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Featured in this issue

2004-12-16

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/highlights/26233

* Editorial: 2004 marks the 120th anniversary of the Berlin conference that tore up Africa into balkanised zones for the benefit of imperial exploitation - Rotimi Sankore highlights the consequences on Africa
* Comment and Analysis: Conflict is like a fire: It can keep you warm and can cook your food, but if it gets out of control, it can burn your house down, warns Yav Katshung Joseph in relation to the DRC
- Many thought Ghana would never recover from 1980s turmoil, but recent elections show there is hope for the rest of West Africa, writes Kayode Fayemi
- Separating the good guys from the bad guys in Côte d'Ivoire might not be as easy as the international community would like, says Véronique Tadjo
* Letters: Readers share their thoughts on food security, FGM and the future of Africa
* Conflict and Emergencies: As conflict flares in the east, a new report says the death toll in the DRC is approaching four million
* Refugees and Forced Migration: Child Protection in the context of displacement in Uganda
* Elections and Governance: Zimbabwean human rights groups respond to the passing of the NGO bill
* Development: The African Social Forum in Zambia demands full debt cancellation
* Environment: Rich countries spend billions subsidising industries that cause climate change, but a fraction of this amount goes to those in developing countries who suffer the most from pollution, states a new report
* Books and Art: Pambazuka News reviews Blind Moon by Chenjerai Hove

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Dear Reader,

Although we will be sending out a short message next week, this will be our last full edition for 2004. The weekly Pambazuka Newsletter will be released once again on 06 January 2005. May everyone go in peace during the break!

The Editors

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From Partition to Re-Unification: 120 years since partition of Africa

Rotimi Sankore

2004-12-16

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/features/26236

The 120th anniversary of Africa's partition passed largely unmarked in November 2004. While some no doubt would wonder what the significance of this is today those that are aware of the partition and its implications will be able to see its negative implication for Africa's development and parallels with cold war era balkanisation of the world into east versus west spheres of influence. Some would even argue that Hitler's brazen land grab or policy of "Lebensraum " in which the Nazis claimed expansionism and conquest was vital for the continued political and economic development of Germany sprang from the objectives of the Berlin conference. Without doubt however the goal of the Berlin conference was to consolidate expansionism for resources and markets through negotiation rather than war.

Globalisation came to Africa via the transatlantic slave trade about 500 years before the term became 'sexy' or was even coined. This massive plundering and abuse of Africa's most valuable resource - its citizens - provided millions of slave workers and stupendous profits for the forerunners of many of today's multi million dollar business empires and their countries of origin. The equivalent present day would be to have today's multinationals backed by states to forcibly recruit millions to work in factories and industries as slave labour for 400 years with absolutely no pay beyond food and water supported by floggings, amputations and hangings to keep the workers in line. The idea is not far fetched. The creation of an artificial class of non-persons by way of demonising Jews created the slave labour for the companies behind the Nazi war production machine. If six million perished in Germany and some parts of Europe within six years in a state policy partially hidden from society but subsequently exposed, think what could have happened over a period of 400 years of unrestricted savagery by numerous states and a clearer picture emerges of the most savage, violent, and comprehensive mass violation of rights in human history.

Some 'experts' squabble of whether Africa lost 25, 50 million or a 100 million to this bestial policy sanctioned by states, and use various criteria to compute varying figures - abductees that actually arrived alive at slave plantations, those that ended up at the bottom of the ocean, those that died resisting, those that died as a result of displacement and its consequences such as disease and hunger, children that died after loosing their families etc. This is beside the point. Not only were millions in their youth and productive prime lost, millions more were psychologically destroyed and displaced and most importantly the development of society was more or less suspended for 400 years. We only need to look at the impact of the holocaust on Jews, or the current Darfur crisis to see what state sanctioned policies of destruction of a people can do to the stability, development and psychology of peoples and their societies.

But this is not the main focus of this write up. The significance of the above is that it was against this background that the Partition of Africa - a continuation of the policy of plundering by other means - from human to natural resources - was enforced. The Berlin Conference of 1884 formalised the scramble for and partition of Africa by colonial powers. The conference was hosted by the German government of Otto Von Bismarck and led to Africa being carved up for the exploitation of its resources along the lines of modern day gangsters dividing cities into market spheres of influence to avoid arbitrary gang warfare that is bad for 'business'.

By the end of the conference of 13 European powers and the United States, the template had been laid down for the creation or superimposition of roughly 50 countries the majority of which cut arbitrarily across the logic of nationality, geography, language or other uniting factors. The then major players were Britain, Germany, France, and Portugal, which between them already controlled most of the coastal territories where forts were established for protection of trading companies. Belgium, Italy and Spain played supporting roles with the others haggling in vain for crumbs. The broad division that resulted was:

- Hosts Germany grabbed Namibia (German Southwest Africa) and Tanzania (German East Africa), Togo land, some of Cameroon and Benin.
- Great Britain pressed its naval and military advantage and secured Egypt, parts of Sudan, Uganda and Kenya (or British East Africa), most of southern Africa including South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe (or Rhodesia), Botswana and significant areas of West Africa especially Nigeria and Ghana (Gold Coast).
- Belgium and King Leopold II held tight to the Democratic Republic of Congo (then known as Belgian Congo).
- France secured most of western and central Africa, then known as French West Africa and French Equatorial Africa and later some of North Africa.
- Portugal took Mozambique and Angola
- Italy got Somalia (Italian Somaliland) and a portion of Ethiopia.
- While Spain made do with the smallest territory - Equatorial Guinea (Rio Muni).

The negative impact of the partition on Africa could not have been lost on the colonial powers especially Bismarck of Germany whose entire 40-year political career was devoted to the unification of Germanic states including fighting three wars including the Franco-Prussian war of 1870-71 and executing an endless series of diplomatic manoeuvres that played his neighbours against each other. (The subsequent defeat of Germany in the first and second world wars led to the loss of its colonies)

For the "natives' already disoriented by the slave trade and its consequences, expansionism, protectorates and artificial states not only meant the denial of the right to self determination, it meant suppression and containment by state machineries designed for colonial rule. Colonial economies were not designed to develop the colonies but rather to create wealth for the colonial powers. An entire legislative framework and state apparatus was specifically designed to ensure that "the law" crushed any signs of dissidence. Sedition, criminal defamation, insult laws, states of emergency, detention without trial, pass laws etc became key instruments of control by colonial authorities or white minority governments in southern Africa. These frameworks and culture of intolerance for opposing views were largely inherited by many African states and laid the foundation of institutional abuse of rights in many modern African countries today.

It is utterly impossible to sustain human rights within the context of unviable states, failed states, or states perpetually in a state of conflict either because they are an artificial construct with ruling elites based very narrowly ethnic, language, racial or other artificial divisions. Also, the artificial borders created by the partition of Africa broke apart ethnic nationalities and in many cases fused them artificially with others nationalities within new states. Ruling elites were cultivated either from minorities or majorities or artificially created and sustained using the army and or police. These divide and conquer policies were unsustainable indefinitely and it was just a matter of time before conflicts broke out over political or economic domination. In some countries, the process of independence leading to the withdrawal of colonial powers or served as the trigger for long suppressed divisions to boil over. Either way, the entire construct of these states was aimed at exploiting and violating the rights of citizens.

By the time of independence, many African countries were stuck with these artificial constructs and a change of guard offered no solution. Not insignificantly, the independence era coincided with the cold war era and any leaders actually asserting independence were promptly labelled communists and dispatched via coups, murder or both. Some countries such as the DRC are yet to recover from the consequences of such interference and disruption that led to the murder of its elected Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba and the imposition of Mobutu. If as in the case of Ghana's Nkrumah new leaders actually advocated African Unity and a reversal of the colonial borders and fiefdoms of new political leaders then other insecure African governments anxious to maintain the status quo also opposed them. Where soldiers were not directly prompted to seize power, the fragile nature of many states and their non productive nature meant that in the struggle for political power, the most organised and best armed body of men would inevitably become aware of their potential power and sweep squabbling politicians aside. The assumption of power by armies largely trained to serve colonial interests by holding down populations could only lead to more institutional violation of rights. Despite their occasional anti-imperialist posturing and theatrics designed to confuse issues and consolidate their hold on power, this was the true nature of the Mobutu's and Idi Amin's.

The cold war also resulted in prolonging the life of white minority rule in southern Africa as the liberation movements were seen as pro communist or socialist and the white minority governments pro west and pro capitalist. Cold war rivals sustained all sorts of undemocratic governments of the left, right or centrist kind, as Africa once again became an arena of conflict.

In other words, the interruption of social, economic and political development by four centuries of slavery, the repressive legislative frameworks, state apparatus, institutions and culture created by colonial authorities, the non productive nature of many economies, the unviability of others, artificially constructed states, long periods of military or civilian dictatorships that plundered the countries, the cold war fall out and so forth have all combined to create the present political culture and political economy which prevails in much of Africa and makes it difficult if not impossible to uphold human rights in a sustainable form.

Any move away from this past which had as its central feature the institutional violation of rights must therefore have as its new central feature, the institutional promotion of rights. Its not a coincidence, that the new African Union has emerged in a decade that has seen more elections in Africa than in the last 40 to 50 years of independence of most Africa countries. In the case of some southern African countries, independence was only won in the last 10 to 20 years. Compared to the relative 600 to 700 years of stability and development in Europe only accelerated or held back by revolution or war for certain periods its easy to see why Africa remains the least developed continent despite its potential. The context becomes clearer in comparison with the Asian colonies which had their civilisations, cultures and developmental trajectories affected by decades of colonialism - but crucially not suspended or destroyed by 400 years of slavery followed by carving up and imposition of mostly artificial states. The result is that Asia has an unbroken sense of history and culture and recovered quickly but not yet completely from colonialism. In the case of China and Japan, the results of relative lack of disruption are clear to see. Were it not for the immortality of the pyramids, mummification techniques that indicate advancements in medical science and undeniable archaeological evidence of several African civilisations thousands of years older than many European and Asian civilisations, Africa and civilisation would never be mentioned in the same breath. As it stands, Hollywood is still in denial as evidenced by its continuous portrayal of ancient Egypt by white actors. This travesty and violation of historical and cultural rights can only be equalled by a spectacle of African actors portraying ancient Greece, Rome or China without any sense of irony.

The largely unbroken development of Europe over the last few centuries also explains why modern day European military dictatorships such as Franco in Spain, Salazar in Portugal or more recently in Greece and the Balkans did not fundamentally upset the development of those societies even though some of them and Franco in particular lasted over 30 years - longer than most African dictatorships. Even where as in the case of Hitler and Mussolini dictatorship and war led to destruction, the Marshall plan with its more or less free billions of dollars reconstructed and even gave impetus to further development of those societies.

Most importantly and not surprisingly, major European governments subsequently came to the conclusion that the creation of a European Union would help break the cycle of wars and conflict in Europe and create the developmental basis for future socio economic and political stability. At the heart of this today is the promotion of European level core rights instruments, which provide more protection to citizens than the rights regimes in many individual countries hence the tendency to resort to the European Courts for the protection of rights, denied in-country. "I will go to Europe" has become a fashionable slang by many that feel cheated and unprotected.

The adoption of several rights based treaties and protocols by the new African Union is a step in the right direction and the recent declaration of a treaty signing week within the last month shows that the Commission of the African Union in particular clearly understands the role that promotion of rights can play in the development of modern society. The mission, vision and strategic plan promoted by the Commissions current Chair Prof. Alpha Konare are evidence of this. It is far from clear however that many African governments understand this as evidenced by the lethargy towards signing, ratifying and institutionalising instruments that will enhance the protection of rights such as the African Court of Human Rights /Court of Justice and the Protocol for the Protection of Rights of Women. This trend must be reversed. The broad sketches of African and world history and development above demonstrate that no where on the planet is the institutionalisation of rights more crucial to development than in Africa.

The political integration of Africa is aimless and doomed unless done on a rights basis that reverses hundreds of years of a largely imposed political culture rights abuses which can in turn unleash its creative and developmental potential. The protection of rights can also not be sustained on the basis of underdevelopment. Governments largely based on exploitation, preservation of ruling elites, or that preside over underdeveloped societies tend to deny free expression and core rights of association, assembly, political participation and ignore key economic and social rights such as health care, housing, food security and so forth. The summary and core of the rights imperative is that all societies need these rights to develop and cannot develop further without the protection of these rights.

Sankore is Coordinator of CREDO for Freedom of Expression & Associated Rights an NGO focussing on rights issues in Africa.

DRC: Resolving conflict crucial for human rights in Africa

2004-12-16

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/comment/26225

“Conflict is like a fire: It can keep you warm and can cook your food, but if it gets out of control, it can burn your house down.”

One thousand people die every day in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and nearly half of these deaths are accounted for by children under five years of age, according to a report released this week by the International Rescue Committee (see Conflicts and Emergencies for more details). The IRC says these deaths add daily to the cumulative total of 3.8 million fatalities since the crisis began in August 1998 to the end of April 2004. Far from being resolved, the volatile situation in the east of the country continues to cause grave concern, with recent reports that Rwandan troops have entered the DRC to pursue rebels it says threaten its security. Pambazuka News emailed some questions about the situation in the DRC to YAV KATSHUNG JOSEPH, Executive Director of CERDH (Centre for Human Rights and democracy Studies / Centre d’Etudes et de Recherche en Droits de l’Homme et Démocratie).

PZ: News reports indicate a higher level of sabre rattling between Rwandan president Paul Kagame threatening to pursue forces hostile to Rwanda in the DRC and the DRC government sending troops to the eastern border. Reports indicate that Rwandan troops are operating in the DRC. In May, Bukavu was the focus of violent conflict, with Rwanda fingered as having provided logistical support, but strongly denying any involvement. This time Rwanda has stated in a very clear way that they will cross into the DRC to pursue forces that threaten them. What are the circumstances and the sequence of events that have led to this situation?

YKJ: Rwanda’s goals are to neutralise the rebel groups/interahamwe based in the DRC who destabilise peace; to prevent incursions from the DRC based rebel-groups; and natural resources control, etc. The DRC goals are security of the people, resources, property and state.

I noted with surprise that barely a week after the conclusion of the international conference on the Great Lakes, where leaders of the DRC, Uganda and Rwanda expressed willingness to co-operate in matters of common concern, there has been an eruption of fresh conflict. In fact, reports are that Rwanda has re-invaded the DRC.

Rwanda has twice invaded DRC in recent years - it says to attack Rwandan rebels based there. Rwanda has consistently said it is prepared to take military action because of the threat it says is posed by the group of some 8,000 men, which includes fighters who took part in the 1994 genocide of Tutsis and moderate Hutus. As usually, Rwanda justified their invasion by saying that they were pursuing interahamwe who were said to have sought refuge in the DRC.

Even after signing an agreement in Dar es salaam (Declaration on the Great Lakes) in November 2004, the Rwandan president threatened to pursue forces hostile to Rwanda in the DRC. Under the peace deal, the Hutu rebels were supposed to have been disarmed but progress has been slow. For Rwanda, the deadline of demobilizing the interahamwe have passed and the DRC and MONUC failed to do so and therefore, Rwanda would like to do it by force.
PZ: How serious is this latest round of hostilities and what are the implications for the transitional government in the DRC and peace in the Great Lakes region?

YKJ: The Congolese government said 6,000 Rwandan troops had crossed the border and attacked villages. Some 2,000 people have fled in North Kivu province. As a consequence, some 10,000 troops have been sent to expel Rwandan forces from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Rwandan military action is unravelling tentative moves towards peace throughout the Great Lakes region and the trust between the various elements in government has thinned because, the RCD (Congolese Rally for Democracy) is seen to deal with the Rwandans.

PZ: The Great Lakes conflict involving Zimbabwe, Namibia, Angola, DRC, Rwanda, Uganda and Burundi is reported to have resulted in three million deaths and more than two million refugees and internally displaced people. In the east of the country instability and the flagrant violation of human rights has continued. The scale of the human suffering is almost unprecedented and yet somehow it seems that the DRC crisis has played second fiddle to other international and regional concerns, such as for example Sudan. Why do you think this is?

YKJ: The war in the DRC has resulted in one of the world’s worst humanitarian crisis with over 3.4 million displaced persons scattered throughout the country. An estimated 3.5 million people have died as a result of the war. This is a figure much higher than the national population of many African countries and several times superior to the number of victims of the Rwandan, Yugoslav, Sierra Leonean and Sudan conflicts that attracted so much attention. All in all, the international response to human rights violations in the DRC was an unsatisfactory one. Even worse was the response of the African Commission. Anyone concerned with the protection of human rights should be interested in the DRC conflict which impacted so negatively on the rights of more than 50 million African people and the resolution of which constitutes a step forward in the promotion of human rights in Africa as a whole.

PZ: South Africa has played a role in the peace negotiations in the DRC but the process seems to keep on stumbling against the same obstacles. What does this say about the South African approach to establishing peace on the continent in relation not only to the DRC, but also their involvement in the Ivory Coast?

YKJ: It is true that South Africa has been instrumental in putting in place the transitional Government in the DRC and actually, facilitating negotiation in the Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast). However, there is a kind of fear at some level regarding the Congolese experience. In fact, initially, people were very enthusiastic about its role in the DRC as the main engine driving the process.
Things have however changed. Firstly, there is a general feeling that it is not Congolese, or Rwandans who won the war (if the armed conflict can be considered as such), but South Africa. This is largely in economic terms. South African companies have since invested heavily in the DRC and are behind most explorations and other economic activities. Some even think that this could have been the driving force behind South Africa's fervent involvement in the process. Others are saying that South Africa simply wants to have control in Africa and it is behaving like an imperialist characterized by hegemonic ideas. To me, the South African approach to establishing peace on the continent is a good thing but the objective must be genuine and for the interest of Africa.

PZ: What action needs to be taken and structures put in place to end this latest threat to peace and secure human rights in the region?

YKJ: The Security Council urged Rwanda not to send troops into DRC but did not condemn Rwanda's action or impose sanctions on the President, as the Congolese had wanted.

Incursion of the forces of one state into another can lead to rising tensions and inter-state armed conflicts. If the conflicts are not addressed, this can affect the well-being of the population’s socio-economic development and resources might be diverted to warfare instead of human and economic development; and if the conflict is not addressed it can have an impact on inter-state trade and restrict free movement of the people.

THERAPY:

1. There is a need to Disarm, Demobilise, Repatriate and re-integrate armed groups;
2. The international community should assist with the quick implementation of the agreements signed;
3. There is a need to put into consideration/revisit the mandate of MONUC-reinforcing the capacity of MONUC within a realistic time frame to implement the Agreement;
4. Establish joint border patrols between the national armies of all countries;
5. Need to reinforce confidence-building measures and joint and regional verification mechanisms should be reinforced with continued dialogue;
With regards the internal crisis in the DRC, the transitional government brought relative peace to the country, however there still exist pockets of crisis in the eastern regions. The transitional government should be pressurized by the international community and supported to conduct elections in June 2005 as planned. Furthermore, the MONUC should assure the security in the eastern borders of the country for the disarmament of armed groups

PZ: Further comments?

YKJ: In conclusion, all states in the Great Lakes region must know that: “Conflict is like a fire: It can keep you warm and can cook your food, but if it gets out of control, it can burn your house down.”

* Please send comments to editor@pambazuka.org

Reflections on Ghana's election and the lessons for West Africa

Kayode Fayemi

2004-12-16

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/comment/26223

In the arena of post cold war democratisation in Africa, Ghana clearly hit the ground running. From the first election in 1992 that saw the transformation of Flight Lt Jerry Rawlings to President Jerry Rawlings, through the 1996 'stolen election', to the 2000 election, which resulted in the alternation of power from Rawlings' National Democratic Congress (NDC) Government to John Kuffuor's New Patriotic Party (NPP) government, the 2004 election promised all the elements of a consolidation election.

This was the context of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)-West Africa Civil Society Forum's observer mission to Ghana's election this week. Although ECOWAS deployed its own official observer mission, the leadership of West African civil society bodies affiliated to ECOWAS also felt we needed to undertake our own mission. It was a small team of ten led by Sierra Leone's civil society activist and politician, Zainab Bangura, and we deployed in five regions - Greater Accra, Volta, Ashanti, Eastern, and Northern regions. I was in the Greater Accra region with our Team Leader, Zainab Bangura, and coordinated the reports from our colleagues in the hinterland.

Although we were prepared for a well-run election, as Africans who have also 'monitored' elections in several African countries, we were on the lookout for inadequacies. In terms of the preparation and even-handedness of the electoral commission, we were not disappointed. The Electoral Commission arranged our accreditation promptly even though we applied late, it sent its officials to train us on the peculiarities of elections observation in Ghana, and the training covered a range of subjects from security to the voter register. Finally, the EC invited us to contact its officials immediately we notice anything unusual during the voting exercise.

In the period prior to the polls we also met with the leadership of the major political parties, NPP, NDC and CPP, and they all evinced a strong desire for a peaceful and well-run election. All espoused non-violence and all said that if they lost they would seek redress through legal means or accept defeat. It was apparent that campaigning also involved an element of voter education, for example in how to mark the ballots correctly, making the point that those with a vested interest can be the most committed teachers.

The parties were not without complaints, especially officials of the official opposition NDC, and these were extensively documented in a “Memorandum for Foreign and Domestic Observers and Monitors” which was shared with us by its officials. Their concerns ranged from the Voters Identification Card system, delays in disbursement of funds to the EC, manipulation of the media and biased coverage in favour of the ruling party, training of foreign mercenaries and importation of weapons and the alleged partisan involvement of President Obasanjo of Nigeria.

On the eve of the election, the NDC insisted on a meeting of all the political parties with the Electoral Commission to discuss lingering concerns about the “flawed process”. We attended the meeting as observers and it was interesting to see the manner the Electoral Commission responded to all the allegations made by the NDC, both in the way it conceded on some of the gaps noticed by NDC and in the manner it held its own grounds on other aspects of its preparations. I am familiar with many of these allegations as a Ghanaian resident and felt the EC did a good job of demonstrating its independence.

On Election Day, our team visited no fewer than forty polling stations in the Greater Accra region. It was only in one station that the election did not start promptly at 7.a.m because materials did not arrive there due to a vehicle breakdown. We made a point of speaking particularly to party polling agents and it was remarkable that not a single polling agent, particularly those from the opposition parties had any complaints to make to us. In a few polling booths with unusually large number of voters, there was some rowdiness, but by the time we brought this to the notice of the Deputy Chairman in Charge of Operations at the EC headquarters, the Commission promptly took action.

In all cases, police presence was hardly noticeable as they stood some distance from the polling officials, except when their attention was requested. Our colleagues in the other regions painted pretty much the same picture, except the Northern region where there were pockets of violence in the Bawku constituency. With respect to counting, this was done at each polling station immediately after voting stopped at 5.p.m. In a unique collaboration between Joy 99 FM station, the Institute of Economic Affairs and Ghana's largest mobile telephone company, Spacefon, results were relayed by phone to the news studio and broadcast, across the country.

What Ghanaians have managed to do with this election is prove that election management is no rocket science. It requires adequate and competent preparation, a high degree of transparency, a responsible government, which respects its own citizens and an alert citizenry ready to protect their vote. It does not matter who wins the election in Ghana as the results were still coming in by the time this was written, but the process that I witnessed was without exaggeration better than what transpired in the last US election. (Editors note: Subsequent to this article being written, President John Kufuor has won re-election for a second term.)

Yet in spite of all one has written, Ghana is not without post election challenges. If President Kufuor wins the election, he would be mistaken to interpret the verdict as a vote of confidence in his government's performance. Ghanaians still worry that their economy is too aid-dependent with sixty percent of the budget coming from external assistance and extreme poverty still stalking the land.

