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FEATURED THIS WEEK

2006-06-29

http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/highlights/35502

FEATURED: Georges Nzongola-Ntalaja talks to Pambazuka News about the strategic importance of DRC
COMMENT AND ANALYSIS:
- Inviolata celebrates life, and yet another birthday, in Kenya, where over 600 people die from HIV/AIDS every day
- With everyone being football crazy, what gets hidden from the news is that World Cup will also lure unsuspecting girls and women from Africa
- and with the migration of players from Africa to the west, soon Africa will be winning every World Cup
- Uproar about the removal of the Executive Secretary of Nigeria's Human Right Commission has led to worldwide condemnation
LETTERS: Msake Kane writes to advise caution in attributing misogynistic phenomena to Islam
PAN-AFRICAN POSTCARD: Will Tajudeen Abdul Raheem be late with his postcard now that he's working for the UN?
BLOGGING AFRICA: Sokari Ekine rounds up the African blogosphere
BOOKS AND ARTS: SOAWR publish Breathing Life into the African Union Protocol on Women's Rights in Africa
AFRICAN UNION MONITOR: Great activity at the AU Summit in Banjul means that we have an extra long section this week
CONFLICT AND EMERGENCIES: AK47 are the world's worst regulated weapon
HUMAN RIGHTS: As Optional Protocol against Torture enters into force, Zimbabwe police go on rampage of torture and brutality
WOMEN AND GENDER: UN finds women heads of household destitute
REFUGEES AND FORCED MIGRATION: Refugees help Zimbabwe out of health crisis
ELECTIONS AND GOVERNANCE: Mauritania gives thumbs up to new constitution
DEVELOPMENT: In desperation, Zimbabweans turn into entrepreneurs
CORRUPTION: Another Kenyan anti-corruption activist sacked
HEALTH AND HIV/AIDS: Cholera death toll rises in Guinea
EDUCATION: Kenya calls for free secondary education
ENVIRONMENT: WHO claims environmental exposure cause 25% of deaths
LAND AND LAND RIGHTS: Exodus-Kutoka net online
MEDIA AND FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION: South Africa state media bans commentators
INTERNET AND TECHNOLOGY: African parliamentarians catching up on internet technologies
PLUS: e-Newsletters and Mailings Lists; Fundraising and Useful Resources; Courses, Seminars and Workshops; Jobs.

PAMBAZUKA NEWS SEEKS ONLINE NEWS EDITOR

2006-06-26

http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/highlights/35384

Pambazuka News, the electronic weekly newsletter and website focusing on social justice issues in Africa, is seeking an ONLINE NEWS EDITOR. You will be a forward thinking and independent person with a strong background in journalism and experience and/or a strong interest in the power of the internet for information delivery and campaigning.

Responsibilities will include: Assuming responsibility for the weekly production of Pambazuka News, including the coordination of editorial support staff; Editing, proofing, researching and posting content online in line with weekly production deadlines; Maintaining a contacts list and editorial diary, including research and commissioning of articles to ensure coverage of key events and issues; Research and writing of comment and analysis items on events and issues related to Africa; Participating in strategic and development issues that relate to editorial content, future development and editorial staff and interns; Completion of necessary administrative tasks. For the full job advertisement, please click on the following: http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/jobs/35339 or write to info AT fahamu.org

DRC's potential: Lighting the continent from Cape to Cairo

2006-07-21

Georges Nzongola-Ntalaja

http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/features/35486

As the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) moves towards elections, political scientist Georges Nzongola-Ntalaja talks to Pambazuka News about the strategic importance of the DRC. A strong state in the Congo would threaten western control over the resource-rich countries in the sub-region, namely, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Chad, Congo-Brazzaville, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon and Sao Tome and Principe. Moreover, he argues, the DRC has enough arable soil, rainfall, lakes and rivers to become the breadbasket of Africa, and enough hydroelectric power to light up the whole continent from the Cape to Cairo.

Pambazuka News: What is the strategic and economic importance of the DRC, both for Africa and internationally?

Georges Nzongola-Ntalaja: The best answer to this question is a quote from the late Jacques Foccart, the éminence grise of Gaullist Africa policy under Presidents Charles de Gaulle, Georgess Pompidou and Jacques Chirac, when the latter was Prime Minister under President François Mitterand. Asked by a journalist who was writing Foccart’s memoirs about his thoughts concerning the DRC, the old man had this to say:

You asked me what was France’s interest. On this matter, there is no ambiguity. Congo-Léopoldville, Zaire today, is the largest country in Francophone Africa. It has considerable natural resources. It has the means of being a regional power. The long-term interest of France and its African allies is evident (Emphasis mine. Jacques Foccart and Philippe Gaillard, Foccart parle: entretiens avec Philippe Gaillard, Fayard/Jeune Afrique, Paris, 1995, p. 310).

What is evident is that France and its allies, African as well as non-African, do not wish to see the DRC become a regional power in Central Africa, and thus constitute a threat to French hegemony and Western interests in the sub-region. A strong state in the Congo will not only threaten French control over the resource-rich countries in the sub-region, namely, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Chad, Congo-Brazzaville, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon and Sao Tome and Principe.

Moreover, the DRC has enough arable soil, rainfall, lakes and rivers to become the breadbasket of Africa, and enough hydroelectric power to light up the whole continent from the Cape to Cairo. While its mineral resources are so abundant that a young Belgian geologist declared the country a geological scandal at the beginning of the last century, the real scandal of the Congo include the facts that its uranium was used to build the first atomic bombs in the world and its wealth has since the days of King Leopold II been used not in the interests of its people but to the benefit of its rulers and their external allies.

Pambazuka News: Given this importance, how does this play out with regards the looming election?

Georges Nzongola-Ntalaja: The forthcoming election means more to the international community, which is spending heavily on it and even sending in European Union forces to supplement MONUC to ensure that it is being held, than to the Congolese people. The major powers of the world and the international organizations under their control would like to legitimize their current client regime in Kinshasa so they can continue unfettered to extract all the resources they need from the Congo.

Pambazuka News: What is the emancipatory role of the DRC with regards Africa’s development and what does self-determination mean in the context of this election?

Georges Nzongola-Ntalaja: The DRC cannot play a positive role in Africa’s development as long as it remains a dependent territory with approximately 60 percent of its national budget, over US$400 million for its national elections and virtually all of its development policy decisions coming from external sources. Elections, in this context, are not an exercise in self-determination but a ritual designed to justify external control through weak and non-patriotic elements of the political class. To play an emancipatory role with respect to Africa’s development, the DRC must complete its transition from colonialism to genuine independence as a sovereign nation with its own social project and capacity to make and implement its own development policies.

Pambazuka News: Historically, since independence at least, DRC has had strategic importance for the US as a result of the Cold War. Have the new dynamics associated with the war on terror changed this, and how?

Georges Nzongola-Ntalaja: On the contrary, the U.S. obsession with Islamic Fundamentalism as a potential source of terrorism makes the DRC a strategically important country because of its proximity to Sudan, its own small but significant Muslim population and its ties to East Africa, and the fact that persistent instability in the northeast is likely to provide opportunities for drug trafficking, the proliferation of small arms, money laundering and other criminal activities likely to be exploited by terrorist groups to their own advantage. The U.S. stake in the DRC is clearly evident by Washington’s involvement in the management of the current transition through CIAT (the International Committee to Accompany the Transition).

Pambazuka News: How has/does the historical legacy of Leopold 11 and Belgian colonialism impact on the country?

Georges Nzongola-Ntalaja: At the present time, Georges Forrest, a Belgian businessman, runs a big mining empire in the Katanga province, with obvious support from the Belgian state. Louis Michel, the EU Commissioner for Development and former Deputy Prime Minister and External Affairs Minister of Belgium, is one of the most powerful decision makers on the fate of the Congo. While it would be an exaggeration to put them on the same level as the agents of either King Leopold’s Congo or the Belgian Congo, the legacy of Belgian domination is kept alive through their enormous influence on Congo’s economy and politics.

Pambazuka News: What are the links between colonial rule, Mobutu and the rule of the late Kabila and now his son?

Georges Nzongola-Ntalaja: The main linkage between colonial rule, Mobutu and the two Kabila has already been underlined above, in that they each represent a predatory regime in which the enormous wealth of the country is being monopolized by the rulers and their external allies instead of serving the basic needs of the Congolese people.

Pambazuka News: You’ve written a book: ‘The Congo from Leopold to Kabila: A People's History’ in which you say that Congolese people have fought throughout their oppressive history to establish democratic institutions at home and free themselves from foreign exploitation. This is perhaps something that’s often missed in a discussion of the Congo, with a focus on war and resource extraction making it seem as if the DRC’s people are helpless in the face of these forces. Can you elaborate on your argument and how this fight has played itself out?

Georges Nzongola-Ntalaja: In January 1959, the popular masses arose against colonial rule in Kinshasa and by the end of that year, parts of the country had become totally ungovernable, leading the Belgians to conclude that they had to respect the Congolese people’s call for “immediate independence.” In 1963, faced with the evidence that independence did not meet their deepest aspirations for freedom and material well-being, peasants in the western part of the country came up with the new slogan, that of a “second independence,” and this became the rallying cry of popular insurrections led by the followers of the former and assassinated Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba, which succeeded in taking over nearly three quarters of the national territory. These insurrections were defeated by a counter-insurgency effort coordinated by the United States and Belgium, and which included the use of white mercenaries from Europe and Southern Africa.

In 1990, the rejection of the Mobutu regime through the popular consultations that the dictator himself had initiated for a verdict on his rule opened the process of transition to multiparty democracy. Had it not been for the erosion of Mobutu’s power through his repudiation by the public and which the Sovereign National Conference endorsed in 1992 through the election of Etienne Tshisekedi as Prime Minister of a transitional government, Laurent Kabila and his Rwandan allies would not have been able to march from Goma to Kinshasa in 7 months without a significant military challenge from Mobutu’s army.

Unfortunately, all these episodes of popular resistance to tyranny in search of democracy and social progress have ended in failure for lack of a political leadership that would put the people’s interests ahead of the narrow class interests of self-serving and corrupt politicians.

Pambazuka News: Any predictions for how the coming election is going to play itself out?

Georgess Nzongola-Ntalaja: Since the current transitional government has not fulfilled the requirements laid out in the Sun City/Pretoria accord for free and fair elections, the ritual of 30 July is likely to confirm Joseph Kabila as President, but it will not change the political situation of the country for the better. Violence will continue in the northeast, and corruption and incompetence will remain the most salient features of a government with an externally-driven agenda.

Interview conducted by email. Georges Nzongola-Ntalaja's book, The Congo from Leopold to Kabila: A People's History, is published by Zed Books, 2002. Georges Nzongola-Ntalaja is Facilitator for the Africa Governance Institute (AGI), a project of the Regional Bureau for Africa of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in New York. He has also served UNDP as Director of the Oslo Governance Centre in Oslo, Norway, from 1 August 2002 to 31 July 2005, and as Senior Adviser on Governance to the Federal Government of Nigeria in Abuja, Nigeria, from March 2000 to May 2002.

* Please send comments to editor@pambazuka.org or comment online at www.pambazuka.org

A happy birthday song to the face of AIDS

2006-06-29

Tom Arocho

http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/comment/35487

Inviolata celebrates life, and yet another birthday, in Kenya, where over 600 people die from HIV/AIDS every day. This brave woman is confronting not only her own fears, but also the expectations of her community and Kenyan society about what it means to live with AIDS.


Life at 20 marked the turning point. For many, life would have taken a downward spiral. But not for Inviolata Mbwavi. After going through the usual motion of shock, fear and denial, she resolved not to let the virus complete the hatchet job.

Fourteen years later, her steady hands aided by a number of other hands drive the knife into the red, ribbon cake. With each cut, the room drowns in rounds of applause. Another purple cake sits nearby like an impatient child begging for candy.

“The purple cake represents the years I have survived courtesy of the Almighty, while the other shaped like the red-ribbon, the years I have defied the virus.” Inviolata says as she gets hugs from friends and family.

When they finally break into the “Happy Birthday” it takes a completely new meaning. It is a celebration of life made new; living positively with HIV.

“This was the month I was diagnosed with HIV, I had just turned 20”, she later tells me.

Inviolata had stepped out of teenage life with optimism. But when the doctor waved her Elisa test-results, life crumbled. From her teenage years she carried HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Then, pre-test counselling was limited and anti-retroviral treatment in the realm of illusion.

“Nowadays I don’t expect anyone who has tested positive to commit suicide, not to go to school, miss work or simply refuse to live. If we were to die we would have died then, but we’ve survived,” she says.

Life must have been a sip of hemlock, I thought.

“Invy, we love and value you…” a voice interrupts as if reading my thoughts. It came from one of her brothers, shouting from the furthest corner among a group of teenagers, munching a huge piece of roasted chicken.

Inviolata stands up, her open palm gently on her heart and stoops in appreciation, “Love you too bro, virus or no virus.” The room lights up into hearty cheers. Love, care and support had knocked out the wind from under the wings of the virus.

Born in a family of ten siblings, having many brothers and sisters means an abundance of love, care and support. Unlike a number of people living with HIV/AIDS in Kenya, Inviolata’s family has outpaced stigma and discrimination.

“Love and support from my family, friends and colleagues is the oxygen I have been breathing for the past 14 years.”

Slightly plump, Inviolata frequently breaks into a sweetly ringing laughter displaying a set of teeth, as white as the droppings of the oluru bird (the white only interrupted by gaps between her teeth), ringed-patterns on her neck staring back in coy pride- all these are the hallmarks of African beauty.

Inviolata heads the Network for Empowerment of People Living and Affected with HIV/AIDS in Kenya (NEPHAK). Her name is found in the oft minimal space in the anti-HIV/AIDS diary in Kenya.

Inviolata advises for those living with the virus, birthdays call for celebration. A symbolic defiance against a stealthy virus infecting 40 million people globally, 75% of whom reside in Africa and where 600 Kenyans die every day.

Her boyfriend, who is also HIV-negative could not attend the party as he was away on business. But Inviolata is proud of their eight-year relationship, despite pressure from his relatives for their son to find a serro-negative girl.

“Marriage for me has become complicated because of the African traditions which require that a woman be capable of giving birth. I cannot do that without putting my boyfriend at risk.”

At one time the pressure on them was so much that Inviolata almost broke up with her partner. But reassurance from her boyfriend, whose name she does not want to reveal, kept the relationship intact.

She remains, however, optimistic that over time, her prospective in-laws will change their minds and accept her as a wife. This is especially the case because of the abundance of medical intervention currently available in the management of HIV/AIDS.

