The 2008 session of the CODESRIA sub-regional methodological workshops will explore the conditions for the employment and validation of qualitative perspectives in African contexts. To this end, the workshops will be open to all the social research disciplines. These disciplines are uniformly confronted with broadly similar difficulties of understanding social reality and the challenges posed by techniques of data collection and analysis, which, on account of their “qualitative” nature, are suspected by some to be seriously lacking in scientific rigour.

African sacred groves are often described as the remains of primeval forests, ethnographic curiosities, and cultural relics from a static pre-colonial past. Their continuing importance in African societies, however, shows that this 'relic theory' is inadequate for understanding current social and ecological dynamics. This interdisciplinary book, by an international group of scholars and conservation practitioners, provides a new understanding of these forests, examining their ecological characteristics and delineating how sacred groves relate to social dynamics and historical contexts.

Johnnie Carr, who joined childhood friend Rosa Parks in the historic Montgomery bus boycott and became a prominent civil rights activist over the past half century, has died. She was 97. Baptist Health hospital spokeswoman Melody Ragland said Carr died Friday night. She had been hospitalized after suffering a stroke Feb. 11. Carr succeeded the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. as president of the Montgomery Improvement Association in 1967, a post she held at her death.

The New Zealand Development Scholarships (NZDS) scheme offers the opportunity to people from targeted developing countries to undertake development-related studies at tertiary education institutions in New Zealand. New Zealand Development Scholarships are a central part of the New Zealand Government’s development cooperation programme in Africa. In the southern and eastern Africa region, NZAID offers NZDS in the Open category (NZDS-Open) to candidates from Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania and Zambia1.

In a strategic move to combat corruption and engage young Nigerians in the promotion of responsive and responsible governance, Independent Advocacy Project (IAP), the nation’s leading anti-corruption group is advocating that anti-corruption education should be included in the subject curriculum of elementary schools in the country.Corruption is a major driver of bad governance in Nigeria, as such, there is an urgent need for the design and introduction of a well thought out integrity education in elementary schools, which is naturally the formative years of young Nigerians, IAP said in a statement released in Lagos.

The CODESRIA Democratic Governance Institute is an interdisciplinary forum which brings together African scholars undertaking innovative research on topics related to the broad theme of governance. The theme of the 2008 Session is Religions and Religiosities in African Governance. The deadline for the submission of applications is set for 06 June, 2008. The Institute will be held in Dakar, Senegal, from 04 - 29 August, 2008.

AIFO an Italian NGO is looking for a doctor for a project in Nampula (Mozambique). The person will be looking after the leprosy-tuberculosis programme. The person should be Portuguese speaking and have experience in infectious diseases in Africa. More specific training in leprosy and Tuberculosis can be arranged. Salary will depend upon the qualifications and experience. Inially a one year contract will be proposed that can be renewed. Interested persons should send their CV to
[email][email protected]

The Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA) is pleased to announce the seventh session of its Child and Youth Studies Institute and invites interested scholars to send applications for consideration for selection as laureates, resource persons, and director in the session which is scheduled for September 2008. The Institute is an off-shoot of the Council’s Child and Youth Studies Programme and is designed to strengthen analytic capacity on all questions affecting children and the youth in Africa and elsewhere in the world.

We, civil society organisations, including farmers, workers, women's, faith-based and students' groups and organisations, call on our people to redouble their efforts to stop the self-serving free trade agreements, misleading designated as 'Economic Partnership Agreements' that Europe seeks to impose on African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries, and which will destroy the economies of these countries.

At our meeting in Cape Town, South Africa, from 20-23 February 2008, under the umbrella of the Africa Trade Network, to review the latest developments in the EPA negotiations, we reaffirm our unequivocal opposition these agreements

When the EPA negotiations were launched, civil society organisations from all over Africa, the Caribbean, the Pacific and Europe warned that the EPAs were profoundly anti-developmental. We pointed out that the EPAs posed a threat not only specifically to government revenue, local producers and industries, food sovereignty, essential public services, and the regional integration of African countries; but also to the right and capacity in general of African countries to develop their economies according to the needs of their people and their own national, regional and continental priorities.

The latest developments in these negotiations have exposed even more sharply the fundamental outrage represented by the EPAs.

At the end of 2007, Europe deployed manipulative and heavy-handed tactics in an attempt to force African governments into so-called 'interim' agreements. When it became clear that no African regional bloc would agree to its demands, the European Commission, with the active support of its member states, resorted to blatant divide-and-rule tactics. Europe capitalised on the fact that, for historical reasons, a few export sectors in Africa are largely dependent on the European market. By threatening to close access to these markets and throw export sectors into chaos, Europe rode roughshod over the regional negotiating processes and instigated bilateral deals with individual countries.

