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Selected headlines from Pambazuka News 170

2004-08-19

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/highlights/23993

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HIGHLIGHTS FROM THIS ISSUE:

* Conflict and Emergencies: Proxy wars in Central Africa – profits, propaganda and luxury goods for the west
* Women and Gender: Gender and the environment
* Elections and Governance: SADC adopts election guidelines
* Development: July WTO meeting a setback for Africa
* Corruption: The boom that only oils the wheels of corruption
* HIV/AIDS: Stopping the brain drain
* Education: Lift the yoke, uplift the child
* Environment: Concern over DRC logging
* Land and Land Rights: SADC calls for land reform
* Media and Freedom of Expression: On verge of release, Ethiopian editor convicted anew

>>>>>Africa, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund

This year marks what many activists have dubbed the unhappy birthday of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund. It is 60 years since the creation of these institutions in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, and in that time period both have come to have a profound and controversial influence on the world. These are the institutions that have been responsible for Structural Adjustment Papers, Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers, the Highly Indebted Poor Countries Initiative and a host of other programmes that are supposed to have had an impact on making the world a better place. They are the institutions that claim to be acting in the interests of the global good, with mission statements such as the World Bank, which says that its “mission is to fight poverty and improve the living standards of people in the developing world”. But critics lambast both institutions for their lack of democracy and for creating a system of modern day colonialism that does nothing to advance the interests of the poor and is in fact damaging to just about every aspect of life.

Beginning this week with an article by Patrick Bond that examines how the Bretton Woods Institutions have responded to criticism over their democratic credentials, their particular approach to development policy, their ongoing support for mega-projects and their failure to cancel debt, Pambazuka News will be carrying a series of articles leading up to the annual meetings of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund in October. The articles will aim to examine the role of these institutions in the context of Africa. We encourage activists, academics or anyone interested in the role of these institutions in Africa to respond to the articles we carry or to submit articles for inclusion in the newsletter. Contributions can be sent to editor@pambazuka.org

Recalcitrant reformers require tougher tactics

Patrick Bond

2004-08-19

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/features/24032

Call it institutional change-management fatigue. Or an unlimited spin-doctoring capacity by clever public relations officials. Or naivety on the part of those NGOs, environmentalists, trade unionists and Third World activists who cheered the appointment of Renaissance Man James Wolfensohn as World Bank president in 1995.

Whatever the excuse, the bottom-line is obvious: no substantive changes at the Bank and International Monetary Fund. And yet the need for a radical transformation could not be more obvious, in the wake of the late 1990s legitimacy crisis, itself a function of at least four managerial and economic factors that still have not been tackled properly:

- the institutions' 'democratic deficit', which made them unsuitable for genuine global governance;
- the continued reliance upon the neoliberal 'Washington Consensus' approach to public policy;
- the Bank's ongoing orientation to controversial mega-projects; and
- both agencies' failure to cancel Third World debt and cool international financial speculation born of liberalised capital markets.

But we have to be frank about what drives these institutions, even when their credibility is at an all-time low: lubrication of private capital accumulation and stabilisation of geopolitical tensions through subsidised credits (often 'bail-outs' for earlier commercial lenders). So the four factors were not really failures - they were and are integral to the workings of the international economy.

Did reformers understand this problem, and did they adjust their plans accordingly? Confusingly, hopes were raised in part because of the 1997-99 tenure of Joseph Stiglitz as chief economist. Simultaneously, other catalysts for change included commissions on structural adjustment, dams and extractive industries.

However, the internal procedural changes, rhetorical shifts, research reports, individual initiatives, and multi-stakeholder forum exercises that emerged since the short-lived Stiglitzian glasnost did not fundamentally affect operations. The view from the inside is revealing, as staff in the Middle East and North Africa section complained in a leaked 1999 memo to Wolfensohn: 'The World Bank is increasingly being drawn into activities which are politically sensitive (participatory processes, involvement of civil society, corruption and so on). There is no doubt about the importance and relevance of these for development and success of World Bank assistance, but staff are not well prepared to handle these issues which creates more anxiety and stress.'

Yet because the legitimacy crisis has continued growing, it has been rhetorically important for the Bank and Fund to claim they are now 'post-Washington' in their ideology. In March 2002, midway through the United Nations Financing for Development (FFD) summit in Mexico, the Bank, Fund and German officials began promoting the idea of a new 'Monterrey Consensus', which would usher in an era of fair global finance. Even John Williamson has argued in the IMF's own magazine that his celebrated 1990 definition of the Washington Consensus was misunderstood and manipulated by leftist critics.

The institution's 60th birthday provides a chance to review the reform agenda, and to ask whether the late 1990s challenge from high-profile critics - Stiglitz and other enlightened economists, some Third World governments and protest movements -- was as effective as it could have been. Were issues posed by reformers -- debt relief, community and NGO participation in neoliberal programme design, democratic governance, global financial regulation, and commissions dealing with structural adjustment, dams and energy -- the correct ones to tackle?

And if all these reforms were foiled by institutional lethargy or worse, is it appropriate to consider an entirely different strategy, based on Third World states removing themselves from influence by the Bank and IMF? Is collective default feasible, and should Northern supporters assist the process by refusing to buy bonds issued by the World Bank?

Debt relief deferred

Within a year of Monterrey, the World Bank made an embarrassing concession, regarding its prize reform: the Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) debt relief initiative. The Bank acknowledged longstanding criticisms that its staff 'had been too optimistic' about the ability of countries to repay under HIPC, and that projections of export earnings were extremely inaccurate, leading to failure by half the HIPC countries to reach their completion points. Paradoxically, the Bank blamed failure upon 'political pressure' to cut debt further, as the key reason repayments were still not 'sustainable.'

HIPC was a mirage from the outset, as even the moderate London lobby group Jubilee Plus admitted in its September 2003 progress report: 'According to the original HIPC schedule, 21 countries should have fully passed through the HIPC initiative and received total debt cancellation of approximately $34.7 billion in net present value terms. In fact, only eight countries have passed Completion Point, between them receiving debt cancellation of $11.8 billion.'

Add a few other countries' partial relief via the Paris Club ($14 billion) and it appears that the grand total of debt relief thanks to the 1996-2003 exercise was just $26.13 billion. There remained more than $2 trillion of Third World debt that should be cancelled, including not just HIPC countries but also Nigeria, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, South Africa and other major debtors not considered highly-indebted or poor in the mainstream discourse.

Inadequate financial provision for HIPC in western capitals probably reflects the merits of using debt as a means of maintaining control over Third World economies. An 'enhanced HIPC' was introduced to give the appearance of concern, and at the G8's Evian Summit in 2003, the world's leaders agreed with pleas by African representatives to relook at the programme. Yet no fundamental changes or substantial new funds were mooted. Proposals to write off further debt owed by Ethiopia and Niger in April were, at press time, likely to be vetoed by the US Treasury.

Poverty 'Reduction' Strategy Papers

In 1999, HIPC was accompanied by a renaming of the structural adjustment philosophy: Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs). More than two years later, at Monterrey, South Africa's finance minister Trevor Manuel - who joined former IMF managing director Michel Camdessus as special envoys of UN secretary general Kofi Annan - argued that PRSPs were 'an important tool for developing countries to reduce their debt burdens… a thorough and useful PRSP requires time, resources and technical capacity.' He suggested the Bretton Woods Institutions increase their role, to 'provide more technical assistance to meet those particular challenges.'

In contrast to Manuel's desire for PRSP expansion, civil society resistance to structural adjustment increased across the Third World, including Manuel's home continent, sometimes in the form of 'IMF riots.' A May 2001 Jubilee South conference of the main African social movements in Kampala concluded: 'In addition to the constraints placed on governments and civil society organisations in formulating PRSPs, the World Bank and IMF retain the right to veto the final programs. This reflects the ultimate mockery of the threadbare claim that the PRSPs are based on “national ownership.” An additional serious concern is the way in which PRSPs are being used by the World Bank and IMF, directly and indirectly, to co-opt NGOs to “monitor” their own governments on behalf of these institutions.'

The latter gambit had begun to fail by the time the FFD convened in Monterrey. Even the World Bank's best African case, Uganda, heard its National NGO Forum report: 'Among CSOs there is growing concern that perhaps their participation in the endeavour has amounted to little more than a way for the World Bank and IMF to co-opt the activist community and civil society in Uganda into supporting the same traditional policies.'

Democratic governance?

Barely acknowledging the power imbalances in the global system, the Monterrey Consensus offered only timid suggestions for global governance reforms. The Bank and IMF took nearly a full year to come forward with a plan, which, as it turned out, was an insult to the concept of democratic global governance.

The Bretton Woods Institutions' nearly fifty Sub-Saharan African member countries are represented by just two directors, while eight rich countries enjoyed a director each and the US maintained veto power by holding more than 15% of the votes. (There is no transparency as to which board members take what positions on key votes.) The leaders of the Bank and IMF are chosen from, respectively, the US and EU, with the US treasury secretary holding the power of hiring or firing.

In this context, some reformist gestures were needed for the sake of appearance. Nevertheless, the Financial Times reported that the 2003 Bank/Fund strategy emanating from the IMF/Bank important Development Committee (chaired by Manuel) offered only 'narrow technocratic changes,' such as adding one additional representative from the South to the 24-member board. For the US, even those mildmannered reforms were too much, and the Bush regime's executive director to the Bank, Carol Brooking, opposed reforms and instead suggested merely a new fund for extra research capacity aimed at the two institutions' Third World directors. Asked about the democracy deficit at the September 2003 annual meeting in Dubai, Manuel merely remarked, 'I don't think that you can ripen this tomato by squeezing it.'

Fanning financial fires

A final example of Monterrey's amplification of the self-destructive tendencies of international finance, was the conference's call for 'liberalising capital flows in an orderly and well sequenced process'. The Asian financial crisis had earlier stalled the persistent armtwisting efforts of US treasury secretary Larry Summers to force through an amendment to the IMF articles of agreement which would end all exchange controls everywhere.

When Ethiopian prime minister Meles Zenawi had resisted Summers' gambit in 1997, according to Stiglitz, the IMF cut off the cheaper loans it had earlier made available. Cross-conditionality also made Ethiopia ineligible for other low-interest loans and grants from the World Bank, the European Community, and aid from bilaterals.

Stiglitz waged war within the Bank and Clinton regime, finally winning concessions, but he learned a lesson: 'There was clear evidence the IMF was wrong about financial market liberalisation and Ethiopia's macroeconomic position, but the IMF had to have its way.' Zenawi poignantly implored, at a mid-2003 Economic Commission for Africa meeting, 'While we will not be at the high table of the IMF, we should at least be in the room where decisions are made.'

The only reform project to deal with financial speculation was a bailout mechanism which might save Wall Street from its own worst excesses, but also allow a 'workout' system for countries that had urgent repayment difficulties. In mid-2003, a debt arbitration mechanism was finally proposed by the IMF's current acting managing director, Anne Krueger, a Bush appointee. However, the plan came to naught, for as the The Guardian's Larry Elliott explained, 'Billions of dollars from the bail-outs ended up in the coffers of the big finance houses of New York and George Bush was told not to meddle with welfare for Wall Street. The message was understood: the US used its voting power at the IMF to strangle the bankruptcy code at birth.'

Reforming from the outside?

Under the prevailing balance of power, the top-down reform processes discussed above could not have worked. But what of other efforts at reform from the outside (ostensibly from below), particularly via international commissions in which the World Bank plays a crucial hosting and financing role?

The three major recent processes in which well-meaning civil society advocates went inside the Bank were the World Commission on Dams, the Structural Adjustment Participatory Review Initiative (Sapri) and the Extractive Industries Review. In the first case, a Bank water expert, John Briscoe, actively lobbied southern governments to reject the findings of a vast, multi-stakeholder research team in 2001. According to Patrick McCully of International Rivers Network, 'The World Bank's singularly negative and non-committal response to the WCD Report means that the Bank will no longer be accepted as an honest broker in any further multi-stakeholder dialogues.'

As for Sapri, hundreds of organisations and scholars became involved in nine countries: Bangladesh, Ecuador, El Salvador, Ghana, Hungary, Mexico, the Philippines, Uganda and Zimbabwe. They engaged in detailed analysis from 1997-2002, often alongside local Bank and IMF officials. Bank staff withdrew from the process in August 2001. In April 2002, when the research, a 188-page report, The Policy Roots of Economic Crisis and Poverty, was tabled for action, civil society groups found that the Bank ignored it.

The third case, the Extractive Industries Review (EIR), also nearly went off the rails when an April 2003, incident in Bali, Indonesia delegitimised the exercise before a final report was drawn up. A meeting between the Bank, international mining industry and civil society ended in an uproar when 15 environmental and human rights groups left in protest. According to the New York Times, 'The group of reviewers set up by the Bank had already circulated its draft conclusions supporting the Bank's oil, gas and mining investments, even though conferences organised to gather information from concerned groups and individuals in Asia, the Middle East and Africa had not yet taken place.'

In the meantime, the Bank approved loans for two infamous pipelines, Chad-Cameroon and Caspian, despite objections from the environmental, human rights and social justice communities. By late 2003, civil societies indignation meant that the EIR leader, former Indonesian environment minister Emil Salim, encountered another legitimacy crisis for World Bank participation politics.

In response, Salim ensured the critique by social movements and environmentalists made it into the December 2003 draft report, including the recommendation that public funds should not be used to facilitate private fossil-fuel profits. The recommendations would have meant an end to World Bank coal lending by 2008; mandatory revenue sharing with local communities; extensive environmental and social impact assessments; 'no go' zones for mining or drilling in environmentally sensitive areas; no new mining projects that dump tailings in rivers; obligatory environmental restructuring; and increased renewable energy investments.

No one was surprised when lead Bank energy staffer Rashad Kaldany disagreed with the recommendations. Several major environmental NGOs blasted the institution: 'One of the Bank's most important environmental reforms of the 1990s was its more cautious approach to high-risk infrastructure and forestry projects. This policy is now being reversed. The World Bank recently announced that it would re-engage in contentious water projects such as large dams in what it refers to as a 'high risk/high reward' strategy. In 2002, the Bank dismissed its 'risk-averse' approach to the forest sector when it approved a new forest policy. The World Bank is also considering support for new oil, mining, and gas projects in unstable and poorly governed countries, against the recommendations of its own evaluation unit.'

Starting from scratch?

Civil society enthusiasts of such commissions should have been warned by well-meaning insiders who also failed to move the reform agenda forward. From a vantagepoint in the chief economist's office during the late 1990s and early 2000s, David Ellerman saw more than his share of reform gambits. Finally, Ellerman threw up his hands: 'Agencies such as the World Bank and the IMF are now almost entirely motivated by big power politics and their own internal organisational imperatives. All their energies are consumed in doing whatever is necessary to perpetuate their global status. Intellectual and political energies spent trying to “reform” these agencies are largely a waste of time and a misdirection of energies.'

Persuasion by reformists within the chief economist's office did not affect the institution, agreed William Easterly, a former senior staffer: 'There's a big disconnect between World Bank operations and World Bank research. There's almost an organisational feud between the research wing and the rest of the Bank. The rest of the Bank thinks research people are just talking about irrelevant things and don't know the reality of what's going on.'

Abuse of power and dogmatic ideology were Stiglitz's long-standing justifications for his August 2002 call to consider replacing the IMF: 'I'm beginning to ask, has the credibility of the IMF been so eroded that maybe it's better to start from scratch? Is the institution so resistant to learning to change, to becoming a more democratic institution, that maybe it is time to think about creating some new institutions that really reflect today's reality, today's greater sense of democracy. It is really time to re-ask the question: should we reform or should we build from start?

At the same time, a Columbia University colleague of Stiglitz, Jeffrey Sachs, began arguing that low-income countries should not repay World Bank and IMF loans, and should redirect debt servicing directly towards health and education. Decapitalisation of the Bretton Woods Institutions through a new wave of sovereign defaults would be a sensible and direct closure tactic.

After all, Sachs insisted, no one 'in the creditor world, including the White House, believes that those countries can service these debts without extreme human cost. The money should instead be rerouted as grants to be spent on more demanding social needs at home. Poor countries should take the first step by demanding that all outstanding debt service payments to official creditors be reprocessed as grants for the fight against HIV/AIDS.' The idea was not as outlandish as it appeared at first blush, according to the Boston Globe, for during the 1980s Bolivia and Poland both got away with this strategy: 'Because the two countries used that money for social causes both were later able to win debt forgiveness.'

Default may be the logical option, since so few HIPC resources are being allocated for debt relief. Argentina, Nigeria and Zimbabwe may have been the highest-profile defaulters since 2000, but there are many more that will eventually feel pressure from the grassroots, conduct a cost-benefit analysis, and decide that default -- combined with internal financing of development using local currency to meet basic needs--is the common sense approach.


Solidarity and strength

In parallel to Third World governments becoming more militant, pressure on the institutions from their main shareholders - Northern citizens via their governments - will be vital. An extraordinary new tactic will assist: the World Bank Bonds Boycott. US groups like Center for Economic Justice and Global Exchange have been working with Jubilee South Africa and Brazil's Movement of the Landless, among others, to ask: is it ethical for socially-conscious people to invest in the World Bank by buying its bonds (responsible for 80% of the Bank's resources), hence drawing out dividends which represent the fruits of enormous suffering?

In even the conservative belly of the global economic beast, the USA, organisations endorsing the Boycott included important US cities such as San Francisco, Milwaukee, Boulder and Cambridge; major religious orders; the most important social responsibility funds; and major trade union pension/investment funds. During late 2003, the world's largest pension fund, TIAA-CREF, sold its World Bank bonds as campaigners made it a special target.

Bank Boycott activists understand that the institutions' waning legitimacy - and hence threatens to funding by socially-responsible investors and eventually angry taxpayers -- is the only target that most Third World social movements can aim at. They have done so in recent years with an increasingly militant perspective that worries not about the Fund and Bank's 'failure to consult' or 'lack of transparency' or 'undemocratic governance' -- all easy populist critiques, whose reformist ambitions are terribly weak. (What difference, after all, would it make if Trevor Manuel were the first non-European IMF MD?)

