Africa’s efforts to meet the global anti-poverty targets known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by their 2015 deadline are threatened by the impact of the global financial crisis on the continent’s economies, said Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro.

Nearly 30,000 victims of toxic dumping in the Ivory Coast may be deprived of £30m compensation after an African court froze the bank accounts into which the money has been paid. British lawyers for the victims are concerned that the legal action is the first step in the expropriation of the funds, released to the claimants this year by Trafigura, a London-based international oil trading company.

A retreat from international funding commitments for AIDS threatens to undermine the dramatic gains made in reducing AIDS-related illness and death in recent years, according to a new report by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF).The MSF report highlights how expanding access to HIV treatment has not only saved the lives of people with AIDS but has been central to reducing overall mortality in a number of high HIV burden countries in southern Africa in recent years.

Namibia President Hifikepunye Pohamba, earlier this week likened the European Union's trade negotiations with Namibia to the days of apartheid, saying the powerhouse is refusing to treat the country as an equal and listen to its concerns about the controversial economic partnership agreement (EPA).

This article explores how globalisation is challenging activist groups that use a human rights framework that has traditionally been used to hold national governments accountable for human rights violations.

The International Lutheran Council (ILC) a world wide association of Lutheran churches has unanimously adopted a statement against homosexuality at the recent international gathering held in Seoul, Japan 26-31 August. Themed “In Christ: Living Life to the full” and held in Seoul, Japan, 26-31 August, the conference was organised with the aim to confront the homosexual debate which according to the council has divided and brought bewilderment within various congregations including the Lutheran Church.

Mortality rates, which have been increasing in South Africa since the 1990s, are on their way back down, reflecting a downturn of the AIDS epidemic and signalling longer lifespans for South Africans, statistics published today reveal.

Interface is a new journal produced twice yearly by activists and academics around the world in response to the development and increased visibility of social movements in the last few years - and the immense amount of knowledge generated in this process. Interface welcomes contributions by movement participants and academics who are developing movement-relevant theory and research.

CJN!SA and CJN! have united in calling all people to raise the voices of the global South, defend the rights of people and nature, and strengthen solidarity in the fight for climate justice.

The spokesman of Kenya Youth Alliance, Njuguna Gitau, has been shot dead. Mr Gitau was shot in the head on Nairobi's Luthuli Avenue, according to witnesses at the scene. They said he had been walking on the street with four men when an argument broke out. Two of them drew pistols and shot him before the attackers fled the scene.

The Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN) staff member Thulani Ndhlovu who was arrested on Wednesday 28 October in Dete, Hwange has been granted bail out of custody by Magistrate Ms I. Munamati Madzorere. Madzorere ordered Thulani to pay $200 bail and report twice every week (Monday and Friday) at Bulawayo Central police station.

The goal of the African Leadership Institute (AfLI) is to nurture and enhance leadership capability across Africa, with particular focus on the promising leaders of the future. AfLI’s aim is to create a network of high potential young Africans who have attended our programmes, and who are expected to rise to top leadership positions in their sphere of activity over the next 5-20 years.

(www.pambazuka.org) is an award-winning social justice e-newsletter and website that is produced by a community of some 1800 commentators, bloggers, activists and academics. It is published by Fahamu (www.fahamu.org), an Oxford-based charity.

In order to improve the usability of the site’s online database of 55,000 records, which has been built up over the last ten years, we are seeking an experienced indexer whose task will be to assign keywords using an established cataloguing system (e.g. such as used by the Library of Congress) and to develop a thesaurus of key words for classifying new articles as they are added to the database. The person would also be required to provide similar services for the growing list of books published by Pambazuka Press (www.pambazukapress.org). The person would also be expected to train and work alongside volunteers/interns.

The post would ideally be full-time for the first three months, and part-time thereafter. Remuneration according to experience. Closing date for applications: 1 December 2009.

Applications in writing with CV and references to [email][email protected]

Fahamu Trust is a registered UK charity (no. 1100304).
2nd floor, 51 Cornmarket St, Oxford OX1 3HA

The Open Society Institute works to build vibrant and tolerant democracies whose governments are accountable to their citizens. Open societies are characterized by the rule of law; respect for human rights, minorities, and a diversity of opinions; democratically elected governments; market economies in which business and government are separate; and a civil society that helps keep government power in check. To achieve its mission, OSI seeks to shape public policies that assure greater fairness in political, legal, and economic systems and safeguard fundamental rights. On a local level, OSI implements a range of initiatives to advance justice, education, public health, and independent media. At the same time, OSI builds alliances across borders and continents on issues such as corruption and freedom of information. OSI places high priority on protecting and improving the lives of marginalized people and communities.

Investor and philanthropist George Soros in 1993 created OSI as a private operating and grantmaking foundation to support his foundations in Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. Those foundations were established, starting in 1984, to help countries make the transition from communism. In addition to the National Foundations, OSI in some regions carries out directly some regional or national activities. OSI has expanded the work of the Soros foundations network to encompass the United States and more than 60 countries in Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Each national foundation relies on the expertise of boards composed of eminent citizens who determine individual agendas based on local priorities.