The advent of Highly Active Anti-retroviral Therapy (HAART) has turned HIV/AIDS into a chronic though manageable disease away from the bare-knuckled killer it was a decade ago. This means more birthdays for those who are HIV-positive.

“There is life beyond the virus, I don’t expect those who test positive today to stop living.”

But despite Inviolata’s reassuring words, her face turns into a mask of sadness as a shade flushes across her smooth peeled-avocado face. After hesitation she reveals what has pierced her heart.

“There are those who still think we are children of lesser gods because of our HIV-status. We should celebrate more birthday to prove our determination to live to the fullest.”

The conversation had drifted to the brutal murder of a 15-year old HIV-positive boy in Nyeri. At this point one could hear a feather drop as everyone sat with hand on cheek (a pose reflecting deep sadness in African context).

Weeks earlier Inviolata had led a demonstration condemning the hacking to death of Isaiah Gakuyo by his guardian uncle. He had driven the forked end of a hoe into Isaiah’s temple, snuffing out an already frail life. His justification? Isaiah’s constant sickness because of the virus was an unnecessary bother, he was heard bragging. To date, he remains at large, courtesy of relatives who harbour him, a Children’s Department reluctant to raise a finger and a community hesitant to break the silence.

“The murder is a sign that stigma and discrimination is becoming an epidemic on its own. We still need to change attitudes towards people living with HIV/AIDS.”

And despite the fact that the war against stigma and discrimination is easing, they are determined to emerge victorious.

“Today it is Isaiah Gakuyo, tomorrow it could be you, your mother, father, or your loved one. Embrace us with love…”

The burst of the mwana wamberi song jolts us out of the sad pre-occupation. The song is sang among Luhya to celebrate the birth of the first born. Indeed it was appropriate for Inviolata, who like a first born in the family was leading the way in the anti-AIDS struggle.

* Please send comments to editor@pambazuka.org or comment online at www.pambazuka.org

Showing the Red Card to Trafficking in Human Beings: Foul play expected

2006-06-29

SOLWADI (Solidarity with Women in Distress)

http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/comment/35489

Germany plays host to the World Cup this year, bringing thousands of soccer fans from across the globe together in one place. The World Cup will also lure unsuspecting girls and women from Africa and other parts of the world who have been tricked by promises of good jobs and high pay. The trafficking of girls and women for the purposes of sexual exploitation is an unfortunate consequence of an event of this kind, but one that must be paid careful attention to.


Germany is in soccer fever. From June 9th to July 9th 2006 Germany is host to an estimated 1 million foreign football fans and a further 2 million domestic supporters. Under the motto “A time to make friends”, the national authorities and tourist offices are determined to improve Germany’s image abroad and show that it can be a hospitable and friendly country. Much has been done in the hosting cities to ensure the visitors feel at home – but there are fears that it will not be fun and games for everyone involved. Traffickers and pimps are seizing the chance to make money by bringing thousands of young women into the country to satisfy the sexual appetite of the fans. In most cases, the women have no idea what is waiting for them when they accept a job offer abroad. The traffickers target vulnerable women from the poorest countries where hopes and dreams often cloud vision.

“Many of the girls who come to us for help were tricked into coming with false promises, thinking they will get work in hotels or restaurants”, says Sister Lea Ackermann, founder of the women’s aid organisation SOLWODI (Solidarity With Women in Distress). “They hear about a chance to earn enough money for their families and have very unrealistic ideas of life in the West. Even those who know they will be working in a bar or brothel have no idea of the exploitation, abuse and violence that is waiting for them. Often the women are locked up by the brothel owners and forced to work in prostitution under terrible conditions. They see little of the money they make – the pimps and brothel owners make money at their expense”.

Exploitation of African girls and women According to official reports, victims are trafficked to Western Europe from Asia, South and Middle America, Africa and Eastern Europe. Of the 998 women who contacted one of the 10 SOLWODI centres in Germany last year, 236 originated from African states, with Nigeria, Kenya and Ghana taking the lead. Not all women who contact SOLWODI-Germany are victims of trafficking in the norrower sense of the word. But in almost every case they are brought to Germany with hopes of a better life, only to be confronted with violence and sexual exploitation, whether in the sex industry or in a relationship. Take Kenya, for example, which is considered to be an emerging center for human trafficking. As a transit country, victims of traffickers are illegally brought from South Africa and Asia via Kenya’s harbours and across the borders destined for Europe, where they are exploited in domestic labour or commercial sex work. Kenya is also a country of origin, where Kenyan girls, in particular those from the Coast region, are first lured into sex work by rich tourists during their holidays. In some cases their exploiters even take them to Europe, but there is seldom a happy end to the story. Without legal documents or only a tourist visa, they have no way of legally finding work, which means they remain completely dependent on their exploiters. Solidarity with the victims Those victims who find themselves stranded in Germany and hear about SOLWODI can contact one of the 10 counselling centres spread across the country. SOLWODI-Germany offers its clients access to information and support and helps in finding ways out of the distressing situation. Where possible, clients are supported in taking legal action against their tormentors. Those eligible for SOLWODI’s returnee programme are helped by the counsellors to develop plans for the future. Together with non-goverment organisations in the home countries, the counsellors organise the return home. Depending on the individual situation, clients may be able to receive financial assistance with an income-generating project, such as setting up a small vegetable stand or a hairdressing business. In the case of Kenyan women, returnees may continue to receive counselling and support from the sister organisation, SOLWODI-Kenya, which has centres along the Coast in the Mombasa, Mtwapa and Malindi regions. SOLWODI-Kenya, which was founded over 20 years ago, has long been engaged in outreach programmes for women and girls at risk of being drawn into prostitution and offers counselling, education on women’s rights and HIV/AIDS, and vocational skills training.

Prevention is better than salvation As part of its World Cup anti-traffickign activities SOLWODI-Germany launched a prevention campaign to warn potential victims in the typical countries of origin and transit. Material was sent to more than 100 organisations in Middle and Eastern Europe, Asia and Africa to explain the dangers of accepting lucrative job offers in Germany during the months leading up to the World Cup. For those women who could not be reached by the prevention campaign and who now find themselves in trouble in Germany, SOLWODI has set up a multi-language hotline from 1st May till 31th July 2006. Helpers who speak both German and at least one further language are staffing the hotline, which is available around the clock. Although the hotline is set up for foreign women in distress, calls have also been received by male customers who have reported cases of suspected forced prostitution and violence in brothels they have visited. This goes to show that SOLWODI’s awareness raising activities within Germany have been successful in also reaching the male population. Since there is no market without demand, the customers play a key role in trafficking and forced prostitution.

The best way of preventing women from becoming victims lies in empowerment. Elizabeth Akinyi, SOLWODI-Kenya’s leader in Mombasa, says that most of the 15- to 18-year-olds who get into commercial sex work are often school drop-outs from poor families. Initiation into transactional sex for cash or goods and favours starts between the ages of 12 –to 13 years. Many girls have dropped out of school because their parents/guardians are not able to meet their basic needs, which entail food, education [fees, uniform, books etc], shelter and other needs like clothing. Girls who are victims of commercial sex exploitation of children [CSEC] do so to supplement family income.” It is important that they understand the dangers of being involved in commercial sex work and there are other alternatives and this can be discussed when they come to SOLWODI”, says Ms Akinyi. “Almost every girl who contacts us would prefer to quit commercial sex exploitation by men and instead go for vocational /skills training. We have a waiting list for girls who want vocational training. None of the girls want to remain at the mercy of men who abuse them. As soon as the girls get a chance to start a new life, they take it and work hard to succeed. CSEC is one of the worst forms of child labour and we need to advocate for these poor girls who do not understand the health risks involved. SOLWODI works with young girls from ages 8 to 25 year who are at risk and those already in sex work. Our biggest problem is finding enough funds to pay for the school and college fees. We also urgently need a rescue centre.”

Outlook As long as there are women living in poverty and misery, traffickers will have no problem finding new victims. Just how many girls and women have been trafficked to Germany for the World Cup 2006 will probably never be known. Most will return home disillusioned and dejected. Others will remain in the country at the mercy of the brothel owners. For the traffickers the World Cup was another opportunity to trick vulnerable women and girls into coming to the Europe. And they will be looking out for the next chance.

To combat trafficking and exploitation realistic alternatives must be offered to girls and young women to enable them to live an independent life free from exploitation and abuse. Empowerment, through education, training and start-up loan programmes like those offered by SOLWODI, is one the best ways to prevent girls falling victims to traffickers.

For further information contact: SOLWODI in Kenya: solwodi AT wananchi.com SOLWODI in Germany: info AT solwodi.de

* Please send comments to editor@pambazuka.org or comment online at www.pambazuka.org

Africa’s Football Status Quo

2006-06-29

Matt Bosch

http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/comment/35490

The World Cup has excited football fans around the globe, including African people of all nations. But while there are many reasons to be proud, especially of Ghana’s impressive win against America, there are also questions to be asked of the migration that players feel they must undertake to succeed in the football world.

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Ghana’s impressive defeat of the United States last week propelled them to the second round of the World Cup Finals, making them Africa’s only representative in the final sixteen. While Ghana’s success is a tremendous accomplishment for African football, it also provides a time for serious discussion of the difficult issue of labor migration and exploitation that is facing the sport. Of the 23 players Ghana brought to Germany, only 4 are signed with domestic clubs. The other 19 play professionally for clubs in Europe and Israel.

While the personal accomplishments of these athletes should not be disputed, the increasing flight of Africa’s finest players to Europe is indicative of a structural problem in African football. The “muscle exodus” as CAF president Issa Haytou has coined it, has grown tremendously in the past decade, fueled by the nearly 20 to 1 wage discrepancy between African and European clubs.[1] European clubs increasingly use their financial advantage to recruit Africa's best players when they are as young as 14 years old.

Sepp Blatter, the President of FIFA, has characterized the increasing labor migration as a form of neo-colonialism. “I find it unhealthy, if not despicable,” Blatter explains, “for rich clubs to send scouts shopping in Africa, South America and Asia to 'buy' the most promising players there. This leaves those who trained them in their early years with nothing but cash for their trouble. Dignity and integrity tend to fall by the wayside in what has become a glorified body market.” [2]

As the best talent is lured out of Africa, the quality of the sport on the continent is undermined. Local leagues are left with lower standards of play, reinforcing the conception that leaving Africa is the only choice for promising footballers.[3] In addition, African national teams' performance has historically been hurt when European clubs refuse to release African footballers to play for their home countries, fearing injury to their star players. While FIFA regulations now compel clubs to release players, there is a legal battle in the European Court of Justice as to whether clubs can demand monetary compensation for injuries that take place during national competitions.[4] If the legal challenge is successful, the potential financial cost to FIFA could put the current regulations in jeopardy.

By far the most damaging aspect of the current “muscle exodus” is the exploitation of young African footballers by profiteering agents. Youth tournaments held throughout Africa serve as recruitment venues for European agents. Some players, such as the stars of Ghana’s team, end up signing lucrative contracts with European clubs. However, for every success story there are scores of others who are brought to Europe to train and are then abandoned. The economist Wladimir Andreff explains, “Most young players transferred to European professional clubs ultimately do not sign a contract and then are left aside, cut off from their family, friends, and home country, with no source of income and no assistance.” These youth, left in Europe as illegal immigrants with no way to support themselves, in some cases, have even resorted to prostitution to survive [5]. While it is now against FIFA regulations to transfer minors from their home country, the practice continues to exist on the black market. "Non-affiliated football academies" in Africa continue to train and recruit young players for European export, bypassing FIFA regulations [6]. Since ambitious young footballers see moving to Europe as their only chance of success, they are easy targets for such exploitation.

As all of Africa celebrates Ghana’s success, it is an important opportunity to discuss the great potential of truly African national football and the dangers that the current “muscle exodus” poses to this as well as to the athletes themselves. Hopefully the success of Ghana’s national team will challenge the prevailing belief that moving to Europe is the only viable option for aspiring African footballers as well as raise awareness around the injustice that is currently football's status quo.


Matt Bosch is an intern with Fahamu.

* Please send comments to editor@pambazuka.org or comment online at www.pambazuka.org

[1] Andreff, Wladimir. “The Taxation of Player Moves from Developing Countries.” In Rodney Fort & John Fizel, eds., International Sports Economics Comparisons, Westport & London, Praeger 2004 (pp. 87-103).
[2] Blatter, Joseph. “Soccer’s greedy neo-colonialists,” Financial Times. 17 December 2003. London (pp. 19).
[3] Akindes, Gerard, Paul Darby, and Matt Kirwin. “Football Academies and the Migration of African Football Labour to Europe.” Presented at “Soccer, Nationalism, and Globalization.” University of California, Los Angeles. 31 May 2006.
[4] “Sport: Governance of Football Lies at Heart of Charleroi Court Case,” European Report. 12 June 2006.
[5] Akindes et al
[6] Ibid

Global Human Rights Bodies Move Against Nigeria

2006-06-29

Josephine Lohor

http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/comment/35491

Human rights groups in Nigeria are in an uproar over the unconstitutional removal of the Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission. Mr. Bukhari Bello. Over 30 groups have made their stance clear, arguing that not only does this undermine the country’s constitutionalism, but it also subverts the rights of Nigerians.

Sequel to the removal of Mr. Bukhari Bello, by Federal Government as Executive Secretary of National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), International Human Rights bodies including Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA) yesterday (26 June) said they have withdrawn support from the National Human Rights Commission.

Meanwhile, 30 Nigerian civil society organisations have released separate complaints to Judge Louise Arbour, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, and Mrs. Salamata Sawadogo, Chairperson of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights calling for the restoration of Bello to his position, an urgent international investigation of the independence of institutions for the protection of human rights in Nigeria, including the judiciary and the National Human Rights Commission and suspension of Nigeria from consultative relations with both bodies if the government fails to rescind its actions.

On Monday, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Justice Minister, Chief Bayo Ojo, SAN, issued a letter to Bello, informing him of his removal as head of the commission.

The Minister said government was displeased with his criticisms of harassment and intimidation of journalists by the security services and denunciation by African National Human Rights Institutions of recent attempt at tenure extension and America’s role at Guatanamo Bay.

Mr. Bello is the Chairperson, Co-ordinating Committee of African National Human Rights Institutions.

They noted with dismay that the redeployment of Bello came at the time when the United Nations Human Rights Council is holding its inaugural meeting adding that Nigeria is one of the 47 elected members to the council based on its pledge to respect the promotion and protection of the rights of its citizens in general, as well as support the strengthening and independence of the National Human Rights Commission.

