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Featured in this issue

2005-05-05

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/highlights/28014

EDITORIAL: World Press Freedom Day: Freedom of expression is the basis on which societies should be built
COMMENT AND ANALYSIS: Issa Shivji discusses the possibility of a Federation of the Great Lakes
LETTERS: Pambazuka News readers debate emancipation in South Africa and the difference between the old Kenya under Moi and the new Kenya under Kibaki
CONFLICT AND EMERGENCIES: Chevron Texaco admits its policies have contributed to violence in Nigeria
HUMAN RIGHTS: Zimbabwean NGOs release statements on the situation in that country to the Africa Commission on Human and People's Rights
REFUGEES AND FORCED MIGRATION: Thousands flee Togo after election chaos
ELECTIONS AND GOVERNANCE: Election news from Burundi, Lesotho and Tanzania
DEVELOPMENT: Government cancels launch of anti-poverty campaign
HEALTH AND HIV/AIDS: EPAs pose a threat to affordable medicines access
ENVIRONMENT: Activists tell Newmont to clean up its act
AND...The latest fundraising and useful resources, courses, jobs and books

World Press Freedom Day

Patrick Burnett

2005-05-05

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/features/28012

World Press Freedom Day was marked on May 03. In many countries in Africa journalists continue to be intimidated and jailed for the work that they do. If Africa’s many problems are to be overcome, there must be a recognition that active participation of citizens in shaping policy and decision making is essential to healthy societies.


World Press Freedom Day is usually an occasion where speakers promote the ideas of press freedom, freedom of expression and association. But at his fraud and corruption trial, Durban businessman Shabir Shaik, who is accused of bankrolling South African deputy president Jacob Zuma for his own financial benefit, broke the good tradition and expressed his own particular views on press freedom.

Shaik, angered by weekend newspaper reports that splashed his closing argument on the front pages before his legal team had presented it in court, said he had always wondered why Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe was so negative towards the press. Shaik concluded that after 10 to 15 years of being presented as a demon in the press, Mugabe probably woke up one morning and said “enough is enough”. Referring to Mugabe’s draconian media laws, Shaik said: “As long as you continue with your rubbish all the time I'll be the first to vote for that law.”

Shaik’s statements on press freedom could be easily dismissed as those of a man prone to showboating and with an apparent insatiable hunger to see his name in print. It might be easy to dismiss them if it weren’t for the fact that Shaik is close to the corridors of power and an influential member of his community, even if this influence turns out to be for all the wrong reasons. People with public platforms should know better than to undermine hard won freedoms, especially on a continent where press freedom is in such a shoddy state.

So what exactly is the state of press freedom in Africa on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day 2005? As usual, a host of reports lamenting the poor state of press freedom globally were released by media rights organizations on May 03. The International Federation of Journalists, the world's largest journalists' group, released a report detailing how the four-year old "war on terrorism" is having a devastating impact on civil liberties.

The report said media and independent journalism were not immune from a "pervasive atmosphere of paranoia", leading to dangerous levels of self censorship, while at the same time dissent inside and outside the media were being restricted. The report says governments are increasingly working together through international fora such as the G8 to circumvent national resistance to attacks on civil liberties. Increased police powers and data collection and surveillance "on an unprecedented and global scale have granted extensive new powers to the state."

The authors claim these powers undermine democratic standards, "because they are introduced in covert processes which are largely secret and outside the orbit of parliamentary accountability. At the same time they are leading to the creation of a surveillance society in which the citizen is increasingly accountable to the authorities and the state." The report dubs this process "policy laundering."

These observations make clear that journalists globally now have to cope with new and more insidious threats to their independence. They point to an enormous transfer of power to the ‘security state’ in order to combat a largely fictitious threat under the name of terrorism. Combined with a sycophantic press in many countries, driven by the dictates of commercial interests and mostly reflecting unashamedly a particular type of free market ideology, the danger is that in the face of these new forces, the press will become increasingly more ineffectual and irrelevant.

In Africa, the Committee to Protect Journalists spells out the often desperate situation in which journalists operate on the continent. The overall context is described as being one where there is weak rule of law in many countries, with journalists regularly battling threats and harassment. Journalists who write about corruption or mismanagement are silenced through repressive legislation. “If fewer journalists were killed or imprisoned in Africa than in some other regions in 2004 - two were killed and 19 were behind bars for their work at year's end - the problems they face are insidious and ongoing,” said the CPJ. War and violence remain a major threat to journalists in countries such as Ivory Coast, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Somalia, Burundi, Central African Republic (CAR), and even Nigeria. Some of the cases of abuse that took place on the continent in 2004 include:

- In the Gambia, veteran journalist and press freedom activist Deyda Hydara was killed in a drive-by shooting in December, just days after the country adopted repressive media legislation that he had opposed.
- In Ivory Coast, reporter Antoine Massé was fatally shot while covering violent clashes between French peacekeeping troops and demonstrators in the western town of Duékoué in November.
- French and Canadian investigative reporter Guy-André Kieffer was feared dead after he disappeared from the Ivoirian commercial capital, Abidjan, in April.
- Eritrea remained Africa's worst jailer of journalists, with 17 held in secret prisons.
- One journalist was jailed in Cameroon and another in Sierra Leone at year's end

Africa is currently facing a multitude of problems. An HIV/AIDS epidemic is having a devastating impact on the lives of millions of Africans. While it is recovering in parts, the continent suffers from the effects of violent conflict. Hunger and famine are widespread. Maternal and child mortality rates are amongst the highest in the world. The list can go on, but on nearly every social and economic indicator it is Africa that is capable of producing the horrifying statistics which reflect a deep human suffering.

In this context, it is also important to realize that bringing an end to Africa’s problems involves a multi-faceted recognition of the rights of citizens, not least to freedom of expression and freedom of association. These rights are not something that should be instituted once a utopian country or continent is created. They are tied up in solving the problems facing the continent and creating an egalitarian society where the rights of citizens are respected.

As a 2003 petition to African Union Heads of States by a variety of media groups stated: “Active participation of citizens in shaping policy and decision making of their countries is impossible if their own governments continue to deny them the rights necessary to ensure such participation. These include the rights to freedom of expression, assembly, association and political participation, as well as media freedom to facilitate a free exchange of information, ideas and opinion.”

* Please send comments to editor@pambazuka.org

Press Freedom Links:

http://www.rsf.org/
http://www.cpj.org/
http://www.misa.org/
http://www.article19.org/
http://www.fxi.org.za/
http://www.rap21.org/
http://www.mfwaonline.org/
http://www.jhr.ca/index2.html
http://mediawatch.clickpost.com/
http://allafrica.com/stories/200505030615.html
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/IRIN/2f3284ed5a4b8b6834eb6a4484212169.htm
http://allafrica.com/stories/200505040274.html

Towards a Federation of the Great Lakes Region

Issa Shivji

2005-05-05

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/comment/28013

Issa Shivji examines the possibility of Federation of the Great Lakes Region consisting of Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi and the DRC. Such a federation, he states, would boost a genuine Pan-Africanism and contribute towards peace in the region.


The East African Federation is again on the horizon. The timetable is out. The Federation that was much talked about over forty years ago by the nationalist leaders may just come to fruition but under very different conditions. All the peoples of East Africa must debate these new conditions. This time around we should not leave it simply to the states and politicians to unite us. Only if we unite as a people, can we ensure a sustained unity. And as a people we have to widen our horizons to take into account new conditions and possibilities.

There are two new conditions that I would like to raise. First, the original four countries – Kenya, Uganda, Tanganyika and Zanzibar – which were supposed to be part of the Federation in the early 1960s have contracted to three as Tanganyika and Zanzibar are now Tanzania. As we know, the Union question itself has been a subject of much discussion among us. Do we need to resolve this issue as we enter the Federation?

Secondly, the number of potential members of the Federation has expanded to five. Rwanda and Burundi have not only shown interest but want very much to be part of the process right from the beginning. This is a welcome sign. But we have to go beyond.

We have to think in terms of a Federation of Great Lakes Region (FGLR). The Federation of Great Lakes Region would include the Democratic Republic of Congo. There are many very good reasons why we should think in terms of a greater federation.

The DRC shares longest borders with at least four East African countries, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi. It is the richest country in Africa holding the world’s biggest deposits of copper, cobalt and cadmium. DRC has seen no peace as its riches are coveted by imperial powers. Even neighbouring countries like Uganda and Rwanda did not spare DRC. The wars in DRC invariably spill over to the neighbouring East African countries whether this is in the form of hundreds of thousands of refugees as in Tanzania or armed conflicts as in Uganda, Burundi and Rwanda.

Both peace and prosperity in this part of the world depend strategically on peace, stability and prosperity in the DRC. It is not possible to secure peace without the DRC being part of a larger political entity.

Within the FGLR, Tanzania can play a stabilizing role while at the same time helping to curb what looks like territorial ambitions on the part of Rwanda. The Great Lakes Region is becoming one of the most militarized zones in Africa as Western powers (including, unfortunately, South Africa) continue to pump arms into the region. Within a larger political grouping, it is perhaps easier and more feasible to control civil wars which have been transformed into border wars between countries.

Within the FGLR, given different sizes and resources of the countries concerned, co-operation is likely to be complementary rather than competitive. First, no single country within FGLR has the potential of becoming a political or economic hegemon, unlike, for example, if DRC were to be sucked into the Southern African orbit. Secondly, culturally we can build on the common linguistic foundation of Swahili as the language is widely spoken in the Great Lakes Region. Thirdly, the uneven industrial development among the potential members of FGLR is not as intense as to pose a threat to a mutually advantageous development. Fourthly, the great lakes, the railways and the harbours on the Eastern seaboard provide an excellent web of transport both within the region and with the outside world. Finally, at this stage, a larger federation which includes DRC is to the mutual advantage of both the East African countries, as traditionally categorized, and the DRC.

As a matter of fact, such a project resulting in peace in this region of Africa would dramatically boost genuine Pan-Africanism and bring the dream of African Unity closer.

Finally, the FGLR would be formidable enough to protect itself from the ravages of imperial exploitation while at the same time pausing no expansionist or military threat to its neighbours.

Conversely, an East African Federation as presently conceived with Rwanda-Burundi in and DRC out, has the potential of dragging in the relatively peaceful East African countries into DRC/Rwanda/Burundi conflicts, in the process weakening both East Africa and DRC. Truly, history has not left us much choice: we either federate and create hopes for peace and prosperity or consume ourselves in incessant fratricidal wars.

The vision of FGLR is feasible. Will our leaders rise to the occasion?

* © Issa Shivji. Shivji is Professor of Law at the University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

"Who Counts?" campaign

2005-05-03

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/advocacy/27951

Mango has launched a new campaign called "Who Counts?" that urges aid agencies and NGOs to tell the people they aim to help how much money they are spending on projects on their behalf. Evidence shows that this radically improves impact and reduces fraud. For more information visit www.whocounts.org

Education for Africa

Medard Rugyendo, Makerere University

2005-05-02

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/letters/27931

Is South Africa's emancipation struggle over? (1)

Owen Sichone

2005-05-05

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/letters/27930

I would probably agree with most of Wanda's observations on what is wrong with the "New" South Africa and clearly the answer to his question is that NO the struggle for emancipation is not over yet. However, most people would probably agree with that for one reason or another. Even the most comfortable members of the black elite argue for more transformation rather than less. Even the leader of the ANC, president Mbeki publicly and very consistently calls for "a better life FOR ALL".

There may be some members of the ANC who think they have arrived and we cannot condemn them for that. The fact is that we did not all board this train at the same station nor are we going to the same destination. The maximum programme of the black bourgeoisie (a free and fair democratic system where a national bourgeoisie enjoys the right to exploit its proletariat and its natural resources) may well be the minimum programme of the working class whose station is further down the line. As the South African Communist Party says: Socialism is the future. There are even those who say that in a globalized economy a national bourgeoisie's patriotic spirit is of no value because it is now glorious to be rich, and comprador. That is for the capitalists to sort out among themselves.

The mistake that RE Wanda makes is that he soaks the ANC in red wine, as it were, and tries to render it socialist. Just examine the historical inaccuracy of his assessment that:

"It is clear that the ANC has abandoned its core roots and energy - the poor people. The ANC party was born socialist but later adopted capitalism and endorsed the neo-liberal agenda, whose fruit we know is exploitation of the people. The ANC's economic policy emphasis on market liberalization and tight government control on spending has meant that the working class and poor who are mostly black South Africans have to bear the cost of its conservative economic policy."

I am afraid it is not clear at all. In 1912 when the South African National Native Congress (SANNC), forerunner of the African National Congress (ANC), was founded it was a Pan-African movement representing the rights of all colonial subjects. It was led by chiefs, mission educated elites, village shop-keepers, maize and wool farmers and yes, petitioned the British Empire for the rights of the colonial working class as well.

But was the ANC born socialist? No way! If Cecil Rhodes and his cohorts had not been racist, if the 1913 Land Act had not destroyed the black farming elites in the rural areas, if the colonial society were based on class oppression and not mainly racial oppression there would have been NO NEED for an ANC. If Mahatma Gandhi and Sol Plaitjie had not been forced off the first class carriages because of their dark skins, the colonial working classes would have had to struggle for their rights on their own because the black elites would have been too comfortable from the start. Let us forget about the socialist ANC - it is a figment of our revolutionary imaginations, it has never existed.

It is up to COSATU to continue championing the rights of the South African working class. It is up to the Communist Party to complete its political programme and go beyond the bourgeois democracy that was achieved in 1994 and attain that socialist future. And it is up to the anti-privatization and anti-globalization movements to continue reconnecting poor people to the water and electricity mains by any means necessary, but it is not up to the ANC to build a socialist South Africa, that has never been the ANC programme.

So all those who call themselves socialist should focus their energies on strengthening the Communist Party and not undermining the ANC which has ALWAYS been led by the black elites whose maximum programme has ALWAYS been a capitalist democracy in which their agricultural and commercial interests are not undermined by a racist state. Let us know our history or we shall remain trapped in this old waiting room on this disused railway line complaining about the inefficiency of the national airline.

Is South Africa's emancipation struggle over? (2)

Sokari Ekine

2005-05-02

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/letters/27929

Thank you for articulating so clearly what many of us have been saying for years. That there were serious compromises made at the time of South Africa's independence; that the urban and rural poor in SA have nothing to celebrate after 11 years of so called freedom. The freedom in SA has been a freedom for the elite non-white population, for the business sector who have continued to make money off the lives of the poor and of course the white elite have continued in their prosperity and probably have gained most out of independence as they are now able to conduct their business operations freely with the rest of the world.

You ask the question "why are (Africa's) incessantly in poverty?" Because as you say the primary essence of democracy is absent from the continent and the World Bank/IMF and the NEPAD agenda have choked the continent into submission and poverty. The West and particularly the United States are not interested in a true democratic Africa but one that serves it's need in resources and security. (http://okrasoup.typepad.com/black_looks, http://okrasoup.typepad.com.afrotecnik)

Is South Africa's emancipation struggle over? (3)

Bev Clark

2005-05-05

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/letters/27932

I read your article in Pambazuka with interest because I think the issues you raise are not solely South Africa (obviously). Maybe my question is too big to answer right now, maybe you can point me in the right direction? In any case, here in Zimbabwe in some high density areas (used to be called townships under Smith) working class Zimbabweans are going several weeks without water whilst those more privileged people in low density areas experience intermittent water cuts. We now see people within these high density areas selling water to those without.

What can we do to change this? How do we apply pressure on a government that has just bought Chinese jet fighters and passenger aircraft yet can't see fit to fix the old water pipes/pumping equipment whose absence leaves people without the fundamental right to clean accessible water? How do we encourage and support working class people to collectively engage in work stoppages to highlight their plight?

And these questions are all framed in a country that is highly repressive.

As you might be able to tell I'm feeling very frustrated today!

Kenya: The Constitution as a Promissory Note

Eskei Jinha

2005-05-04

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/letters/27980

In writing the above article, Mukoma Ngugi comes across as very partisan and exercising selective amnesia. He does not live out the very impartiality he expects from the people writing the Kenyan constitution to exercise. In spite of the misrule and deterioration of the economy, security and quality of life in the last 10 years of former President Moi's rule (and not the entire 24 years of his political life), there are various facts that Kenyans cannot ignore.

1. That President Moi historically will be remembered as the 2nd President of Kenya.

2. That the current FRUITS of peace in the Sudan and Somalia, not to mention the Great Lakes regions, were largely a result of Moi's efforts. The current government or any genuine historian cannot ignore this.

3. That during the course of multi-party elections, Mr Moi never lost a single election. The defeat of KANU in 2002 cannot be counted as a defeat of Moi, but a defeat of Uhuru Kenyatta and KANU. Moi ran his full term, out-foxed the entire opposition and continues to enjoy a lot of popularity in Kenya (yes, people want him to address them etc, but he has asked people to build the nation under Mr Kibaki). Mr Kibaki's acceptance speech at Uhuru park during his inauguration as Kenya's third President cannot have been said to be graceful or state manly both to the office of the presidency and to the man he served under as VP. Moi remains a true statesman. You have to differentiate Moi the man, from Moi the politician.

4. That the same people who clamoured for "no constitution no election" prior to the 2002 are the same people who are forestalling the review process. Most of these people were in KANU and some are still life members of KANU (yes, President Kibaki still has his life membership with KANU!)

5. The Kenyan press online has continued to highlight that the present NARC government has performed worse than the KANU government in just two years of its existence, in ALL of the areas surveyed, EXCEPT for free education. But free education, if you will recall, is nothing new. At independence, Kenyatta promised and implemented free education and so did Moi in 1978/9, but slowly and surely, cost-sharing is creeping in, and worse still under NARC the standards of public primary school education have plummeted! If you live in Kenya (and not in some safe sterile environment where you only hear pre-processed news, or still live on old bitter perceptions) then you will know that the morale of Kenyans is at an all time low, with respect to the NARC government's running of affairs. It is not just the in-fighting, it is the insecurity in the country, the deteriorating sense of worth, the blatant abuse of office not to mention the total distrust of the current government. Who would have thought they would even woo Biwott ? (not to say he is bad, there surely has been no proof in court, but if perception is anything to go by, what is the difference between old KANU and NARC?)

6. You imply that the KANU government got away with misrule yet enjoyed support in foreign aid. Again this is selective use of information. The KANU government earned itself 10 years of no foreign AID at least from the IMF and World Bank, and SOME Kenyans praised the Bretton Woods Institutions for that, while the bulk of the people bore the burden!! We survived ten years! We need to re-think the "foreign aid" and "foreign investor" nonsense. Read the recent comments by Dr Mukhisa Kitui (Kenya's Trade Minister, and champion against WTO "imperialism").

7. The judiciary is still largely corrupt and sympathetic to the powers of the day. There are no systems and of course no one wants such things. There is no genuine desire to bring surgical and radical change!! The thinking of Kenyans and politicians is still the same as it was in 1972.

8. I put it that there was no "debate" on health: the president simply did not SIGN the bill that was PASSED BY PARLIAMENT. There was pressure to re-discuss the bill in parliament, and of course you know that the members of the house were treated to a "holiday" in Mombasa before they could warm up to this. While President Kibaki rightly exercised his powers in not signing the health bill, you should recollect the facts more accurately. It is your responsibility to paint the country in balanced light, and not be bogged down by your own idiosyncrasies.

Finally, the problems Kanya is facing are POLITICAL. Initially people were driven by a preoccupation to "REMOVING MOI". The constitutional changes suggested before the 2002 elections were all geared towards "containing" Moi, reducing his powers etc etc, even when it was clear to all, that he was NOT going to run for elections. The problems of Kenyan politics is the selective amnesia on the ills of the Kenyatta government. The rot in Kenya begun at Independence. We must re-examine our journey from back there.

In January 2003, Kenyans were a united nation, under NARC, having removed KANU from government. Change was needed then and the politicians provided a united front that had been elusive all along. Kenyans did not elect a Kikuyu, or Luo, or Luhya or....(fill in whatever tribe). They wanted change and progress. A very optimistic people bequeathed the NARC government a lot of good will and grace. They were patient when the NARC government begun reneging on its election promises, saying that they needed time to understand the "rot" that had accumulated. Rightfully, there was a lot of rot after 24 years of one party. Well and good. But soon, people begun to realize that the country was going back to the situation that it was in the late sixties and early seventies. The issue of tribes begun to surface again!! Right now there is a lot of bitterness and distrust towards the "Mt Kenya community". The PEOPLE of Kenya have themselves to blame. They complain a lot and don’t do anything about the situation. Kenyans, and NOT politicians will save their own country.

Thank you.

MUKOMA NGUGI responds:

It seems to me that Jinha's response is largely caught up in a nowhere place. Used to the certainty of the Moi dictatorship, Jinha is unable to deal with the uncertainty of the movement towards democracy. So in a lot of ways, Jinha wants to vindicate Moi since even though his rule has been thoroughly discredited, it was certain and predictable. We know that a lot of people during Kenyatta's dictatorship would sigh for the days of colonialism. But did they mean it? Or should such statements have been read as an indictment of the Kenyatta government?

But it is this uncertainty, an uncertainty at once positive and yet negative to the extent that NARC is still caught up in the legacies of the Moi’s misrule that I was seeking to address in my article. In short, if our project is liberation, then we simply must find the space to make nuanced arguments in uncertain times and time of change – otherwise, we end up with a dictatorship of views and broad generalizations that deny the truth of both the past and the present and are hence of no use when it comes to constructing a future.

