The psychological effects of Britain's policy of locking up asylum-seekers were demonstrated yesterday at an inquest into the death of an Angolan man who took his life so that his teenage son might stay in Britain. Tim Finch, director at the Refugee Council, said afterwards: "This totally heartbreaking case is not an isolated one. These cases show the level of desperation of people in these centres.

This past Sunday marked the Global Day of Action for Darfur. The aim was “to show world-wide support for the Darfuri people and to put pressure on our Governments to protect the civilians.” A number of African bloggers posted special pieces to mark the day.

‘Wordsbody’ - (http://wordsbody.blogspot.com/2006/09/endgame-in-darfur.html) a literary blog by Molara Wood, wrote a moving piece entitled “Endgame in Darfur”. Wood reminded us of the “never again” mantra echoed after the Rwandan genocide just over 10 years ago.

“Now it is Darfur. The World again is being its (or is it her?) old useless self. The World is being racist again. Not only are the people being killed in Darfur as black as night, they are Africans - a terrible thing to be if you want the World to care about you.”

Wood continues, “What is more, the Dead, Dying and Displaced of Darfur are Muslims. I don’t know what is the worse thing to be in the current World order - African or Muslim. The people of Darfur have a terrible Double Whammy of an albatross round their necks.”

She writes about the “anxiety” being expressed by various people, countries and organisations over the genocide that is taking place before our eyes. Wood wonders: “And so the new anxiety. And how inadequate a word is ‘Anxiety’. But what word should we grasp and attempt to speak, to express the unthinkable?

"And is the new ‘anxiety’ because Hollywood liberal George Clooney spent 5 days with his father in Darfur in April, and in the last few days urged the US government to do something about 'the first Genocide of the 21st century'"

'Mshairi' - Mshairi (http://www.mshairi.com/blog/2006/09/17/suffer-the-little-children) posted a poem titled “Suffer The Little Children”. Here is a short excerpt:

Who will weep for me?
I died
Famished
Belly distended
Flies clustered
Over my face
Gunfire and screams
The last sounds
I heard

'Alexcia' - Alexcia (http://alexcia.blogspot.com/2006/09/global-day-for-darfur.html) tells us the meaning of Darfur – Land of the Fur. She writes:

“Death and Funeral announcement
Here lies eighty thousands souls
Names and identities – unknown
Passions and pains – unknown
Feelings and fears – unknown
Origin and nationality – Western Sudan Darfur region
Now buried in a mass grave known as Darfur Crisis
All died at home from a janjaweed epidemic
Two million others infected of unknown origin
Inadequate attention from United Nations is believe to have
Played a part in these deaths…”

'Sudanese Thinker' - Sudanese Thinker (http://www.sudanesethinker.com/2006/09/19/jews-stay-away-next-time-p/) reports on a counter demonstration held in Khartoum in which the Global Day for Darfur was labeled a “Jewish Conspiracy”. Demonstrators predictably opposed the deployment of troops in Darfur. Drima (Sudanese Thinker) also takes issue with the lack of protests against the genocide by the Muslim world.

“By the way were there any rallies in the Muslim world to protest the ruthless killing and suffering of “blackies” in Darfur? Okay fine, fine. I’ll stop being the cynical person I am. There were small tiny efforts in Dubai, Kuala Lumpur and Cairo. I’m starting to see the “light”. In 5 years time we’ll protest things like Darfur besides continuing our violent protests against the Pope. Great improvement huh?!”

'Black Looks' - black Looks (http://www.blacklooks.org/2006/09/global_day_for_darfur_.html) points to an article in African Action looking at some of the similarities between the response of the USA to Rwanda and their response to Darfur. In the case of Rwanda the focus was on Yugoslavia and in the case of Darfur…

“In Darfur at present, the U.S. is focused more urgently on the crisis in the Middle East, on the war in Iraq and on the so-called “War on Terrorism”, which are estimated to be more pressing policy priorities than genocide in Africa.”

'Passion of the Present' passion of the present (http://platform.blogs.com/passionofthepresent/2006/09/global_day_for__1…)has a roundup of the events across the globe to mark the Global day of Action for Darfur.

*Sokari Ekine produces the blog Black Looks, www.blacklooks.org

*Please send comments to [email protected] or comment online at www.pambazuka.org

e-CIVICUS provides weekly news on civil society worldwide, news about CIVICUS and its members and provides links to useful electronic and print resources aimed at strengthening civil society worldwide.

Imagining Ourselves launched with a published anthology and an online exhibit on International Women's Day, March 8, 2006. The project received great acclaim and widespread media attention around the globe, from articles in Bombay's TimeOut Magazine to television coverage in Tijuana and numerous reports in the San Francisco media.

