The Poverty and Economic Policy (PEP) research network announces a call for proposals for its 2010 competition for research grants with a total vlaue of up to $CAN 50,000 each.

Universtiy of Johannesburg’s Professor Peter Alexander has been awarded the South African Research Chair in Social Change (funded by the Department of Science and Technology and administered by the National Research Foundation). This prestigious chair will enable him to support: three post-doctoral fellows, three doctoral students, three masters students and two honours students. Applications are invited for all of these positions.

International Center for Policy and Conflict express concern on the deepen crisis in Kenya of human rights defenders and victims of post-election violence threats and intimidation. This is unacceptable and in contradiction of all human rights instruments ratified by Kenya.

In recent years, powerful and rich middle-east and Asian countries have been on a quest for the ultimate ‘breadbasket’ of grains to feed their growing population and to combat rising food prices. These powerful and rich Asian countries have gone to poor African countries, such as Ethiopia, with corrupt governments to grab farmland for the purpose of growing grains there, and then exporting them to feed their own people.

Alyxandra Gomes Nunes

Suely Aldir Masseder

Elisabete Figueroa Santos e Scopinho, R. A

Africa and Middle East Refugee Assistance (AMERA), a UK-registered refugee rights organization assisting refugees who seek asylum in Egypt, is seeking a dynamic team-builder with a background in social or community health work to serve as Psychosocial Team Leader. AMERA requires an intelligent, hard-working person with a commitment to service for vulnerable people, and an interest in finding innovative ways to integrate psychosocial, community and legal aid approached to improving refugees’ access to human rights.

Women are the backbone of Africa. They have never known life to be different, accustomed throughout the ages to a responsibility, that they must cope with the problems of daily life and their families’ struggle for survival. The international community must find a way to make a crucial difference. This includes awarding the Nobel Peace Prize in 2010 to the African Woman so that her daily struggle might be better publicized, appreciated and held as an example to facilitate human growth in Africa and the world.

From November 27 to December 3, the international peasant movement La Via Campesina and Uniterre will gather for the 7th Conference of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Geneva. Thirty delegates from Africa, Asia and Europe will be present to remind ministers of their responsibilities in the current food, financial, economic and climate crises.

RealClimate is a commentary site on climate science by working climate scientists for the interested public and journalists. We aim to provide a quick response to developing stories and provide the context sometimes missing in mainstream commentary. The discussion here is restricted to scientific topics and will not get involved in any political or economic implications of the science. All posts are signed by the author(s), except ‘group’ posts which are collective efforts from the whole team. This is a moderated forum.

The Durban International Film Festival's 31 st edition will take place from 22 July to 1 August 2010 and will present over 200 screenings of films from around the world, with a focus on films from South Africa and Africa. Screenings will take place throughout Durban including township areas where cinemas are non-existent.

Morocco has the resources to press ahead with farm sector reform, even if many foreign investors are unwilling to commit for now, industry officials said. Foreign investment in the north African country had fallen by a third in September compared to a year earlier, according to government figures, as the global banking crisis made investors loath to venture into new markets,

Join the editors of Pambazuka News, an award-winning online platform for social justice in Africa based in Oxford, Dakar, Cape Town and Rio de Janeiro, for a discussion on using the web to facilitate and transform activism and citizen journalism across the continent. Firoze Manji, Tidiane Kassé, Joshua Ogada and Alyxandra Gomes will share their experiences of electronic activism in Lusophone, Francophone and Anglophone Africa with the Oxford Internet Institute's Dr Mark Graham on Tuesday 1 December.

The Refugee Law Project (RLP) documentary "Gender Against Men" has won the prize for BEST DOCUMENTARY at the Kenya International Film Festival which was held from 21 to 31 October 2009. The festival, which had the theme of "celebrating our cultural diversity through cinema", attracted over 300 entries this year.

Thandeka*: I was fourteen when I was first raped. The perpetrator was in his early thirties. My friend and I were walking to the shop to buy bread when a man came out of the long grass. He showed us a gun and told us to do what ever he said or else...so we did. My friend and I went with him. He then started to ask us questions about sex.

South Africa has deported an Israeli airline official following allegations that Israel's secret police, the Shin Bet, had infiltrated Johannesburg international airport in an effort to gather information on South African citizens, particularly black and Muslim travelers.

The Congress of South African Trade Unions dips its banners in honour of one of our greatest heroes – Chris Dlamini - who passed away on 19 November 2009 between 21h00 and 22h00 after a brave battle with a ruptured ulcer. We send our condolences to his wife, Busi, seven children, seven grandchildren, two brothers, two sisters, and his many friends and comrades.

The Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network is proud to announce the launch of this two-volume legislative resource that offers concrete ways to reform laws to tackle sexual and domestic violence, and family and property issues and protect women’s human rights. The launch of Respect, Protect and Fulfill is timed to coincide with the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence Campaign

President Jacob Zuma has appointed a new team to monitor Zimbabwe's embattled unity government accord, effectively ending former president Thabo Mbeki's mediation role. Presidential spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said that as part of the evaluation process, the facilitation team would be visiting Zimbabwe in the near future.

Demba Moussa Dembélé

Société civile du Bénin

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has denounced the disproportionate sanctions imposed by the National Council of Communication (CNC) in Gabon on November 10, 2009 against eight private newspapers which have been struck with temporary prohibition of publication as well as the suspension of a very popular television program.