“Post-Conflict Transition in Africa: The State and Civil Society” The Institute offers the selected qualified scholars employment for initially three (extendable to a maximum of six) years with adequate remuneration in a stimulating working environment. Interested scholars are requested to visit our web site for further details (www.nai.uu.se). The deadline for applications is 30 April 2004.

Thom Chiumia and Chikumbutso Mtumodzi, two journalists who are also politicians, halted printing of the privately owned "The Dispatch" newspaper on 29 January, and seized the printed copy and plates. Chiumia is president of the New Dawn for Africa (NDA) political party and Mtumodzi is the NDA's secretary-general. The NDA supports the ruling United Democratic Front (UDF) party and is widely believed to be funded by UDF supporters.

The UN World Food Programme (WFP) started on Friday a two-year effort to rid primary school children of parasites in four provinces in the Central African Republic, WFP representative David Bulman told IRIN. The schools are in the provinces of Ombella Mpoko, Lobaye, Kemo and Nana Grebizi. The three-classroom Gbaloko Primary School, 16 km outside the capital, Bangui, is the first to benefit from the programme, which will provide the anti-parasitic drugs Mebendazole and Praziquantel to the students twice a year.

Education has become a global challenge. For instance, Europe, the United States, Japan and even the emerging nations of Asia have all come together in support of Education For All. Education is the big issue of today, says Laya Sawadogo, Burkina Faso’s Minister of Secondary and Higher Education and Scientific Research in an interview published on the Unesco website.
"I’d like to cite you some figures to give you an idea of the situation in Burkina Faso: 42 per cent of our children are in primary school, only 12 per cent are enrolled in secondary school and 1.3 per cent go on to higher education. And we have an illiteracy rate of 76 per cent. We need to improve all these indicators, but that’s not an easy thing to do given our present situation."

The conference will focus on the crucial role of theatre in contemporary Africa as a vehicle for political debate, development and cultural identity. It will be hosted by the Leeds University Centre for African Studies (LUCAS).

The value of news and public affairs took front and centre stage at the Internews Local Voices Radio Station Managers workshop that ended in Abuja on February 14. Amidst back-slapping and camaraderie of meeting old and new friends, radio station managers committed to actively strive for more depth in their coverage of news and public affairs. "We are returning to base imbued with ideas on programming and how to do better audience-focused communication in relation to HIV/AIDS", said the Manager Programs of Radio Kano, Hajia Sa'a Ibrahim.

The Shuttleworth Foundation, a non-profit organisation, has a strong belief that innovation is the key to improving the quality of education in South Africa. Our primary aim is to improve education in the areas of maths, science, technology and entrepreneurship, both from a learner's and educator's perspective. The foundation is currently calling for proposals of innovative and pilot educational projects in the following areas: Maths, science, technology and entrepreneurship in the General Education Training (GET) phase; Numeracy in the Foundation phase.

Liberia’s war-wearied civilians fear a return to hostilities as politicians squabble within the transitional government and the United Nations takes its time in deploying peacekeepers around the country. At the centre of this concern is the jostling for government posts. The scramble continues ever since the businessman-turned politician Gyude Bryant was sworn-in as chairperson of the power-sharing transitional government last October under a peace agreement signed in Ghana in August.

The Minister of Education, Professor Fabian Osuji, has stated that there was need to evolve an education strategy that will rehabilitate restive youths in the country. In a keynote address presented in Abuja at the commencement of the Education Tax Fund National sensitization work-shop on rehabilitative education for self improvement and national development, the minister said the restive youth phenomenon has become a national concern and requires serious attention.

Authorities in Cameroon are engaged in a battle to stem corruption in the education system where, as mathematics teacher Victor Pene describes it, graft "is in the process of institutionalizing itself". "The future of education in Cameroon is looking bleak," adds Father Jean-Claude Ekobena, Secretary for Education in the Catholic Archdiocese of Yaoundé. "In schools, there is a blatant sale of places for matriculating students, the purchase of diplomas, ‘modification' of report cards, the solicitation of favours by teachers - and misappropriation of school fees by teachers."

