The original, highly acclaimed 'Stepping Stones' training package, published in 1995 by Strategies for Hope and ActionAid, is now used in over 100 countries worldwide. The package - a 240-page manual and a 70-minute workshop video - is designed to help women and men explore their social, sexual and psychological needs; to analyse the communication blocks they face; and to practise different ways of addressing their relationships

After a perilous Mediterranean crossing from Libya's shores, streams of would-be immigrants await processing at Italy's southernmost island, Lampedusa. The tiny holiday jewel is in the spotlight as Italy's new right-wing government has begun mounting a crackdown on illegal immigration. The newcomers to the "first aid and emergency centre" are given new shoes, pink for women and blue-and-white striped for men, and clean clothes to wear as they shuffle through the process.

Africa Middle East Refugee Assistance (AMERA), a UK-based refugee rights organization and the leading refugee legal aid program in Egypt, is seeking to fill an opening for a legal officer to work as an advisor and advocate for refugees in Egypt. We are looking for an intelligent, hard-working person with a commitment to human rights and service to vulnerable people. We prefer to hire lawyers, but will consider non-lawyers with applicable skills. Application deadline: 8 September 2008.

The Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA) invites applications from suitably qualified nationals of African countries to fill the vacant position of Director of Administration, Finance and Membership Services in its pan-African Secretariat located in Dakar, Senegal. This position is categorised as one of the senior posts in the Council and the successful candidate will join a team of staff members functioning under the direct supervision of the Executive Secretary of the Council. All applications must be received by 15 October 2008. Any application received after this date will not be considered.

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) should cancel more than three quarters of its logging deals for not meeting necessary standards, a government-sponsored working group looking into the forestry sector said on Wednesday. The country, home to the world's second largest tropical forest, launched a World Bank-backed review of all timber contracts last week in an effort to recoup millions of dollars in lost taxes and clean up a business rife with corruption.

The fired managing director of The Gambia's pro-government 'Daily Observer' newspaper has been discharged by the court. Mr. Dida Halake, whose nationality remains unclear, was discharged by a local magistrates' court after the prosecution filed an application to withdraw criminal case against him. The prosecution said this will allow it to put its house in order.

This weekend the eight people that burnt to death in two shack fires in Cato Crest will be buried. This weekend we will continue to rebuild the Kennedy Road settlement after two fires in two weeks. We do not accept that the poor must burn in shack fires. This is not God’s will. We cannot be silent while facing these fires. If we were silent we would have no right to exist.

Egyptian police have arrested 587 mostly African migrants caught trying to slip over the border into Israel since January, and shot and wounded a Sudanese man at the frontier on Friday, security sources said. The sources said Eritreans made up the largest group of those detained trying to sneak into the Jewish state, at 249 since the start of the year. Significant numbers also came from Sudan, Nigeria and Ivory Coast.

The Urgent Action Fund-Africa (UAF-Africa), based in Nairobi, Kenya seeks an ExecutiveDirector (ED) to take up the post by April 1 2009. The Executive Director is a dynamic leader who ensures UAF-Africa’s strategic vision, mission and goals. S/he is responsible for the consistent and effective delivery of the organisation’s programmes. Supported by a team, s/he has experience at senior management level, knowledge of and commitment to feminist movements and women’s human rights issues, and a sophisticated ability to network with other organisations, funders and donors.

Workers on the world’s largest rubber plantation owned by Firestone in Liberia will sign a new collective bargaining agreement today at a ceremony with company management and the Labor Minister of Liberia. In Firestone’s 82 year history in Liberia, this is the first time that workers have been represented by an independent and democratically elected union leadership during contract negotiations.

The Free Software Directory is a project of the Free Software Foundation (FSF) and United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).This site catalog useful free software that runs under free operating systems — particularly the GNU operating system and its GNU/Linux variants. Licenses are verified for each and every program listed in this directory.

http://www.pambazuka.org/images/articles/392/HAIlogo.jpgAgeing is a triumph of our times, yet over 100 million older people live on less than a dollar a day HelpAge International works to ensure everyone knows how much older people contribute to society and must enjoy their rights to healthcare and social services and the economic and physical security they need. Established in 1983 our global network today spans more than 70 affiliate organisations in 50 countries.

