In Tanzania, IRC has been serving refugees in Kigoma Region and host communities in Kigoma and Kagera Regions since December 1993. Currently, IRC Tanzania provides health, educational, social, and economic assistance to over 130,000 refugees, mostly Burundian, and approximately 300,000 nationals.

Fahamu (http://www.fahamu.org) is looking for a volunteer to work on
Pambazuka News (http://www.pambazuka.org), our electronic newsletter on
social justice in Africa that is distributed weekly to more than 10,000
subscribers.
We are looking for applicants who have:
- 2-3 hours access to the internet per week;
- A keen interest and knowledge of Africa;
- The ability to write clearly and accurately;
- The ability to comply with strict deadlines;
- The ability to work independently;
- A knowledge and interest of two or more of the following areas would be an advantage: Refugees and Forced Migration; Racism and Xenophobia; Media; Internet and Technology; and Fundraising.
The volunteer will be required to use the internet to research information relating to these subject categories for inclusion in Pambazuka News. Information and guidelines will be provided. Because the newsletter has to keep within strict deadlines, we are looking for someone who will make a clear commitment of 2-3 hours per week. Work will need to be completed each week before Wednesday evening. Applicants may be located anywhere in the world, but preference will be
given to those in Africa. Please send CV and a brief covering letter to [email][email protected]

The Free Software and Open Source Foundation for Africa (Fossfa) has secured funding for the development of the Fossfa web site. Bildad Kagai, co-ordinator of the foundation says the portal (www.fossfa.org) will "facilitate the exchange of information, sharing of experiences and act as a central resource database for African expertise available for the implementation of open source solutions in Africa."

In a major operation on September 26, Congolese National Police officers seized most newspapers and magazines on sale in Kinshasa streets. According to eyewitnesses, at least a dozen newspaper vendors were arrested and taken to various police stations and detention centres in the city, including the Lufungula military base in Kinshasa/Lingwala. No official reason has been given to explain the police operation.

The glaring information vacuum caused by the closure of The Daily News was greatly felt during the first week of its closure, says the Media Monitoring Project Zimbabwe. A large section of the public has been left at the mercy of simplistic and partisanship reporting of the government-controlled media.

CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation would like to announce that it has extended the World Assembly call for proposals deadline for workshops/presentations or training sessions proposals to 30 October, 2003. The World Assembly will take place from 21-25 March, 2004 in Gaborone, Botswana. The main theme of the global gathering will be "Acting together for a just world". There will be four main sub-themes at the World Assembly: (1) civic justice (fuelling civic energy); (2) economic justice (livelihood insecurity: innovative solutions seeking to open doors); (3) political justice (democratising power: civic engagement in decision-making); and (4) social justice (keeping the peace or fanning the flames). Cross-cutting themes include HIV/AIDS; gender equity and equality; young people; capacity-building; and socially marginalised groups. To download the call for proposals or the submissions guidelines please visit either http://www.civicus.org or http://www.civicusassembly.org or email [email protected].

Nigeria's police authorities on Friday returned 116 children brought into the country to provide cheap labour to the neighbouring Benin Republic, where they are believed to have originated, officials said. Nigeria's police chief, Tafa Balogun, also handed over five suspected traffickers who were said to be specialised in smuggling children from Benin into Nigeria, in a ceremony at Seme, the main border crossing point between the two countries.

Shock and outrage has erupted across South Africa in response to President Thabo Mbeki's denial that he knew anyone with Aids. "Personally, I don't know anybody who has died of Aids," Mbeki told the New York Times while at the United Nations General Assembly last week. Asked if he knew anyone who was HIV-positive, he responded, "I really, honestly, don't know."
Related Link:
* Government clarifies statement
http://allafrica.com/stories/200309300400.html

The Real Progress Report on HIPC, launched just in advance of the IMF and World Bank Annual Meetings in Dubai, provides policy makers, politicians, NGOs, campaigners and debtor governments with real information about the progress of the HIPC initiative. Intended as a shadow version of the official HIPC Status of Implementation Report, it answers the questions that the official HIPC reports do not: How much debt has actually been cancelled? Are creditors really sharing the burden of debt relief under the HIPC initiative? Is HIPC debt relief enough to allow countries to meet the Millennium Development Goals? Why is HIPC moving so slowly?

The Cabinet has presented its proposals to the Constitutional Review Commission, which among others, seek to give the President more powers, open up political space and create regional governments. The proposals seek to amend 88 articles of the Constitution, five schedules, one national objective and create 14 new articles.

The Amherst Wilder Foundation and Grantmakers for Effective Organisations have published Strengthening Nonprofit Performance: A Funder's Guide to Capacity Building. “I'm not a funder, but the book seems well geared to the cultural and bureacratic sensitivities of foundations,” reports Nonprofit Online News.

President Robert Mugabe called this week for unity between all Zimbabweans, including the opposition Movement for Democratic Change. But the MDC quickly rejected the rare display of conciliatory rhetoric as "public posturing".

On the 9th of October 2003,the Africare Bishop Walker Dinner will brings together more than 2,500 people. This is the largest annual event for Africa in the United States, with proceeds supporting the work of Africare.

Business Day reports that the Southern African Grantmakers Association's (SAGA) executive director Colleen du Toit believes that giving to the poor and sound implementation of development programmes are key to alleviating poverty in Southern Africa. This comment comes after the recent SAGA conference, which looked at new ways of doing grantmaking in the region. While there is a need to decrease donor dependency, donor funding still remains essential for many NPOs.

News24 reports that the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives has awarded R250 000 to the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC). The grant will be used to train health care and community workers in the Eastern Cape in preparation for the mother-to-child transmission prevention programme and the antiretroviral therapy rollout.

Education experts met in Ghana on Tuesday to discuss the problem of declining academic standards in Africa's universities and colleges, which are operating on shoe-string budgets, but are under pressure to admit more students.

Tertiary education in Zimbabwe was at one time ranked among the best in Africa, but the achievements of the country’s education system are threatened by growing dissatisfaction and underfunding. Thousands of students who completed undergraduate studies at the University of Zimbabwe (UZ), the country’s oldest institution for higher learning, failed to graduate last month when lecturers complaining of poor working conditions and low salaries resorted to industrial action.

A local NGO in the Republic of Congo has launched an urgent appeal for an increase in primary school teachers in the war-weary southern department of Pool, where a year of fighting caused tens of thousands of people to flee the region, while fighting trapped many more. Efforts are underway on the part of the government, UN agencies and NGOs to facilitate the return of Pool displaced to their homes.

Responsibilities of the candidate will include: Serving as the IRC representative in-charge of the Rutuna Field Office (approx. 30 national staff); and Supervising needs assessments, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of all projects in Rutuna Province (currently water/sanitation, hygiene promotion, and the Roll Back Malaria plan).

SC UK is looking for an innovative person to play a key role in our Zimbabwe programme. As Deputy Programme Director you will be responsible for supporting the management and development of the programme, while ensuring that we effectively meet the long and short-term needs of children within agreed frameworks and organisational strategies.