Date: Thu, 19 Jun 2003 16:38:54 +0200 To: <[log in to unmask]> Subject: PAMBAZUKA NEWS 115: BARRIERS TO AFRICAN REGIONAL INTEGRATION: THE INTERNATIONAL AID SYSTEM AND CORPORATE INTERESTS PAMBAZUKA NEWS 115: BARRIERS TO AFRICAN REGIONAL INTEGRATION: THE INTERNATIONAL AID SYSTEM AND CORPORATE INTERESTS 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 BARRIERS TO AFRICAN REGIONAL INTEGRATION: THE INTERNATIONAL AID SYSTEM AND CORPORATE INTERESTS Alex De Waal Why is the entire African continental economy no larger than Spain's, at $580 billion? Why is the combined GDP of the 40-plus countries that lie between South Africa and Egypt scarcely bigger than the annual turnover of ExxonMobil? There's a weary consensus that blames low prices for Africa's agricultural exports, corruption, cash-starved infrastructure and, increasingly, the devastating economic impact of AIDS. But less explored is the perverse logic of dividing Africa's small economic space into fifty sovereign entities. Regional economic integration is an absolute prerequisite for poverty reduction: expanding markets, attracting investment, and increasing savings. Unfortunately, there are powerful interests that stand in its way - mainly the politicians and bureaucrats who extract rent from their possession of sovereign privileges to tax and regula te. Take Djibouti in northeast Africa. It has about half a million people and virtually no domestic economy. It depends wholly on three things: a port and railway link that serve the much larger economy of landlocked Ethiopia, a French military base (recently augmented by a U.S. command centre, used for keeping watch on Yemen and monitoring al Qa'ida's attempts to infiltrate the Horn of Africa), and lastly the fact that tiny Djibouti, by virtue of its sovereign independence, has a seat at the United Nations, the African Union and the Arab League, and therefore also has representation at the World Bank, United Nations specialised agencies and bilateral donors. A simple survey will show that across Africa, the smaller the country, the more aid it receives per capita. Partly this is simply because most nations have a desk officer in every large aid bureaucracy and thus a champion in the system. And partly it is because every now and then, the vote of that country may become important in some critical international forum. (The U.S. suddenly became much more conciliatory towards Angola last summer, coinciding with Angola taking one of Africa's seats on the U.N. Security Council.) Small countries are also more attractive as sites for military bases: their domestic problems are more manageable and their loyalty is more easily obtained than larger ones. Five years ago, there was some discussion that Djibouti might merge with its neighbour Ethiopia. The rents that Djibouti's rulers can extract from the international system have put paid to that. On the other side of the continent, tiny Gambia broke up its sensible confederation with its sole and much larger neighbour, Senegal, because its leading officials were profiting too little from the arrangement. The executives of international oil corporations, avowed globalisers in theory, are in practice the friends of regressive political economies. Oil companies prefer to negotiate deals with small countries rather than large ones: in a country with a million people, political stability can simply be bought, whereas there is a sad history of oil fuelling conflict in larger countries like Angola, Nigeria and Sudan. Oil wealth is a top-down resource: it's easy to distribute as largesse, and the smaller the constituency, the more effective it can be. NGOs certainly have no intention to impede the continent's growth, but their operations may, at times, do exactly that. Aid agencies control substantial parts of the transport sector in Mozambique, but their contracts are not awarded through competitive bidding, but instead on opaque criteria developed by bureaucrats behind closed doors in Washington or Brussels. The domestic entrepreneurial class cannot compete. Forty years ago, Africa's independence leaders came together to form the Organisation of African Unity - a minimum framework for organising the continent during the turmoils of the Cold War. Ordinary Africans longed for something more: true political unity. Last year in Durban, Africa's heads of state finally agreed to establish an African Union, a big step along this road. The new institution promises to build an ambitious array of institutions including a Pan African Parliament, but it is likely to be hampered by financial weakness and the vested interests of governing elites. Regional economic integration has historically been driven by a powerful manufacturing sector seeking to expand its markets. This is the case for Europe, the Far East and North America, and is manifestly the case for economic globalisation. By contrast, regional integration among non-industrialised countries has had more modest achievements - from the Mercusur economic cooperation pact in Latin America to the historic alliance of independent frontline African states against Apartheid South Africa. As the least developed continent, Africa faces the greatest challenges to integration. With the exception of South Africa, it is largely dependent on agrarian produce, minerals and aid. The African Union's member states have long been used to seeing their continental organisation as a forum to defend their sovereign interests, and a bureaucracy in which to place 'their men'. The current and incoming chairs - South Africa and Mozambique -are both democracies, but there are fears as to the standing of the Union if a less respected country were to become its head. However, there have been encouraging steps. In its last years the Organisation for African Unity refused to recognise the putschists in Sierra Leone and Ivory Coast, and insisting on only accepting rulers who come to power through constitutional means. But only when a Pan-African parliament is established that can set continental standards for democracy, mineral companies forced to become more transparent about payments to countries, and aid distributed in ways that promote economic integration, will Africa begin to escape its structural paralysis. That will require African leaders to sacrifice the spoils of sovereignty for the long-term promise of continental development. * Alex de Waal is Programme Director for the Commission for HIV / AIDS and Governance in Africa, and a director of Justice Africa. This editorial is a shortened version of an essay from the book 'Unbinding Africa: Making globalisation work for good governance', edited by Phoebe Griffith. More information: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php? id=15803 * Please send comments on this editorial to [log in to unmask] IFJ CHALLENGE TO AFRICAN UNION LEADERS: SET JOURNALISTS FREE AND ABANDON PRESS CONTROLS IFJ ENDORSES CREDO-FAHAMU CAMPAIGN The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has called on African Union Heads of State to release all jailed journalists and repeal all anti freedom of expression legislation. The IFJ is supporting a petition launched on June 5th by CREDO for Freedom of Expression and Associated Rights and Fahamu to be presented at the African Union meeting of Heads of State in Maputo in July and addressed to President Thabo Mbeki of South Africa, the current Chair of the AU. Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=15817 Contact: [log in to unmask] SUPPORT FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION: SIGN THE CREDO AND FAHAMU PETITION CREDO for Freedom of Expression and Associated Rights and Fahamu have launched a petition calling on African Union Heads of State to release all incarcerated journalists and repeal all anti freedom of expression legislation. The petition is to be presented at the African Union meeting of Heads of State in Maputo in July and is addressed to President Thabo Mbeki of South Africa, the current Chair of the AU. Click on the link below to read the full letter and join the petition. Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=15814 Contact: [log in to unmask] /\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\ 2.CONFLICT, EMERGENCIES, AND CRISES BURUNDI: REBEL GROUP STEPS UP ATTACKS http://irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=34788 Attacks by the Conseil national pour la defense de la democratie-Force pour la defense de la democratie (CNDD-FDD) rebel faction led by Pierre Nkurunziza have increased in several areas in Burundi, the latest being the abduction on Monday of a local official in Kayanza Province to the north of the country. DRC: CEASEFIRE TALKS FOR NORTH KIVU REBELS TO RESUME http://irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=34835 Negotiations to reach a ceasefire among various armed groups in North Kivu Province of eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) were due to resume on Wednesday in Bujumbura, capital of Burundi, a UN official said. DRC: CONGO CRISIS: MILITARY INTERVENTION IN ITURI http://www.crisisweb.org/projects/showreport.cfm?reportid=1005 The district of Ituri in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo is experiencing spiralling violence bordering on genocide. The crisis urgently needs to be stopped. However the French-led Interim Emergency Multinational Force (IEMF) being deployed to Bunia, the administrative centre, is totally insufficient. A much bigger UN intervention force is needed, that operates over a greater geographic area and stays much longer than the few months currently envisaged. There must also be sustained pressure on Rwanda, Uganda and Congo's leaders - and their proxy militias - to support the local pacification process in the area and finalise negotiations towards the establishment of a legitimate transitional Congo government. This is according to a new report from the International Crisis Group. DRC: ILLICIT SMALL ARMS UNDERMINE PEACE EFFORTS http://www.ips.org/ There are an estimated 100 million small arms in the hands of individuals, or militia groups, in Africa, according to various reports. The proliferation of such weapons was the major factor in the ethnic and religious strife, political instability and violent crime on the continent, the reports say. A Kalashnikov, or