My own assessment listening to Ghana's proliferating FM stations and to ordinary people in my four years of part-residence in Ghana is that the legacies of authoritarian rule and the search for stability count more for ordinary Ghanaians than immediate economic gains. But this may not be for long. As long as many Ghanaians see the shadow of former President Rawlings lurking in the opposition NDC though, the likelihood of its victory in presidential election is remote.

The irony is that the NPP government has not necessarily performed creditably in ensuring the security and safety of ordinary Ghanaians, especially Ghanaians in the Northern region. The brazen murder of the local monarch, the Ya Na in Yendi District, a centre of traditional influence in the Northern region remains a major source of tension and there are those who see the NPP as responsible for this, given the prominence of major NPP figures like Aliu Mahama (current Vice President), Joshua Hamidu (former National Security Adviser and now High Commissioner to Nigeria) and Malik Alhassan Yakubu (former Interior Minister) in the conflict. Indeed, the only area that witnessed serious conflict during the election was the North, especially the Bawku constituency where Hawa Yakubu, prominent civil society activist and ECOWAS Parliamentarian was a candidate.

Equally, in terms of development, the property owning democracy and golden age of business that NPP promised Ghanaians is yet to materialise four years after it came into office. Generally, the economy is no better than where the NDC left it. Over the past two decades, market forces have dominated the economy and this trend has continued with the NPP government. The economy is reliant on the export of primary products thus making it vulnerable to the general shocks of the global economy including price fluctuations. Further, since the 1990s, the economy has been characterised by high rates of inflation, high interest rates, depreciation of the cedi, dwindling foreign reserves, excessive public debt overhang and stagnant economic growth, implementation of the government poverty reduction strategy notwithstanding. The real test of NPP's popularity will come in 2008 when Kuffuor's term expires, and the opposition parties have managed to re-organise themselves.

There are lessons too for other West African countries, especially the most populous of them all, Nigeria. It is arguable that elections in Ghana have resulted in enhanced legitimacy because the chain has remained unbroken since 1992. Having run the fourth election in an unbroken cycle, the Electoral Commission in Ghana is regarded as one of the best managed in the whole of Africa. Its Executive Chairman, Dr Kwadjo Afari-Gyan, and his fellow commissioners have become well-known elections gurus in the continent, earning the respect of peers across the board. Sitting in on one of the Commission's meetings with political parties, one can understand why. Dr Afari-Gyan demonstrated a mastery of his brief without being arrogant, entertained legitimate complaints from the opposition parties and left all with a clear impression that he was not in the pocket of any government or opposition party.

The challenge is therefore to organise an Electoral Commission that is truly independent of Government and wholly accountable to the people. The Ghanaians can help by sharing their experience with other West Africans, and since Dr Afari-Gyan is already the Secretary-General of the Elections Management Bodies in Africa, there is a platform to achieve this objective.

Also, given the plans by ECOWAS to establish a full Elections Unit in the ECOWAS Secretariat, that Unit has the specific challenge of assisting to enhance election management in West Africa, by providing capacity strengthening initiatives and strictly upholding the provisions of the Supplementary protocol on Democracy & Good Governance signed by all Heads of States in West Africa, but yet to be ratified by the majority of these leaders.

Another lesson that West African states should take to heart is the relevance of freedom of information and the vigilance of civil society. A major credit for the transparent conduct of the Ghanaian election goes to the several FM stations dotted around the country and the vigilance of CODEO - the local domestic observer mission of 7,000 people. Although some of the FM stations can be a bit over the top in the use of inelegant adjectives to describe the President and opposition leaders, they feed the public with regular, minute-by-minute updates on the elections, and in the process prevent potential problems. They also broadcast provisional election results as soon as counting is completed at the polling booth and follow this to the collation centres until final results are delivered. And, more importantly, they are encouraged to do so by the Electoral Commission. So, the idea that a result known to everyone at the local level suddenly produces another winner as it happens in Nigeria is immediately nipped in the bud.

Finally, what Ghana proves is the importance of distance between the Electoral Commission and the political leadership in any state and the confidence that comes from understanding and surefootedness. We need a better understanding of electoral geography in all of our countries in West Africa, a factor that may well be responsible for the fear of election among the contending parties in Cote d'Ivoire. Two, we should let the public nominate elections commissioners and subject them to public scrutiny before Parliament appoints them in our countries; three, we must fund the electoral body direct from the Consolidated Account without any interference from the ruling Government; four, the electoral body must be supported by an independent bureaucracy, not the regular civil service, and finally, we must ensure that the electoral law promotes independent candidacy and proportional representation rather than winner takes all mentality in our countries where diversity should be celebrated.

In all of these areas, Ghana is light years ahead of many West African states but that is really where the greatest hope lies. Here is a country that was a complete basket case in the early 1980s and many never thought it could recover from its abysmal state. It also defies political science theory up to a point, in that the people are still poor but they value democracy. Barely two decades later, Ghana is an example and a beacon of hope for the rest of Africa. African states' permanent transition too may yet lead to transformation and I believe that if the chain remains unbroken in many of our states, we will improve electoral legitimacy.

* Dr Kayode Fayemi is Director, Centre for Democracy & Development, in Nigeria. This article is reproduced with permission of CDD.

* Please send comments to editor@pambazuka.org

* Click on the link below for press statement by the West African Civil Society Forum on the Ghana elections.
PRESS STATEMENT BY THE WEST AFRICAN CIVIL SOCIETY FORUM (WACSOF) ON THE GHANA PRESIDENTIAL AND PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS OF 7TH DECEMBER 2004
The West African Civil Society Forum (WACSOF) is a network of civil society organizations throughout the 15 member states of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) with diverse backgrounds and experience.
In line with WACSOF’s key objective of promoting free, fair and credible elections as a means to ensuring that democracy and good governance prevails in the sub-region, a team of election observers was sent to observe the Ghana Presidential and parliamentary elections held on Tuesday 7th December 2004. The team included men and women from the following ECOWAS member states – Benin, Guinea-Bissau, Ghana, The Gambia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria. The team was in Ghana from Tuesday 30th November to Friday 10th December, 2004.
The mission of the team was among others, to study the Ghana electoral process and draw some useful lessons from which WACSOF can benefit to help inform how civil society can be better organized and capacitated to effectively engage in democratic processes in other West African countries.
In order to adequately achieve this task, five teams were deployed in the following regions-Volta, Ashanti, Central Northern and Greater Accra. In each of these regions, the observers visited the interviewed electoral Commission officials, political parties, the media, voters and security operatives.
Even though WACSOF was not on the ground in Ghana long enough to be able to make valid judgements about the electoral process, WACSOF wishes to make the following comments:
1. WACSOF commends the Electoral commission for the high level of professionalism displayed. The processes and procedures, materials and logistical arrangements were considered adequate for the conduct of elections.
2. The active involvement of civil society and the media was evident and is commendable. The non-partisanship of some the TV and FM stations deserves special mention and is encouraged. It is however noted that some of the newspaper reports and TV campaign adverts were considered not very helpful.
3. WACSOF is delighted to note the very encouraging level of participation and involvement of the Ghanaian electorate in the electoral process. The high turnout, attitude, passion, enthusiasm, patience, tolerance and orderly conduct of the Ghanaian voter are applauded.
4. WACSOF would like to note especially the active involvement and participation of women. This was evident in the large turnout of female voters and the role women played as staff of the Electoral Commission and as aspirants.
5. The involvement and participation of the physically challenged as voters, domestic observers and aspirants was most encouraging. This should most positively influence countries in the sub region just recovering from violent conflicts during which large number of their citizens have been permanently disabled.
6. The professional conduct of the security agencies and their close collaboration with the Electoral Commission in ensuring conducive and appropriate conditions of the electoral process is also commended.
7. WACSOF acknowledge the support from the ECOWAS Executive Secretariat and DANIDA in making observer Mission a success.
8. Finally, WACSOF is of the opinion that no serious electoral malpractices were observed that would question the validity of the election results and indeed the integrity of the electoral process. The results so far announced, WASCOF believes, represent the expressed will of the Ghanaian populace. The elections can therefore be described as free and peaceful. WACSOF therefore calls on all stakeholders to ensure the growth of true and participatory democracy in Ghana. Ghana has indeed come a long was and the challenge Ghanaians now face is how to sustain this democracy and consolidate on the social and economic gains so far achieved.

Done in Accra this day 9 December 2004.
Mrs. Zainab Hawa Bangura
(Team Leader)

The Crisis in Côte d'Ivoire

Véronique Tadjo

2004-12-16

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/comment/26205

For the international community to intervene decisively in a particular conflict, it is always better if a clear picture of good guys and bad guys can emerge. Anything less and the world dithers. Most decision-makers take an 'innocent until proven guilty' approach to ruling parties and rebels.

Unfortunately, it is not always possible to give easy answers. At times, all the protagonists are unfit to rule. What can the international community do then? That is the fundamental problem in Côte d'Ivoire today.

Until last month, an uneasy ceasefire held between the government and rebel troops, who seized the northern half of the country in 2002. Despite the presence of UN peacekeeping troops the Ivorian government broke the détente by bombing rebel positions. In the process, nine French soldiers and an American aid worker were killed. In retaliation, the French army destroyed most of the Ivorian air force.

Recently, the UN Security Council imposed an arms embargo, a welcome first step but not enough to end the cycle of violence in what was once regarded as the most stable country in a very unstable region. Before mediators can find a solution, they must understand the depth and complexity of the country's leadership crisis.

The present crisis began to take shape in 1993, when the country's first president, Felix Houphoüet-Boigny, died after 33 years in power. Under his reign, Côte d'Ivoire became the most advanced economy in West Africa. As the world's top cocoa producer, the country was able to afford a modern capital and an impressive network of roads. Foreign investment and a policy welcoming migrant labour from neighbouring countries were part of the country's success story.

During the boom years, millions of economic migrants from all over West Africa settled permanently in Côte d'Ivoire. With time they acquired Ivorian citizenship and their children were born in the country.

By the time Houphoüet-Boigny died, Côte d'Ivoire was on the verge of implosion. The winds of democratisation were sweeping Africa. Prices for the nation's major crops, cocoa and coffee, were dropping, the currency, the CFA franc, was devalued. National debt had risen to unsustainable levels and unrest gripped the country.

Former finance minister Henri Konan Bédié succeeded Houphoüet-Boigny. To bolster his power base and exclude rivals from contesting for power, Bédié promoted a new concept of 'Ivoirité' (Ivorian-ness), which sought to distinguish between 'real' Ivorian citizens and foreigners.

Hidden behind this question was the issue of land ownership, entitlement to what was left of the riches of the country and access to political power. Due to their geographical proximity and cultural links to countries such as Mali, Burkina Faso and Guinea, the burden rested (and still rests) on people from the northern part of Côte d'Ivoire to prove that they are not foreigners. In the past few years identity cards have been denied to a lot of people on the basis of their Malinké sounding names. Consequently, during the last elections a substantial number of northerners were disenfranchised.

Alassane Ouattara became the flashpoint of this politics of exclusion. He draws much of his support from the north. He served as prime minister in Houphouët's last government and was, with Gbagbo, the most popular rival to Bédié. Being a Muslim of Burkina Faso descent, Ouattara's Ivorian citizenship has been contested by Bedié and Gbagbo's governments. This has effectively barred him from being a presidential candidate.

In December 1999, Gen. Robert Guéi toppled Konan Bédié in a coup d'état. Despite promises to the contrary, Guéi stood as a candidate in elections that also barred Ouattara from participation. Guéi declared himself the winner, but was forced to flee by popular uprising. Laurent Gbagbo, long an opponent of Houphouët's ruling party, took power as the presumed winner of that flawed election. Ouattara called for fresh elections, but Gbagbo refused. Fighting erupted between Gbagbo and Ouattara supporters.

Instead of conciliation, Gbagbo continued to stir ethnic division. He financed and armed the Young Patriots, a party militia that has staged violent demonstrations, attacked foreigners and is accused of extra-judicial killings of opposition party organisers.

Within two years, rebel soldiers from the north rose against his government and succeeded in cutting the country in two. Rapid deployment of French troops stalled the conflict, but neither side has shown willingness to compromise. Both sides have broken the Marcoussis peace accord brokered by the French as well as the Accra II and III agreements. Gbagbo continued to re-arm and failed to follow through on pledges to reform electoral and citizenship laws.

French troops and political pressure were without doubt instrumental in stopping all-out civil war. But as the former colonial power, France does not have the profile of a neutral party. Through state media propaganda, Gbagbo effectively used the destruction of the nation's small air force in November to whip up anti-French sentiment among the population and divert international attention from his abrupt violation of the cease-fire.

Left alone, the country will return to war, which will have devastating consequences for the region. Fresh elections are necessary, but many issues must be settled first.

Given their track record, it seems unlikely that either Gbagbo or Guillaume Soro of the rebel forces will lay down their arms unless the international community imposes its will. Elections must be organised by a body that is broadly accepted as neutral but is forceful enough to insist on fair play. Unless the elections are free and fair, the conflict will start again.

Ouattara and Bédié are planning to join forces and contest the elections together, with Bédié running as president and Ouattara as prime minister. Bédié pledged to serve only one term and hand over to Ouattara. An alliance between Ouattara and Bédié, a Christian, is capable of defeating Gbagbo in a fair vote and would help diffuse the threat that southern Christians perceive from a northern Muslim running the country.

The first step to effective outside mediation is recognising the extent to which all players have acted in bad faith so far. Grand corruption went unchecked under Bédié, who celebrated his outrageous fortune with champagne and caviar. He also fathered the present politics of exclusion. Gbagbo has stirred ethnic tension, continually delayed implementation of the peace accords, unleashed the violent Young Patriots and pumped out hate speech on state media. He is not committed to a diplomatic resolution of the crisis. As for Ouattara, although he could have diffused tensions and relinquished control of his party to someone with less problematic nationality, he led his party to boycott elections even though this was a bad political move.

The northern rebel forces, who remain tainted for having tried to violently seize power, have no political experience or party organisation able to assume leadership. Moreover, the government has accused them of being backed militarily by Burkina Faso.

Given this background, the best option would be to bar Gbagbo, Bédié, Ouattara and Soro from politics. Indeed, judging from previous actions, Gbagbo's government will try everything to prevent the elections from taking place in the face of the Bedié-Ouattara alliance or will simply bar Bédié from being a candidate.

An interim government must therefore take over and lead the country to internationally supervised elections.

* Véronique Tadjo is a writer and artist from Côte d'Ivoire. A former lecturer at the University of Abidjan and author, her latest novel, Reine Pokou, will appear next March in Paris. This article was first published in e-Africa, an electronic journal published by The South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA). It is reproduced here with permission of SAIIA. (http://www.saiia.org.za/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=450)

* Please send comments to editor@pambazuka.org

Open letter to UNESCO on Microsoft agreement

2004-12-16

http://www.funredes.org/mistica/carta_unesco.htm?lan=en

"As social activists in the field of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) for development, we applaud those activities of UNESCO directed towards placing knowledge in the public domain and, in particular, promoting FLOSS (Free Libre and Open Source Software) in developing countries. We recognise and value the battles fought by UNESCO in the context of the World Summit for the Information Society. This position, from an intergovernmental organisation, is one of the closest to the position of civil society. In this context it is with surprise that we receive news of an agreement between UNESCO and the Microsoft company, proposed for application in the fields of information, communication, education and learning. Our perplexity grows with the knowledge that at the same time UNESCO is finalising an important agreement on cultural diversity."

* Praise for Pambazuka News (1)

Jabu Dlamini

2004-12-16

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/letters/26240

* Praise for Pambazuka News (2)

Joseph Ochogwu

2004-12-16

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/letters/26241

* Praise for Pambazuka News (3)

Marie José van der Werff ten Bosch

2004-12-16

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/letters/26242

African leaders should take care of food security

Lilian K. Gisesa

2004-12-16

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/letters/26182

Thank you for my second online edition of the Pambazuka magazine.

My comment is that nobody wants to be sick so that he/she can be treated. Thus my plea to African heads and all leaders is to address the issue of food security and then things like health can be catered for automatically. Why? With good nutrition, most diseases are kept at bay. There has been this craze in Kenya by the Ministry of Health for a National Health Bill. It is fine, but I can’t understand how it is going to work when there are over 300 000 Kenyans staying in the slums. Maybe you have heard of slums - visit one (Kibera slums) and get the real picture of what it means to be poor. The same applies to people living in rural areas. Their living conditions are below average.

Africa is a very productive land, and if this resource is harnessed properly, we can even produce a surplus.

Appeal for information on Sierra Leone

Sarah Armstrong

2004-12-16

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/letters/26180

I recently returned from a journey to Sierra Leone where I met with NGOs and CBOs in the country dealing specifically with women and children's issues. I have a lot of information on the organizations. However, I do not have a lot of statistics on the plight of women and children to help "paint a picture of the situation."

I have just started ‘A Brighter Tomorrow for Africa’ - a charitable organization to raise awareness of and resources for the CBOs and NGOs with which I visited. I am a subscriber and have seen stories on Sierra Leone. I have not, however seen specific statistics relating to the plight of women and children in Sierra Leone? Do you have any or can you point me to an organization that might? I am looking for the following information:

- Education? The level for women and for children?
- Sexual Abuse Cases?
- Ex Combatants?
- Number of street children?
- Number of orphans?
- The health of women and children in Sierra Leone?

Any and all help would be GREATLY appreciated. (sarah.armstrong@mosaiccompany.com)

Debating FGM

Razia Mohamedali

2004-12-16

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/letters/26181

I've been trying to get the authorities here for suggestions and/or to take some kind of action regarding this matter but have not had any practical feedback from anybody, yet.

There are some doctors and nurses belonging to the community who perform this these days and because it is such a close-knit community, it's very difficult to catch the perpetrators or the parents/guardians who take their little girls of between 5 and 6 years to them.

The Kenyan organizations who deal with this matter and to whom I've written have offered to take no action, unfortunately. They all want somebody to volunteer (including the police), to plant a trap to catch them red-handed. I wouldn't personally have minded doing this if I had a daughter, but I don't.

So, what other alternative does one have in the circumstances? Because if nothing is done, this practice will continue, ad infinitum, and the poor little girls continue to suffer and ironically they themselves will practice it on their daughters when the time comes.

Any suggestions on what to do?

Land rights and women

WLSA Zambia

2004-12-16

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/letters/26226

I wanted to share the Chilala case with and ask you for ideas on a continental land rights campaign for women. The facts are as follows:

"Mrs Chilala was widowed. She and her husband had occupied customary land on which they built brick houses. After her husband died, she refused to be inherited by her brother in law and since one of her sons was willing to stay on at the homestead she decided she would stay and not return to her natal home. Her in laws then decided to bury deceased relatives on her premises. To date there are 16 graves at this old woman's homestead. The matter went before the Lands Tribunal (which is ranked at the same level with the High Court but is a specialized Court) and the tribunal ruled that this is not a matter within their mandate and ordered that she pays legal costs to the tune of K50,000,000 (equivalent of US$12,000) she is over 70 years old”.

I know that there is land reform taking place in most of Southern Africa (not sure about the rest of Africa) but can we use this case for advocacy and also do something for this woman. Note we are working with the Justice for Widows and Orphans to seek redress. (wlsazam@zamnet.zm)

Looking backwards to the future

Oru Ntui

2004-12-16

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/letters/26179

I agree with you entirely on this issue (Pan-African Postcard: Gluttons who vomit on shoes, 29 July 2004). I just wanted to say that this British High Commissioner is serving a country where pirates and thieves of the worst sort are worshiped as national heroes. This tells you everything about his lot.

Talk about gluttons, do they Europeans ever get satisfied with anything? They want to possess and control the whole world. And to think they are our “donors”: is Western Europe still not more dependent on Afrika than the reverse?

That British High Commissioner will never say one bit against his own country, where corruption is institutional. I have always pointed out the fact that in a place like “Cameroon” where I hail from, it is not really corruption when a policeman demands money in return for a favor or not; it is an exercise or abuse of power or position. But in a place like Western Europe where you find MPs sitting on the board of directors and where contracts are only awarded after heavy bribery, you will never hear them talk of corruption. And then Transparency International will come up with Cameroon as being the most corrupt country on earth. Ridiculous!

I see it as a relentless effort to control us by controlling our minds. And we are made to believe that we can only achieve progress if we stop the corruption, engage in voting for fools and so on. What nonsense! We Afrikans have to understand what the main issue is. We have to understand what it means to redefine ourselves after the long period of devastation through foreign involvement in our business.

They even go as far as choosing Mandela as Afrikan president of the century and Mugabe as the worst. And so the former is given red carpet treatment all over Europe and the later gets a hell of a whipping from the international imperialist press. But the Afrikan youths must understand that the President who addresses the land question (which is a very pressing issue) best is automatically the president of the decade or century. We have to understand basically that we live on what comes out of the land not on elections. First things first!

We have to be very critical in our thinking. We have to assess all these NGOs all over Afrika being financed from abroad. What a thing! Our governments are forced to cut down expenditure on vital domains like education and health care. At the same time NGOs are encouraged to carry out functions which only the state can carry out most effectively.

Talk about women’s rights: Can you separate women’s rights from human rights? And who came up with this? The World Bank! Can you imagine? And now our educated women go about repeating this without analyzing further. Don’t get me wrong. I oppose the maltreatment of women. I would be a bastard not to respect women. But a European male cannot educate me on women’s rights. Let him do his homework first.

I will not only say what displeases me without trying to suggest a solution. I think we need some serious education, not to be confused with literacy. Education is the ability to link one with his environment and literacy can serve as a very effective tool. This means that education has to start with historical knowledge, because it is history which teaches us about our background. A very central point in this is our cultural history.

Every time I see a black woman say she is a feminist I feel like crying. If she understood Afrikan history she wouldn’t say a thing like that. I am very much aware of the weakening of the central position of the Afrikan woman in society above all after the transatlantic slave trade period. We have to go beyond signing petitions on women’s rights, which seems to deviate our attention from the real issue, which is Afrikan liberation. You cannot talk about the rights of women in a society living in slavery.

We have to deal critically with issues like bearing European and Arab names and fooling ourselves that these are religious names. You find Afrikans using names like Peter, Paul, Mary, Linda and so on. What a shame! A name stands for an identity. Pambazuka the name of this site is an Afrikan word and means much. We should get out of the way if we cannot call ourselves like Afrikans should. We have to deal with foreign religions and the role they play in our underdevelopment. These are very pressing issues to be dealt with.

The Sister Eno Deborah Anwana wrote a well-researched article “Taking control of Africa’s resources”. I was a bit irritated by the last sentence mentioning the promotion of the African Union through NEPAD. I always thought the AU was an Afrikan creation and that the NEPAD was another initiative from the imperialist West to undermine the AU. Maybe she could inform me more on the issue.

I must say your website is well organized. I would like to know about your goals and aims.

Very often I have found that we Afrikans are very interested in moving forward whilst neglecting our past. We have to understand that we need to study the past in order to design the future. It is only when we understand this that we shall learn to stop imitating people who are imitating us. We should learn about people who tried to organize Afrikan communities all over the world. Our goal should be to create a synthesis of all Afrikan peoples at home and abroad. And we on the Afrikan continent have to understand basically that we are directly responsible for the well-being of Afrikans worldwide. When I write of Afrikans worldwide I mean each and every Blackman on this planet. In the past the Pan-Afrikan impulse came more from the Afrikans born abroad; this has to be equaled by those born on the mother continent. We on the mother continent should try to reach the others outside. The Afrikan Union will only succeed and be complete if we bear this in mind. We must remember that the Pan-Afrikan idea, which led to the creation of the OAU (AU) sprang up from the Caribics and evolved as a 3-way exchange between Afrikans in the Caribics, the American mainland and Afrika. Maybe this could serve as an impulse for your website.

