---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Fri, 13 Sep 2002 13:30:26 +0000 From: Charlotte Utting <[log in to unmask]> Reply-To: [log in to unmask] To: [log in to unmask] Subject: [WASAN] FW: PAMBAZUKA NEWS 79 - SEPTEMBER 11 - AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR AFRICA ---------- From: [log in to unmask] Reply-To: [log in to unmask] Date: Thu, 12 Sep 2002 17:10:25 -0500 (CDT) To: [log in to unmask] Subject: PAMBAZUKA NEWS 79 - SEPTEMBER 11 - AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR AFRICA PAMBAZUKA NEWS 79 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 SEPTEMBER 11 – AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR AFRICA ROTIMI SANKORE The tragic events of September 11 2001 represent different things to different people. The victims, the terrorists, western, Arab and Muslim governments, Europeans, Africans, Asians, Muslims and non Muslims, people of different political persuasions and leanings, the media, all perceive September 11 differently and all have no homogenous positions on the events of that day and its fall outs. It will therefore be incredulous to pretend that any single individual or group of individuals can speak for Africa or all Africans in relation to September 11. The one thing that we can be sure of, is that the events of 9-11 as it is now fashionably described, have altered the trajectory of and interaction between international politics, foreign policy, international economic relations, religion, ideology, democracy, human rights and international law. To go a step further, many more people than previously now see how these issues are connected and interact to shape the perception and future of different societies and the world as a whole. In Africa, where slavery, colonialism the cold war, dictatorships and the inequitable nature of north - south economic relations have deepened the problems of poverty, lack of democracy and human rights, it is even more important to reflect on September 11 and its implications for Africa. No one in his or her right mind will deny that the key problems facing Africa today are those of economic underdevelopment, poverty, lack of democracy and human rights. The proportions are different in all countries but the problems are the same. Without democracy and human rights, the problems of economic underdevelopment and poverty in Africa will never be fully addressed. The question therefore, is how has September 11 impacted on the development of democracy and human rights in Africa. To a large extent, the reactions to and fallouts of September 11 have been driven by policies of the United States Bush administration and its allies. This is perfectly understandable for reasons that are self-evident. It is important however that in formulating and implementing policy, all governments have a moral obligation to consider its implication for others especially where such policy could negatively impact on democracy and human rights around the world. The available evidence suggests that this is not the case. Prior to September 11, the rhetoric from a significant number of African governments suggested that even if not fully committed to good governance, human rights and democracy, many of them at least recognised the need to be seen to walking in that direction. After September 11, such rhetoric did not necessarily diminish but became qualified with “recognising the need to fight terrorism”. Many governments which for years have resisted the pressure from civil society to enact legislation, or adopt good practice upholding freedom of expression, assembly, association and other key rights, have suddenly began rushing through “anti-terrorism legislation” curtailing those same rights. In many of cases, the provisions of the laws are so broad that even peaceful and legitimate democratic opposition can be targeted as “terrorists”. In Uganda for instance the Suppression of Terrorism Bill 2001 imposes a mandatory death sentence for “Terrorists and any person who aids, abets, finances or supports terrorism”. In addition Zimbabwe, South Africa, Mauritius and Egypt have adopted or are at advanced stages of adopting similar legislation that restricts freedom of expression, association and assembly, could define certain peaceful activity as abetting terrorism, erodes the right to a fair and open trial, legitimises arbitrary and prolonged detention, and increases powers of surveillance. Many more African countries are openly considering similar legislation. This in itself is a problem, but the problem is further compounded by the fact that major countries around the world have adopted similar legislation. Several Amnesty International reports document similar laws adopted by the United States, and key countries of the European Union. This in turn has created the international cover for less democratic countries. In many cases, some of these laws adopted in Africa could have been borrowed almost directly from US or UK laws. The direct implication of this is an “unholy and unlikely” alliance of a variety of governments against civil liberties in the name of fighting terrorism. This creates a fundamental contradiction for instance within the United Nations system where the hitherto champions of civil liberties are now championing the restriction of these same liberties. The US government has also under the USA Patriot Act enabled the Secretary of State to declare as inadmissible into the US persons that may have undertaken activities including advocacy that undermines the Bush administrations approach to the war on terrorism. Considering that the United Nations is situated in New York, and that thousands of human rights activists visit the US in order to invoke United Nations documents in their struggle to uphold human rights, the Bush Administration could end up undermining the UN system in relation to human rights without necessarily meaning to do so. Add to this the contradiction of key EU governments and the US administration turning a blind eye to “allied” undemocratic governments while condemning others. In the UK Guardian of August 22 2002, US Assistant Secretary of State Walter Kainstener outlined the Bush administrations plans for regime change in Zimbabwe on the basis that the government is undemocratic. The day before, the Pakistani military government headed by General Musharaff a US government ally amended his country’s constitution to give him powers to dissolve future elected parliaments and extend his rule for another five years. The Guardian and other papers also reported this with virtually no complaint from the allies in the war against terrorism. To date the US has not called for the removal of Musharaff [it is worth noting that the alienation of Pakistani civil society can in turn only help Al Queda hide in Pakistan]. Significantly, Pakistan’s earlier suspension from the Commonwealth for Musharaff's coup against an elected government has been conveniently forgotten. It is an absurdity for major powers to create monsters or facilitate circumstances that create them and then embark on policy u-turns that can only worsen the situation. Without going into the complications of the legitimacy of the land problem in Zimbabwe while condemning Mugabe's methods, such contradictions can only strengthen the likes of Mugabe and undermine democracy in Africa. The International Federation of Journalists in its publication on “Journalism and the War on Terrorism” by Aidan White quotes a Mugabe Spokesperson “As for the correspondents, we would like them to know that we agree with US President Bush that anyone who finances, harbours or defends terrorists is himself a terrorist. We too will not make any difference between terrorists and their friends and supporters ” If Mugabe were to suddenly find himself in the unique position of facilitating a US attack on a neighbouring country harbouring terrorists it is easy to see how such rhetoric would suddenly endear him to the Bush Administration. If we are to take only one example of the Democratic Republic of Congo, the world can see how cold war politics, the assassination of the country’s democratically elected leader Patrice Lumumba and support for the dictatorship of Mobutu Seseseko by Western governments plunged the country into a crisis from which it is yet to recover after several decades. There is something deeply unsettling about sacrificing the future of millions of people for the convenience of foreign policy. African countries do not need any more of this. The war on terrorism should not and cannot be fought outside an ethical framework. Any policies that sacrifice human rights for this war will only succeed in fuelling the conditions in which terrorists thrive. The fact that Islam is used as an ideological tool to recruit so called warriors should not obscure the fact that the Middle East is country for country one of the most undemocratic regions in the world. Elections have never been held in Saudi Arabia and will not be held for the foreseeable future. That the majority of the 9-11 hijackers are of Saudi origin cannot be a coincidence. If the same conditions are created in Africa, terrorism, which is by nature a clandestine activity, may well be provided with a popular base that will in turn appear to justify the suppression of democracy in the name of fighting terrorism. African civil society needs to make it clear in policy and advocacy that they are one hundred percent opposed to terrorism, but also one hundred percent committed to democracy. There is no