Condemning the action, Mr. Chidi Anselm Odinkalu, Director of the Africa Programme, Open Society Justice Initiative contended that the statements issued by Bello were in capacity as Chairperson, Co-ordinating Committee of African National Human Rights Institutions and that it was a collective decision of all the council members. “The Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has run carts and horses through the Paris Principles. They have undermined stability of tenure of the members of the Commission, compromised the Commission’s institutional efficacy and independence, and chosen to subvert the protection of human rights in Nigeria. The High Commis-sioner for Human Rights and the African Commission cannot stand idly by while these happen,” he said.

Speaking at the joint press conference, Dr. Nana Tanko, Executive Director of OSIWA said: “Nigeria is supposed to be in the forefront for respect of constitutionalism in the continent. Now they have set a bad precedence what is expected of other African Countries that are looking up to it? “For any democracy to work, the protection and promotion of the citizenry is very crucial. Issues should be looked at beyond individuals. “The action of Nigerian government by removing Bello negates all the work that has been done over the years in the area of Human Rights in Africa. If such removal must be done, due process must be followed. We have done a lot to support the National Human Rights Commission over the years but at this point we have no choice but to withdraw our support. We can’t imagine doing all that we have been doing and the government comes and makes a nonsense of all we have done.”

Chinonye Obiagwu, Co-ordinator of the Legal Defence and Aid Project (LEDAP), observed: “We are appalled at the treatment of Mr. Bukhari Bello. This is not just an issue about Mr. Bello. It is about the rule of law, due process, and proper governance. “If we allow this to go unchallenged, it is going to be a return to anarchy. This is a call to the trenches. It is very clear that government is no longer sensitive to constructive decision-making. We ask all members of civil society to suspend collaborative activities with the Federal Ministry of Justice until it makes clear that it will no longer interfere with the National Human Rights Commission.” Obiagwu pointed out that the Abacha government, which established the NHRC, appointed Mohammed Tabir, who was very critical of their policies, but never removed him.

He revealed that for the past five years a bill to amend the NHRC Act to give it more powers and remove government control has been pending at the National Assembly.

The groups contend that: “In taking this decision, the Justice Minister did not notify or consult with the Chairperson or other members of the Council of the National Human Rights Commission. On Monday, 19 June, the Chairperson of the Commission, Honourable Justice Anthony Igu promptly visited the Justice Minister to protest this interference in the independence of the NHRC and to affirm that the allegations on the basis of which the Attorney-General claimed to have acted fell firmly within the remit of the Executive Secretary and were done at all times on the instructions of the Council of the NHRC. “Principle 3(a)(iv) of the Paris Principles, A/Res/48/138, requires the establishment of National Human Rights Commissions for the purpose of ‘drawing the attention of the government to situations in any part of the country where human rights are violated and making proposals to it for initiatives to put an end to such situations and, where necessary, expressing an opinion on the positions and reactions of the government.’ “Principle 6 of the Paris Principles requires governments to ‘ensure a stable mandate for the members of the national institution, without which there can be no real independence.’ “In Article 26 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, which is domestic law in Nigeria, the government of Nigeria undertakes to ‘guarantee the independence of ….appropriate national institutions entrusted with the promotion and protection of the rights and freedoms guaranteed in the Charter.’”

For further details see: http://www.thisdayonline.com/nview.php?id=51246

* Please send comments to editor@pambazuka.org or comment online at www.pambazuka.org

Football, Davids and Goliaths

2006-06-30

Tajudeen Abdul Raheem

http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/panafrican/35507

The presence of people of African origin in most of the teams guarantees that which ever team or country finally wins, it is very likely that we are going to have Pan Africanist contribution to it, writes Tajudeen Abdul-Raheem. So whatever the outcome, Pan Africanists can still celebrate. But many still wonder why African teams have not made the desired impact, and transformed individual promise and potential into success in the World Cup? Why are we so good at serving others but do not have the same enthusiasm when it comes to serving ourselves? Or framed differently: do we expend so much energy serving others that when it comes to serving ourselves we are too exhausted?


Tuesday 27 June was a very disappointing evening for many of us. The disappointment was felt not just on the street of Accra but across the continent and outside also. We were all hoping against hope that the Black Stars will fly in the face of all that experience and instinct dictated. It was a game of David and Goliath. But as in the biblical story, in football unfancied Davids have been known to literally floor many a Goliath. Just look at how many over rated country teams have been humbled in this World Cup. Both Czechoslovakia and Ghana humiliated a USA team, strangely ranked No 2 by FIFA! Maybe FIFA was rating American football, a game in which the last thing they use is their feet and they have to wear helmets!

Last Tuesday was not the Black Stars night. They performed creditably well, held their grounds in spite of being wrong-footed early in the game, fought back spiritedly but could not convert their chances against a Brazilian side that still has lingering doubts whether it is the Brazil that we all take to our hearts. However, it is not the case that Brazil was playing badly; credit must be given to Ghana for playing well.

Now that the last of Africa's hopes in the championship has been extinguished, to fight another day, the tribal character of 'the beautiful game' witnesses a dramatic change of sides by many Africans. There will be no guessing who most Africans will be rooting for now. It's Brazil all the way, failing which, many will root for Argentina. There is a historical, racialist and Third Worldist sentimentality in this transferable adulation. By point of fact, Brazil is a top dog anyday, in poor or bad shape. It is the only team for which nothing short of victory will be considered inglorious defeat. It is the only team that even when it wins (as in the current campaign) there is criticism that it is not doing so in its usual entertaining and robust style! The game may have been invented by the Scots. but the gold-standard bearers in football are not Scots (who can hardly qualify these days) or any of their European cousins. Brazil and the South Americans in general are the teams to beat. So in supporting them, Africans are simply going for the best. But it goes beyond that. Football has meant Pele, and Pele means Brazil to so many generations of Africans. Therefore, regardless of the colour (officially there are over 17 variations of blackness in Brazil), many Africans just believe them to be 'one of us'. But this racial aspect of the game is the most amusing to me. On the strengthof race, just look at most of the teams. It is no longer which team has black players, but which one does not?

Football, and sports in general, is one place where all notions of racial superiority or purity have been exposed as bogus. It is also the place where globalisation expresses its farthest reach. Players are like stocks and shares belonging to no country but the highest bidder, whether club or country! When France won the World cup in 1998 the racist bigot Jean-Marie Le Pen (leader of France's extreme right-wing Nationalist Party) and his supporters could not celebrate because they did not think that the magnificent players led by Zidane (who is still dazzling us in the current campaign) were French enough because of their ancestral origins. It was tough luck to him because the rest of France celebrated Vive la France regardless of the colour ofthe players. They did it for France. In one English League game in recent years, the current League Champions, Chelsea, managed to field a full team with reserve, without a single English man! Just look at the teams and you see Africans or players of African origin playing for all kinds of countries. This is yet another prove that when the rules are clear black people can excel. Open the doors of equality, of access and opportunity,and may the best candidate win. But we have to enter first!

The presence of people of African origin in most of the teams guarantees that which ever team or country finally wins, it is very likely that we are going to have Pan Africanist contribution to it. So whatever the outcome, Pan Africanists can still celebrate. But many still wonder why African teams have not made the desired impact, and transformed individual promise and potential into success in the World Cup?

Why are we so good at serving others but do not have the same enthusiasm when it comes to serving ourselves? Or framed differently: do we expend so much energy serving others that when it comes to serving ourselves we are too exhausted?

In this, the various teams have become metaphors for our countries. They are full of individual stars, with fantastic records at club levels in various non-African countries (mostly European but increasingly the Middle East); but when brought together, they do not perform the same wonders for their countries. There are technical, resource and organisational reasons why this is so, but I see a more fundamental reason: political and ideological orientation of both the players and those who administer sports in our countries. No matter how talented a player is, in football, you are part of a team. We are big on big players and short on team spirit. The success of Ghana so far has been because it has begun building a team, not assemble one in a permanent state of emergency like their Nigerian neighbours who were dispatched from the qualifying series by a less fancied Angola. What is the Pan-Africanist point in all these? One, individualism will not take us to the Promised Land. We need to build winning teams. Two, if Europeans can buy and sell African players, what is stopping an African country, government or entrepreneurs from investing similar resources to build a winning African team? The preparation for the next World Cup should have started four years ago, but it is not too late to begin now.

* 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.org or comment online at www.pambazuka.org

Egypt: Refugee massacre in Cairo

2006-06-26

Barbara E. Harrell-Bond

http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/letters/35340

Are you people only out to 'get' governments (The tragedy of Mustafa Mahmoud Park, Summary of report from Force Migration Review
http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/comment/35334)? The main culprit in all of this was UNHCR. It is, in my view, disastrous for refugee/government relations that only the Egyptian government gets the bad publicity when they had remained patient for threelong months. It is very well-known, certainly to UNHCR, who called for the demonstrator to be removed, that the security in Egypt is not trained for a peaceful break-up of demonstrations. Had UNHCR simply allowed other refugees to attend their offices from another direction and kept 'in business', the refugees would not have believed their sit-in to have been so successful.

Senegal: Women's rights and Islam

2006-06-28

Masake Kane

http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/letters/35460

I am Senegalese-American, born and raised in Senegal, which is a predominantly Muslim country. As I agree and I identify with the struggle of women all over Africa (Women's Rights and Islam
http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/comment/35188), I find this article of great interest. However, I feel that the usage of "Islamic" as attributes to explain certain misogynistic phenomenona in Africa should be avoided. In fact, the problem is that many men and women think that this is the case, and thus changes come slowly because people believe that it these practices are mandated by religion. I am a Muslim and I am educated, therefore I know better. I think that there needs to be a campaign to show people that these behaviours are in fact un-Islamic and that the prophet Muhammad (saw) was in fact a defender of women's rights. Many Muslims do not know this, and in fact many Muslim men do not know this! The reason why? Well, simply because most people do not really know Islam in Africa as well as in the Middle East. Because of traditions, religious manipulators and language and literacy battles, people are conditioned to follow blindly. The campaign needs to be around exposing the un-Islamic practices of people, not by labelling them as being in line with Islam. If anyone picked up the Qu'ran and read it, they would clearly see that women have a very high status in the religion. I think the men of the Parliament in Niger should do a bit more reading.

Kenya: World Social Forum 2007

2006-06-29

http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/letters/35484

Dear friend, participant of the World Social Forum process:

The 7th World Social Forum - to be held from January 20 to 25, in Nairobi (Kenya) – faces now the challenge of being even more linked to concrete actions to build “another possible world”.

This concern has been constantly expressed on various meetings of the WSF International Council and evaluations made about WSF process. What we have been looking for is to accomplish one of WSF aims, stated on its Charter of Principles: The World Social Forum is an open meeting place for reflective thinking, democratic debate of ideas, formulation of proposals, free exchange of experiences and interlinking for effective action.

This is the why this preparatory consultation is being launched.

It gives continuity to the methodological options, which started to be adopted in 2004, during WSF 2005 preparation, in order to improve process and event
“architecture”. On that Forum, it resulted on the definition of 11 thematic terrains around which 2,000 activities were carried out– all of them were self-organized, corresponding to another advance compared to the events organized before.

But the 2004 consultation had a thematic character. In this one, we want to move a step forward.

Now what we request to you is to indicate the actions, campaigns and struggles in which your organization/network/entity is engaged.

The proposal is to organize the 7th Forum around those actions, campaigns and struggles, aggregating, on the different Forum spaces, the activities linked to them, as well as the activities that have no direct link with them – to be indicated during the moment of activities registration – but related to the same by their themes.

This will make more visible the concrete actions born on the Forum process or those who gave sequence or more density to others that had been developed before or outside WSF, as well as its effective political results. This will also stimulate the interconnection among organizations in which we are engaged on the struggles for constructing a fair, egalitarian, democratic, participative and sustainable society.

This proposal – and the execution of this preparatory consultation – was approved by the WSF International Council, based on a proposal made by its Methodology Commission, in its meeting held in March 2006, in Nairobi.

We tried to simplify the questions on the consultation form at maximum, in order to make easier to answer to it. As soon as you do it, better conditions we will have to prepare the WSF 2007 adequately. The deadline to send your answers is July 30th, 2006.

In order to fill in the consultation questionnaire, please access the website: http://consultation.wsf2007.org/ Organizations who have registered on the Polycentric WSF 2006 website(www.wsf2006.org) are not required to fill in all the forms again. They can access the site http://consultation.wsf2007.org/ using the same username and password from the polycentric 2006 site above
mentioned and then, click on the top menu “Consultation on actions, campaigns and struggles” > “Add new”. Up to now, the site is only in English. But soon it will be available also in French and Castellano/Spanish.

For further information on the event in Nairobi, please visit the site: www.socialforum.or.ke

WSF 2007 Organizing Committee executive office - Kenya Physical Contacts: Masandukuni Lane, Off Gitanga Road Postal Address: P.O. Box 63125, 00619 Nairobi Kenya
Telephone: 254-020-3860745 ou 254-020-3860746
Fax: 254-020-2713262
E-mail: socialforum@sodnet.or.ke

World Social Forum Office in São Paulo
Address: rua General Jardim, 660 - 7th floor - São Paulo - SP - Brazil
Postal code: 01223-010
Website: www.worldsocialforum.org

Uganda: Museveni has liberty to give and take

2006-06-26

Augustine Ruzindana

http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/letters/35382

Museveni has been a strong and dominating leader in government, the armed forces and his party for more than 20 years.

But he has never been confident enough to have his way in all matters through the formal structures and channels. So he has always used informal structures to have certain things done which he thought he could not have done formally.

He has never outgrown the methods of work of his guerilla days and even now he remains suspicious of institutional pluralism. Even in institutions where his power is total, informalism is the method of work. Thus during elections, you had a proliferation of the Kakooza Mutale, kakuyege/nyekundiire type of activities, side by side with the formal task forces. You have the Cheeyes in intelligence and journalism; the Tinyefuza role in intelligence side by side with the Security Minister Amama Mbabazi; the Media Centre side by side with the Presidential Advisor on the media and a media spokesman (Onapito) and a Minister responsible for information who is also a spokesman of government.

You have an Inspector General of Police who is also a presidential military assistant. You have a Gen. Tumwine who is a serving military officer, an MP and a Chief Judge (3 in one) of the court martial, the complete negation of the separation of powers.

All these unusual things are not accidental. They inform everyone that what Museveni wants is the law and the norm. It promotes the image of omnipotence which grants him the latitude to do so many things outside the law and to use the structures and the normal channels of government accordingly. Legal niceties or checks and balances are dismissed off hand. So if he gives Shs 20 bn to Basajja, so what? Even if he adds another Shs13.4 bn to him.