Maybe you could also deal with the fact that we should learn about those leaders who tried to organize Afrikan peoples like the great Chaka Zulu, Nzinga, Marcus Garvey, Nkrumah, a.o. and also on prominent historians like the late great John Henrik Clarke, Dr. Ben, Cheikh Anta Diop, Theophile Obenga and the great Ivan van Sertima, a.o.

Continue with the good work.

Blind Moon

Chenjerai Hove

2004-12-16

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/books/26150

Published by Weaver Press LTD

Exclusively distributed by African Books Collective Ltd, The Jam Factory, 27 Park End Street, Oxford OX1 1HU United Kingdom
abc@africanbookscollective.com http://www.african bookscollective.com

Chenjerai Hove used to dream of flying so much that his father even considered sending him to a traditional healer so that he could be cured of the ailment. He refused, telling his father: “Why should I not dream like that? It is so beautiful to fly.”

Hove writes in the introduction to the extraordinary collection of poems contained in Blind Moon: “the borders of human geography are broken only when poetry speaks. and poetry speaks not only about landscapes, but about peoplescapes, the human body and its aspirations to be someone else. the human soul and its dreams be all the souls of animals and birds and the winds and the skies. life is like that. and life is poetry”

Blind Moon is extraordinary because it seeks to fulfil the ambition of life as poetry; poetry as life. Given Hove’s dreams of flight it is no surprise that much of the poetry contains allusions to flying, although the immediate temptation to associate this with escape would be wrong. Perhaps it is just beautiful to fly, to give expression to the soul that is deep within each of us and yearns to be released into the space that is the sky, to take off and soar not as a way to leave our daily lives but as a way to fulfil our own individual potentials. It is sometimes helpful when reading the poetry to imagine yourself “flying with outstretched wings” along with Hove through a universe of human experience.

This is not to say that the poetry is always uplifting or lost in a Wordsworthian consciousness of babbling brooks and fields of daffodils. There is a sadness and contained fury in much of the poetry, born out of the situation in Hove’s birthplace and nation, Zimbabwe. It is clear that to fly does not mean separating the individual from the land, from the politics of daily life, although politics of a tyrannical nature is seen more as a restriction to human potential – a restriction to flight - than something which helps to lift the human spirit.

Hove feels the anguish of Zimbabwe acutely and gives voice to it throughout this collection, sometimes in haunting and evocative style, as in “…there is a painful piece of land inside me…a pain without a name, inside me.” Nor is Hove afraid to direct his anger. He writes: “…on your way to the house of power…you refused to listen…to the tunes of the birds…the birds of your conscience.” Sometimes poetry that dabbles with the political risks being reduced to diatribe. But the strength of Hove’s poetry is that it does not fall into this trap: it is firmly located in the broader context of human suffering and experience and because it touches emotions on this level it is all the more stronger, all the more representative of the general human condition.

Apart from the mastery Hove demonstrates over his lines and the skilful and innovative way in which he makes the language work for him, the wonderful experience about this volume is that it is a mere 60 pages long. Yet read as a whole it is rich in touching a range of human experiences and emotions, seeming to move effortlessly between earth and sky, love and death. It is angry and sad, but it is not bitter. In Hove’s world there is still hope, there is still love, there is still emotion. There is potential for a better world where the human soul can be released to fly like a bird.

Hove was born in Mazvihwa communals land, southern Zimbabwe, near the mining town of Zvishavane. He is best known for Bones, which won the Zimbabwe literary prize in 1998, and the 1989 Noma Award for publishing in Africa. Other published works include Masimba Avanhu? (1986), Shadows (1991), and Ancestors (1994). He has travelled extensively throughout Africa, Europe and the United States on lecture tours and his books have been translated into several languages, including French, German, Japanese, Norwegian, Swedish, Dutch and Danish.

* Reviewed by Patrick Burnett, Fahamu.

* For orders, please contact African Books Collective.

>>>>>Recent reviews in Pambazuka News:
(Click on the link and then visit the Books and Arts section)

* We miss you all
http://www.pambazuka.org/index.php?issue=186#28
* The World Bank and Civil Society: Forward to the past
http://www.pambazuka.org/index.php?issue=182#28
* Mining: Social and environmental impacts
http://www.pambazuka.org/index.php?issue=175#27
* Faceless, by Ammo Darko
http://www.pambazuka.org/index.php?issue=173#28

African Social Forum: Women's court sets up

2004-12-16

http://www.twnafrica.org/atn/campaigns/day3-1.htm

The Africa Social forum conducted an African Court of Women’s lives and livelihoods, which offered through testimony, expert analysis, poetic visuals, dance and drum, the situation of women in this violent globalised world. Rabia Abedelkrim from FAMES/ENDA, Senegal explained that the role of the judiciary was not to mimic the courts but to articulate new concepts in dispensing justice. “Testifiers were going to speak with their bodies,” she said.

Kenya: Exposing violence against women with disabilities

United Disabled Persons of Kenya (UDPK) Press Release

2004-12-16

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/wgender/26128

"Last Wednesday, twenty women with disabilities converged at United Disabled Persons of Kenya (UDPK) offices along Waiyaki way at Kabete Orthopaedic workshop to share and exchange views on violence against women with disabilities. The stories and experiences shared were just indescribable. Women with disabilities are the most violated in the society, and yet the violations are so secret that nobody seems to know except the victims themselves. Women with disabilities are an integral part of the society. In many, respects too, we have been disadvantaged by the reality of their impairments as well as owing to unwarranted discrimination by the rest of the society. We have been excluded from the mainstream socio-economic activities, no wonder a high proportion of women with disabilities are amongst the poorest."
VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN WITH DISABILITIES

Today Wednesday, twenty women with disabilities converged at United Disabled Persons of Kenya (UDPK) offices along Waiyaki way at Kabete Orthopaedic workshop to share and exchange views on violence against women with disabilities. The stories and experiences shared were just indescribable. Women with disabilities are the most violated in the society, and yet the violations are so secret that nobody seems to know except the victims themselves.

Women with disabilities are an integral part of the society. In many, respects too, we have been disadvantaged by the reality of their impairments as well as owing to unwarranted discrimination by the rest of the society. We have been excluded from the mainstream socio-economic activities, no wonder a high proportion of women with disabilities are amongst the poorest.

Women with disabilities are the most vulnerable to rape and unnoticed sexual abuse by male caretakers and family members. The critically disabled are sexually exploited by those purporting to assist them who threaten to refuse to push their wheelchairs unless offered sexual favours. A disabled woman cannot run from potential rapists and due to her physical weakness, she cannot fight back her attackers. This makes vulnerability among women with disabilities very high. Women with disabilities are innocently infected by HIV/AIDS positive men due to myths and beliefs that having sexual intercourse with virgin disabled women can turn HIV positive men negative!!! A story was told of how a mother in one of the slums in Nairobi brings men to her house to take traditional brews, then asks them to have sexual intercourse with her disabled daughter and then she gets paid for that. This is injustice of the highest order, exposing the innocent girls to HIV/AIDS.

These are just but highlighting of underlying problems faced by women with disabilities in Kenya. This is awake up call and women with disabilities must be included in all future campaigns on violence against women.

For information on women with disabilities you can reach me on my cell phone 0721-405435 or email at disability@wananchi.com

Lesotho: Lesotho aims to make women legally equal to men

2004-12-16

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L0923796.htm

Lesotho's government aims to give women full legal equality and property rights within a year in one of the handful of African states where women remain legally inferior to men. Women in the mountainous kingdom - one of the world's poorest countries and entirely circled by South Africa - can vote, work and hold public office, but they are legally minors, subordinate to their husbands or fathers.

Nigeria: Discussing women, girls and HIV/AIDS

2004-12-16

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/wgender/26152

In commemoration of the 2004 World AIDS Day, the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, the National Action Committee on AIDS in collaboration with the United Nations Theme Group on HIV/AIDS organised a one day national conference in Nigeria on the theme: 'Women, Girls and HIV/AIDS'. The conference was designed to raise awareness among the Nigerian populace as well as policy makers on the ways in which women's inequality helps fuel the transmission of HIV and increase the impact of AIDS. The conference served as a forum for examining the gender dimensions to the HIV/AIDS pandemic as well as seeking lasting solutions in Nigeria. It was attended by 158 participants comprising of representatives of government agencies, HIV/AIDS support groups, civil society organisations, faith-based organisations, development agencies and media organisations. Read the statement issued at the meeting by clicking on the link below.
COMMUNIQUE ISSUED AT A ONE-DAY CONFERENCE ON WOMEN, GIRLS AND HIV/AIDS
HELD AT THE NICON HILTON HOTEL, ABUJA ON NOVEMBER 30, 2004

In commemoration of the 2004 World AIDS Day, the Federal Ministry of
Women Affairs, the National Action Committee on AIDS in collaboration
with the United Nations Theme Group on HIV/AIDS organised a one day
national conference on the theme: Women, Girls and HIV/AIDS.

The conference was designed to raise awareness among the Nigerian
populace as well as policy makers on the ways in which women?s
inequality helps fuel the transmission of HIV and increase the impact of
AIDS. The conference served as a forum for examining the gender
dimensions to the HIV/AIDS pandemic as well as seeking lasting solutions
in Nigeria. It was attended by 158 participants comprising of
representatives of government agencies, HIV/AIDS support groups, civil
society organisations, faith-based organisations, development agencies
and media organisations.

The forum noted among other things that:

1. Women and girls are more vulnerable to HIV/AIDS because of biological,
social and economic factors;

2. HIV is mostly transmitted through sexual intercourse and that women's
vulnerability is greatly increased by the unhealthy sexual behaviour of
their male partners over which they have no control;

3. Sexual violence like rape and sexual harassment as well as domestic
violence increase the risk of HIV infection among women;

4. Women lack access to appropriate and adequate information, skills and
services that they require to take control of their lives;

5. Poverty constitutes a major barrier to women?s ability to actualise
their rights;

6. Cultural practices such as early marriage, wife hospitality, widow
inheritance, polygyny and female genital mutilation promote the spread of
HIV/AIDS;

7. Women and girls? vulnerability to HIV/AIDS is further increased due to
lack of adequate representation in policy formulation and decision making
on issues that affect women;

8. Low educational status of women reduces their potential to negotiate
favourable choices for improved quality of life;

After in-depth deliberation on the above issues, the forum resolved that:
1. all relevant government agencies as well as other stakeholders should
intensify their efforts at promoting more gender re-orientation campaign
and programmes at national and household levels;

2. the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and other stakeholders should
embark on massive action for empowering women on life skills that can
enable them take control of their lives;

3. special tribunals should be set up to address specific issues of
violence against women;

4. there should be aggressive awareness creation involving men,
faith based organisations and community based groups in the effort to
eliminate harmful traditional practices;

5. government and development agencies should support women living
positively by making drugs available, accessible and affordable;

6. government should accelerate the process of domesticating the
Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against
Women (CEDAW) which was ratified 17 years ago so that women can have a
viable legal environment for protecting their rights and promoting
appropriate legal reform;

7. government poverty alleviation programmes as well as those of other
stake holders should be re-designed to promote genuine economic
empowerment of women in order to enhance their ability to take control of
their lives;

8. government should make available necessary resources for the
implementation of the Universal Basic Education Policy;

9. work places should put in place policies on HIV/AIDS and the national
policy on HIV/AIDS should be well disseminated for proper implementation
at the community level;

10. the federal government should review the HIV/AIDS Emergency Action
Plan in order to make it more gender sensitive.

Signed:

Hajia Amina Ginsau Mrs. Funmi Doherty
Federal Ministry of Women Affairs National President,
Women Affairs Society for Women & AIDS
in Africa (SWAAN)
(Nigeria Chapter)


Oyefunsho Orenuga
Inter African Committee on Harmful Traditional Practices

Ms. Doris Emmanuel
Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS (Women's Wing)

Ejiro Otive-Igbuzor
Gender and HIV/AIDS Programme Coordinator
United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM)
Anglophone West Africa Regional Office
UN House, Abuja. Nigeria
Email: ejiro_otive@yahoo.co.uk

Rwanda: Social worker wins award for dedicating her life to women

2004-12-16

http://www.peacewomen.org/news/Rwanda/Nov04/human%20rights.html

After the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, Godelieve Mukasarasi returned to her village from a refugee camp with one goal in mind - to pick up where she left off months earlier. The social worker's house was destroyed. Some of her family members were killed. But her objective was to help others in her situation. She was in Canada recently to accept the John Humphrey Freedom Award, presented by the Montreal-based human-rights group Rights and Democracy. She said it was the genocide in Rwanda that prompted her to focus on the promotion of women's rights and the rights of women in such conflicts.

Tanzania: Experiences in HIV and gender violence

2004-12-16

http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/journals/3020004.html

Prior research has shown a strong correlation between HIV infection and a history of intimate partner violence, particularly among young women. However, the role violence plays in the sexual relationships of young people in Sub-Saharan Africa is not well understood. This study in Tanzania, published in the December 4 edition of International Family Planning Perspectives, concludes that the association between HIV and violence identified among young people in prior research may be partially explained by their experiences with infidelity and forced sex in their intimate partnerships. HIV prevention interventions that fail to take into account the infidelity, violence and forced sex frequently involved in youth's sexual relationships will have a limited impact.

Uganda: Spare the women and children, UN agency urges

2004-12-16

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=44603

Uganda's government must do what it can to protect children and women from violence, while the rebel Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) must immediately and unconditionally stop abducting, killing and exploiting Uganda's children, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) said last Thursday. UNICEF said that in the district of Gulu alone, an estimated 840 abducted girls returned home this year. About thirty 30 percent had already become mothers.

Africa/Global: Human rights under strain

2004-12-16

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/rights/26202

The vision and promise of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights are under considerable strain, the top United Nations human rights official said last Thursday, calling the response to the threat of terrorism "confused". Speaking in Geneva on the eve of International Human Rights Day, Louise Arbour, High Commissioner for Human Rights, said that today, "Few of us are free from fear; many of us are still not free from want. The sinister shadow of terrorism is generating a confused response, unanchored in the principles that have guided us in the search for a proper balance between our desire for collective security and our need for liberty and individual freedom". Mrs. Arbour underlined that the United Nations High-Level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change had captured well the global threats the world faces. "International terrorist groups prey on weak States for sanctuary", she said. "Their recruitment is aided by grievances nurtured by poverty, foreign occupation and the absence of human rights and democracy; by religious and other intolerance; and by civil violence - a witch's brew common to those areas where civil war and regional conflict intersect".
UNITED NATIONS
Press Release
9 December 2004

The vision and promise of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights are
under considerable strain, the top United Nations human rights official
said Thursday, calling the response to the threat of terrorism "confused".

Speaking in Geneva on the eve of International Human Rights Day, Louise
Arbour, High Commissioner for Human Rights, said that today, "Few of us
are free from fear; many of us are still not free from want. The sinister
shadow of terrorism is generating a confused response, unanchored in the
principles that have guided us in the search for a proper balance between
our desire for collective security and our need for liberty and individual
freedom".

"The vision and the promise contained in the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights are under considerable strain", she said.

Mrs. Arbour underlined that the United Nations High-Level Panel on
Threats, Challenges and Change had captured well the global threats the
world faces. "International terrorist groups prey on weak States for
sanctuary", she said. "Their recruitment is aided by grievances nurtured
by poverty, foreign occupation and the absence of human rights and
democracy; by religious and other intolerance; and by civil violence - a
witch's brew common to those areas where civil war and regional conflict
intersect".

The High Commissioner cautioned against becoming "prisoners of a culture
of fear and an ideology of exclusion and arrogance". "More than ever", she
said, "the international human rights agenda creates a forum, may be the
only universal forum, in which conflicting views, aspirations and beliefs
of a most fundamental nature can confront each other in a respectful
environment".

She continued: "We must preserve the space that we have created, through
our international human rights instruments and institutions, for this
interaction to take place. And we must embrace the future boldly as we
seek to improve these instruments and institutions."

Much depends on the readiness of the international community to act on its
responsibilities, Mrs. Arbour said. She urged all Member States to ensure
that the principles enshrined in the Universal Declaration on 10 December
1948 are properly promoted and protected.

Africa: New Tactics in Human Rights publication

2004-12-16

http://www.newtactics.org/main.php/ToolsforAction/TheNewTacticsWorkbook/Readordownloadfiles

The New tactics in Human Rights Project has published "New Tactics in Human Rights: A Practitioners Guide." The 200-page book includes 100 stories on how practitioners are advancing human rights. The book also includes an introduction to tactical and strategic thinking for human rights practitioners and a series of practical worksheets to help organizations determine which tactics and strategies will work best for them.

Africa: State of the World's Children 2005

2004-12-16

http://www.unicef.org/publications/index_24432.html

UNICEF’s State of the World’s Children report for 2005 focuses on how poverty, conflict and HIV/AIDS threaten children around the globe. Since the adoption in 1989 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child – a landmark human rights treaty spelling out the basic rights that children everywhere have – there have been significant gains in fulfilling children’s rights to survival, health and education. But more than a billion children living in poverty around the world are still at risk. For hundreds of millions of children the promise of childhood that undergirds the Convention already appears broken as poverty, armed conflict and HIV/AIDS threaten their survival and development. The report concludes by calling on all stakeholders – governments, donors, international agencies, as well as communities, families, business and individuals – to reaffirm and recommit to their moral and legal responsibilities to children.

Africa: US Reform of Cotton Subsidies Is a Human Rights Issue

2004-12-16

http://www.oxfamamerica.org/newsandpublications/press_releases/press_release.2004-12-03.6980194090

Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland and former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, has linked US reform of its agricultural subsidies regime to the human rights of African farmers at a press conference in Bamako last week. Mali is one of four West African countries leading the fight for cotton subsidy reform at the World Trade Organization. "The human rights of West African farmers are threatened by the continuous dumping of US cotton causing world prices to fall," said Robinson, who is the Honorary President of Oxfam International. World cotton prices reached an all time low in 2001 and are currently plummeting again after a brief recovery, putting huge pressure on government revenues and farmer incomes.

Chad: Activist Wins Human Rights Award

2004-12-16

http://www.rfkmemorial.org/human_rights/2004_Delphine/laureate_announcement.htm

Ms. Delphine Djiraibe of Chad has been selected for the 2004 Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award. Ms. Djiraibe was chosen by an international panel of distinguished judges for her tireless efforts in promoting the human rights of the Chadian people, often at great personal risk to herself and her family. Ms. Djiraibe is being recognized for her work on the Chad/Cameroon Oil and Pipeline Project. Her multifaceted campaign encompasses fighting governmental corruption, ensuring that the Chadian people benefit from the pipeline and its resulting profits, and preventing environmental devastation resulting from its construction.

Senegal: Senegal abolishes the death penalty

2004-12-16

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/rights/26125

Amnesty International has welcomed the adoption by the Senegalese Parliament of the bill abolishing the death penalty. Senegal becomes the fourth member state of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to outlaw recourse to capital punishment (after Cape Verde, Guinea Bissau and Ivory Coast). Under the lead of President Wade, the bill had been adopted unanimously by the government in July 2004. It was passed with an overwhelming majority. Senegal has not carried out executions since 1967 but has continued to hand down death sentences, most recently in July 2004.
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL-PRESS RELEASE
AI Index: AFR 49/001/2004
10 December 2004

Amnesty International welcomes the adoption today by the Senegalese
Parliament of the bill abolishing the death penalty. Senegal becomes the
fourth member state of the Economic Community of West African States
(ECOWAS) to outlaw recourse to capital punishment (after Cape Verde,
Guinea Bissau and Ivory Coast).

Under the lead of President Wade, the bill had been adopted unanimously by
the government in July 2004. It was passed today with an overwhelming
majority. Senegal has not carried out executions since 1967 but has
continued to hand down death sentences, most recently in July 2004.

"Senegal should be a source of inspiration for all ECOWAS and other
African countries which have not yet abolished the death penalty. Other
African states should now follow the example of Senegal and respect the
fundamental right to life," the organization said today.

Amnesty International also welcomes the important steps taken by Sierra
Leone and Nigeria towards the abolition in the past months.

In October 2004, the Sierra Leone Truth and Reconciliation Commission
(TRC) finally published its report. Among its key recommendations, the TRC
asked the government: "to abolish the death penalty by repealing
immediately all laws authorising the use of capital punishment". This
recommendation is categorized as "imperative", that is, the government
ought to implement it "without delay". The TRC further recommended the
introduction of a moratorium on all executions pending a vote on abolition
of the death penalty by Parliament. It also urged that any pending death
sentences should be immediately commuted by the President. In October
2004, the National Study Group on the Death Penalty - in charge of
conducting a national debate in Nigeria - presented its report to the
Federal Government of Nigeria. It called on the Federal Government to
impose a moratorium on executions and commute to life imprisonment the
sentences of all death row prisoners whose appeals have been concluded.
President Olusegun Obasanjo, who is personally opposed to the death
penalty, had launched a national debate on the issue in November 2003.

Amnesty International has been actively campaigning for the abolition of
the death penalty in West Africa since October 2003. The death penalty is
the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment. It violates the
right to life. It is irrevocable and can be inflicted on the innocent. It
has never been shown to deter crime more effectively than other
punishments.

Zimbabwe: The NGO bill in context

2004-12-16

http://www.sokwanele.com/

The Non-Governmental Organisations Bill, condemned by human rights organisations because it will severely restrict their activities, had its third reading and was passed by Parliament at a late night sitting on 9th December. It now requires only the signature of the President and to be gazetted before it comes into force. "Helpless against a determined regime holding all the levers of power, we watch aghast as one after another of the spaces formerly providing independent thought and action are closed down, and a fascist regime takes control of every aspect of social existence," concludes this article from the activist website Sokwanele.

Angola: UNHCR to repatriate all camp-based refugees next year

2004-12-16

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=44658

The UN refugee agency, UNHCR, intends to complete the repatriation of Angolan refugees living in camps in neighbouring countries by next year, and will then help those that have settled in the wider community to return home. This year UNHCR assisted nearly 51,000 Angolans to return home from Zambia (27,579), the DRC (19,082) and Namibia (4,189), with lesser numbers from Botswana, the Republic of Congo and South Africa.

Global/Africa: UN Refugee Agency Appeals For $1.1 Billion

2004-12-16

http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0412/S00176.htm

With an unprecedented number of repatriation operations underway in Africa, the United Nations refugee agency has launched a $1.1 billion appeal, nearly $100 million more than in 2004, to fund its work for next year to care for some 17 million refugees and other people worldwide. “While we are providing assistance to over 1 million returnees, for millions of others hope is still remote,” Mr. Lubbers noted.

Kenya/ UK: Man stuck at airport in immigration mess

2004-12-16

http://www.eastandard.net/hm_news/news.php?articleid=8188

For the last six months, Jomo Kenyatta International Airport has been Sanjai Shah’s second home. Unlike other passengers on transit, he is known to many of the airport staff and they know him as "the man in limbo", for he can neither enter nor leave the country. He has no travel documents.The Kitale-born man of Asian descent is at the airport courtesy of what he calls "racist and dehumanising" treatment from British immigration officials.

Somaliland: IDPs, returnees desperate for assistance in Somaliland

2004-12-16

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=44628

A senior UN official called for more international and local assistance for thousands of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and returnees in the self-declared autonomous republic of Somaliland. “These IDPs and returnees are among the poorest of the poor,” Dennis McNamara, head of the UN Inter-Agency Internal Displacement Division, said during a visit to returnee camps in Burao, 340 km east of the Somaliland capital, Hargeysa. “They desperately need assistance."

