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Date: Mon, 13 May 2002 13:30:37 -0700
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Subject: [WASAN] FW: PAMBAZUKA NEWS 63 - TOWARDS A SERVICE-PROVIDERS'
    NETWORK? AFRICANS WITH EXPERIENCE OF TRUTH,
     JUSTICE AND RECONCILIATION ISSUES



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Date: Mon, 13 May 2002 02:54:52 -0500 (CDT)
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Subject: PAMBAZUKA NEWS 63 - TOWARDS A SERVICE-PROVIDERS' NETWORK? AFRICANS
WITH EXPERIENCE OF TRUTH, JUSTICE AND RECONCILIATION ISSUES

PAMBAZUKA NEWS 63
A weekly electronic newsletter for social justice in Africa

CONTENTS: 1. Editorial, 2. Conflict, Emergencies, and Crises, 3. Rights and
Democracy, 4. Corruption, 5. Health, 6. Education and Social Welfare, 7.
Women
and Gender, 8. Refugees and Forced Migration, 9. Racism and Xenophobia, 10.
Environment, 11. Media, 12. Development, 13. Internet and Technology, 14.
eNewsletters and Mailing Lists, 15. Fundraising, 16. Courses, Seminars, and
Workshops, 17. Advocacy Resources, 18. Jobs, 19. Books and Arts, 20. Letters
and Comments

If you have e-mail access, you can get web resources listed in this
Newsletter
by sending a message to [log in to unmask] with the web address (usually
starting with http://) in the body of your message.

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1.EDITORIAL

TOWARDS A SERVICE-PROVIDERS' NETWORK? AFRICANS WITH EXPERIENCE OF TRUTH,
JUSTICE AND RECONCILIATION ISSUES
Richard Carver, Brandon Hamber, John Lunn
Sierra Leoneans await the establishment of a Special Court and a Truth and
Reconciliation Commission…. Nigeria pursues domestic trials as the Oputa
"Truth
Panel" ends its public hearings… Gacaca trials begin in Rwanda… the
Congolese
negotiations in South Africa put a truth and reconciliation commission on
their
agenda…. South Africans continue to debate the legacies of their own Truth
and
Reconciliation Commission… Zimbabwean activists working for a post-Mugabe
dispensation consider possible truth, justice and reconciliation options...
a
host of NGO and CBO-led initiatives at the community level gather momentum
in a
number of African countries…

Over the past decade, strategies for conflict resolution or democratic
transition in Africa have increasingly addressed complex issues of truth,
justice and reconciliation. It has become more difficult simply to ignore
questions about accountability for serious human rights abuses and
reparations
and support for the victims. This is welcome, of course. But all apparent
breakthroughs bring with them new dangers. In recent years we have become
particularly concerned by two distinct but interrelated dangers.

First, there is the danger of off-the-peg solutions that do not take account
specific historical and political-economic contexts. Second, there is the
danger that those most directly affected -- the victims themselves -- are
marginalised or manipulated by initiatives on truth, justice and
reconciliation.

In what follows, we offer a brief explanation of our concerns. We then
outline
an idea for combatting these dangers. This is the creation of a service-
providers' network of African NGO's, CBO's and individuals with experience
of
truth, justice and reconciliation issues. We need your feedback about this
idea.

The danger of off-the-peg solutions

African governments and civil society activists who are committed to ending
violent conflict or authoritarian rule often look for international
assistance
in addressing issues of truth, justice and reconciliation. In principle,
there
is no problem with this. After all, African governments and civil society
often
lack detailed information about how these issues have been tackled
elsewhere.
They may also feel that the expertise for such complex, ambitious
undertakings
is not available locally. Also, African governments and civil society do not
generally have the funds to run institutions or processes of accountability
and
reparation without international assistance.

But this can leave African countries extremely vulnerable to outsiders --
for
example, the United Nations, or the plethora of international NGO's now
active
in this area -- who try to shape these processes according to their own
preconceptions. Control over information, expertise and money is a powerful
combination. This dependence also leaves African governments and civil
society
vulnerable to being caught between the potentially conflicting priorities of
outsiders - for example, between those who privilege judicial action and
those
who have a bias towards truth processes; or between the different approaches
of
lawyers and mental health workers.

In addition, our experience suggests that the outside actors do not always
have
the expertise that they claim. They often lack the capacity to monitor and
evaluate comparative developments or to develop a coherent historical and
political analysis of the country in which they have become engaged.
Combined
with the inevitable bureaucratic inertia, this means that such organisations
tend to depend upon prior "policy packages", which they are often reluctant
to
change radically even if they are inappropriate. One such problematic area
in
this regard has been the import of inappropriate psycho-therapeutic based
models of "trauma healing".

The danger that victims' voices are marginalised

Accountability, reparation and support for victims are, of course,
officially
at the heart of all truth, justice and reconciliation initiatives in African
countries today. But often the victims themselves have not been consulted
and
have had little participation in the design and implementation of these
initiatives. Participation and consultation often amounts to no more than
ratifying decisions that have already been taken elsewhere. Consultation
should
mean a genuinely free debate about the various possible courses of action.
Yet
there is usually a reluctance to have such a dialogue over a prolonged
period
and involving all levels of society.

Those African NGO's and CBO's that do have expertise in independent or
community-level initiatives on truth, justice and reconciliation are also
not
always adequately consulted and involved in those processes of design and
implementation. This is why accountability institutions and processes often
try
to control or substitute for grassroots initiatives. This partly explains
too
why official institutions with a specific life-span such as trials or truth
commissions are often ineffective as catalysts for the longer-term follow-up
at
all levels of society that is needed in African countries emerging from
violent
conflict or authoritarian rule.

A service-providers' network?

So might an African service-providers' network play a useful role in
addressing
the twin dangers of "off-the-peg solutions" and the marginalisation of
victims'
voices? Could such a network be the basis for mutual advocacy and solidarity
around issues of "good practice"? African NGO's are already linking up on
this
issue. For example, the Sierra Leone Working Group on the Truth and
Reconciliation Commission, is a coalition of Sierra Leonean NGO's and CBO's
established to strengthen Sierra Leonean input into truth and reconciliation
processes in that country. In 2001, it sent a delegation to the Centre for
the
Study of Violence and Reconciliation in South Africa and the Amani Trust in
Matabeleland, Zimbabwe, to learn about their community-based truth, justice
and
reconciliation work. But so far such exchanges have often been on an ad hoc
basis. Progress towards more systematic networking appears to have been made
in
southern Africa, however, where the Centre for the Study of Violence and
Reconciliation is coordinating a sub-regionwide research project in
partnership
with a range of NGO's in the other countries of the sub-region.

There is no reason why such a network could not also draw upon the
comparative
experience of NGO's and CBO's in other regions. For example, the Amani Trust
in
Matabeleland, Zimbabwe, has worked with local communities in Matabeleland to
exhume victims of human rights abuses there during the Gukurahundi in the
mid-
1980s and facilitate their dignified reburial. In doing so, it has worked
closely with the Argentinian Forensic Anthropology Team, which is also due
to
be involved in Sierra Leone over the coming years, and developed
relationships
with human rights organisations in other Latin American countries working in
this area.

We are acutely aware that networks can be difficult to sustain and often
promise much more than they deliver. Given that this is the case, it might
make
sense to proceed slowly and to identify one or two areas for concrete
cooperation over an initial period of two years. It might be inappropriate
for
such a network to take any formal institutional shape itself during that
initial period. The hub of such a network could be a core group of no more
than
five African NGO's or CBO's, with one of them taking on initial
responsibility
for coordination.

But the "first principle "question is whether a service-providers' network
of
this kind would be desirable. The time, quite simply, may still not be
right.
Only if its desirability is established do questions of feasibility arise.
We
remain genuinely undecided. Whether you are involved actively in truth,
justice
and reconciliation issues in your home country or are simply an interested
reader, please do let us know your opinion by replying to us via Pambazuka
News.

[The authors are human rights activists who have been involved with a range
of
truth, justice and reconciliation initiatives in southern and West Africa.
They
are writing in their personal capacities]
Contact: [log in to unmask], [log in to unmask], [log in to unmask]

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2.CONFLICT, EMERGENCIES, AND CRISES

ANGOLA: MSF RUSHES RELIEF TO 18,000 IN NEED
The international medical relief organisation
Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) has started an emergency feeding and medical
programme in Chipindo, in Angola's southern province of Huila, to aid 18,000
isolated people in severe need. During an exploratory medical mission the
MSF
team discovered mortality
figures as high as 6.1 per 10,000 people a day for children under 5 and 4.5
deaths per 10,000 a day for the population in general. These figures are
well
above the emergency threshold of 1 death for 10,000 a day.
Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=7351

ANGOLA: WFP FORCED TO PRIORITISE FOOD DELIVERIES
The UN World Food Programme (WFP) has started distributing food aid to
thousands of severely malnourished people who are being discovered in areas
of
Angola now open to aid workers after last month's peace agreement.
Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=7446

BURUNDI: EU CONDEMNS CONTINUING WAR
The EU on Friday expressed its extreme concern over the continuing violence
and
worsening humanitarian situation in Burundi, particularly in Bujumbura Rural
Province, a statement from the EU said.
Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=7380

CENTRAL AFRICA: BELLIGERENTS IN DRC, BURUNDI TOLD TO ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY
President Benjamin Mkapa of Tanzania and the head of the visiting United
Nations Security Council delegation have called on political leaders in the
Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Burundi to shoulder their
responsibility for restoring peace in their countries.
Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=7381

MADAGASCAR POISED TO SPLIT INTO TWO PARTS
http://www.oneworld.org/ips2/may02/12_37_022.htm
Madagascar, the strife-torn Indian Ocean island nation of 15 million people,
is
by all indications poised to split into two parts unless another
reconciliation
meeting takes place soon. The split, which looks imminent, comes two weeks
after a peace deal brokered in Dakar, Senegal promised a solution to a
presidential impasse that has divided the island.