Our Africa Regional Development Centre (ARDC) has grown rapidly over the last few years. It works with a range of partners across Africa to deliver programming in a number of key areas: HIV/AIDS; social protection and social pensions; emergency response and disaster risk reduction; rights of older people; and livelihoods.

You will be responsible for leading and guiding HAI strategic planning in Africa and expanding its programmes and network. You will also lead a highly skilled influencing and advocacy team working to raise the ageing agenda in the continent. You will provide strategic management support to ARDC staff and HAI country offices and be responsible for the financial and budgetary controls of the organisation.

Graham Thom died in his home in London on 10 July 2008.

Graham a graduate from Cambridge University, made a significant contribution to developing a vibrant and strong civil society sector both in England and in Africa, and was much loved and respected by his colleagues for his creativeness, his passion and boundless compassion. Graham co-founded Link Community Development and became its first Director. He went on to lead the Transform Programme, a consortium of Oxfam, Christian Aid, Education Action International and CAFOD, providing capacity building services for NGOs in Southern and East Africa. Graham also worked as Chief Executive of the Back-Up Trust, a charity working with people with Spinal Cord Injury, overseeing the growth of the organisation. He also worked as Director of Fundraising for Haven House. At the time of his death, Graham was Director of Fundraising at Computer Aid International. It was Graham’s dream to bring greater stability and sustainability for the civil society sector, particularly in Africa, as this sector continues to strive for social justice for citizens, in an ever increasingly hostile and resource starved environment. His work has not gone unnoticed,

Graham is survived by his wife Rajani, parents Denis and Jane and sister, Caroline.

A plenary of Angola's National Electoral Commission (CNE) has approved a model of ballot paper ahead of the country's September legislative elections. CNE's Spokesperson, Adão de Almeida, announced that the introduction of the model ballot paper is in line with the graphic characteristics of the law.

The Nigerian government ratified CEDAW in 1985 without reservations. Consequently, it is bound to fulfill all obligations stated in article 2 towards the promotion of the principles of CEDAW. The situation of women’s human rights in Nigeria, however, signifies that the Nigerian Government is not carrying out its obligations as CEDAW requires. The sorry state of women’s rights in Nigeria has been attributed to the non-domestication of and non-implementation of CEDAW.

ITCH is a South-African born, internationally relevant online/offline magazine that publishes verbal and visual creative work. Work published includes non-fiction (book reviews, essays, polemic), narrative and poetry, as well as visual work in any medium. Submissions can include audio files (e.g., poetry recitals) and video (short films, animations, etc.).

Egyptian police shot dead an unidentified African migrant and detained two others while they were trying to cross illegally into Israel on Friday, a security official and a medical source said. The man, who did not carry any identification papers, died of his wounds on the way to hospital, the sources said on condition of anonymity.

Apparently, January 1 2008 saw a breakthrough in Chinese workers’ rights, and a flight of employers to other lands where labour is cheaper and less protected. At least that is what must have happened if the rosiest [or most alarmist] interpretations of China’s new labour law, which came into force on that date, are to be believed.

But getting at the facts behind the reports is another matter - and of interest to African activists for at least two reasons. First, China’s competitive labour cost advantage is blamed for loss of employment in Africa especially in textiles. Second, Chinese firms in Africa are supposed to conform to local laws or failing that, to Chinese legislation. So if China’s labour laws are now to become a worker’s nirvana, could African workers in future hope to hitch a ride on the apparently greater rights of their Chinese brothers and sisters?

A journalist working for French radio in Niger must remain in prison after the country's prosecutor appealed on Friday against a court order this week dismissing charges of collaboration with rebels, a judge said. Moussa Kaka, who works for French state-owned Radio France International (RFI), has spent 10 months in prison. The charges against him have twice been dismissed only for the prosecutor to appeal both times against the freeing of the journalist.

Potato farmers forming part of the Western Free State Seed Growers (Pty) Ltd, in Christiana have identified farm workers skills development as a key requirement for agricultural economic growth in South Africa. The farmers in partnership with government’s AgriSETA and a private owned company, Media Works have embarked on an Adult Basic Education and Training (Abet) meant to provide adult basic education and training to permanently employed farm workers in different national languages as well as numeracy skills.