If he allocates prime land, with government buildings on, to favoured companies and individuals, so what? That it is Museveni who has done it puts a full stop to any questions. So what if he sends Black Mambas to surround the High Court or boda boda to show his displeasure at judges who passed a “wrong” judgement against government. So what if he sends his opposition opponent to jail and Court Martial on tramped up charges.

So what if creates informal armies, Arrow Boys, Amuka etc… So what if he nullifies the results of elections - Ruremera in Kibaale.

So what if he invades Congo a number of times, makes incursions int the Sudan all without parliamentary approval. So what if creates other kings in Buganda. So what if he abuses religious leaders for not supporting his life presidency project. So what if he aspires to be President of the East African Federation without thinking of the expected requirement of complying with political convergence? Stage by stage he accumulated personal power controlling all appointments and promotions that matter and deciding on the allocation of government revenue.

What all this says is that he always gets his way with anything he wants. This is what is called absolute power, when power goes to the head. He has an infallibility complex. The sovereignty of the country is now resident in the President.

There is absolute concentration of power in the President. Kamuzu Banda put it more succinctly in 1972 when he said that: "Nothing is not my business in this country: everything is my business, everything. The state of education, the state of our economy, the state of our agriculture, the state of our transport, everything is my business."

Thus the multiplicity of offices and ministers goes with their disempowerment since all significant decisions are made in State House. This personalization of power is both cause and effect of the desire for longevity in power. How can the "father" who is responsible for the people's welfare retire? How can he have intermediaries between him and the people? And so on and so forth.

With this background, it becomes clear why disagreeing with him becomes treason. That is why Dr Kizza Besigye is considered to have gone too far. Not only did he disagree with him, but he dared to stand against him. Preposterous is it not?

He must be punished and severely too so that others may see what befalls those who disagree with him. That is the same with Brig Henry Tumukunde. That is why that "fellow" Ruzindana is a traitor as well. How dare he oppose the coveted life presidency and then compound it by not giving way when the President's wife expressed a desire to be an MP? What impudence, he is a traitor. Shun him.

Prof Ali Mazrui has an explanation for this traitor business. Writing on " Political Leadership in Africa: Seven Styles and Four Traditions" he had the following to say about the " monarchical tendency" (Sabagabe): "Even African societies which were not themselves monarchical were influenced by the royal paradigm. Kwame Nkrumah attempted to create a monarchical tradition in independent Ghana by declaring himself life president, by sacralising (making sacred) his authority with the title Osagyefo (Redeemer), by surrounding himself with a class of ostentatious consumers passing themselves as Ghana's new political aristocracy, and by increasingly regarding political opposition to the president as the equivalent of treason (a monarchical version of intolerance)".

In Uganda, the new political aristocracy with its ostentatious consumption is a fact of daily life. The labeling of political opponents as traitors comes from the Sabagabe himself. Intolerance is the order of the day. The "father" has graduated to king. What then is the status and fate of the Kabaka with his quest for Federo, another power centre?

Magnanimity also goes with absolute power. Thus those who have disagreed with him but later repented or recanted may be rehabilitated but at the expense of losing their standing in society. Museveni gives and Museveni takes away.

Historical precedents abound, but Mobutu's on-again, off-again relationship with Nguza Karl-I-Bond and Etienne Tshisekedi, in which the two men were brought back from disgrace and even prison, to occupy high level positions in Mobutu's Cabinet will do for now.

Meanwhile everyone fawns on him as wisdom incarnate. The diplomatic community makes faint polite protests and acquiesces and finances the goings on, on the pretext that there is no one else available.

"Who else" is the refrain. Civil society organizations busy themselves with innocuous causes; the academia gets co-opted; the urban populations grumble silently; and the peasants continue dancing at public events for visiting dignitaries. Everybody goes into hiding. Impunity prevails. National numbness and paralysis are mistaken for stability. This could be a prelude to a gathering storm.

The author is FDC Deputy Secretary General for Policy, Research and former Ruhaama MP.

Breathing Life into the African Union Protocol on Women's Rights in Africa

2006-06-29

http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/books/35497

Edited by Roselynn Musa, Faiza Mohamed, Firoze Manji, this book is the fruits of the labours of the Solidarity for African Women's Rights (SOAWR), a coalition of more than 20 gender, human rights and development NGOs in Africa, including the African Center for Democracy and Human Rights Studies, FEMNET, Association des Juristes Maliennes, Equality Now, Fahamu, Fundação para o desenvolvimento da Comunidade (an organisation founded by Graça Machel in Mozambique), Oxfam GB and Women in Law and Development in Africa. The book is published with the full endorsement and support of the African Union Women, Gender and Development Directorate.

The Protocol to the African Charter on Human and People's Rights on Women's Rights grew out of a recognition that the African Union's Charter does not adequately address issues that affect women. It is arguably one of Africa's most ground-breaking and progressive rights instruments for gender equality, providing a comprehensive legal framework covering a broad range of women's social and economic rights, such as the reproductive right to abortion, and the legal prohibition of genital mutilation.

The papers in this book are the product of a conference jointly convened by the African Commission on Human and People's Rights and the Solidarity for African Women's Rights coalition that was held in Addis Ababa in September 2005. The primary aim of the conference was to shift the focus from the ratification of the Protocol to ensuring the meaningful implementation of its provisions. Some examples of topics covered are: the campaign for ratification, a report of the Addis Ababa meeting, SADC and the Protocol, NEPAD and women's rights, HIV/AIDS: a challenge to implementation; and challenge of harmonising the Protocol with national laws.

1904855660 172pp. 2006 Solidarity for African Women's Rights coalition £14.95 ISBN-13: 978-1-904855-66-8. The French edition will be published shortly.

The Slow Race - Making technology work for the poor

Reviewed by Becky Faith

2006-06-29

Demos and the Institute of Development Studies

http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/books/35492

Demos describes itself as a 'think tank for everyday democracy' which is not linked to any political party but was recently described by a columnist for a leading British paper as "the New Labour's thinktank of choice" (http://www.guardian.co.uk/g2/story/0,,1797573,00.html).

The pamphlet comes as a response to recent activity which has raised the profile of science and technology on the international development agenda. including the UN Millenium Development Goals and the recommendations of the 2005 Commission for Africa.

The first of the three 'global science races' described in the pamphlet is 'the race to the top of the global economy' which takes as a model the explosive growth of the Asian Tigers and the Indian and Chinese economies. This pitches development as a process of modernisation; thus African countries will 'leapfrog' their way out of poverty by "creating incentives and promoting an enabling environment for foreign direct investment is one of the most important mechanisms for building technological capacity" (http://www.unmillenniumproject.org/reports/tf_science.htm).

This is a view seemingly endorsed by Calestous Juma, the Kenyan Professor of the Practice of International Development at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. In a recent publication entitled 'Going for Growth: Science, Technology and Innovation in Africa' he called for a rethinking of the African economic landscape to "..focus on the role of knowledge as a basis for economic transformation. Doing so will entail placing policy emphasis on emerging opportunities such as renewing infra-structure, building human capabilities, stimulating business development, and increasing participation in the global economy. These areas should provide a firm foundation upon which to base international partnerships." (http://bcsia.ksg.harvard.edu/BCSIA_content/documents/GoingforGrowth_AMENDEDFINAL.pd)

The second race is the 'Universal fix' which the authors describe as 'breakthroughs in science and technology that will have a direct and widespread impact on poverty. These are the types of breakthroughs that are exemplified by the Grand Challenges in Global Health (http://www.gcgh.org/) which is funded by the wealth of Bill Gates (currently standing at around $50 billion). Examples of these 'fixes' are treatments for diseases such as malaria. This approach is often characterised by public/private partnerships and views development as a common moral reponsibility.

The slow race to citizens' solutions advocated by the reports authors takes a different road. Its approach is informed by participatory approaches to development; "Rather than being viewed as passive beneficiaries of trickle-down development or technology transfer,in this race,citizens are seen as knowledgeable, active and centrally involved in both the ‘upstream’ choice and design of technologies,and their ‘downstream’delivery and regulation."

Such an approach means reconceptualising innovation to involve a 'systems approach' which engages multiple actors and rethinks the cultural and social relationships that will enable a technology to work and impact on poverty reduction. This approach requires interdisciplinary research and 'bottom-up' problem definitions.

The importance of access and ownership in what is described as a 'privatised' world of research and development is another aspect of the 'slow race'. This privatised world has resulted in a 90:10 gap in which only 10% of the overall world health research budget is spent on diseases which affect 90% of the world's population (http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/TOPICS/EXTPOVERTY/0,,contentMDK:20194762~pagePK:148956~piPK:216618~theSitePK:336992,00.html). Some public/private partnerships are seen as a viable response to the squeeze on public sector finances caused by structural adjustment programmes. Mobile phone technology is cited as a private sector development which can be of genuine benefit to the poor.

Engaging citizens in debates to shape decisions about technology is seen as a vital part of the 'slow race'. The pamphlet's authors stress the need for public engagement in debates about science and technology and cite the success of the Treatment Action Campaign in South Africa as an example of a "campaign to assert the rights of citizens to scientific knowledge".

At the pamphlet's launch in London last week, Dr John Mugabe, the Director of the NEPAD Office of Science and Technology, spoke of the need to get African governments involved in science and technology policies and to create a political culture in which citizen's commissions might operate effectively. He spoke of how new models of public private partnerships with small and medium sized enterprises will offer power gains to the poor.

Dr Suman Sahai, the convener of the Gene Campaign (http://www.genecampaign.org/), which is dedicated to protecting the genetic resources of the South and the rights of farming and tribal communities, critiqued the view of genetic technologies as a 'universal fix' for poverty and hunger. The story of the nutritionally enhanced 'golden rice' which was pitched as a cure for widespread vitamin A deficiency exemplifies this, and on the Gene Campaign website she describes how "...the poor blind children that were held up as the reason why Golden Rice was being developed do not seem to be part of the discourse anymore" (http://genecampaign.org/News/golden-rice.htm). This is a view echoed by Mariam Mayet from the African Centre for Biodiversity, when she spoke to Pambazuka News of how African countries have been subject to pressure to accept GM food; "In May 2003, when Sudan banned the import of GM food aid, it was forced to issue a series of temporary waivers enabling food aid shipments to the country to continue while alternatives were found" (http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/comment/34804).

Several people raised the issue of how effective citizen engagement in public decision making about science can be in politically repressive environments. Dr John Mugabe spoke of the need to create a political culture in Africa in which 'citizen's juries' on science and technology might operate effectively.

The issues raised in the pamphlet are of global importance and the authors are to be congratulated for making the pamphlet available under an 'open access' licence, thus encouraging debate and conversation around these vital sigues (http://www.demos.co.uk/catalogue/theslowrace/).

Yet it is unfortunate that the authors did not spend more time on the significant challenges posed by climate change as a major threat to humanity and on the opportunities offered by information and communication technologies both as a tool for economic development and for participatory approaches to development.

In addition, a debate needs to be had around the issues of how citizen's participation can work effectively in politically repressive environments and how multinational corporations can be held to account when, as Nnimmo Bassey recently described in Pambazuka News, "Oil corporations such as Shell and Chevron, who are major players in the Niger Delta, have admitted to contributing to corruption and violence/civil unrest in the Niger Delta." (http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/comment/34801).

"The Slow Race - Making technology work for the poor" is a new pamphlet published jointly by the British 'think tank' Demos and the Institute of Development Studies.

Africa: Lives on the line

2006-06-28

http://www.chico.mweb.co.za/art/2006/2006jun/060623-lives.html

According to filmmaker Makela Pulula, 800 refugees from around Africa enter Cape Town every month. Pulula’s documentary, A Shadow of Hope, is one of several films at the Durban International Film Festival to examine and interrogate issues of migration, displacement and asylum-seeking. "South Africans don’t want to accept the reality, because they don’t want to see themselves in the mirror."

The week in the African blogosphere

2006-06-29

Sokari Ekine

http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/blog/35505

Ethiopian blogger, Weichegud!ET Politics Weichegud!ET Politics (http://weichegud.blogspot.com/2006/06/letter-to-paul-wolfowitz.html) writes an open letter to World Bank President, Paul Wolfowitz who is soon to visit Ethiopia. She writes eloquently on the realities of Ethiopia under the dictatorship of Meles Zenawi and what she expects from the US:

“I don’t envy American diplomats in Ethiopia. How do you negotiate with a leader of a country who many diplomats privately admit has a “psychopathic willingness to kill his own people to keep power”? Seriously, how do you negotiate with that? How do you put pressure on a man not to shoot innocent people? How do you beg him to care for his own people?”

But even then, Paul, how does the American ambassador in Ethiopia venture out to exert pressure on imprisoned opposition leaders to give their blessing to a new political party created and manipulated by the ruling party? How does the American Ambassador quote Ecclesiastes and tell Ethiopians who have survived Mengistu Haile Mariam and 15 years of the EPRDF that it takes decades to build a democracy? “

While she admits that challenging the present Ethiopian regime is a huge task, she asks why Ethiopians have to “beg” the US to be on the side of those seeking peaceful democracy? Wonkette comes up with one of the best lines I have heard to date

“To Make Poverty History you have to make tyranny history” which leads to a couple of questions: Will the Americans do the “right” thing? Or is there one rule for Mugabe and another for Zenawi? If so what is the difference, or is that just to black and white?

Thinkers Room - Thinkers Room (http://www.thinkersroom.com/blog/2006/06/heads-up/) raises the possibility that Kenya will join other African countries (Egypt, Tunisia, Ethiopia, Gambia and Zimbabwe in harassing bloggers)

“The Internet bloggers bit without a doubt did not come from him. I have for a long time been of the opinion that Michuki and his ilk are of the opinion that the Internet is a new fangled fishing device. But one never knows……….Bottom line — bloggers are now on the government radar.”

So African governments are increasingly becoming aware of the blogosphere and bloggers. There are two ways of looking at this – half empty (we face detention and arrest, loose our jobs, get harassed by the police). I prefer the half full approach. African bloggers are not constrained like the mainstream media and are openly and daily challenging the dictators, bullies and their thugs, exposing their lies and corruption. Thinkers final words! ……..“I won’t be cowed online but I jolly well will keep a very low profile physically!!! And judging from the huge number of comments nor will other Kenyan bloggers. Keep on blogging – big brother is watching and reading.

Chippla’s Weblog - Chippla's Weblog (http://chippla.blogspot.com/2006/06/republic-and-underclass-caste-system.html) tackles on of the taboo subjects in Nigeria, the caste system that continues to operate in Nigeria today.