MALAWI: DONORS SLOW TO RESPOND TO FAMINE, NGO
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=27644
Funding to fight famine in Malawi has begun to trickle in, but it is still
nowhere near what is required to prevent a humanitarian disaster, said aid
agency CARE International.

NIGERIA: AT LEAST 148 DIED IN KANO PLANE CRASH
At least 148 people died in the northern Nigerian city
of Kano on Saturday when a jet aircraft crashed into a densely populated
neighbourhood soon after takeoff , Red Cross officials said. The
twin-engine,
British-built BAC 1-11-500 bound for Lagos with 71
passengers and eight crew members ploughed through about a dozen buildings
in the Gwammaja quarters of Kano, killing 74 passengers and as many people
on the ground. Scores of people were injured.
Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=7378

SOMALIA: UN PROPOSES EXPERTS' PANEL TO PROBE EMBARGO VIOLATIONS
The UN Security Council has proposed setting up a panel of experts to
investigate violations of the arms embargo on Somalia. In a resolution,
adopted
on Friday, it called on the Secretary-General to set up a two-member team
that
would prepare a plan of action detailing the necessary resources and
expertise
for such a panel.
Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=7376

SOMALIA: UN SUSPENDS ACTIVITIES IN MOGADISHU
The United Nations announced on Tuesday that it was
suspending all activities in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, with effect from
Tuesday 9 May, a press release issued the same day by the office of UN
Resident Humanitarian Coordinator stated. According to the statement the
action
was taken after kidnappers refused to release an abducted UN staff member.
Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=7444

SUDAN: FORMER CHILD SLAVES RETURN HOME
http://www.voanews.com/article.cfm?objectID=8D7EC566-9749-4B9E-963EE51CAACE4
C5A
The United Nations Children's Fund, or UNICEF, has flown home five children
abducted by slave traders in Sudan. UNICEF said this is the first-ever
transfer
of kidnapped children from government to rebel-held areas. Lisa Schlein in
Geneva reports.

UGANDAN ARMY CLAIMS SUCCESS IN SUDAN
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/africa/newsid_1970000/1970827.stm
The Ugandan army shot dead around 50 rebels based in Sudan during fighting
over
the weekend, according to an army spokesman. Major Shaban Bantariza said the
rebels were killed near the Sudanese village of Katire, about 60 km (37
miles)
north of the Ugandan border.

ZIMBABWE: LIBYA CANCELS OIL DEALS
http://www.africanconflict.org/article.php?sid=402&mode=&order=0
The Independent Online (IOL) reports that Libyan oil company Tamoil, which
supplies 70 percent of Zimbabwe's total fuel imports, has recently pulled
out
due to lack of payments received. Libya has moved close to Zimbabwe and has
been accused by Zimbabwe's opposition of attempting to 'colonize' the
southern
African country.

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3.RIGHTS AND DEMOCRACY

AFRICA: OAU TRANSFORMATION POSTPONED
The transformation of the Organisation of
African Unity (OAU) into the African Union (AU) has been postponed just two
months before it is scheduled to happen, it was announced on Tuesday. Senior
figures overseeing the transformation believe more time is needed to
complete the process of setting up the 17 key components of the new body. No
time frame within which this process will be completed has been given.
Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=7445

BENIN: UN COMMITTEE ON ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL RIGHTS
http://www.unhchr.ch/huricane/huricane.nsf/view01/4A66C9FA2FAD3041C1256BAE00
4DBE
80?opendocument
The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights this has continued its
consideration of an initial report from Benin on how that country was
implementing the provisions of the International Covenant on Economic,
Social
and Cultural Rights. In response to questions raised by Committee Experts on
Thursday afternoon, the members of Benin's delegation said that the
Government
was convinced that the process of decentralization would allow the
population,
through elections, to increase its responsibilities at the local level.

DEPUTY PRESIDENT ADDRESSES HUMAN RIGHTS SESSION
Governments and civil society organs need to work harder together to ensure
the
translation of the rights in the African Charter on Human Rights into a
reality
for the millions of people on the continent.
Speaking at the official opening of the 31st African Commission on Human and
People's Rights (ACHPR) session currently underway in Pretoria, Deputy
President Jacob Zuma said the legal fraternity in particular, had a critical
role to play in entrenching a human rights culture on the continent, in
partnership with government and other civil society institutions.
Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=7340

KENYA: THE REINVENTION OF DYNASTY POLITICS
http://www.africanconflict.org/article.php?sid=401&mode=&order=0
Events of last few months have radically altered the face of politics in
Kenya.
The March 18th Kanu elections led to a massive realignment of Kenyan
political
scene and paved way for Moi's succession. The ruling party has never held
elections since 1988, when they used the infamous Que. voting otherwise
known
us 'mlolongo'. The party has always used threats to silence critics and
consolidate its power. Indeed there was even a commission that was formed in
1980's and which had powers to punish members of parliament over their
utterances in parliament. Kanu became the supreme organ in the state defying
the constitutional order.

MADAGASCAR: DONORS CAUTIOUS AS RAVALOMANANA ASSUMES PRESIDENCY FOR THE
SECOND
TIME
The international community on Monday was
cautious in their show of support for Madagascar's new president, Marc
Ravalomanana. Although several western diplomats were present at the
inauguration
ceremony, most sent consular officials rather than ambassadors, news reports
said. The guarded approach was seen by analysts as the "most appropriate
response"
to the unresolved political row between Ravalomanana and veteran leader,
Didier
Ratsiraka.
Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=7383

MALI COURT REVIEWS 'VOTE-RIGGING'
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/africa/newsid_1971000/1971576.stm
Mali's Constitutional Court is deliberating whether to validate the results
of
the first round of presidential elections on 28 April, as the opposition
steps
up its campaign to have them annulled.

NIGERIA: HUNDREDS OF NEW MOBILE UNITS FOR POLICE
The Nigerian police force is to create hundreds of new mobile squadrons as
part
of its efforts to effectively combat crime, religious and political
upheavals
in the country, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Haz Lwendi, said on
Tuesday.
Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=7448

NIGERIA: MUSLIM GROUP ADOPTS SHARIA IN SOUTHERN STATE
A Muslim group in Nigeria's southern state of Oyo has said it was adopting
the
Islamic legal code of Sharia after the state government ignored their
demands
to implement the legal system.
Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=7336

SWAZILAND: NO PROGRESS IN FIGHT FOR DEMOCRACY
Opposed by meek pro-democracy forces, King Mswati's government is likely to
succeed in promulgating a new constitution to preserve palace power, Swazi
political analysts told IRIN. "Mswati seems like small potatoes compared to
Robert Mugabe and other national leader cutthroats," said a Manzini
businessman. "No one has ever died in political violence here, and there
aren't
even any demonstrations anymore. Why should the world bother with little
Swaziland?"
Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=7358

U.S. CRITICIZED FOR DISAVOWAL OF PACT
http://www.msnbc.com/news/748042.asp
U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson became the latest
critic
of Washington’s abandonment of a new international court for the world’s
worst
crimes, saying on Tuesday it was “regrettable” and “worrying.” The United
States said the move, signaled by U.S. officials over the weekend but not
declared officially until Monday, was made because of fears that U.S.
military
personnel and politicians could be subject to the body.

UNITED STATES "UNSIGNING" TREATY ON WAR CRIMES COURT
http://www.hrw.org/press/2002/05/icc0506.htm
The Bush Administration's decision to effectively withdraw the U.S.
signature
from the treaty establishing the International Criminal Court is an empty
gesture that will further estrange Washington from its closest allies, Human
Rights Watch have said.

ZIMBABWE: POLITICAL VIOLENCE CONTINUES
Despite President Robert Mugabe's election
victory, political violence continues in Zimbabwe with four deaths recorded
in April, according to local human rights groups. The Zimbabwe Human Rights
NGO
Forum (Human Rights Forum) has claimed in its
latest report that there appears to be no end to politically motivated
violence and harassment.
Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=7447

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4.CORRUPTION

AFRICA: YOUNG DEMOCRACIES SLIDING BACK TO OLD WAYS
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?
tmpl=story&u=/ap/20020506/ap_wo_en_po/africa_backsliding_democracy_5
Just a year ago, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell was lauding Mali's 10-
year-old democracy as "a model for the rest of the world to see and focus
on."
Amid a chaotic and disputed presidential vote count this month, however,
many
were left fearing that Mali — West Africa's model — had become only the
latest
promising young African democracy to slide back into old, corrupt ways.

ARMS TRADE RIFE WITH CORRUPTION
http://www.transparency.org/pressreleases_archive/2002/2002.04.25.armstrade_
tiuk
.html
A recent report by Transparency International UK estimates that the official
arms trade accounts for 50% of all corrupt international transactions. A
conservative estimate of the level of commissions paid is 10%, in an
industry
worth $40bn a year.

