In October 2000, NGOs and representatives from official aid agencies met in Stockholm to discuss experiences of applying the human rights approach to development. The workshops "Working Together" were hosted by the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA), the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Swedish NGO Foundation for Human Rights. The NGO and donor agency workshops came up with a number of practical recommendations.

The newly published Kenya Anti-Corruption Authority (Kaca) Bill is flawed, some MPs said yesterday. Published by Attorney-General Amos Wako two weeks ago to revive the outlawed body, the Bill does not resolve the jurisdictional conflicts between Kaca and the AG's office, the parliamentarians said.

Semaine du 18.05.01 au 27.05.01.

Invading alien species are responsible for a worldwide biodiversity crisis, driving large numbers of native plant and animal species to extinction on every continent. The damage is documented by IUCN - the World Conservation Union in a new survey of the 100 worst alien species issued in time for Biodiversity Day, May 22.

The International Secretariat of OMCT has been informed by Agir Ensemble pour les Droits de l'Homme, a member of the OMCT network, of the arbitrary arrest of six people in Rwanda.

A man whirls a whip around his head and brings it down hard on a Kenyan youth clad in a "Save our Forests" T-shirt. The whip cracks again and a mob starts hurling rocks at a busload of environmental activists from Kenya's Green Belt Movement, barring their way to a patch of threatened woodland. A rock shatters a window, blood oozes from a passenger's head and the bus roars away from the village, the visitors abandoning their plans to expose forest destruction.

Two prestigious U.S. policy groups are calling for health issues to have a higher priority in foreign policy and national security planning. The recommendation comes from a study group launched by the Council on Foreign Relations and the Milbank Memorial Fund, a health policy organization.

The European Council of Ministers this week discussed the situation in the Great Lakes region, as well as a common European policy towards Africa in general. In a report on the proceedings, the Council said it adopted a new common position on conflict prevention, management and resolution in Africa, which included features such as strengthening African capacities for conflict prevention, improving support for African capabilities in the field of peacekeeping, and emphasising the strategic role of development cooperation in conflict.

Genocide suspect Hassan Ngeze today cross-examined a witness who testified against him before the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR). Ngeze and two other genocide suspects are jointly being tried for using the media to incite ethnic hatred that led to the 1994 genocide in Rwanda.

Gangs of self-styled veterans of Zimbabwe's 1970s independence war this week widened their attacks on private businesses throughout the country as it emerged that the European Union (EU) is mulling measures against Harare that could include sanctions to pressure the government to uphold the rule of law. Sources however said the government of President Robert Mugabe might be finally responding to the crisis. It decided at a Cabinet meeting this week to act on party supporters blamed for leading the campaign against industry and commerce.

The initiator of this performance is Danish sculptor Jens Galschiot. For the time being his chief project is a world wide art manifestation titled The Pillar of Shame. Within a decade, 10 sculptures, 8 metres in height will be set up to mark severe infringements against human rights. The first three sculptures have been mounted in Hong Kong (1997), Mexico (1999) and Brazil (2000). The aim is to highlight the ethical basis of our civilization to ensure the survival of the Planet. This is also the aim of this performance that will pinpoint the greed of the big pharmaceutical companies who are filing a lawsuit in defence of their patent rights, with the consequence that millions of people in the poor countries will die of lack of medicine.

As the taste of wine improves with age, for the record number of thirty-nine exhibitors, one hundred and fifty conference delegates drawn from the Liberia, Senegal, Togo, Burkina Faso, South Africa, UK, USA and over seven thousand visitors who made it to the 5th West Africa Computing, Telecomms & Broadcasting Expo, (AITEC 2001) business couldn't have been better.

During the June 2000 elections in Zimbabwe, MDC campaigners and other citizens took advantage of the internet and email to promote and disseminate
the aims and objectives of the Movement for Democratic Change. This strategy ran alongside the traditional campaigning of talks, meetings, rallies and word of mouth. Whilst the ruling party used a variety of campaign strategies
from old-fashioned intimidation to exploiting their control of the print and broadcast media, the MDC had no option but to look creatively at other ways of campaigning.

