A new report released on February 13th shows that planting genetically modified (GM) crops is causing an increased use of harmful pesticides in major biotech crop producing countries. The 2008 edition of the Friends of the Earth International “Who Benefits from GM crops?” report series is titled “The Rise in Pesticide Use” and concludes that GM crops on the market today have on the whole caused an increase rather than a decrease in toxic pesticides use, and have failed to tackle hunger and poverty.

The value of trade between China and Africa had increased by 24% to $74 billion between 1995 and 2007 according to figures released by the Trade Law Centre of Southern Africa (Tralac). A researcher at Tralac, Taku Fundira, says Chinese imports from Africa increased by 27% over the review period while Chinese exports to Africa increased slower at 23%. "This resulted in a small trade deficit of $1.1 billion for China with Africa in 2007.

Established in 1978 at Columbia University, the Center for the Study of Human Rights is committed to three core goals of providing excellent human rights education to Columbia students, fostering innovative interdisciplinary academic research, and offering its expertise in capacity building to human rights leaders, organizations, and universities around the world. CSHR is seeking applications for the post of Associate Director.

This new title from James Currey publishers examines the nature and objectives of violence in the region in the 19th century. It is particularly concerned with highland Ethiopia and the Great Lakes. It will be of interest to those interested in pre-colonial African history, military history, and anyone involved in modern development and conflict resolution seeking to understand the deeper historical roots of African warfare.

This new book from James Currey publishers looks at the perceptions of one of the main themes of African history: slavery. There was no single form of slavery and the line between enslaved and non-slave labour was fine. This book challenges the assertion that domestic slavery increased in Africa as the result of the international trade.

After the sun sets on the streets of the Guinean capital, Conakry, children drift by darkened storefronts and settle into nooks between buildings, curling up to sleep on the pavement. Residents in the city told IRIN they had noticed more and more children living on the streets in recent years - children like orphans Abubakar and Alya who have been on the street together for one year.

Developing countries' shares in technology exports are continuing to grow but the digital divide remains, says a UN report released on 6 February. The UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) report, 'Science and technology for development: the new paradigm of ICT', explores the role of information communication technology (ICT) in enhancing innovation in developing countries and confirms its influence on development.

These guidelines are designed to help non-governmental organisations to include comprehensive information on the incidence of violence in their reports to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child.. NGOs have a unique role to play and they alone can give meaning to the data and statistics presented to the Committee. It is by making this information available that corrective measures can be identified that will move the NGO community towards its goal of ending violence.

The SEED Initiative is seeking submissions for "The 2008 SEED Awards for Entrepreneurship in Sustainable Development". We welcome innovative ideas from any group in a developing country, which is working in partnership with others to generate environmental and social benefits in an entrepreneurial way. The Award is not a cash prize - but the services offered have a value of US$25,000. The call is open until the 16th March 2008.

The Institute of International Education's Scholar Rescue Fund (SRF) provides fellowships for established scholars whose lives and work are threatened in their home countries. These fellowships permit professors, researchers and other senior academics to find temporary refuge at universities and colleges anywhere in the world, enabling them to pursue their academic work and to continue to share their knowledge with students, colleagues, and the community at large.Application Deadline: January 31st, 2009.

The program has now been finalized for the February 21 – 22 protest. The Global Zimbabwe Forum need to contact as many Zimbabweans as we can reach to come to the demonstration. Please contact by email or by phone as many friends as you can reach.
We need to know by Wednesday next week how many people we can expect at the demonstration.

The following have been tasked with coordinating recruitment efforts:

New York.Fungisai and Alice (516) 967 4613/(646) 577 5289
Pennsylvania Nick Mada (610)2469462 [email][email protected] Stan Mukasa (724) 467 0001 [email][email protected]
Ohio/Michigan Zvidzair Ruzvidzo/Allan Banda Phone :614 622 0427 [email][email protected]
Washington DC "Robson Nyereyemhuka"[email protected]
Indiana Alan Bako (317) 345 2368
Accommodation arrangements are being made byMaswela at [email][email protected] (513) 410 9495
Scheduled speakers for the protest are Ralph Black Handel Mlilo Ruzvidzo Zvidzair Nassar Rusike
The Event MC and also in charge of publicity will be Briggs Bomba
The next conference call will be on Thursday, February 14, starting at 9 p.m.
Conference details:
Number to Call ---: 1-605-475-6000 Access Code---- : 875057# Time----------:9.00PM (Eastern Time)

China will lend Gabon 37.2 billion CFA francs on concessionary terms to part-fund a hydroelectric dam scheme, the central African country's presidency said in a statement published on Saturday. The "Grand Poubara" hydro scheme is linked to a $3 billion Chinese-led project to mine iron ore at Belinga, which is a key plank in government efforts to wean Gabon's middle-income economy away from dependence on declining oil production.

China on Saturday formally opened a new embassy in Malawi, after the poor southern African nation announced last week it was switching its diplomatic allegiance from Taipei to Beijing. "We have officially established diplomatic relations to serve the common aspirations of the people of the two countries," Zhai Ju, assistant foreign minister and special envoy to Chinese President Hu Jintao, said in a prepared speech obtained by AFP.

Chinese government donated 300,000 US dollars humanitarian aid to Kenyan Red Cross Society on Monday. "A friend in need is a friend indeed," Chinese Ambassador to Kenya Zhang Ming said in the handover ceremony, adding the Chinese government and its people had enjoyed a "deep friendship" with the Kenyan. "During the current difficult time, the Chinese government and its people are highly concerned about the humanitarian situation in Kenya, and that's why we made donations one after another," said the ambassador.

bilaterals.org, GRAIN and BIOTHAI are launching a collaborative publication, "Fighting FTAs: The growing resistance to bilateral free trade and investment agreements". While global trade talks at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) stagnate, governments and corporations are busy spinning a complex web of bilateral free trade and investment agreements (FTAs). "Fighting FTAs" looks at what this FTA frenzy is really about, how social movements are fighting back and strategic learnings emerging from these struggles.

Medecins Sans Frontieres, a French aid group, has pulled its international workers out of Somalia after what appeared to be the targeted killings of a number of its staff. The suspension came on Friday, four days after a roadside bomb in Kismayu, south-west of the capital, Mogadishu, killed three employees and two other people.

Safe abortion—the termination of a pregnancy by trained health care providers using correct, sanitary technique and proper equipment—is a simple, lifesaving health service. Nonetheless, of the 42 million induced abortions each year, an estimated 20 million are unsafe and 97% of those occur in developing countries. Every year, nearly 70,000 women die unnecessarily from the complications of unsafe abortions, and countless more suffer infections, infertility, and debilitating injuries.

imbabwe’s private newspaper publishing companies face imminent collapse in the wake of prohibitive production costs which have since been compounded by an acute shortage of locally produced newsprint. Mutare Board and Paper Mills (MBPM) warned of severe shortages of newsprint owing to intermittent power cuts, coal and foreign currency shortages. Executives in the newspaper industry confirmed to MISA-Zimbabwe that the dire situation had forced them to drastically reduce their print runs.

According to Humanity.org, these are the top 10 Social Activist Sites: The World Revolution, Ashoka, Changemakers, Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Earth Fund, Afribike, Grupa hajdeda da…, The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF), Youth Against Aids (YAA). The website also provides information on websites related to political, environmental, economic and volunteer sites.

The social network, Change.org provides information on particular issues (global warning, poverty, HIV/AIDS), by providing a space for people to form communities and educate themselves on different topics and interests. It also provides links to non-profit organizations, fundraising campaigns and other networks that are useful for activists, academics and practitioners alike.