NEW BRIBE PAYERS INDEX LAUNCHED
http://www.transparency.org/pressreleases_archive/2002/2002.04.19.bpi_launch
.htm
l
The Transparency International Bribe Payers Index 2002, carried out by
Gallup
International Association (GIA), will be launched in Paris, Hong Kong and
Johannesburg on 14 May 2002. The BPI 2002 ranks the propensity to bribe of
firms and business sectors from 21 exporting countries on the basis of an
exclusive survey by GIA in 15 emerging market economies.

NIGERIA: GOVERNMENT SACKS SUSPECTED CORRUPT COURT JUDGES
http://allafrica.com/stories/200205060098.html
Zamfara government has dismissed 11 traditional rulers, four sharia court
judges and five civil servants on the recommendation of the state Anti-
corruption Commission since its inception three years ago. The Chairman of
the
Commission, Alhaji Aliyu Mohammed, who made the disclosure to newsmen in
Gusau,
the state capital, said the dismissed officers were found guilty of corrupt
practices as a result of complaints and petitions against them from members
of
the public.

SADC: LINKING CRIME TO POVERTY
http://allafrica.com/stories/200205070112.html
For two days last month a SADC Regional Seminar on Organised Crime,
Corruption
and Money Laundering was held in Pretoria, South Africa. Organised by the
Institute of Security Studies (ISS) of South Africa, the seminar concluded
that
organised crime and corruption, was a challenge to the transition process in
the SADC region.

TANZANIA: GRAFT: DAR ES SALAAM TELLS OFF GROUP
http://allafrica.com/stories/200205070120.html
TANZANIA HAS rejected its ranking by Transparency International as one of
the
most corrupt countries in the world and described the anti graft body as "an
enemy of developing countries." Mr Wilson Masilingi, the Minister in the
President's Office responsible for good governance told The EastAfrican last
Friday: "The criteria used to reach such conclusions is biased against
nations
like Tanzania which are struggling against poverty."

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5.HEALTH

GAMBIA: FEMALE GENITAL CUTTING INCREASES HIV INFECTION
http://www.irinnews.org
Genital mutilation increases infections, researchers say. Women who have
undergone female genital mutilation in Gambia have a higher prevalence of
bacterial and viral infections.

GLOBAL FUND - SECOND BOARD MEETING, APRIL 22-25, 2002, NEW YORK
A Report From The Delegation Of NGOs From Developing Countries
The board in New York City met to discuss a wide range of issues including;
i)
First round of proposals and their management, ii) The overall strategy and
mission of the fund, iii) The appointment of the Fund's first Executive
Director and the Trustee Agreement that the Fund is undertaking with the
World
Bank to manage the Fund's financial resources; iv) Monitoring and evaluation
tools for tracking proposals in countries; v) Procurement; vi) Partnership
strategies for different organizations and entities including international
agencies, local governments, NGOs and national ministries of health,
companies
and foundations; vii) WHO/Administrative Services. The Board also reviewed
documents pertaining to many issues, including the ones listed below. In
many
cases, these issues were tabled but discussion deferred to the next Board
meeting. This report summarizes some of the key points and issues raised by
these documents so that the NGO community and other civil society groups can
have insight and contributions into the decisions that will be taken at the
next Board meeting.
Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=7366

KENYA: CHEAPER AIDS DRUGS NOW AVAILABLE
http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_hiv_recent_rep.cfm?
dr_cat=1&show=yes&dr_DateTime=03-May-02#10949
A Kenyan law that allows the importation and manufacture of generic
antiretroviral drugs took effect on May 1, BBC News reports. Last June, the
Kenyan Parliament passed the Industrial Properties Bill 2001, a measure that
allows Kenya to suspend drug patents during a national health emergency. The
law stipulates that Kenya must give drug manufacturers six months' notice
before licensing other companies to import or produce generic versions of
patented drugs.

LESOTHO: COUNTRY BATTLES PANDEMIC
http://www.irinnews.org/AIDSreport.asp?ReportID=1286
Lesotho has one of the highest HIV/AIDS infection rates in the world, yet
prevention and treatment programmes are only just getting off the ground.
UNAIDS associate country programme advisor Ludo Bok told PlusNews the
impoverished mountain kingdom was still in the early stages of responding to
the pandemic, but had a prevalence rate of between 31 and 34 percent.

MOBILIZING PHILANTHROPY TO ADDRESS GLOBAL AIDS:
Difficult Choices And Innovative Models
http://www.kaisernetwork.org/health_cast/hcast_index.cfm?display=detail&hc=5
32
As the AIDS crisis reaches staggering dimensions globally, the result is an
explosive coupling of AIDS with long-standing global challenges in areas
ranging from health care and human rights to economic development. This
session
addresses how philanthropy can and should answer this challenge on an issue
that defies narrow categorization and business-as-usual models. Panelists
include Adrienne Germain, president, International Women's Health Coalition,
and Michael Sinclair, senior vice president, Health and Development in South
Africa, Kaiser Family Foundation. Virginia Davis Floyd, director, Human
Development and Reproductive Health, The Ford Foundation, moderates.

SOUTH AFRICA: EMPLOYEES LEAD THE WAY IN FIGHTING AIDS
http://www.sundaytimes.co.za/2002/05/05/news/news31.asp
SOME South African employees are taking the lead in the fight against
HIV/Aids -
 donating their time, salaries and services to help victims of the disease.
Staff at some of the country's biggest companies and government departments
have already raised over R1-million and provided food to orphans in some of
the
country's poorest areas in what is believed to be the start of a new trend
among employees.

SOUTH AFRICA: GLOBAL FUND BOOST FOR HIV/AIDS PROGRAMME
South Africa's HIV/AIDS programme has received a boost with the announcement
of
a US $165.2 million grant from the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis
(TB)
and Malaria.
Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=7333

SOUTH AFRICA: GOVERNMENT TELLS COURT MOST HIV-POSITIVE PREGNANT WOMEN DO NOT
NEED NEVIRAPINE
http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_hiv_recent_rep.cfm?
dr_cat=1&show=yes&dr_DateTime=03-May-02#10951
Lawyers for the South African government yesterday in Constitutional Court
argued that universal access to nevirapine is unnecessary because on
average,
pregnant women transmit the virus to their infants only 30% of the time, the
South African Press Association reports. "You are giving a drug to 70% who
do
not need it. And you are introducing a drug of which you do not know the
long-
term effects," government attorney Marumo Moerane told the court during the
first day of testimony in the government's appeal of a lower court order
that
it make the drug available to all HIV-positive pregnant women through the
public health system.

SOUTH AFRICA: TAC MEMORANDUM TO DEPUTY PRESIDENT ZUMA AT CONSTITUTIONAL
COURT
CASE
http://www.tac.org.za/
"Thousands of parents throughout South Africa have lost and are losing their
infants to HIV/AIDS. Most of them are desperately poor and marginalised by a
society in which the rights of women and children are frequently trampled
upon.
However, today's court case and recent events, including the commitment by
Government to extend mother-to-child HIV transmission prevention
irrespective
of today's ruling, give hope to many women and children who will use public
antenatal clinics in the future."

ZAMBIA: WORLD BANK TO SUPPORT HIV/AIDS PROGRAMME
The World Bank has pledged US $42 million to help Zambia's anti-AIDS
campaign,
but disbursement of the funds will hinge on the response of an unpredictable
parliament to a proposed new national HIV/AIDS policy.
Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=7357

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6.EDUCATION AND SOCIAL WELFARE

AFRICA: AIDS TURNS BACK THE CLOCK FOR WORLD'S YOUNG
http://www.guardian.co.uk/Archive/Article/0,4273,4407227,00.html
The pandemic of HIV/Aids, and the poverty associated with it, is hitting
children with a force no one foresaw, according to a new study. In Africa,
in
particular, it has already undone the achievements in social development of
the
last half century. Life expectancy has fallen by between 18 and 23 years in
the
worst affected countries; malnutrition has risen; immunisation rates have
dropped; more than 13 million children have been orphaned by Aids, 95% of
them
in Africa; and four million children have died of Aids since the epidemic
began. "These are shameful statistics for a world possessing such
extraordinary
wealth, knowledge and technological capacity," says the study, prepared by
Unicef for this week's United Nations Special Session on Children.

AFRICA: PACT TO END 'CHOCOLATE SLAVERY'
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/africa/newsid_1963000/1963617.stm
Chocolate manufacturers, human rights groups and the Ivory Coast Government
have signed pact aimed at ending the abuse of child labour in the chocolate
industry. The agreement aims to address the use of children in West Africa's
cocoa fields, and measures designed to crack down on mistreatment are set to
be
in place before the harvest season in autumn.

EAST AFRICA: LITTLE TO BOAST AT UN CHILDREN MEET
http://allafrica.com/stories/200205070123.html
AS THE United Nations Special Session on Children gets underway, East
African
countries are admitting they have made little or no progress in meeting the
goals for child and maternal health set at a UN conference 12 years ago.

GLOBAL: AID AGENCIES TAKE STEPS TO COMBAT SEXUAL ABUSE
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=27568
A consortium of key humanitarian agencies has adopted a policy statement
designed to prevent sexual abuse and exploitation in humanitarian crises
throughout the world. In the statement members of the Inter-Agency Standing
Committee (IASC) pledged to ensure that their staff and implementing
partners
do not abuse their power and influence to exploit and harm victims of
conflict,
particularly women and children.