Most of the attention that the leading activists pay to the Washington Consensus ideology is to the core content: commodification, whether in relation to water, electricity, housing, land, anti-retroviral medicines and health services, education, basic income grant support or other social services, ideally all at once and in cross-sectoral combinations. It is there, in grassroots movements to decommodify the goods and services which the World Bank and IMF increasingly put out of reach, that the only feasible alternative strategy can be found.

* Patrick Bond is professor at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. A longer version of this article is in the June 2004 issue of Capitalism, Nature, Socialism. Further details of the South Africa case are in Bond, P. (2004), Talk Left, Walk Right: South Afica's Frustrated Global Reforms, Pietermaritzburg, University of KwaZulu-Natal Press; and Bond, P. (2003), Against Global Apartheid: South Africa meets the World Bank, IMF and International Finance, London, Zed Books.

* Please send comments to editor@pambazuka.org

Peace and Democracy in Sudan

Tajudeen Abdul-Raheem

2004-08-19

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/panafrican/24002

The untrammelled exercise of power, without legal, political or moral restraint is the bane of many countries across Africa. That is why the abuse of power tends to manifest itself in a more grimly way amongst our peoples. It is not that politicians in other societies are not wilful or whimsical, but there are other institutions that can checkmate them or restrain them and control their excesses.

These will include the formal separation of powers between the Executive, Judiciary and Legislative functions. But outside of that are other autonomous and independent institutions and organisations that offer alternative centres of power and consensus building on values and goals of their society. They include vibrant political parties whether in government or opposition, independent media, religious institutions, academia and intelligentsia and above all an active citizenship including vocal public figures and dynamic civil society organisations at various levels in the society. All these will make varying claims on a democratic system that often restrain and engage with those in power.

I say often because sometimes there may be a dissonance between these forces and things may (and do) break down. But the essence of a democratic state is that periods of extreme pressures on the system tend to be temporary and society can look forward to a peaceful resolution of differences and return to the normal dynamic chaos of a democratic society.


There is nothing in Sudan that a genuine people-driven democratic governance cannot help to resolve. I say democratic governance not the more fashionable 'good governance' much beloved by NGOs and Donors. You can have a good government without it being essentially democratic.

The continuing tragedy in Darfur makes clear the need for democratic governance. If their government treated all Sudanese as equal citizens with the same rights and obligations, the impunity with which one section of the community can kill or exterminate another section of the society would not have risen. If the government of Sudan is one that cares about its people it will not be aiding and abetting these sectarian killings and hate campaigns.

Furthermore, if there are reasonable hopes for those who desire a change of government in Khartoum (as a means of effecting policy changes) then a resort to arms could have been avoided. This is not in defence of violent changes but a restatement of the old dictum: 'Those who make peaceful changes impossible make violent change inevitable'.

It is a central problem of the Sudan that all attempts at peaceful resolution always take for granted the existence of the Khartoum government of the day. The peace deals then become regime specific rather than for all Sudan. A comprehensive settlement in the Sudan has to be one driven not by the needs of the government of the day and armed groups they consider threats but all Sudanese otherwise rebel groups will continuously become more militant. Africa has had too many bitter and painful experiences of many pretenders to power and false messiahs, offering themselves and their rebel groups as liberators only to become worse than those they claim they have come to liberate people from. Therefore as we rightly criticize the government of Sudan for abrogating its responsibility to defend all its citizens and maintain the rule of law we should also look critically at the rebels, their promises, their actions and what alternative vision of society they are offering.

If the government is a killer government what are the rebels doing to protect the victims? How are people despite the emergencies and death that surround them being involved in decisions? It cannot be enough that rebel groups build good will from the badness of the government. The stress should shift from what they are opposing to what they actually stand for.

Talks between the government and the Darfur rebels are due to begin in two weeks in Abuja under the auspices of President Obasanjo, who is both Chair of the Peace and Security Council and the African Union. The SLA and JEM have both said they would attend after failing to show up in a previous AU brokered talks in Addis.

The Sudan Government is very good at showing itself as a victim of conspiracies. They play whatever music suits the ears of their audience. In AU circles they play up Pan Africanism and the anti imperialist card while arming one section of Africans in their country to exterminate another set of Africans! When they are in the Arab League they play to Pan Arabism and Islam. It is not surprising that the recent Arab League meeting came out in support of Khartoum and made a plea for more time for Sudan to comply with the UN deadline of the end of this month. Why should the government have more time to continue to kill its citizens?

And they have a baby face Foreign Minister, well-spoken Dr Mustafa Ismail, to sell their bad case diplomatically and politically. I first met the urbane Dentist early in 1994. I had gone to persuade the government of Sudan to attend the 7th PAC in Kampala. They had been very suspicious of our efforts largely due to the bad relationship between Kampala and Khartoum. Khartoum was not happy that Dr John Garang and the SPLA were being given prominent platforms in the Congress.

Ten years on Mustafa has emerged as the star of Bashir's killer regime while his former mentor, Dr Al Turabi is languishing in detention; Bashir is holding hands with Garang; Kampala and Khartoum have restored diplomatic relations and my good friend, Mustafa, has changed masters without anyone noticing! He may have smoothed his way from Turabi to Bashir effortlessly, but the rest of the world should not be that gullible. It is obvious that Khartoum is using talks to delay any meaningful action and the rebels will be colluding in that if they do not actively engage with the peace process.

Dr Tajudeen Abdul-Raheem is General-Secretary of the Pan African Movement, Kampala (Uganda) and Co-Director of Justice Africa (Tajudeen28@yahoo.com or Tajudeen@padeap.net)

* Please send comments to editor@pambazuka.org

A 'letter' to my fellow Africans

Charles Wanyee, Kenya

2004-08-19

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/letters/23920

Even when not at war in a military sense, countries are generally engaged in a struggle for economic power and players in the international system are increasingly regarding the health of their economies as a priority. Despite the Cold War having long ended, the primacy of insecurity - the infinite striving for security - has not. It is presently manifested in both economic and psychological realms, as countries seek to increase economic competitiveness and to reduce unemployment within their borders.

Historically, the goal was to secure and extend the physical control of territory, and to gain diplomatic influence over foreign governments. Today's corresponding geoeconomic goal is not to attain the highest possible standard of living, but rather the conquest and protection of desirable roles in the global economy.

There will be long-term (perhaps permanent) 'winners' and 'losers' in today's battle for the system's power positions, with the spoils of victory including; industrial supremacy, technology and information leadership, and the economic capacity to sustain a modern military. The losing states, on the other hand, will face the problems resulting from reduced fiscal resources, reduced economic growth and a smaller economic pie, permanent relegation to the ranks of 'the resource extraction/branch plant/cash-crop economies', second-rate technology and information systems, and a lack of the economic means to escape the poverty cycle.
Realists argue that states are concerned with relative economic gains, because their economies are the foundation of their power. Nation-states worry that a decrease in their power capabilities relative to those of other nation-states will compromise their political autonomy, expose them to the influential attempts of others, or lessen their ability to prevail in political disputes with allies and adversaries. Consequently, states will compete for economic advantage, not only seeking absolute gains, but relative gains in their favour, to prevent other countries from surpassing their own economic. As in war, offensive weapons will dominate the new global struggle for economic power; a mercantile world with states using unilateral actions to alter the balance of trade in "desirable" economic sectors. Governments and their self-interested bureaucracies will use a combination of "incentives" and trade barriers.

Owing to the severity of the stakes involved in the future struggle for economic power, states will find themselves in an incredibly 'cut-throat' competition for economic development. Such competition could compromise their political relationship. A study of twelve 20th Century conflicts, for instance, found that access to oil or strategic minerals was an issue in ten of those conflicts! Which is an interesting coincidence indeed, considering that oil and strategic minerals are the lifeblood of industrialized economies, whereas modern military capabilities are regarded as a defining factor in the power of a state.

It has been reported that the republic of Kenya may possess the world's largest titanium-bearing reserves, and that imperialism is once again knocking at the door. This may be owing to the fact that titanium is essentially the most valuable metal in the rapidly evolving aerospace and military industries. This scenario may be paralleled to the discovery of the world's largest coltan reserves in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the subsequent explosive computer revolution, owing to rapid advances in wireless communications technology. It has, however, been reported that "the path that coltan takes to get from Central Africa to the world market is a highly convoluted one" and that "much of the coltan illegally stolen from Congo is already in laptops, cell phones and electronics all over the world". Capacitors made from coltan are also found in nuclear reactors, aviation equipment, missiles, and weapons systems. Soon, our "visitors" may be visiting the seabed off the Kenyan and Tanzanian coasts.

It is obligatory that we echo the most recent call by the Kenyan President, for "an end to the capitalist's obsession with African mineral deposits". In Africa Must Unite, the late Kwame Nkrumah states that political independence in the face of economic dependence is of no value.

One of the immense economic benefits of the Volta River scheme would have been Ghana's ability to produce aluminum, which at the time, was the "world's miracle metal, used for the manufacture of a wide range of things. When 'Washington' was orchestrating his overthrow, it was stated that "U.S pressure if properly applied, could induce a chain reaction, eventually leading to Nkrumah's downfall. Chances of success could be greatly enhanced if the British could be induced to act in concert". Intensive efforts were to be employed through psychological warfare and 'other means', to diminish support for Nkrumah whilst nurturing the conviction among the populace that Ghana would be better off without its visionary leader. A year later, the CIA director received a report from America's Ambassador to Ghana, that popular opinion was against Nkrumah, and that the economy was in a precarious state.
In his 'congratulatory assessment' to the U.S president (after Ghana's 1966 coup), the U.S National Security Assistant stated that Nkrumah had been doing more to undermine Western interests, than any other African.

Further / recommended reading for the citizens of Kenya: The Titanium Issue (Refined) - www.kenyawatchdog.com

A beautiful continent

Rebecca Nyarkoa Anim-Appiah, Ghana

2004-08-19

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/letters/23919

Controlling mercenaries

Mohamed Mohamud, Somalia

2004-08-19

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/letters/23918

Debating abortion

George Biguzzi, Bishop of Makeni, Sierra Leone

2004-08-19

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/letters/24033

Debating abortion: COVAW responds

Mary Njeri, Campaign on Violence Against Women

2004-08-19

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/letters/24039

In every part of the world, women have obtained abortions to end unintended pregnancies. Despite the history and universality of women’s need for safe abortion, access to abortion is neither socially nor legally sanctioned in many parts of the world. As a result, almost half of the women seeking abortion each year - estimated at 19 million - must resort to untrained ‘service providers’ working in unsanitary conditions. A quarter of these abortions occur in Africa.

Abortion in Kenya for example is a reality that needs to be addressed in a bid to give women a fair deal in the debate. According to experts an estimated 700 illegal abortions occur in Kenya daily and this is a major cause of maternal death. In the Kenyatta national hospital, over 50% of gynecological admissions are due to self-induced abortions going sour. Consequently abortion remains one of the biggest killers of women in Kenya

The drift is not that abortion should be carried out in a careless manner but that it be legalized in certain circumstances. Legalizing abortion will not necessarily increase the incidences, in any case outlawing it has not decreased the same but instead it has led to continued deaths due to unsafe abortions.

Reproductive health is a human rights issue, which should be prioritized since it affects a majority of childbearing women. Therefore it is every woman’s right to control her own sexuality, fertility, health and well-being. Saving the lives of millions of women who die daily from complications related to unsafe abortion will be a milestone in safeguarding women’s human rights.

Harsh homecoming for Ngugi

2004-08-19

http://www.iht.com/articles/534061.html

In "Homecoming," a collection of essays published 30 years ago, Ngugi wa Thiong'o assessed various forms of violence, some of which he considered justified to achieve social ends and some of which he dismissed as just plain thuggery. Ngugi, who went into exile from Kenya in 1982 to escape political repression, is in the midst of a remarkable homecoming of his own. He has been given a hero's welcome and has seen the political progress that Kenya has made. But on Wednesday night, while Ngugi was resting in a Nairobi apartment between speaking engagements, four robbers barged in and brutalized him, his wife and a friend. So brazen was the attack, some Kenyans have speculated it might have been carried out by former enemies.

Painting life and philosophy in Mozambique

2004-08-19

http://www.africanreviewofbooks.com/

What a joy to open this book and feel the rich uniqueness of Malangatana’s spirit flow over you - the vibrant energy, the colour, the movement, the people and creatures that are undeniably African. Originally published in 1998 in Portuguese by Editorial Caminho (Lisbon), this English translation is a welcome addition to the growing - though still woefully limited – number of monographs on significant contemporary artists in Africa.

Politics and Persuasion: Media Coverage of Zimbabwe's 2000 Election

Ragnar Waldahl

2004-08-19

http://www.weaverpresszimbabwe.com/hist/histframeset.htm?polpers.htm

In March 1999, the establishment of The Daily News put an end to the media's one-sided presentation of Zimbabwe's political situation, and gave the opposition an important channel of communication. Ragnar Waldahl demonstrates how this alternative to the state-run media gave voters access for the first time to competing accounts of the state of political affairs, and made the 2000 election the most exciting and open in Zimbabwe's short history.

The Charity of Nations

Ian Smillie

2004-08-19

http://www.kpbooks.com/details.asp?title=The+Charity+of+Nations

The charitable impulse has a history rooted in ethics. But much of what passes for humanitarianism today is a commercial enterprise, manipulated by market forces of supply and demand. And since the launch of the "war on terror," national security interests and political objectives have increasingly come into play. The Charity of Nations probes the reasons behind governmental and nongovernmental responses to urgent human need. It explains why some crises get the lion’s share of attention and resources, while others are essentially forgotten.

The Liberal Virus

Samir Amin

2004-08-19

http://www.monthlyreview.org/liberalvirus.htm

Samir Amin's ambitious new book argues that the ongoing American project to dominate the world through military force has its roots in European liberalism, but has developed certain features of liberal ideology in a new and uniquely dangerous form. Where European political culture since the French Revolution has given a central place to values of equality, the American state has developed to serve the interests of capital alone, and is now exporting this model throughout the world. American imperialism, Amin argues, will be far more barbaric than earlier forms, pillaging natural resources and destroying the lives of the poor.

Africa: A Resource Guide for Young Women on HIV/AIDS

2004-08-19

http://www.comminit.com/ma2004/sld-10314.html

UNIFEM and The Association for Women's Rights in Development created this resource based on a Feb-March 2002 online discussion for young women. The booklet offers an overview of the e-discussions, profiles young women's HIV/AIDS leadership, and describes activities for young women who want to start campaigns to raise awareness and decrease stigma in their communities.

Africa: Gender and the Environment

2004-08-19

http://www.eldis.org/cf/rdr/rdr.cfm?doc=DOC14851

Despite considerable rhetoric about gender mainstreaming in development, little has been done in practice. Reasons for this lack of action include lack of understanding of the links between gender and other issues, resistance to the concepts of gender equality and equity as these threaten prevailing structures of power and lack of involvement of civil society and alienation between the political (ruling) class and the people. This is according to a report produced by the United Nations (UN) Environment Programme that outlines some of the major issues related to women and the environment.

Africa: New GBV Prevention Network Website

2004-08-19

http://www.preventgbvafrica.org

This site is a virtual community for over 100 member organizations in the Horn, East and Southern Africa working to prevent gender-based violence. It is the first of its kind in the region and a resource for activists and practitioners in Africa and beyond. On the site you will find member profiles and a rich database of regional program approaches, communication materials, publications, reports, tools and resources. There are also international documents, resources and links relevant to GBV prevention and opportunities to dialogue, contribute and share experiences. We hope the information and exchange will contribute to stronger GBV prevention programming and advocacy in the region.

Mali: Women Clock Up Success With Maternal Mortality MDG

2004-08-19

http://www.ipsnews.net/africa/interna.asp?idnews=25071

The small Malian town of Zegoua - population 22,000 - doesn't have a great many ”claims to fame”. In one respect, however, it has achieved something remarkable. "Since January 2002, there's not been one case of neonatal or maternal mortality in Zegoua or any other nearby village,” Yaya Coulibaly, director of the Zegoua Community Health Centre, told a group of local and international journalists recently.

South Africa: Sexual Offences bill raises many concerns

2004-08-19

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=42669

As a week-long campaign to create awareness around the Sexual Offences bill draws to an end, South African NGOs involved in gender violence issues are calling for the proposed legislation to provide free anti-AIDS drugs for rape survivors. South Africa has one of the highest incidences of sexual abuse in the world. According to police statistics, 52,107 rapes and attempted rapes were reported in 2002, while a 1999 health department study found that 7 percent of women aged between 15 and 49 had been raped or coerced into having sex against their will.

Uganda: Women’s Use of ICTS in Conflict Situations

2004-08-19

http://www.isiswomen.org/pub/wia/wia1-04/ruth.htm

“If the American demonstrations are sometimes ignored by their own mainstream media, who are we, scattered all over villages in Africa, to expect our issues to attract their screens and cameras?” This question was what inspired Isis-Women’s International Cross-Cultural Exchange (Isis-WICCE), to resort to the convergence of media and communication to advance its agenda. The urgent task was to develop mechanisms that would communicate women’s ideas and allow them to forge solidarity action plans, to exchange information and strategies despite the challenges before them of poor communication infrastructure, high level of illiteracy among majority of women and the conflict situation amidst them.

Zimbabwe: Gender revolution needed

Morgan Tsvangirai

2004-08-19

http://www.newzimbabwe.com/pages/tuesday5.11408.html

"Often Zimbabwean women show a deep level of mistrust over their exclusion in key decision-making processes, in politics, in public administration, in management and in the allocation of national resources. The issue is rooted in our history. It is true that women have been denied their space, by customary laws, tradition and patriarchy, by colonialism and exploitation, through political oppression and by certain biased practices in our African culture. It is true that they lead a life characterized by obstacles which demand serious attention and long term solutions."

