This manual is designed to help NGOs in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) who may be interested in the field of Human Rights but feel that they do not know enough about it or where to start.

The Harare International Festival of the Arts (HIFA) began in 1999 and has received an enthusiastic response from Zimbabwean audiences, participating artists as well as local/regional and international media. The event celebrates the finest Zimbabwean and international music, theatre, spoken word, dance and visual and applied arts.

is an authoritative analytical web site which assesses, analyzes and documents conflict situations so as to keep up Africa regional issues in focus internationally. It's goals are to improve overall availability of political, security and defense related information in policy circles and the public domain through research, analysis and development of policy options.

Over 800 members of Women and Men of Zimbabwe Arise took to the streets of Bulawayo on 13 January to peacefully protest about the state of education in Zimbabwe. Five groups started separately and converged on Mhlahlandlela Government complex to hand over the WOZA report on the education system in Zimbabwe entitled 'Looking Back to look Forward'.

School enrolment has risen sharply in Somalia's self-declared independent region of Somaliland since 1991, raising the literacy rate from 20 percent to 45 percent, education officials have said.

As Tunisian lawmakers mull the 2010 budget, many politicians, labour leaders, and ordinary people are calling for the creation of a national fund to help the unemployed.

AwaaZ Issue 3/09 - Non Violence for Change

Cover Story: Is Non-cooperation a mattress against the bullet?

The Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA) is pleased to announce the organisation of an international conference on “Academic Freedom and the Social Responsibility of Academics and Researchers in Africa: What are the new challenges?”.

Women and Men of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA) has launched a report on the state of education in Zimbabwe entitled ‘Looking back to look forward - education in Zimbabwe: a WOZA perspective’. The recommendations contained in the report form the basis of WOZA’s current campaign on education.

This book attempts to scrutinize the relationship between criminal justice system and those of non-punitive approaches based on the principle of complementarity and discuss future ways in order to build a bridge across them. Dealing with atrocities many countries in the world have started to look more for mechanisms which deal with acknowledgment, forgiveness and reparation or/and reconciliation.

‘No South African threw themselves more passionately into so many global and local battles. But from where did the indomitable energy emerge?’ Patrick Bond pays tribute to troubadour Dennis Brutus, who died at the age of 85 on 26 December 2009, ‘battling cancer, climate change and capitalism.’

Immigration from Libya to Italy in 2009 has decreased by 90 per cent, compared to 2008. In this week’s Pambazuka News, Emanuela Paoletti looks at explanations for the dramatic decline in “illegal” migration between the two countries, in particular ‘Libya’s selective enforcement of restrictive immigration policies as a means of gaining foreign policy concessions from Italy.’

S'bu Zikode, the elected president of Abahlali baseMjondolo, has been honoured with the Order of the Holy Nativity by the Diocese of Natal Anglican Church of southern Africa in recognition of his leadership skills.

Morocco is working to improve services for Down's syndrome and other handicapped children, many of whom have no access to local primary schools. Halima, 45, lives in Sidi Kacem with her husband and four children, including an 8-year-old boy with Down's syndrome. For years, Halima hoped her son would be able to attend school in spite of his disability, but no schools in the region cater to children with special needs.

Zimbabwe's ruling political party has been accused of launching a "widespread and systematic campaign of rape and sexual terror" aimed at intimidating opponents and voters in the troubled African nation, according to a new report released here.

A lot has happened since the 44th and first African American US President was sworn in. Some scholars, like Prof. Issa Shivji at the University of Dar es Salaam, argue that the issue now is not Obama’s presidency and what it portends to Africa, but rather the emergence of new ‘hegemonic’ powers in global political and economic governance.

AMERA-Egypt is pleased to advertise the vacancy of Psychosocial Team Leader. The job of Psychosocial Team Leader is full-time for 35 hours per week, and s/he works under the day-to-day supervision of the Deputy Country Director. Its purpose is to develop affective and adequate programming, manage the operation and effective delivery of the psychological and social services for refugees seeking asylum in Egypt.

Horizon Community Association (HOCA), an LGBTI organisation in Rwanda, in collaboration with the Coalition of African Lesbians (CAL) and the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) calls on all human rights defenders, organisations, governments, civil society, globally, to immediately take action against a proposed article in the draft Penal Code Act in Rwanda which would criminalise homosexuality. The lower house of the Rwandan Parliament will hold its final debate on this draft code Wednesday 16 December 2009. A vote on this draft code will occur before the end of this week.

The Poverty and Economic Policy (PEP) Research Network is providing financial and scientific support to teams of developing country researchers studying poverty issue. The deadline to apply is January 6, 2010.

Crisis Action is an independent, non-profit organisation that works with others to ensure civilians are protected both from and during armed conflict. We are now looking for a creative, effective and dynamic person to head up a new office in Nairobi, Kenya to lead our work towards the African Union.