On average it takes anything from 18 months to 3 years to register a charitable association in Nigeria. Generally referred to as Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) – which itself is a misnomer - these are in law, associations or bodies corporate with or without separate legal personality or land-holding capacity. Typically, they are formed for philanthropic purposes and run by trustees, whatever their preferred title. My beef in this essay is with the current slow and bureaucratic process of registration and supervision of what has become a key alternative and complementary channel of development for our people.

Criticisms of the Bush administration's National Energy Policy unveiled Thursday are being expressed by a wide range of citizens groups and politicians from across the political spectrum and around the world. Objections to its reliance on fossil fuels and nuclear power rather than renewables and conservation dominate the comments.

The arguments about the pros and cons of agricultural technology - pesticides, synthetic fertilizers and biotechnology - are widely known. The Green Revolution is touted by some as being one of the great accomplishments of modern society and others as one of the great evils. A distinction is often made between the applications of agricultural technology in developing countries and in developed ones.

Research on corruption has become increasingly important. All international organizations emphasize the fight against corruption, codes of conduct in this area are gaining increasing importance in the eyes of multinational firms, and donor aid is willingly offered for effective reform programs. But training qualified students in anti-corruption, has not yet actually started. This is a requirement which universities will have to face in the future by making "good governance" and anti-corruption reform part of their programs. PD Dr. Johann Graf Lambsdorff, assistant professor at the University of Goettingen, offered a lecture in the economics of corruption at his University in April 2001. He is the creator of the Corruption Perceptions Index which is annually published by Transparency International.

Africa has attracted large-scale investors but they have tended to be multinationals building infrastructure. There are far fewer US and European small and medium sized companies willing to take the plunge. This week sees the opening of the Dutch company Explainer DC in Ghana and several of these kinds of investments seem to be in the pipeline. More of which in later issues.

A United Nations Security Council delegation arrived in the Democratic Republic of Congo on Thursday night on "the most important mission the Security Council has ever undertaken", in the words of the mission leader, French Ambassador Jean-David Levitte. In a brief statement at Kinshasa airport, Levitte said the 12 ambassadors in the delegation hoped "to help the parties in the Congo conflict move towards peace and a complete application of the Lusaka ceasefire agreement".

The United Nations Security Council has announced the reopening of the Congo River to commercial traffic, a vital thoroughfare which has been blocked for two-and-a-half years as a result of the war in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The relief organisation, Refugees International, has said the recent positive developments in the DRC are having little immediate positive impact on the Congolese people. Anne Edgerton, who recently visited the region on behalf of Refugees International, told a US sub-committee that displacement was still occurring in remote areas as armies withdrew and redeployed to new territory in the country.

The World Food Programme (WFP) on Friday played down reports in the Tanzania media of refugees abandoning their homes to escape hungry refugees who were marauding in the community and taking food by force in Kibondo District, Kigoma Region, western Tanzania. The 'Guardian' newspaper on Thursday quoted Kibondo police sources as saying that they did not have enough officers to control the refugees who had abandoned their camps because they did not have enough food.

Ethiopian government has welcomed the decision of the UN Security Council to lift the embargo on arms sales to Ethiopia and Eritrea, the Ethiopian News Agency (ENA) said. In a statement on Wednesday the Ethiopian foreign ministry said the decision by the council had reminded both countries "to desist from engaging in an arms race and other military activities, and turn to economic development and reconciliation in a bid to bring about peace and stability in the Horn of Africa".

Deputy Executive Director of UNFPA, Mr. Kunio Waki has stressed that international financial and other support to combat Africa's high maternal and neonatal deaths, must be backed by leadership and commitment from within Africa itself.

The spate of serial killings and sexual harassment of women and teenage girls girls has been at its peak in Accra since two years or so ago, without any arrest or punishment of penetrators, until recent times when the country came under the new administration of President John Agyekum Kufuor.

Rival forces in Sierra Leone's long-running war agreed on Tuesday to stop fighting and allow the UN mission in the country, UNAMSIL, to guarantee the free movement of people and goods nationwide.

The United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD) is organizing an international conference on 5 September 2001 in Durban, South Africa.

