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Recommended reading this week

2006-01-05

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/highlights/31106

EDITORIAL: The night the screams never stopped - An eyewitness account of the bloody crushing of a Cairo refugee protest
- Eva Dadrian analyses the aftermath of the Cairo refugee massacre
COMMENT&ANALYSIS:
- Harrowing human rights testimony from Darfur
- Seatini’s Percy F. Makombe asks who will stand up for the poor after the December WTO fiasco
- What the WTO outcome means for African women: Mohau Pheko and Liepollo Lebohang Pheko provide insight
- Medicine Masiiwa from Trades Centre Zimbabwe on what Economic Partnership Agreements mean for Eastern and Southern Africa
LETTERS: Readers take issue with Tony Blair, neo-liberalism and naming of countries
BLOGGING AFRICA: Chasing the yahoo-yahoo boys, issues of identity and the African Cup of Nations
PAN-AFRICAN POSTCARD: Bye-Bye to Blair, Brown, Bob and Bono – the B stars in poverty pornography
CONFLICT&EMERGENCIES: DRC’s Katanga identified as looming disaster
HUMAN RIGHTS: Concern for detained Ethiopian activists; AU slams Zim over human rights
REFUGEES: UN agency blamed for Sudanese refugee deaths
ELECTIONS&GOVERNANCE: DRC opposition ends poll boycott; latest on jailed Ugandan opposition leader
WOMEN&GENDER: Mauritania ratifies women’s rights protocol
DEVELOPMENT: Hong Kong outcomes anything but development
CORRUPTION: Is the war on corruption another neo-colonial adventure?
HEALTH&HIV/AIDS: Loophole allows continuing brain drain
ENVIRONMENT: Tackling illegal fishing in Africa’s protected waters
MEDIA: Zim Government moots militia plan for trainee journos
ADVOCACY&CAMPAIGNS: South Africa: In support of Ashwin Desai
PLUS: Fundraising, e-newsletters, courses, jobs and books.

An eyewitness account of the massacre of Sudanese refugees in Cairo

2006-01-05

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/features/31105

“Screams never stopped; the most acute were children’s. My eyes couldn’t follow where or where to look. It was cold. It was dark. Soldiers were brutal. They were just beating anyone anywhere, stepping over anyone and anything.” This quote is from an anonymous eyewitness account (reproduced below) of events that took place last Friday in Cairo, when Egyptian security police brutally broke up a three-month sit-in protest being held by Sudanese refugees in Cairo. News reports indicate that the number of people killed is approaching 30. As detailed in an October 2005 Pambazuka News article (http://www.pambazuka.org/index.php?id=29957) the refugees were protesting against their appalling conditions and the constant abuse of their rights and had camped out near the Cairo office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), demanding protection from forced repatriation and protection of vulnerable groups. At that stage one of the protestors vowed: “We will wait here, we will die here. We have no other place to go.”


At 10:00 pm, Thursday, December 29th I received an SMS saying the Mohandesin area was turning into a military camp and that Sudanese refugees who had been sitting in for 3 months may be disbursed by force.

I arrived at 11:00 pm to find state security trucks and plain clothes police closing the roads of Batal Ahmed Abdel Aziz, Ahmed Orabi, and Gameet el Dewal streets.

Public white busses lined up all the way from Donuts House till Mustafa Mahmud square with a few state security soldiers sitting inside them. I was able to take down some of the bus numbers as I walked - 4129, 3696, 4107, 4136, 4335, 3416, 3534, and 3416.

In a few minutes all streets leading to Mustafa Mahmud were totally blocked. Police forces started cornering and then disbursing civilian pedestrians.

At 1:00 am, and it was really cold, security forces started flushing the refugees with three water cannons from three different sides. The first spray lasted for almost 6 minutes and was rather high. We could see the water reaching as high as the 4th balcony of the near-by building. Probably it aimed at destroying the top of their shelters.

Refugees met the water floods with cheer and dance. This was a reaction no one at the other side could understand and it rather provoked the ‘they deserve whatever happens to them - they are crazy’ type of thinking.

The few civilians who gathered to observe the scene from afar were mostly quite amused. I painfully heard comments such as “let them take a shower to become clean”, “Egypt has been more than patient with them”, “security forces should’ve got rid of them from day one”, “They (Sudanese) are disgusting”. Laughs interrupted such comments as the refugees were sprayed with water. Few stood silent with eyes wide open at the scene, while only one objected and explained that Sudanese had demands and rights to be met by UNHCR.

A police officer told a friend as he smiled that they badly needed a bath after three months. “We have orders to finish this tonight and we will,” he added.

We resorted to the 2nd floor of a café just across the park to be able to observe, take pictures, and make phone calls. Choosing the time to attack the refugees was more than well planned. Midnight Thursday in the New Year’s weekend. All the media I contacted were out of town for vacation. A handful of political activists arrived but were totally helpless. A couple of human rights activists were with us on the phone all night.

Almost an hour later another 5 minutes of continuous water showered the refugees. This time the water was low, strong and direct, straight at the people.

Water stopped and a negotiation round started with a delegated refugee committee, an Egyptian official, and a UNHCR official. The Egyptian said: “UNHCR will do nothing for you. We are authorized by the highest power in the state to disburse this sit in today.” The reply of the refugees was that: “We will die on the turf.”

I was able to step to the second security circle surrounding them. A public bus waiting in the area had five refugees at the back seat while a sixth one was being brutally beaten by 5 state security soldiers. From my position next to the bus I could see and hear him screaming as they beat him on his head and back with hands and batons, kicked him, and twisted his arm and wrist behind his back as his screams went louder and louder.

An officer standing next to us explained that he was trying to break the window and escape because he was drunk. At this point a man from the back seat opened the window and holding a baby girl of a few months old, cried: “We are not drunk, I am not drunk, he is not drunk, and this baby is not drunk. Her mother died here in this park.” They beat him to silence as well and continued with the sixth guy. A young man took a video of the scene on his cell phone and later Bluetoothed it to me.

Reporters, observers and the few activists who were there started to leave the scene as time passed with no further developments. It was very cold and my hands and nose were freezing. It was unimaginable to imagine wet people!

At around 4 am we managed to get to the building of Al Watany Bank of Egypt and only then we had a full clear view of the situation from high. In Mustafa Mahmud square, I could count 60 state security wagons, 6 ambulances, 10 armored cars and uncountable busses.

At 4:45 am the troops were lining up properly and the first circle of formations moved closer to surround the refugees. Their warm up exercise echoed in the empty city as they said: “Ho- ho- ho- masr!” and singing “Ya ahla esm fel wegood yaa masr” meaning “To Egypt, who has the most beautiful name ever, whose name was created to be eternal, for Egypt we live…and for Egypt we die.”

Refugees lined up and started warming up too but saying “Allah Akbar”, “La ilaha ella Allah” and “Hasbona allah wa neama al wakil”, meaning “There is no god but Allah and only him we delegate to handle our injustice.” The Christians chanted Halleluiah. The few civilian audience started cheering for the Egyptian army.

At 5 am sharp the 3 water cannons flushed them again and right beside the water line security forces timely attacked the refugee campus with batons and shields. After 1 minute the water stopped. Soldiers destroyed the rest of their makeshift homes and pulled up their front line of luggage, throwing it away as other soldiers made their way in.

Refugees fought back with wood sticks, plastic empty water jars and gallons, and their hands.

The left side (the side of Radwan Ogeil store) fought back very bravely and was able to force soldiers to retreat out for three times, but on the other two sides soldiers were breaking in. Sounds of sharp metal hits were heard loudly. I guess these were the wooden sticks on the metal shields. Also sounds of screams, mainly women and children, echoed.

After 10 minutes, a whistle was heard and all forces pulled out of the garden. Lines were reorganized. Extra troops were added to the Al Ogeil store side and in a couple of minutes a signal was given and they lashed back in.

This time was fierce. The street lights were cut off. Screams never stopped; the most acute were children’s. My eyes couldn’t follow where or where to look. It was cold. It was dark. I am sure the garden was muddy after all this water. Soldiers were brutal. They were just beating anyone anywhere, stepping over anyone and anything.

Every 2 or 3 seconds a refugee would be dragged out of the horror circle, beaten all the way out. Another 3-4 soldiers would take grip of the refugee so the first soldier could go back to hunt another one. The soldiers receiving the refugee beat him more with batons on his back, bringing him down to his knee, slapping the back of his head, dragging him to a bus where other soldiers took care of the next stage. All the way through, obscenities could be heard.

This happened to men and women equally. Sometimes when the victim was a woman I saw a child trying to hang to her leg as the soldiers dragged the mother.

I saw four refugees carried by soldiers from their arms and legs, often dropping midway totally motionless and I could swear they were dead.

The most horrible was the EGYPTIANS! Civilians who cheered as if they were cheering for the ‘army forces’ freeing Egypt! As forces advanced in battle; the audience cheered, whistled and clapped. They were amused!

Resistance was weakening on Al Ogeil side and soldiers were breaking fully in when my host, standing beside me in the balcony said: “We are entering from the left side.” I looked back at him in shock. This is not “we”. He said: “I mean the Egyptians.” These are not Egyptians. He said “whatever.”

I started shaking.

As the refugees were dragged out in bigger numbers they forced them to sit on the ground in groups, casually beating them till soldiers would come pick them up and put them in busses.

A friend later told me he saw an officer spitting on a bus as it moved away with refugees!

Resistance fully collapsed. As fewer refugees were left inside the garden facing at least 2500 soldiers, the screams became sharper, louder and desperate.

Everything was over at 5:30 am sharp.

When I took control over my body, I picked up my car and followed 6 of the white public transportation busses carrying almost fainting refugees and state security forces to Dahshur State Security Camp in Fayoum road. They arrived there at exactly 7:15 am. The camp is almost 40 kms outside Cairo. Distance could be more or less, I was so tired and so not well. The wagon numbers were 3686, 4107, 6132, 4335, and 3696. I missed the numbers of the first bus.

Returning back to Cairo I went directly to the battlefield. Let the pictures speak.

So far 20 people died. There is news that those who were taken to the state security camp are all released. And some are released from Turah. No news yet from Dahshur.

Individuals, groups, lawyers, and associations are protesting in the same place tomorrow Saturday 12 noon at both the brutality of the Egyptian government and the disgraceful role of UNHCR.

We shall not close the file of the massacre committed by the Egyptian regime against the Sudanese refugees in Egypt. Send letters of protest and condemnation to Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak (webmaster@presidency.gov.eg) and the Egyptian embassy in your country.

Write to UN Secretary General demanding an international investigation.

* Please send comments to editor@pambazuka.org

For a full list of those to be deported see the link below.
This is a list of those about to be deported from the official committee which includes the Sudan Embassy and the SPLA.

Name and file number

James mabyan madok 7472/2002
Alsid ali barsham kaboor 1899/2001
Zakria kahter abdallah Mohamed 1812/2005
Abdo abdallah adam 255/2002
Mobark Mohamed yosef 82/2005
Ajaltok antrian malyan 1015/2001
Wilim warshol mot 8694/2001
Golwal well ding 694
Magdi gafar alfadel
Better alhag ashok 4193/2001
Ibrahim dawd yahia yakob 121/2002
Abubakr ibrahim adam abdallah 4624/2004
Ablok molwal 4903/2001
fathia 4624/2004
Ismael adam almomen ahmed 4672/2004
Abonk glod agwk 2004
Aman ajwal abonk
Naser habib atallah adam 1988/1999
Martin michel morsal 6034/2002
Alameen surag habib dria 4401/2001
Abdelrahman alameen surag 4401/2001
Nor aldeen alameen surag 6034/2001
Harsa sawr hagana 4401/2001
Zakria maki zakria 1995
Lam moses dael 1068/2000
Mohamed alameen mostafa 1120/2002
Hesin abdallah abdallah Mohamed 7828/2002
Mohamed osman Mohamed abdallah 8643/2002
Salah suliman Mohamed
Shol zakria kot 2561/2002
Maliot maliot kon 2270/2004
Mohamed hamed mokhtar ibrahim 2801/2001
Hassan ibrahim 7524/2002
James adalan koko 3199/2002
Magdi nor eldin yosef 5112/2004
Goma aldaw hamed
Isa mosa ebaid 5008/2002
Sitalkhetam mahmood abdelrahamna 9475/2002
John james
Jak isec 945/1995
Mango shol agw 1191/2002
Gatog toj klot 8374/2005
Suzan korstofr tom
Jastina vectoria 3years
Augastino 2 years
Komenta 4 months
Koj ageng akot
Komenta john selsila
Ayn agor ajok
Hanan ali 4 years
Wegdan adam husain
Tawseel abdallah elnoor
Abdelnoor abdallah

Remembering the massacre in Mustapha Mahmoud Park

Eva Dadrian

2006-01-05

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/features/31111

Eva Dadrian tracks the aftermath of the massacre of Sudanese refugees in Cairo on Friday 30, December 2005, noting that it is an insult to the memory of those killed that the very regime which originally led to their flight to Egypt will soon be hosting an African Union Summit (in Khartoum, 14-16 January). Dadrian asks: “Will the African heads of state attending the AU Summit in Khartoum, in a humanitarian gesture, stand 60 seconds in silence in memory of the tragic incident in Cairo? I wonder whether any one of them will sense that 60 seconds is more than enough for a police truncheon to cut short the life of an African refugee?”


Human rights groups and opponents of the Sudanese government call the hosting of the African Union Summit by Khartoum (14-16 January 2006) an affront and an insult to the memory of the people of Darfur who have died at the hands of the very regime hosting the summit.

Observers and political activists are asking how a country which has a civil war in Darfur - where more than 2.5 million internally displaced people are still being subjected to attacks by government backed militias – and has some 500,000 refugees scattered in 5 neighbouring countries and more than 2 million Southern Sudanese IDPs in and around Khartoum, can be considered as the host of the AU Summit?

It is a further insult to the memory of those Sudanese refugees who were trampled to death or died of their wounds during and after the vicious attack by the Egyptian security police on the Mustafa Mahmoud Park, just across from the UNHCR office, on Friday 30, December 2005, where since September 26, 2005, they were staging a sit-in in protest at the UNHCR’s earlier decision to close their files and start their repatriation.

Whatever accusations can be had against the Sudanese refugees, like those made by Egyptian comedian Adel Imam, himself a UNHCR goodwill ambassador, who said, “they put their children in front of them as human shields” or a police officer, who said, “they were singing and dancing during the attack”, the high loss of life suggests that extreme brutality was used by the Egyptian security forces during the dawn attack.

Precise figures for the dead and wounded are still unclear. Various reports have put the death toll at 56, with 15 children and many women and elderly among them. According to Astrid van Genderen Stort, a spokeswoman from the UN refugee agency (UNHCR), there are also over “70 injuries of various degrees of severity”.

As shocking as it may sound to the readership of Pambazuka News, the Egyptian security forces aimed mainly at the heads, kidneys and genital parts of male and female refugees alike. All those who died and whose corpses are still lying in morgues have head wounds, brain haemorrhages, burst kidneys and burst pancreas. Many of the refugees, Muslims and Christians alike, who were later released from the military barracks they were taken to, and who had gathered in a number of churches in Cairo, said that a refugee from Darfur, who was bleeding from his head wounds, was thrown off by the police from the military truck taking them to Al Torah security barracks. His body was later recovered by fellow Darfurians from the road where he had bled to death.

Human rights groups and MPs from the Muslim Brotherhood are calling for an independent investigation into the violent clashes of last Friday. In a statement issued on January 2, the Egyptian Organisation for Human Rights (EOHR) is saying “the Egyptian Security Forces should immediately investigate these deaths and unjustified violent incidents” stating that the police used “excessive force” in breaking up the three-month long peaceful sit-in. EOHR urges also that “all those responsible be brought to trial”. Fingers of accusation are pointed at Habib Al Adly, the minister of interior known for his notorious heavy-handed techniques against demonstrators and opponents to the Mubarak regime.

Civil society activists who organised a demonstration last Saturday in protest at the “Friday massacre in Mustapha Mahmoud Park” and in solidarity with the Sudanese refugees, were defiantly holding banners and posters that read “We are All Sudanese” and “Down with Habib Al Adly”. Al Adly, whose name means “The Just one” has just been reinstated in a new cabinet and took his oath of allegiance on Saturday, January 1, 2006, a day after the Friday events.