an AK-47 rifle, costs as little as 15 U.S. dollars in Bunia, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. LIBERIA: CEASEFIRE RAISES PEACE HOPES http://www.mg.co.za/Content/l3.asp?a=37&o=22480 Joy erupted in the battle-scarred streets of Monrovia Wednesday after a ceasefire between Liberia's besieged government and two rebel groups brought hope of an end to 14 years of war. Related Links: * Ceasefire signed in Ghana http://irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=34806 * Fighting resumes in interior http://irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=34782 LIBERIA: TOUGH CHALLENGES AHEAD FOR LIBERIA PEACE PACT http://allafrica.com/stories/200306180374.html No-one is hailing the ceasefire agreed in Ghana on Tuesday between Liberian adversaries as the end of that country's civil war. But most people, especially Liberians, are hoping it will achieve a halt in the fighting - a first step along a long road to peace. MALI: PROMOTING PEACE AND RECONCILIATION -RADIO PROGRAMMING PROJECT IN TIMBUKTU REGION http://www.africanconflict.org/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=669 The Northern Mali Peace and Reconciliation Project, supported by a small grant, has helped to promote peace through radio programming in Northern Mali and is positive proof that small projects can bring large results. The six-month activity has contributed to the significant conflict reduction in the Timbuktu Region of Mali and left participating stations with mechanisms and a mission to promote peace and reconciliation. SUDAN/UGANDA: KHARTOUM DENIES BACKING UGANDAN REBELS http://irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=34850 Sudan has strongly denied accusations, made on Monday by the Acholi Religious Leaders' Peace Initiative (ARLPI) in northern Uganda, that the Sudanese army is continuing to arm the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) rebel group. SUDAN/UGANDA: MUSEVENI ACCUSES SUDAN OF REARMING REBEL FIGHTERS http://allafrica.com/stories/200306160194.html President Yoweri Museveni, on a state visit to the US, has accused Sudan of secretly arming Joseph Kony's Lord's Resistance Army and fuelling the insurgency in northern Uganda in a bid to expand her borders. WEST AFRICA: THE TANGLED WEB OF WARS http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/africa/03/tangled_war/html/default.stm The full scale rebellion in Liberia is part of a complicated web of conflicts which began more than a decade ago. Governments in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Ivory Coast have been struggling to hold power against rebel groups, trading accusations with neighbouring nations over who is backing who. Liberia's rebel-turned-president, Charles Taylor is accused of arming rebels in Sierra Leone's civil war, but is now under threat himself from a rebel group which he claims started operating out of Guinea. /\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\ 3.RIGHTS AND DEMOCRACY AFRICA/GLOBAL: FIGHT CONTEMPORARY SLAVERY BY ELIMINATING ROOT CAUSES , SAYS UN OFFICIAL Contemporary forms of slavery cannot be eliminated unless the international community goes beyond mere legal prohibitions to fighting its root causes such as poverty, gender discrimination and violence against women, according to the acting United Nations human rights chief Bertrand Ramcharan, who was opening the 28th session of the Working Group on Contemporary Forms of Slavery in Geneva. Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=15789 AFRICA/GLOBAL: U.S. WINS ANOTHER EXEMPTION FROM WAR CRIMES COURT http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=655&ncid=655&e=1&u=/oneworld /20030613/wl_oneworld/118151055524991 While angry and reluctant members of the UN Security Council voted last Thursday to extend its exemption of U.S. soldiers and officials from the jurisdiction of the new International Criminal Court (ICC) for a second year, U.S. Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld threatened to block funding for NATO's new headquarters in Brussels unless Belgium amended or withdrew a controversial law permitting its courts to try foreigners for war crimes and genocide. AFRICA/SOUTH AFRICA: IMPACT OF PRIVATISATION ON RIGHTS SHOULD BE CONSIDERED, AFRICA COMMISSION TOLD The South African Human Rights Commission (HURISA), in a statement to the 33RD session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights held in late May, urged the commission to consider the impact that privatisation was having on the implementation of socio-economic rights enshrined in the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights not only in South Africa but in countries throughout the continent. Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=15706 ALGERIA: UNREST AND IMPASSE IN KABYLIA http://www.crisisweb.org/projects/showreport.cfm?reportid=996 In late April 2001, lethal provocations by elements of Algeria's National Gendarmerie triggered protracted and deadly rioting in Kabylia. That the unrest from Kabylia's Black Spring continues to this day reflects the political system's nation-wide failure to adopt reforms that address its deficit of democratic representation, says the International Crisis Group. Neither the regime, nor the Kabyle political parties nor the so-called "Coordinations" that lead the protest movement in the region has to date proposed a serious formula for ending the impasse. ANGOLA: NEW BLOOD FOR ANGOLA'S MPLA http://www.mg.co.za/Content/l3.asp?ao=15758 Angola's ruling MPLA has started preparations for a landmark congress in December that will see the most comprehensive cleaning out of a revolutionary movement in Africa. President José Eduardo dos Santos said 45% of the party's leadership would be swept out to make way for new blood. He is insisting that every position, including that of leader, be contested at what will be the MPLA's fifth congress. GUINEA-BISSAU: UN DOUBTS ABILITY TO HOLD ELECTIONS IN JULY http://irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=34742 UN Secretary General Kofi Annan has cast doubt on Guinea-Bissau's ability to hold credible parliamentary elections next month, remarking that the small West African country "has embarked on a downward course" following its return to democracy three years ago. LIBERIA: A CALL TO ACTION http://www.crisisweb.org/projects/showreport.cfm?reportid=998 The 4 June 2003 announcement of the indictment of Liberian President Charles Taylor by the Special Court for Sierra Leone propels the Liberian conflict into a new situation, with both opportunities and risks for the international community, says the International Crisis Group. Handled correctly, it can provide an opportunity to purge the region of one of the most serious threats to regional stability and usher in a new era of peace, stability, and democracy. Mishandled, the indictment can spark a new spiral of violence of catastrophic proportions not only for the Liberian people but also for the citizens of Sierra Leone, Guinea and the Ivory Coast. MAURITANIA: PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS SET FOR NOVEMBER DESPITE COUP ATTEMPT http://irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=34719 Mauritanian President Maaouiya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya has confirmed plans to go ahead with presidential elections in November after narrowly surviving a coup attempt that led to two days of heavy fighting in the capital Nouakchott. SOMALIA: AMNESTY CALLS FOR LEADERS WHO WILL PROTECT HUMAN RIGHTS http://irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=34786 The London-based rights group Amnesty International has called on delegates attending Somali peace talks in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, to choose leaders who will protect the human rights of all Somalis. SWAZILAND: A WIND OF CHANGE http://www.actsa.org/News/features/010503_swazi.htm A recent manifesto by PUDEMO, the main opposition party in Swaziland, marks a new phase in opposition politics, setting out detailed policies on issues such as poverty and HIV/AIDS. But despite a growing yearning for freedom and a rise in support of democratic forces, all opposition movements are forced to operate illegally. Visit Action for Southern Africa's web site for an interview with Mario Masuku, leader of PUDEMO. ZIMBABWE: HARASSMENT OF LAWYERS AS CIVIC ACTION CONTINUES The Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) says it has received disturbing reports of the harassment of lawyers at police stations throughout the country. "This is a very serious issue and is of grave concern to ZLHR," the organisation said in a press statement. Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=15698 ZIMBABWE: OPPOSITION SAYS HANGINGS A SHOW OF 'BRUTE FORCE' http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_791195.html Zimbabwe's opposition has described the hanging of four convicted murderers as a show of "brute force" at a time when its leader faces treason charges that could lead to a death sentence. ZIMBABWE: TSVANGIRAI PROTESTS HIS INNOCENCE http://zwnews.com/issuefull.cfm?ArticleID=7008 The treason trial of Zimbabwe opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai, accused of plotting to eliminate President Robert Mugabe ahead of presidential elections last year, resumed on Tuesday. The trial, which resumed after a three week break, concerns the first charges of treason brought against the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader and two key members of his party, Welshman Ncube and Renson Gasela. Tsvangirai has also been charged with treason - punishable by death in Zimbabwe - in connection with anti-government protests organised by his party two weeks ago. Related Link: * Youths plan protests for Tsvangirai's release http://allafrica.com/stories/200306180683.html /\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\ 4.CORRUPTION AFRICA: ECONOMIC ELITE RANK CORRUPTION, IGNORE OWN ROLE - CRITICS http://www.ipsnews.net/africa/interna.asp?idnews=18719 A leading global business group has issued a ''corruption index'' for African countries, but corporate governance watchdogs say the World Economic Forum (WEF) ignored the role that its members play in corrupting poor countries. The rankings released last Tuesday by the Geneva-based