contradiction in this. There is nothing anti-American about upholding democratic rights. There should be absolutely no doubt that any laws that curtail freedom of expression, association, assembly, and so forth in Africa will be used against democratic opposition and human rights activists. One year after September 11, and, dozens of anti-democratic laws later, no one knows where Osama bin Laden, Mullah Omar, and at least five thousand to ten thousand “graduates” of the Al Queda training camps are. It is therefore important to begin now to call for the immediate repeal of all provisions of anti-terrorism legislation that promotes the suppression of human rights and for a halt to such legislation in Africa. Not to do so may plunge Africa into strife and conflict from which it may never emerge. Participants at the 10th International Freedom of Exchange (IFEX) general meeting in Dakar have led the way by adopting a declaration on September 11 2002 by condemning “acts of terror and crimes against humanity such as the attacks on the United States one year ago” but also criticising “anti terrorism laws passed in many countries in the aftermath of September 11 attacks” that “include provisions that undermine civil liberties and in some cases severely restrict the right to freedom of expression and freedom of information”. It is important that all national, regional and international human rights and freedom of expression organisations around the world follow this lead. Sankore is Coordinator of CREDO for Freedom of Expression and Associated Rights. WSSD LINKS * See the Corruption, Women and Gender, Environment and Development sections of Pambazuka News for more news on the World Summit on Sustainable Development. * Visit http://www.worldsummit.org.za/ for Commission reports from the Global People's Forum and the final statement from Civil Society. * See http://enn.com/news/wire-stories/2002/09/09052002/reu_48345.asp for a list of Summit winners and losers. * The International Institute for Sustainable Development has released a 17 000 report on the WSSD. Find it at http://www.iisd.ca/linkages/2002/wssd/ * Find the two documents that make up the Johannesburg Declaration on Sustainable Development at http://www.iisd.ca/linkages/2002/wssd/0409_l6rev2_pol_decl.pdf and http://www.iisd.ca/linkages/2002/wssd/0409_l6_rev2_corr1.pdf WSSD: IN JOBURG, STREET LEVEL ACTION TRUMPS BOARDROOM BLUSTER Patrick Burnett, Fahamu The Bill Gates of Johannesburg in the gold rush of the 1880’s was reputed to be a Frenchman by the name of Jacques Lebaudy whose level of excess astonished even the stinking rich of the time. Lebaudy was said to have driven a carriage with a harness made out of solid gold, once filled his swimming pool with champagne, entertained his guests with troops of exotic dancers imported from Baghdad and made sure that a new city fountain gushed with wine. English journalist Flora Shaw coined the term “classless excess” when writing about the materialism of the post gold rush era represented by Lebaudy and - more than 100 years later - Johannesburg still thrives on its reputation as a center of smash-and-grab greed. Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=9984 WSSD: MASS STRUGGLE IS THE ONLY WAY! Statement By The Social Movements Indaba On The WSSD The Social Movements Indaba, together with many social movements from all over the world, declare that: The World Summit on Sustainable Development, held in the super-rich suburb of Sandton, Johannesburg, has failed. The world’s poor, and the earth’s deteriorating environment have benefited nothing from the Summit. Instead of a lift out of poverty and a healthier environment, the world can look forward to a deepening of poverty on a global scale, and to a further deterioration of the environment. Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=9985 /\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\ 2.CONFLICT, EMERGENCIES, AND CRISES BURUNDI: REBEL GROUPS CALL FOR INCLUSION IN CEASEFIRE TALKS http://irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=29791 Four Burundian rebel movements have said they must be included in all ceasefire negotiations with the government. CONGO: THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE HIT BY FAMINE IN SOUTHERN CONGO http://allafrica.com/stories/200209090275.html Thousands of people are currently hit by famine in Congo Brazzaville. Official and humanitarian sources confirmed here late last month that as much as 32 percent of the country's entire population are starving. DRC: UN CONCERNED OVER MILITARY ADVANCES http://irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=29727 The UN peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has expressed concern over recent advances made by rebel troops and the Rwandan Patriotic Army (RPA) into territory recently vacated by the Ugandan army. HIV AND CONFLICT: A DOUBLE EMERGENCY http://www.savethechildren.org.uk/hiv/pdfs/conflict.pdf In war, HIV/AIDS spreads rapidly as a result of sexual bartering, sexual violence, low awareness about HIV, and the breakdown of vital services in health and education. In conflict situations, young people are most at risk. These are some of the reflections of a report detailing the experiences of the International Save the Children Alliance on HIV/AIDS and its effects on young people in conflict situations around the world. HORN OF AFRICA: SECURITY COUNCIL VOTES TO EXTEND UN MISSION IN ETHIOPIA, ERITREA http://www.cbc.ca/cp/world/020907/w090716.html The UN Security Council has decided to keep UN peacekeepers in Ethiopia and Eritrea six more months to give the countries time to mark their border. The Horn of Africa neighbours fought a 2½-year war over the 1,000-kilometre border, a conflict that cost 80,000 lives. The fighting ended in December 2000, when they agreed to establish an international commission to draw the border. NIGERIA: FEDERAL GOVERNMENT DEPLOYS TROOPS TO BAKASSI http://allafrica.com/stories/200209070021.html There are indications that following the protracted dispute over who owns the Bakassi peninsular, Nigeria may have deployed troops to the disputed area, to protect Nigerian nationals around the border from possible attack from Cameroun's gendermes. SUDAN: SUDAN BRACES FOR MORE FIGHTING http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/2233350.stm Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir, has launched a major military offensive in southern Sudan, ordering his army to act without restraint. Peace talks in the Kenyan town of Machakos collapsed on Monday after the rebels seized a key garrison town. UGANDA/DRC: UGANDA AND DR CONGO MAKE PEACE http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/2242273.stm The presidents of Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo have signed a peace accord aimed at ending three years of hostility. The signing took place last Friday in Angola, whose president Jose Eduardo dos Santos has taken on the role of peace broker in the Congo conflict. UGANDA: NORTHERN UGANDA "STRETCHED TO THE LIMIT" http://irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=29778 Unrelenting attacks by the rebel Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) have created a "horrendous" humanitarian situation and stretched local resources in northern Uganda beyond their limits, according to a UN report. ZIMBABWE: HUNGER TAKES ITS TOLL http://zwnews.com/issuefull.cfm?ArticleID=5110 When WFP head James Morris arrived in Nhwali to inspect the distribution of mielies, an unprecedented seven government trucks filled with bags of mielies for sale rolled up, the first time since July that even one truck has arrived to feed the 9 000 people in the area, deep in opposition territory. ZIMBABWE: ORGANISED VIOLENCE CONTINUES http://zwnews.com/Augustviolence.doc Organised violence has reportedly continued to prevail in all parts of the country. The Public Press and the Zimbabwe Human Rights Forum have received a large number of reports on human rights and political violations allegedly perpetrated by the uniformed officials, with the greatest prevalence being reported in Manicaland. This is according to the latest report on political violence from the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum. ZIMBABWE: SHOTS FIRED AS ZIMBABWE http://www.news24.com/News24/Zimbabwe/0,1113,2-259_1255121,00.html Gunfire was exchanged as about 70 pro-government militants raided a white-owned farm and barricaded the family inside their home in northern Zimbabwe, says the Justice for Agriculture organisation. /\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\ 3.RIGHTS AND DEMOCRACY DJIBOUTI: MULTIPARTY POLITICS APPROVED http://irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=29722 Djibouti President Ismael Omar Guelleh has announced the introduction of multiparty politics to coincide with the 10th anniversary of the country's constitution on 4 September. KENYA: MOI WANTS PARTY CRITICS OUT http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/2246406.stm The Kenyan president has sacked a junior minister and told those Kanu party members who oppose his choice of successor to quit the party. On Monday, the official presidential press service announced that deputy Foreign Minister Peter Odoyo had been relieved of his duties with immediate effect. NIGERIA: MAN FACES SHARIA STONING DEATH Human Rights Watch has condemned the imposition of a death by stoning sentence on a man in the northern state of Jigawa in Nigeria. Earlier this month, an appellate Sharia court in northern Nigeria upheld a stoning sentence against a 30-year old woman for having sex outside marriage. Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=9867 NIGERIA: IMPEACHEMENT CRISIS CONTINUES http://irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=29764 Persistent wrangling between the executive and legislative arms of government in Nigeria took a critical turn when the House of Representatives last month gave President Olusegun Obasanjo a fortnight to resign or face impeachment. The two weeks have since passed, with Obasanjo defying the motion of the lower chamber of parliament, ridiculing it as "a joke taken too far". NIGERIA: SPATE OF HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES, SAYS NEW REPORT http://www.omct.org/displaydocument.asp?DocType=Publication&Language=&Index= 2274 The last two and half years of elected civilian government in Nigeria have witnessed an alarming spate of violence and gross human rights violations. In over 50 separate and documented incidents, over 10 000 Nigerians have reportedly been victims of extra-judicial executions, says a new report from the World Organisation Against Torture. RWANDA: A SETBACK FOR JUSTICE IN RWANDA The recent decision issued by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) that there is “insufficient evidence” to proceed with the prosecution of Col. Léonidas Rusatira at this stage, demands further explanation, says the organisation African Rights. Col. Rusatira was indicted by the ICTR on five counts of genocide and crimes against humanity and arrested in Belgium on 15 May 2002. Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=9908 SOMALIA: HUMAN RIGHTS PROBLEMS IN SOMALIA REQUIRE SERIOUS ATTENTION The Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in Somalia, Dr. Ghanim Alnajjar, has called on local leaders, civil society organizations, and the international community to work together to address serious human rights problems throughout Somalia, and advocated for the establishment of national and regional Independent Human Rights Commissions. Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=9891 ZIMBABWE: CONCERN OVER DISREGARD FOR RULE OF LAW http://irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=29685 Human rights bodies have condemned the alleged "silencing of dissent" and "disregard for the rule of law" in Zimbabwe. Amnesty International said the Zimbabwean authorities were "intensifying harassment of human rights organisations, the independent media and the judiciary", ahead of local council elections later this month. ZIMBABWE: MDC CALLS FOR SHOWDOWN AGAINST MUGABE http://iafrica.com/news/worldnews/156077.htm Zimbabwe's opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai warned on Monday of a gathering "people's storm" that would battle what he called President Robert Mugabe's "civil-military junta". /\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\ 4.CORRUPTION ANGOLA: US IGNORES GRAFT CLAIMS IN QUEST FOR ANGOLAN OIL http://story.news.yahoo.com/news? tmpl=story&u=/ap/20020903/ap_wo_en_po/fea_angola_tainted_oil_1 If not for its oil, Angola would scarcely warrant a second look from most potential investors. Riven by Africa's longest postcolonial war, the country has distinguished itself mainly for poverty, corruption and, most recently, the threat of famine. But the blessings of geography and plentiful crude reserves have earned Angola increasing attention from the United States as Washington seeks to diversify sources of U.S. oil imports away from the volatile Middle East. KENYA: GOVERNMENT TO SPEND 1.8M DOLLARS IN FIGHTING CORRUPTION http://www.transparency.org/cgi-bin/dcn-read.pl?citID=45088 The government is to spend 150m shillings [1.8m dollars] to train public officials to fight corruption. Some 970 officers from government departments, parastatals and local authorities will be trained to help combat corruption at their places of work. KENYA: REPORTS NOTE PERSISTENT CORRUPTION High levels of corruption continue to persist in Kenya despite various efforts made to fight the phenomenon, according to two newly released reports. Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=9888 KENYA: TRAFFIC POLICE MOST CORRUPT, REPORT REVEALS http://allafrica.com/stories/200209030556.html Traffic police are the most corrupt, a new report on corruption reveals. Traffic officers were found to have developed numerous creative ways of soliciting for bribes, giving the entire police force a bad name. MALAWI: STARVING MALAWI LOSES $40M IN CORRUPT MAIZE SALES http://www.mg.co.za/Content/l3.jsp?a=37&o=8728 Malawi has lost $40-million in the corrupt sale of maize, a staple food in a country where more than three million face starvation, a top government official says. The figure, supplied by an official from the country's national audit office who asked not to be named, follows last month's revelation that 160 000 tons of the country's strategic grain reserves had been mismanaged. MOZAMBIQUE: CARDOSO MURDER: SUSPECT ESCAPES FROM TOP SECURITY JAIL Joseph Hanlon One of the six men accused of murdering Mozambique's best known journalist, Carlos Cardoso, has escaped from Maputo's top security jail. A police spokesman confirmed on Monday to Cardoso's widow, Nina Berg, that the suspect, Anibal Antonio dos Santos Junior (better known by his underworld nickname of Anibalzinho), had escaped from the prison at about 23.00 on Sunday night. No further details of the escape are yet available. Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=9923 NAMIBIA: TRAINING TARGETS OFFICIAL GRAFT http://www.namibian.com.na/2002/august/marketplace/027FE89C3B.html About 300 state accountants will be trained under a scheme to prevent fraud and mismanagement launched by the Ministry of Finance and the Finnish Embassy. The training is part of a project to strengthen financial controls in Namibia. It has been sponsored by the Finnish government to the tune of 488 000 euros, about N$5,2 million, between 1998 and 2002. NIGERIA: MARUBENI CAUGHT IN KICKBACKS TO NIGERIA http://www.transparency.org/cgi-bin/dcn-read.pl?citID=45251 The trading house Marubeni Corp. has paid 400 million yen in penalty taxes for concealing about 1 billion yen in income over a three-year period, sources said. Of the hidden funds, hundreds of millions of yen went in kickbacks to Nigeria. Kickbacks were paid after Marubeni won a contract to sell printing machines to Nigeria. SWAZILAND: BLOOD MONEY USED FOR LUXURY JET The People's United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO) of Swaziland has condemned the decision to spend $45m on a luxury jet for the mountain kingdom's monarch. "We are outraged by the government's decision to secretly and lavishly spend taxpayers' money and aid funds in this manner whilst tens of thousands of Swazis are severely affected by the current drought," the organisation said in a statement. Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=9862 WSSD: GLOBAL GOVERANCE PERPETUATES CORRUPTION Patrick Burnett, Fahamu Naomi Ngwira cannot understand why the whole of Africa can’t survive without Coca-Cola. Speaking at a meeting to discuss global governance and corruption at the Global People’s Forum, a parallel event held at the same time as the World Summit on Sustainable Development, Ngwira asked why more concerted action wasn’t taken against the United States, International Monetary Fund and World Bank over their harmful policies. “Is it really the case that we can’t do anything about the US, IMF and World Bank?” she asked, “Can’t we begin to impose sanctions on the United States?” Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=9928 ZAMBIA: CHILUBA CAN FACE CORRUPTION CHARGES http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/africa/2225419.stm Former Zambian President Frederick Chiluba can be stripped of his immunity and face prosecution on corruption charges, a High Court has ruled. /\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\ 5.HEALTH AFRICA/GLOBAL: HEALTH: A GLOBAL PUBLIC GOOD? http://www.iphn.org/bulletin10.htm This paper is based on a report by the Commission on Macroeconomics and Health. The main argument being put forward being that investment in the health of the poor would contribute to a wide range of global public goods such as equity, security, peace and a healthy environment. AFRICA/GLOBAL: HIV/AIDS NGO/CBO SUPPORT TOOLKIT Produced By: International HIV/AIDS Alliance http://www.aidsalliance.org/ngosupport/ The HIV/AIDS NGO/CBO Support Toolkit is an electronic library of resources about NGO/CBO support that have been collated by the Alliance from a wide range of organisations, based on the understanding that there are many viable approaches to NGO/CBO support provision. These resources are accessible on CD- ROM as well as on the website. AFRICA: SACHS URGES AFRICAN NATIONS TO ADDRESS HIV/AIDS BEFORE FOREIGN DEBTS http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?DR_ID=13213 Calling HIV/AIDS a "silent holocaust," Jeffrey Sachs, director of Columbia University's Earth Institute and a special adviser to U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, said last Saturday that African nations should devote their resources to fighting HIV/AIDS before servicing foreign debts. ETHIOPIA: REPRESENTATIVES OF 14 CENTRAL AND EAST AFRICAN NATIONS ATTEND HIV/AIDS CONFERENCE IN ETHIOPIA http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?DR_ID=13247 Nearly 100 representatives from 14 Central and East African nations have met at the U.N. Economic Commission for Africa headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to discuss the impact of HIV/AIDS on the region and to develop a plan of action. LIBERIA: CHOLERA CASES REPORTED IN MONROVIA http://irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=29788 At least four out of over 600 diarrhoea patients reported in the Liberian capital, Monrovia, since July were suffering from cholera, according to government health officers. MOZAMBIQUE: HEALING PEOPLE -- AND A COUNTRY http://allafrica.com/stories/200209060625.html In some parts of Africa, traditional healers are the first available person a sick person turns to when facing a health emergency. These healers are often a central component of the primary health care system. In Swaziland, for example, 85 percent of people with HIV/AIDS consult a traditional healer at some time during their sickness. One response to the HIV/AIDS induced African health crisis is that traditional healers are increasingly asserting their role in society and demanding recognition and incorporation into primary health care networks being established on the continent. NIGERIA: CHOLERA EPIDEMIC HITS GOMBE STATE http://irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=29663 An outbreak of cholera in Gombe State, northern Nigeria, has killed dozens of people, local officials said on Sunday. Worst hit in the epidemic is the town of Jero Musa in Akko local council area, where 11 people, including three members of one family, died in one day, they said. RWANDA: 2 MILLION PEOPLE STILL AT RISK OF MENINGITIS IN RWANDA http://www.newafrica.com/news/articlepg1.asp?ID=51129&countryid=40 The outbreak of meningitis in Rwanda continues to threaten the lives of some 2 million people, and fears are the disease may spread close to the capital Kigali, endangering another one million people, UNICEF said in a press release Tuesday. SOUTH AFRICA: HANDS OFF MRC, SAYS PROF http://www.health-e.org.za/view.php3?id=20020901 The Medical Research Council (MRC) is under great political pressure to toe the party line and become "the trusted scientific voice that justifies unscientific findings or pseudo-science", according to MRC president Dr Malegapuru Makgoba. SOUTH AFRICA: VIRTUAL PROJECT COMBATS HIV IN SOUTH AFRICA http://www.scienceinafrica.co.za/2002/september/cells.htm A new South African project is set to revolutionise how AIDS patients manage their anti-retroviral treatment regimes, which often involve taking as many as 20 pills a day. The Cell Life project — a collaboration between the University of Cape Town and the Cape Technikon — hopes to solve the management problem of HIV/AIDS by using a mix of information communications technology, health and engineering expertise. ZIMBABWE: GOVERNMENT 'URGES' CITIZENS TO BE TESTED FOR HIV http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?DR_ID=13353 The government of Zimbabwe has "urged" country residents to undergo voluntary HIV testing, Xinhua News Agency reports. Minister of Health and Child Welfare David Parirenyatwa said that knowing one's HIV status is "very important" to plan for the future. /\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\ 6.EDUCATION AND SOCIAL WELFARE LIBERIA: FOCUS ON SC-UK FAMILY TRACING ACTIVITIES http://irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=29710 Miatta Sheriff and Maima Kromah are six-year old Liberian children. They have lived for several months in a camp for internally displaced persons (IDPs) and have no idea where their parents are. Sheriff and Kromah are among thousands of Liberian children separated from their parents by fighting between government troops and rebels of the Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD) since 1998. AFRICA/GLOBAL: A QUALITY EDUCATION FOR ALL http://www.campaignforeducation.org/_html/2002-docs/05-quality_en/frameset.s html Recent studies show that many children in developing countries are leaving school without learning to read, write or do basic sums. The Global Campaign for Education argues that this is an injustice and a waste of human potential that must be challenged. Improving the quality of public education is also one of the fundamental actions - along with expanding access and abolishing fees and charges - needed to achieve the 2015 goal of universal completion of primary school. AFRICA/GLOBAL: ENVIRONMENTAL DISEASES KILL MILLIONS OF CHILDREN http://allafrica.com/stories/200209020022.html Environment-related diseases and illnesses kill the equivalent of a jumbo jet full of children every 45 minutes, World Health Organisation director-general Dr Gro Brundtland says. AFRICA/GLOBAL: EVERY CHILD IN SCHOOL: ARE THE G8 SERIOUS? http://www.oxfam.org/what_does/advocacy/papers/Every_Child_in_SchoolG8.doc A credible strategy now exists to get every child into school. But the strategy will be worthless unless it is backed by major additional resources from G8 countries. New figures show that aid for basic education remains dismally low. The Global Campaign for Education argues in a new paper that it is time for the G8 to move beyond public relations gimmicks and produce a real breakthrough for the world's poor. AFRICA: AIDS, PUBLIC POLICY, AND CHILD WELL-BEING Research Report http://www.unicef-icdc.org/research/ESP/aids/aids_index.html The study, published by UNICEF's Innocenti Research Centre, draws on nine country case studies from Africa and Asia to examine the damage caused by HIV/AIDS to the well-being of children and families and to the smooth functioning of the societies in which they live. AFRICA: FACING UP TO THE AIDS ORPHANS CRISIS http://www.id21.org/society/s5bml1g1.html Of the 21 million deaths from AIDS to date, three quarters were people living in sub-Saharan Africa. AIDS in Africa is fuelled by poverty, and it is causing a humanitarian and economic crisis in which children orphaned by the disease are growing up without parents, schooling or adequate food. What should African governments and the international community be doing to tackle this growing catastrophe? MALAWI: LIFE-SAVING INITIATIVE FOR NEWBORN BABIES http://irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=29630 Struggling with one of the highest child-mortality rates in the world, Malawi has launched an unconventional care programme aimed at saving the lives of newborn babies. Malawi has a childhood mortality rate of 104 deaths for every 1,000 live births. The Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) programme intends to halve that rate. MALAWI: POVERTY RESPONSIBLE FOR ALARMING SCHOOL DROPOUTS http://allafrica.com/stories/200209090278.html With pupils limping to school on empty stomachs and dressed in tatters, Malawi may not realise her ambition to increase the number of citizens who are able to read and write. Experts have always pointed at poverty as the main reason for the escalating rate of school drop outs. Many of the children are absorbed in the child labour market to help their poor families earn additional incomes to finance basic requirements. SOUTH AFRICA: GOVERNMENTS URGED TO PROVIDE CHILDREN WITH BASIC NEEDS http://allafrica.com/stories/200209040338.html Delegates at the Global People's Forum called for governments to make sure that children have access to health, education and clean water. But for the world's 100 million street children a 2015 implementation date might just be out of reach. SOUTHERN AFRICA: SIX MILLION CHILDREN AT RISK FROM FAMINE The lives of more than six million children are at immediate risk in Malawi, Zambia, Lesotho, Swaziland and Mozambique due to a crippling combination of drought, hunger, illness and HIV/AIDS. UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) Executive Director, Carol Bellamy, toured drought-stricken Southern Africa before attending the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg. Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=9905 /\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\ 7.WOMEN AND GENDER AFRICA/GLOBAL: GENDER AND CONFLICT EARLY WARNING: A FRAMEWORK http://www.international-alert.org/women/Ewgender.pdf This paper presents an initial framework on how to integrate a gender perspective into all levels of conflict early warning and preventative response systems. The author examines the links that can be made between gender and early warning and identifies areas where the integration of a gender perspective can improve existing models. AFRICA/GLOBAL: WAR - WHAT PRICE ARE WOMEN PAYING? http://www.wfsnews.org/ At the 8th International Women's World Conference in Uganda recently, delegates gathered to address the issues of violence against women in war and armed conflict. The Conference identified the need to raise the volume of women's voices in the peace movement, and build a critical mass of women to implement various UN resolutions at global, regional and national levels. AFRICA/GLOBAL: WOMEN SCORE LAST-MINUTE VICTORY AT SUMMIT http://www.planetwire.org/details/3240 In a big win for women's right to reproductive health, the final World Summit declaration included language linking women's health services to human rights, rather than "cultural and religious values." AFRICA: A PAIN OF LABOUR THAT NEVER ENDS http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/239/science/A_pain_of_labor_that_never_end sP.s html Fistula affects an estimated 2 million women worldwide, with 50,000 to 100,000 new cases each year. The overwhelming majority are in Africa. Nigeria alone has an estimated one million victims. Another 200,000 are in Ethiopia. In Niger, the condition is so common, it is the leading