---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Mon, 08 Jul 2002 17:51:52 -0700 From: charlotte utting <[log in to unmask]> Reply-To: [log in to unmask] To: [log in to unmask] Subject: [WASAN] FW: PAMBAZUKA NEWS 71 - THE SOCIAL COSTS OF CORPORATE HIV/AIDS POLICY ---------- From: [log in to unmask] Reply-To: [log in to unmask] Date: Mon, 08 Jul 2002 06:31:54 -0500 (CDT) To: [log in to unmask] Subject: PAMBAZUKA NEWS 71 - THE SOCIAL COSTS OF CORPORATE HIV/AIDS POLICY PAMBAZUKA NEWS 71 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. Want to get off our subscriber list? Write to [log in to unmask] and your address will be removed immediately! /\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\ 1.EDITORIAL THE SOCIAL COSTS OF CORPORATE HIV/AIDS POLICY By Patrick Bond At the same time the Treatment Action Campaign (Tac) and Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) were holding a massive people's conference in Durban to fight HIV/Aids last week, Thabo Mbeki begged for increased commitments for Africa from G-8 leaders in Kananaskis, Canada. Included amongst those commitments is the UN Global Fund, which according to Kofi Annan should logically reach $10 billion annually to meet Third World demands for inexpensive medicine, more health workers and improved facilities. But the Fund has received less than a tenth of that money, after George W. Bush denied a congressional allocation of $700 million in May. Mbeki's search for aid, debt relief and investment resulted in "recycled peanuts," according to informed commentators. Mbeki and other African leaders were reduced to expressing "satisfaction" over their 90-minute appearance before Bush and his Northern cronies, which is a rhetorical measure of power imbalances and global inequity. Mbeki's New Partnership for Africa's Development was bound to attract scepticism, particularly insofar as its corporate-friendly tone and content compels venal government elites across the continent to make themselves attractive for new investment. Energised activists from the Tac/Cosatu conference will now have to raise the opposite question: how Africa-friendly are multinational corporations, particularly when so many African workers are HIV+, and when the leading corporations turn their back on anti-retroviral treatments? Done properly, treatments would potentially transform the disease from inexorably fatal into a chronic illness such as diabetes, as has happened in much of the wealthier West. But thanks to unemployment above 40%--if one counts those who have given up trying to find a job under prevailing conditions-international and local firms are faced with a terrible option: replace sick workers with desperate, unemployed people instead of providing them treatment. Perhaps the ethical challenge was expressed most eloquently by financier George Soros, who was asked about treating HIV+ South Africans by an SABC journalist in April. He answered, `I think to provide treatment to the bulk of the people is just not feasible. I think to provide treatment for instance to qualified workers actually saves money, actually saves money for companies.' The interviewer responded, `Aren't you uncomfortable to talk in a way that is a kind of death sentence to those who we can't afford to treat?' Replied Soros, `I think the cost of providing actual treatment to everyone at the present... I don't think it's realistic. It's not achievable.' In a more systematic way, the same conclusion was reached after a year of study at Africa's largest company, Anglo American Corporation. Anglo has 160,000 employees, of whom 21% are HIV+. After the pharmaceutical industry withdrew its lawsuit against Pretoria's potential use of imported generic drugs in April 2001, the company announced it would provide anti-retroviral medicines to its workforce, which meant literally tens of thousands of lives could be saved in the short term. In June 2001, the Financial Times reported that`treatment of [Anglo's]employees with anti-retrovirals can be cheaper than the costs incurred by leaving them untreated.' In August, Anglo's vice president for medicine, Brian Brink, announced a strategy which 'involved offering wellness programmes, including access to anti-retroviral treatment.' According to one press report, `The company believed that the cost of its programmes would eventually be outweighed by the benefits it received in gradual gains in productivity, [Brink] concluded. Although it was indeed a risky strategy, it was the only one Anglo could pursue in the face of such human suffering.' Then last October, Anglo simply retracted its promise, once cost-benefit analysis showed that 146,000 of those workers just weren't worth saving. According to the FT, Brink `said the company's 14,000 senior staff would receive anti-retroviral treatment as part of their medical insurance, but that the provision of drug treatment for lower income employees was too expensive.' Brink explained the criteria for the fatal analysis: '[Anti-retrovirals]could save on absenteeism and improved productivity. The saving you achieve can be substantial, but we really don't know how it will stack up. We feel that the cost will be greater than the saving.' His callous feeling became official policy a few months ago. As the Wall Street Journal recorded on April 16, `In a controversial move that could have wide ramifications for how companies in poor countries handle Aids, mining giant Anglo American PLC has put on hold a feasibility study to provide Aids drugs to its African work force, according to people familiar with the situation. When it disclosed its plans for the study a year ago, Anglo garnered wide praise because it was one of the first major corporations to reveal measures aimed at treating Aids cases among its rank-and-file African employees.' A month later, South Africa's most eloquent pro-corporate commentator, Ken Owen, defended the merits of Anglo's policy in a Business Day column: `I am sceptical about most doomsday economic scenarios generated by the Aids epidemic... For the rest of this decade, at least, the lost workers will be quite readily replaceable from the millions of unemployed, and society will adjust in a myriad of ways to labour shortages. For example, a million domestic workers constitute a reserve pool of labour that can be drawn into industry.' Where does this display of corporate arrogance-bordering on culpable homicide-- leave the treatment-activist movement? Will the April 2001 victory over Big Pharma and the expected Constitutional Court ruling against Mbeki on access to drugs for pregnant HIV-positive women allow HIV/Aids activists to turn, with their labour and other international solidarity allies, against capital? The answer may lie in changing the terms of costs and benefits, by making firms socially liable-even if merely through old-fashioned protest--for killing their workers through malign medical-insurance neglect. With Anglo attempting to shine at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in August, opportunities abound for global humiliation of the genocidal tendencies at these mega-wealthy multinational corporations. (Wits University political economy professor Patrick Bond is editor of 'Fanon's Warning', a new book critical of Nepad, published by Africa World Press and the Alternative Information and Development Centre.) /\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\ 2.CONFLICT, EMERGENCIES, AND CRISES ANGOLA: SURVEY SHOWS SERIOUS MALNUTRITION http://www.msf.org/countries/page.cfm?articleid=E9FF945A-ECBD-485B- BB592F2E5526BF22 A nutritional survey done by Epicentre among 15,000 people in Chiteta in Northern Huambo province of Angola between 10 and 14 June confirms a serious nutritional crisis. One in six children are malnourished, and malnutrition is the main cause of death in the region. ANGOLA: WFP URGES RAPID RESPONSE TO EXPANDED ANGOLA OPERATION http://www.wfp.org/index.asp?section=2 With the number of people requiring emergency food aid in post-war Angola rising dramatically, WFP has made a fresh appeal for assistance to international donors. The Agency estimates that it will need US$ 241 million to feed up to 1.5 million people over the next 18 months - over a half-a-million more than the number of current beneficiaries. DRC: HUMANITARIAN CRISIS ON MINEMBWE/ITOMBWE PLATEAU A worsening humanitarian crisis is unfolding in the south of South Kivu Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo, as fighting rages between mainly Rwandan army troops and the dissident Banyamulenge forces of Commandant Patrick Masunzu, humanitarian sources told IRIN on Tuesday. Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=8663 ERITREA-ETHIOPIA: HAGUE MEETING TO ''SET THE PACE'' FOR PEACE PROCESS Ethiopia and Eritrea are to meet at a key summit which should "set the pace" for the peace process, the United Nations said last Friday. The two countries, which fought a bitter two-year war, are due to meet in The Hague later this month where the crucial border ruling over their disputed boundary was first announced. Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=8590 ETHIOPIA: FOCUS ON LOOMING DROUGHT IN EAST SHEWA Vultures circle overhead, waiting for new prey. In the blistering 40-degree heat and bone-dry conditions, it does not take long before another cow slumps dying to the ground. This is Lady - a tiny village in eastern Ethiopia and scene of a looming crisis. In the last 10 months the area has not seen a drop of rain. Cattle are dying, and the effects are now starting to hit the thousands of families in the area. Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=8652 LIBERIA: FIGHTING HAMPERS AID http://www.africantimes.com/articlepg1.asp?ID=49090 The United Nations warned on Wednesday that escalating fighting in Liberia threatened peace in neighboring countries, especially Sierra Leone, and hindered aid groups trying to help thousands of refugees in the region. MADAGASCAR: 13 KILLED IN MADAGASCAR http://www.mg.co.za/Content/l3.jsp?a=37&o=5445 At least 13 people have been killed in northern Madagascar as troops loyal to President Marc Ravalomanana pushed ahead with an offensive into one of the last remaining bastions of the country's former ruler, Didier Ratsiraka, a military official said. MADAGASCAR: RATSIRAKA ON HIS WAY OUT, SAY ANALYSTS Facing imminent military defeat, former Madagascan president Didier Ratsiraka on Tuesday called for an internationally guaranteed ceasefire, sparking speculation that the reign of one of Africa's longest rulers has finally come to an end. Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=8670 SIERRA LEONE: SLOW REINTEGRATION OF EX-COMBATANTS CAUSES CONCERN Nearly six months after the end of disarmament in Sierra Leone, at least half of the ex-combatants demobilised between September 1998 and January 2002 are yet to be reintegrated, officials in the capital, Freetown, told IRIN. The reintegration programmes were intended to prepare the 69,463 demobilised ex- combatants for re-absorption into their communities. However the process has been slow and ex-combatants were becoming "restless", the officials said last Friday. Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=8589 SOMALIA: HEAVY FIGHTING ERUPTS IN SOMALIA http://www.africantimes.com/articlepg1.asp?ID=48882 Heavy fighting has flared up between rival militiamen from two clans in and around the Golol Valley, about 270 kilometers Northeast of the central town of Galkaio last Wednesday. This new round of fighting broke out just a day after an agreement was reached over conflict between the same two subclans in Gellinsor village, about 90 kilometers south of Galkaio town. SOMALIA: OVER 20 KILLED IN FRESH FIGHTING IN BAIDOA http://irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=28644 Fresh fighting erupted in the town of Baidoa on Thursday in which at least 20 people were killed, local sources told IRIN. The fighting between two factions of the Rahanweyn Resistance Army (RRA), which controls much of the Bay and Bakol regions of southwestern Somalia, started at 09:00a.m. local time (06:00 GMT) "and is still continuing", the sources said. SUDAN: GROWING PRESSURE FOR HARDER LINE AGAINST KHARTOUM http://www.fpif.org/commentary/2002/0207sudan.html A settlement to the 19-year-old war between the predominantly Arab and Islamist government in Khartoum and the mostly African, non-Islamist rebels of the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) is unlikely to be achieved any time soon unless the United States and Europe exert much stronger pressure urgently, according to a new report by an international think tank that specializes in conflict resolution. In particular, the Brussels-based International Crisis Group (ICG) is calling on the U.S. Congress to enact the long-pending Sudan Peace Act (SPA) that includes penalties against foreign oil companies--currently from Canada, western Europe, China, and Malaysia--that invest in Sudan's booming but increasingly bloody oil sector. ZIMBABWE: POLICE TARGET FARMERS http://www.zwnews.com/issuefull.cfm?ArticleID=4662 Four commercial farmers have been formally charged with disobeying a ban on farming activity on land targeted for redistribution. On Thursday, Commercial Farmers Union spokeswoman Jenni Williams confirmed that four farmers had been formally charged while another 11 had been asked to report to the police station. /\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\ 3.RIGHTS AND DEMOCRACY AFRICA: AFRICA GETS TOUGH WITH ILLEGITIMATE GOVERNMENTS http://allafrica.com/stories/200207030017.html African nations on Tuesday signalled their intention to deal decisively with illegitimate regimes on the continent by barring Madagascar from the soon-to-be- launched African Union (AU). Agreement was also reached on the composition of an organ to stem war and conflict in Africa, a top Organisation for African Unity (OAU) official said in Durban. CAMEROON: FRAUD CLAIM IN CAMEROON POLL http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/africa/newsid_2077000/2077459.stm The opposition in Cameroon has said that Sunday's parliamentary and municipal elections were marred by fraud and should be annulled. The leader of the opposition Social Democratic Front (SDF), John Fru Ndi, said many voters had not been given voting cards in time for the poll or had not been registered. CONGO: CONGOLESE PRESIDENT SATISFIED WITH ELECTORAL PROCESS http://www.africantimes.com/articlepg1.asp?ID=48940 Congolese President Denis Sassou Nguesso has expressed his satisfaction with the "peaceful" manner in which the local government election was conducted. "All in all the process has been peaceful. There have been some unfortunate incidents but no violence or disorder. So we have reason to be happy," Sassou Nguesso told journalists after he had voted in the Ouenze residential area north of Brazzaville. GUINEA : LOW TURNOUT IN GUINEA POLL http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/africa/newsid_2075000/2075060.stm People in the Republic of Guinea are voting in parliamentary elections overshadowed by opposition calls for a boycott. Early estimates suggest turnout has been low. NIGERIA: OGONI GROUP WANTS ACTION ON AFRICAN RIGHTS COMMISSION'S RULING Minority rights activists in Nigeria have called on the government to act urgently on a ruling by the African Commission on Human and People's Rights (ACHPR) that the state perpetrated massive abuses in the southeastern area of Ogoniland. The Movement for the Survival of Ogoni People (MOSOP) said in a statement sent to IRIN last Friday that it was seeking an audience with Justice Minister Kanu Agabi to obtain the prosecution of those who violated the rights of the 500,000-strong Ogoni and compensation for the victims as requested by ACHPR. Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=8595 NIGERIA: VIOLENCE MARS RULING PARTY PRIMARIES Primaries organised by Nigeria’s ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) on Monday and Tuesday to choose candidates for next month’s local council elections were marred by factional violence. At least two people died and dozens of others were injured. Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=8697 SOUTH AFRICA: WIDER IMPLICATIONS TO SECURING RIGHTS THROUGH THE CONSTITUTIONAL COURT http://www.advocacy.org.za/announce.asp?recnum=117 In years to come, we will reflect on this moment in 2002, and the deeper, more subtle ripples that will have been created by the Treatment Action Campaign's (TAC) Constitutional Court case, particularly in terms of the greater realisation of socio-economic and human rights. Why is it that civil society needs to use such extreme mechanisms to ensure that their message is heard? Surely we have sought to elect responsive and listening decision-makers who hear the voices of civil society and ensure that the concerns of the poor are at the heart of government policy? What has happened to the more traditional places for civil society to raise their concerns? SUDAN: RIGHTS GROUP CONCERNED OVER DEATH SENTENCES IN DARFUR International human rights groups have expressed concern over what they describe as a "sharp increase" in death sentences this year in the Darfur region of western Sudan. Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=8608 SWAZILAND: UNIONS DEMAND POLITICAL REFORMS Swazi labour leaders this week aim to draw world attention to their demands for political reform in Africa's last absolute monarchy at the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions meeting in Durban, South Africa. Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=8671 ZAMBIA: ZAMBIA STEPS UP SECURITY FOLLOWING COUP PLOT http://www.africantimes.com/articlepg1.asp?ID=48938 The Zambian government said Sunday it has put the armed forces on high alert following an alleged plot to overthrow it and to assassinate leaders. Home Affairs Minister Lackson Mapushi told journalists that the country' s police authorities have set up investigative wings to expedite a probe into the planned coup. ZIMBABWE: MDC BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE A move by Zimbabwe's frustrated Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) to boycott parliament could spell disaster for the opposition party, analysts have warned. They said parliament was the last remaining platform for the MDC to safely challenge the government. Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=8593 ZIMBABWE: REFORMS NEEDED BEFORE ELECTION RE-RUN It is uncertain what the future holds for Zimbabwe. Although most people discuss politics more freely than in the past, and whilst a significant number of Zimbabweans have expressed concern with the election result, there are no indications of how and where this discontent will be channelled. There are adjourned MDC-Zanu-PF talks about a government of national unity, and ‘smart sanctions’ as issues remain unresolved. However, civil society organisations are agreed that before a re-run there should be constitutional and electoral reforms, or at a minimum, pre-conditions conducive for holding a free and fair election. Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=8674 /\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\ 4.CORRUPTION KENYA: KANU POLITICIAN AND FORMER CITY BOSS ARRESTED http://allafrica.com/stories/200206270711.html Politician Geoffrey Asanyo and former Nairobi Town Clerk Zipporah Wandera have been arrested. Officers from the Kenya Anti-Corruption Police Unit accompanied by their colleagues from the Nakuru Criminal Investigations Department seized Mr Asanyo at his Nakuru office . KENYA: KENYAN CORRUPTION - THE VIEW FROM THE SLUMS http://www.transparency.org/cgi-bin/dcn-read.pl?citID=40136 Bureacrats rarely venture into Kibera, a Nairobi slum of narrow, muddy alleys. When they do, David Mutua closes and locks his shoe shop. However, every week he has to visit a wholesaler in the city, and when city officials see him carrying a big bag of shoes, they harangue him until they find some rule he has broken, and then demand bribes to let him off. "They never ask for less than 500 shillings ($6)," he laments, "And sometimes as much as 20,000. We try to avoid them, but sometimes they get you five times in a month. They are bad people." MOZAMBIQUE: FOCUS ON CORRUPTION AND DONOR AID Mozambique should recognise growing corruption and act decisively to restore transparent governance if it wishes to continue currying favour with donors, analysts warned on Wednesday. Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=8698 NIGERIA: 3 HELD OVER $2.5M IN KICKBACKS http://www.transparency.org/cgi-bin/dcn-read.pl?citID=40126 The Nigerian police have arrested three senior officials in a central state over allegations that they demanded some $2.5 million in kickbacks for awarding a government contract to a businessman, state-run radio said on Sunday. NIGERIA: A NATION BEING RIPPED OFF http://www.transparency.org/cgi-bin/dcn-read.pl?citID=40147 Shopkeepers hide their savings under mattresses and floorboards. Investors borrow at 40 percent interest and foreign businessmen buy tattered, smelly bundles of low-value local currency in hotel parking lots. In oil-rich Nigeria, one of Africa's most prosperous yet economically dysfunctional nations, the simple task of depositing your salary - or taking it out again - can require hours of patience and a lifetime of negotiating savvy. "Everybody is getting ripped off, and nobody wants to rock the boat. So they either keep quiet or just avoid (banks) altogether," said Tony Ede, spokesman for Nigeria's Central Bank, the country's banking regulatory authority. NIGERIA: ALLEGED BRIBERY: INTERNAL AFFAIRS MINISTRY PROBES OFFICIALS http://allafrica.com/stories/200206300122.html Following allegations of bribery and corruption against its officials, the Federal Ministry of Internal Affairs in Kogi State has set up a three-man committee to investigate the matter. NIGERIA: MISPLACED PRIORITY HAS DONE MORE HARM THAN CORRUPTION http://allafrica.com/stories/200207010173.html Former Chief of General Staff Vice Admiral Mike Akhigbe has said misplaced priorities in programmes and projects had done more harm to the country than corruption. SOUTH AFRICA: ANC ACCUSES IFP OF ABUSING STATE ASSETS http://allafrica.com/stories/200207030111.html Another political skirmish between coalition partners governing KwaZuluNatal has emerged, this time with the African National Congress (ANC) accusing the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) of "continued" abuse of government facilities. The ANC alleged that the IFP had "for too long" treated the use of government structures and buildings in the province "as its own personal property". SOUTH AFRICA: DA PROPOSES BILL TO MONITOR PARTIES' FUNDS http://www.transparency.org/cgi-bin/dcn-read.pl?citID=40125 The Democratic Alliance (DA), stung by allegations by German fugitive Jurgen Harksen that he donated money to the party, has proposed legislation to regulate political party funding. Harksen claimed he had donated about R750000 to the DA, allegations which have not yet been validated by forensic auditors from Ernst & Young, who have tracked every donation of more than R5000 of the 14000 donations received at national and provincial level last year. ZAMBIA: PRESSURE ON FOR ARREST OF CHILUBA http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/africa/newsid_2085000/2085840.stm Pressure is mounting for the government in Zambia to have former President Frederick Chiluba arrested and prosecuted for corruption. The Oasis Forum, a body representing religious, legal and civil society organisations, says the special national assembly convened by the incumbent President, Levy Mwanawasa, should lift Mr Chiluba's immunity, which he enjoys as a former head of state. /\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\ 5.HEALTH AFRICA: AIDS DRUGS SCANDAL: TOLL SOARS http://www.guardian.co.uk/aids/story/0,7369,748352,00.html Only 30,000 people out of almost 30 million now living with the death sentence of HIV/Aids in sub-Saharan Africa are being given the drugs that keep infected men and women alive, well and working in Britain, in spite of the promises of help from rich nations over the past two years. As a devastating report from UNaids on the scale of the epidemic and its human and economic cost was published this week, it became clear that a vast gulf still exists between those who will die in the absence of treatment and those whose lives can be indefinitely prolonged by modern medicine. AFRICA: INTEGRATION OF STI PREVENTION AND MANAGEMENT WITH FAMILY PLANNING AND ANTENATAL CARE IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/journals/2807702.html The high prevalence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and their role in HIV transmission have made integrating STI prevention and management into existing family planning and antenatal care programs a goal in most resource- poor countries, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa. However, little is known about how integrated services can best be configured, and what impact they have on prevention of infection and unwanted pregnancy. AFRICA: NEEDS-BASED RESOURCE ALLOCATION IN HEALTHCARE http://www.id21.org/health/h1rr1g1.html A country's policy on healthcare financing can help or hinder access to services by poor people. How can different approaches to resource allocation enable poor people to access essential health services? A report from the UK Department for International Development's Health Systems Resource Centre presents lessons from Cambodia, South Africa and Uganda. AFRICA: TRANSLATING HIV/AIDS RESEARCH FINDINGS INTO POLICY http://heapol.oupjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/17/2/196 There is a pressing need to understand better how to ensure the translation into policy and practice of important research findings in HIV/AIDS prevention and care in countries threatened by fast spreading HIV epidemics. This paper reviews the findings and implications of a policy analysis case study of an HIV/AIDS clinical trial that has been successful in influencing HIV prevention policy relevant to low-income countries in order to identify illustrative lessons for HIV/AIDS researchers in the future. ETHIOPIA: HIV/AIDS RISK AWARENESS ''VERY LOW'', SURVEY FINDS Most of Ethiopia's 65 million people are at "high risk" from HIV/AIDS, the world's most far-reaching-ever sexual survey has established. According to the study, most Ethiopians still fail to take precautions against contracting the disease which is devastating their country. Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=8602 GAMBIA: TRIAL OF A NEW TREATMENT FOR TRACHOMA http://www.id21.org/health/h4rb1g5.html Trachoma is an infectious eye disease that can cause blindness. It effects an estimated 150 million people worldwide, mostly in poor rural areas of Africa and Asia. Existing treatments, including tetracycline eye ointment, are unsatisfactory. So how can the World Health Organisation achieve its goal of a trachoma-free world by 2020? KENYA: TOOLS TO PREVENT MALARIA EPIDEMICS IN HIGHLAND AFRICA http://www.id21.org/health/h4hg1g1.html Insecticide-treated bednets (ITNs) are widely promoted as a malaria prevention tool. The role and cost-effectiveness of indoor residual house spraying (IRS) for malaria control have received less attention. Research by the Kenya Medical Research Institute and other institutions found that IRS might be more effective and cheaper than ITNs in communities prone to epidemics of infection. MALI: IRIN FOCUS ON EFFORTS TO CURB THE VENDING OF MEDICINES http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=28550 From painkillers to antibiotics, just about any medicinal drug can be had on the streets of Mali’s towns and villages. Chances are the vendors know absolutely nothing about the chemicals from which the pills are made, or about potential side effects since none are pharmacists nor do they have any licenses to sell drugs. Yet, they and their counterparts elsewhere in West Africa administer a large percentage - estimates range from 30 to 60 percent - of the drugs sold in the subregion. SOUTH AFRICA: HIV PLAN SAVES LIVES AND CASH Cosatu And TAC Agree That Supplying Free Antiretrovirals Is http://www.suntimes.co.za/2002/06/30/news/news13.asp Cosatu and the Treatment Action Campaign are to table a national HIV/Aids treatment plan in Nedlac following the first national treatment conference, which concluded in Durban this week. A key aspect of the plan involves making antiretroviral drugs available through the public health system to those infected with HIV. SOUTH AFRICA: HIV/AIDS THREATENS SOUTH AFRICA'S FUTURE The HIV epidemic has created an emergency in SA. This emergency threatens South Africa's future by creating more poverty and impacting negatively on the ability to reconstruct and develop SA to the benefit of all of its people. A national HIV/AIDS Treatment Plan is needed to combat this emergency. A treatment plan will strengthen the existing five-year strategic plan, which concentrates mainly on prevention. These were the conclusions of a Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) and Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) National Treatment Congress held in Durban, South Africa, between 27 and 29 June. Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=8603 SOUTH AFRICA: LOOKING AHEAD TO AIDS2002 Previous international AIDS gatherings have tended to be "scientific showcases", but community-based organisations and children's NGOs are hoping for a higher profile at the 14th International Conference on AIDS to be held in Barcelona, Spain next week. "In the past, we felt that the community arm of the programme in international conferences had been tacked on as an afterthought, but this year looks to be different," Debbie Matthews, programme manager for the AIDS Foundation of South Africa, told PlusNews on Monday. Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=8638 ZAMBIA: NEW REPORT SHOWS DECLINE IN HIV/AIDS Zambia may become the second African country - after Uganda - to reverse a widespread HIV/AIDS epidemic, a new UNAIDS report said on Tuesday. Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=8669 /\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\ 6.EDUCATION AND SOCIAL WELFARE EAST AFRICA: BID TO HARMONISE EDUCATION SYSTEMS http://allafrica.com/stories/200207010397.html Children within the East African Community (EAC) will soon be allowed to attend primary schools in any of the three countries without discrimination. The EAC assembly nominated MP, Mr Mohamed Zubedi, has said the programme being handled by a special committee with members from EAC will be effective in few years' time. He said the move is aimed at harmonising the education systems among the three East African nations. KENYA: ALARM OVER HIV/AIDS ORPHANS http://allafrica.com/stories/200207030040.html Orphans at the Juvenile Remand Home savour a rare meal. An UNAids report says 15 per cent of Kenya's adult population (about 2.5 million) are living with Aids. Only South Africa and Nigeria have more infected people. Kenya has the third highest number of Aids orphans in the world, estimated at 890,000, a shocking new report by the United Nations says. Only Nigeria with a million orphans and Ethiopia with 990,000 have more. KENYA: GOVERNMENT TO RECRUIT 5,000 TEACHERS http://allafrica.com/stories/200206300026.html The Government will recruit an additional 5,000 fresh graduates for secondary schools by September this year, it has been announced. And nearly 2,500 teachers listed for retirement will be eased out of the profession in the next two months, the Teachers' Service Commission said. The Government also told teachers to seek employment in neighbouring countries where they are in demand. KENYA: TEACHER TRAINING IN UNIVERSITIES SET TO CHANGE DRASTICALLY http://allafrica.com/stories/200207010396.html The training of teachers in the six public universities could change drastically if the institutions adopt proposals made by educationists to review their curriculum. During the Strengthening of Science and Mathematics in Secondary Schools (Smasse) conference held in Nairobi last week, participants suggested that teaching practice (TP) be extended to cover a full academic year. This means that undergraduate students in education courses should take at least five years unlike the case now where they, like others studying other courses, take four years. SENEGAL: HOPE FOR AFRICAN CHILDREN http://allafrica.com/stories/200206280357.html Every time a parent gets ill or dies of HIV/AIDS, children become grossly vulnerable to hosts of physical, emotional and societal dangers.In the wake of today's AIDS crisis in Africa, at least 14 million orphans have been left grappling with the dangers associated with the disease. That number, according to a survey, is expected to double if nothing is done. SOUTH AFRICA: BREAD AND BLACKBOARDS http://allafrica.com/stories/200207010279.html Primary school feeding schemes are intended to give poor children an incentive to attend school - and not to compensate for the lack of nutrition at home, argues Lenore Dunnett, deputy director for the Western Cape's Nutrition Programme. But for many under-privileged children, the food they receive through such schemes is all they can expect to get to eat on any given day. TANZANIA: CHILD WORKERS AT RISK FROM MERCURY http://allafrica.com/stories/200207020041.html Ten-year-old Tanzanian children are involved in mining activities including the washing of rocks and the collecting and carrying of crushed rock that exposes them to serious health risks, according to new research. UGANDA: MEDIA POOR AT CHILDREN ISSUES http://allafrica.com/stories/200206290137.html President Yoweri Museveni's press secretary Mary Karooro Okurut has said the media is not doing enough to cover children's issues. Okurut made a passionate appeal to the media to come out and play a more active role in the fight against child abuse and neglect. /\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\ 7.WOMEN AND GENDER AFRICA: HIV/AIDS A CATASTROPHE FOR WOMEN http://allafrica.com/stories/200207030681.html Women were particularly vulnerable to HIV/AIDS and the pandemic was feasting on gender inequality, leading to an "accelerating catastrophe" for women, said Stephen Lewis, the Secretary General's UN Envoy on HIV/AIDS in Africa in a statement. AFRICA: UN AGENCY LAUNCHES WEBSITE ON NEWS, GENDER ISSUES FOR AFRICAN WOMEN http://www.acwict.or.ke African women's voices will now be heard online, thanks to the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), which has announced the launch of a website with information on gender issues in the Horn of Africa. KENYA: KANU TO FINANCE WOMEN ASPIRANTS http://allafrica.com/stories/200207010052.html Kanu will give financial backing to its women candidates in the forthcoming general elections, Secretary General, Raila Odinga, has said. Raila said Kanu will give women an equal chance in campaigning for parliamentary and civic seats. MALAWI: FIGHTING FOR WOMEN'S RIGHTS IN MALAWI http://www.ips.org/womenleaders/wom0205b.htm Coordinator of a women rights group, Seodi White, is a busy lawyer. When she is not giving free legal advice to women, she is busy conducting human rights education programmes for them. White is one of the few female lawyers in Malawi. NAMBIA: WOMAN CONSERVATIONIST HONOURED http://www.panda.org/news/press/news.cfm?id=3007 WWF has recognized the efforts of two outstanding women for their role in conservation at an awards ceremony held last week in Washington, DC. Sushila Nepali of Nepal and Patricia Skyer of Namibia were selected to receive this year's awards for their conservation work in their native countries. NIGERIA: VOTING POWER RESIDES IN WOMEN, SAYS MINISTER http://allafrica.com/stories/200206280020.html With women forming 49.68 per cent of the country's population according to a 1991 census, even though they are still marginalised politically, they remain very powerful as they control voting numbers in Nigeria, the Minister of Women Affairs and Youth