The Regional Director for Africa oversees implementation of the work of three Regional Foundations—the Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA), Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa (OSISA), and Open Society Initiative for East Africa (OSIEA)—as well as the national foundation in South Africa and has principal staff responsibility for ensuring coordination between these foundations and other OSI programs and entities. The Regional Director provides strategic guidance and leadership on pan-African initiatives and coordinates staff implementation of initiatives developed by the Africa Advisory Board. The Africa Regional Director reports to the Director of International Operations.

Principal Responsibilities

* Serve as the principal liaison between OSI regional/national foundation executive directors in Africa and the Director of International Operations on all matters related to foundation programming, strategy, management, governance and budget;
* Provide the Director of International Operations with regular written and verbal assessments of the political environment, and analysis of the opportunities and challenges facing the regional/national foundations in Africa;
* Provide strategic guidance and leadership on pan-African initiatives that do not fall under regional/national foundations in Africa, in coordination with the Africa Advisory Board (AAB).
* Play a key role in organizing the AAB meetings, in coordination with the Director of Programs and the Director of International Operations. Facilitate the implementation of ideas and projects developed by the AAB;
* Facilitate and ensure effective coordination and collaboration between OSI regional/national foundations in Africa and other OSI entities and programs engaged in programming related to Africa. Recommend policies, procedures or decisions needed to ensure such collaboration and coordination to OSI senior management for adoption;
* Manage a grant-making portfolio to support regional strategies and emergency-response activities in countries not covered by regional/national foundations. Oversee the solicitation, evaluation, and review of applications for funding;
* Provide advice and guidance to OSI senior management on overall OSI strategy in Africa;
* Travel regularly to Africa in order to carry out responsibilities;
* Maintain regular communication with the National Foundations to assist them in troubleshooting administrative, programmatic, strategic, management, personnel and other problems, including through regular trips to the foundations to meet with the Executive Director, board members, program staff, locally based donor representatives, and other external partners and grantees, as necessary;
* Manage the annual budget drafting and submission process of the National Foundations in collaboration with the Director of International Operations and other relevant senior managers;
* Serve as the primary contact for the finance staff on budgetary questions, and with Human Resources on personnel issues related to regional sub-boards, national foundations, and the Regional Director’s own support staff;
* Develop, execute, and coordinate special projects as requested by the Director of International Operations and other OSI officers;
* Supervise two program staff.

Requirements

* Demonstrated and extensive knowledge of political/social dynamics in countries of Southern, West and East Africa;
* Minimum of ten years experience in advocacy, policy analysis or management related to Africa;
* Demonstrated experience in managing inter and intra-organizational relationships in complex organizational environments;
* Excellent written and verbal communication skills;
* Masters degree or relevant advanced degree/experience;
* Fluency in English and French;

Start Date: Immediately

Compensation: Commensurate with experience. Excellent benefits package.

To Apply

Please email resume and cover letter with salary requirements before December 4, 2009 to: [email][email protected] Include job code in subject line: RD-Africa

OR

Open Society Institute
Human Resources – Code RD-Africa
400 West 59th Street
New York, New York 10019

FAX: 212.548.4675

No phone calls, please. The Open Society Institute is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

West African neighbours, Ghana and Cote d'Ivoire, have called for national reconciliation in Cote d'Ivoire to ensure a peaceful vote to climax peace efforts in the country that was torn apart by civil war about a decade ago. They have also expressed appreciation about arrangements towards the forthcoming elections which Ivorian Preident Laurent Gbagbo said would take place in December 2009 or January 2010.

On November 2, 2009, grassroots leaders drawn from the countrywide networks of Bunge la Mwananchi met and developed a position on the debate of holding to account post election violence (PEV) perpetrators in Kenya on the eve of ICC sepcial prosecutor Ocampo's visit.

Kenyans for Justice and Development welcome ICC Prosecutor Louis Moreno Ocampo’s intervention towards helping Kenyans find justice for the chaos of early 2008. The ICC’s intervention is a major step towards holding criminally accountable all those who masterminded and executed the 2007/2008 pre and post election mayhem.

The Legal Resources Foundation, a local legal service NGO invites applications from suitably qualified and experienced persons for the post of Centre Director that has arisen at its Masvingo Centre.

Kenyan Attorney General Amos Wako confirmed Wednesday November 4th 2009 that he is banned from travelling to the United States and announced his intention to sue for defamation.

Ethiopia plans to offer 3 million hectares of land over the next two years for investors to develop large-scale commercial farms, a government official has said. Countries in Asia and the Gulf — such as China, India and Saudi Arabia — have rushed to buy farmland abroad to grow crops for their own people after food price inflation last year highlighted the need for greater food security.