After 5 days locked in highly secured military barracks and security forces’ camps around Cairo, the Egyptian authorities announced that they were preparing to deport some 656 Sudanese. The official reason for the deportations is as vague as the destination the refugees will be taken to. It is believed that they will land either in Khartoum or in Juba. Among these refugees are people from Darfur where there are already 2.5 million internally displaced people living in camps and at the mercy of banditry. No one can guaranty their safety when they will reach Sudan.

For three days, members of the foreign and Egyptian media, human rights activists, and members of non-governmental organisations managed to keep in touch with the refuges held in the 5 military barracks, through their mobile phones. Then, silence fell and all contacts were cut off as “the police have taken away cell phones and money from our pockets” confirmed a Southern Sudanese, who, thanks to his Blue Card giving him Refugee Status, was released from Manshiet Nasr barracks, just a few hours before I met him in the Sakkakini church in Abbasseya, Cairo.

Some refugees, accused of being the instigators of the “violence against the security forces” (by the way according to the ministry of interior, some 73 policemen and officers were wounded during the attack) have “disappeared”. Human rights activists fear for them as unconfirmed reports are mentioning that the so-called leaders are being held in the special units of the dreaded Amn Al Markazi at Al Darrassa (Central Security) for “further interrogation”.

On the other hand, the EOHR stresses the very valid point that the Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, ratified by Egypt in 1981, should be implemented “through legislation consistent with the Egyptian constitution, which guarantees the right of refuge”. According to the UNHCR office, between 1994 and 2004, some 31,000 Sudanese were given refugee status and more than half were resettled in third countries. However, the vast majority of asylum seekers have not been granted refugee status and as such are disqualified from resettlement. Furthermore, the UNHCR changed its policies for the Sudanese refugees on the basis that the Naivasha Peace Agreement signed and ratified in January 2005, between the Khartoum government and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), has brought peace and improved the conditions in Sudan.

For the past 48 hours, contradictory reports have been circulating in Cairo and ambiguous declarations made by both the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Interior and the UNHCR Cairo office. Egyptian officials say that only those Sudanese whose asylum requests have been rejected by the UNHCR and who do not have legal residence in Egypt will be expelled, yet the UNHCR declares that the Egyptian authorities have promised not to repatriate any of the Sudanese refugees. There was no comment on the reports by the Egyptian officials. However, in a statement issued by the Sudanese government in Khartoum, some 100 refugees have been flown back to Khartoum “according to their wish to return home”.

Apart from the loss of life, the accusations and the blame, the consequences of these tragic events are already having serious repercussions on diplomatic relations between Cairo and the Government of Southern Sudan (GOSS). In a statement issued by GOSS, Vice President Riek Machar declares that his government is “greatly shocked by this callous act from the security forces of a friendly and sisterly country that has been known of spearheading the unity of the people of the Nile Valley, and particularly the peoples of Egypt and Sudan.”

The wording of the statement is extremely severe as it implies that what happened in Mustapha Mahmoud Park is a crime as it “breaks every known international law including the UN Human Rights Convention and the fundamental right to life.” In Southern Sudan politicians are already voicing a freeze on the diplomatic relations with Egypt, while unconfirmed reports from Sudan have mentioned the closure of the Egyptian consulate in Juba, on the request of GOSS.

But officials in Cairo, Khartoum and even the UNHCR have all rejected calls for an international investigation, so who is to stand by the fundamental right to life of some 25 million African refugees, homeless and IDPs? Will the African heads of state attending the AU Summit in Khartoum, in a “humanitarian” gesture, stand 60 seconds in silence in memory of the tragic incident in Cairo? I wonder whether any one of them will sense that 60 seconds is more than enough for a police truncheon to cut short the life of an African refugee?

* Eva Dadrian is an independent broadcaster and Political and Country Risk Analyst for print and broadcast media.

* Please send comments to editor@pambazuka.org

Do I really deserve it?

Dr. Mudawi Ibrahim Adam

2006-01-05

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/comment/31078

Human rights defenders from over 70 countries around the globe participated in a Dublin conference hosted by Front Line Defenders, the International Foundation for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (http://www.frontlinedefenders.org), in October 2005. The three day platform saw individual human rights defenders give moving testimonies of the work they do and the hardships, challenges and risks they face daily. Pambazuka News will be publishing a series of these testimonies over the coming weeks, beginning with that of Dr. Mudawi Ibrahim Adam, who recounts the experiences of the Sudan Social Development Organization in Darfur.

“I am giving this testimony on behalf of my organization, Sudan Social Development Organization (SUDO), and myself.

What is Sudan?

The word in Arabic (Sudan) literally means the blacks. It was used in ancient history to describe the land South of Egypt. In modern history it was used as a name to describe inhabitants of Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Senegal, Chad (the French Sudan) and Anglo-Egyptian Sudan. Sudan in its now known political boundaries, came as a result of the territory’ sharing between the colonial powers in the 20th century.

This country is characterized by its multi-ethnic, multi-cultural multi-religious population. There are more than 600 groups living in the country. These groups when setting the boundaries were not consulted as to whether or not they wanted to live together to form one nation. They were packed in these boundaries without consultation.

That means in reality that there is no one nation called Sudanese, but a country lived in by groups with diverse races, cultures and religions.

How it is ruled?

The colonial powers adopted a governance structure which is centralized, run and controlled by Khartoum. This system was inherited by a clique of Sudanese after independence in 1956, who preserved the same social, economic and political structure.

The basic features of this structure are:

- A small section of the Sudanese people are active in exploiting the resources of the country and have control over the state apparatus and the resources of the country, and impose policies and culture that serve their greedy interests.

- The majority of the population with their ethnic, religious and cultural diversities are ruled by this minority. Their right to be masters over the wealth that they produce and to participate in the general affairs of their country and regions is denied. Also their right to express their cultures and heritage is denied.

In spite of slogans and allegations of implementing decentralization, regionalism, federation and the just redistribution of power and national wealth, the hegemony and domination of the minority has deepened much more.

On the cultural aspect, traditions, cultures, and customs of the majority of the peoples were marginalized and a racial, narrow-minded vision of the identity of the country established.

The majority of people, as a result of the continuation of this structure, experienced the suffering of poverty, ignorance, diseases, and deprivation, and faced different kinds of calamities, like war, famines and epidemics which affected to a great extent the rural areas. This led to increasing numbers of emigrants and displaced people towards cities to dwell in miserable conditions. Misery became the general feature of their life in urban and rural areas.

The following manifests the essence of this system of governance structure:

- The strict centralization avails to the government of Khartoum an absolute power to decide on all crucial local and national issues. This situation marginalizes and deprives the will of all people.

- The preservation, by the different governments, of the aspects of uneven development inherited from the colonial state is made even worse to the extent that the least developed regions were much more underdeveloped. The phenomenon of economic collapse and the decline of the standard of living is common to all the nation but has hit rural areas with great severity and damage.

- The adoption of a dangerous and incapable concept of Sudanese identity that stands on the ground of religious and ethnic superiority.

- The establishment of the religious state giving all the mentioned grievances their institutional embodiment and their most horrible expression as manifested in the existing wars and in the ethnic and religious purging and mass annihilation. The religious state also deprives people from their rights of citizenship and creates a second-class citizen, it also supports economic and social inequality and renders the unity of the country impossible.

Due to these policies, Sudan has never lived in peace since its independence. War in the south began even before the colonial troops left the country. The central government in Khartoum adopted policies of divide and rule and used local conflicts to wage war against its opponents. The regular army has always fought by proxy using tribal militias. The more people start demanding equality and justice the more brutal becomes the central government. In the south of Sudan, in a long war, 2 million people have been killed, Five million persons were displaced or took refuge. The ongoing war in the Darfur killed 300,000 persons, about 2 million persons are displaced.

Emergence of SUDO

In this environment, looking at the condition of the country and the people, some 54 Sudanese men and women gathered and formed a national NGO, under the name of the Sudan Social Development Organization, known as SUDO, to work towards the welfare of the Sudanese people.

The SUDO mission is to contribute to the creation of a general human rights movement capable of defending itself and seeking a society free from all forms of human rights violations.

SUDO considers providing and availing basic needs and services a basic human right. It adopts a rights based approach on all its interventions. SUDO finds it impossible in societies like Sudan to advocate for political rights without economic and social rights. Therefore drilling a borehole or building a clinic or school is a very good event to advocate for political and social rights. Training and advocacy programs can be conducted concurrently while providing the service.

Given the conditions of the country, being ruled by a dictatorship and controlled by security, registering an NGO with such a mission was on its own a challenge.

From the first day of its registration SUDO started to work, and adopted an approach of going directly to the grassroots community.

In this short testimony I will just give a brief about the SUDO experience in the defense of human rights in Darfur as an example.

While working in Darfur since it was formed in 2001, SUDO recognized the ongoing conflict in the region. Although very young and vulnerable SUDO started advocating about what was going on in the region. We approached diplomatic missions in the Sudan as early as 2002, telling them about abuses in the region, attacks on villages, killing of civilians, burning of houses, and the looting and destruction of property. SUDO reported the systematic trend of attacks, systematic killing of individuals and mass killings of certain tribal groups.

SUDO reports were not listened to, not because they were discredited but because the political environment was not accepting to believe what had been said. SUDO worked closely with Amnesty International to highlight the gravity of what was going on in the region, in terms of human rights abuses, but both Amnesty and SUDO were not listened to. Although we managed to get out credible reports throughout 2002 and 2003, western governments were not wanting to accept the fact that there was another war going on in the Sudan. Western governments were by that time very involved in the peace process between the so-called South and North. One of the diplomats was even telling us “Why Darfur now?” Our reply was: “It is not our choice, we have not invented it.”

Hundreds were detained arbitrary and SUDO worked closely with Amnesty International for their release. We mobilized local communities and thanks to these efforts we managed to free many who were innocent, but with severe regret many lost their lives under torture. Slowly the war started to get a political dimension. By the end of 2002, a political/armed group named itself as the Darfur Liberation Front (DLF) and later transformed to the Sudan Liberation Army/Movement SLA/M. The trend of the war has changed. Instead of militias backed by government forces attacking villagers the government army started to launch systematic attacks against civilians. SLA has launched very painful, planned attacks against government army garrisons, and the government has retaliated by using heavy bombardment, air raids against villages, and concurrently used militias to attack villages burn, loot, rape and kill.

SUDO and other international organizations started reporting what was happening to the public and the Western missions in Khartoum, but still very little response was noticed. The government reacted by putting restrictions on INGO (international NGOs) movement, confining them to the main cities in Darfur, Geneina, Fasher and Nyala. The government started to gather outlaws, free criminals from the prisons, grant them amnesty and recruit them to join it on its war campaign.

SUDO, being a national NGO, has not abided by the restriction of movement. SUDO staff and members went to all areas in Darfur, seeing the misery of the fighting and the burden inflicted upon the civilians. Hundreds, thousands of women and children were forced to leave the burned villages, their dead husbands, sons and fathers and flee bare footed for days and weeks. They were without water and food, forced into camps at the outskirts of deserted towns, and away from the eyes of the humanitarian organizations. They were without shelter and clothes and subject to the attacks of the government militias called Janjaweed. SUDO reported in one instance, in one of these collection of people, the death of a child every second day. By the end of 2003, the international community started its very slow movement, forced by the magnitude and gravity of the situation.

In its effort to highlight the Darfur cause SUDO suffered a lot. Many of its members, volunteers and staff were arrested and tortured, but in spite of that continued to work. SUDO intervened with humanitarian assistance to the people in need and managed to pull in many international organizations to come in, and give assistance. Our staff has carried the risk on their shoulders, under fire and bombardment, in Kaila, Mershing, Zalingei and many other places. They are in the front assisting people. Young men and women, risking their own lives, opening a road for international assistance. SUDO staff have faced militias and talked in very dangerous situations to the tribes who were involved in the conflict. Still to date SUDO staff is working, delivering a service to the people in need, despite the danger they face. Our staff is working in areas designated by UN security as unsafe.

Although it is an emergency, SUDO, still based on its mission, is protecting people, our field monitors, victims of rape, victims of other violations. Our protection officers are resource persons at the forefront, assisting UN agencies to deliver their duties. They are training police and other law enforcement forces, at camps and towns, in human rights, trying to ensure their abidance with international human rights conventions.

A Short Personal Testimony

I have gone through different detention experiences by the ruling regime, since they came to power in 1989. But I had also had my share with other colleagues in relation to the Darfur conflict. I was arrested three times since December 2003. The first was meant to shut my mouth on the 24th of December 2003. I was arrested from home by 8 security members with Kalashnikovs in plain clothes, at 11.00 pm. My house and my office were searched. I was interrogated for two days at security offices and then transferred to the security detention centre in the general federal prison of Sudan called Kober. After being kept in that detention center for more than 45 days, I went on hunger strike on the 8th of February. On the 10th of February I was transferred to the prosecutor of the crimes against the state and charged under 9 articles of the Sudanese penal code. Five of these charges carry the death penalty. I went on trial for about 8 months, until the case was drawn from the court by the prosecutor general, due to lack of evidence, internal and international pressure.

Again I was detained from my village with a friend on the 24th of January 2005, and kept in solitary at a ghost house called Abu Ghyreib, for two months. I went on hunger strike for 12 days, after which due to internal and international pressure I was transferred to the Prosecutor of the crimes against the state and charged with an attempt of suicide and then transferred to the hospital to be treated from the effect of the hunger strike. I lost 10 kilogrammes of my weight on the hunger strike. I was released from the hospital, without the charge being dropped. On the 8th of May, while I was due to board a plane to Dublin to receive an award from Front Line I was detained again, my passport was confiscated and I was banned from travel. I stayed 3 days at the security detention centre together with my friend and my driver, and was then transferred to the prosecutor of the crimes against the state under accusation of espionage and photographing military areas. I walked out from the prosecutor office 10 days later without being stopped.

Still I ask, whether I deserve being awarded a prize (for human rights work), when I can recall individuals, paying with their lives trying to protect their people’s rights. Do I really deserve it?”

* Please send comments to editor@pambazuka.org

WTO: Celebrating the crumbs

Percy F. Makombe

2006-01-05

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/comment/31083

“Who will stand up for the poor?” asks Percy F. Makombe from the Southern and Eastern African Trade Information Negotiations Institute in the light of the recently concluded World Trade Organisation meeting held in Hong Kong 13-18 December. Makombe writes: “By agreeing to the Hong Kong ministerial text, developing countries are accepting short term and insignificant gains in agriculture for the serious loss of the right to develop policy space and options.”


It was the English poet John Milton who made the famous statement that "They who have put out the people's eyes, reproach them of their blindness." Milton was of course speaking of other times. Yet after monitoring six days of World Trade Organisation (WTO) trade talks in Hong Kong between December 13-18, one could be forgiven for thinking that Milton was referring to these times.

After a week of haggling, 149 WTO countries gave their thumbs up to a statement that is supposed to keep alive the prospect of a global trade deal. There seemed to be a touch of inappropriateness when Chair, John Tsang, Hong Kong's Commerce Secretary, banged his gavel and authoritatively declared "It is so decided". Perhaps the appropriate words would have been “It is so ordered!” This way any pretensions to a consultative decision making process would be done away with.

According to the declaration, rich countries are supposed to end their export subsidies by 2013 and also speed up cuts to other forms of government farm support. On cotton, rich countries must phase out export subsidies next year (2006) but there is no agreement on subsidies for US farmers. Lowest Developing Countries (LDC) have also been made to believe that the “deal” is good for them as rich countries will allow duty and quota-free access for 97% of products from LDCs from 2008. These countries will be given special allowances for meeting market-opening requirements. The WTO has set April 30 as the deadline for the completion of negotiations in agriculture and industrial goods. Despite opposition by developing countries to negotiations on liberalisation of trade in services, the text commits them to begin negotiations in 2006.

There is very little from the ministerial declaration to suggest that the world’s richest countries are committed to helping developing countries. The declaration represents nothing more than an offering of mere crumbs at the table. In the area of agriculture, developing countries are urged to open their markets ostensibly so that free trade can take place, but in reality to give a place for rich countries to dump heavily subsidised agricultural products. Nowhere is this more evident than in the cotton issue for instance. An Oxfam report reveals that the US government subsidised its 25 000 cotton farmers to the tune of US$4.2 billion in 2004. This places the US farmers at an unfair advantage and enables them to take a 40% chunk of the global market. This has serious repercussions for millions of cotton farmers in Africa especially in Benin, Burkina Faso, Chad and Mali whose countries depend on cotton for almost half their exports. It borders on obscenity for the US government to give that kind of support to agribusiness and then preach the doctrine of free and fair trade to African farmers.