Development, Hajiya Aisha Ismail has said. SOUTH AFRICA: ABORTION PILL LEGAL BUT STILL A SECRET http://allafrica.com/stories/200207010278.html A drug that reduces the trauma and risks of abortion has been available since February - but many of the women who need it most are not aware it exists. Mifepristone, developed in France under the working name RU486, also known as the "abortion pill", was registered by the Medicines Control Council last September, and has been available through private clinics for five months. SOUTH AFRICA: WOMEN-ONLY TRAIN CARRIAGES http://www.mg.co.za/Content/l3.jsp?a=11&o=5481 Education Minister Kader Asmal on Monday called on Transport Minister Dullah Omar to request train operators to consider restricting the use of some train carriages for women only. Asmal asserted that this would help reduce violence against girls on trains and reduce the overall levels of gender-based violence in society. UGANDA: WOMEN FARMERS GO HI-TECH http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/sci/tech/newsid_2078000/2078444.stm Ugandan women are becoming better farmers thanks to an interactive CD-Rom. The CD gives advice about ways to improve yields from crops and livestock, how to market what they produce and helps the women think about new products they can make and sell. ZIMBABWE: REAL LIFE EXPERIENCES OF AIDS http://www.comminit.com/Commentary/sld-4989.html This story is part of the SAfAIDS "positive voices" series. The story is published as related by Tarisai, an HIV positive Zimbabwean woman, to Dr Sunanda Ray at SAfAIDS. With these stories, SAfAIDS aims to highlight the real life experiences of people living positively with HIV. /\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\ 8.REFUGEES AND FORCED MIGRATION AFRICA: UNSAFE HAVEN? THE RISK OF MALARIA IN REFUGEE CAMPS http://www.id21.org/health/h4mr1g1.html The number of refugees fleeing conflict to seek shelter in neighbouring countries peaked at 18.2 million in 1993. A further 24 million were estimated to be internally displaced. The risk of malaria is often high among refugees in tropical countries. What strategies should be used to protect them? ANGOLA: INTERNALLY DISPLACED NEED MORE PROTECTION http://www.hrw.org/press/2002/07/angola0703.htm The United Nations and the Angolan government are not providing sufficient protection for hundreds of thousands of people displaced during Angola's civil war, Human Rights Watch has said in a briefing paper. Internally displaced people (IDPs) in Angola continue to face serious security threats, including harassment by government forces, restrictions on free movement, and possible forced return to areas where they would be at risk of political persecution and human rights abuses, Human Rights Watch said. Hundreds of thousands continue to live in poor conditions in government-run camps without access to basic food or medical care. BURUNDI-DRC-TANZANIA: FOCUS ON POSITIVE ASPECTS OF REFUGEE CRISIS While seen by many as a burden on the country, the refugee crisis and the subsequent relief and development programmes in western Tanzania have, in fact, encouraged investment and opened up an inaccessible and forgotten part of the country, government officials and development workers in the region have said. Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=8620 BURUNDI-TANZANIA: SPONTANEOUS RETURNS CONTINUE DESPITE SECURITY CONCERNS Bernard Ndorainywe, 39, is a Burundian who has lived in the Nduta refugee camp in western Tanzania since 1996, and he wants to go home. However, as with many of the 100,000 refugees in the camps in Kibondo District, his home is in southern Burundi, where the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is not facilitating repatriation. Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=8621 LIBERIA: PEOPLE KEEP FLEEING TO SIERRA LEONE The influx into Sierra Leone of people fleeing instability in Liberia has continued steadily since clashes last week between pro- and anti-government forces near the western Liberian town of Sinje. Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=8622 NIGERIA: NON-INDIGENES FLEE TROUBLED AREAS http://allafrica.com/stories/200207010124.html Following another round of ethno-religious violence which erupted last week in some parts of Plateau State, non-indigenes of the state comprising mostly Igbos and Yorubas have continued to leave the worse hit areas in spite of appeals of community leaders from those areas. NIGERIA: SIERRA LEONEAN REFUGEES SIGN UP FOR REPATRIATION About 300 of the 2,061 Sierra Leonean refugees in Nigeria have opted for voluntary repatriation and are expected to go home soon, according to a senior Nigerian official. Nigeria's Federal Commissioner for Refugees, Professor Isaac Gabriel, told a news conference on 21 June that efforts were being made to help the refugees go back now that peace had returned to Sierra Leone. Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=8619 SIERRA LEONE: REFUGEE ARRIVALS STRAIN BORDER COMMUNITIES, USCR SAYS http://www.refugees.org/news/press_releases/2002/062802.cfm The arrival of some 8,000 new refugees from Liberia into eastern Sierra Leone in recent days has put a potentially dangerous strain on war-damaged Sierra Leonean villages along the border and threatens to sidetrack efforts to reintegrate tens of thousands of repatriated Sierra Leonean refugees into their home communities, according to an on-the-scene assessment this week by the U.S. Committee for Refugees (USCR), the public information program of Immigration and Refugee Services of America. /\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\ 9.RACISM AND XENOPHOBIA SOUTH AFRICA: PROPERTY WATCHDOG CONDEMNS RACISM http://allafrica.com/stories/200207030013.html The national property watchdog, the Estate Agency Affairs Board, has come out strongly against racism in the industry, following complaints from estate agents. CEO Stanley Moshidi said the industry's code of conduct was being flouted, and incidents of racist behaviour within the workplace were becoming more prevalent. ZIMBABWE: MINISTER ACCUSES WHITE FARMERS OF BEING 'RACIST AND FASCIST' http://www.online.ie/news/irish_examiner/viewer.adp?article=1773831 Zimbabwe's white farmers have been branded racists and fascists by a government minister, urged tough action against those who are defying an order to stop working their fields. President Robert Mugabe's ruling ZANU-PF party said many white farmers were ignoring the government order, which took effect earlier last week. /\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\ 10.ENVIRONMENT BOTSWANA: EU GIVES BOTSWANA 14 MILLION EUROS TO DEVELOP TOURISM http://www.newafrica.com/news/articlepg1.asp?ID=48924&countryid=7 Botswana has received 14 million Euros in the second phase of a European Union funded wildlife conservation and the infrastructural development of game parks and reserve initiative. The project, which commences in July, is expected to strengthen the management of game reserves and support communities engaged in natural resource management activities, Botswana's tourism minister, Pelonomi Venson said last Saturday during a luncheon for visiting EU MP, Glenys Kinnock. ERITREA: CONVERSION TO ECO-FRIENDLY TRADITIONAL STOVES An innovative scheme to convert 500,000 traditional injera stoves across Eritrea will cut thousands of tons of carbon emissions each year and help to conserve the country's precious supply of firewood. Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=8612 GAMBIA: OUR LIFE DEPENDS ON BIODIVERSITY - LET'S PROTECT IT http://allafrica.com/stories/200206280271.html In 1997, The Gambia carried out a biodiversity country study to gather and analyse biological and socio-economic data as the basis for preparing its national strategy and action-plan. A national task force was formed comprising representatives from the relevant government institutions and NGOs, was established to provide both policy and technical guidance to a team of national consultants contracted from relevant institutions to handle specific sectoral and sub-sectoral issues covered in the study. According to the research and development officer at the Department of Parks and Wildlife Management (DPWM), Famara Drammeh, biological resources are vital to humanity's economic and social development, and as a result, there is a growing recognition that biological diversity is a global asset of tremendous value to present and future generations. KENYA: DESERTIFICATION THREATENING MILLIONS, GOVERNMENT WARNS The Kenyan government has released a report warning that millions of Kenyans are increasingly threatened by desertification. In its latest National Action Programme on desertification, the environment and natural resources ministry said the phenomenon had "intensified and spread" in recent years, putting a severe strain on agriculture in the country. Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=8651 KENYA: GOVT SUED OVER FOREST EXCISION http://allafrica.com/stories/200207020306.html A Kenyan government decision to alter forest boundaries by excising nearly 170,000 acres has been termed unconstitutional. Kenya Forests Working Group, a sub-committee of East African Wildlife Society in conjunction with others believe the Government's action will be detrimental to important catchment areas and places for protection of diverse flora and fauna. MALAWI: LONG TERM SOLUTIONS TO FOOD CRISIS http://allafrica.com/stories/200206280207.html As this nation of 10 million people faces its most serious food crisis in recent memory, government officials are encouraging farmers to plant trees as part of a long-term effort to improve soil fertility and increase food supplies. SENEGAL: EU MUST PREVENT COLLAPSE OF FISH STOCKS http://panda.org/news/press/news.cfm?id=2995 The WWF is calling on the European Union to work with West African nations to avert a potentially catastrophic collapse in fish stocks that provide a much- needed source of food and income in countries such as Senegal and Mauritania. SOUTHERN AFRICA: FOCUS ON GM FOOD AID Zambia has joined Zimbabwe in expressing concern over accepting genetically modified (GM) food aid, while the country struggles to overcome food shortages threatening over two million people. Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=8672 UGANDA: TRENCH PROTECTS WILDLIFE http://allafrica.com/stories/200207020479.html There is probably no park where authorities and communities are not at loggerheads. Wild animals, which raid the villager's crops are always provoking conflict. However, Kibaale National Park in Western Uganda has made a giant leap to overcome the crop raiders. WAITING TO FIGHT CLIMATE CHANGE IS NOT A VIABLE OPTION http://enn.com/news/enn-stories/2002/07/07022002/s_47610.asp Scientists and environmental groups often paint grim pictures of a world with a substantially altered climate. But the fact is, even if we start reducing our emissions today, we can't stop global warming in its tracks because the warming has already begun. It will take centuries before some effects, such as sea level rise, stop entirely. This leads to a common complaint some critics raise against the Kyoto Protocol, the only international framework set up to reduce the emissions that cause climate change. Alone, it will do little to curb the problem, so what's the point? /\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\ 11.MEDIA GHANA: NATIONAL ICT SEMINAR FOR WORKING JOURNALISTS To ensure that ICTs assume prominence in the mass media, the Ghana Institute of Information Technology (GIIT), in association with the International Institute of ICT Journalism, with support from the Ghana Journalists Association, is organizing the first National Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) seminar for Journalists working in Ghana. This landmark event will take place on 18th July 2002 at Busy Internet, to be attended by 60 selected members of the Ghana Journalists Association. Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=8717 LIBERIA: JOURNALIST ACCUSED OF PLOTTING AGAINST THE PRESIDENT RSF has expressed serious concern after the arrest of Hassan Bility, editor-in- chief of the private weekly "The Analyst". "The newspaper is well known for its highly critical attitude towards President Charles Taylor, and we hope that the accusation of 'plotting against the President' is not a pretext for silencing a journalist who is very critical of those in power," said RSF Secretary-General Robert Ménard in a letter to Liberian Information Minister Reginald Goodridge. "We are concerned that this may be a witch hunt against journalists who criticise government policies," he added. Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=8715 LIBERIA: JOURNALIST, THREE OTHERS ARRESTED Four people, including a journalist, were arrested on Monday and were being held incommunicado by security authorities in Liberia on suspicion of associating with the rebel Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD), Amnesty International (AI) reported. Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=8658 LIBERIA: NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND EDUCATION COMMUNICATION How Can The Media Make A Difference? http://allafrica.com/stories/200207020437.html It is often said that the development of a nation does not solely rely on infrastructure and basic social services, but also it depends on the education of the citizens and their ability to understand the significance of a literate society. This belief might be incomplete in the absence of better communication for the development and education of a nation state because communication is a catalyst in this direction. NIGERIA: DON CALLS FOR DEREGULATION OF BROADCAST INDUSTRY http://allafrica.com/stories/200207020012.html A university don, Prof. Ralph Akinfeleye, in Abuja advocated the total deregulation of the broadcast industry in Nigeria to allow for media pluralism. Akinfeleye said at a national workshop for senior radio journalists organised by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) and UN Population Fund that "it is through absolute deregulation of the broadcast industry that different shades of opinion can be freely expressed". NIGERIA: NBC WARNS ERRANT BROADCASTING STATIONS As the 2003 national election draws near, the watchdog of the Broadcasting industry, the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has threatened to invoke the law against any broadcasting station that shows any preference or bias in reporting activities of politicians and their political parties. NBC wants broadcasting companies to ensure fairness, equity, accuracy, and objectivity in all their reporting, charging them not to allow the power of incumbency of the serving political office holders, to influence them into shifting their loyalty from the Nigerian people to certain individuals. Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=8716 TANZANIA: PRESS LOCKED OUT OF CLAIRE SHORT FUNCTION http://www.nationaudio.com/News/DailyNation/04072002/News/News57.html Foreign and local journalists in Tanzania were barred from interviewing the visiting British Secretary of State for International Development, Ms Claire Short soon after arriving in Dar es Salaam. Short arrived at the Dar es Salaam International Airport (DIA) amid tight security and a total media blackout over her visit in which airport security officials said they were acting on orders from above. Even local members of the press working with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Reuters, AFP and The EastAfrican did not get any opportunity to interact with the visitor. ZIMBABWE: MINISTER WARNS MEDIA Zimbabwe's Minister of Information and Publicity, Professor Jonathan Moyo, warned media houses and journalists who refuse to register that the wrath of the "law" would descend on them. Moyo was quoted in the state controlled Sunday paper, The Sunday Mail of 23 June, saying that all media houses have to be registered. Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=8656 ZIMBABWE: POLICE REPRESSION HIGHLIGHTS MEDIA POLARITY The ongoing police repression of opposition MDC activity under the Public Order and Security Act continues to highlight the polarity of the media, with the privately owned press viewing the law and the repression as a paranoid, unconstitutional government clampdown on Zimbabweans' democratic rights to their freedom of expression, assembly and association. The government controlled media continued to reflect the official line, reporting and justifying the upsurge in violent police activity against perceived opponents in the context that government was protecting the public from a planned "violent" MDC uprising against a legitimate government. Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=8659 ZIMBABWE: REPORTER EJECTED FROM COURT ROOM A Daily News reporter, Chris Gande, was ejected from a courtroom during court proceedings by a prison official, The Daily News reported on 28 June. Gande, who is based in the city of Bulawayo, was covering court proceedings in which two prison officials are being charged with contempt of court for defying court orders to release two prisoners who had been granted bail. A reporter from the government-controlled Chronicle was, however, allowed to cover the case. Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=8657 /\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\ 12.DEVELOPMENT AFRICA BETRAYED: THE AID WORKERS' VERDICT http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,3604,745610,00.html Aid agencies have rounded furiously on the world's richest countries, describing the G8's much-vaunted rescue plan for Africa as a squandered opportunity and "recycled peanuts". Tony Blair hailed the action plan from the west's leading industrial nations as a "real significant step forward", but the blueprint was strongly criticised for failing to provide the Marshall plan for Africa the prime minister promised at last year's summit in Genoa. AFRICA: 'DEVELOPMENT HAS MEANT DEPRIVING POOR PEOPLE OF THEIR RESOURCES' http://allafrica.com/stories/200206300103.html Development has too often meant depriving the world's poor of their resources, Dr Wolfgang Sachs of Germany's Wuppertal Institute has observed. Launching a memorandum entitled the Jo-Burg Memo for the coming World Summit for Sustainable Development (WSSD) slated for Johannesburg in September, Dr Sachs called for a redefinition of development that would ensure equitable distribution of wealth and social justice. AFRICA: G-8 PLEDGE NOT ENOUGH, CRITICS CHARGE News that some of the continent's poorest countries will receive up to US $1 billion in additional debt relief won a mixed reaction on Monday, with some NGOs alleging that the G-8's pledges were "duplicitous" and "old fashioned ". Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=8639 AFRICA: POOR RATINGS FOR G8 TEAM LEADERS http://www.oxfam.org.uk/campaign/africa/teamsheet.html This was a summit that promised much but failed to rise to expectations. A team of strong individuals that should play together well failed to deliver the goods. Some did better than others, but no team member comes away with much credit from a summit that leaves Africa still on the sidelines. AFRICA: TEN STATES STILL OWE THE OAU $36M http://www.mg.co.za/Content/l3.jsp?a=37&o=5553 African foreign ministers were on Wednesday ready to begin refining the nuts and bolts for the launch of the African Union next week amid revelations that at least 10 states would be unable to vote at the inaugural summit because of debt problems. DEBT STILL THE LYNCHPIN OF GLOBAL ECONOMIC INJUSTICE http://www.debtchannel.org/views/opinion/2002-07.shtml Since the ending of the Jubilee 2000 campaign, activists have been encouraged to divert their energies into other campaigns - around trade, aid and Aids. Western development and finance ministers and IMF staff have breathed a sigh of relief, pleased that the "crude analysis" of the debt campaigners has been replaced by debates about trade. It is of course vital to highlight the double standards of western governments; and to pressurise these governments to reverse trade injustice, increase aid and fight Aids. But it takes a tragedy like the one unfolding in Malawi to remind us that debt remains the very lynchpin of global economic injustice. /\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\ 13.INTERNET AND TECHNOLOGY CALL FOR ESSAYS: ICTS AND DEVELOPMENT Digital Opportunity Channel is currently seeking submissions for publication on its new Web site. Coordinated by the Benton Foundation and OneWorld South Asia, the channel addresses the use of information and communications technologies (ICTs) for global development, as well as initiatives around the world bridging the digital divide. Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=8645 Contact: [log in to unmask] GETTING HELP THAT IS HELPFUL How To Get The Right Volunteers http://www.techsoup.org/articlepage.cfm? ArticleId=398&topicid=7&cg=summit&sg=062602=062602 Organizations that are able to attract and successfully manage volunteers have the ability to ramp up their capacity without incurring the cost and responsibility of staffing for every need. SWAZILAND'S INTERNET MARKET: SMALL BUT WITH ENORMOUS POTENTIAL http://www.balancingact-africa.com/news/current1.html By African standards, Swaziland (with just over a million people) is a tiny country. However, with 20,000 internet subscribers it has reached a market size that is larger than some of its bigger brothers. Terence Sibiya looks at how the market operates and its future potential. Contact: [log in to unmask] /\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\ 14.eNEWSLETTERS AND MAILING LISTS AIDS CONFERENCE EMAIL UPDATES http://www.kaisernetwork.org/aids2002/email If you are unable to attend the upcoming XIV International AIDS Conference in Barcelona, you can sign up to receive a daily email with updates on the latest conference coverage provided on kaisernetwork.org /\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\ 15.FUNDRAISING AFRICA: CANADA BOOSTS SUPPORT FOR AFRICAN RESEARCH http://www.scidev.net/frame3.asp?id=0107200214091239 The Canadian government has announced significant increases in its support for a range of research activities in Africa, particular those related to the search for an effective vaccine against HIV/AIDS, and for agricultural research. Overall, the country plans to increase its spending on HIV/AIDS in Africa four-fold. It will also double its support for Africa-related agricultural research by investing an extra Can$40 million (US$26 million) over three years in programmes carried out through the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). DRC: ADB APPROVES US $800 MILLION IN ARREARS CLEARANCE SCHEME http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=28585 The African Development Bank and the African Development Fund jointly approved on Wednesday a mechanism designed to help the Democratic Republic of the Congo clear arrears of US $800 million owed them. The bank reported that the sum represented 60 percent of the total arrears the Congo owed both bodies. ETHIOPIA: US DONATION TO HELP RESTORE RELIGIOUS TEMPLE http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=28582 The United States has donated US $25,000 to restore one of Ethiopia’s most important religious temples. The restoring the sandstone shrine to its former glory might lead to a boost in tourism for the area. The pre-Christian temple, which dates back to 5th century BC, is now in ruins, but is the only remains of the former capital, which is close to Axum – Ethiopia’s holiest city. MCKNIGHT FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES SECOND QUARTER GRANTS http://www.fdncenter.org/pnd/news/story.jhtml?id=9400077 McKnight Foundation has awarded 185 grants totaling $26.5 million during the second quarter, including $12.6 million for children, families, and communities; $5.8 million for the arts; $4 million for crop research; $3 million for the environment; and $1.1 million for international programs. OPEC OFFERS $8M IN AIDS GRANT http://allafrica.com/stories/200207030575.html Uganda has been selected as one of the 12 countries to benefit from grants from the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) to fight HIV/AIDS. SOUTH AFRICA: LOTTO PAYS FOR NORTH WEST SCHOOL http://www.bday.co.za/bday/content/direct/1,3523,1121647-6078-0,00.html A North West primary school was given a construction site to rebuild its school on Wednesday, at a soil turning ceremony in Letlhabile township near Brits. Uthingo yielded to the call by former President Nelson Mandela to construct a school for the Osaletseng Primary School to the tune of R2.5 million. SOUTH AFRICA: POVERTY RELIEF ROADSHOW http://www.dispatch.co.za/2002/07/03/easterncape/FUNDING.HTM A new pro-active approach to funding poverty relief and community development projects will be unveiled by the National Development Agency (NDA) at a roadshow in Umtata. The roadshow aims to brief local government, NGOs and community organisations on the NDA's new approach that seeks to pro-actively fund community projects instead of waiting for applications. UN SETS ASIDE US $67,600 FOR IKELA RESIDENTS http://allafrica.com/stories/200207020492.html The UN has set aside US $67,600 for a two-year project to distribute seeds directly to 1,800 people, and indirectly to the entire population of the Ikela area of the Democratic Republic of the Congo's northern Equateur Province, after completion of a pilot phase, Noel Tsekouras, an official of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), told IRIN on Tuesday. /\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\ 16.COURSES, SEMINARS, AND WORKSHOPS CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES ON NEPAD A public meeting entitled “CRITICAL PERSPECTIVES on NEPAD - a new partnership for Africa's development?” will be held on 8 July from 5:30 to 6.45 at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London. [near Russell Square, on Thornhaugh Street, London WC1] Nearest Underground: Goodge Street [ Northern Line] or Russell Square [Piccadilly Line]. It will take place in the Assembly Hall - Room G2 - near the reception in the Main Building of SOAS. Organised by the Africa Book Centre with grateful thanks to the African Studies Association of the UK, guest speaker will be Patrick Bond, editor of the new book 'FANON'S WARNING: A Civil Society Reader on the New Partnership for Africa's Development' WOMEN CELEBRATING THE RIGHT TO HEALTHY MINDS, BODIES AND SOULS African health rights activists and researchers from all sub-regions of the continent will meet to discuss issues with policy makers and health service providers -- bringing a forum for debate on some of the most critical issues of Gender and Health in Africa between 4 and 7 February, 2003 in Johannesburg, South Africa. Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=8634 WORKSHOP ON SCIENCE COMMUNICATION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT SciDev.Net is holding a four-day workshop in Entebbe, Uganda between 29 September and 3 October on Science Communication for Sustainable Development. It will bring together a group of scientists, public relations officers, print and radio/TV journalists along with professionals from academies of science, government departments, science and technology policy institutions and non- governmental organisations. Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=8702 YOUNG WOMEN’S SYMPOSIUM IN KENYA The Eastern and Southern African Symposium on Young Women and HIV/AIDS, will take place in Nairobi, Kenya between 27-29 November. The theme is HIV/AIDS, Education and Youth. Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=8703 /\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\ 17.ADVOCACY RESOURCES /\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\ 18.JOBS EDUCATION PROJECT OFFICER - SOMALIA Save The Children UK http://www.fpa.org/jobs_contact2423/jobs_contact_show.htm?doc_id=114131%20 This is a challenging position where the postholder will be responsible for ensuring the implementation of SC UK's education project in 18 rural schools in the Belet Weyne district in Hiran, Somalia. The focus of the project is to improve the access and quality of primary education for children in rural Belet Weyne, and this will be achieved through increasing and providing access to appropriate, participatory and affordable primary education to boys and girls of mixed abilities and social backgrounds. EMERGENCY & REHABILITATION PROGRAMME CO-ORDINATOR - MALAWI Concern Universal http://www.fpa.org/jobs_contact2423/jobs_contact_show.htm?doc_id=114271 CU has designed a multi-strategy Emergency & Rehabilitation Plan (ERP) that encompasses relief food distribution, supplementary feeding to malnourished children, winter cropping, basic food security related rehabilitation & recovery activities, etc. Therefore, this new & challenging Programme Co- ordinator position has been created to further develop & implement the ERP. PROJECT MANAGER - UGANDA http://www.fpa.org/jobs_contact2423/jobs_contact_show.htm?doc_id=114133 Oxfam GB are looking to recruit a Project Manager who will review the current public health situation of IDPs & develop a proposal. The proposal is expected to address the public health concerns of IDPs as well as build the capacity of local and national governments. This programme will fit into the wider national level capacity enhancment plan in emergency preparedness & response. PROVINCIAL COORDINATOR - CONGO International Rescue Committee http://www.fpa.org/jobs_contact2423/jobs_contact_show.htm?doc_id=114275 The Provincial Coordinator will oversee the Health Program. This will include but is not limited to: Establish and maintain a regular system of project monitoring and evaluation; Spend time in the field monitoring the implementation of all projects; Conduct ongoing assessment and evaluation of program needs and consult with Country Director regarding appropriate adjustments in program design or implementation strategies; Assist the Kinshasa office in strategic planning and program design; Ensure the timely submission of technical and activities reports from partners and from field personnel; Keep accurate and organized records; Oversee management of local staff including benefits and adherence to the local staff personnel policy manual. SARC PROGRAM MANAGER - SIERRA LEONE International Rescue Committee http://www.fpa.org/jobs_contact2423/jobs_contact_show.htm?doc_id=114297 The International Rescue Committee seeks a SARC Program Manager for its Sierra Leone Program. The SARC (Sexual Assault Referral Center) project is an innovative addition to IRC's SGBV program in Sierra Leone. The purpose of the SARC will be to provide consistent, appropriate, timely and accessible medical and psychosocial services to survivors and raise awareness of gender based violence and legislative and community action to combat it. SENIOR LEGAL OFFICER Africa International Legal Program Open Society Institute The Open Society Institute (OSI) is a private operating and grantmaking foundation that develops and implements a range of programs in civil society, education, media, public health and human and women's rights, as well as social, legal, and economic reform. The Senior Legal Officer will work in cooperation with the International Legal Program's offices in New York and Budapest, OSI's national foundation in South Africa (OSF-SA), and its regional foundations in Southern and West Africa (OSISA and OSIWA). Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=8676 SOUTHERN AFRICA PROGRAMME MANAGER – WINDHOEK Catholic Institute For International Relations The postholder will develop and manage CIIR’s Southern Africa programme with an operational focus on Namibia and Zimbabwe but with a wider sub-regional outlook. You will increase the programmes effectiveness and impact through advocacy and skillsharing in three prioritised areas: HIV/AIDS, Building Just Societies and Peace and Conflict. You will work constructively with local partner organisations and with marginalised groups, commercial farm workers and the San people. Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=8684 UMBRELLA GRANTS MANAGER - CONGO International Rescue Committee http://www.fpa.org/jobs_contact2423/jobs_contact_show.htm?doc_id=114146 IRC is currently implementing an umbrella grant project that provides grants to local NGOs to implement humanitarian interventions in the sectors of health, water, sanitation, food security, etc. to meet emergency needs for the population of South Kivu. /\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\ 19.BOOKS AND ARTS A MONTH AND A DAY By Ken Saro-Wiwa http://www.over2u.com/shop/product3.html In May 1994 after the death of four moderate Ogoni elders, Nigerian political activist and writer Ken Saro-Wiwa, together with eight others was arrested for their murder. Following the show trial in Nigeria, he and his co-defendants were found guilty and sentenced to be hanged. Despite massive international publicity the executions were carried out by the Nigerian government on 10 November. This is the extraordinary and moving account of Ken Saro-Wiwa's period of detention in 1993. GIVE AND TAKE: WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH FOREIGN AID David Sogge http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1842770691/africapolicyinfo/104-41068 25- 9383952 Foreign aid, mostly from industrialized countries to developing countries, has been going on for 50 years, and some Third World countries depend on it to a remarkable extent. Though its purpose is ostensibly benign, as this introduction to the difficult issues surrounding aid shows, it is the focus of considerable controversy. Aid is an issue of great concern, both financially and morally. This book suggests ways in which aid can be made less of a problem, and more of a solution. INTEGRATING STI/HIV PREVENTION INTO FAMILY PLANNING COUNSELLING How do you deal with the stigma and secrecy surrounding STIs and HIV? Could you help people to talk about sexuality without embarrassment or fear? Could you spot the signs of an abusive relationship? A new guide "Programme Guidance on Counselling for STI/HIV Prevention in Sexual and Reproductive Health Settings" to be jointly launched by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) - the world's largest voluntary organisation working in sexual and reproductive health - answers these and the many other challenges facing family planning counsellors and others dealing with STI and HIV in the field. Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=8611 /\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\ 20.LETTERS AND COMMENTS OPEN LETTER TO MUGABE http://allafrica.com/stories/200207020453.html My name is Hanna Bergstrom and I am a member of Amnesty International in Sweden. I write this letter to express my concern over the continuing restrictions on freedom of expression in Zimbabwe, in particular the signing into the law of the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act. These restrictions contravene the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which Zimbabwe has acceded, in particular Article 19, which guarantees a person's right to freedom of expression and freedom to seek, receive and impart information. /\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\ THIS NEWSLETTER IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY FAHAMU, KABISSA, AND SANGONET Fahamu - learning for change Unit 14, Standingford House, Cave Street, Oxford OX4 1BA, UK [log in to unmask] http://www.fahamu.org Kabissa - Space for change in Africa 24 Philadelphia Avenue, Takoma Park, MD 20912, USA [log in to unmask] http://www.kabissa.org Southern African Non-Governmental Organisation Network (SANGONeT) P O Box 31 Johannesburg, 2000 South Africa [log in to unmask] http://www.sn.apc.org The Newsletter is an advocacy tool for social justice. The Newsletter is open to any organisation committed to this goal. 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