Sudan/Nigeria: UNHCR Raises Alarm on Refugee Influx

2004-12-16

http://www.thisdayonline.com/nview.php?id=4462

The Chief Representative of Nigeria and ECOWAS on the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), Mr Eusebe Hounsokou, has raised an alarm over the influx of refugees from war torn Darfur region in Sudan, to Nigeria. President and Founder of African Concern International (ACI), Prince Bola Ajibola said the problems of refugees have become global issues, which must be tackled.

Uganda: Child Protection in the Context of Displacement

2004-12-16

http://www.refugeelawproject.org/Working%20papers/RLPWP13.pdf

The Refugee Law Project (RLP) has released a report on child protection issues among refugees and nationals in western Uganda. RLP Working Paper 13: Child Protection in the Context of Displacement, funded by Save the Children in Uganda (SCiU), details education, health and child abuse concerns in Ntoroko County, Bundibugyo District.

Building on past research presented in RLP Working Paper 10: Displacement in Bundibugyo District: A Situation Analysis, the new report shows how conflict, displacement and poverty in western Uganda and neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have contributed to very difficult living conditions for children in Ntoroko County. While all children face child protection issues in this context, refugee children encounter additional challenges because of language barriers, lack of social support structures and discrimination.

Research findings reveal major barriers to accessing quality education for children in Ntoroko County, particularly for girls and Congolese children. Malaria, cough, worms and cholera are the main health issues facing children, due primarily to poor sanitation and lack of access to clean water. Child abuse, neglect, rape and defilement are widespread in the county, but response from local authorities has been inadequate, contributing to a culture of impunity.

UK/ Global: Agenda for integration

2004-12-16

http://www.refugeecouncil.org.uk/downloads/policy_briefings/agenda_integ_nov04.pdf

"As signatories to the 1951 Refugee Convention, we have a duty to ensure that those to whom we grant protection are able to attain a decent quality of life and are able to reach their full potential. However, refugees and asylum seekers make up some of the most marginalised and excluded groups within society. Integration is a term that can evoke different associations but actually is a two way process. For the refugee, it requires a willingness to adapt to the lifestyle of the host society without having to lose his or her own cultural identity. In return, the host society should be prepared to accept refugees as equals."

Zambia: Aid agencies warn of impending malnutrition

2004-12-16

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=44640

United Nations aid agencies have again appealed to donors to step up assistance to the estimated 200,000 refugees in Zambia, who have seen their food rations halved in the last two months due to the lack of funds. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) on Monday said it was "extremely concerned" and warned that the deteriorating situation was likely to impact on the health of the refugees.

Africa: The future of global governance

2004-12-16

http://www.eldis.org/cf/rdr/rdr.cfm?doc=DOC16636

There should be changes in the governance of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, especially in voting structure and representation changes in the governance of the WTO, including more transparency, the elimination of the green room processes and the creation of more representative processes for decision making. There should also be a move away from a focus on the G-8 to a focus on the G-24. This is according to a paper from the Initiative for Policy Dialogue (IPD) at Columbia University in the United States. The paper assesses the underlying democratic deficiencies and weaknesses in global governance, and examines the forces that might lead to a meaningful change.

Burundi: Elections and peace

2004-12-16

http://www.icg.org/home/index.cfm

After a decade of civil war, Burundi has a chance for real peace but only if it holds to its tight election schedule - five months with a constitutional referendum, local, national assembly and senate elections, and finally selection of the president by parliament. The sequence is ambitious but necessary to finalise a difficult peace process, says the International Crisis Group in a new report, available in French from their website.
* Related Link: New delay to Burundi referendum
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4095961.stm

Cameroon: Biya aide named premier, cabinet reshuffled

2004-12-16

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=44637

Paul Biya, Cameroon’s president for 22 years and fresh from re-election, has named a trusty aide as the new prime minister and brought a few new faces into government. Ephraim Inoni, a 57-year-old English-speaking financier who has served as a top presidential aide for the last ten years, was appointed to take over as premier from fellow anglophone, Peter Mafany Musonge, national radio announced last week.

CAR: Bozize to contest presidency as an independent candidate

2004-12-16

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=44632

The leader of the Central African Republic (CAR), Francois Bozize, announced on Saturday he would contest presidential elections due to be held in January 2005 as an independent candidate. Bozize, a former army chief of staff, took power on 15 March 2003 when he ousted President Ange-Felix Patasse after leading a six-month rebellion. About a month later, he said would not seek election as president. On Saturday, however, Bozize said: "After thinking thoroughly, and being deeply convinced and keeping in mind the nation's interest, I grasped the deep sense of my people's calls. As a citizen, I'll take my responsibility."

Mozambique: Guebuza leads controversial poll

2004-12-16

http://www.afrol.com/articles/15007

Armando Emilio Guebuza of Mozambique's ruling FRELIMO party is heading for a landslide victory in the recent presidential polls, if the results published so far are to be believed. A coalition of twenty opposition parties however says they are a result of massive fraud and demands fresh elections. The preliminary results from six out of Mozambique's ten provinces have already been published. According to the National Electoral Commission, FRELIMO candidate Guebuza received about 70 percent of the vote in these provinces.

Namibia: Human rights group disputes elections

2004-12-16

http://www.nshr.org.na/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=431&POSTNUKESID=ae69abdd7c399394b28a88545948dbfe

"Having been monitoring the 2004 process since its commencement in 2002, the National Society for Human Rights has observed numerous commissions and omissions in the process. In the presence of such gross anomalies, NSHR has been unable to reasonably and fairly declare the 2004 presidential and National Assembly elections as free and fair." This is according to the latest report from the NSHR, which says problems in the election process are symptoms or manifestations of a particular socio-political and economic environment described in the report.

Namibia: Opposition wins first round in election court battle

2004-12-16

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=44697

Two opposition parties challenging the veracity of Namibia's national and presidential polls were on Thursday granted a High Court order to peruse official election documentation in order to substantiate their case. The court ordered the Electoral Commission to make available to the Congress of Democrats (CoD) and the Republican Party (RP) election reports of returning officers for each of the 1,168 polling stations and all of the 107 constituencies.

Somalia: Premier in confidence vote

2004-12-16

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4091257.stm

Somalia's new President Abdullahi Yusuf has re-appointed his prime minister, just days after parliament passed a vote of no confidence in him. The move may placate the MPs, as they now have the opportunity to approve Prime Minister Ali Mohammed Ghedi. "The real crucial issue is the name should be first submitted to parliament," Bethwel Kiplagat, chief mediator for the Somalia talks, told the BBC's Focus on Africa.

Zimbabwe: NGO bill 'Unacceptable'

Statement on the passing of the NGO Bill by Parliament

2004-12-16

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/elections/26117

"The National Association of Non Governmental Organizations, representing over 1000 NGOs in Zimbabwe, would like to state that the NGO bill is unacceptable to the NGO community. NANGO is disappointed that many of the amendments that had been submitted by NGOs to Government and Parliament were out rightly rejected. It is therefore difficult to envisage how NGOs are expected to comply under the new law given the restrictions placed on every part of their work. Various clauses in the NGO Bill will result in the shutting down of the majority of NGOs. For example under the proposed NGO Law [Non Governmental Organisations Bill-H.B.13, 2004], NGOs will not be allowed to receive foreign funding for activities that include the promotion and protection of human rights and issues of governance. This therefore threatens the work of NGOs, given that there is no local funding. Even the recently presented 2005 Budget estimates have not shown significant contributions to welfare organisations. The work that NGOs do in the promotion and protection of human rights include:- Child Rights; Women’s Rights; Rights of people living with HIV and AIDS; Rights of people with disabilities; Freedom of expression, association and assembly, and the Right to development." Click on the link below for statements from a range of Zimbabwean human rights groups.
Statement on the passing of the NGO Bill by Parliament
The National Association of Non Governmental Organizations, representing over 1000 NGOs in Zimbabwe, would like to state that the NGO bill is unacceptable to the NGO community. NANGO is disappointed that many of the amendments that had been submitted by NGOs to Government and Parliament were out rightly rejected. It is therefore difficult to envisage how NGOs are expected to comply under the new law given the restrictions placed on every part of their work.
Various clauses in the NGO Bill will result in the shutting down of the majority of NGOs. For example under the proposed NGO Law [Non Governmental Organisations Bill-H.B.13, 2004], NGOs will not be allowed to receive foreign funding for activities that include the promotion and protection of human rights and issues of governance. This therefore threatens the work of NGOs, given that there is no local funding. Even the recently presented 2005 Budget estimates have not shown significant contributions to welfare organisations.
The work that NGOs do in the promotion and protection of human rights include:- Child Rights; Women’s Rights; Rights of people living with HIV and AIDS; Rights of people with disabilities; Freedom of expression, association and assembly, and the Right to development.
Clause 17 of the Bill states that no local non-governmental organisation shall receive any foreign funding or donation to carry out activities involving or including issues of governance- defined as the promotion and protection of human rights and political governance issues. It is mind boggling why Zimbabwe should have a law which:

1.. Violates the National Constitution?
2.. Will result in significant decrease of overseas development assistance to the country?
3.. Contradicts the current national economic recovery programme?
4.. Negates the values that we collectively assumed as a nation at independence?
5.. Will tarnish the image of the country?
6.. Will result in further losses of employment?
7.. Result in the closure of companies especially those in the hospitality, banking, stationery and printing sector, to mention a few?
8.. Result in Zimbabwe failing to meet the Millennium Development Goals?
9.. Will result in loss of confidence in the government by the electorate?
10.. Will scare away organizations willing to support community programmes that benefit the marginalized?
The new law will take away the right of citizens to freely associate, assemble, express themselves thereby undermining the universally accepted concepts of participatory development. Coming as it does on the international day for human rights the bill when read with the recently enacted laws for example the Public Order and Security Act, the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act, the Broadcasting and Services Act, Zimbabwe Electoral Commission bill, can only buttress the perception that the government is probably not committed to promotion and protection of human rights. Is this what the government wants?
The mandate of NANGO is to promote, coordinate and organize the participation and contributions of NGOs in the social, economic and political development of the people of Zimbabwe.
Technical and other support
NANGO, being the umbrella body and voice of NGOs in Zimbabwe is available to offer NGOs any support, within its mandate and capacities, on issues to do with the NGO Bill. Do not hesitate to contact us on the NGO Bill hotline 263-4-732612 or email info@nango.org.zw
NANGO TEAM

Statement on the Occasion of Human Rights Day
By Participants in the African Civil Society Consultation on Zimbabwe

December 8, 2004

We, the undersigned, represent over thirty church-based groups, human rights organizations, and women’s rights organizations from Zimbabwe, Botswana, South Africa, Namibia, Malawi, Zambia and Kenya who gathered in Gaborone, Botswana, in August 2003 to discuss the human rights situation in Zimbabwe during the African Civil Society Consultation on Zimbabwe. We hoped that concerted, regional pressure on the government of Zimbabwe would result in significant improvements in the protection of basic human rights for our Zimbabwean neighbors. In fact, it appears that the Zimbabwean government is acting to abridge basic freedoms now more than ever.

We write today to express our deep regret that in the last year the human rights and humanitarian situation in Zimbabwe has significantly deteriorated. On the occasion of Human Rights Day, December 10, 2004, we renew our call for an immediate end to all human rights violations in Zimbabwe.

Of urgent concern to us as civil society organizations in the southern African region is the Non-Governmental Organisations Bill 2004. The Zimbabwean Parliament is currently considering the bill during rushed sessions despite a determination by Parliament’s legal committee that it is unconstitutional. If it passes into law in the coming days, the Zimbabwean government will have broad powers to close NGOs such as church-based charities and human rights organizations. Church leaders have spoken out against this proposed measure which will prevent them from providing critical humanitarian aid to Zimbabweans. Dozens of women were arrested and jailed while marching across Zimbabwe to protest the bill. It is essential that charitable organizations and independent human rights organizations are able to function in Zimbabwe, which is fraught with violence and starvation, without threat of closure. It is not too late to stop the bill from becoming a law. We call on the government of Zimbabwe to uphold conditions that allow independent non-governmental organizations to function.
We understand that the Zimbabwean government is expected to impose harsher restrictions on journalists than currently exist. The law will likely deter journalists – including journalists from our countries – from reporting on the human rights crisis in Zimbabwe. Governments and organizations in the region have much at stake in the continuing decline of human rights in Zimbabwe and it is in all of our interest to have access to balanced and accurate information. We ask that the Zimbabwean government permit independent journalists to report on conditions in Zimbabwe.
We are also concerned that Zimbabwe’s parliamentary elections, planned for March 2005, will be conducted unfairly. With reduced media coverage and NGO monitoring, intimidation or attacks on the voting population by government-sponsored militia could increase in the next few months. Elections must be conducted fairly and freely to bring legitimacy to the results and stability to the country. It is in the best interest of regional organizations, governments and civil society that Zimbabwe foster democracy and the rule of law. External monitors could help to encourage a democratic election process, and we ask that Zimbabwe to open its doors to regional and international monitors.
At this critical moment for Zimbabwe’s people, we reiterate our demands for protection of human rights from the Concluding Statement from the African Civil Society Consultation in 2003 as well as the statement we issued at the end of 2003 calling on our own governments to intervene in the Zimbabwean crisis. We are disturbed that the Zimbabwean government intends to further repress the work of non-governmental organizations which monitor human rights violations and provide critical humanitarian assistance to a country entering an election period and a food shortage crisis. We seek urgent action by regional governments and institutions, as well as the international community, to end serious human rights violations in the country.
Finally, we express our support for and solidarity with the people of Zimbabwe, and for all those who are striving for respect for basic human rights in the country.
Signed,

Fidas Muchemwa
Zimbabwe Youth Democracy Trust
Harare, Zimbabwe

Ahmed Motala
Human Rights Institute for South Africa
Braamfontein, South Africa

Samkelo Mokhine
Amnesty International South Africa
Zimbabwe Advocacy Campaign
Dobsonville, South Africa

Emmie Chanika
Civil Liberties Committee
Blantyre, Malawi

Marcel Chisi
Active Youth Initiative for Social Enhancement
Blantyre, Malawi

Rafiq Hajat
Institute for Policy Interaction
Blantyre, Malawi

Ollen Mwalubunju
Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation
Lilongwe, Malawi

Alice Mogwe
DITSHWANELO – the Botswana Centre for Human Rights
Gaborone, Botswana

Gregory Angaluki Sasita
Quakers
Gaborone, Botswana

ZIMBABWE HUMAN RIGHTS NGO FORUM

COMMOMORATING WORLD HUMAN RIGHTS DAY

10 DECEMBER 2004
________________________________________________________________
The Human Rights NGO Forum (Human Rights Forum) is a coalition of 17 member organisations. It has been in existence since January 1998 when organisations working in the field of human rights joined to provide legal and psychosocial assistance to the victims of the January 1998 food riots. The Human Rights Forum has now expanded its objectives to assist victims of organized violence. The organisation views organized violence as:

“the inter-human infliction of significant avoidable pain and suffering by an organized group according to a declared or implied strategy and/or system of ideas and attitudes. It comprises any violent action, which is unacceptable by general human standards, and relates to the victims’ mental and physical well being”.

The Human Rights Forum condemns all forms of violence, from whatever quarter, perpetrated on members of the public, including violence meted out by political parties, organized groups, ordinary citizens and so-called “retaliatory” violence.

It is therefore noted with concern that the bulk of reports compiled by the Human Rights Forum in 2004 indicate that violence continues to be perpetrated by state agents, youth militia or members of the ruling party and the opposition as a means of political intimidation.

As Zimbabwe commemorates another World Human Rights Day, the Human Rights Forum expresses its concern over the continued violation of human rights in Zimbabwe.

10 December 1948 is the day the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), which it saw as:

“a major step in the advancement of civilisation at the international and national levels”.

From then on, 10 December has come to be recognised as World Human Rights Day.

The rights contained in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights have since been split into two separate International Covenants, one on Civil and Political Rights and the other on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. Zimbabwe is signatory to these instruments. By being party to these, the Government undertakes to protect and uphold human rights.

A cursory examination of the protection of the human rights for the Zimbabwean populace over the period January to September 2004 paints a gloomy picture. Reports compiled by the Human Rights Forum, showing the trends for politically motivated human rights violations for the said period, record that cases of assault, abduction/kidnapping, prevention of freedom of association, political discrimination, inter-party/intra-party violence, the disruption of demonstrations led by some civil society organisations and torture were present in varying degrees throughout the months.

The Human Rights Forum commends:
v The fact-finding mission of the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights(ACHPR) that visited Zimbabwe in 2002 to investigate reports of human rights violations.
v Continued efforts by various sectors of civil society to lobby Government to protect the rights of its citizens
v Police Commissioner Chihuri’s declaration that the Police Force would arrest perpetrators of violence in the forthcoming Parliamentary Elections

v President Mugabe’s public castigation of violence

v Vice President Msika’s castigation of violence in Emganwini (Bulawayo Province)

Despite the commendable efforts from various sectors to address issues of political violence, the Human Rights Forum notes with concern the continued onslaught on dissenting voices through draconian legislation such as the Public Order and Security Act (POSA), the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA) and the impending Non –Governmental Organisations Act.

The stated object of the NGO Bill, which is about to go before the House for its Third Reading, is:

“to provide for an enabling environment for the operations, monitoring and regulation of all non-governmental organisations”.

Civil society in general views the present bill as restrictive with some of its clauses being unconstitutional.

Recommendations
In order to protect the human rights of Zimbabweans, the Human Rights Forum puts forward the following recommendations:

v Government should cease to pass legislation which restricts, restrains and criminalizes its citizens when exercising their constitutional rights.

v Government should create a conducive environment for the promotion and protection of human rights in accordance with its international, regional and constitutional obligations.

v Government should work with stakeholders to establish a conducive environment for the conduct of free and fair elections in accordance with the SADC Principles and Guidelines

v Government should make every possible effort to give effect to the statement by President Mugabe in condemnation of intra-party violence that:

“security organs will show no mercy towards any aberration that detracts from our peace, stability and tranquillity “

and those by Commissioner Chihuri and Vice President Msika stated above.

A Zimbabwe in which citizens can enjoy their human rights is possible if everyone plays a role ensuring that these are protected and upheld. The Human Rights Forum urges all stakeholders to continue to advocate for the protection of the human rights of all Zimbabweans and carry out activities accordingly.

Kenya: Corruption efforts dismal, says TI

2004-12-16

http://admin.corisweb.org/index.php?fuseaction=news.view&id=116003&src=dcn

Kenya's government has missed its best chance to stamp out rampant corruption and faces a tough task to regain credibility, Transparency International (TI) said last Thursday, International Anti-Corruption Day. More than half of Kenyans do not think graft is decreasing, TI Kenya executive director Gladwell Otieno said. "The political class's dismal performance over the past two years has resulted in a highly negative perception by Kenyans," Otieno said at a news conference launching TI's Global Corruption Barometer survey.

Namibia: Perceptions of 'cancer of corruption' on increase

2004-12-16

http://admin.corisweb.org/index.php?fuseaction=news.view&id=116002&src=dcn

About one in every three Namibians has experienced corruption in public institutions, while one out of every two citizens knows someone who has fallen victim to the evil practice this year, according to a study commissioned by the Office of the Ombudsman. The 2004 National Integrity Survey reveals that although Namibians are becoming increasingly positive about Government efforts to fight corruption, they still perceive the evil phenomenon to be on the rise.

Nigeria: Global Network for Good Governance (GNGG) Opens Branch

2004-12-16

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/corruption/26131

The Global Network for Good Governance (GNGG), an anti-corruption and good governance network that includes organizations and individuals from 21 countries, has announced the opening of a new branch in Nigeria. The new branch is tasked with establishing a viable network of the GNGG in Nigeria. To do so, the branch will draw the network members from a range of institutions, such as public, private, and third sector organizations, the media, and individuals who share a vision of good governance and a corruption-free society. Contact gnggnigeria@yahoo.com to find out more.

South Africa: Graft trial reaches high into government

2004-12-16

http://www.ipsnews.net/africa/interna.asp?idnews=26613

International Anti-Corruption Day, held last Thursday, may well have struck a particular chord with South Africans this year. The country is currently witnessing a high-profile corruption case, which is being held in the eastern port city of Durban. The trial involves flamboyant businessman Schabir Shaikh, who is accused of paying over 180,000 dollars to Vice-President Jacob Zuma in return for having the latter promote his business interests. Although Zuma himself is not in the dock, media interest in the proceedings has been intense, (the trial began in October).

South Africa: Nepad man in bribe scandal

2004-12-16

http://www.themercury.co.za/index.php?fSectionId=283&fArticleId=2343133

A top adviser for the New Partnership for Africa's Development has been implicated in a multimillion-rand bribery scandal. It is alleged that Reatile Mochebelele, the Midrand-based adviser to Nepad on water affairs and sanitation, was paid to secure contracts for the Lesotho Highlands Water Project. He has been named by the government of Lesotho as the recipient of more than DM1 million (about R3.9 million) in bribes during his tenure as the chief delegate of the government of Lesotho on the Highlands Water Commission from 1996 to 1999.

Swaziland: King splashes on luxury car

2004-12-16

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4091271.stm

Swaziland's King Mswati has bought a $500,000 (£260,000) luxury car. Reports of the absolute monarch's latest purchase contrast with accounts of suffering in Swaziland, which has the highest Aids rate in the world. The Maybach car has a television, DVD player, 21-speaker surround-sound system, fridge, cordless telephone and sterling silver champagne flutes.

Zambia: President sues opposition leader over corruption charges

2004-12-16

http://admin.corisweb.org/index.php?fuseaction=news.view&id=116015&src=dcn

Zambian president Levy Mwanawasa has instructed his lawyers to sue opposition Patriotic Front leader Michael Sata for defaming him as corrupt, the official Zambia Daily Mail said on Sunday. Darlington Mwape, the president's special assistant for legal affairs, was quoted as saying that Sata has defamed the president by alleging that he is corrupt. A statement issued by Mwape Saturday said Sata had alleged on Radio Icengelo that the president had acquired eight farms and equipped them with combine harvesters and tractors since he came into office in early 2002.

Africa: Aid as privatisation

2004-12-16

http://www.guardian.co.uk/print/0,3858,5075380-103677,00.html

While aid is supposed to reduce poverty, the conditions attached to it have often had the opposite result, write Dave Prentis, general secretary of Unison, and Louise Richards, chief executive of War on Want, in The Guardian UK. "Donors have commonly required developing countries to privatise their public services and open up their markets in order to qualify for assistance, yet both courses have proved disastrous. The UN's newly published report on the world's least developed countries confirms the evidence on the ground: those states which have liberalised their markets most dramatically have also seen the greatest increases in poverty over the past 10 years."

Africa: Aid to Africa dwindles

2004-12-16

http://www.sarpn.org.za/newsflash.php#2361

Aid agencies in Africa are coming under pressure as a declining dollar means their budgets buy less while high profile operations in Iraq and Afghanistan bleed funding from development in the world’s poorest continent. The greenback has hit record lows against the euro and near six-year lows against South Africa’s rand, leaving aid groups, which planned their budgets in dollars seeing their purchasing power slashed. While agencies that get considerable donations from Europe and other non-US donors say they escape the worst of the effects, Africa projects must also fight for funding that is being sucked into rebuilding efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Africa: Groups Envision End-Poverty Campaign

2004-12-16

http://www.ipsnews.net/interna.asp?idnews=26005

Buoyed by successful global initiatives to ban landmines and create an international criminal court, a coalition of NGOs plans to launch a worldwide campaign seeking support for ''new and innovative sources of financing'' to help eradicate hunger and poverty. ''The idea is to copy the successful global processes that resulted in the convention to ban landmines, and also the statute to create the International Criminal Court (ICC),'' says Katarina Sehm Patomaki of the Helsinki-based Network Institute for Global Democratisation (NIGD).