The promise by the declaration to eliminate cotton export subsidies in 2006 has been touted as an example that rich nations are willing to lose something in these negotiations. Yet to argue that way is an exercise in deception for two reasons. First, the European Union does not have cotton export subsidies. Second the US cannot claim to be doing anyone a favour by eliminating them because it is required to do so anyway to comply with a WTO panel ruling.

The deal that allows Least-Developed Countries to get duty-free, quota free access for 97% of exports from 2008 is as meaningless as it is worthless. This is not least because all the LDCs account for less than one per cent of world trade. Allowing unrestricted entry of their products in developing and developed countries’ markets is therefore inconsequential. This is more so given the fact that Japan for instance will not permit the entry of sugar, rice and fishery products into its market. EU farmers strongly lobby their governments not to permit the entry of beef and sugar in their countries. US considers textiles from Bangladeshi and Cambodia to be competitive and will therefore not grant duty and quota-free access to it. So we have a farcical situation where Cambodia can be granted duty and quota free access to the US market if it is selling Boeing 707 aeroplanes but not textiles. Where does Cambodia begin to get the money to manufacture a Boeing 707?

On Non Agricultural Market Access (NAMA) the text proposes the cutting of tariffs using the so-called ‘Swiss Formula’. While it is clear that this is the ‘preferred’ formula, what is not clear is what the coefficients for developed and developing countries will be like. Whatever the coefficient, there is no doubt that the formula will radically reduce tariffs thus exposing vulnerable industries in developing countries to aggressive and unfair competition.

Developing countries have agreed on the Swiss formula but have got nothing in terms of policy flexibility in the NAMA negotiations. Since developing countries have much higher tariffs than the rich countries, this means much larger tariff cuts by developing countries in terms of percentage points. Yet an ideal situation is one where developing countries with a weak and vulnerable industrial base should have the policy freedom and flexibility to choose their own commitments regarding which sector and at what rate of reduction their commitments are to be. The argument that competition from cheaper imports will induce local firms to be more competitive flies in the face of facts. The fact of the matter is that the developed countries of today industrialized under high tariff and import protection, and those countries that liberalized too fast suffered closure of local industries and job losses.

While there has been progress on negotiations on issues like agriculture and non-agricultural market access which are on the priority list of developed nations, there has been little or no movement on issues like the Special & Differential Treatment (S&D) which are of importance to developing countries. Countries are different and the same rules should not apply to all countries because they are in different stages of development. It is not fair to require countries to make concessions and undertake commitments that are inconsistent with their development. Only a satisfactory resolution of S&D treatment will contribute to the redress of the present imbalances in the multilateral trading system.

By agreeing to the Hong Kong ministerial text, developing countries are accepting short term and insignificant gains in agriculture for the serious loss of the right to develop policy space and options. The 2013 deadline for the elimination of export subsidies is not even a deadline. Further down, the text is very clear that the deadline “will be confirmed upon completion of the modalities…” This looks more like an exit strategy for the developed nations; it gives them space to explain why they have not met their commitments. In return for this shaky commitment, developing countries will be asked to open up some more. They will be asked not to protect their infant industries. Further down, they will be asked to privatise basic services like water and health leaving their citizens exposed to the vagaries of the market. All this for what?

Who will stand up for the poor? To question those who want to auction our lives is not only our right it is our duty. To challenge those who seek to commodify our lives is not only a necessity, it is our responsibility. It’s certainly not easy to fight big business and capital, but as has often been said, “Every journey begins with a single step.”

* Percy F. Makombe is an editorial board member of the Southern and Eastern African Trade Information Negotiations Institute.

* Please send comments to editor@pambazuka.org

WTO: “Them that’s got shall get, them that’s not shall lose”

Mohau Pheko and Liepollo Lebohang Pheko

2006-01-05

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/comment/31085

The sixth ministerial of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) wrapped up just before Christmas, but the results were anything but a present for Africa. The general consensus on the outcome was that a ‘development package’ failed to obscure losses in the areas of services, agriculture and export subsidies. In this article, Mohau Pheko and Liepollo Lebohang Pheko from the Gender & Trade Network in Africa, argue that Hong Kong will be remembered for creating an anti-development platform for Africa and the African people, especially women.


The World Trade Organisation (WTO) evokes a complex game at a casino. Bets are placed, teams are formed and reformed. The G90, G33, G20, NAMA 11 and of course the quads comprising the richest countries of the US, EU, Canada and Japan all line up. Typical of negotiations between rich and poor countries, the rules of the game shift according to the interests of the rich players who make the rules as they go along. In the end the rich industrial nations scheming and reverting to their old bag of tricks like ‘aid for trade’, extract even more concessions from poor African countries who have once again lost the game.

Much time in Hong Kong was spent by rich nations plotting their divide and conquer ‘development’ packages. Yet, even the so-called ‘development’ package was a case of romance without finance, empty, pathetic and premised on the notion of loans to further indebt poor African countries. The least developed countries came under attack as threatening to collapse the summit if they refused their suitors efforts at romancing them by increasing their debt in a take-it-or-leave-it assistance package.

Even the rare boldness of African parliamentarians earlier in the week in insisting that ‘the development concerns in all aspects of negotiations that have been raised by African Members be addressed as an integral part of the negotiations’, was ignored. African trade ministers thought otherwise and endorsed the final text with all its flaws. After six days of acrimonious negotiations, everyone including the unholy trio of the EU, US and Pascal Lamy, the WTO director-general, knows that a multitude of serious problems facing the WTO were papered over to avoid a third collapse and yet another visit to the intensive care unit. The concluded negotiations are a clear indication that the ‘free trade’ system is manifestly hypocritical, inconsistent, and ineffective for African women in particular. The WTO talks in Hong Kong have vividly highlighted these contradictions.

We cannot blame the rich countries alone; they needed to co-opt some countries from the global south to succeed in spinning a deceptive deal. The culprits emerge as the G-20 countries led by countries with large emerging economies such as Brazil, India, China, Pakistan and South Africa. The G-20 headed by Brazil’s Celso Amorin and India’s Kamal Nath have led the developing countries down the garden path in exchange for some market access in agriculture for Brazil and services outsourcing for India. The result of this is that developing countries will be forced to swallow the bitter pill of aggressive services market access. This will force African countries to provide foreign investors with the same rights as local suppliers in areas like water. This is an attack on public services that women depend upon for their families. For South Africa this will work against efforts towards broad-based BEE (Black Economic Empowerment) and women’s economic empowerment with these groups having to compete with foreign investors for tenders in the services sectors.

Through the adoption of a Swiss formula on Non-Agricultural Market Access (NAMA), African countries will be forced to undertake drastic cuts in their industrial tariffs. This will potentially lead to the further collapse of local industries, de-industrialisation and massive job losses in mining, fishing and manufacturing and will wipe out women’s home-based industries, displacing local producers.

In the area of agriculture, Africa’s critical interests have been ignored. The end date of 2013 for the elimination of export subsidies, which amounted to three billion euros, looses significance when compared to the damage that African farmers will endure by domestic support measures which amount to 55 billion euros. It is clear that the rich countries, in particular the US and EU, found an escape route on this sticking point. The losers are African women who will be displaced by companies like Monsanto who produce genetically modified seeds and are creating a food security crisis for the African world.

The resistance of countries such as the G90 (mostly developing countries), Venezuela and Cuba were systematically thwarted by immense pressure from the rich nations. What is clear now is that the use of the Doha Development Round was a smokescreen by rich countries to force developing countries to comply with their WTO commitment to open up their markets, even if this was not compatible with national development goals. The ideological imperative of free trade is like a moral prescription of errant religious leaders – do as I say, not as I do. When African countries made demands for special treatment, they were regarded as charity cases by wealthy countries. The rich countries also intimidated developing countries by asserting that they have only two options – meet the challenge of adapting to trade liberalisation or retreat into the dark past of protectionism. This is a false dichotomy. The real dichotomy is the power play between development and the unequal rules of free trade as defined by the rich countries.

Instead of Hong Kong becoming a milestone towards achieving the much-lauded development round, it will be remembered as creating an anti-development platform for Africa and the African people. The economic gains promised when the WTO was launched 11 years ago never materialised and the economic conditions for the majority of African people has deteriorated. It reminds one of that old Billie Holiday song “them that’s got shall get, them that’s not shall lose”.

A recent World Bank study shows that poor nations will be the net looser if the current Doha agenda is continued. It is incredibly cynical - even by WTO standards - to try and label these negotiations as pro-development. Included as net losers are Sub-Saharan Africa, the Caribbean, and most of the Middle Eastern countries. A careful read of the Hong Kong Ministerial text shows that despite days of hype about development being at the centre of the Doha agenda, in reality, Africa has been mortgaged to subsidise the economic future of rich industrial countries.

* The writers are members of the Secretariat for the Gender & Trade Network in Africa based in Johannesburg. GENTA participated at the Hong Kong Ministerial Conference.

* Please send comments to editor@pambazuka.org

Yearning for a fair deal: EPAs and their effect Eastern and Southern African countries

Medicine Masiiwa

2006-01-05

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/comment/31094

Recent research by the Trades and Development Studies Centre Trust in Zimbabwe examines the implications of current Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) for Eastern and Southern Africa. There are many problems with the negotiations including a threat to existing regional integration efforts, a lack of negotiating capacity on behalf of the African-Caribbean-Pacific (ACP) group of nations and a threat to local producers, who will have to compete with more powerful European Union (EU) competitors. Faced with these problems is it prudent to continue with the negotiations for the EPAs with the EU? Are there any alternatives to the EPAs? These are the questions the Trades and Development Studies Centre Trust set out to answer.


Background

The African-Caribbean-Pacific (ACP) group of nations have traditionally been dependent on preferential market access into the European Union (EU) markets under the Lomé Agreement. The preferences were in the form of reduced or zero tariffs on key ACP exports to the EU. In addition, commodity protocols were incorporated in order to accommodate traditional ACP exports such as sugar, beef, veal and rum.

After the conclusion of the Uruguay Round of talks and the establishment of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in 1995, the trade preferences became illegal because they violated the WTO Most Favoured Nation (MFN) principle. As such, the EU and the ACP states had to get special permission (waiver) to temporarily continue their special trading favours at the WTO Ministerial Conference in Doha, It is in this context that the EU proposed new trading arrangements which are WTO compatible. The EU further argued that Lomé preferences had not brought any trade benefits to most ACP countries as compared to non-ACP countries. For instance, whilst trade between the EU and non-ACP countries increased, EU - ACP trade declined from 6,7 % in the 1970s to 3% in 1998.

At the insistence of the EU, a new ACP-EU co-operation Agreement was signed in June 2000 in Cotonou, Benin (Cotonou Agreement). Under this agreement, ACP states would enter into reciprocal trade arrangements called Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs). Under this scenario, ACP countries would be required to give the EU the same market access that the EU gives to them. Different regions in the ACP group can negotiate the trade issues and create their own EPA with the EU. The Southern African Development Community (SADC) and Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA) regions are in the process of negotiating such EPAs with the EU. These reciprocal trade arrangements are often described as WTO compatible in the sense that they are presumed not to violate the WTO rules on regional trade agreements. However it is far from clear that negotiating EPAs with the EU is the best option for the development of the ESA/SADC region.

There are many problems associated with the current negotiations. Reciprocal trade between the ESA/SADC countries and the EU is meant to start by January 2008. The negotiations for the EPA were meant to have started in September 2002. However these started way after this date around 2004. ESA/SADC countries are simply not ready for these negotiations. Important procedures such as analyzing the impact of the EPA on national and regional economies were done at a very late stage, and years after the ESA/SADC states had signed the Cotonou agreement.

ESA/SADC states have in the past been building institutions to promote regional economic development through trade and cooperation in various areas. These efforts saw the birth of the Southern African Customs Union (SACU, the oldest customs union in the world), Southern African Development Community (SADC), Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) and the East Africa Customs Union (EAC). Instead of strengthening these regional institutions the manner with which the negotiating groups have been structured risks dismantling these institutions and also historical efforts made towards regional integration.

Although ESA/SADC and the EU states have competing interests in these negotiations, the ESA/SADC states are largely dependent on the EU especially with respect to the funding of the negotiations. It is difficult to see how the ESA/SADC states can effectively promote and protect their producers in these negotiations over markets when they are financially and technically compromised.

ESA/SADC countries lack the effective capacity to negotiate the EPA with the EU. This includes the human and technical resources to do so. On the other hand the EU has a strong and technical bureaucracy with decades of experience in handling tricky international trade issues.

There are reasonable fears that opening up ESA/SADC markets will wipe out local producers and have them replaced by EU exporters. Further ESA/SADC economies are largely agro-based and local agricultural producers will find it difficult to compete against resource rich EU-based agricultural producers who are invariably cushioned by hefty subsidies.

Faced with these problems is it prudent to continue with the negotiations for the EPAs with the EU? Are there any alternatives to the EPAs?

It does not appear as if the Cotonou agreement gave ESA/SADC countries real alternatives to EPAs. Although Article 37 of the Cotonou agreement talks of alternative trade arrangements with those non-LDC ACP states which are not ready to negotiate EPAs with the EU, there is no real alternative mentioned in the agreement. Article 37 promises to give those non-LDCs not ready for EPAs alternative trade arrangements with benefits similar to those under the Lome conventions. This is a dubious promise. The only possible alternative under Article 37 is the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP), a system of favours which must be granted to all developing countries. By definition this cannot result in favours similar to those under the Lome conventions because the later were meant for particular (ACP) developing countries, not all developing countries. Effectively Article 37 offers no real alternative to EPAs. Having said this, it is ironical that despite claiming to be unprepared for EPAs all ESA/SADC countries are negotiating one with the EU, and none have attempted to use the so-called alternative under Article 37.

ESA/SADC states must think of options to the current EPA negotiations. But what are these options, and how effective can they be?

1. Maintaining the status quo. Ideally many producers in the ACP group, including those in the ESA/SADC region would like the Lome preferences to be kept or even improved upon. They would like to continue getting special favours over and above other developing countries. This would see ESA/SADC states keeping special market access on favourable terms for example, for sugar and beef exports. To keep these favours ESA/SADC countries and their ACP counterparts must wait for the EU to be given another waiver to permit these one-way favours. However this is increasingly becoming a remote possibility for a number of reasons:

- Banana producing countries of Latin America have bitterly complained against the EU’s ACP preferences, arguing that they are discriminatory. The WTO has ruled that these preferences are indeed discriminatory and violate the MFN rule;

- There is a strong lobby in the EU and beyond (e.g. certain Asian countries) which is against Lome type trade preferences and is advocating for their ban at the WTO.

2. No reciprocity. Under this option ESA/SADC would not need to enter into damaging reciprocal arrangements with the EU, but to create non-reciprocal schemes. These are limited by the WTO rules to those non-reciprocal arrangements which are WTO compliant. This entails schemes under the GSP which is open to all developing countries. There are other GSP schemes which favour LDCs over developing countries, e.g., the EU’s Everything But Arms (EBA which gives LDCs products - except arms - entering the EU zero percent duty) scheme which is exclusive for LDCs. In this respect ESA/SADC countries would split along LDC and non-LDC lines. The EBA and the general GSP must be measured with the real market access under the Lome preferences. Even with these preferences ESA/SADC exports did not achieve a high level of penetration into the EU market.

A number of barriers prevented this, such as:

- Non-tariff barriers; subsidies granted to EU producers, especially under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) made it difficult for ESA/SADC producers to compete in the EU.

- Stringent rules for human, plant and animal health (Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) measures created obstacles against ESA/SADC exports as exporters could not afford to meet the requirements.

- Administrative procedures to satisfy rules of origin requirements also dissuaded ESA/SADC exporters from fully taking advantage of the Lome preferences. Already the beef, cereals and dairy sectors in ESA/SADC states are facing dwindling opportunities as a result of the CAP reforms.

These barriers are still relevant under the GSP and its EBA variety, if they are not removed the GSP and the EBA options are not really options for ESA/SADC.

3. Some level of Reciprocity. This option allows ESA/SADC states to partially open up their markets to the EU by liberalizing specific sectors whilst shutting out certain EU products and services for the protection of infantile producers. EU exports to the ESA/SADC region face tariff and non-tariff barriers. However the case for lowering barriers to EU imports may have several negative results, for example:

- government revenue losses, worst affected would be Mauritius, Zimbabwe and Tanzania which would lose more than 30% of customs revenue;

- local industry may not be able to compete with stronger EU-based competitors;

- there will be an increase in EU imports compared to a decline in ESA/SADC exports, there is a possibility that the food and beverages sectors would suffer as a result of more EU competing products entering the market; While the short-term result is that cheaper food imports will benefit consumers, the food processing and milling industries will face ultimate ruin;

- lower ESA/SADC duties on EU imports will negatively affect trade amongst ESA/SADC countries with respect to their own FTAs such as under, EAC, COMESA and the planned SADC FTA.

