Freedom of expression organisations are calling on the Tunisian authorities to halt their harassment of Lotfi Hajji, President of the small independent Tunisian Journalists' Syndicate (SJT). He was summonsed again to appear before police on 9 May 2005, once more without a given reason. In the few days before and after this month's World Press Freedom Day Hajji was summonsed by police, detained, had his books confiscated at Tunis airport, and was threatened with prosecution after the authorities found out that he planned to publish the syndicate's own report on Tunisian media repression.

Reviewed by: Christina Clark

This CD-Rom is intended to be a comprehensive training package on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). It is designed for facilitators conducting CRC training workshops for a wide variety of audiences, including policy-makers, NGO support staff, youth workers, early years workers, teachers, social workers, and children and young people. Divided into four sections, the CD-Rom contains information, factsheets and innovative group exercises exploring the background to the CRC, content of the Convention, implementation of the CRC's key provisions, and working with the Convention in policy and practice.

The real strength of this CD-rom lies in its wealth of suggestions for participatory activities (39 in all), which attempt to make the Convention 'real' to a wide variety of audiences. As its title implies, this is a training kit -- i.e. it provides useful resources, including overhead transparencies, hand-outs and suggestions and materials for group exercises in training workshops. It also contains sample programmes, suggesting factsheets and exercises for the facilitator to use, depending on the intended audience and the time available. While some basic guidelines on running a workshop are provided, facilitators are expected to have training expertise and a basic familiarity with children's rights.

All of the training resources are provided in PDF format using Acrobat reader. While internal links directing the user to documents referred to in the text facilitate navigation, the CD-Rom may prove difficult to use for those with limited computer skills. Moreover, since materials are provided in electronic format, users must have access to a printer to prepare for group sessions and activities.

Key documents relating to child rights (such as the text of the CRC) are included in each section. In addition, there is a further resources section, which contains a comprehensive list of websites, as well as an annotated bibliography of key documents organised by subject. However, the latter does not include PDFs of, or internet links to, these documents, so some users, particularly those in developing countries, may have difficulty accessing them. Moreover, the resource section does not include PDFs of the support materials included throughout the course, so users have to go back to the relevant sections to find these resource materials.

Given the technological constraints noted above, as well as the £19.99 price tag, the CD-Rom seems to be most appropriate for international NGOs looking for training resources to promote understanding and awareness of the CRC amongst their staff, stakeholders and beneficiaries. Teachers and childcare professionals could also benefit from the resources and activities provided for group work with children and young people. However, since the CD-Rom is a training kit aimed at group facilitators, it is not appropriate for individuals seeking a course on child rights.

Indeed, this kit is not about child rights in general, but rather specifically aimed at the key provisions of one legal document, the CRC. While some of the preliminary sections provide context to the CRC's development and relate it to broad human rights treaties, the materials do not really interrogate and problematise the principles and philosophy behind the CRC. For example, discussions of cultural relativism do not emerge in the key resource materials and are only brought out indirectly in certain group activities, which not all facilitators may actually use.

In sum, this CD-Rom sets out to do exactly what the title suggests: it provides comprehensive training materials specifically on the provisions and implementation of the UN CRC. It therefore fulfils a necessary and useful purpose, but users should not expect it to move beyond the goals and uses the authors intended.

Information on how to order the CD-Rom is available on Save the Children's website: http://www.savethechildren.org.uk/scuk/jsp/resources/details.jsp?id=203…

At least 14 African migrants trying to reach Italy drowned when their boat sank off the coast of Libya, and three other passengers were missing, the Libyan Interior Ministry said. The boat had aboard 23 illegal migrants - from North and Sub-Sahara Africa countries - when it sank off An Noukat al Khams area, some 30km west of Tripoli, a few hours after it left Libya for Italy on Sunday.

The EDGE Institute and SWOP, in association with Constitution Hill, take pleasure in inviting you to attend the fifth public seminar in the series "Defining the public interest in South Africa". The aim of the series is to create a space in Johannesburg where an open and informed process of public engagement can take place around key political, social and economic issues facing South Africa in the global context.

The producers of "Africa Meets Africa," a live dynamic radio show broadcasting on WPFW 89.3, a community supported radio station in Washington, DC (and online at www.africameetsafrica.com) is seeking correspondences and reporters on the continent and in the Diaspora to produce segments, commentaries, news reports and other relevant materials for the show. We are looking for experienced individuals that are motivated, creative and committed to African affairs and working on a radio program connecting Africans internationally.

International Medical Corps (IMC) is a global humanitarian nonprofit organization dedicated to saving lives and relieving suffering through health care training and relief and development programs. IMC serves refugees and internally displaced populations (IDPs) and other vulnerable populations in need in over 20 countries in Europe, Africa, Middle East, and Asia. Programs include activity for Primary Health Care (PHC), Reproductive Health, Community-Based Services, Water and Sanitation, HIV/AIDS, Gender and Sexual Based Violence and Nutrition.

A group of Kenyan and International civil society, including faith, youth and women grassroots organizations have come together in KENDREN (Kenyan Debt Relief Network) and Catholic Economic Justice – Africa to organize the Global Week of Action on Debt in Kenya from May 15h to 22nd 2005. The Global Week of Action on Debt is a follow-up of the recently concluded Global Week of Action on Trade and on education within the process of the Global Call to Action Against Poverty (GCAP) campaign.