Africa: Nepad funding nosedives

2004-12-16

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=44589

The African Union (AU) has voted for a fourfold increase in its budget, but cuts still have to be made to some programmes. Among areas that have been put on hold until next year is the continent-wide, anti-poverty blueprint – the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (Nepad). The AU had wanted $200 million a year to finance Nepad – in areas like road and bridge building - then cut that figure to $30 million before it was shelved. The current AU budget is $43 million, but only $27 million has been paid up.

Africa: The imperial tradition and the Commission for Africa

2004-12-16

http://www.sarpn.org.za/newsflash.php#2352

"I have few expectations of Tony Blair's Commission on Africa. We do not need another commission to look at Africa's problems," writes Yao Graham, co-ordinator of Third World Network-Africa, based in Accra, Ghana, in The Guardian UK. "The archives of the United Nations, African institutions and many other bodies are bulging with reports and proposals on how to resolve the world's north-south divide. There are many international agreements that have been frustrated by western governments and corporations. And, more importantly, African governments have come up with many demands, in forums such as the World Trade Organisation, which have been blocked by western governments, including the UK under Blair."

Africa: US Attacks Global Court

2004-12-16

http://www.antiwar.com/lobe/?articleid=4139

A bill before the US Congress would ban tens of millions of dollars in U.S. economic aid to some of its allies unless they formally agree to exempt U.S. citizens from the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court. Congress passed a law in 2002 that gave the administration the discretion to cut off military aid to countries not belonging to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) that ratified the ICC. Over the past year, the administration has done precisely that with about three-dozen countries, almost all of them poor nations in Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa, and Central Europe. The Nethercutt Amendment would deprive the same nations of economic support funds (ESF), a category of economic assistance that accounts for about $2.5 billion in the current foreign-aid bill.

African Social Forum: Africa to Host Next World Social Forum

2004-12-16

http://allafrica.com/stories/200412140257.html

Delegates at the African Social Forum in Lusaka agreed that Africa should host the next World Social Forum. However, delegates who were drawn from over 50 African countries were divided over which country should host the forum. Morocco had earlier offered to host the World Social Forum but most of the delegates were opposed to the idea of staging the conference in the North African country.

African Social Forum: Demands for full debt cancellation

2004-12-16

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/development/26228

"We Demand Full Multilateral Debt Cancellation for Africa and the Global South
Drop the Debt 100% -- All Impoverished Countries -- No Economic Conditions!

As civil society organizations from across the continent of Africa, we are confronted every day by the devastating reality of the crisis of debt. Debt payments to wealthy institutions like the IMF and World Bank rob our countries of resources we desperately need to provide health care, fight HIV/AIDS, provide education, and make available clean water. Debt is a tool of domination used by rich country governments and creditors like the IMF and World Bank. Conditions attached to debt relief and loans are devastating our economies and undermining our choices as sovereign nations.

For impoverished nations, multilateral creditors - in particular the IMF and World Bank - are the largest creditors. They are also the most powerful: because of their "preferred creditor" status, countries must pay their debts back first to these institutions. If countries do not pay, they are penalized and excluded from most forms of aid and assistance.

For impoverished nations, multilateral creditors - in particular the IMF and World Bank - are the largest creditors. They are also the most powerful: because of their "preferred creditor" status, countries must pay their debts back first to these institutions. If countries do not pay, they are penalized and excluded from most forms of aid and assistance.
The Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative was launched by the World Bank in 1996 to provide a "robust exit" to the crisis of debt faced by impoverished nations. Eight years on, the program has failed to achieve this goal. HIPC has provided too little relief, to too few countries, with devastating conditions. It is time to move beyond the failed HIPC Initiative towards another approach: Full (100%) multilateral debt cancellation for all impoverished nations, without harmful conditions.

We are aware of discussions going on now within the G-7 (in particular proposals by the UK and US governments), the IMF and World Bank, and other forums about possibilities for 100% (full) multilateral debt cancellation. We are encouraged that after many years of half-measures, full cancellation is being discussed at these levels. However, we must be clear about the principles for such discussions to meet the goals and aspirations of African civil society.

First, 100% multilateral debt cancellation is critical. Attempts to determine a "sustainable" level of debt for impoverished nations desperately trying to address the crises of HIV/AIDS and economic injustice should be rejected. For impoverished nations struggling to meet the human needs of their peoples, full 100% multilateral debt cancellation is the only option.

Second, this cancellation must come without any economic conditionalities. The HIPC program and PRSPs are riddled with conditions such as privatization, indiscriminate trade liberalization, opening up markets, fiscal and monetary targets. These conditions have devastated our economies long enough. Debt cancellation must come without any economic conditions attached. Moreover, we reject and find that the IMF's Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF) must be dismantled and abolished. The PRGF is not a force for development in our countries; the conditions attached to loans from this facility have devastated our economies. It is time to end the role of the IMF in poor countries once and for all; closing the PRGF is a critical first step towards doing this.

Third, multilateral debt cancellation must apply to all impoverished nations, not just the 42 HIPC nations. We reject proposals which only address countries that have reached HIPC "completion point." Many countries would be excluded from this approach. Moreover, non-HIPC countries must be included in efforts towards 100% debt cancellation. Countries including Haiti, Jamaica, and Nigeria are not part of HIPC, despite their extreme indebtedness.

Finally, we think that the multilateral financial institutions should do their fair share, and should contribute the bulk of the resources to finance debt cancellation. The IMF and World Bank are two of the richest financial institutions in the world. The IMF sits atop more than $30 billion in gold which currently serves no productive purpose. The IMF could sell this gold and use proceeds to cover debt owed to the World Bank and other multilaterals. The IBRD could easily mobilize more than $10 billion in accumulated profits and reserves and could commit a share of its annual multi-billion dollar profit to debt cancellation. The IMF should close down the PRGF facility and use its resources to cancel IMF debt. These are wealthy institutions; it is high time for them to do their fair share and by paying for debt cancellation, begin to acknowledge their role and responsibility in the debt crisis.
We do not believe that concerns about the "additionality" of debt cancellation should be allowed to postpone the full cancellation of the multilateral debt. Cancellation is significantly more valuable to our peoples than additional aid. Aid comes with its own conditions, and often creates more debt. The resources realized from debt cancellation can be used as governments - with ample interventions from civil society - see fit. Aid is a promise we have seen broken far too often; cancellation's benefits would be lasting." Click below to see full list of signatories.

African Social Forum: Demands for full debt cancellation
14 December 2004, Lusaka, Zambia - The following statement, in response to the news that the U.K. and the U.S. governments are offering different proposals aimed at 100% multilateral debt cancellation, was circulated at the African Social Forum in Lusaka, Zambia. The endorsements below were gathered in a few hours; more will undoubtedly be forthcoming as the statement's circulation broadens.

We Demand Full Multilateral Debt Cancellation for Africa and the Global South
Drop the Debt 100% -- All Impoverished Countries -- No Economic Conditions!

As civil society organizations from across the continent of Africa, we are confronted every day by the devastating reality of the crisis of debt. Debt payments to wealthy institutions like the IMF and World Bank rob our countries of resources we desperately need to provide health care, fight HIV/AIDS, provide education, and make available clean water. Debt is a tool of domination used by rich country governments and creditors like the IMF and World Bank. Conditions attached to debt relief and loans are devastating our economies and undermining our choices as sovereign nations.
For impoverished nations, multilateral creditors - in particular the IMF and World Bank - are the largest creditors. They are also the most powerful: because of their "preferred creditor" status, countries must pay their debts back first to these institutions. If countries do not pay, they are penalized and excluded from most forms of aid and assistance.
The Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative was launched by the World Bank in 1996 to provide a "robust exit" to the crisis of debt faced by impoverished nations. Eight years on, the program has failed to achieve this goal. HIPC has provided too little relief, to too few countries, with devastating conditions. It is time to move beyond the failed HIPC Initiative towards another approach: Full (100%) multilateral debt cancellation for all impoverished nations, without harmful conditions.
We are aware of discussions going on now within the G-7 (in particular proposals by the UK and US governments), the IMF and World Bank, and other forums about possibilities for 100% (full) multilateral debt cancellation. We are encouraged that after many years of half-measures, full cancellation is being discussed at these levels.
However, we must be clear about the principles for such discussions to meet the goals and aspirations of African civil society.
First, 100% multilateral debt cancellation is critical. Attempts to determine a "sustainable" level of debt for impoverished nations desperately trying to address the crises of HIV/AIDS and economic injustice should be rejected. For impoverished nations struggling to meet the human needs of their peoples, full 100% multilateral debt cancellation is the only option.
Second, this cancellation must come without any economic conditionalities. The HIPC program and PRSPs are riddled with conditions such as privatization, indiscriminate trade liberalization, opening up markets, fiscal and monetary targets. These conditions have devastated our economies long enough. Debt cancellation must come without any economic conditions attached. Moreover, we reject and find that the IMF's Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF) must be dismantled and abolished. The PRGF is not a force for development in our countries; the conditions attached to loans from this facility have devastated our economies. It is time to end the role of the IMF in poor countries once and for all; closing the PRGF is a critical first step towards doing this.
Third, multilateral debt cancellation must apply to all impoverished nations, not just the 42 HIPC nations. We reject proposals which only address countries that have reached HIPC "completion point." Many countries would be excluded from this approach. Moreover, non-HIPC countries must be included in efforts towards 100% debt cancellation. Countries including Haiti, Jamaica, and Nigeria are not part of HIPC, despite their extreme indebtedness.
Finally, we think that the multilateral financial institutions should do their fair share, and should contribute the bulk of the resources to finance debt cancellation. The IMF and World Bank are two of the richest financial institutions in the world. The IMF sits atop more than $30 billion in gold which currently serves no productive purpose. The IMF could sell this gold and use proceeds to cover debt owed to the World Bank and other multilaterals. The IBRD could easily mobilize more than $10 billion in accumulated profits and reserves and could commit a share of its annual multi-billion dollar profit to debt cancellation. The IMF should close down the PRGF facility and use its resources to cancel IMF debt. These are wealthy institutions; it is high time for them to do their fair share and by paying for debt cancellation, begin to acknowledge their role and responsibility in the debt crisis.
We do not believe that concerns about the "additionality" of debt cancellation should be allowed to postpone the full cancellation of the multilateral debt. Cancellation is significantly more valuable to our peoples than additional aid. Aid comes with its own conditions, and often creates more debt. The resources realized from debt cancellation can be used as governments - with ample interventions from civil society - see fit. Aid is a promise we have seen broken far too often; cancellation's benefits would be lasting.
Endorsed by the following debt campaigners:
Tafadzwa Muropa - Zimbabwe
Sy Koumbo S. Gale - Chad
Constancia de Pina - Cape Verde
James Kashiki - Zambia
Godfrey Mfiti - Malawi
Rev. Lumu Shabani
Democratic Republic of Congo (Kinshasa)
Benoit Essiga - CGT Liberte - Cameroon
Hassan Sayouty - Espace Associatif Maroc - Morocco
Demba Moussa Dembele - Forum for African Alternatives - Senegal
Taoufik BenAbdallah - ENDA - Senegal
Engudat Bekele - PAC - Ethiopia
Bakary Fofana - CECIDE - Guinea
Archinson Mhlata - PCO - South Africa
Pat Dooms - Orange Farm Vision - South Africa
Dao Dounantie - Jubile 2000 / CAD - Mali
Kone Solange - FNDP/ASAPSU - Cote d'Ivoire
Ouattar Diakalia - FNDP - Cote d'Ivoire
Dieng Amady Aly - Forum de Tiers Monde - Senegal
Seydou Ndiaye - ACAPES Senegal
Abubacar Ndiaye, RADI - Senegal

SOURCE: 50 Years Is Enough, http://50years.org

African Social Forum: Stop EPA's campaign launched

2004-12-16

http://www.twnafrica.org/atn/campaigns/day4.htm

The Stop EPAs campaign was launched in Lusaka with a ringing and militant call on African people to mobilise themselves to provide their governments with the moral authority to reject the Economic Partnership Agreements being negotiated between the ACP countries and the European Union. Defining the terms of the discussion, Kathleen Boohene of the Third World Network Africa, described EPAs as a looming monster that would devour all our progress.

Africa: $42.6 Million Five-Year Grant for antimalaria drugs

2004-12-16

http://www.oneworldhealth.org/media/details.php?prID=103&PHPSESSID=4fbca26e07195b20efe48fab33161202

A $42.6 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to the Institute for OneWorld Health, the first nonprofit pharmaceutical company in the United States, will create a powerful new approach to developing a more affordable, accessible cure for malaria, which kills more than a million children each year. OneWorld Health will work in partnership with the University of California, Berkeley, and Amyris Biotechnologies. UC Berkeley will conduct research to perfect a microbial factory for the compound artemisinin, currently the most effective treatment for malaria, and Amyris, a new biotech company founded on the breakthroughs in synthetic biology pioneered at UC Berkeley, will develop the process for industrial fermentation and commercialization.

Africa: Africa needs $2.5b per year to effectively fight malaria

2004-12-16

http://www.sarpn.org.za/newsflash.php#2362

Millions of Africans will continue to die from malaria – an easily treatable disease – unless international donors agree to raise the substantial funds required to fight the disease. According to a new report by the Africa regional office of the World Health Organisation (WHO-Afro), a warchest of between $1.5 billion and $2.5 billion is needed every year to prevent and control malaria, which claims over one million lives annually.

Africa: Nigeria proposes change to TRIPS agreement on generics

2004-12-16

http://www.ictsd.org/weekly/04-12-08/story1.htm

At a meeting of the WTO Council for Trade-related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) on 1-2 December, Nigeria submitted a proposal on behalf of the African Group - which includes all African WTO Members - for converting the waiver provided for in a 30 August 2003 Decision on pharmaceutical patents into a formal amendment of the TRIPS agreement. The '30 August Decision' by the General Council spells out the circumstances under which countries without pharmaceutical manufacturing capacity can import generic versions of drugs still under patent.The Decision temporarily waives Members' obligations under TRIPS Article 31(f) by allowing them to export pharmaceuticals produced under compulsory licence, albeit subject to a large number of conditions in both the exporting and importing country.

Africa: Worldwide appeal for free AIDS treatment

2004-12-16

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=44659

Nearly 600 health experts, economists and policy-makers have joined an appeal for free AIDS treatment for all people living with HIV/AIDS in the developing world. The "Free By 5" declaration will be presented to the World Bank, aid donors, the World Health Organisation (WHO), UNAIDS and many other parties in the next few days.

Burkina Faso: More ARVs, Please

2004-12-16

http://www.ipsnews.net/africa/interna.asp?idnews=26655

The good news about AIDS in Burkina Faso is that HIV prevalence in the West African country is on the decline. The bad news is that people who have already contracted the virus appear to be having difficulties in getting drugs to treat themselves. According to the most recent statistics from the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), HIV prevalence in Burkina Faso in 2003 was 4.2 percent – down from 7.17 percent in 1997.

Burundi: Mother and child health campaign begins

2004-12-16

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=44631

Burundi began on Monday a weeklong health protection campaign targeting over three million children and 17,000 pregnant women, in an effort to reduce the country's high infant and maternal mortality rates. During the campaign, medical teams are due to deworm an estimated three million children aged from one year to 14 years; provide vitamin A for another one million infants aged from six months to 59 months; immunise 17,000 pregnant women against tetanus, and distribute mineral salts and folic acid to them.

Ethiopia: Free HIV drugs distribution to be undertaken by government

2004-12-16

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=44612

Ethiopia is to begin free distribution of potentially lifesaving drugs next month for people living with HIV, US officials supporting the programme said last Thursday. The move is part of a US $43 million scheme from the US government of antiretroviral drugs for up to 15,000 people this year. "You can consider this the start of the treatment era, in which free treatment will be made available in increasing numbers over the years," Taddesse Wahub, head of the US Centres for Disease Control (CDC) in Ethiopia, said.

Kenya: Youth Turn Out for AIDS Rock Concert

2004-12-16

http://www.internews.org/news/2004/20041210_kenya.html

Thousands of young Kenyans “rocked” against AIDS in Nairobi in sweltering temperatures in recognition of World AIDS Day. The concert, held on December 5, was the first of its kind in Kenya. For a week prior to the concert, seven disc jockeys who helped host the event attended an HIV/AIDS reporting workshop provided by Internews’ Local Voices project. At the training, DJ trainer Georges Collinet coached them in how to talk about HIV/AIDS in an accurate, yet “cool” and accessible way so that their messages could be understood and absorbed by the mostly youthful concertgoers.

South Africa: TAC wins costs

2004-12-16

http://www.sabcnews.com/south_africa/crime1justice/0,2172,94112,00.html

The Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) lobby group was awarded costs in its failed Pretoria High Court application for access to the health department's documents on an Aids treatment plan. Manto Tshabalala-Msimang, the health minister, cited as the respondent in the matter, was ordered to pay the applicant's costs.

Togo: Unprecedented all-in-one vaccination campaign for under-fives

2004-12-16

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=44645

In a unique all-in-one pilot campaign launched on Monday, almost a million Togolese children are to be vaccinated free of charge against measles and polio as well as being given mosquito nets to fight malaria and pills to treat intestinal worms. Authorities are targeting 866,725 children aged between nine months and five years. They will be given a shot against measles, a polio vaccination, a pill against intestinal worms and a mosquito net treated with repellent to protect them from the malaria-carrying insects.

Uganda: New import measures lead to condom shortage

2004-12-16

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=44668

New measures aimed at preventing the dumping of low quality condoms in Uganda have resulted in shortages across the country, a senior health ministry official told IRIN on Tuesday. Ugandans use between 80 and 100 million condoms annually as part of the country's anti-HIV/AIDS strategy of ABC - Abstain [from sex], be faithful [to one partner] or use a condom.

Zimbabwe: Health and Human Rights abuses in Zimbabwe

Dr Sunanda Ray, Dr Farai D Madzimbamuto

2004-12-16

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/hivaids/26124

The human rights environment in Zimbabwe has become increasingly complex. For the last few years political violence has dominated any discussion about health and human rights. Since 2000 there have been periods of intense violence across the whole country, especially around national elections. This punctuates a background intimidation that prevents people from engaging in open discussion, especially where it is different from the official version. Doctors are afraid to challenge the violence because they are afraid of being labeled anti-government or belonging to the opposition, or simply afraid of what 'might' happen to them if they stick their necks out.

There have been situations of doctors refusing to see or avoiding patients who are victims of organised or state violence. In one case a well-known human rights lawyer was denied treatment at a health facility because a health care worker was afraid to implicate himself if the matter went to court. Such is the atmosphere of intimidation. Violence and torture is carried out to make people support the ruling party and government, or at least make them too afraid to oppose it.

Health and Human Rights abuses in Zimbabwe
Dr Sunanda Ray, Dr Farai D Madzimbamuto
The human rights environment in Zimbabwe has become increasingly complex. For the last few years political violence has dominated any discussion about health and human rights. Since 2000 there have been periods of intense violence across the whole country, especially around national elections. This punctuates a background intimidation that prevents people from engaging in open discussion, especially where it is different from the official version. Doctors are afraid to challenge the violence because they are afraid of being labeled anti-government or belonging to the opposition, or simply afraid of what 'might' happen to them if they stick their necks out. There have been situations of doctors refusing to see or avoiding patients who are victims of organised or state violence. In one case a well-known human rights lawyer was denied treatment at a health facility because a health care worker was afraid to implicate himself if the matter went to court. Such is the atmosphere of intimidation. Violence and torture is carried out to make people support the ruling party and government, or at least make them too afraid to oppose it.
Torture

All our recorded cases of torture (159) fall under the definition of torture given in the United Nations Convention against Torture and Other Forms of Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment and Punishment. This describes the four key elements of torture as
§ severe pain and suffering, whether physical or mental, that is
§ intentionally inflicted,
§ carried out with purpose
§ by a state official or another individual acting with the acquiescence of the State.
The Health System

The economic collapse and violence have together ensured that health service delivery is almost non-functional. Health personnel have been leaving the country in increasing numbers since the 1990s. Out of about 1200 doctors trained in Zimbabwe between 1990 and 1999, only about 360 were still working in Zimbabwe in 2002. A similar trend can be described for nurses. Health spending has also shifted increasingly from public to private, making health services inaccessible for larger sections of the community. The inconsistent, under-resourced and highly stigmatising response of the government to the HIV epidemic has locked people into cycles of overwhelming illness and poverty. All gains made during the liberation struggle in establishing health and access to health, as a human right, have been completely lost. The people in Zimbabwe have a right to a functioning, equitable health care system and health professionals must engage in the struggle to achieve this. Advocacy on behalf of their patients is one of the ethical responsibilities of health professionals, and their loss to the country has greatly weakened this capacity.
Prison Health
The over crowding, abuse, HIV and tuberculosis, sexual violence and deaths in prisons has been well reported in the popular press in Zimbabwe. The 42 prisons have a capacity of 16,000 inmates but regularly hold 20-25 thousand. People can be held awaiting trial for long periods in these conditions, with terrible mental and physical health effects. The health professionals in these services are isolated, overwhelmed and particularly at risk from conflict of interest between patient and employer.
The Food Crisis
The land seizures that started in 2000 and the accompanying chaos have resulted in collapse of food production in the country. Since 2001 up to six million people (50% of the population) have depended partly or completely on food handouts from non-governmental organisations. The government has used this dependence to control access to food by directing all food distribution through its own or the ruling party's infrastructure, with limited success. Only card carrying party members are guaranteed access to food when it is available. In addition, the card is changed frequently to catch out those who lapse in their fervour and to raise funds for the party coffers. The result is to politicise malnutrition and famine deaths. To discuss hunger in Zimbabwe is to support the opposition. To be hungry is to support the opposition. Bulawayo City Council Health Department has reported 161 deaths this year up to August 2004 directly related to food shortage. Matebeleland Aids Council (MAC) has warned that the combination of HIV and food shortage has put many lives in peril. What food is available on the open market is not affordable for most people because of inflation (at 250 - 600 %), unemployment and low income. Clearly, to the government 'human rights' have no meaning.
ZADHR
Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for Human Rights (ZADHR) was set up in 2002 as a vehicle for doctors, principally (but includes other health workers), to counter the violence and torture and to support health workers treating victims of organised violence and torture. Health workers in rural areas have felt isolated and particularly vulnerable in periods of intense activity such as elections. The polarisation and politicisation of every issue made it difficult to mention 'health and human rights' as a health professional issue. We have continued, however.

The international environment for human rights advocacy continues to improve. Zimbabwean health workers want to be part of this. ZADHR appeals to health professionals in Southern Africa and across the world to support their colleagues in Zimbabwe. March 2005 will see parliamentary general elections. The build up to this period is expected, on past performance, to be characterised by extreme violence. There will be no free debate about the health of the nation.

Zimbabwe is not alone in this experience. Health professionals engaged in advocacy for communities burdened by HIV and poverty across Africa, frequently find themselves isolated locally and far from international support. They are often stigmatised as being too 'political'. Professional 'aloofness' is seen as the best way to continue to provide a service. This is despite the extreme suffering of people in places such as Sudan and the Congo (DRC). The health human rights agenda is subsumed under international humanitarian assistance. It is time to link all our efforts across the subcontinent and the continent.
Support

There are an estimated 3 million Zimbabweans outside Zimbabwe. Most are in Southern Africa but there are tens of thousands in North America, the UK and elsewhere. Many find themselves on the fringes of health services because they are 'illegal' immigrants, 'asylum seekers' or poor. The high prevalence of HIV and AIDS among them tends to aggravate their circumstances. The torture and violence they have suffered is often only recognised for 'asylum seekers'. ZADHR seeks to raise these issues in this dispersed community of Zimbabweans.

