South Africa needs major economic policy changes to overcome entrenched inequality and persistent poverty, according to its new National Human Development Report launched in Johannesburg, as the country celebrates a decade of democratic freedom following the end of apartheid rule. The report - The Challenge of Sustainable Development in South Africa: Unlocking People's Creativity - is the most comprehensive assessment of the country's sustainable development challenges. The task of changing South African society does not rest with the Government alone, says the report; the private sector and civil society have key roles to play. The country has the resources to reverse inequalities but needs leadership to adopt new polices to do so, it adds.

While students continued their demonstrations at the Mafikeng campus of the North-West University, large numbers of staff members marched to the department of education to present a memorandum. The only connection between the two protests is their exasperation with the management of the University.

(OSISA) is a leading regional foundation, established in 1997 by investor and philanthropist George Soros, to create and sustain the institutions, policies and practices of an open society, where good governance, human rights and justice are respected and upheld. Its programmes broadly focus on Education, Media, Human Rights and Democracy as well as Information Communication Technologies. In addition to undertaking advocacy, and working through multi-level partnerships with others, OSISA oversees US$5 million in grants annually across a region made up of Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

ActionAid International, is a unique partnership of people and organisations in 40 countries in Africa, Asia, the Americas and Europe. ActionAid International works with over 9 million of the world's poorest people to eradicate poverty and marginalisation and the injustice and inequity that cause it. ActionAid International has recently relocated it's International Secretariat to Johannesburg, South Africa and several exciting job opportunities currently exist. Appropriately qualified and experienced applicants are invited to submit CVs for the following positions: Head of Governance Development; Head of Human Resources and OD; Head of Finance and Administration; Accounting Officer; Executive Assistant; HR Administrator; Reception/Front Desk.

The North Sudan programme is one of our largest in the Horn, East and Central Africa Region. A new position has opened up for an experienced and dynamic manager to oversee the Finance, Human Resources, Information Technology, Administration and Logistics teams.

This paper was commissioned by the Fannie Mae and Rockefeller Foundations to review current practices and thinking on how to meet nonprofit organisations' need for financial capital. Both foundations, joined by the Surdna Foundation, wanted a map of this vast, sometimes technically complex landscape to aid in their own analysis and strategy development. The paper attempts to provide an overview that might help decision makers better understand their options.

Government and social welfare NGOs are seeking ways to offset a pending education crisis for orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) after school heads resolved this week to bar those unable to pay fees. Education Minister Constance Simelane ordered school principals to admit OVC in January, and promised to provide for the orphans' fees. The directive was controversial, with some education authorities and media pundits doubting government's ability to find and expeditiously release funding for fees as well as other needs, like uniforms and textbooks.

About 800,000 Zimbabwean orphans and disadvantaged children who depend on state assistance to pay school fees may be unable to enrol when the new term begins next week. Under the Basic Education Assistance Model (BEAM), the government had allocated Zim $3.8 billion (about US $753,000) to pay the school fees of orphans and disadvantaged children, but Lancelot Museka, the Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare permanent secretary, announced this week that the money had run out after just one term of the school year.

The government of Togo has closed the country's main university for an indefinite period following several days of protest by students which led to violent clashes with the security forces. The disturbances were the worst seen in Togo for several years. Charles Kondi-Agba, the Minister for Higher Education, announced on Sunday that the University of Lome had been closed until further notice "in order to facilitate a genuine and constructive dialogue with the students."

The UK Department for International Development in South Africa (DFID-SA), the Southern African Grantmakers' Association (SAGA) and the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA) have formed a partnership around the establishment of a regional funding facility and policy resource, provisionally named the Southern African Trust. The Trust will consist of a Regional Public Policy Learning Facility (RPPLF) and a grant-making facility. DFID has set aside GB£10mn and SIDA has also committed funds to the Trust.

The Ford, Kellogg and Mott foundations, the Carnegie Corporation of New York and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund have announced a commitment of a total of $10 million for a special fund for grants commemorating the tenth anniversary of South Africa’s democracy and its impact on the social and economic development of southern Africa. The commemorative grants will support efforts to strengthen democratic institutions and encourage public debate about the experiences and advances since South Africa’s first democratic elections ten years ago. The five foundations will identify projects for special funding to address the spread of HIV/AIDS, strengthen the role of NGOs in South Africa’s democracy, help close the economic gap between disadvantaged and more advantaged groups, and other initiatives to be defined.