HIV-RELATED DEATHS AMONG TEACHERS ALARMING
Central and Eastern African countries, whose education systems are already
threatened by HIV/AIDS, need to take concrete steps to minimise the impact
of
the pandemic, a regional forum in Yaounde, Cameroon, has concluded.
Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=7391

KENYA: 47 SCHOOLS CUT OFF BY FLOODS
http://allafrica.com/stories/200205060027.html
At least 47 schools are unlikely to re-open today due to havoc caused by the
heavy rains. The schools, in western Kenya, have either been cut off
completely
due to floods or have had classrooms and dormitories submerged in water.

MILLIONS OF CHILDREN IN SLAVERY AS WORLD REVIEWS CHILD LABOUR
http://www.antislavery.org/homepage/news/childslavery130202.htm
The United Nations General Assembly is holding a Special Session on Children
from 8 to 10 May. Heads of government, senior officials, as well as
representatives from non-governmental organisations will decide what steps
need
to be taken in order to improve children's lives and assess progress made
since
the 1990 World Summit for Children. Despite commitments made ten years ago,
child slavery is growing. One area of particular concern is trafficking.

RESEARCH ETHICS TRAINING CURRICULUM
The Research Ethics Training Curriculum, a teaching aid produced by Family
Health International (FHI), presents basic ethics issues that must be
considered when human participants are included in research. Designed for
biomedical and social science researchers, the curriculum covers the
foundations, principles, responsible conduct and oversight of research
involving human participants. It includes a narrative, copies of overhead
slides, case studies, pre- and post-test questionnaires, audience handouts,
reprints of key ethical guide-lines, and various resources and references.
Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=7331

TANZANIA: ILO TARGETS BOTH WOMEN'S INCOME AND CHILD LABOUR
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?
ReportID=27571&SelectRegion=East_Africa&SelectCountry=TANZANIA
The International Labour Organisation (ILO), along with the government of
Tanzania and Akiba Commercial Bank, has launched a project to help tackle
the
problem of child labour in the country by boosting women's income-earning
potential.

U.N. SPECIAL SESSION ON CHILDREN TO FOCUS ON AIDS
http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_hiv.cfm#10970
About 65 world leaders and delegates from more than 150 nations this week
will
take part in the U.N. General Assembly Special Session on Children in New
York
City, the Washington Times reports. The event, which will begin Wednesday
and
run through Friday, was orginally scheduled to take place Sept. 18, 2001,
but
it was postponed following the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center
and
Pentagon (Washington Times, 5/6). While HIV/AIDS was only a "blip on the
world
agenda" at the 1990 children's summit, it is expected to be a focus issue
this
year, Agence France-Presse reports, noting that the final document to come
out
of the conference should "have a clearer reference [to HIV/AIDS] than was
possible in 1990."

WOMEN, CHILDREN SUFFER MOST IN WARS, NGO SAYS
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?
ReportID=27574&SelectRegion=Global&SelectCountry=GLOBAL
Women and children face increasing brutality in modern conflicts, Save the
Children USA, reported on Thursday. In countries at war they had
increasingly
become casualties of deliberate, systematic violence and were more
defenceless
against hunger, injury, disease, forced military servitude and sexual
exploitation, it added.

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7.WOMEN AND GENDER

ACCRA, GHANA: FIRST WOMEN'S BANK
http://allafrica.com/stories/200205030484.html
The Savings and Credit Opportunity for Women (SCROW), a loans scheme started
in
the Kaleo area in 1992, is soon to become the first women's rural bank in
the
Upper West Region.

INFORMATION PACK ON HIV/AIDS AND GENDER
BRIDGE, gender and development information unit at the Institute of
Development
Studies, University of Sussex is putting together an information pack on
gender
and HIV/AIDS and would like to hear about organisations doing innovative
work
in this field. They are interested in any area of work that involves a focus
on
gender relations and HIV/AIDS.
Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=7392

KENYA: CRIMINALISING CIRCUMCISION WON'T DO
http://allafrica.com/stories/200205020003.html
Although circumcising girls is now illegal in Kenya, there is no indication
the
ban is having any meaningful impact on the ground. On the contrary, reports
from the media and gender organisations since last December indicate that
many
communities ignored the legislation.

KNOW HOW CONFERENCE ON THE WORLD OF WOMEN'S INFORMATION
Kampala, Uganda, 23-27 July, 2002
http://knowhow.isis.or.ug
The Know How conference 2002 will be held within Women World's 2002 program
from 23-27 July, 2002 in Kampala, Uganda. This will be the 5th conference of
specialists in the collection and dissemination of information relevant to
women. The conference is being organized by Isis-Women's International
Cross-
Cultural Exchange (Isis-WICCE) assisted by the International Information
Center
and Archives for the Women's Movement (IIAV) in Amsterdam.
Contact: [log in to unmask]

NIGERIA RECOMMENDS JAIL TERMS TO ERADICATE FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION
http://bmj.com/cgi/content/full/324/7345/1056/c
The Nigerian legislature is set to pass a law banning female genital
mutilation
and imposing a two year jail term for offenders. The bill, which is
currently
being considered by the Senate, was unanimously passed by Nigeria’s lower
house, the House of Representatives last year. The senate is expected to
conclude its deliberations on the bill in May, after which it will be sent
to
President Olusegun Obasanjo for his assent.

NIGERIA: SHARIA: WOMAN GETS 100 STROKES OVER PREGNANCY
http://allafrica.com/stories/200205060095.html
A 19-year-old woman from Zaki local government area of Bauchi State, Adama
Yunusa, who dragged her fiance, Isa Katagum, before a sharia court over
unwanted pregnancy, would receive 100 strokes for indulging in immoral act.
Katagun had denied the allegations, saying he never had any sexual
intercourse
with the complainant.

SENEGAL: NEW MANUAL TO HELP FEMALE AFRICAN JOURNALISTS COVER HIV/AIDS
http://www.icfj.org
The Senegal's African Women's Media Center (AWMC) has launched a
comprehensive
new manual to help women journalists report more effectively on HIV/AIDS.

SOUTH AFRICA: FOCUS ON THE VIRGIN MYTH AND HIV/AIDS
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?south_africa
In a country long-sickened by the level of sexual violence, a shocking
series
of child rapes has stunned South Africa and left people grasping for
answers.

SOUTH AFRICA: MEN'S STUDIES DATABASE
http://www.nisc.co.za
NISC's Gender Studies Database Collection has added the Men's Studies
Database
intended to help complete the spectrum of gender engaged scholarship inside
and
outside academia. Multidisciplinary coverage includes empirical and
theoretical
scholarship encompassing the issues of men's identity and experience.

TANZANIA: ILO TARGETS BOTH WOMEN'S INCOME AND CHILD LABOUR
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?=EastAfrica
The International Labour Organisation (ILO), along with the government of
Tanzania and Akiba Commercial Bank, has launched a project to help tackle
the
problem of child labour in the country by boosting women's income-earning
potential.

WOMEN AND WAR AND INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN LAW
http://www.icrc.org/Web/eng/siteeng0.nsf/iwpList2/Humanitarian_law:Women_and
_war
International humanitarian law has always accorded women general protection
equal to that of men. At the same time the humanitarian law treaties
recognize
the need to give women additional special protection according to their
specific needs. The four Geneva Conventions of 1949 and their two Additional
Protocols of 1977 protect women (and men) as members of the civilian
population
not taking part in an armed conflict. Women (and men) as members of the
armed
forces are also protected when captured by the enemy.

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8.REFUGEES AND FORCED MIGRATION

ANGOLA-NAMIBIA: REFUGEE CAMP TO BE RELOCATED
Despite objections, the Namibian government is to
go ahead with plans to relocate around 24,000 refugees to an ecologically
sensitive district occupied by the hunter-gatherer San community.
Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=7382

BURUNDI/TANZANIA: IRIN SPECIAL REPORT ON RETURNING BURUNDIAN REFUGEES
Since March 28, the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for
Refugees
(UNHCR) has been facilitating the return of Burundian refugees from Tanzania
as
part of a tripartite agreement among the Burundi and Tanzanian governments,
and
the UN agency. While UNHCR is not promoting the return of the refugees, it
is
assisting those who have voluntarily opted to return. In contrast, both the
Tanzanian and the Burundi governments are actively promoting the
repatriation
process.
Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=7443

CENTRAL AFRICA: DRC STILL "PRECARIOUS"
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=27564
The food and nutritional situation of over two million internally displaced
people (IDPs), particularly in northeastern parts of the Democratic Republic
of
the Congo (DRC), and of over 330,000 refugees from neighbouring countries,
"is
cause for serious concern", according to the latest report from the Global
Information and Early Warning System on Food and Agriculture (GIEWS).

REFUGEES AND INTERNALLY DISPLACED PEOPLE:
International Humanitarian Law
http://www.icrc.org/Web/eng/siteeng0.nsf/iwpList2/Humanitarian_law:Refugees_
and_
IDPs
A collection of resources on refugees and humanitarian law, from The
International Committee of the Red Cross.