ESA/SADC states may opt to shut out specific EU products and unilaterally liberalise their economies in areas they are ready to do so. From an ESA/SADC perspective this is reasonable because it protects vulnerable sectors from damaging competition. However both light market opening (some level of reciprocity) and the non-reciprocal unilateral tariff structuring have to comply with the WTO rules. At present Article XXIV which caters for RTAs does not permit such deviations. To accommodate this option Article XXIV has to be amended to:

- recognize the disparities between industrialized and developing countries;

- make the interpretation of the requirement for “substantially all trade” to be liberalized more flexible for developing countries which have economic sectors which are too sensitive to competition from industrialized trading partners;

- grant developing countries in a proposed FTA with an industrialized country more time and opportunity to adjust to the new arrangement (transition period), for example by up to 18 years or more.

The ACP states have tabled this proposal before the WTO for possible negotiation at the December 2005 summit. However the weight of influence seems staked against the ACP proposal. Japan and Australia are opposed to this proposal, added to these is the traditional hostility to ACP preferences as shown by Latin American countries, and sometimes with USA backing.

Tying Trade Liberalisation to Developmental Benchmarks

Proposals forwarded by Trades Centre under its study on New Enhanced Economic Agreements (ERA) provide practical options for future EU-ACP trading co-operation. Essentially, the proposal ties trade liberalisation by African countries to certain developmental benchmarks which include:

- Agreed measures of development and overall vulnerability of each African Regional Partner (e.g. SADC or ESA). For example, opening up of Africa’s markets to the EU must be tied to substantial debt relief by the EU to Africa. In other words, the EU pays a price for preferential market provided to it.

- LDC members retain their special access to EU markets without reciprocity for an extended period.

- Opening up of Africa’s markets is related to agreed benchmarks in reform of the CAP.

- EU trade diversion avoided by liberalizing at own pace within the WTO frameworks thus giving improved access to non-EU markets.

- Aid component of ERA is used to enhance trade capabilities and increase export diversification.

- Aid is also used to cushion the transition to more liberal trading conditions (especially changes in protocols).

- There is a contract enforcement mechanism (including dispute procedures) in place.

- Rules of origin are simple and facilitate cumulation.

- Review of WTO provisions on RTAs.

More aid, investment, and new issues.

ACP states (inclusive of ESA/SADC countries) seem to be involved in the EPA negotiations for the purposes of accessing more aid and investment from the EU. It is not clear that more aid and investment will only come from the EU if ESA/SADC states agree to EPA arrangements with the EU. Above this ESA/SADC states have committed themselves to supporting negotiations on investment, competition and intellectual property related issues both at an EPA level and at the WTO. This is despite their resistance to the discussions of these issues at the Cancun WTO summit. This shows a level of confusion as there is no guarantee that more aid and investment will materialize from the EU as a result of the EPA under negotiations.

Recommendations

The EPA negotiations should either be drastically slowed down or stopped. This will give ESA/SADC time to make real assessments of future trade relations not only with Europe but with the rest of the world. The present concern for ESA/SADC states like the rest of the ACP group is to maintain historical favours from the EU. At the same time ESA/SADC states want to benefit from the multilateral framework under the WTO. As explained above there is a conflicting legal responsibility here. In the short-term ESA/SADC states should:

- engage WTO partners to ensure that post-Lome trade arrangements do not get implemented by 2008 as planned under the Cotonou agreement.

- actively table alternatives to the EPAs proposal. This involves having to pull out of the current negotiations, or seeking a reprieve. The short-term plan obviously includes conflicting positions, the more reason why it is not ideal.

- ESA/SADC states should revisit their regional integration commitments and give effect to deeper integration. Emphasis should be on food security as the priority for the region. And with respect to trade relations with the rest of the world ESA/SADC states should.

- assess their historical dependence on Europe in the light of shifting geopolitical priorities. EU trade preferences have not and will not increase African productivity and economic security. Some sectors of ESA/SADC economies are at the mercy of EU CAP reforms and the EU is no longer a viable market for them.

- work collectively with other developing countries to ensure that the WTO framework works to the advantage of developing countries. ACP states have used the WTO summits as a place to secure the continuity of EU preferences. Instead better use of the multilateral framework can be made if ACP states focus on issues common to the trading prospects of all developing countries. Though some ACP states are active on issues common to all developing states, there is always the EU trade preferences issue.

- take a lead in negotiating the implementation of development country friendly WTO concessions, in this case the market access commitments of developed countries under Part IV of GATT. These concessions do not require reciprocal action from developing countries especially with respect to liberalization commitments. The WTO rules did not make flexible rules to govern RTAs involving developed-developing country configuration precisely because it makes no economic sense. Hence ESA/SADC states should insist on the actualization of those rules made with developing countries in mind.

* Many thanks to Dr. Medicine Masiiwa from the Trades and Development Studies Centre Trust (Trades Centre) for providing this summary of research into EPAs being conducted by the Trades Centre.

* Please send comments to editor@pambazuka.org

Bye-Bye to Blair, Brown, Bob and Bono – the B stars in poverty pornography

Tajudeen Abdul Raheem

2006-01-05

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/panafrican/31077

Tajudeen Abdul-Raheem begins the year with no resolutions and no predictions for 2006. But he does say goodbye to one aspect of 2005 that he found particularly irksome – the missionary focus on Africa by the likes of Tony Blair and Bob Geldof and the way in which leading NGOs were shamelessly co-opted by power. “I hope that in the New Year these NGOs will start looking more to Africa and Africans rather than false prophets, saviours and messiahs from outside,” he writes.


It is the end of one year and the beginning of another. It is customary to look back on the outgoing year, recalling the high and low points while looking forward to the New Year with hope and expectation - and sometimes trepidation about things foretold or just expected. Many people also engage in ritual New Year resolutions that habitually do not survive the New Year celebrations!

This column will not review the whole year. I am also engaging the good sense gear not to make any predictions for 2006 so as to save myself the trouble of verbose explanation why they did not happen, this time next year. And as for New Year resolutions, I save myself both embarrassment and disappointment in one go by not making any. This makes everything that may happen, whether welcome or unwelcome, a surprise all the same.

Instead of a review of the whole of 2005 I will just look at one issue that became almost an obsession for me throughout the year.

The year 2005 will go down as one in which so much was promised to Africa and in which so little was achieved. But the subterfuge helped clear any lingering scales on our eyes that foreign-do-gooders will help fix Africa.

We were told several times by all kinds of do-gooders that 2005 was Africa's year. These expectations were based on a dubious coincidence outside of Africa. The British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, assumed both the Presidency of the European Union and Chairmanship of the G8 Rich Vultures' Club and promised to make Africa his priority. Prophet Blair, who did not officially visit Africa throughout his first term (except for an obligatory photo call on Nelson Mandela), decided that, to cleanse himself of the blood of innocent Iraqis that he helped his buddy, barmy Bush, to exterminate, Africa would be his salvation.

Leading British NGOs led by OXFAM, who even had one of their former top ranking officials in Downing Street as an adviser, saw Blair's missionary view of Africa as a wonderful opportunity for funding and willingly went to bed with Blair.

Their shameless embrace of Blair is only comparable to the grotesque scandal of Western journalists becoming embedded with the Anglo-American imperialists in their illegal occupation of Iraq. These NGOs now have to search their souls during 2006 and ask if their collusion with power was worth it. But since they are not accountable to the people they serve they continue to talk up their treachery as success. What kind of success is this for debt relief that sees Nigeria paying back over three billion dollars to Britain alone, a figure more than the total aid budget of Britain in the same year?

What kind of opportunity for Africa is 2005 when pressures have to be dissipated on making the USA through its UN ambassador, the UN-hating Bolton, to accept not to eliminate the acronym, Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) set five years before? If it took so much effort to defend the acronym alone how much will it take to achieve the goals? If you are still in doubt about how bad things are, the recent WTO meetings in Hong Kong should put paid to any illusions. There was no movement on the big issues and decisions are delayed for yet another round of negotiations between the cats and the mice of the global economy. The cats will not give up their right to eat the mice while the mice have to do everything to escape being gobbled up.

It's a clear frontier but many Western NGOs confuse their domestic audience and their conniving Southern activists in facilitating the illusion that some cats are less greedy than others. Many Southern activists know this not to be true but carry on with their northern patrons because their jobs and careers depend on it. The campaigns offer individual poverty alleviation mechanisms without making a dent on the global and national structure of power that impoverishes the masses of their peoples. Whatever Bob Geldof, Bono and other busy-body new missionaries in the west may do, poverty can neither be danced out of town nor be talked out of existence with prime ministers and presidents. It is a poverty of history to think and act as though a few rock concerts will change the situation. No matter how many billions watch the concerts.

So grim are things that Bob Geldof has now become an adviser to the new Conservative leader, newly cloned Blairite, David Cameron, on global poverty. Having tried Blair and New Labour the patron saint of Western NGOs has gone for the Conservatives! I guess after trying the fake Tory why not go for the real thing? Are Oxfam and their assorted fellow travelers in Africa now going to persuade us that Cameron is the new face of the war on poverty?

It is clear that the British and other Western NGOs make adjustments to their own political environment and find relevance whoever is in power, but because our own NGOs are donor-driven, lacking a social base in our own societies, they have proven themselves incapable of doing the same. Therefore they declare themselves only independent of African governments and are not accountable to African people but dance to the tunes of their funders. I hope that in the New Year these NGOs will start looking more to Africa and Africans rather than false prophets, saviours and messiahs from outside. The fact that the majority of our peoples survived to see the dawn breaking on 2006 has nothing to do with what Blair, Brown, Bob and Bono (I often wonder why their names are all 'B'?) did for them or to them but the direct result of our will to live and overcome. In saying bye-bye to 2005 lets say bye bye to the B stars in the global pornography of poverty that dominated the multimedia during the year.

Happy New Year to you all.

* Dr Tajudeen Abdul-Raheem is General-Secretary of the Pan African Movement, Kampala (Uganda) and Co-Director of Justice Africa

* Please send comments to editor@pambazuka.

Global: Water - life before profit!

2006-01-04

http://www.kairoscanada.org/e/action/campaign.asp

“We believe that water is a sacred gift connecting all life. As the world faces a growing freshwater crisis, water is becoming a profit-maker for some—and something that’s impossible to afford for others. Every time we drain a wetland or pollute a river, we make the problem worse for everyone. In the face of this crisis, water must remain in public hands throughout the world. It should not be turned into a commodity for private profit.” Click on the URL provided to find out how you can take action.

South Africa: In support of Ashwin Desai

2006-01-05

http://voiceoftheturtle.org/raj/blog/2005/12/optimism-of-will_31.html

If there's one struggle that's looking on the up at the moment, writes Raj Patel on his blog Voice of the Turtle, it's the fight to get Ashwin Desai's job back at the Centre for Civil Society. Patel explains why Desai, a veteran of the anti-apartheid struggle and author of ‘We are the Poors’, has been banned from the University of KwaZulu-Natal for his uncompromising honesty. Desai applied for funding earlier this year to undertake research on the history of race and sport in South Africa, but the Vice-Chancellor, Malegapuru William Makgoba, instructed the selection committee at the University of KwaZulu-Natal not to consider Desai's application. Visit Voice of the Turtle for the full story and sign a petition in support of Desai by visiting http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/567835610?ltl=1136454112

An Open Letter to Tony Blair

Kintu Nyago

2006-01-04

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/letters/31014

The Right Honorable Prime Minister, as you should appreciate, it’s not usual for an ordinary Ugandan to write to you an open letter. But these are not ordinary times, in light of the arbitrarily manner with which your government is meddling in Uganda’s governance through its withdrawing of budgetary support in a manner reminiscent of the days of the empire.

Certainly I do thank you for the development support you offered Uganda in the last 15 or so years. It changed lives for the better including of the most vulnerable. While your vision of a just world as articulated in your third term is also most commendable.

However, many find dubious the reasons Britain provided for its aid cut. The more surprising in light of Britain’s long inteference in Uganda’s governance, dating back more that 100 years and starting with the colonial experience. And as you should recall, for more than 80 of these years Britain undermined rather than promoted Uganda’s good political governance.

For British colonialism, which we experienced for 60 years, was the exact antithesis of democratic governance. No elections, no accountable structures, no responsiveness or meaningful social programmes. Actually colonialism left us a legacy of underdevelopment and an autocratic culture and institutions. One which we have been attempting to undo, for the most part successfully, in the last 20 years!

Allow me to remind you that Britain was also instrumental in propping up both the Milton Obote (I and II) and Idi Amin regimes. For when Obote abrogated Uganda’s 1962 Lancaster House constitution, the Labour government under Harrold Wilson conveniently adopted a business as usual approach! Later Heath’s regime encouraged, to put it mildly, the Amin coup. Indeed Britain was the first to recognize and internationally legitimized Amin junta.

The pattern was much similar to Obote’s fraudulent return to power in 1980. Indeed Britain trained the murderous Uganda National Liberation Army and most conspicuously never criticized that regime’s attempted genocide. Hence the question, Rt.Hon. Prime Minister, where do you get the moral authority to now lecture us on our democratization process, in light of the above most dismal history?

Britain claims that Uganda does not have the commitment towards maintaining an independent judiciary. Please further substantiate on this serious allegation. We cherish the independence of our judiciary, which for your information is currently and ably arbitrating major disputes in the land.

In sum sir, Ugandans primarily through their own devices re-established the rule of law and we do not need patronizing foreigners to claim to be the guarantors of our freedoms, when in actual essence they were the source of the very governance problems we are grappling with now.

Sir, Britain also thinks that our freedom of the press is under threat! This impression requires correction. For actually, and for your information, Ugandans enjoy more press freedom than the British.

Then there is the claim that Ugandans have no freedom of association. This we find incredulous! Parties are now legally recognised and many recently held unprecedented vibrant and democratic delegates conferences which renewed their leadership.

Concerning the case of Kizza Besigye and the Ituri 22, we could probably seek guidance from Britain’s long history. How do you treat treason suspects? Are they feted? Let off the hook, outside due process, because, for instance, they are noblemen and politically well connected? In our case of the above the accused have been rigorously subjected to an expeditious due process of the law. It is this process that will provide the final verdict.

Ironically the effects of your glaring blunders could be the opposite of what you intended. Many Ugandans now question the donor’s biased meddling and patronizing attitudes. This is consolidating a strong nationalist ideology that questions the wisdom of our exposing ourselves to your arrogance and arbitrary methods of work.

In appreciation

Stephen Mutoro

2006-01-03

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/letters/31001

We wish to immensely appreciate the quality and incisive coverage of the Pan-African issues. We at Kenya Alliance of Resident Associations (KARA) are pleased to be associated with you and look forward to a possible partnership with yourselves. Thank you.

In appreciation (2)

Mawutodzi Abissath

2006-01-03

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/letters/31002

I have just finished going through the compilation of your editorial series for the year 2005. I think they are fantastic. This must involve a great deal of dedication and devotion to one's duty indeed! More grease to your pen in the coming year.

Neoliberalism: For whom?

Jordan Bishop

2006-01-03

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/letters/31003

I happened across some if your comments on neoliberalism. I am impressed. Not to be overly pedantic, but I do believe that much of it is in classical liberalism, as described by the late Karl Polanyi in 'The Great Transformation' [1944]; Boston, Beacon, 1957; 2nd edition Boston, Beacon, 2001. This also involved the great age of colonialism, and neoliberalism is nothing if not neocolonialism.

The structures of neoliberalism are uniformly and without exception established for the benefit of the metropoli, not for the benefit of the subject peoples. This is as true of IMF and World Bank structures (The Washington Consensus) as it was for the British Raj or neocolonial structures in Latin America. And in fact, with the popular perceptions of Globalism, the world in 1900 was probably more "globalist" than is our world one hundred years later. Best!

Should countries be feminine?

J. Zoe Wilson

2006-01-03

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/letters/31004

Referring to countries in the feminine, as in: "The country has been declared a 'highly indebted poor country' (HIPC) by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, who structurally adjusted her into debt in the first place," indicates to me that the author is completely out of touch with how power operates and, indeed, how he serves it. How can we take anything he says seriously?

