAIDS Execu-
tive Director Dr. Peter Piot also took part in the meeting (UNAIDS
release, 4/5).

The Agreement

The pharmaceutical companies agreed to negotiate drug prices with the
50 "least-developed" countries as a group -- "abandoning the lengthy
process of cutting deals for AIDS drugs with each country individu-
ally," a process criticized as "slow and unwieldy," the Journal re-
ports. In an agreement reached in May, five leading drug companies,
excluding Abbott and Pfizer, agreed to reduce prices in Africa by 80%
to 90% on a country-to-country basis. Yesterday's agreement will also
extend the price reductions to developing nations outside of Africa,
as well as to "certain private, non-governmental agencies and employ-
ers" (Wall Street Journal, 4/6). Upon his return from Amsterdam
Thursday night, Abbott CEO Miles White said, "We want to focus our
efforts on those areas where there is no health care or little access
to health care. [Annan] wanted to make sure we aren't limiting our-
selves to Africa. The fact is, we are not" (Japsen, Chicago Tribune,
4/6).

A 'Personal Priority'

According to the AP/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the meeting was a
"signal that Annan is deepening his personal involvement in combating
AIDS in poor countries, before an AIDS summit this summer in New
York." Fighting AIDS "has become my personal priority," Annan said
(AP/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 4/6). But even with yesterday's pro-
gress, Annan failed to "exact specific pricing concessions that he
had hoped for." One meeting participant said Annan wanted "more com-
mitments" on pricing, but "none of [the drug company representatives]
wanted to talk about that because they are all a little spooked, es-
pecially the American companies, about antitrust." Annan said he was
"satisfied" with yesterday's results and denied that "specific pric-
ing concessions" were on his agenda. He also said he will conduct
"periodi[c]" meetings with the drug company officials to "review
their progress" over the coming months (Wall Street Journal, 4/6).
The meeting came on the heels of the announcement Wednesday of a
"massive" anti-AIDS plan to be "spearheaded" by the United Nations
and WHO. Harvard economist Jeffrey Sachs unveiled the basics of the
multi-billion dollar plan Wednesday. The proposal will be presented
at the special meeting of the U.N. General Assembly on AIDS in June
(Farley, Los Angeles Times, 4/6).


--
Editorials Weigh in on Cheaper Drug Access in Developing World

The quest to improve access to cheaper AIDS drugs in sub-Saharan Af-
rica continues to prompt responses from news sources across the
United States. The following is a sample:

* Newsday:
"Credit the world's pharmaceutical industry for finally slashing
prices on anti-HIV drugs in southern Africa. True, it acted in part
to polish its image and to protect its patents, but never mind. If it
is willing to supply medicine at close to cost in impoverished na-
tions where the epidemic is rampant, then rich nations such as the
United States should be willing to keep paying retail prices -- which
help underwrite research and development work," a Newsday editorial
says. But even with drug discounts, "larger" problems for drug dis-
tribution remain. The editorial asks, "First, how can Africa afford
drugs supplied even at cost? Second, who will administer the highly
complicated regimens to ensure that they are used safely?" The edito-
rial points to Harvard economist Jeffrey Sachs' plan announced ear-
lier this week that calls for donor nations to supply about $1.1 bil-
lion per year to a global trust fund to purchase drugs for about one
million Africans at cost and then distribute them in monitored plans
throughout the region. Although this plan is not without flaws, "it
should at least ignite a global conversation on how best to stave off
a looming holocaust," the editorial concludes (Newsday, 4/6).

* MSNBC.com:
Dr. Arthur Caplan, director of the Center for Bioethics at the Uni-
versity of Pennsylvania, writes in an op-ed, "If drugs are credited
with transforming HIV from an almost certain death sentence to a
chronic, manageable disease in developed nations, isn't it our moral
duty to make sure that people in the poorest countries hardest hit by
the AIDS epidemic have access to these same medications?" Maybe not,
he says, explaining that drugs "don't get to the heart of the AIDS
epidemic." Caplan continues, "Simply throwing drugs at countries that
have no educational or public health programs will not slow the
spread of the disease. Unless drug distribution is linked to public
health campaigns, AIDS will not be stopped. And the high cost of
drugs means that eventually, the patience of drug companies and their
shareholders for giving the medications away will run out and the me-
dia will get bored with the story of people in far-away lands dying
in droves for want of medications." Instead, those dying of AIDS in
poor nations need a "solid health care infrastructure" where they can
receive "a clean bed to lie in and safe water to drink," in addition
to donated drugs (Caplan, MSNBC.com, 4/4).

* Washington Post:
Although encouraging announcements of large drug price cuts have been
issued by drug giants over the last several weeks, a Washington Post
editorial says that the "industry needs to move further." While some
firms have "yet to offer serious discounts," other announcements
"have proved less significant than they seemed," as drug makers at-
tached so many conditions to the discounts that they "made almost no
difference." The editorial continues, "Still, the industry is getting
to the point where responsibility for the next step will fall to the
Bush administration and other leading governments," for even at dis-
counted rates "the cost of AIDS drugs exceeds the ability of poor
countries to pay, and the cost of the clinics and training necessary
to deliver the drugs makes the challenge even tougher" (Washington
Post, 4/2).

--
The Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report is published for kaisernetwork.org,
a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, by National
Journal Group Inc. c 2001 by National Journal Group Inc. and Kaiser
Family Foundation. All rights reserved.

--
Cecilia Snyder
mailto:csnyder@ccmc.org

Publication "Mutuelles de sante en Afrique"

2001-04-09

http://www.ilo.org/publns

"Mutuelles de sante en Afrique: Caracteristiques et mise en place-Manuel de formateurs". This publication explains what is a "mutuelle de sante" (mutual health organization) and how to set up such a scheme.
I am working for STEP programme ("Strategies and Tools against social
Exclusion and Poverty") of the International Labour Organization
(ILO) in Geneva, Switzerland.

Today, more than half of the world population (80% in the African
sub-Saharan region and in the South Asia region as well) have little
or no access to basic social protection services hence to basic
health care.

STEP programme, within the Social Protection Sector of the ILO, is an
operational tool to enhance the coverage and effectiveness of social
protection for all through the promotion of innovative measures and
systems such as "health micro-insurance schemes". In these systems
which can be mutual health organization for instance, the insured are
collectively owners of the insurance scheme. Members elect represen-
tatives from their own groups to manage the insurance plans, decide
which services are covered by the insurance, and determine the fees.
Many of our activities are in Africa thanks to an important project
managed by our office in Dakar, Senegal, that involves Benin, Burkina
Faso, Guinea (Conakry) and Senegal.

I am writing you because I would like to promote one of our most suc-
cessful publication in french "Mutuelles de sante en Afrique: Carac-
teristiques et mise en place-Manuel de formateurs". This publication
explains what is a "mutuelle de sante" (mutual health organization)
and how to set up such a scheme.

Please find below a description of the publication.

Best Regards,

Sandrine Lo Iacono
STEP Programme
Social Protection Sector
International Labour Organization
4, route des Morillons
CH-1211 Geneva 22
Switzerland
Tel: +41-22-799-6508
Fax: +41-22-799-6544
mailto:lo-iacono@ilo.org


--

Stratégies et Techniques contre l’Exclusion sociale et la Pauvreté
(STEP)

Le programme STEP du Bureau international du Travail est un
instrument pour lutter contre l’exclusion sociale et la pauvreté, en
particulier, pour étendre la protection sociale aux groupes exclus
dans le monde.

Dans ses interventions, STEP combine plusieurs activités: Recherche,
productions d’outils méthodologiques, projets et programmes sur le
terrain, appui à la définition et mise en œuvre de politiques.

Programme STEP
Secteur de la Protection Sociale
Bureau international du Travail
4, route des Morillons
CH 1211 Genève-Suisse
Tél: +41-22-799-6544
Fax: +41-22-799-6644
mailto:step@ilo.org


Mutuelles de santé en Afrique: Caractéristiques et mise en place.
Manuel de formateurs

Près de 80 % de la population d’Afrique sub-saharienne n’a pas accès
aux soins de santé de base. Les pauvres sont les plus affectés par
cette situation. Ils sont également les plus exposés aux risques
sanitaires.

En matière de protection contre les risques, le concept d’assurance
demeure de loin le plus efficace. Or, l’assurance est certainement
l’un des secteurs dont l’accès est le moins démocratisé. L’assurance
apparaît comme l’un des besoins fondamentaux des pauvres et, en même
temps, comme celui qui a été le plus négligé jusqu’à présent. Promou-
voir l’équité dans l’accès à l’assurance devrait constituer une prio-
rité en matière de lutte contre la pauvreté et, en particulier,
d’accès aux soins de santé.

Les mutuelles de santé associent les principes de l’assurance, de la
participation et de la solidarité. Ce sont des organisations
autonomes à but non lucratif, qui essentiellement au moyen des
cotisations de leurs membres, ont pour but d’améliorer l’accès de
ceux-ci à des soins de santé de qualité en menant une action de
prévoyance et d’entraide. La participation dans une mutuelle n’est
pas envisagée sous le seul angle de la contribution financière. Les
membres ont la responsabilité de définir les objectifs et les
priorités de l’organisation et de participer activement à sa gestion.

Si elles connaissent un essor rapide en Afrique, les mutuelles de
santé sont encore peu nombreuses, et de création récente. Les
compétences locales dans ce secteur sont encore rares en raison de la
nouveauté de la mutualité dans cette partie du monde. Ce manuel de
formateurs sur les caractéristiques et la mise en place des mutuelles
de santé contribue au renforcement des connaissances et des
compétences des promoteurs, des gérants et des dirigeants des
mutuelles de santé dans les domaines suivants:

* fondements et spécificités des mutuelles de santé;
* organisation, fonctionnement et services des mutuelles de santé;
* mise en place des mutuelles de santé.

Ce manuel a été produit sur la base des expériences africaines en
cours. De nombreux mutualistes et promoteurs de mutuelles ont
participé à sa réalisation.

Il a été produit par le programme STEP du BIT, l’ANMC et WSM

BIT-STEP/ANMC/WSM, 2000, 301 pages, 7500 FCFA
Disponible en français.


POUR COMMANDER:

Si vous êtes en Afrique
Veuillez contacter les bureaux de l’OIT suivants:

CAMEROUN
Bureau de l’OIT à Yaoundé
Boîte postale No. 13
Yaoundé
Tél: (+237) 20 50 44
Fax: (+237) 20 29 06
E-Mail: iloyao@camnet.cm

CONGO, république démocratique du
Bureau de l’OIT à Kinshasa
B.P. 7248
Kinshasa I
Tél: (+243 12) 334 07
Fax: (+243 12) 375 95 24
E-Mail: ilo.kinshasa@wfp.or.ug

MADAGASCAR
Bureau de l’OIT à Antananarivo
Boîte postale 683
101 Antananarivo
Tél: (+261 20) 266 15
Fax: (+261 20) 258 9401
E-Mail: antananarivo@ilo.org

COTE D’IVOIRE
Bureau régional de l’OIT
pour l’Afrique
Abidjan 01
B.P. 3960
Tél: (+225 20) 31 89 00
Fax: (+225 20) 21 28 80
E-Mail: abidjan@ilo.org

SENEGAL
Bureau de l’OIT à Dakar
22, rue El Amadou Assane NDoye
B.P. 414
Dakar
Tél: (+221) 823 59 75
Fax: (+221) 821 09 56
E-Mail: dakar@ilo.org


Si vous êtes en Europe
75Adressez vos demandes à:

Publications du BIT
Bureau international du Travail
4, route des Morillons
1211 Genève 22
Suisse

Vous pouvez aussi passer vos commandes par:
Fax: (+41 22) 799 69 38
E-mail: pubvente@ilo.org

Vous pouvez désormais acheter en toute sécurité les publications en
vente par carte de crédit en utilisant le système de E-commerce à:
http://www.ilo.org/publns

SA GOVT HITS BACK AT EU OVER AIDS POLICY CRITICISM

2001-04-09

http://www.woza.co.za/reuters/apr01/msimang4.asp

The government has rebuked European Union criticism of its controversial AIDS policy, saying that Europe should instead learn from South Africa's success in combating an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease.

SA: Aids advisory report

2001-04-09

http://www.gov.za/reports/

You can download the full version of the SA "Presidential Aids Advisory Report, March 2001" either as a PDF or WORD file.

Senate Backs Doubling Global AIDS Funds

2001-04-09

http://washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A47030-2001Apr5.html

The Senate agreed last night that the United States should double current spending on the global battle against HIV/AIDS to more than $1 billion within the next two years.
The Washington Post; April 06, 2001; Pg. A06

Senate Backs Doubling Global AIDS Funds; Spending Would Exceed $1
Billion Within Next 2 Years Under Budget Outline

Karen DeYoung, Washington Post Staff Writer

The Senate agreed last night that the United States should double
current spending on the global battle against HIV/AIDS to more than $
1 billion within the next two years.

In an amendment to the Senate's non-binding budget blueprint passed
by voice vote, lawmakers added $ 200 million in fiscal 2002 and an
additional $ 500 million the following year. This year's budget for
international AIDS programs is about $ 460 million, three-quarters of
which is dispensed through the Agency for International Development.
Secretary of State Colin L. Powell has asked for a 10 percent in-
crease in the department's global AIDS accounts.

Sen. Bill Frist (R-Tenn.), leading a bipartisan group of co-sponsors,
called on the government to show leadership in "confronting one of
the most important moral, humanitarian and foreign policy decisions
of the new century." Frist said that "history will indelibly record
how the United States ... responds to the call. Inaction will be
measured in millions of lives lost, families destroyed and economies
ruined."

Similar calls for doubling AIDS spending have been made in the House.
Although more detailed decisions on all spending are left to the two
chambers' Appropriations committees, the budget resolution expresses
the intent of the Senate.

The amount of new money proposed -- to be taken from the budget sur-
plus -- pales in comparison to other spending items that were part of
the Senate debate yesterday. But a $ 1 billion annual commitment
would bring the United States a considerable distance toward meeting
its part of goals set by the United Nations and other organizations
for funding AIDS prevention and treatment efforts in the world's
poorest countries.

The vast majority of people infected with the human immunodeficiency
virus, which causes AIDS, live in sub-Saharan Africa -- 25 million of
a global total of 36 million. Worldwide deaths from the pandemic to-
tal 22 million, more than 3 million of whom succumbed last year at a
rate of 8,000 per day. "By 2010, as many as 80 million persons or
more could be dead of AIDS," Frist said in introducing the amendment
yesterday.

Frist, who chairs the Foreign Relations subcommittee on African af-
fairs and is a physician, has become the Senate's leading advocate
for increased AIDS spending. Co-sponsors of the amendment were Sens.
Gordon Smith (R-Ore.), Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.), Richard J. Durbin
(D-Ill.), John F. Kerry (D-Mass.) and Russell Feingold (D-Wis.).

Pressure on wealthy nations to increase AIDS funding has grown as ma-
jor pharmaceutical companies have offered the recommended three-drug
anti-retroviral treatment, which costs at least $ 10,000 per patient
per year in this country, for as little as $ 500 to Africa's poorest
countries. Generic manufacturers have offered even lower prices,
leading the major companies to fear infringement on their intellec-
tual property rights.

The disease is believed to have progressed to a critical stage in at
least 3 million people in Africa, making them optimum candidates for
the drugs under current guidelines. Only about 10,000 sub-Saharan Af-
ricans currently receive them.

The United Nations has estimated that basic prevention and care in
Africa will cost at least $ 3 billion a year, increasing to $ 5 bil-
lion with access to the drugs, Frist said. Other projections have put
the annual cost between $ 7 billion and $ 15 billion.

Meanwhile, U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan met in Geneva yesterday
with CEOs and senior executives of six of the world's leading pharma-
ceutical companies -- Abbott Laboratories, Boehringer Ingelheim,
Bristol-Myers Squibb, GlaxoSmithKline, Hoffman-LaRoche and Pfizer --
to discuss further steps on drug pricing and access. Following agree-
ments between the United Nations and several companies last year,
five African countries -- Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Rwanda, Senegal and
Uganda -- contracted with them to buy price-slashed anti-retrovirals.

Describing the global AIDS fight as "my personal priority," Annan
said the companies were playing "a crucial role" in new research and
providing access and that he supported protection of property rights.

"However, the solution does not lie with the pharmaceutical companies
alone," Annan said. "I am calling for a major mobilization -- of po-
litical will and significant additional funding -- to enable a dra-
matic leap forward in prevention, education, care and treatment."

The Washington Post - Go to:

Solidarity with the people living with HIV/AIDS

2001-04-09

http://www.msf.ca/petition

Please consider reading and signing this petition prepared by Médecins sans Frontières (MSF) and supported by Oxfam before April 15th, 2001.

South Africa's Presidential AIDS Advisory Panel Report

News and comment from Dateline Health Nigeria

2001-04-09

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/hivaids/453

News and comment on South Africa's Presidential AIDS Advisory Panel Report.
Dateline Health Nigeria. Supplement No. 4, 2001

Breaking Information: South Africa's Presidential AIDS Advisory Panel Report


1. Official spin on the report

By:

Dr Manto Tshabalala-Msimang
Minister of Health
4 April 2001

Source: http://www.gov.za/events/aidspanel.htm


MEDIA RELEASE
Interim Report of the Presidential AIDS Advisory Panel
4 April 2001

Early last year Cabinet endorsed a decision to invite
a panel of experts to South Africa to pursue debate on
questions relating to HIV/AIDS. The panel met on two
occasions in Pretoria, in May and in July, and the
propositions put at these two meetings were further
explored through exchanges on the internet.
The brief of the panel was to address the following
questions:
&#8222;h Evidence of the viral aetiology of AIDS,
including:
- What causes the immune deficiency that leads to
death from AIDS?
- What is the most efficacious response to the
cause(s)?
- Why is AIDS heterosexually transmitted in
sub-Saharan Africa, while it is largely homosexually
transmitted in the Western world?
&#8222;h The role of therapeutic interventions in the
context of developing countries, in relation to:
- Patients with AIDS; HIV-positive individuals;
preventing mother-to-child transmission; preventing
infection following occupational injury; preventing
transmission arising from rape.
&#8222;h Prevention of HIV/AIDS, particularly in the
light of poverty, the prevalence of co-existing
diseases and infrastructural realities in developing
countries.

The panel, as you are aware, incorporated experts from
diverse backgrounds and included individuals who hold
diametrically opposing views on several key questions
pertaining to the link between HIV and AIDS. Some
adhere to the dominant position that there is a
clearly established causal link and others are
proponents of the dissident view that rejects the
causal relationship. This basic difference was
reflected in all debates, especially those relating to
treatment, surveillance and diagnostic methods.

However, it was not assumed at the start of the
exercise that the objective was to achieve consensus.
The idea was to pursue debate on scientific and public
policy issues in a dispassionate manner to provide the
best possible advice to the South African government.
The fruits of the panels interaction are to be found
largely in the formulation of proposals for further
empirical exploration. Such research would be original
in the sense that it would not simply replicate in a
local setting issues explored elsewhere, but would
break new ground and contribute globally to a richer
understanding of HIV/AIDS.

Some of this research is already underway -- but a
number of potential research projects outlined in the
list of recommendations have still to be assessed and
potential researchers identified.
Pending the outcome of further research, the debates
of the panel have not provided grounds for Government
to depart from its current approach to the HIV/AIDS
problem, which is rooted in the premise that HIV
causes AIDS. The five-year strategic plan for 2000 
2005 remains the foundation of our programme. If
anything, the debate of the panel has shown a need to
intensify activities in a number of areas contained in
the plan.

While the division among panellists on the cause of
AIDS was fundamental, certain commonly held views did
emerge on the importance of various programmatic
interventions. In particular, the significant impact
of developmental issues  issues such as poverty,
literacy, gender relations, nutrition, sanitation 
was taken into account and acknowledged in a much more
far-reaching way than hitherto.

Key areas of discussion
Impact of other factors on the progression of the
disease.
Panel members concurred that factors like malnutrition
and the presence of other infectious diseases (like
TB, other STDs, malaria and parasitic infections)
impacted on the progression of HIV/AIDS. They also
concurred on the need to intervene vigorously to
manage these factors  although they differed on
whether such intervention was a sufficient response to
HIV/AIDS.

Quality of testing for HIV.
There was much debate on the quality of testing to
detect HIV antibodies. This gave rise at an early
stage to the establishment of a team to investigate
this issue.

Surveillance.
Panellists generally agreed that a robust system for
collecting data was essential to understand and manage
the epidemic. The lack of accurate data on
AIDS-related mortality in South Africa was highlighted
as a gap. The need to understand the impact of factors
like malnutrition and other infectious diseases makes
it imperative to capture full data on each of these.

Peculiarities of South African HIV pattern.
Important debates related to the fact that the South
African HIV/AIDS pattern differs from that in most
other countries: We have a complex mixture of various
strains of the virus while most countries experience a
single viral strain. This has implications for the
vaccine development initiative in this country.

Prevention strategies.
Members of the panel construed prevention initiatives
in different ways, but there was a surface agreement
on useful interventions. These included: information,
education and life skills programmes; the promotion of
condom use; effective treatment of STDs; good
management of TB and communicable diseases; and
interventions to relieve poverty and improve quality
of life.

Use of anti-retrovirals
Views on this issue were obviously sharply divergent.
Panellists who deny a causal link between HIV and AIDS
regard the use of anti-retrovirals as totally
unjustifiable. Other panellists who believe
anti-retrovirals have positive effects still cautioned
against their use in the absence of effective
monitoring systems, including laboratory systems, and
other supportive services. The latter panelists made a
presentation on what they consider the benefits to be
of using anti-retrovirals to prevent mother-to-child
transmission of HIV.

Recommendations and future research
Panel members made a variety of recommendations for
future research. They identified a critical need for
social and behavioural research in relation to HIV and
AIDS, including investigation of risk-taking and
health-seeking behaviours. Some recommendations made
by panel members are already being implemented, either
by the Department of Health or through research
institutions.
In relation to surveillance:
&#8222;h The Department of Health is collaborating
with US Centre for Disease Control (CDC) to establish
a system to determine the incidence of HIV (that is,
the rate at which new cases occur. Presently we only
measure prevalence or the total proportion of people
with HIV in the population).
&#8222;h Second generation surveillance is being
instituted including behavioural surveillance among
vulnerable groups to understand the relationship
between HIV and personal behaviour.
&#8222;h A task team has been set up by the Medical
Research Council, the Department of Home Affairs and
Stats SA to gain a better understanding of mortality
trends over the last 18 months and the degree to which
AIDS impacts on them.
&#8222;h The impact of other infections is also being
monitored, including the close relationship between
HIV and TB.
Research currently in progress under the guidance of
panel members includes a three-phase investigation
into HIV testing.
Phase 1 aimed to establish the quality, reliability
and validity of HIV testing in South Africa. It
involved a comparison of results obtained in relation
to South African blood samples when tested locally and
in the United States
Phase 2 of this project will seek to establish the
"robustness" of HIV tests  their ability to yield
consistent results in the presence of interfering
factors.
Phase 3 will focus on building capacity in South
Africa to synthesize, purify and use molecular
beacons. This technology will then be applied to the
blood samples collected in phase 1 to further define
what HIV testing actually establishes.
Some additional avenues of future investigation were
suggested by the panel debate. For instance, the stark
contrast between the patterns of HIV/AIDS in the West
and in Africa suggests that the possible role of
genetic factors needs to be interrogated.
And constraints in relation to ARV therapy have
pointed to the need to conduct research on alternative
therapeutic strategies, focusing particularly on
interventions to strengthen the immune systems
response to infection.

Appreciation of panel members
The South African Government wishes to express its
profound appreciation to the panellists  many of them
eminent scientists  who gave of their time to assist
us in this inquiry on matters, quite literally, of
life and death.
The fact that, despite their differences, they were
prepared to meet and engage each other speaks of their
commitment to join the African continent in the
crusade against AIDS. We are proud as South Africans
that distinguished scholars saw in our humble request
an opportunity to make a contribution.
The global search for answers to the many complex
questions will continue and, we believe, it has been
enriched and promoted by the research projects defined
through the process of debate in this particular
panel.