Zimbabwe: Tackling the impact of customs on AIDS

2004-08-19

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=42722

Traditional practices of polygamy, virginity testing and 'kugara nhaka' (wife inheritance), inhibit women's control over their bodies and increase vulnerability to HIV infection, but activists are split on the best way to tackle the customs. "Where the cultural practice is not seen as a violation and is believed in, it's difficult to police," said Emedie Gunduza, advocacy officer of the Women and AIDS Support Network (WASN). She told IRIN that the more economically disadvantaged the woman, the more prone she was to wife inheritance.

Ivory Coast: Dozens Suffocate in Sealed Container

2004-08-19

http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=68&art_id=vn20040811101816250C923677

At least 60 people were left to die of suffocation in a crammed transport container after June clashes between rebels in northern Ivory Coast, according to witnesses quoted in a draft report by United Nations human rights experts. According to the survivors, the makeshift prison had no air vents and the detainees were left with no food or water. The final version of the UN report is expected to be published soon.

Liberia: One year after Accra, immense human rights challenges remain

2004-08-19

http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGAFR340142004

Hopes were raised on 18 August last year that Liberia’s protracted human rights crisis would finally end but major challenges remain, Amnesty International says in a new report. "The Comprehensive Peace Agreement signed in Accra augured well for the Liberian people who had suffered more than a decade of appalling human rights abuses. But one year later, despite some major advances, progress towards ensuring protection of human rights is disappointingly slow," the organization said. Harassment, intimidation, extortion, forced labour and looting are reported to continue in Lofa County, still controlled by forces of the Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD), and in the south-eastern counties of Sinoe, Grand Kru, River Gee and Maryland, where forces of the Movement for Democracy in Liberia (MODEL) still hold sway.

Namibia: A Painful Reminder of German Colonialism

2004-08-19

http://www.dw-world.de/english/0,3367,1432_A_1294643,00.html

Wednesday marks the 100th anniversary of Germany's brutal crushing of an ethnic uprising in Namibia. The German government has refused to consider any compensation claims, pointing to its role as development aid provider in Namibia, as proof of its commitment to mend fences. But the descendents of the Herero insist on compensation as well as a public apology from Berlin, just as other countries did for the crimes of the Nazi era.

South Africa: Soldiers Held After Attack on Zimbabweans

2004-08-19

http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=13&art_id=vn20040817061535213C915854

Undercover investigators have arrested an army captain and four soldiers from the SA National Defence Force for allegedly ambushing, stripping and robbing illegal Zimbabwean immigrants. The soldiers are also accused of raping a number of Zimbabwean women before making them swim the crocodile-infested Limpopo River back to Zimbabwe.

Togo: Pardon for 500 prisoners

2004-08-19

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3575772.stm

Togo's government has freed some 500 prisoners, after President Gnassingbe Eyadema granted them a pardon. Among those released are seven militants of the opposition Union of Forces for Change (UFC) party. The European Union (EU) has made improvement to human rights and political freedoms conditions to the resumption of aid frozen in 1993.

Uganda: Rights Body Criticises Use of Force At Rally Break-Up

2004-08-19

http://www.newvision.co.ug/D/8/13/380097

The Foundation for Human Rights Initiative (FHRI) has condemned the highhanded manner in which Bugiri resident district commissioner, Isaac Lulaaba, allegedly broke up a National Freedom Party rally by using firearms at the weekend. The FHRI spokesperson, Wendy Kasujja, said in a statement that the use of force on a peaceful crowd was uncalled for and urged the government to refrain from such practices.

Angola: Lack of funds undermines resettlement process

2004-08-19

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=42720

Insufficient funds, poor infrastructure and widespread landmines continue to blight efforts to resettle tens of thousands of Angolans who fled their homes during the civil conflict. Last week the World Food Programme (WFP) warned that unless new donations were received in September no cereals would be distributed to resettled returnees or those scheduled to be repatriated from neighbouring countries. The UN agency has already slashed cereal rations by 50 percent due to the lack of funds.

Burundi/DRC: In wake of refugee massacre, Burundi agrees to UN request to set up secure camp

2004-08-19

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=11643&Cr=Burundi&Cr1=

As chilling new details emerged about the gruesome massacre of some 150 Congolese civilians at a refugee camp in Burundi on Friday, the United Nations refugee agency has reported that the country's Government has agreed to authorize a secure camp away from the border for newly arrived refugees from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

DRC/Rwanda: Official urges Congolese refugees to return

2004-08-19

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=42636

One of the vice-presidents of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) on Wednesday appealed to hundreds of Congolese refugees in Cyangugu, southwestern Rwanda, to return home. The refugees fled there when fighting flared at the end May between loyalist and dissident troops of the Congolese army in the town of Bukavu in eastern Congo.

DRC: Thousands of IDPs stranded at Bunia airport camp

2004-08-19

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=42688

More than a year after inter-militia fighting in Ituri district in northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo sent thousands of residents fleeing for their lives, many are still holed up in an internally displaced persons' (IDPs) camp near the airport of Bunia, the main town in the district. "I can't return to my home because the militiamen have taken everything I had," said Maki Ayanga, one of the IDPs.

East and Central Africa: You can run, but you can't hide

2004-08-19

http://www.nationmedia.com/eastafrican/current/Features/Part23.html

With the ongoing International Criminal Court investigations into the massacre of some 3.5 million people in the DRC, some Congolese and Rwandan refugees who witnessed the killings before fleeing to Uganda say they are being hunted down in Kampala by perpetrators who want to hide the evidence. They also accuse the Ugandan authorities of demanding sex and money in exchange for refugee status.

South Africa: UNHCR inattention places Zimbabweans in jeopardy

2004-08-19

http://www.refugeesinternational.org/content/article/detail/3154?PHPSESSID=cbf9c957d5cd9abc1b9a1078e12c9a56

Zimbabweans living in South Africa face serious obstacles in accessing political asylum. But as the political crisis continues to grow in Zimbabwe, the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) is failing to advocate for Zimbabweans’ right to protection under international standards and South African domestic legislation. UNHCR has not provided sufficient support to the Government of South Africa in defining and implementing its refugee policy towards Zimbabweans. Further, UNHCR staff in South Africa downplay the political crisis in Zimbabwe and show a marked tendency to dismiss the legitimacy of Zimbabweans’ overall case for asylum, making a minimal effort to provide direct protection.

Sudan/Chad: Sudan refugees report new attacks

2004-08-19

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3568766.stm

There has been an upsurge of Sudanese refugees fleeing across the border into Chad following reports of renewed violence in the Darfur region. The United Nations refugee agency says up to 500 people crossed the border close to the Chadian village of Berak.

Sudan: Hepatitis threatens hard-hit Darfur refugees - doctor

2004-08-19

http://www.ipsnews.net/interna.asp?idnews=25074

A physician working for the U.N. Population Fund (UNFPA) has returned from Sudan's troubled Darfur region with harrowing tales of women and children battling an outbreak of hepatitis in makeshift refugee camps with little or no clean water, health care and nutritious food. So far, about 625 hepatitis-related cases have been documented in West Darfur alone, where 22 people have died. In one refugee camp, 149 cases have been registered, and eight people have died, six of them pregnant women.

Uganda: New refugees database being created

2004-08-19

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=42658

The United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) last Thursday embarked on an exercise to register afresh all refugees in Uganda using a computerised database system that officials say would improve monitoring and identification. "We are compiling the first ever refugee computer database in Uganda, where all refugees' details including their photographs will be recorded," Dennis Duncan, UNHCR spokesman in Kampala told IRIN.

Africa: The great oil race

2004-08-19

http://www.globalpolicy.org/security/natres/oil/2004/0811competition.htm

France and the United States have begun a new race to compete for favours with undemocratic regimes in Africa. The competition is growing particularly in the oil- rich North and West Africa. Analysts believe that over the next five years a quarter of non-Gulf oil on the world market will come from sub-Saharan Africa.

CAR: President Vows to Hold Free Elections as Planned

2004-08-19

http://www.reliefweb.int/w/rwb.nsf/UNID/F8B16F5DB794E52AC1256EF20022B4ED

The Central African Republic's President, Francois Bozize, who seized power in a coup last year, vowed last week that the country would hold free and fair elections as planned by January next year. Speaking in an address to the nation, he declared that: "The government, the national transitional council and myself are doing everything to ensure the electoral calendar is adhered to."

CAR: Voter registration campaign begins

2004-08-19

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=42634

A nationwide campaign began last Wednesday to increase voter registration and public awareness about general elections scheduled for the early 2005. The UN Peace-building Support Office, in conjunction with the Central African Republic's Communications Ministry, is conducting the campaign.

Eritrea: New unity in Eritrean opposition

2004-08-19

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3567190.stm

The opposition to Eritrean President Isaias Afewerki has been meeting, leading to the most significant shake-up in Eritrean politics for many years. Opposition groups, which have been notoriously disunited, have come up with a common set of objectives, which could - for the first time in years - begin to pose a greater challenge to the president's hold on power. Since achieving independence from Ethiopia in 1993, Eritrea has been a one party state.

Mozambique: Political skirmishes, a concern ahead of polls

2004-08-19

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=42716

Recent reports of political skirmishes between the ruling FRELIMO party and the main opposition, RENAMO, ahead of Mozambique's general elections in December, are a cause for concern, say analysts with the Electoral Institute of Southern Africa (EISA). RENAMO this week accused the government of moving police units to Maringue in the central province of Sofala, a RENAMO stronghold where its leader Afonso Dhlakama is based, after clashes between the political rivals in the neighbouring town of Inhaminga.

Nigeria: Trade Unions Act Amendment, Demonstrations Planned

2004-08-19

http://www.dailytrust.com/news1c.htm

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) declared this week that it will conduct a peaceful rally in Abuja on Tuesday August 24th to demonstrate against President Obasanjo's proposed amendments to the Trade Unions Act. The new Bill would deregister the NLC as the only central labour organisation and add new restrictions to strike action by trade unions. Announcing the rally, the leader of the NLC said that they believe the proposed Bill to be a "violent abuse of the constitutional rights of workers to belong to trade unions."

Southern Africa: SADC adopts election guidelines, says farewell to two leaders

2004-08-19

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=42723

Southern African Development Community (SADC) leaders wrapped up their summit on Tuesday by adopting key guidelines on holding free and fair elections, bidding farewell to two long-serving heads of state, and admitting Madagascar as a "candidate member". The guidelines stipulate that SADC members will uphold full participation of citizens in the political process, freedom of association, political tolerance, equal access to state media for all political parties, equal opportunity to vote and be voted for, and voter education.

Uganda: Poll Says 66% Want Museveni to Retire

2004-08-19

http://allafrica.com/stories/200408180922.html

A majority of Ugandans want the constitutional limit of two five-year presidential terms to stay, a new national poll shows. Some 68.8 % of respondents say presidential term limits should remain, while 31.2 percent want them removed. The poll was commissioned by The Monitor and Strategic Public Relations & Research Limited of Nairobi conducted it throughout the country from August 1-5.

Zanzibar: 2005 Election Draws Near

2004-08-19

http://allafrica.com/stories/200408180106.html

Tension has gripped Zanzibar, with fears of political violence as each of the 17 political parties prepare for the October 2005 general election. Already the Civic United Front (CUF) has alleged that Chama cha Mapinduzi (CCM) is building and training youth brigades aimed at disrupting the election.

Zimbabwe: SADC won't punish Zimbabwe

2004-08-19

http://www.suntimes.co.za/2004/08/15/news/news03.asp

Southern African ministers are to recommend that no action be taken against Zimbabwe despite a recent African Union report detailing human rights abuses committed by President Robert Mugabe's government. In a report prepared ahead of the Heads of State summit, the Southern African Development Community's foreign affairs ministers say they are opposed to sanctions but propose that the region should be more active in ensuring that Zimbabwe's parliamentary elections in March next year are fair.

Africa: The boom that only oils the wheels of corruption

2004-08-19

http://www.odiousdebts.org/odiousdebts/index.cfm?DSP=content&ContentID=11152

Since the mid-1990s, several countries in sub-Saharan Africa – others are Nigeria, Angola and Gabon – have experienced strong revenue growth from the petroleum industry. In most cases, however, this new wealth is not contributing to economic development or improving living standards. Rather, it has been used almost exclusively for the enrichment of the countries' leaders, and as a consequence most of the population remains poor and unprotected.

Kenya: Diplomatic Postings Cancelled

2004-08-19

http://www.eastandard.net/headlines/news18080416.htm

Diplomatic postings for more than 90 officers of Kenya's Ministry of Foreign Affairs have been cancelled after allegations of serious irregularities in their selection. The Permanent Secretary, Esther Tolle, took the action after concerns that nepotism, tribalism and cronyism were the main considerations during the appointments. This follows recent concerns that the Ministry is wasteful by sending junior officers, including drivers, on foreign postings at considerable cost, rather than using locally employed staff as is the custom with most other countries.

Malawi: Ex-head of State Oil Firm Guilty of Graft

2004-08-19

http://www.sabcnews.com/africa/southern_africa/0,2172,85721,00.html

The former general manager of Malawi's state Petroleum Control Commission (PCC) was found guilt of graft this week. The case against Dennis Kambalame, the ex-PCC head, has taken a record two years and the guilty verdict marks the first victory for Malawi's official Anti-Corruption Bureau, formed in 1998.

Nigeria: Obasanjo's Loan to Sao Tome, Ghana Unconstitutional - Senate

2004-08-19

http://www.dailytrust.com/news.htm

The Nigerian Senate this week declared the $45million loan granted to Ghana and Sao Tome by President Obasanjo as illegal, noting that the money was taken out of public funds without satisfying the requirements of the 1999 constitution. Obasanjo was also found to be in breach of the due process necessary in such transactions.

South Africa: Government Food-Parcel Distributors Under Investigation

2004-08-19

http://allafrica.com/stories/200408160914.html

An investigation by the Eastern Cape's Joint Anti-Corruption Task Team has revealed that one of the directors of Nutri-Products Africa, a company hired by the government to supply food parcels to the poor, was paid "confidential procurement commissions" of at least R495,000 via a bank account in the name of his five-year-old daughter.

Zambia: Anti-corruption drive hits difficulty

2004-08-19

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=42748

The Zambian government's crusade against corruption has suffered a major setback with the collapse of a court case against two key suspects, former intelligence chief Xavier Chungu and his co-accused Attan Shansonga, the former Zambian ambassador to the United States. Charges against Chungu and Shansonga were dismissed last week when it was ruled that they were beyond the jurisdiction of Zambian courts after they jumped bail and fled abroad.

Zambia: Ex-foreign Minister Charged With Corruption

2004-08-19

http://www.sabcnews.com/africa/southern_africa/0,2172,85720,00.html

Katele Kalumba, Zambia's former foreign minister, and three ex-senior Treasury officials, have been arrested and charged with corruption. The charges relate to contracts awarded to two US firms, through which the government lost in excess of $20 million. Their trial is scheduled to begin on 10th September.

Zambia: High Level of Corruption Worries Mwanamwambwa

2004-08-19

http://admin.corisweb.org/index.php?fuseaction=news.view&id=114768&src=dcn

Corruption in Zambia has reached levels that cannot be ignored, the Speaker of the National Assembly, Amusaa Mwanamwambwa, has observed. Speaking at the opening of a parliamentary anti-corruption workshop the Speaker said that recent studies showed that levels of corruption had worsened and that "apart from inhibiting investment, corruption creates an intolerable environment for ordinary citizens, who have to pay bribes to access social and health facilities, official documentation and justice, to which they are entitled."

Africa: Doing the sums

2004-08-19

http://www.eldis.org/cf/search/disp/docdisplay.cfm?doc=DOC14761&resource=f1poverty

In this Economist article, Jeffrey Sachs argues that even a relatively small increase in aid financing to Africa could save billions in future aid. The paper argues that this increase will be fundamental to achieving the millennium development goals, and stemming the potential for the continent to foster terrorism. In order to reach these targets, and use increased flows more effectively, a strong multilateral approach is required. Sachs argues that America is currently the biggest missing element for greater multilateral assistance.

Africa: July WTO General Council meeting setback

2004-08-19

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/development/24019

The recently concluded WTO's General Council's meeting in July is a serious setback for Africa. In putting “ back on track” the Doha Round (a Round that most developing countries were forced to accept under duress soon after the events surrounding September 11), the July outcome now cements and defines the next phase of the negotiations in which developed countries will now enjoy a huge margin of advantage. If Cancun provided some breathing space for the South, the relief has been short-lived as issues of priority for the North, namely safeguarding the iniquitous regime of agriculture subsidies, prying open markets of the South for agricultural exports and for manufactured goods, have been defined in the July framework in a way that assures an outcome at the end of the Doha Round that may be as unjust and unbalanced as the Uruguay Round. What exactly went wrong?
SOURCE: Seantini Bulletin

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July WTO General Council meeting setback for Africa
Chandrakant Patel

The recently concluded WTO's General Council's meeting in July is a serious setback for Africa. In putting “ back on track” the Doha Round (a Round that most developing countries were forced to accept under duress soon after the events surrounding September 11), the July outcome now cements and defines the next phase of the negotiations in which developed countries will now enjoy a huge margin of advantage. If Cancun provided some breathing space for the South, the relief has been short-lived as issues of priority for the North, namely safeguarding the iniquitous regime of agriculture subsidies, prying open markets of the South for agricultural exports and for manufactured goods, have been defined in the July framework in a way that assures an outcome at the end of the Doha Round that may be as unjust and unbalanced as the Uruguay Round. What exactly went wrong?

The opaque WTO process for reaching decisions was clearly a factor. Negotiations at Ministerial levels on agriculture involving five countries/groupings (US, EU, Australia (representing the Cairns Group) India and Brazil (representing the G-20) took place at the US Mission in Geneva. Africa was conspicuous by its complete absence from the informal negotiations and decision-making, either on agriculture or on NAMA, two areas of vital concern for Africa. Complaints about the process came from many NGOs and Governments but none more revealing than the remarks by Swiss Ambassador to the WTO who spoke at a media briefing about the 'catastrophic management' and 'scandalous way to negotiate'.