(The article to which this comment refers can be read at http://www.pambazuka.org/index.php?id=30977)

Do I Have to Kneel?

Patricia Haward

2006-01-05

http://www.africanbookscollective.com/

Namuli, the lead character of this novel, makes her way from an isolated Ugandan village to international recognition. She encounters obstacles, prejudices and uncertainties about her own identity as a student, professional woman and mother. She experiences the enigmas of love, relationships and loss. The novel is based on a true story and aims to give readers an authentic picture of what it was like to live in Uganda from the 1950s through to the 1970s.

Gova

Ike Mboneni Muila

2006-01-05

http://www.africanreviewofbooks.com/

Gova is a book of poetry written in one of South Africa's unofficial languages, Isicamtho – a polyglot of the 11 official languages and one which has its origins in the so-called tsotsi taal of the Black gehttoes. Ike Mboneni Muila is a master of this language and encourages readers to dive in.

Islam and Liberty: The Historical Misunderstanding

Mohamed Charfi

2006-01-05

http://zedbooks.co.uk/

Mohammed Charfi tackles the central question facing all Arab-Muslim nations: is Islam compatible with contemporary notions of democracy, legality and the State? A century ago, thinkers like Abdoh and Tahar Haddad called for an approach to religion compatible with modern realities, yet the 21st century is witnessing a sad regression in the independence of the law from holy writ. Charfi advocates a profound revision of Islamic thought.

South Africa: Global warming and the privatised atmosphere

Edited by Patrick Bond and Rehana Dada

2006-01-04

http://www.thecornerhouse.org.uk/pdf/document/trouble.pdf

This book, from the University of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa and edited by South African activists, provides more detail on the practical threats to public well-being and climatic stability arising from the growing fashion for carbon trading. It focuses in particular on the disturbing record of South African "carbon-saving" projects and their role in shoring up a destructive oil economy with a record of harm to African people.

African blogs this week: Chasing the Yahoo-Yahoo boys

Sokari Ekine

2006-01-04

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/blog/31063

What better way to start the New Year than a story of the millions of US $ lost by greedy people through Nigerian internet scams! Nigerian blog, Nigerian Times - Nigerian Times (http://nigeriantimes.blogspot.com/2006/01/yahoo-yahoo-internet-scammers-made-170.html) writes a rejoinder to an article in the Miami Herald on Nigerian scammers. He admits that greediness and gullibility are largely responsible but adds that the CIA, FBI and Interpol have the technology to trace and arrest the scammers via their hotmail and yahoo accounts. In fact in Nigeria, scammers are called “Yahoo-Yahoo boys” because 99% of them use Yahoo accounts. It is impossible to have any sympathy for people that fall for these scams – everyone knows that gluttony is bad for the health and the pocket!

“These Internet Scams can be stopped once and for all if the Americans and Europeans and other foreigners stop being GREEDY, IGNORANT and GULLIBLE and if the CIA, FBI and INTERPOL can do their work accordingly.”

Ethan Zuckerman’s My Heart is in Accra - My Hearts in Accra (http://www.ethanzuckerman.com/blog/?p=312) points to an article in the New York Times that updates an old story - attempts to re-brand Ghana as a homeland for Africans enslaved and brought across the Atlantic to return home to. The issue of “homeland” for many old Diasporans is a highly problematic one. As Ethan points out, being labelled as “white” (“obruni”) when you are a white man is one thing but for Africans from the Diaspora it is confusing and disappointing.

“But it’s obviously very different to hear yourself called ‘obruni’ when you’re an African-American in Ghana. And it’s even harder to hear the message many of my African-American friends heard while visiting Ghana - that they were ‘lucky’ because they ‘got to live in America’. While this may be an astonishingly insensitive thing to say to people looking for their ancestry after being uprooted by one of the greatest crimes in history, it makes some sense when seen from the perspective of a young Ghanaian. Many Ghanaians are desperate to emigrate to the US or the UK - it’s hard to understand, from that perspective, why people ‘lucky’ enough to live in America would be looking back towards Africa.”

British/Ghanaian Artistic director of Institute of Contemporary Arts Ekow Eshun’s “Black Gold of the Sun” is an excellent example of “the tribulations” of “going back home”.

Rantings of a Sandmonkey - Rantings of a Sandmonkey (http://egyptiansandmonkey.blogspot.com/2006/01/egypt-to-deport-sudanese-refugees.html) presents a visual commentary on the killing and removal of Sudanese refugees from Cairo which mocks the reason given by the Egyptian government for their actions – the refugees were evicted, beaten and killed for “being too violent”.

Passion of the Present - Passion of the Present (http://platform.blogs.com/passionofthepresent/2006/01/egypt_celebrate.html) also writes on the eviction and killings of Sudanese refugees noting that it is the 50th anniversary of Sudan’s independence from “Anglo-Egyptian condominium rule (January 1, 1956)”

“There is no reliable casualty report, in part because Egyptian security forces are not returning the dead to their families. But the Cairo representative of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement has reported, on behalf of the SPLM Committee in Cairo, the results of a canvassing of area hospitals: 180 dead at Giza Hospital, 27 dead at Zeinhom Hospital, 35 dead at Manshiet Bakry Hospital, 23 dead at Kasr El Ein Hospital.”

Kenyan blogger, Gukira - Gukira (http://gukira.blogspot.com/2006/01/tribes-and-democracy.html) writes on “tribes, language and culture” and myths of the West, stating:

“I've never bought the myth that tribes should be renamed nations to satisfy some western acknowledgement that our traditional organizations were complex. And I've also never bought the idea that cultural and linguistic complexity should be sacrificed in the name of national unity, as though English and Swahili lack specific histories.”

The African Cup of Nations starts next month in Egypt. Black Looks - Black Looks (http://okrasoup.typepad.com/black_looks/2006/01/happy_new_year_.html) looks at how the Africa cup impacts on European football as team managers look for creative ways to avoid allowing their African players to participate in the tournament.

“English and European football are happy to benefit from the talent of African footballers but are not prepared to pay the price - one month every two years. Admittedly the African Nations Cup comes at an awkward time for European football but this is something FIFA and CAF (Confédération Africaine de Football) need to address. Like the European and World Cup maybe the African Cup of Nations could be played over the summer but even then I predict there would be complaints from teams and players because neither accord African football with the same respect and consideration as European football.”

* Sokari Ekine produces the blog Black Looks, http://okrasoup.typepad.com/black_looks

* Please send comments to editor@pambazuka.org

Africa: Instrument for advancing reproductive and sexual rights

2006-01-04

http://www.crlp.org/pdf/pub_bp_africa.pdf

This briefing paper offers concrete suggestions for women's health and rights advocates within and beyond Africa. It provides detailed information that can help African women exercise their reproductive rights. The paper can also be useful to advocates outside Africa who are seeking to establish similar guarantees.

Global: Impact of natural disasters on women

2006-01-05

http://r.vresp.com/?GlobalFundforWomen/98f187a72b/467417/3849874991/33c2330

The Global Fund report, Caught in the Storm: The Impact of Natural Disasters on Women, explores women's disproportionate vulnerability to natural disasters and offers concrete recommendations to help aid agencies and governments develop and implement more inclusive and gender-sensitive relief strategies.

Global: Women make political gains in 2005

2006-01-04

http://tinyurl.com/djslz

The world witnessed a number of major political achievements for women in 2005, from the election of Africa's first female president to the first polls in Saudi Arabia to include women, according to the Boston Globe. "This has been a year in which women have taken grassroots struggles and transformed them into something bigger by developing a very considered political strategy," said Kavita Ramdas, president of the San Francisco-based Global Fund for Women, which provides grants to women's rights groups around the world.

Global: Women's rights activism in conflict

2006-01-04

http://www.eldis.org/cf/rdr/rdr.cfm?doc=DOC10774

This downloadable book considers the study of women's rights activists who respond to conflict or crises in their own countries. The authors address their strategies and why it is that the capacity of women activists is extremely limited. In 2003 the Urgent Action Fund launched a year-long project identifying concrete ways to improve international support for the interventions of women's rights activists during all phases of a conflict. Women were interviewed in three conflict areas: the Balkans (Kosovo and Serbia); Sierra Leone; and Sri Lanka.

Kenya: Small loans for men to stop violence

2006-01-04

http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=31578

Micro-credit facilities for men could emerge as a powerful tool to check the alarming increase in cases of violence against women in Kenya. Experts say that with easy access to small loans for income generating activities, men would have less time on their hands to be abusive. Violence against women has been on the increase in this East African nation. An estimated 2,800 rape cases were reported in 2004, according to the police. This was 500 times more than the figure reported in 2003. Jennifer Riria, chief executive of the internationally-known Kenya Women Finance Trust (KWFT), is pushing to expand micro-credit services to include men.

Mauritania: Protocol on women’s rights in Africa ratified

2006-01-04

http://www.wildaf-ao.org

Mauritania deposited its instrument of ratification of the protocol on the African charter on human and peoples’ rights on the rights of women in Africa with the African Union on 14th December 2005. Burkina Faso and Guinea in West Africa will very shortly deposit their ratification instrument as their parliaments have respectively authorised it. Outside West Africa, Mozambique’s Parliament has also approved the ratification of the Protocol.

Niger: Giving women a voice on the airwaves

2006-01-04

http://www.oneworld.net/link/gotoarticle/addhit/124876/66/55860

In this article, Kady Souley Boncano shares her experience of how radio made her a star in her country. She describes the changes Niger has undergone in the last few years and the way radio has affected the life of women in Niger.

Tanzania: More women, new faces in Kikwete's cabinet

2006-01-05

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=50938

Newly elected Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete announced his cabinet on Wednesday (January 4), comprising 29 ministers and 30 deputies. The cabinet has many new faces and the highest number of women the country has had since independence. "This is a new government, with new goals and that is why we have several new faces. There are, however, several veterans around," Kikwete told a news conference at State House, his first since he was sworn-in as president on 21 December 2005.

Zambia: Landmark judgment for women in customary marriages

2006-01-05

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=50812

A precedent setting ruling earlier this month by a local court in Zambia has given women married under customary law the right to a share of marital property in the event of a divorce or death of the husband. Previously, a woman married under customary law would not be entitled to a share of property, irrespective of whether she had contributed to its acquisition.

Ethiopia: FIDH concerned about repression

2006-01-04

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/rights/31035

The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) is deeply concerned about the charges held against 129 persons including 2 minors, opposition activists, human rights defenders and journalists. Since May 15, 2005 and the Ethiopian parliamentary elections, repression has come down in Ethiopia. In June and November 2005, two waves of repression of the elections protests led to the death of almost 100 people including unarmed protesters, students and children. Thousands of people have been arrested.
The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) is deeply concerned about the charges held against 129 persons including 2 minors, opposition activists, human rights defenders and journalists. Since May 15, 2005 and the Ethiopian parliamentary elections, repression has come down in Ethiopia. In June and November 2005, two waves of repression of the elections protests led to the death of almost 100 people including unarmed protesters, students and children. Thousands of people have been arrested.

On December 21, 2005, 131 people were denied bail and formally charged with crimes including, conspiracy and armed uprising, trying to subvert the Constitution, high treason and genocide. They were given until 28 December to enter their pleas. According to the
Ethiopian penal code, maximum sentences for these crimes are ranging from 25 years inprisonment to the death penalty.

The names and activities of most of the accused are unknown but according to the information received they include 2 teenage boys aged 14 and 15, 10 elected parliamentarian and leaders of the Coalition for Unity and Democracy (CUD), at least 12 journalists, 2 anti-poverty activists, Messrs. Daniel Bekele and Netsanet Demessie
from Actionaid Ethiopia, an international NGO dedicated to the fight against poverty, and Mr. Mesfin Woldemariam, former president of the Ethiopian Human Rights Council (EHRCO), FIDH member organisation in Ethiopia.

On December 28, 2005, the judge of the Federal High Court of Addis Ababa released 2 defendants who will face separate charges and remanded the 129 others defendants including the 2 boys into custody for a further 7 days until the pending ruling on their bail
applications. 32 of them who are living in exile will be tried in abstentia. According to our information, the defendants are not allowed to meet their lawyers.

The FIDH considers that these charges are disproportionate and are indeed a way to silent down opposition and human rights activists. The FIDH is also extremely worried about the situation of the members of EHRCO and fears for their physical and psychological integrity. Indeed, since the November wave of repression, FIDH has
been unable to contact its members and has no information on their whereabouts.

The FIDH is therefore urging the Ethiopian government to :

* ensure that all unlawfully detained prisoners, human rights activists, journalists will be released,
* guarantee fair trials to the other detainees as defined in Article 14 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) ratified in 1993 and notably the rights to be informedpromptly of the nature and cause of the charge against them, to have
adequate time and facilities for the preparation of their defence and to communicate with their lawyers and to be tried without undue delay,
* comply with its international obligations under article 6(5) of the ICCPR by excluding the imposition of the death penalty by persons below eighteen years of age and more generally to conform with the United Nations Rules for the Protection of Juveniles Deprived of their Liberty (1990) and Safeguards guaranteeing protection of the
rights of those facing the death penalty (1984),
* refrain from applying the death penalty and to ratify the second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights which provides for the abolition of death penalty,
* guarantee, at all times, the freedoms of opinion and expression as well as the right to hold peaceful demonstrations and to political assembly, in compliance with the Ethiopian Constitution and the international and regional instruments ratified by Ethiopia and,
notably the ICCPR, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) and the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights (ACHPR),
* guarantee in all circumstances the physical and psychological integrity of human rights defenders in compliance with international instruments especially the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders adopted by the U.N. General Assembly in December 1998.

the United Nations to :

* immediately establish an independent inquiry commission to investigate the human rights violations committed by security forces in Ethiopia in connection with the May 15, 2005 elections, of which the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on the situation of human rights defenders, the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment and a member of the Working Group on arbitrary detention should be a part.

http://www.hrea.org

Ethiopian: Opponents denied bail

2006-01-05

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4580158.stm

A group of Ethiopian opposition leaders, aid workers and journalists - facing treason, conspiracy and genocide charges have been denied bail. The High Court judge said the severity of the accusations against the group of 131 precluded their release. The group, including all the leaders of the main opposition Coalition for Unity and Democracy (CUD) party, are refusing to recognise the court's legitimacy.

Global: Declaration for indigenous peoples this year?

2006-01-04

http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=31549

The long-awaited international declaration on the rights of indigenous peoples may see the light of day in 2006, after more than 10 years of complex efforts by a United Nations working group, experts announced. The negotiations that took place in 2005 gave rise to a glimmer of hope that the next session of the U.N. Commission on Human Rights, to be held in March and April, might approve the Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Kenya: Engaging local leaders to become advocates for human rights

2006-01-05

http://database.newtactics.org/NewTactics/CaseInformation.aspx

The Coalition on Violence against Women (COVAW) engages chiefs and other local leaders to become women’s rights advocates and resources for victims. The program was formed because of the lack of women’s rights advocates for women who have been subjected to violence. Women who have been abused usually turn either to local hospitals/clinics or to their chiefs. However, none of these groups were able to adequately meet the women’s needs and the Coalition on Violence Against Women wanted to change this. Visit the website of New Tactics in Human Rights to find out more.

Morocco: King approves final report of commission

2006-01-05

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/rights/31086

King Mohammed VI today (December 16) approved the publication and public release of the final report of the Moroccan Equity and Reconciliation Commission (Instance Équité et Réconciliation or IER). The Royal Palace received the report on December 1, 2005, officially ending the Commission's 18-month mandate.
King Mohammed VI today (December 16) approved the publication and public release of the final report of the Moroccan Equity and Reconciliation Commission (Instance Équité et Réconciliation or IER). The Royal Palace received the report on December 1, 2005, officially ending the Commission's 18-month mandate.

Following today's announcement, the Commission released brief summaries of its findings and recommendations. (To access the summaries, go to: http://www.ictj.org) A substantial summary is expected to be released this weekend, in advance of the full report.

The highly anticipated public dissemination of the report will mark a crucial stage in the course of the Commission's work as the processes it recommends provide Morocco with a tremendous opportunity to advance victims' rights and prevent future abuses. According to the summaries, the full report determines the responsibilities of state actors and other parties for the abuses and outlines an extensive reparations plan for victims and their families. While addressing the precise nature of past violations, the report also recommends concrete steps the Moroccan government and civil society can take to ensure non-repetition in the future, such as measures and reforms that strengthen the rule of law.