I really do not want to take up much time attending to Jinha’s defense of Moi. But nevertheless, Pambazuka Editor, let me address the concerns raised point by point. I do this with the hope that I will not disappoint or even insult those who have spent their entire lives opposed to both the Kenyatta and Moi governments; who understand the full magnitude of what it is to live under a dictatorship and why we must seize the moment and once and for all put Kenya on a road towards irreversible change (to use terms from the anti-apartheid struggle).

For Ngugi's full response, please click on the link below.
Mukoma Ngugi's response:

1. Jinha writes that “President Moi historically will be remembered as the 2nd President of Kenya”.

To which I respond “So what?” It is a fact he was the 2nd president of Kenya and no historian would deny that. Hitler also went down in history as did Mobutu, Idi Amin and Samuel Doe. The question is what kind of a leader was he?

2. Jinha writes that “the current FRUITS of peace in the Sudan and Somalia, not to mention the Great Lakes regions were largely a result of Moi's efforts. The current government or any genuine historian cannot ignore this”.

To this I respond, President Moi always projected himself as an elder statesman who sought to bring about peace and prosperity to Africa. But certainly there is a big difference between Moi and lets say Mandela who has also tried to bring an end to war in Africa. The difference lies in their track records while in office – with Mandela there was justice, with Moi there was injustice. At some point Moi was also the chairman of the OAU but then again so was Idi Amin.

But it should be stated that both the Kenyatta and Moi governments are responsible for massacres against the Somali people in the North Eastern Province. And indeed this is a present history that all Kenyans should be cognizant with. A quick look at Moi’s policy in regards to the Somali people will show his hypocrisy in that even as he brokered for peace, he had dead bodies under the very ground he stood on. A genuine historian should recognize that dictators always try to wear cloaks of legitimacy.

3. Jinha writes that “during the course of multi-party elections, Mr Moi never lost a single election. The defeat of KANU in 2002 cannot be counted as a defeat of Moi, but a defeat of Uhuru Kenyatta and KANU. Moi ran his full term, out-foxed the entire opposition and continues to enjoy…You have to differentiate Moi the man, from Moi the politician…”

To which I respond, I am not sure of the differentiation Jinha is trying to make between Uhuru and Moi. Uhuru was Moi’s candidate and Uhuru stood for KANU policies which means Moi’s policies. Had Uhuru won, it would have been Moi’s rule by proxy. Moi did not leave office because he wanted to in the same way Apartheid did not fold because it wanted to: both were forced to fold due to internal resistance and international pressure.

I, (and I think a lot of people will agree with me), am unable to differentiate between Moi the man and the politician and indeed I have no interest to. Does it matter whether it was Moi the man or Moi the politician who ordered the tortures, detentions, assassinations and exiling of Kenyans? Does is matter that Moi the man loved children and Moi the politician denied them access to health and education?

4. On the point that the same people who clamoured for "no constitution no election" prior to the 2002 are the same people who are forestalling the review process.

To which I respond – at last a point from Jinha that one can actually debate. This is a contradiction in the NARC coalition. And perhaps this is why we should support those calling for a truth and reconciliation forum. We certainly need to address the past and those responsible for atrocities brought before justice. But also please note that a contradiction within NARC does not redeem Moi’s past, a wrong by NARC does not vindicate KANU’s oppressive rule, it just proves that there are contradictions that we, as a collective, need to rise above or bring to a close.

5. On Jinha’s response point no. 3 I respond that I do not think we should be speaking about Kenya as if outside a globalized world (or at least one that globalizes poverty). Structural Adjustment Programs and World Bank policies, the rush to privatize social services etc played a role in the demise of not only free primary education but also health services. I do not think it requires a visionary eye to see that by calling for free education and universal health care the NARC government is on a collision course with these policies. And I think once we contexualize the current debates in a globalized world, then it becomes clear that the push for privatization has always been to the detriment of those without. One just needs to think about the worldwide push to privatize water – what will that do to the poor? Or even better, since it is an ongoing process one just needs to look at South Africa or Guatemala.

6. Responding to Jinha's point number 5: Ignoring the first part of your statement on sterile environments etc. I respond that you are again pointing out a contradiction within NARC - especially on Biwott who has been understood as Moi's right hand man and tainted by the brutal assassination of Robert Ouko and numerous corruption scandals. But how does that redeem KANU or Moi? At its most persuasive, your argument can only be that they (NARC and KANU) are equally bad. A more constructive argument from my end would be how do we bring about genuine change? How do we stop a second betrayal (the first being independence) from taking place? How can we use the freedom of speech as a platform towards a true liberation?

7. Jinha writes, “You imply that the KANU government got away with misrule yet enjoyed support in foreign aid…” To which I respond – No, Jinha I was not implying that the Moi government got away with a lot. I was indeed stating that the US foreign policy is and has always been hypocritical. One just needs to look at the string of dictators the United States government has supported throughout the world – in Africa shall we forget that Reagan once called Mobutu America’s best friend? Or the assassination of Lumumba? Or America’s support of the Apartheid government until the citizens of the United States forced Reagan to declare sanctions? And the list goes on… But even if we use your mathematics, then Moi’s government, in spite of gross mismanagement and dictatorial rule, out of its 24 years got support from the West for 14 years. NARC has barely been in power for two years. I think it is okay, no matter how one feels about NARC, to say something is not quite right here.

The same argument you make about the withdrawal of foreign Aid hurting most Kenyans is the same argument that those who supported Apartheid made. Reagan and Botha, in asking the rest of the world not to declare sanctions, argued that sanctions would hurt black South Africans. I do believe that the lifting of foreign Aid, together with internal political activism, encouraged Moi to step down.

8. “The judiciary is still largely corrupt and sympathetic to the powers of the day…” I respond that I think the ability to make nuanced arguments is crucial especially in times of transition. Now, the Kibaki government did clean out almost half of the judiciary under suspicion of being corrupt. Now, even as much as I raise contradictions in the NARC coalition, we simply must recognize some of the helpful things it has done. For indeed, it is these kind of things that we want to encourage them to keep doing with the knowledge that failure to address some of the fundamental problems will be tantamount to a second betrayal.

9. On the health issue, I respond by asking what is the meaning of the word debate? A quick google search (I hate bringing google in to the debate) under the terms “health free Kenya Ngilu” shows otherwise. Also, I think it is clear from my article that I consider free Health Care a basic human freedom and am therefore not thrilled that Kibaki did not sign the bill into Law – again a contradiction within NARC. But my point was, and those who remember Moi’s rule, will agree, that at least the debate was there in Kenyan media and talk shows – that there is freedom of speech that did not exist in Moi’s time. Certainly, national policies were not under debate. But the question is what to do with it in light of the contradictions and amount of work that needs to be done.

10. “Finally, the problems Kenya is facing are POLITICAL…”
I respond that surely Kenyan memory of Moi is still too fresh to begin rehabilitating him – Moi was a political criminal, a murderer and at times a common thief who should be tried by either a Kenyan court or an international court for atrocities committed. And for that matter so should have Kenyatta whose footsteps Moi vowed to follow – and he did. And we should even go back to colonialism to understand Kenyatta’s betrayal of the freedom fighters and his consequent dictatorship. As one historian put it “Let us not start the historical clock where it suits us”. But perhaps I am in agreement with Jinha that I suffer from an idiosyncrasy that translates into blindly opposing Moi – it doesn’t sound too bad a case of blindness from where I sit opposed to all forms of dictatorships.

Let me end by repeating what I said at the beginning: that Jinha appears to be caught in a nowhere place. It seems to me that Moi’s dictatorship provided a certainty that Jinha relished. On the other hand, Kibaki’s government cannot offer the certainty of a dictatorship or the stability of a democracy that meets the needs of the Kenyan people due to internal contradictions. Yet, as opposed to trying to find a space from which we can un-tether ourselves from the current predicament, Jinha wishes for Moi’s rule and at the same time sees each contradiction in the NARC as a vindication of Moi. It is only natural, following this logic, that Jinha’s argument can only end with “The PEOPLE of Kenya have themselves to blame. They complain a lot and don’t do anything about the situation. Kenyans, and NOT politicians will save their own country”. First Jinha blames the Kenyan people even though our history indicates that we fought against Colonialism and against Kenyatta’s and Moi’s dictatorship. But in the same breath, after ignoring this history of continuous resistance, Jinha expresses faith in the Kenyan people and not the politicians. On the future of Kenya resting on the people and not the politicians, we can both agree. But just as quickly we have to disagree because Jinja has as yet to come to terms with Moi’s reign of terror and I, and the millions of Kenyans who were opposed to Moi’s rule, are more concerned with the way forward.

Book of Voices

edited by Mike Butscher

2005-05-04

http://www.flamebooks.com/about.asp?sectionId=3&newsId=13

Independent publisher Flame Books has teamed up with a group of international authors to bring the conscientious reader the Book of Voices. The stories in the Book of Voices collection are all linked by the common themes underpinning the work of International PEN, and the problems faced by the Sierra Leonean office of PEN.

East Africa: In search of national and regional renewal

Edited by Felicia Arudo Yieke

2005-05-02

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/books/27937

East Africa: In Search of National and Regional Renewal presents a stimulating mix of historical and contemporary experiences at the heart of African nationalism and pan-African aspirations. It offers rich, critical and insightful scholarly readings of East African discourses, practices and historiographies.
East Africa: In search of national and regional renewal


Edited by Felicia Arudo Yieke

Published April 2005 ; 168 pages 2-86978-144-X

"This is an exciting book, which brilliantly brings out disturbing social
questions such as nationalism, ethnicity, the role of intellectuals,
language, the military, regional security and the nature of political
transitions in the East African region. The authors of the various papers
present dynamic and convincing arguments on politics of identity,
language
and the quest for Africa's renewal."
Professor Eric Masinde Aseka, Kenyatta University, Kenya

"The papers in this volume confront some of the major problems facing the
peoples of East Africa, as indeed of the African continent as a whole.
Focusing in particular on the dilemmas of ethnic and national identities
and
their relationship to social and political conflict, these essays
constitute
a major contribution to debates on supra-national co-operation and
socio-economic and political renewal in Africa."
Professor Colin Herbert Creighton, University of Hull, UK

East Africa: In Search of National and Regional Renewal presents a
stimulating mix of historical and contemporary experiences at the heart
of
African nationalism and pan-African aspirations. It offers rich, critical
and insightful scholarly readings of East African discourses, practices
and
historiographies. While exploring the different dimensions of the
challenges
of renewal confronting the countries in the region, the authors take full
cognisance of the changed contexts, conditions and forces shaping Africa
today. The result is a lucid and highly accessible collection of
empirically
grounded contributions by reputed scholars on issues such as: African
nationalism; intellectuals and Africa quest for renewal; ethnicity and
citizenship; movementocracy and democracy; transient mobile 'nations' and
nationhood; and the language question. The book provides remarkable
readings
of the problems confronting the East African region, and alternative
approaches to meeting the challenges of nationalism, regionalism and
promotion of pan-African ideals.

Felicia Arudo Yieke currently teaches at Egerton University in the
department of Languages and Linguistics. She has a PhD in Applied
Linguistics from University of Vienna, Austria and pursued her
undergraduate
and Masters degree studies at Kenyatta University (Kenya) and Moi
University
(Kenya) respectively.


Contents


Introduction
Felicia Arudo Yieke

Chapter 1
The Rise, the Fall and the Insurrection of Nationalism in Africa
Issa Shivji

Chapter 2
Intellectuals and Africa's Renewal
Chachage Seithy L. Chachage

Chapter 3
Language and Regional Integration: Foreign or African Languages
for the African Union?
Sangai Mohochi

Chapter 4
Language and the East African Parliament: National Identities,
Gender Mainstreaming and the Re-invention of Regionalism
Felicia Arudo Yieke

Chapter 5
Ethnicity: An Opportunity or a Bane in Africa's Development?
Emmanuel Okoth Manyasa

Chapter 6
Ethno-Centralism and Movement Politics in Uganda:
New Trends and Directions in Kibaale District Elections
Mohammed Kulumba

Chapter 7
Intellectuals and Soldiers: The Socialist Experiment in
the Horn Africa
Bahru Zewde

Chapter 8
Transient, Mobile 'Nations' and the Dilemma of Nationhood in the
Horn of Africa: Interrogating Nomadic Pastoralists, Insecurity
and the Uncertainty of Belonging
Maurice N. Amutabi

Chapter 9
Legal and Political Dilemma in Transforming a Movement to
Multi-Party System in Uganda: Is the National Resistance Movement
Riding on a Tiger's Back?
Mohammed Kulumba

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

For orders :
Africa:
Publications and Dissemination
CODESRIA
Avenue Cheikh Anta Diop x Canal IV
BP 3304
CP 18524, Dakar, Senegal
Email: codesria@codesria.sn


Rest of the world:
African Books Collective
The Jam Factory
27 Park End Street, Oxford, OX1 1HU
Email: abc@africanbookscollective.com
Web:
www.africanbookscollective.com

The Gap between Rhetoric and Practice: Critical Perspectives on Children’s Participation

Call for Papers

2005-05-04

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/books/27978

Volume 16 (2006) of Children, Youth and Environments (CYE) will be a large special international volume on child and young people's participation with collections of papers from seven regions of the world. This call is for the Africa - special issue. Child rights advocates have embraced the idea of children's participation and have called for it to be 'mainstreamed' in development and everyday life. Yet the practice of children's participation is still in early stages. This issue of CYE will explore perspectives from Africa on the gap between rhetoric and practice.
Call for Papers
The Gap between Rhetoric and Practice: Critical Perspectives on Children’s
Participation

Africa - special issue
Guest Editors: Dipak Naker, Raising Voices and Rakesh Rajani, HakiElimu

Volume 16 (2006) of Children, Youth and Environments (CYE) will be a large
special international volume on child and young people’s participation
with collections of papers from seven regions of the world. This call is
for the Africa - special issue.

Child rights advocates have embraced the idea of children’s participation
and have called for it to be ‘mainstreamed’ in development and everyday
life. Yet the practice of children’s participation is still in early
stages. This issue of CYE will explore perspectives from Africa on the gap
between rhetoric and practice. It will offer analysis, experiences,
synthesis and critical perspectives from Africa regarding the gap. The
editors invite submissions of abstracts of less than 200 words. Final
submissions may be in different formats and of varying lengths, though
shorter pieces are encouraged. These may be visual as well as written, and
may include images, articles, research documents, commentaries, thought
pieces and field reports. Authors living and working in Africa are
particularly encouraged to contribute. We also strongly support
submissions from, or in collaboration with, children and young people. For
more information see http://www.hakielimu.org/CYEAfricacallforpapers.pdf

Expressions of interest in the form of abstracts (of no more than 200
words) should be sent by June 5th 2005 to Dipak Naker:
dipak.naker@raisingvoices.org and Rakesh Rajani: rrajani@hakielimu.org

Deadline for final complete submissions will be August 15th 2005.

The global resistance reader

Edited by Louise Amoore

2005-05-04

http://www.africabookcentre.com/acatalog/index.html?http%3A//www.africabookcentre.com/acatalog/New_Titles_April_28th_2005.html&CatalogBody

An account of the phenomenal rise of transnational social movements which have opposed the financial, economic and political hegemony of large international organisations such as the World Trade Organisation, World Bank and International Monetary Fund. The conceptual debates, substantive themes and case studies have been selected to open up the idea of global resistance to interrogation and discussion by students and to provide a one stop source for researchers, journalists, policymakers and activists. African examples include the Ogoni people's struggle in Nigeria.

Liberia: UNMIL investigating alleged sexual misconduct by peacekeepers in four incidents

2005-05-03

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=46925

Allegations of sexual misconduct by UN peacekeepers serving in Liberia have been substantiated in four incidents and investigations launched, the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) told IRIN on Tuesday. "There were numerous allegations, of which four clusters of allegations were substantiated - meaning that there was enough information to suggest that possible wrong-doings took place," said Paul Risley of UNMIL, a force of 15,000 peacekeepers. The UN Mission in Cote d'Ivoire, which has more than 6,000 troops, said similar inquiries were also under way there.

Nigeria: Agitation for gender equality gathers momentum

2005-05-02

http://allafrica.com/stories/200505021034.html

Shortly before President Olusegun Obasanjo inaugurated the National Political Reform Conference (NPRC), there were great expectations among women that the era of discrimination against them would soon be a thing of the past. This was particularly hinged on the fact that gender inequality limits the ability of women to assert their rights and be co-partners with men in the politics and governance of the nation. Two months into the conference, their agitation has gathered momentum. But how far can this agitation go? asks Ndubuisi Ugah, who was at a conference organised by Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre (WARDC).

Somalia: Somaliland women take on new roles

2005-05-03

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=46907

The old Somali adage, "A mother's purpose is to be a cook, laundrywoman, nurturer and wife to her husband," describes to some degree the traditional role of the women in Somaliland. That role was radically altered by the Somali civil war of the late 1980s and early 1990s. Traditionally, Somali men were the providers of their families' basic needs. However, when the civil war erupted, thousands of them were killed, maimed or exiled. In the aftermath of the war, the task of caring for the thousands of families in Somaliland fell to the women, who had to take on the dual role of father and mother in their homes.

South Africa: Is the WfW project successful in mainstreaming gender equality?

2005-05-03

http://www.eldis.org/cf/search/disp/DocDisplay.cfm?Doc=DOC18119&Resource=f1gender

Governments have attempted to mitigate the effects of high unemployment in various ways, particularly through targeted interventions such as public works programmes. The Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) of the South African government aims to address unemployment by creating labour intensive jobs through government expenditure. This paper pays specific attention to a project of the Working for Water (WfW) programme - the Tsitsikama project. Both the EPWP and the WfW focus strongly on the employment of women, and given the reality of women's position within South Africa, this paper conducts a gender analysis of this WfW project.

Zimbabwe: Under-representation of women in parliament disappoints activists

2005-05-03

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=46916

Although the recent appointment of a female vice-president is seen as a positive step, gender lobbyists in Zimbabwe continue to agitate for more women in public office. Since the legislative elections in March 2005, women now represent just 16 percent in parliament, up from 10.6 percent. However, the figure falls far short of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) declaration in 1997, which agreed to a 30 percent target for female representation in national political bodies by 2005. Gender rights groups said the ruling ZANU-PF party had reneged on a campaign promise to have a third of its seats in parliament filled by women.

Africa/Global: Human Rights and business at the UN Commission

2005-05-04

http://www.choike.org/nuevo_eng/informes/1294.html

Despite the opposition of the United States, 49 of 53 countries recently voted in favor of a resolution which requests the UN Secretary-General to appoint a Special Representative on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises, with an initial two-year mandate. Visit the website of Choike, a global portal on civil society, for more information.

Angola: Black gold a curse on Angola, says watchdog

2005-05-04

http://www.sarpn.org.za/newsflash.php#2837

A civic rights group from Angola's oil-rich Cabinda province said on Tuesday that oil had been a "curse" for the region and called on American giant ChevronTexaco and others to recognise the dire humanitarian conditions of the people who live there. "Oil is a veritable curse for the population of Cabinda - a source of problems and not solutions," said Raul Danda, who heads the Mpalabanda rights group, the most influential in the northern enclave.

Sudan: Big test for ICC

2005-04-29

http://www.globalpolicy.org/intljustice/icc/2005/0429test.htm

Almost three years after the International Criminal Court opened over United States opposition, the United Nations Security Council asked it to investigate atrocities in Sudan and, in the process, placed the court squarely in the international spotlight. By any measure, the request was an important vote of confidence in the new tribunal. But at the court's glass-and-steel headquarters in The Hague, the reaction has been less than euphoric. Still wrestling with the mechanics of how to carry out its mandate to deal with large-scale human rights abuses, the new institution faces high expectations but lacks practical experience, reports the New York Times.

West Africa: The long shadow of Charles Taylor

2005-05-02

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=46924

Exiled Liberian president, Charles Taylor, will remain a threat to President Lansana Conte of Guinea and the entire West Africa region until he is brought before the UN-backed Special Court for war crimes in Sierra Leone, said the Court's chief prosecutor David Crane. "In early January, Charles Taylor ordered the assassination of Guinean President Lansana Conte as revenge for Conte's support of the LURD rebel faction in Liberia ...and... the effort [to kill Conte] would soon be repeated," said Crane in a statement issued on Monday.