It was also clear that during the many formal and informal meetings during the General Council meeting in Geneva, the EU and the US brusquely ignored the positions that were adopted by the African Ministers in Rwanda and later by the Group of 90 in Mauritius. At the same time, and perhaps more troublesome, was the general silence of the African Group many developing countries, including of the few Ministers who attended the July meetings. Not only did they fail to safeguard their own stated positions on NAMA, agriculture, special products and trade facilitation but they also appear to have accepted vague promises of further work on special and differential treatment and implementation. Likewise, decision to launch negotiations on trade facilitation appeared to have been entirely predicated on further non-binding promises of technical assistance. Of the 10 paragraphs in Annex D on Trade Facilitation, half are devoted to non-binding exhortations concerning technical assistance and aid.

But the African Ministers themselves had argued that trade facilitation was not an aid or technical assistance issue: in reality it is entirely to facilitate more efficient access to African markets, the cost of which will be borne by Africa's tax payers. Implementation of trade facilitation will now find an active advocate in the PRSPs, ostensibly for poverty alleviation.

The analysis of the agriculture text by Jacques Berthelot and Raghavan clearly brings out the fact that the deliberate ambiguities that have been built into the July text will come back to haunt the South as the negotiations move into technical discussions among smaller and unrepresentative countries led by the US and the EU. Modalities for consideration of matters such as the base year for establishing a cap on subsidies, for calculations of bound AMS and the permitted de minimis levels have all been defined in such a way that only the five involved in the agriculture package will have any understanding of the many informal, between lines, agreements. It is entirely possible that at the end of the current negotiations and the subsequent implementation period (itself subject to serious ambiguities), the absolute levels of support extended by EU and the US for their farmers may exceed the current levels.

The marketing of the July package is such that as its “ownership” now advocated by some Southern Governments will require much greater scrutiny and evaluation by national parliaments and the civil society if we are not to repeat the mistakes of the Uruguay Round. Part of the scrutiny and evaluation must include some strategic thinking about how best to promote Africa's interests, while at the same time maintaining solidarity with like-minded countries of the South. If Africa wishes to influence the outcome, it must insist, at the highest political levels, to be integrally involved in the process.

Chandrakant Patel represents SEATINI in Geneva and is editor of the SEATINI Bulletin.

Africa: Non-aligned states to press for debt relief

2004-08-19

http://www.busrep.co.za/index.php?fSectionId=&fArticleId=2191856

The world's developing nations have vowed to promote debt relief for Africa, saying rich countries and lenders had to boost efforts to pull the world's poorest continent out of its economic spiral. The Non-Aligned Movement, whose 115 members form one of the biggest international groups after the UN, said it would urge more aid and investment for Africa as well as more African input into decisions on their economic affairs.

Africa: The Private Sector, Political Elites and Underdevelopment

2004-08-19

http://www.sarpn.org.za/newsflash.php#1808

Why are most Africans in Sub-Saharan Africa poor and why are they getting poorer while most people in the rest of the world are becoming better off? The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund who have become Sub-Saharan Africa's fairy godmother and godfather respectively, every year churn out statistics that tell the same tale - Africans are poor and in many instances have fallen so far down it is difficult to imagine them getting poorer. With poverty and growing impoverishment go conflicts over scarce and shrinking resources.

Southern Africa: Elimination of COMESA tariffs deferred

2004-08-19

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=42670

The elimination of tariffs in the 20-nation Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) will not occur in December 2004 as planned, according to a top official. "It has been deferred to next year," said Chungu Mwila, director of investment at the regional organisation. He told a three-day workshop in South Africa this week on 'Trade and Poverty in Southern Africa' that some members had requested more time to prepare.

Zimbabwe: World Bank had "negligible" impact on development

2004-08-19

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=42734

The World Bank's assistance programmes in Zimbabwe have been largely "unsatisfactory" over the past two decades, a new independent assessment has concluded. According to a Country Assistance Evaluation (CAE) report released in May this year, the impact of the Bank's programmes on the country's overall development between 1980 and 2001 had been "negligible". The CAE is an official assessment mechanism that appraises the relevancy, efficacy, and institutional development of the Bank's assistance programmes.

Africa: Preventing the preventable

2004-08-19

http://www.eldis.org/cf/rdr/rdr.cfm?doc=DOC15421

The rise of the HIV/AIDS epidemic has distracted donors and governments from the basic preventable causes of death, and as a consequence disease control efforts have not been sustained, according to an article published in 'Global Healthlink' by the Global Health Council. The article highlights the growing poor-rich divide in child death rates, both between and within countries.

Africa: Stopping the brain drain

2004-08-19

http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?DR_ID=25250

The "single most serious obstacle" to fighting HIV/AIDS in Africa is the "desperate shortage of health workers," many of whom are "emigrating in droves" to rich countries like Britain, the United States, Canada and Australia, a New York Times editorial says. Although it is "understandable why overseas work is attractive it's unseemly for wealthy countries" that could afford to pay nurses enough to "create an ample homegrown supply, to run ads instead to recruit skilled staff in places like South Africa," the editorial says.

Africa: WHO mounts defence against Lancet article

2004-08-19

http://www.afro.who.int/press/2004/pr20040811.html

An editorial in the August 7 issue of The Lancet painted a bleak picture of the work of WHO in the African Region, giving the impression that WHO is not recording any successes there. In fact, despite the challenges of poverty and ongoing instability, the opposite is true. For example, in spite of recent political difficulties, the number of polio-endemic countries in the African Region has fallen from 20 in 1999 to just two today. Huge efforts are underway to eliminate the disease completely.

Botswana: The bold and beautiful

2004-08-19

http://www.guardian.co.uk/elsewhere/journalist/story/0,7792,1262049,00.html

It is a beauty pageant with a twist. The contestants are young and pretty. They wear evening gowns and blow kisses. And they are infected with HIV. A pageant to combat stereotypes of Aids patients as skeletal wheezers with blotchy skin is an eye-catching idea. The question is does it succeed in eroding stigma?

Cameroon: An advance for HIV/AIDS treatment access in the developing countries

2004-08-19

http://www.msf.org/content/page.cfm?articleid=9607A352-7936-4416-87FD5133D38FFCD7

Combination therapy with three generic antiretroviral drugs in a single tablet has been validated for the first time in an open clinical study in a developing country. Follow-up of 60 patients treated in Yaoundé, Cameroon, has demonstrated the excellent efficacy and safety of a generic fixed-dose combination, says MSF.

Cameroon: An Illegal Circulation of Blood

2004-08-19

http://www.ipsnews.net/africa/interna.asp?idnews=25092

The term "blood money" has come to have new meaning in Cameroon, where certain patients and their families complain that a brisk trade in trafficked blood has led to shortages in hospitals. "Getting hold of a pouch of blood for a patient who has urgent need of it can be an experience akin to Calvary," Martin Djomo, the husband of someone who is dependent on blood transfusions, told IPS.

Eritrea: Mosquito nets to boost anti-malaria efforts

2004-08-19

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=42682

Eritrea, one of the few African countries that have been able to significantly reduce the number of reported malaria cases, is to further boost its campaign against the killer disease using a donation of 30,000 long-lasting mosquito nets. According to officials, the number of reported malaria cases in Eritrea fell from 200,000 in 1999 to 45,000 in 2003. "The success of Eritrea can be explained by various strategies. One of those is using impregnated bed nets," Berhane Ghebretinsae, the Eritrean director general of Health Services, told IRIN in the capital, Asmara.

Guinea: WHO says cholera outbreak being brought under control

2004-08-19

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=42709

An outbreak of cholera in Guinea is being brought under control, the number of new cases is falling and fewer victims of the highly infectious disease are dying, a World Health Organisation (WHO) official said on Tuesday. Amadou Balde, an official at the WHO office in the Guinean capital Conakry, said only three people had died last week compared to six a week earlier, and the number of new cases had slid to 51 from 59.

Kenya: The family star

2004-08-19

http://www.eastandard.net/archives/august/sun15082004/reports/rep15080402.htm

Ten years ago, Inviolata Mmbwavi’s relatives thought she would die. Today, thanks to her determination, she is the star of the family. "My entire family is now proud of what I am despite the handicaps I face," Inviolata says. She adds: "Even relatives who used to gossip about my HIV status have stopped." Today, she has only one wish. "I would want to have another child but I do not want to infect somebody or have an HIV-positive child," she says.

Namibia: HIV/Aids Eroding Economic Growth

2004-08-19

http://allafrica.com/stories/200408161196.html

Namibia's existing human capital is being worn away by the HIV/AIDS pandemic. An estimated 20 percent of Namibia's adult population who are living with HIV and AIDS are rapidly eroding the chances of economic growth, says the International Monetary Fund (IMF). UNDP country-based communication officer John Thynne echoed the IMF's sentiments and described the HIV/AIDS prevalence as the "worst humanitarian crisis in southern Africa".

Nigeria: Coordinating Body Develops Nigeria's Response to HIV/Aids

2004-08-19

http://allafrica.com/stories/200408170849.html

Nigeria, Africa's most populous country, has created a body to coordinate the national response to HIV/Aids. Professor Babatunde Osotimehin, who serves as chairman of the National Action Committee on Aids, works with Nigeria's Ministry of Health, other government agencies, NGOs and international organizations to develop a comprehensive strategy. He spoke to AllAfrica's Tamela Hultman.

South Africa: Community service for nurses – easier said than done

2004-08-19

http://www.health-e.org.za/news/article.php?uid=20031091

January 2005 will be a nerve-wracking month for hundreds of newly-qualified professional nurses who will be waiting to be told where they will serve a year’s community service. But it will be an even bigger logistical nightmare for the Department of Health with just five months to ensure the latest programme of compulsory community service kicks off smoothly at the beginning of next year. In July, Minister of Health Manto Tshabalala-Msimang announced ahead of her budget speech in Parliament the introduction of community service for nurses.

South Africa: State Steps Up Pressure On Private Health Care

2004-08-19

http://allafrica.com/stories/200408161080.html

With the dust not yet settled on the health department's bid to regulate medicine prices, another messy conflict over state regulation of private health care looms large. A decade-long attempt to provide a unified health system that includes both public and private sector providers took concrete form on Friday, when President Thabo Mbeki signed the long awaited National Health Bill into law. The move is set to spark loud protest from doctors and private hospital groups, anxious about clauses in the legislation designed to regulate their services.

Southern Africa: New Aids strategy

2004-08-19

http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?DR_ID=25292

Officials from the 13 member nations of the Southern African Development Community this week at a nine-day summit in Mauritius are expected to discuss a new strategy for fighting HIV/AIDS in the region, Xinhua News Agency reports. Government leaders from Angola, Botswana, Congo, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe are expected to attend the meeting.

Zambia: Activists concerned over drug shortages in ARV roll-out

2004-08-19

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=42651

Shortages of a critical generic antiretroviral (ARV) drug used in Zambia's treatment programme have revealed a lack of adequate planning by the government that could derail the ARV rollout, activists told IRIN last Thursday. Zambian health minister Dr Brian Chituwo announced in parliament this week that supplies of Triomune-30, a fixed-dose combination of Nevirapine, Lamivudine and Stavudine, had run out.

Zimbabwe: Donors skeptical of Mugabe

2004-08-19

http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?DR_ID=25224

Foreign donors are skeptical that Zimbabwe's "increasingly repressive government" will "fairly or honestly" channel funds for antiretroviral drugs to groups and individuals who need the money, the New York Times reports. Earlier this year, the Zimbabwean government announced a pilot project to distribute antiretroviral drugs at no cost to patients in select government hospitals.

Zimbabwe: The politics of Zimbabwe's global fund rejection

2004-08-19

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/hivaids/23954

Zimbabwean activism for access to life-saving HIV-treatment has been thrown into a quandary following the rejection of the country's proposal in the fourth round of funding by the Global Fund on AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Treatment activism efforts have been flustered after the decision, which was made at the eighth meeting of the GFTAM board, held in Geneva late last June. Zimbabwe had requested US$218million from the GFTAM in order to combat HIV/AIDS over a five-year period. The country is among the worst-hit by the AIDS pandemic, with an estimated 25 percent of its adult population living with HIV, which causes AIDS. Estimates of weekly AIDS-related deaths range from 1 800 to 3 000, depending on the source of statistics, which is high regardless of the figures one chooses to use.
By Matilda Moyo

Zimbabwean activism for access to life-saving HIV-treatment has been thrown into a quandary following the rejection of the country’s proposal in the fourth round of funding by the Global Fund on AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

Treatment activism efforts have been flustered after the decision, which was made at the eighth meeting of the GFTAM board, held in Geneva late last June.

Zimbabwe had requested US$218million from the GFTAM in order to combat HIV/AIDS over a five-year period. The country is among the worst-hit by the AIDS pandemic, with an estimated 25 percent of its adult population living with HIV, which causes AIDS. Estimates of weekly AIDS-related deaths range from 1 800 to 3 000, depending on the source of statistics, which is high regardless of the figures one chooses to use.

The GFTAM was established in 2002 to fund activities aimed at combating the three killer diseases and was a welcome relief to cash-strapped governments, particularly in the third world. Since then, it has become the world’s premier financing mechanism in the fight against the three deadly diseases, which reportedly kill more than six million people annually.

Zimbabwe was no exception and had therefore anchored its hopes on the fund. Media reports indicated that the country intended to use the bulk of the fund for its AIDS treatment programme, which is already underway, albeit at a snail’s pace.

According to the Minister of Health and Child Welfare, Dr David Parirenyatwa, government planned to place at least 171 000 people on life-saving antiretroviral treatment (ART) within the next two years. The programme had begun at referral hospitals in the country’s two major cities, Harare and Bulawayo, while plans to scale up rapidly were on the cards.

Although this target fell short of activists’ expectations as it is estimated that at least 600 000 people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) are in need of ARV treatment in Zimbabwe, most were coming to terms with the fact that half a loaf is better than nothing and were reserving that battle to enroll more people on ART for a later stage.

However, the rejection of Zimbabwe’s proposal comes as a blow to AIDS activists, who do not have many sources of funding for treatment programmes and hoped that the Global Fund would tide over the cash-strapped government.

Although most were trying to digest the implications of the non-approval of the grant, many activists could not hide their disappointment and pain as they realized that their last hope had been dashed.

“So much work went into developing the proposal, and we had so much hope that it was going to be funded. For all treatment activists, this is definitely bad news as it means that the country will have to go back to the drawing board. There is no way the country can achieve its stated goal of treating 171 000 people by the end of 2005 at the current levels of funding,” said lawyer-turned- activist, Tapiwanashe Kujinga, who is also an advocate for access to HIV-treatment.

This was supported by yet another activist, Martha Tholana, who described the GFTAM decision as disastrous and a major blow to the proposed Government-led ARV roll-out plan.

“I do not know if the roll-out is going to be successful with that (decision) and what the future for the treatment programme in Zimbabwe is. I am confused and devastated, really,” she said, summing up the general sentiment.

There was, however, concurrence that the failure of the proposal pointed to the need for alternative sources of funding to sustain not only treatment, but other programmes instead of depending on donor funds as many lives were at stake.

“We need to see if we can have alternative ways of sustaining the treatment programme in Zimbabwe. What makes me so mad is we could have benefited a lot from the Global fund. This issue needs to be sorted out otherwise we are in danger of loosing yet a lot more thousands of people,” said Believe Dhliwayo, an activist living with HIV.

Some activists are particularly despaired because they perceive the rejection as part of sanctions against the present leadership, which is responsible for the current crisis in governance.

While a significant number of citizens support sanctions against the ruling party leadership, they believe that it should not affect ordinary people who are also victims of the prevailing system.

“When two elephants fight, the grass suffers and we are the grass that is caught in between,” said an activist who declined to be named.

Tonderayi Chiduku, who sits on the Country Co-ordinating Mechanism (CCM), the national structure through which the fund operates, as a representative of civil society and PLWHAs, said they had reason to believe the rejection was on political grounds, given the current situation in the country.

Under the circumstances, the government-established National AIDS Council (NAC), was not the best channel for funds, he said without elaborating.

However, the GFTAM Technical Review Panel (TRP), in its report placed the Zimbabwe application under the third category, which means that while the proposal was not approved, the country may incorporate the panel’s recommendations and reapply in the fifth round.

Proposals are first screened for eligibility by the Secretariat and then forwarded to an independent TRP of experts in the diseases, who assess proposals for technical merit and consistency according to proven best practices.

“While this proposal aims to address a critical and urgent need in Zimbabwe, it has several weaknesses which make it impossible to evaluate adequately, and is therefore not recommended for funding and is classified in Category 3. The CCM is encouraged to submit a new proposal that takes all of these comments into account,” said comments on the TRP’s review form.

Among the reasons cited for the non-approval were that “the budget is too ambitious, and not justified by the proposal.” Further to this, the document states that there is no implementation plan, in addition to a number of other technical weaknesses. This, sadly, outweighs the proposal’s strengths.

Zimbabwe won a GFATM grant in the first round amounting to $ 8,877,500, out of which only $ 1, 415,000 has been disbursed, the TRP report noted.

According to information on the fund, in Round four, seven approved projects had five-year budgets in excess of $100 million. These were Ethiopia $405 m.; Tanzania $293 m; Zambia $254 m.; Kenya $186 m.; India $165 m.; Uganda $158 m and Russia $121 m. Kenya’s proposal to combat malaria was approved while the AIDS proposal was not approved. Overall, the fund approved US$ 968 million worth of grants to various countries.

Zimbabwe’s request was not the only one that was rejected. Other non-approved projects that had five-year budgets in excess of $100 million included Ghana $305 m, South Africa $243 m, Cote d'Ivoire $169 m, Nigeria $166 m, Kenya $142 m, Burkina Faso $104 m. All of these were HIV/AIDS proposals.