Today, close to 500 workers from Denel division Vektor-arms making company are to protest over the employment equity, transformation, and re-alignment for black workers.

Namibia's prosecutor general is to decide whether to prosecute policemen accused of systematically torturing people suspected of being part of an armed separatist attack in Caprivi almost two years ago, 'The Namibian' said on Thursday. Jackson Tangeni Kuutondokwa, the deputy prosecutor general in Kavango, was quoted as saying that his recommendations were being typed up before being dispatched to Windhoek for Prosecutor General Hans Heyman to decide.

The Zimbabwean government on Wednesday called an immediate halt to invasions of private businesses by self-styled war veterans, news reports said.
"This should cease forthwith as it constitutes the crimes of kidnapping and extortion," Home Affairs Minister John Nkomo was quoted as saying. So-far, the police have been singularly ineffective in halting the scores of urban raids by ruling party militants which began in early April, further threatening Zimbabwe's already ailing economy.

UNITA has promised to search for and return about 60 children kidnapped by its soldiers during an attack on a children's home in Caxito, about 55 km outside the capital Luanda. Without accepting responsibility for the kidnappings, the rebel movement said in a communiqué released on Tuesday that "the UNITA General Staff has ordered a strict inquiry aimed at identifying children who might have been forced to accompany the Armed Forces for the Liberation of Angola (FALA) in the wake of the 5 May 2001 raid ... ". It said the children would be handed over the closest Catholic mission if they were found.

What proposals does the CPT have to stop police ill-treatment? What is the Committee's position on solitary confinement? What has the CPT said about restraining psychiatric patients? What are the Committee's views on the treatment of immigration detainees? These and many other questions can now be answered via a new database launched today by the CPT. It contains the full texts of all published CPT reports, amounting to some 5000 pages of text. Searching has been made as easy and powerful as possible: users can search for any words, but can also select from pre-established lists of keywords, detention places, categories of detained persons and States.

Wealth and Poverty

The wealth of millionaires grew by 6% in 2000 compared to 18% in 1999 and an overall increase of 375% since 1986.

The number of millionaires grew by 2.9% last year to 7.2 million and their total wealth grew from $25.5 in 1999 to $27 trillion in 2000.

The number of individuals worth more than $30 million rose 3% last year to 57,000 and their wealth grew by 6% to $8.37 trillion.

Growth in wealth for these groups is expected to average 8% annually for the next 5 years.

Meanwhile:

The % of people living on less than a dollar per day has decreased from 28.3 in 1987 to 24 in 1998 but the actual numbers have increased from 1,183,200,000 in 1987 to 1,198,900,000 in 1998.

Source - Poverty Stats: Implementation of the First UN Decade for the Eradication of Poverty (1997-2006) Report of the Secretary General September 21 2000.
Source - Wealth Stats: Yahoo Headlines Elif Kaban, European Private Banking Correspondent

Cited at http://www.comminit.com/

The World Health Assembly (WHA) is the annual meeting of the 191 Member States of the World Health Organization (WHO) and its highest governing body. The 54th WHA takes place this year from 14 to 22 May at the United Nations "Palais des Nations" in Geneva, Switzerland.

CIVITAS International hs established an international Advocacy Campaign for the institution of the eight "Action Steps" necessary for adequate civic education, including a K-12 curriculum, teacher training, and classroom materials that support education for democracy, as well as the development of a professional civic educators association, and the capacity to evaluate student progress.

As we have done for many years, the Washington Office on Africa has developed this directory of key contacts in the administration and on select committees in Congress, together with a listing of the Congressional Black Caucus. We hope you find it helpful in your own advocacy efforts. Essential for all of us with a concern for a more just US policy toward Africa is to ensure that our views are heard, and this guide seeks to provide an aid in doing so.

The international tribunal for Rwanda has arrested one of the most wanted men for the 1994 genocide in its own building after he was discovered working at the United Nations court under a false name.