Dr Manto Tshabalala-Msimang
Minister of Health
4 April 2001



2. One unofficial spin on the report


AIDS panel's report reveals divergent views
-------------------------------------------
by Lynne Altenroxel

Source:
http://www.healthnet.org/afronets/afronets-hma/afro-nets.200104/msg00026.html


Two-and-a-half million rands later, the Presidential
AIDS Panel has come up with a report that shows little
more than the chasm between dissidents and orthodox
scientists. The final report, presented to the cabinet
in Cape Town on Wednesday (April 4, 2001), concludes
that the rift was so great that the delegates were
unable to find common ground on policy matters. "The
depth of the cleft on the aetiology of AIDS was such
that the commonalities of views on health policy and
public policy was by and large swallowed up," the
report concluded.

The panel could not even provide a single set of
recommendations. Its 13 pages of recommendations were
split up into two sections according to dissident and
orthodox views. Summaries range from statistical proof
that HIV-positive babies are dying from AIDS to a
recommendation by dissident Dr David Rasnick and
Medunsa Professor Sam Mhlongo that donated blood not
be screened for HIV because screening is a futile
exercise. Rasnick argues that "AIDS would disappear
instantaneously if all HIV testing were outlawed".
Under the heading South African epidemic - fact or
fiction, the report writes: "Those from the school of
thought that argues that HIV does not cause AIDS also
argued the futility of discussing an HIV epidemic, as
they do not believe that HIV causes AIDS."

The report deals with the deliberations and evidence
brought by both groups. Stark statistics presented by
the orthodox scientists included the results of two
studies. One, from King Edward VIII Hospital in
Durban, shows that the two-year fatality for children
infected with HIV is almost 60 percent. Case fatality
rates went up from 4,5 percent in 1995 to 22,6 percent
in 1999. Another, from Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital
in Soweto, shows the infant mortality rate is more
than double in HIV-positive children versus
HIV-negative children. HIV incidence at the hospital
increased from 26 percent in 1997 to 30 percent in
1999.

Health Minister Dr Manto Tshabalala-Msimang said the
cabinet meeting, at which the report was one of the
main points on the agenda, focused more on preparing
for the release of the report than on its contents.
She justified the report by saying "the debate of the
panel has not provided ground for the government to
depart from its current ap- proach to the HIV and AIDS
problem, which is rooted in the premise that HIV
causes AIDS". "It was not assumed at the start of the
exercise that the objective was to achieve consensus,"
she said. Ironically, the R2,5-million spent on the
AIDS panel could have bought 5 million condoms, which
the government obtains at 50 cents each. Source: The
Star, 5 April 2001


3. Download the full report in various formats at:
http://www.gov.za/reports/

------

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initiative of the Centre for Health Policy and
Strategic Studies (CHPSS), Lagos, Nigeria. Critical
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Dateline Health Nigeria No. 13, April 7, 2001

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&#61623; NAFDAC, Always and media hysteria  a media
critique
&#61623; Fresh hope for AIDS sufferers
&#61623; Overcoming the burden of hypertension


1. LAGOS TO PRIVATIZE DRUG DISTRIBUTION IN HOSPITALS


In a move to stem the inadequate drug supply in
hospitals, Lagos State government has planned to
privatize the services of pharmaceutical departments
in all the state hospitals, just as pharmacists have
urged the Federal Government to ensure sanitation of
the drug distribution network in the country. However,
the State chapter of the Pharmaceutical Society of
Nigeria (PSN) does not want to swallow this. They
maintain that inadequacy of drugs in the hospitals was
a result of poor funding and delays in payment of
contractors by the State Hospitals Management Boards
(SHMB). The pharmacists rather suggested that the
SHMBs should be strengthened through the involvement
of health consultants. Chairman of PSN, Mr. Funso
Fakolujo, in a memorandum to the Commissioner of
Health, Dr. Leke Pitan stated: If the government
wants to strengthen the health programme via drug
delivery, it may be imperative to constantly monitor
the drug supply system. This can only be done, if the
services of health consultants are engaged to
undertake the monitoring and evaluation of the supply
system. The consultants, according to the
association, should be able to establish a well
articulate protocol using reliable and sensitive
indicators for the exercise. The objectives of the
protocol, according to the memorandum, is to ensure
the supply of drugs to all the health institutions
under the control of the state government and to
improve the operational efficiency in healthcare
services through the provision of drugs and other
medicaments. The policy would also ensure cost
effectiveness without compromising quality and also
achieve equitable and affordable access to genuine
drugs in the state. These objectives would be
realizable if the consultants are able to put in place
drug selection and quantification process that ensures
the optimization of the therapeutic and economic
efforts and the establishment of a fraud-proof
protocol. The Guardian gathered that the state
government decided to embark on the initiative
following poor returns from its drug revolving fund
system occasioned by illegal sales and poor remittance
of fees to the state hospital management board.

Source: The Guardian, Monday, March 12, 2001 p.3. By
Ben Ukwuoma Keywords: Nigeria. Drug procurement and
distribution. Privatization of government
pharmaceutical services. Pharmaceutical Society of
Nigeria

2. GROUP WANTS DRUG FIRMS TO DROP SUIT AGAINST
GOVERNMENT

Doctors without borders, or Medicine Sans Frontiers
(MSE) has launched an international petition drive
calling on the 39 pharmaceutical companies suing the
South African government over the importation of
cheaper AIDS generic drugs to drop their case to
prevent more people from dying of the disease. This
case has struck a chord with people around the world
because it exposes the length that the industry will
go to protect its patents and profits, despite the
human costs, says MSF. Ellen Hofen, of the MSF, in a
statement urged individuals around the world to add
their voices to the growing chorus of outrage by
signing a petition by April 15, this year. There have
been demonstrations across the world demanding access
to life-saving drugs for South African HIV/AIDS
patients of about four million of its 40 million
population. Everyday people with HIV/AIDS who cannot
afford essential medicines visit our clinic. I think
that it is appalling that the pharmaceutical industry
insists on placing profits before people, and continue
to oppose the South African governments attempt to
improve access to medicines, said Dr. Eric Goemaere
of MSF South Africa. Former President Nelson Mandela
in 1997 signed a law aimed at improving access to
medicines, but the pharmaceutical industry immediately
filed a suit to block it. In the three years in which
the 39 companies have tied up this legislation in the
courts, more that 400,000 South Africans have died of
HIV/AIDS for lack of access to affordable treatments,
reports the Southern African correspondent of the News
Agency of Nigeria (NAN). The case opened in a Pretoria
High Court last Monday amidst protest to drop the case
as the companies sought a postponement of four months
but the judge granted three weeks.

Source: The Guardian, Monday, March 12, 2001 p.13. By
Anonymous. Keywords: Nigeria. HIV/AIDS. Access to
HIV/AIDS drugs. Patent protection and HIV/AIDS drugs.
Drug advocacy. Charitable organization. Medicine Sans
Frontiers.

3. AIDS CURE: SUBJECT YOUR DISCOVERY TO INTERNATIONAL
EVALUATION-NWOSU URGES CLAIMANTS

Claimants alleging to have discovered curative and
preventive vaccines/drugs against HIV/AIDS, have been
tasked to subject such discoveries to international
standard of vetting and verification. Minister of
Health, Prof. Alphonsus Nwosu, gave the challenge in
Abuja recently in his first public statement on claims
by Nigerians to have discovered the elusive cure to
the dreaded disease. Nwosu, denying bias to research
efforts of claimants, said: There are basic rules in
science. That is why we say truth exists, only
falsehood has to be investigated. I would expect
everybody whether he is within the institute for
pharmaceutical research or working independently, to
subject himself to these known standards of vetting
and verification. Continuing, he stated, As a
scientist, I have no bias, I have no prejudice. We can
get independent evaluations from the Nigerian
scientific class or from among Africans or developing
world or from the World Health Organization. So when
everybody (claimant) is ready, this ministry at least
with me, has no bias, but you cannot expect me to
evaluate an anti-AIDS vaccine for example when I am a
parasitologist and epidemiologist. With plans to set
up a youth army against AIDS towards curtailing the
spread of the dreaded disease, Nwosu added that in
April, Nigeria would host all African Heads of State
for an AIDS summit that would take a collective
resolution to stamp out HIV/AIDS from the continent.

Source: Vanguard, Tuesday, March 13, 2001, p.21, By
Sam Ogbeifun Keywords: Nigeria. HIV/AIDS cure claim
verification. Drug testing procedures. HIV/AIDS. Anti
AIDS vaccines.

4. NAFDAC, ALWAYS AND MEDIA HYSTERIA  A MEDIA
CRITIQUE

The Nigerian media is the freest in Africa; but
occasionally, that liberty has tended to become
freedom to malign with impurity other entities in
society. A recent case in point was the media hysteria
surrounding the alleged implication of Always feminine
pads in the spread of HIV/AIDS and the purported
failure of NAFDAC to do something about it. Without
mincing words, it was media irresponsibility at its
worst which is not in any way remedied by the fact
that the ugly rumour was helped along by Chief (Mrs.)
Titilayo Ajanaku, Special Adviser to the President on
Women Affairs. Mrs. Ajanaku is not a medical doctor;
neither is she an expert epidemiologist. Her views on
such matters can at best be regarded as the opinions
of an ill-informed person despite her high station in
government. The media still owes it as duty to itself
and its own credibility, and being conscious of its
duty to society, to ensure that it establishes facts
where vital issues are concerned before going to
press. HIV/AIDS is a life and death matter and any
product or company implicated in spreading the
epidemic willingly or inadvertently stands condemned.
And for a global brand like Always marketed by a
multinational, the risk of contagion of the companys
other products are considerable. So it is not an issue
to be treated without utmost care. Similarly, the
attack on NAFDAC officials who, for those deeply
knowledgeable about the agency, are amongst the most
dedicated public servants in Nigeria, is not only
unfair to NAFDAC staff but also a disgrace to media
practitioners who have critised NAFDAC in editorials
and personal opinion columns without ascertaining the
truth of the matter. Now, what are the facts that need
to be established before anybody can indict Always and
NAFDAC? And were those facts proved beyond reasonable
doubt? First, media organizations should have
established that there were indeed cases of women or
young ladies presenting with HIV/AIDS whose infection
had been traced irrefutably to the use of fresh
(emphasis mine) Always. That is the minimum
requirement of journalism which had not degenerated to
pure sensationalism. What do we know? Till today, no
hospital or clinic has reported a single case of
HIV/AIDS infection linked to the use of Always. So
what started as a rumor perhaps hatched by mischievous
individuals or people with wild imagination remains
just that; a rumor. Secondly, the media should have
educated itself a little more about AIDS and the
processes by which the infection is passed on to
determine if the use of Always or any other sanitary
pad could possibly cause the infection. Here again,
the facts are that the virus cannot survive outside
its host cell for more that 48 hours and to survive it
must find itself in a liquid or moist environment rich
in amino acids, the building blocks of proteins. Even
a science illiterate knows that a dry cotton pad held
in place by plastic cover which travels for several
months from the manufacturer to the users does not
even begin to meet those conditions for AIDS virus
survival. This is a dry medium! Thirdly, the media, in
order to be fair to all concerned should have found
out about the production process of Always to
determine if anything in that process could promote
the growth and spread of HIV. This obviously was not
done before ill-informed commentators went to press.
Always starts from cotton buds from dry farms where
AIDS can never find habitat; it proceeds to the
manufacturing plant where it is totally sanitized as
to make it 100 percent germ free; it is sent to
sterile production areas where sterilized cotton wool,
cotton linen and plastic covering are assembled and
packaged for shipment after undergoing rigorous
quality control tests for micro-organisms. There is no
single link in the chain from the farm gate to the
final user where any amino acid  rich moisture comes
in contact with raw materials or the final product.
Consequently, it is virtually impossible for AIDS
virus to contaminate the product at any point.
Fourthly, it would have been vital to consider the
reputation of the brand marketer. After all, the whole
purpose of establishing a great reputation, either by
an individuals or by a corporate citizen, is to ensure
that one is given the benefit of doubt when damaging
rumors are being peddled. Procter and Gamble, the
marketers of Always is the worlds leading consumer
goods producer with a reputation for excellent and
safe products second to none. That alone should have
cautioned commentators against careless reporting and
commentaries. Furthermore, the product has been in the
market for more than 20 years without blemish; and no
similar report of HIV infection from anywhere else in
the world or indeed Nigeria exists. Those facts put
together should again have sounded notes of warning to
everybody but the most careless media practitioners.
Always is the worlds leader in its product category
and that well-deserved position was achieved through
the type of painstaking attention to safety and
quality, which have become the hallmark of P & G.
Fifthly, it was essential to determine what NAFDAC was
doing about the matter  before going to press to
malign this under-funded, under-staffed,
under-equipped yet overworked agency.

Source: Vanguard. Tuesday, March 13, 2001 pg. 22 By
Dele Sobowale Keywords: Nigeria. HIV/AIDS. Always
sanitary pads. Allegation about HIV/AIDS contamination
of sanitary pads. Media critique.

5. FRESH HOPE FOR AIDS SUFFERERS

There is hope in the horizon for AIDS sufferers, with
plans by the Federal Government to provide them with
cheap anti-retroviral drugs. This action is being
undertaken in conjunction with the pharmaceutical
industry and the Joint United Programme on HIV/AIDS
(UNAIDS). Already, the government, according to the
Special Assistant to the President on HIV/AIDS, Prof.
Ibironke Akinsete, has begun negotiating with five
pharmaceutical companies who are willing to provide
the drugs. Akinsete, stated this while addressing
participants at a one-day seminar on the
Communication Framework for HIV/AIDS jointly
organized by the World Banks, UNAIDS and Journalists
Against AIDS (JAAIDS). This took place in Lagos
recently. She further added that a national advisory
committee comprising of pharmacists, nurses and
doctors has been formed, which would look into areas
such as capacity building of trained personnel who
would monitor the usage of such drugs. She, however,
explained that, the necessary facilities for the
measurement of viral loads as well as CD4 count have
to be in place in major health institutions in the
country before anti-retroviral drugs are made
available. Ant-retrovirals are not as easy to manage
as people think because they expose the user to other
side effects such as bone marrow infections".
Akinsete, who explained that there are many
intricacies involved in the administration of
anti-retroviral drugs, stressed the need for People
Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWAs) to protect themselves
from common opportunistic infections particularly,
tuberculosis. I would rather that PLWAs focus on
improving their nutrition. Non-governmental
organizations (NGOs) and state governments should also
improve the quality of care being given to these
individuals. Akinsete, while restating that there is
currently no cure for AIDS, appealed to state
governments and NGOs to involve PLWAs in their various
HIV/AIDS programmes. The event also featured a
presentation by Mr. Bunmi Makinwa, Team leader, UNAIDS
Intercountry team for Eastern and Southern Africa who
stressed the need for the adoption of communication
strategies that would incorporate the relationship
between HIV/AIDs and issues such as culture,
socio-economic status as well as spirituality into
enlightenment campaigns aimed at reducing the rising
epidemic.

Source: The Punch, Wednesday March 14, 2001, p.29.
By:Olayide Akanni Keywords: Nigeria. HIV/AIDS.
Communication strategies. People living with AIDS.
Anti-retroviral drugs. Non-governmental organization.
UNAIDS. World Bank. Journalists Against Aids.

6. OVERCOMING THE BURDEN OF HYPERTENSION

There is a growing concern among medical experts over
the increased prevalence of non-communicable diseases
in the country particularly, cardiovascular diseases.
This development, medical expert believe, is
worrisome. Statistics have revealed that not less than
20 per cent of Nigerians over the age of 15 suffer
from hypertension. The bitter truth, however, is that
though hypertension is a major killer disease
world-wide, only a third of affected Nigerians are
aware of their condition. Experts have warned that the
key to the successful management of hypertension is an
alteration in lifestyle and habits. In support of this
view, Prof. Oladipo Akinkugbe, a renowned Nigerian
nephrologists, has attributed the increase in the
incidence of non-communicable diseases such as
diabetes, hypertension, stroke and heart attack to
changes in lifestyle patterns attending the trend of
rural-urban drift. He explained that, moving from
rural to urban setting increases the risk factor of
the individual by over 100 per cent. In addition,
studies have shown that those at both extremes of the
socio-economic ladder, run a high risk of being
hypertensive. Akinkugbe canvassed lifestyle changes,
which include a reduction of stress, regular exercise,
and a low intake of foods high in fat content, to
improve the quality of care given to those suffering
from hypertension. This, he explained can be achieved
through the provision of cheap and affordable
anti-hypertensive drugs. Once an individual is
diagnosed as hypertensive, treatment is for life.
Thus, it is important that quality drugs be made
available at affordable prices. Pharmaceutical
companies need to go into liaison with the government
to ensure that cheaper drugs within the reach of most
individuals are manufactured in the country.

Source: The Punch. Wednesday, March 14, 2001 pg. 29 By
Olayide Akanni Keywords: Nigeria. Hypertension.
Non-communicable disease. Control of hypertension in
Africa. Drug management of hypertension. Life-style
changes and hypertension. Causes of hypertension.
Epidemiology of hypertension. Health advocacy.


-------------------

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Taking poverty to heart:

non-communicable diseases and the poor

2001-04-09

http://www.id21.org/insights/insights-h01/insights-issh01-art00.html

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are the leading cause of death worldwide.
Their emergence as the predominant health problem in wealthy countries
accompanied economic development. As a result, NCDs are often referred to as
'diseases of affluence'. But is this a misleading term? It suggests that
these are not major problems for the world's poor, which is quite simply
wrong, as this issue of Insight Health illustrates. Is it time to rethink
policy on NCDs?

World Health Day: IRIN WebSpecial - Taking Africa's Pulse

2001-04-09

http://www.reliefweb.int/IRIN/cea/countrystories/other/20010407.phtml

Health in Africa costs dearly: in quality of life, in chances of survival, and in resources. Did you know, for example, that Africa would have been an estimated US $100 billion better off in 1999 if malaria had been eliminated years ago? And - according to the World Health Organisation (WHO) - that extra US $100 billion is nearly five times greater than all development aid provided to Africa in 1999?

Family & Social Studies Worldwide - Free Searching!

2001-04-09

http://www.nisc.com/factsheets/fsd.htm

The premier index to Family and Social Welfare topics FREE ACCESS over the Internet until April 30, 2001. Family & Society Studies Worldwide is a core resource in NISC's series of databases on family and gender related topics. FSSW is useful for social workers, marriage & family counsellor, family practitioners, social scientists, sociologists, psychologists, and organizations & services dedicated to the Family -- a "must have" for any degree granting institution in these fields.

Family & Society Studies Worldwide - 1970 to Present
The premier index to Family and Social Welfare topics
FREE ACCESS over the Internet until April 30, 2001

Click on the "Click here to register for FREE Database of the Month"
link at the top of the NISC Home page and log on:
http://www/nisc.co.za

Family & Society Studies Worldwide is a core resource in NISC's se-
ries of databases on family and gender related topics. FSSW is useful
for social workers, marriage & family counsellor, family practitio-
ners, social scientists, sociologists, psychologists, and organiza-
tions & services dedicated to the Family -- a "must have" for any de-
gree granting institution in these fields.

With over 500,000 records, FSSW is the world's most comprehensive,
systematic, and non-evaluative resource of research, policy, and
practice literature in the fields of Family Science, Human Ecology,
Human Development, and Social Welfare.

Publications indexed in the database are drawn from a wide range of
social science disciplines including anthropology, sociology, psy-
chology, demography, health sciences, education, economic, law, his-
tory, and social work. Source documents include related websites,
internet documents, professional journals, conference papers, books,
book chapters, carefully selected popular literature, government re-
ports, discussion and working papers, unpublished material such as
poster sessions, statistical documents, theses & dissertations and
other sources, many of which are indexed exclusively in FSSW.

Over 15,000 abstracts and citations are added each year to FSSW from
more than 2,000 journals and other sources. FSSW includes the ac-
claimed Australian FAMILY database, the U.S. Military Families Lit-
erature database (coming soon!), and several other carefully selected
sub-sets of records from various government files. More details can
be found at:
http://www.nisc.com/factsheets/fsd.htm

For more information on Family and Society Studies Worldwide access:
http://www.nisc.com/frame/NISC_products-f.htm
and choose Family and Society Studies Worldwide

Related NISC Products:

** Child Abuse, Child Welfare & Adoption 100% FREE Access -- no obli-
gation - register today!
http://www.nisc.com/factsheets/can.htm

** Gay & Lesbian Abstracts
http://www.nisc.com/factsheets/qgla.htm

** POPLINE
http://www.nisc.com/factsheets/popl.htm

** PsycINFO
http://www.nisc.com/factsheets/psycinfo.htm

** Women's Resources International
http://www.nisc.com/factsheets/wri.htm

Please contact
Margaret Crampton or Lisl Griffioen
Tel: +27-46-622-9698
mailto:info@nisc.co.za
with any questions. We look forward to hearing from you

Local Libraries Losing Out On Global Trends

2001-04-09

http://allafrica.com/stories/200104090037.html

Local libraries should adopt new technologies to process and store information, a workshop in Kenya was told recently. The director of Unesco, in Nairobi Dr Paul Vitta, challenged libraries to embrace new storage systems where library card catalogues are replaced by online ones for indexing, retrieval and interchange techniques.

new educational technology site

2001-04-09

http://www.edtechnot.com

A new site devoted to educational technology has made its debut on the web. EdtechNOT.com was launched earlier this year "to encourage debate on the merits and pit falls of using educational technology in real schools." The site features a small link library, guest articles, a discussion forum, a "site of the month," and a collection of relevant writings.

One-Room Rural Schools

2001-04-09

http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/6.09/negroponte.html

Will the information-rich get richer and the information-poor get poorer? Will the divide shrink, or expand? The question might also be phrased in terms of the education-rich and the education-poor. The latter category includes some 200 million children who do not complete their primary education.

Discussion Group: World Conference Against Racism

2001-04-09

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/racism/420

Migrants Rights International has just launched a discussion group by email on the World Conference Against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance ( WCRX ). Participants, approximately 300, are representatives from civil society organizations with a special interest and or expertise on migration issues vis-a-vis the preparations and outcome of WCRX.
Discussion Group on the World Conference Against Racism, Racial
Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance (WCRX)

Migrants Rights International has just launched a discussion group by email
on the World Conference Against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia
and Related Intolerance ( WCRX ). Participants, approximately 300, are
representatives from civil society organizations with a special interest and
or expertise on migration issues vis-a-vis the preparations and outcome of
WCRX.

The specificity of this listserv intends to provide a platform of discussion
for representatives of international, regional and national networks or
individual organizations on vision, strategy and plans of actions to be
drafted by civil society for the creation of an international coalition.
This international coalition or movement could first act as a watchdog on
the implementation by governments of the future declaration and plan of
action in Durban, and secondly it could also constitute itself as a
long-term democratic movement focusing on the elimination of racism, racial
discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance.

This forum, in particular, will deal with the general framework of the
Conference's objectives but will put at the same time emphasis on the need
to promote full recognition, respect and realization of the rights of
migrant workers and members of their families.

To join this Discussion Group, please contact:

Héctor Mareque
Migrants Rights International
Coordinator Migration and Xenophobia Program
marequemri@hotmail.com

SAFPU CONDEMNS SOCCER RACISM

2001-04-09

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/racism/418

South African Players Football Union, a COSATU affiliates, condemns with strongest terms the manner in which soccer, in particular, is being treated by the Cape Town Unicity Council.
SAFPU CONDEMNS SOCCER RACISM BY CAPE TOWN UNICITY COUNCIL

South African Players Football Union, a COSATU
affiliates, condemns with strongest terms the
manner in which soccer, in particular, is being
treated by the Cape Town Unicity Council.

Soccer is one of the biggest and professional
sporting code that deserve the same respect that is
given to both cricket and rugby by the Cape Town
Council.

We view this as a blatant racism that does not have
a room in our newly found democracy. The rules
and regulations which obliges the soccer fraternity
to apply for permission should be amended as a
matter of urgency.

We will mobilize all the soccer loving people in the
Western Cape for the mass action that will ensure
that soccer is accorded the same status as the other
sporting codes in the province.


Siphiwe Mgcina
COSATU Spokesperson

siphiwe@cosatu.org.za
082-821-7456
339-4911

Call to review proclamation of the Year of Eco-Tourism

2001-04-09

http://www.woza.co.za/eco/news/apr01/tourism2.htm

Environmental pressure groups who say that eco-tourism has failed on the basis of its own principles, are advocating for a speedy review of the concept if the world's biodiversity is to be preserved and mounting poverty alleviated.

EMOTIONAL TOLL OF DISASTERS

2001-04-09

http://www.unicef.org/newsline/01pr17.htm

In the wake of quakes, emotional aid proves hardest to deliver. New tremors
rock the sub-continent while aid agencies and health workers are still
struggling to tackle quake trauma, especially in children. Unicef explains
how the emotional after-effects of a disaster are much harder to identify
and address than immediate relief needs.