According to a press release by the GFTAM secretariat, the Global Fund provides grants to locally-developed programs to prevent and treat AIDS, TB and malaria. Countries and organizations may apply for funding by submitting proposals in ongoing funding rounds. In January, the Global Fund issued its fourth call for proposals for grant funding with an application deadline of early April.
The Global Fund is an independent private foundation under Swiss law, governed by an international Board. Apart from a high standard of technical quality, the Global Fund attaches no conditions to any of its grants. It is not an implementing agency. It relies on local ownership and planning to ensure that new resources are directed to programs on the frontline of this global effort, reaching those most in need. Its performance-based approach to grant-making – where grants are only disbursed if progress has been measured and verified – is designed to ensure that funds are used efficiently and create lasting change for people and communities.
End

1 309 words

Matilda Moyo is a Zimbabwean free-lance journalist.

Africa: Lift the Yoke, Uplift the Child

2004-08-19

http://www.saiia.org.za/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=395

Although most of Africa threw off colonial rule four decades ago, the continent's education systems still bear the heavy imprint of curricula designed by erstwhile foreign regimes. In the face of poverty, unemployment, disease, global competition and rapidly changing technology, Africa must ask whether those colonial models are still relevant. Most African countries have removed the derogatory references from colonial education but retained its essential structure. The language of instruction, the teacher training traditions and the learning materials remain largely intact.

Kenya: 110 Teachers Sacked for Sexually Abusing Their Pupils

2004-08-19

http://ipsnews.net/interna.asp?idnews=25081

110 teachers were sacked this week and another 447 interdicted for sexually abusing their pupils. Making the announcement, the assistant minister of education, Beth Mugo said that "teachers implicated in sexual misconduct with their pupils would not be tolerated." However, commenting on the event, UNICEF's regional representative said that "interdiction is not enough. These teachers should be prosecuted."

Kenya: Ban on corporal punishment in schools stays

2004-08-19

http://allafrica.com/stories/200408170831.html

The government has no plans of lifting the ban on corporal punishment in schools. Instead, the Ministry of Education is currently preparing a handbook on alternative forms of penalties to instill discipline among pupils, a senior education official said. Mr Eliud Barasa told a human rights forum in Nairobi that caning of errant pupils was inconsistent with local and international laws.

Malawi: Girls still disadvantaged, despite free schooling

2004-08-19

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=42628

Despite a decade of free primary education in Malawi, the number of girls dropping out of school continues to outstrip that of boys, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) said in a new report. "The main problem is that the free primary education policy does not translate into action on the ground. Making tuition free for pupils was not sufficient to take girls to school - there are other non-tuition costs, such as school materials, which parents have to pay," UNICEF's Head of Basic Education in Malawi Bernard Gatawa told IRIN.

South Africa: Failing tertiary education system

2004-08-19

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=42718

New research has shown that just a fraction of South African students who matriculated two years ago have pursued tertiary education. The Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) found that only 14 percent of learners who wrote the Senior Certificate Examination (Grade 12) in 2001 enrolled in higher education institutions the following year.

South Africa: Hitting the book

2004-08-19

http://www.saiia.org.za/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=392

July marks winter break for South African students. But in the middle of Orange Farm, an informal settlement about an hour south of Johannesburg that is known for its violent crime and back-breaking poverty, the lights stayed on at Leshata Secondary long after other schools had gone on holiday. On the world's poorest continent, official debates about education reform invariably pivot around money. But as the Association for the Development of Education in Africa has argued, chalk boards are only as useful as the people who write on them are qualified.

Zambia: Strike imminent at University of Zambia

2004-08-19

http://allafrica.com/stories/200408170607.html

Strike action is imminent at the University of Zambia after lecturers vowed not to teach next week until Vice-Chancellor Professor Robert Serpell and his deputy are removed. But UNZA Vice-Chancellor, Professor Robert Serpell has maintained that the University would run as scheduled and expects all members of staff to begin normal duties next week when classes were expected to resume.

Ethiopia: Civic ethnicity vs political ethnicity

2004-08-19

http://www.addistribune.com/Archives/2004/08/13-08-04/Civic.htm

Political ethnicity assumes that ethnicity is a total identity and that ethnic diversity is the ultimate political horizon. From this perspective, space is ethnicized and self-determination means ethnic government. Yet by making membership a voluntary act that in no way infringes on one’s other social identities, civic ethnic associations make ethnicity a partial identity, comfortably articulated with other identities.

Namibia/Germany: Germany apologises

2004-08-19

http://www.afrol.com/articles/13714

Speaking about the "genocide" committed by imperial German troops 100 years ago, German Development Minister, Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul referred to the "colonial madness" that had led to racism, violence and discrimination. "All what I have said has been an apology by the German government," the Minister concluded her speech, followed by loud applause by listeners.

Sudan: Asking the right questions about Darfur

2004-08-19

http://www.blackelectorate.com/articles.asp?ID=1184

Salih Booker from Africa Action recently spoke to BlackElectorate.com publisher Cedric Muhammad. "...not only are these identities hardening in Darfur, and I would say throughout Sudan; if you look at the East African press, you will see it happening more broadly now. So yes it is being framed as an Arab-African split, as a racial conflict, and this is gathering momentum in ways that I think (sigh) are troubling."

Africa/Global: Technology exists to halt global warming, say scientists

2004-08-19

http://www.scidev.net/News/index.cfm?fuseaction=readNews&itemid=1554&language=1

The technologies needed to halt global warming for 50 years already exist, according to research published in Science. And the study’s authors, Stephen Pacala and Rob Socolow, say implementing them should begin immediately. The study focuses on the role of carbon dioxide released when fossil fuels such as coal, oil and natural gas are burnt.

DRC: Concern over logging

2004-08-19

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3937829.stm

Environmental groups have expressed concern at Congo's plans to open up its rainforest for increased commercial logging. The country's government, currently $4.9 billion in debt, has been placing greater emphasis on the growth of the timber industry in the Congo Basin, which has the world's second largest stretches of virgin rainforest after the Amazon in South America. The logging policy has been encouraged by the World Bank - which makes its loans to the government conditional on the forest being opened up.

East Africa: Dialogue on climate change

2004-08-19

http://www.sarpn.org.za/documents/d0000889/index.php

Economic obligations on industrialized countries to ensure fair trade and reduction of Least Developed Countries’ (LDC) debt burden as well as environmental measures to control pollutants and ensure more equitable and appropriate use of natural resources were the subject of the workshop organized by Climate Network Africa entitled “Dialogue with East African Legislators on Climate Change and Sustainable Development”. To date, the growth of economies and emissions has occurred mostly in the industrialized countries. “Emissions is wealth”, has been the thinking of many. The workshop discussed the impacts of these emissions and what actions the legislators in East African region should take.

Gabon: Plugging the Leaks in Small-Scale Fishing

2004-08-19

http://www.ipsnews.net/interna.asp?idnews=25052

For those who are looking for an easy life in Gabon, small-scale fishing holds little appeal. As a young fisherman, Mathieu Koffi, told IPS, it is "difficult to get credit to buy new equipment, and it's not easy for fishermen to band together in order to limit expenses." The difficulties of working with outdated equipment combined with a depletion of fish stocks in certain areas have posed challenges to the small-scale fishing industry in recent years.

Ghana: Mining company leaves behind environmental mess

2004-08-19

http://twnafrica.org/news_detail.asp?twnID=734

Bonte Gold Mines Limited, a Canadian owned company, has closed its Ghana alluvial operations along the river Bonte at Bonteso in the Ashanti Region. It took just about one week for the company to complete its liquidation process without following the due processes for mine decommissioning. The workers have accused the company of keeping them in the dark about the liquidation and owing them unpaid wages. Farmers whose lands were affected by the operations of the mine also received no compensation. Perhaps worst of all, the company closed without reclaiming or repairing the land destroyed by the operations of the mine.

Malawi: Climate study raises hopes of oil under Lake Malawi

2004-08-19

http://www.scidev.net/News/index.cfm?fuseaction=readNews&itemid=1544&language=1

The arrival in Malawi of a team of US climate researchers has raised hopes among officials in the country that oil reserves will one day be found under Lake Malawi. The researchers will soon begin drilling the bottom of the lake as part of a study on tropical climate shifts in sub-Saharan Africa. The team will extract mud samples from Lake Malawi for studies of tropical climate, human evolution and the formation of the Great Rift Valley.

Nigeria: Nigerian Named By UN to Probe Effects of Toxic Waste

2004-08-19

http://allafrica.com/stories/200408161355.html

A Nigerian environmental expert, Okechukwu Ibeanu, has been appointed by the United Nations Commission on Human Rights to look into the negative effect on people's rights of trafficking in and dumping toxic and other dangerous wastes, especially in developing countries.

Sierra Leone: Another Round of Mining Difficulties?

2004-08-19

http://www.ipsnews.net/africa/interna.asp?idnews=25037

Say the word “mining” in the context of Sierra Leone, and thoughts instantly turn to the country's ruinous trade in conflict diamonds. However, the mining of another mineral - rutile - is also the source of some controversy in this West African state. Recently, the rutile sector received a boost when the European Union allocated almost 31 million dollars to fund the resumption of mining in southern Sierra Leone by the Sierra Rutile company. But, while the government is eager to have the rutile mines back in operation, certain environmental activists don't share its enthusiasm.

Somalia: 120,000 livestock farmers threatened by drought

2004-08-19

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=42700

Environmental degradation resulting from a prolonged drought in northern and northeastern Somalia is threatening to destroy the livelihoods of an estimated 120,000 livestock rearers, a United Nations official said on Monday. "The livelihoods of 120,000 people are threatened and they have to find other means of livelihood," Robert Hauser, World Food Programme (WFP) Country Director for Somalia, told IRIN.

Ethiopia: More Than 7.6 Million in Need of Food Aid

2004-08-19

http://www.reliefweb.int/library/documents/2004/dppc-eth-16aug.pdf

The number of Ethiopians in need of food aid has risen to more than 7.6 million as a result of crop failure and lack of pasture following poor or erratic rains earlier this year, the country's disaster prevention commission reported this week.

Kenya: Cabinet To Scrutinise "Explosive" Land Report

2004-08-19

http://www.eastandard.net/headlines/news18080414.htm

The Kenyan Lands and Housing Minister, Amos Kimunya, has said that an "explosive" report on land grabbing will first be subjected to Cabinet scrutiny before it is made public. The minister told reporters that the report names prominent politicians both in the current and former regimes, high ranking military personnel and senior civil servants as having grabbed huge chunks of land, leaving millions of Kenyans landless.

Kenya: Masai Vow To Intensify Protests Over Land

2004-08-19

http://www.enn.com/news/2004-08-18/s_26580.asp

The Kenyan Masai vowed on Tuesday to intensify protests calling for the return of land given to British settlers 100 years ago after the government rejected their demand. Lands and Housing Minister, Amos Kimunya dismissed the Masai's claim, saying that "Kenya was reconstituted as a republic in 1963 and started to follow its own laws and not an agreement entered by some elders."

Kenya: Work Starts on a National Land Policy

2004-08-19

http://nationmedia.com/eastafrican/current/Regional/Regional0908200426.html

The process of formulating Kenya's national land policy got underway last week, with the government assuring Kenyans that although donors are financing the process, they would not influence its outcome. The move follows concerns raised by the DFID's appointment of an expatriate, Martins Adams, as a technical advisor for the process. $1.8m has been provided by DfID, USAID and SIDA to fund the land reform process.

Southern Africa: SADC Calls For Land Reform In The Region

2004-08-19

http://www.sabcnews.com/south_africa/land_affairs/0,2172,85911,00.html

In his last meeting as chairperson, Benjamin Mkapa has called for the fast-tracking of the establishment of a financial and technical support system to implement land reforms in the region. Announcing the launch of SADC's regional Land Reform Committee, Mkapa said that SADC "cannot run away from our historical duty to set right these historical wrongs and injustices."

DRC: Deputy editor released

2004-08-19

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/media/23929

The Writers in Prison Committee has welcomed the release from prison of Lucien Claude Ngongo, deputy editor of the weekly newspaper Fair Play. However, PEN is disturbed that Ngongo continues to face charges for "criminal defamation".
RAPID ACTION NETWORK
12 August 2004

Update #2 to RAN 29/04

Democratic Republic of Congo: Journalist Lucien Claude Ngongo released The
Writers in Prison Committee of International PEN welcomes the release from
prison of Lucien Claude Ngongo, deputy editor of the weekly newspaper Fair
Play. However, PEN is disturbed that Ngongo continues to face charges for
"criminal defamation".

According to reports received by International PEN, Ngongo was released
provisionally on 28 July 2004 after paying a bail fee. On 2 August 2004,
Ngongo reportedly attended a discovery hearing before a Kinshasa-Ngaliema
criminal court judge, on charges brought by William Damseaux (a Belgian
businessman who has lived for a long period in the Democratic Republic of
Congo) and was due to appear again in court during the same week.

Ngongo, had been imprisoned since 19 May 2004 pending trial for "criminal
defamation". The journalist faces charges resulting from a Fair Play article
penned by reporter Grégoire Agboya that questioned why Damseaux had not had
to pay the costs arising from a legal action.

Albert Kassa Khamy Mouya, deputy editor of the weekly newspaper Fair Play,
who was arrested on 27 May and has also been being held with Ngongo in
Kinshasa Prison pending trial for "criminal defamation", remains in
detention.

International PEN calls for the release of Albert Kassa Khamy Mouya and the
dropping of all criminal defamation charges against Lucien Claude Ngongo and
Albert Kassa Khamy Mouya. PEN also urges the authorities in the Democratic
Republic of Congo to purge the concept of criminal defamation from the
country's legislation so that cases of libel or slander might be more
appropriately dealt with in the civil courts.

Please send appeals:

- Calling for the immediate release of Albert Kassa Khamy Mouya and for the
dropping of all criminal charges against Mouya and Lucien Claude Ngongo.
- Urging the authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo to remove the
crime of defamation from the statute books.

Appeals to:

H. E. Major-General Joseph Kabila
President of the Republic and Head of State
Palais de la Nation
Kinshasa/Gombé
Democratic of the Republic of the Congo
Fax: c/o DRC Embassy in USA +1 202 234 2609

Ngele Masudi
Minister of Justice and Parliamentary Affairs
Ministère de la Justice
BP 3137 Kinshasa/Gombé
Democratic of the Republic of the Congo
Fax: +243 12 20 843

For further details contact Sara Birch at the Writers in Prison Committee
London Office: 9-10 Charterhouse Buildings, London EC1M 7AT UK Tel: + 44
(0) 20 72 53 32 26 Fax: + 44 (0) 20 72 53 57 11 e-mail: sbirch@wipcpen.org

**The information contained in this autolist item is the sole responsibility
of WiPC**

Ethiopia: On verge of release, editor convicted anew

2004-08-19

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/media/23925

In a 12 August 2004 letter to Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) expressed deep concern that Tewodros Kassa, the imprisoned former editor-in-chief of the Amharic language weekly "Ethiop", has been newly convicted on a four-year-old defamation charge, delaying his scheduled release from prison.
IFEX - News from the international freedom of expression community
_________________________________________________________________

ACTION ALERT UPDATE - ETHIOPIA

16 August 2004

On verge of release, editor convicted anew

SOURCE: Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), New York

**Updates IFEX alerts of 29 July 2004, 23 May and 7 March 2003 and 11 July
2002**

(CPJ/IFEX) - In a 12 August 2004 letter to Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles
Zenawi, CPJ expressed deep concern that Tewodros Kassa, the imprisoned
former editor-in-chief of the Amharic language weekly "Ethiop", has been
newly convicted on a four-year-old defamation charge, delaying his scheduled
release from prison.

Kassa was sentenced on 7 July 2002 to two years in prison on two counts of
violating Ethiopia's restrictive Press Proclamation No. 34 of 1992. The
first charge, "disseminating false information that could incite people to
political violence," stemmed from two stories published in 1997. The first
reported that the ruling Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front
(EPRDF) had fired personnel at the Debre Zeit air force base who worked for
the former regime of Mengistu Haile Mariam, and replaced them with pro-EPRDF
workers. The second article alleged that unidentified individuals
unsuccessfully tried to bomb a popular hotel in the capital, Addis Ababa.
The second charge, "defamation," resulted from another 1997 article in
"Ethiop", which alleged that a private investment company specializing in
natural-resource development had connections in the EPRDF government.

Kassa's release from prison was expected in July 2004, since he had served
his full two-year sentence. But CPJ sources said that in June, just as Kassa
was to be released, he was sentenced to three more months in prison on
another defamation charge. His colleagues have recently visited him in
prison.

CPJ records show the new charge dates from November 2000, and stems from an
"Ethiop" article headlined "Businessman Killed by Unidentified Force," which
alleged that local businessman Duki Feyssa might have been killed by state
security forces. A relative of Feyssa brought the charge.

CPJ has documented many instances in which Prime Minister Zenawi's
government has used these sanctions to systematically harass and punish the
independent press. Defamation cases are often drawn out over years.
Journalists must respond to regular summonses to appear in court, and can be
jailed for missing a hearing or being unable to pay bail. Merid Estifanos,
former editor-in-chief of the private Amharic language weekly "Satanaw", was
jailed for a month in April 2004, when he was unable to pay an additional
bail imposed after he missed a court hearing connected with his ongoing
trial on criminal defamation charges (see IFEX alert of 6 April 2004).

RECOMMENDED ACTION:

Send appeals to the prime minister:
- urging him to repeal all criminal sanctions for press offenses, which have
a chilling effect on press freedom and violate international standards
- urging him to do everything in his power to see that Kassa is released
immediately and unconditionally from prison, and that the criminal cases
against him and many other Ethiopian journalists are dropped

APPEALS TO:

His Excellency Prime Minister Meles Zenawi
Office of the Prime Minister
P.O. Box 1031
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Fax: +251 155 2020

Please copy appeals to the source if possible.