SIERRA LEONE: LIBERIAN REFUGEES RELOCATED
The number of Liberian refugees presenting themselves for relocation within
Sierra Leone has increased recently following a mass information campaign by
UNHCR, the UN refugee agency has reported.
Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=7334

SIERRA LEONE: RELIEF ITEMS DISTRIBUTED TO FARMERS
Tens of thousands of farming families in eastern Sierra Leone have started
to
receive seeds, farm tools and other relief items as part of efforts to help
internally displaced persons and refugees resettle in their home villages,
the
International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) reported on Thursday.
Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=7379

ZAMBIA: NEW INITIATIVE TO INTEGRATE REFUGEES
An ambitious project is underway in Zambia to integrate refugees into their
host community while helping the local region to develop, UNHCR said in a
statement on Wednesday.
Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=7449

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9.RACISM AND XENOPHOBIA

SOUTH AFRICA: RETURN OF 'HOTTENTOT VENUS' UNITES BUSHMEN
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/africa/newsid_1971000/1971103.stm
The return to Cape Town of the remains of Saartje Baartman, the Khoisan lady
dubbed the "Hottentot Venus" in Europe, could provide the spark for the
revival
of Khoisan - or "Bushman" culture. The Khoisan people are widely believed to
be
the original inhabitants of the southern tip of Africa. Baartman's remains,
which were placed in a coffin draped in the South African flag, were
returned
186 years after her death in Paris where she died a pauper. French
scientists
made a mould of her body and preserved her skeleton, genitalia and brain
which
remained on display at the Museum of Mankind in Paris until 1974.

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10.ENVIRONMENT

AFRICA: WATER, ENVIRONMENT AND DEVELOPMENT:
MOUNTAIN AREAS AND SORROUNDING LOWLANDS
http://www.mtnforum.org/resources/library/gichf02a.htm
The mountain areas of Africa are scattered throughout the continent and
occupy
approximately 2,960,997 Km2. Mountain areas of Africa have a high diversity
in
terms of ecological conditions, resource use, physical constraints to
resource
use, socio-economic characteristics of resources users, biodiversity and
biodiversity and scenic beauty. The immediate challenge for sustainable
development of mountain areas “is how can we slow the process, reverse the
trend and move towards sustainable development in mountain areas”. This
paper
highlights the environmental and socio-economic importance of mountain
areas,
the constraints and opportunities and the way forward.

CAN CAPITALISM SAVE ECOSYSTEMS?
http://enn.com/news/enn-stories/2002/05/05032002/s_47055.asp
In order to save some of the services provided by natural ecosystems, such
as
carbon sequestration supplied by rapidly disappearing forests and other
human-
driven ecosystem changes, we have to start paying for them. So argue
Gretchen
Daily, a conservation biologist at Stanford University, and Pulitzer Prize–
winning journalist Katherine Ellison.

GREECE IS LATEST GATEWAY FOR RAPE OF AFRICA'S RAINFORESTS
http://globalarchive.ft.com/globalarchive/article.html?
id=020502001483&query=africa+corruption
Green campaigners are accusing a Greek flooring company of contributing to
the
destruction of ancient rainforests by being one of the gateways into the
European Union for imports of west African timber. Greenpeace activists
boarded
the MV Zini, which is owned by Shelman, in the port of Kalamaki, near
Corinth,
on 15 April and found logs that they claimed were loaded in the Liberian
port
of Buchanan.

INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE, POLICY AND INSTITUTIONAL ISSUES:
Collaboration Between Mountain Adjacent Communities And Management Agencies
http://www.mtnforum.org/resources/library/mwans02a.htm
The strategies and methodologies in current practice aimed at achieving
sustainable, participatory conservation are inadequately developed, and
their
implications are poorly understood by policy makers, managers and
communities
among other user groups. Possibilities of conflict and jurisdictional
overlap
exist. Institutional arrangements and policy instruments that facilitate the
alleviation of poverty in the mountain adjacent communities through rural
development should be integral components of sustainable mountain
conservation.
The local community though fully aware of the ecosystems biodiversity values
have insufficient insights on all issues at stake, as they have limited
capacity to interact at par with research institutions and government
agencies
as key stake holders. This paper takes a candid look at possibilities
existing
within the indigenous knowledge systems, community structures, institutional
management agencies and other resource users for sustainable mountain and
site-
based resources conservation. This is in view of current policy shifts, and
the
gaps that exist in practice between the policies and actual enforcement.

TANZANIA: TACKLING WATER PROBLEMS THAT HINDER ZANZIBARI ISLANDS
While life may be wonderful for tourists visiting Zanzibar, the eastern
Tanzanian archipelago renowned for its tranquillity and the unspoilt beauty
of
its beaches, most urban and rural communities on the islands suffer from
poor
living conditions and an inadequate supply of clean and safe water. The
United
Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Tanzania is now backing the
development
of six water projects intended to provide adequate water supply and
sanitation
for more than 45,000 people on the largest island of Unguja (popularly known
as
Zanzibar) and its sister island, Pemba.
Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=7377

THE SKEPTICAL ENVIRONMENTALIST VS. SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN:
The New Environmentalist Takes Up Sides
http://www.ewire-news.com/wires/ECC15121-D246-4AED-9F66B81CCBEFC615.htm
In a new book, "The Skeptical Environmentalist," Bjorn Lomborg looks at the
current state of the planet and takes issue with the many sensational claims
made by the environmental movement over the years. Using data from
government
organizations such as the US EPA and the United Nations, he points out that
in
most areas, environmental quality is improving. People are living longer,
healthier and more prosperous lives, which is contrary to what many of these
groups would like us to believe.

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11.MEDIA

ANNAN, OTHERS URGE MEDIA TO ACT FREELY
http://allafrica.com/stories/200205030131.html
The mass media has been urged to act freely, independently and responsibly
with
a view to ensure basic freedoms, human rights and democratic practices all
of
which are the best guarantors of freedom. In a Joint message for the World
Press Freedom Day commemorated world-wide on May 3, United Nations (UN)
Secretary-General Kofi Annan, the Director-General of UNESCO and the UN High
Commissioner for Human Rights said "The greatest service that the media can
perform in the fight against terrorism is to act freely, independently an
responsibly."

CPJ NAMES WORLD'S WORST PLACES TO BE A JOURNALIST
Zimbabwe And Eritrea Named
http://www.cpj.org/enemies/worst_places_02/worst_places_02.html#more
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) marks World Press Freedom Day by
naming the world's worst places to be a journalist-10 places whose dangers
and
restrictions represent the full range of current threats to press freedom.

ETHIOPIA: GOVERNMENT DEMANDS REMOVAL OF UNMEE FORCES COMMANDER
The Ethiopia government has demanded that the military head of the United
Nations peacekeepers be removed from his post after a row over the disputed
border with Eritrea. It accused Maj-Gen Patrick Cammaert of "serious
mistakes"
after journalists were flown into a disputed village on the border. "He did
not
do his job properly, so we want him to be removed," Netsannet Asfaw,
Minister
of State for Information, told IRIN on Wednesday. "If he is doing his job
properly, it is amazing that journalists would enter Ethiopian territory
without a visa. What is he doing?"
Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=7467

GAMBIA: LETTER TO PRESIDENT YAHYA JAMMEH
Your Excellency, we are writing on behalf of the World Association of
Newspapers and the World Editors Forum, which represent 18,000 publications
in
100 countries, to express our serious concern at the passing of a media law
that threatens freedom of the press. According to reports, on 2 May the
National Assembly approved a draft law that provides for the creation of a
commission to control the media. Under the law, the commission, whose
chairman
will be appointed by Your Excellency, will have the powers of a court and
will
be charged with licensing journalists and media organs and with adjudicating
in
complaints brought against journalists and the private media.
Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=7462

KENYA: CONTROVERSIAL MEDIA BILL PASSED
http://allafrica.com/stories/200205090329.html
Parliament on 9th May closed the door on freedom of the Press when it passed
the contentious Media Bill. The draconian law, which awaits the presidential
assent, will punish vendors , media houses and journalists. Vendors who
peddle
newspapers, which are not bonded, will now pay Sh20,000 as fine or face a
six
months jail-term or both. Media houses will now be required to pay Sh1
million
to publish newspapers. The bond was raised from Sh20,000 to Sh1 million.

KENYA: OUTRAGE AT PASSING OF BILL
http://www.nationaudio.com/News/DailyNation/10052002/News/mainNews.html
Parliament's approval of a Bill allowing the government to control the media
was condemned as draconian, unnecessary and an assault on free speech. Media
owners, lawyers, the Kenya Union of Journalists and a cross section of
Kenyans
questioned the timing of the Bill. Most of the critics saw the Bill as an
attempt to control media coverage of political events in an election year.