WEF, known for its high-profile annual meetings in the alpine resort of Davos, Switzerland that attract the world's corporate and political luminaries, show Botswana leading the 21 African nations ranked for the quality of their public institutions. AFRICA: SCRAMBLE FOR AFRICA http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,3604,978989,00.html Washington's determination to find an alternative energy source to the Middle East is leading to a new oil rush in sub-Saharan Africa which threatens to launch a fresh cycle of conflict, corruption and environmental degradation in the region, campaigners warn. This risks bringing more misery to the continent as western oil companies pour billions of dollars in secret payments into government coffers. Much of the money ends up in the hands of ruling elites. KENYA: FORMER KENYAN PRESIDENT SAID TO RECORD STATEMENT OVER INVOLVEMENT IN BANK SCAM http://www.transparency.org/cgi-bin/dcn-read.pl?citID=65189 Former President Daniel arap Moi has been asked by the anti-corruption police to record a statement over the Euro Bank scandal, it has been revealed. Investigators want to know if he ever ordered any of the former parastatal chiefs facing graft charges to pump millions of taxpayers' money into the bank before it collapsed. LESOTHO: AFRICAN CONDUIT GUILTY IN LESOTHO BRIBE TRIAL http://www.transparency.org/cgi-bin/dcn-read.pl?citID=65166 The long-running series of corruption trials against leading international construction companies in the southern African state of Lesotho has reached another milestone with a guilty plea from one of the main intermediaries for the bribes. Jacobus Michiel du Plooy, a South African consultant, has pleaded guilty to paying $375,000 (£225,000) to Masupha Sole, the former chief executive of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project who is serving 15 years in prison for accepting more than $2m in bribes from a dozen western companies. The cash was paid on behalf of Impregilo SpA, Italy's largest construction company, according to the indictment. LESOTHO: GERMANS GUILTY OF BRIBERY http://www.news24.com/News24/Africa/News/0,,2-11-1447_1374570,00.html A German engineering company, Lahmeyer, was on Tuesday found guilty of bribing a top official of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project. NIGERIA: AFRICANS TO DISCLOSE DETAILS OF OIL DEALS http://news.ft.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=FT.com/StoryFT/FullStory&c =StoryFT&cid=1054966238975 Nigeria and Sao Tome have pledged to publish the financial results of their next licensing round for a $270m oilfield. The decision is a breakthrough for the UK-led campaign to reduce corruption in oil and mineral-rich developing countries by pushing governments to disclose the amount of money international companies pay to develop their resources. NIGERIA: ANOTHER 13 BILLION LOSS TO FAULTY ACCOUNTING http://www.transparency.org/cgi-bin/dcn-read.pl?citID=65180 Bad news comes in bunches, says this commentary in Nigeria's The Vanguard newspaper, and what the nation has been told recently about happenings in the oil and gas sector has been mostly bad news - underlining the reasons why Nigeria ranks as the second most corrupt nation on earth. NIGERIA: PRESIDENT ORDERS PROBE OF $2.4M HALLIBURTON TAX BRIBE http://www.transparency.org/cgi-bin/dcn-read.pl?citID=65210 The Nigerian government has ordered a probe into a $2.4 million bribe, allegedly paid by U.S.-based oil service company, Halliburton, to some Nigerian tax officials, news media reported Wednesday. SOUTH AFRICA: OIL SLICK TARS BIGWIGS http://www.mg.co.za/Content/l3.asp?a=59&o=22231 Sharp new questions over conflicts of interest have emerged about the controversial private company that secured a "government-to-government" deal to buy Nigerian crude oil. Two weeks ago the Mail & Guardian reported that "South African Oil Company" (SAOC), a private company registered in the offshore tax-haven Cayman Islands, was still benefiting from a Nigerian state oil contract allocated in 1999 to "the Republic of South Africa" - though neither oil nor income flowed to this country. ZAMBIA: BLOW FOR CHILUBA THEFT CASE http://www.transparency.org/cgi-bin/dcn-read.pl?citID=65193 A Zambian court has dropped charges against six men who were accused of stealing state finances - along with former President Frederick Chiluba. But the court in Lusaka reserved the right to re-arrest the six if new evidence came to light. /\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\ 5.HEALTH AFRICA/GLOBAL: AFRICAN NATIONS TO LOBBY ON GENERIC DRUGS http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?DR_ID=18282 The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, Africa's major free trade bloc, plans to lobby the United States and pharmaceutical companies for the right to produce generic antiretroviral drugs, according to the group's secretary general, Reuters reports. COMESA Secretary-General Erastus Mwencha said that patent disputes in the World Trade Organisation are "robbing the region of a key weapon against AIDS," according to Reuters. CAMEROON/CHAD: CONDITIONS ALONG PIPELINE IDEAL FOR HIV SPREAD http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?DR_ID=18333 A lack of adequate health care and an increase in migration and prostitution that has accompanied the construction of a $3.7 billion oil pipeline route in Cameroon and Chad have created ideal conditions for the spread of HIV, the Los Angeles Times reports in the second article in a two-part series on the pipeline. DRC: CHOLERA SPREADING IN KASAI ORIENTAL - WHO http://irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=34757 The UN World Health Organisation (WHO) has expressed concern over the spread of cholera in Kasai Oriental Province, central Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), where three new areas were affected between 1-8 June. MOZAMBIQUE: CHOLERA KILLS 87 PEOPLE http://irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=34803 Eighty-seven people have died of cholera in Mozambique since the beginning of the year, the World Health Organisation (WHO) reported on Tuesday. SOMALIA: FIRST POST-WAR MEDICAL COLLEGE OPENS IN MOGADISHU http://irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=34793 Somalia's first medical college in 12 years officially opened in the capital, Mogadishu, on 15 June. The Benadir University Medical College (BUMC) is to be funded by donations from Somali physicians and an annual fee of US $1,500 per student, its rector, Dr Usman Adan Abdulle, told IRIN. SOUTH AFRICA: ACTION PLEDGED ON AIDS DRUGS http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/2995384.stm South Africa's health system will soon offer drugs blocking the Aids virus, the body that advises the government on HIV/Aids has said. The South African National Aids Council (Sanac) made the announcement following a meeting with the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) - a group that has been urging the government to supply the drugs. UGANDA: AIDS NOT SERIOUS SICKNESS, SAYS MUSEVENI http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?DR_ID=18228 Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, who is in Washington, D.C., this week meeting with government and business leaders, including President Bush, to discuss AIDS, trade and terrorism, said in an interview with the Washington Times that "AIDS is not a serious sickness ... because it's not very contagious" and that people can easily avoid acquiring the virus. ZAMBIA: COUNTRY TO ADOPT HUMAN RIGHTS CHARTER FOR HIV POPULATION http://tinyurl.com/eflg Zambia, a country hit hard by HIV/ AIDS, will soon have a human rights charter to protect its HIV/AIDS-infected citizens from various forms of abuses and discrimination. Matrine Chuulu, coordinator of Women in Law in Southern Africa, a non-governmental organisation in Zambia working on the charter, said Wednesday that the charter will be launched in November this year. /\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\ 6.EDUCATION AND SOCIAL WELFARE AFRICA/GLOBAL: FAIR CHANCE - ATTAINING GENDER EQUALITY IN BASIC EDUCATION http://www.campaignforeducation.org/_html/actionweek/downloads/AFairChanceFu llReport.pdf A failure to achieve gender equality in basic education will result in almost certain failure of the other Millenium Development Goals (MDG's), according to a report that aims to inform campaigning and advocacy work in the North and South on girls' education. The report highlights the progress that has been made in reducing gender gaps in education in the developing world and the size of the challenge that remains. Despite individual success stories, says the report, very large inequalities still exist in the majority of developing countries, and the rate of progress needs to accelerate four-fold to achieve the gender equity goal. AFRICA/GLOBAL: WORLD DAY AGAINST CHILD LABOUR DRAWS ATTENTION TO PLIGHT OF TRAFFICKED Gymfoe was trafficked in Ghana when she was 12: "The woman told my mother I'd go to school, I was so happy. But that's not what happened." In reality she was forced to work long hours in harsh conditions. She received no money and was denied her rights to school and rest. The International Labour Organisation (ILO ) the UN body which regulates the world of work, has adopted 12 June as World Day Against Child Labour. This year the focus was on child trafficking, and the damage it can do to children, families, communities and ultimately whole countries. Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=15680 AFRICA: AFRICAN GOVERNMENTS MUST RESPECT CHILDREN'S RIGHTS On the Day of the African Child on June 16, Amnesty International called on African governments to ratify the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, where they have not done so already, and for all governments to rapidly put into practice the terms of the Charter. Everyday, African children continue to be used as soldiers, often to fight on the front line, or as porters, messengers, guards, or cooks. Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=15697 AFRICA: CONTINUED CHILD SOLDIERING CASTS SHADOW ON CELEBRATIONS FOR THE DAY OF THE AFRICAN CHILD The Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers has called on African governments and armed groups to implement commitments to stop child soldiering. "The Day of the African Child is not only a celebration of progress towards child rights; it is also a time to remember the tens of thousands of child soldiers caught up in conflicts across Africa," said Casey Kelso, Coalition coordinator. It is estimated that more than 120,000 African children - some no more than 7 or 8 years old - are currently participating in armed conflicts as combatants, spies, messengers, sentries, porters, servants and sexual slaves. Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=15743 DRC: CALL TO UPHOLD CHILD RIGHTS http://www.nj.com/newsflash/international/index.ssf?/cgi-free/getstory_ssf.c gi?a0415_BC_UN-Congo Leading human rights and aid agencies called the situation in Congo one of the world's largest humanitarian tragedies and demanded urgent action to halt the sexual abuse and forced recruitment of children. In a 36-page report, a network of agencies called on all parties in Congo's war to uphold international treaties to protect children's rights. ETHIOPIA: EDUCATION KEY TO FIGHTING CHILD TRAFFICKING, SAYS UNICEF http://irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=34732 Education is a key weapon in preventing girls from falling victim to child trafficking, Bjorn Ljungqvist, the head of the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) in Ethiopia, said last Thursday. NIGERIA: UNIVERSITY TEACHERS END SIX MONTHS STRIKE http://irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=34792 Nigerian university lecturers have ended a six-month strike to demand improved government funding of education in compliance with the ruling of an industrial arbitration panel. The strike had brought teaching to a halt in the universities of Africa's most populous nation. SOUTHERN AFRICA: BIRTH REGISTRATION CAMPAIGN GIVES CHILDREN RIGHTS http://irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=34772 The importance of registering a child's birth formed the central theme of Monday's Day of the African Child commemorations throughout Southern Africa. The campaign, which is being led by the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) and regional governments, hopes to give almost 17 million unregistered sub-Saharan children access to the rights they would automatically qualify for, just by being registered. /\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\ 7.WOMEN AND GENDER AFRICA/GLOBAL: PREGNANT WOMEN IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES MORE PRONE TO ABUSE http://www.jhsph.edu/Press_Room/Press_Releases/Hyder_pregnancyviolence.html Four percent to 29 percent of women in developing countries experience domestic violence during pregnancy, according to research from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. The researchers report that violence during pregnancy is a major public health concern, because of the high rate of pregnancy in the developing world, and they call for more research to implement preventive policies. AFRICA: AFRICAN WOMEN CALL FOR GENDER BUDGETS http://allafrica.com/stories/200306170300.html They contribute over 70% of Africa's wealth from agriculture. But women still comprise 70% of the poorest in the world remaining the most vulnerable. Delegates from Ethiopia, Kenya, Burundi, Rwanda, Tanzania, Eritrea and Uganda converged in Uganda from May 27 - 28 to deliberate the way forward in resolving the plight of African woman, focusing on gender responsive budgeting. AFRICA: DEBATE RAGES OVER WOMEN AND SHARIA http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/2977446.stm The debate over Islamic law is raging globally, among Muslim women's groups alarmed by cases in Nigeria and Pakistan. "I believe in the justice of God. So if justice is not done to me here on earth it will be done in the hereafter," says Amina Lawal. Ms Lawal, divorced mother-of-three, retains a strong faith in her Islamic religion, even though she has become what many see as a victim of Islamic law. AFRICA: FIGHTING PREJUDICE AND SEXUAL HARASSMENT OF GIRLS IN SCHOOL http://allafrica.com/stories/200306120019.html Girls in Africa still face an uphill battle to go to and stay in school, while some struggle to be taken seriously and others face sexual harassment by male teachers. That is the conclusion of Professor Penina Mlama, the executive director of the Forum for African Women Educationalists (FAWE), herself a former Dean of Students at the University of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania. AFRICA: PREGNANCY DISEASE CLOAKED IN SILENCE http://iol.co.za/index.php?click_id=86&art_id=qw105595128112B216&set_id=1 Calling it a condition too unpleasant to discuss, a United Nations agency urged African nations on Wednesday to end the silence and confront one of the world's worst pregnancy-related disabilities. Girls and women suffering from obstetric fistula, a condition resulting from obstructed labour, endure an uncontrollable leakage of urine or feces that often means being shunned by their family. ETHIOPIA: WOMEN'S COALITION ON HIV/AIDS LAUNCHED http://irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=34821 One of Africa's first ever national women's coalitions aimed at combating HIV/AIDS has been formed. The coalition, made up of tens of thousands of women countrywide, is headed by some of the leading female figures in Ethiopian society. NIGERIA: A LIFE ON HOLD http://www.sundaytimes.co.za/2003/06/15/insight/in01.asp It's been more than a year since Nigerian mother Amina Lawal was sentenced to death by stoning. The repeated postponement of her appeal has exacted its own toll, writes the author of this article, Festus Eriye, from Katsina, Nigeria. SUDAN: NGOS ACCUSE GOVERNMENT SECURITY ORGANS OF HARASSING WOMEN http://allafrica.com/stories/200306170140.html Eight women from Nuba Indigenous Ruya Association were on June 3 harassed and detained in questionable circumstances by government security organs here. According to a press release issued by Nairobi-based Nuba Relief, Rehabilitation and Development Organisation (NRRDO) on June 6, the women were among a delegation attending an All Nuba Women Conference in the Nuba Mountains (June 5-9), organised by Ruya Association (Kadugli), and NRRDO in Kauda. SWAZILAND: CREATING THE "NEW MAN" http://irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=34720 Disturbed by the stereotype of a typical Swazi male as a misogynist and polygamist, Swazi men are determined to show the positive side of African male culture and are reconsidering their roles as husbands, fathers and family providers. "I don't think we knew how bad we were until we started reading news reports about the chauvinistic Swazi man," laughed labour union organiser Charles Mdluli, a member of the Swaziland Alliance of Men. "We are out to prove that Swazi culture provides for strong men who are still sensitive to others." /\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\ 8.REFUGEES AND FORCED MIGRATION AFRICA/GLOBAL: TRANSFORMING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN AID AGENCIES AND REFUGEES http://www.id21.org/society/s10cob1g1.html Is the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) succeeding in moving beyond the traditional role of supplier of food, water and shelter, towards an inclusive, community development approach? Is commitment to a rights-based approach to provision of refugee needs simply rhetorical? Are refugees enthusiastic about the new approach and seeing concrete benefits? AFRICA/GLOBAL: UNHCR HIGHLIGHTS PLIGHT OF REFUGEES ON EVE OF WORLD REFUGEE DAY http://www.irna.ir/en/head/030619134901.ehe.shtml This year's World Refugee Day, which falls on Friday June 20, is dedicated to the millions of young people whose futures have been jeopardized by war, persecution and exile, said a message released by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Phillippe Lavanchy on Thursday. AFRICA: IS THE UNHCR DOING ITS JOB? COMBINING REFUGEE RELIEF WITH LOCAL DEVELOPMENT IN AFRICA http://www.id21.org/id21-media/refugees/refugeecamps.html Food and water deprivation, inadequate health and education facilities, prison-like restrictions on freedom of movement, ethnic and gender violence, ad-hoc justice and collective punishment: this is how Cairo-based refugee scholar Barbara Harrell-Bond recently described the plight of many refugees in UNHCR (United Nations High Commission for Refugees) camps in Africa. When id21 put this description to the UNHCR's Jeff Crisp, he largely agreed. Refugee camps are supposed to be safe havens for people fleeing war, persecution and natural disaster. Why then are they places where refugees are apparently deprived of their human rights and given little hope and even fewer opportunities to improve their lives? AFRICA: REFUGEE FLOWS AND THE AFTERMATH http://www.id21.org/society/s10cmp1g1.html Is the impact of refugees always negative? Are governments that accept refugees justified in depicting them as a burden? Or are refugees potential agents of development? Could support of livelihood activities enable refugees to lessen their dependence on aid and reduce tension with their hosts? Could locals benefit from refugee camp infrastructure when refugees go home? A working paper entitled 'The role and impact of humanitarian assets in refugee-hosting countries' from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees series 'New issues in Refugee Research' focuses on the humanitarian assets and infrastructure provided to refugee hosting countries in order to better understand the consequences of refugee and humanitarian assistance. AFRICA: SHORTFALL IN LEGISLATION ENACTMENT FOR REFUGEES Of the 47 AU Member States which have ratified the 1969 OAU Convention on Refugees, only 28 had enacted legislation to give effect at the national level to the international obligations they have undertaken, said Ilunga Ngandu, UNHCR Regional Liaison Representative for Africa. "In many instances, the legislation enacted falls short of the standards laid down in the international instruments. Some laws are formulated and applied as instruments of control, focusing on the obligations of refugees, while remaining silent on their civil, social and economic rights, or severely curtailing these rights," he said in an address to the 33rd ordinary session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights held in Niamey, Niger between 15 and 29 May. Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=15707 BOTSWANA: PERSECUTION OF BUSHMEN STEPPED UP At least ten Bushmen from Molapo, in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve (CKGR), Botswana, have been charged with entering a game reserve without a permit, according to Survival International. Botswana police issued the charges on June 16. Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=15754 BURUNDI: EDUCATION FOR REPATRIATION: PROVIDING REFUGEES WITH VOCATIONAL SKILLS http://www.id21.org/society/s10cel1g1.html The international community provides protection and assistance to 350 000 Burundian refugees in 10 camps in western Tanzania. With 10 000 Burundian refugees entering adulthood in the camps each year and the prospect for return uncertain, there is much scope for boredom, apathy and crime. What form of education is relevant and stimulating for such refugee populations? A paper from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) entitled 'Vocational training for refugees: a case study from Tanzania' evaluates ongoing skills training programmes for Burundian refugees. CENTRAL AFRICA: UN AGENCY REPATRIATES 1,108 REFUGEES http://irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=34697 The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has repatriated 1,108 refugees from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the neighbouring Republic of the Congo since Monday, an official of the Central African Republic told IRIN on Wednesday. ERITREA/SUDAN: PROGRESS ON REPATRIATION OF ERITREAN REFUGEES http://irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=34731 The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has reached an agreement with the governments of Eritrea and Sudan on where to open a humanitarian corridor between the two countries to facilitate the repatriation of thousands of Eritrean refugees, the UNHCR has said. ERITREA: 8,700 EXPELLEES FROM ETHIOPIA RESETTLED http://irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=34770 A total of 8,700 Eritreans expelled from Ethiopia in 1998, and who have been homeless ever since, have been given farmland by the Eritrean government. The 2,870 families have each been given one hectare of land. LIBERIA: 30,000 DISPLACED PEOPLE LIVING IN A STADIUM http://irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=34706 The Liberian capital Monrovia remained quiet last Thursday for the second day running, but relief workers said nearly 50,000 people displaced by a rebel push into the city's western suburbs were living in extremely difficult conditions at a sports stadium and several schools. TANZANIA: 5,000 REFUGEES TO RETURN HOME FROM TANZANIA http://allafrica.com/stories/200306180564.html The governments of Rwanda and Congo-Brazzaville together with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees have agreed to return home 5,000 Rwandan citizens who fled the country during the 1994 genocide. However, over 1,000 of the refugees residing in western Tanzania have appealed against repatriation, alleging that they will be persecuted if they returned to their country. /\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\ 9.RACISM AND XENOPHOBIA IVORY COAST: ACTIVIST WHO FOUGHT AGAINST CITIZENSHIP RESTRICTIONS IS NOW IN EXILE http://dfn.org/news/ivory-coast/kamagate.htm "Whoever is in control of the government will need to specify who is Ivorian and who is not," stressed Abahebou Kamagate in an interview with the Digital Freedom Network. As a human rights activist, Kamagate fought to challenge the government's increasingly restrictive citizenship laws that could exclude almost half the country's population, especially those from ethnic groups associated with the northern region. Kamagate is the vice president of SOS Exclusion, an Ivorian human rights organisation, and believes that the question of citizenship is at the root of the conflict which has divided the country between north and south. SOUTH AFRICA: 'POLITICS NOT FOR US, GOD ALREADY CHOSE US' http://allafrica.com/stories/200306180161.html They believe God created an elect group of whites to rule the peoples of the world. They also believe the Bible forbids racial "interbreeding". Yet Jaco van der Merwe, spiritual leader of the Lewende Hoop (Living Hope) congregation in Kroonstad, denies their message is political. Police and intelligence officers do not seem to agree that the teachings of the Lewende Hoop church are a-political. SOUTH AFRICA: BOEREMAG TREASON TRIAL POSTPONED AGAIN http://allafrica.com/stories/200306180160.html Nearly a month after it was to have started, the treason trial of 22 alleged Boeremag members was postponed for the fourth time because of unresolved legal aid issues on Tuesday. /\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\ 10.ENVIRONMENT AFRICA/GLOBAL: WORLD STRUGGLES TO FEND OFF DESERTIFICATION http://ens-news.com/ens/jun2003/2003-06-17-11.asp Every year, vast patches of the Earth turn barren and unproductive, the consequence of drought and poor land management. This process - known as desertification - has far reaching costs to humanity, United Nations Secretary Kofi Annan said this week, and poses "an ever increasing global threat." AFRICA/GLOBAL: WORLD TO GET GLOBAL LAW ON GM TRADE http://www.scidev.net/News/index.cfm?fuseaction=readNews&itemid=866&language =1 A new international law covering the conditions under which genetically modified (GM) organisms can be traded between countries is to come into force later this year, after the Pacific island of Palau last week became the 50th state to ratify the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety. Palau's move triggered a 90-day countdown before the protocol - which will regulate the impact on the environment and human health from trade in GM organisms - comes into legal force on 11 September. AFRICA: WILDLIFE 'TO BE PRIVATISED' http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/2994568.stm A South African private company has said that it has plans to take over a string of national parks throughout Africa. GUINEA: BONFIRE SMOKE ADDS MISERY TO LIFE IN CONAKRY http://irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=34778 A pall of heavy smoke from thousands of backyard bonfires lit to chase away an evil spirit has created a foul atmosphere in the Guinean capital Conakry. Health workers and environmentalists have appealed over the radio for people to put out the fires, which have clogged the air with pollution for several days. KENYA: WILDLIFE AND PEOPLE: CONFLICT AND CONSERVATION http://www.iied.org/docs/blg/w_and_p_masaimara.pdf This paper from the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) reports on the proceedings of two one-day workshops held with communities in the Trans-Mara District where a human-elephant conflict study has taken place. The workshop concluded that farming is increasing because communities receive no other form of benefit from their land. Therefore, if wildlife could be made to pay, residents would be willing to set land aside for conservation and tolerate the presence of wildlife in the area. To ensure that, better local coordination and planning are also needed. LESOTHO: NO MORE FREE WATER, PAY OR GO THIRSTY, SAYS WASA http://www.africapulse.org.za/index.php?action=viewarticle&articleid=1278 Poor urban communities will from 1 July be without clean and safe drinking water, unless they reach to the bottom of their already dry purses to pay for the right to drink, cook and bathe from clean and safe water. The Water and Sewage Authority will hand over or close public standpipes to communities and implement new water charges starting July, disclosed WASA Chief Executive Officer, Sechoba Makhoalibe. SOUTH AFRICA: SA TAKES A STAND ON WHALING http://www.mg.co.za/Content/l3.asp?a=59&o=22245 The South African government will play a critical role next week in ensuring the conservation of whales, dolphins and porpoises. Government representatives say they will support a controversial proposal at the highly charged yearly meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) to strengthen the group's conservation mandate. The IWC is the global forum that regulates whaling issues. SUDAN: GOVERNMENT REVIEWING POLICY ON GM FOOD IMPORTS http://irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=34787 The Sudanese government has guaranteed the World Food Programme (WFP) that all food deliveries will be permitted to enter the country for the next six months, while it conducts a review of its policy on genetically modified (GM) foods. /\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\ 11.MEDIA DJIBOUTI: JOURNALIST DETAINED ON CHARGES OF LIBEL The Writers in Prison Committee says it is "deeply concerned" by the prolonged detention of Daher Ahmed Farah, the editor of the newspaper Le Renouveau and leader of the Movement for Democratic Renewal and Development (MRD). According to information received, Farah was detained on 20 April 2003 following the filing of a complaint against Le Renouveau by General Zakaria Cheik Ibrahim, the deputy head of the army. Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=15736 DRC: CONCERN ABOUT SAFETY OF JOURNALISTS IN EASTERN DRC The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) says it is "deeply concerned" about the safety of journalists working in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), an area currently under the control of the Congolese Rally For Democracy (RCD-Goma) movement. Recently, one journalist was attacked and another was detained in reprisal for their work. Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=15732 LIBERIA: JOURNALISTS ATTACKED, DISPLACED AND LIVING IN FEAR Following the recent incursions into the capital, Monrovia, and subsequent retreat of Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD) rebels, residents of the Duala and New Kru Town suburbs have been subjected to a reign of terror. The attacks are allegedly being perpetrated primarily by government forces. Journalists and human rights activists in Monrovia have suffered the worst reprisals in what appears to be the targeted and systematic looting, arson and rape of residents caught up in the conflict. Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=15787 NIGERIA: MEDIA COULD HAVE DONE BETTER IN ELECTIONS Although the 2003 elections have come and gone the exercise is still raising some dust. The role played by the media as the people's watch-dog came under review with the verdict that they could have done better. This was the consensus at a day-long roundtable discussion. Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=15775 NIGERIA: PROJECT LAUNCHED TO REDUCE HIV/AIDS STIGMA Journalists Against AIDS (JAAIDS) Nigeria has announced the commencement of a two-year project to reduce HIV/AIDS-related stigma and discrimination in the media and other identified communities in Nigeria. The project aims to harness the capacity of the Nigerian media and communities as a potential force for change to reduce the high levels of HIV-related stigma and discrimination in the country. Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=15733 SOUTH AFRICA: COSATU CLAIMS SABC POLICY IGNORES WORKING CLASS http://www.busrep.co.za/index.php?fArticleId=172216 The Congress of South African Trade Unions on Wednesday said that while the SABC's draft editorial policy was "full of excellent intentions and worthy ideals" there remained a huge gap between the course of action the public broadcaster had prescribed and what it was doing in its day-to-day broadcasts. SUDAN: SECURITY OFFICIALS QUESTION RSF CORRESPONDENT Reporters sans frontières (RSF) has protested over the lengthy interrogation of journalist Faisal el Bagir, the organisation's correspondent in Sudan, on 8 June, upon his return from Athens, Greece, where he had attended an international conference of the future of news media in Iraq. "The interrogation was clearly aimed at intimidating the journalist and human rights defender," RSF Secretary-General Robert Ménard said. "We call on the Sudanese authorities to put a stop to this kind of harassment, which is completely unjustified." Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=15731 TOGO: THREE JOURNALISTS ARRESTED AND DETAINED Dimas Dzikodo and Philip Evégnon, editor-in-chief and editor, respectively, of the private weekly "L'Evénement", as well as Colombo Kpakpabia, a journalist with the private weekly "Nouvel Echo", were arrested by police officers on 14 and 15 June 2003. They have since been detained and questioned at national police headquarters in the capital, Lome. The journalists have been accused of "distributing false news" with the intent of damaging the country's reputation. Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=15788 ZIMBABWE: AMENDMENTS TO MEDIA LAW PASSED Although some of the concerns of the Parliamentary Legal Committee (PLC) were addressed in recent amendments to the controversial Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA), the law still remains lethal in as far as it makes demands for the accreditation of journalists and media houses respectively. Access to information remains totally closed and much power is vested in public officials and the MIC. This is according to a statement on the amendments made by MISA-Zimbabwe. Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=15734 ZIMBABWE: CHARGES AGAINST EDITOR WITHDRAWN The state has withdrawn charges against Norna Edwards, editor of "The Mirror", a weekly newspaper in the town of Masvingo, 293 kilometres south of the capital, Harare. Edwards and reporter Kennedy Murwira were facing charges of contravening Section 80 of the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA). Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=15737 ZIMBABWE: MEDIA CRACKDOWN GETS WORSE Reporters Without Borders has deplored the arrest and beating by government supporters of radio journalists Shorai Katiwa and Martin Chimenya and called on the government to ensure the media could operate freely in Zimbabwe. The two reporters, of the pirate radio station Voice of the People (VOP), were seized on 2 June by war veterans and young supporters of President Robert Mugabe's African National Union Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) who interrogated them, took away their mobile phones and tape-recorders and beat them after accusing them of belonging to the main opposition party, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC). Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=15735 ZIMBABWE: MONITORING PROJECT DEPLORES STATE REPRESSION The Media Monitoring Project has deplored the assault and harassment of journalists from the private media by ZANU-PF youths and state security agents during the MDC's week-long mass action. "Such attacks terrorize those going about their lawful business and stifle the free flow of information and therefore undermine the foundations of democratic society," said the project in a weekly update on the situation in Zimbabwe. Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=15738 /\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\ 12.DEVELOPMENT AFRICA: 'BOTTOM OF THE BARREL: AFRICA'S OIL BOOM AND THE POOR' http://www.catholicrelief.org/get_involved/advocacy/policy_and_strategic_iss ues/oil_report.cfm Sub-Saharan Africa is in the midst of an oil boom. The revenues available to reduce poverty in this context are huge, says a new report from Catholic Relief Services (CRS), who estimate that governments will receive over $200 billion in oil revenues over the next decade, enabling them to invest in health, education and other vital necessities. The dramatic development failures that have characterized most other oil-dependent countries around the world, though, warn that petrodollars have not helped developing countries to reduce poverty; in many cases, they have actually exacerbated it. Without improving their democratic institutions and administrative capacity, it is unlikely that Africa's oil exporters will be able to use petrodollars to fuel poverty reduction. AFRICA: AFRICA MUST NOT BE AFRAID TO REJECT OR REOPEN INTERNATIONAL TRADE NEGOTIATIONS Whenever the African Union meets to discuss trade issues before the 5th World Trade Organisation Ministerial in Cancun, Mexico, in September this year, they should not sell away people's rights, writes Percy F. Makombe in the latest edition of the SEATINI Bulletin. "The right to food, to basic services like drinking water, healthcare, housing and education are rights that are protected by the African Charter on Human Rights and the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights," he argues, concluding that: " Each African state must, as provided for under the Doha mandate, exercise its sovereign right to reject or reopen any draft package purporting to reflect the outcome of negotiations." Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=15750 AFRICA: AFRICAN UNION SEEKS TO SHED THE IMAGE OF MERE 'TALK SHOP' http://www.ips.org/ A year into its mandate to replace the old Organisation of African Unity, the African Union is seeking substantive acts to counter criticism that it is a mere "talk shop" for travel-loving ministers. Also on the African Union's "to do" list is reforming its finances, particularly the need to get member states to pay subscription fees that will make programmes, and thus the African Union's prestige, a reality. AFRICA: GOVERNMENTS URGED TO REJECT WTO AGRICULTURAL PROPOSALS "The 'liberalisation' of agricultural trade and deregulation, promoted by the WTO, the IMF, Free Trade Agreements and the like are substantial causes of damage all over the world. Hunger, unemployment, inequality, poverty, and degradation of natural resources are increasing in the rural world, particularly in the South. Farmers are forced into rural exodus and migration. Increasingly, large corporate agri-business is taking their place and taking up their lands," says a declaration made in Dakar, Senegal in May by representatives of farmers organisations and agricultural producers from Africa, Americas, Asia and Europe. Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=15749 ETHIOPIA: SEEDS OF HOPE IN A TIME OF HUNGER http://www.oxfamamerica.org/emergency/art4636.html If there were a simple reason for Ethiopia's chronic food shortages, the problem would likely have been resolved before now. But the causes are complex, and addressing them requires a multifaceted approach. This article outlines the causes of food insecurity in Ethiopia and describes Oxfam's work to create solutions that are effective, fair, and sustainable. SOUTH AFRICA: DEBATING THE TRUTH ABOUT WATER DISCONNECTIONS South African Minister of Water Affairs and Forestry Ronnie Kasrils recently launched an attack on "startling" claims that up to 10 million people in South Africa had suffered water disconnections after failing to pay their bills due to the government's cost-recovery approach to the sector. Click on the link below for the response by Municipal Services Project co-director David McDonald to the attack and the original article by Kasrils. Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=15696 SOUTH AFRICA: HUNDREDS PROTEST AGAINST WEF http://www.sabcnews.com/south_africa/general/0,1009,60348,00.html Hundreds of protesters gathered outside the Durban City Hall for a march to protest against the World Economic Forum's Africa Summit last week. The protests were organised by the Ethekwini Social Forum in conjunction with the Treatment Action Campaign, other NGO's and various community organisations. SOUTH AFRICA: WEF AN "ANTI-DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTION" A declaration handed to the World Economic Forum (WEF) regional meeting held in Durban last week declared the WEF "an anti-democratic institution", saying that any decisions taken by the WEF "cannot be considered to be binding on the people of Africa and the world". The declaration said: "We are committed to an autonomous, unified Africa and demand that we the people of Africa, and not the corporate and political elites, shape our own destiny. We reject neo-liberal economic policies, as embodied in NEPAD and GEAR, including privatisation and unregulated "free trade" instead of fair trade." Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=15701 TANZANIA: RELIGIOUS LEADERS URGE GOVERNMENTS TO INVOLVE PUBLIC IN NEPAD http://allafrica.com/stories/200306170142.html Religious representatives in Tanzania have challenged African governments to ensure active participation of the citizenry in discussions on the implementation of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD). /\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\ 13.INTERNET AND TECHNOLOGY GOOGLE HACKS: 100 INDUSTRIAL-STRENGTH TIPS & TOOLS http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0596004478/cyberjournali-20/104-36599 00-6230342#product-details Everyone loves Google, and it's the first place many people turn to locate information on the Internet. There's a big gap, though, between knowing that you can use Google to get advance information on your blind date and having a handle on the considerable roster of fact-finding tools that the site makes available. Google Hacks reveals--and documents in considerable detail--a large collection of Google capabilities that many readers won't have even been aware of. NEPAD E-SCHOOLS INITIATIVE TO BRING COMPUTER LITERACY TO AFRICAN SCHOOLS http://www.africapulse.org.za/index.php?action=viewarticle&articleid=1276 The NEPAD E-Schools Initiative was launched at the World Economic Forum's Africa Economic Summit in Durban with the aim of bridging the digital divide and giving the continent's children the skills they need to thrive in the 21st century. The programme will energetically target the young to ensure that the majority of the people of the continent will have the skills necessary for them to function in the information society and knowledge economy. NEW ICT DEVELOPMENT LIBRARY http://www.ictdevlibrary.org The Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation's ICT Development Digital Library (ICT DevLibrary) provides a unique collection of ICT-for-development reports and documents for policy-makers and practitioners in developing countries. It uniquely provides direct, "one-click" access to these documents, and makes these often bulky documents accessible to users on low bandwidth connections. SPAM IS NOT A PROBLEM http://www.goodexperience.com/columns/03/0530.spam.html With the right approach, dealing with spam should take about two minutes per day. The return on this investment is significant: more productivity, less stress, and more confidence in your use of technology. Click on the link and find out how to deal with spam. /\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\ 14.eNEWSLETTERS AND MAILING LISTS AFRICA FILES http://www.africafiles.org/index.asp For a wide variety of material on Africa, visit AFRICAFILES, a network of volunteers relaying African perspectives and alternative analyses for viable human development in the interest of justice and human rights. ARTICLE 19 FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION MONTHLY DIGEST Volume 1/Issue 2 - May 2003 http://www.article19.org The aim of this digest is to compile on a monthly basis the trends of violations on freedom of expression on the continent. It will be based on information gathered from partners within the IFEX network and elsewhere. The first part of the digest will highlight and summarize the regional trends and the second will take a closer look at legal dimension of one of the threats of the month. Email [log in to unmask] for a copy of the digest. CAFRAD WEB NEWS LETTER CAFRAD Web News Letter is published monthly. For more information contact Meryem Ben Amar: [log in to unmask] or [log in to unmask] /\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\ 15.FUNDRAISING AFRICA: CLINTON FUNDS AIDS FIGHT http://www.mg.co.za/Content/l3.asp?ao=15835 Former US president Bill Clinton said he hopes to use his foundation to treat at least 700 000 Aids patients in Africa and the Caribbean. The William J. Clinton Presidential Foundation is working with the governments of Rwanda, Mozambique, Tanzania and several Caribbean nations to fund Aids prevention and treatment. GUIDE TO EUROPEAN POPULATION ASSISTANCE The fourth edition of the "Guide to European Population Assistance" has recently been published, giving information on how to access funding from all major European public budget lines in the field of sustainable development. Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=15824 KENYA: GLOBAL FUND GIVES GOVT SH3.8B FOR AIDS BATTLE http://allafrica.com/stories/200306160673.html The Government's fight against HIV/Aids, tuberculosis and malaria has received a major shot in the arm with a Sh3.8 billion grant from the Global Aids Fund. However it has been cautioned that the money must be spent for the set purpose. SOUTH AFRICA: MANDELA MEMORABILIA RAISES OVER R1 MILLION FOR CHARITY http://www.sabcnews.co.za/south_africa/general/0,1009,60688,00.html Just over R1 million has been raised at an auction of former president Nelson Mandela's memorabilia. The auction was held to raise money for the Nelson Mandela Trust, which supports certain charities. /\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\ 16.COURSES, SEMINARS, AND WORKSHOPS 1ST WORKSHOP FOR YOUNG AFRICAN SCIENTISTS ON MALARIA RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 6 - 11 October 2003, Arusha, Tanzania The Tanzania National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR) through the project called Malaria Research Coordination and promotion through MIM (MALCOPROMIM) would like to announce and invite nationals from the Africa region to apply for the one week workshop on Research Methodology/Proposal writing to be held on 6-11 October, 2003 in Arusha, Tanzania. Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=15741 FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT TRAINING FOR NGOS IN THE SOUTHERN AFRICA REGION Mango's highly regarded finance training programme for NGOs will be returning to Zambia in August 2003. This year Mango will run the ever-popular introductory course - Practical Financial Management for NGOs - and, for the first time in Zambia, the follow-up course on Strategic Financial Management for NGOs. Both courses are aimed at managers in small to medium sized NGOs. No previous financial management experience or finance qualifications are required for attending the course - just a desire to understand how financial management contributes to successful programme management. The courses will be held at the Zambia Centre for Accountancy Studies (ZCAS), Lusaka. Although designated as non-residential, good quality and reasonably priced guest accommodation is also available at ZCAS. Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=15740 GLOBAL CHANGE AND REGIONAL SUSTAINABILITY IN SOUTH AFRICA 27 - 29 October 2003, Cape Town, South Africa http://www.scidev.net/events/index.cfm?fuseaction=readevents&itemid=278&lang uage=1 This national symposium will look at the implications of important drivers of global change for national and regional sustainability of human and ecological systems in South Africa. It will build on the 1995 southern African IGBP meeting and the South African Country Study on Climate Change completed in 1999. NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF NON-GOVERNMENT ORGANISATIONS (NANGO) NGO EXPO 25 To 27 September 2003 Following the successful 2002 NGO EXPO, NANGO is pleased to announce that the 2nd EXPO will be staged from 25 - 27 September 2003 at the Harare Exhibition Park. Once again we intend to showcase the works being done by NGOs in an attempt to further unveil the sector to its significant stakeholders. This year's EXPO will adopt the theme "NGO Sector Unveiled: Dialogue for Development" as it strives to reach out through the exhibition of its products and services and thus reveal the nature of the sectors' significant contribution to Development in the country. Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=15816 /\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\ 17.ADVOCACY RESOURCES SAY NOT TO WHIPPING IN SUDAN The World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) says it has been informed by the Sudanese Organisation Against Torture (SOAT) of the sentencing to 30 lashes of the whip of a 15 year-old girl in Nyala, Western Darfour, in Sudan. The OMCT is calling for letters to be sent to Sudanese authorities protesting the sentence. Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=15711 SUPPORT FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION: SIGN THE CREDO AND FAHAMU PETITION CREDO for Freedom of Expression and Associated Rights and Fahamu have launched a petition calling on African Union Heads of State to release all incarcerated journalists and repeal all anti freedom of expression legislation. The petition is to be presented at the African Union meeting of Heads of State in Maputo in July and is addressed to President Thabo Mbeki of South Africa, the current Chair of the AU. Click on the link below to read the full letter and join the petition. Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=15802 Contact: [log in to unmask] /\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\ 18.JOBS DRC: TRAINER War Child Netherlands http://www.comminit.com/vacancy1367.html The Trainer trains and coaches local workshop-leaders in the identification of psychosocial needs and in conducting creative workshops. The trainer reports to the Content Supervisor and/or Head of Mission. ETHIOPIA: NUTRITION COORDINATOR & FOOD SECURITY ADVISOR Merlin (Medical Emergency Relief International) http://www.reliefweb.int/w/res.nsf/wDocs/F036E1035F0159AAC1256D40004B2FBF The goal of this mission is to address acute and chronic humanitarian crises within Ethiopia where the inability of the health system to cope fully with the needs of an increasingly vulnerable population experiencing a food crisis has combined with the destabilizing effects of systemic changes in the health system and limited capacity and resources. Merlin proposes to address the most immediate problems facing the health sector. Project activities will provide immediate relief to the population in the short term but will also affect medium and longer term issues surrounding the identified gaps within the health sector. NIGERIA: COUNTRY DIRECTOR International Foundation For Election Systems (IFES) http://www.reliefweb.int/w/res.nsf/wDocs/580D51FD1519B90BC1256D42006D44EA The Country Director will manage the IFES program in Nigeria. Primary responsibilities will include program management and implementation, and management of the IFES field office in Abuja. The Country Director is also responsible for identifying new opportunities for IFES within the existing program and beyond. SIERRA LEONE: SEXUAL & GENDER BASED VIOLENCE PROGRAM COORDINATOR International Rescue Committee http://www.reliefweb.int/w/res.nsf/wDocs/84D64827D311ED77C1256D400078B7C2 The IRC seeks a Sexual & Gender Based Violence Program Coordinator for its Guinea program. The Coordinator will prepare proposals, narrative reports and other written documentation, including budget information and monitoring; Assist in identifying and developing continuing education activities and supervision of existing staff; interviewing, hiring, training and supervision of new personnel; Develop and implement training materials for SGBV staff, and other target groups of the SGBV program ranging from community representatives to Guinean legal & judicial representatives. SOUTH AFRICA: SENIOR MANAGER FOR RESEARCH/PROGRAMME MANAGER FOR ACADEMIC TEACHING Centre For Conflict Resolution The Centre for Conflict Resolution is an independent, non-governmental organisation. Based in Cape Town, it works nationally and in other African countries to promote constructive, creative and co-operative approaches to the resolution of conflict and the reduction of violence. It invites applications from suitable candidates for the following positions: Senior Manager for Research and Programme Manager for Academic Teaching. For more details please click on the URL provided. Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=15825 WEST AFRICA: DEPUTY DIRECTOR REACH http://www.comminit.com/vacancy1351.html The REACH West Africa Deputy Director works closely and in a complementary fashion with the Project Director to effectively lead and manage the project. This includes the achievement of the vision and strategy of the Project, and managing key relationships with USAID/WARP, the Project's Management Committee, REACH's partners, and other key stakeholders, including the Project's Advisory Committee and other donors and cooperating agencies. ZAMBIA: SCHOOL ADMINISTRATOR/TEACHER The Cogitare Foundation http://www.fpa.org/jobs_contact2423/jobs_contact_show.htm?doc_id=175385 This is administrative educational work serving as the Head Administrator of an elementary school. This employee is responsible for providing direction and leadership for all activities within the school. Work involves overseeing the management of the educational program, the decision making and communication processes, the business operations, the staff relations program, the community relations program and the physical buildings. /\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\ 19.BOOKS AND ARTS "HEAVY LOAD" TWO DRUMS, TALKING ABOUT OPPRESSION http://www.africancolours.com/?content/artweldanny.html A solo exhibition of Danisile Ncube's work takes place at the Alliance Francaise in Harare, Zimbabwe between 3 June - 3 July and is entitled: "METAL-TALK". It is composed of sculptures and metal masks. AFRICA: A CONTINENT SELF-DESTRUCTS Peter Schwab http://www.palgrave-usa.com/catalogue/index.asp?ISBN=031224018X Can Africa survive? Many of the nations of sub-Saharan African have all but ceased to exist as organised states: tyranny, diseases such as AIDS, civil war and ethnic conflict--and border invasions threaten the complete disintegration of a region. Peter Schwab offers a clear, authoritative portrait of a continent on the brink. Globalisation and an accompanying level of economic health have passed over Africa. Added to these factors is a patronizing attitude from the West that change in Africa must take place within Western parameters, a UN that lacks any real power, and a US foreign policy in Africa that is unclear. CHILD SOLDIER: FIGHTING FOR MY LIFE China Keitetsi http://www.africabookcentre.com/acatalog/index.html?http%3A//www.africabookc entre.com/acatalog/New_Titles_June_2003.html&CatalogBody This is the true life story of a young Ugandan girl who runs away from her oppressive and abusive home and is drafted into Yoweri Museveni's National Resistance Army and is soon in the thick of a guerrilla war. COMPLEX PROBLEMS, NEGOTIATED SOLUTIONS Michael Warner http://styluspub.com/books/book4922.html This book suggests strategies, principles and tools to reduce development-induced disputes and interpersonal conflict as obstacles to achieving sustainable rural livelihoods. Consensual 'win-win' negotiation is promoted as the preferred strategy, but set firmly within the context of the alternatives. The importance of conflict management processes that 'fit' with local customary and legal approaches is stressed. OLONANA OLE MBATIAN Peter Ndege http://www.africanbookscollective.com/acatalog/Online_Catalogue_New_Titles_6 8.html Olonana ole Mbatian, popularly known as Lenana, was one of the most outstanding Masai and Kenyan leaders, African chief and Laibon (prophet/visionary), whose life spanned the second half of the nineteenth, and the first decade of the twentieth centuries. He lived through and influenced a crucial period in Kenya's history: when the Masai were engaged in nation building, there was competition for leadership, land, people, livestock, wealth and power; and when European intrusions, which were becoming ever more intensive, were shaping Kenya's colonial culture and economy. This is a balanced and critical study of an individual's biography, and historical context. THE AGE OF CONSENT: A MANIFESTO FOR A NEW WORLD ORDER George Monbiot http://www.word-power.co.uk/catalogue/0007150423 George Monbiot asks and answers the key questions of our time: what would global democracy look like? And how could we make it happen, against the resistance of the world's most powerful governments? The world is run not by its people but by a handful of self-appointed men in the rich nations. They make the decisions on which everyone else depends: concerning war, peace, debt, development and the balance of trade. The rest of us have no means of holding them to account. While these men might have a national democratic mandate, on the global level their rule is unchallengeable. UNBINDING AFRICA: MAKING GLOBALISATION WORK FOR GOOD GOVERNANCE Edited By Phoebe Griffith Promoting good governance is high on the list of priorities of Northern and African policymakers. But before we can build strong institutions, democracy and the rule of law we need to tackle the double bind facing Africans today. On the one hand, African states often do not have the capacity to institute much needed reforms. Yet the solution - giving Northern Governments, companies and NGOs overwhelming influence over how African countries are run - is only making their governments weaker over the long-term. Unbinding Africa explores how globalisation in its current form is affecting the continent. Further details: http://www.pambazuka.org/newsletter.php?id=15803 /\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\ 20.MEMBERS CORNER /\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\ 21.LETTERS AND COMMENTS BRIAN MACGARRY I am interested in the method Simon Hinds (Pambazuka News 114 letter) is using to prove Andrew Meldrum is a propagandist, not a journalist. If he can produce proof that some agency apart from the papers he writes for is paying him to write the stories, he would have a case, but he is only studying content. With the state media entirely in the hands of ZANU-PF propagandists (even musicians whose songs are in any way critical are banned, and this includes the two most eminent Zimbabwean musicians, Thomas Mapfumo and Oliver Mutukudzi), the independent media being constantly harassed (and this includes arrest and assault on journalists, the bombing of one newspaper's press and of the office of an independent radio station which is forced to broadcast from outside the country and party thugs destroying vendors' stocks of papers they don't like, with no independent radio or TV station permitted, someone needs to present the other side. Is Meldrum doing any more than this? CHERYL SANCHEZ How are we going to force Sudan and Mauritania to stop slavery? Nobody knows how many Africans lost their lives in Mauritania from 1989 onwards. What is the African Union doing about modern day slavery? ROBIN OPPERMAN Excellent as always. I am passing this on for you. SIBANZE SIMUCHOBA I feel sick to the core each time I see child soldiers brandishing guns. /\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\ /\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\/\/\//\ PAMBAZUKA NEWS IS PUBLISHED BY FAHAMU In Association With SANGONeT Fahamu - learning for change 14, Standingford House, Cave Street, Oxford OX4 1BA, UK 620 Overport City, Durban 4001, South Africa [log in to unmask] http://www.fahamu.org [log in to unmask] http://www.fahamu.org.za Editor: Firoze Manji, Fahamu Research and compilation: Patrick Burnett, Fahamu Contributing Editors: Alan Finlay, SANGONeT http://www.sn.apc.org Rotimi Sankore, CREDO [log in to unmask] Pambazuka News is hosted at Kabissa 1519 Connecticut Avenue NW Suite 301, Washington DC, 20036 USA [log in to unmask] http://www.kabissa.org SUBMITTING NEWS: send to [log in to unmask] SUBSCRIBE The Newsletter comes out weekly and is delivered to subscribers by e-mail. Subscription is free. To subscribe, send an e-mail to <[log in to unmask]> with only the word 'subscribe' in the subject or body. To subscribe online, visit: http://lists.kabissa.org/mailman/listinfo/pambazuka-news 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 Fahamu (c) Fahamu 2003 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 ---------------------~--> Wireless Video Surveillance http://us.click.yahoo.com/jWIEhC/90OGAA/ySSFAA/DKgolB/TM ---------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Next WASAN meeting is Wednesday, June 25, 2003. Location: Safeco Jackson Street Center, E Main St, between 23 & 24th, Suite 200. 7:00 pm Business meeting. 7:30 pm Zimbabwean Film "Jit", followed by a discussion. (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! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ To Search in the Gambia-L archives, go to: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/CGI/wa.exe?S1=gambia-l To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to: [log in to unmask] To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~