In a newly published report, ‘Youth in Crisis’ In-Depth, IRIN traces the impact of the events shaping the lives of a generation of youth rapidly reaching adulthood bearing the tragic consequences of their nations’ worst problems - from the illegal forced marriage of teenage girls in Afghanistan and Ethiopia, to the tripling of school fees and the deteriorating education system in Zimbabwe.

A study by international anti-debt campaigners argues that some debts owed by developing countries should not be paid at all. The report says that the Group of Seven (G7) most industrialised nations – Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Italy, Britain and the United States – lent money to regimes they knew to be corrupt or repressive in order to buy political allegiance.

Of the one million people who become new mobile phone subscribers everyday, about 85% live in emerging markets, according to the mobile phone industry body, the GSMA. As the BBC reports, there is growing evidence that mobile phones are more than a fashion accessory and can transform the lives of the people who are able to access them.

Friends of Africa International in collaboration with International League for Human Rights and the Mission of Nigeria to the United Nations will hold a major panel discussion at the Mission of Nigeria on “Legislative Advocacy on the Elimination of Violence and Discrimination Against the Girl Child.” This will be a side event to the 51st Session of the Commission on the Status of Women.

With your experience of working on development programmes in developing countries, we hope you'll have seen Comic Relief funded projects in action. Now's your chance to play a lead role in developing, managing and evaluating one or more of our grants programmes and driving forward our international grant making strategy

The first International Conference on Sexual Abuse of the African Child will be held in Nairobi, Kenya from 24 – 26 September, 2007. The conference is opening a Call for Papers for workshops and poster presentations. The aim of the conference is to advance knowledge regarding the various types of sexual abuse and their complexity in the cultural settings of Africa. Papers that address innovative prevention, intervention, and treatment of this problem; networking or collaborative efforts, as well as, research studies on the topic, are being invited. For further information: [email][email protected]

The APC Chris Nicol FOSS Prize recognizes initiatives that are making it easy for people to start using free and open source software (FOSS). The prize is awarded to a person or group doing extraordinary work to make FOSS accessible to ordinary computer users. The deadline for prize nominations is March 30.

China's foray into Africa in search of much needed raw materials, natural resources and new markets for its booming economy has elicited controversy and disquiet amongst African political leaders and policy analysts. Granted that much of the expansion in trade between Africa and China has been in the latter's favour, China's domination of African markets is now being viewed in some circles as some form of " latter day economic imperalism" under which Africa serves as a source of raw materials and provides a market for Chinese end products. But now, South African firms are taking on the dragon in its own turf as this article published recently in the Washington Post shows.

INASP IS looking for a talented individual to contribute to the management INASP and to lead our support in local publication and information exchange activities. The successful candidate will work with partners worldwide to enable access to the research and knowledge produced in developing and transitional countries, ensuring that it reaches its target audiences in the most appropriate and effective way. A description of the position is attached and further information about our organisation and activities can be found at

The celebration of one thousand years of the existence of famous Kanem-Borno Dynasty coincides with the one hundred years of the establishment of the city of Yerwa, the capital of modern Borno State of Nigeria. The Organising Committee of the Celebrations is convening an international conference of scholars, both from within and outside, scheduled for August 2007 at Maiduguri.

The Department of Politics and International Relations proposes to appoint a University Lecturer in Comparative Politics with special reference to the African Politics. The post is tenable from 1st September 2007 or as soon as possible thereafter and will be held in conjunction with a Tutorial Fellowship at St Peter’s College for which further information is given in Section 8. The closing date for applications is 12:00 NOON (UK time) on Tuesday 6th March 2007. The post-holder will be provided with support facilities and office space in St Peter’s College.

Almost every African country today bears the stamp of China’s emerging presence, from oil fields in the east and west, to farms in the south, to mines in the centre of the continent. China has cultural agreements with 42 African countries. US$30 billion will change between Chinese and African hands this year. And China’s trade and economic assistance to Africa has grown by geometric proportions.

In this week’s issue of Pambazuka News, we bring you an audio broadcast produced to coincide with the launch of a an unprecedented text: African Perspectives on China in Africa, a collection of essays from the prize-winning weekly electronic newsletter Pambazuka News, published by Fahamu.

The contributors to the book - including Horace Campbell, Michelle Chan-Fishel, Daniel Large, Stephen Marks and Kwesi Kwaa Prah - present social, historical and cross-continental perspectives on Chinese involvement in Africa. They argue that although there is no single view about China in Africa within or outside the continent, Africans must organise their side of the story: together, in their own interests, and in the interest of social justice for all.

The book was launched at the World Social Forum in Nairobi, Kenya in January 2007. During the launch, Robtel Pailey of Pambauzka News spoke to participants about the book, and about China’s contemporary role on the continent. She explores China’s historical legacy in Africa, cultural exchange, economic assistance, trade, mining, oil and questions of human rights, notably in Sudan. The interviews are available for downloading, listening on the web, or for access as a podcast at:

For further information or enquiries about the book, please visit the Fahamu books page (http://www.fahamu.org/pzbook.php) or email [email][email protected]

Swiss pharmaceutical company Novartis has given South Africa the assurance that its court challenge of India's Patent Act will not affect access to cheaper generic drugs. However, South African Aids and health care activists believe a successful challenge will limit competition and increase prices.

China's President Hu Jintao has pledged to increase imports from Africa to narrow a trade gap with the continent and allay concern that China was developing a colonial relationship with the world's poorest continent. China also planned to increase investments in agriculture, infrastructure, manufacturing and public welfare projects in Africa, Hu said in a speech in Pretoria yesterday.

Chinese President Hu Jintao signed economic and agricultural deals in South Africa on Tuesday as part of his tour of Africa, where there are concerns such agreements will only hurt the continent's poor countries. According to a report by Reuters, after the agreements were signed Hu and South African President Thabo Mbeki said they would boost economic ties between the Asian giant and Africa's biggest economy.

Publicising a self-styled crusade against corruption, the World Bank says it is successfully stepping up its campaign against graft, probing more than 400 cases over the last two years alone and barring dozens of companies and individuals from future World Bank contracts. But critics doubt the scope of the claims.

Early childhood care and education (ECCE) programmes remain under-funded and available only to a lucky few. However, a holistic view of child development is slowly growing as innovative policymakers in some developing countries come to recognise links between educational achievement and health and nutrition.

Female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM) refers to several types of deeply rooted traditional cutting operations performed on women and girls. Often part of fertility or coming-of-age rituals, FGM is sometimes justified as a way to ensure chastity and genital "purity." It is estimated that more than 130 million girls and women alive today have undergone FGM, mainly in Africa and some Middle Eastern countries, and two million girls a year are at risk of mutilation.

This paper argues that the reduction of Horizontal Inequalities (HIs), or inequalities between culturally defined groups, should inform aid policy in heterogeneous countries with severe HIs. It shows how this would change aid allocation across countries, leading to more aid to heterogeneous countries relative to homogeneous ones, the opposite of the existing bias in aid distribution.

The South South relationships seem to be growing, with frequent visits and conferences. Brazil is an merging power politically, a part of the move to the "left" in South America yet also playing with the big boys economically. They call their approach to Africa "soft imperialism"'. The author concludes: "Brazil wants to be a representative of African interests in the international arena. So far, Africans are taking the offer somewhat reluctantly."