LIBERIA: LETTER TO PRESIDENT CHARLES TAYLOR
Your Excellency, The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is deeply
concerned
by the recent closure of The Analyst, an independent newspaper based in the
capital, Monrovia. During the early morning hours of April 25, police shut
down
The Analyst and ransacked the publication's offices. According to an
Associated
Press (AP) report, Monrovia police chief Paul Mulbah said the ban was
permanent
and refused to give reasons for the closure. "The paper is closed and will
not
print again. This is a government order," Mulbah told the AP.
Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=7439

SENEGAL: LETTER TO PRESIDENT ABDOULAYE WADE
Your Excellency, I am writing on behalf of Canadian Journalists for Free
Expression (CJFE), a non-profit, non-governmental organization advocating
for a
free press and freedom of expression around the world. We wish to express
our
concern about the state of press freedom in Senegal, in particular, with the
recent sentencing of journalists Mamadou Oumar Ndiaye and Pape Ndiaye,
publication
director and reporter, respectively, of the Dakar-based weekly Le Témoin.
Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=7468

SENEGAL: TWO JOURNALISTS GIVEN FOUR-MONTH SENTENCES FOR DEFAMATION
The Writers in Prison Committee of International PEN condemns the prison
sentences handed out to journalists Mamadou Oumar Ndiaye and Pape Ndiaye in
April 2002 for "defamation" and "insult". Mamadou Oumar Ndiaye and Pape
Ndiaye,
publication director and reporter respectively with the Dakar-based weekly
Le
Témoin, were each sentenced to four months' imprisonment without parole and
fined a total of three million CFA francs (approx. US$4,110). The verdict
stemmed from a complaint lodged by Victor Cabrita, the director of the
Sainte
Marie de Hann Catholic school, following a September 2001 article in Le
Témoin
that alleged financial malpractice at the school. The article also included
remarks made by union members to the effect that Cabrita was "a slave driver
and a racist". The two journalists are appealing the judgment.
Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=7430

SOUTHERN AFRICA: MISA RELEASES ANNUAL REPORT, LAUNCHES AFRICAN BROADCASTING
CHARTER
On 3 May, the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) launched its annual
review of press conditions in Southern Africa "So This is Democracy?" This
is
the eighth year that MISA has published the report covering press freedom
violations in Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South
Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=7461

TANZANIA: FREELANCE JOURNALIST FACES CRIMINAL DEFAMATION CHARGES
George Maziku, a correspondent for "Mwananchi" newspaper, is facing a
criminal
case after being interrogated and detained by the police for several hours.
He
is alleged to have displayed "contempt of Parliament" by writing a seditious
article against Parliament. In his column that appeared on 7 April 2002,
entitled "Mabadiliko ya Sheria ya Uchaguzi yanakusudia nini?" (Where does
electoral law reform lead us?), Maziku explained how the law reform is used
to
legalise different election scenarios in favour of the ruling Revolutionary
Party of Tanzania (CCM).
Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=7466

ZIMBABWE MEDIA LAW CHALLENGED
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/africa/newsid_1975000/1975443.stm
Foreign correspondents in Zimbabwe have launched a challenge in the Supreme
Court against a controversial media law which they say is unconstitutional.
The
journalists argue that the legislation, which was introduced in March,
violates
freedom of expression. A total of eight journalists have so far been charged
under the law, which the government insists is necessary to tackle a
collapse
in journalistic standards.

ZIMBABWE: CHARGES DROPPED AGAINST JOURNALIST; ANOTHER JOURNALIST ARRESTED
A judge on 7th May dismissed charges of "abusing journalistic privileges"
and "publishing false information" against Collin Chiwanza, reporter for the
independent Daily News, citing lack of evidence. Chiwanza appeared in court
with fellow Daily News journalist Lloyd Mudiwa and Andrew Meldrum, a U.S.
citizen who is the Zimbabwe correspondent for the London-based The Guardian
newspaper. Meanwhile, police on 6 May arrested Pius Wakatama, another Daily
News journalist, at his home on the outskirts of the capital, Harare.
Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=7465

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12.DEVELOPMENT

NEPAD: ASSESSMENT OF GENDER ORIENTATION
The findings of the Nepad gender assessment are quite hard to come by,
because
they involve the rather difficult process of looking for what is not there.
Despite the many critical and pervasive gender issues which haunt Africa,
and
the international commitments to address these issue, Nepad is severely and
almost completely gender blind. Whereas assessment of a development plan
should
more usually entail criticizing the inappropriateness or inadequacy or
ineffectiveness of what is in the plan, in this case we are almost entirely
looking for what is missing.
Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=7422

AFRICA: JEFFREY SACHS SAYS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AT RISK
http://www.unfoundation.org/unwire/2002/05/02/current.asp#26118
Economic success in Africa does not have a chance unless governments provide
the necessary funds to combat the rampant HIV/AIDS pandemic on the
continent,
renowned economist Jeffrey Sachs told the U.N. Economic and Social Council.
Sachs is also U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan's special adviser on
development issues.

AFRICA’S BRAIN DRAIN COSTING BILLIONS
http://www.africaonline.com/site/Articles/1,3,47401.jsp
Africa is losing as much as US$4 billion a year through top professionals
seeking better jobs abroad, according to research by a senior economist at
Addis Ababa University.

CBO SURVEY
Call For Information
http://www.fahamu.org
Fahamu is preparing to conduct a survey of Community Based Organisations
(CBOs)
in southern Africa with the view to developing appropriate news and
information
services for, as well as developing appropriate training materials to
strengthen the campaigning, advocacy and organisational capacities of, CBOs
in
the region. We are preparing a review of work that has been undertaken by
others on the needs and capacities of CBOs. If you know of reports or
studies
published or unpublished which you think we should know about, please could
you
contact us with details. We would also be interested in receiving contact
information on them and particularly be interested in learning about those
CBOs
who have been engaged in human rights work (whether on social, economic,
cultural, political or civil rights).
Contact: [log in to unmask]

IMF CONDITIONALITY CONTINUES
http://www.brettonwoodsproject.org/topic/adjustment/a2808condit.html
NGOs and trade unions charge that the IMF and World Bank are still imposing
strict conditions on loans to borrowing countries. The Reality of Aid 2002,
produced by a global coalition of NGOs, states that: "far from abandoning
aid
conditionality, international financial institutions and bilateral donors
are
collaborating in an unprecedented consensus to retool the aid regime under
the
rubric of 'ownership' and aid effectiveness".

IS NEPAD THE ANSWER TO AFRICA'S PROBLEMS?
http://allafrica.com/stories/200205070124.html
African intellectuals are divided on the legitimacy of the New Partnership
for
Africa's Development (Nepad). During a three-day "African Forum for
Envisioning
Africa by African Scholars" in Nairobi last week, a section of civil society
representatives and scholars said that Nepad lacked legitimacy as it was
agreed
upon by African presidents and sold to Western economic powers for funding
without consulting citizens, parliaments and the civil society.

NEW STRATEGIES, OLD LOAN CONDITIONS:
The Case Of Uganda
In 2002, with its population of close to 22 million people, Uganda is
pivotal
to the success of the much-publicized reform of the World Bank and
International Monetary Fund policies. These international financial
institutions and indeed the Government of Uganda and civil society
organizations have lauded the Ugandan experience as an international
flagship
for participatory governance, transparency and economic growth over the last
two years. Based on secondary materials and interviews with leading
officials
within the Government of Uganda, bi-lateral and multi-lateral institutions
and
civil society organizations in Uganda and Washington DC over 2001, this
study
presents evidence that crucial policy prescriptions within the PRSC and PRGF
may impair Uganda's ability to effectively realize its antipoverty and
growth
goals.

Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=7396

SOUTH AFRICA: COSATU WORRIES AS WORKERS IGNORE MAY DAY
http://www.sundaytimes.co.za/2002/05/05/news/news29.asp
THE Congress of South African Trade Unions is concerned that political
apathy
is eroding its power and influence. Secretary-general Zwelinzima Vavi told
the
Sunday Times this week that Cosatu leaders were shocked by the poor
attendance
of workers at May Day celebrations. He said discussions had taken place on
how
to make it more relevant to its members.

WB LAND REFORM: "LAND FOR WHOEVER CAN BUY IT"
http://www.brettonwoodsproject.org/topic/privatesector/p2804landref.html
In the early 1990s, under increasingly severe criticism of neo-liberal
structural adjustment policy, the World Bank announced the need to reinforce
its anti-poverty programs. Land reform became a priority as part of this
shift,
but the World Bank has been criticised by rural social movements for
emphasising market-based approaches to land redistribution. They argue
that "land for whoever works it" has become "land for whoever can buy it"
and
say that existing land reform programmes should have been continued and
improved.

ZAMBIA: HOW CAN GLOBALISATION WORK FOR THE POOR
In the last five years, the term globalization has been debated at almost
every
world forum and is said to be the best way to address extreme poverty in
developing countries like Zambia. The international community led by the
United
Nations has been working with other donors to try and meet the so called
development targets which is a vision and strategy to reduce the current
world's poverty levels by 50% by the year 2015.That is reducing the number
of
people living in poverty in Zambia from the current 8 million to about 4
million before 2015.
Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=7364

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13.INTERNET AND TECHNOLOGY

AUTONOMIC COMPUTING
http://www.scientificamerican.com/explorations/2002/050602autonomic/
Programs crash, people make mistakes, networks grow and change. That's life,
and computer scientists are finally building systems that can deal with it.

COMMUNITY NETWORKS AND WEBSITES?
DO-CODERS
Take a look at this wish-list posted on Slashdot by someone who is proposing
an
online community of coders to write software for civil society. A mailing
list
has been set up already.
Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=7427
Contact: [log in to unmask]

ENGENDERING ICT STUDY PROGRAM
A World Bank Initiative On Gender And ICT
ICT is a crucial resource for developing countries striving to benefit from
the
global knowledge economy and replicate its advantages in their own
economies.
At the same time, ICT poses new challenges for women's inclusion into the
workforce, and threatens the efforts toward gender parity and women's
empowerment. This study will investigate the various aspects of this
dilemma,
to discover the most effective way in which women may become active
participants in social and economic change, and gain from their involvement
in
the production, use and application of ICT.
Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=7324

GOOGLEMATIC
http://interconnected.org/googlematic/
Recently, someone called Matt Webb (can it be his real name?) wrote an
add-on
for the Instant Messaging (IM) clients AIM and MSN. You can now ask Google
to
search the web for you by sending an IM.
Contact: [log in to unmask]

UGANDA: ICT POLICY STUDY
http://www.itu.int/ITU-D/ict/cs/uganda/material/uganda.pdf
This International Telecommunications Union (ITU) study, published in 2000,
is
one of a series. It provides an description of Uganda, the ICT status,
Internet
policy, and sectoral penetration in key sectors, including government and
education.