In a speech at the annual meeting of the Donor Forum of Wisconsin, Open Society Institute Vice President and Director of U.S. Programs Gara LaMarche discussed "the need for foundations to pursue their mission...through grantmaking that is focused at least in part on public policy goals." He also contended - by drawing attention to what he considers worrisome political, social, and economic developments in the United States - that foundations must "lead with their voice" and take a more active and direct role in opposing or supporting key initiatives when appropriate.

The recent inclusion of education as a tradable service under the General Agreement on Trade Services (GATS), run by the World Trade Organisation has caused much concern among members of the higher education community. Among the concerns being raised is the manner in which decisions are taken at the WTO, which do not harmonize the interest of developing countries. Also was the concern about the negative impact of GATS on the national higher education sector, especially where the public system is weak or in transition, and its threat to cultural specificities. Armed with this fear, leaders in the world of higher education, drawn from various African countries, policy makers, scholars, representatives of donors and international organisations, and other stakeholders are holding a three - day meeting in Accra, to deliberate on the implications of GATS for higher education on the continent.

Speaking on behalf of 100 Million children deprived from their fundamental right to education. Mr. Kailash Satyarthi, Chairperson of the Global Campaign for Education and Global March Against Child Labour slammed rich countries for breaking their promises on education. He said: "Is it not a shame that when we talk of military and defence and war budgets, we use the figures of billions, but when it comes to education, we always talk in millions? We have to talk about enough money for education, which has been promised by the international community." He was addressing the official press conference of the IMF-World Bank Development committee spring meeting in Washington, D.C.

The International Crisis Group is seeking an intern to work for its West Africa Project for a period of six months. This internship involves working with the West Africa Project Director providing assistance in research and writing and editing reports on conflict issues in this area. This paid internship would suit someone with a recent graduate or postgraduate degree (from an African university) in political science, conflict studies or public administration.

ActionAid International, is a unique partnership of people and organisations in 40 countries in Africa, Asia, the Americas and Europe. ActionAid International works with over 9 million of the world's poorest people to eradicate poverty and marginalisation and the injustice and inequity that cause it. ActionAid International has recently relocated it's International Secretariat to Johannesburg, South Africa and several exciting job opportunities currently exist. Appropriately qualified and experienced applicants are invited to submit CVs for the following positions: Head of Governance Development; Head of Human Resources and OD; Head of Finance and Administration; Accounting Officer; Executive Assistant; HR Administrator; Reception/Front Desk.

A community based grass-roots organisation in Nairobi (Kenya) involved in disability, child rights, income generation and development issues, is looking for a short term consultant preferably from Kenya itself. The person should have experience in participatory methodologies and non-governmental organisational development. The total duration of the consultancy for conducting a workshop will be around 7 days, some time in November or December 2004. Interested persons should send their CV to [email protected]

Universal primary education is "the single most effective preventive weapon against HIV/AIDS," says a new report by Oxfam International. But donor countries are failing to come up with even the minimal funds they have pledged to support African countries under an optimistically named "Fast Track Initiative" to expand education funding. This latest edition of the AfricaFocus Bulletin includes excerpts from the press release and executive summary from Oxfam International launching the "Learning to Survive" report, and a short extract from that report on funding shortfalls in Niger, one of the Fast Track countries where donors have failed to provide promised support.

Rich countries of the G8 are being pressed to provide funding needed to achieve an objective of ensuring that every child has an education. Finance and development ministers have been warned that efforts to achieve a number of other objectives for tackling poverty are not on track. The meeting of the joint World Bank and International Monetary Fund committee is being held in Washington.

University students are saying hamba kahle (farewell) to South Africa's indigenous tongues as they turn their backs on studying African languages. Language experts said this week that they feared for the future of the nine official African languages as English became the language of technology, commerce and government. "Indigenous languages are under siege. Parents in townships equate education with competency in English," said Professor Mohlomi Moleleki, chairman of the Pan South African Language Board and head of African languages at the University of the Free State.