Zimbabwe: NGOs lobby Africa commission

2005-05-04

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/rights/27961

A number of Zimbabwean NGOs released statements on the situation in the country to the 37th Session of the Africa Commission on Human and People's Rights in Banjul, Gambia on Wednesday. The statement from Media Monitoring Project of Zimbabwe highlights the fact that the Government of Zimbabwe amended the laws that restrict the free flow of information but the amendments actually worsen the environment in which media practitioners work in Zimbabwe. A ZimRights statement at the 37th Session particularly mentions the "relegation of fundamental elections principles into SADC guidelines of persuasive value". In 2002 the ACHPR appointed a fact-finding mission to Zimbabwe which came up with recommendations as to how the Government of Zimbabwe could improve the human rights situation in the country.
STATEMENT BY THE MEDIA MONITORING PROJECT ZIMBABWE
ON THE HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION IN ZIMBABWE
on the Occasion of the 37th Session of the Banjul, The Gambia
27 April – 11 May 2005
Madame Chair, Honourable Commissioners and distinguished participants, on behalf of the Media Monitoring Project Zimbabwe, I wish to update you on the current situation in Zimbabwe with regard to freedom of expression, speech and the media. Contrary to the recommendations of the Commission in its Fact Finding Mission Report, June 2002, no efforts have been made by the State to create a climate conducive to freedom of expression in Zimbabwe. This right remains heavily restricted with its exercise entirely at the Government’s discretion.
Government has amended existing repressive legislation concerning the right to freedom of expression and the right to information, the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act, in a manner that only further restricts these rights and imposes custodial sentences on journalists who practice without accreditation. Two foreign journalists were on March 31 arrested and detained for thirteen days mainly for covering the Zimbabwean elections without MIC accreditation. They were subsequently acquitted by the court but deported by the authorities shortly afterwards.
The Media and Information Commission, which is subject to Government manipulation, remains perceptibly partisan and is not representative of the media fraternity in Zimbabwe. The MIC continues to harass the private media over petty administrative offences and stories that they carry while the government-controlled media is not subjected to similar treatment. As the Commission noted in its Fact-Finding Mission Report, “any legislation that requires registration of journalists, or any mechanism that regulates access to broadcast media by an authority that is not independent and accountable to the public, creates a system of control and political patronage.”
Closure of independent newspapers continues with the MIC closing The Weekly Times in February. This brings to four the number of independent newspapers closed since September 2003. In addition a De facto monopoly of broadcast media persists in the country despite the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe being in possession of several applications for broadcasting licences from prospective radio stations. This is contrary to Article 5 of the Declaration of Principles on Freedom of Expression in Africa that condemns “a State monopoly over broadcasting as being incompatible with the right to freedom of expression.”
Government continues to abuse the public media as a propaganda tool for the ruling party compromising the public’s ability to access information through this public resource. The Government has failed to protect the national public broadcaster “against political and economic interference.”
We are concerned that the continued arbitrary arrests, harassment and intimidation of journalists will force them to practice self-censorship. 7 journalists working for the government-controlled Chronicle newspaper were suspended from the paper in December 2004 following the publication by the paper of a story that covered intra-party factionalism within the ruling party.
Citizens that utter statements that may be construed as insulting the President or undermining his authority, even if they are not published in the press, are also liable to prosecution and may be fined or imprisoned under the Public Order and Security Act. Several such cases have occurred between December 2004 and April 2005.
The right to information, freedom of expression as guaranteed by Article 9 of the Charter and espoused by the Declaration on Principles of Freedom of Expression in Africa remains severely curtailed in Zimbabwe through the use of repressive legislation and harassment and intimidation of journalists and media houses.
I thank you
28 April 2005
Harare

Agenda Item 7
Situation of Human Rights in Africa 37th Ordinary Session of the ACHPR
Statement by ZimRights

As ZimRights we thank the Commission for the opportunity to speak at this august gathering. We also thank the Commission for the report on the Fact Finding Mission to Zimbabwe of June 2002, which we have found to be invaluable in the campaign for the promotion and protection of human rights in Zimbabwe .We are acutely aware of the pressing need to enhance the work of the Commission in our own communities. As you are aware elections were recently conducted in Zimbabwe to select representatives of the people.

Of major concern to us is the relegation of fundamental principles into SADC guidelines of persuasive value, which have persuaded no one. We are concerned that the court challenges to the 2000 parliamentary elections before the judiciary have not been finalised. These have been overtaken by the March 2005 elections meaning that the candidates who won unfairly in the previous election have benefited from the same. Cases of torture and extra judicial killings from the 2000 election have not been resolved. The current elections could not be unequivocally declared as free and fair and are instead being referred to as a reflection the expression of the will of the people.


ZimRights believes that the people of Zimbabwe have been unable to freely participate in the Governance of their country against a backdrop of repressive laws such as Public Order and Security Act, Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act, harassment and arrest of journalists, and closure of independent papers among others, which the Commission in its fact finding mission report of June 2002 established to be contrary to the principles and rights enshrined in the African Charter.


Human rights defenders are operating in an increasingly difficult environment where their actions are viewed as contrary to the interests of the state notwithstanding the Non Governmental Organisations Bill having not been signed. The Bill, designed to curtail the operations of human rights NGOS, still hangs ominously over the heads NGOs if it is referred back to parliament.
The existing legislation regulating the operation of Zimbabwean NGOs, the Private Voluntary Organisations Act, has been used to justify impromptu inspections and harassment of targeted NGO’s in recent weeks. Among the inspecting officers from the government including members of the Criminal Investigation Department who would have been appointed as inspectors of voluntary organisations. This only adds to the climate of fear and harassment of human rights defenders under which they are operating .

We therefore urge the commission to encourage the government to adopt the recommendations that are contained in the report of the Fact Finding mission, which if adopted and implemented in good faith, will go a long way in dealing with the human rights situation in Zimbabwe.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: 28 – 04 -2005 Arnold Tsunga (Director) Phone 263 11 209 468
E-mail: atsunga@zlhr.org.zw



ZLHR CONCERNED AT VIOLATION OF WORKERS’ RIGHTS

The Zimbabwe Lawyers For Human Rights (ZLHR) note with grave concern the unwarranted harassment, by the Zimbabwe Republic Police, of labour rights activists generally and more particularly on the eve of the May Day Celebrations . The harassment of workers movements is a clear and contemptuous violation of workers’ rights, which are enshrined in various international, regional and national human rights instruments. It must not be tolerated.

On the 27th of March 2005 Mandhla Sibanda of Bulawayo, a paralegal with the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions was arrested and detained by police details from Rhodesville Police Station in Harare. He was facing charges of theft for allegedly stealing from the hostels of a local training centre where he was attending a ZCTU Para-Legal Refresher Course. Mr Sibanda had actually lost some property as a result of the break-in that occurred at the centre and reported to the management. On his way back to Bulawayo he was told that the Police had recovered his property and he had to come and identify it. The police under the guise that he was going to identify his property picked him up. On arriving at the Police Station he was informed that he was under arrest and was subsequently detained overnight. The Police indicated that they would detain Mr Sibanda until they had conducted a search at a house were he had slept on the night of the crime. This is a clear case of abuse of process as the Police in this case effectively violated his right to personal liberty, ignored the presumption of innocence and detained him for the purposes of investigation Clearly this is incorrect pre-trial procedure and only goes to give merit to the numerous allegations of lack of professionalism and disrespect for citizens universal human rights and fundamental freedoms as enshrined in our Constitution and other human rights instruments

In Mutare five ZCTU officials who were attending a Preparatory May Day Celebrations meeting for organising how to hold the celebrations were picked up. The cause of their arrest, from information at hand, was that they had convened an ‘unlawful gathering without Police clearance’! With all due respect this was more like an office meeting of ZCTU officials planning on how the May Day celebrations would proceed. They were merely carrying out their mandate as given to the by the workers they represent. Commemoration of the day was in no way a security threat. The preparatory meetings were also not a threat to national security. This is clear when regard is had to the fact that the meetings were held countrywide so that the various towns and cities would commemorate the day together with their trade union representatives. The ZCTU officials were interrogated at length on what exactly they planned to do come 1 May. They were released after 1900hrs without any charge preferred against them. Their right to personal liberty, rights of freedom of association and assembly were effectively trampled upon without justifiable cause.

Today in Harare and at around 0900hrs a group of workers’ rights activists commemorating…and heading towards the Ministry of Labour offices to mark the day were picked up and detained for at least an hour for no apparent reason. They were later released on condition that they did not engage in a similar procession. It is this culture of placing such conditions, which are not reasonably justifiable in a democratic society, which ZLHR condemns in the strongest of terms. It is common cause that workers the world over mark and commemorate these days and they have the inalienable right to do so. The State has no right to effectively delete all these rights at whim, as has been the case in Zimbabwe recently.

Over and above this ZLHR has been watching the increasing dismay at the apparent structural and systematic attack, by the Government, on the leadership of the ZCTU through hired demonstrators. The government of the day must not interfere in the day to day running of the labour body. Doing so effectively amounts to government interference in the enjoyment of workers’ rights. Government’s duty is rather to fulfil, respect, promote and protect those rights it agreed to have accorded to workers through various pieces of legislation as well as is required by international human rights law norms and standards.

For these reasons ZHLR calls upon the Government of Zimbabwe to:

• Protect, promote, respect and fulfil workers’ rights;
• Desist from a culture of clamping down any form of exercise of these rights;
• Allow Zimbabwean workers freely assemble and associate among themselves to join like-minded workers of the world in commemorating workers’ Day without undue and unjustified hindrances come 1st May 2005;
• Desist, forthwith from meddling in the internal affairs of the autonomous Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions


27 April 2005


Mr. Germain Baricako
Secretary African Commission
On Human and Peoples Rights
48 Kairaba Avenue
Fajara
THE GAMBIA


RE: Communication under Article 55 of the African Charter, Request for Provisional Measures in terms of Rule 111

Complainants Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights on behalf of Roy Bennett and the Republic of Zimbabwe

Dear Sir

The above matter refers and our correspondence of the 3rd of February 2005 refers. We kindly request the Commission to attend to the request for provisional measures by the complainants in this matter. The requested provisional measures are as follows:

1. His immediate release from prison

It is the submission of the complainants that the continued incarceration of Roy Leslie Bennett, a former opposition Member of Parliament, on the orders of the (since dissolved) Parliament wherein the majority ruling party members voted for his imprisonment is a violation of Article 7(1) (a) of the African Charter. Roy did not appear before an independent competent and impartial tribunal where principles of natural justice were applied, he appeared before a parliamentary committee, which presented recommendations to Parliament. The majority of the house, consisting of the ruling party, then approved the recommendations. As a member of the opposition who has been subjected to constant state harassment, intimidation and violence against his person and family, Roy was at the mercy of the ruling party. The decision to incarcerate Roy was based on the majority vote in Parliament along party lines. The ruling party ZANU Pf voted for the imposition of a custodial sentence of an effective 12 months imprisonment with hard labour for contempt of Parliament for an assault on two sitting Members of Parliament. If he had been convicted by an ordinary criminal court of law a sentence of not more than a month or a fine of not more than US$25 or ZW$200 000 would have been imposed. Further the decision by the Parliament to imprison Roy Bennett was held by the courts not to be questionable or reviewable as it was in terms of parliamentary privileges, which give Parliament the powers to sit as a court and face no judicial scrutiny of their decisions. The fact that the Parliament of Zimbabwe has powers to deprive a citizen of his liberty without due process and to further oust the jurisdiction of courts to review or appeal against such a decision is obviously a contravention of the Charter.


The Commission in the case of the Constitutional Rights Project in respect of Akamu and Others vs. Nigeria 60/91 ruled that the prohibition of judicial review of the decisions of special tribunals and lack of judicial appeal for judgments of these tribunals violate the right of an appeal to competent national organs against acts violating fundamental rights as guaranteed by Article 7(1) (a) of the African Charter. The fact that Roy is in custody based on the decision by an incompetent and partial tribunal, which has obviously deprived him of his fundamental rights and liberties, warrants the Commission to recommend the immediate release of Roy.

Further he is incarcerated in appalling conditions of overcrowding, inadequate food and sanitary facilities, and the location is such that it is difficult for his lawyers and families to visit. He cannot pursue any legal action to restore his property and businesses as will be illustrated below.

The unlawful sentence and incarceration has the potential of barring Roy from participating in civic affairs as a citizen of Zimbabwe and in particular the right to be nominated and stand for Parliament. Even if it is to be argued that the Parliament of Zimbabwe has such wide unfettered powers to imprison an individual for contempt of Parliament, such powers if put to the test of compliance with the provisions of the Charter, will not stand as they are clearly inconsistent with Article 7 of the Charter in respect of the right to be tried and appeal by and to a competent, independent national tribunal as provided by the Charter.

2. Return of dispossessed equipment and vacation of invaded properties, compensation of equipment and properties that have been destroyed.

The right to protection of property is guaranteed under Article 14 of the Charter and it should not be encroached upon without due regard to the law. Charleswood Estate and Mawenje Lodges which are part of the property that is owned by Roy Bennett and Bennett Brothers (Pvt) Ltd, have been unlawfully occupied, invaded, and properties destroyed by state sponsored individuals and government-backed companies in contravention of several court orders. Even where private individuals were involved the State deliberately failed to protect the complainant. The High Court and the Magistrates’ Courts ordered that the invasion and occupation of the property, owned by Roy, was in contravention of the laws of the land and should cease forthwith. The orders are listed below:

A. 1st May 2001 High Court issued a provisional order barring State from acquiring Charleswood Estate
B. 16th of May 2001, a government notice of intention to acquire the estate was set aside by the High Court as the farm was protected by the Export Processing Zones Act. The High Court confirmed this decision on the 20th of January 2003.
C. 8th April 2003, an order was issued by the High Court by which the State and its functionaries particularly the police, army and Intelligence operatives who had participated in the invasions were interdicted from threatening, abusing, intimidating, harassing, assaulting the employees of the State. This order was again ignored.
D. 18th of November 2003 another order was issued by the Magistrates’ Court interdicting State officials and one army Sergeant Nasho from setting foot on the farm and directed the functionaries in unlawful occupation of the farm to vacate.
E. 25th of February 2004, another High Court order was issued giving Roy leave to remain and proceed with his farming on Charleswood Estate.

These courts orders were disobeyed and disregarded as the plundering on the properties continued unabated. The properties were and are protected in terms of the Export Processing Zones Act and the Zimbabwe Investment Centre Act, which outlaw any expropriation or compulsory acquisitions of properties, which are within the category of export processing zones. The properties were acquired through loans he had received from banks and one of the loans (by the Commercial Bank of Zimbabwe) was only paid off in January 2004. These facts are contrary to State representatives’ unfounded allegations that Roy acquired the properties through land grabbing and plundering during the colonial era or as an inheritance from his forefathers.
Cases of torture and extra judicial killings were conducted on his property; some of the acts of torture were conducted in full view of the public as a deterrent to those who resisted the process of land invasions. A photograph of one of the deceased a farm worker at Charleswood Estate is attached as Annexure 1. Photographic evidence of the effects of torturous assaults are attached as Annexure 2. The extra judicial killings were never investigated despite reports being made to the police. There is need for the government to urgently investigate these incidents of violence, torture and extra judicial killings as any further delays will render any criminal prosecutions close to impossible. Until this is done, the perpetrators and instigators of such violence and killings (some of whom are known within the communities) will continue to be left to roam the villages with impunity and be at liberty to commit further crimes.
Several of his properties were destroyed, cars were burnt, livestock were maimed and killed ruthlessly, his farm workers were forcibly ejected from the property and their belongings destroyed or razed to the ground as evidenced in Annexure 3 and 4. Many of the families, which had been forcibly ejected from Charleswood Estate, were forced to sleep in barns and market stalls as evidenced in Annexure 5.

The complainants pray that the Commission recommends the following provisional measures to the Government of Zimbabwe:

a) The immediate release of Roy Bennett from imprisonment
b) That all those unlawfully occupying Charleswood Estate and the other properties of Roy Bennett vacate them with immediate effect,
c) The return of the farm labourers into their dwellings,
d) The return of all the equipment which was unlawfully possessed,
e) The compensation for all the destroyed properties and all the killed livestock as per their value,
f) The investigation of the extra judicial killings, torture, rapes, destruction of property and other violations of rights of all affected people lawfully residing on the farms,
g) To respect, enforce, and obey all court orders,
h) To forthwith stop the political persecution of Roy Bennett and allow him to participate in the civic affairs of the nation without interference.


Yours faithfully

Arnold Tsunga
Director
Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights

DRC/Rwanda: As new refugees flee DRC, existing ones move inland

2005-05-04

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=46937

New refugees have been fleeing the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to Rwanda since April causing crowding in Rwandan border centres, according the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) which has begun transferring the existing refugees to a camp farther inland. Since last Friday UNHCR has moved 567 of the exiting 7,500 refugees at the border centres in the Rwandan provinces of Gisenyi and Cyangugu. The refugees have been there since fleeing eastern DRC in 2004.

Global/Africa:Refugee women and HIV/AIDS: what role for relief organisations?

2005-04-25

http://www.id21.org/society/s6akw1g1.html

Refugee women are particularly at risk from HIV/AIDS, but relief organisations often see gender and HIV/AIDS as development issues that are not their responsibility. If they do run HIV/AIDS prevention programmes, they may be secondary to shelter and feeding programmes. The gender inequality fuelling the pandemic remains unchallenged.

Global: Clinical management of rape survivors in refugee situations

2005-05-05

http://tinyurl.com/bjdkh

Sexual and gender-based violence, including rape, is a problem throughout the world, occurring in every society, country and region. Refugees and internally displaced people are particularly at risk of this violation of their human rights during every phase of an emergency situation. Over the past five years, humanitarian agencies have been working to put in place systems to respond to sexual and gender-based violence, as well as to support community-based efforts to prevent such violence.

Kenya: Heavy rains kill boy, leave over 25,000 refugees homeless

2005-05-03

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/UNHCR/e9b38d5acb7703427fddb4c1cc72e39b.htm

Thousands of Somali refugees have been left homeless after heavy rains destroyed shelters in Dadaab camp, north-eastern Kenya. Food and relief items have been distributed amid fears of water-borne diseases and fuel shortage. The torrential rains that hit last Thursday caused the majority of shelters in Ifo camp – one of three camps in the sprawling Dadaab complex – to collapse or wash away.

Rwanda/Uganda: Uganda won't stop fleeing Rwandans

2005-05-02

http://www.nationmedia.com/eastafrican/current/Regional/Regional0205200536.html

Uganda has turned down a request by the Rwandan government to deny asylum to thousands of Rwanda nationals who have been fleeing their country to Uganda and Burundi over the past six weeks. The Burundi government has also said it would not repatriate them, although it will not grant them refugee status.

Togo: Refugees too afraid of soldiers to go home

2005-04-30

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L30151245.htm

Young men, old women and children among the thousands who fled violence in Togo said they were too scared to go home after security forces shot at unarmed civilians in post-election chaos. More than 11,500 people have fled the tiny West African country since trouble erupted last Tuesday, minutes after the late authoritarian ruler's son was declared winner of a poll his opponents say was fixed.

Burundi: Political parties reject electoral calendar

2005-04-29

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=46882

A group of 20 Burundian political parties said last Thursday they would not accept the revised electoral calendar issued recently by the Independent Electoral Commission. "The change of the electoral calendar by the commission is unconstitutional," Terence Nsanze, the leader of the Alliance Burundo Africain pour le Salut, said on behalf of the parties on at a news conference in Bujumbura, the capital.

Lesotho: Poor voter turnout marks first ever nationwide local poll

2005-05-03

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=46923

More than 90 percent of the votes have been counted in Lesotho's local government election and the ruling party is set for victory, the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) said on Tuesday. IEC spokesman Rethabile Pholo gave no breakdown of voting patterns and said more results were expected on Wednesday. "The results from 124 of the 129 councils have already been determined, and we can say that the ruling party [Lesotho Congress for Democracy] has so far been on top. We are awaiting the outcome of the remaining five councils and then we will release a statement explaining the results in detail," Pholo told IRIN.

Liberia: Poll threat in northern Liberia

2005-05-03

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4510663.stm

A lack of security is threatening the voter registration process in former rebel areas in northern Liberia. Election workers say they have been powerless to stop hundreds of Guineans registering for October's polls after receiving a number of threats.

Malawi: The role of the judiciary in Malawian politics

2005-05-04

http://www.eldis.org/cf/rdr/rdr.cfm?doc=DOC18273

This paper from the Chr. Michelsen Institute in Norway describes the nature and extent of the role played by the courts in Malawian politics in the context of the 2004 presidential and parliamentary elections. The authors attempt to explain why the courts have come to occupy such a central position on the political scene in Malawi, looking at the recent history, as well as factors that explain why it has been difficult for the government to fully control the courts; what has motivated the judges to assume a political role; and what motivates the parties to bring political disputes to the courts.

Nigeria: Workers reserve the right to strike

2005-05-04

http://www.sarpn.org.za/newsflash.php#2829

President-General of Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC), Mrs Peace Obiajulu, has said the anti-strike clause in the new labour act would not prevent workers from going on strike when they wanted to do so. Obiajulu, speaking in Lagos during a rally organised by the congress to mark the May Day celebrations, said she was ready to go to jail for going on strike for the sake of Nigerian workers. "Strike or no strike, that clause makes no difference to the Nigerian worker. If I have reason to go on strike, I will do so. I'm ready to be locked up, they will help immortalise my name," she said.

Tanzania: Party picks poll entrant

2005-05-04

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4513389.stm

Tanzania's ruling party has nominated Foreign Minister Jakaya Kikwete as its presidential candidate for the general election on 30 October. The Chama Cha Mapinduzi party's choice is widely expected to become the next president, replacing Benjamin Mkapa. Mr Mkapa is stepping down after serving two five-year terms, the maximum allowed under the constitution.