FAO: PROGRESS TOWARD AGREEMENT ON WORLDWIDE STANDARDS FOR BIOTECH FOODS

2001-04-09

http://www.fao.org/WAICENT/OIS/PRESS_NE/PRESSENG/2001/pren0120.htm

The joint FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius Commission's Ad Hoc Intergovernmental Task Force on Foods Derived from Biotechnology have made significant progress in setting standards for foods derived from biotechnology, the two UN agencies announced this week.
FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS (FAO) REGIONAL
OFFICE FOR AFRICA, ACCRA - TEL. 675000/7010930

PRESS RELEASE NO. 01/15


CODEX ALIMENTARIUS COMMISSION TASK FORCE ANNOUNCES
SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS TOWARD AGREEMENT ON
WORLDWIDE STANDARDS FOR BIOTECH FOODS

Rome, 2 April 2001 --- The joint FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius Commission's
Ad Hoc Intergovernmental Task Force on Foods Derived from Biotechnology have
made significant progress in setting standards for foods derived from
biotechnology, the two UN agencies announced today. Codex Alimentarius is a
body charged with the development of international standards for food safety
and consumer protection.

The Task Force, bringing together officials from 35 countries and
representatives of 24 non-governmental organizations including Consumers
International, industry groups and Greenpeace reached near consensus on a
draft text of "general principles for risk analysis of foods derived from
biotechnology." Risk analysis is the system by which governments consider
the safety of foods and the measures that need to be taken to protect the
public from any health risks. The guidelines do not cover environmental
issues because these are included in other United Nations agreements, such
as the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety.

The one point on which consensus could not be achieved was the question of
traceability. This is a system of tracing all foods and food components
from their origin to the point of final consumption and is not related
exclusively to foods derived from biotechnology. According to the
announcement, traceability is strongly favoured by European countries, but
some countries worry that the system might be too complex and too costly to
operate globally.

The Task Force also announced agreement on a Draft Guideline for the Conduct
of Safety Assessment of Foods Derived from Recombinant-DNA Plants. The
guidelines pay special attention to the question of allergenicity that might
be transferred to new genetically modified (GM) plant varieties. The
guidelines also prohibit the transfer of genes that would cause
gluten-sensitive reactions in people with celiac disease. The Task Force
will further refine guidelines at its next meeting and will initiate work on
similar guidelines for the safety assessment of genetically modified
micro-organisms used in food production and processing.

The Codex Alimentarius Commission set up the ad hoc Task Force in 1999. The
Government of Japan hosts it. The Task Force Chairman is Professor Hiroshi
Yoshikura, Director General, Research Institute, International Medical
Center of Japan. Some 210 experts and officials took part in the 25-29
March 2001 meeting.

The Codex Alimentarius Commission was established in 1962 to implement the
joint FAO/WHO Foods Standards Programme. Codex is an intergovernmental
statutory body with a 165-country membership. Its purpose is to protect the
health of consumers, to ensure fair practices in food trade and to promote
coordination of all food standards work undertaken by international
governmental and non-governmental organizations.

RAF IN 2/2

New proposal to revive Kyoto treaty

2001-04-09

http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,3604,470617,00.html

The Bush administration is putting forward alternative guidelines for a new international global warming agreement, it was reported yesterday, as it finds itself increasingly isolated on the world stage for its rejection of the Kyoto treaty.

Southern Africa faces reduced harvest

2001-04-09

http://www.fao.org/news/global/GW0103-e.htm

Bad weather has affected harvest prospects in southern Africa, says a special report from FAO's Global Information and Early Warning System. A prolonged dry spell in January hit parts of Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland and Zimbabwe and subsequent heavy rains caused flooding in low-lying areas of Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia.

Who's to Blame on Global Issues?

2001-04-09

http://www.commondreams.org/views01/0406-04.htm

IT IS NO secret why President Bush is tightening his colonial grip on Earth's environment. He is doing it for us, the ugly Americans who must confess that we enjoy this modern imperialism, our sovereign right to suck the planet dry. Except for some howling environmentalists, there still is no major sign that the average American is seriously offended by Bush's rampage of environmental reversals.

Black Reporters Suggest Changes

2001-04-09

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/business/AP-Editors-Minorities.html?ex=987510894&ei=1&en=01db481b792b169d

America's newspaper editors should include black journalists in daily news meetings and offer minorities more internships and top management jobs, a black reporters group said Thursday.

Bombings And Bannings: Mugabe Versus The Press

2001-04-09

http://www.mediachannel.org/

In Zimbabwe journalism is in crisis, and journalists are in danger: an in-depth report from the Media Channel.

MMPZ WEEKLY UPDATE No.13

March 26th to April 1st 2001

2001-04-09

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/media/456

Media Monitoring Project, Zimbabwe.


SUMMARY

National media institutions short-changed Zimbabweans
over two important events in the week under review. The
state media swamped its audiences with uncritical support
for President Joseph Kabila’s state visit to Zimbabwe, while
the independent Press generally limited itself to affording the
MDC space to explain its boycott of Kabila’s parliamentary
address. Nowhere could a balance be found, nor an
independent analysis of the ramifications of Kabila’s visit.
The independent Press also failed to highlight government’s
efforts to railroad two important new laws through
Parliament (the Broadcasting Services Bill and the Political
Parties (Finances) Bill). Predictably, the state-controlled
media did the same. The extent of government’s
manipulation of parliamentary procedure in its preparation to
force through the two Bills with minimum debate was never
clearly explored. As a result, the repressive new
broadcasting law appeared on Zimbabwe’s statute books
without the public being consulted or even getting a chance
to be adequately informed of the issues at stake.

1. President Kabila’s state visit
The state media’s coverage of Kabila’s visit to Zimbabwe
far exceeded its news value. Television (27/3 8pm) was
especially suffocating, carrying five items on the man
(including his parliamentary address which itself clocked up
11mins 05secs) that consumed a total of 22minutes and
55 seconds of the bulletin. The MDC boycott was reported
in the first item, accompanied by one comment each from
ZANU PF and the MDC. President Mugabe was also quoted
in the bulletin describing the boycott as shameful.
Notably, radio was less enthusiastic (carrying three items
on Radio 1 & 3 and only one on Radio 2). But Zimpapers
followed television’s theme the next day with The Herald
(28/3) carrying the full text of Kabila’s parliamentary
address. It also carried news of his address as its lead,
and criticism of the MDC’s boycott from Mugabe and
Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa. The only voice outside
government was The Zimbabwe Mirror’s chief executive,
Ibbo Mandaza, (also on television the previous night) whose
paper (30/3) was alone in accessing an array of sources
including diplomats, political analysts, and ordinary people
– all of whom criticized the MDC, as did The Mirror itself.
ZBC bulletins (28/3) used the parliamentary debate of the
boycott as an opportunity to further highlight government
criticism (Foreign Minister Mudenge and Chinamasa)
without providing any indication of what MDC MPs had to
say. (The Herald weighed in the following day with the
same story). And in the vox pop that led ZBC’s 8pm
bulletin (28/3), the MDC’s Tafadzwa Musekiwa and
Learnmore Jongwe were given just 16 seconds to state
their party’s case, while eight other voices, including other
opposition groups, all criticized the MDC.
Over the two days, television granted MDC spokesmen just
35 seconds to explain their boycott, as against seven
minutes or more granted to their critics.
The Daily News (28/3) quoted MDC’s Tendai Biti
extensively in its coverage of the boycott, and included a
comment from Chinamasa. But it only reported Kabila’s
address the following day (29/3). The Financial Gazette
ignored the entire story, preferring to dig deeper into
Zimbabwe’s shadowy connections with the DRC’s mining
ventures. But The Zimbabwe Independent (30/3) led its
edition with the MDC’s Tsvangirai attacking Mugabe over
Kabila’s visit. It also carried an opinion piece inside in
defence of the boycott in which the author (Joram Nyathi)
claims:
“…there are no laid-down principles or policies
transparent enough for the public to know what is
happening or why something is being done the way it
is. The government and ZANU PF have tended to turn
national events into party political issues and party
issues into national occasions.”
This statement, taken with Biti’s observation that the MDC
was not consulted when the decision was taken to bring
Kabila to parliament, sheds some light on the state of
government in Zimbabwe today. But Zimbabweans could
be forgiven for failing to be enlightened.

Legislation railroaded into Parliament
All the media told their audiences that the Broadcasting
Services Bill and the Political Parties Finances Bill had
received their first reading in Parliament. But none of them
provided the public with relevant details of the Broadcasting
laws. Zimpapers' dailies made no mention of the fact that
the Parliamentary Legal Committee had found some of the
clauses in the original regulations that remained in the Bill
unconstitutional, but that the government was pushing the
new law through Parliament anyway.
And none of the media asked why Justice Minister
Chinamasa, called for parliamentary regulations relating to
the Legal Committee's work to be so curtailed as to
effectively prevent any debate on the Bill. Was it because
the Presidential decree on the broadcasting regulations
was due to expire at midnight on April 4th and that if new
laws were not in place by then there would be no legislation
governing broadcasting - just as Parliament was due to
break for the Easter recess? None of the media could tell
us; just as none of the media attempted to explore whether
this was bad timing by an incompetent government, or
perfect timing by government officials anxious to stifle any
discussion of the new laws. Instead, The Herald (28/3)
merely reported that the Legal Committee had been given
four days to produce another report, this time on the Bill
itself. Inexplicably, it took The Daily News (30/3) two days
longer to report the same thing without explanation. ZBC
kept its stories to a bare minimum (28/3 morning bulletins),
and 31/3 which quoted the Department of Information's
George Charamba saying the Bill would ensure that radio
and television programmes would reflect Zimbabwean life
and not topics that would please business people. Other
privately owned papers appeared to ignore the fast-tracking
of the Bills altogether.
The Herald (27/3) did provide an outline of the provisions of
Political Parties Finances Bill (27/3), saying that the Bill
would ban foreign funding of any political party, member of
a political party, or candidate. However, in its article,
Tsvangirai cries foul over Parties Bill, two days later, The
Herald contradicted itself when it said: "…the Bill only
proposes a ban on funding of parties…"
Waking up late to the news again, The Daily News (30/3)
only carried criticism from Tsvangirai and NAGG's
Shakespear Maya, without attempting to explain the
provisions of the Bill. Neither did The Financial Gazette
(29/3), which also just featured Tsvangirai's comments.

NCA conference
The NCA’s all-stakeholders’ conference attracted
considerable attention, but approached previews and
coverage of the event from different perspectives. Despite
The Herald (30/3) quoting NCA officials explaining the
purpose of the meeting, the state-controlled media
trivialized the impending event. And on the day it was held,
The Herald and The Chronicle each carried a childish full-
page advert from the ZANU PF Supporters Network urging
Zimbabweans not to attend. The Sunday Mail (1/4) clearly
took a dim view of the conference's success, referring to
its resolutions only in passing. Instead, it carried lengthy
interviews with Information Minister, Johnathan Moyo, and
the ruling party's Publicity Secretary, Nathan Shamuyarira,
both criticising the NCA initiative.
Although ZBC (29/3 Nhau Indaba and 8pm radio and TV)
told its audiences that the NCA conference was due to go
ahead, it reiterated government’s view that a new
constitution was no longer a priority. However, in a further
preview of the event, television’s 8pm bulletin (30/3), did
interview the NCA’s Lovemore Madhuku. The event itself
was first item on television’s 8pm (31/3), but instead of
focusing on the event and its resolutions, it featured
Information Minister, Jonathan Moyo, repeating the party
line and accusing the NCA of being a “bogus” organization.
None of the state-controlled media have adequately
explained why a new constitution is now no longer a
government priority. The nearest Moyo got was: “We
cannot expect the people of this country to take us
seriously if we purport the view that constitution
making is a priority… It can only be a priority to people
who are not part and parcel of the political process
and (who are) not conscious of our history.”
ZBC has not asked why government’s once-urgent national
mission in reclaiming the sovereignty of the country has
now become such an unpatriotic pursuit.
The Standard (1/4) reported the unexpected success of the
conference as its lead and outlined the meeting’s
resolutions, while The Sunday Mail carried the story inside,
together with a warning from Moyo that “the government
would never allow a situation where donors create a
bogus group such as the NCA, with the political
motive of subverting the national interest.”
The Standard noted that 3000 people had attended while
The Sunday Mail simply stated that attendance had been a
thousand. Neither paper provided sources for their figures
which should have been easily obtained from the
organizers, and nor did they identify which organizations
those who attended represented.
In its preview of the conference, The Financial Gazette
(29/3) quoted the NCA vice-chairman and political analysts
reinforcing the need for a new constitution, while The
Independent carried a six-page supplement outlining the
motives of the NCA and the reason for the conference with
Shona and Sindebele translations.

ZANU PF elections
The ruling party’s provincial elections and the selection of
its mayoral candidate in Masvingo were widely reported in
the state-controlled media, but received less attention in the
privately owned press.
The main feature of the reports in the state media was that
the elections and the events leading up to them were
reported uncritically in the name of party “restructuring”.
The fact that some political heavyweights were simply
barred from contesting in Harare and Mashonaland East
was reported, but only The Independent examined how this
may have compromised the democratic process in the
party and then only in relation to Harare province. It
suggested that “…the election could see a stage-
managed poll in the capital as the party is keen to
smooth the succession issue by first securing pliable
provincial executives.”
And The Daily News (26/3) reported that bitter infighting in
the party’s Masvingo provincial council had prevented the
party from selecting a mayoral candidate by consensus. It
quoted the party’s provincial chairman confirming that the
council – for the third time – had failed to agree on a
candidate. Instead, the Politburo was given the task to
select a candidate from five names forwarded by the
council. Three days later, The Herald (29/3) reported that
the Politburo had selected Jacob Chademana.
The paper’s lead story that day featured Politburo efforts to
clean up the Harare province elections, which included
barring former provincial executive chairman Tony Gara
and his deputy from contesting the top posts, a story
carried by ZBC television the night before. But it was not
clear why. Nor was it clear why “the controversial district
co-ordinating committee elections” were also nullified,
except for vague allegations of vote-buying and general
incompetence, which had led to the firing of four the party’s
Harare interim executive. While giving some details of the
procedures, the story quoted Border Gezi as saying the
action was taken to bring order and unity to the party in
Harare.
The Sunday Mail reported that in Mash East, Paddy Zhanda
and MP Victor Chitongo had been dropped because they
were “…bringing down the work of the party in the
province.” But this was never explained.


5. Other
i. Tuck shop Demolitions
The council’s renewed war on tuck-shops in Harare
received significant coverage in the state-owned media. The
Daily News (28/03) also reported the development, while the
rest of the privately owned press ignored it. After earlier
reports of government ordering the commission running
Harare to stop destroying tuck shops, Local Government
Minister Ignitius Chombo (The Herald 30/03) was quoted
threatening to fire the commission if it continued doing so.
The implications of the demolition of tuckshops were
underreported on ZBC. It carried no news of the council’s
renewed attack on tuck-shops. Initial stories simply stated
that government had formed a committee to supervise the
operation of tuckshops (31/03 6am radio). And subsequent
reports (Radio 2/4 and television 30/3 6am) merely reported
Chombo’s comments.
The story behind this obscure feud remained a mystery in
the media, leaving the public in the dark. There is a lack of
analysis of the socio-economic pressures that have seen
“tangwenas” and tuck-shops sprouting all over the high-
density suburbs. No one knows what is happening to the
thousands of people who have been made homeless, or
what the commission intends to do to ease these
increasingly serious pressures on Harare’s poor urban
population.


ii. MDC training youths in Uganda
The Sunday Mail (01/04) carried an unsubstantiated front-
page article suggesting that five members of the opposition
MDC underwent military training in Uganda to stage an
insurrection against the government. The article relied
heavily on “unnamed sources” and “insiders”. The article
also quoted Minister of State Security Nicholas Goche
confirming that they were investigating the matter. MDC’s
David Coltart and former ZCTU deputy secretary general
Isdore Zindoga were also quoted denying the charge.

ENDS

ZIMBABWE: Mugabe Softens Up Media

2001-04-09

http://www.mediachannel.org/

According to Allafrica.com, the Mugabe government has begun to control Zimbabwe's media by tightening the flow of information ahead of presidential elections next year. It wants to speed through legislation in parliament aimed at controlling the dissemination of information and the conduct of journalists in executing their duties.

Burundi Army, Rebels Fight

2001-04-09

http://washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/world/africa/centralafrica/tanzania/ap/A23618-2001Apr1.html

The Tutsi-dominated army fought Hutu rebels on Sunday in a southern suburb of Burundi's capital where officials said 37 combatants were killed in clashes last week.

BURUNDI: Rebel leader says he's still in charge

2001-04-09

http://www.reliefweb.int/IRIN/cea/countrystories/burundi/20010406.phtml

Rebel leader Cossan Kabura has claimed he is still in charge of the PALIPEHUTU-FNL movement, the Hirondelle news agency reported. In a letter to the facilitator of the Burundi peace process, Nelson Mandela, Kabura said that Agathon Rwasa, the "former commander" of the movement's western forces, had attempted a coup against him but had failed, and "disciplinary measures" had been taken against him, along with two other senior FNL members - Alain Mugabarabona and Anicet Ntawuhiganayo.

BURUNDI: Situation in Rutana province "volatile"

2001-04-09

http://www.reliefweb.int/IRIN/cea/countrystories/burundi/20010406a.phtml

A humanitarian assessment mission has visited the province of Rutana in the southeast following a wave of fighting between the army and rebels last month in three of its communes - Gitanga, Rutana and Musongati. A report issued by UNOCHA-Burundi noted that 1,500 families had been displaced in Gitanga and 1,187 in Rutana. Musongati was still affected by fighting and a final estimate had not been made.

Child soldiers in the firing line

2001-04-09

http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/newsid_1266000/1266534.stm

Thousands of children, some as young as 10, are serving with armed groups in the Middle East and North Africa, an international conference on the plight of child soldiers has been told.

children and armed conflict

2001-04-09

http://www.un.org/special-rep/children-armed-conflict/

UN special report on children and armed conflict.

Donors 'slow' with relief to Malawi

2001-04-09

http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/africa/newsid_1268000/1268286.stm

The President of Malawi Bakili Muluzi has said he is disappointed by the slow international response to the devastating floods that hit the country last month.

DRC: Opposition leader urges Masire to convene dialogue

2001-04-09

http://www.reliefweb.int/IRIN/cea/countrystories/drc/20010406b.phtml

Opposition leader, Joseph Olenghankoy, last week urged Masire to convene the inter-Congolese forum to "usher in a new political order" in the DRC, AFP reported. At a press conference in Kinshasa, Olenghankoy asked Masire to convene and determine the a dates and venue of the forum, adding that "beyond this date, the peaceful and democratic opposition and the civil society would be forced to choose a president of the republic."

Guinea: UN agency boosts efforts to relocate refugees from border areas

2001-04-09

http://www.un.org/News/dh/latest/page2.html#13

In a race against time and the weather, the United Nations refugee agency is stepping up its efforts to move tens of thousands of Sierra Leonean refugees away from volatile border zones in south-western Guinea to safer sites in the interior of the country.

I’m in control, says DRC’s Kabila

2001-04-09

http://www.mg.co.za/mg/za/news.html#kabila

THE president of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Joseph Kabila, says he is fully in control of the situation in his country, after dismissing his entire government cabinet on the eve of a visit to Germany.

Kofi Annan's Deputy Raps Kabbah

2001-04-09

http://allafrica.com/stories/200104090069.html

The Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, Louise Frecheet, who is on a visit to Sierra Leone, has met President Ahmed Tejan Kabbah at his Hill Station Lodge in Freetown. Ms Frechete told president Kabbah that the UN would closely work with government and non-governmental organisations to pursue peace and development in the country.

Leader of struggle to free the Nuba dies

2001-04-09

http://www.guardian.co.uk/Archive/Article/0,4273,4164021,00.html

Yousif Kuwa, the teacher who turned to armed struggle to get recognition for the Nuba people of central Sudan, has died at the age of 56 after a year-long battle with bone cancer. His death strips the Sudan People's Liberation Army of a man who was the very embodiment of the "New Sudan" it is pledged to create.

Niger: Government Sends SOS Against Famine

2001-04-09

http://allafrica.com/stories/200104060359.html

The government of Niger has sent out and urgent appeal for emergency aid of some 60,000 tonnes of cereals for May-August to avert the wave of famine in the country.

No Safe Passage Through Rebel-Held Sierra Leone

New Plan Would Not Protect Refugees

2001-04-09

http://www.hrw.org/press/2001/04/refugee-0403.htm

Rebel attacks on refugees returning home to Sierra Leone cast doubt on a new United Nations plan for "safe passage" through rebel-held territory, Human Rights Watch has said.
(Freetown, Sierra Leone, April 3, 2001) Rebel attacks on refugees
returning home to Sierra Leone cast doubt on a new United Nations plan
for "safe passage" through rebel-held territory, Human Rights Watch said
today.

Human Rights Watch research found that Revolutionary United Front (RUF)
rebels are raping, killing and abducting Sierra Leonean refugees fleeing
desperate conditions in refugee camps in Guinea. The findings raise
serious questions about the viability of so-called "safe passage" or
humanitarian corridors through rebel territory for returning refugees,
as proposed in February by the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for
Refugees (UNHCR).

Human Rights Watch documented abuses against refugees from December 2000
through mid-March 2001 in the Koinadugu, Kailahun and Kono districts of
eastern Sierra Leone. It said RUF soldiers are
attacking returnees in Sierra Leone as they trek for days, and
sometimes weeks, in an attempt to reach the government-held towns of
Kenema, Kabala and Daru.

"The so-called 'safe passage' for refugees is far from safe," said Peter
Takirambudde, executive director of Human Rights Watch's Africa
division. "The United Nations must not lend its authority to a scheme
that will only mean more suffering for traumatized refugees."

The returning Sierra Leonean refugees have been under siege in refugee
camps in Guinea since September 2000, when cross-border attacks flared
between Sierra Leonean, Guinean, and Liberian government forces,
rebels, and militia groups. The Guinean government estimates that
hundreds have died in this border violence, and that over 100,000 Sierra
Leonean and Liberian refugees and thousands of Guineans have been
displaced.

The recently appointed U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, Ruud
Lubbers, visited the sub-region in February 2001, to assess the refugee
crisis described by UNHCR as the worst in the world. After meetings with
the leaders of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, he proposed relocating
the refugees to camps further within Guinea. Lubbers also suggested a
strategy of "safe passage," allowing refugees to return to Sierra Leone
both overland through RUF territory and by boat from the Guinean capital
of Conakry to Sierra Leone's government-controlled capital, Freetown.
UNHCR established contact with the RUF to seek a commitment to allow the
"safe passage" of refugees.

Since early February, tens of thousands of refugees have been relocated
from the border region by UNHCR. According to UNHCR, as of March 23,
2001, some 59,000 Sierra Leonean refugees had returned from Guinea to
Sierra Leone since September 2000, many of them of their own accord.
Some 40,000 have returned by boat from Conakry, and some 13,000 by foot
to Lungi, north of Freetown. Some 5,000 are believed to have passed
through RUF-held areas of Sierra Leone. However, more than 135,000 are
still stranded in the Guinean refugee camps located in the Parrot's Beak
region bordering RUF-held areas of Sierra Leone. These
camps remain vulnerable to attack, largely cut off from food assistance
and protection.

Based on its findings of continuing RUF brutality against returning
refugees, Human Rights Watch believes that the protection of refugees
would be seriously compromised if UNHCR goes ahead with plans to
establish "safe passage" through RUF territory. Despite assurances
received by UNHCR during its meetings with RUF leaders in Sierra Leone,
any form of overland travel by refugees through RUF territory should be
discouraged by UNHCR.

Instead, UNHCR should make as its priority the protection and relocation
of the refugees to more secure camps further inland within Guinea.
Refugees should be provided with full and objective information on which
to base decisions about return, and those who wish to return should be
assisted with transport to Conakry where they can safely return by boat
to Freetown.

The international community, including UNHCR, should provide assistance
to returning refugees, many of whom join the already over-crowded camps
for displaced persons around Freetown.