Fears are rising that if American evangelicals continue to focus exclusively on the religious dimensions of the Sudanese war, there could be a backlash from Islamic fundamentalists, thus intensifying the conflict. Analysts, mainstream Church officials, and aid workers are worried that the stance taken by the Christian Right might jeopardize relief operations and precipitate a humanitarian crisis in Sudan. They note that the Americans are oversimplifying a war that has economic, cultural and political elements.

European companies with their sights set on potentially huge profits from Sudan's rich oilfields are turning a blind eye to massive human rights abuses, says a new report calling for cross-border controls on big business.

Salary : £21,479pa - £24,129pa
Location : Nairobi, Kenya
Closing Date : 6 Jun 2001

Salary : £20,574
Location : South Sudan, Sudan
Closing Date : 25 May 2001

We're profiling one of your stories - the - on our site The Communication Initiative from today until next Tuesday. I trust that we have linked appropriately. We use stories from your site once or twice a month and hope it helps attract new users for you as well as provide interesting information for our Front Page.

Start Date: April 28, 2001
End Date: July 20, 2001
Location: Birmingham, England
Courses in Development Management, (esp NGOs) Project Planning, Health and Social Development and Partiipatory Community Development
Contact Information: Mrs. Wendy Banner Course Secretary, Development Studies The University of Birmingham Selly Oak Campus, Bristol Road Birmingham B29 6LQ, UK Telephone: +44 (0)121 415 2295 Telefax: +44 (0)121 415 2296
E-mail: E-mail: [email protected]

I am forwarding you the electronic newsletter of PANOS INSTITUTE WEST AFRICA called Mediactu (in french) dedicated to media and information pluralism in West africa. The english version will be soon available for anglophones. I am receiving the Kabissa-Fahamu newsletter and your website is listed in our links page:

I find your compilation of news quite impressive especially its broad coverage of high quality news services such as SABC, the Guardian Unlimited, etc.

Regarding your answer on possible word attachments, it seems that if users can read MIME messages they would be by the same token capable of reading attachments (attachments of any length are a cornerstone of MIME as opposed to UU-encoding); however Word is a proprietary format making it difficult to read on Linux/KDE or even for those Win95 or MacOS/X users who don't want to upgrade; but given the length of your message it would be nice to have it in a public format such as HTML with the possibility to navigate
the content table.

A side question though regarding your copyright: since most of the information is taken from other sources, shouldn't it be instead something like "reproduced under fair use", or if your intention is that it is further copied "Reproduction and sharing of the information in this newsletter is encouraged" to add an adequate copyright such as:

GP(c) General Public Copyright 2001, may be copied, changed or adapted by anyone as long as the copy remains under General Public Copyright without restriction.

OUR RESPONSE: Thank you for your thoughtful comments - we would love to see more messages like this coming in from our readers. Your thinking about newsletter formatting is right on target - however we will have to learn more about the computers and software that our subscribers use before we can make a decision to switch from plain text e-mails to HTML or another format. An alternative would be to offer options to our subscribers - HTML, plain text, possibly even Adobe Acrobat PDF.

Your suggestion regarding "(c) vs GP(c)" is also a good one. Our fear is that while those in the Open Source community will appreciate and understand what a "General Public Copyright" is, there is still some sensitisation work to do to convey the message to our wider readership in Africa. We want to encourage our subscribers to use information from the newsletter in their publications, and all we ask in return is that when they use it in full, they acknowledge the source. So rather than take on GP(c) we will most likely promote "fair use" language which we have already in some parts of the newsletter website.

Ethiopian security forces have used excessive force in dealing with student protests and are using the protests as an excuse for cracking down on all government critics, Human Rights Watch charged today. Attacks by security forces on Addis Ababa University, in Ethiopia's capital, have led to forty-one deaths, hundreds of injuries, and the detention of over two thousand students and scores of government critics since April 17.

South Africa tax malaria prevention - why did South Africa sign the Abuja declaration?

More than 80 percent of blood donated by students and teachers in Kenya's Nyanza Province schools has the HIV virus that causes AIDS, according to health officials. Nyanza Provincial Commissioner, Peter Raburu, said that despite extensive sensitisation campaigns in the region, the rate at which pupils were contracting the disease was worrying.