Kenya: I do not regret stand on graft, insists Clay

2005-05-03

http://admin.corisweb.org/index.php?fuseaction=news.view&id=117279&src=dcn

Outgoing British high commissioner Edward Clay says he has no regrets of his spats with the Government over corruption. He spoke as Swedish ambassador Bo Goransson, speaking separately, asked leaders to make their wealth public with or without a law requiring them to do so. Although he has been criticised for taking on the Government in the last months of his tour of duty, Sir Edward insisted that his move to expose corruption had rallied the country against the vice and led to good governance.

Malawi: USA to give Malawi "substantial aid" to fight corruption

2005-05-03

http://admin.corisweb.org/index.php?fuseaction=news.view&id=117307&src=dcn

Malawi is to receive substantial aid from the United States of America to fight corruption and improve fiscal accountability. The board of directors of the Millennium Challenge Corporation has approved Malawi's threshold programme concept paper, allowing it to receive the funding. The American government expects Malawi to fight corruption and improve fiscal management before the country qualifies for full Millennium Challenge Account assistance of 15bn dollars.

Nigeria: Nigerians wary of corruption crackdown

2005-05-02

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4497915.stm

Nigeria is vigorously campaigning for western donors to write off its $35bn debts - and is backing up its arguments with a crackdown on corruption. When Olusegun Obasanjo won 1999 elections to restore civilian rule, he promised to stamp out the pervasive corruption. He set up two commissions on corruption and fraud but until recently, nothing much had happened.

Africa: A boost on aid and debt relief?

2005-05-04

http://www.un.org/ecosocdev/geninfo/afrec/vol19no1/apr05.htm

After years of a debilitating debt burden and declining aid flows to Africa, the winds are starting to shift. African and international demands for more support to Africa have been mounting. Now, the continent’s main creditors and donors finally seem ready to move towards real financial relief, which could ease one of the major obstacles to Africa’s development, reports Africa Renewal, a UN magazine.

Africa: A continent, a bus and the G8

2005-04-28

http://www.ipsnews.net/africa/interna.asp?idnews=28489

Calls for debt relief to be awarded to African countries have become "de rigueur" in non-governmental circles and a good many news publications. But is it sufficiently important to crowd out sports talk amongst people riding mini-bus taxis on their way to work? That's exactly what 'Get on Board' is discovering at the moment. Under this initiative, a group of activists aboard a 14-seater bus is traveling around Africa, collecting the views of rural and urban populations on Africa's debt problem, international aid and trade rules.'Get on Board' forms part of a campaign by the 'Global Call to Action Against Poverty' (GCAP).

Africa: Millennium Goals Not That Distant, says Millennium Campaign

2005-05-04

http://allafrica.com/stories/200505021037.html

People in rich nations need to give up their "caricature of sub-Saharan Africa" and to recognise and support real progress towards the Millennium Development Goals, Eveline Herfkens, executive coordinator of the Millennium Campaign told a meeting here last week. The Millennium Campaign is being pushed by the United Nations to advance moves towards the goals agreed by world leaders at the United Nations in September 2000.

Ethiopia: Government cancels poverty campaign launch

2005-05-04

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/development/27982

On the 24th day of April 2005, the civil society in Ethiopia was scheduled to officially launch the Global Call to Action against Poverty (GCAP) campaign under the motto "Enough with Poverty!" "Enough with Poverty" is part of the GCAP and the MDG campaign organized by a range of civil society actors in Ethiopia, including national coalitions; women, youth, students and teachers associations; community based organizations; associations of the physically disabled and poor peoples associations. The city government of Addis Ababa, in an official letter written on 18 April 2004 and copied to the federal and city police commissions, cancelled the public gathering and postponed it for an indefinite period of time. The authorities gave no reason for canceling this peaceful demonstration other than stating in the letter that "… [they] found it necessary to postpone the public rally for various reasons…."
Government of Ethiopia Cancelled Poverty Campaign Launch
Global Call for Solidarity with Civil Society in Ethiopia

On the 24th day of April 2005, the civil society in Ethiopia was scheduled to officially launch the Global Call to Action against Poverty (GCAP) campaign under the motto “Enough with Poverty!”

“Enough with Poverty” is part of the GCAP and the MDG campaign organized by a range of civil society actors in Ethiopia, including national coalitions; women, youth, students and teachers associations; community based organizations; associations of the physically disabled and poor peoples associations.

GCAP (Global Call to Action against Poverty) is a world wide alliance of civil society including, among others; national coalitions, trade unions, faith based organizations, women and youth organizations and other civil society organizations committed to pushing world leaders to live up to their promises and to make a breakthrough on poverty in the year 2005 by taking concrete action in the following critical areas affecting poor people: (1) ensuring trade justice, (2) total debt cancellation, (3) more and better aid to poor countries and (4) ensuring the accountability of national governments.

GCAP was officially launched at the World Social Forum in Porto Alegre, Brazil where President Lula of Brazil was present and in UK where President Nelson Mandela was present. Since then, a number of countries have joined this campaign and poor people across the world have shown their solidarity to this global level movement calling for an end to poverty in the year 2005.

The relevant authorities of the government of Ethiopia had given the necessary security clearance for this peaceful gathering of citizens which was scheduled to be held on the 24th day of April 2005 and thousands of citizens were mobilized to voice their demands and show their solidarity for the global level GCAP movement.

The timing of this event was strategically important for poor people in Ethiopia to voice their demands when the country is in the run up to the third national level election in May 2005. A number of CSOs participating in organizing this event spent time, energy and resources in the mobilization for this first ever civic rally of citizens making a call both to the national government and the international community as well.

The UN Millennium campaign Director Mr. Salil Shetty and Nobel laureate, Chair of ECOSOC and Deputy Environment Minister of the Government of Kenya, Professor Wangari Mathai, were some of the international level guests expected to attend the event and address the public gathering in the city of Addis Ababa.

However, the city government of Addis Ababa, in an official letter written on 18 April 2004 and copied to the federal and city police commissions, cancelled the public gathering and postponed it for an indefinite period of time. The authorities gave no reason for canceling this peaceful demonstration other than stating in the letter that “… [they] found it necessary to postpone the public rally for various reasons….”

The participating CSOs in Ethiopia are extremely angered by this outrageous and arbitrary decision of the authorities unduly denying citizens constitutional right for peaceful demonstration. The authorities did not and could not give any justification what so ever to cancel the holding of this campaign and deny citizens constitutional right for peaceful assembly and demonstration.

The ban on this campaign comes after the National Election Board of the government of Ethiopia banned a coalition of Ethiopian CSOs from monitoring the upcoming election which evidences part of a systematic assault on civil society in Ethiopia. A group of Ethiopian CSOs have now taken legal action against the Election Board challenging the directive it issued which bans CSOs from election monitoring.

At a time when this global call has continued to grow both in terms of participating countries and deepening the alliances of civil society actors, it is extremely disappointing that the authorities in Ethiopia cancelled the public rally scheduled for 24 April 2005. Given the active involvement of Ethiopian government in the Commission for Africa, this would have been the last thing to expect but it evidences the gap between rhetoric’s and practice.

We call upon fellow Ethiopians, local and international organizations and global citizens at large to denounce the decision of the authorities of the Ethiopian government and show your solidarity with civil society in Ethiopia.

Send your statements to the following authorities in Ethiopia

1. His Excellency Prime Minister Meles Zenawi
The Prime Ministers Office
Fax number: +251 1 552030 or +251 1 241194

2. His Excellency Seyoum Mesfin, Minister of Foreign Affairs
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Fax number: +251 1 514300
Email: mfa.press@ethionet.et

3. His Excellency Mayor Arekabe Iqubay, Mayor of the City of Addis Ababa
City Government of Addis Ababa
Fax number: +251 1 553688

4. His Excellency Kemal Bedri, President of the Federal Supreme Court and Chairman of the National Election Board
National Election Board
Fax number: +251 1 510025.
Email: nebe@ethionet.et

Poverty Action Network of Ethiopia
Christian Relief and Development Association
Network of Ethiopian Women’s Association
Ethiopian Women Lawyers Association
ActionAid Ethiopia
Panos Ethiopia
Organization for Social Justice in Ethiopia
Women in Self Employment
Pro-Pride
Ethiopian Bar Association
Youth Network for Sustainable Development
Ethiopian Federation of People with Disabilities
Action Professionals Association for the People
Vision for Justice – Ethiopia
Afro-flag Youth Vision
Youth Corps Ethiopia
Forum for Environment
ACCORD
Zega Le-ediget

South Africa: Action Against Barclays

2005-05-05

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/development/27957

Jubilee South Africa has described a Barclays bid for South Africa's ABSA Bank as "an insult to the people of South Africa, especially to those who suffered under the illegitimate Apartheid regime." Jubilee said Barclays was the lead defendant in a lawsuit brought in the United States of America by 87 South Africans (represented by the Khulumani Support Group and other civil society organizations) who had been subjected to gross human rights violations during Apartheid.
Action Against Barclays
Jubilee South Africa
Date: 29th of April 2005

It is the position of Jubilee South Africa that it will oppose the Barclays bid for ABSA until 1) Barclays apologizes for supporting the Apartheid regime, 2) Barclays makes reparations to those who suffered because of this support, and 3) The Khulumani v. Barclays lawsuit in the USA is completely resolved. Jubilee South Africa is fully prepared to meet with ABSA and Barclays to discuss the implementation of these demands.

Jubilee South Africa has a three-phase plan to make any attempt by Barclays to re-enter the South African economy without addressing its Apartheid past unwelcome:

Ø Action throughout South Africa, organized by local groups
Ø Actions throughout the African Continent, wherever Barclays Bank operates
Ø International actions (Barclays is active in more than 60 countries) and, particularly, actions in the United Kingdom where Barclays is headquartered.

The Barclays bid for ABSA is an insult to the people of South Africa, especially to those who suffered under the illegitimate Apartheid regime. At present, Barclays is the lead defendant in a lawsuit brought in the United States of America by 87 South Africans (represented by the Khulumani Support Group and other civil society organizations) who had been subjected to gross human rights violations during Apartheid.

The lawsuit charges Barclays National Bank Ltd and 22 other foreign companies with aiding and abetting the Apartheid regime, in the knowledge that their support (financial and otherwise) would be used to suppress the South African population through the most violent of measures. The lawsuit was lodged in the Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit, which covers New York, on the 27/04/05.

Barclays chose not to appear before the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), disclose its dealings with the Apartheid regime, and seek amnesty. This is despite being a major financier to the Apartheid regime.

Barclays Bank’s role in supporting the Apartheid regime is well-known. For example:

In 1976, Barclays acquired R10 million of South Africa Defense Bonds, constituting the largest single purchase and representing about one-eighth of all the bonds sold; such bonds directly financed the South African Armed Forces. The cheque for the bonds was personally presented to the acting head of the Defense Force, Lieutenant-General R. Rogers at a ceremony where Barclays National’s managing director, Bob Aldworth stated that "the bank regards the subscription as part of its social responsibility not only to the country at a particular stage in its history, but also to our staff members who have been called up."[1]

Until Barclays National Bank Ltd fully apologizes to the South African people for the support it gave to the Apartheid regime, until it pays reparations to those who have suffered from its actions, and until the Khulumani v. Barclays lawsuit is completely resolved, Barclays should withdraw its bid for ABSA bank, thus avoiding a hostile re-entry into the South African economy.

This is a unique opportunity for Barclays to approach South African society in an ethical and constructive manner, and to break with its unpleasant past.


For more information contact:

MP Giyose, Chair of Jubilee South Africa
Tel: +27 46 624-2557
Cell: +82 350-0361

George Dor, Jubilee South Africa General-Secretary
Tel: +27 11 403-4858

Dennis Brutus, Jubilee Patron and Plaintiff in Khulumani v. Barclays
Tel: +27 11 403-7624/22

Tristen Taylor, Apartheid Debt and Reparations Campaign Coordinator
Tel: +27 11 403-7624/22
Cell: +27 84 250-2434
tristen-j2000@mail.ngo.za

Uganda: The impact of foreign aid

2005-05-02

http://www.worldpress.org/Africa/2074.cfm

Although the Group of 7’s promise this year to make Africa its pet cause looks good on paper - cutting debt, increasing aid and alleviating suffering from disease - the issue of foreign aid is stirring intense debate in at least one country. Uganda is already wrestling with the sheer volume of foreign money pouring in to fund programs such as those combating AIDS and other diseases - and the subsequent negative impact on its currency, the private sector and future economic growth. Read this analysis from World Press Review by visiting their website.

Africa: Can global targets work in the fight against HIV/AIDS?

2005-05-04

http://www.id21.org/society/s5ars2g1.html

Globally, 40 million people live with HIV/AIDS; 5 million people were infected with HIV in 2001. Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 6 to halt and reverse the spread of the disease is critical to other aspects of human development. However, this goal must consider how the disease develops in different regional and national contexts.

Africa: EPAs and access to affordable medicines

2005-03-24

http://www.twnafrica.org/news_detail.asp?twnID=788

African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries negotiating Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) with the European Union face a 'hidden' threat to their ability to access affordable medicines for diseases such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. Judging from recent EU attempts in the context of other bilateral trade discussions, and from the language in the intellectual property provisions in the Cotonou Agreement, the ACP countries could end up saddled with the EU's laws on 'data exclusivity'. 'Data exclusivity' refers to a peculiar type of 'intellectual property protection' by which EU member countries, like their US cousin, grant exclusive marketing rights to pharmaceutical companies even in relation to medicines that are not under patent protection, and sometimes even when there has been no new invention. The effect is to further disable generic competitors.

Africa: Failure to Adopt New Drugs Fuels Rise of Malaria

2005-04-28

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=healthNews&storyID=8332469

New drug-resistant strains of malaria could thwart global efforts to halve malaria deaths by 2010 unless major players in the fight against the disease speed up the rollout of vital new drugs, health experts say. Ninety percent of all malaria deaths are in Africa, where experts say the emergence of drug-resistant strains help maintain a staggering death rate, particularly among children. An African child dies from malaria every 30 seconds.

Africa: Mothers and children facing dire conditions, says NGO

2005-05-03

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=46932

Several African countries performed poorly in a study of 110 nations worldwide that details health and educational opportunities for mothers and children, the NGO Save the Children said in a new report released on Tuesday. In its report: "State of the World's Mothers 2005", the NGO ranked Burkina Faso and Mali as the worst countries for women and children, while Ethiopia, Chad and the Democratic Republic of Congo were not far behind.

Chad: Measles epidemic sweeps through south, killing at least 115

2005-04-29

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=46872

More than 100 people have died from measles in the Chadian capital N'djamena and the surrounding southern provinces and up to 24,000 people could be infected with the virus, Medecin Sans Frontieres (MSF) said on Friday. Since the beginning of the year, there have been 6,000 reported cases nationwide, but MSF said the real figure could be two to three times higher.

Ethiopia: Gender, HIV/AIDS and food security

2005-05-04

http://www.eldis.org/cf/rdr/rdr.cfm?doc=DOC18192

This paper from the Drylands Coordination Group in Norway looks at the links between gender and HIV/AIDS and food security. It aims to address the challenges that HIV/AIDS and gender inequality pose to development efforts in relation to food security in Ethiopia, in particular on the coping mechanisms related to food security among men and women suffering from HIV/AIDS.

Kenya: Reuters Examines Illegal Abortion in Kenya

2005-05-03

http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?DR_ID=29666

A recent Reuters article examines the many abortions performed each year in Kenya, where the procedure is illegal except when necessary to protect the health or life of a pregnant woman. Under Kenyan law, a woman found guilty of having an abortion in the country faces seven years in prison and anyone performing an abortion procedure on a woman could be sentenced to up to 14 years in prison. Approximately 2,000 women in Kenya die each year because of complications from illegal abortions, and 20 to 30 times that number experience permanent damage to their uterus, cervix, fallopian tubes, intestines or bladder because of illegal abortions.

Africa/Global: Education campaign comes to an end

2005-05-04

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/education/27991

After a tireless week of campaigning, the Global Action Week for education came to an end, leaving the corridors of power resounding with the call to 'Send my Friend to School'. Children and young people in over 100 countries have shown their passion in demanding the basic right of every child to receive a quality education. Politicians have responded to their calls by making firm commitments and pledges on education in countries across the globe. Visit www.campaignforeducation.org for more details and news.

Africa/Global: Unesco report details secondary education trends

2005-05-05

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/education/27997

Four out of every five of the world’s children aged between 10 and 15 are today enrolled in lower secondary education, which is now considered as part of compulsory education in most countries, according to UNESCO’s Global Education Digest 2005. The Digest, published by UNESCO?s Institute for Statistics, presents the latest global education indicators. The figures drop for Africa, however, where although enrolments at secondary level have been increasing by five percent annually since 1998, the lower secondary ratio is still only 45 percent.
UNESCO Press release
Editorial Contact: Sue Williams, Press Relations Section, tel. +33 (0)1 45
68 17 06

29-04-2005 12:00 pm Four out of every five of the world?s children aged
between 10 and 15 are today enrolled in lower secondary education, which
is now considered as part of compulsory education in most countries,
according to UNESCO?s Global Education Digest 2005. The Digest, published
by UNESCO?s Institute for Statistics, presents the latest global education
indicators. This year?s edition also features a special chapter on trends
in participation and gender parity in secondary education.

The Digest shows that secondary education is expanding rapidly worldwide,
with enrolments increasing from 321 million in 1990 to 492 million in
2002/03. The fastest growth has occurred in South America which, along
with Europe, now enjoys the world?s highest gross enrolment ratios at this
level, at almost 100 percent. North America, East Asia and Oceania follow
with enrolment ratios of over 90 percent. The figures drop sharply for
West Asia, where lower secondary pupils represent 69 percent of the
school-age population. It drops further still for Africa where, although
enrolments at secondary level having been increasing by five percent
annually since 1998, the lower secondary ratio is still only 45 percent.

At the upper secondary level, according to the Digest, the global gross
enrolment ratios stand at only 51 percent. Europe is the exception, with
enrolment rates exceeding 100 percent, due to young people enrolling in
multiple programmes. In the Americas, 70 percent of young adults are
enrolled in upper secondary courses, followed by East Asia with 48 percent
and West Asia with 40 percent. The enrolment ratio is lowest in Africa,
with only 29 percent of young adults in upper secondary education.

The Digest also looks at gender parity in secondary education. Reaching
equal opportunity in access to education is an important component of
internationa goals. The first time-bound Education for All and Millenium
Development Goals require that girls and boys should have equal access to
primary and secondary education by 2005.

The Global Education Digest finds that, although there are signs of
progress at primary level, there is still a noticeable gap at secondary
level. Overall, gender parity on entry to lower secondary education has
been reached in 60 out of 133 countries reporting data. In 46 countries,
most of them in Africa and Asia, girls are less likely to enter lower
secondary school than boys. The opposite is true in 27 countries.

At the upper secondary level, the disparities are far more pronounced,
with only 13 percent of children of the relevant school-age living in
countries where gender parity has been achieved.

Despite the regional differences, the Digest concludes that the overall
trend is one of strong, continuing growth at secondary level, and
improving gender parity in most countries, fuelled by increasing demand
and facilitated by a slow-down in world population growth.


Global Education Digest:

http://www.uis.unesco.org/template/pdf/ged/2005/ged2005_en.pdf

Cameroon: At least two students shot dead in university protests

2005-04-29

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=46886

Two university students have been shot dead in a clash with soldiers at Buea University in English-speaking western Cameroon, the government said on Friday. The deaths follow several days of protests at the English-speaking university in Cameroon's southwest province bordering Nigeria, and come as angry students at the country's largest university, Yaounde One, negotiate with officials to end 10 days of trouble there.

Africa: Activists call for Newmont to reform

2005-04-29

http://www.oxfamamerica.org/newsandpublications/press_releases/press_release.2005-04-29.4704723943

Community leaders from Ghana, Indonesia, Peru, Romania, and the US this week called on Newmont Mining Corp., the world's largest gold producer, to reform its human rights and environmental practices at its global operations. Speaking at the company's annual shareholders meeting, the community representatives demanded that Newmont fully respect human rights; stop intimidating farmers and other critics of its operations; and stop dumping mining waste into the ocean.

South Africa: Radioactive site discovered

2005-05-03

http://www.earthlife-ct.org.za/ct/article.php?story=20050429002815130

The day before the anniversary of the worst nuclear accident in history, (the 26th April was the 19th commemoration of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant meltdown) Earthlife Africa Tshwane Metro uncovered high nuclear radiation levels in the vicinity of Pelindaba. A mere twenty meters away from a newly established low-cost housing scheme a site has been discovered where it appears radio active materials have been buried. The discovery and subsequent media frenzy has resulted in heated debate about nuclear energy.

South Africa: SA farmers give GMOs cold shoulder

2005-05-04

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/environment/27974

According to research conducted by the African Centre for Biosafety, South Africa's commercial growing of genetically modified (GM) maize, soya and cotton has been grossly exaggerated by the biotechnology industry for propaganda purposes. The International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA), an industry supported organisation, consistently tries to inflate the figures of GM plantings around the world to support the argument that GM crops are here to stay.
SOUTH AFRICAN FREEZE ALLIANCE ON GENETIC
ENGINEERING (SAFeAGE)

MONSANTO GRABS SOUTHERN AFRICAN SEED MARKET BUT SA FARMERS GIVE GMOS COLD
SHOULDER

3 May 2005

Cape Town/Johannesburg, South Africa-According to research conducted by the
African Centre for Biosafety, South Africa's commercial growing of
genetically modified (GM) maize, soya and cotton has been grossly
exaggerated by the biotechnology industry for propaganda purposes.