ZADHR appeals to Zimbabwean health professionals and others around the world to support their colleagues in Zimbabwe, and to support each other in the struggle to restore health and human rights in Zimbabwe.

* ZADHR would like to hear from you. Contact us at humanrights@zadhr.org if you wish to support us, receive our communications or work with us for health and human rights in Zimbabwe.
* Critical Health Perspectives is a monthly publication of the People's Health Movement, South Africa. Critical Health Perspectives is being produced with a view to offering an alternative, “peoples health” perspective and stimulate debate on critical issues related to health and health care in South Africa and elsewhere. Please forward on to others who may be interested. Contact bridgetl@mweb.co.za for more information.

Africa/Global: Entrenching human rights education

2004-12-16

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/education/26203

While some countries have well-developed educational programmes for promoting awareness of and respect for human rights, elsewhere human rights education for children, young people and the general population needs to be strengthened considerably, said Mr Koichiro Matsuura, director-general of Unesco, on the occasion of Human Rights Day on 10 December.
MESSAGE FROM MR KOïCHIRO MATSUURA, DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF UNESCO, ON THE
OCCASION OF HUMAN RIGHTS DAY - 10 DECEMBER 2004

Over fifty years ago, when it adopted the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights (1948), the United Nations General Assembly recommended that the
Governments of Member States "cause it to be disseminated, displayed, read
and expounded principally in schools and other educational institutions".
From the outset, therefore, the publicization of the Declaration through
educational processes was an integral part of its general dissemination
for the purpose of consolidating world peace. It may be noted that, while
the United Nations Secretary-General, the specialized agencies and
non-governmental organizations also were called upon to disseminate the
Declaration as widely as possible, the greatest responsibility was placed
upon national governments.

Since then, human rights education has moved on considerably and is
certainly no longer focused on disseminating a particular text, although
the Declaration continues to be a foundational document for all human
rights education. Important developments in this field have taken place in
recent years within the framework of the United Nations Decade for Human
Rights Education (1995-2004) but much remains to be done. While some
countries have well-developed educational programmes for promoting
awareness of and respect for human rights, elsewhere human rights
education for children, young people and the general population needs to
be strengthened considerably.

To highlight this fact, UNESCO and the Office of the High Commissioner for
Human Rights (OHCHR) are dedicating their efforts on Human Rights Day 2004
to human rights education. On this day, furthermore, the United Nations
General Assembly is devoting a special plenary session to human rights
education, marking the end of the UN Decade and providing an opportunity
to consider the way forward. In recognition that national efforts can
benefit from an international framework of cooperation and action, it will
be proposed that a World Programme for Human Rights Education be
proclaimed to begin on 1st January 2005. In its first phase (2005-2007),
the World Programme would promote the integration and implementation of
human rights education within national school systems at the primary and
secondary levels. This is an area of particular interest and concern for
UNESCO.

In UNESCO's perspective, human rights education is important not only for
the promotion and protection of human rights but also for education
itself. In particular, human rights education should be seen as part of
the content and purpose of quality education for all (EFA) and within the
framework of the fulfilment of the right to education. All human rights -
civil, cultural, economic, political and social - are indivisible,
interrelated and interdependent. Believing that all human rights are
equally important to ensure a decent living for all, UNESCO considers the
right to education as a key right because it unlocks the enjoyment of
other human rights. Without education - education of good quality - people
have very limited opportunities to create a better life.

The cultivation of respect for the human rights of all should be an
integral component of everyone's learning, not only in formal schooling
but also through a range of educational experiences throughout the
life-span. Human rights education involves learning about one's own rights
and those of others, but it goes beyond this to include learning that
human rights are a shared responsibility with practical consequences for
how we live together. Such learning, please note, cannot be obtained from
books alone or simply from curriculum content but must also be acquired
from educational processes, pedagogical methods and the educational
environment within which learning takes place. In other words, human
rights education involves learning by doing.

Thus, human rights education is about acquiring not only knowledge but
also skills and the ability to apply them; it is about developing values,
attitudes and behaviour that uphold human rights but also about taking
action to defend and promote them. It involves learning about human rights
through the practice of human rights.

On Human Rights Day 2004, let the theme of human rights education
stimulate a redoubling of efforts to promote, in the words of the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights, "universal respect for and
observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms". The task of building
a universal culture of human rights is far from complete but the
Declaration points the way forward when it proclaims that "every
individual and every organ of society ... shall strive by teaching and
education to promote respect for these rights and freedoms". Human rights
education is a shared duty of us all.

Africa: Literacy skills - proven pathway out of poverty

2004-12-16

http://www.id21.org/education/e3sc1g1.html

At least 1.2 billion poor people are not able to read or write. This restricts their ability to carry out every day activities such as read signposts, understand medicine labels and machinery instructions, confirm commercial transactions and avoid being cheated. Increasing the pool of literate and numerate people is essential to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Central Africa: The impact of HIV/AIDS on teachers

2004-12-16

http://www.eldis.org/cf/rdr/rdr.cfm?doc=DOC16785

This paper from the HIV/AIDS Impact on Education Clearinghouse examines the literature on how HIV/AIDS has impacted teachers and other education personnel in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cote d`Ivoire, Ghana, Mali, Nigeria and Senegal. It focuses on the areas of: prevalence; impact on professional lives of teachers; impact of teacher infection on schools; impact of teacher infection on students; infection of administrative personnel; responses from teachers; and responses from management.

Malawi: NGOs monitor budget spending on education

2004-12-16

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=44662

A new report by Oxfam International has highlighted the watchdog role NGOs can play in monitoring budget spending in resource-poor countries like Malawi. In Malawi, the Civil Society Coalition for Quality Basic Education (CSCQBE), a grouping of NGOs, began monitoring how the education ministry was spending its budget allocation three years ago.

Nigeria: Education Project launched

2004-12-16

http://www.dfid.gov.uk/news/files/countries/africa/nigeria-education-full.asp

On 9th December President Olusegun Obasanjo launched a new Girls' Education Project at an official opening ceremony during the meeting of the National Council for Education. The £26million project, entirely financed by DFID Nigeria, will be implemented by UNICEF and Nigeria partners over the next three years. The project's goal is to achieve significant progress in Nigeria towards MDG 3: to eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary education preferably by 2005 and to all levels of education no later than 2015.

Uganda: Is Higher Education Doomed?

2004-12-16

http://allafrica.com/stories/200412140328.html

The National Council for Higher Education has come up with a damning report on the status of higher education in the country. While noting positive developments in the sector like the number of universities increasing from one in 1987 to 28 today, it warned that 11 of them were operating illegally. The draft report being released at a stakeholders' workshop in Kampala paints a gloomy picture of the sector saying it is characterised by poor record keeping, under-funding, outmoded curriculum and unacceptably high lecturer to student ratio.

West Africa: Can decentralisation improve schools?

2004-12-16

http://portal.unesco.org/education/en/ev.php-URL_ID=15200&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html

Decentralization is at the top of the reform agenda in many countries. Governments and agencies consider it an indispensable step in efforts to provide quality education for all. However, little is known about its actual impact on local schools. The recent newsletter of the UNESCO Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP) looks at the situation in West Africa and Asia.

Africa: The Black race: Myths, complexities and compassion

2004-12-16

http://nigeriaworld.com/feature/publication/shilgba/121004.html

"Africa was a Mecca for scholars from other parts of the world, where many Greek scholars studied. We now know that the oldest Mathematics texts (over 4000 years old)-The Rhind, Berlin, and Moscow papyri were all excavated from Africa. But do they bear the names of either African cities or persons? No! The Rhind papyrus was named after a Scottish traveler Alexander Rhind who bought it in Africa; but the author was a black African Mathematician called Ahmes."

Africa: Low water quality and quantity: Rhetoric or reality

David Essaw

2004-12-16

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/environment/26154

Africa is endowed with both surface and underground water resources however; there is a high variability in the amount of water available for domestic, industrial and agricultural use. Water shortage has become a yearly routine and affects the livelihood security of a majority of the population. As popularly put by Kofi Annan, the Secretary General of the United Nations: “We need to learn how to value water, because, water is life”. According to a study published by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), groundwater, the unseen source of life for two billion people, is diminishing almost everywhere in the world. The New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) initiative recognises the water resource issue as a priority focus and seeks to achieve socio-economic outcomes and sustained poverty reduction.

The water variability in Africa has been caused mainly by pollution, mismanagement, population increase and rapid depletion of forest. Pollution is one of the major problems accounting for low quality and quantity of water resources. Polluting agents emanate from cultivated areas where pesticides and fertilisers that have accumulated in the soil leak into the streams. Persistent felling of trees around the catchment areas of most rivers and dumping of industrial and household waste into the streams are the other factors. There is also a new phenomenon of indiscriminate disposal of polythene materials in some African countries, such as Ghana and Nigeria, worsening the already polluted surface water and preventing underground seepage of water. The result is the poor quality and quantity of water resources we have today. Some 450million people in 29 countries live with chronic water shortages, thus one person in six cannot rely on safe drinking water.

Water resources in Africa have been widely botched and used without regard to any management regulation. Lack of enforcement by authorities of the existing regulations that control the use and the pollution of water aggravate the water resource problem in some countries of Africa. Population increase and the demand for water resources for various uses without a mechanism for recycle and reuse also contribute to the water variability issue.

Rapid depletion of tropical forests is another factor accounting for the low quantity of water resources. For instance, in the 1900s, Ghana was covered by 8.2 million hectares of original moist tropical forest which had reduced to 2.1 million hectares by 1998 and stood at 1.4 million hectares in 2003.

The effects of this includes but is not limited to seasonal water supply shortages for domestic and industrial use and the spread of water related diseases. Seasonal water shortage for domestic, industrial and agricultural uses affect socio-economic development of many countries in Africa. We are all a living testimony to this.

Water related diseases spread as a result of inadequate and safe drinking water for the majority of the populace. Water related diseases kill a child every eight seconds and are responsible for 80% of all illness and deaths in Africa.

Livelihood security of the people is undermined and has the potential to leave the majority of the populace vulnerable to various forms of threats. Where lies the sustainability element of this valuable resource?

Government agencies including ministries, water research institutes, water related bodies, universities, other research institutions, NGO’s and individuals have made several attempts and encouraging statements in the past and still strive in diverse ways to address the problem. Consider encouraging words and statements from government bodies, other institutions and individuals such as these:

“ government will commit itself to ensuring the proper management of water resources to prevent misuse, over exploitation and pollution”

“ better water resource management practices will help improve the quantity and quality of water for all ”

“ management and sustenance of the country’s water resources should be a concerted effort”

“ government, NGO’s, universities as well as research institutions should collaborate to seek a more permanent solution to the problems of the country’s water resources”

“ Rain harvesting, for instance, could save a lot of people from the water shortage”

Despite all these efforts and encouraging statements, the water quality and quantity problem is still worsening day-by-day. For the past years we have largely paid lip service to the long-term consequences of our actions. Our individual behaviour and attitudes damage this valuable resource; let’s think about them now. Never lose hope; all is not lost. Today we are in the position to buy the water of tomorrow.

* David Wellington ESSAW, a Ghanaian, is a PhD Candidate at the Centre for Ecological Economics and Water Policy Research, University of New England, Australia. His interest is in water management and policy issues, development planning and management and community development.

* Please send comments to editor@pambazuka.org

Africa: Poor nations 'cast adrift' as climate change kicks in

2004-12-16

http://www.neweconomics.org/gen/uploads/aml404yldaqrwc45wp53skbq10122004163124.pdf

The cost of adapting to climate change is set to rise and is being hidden from the general public in rich countries, says a report from the New Economics Foundation (NEF). "Poor countries, who will suffer the impacts of climate change first and worst, are being fatally short changed, as industrialised nations abdicate responsibility for a problem they are overwhelmingly responsible for creating," says 'Cast Adrift', released this week.

The NEF says rich nations currently spend $73 billion every year subsiding industry that fuels climate change. This amount should be matched with funding to assist poor countries adapt to the impacts of climate change, says NEF.

"Given rich nations historical responsibility for global warming, and the resources at their disposal, at the very least the funds available for adaptation to the majority world should be raised substantially." But rich countries have currently committed $0.41 billion in additional funds to help poor countries adapt to the problem.

DRC: Poachers leave bonobo at risk

2004-12-16

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4080807.stm

One of humankind's closest relatives, the bonobo, may be facing extinction. Scientists working in the Democratic Republic of the Congo - the only country where bonobos live - have found evidence that they are being hunted for bushmeat in areas where they should be protected. Numbers may be down to 20% of previous levels.

Kenya: Environmental Activist Accepts Nobel Peace Prize

2004-12-16

http://us.oneworld.net/article/view/99587/1/

"As the first African woman to receive this prize, I accept it on behalf of the people of Kenya and Africa, and indeed the world." With these words, Wangari Muta Maathai accepted the Nobel Peace Prize Friday in Oslo. Maathai used her lecture to warn that environmental destruction must be reversed so that "humanity stops threatening its life-support system." Saying that as a mother she hopes her selection for this award will inspire young people, Maathai acknowledged the work of "countless individuals and groups across the globe" who "work quietly and often without recognition to protect the environment, promote democracy, defend human rights and ensure equality between women and men."

Kenya: Motion seeks ban on all genetically modified foods

2004-12-16

http://www.eastandard.net/hm_news/news_s.php?articleid=7822

A motion calling for a ban on genetically modified food was brought before the House last week. Saboti MP Davies Nakitare (Narc) said this should be done in view of the fact that the government had no policy on such foods. He said most developed countries have banned genetically modified foods because of the danger they posed to humans.

Madagascar: World Bank pushes titanium mine

2004-12-16

http://www.busrep.co.za/index.php?fSectionId=&fArticleId=2343010

The World Bank has urged Madagascar to begin developing a controversial titanium mine with mining giant Rio Tinto, saying it would help alleviate poverty. Friends of the Earth say the project would dredge millions of tons of mineral sands along a 6 000ha strip to extract the mineral, devastating forests, endangering rare wildlife, and affecting 360 000 inhabitants.

South Africa: Durban poor's fight for clean air

2004-12-16

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4091535.stm

In South Africa, as in many developing and newly-industrialised countries, legislation on air pollution has failed to keep pace with mushrooming industries. So local residents, like many in poor communities around the globe, have faced the problem of investigating their claim that industries on their doorsteps are making them sick. The small yet tenacious South Durban Community Environmental Alliance (SDCEA) has become the first African grassroots group to take the science into their own hands by taking their own air samples.

Kenya: Illegal land to be repossessed

2004-12-16

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4085863.stm

Kenyan authorities have begun to repossess millions of hectares of public land acquired illegally since independence in 1963, officials say. Lands and Housing Minister Amos Kimunya said land seized by at least 60 people, including former President Daniel arap Moi, had already been taken back.

South Africa: Land battle sparks new fears of invasions

2004-12-16

http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=15&art_id=qw1101475621325B216

One of the biggest land invasions ever seen in South Africa has sparked a court battle between the government and a white farmer who says he is being effectively expropriated. The Supreme Court of Appeals in May ordered the state to compensate Braam Duvenage and resettle around 40 000 people who moved onto his farm in Benoni outside Johannesburg after their nearby township ran out of living space. But state attorneys refused, saying Duvenage should deal with the matter and they took the case to the Constitutional Court.

Burkina Faso: Investigation into journalist Norbert Zongo's murder stalled

2004-12-16

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/media/26157

Six years have passed since newspaper editor Norbert Zongo and three of his companions were found dead in their car on a southern Burkina Faso road, on 13 December 1998. The investigation remains stalled and one of the leading suspects in the case, François Compaoré, President Blaise Compaoré's brother, has never been detained or charged. On 28 November 2004, a Reporters sans frontières RSF representative questioned President Blaise Compaoré about the case during the closing press conference of the summit of French-speaking countries, held this year in Burkina Faso's capital, Ouagadougou. "Total impunity appears to be the rule in Burkina Faso," RSF's representative said. "The judge is free to interrogate whoever he wants. It is not the president's role to meddle in judicial proceedings," President Blaise Compaoré replied. (French version available)
IFEX - Nouvelles de la communauté internationale de défense de la liberté
d'expression
_________________________________________________________________

MISE À JOUR D'ALERTE - BURKINA FASO

Le 13 décembre 2004

Six ans après l'assassinat du journaliste Norbert Zongo, l'enquête n'a pas
avancé et l'impunité reste la règle

SOURCE: Reporters sans frontières (RSF), Paris

**Mise à jour d'alertes de l'IFEX du 15 décembre 2003, 13 décembre 2002, 12
décembre, 16, 12 et 11 octobre, 5 avril, 30 et 9 mars et 6 février 2001,
entre autres**

(RSF/IFEX) - Le 13 décembre 2004 marque le triste anniversaire de
l'assassinat du journaliste burkinabé Norbert Zongo, froidement abattu dans
sa voiture avec trois de ses compagnons, sur une route du sud du pays, en
1998.

Lors de la conférence de presse de clôture du Xe Sommet de la Francophonie,
le 28 novembre 2004 à Ouagadougou, un représentant de RSF a interpellé le
président du Burkina Faso, Blaise Compaoré, sur l'affaire du journaliste
assassiné. Six ans après les faits, la justice burkinabé n'avance pas. Le
frère du Président, François Compaoré, largement impliqué dans l'affaire,
n'a jamais été inquiété. "Il semble qu'une impunité totale soit de mise au
Burkina Faso", s'inquiétait le représentant de l'organisation devant le
président burkinabé. "Le juge a l'entière liberté pour interroger qui il
veut, a répondu Blaise Compaoré. Ce n'est pas le rôle du président du Faso
de s'ingérer dans une procédure judiciaire".

"Vous avez raison, M. le Président, ce n'est pas votre rôle, a déclaré RSF à
l'occasion du sixième anniversaire de la mort du directeur de
l''Indépendant'. Si les plus hautes autorités burkinabés ne s'ingéraient
plus dans l'enquête sur l'assassinat de Norbert Zongo, celle-ci pourrait
avancer plus rapidement. Or, il n'en est rien. Toutefois, avec ces garanties
publiques, formulées par le chef de l'Etat burkinabé, aux côtés du président
français Jacques Chirac et face aux chefs d'Etat des pays ayant le français
en partage, le juge d'instruction Wenceslas Ilboudo peut maintenant
commencer à travailler sérieusement sur le dossier".

Dans cette affaire, les anomalies se succèdent, l'impunité est la règle et
l'immobilisme total. En août 2000, trois militaires de la garde
présidentielle, dont l'adjudant Marcel Kafando, ont été reconnus coupables
d'"avoir séquestré et torturé à mort" un jeune homme employé à la
présidence, David Ouedraogo. Ce dernier, chauffeur de François Compaoré,
conseiller et frère du chef de l'Etat, était soupçonné de lui avoir volé de
l'argent. Il est mort sous la torture, quelques jours après avoir été arrêté
par la garde présidentielle. Zongo enquêtait sur cette affaire lorsqu'il a
été tué. En février 2001, Kafando a été inculpé d'"assassinat" et "incendie
volontaire" par le procureur général dans le cadre du dossier Zongo. Or,
malgré une condamnation à 20 ans de prison et une inculpation aussi grave,
Kafando coule des jours tranquilles en liberté, à son domicile. François
Compaoré, lui, n'a jamais été inculpé dans l'affaire Ouedraogo, alors qu'il
avait personnellement téléphoné à l'adjudant Kafando pour que celui-ci
vienne se saisir du jeune homme. Il n'a été entendu qu'une seule fois, en
2001, dans l'affaire Zongo.

Lors de son passage au "pays des hommes intègres", le représentant de RSF a
tenté de rencontrer le juge Ilboudo. En vain. Celui-ci ne s'est pas présenté
au rendez-vous convenu et n'était plus joignable les jours suivants.

Le 13 décembre, RSF va également lancer une campagne de publicité dans la
presse africaine, dénonçant un "crime impuni en Francophonie". Parodiant une
affiche de cinéma, cette campagne se place sous les auspices des "films de
l'oubli", avec "Blaise Compaoré, alias 'le protecteur', et François
Compaoré, alias 'le protégé'". Cette affiche a été distribuée à Ouagadougou
lors du sommet du mois de novembre et envoyée aux principaux journaux
africains.

Par ailleurs, RSF a adressé un courrier au président de la Commission de
l'Union africaine (UA), Alpha Oumar Konaré, pour lui demander d'intervenir,
afin de débloquer l'enquête sur l'assassinat du journaliste et de ses trois
compagnons. "Nous vous demandons solennellement de peser de tout votre poids
pour que justice soit rendue à la famille de Norbert Zongo et aux
Burkinabés, pour qui la mort du journaliste a représenté une grave atteinte
à leur propre liberté", a notamment écrit l'organisation.

Pour tout renseignement complémentaire, veuillez contacter Léonard Vincent,
RSF, 5, rue Geoffroy Marie, Paris 75009, France, tél: +33 1 44 83 84 84,
téléc: +33 1 45 23 11 51, courrier électronique: afrique@rsf.org, Internet:
http://www.rsf.org

RSF est responsable de toute information contenue dans cette mise à jour
d'alerte. En citant cette information, prière de bien vouloir l'attribuer à
RSF.
_______________________________________________________________
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site Internet: http://www.ifex.org/
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IFEX - News from the international freedom of expression community
_________________________________________________________________

ALERT UPDATE - BURKINA FASO

13 December 2004

Six years after journalist Norbert Zongo's murder, investigation remains
stalled and impunity prevails

SOURCE: Reporters sans frontières (RSF), Paris

**Updates IFEX alerts of 15 December 2003, 13 December 2002, 12 December,
16, 12 and 11 October, 5 April, 30 and 9 March and 6 February 2001 and
others**

(RSF/IFEX) - Six years have passed since newspaper editor Norbert Zongo and
three of his companions were found dead in their car on a southern Burkina
Faso road, on 13 December 1998. The investigation remains stalled and one of
the leading suspects in the case, François Compaoré, President Blaise
Compaoré's brother, has never been detained or charged.

On 28 November 2004, an RSF representative questioned President Blaise
Compaoré about the case during the closing press conference of the summit of
French-speaking countries, held this year in Burkina Faso's capital,
Ouagadougou.

"Total impunity appears to be the rule in Burkina Faso," RSF's
representative said. "The judge is free to interrogate whoever he wants. It
is not the president's role to meddle in judicial proceedings," President
Blaise Compaoré replied.

"You are right, Mr. President, it is not your role," RSF's representative
said. "If Burkina Faso's most senior officials had not meddled in this
investigation, it could have made some progress. However, with the public
assurances you have just given in the presence of French President Jacques
Chirac and the heads of state of other French-speaking countries,
investigating judge Wenceslas Ilboudo should finally be able to work
effectively on the case," RSF's representative added.

Until now, the investigation has been marked by repeated irregularities.
Impunity prevails and paralysis has taken hold.

In August 2000, three Presidential Guard soldiers, including Warrant Officer
Marcel Kafando, were convicted of kidnapping David Ouedraogo, a presidential
office employee, and torturing him to death. Ouedraogo had been suspected of
stealing money from François Compaoré, for whom he worked as a driver. He
died under torture a few days after being arrested by the Presidential
Guard. The president's brother is also one of Blaise Compaoré's advisers.

Zongo was investigating this case when he was murdered. In February 2001,
the state prosecutor charged Kafando with murder and arson in connection
with the Zongo case. Despite this serious charge and his being sentenced to
20 years in prison in the Ouedraogo case, Kafando continues to live
peacefully at home.

François Compaoré has never been charged in the Ouedraogo murder, although
he personally phoned Kafando and ordered him to arrest Ouedraogo. The
president's brother was only questioned once, in 2001, in connection with
the Zongo case.

RSF's representative tried unsuccessfully to arrange a meeting with Judge
Ilboudo during his November 2004 visit to Burkina Faso. A meeting was
arranged but the judge did not turn up, and he could not be reached by phone
thereafter.