“the caste system is not only alive but also kicking in present-day Nigeria. From the north to the south of the country, across the diverse ethnic affiliations, one finds dozens of traditions that define who an outcast is and why. The Fulanis in the north have a cast system as do the Igbos in the southeast. The Igbo caste system is probably the most widely known in Nigeria due to the fact that it has been well documented in literature. However, one can almost be certain that every Nigerian ethnic group practices it to a certain extent. The outcasts in Igbo land are known as osus. Going by tradition an osu (who is in principle a slave by birth) cannot marry a freeborn. Thus, an osu is only expected to marry an osu. Not even Christianity, which is quite a force among the Igbos, appears to have attenuated this caste tradition.”

The caste system is closely related to slavery – another taboo subject for which many are in denial. Slavery exists today in the North East of Nigeria, in Kanuri land. The use of child labour as unpaid domestics servants and labourers is also a form of slavery that is condoned across ethnic people and class. It is high time that progressive thinking Nigerians begin to tackle these abusive systems that exist openly in our society by bringing the discussion into the public arena.

Gambian blogger, Ousman Cessay of Home of the Mandinmories - Home of the mandinmories (http://gambian.blogspot.com/2006/06/bizarre.html) comments on a white man whose ancestor was supposedly the first to sell slaves in the Caribbean, and who went to Gambia, dressed himself in chains in Banjul Stadium and made a public apology for slavery. The President of Gambia then very kindly forgave him and removed his chains!

Cessay comments: “I wonder why this man finds it necessary to apologise to Gambians for the inhuman actions of his forbears. He could have done that in his neck of the woods. There are millions of descendants of African slaves in the United Kingdom. They are the people who bear the brunt of slavery. But I guess he knew that they will not tolerate his clownish behavior. So what better place to put up a clownish masquerade than the Gambia. Read the rest of the story below.”

I have to agree with him. This is a mockery. The man seems to have chosen public flagellation instead of privately having a visit with a dominatrix in his own home – maybe that is part of his kick – public humiliation except he wasn’t humiliated just played the part of a sad pathetic fool. If he feels so badly about his slave trade ancestors then choose to do something useful amongst the African descendents within his own community in Britain instead of a publicity stunt that helps no one but himself.

The Moor Next Door - The Moor Next Door (http://wahdah.blogspot.com/2006/06/china-america-and-arabs.html) comments on China’s public relations successes in the “battle for the hearts and minds” of the Arab world. Whilst America is failing in it’s project. For one thing the failure of Americans involved in the Middle East either as diplomats or journalists to speak Arabic. The other point is

“the Beijing Consensus" is more favourable in the eyes of many Arabs than is the "Washington Consensus. This is the handicap of US policy all over the Third World: US policy is perceived as being alien or oppressive while Soviet (in past years) or Chinese policy is seen as being favourable because China too is a Third World nation that has fought imperialism and has stood with the Third World peoples in the face of Western pressure. The US must continue to promote democratization in Arab countries, even when it is not popular in the US's domestic politics or with the dictators.” He concludes that the US can compete with China in the Arab world, they just have to make an effort and for example start by staffing their embassies and offices with people who speak Arabic.

Just Thots of a Naijaman - Just thots of a naijaman (http://davidylan.blogspot.com/2006/06/idiots-rascalsrats-and-bigger-rats-in.html) has a rant at Nigeria’s leaders who he describes as “Idiots, rascals,rats and bigger rats in Power”.

In particular he takes a swipe at , Obasanjo’s latest ministerial nominee, Fani Kayode who last week “suddenly remembered he was a humble born again Christian when he faced the ministerial confirmation committee in the senate. After years of abusing his elders, "loud mouth" Fani was sweating as he desperately tried to convince the senate committee that he would not abuse anyone again!”

Senator Ahamdu Ali “takes the price as the most abusive Nigerian in power. Thanks to him, we now know that rats have been gnawing for years at our foreign reserve, idiots have taken control of our legislative houses and we have entrusted the future of our nation to rascals.”

And finally, Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly Matters. Florence Ita-Giwa aka mama Bakassi (“who we only just realised was an illegal alien”) “has still not told us if she would apply for residency permit or risk being deported to Cameroun. No one knows where the Bakassi residents would be relocated to, it is only in Nigeria that owners of a land belong to one country and their land to another country.”

Africa: African Civil Society Coalition on HIV/AIDS

Letter addressed to HE President Sasso Nguesso, Chairperson of the African Union and H.E. Mr. Alpha Oumar Konare

2006-06-29

http://www.pambazuka.org/aumonitor/

A coalition of civil society organisations have written to the president of the AU and the AU Comission to express concern about the need to tackle the HIV and AIDS pandemic on the continent. They state that they are "anxious that the forthcoming Seventh Ordinary Summit reinforces the integrity of the AU, and confirms the strong leadership on HIV and AIDS demonstrated by African leaders at the Abuja Summit both in 2001 and again in 2006."

Africa: Alpha Omar Konare advocates African Diplomatic Passports

2006-06-29

http://www.pambazuka.org/aumonitor/

Alpha Oumar Konare, the Chairperson of the African Union (AU), urged the approval of African diplomatic passports on Wednesday at the opening of the 9th ordinary session of the AU Executive Council in Banjul. Mr Konare stated that “this is a major decision that we need to take, which also meets African populations’ expectations in the implementation of the agreement for the free movement of people and goods”. The Chairperson of the au regreted that some African countries impose visa requirements on heads of state and government or African Foreign ministers and asserted that it was “inadmissible”. He assured that the issuing of these documents would be “strictly monitored”.

Africa: Commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights

2006-06-29

http://www.pambazuka.org/aumonitor/

On the fringes of the 7th summit of the heads of States and Governments of the African Union (AU) in Banjul (The gambia), the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) and african Civil society Organisations (CSO) working on Human Rights have celebrated today the 25th anniversary of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.

Africa: CSOs’ Declaration and Recommendation to the 7th Summit of the African Union

2006-06-29

http://www.pambazuka.org/aumonitor/

Civil Society Organizations from across Africa (Congo, The Gambia, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Zambia), working under the auspices of TANGO, met at the Friendship Hotel in The Gambia from 19th to 22nd June 2006 on the eve of the AU Summit in Banjul and focusing on the theme: Rationalization of the Regional Economic Communities and Regional Integration.

Africa: Improving compliance with African Treaties

CONCLUSIONS OF A CIVIL SOCIETY WORKSHOP HELD IN BANJUL, THE GAMBIA 26-28 JUNE 2006

2006-06-29

http://www.pambazuka.org/aumonitor/

Civil society organisations from 19 African countries met in Banjul, the Gambia, 26-28 June 2006, in advance of the AU Assembly of Heads of State and Government, to discuss ways of improving compliance with commitments made under African Union treaties, with particular reference to the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM).

Africa: Protocol on the Rights of Women in Africa - The Effect of Cultural and Traditional Practices

2006-06-29

http://www.pambazuka.org/aumonitor/

Public Forum, 24th June 2006, Kairaba Beach Hotel, The Gambia

Welcome Remarks by Hannah Forster, Executive Director, ACDHRS

I feel utterly privileged to welcome you all to this very significant forum, marking the beginning of a number of activities being organised by the Solidarity for African Women’s Rights coalition around the AU Banjul Summit.

Africa: Protocol on Women’s Rights in Africa - Strategies for Domestication

2006-06-29

http://www.pambazuka.org/aumonitor/

In a presentation given at the Public Forum on the Rights of Women, organized by Solidarity for African Women’s Rights (SOAWR) on the 24th of June, 2006, Isatou Touray (DPHIL), Secretary General of GAMCOTRAP, discusses the strategies for the domestication of the African Union’s Protocol on Women’s Rights in Africa, as a strategic tool to achieve Millennium Development Goals.

Africa: The Protocol on the Rights of Women - Achieving Women’s Reproductive Health

2006-06-29

http://www.pambazuka.org/aumonitor/

This presentation, given by Mrs Ramou Cole-Ceesay, the Head of National Reproductive & Child Health (RCH) Programme at the Department of State for Health of The Gambia, looks at the AU Protocol on the Rights of Women from the perspectives of women’s reproductive health and rights. It was made during the Public Forum on the Rights of Women, organized by Solidarity for African Women’s Rights (SOAWR) on the 24th of June, 2006.

Africa: THE PROTOCOL ON THE RIGHTS ON WOMEN: HALTING THE SPREAD OF HIV/AIDS

SAIDU M. JALLOW

2006-06-29

http://www.pambazuka.org/aumonitor/

This presentation was given by Saidu M. Jallow during the SOAWR Public forum on June 24th. This presentation addresses the issues of Human Rights standards related to HIV/AIDS, the implication for African women, and more specifically in relation to the abuses they are subjected to.

Africa: AU leader spells out united Africa vision

2006-06-26

http://www.businessday.co.za/articles/national.aspx?ID=BD4A221809

African Union Commission chairman Alpha Oumar Konare has called for a vast expansion in AU powers to achieve the long-term goal of a “United States of Africa”. Konare said the areas in which the AU might play a far larger role included peace and security, good governance practices, the development of sectors such as health and education, food security, infrastructure, etc.

Africa: AU must act against undemocratic states says chairman

2006-06-26

http://www.capetimes.co.za/index.php?fSectionId=271&fArticleId=3310274

Strong measures are needed to promote good governance in Africa, combat corruption and avoid the manipulations of national constitutions to extend rulers' terms in power, the chairman of the African Union (AU) commission, Alpha Konare, has said. "The problems we face are often a result of poor governance," said Konare.

Africa: Civil Society calls on African Union to hold G8 to its promises

2006-06-28

http://www.oxfam.org.uk/press/releases/au_g8_280606.htm

Four leading African and International non-governmental organisations have called on African heads of state, gathering in Banjul for the 7th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union, to hold the leaders of the G8 to account for last year’s promises on Africa at the upcoming G8 Summit in St Petersburg, Russia.

Africa: 'NEPAD has failed' - Wade

2006-06-28

http://edition.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/africa/06/28/africa.nepad.reut/

Africa's home-grown economic rescue plan meant to speed development and economic growth on the continent has failed, one of its chief architects was quoted as saying. Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade, one of the masterminds behind the New Partnership for Africa's Development Plan (NEPAD), said on June 27 the initiative had not produced results and needed a new lease of life.

Africa: Solidarity for African Women’s Rights (SOAWR) in Banjul

2006-06-29

http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/aumonitor/35485

The Solidarity for African Women’s Rights (SOAWR) held a Press Conference today (27 June) in Banjul to reflect on the activities that it has been holding on the fringes of the 7th summit of the heads of States and Governments of the African Union (AU).
The Solidarity for African Women’s Rights (SOAWR) held a Press Conference today in Banjul to reflect on the activities that it has been holding on the fringes of the 7th summit of the heads of States and Governments of the African Union (AU).

SOAWR honoured the government of the Gambia through the Vice President, her Excellency the Honourable Isatou Njie Saidy, with a Green Card in recognition of the recent removal of the reservations previously placed on the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa by The Gambia. SOAWR noted however that while the removal of the reservations was a positive step, the women of The Gambia would only begin to celebrate in earnest once the Protocol is domesticated and fully implemented.

“His Excellency, the President of the Republic of The Gambia, Alhaji Yahya A.J.J. Jammeh must now exercise leadership and use the occasion of the Banjul Summit to urge all member States of the AU towards universal ratification and eventual domestication and application of the Protocol”, said Caroline Agengo of Equality Now.

SOAWR regretted the decision of the members of National Assembly of Niger to reject, in its entirety, the Protocol. “This decision sets a dangerous precedence for the countries that are yet to sign or ratify the Protocol and undermines the commitment made by the heads of the States of the AU to guaranty gender equality in all spheres of life”, said Hawa Ba of Fahamu.

SOAWR reiterated that Africa will only realise its full potential when the women, who form over 50% of the population of the continent, begin to enjoy their rights.

SOAWR, a coalition of 21 national and continental organisations has over the last two years undertaken advocacy to accelerate the ratification, domestication and implementation of the Protocol.

More...

Africa: In Africa - How protected are women’s inheritances?

2006-06-28

http://www.thisdayonline.com/nview.php?id=51559

In Africa, women’s rights to inherit and own property have been a subject of discussion on the continent. Widows have faced hard times following the demise of their spouses. They are not able to exercise their rights because customary laws have premium over statutory ones in many countries despite international conventions and declarations. These issues were discussed at a recent conference in Accra, Ghana.

Africa: Women’s Peacebuilding in Sudan, Congo and Uganda

2006-06-28

http://www.crisisgroup.org/home/index.cfm?l=1&id=4185&m=1

Countries in crisis and the wider international community must do much more to support women’s involvement in solving Africa’s deadliest conflicts. Beyond Victimhood: Women’s Peacebuilding in Sudan, Congo and Uganda, the latest Crisis Group report, assesses what women have been able to achieve in those three countries to challenge the dominance of militarised solutions.

Global: Incorporating Gender into your NGO

2006-06-28

http://www.networklearning.org/books/gender.html

A new manual from Network Learning gives simple and basic guidance on how to incorporate gender concerns into NGO work. This manual could be used by organisations working in any area.

Botswana: Women leaders to be trained

2006-06-28

http://allafrica.com/stories/200606270184.html

A total of 60 women are expected to attend the second series of the sub-Saharan Women Educational Leadership Workshop in Gaborone next month. According to a news release from the organisers, the workshop is a unique opportunity for women leaders to come and hone their skills, articulate and strategise on gender mainstreaming in policies and programming and gain knowledge of how to deal with HIV/AIDS and Poverty.

Cameroon: Girls suffer in effort to stop biological clock

2006-06-28

http://allafrica.com/stories/200606230740.html

Close to four million girls suffer needless cruelty in a practice intended to stop them from developing breasts that would attract the attention of men. Mothers and other female relatives use implements such as heated grinding stones, pestles, ladles and spatulas to massage the chests of the girls. This practice, referred to as "breast ironing", occurs extensively in the 10 provinces of Cameroon.

Ethiopia: UN study finds female-headed households destitute

2006-06-28

http://allafrica.com/stories/200606270754.html

More than any other group, households headed by women in Ethiopia's Southern Tigray region, one of the poorest in the world, are "among the most destitute" and are far more likely to be landless and without access to plant resources than households led by men, according to a United Nations-backed study.

South Africa: Mbeki calls on managers to help overcome inequity

2006-06-28

http://allafrica.com/stories/200606260903.html

President Thabo Mbeki has called on black managers to aspire and proclaim themselves as emperors if they are to rid the country of rampant poverty and gender inequality. Mbeki further advised managers to exude confidence and to believe in themselves, saying this would help them to lead from the "frontline of troops" in bringing about racial and gender changes in the country's business environment.