The International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications
(ISAAA), an industry supported organisation, consistently tries to inflate
the figures of GM plantings around the world to support the argument that GM
crops are here to stay. Despite South Africa's permissive GMO laws,
Monsanto South Africa has estimated production of its GM maize (MON 810 and
NK603) in South Africa to constitute no more than a total of 6-7% of the
area under maize, less than the ISAAA's estimate of 15-20% of GM maize grown
during 2004.

South Africa does not produce enough cotton for domestic needs and has to
import the shortfall each year. In 2003/04 the area planted to cotton was
less than one-fifth of the area under cotton in the late 1980s. Despite the
dominance of Monsanto's GM cotton varieties, no more than 30 000 ha was
planted to GM cotton in 2003, even though it represents 75% of the
cottonseed planted in that year.

South Africa's soyabean industry is similarly small and no more than 41 000
ha of Monsanto's GM (glysophate tolerant) soya was grown in South Africa
during 2004. However, during 2001-2005, just more than 67 000 tons of GM
soya was imported for animal feed; equivalent to about 8% of South Africa's
domestic soyabean production over the same period.

This brings the total land under GM crops in South Africa to around 300 000
ha and not the 500 000 ha claimed by ISAAA.

Despite its historical status as a net exporter of maize, South Africa has
become reliant on imports from Argentina and the US of enormous amounts of
GM maize. GM maize imports during the period 1999-2005, estimated to be in
access of 2.6 million tons (MON 810, Bt11, Bt176 and TA25) are equivalent to
over 7.5% of the domestic production in South Africa in the 2001-2004
growing seasons. Almost all GM seed imported into South Africa contains
Monsanto's technology.

The study also shows that South Africa is being used as a base from which to
distribute GM food aid to the region. South Africa has also become an
important country for GM seed bulking (propagating seed in volume for
commercial use) and a base to produce GM seed for international distribution
for experimentation/consumption.

Alarmingly, the study shows that Monsanto, the globally dominant company in
the agrochemical, seed and agricultural biotechnology sector has about 45%
of the South African maize seed market share and almost the entire market
share for wheat seed. In 2005, Monsanto had at least 15 yellow maize, 11
white maize, 17 wheat, 4 soybean and 5 sunflower varieties on the market.
The recent acquisition of Seminis, the global vegetable company, with nearly
60 vegetable and melon seed varieties registered by Seminis South Africa
gives Monsanto an entry point into the vegetable seed market,

As the engine for the distribution of commercial seed into Southern Africa,
control by Monsanto over South Africa's seed supply means control over
Southern Africa's commercial seed supply. Monsanto has identified Brazil,
India and South Africa as focal points for its efforts to expand into the
developing world.

The South African government supports genetic modification in agriculture
and has also used its own infrastructure and resources to encourage positive
attitudes in the public. The state's support has allowed South Africa to
become a base for expansion into Africa, for export of GM seed around the
world and as an experimental base for new GM crops not approved elsewhere.

The full report "A Profile of Monsanto in South Africa" produced by the
African Centre for Biosafety, April 2005 is available on
www.biosafetyafrica.net

For further information contact:

Glenn Ashton (SAFeAge) 083 403 6263
Mariam Mayet, (African Centre for Biosafety) 084 68 333 74
Stephen Greenberg, Researcher, 083 988-2983

RESOURCES

In South Africa
African Centre for Biosafety (www.biosafetyafrica.net)
Biowatch South Africa (www.biowatch.org.za)
Earthlife Africa (www.earthlife-ct.org.za)
GM Free Africa (www.gmfreeafrica.org/gmfa_main/)
South African Freeze Alliance on Genetic Engineering (Safeage)
(www.safeage.org)

Other useful info on Monsanto
Badcorp.org (www.badcorp.org)
Consumers International (www.consumersinternational.org)
Corporate Watch (www.corporatewatch.org)
Corporate Dirt Archives (www.corporations.org/corplist.html)
GeneWatch (www.genewatch.org)
GMWatch (www.gmwatch.org)
GRAIN (www.grain.org)
Monsanto (www.monsanto.com)
Monsanto South Africa (www.monsanto.co.za)
Monsanto Watch (www.monsantowatch.org.uk)
Millions Against Monsanto (http://www.organicconsumers.org/monlink.html
Multinational Monitor (www.multinationalmonitor.org

Swaziland: Children "spin" water out

2005-05-03

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=46917

The children at Lubilini primary school in eastern Swaziland have never had a real playground. Now they get to spin a merry-go-round in the school's dirt courtyard, not only for exercise and entertainment, but to pump water out of the ground. The water is used to prepare their meals, for sanitation facilities and to irrigate the school vegetable garden.

Uganda: Halt Bujagali Developer, says Nape

2005-05-03

http://allafrica.com/stories/200505020691.html

The National Association of Professional Environmentalists (Nape) has asked the government to halt the process of selecting the Bujagali dam developer until the controversies surrounding the project are resolved. "Appreciating the government's efforts towards providing adequate electricity, the proposed Bujagali dam is marred with numerous technical, environmental, social and economic flaws," they said.

Africa: Calls for Community Radio Fund

2005-05-02

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/media/27941

More than 100 community radio representatives from 27 African countries resolved to create an African community radio fund at the just-ended 3rd Pan African Conference on Community Radio held in Nairobi, Kenya. The Community Radio Fund will support the sector through equipment provision and training.
AMARC Africa's Pan-African Community Radio Conference Calls for Community
Radio Fund

Friday April 22nd, 2005

For Immediate Release


More than 100 community radio representatives from 27 African countries
resolved to create an African community radio fund at the just-ended 3rd
Pan African Conference on Community Radio held in Nairobi, Kenya

The Community Radio Fund will support the sector through equipment
provision and training.

Conference deliberations which began on Monday April 18th focused on the
role of local content in bringing about sustainable development in
communities and on emerging issues in the sector such as financing and
skills development.

Delegates agreed to strengthen the AMARC Africa network through continuing
to sensitize and empower women from grassroots level about their
participation in CR so that they can hold decision-making and leadership
positions in their communities.

The Pan-African Conference is a gathering convened by the World Association
of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC) Africa region every four years.
Community Radio stakeholders meet to strategize and formulate a plan of
action to address emerging issues in the sector as well as to elect into
office a new board of directors for a four year term.

The new board of directors are:
Grace Githaiga of Kenya who is the new President for AMARC Africa as well
as Vice-President for East and Southern Africa.
Fily Keita of Mali is the Vice president for West and Central Africa.
Oumar Seck Ndiaye of Senegal is the Training and Capacity Building Officer.
Kizito Mushizi of DRC is the New Technology Officer.
Sister Teresa Ana Vieira of Mozambique is the Women's Representative for
East and Southern Africa.
Doris Dery of Ghana is the Women's Representative of West and Central Africa.
Mabalane Mfundisi of South Africa is the Organisational Development Officer.


Participants shared experiences on how to build stronger stations and
networks adding that a favourable CR environment is characterised by:
Recognition of CR by law
Clear social definition of what community radio is
Availability of frequencies set aside for CR
No licensing costs for CR
Possibility to access finance
Greater community participation in programming
Greater understanding of the information needs of the community.

Community Radio stations that have successfully incorporated local content
into their programming through community participation were given a
platform to share their experiences.

The Kenyan Assistant Minister for Education the honourable Kilemi Mwiria,
who opened the conference, spoke of the need to develop the community radio
sector in Kenya. Although the fight for the liberalisation of the airwaves
began in the 1980s, only one community radio (Radio Mangelete) has been
licensed so far in this country.

Closing the conference, Kenya's assistant minister for Home Affairs, the
honourable Kibwana said that the African governments needed to prepare
themselves to democratise the institution of information.

" In the Africa of tomorrow, the [main] actors will be the so-called
'ordinary' people. Therefore governments have no choice but to allow people
and their communities to freely recreate themselves and their communities
[by generating their own information and communication].

Kenya's assistant minister for development committed a portion of the US$30
000.00 of the Constituency Development Fund to set up a community radio in
his constituency. He called on other Kenyan Members of Parliament to do the
same.

Community radio has in the past 10 years established an innovative role for
itself in the development processes in Africa. Local languages in radio has
allowed stations to take advantage of the particular role that community
radio can play in localising global issues.

After the Conference, AMARC Africa took time out to recognise people and
stations who had contributed to the development of the community radio
sector in Africa. Prizes were awarded to:

Lumko Mtimde of South Africa and Lynne Muthoni Wanyeki of Kenya for their
contribution to the development of community radio in Africa.

Radio Rurale de Kayes in Mali and Khwezi Community Radio in South Africa
for being exemplary community radio stations.

ABC Ulwazi for the 'Excellence in Programming' competition for their
production on sexual abuse.

Aissatou Mbene of Radio Oxy-Jeunes in Senegal and Fatoumattah Drameh of
Radio 1, The Gambia for being the most diligent correspondents for the
Simbani Africa News Agency.



For More Information

Please contact Shingai Nyoka the Regional Communications Programme Officer
at AMARC Africa on comofficer@amarcafrica.org for a comprehensive overview
of the conference. Documents will be available online.

Cameroon: Two journalists jailed

2005-05-02

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/media/27944

On 26 April 2005, a court sentenced two journalists from the regional weekly "L'Oeil du Sahel" to five months in prison with no parole and a fine of five million CFA francs (approx. US$9,800; 7,600 euros) for defamation. Reporters sans frontières (RSF) expressed concern over the continuing practice of jailing journalists in Cameroon for press offences. "Exposing serious abuses in an article does not constitute a crime, even in Cameroon," the organisation said.
The English version follows. La version anglaise suit.

IFEX - Nouvelles de la communauté internationale de défense de la liberté
d'expression
_________________________________________________________________

ALERTE - CAMEROUN

Le 2 mai 2005

Deux journalistes condamnés à 5 mois de prison ferme

SOURCE: Reporters sans frontières (RSF), Paris

(RSF/IFEX) - Deux journalistes camerounais de l'hebdomadaire régional
"L'Oeil du Sahel" ont été condamnés à cinq mois de prison ferme et à une
amende de cinq millions de francs CFA (environ 9 800 $US ; 7 600 euros) par
le tribunal de Maroua le 26 avril 2005.

"Reporters sans frontières s'inquiète du sort réservé aux journalistes
camerounais qui continuent d'être condamnés à des peines de prison ferme
pour des délits de presse. Dénoncer de graves exactions dans un article ne
constitue pas un crime, même au Cameroun", a déclaré l'organisation.

Par ailleurs, RSF déplore que les instances juridiques ne mettent pas tout
en oeuvre pour retrouver le dossier, mystérieusement introuvable au greffe,
empêchant ainsi les journalistes de faire appel.

Guibaï Gatama, le directeur de publication de "L'Oeil du Sahel", et
Abdoulaye Oumaté, son collaborateur, ont été condamnés à cinq mois de prison
ferme par contumace le 20 avril dernier pour diffamation. Ils avaient
"dénoncé les exactions et rackets des forces de l'ordre sur les
populations", dans un article publié en janvier 2005 intitulé "Fotokol : les
gendarmes coupent la route". Par peur d'être arrêtés, les deux journalistes
ne se sont pas présentés au tribunal. L'un d'eux aurait fui le pays.

Dans son article, Oumaté dénonçait la "mafia des gendarmes de la brigade de
Fotokol" qui, sous le prétexte de la lutte contre les "coupeurs de route",
sévit dans cette région et détrousse les citoyens. Après la publicaton de
cet article, une plainte a été déposée par le commandant de brigade de
Fotokol

"L'Oeil du Sahel", hebdomadaire régional lancé en 1998 à Maroua, est l'un
des rares journaux qui paraissent dans cette région.

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 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 - CAMEROON

2 May 2005

Two journalists sentenced to five months in prison

SOURCE: Reporters sans frontières (RSF), Paris

(RSF/IFEX) - On 26 April 2005, a court sentenced two journalists from the
regional weekly "L'Oeil du Sahel" to five months in prison with no parole
and a fine of five million CFA francs (approx. US$9,800; 7,600 euros) for
defamation.

RSF expressed concern over the continuing practice of jailing journalists in
Cameroon for press offences. "Exposing serious abuses in an article does not
constitute a crime, even in Cameroon," the organisation said.

Guibaï Gatama, the editor of "L'Oeil du Sahel", and his colleague Abdoulaye
Oumaté were sentenced in absentia by a court in Maroua on 26 April. They had
exposed "abuses and extortion practised on the people by the security
forces" in an article that appeared in January, entitled, "Fotokol: the
Gendarmes Block the Road". Neither journalist attended the hearing, for fear
of arrest, and one of them is believed to have fled the country.

In his article, Oumaté condemned "the mafia gendarmes of the Fotokol brigade
who, on the pretext of fighting 'road block gangs', roam the region robbing
citizens." A defamation complaint was subsequently filed by the captain of
the brigade.

RSF also regretted that the court administration was not doing more to
recover the court file, which mysteriously disappeared from the court
clerk's office, preventing the journalists from filing an appeal.

"L'Oeil du Sahel", a regional weekly that was launched in Maroua in 1998, is
one of the few newspapers to appear in the region.

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 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
489 College Street, Toronto (ON) M6G 1A5 CANADA
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/

Southern Africa: MISA releases annual state of media freedom and freedom of expression report

2005-05-02

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/media/27943

The Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) will again this year be releasing its annual publication, "So This Is Democracy?: State of media freedom in Southern Africa" in commemoration of World Press Freedom Day on May 3. This is the eleventh consecutive year in which MISA has issued this publication which records incidents of media freedom violations monitored by MISA in the previous year. The current edition therefore details media freedom violations in 2004. MISA issued 169 alerts in 2004 about media freedom and freedom of expression violations in 11 countries in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region. This is a decrease of 10% over the 188 alerts recorded the previous year in 2003, and a 100% increase over the 84 alerts issued in 1994, when MISA first began monitoring media freedom and freedom violations in the sub-continent.
IFEX - News from the international freedom of expression community
_________________________________________________________________

PRESS RELEASE - SOUTHERN AFRICA

2 May 2005

MISA releases annual state of media freedom and freedom of expression report

SOURCE: Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA), Windhoek

(MISA/IFEX) - The following is a 27 April 2005 MISA press release:

Release of MISA's annual publication, "So This Is Democracy?: State of
media freedom in Southern Africa"

The Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) will again this year be
releasing its annual publication, "So This Is Democracy?: State of media
freedom in Southern Africa" in commemoration of World Press Freedom Day on
May 3. This is the eleventh consecutive year in which MISA has issued this
publication which records incidents of media freedom violations monitored
by MISA in the previous year. The current edition therefore details media
freedom violations in 2004.

MISA issued 169 alerts in 2004 about media freedom and freedom of
expression violations in 11 countries in the Southern African Development
Community (SADC) region. This is a decrease of 10% over the 188 alerts
recorded the previous year in 2003, and a 100% increase over the 84 alerts
issued in 1994, when MISA first began monitoring media freedom and freedom
violations in the sub-continent.

The countries monitored include Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi,
Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia and
Zimbabwe.

In 2002 Zimbabwe accounted for 120 (58%) of the 208 alerts recorded in
that year. The following year, in 2003, Zimbabwe accounted for 102 (54%)
of the 188 alerts recorded. Although Zimbabwe continues to lead in terms
of the number of individual violations recorded, MISA documented a 54%
decrease in the number of violations from the previous year (from 102 in
2003, to 47 in 2004) in Zimbabwe.

MISA's Regional Programme Specialist for Media Freedom Monitoring, Ms. Zoé
Titus, attributes this vast difference to the fact that the independent
media in Zimbabwe has been effectively silenced with the vigorous
application of the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act
(AIPPA) and the Public Order and Security Act (POSA).

"The closure of the Daily News and Daily News on Sunday in September 2003
and that of the Tribune in 2004, have impacted decisively on critical and
independent reporting", she says.

In addition, she adds that AIPPA's brutal 'licencing and accreditation'
provisions . . . "so diligently imposed by the Media and Information
Commission (MIC) in Zimbabwe" have disqualified from the work place a
multitude of journalists.

"Who then is left to harass? Those few independent voices left in the
country have certainly experienced their share of harassment in the year
under review," she says.

Whilst Zimbabwe recorded a decrease, Swaziland on the other hand, showed a
significant increase in the number of violations recorded in 2004, in fact
a total of 29 individual incidences, as opposed to the official 3 recorded
in the previous year.

"In an environment where citizens have been stripped of their right to
political participation, where all judicial, executive and legislative
powers are concentrated in the person of the king and where the entire
Bill of Rights has been expunged (which enumerated the protections and
entitlement of citizens), how can the media possibly report freely?" she
questions.

She cautions, however, that in those countries where the media freedom
situation has not overtly deteriorated, there remains a need for media law
reform as the environment is still littered with legal hurdles that stifle
media freedom. The media in Lesotho and Swaziland especially are
economically crippled as a result of an increase of civil defamation cases
which result in high financial penalties being awarded to successful
litigants.

But good laws in themselves do not ensure an improved environment for
media freedom. In Zambia, the benefits of the enactment of the Independent
Broadcasting Authority (IBA) and Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation
(ZNBC) acts have not yet filtered down to the populace. A coalition of
media bodies therefore are challenging the legality of the government's
decision not to take all the recommended names appointed to sit on the IBA
and ZNBC boards to parliament for ratification.

A Gender Perspective

A new feature of the publication is a regional gender and media overview
of the SADC region. MISA's Programme Specialist for Media Support, Ms.
Jennifer Mufune, points out that gender in the media is all about
professional standards, ethics and about giving a fair voice.

In her opinion the media in SADC has failed dismally to live up to its
public-responsive and social role that is meant to keep a watchful eye on
all infringements of rights against both women and men. Instead the media
in SADC have become mouth pieces for men in the ruling elite, she says.

For the second time this year MISA is including a gender component in
terms of which media violations are broken down to show how many men and
women were affected by violations of their media rights. In 2004, 6 female
and 104 male practitioners were affected.

How to obtain a copy

Hard copies of the publication may be ordered from MISA's Regional
Secretariat. Contact Eric Libongani at resource@misa.org or
libongani@misa.org for details. The publication may also be downloaded
from MISA's website at http://www.misa.org/sothisisdemocracy.html

For further information, contact Luckson Chipare, Regional Director of
MISA, or Zoé Titus, Programme Manager, Media Freedom Monitoring, MISA,
Private Bag 13386 Windhoek, Namibia, tel: +264 61 232 975, fax: +264 61
248 016, e-mail: director@misa.org, research@misa.org, Internet:
http://www.misa.org

The information contained in this press release is the sole responsibility
of MISA. In citing this material for broadcast or publication, please
credit MISA.
_________________________________________________________________
DISTRIBUTED BY THE INTERNATIONAL FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION
EXCHANGE (IFEX) CLEARING HOUSE
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Togo: Journalist beaten, radio station ransacked

2005-05-02

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/media/27942

Telephone, Internet and fax communications in Togo have become increasingly difficult since 22 April 2005, making it virtually impossible for local and international media to work effectively. Jacques Djakouti, president of the Union of Free Radio and Television Stations (URATEL), told Reporters sans frontières (RSF) that telecommunications had been virtually blocked in the country since the 24 April presidential election.
IFEX - Nouvelles de la communauté internationale de défense de la liberté
d'expression
_________________________________________________________________

ALERTE - TOGO

Le 2 mai 2005

Un journaliste agressé, une radio saccagée, des communications extrêmement
difficiles : RSF s'inquiète et appelle la CEDEAO à intervenir

SOURCE: Reporters sans frontières (RSF), Paris

(RSF/IFEX) - "Alors que la tension politique est extrême, nous espérons
sincèrement que les brouillages dont sont victimes les principaux opérateurs
téléphoniques togolais depuis le 22 avril 2005 ne sont pas intentionnels.
Par ailleurs, nous demandons officiellement à la Communauté économique des
Etats d'Afrique de l'Ouest (CEDEAO), qui a supervisé l'élection, de
condamner l'agression du journaliste français de la radio Rd'Autan, et le
saccage de la radio La paix", a déclaré RSF.

L'organisation réitère également son appel au calme et demande aux
différents partis politiques d'apaiser les tensions, afin que les
journalistes ne soient plus victimes de violences.

Les communications téléphoniques, Internet et fax ont été rendues
extrêmement difficiles depuis le 22 avril, empêchant les rédactions
nationales et étrangères de travailler normalement. Contacté par RSF,
Jacques Djakouti, le président de l'Union des radios et télévisions libres
du Togo (URATEL), a confirmé que les communications étaient quasiment
impossibles depuis le jour du scrutin.