Background

From the 1950s to the 1990s, thousands of Moroccans were illegally detained, imprisoned, tortured, or forcibly 'disappeared' by state actors under King Hassan II. In April 2004, his son and successor, King Mohammed VI, formally established the 17-member Commission to investigate this era and provide compensation to victims and their families. The IER received more than 22,000 applications for consideration and held victim-centered, public hearings televised throughout Morocco-an unprecedented first for the region.

As the first truth commission in the Middle East and North Africa region, the public release of the IER's final report will be a groundbreaking event, both nationally and internationally. Given its rich archive documenting past violations, the Commission and its final report could help move Morocco forward on a path toward national reconciliation and greater respect for human rights.

http://www.hrea.org

Zimbabwe: African leaders break silence over Mugabe

2006-01-05

http://tinyurl.com/cwqk9

President Robert Mugabe's human rights record has been condemned for the first time by African leaders, significantly increasing pressure on the Zimbabwean leader to restore the rule of law and stop evicting people from their homes. The unprecedented criticism comes from the African Union's Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights, meeting in Banjul, The Gambia, which had until now been silent about the growing evidence of human rights abuses in Zimbabwe, according to the Mail and Guardian.

Zimbabwe: AU slams Zimbabwe over human rights record

2006-01-04

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/IRIN/6774c49834e91f79452768aa8ed138be.htm

The African Commission on Human and People's Rights (ACHPR), an African Union (AU) institution, has adopted a resolution strongly denouncing Zimbabwe's human rights practices. "This will exert a lot of pressure on Zimbabwe - this is the first time such a significant body, so close to African heads of state, observes and condemns such defiance of human rights compliance," Arnold Tsunga, Director of the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, told IRIN.

Burundi: Refugees reluctant to return home

2006-01-05

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=50902

On a routine repatriation day in the Ngara District of northwestern Tanzania, convoys organised by the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, lined up to take Burundi refugees home. An 11-year-old boy stood crying next to one of the trucks. Momentarily, there was a flurry of activity as UNHCR officials tried to verify that the boy had not been left behind. He had not. Still crying, the boy explained that he was sad because his "family" was leaving. Even though he was staying at the camp with his biological mother, he was heartbroken that another family he had considered his own was returning to Burundi without him.

Egypt: Deportortation of 654 Sudanese Refugees

2006-01-04

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20060103/D8ETBEDO0.html

Egypt will deport 654 Sudanese refugees who were violently evicted from a protest camp in a Cairo park last week (December 31), a Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said Tuesday (January 3). They will be taken to Sudan by ship on Thursday (January 5) because "they were either found to be illegal immigrants or refugees who had violated security conditions," spokeswoman Fatma el-Zahraa Etman told The Associated Press.

Egypt: UN agency blamed for Sudanese refugee deaths

2006-01-04

http://www.ipsnews.net/africa/nota.asp?idnews=31635

Arab and Middle East civil society groups are accusing a United Nations agency of collaborating with Egyptian police in action which caused the deaths of at least 25 Sudanese refugees in a downtown Cairo park on Friday (December 31). The refugees, including women and children, have been staging a public sit-in for the past three months protesting their treatment by United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and were demanding relocation to a third country. But Friday evening, a police force of nearly 4,000 officers cordoned off the Sudanese encampment, fired water cannons at them and beat them indiscriminately. Hundreds were dragged into buses and transferred to unknown destinations.

Global: Immigration and asylum from 1900 to present

2006-01-05

http://www.abc-clio.com/products/overview.aspx?from=academic&productid=108786

‘Immigration and Asylum: From 1900 to the Present’ is an accessible and up-to-date introduction to the key concepts, terms, personalities, and real-world issues associated with the surge of immigration from the beginning of the 20th century to the present. It focuses on the United States, but is also the first encyclopaedic work on the subject that reflects a truly global perspective. With contributions from the world's foremost authorities on the subject, Immigration and Asylum offers nearly 200 entries organized around four themes: immigration and asylum; the major migrating groups around the world; expulsions and other forced population movements; and the politics of migration.

Global: Research guide on internal displacement

2006-01-05

http://www.forcedmigration.org/guides/fmo041/

Forced Migration Online is pleased to announce the launch of an extensive new resource, a Research Guide on Internal displacement. This Research Guide provides an introduction to some of the main debates regarding internal displacement. It summarizes the challenge of internal displacement at a policy level and also addresses its social consequences. It explores the experiences of physical dislocation, separation from everyday practices and familiar environments, social disruption and material dispossession. The Research Guide provides links to many resources online, lists many reference materials, and is launched in conjunction with Forced Migration Review 24 – IDP Supplement.

Africa: Year of democratic reverses

2006-01-04

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4552930.stm

After a decade of triumphs for Africa's democrats - the ending of apartheid in South Africa, the ousting of Congolese tyrant Mobutu Sese Seko and free multiparty elections in Ghana, Kenya and Senegal - several regimes have reverted to violent repression and election-rigging to cling to power. National incomes may be rising but so is social inequality, fuelling political tensions.The fruits of higher growth are not resulting in social development.

DRC: Opposition ends boycott

2006-01-05

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4577614.stm

The main opposition party in the Democratic Republic of Congo has reversed its decision to boycott the first full elections in four decades. Etienne Tshisekedi said that his Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS) would after all take part in the polls due by July 2006. They had called for a boycott of a referendum two weeks ago in which a big majority backed a new constitution. The UDPS said the West had unfairly supported those backing a "yes" vote.

East Africa: 2005 was a year of politiking

2006-01-03

http://www.nationmedia.com/eastafrican/current/Opinion/comments2612200514.htm

Tanzania's general elections were on the whole peaceful, however, with the ruling Chama cha Mapinduzi garnering a huge majority in Parliament, the legislature has no chance of holding the Executive to account. In Kenya months of high voltage acrimony in the Cabinet culminated in voters rejecting a government-supported constitutional draft. In Uganda,the incarceration of opposition leader, Dr Kizza Besigye, does not augur well for the country's democracy.

Kenya: How the opposition is helping Narc kill democracy

2006-01-03

http://www.nationmedia.com/eastafrican/current/Opinion/comments261220051.htm

A commentator in the weekly regional newspaper the East African argues that as a political party, Narc (the ruling National Rainbow Coalition) is as good as dead. Unable to quell the simmering rifts between its constituent factions, the leadership of Kenya's National Rainbow Coalition appears increasingly tremulous, shiftless, and for a governing party, rudderless.

Kenya: Politicians take over people's government

2006-01-03

http://www.nationmedia.com/eastafrican/current/Opinion/comments261220057.htm

An analysis appearing in the East African, observes: "The government's sense of accountability to taxpayers, is lacking. The Executive will dutifully sit down each year with bilateral and multilateral development financiers and haggle over figures, answer questions and make promises to be more accountable. There is no such meeting with citizens. The budget process has opened up, albeit minimally, but the accountability process has not".

Malawi: UDF willing to smoke peace pipe with provisos

2006-01-05

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=50941

Malawian President Bingu wa Muthrika's main rival, the United Democratic Front (UDF), has said it is willing to take up his offer to break the political impasse in the country provided he works on improving relations with parliament. In his New Year's eve address last week, Mutharika said he was ready to talk to the opposition provided "they withdraw the impeachment charges against me", which followed the president's anti-corruption campaign that netted former ruling party members.

Uganda: Besigye free at last

2006-01-03

http://allafrica.com/stories/200601020206.html

Opposition Forum for Democratic Change leader Kizza Besigye walked to freedom after the High Court ordered his immediate release. However, the public celebrations after his release was announced turned sour when riot police engaged his supporters in running battles. The presidential candidate has been in jail since his arrest on November 14 on treason and rape charges. The government immediately filed a notice of an intention to appeal against the ruling.
* Uganda Goes Through a Rough Patch
http://allafrica.com/stories/200601020005.html

Africa: Is the war on corruption another neo-colonial adventure?

2006-01-04

http://www.mngt.waikato.ac.nz/ejrot/cmsconference/2005/proceedings/postcolonialism/DeMaria.pdf

The paper deals first with the taken- for- granted definition of African "corruption". The orthodoxy that a trans-cultural position on "corruption" has legal and moral validity, and can be captured in a measurable way, is rejected. The exploration of "corruption's" meaning is followed by a synoptic examination of the significant evidence pointing to Western management failure with respect to African "corruption". Despite comprehensive searches, not one objective study could be found that demonstrates any "positive" Western impact on African "corruption". Yet this assault on Africa "corruption" could be the next neo-colonial chapter.

Chad: Chad angry at World Bank over oil

2006-01-04

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/4570672.stm

Chad has reacted angrily to warnings from the World Bank, after its parliament voted to relax controls on the use of its oil revenues. The government has accused the World Bank of acting like a coloniser. The body lent Chad more than $39m (£23m) to build a pipeline with an estimated total cost of almost $4bn. It was on condition that Chad's churches, trade unions and non-governmental organisations monitored how oil revenues were spent.

Global: UN to Protect Corruption Whistle-Blowers

2006-01-04

http://admin.corisweb.org/index.php?fuseaction=news.view&id=119618&src=dcn

After being politically crucified over charges of malfeasance and mismanagement, the U.N. Secretariat has responded with a new "whistle-blower protection policy" aimed at encouraging staffers, contractors, consultants and even the public to help expose corruption in the world body. The new policy, which comes into force in January, assures whistle-blowers that there will be no retaliation for reporting misconduct and "for cooperating with duly authorised audits or investigations".

Kenya: Paying lip service to the war on corruption

2006-01-05

http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=31620

To campaigners in Kenya, the New Year starts with a feeling of dissatisfaction at how the government of President Mwai Kibaki has ignored its own anti-corruption campaign. Human rights and anti-corruption groups have accused the government of paying only lip service to the war on corruption. They say Kibaki's government, elected on a platform of zero tolerance on corruption, has nothing to show for - three years after coming to power.

Malawi: Resist corruption, immigration officers warned

2006-01-04

http://admin.corisweb.org/index.php?fuseaction=news.view&id=119629&src=dcn

Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security, Anna Kachikho has threatened to act against corrupt immigration officers who provide Malawian passports and other travel documents to foreigners. The minister sounded the warning in an interview with The Daily Times on complaints that some officers at Immigration were conniving with foreigners. “As Home Affairs Minister, I will not condone any officer who receives bribes from foreigners to assist them with Malawian travel documents.

Nigeria: Presidential hopeful in looted funds probe

2006-01-04

http://za.today.reuters.com/news/NewsArticle.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2006-01-04T105642Z_01_BAN439489_RTRIDST_0_OZATP-CRIME-NIGERIA-CORRUPTION-20060104.XML

Nigeria's anti-corruption agency is investigating a former state governor who is widely expected to run for president in 2007 in connection with funds looted during the rule of General Sani Abacha, a spokesman said on Wednesday. The probe into the accounts of Buba Marwa, who was military administrator of Lagos state under Abacha, is the first attempt by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to go after a highly placed official from that era over looted funds.

Africa: Hong Kong outcomes anything but development

Press Statement by the Africa Trade Network

2006-01-05

http://www.twnafrica.org/news_detail.asp?twnID=871

"Rather than being an important milestone towards the achievement of the much touted development round, Hong Kong has ended as a platform for anti-development outcomes. The declaration from the Hong Kong WTO Ministerial is a loss for African countries. They have been forced to concede on most of the positions with which they came to Hong Kong. And whatever comfort exists in the other areas is ambiguous at best, illusory at worst."
Related Link
* Third World Network
http://www.twnside.org.sg/

Angola: The China model of development

2006-01-04

http://www.opendemocracy.net/democracy-china/china_development_3136.jsp

Angola’s government, in need of reconstruction funds after the country’s long civil war, was in the process of negotiating a new loan with the International Monetary Fund in 2004. The IMF, aware of Angola’s long history of corruption and poor governance since independence from Portuguese colonial rule in 1975, was keen to include measures to cut corruption and tighten the country’s economic management. But as bank officials pushed harder for a signature, the government suddenly broke off negotiations. The Angolans had received a counter-offer: a $2 billion loan proposed by China’s export-credit agency, Exim Bank. The deal from Beijing came with minimal rates of interest, a generous payback period, and none of the IMF’s “conditionalities”. The government in Luanda accepted China’s offer.

Ethiopia: Key donors to freeze aid to government

2006-01-04

http://breakingnews.iol.ie/news/story.asp?j=167406014&p=y674x67zx

International donors will freeze $375m (€316m) in aid to Ethiopia’s government following its recent crackdown on the main opposition party and the independent press, Western diplomats said today (December 29). The money, however, will be reallocated to the UN and aid agencies working to combat poverty among the bulk of Ethiopia’s estimated 77 million people who live on less than a dollar a day. Some of the money could also finance programs intended to strengthen democracy, the diplomats said.

Global: CIIR to become Progressio in the New Year

2006-01-04

http://www.progressio.org.uk

International development charity, the Catholic Institute for International Relations (CIIR), is to change its name to Progressio at the start of 2006. Progressio is a Latin word meaning development and advancement, the very factors the organisation promotes among its partners, supporters and the general public. The name Progressio comes from Populorum Progressio, one of the central documents in Catholic Social Teaching that emerged from the Second Vatican Council. Populorum Progressio speaks about the challenges of development and the importance of justice in relations between rich and poor nations.

Global: Love, reason and the future of civil society

2006-01-04

http://www.opendemocracy.net/globalization-vision_reflections/love_3149.jsp

What does it mean to “build a civil society?” Given the frequency with which these words are thrown around these days (even appearing as a rationale for war in Iraq), one might think they signify something clear and unambiguous. Yet “civil society” has been appropriated by politicians on all sides of the spectrum to suit their own, very different agendas. It is easy to become lost in the complexities of this debate, or captured by the assumptions of one side or another. One way out of this impasse is to look beyond the clash of ideologies to the underlying capacities that are necessary to fashion a civil society worthy of the name, even if we continue to disagree on what it would look like at any level of detail.

Global: Rich countries unfair on trade

2006-01-03

http://www.nationmedia.com/eastafrican/current/Opinion/comments261220052.htm

An opinion piece published by the East African argues that WTO meetings have become annual rituals in which high sounding resolutions are passed without any political will to enforce them. The latest meeting is a clear testimony of how the developed world is determined to frustrate efforts by poor countries to reform the international rules of trade.

Sudan: More than 1 million children beyond aid

2006-01-04

http://www.unicef.org/media/media_30528.html

A new report by UNICEF details the impact of conflict on children’s lives in Darfur, almost three years after the violence began. The key findings of the report are: the economy of Darfur is in steep decline, creating and reinforcing a reliance on humanitarian aid; as a result, conditions are worsening for children who live in areas outside the camps, in communities hitherto not directly affected by the fighting; low-level violence continues unabated almost daily, creating a climate of fear and further crippling core economic activities; Darfur has become “ghettoed,” with groups from all tribes afraid to move beyond their immediate environments.

Swaziland: Tenth year of declining growth

2006-01-04

http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=31604

How is a small country to compete in a global marketplace where size is rewarded? Case in point is the tiny Southern African country Swaziland, nestled between the geographic giants South Africa and Mozambique. New thinking must come into play if the little kingdom is to survive as a viable state. "Economically, 2005 was defined as either disappointing or downright disastrous, depending on who is speaking. No one had a positive appraisal. We learned it can no longer be business as usual, because there is no such thing as business as usual in a changing world," said Richard Dube, a public transport company owner.

Africa/Global: Health brain drain continues

2006-01-04

http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?DR_ID=34435

A loophole in the UK National Health Service's policy banning recruitment of health care workers from developing countries has led to the hiring of thousands of nurses and midwives from such countries and is damaging the global fight against HIV/AIDS and other diseases, Andrew George, a member of Parliament from the minority Liberal Democrat party, said on Monday, London's Guardian reports. George said nurses and midwives are being brought from developing countries to work in the United Kingdom through a loophole in the ban that allows them to work for a short time at a private facility before being hired by the government.

Global: Culture and religion versus human well-being?

2006-01-04

http://www.eldis.org/cf/search/disp/DocDisplay.cfm?Doc=DOC20248&Resource=f1health

This paper from Human Rights Watch highlights the growing alliance of conservative forces, or fundamentalists, which is threatening progress made over the past decade in linking sexuality, health and human rights. The author argues that these forces, although diverse (including Moslem fundamentalists and the Christian right), share a common target: sexual rights and sexual freedom, particularly regarding the right to express homosexual orientation. The paper focuses on the backlash around sexuality, citing examples from India, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Egypt, Sierra Leone, Jamaica and the United States.