Among the scores of returnees who gave detailed accounts of serious
rebel abuses to Human Rights Watch, numerous men who passed through the
diamond-rich district of Kono and the rebel stronghold of Kailahun
described recruitment of able-bodied men and boys as young as fifteen to
fight with the RUF forces or to carry out forced labor in the diamond
mines or with the rebel army. Four men were killed for refusing
recruitment, disobeying orders, or being physically unable to work.
Human Rights Watch interviewed an elderly woman whose
twenty-five-year-old son was shot and killed in front of her in December
2000, after refusing to be recruited. A woman described how her husband
was executed in early December for refusing to hand her over to the
rebels, while another woman described how her ailing husband was beaten
to death in the mid-March 2001 for no apparent reason.

Numerous women returnees described being abducted, raped and/or sexually
abused. Human Rights Watch interviewed six women who had been raped and
numerous more who were either held or taken away to rebel bases, for a
time span varying from a few hours to several weeks. One woman described
how she was gang-raped by RUF rebels in Kailahun in late January 2001,
after she and five other women were chosen from a group of returnees
detained at a rebel checkpoint. Human Rights Watch interviewed a man who
managed to escape in mid-January after two weeks of forced labor, but
had to leave his wife behind in a rebel base in
Kono.

According to witnesses, the RUF routinely screened returnees, and
sometimes forced them to move to other locations where they were
pressured to settle within rebel territory. Returnees who had been
detained described being held for anywhere from several hours to several
weeks. In addition to the abuses suffered along the way, most refugees
described being robbed of some or all of their possessions.

For more complete testimony of refugee victims of RUF abuses please see
http://www.hrw.org/press/2001/04/sl-testimonies.htm

For more information on Sierra Leone, please see:

Sierra Leone: A Call for Justice (HRW Photo Essay, Summer 2000) at
http://www.hrw.org/campaigns/sleone/photo-essay/

Guinean Forces Kill, Wound Civilians in Sierra Leone (HRW Press Release,
February 28, 2001) at http://www.hrw.org/press/2001/02/guinea0227.htm

U.N. Chief Urged to Protect Civilians (HRW Letter, November 29, 2000) at
http://www.hrw.org/press/2000/11/annanltr.htm

Number of UN peacekeepers in DR of Congo reaches 500

2001-04-09

http://www.un.org/News/dh/latest/page2.html#13

The number of United Nations peacekeepers on the ground in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has reached nearly 500, a UN spokesman reported today.

SIERRA LEONE: Pakistan to send 4,000 troops

2001-04-09

http://www.reliefweb.int/IRIN/wa/countrystories/sierraleone/20010406.phtml

Pakistan is to send over 4,000 soldiers to join the UN Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL), UN deputy spokesman Manoel de Almeida e Silva said on Thursday in New York. "The details of their deployment, including discussions on equipment, logistics and transportation requirements, are still being worked out," he reported.

Sudan rebels threaten oil workers

2001-04-09

http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/africa/newsid_1267000/1267060.stm

Sudanese rebels have threatened to attack international oil workers operating in the wartorn south of the country. The SPLA rebels, who are fighting for autonomy or independence in the south, said the Sudanese Government was using money from oil exports to finance its miltary operations.

ZIMBABWE-DRC: Harare to withdraw 5,000 troops

2001-04-09

http://www.reliefweb.int/IRIN/sa/countrystories/zimbabwe/20010405.phtml

Zimbabwe plans to pull out 5,000 troops from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in the "immediate future" - halving its military presence in the mineral-rich country - in a move a defence spokesman on Thursday described as a vote of confidence in the peace process.

Cosatu statement

Green Paper on E-commerce

2001-04-09

http://www.cosatu.org.za/press/latest.html

COSATU has submitted its views on the E-Commerce Green Paper, which examines issues around the growth of information and communications technologies (ICTs) in the economy. The federation is concerned at the failure of what was purported to be a participatory process that was supposed to be &#8220;consultative, transparent and [balancing] the interests of the broader spectrum of stakeholders (sic)&#8221;. From the outset there was an overwhelming bias in favour of legal, contractual and business issues, rather than issues of concern to organised labour, reflected even in the sub-title, "Making it your Business&#8221;.
Cosatu statement on its submission on the Green Paper
on E-commerce

COSATU has submitted its views on the E-Commerce
Green Paper, which examines issues around the growth
of information and communications technologies (ICTs)
in the economy.

The federation is concerned at the failure of what was
purported to be a participatory process that was
supposed to be &#8220;consultative, transparent and
[balancing] the interests of the broader spectrum of
stakeholder (sic)&#8221;. From the outset there was an
overwhelming bias in favour of legal, contractual and
business issues, rather than issues of concern to
organised labour, reflected even in the sub-title,
"Making it your Business&#8221;.

There was no focus upon workplace issues - jobs,
working conditions, skills. Apart from one paragraph on
jobs, the paper pays scant attention to the impact of e-
commerce on the lives and livelihoods of workers, trade
unions, the workplace, job losses and job creation.

Most of the COSATU&#8217;s comments and inputs were excised
from the final draft or vitiated in their presentation. In
consequence this is a Green Paper less remarkable for
what it addresses than for what it ignores or downplays -
notably the potential negative impacts of e-commerce. If
there is no any understanding or appreciating of these,
policies to &#8220;maximise the benefits&#8221; are likely to be one-sided
and ineffectual.

The Green Paper says nothing on how and where e-
commerce can contribute to economic growth and social
development. Although it speaks of government
&#8220;participation&#8221;, the Green Paper&#8217;s vision of government&#8217;s role
within e-commerce is that of neo-liberal facilitator,
&#8220;developing the enabling conditions for growth of e-commerce
by preventing and removing barriers&#8221;.

Government&#8217;s interventions must go beyond "facilitating". It
must provide vision, leadership and direction, and. where
necessary, regulation against negative impacts, resolve
conflicts of interest, protect vulnerable individuals and groups,
and promote desirable social outcomes.

Most successful ICT developments have been as a
consequence of government playing a strategic role in
promoting and developing the sector. Ireland&#8217;s success owes
less to a free-market minimalist approach, than to strategic
state intervention to upgrade the industry.

COSATU rejects the Green Paper&#8217;s neo-liberal conception
that individual countries are expected to bow to the demands
of the dominant capitalist countries and companies, rather than
pursue a development path suited to their people&#8217; needs.
More attention should be given to protecting the needs of
developing countries, including the protection of indigenous
knowledge and our bio-diversity heritage.

The Green Paper fails to address workers&#8217; intellectual
property. Workers, from musicians to computer
programmers, need to protect their rights and ensure they are
adequately remunerated, through regulation or via collective
bargaining.

The Green Paper also fails to address specifically any of the
issues relating workplace surveillance and employees&#8217; rights to
privacy and their rights to organise via e-commerce, including
communication with the union of their choice. These need to
be protected.
COSATU supports effective protection of workers, either
through appropriate legislation and regulation or subject to
negotiated codes of conduct. .

None of the issues raised by labour through the working
group in relation to labour market issues have survived in its
original form. For example, the complex and controversial
questions of job losses, job retention and job creation need
considerably more attention than the single paragraph they are
accorded.

The job destroying-impact of ICTs, and by extension that of e-
commerce, is the subject of extensive and detailed literature
and cannot be lightly swept under the carpet with bland calls
for more &#8220;research&#8221; and platitudes about that new jobs for
&#8216;infomediaries&#8217; being created.

COSATU reiterates its call for job guarantees for those in
existing employment, a sustained onslaught to up-skill the
workforce, and effective retraining and redeployment
schemes, with the safety net of a social plan as the measure of
last resort.

The Green Paper gives little consideration of the critical
barriers of access, literacy, and language. Unless these are
addressed, e-government will mean only &#8216;elite government&#8217;.
This is further compounded by the Green Paper&#8217;s
characterisation of citizens as "customers" or "consumers"
rather than as active participants whose basic needs have to
be met in the context of South Africa&#8217;s ongoing
democratisation.

It is imperative that South Africa develops a clear information
society policy framework, underpinned by clear policies and
intervention strategies for e-commerce and that concrete
measures are implemented to ensure that e-commerce
develops in a socially desirable way.

COSATU has sought to table the issues of concern to our
constituency, the workers of South Africa, with the hope of
making the information economy a satisfactory environment in
which to live and work.

For the full submission, please visit our website on
http://www.cosatu.org.za/docs/2001/ecommgp.htm

For further information please phone:
Fiona Tregenna, Parliamentary Office, on 021 461 3835 or
Charley Lewis, I T Department, on 011 339 4911


Siphiwe Mgcina
COSATU Spokesperson

siphiwe@cosatu.org.za
082-821-7456
339-4911

Digital Governance website

2001-04-09

http://www.DigitalGovernance.org Community

The Digital Governance website was launched a month back to explore
INNOVATIVE e-Governance Models in South based on the application of Knowledge Management principles and Information and Communication Technology (ICT). The website is a part of the KnowNet Initiative which harnesses the potential of ICT and Remote Volunteering to catalyse Human Development.
Dear Colleague,
Greetings from London from the http://www.DigitalGovernance.org Community.

The Digital Governance website was launched a month back to explore
INNOVATIVE e-Governance Models in South based on the application of
Knowledge Management principles and Information and Communication Technology
(ICT). The website is a part of the KnowNet Initiative at
http://www.knownet.org which harnesses the potential of ICT and
Remote Volunteering to catalyse Human Development.

DigitalGovernance.org has been tediously identifying and documenting actual
E-Practices in the South which enable Transparent, Efficient, and
Accountable Governance Mechanisms based on "Information Democratisation" to
ones which catalyse "Interactive Governance
Processes" that are Inclusionary in characteristics.

Some of the Emerging Knowledge Products relating to e-Governance Practices
in South (based on Digital Governance's research) are:

1. e-Governance is certainly making its entree in the South progessing from
stages of "Wider-Domain Models" or "Critical Flow Models" to the more
complex and technology driven "Interactive Service Models". The description
of these models is available at the website. An example of "Critical-Flow
Model" is the Indian website www.tehelka.com (a leanly funded media
organization with limited resources) which exposed a major scam in the
Defence Establishment in India relating to corruption and bribery. It led to
major political upheavals and a strong civil society unrest.

Similarly in Yugoslavia, Slobodan Milosovic regime was toppled by the
technology of the Internet and satellite comunications. Internet is also
increasingly becoming Africa's political corrupticians' nightmare.

2. e-Governance seem to have greater marginal benefits in countries with
moderate development indices, and where alternate channels of communications
are weak and governance processes are largely democratic to the extent that
they are Information- Driven. Example in Brazil, India, Malaysia, Estonia
etc.

In such cases, e-governance strengthens the two-way communication channel-
enabling the civil society to get more acquainted with decisions (as well as
decision-makers) which affect their quality of lives and providing them
avenues to express/ make an informed choice. The latter is usually provided
through conventional Governance processes. The e-Governance models therefore
function in complementary to the existing Governance models.

3. e-Governance processes have an equal or greater potential in the South if
applied in local geographical domains. Wider-Domain Governance models when
applied locally can promote "democratisation of information which is of
significance" ranging from basic District-level Governmental Information, to
Agriculture and Health related information, to information about disasters,
food rations etc.

4. Complex e-Governance models in South (based on advocacy and
direct-interaction with the Government) have so far been largely directed
towards issues of Global/International Significance. The models have
fostered inter-South support on many issues such as Agriculture and Trade
Policies, Issues of Big Dams, Genetic Engineering etc. to put up a
collective Southern Agenda.

Nevertheless, this is a sign of empowered and value-driven civil society
movements: an Empowered civil society which can work alongside the National
Governments on issues of International significance can fundamentally raise
its voice on National Concerns
to promote the larger agenda.


DigitalGovernance.org functions on a continuous learning mode. More
knowledge products would be brought into light in the subsequent updates.
You may subscribe to these updates by sending a blank email to
digitalgovernance-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Please have a look at the Key website updates and some of the feedforward
received from over 50 countries towards the end of this email.

I welcome your intellectual contributions and feedforward about the
DigitalGovernance.org Project to further enrich this website and to catalyse
Innovative E-Governance in South.

Lastly, Please help spread the word around about this initiative.


Warm Regards,

Vikas Nath
Inlaks Fellow, London School of Economics, UK
Home Page : http://www.vikasnath.org

-----------------------------------------------------
Innovator, KnowNet Initiative and Digital Governance
Conceiver, DevNetJobs.org

Email : knownet@knownetweaver.org or V.Nath@lse.ac.uk
Phone: + 44 (0) 7887 920080
-----------------------------------------------------


Following are some of the Interesting Case-Studies, Publications and Links
added to the Digital Governance website.


** Key Case Studies Added (Case-Studies archived on the website = 31)

Estonia: The Little Country That Could
<http://www.thestandard.com/article/display/0,1151,20451,00.html>

The medieval streets of old Tallinn have changed little in the last few
centuries. But high atop Toompea, the hill that has been the seat of power
in Estonia for almost 800 years, there is an experiment in 21st-century
government under way. Inside the chancellery building, Linnar Viik,
information technology adviser to Prime Minister Mart Laar, leads the way
through elegant government offices to a shiny new cabinet meeting room.


India: Free Internet access to Orissa High Court records
<http://www.cddc.vt.edu/digitalgov/news-orissa.htm>

Litigants fighting cases in the Orissa High Court will now have free
Internet access to case records following the inauguration of two Web sites
by state Chief Justice N.Y. Hanumanthappa. A litigant can easily find out in
which court his case is appearing and its listing. Besides, the search
engines of the Web site will help a litigant or
the general public to find details related to a particular case.


India : Kerala panchayats adopt e-governance
http://persmin.nic.in/arpg/egov.htm#6

The Ernakulam district panchayat had made a quiet entry into the IT world by
taking up a unique model of e-governance. The Electronic Industrialisation
Infrastructure Development(EIID), a scientific society under the district
panchayat, is providing guidance to three gram panchayats in the district to
establish information networks as
part of their plan projects. And the EIID is doing all this with software
that are freely available with open source codes.


India: Madhya Pradesh's E-governance site (Jabalpur)
<http://www.ciol.com/content/services/egov/showarticle.asp?AID=56&CI=0&SI=6>

The Government has gone online in Jabalpur division. The administration has
launched its interactive website and CD containing all information on
government departments and schemes at www.suvidha.org (
<http://www.suvidha.org)>


Pakistan : Punjab Government goes online
<http://www.punjab.gov.pk>

The website contains information about the economy, culture, government,
cabinet, rules of business 1974, and much more. The website says, "Punjab
Government may adopt 'SAAF Model' of E-Government. The model is devised in
order to formulate a future paradigm for a stable and organised government.
In its literal meanings, it connotes, 'transparency and openness', (the two
significant hallmarks of Islamic government). It also echoes the concept of
public participation in the political process and its
access to the information."


Peru: Government Goes High Tech
<http://www.sdnp.undp.org/it4dev/stories/peru.html>

One evening, a few months ago, Enrique Normand, a partner in the law firm of
Estudio Rubio, Leguia, Normand & Associates, was finishing up contract
negotiations between a Peruvian company and a group of US investors when he
realized they were missing a crucial document. They needed to obtain it from
the Oficina Registral de Lima y Callao
(ORLC), the notoriously slow public registry for Lima and its seaport,
Callao. In short, they needed a miracle.


Portugal : INFOCID
<http://www.infocid.pt>

A great portal site on Public Administrative information and issues in
Portuguese. Provides name and addresses of the Government and all public
organisations, relevant documents and debates etc.



** Key Publications Added (Publications archived on the website =45)

Governments Closing Gap Between Political Rhetoric and eGovernment
Reality
<http://www.accenture.com/xd/xd.aspit=enWeb&xd=industries/government/gove_st
udy.xml>

Online service delivery has never been higher on the political agenda than
it is today. From the United Kingdom to the United States, Belgium to Brazil
and Malaysia to Mexico, governments are talking about the significant
benefits that can be realised by migrating traditionally paper-based and
face-to-face services to the Internet.


Digital Growth in Africa - things governments can do for free or nearly free

<http://www.balancingact-africa.com/news/back/balancing-act49.html>

News Update asked 25 individuals and organisations drawn from development
agencies, the private sector, NGOs and trusts involved in digital
development in Africa to make suggestions about things that African
governments (or others) could do for little or money to encourage digital
development. There was almost a complete consensus
on the kinds of things they felt ought to be done

Surfing villages: Can Indian villages be logged on to the infotech
highway?
<http://www.cseindia.org/html/dte/dte20010215/dte_analy.htm>

Are they for real and do they stand to benefit from artificial intelligence?
Can India's villages ride on the infotech highway to development? To a
certain extent this is already happening but it is a knotty situation. Can
IT evolve to serve rural Indiaâs needs? The dairy cooperatives of Anand in
Gujarat are using IT applications to streamline procedures, making a
significant difference to the lives of milk producers in surrounding
villages.


The Role of Online Publication in the Promotion of Democracy
<http://allafrica.com/stories/200103300095.html>

The Internet is Africa's political corrupticians' nightmare. In other words,
news- media- information censorship by political dictators is curtailed at
the door of the Internet. Ask Yugoslav's Slobodan Milosovic whose regime was
toppled by the technology of the Internet and satellite comunications. The
irony is that the "unimportant"
people that the media target in under-developed and developing countries
like Sierra Leone for instance, are hardly in a position to access the
Internet.


Dictatorships in the Digital Age: Some Considerations on the Internet n
China and Cuba
<http://www.cisp.org/imp/october_2000/10_00drake.htm>

The belief that the Internet will spread democracy throughout the developing
world is so firmly held in Washington, D.C. policy circles that it is
becoming an article of faith. There may be something to the underlying
proposition, but this is an analytical question that should be subjected to
close investigation before firm conclusions
are drawn.


The use of Internet in Government Service Delivery
<http://www.endowment.pwcglobal.com/pdfs/CohenReport.pdf>

Governments have begun to use the World Wide Web to assist in service
delivery. This includes, but goes far beyond, the dissemination of
information to the general public and involves a variety of other
governmental functions. In reviewing some govern-ment websites it is clear
that the use of the web for service delivery is still in its
infancy. The types of services that can be delivered through the web are
still in the process of being imagined and organized by both government and
the private sector.


Electronic governance and commercial development in Africa: the grassroots
perspective
<http://legacy.unl.ac.uk/relational/cyberont/iad.html>

This presentation explores the emergence of the concept of 'governance' and
speculates on the opportunities provided by new electronic technologies for
the development of more participatory forms of governance than those
experienced in the past. The
presentation identifies the possibilities for direct democracy and the
greater use of client/user feedback in the shaping of governance structures.



Electronic Governance: Re-inventing Good Governance
<http://www1.worldbank.org/publicsector/egov/Okot-Uma.pdf>
This article examines the significance of the emergence of Electronic
Governance (eGovernance) as a mode of practice in the re-invention of Good
Governance. It presents eGovernance as inclusive of Electronic Democracy
(eDemocracy), Electronic Government (eGovernment) and Electronic Business
(eBusiness), examines the nature and scope of
developments in this emerging field and provides a wealth of examples to
illustrate essential, embedded concepts and modes of practice.


** Key Links Added (Exsiting Links on the website =52)

Anti-Corruption Network for Transition Economies
<http://www.nobribes.org/>

The Anti-Corruption Network for Transition Economies provides a forum for
the exchange of information between anti-corruption practitioners and
analysts in Eastern Europe and Former Soviet Union. It also serves as a
repository of anti-corruption project documentation, legislation, regional
and international agreements, survey results,
reports, research and other information.


Chapter 2 Network
<http://www.advocacy.org.za/>

The Chapter 2 Network is a clearinghouse of information and communication
for social justice issues in South Africa. Through its website, it provides
information about advocacy campaigns; training on Advocacy and lobbying,
including learning practical skills through the Advocacy game; research on
political intelligence, policy
analysis and legislation monitoring and networking opportunities to interact
with other civil society organisations who are engaged in social justice
advocacy.


Costa Rica : Democracia Digital
<http://www.democraciadigital.org>

A non-profit civic initiative directed towards using information and
communication technology for the extension and the enrichment of the
democratic coexistence of the Costa Rican society, facing the beginning of a
new century. The strategy aims at information dissemination on subjects
relative to the public interest and
creation of new spaces of consultation.


International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance
<http://www.idea.int>

International IDEA promotes and advances sustainable democracy and improves
and consolidates electoral processes world-wide. It provides a forum for
discussions and action among individuals and organizations involved in
democracy promotion. Global in ownership and score, independent of national
interests, and flexible and quick
in its responses, International IDEA is the only international organization
with this unique mandate.


** Key Events on E-Governance (Events Posted on the website = 8)

Worldwide Forum on Electronic Democracy
<http://www.issy.com/e-democratie>
May 17, 2001, Paris, France

This 2nd Forum will be the occasion to make a new point on the "Revolution
of the e-democracy", by advancing the new relations created by the network
among the citizens and their elected members and the emergence of the
e-citizen.


International IDEA Democracy Forum 2001: Democracy and the Information
Revolution
<http://www.idea.int/2001_forum/index.htm>
June 27-29 2001, Stockholm, Sweden

By combining a focus on key practical issues with exposure to the latest
cutting edge research in the ICT field, the Democracy Forum 2001 will
provide a unique opportunity for all concerned with the societal
implications of the IT revolution - from academics, ICT specialists and
business leaders, to election managers, development experts and politicians
- to come together to debate, reflect and develop creative policy options
for the future.


****FEEDFORWARD RECEIVED****

I agree that if the people are empowered with right information,
automatically they will demand better governance/performance from
politica/officer class people. Can one use your network to expose some murky
dealings so that concerned people can email the CEO of state and demand
action. Collective action means some results.
(Bangalore, India)


It is very amazing to find a great Net like this. I hope we could help in
anyway. (Sudan, Africa)


I am trying to establish similar digital government in Japan. (Okazaki,
Japan)


I am working in Civil Society and networking in rural Guatemala and was
curious as to what is out there. (Guatemala)


I heard about the Digital Governance initiative through the imfundo
discussion group. I find it very interesting, and I would like to implement
it in my country. (Argentina)


I am trying to develop an special project to disseminate telecentres in Peru
starting through a pilot programme. Is it possible to get linked through you
with other institutions than can collaborate with this type of project?
(Peru)


Such a knowledge initiative is critical in developing a more transparent
governance, trade and development for my Africa region.That is a good move.
I subscribe to the aspirations. (Accra, Ghana)


It is a very important and useful knowlege which we really need to change
the destructive regimes we have in developing countries to moblize civil
society organizations and empower it for better development.


Along with Good Governance, Digital Governance are important for true
progress, democracy, transparency and so on for these countries. I gained
this insight while, as a young primary school pupil, I saw my old grand
mother struggling just to retrieve a copy of my birth certificate from
corrupt municipal civil servants who were mainly
recruited among the mayor's family. (Canada)

Digital Growth in Africa

things governments can do for free or nearly free

2001-04-09

http://www.balancingact-africa.com/news/back/balancing-act49.html

News Update asked 25 individuals and organisations drawn from development agencies, the private sector, NGOs and trusts involved in digital development in Africa to make suggestions about things that African governments (or others) could do for little or money to encourage digital development. There was almost a complete consensus on the kinds of things they felt ought to be done.

Divided we Fall

2001-04-09

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DigAfrica

Today's students represent two key ingredients for tomorrow's companies: a
future employee base and a future consumer base. DigAfrica reports on how
businesses and philanthropists are working to provide technology for
students that need it most.
Divided We Fall

Companies are doing their part to get technology into the hands of young
people. And for good reason: The IT workforce of tomorrow depends on it.

By Diane Rezendes Khirallah (drezende@cmp.com)

nformation technology director Sue Becker wants more. She wants a bigger
budget to bring her IT infrastructure up to capacity. She wants more
bandwidth for her network. And she could use a couple of additional support
staffers so her team can be more responsive to the 120-plus people who rely
on her for their technology needs.

Becker isn't an IT manager in a multinational company; her employer is Link
Community School in Newark, N.J. And when it comes to IT, she is IT: CIO,
manager, tech support, help desk, and teacher to the faculty, staff, and 120
sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-grade students at the nondenominational middle
school that sits in what was once one of the most devastated areas of
Newark--a city that has long struggled with poverty and its share of
violence.

When Becker says she has an IT challenge, she's not overstating her case.
Aside from six Apple iMacs that came from a grant, Becker characterizes the
school's vintage Macs and PCs--most in various states of disrepair--as "a
veritable museum." The machines are a hodgepodge of hardware from local
businesses and well-intentioned individuals.

And the Internet? "I'm not sure we could even load a browser on these
machines," Becker says. The school's one 56-Kbps dial-up connection is so
unreliable that E-mail can take as long as a week--when it goes through at
all.

