The Open Knowledge Network is an initiative of the G8 Digital Opportunity Taskforce (DOTForce) linking together existing grassroots information and knowledge-sharing initiatives to promote both the creation and the exchange of local content as widely as possible across the South, supported by a range of different information and communication technologies. The programme is coordinated by OneWorld International and its network of southern offices. See for more information. The Project Manager, located in Africa, will be responsible for planning, coordinating and delivering OKN activities in the region, based on building solid relationships with a range of stakeholders (especially at grassroots level) in a pan-African context.

At least 10 children have starved to death among drought-stricken families who fled to one of Ethiopia's most important national parks seeking refuge. The children were among some 20,000 people who have descended on Bale National Park in search of food, according to the UN's Emergencies Unit for Ethiopia (EUE).

The Country Director (CD), based in Bujumbura, Burundi, is responsible for providing overall leadership to the country office's program, financial, human resources, and administrative management. This includes oversight of the development, implementation and evaluation of high quality country office strategic annual plans for programs that are in support of CARE's worldwide purpose and strategic directions.

IFESH is initiating a new project in Liberia, beginning in January 2003. Funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Liberia Integrated Civil Society Development Initiative is to assist in the country's transition from a state of conflict to one of rehabilitation and development by helping local communities become more actively engaged in the country's social, economic and political development.

Recent years have seen growing international debate about the ethics of conducting medical research in developing countries. Although many of the issues at stake do not differ in kind from those in more developed countries, the limited resources available within developing countries may exacerbate the problems faced. In addition, imbalances in power between the stakeholders in research - which can include multinational pharmaceutical companies, publicly funded researchers, national governments, and participants - can increase the risk of exploitation of the more vulnerable parties.

"SATELLIFE Health Information Project" from the United States was one of the two winning projects at the 2002 Stockholm Challenge Award in the "Health" category. SATELLIFE uses multiple technologies - from satellites to modems - to connect health professionals to critical information in under-resourced areas. In rural Africa, manual health surveys are expensive, inadequate, inaccurate and slow. The project uses PDAs to collect timely public health data, return it to policy-makers and explore appropriate affordable technology for the environment. In a Ghanaian trial programme, 30 volunteers trained on the PDAs and completed over 2,400 surveys within five days. The data were analysed and the report delivered in six days instead of the usual four to six months.

The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) has expressed concern at the rejection of Nigeria's first Children's Bill by the country's House of Representatives. A news release on Friday quoted the officer-in-charge of UNICEF Nigeria, Roger Wright, as saying the decision was a blow to efforts to ensure that all children in the country fully enjoyed their rights.

Under the supervision Registrar of the Special Court, the expert consultant will undertake a 1 month in-depth assessment, producing a report recommending specific measures and training needs for the court.

The Christian Reformed Church in North America has an immediate opening for a Program Consultant with the Christian Reformed World Relief Committee. Based in Arua, Uganda, the posting will include consultation and training of church partner organizations to implement and improve community development programs that ensure positive results and organizational capacity building. One year cross-cultural experience and two years community development or organizational development consultation is required.

The GOAL Country Director is responsible for the management and ongoing development/expansion of GOAL's work in the Sudan. He/She will be responsible for ensuring that GOAL's work contributes effectively and efficiently towards meeting the short, medium and long term needs of the poorest of the poor, within the framework of the organisation's objectives.

The Statistics Expert will be in charge to take a census of Zongo and Libenge population. The researches and studies must be completed not later than December 2002.

Although the majority of South Africans have never directly helped a child affected by HIV/AIDS most would if they knew how. This vast untapped reserve of goodwill will hopefully prompt South Africans to open their hearts and pockets and make a donation to the Pick 'n Pay, Khomanani, Caring Together initiative to collect as much as possible for children affected by HIV/AIDS before November 24, 2002.

At a time when education budgets worldwide are shrinking, a small state government in Nigeria has achieved a rare feat. For the past three years, the Nasarawa State Government has consistently dedicated 28 percent of its budget to the education sector.

British America Tobacco (BAT) Zimbabwe Limited, the country's largest cigarette manufacturer, has strengthened its position as a responsible corporate citizen by investing $6 million in a staff clinic.

Agricultural services group Afgri (formerly OTK) has made a cash offer of R59m for agricultural co-operative Laeveld Korporatiewe Beleggings (LBK), a move that will see it diversify from its core grain-handling business.

The European Union will make HIV/Aids awareness an integral part of everything it will be doing in Africa, the EU's ambassador to South Africa Michael Lake said in Cape Town. Speaking at the opening of the Technical and Business Education Initiative in South Africa (Tabeisa) conference at the Peninsula Technikon, Lake said trade between South Africa and the EU had increased by 50 percent over the past three years and seemed set to increase further.

Zimbabwe's National AIDS Council (NAC) would continue distributing money from the national AIDS fund, despite recent allegations that politics had "infiltrated" the organisation.The NAC will provide Z$7.8 million (US $146,000) in funding for home-based care services for people living with HIV/AIDS and children orphaned by the disease in 84 districts throughout the country, a local state-controlled newspaper reported on Sunday.

The diamond industry must act to eliminate the international trade in conflict diamonds. That's the message from ActionAid, Amnesty International and Global Witness as the World Diamond Congress (WDC) meets in London on 27-29 October. "20% of the diamonds sold worldwide are illicitly traded. Some of these diamonds are used to buy weapons for rebel groups in Africa, as well as financing conflicts. And yet diamond traders have failed to act," said Alex Yearsley of Global Witness.

Hady-Jane Guds of Amsterdam, Netherlands, touched by the Madiba magic after meeting Nelson Mandela in 1997, recently gave R5000 to the Ntlonze Junior Secondary School.

In the bleached shantytowns of southern Africa they call them the "ugly sisters" -- a twin force of such devastation that from the wreckage it is seldom possible to distinguish one sibling's impact from the other: Aids and hunger have become inseparable.