RSF is marking the sixth anniversary of Zongo's murder by placing
announcements in the African press parodying an advertisement for a film
about an "unpunished crime in the French-speaking world," starring Blaise
Compaoré as the cover-up's author and François Compaoré as its beneficiary.
The ad has been sent to the main African newspapers and a poster version was
distributed in Ouagadougou during the summit.

RSF has also written to African Union Commission Chairperson Alpha Oumar
Konaré, asking him to intercede in an attempt to revive the investigation.
"We call on you to use all your influence so that justice may be rendered to
Norbert Zongo's family and to all the people of Burkina Faso, for whom his
death was a major blow to their own freedom," RSF said.

For further information, contact Léonard Vincent at RSF, 5, rue Geoffroy
Marie, Paris 75009, France, tel: +33 1 44 83 84 84, fax: +33 1 45 23 11 51,
e-mail: africa@rsf.org, Internet: http://www.rsf.org

The information contained in this alert update is the sole responsibility of
RSF. In citing this material for broadcast or publication, please credit
RSF.
_________________________________________________________________
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Guinea: Suspension order against newspaper lifted

2004-12-16

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/media/26158

On 8 December 2004, the National Communications Board (Conseil national de la communication, CNC), Guinea's media regulatory body, announced the lifting of a suspension order against "Le Quotidien" newspaper. The paper was suspended "indefinitely" more than three weeks ago and its editorial team is experiencing serious financial difficulties as a result of the forced closure. (French version available)
IFEX - Nouvelles de la communauté internationale de défense de la liberté
d'expression
_________________________________________________________________

MISE À JOUR D'ALERTE - GUINÉE

Le 10 décembre 2004

"Le Quotidien" autorisé à reparaître

SOURCE: Reporters sans frontières (RSF), Paris

**Mise à jour d'une alerte de l'IFEX du 22 novembre 2004**

(RSF/IFEX) - Le Conseil national de la communication (CNC), organe de
régulation de la presse guinéenne, a décidé, le 8 décembre 2004, de lever la
suspension du journal "Le Quotidien" qui avait été sanctionné pour "une
durée illimitée". La rédaction affronte des difficultés d'ordre matériel,
liées aux préjudices financiers causés par trois semaines de non-parution.

"Nous nous réjouissons de cette décision, bien qu'elle intervienne
tardivement, a déclaré RSF. Nous maintenons que le directeur de publication
et auteur de l'article incriminé, Siaka Kouyaté, n'avait enfreint aucune des
règles de la déontologie journalistique et que le journal ne méritait en
aucun cas de subir une telle sanction. "Le Quotidien" doit pouvoir
reparaître sans délai. Nous souhaitons notamment qu'aucune nouvelle entrave
ne vienne contrarier la réalisation, l'impression et la distribution du
journal", a conclu l'organisation.

Suite aux interventions des organisations internationales, les appels
téléphoniques menaçants adressés à Kouyaté avaient cessé, quelques jours
après la suspension. Sans réponse du CNC, Kouyaté et toute la rédaction du
"Quotidien" se sont trouvés dans une situation très pénible, condamnant des
familles entières à de graves difficultés financières.

Pour tout renseignement complémentaire, veuillez contacter Marie Vabre, RSF,
5, rue Geoffroy Marie, Paris 75009, France, tél: +33 1 44 83 84 84, téléc:
+33 1 45 23 11 51, courrier électronique: afrique@rsf.org, Internet:
http://www.rsf.org

RSF est responsable de toute information contenue dans cette mise à jour
d'alerte. En citant cette information, prière de bien vouloir l'attribuer à
RSF.
_______________________________________________________________
DIFFUSÉ(E) PAR LE SECRÉTARIAT DU RÉSEAU IFEX,
L'ÉCHANGE INTERNATIONAL DE LA LIBERTÉ D'EXPRESSION
489, rue College, bureau 403, Toronto (ON) M6G 1A5 CANADA
tel: +1 416 515 9622 téléc: +1 416 515 7879
courrier électronique: alerts@ifex.org boîte générale: ifex@ifex.org
site Internet: http://www.ifex.org/
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IFEX - News from the international freedom of expression community
_________________________________________________________________

ALERT UPDATE - GUINEA

10 December 2004

Suspension order against newspaper lifted

SOURCE: Reporters sans frontières (RSF), Paris

**Updates IFEX alert of 22 November 2004**

(RSF/IFEX) - On 8 December 2004, the National Communications Board (Conseil
national de la communication, CNC), Guinea's media regulatory body,
announced the lifting of a suspension order against "Le Quotidien"
newspaper. The paper was suspended "indefinitely" more than three weeks ago
and its editorial team is experiencing serious financial difficulties as a
result of the forced closure.

"We applaud this decision, as late as it is," said RSF. "We maintain that
Siaka Kouyaté, the [paper's] publication director and author of the
offending article [that resulted in the suspension], did not violate any
rules of journalistic conduct and that the newspaper did not deserve such a
heavy penalty. 'Le Quotidien' must be allowed to resume publishing without
delay. We hope that there will be no further obstacles to its publication
and distribution," RSF concluded.

Following international pressure, threatening phone calls to Kouyaté stopped
a few days after the paper's suspension. But Kouyaté and "Le Quotidien"'s
entire editorial team found themselves and their families under serious
financial strain as a result of the CNC decision.

For further information, contact Marie Vabre at RSF, 5, rue Geoffroy Marie,
Paris 75009, France, tel: +33 1 44 83 84 84, fax: +33 1 45 23 11 51, e-mail:
africa@rsf.org, Internet: http://www.rsf.org

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

Nigeria: Governor's security officers assault two journalists

2004-12-16

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/media/26156

On 12 December 2004, policemen assigned to protect the governor of Oyo State (southwestern Nigeria), Alhaji Rashidi Ladoja, assaulted two journalists on the orders the governor's chief security officer. The targeted journalists were AbdulRazak Adebayo, of "Daily Trust" newspaper, and Tunde Sanni, of "ThisDay" newspaper. The incident took place in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, at a memorial prayer session held for the late Adisa Bakare, the father of former minister of works and housing Alhaji Abdulkarim Adisa, who died on 7 December.
IFEX - News from the international freedom of expression community
_________________________________________________________________

ALERT - NIGERIA

13 December 2004

Governor's security officers assault two journalists

SOURCE: Media Rights Agenda (MRA), Lagos

(MRA/IFEX) - On 12 December 2004, policemen assigned to protect the governor
of Oyo State (southwestern Nigeria), Alhaji Rashidi Ladoja, assaulted two
journalists on the orders the governor's chief security officer. The
targeted journalists were AbdulRazak Adebayo, of "Daily Trust" newspaper,
and Tunde Sanni, of "ThisDay" newspaper.

The incident took place in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, at a memorial
prayer session held for the late Adisa Bakare, the father of former minister
of works and housing Alhaji Abdulkarim Adisa, who died on 7 December.

After the prayers, Adebayo and Sanni approached Governor Ladoja to interview
him. The chief security officer directed the policemen to prevent the
journalists from approaching the governor. In carrying out their superior
officer's directive, the policemen roughly pushed Adebayo and Sanni, along
with other bystanders, into a nearby gutter.

In the scuffle, Adebayo sustained injuries and had to be taken to a nearby
clinic for medical treatment. He also lost his tape recorder.

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, ayode@mediarightsagenda.org, Internet:
http://www.internews.org/mra

The information contained in this alert is the sole responsibility of MRA.
In citing this material for broadcast or publication, please credit MRA.
_________________________________________________________________
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EXCHANGE (IFEX) CLEARING HOUSE
489 College Street, Suite 403, Toronto (ON) M6G 1A5 CANADA
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Internet site: http://www.ifex.org/
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Tunisia: Authorities block access to organisations' website

2004-12-16

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/media/26195

Tunisian authorities are blocking local access to the website of the main human rights organisation in the country as well as to many other websites that focus on human rights and politics in Tunisia. The official and quasi-official media observe a complete blackout on the organization's activities and statements. Tunis is scheduled to host the U.N.-sponsored World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), billed as a global discussion of the impact of the digital revolution and how best to bridge the "digital divide" between rich and poor.
PRESS RELEASE/ALERT - TUNISIA

14 December 2004

Authorities block access to organisations' websites

SOURCE: Human Rights Watch

**For further information on WSIS, see IFEX alerts of 30 and 25 November, 21
June, 18 and 7 May and 1 April 2004, 30 September, 25 July, 12 June, 27, 24,
13 and 5 February 2003**

(Human Rights Watch/IFEX) - The following is a Human Rights Watch press
release:

Tunisia: Police Use Force to Block Rights Meeting
Government Brands Human Rights Group's Gathering 'Illegal'

(Paris, December 14, 2004) - Tunisian police used force to block a human
rights gathering on Saturday, demonstrating once again the state's
intolerance for independent human rights activities, Human Rights Watch said
today.

On a day when Tunisia's state-controlled newspapers headlined President Zine
al-'Abidine Bin 'Ali's achievements on the occasion of International Human
Rights Day (December 10), scores of police in Tunis surrounded the
headquarters of one of the country's leading rights groups, the National
Council for Liberties in Tunisia (Conseil national pour les libertés en
Tunisie, or CNLT). Police blocked access to people hoping to attend the
organization's general assembly, and also brutally assaulted two CNLT
members and another human rights defender.

In recent years, Tunisian police have prevented independent human rights
gatherings on dozens of occasions, often using violence to disperse those
hoping to gain access to the building where the meeting was scheduled.

The repression of human rights gatherings has occurred at a time when
banners around Tunis herald the U.N.-sponsored World Summit on the
Information Society (WSIS), which the city is hosting in November. The
summit is billed as a global discussion of the impact of the digital
revolution and how best to bridge the "digital divide" between rich and
poor.

"In hosting the U.N. summit on the information society, Tunisia wants to be
seen as a global leader in expanding access to information," said Sarah Leah
Whitson, Middle East and North Africa director at Human Rights Watch. "But
when it comes to its human rights record, the Tunisian government is a
leader in suppressing information."

In addition to preventing meetings of the CNLT, Tunisian authorities are
blocking local access to the organization's website, http://welcome.to/cnlt,
as well to many other websites that focus on human rights and politics in
Tunisia. The official and quasi-official media observe a complete blackout
on the organization's activities and statements.

A government official confirmed that police had prevented the December 11
gathering, saying the CNLT "is not a legal organization." The official,
speaking anonymously to Agence France-Presse, denied that the police used
violence.

Although Tunisia's constitution guarantees freedom of association, Tunisian
authorities have refused legal recognition to every truly independent human
rights organization that has applied over the past decade. In 1999, the CNLT
appealed the refusal of its application by the Interior Ministry, but five
years later the administrative court has yet to hear the case.

In July, police in Tunis blocked another independent group, the
International Association for Solidarity with Political Prisoners
(Association internationale de solidarité avec les prisonniers politiques,
or AISPP), from holding its general assembly in its president's law office.
On June 15, authorities had denied the organization legal recognition.

In the case of two other rights organizations, authorities at the Interior
Ministry have refused even to accept the applications for legal recognition
by the Association against Torture (Association de lutte contre la torture
en Tunisie, or ALTT) and the Tunisian Center for an Independent Judiciary
(Centre Tunisien pour l'indépendance de la justice, or CTIJ).

Although legally recognized, the Tunisian Human Rights League (Ligue
tunisienne pour la défense des droits de l'homme, or LTDH) also faces
constant government harassment. On November 28, police massed in front of
the League's office in Kairouan and set up roadblocks at the entrance of the
city to prevent people from reaching a conference on the recent national
elections. Witnesses told Human Rights Watch that police assaulted Hamma
Hammami, head of the unrecognized Tunisian Communist Workers Party, when he
approached the League office. Tunisian officials denied that any violence
was used. One day before the thwarted meeting, Interior Ministry officials
in Kairouan had warned the League that the meeting could not take place
because its co-organizers included representatives of unrecognized
organizations.

"Tunisian authorities boast that there are more than 8,000 legally
recognized associations in the country," Whitson said. "But as long as the
government bans or harasses the handful of groups that dare to question
government policies, freedom of association cannot be said to exist in
Tunisia."

For further information, contact Sarah Leah Whitson (Arabic), New York, tel:
+1 212 216 1230, Eric Goldstein (French), Paris, tel: +33 145 406 251, Urmi
Shah, London, tel: +44 207 713 2788, or Vanessa Saenen (French, Dutch,
German), Brussels, tel: +322 732 2009, Human Rights Watch, 350 Fifth Ave.,
34th Floor, New York NY 10018-3299, U.S.A., tel: +1 212 290 4700, fax: +1
212 736 1300, e-mail: hrwnyc@hrw.org, Internet: http://www.hrw.org/

The information contained in this press release/alert is the sole
responsibility of Human Rights Watch. In citing this material for broadcast
or publication, please credit Human Rights Watch.
_________________________________________________________________
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Zimbabwe: New law will further curtail freedom of expression

2004-12-16

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/media/26155

The Media Monitoring Project Zimbabwe reports that The Standard has revealed the extent to which yet another bill will erode freedom of expression. The paper reported that the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Bill proposes a fine of $5 million or a jail sentence of up to 20 years for “anyone who publishes or communicates to another statements that are perceived to be prejudicial to the State”. The proposed law, the paper noted, “will make it extremely difficult for journalists to operate and will certainly be the most repressive piece of legislation in Zimbabwe’s Statute books”. Read in full the latest edition of the MMPZ update by clicking the link below.
The Media Monitoring Project Zimbabwe

Monday November 29th – Sunday December 5th 2004

Weekly Media Update 2004-48





CONTENTS


1. GENERAL COMMENT

2. ZANU PF AFFAIRS
3. RIGHTS ABUSES AND THE LAW


1. General Comment


DESPITE the existence of several pieces of repressive legislation curtailing the citizenry’s basic rights, The Standard (28/11) revealed the extent to which yet another Draconian Bill will erode freedom of expression.

The paper reported that the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Bill proposes a fine of $5 million or a jail sentence of up to 20 years for “anyone who publishes or communicates to another statements that are perceived to be prejudicial to the State”.

The proposed law, the paper noted, “will make it extremely difficult for journalists to operate and will certainly be the most repressive piece of legislation in Zimbabwe’s Statute books”.



The Financial Gazette (2/12) and The Daily Mirror (3/12) echoed similar views in their follow-up reports on the matter. What none of the media reported however, was that the relevant section of the Bill is intended to replace similar sections contained in the Public Order and Security Act but which do not contain the same terrifyingly punitive penalties.

But while the private media at least informed the public of this unprecedented plan to silence all criticism of the presidency, the uniformed forces and State interests, the government media conveniently suffocated the whole issue.

In fact, their failure to expose the promulgation of such aggressively self-serving repressive legislation under the guise of upholding the rule of law and defending the country’s sovereignty, resulted in the official media allowing Information Minister Jonathan Moyo to defend AIPPA and the Broadcasting Services Act unchallenged.



For instance, ZTV and Power FM (1/12, 8pm) passively quoted Moyo as having said AIPPA was “meant to protect the sovereignty of the country from mischievous people intending to use local media as a tool for regime change”.

Without questioning this claim, the stations then quoted Moyo trying to give the patently authoritarian piece of legislation a democratic face by saying that in any democracy journalists who publish falsehoods are punished “in terms of the law (that) is permissible by the Constitution” and that was “the basis of AIPPA”.

The Herald (2/12) carried a similar report.

And like its broadcasting counterpart, it allowed Moyo to mislead the public into believing that AIPPA had sailed smoothly through Parliament.

These media conveniently failed to remind their audiences of the stormy circumstances leading to the enactment of the law, which the Parliamentary Legal Committee had originally found to be so profoundly unconstitutional.

Such docile coverage by the official media of this systematic erosion of citizens’ constitutional rights further affirms them as government lapdogs that cannot be relied upon to provide accurate information.

In fact, their failure to expose government’s disdain for constitutionally guaranteed freedoms establishes them firmly as accomplices of the authorities in the curtailment of these rights.




2. ZANU PF Affairs


NOTHING clearly illustrates the extent to which the government media have unashamedly become willing tools of ZANU PF propaganda more than the manner in which they handled the just-ended ruling party’s National Congress.

These media swamped their audiences with uncritical stories and programmes on the party’s Congress at the expense of other important news stories.



For example, of the two hours and 37 minutes ZTV allocated to its 8pm bulletins (excluding arts, business, weather and sport segments) during the week, nearly half of it (48 percent) was devoted to the Congress. Similarly, Radio Zimbabwe carried 12 Congress reports or 40 percent of the total news items that featured in its 8pm bulletins of the week. In addition, Radio Zimbabwe, Spot FM and ZTV broadcast live three days of the four-day event and even changed their evening programming to allow for repeats of proceedings at the Congress.

Further, ZTV’s current affairs programmes, such as Behind The Camera (1/12, 9.30pm) and Face the Nation (2/12, 9.30pm), were on the Congress.



The trend was similar in the government Press, which carried 54 reports on the event.

But this unparalleled allocation of space to ZANU PF, did not translate into a critical analysis of the power struggles that preceded the Congress.

Rather, most of their stories simply glossed over the matter and portrayed the ruling party as a highly successful democratic and united institution, which, contrary to its Western detractors, still commanded respect in Asia, Africa and even in Europe and America.

The endorsement of Water Resources Minister Joyce Mujuru as the party’s vice-president and the presence at the Congress of representatives from 21 foreign political parties and movements, particularly Mozambique’s out-going President Joaquim Chissano, were used to buttress this argument.

As a result, the in-house squabbles that resulted in a six-month suspension of the party’s six provincial chairpersons and a strong rebuke for Information Minister Jonathan Moyo were not fully explored.

For example, out of the 54 stories the government Press devoted to the Congress and related matters, only five tried to unravel the exact causes of the dispute.

But even then, the stories largely sought to defend Moyo, the alleged architect of the purported “Tsholotsho Declaration” whose covert objective was reportedly aimed at removing the party leadership, except President Mugabe.



However, the private media were more exploratory.

They belied the government media’s portrayal of a united ZANU PF by examining the fissures created by the ‘Tsholotsho Declaration’, which besides implicating Moyo and the provincial chairpersons, also sucked in War Vets leaders Jabulani Sibanda and Joseph Chinotimba, Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa, Speaker of Parliament Emmerson Mnangagwa, and several chiefs, among other senior ZANU PF officials.

Nonetheless, the private media’s coverage was compromised by their fixation with discussing the punishment ZANU PF was likely to impose on Moyo almost to the exclusion of some of those who had supposedly connived with the minister in the matter. For instance, of the 45 stories the private media carried on the Congress, 28 were on Moyo. Thus, the fates or involvement of such people as Mnangagwa, Chinamasa or Chinotimba were surprisingly not adequately addressed.



Early in the week, The Daily Mirror (30/11) correctly predicted that ZANU PF would take action against its “unscrupulous members” bent on “prising apart” what is left of the party’s “fragile unity in the face of a stiff challenge from the opposition MDC”.

According to unnamed insiders quoted by the paper, the first phase of the punishment would entail barring the accused from attending Congress through suspension or even expulsion from the party followed by decisive action chiefly against Moyo, the alleged “architect of the unsanctioned indaba”.

Subsequently, the paper (1/12), The Financial Gazette (2/12), Zimbabwe Independent (3/12), The Standard and Sunday Mirror (5/12), Studio 7 (1-5/12) and SW Radio Africa (1-3/12) all approvingly reported on Moyo’s pending disciplinary action, especially after the ZANU PF leadership had chastised him for his role in the Tsholotsho meeting, including dropping him from the party’s Central Committee despite the fact that he had earlier been elected into the committee by Matabeleland North province.



In contrast, the government media tried to obfuscate the extent of the divisions within ZANU PF by either giving them scant attention or downplaying their importance by deliberately starving these reports of their proper backgrounds. Their professional deficiencies manifested themselves in Radio Zimbabwe, Power FM (1/12, 6am) and ZTV (1/12, 8pm) trying to hide the identity of other Politburo members who were also questioned by the party’s leadership about their involvement in the Tsholotsho meeting. The stations merely reported that ZANU PF’s supreme decision-making body had also called on “two Politburo members…to explain themselves” without revealing their identity.

Such dishonesty was also apparent in the official media’s coverage of the election of the ruling party’s new Central Committee members. Radio Zimbabwe and ZTV (5/12, 8pm), The Sunday Mail and Sunday News (5/12) merely announced Moyo’s exclusion from the Central Committee and conveniently failed to link it to the Tsholotsho adventure, as did The Standard, The Sunday Mirror and Studio 7 (5/12).



Neither did the official media put into context what President Mugabe meant when he warned his supporters against behaving like “political prostitutes” whose hearts and souls could be bought by money when he officially closed the Congress.

In fact, such passive journalism was earlier demonstrated by The Herald and Chronicle (29/11, 30/11 and 1/12). On the eve of the suspension of the six ZANU PF provincial chairpersons both The Herald and Chronicle (30/11) unquestioningly carried attempts by Transport and Communications Minister Christopher Mushowe and Tsholotsho’s Ward 15 councillor, Memeza Mtombeni, respectively to exonerate Moyo of having convened the Tsholotsho “prize-giving” ceremony by arguing that the meeting was actually a local community initiative with no “sinister motive”.

This contradicted the confession by Matabeleland South governor, Angeline Masuku, whom The Daily Mirror (30/11) reported as telling President Mugabe: “Your excellency, we are fully behind the nomination of Joyce Mujuru, Joseph Msika and yourself as the party’s presidium. This is the original list that the province had proposed but was later changed by the comrades who attended the Tsholotsho meeting. The people…have confessed that they erred and that money exchanged hands.”

Despite this, the next issue of the Chronicle (1/12) was extraordinary for its presentation of three stories covering the whole of its front page emanating from a document purportedly “leaked” to the paper that Moyo had used the previous day to defend himself before the ZANU PF Politburo meeting over the Tsholotsho saga.

Most extraordinary of all was the fact that none of this defence, which the paper carried without challenge, appeared in the Zimpapers’ national daily flagship, The Herald.

So supine was the Chronicle’s coverage of the document that it did not even ask why Moyo and his colleagues were so desperate to attend a “prize-giving day” at a nondescript rural secondary school that they chartered a plane for the purpose.



The Sunday Mirror columnists, The Scrutator and Behind the Words, were the only ones that offered possible answers to the puzzle, while SW Radio Africa (3/12) and The Saturday Mirror (4/12) reported that Secretary for Information George Charamba had censured the paper’s editor, Stephen Ndlovu, over his paper’s unprecedented attempt to exonerate Moyo from the so-called ‘Tsholotsho Declaration’.

Not surprisingly, the government media ignored the issue.

Instead, they continued to drown such matters, with glowing coverage of ZANU PF, whose policies they claimed were “people-centred” and had resuscitated the country’s ailing economy.





3. Rights abuses and the law


THE country’s dismal human rights record continued to attract media attention with the private media reporting that government intended to enact more legislation that will further erode the remnants of whatever rights Zimbabweans still attempted to exercise under the country’s Constitution.

The Financial Gazette (2/12) and The Daily Mirror (3/12) followed up on an earlier Standard (28/11) report revealing that the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Bill proposes punishment of up to 20 years imprisonment for anyone communicating statements perceived to be prejudicial to the State.



The papers quoted independent analysts describing the Bill as unconstitutional saying it amounted to the consolidation of repressive laws that are inconsistent with democratic principles. This tallied with earlier but generally inadequate coverage of the Parliamentary Legal Committee’s findings that the proposed legislation contained several provisions that violated the constitution.

The Daily Mirror quoted lawyer Sternford Moyo saying the Bill contained certain “aspects of the Rhodesian era Law and Order Maintenance Act and the South African apartheid era Internal Security Act of 1982”.

