Deadline:1 November 2004

Radio Nederland Training Centre (RNTC) supports and encourages the effective use of media for development and education by promoting professionalisation through training and consultancy for people working in, for or with media in developing countries. RNTC is calling for proposals from radio and television programme-makers and internet producers in developing countries.

At least 17 people drowned off the coast of Tunisia when their boat sank while trying to reach Italy illegally, the Tunisian authorities say. The news came as a row erupted over Italy's decision to send migrants back to their point of departure. Three planeloads of migrants were flown to Libya on Saturday, and a further 800 people are due to be expelled.

Zimbabwe's seven Catholic bishops sent a pastoral letter to churches demanding a "credible electoral process" and peaceful campaigning ahead of March elections. And they warned against propaganda, favouritism and discrimination against dissenters, including the main opposition party. In a separate move also seen as a crackdown on dissent, the government proposed criminalising charity work done without a government permit, and banning charities and private groups focusing on "issues of human rights and good governance" from receiving foreign funding.

The "Pan-African in the 21st century" Conference aims at bringing African Americans from the Diaspora to push the objectives of Pan-Africanism forward, and will be held in Accra from September 30 to October 3. It will develop workable programme of action that addresses the need of Africans through out the world in nation-building and international reparation issues and Business economic development for the Africa continent.

There is a pressing need to improve teaching skills in Sub-Saharan Africa. A 'brain drain' of teachers taking their skills elsewhere, combined with the effects of HIV/AIDS infection on the teaching profession, is holding back development of education in the region. The Higher Education at the Secretariat is collaborating with the Commonwealth of Learning, the Association of Commonwealth Universities and the Commonwealth Centre for Education to assist member countries as they implement policies in support of these six action areas.

Renewed fighting in South Darfur State has reportedly driven at least 5,000 people from their homes in the last three days, non-governmental organisations operating in the area said on Tuesday. The displaced, they added, were now seeking shelter under trees and waiting without food, water or shelter.

The Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court is hiring Associate Analysts for its Investigations Division. The job consists basically in analyzing information and evidence on the crimes within the competence of the Court (genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes). Although the job description is focused on law enforcement, the broader nature of international crimes may allow room to consider profiles of research, law and social sciences.

Entitled "Unlocking Africa's Trade Potential", this year's Economic Report on Africa (ERA 2004) argues that in order to boost growth and poverty reduction in Africa, countries will have to apply dynamic trade policies, alongside gradual and targeted liberalization schemes. Mauritius, South Africa, Namibia, and Tunisia are cited as Africa's most competitive nations.

This week, teachers in Kenya vowed to resist by all means any attempt to re-negotiate the contentious 1997 salary award. Kenya National Union of Teachers told the World Bank to keep off the internal affairs of Kenya after the World Bank proposed a number of austerity measures that could be taken to contain ministries that are spending more than their allocations from Treasury.

Pick 'n Pay, the food retailer has donated over 800 computer workstations to the Shuttleworth Foundation's tuXlab programme to assist them in their drive to increase the usage of open source software in 40 South African schools.

According to the latest estimates from the countries in the region, approximately 3.5 million hectares of land have been infested by the desert locust. It is mainly Mauritania, Senegal, Mali, and Niger that have been affected, but Burkina Faso, Chad and Cap Verde are also witnessing the impact of the locusts.

The Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum has recently published a report which covers human rights violations for the month of July 2004. It emphasizes continuing high levels of violations, particularly assault of political opponents and general infringement on the right to association and assembly. The report also highlights attacks on teachers, which in the past has been associated with elections in Zimbabwe.

The Program Associate, working as a member of the Department of Policy Analysis & Communications, is responsible for research and writing on the organization’s priority areas of interest. The Program Associate collaborates on the development of Africa Action’s positions on policy matters, and media strategies and relations. The incumbent collaborates with the mobilizing department on joint projects.

NDI is seeking to hire a Country Director to oversee the implementation of its legislative strengthening program in Nigeria. The Director will be based in Abuja and will serve as principal liaison with the donor community, representatives from the executive and legislative branch of the Nigerian government, local non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and the US Embassy.

Deadline: 8 October 2004

The Support Programme for Social Housing Institutional Development and Capacity Building (SPSH) is funded under the Financing Agreement between the European Community and the Government of South Africa. The SPSH is co-funded and implemented by the Department of Housing. Applications are invited from established network organisations representing Social Housing Institutions (SHIs) for support by the Programme Management Unit of the SPSH.

Some Italians want African illegal immigrants deported, others want them arrested, but theatre director Marco Baliani believes one way to ease Italy's refugee crisis is with a long-nosed wooden puppet. And that's no lie. Baliani is touring Italy with "Black Pinocchio", a fresh spin on the classic tale which he hopes will help Italians better understand the desperation that drives boatloads of Africans to risk their lives to reach Italian shores.

In addition to humanitarian updates, the Relief Web Site publishes updated job vacancies. To subscribe email [email protected] or submit request at http://www.reliefweb.int/vacancies/. Applications for positions should be sent directly to the organisation in question.

It's back to school in most of West Africa, but in one of the region's poorest and most Islamic countries, Niger, the secular public school system is in a state of paralysis, so more and more children are going to Islamic schools instead. Many impoverished children are forced to go begging to pay for their education.

Deadline: 31 December 2004

The Reebok Human Rights Award recognizes young activists who have made significant contributions to human rights causes through nonviolent means. To this end Reebok welcomes nominees for the "Reebok Human Rights Award."

A year after the privately-owned Daily News newspaper was shut down by police, suspecting that they were publishing the paper illegally, a Zimbabwean court has dropped the charges against four of the newspaper directors. The publication will stay off the news-stands pending a decision by the Supreme Court on the constitutionality of the media legislation which compels all journalists and newspapers to be accredited by a government-appointed media commission.