Thierry Tchukriel, journaliste de la radio associative Rd'Autan, a été passé
à tabac dans la nuit du 24 avril, après avoir été appréhendé par la police
togolaise. Ses papiers y compris sa carte de presse lui ont été confisqués.
Le consul de France au Togo a précisé qu'un médecin de l'ambassade l'avait
ausculté et constaté ses blessures. Le journaliste, très choqué, a été
tabassé au cou et à la tête par quatre militaires, alors qu'il couvrait le
dépouillement des bulletins dans un bureau de vote proche du grand marché de
Lomé. "Dès le début du dépouillement, la tension est montée et la situation
a vite dégénéré. Thierry Tchukriel a été frappé à la tête et jeté par terre,
on lui a ensuite arraché sa ceinture. Son passeport, sa carte de presse et
son appareil photo lui ont été confisqués. Soucieux de porter plainte, il
s'est rendu au consulat qui n'aurait pas réussi à trouver un commissaire", a
déclaré René Pagès, président du conseil d'administration de la radio
Rd'Autan. Le journaliste s'était rendu à Lomé le 19 avril, pour couvrir
l'élection présidentielle.

Au lendemain du vote, la radio La Paix, proche du pouvoir et créée en 2002,
a fait les frais de la situation très tendue qui régnait dans les rues
d'Atakpamé (centre du Togo), où des heurts opposaient les forces de sécurité
à des jeunes manifestants proche de l'opposition. La radio a été entièrement
saccagée et brûlée le 25 avril.

Enfin, la radio Kanal FM a été fermée le 20 avril, et ce pour un mois, par
la Haute Autorité de l'audiovisuel et de la communication (HAAC), suite à un
éditorial très critique envers le Rassemblement du peuple togolais (RPT),
parti au pouvoir (consulter l'alerte de l'IFEX du 25 avril 2005).

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 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/
_______________________________________________________________
IFEX - News from the international freedom of expression community
_________________________________________________________________

ALERT - TOGO

2 May 2005

Journalist beaten, radio station ransacked, telecommunications increasingly
blocked

SOURCE: Reporters sans frontières (RSF), Paris

(RSF/IFEX) - Telephone, Internet and fax communications in Togo have become
increasingly difficult since 22 April 2005, making it virtually impossible
for local and international media to work effectively. Jacques Djakouti,
president of the Union of Free Radio and Television Stations (URATEL), told
RSF that telecommunications had been virtually blocked in the country since
the 24 April presidential election.

On the night of 24 April, Thierry Tchukriel, a journalist with Rd'Autan
radio station, was detained and beaten up by Tongolese soldiers. His
identity papers, including his press card, were also confiscated. The French
consul in Togo said an embassy doctor had examined the journalist and seen
his injuries. Tchukriel was badly shaken after being beaten on the neck and
head by four soldiers as he covered the vote-counting at an election office
near the Lomé market.

According to Rd'Autan Radio Board Chair René Pagès, "Tensions rose from the
moment the vote-counting got underway and the situation rapidly
deteriorated. Thierry Tchukriel was struck on the head and thrown to the
ground. His belt was taken. His passport, press card and camera were
confiscated. Wishing to file a complaint, he went to the [French] consulate,
but officials were unable to locate a police commissioner." Tchukriel had
gone to Lomé on 19 April to cover the presidential election.

In another incident, on 25 April, La Paix radio station was ransacked and
burned to the ground in Atakpamé, central Togo. The station, launched in
2002, supported the government. It became the latest victim of the tense
post-electoral climate in Atakpamé, where police clashed with young
anti-government demonstrators.

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 is the sole responsibility of RSF.
In citing this material for broadcast or publication, please credit RSF.
_________________________________________________________________
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Internet site: http://www.ifex.org/

West Africa: Press Freedom Day celebrated in region noted for press curbs

2005-05-03

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=46918

While press curbs and censorship still occur across West Africa, UNESCO this year has chosen to celebrate World Press Freedom day on Wednesday in the Senegalese capital, Dakar. "We wanted to compliment Senegal for its achievements in respecting press freedom and democracy," Morgens Schmidt, an official of the UN Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation, told IRIN.

Zimbabwe: IPI names SW Radio Africa "Free Media Pioneer 2005"

2005-05-05

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/media/27940

The International Press Institute (IPI) has announced its decision to honour SW Radio Africa with its 2005 Free Media Pioneer Award. Gerry Jackson, founder and station manager of SW Radio Africa, will receive the prize at an award ceremony on 24 May, during the forthcoming IPI World Congress in Nairobi, Kenya (21-24 May). In Zimbabwe, where President Robert Mugabe's autocratic regime controls both radio and television, and the only independent daily newspaper, the Daily News, has been shut down, the shortwave radio station SW Radio Africa remains a rare independent voice.
PRESS RELEASE - INTERNATIONAL

28 April 2005

IPI names SW Radio Africa "Free Media Pioneer 2005"

SOURCE: International Press Institute (IPI), Vienna

(IPI/IFEX) - The following is a 27 April 2005 IPI press release:

Vienna, 27 April 2005

IPI Names SW Radio Africa "Free Media Pioneer 2005"

The International Press Institute (IPI) has announced its decision to honour SW Radio Africa with its 2005 Free Media Pioneer Award. Gerry Jackson, founder and station manager of SW Radio Africa, will receive the prize at an award ceremony on 24 May, during the forthcoming IPI World Congress in Nairobi, Kenya (21-24 May).

In Zimbabwe, where President Robert Mugabe's autocratic regime controls both radio and television, and the only independent daily newspaper, the Daily News, has been shut down, the shortwave radio station SW Radio Africa remains a rare independent voice.

Launched in December 2001, SW Radio Africa broadcasts not from Zimbabwe, but from a studio in northwest London and is run by a group of exiled reporters and DJs. The station's founder, Gerry Jackson, a veteran of 25 years broadcasting experience in Africa, was fired from the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) music station, Radio 3, for "insubordination" after airing live telephone calls from people on the scene during food riots in Harare in 1997.

In 2000, Jackson fought and won a legal battle in the Zimbabwean Supreme Court to set up the country's first independent radio station, Capital FM. After only six days, it was raided by armed police officers, who confiscated broadcasting equipment, and used a presidential decree to shut down the station.

Jackson went into hiding and - with presidential elections set for March 2002 - decided to broadcast from outside Zimbabwe, setting up a new radio station in London, where half a million Zimbabwean exiles live. Featuring a successful mix of music, news and interviews, SW Radio Africa's main aim is to give a "voice to the voiceless" by fostering a dialogue with its Zimbabwean audience, who call in - often at great risk - to air their opinions and give first-hand accounts of the deteriorating situation in the country.

In the run-up to the March 2005 parliamentary elections, the government of Zimbabwe mounted a concerted campaign to prevent SW Radio Africa from being heard in the country, jamming their signals on several frequencies. The government campaign against the station continued unabated after the elections, which were widely condemned as fraudulent, with continued deliberate jamming of its broadcasts and plans to launch a new 24-hour shortwave radio station to counter SW Radio Africa's "negative propaganda."

The annual Free Media Pioneer Award was established by IPI, the global network of editors, media executives and leading journalists, in 1996 to honour individuals or organisations that have fought against great odds to ensure freer and more independent media in their country or region. The Award is co-sponsored by the U.S.-based Freedom Forum, a non-partisan, international foundation dedicated to free press and free speech.

Previous winners of the Free Media Pioneer Award are CASCFEN - Central Asia and Southern Caucasian Freedom of Expression Network (2004); the Media Council of Tanzania (2003); the independent daily newspaper Danas, Serbia (2002); the independent on-line newspaper Malaysiakini.com (2001); IPYS - Press and Society Institute, Peru (2000); EFJA - Ethiopian Free Press Journalists' Association (1999); Radio B-92, Yugoslavia (1998); AJI - Alliance of Independent Journalists, Indonesia (1997); and NTV, Russia (1996).

For more information about the IPI Free Media Pioneer Award, as well as the IPI World Congress (hotel booking deadlines have been extended until 1 May), please visit the IPI Websites: http://www.freemedia.at and http://www.ipikenya.com or telephone IPI at: +43 1 512 90 11

For further information, contact IPI at Spiegelgasse 2/29, A-1010 Vienna, Austria, tel: +43 1 512 90 11, fax: +43 1 512 90 14, e-mail: Michael Kudlak at mkudlak@freemedia.at, Diana Orlova at info@freemedia.at, or David Dadge at ddadge@freemedia.at, Internet site: http://www.freemedia.at

The information contained in this press release is the sole responsibility of IPI. In citing this material for broadcast or publication, please credit IPI.
_________________________________________________________________
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EXCHANGE (IFEX) CLEARING HOUSE
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Internet site: http://www.ifex.org/

Côte d’Ivoire: More UN troops urgently needed says rights group

2005-05-03

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=46927

With 24 hours to go before the UN Security Council meets to discuss peacekeeping needs in Cote d'Ivoire, a human rights group said that more troops needed to be urgently sent into the divided country, which is shuffling along the path to peace. In a report published on Tuesday, Human Rights Watch called for an immediate reinforcement of the UN mission in Cote d'Ivoire (ONUCI), warning that if the fragile peace process breaks down, "attacks against civilians could set off a sudden spiral of human rights abuses that would be difficult to control".

DRC: 12 000 militiamen disarmed

2005-05-04

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=14177&Cr=democratic&Cr1=congo

With the number of former combatants taking part in disarmament programmes almost doubling in the past few weeks, nearly 12,000 ex-fighters have disarmed and the Democratic Republic of the Congo's (DRC) first national brigade incorporating former militiamen has been deployed, an official from the United Nations peacekeeping department said. The more than 11,500 combatants who entered the disarmament and re-integration programme included 3,600 children, François Dureau, chief of the Situation Centre in the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations said.

Nigeria: Oil giant admits aid policies helped fuel violence

2005-05-04

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=46948

Oil giant ChevronTexaco is to rethink its community aid strategies after acknowledging that some of the policies implemented by its Nigerian subsidiary in the oil-rich Niger Delta have contributed in fuelling violence in the region. ChevronTexaco said in a statement on Tuesday that its system of investment in community development in the region that produces most of Nigeria’s oil, has been “inadequate, expensive and divisive,” and would be revamped.

Somalia: Explosion highlights security concerns

2005-05-05

http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/VBOL-6C3DAA?OpenDocument

A blast that killed at least 15 people in a Mogadishu stadium during a speech by Somalia's transitional premier has raised concern even higher over the viability of ambitious peace and reconciliation plans for the war-shattered nation, analysts said Wednesday.

Sudan: African NGOs Support the ICC Prosecution of Darfur Crimes

2005-05-05

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/conflict/27954

Included through the link below are two resolutions adopted by over 60 African NGOs in which they supported the ICC prosecution of persons accused of committing or supporting the commission of crimes in Darfur. The second resolution addressed the growing trend among some African states to use militia groups to fight proxy wars on their behalf. The Resolutions were adopted within the framework of the 37th Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights which is currently taking place in Banjul, The Gambia.
Resolution on the Situation in Darfur


The Forum on the participation of NGOs in the 37th Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, Banjul, The Gambia, 24th – 26th April, 2005:

Considering the provisions of the Constitutive Act of the African Union (AU), the Charter of the United Nations Organisation (UN) as well as those of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and other regional and international human rights instruments to which the Sudan is a state party and that as a state party the Sudan is morally and legally bound to fully and effectively implement the provisions of these instruments and respect and promote the human rights and fundamental freedoms set therein without discrimination on any ground;

Recalling relevant Decisions and Communiqués adopted by the AU Assembly of Heads of State and Government and those of the Peace and Security Council on the situation in Darfur notably
Decisions AU/Dec.54(III) and Assembly/AU/Dec.68 (IV) adopted at the 3rd and 4th Ordinary Sessions of the AU Assembly of Heads of State and Government respectively as well as Communiqués PSC/PR/Comm.(XIII) and PSC/PR/Comm.(XVII) adopted by the AU Peace and Security Council at their 13th Meeting and 17th Meeting respectively,

Welcoming Resolutions 1556/2004 of 30 July 2004 and 1590/2005, 1591/2005 and 1593/2005 adopted by the UN Security Council on the situation in Sudan and Darfur in March 2005.

Recalling also the Resolution of 4th June 2004 adopted by the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights at its 35th Ordinary Session on the situation in the Darfur region of Sudan as well as Resolution E/CN.4/2005/L.36/Rev.3 adopted by the UN Commission on Human Rights on 21st April 2005 on the situation of human rights in Sudan.

Deeply concerned at the continuing grave violations of human rights and international humanitarian law in Darfur as documented by the International Commission of Inquiry on Darfur in its report of 25th January 2005 submitted to the UN Secretary General and Security Council, which concluded that the crimes committed in Darfur are “… no less serious and heinous than genocide…”

1. We call on the government of Sudan to:

1. Comply with its obligations under the AU Constitutive Act, the UN Charter, the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and other relevant instruments to which the Sudan is a state party, and in particular comply with the following:
2. Stop, with immediate effect, all attacks against civilians in Darfur and ends the grave violations of human and peoples’ rights in particular the forced de-population of entire areas in the region, rape and sexual violence against women and girls, abduction of women and children, and to cease all support, including the provision of supplies, to the Janjaweed militiamen.
3. Provide the necessary support to all international agencies and humanitarian organisations in order to ensure immediate, full, safe and unhindered access to the war affected areas of Darfur and to facilitate delivery of humanitarian assistance to civilian populations.
4. Fully and unconditionally cooperates with the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court in his efforts to investigate and bring to justice all persons suspected of perpetrating war crimes and crimes against humanity as prescribed in the report of the International Commission of Inquiry on Darfur.


2. We call on the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights to:

1. Make public the report on its mission to the Darfur region, which was carried out in July 2004, without any further delay and ask the government of Sudan to implement the recommendations contained therein.

3. We call on the international community to:

1. Continue supporting the AU in its efforts to help end the crisis in Darfur including by providing all equipment, logistical, financial, material, and other resources necessary to support the rapid expansion of the AU Mission in the region.
2. Take all the appropriate measures to ensure that the government of Sudan complies with the provisions of UN Security Council Resolutions 1556/2004 of 30 July 2004 and 1590/2005, 1591/2005 and 1593/2005 adopted on 29th and 31st March 2005 respectively.

Done at Banjul, The Gambia, on 26th April 2005

Resolution on Armed Militia Groups in Africa

The Forum on the participation of NGOs in the 37th Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, Banjul, The Gambia, 24th – 26th April 2005:

Considering the provisions of the Constitutive Act of the African Union (AU), the Charter of the United Nations Organisation as well as those of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, the Protocol on the Rights of Women in Africa, the Protocol Establishing the AU Peace and Security Council, and other regional and international human rights instruments and humanitarian law;

Recalling Communiqué PSC/AHG/Comm. (XXIII adopted by the AU Peace and Security Council (PSC), meeting at its 23rd meeting, at the level of Heads of State and Government, on 10 January 2005, in Libreville, Gabon;
Recalling also the Resolution on the Promotion and Respect of International Humanitarian Law and Human and Peoples’ Rights adopted by the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights at its 14th Ordinary Session, December, 1993 in which the Commission invited all African States Parties to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights to adopt appropriate measures at the national level to ensure the promotion of the provisions of international humanitarian law and human and peoples’ rights;
Stressing that maintaining peace and preserving territorial integrity is the prime responsibility of the State and that there is a need for specific instruction of military personnel and the training of the forces of law and order in international humanitarian law and human and peoples’ rights respectively;
Deeply concerned by the growing trend among some States to permit undisciplined militia groups to fight proxy wars on their behalf and that such groups commit heinous crimes abhorrent to all cannons of civilized life targeting defenceless civilian populations in particular women and children;
We call on the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights to:
1. Condemn in the strongest possible terms the violence and destruction of life and livelihood committed by armed militia groups against civilian populations and the increasing trend among some African States to use militia groups to fight proxy wars on their behalf.
2. Pronounce itself on this dangerous phenomenon and advise African Heads of State and Government on the importance of taking the necessary steps including the adoption of a binding instrument to incriminate this practice and halt the impunity with which these groups commit crimes.
3. Initiate a study on the negative impact of armed militia groups on the safety and security of person in Africa, as well as the dangers they pose to national and regional peace and stability.
Done at Banjul, 26th April 2005

Sudan: AU to double peacekeeping force in Darfur

2005-05-05

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=46867

The African Union (AU) agreed last Thursday to substantially increase the size of its peacekeeping force in the troubled western Sudanese region of Darfur, officials said. AU Peace and Security Commissioner Said Djinnit told journalists after a meeting of the pan-African body's peace and security council in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, that the enhanced force would be in place by the end of September.

AfrISPA aims for intra-country connectivity

2005-05-02

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/internet/27928

Two companies have been selected by the African ISP association, AfrISPA, in response to its request for service for data transport between the different ISP members of local Internet Exchange Points. AfrISPA wants to establish true inter-country connectivity within the African continent, to remove the current dependence upon overseas carriers and to promote the establishment and growth of African regional data carriers. The establishment of a network of Internet Exchange Points (IXPs) within Africa would also result in reduced costs, improved speeds and the improvement of the Internet backbone within Africa as a whole.


Press release: 29 April 2005

Africa Online and Transtel welcomed as Regional Carriers by AfrISPA

Two companies have been selected by the African ISP association, AfrISPA, in response to its Request for Service for data transport between the different ISP members of local Internet Exchange Points. Transtel, a division of Transnet Limited and Africa Online/SkyVision are the two bidders that successfully met the Request For Service (RFS) criteria to provide an African Regional Internet Traffic solution. The peering point design can be extended to allow additional Internet Exchanges to join the network with ease at any time in the future.

AfrISPA wants to establish true inter-country connectivity within the African continent, to remove the current dependence upon overseas carriers and to promote the establishment and growth of African regional data carriers. The establishment of a network of Internet Exchange Points (IXPs) within Africa would also result in reduced costs, improved speeds and the improvement of the Internet backbone within Africa as a whole.

Africa Online is a Pan-African ISP with operations on the ground in eight countries: Kenya , Tanzania, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Namibia, Swaziland and Cote d'Ivoire. It is also a partner in a joint venture company with UUNET and, through this, is also able to directly cover Zambia. Africa Online works with Affiliates in those countries where it does not have a physical presence. With a Staff complement of over 300 full-time professionals, it has built up expertise and experience for the delivery of IP solutions throughout Africa.

Africa Online will offer a fully meshed network, which uses proven and reliable VSAT technology to provide point-to-point connectivity between IXPs. This solution is cost effective and ensures that latency will be maintained at low levels between any two countries. By utilising existing terrestrial links between certain countries (e.g. Kenya and Tanzania) it will be possible to create regional hubs whose component countries can share one VSAT link and hence reduce installation costs even further. Existing terrestrial links (where available) will also be used as a back-up solution to the VSAT link.

Africa Online is partnering with Sky Vision to deliver this project. SkyVision is a provider of turnkey Internet services over satellite, specialising in Internet backbone connectivity service. Acting as an international “ISP of ISPs” for large as well as smaller ISPs and carriers, SkyVision deploys its extensive IP network for the delivery of premium quality services within its geographic reach of over 120 countries.


Transtel serves the global telecommunications needs of the Transnet group, while providing a variety of telecommunications services to corporate clients throughout Africa. Today, Transtel is one of the largest private telecommunication network operators in the southern hemisphere and is currently a significant stakeholder in the South African Second Network Operator (SNO). It has developed a sophisticated network infrastructure and some unique telecommunications solutions to support the South African transport industry and other major corporate users. Transtel has been operating a Satellite Network Division since 1994 and has customers in 18 countries.

Transtel’s ability to deliver complete integrated network solutions makes the company a powerful operator. The primary supplier for the satellite communication equipment is ViaSat; a company based in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Transtel designed the proposed network for operation in the C-band frequency range and uses satellite components designed and manufactured by ViaSat. The allocated bandwidth can be set on a per site basis, depending on the traffic requirement. The system is designed for easy upgrade of the services from the Network Operation Centre (NOC), located at the Transtel’s Satellite network premises in South Africa. Transtel can optimally connect to Internet carriers from Europe or at the South African node should any of the ISPs require international bandwidth via this system.


About AfrISPA
AfrISPA is a continental association of ISP associations. AfrISPA’s objectives include promoting the development of key Internet infrastructure on the African continent. Contact details: - Brian Longwe, General Manager, Brian@pure-id.com +254733518744 - William Stucke, Chairman, William@zanet.co.za +27 11 465 0700.
AfrISPA gratefully acknowledges funding support from the IDRC www.idrc.ca

Contact Africa Online
Paul Sourabh: Corporate Head of Sales and Marketing, paul.sourabh@africaonline.co.ke, +254 722 701275

Contact Transtel
Declan McEneaney: New Business Development Manager, declanm@transtel.co.za
+27 82 326 3345 or +27 11 359 1800

eContent Development start-up training kit available

2005-05-05

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/internet/27933

UNESCO, through its agency for Science and Technology, The African Network for Scientific and Technological Institutions (ANSTI) is announcing the availability of a self-learning course on how to develop e-content. The course entitled "How to develop electronic Content" version 1.2.1 is a valuable resource for any individual, department or university (or organization) that wishes to develop e-content to complement existing instructional techniques such as face-to-face.
eContent Development Training – Availability of Start-up Kit

UNESCO, through its agency for Science and Technology, The African Network
for Scientific and Technological Institutions (ANSTI) is announcing the
availability of a self-learning course on how to develop e-content. The
course entitled “How to develop electronic Content” version 1.2.1 is a
valuable resource for any individual, department or university (or
organization) that wishes to develop e-content to complement existing
instructional techniques such as face-to-face.