For further information, contact Africa Program Coordinator Julia Crawford
or Research Associate Adam Posluns at CPJ, 330 Seventh Ave., New York, NY
10001, U.S.A., tel: +1 212 465 1004, fax: +1 212 465 9568, e-mail:
africaprogram@cpj.org, Internet: http://www.cpj.org/

The information contained in this action alert update is the sole
responsibility of CPJ. In citing this material for broadcast or publication,
please credit CPJ.
_________________________________________________________________
DISTRIBUTED BY THE INTERNATIONAL FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION
EXCHANGE (IFEX) CLEARING HOUSE
489 College Street, Suite 403,Toronto (ON) M6G 1A5 CANADA
tel: +1 416 515 9622 fax: +1 416 515 7879
alerts e-mail: alerts@ifex.org general e-mail: ifex@ifex.org
Internet site: http://www.ifex.org/
_________________________________________________________________

Morocco: Journalist Anas Guennoun released but now in hiding

2004-08-19

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/media/23928

The Writers in Prison Committee (WiPC) has welcomed the release from prison of Anas Guennoun, director of the weekly newspaper "Al Ahali". According to reports, Guennoun was released during the first week of August 2004. On 2 April, Guennoun had received a 10-month prison sentence for defamation. The sentence appeared to stem from an article written by the journalist that allegedly defamed a politician.
IFEX - News from the international freedom of expression community
_________________________________________________________________

ALERT UPDATE - MOROCCO

13 August 2004

Journalist Anas Guennoun released but now in hiding

SOURCE: Writers in Prison Committee (WiPC), International PEN, London

**Updates IFEX alert of 9 April 2004**

(WiPC/IFEX) - The WiPC of International PEN welcomes the release from prison
of Anas Guennoun, director of the weekly newspaper "Al Ahali". According to
reports received by International PEN, Guennoun was released during the
first week of August 2004.

On 2 April, Guennoun had received a 10-month prison sentence for defamation.
The sentence appeared to stem from an article written by the journalist that
allegedly defamed a politician.

Since his release from prison, Guennoun has been sentenced to an eight-month
prison sentence in relation to a separate defamation charge, and following
the sentencing his immediate arrest was ordered by the court.

The prison sentence apparently expires a year after being handed down and it
has been reported that Guennoun has gone into hiding in order to avoid
serving it.

For further information, contact Sara Birch at the WiPC, International PEN,
9/10 Charterhouse Buildings, Goswell Road, London EC1M 7AT, U.K., tel: +44
207 253 3226, fax: +44 207 253 5711, e-mail: sbirch@wipcpen.org,
intpen@gn.apc.org, Internet: http://www.internationalpen.org.uk

The information contained in this alert update is the sole responsibility of
WiPC. In citing this material for broadcast or publication, please credit
WiPC.
_________________________________________________________________
DISTRIBUTED BY THE INTERNATIONAL FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION
EXCHANGE (IFEX) CLEARING HOUSE
489 College Street, Suite 403, Toronto (ON) M6G 1A5 CANADA
tel: +1 416 515 9622 fax: +1 416 515 7879
alerts e-mail: alerts@ifex.org general e-mail ifex@ifex.org
Internet site: http://www.ifex.org/
__________________________________________________________________

Niger: Radio station director arrested

2004-08-19

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/media/23927

On 12 August 2004, Moussa Kaka, director of the independent radio station Saraounia FM and correspondent of Radio France International, was arrested by agents of the Gendarmerie in the capital, Niamey. The security officers also searched Kaka's office and home, confiscating address books and other documents.
IFEX - News from the international freedom of expression community
_________________________________________________________________

ACTION ALERT - NIGER

13 August 2004

Radio station director arrested

SOURCE: Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), Accra

(MFWA/IFEX) - On 12 August 2004, Moussa Kaka, director of the independent
radio station Saraounia FM and correspondent of Radio France International,
was arrested by agents of the Gendarmerie in the capital, Niamey. Kaka was
picked up at about 12:00 p.m. GMT at the station and is being held
incommunicado.

The security officers also searched Kaka's office and home, confiscating
address books and other documents.

According to MFWA sources in Niger, Kaka was arrested after Saraounia FM
broadcast a telephone interview with the head of a new rebel movement in its
11 August afternoon news bulletin. The group had claimed responsibility for
armed attacks in the north of the country.

On 10 August, on the evening before the broadcast, armed men had attacked
three transport buses between Agadez and Arlit, 1,100 km north of Niamey.
The armed men killed three of the passengers, seriously injured 14 others
and took hostage two gendarmes accompanying the transport buses.

RECOMMENDED ACTION:

Send appeals to authorities:
- condemning the arbitrary arrest and detention of Kaka, the search of his
home and the confiscation of his personal documents without a search warrant
- noting that his incommunicado detention is a violation of his right to
legal counsel
- urging the government of President Mamadou Tandja to pursue Kaka through
legal channels if it can demonstrate probable cause for any offence he may
have committed in the course of his journalistic investigations

APPEALS TO:

M. Tandja Mamadou
Président de la République
[President of the Republic]
Tel: +227 72 24 72
Fax: +227 73 34 30 / 72 45 29

M. Hama Amadou
Premier ministre
Leader de la majorité
[Prime Minister]
Tel: +227 72 35 76
Fax: +227 73 58 59

Professeur Harouna Sidikou
Ministre de la Communication
[Minister of Communications]
Tel: +227 73 53 57
Fax: +227 72 21 71

M. Maty Elhadji Moussa
Ministre de la justice
Garde des Sceaux
[Minister of Justice]
Tel: +227 72 31 31
Fax: +227 7237 77

Mme Aichatou Mindaoudou
Ministre des Affaires Etrangères
[Minister of Foreign Affairs]
Tel: +227 72 21 49
Fax: +227 73 52 31

M. Albadé Abouba
Ministre de l'Intérieur et de la décentralisation
[Minister of the Interior and Decentralisation]
Tel: +227 72 32 10
Fax: +227 72 32 62

M. Mahamane Ousmane
Président de l'Assemblée Nationale
[National Assembly Speaker]
Tel: +227 72 22 85
Fax: +227 72 43 08 / 72 28 04
E-mail: pan@niger.assemblee.ne

M. Issoufou Mahamadou
Leader de l'opposition
[Leader of the Opposition]
Tel: +227 74 09 50
Fax: +227 73 41 42
E-mail: pnds@intnet.ne


Please copy appeals to the source if possible.

For further information, contact Jeannette Quarcoopome, Media Foundation for
West Africa, P.O. Box LG 730, Legon, Ghana, tel.: +233 21 24 24 70, fax:
+231 21 22 10 84, e-mail: events@mfwaonline.org, Internet:
http://www.mfwaonline.org

The information contained in this action alert is the sole responsibility of
MFWA. In citing this material for broadcast or publication, please credit
MFWA.
_________________________________________________________________
DISTRIBUTED BY THE INTERNATIONAL FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION
EXCHANGE (IFEX) CLEARING HOUSE
489 College Street, Suite 403, Toronto (ON) M6G 1A5 CANADA
tel: +1 416 515 9622 fax: +1 416 515 7879
alerts e-mail: alerts@ifex.org general e-mail: ifex@ifex.org
Internet site: http://www.ifex.org/
_________________________________________________________________

Nigeria: Proposed law threatens media freedom

2004-08-19

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/media/24006

Nigeria's federal Legislature, the National Assembly, is considering a draft law that would impose sanctions, jail-terms, fines and suspension for media outlets found guilty of sensational reporting on violent conflicts, parliamentary or inter-governmental disputes, natural disasters and other "negative trends and tendencies". The draft law, entitled the "Journalism Enhancement Bill", is presently before the House of Representatives, the lower chamber in Nigeria's bi-cameral Legislature.
IFEX - News from the international freedom of expression community
_________________________________________________________________

ACTION ALERT - NIGERIA

18 August 2004

Proposed law threatens media freedom

SOURCE: Media Rights Agenda (MRA), Lagos

(MRA/IFEX) - Nigeria's federal Legislature, the National Assembly, is
considering a draft law that would impose sanctions, jail-terms, fines and
suspension for media outlets found guilty of sensational reporting on
violent conflicts, parliamentary or inter-governmental disputes, natural
disasters and other "negative trends and tendencies".

The draft law, entitled the "Journalism Enhancement Bill", is presently
before the House of Representatives, the lower chamber in Nigeria's
bi-cameral Legislature. The bill provides for the establishment of a Media
Practitioners Complaints Commission (MPCC) in each state of the federation
and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), with powers to take disciplinary
measures against media practitioners who violate its provisions.

Section 27 of the draft law stipulates that, "A journalist shall not
present or report acts of violence, religious or inter-ethnic or tribal
conflicts, armed robberies, terrorist activities, national controversies,
such as inter-governmental or parliamentary conflicts, natural disasters,
vulgar displays of wealth, or other negative trends and tendencies in the
society or polity, in a sensational way, or in a manner that glorifies such
acts in the eyes of the public or foreign observers."

Journalists who violate this provision "shall be guilty of professional
misconduct, and the matter shall be referred to the Nigerian Press Council
by the Nigerian Union of Journalists, or any of its members or any affected
persons, for appropriate disciplinary action, which may include suspension
and/or withdrawal of the registration of the journalists from the Nigerian
Union of Journalists and the Nigerian Press Council."

The draft law stipulates that the publication of "inaccurate and/or
misleading" stories in the media would result in punishment for both the
reporter and the media organisation.

The bill also says that information on the personal life of individuals may
only be published when the publication is of public interest and is
undertaken to expose crime, serious misdemeanours or anti-social conduct, or
to protect public health, morality, safety and the public from being misled
by the individual concerned.

Under the proposed law, any journalist who solicits or accepts inducement to
publish or suppress a story may be jailed for up to one year or fined
100,000 naira (approx. US$750).

The MPCC would have powers to initiate inquiries into cases of professional
misconduct, summon people for evidence and prescribe punishment for offences
committed by journalists. Section 37 stipulates that, "Where a journalist is
found liable by the commission for professional and or ethical misconduct,
it shall have power to reprimand or suspend him for a period not exceeding
twelve (12) months, or impose any other appropriate punishment".

RECOMMENDED ACTION:

Send appeals to authorities:
- stating that the use of criminal sanctions to repress or intimidate
journalists violates the right to freedom of expression guaranteed by
Section 39 of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution as well as international human
rights instruments to which Nigeria is a signatory and undermines the spirit
of Nigeria's new democratic process
- calling on them to immediately stop further consideration of the bill and
to withdraw it
- urging them to respect the rights of journalists to practice their
profession freely and to regulate themselves

APPEALS TO:

Honourable Aminu Bello Masari
Speaker
House of Representatives
Three Arms Zone, Abuja
Tel: +234 9 231 0315
Mobile: +234 80 3314 1290

Honourable Austin Adiele Opara
Deputy Speaker
House of Representatives
Three Arms Zone, Abuja
Tel: +234 9 231 0278

Honourable Abike Dabiri
Chairperson, Committee on Media and Public Affairs
House of Representatives
Three Arms Zone, Abuja
Mobile: +234 80 2313 3734

Please copy appeals to the source if possible.

For further information, contact Ayode Longe, Media Rights Agenda, 10
Agboola Aina Street, off Amore Street, Ikeja, P.O. Box 52113, Ikoyi, Lagos,
Nigeria, tel: +234 1 493 6033, fax: +234 1 493 0831, e-mail:
pubs@mediarightsagenda.org, Internet: http://www.internews.org/mra

The information contained in this action alert is the sole responsibility of
MRA. In citing this material for broadcast or publication, please credit
MRA.
_________________________________________________________________
DISTRIBUTED BY THE INTERNATIONAL FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION
EXCHANGE (IFEX) CLEARING HOUSE
489 College Street, Suite 403, Toronto (ON) M6G 1A5 CANADA
tel: +1 416 515 9622 fax: +1 416 515 7879
alerts e-mail: alerts@ifex.org general e-mail: ifex@ifex.org
Internet site: http://www.ifex.org/
_________________________________________________________________

South Africa: FXI supports Telkom parody

2004-08-19

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/media/23926

The Freedom of Expression Institute (FXI) has condemned South African telecommunications giant Telkom's threats of legal action against the owners and operators of the website http://www.hellkom.co.za Telkom alleges that the site is an infringement of its registered trademark and, therefore, a violation of the country's trademark and intellectual property law. The corporation has demanded that the website be shut down immediately.
IFEX - News from the international freedom of expression community
_________________________________________________________________

ALERT - SOUTH AFRICA

12 August 2004

FXI fully supports use of parody against telecommunications corporation

SOURCE: Freedom of Expression Institute (FXI), Johannesburg

(FXI/IFEX) - FXI has condemned South African telecommunications giant
Telkom's threats of legal action against the owners and operators of the
website http://www.hellkom.co.za Telkom alleges that the site is an
infringement of its registered trademark and, therefore, a violation of the
country's trademark and intellectual property law. The corporation has
demanded that the website be shut down immediately or it will launch legal
action for damages of 5 million rand (approx. US$800,000).

The website was established in response to the poor level of Telkom's
services, including its Internet access products. It serves as a forum to
air grievances among clients dissatisfied with these products' low-level of
performance as well as Telkom's apparent lack of response to their concerns.

Telkom claims that the use of the words "Hellkom" and "Telscum", as well as
the use of certain graphics and logos on the "Hellkom" website, amounts to
the infringement of a registered trademark as prohibited by the Trade Marks
Act. FXI calls this claim spurious, adding that trademark infringement only
occurs where an individual or individuals use a registered trademark to
deceive or cause confusion for pecuniary benefit. This is not the case with
the disputed site.

The organisation pointed out that that there is increasing recognition
across the world that a person may legitimately register a domain name using
another established trademark in association with additional words such as
"hell", "sucks" or "never" without violating intellectual property law. In
doing so, however, the person must use such a website as a forum for genuine
complaints against the activities of another site, its products or services.
The accepted wisdom is that a consumer who is dissatisfied with the service
or product offered by the complainant, and who establishes such a site, has
a legitimate interest in the use of such a name.

In addition, FXI notes that such names may be found not to be deceptive or
confusingly similar to the registered trademark, as happened in the case of
a disgruntled passenger who flew on South African Airways (SAA) in 2001 from
London to Cape Town. Angry at the allegedly poor service during the flight,
he set up a website, www.neverflysaa.com, to air his grievances. SAA's
official website is www.flysaa.com Though a tribunal in the United States,
which heard the complaint for trademark infringement in 2002, found that the
person probably had no rights or legitimate interests in the name, and also
that the registration was in bad faith as he appeared to have behaved badly,
it held that the domain name was not confusingly similar to that of SAA.

In the last few years, FXI has become alarmed at the rising number of
threats made by large corporations to stifle criticism or parody against
them. The institute has handled complaints relating to censorship actions by
South Africa's National Lottery Company "Uthingo", South African Breweries
Ltd. (in the Black Label beer case) and, more recently, Telkom in the matter
of "Telkomsucks" and "Mywirelesssucks".

The organisation says it stands fully behind the Hellkom website, as well as
its contests, as it is a forum for individuals to exercise their right to
criticise or parody Telkom's activities. It observes that criticism and
parody that is not actuated by malice constitutes fair comment, which is an
essential component of the right to freedom of expression. Such criticism
enjoys constitutional protection no matter how exaggerated it may be, as
long as it is honest, relevant and carried out for non-commercial purposes.

FXI advises that, rather than making such threats, Telkom must strive to
improve its products and services and attend to the public's grievances, in
addition to bearing in mind that the right to freedom of expression embodies
the very essence of democracy. Furthermore, the organisation notes that
Telkom is a public institution and members of the public must be given a
certain amount of leeway to take the corporation to task over the way it
provides telecommunications services.

For further information, contact FXI at P.O. Box 30668, Braamfontein, 2017,
Johannesburg (Street Address: 21st floor, Sable Centre, 41 De Korte Street,
Braamfontein, 2001, Johannesburg), South Africa, tel: +27 83 733 2675, +27
11 403 8403/4, fax: +27 11 403 8309, e-mail: fxi@fxi.org.za, Internet:
http://fxi.org.za

The information contained in this alert is the sole responsibility of FXI.
In citing this material for broadcast or publication, please credit FXI.
_________________________________________________________________
DISTRIBUTED BY THE INTERNATIONAL FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION
EXCHANGE (IFEX) CLEARING HOUSE
489 College Street, Suite 403, Toronto, (ON) M6G 1A5 CANADA
tel: +1 416 515 9622, fax: +1 416 515 7879
alerts e-mail: alerts@ifex.org general e-mail: ifex@ifex.org
Internet site: http://www.ifex.org/
_________________________________________________________________

Zimbabwe: State journalists on strike

2004-08-19

http://www.journalism.co.za/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=1667&CAMSSID=7a76e70a576a0d8d311cf2e62d3ce468

Journalists are among around 500 striking workers in Zimbabwe's state-owned press who are being threatened with dismissal, reports Dumisani Sigogo. Industrial action began August 2 as a sit-in over grievances around salary hikes, sexual harrassment, nepotism and mismanagement. Later in the week, the action developed into a full strike that has forced managers, interns, editors and supervisors to take over the jobs of journalists and production staff.

Africa/Global: Youth unemployment at all time high

2004-08-19

http://www.ilo.org/public/english/bureau/inf/pr/2004/36.htm

Youth unemployment has skyrocketed worldwide over the past decade to some 88 million, according to a new study by the International Labour Office (ILO), reaching an all time high with young people aged 15 to 24 now representing nearly half the world's jobless. "Global Employment Trends for Youth 2004", a new analysis prepared by the ILO's Employment Strategy Department, found that while youth represent 25 per cent of the working age population between the ages of 15 and 64, they made up as much as 47 per cent of the total 186 million people out of work worldwide in 2003.

Africa: Sub-Saharan Africa will have 20m orphans by 2010, says Engebak

2004-08-19

http://allafrica.com/stories/200408160352.html

UNICEF eastern and southern Africa regional director Per Engebak has said there would be in excess of 20 million HIV/AIDS orphans in sub-Saharan Africa by 2010. Engebak said there would be four countries in Southern Africa where the orphan generation would represent in excess of 30 per cent of child population.