Africa: Gay and lesbian people 'are here in Africa'

2006-06-26

http://tinyurl.com/o4fjj

A session on gay sexuality proved one of the draw cards of the second Africa Conference on Sexual Health and Rights in Nairobi, with participants scrambling for space in the small room allocated to the proceedings. Many countries in Africa still outlaw homosexuality, including Kenya where it is punishable with jail terms of up to 14 years, reports the Mail and Gaurdian.

Global: The fight goes on

2006-06-27

http://www.ipsterraviva.net/tv/civicus/viewstory.asp?idnews=676

Is the world becoming more just? Are we winning the struggle for justice? A big NO, as Salil Shetty, director of the United Nations Millenium Campaign, found out, much to his dismay, when he asked around at the closing of Civicus World Assembly.

Global: The world says NO to torture

2006-06-27

http://www.hrea.org/feature-events/torture-victims-day.php

26 June, the UN International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, is marked by thousands of people at more than 100 locations worldwide. The need to allocate more resources to rehabilitation of torture victims is imminent. On 26 June, the United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, the world says a clear NO to torture. On this special day, the struggle against torture is being celebrated by thousands of people worldwide, and the victims of this man-made atrocity are commemorated.

Global: Trade and investment agreements - ignoring human rights

2006-06-27

http://www.eldis.org/csr/

Amnesty International has compiled a collection of articles on trade, investment and human rights, examining the linkages between economic globalisation and human rights.

Liberia: Government formally launches TRC

2006-06-27

http://allafrica.com/stories/200606230198.html

The government of Liberia formally launched the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) with appropriate indoor activities reportedly in all political subdivisions of the country. The June 22 launch of the TRC did not only affirm the commission's independence of action and decision, but it also opened the way for the commencement of the activities nationwide that will hopefully lead to reconciliation, the undoing of the culture of impunity, and the establishment of a new order for a sustainable democratization of the nation.

Sierra Leone: Mixed feelings over Taylor’s transfer to Hague

2006-06-27

http://www.globalpolicy.org/intljustice/wanted/2006/0620mixedfeelings.htm

The Security Council's relocation of Charles Taylor's trial to the Netherlands has elicited conflicting responses from Sierra Leoneans. Supporters of the decision contend that the transfer, "a welcome relief," will help to prevent the hard-won regional peace from collapsing. But critics complain that conducting the trial in The Hague will rob war victims of the opportunity to see their "number one tormentor" brought to justice

Zimbabwe: Police ‘carried out torture on a massive scale’

2006-06-27

http://www.zwnews.com/issuefull.cfm?ArticleID=14654

There is “abundant evidence”, from the records of Zimbabwe’s courts - which are widely dismissed as pro-government - that state agents have carried out torture “on a massive scale”, the country’s leading human rights group said today (27 June). The Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum, a coalition of human rights groups and legal organisations, has reported over 15,000 violations of human rights in the past eight years.

Africa: Sudan’s other crisis

2006-06-27

http://www.oneworld.net/link/gotoarticle/addhit/135219/8/89286

While much attention has been given to the crisis in Darfur, little mention has been made to over 110,000 refugees from Ethiopia and Eritrea on the eastern border of Sudan. Workers there claim that the refugees' basic needs are just as dire and urgent as those in Darfur.

Global: Optimising the benefits of migration for host and sending countries

2006-06-27

http://www.eldis.org/globalisation/

This handbook aims to assist States in their efforts to develop new policy approaches, solutions, and practical measures for better management of labour migration in countries of origin and of destination.

Algeria: Concern about deported Algerians

2006-06-27

http://www.irr.org.uk/2006/june/ha000028.html

Two men, deported to Algeria from the UK, have failed to contact their families on their return. Concern about the men is now mounting after security services in Algeria confirmed that they had arrived, were being held in custody, but gave no other details.

Burundi: The future trickles back

2006-06-28

http://tinyurl.com/okt7y

The Burundians who fled the civil war in their country after 1993 are coming back. Until recently, there was still sporadic armed violence in the hills around the capital of Bujumbura, allegedly perpetrated by the one remaining rebel group which has not signed on to the peace agreement of 2004, but earlier this month the final signatories were put on the page, reports Relief Web.

DRC: Successful reintegration of refugees in Equateur province

2006-06-28

http://tinyurl.com/pddo6

The reintegration of thousands of refugees around Dongo in Democratic Republic of the Congo's Equateur province is surpassing expectations and could encourage others to return from neighbouring Republic of Congo. But despite the positive reintegration trends and the high level of returns, the lack of funding for UNHCR's voluntary repatriation programme for Congolese refugees remains a significant problem that could ultimately affect returns planned for the second half of this year.

Ethiopia: A day in the death of an asylum seeker

2006-06-27

http://www.irr.org.uk/2006/june/ha000027.html

IRR News reports on the recent inquest into the death of an Ethiopian asylum seeker found hanged in September 2004, just hours after being taken to hospital by friends because he had suicidal feelings.

Uganda: More IDPs cultivating their own fields

2006-06-28

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=54138

Improving security in parts of northern Uganda is encouraging an increasing number of people displaced by conflict to move from camps to villages closer to their original homes where they now cultivate their own fields, a famine early warning agency reported. However, the majority of the nearly two million internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the region, mainly children, the elderly and women, remained in camps.

Zimbabwe: Congolese refugee helps Zimbabwe tackle medical crisis

2006-06-28

http://tinyurl.com/lldga

The economic crisis in Zimbabwe has provided a chance for refugees like Nzabonimpa Ndayahoze to show their value to the country that gave them sanctuary. Ndayahoze is aware of others among the country's 14,000-strong refugee community with professions that might win a work permit, but knows that for most refugees life in Zimbabwe is more difficult, reports the UNHCR.

Côte d’Ivoire: Negotiations draw inspiration from Côte d’Ivoire's Elephants

2006-06-28

http://news.africast.com/africastv/article.php?newsID=59104

Crucial elections in Ivory Coast are unlikely to happen soon, but players in the protracted negotiations are drawing inspiration from the fighting spirit of the Elephants, the national soccer team. Critical prerequisites for elections have not taken place. Disarmament of rebels and militias has not started, and just over 3000 citizens have been registered. Only once this is completed can a voters roll be drawn up.

DRC: As elections near, Annan calls for end to intimidation

2006-06-26

http://allafrica.com/stories/200606250027.html

With the largest and most challenging elections the United Nations has ever helped organize due to take place in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in little over a month, Secretary-General Kofi Annan today called for full transparency of the process, voicing concern at reports of intimidation, corruption and detentions.

Gambia: US cuts aid to Gambia over dictatorship tendencies

2006-06-26

http://www.afrol.com/articles/20059

US Congress has announced that The Gambia is to be removed from a key development fund, through which most of Washington's foreign aid is channelled, reacting to the severe setbacks for democracy and human rights in the country.

Mauritania: Mauritanians give thumbs up for new Constitution

2006-06-26

http://tinyurl.com/optnc

Voters in the poverty stricken West African nation of Mauritania overwhelmingly approved a new Constitution in a weekend referendum, Interior Ministry officials said on Monday 26 June. Officials said that based on early returns they believed that 80% to 90% voted on Sunday 25 June to approve the Constitution, the first in a series of votes to return the country to democracy, reports the Mail and Gaurdian.

Nigeria: Nigerian troops kill separatists after clashes

2006-06-28

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L27836315.htm

Nigerian security forces have killed at least two members of a separatist group in a raid on one of their hideouts in the violent southeastern market city of Onitsha, a human rights group said on Tuesday 27 June. Anambra state is one of several in Nigeria where power struggles ahead of the 2007 elections have fuelled violence.

Somalia: Govt, Islamic courts agree to recognise each other

2006-06-26

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=54121

Somalia's interim government and the Union of Islamic Courts (UIC), the group that controls Mogadishu, have agreed to mutually recognise each other and engage in further dialogue in a bid to bring stability to the war-torn country. Both parties also agreed to end "all harmful propaganda" against each other, Adow said. They agreed to meet again in Khartoum on 15 July for a more substantive round of talks.

South Africa: Preparations for DRC elections on track

2006-06-28

http://allafrica.com/stories/200606270455.html

South Africa says it is ready to send an observer mission of about 120 personnel to the Democratic Republic of Congo's national elections scheduled for next month. "This is a massive task, considering that the DRC would be hosting this election for the first time...with bad infrastructure and many other challenges," said Foreign Affairs Deputy Minister Aziz Pahad.

Africa: Vow to make poverty history in Africa has hollow ring

2006-06-26

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,3-2243428,00.html

While the West must shoulder some responsibility for Africa’s dire plight, last year’s commitments to help the continent were based on a pledge from African leaders for good governance and transparency. Over the past year several African leaders have increased dictatorial powers while fresh allegations of huge corruption have emerged. Of the world’s top ten failed states in the world in 2006, six are African.

Burundi: EU asks Bujumbura to probe corrupt officials

2006-06-26

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=54136

The European Union (EU), a major donor to Burundi, has asked the government to investigate claims of corruption and forgery in an EU-funded programme that was set up in 2001 to rehabilitate infrastructure in the country that is emerging from 12 years of civil war. The EU's contribution to Burundi accounts for 50 percent of the country's donor aid.

Comoros: New government launches corruption probes

2006-06-26

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=54110

A probe into more than 30 senior former public officials accused of corruption is proof of the new Comoran government's commitment to tackling graft, Vice-President Idi Nadhoim told IRIN. Moderate Sunni Muslim religious leader Ahmed Abdallah Mohamed Sambi was elected president last month in the first peaceful change of power since the country's independence from France in 1975.

Kenya: Corruption activist sacked

2006-06-26

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/5114694.stm

The head of the Kenyan office of a global anti-corruption watchdog has been sacked over allegations of financial and other irregularities. Observers say the dismissal highlights the nature of problems facing Kenya. Three senior Kenyan government ministers have resigned over corruption claims in the past few months.

Niger: Government ministers dismissed following corruption allegations

2006-06-28

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=54253

Niger’s ministers for health and education were dismissed on Tuesday 27 June following allegations of corruption by donors and development partners. An audit by a coalition of technical and financial partners of Niger this year uncovered a series of invoices paid without receipt of goods and said that government money had been spent without reference to proper procedures.

Nigeria: Nigeria lauds removal from anti-corruption list

2006-06-26

http://www.businessinafrica.net/news/west_africa/967756.htm

Nigerian President Obasanjo welcomed the removal of Nigeria from the International Financial Task Force list of non-cooperating countries in the fight against money laundering. The international anti-corruption body announced in Paris on Friday it had removed Nigeria from the list. Obasanjo said the move would boost the country's international profile, months after Nigeria settled its debts with the Paris Club.

Africa: China and Africa - For better or for worse

2006-06-28

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=54248

Given China’s growing hunger for natural resources and Africa’s persistent need for economic aid, the world’s most populous country and the globe’s poorest continent appear to be nurturing a perfect symbiotic relationship. Or is it? Human rights groups caution that China’s quest for raw materials could undermine respect for human rights and efforts at political reform in Africa.

Africa: Panel to track Africa aid pledges

2006-06-26

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/5115806.stm

Kofi Annan, Bob Geldof and Nigeria's President Obasanjo are to sit on a panel set up to track aid promises made to Africa, Tony Blair is to announce. The UN secretary general will chair the panel, being set up a year after G8 pledges and a popular campaign pushed Africa up the international agenda. Backed by Bill Gates, the body will monitor issues such as debt and trade. Mr Blair will also warn against Africa slipping down the global priority list.

Africa: Slow progress on fair deal for Africa

2006-06-26

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/5080848.stm

The G8 summit last year promised a lot to Africa. The economic headlines were debt relief, better trade opportunities and more aid. Trade, in particular, is turning out to be very difficult. The G8 leaders were hoping for decisive progress at the WTO's ministerial meeting in December in Hong Kong. In the event, Hong Kong was a wash-out.

Global: World Bank seeks street protests

2006-06-26

http://tinyurl.com/mzvgq

Activists familiar with street protests outside the venues of annual meetings of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) are in for a different treat at this year's gathering. In Singapore, the host country, universally accepted democratic principles -- such as the right to freedom of association -- are banned. The World Bank, however, has stepped in to assure activists that space for civil society is being negotiated, reports the Mail and Gaurdian.

South Africa: Don't fear the dragon

2006-06-26

http://www.mg.co.za/articlePage.aspx?articleid=275186

South Africans, it is fair to say, are frightened by China. We complain about the cheap imports that are doing South African garment workers out of their jobs, we fret about the “insatiable” demand for natural resources, and the re-ordering of influence on the rest of the continent. And when we are really nervous, we talk about drug gangs that trade smuggled abalone for mandrax in the coastal villages of the Western Cape.

Zimbabwe: When going gets tough, tough turn entrepreneurs

2006-06-26

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=54114

Just when it seems life could not conceivably get any tougher for Zimbabweans, it invariably does. The country has been in economic decline for the past eight years, and real crisis for at least the last four. Fuel, electricity and water are now being rationed in the capital, Harare, and most basic household items are in short supply or extortionately priced. How do people cope?

Angola: Cholera death toll continues to rise

2006-06-26

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=54143

The World Health Organization has sent a consignment of drugs, re-hydration salts and disinfectant to help fight a cholera outbreak that has claimed close to 1,900 lives in Angola. An estimated 46,758 people have been infected since February when the epidemic began in the capital, Luanda. It has since spread to 14 of the country's 18 provinces.

Côte d’Ivoire: Involving children in issues raised by HIV/AIDS

2006-06-26

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=54105

"AIDS is still far from being accepted in Côte d'Ivoire," says Kofi. "People have very backward ideas and believe it is something dirty. Many still remember the first awareness campaigns of prevention posters featuring extremely skinny people". "It was a mistake to consider children separately from their parents, the best way to help children is to involve them and find an approach that's beneficial to the entire family."

Guinea: Cholera death toll continues to rise

2006-06-26

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=54109

The number of cholera deaths continues to rise in Guinea this year as state radio reported a new flood of cases in the Forest Region of the southeast. State radio on Wednesday reported the deaths of 16 persons in the Kissidougou prefecture, 500 km southwest of the capital Conakry, and local clinics have registered a further 173 cases of the water borne disease.

Liberia: Tetanus vaccinations to fight infant deaths

2006-06-28

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=54240

UN have launched a nation-wide campaign to vaccinate women against tetanus, a simple measure which aid agencies estimate could help slash infant deaths by up to 70 percent. In some communities in West Africa child deaths are so common that it is normal for families to put off naming a child for a week to three months after it is born.