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14.eNEWSLETTERS AND MAILING LISTS

SOUTHERN AFRICA: INTERNET INFORMATION PORTAL ON HIV/AIDS
The South African Medical Research Council (MRC), in collaboration with
several
partners, are establishing an Internet information portal on HIV/AIDS for
southern Africa. The proposed portal will provide a knowledge resource to
facilitate collaboration and knowledge sharing among institutions involved
in
the prevention of HIV/AIDS in this region. The initial target audience
includes
health researchers and profes-
sional health care workers, people living with HIV/AIDS, NGOs and community-
based organisations in the field and policy makers. This is an invitation to
stakeholders, involved in generating quality HIV/AIDS information, to make
their information resources available via the AfroAidsInfo portal.
Submissions
covering the following areas are encouraged:
Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=7360

THE BRETTON WOODS PROJECT
http://www.brettonwoodsproject.org/about/index.html
The Bretton Woods Project works as a networker, information-provider, media
informant and watchdog to scrutinise and influence the World Bank and
International Monetary Fund (IMF). Through briefings, reports and the
bimonthly
digest Bretton Woods Update, it monitors projects, policy reforms and the
overall management of the Bretton Woods institutions with special emphasis
on
environmental and social concerns. Created as an independent initiative by a
group of British non-governmental organisations (NGOs), it works with an
extensive network to press for increased transparency and civil society
participation in World Bank and IMF policies and interventions. This
includes
over 4000 non-governmental organisations, policy-makers, journalists,
researchers and parliamentarians worldwide. By encouraging information
exchange
and debate, it seeks to move the Bretton Woods institutions (World Bank and
IMF) away from simplistic approaches to development.

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15.FUNDRAISING

SOUTH AFRICA: DESMOND TUTU LAUNCHES HIS FOUNDATION
http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?click_id=3&art_id=qw1020683340886B233&set_id=
1
South Africa’s Nobel laureate launched his foundation in the United States,
which is designed to work with universities nationwide to create leadership
academies emphasising peace, social justice and reconciliation.

ANGOLA: MSF RUSHES RELIEF TO 18,000 IN NEED
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?
ReportID=27589&SelectRegion=Southern_Africa&SelectCountry=ANGOLA
The international medical relief organisation Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF)
has started an emergency feeding and medical programme in Chipindo, in
Angola's
southern province of Huila, to aid 18,000 isolated people in severe need.

GLAXOSMITHKLINE DONATES 100 MILLION DOSES OF LYMPHATIC FILARIASIS DRUG
http://www.fdncenter.org/pnd/news/story.jhtml?id=7600090
UK-based pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithkline has announced a donation of
100
million doses of its drug albendazole to treat lymphatic filariasis, also
known
as elephantiasis, which currently infects more than 120 million people
worldwide. The company has promised to provide the drug for free until the
disease is eradicated.

MALAWI: GATES GRANTS ASSISTANCE FOR HUMANITARIAN ORGANIZATION FOR MALAWIAN
EMERGENCY
http://www.gatesfoundation.org/globalhealth/announcements/announce-020503.ht
m
Save the Children and CARE today announced a $1 million grant from the Bill
&
Melinda Gates Foundation to provide emergency food aid for more than two
million people -many of them children- who are suffering from starvation in
the
southern African country of Malawi.

SOUTH AFRICA: CALL FOR APPLICATIONS FOR NGO & CBO FUNDING 2002
Gauteng Health Department Chronic Mental Health Care
Funding has been made available to non-governmental and community based
organizations to start up /expand residential and day care facilities for
adults with severe psychiatric disabilities. Priority will be given to
facilities providing for person from historically disadvantage communities
and
to those discharged from long –term psychiatric hospitals. Funding is for
operational costs only and is not for building or purchasing of premises
For further details kindly contact Radisha Sukhla (27) 11- 355-3402 or
Lehlogonolo Rakate (27) 11 355-3351


SOUTH AFRICA: CALL FOR PROPOSALS
http://watt.sn.apc.org/public/sn-announce/msg00257.html
South African Network of Trauma Service Providers (SANTSEP)has published its
guidelines for proposals.


SOUTH AFRICA: CHILDCARE CENTRE ON TRACK WITH SPOORNET
http://www.dispatch.co.za/2002/05/07/easterncape/BONTRAC.HTM
Sinethemba Children's Care Centre received a R60000 boost to renovate its
dilapidated building. The centre cares for 30 Aids orphans, physically and
mentally disabled children.

SOUTH AFRICA: CREA PROGRAMME STATEMENT
http://watt.sn.apc.org/public/sn-announce/msg00256.html
Creative Associates International, Inc., known locally as CREA SA, has been
contracted by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)
to
implement a programme of grants management and technical assistance in
support
of the USAID Democracy and Governance Program in South Africa. CREA hereby
announces the availability of an Annual Program Statement.

SOUTH AFRICA: RACIAL BRAWL CONVICT GETS BIG-BACK TO SCHOOL BURSARY
http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?
click_id=79&art_id=ct20020503104611376B400271&set_id=1
South Africa's top companies contributed about R460 000 to an education
trust
which would help Andrew Babeile and other pupils to further their studies,
announced former president Nelson Mandela.

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16.COURSES, SEMINARS, AND WORKSHOPS

3RD MIM PAN-AFRICAN CONFERENCE:
Extension Of Deadline For Abstracts
We would like to thank all of you for the overwhelming response to our call
for
abstracts for the 3rd MIM Pan-African Conference to be held in Arusha,
Tanzania, 18-22 November 2002. The Conference titled "Global Advances in
Malaria Research: Developing Evidence-Based Policy and Control" aims to
promote
the exchange of scientific ideas and will focus on scientific progress and
potential in malaria research, with special emphasis given to the linkage
between malaria research and its contribution to evidence based policy and
control. Due to several requests we have decided to extend the deadline for
abstract submission until Sunday May 12; after May 12th the online abstract
submission site will close. We are therefore encouraging those who missed
the
May 1 deadline to use this extension to submit abstracts. Please do not
resubmit a revised version of an abstract you have already submitted. In
particular, we would like to see more abstracts in the following areas:
Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=7361

CALL FOR PAPERS: INTERNATIONAL DIGITAL LIBRARIES AND INFORMATION SCIENCE &
TECHNOLOGY ADVANCES IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
The American Society for Information Science & Technology (ASIST),
International Information Issues Special Interest Group, is pleased to
announce
its third competition for papers to be submitted for the 2002 Annual
Meeting,
November 18-21 2002, Philadelphia, PA. The theme of the paper is:
"Knowledge,
Connections and Communities: the developing world perspective." Deadline for
submissions is July 31, 2002.
Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=7330

EAST AFRICAN MEETING ON ALTERNATIVE LEADERSHIP
May 23 - 26, 2002
http://www.wougnet.org/projectnews.html
Forum for Women in Democracy (FOWODE) with support from Ford Foundation will
convene a meeting of East African researchers and activists working to
promote
alternative and transformative leadership. The meeting of 40 participants to
be
held in Uganda will review the existing forms of leadership and explore
alternative and transformative modes of leadership and share strategies. The
perspectives and experiences of the participants will be documented and
disseminated widely in the region in order to strengthen institutions
working
in this field.
Contact: [log in to unmask]

GLOBAL COURSE ON LEADERSHIP FOR ENVIRONMENT AND HUMAN SECURITY
UNU Leadership Academy (UNU/LA)
http://www.la.unu.edu/global-course/esh-announcement.html
United Nations University Leadership Academy's global course on Leadership
for
Environment and Human Security will take place in Jordan and South Africa
during 12-30 August 2002.

The Academy's goal is to enable the participants to "learn about leadership
directly from leaders" We ensure our participants have the unique
opportunity
to interact with global and national experts. The academy offers an
innovative
core curriculum on leadership including History of leadership, Contemporary
Theories of Leadership, Contexts of Leadership, Ethics of Leadership,
Individual Leadership Analysis and Development. Global Human Values required
to
meet contemporary global challenges is an integral component of the
curriculum
as developed by the Academy.

PROJECT BUDGETING AND FINANCIAL REPORTING FOR NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS
The Lagos Business School, Nigeria
Most Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs) need to relate with their
specific
public such as Donor Agencies and development partners, in order to secure
the
necessary support for their projects. Among the tools to achieve this
objective
is their capacity to effectively budget, execute and transparently account
for
non-profit projects. The purpose of this Seminar is to help NGOs develop a
more
professional approach to project conception, budgeting and financial
reporting
which are critical to their project evaluation, implementation and
sustainability. A selection of cases will be used to address these issues.
Closing date for registration is June 11 2002.
Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=7337

SOUTH AFRICA: CDRA SHORT COURSES
http://watt.sn.apc.org/public/sn-announce/msg00255.html
The Community Development Resource Association (CDRA) is offering the
several
five-day courses for organisational, programme and project leaders or
managers
of development organisations.