The course is distributed on CD and it comprises three modules namely,
Introduction to the process of e-content development, The tools for
e-content development and an Introduction to E-learning platforms.
The CD is interactive in design and presents content in text narrative,
examples, graphics and images, audio and video modes. It has used the
concept of Objectives to drive and derive the learning experiences. At the
end of each unit, there is a self-evaluation quiz with instant feedback of
outcome.

The next version of this CD will be out shortly. A French version
equivalent is also underway. For further information, please contact the
ANSTI secretariat at info@ansti.org

ANSTI/UNESCO Secretariat,
P. O. BOX 30592, Nairobi, KENYA
Tel: - +254 2 622619/20, 622725, 622716
Fax: - +254 2 622538, 622750
Email: - info@ansti.org, joseph.massaquoi@unesco.unon.org,
j.massaquoi@unesco.org, m.matemu@unesco.org, mary.matemu@ansti.org

Rwanda: Empowering Rwandan Women through ICT

2005-05-05

http://www.wougnet.org/Links/business.html#ERW

UNDP and UNIFEM have begun working together in Rwanda to open up access to ICTs for women and girls, and to empower them through the use of ICTs, to improve their social and economic rights and build a more secure economic
future for themselves and their families. As the first pilot project of the Digital Diaspora initiative, the Rwanda project is using the technical and market knowledge of Africans in the Diaspora to build the capacity of women’s business-oriented organisations to use ICTs to promote business linkages and influence policy-making, in order to situate women’s issues and concerns at the centre of efforts to reduce poverty.

Symposium on ICTs for development

2005-05-05

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/internet/28009

Students, researchers, professors and leaders of community projects, representatives from government agencies and the private sector will gather in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo, from May 16 until May 18, 2005 for a symposium on the theme of linking research on information and communication technologies (ICT's) to development.
Symposium:
Link Research on Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) to Development


Students, researchers, professors and leaders of community projects, representatives from government agencies and the private sector will gather in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo, from May 16 until May 18, 2005 for a symposium on the theme of linking research on information and communication technologies (ICT's) to development.


The conference will analyze:
* The current barriers and challenges to the increase of research on ICT's in universities and high schools;
* The impact of research on ICT's on the development of communities;
* The role of research on ICT's in the Information Society.


Dates: May 16-18, 2005


Work language: French


Location: Amphitheater "Le Phénotype" of the Faculty of Sciences, University Marien Ngouabi of Brazzaville, behind the University Hospital Center (CHU) of Brazzaville, Quartier OCH - Republic of Congo.

More information on http://www.azurdev.org/fr/symposium/

Contact:
Victorine Diaboungana
AZUR Développement
15 avenue de la base, quartier la Frontière
BP 13031 Brazzaville, République du Congo
Tel:00242 656 61 89
Email: symposium@azurdev.org
http://www.azurdev.org/fr/symposium/

Time to go FOSS in Namibia

2005-05-05

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

SchoolNet Namibia http://www.schoolnet.na is taking a bold new step to entice teachers and students into the world of Free and Open Source Software (FOSS). SchoolNet has teamed up with Direq International http://www.direq.org, Strika Entertainment http://strika.com and The Namibian Youth Paper http://www.namibian.com.na to produce and distribute Hai Ti!, a comic strip that spreads the word about the ways that computers, FOSS and the internet can transform learners' and teachers' lives.

World Telecommunications Day Symposium, May 17, 2005

2005-05-05

http://www.wougnet.org/WSIS/ug/ugandawsis.html#WTD05

On World Telecommunications Day, May 17, 2005, Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) in partnership with the Ministry of Works, Housing and Communications (MoWHC) and WOUGNET will host a symposium under the theme "Creating an equitable Information Society: Time for Action ". The objectives of the symposium are to: 1) Raise awareness of the WSIS process and consider ways to incorporate the targets for universal access as outlined in the WSIS Action Plan; 2) Raise awareness of the state of telecommunications in Uganda and assess the problems that stand in the way of achieving the connectivity goals set out in the WSIS Action Plan; 3) Promote awareness of ICTs as a tool for economic and social development.

2005 E-Discussion Review on Poverty Reduction Strategies

2005-05-05

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/enewsl/27958

This e-discussion is aimed at soliciting views of stakeholders on progress in implementing the Poverty Reduction Strategies Paper (PRSP) approach. The e-discussion, which will be moderated, will be held over two weeks, beginning May 2nd. Lessons, good practice, and recommendations which emerge from the discussion will be considered by World Bank and IMF staff when preparing the 2005 PRSP Review. Please sign up using the following link: http://www.dgroups.org/groups/worldbank/PRSP2005/

Multipolar pressures on universities: Call for proposals

2005-05-02

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/fundraising/27938

As spaces of production, diffusion and legitimation of knowledge, universities around the world have for more than a decade, logically found themselves at the heart of the debate on the knowledge society, and of the wave of reforms it stirred up. The Cahiers de la Recherche sur l'Éducation et les Savoirs wishes to throw a comparative and critical light on the on-going transformations of universities and higher education fields of countries in both the North and the South. The proposed thematic issue will, in particular, seek to understand the impact of the above trends on the structure of national HE systems.
Call for paper proposals

Multipolar pressures on universities: local reactions to global policy
trends and rhetoric on university governance, internationalisation and
social inclusion


Guest editors:
Yann Lebeau - Centre for Higher Education Research and Information, The
Open
University (Milton Keynes, UK). y.lebeau@open.ac.uk
<mailto:y.lebeau@open.ac.uk>

Ebrima Sall - Council for the Development of Social Science Research in
Africa (CODESRIA, Dakar). ebrima.sall@codesria.sn
<mailto:ebrima.sall@codesria.sn>


Objective, rationale and scope
As spaces of production, diffusion and legitimation of knowledge,
universities around the world have for more than a decade, logically
found
themselves at the heart of the debate on the knowledge society, and of
the
wave of reforms it stirred up. In the UK, Senegal, France and Russia, the
rhetoric of the knowledge society stimulated a top down reformative
process
of "implicit" and "explicit" functions of universities as institutions
(Castells, 2000). It is worth noting that organisations of international
cooperation and/or regional integration (UN organisations, OECD, EU,
SADEC,
NAFTA....), as well as multilateral and bilateral donors, have all - over
the past ten years - included higher education developments in their
social
inclusion and poverty reduction strategies while, at the same time,
calling
for reforms in public administration and restructuring of national
systems
of education which could undermine the long term ability to innovate of
many
public universities. The restructuring, usually marked in higher
education
by the introduction of business/corporate managerial practices in
university
administration, greater institutional autonomy(but perhaps less academic
freedom), a dissociation of teaching and research functions, an
increasing
modularisation of the curriculum, the privatisation of student services,
and
an internationalisation of higher education through the development of
transnational higher education services, agreements, regulatory
frameworks,
generates nearly everywhere a transformation of higher education
landscapes
which is potentially undermining the quasi-monopoly that universities,
predominantly public institutions, have had in the production and
dispensation of legitimate knowledge. In a number of countries of the
South,
private higher education institutions might actually soon out-number the
public universities. The WTO's attempts to generalise the application of
free trade rules to services such as higher education, is likely to
complicate matters even further.

The consequences of this contradictory process, which has, on the whole,
boosted and widened participation in higher education through the
diversification/stratification of « HE systems » (while in many
instances,
posing serious questions as to what the very concept and mission of a
university are) vary considerably from one institutional or national
context
to another, according to the history of institutions, the nature and
orientation of the local demand for higher education, and the capacity of
states to control the reforms and the regulation of their HE systems.

The Cahiers de la Recherche sur l'Éducation et les Savoirs wishes to
throw a
comparative and critical light on the on-going transformations of
universities and higher education fields of countries in both the North
and
the South. The proposed thematic issue will, in particular, seek to
understand the impact of the above trends on the structure of national HE
systems (accreditation of new institutions and programmes, etc.), on the
regulation of access to HE programmes, and on curriculum organisation and
content. It will pose the question of, and try to find out, the extent to
which the concept of the university has itself evolved with the processes
referred to above. At a local level, particular attention will be paid to
institutional strategies regarding admission policies, language of
instruction, research policy, international/local partnerships in
teaching
and research, and on their consequences in terms of staff recruitment and
careers, student identities, sociability and level of engagement with
their
studies, social recognition of degrees, etc. It is hoped that
contributors
will critically analyse discourses on higher education reform, as well as
policy responses at various levels.

Submissions of proposals for papers are invited at this time to fit into
the
above sub-themes in order to provide a balanced and worldwide coverage of
the overall theme.

Papers will be based on empirical work undertaken by the authors, and
will
seek to contextualise observed phenomena of anticipation or reaction to
the
above trends from higher education systems, institutions and
constituencies,
or stakeholders.

Timelines
Paper proposals must be received by the Guest Editors by June 30, 2005 at
the latest.
The Guest Editors will review the proposals, and select a number for full
paper submission. The full papers will be requested for submission by the
end of November 2005.
The full papers will then be subject to a Peer Review process in
accordance
with the CRES procedures. Each paper will be reviewed by at least two
external reviewers, and the Guest Editors. It is hoped to have the peer
review and final revisions process completed by the end of February 2005.
The anticipated date of publication is September 2006.

Third Millennium Foundation (TMF) foreign guest programme

2005-05-02

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/fundraising/27935

Third Millennium Foundation (TMF) is committed to supporting a vibrant international network of people and organizations that champion exemplary tolerance education and human rights work, especially for young people and their families. To this end, we have launched the International Center for Tolerance Education (ICTE) at 25 Washington Street in DUMBO Brooklyn. ICTE facilitates conferences, houses a scholars' retreat program and incubates young leaders. (Please see our attached programs description.) We are scheduling our foreign guests for 2005 and 2006 and want to identify a range of exciting international scholars, practitioners and public advocates that can truly benefit from this program.
Foreign Guest Program Invitation Letter and Application 2005-2006

Deadline: May 10, 2005


Third Millennium Foundation (TMF) is committed to supporting a vibrant international network of people and organizations that champion exemplary tolerance education and human rights work, especially for young people and their families. To this end, we have launched the International Center for Tolerance Education (ICTE) at 25 Washington Street in DUMBO Brooklyn. ICTE facilitates conferences, houses a scholars' retreat program and incubates young leaders. (Please see our attached programs description.) Currently, TMF is actively seeking proposals in human rights and/or tolerance education for our ICTE Foreign Guest Office Award Program.

We are scheduling our foreign guests for 2005 and 2006 and want to identify a range of exciting international scholars, practitioners and public advocates that can truly benefit from this program. With this in mind, I am reaching out to you as an expert in the international education community in the hope that you can nominate qualified candidates.

The Awardees will receive an ICTE office and accommodation in New York from one to 6 months. Shorter lengths of stay will also be considered as availability allows. A Foreign Guest Office Award includes:
? ICTE guest office within a vibrant community of human rights activists and educators
? Conference and training rooms with Audio/Visual equipment, and
? Networked technology and other office infrastructure.

Just to give you an idea of the range of possibilities, current foreign guests commitments include, South African Early Childhood Tolerance Educator, John Van Zyl, Executive Director of ABC Ulwazi, is the recipient of our first summer Foreign Guest Residency from June – August 2005. In addition, Eisenhower Scholar Datu Ibrahim Paglas, who is from the Philippines, who will be in residence for ten days at the end of April...

The application submission deadline is May 10, 2005. Award notifications will be made by June 1, 2005. If you know of any qualified individuals that would fit TMF's criteria, please let us know who you would like to nominate and encourage him or her to submit a proposal. Our goal is to select a full year of Foreign Guests through this call. Proposals must specify length of stay and include specific dates and/or flexibility in scheduling. I have attached Application Information to share with prospective candidates. If you prefer to send me names and contact info, I can reach out to them directly.

In order to get the best picture of what an ICTE experience can offer or have any other questions, I can be reached at dhortsch@tmf-tolerance.org .

Best,
Diana Hortsch
Program Officer
Director of Human Rights Programs
Third Millennium Foundation


Application Information to apply for a Foreign Guest Office

Application Content:
Please submit a letter that is no more than 5 pages, that addresses the following:
· Clear statement of the objective or purpose of your proposed residency
· Mission compatibility, between your work and TMF.
· A personal statement about the applicant's relevant experience, interest and future aspirations with respect to human rights work and/or tolerance education.
· Requested length of stay, indicate specific dates and/or flexibility in scheduling.
· Identify individuals, organizations and/or conferences in NYC that the applicant would utilize during her/his stay.

Required Attachments:
· Curriculum vitae
· Information on organizational affiliations (as applicable)
· Select support material to convey the nature of the applicant’s work
· Three references (with contact information and relationship)

How to Apply:
Interested candidates should email a proposal letter and required attachments to icte@tmf-tolerance.org

The application submission deadline is May 10, 2005. Applicants may be asked to submit additional materials. Award notifications will be made by June 1, 2005.

Questions? For more information please contact Diana Hortsch at dhortsch@tmf-tolerance.org ..

Where's the money for women's rights work?

2005-05-05

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/fundraising/27936

The Association for Women's Rights in Development (AWID) is sponsoring an action-research project that will explore and analyze key trends in funding for women's rights work over the last 10 years. We will explore the causes and impacts of these trends and use this information to answer a fundamental question: What strategies will mobilize more resources for women's rights in the years to come? A critical part of the research is a brief survey that will help us understand your experiences and the funding trends that have affected your organization. Please take a few minutes before May 13 to complete this survey by going to http://surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=324481014000
Where's the money for women's rights work?

The Association for Women's Rights in Development (AWID) is sponsoring an
action-research project that will explore and analyze key trends in funding
for women's rights work over the last 10 years. We will explore the causes
and impacts of these trends and use this information to answer a
fundamental question: What strategies will mobilize more resources for
women's rights in the years to come?

A critical part of the research is a brief survey that will help us
understand your experiences and the funding trends that have affected your
organization. Please take a few minutes before May 13 to complete this
survey by going to http://surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=324481014000

As an incentive to complete the survey, AWID will randomly select one
survey respondent to receive an economy class round-trip plane ticket to
Bangkok for the AWID 10th International Forum. Just be sure to include
your name and email when prompted at the end of the survey and respond by
the deadline. We'll announce the winner of the free ticket by June 15th.

Only people who receive this invitation are asked to complete the survey,
although you may ask someone else to complete the survey on your behalf.

The final research report will be available at the Forum in October. In
the meantime, if you have any questions, or would like additional
information on this project, please contact Lydia Alpízar at lalpizar@awid.org

Developmental Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation

09 - 13 May 2005, Cape Town, South Africa

2005-05-04

http://www.cdra.org.za/Work%20and%20Services/Courses/Short%20Courses.htm#planing

The course hosted by the Centre for Developmental Practice (CDRA) aims to un-pack pre-conceptions about planning, monitoring and evaluation; to put forward and stimulate the sharing of alternative and appropriate approaches and tools; and to provide guidance in applying these in rigorous, innovative and developmental ways. Through this course participants will explore and develop alternative approaches and methodologies to Logical Frameworks - approaches that enable planning, monitoring and evaluation processes to support rather than obstruct developmental field-practices.

SAHRIT regional interdisciplinary course on children's rights

2005-05-04

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/courses/27986

The Human Rights Trust of Southern Africa (SAHRIT) has been running the Regional Interdisciplinary Course on Children's Rights since year 2002. To date about 60 professionals from the 14 SADC countries working for children, and/or involved with the promotion and protection of the rights of the child have passed through this course. SAHRIT is again offering a regional interdisciplinary short course on child rights from the 22nd of May to the 10th of June 2005.
REGIONAL INTERDISCIPLINARY COURSE ON CHILDREN’S RIGHTS

The Human Rights Trust of Southern Africa (SAHRIT) has been running the Regional Interdisciplinary Course on Children’s Rights since year 2002. To date about 60 professionals from the 14 SADC countries working for children, and/or involved with the promotion and protection of the rights of the child have passed through this course.

The vision of the Human Rights Trust of Southern Africa (SAHRIT) is to create a society in southern Africa that respects human rights. Its mission is to facilitate the development of a society in southern Africa that respects human rights, democracy and good governance. This will be achieved by mainstreaming human rights, democracy and good governance into public and other relevant institutions; through research, advocacy and training and through fostering a culture that promotes and protects human rights through community based initiatives.
Pursuant to its vision and mission, and in order to promote its objectives, SAHRIT is again offering a regional interdisciplinary short course on child rights from the 22nd of May to the 10th of June 2005.
WHO CAN PARTICIPATE
The course is designed for personnel in NGOs, government departments, and civil society organizations working with children, and/or for the promotion and protection of the rights of the child.
COURSE CONTENT
Participants are exposed to theories and views on children’s rights and the course provides extensive information on the background, motivation, strategies and main trends in the field of children’s rights. Course presenters are experts from leading human rights institutions in Africa and other parts of the world.
The topics to be covered include:

• Concepts of human rights
• Main human rights instruments with emphasis on the Convention on the Rights of the Child
• Monitoring and enforcement mechanisms of Children’s Rights under the United Nations system and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child
• Thematic issues on Children’s Rights in particular, HIV and AIDS, gender, child abuse, child soldiers, refugee children etc
• The Role of ICT in Human Rights and/or child rights
• Plan of Action

PLAN OF ACTION
In applying for the course, participants are expected to submit together with their application form a draft Plan of Action (of not more than TEN pages) using the format attached to the brochure or this document. The Plan of Action will further be developed during the course in Harare and implemented by the participant back in his or her country after the course. The Plan of Action exercise is a little project requiring minimal resources that will be carried out by the participant using own resources aimed at giving participants an opportunity to apply the knowledge learnt during the course in a practical manner. Participants are required to choose ONE topic from which to prepare a Plan of Action.



WORKING AND PRESENTATION METHODOLOGIES

Different working and presentation methodologies will be employed during the course depending on the subject. These include lectures, thematic feature films, panel discussions, working groups and workshops, informal sessions for sharing of experiences, getting to know more about each other and each other’s organizations and field visits. Participants will be provided with a reader containing human rights information, text books and handouts.

COURSE FEE
Applicants must be from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region (and currently living within SADC) in order to qualify for the available scholarship covering airfare, food and accommodation and a modest per diem. Non-SADC citizens and SADC citizens currently living outside of SADC are expected to meet their own costs. Participants will have to provide for their additional day-to-day expenses.

WORKING LANGUAGE
The working language will be English. Participants should be proficient in English.


CERTIFICATION
Upon completion of the course and satisfactory participation, each participant will receive a Certificate of participation.

HOW TO APPLY
Selection of participants is highly competitive and only two participants are drawn from each of the SADC states. To apply, please find attached application form.
Enquiries should be directed to: mawanza@sahrit.org.zw OR gweshe@sahrit.org.zw

Deadline
5 May 2005



What past participants say about the Regional Course on child rights:
“The Child rights seminar has in many respects boosted my career prospects”
- Dr. Charles M. Fombad, BOTSWANA
__________________________________________________
“SAHRIT short courses are a give-and-take rendezvous and a mine of information. Enriching, practical and lessons-packed, with experienced participating institutions and lecturers, the courses equipped me with adapted-to-the-situation working tools.” - Claude Kalinga, DRC
________________________________________________
“SAHRIT trained 2 members from the Centre for Legal Assistance (CELA) in Malawi. CELA is involved in legal representation and alternative dispute resolution approaches. The course on Child Rights gave us new strategies, knowledge and expertise in facilitating the release of more than 60 juveniles in Malawi prisons within 4 months. .” - Charles Kasambara, MALAWI
____________________________________________________
“The multidisplinary course on child rights has enabled me and my organization to effectively advocate for children's rights. In Mozambique child participation is predominately characterized by decoration and tokenism. Following the course we have established a child participation mailing list where one of the key issues we are working on is the elaboration of a child policy.
- Nyararai Magudu, MOZAMBIQUE

Second edition of the Southern African Social Forum

2005-05-02

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/courses/27939

Zimbabwe will be hosting the 2nd edition of the Southern Africa Social Forum 2005 in Harare, from 13-15 October 2005. This year’s SASF is expected to bring together thousands of participants from community-based groups, social movements and civil society organizations from SADC under the theme, ‘Popular and Democratic Alternatives to Neo-Liberalism’. The Southern Africa Social Forum is a prelude to the African Social Forum (ASF) and World Social Forum (WSF) that take place annually. The first Southern African Social Forum was successfully held in November 2003 in Lusaka, Zambia. The Social Forum is not an organisation, not a united front platform, but "…an open meeting place for reflective thinking, democratic debate of ideas, formulation of proposals, free exchange of experiences and inter-linking for effective action, by groups and movements of civil society that are opposed to neo-liberalism and to domination of the world by capital and any form of imperialism, and are committed to building a society centred on the human person". (From the WSF Charter of Principles). Forward all enquiries to Tafadzwa R. Muropa on E-mails: zimsocialforum@zimcodd.co.zw and zimcodd@zimcodd.co.zw Or phone the Zimbabwe Social Forum Secretariat at ZIMCODD on telephone numbers t263-04-776830/31

Workshop on 'Women, Rural Radios and New Information and Communication Technologies'

Thies, Senegal, 30 March - 1 April, 2005

2005-04-01

http://www.fao.org/Dimitra/new_index.jsp

Enda-Pronat together with the National Network of Rural Women of Senegal organised this three-day workshop entitled 'Women, Rural Radios and New Information and Communication Technologies' with the support of the Dimitra Project and the Rural Radios Service and WAICENT Capacity Building and Outreach Branch from FAO. The workshop is one of the follow-up actions mentioned in the recommendations of the Thies 2003 workshop to help build the information and communication capacities of the National Network of Rural Women of Senegal and it enabled the creation of synergies and strengthening of links with community radios.