Namibia: People respond to anti-polio campaign

2006-06-26

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=54108

Thousands of Namibians flocked to polio vaccination points on the second day of a mass immunisation campaign on Thursday 22 June, as the death toll from the virus outbreak rose to 15. Even large retail stores in the capital, Windhoek, were turned into mini-clinics as shop managers and assistants helped administer the polio vaccines.

South Africa: New AIDS threat looms

2006-06-26

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=54041

A rise in HIV infection rates in South Africa's Western Cape Province could be linked to the growing popularity of a relatively new but highly addictive and easily accessible drug, some analysts are beginning to suspect.

Kenya: Principals call for free secondary education

2006-06-26

http://allafrica.com/stories/200606250060.html

School heads want secondary education declared free by the Government. And all those who qualify for admission to local public universities should be admitted. These were some of the proposals they made to the Government as they concluded their five-day Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association annual conference at Kasarani, Nairobi.

Nigeria: In Kaiama, adult education excites old men, women

2006-06-26

http://allafrica.com/stories/200606260103.html

For the average adult in Kaiama area of Bayelsa State, a typical day starts with farming in the morning and schooling in the evening. Having suffered untold neglect and deprivation for many years, even though it has been playing host since the early 1950s, to all Nigeria's oil and gas resources and provided about 90 per cent of the country's foreign exchange earnings, they are not really literate.

Rwanda: Long distance learning to be government sponsored

2006-06-26

http://allafrica.com/stories/200606260146.html

The Minister of Education and Scientific Research, Jean d'Arc Mujawamariya, has disclosed that the long distance learning project at the Kigali Institute of Education (KIE) is to turn into a national programme sponsored by the government when the Department for International Development (DFID) withdraws its support after a five-year contract.

South Africa: Local languages in schools urged to help students learn

2006-06-26

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=54139

With South Africa still struggling to improve education standards, a new report has called on the government to consider using local languages as a medium of instruction in schools. "An inadequate command of language, whether by the teacher, the learner or both, constitutes a serious barrier to effective schooling and education," said the report.

South Africa: No easy solutions for SA schools as gangsterism runs riot

2006-06-26

http://allafrica.com/stories/200606220217.html

A recent South African Human Rights Commission report on the right to basic education maintains that levels of violence in South African schools are "unacceptably high" and that sexual abuse, gangsterism and drugs have become serious problems.

Tanzania: Thousands missing school to work, official says

2006-06-26

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=54164

At least 8,800 children in Tanzania's semiautonomous island of Zanzibar are missing school and wasting away their childhood as they engage in various forms of child labour, a government minister has said. Most parents have their children engage in activities such as fishing and picking cloves and consider this as part of the child's education.

Germany: FIFA boss sees racism in ticket sting

2006-06-26

http://sport.monstersandcritics.com/worldcup2006/news/article_1175583.php

The scandal over an African FIFA official who was caught reselling World Cup tickets at three times their price is a sign of racism against black football administrators, a FIFA vice- president has been quoted as saying.

South Africa: Country reverting to racial ways

2006-06-28

http://www.sabcnews.com/politics/government/0,2172,130189,00.html

AfriForum says it had seemed for a period of five years - from June 1991 to May 1996 - that South Africa was on the way of establishing a truly non-racial democracy. But since then, several laws and actions taken by government were in essence creating a new system of racial classifications.

South Africa: Little welcome for refugees in SA

2006-06-26

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/5103456.stm

Cape Town is home to 35,000 refugees, and Muizenberg has become home to the city's largest concentration of Congolese: several thousand, it is believed. Listening to their stories of xenophobia and administrative bungling, it becomes clear that South Africa - a country that sees itself as Africa's leader in the human rights field – does very little for refugees.

South Africa: Only whites allowed at new Beau resort

2006-06-26

http://tinyurl.com/r3g8r

"Everyone in this country now has a right to choose, and I choose 'Whites Only'." South Africa's well-known nudist Beau Brummell is at it again. This time he plans to start a nudist resort on water at the Vaal Dam. "If you are black, coloured, Indian or anything like that, you can't come". "This has absolutely nothing to do with racism. It is business."

South Africa: Race, wealth still 'linked'

2006-06-26

http://www.southafrica.info/doing_business/businesstoday/businessnews/584121.htm

Race is still a key factor in access to wealth in South Africa, says a government report on macro-social trends. The 109-page document released in Pretoria, 'A nation in the making: A discussion document on macro-social trends in South Africa', revealed a society still grappling with transition. Race is still a big factor, in economic access, identity and social relations, says the document.

South Africa: Solidarity slammed for being 'lily-white'

2006-06-28

http://www.mg.co.za/articlePage.aspx?articleid=275744

South Africa's commission for employment equity -- which monitors transformation in the South African workplace -- has come out with all guns firing against a Solidarity trade union employment-equity plan that proposes a code of good practice for affirmative action, which promotes the commitment of a non-designated group (whites).

South Africa: We want to be citizens not charities

2006-06-28

http://www.mg.co.za/articlePage.aspx?articleid=275564

While South African law guarantees refugees and asylum seekers the right to work, many employers discriminate against them. In part this is a reflection of the xenophobic attitudes of many South Africans, which Majodina ascribes to a complex mix of historical, social and political factors, combined with our long isolation during apartheid.

Spain: African migrants reawaken ancient prejudices in Spain

2006-06-26

http://tinyurl.com/mzvgq

Spanish TV cameras frequently capture images of undocumented African immigrants flocking to the Canary Islands. The sight of black masses disembarking on the Canaries reawakens centuries-old racial prejudice, says historian Antumi Toasije, cultural councillor with the Pan-Africanist Federation of Spain's Black Communities, who has studied Western stereotypes of Africans, reports the Mail and Gaurdian.

Africa: Advancing deserts forcing people to move

2006-06-26

http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=33763

Creeping desertification affects every fifth inhabitant in the world, and it might force some 60 million to migrate from sub-Saharan Africa to northern Africa and Europe by 2020, according to experts. The merciless transformation of arable and habitable land to desert drew the focus at a conference (Jun. 19-21) in Tunis in which some 400 scientists and policy-makers from the world's parched regions participated.

Africa: Careful natural resource use key to poverty alleviation - UNEP

2006-06-28

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=54252

Africa's abundant natural resources hold the key to poverty eradication on the continent, but only if they are used carefully and managed creatively to improve people's living standards, according to a new report by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

Africa: Madagascar meeting urges Africa environment safeguards

2006-06-26

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L24575624.htm

Conservationists called for urgent action to protect Africa's fragile environment on Saturday 24 June, saying it was crucial to many people's survival. Endorsed by 350 scientists, policy makers and environmentalists, the "Madagascar Declaration" said Africa's natural wealth had so far failed to improve the lives of most people on the world's poorest continent.

Global: The new biofuel republics

2006-06-26

http://www.i-sis.org.uk/NBR.php

Poor developing nations are to feed the voracious appetites of rich countries for biofuels instead of their own hungry masses, and suffer the devastation of their natural forests and biodiversity.

Cameroon: France writes off debt in return for conservation promise

2006-06-26

http://www.edie.net/news/news_story.asp?id=11640&channel=0

In an historic agreement France and Cameroon have signed the first ever debt-for-nature swap. The agreement signed by France and Cameroon will see US$25 million spent on protecting the African state's tropical forests, part of the world's second largest rainforest, dwarfed only by the Amazon. It also requires Cameroon to earmark further funds for education, health and infrastructure.

Africa: HIV/AIDS, Children's Property Rights and livelihoods

2006-06-28

http://tinyurl.com/ywhwz

The focus of the Regional Workshop on HIV and AIDS and Children’s Property Rights and Livelihoods in Southern and East Africa, was on children’s property rights. The report covers presentations by children, key issues and inspiring initiatives by CBOs, messages from the UN to children, experiences from Zimbabwe, very moving testimonies by children, and key recommendations, reports Oxfam.

Global: An assessment of progress with respect to water and sanitation

2006-06-27

http://www.eldis.org/cf/rdr/rdr.cfm?doc=DOC22213

This paper critically analyses the issue of water and sanitation, and explores progress towards the Millennium Development Goals. The paper states that while globally, about 83 percent of population have access to water in 2002, there are significant regional disparities in progress towards the MDG goal of halving, by 2015, the proportion of population without safe access to water and sanitation. The paper also questions whether increased access equals sustainable access.

Global: Challenges facing an urban world

2006-06-27

http://www.globalpolicy.org/socecon/develop/africa/2006/0613urbanchallenges.htm

This BBC article discusses the challenges of growing populations in urban centers throughout the world and especially in Africa. Although Sub-Saharan Africa boasts the world's highest rate of urban migration, cities and governments fall short in providing basic social services. The UN Millennium Declaration addressed this issue, and UN-Habitat will continue to discuss potential solutions in the biannual World Urban Forum.

Global: State of the World's Cities 2006/2007

2006-06-27

http://www.eldis.org/poverty/

It is generally assumed that people living in the urban areas of developing countries are healthier, more literate and better off than their rural counterparts. This UN Human Settlements Programme report shows that the urban slum dwellers are as badly, if not worse off, than their rural relatives.

Kenya: Exodus Kutoka Network

2006-06-27

http://www.kutokanet.org/

The website of EXODUS-KUTOKA NETWORK is up on the net! Kenyan Catholic Parishes working in slums and informal settlements in Nairobi have compiled the work being done by different parishes. In addition, they have compiled many studies, information and papers on the situation of the slums and slum dwellers, as well as the campaigns against forced evictions and the upgrading of slums.

Nigeria/Cameroon: Nigeria hands over thirty villages

2006-06-27

http://www.afrika.no/noop/page.php?p=Detailed/12402.html&d=1

Nigeria has handed over thirty villages to Cameroon in accordance with the International Court of Justice judgement. The National Boundary Commission has briefed the President about the current activities of the body. Prince Ajibola also told President Obasanjo that “a peaceful environment prevails in the area”, and progress in the demarcation of the land boundary, the maritime section and the confidence – building measures being implemented.

Tanzania: Preserving indigenous knowledge for food security

2006-06-27

http://www.id21.org/society/s2nk1g1.html

The traditional knowledge of pastoralists has enabled them to survive difficult and often changing environments throughout history. Despite this potential, indigenous knowledge is often unrecognised by development initiatives and risks being lost, leading to household food insecurity amongst these groups.

Zimbabwe: White farmers receive eviction notices despite Mugabe pledge

2006-06-27

http://www.zwnews.com/issuefull.cfm?ArticleID=14651

The Zimbabwe government is reneging on a pledge to invite exiled white farmers back to work the land and is moving to evict the few hundred who survived President Robert Mugabe's six-year ethnic purge. Scores of eviction notices were either delivered or were on their way to productive white farmers last week. The farmers will have 90 days to leave their homes and abandon their businesses.

Africa: Index on censorship

2006-06-29

http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/media/35488

I am writing from the free speech Index on censorship. At the moment we are introducing a free online subscription program for journalists and people interested in free speech in Africa. I was wondering whether it would be possible to put a post on the fahamu or pambazuka website that would allow Journalists and those interested to sign up.
Regards,
Lex
Email: lex AT indexoncensorship.org

DRC: Journalist convicted in secret

2006-06-27

http://tinyurl.com/o4pbh

A journalist imprisoned in the Democratic Republic of Congo since April on defamation charges was secretly convicted and sentenced to four months in jail over a week ago, according to a release from the Committee to Protect Journalists. The Kinshasa-based organization, Journaliste en Danger (JED), told the Committee to Protect Journalists that one of its lawyers found evidence of the verdict in a court file while researching a separate case, reports Journalism.co.za.

Egypt: Attack on independent press

2006-06-27

http://www.hrea.org

The Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS) expresses its deep concern regarding the ruling issued by al-Warraq Misdemeanor Court yesterday morning against Journalist Ibrahim Eissa, editor-in-chief of ed-Destour and Sout el-Ommaha newspapers. Ibrahim Eissa, Sahar Zaki (an editor at ed-Destour) and Saed Mohamed Abdullah (citizen) were sentenced to one year in prison with labor, a bail of L.E. 10 000 and L.E. 2001 as temporary compensation.

Gambia: Defending press freedom

2006-06-27

http://www.africafocus.org/country/gambia.php

The Gambian government has blocked a non-governmental forum of freedom of expression scheduled to take place in Banjul on June 19 and 30, prior to the African Union summit in the Gambian capital. But media freedom groups will still be focusing on threats to free expression in Gambia and demanding an investigation of the murder of Gambian journalist Deyda Heydara, which took place 18 months ago.

Lesotho: Media reform heats up

2006-06-27

http://tinyurl.com/rlzpm

Lesotho’s communications ministry has dismissed calls by the Lesotho chapter of the Media Institute of Southern Africa for the transformation of the national broadcaster into a public broadcaster, writes Mzimkhulu Sithetho. In a position paper on the transformation model, Misa Lesotho (Miles) says Radio Lesotho and Lesotho Television should be governed by a board independent of government interference, reports Journalism.co.za.

Somalia: Journalist shot dead in Mogadishu

2006-06-27

http://tinyurl.com/mldoy

Somalia's Islamic Courts Union has blamed foreigners for the murder of a Swedish journalist during a massive demonstration organised by the group in Mogadishu after Friday prayers to support a new peace deal, writes Eric Nyakagwa. The Swedish cameraman, Martin Halder, was hit in the heart by a pistol bullet, according to journalists at the Fagaaraha Tarabunka (Tribune Plaza), where the demonstration was taking place, reports Journalism.co.za.

South Africa: State media bans commentators

2006-06-27

http://tinyurl.com/ph82t

An SABC radio presenter has gone public on air confirming that the broadcaster banned particular commentators and analysts from its airwaves - and that he was talking from personal experience, writes Angela Quintal in the Cape Argus. This as a SABC spokesman continued to maintain that the broadcaster had no policy blacklisting individuals and that there was merely a discussion document or proposal drafted by news management "which would assist in establishing what kind of analysts were appropriate", reports Journalism.co.za.

Ghana: Football highlights African divide

2006-06-28

http://edition.cnn.com/2006/SPORT/football/06/20/ghana.football/

Although some of the educated Ghanaians who left to make their fortune abroad, are coming home, the Minister of Tourism and Diaspora Relations is keen to tempt many more back. Those who do come find themselves relatively well-off compared with their fellow Ghanaians. They have the money to buy a plot of land and build a dream home. But the gated communities that are springing up only emphasize the huge divide between the haves and have-nots sleeping rough.

