The government of the Central African Republic (CAR) has endorsed an "Education for All" action plan, aimed at guaranteeing qualitative education for all citizens, state-owned Radio Centrafrique reported on Saturday. The radio reported that the action plan was endorsed/adopted after a seminar held in the capital, Bangui, from Wednesday to Friday. The UN Development Programme, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), UNESCO and Coopération Francaise (French Cooperation) facilitated the seminar.

Fighting broke out between Burundi's last active rebel group and government forces last Thursday, a day after both sides said they would cease unprovoked attacks, rebel and army sources said. Each side blamed the other for starting the clash and it was not immediately clear whether the fighting was the result of the truce not having being communicated down the lines or of rogue rebel elements.

Protesting Wits University students tried to break into the main library and the closed cafeteria on the campus as they protested against the slashing of financial aid. Earlier they barged into lecture halls on the east campus turning desks over and tearing up engineering students' exam papers, in a successful bid to halt classes, a reporter on the scene said. Meanwhile a group of Wits academics have written a letter protesting about the heavy police presence on campus. Click on the link below to read the letter.

The Angolan government must stop its military forces from conducting brutal body searches, beatings and rapes of Congolese migrant workers in northern Angola, Human Rights Watch says. Since early April, tens of thousands of migrant workers from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have been subjected to brutal physical abuse as part of an operation conducted by Angolan soldiers to expel them from the diamond-rich border province of Lunda Norte. Angolan authorities claim that they are repatriating Congolese and other workers who have been illegally mining diamonds in northern Angola.

As part of the global Education for All Week, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is calling for increased efforts to reduce the disproportionate number of girls denied schooling. “As long as millions of girls are denied a basic education, we stand little chance of improving the lives of the world’s poorest people,” UNICEF Executive Director Carol Bellamy says in a message. “Education is not only the key to a young girl's personal fulfilment, but it is essential for reducing poverty, stopping HIV/AIDS, and achieving all other development goals.”

A comprehensive report released on the eve of the World Bank’s spring meeting in Washington has concluded that the world community is simply not doing nearly what it could and should to tackle poverty, war, ignorance and disease. A team of over 40 experts from around the world, overseen by a distinguished steering committee, has concluded that governments, international organisations, business and civil society are engaging in only about one-third of the effort necessary to realize the United Nations Millennium Declaration Goals.

Participants at a one-day conference on education have expressed fears over the realisation of education for all by the year 2015. The fear was hinged on the attitudes of parents, students, as well as government on ways of enhancing education, which they agreed could hinder global projection of education for all. Ondo State Commissioner for Education, Chief Bisi Taiwo, said some parents deliberately deny their children access to schools. Instead, they prefer to assist their children make instant money through cart-pushing, scavenging and hawking at motor parks.

The National Arts Council (NAC) invites funding proposals in the following categories:

Regular Annual Funding

Deadline: 21 May 2004

Funding proposals from organisations, individuals, groups and institutions in dance and choreography, theatre, music, literature, visual arts or crafts.

International Bursaries

Deadline: 21 May 2004

Funding proposals from post-graduate students of dance and choreography, theatre, music, literature, visual arts or crafts.

Decade of Democracy (DOD) Special Funding

Deadline: 31 May 2004

Funding proposals from organisations, individuals, groups and institutions in dance and choreography, theatre, music, literature, visual arts or crafts to celebrate ten years of democracy in South Africa.

For more information contact the NAC on tel: 011 838-1383 or email: [email protected]

The Thusanang news team caught up with Simon Collings, who is the CEO of the UK-based NGO, Resource Alliance (RA), during its recent 5th International Workshop for Resource Mobilisation (IWRM) held in Johannesburg. The RA is gradually beginning to make its presence felt in Southern Africa, so Thusanang, a fundraising website, thought it appropriate to find out more about it.

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 partners are currently calling for nominations for the Board of Trustees. The closing date is 10 May 2004.

"The Myth of Community Based Conservation" will be the topic of a monthly seminar series on land issues to be help at 3pm on 30 April 2004 at the Hakiardhi Seminar Room, Vijani Building, Morogogo Road, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The presentation will be in the Kiswahili language and each participant will receive an English copy of the paper.

The Institute for Human Rights and Development in Africa will organise a litigation workshop from 10-14 May 2004, in Dakar, Senegal. The workshop will be bi-lingual (French/English), with simultaneous translation, and will take place during the 35th Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, which is also scheduled to take place in Dakar. The public sessions of the African Commission commence on 3 May.

The Contact Trust will be holding a workshop on 'Lobbying Parliament on the Budget'. The programme and invitation is available through the link below.

Lack of skilled labour is a major obstacle to achieving development goals. Kenya has devoted the largest share of its budget (29% in 1998) to expanding education. Has substantial state and private investment in education been worthwhile? How are returns to education different for men and women and for primary, secondary and tertiary education?

The Hannah Neil World of Children Awards honour ordinary people doing extraordinary work for children. Each year nominations from across the globe are reviewed to identify selfless individuals whose unwavering commitment to children makes the world a better place, for youth and all of humanity. The $100,000 Kellogg's Child Development Award, recognises those who have made a significant lifetime contribution to children's futures by significantly improving their opportunities to learn and to grow. The $100,000 Cardinal Health Children's Care Award, recognizes an individual who has made a significant lifetime contribution to the health and well-being of children. The $15,000 Founder's Award recognizes a young person under age 21, who is making extraordinary contributions to other children. Deadline for nominations: Monday, April 26, 2004.

The Five College African Scholars Program invites proposals for competitive residency fellowships from junior and mid-level teaching staff employed full-time in African universities. Projects relevant to the study of Africa are welcomed in the humanities and social sciences. The theme for the January 2005 residency is power and representation. Deadline: 1 May 2004.

The World Press Freedom Committee says it is "deeply alarmed" to learn that a writ of summons has been issued by the Civil Law Court in Monrovia on the management and editorial staff of four newspapers, namely, the National Chronicle, Monrovia Guardian, The Forum and The Heritage, for their editors and certain staff members to appear before court. This is after Labour Minister Lavella Supuwood filed a suit against the journalists, following a series of publications by the newspapers chronicling instances and names of people who allegedly committed crimes against the people of Liberia during the country's bloody 14-year civil war.

Organisation Development and Community Management Trust (ODCMT) is a local NGO registered in March 2000 to provide assistance building the capacity of civil society to enhance their missions. The organisation undertakes popular campaign activities on poverty and trade issues, offers short-term development skills training courses and provides information and advisory services to leaders and members of civil society. In the last four years the organisation has managed to build and consolidate its capacity to gain a reputation as an alternative training resource institution to universities and colleges in the provision of practical skills training services to development practitioners.

CIVICUS, a global alliance of civil society organisations based in Johannesburg, South Africa, seeks to recruit a Project Manager for its Civil Society Index programme (CSI). The CSI is an international action-research initiative assessing the state of civil society in currently over 60 countries around the world. Reporting to the Director of Programs, the CSI Project Manager will be responsible for implementing and managing the CSI programme and overseeing the work of CSI staff members.

The ESA CIP is an initiative of the Catalysing Access to Information and Communications Technologies in Africa programme. It is a new Centre dedicated to increasing the capacity of East and Southern African stakeholders to participate in international information and communications technology (ICT) policy-making and is being launched in Kampala, Uganda in April 2004. The following positions are available: Policy Research Associate; Executive Director.