A fundraising drive by British students to help school children in Africa has resulted in the formation of a new charity and an ongoing commitment to improve the lives of young people in Zimbabwe. Students at George Elliot Community School in Nuneaton, England were involved in a pioneering fundraising drive to raise money for Pafiwa High School in the Mutasa District of Zimbabwe. As a result of the success of the fundraising effort, the fundraising drive has become an ongoing effort and is now known as the George Eliot Charity Organisation. (Sources: Heartland Evening News and Noneaton Evening Telegraph)

At least 15,000 people have fled the village of Kitenge in the southern province of Katanga, where Mayi-Mayi militiamen have killed 100 people since 1 January, a local human rights official told IRIN. "Kitenge residents live in fear and in trauma. They can no longer go about their normal business, because the Mayi-Mayi are extorting, looting, raping, burning homes, cutting off fingers and the private parts and pubic hairs of their victims," Bin Masudi, the coordinator of the Katanga-based Committee for the Defence of Human Rights, said.

The "Organization Guinéenne des Droits de l'Homme (OGDH)" in Collaboration with the Coalition for the ICC is organizing in Conakry, Guinea on 2 - 4 March 2004, a workshop on the implementation of the Rome Statute for the International Criminal Court. Placed under the High patronage of the Guinean Minister for Justice with the participation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, this seminar will gather about 60 participants; officials of several Ministries (Justice, Foreign Affaires, interior , Communication, Defense etc), members of the Parliament, the Bar associations, media and NGOs. More information is available by writing to the email address below.

The job purpose is to lead Oxfam GB's work in Mozambique by working with the Regional Management Centre (RMC) and other organisations to bring about change through Oxfam's programme and influence.

The RLP is currently inviting applications for the post of Research Fellow for citizens of the East African region. The Fellow would operate within the Department of Research and Advocacy and be responsible for assisting in the continual refining of the project's research agenda. The position would involve carrying out field research at both fundamental/policy and investigative/individual levels throughout Uganda, analysing collected data, and contributing to various publications of the RLP including its Working Paper series and Policy Paper series.

The cholera epidemic in Zambia has forced the World Food Programme (WFP) to suspend 107 of its 179 school feeding programmes. WFP spokeswoman Lena Savelli told IRIN on Monday that the decision to "suspend the feeding in these schools follows reports from government and local media that these areas are affected by cholera".

Looking to build an effective, efficient and sustainable organisation? Limited resources for attending courses? Need effective training that you can do while working?

Fahamu, in association with the University of Oxford, is offering distance learning courses specifically designed to meet the needs of human rights and civil society organisations. You can be anywhere to do these courses. Using cutting-edge interactive CDROMs, with support from a course tutor via email and an optional workshop, the course methodology is designed for learning at work without the need to take study leave. Those successfully completing the course will be awarded with a certificate from the University of Oxford. Fahamu – Learning for change – uses information and communication technologies to serve the needs of organisations and social movements that aspire to progressive social change and that promote and protect human rights.

The following courses are available in 2004:

· An introduction to human rights (3 weeks)
· Investigating, reporting and monitoring human rights violations (18 weeks)
· Using the internet for advocacy and research (16 weeks)
· Leadership and management for change (18 weeks)
· Fundraising and resource mobilisation (18 weeks)
· Finance for the non-financial manager (18 weeks)
· JustWrite: an on-line course on effective writing (5 weeks)

The first course begins on 1 March 2004.

For course dates, information, fees and registration forms kindly contact

Camille Downes in Durban, South Africa on TEL: +27-(0)31-2071144/8360 FAX: +27-31-2078403 EMAIL: [email protected]

or Hilary Isaacs in Oxford, UK on TEL: +44-(0)845 456 2442 FAX: +44-(0)845-456-2443 EMAIL: [email protected] http://www.fahamu.org/

The Africa-America Institute is pleased to announce the International Fellowships Program of the Ford Foundation for resident citizens and residents of South Africa. The International Fellowships Program, which will provide support for up to three years of full-time post-graduate study, is a Program whose fundamental objective is to provide post-graduate opportunities for individuals from social groups and communities that lack systematic access to higher education. Ford International Fellows, as recipients of the Fellowships will be called, are expected to use their education in helping to reduce inequalities and redress historical patterns of injustice.

The University of Zimbabwe opened this week with lecturers vowing not to report for duty unless they are awarded a 300 percent salary increment backdated to July last year. This, however, did not disrupt examinations as temporary staff were invigilating. UZ acting director of information and publicity Mr Daniel Chihombori confirmed that the college had opened but said it was difficult to tell whether the lecturers were present.

The Global Development Network's new Free Journal Access Portal enables social science researchers based in developing or transitional countries to access a searchable, full-text, online database of more than 120 well-known social-science journals, free of charge.