Like many other schools across the country, Link is firmly ensconced on the
far side of the digital divide, the gap between technology "haves" and "have
nots," generally measured by access to the Internet. A study released last
month by the Pew Internet & American Life Project finds 45% of American
children have access to the Internet. Of these 30 million, the study doesn't
distinguish between those who wait in line to log on at the library from
those in homes with high-speed access. Nearly three-quarters of youngsters
between ages 12 and 17 go online; under age 12, that figure drops to 29%.

It's a divide most clearly delineated by three factors: race, geography, and
economic status. On the surface, children at inner-city Link meet all the
descriptors that mark the divide: 99% of the students are African-American;
1% are Hispanic. Nearly 40% come from families whose gross annual income is
less than $14,000, well below the current U.S. poverty level of $17,650 for
a family of four. But don't feel sorry for Link. The private school where
everyone is on financial assistance is proud to count doctors, attorneys,
and Ph.D.s among its 1,500 alumni. Ninety-five percent of its graduates will
complete high school, compared with the city norm of 50% and the statewide
average of 79.3%. So far, this success hasn't been because of technology;
it's been in spite of it.

Corporate IT, safely perched on the tech-rich side of the divide, sees the
need to help schools such as Link. A just-released InformationWeek Research
survey of 500 business and IT professionals finds 77% concerned about the
divide. A full 63% of respondents say private business should take on a
significant role in bridging the technology gap, yet only a third of the
respondents' companies have policies or programs to bring computers into the
community.

Not surprisingly, survey respondents say the chief concern of business is
the continued shortage of IT workers and how it will affect the U.S.
economy. Nearly 70% of survey respondents say their companies are concerned
about the digital divide because they, and the U.S. economy in general, need
more IT talent. Business still has a great need for tech workers, despite a
growing talent pool created by recent layoffs. Short-term solutions such as
increasing the number of H-1B visas have had little more than a palliative
effect. To address the issue requires long-term strategy.

But the average CIO doesn't necessarily have time in a 50-or 60-hour
workweek to think about long-term education strategy, says Brown
University's Chris Amirault, director of the Institute for Elementary and
Secondary Education. Still, to remain competitive in the global economy, he
says, "the reality is that [IT executives] must think about how to create a
worker class five, 10, 15 years down the road."

Many technology vendors have involved themselves in digital-divide
initiatives for some time. But something's changed: Their philanthropic
efforts historically have been fueled by a desire to do good in the
community and to reap the benefits of tax write-offs; today, they're also
fueled by economic necessity, namely educating the future IT workforce. In
all, 61% of survey respondents say more computers in the classroom will help
bridge the digital divide, the top initiative cited. Computers in community
centers (59%) and mandatory computer competency in public schools (55%)
follow closely behind.

Hewlett-Packard, for its part, wants to attract children to science and
engineering and into solid technology careers, and has the digital-divide
initiatives to prove it (see story, "HP Plugs In To Community"). But it's
tough, says HP's Cathy Lipe, manager of pre-university education programs.
"The numbers [of kids pursuing engineering] aren't growing, even though the
demand is growing," Lipe says. "It's a recruiting issue that's not
immediately felt, because we're losing good talent when kids in grades K to
12 aren't getting into the technology pipeline."

The issue is even broader for Cisco Systems, which also has digital-divide
initiatives in place. It's not just the IT workforce, says Christine
Hemrick, the networking vendor's VP for strategic policy. "As companies
reinvent business processes around technology, virtually every job will
require a basic understanding of how IT works," she says. At Cisco, where
company benefits information is distributed online, even manufacturing
workers must know how to use a browser at a kiosk.

After hearing Cisco CEO John Chambers speak, Jack Cassidy, CEO of
telecommunications and wireless services provider Cincinnati Bell, says he
found himself thinking about computers in education. "Education represents
two things that are lifeblood" for Cincinnati Bell and other companies, he
says. They are future employees and future consumers. That's why Cincinnati
Bell is creating a telecom curriculum for Taft High School, so that it can
open an IT academy slated to open in September. The academy was born out of
a collaboration between the Cincinnati school district and the Greater
Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce.

Around the time that Cincinnati public school administrators realized they
had to do something drastic to address a 40% to 75% high school dropout
rate, the chamber of commerce began a program to transform the area into a
high-tech region. So the two groups teamed up to create the IT academy that
will offer students an opportunity to acquire skills and certification in
IT, telecom, and electronic media. Despite its technology slant, the program
isn't vocational; students will attend traditional high school classes, too.

As for the students who will attend Taft's IT academy (many of whom live in
nearby projects in the poorest areas of the city), Cincinnati Bell is
considering wiring their homes with free digital subscriber lines so they
can have Internet access, Cassidy says. Also on the idea board: on-site
telecom classes for Taft students at Cincinnati Bell's state-of-the-art data
center, company employees as teachers, and internships for the academy's
best and brightest.

Though most companies involved in digital-divide initiatives are technology
vendors, some nontech companies are providing funds and volunteers. Richard
Shellito, VP of systems at State Farm Insurance Co. in Bloomington, Ill.,
says the digital divide goes beyond just the lack of computers or Internet
access. "Students must also have the analytical and math skills to
understand technology," he says.

In addition to participating in a computer-donation program with its
communities, the insurance company has established policies to promote
technology know-how in disadvantaged areas. Mark Harms, a recruiting and
hiring analyst, runs an eight-week summer program designed to integrate
technology into schools and to meet state education objectives. Two teachers
and 13 students meet at company headquarters each year. Last year's effort
resulted in TeacherOutreach.org, an online resource for teachers about using
software and the Internet. Created by a handful of people, it's now used by
1,100 Illinois teachers.

There's another divide that's harder to measure than socioeconomic status,
geography, and race: the cultural chasm between business and education.
Without bridging that cultural gap, good intentions, and even tightly
focused, well-funded programs, may miss the mark. CIOs have long known that
they can't just throw money at IT and expect it to succeed. Similarly,
companies can't throw money--or hardware and software--at schools, hoping
that somehow the technology will catch on.

The business milieu is one that involves clear outcomes, measurable goals,
and specific, agreed-to standards: Money is its driver. But schools aren't
in business to turn a profit. Their culture is hard for businesses to grasp,
says Brown's Amirault. "We haven't done a good job of explaining why people
should use technology. Job preparedness is a lame explanation," he says.
"Teachers aren't buying it. Schools aren't set up to embrace technology the
way corporations are."

Eric Hartwig, principal at Menlo-Atherton High School in Menlo Park, Calif.,
agrees that companies need to understand the culture of education. "It's
easy to say, 'Schools should behave as businesses.' But we don't have the
structure or the liberty to act as businesses," he says.

Hartwig's school draws students out of five communities, from tony Atherton
to East Palo Alto, which has the highest dropout rate in the San Francisco
Bay area. The school is proud of its ethnic diversity: Caucasians,
African-Americans, Latinos, Asians, and Pacific Islanders make up the
student body, and there's no ethnic majority. Some come from homes where the
technology includes T1 lines and personal tech support from parents who are
IT executives. At the other extreme are students with no PC at home and
working parents to whom the Internet remains a mystery.

Step into Manuel Delgado's class in computer basics, and it's quiet except
for the tikka-tikk-tikka of 30 sets of hands working 30 keyboards. Delgado
says a lot of his students don't have PCs at home, so they need to increase
their skills at school. For some, this course will serve as the foundation
for programming courses; for others, it's a good basis for college or for
entry-level jobs after graduation.

Where do Menlo-Atherton's computers come from? A variety of sources,
including the school budget, donations, grants, fund-raisers, and lobbying
by parents who are Silicon Valley heavyweights who want more technology in
the school.

On the surface, Menlo-Atherton would seem a good fit for Cisco's Networking
Academy, which was highly publicized when it was launched in 1997. Initially
created to train teachers and students to maintain their schools' IT
infrastructures, the program has evolved into an in-depth curriculum leading
to student certification in Cisco networking and a near-guarantee of IT
employment.

The Networking Academy is also Cisco's top digital-divide initiative. "It's
great for students at risk and schools in [federally designated] empowerment
zones," says Susan Jeannero, senior manager of education marketing. And it's
close to Cisco's core values. "Education is always top of mind. An educated
workforce is critical to adapt to the Internet economy." In addition to
schools, Cisco offers the program in community colleges, adult learning
centers, juvenile detention centers, and even homeless shelters.

Still, Menlo-Atherton decided not to continue with Cisco's Networking
Academy after using it for a year. The vendor's offer, which included
hardware, teacher training, and a two-year curriculum, was "very sexy, but
not as successful as we'd hoped," principal Hartwig says. "From an IT point
of view, it's very accessible, but the curriculum is more sophisticated than
a lot of kids are ready to handle."

That's not to say he thinks it couldn't work. Hartwig would like to see the
IT industry get more involved with implementation; in Cisco's case, to
release an employee for a year to work in the schools. "That person could
become familiar with adolescent learning and psychology, and learn how the
school system actually works," he says.

In some of the poorest neighborhoods, where schools often lack computers,
there are other ways for students to get their hands on technology, thanks
to after-school programs such as those supported by San Francisco startup
Salesforce.com Inc. through its foundation, Salesforce.com/foundation.

Launched in December 1999 with an initial $2.5 million of Salesforce founder
Marc Benioff's personal funds just two months after the company was born,
the foundation supports 14 community technology centers at schools,
after-school centers, a YMCA, and even a residential detention center for
teens. Benioff says his company works hard to leverage its partnerships:
Gateway Inc. provides the hardware, Cisco the networking equipment, and
Amer-ica Online the Internet access. Secretary of State Colin Powell's
PowerUP organization provides the working model and ancillary support. In
addition to funding for staff and other center needs, Salesforce volunteers
its staff as teachers, mentors, and IT experts.

Benioff explored the idea of corporate philanthropy firsthand while working
at Oracle, when CEO Larry Ellison asked him in 1997 to head company efforts
to get technology into schools. Suddenly, he was living in two worlds. "I
spent half my time in management meetings and half in schools in places like
south-central Los Angeles and Washington, D.C.," Benioff says. Meeting
Powell especially inspired him. When it came time to launch his own company,
Benioff wanted to bring what he learned to his new venture.

Suzanne DiBianca, chief service officer and head of
Salesforce.com/foundation, advocates a partnership approach, in which
Salesforce and the schools and community centers collaborate from the
beginning. "Be up-front about the partnership and how deeply you want to be
involved," she advises. "And choose organizations that have great visions
for what they would do with the money."

One such group is Community Bridges Beacon, a community technology center
housed at Everett Middle School in San Francisco's economically
disadvantaged Mission district. The center attracts dozens of neighborhood
children and teens after school each day for classes, to do homework, or
just to have fun.

Because the most sophisticated IT infrastructure in the world is useless
without people who know how to use it, Salesforce.com/foundation requires
organizations that receive funds to use at least three-fifths of the money,
typically $30,000 of $50,000, to hire qualified staff. IT employees also
volunteer in the community centers.

In Salesforce's first six months, its staff put in 500 hours of community
service; DiBianca says she hopes to double that this year. The executive
team is behind it, she says, and it's good for morale and employee
retention.

Many companies want to be generous. Pragmatically, they hope to redress the
IT labor shortage that will likely continue for years. Employees also like
working for a company that extends its core values of innovation, intellect,
and invention into the community. But despite the efforts of contributors
across the country, many schools still struggle against big odds, and
sometimes, the computers in the classroom come from unexpected places.

Remember the six iMacs at Link Community School? They came from the "have"
side of the digital divide, but corporate America had nothing to do with it.
It was a student project by 17-year-old Tiffany Halo, a senior at
Morristown-Beard Prep School. With guidance from her parents, she started a
foundation called the Students Urban Renewal Fund, raised $5,000, got a
matching grant from the Victoria Foundation, which awards grants to address
the needs of the Newark community, and gave the money to Link for the iMacs.

Now, in part because of Halo's project, the school will standardize its
student hardware on the Macintosh platform. It's a start. IT director
Becker's $256,000 technology plan for Link calls for a LAN and Internet
access, a state-of-the-art technology learning center, and the creation of
an interactive Web site. In her ideal world, the entire building would be
wired and each classroom would have Internet access. "I want them to have
computers so badly," she says. "It's all about the money."

For forward-thinking companies--technology and otherwise--the money is the
easy part. The challenge to corporate philanthropy is tougher: to forge
partnerships with education in order to transform the digital divide into
digital opportunity for all children. The future IT workforce, and the
strength of the nation's economy, may depend on it.

SOURCE: Informationweek via DigAfrica -- DigAfrica analyzes, informs and
updates on Internet & Telecommunications activities and progress in Africa
as-they-unfold.
© Copyright DigAfrica 2001 -- http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DigAfrica

ICT AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT in Senegal

2001-04-09

ftp://ftp.unicc.org/unrisd/outgoing/pp/ts/01sagna.pdf

This document from the program of the United Nations Research Institute in Social Development (UNIRSD), produced with the support of the Dutch Ministry for Development Cooperation, is the first report published by the UNIRSD research project on information technology and social development in Senegal. Its final objective consists of improving the level of debate on information technology policies.
Olivier Sagna. - Geneva, Switzerland: United Nations Research Institute
in Social Development (UNIRSD), January 2001, 77 p. - (Technology and
society. Document of program no. 1.)

This document from the program of the United Nations Research Institute
in Social Development (UNIRSD), produced with the support of the Dutch
Ministry for Development Cooperation, is the first report published by
the UNIRSD research project on information technology and social
development in Senegal. Its final objective consists of improving the
level of debate on information technology policies.
Starting from the development of information and communications
technologies (ICTs) in Senegal, the author underlines the important role
played by the national telecommunications company (SONATEL) in the
establishment of a high-quality infrastructure and the availability of
efficient services, as well as the crucial role of radio in the
country's development with the progressive liberalization of FM radio
frequencies.

A set of figures on the role of ICTs in the Senegalese economy is
provided as is an analysis of initial experiences in the facilitating of
access to and use of the Internet, specially in the educational and
health sectors.

The author concludes by suggesting possible future in-depth research
objectives: history of SONATEL; analysis of the usage of ICTs in general
and of the Internet in particular including user profiles; use of ICTs
by the informal sector; ICTs and immigration regions; ICTs in the
service of the citizens; introduction of ICTs in the education system;
ICTs and the move towards "globalization"; ICTs and the young; the
development of cybercafes and other public Internet-access points;
experiences in collective usage of ICTs on Internet radio; and mobile
telephony.

UNRISD site: http://www.unrisd.org/
Pdf document (588 KB):

ftp://ftp.unicc.org/unrisd/outgoing/pp/ts/01sagna.pdf
Contact: info@unrisd.org

ITWeb Weekly Updates

2001-04-09

http://www.itweb.co.za

MISTICA: MIT's OpenCourseware

2001-04-09

http://www.nytimes.com/2001/04/04/technology/04MIT.html

Other universities may be striving to market their courses to the Internet masses in hopes of dot-com wealth. But the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has chosen the opposite path: to post virtually all its course materials on the Web, free to everybody.
"CAMBRIDGE, Mass., April 3 - Other universities may be striving to market
their courses to the Internet masses in hopes of dot-com wealth. But the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology has chosen the opposite path: to post
virtually all its course materials on the Web, free to everybody. M.I.T.
plans on Wednesday to announce a 10-year initiative, apparently the biggest
of its kind, that intends to create public Web sites for almost all of its
2,000 courses and to post materials like lecture notes, problem sets,
syllabuses, exams, simulations, even video lectures. Professors'
participation will be voluntary, but the university is committing itself to
post sites for all its courses, at a cost of up to $100 million."

Tomado de: http://www.nytimes.com/2001/04/04/technology/04MIT.html

Naspers considers de-listing M-Web

2001-04-09

http://www.itweb.co.za/sections/financial/2001/0104061620.asp

Naspers has announced that it is considering de-listing M-Web, citing negative market conditions. It is expected that M-Web investors will be offered Naspers shares in a share swap deal.

Nature: debate on access to online research

2001-04-09

http://www.nature.com/nature/debates/e-access/

Nature has initiated an online debate of the impact of the Web on publication of original research and the complex issue of free access.

balancing act news update 54

GHANA - RAPID GROWTH IN INTERNET USE DESPITE COST CONSTRAINTS

2001-04-09

http://www.balancingact-africa.com

Ghana was amongst the first countries in Africa to get connected. Although it suffers from all the usual constraints on growth - especially the high costs of connectivity - it is estimated that around half a million people have access to the web in some form. Kwami Ahiabenu describes the development of Ghana's internet culture.

COMING SOON: THE INTERNET IN TOGO AND SELLING DIGITAL IMAGES OF AFRICA
____________________________________________________________________________

Ghana was amongst the first countries in Africa to get connected. Although
it suffers from all the usual constraints on growth - especially the high
costs of connectivity - it is estimated that around half a million people
have access to the web in some form. Kwami Ahiabenu describes the
development of Ghana's internet culture.

If our correspondent is "off the mark" or you have factual amendments, mail
them to us and we will include them in subsequent News Updates. If you'd
like to contribute, write and let us know.

If you need information about a particular place or issue, just send your
questions in. We are always happy to follow up on readers concerns.

If you want to subscribe to News Update, simply send a message saying I want
to subscribe to info@balancingact-africa.com Also if you no longer wish to
subscribe, simply send a message saying I no longer want to subscribe to the
same address.

- > WEEKLY PUBLICATION DEADLINE: 12 pm Sunday

- > FREE SMALL ADS - GO TO OUR WEBSITE: http://www.balancingact-africa.com

- > PAID FOR ADS? MAIL US FOR A RATE CARD: info@balancingact-africa.com

URGENT ANNOUNCEMENT: We are attempting to identify a networking consultant
who can commission a wireless LAN for a mobile community telecentre that
will serve the staff of rural medical clinics in Kaduna State, Nigeria. The
system will include:
1.) 1x laptop configured as a mail, file and print server (Linux)
2.) 4x laptops connecting to the server via a wireless LAN (Win2k or W9x)
3.) A connection to the Internet for the LAN via the server (email and web
access)
4.) Software configuration (word processing, etc.)
in addition, the consultant will be asked to train 1-2 staff members with
some computer experience in system maintenance and troubleshooting.

At this time, we are seeking general advice or suggestions about
establishing such a network. We also need to prepare a budget for
fundraising purposes. If anyone is interested in submitting a quote or can
offer suggestions about creating and running such a network, especially if
you have direct experience with one, please reply to
<fantsuamfoundation@fantsuam.com>.

____________________________________________________________________________
GHANA - RAPID GROWTH IN INTERNET USE DESPITE COST CONSTRAINTS
____________________________________________________________________________

The genesis of the internet in Ghana started in the early nineties(1989/90)
with the initiation of a pilot project by the Pan African Development
Information system (PADIS) and the International Development Centre (IDRC)
Fidonet network to connect the Ghana National Scientific and Technological
Information Network (GHASTINET), the Association of African
Universities(AAU) and the Technology Transfer Centre (TCC), to GreenNet in
London by dial-up.The service was limited to E-mail which was sent 3 times a
week at 2400bps. Later, AAU started using Unix to Unix Copy Protocol (UUCP)
while the Health institutions migrated to HealthNet. The HealthNet system
was based on Satellite technology at this time. Full commercial Internet
access went live in January 1995 with pioneering work done by Network
Computer Systems ­NCS. Majority of organisations, both private and public
were connected to the Internet in 1997 when Internet usage explored.

Internet usage in Ghana has taken off in an unprecedented way with
individuals and companies rushing to get access to the Internet. The
increase in the number of cyber cafes has been one important contributory
factor. Though cyber cafes are found in every part of the country majority
of them are located in the country's capital Accra. With the number of
Internet access centers (cafes, post offices, communication centers,
telecenters, etc.) mushrooming all over the city, it is estimated that the
city alone has over 100 Internet access centers with occupancy rates
reaching over 90% in most centers. Growth has also been particularly strong
in the private sector for whom the internet has become a very important tool
for business.

According to the National Communication Authority ­ NCA over 39 ISPs have
been licensed but there are currently 8 Internet providers operational in
Ghana : Network Computer Systems, premier followed by Africa Online and
Internet Ghana, Africa Express (Christian internet service providers)and
IDN. Three additional ISPs went live early this year namely WWWPLUS, ESS
LTD and Africanus.net as the latest ISP. Each ISP connects to the
International Internet links independently and there is no local Internet
Exchange or peering, meaning local internet exchange traffic has to reach
the international link before it drops to Ghana.

- ISPs MAINLY FOUND IN ACCRA

All the ISPs operate from Accra, the national capital hence majority of
users outside Accra, have to make a trunk call to get access to the
Internet. Though some ISPs provide Point of Presence - POP in other parts
of the country, the number is woefully inadequate. There is an urgent need
to provide more POP to ensure that the whole country has access to the
internet without making an expensive trunk call to Accra.

Currently it is estimated that over 15,000 users have direct connection to
the internet, whilst it is estimated that over 500,000 users have access
through shared Internet connections- homes, offices, through friends and
cyber cafes.

The government of Ghana does not have a specific policy on the use of
internet. However it has not been hostile to its implementation in the
country, though in recent past the National Communication Authority- NCA
shut down one ISP ­ InterCom Data Network ­ IDN and some telecomms operators
for operating Voice Over IP (VOIP) technology. IDN is now back in business
and because of its flagship as the best ISP in Ghana it was able to get over
90% of its clients back on its network. Though commercial voice over the
internet is not permitted in Ghana, a lot of internet users tend to use this
technology especially to call relatives and friends outside Ghana.

Most service providers offer full internet services, including value added
services. Interestingly some ISPs do not offer a dial up e-mail account only
option. Thus a user is left with no option than to subscribe to full
Internet services. Furthermore, most ISPs also tend to provide web
designing and traditional web hosting services. There is a sharp increase in
the number of companies providing specialised web content development and
hosting in response to the rising demand for such services.

E-mail remains the "killer internet application" in Ghana: the ordinary
person likes the fact that he or she can be reached by a click of the button
through their inbox. Web browsing follows closely as the most popular
applications with most users visiting websites with content produced outside
Ghana. This is largely due to the fact they do not have a lot of websites to
visit with content local to Ghana. Unfortunately this situation makes the
Internet very foreign and irrelevant to some people.

- COMPANY EMPLOYERS LACK ACCESS TO E-MAIL

Though majority of private companies rely on the internet a lot, there are
strong indications that a significant number of their employees do not have
access to the internet and other services. It is common to see pile of
e-mail printed out for people to read because they do not have access to the
internet to read such mails. Over 53.1% of the companies do not provide full
internet access to their employees. Usually access is provided to IT
department personnel and top level management and with the rest of the
employees having shared access or no access at all.

Furthermore, most companies tend to have only one e-mail and internet access
point thus you find employees waiting for their turn to use this account
primarily to check their free web based accounts. But this trend is rapidly
changing with most companies making investment in systems which provide each
employee with a personal Internet account.

For the majority of subscribers in Ghana having a fast and reliable service,
is a dream which is yet to come true. A dial-up subscriber must be prepared
to dial for an average of 40 times before establishing a connection. The
average telephone line to subscriber ratio in Ghana from ISP is 20/1.Most
ISP receive data on average at a speed of 2Mbits/sec and run it to
subscribers at an average speed of less than 1Kbit/Sec.To add more agony for
subscribers, support for users is nothing to write home about, with some
ISPs having no support at all for their clients. The lack of good quality
skills especially qualified engineers is adversely affecting the operations
of ISPs with attendant negative effect on quality of services. Furthermore,
the few qualified engineers available are leaving the country each passing
day to Europe and USA.

- HOW DO PEOPLE GET CONNECTED ?

Dial Up Access is the most popular backbone options for internet
connectivity, using basically the services of Ghana Telecom. The second
national operator, Westel does not support data in a efficient way.

Secondly, most corporate users tend to use leased line from Ghana
Telecomm,while some corporate users use wireless connection such as radio
links, satellite and broadband access. It is not uncommon these days to see
some users browsing the Internet using their GSM mobile phones as a
communication backbone.

- USER FEES

A typical web user currently has to pay a subscription fee of an average of
US$35 unlimited access of web browsing, one e-mail account etc plus
telephone usage rate of 200 cedis( 0.03cents) per minute.

The cost of having dedicated access to the internet is prohibitive and this
cost goes even higher when you add the cost of a PC, the most popular mode
of connection now costs an average of US$1,000. The majority of prospective
users of dedicated access are faced with the problem of cost. It is
important to find a creative way of providing a uniform tariff regime which
will include the cost of telephone charges plus the urgent need to reduce
subscription charges.