The more vulnerable African governments were forced to concede to Europe's demand for 'interim' trade deals, and in the process, completely undermined regional negotiating positions.

These Interim Economic Partnership Agreements reveal Europe's true face. The deals are classical free trade agreements that clearly serve Europe's commercial and geo-economic interests. All the claims about supporting Africa's development and regional integration have been exposed as false.

Merely to secure a level of market access that is remarkably similar to previous levels, ACP countries involved in the interim agreements have had to concede to opening up their economies to historically unprecedented levels even beyond the commitments required at the multilateral level.

In addition, Europe took advantage of the circumstances to insert clauses in the interim agreements that were not even part of earlier negotiations. These include the 'most favoured nation' clause, a standstill clause that forbids countries from ever raising tariffs on imports from Europe, and restrictions and even outright prohibitions on export taxes. These provisions only serve to lock in further these countries into Europe's agenda, and prevent them from exploring other options and relations within the changing global order. This will take away their space for autonomous policy to create jobs, secure livelihoods and pursue equitable economic development and regional integration.

Throughout the negotiating process, aid has been used as a bait to lure African governments into long and protracted debates, which have diverted attention from the fundamental economic issues at stake and misled them into taking on onerous commitments. As the 'Interim' deals make abundantly clear, promises of additional financing are illusory.

The negotiating agenda for 2008 aims to deepen the above processes. Europe intends to lock in the 'interim' agreements with all their outrageous provisions as quickly as possible. This is a clear breach of the understanding on which they were provisionally initialled - namely that the deals were merely a means to avoid possible retaliation at the WTO and that any contentious elements would be renegotiated.

In addition, Europe is exerting high levels of pressure on African governments to expand the negotiations to open up the services sector and to include binding rules on investment, competition policy, and government procurement. Such rules will take away the right of African governments to manage investment and investors in ways that serve Africa's own development. The inclusion of such issues is not necessary at the multilateral level and against the expressed wishes and declarations of Africa's governments and peoples.

Today it is clear more than ever, that the EPAs are Europe's means of locking-in the fundamentally unequal relationships between Africa and Europe. Viewed from Africa, this is nothing less than re-colonisation.

It is more urgent now, than ever, that Africa's people and their allies unite in action to defeat this agenda.

To this end,We demand that:

- The 'interim' agreements that have been entered into are nullified; and, to avoid threats of trade disruption, options such as enhanced GSP Plus and Everything But Arms are utilised;
- There must be no negotiations on services, investment, intellectual property, competition, government procurement and any other new issues in order to ensure that all sovereignty on these issues is retained at the national and regional levels;
- There must be a return to our own development agendas based on national priorities within consolidated regional communities in Africa;
- Any relationship between Africa and Europe must be based on our development agenda and recognise the principles of non-reciprocity, the right to protect our domestic and regional markets, and our economic sovereignty.

We salute the majority of African Governments that have so far-resisted any form of agreement with Europe. We call on these governments to work with the more vulnerable countries in order to reverse the 'interim' arrangements. We further call on the governments that have initialled agreements not to sign and for parliaments to refuse to ratify them in case they are signed.

We commit ourselves to work with our governments in the quest to achieve more equitable relationships with Europe that protect our sovereignty and autonomous developmental options.

We call on civil society organisations and other citizens groups in Europe and other parts of the world who are also resisting European free trade agreements to strengthen their active solidarity with our campaign to Stop the EPAs.

Stop EPAs!

Stop the re-colonisation of Africa!

February 25, 2008, is exactly 24 years since the horrific massacre that took place when the Kenyan security killed over 400 Somali men. Today, we are submitting a memo to the Kenya High Commission in Ottawa at 415 Laurier Avenue East Street from 11:00 am - 12:00 pm. This is to mark the 24th anniversary of the Wajir Massacre. This act of genocide occurred in 1984 in Wagala near Wajir. The massacre itself occurred following the rounding up of five thousand Somali men and their removal to the Wagala air strip, while their homes were being burnt to the ground. The men were detained within a barbed wire enclosure over a four day period, forced to strip and denied food and water. The massacre has been devastating to the morale of Somalis, the majority of whom are too intimidated to take any action in case of further reprisals.

To the Somalis, the Wajir Massacre is one of the gravest in a sad history of brutal massacres, including Malkameri in 1996, Garissa in 1980, Madogashe in 1982 and Bagala in 1989. Since none of these massacres has ever been investigated, the pattern of repression of the Kenyan Somali people continues. 