A meeting recently aimed at checking the ongoing strike action that has paralysed activities at the University of Yaounde I since April 29, has came to naught. The meeting that lasted for over eight hours came to an abrupt end when Higher Education Minister, Prof. Jacques Fame Ndongo, failed to agree with the delegation of the striking students.

The Minister of Education, Ms Geraldine Namirembe Bitamazire, has appealed to the Ministry of Finance to provide additional funding to Makerere University to save it from imminent closure. Makerere has become broke and has no money to run the university this and next month.

The Africa Regional Sexuality Resource Centre (ARSRC) in collaboration with Health Systems Trust, South Africa, is pleased to announce the second edition of its annual Sexuality Institute and to invite suitably qualified professionals to apply. The goal is to strengthen African intellectual resources and reshape sexuality research, discourse and action on the continent towards healthy, pleasurable, responsible and respectful sexuality.

In April, Honduras, Rwanda and Zambia all qualified for limited debt cancellation through the current international debt relief scheme (the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries initiative). Whilst welcome, this falls far short of the 100% debt cancellation that Jubilee Debt Campaign is demanding for these and other impoverished countries. And it came only after the countries have implemented harmful 'structural reforms' demanded by creditors. Zambia, for instance, was forced to freeze public expenditure, meaning it could not employ thousands of much needed and qualified teachers.

The police force ranks highest in corruption and bribery among service providers in Uganda, a new national survey has shown. The National Service Delivery Survey (NSDS) says all institutions in the country asked for bribes. The Uganda Bureau of Statistics (Ubos) conducted the survey in the 56 districts of the country to assess availability, utilisation and satisfaction of service users as a guide for policy makers, implementers and monitors at all levels of governance.

Puntland authorities have ordered the immediate closing of the weekly newspaper Shacab for allegedly inciting violence, according to Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) sources. The decree, issued after a cabinet meeting on Thursday, cited the government's constitutional responsibility to uphold the unity of Puntland.

La Fondation New Field recherche un coordinateur de programme régional pour coordonner et soutenir le programme de subvention de New Field en Afrique de l’Ouest. Le coordinateur de programme régional développera et mettra en oeuvre le programme de New Field en Afrique de l’Ouest, en se focalisant sur le changement social pour les femmes rurales et leurs familles en Casamance, dans la région du fleuve Mano, et au Burkina Faso.

New Field Foundation is seeking a regional program manager to coordinate and support New Field's West Africa grant making program. The regional program manager will develop and implement New Field's program in West Africa, with a focus on social change for rural women and their families in Casamance, Mano River Region, and Burkina Faso.

The GenARDIS small grants fund was initiated in 2002 by CTA, IICD and IDRC, to support work on gender-related issues in ICTs for ACP agricultural and rural development. In 2004, Hivos joined the team of sponsoring organisations in time for the second round of the programme. The fund supporters are pleased to announce that the selection of Round 2 GenARDIS grant winners has been completed. As in Round 1, the response was overwhelming, with more than 310 submissions received in a period of 2 months. This provides a clear indication that there still is a real need for support in the field of Gender and Agriculture in the Information Society.

You are hereby kindly requested to submit papers or articles for SAfAIDS News newsletter. The newsletter targets:
- professionals working in the HIV/AIDS sector
- staff in ASOs, NGOs, FBOs, government bodies, UN agencies and universities in the region.
- policy makers.
- Community based organisations

Information Technology, Publishing and Exhibitions (TEPEX) is organizing a workshop on E-Parliament. The aim of the workshop is to build the capacity of members of the legislative to use ICTs in discharging their mandate. The topics of the workshop include:
1. Understating ICTs for Legislative Functions
2. ICTs AND National Development
3. ICTs in Legislative Work
4. the Concept and Requirements of e-Parliament
5. the Internet as a Reference Library for Legislators
6. developing a Member/Constituency Website
7. ICT Policy Issues
8. Getting Prepared to Go Online.
The workshop will take place from the 8th to 9th June 2005 at Rockview Hotel, Abuja, Nigeria. For more details contact [email protected]

Community leaders from Ghana, Indonesia, Peru, Romania, and the US this week called on Newmont Mining Corp., the world's largest gold producer, to reform its human rights and environmental practices at its global operations. Speaking at the company's annual shareholders meeting, the community representatives demanded that Newmont fully respect human rights; stop intimidating farmers and other critics of its operations; and stop dumping mining waste into the ocean.

New Field Foundation is seeking a regional program manager to coordinate and support New Field's West Africa grant making program. The regional program manager will develop and implement New Field's program in West Africa, with a focus on social change for rural women and their families in Casamance, Mano River Region, and Burkina Faso.

La Fondation New Field
INTITULE DU POSTE : COORDINATEUR DE PROGRAMME REGIONAL
La Fondation New Field recherche un coordinateur de programme régional pour coordonner et soutenir le programme de subvention de New Field en Afrique de l’Ouest. Le coordinateur de programme régional développera et mettra en oeuvre le programme de New Field en Afrique de l’Ouest, en se focalisant sur le changement social pour les femmes rurales et leurs familles en Casamance, dans la région du fleuve Mano, et au Burkina Faso.