- CYBER CAFES

Cyber cafes are the most important and popular options for internet
connectivity for majority of internet users, since individuals and some
organisations can not afford dedicated access and have to use shared access.

Two main types of cafes, Africaonline e-touch where only e-mail access is
provided and other cyber cafes providing almost all internet services plus
other services such as printing, scanning services.Average charge for
Internet usage is US $0.02 per minute of usage.

Currrently there are over 150 cyber cafes in Ghana with 90% of these cafes
found in the national Capital Accra, generally the trend is to find majority
of cities and big towns well endowed with IT resources meaning a &#338;digital
divide¹ is found in Ghana with the cities and big towns on the have¹s side
of this &#338;divide¹ and the rural areas finding themselves on the &#338;have
nots¹side of the coin.

All universities and polytechnics in Ghana are hooked to the Internet, with
some access for all teaching staff. Though graduate students have access to
the internet, majority of undergraduates level have to use privately run
cyber cafes dotted all over their campuses.

At lower levels,only few secondary schools have access to the Internet and
majority of Junior Secondary and Primary Schools do not have access to the
Internet for both teachers and students. IT as a whole and Internet as a
subject is not generally taught as a compulsory subject in schools at all
levels in Ghana, though plans are underway to introduce IT courses in
Schools.

Majority of internet courses such as internet appreciation, web site
development and related courses are taught in private IT schools found in
almost every part of the country.There is a rapid increase in the number of
homes in Ghana getting connected to the internet and this is contributing to
the development of an internet culture in Ghana.

Next issue: Special feature on Ghanaian web sites


____________________________________________________________________________
NEWS ROUND-UP AND SNIPPETS
____________________________________________________________________________

* SOFTWARE PIRACY SOARS IN ALGERIA

Software piracy in Algeria is a national pastime. It has soared to
record levels of 90% and was the prime reason behind Microsoft's decision
eight months ago to open an office in the country as part of the Business
Software Alliance.

There are around a million computers in use in organisations and homes and
the software business is estimated to be worth well over US$130 million.
Black marketeering affects everything from games to TV channels.

Abdelkader Bouattou, a systems engineer who switched from the public to the
private sector, runs Microsoft's Algerian office. He believes that the first
step in the fight against piracy is to raise public awareness.

"We send out emails and hold seminars to try to explain that everybody loses
out," he says. "The state loses tax revenue and people lose out because
fewer jobs are created."Microsoft also plans to tackle retailers and major
accounts, like Sonatrach, that use unlicensed software. It believes that
since they can afford to buy it legally, they should not be using illicit
copies.

The Algerian Justice Ministry is also in breach of its own comprehensive
copyright legislation. "The legal provisions are in place," says Bouattou.
"The problem is enforcing them."

Algeria's copyright watchdog, ONDA, is empowered to make spot checks in
companies and retail outlets. But Amin, a software vendor whose shop is
crammed with counterfeit goods at unbeatable prices, is not worried: "The
ONDA don't even glance at the software, they're much more interested in
imported music."

The core of the piracy problem is cost. After all, how many Algerians can
afford $2,000 software? Says Abdelkader Bouattou: "Microsoft is willing to
cut its retail prices in countries where purchasing power is low."

It is unlikely to be able to compete with pirate vendors, though. Says Amin:
"I do the licensed Microsoft Office pack at $1,000." He then motions to a
pile of cardboard boxes. "The ones over there, though, I sell at six".
(source: Algeria Interface via DigAfrica )


* KPMG SURVEY REVEALS EXTENT OF E-FRAUD

South African company executives, like their global counterparts, are
ill-equipped to counter threats to their network systems, and underestimate
the internal threat they could face, according to a survey carried out by
KPMG.
(source: http://www.digitalplanet.co.za/dp/news/red.asp?ID=11198 )


* EGYPTIAN MUSEUM USES WEB FOR FUNDRAISING

The Egyptian Museum in Cairo is going online to find people to adopt
mummified pets. People who adopt cats, snakes, crocodiles of even the
extinct sacred ibis bird, get an information pack on their adopted animal.
Under the scheme, people can co-parent a mummified snake for 35, or be the
sole adopter of a crocodile for 560.

Money raised will help to pay for a climate controlled room, special
conservation cases for the mummies and fund research. Experts say the
mummified pets offer important information about ordinary life in ancient
Egypt as well as the environment, flora and fauna, reports the Independent.
The animals can be adopted on the Animal Mummies website. "Animal mummies
have been neglected for a long time and they're deteriorating particularly
quickly now because of climate change and pollution," said Salima Ikram,
co-director of the Animal Mummy Project.
(source: Annanova via DigAFrica)


* B2B E-COMMERCE MARKET GOES LIVE

Standard Bank's business-to-business e-commerce marketplace,
thetradestandard, has gone live, with 21 buyers and seven suppliers now
trading online. This comes after a two-month pilot with external customers
to ensure system stability, fine-tune processes and make functional
improvements based on customer feedback.
(source: http://www.boot.co.za/news/apr01/stdbank2.htm )


* WOMEN DOMINATE SA WEB USE

Fifty-one percent of South African internet users are women, up from 38
percent in March 1999, according to new survey data from Webchek. Two thirds
of net users in South Africa have English as their home language and 56
percent have a third-level education. Most users tend to have high incomes,
but the number of users with lower monthly household incomes is increasing.
(source: Saartjie http://www.saartjie.co.za/april01/internet6.asp )


* ICANN REVISES VERISIGN ACCORD ON .ORG, .NET, .COM

The revised agreements, which are subject to ratification by the U.S.
Department of Justice, would separate each of the three top-level domains
under VeriSign's control into individual terms.
(Source: IDG.net http://www.idg.net/go.cgi?id=452106 )


* MIT TAKES ITS COURSE MATERIALS OPEN SOURCE

MIT will put almost all its courses online for free. Professors won't be
forced to participate, and surfers can't earn credits this way, but MIT's
"OpenCourseWare" is still a big project. The school wants to put all the
materials - lecture notes, assignments, sample problems, reading lists - for
500 courses online in the next two years, adding 1,500 more courses over the
next decade.
(source: http://www.wbz.com/now/story/0,1597,283966-364,00.shtml )

___________________________________________________________________________
ON THE MONEY
___________________________________________________________________________

* M-WEB FEELS THE HEAT AS ABSA SUBS CONTINUE TO CLIMB

ICL, the South African business solutions company providing the
infrastructure for Absa's free internet offering, announced that the number
of subscribers for the service has now reached 136,621. (source:
http://www.boot.co.za/news/apr01/absa4.htm )

In response to this news, M-Web's parent company Naspers is seeking to
delist the company and is continuing to "restructure". Translation, cutting
costs wherever it can.

Local e-tailer Kalahari.net has just bought M-Web's online IT product retail
venture JellyBean Interactive Pty Ltd. Both parties describe the move as
meeting their business objectives.
(source: Boot http://www.boot.co.za/news/apr01/jellybean2.htm )

Naspers is considering de-listing M-Web, citing negative market conditions.
It is expected that M-Web investors will be offered Naspers shares in a
share swap deal. Delisting means that its progress to profit or elsewhere
will be much less open to scrutiny but it does protect its future value in
what is slumping market.
(source: http://www.itweb.co.za/sections/financial/2001/0104061620.asp )


* ESKOM PROFITS JUMP, LOOKS TO DIVERSIFY INTO ICT MARKETS

State-owned power utility Eskom unveiled a 51% jump in 2000 pre-tax profits
on Thursday, and said that it will diversify into the telecommunications and
information technology market.
(source: http://www.woza.co.za/reuters/apr01/eskom6.asp )


* JOHNNIC CEO CLAIMS THERE IS LIFE AFTER THE DOT-COM MELTDOWN

The dot-com meltdown has had the positive effect of sweeping a great deal of
"rubbish" aside, allowing the serious business to start, says Johnnic
e-Ventures CEO Neil Jacobsohn.
(source: http://www.itweb.co.za/sections/financial/2001/0103260630.asp )


____________________________________________________________________________
USEFUL WEB SITES AND DISCUSSION LISTS
____________________________________________________________________________

* SOUTH AFRICAN COMPETITION LAW WEBSITE LAUNCHED

Webber Wentzel Bowens has announced that its Competition Law website has
gone live. This is claimed to be the first site in South Africa to focus
exclusively on Competition Law. It contains all the latest statutory
information including the Competition Law Act, associated rules and
regulations, the Government Gazettes plus up-to-date news and developments
in Competition Law practice.
(source: http://www.boot.co.za/news/apr01/webber5.htm )


* SELLING WILDLIFE AND ITS SURVIVAL VIA THE WEB

Wildlife site AfriCam says it is moving into broadcast television through
deals with the BBC and SABC, with the proceeds to be used in funding live
streaming. But not everything is free, and a subscription service promises
revenue.
(source: http://www.itweb.co.za/sections/internet/2001/0103271336.asp )

Virunga, an animal protection and conservation portal, is hosting a virtual
online animal expo from today until Saturday in the hopes of teaching
surfers about animal conservation.
(source: http://www.itweb.co.za/sections/internet/2001/0103291016.asp )


* CRAZY ABOUT EGYPTIAN SOCCER?

If you are interested in Egyptian Soccer, there is site providing good
coverage:
http://www.eldawry.com
(source: Africadaily list)


* WEB PORTAL FOCUSED ON THE CONGO

http://www.wenze.com is offering what it describes as "a digital market open
to all Africans (the Congo in particular) with a product to sell or a vision
to impart." For more information mail info@wenze.com or visit the site
itself.


* DIGITAL GOVERNANCE WEB SITE

DigitalGovernance.org has been identifying and documenting actual
e-Practices in the South which enable transparent, efficient, and
accountable governance mechanisms based on "Information Democratisation" to
ones which catalyse "Interactive Governance Processes" that are Inclusionary
in natures.

DigitalGovernance.org functions on the continuous learning model. It will
issue updates on its research in this area. You may subscribe to these
updates by sending a blank email to:
digitalgovernance-subscribe@yahoogroups.com


* WORLD OF THE WACKY: SAUDI ARABIA BANS POKEMON

Saudi Arabia's highest religious authority has declared a fatwa, or
religious edict, against the little guys, saying that they have "possessed"
childrens minds.
(Source: TT extract from CNet, news.com, Mar 27, 2001
http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1006-200-5282535.html?tag=owv )

____________________________________________________________________________
DIGITAL TOOLBOX
____________________________________________________________________________

* VIRUS INFECTING BOTH WINDOWS AND LINUX DISCOVERED

A computer virus, W32.Winux, infecting both the Linux and Windows operating
systems has been discovered by anti-virus companies.
(source: http://www.itweb.co.za/sections/computing/2001/0103280922.asp )


* 3D WEB TOOL CREATES ATMOSPHERE

Adobe Systems has announced its Atmosphere solution which enables the
creation and interactive use of three-dimensional Web sites.
(source: http://www.itweb.co.za/sections/internet/2001/0103270922.asp )


* OPEN SOURCE FOR HEALTH PROFESSIONALS

http://www.opensource.org is community of people, mostly from Europe, North
America, and some from Asia and Latin America, who believe that the use of
open source software in healthcare is inevitable and highly beneficial.
Software is distributed with source code and licenses that permit
modification, enhancement, and redistribution of copies without additional
license fees. Major examples of software in this category are the Linux
operating system the Apache web server, and key infrastructure of the
Internet.

It believes that the use of open source in health related IT is "an
incredible opportunity for developing countries. It makes health care IT
solutions affordable and allows the adaptation to local needs. This seems
an great opportunity to increase the quality of health care. Also, the
success on the open source market depends purely on merit and is independent
of capital, it also gives a great opportunity for development of a
healthcare IT industry".

Already, there are several open source healthcare software solutions freely
downloadable over the internet. Some of these can be sourced via a European
project "SPIRIT" (http://www.euspirit.org) that is attempting to increase
the number of open source healthcare software programmes available. Also
see the Open Source Health Care Alliance (OSHCA,http://www.oshca.org).
(source: Bud P.Bruegger, Sistema (http://www.sistema.it)


___________________________________________________________________________
JOBS AND OPPORTUNITIES
___________________________________________________________________________

* NEW WEB SITE OFFERS FREELANCE OPPORTUNITIES

http://elance.com is a web site offering itself as a a market
place for services. Those who are programmers can make their presence known
and look for work opportunities. Sounds like a good idea. We would look
forward to hearing feedback about how well it works...
(source: Chinedu Echeruo, Africadaily list)


* BIKO SCHOLARSHIPS FOR JOURNALISTS

Applications are now invited from suitable candidates for consideration
for one of the 2001 Steve Biko scholarships.

Three categories of scholarship are available:

1.. for South African journalists:
- attend a week-long course at the IAJ;
- be seconded to a newsroom either in South Africa or in the region
for a week;
- attend courses at other media training institutions in South Africa
for a final week.

2.. for external candidates: journalists from countries outside South
Africa who will undergo all of the three-part programme in South Africa as
listed above.

3.. for overseas training: the scheme offers a small contribution to
assist candidates in taking up media studies outside South Africa.
Priority will be given to those applicants who satisfy the basic criteria
for these awards:
- the applicant is a working journalist, with a proven record in
quality journalism, in any media discipline;
- the applicant is committed to participating in media training;
- the applicant's organisation is prepared to support their
participation in this scheme.
Closing date: 2 May 2001

Application forms are available from Leela Parbhoo email: leela@iaj.org.za
(source: SANGONeT list via WOUGNET).

____________________________________________________________________________
EVENTS
____________________________________________________________________________


* 5TH AITEC WEST AFRICA CONFERENCE AND EXHIBITION 2001 TO OPEN IN ACCRA

The fifth West Africa Computing, Telecommunications and Broadcasting
Exhibition and Conference, AITEC West Africa 2001 commences on Thursday, 17
May 2001 with an opening ceremony expected to be performed by the President
of the Republic of Ghana, His Excellency Mr J.A. Kuffuor with the assistance
of the Minister of Communications, The Hon Felix Owusu Agyapong.

The AITEC 2001 Conference will comprise strategic briefings to government
and private sector delegates by ICT professionals from both inside and
outside Ghana on subjects including e-governance, the Internet, e-commerce,
networking, third generation mobile telephony and the telecommunications
regulatory framework in West Africa. These will include practical sessions
to advance the skills of all the participants at the Conference.

AITEC West Africa 2001, which is co-hosted by the Ministry of
Communications, starts on Thursday 17 May 2001 at the Accra International
Conference Centre, Ghana. For more information, contact info@aitecafrica.com


____________________________________________________________________________
BACK NUMBERS: AFRICA'S INTERNET CONTENT PROVIDERS
____________________________________________________________________________

51. Cape Town Special: A creative city in the making?
http://www.balancingact-africa.com/news/back/balancing-act51.html

50. Africa Online vs M-Web - Continent-wide content providers slug it out
http://www.balancingact-africa.com/news/back/balancing-act50.html

39. Zimbabwe's MDC uses the web to fight the government
http://www.balancingact-africa.com/news/back/balancing-act39.html

37. Uganda's Life in Africa Foundation - Expanding the art of the
possible
http://www.balancingact-africa.com/news/back/balancing-act37.html

33. Africa's e-press for ICT professionals
http://www.balancingact-africa.com/news/back/balancing-act33.html

29. Kenya:Busting corruption using the internet
http://www.balancingact-africa.com/news/back/balancing-act29.html

19. WOZA: Building a content-rich site
http://www.balancingact-africa.com/news/back/balancing-act19.html

14. Speaking in Tongues? A Shona language web site
http://www.balancingact-africa.com/news/back/balancing-act14.html

8. The All-African portal - A new contender enters the field
http://www.balancingact-africa.com/news/back/balancing-act8.html

7. Sierre Leone's leading independent newspaper on the internet
http://www.balancingact-africa.com/news/back/balancing-act7.html


You can read and download these at http://www.balancingact-africa.com . If
you have difficulties accessing the web, mail us on
info@balancingact-africa.com

___________________________________________________________________________
PAID FOR ADS
___________________________________________________________________________

In response to an increasing number of enquiries from companies wanting to
advertise their products and services, we have drawn up a rate card for ads
in this section (or in other parts of News Update) and for banner ads on our
web site. To see a copy of our rate card, e-mail a request
(info@balancingact-africa.com)

EQUITABLE BUSINESS FREEWARE

Our compilation of business freeware is completed by Equitable. Along with
free business software you will also get government grant money
applications, 1 million wholsalers, and the best business start up ideas.
There is so much more! Take a look at http://www.succeedware.com

boycott-usa

2001-04-09

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/boycott-usa

A public, unmoderated, open mailing list has been started to coordinate efforts of NGOs to steer back the USA administration to honoring its global responsibilities. Bycotting USA-products worldwide is the ultimate action that can be taken by ordinary citizens as well as governments. It may be the only
message the MBA-President George W. Bush can understand.

Bretton Woods Update Online

2001-04-09

http://www.brettonwoodsproject.org/update

The April/May Bretton Woods Update is now on the web in both HTML and easy to print PDF formats. Our bi-monthly digest of news and analysis on World Bank and IMF-related issues contains 43 varied stories this issue, complete with web links and contact details.

bytes for all: april 2001

2001-04-09

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/enewsl/481

bYtES For aLL is a voluntary, unfunded venture. bYtES For aLL volunteers team includes: Frederick in Goa, Partha in Dhaka, Zubair in Islamabad, Archana in Goa, Zunaira in Karachi, Arun-Kumar in Darmstatd, Shivkumar in Mumbai, Sangeeta in Nepal, Daryl in Chicago and Gihan in Sri Lanka.

ePoor.org is a civil society initiative launched to develop IT (Information
Technology) solutions for socio-economic uplift of the poor and the
disadvantaged. It also extends policy advice on the structures and enabling
environment for pro-poor policies addressing the need and importance of using
ICTs’ (Information Communication Technologies) for poverty reduction and
good governance.
As a matter of fact, just as paving roads in forests often leads to
accelerated deforestation likewise socially insensitive incidence of IT may
inject de-skilling phenomena leading to increased unemployment, disequilibria
and inequity in supply and demand of IT, and reinforced zones social and
economic exclusions in societies. This sort of IT penetration in developing
countries like Pakistan would multiply the socio-economic problems and
further
deteriorate the social fabric to further disadvantage, alienate, and
marginalize the poor amid a vibrant global IT revolution.
While there has been a phenomenal growth of IT at the global level, in
Pakistan, less than one percent of people have the possibility even of being
connected to information technology as consumers. Most of them are not in a
position of benefiting economically by using the technology to improve their
earnings or quality of life leaving aside the possibility of becoming
producers of IT.
The philosophy of ePoor.org is to work on the demand side of information,
namely by enhancing peoples' capacity to use knowledge (through creation of
social capital), rather than purely on the supply side of the process (of
which a good example is the creation of IT training schools without attention
to creating the demand for such information in rural areas). This builds upon
the rural community development approach, which has focused similarly on the
demand side of other interventions. Visit ePoor.org

**********************************************************
FREE WEBSITES FOR Indian doctors living anywhere in the globe.
Check http://www.health-india.com Also: global brain scan library available
for free. Visit the site for details.

**********************************************************
ADITYA DEV SOOD <adsood@vsnl.net> from Bangalore, India is working on an ICTs
for Development Guide. He says this is for an upcoming conference in
Bangalore, and it covers different areas of IT and ICT applications for
development, primarily in India.
Aditya is with the Bangalore Centre of Knowledge Societies and is also a
Doctoral CAndidate at the University of Chicago, besides being a 2000-1
Fullbright Scholar. His contact details are B-014 Natasha Golf View, Domlur
Bangalore Karnataka India 560071 Tel: 509-7187 Fax: 535-0181 Mob: 98440-87663
Web: http://www.socsci.org Email adsood@vsnl.net OR adityadevsood@hotmail.com

**********************************************************
Madhya Pradesh C.M. Digvijay Singh has stressed the need for developing Hindi
software.He was addressing a function organised by the Forum for creating
awareness among the people about Information Technology.
Narendra Nahata listed the achievements of the state and said that use of
computers in governance has increased. Some departments like commercial taxes
have been computerised. Land records have been computerised.
For further information contact: Alok Awasthi, Joint Director, Madhya Pradesh
Information Centre. Tel 22.2184860 Fax 22.2180614 alokawasthi@vsnl.com

**********************************************************
ESCAP cautions against over-dependence on IT: The Economic and Social
Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) has cautioned against
over-dependence by some economies on information technology (IT) for export
revenues, saying this new economy sector may be heading for an external
slowdown, says a report from New Delhi by P. Jayaram of India Abroad News
Service.

**********************************************************
VIRTUAL VOLUNTEERS ON THE WEB: Two years ago, Sun Microsystems software
developer Nipun Mehta decided he wanted to use his knowledge and technical
skills to help others. With a group of friends, Mehta, now 25, started
CharityFocus, Inc. (http://www.charityfocus.org/), an online organization
that builds Web sites for nonprofits

**********************************************************
INFO HIGHWAYS promised around Pakistan's major cities. Federal Minister for
Science and Technology Prof Atta-ur-Rehman said highspeed internet fibre
rings would be laid around all major cities and linked together by early next
year. http://www.dawn.com/2001/03/21/nat6.htm

**********************************************************
SWAGATO SARK IS a student of the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS),
in Mumbai and is studying Social Work. Presently, he is doing his internship
with a TV software production called UTV at Mumbai-India. It produces
Indiadotcom for CNN International (Saturdays, 2200 IST). In this it has a
section called NationWatch, where the IT application in the developmental
sector is highlighted. If you know of any such stories, please inform Swagato
at <swagato@tiss.edu>

**********************************************************
PARTHA PRATIM SARKAR <partha@bytesforall.org> informs about some proposals
received by the BytesForAll team:
(1) The Commonwealth of Learning (COL) invites submissions for
authorship in the Knowledge Series. This ( www.col.org/knowledge ) is an
ongoing sequence of single-subject, start-up guides on topics in distance
education management for practitioners.
(2) Worldbank InfoDev grants is now open to to promote innovative
projects on the use of information and communication technologies
(ICTs) for economic and social development.Worldbank InfoDev's next grant
competition will close on June 1, 2001. Proposals are invited from the
development community. http://www.infodev.org
(3) The World Computer Exchange is looking for used PCs for schools in
the developing countries. Founder Timothy Anderson said the group will take
"anything that will get the kids online." The only requirement is that
equipment be in working order and Internet-accessible. According to Mr.
Anderson, the Exchange (www.WorldComputerExchange.org) has so far signed up
more than 700 schools, orphanages and learning centers in 22 countries.
The first shipment of equipment -- about 380 PCs and monitors, along
with some printers, routers and other gear -- is scheduled to depart
for Cameroon in early April. MandrakeSoft has donated Linux
operating-system software and accompanying handbooks as well as CDs.
www.WorldComputerExchange.org

**********************************************************
INDIAN GOVERNMENT BODY develops five software: Press Trust of India reports
from Panchkula (Haryana, North India) that the Haryana unit of National
Informatics Centre (NIC) has developed a package of five softwares to
"improve efficiency of various departments of the state government".
These five softwares are payroll system, personnel information system, court
cases monitoring system, diary or despatch (DAK) monitoring meetings
information monitoring systems, state informatics officer. (Information
received through S-Asia-IT mailing list/Irfan Khan).
http://www.timesofindia.com/today/29info9.htm

**********************************************************
INDIA- PROGRAMMING AMID POVERTY. The Financial Times of London writes:
The global digital divide is perhaps nowhere better demonstrated than in
Calcutta. Here in India's literary capital, a city built to accommodate
about 300,000 people that is home to 10m, cutting-edge information
technology is juxtaposed with some of the starkest scenes of deprivation
anywhere. It is a commonplace that India is a dynamic centre of IT, the
locus of a technological revolution by which India's software writers act as
intermediaries to the world. But India also remains a place where only 50
per cent of adults are literate, with only an estimated 4.5 personal
computers per 1,000 people.
You can see this divide in Calcutta's Salt Lake "software complex", made up
of 30 or 40 acres of land let out to IT industries. Crows alight on heaps of
roadside rubbish where dogs sprawl with puppies. Cows sacred to Hindus
wander or doze in the potholed streets, seemingly untroubled by a steady
stream of passing auto-rickshaws and battered vehicles belching diesel
fumes. Yet this impoverished setting is the home of Caltiger, an Indian
internet service provider. Orange mock tiger-paw prints set in the marble
floor of Caltiger's lobby direct visitors to reception. Once behind those
glass doors, you could as well be in Seattle or Tokyo.
http://globalarchive.ft.com/globalarchive/articles.html?id=010307001530