The first round of applications will be due on October 3, 2006. Applications received after the deadline will not be considered. Short-listed candidates will be notified in November and must submit a second application by January 5, 2007. The HRAP 2007 application form is now available. Those who have questions about the application process should contact Program staff at [email][email protected] or by phone at +1 212 854 3014.

In an attempt to educate the American public about the violence and oppression they charge is intrinsic in the diamond trade, the African People's Solidarity Committee is launching a national action campaign against the diamond industry with a series of demonstrations and actions targeting diamonds retailers in U.S. cities.

The Council on Foundations believes that extraordinary efforts deserve widespread recognition. Therefore, the Council is seeking nominations for grant-funded projects that have had a demonstrated impact on the common good. Civil society that can serve as models for others in philanthropy is encouraged to apply.

What do violence and non-violence mean in today’s world? What are the historical, legal, political perspectives on these concepts? In connection with the universally recognised “Non-Violence Day”, yearly festival of Gandhi Jayanti (2 October 1869 - Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday), and the National Day of India, ASSP (Associazione Studenti di Scienze Politiche) and The Group of Afro-Oriental Studies of the Faculty of Political Science of the University of Trieste invite you to discover the answer to these questions at the International Association of Political Science Stduents Annual Academic Conference 2006.

Every year some half a million women in the developing world die from complications related to pregnancy and child birth, and "it should be an international scandal" that the numbers have stayed that high over the last quarter of a century," columnist Nicholas D. Kristof writes after visiting a hospital in Yokadouma, Cameroon.

This UNESCO publication was released by the International Institute for Educational Planning and written by Susan D'Antoni. E-learning and the virtual university are examples of the use of information and communication technology (ICT) as a teaching and learning approach and an organizational structure. Both raise issues associated with the phenomenon of cross-border education.

Africa is the only continent where the number of desperately poor people continues to grow and social indicators keep worsening. But the continent is not poor. Tens of billions of dollars worth of oil, minerals and other natural resources are being taken out of Africa every year. In a cruel phenomenon known as the 'resource curse,' the countries richest in natural resources are often where corruption, human rights violations and destruction of the environment lead to further impoverishment and sometimes armed conflict.

When the United Nations decided in 1971 to create the concept of "least developed countries" (LDCs) -- a new category of member states needing special social and economic assistance from the international community - they were described as the "poorest of the world's poor".

Billions of shillings from corrupt deals are about to be seized by anti-graft chiefs. The cash has been stashed in 78 bank accounts belonging to politicians from the current and previous regimes, prominent businessmen and former senior civil servants, including permanent secretaries. Court warrants allowing the accounts to be seized and the proceeds recovered by the State are already in the hands of the Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission, its director Aaron Ringera confirmed.

Barely a month after President Bingu wa Mutharika suspended Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) Director Gustave Kaliwo and fired Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Ishmael Wadi, a report on the justice sector and rule of law in Malawi says the Executive interferes with and undermines the independence of both offices.

Hundreds today (September 16) marched through Leeds city centre in an unprecedented show of solidarity with asylum seekers facing the resumption of forced deportations to Zimbabwe. Organised by the Zimbabwe Refugee Community Organisation, with support from Leeds No Borders and the regional Refugee Council, the protest began outside Leeds Central Library at 12pm and attracted a genuine social movement coalition of exiled Zimbabweans, other migrant groups, local campaigners, trade unionists and church representatives.

President Robert Mugabe has grabbed a huge financial lifeline from China to boost Zimbabwe's ailing economy but analysts wonder what the country had to offer in exchange for the loan. Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Governor Gideon Gono, tasked to turn around an economy in recession for the last eight years, on Wednesday announced a $200m facility from China as part of nearly half a billion dollars worth of mainly foreign loans.

The third newsletter provides information about the recent Plan of Action meeting held in July 2006 in Dakar, celebrates some successful outcomes from recent calls for action, and details about our latest publications.

United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan today told more than 2,500 representatives of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) gathered in New York for their last annual meeting before his term ends in December that the support of civil society groups has been critical to his accomplishments.

China had plans to finance the construction of a third hydro-electric dam, said the Guinean energy minister. Thierno Habib Diallo said that the 500mW hydro-electric dam with an estimated price tag of $609mn would be built at Soapil, on a Konkour River tributary, in the Lower Guinea Kindia Prefecture. Diallo said a Chinese team would shortly arrive in Conakry to look into the feasibility studies of the project.

The State of the Right to Education Worldwide / Free or Fee: 2006 Global Report
This report recently published and written by Katarina Tomasevski will "make you angry" says the author. "It reveals how ill fares the right to education today. Globally, it is denied despite pretty United Nations’ rhetoric on human rights mainstreaming and rights-based development.