Guinea-Bissau: Government says cholera crisis over

2006-01-04

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=50859

Guinea-Bissau’s government has declared that the worst of the cholera epidemic, which ravaged the country in the second half of this year, is over - for now. “The cholera threat in our country is passing but we have to remain vigilant if we want to avoid a resurgence in Guinea-Bissau,” said Public Health Minister Antonia Mendes Teixeira, at the country’s biggest hospital on Tuesday.

Nigeria: Pledge to begin providing antiretrovirals at no cost

2006-01-04

http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?DR_ID=34518

Nigeria in 2006 will begin a program that aims to provide antiretroviral drugs at no cost to about 250,000 HIV-positive residents, the country's National Action Committee on HIV/AIDS announced last month, Reuters reports. Only about 40,000 of the 3.5 million HIV-positive people in the country currently receive subsidized antiretroviral treatment.

Senegal: Fight against tuberculosis hampered by failure to complete treatment

2006-01-04

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=50857

Like many Senegalese, Ibou Seck stopped taking his tuberculosis treatment before the course was up, prolonging his illness, risking death, and ultimately reducing the effectiveness of the drugs for other patients. “I didn’t have any support from my family so I stopped my treatment early. I was left alone, isolated in a back room near the chicken house while everyone in the district gossiped about my illness,” explained 36-year-old Seck, who works as a mechanic in the capital, Dakar.

South Africa: Effects of AIDS on teachers

2006-01-04

http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?DR_ID=34434

London's Guardian on Tuesday examined the effects of HIV/AIDS on teachers in South Africa and how teachers' unions and other organizations in the country are leading a movement to implement education and prevention programs in schools to fight the epidemic. Four South African teachers' unions joined U.S. and South African partners in October to launch a two-year pilot project that aims to combine peer education, HIV testing and antiretroviral treatment for teachers in three provinces in the country.

Africa: Africa must learn from errors of best varsities

2006-01-05

http://www.eastandard.net/hm_news/news.php?articleid=34286

While e-learning programmes in African Universities may be faced with challenges, it is important to point out that even universities in other parts of the world are faced with difficulties when implementing the same programmes. For example, in Digital Hemlock: Internet Education and the Poisoning of Teaching, the author observed that in 2000, $483 million was spent on companies building courses for the educational market. By 2002, the amount spent on building online material for commercial purposes reduced to US$17 million. This means that African universities must conduct needs assessment before designing and launching e-learning programmes.

Angola: Top athlete appeals as WFP operations face closure

2006-01-05

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=50827

World marathon record holder Paul Tergat has appealed to the international community to support the World Food Programme's (WFP) school feeding projects in Angola after the UN food agency said a cash shortage could force it to pull out of the country entirely by March. Tergat, a double Olympic medallist and WFP ambassador, was a beneficiary of a similar school-feeding programme in the remote Kenyan village of Baringo when he was just seven years old. Speaking from experience, he said a hearty meal would entice kids back into the classroom and was vital to individual success and for the development of Angola as a whole.

Burundi: UN operation sponsors new education projects

2006-01-05

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=17066&Cr=Burundi&Cr1=

The United Nations Operation in Burundi (ONUB) is funding nearly a dozen new initiatives aimed at boosting education and health across eight provinces in the country, which is stabilizing despite continued rebel activities. Known as “Quick Impact Projects,” these small-scale endeavours serve to build peace at the grass-roots level. The new projects recently announced by ONUB involve rehabilitating primary schools, constructing new classrooms and sanitation systems, refurbishing college facilities, stocking libraries, and the installation of a water supply system at the Nyakabugu Health Centre.

Global: Corruption in schools from ten case studies

2006-01-05

http://www.eldis.org/cf/search/disp/DocDisplay.cfm?Doc=DOC20551&Resource=f1educ

This report presents ten studies carried out in Argentina, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Georgia, Mexico, Nepal, Nicaragua, Niger, Sierra Leone and Zambia. The studies assess the form and extent of corruption at schools, universities and in education administration and provides practical examples of how civil society can help curb corrupt practice to ensure that children get quality education.

Global: Take education out of GATS, teachers urge

2006-01-04

http://www.ei-ie.org/en/news/20051214.htm

The global union representing more than 29 million teachers and education workers has called on member countries to remove education services from the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS). "Because there are so many unanswered questions about the impact of GATS on education, and because there is so much at stake, we believe all members must adopt a precautionary approach. They must neither make nor seek any commitments that constrain the rights of government to regulate education as they see fit, including research, audio-visual services, and libraries," stated Thulas Nxesi, president of Education International.

Africa: New study says reforms have not increased electrification

2006-01-05

http://www.energycentral.com/centers/news/daily/article.cfm?aid=6204562

A study of the African power sector, co-sponsored by ECA and UNEP and presented at a stakeholders meeting in Addis Ababa, said that reforms in Africa had not resulted in sustainability of the sector in Africa. The study, "Making the African Power Sector Sustainable" says the lack of sustainability is because power sector reforms in Africa were primarily designed to bridge short term generation shortfalls and enhance the financial health of state-owned power utilities.

Africa: Tackling illegal fishing in protected waters

2006-01-05

http://www.id21.org/zinter/id21zinter.exe?a=0&i=n3da1g1&u=43bcf53b

Illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing is increasingly affecting the fisheries revenues of developing countries. The global cost of IUU fishing practices is estimated to be in excess of US$ 2.4 billion annually, about US$900 million for sub-Saharan Africa alone. Research by the Marine Resources Assessment Group, UK, which reviewed the impact of IUU fishing on developing countries, found that the level of IUU fishing was inversely correlated with their state of governance. IUU fishing in sub-Saharan Africa primarily affects tuna fisheries in east African states and mixed fisheries in west African states. West Africa, the Mozambique Channel, Somalia and central Africa are particular problem areas: targeting relatively modest funds here could significantly increase government incomes from fishing, improve livelihoods and contribute to food security, although the income increase might not always equate to the full value of the IUU catch.

Eastern Africa: Lake Victoria is drying up

2006-01-04

http://tinyurl.com/8xmfm

Once upon a time the river systems in East Africa were linked to the Congo basin - thus rivers flowed from east to west. However, tectonic earth movements resulting in the eastern and western rift valley formation caused the reversal of the drainage system to collect in a shallow basin that became Lake Victoria, a source of fresh water, livelihood and marine life. However, over the recent years, especially from 2003, there has been a marked drop in the water level. At some points the receding shoreline is prominent. Most conspicuous is at the source of River Nile, where the once old water works concrete slabs are sticking out. Several years ago they were submerged by about a metre or two, according to Sunday Vision.

Global: U.N. looking to prepare now for 2006's unforeseen disasters

2006-01-04

http://us.oneworld.net/article/view/124946/1/8

Overwhelmed with the challenges posed by a series of natural disasters that occurred in 2005, United Nations officials responsible for delivering humanitarian aid are urging international donors to get prepared for the next year now. "None of us knows what 2006 will bring. We can hope for a calmer year, but we have to be prepared for every eventuality," James Morris, executive director of the U.N. World Food Program (WFP), said in an appeal to donors Wednesday (January 28).

South Africa: Plantations - Green gold or green deserts?

2006-01-04

http://www.wrm.org.uy/bulletin/101/Country.html#SAfrica

"Rural people are very knowledgeable, but they don't have degrees. Neither do they speak the 'right' language. This study helps me to empower the community. I see myself as a voice of the voiceless, committed to the struggle for the advancement of the dignity of our people," John Blessing Karumbidza said, opening his presentation in Vitória. Born in rural Zimbabwe, Karumbidza is a Junior Lecturer in Economic History at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in Durban. He was commissioned by Timberwatch to carry out research into the impacts of tree plantations on rural communities in KwaZulu-Natal province in South Africa.

Africa: Impact of land reform policies on food security

2006-01-05

http://www.eldis.org/cf/search/disp/DocDisplay.cfm?Doc=DOC20457&Resource=f1agric

Effective and well-designed land reform policies can provide sustained contributions to economic growth, reduced social unrest and poverty. This study analyses land reform policies in Angola and South Africa with a view to assess its impact on food security. Both countries have introduced extensive land reform policies following histories of colonialism, occupation and oppression which displaced many people.

Global: Risks and responses to conflict in pastoral communities

2006-01-05

http://www.eldis.org/cf/search/disp/DocDisplay.cfm?Doc=DOC19216&Resource=f1pastoralism

Examining the linkages between pastoralism and conflict using a sustainable livelihoods-based conflict analysis, this paper looks at the challenges posed by conflict in pastoral regions. In particular it focuses on the challenges to development as well as the risk conflict presents to domestic and international security. A new generation of emerging pastoral projects share many common characteristics. They: acknowledge pastoralists as capable environmental custodians and managers; allow for patterns of mobility and livelihood diversification; include the systematic participation of pastoral communities; enhance access to and options for extended information and communication; improve representation of pastoral interests vis-à-vis external agents (other land users, government bodies, market agents, civil society, etc.); stress the development of pastoral markets.

Mozambique: 'Jail Anibalzinho for 30 years!'

2006-01-04

http://www.journalism.co.za/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=3476

The Mozambican public prosecutor in the Carloso Cardoso murder case has asked for Anibal dos Santos Junior, or Anibalzinho, to be jailed for up to 30 years, writes Charles Mangwiro on the website www.journalism.co.za Olinda Cossa argued that Anibalzinho was undoubtedly guilty of the 2000 murder of Cardoso, Mozambique’s top investigative journalist. Cossa cited evidence found during the investigations and a series of interviews Anibalzinho gave to the press since his return from South Africa where he was rearrested after his first escape from prison on the eve of his trial in 2002.

Senegal: Columnist spends weekend in prison for criticising president

2006-01-04

http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=16078

Condemning a broadcasting bill passed by Senegal's national assembly on 21 December 2005 as "poorly drafted, ambiguous, unfair and repressive," Reporters Without Borders has urged President Abdoulaye Wade to refuse to sign it into law in order to restore some calm to the ongoing debate about press law reform. Approved by just 11 votes to 2 in a 120-member parliament, the law would create a National Council for the Regulation of Broadcasting (CNRA) which, in Reporters Without Borders' view, would probably threaten press freedom.

South Africa: New citizens' journalism site launched

2006-01-04

http://www.reporter.co.za/

A new website has been launched where you can publish your own eyewitness accounts of an event, send in news reports, write a column, become a movie or music reviewer, or take up a community issue. Visit the website to register and submit a story, picture or sound file.

Zimbabwe: "I dream of a free and independent press"

2006-01-04

http://www.zwnews.com/issuefull.cfm?ArticleID=13510

Beatrice Mtetwa, a Zimbabwean lawyer and human rights activist, was named Human Rights Lawyer of the Year in December by the legal and human rights campaigning group Liberty. She also received the International Press Freedom Award this year, issued by the Committee to Protect Journalists. Mtetwa fights for the right to press freedom in a country currently facing an economic meltdown. In this article, The Mail & Guardian Online asks Mtetwa about the greatest challenge facing an ordinary Zimbabwean, the struggles of the Zimbabwean media and the latest clampdown on the people - the Zimbabwean travel ban.

Zimbabwe: Government moots militia plan for trainee journos

2006-01-04

http://www.journalism.co.za/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=3478&CAMSSID=0c20cb9c46c68758f246af7161c6e598

Media organisations have slammed Harare’s move to make it compulsory for aspiring journalists to undergo national youth military training, writes Gugu Ziyaphapha. The outcry came after the Deputy Minister of Gender and Youth Development, Saviour Kasukuwere, told the national broadcaster that all those who wanted to learn journalism at government media houses and training institutions will be required to do militia training.

America: Characteristics of the African born in the US

2006-01-04

http://www.migrationinformation.org/USfocus/display.cfm?id=366

While the African born make up a small proportion of the foreign-born population in the United States, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of immigrants born in Africa over the past couple of decades. As a group, the African born are more likely to be proficient in English, work in higher-level occupations, and have higher earnings than the overall foreign-born population. However, closer examination of the African born immigrants from specific countries reveals a great deal of diversity in migration patterns, political conditions, economies, and group histories.

Chad: President wants Darfur put under UN mandate

2006-01-05

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L04761253.htm

Chad's President Idriss Deby urged the United Nations on Wednesday to take control of Sudan's volatile Darfur region because he said Khartoum was using the conflict there to destabilise neighbouring states. Deby, who faces threats from rebel attacks on Chad's eastern frontier with Sudan and from army desertions at home, made the call during a meeting of central African leaders which he convened in N'Djamena to discuss tensions with Khartoum.

Darfur: Talks in trouble over power-sharing dispute

2006-01-05

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L04682258.htm

Negotiations between the warring parties of Sudan's Darfur region over power-sharing arrangements are deadlocked, impeding the search for an overall peace deal to end three years of bloodshed, negotiators said on Wednesday. Two Darfur rebel movements and the Sudanese government are deep into a seventh round of peace talks in the Nigerian capital but they have had to put aside two critical power-sharing issues after weeks of detailed talks failed to achieve progress.
Related Link:
Women Boost Darfur Talks
http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=31537

DRC: Crisis in Katanga ignored

2006-01-05

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=50923

An enormous humanitarian crisis is emerging in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Katanga Province, with tens of thousands of people being displaced, but so far the government and the international community are doing little. "Katanga is not on the political map, which is why such a massive humanitarian crisis can go ignored," said Jason Stearns, the International Crisis Group's senior analyst on Central Africa, who is working on a report on Katanga to be released in early 2006.

Ethiopia: Border standoff could cause mission pullout, says Annan

2006-01-05

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=50943

Ethiopia and Eritrea's dangerous stalemate over their disputed border, could force the United Nations to withdraw its peacekeeping mission, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has said. "As a result of the restrictions imposed on UNMEE [the UN's Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea], the present position of the Mission is becoming increasingly untenable," Annan said in a report to the UN Security Council on Tuesday. "The time may be fast approaching to take difficult decisions on the future of the Mission."
Related Link:
Latest report from Crisis Group on border dispute
http://www.crisisgroup.org/home/index.cfm?id=3850&l=1

Nigeria: Troops kill 'oil thieves'

2006-01-05

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4574360.stm

Security forces in Nigeria have killed 12 men they say were stealing oil from a pipeline in the southern Niger Delta. Officials said that a gun battle broke out when troops on patrol came across a group using heavy drilling equipment to siphon oil from a pipeline. Three others in the group, in the remote Oghara community, were wounded and five were arrested. Correspondents say oil theft is a common practice in one of Africa's biggest oil-producing countries.

Sierra Leone: Success in war-torn continent

2006-01-05

http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=31670

When the 1,700-strong U.N. peacekeeping force was withdrawn from Sierra Leone on Dec. 31, the United Nations hailed the mission as one of its major political success stories in a continent ravaged by war and ethnic conflicts. "The (UN) mission was able to overcome a number of serious political and military challenges to become an effective peacekeeping operation that leaves Sierra Leone much better off today than it was five years ago," UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan boasted last week.

Somalia: Rivals do government deal

2006-01-05

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4579414.stm

Rival political leaders from Somalia are reported to have reached an agreement to reunify the country after 15 years of factional division. The talks, taking place in Yemen, have been led by Somalia's president and the parliamentary speaker, allied to armed militias controlling the capital. Officials say President Abdullahi Yusuf has agreed in principle to move the central government to Mogadishu.

Sudan: Civilian deaths almost double

2006-01-03

http://allafrica.com/stories/200601020087.html

A report by the UN Integrated Regional Information Networks (IRIN) quotes UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan issuing a warning that the security situation in Darfur continued to deteriorate, leading to nearly a doubling of confirmed civilian deaths. In his latest monthly report on the conflict in the western Sudanese region, he called it a "deeply disturbing trend" with "devastating effects on the civilian population".

Uganda: Blunt edge of UN's sword of justice

2006-01-03

http://www.nationmedia.com/eastafrican/current/Opinion/comments261220053.htm

The International Court of Justice, the UN’s highest judicial body, recently delivered what may perhaps emerge as its most memorable ruling. Titled "Armed Activities in the Territory of Congo," the ruling found Uganda liable of violating Congo’s territorial integrity while in the course of a five-year spate of unlawful military intervention on Congo’s territory between 1998 and 2003.

Uganda: Uganda in talks with Congo over fine

2006-01-03

http://allafrica.com/stories/200601010013.html

Reports indicate that Uganda has begun negotiating payment terms with the Democratic Republic of Congo after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that Kampala should compensate the neighbouring country for invading and plundering her neighbour's resources. Congo sued Uganda in the UN's highest court in 1999.The two countries have an option of negotiating between themselves to reach a compromise amount and terms of payment.