Madagascar: Project gives school dropouts income generating skills

2004-08-19

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=42691

According to UNICEF, chronic poverty is the main reason for an estimated 1 million children not attending school on the giant Indian Ocean Island, but efforts are now underway to equip the youth with income generating skills. Last week, 258 out-of-school youth "graduated" from the DESCOL initiative, a project operating in 17 districts in the central Antananarivo region. Each district identifies local entrepreneurs who transfer their skills, such as baking, motor mechanics or tailoring, to young apprentices.

South Africa: It has to be BIG

2004-08-19

http://www.nu.ac.za/ccs/default.asp?2,40,5,458

Whether or not the Basic Income Grant (BIG) could be introduced is not so much an economic question – it is primarily political. Given political will, BIG could be approved tomorrow. Institutional structures for delivery could be in place in 2-3 years (the time wasted since the Taylor Committee recommended its phased introduction). Why has it not been introduced?

Tanzania: Care-seeking patterns for fatal malaria in children

2004-08-19

http://www.eldis.org/cf/search/disp/DocDisplay.cfm?Doc=DOC15450&Resource=f1children

This article from Malaria Journal looks at care-seeking for fatal malaria among children under five in southern Tanzania. Findings showed that in the case of 78.7 per cent of malaria deaths, biomedical care had been used in the form of antimalarial drugs from shops, government or non-government facilities. In cases of suspected malaria at all ages, including those which involved convulsions, modern care was sought by the vast majority (90 per cent as a first resort).

Uganda: Insecurity, poverty leaves northern children vulnerable

2004-08-19

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=42730

Insecurity and widespread poverty caused by the 18-year warfare pitting government forces against insurgents in northern Uganda has made desperate children vulnerable to recruitment as rebel fighters, the United Nations children's Fund (UNICEF) said. "The poverty and insecurity in northern Uganda make children vulnerable to recruitment into the armed forces. In this region, there is active recruitment of the youth," UNICEF's protection officer in Gulu, Rebecca Symington, told IRIN by telephone from the northern town.

2004 Africa's brain gain Nairobi Conference

"Facilitating Return Of Talents To Africa Through Project Collaboration"

2004-08-19

http://www.africasbraingain.org/conference/registerform.htm

A Conference for the Diaspora, Universities, Governments, NGOs, Development Partners, and the Private Sector - The Safari Park Hotel, Nairobi - Kenya, 19th - 22nd December 2004.

Conference paper: The African Christian Diaspora in Europe: Religious and Cultural Aspects

Paper for the IAMS assembly in Malaysia 2004

2004-08-19

http://www.missionstudies.org/conference/articles/fp/Roswith_Gerloff_New_Full_paper.pdf

Ghanaian minister says poverty and illiteracy equate to modern-day slavery

2004-08-19

http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/artikel.php?ID=63000

Some Africans in the Diaspora said on Friday that the myth surrounding the Atlantic Slave Trade had been broken and things made clear to them, when they toured slave trade sites in Salaga in the East Gonja District. The tour which formed part of activities marking this year's Emancipation Day took them to a slave bathing place (Wankanbayi) along a stream in the North-eastern part of Salaga where the slaves dug more than one hundred wells from which they drew water for bathing before they were sent to slave markets.

Kenya Diaspora Network (KDN) Launches a Skillsbank Database for Kenyans

2004-08-19

http://www.emediawire.com/releases/2004/7/prweb143849.htm

Kenya Diaspora Network has announced the launch of the Skills-Bank Database which will enable the Kenyan Diaspora community to know and identify its resource capability in a fast, reliable and efficient manner.

Multiple Homes and Parallel Civil Societies: Refugee Diasporas and Transnationalism

Guest Editors: R. Cheran and Wolfram Zunzer

2004-08-19

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/diaspora/23874

Original articles, photography (black and white), and other forms of representation which focus on any aspect of transnationalism and diaspora with particular reference to the context of forced migration are invited. For further information, please contact: Sharryn J. Aiken, Editor-in-Chief, email: refuge@yorku.ca Deadline: 1 September 2004.

National Commission on Culture to develop a website to market Ghanaian culture

2004-08-19

http://www.accra-mail.com/story.asp?id=10783

The National Commission on Culture has embarked on a programme to develop a website to market Ghanaian culture. Professor George Hagan, Chairman of the Commission, who announced this at the opening of the 14th Annual Pan African Association of Anthropologists Conference, said the Commission had developed a policy on culture, which, if approved by the Cabinet, could become a useful tool to inform society and help in nation-building.

Burundi: Massacre highlights ‘cycle of impunity’

2004-08-19

http://www.alertnet.org/thefacts/reliefresources/109276385281.htm

The massacre of 160 Tutsi refugees at the Gutambe camp in western Burundi was the latest in a catalogue of atrocities conducted “in a cycle of impunity”, human rights observers say. Agencies have accused the international community of ignoring evidence of previous human rights violations to secure diplomatic success in Burundi's troubled peace process, and are demanding a thorough investigation and public enquiry into the massacre.

Burundi: Regional leaders spurn Burundi rebels and call for elections

2004-08-19

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=42746

The one rebel movement still fighting in Burundi’s civil war was declared a terrorist group on Wednesday at a one-day summit of regional heads of state. The leaders also ratified a timetable for Burundi’s elections to be held before 1 November.

Burundi: UN suspends talks with rebels

2004-08-19

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L17603174.htm

The United Nations has suspended peace talks with the Burundi rebel group which claimed responsibility for massacring more than 160 Congolese Tutsi refugees, a spokeswoman for U.N. operation in Burundi said on Tuesday. A regional summit on the country's shaky transition to peace was due to be held in Tanzania on Wednesday and political analysts said they expect the regional leaders to recommend severe action against the FNL.

Central Africa: Proxy Wars - Profits, Propaganda and Luxury Goods for the West

2004-08-19

http://ww3report.com/proxy.html

DRC's Orientale province borders Uganda and Sudan, and its Ituri district is arguably the bloodiest corner of the world. From 1999 to April 2003, at least 50,000 civilians perished in the region. All parties committed summary executions, abductions, disappearances, forced labor, extortion, mass rape, sexual slavery and routine conscription of child soldiers. Human Rights Watch reported in a 2003 paper, "Ituri: Covered in Blood": "The war in Ituri is a complex web of local, national and regional conflicts, that developed after a local dispute between Hema and Lendu ethnic groups was exacerbated by Ugandan actors and aggravated by the broader international war in DRC."

DRC/Uganda: Uganda Arms Congo Rebels, Says UN Report

2004-08-19

http://allafrica.com/stories/200408130813.html

The United Nations Secretary General, has accused Uganda of violating the arms embargo imposed on the Democratic Republic of Congo rebel groups. The embargo-monitoring groups of experts established under the Security Council resolution 1533(2004) compiled the 48-page report. The study was conducted between April and July this year. The report said Uganda still supports two Congolese armed groups; Forces of Armed Congolese (FAPC) of Commander Jerome Kakwavu and Party for the Safeguard and Integrity of Congo of Chief Kahwa.

DRC: Signs of peace in Ituri, despite insecurity

2004-08-19

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=42714

Despite bouts of insecurity, including inter-militia fighting over the month of July in parts of Ituri District, northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), there are signs that the situation in the region is improving, a new report indicates. One of the peace indicators is the "steady and noticeable" return of internally displaced persons (IDPs), according to the July edition of "Ituri Watch". Ituri Watch is a monthly report compiled by the Africa Initiative Programme (AIP) in association with the Forum on Early Warning and Early Response-Africa.

Nigeria/Sudan: Nigerian senate approves sending 1,500 peacekeepers to Darfur

2004-08-19

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=42749

The Senate has approved a request by President Olusegun Obasanjo to send up to 1,500 Nigerian troops to Sudan's troubled Darfur region to serve with an African Union (AU) protection force. Senator Daniel Saror, deputy minority leader of the Senate, told IRIN on Wednesday that the upper chamber of the Federal Parliament had approved Obasanjo’s request, based “on the need to arrest the ugly situation in Sudan which we find absolutely unacceptable.”

Somalia: Another piece of my heart

2004-08-19

http://www.somaliaonline.com/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=8;t=000557;p=

"To own Somalia's problems and eventually its solutions, we must take possession of our country, and everyone must return our property to us, and all interferences in our affairs must stop. But if our land remains someone else's playground, and we continue to be victims of everyone else's machinations, then we won't make the necessary link between our post-collapse and America's post-Sept. 11," writes author Nuruddin Farah in an opinion piece for the New York Times.

Somalia: More than 20 killed in fighting in Bay region

2004-08-19

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=42698

More than 20 people have died in two days of heavy factional fighting in the Bay region of south-central Somalia, local sources in the regional capital, Baidoa, 240 km southwest of Mogadishu, told IRIN on Monday. About thirty others were wounded. The fighting broke out on Friday between the Dabare and Luway subclans of the larger Digil-Mirifle group. The clashes were concentrated in and around the town of Dinsoor, 90 km west of Baidoa, and in the surrounding villages, according to one source.

Sudan/Uganda: LRA raids could worsen food situation in the south

2004-08-19

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=42657

Persistent attacks on the local populations in southern Sudan by the Ugandan rebel group, the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), could exacerbate food insecurity in a region already experiencing shortages as a result of poor harvests, a famine alert agency has warned. The LRA, a brutal group of insurgents widely condemned for committing atrocities against civilians in northern Uganda for over 18 years, is said to have rear bases in southern Sudan. In recent weeks, it has intensified its attacks on villages there.

Sudan: Darfur Still Living in Fear As First AU Troops Arrive

2004-08-19

http://allafrica.com/stories/200408160224.html

The situation in the troubled Darfur region of western Sudan remained tense as the first batch of an African Union (AU) force, consisting of 154 Rwandan troops, arrived to protect an AU observer mission, relief workers said. "The overall situation on the ground throughout the Darfur region remains very tense," Jennifer Abrahamson, public information officer for the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Sudan, told IRIN on Monday. The UN has described the conflict in Darfur as the worst humanitarian crisis in the world, at the moment. An estimated 2.2 million people are in urgent need of food, medicine and other basic items of survival, of whom 1.2 million are IDPs who have been forced from their homes by attacks launched by government-backed Janjawid militias.

Sudan: Rwandan Troops to Protect Civilians

2004-08-19

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/conflict/24009

The Rwandan government’s pledge that its troops in Darfur will protect civilians should encourage the international community to press Sudan to accept an enlarged African Union mission with a mandate for civilian protection, Human Rights Watch says. The current African Union mandate does not specifically authorize the 154 troops to protect civilians, but Rwandan President Paul Kagame insisted that Rwandan troops would intervene if civilians are threatened. On July 27, the African Union’s Peace and Security Council proposed increasing the current ceasefire monitoring force to more than 2,000 soldiers and expanding its mandate to provide civilian protection. Seven African countries have indicated their willingness to contribute troops to such a mission, but the Sudanese government has so far refused to accept the proposal.
For Immediate Release:

Darfur: Rwandan Troops to Protect Civilians
Sudanese Government Should Accept African Union Plan for Civilian Protection
(New York, August 17, 2004) The Rwandan government’s pledge that its troops in Darfur will protect civilians should encourage the international community to press Sudan to accept an enlarged African Union mission with a mandate for civilian protection, Human Rights Watch said today.

The 154 Rwandan troops deployed on Sunday will protect African Union ceasefire monitors under the April 8 agreement between the Sudanese government and the two rebel movements in Darfur. This weekend, they will be joined by a contingent of Nigerian troops. The current African Union mandate does not specifically authorize these troops to protect civilians, but Rwandan President Paul Kagame insisted that Rwandan troops would intervene if civilians are threatened.

On July 27, the African Union’s Peace and Security Council proposed increasing the current ceasefire monitoring force to more than 2,000 soldiers and expanding its mandate to provide civilian protection. Seven African countries have indicated their willingness to contribute troops to such a mission, but the Sudanese government has so far refused to accept the proposal.

“The Rwandan government deserves praise for deploying troops to Darfur and pledging to protect civilians,” said Georgette Gagnon, deputy director of Human Rights Watch’s Africa division. “Now the international community should increase pressure on Sudan to accept peacekeepers with a mandate for protecting civilians, and it should provide the support that’s urgently needed for this mission.”

The United Nations Security Council on July 30 passed a resolution demanding that the Sudan take steps to improve conditions in Darfur in the areas of security, human rights, humanitarian assistance and political resolution of the conflict. The Security Council gave the Sudanese government a 30-day deadline to disarm the government-backed Janjaweed militias.

In a report released last week, Human Rights Watch documented how Khartoum instead has allowed the Janjaweed to continue to rape, assault and loot civilians, and drive ever more people from their homes.
“Khartoum claims it can’t control the Janjaweed, but at the same refuses to allow international troops to protect civilians in Darfur,” said Gagnon. “If the Sudanese government were truly serious about protecting civilians, it would accept an expanded international presence to stop the atrocities.”

Human Rights Watch called on the African Union to ensure that sufficient troops are deployed in rural areas, and not only in the major towns in Darfur. The African Union should publicly report on attacks against civilians as well as ceasefire violations.

For further information, please contact:

In Brussels, Stephan Van Praet: +32-2-732-2009ext.28
In New York, Georgette Gagnon: +1-416-893-2709

Global: 2004 Reporting on the Information Society Awards Announced

2004-08-19

http://www.panos.org.uk/global/Rprojectdetails.asp?ProjectID=1045&ID=1002&RProjectID=1061

The theme for this year's "Reporting on the Information Society Award" has been announced as "Transparency, good governance and democracy - does information technology increase accountability?" The awards, which were launched by Panos and Global Knowledge Partnership in 2003, aim to encourage and bring to international recognition thoughtful and incisive reporting by journalists on the social and political impacts of ICT.

Global: Information Technology Security Resource for Developing Countries

2004-08-19

http://www.infodev-security.net/handbook/

The World Bank infoDev program has recently published an 'Information Technology Security Handbook' for individuals, organisations and governments in developing countries.

Kenya: Public Voices Unheard In ICT Policy

2004-08-19

http://www.ipsnews.net/interna.asp?idnews=25114

Both the civil society and private sectors in Kenya have expressed their concern at being excluded from consultations on the drafting of the country's ICT policy. The new policy is intended to cover issues such as access to ICTs and the legal framework for the industry's operations. At present it is estimated that over 90% of the 30 million population are unable to access ICTs.

Uganda: Telecom Companies Pay $1.7m Into Rural Access Fund

2004-08-19

http://www.balancingact-africa.com/news/current1.html

The Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) has received over Ushs 3 billion (USD1.7m) from the country's three telecom operators towards its Rural Communication Development Fund. Under the Communications Act each provider of ICT services has to contribute 1% of their annual revenue to the Fund. Announcing receipt of the money, the Commission's Director said that their target was for every district to have, amongst other services, an Internet point of presence and ICT training centres by the end of the year.

ICC update

2004-08-19

http://www.iccnow.org/publications/update.html

The ICC Update keeps its readers informed with up-to-date articles and concise summaries on issues concerning the ICC. In a few pages, the Update regularly covers the regional updates, media coverage, upcoming events, and resources in the weeks since the last Update. The 40th issue is now available.

incommunicado weblog

2004-08-19

http://www.incommunicado.info

'incommunicado' is a weblog that focuses on the spread and reappropriation of ICT across the 'Global South'.

ontrac: new edition available

2004-08-19

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/enewsl/23971

The latest edition of ontrac explores the challenges to NGO neutrality in the changing global context. ontrac is the newsletter of INTRAC (the International NGO Training and Research Centre). To subscribe to ontrac, please contact Tania Little at INTRAC (t.little@intrac.org).

Sexual Violence Research Initiative (SVRI) list

2004-08-19

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/enewsl/23969

The aim of this list is to provide a forum where knowledge, experience and action about sexual violence can be discussed and shared. This will be a global discussion and we hope to learn from people in all regions of the world. To sign on please send an email with the words SUBSCRIBE SVRI followed
by your name (for example SUBSCRIBE SVRI Mary Smith) in the body of the
message (not the subject) to LISTSERV@WHO.INT

"In Touch" - Southern Africa Institute of Fundraising newsletter

2004-08-19

http://www.saifundraising.org.za/Wordfiles/IN%20TOUCH%20-%20JUNE%202004.doc

The latest newsletter contains information on the 5th IWRM (International Workshop on Resource Mobilisation; Fundraising Learnerships and
SMS Fundraising.

Resource Mobilisation and Fundraising Development Course

2004-08-19

http://www.saifundraising.org.za/resourcemobilisation.htm

Topics covered include: Introduction to fundraising; fundraising techniques; Public Relations and special events; budgets and financial control, fundraising strategies and ethics and professional behaviour.

The internet and non-profits

2004-08-19

http://www.afpnet.org/tier3_cd.cfm?folder_id=2545&content_item_id=14728

The Internet can be a tremendous communication tool for all nonprofits, but are you using its full potential? Do you know how to integrate the Internet into your fundraising plan?

Thusanang launches feature article section

2004-08-19

http://www.thusanang.org.za

Thusanang has announced the launch of its “Feature Articles” section that aims to capture the experiences of non-profit organisations (NPOs) in their quest for sustainability. The aim of the articles is to highlight non-profit challenges and successes in relation to raising funds, remaining sustainable, performing efficiently and delivering with impact.

2004 Conference of NGOs in the Commonwealth

Johannesburg, South Africa, November 24-28

2004-08-19

http://www.comminit.com/events_calendar/2004-events/events-2755.html

Organised by The Commonwealth Association of Non-Governmental Organisations (CANGO), this conference seeks to provide a matrix and platform for the cross-fertilisation of business and civil society voices. Towards achieving a conducive environment for a better world, CANGO hopes to mobilise a global partnership and relationship paradigm with governments, intergovernmental organisations, well meaning individuals and business, and NGOs (non-government organisations).