**********************************************************
Interesting article from WIRED magazine, online at
Nicolas Negroponte writes on one-room rural schools: Will the
information-rich get richer and the information-poor get poorer? Will the
divide shrink, or expand? The question might also be phrased in terms of the
education-rich and the education-poor. The latter category includes some 200
million children who do not complete their primary education.
http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/6.09/negroponte.html

**********************************************************
THE TIMES OF INDIA newspaper reported on March 27 how the Indian telecom
body, the BSNL, is going in to make a "poor-man's cellphone" a reality. It is
starting limited-mobility telephony in Haryana's Gurgaon city (in North
India), with a monthly rental of Rs 400, free incoming calls and Rs 1.20 for
a three-minute outgoing call. This is far lower than mobile telephone calls
provided by others, though the range of mobility will also be limited. The
department is offering wireless fixed and wireless mobile connections using
wireless in local loop (WLL) technology with a refundable deposit of Rs
10,000 in case of fixed connection.
http://www.timesofindia.com/today/27info10.htm

**********************************************************
PAKISTANI NEWSPAPER JANG reported from Lahore that the website of the Punjab
government was launched. It is http://www.punjab.gov.pk

**********************************************************
ZUBAIR FAISAL ABBASI <zubair@sdnpk.undp.org> OF BYTESFORALL.ORG writes: The
implementation of Government of Pakistan's Universal Internet Access
programme leaves much to be desired. The number of lines allocated for this
service is pitifully low - there are only 5 for the whole Makran Division -
and users there were unable to access many ISPs in Karachi, including SDNP.
This problem affected all ISPs operating from PTCL exchanges manufactured by
Alcatel.
However, SDNP has achieved a milestone through the dedicated hard work of the
SDNP Karachi team and some of the prospective users in Makran. Users from
the Makran division (Turbat, Gawader and Panjgoor) can now access the SDNP
online Internet services. Credit goes to the SDNP team's efforts and follow
ups with PTCL (Karachi) and Alcatel offices. Mr. Naveed (DE Pak Capital
exchange, Karachi) and Mr. Azhar Ali Shah (Senior Operations Engineer)
Alcatel also worked really hard to actualize this task. Mr. Ubaid Shad, who
works in Makran resource centre, Turbat has also been actively involved by
advocating net access for remote areas and who had written several letters to
Prof. Atta-ur-Rehman/MoST for this purpose.
With this effort spearheaded by SDNP, other ISPs in Karachi using Alcatel
exchanges have also benefited

**********************************************************
FROM BANGLADESH, we learn from Drik-founder Shahidul Alam about a new portal
for human rights in Bangladesh.
www.banglarights.net a Human Rights Portal for Bangladesh has been recently
launched. The site was the outcome of a week long workshop organised by Drik
Picture Library and Pathshala, The South Asian Institute of Photography. The
Foreign and Commonwealth Office provided financial support for the workshop
while The British Council Bangladesh provided management support. Bangladeshi
journalists from leading media organisations provided the content.
Less than 24 hours after the launch of the site, all outgoing telephone
connections of Drik, including voice, fax and data lines were blocked by the
BTTB (Bangladesh Telegraph and Telephone Board). BTTB has denied any
connection between Drik's activism and the blockade, claiming instead that it
was in response to general ministerial directives regarding Internet
companies. No prior warning was given to Drik before the disconnection.
According to BTTB, connections cannot be restored until 'investigations' have
been carried out. Amongst other issues, the site includes an article
criticising the government's handling of the recent kidnapping of Western
consultants in the Chittagong Hill Tracts.
Contacts: Shahidul Alam
Drik Picture Library www.drik.net, www.chobimela.org, www.meghbarta.net

**********************************************************
FROM NEPAL, Dikendra Kandel <ncoc@ntc.net.np> recently wrote to the GKD
mailing list, about a recent effort directed towards bringing Information and
Communication Technologies (ICT) to the rural areas through rural
schools as entry point. "Our cooperation with www.WorldComputerExchange.org
has been very crucial in this endeavor", he writes.
Says Kandel: "It has been about ten or twelve years since television began to
enter widely into the Nepali living rooms. The invasion of this technology
validly raised eyebrows as it was going to Westernize and so spoil the purity
of the culture and society of this 'exotic' Himalayan kingdom. It was
suspected to be accessible only to those who have money and power and the
majority of the people will be left behind and away from what television
might have to give to. Yes there are a lot of things that this technology has
brought about, and, as predicted, some have been detrimental to the
traditional ways and practices in our society. However, would it help us to
fare better if we were not bringing this technology to the rural areas since
the urban areas would be using it profusely anyway? Interestingly, telephone,
Internet and e-mail seem to invade with even more speed and force."
Says Kandel: "Lots of the development organizations are flashing their
computer screens in the remote hills, many businesses and administrative
offices are computerizing their operations, majority of job advertisements
put computer and IT knowledge as part of the application eligibility, and
most of the rural people are doing what they can to send their children to
schools where they can have their children learn computer and IT."
Why cannot Nepal, he asks, find a way into the new possibilities that have
been opened up by the information technology?
Dikendra Kandel, COPPADES, http://www.interconnection.org/coppades

**********************************************************
PAKISTAN -- CHASING THE NEIGHBOUR: Karachi recently saw the launch of a local
chapter of The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE), a California-based lobbyist network
set up by south Asian software engineers-cum-entrepreneurs. TiE wants to
achieve in Pakistan what it has accomplished in neighbouring India: a
relaxation of venture capital rules so that wealthy south Asian IT
professionals may invest back home. There is indeed a business-like attitude
towards creating an information technology industry from scratch in Pakistan,
and much of the credit goes to Dr Atta-Ur-Rahman, the science and technology
minister. Dr Rahman, a noted organic chemist, still oversees some PhD
students,but most of his time is spent on a massive IT drive.
Pakistan's IT sector is minuscule. Its IT ambitions are all the more daunting
given its neighbour's success. Salman Ansari, who has advised several
Pakistani governments on technology, says the country is 15 years behind
India. Yet the success of (software firms like) Align has convinced many in
Pakistan that it can make up for lost time.
From Financial Times
http://news.ft.com/ft/gx.cgi/ftc?pagename=View&c=Collection&cid=FTD4NZ6J2FC&t
itle=Pakistan&pagetag=2ctpaks&sectiontag=na/ctyind&gaid=010306001327

**********************************************************
PAKISTAN POST OFFICERS TO GET CYBER CAFES: MULTAN: The Postal Services
Corporation has signed an agreement with Paknet to establish cyber cafes at
major post offices in that country.
http://www.dawn.com/2001/03/16/nat19.htm

**********************************************************
BRAZIL ATTACKS DIGITAL DIVIDE WITH A $300 VOLKSCOMPUTER (AP): Hard disk? Who
needs it? Floppy drive? Surplus! Windows? Send to trash! The small,
transparent acrylic box sitting in Sergio Vale Campos' office at the Federal
University of Minas Gerais has none of the above basics, but it is still a
computer.What's more important in Brazil, where the digital divide is a
gaping
abyss, the machine's lack of frills should mean it can be produced for about
600 reals, or $300. It is a PC for the people, a Volkscomputer.
http://www.siliconvalley.com/docs/news/tech/082944.htm

**********************************************************
RURAL CONNECTIVITY: In its goal to connect rural India to the Internet and
promote livelihood generation through e-commerce and access to information,
TARAhaat.com faced the fundamental problem: connecting rural villages to the
World Wide Web in the first place. Many villages in the Bundelkhand region
where TARAhaat is in its pilot phase do not have access to telephone lines.
The quality of the lines reaching other villages is not sufficient to
transmit data. TARAhaat therefore had to come up with an alternative if it
was to achieve its mission: that alternative was the use of VSAT (Very Small
Aperture Terminal) technology.read complete case study at
http://sdgateway.net/webworks/case/da_vsat.htm

**********************************************************
SURFING VILLAGES: Can Indian villages be logged on to the infotech
highway? Are they for real and do they stand to benefit from artificial
intelligence? Can India's villages ride on the infotech highway to
development? To a certain extent this is already happening but it is
a knotty situation. Can IT evolve to serve rural India’s needs? The
dairy cooperatives of Anand in Gujarat are using IT applications to
streamline procedures, making a significant difference to the lives
of milk producers in surrounding villages. There are several other
positive examples. An important reason for their success is the fact
that their IT solutions service the rural market. People take to IT
only when they are convinced that IT serves some purpose in their
lives. If that happens, they don’t wait for government assistance.
Government IT schemes, however, have done poorly. The e-governance
scheme of Rajasthan state government has failed to deliver because of
extremely centralised planning that did not take local infrastructure
conditions into consideration. Despite the fact that the software is
easy to use and the content is in Hindi, the scheme not only
alienates villagers but also lends credence to the view that IT in
villages is hogwash. (Thanks to S-Asia-IT/Irfan Khan for this link.)
http://www.cseindia.org/html/dte/dte20010215/dte_analy.htm

**********************************************************
PRAKASH SHETTY <ps@freebsd.org.in> announces the launch of the official site
for FreeBSD in India. This site has news reviews,articles,tutorials,forums,
etc. Says he: "We also have a Mailing List to help freebsd users in India
freebsd-questions@freebsd.org.in The site has recieved almost 10000 hits in
the past 20 days of its existence."
CONTACT DETAILS: Prakash Shetty, Webmaster, FreeBSD Foundation India
www.FreeBSD.org.in

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
bYtES For aLL is a voluntary, unfunded venture. CopyLeft, 2000.
bYtES For aLL volunteers team includes: Frederick in Goa, Partha in Dhaka,
Zubair in Islamabad, Archana in Goa, Zunaira in Karachi, Arun-Kumar in
Darmstatd, Shivkumar in Mumbai, Sangeeta in Nepal, Daryl in Chicago and Gihan
in Sri Lanka. To contact them mail bytes-admin@goacom.com
TO leave/join this mailing list, send a message to fred@bytesforall.org with
the words U N S U B S C R I B E BfA or S U B S C R I B E BfA as the subject.

Digital Digest – DigAfrica´s Technology Alert

2001-04-09

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/enewsl/407

April 04-08, 2001
1. The U.S. Trade Representative says South Africa must open telecom markets
2. South Africa: Internet usage growing rapidly
3. South Africa: Government considers Internet privacy measures



The U.S. Trade Representative says South Africa must open telecom markets


USTR says Mexico, Colombia, Taiwan, South Africa must open telecom markets
WASHINGTON - The U.S. has threatened to take Mexico and Colombia to the WTO
by June if they do not comply with global agreements aimed at opening
national telecommunications services to foreign competition, according to a
report released by the U.S. Trade Representative.


The USTR also warned South Africa and Taiwan that retaliatory measures are
possible later this year.

The moves come as a part of an annual report known as a "Section 1377"
review, which this year targeted 11 countries for possible retaliatory
action.

"Vigorous monitoring and enforcement of these trade agreements is critical
to ensuring competitive opportunities for U.S. operators," said USTR Robert
Zoellick.

"Telecommunications trade agreements, particularly in the World Trade
Organization, have been a driving force in opening up world markets to
high-technology trade and investment."

The USTR said it will decide by June 1 whether to seek consultations with
Mexico in Geneva and by June 25 if it will take action against Colombia.

The USTR did not set a deadline for action against South Africa.

The report said the dominant carrier Telkom's refusal to provide access to
its networks "greatly undermines the ability of [value added service
providers] to operate" in South Africa.

In addition to the four economies, the review named seven countries that the
Bush administration plans to "monitor closely" in the coming year, including
France, Italy, Germany, Japan, Spain and the United Kingdom.

The USTR wants Japan to implement its 2000 agreement to reform its
telecommunications regime "expeditiously...and in a pro-competitive
fashion," one trade official told reporters, adding that the Bush
administration is "very concerned that it will not actually have the teeth
that it needs to have in order to be an effective instrument."

In the UK, the USTR expressed concern that British Telecom has not
effectively "unbundled" its local loop services and has acted in
"anti-competitive manner."

"USTR will follow these regualtory developments and continue to encourage
rapid implementation of full local loop unbundling," the report said.

The USTR said American carriers have complained that Spanish dominant
carrier Telefonica has been able to impede competition through
non-transparent regulations.

"These allegations highlight the need to continue to monitor developments in
the Spanish market to support the efforts of new entrants to enter that
market and compete against Telefonica," the report said.

The report said Italian dominant carrier Telecom Italia "has been able to
obtain access to rights of way controlled by state-owned companies on more
favorable terms and conditions than are offered to competitors."

SOURCE: USTR via DigAfrica -- DigAfrica analyzes, informs and updates on
Internet & Telecommunications activities and progress in Africa
as-they-unfold.
© Copyright DigAfrica 2001 -- http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DigAfrica
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Internet usage growing rapidly


E-commerce in South Africa takes the forms now in use in most countries
where this electronic medium is beginning to develop. This includes ordering
and payment of conventional products and sale of financial services to the
more developed "storefront" shopping at some sites. Overall, e-commerce is
at an early stage, but the variety of uses will increase as the sector
grows. Banking-sector estimates on the size of retail and business
transactions on the Internet fluctuate widely, but the business-to-business
(B2B) market has been estimated at R2bn-3.9bn, with potential for extensive
growth.

Various electronic enterprises were launched during 2000, like bluebean.com,
and Firstrand (the parent company of First National, a retail bank) launched
its e-commerce portal eBucks.com. Standard Bank is planning retail online
banking for the B2B market place in 2001. IT, vehicle finance and the motor
industry (Dimension Data, Wesbank and RMI) launched a joint automotive B2B
service in 2000, which was extended to consumers in 2001.

South Africa has experienced rapid growth in Internet use. The number of
dial-up subscribers grew by an average annual rate of 80% since 1994,
according to Telkom, and the number of users had surpassed the 1m mark by
1998. According to the EIU's Pyramid Research, the number of dial-up
accounts in South Africa will reach 360,000 by 2002. The Internet
subscribers market in South Africa is already the largest on the African
continent, followed by Egypt, Morocco and Kenya. With the rapid growth in
Internet use forecast in South Africa, the potential for growth in e-
commerce is promising. Furthermore, South Africa now ranks in the world's
top 20 countries in terms of number of Internet sites.

South Africa also has a large number of ISPs in an increasingly competitive
market. There are over 100 ISPs already operating in the country--the major
ones being Internet Solution, UU Net, GIA, M-web, Intekom and SAIX. UU Net
formed a joint venture in December 2000 with Africa Online, owned by
AfricanLakes, based in the UK. UU Net Africa will focus on countries like
Kenya, Uganda and Zambia, with the ultimate goal of operating in 14
countries. Of the estimated 3m Internet users in Africa, 2m are in South
Africa; with infrastructure development, Africa could become a significant
market.

Acuity Media Africa puts the value of web-based commerce for 2000 at R5.3bn.
Online advertising worth R55m in 2000 is expected to double in 2001. A
BMI-Techknowledge survey puts the percentage of large companies generating
sales from electronic networks at 25%, and for medium-sized firms at 20%.

In some recent e-commerce deals, Johhnic, a media and telecommunications
group, has developed a fully integrated electronic marketplace, TradeWorld,
with I-Netbridge and Rainbow Software International. The project aims to be
the platform for trade on the African continent. The merger of the
technology arms of three parastatals--Denel, Transnet and Eskom--into
Arivia.kom was announced in January 2001.

Deloitte Consulting has predicted that competition between marketplaces will
reach epic proportions in the next two years, but analysts disagree on the
number of potential market places.

The rapid growth in Internet use during 2000 prompted the government to
commission a legal audit from Edward Nathan & Friedland, a major South
African law firm, regarding e-commerce and the law. The South African
Department of Communications prepared a Green Paper on e-commerce policy,
published at the end of 2000.

The paper reflects the state of the debate around e-commerce and provides a
fairly comprehensive overview regarding e-commerce and issues ranging from
tax law and intellectual property law. It formalises the policy questions
under consideration but does not reach a conclusion. Rather than shaping
changes to the law and directing the development of a framework for
regulation, the Green Paper seems in need of a policy direction.
Nonetheless, South Africa is perhaps the most advanced to date on the
African continent concerning developing an e-commerce policy. The many
questions raised in the paper should be addressed by a White Paper in 2001,
leading to proposals for legislation.

SOURCE: Country Commerce via DigAfrica -- DigAfrica analyzes, informs and
updates on Internet & Telecommunications activities and progress in Africa
as-they-unfold.
© Copyright DigAfrica 2001 -- http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DigAfrica
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Government considers Internet privacy measures


The issue of privacy is important to the development of e-commerce. Of
particular concern is the end use of personal information given by Internet
users to websites, since it is not known to whom this information will then
be made available. Ways of tackling this problem include government
regulation, industry self-regulation, informed consent and technological
means to protect privacy. It is possible that in South Africa some form of
legislation will be enacted to protect the privacy of Internet users,
particularly users of e-commerce. Issues examined in a Green Paper include
the following:

* specific requirements for database owners and others collecting personal
information;


* the extent of self-regulation standards for privacy protection;


* minimum requirements for notice, choice, access and security practices
concerning data collection;


* penalties for misuse of personal data;


* government bodies responsible for monitoring and enforcing privacy rules;
and


* role of other consumer-protection bodies.

An overriding principle is the intent in South Africa to ensure identical
application between traditional and electronic methods of commerce. As with
copyright and trademark law, there is no new legislation to date that deals
with this issue. There is a host of existing legislation that could be
amended or updated to include provision for protection of privacy for
e-commerce consumers.

The Green Paper raises more questions on policy and principles than it
answers, so the actual defining document will be the White Paper, due to be
issued in the first quarter of 2001.

SOURCE: Country Commerce via DigAfrica -- DigAfrica analyzes, informs and
updates on Internet & Telecommunications activities and progress in Africa
as-they-unfold.
© Copyright DigAfrica 2001 -- http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DigAfrica


Digital Digest – DigAfrica´s Technology Alert
April 05, 2001

1. Global: Industry 'could lose battle against computer viruses'
2. Australia: Dial-a-Coke vending machines launched
3. Little Hope For South African Telecoms - Study 04/05/01

---------------------------------------------------------
Industry 'could lose battle against computer viruses'


Experts claim the computer industry could lose the battle against viruses in
2001.

A 200% increase in viruses in government, finance, manufacturing and media
sectors is predicted by MessageLabs.

A sample of 50 million e-mails, by MessageLabs, a global e-mail scanning
company, shows viruses are increasing at a faster rate than the growth in
the use of e-mail.

A 222% increase in viruses hitting government servers, compared to a growth
of only 62% in the number of e-mails passing through government channels,
equates to nearly four new viruses for every new e-mail, revealed
Netimperative .

SOURCE: ANANOVA via DigAfrica
--------------------------------------------------------

Dial-a-Coke vending machines launched


A drinks machine has been installed at an Australian train station that
allows people to charge coke to their mobile phones.

The Coca-Cola Company and Telstra, Australia's largest telecommunications
carrier, have launched the pilot service called Dial a Coke.

Thirsty customers call a telephone number on the drinks machine, situated at
Sydney's Central Station, using their mobile phone and choose the drink they
want.

The phone call is free and the cost of the drink AUS$2 (around 70p) will
show on mobile phone bills.

The trial will involve 17 Coca-cola vending machines at the station and will
run until May 3.

Michelle Allen of Coca-Cola says: "How many times have you stood in front of
a machine and not had the right change?"

Greg Day of Telstra says: "This initiative is a precursor to people being
able to use their mobile handsets for functions such as micro payments for
parking, ticketing and bookings."

SOURCE: ANANOVA via DigAfrica
----------------------------------------------------------

Little Hope For South African Telecoms - Study 04/05/01


JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA, 2001 APR 5 (NB) -- By Phillip de Wet,
ITWeb. Consulting firm Bain & Company has a grim view of the future for
telecommunications in South Africa, but it is one the company says is
founded on past international experience and economic fundamentals.

As the telecommunications policy process slowly grinds on, Bain is among the
few supporters that feel the government has chosen the best path it could
through the maze that is the future of telecoms.

Among Bain's most surprising findings is that the market for basic telephony
may already be close to saturation point. Presenting the findings, Vice
President Tim Hough said only about 9 million individuals, or
about 20 percent of the population, has the financial means to use telephone
services, which is close to the number of lines already in the country if
cellphones are included. The other 34 million citizens are excluded because
of unemployment, a very low disposable income, and geographic positioning,
which makes it economically unviable to provide service to them.

Although massive cross-subsidization may make it possible to provide access
to a broader segment, Hough says it is likely only to provide services to
those who cannot afford to use them, causing a full loss on the capital
invested.

The study also found that high prices, the main reason for introducing
competition, have not slowed down the growth of telecommunications in
SA. According to Bain's figures, South African growth in both voice and data
services, measured either by revenue or by the number of lines, continues to
comfortably outstrip growth in Western Europe.

The fact is that as a corporation you may not like the high prices Telkom
charges you, but that doesn't stop you from using a data network where
you need one, says Hough.

Yet liberalization, even the managed and slow process proposed by
government, will cause an overall reduction in prices. That could be
disastrous as South African operators suffer from the same revenue
decline the European market has experienced. While income drops, cost stays
almost stable, causing a painful margin squeeze.

Telkom will find it especially difficult to cut its costs, as labor
represent about 40 percent of its expenses. The only way you get costs down
is by shedding jobs big time, says Hough. How politically acceptable will
that be?

And while margins are being squeezed, Bain expects the industry to spend
between R30 billion and R40 billion on infrastructure within the next five
years, with the second national operator (SNO) likely to shell out more than
R16 billion. Yet it is unlikely that it will see a return that beats the
cost of its capital.

Hough says the 350 largest companies in the country represent more than R10
billion in telecoms revenue, more than half what all other business and
residential customers combined are worth. That makes it likely that a price
war will ensue around these large companies, a war in which the incumbent
player with its massive cash flow is the clear favorite.

But possibly the most damaging aspect of liberalization could be the hundred
billion rand value destruction gap that Bain foresees. The R177 billion
estimated current value of MTN, Vodacom and Telkom could be changed into a
R72 billion value for those three companies plus the SNO and Cell C within
three years, Bain says, even at a price to earnings ratio of 25, if price
wars lead to a 20 percent price reduction year on year.

You could easily take a hundred billion out of the telecoms sector, without
a significant increase for new players, says Hough. It is not difficult to
do and it is happening even in supposedly well-regulated markets in Europe.

Hough believes government got it right by introducing only one fixed and one
cellular player, saying the market will barely sustain these and that there
certainly is no room for new licenses in the foreseeable future. He also
believes forcing the SNO to use the existing Transtel and Eskom
infrastructure is necessary, in order to keep the capital spent on a new
network down to the minimum.

The most important thing now, he says, is to ensure that the telecoms
regulator is strong and knowledgeable enough to protect the new players and
the industry in general, from what Hough and his company see as the very
difficult times ahead for all operators.

Reported by ITWeb via DigAfrica -- DigAfrica analyzes, informs and updates
on Internet & Telecommunications activities and progress in Africa
as-they-unfold.
© Copyright DigAfrica 2001 -- http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DigAfrica



Digital Digest – DigAfrica´s Technology Alert
April 08, 2001



1. Egypt drops ban on Internet long distant telephone calls
2. North Africa: Intel sees big potential in emerging markets
3. Global: IE6 beta bug can blank out email



Egypt drops ban on Internet long distant telephone calls

08-Apr-01
The Egyptian Ministry of Communication and Information is planning to lift a
ban on making Internet-based telephone calls. On April 7, the ministry will
allow Telecom Egypt, the national monopoly to provide voice over Internet
protocol (VoIP) services.

Egypt Telecom is already offering the service on its web site, and users can
download the software and instruction manual from the corporate site. Other
companies will continue to be banned from offering the service, despite the
difficulty in enforcing the ban.

The Egyptian government has been losing revenue to private companies that
offer the service, which can be installed on home computers.

"I think that's the best way to do it: if you can't beat them, join them,"
said Ahmad Nassif, Egypt's minister of communication and information
technology.

State-owned telecommunication companies have been fighting a losing battle
to stop the increasing use of home computers to make long distance calls.
Egypt Telecom relies heavily on the revenue that long distance phone calls
bring into the company, close to $2.5 billion a year.

In the United States the introduction of VoIP has forced phone companies to
lower their international long distance rates significantly to compete. Even
then VoIP is still much cheaper than using traditional phones.