University of Zimbabwe political scientist Eldred Masunungure and human rights lawyer Brian Kagoro agreed.

Masunungure told the Gazette that the Bill was part of government’s “grand scheme or total strategy to strangulate the media or those still expressing views contrary to those of government or the ruling party,” while Kagoro told the same paper that the aim of the legislation was to outlaw Zimbabweans from criticising the State.

Said Kagoro: “It’s probably worse than AIPPA. The State itself is not infallible, so as such it is bound to make mistakes. The safeguard of every citizen is to be a critic of the State.”

Once again, the government media ignored this issue.



Besides exposing the erosion of the citizenry’s rights through the promulgation of patently unconstitutional laws, the private media also highlighted the continued harassment of opposition supporters by ZANU PF activists and the authorities’ politicisation of food aid.

These media carried about 22 stories on these issues.

In one of the stories, SW Radio Africa (01/12) reported that two MDC officials from Buhera South in Manicaland Province had been arrested for convening a rally where slogans denouncing President Mugabe were allegedly made. However, no police comment was sought to balance the report, which solely relied on the MDC provincial spokesperson Pishayi Muchauraya.



More evidence of intolerance of the opposition in Manicaland appeared in The Standard (5/12). The paper reported on the alleged “brutal attack” on four MDC activists in the province by a group of war veterans, who accused them of being “saboteurs”.

Muchauraya was quoted saying the assault was part of a “purging exercise” that ZANU PF had started in the area ahead of next year’s general election.

However, police spokesman Oliver Mandipaka told the paper that he was not aware of the violence report although the paper cited the MDC as saying the matter had been reported at Chipfatsura Police Station, which took no action against the suspects.

The paper also reported on the brief hold-up of MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai by immigration officials at the Harare International Airport on his return from overseas.



Meanwhile, SW Radio Africa (30/11) and Studio 7 (2/12) reported that a delegation of civic organisations from Zimbabwe had made submissions to the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights in Dakar on the continued rights violations in the country and had petitioned the Commission to release it’s report on Zimbabwe’s human rights record.

Studio 7 and SW Radio Africa (2/12) also reported that the International Crisis Group had released a report noting that the situation in Zimbabwe continued to deteriorate.

The ICG noted that there was still widespread abuse of human rights in the country, including political repression and the politicization of food aid.

SW Radio Africa (2/12) quoted ICG South Africa director Peter Kagwanja saying: “We are saying that we have to mount pressure on the Zanu PF government to institute electoral reforms. We are arguing that if electoral reforms are put in place without political reforms then elections will not be free and fair.”

Typically, the government media ignored such reports.

Ends.



The MEDIA UPDATE was produced and circulated by the Media Monitoring Project Zimbabwe, 15 Duthie Avenue, Alexandra Park, Harare, Tel/fax: 263 4 703702, E-mail: monitors@mmpz.org.zw



Feel free to write to MMPZ. We may not able to respond to everything but we will look at each message. For previous MMPZ reports, and more information about the Project, please visit our website at http://www.mmpz.org.zw

Angola: Concern over mounting social tension

2004-12-16

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=44663

The end of a devastating civil war and substantial oil wealth have done little to develop Angola or improve the lives of its 13 million people, the head of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) said on Tuesday. Speaking at the Angolan launch of the UNDP Human Development Report for 2004, where Angola ranks a poor 166th out of 177 countries, Pierre-Francois Pirlot told IRIN that three years of peace had still to bring significant benefits, particularly outside the capital and more prosperous coastal areas.

Kenya: Juvenile justice in Kenya

2004-12-16

http://www.eldis.org/cf/rdr/rdr.cfm?doc=DOC16852

This report from the Consortium for Street Children looks at the situation of Kenyan street children in general and those in conflict with the law in particular. It examines the status of the Kenyan juvenile justice system and the reasons behind children ending up in the street as well as the offences they commonly commit/are accused of committing. Whilst the study explores the socio-cultural factors behind the commission of crimes, it also features children's resilience.

South Africa: Study highlights impact of social grants

2004-12-16

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=44641

South Africa's system of social grants has reduced poverty and is playing a developmental role in uplifting poor households, according to a new study. The research was commissioned by the Department for Social Development and focused on the social and economic impact of the government's main social transfers, such as the State Old Age Pensions (SOAP), Disability Grants (DG) and Child Support Grants (CSG), among others.

Releasing African Diaspora Stories

AFFORD seeks partners

2004-12-16

http://www.afford-uk.org/services/news/viewnews/index.asp?id=1142,0,2,0,0,0

Two years ago AFFORD initiated a project “Aiding & Abetting: Global Image, Local Damage?” that brought five artists together with different African community groups supporting development in their regions of origin to produce stimulating artwork that told a different story of how Africans support each other in their quest for development & progress. We exhibited this work during the Africa Diaspora & Development Day (ad3) in July 2003 to critical acclaim. AFFORD is keen to build on the success of this project with a second phase, called “Releasing Our African Diaspora Stories” (ROADS). Click on the link to find out more.

School defends slavery booklet

2004-12-16

http://www.newsobserver.com/news/story/1913619p-8258411c.html

Students at a Southern US Christian school are reading a controversial booklet that critics say whitewashes Southern slavery with its view that slaves lived "a life of plenty, of simple pleasures." Leaders at Cary Christian School say they are not condoning slavery by using "Southern Slavery, As It Was," a booklet that attempts to provide a biblical justification for slavery and asserts that slaves weren't treated as badly as people think.

Somalia's diaspora offers financial lifeline

2004-12-16

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4038799.stm

With up to a quarter of all Somalis now living abroad and many more having fled their homes within the country, a new Somali saying goes: "We are now a nation of immigrants who depend on other immigrants." Some estimates say that some 23% of Somalia's income has been sent there by relatives now living abroad.

TrustAfrica Diaspora Survey

Call for proposals

2004-12-16

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/diaspora/26239

TrustAfrica is seeking a consultant to help elaborate a strategy for collaboration between TrustAfrica and the African Diaspora. TrustAfrica is being established as an African grantmaking foundation supporting African solutions to the continent's most pressing challenges, including peace and conflict, regional integration, and citizenship and identity. TrustAfrica has been housed in the Ford Foundation since 2001 and will become independent and move to Africa in late 2005 or 2006. The Ford Foundation and other donors will provide initial funding for TrustAfrica's operations and its endowment. TrustAfrica will also raise additional funds from African sources to ensure it is self-sustaining, one of many actions TrustAfrica will undertake to ensure African ownership of its mandate.
TrustAfrica Diaspora Survey, December 2004

Introduction

TrustAfrica is seeking a consultant to help elaborate a strategy for collaboration between TrustAfrica and the African Diaspora. TrustAfrica is being established as an African grantmaking foundation supporting African solutions to the continent's most pressing challenges, including peace and conflict, regional integration, and citizenship and identity. TrustAfrica has been housed in the Ford Foundation since 2001 and will become independent and move to Africa in late 2005 or 2006. The Ford Foundation and other donors will provide initial funding for TrustAfrica's operations and its endowment. TrustAfrica will also raise additional funds from African sources to ensure it is self-sustaining, one of many actions TrustAfrica will undertake to ensure African ownership of its mandate.

It will be vital for TrustAfrica to build linkages with members of the Diaspora and tap into their commitment, knowledge, and resources. The Diaspora has provided crucial support for Africa's development for generations, playing important roles in virtually all of Africa's major struggles. Members of the Diaspora are often well organized, in-touch with realities on the continent, and committed to supporting Africa's development. In addition, members of the Diaspora represent an untapped potential in terms of resources - as a counter to negative impacts of the 'brain-drain' Africans abroad often have significant human and financial resources to commit to their communities and to the improvement of the continent as a whole. (While notions of African Diaspora can be expansive, for the purposes of this study it is thought to refer to those who have come to the US within one or two generations and maintain ties with the continent.)

Some African institutions have recognized the potential of the Diaspora and sought to bridge the gap. For example, the African Union has deemed the Diaspora the 6th region of Africa and provided for participation of members of the Diaspora in its activities. However, many members of the Diaspora are understandably reluctant to support large institutions, preferring to concentrate their efforts to help smaller causes with which they identify. TrustAfrica, which will embody the highest standards of transparency and good governance, seeks to overcome this distrust and actively solicit resources of the Diaspora to provide solutions for Africa's greatest challenges.

Proposed Objectives

The consultant should conduct research, interviews, and analysis and submit a report with the survey findings and specific recommendations for strategies TrustAfrica can pursue. The objectives of the report include:

* To provide TrustAfrica with an overview of the Diaspora community in the United States, and of its leading actors (organizations and professionals) committed to promoting Africa's development. o Leading actors to be surveyed include policy organizations, development organizations, professional associations, private corporations, key individuals, and others whose interests intersect with the program areas and philosophy of TrustAfrica. o The survey should include names and contact details, information about their activities, and other points of interest.

* To provide background information and analysis about African Diaspora philanthropy. o The report should provide an overview of what is known about patterns of philanthropic giving among the African Diaspora, including examples of who has given for what and why, as well as obstacles to charitable giving. o The report should also document the experiences of other African institutions that have sought to tap into the Diaspora, and should describe existing strategies, opportunities and challenges in raising funds from Diaspora. o The consultant may wish to discuss the experiences of other regions, especially Asia and Latin America where Diaspora philanthropy is more developed.

* To identify opportunities and make specific recommendations for TrustAfrica to partner with Diaspora. o Emphasis will be on the potential for resource development for TrustAfrica, primarily in terms of fundraising. o The report should also consider ways to take advantage of the human resources of the Diaspora and acknowledging the crucial role members of the Diaspora play in Africa's development. o The report should include names and contact of organizations or individuals who can help advise TrustAfrica in this regard, make contacts, and help organize fundraising events, etc.

At an early stage, the consultant should review these objectives with TrustAfrica staff and modify them if necessary.

Timeframe and budget The consultant will begin work in January 2005, and will submit a preliminary report in March 2005. The final report will be due by May 2005.

Budget: $8,000 for consultant fees and expenses.

Skills required The consultant will ideally have experience working with African Diaspora organizations, in the private sector, and in fundraising, and will be actively involved in the African development community. The consultant must have excellent research and writing skills.

Contact: Sara Rakita Program Consultant, TrustAfrica Ford Foundation 320 E. 43rd Street New York, NY 10017 1-212-573-4763 s.rakita@fordfound.org

Africa: Outside forces accused of conflict making

2004-12-16

http://www.twnafrica.org/atn/campaigns/day3.htm

Emerging consensus at a meeting on peace and conflict in Africa has pointed accusing fingers at “external influences” as the main motor of conflict making in Africa. The meeting is one of several thematic meetings taking place at the 2004 African Social Forum in Lusaka, Zambia from December 10-14. In his contribution to the discussion, the veteran South African rights and anti-apartheid campaigner and writer, Dennis Brutus said that conflicts in Africa are mostly about Africa’s resources

Côte d’Ivoire: Will the UN Security Council impose a second wave of sanctions?

2004-12-16

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=44665

Wednesday is the day the United Nations Security Council threatened to impose a second wave of sanctions on anyone obstructing Cote d'Ivoire's peace process. But will the travel bans and asset freezes be forthcoming?Algerian ambassador Abdallah Baali, the Security Council president for December, seemed to hint on Monday that the UN might wait and give a recent peace drive by South African President Thabo Mbeki time to bear fruit.

DRC: Death toll approaches 4m, says IRC

2004-12-16

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/conflict/26178

One thousand people die every day in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and nearly half of these deaths are accounted for by children under five years of age. These deaths add daily to the cumulative total of 3.8 million fatalities since the crisis began in August 1998 to the end of April 2004. This makes the DRC conflict worse than any other conflict since the end of World War II and in terms of death toll exceeds other recent crises, including Bosnia (estimated 250,000 dead), Rwanda (800,000), Kosovo (12,000), and Darfur in Sudan (70,000).

Despite this, the international community has failed to take the necessary action to alleviate the crisis. During 2004, only 42% of funding sought by the United Nations for its activities had been raised by August, while contributions by the United States Agency for International Assistance to DRC for 2004 have declined by almost 25% when compared with 2003.

“No other recent conflict has claimed as many lives and mortality rates remain elevated at an alarming level. In spite of these unambiguous facts, the international community has not yet mobilized the necessary will or resources to effectively address the crisis,” according to the latest mortality study, a joint effort by the New York based International Rescue Committee (IRC) and Australia's Burnet Institute.

* Related Link: Why Does No One Care That The World’s Worst Conflict Has Broken Out Again?
http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=2&ItemID=6860
DRC: Death toll approaches 4m, says IRC

One thousand people die every day in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and nearly half of these deaths are accounted for by children under five years of age. These deaths add daily to the cumulative total of 3.8 million fatalities since the crisis began in August 1998 to the end of April 2004. This makes the DRC conflict worse than any other conflict since the end of World War II and in terms of death toll exceeds other recent crises, including Bosnia (estimated 250,000 dead), Rwanda (800,000), Kosovo (12,000), and Darfur in Sudan (70,000).

Despite this, the international community has failed to take the necessary action to alleviate the crisis. During 2004, only 42% of funding sought by the United Nations for its activities had been raised by August, while contributions by the United States Agency for International Assistance to DRC for 2004 have declined by almost 25% when compared with 2003.

“No other recent conflict has claimed as many lives and mortality rates remain elevated at an alarming level. In spite of these unambiguous facts, the international community has not yet mobilized the necessary will or resources to effectively address the crisis,” according to the latest mortality study, a joint effort by the New York based International Rescue Committee (IRC) and Australia's Burnet Institute.

The study is the fourth conducted by the IRC. The first three surveys, conducted between 2000 and 2002, reported that an estimated 3.3 million people had died as a result of the conflict. The fourth and latest study, covering the period from January 2003 to April 2004, is among the largest ever conducted in a conflict zone, says the IRC. The IRC said investigators surveyed 19,500 households in total, visiting every province in the country, and measuring mortality among nearly 58 million people.

The report comes as news this week of renewed fighting for the control of the eastern town of Kanyabayonga. Meanwhile, the AU called last week for a strengthening of the UN mission in the DRC and maximum restraint between the DRC and Rwanda. This after Rwanda said it planned to send troops into the DRC to pursue ex-FAR/Interahamwe militia responsible for the 1994 Rwanda genocide.

The IRC study reports that 18 months after the official end of the conflict and signing of a peace agreement, more than 31,000 people continue to die every month as a result of the conflict. The IRC said people continue to die at a rate that is one third higher than the average rate for sub-Saharan Africa.

“Between January 2003 and April 2004 almost 500,000 deaths occurred beyond what would normally be expected during this period. This is equivalent to over 31,000 lives lost every month and more than 1,000 people dying every day as a result of the conflict,” the survey said.

Death rates are highest in the unstable eastern provinces, where the crude mortality rate was more than one third higher than those for the West of the country.

The IRC study said the majority of deaths were due to easily preventable and treatable diseases. “The most devastating byproducts of the conflict have been the disruption of the country's health services and food supplies. As a result, the vast majority of deaths have been among civilians and have been due to easily preventable and treatable illnesses such as fever and malaria, diarrhea, respiratory infections, and malnutrition.”

In December 2002 a peace agreement was finally endorsed after a devastating war that began in 1998 and at its height pulled in Namibia, Angola, Zimbabwe, Rwanda and Uganda. The peace deal established a two-year transitional government in July 2003 and aims to lead to national, representative elections during 2005. However, continued destabilization in the east of the country highlights the delicate nature of the peace process.

* Compiled by Pambazuka News. To read the full report, please visit http://www.theirc.org/pdf/DRC_MortalitySurvey2004_RB_8Dec04.pdf

DRC: Government insists troops Fighting Rwandan Forces

2004-12-16

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=7091496

Congo's government insisted on Tuesday that its forces were fighting Rwandan troops in the mineral-rich east of the country and not dissident units of the national army, as local commanders had said. "The Rwandans have sent soldiers to reinforce the positions they never really left in North Kivu (province)," Democratic Republic of Congo Information Minister Henri Mova Sakanyi said. Local military commanders have said Congolese troop reinforcements have been fighting factions loyal to the Rwandan-backed RCD Goma former rebel group. Rwanda has repeatedly stated its troops are not involved.

Sudan: Clashes force suspension of South Darfur relief operations

2004-12-16

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=44699

The UN has suspended its relief operations in parts of the Sudanese state of South Darfur due to fighting between government and rebel forces, and a reported build-up of armed groups in the area, a spokesperson said. Radia Achouri, spokesperson for the UN Advance Mission in Sudan (UNAMIS), told IRIN on Thursday that fighting between government troops and the rebel Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) had continued in areas east and southeast of Nyala town.

Sudan: Rebels suspend Darfur peace talks

2004-12-16

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L1349775.htm

Two Darfur rebel groups at peace talks with the Sudanese government in Nigeria refused to take part in any further discussions until Khartoum stopped attacking their forces, rebel delegates said on Monday. The African Union, which had been mediating in the talks in the Nigerian capital, had accused both sides of increasingly frequent ceasefire violations in the western Sudanese region where 1.6 million people have been driven from their homes.

Uganda: Army attacks 'hurt Uganda peace'

2004-12-16

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4095867.stm

Ugandan rebels say that attacks by the army may undermine the peace process, supposed to end an 18-year war. The army says it has killed 16 rebels but stresses that the clashes took place outside a ceasefire zone, set up for rebel fighters. The conflict in northern Uganda has driven 1.6m people into refugee camps and triggered what aid workers call one of the world's worst humanitarian disasters.

New journal on ICT

2004-12-16

http://www.crisinfo.org/content/view/full/604/

A new refereed e-journal has been launched: "International Journal of Education and Development using Information and Communication Technology (IJEDICT)". Articles in the first issue will be published early in 2005.

Partnership strengthens civil society voice in the Congo

2004-12-16

http://www.apc.org/english/news/index.shtml?x=28859

In 2003, together with more than 300 local partners, Alternatives launched a portal in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The project empowers local civil society groups to present and promote their activities and perspectives, which is particularly important in the current period, where civil society is taking an ever-increasing role in defending the principles that can support long-term peace in the region.

Supporting labour online

2004-12-16

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/internet/26184

SANGONeT has been engaged in developing a new website for the Development Institute for Training, Support and Labour (Ditsela). Ditsela's main objective is to help the labour movement build its capacity to be able to respond effectively to the challenges it faces. The new Ditsela website is available at http://www.ditsela.org.za

Global health watch newsletter

2004-12-16

http://www.globalforumhealth.org/pages/index.asp

The Global Health Watch newsletter is part of the initiative to mobilise civil society around an alternative World Health Report. The November newsletter is now available.

November 2004 ICC Monitor available

2004-12-16

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

The ICC Monitor is the newspaper of the NGO Coalition for the International Criminal Court. Published in English, Spanish and French, the Monitor is a critical tool for reaching a worldwide audience several times a year. Focusing on the International Criminal Court (ICC), it contains reports on developments around the world; information about new resources and upcoming events; and articles about topics related to the effort to ensure the International Criminal Court is fair, effective and independent.

Changemakers Innovation Award

2004-12-16

http://www.changemakers.net/journal/04november/contest.cfm

Changemakers and Ashoka's Citizen Base Initiative (CBI) are inviting people to submit strategies for the Changemakers Innovation Award. The prizes will be given to the five best ideas for creatively generating resources from a diversified citizen base, comprising individual citizens and citizen organizations, businesses, and the media.

UNESCO Small Grants Programme on Poverty Eradication

2004-12-16

http://portal.unesco.org/shs/en/file_download.php/319d9663c462133b41645164c003b287small_grants_prog.doc

The overall goal of this programme is to encourage mid-career professionals and their institutions to contribute to poverty eradication strategies and national action plans that are based on a human rights framework. UNESCO contribution under this programme is aimed at strengthening national capacities for research and policy analysis on poverty eradication, thus, assisting selected Member States in developing anti-poverty strategies and action plans based on human rights and in monitoring their implementation. This programme targets researchers in selected Member States in sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and parts of Latin America and the Caribbean.

First Annual SANGONeT ICT and Civil Society Conference

01 March 2005 - 03 March 2005, Johannesburg, South Africa

2004-12-16

http://www.africapulse.org.za/index.php?action=show_calendar&actionarg[calendar_id]=223&PHPSESSID=1ff3afdb202cf5c3c6d79b487dd2d230

The conference will gather South African CSOs to discuss and debate ICT issues in plenary and break-away sessions, and to participate in technology demonstrations and practical training sessions. More information is available by writing to the email address anelja@gogirlevents.co.za

Gender and conflict transformation online course

2004-12-16

http://www.netuni.nl/demos/genderconflict

This highly successful four-week online course from The Network University will run from January 24 till February 18, 2005. This course brings together worldwide expertise on the relationship between gender and conflict transformation. This course will empower women to become key agents in conflict transformation. The course uses a variety of interactive methods that stimulate thinking and exchange.

Africa: Programme Evaluators

University for Peace

2004-12-16

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/jobs/26141

The University for Peace's Africa Programme is seeking three individuals to work as external evaluators of its current 5-year project on peacebuilding in Africa. The Africa Programme is presently organized around three regional hubs- Southern Africa, West Africa and East and Central Africa. The Africa Programme will hire one evaluator from each of the three hubs. Each will be responsible for evaluation of activities within the hub. One of the three evaluators will act as the lead evaluator of the project, coordinating the work with the two others. The level of effort for the lead evaluator is presently estimated at 60%, and 40% for the two other evaluators.
University for Peace
Africa Programme


Job Announcement
Programme Evaluators

The University for Peace’s Africa Programme is seeking three individuals to work as external evaluators of its current 5-year project on peacebuilding in Africa.

The Africa Programme is presently organized around three regional hubs- Southern Africa, West Africa and East and Central Africa. The Africa Programme will hire one evaluator from each of the three hubs. Each will be responsible for evaluation of activities within the hub. One of the three evaluators will act as the lead evaluator of the project, coordinating the work with the two others. The level of effort for the lead evaluator is presently estimated at 60%, and 40% for the two other evaluators.

Each of the three evaluators must have at least a Bachelor’s degree in a social science-related field. Each of the evaluators must have at least 10 years of experience working in areas related to peacebuilding, conflict resolution or civic society. Preference is given to residing citizens of African countries of each region.

Each of the evaluators must prove previous programme evaluation experience, and provide references. That experience preferably must include the use of action research, qualitative and quantitative, and participatory types of evaluation research. Samples of evaluation reports are requested and encouraged.

Each of the evaluators must be efficient in using computer-based software for word processing, internet and email; preference will be given to those with knowledge and experience in using quantitative analysis software such as SPSS. Proficiency in English is required. Additionally, proficiency in French is highly desired Particularly for the East & Central African region.

The selection of the lead evaluator, along with remuneration fees of all evaluators, will be based on a combination of experience and knowledge in evaluation-related areas.

Applications will be received through the end of January 2004. The selection of the three evaluators will take place by the end of February 2005. Following the selection, orientation and training will be provided.

Geneva Office: Address: 5, chemin du Rivage, 1292 Chambésy / Geneva, Switzerland. Tel: (41-22) 737.30.80, Fax: (41-22) 737.30.90, Email: info@upeace.ch

Ivory Coast: Print Media Management Trainer

Internews

2004-12-16

http://www.fpa.org/jobs_contact2423/jobs_contact_show.htm?doc_id=252773

Internews Network is currently seeking a Print Media Management Trainer to be based in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire. The Print Media Management Trainer will mentor four or five of the independent newspapers in Cote d'Ivoire that are committed to improving editorial balance. The Trainer will work with owners and managers to understand the importance of balanced news and the impact of credible editorial content on advertising revenue and readership levels.

Fahamu