Eastern Africa sub regional Training of Trainers Workshop

2004-08-19

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/courses/23930

Akina Mama wa Afrika will be holding the Eastern Africa sub regional Training of Trainers Workshop (TOT) from 15th- 19th November 2004 in Mombasa, Kenya. The TOT is a composite part of the African Women’s Leadership Institute (AWLI) programs. The TOT aims to strengthen AWLI alumni capacities to transfer the information obtained at the AWLI to a wider constituency of women at local, national and regional levels. A formalised mechanism for the transfer of skills and information is a prerequisite to the sustainability of a progressive women's movement in Africa.
[For application forms, please contact AMwA at amwa@amwa-ea.org or visit
their offices]

August 16th, 2004

Akina Mama wa Afrika will be holding the Eastern Africa sub regional
Training of Trainers Workshop (TOT) from 15th- 19th November 2004 in
Mombasa, Kenya.

The TOT is a composite part of the African Womens Leadership Institute
(AWLI) programs. The TOT aims to strengthen AWLI alumni capacities to
transfer the information obtained at the AWLI to a wider constituency of
women at local, national and regional levels. A formalised mechanism for
the transfer of skills and information is a prerequisite to the
sustainability of a progressive women's movement in Africa.

The countries from which young women will be selected to participate in the
Eastern Africa TOT are: Burundi, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia,
Sudan, Uganda and Tanzania.

The deadline for the receipt of applications for the TOT is: Friday 17th
September 2004. Applications received after this date will not be eligible
for consideration.

I have attached some more information about the TOT and other AWLI
programs, together with a copy of the application form. Please circulate
this to your networks from the above countries.
[[AMwA information follows below. For application forms contact AMwA as
noted above]].

Sarah Mukasa
Programmes Manager East and Horn of Africa

Akina Mama wa Afrika
Plot 30 Bukoto Street, Kamwokya
PO Box 24130
Kampala
Uganda



AKINA MAMA WA AFRIKA
A non-governmental development organisation for African women.


THE AFRICAN WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE

Akina Mama wa Afrika (AMwA) is an international, pan-African,
non-governmental development organisation for African women based in the UK
with an East and Horn of Africa regional office in Kampala, Uganda. AMwA
was set up in 1985 by women from different parts of Africa resident in the
United Kingdom. Translated from Swahili, the name means `solidarity among
African women', signifying African sisterhood. AMwA was founded to create
space for African women to organise, and build links with African women
active in the areas of their own development.

Mission Statement

AMwA is an African women's international non-governmental development
organisation based in the UK and Africa, which coordinates local, regional
and international initiatives. AMwA serves as a networking, information,
advocacy and training forum for African women, and builds their leadership
capacities to influence policy and decision-making. AMwA does this by:

· Building the leadership capacities of African women and their
organisations

· Networking and consulting on local, regional and international levels

· Marketing the skills, expertise and creativity of African women

· Mobilising and empowering African women

· Challenging sexist and racist stereotypes by emphasizing positive
images of African women.


THE AFRICAN WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE.

The Regional African Women's Leadership Institute

The African Women's Leadership Institute (AWLI) is a regional networking,
information and training forum, which trains women aged 25-45 in critical
thinking on gender issues, organisational and resource development and
strategic planning. The AWLI was established as a program of AMwA in 1996,
as a contribution towards the post-Beijing initiatives in the Africa
region. The AWLI has two main features. First, it serves as a network of
young African women (25-45) for professional support, advice and
information, and sharing of expertise. Second, the AWLI convenes an
intensive three-week residential leadership-training institute every year.


The Sub Regional African Women's Leadership Institute

The sub regional leadership AWLIs were developed to address context
specific issues in each of the African sub regions. There have been
important political and economic developments at these levels over the past
few years, which require the active participation of women. The sub
regional institutes take place over two weeks, and aim to bring closer ties
and working partnerships amongst young women activists in the various sub
regional contexts.

The objectives of the AWLI are to:

Þ Develop the leadership potential of young African women who would like
to commit themselves to a progressive women's movement in Africa.

Þ Provide leadership training for young African women who are in
leadership positions in women's NGOs, mixed NGOs, government institutions
or corporate bodies.

Þ Empower African women living in fundamentally patriarchal communities
with self-development and life skills training.

Þ Initiate a forum for young women to meet and build alliances for
individual and professional support.

Þ Develop a mentoring and role modelling system in order to benefit from
the knowledge, skills and expertise of older women.

Þ Strengthen existing regional and sub regional networks through
networking and solidarity and to build and sustain links with the
international women's movement.

Þ Improve the quality of gender analysis and research coming out of
Africa, and give African women more access to international publishing.

The ultimate goal of the AWLI is to encourage and train significant numbers
of women for informed leadership positions that will ultimately promote a
progressive African women's development agenda. The development of a
feminist constituency among the next generation of African women leaders is
essential to the future of the African women's movement.


The Training of Trainers Workshops

As part of the AWLI's overall aim to develop the leadership potential of
young African women, AMwA established the Training of Trainers (TOT)
Programme. The TOT aims to strengthen AWLI alumni capacities to transfer
the information obtained at the AWLI to a wider constituency of women at
local, national and regional levels. A formalised mechanism for the
transfer of learning, skills and information is a prerequisite to the
sustainability of a progressive women's movement in Africa.

The TOT also aims to expand AMwA's pool of trainers and resource people.

At the end of the training, participants will be able to:

Understand the role and task of a trainer.
Understand the training cycle.
Apply an understanding of the adult learning process and group dynamics
Assess training needs.
Set training objectives.
Structure, plan and budget for a training program.
Know the common challenges faced by trainers and the strategies for
addressing them.
Demonstrate knowledge of different training techniques and training aids
Understand and use various methods of evaluation.
Understand the differences and similarities between generic training
programs and women's development programs.
Have an understanding of AMwA's feminist leadership development philosophy
and be able to share it with others.


ELIGIBILITY FOR PARTICPATION IN THE TRAINING OF TRAINERS WORKSHOP


The following criteria applies to all AMwA leadership development programs:

§ Preference is given to those who have participated on any one or
more of the AWLI regional, sub regional or national Institutes.

§ Candidates must be African women between 25-45.

§ Participants are expected to be resident in Burundi, Eritrea,
Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, Sudan, Uganda and Tanzania. Participants
in the sub regional TOT workshops are expected to be residents in the
relevant countries of the sub region in which the workshop will take place.

§ Participants must be from local, national, sub regional or
regional women's organisations, civil society organisations, government
departments, or commerce and industry.

§ Applications from eligible organisations should be from a minimum
level of Program Officer or the equivalent.

§ Applicants must have a minimum of two years experience (voluntary
or professional) in gender issues.

§ Participants should be able to demonstrate how they will carry
forward what they learn at the TOT workshop. We will therefore select only
those who will be in a position to report back to their organisations or
establishment, and not those applying as individuals.

§ Participants will be required to stay throughout the duration of
the program.


Funding for the AWLI Programs

The following donors have so far made the AWLI programs possible:

· African Women's Development Fund
· Comic Relief (UK)
· Carnegie Corporation of New York (USA)
· Christian Aid (UK)
· Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA-Kenya)
· COOPERAID (Switzerland)
· Commonwealth Foundation
· Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA-Uganda)
· German Development Service (Uganda Country Office)
· Global Fund for Women (USA)
· Ford Foundation
· Hivos
· Shaler Adams Foundation (USA)
· Staples Trust (UK)
· Caritas Fund of the Tides Foundation (USA)
· United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM).
· United Nations Development Program (UNDP)
· UNICEF (Uganda Country office)
· UK Department for International Development
· UK National Lottery Charities Board, International Programs
· OXFAM (UK/I)
· K.U.L.U. Women in Development (Denmark)
· Mama Cash (The Netherlands)
· Match International (Canada)

Proposal Writing Training Course: HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria

2004-08-19

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/courses/23922

The Graduate School, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand has announced a Proposal Writing Course in the Field of HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria from the 23rd - 26th November 2004. This course is designed to equip researchers with managerial skills to meet competitive demands of proposal writing in response to local and international funding opportunities.
Proposal Writing Training Course in the Field of HIV/AIDS, Tu-
berculosis and Malaria


The Graduate School, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of
the Witwatersrand is delighted to announce a Proposal Writing
Course in the Field of HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria from
the 23rd - 26th November 2004.

This course is designed to equip researchers with managerial
skills to meet competitive demands of proposal writing in re-
sponse to local and international funding opportunities. Pro-
posal writing skills are of particular interest to researchers
who intend to establish research groups with the capacity for
repeated grant funding.


ON OFFER: A selection of one or more of the following topics
will be covered in the final programme depending on partici-
pants' needs and interests:

* Selecting a Research Topic- the Essentials
* Principles of Proposal Development
* Perspectives of Successful Proposal Writing from Experienced
Grant Writers
* Explaining the Difference Between a Proposal and a Project
* Sources of Grant Funding in the Field of HIV/AIDS, TB and Ma-
laria
* Panel Discussion with Funders and Reviewers of Proposals on
What to Look for in "Good Proposals"
* Reworking existing proposals to meet expectations of funding
agencies
* Dealing with rejection in grant writing
* Formulation of Work Plans, Budgets and Logical Frameworks
* Monitoring and Evaluation Tools for Effective Project Imple-
mentation
* Leadership and Grantsmanship - Teamwork for Leading Research
Groups in Collaborative and Large Inter-disciplinary research
projects
* Networking with other participants from the SADC Region

FEES: Tuition fees to participate in the PWTC are ZAR 2,500 ex-
clusive of travel costs to the venue in Johannesburg as well as
accommodation and board expenses.

Prospective applicants should apply to WHO, UNDP, EU, UNAIDS,
SIDA, CDC, etc. National AIDS Councils, and Ministries of Health
which have funded such programmes in the past. The organizers
have secured a limited number of fellowships from the Belgium
Technical Co-operation for eligible researchers from the SADC
region. Each application should include a clearly articulated
motivation that indicates that the applicant would benefit from
the training.

TEACHING METHODOLOGY: The Proposal Writing Training Course
(PWTC) is planned for 20 mid-career researchers and academics
interested in the field of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.
Teaching will be done by experienced local and regional facili-
tators from the SADC region who will be responsible for the
course material. The final programme will be based on the needs
of the participants who are expected to take responsibility for
their own learning by doing. There will be minimal didactic
teaching.

LIMITED REGISTRATION: 20 places are available and these will be
allocated on a first-come-first-served basis. The course is be-
ing advertised far and wide, so hurry and get your registration
forms in NOW!

Apply directly, preferably by fax or e-mail, with a short de-
scription (1 page) of your current professional qualifications
and motivation to participate, to:

Alison Mclean Mrs
Tel: +27-11-717-2075
Fax: +27-11-717-2119
mailto:mcleanam@health.wits.ac.za

Angola: Medical Co-ordinator

GOAL

2004-08-19

http://www.goal.ie/jobs/angolamedco.shtml

Goal is seeking a medical co-ordinator for its program in Angola. You will assist in project design, fundraising and donor relations as well as co-ordinating and directing program development activities.

Egypt: Internship Vacancies

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

2004-08-19

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/jobs/23905

The UNHCR Regional Office in Cairo has a number of vacancies for interns in its Egypt programme. Applicants should hold a relevant university degree, have knowledge of the humanitarian and political situation in Africa and have previous work experience with refugees or in the field of human rights. Fluent English is required and a working knowledge of Arabic and/or French is an asset.
UNHCR Regional Representation in the Arab Republic of Egypt,
to the Palestinian Authority and the League of Arab States.


INTERNSHIP VACANCIES

Legal/Protection - Community Services - Public Information

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Regional Office in Cairo has a number of vacancies for qualified individuals for three- to six- month internships. The internships are unpaid; all related expenses including travel, living costs and health insurance have to be met by the individual.

General Job Description

There are over 20,000 recognized non-Palestinian refugees in Egypt, most originating from East and Horn of Africa (Sudan, Somalia, Ethiopia, Eritrea), with smaller groups coming from the Great Lakes region, West Africa and the Middle East.

UNHCR Cairo conducts the refugee status determination on behalf of the Egyptian government. It also operates a resettlement referral program with some 3,000 refugees resettled to third countries every year. UNHCR Cairo also works to promote the rights, self-reliance and ensure the basic needs of recognized refugees through various programmes.

After an initial orientation, interns are assigned to work under the supervision and guidance of senior staff members in designated units within the Office. Possible areas of work can include research into country of origin information; legal research and analysis; preparation of resettlement submissions; identification of protection problems of refugees in Cairo; monitoring refugees’ access to services (e.g. health facilities, education); communication and outreach with refugee communities; preparation of information materials; development of publications and documents; specialized research projects; and facilitation of training and awareness-raising activities for UNHCR staff, implementing partners and refugees.

Desired Qualifications

University degree, preferably in the following areas:
Legal/Protection: law, political science or international relations,
Specialization in human rights and/or refugee law an asset;
Community services: social work, development, community development, health/nutrition;
Public information: journalism, library science, media science;

Knowledge of the humanitarian and political situation in Africa (esp. East Africa, Horn of Africa and Great Lakes region) a distinct advantage;

Previous work experience related to refugees and asylum-seekers, humanitarian assistance or in the human rights/development field a merit;

Excellent written and spoken English (demonstrated writing skills for PI internship); working knowledge of Arabic and/or French an asset;

Demonstrated abilities in conducting academic or field research.

Application process

If you are interested in an internship, please send a request for application form, including your CV and cover letter, to Ms. Daniela Raiman at raiman@unhcr.ch and indicate your preferred area of work.

Liberia: Country Manager

Merlin, UK

2004-08-19

http://jobs.merlin.org.uk/job_description.aspx?vacancycode=512

The Country Manager will be responsible for the management and development of Merlin's Liberia Programme. The successful applicant will have a minimum of three years experience in a management position in an NGO environment, an understanding of security management and experience of working in an emergency context.

South Africa: Director

Dopstop Association

2004-08-19

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/jobs/23901

The Dopstop Association is seeking a fulltime Director. Responsibilities of the position include managing the organisation's intervention programme and strategy, fundraising, liasing with stakeholders and the organisation's public relations. The successful applicant will have proven project and organisational management experience and sound knowledge of the health sector and policies, skills development legislation and the agriculture and wine sectors.
DOPSTOP ASSOCIATION

DIRECTOR

The Dopstop Association is a Non-Profit organization located in Stelenbosch. Its vision is the creation of sustainable and healthy rural communities with a commitment to address the legacy of the dop system, alcohol abuse and fetal alcohol syndrome amongst farm workers and their families.

Dopstop requires the services of a fulltime Director to take up this exciting position as soon as possible.

The key performance areas of the job include:

1. Managing the Dopstop intervention programme and strategy through: Skills development and training; Facilitating supportive environments; Strengthening community action; Reorienting health services; Research; Public policy development and a Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Trauma Centre.
2. Liaising with farmers, farm workers, NGO's, Government and all relevant stakeholders.
3. Fundraising and Financial management
4. Public relations and communication
5. Staff management and project supervision
6. Ongoing organizational and programme development Requirements

Requirements:

• Proven project and organizational management experience including familiarity with financial management systems
• An appropriate tertiary qualification
• Sound knowledge of the health sector and policies; skills development legislation and developments within agriculture and the wine industry
• Demonstrable organizational skills and ability to provide leadership in a team context
• Familiarity with the funding environment
• Drivers license
• Computer literacy
• Proposal and report writing skills

Closing date is 21 August 2004.
An application letter, CV with three contactable references should be forwarded to: The Chairperson, P.O. Box 7011; Stellenbosch; 7599 or Fax: (021) 8802638 or Email: charles@dopstop.org.za

Sudan: Emergency Health Volunteer

International Rescue Committee

2004-08-19

http://www.theirc.org/jobs/index.cfm/number/2004-472

The IRC is seeking an emergency health volunteer for its Sudan Program. You will contribute towards the implementation of IRC's current health projects and help ensure that all stated goals and objectives are met.

Uganda: Programme Officer - Finance

Council for Economic Empowerment for Women of Africa (CEEWA-U)

2004-08-19

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/jobs/23900

CEEWA-U is seeking applicants for the position of Programme Officer - Finance. The Officer will be responsible for fundraising activities, monitoring and evaluating programs and for representing CEEWA-U at selected workshops and network meetings. The successful applicant will be a graduate with experience in policy advocacy and research and at least three years of experience working with NGOs/CSOs, preferably in the field of human rights.
VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT

Council for Economic Empowerment for Women of Africa (CEEWA-U) is a Non-Governmental Organization, Non-profit Organisation whose mission is to promote Economic Empowerment of Women in the development process through advocacy, training, research and documentation.

CEEWA-U is seeking a self-motivated, analytical, innovative person willing to work under pressure and with minimum supervision for the post of Programme Officer - Finance

Responsibilities:

1. Plan and implement programmes.
2. Participate in fundraising activities.
3. Review important policies, documents and technical papers.
4. Represent CEEWA-U in networks with similar objectives
5. Monitor and evaluate programs
6. Participate in Policy Development and programme planning.
7. Represent CEEWA-U at selected workshops, training and other events organized by CEEWA-U partners.
8. Perform any other tasks assigned by the Co-ordinator

Job holder Profile:

1. Graduate in the field of Social Sciences, Law, Human Rights, Post Graduate training at Masters level.
2. Experience in policy advocacy, research.
3. Excellent written and communication skills
4. Very good computer and communication skills.
5. Experience at least 3 years of working experience with NGO /CSO preferably in the field of Human Rights, particularly Women Rights, experience in managing programmes.
6. High integrity.

Mode of Application Hand written application and copies of relevant academic documents to be sent to CEEWA-U P. O. Box 9063, Kampala, Tel: 041-269507/269477, Fax:
269469; Email: ceewa@ceewauwires.org / info@ceewauwires.org or bring them to our offices situated at Kasanga Kiwafu Rd. opposite the Catholic Church.

CEEWA-Uganda P.O. Box 9063 Kampala Tel: 256-41-253790/1 Fax: 256-41-253789 Email: info@ceewauwires.org,ceewa@ceewauwires.org Website: http://www.ceewauwires.org

Fahamu