Despite Telecom Egypt's monopoly on VoIP services it will still be easy for
Egyptians to use services offered by other international companies.

The U.S.-based company Go2Call launched worldwide Internet calling in more
than 100 countries in early January. Users not only can call landlines, but
can also reach mobile phones. Go2Call claims that users can save up to 95%
on regular calls. It takes only minutes to set up the program and to begin
making calls.

Anyone with Internet access, a multimedia computer, speakers and a
microphone can use the service. However, the company suggests that for best
quality calls a 28k or greater Internet connection speed is recommended,
which is almost non-existent for people in Egypt using a dial up connection.

In early March, over 1000 telecom executives and regulators met in Geneva at
the World Telecommunication Policy Forum on Internet Protocol Telephony. The
gathering, hosted by the World Telecommunication Union (ITU), looked at ways
to cope with the growing use of VoIP.

According to the ITU, voice data transmission is increasing at an
exponential rate, which is overloading telecommunication companies' existing
infrastructure. "It is growing very fast and is creaming off some of the
most profitable revenues that public telecommunications operators currently
have," said Tim Kelly, head of ITU strategy and policy, at a news conference
at the end of the forum.

Despite the uncomfortable position that some telecommunication companies
find themselves in, the international trend is clearly leaning towards
increased VoIP networks. Gartner Group, an international research company,
sees the VoIP market growing from $443 million in 1999 to $19 billion in
2004.

According to ESSL Technologies, by 2006, 35 percent of all long distance
calls will be handled by Internet telephony, and that figure will grow to 50
percent by 2010.

The government's decision to introduce VoIP through Egypt Telecom should
give the large monopoly some breathing room as it develops a strategy to
remain competitive in a rapidly converging technology sector.

Tariq Hassan-Gordon Middle East Times staff

SOURCE: METIMES via DigAafrica

----------------------------------------------------------

North Africa: Intel sees big potential in emerging markets

Cairo, April 8 - U.S. computer chip maker Intel is looking to emerging
markets to boost its business and is keen on expansion in the Middle East
despite regional political turmoil, a company official said.

Intel Regional Sales Manager Nadim Garoudi told Reuters in an interview that
despite a global economic slowdown, business in the Middle East was booming
thanks to solid oil prices and widespread demand.

He said that despite a deadlock in Middle East peace efforts, a Palestinian
uprising against Israeli occupation and an Israeli blockade of Palestinian
areas, Intel's turnover in the Middle East doubled in 2000 compared to 1999,
Garoudi said.

Intel does not publish regional results.

"The plan for this year may not (be to) double (turnover), but definitely
something very close," he said at the weekend on the sidelines of the Cairo
Gitex 2001 information technology trade fair.

"Despite the political crisis, business is still booming, partly because of
higher oil prices, which means higher revenue for oil exporting countries,"
he said.

Garoudi said many governments in the region -- like Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the
UAE and even Jordan -- were focusing on e-business concepts in many sectors.

"There is a conscious effort by leaders in the Middle East to invest a lot
in IT (information technology)," he said.

"Egypt and other emerging markets, like eastern Europe, the Middle East and
Africa...are growing very, very fast (for Intel), much faster than the
traditional mature markets like the United States and western Europe,"
Garoudi added.


POTENTIAL FOR EXPANSION

The rate of growth in personal computer sales in emerging markets ranged
between 22 and 24 percent in 2000 compared to a projected average of 13
percent in developed countries this year, he said, adding Intel expected the
emerging market level to be maintained for several years.

Saturation levels were also much lower in the developing world. In Middle
East homes, for example, the PC penetration rate stood at about 15 percent
of households against 50 percent in western Europe and 70 percent in the
United States, he said.

Garoudi, who is responsible for sales in the Middle East, eastern Europe and
Africa, said these regions still offered potential for expanding business.

"It's very important to us, strategically, to focus on emerging markets," he
said.

Garoudi said Intel had this month opened an office in Cairo as part of a
policy of regional expansion.

Intel opened an office in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, in 1996 and
opened a chip manufacturing plant in Israel about 25 years ago.

Intel is the world's largest chip maker and its processors run about 80
percent of all personal computers in the world.

In October, Intel won government approval for a $500 million project to
build a microchip plant in Egypt. Garoudi said the plan was on ice due to
the global economic downturn.

"These plans right now, not just for Egypt but overall, are not (being
executed) in the immediate future due to the world economic slowdown,"
Garoudi said, adding that Egypt was still a top candidate for such a plant
when conditions improved.

SOURCE: ZAWYA via DigAfrica
---------------------------------------------


IE6 beta bug can blank out email
By: John Leyden
Posted: 08/04/2001 at 13:42 GMT


Early testers of Internet Explorer 6 have come across a bug in the browser
that can result in them receiving emails with no subject line or message
body.

Frustrated users brave enough to try out IE6's public beta have run into
trouble receiving emails via either Outlook 2000 and 98, and to a lesser
extent Outlook Express.

In the worst case, messages collected by Outlook 2000 and 98 which are
encoded with US-ASCII arrive without a subject line and (in the case of a
plain text, non-HTML message) the message itself is also blanked out. With
Outlook Express, it seems only the subject line is blank.

The problem apparently only rears its ugly head when serfers with IE6 beta
installed on their machines receive email sent from clients other than
Outlook or Outlook Express, such as Netscape 4.

So far discussion threads on mailing lists devoted to the subject have
concentrated on workarounds involving sending messages to yourself and
copying over the file Mlang.dll from IE5.5 installations. Whether these work
or not for sure we can't say because no-one in our office has been brave
enough to try using the browser.

That's just as well because we hear that uninstalling the IE6 beta doesn't
solve the problem when a user reverts back to using IE5.

We are talking about beta code here but this strikes us as an enormous
problem to have with such an important piece of software this far into its
development. The idea that the bug doesn't manifest itself in email received
from others using Outlook Express, only messages from other email clients,
is something likely to excite the conspiracy theorists out there.

To a jaundiced eye this looks like a move to tie people more people into its
email client, 'cos after all if everybody used Outlook there wouldn't be a
problem would there?

All that said we've always been keener on the cockup rather than conspiracy
theory and rather than a plan to turn surfers into serfers, we'd be more
inclined to think of this as a shining example of shoddy quality control at
Redmond.

Whichever way you look at it though, IE6 (at least until this problem is
fixed) should come with a very prominent health warning of browser beware...
®

SOURCE: Register via DigAfrica


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id21Healthnews

issue no. 2

2001-04-09

http://www.id21.org/health

The latest research and news on health issues in developing countries.
Welcome to the second issue of 'id21HealthNews' with the latest research and news on health issues in developing countries.

This is a new service, so please forward this newsletter to any colleagues
who may be interested. If they would like to subscribe to id21HealthNews,
they should send an email to lyris@lyris.ids.ac.uk, with the message:
''subscribe id21HealthNews Firstname Lastname", e.g. "subscribe
id21HealthNews Emily Smith"

*** id21HealthNews Issue 2 April 2001 ***

NEW TO THE id21HEALTH ONLINE COLLECTION:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Insights Health 1 is now available on-line

* Taking poverty to heart - non-communicable diseases and the poor
(editorial)
* Diseases of affluence? Global trends and predictions
* Taking the strain: the challenge for health systems
* The worst of two worlds: adult mortality in Tanzania
* Class divide: education and NCD risk factors in Cameroon
* Quick decision? Fast-track data for health policy
* Controlling the global tobacco epidemic: towards a transnational response
* Prevention is better than cure: tackling cardiovascular disease in the
Seychelles
* Sites for sore eyes: on-line resources on NCDs in developing countries

Focus on mental health and addiction

* Economic depression: poverty and mental health in developing countries
* Mental arithmetic: the economics of mental illness in Zimbabwe
* Feeling poorly? Poverty and depression in Goa, India
* Who's in charge? Alcohol policy in Hungary
* Brain strain: the burden of persistent depression in Zimbabwe

OTHER NEWS:
---------------------

* Reports 1: Reproductive health report
* Books 1: Hygiene promotion. A practical manual for relief and development
* Books 2: AIDS The Challenge for South Africa
* World Water Day
* World TB Day
* Reports 2: South African health review 2000
* Malaria educational site
* Reports 3: Environmental change and human health
* Short course: Introduction to infectious disease modelling and its
applications
* Population-environment resources web page
* Books 3: Mental health services in disaster: manual for humanitarian
workers
* "PopReporter" launched
* Reports 4: Global TB control - WHO report 2001

NEW TO THE id21HEALTH ONLINE COLLECTION:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

(Click on the link to see the full piece in each case or contact the
originators using the contact details provided).

Taking poverty to heart: non-communicable diseases and the poor (editorial)

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are the leading cause of death worldwide.
Their emergence as the predominant health problem in wealthy countries
accompanied economic development. As a result, NCDs are often referred to as
'diseases of affluence'. But is this a misleading term? It suggests that
these are not major problems for the world's poor, which is quite simply
wrong, as this issue of Insight Health illustrates. Is it time to rethink
policy on NCDs?

http://www.id21.org/insights/insights-h01/insights-issh01-art00.html

To receive this piece by email, send a message to the following email
address: getweb@webinfo.ids.ac.uk

Leave the SUBJECT field BLANK, and copy the following text into the BODY of
the message:
GET http://www.id21.org/getweb/insightshealth-1editorial.html

Further information:
Nigel Unwin, University of Newcastle, Departments of Diabetes and
Epidemiology & Public Health, Medical School, Newcastle, NE2 4HH, UK
Tel: +44 (0)191 222 5407 Fax: +44 (0)191 222 0723 Email:
N.C.Unwin@newcastle.ac.uk

********
Taking the strain: the challenge for health systems

While developing countries continue to battle against infectious diseases,
they now face an increasing burden from NCDs. How can health systems deal
with this additional strain?

http://www.id21.org/insights/insights-h01/insights-issh01-art02.html

To receive this piece by email, send a message to the following email
address: getweb@webinfo.ids.ac.uk

Leave the SUBJECT field BLANK, and copy the following text into the BODY of
the message:
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Further information:
Andrew Green and Charles Collins, Nuffield Institute for Health, University
of Leeds, 71-75 Clarendon Road, Leeds, LS2 9PL, UK
Tel: +44 (0)113 233 6953 Fax: +44 (0)113 246 0899
Email: a.t.green@leeds.ac.uk; c.d.collins@leeds.ac.uk

********
The worst of two worlds: adult mortality in Tanzania

Many Tanzanians have entered the 21st century suffering the worst of two
worlds. They share the crushing debt and poverty of other developing
countries, yet are increasingly afflicted by chronic health conditions
usually associated with richer nations.

http://www.id21.org/insights/insights-h01/insights-issh01-art03.html

To receive this piece by email, send a message to the following email
address: getweb@webinfo.ids.ac.uk

Leave the SUBJECT field BLANK, and copy the following text into the BODY of
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Further information:
Henry Kitange, AMMP, Ministry of Health, PO Box 65243, Dar es Salaam,
Tanzania
Tel: +255 22 211 6145 Fax: +255 22 212 3289 Email: ammp.dar@twiga.com
Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/ammp

********
Class divide: education and NCD risk factors in Cameroon

The burden of many NCDs, particularly cardiovascular disease, diabetes and
lung cancer, tends to increase with economic development. However, in
wealthier countries, the greatest burden of NCDs falls on the poor. Who is
most at risk in developing countries - the rich or the poor?

http://www.id21.org/insights/insights-h01/insights-issh01-art04.html

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address: getweb@webinfo.ids.ac.uk

Leave the SUBJECT field BLANK, and copy the following text into the BODY of
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Further information:
Jean-Claude Mbanya, Diabetes and Endocrine Unit, Department of Internal
Medicine, Faculty of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, University of Yaoundé
I, BP 8046 Yaoundé, Cameroon
Tel: + 237 31 52 35 Fax: + 237 31 52 35 Email:
jean-claude.mbanya@camnet.cm

********
Quick decision? Fast-track data for health policy

The prevalence of NCDs is rising rapidly in low and middle income countries.
Health systems are already overburdened and the challenge of planning NCD
health services in this environment is great. What tools are available to
health planners to guide the effective use of resources?

http://www.id21.org/insights/insights-h01/insights-issh01-art05.html

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address: getweb@webinfo.ids.ac.uk

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Further information:
Nigel Unwin and Terry Aspray, University of Newcastle, Departments of
Diabetes and Epidemiology & Public Health, Medical School, Newcastle, NE2
4HH, UK
Tel: +44 (0)191 222 5407 Fax: +44 (0)191 222 0723 Email:
N.C.Unwin@newcastle.ac.uk

********
Controlling the global tobacco epidemic: towards a transnational response

Recent trends in the globalisation of the tobacco industry are reflected in
the shifting of the burden of tobacco-related disease and deaths towards
developing countries. Tobacco companies have proved sufficiently powerful to
thwart comprehensive control programmes in all but a handful of countries.
What new strategies are needed to control the epidemic in developing
regions?

http://www.id21.org/insights/insights-h01/insights-issh01-art06.html

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address: getweb@webinfo.ids.ac.uk

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Further information:
Jeff Collin, Centre on Globalisation, Environmental Change and Health,
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London WC1E
7HT, UK
Tel: +44 (0)20 7612 7884 Fax: +44 (0)20 7637 5391 Email:
jeff.collin@lshtm.ac.uk

********
Prevention is better than cure: tackling cardiovascular disease in the
Seychelles

The Republic of Seychelles in the Indian Ocean has developed rapidly over
the last 30 years, partly due to booming tourism. GDP per capita increased
in real terms from $2927 in 1980 to $5731 in 1999. In that time, infectious
diseases have been tamed and infant mortality has dropped from 50 to 10 per
1000 live births. As a result, the absolute number of people in their 30s
and 40s has doubled over the last 20 years. What challenges does this
present for health services?

http://www.id21.org/insights/insights-h01/insights-issh01-art07.html

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address: getweb@webinfo.ids.ac.uk

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the message:
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Further information:
Pascal Bovet, Ministry of Health, PO Box 52, Victoria, Seychelles
Tel: +248 388 000 Fax: +248 224 792 Email: iumsp@seychelles.net

********
Sites for sore eyes

On-line resources on NCDs in developing countries.

http://www.id21.org/insights/insights-h01/insights-issh01-art08.html

********
Subscribe Free to Insights Health Now!

To subscribe free of charge to the hard-copy edition of Insights Health,
send an email with your name and full postal address to id21's health
editor, Heidi Brown at heidib@ids.ac.uk

********
Economic depression: poverty and mental health in developing countries

Why are depression and related disorders reaching crisis proportions in the
developing world? What are the causes of common mental disorders (CMDs) in
low-income countries? Research in Brazil, Chile, India and Zimbabwe,
co-ordinated by the UK Institute of Psychiatry, showed that women, those
with little education, the poor and older people are most likely to suffer
from mental disorders.

http://www.id21.org/health/h3vp1g2.html

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Further information:
Vikram Patel, Sangath Centre, 841/1 Alto Porvorim, Goa, INDIA 403521
Tel: +91 832 413527 Fax: +91 832 415244 Email: vikpat@goatelecom.com

********
Mental arithmetic: the economics of mental illness in Zimbabwe

Common mental disorders (CMDs) make a significant contribution to the
disease burden in developing countries. Who is most likely to suffer from
mental illness? How can health services with limited resources reduce the
incidence and impact of CMDs?

http://www.id21.org/health/h3vp1g3.html

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Vikram Patel, Sangath Centre, 841/1 Alto Porvorim, Goa, INDIA 403521
Tel: +91 832 413527 Fax: +91 832 415244 Email: vikpat@goatelecom.com

********
Feeling poorly? Poverty and depression in Goa, India

Are poor people more likely to suffer from depression than the wealthy? Is
there a link between disability and mental disorder? What role does gender
play? Researchers from the UK Institute of Psychiatry and the Goa Institute
of Psychiatry & Human Behaviour, India, investigated the relationship
between poverty, disability and depression in Goa.

http://www.id21.org/health/h3vp1g4.html

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Vikram Patel, Sangath Centre, 841/1 Alto Porvorim, Goa, INDIA 403521
Tel: +91 832 413527 Fax: +91 832 415244 Email: vikpat@goatelecom.com

********
Who's in charge? Alcohol policy in Hungary

Who determines alcohol policy at the national level in Hungary? What is
their understanding of the policy issues and what motivates their interest
in the problem? Researchers from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical
Medicine explored the alcohol policy arena in Hungary to identify the key
players and their influence on policy aimed at reducing alcohol consumption.
They found a lack of a consensus among those involved and limited awareness
of their potential influence.

http://www.id21.org/health/h2mm1g1.html

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Further information:
Martin McKee, European Centre on Health of Societies in Transition, London
School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London WC1E 7HT, UK
Tel: +44 (0)20 7927 8636 Fax: +44 (0)20 7580 8183 Email:
martin.mckee@lshtm.ac.uk

********
Brain strain: the burden of persistent depression in Zimbabwe

Common mental disorders (CMDs) are an important cause of illness and
disability in primary healthcare patients in Zimbabwe. For some it is a
temporary condition while others will be persistently ill, placing a
particular strain on healthcare resources. How can busy primary healthcare
workers identify those most likely to be chronically ill?

http://www.id21.org/health/h3vp1g1.html

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address: getweb@webinfo.ids.ac.uk

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Tel: +91 832 413527 Fax: +91 832 415244 Email: vikpat@goatelecom.com

********

OTHER NEWS:
---------------------

Reproductive Health Report

In 'A world of difference: sexual and reproductive health and risks'
<http://www.populationaction.org/worldofdifference/rr2_introduction.htm>,
Population Action International <http://www.populationaction.org/> and CARE
<http://www.care.org/> measure the progress of nations towards improving
women's reproductive health. A wallchart
<http://www.populationaction.org/worldofdifference/pdfs/englishposter.pdf>
ranks 133 countries, representing 95 percent of the world's population, on a
Reproductive Risk Index composed of 10 key indicators of sexual and
reproductive health. The study documents the vast disparities between rich
and poor countries and the urgent need to accelerate progress in this area.

********

Hygiene Promotion. A Practical Manual for Relief and Development
<http://echonet.org/shopsite_sc/store/html/HygienePromotion.html>
Suzanne Ferron, Joy Morgan
<http://www.lshtm.ac.uk/itd/units/dcvbu/staff/joy_morgan.htm> and Marion
O'Reilly
IT Publications, London. ISBN 1 85339 505 6

This manual attempts to fill a gap in the current literature on health and
hygiene education in relief and rehabilitation settings and is also
applicable to developmental settings. It is written mainly for field-workers
on programmes aiming to reduce the incidence of water- and
sanitation-related diseases. It may also be useful to programme managers or
ministry officials struggling to integrate water, sanitation, and hygiene
education/community management into their projects, and for health care
workers attempting to address the high incidence of diarrhoeal diseases in
either development or emergency programmes.

********

AIDS The Challenge for South Africa
<http://www.kalahari.net/product.asp?sku=4671388&format=detail>
Alan Whiteside and Clem Sunter
Human & Rousseau, Cape Town. ISBN 0 7981 4062 3

On the issue of HIV/AIDS, the majority of South Africans can be divided into
two broad categories: those who bury their heads in the sand and deny that
the epidemic exists, and those who believe that it exists but they cannot do
anything about it.

This book offers a third view: there is an epidemic but there are plenty of
things we can do to prevent it spreading further and to ameliorate the
impact of increasing sickness and death among those already infected. The
authors recommend a grass roots approach made up of many small initiatives,
pursued on as wide a front as possible, to overcome the epidemic and to
soften its impact.

********
22nd March is World Water Day
The theme is "Water and Health". The world water day website
<http://www.worldwaterday.org> includes factsheets, articles, reports and
information on events, and will be updated throughout the year.

********
World TB Day - 24th March
The theme for World TB Day 2001 is "DOTS - TB Cure for All" and calls for
equitable access to treatment for all people with TB. Further information is
available from the WHO <http://www.who.int/gtb/WorldTBDay/2001/> and the
Stop TB Initiative <http://www.stoptb.org/world.tb.day/WTBD_2001/Index.htm>.

********
South African Health Review 2000 <http://www.hst.org.za/sahr/2000/>
SAHR 2000, published by the Health Systems Trust, was launched on the 1st of
March, 2001. It consists of 24 chapters dealing with various aspects of the
Health Care System.
For prices and ordering details, email cynthia@hst.org.za

********
Malaria Educational Site
<http://www.rph.wa.gov.au/labs/haem/malaria/index.html>
This site from the Royal Perth Hospital, is now available in French, English
and Spanish. It contains sections on diagnosis, prophylaxis, treatment and
history as well as an innovative interactive "Test & Teach" self assessment
module. It is useful for clinicians, scientists, healthcare workers and
students.
The information is also available on a bilingual CD-ROM, distributed free of
charge to institutions with limited internet access.
Contact Graham Icke for details (Graham.Icke@health.wa.gov.au).

********
Environmental change and human health in countries of Africa, the Caribbean
and the Pacific (ACP) <http://www.sei.se/newreport.html>
Gordon McGranahan et al., Stockholm Environment Institute.

The environmental health priorities for most ACP countries are old problems,
such as infectious diseases and hunger, in a new world of global economic
and climatic change. To meet this challenge, health and environment sectors
will have to work together and find a common agenda rooted in local
concerns. A new and wide ranging report from the Stockholm Environment
Institute <http://www.sei.se/> and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical
Medicine <http://www.lshtm.ac.uk/>. The report includes chapters relating
health to demography, the environmental context, agricultural change,
urbanization and global environmental change, concluding with a chapter on
'Health and Environment: the Common Agenda'.

********
Introduction to infectious disease modelling and its applications
<http://www.lshtm.ac.uk/itd/units/ideu/ModellingShortCourse.htm>
London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, 9-20th July, 2001


This two week course introduces infectious diseases professionals to this
exciting and expanding area. Applications include predicting the impact of
vaccination and devising optimal control strategies for HIV. The aim is to
develop an understanding of the basic methods and their practical
application. It is suitable for policy-makers, health and veterinary
professionals, medical statisticians and researchers. Mathematical training
is not a prerequisite.

********
Population-environment resources web page <http://www.jhuccp.org/popenviro/>


The Population-Environment Resources page makes its debut this month. It
features a daily news link, Population Reports issues on the environment,
databases of photographs, images, posters, and videos, a POPLINE document
search, and links to organizations and e-mail discussion groups. For more
information about Population Reports, email Stephen Goldstein at:
sgoldste@jhuccp.org

********
PAHO/WHO publication: Mental health services in disaster: manual for
humanitarian workers
<http://www.paho.org/English/PED/mental-trabajadores.htm>


The manual is written in a simple and easy-to-read format for people
involved in providing relief, in the short and long-term, from psychosocial
and psychophysiological repercussions of disaster. It's main objective is to
provide an orderly, immediate and efficient flow of relief, training public
mental health elements and to prevent already identified adverse
consequences.

********
"PopReporter" Launched
<http://www.jhuccp.org/webzine/ezine/index.htm>


The first issue this free electronic magazine from the Johns Hopkins
University Population Information Program, will soon be available. Each
week, research staff will prepare an electronic magazine containing links to
key news stories, reports, and related developments around the globe. The
focus will be on reproductive health, family planning, and related health
communication topics. To subscribe, follow this link.

********
Global TB Control - WHO Report 2001


The fifth annual report on global TB control is based on case notifications
and treatment outcome data supplied by national control programmes. Six
consecutive years of data were used to assess worldwide progress in TB
control, focusing on 23 high incidence countries that account for 80%of all
new cases. The main aim was to assess progress towards 2005 targets for case
detection (70%) and treatment success (85%). Analysis of progress from 1995
to 1999 includes a revision of incidence estimates for all countries in
these years, together with projections to 2005.

********
id21HealthNews Issue No. 2 April 2001

The id21 online collection contains hundreds of policy-relevant research
digests on global development issues. To see the whole collection visit our
web-site at: <http://www.id21.org/>

Please forward this newsletter to other interested colleagues.

Created by the id21 Team:
Alistair Scott - Programme Manager
Isabel Vogel - Programme Officer
Louise Daniel - Senior Editor
Dominic Furlong - Education Editor
Heidi Brown - Health Editor
Sandra Baxter - Administrator

id21 is enabled by the UK Department for International Development and
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If you have any problems or queries contact us at: id21@ids.ac.uk

Views expressed in this newsletter are not necessarily those of id21 or
other contributing institutions. Unless stated otherwise articles may be
copied or quoted without restriction, provided id21 and originating
author(s) and institution(s) are acknowledged. Copyright 2001 id21.



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