Africa/South Africa: E-waste challenges in developing countries

2006-01-03

http://rights.apc.org/documents/e-waste_EN.pdf

This discussion paper, by Alan Finlay and commissioned by the APC, aims to raise the profile of e-waste issues in developing countries so that the implications of ICTs for development initiatives can be better understood - particularly in the context of the increasing flow of old technology from developed to developing countries. South Africa is thought to be at the forefront of waste management in Africa, and practitioners aim to develop an e-waste model in the country that can serve as a blueprint for an approach to e-waste elsewhere on the continent.

Africa: African broadband access accelerates

2006-01-03

http://www.tectonic.co.za/view.php?id=762&s=news

Broadband access has become increasingly available in Africa over the last four years according to the authors of a new report published by Balancing Act. The report is based on a survey of 100 operators on the continent. According to authors Paul Hamilton and Russell Southwood, between 2001 and the present day a wide range of both wireline and wireless broadband technologies have been deployed across Africa. The first were deployed from around 2001, and the pace has picked up from 2003 onwards.

Africa: Wikipedia - good or bad?

2006-01-03

http://www.tectonic.co.za/view.php?id=766&s=news

The open encyclopaedia, Wikipedia, is facing renewed criticism from media professionals and academics worldwide, who argue that it cannot be trusted as a credible source of information. Wikipedia is the largest encyclopaedia in the world, with over 3.7 million articles in over 200 languages. It has over 850 000 articles in its English version alone, more than four times as many as the next-biggest English encyclopaedia - Encyclopaedia Britannica. The issue at stake for many though, is how many of these articles are reasonably accurate and adequate.

Kenya: Challenges as e-government takes root

2006-01-05

http://www.eastandard.net/hm_news/news.php?articleid=34172

The use of information and communication technology (ICT) is taking root in Kenya. Following the launch of e-Government Strategy Paper in early 2004, efforts to provide the public with Internet sevices and development of content is beginning to bear fruits. All over, ICTs are re-defining the world’s social, economical and the political landscapes.

Global: PEACE X PEACE

2006-01-04

http://www.peacexpeace.org/resources/peacetimes.asp

PEACE X PEACE is an international organization which empowers women worldwide to “enrich lives locally and promote peace globally”. It connects women’s groups (called “Circles”) in the United States with women’s Circles around the world in a Global Network. Via the Internet, the “Sister Circles” exchange information and personal experiences. It is the largest organization in the world that uses the Internet to support women of different cultures through communication. Communicating through PEACE X PEACE provides women with the opportunity to change perceptions, create friendships, and work towards collaborative goals, with the ultimate aim of creating lasting peace. A monthly e-newsletter uses exclusive essays, opinion pieces, interviews, and stories from peace experts around the world to tell you about peace building in the world.

Africa/Global: Oak Human Rights Fellowship 2006

2006-01-03

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/fundraising/31009

The Oak Fellowship provides an opportunity for prominent practitioners in international human rights to take a sabbatical leave from their work and spend a semester (September - December 2006) as a scholar-in-residence at Colby College. This provides the Fellow time for reflection, research, writing, and teaching. Following the period of the award, it is expected that the Fellow will return to his or her human rights work.
OAK HUMAN RIGHTS FELLOWSHIP
2006 FOCUS: HUMAN RIGHTS AND THE ENVIRONMENT

The Oak Institute for the Study of International Human Rights at Colby College is soliciting nominations and applications for the Oak Human Rights Fellowship for the Fall of 2006.

The Oak Fellowship provides an opportunity for prominent practitioners in international human rights to take a sabbatical leave from their work and spend a semester (September - December 2006) as a scholar-in-residence at Colby College. This provides the Fellow time for reflection, research, writing, and teaching. Following the period of the award, it is expected that the Fellow will return to his or her human rights work.

For the fall of 2006, the Oak Institute seeks a human rights practitioner working on environmental issues that affect the rights of individuals and communities. Possible areas of expertise include, but are not limited to: exposing or mobilizing against environmental dangers to human health, preserving ecosystems on which traditional communities depend, environmental justice, indigenous rights and the environment, rehabilitation and compensation for environmental damages, and the application of rights-based approaches to environmental protection.

We especially encourage applications from those who are currently or were recently involved in "on-the-ground" work at some level of personal risk. The Oak Fellow's responsibilities including teaching an informal course on the human rights issue on which the Fellow works, participation in a lecture series or symposium in the Fellow's area of expertise, and becoming part of the intellectual life of the campus, particularly with our students.

The Fellow will receive a $32,000 stipend and College fringe benefits, including round-trip transportation from the Fellow's home site, apartment housing for a family, the use of a car, and meals on campus. The Fellow will also receive research support, including office space, a computer, library facilities, and a student research assistant.

Nominations and applications should be sent to:
Kenneth A. Rodman, Director or
Kate O'Halloran, Associate Director
Oak Institute for the Study of International Human Rights
Colby College, Waterville ME 04901
Email: oakhr@colby.edu, Phone: 207-859-5310, Fax: 207-859-5229

Completed applications must arrive no later than January 13, 2006.
More information, including application, is available on the Institute's website at:

http://www.colby.edu/oak

Final selections should be announced by April 30, 2006.

Africa: Pan-African Associations of America

2006-01-03

http://www.paaaonline.org/

The Pan-African Associations of America is a California 501(c)(3) Non-profit organization. Their mission is to promote the economic, cultural and political cohesion of African descendent and related cultures worldwide. Visit their website for more information.

Africa: Women's rights scholarship available

2006-01-03

http://www.nativeleaders.org/

The Native Leadership Scholarship (NLS) program creates educational opportunities for women around the world who are grassroots leaders, organizers and activists demonstrating financial need. NLS invests in women's leadership and leadership development by supporting non-doctoral graduate education in human rights, sustainable development, and public health.

Africa Source II

January 8-15, 2006, Kalangala, Uganda

2006-01-04

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/courses/31043

Africa Source II is Africa's premier Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) specialised hands on skills development event focused on the Non Governmental Organisation (NGO) sector. Bringing together over 120 NGO support professionals, staff and software experts, the participants will examine how information technologies and FOSS can strategically impact and build civil society organisations on the continent.
Africa Source II, January 8-15, 2006, Kalangala, Uganda

Africa Source II is Africa's premier Free and Open Source Software (FOSS)
specialised hands on skills development event focused on the Non
Governmental Organisation (NGO) sector. Bringing together over 120 NGO
support professionals, staff and software experts, the participants will
examine how information technologies and FOSS can strategically impact and
build civil society organisations on the continent.

Participants will learn how FOSS can help to increase access to vital
information for their communities, along with providing inexpensive and
efficient ICT infrastructure in non-profit organizations. They will also
have a perfect opportunity to develop a deeper understanding of FOSS,
explore the challenges and future potential of its applications.

Sessions will focus on:
-- How to help NGO's plan and implement FOSS applications in order to
increase their capacity
-- How to use FOSS applications to handle information, publish content
using citizen's media tools and engage supporters
-- How FOSS can increase accessibility through localisation, translation
into local language and dialects

The workshop is to run from January 8th - 15th 2006 at Pearl Gardens Beach
<http://www.pearlgardensbeach.com> located on one of the world's best kept
secrets, Kalangala Island in Lake Victoria, Uganda.

It shall be graced by the presence of Mr. Mark Shuttleworth, from South Africa,
the first African to go to space and a leading entrepreneur. He is the brain
behind many ICT initiatives in South Africa and is a respected philanthropist.

Collaboration to organise the content of the workshop is between an
unprecedented group of organisations focused on technology use in the NGO
sector that work internationally, regionally and locally; The Association
for Progressive Communication APC (regional network), Fantsuam Foundation
(Nigeria), Schoolnet Africa (regional network), Translate.org.za, Women of
Uganda Network - WOUGNET (Uganda), Linux Solutions (Uganda), Creative Commons
South Africa, Aspiration (US) and The Tactical Technology Collective (the
Netherlands). The project partners are committed to examining the challenges of
implementing FOSS in the African context, stretching its potential to fit
the needs on the ground, and building local capacities to realise this.
Local implementation partners are Linux Solutions, WOUGNET and East
African Center for Open Source (EACOSS).

Africa Source II is possible thanks to the support from: the Open Society
Institute Information Program, the International Development Research
Centre (IDRC), OSISA - Open Society Initiative for South Africa, Hivos,
and InWent.

Previous Source events took place in Croatia - September 2003, Namibia -
March 2004 and India - February 2005. Future source events are planned for
Central Asia and Middle East. These events have been an integral part of a
growing global movement on integrating FOSS with civil society
organisations in the developing world.

http://www.tacticaltech.org/africasource2



Local Contacts:

Lunghabo Wire James
Tel: 256 71 726609
Email: lunghabo@linuxsolutions.co.ug

Daphine Kakonge
Office: Plot 53 Kira Road
Tel: +256-41-532035
Fax: +256-41-530474
Email: info@wougnet.org

Gender and Organisational Development Course

July 3-15 2006, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

2006-01-04

http://www.comminit.com/training2006/2006-events/events-3762.html

According to the organisers, development experience over time has proved that to achieve sustainable, people centered development, progress towards equality in the roles of women and men is essential. Development practitioners need to understand the prevailing gender relations and design programmes that enable equitable access to resources and benefits. This course is designed for development professionals who seek to build up their skills and knowledge in mainstreaming gender in their organisations and their programmes and projects.

Cote D’Ivoire: Communications Officer

Save the Children Sweden

2006-01-05

http://www.rb.se/sv/1000.aspx?flash=yes

Save the Children Sweden has been present in Côte d'Ivoire since 1999. We support children's own organisations, community-based initiatives, local NGOs, media workers and government structures to promote the respect for children's rights. We support initiatives to prevent trafficking, abuse and exploitation of children and we have a project to train military on child protection and the impacts of conflict on children. From 2006 we will expand our program to enhance quality education for children affected by the conflict in collaboration with Save the Children UK. This is part of an initiative at a global level from Save the Children Alliance to contribute to the Millennium Development Goal on education.

London: Fundraising Manager

Progressio (Formerly known as CIIR)

2006-01-04

http://www.progressio.org.uk

This is an exciting new position for a dedicated and skilled individual with strong fundraising skills and a creative mind. Working in the Communications Department, the postholder will manage a small but growing marketing and fundraising team and will be responsible for developing and implementing a fundraising strategy for CIIR that focuses on major donors, trusts, companies, religious orders and low value donors.

Malawi: Resident Journalism Advisor

Internews Network

2006-01-05

http://www.internews.org/about/emp_open/overseas/job_0122o.html

Internews Network is currently seeking a Resident Journalism Advisor for a proposal we are submitting for Malawi. The Resident Advisor (RA) will implement the media component of a larger anti-corruption project aimed at strengthening governmental integrity in Malawi. The primary duties of the RA will be to (1) assist in the establishment of a Malawian media council that will promote ethical and professional standards in journalism as well as advocate for media law reform, and (2) provide training and assistance for Malawian journalists on basic journalism skills, journalism ethics, and specialized reporting (particularly investigative reporting.)

South Africa: Research Assistant/Project Officer

Centre for Conflict Resolution

2006-01-04

http://ccrweb.ccr.uct.ac.za/index.php?id=303

Applications are invited from suitable candidates for the post of Research Assistant in the Policy Development and Research Project (PDR). The main focus area is to provide research and administrative assistance to Senior Researchers and help organise policy seminars and advisory group meetings. Applications are also invited from suitable candidates for the post of Project Officer in the Conflict Intervention Peacebuilding Support Project (CIPS). The main focus area is to provide mediation, facilitation and training in the conflict resolution processes across Africa.

Zimbabwe: Research and Policy Analysis Programme Director

Afrodad

2006-01-04

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/jobs/31015

AFRODAD seeks an exceptional and experienced Program Director for Research and Policy Analysis for a period of two years (renewable subject to good performance) who will continue and develop its strong reputation for effective policy research and advocacy strategies on Debt and Development priorities (currently Millennium Development Goals, accountable resource use and good management including the promotion of effective and better use of aid, economic justice and External and Domestic Debt Analysis) . This is a key senior post in AFRODAD and the incumbent will play a significant role across Africa, working and representing AFRODAD externally at the highest levels.
RESEARCH & POLICY ANALYSIS PROGAMME DIRECTOR

AFRODAD seeks an exceptional and experienced Program Director for Research and Policy Analysis for a period of two years (renewable subject to good performance) who will continue and develop its strong reputation for effective policy research and advocacy strategies on Debt and Development priorities (currently Millennium Development Goals, accountable resource use and good management including the promotion of effective and better use of aid, economic justice and External and Domestic Debt Analysis) . This is a key senior post in AFRODAD and the incumbent will play a significant role across Africa, working and representing AFRODAD externally at the highest levels.
AFRODAD’s vision is the promotion of an equitable and sustainable development process leading to a prosperous African Society that is Debt free. AFRODAD has its headquarters in Harare, Zimbabwe. Qualified African nationals, especially women are encouraged to apply.
Closing date: 31st January 2006

The Successful Applicant is expected to join AFRODAD on 1st APRIL 2006

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES WILL INCLUDE:

The incumbent will rreport directly to the Executive Director. The post involves managing the Research and Policy Analysis department and undertaking Research on various issues pertaining to Debt and Development ; engaging with various Stakeholders across Africa and the Globe and particularly with the United Nations agencies, the African Union, Africa’s Regional Economic Blocs, and the International Financial Institutions, representing AFRODAD at various public fora.

The successful candidate for this senior position will be a Non- Zimbabwean Person with:

·A Masters degree or equivalent qualifications in Development Studies or related Social Sciences from a recognized university or college., with at least three years work experience in a similar capacity
·Good working knowledge of research methods and research design, including experience in quantitative data analysis
·Demonstrable publication record on Debt, Economic Justice and
development issues;
·In-depth knowledge of and acquaintance with the development discourse globally and in Africa in particular;
·Familiarity with and experience in various types of social science
research methods;
·Excellent analytical and writing skills;
·Strong verbal and communication skills; it is essential that one has proven ability to communicate in, read and written English (similar skills in French/Portuguese are highly desired)
·A high degree of conceptual ingenuity and initiative
·Computer literacy & A Valid Driving Licence
·A self-starter who has the ability to work under pressure
·Ability to travel frequently and under the particular travel requirements of the assignment plus flexibility in assuming additional responsibility is Key.

Direct your detailed CVs and application emails: to The Executive Director; Africa Forum & Network on Debt & Development (AFRODAD) at charles@afrodad.co.zw or afrodad@afrodad.co.zw No Phone calls-No chancers.

Africa: GCAP review

2006-01-05

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/gcap/31110

GCAP is conducting an external review of its past activities in 2005 in order to feed the discussion at the next International Facilitation Group meeting in March, 2006. The external review period will commence on January 16th and end on February 13th, 2006. In an effort to gather as many reactions and alternative ideas as possible for the external review, GCAP have widely distributed a consultation questionnaire on the future of GCAP beyond 2005 which can be obtained from www.whiteband.org The extended deadline for this questionnaire is January 9th, 2006. Please send to info@whiteband.org

Africa: Was the 'aid year' worth it?

2006-01-04

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4554832.stm

There has never been a year like it. In 2005 people campaigned in more than 80 countries to "make poverty history". Yet, gloomy figures emerged at the UN General Assembly meeting in September when the "Millennium Development Goals" were reviewed. On present progress, it would be 2150 not 2015 before the target to halve the number of people living in poverty would be reached.

Africa: White Band Day 3 updates

2006-01-04

http://www.millenniumcampaign.org/site/pp.asp?c=grKVL2NLE&b=1184423

The latest White Band Day 3 took place in December. Here are some of the updates about events that took place all over Africa.

* South Africa: A big rally was organized in South Africa on 10 December to highlight trade injustice as a violation of human rights.
* Somalia: Hundreds of youth and Internally Displaced Peoples (IDPs) wore white bands in the three prominent urban areas in Somalia - Mogadishu, Afgoye and Bossaso districts.
* Zambia: The Zambia anti poverty campaign held a pre World Trade Organisation (WTO) interfaith walk to voice their demands for trade justice ahead of the WTO Ministerial meeting. Zambian Trade Minister Dipak Patel answered questions on trade and poverty.
* Senegal: Students in Senegal marked White Band Day 3 with a series of events, including a petition, discussions and a demonstration to shed light on trade injustice.

Fahamu