UK: Black academics flying in from USA to present research papers

2006-06-28

http://www.blackbritain.co.uk/news/details.aspx?i=2197&c

On the eve of the fifth annual conference staged by the Black Colloquium, an organisation that promotes African centred learning, a committee member said that the establishment of a black university in the UK is crucial to promote African centred learning.

UK: Black children 'more likely to be expelled from school'

2006-06-26

http://www.24dash.com/content/news/viewNews.php?navID=48&newsID=7355

Black children are more likely to be thrown out of school for bad behaviour than their white classmates, according to research to be released this week. But a Department for Education study found pupils from black Caribbean and black African families are catching up with their peers in GCSE results.

UK: Black UK cops overlooked

2006-06-28

http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20060618/lead/lead3.html

Lee Jasper, an advisor on race and policing matters to London Mayor Ken Livingstone, questioned why "premium secondments" were not directly offered to officers from within the diaspora. The recruitments - jointly funded by the United Kingdom and Jamaican Governments, together with the local private sector - are intended to speed up the modernisation of the Jamaica Constabulary Force.

UK: Pastor brought Africans to UK illegally to build himself a luxury house

2006-06-28

http://www.blackbritain.co.uk/news/details.aspx?i=2192&c

A pastor from South Africa living on the Isle of Man who brought Africans to the UK illegally to work for as little as £1.36 an hour to build himself a luxury house received a six - month jail sentence, suspended for two years last week.

USA: Black group against earned immigrant legalization

2006-06-28

http://tinyurl.com/nvzx9

It's not just conservative white Americans that are against the Senate's immigration reform plan that would grant earned legalization to millions of undocumented migrants. A group calling themselves simply 'Choose Black America' has emerged to oppose what they claim is an 'illegal alien amnesty', reports Hard Beat News.

USA: Diaspora blacks appreciate 'black power', but not US

2006-06-28

http://www.blackamericaweb.com/site.aspx/sayitloud/kane622

Now that the 40th anniversary of Stokely Carmichael’s changing the direction, tempo and agenda of the civil-rights movement by chanting the phrase “Black Power!” in Greenwood, Mississippi has passed with scarcely a notice from black folks, perhaps it’s time to evaluate black power’s successes and failures.

Global: AK-47 world's worst regulated weapon

2006-06-27

http://www.controlarms.org/latest_news/ak47report-pr260606.htm

The Kalashnikov assault rifle will remain the most widely-used weapon in conflict zones for at least the next 20 years because it is so poorly regulated, according to a new report by the Control Arms campaign released at the start of the UN world conference on small arms and light weapons in New York today (26 June).

Global: Decentralisation in conflict and post-conflict situations

2006-06-27

http://www.eldis.org/cf/rdr/rdr.cfm?doc=DOC21083

This paper reviews the literature on decentralization in multi-ethnic states with the objective of exploring key issues in the literature, identifying research gaps and suggesting policy recommendations for Norwegian development policy. Overall, the review demonstrates that many of the promises of decentralization have not been met or documented, or the results have been mixed.

Global: Eldis launches new conflict blog

2006-06-27

http://community.eldis.org/conflict

The Eldis Conflict and Security resource guide editors have launched a new blog dedicated to following the latest news and information on conflict and development issues. The blog will be updated on a regular basis and we hope to encourage comments and debates. Guest bloggers will also be invited to add contributions and commentary on current security issues which relate to all aspects of international development.

Global: United Nations army proposed

2006-06-27

http://www.globalpolicy.org/security/peacekpg/reform/2006/0615army.htm

A coalition of academics, former UN officials and security experts has unveiled a proposal for the creation of a permanent UN peacekeeping force. Such an international rapid reaction force of "up to 15,000 military, police and civilian staff, including medics and conflict transformation experts," could be deployed within 48 hours at the request of the UN Security Council.

Burundi/Sierra Leone: New peace body to help

2006-06-27

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N23277627.htm

Burundi and Sierra Leone will be the first countries to get special attention by the United Nations' new Peacebuilding Commission, the body announced at its first meeting. Approved in December, the commission aims to help post-conflict countries get on track toward a functioning, stable society; both Burundi and Sierra Leone have emerged from civil war.

Chad: Rebels 'launch CAR attack'

2006-06-27

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/5121792.stm

Rebels from Chad have attacked neighbouring Central African Republic (CAR), leaving an unknown number of rebels and soldiers dead, the CAR says. Peacekeepers from a regional body were also involved in the clashes with
"heavily armed" rebels in the north, the interior ministry says.

Mozambique: Struggles in peacetime working with ex-combatants

2006-06-27

http://www.eldis.org/cf/rdr/rdr.cfm?doc=DOC20596

This paper examines the role of ex-combatants in Mozambican society. It explores the realities the of ex-combatants' lives in terms of how they are coping in a post-war society and what roles they would like to perform. As after 13 years of war Mozambique has successfully avoided a relapse, it provides an interesting case study.

Sudan: Leader rules out UN Peacekeepers in Darfur

2006-06-27

http://www.globalpolicy.org/security/issues/sudan/2006/0620albashir.htm

In a blow to the UN Security Council's hopes of deploying UN peacekeepers in Darfur, Sudan's president vowed never to allow UN peacekeepers into Sudan and promised he would lead the "resistance" against any foreign force. President Omar al-Bashir characterized a potential UN mission as a "colonial force" in his strongest rejection yet of the UN intervention plan in Darfur. He called for the UN to instead bolster the African Union peacekeepers currently in Darfur.

Africa: African parliaments seek to become more IT-savvy

2006-06-26

http://allafrica.com/stories/200606210481.html

African Parliamentary officials from eleven countries, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Parliamentary Forum and the Pan African Parliament will discuss at a United Nations workshop the benefits of applying information and communications technologies to their work in order to promote parliamentary democracy.

Africa: Science - now is the time to deliver

2006-06-28

http://tinyurl.com/rjtt9

Next January, the heads of member states of the African Union will meet to discuss science and technology in what will be a unique opportunity to support the continent's scientific renaissance. It is now accepted that scientific and technological capacity is necessary to achieve the widely endorsed Millennium Development Goals, reports SciDev.

Djibouti: Country joins Pan-African Network

2006-06-27

http://in.news.yahoo.com/060621/43/659l1.html

Djibouti has joined the Pan-African Network (PAN) that aims to bridge the digital divide and offer telemedicine & tele-education services to the countries of the African Union (AU). PAN is part of the proposed plan to connect all the 53 nations of the African Union by a satellite and fiber optic network that would provide effective tele-education, telemedicine, internet, videoconferencing and VoIP services and also support e-Governance, e-Commerce, infotainment, resource mapping and meteorological services.

Kenya: Mobile phone helps Somali refugee send SOS

2006-06-28

http://tinyurl.com/p2xk2

The mobile phone bleeped twice in the London offices of the UN World Food Programme and shuddered briefly. A cancelled meeting? A free mobile upgrade? No. This time, an appeal, from a disaster zone in the Horn of Africa. The text message was short and to the point: "My name is Mohammed Sokor, writing to you from Dagahaley refugee camp in Dadaab. Dear sir, there is an alarming issue here. People are given too few kilogrammes of food. You must help."

Malawi: Malawi Telecom to get competition on fixed lines

2006-06-26

http://www.afrol.com/articles/19976

Malawi's Information Minister Patricia Kaliati has disclosed that the government is advertising for the second fixed line operator to enhance competition with the country's only operator the Malawi Telecoms Limited (MTL), 'The Chronicle' has learnt. "If we can have a competitor in this area, then the quality of service would subsequently improve," said Minister Kaliati

Rwanda: Mobile phones to empower rural Rwanda

2006-06-26

http://www.afrol.com/articles/20055

The telecom revolution yet has to reach the Rwandan countryside, but a new project promises to bring infrastructure and business opportunities for local entrepreneurs. A new "Tel'imbere" service is to provide micro-loans to potential rural mobile phone central operators, who are to provide regions currently offline with affordable telecom services.

South Africa: Telkom's tariff adjustment may spell good news

2006-06-26

http://tinyurl.com/lvthf

Telkom's current tariffs will be adjusted, resulting in an overall decrease of 2,5% in the price of its basket of products, the company has announced. There are cuts in long-distance (more than 50km) and international-call charges. The price for long-distance calls has been reduced by 10%, reports the Mail and Gaurdian.

South Africa: Tuxlabs for 14 orphanages on Youth Day

2006-06-28

http://www.tectonic.co.za/view.php?id=1035&s=news

Fourteen centres for orphaned and vulnerable children received computers, open source software and Internet access on South Africa's Youth Day, June 16, as part of the Tuxlabs initiative. The 26 PCs and two laptops will be used by The Heartbeat Centre for Community Development's 5 000 students countrywide.

Global: Alfred Friendly Press Fellowships

2006-06-27

http://www.pressfellowships.org/

The Alfred Friendly Press Fellowships (AFPF) invites journalists from developing countries to apply for the 2007 fellowship programme, which brings roughly 10 print journalists to the United States for an in-depth, practical introduction to the professional and ethical standards of the American print media. The programme runs from mid-March to September and is open to journalists between the ages of 25 and 35.

Global: Call for nominations for US$100,000 development gateway award

2006-06-27

http://www.developmentgateway.org/award

The Development Gateway Foundation is calling for nominations for its US$100,000 prize for outstanding achievement in the use of information and communication technologies to improve lives in developing countries. Sponsored in part by Intel Corporation, this year’s Development Gateway Award is focusing on initiatives that empower or improve the conditions of youth.

Global: Communication for Development and Social Change

2006-06-27

http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/fundraising/35419

The journal Communication for Development and Social Change premiers in Spring 2006, and will be published quarterly. The journal is seeking papers that present empirical research, theory, and practice-oriented approaches on subjects relevant to development communication and social change, such as globalisation and media, development policy, international and intercultural communication, identity and ethnicity, and programme design, implementation, and evaluation.

Global: Investment Climate and Business Environment Research Fund

2006-06-27

http://www.trustafrica.org/documents/ICBE_RF_Call_for_Proposals.pdf

The International Development Research Centre and TrustAfrica have established an Investment Climate and Business Environment (ICBE) Research Fund, which will make available up to US$2.8 million through various initiatives and rounds of funding for researchers in private sector development based in African universities, business schools, and independent research institutions.

London: Challenging the corporate water takeover

2006-06-27

http://www.wdm.org.uk/wrr/index.htm

Shouldn't water be a human right, not a commodity? Join us at this year's Whose Rules Rule conference, to discuss the issues, get your questions answered and take action, Saturday 8 July 2-5.30pm Friends Meeting House, Euston Road, London

South Africa: African Science Communication Conference

2006-06-27

http://tinyurl.com/nrtld

The conference will focus on the need to develop science communication and establish collaborative networks on the African continent. SAASTA aims to advance public awareness, appreciation, and engagement of science, engineering, and technology in South Africa.

South Africa: Institute for the Advancement of Journalism

2006-06-27

http://tinyurl.com/lr5q2

The Institute for the Advancement of Journalism is offering several courses for working journalists: sports reporting, interviewing, basic reporting and writing for print, over the next few weeks. Courses will be held at the IAJ, 9 Jubilee Road, Parktown, Johannesburg. Closing date for application is two weeks before the start of the course.

Uganda: Innovation Africa Symposium

2006-06-27

http://tinyurl.com/qj5zd

The Innovation Africa Symposium will convene a group of internationally recognised experts on innovation systems to share their latest thinking with agricultural researchers and development partners. The symposium will also provide an opportunity for participants to share their achievements in enhancing innovation processes.

Dominican Republic: Development Worker

Progressio

2006-06-27

http://www.progressio.org.uk

Progressio seeks a Development Worker (DW), who will specialise in the development of public policies and advocacy initiatives for poverty reduction. The DW will work alongside the Centre for Social Studies Padre Juan Montalvo (Centro de Estudios Sociales Padre Juan Montalvo, s.j.) and will be responsible for developing advocacy initiatives and processes in the areas of national budgeting, social expenditure and social welfare.

Guinea: Two positions available

Christian Children's Fund (CCF)

2006-06-27

http://tinyurl.com/oc7br

Country Director - CCF Guinea is a new CCF programme with offices based in Conakry. This vacancy will attract a leader with plenty of initiative and extensive high level management experience to provide strategic leadership and vision for the Guinea programme. Program Director - this new and challenging vacancy based in Conakry, Guinea will attract a senior development manager to lead the efficient design, delivery and management of all CCF programs in Guinea.

Kenya: Chief Operations Officer

The Trust for African Rock Art

2006-06-27

http://www.africanrockart.org/main/news.php?id=117

The Trust for African Rock Art, TARA, is dedicated to the awareness and preservation of African rock art. It is a not-for-profit, non-governmental organisation, registered in Kenya and America whose work has been endorsed by Nelson Mandela and Kofi Annan.

South Africa: International Coordinator

International Treatment Preparedness Coalition

2006-06-27

http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/jobs/35388

ITPC is seeking to hire an International Coordinator, who with supervision and guidance from the ITPC's governing body, the International Steering Group (ISG), will manage day-to-day operations of the coalition. The International Coordinator will also work closely with the members of ITPC, all of whom are volunteers.

Somalia: Consultant - Water Policy Development

UNICEF

2006-06-27

http://tinyurl.com/qbsrl

The purpose of the consultancy is to advise and facilitate the process of water policy development in Puntland State. It is therefore a process-oriented purpose with the respective results. While the consultancy as such can surely not guarantee that a policy document is established, it is expected that it leaves the government and all stakeholders with the knowledge and documentation necessary to finish the policy making process.

Zimbabwe: Financial Controller

GOAL

2006-06-27

http://www.goal.ie/jobs/zimbabwefcmay06.shtml

GOAL has been operational in Zimbabwe since October 2002 and has mainly been involved in food distribution to combat the food shortages that have affected the country since 2000. Land reform measures introduced by the Government have rendered large amounts of prime farmland unproductive, and, as a result, contributed to the food shortages. Other factors such as poor rainfall, the collapse of the economy and the high rate of HIV/AIDS have played a part in turning what was once a food exporting country into a country dependent on foreign food aid for its survival.

Zimbabwe: Humanitarian Programme Co-ordinator

Oxfam

2006-06-27

http://www.oxfam.org.uk/jobs

Oxfam’s programme in Zimbabwe has gone through considerable changes in the past 18 months, in response to a rapidly changing context. Zimbabwe’s economic crisis coupled with the region’s underlying and deepening chronic vulnerability, creates a unique environment and a complex mix of emergency and development needs. Oxfam’s programme is responding to many of these needs, particularly food and livelihoods insecurity and the effects of HIV and AIDS.

Fahamu