TRAINING OPPORTUNITY ON HIV/AIDS REPORTING FOR WOMEN RADIO JOURNALISTS
Johannesburg, South Africa, June 18 To June 29
Women radio journalists from southern Africa are invited to apply for a
10-day
training program on reporting on HIV/AIDS. Organized by the African Women's
Media Center, the program will be held in Johannesburg, South Africa from
June
18 to June 29. The training will cover information that is vital to covering
HIV/AIDS, provide
an overview on the basics of journalism and offer an opportunity for
hands-on
training in radio production. The dealine for applications is May 24, 2002.
Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=7323

WOMEN'S WORLDS 2002: THE 8TH INTERNATIONAL INTERDISCIPLINARY CONGRESS ON
WOMEN
July 21-26, 2002
http://www.makerere.ac.ug/womenstudies/
The congress is organized around the main theme "Gendered Worlds: Gains and
Challenges." This theme provides an opportunity for a broad reflection on
the
state of women and gender issues from a gendered perspective within the
context
of change. It enables discussions focused on both differences and
similarities
and offers positive pointers for future action for gender equity and
equality.
The Women's Worlds 2002 special focus areas will be the African perspective,
young voices, gendering women and men, celebrating multiculturality and
diversity and North - South perspectives.
Contact: [log in to unmask]

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17.ADVOCACY RESOURCES

BIGGER AND BETTER? EXPANDING COMMUNITY ACTION ON HIV/AIDS
http://www.id21.org/zinter/id21zinter.exe?a=2&i=h5jt1g1&u=3cda7c30
Slowing the spread of HIV and coping with the consequences of AIDS are major
challenges for many developing countries. There are now many examples of
successful small-scale responses to the disease. Could these strategies work
for a larger population? How can non-governmental or community-based
organisations (NGOs/CBOs) broaden the impact of their programmes?

ELECTRONIC ACTIVISM WORKSHOPS
Kubutana, Zimbabwe
Kubatana, the web network of the Zimbabwe NGO Network Alliance Project will
be
running a series of electronic activism and advocacy workshops. These will
be
practical, fun & inspiring. If you want to take part, email the site.
Contact: [log in to unmask]

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18.JOBS

THE FIVE COLLEGE AFRICAN SCHOLARS PROGRAM
The Five College African Scholars Residency Program works to strengthen
intellectual capacity in African universities and to enrich Africa-focused
scholarship at the Five Colleges and internationally. It does so by bringing
junior and mid-level African scholars, employed by and teaching in African
universities and with active research projects with an African focus, for 5-
and 10-month research residencies at Amherst College, Hampshire College,
Mount
Holyoke College, Smith College, and the University of Massachusetts Amherst,
neighboring institutions associated in the Five College Consortium centered
in
Amherst, Massachusetts.
Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=7459

AWAD INTERNATIONAL NETWORK
African Children's Development Worker
Manchester, UK
African Women's Culture, Arts & Development is looking to recruit African
Children's Development Worker Part Time (with high possibility of becoming
full-
time employment)
DURATION: 3 Years Pay scale: (NJC Scale 5/Spine 24) Part-time for 21hours
week/52weeks.
Closing Date 24th of May 2002 Interview Date: 31st May 2002.
Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=7458

SOUTH AFRICA: DIRECTOR
http://watt.sn.apc.org/public/sn-jobs/msg00185.html
PAD is an independent body registered as a development Trust in the terms of
the Trust Act. PAD is an umbrella coordination organisation of the rural
associations representing communities, in particular women of economic
active
ages and post formal schooling youth. It is looking for a Director.

SOUTH AFRICA: FINANCIAL SERVICES CONSULTANT
http://watt.sn.apc.org/public/sn-jobs/msg00184.html
Umhlaba Development Services is a development consultancy
company providing a range of support services to NGOs, donors, and
government
departments. It is looking for a Financial Services Consultant.

SOUTH AFRICA: RECEPTIONIST
http://watt.sn.apc.org/public/sn-jobs/msg00186.html
Development Action Group (DAG) is a leading urban development NGO in the
Western Cape that supports and implements community housing and development
projects and processes, and that works towards the creation of an enabling,
community sensitive policy environment. It is looking for a Receptionist.

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19.BOOKS AND ARTS

ANGOLA: ARTISTS WILL TRAIN JOURNALISTS
http://www.africancolours.com/?content/journalistsangola.html
The National Union for Plastic Artists (UNAP) is planning to train Angolan
journalists on arts and culture enabling them to make a better coverage of
the
local arts’ movement. A 3-months training is aimed at providing tools to
specialized journalists both from the public and the private media,
particularly those who are members of the Association of Cultural
Journalists
(AJC). “We are conscious that journalists may do a better job if given new
and
right tools on arts and culture”, said Antonio Tomas "Tona", Unap’s general
secretary. “The unsuccessful coverage by the journalists on arts is
perfectly
understandable as throughout the years the headlines were about war”, he
added.
Tona believes that journalists need to learn some basic arts’ concepts. The
Union will count on its own trainers to set up a special program for
journalists in the coming days. It is not yet clear when the training will
start.

IDENTITY MANIA
Fundamentalism And The Politicization Of Cultural Differences
http://www.zedbooks.demon.co.uk/home.htm
Thomas Meyer
A critically important question confronts many countries in the post-Cold
War
epoch: are culturally determined political conflicts inevitable? While
acknowledging people's need for identity, and that different cultures
necessarily produce differentiated identities, Professor Meyer argues that
difference only leads to intolerance and violence when politically ambitious
leaderships exploit it. Fundamentalism is therefore essentially a political
phenomenon that has occured in all civilizations, particularly in
contemporary
Europe and North America. In the present age of globalization, Meyer
suggests
that social crisis grows out of an exclusionary dynamic that marginalizes
growing numbers of people. Little wonder that the deepening of inequality
between North and South has undermined popular confidence in secular
leaders'
vision of development and triggered a divisive fundamentalism that declares
war
on modernism and, ironically, on traditionalism too. This argument contains
real grounds for optimism. In seeking political strategies to defeat
fundamentalism and the identity mania that accompanies it, the focus must be
on
developing economic and social structures that give all citizens a common
interest in the operations of a socially responsible market economy, which
delivers to all. Zed Books, ISBN 1 84277 063 2, 2002.

VIOLENCE AND MEMORY:
One Hundred Years In The 'dark Forests' Of Matabeleland
http://www.weaverpresszimbabwe.com/reviews/reviewframeset.htm
Jocelyn Alexander, JoAnne McGregor and Terence Ranger
Violence and Memory is the history of the former Shangani Reserve in
Northern
Matbeleland now known as Nkayi and Lupane. It is a rich and evocative study
of
the forced movement of people into a sparse wilderness area, in order to
create
a 'homeland' for the Ndebele after the conquest of the Ndebele state in the
late 19th Century, and the emergence of this area in to a central platform
of
nationalist politics for the Zimbabwe African People's Union (ZAPU). The
book
explores, both the central theme of violence, not only under settler
colonialism, but under the post-colonial dispensation, and the memory of
that
violence over a long period of time. Central to the study however is the
development of nationalist politics in a particular rural setting, as a
result
of a complex interplay of rural and urban figures, and a combination of
local
grievances with broader territorial meanings of becoming national. Moreover
the
book explores the ways in which nationalist politics developed a moral
economy,
through which leaders and their practices, both in the anti-colonial
struggle
and in the form of the post colonial nationalist government, were held
accountable according to norms and promises of nationalist objectives.
ISBN: 0 85255 642 X, 2000.

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20.LETTERS AND COMMENTS

GLENN ASHTON
Green Party Of South Africa
I must commend you on your website and am sorry I have only found it now.

HADEEL TREIKI
Human Dimension Program, Mediterranean Academy Of Diplomatic Studies,
University Of Malta
http://diplo.diplomacy.edu/africancharter/default.asp
I am currently working on a hyper-textual project concerning the African
Charter of Human and Peoples Rights, and the Arab Charter of Human Rights.
The
main aim of this project is to analyses, compare & contrast, and explain the
basic tenants of both Charters from an international law, and human rights
perspective. The uniqueness of this project lies within the new IT software
that is being used, which has been designed by our IT department at the
Mediterranean Academy of Diplomatic Studies ( Diplo Project). this software
enables the user to add links, make annotations, and create briefcases in an
interactive forum.
Furthermore, the initial research on the African Charter has been completed,
and we are ready to move into the next phase, which basically will rely on
the
contribution of international lawyers, students of human rights, and all
those
interested in the application of human rights from an African perspective.
Therefore, I am extending an open invitation to all interested in this
project
to participate in this new research methodology. On my part i will provide
you
with the software, and of course user names and passwords enabling you to
access the information, and contribute online to enriching this innovative
method of research.
Please do not hesitate to contact me if you are interested in this project
or
seek further information.
Furthermore, please do visit the website we have created.

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Next WASAN meeting is Wednesday, May 29, 2002. Location: Douglas Truth Library, 2300 E Yesler Way, Seattle
7:00 PM WASAN business meeting
7:30 PM PROGRAM: Good Read.  A free event.

We usually meet the fourth Wednesday of the month. For a calendar of local Africa events see http://www.ibike.org/africamatters/calendar.htm .  To post a message: [log in to unmask]  To subscribe send a message to [log in to unmask]  To unsubscribe send a message to [log in to unmask] . All past postings are archived at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wa-afr-network

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