Printer-friendly versionSend by emailPDF version
Thursday, May 19, 2016
English

CONTENTS: 1. Features, 2. Advocacy & campaigns 3. Jobs & announcements


Features


An African philosophy of history for African unity

Odomaro Mubangizi

All evidence points to humanity’s common origin and one destiny. Instead of history being a theater of class struggle, it is a history of globalization and a quest for unity. Africa, the cradle of humanity, must take the lead in promoting unity, not fragmentation. That unity cannot be based only on transient systems like economics and politics, but has to include deeper values and norms rooted in ontology, anthropology and belief systems.

Against colonial borders: The need for African citizenship now

Hashi Kenneth Tafira

Partition of Africa and delimitation of borders were arbitrary acts which Europeans imposed without regard to local conditions. Dismantling colonial borders is therefore a veritable pan-African project. Pan-Africanism should be seen as a people-to-people relationship rather than one among heads of state, intellectuals or western tutored elites.

Protests rise against World Economic Forum’s implausible ‘Africa Keeps Rising’ meme

Patrick Bond

New elements of Africa Rising hucksterism emerged at this year’s World Economic Forum in Kigali, including a child-like fascination with “Fourth Industrial Revolution cyber-physical systems” that will supposedly allow Africa to leapfrog the world, indeed to “lead the way”, because the continent is “the world’s fastest growing digital consumer market.” Reality check: fewer than one in three Africans have home electricity, and just one in five use the internet.

The AU on a quest for post-national identity

Towards charting a path to the Ubuntu village tree

Francisco Kofi Nyaxo Olympio

Isn’t the time ripe for the African Union to create the space for true Africanisation of its institutions and ownership of its processes by the people at home and in the diaspora? There should be enough resources and incentives for all people to participate in the Pan-African project in our villages, communities, constituencies, campuses, and workplaces.
 

The Pan-African Parliament: Whom does it represent?

Yves Niyiragira

Members of the Pan-African Parliament are handpicked by the executive of their country – by the same heads of state who retain the ultimate power at the African Union. And as if that is not bad enough, PAP is only a consultative organ. Efforts to change this, so that the people of Africa can have meaningful representation, continue to be resisted. African people must work hard for the transformation of this important AU organ.
 

Africa Liberation Day: Pentagon and CIA continue to destabilize continent

Abayomi Azikiwe

Today the African Union faces formidable development and security challenges
Only an upsurge from the left and anti-imperialist forces can fulfill the visions of a true united Africa in line with the work of Nkrumah, Gaddafi and other revolutionary leaders. The worsening economic crisis due to the decline in commodity prices and western sponsored destabilization is reversing the advances made in regard to growth and development over the last decade.

 

Anne Deborah Atai-Omoruto: An unsung heroine of Africa

Cameron Duodu

Pan-Africanism is not just a nice-sounding idea. It is a firm personal commitment to the lives of the peoples of Africa. When the latest Ebola crisis broke out in West Africa in 2014, Dr. Atai-Omorotu gathered some medical personnel in Uganda and headed to the region that everyone was running away from. She helped save many lives – only for her to die of pancreatic cancer two weeks ago.

 

The ECOWAS Commission and the leadership question: Some fundamentals

Jeggan C. Senghor

The question of leadership of intergovernmental organizations in Africa has received inadequate attention in public discourse. The West African bloc ECOWAS has far-reaching prescriptions on how the organization’s top leadership should be constituted, but the provisions have often not been strictly observed. Politics and personal factors usually get in the way.

 

Not yet uhuru in Africa

Munyonzwe Hamalengwa

Africa is not yet free, despite formal independence. Most of the continent’s nations are in the grip of criminal regimes whose leaders belong in jail for widespread human rights violations. But those leaders always stand with one another to defeat justice.
 

Citizens have a role in protecting public land

Brian Kazungu

Grabbing of public land by powerful individuals continues in Kenya, despite commendable efforts that have been made over the years to end this menace. The National Land Commission has the primary responsibility of protecting all public land. But Kenyans should also take it upon themselves to safeguard public land by assisting the commission to discharge its mandate.


Advocacy & campaigns


“Block the sale of warplanes to Nigeria”: What is missing in an otherwise excellent NYT editorial

Herbert Ekwe-Ekwe

At last, a major news organisation in the United States/West has come out to challenge the deafening silence that has pervaded the world over the genocidist Muhammadu Buhari regime in Nigeria, installed in office in March 2015 by the David Cameron and Barack Obama administrations. 


Jobs & announcements


SOTU Journalist Competition 2016

Call for Submissions

State of the Union (SOTU)

The State of the Union Coalition (SOTU) calls out for submissions of articles from journalists working in the 10 African countries SOTU has membership; Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, Senegal, Kenya, Rwanda, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa and Tunisia. The competition is open to African journalists reporting on Human Rights and Governance issues in the print and digital media. Deadline: 31st May 2016 at 11:59 (GMT +3).

Call for Participation: Seeking Researchers and Women’s Organizations for UN Study

 The Women’s Human Rights Institute (WHRI), co-founded by internationally renowned Costa Rican feminist jurist and activist Alda Facio, is undertaking a two-year research and advocacy project to promote participation in data gathering for the upcoming thematic report of the UN Working Group on Discrimination against Women in Law and Practice (UNWGDAW) on “good practices” in addressing discrimination and promoting women’s self-empowerment.  The project will focus on identifying potential “good laws” and/or important case law that promote women’s substantive equality, and developing case studies that delve into the content of the laws, their impact and implementation mechanisms, as well as the complex set of factors and actors involved in their creation and implementation.


DONATE AND SUPPORT PAMBAZUKA!

We appeal to you to make a brave decision today by donating at least five GBP (£ 5) a month to keep Pambazuka News free and independent.

Click here to donate and support Pambazuka News

Kindly forward this appeal to family and friends to help spread the message.
Thank you for your support.


Henry Makori and Tidiane Kasse - Editors, Pambazuka News

Yves Niyiragira - Executive Director, Fahamu


Join the Friends of Fahamu

Websites: Fahamu.orgPambazuka.org

Pambazuka News is a publication of FAHAMU

SHARE THIS EMAIL
FOLLOW on TWITTER
JOIN on FACEBOOK