Experts Required

Southern African Civilian Standby Roster for International Humanitarian and Peace building Missions

2005-05-03

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/jobs/27949

SAFDEM recruits individuals for the database from the SADC region (citizens and legal residents), then matches their qualifications and skills to job descriptions received from the international organizations working in the field. In addition, SAFDEM identifies training opportunities for its candidates to enhance their skills and expertise. While the range of expertise of candidates already on the database is broad, we are currently searching for additional experts in the following areas; nutrition, food and non-food distribution, water/sanitation, media/Information management, humanitarian affairs, human rights monitoring, refugee/child protection, legal drafting, constitutional development, transitional justice, community development, administrators, human resource and financial managers, logistics (includes customs clearance and transport of goods), and security.
SOUTHERN AFRICAN RECRUITMENT DRIVE

The Southern African Civilian Standby Roster for International Humanitarian and Peace building Missions is more easily known as SAFDEM.

SAFDEM is a SADC based NGO managing a database of southern Africans who have an interest and experience in and the qualifications for humanitarian relief and peace building, for possible deployment with UN agencies and international NGOs.

SAFDEM recruits individuals for the database from the SADC region (citizens and legal residents), then matches their qualifications and skills to job descriptions received from the international organizations working in the field. In addition, SAFDEM identifies training opportunities for its candidates to enhance their skills and expertise.

While the range of expertise of candidates already on the database is broad, we are currently searching for additional experts in the following areas; nutrition, food and non-food distribution, water/sanitation, media/Information management, humanitarian affairs, human rights monitoring, refugee/child protection, legal drafting, constitutional development, transitional justice, community development, administrators, human resource and financial managers, logistics (includes customs clearance and transport of goods), and security.

All applicants must have good computer skills. International languages in addition to English would be an advantage. In addition, individuals must be prepared to work in harsh and sometime insecure environments, be flexible, have a good sense of humour, and be team players.

Joining SAFDEM involves a registration process, which includes filling in an application form (obtained on request), submitting of a CV, checking of references and an interview.

For more information about SAFDEM visit our website www.safdem.org.zw or send us an email on admin@safdem.org.zw

South Africa: MDG Internship Positions

Civicus

2005-05-02

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/jobs/27934

The Global Call to Action Against Poverty (GCAP) is a growing alliance of international organisations, networks and national campaigns committed to eradicating extreme poverty. In this context, CIVICUS is putting together a small team of dedicated people to act as the global secretariat of the Global Campaign. CIVICUS is now seeking applications to fill four internship positions to be based in Johannesburg, South Africa.
MDG Internship Positions at CIVICUS
Johannesburg, South Africa

CIVICUS is an international alliance dedicated to strengthening citizen action and civil society throughout the world. It was established in 1993 to nurture the foundation, growth and protection of citizen action throughout the world, especially in areas where participatory democracy and citizens’ freedom of association are threatened. A key role of the organisation is to unite members of civil society in joint efforts to achieve these objectives.

The Global Call to Action Against Poverty (GCAP) is a growing alliance of international organisations, networks and national campaigns committed to eradicating extreme poverty. In this context, CIVICUS is putting together a small team of dedicated people to act as the global secretariat of the Global Campaign.
Throughout 2005, members of the GCAP will be working together to insist that world leaders tackle the causes of poverty and meet and exceed their own promises on the MDGs.

CIVICUS is now seeking applications to fill four internship positions to be based in Johannesburg, South Africa. These positions will be for a period of six months with the possibility of extension.

Qualifications

A Master’s degree in Development, Social Science or any other relevant subject or relevant work experience

Primary Responsibilities and Tasks

· Support the work of the GCAP Working Groups (WG);
· Arrange and participate in conference calls of the WG;
· Assist in developing the agenda for WG meetings;
· Take minutes of WG meetings and effect timely distribution following the meetings;
· Assist in implementation of decisions taken by the WG;
· Manage and maintain the WG list-serv;
· Liaise with the MDG Campaign Manager, and other CIVICUS staff and, where necessary, other GCAP supporters, in order to maximise opportunities to advance GCAP / MDG Campaign goals and objectives;
· Liaise with other CIVICUS departments and staff as appropriate to further GCAP / MDG Campaign goals and objectives;
· Other duties as assigned.


Experience, Skills and Competencies

Required:
· Excellent writing skills
· Excellent planning, organisational and inter-personal skills;
· Excellent attention to detail even under significant time-pressure;
· Highly proficient in English;
· Able to work in a multi-cultural environment;
· Familiar with software applications and working electronically;
· Background in media and / or communications;

Desirable:
· Proficiency in additional languages (especially other UN languages, as well as Portuguese)

Applications

· Applications should be emailed to humanresources@civicus.org
· Deadline for applications is Friday 13 May 2005 or until vacancies are filled.
· Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Tanzania: Executive Director

Jane Goodall Institute

2005-05-04

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/jobs/27979

Effective with the release of this notice, the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI) is soliciting applicants for the Jane Goodall Institute – Tanzania Executive Director Position. Please find available by clicking on the link below background information on JGI, and projects and activities managed and implemented under the managerial oversight of the JGI – Tanzania Executive Director. The responsibilities, duties, and qualifications for this position are described in the position description section. The ideal candidate for this position is a Tanzania national.
VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT
FOR
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
THE JANE GOODALL INSTITUTE/TANZANIA


Effective with the release of this notice, the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI) is soliciting applicants for the Jane Goodall Institute – Tanzania Executive Director Position. Please find below background information on JGI, and projects and activities managed and implemented under the managerial oversight of the JGI – Tanzania Executive Director. The responsibilities, duties, and qualifications for this position are described in the Position Description Section below. The ideal candidate for this position is a Tanzania National.

BACKGROUND

The Jane Goodall Institute

Founded in 1977, the Jane Goodall Institute continues Dr. Goodall’s pioneering research on chimpanzee behavior -- research which transformed scientific perceptions of the relationship between humans and animals. Today, the Institute is a global leader in the effort to protect chimpanzees and their habitats. It also is widely recognized for establishing innovative community-centered conservation and development programs in sub-Saharan Africa, as well as the Roots & Shoots® Program, which has groups in more than 90 countries. JGI – Tanzania is located in Kigoma, Tanzania. JGI has under consideration moving this office to Dar es Saalam in 2006.

Activities and Programs Managed by JGI – Tanzania

JGI – Tanzania is responsible for the overall management and supervision of the following activities in Tanzania:

• The Gombe Stream Research Center;
• The Lake Tanganyika Catchment, Reforestation, and Education (TACARE) Project; and
• The Roots & Shoots® Program
• The Landscape Scale Community-Centered Ecosystem Conservation Program in Western Tanzania

Gombe Stream Research Center

Jane Goodall’s observations at Gombe revolutionized scientific research. With over 40 years of continued study since then at Gombe, Dr. Goodall and her fellow researchers have amassed an extensive collection of behavioral and demographic data on chimpanzees. Today the Gombe Stream Research Center (GSRC) hosts a new generation of talented scientists and field researchers, making it one of the longest continuous studies of a wild primate population. GSRC has a staff of 65 regular full-time and casual workers.




The Lake Tanganyika Catchment, Reforestation and Education (TACARE) Project

JGI initiated the TACARE project in 1994. The project concept was based on the rapid degradation of forests and soil observed by Dr. Jane Goodall between 1969 and 1999; a consequence of extensive destructive farming systems, use of firewood for domestic and fish processing, and additional pressure on natural resources from the continuing influx of refugees from Burundi and the Congo. TACARE was designed as a pilot project to seek ways of arresting the rapid degradation of natural resource in the remaining indigenous forest in the Kigoma region of Tanzania; particularly indigenous forest areas providing habitat for chimps.

In the first phase of the project (1994-99), TACARE staff learned to take community participation seriously to achieve successful and sustainable project interventions. During participatory planning sessions with communities, it was found that social infrastructure, access to clean water, and education and primary health care were rated higher than conservation issues. To ensure community participation in conservation, priorities expressed by communities had to be considered and addressed in project activities. The TACARE staff found that offering project services in fields prioritized by the community created trust towards the project and enhanced participation in areas, such as agro-forestry, ranking lower in the scale of priorities.

The TACARE Project entered its second phase in 1999. It established a multi-pronged approach, involving community ownership of socio-economic development, and made training and education in sustainable natural resource management the core of its project activities. This phase includes activities under five project “sections” or components: Forestry, Agriculture, Health (reproductive health as well as water and sanitation), Community Development, and Roots & Shoots.

TACARE has a staff of 38 professional, technical and support staff.


Roots & Shoots® Program


Roots & Shoots® was started by Dr. Jane Goodall in February of 1991. Today Roots & Shoots® has registered more than 6,000 groups in 87 countries, with Tanzania as the flagship country.

Roots & Shoots® is a program that teaches about the environment, the human community and animals to youth from pre-school to university age. Roots & Shoots® allows students to work together to increase their understanding of the natural environment and its relationship to animals and the human community. It is also an opportunity for students to participate in hands-on service related projects. Groups select service projects after they have surveyed their communities to better understand local issues and problems.

Some of JGI’s newest Roots & Shoots® groups are in and around refugee camps in Tanzania, founded in partnership with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Four school groups inside the Lugufu refugee camp near Kigoma, Tanzania, are learning about conservation.

Roots and Shoots® staff are located both in Kigoma and Dar es Salaam and its staff compliment totals seven [7] paid and volunteer staff.


Landscape Scale Community-Centered Ecosystem Conservation Program in Western Tanzania

The goal of this proposed program is to protect globally important biodiversity ad promote the sustainable use of natural resources at a landscape scale through a community-centered conservation approach. To achieve this goal this program will pursue the following objectives:

Objective 1: Sustainable Community Centered Landscape Scale Conservation Practiced; and
Objective 2: Natural Resource Base of Rural Production Systems is Maintained and Strengthened and Community Welfare Improved

This proposed program is designed to improve the biodiversity knowledge base in this region. It will establish the institutional framework for integrated land use management by facilitating village level land use and landscape-scale conservation planning. Finally, it will support implementation of the plans, including protection of critical habitat, and will strengthen the capacity of Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA) to manage Gombe National Park (GNP). It is also designed to use JGI’s TACARE Project as the platform for promoting improved and sustainable agricultural and forestry practices; providing micro-finance services; initiating community-based ecotourism enterprises; and improving social infrastructure to better provide for community health, sanitation and hygiene needs. Delivering environmental education programs, primarily through the Roots & Shoots ® Program and building capacity will be cross-cutting themes.

THE JANE GOODALL INSTITUTE/TANZANIA

Executive Director

Position Description


Position Title: JGI-Tanzania Executive Director

Reports To: Executive Vice-President, Africa Programs, JGI - USA

Position Summary: The JGI-Tanzania Executive Director will provide supervisory oversight for JGI – Tanzania, and financial, technical, and administrative support for JGI activities, projects, and programs in Tanzania. These activities include chimpanzee and other primate research, community-centered conservation, conservation education, and eco-system landscape scale biodiversity conservation.

Major Responsibilities:

• Supervise and evaluate the professional and administrative staff of JGI – Tanzania to ensure compliance with all JGI strategies, policies, procedures and guidelines and to assure smooth project operations and the effective performance of staff;

• Provide managerial oversight and strategic, policy, procedural and operational advice and guidance to the Gombe Stream Research Center, the TACARE Project, the Roots & Shoots® Program, and the Landscape Scale Community-Centered Ecosystem Conservation Program in Western Tanzania;

• Recruit and provide training, as appropriate, for all JGI staff in Tanzania;

• Serve as principle liaison to, and build, leverage, facilitate and maintain professional relationships with:

? appropriate national, regional and local Government of Tanzania officials, including but not limited to the Tanzania Parks Authority (TANAPA), the Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute (TAWIRI), the Tanzania Commission for Science and Technology (COSTECH), the regional and district governmental entities for the Kigoma region, etc.;

? appropriate international donor agencies with socio-economic development and environmental conservation programs in Tanzania, including but not limited to the U.S. Embassy, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the World Bank, the European Union (EU), and selected agencies of the United Nations, including: UNDP, UNHCR, and UNICEF, etc.;

? international and U.S. environmental and animal conservation organizations and other non-governmental organizations (NGOs) implementing socio-economic development, and bio-diversity conservation programs in Tanzania; and

? foundations, the private corporate sector and other funding entities and secure grants from these institutions sufficient for the continuation of JGI – Tanzania programs.


• Provide advice and guidance in, and coordinate the preparation of, JGI – Tanzania’s response to local grant solicitations from international donor agencies, foundations, the private sector and other funding entities for the development, design, implementation and evaluation of amended activities and/or new initiatives in Tanzania.

• Coordinate the development and submission of supporting documentation and information to JGI – USA for incorporation in its response to international grant solicitations from international donor agencies, foundations, the private sector and other funding entities for the development, design, implementation and evaluation of amended activities and/or new initiatives in Tanzania.

• Coordinate the assessment and evaluation of the effectiveness of JGI – Tanzania activities.

• Ensure all reporting to donors and to JGI – USA is performed in accordance with reporting instructions and submitted in accordance with reporting schedules.

• Manage the development and submission of annual operating budgets in accordance with JGI – USA budget parameters and schedules for all JGI activities and programs in Tanzania.

• Maintain effective communications with JGI – USA and with other JGI’s world-wide, as appropriate.

• As requested, represent JGI at regional and international conferences and workshops held in Tanzania.

• Travel as necessary to implement JGI – Tanzania programmatic goals and objectives.

• Assist Dr. Jane Goodall and other Jane Goodall Institute staff when visiting activities in Tanzania.


Qualifications

Education: Undergraduate degree (preferably a graduate degree) in business or management or related field, or other widely-recognized professional certification.



Experience:

• A minimum of five (5) years of relevant experience managing a NGO, company, unit of a company, or as Chief-of-Party or Program Manager (or Deputy) for an international donor and/or foundation funded multi-year development and/or conservation project/program in a development country setting;

• Proven cross-functional management experience preferred, with ability to develop high-performing teams;
• Ability to work under deadline pressures and to manage multitask requirements
• Aptitude for program and/or project planning, management, and evaluation.
• Facility to work collaboratively with local and international organizations, the private sector and with bilateral and multilateral economic development funding agencies.

• Proficiency in budget formulation, development and management.

• Adeptness at recognizing politically sensitive matters; and
• Demonstrated mature judgment and integrity.

Skills:

• Highly entrepreneurial, energetic and disciplined;

• Strong executive and resource management skills;

• Sound analytical, conceptual and problem solving skills;

• Strong interpersonal skills, with the capacity to influence without formal authority, and the ability to work with a multi-national team and across organizational boundaries;

• Strong organizational, leadership, team building/work, and communications skills with attention to detail;

• Exceptional diplomatic skills and the ability to reach out to many different audiences, including members of the JGI organization, and the management and staff of multilateral and bilateral donor agencies, nongovernmental organizations, the private sector, as well as members of civil society, and, importantly, communities;

• Excellent verbal and written skills in both Kiswahili and English; and

• Computer literacy


Application Procedure:

Qualified candidates should send their application letter with the following documents:

? A detailed Curriculum Vitae or Resume; and
? Scanned Copies of Degrees and Diplomas
? References from previous employers

These documents should be sent to:

Keith E. Brown
Executive Vice President, Africa Programs
The Jane Goodall Institute
8700 Georgia Ave.
Suite 500
Silver Spring, MD 20910
kbrown@janegoodall.org


Candidates are required to include in their application their telephone contacts and E-mail addresses so that they can be reached quickly.

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

The deadline for applying to this position is May 31, 2005.

West Africa: Regional Programme Manager

New Field Foundation

2005-05-05

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/jobs/27996

New Field Foundation is seeking a regional program manager to coordinate and support New Field's West Africa grant making program. The regional program manager will develop and implement New Field's program in West Africa, with a focus on social change for rural women and their families in Casamance, Mano River Region, and Burkina Faso.

La Fondation New Field
INTITULE DU POSTE : COORDINATEUR DE PROGRAMME REGIONAL
La Fondation New Field recherche un coordinateur de programme régional pour coordonner et soutenir le programme de subvention de New Field en Afrique de l’Ouest. Le coordinateur de programme régional développera et mettra en oeuvre le programme de New Field en Afrique de l’Ouest, en se focalisant sur le changement social pour les femmes rurales et leurs familles en Casamance, dans la région du fleuve Mano, et au Burkina Faso.
New Field Foundation

JOB ANNOUNCEMENT: WEST AFRICA REGIONAL PROGRAM MANAGER

New Field Foundation is seeking a regional program manager to coordinate and support New Field's West Africa grant making program. The regional program manager will develop and implement New Field's program in West Africa, with a focus on social change for rural women and their families in Casamance, Mano River Region, and Burkina Faso.

It is anticipated that each year some 30-40 grants will be made to smaller community-based organizations and about 10 to larger regional partners. The West Africa regional program manager will identify and assess initiatives and organizations for funding, and make recommendations to the New Field board, in collaboration with local advisors and as guided by the executive director. She/he will cross economic and cultural barriers to develop strong relationships with a range of people at different levels; will analyze trends that affect rural women, their families and communities; will work closely with rural women leaders in West Africa; and be in close contact with New Field staff and board in the US. We are seeking a person who has worked for a number of years with community-based NGOs in Africa, is committed to rural women's and children's empowerment issues in West Africa, and understands the complexities of managing and implementing grassroots grant making programs that create social change. Excellent communication skills required, with good standard of English and French. Strong administration skills, strength of character and integrity to realize New Field's mission, plus the heart and interest to travel for about a third of the year, mainly in West Africa, including hard-to-reach rural areas. The regional program manager will preferably be located in Burkina Faso, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia or Senegal. For more information about the position and the application process, please visit www.newfieldfound.org or email rpm@newfieldfound.org for details. The position is open until filled.

New Field Foundation contributes to the creation of a safe and sustainable world by supporting women and their families to overcome poverty, violence, and injustice in their communities. Our current focus is sub-Saharan Africa. Based in San Francisco, California, USA, New Field Foundation is recently established and operates in support of Tides Foundation's international grant making.

La Fondation New Field
INTITULE DU POSTE : COORDINATEUR DE PROGRAMME REGIONAL
La Fondation New Field recherche un coordinateur de programme régional pour coordonner et soutenir le programme de subvention de New Field en Afrique de l’Ouest. Le coordinateur de programme régional développera et mettra en oeuvre le programme de New Field en Afrique de l’Ouest, en se focalisant sur le changement social pour les femmes rurales et leurs familles en Casamance, dans la région du fleuve Mano, et au Burkina Faso.

Il est prévu que chaque année 30 à 40 subventions seront attribuées aux plus petites organisations communautaires de base (OCB) et environs 10 aux partenaires régionaux. Les initiatives et les organisations à financer seront identifiées et évaluées par le coordinateur de programme régional, qui fera lui-même des recommandations au conseil d’administration de New Field en collaboration avec les conseillers locaux et en accord avec les orientations données par le directeur exécutif. Elle/Il ira au-delà des barrières économiques et culturelles afin d’établir des liens étroits avec de nombreuses personnes et à différents niveaux; elle/il fera des analyses sur les tendances qui affectent les femmes rurales, leurs familles et leurs communautés; elle/il travaillera en étroite collaboration avec les femmes leaders rurales d’Afrique de l’Ouest; et elle/il sera en contact régulier avec le personnel et le conseil d’administration de New Field aux Etats-Unis. Nous recherchons une personne qui a plusieurs années d’expérience de travail avec les OCB en Afrique, qui s’engage sur les questions de responsabilisation des femmes rurales et des enfants de l’Afrique de l’Ouest, et qui comprenne la complexité de la gestion et de la mise en oeuvre des programmes de financement au niveau local qui aboutissent à des changements sociaux. D’excellentes compétences en communication sont requises, avec un bon niveau d’anglais et de français. De plus, cette personne doit avoir de très bonnes connaissances et compétences administratives, une certaine force de caractère et de l’intégrité afin de réaliser les missions de New Field. Cette personne sera amenée à voyager pendant un tiers de l’année essentiellement en Afrique de l’Ouest et dans les zones reculées, ce qui nécessite un certain goût et de l’intérêt pour les voyages. Le coordinateur de programme régional sera de préference localisé au Burkina Faso, en Guinée, en Sierra Léone, au Liberia ou au Sénegal. Pour obtenir plus d’informations sur le poste et sur la procédure à suivre pour postuler, aller s’il vous plait sur le site internet www.newfieldfound.org ou envoyer un courriel à rpm@newfieldfound.org pour recevoir des détails. Le poste sera ouvert jusqu’à ce qu’il soit pourvu.

La Fondation New Field contribue à la création d’un monde sûr et durable en soutenant les femmes et leurs familles dans la lutte contre la pauvreté, la violence et l’injustice au sein de leurs communautés. Nous nous concentrons actuellement sur l’Afrique Subsaharienne. Basée à San Francisco, Californie, aux Etats-Unis, New Field est une fondation nouvellement établie qui soutient la Fondation Tides dans ses financements à l’international.

Fahamu