Hundreds of families of victims of the Wajir Massacre are in the Bula Jogoo area of Wajir and are still in a state of destitution depending solely on relief aid. They have never been compensated for the massacre by the Kenyan government. At the time of the Wajir Massacre there was an international outcry and many western countries showed their concern and protested to the Kenyan government. Among them were Canada, Britain, United States of America, Sweden, Denmark, France, Germany, Norway, Finland, Australia, Austria, Ireland, Switzerland, Netherlands and Belgium. The Kenyan government has, for the first time, admitted that the horrific Wajir Massacre occurred sixteen years ago and that hundreds of ethnic Somalis were killed in the Wajir district in the northeastern province of Kenya during this massacre.

We, the Kenyan Somali Community of North America, are calling on the Kenyan Government to take the following actions immediately:

- Appoint an independent commission of inquiry into the Wajir, Garissa and Malkameri Massacres. - Compensate the bereaved families of the 381 people that the Kenyan government admitted had been massacred by its security forces.

- Immediately bring to justice those who were responsible for these heinous crimes

For more information contact Abdi Omar Chairperson Kenya Somali Community of North America   (613) 728 2355 or (613) 736 1789 - Email: [email][email protected] 

Thanks to all who voted for Sokari Ekine's blogsite, Black Looks.

Here's your chance to help her get through to the finals. The final list is up and voting ends tomorrow for Best International Feminist Blog

Thank for your continued support

Uproar is slowly spreading among African civil society organisations and scientists, fearing that the biofuel revolution will bring more food insecurity, higher food prices and hunger to the continent. A petition calling for a "moratorium on new agrofuel developments in Africa" has so far been signed by over 30 NGOs all over the continent.

Egyptian security forces shot dead a Sudanese man trying to cross into Israel on Tuesday. A total of five African migrants have now been killed crossing the border so far this year. Security officials said 50-year-old Ermeniry Khasheef was shot in the back after he ignored orders to stop as he attempted to cross barbed wire near the border town of Rafah.

The 2008 session of the CODESRIA sub-regional methodological workshops will explore the conditions for the employment and validation of qualitative perspectives in African contexts. To this end, the workshops will be open to all the social research disciplines. These disciplines are uniformly confronted with broadly similar difficulties of understanding social reality and the challenges posed by techniques of data collection and analysis, which, on account of their “qualitative” nature, are suspected by some to be seriously lacking in scientific rigour.

You are invited to take part in the formation of the citizens Assembly to lay out the framework for enacting a new constitution. Kenya can and will rise again. But this is only possible if there is a democratic constitution in place to institutionalize good governance. The citizens Assembly is scheduled to be launched on April 9-10,2008 in Nairobi, Kenya.

The structure and agenda of the assembly will be discussed in a web-forum scheduled for Saturday, March 1, 2008, 5pm-7pm Kenya Time (+3hrs GMT), 9am-11am Eastern-- New York Time (-5hrs GMT). This will be followed by The Way Forward forums in USA, Canada, UK, Sweden and Kenya, between March 15-31, 2008. Organizers urge all concerned to step on the path that leads Kenya towards genuine democratic transformation. For more info Tegi Obanda +1-613-316-5501(International Coordinator) or Peter Kironyoh +254-722-685830 (National Coordinator)

The African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC), in partnership with the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and Ford Foundation, is pleased to announce the African Doctoral Dissertation Research Fellowships (ADDRF), a new fellowship program to support doctoral students at African universities whose theses address issues relating to heath systems strengthening in Africa.

Winrock's Gender Equity through Education program addresses education and training gaps in Sudan by providing immediate educational assistance to girls, women, and communities while pursuing long-term impact by helping the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology (MoEST) ensure its policies are equitable and further operationalize its plans. The project is working primarily in Southern Sudan and the Three Areas. The volunteer will work with the Sudanese NGO to adapt and finalize mentoring tools, and will develop and deliver a Training of Trainers (TOT) for a cadre of trainers who will then train mentors in the project's target regions.

The Centre for Culture and Languages at the University of Johannesburg, a new interdisciplinery centre in the Faculty of Humanities, has just advertised the
the post of Researcher. Please send a comprehensive cv, including current
remuneration, date of last increase, and the telephone numbers and email addresses of at least three referees to: [email][email protected] or fax: +27-11=5593173. Closing date: end February.

The Zimbabwean newspaper has published a story claiming South African President Thabo Mbeki is supportive of Simba Makoni’s bid to run for president. Editor Wilf Mbanga said their reporter picked up the story in South Africa and confirmed it with officials from Mbeki’s government. He says they have also run it by Makoni’s people, who confirmed Mbeki had hoped for a change of leadership within Zanu PF at their special congress in December last year.

Research for International Tobacco Control (RITC) of the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) is pleased to announce a Call for Letters of Intent for the African Tobacco Situational Analyses (ATSA). This competition is a joint initiative of RITC/IDRC and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The competition is administered by RITC/IDRC. The Call is available in English and French. A Portuguese translation will also be available shortly. The deadline for receipt of Letters of Intent is March 17, 2008 and will be accepted in English and French.