cause of divorce nationwide. KENYA: PLEA FOR FAMILY LIFE EDUCATION http://allafrica.com/stories/200209010049.html More than 10,000 girls drop out of school annually due to unwanted pregnancies, with those in day and mixed schools being the most affected. Some girls are said to opt for abortion to remain in school, risking their lives in the process. SOUTH AFRICA: WOMEN SCIENTISTS ‘HAVE KEY ROLE IN DEVELOPMENT’ http://www.scidev.net/frame3.asp?id=2708200211055822 South Africa is to set up an advisory group to ensure that women’s interests are adequately addressed in all spheres of science and technology policy, according to Bridgett Mabandla, deputy minister in the country’s Department of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology (DACST). SWAZILAND: SWAZI WOMEN TURN TO PROSTITUTION AS HUNGER BITES Bhekie Matsebula http://www.swazis.org.uk/~features/prostitution.html As the food crisis gets worse in most parts of Swaziland, many people, particularly women, have resorted to prostitution and crime as the only means of survival in the face of the ravaging famine hitting Swaziland. A majority of families along the Lavumisa-Manzini highway are now giving away their female children, some as young as 12 years, to truck drivers who pay at least R50 for a round of sexual intercourse. WSSD: WOMEN IN FRONTLINE BATTLE AGAINST AIDS Patrick Burnett, Fahamu Mukarwego Athanasie knows what it is like to be used as a weapon of war. “I am a victim of rape that was used as a weapon during the war in Rwanda,” she says. As part of their campaign of terror, HIV infected soldiers would rape whole villages of women to spread the virus amongst the civilian population. Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=9929 WSSD: WOMEN’S TENT DEMANDS ACTION Patrick Burnett, Fahamu A special gathering of women held as part of the World Summit on Sustainable Development has called for a United Nations Convention on Corporate Accountability to monitor, address and sanction violations by corporations. The final declaration of the Women’s Action Tent, held between 26 and 30 August, demanded that UN conference outcomes should not be compromised in the process of building greater coherence with international finance and trade institutions. Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=9977 /\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\ 8.REFUGEES AND FORCED MIGRATION ANGOLA: MSF SAYS HUNGRY IDPS ON THE MOVE IN SOUTHEAST http://irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=29635 Thousands of hungry people in southeastern Angola are heading for the town of Mavinga in the hope of finding food, Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) warned in a statement. DRC-RWANDA: UNHCR CONCERNED AT "FORCED REPATRIATION" OF REFUGEES http://irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=29729 The UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Ruud Lubbers, has expressed "grave concern" over the apparent forced repatriation, since 31 August, of some 1,500 Congolese refugees from Rwanda to North Kivu, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. GUINEA: EFFORTS UNDER WAY TO REGISTER LIBERIAN REFUGEES http://irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=29666 The office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has undertaken a major registration exercise for all Liberian refugees in three camps in southeastern Guinea, UNHCR Media Relations Officer Delphine Marie said on Friday. KENYA: 3,000 DISPLACED BY INTER-ETHNIC CLASHES Some 3,000 people displaced by recent inter-ethnic conflict in Isiolo, central Kenya, are refusing to return to their homes for fear of further violence, according to local sources in Isiolo. Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=9978 RWANDA: RWANDA REPATRIATES 1,300 DR CONGO REFUGEES http://allafrica.com/stories/200209060544.html Rwandan authorities have repatriated at least 1,300 refugees to Nord-Kivu Province in the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo. In coming weeks, an Organising Committee for the Repatriation of Congolese Refugees in Rwanda plans to help 31,500 people return to their homes, the committee announced. SIERRA LEONE: FIRST BATCH OF RETURNEES ARRIVE FROM NIGERIA http://allafrica.com/stories/200209050554.html The first batch of 69 people, who sought refuge in Nigeria as a result of the war in Sierra Leone, have been voluntarily repatriated. UGANDA: DISCUSSIONS UNDERWAY TO RESETTLE SUDANESE REFUGEES http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=29819 The Ugandan authorities and the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, have said they are finalising plans to resettle some 24,000 Sudanese refugees who were displaced from their camp in northern Uganda in early August, following an attack by the rebel Lord's Resistance Army (LRA). WSSD: ‘MISERABLE’ REFUGEE CONDITIONS BLOCK SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT Patrick Burnett, Fahamu The refugee crisis in Africa was a major obstacle to sustainable development and needed to be urgently addressed in order for gains to be made in poverty alleviation on the continent. Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=9930 ZAMBIA: GOVT ALLOWS GM FOOD AID FOR REFUGEES http://allafrica.com/stories/200209090178.html The Zambian government has allowed the World Food Programme to start distributing genetically modified (GM) food aid to refugees. /\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\ 9.RACISM AND XENOPHOBIA SOUTH AFRICA: 'RACISM' TAG HARMS CAPE http://allafrica.com/stories/200209040361.html Perceptions of widespread racism, and lingering concerns about safety and security, are among the key challenges the Western Cape must tackle to make more of its tourist appeal. /\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\ 10.ENVIRONMENT AFRICA/GLOBAL: BIODIVERSITY AND FISH DEALS AT THE EARTH SUMMIT http://enn.com/news/wire-stories/2002/09/09052002/reu_48346.asp A U.N. plan to cut poverty while saving the earth's resources agreed on last Wednesday includes measures to replenish fish stocks and slow the rate at which rare species of plants and animals are being wiped out. Many leading scientists and the United Nations itself have painted a gloomy picture of the planet's future. Some experts say up to 50 percent of the world's species could be wiped out by human activity in this century. AFRICA: FUTURE GRIM FOR WORLD'S GREAT APES http://ens-news.com/ens/sep2002/2002-09-03-01.asp Less than 10 percent of the habitat now inhabited by the great apes of Africa will be left undisturbed by 2030 if road building, mining camps and other infrastructure developments continue at current levels says a new report to the World Summit on Sustainable Development. AFRICA: GROWING USE OF HERBAL MEDICINE THREATENS PLANT LIFE http://allafrica.com/stories/200209090289.html It is now officially recognised by the World Health Organisation, that 80 percent of the people in poor economies rely on traditional medicine for their primary health care. In many countries, the ratio of orthodox medicine practitioners to the population is still very high. A recent research finding shows that resurgent enthusiasm for traditional medicine is leading to over- harvesting of plants from the wild for medicinal use. AFRICA: TENSIONS ESCALATE OVER GM FOOD AID http://www.mg.co.za/Content/l3.jsp?a=37&o=8733 Environmental groups and biotech companies are accusing each other of exploiting starvation in much of southern Africa for political gain as countries in the region try to determine whether it is safe to use genetically engineered crops to relieve famine. BURUNDI: HUNDREDS OF HECTARES OF FOREST UP IN SMOKE http://irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=29577 A week-long fire, which has razed 700 ha of the Kibira forest, in northwestern Burundi, was started by rebels who have been using the area as a stronghold for its attacks on government troops, news sources who have just visited the area said. GABON: GABON PRESERVES 10 PERCENT OF LAND FOR PARKS http://ens-news.com/ens/sep2002/2002-09-05-06.asp A full 10 percent of the land mass of the African country of Gabon will be set aside for a system of national parks, the nation's government announced last Wednesday. Gabon, which had no national park system until this week, contains some of the most pristine tropical rainforests on earth, home to gorillas, chimpanzees, forest elephants and a host of other wildlife. IVORY COAST: URGENT FOCUS ON ENDANGERED WESTERN AFRICAN CHIMPS http://ens-news.com/ens/sep2002/2002-09-06-19.asp#anchor1 Africa's endangered western chimpanzee is the object of an urgent action plan to be announced September 13 by an international group of scientists and government officials meeting in Abidjan. NIGERIA: VILLAGERS REPORT FRESH OIL SPILL FROM SHELL PIPELINE http://irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=29639 A rupture in a pipeline belonging to oil giant Royal Dutch/ Shell has resulted in a major oil slick in Nigeria’s southern Niger Delta, local residents reported last Friday. Residents of Rumuekpe community, near the Nigeria’s oil industry capital, Port Harcourt, said oil from a broken pipe, 20 inches diameter, was spreading through creeks and streams in the area, seeping into farmland and destroying plants and trees. /\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\ 11.MEDIA CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: JOURNALISTS TRAINED AS HIV/AIDS EDUCATORS Fifty radio and television reporters are receiving training on HIV/AIDS and the techniques of educating the population in the Central African Republic (CAR). Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=9899 MALAWI: JOURNALIST ASSAULTED On 21 August 2002, Bright Sonani, a senior reporter for the "Malawi News", was assaulted by three unidentified men who accused him of writing stories that were critical of the government. Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=9870 MAURITANIA: IPI CONDEMNS SEIZURE OF WEEKLY NEWSPAPER'S 22 AUGUST 2002 ISSUE The International Press Institute (IPI), the global network of editors, media executives and leading journalists, has strongly condemned the seizure of issue number 219 of El Qalem, an Arabic-language weekly newspaper. Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=9940 NIGER: CPJ DEEPLY CONCERNED ABOUT ARRESTS OF JOURNALISTS The Committee to Protect Journalists has expressed deep concern about the climate for independent journalism in Niger, following the recent arrests of two journalists and a presidential decree restricting the media. Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=9872 SUDAN: END CRACKDOWN ON PRESS The government of Sudan should end its recent crackdown on the press, Human Rights Watch has said in a letter to the Sudanese president. In the past week, the government's National Press Council (NPC) has confiscated entire daily editions of three newspapers. Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=10002 TOGO: POLITICIAN AND JOURNALIST FACE JAIL TERMS A Togolese opposition leader and a journalist could be sentenced to four years imprisonment each for "defamation" following the publication of articles saying that President Gnassingbe Eyadema is one of the world's richest men. Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=9935 ZIMBABWE: FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT REFUSED WORK PERMIT RENEWAL Agence France Presse (AFP) foreign correspondent, Griffin Shea's application for a renewal of his work permit has been turned down by the Zimbabwe government, MISA-Zimbabwe has established. Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=9942 /\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\ 12.DEVELOPMENT AFRICA/GLOBAL: GLOBALISATION: A THREAT TO SOCIAL POLICY? http://www.id21.org/society/s7bsc1g1.html There is growing concern that globalisation threatens the ability of developing countries to address social policy concerns. Is there a need for a global regulatory framework to protect social rights? Should the international financial institutions (IFI) be getting involved in social policy or would a new institution to deal with social policy be more likely to win support? AFRICA: BUSH REGIME ANTI-AFRICAN http://www.africaaction.org/desk/sb0209a.htm U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell's visit to the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) was “a day late and a dollar short” as far as making a positive difference is concerned, charges Africa Action. "Powell owes it to Africa to be honest about the Bush Administration’s lack of interest in fighting poverty and protecting the environment in Africa. But that is not possible while he still loyally serves what has become a very anti- African administration," said Africa Action Director Salih Booker. AFRICA: DEBT RELIEF LEADS TO INCREASED DEVELOPMENT http://www.jubileeresearch.org.uk The latest report from Jubilee Research (JR) shows how the debt relief granted so far has resulted in large increases in health and education spending in Africa. Entitled "Relief Works" the report also demonstrates that there has been no corresponding increase in arms purchases, showing that the proceeds of debt relief do indeed effectively contribute to increased development. MOZAMBIQUE: WHEN ECONOMIC REFORM GOES WRONG http://ksgnotes1.harvard.edu/research/wpaper.nsf/rwp/RWP02- This paper is a case study into the impact of an export liberalization programme on cashew farmers in Mozambique. The authors argue that opponents of the reform felt that the policy did little to benefit poor cashew farmers while bankrupting factories in urban areas. It presents an analysis into the distributional and efficiency consequences of the liberalization program, and concludes that after 10 years, there was little to show for the reform. NIGERIA: NIGERIA ADMITS DEBT CRISIS http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/2220219.stm Nigeria has said it can no longer afford to service its $33bn foreign debts because of plunging oil revenues and the failure of some of its privatisation plans. SOUTHERN AFRICA: DEATH ON THE DOORSTEP OF THE SUMMIT http://www.oxfam.org.uk/policy/papers/29doorstep/29doorstep.pdf The food crisis has many causes but the most significant according to this report, is the failure of agricultural policies. The paper asks why, after years of World Bank and IMF designed agricultural sector reforms, do Malawi, Zambia and Mozambique face chronic food insecurity. The answer given is that reforms were carried out without first carrying out a serious assessment of their likely impact on poverty and food security. The 'one size fits all' liberalisation policies implemented have failed to lead to growth but have exacerbated the exclusion of the poor from the market. WSSD: 'AT LEAST IT WASN'T AS BAD AS IT COULD HAVE BEEN' http://www.presentdanger.org/frontier/2002/index.html Thirty years after the Stockholm meeting on the environment launched the era of massive environmental conferences, the World Summit on Sustainable Development ended not with a bang, but with a whimper. The 10-day conference pulled together 9,000 delegates, 8,000 NGOs, and 4,000 media representatives (well below the 65,000 originally projected) in what is widely viewed as an unworthy descendant of the 1992 Rio Earth Summit. The most gracious comment one leading environmentalist could come up with was "at least it wasn't as bad as it could have been." WSSD: CORPORATE RULES LIKE ‘PUTTING THE FOX IN CHARGE OF THE HENHOUSE’ Patrick Burnett, Fahamu People from across the world - mainly from Africa - stood up in front of thousands at a meeting on corporate accountability at the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) and faced the television cameras to voice their anger at how the negative impacts of globalisation resulted in their continued poverty and disempowerment. Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=9931 WSSD: FAIR TRADE NEEDS BOTTOM-UP PARTICIPATION Patrick Burnett, Fahamu Liberalised international trade would not lead to sustainable development in Africa, with World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules written in a way that benefited rich countries at the expense of the poor. Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=9932 WSSD: IT'S BETTER TO BREAK THE LAW THAN BREAK THE POOR Patrick Burnett, Fahamu Africa faced enormous electricity supply problems in both urban and rural areas, with a large portion of the population relying on paraffin as the principle source of fuel in rural areas, and the lack of electricity exacerbating conditions of poverty. Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=9927 WSSD: NEPAD A ‘SAD DAY’ FOR AFRICA Patrick Burnett, Fahamu The New Partnership for Africa's Development (Nepad) endorsed the free trade agenda of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund while failing to acknowledge how harmful these policies had been for Africa. In addition, the plan to boost Africa's position on the world stage was flawed because it had failed to consult Africa's people about the best way to uplift the continent. Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=9926 WSSD: NO SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT WHILE PEOPLE ARE STARVING Patrick Burnett, Fahamu It was useless to talk about sustainable development when people were starving and when there were poor education facilities and declining health care in a country, said Lucie Jessie Nyirenda of the Economic Justice Network in Malawi. Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=9925 WSSD: PAYING THE BANK AT THE COST OF HUMAN WELFARE Patrick Burnett, Fahamu Developing country governments were continuing to service illegitimate debts that could not be paid without causing enormous human harm, Leslie Fields from Friends of the Earth International told a Global People's Forum meeting on debt eradication during the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD). Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=9933 /\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\ 13.INTERNET AND TECHNOLOGY AFRICA: TECHNOLOGIES NOT GENDER NEUTRAL http://africa.rights.apc.org/resources.shtml?-1-Gender ICTs have enormous potential to benefit girls and women in terms of enhanced income-generation opportunities, employment, and improved quality of life, but because technologies are not gender neutral, it is important to advocate for ICT strategies to reduce and manage the potential for ICTs to create economic and social exclusion and reinforce existing social disparities.' -- gender activist, Gillian Marcelle, in her chapter, 'Getting Gender into African ICT Policy: A Strategic View' which appears in the book 'Gender and the Information Revolution in Africa' (IDRC, 2000) APC AFRICA HAFKIN COMMUNICATIONS PRIZE With 5 more days to the deadline for nominations, we are urging eligible organizations to apply/nominate for this year's APC Africa Hafkin Communications Prize for 2002 ' People-Centred Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Policy in Africa'. The APC Africa 'Hafkin' Prize recognises outstanding initiatives using information and communications technology (ICTs) for development. Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=9982 CHARTER ON AFRICAN MEDIA AND THE DIGITAL DIVIDE The 6th Highway Africa conference on Journalism and New Media in Africa came to a close in Johannesburg, South Africa last Friday, with the adoption of a charter articulating key priorities for ensuring the role of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in the continent's development. Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=9864 FINAL CALL FOR APC AFRICA HAFKIN COMMUNICATIONS PRIZE 2002 With 5 more days to the deadline for nominations, we are urging eligible organizations to apply/nominate for this year's APC Africa Hafkin Communications Prize for 2002 ' People-Centred Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Policy in Africa'. Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=9989 Contact: [log in to unmask] SOUTH AFRICA: ADSL - AVAILABILITY, HYPE AND COSTS http://www.itweb.co.za/sections/columnists/doubletake/burrows020904.asp?A=%& O=H Personally, I'd love to get a huge pipe out to the Internet. The true Internet junkie can never have enough bandwidth. But... is it really worth it? Tracey Burrows takes a look at the hype and the facts surrounding Telkom's recent introduction of this service to a few South Africa users. The reader comments are worth browsing. SOUTH AFRICA: MBEKI'S IT COUNCIL SETS PRIORITIES http://www.itweb.co.za/sections/computing/2002/0209101136.asp?A=%&O=F ITWeb - Government will prioritise three key areas in its drive to develop Information and communication technology in SA. This was decided at the high- powered Presidential International Advisory Council on Information Society and Development in the Western Cape at the weekend. UNITED NATIONS ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR AFRICA AISI Media Awards The Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) has introduced the AISI Media Awards to encourage more informed coverage of the information society and ICT for development issues in Africa as part of the its AISI Outreach and Communication Programme. The AISI Media Awards is aimed at individual journalists and media institutions based in Africa that are “promoting journalism which contributes to a better understanding of the information society in Africa". Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=9857 WSSD: ALTERNATIVE MEDIA TOOK TO THE NET The World Summit was covered by a number of independent online media portals and initiatives. Take a look at this brief - and by no means exhaustive - list. Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=9993 /\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\ 14.eNEWSLETTERS AND MAILING LISTS AFRICA: NEPAD DISCUSSION LIST If you would like to participate in the online discussion: African Women and NEPAD, please send email to FEMNET at [log in to unmask] indicating your interest in this discussion. Contact: [log in to unmask] AID WORKERS EXCHANGE www.aidworkers.net/exchange "Aid Workers Exchange" is an experimental weekly e-mail for knowledge sharing amongst field staff in humanitarian relief and international development. To subscribe write to [log in to unmask] with the title "subscribe". /\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\ 15.FUNDRAISING $15M ENDOWMENT FROM SOUTH AFRICA: DEUTSCHE BANK FOR AFRICA FOUNDATION http://www.thusanang.org.za/index.php?option=news&task=viewarticle&sid=93 Deutsche Bank South Africa has formally launched its Africa Foundation aimed at supporting and uplifting impoverished individuals and communities. Deutsche Bank Board of Directors approved a US$15-million endowment for the Africa Foundation in 2001. SOUTH AFRICA : AGENCY FUNDS KZN COMMUNITY http://www.thusanang.org.za/index.php?option=news&task=viewarticle&sid=85 The National Development Agency on Thursday handed over a cheque for R200 000 to the community of Msinga in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands. SOUTH AFRICA : AUSTRIAN COMPANIES DONATE R 1,4M TO LOCAL SCHOOL http://www.thusanang.org.za/index.php?option=news&task=viewarticle&sid=92 An Orange Farm school has received R1,4-million from Austrian companies attending the World Summit on Sustainable Development, according to Education Africa. The money will be used to build a science, environment and technology centre at the Masibambane College, south of Soweto. SOUTH AFRICA : DFID INJECTS R360M INTO EASTERN CAPE SCHOOLS http://www.dispatch.co.za/2002/09/10/easterncape/AAAALEAD.HTM In a seven-year educational transformational programme for Eastern Cape schools, DFID has injected R360-million for the so–called Imbewu programme. The programme includes among other things turning 1500 Eastern Cape schools into self-governing schools. The programme will be officially launched at the JS Skenjana School in Idutywa today. SOUTH AFRICA : KWAZULU-NATAL AIDS GRANT SAGA CONTINUES http://www.iol.co.za/index.php? click_id=13&art_id=ct20020908214153534G4141290&set_id=1 Four months have passed since the Global Fund for HIV/Aids, TB and malaria approved a multi-million rand donation, provoking the anger of Health Minister Dr Manto Tshabalala-Msimang. She met the fund's executive director, Dr Richard Feachem, in Geneva on Friday to discuss her opposition on the allocation of the money to KwaZulu-Natal. But they failed to resolve the issue. SOUTH AFRICA : R300M BOOST FOR SA WATER AND FORESTRY http://www.bday.co.za/bday/content/direct/1,3523,1167893-6078-0,00.html The UK government has granted R330-million to the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry. This multi-donor effort has been pledged over five years to support the UK’s strategic plan to ensure the efficient management of water and forestry resources so that they benefit the poor. SOUTH AFRICA : WHOLE LOTTO DENIAL GOING ON http://www.iol.co.za/index.php? set_id=1&click_id=13&art_id=ct20020901212533871L360624 Despite a damning report on the state of lottery payouts, the head of the National Lotteries Board says the board is doing everything by the book.Sershan Naidoo, chief executive of the National Lotteries Board, said amendments in the legislation, due to come into force by the end of this year or early next year, would make it easier for the board and the Department of Trade and Industry to distribute some of the unspent millions. /\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\ 16.COURSES, SEMINARS, AND WORKSHOPS COUNSELLING SKILLS TRAINING http://www.comminit.com/events_cal/2002/870-event.html This course, taking place between 3 and 16 November in Kampala, Uganda, is intended for service providers in youth centers, teachers, and tutors/wardens in educating institutions, and will equip participants with skills to assist adolescents in managing their reproductive health lives. Contact: [log in to unmask] HUMAN RIGHTS AND DEMOCRATIZATION A new MA Program - Human Rights and Democratization - is a one-year inter- disciplinary program aiming to train human rights professionals in the field, including fact-finding, reporting, monitoring, education, lobbying, and research. Participants will obtain a thorough understanding of the legal framework, human rights instruments, and enforcement mechanisms in South Africa, Africa, and internationally. Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=9856 INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON THE ROLE OF NGOS The Watchman International Network is organizing two international conferences on "The role of NGOs in the current political climate". Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=9898 PAN-AFRICAN CONFERENCE ON PRISON AND PENAL REFORM IN AFRICA Penal Reform International (PRI) is an international human rights organisation and is organising a pan-African conference on penal systems in Ouagadougou, on 19-20 September 2002. For three days, around 150 participants including representatives from prison administrations, the judiciary and from the non- governmental sector, supported by international experts from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), UNICEF, and Amnesty International, will gather and discuss the possibility to find an “African” solution to the specific problem of the use of prison in Africa. Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=9938 THE USE OF INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS PROCEDURES FOR THE PROMOTION AND PROTECTION OF THE RIGHTS OF WOMEN IN AFRICA African Center For Democracy And Human Rights Studies The African Center for Democracy and Human Rights Studies is seeking applicants for the fifth training course on "The Use of International Human Rights Procedures for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Women in Africa." The training course will be held on October 7-12, 2002, in Banjul, The Gambia, and intends to build the capacities of young human rights activists, particularly women, on the use of regional and international instruments to promote and protect the rights of women in Africa. The course will be conducted in English and French. Contact: [log in to unmask] /\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\ 17.ADVOCACY RESOURCES DAY OF ACTION AGAINST COKE Please endorse the Global Day of Protest Against Coca-Cola to pay for AIDS treatment for its 100,000 African workers. Coke is the largest foreign employer in Africa. Volkswagen, Heineken and DaimlerChrysler already pay for AIDS treatments in Africa. Anglo Gold and DeBeers (diamonds) recently promised to do so. Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=9936 NEW WORLD BANK BONDS BOYCOTT WEBSITE LAUNCHED http://www.worldbankboycott.org Center for Economic Justice has launched a new, updated website for the World Bank Bonds Boycott campaign. Colorful, easy to navigate, and updated with all the latest campaign developments, www.worldbankboycott.org is a valuable new resource for organizers and others interested in global economic and environmental justice. SUDAN: FEARS OF TORTURE OVER SUDANESE ACTIVISTS Around 150 activists belonging to Sudan's opposition have been arrested during the past two weeks, according to the OMCT. The organisation fears that the detainees will be subjected to torture and requests concerned individuals and organisations to put pressure on the Sudanese authorities. Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=9900 /\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\ 18.JOBS AFRICA: GRANTS COMMITTEE MEMBER Comic Relief Set up in 1985, Comic Relief exists to tackle poverty and promote social justice. In seven Red Nose Days, we have raised over £170 million, every penny of which is now hard at work helping some of the poorest people across the UK and in Africa. We are looking for experienced and enthusiastic people to join our Africa grants committee, which advises our Trustees on spending this money as effectively as possible. Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=9881 GLOBAL: CONFLICT DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE ROSTER International Rescue Committee IRC is seeking experienced development professionals to work in IRC country programs undergoing the transition from relief to development. Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=9858 KENYA: EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ACORD http://www.acord.org.uk/b-employment.htm Are you looking for a job where you are an integral part of a forward thinking innovative development agency in Africa? Do you believe that people are the primary actors in their own survival and development? Do you want to be part of an organisation that works in common cause to enable people living on the margins of African societies to exercise their rights? KENYA: JUNIOR PROFESSIONAL OFFICER World Agroforestry Centre http://www.scidev.net/notices/detail.asp?t=J&id=0609200216075910 This position is in the Alternatives to Slash-and-Burn (ASB) Programme (www.asb.cgiar.org) whose objective is to identify, develop and implement innovative policies, institutions and technologies that can reduce poverty and conserve tropical forests. SIERRA LEONE: DEPUTY COUNTRY PROGRAMME MANAGER Oxfam www.oxfam.org.uk/involved/jobs/jobsearch.htm With the growth of our programme in Sierra Leone it has become necessary to recruit a Deputy to the Country Programme Manager. We are therefore looking for an experienced manager to ensure that the programme is to a high standard, as well as playing an important deputising role. /\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\ 19.BOOKS AND ARTS CULTURAL TRANSFORMATION AND HUMAN RIGHTS IN AFRICA Edited By Abdullahi A. An-Na'im http://www.zedbooks.demon.co.uk/home.htm There are many difficult questions surrounding the legitimization and protection of human rights in non-Western cultures. This book clarifies in an African context both what ought to constitute human rights and strategies for their realization. LEARNING FOR A FUTURE: REFUGEE EDUCATION http://www.unhcr.ch/pubs/epau/learningfuture/learningtoc.htm This book looks at education as a vehicle for rebuilding refugee children's lives, through social interaction and gaining knowledge and skills for their future lives. It reviews the state of the art, identifies key issues and best practices, and aims to assist in updating UNHCR guidelines for assistance to refugee education in developing countries. The five chapters in this book address different issues within the context of education for refugees. NEW WORKBOOK ON HUMAN RIGHTS AND WOMEN'S LIVES "Passport to Dignity," a human rights workbook, provides a comprehensive framework of the Beijing Platform for Action and recounts particular examples of women's initiatives throughout the world. It also has exercises that guide readers through a path of personal and group reflection on how to use human rights as a tool for systemic analysis, and social and economic transformation. Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=9901 SOUTH AFRICA: MEMORY CLOTH ARCHIVE http://www.africancolours.com/?content/voicesofwomen.html# A South African archive of memory cloths created by 1000 women, belonging to the Zulu community and living in the region of KwaZulu Natal, is a project conceptualized by Andries Botha as a part of his ongoing exploration of the relationship between creativity and society. THE GREENING OF BUSINESS IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES Edited By Peter Utting http://www.zedbooks.demon.co.uk/home.htm How accurate are the claims of large corporations that they are now environmentally responsible and promoting development? This book examines the debate and identifies areas of progress as well as the limits of corporate environmentalism in developing countries. /\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\ 20.MEMBERS CORNER /\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\ 21.LETTERS AND COMMENTS CARNIVORE RESCUE & REHAB CENTRE A suitable large farm or piece of bushland in either Tanzania or Botswana is being sought to set up a Carnivore Rescue & Rehab Centre. Further, those keen on setting up this project will need assistance in terms of funding/sponsorship. If anyone knows of such a property or has suggestions/can assist with the financial aspect, please get in touch. Contact: [log in to unmask] IN PEACE (OR PIECES) In Peace (Or Pieces) Comrade, since you say We can't eat democracy with All those sour choices Pinstriped lies And decorated fools Since you say Only war will do Tell me then - How else can we dream in peace? How else? Can we dream? In Peace? © Akwasi Aidoo Pokuase, 21 August 2002 LETTER FROM JOHANNESBURG http://enn.com/news/enn-stories/2002/09/09052002/s_48339.asp Well, it's over. People will be sifting through the ashes for some time and life will go on, but a milestone this was not. If the environment is to survive, it will be despite this conference, rather than because of it. MARK HAMMERSLEY May I congratulate you on such a comprehensive and informative news service. MR EMIL RORKE Cape Town, South Africa Very interesting and very comprehensive. I think that it will take me a while to find my way around and to get to know the Kabissa, Fahamu, Pambazuka and Sangonet sites, but I suspect that my efforts will prove to be worthwhile. MRS HANNAH MALLAH Sierra Leone I would like to subscribe to your weekly newsletter through my email address. Your newsletter is very good. /\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\ 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. You can use this Newsletter to tell others about your work, events, publications, and concerns. The quality and range of information depends on you. SUBMIT YOUR NEWS If your organisation is a regular provider of information, please ensure that your information is widely read by adding [log in to unmask] to your addressbook and mailing lists. Help us in particular by making sure that sections relevant to your work are well represented. We consider every submission to that address for inclusion. Please attribute original sources by including a website address and/or contact e-mail. SUBSCRIBE The Newsletter comes out weekly and is delivered to subscribers by e-mail. Subscription is free! To subscribe, send an e-mail to <pambazuka-news- [log in to unmask]> with only the word 'subscribe' in the subject or body. WRITE AN EDITORIAL We welcome original editorials. Typically, editorials run 300-500 words and include links and contact details of their authors. Space is available through the website for longer editorials. Please inquire to [log in to unmask] FAIR USE This Newsletter is produced under the principles of 'fair use'. We strive to attribute sources by providing direct links to authors and websites. When full text is submitted to us and no website is provided, we make the text available on our website via a "for more information" link. Please contact [log in to unmask] immediately regarding copyright issues. The views expressed in this newsletter, including the signed editorials, do not necessarily represent those of Kabissa, fahamu and SANGONeT. (c) Kabissa, Fahamu and SANGONeT 2001 If you wish to stop receiving the newsletter, unsubscribe immediately by sending a message FROM THE ADDRESS YOU WANT REMOVED to [log in to unmask] Please contact [log in to unmask] should you need further assistance subscribing or unsubscribing. /\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\ ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~--> Sell a Home with Ease! http://us.click.yahoo.com/SrPZMC/kTmEAA/MVfIAA/DKgolB/TM ---------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Next WASAN meeting is Wednesday, August 28, 2002. Location: Safeco Jackson Street Center, E Main between 23 & 24, Suite 200, Seattle 7:00 pm Business meeting (everyone is welcome) 7:30 PM "Africa 101: The Diversity and Complexity of Africa." Everyone is welcome. 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 Your use of Yahoo! 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