This Forum aims to provide a framework for exchange of experience and reflection prior to the Conference of the Ministers of Education of African Member States (MINEDAF VIII) to be held in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, 2-6 December 2002.

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has protested against a nine-month prison sentence imposed on Tuesday on a Sierra Leonean editor, Paul Kamara. His daily newspaper, "For Di People" was closed for six months. Kamara was found guilty of 18 counts of libel and defamation by the High Court in the Sierra Leonean capital, Freetown.

Donors’ demands for greater accountability, together with our own need to learn from and build on our own experiences have led to rapid developments within the field of monitoring and evaluation. Participatory methods are growing in importance as the development community recognises the necessity for involving all stakeholders in the process of development, in order that learning takes place which can contribute to sustainable development processes. At the same time, there has been the realisation that the more traditional monitoring and evaluation methods, based on linear, cause effect interpretations of social development, are limited and need to be enriched by contributions of other perceptions and realities.

The trial of six men accused of the murder of Mozambique's best-known journalist, Carlos Cardoso, was due to begin on Monday 18 November, on the premises of the city's top security prison. Trial Judge Augusto Paulino has been stalked by unknown men, who were involved in a shootout with the police in front of Paulino's home. This posting includes a collection of articles about the trial distributed by Joseph Hanlon of the Open University.

The Electronic Resource Centre for Human Rights Education is an on-line repository of human rights education and training materials, on-line forums, databases and links to other organisations and resources. Visit the site and enter your email address to receive monthly updates of resources available.

This course aims to develop and improve the management capabilities of NGO staff and development workers. Such staff have considerable technical skills and extensive experience of working on a range of projects with local partners, yet often lack the necessary management skills to handle difficult organisational problems or facilitate effective change. The course will not only help participants improve their management capabilities, but will also help them gain an awareness of the impact of their management style, develop greater insight into their leadership role, and increase their confidence in being able to facilitate organisational change.

All of us involved in resourcing the work of voluntary sector organisations have an amazing opportunity to contribute to a better world. As catalysts in the process of raising awareness, and then converting our supporters' compassion into action, we have an enormous responsibility as well, writes Stewart Crocker, Chief Executive of the Resource Alliance.

Kabissa has been commissioned by GTZ, the German corporation for international cooperation, to develop learning materials to enable non-profit organizations to use the Internet more effectively in their work. The project, “Time to Get Online: Simple Steps to Success on the Internet”, will initially target organizations in West Africa whose main agenda concerns human rights, freedom of information, responsive government and democratization.

The people of the West Rand town of Carletonville now have the opportunity to learn valuable IT skills thanks to the establishment of a Communal Information Technology Centre (CITC). The CITC concept, the result of a government-private sector partnership, is aimed at providing skills development and income-generating opportunities for the unemployed.

Students from the Asesewa school in Ghana and the Kingsmead school in UK are using the internet and e-mail to know more about each other's countries. The project will create an on-line resource on teaching and learning about Ghana and development issues.

Gerry Jackson, the Station Manager of SW Radio Africa, a community radio station based in the United Kingdom and broadcasting to Zimbabwe has vowed that the station will continue broadcasting regardless of a government ban prohibiting Zimbabweans working for the station from visiting the country.

The board of directors and staff of the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ)have expressed their sadness at the death of Zimbabwean journalist Mark Chavunduka. Chavunduka, 37, died on November 11 at West End Hospital in Zimbabwe's capital, Harare, according to his relatives. The cause of death is unknown.

The ICT policy and civil society workshop was held in Addis Ababa from 6 to 8 November 2002. It was organized by the Association for Progressive Communication (APC), Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), and Article 19. Eighty-two African civil society representatives drawn from twenty-five countries, regional and international organizations (UNECA, UNESCO and the ITU) participated in the workshop to strengthen the role of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in national, regional and global ICT fora. Read their Statement.

The ECT Act that caused much uproar among the business and Internet community in South Africa is still a spectre of confusion for many involved in IT.

Bridges.org features a list of online reseources on their web site. Links are divided into the following categories: reports, research and position papers; policies and regulations; news and events; organizations and initiatives; regional digital divide resources and practical resources.

Pat Bierne's linux FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) is wonderful. If you are interested in learning more about Linux - it's origins, essential compononents/ functions and where to get it - this is the site to visit.

We are seeking a TV and Radio Producer to become the Media Manager. S/he will lead the media campaign for the new Children at Risk Project and participate in the training and management of a team of Congolese producers in basic production skills. The Children at Risk project is focused on war-affected youth, facilitating re-integration, resettlement, and prevention of future combatants. This position reports to the Country Director, DRC and is located in Kinshasa, but travel within the DRC is expected.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has welcomed the recent decision by Mozambique's judicial authorities to extend their investigation into the murder of journalist Carlos Cardoso to Nymphine Chissano, a son of President Joaquim Chissano. Cardoso, Mozambique's leading investigative reporter, was gunned down, execution-style, on November 22, 2000. Six people were arrested in March 2001 for the murder.

The Regional HIV/AIDS Information Network (RHAIN) is a technical resource network aimed at mobilising the strengths and expertise of organisations working in the area of HIV/AIDS information and media development in southern and eastern Africa. The objectives of RHAIN are to: foster greater collaboration and joint advocacy efforts on HIV/AIDS in the region; strengthen the flow of information on HIV/AIDS at regional and national level; and promote media development and training on HIV/AIDS in southern Africa.

The Writers in Prison Committee (WIPC) of International PEN has expressed deep concern over the continued imprisonment of Claude Améganvi, editor of the journal "Nwayo", who is currently serving a four month sentence. He has been charged with "distributing false information, defamation and disturbance of the public order" and is threatened with a maximum sentence of five years' imprisonment.