More than 30 opposition members in Ethiopia have been given life sentences for their role in 2005 election protests. Adil Ahmed, a high court judge, gave life terms to 34 of the 38 defendants, including Hailu Shawl and Bernahu Nega, two senior leaders of the Coalition for Unity and Democracy (CUD) party.

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has called on an Ethiopian court to reject the prosecutor's demand for the death penalty for four journalists who have been convicted, along with opposition members and activists, of attempting to overthrow the government, treason and inciting violence. "We condemn this cruel and unreasonable demand by the prosecution who wants journalists sentenced to death merely for doing their job," said Gabriel Baglo, Director of the IFJ Africa office.

A programme known as 'community conversations' (CC) is making traditionally conservative Ethiopians open up and face the realities of HIV, including the need to treat people affected by the pandemic with greater respect and acceptance. The project began in 2004 in southern Ethiopia as an initiative of the UN Development Programme and Kembatti Mentti Gezzimma-Tope, a local non-governmental organisation, and has grown to cover most regions in Ethiopia.

On the 28th of June an international day of solidarity was held around the world to appeal for setting two Ethiopian civil society leaders free. About 40 committed civil society professionals from the likes of Amnesty International, Civicus and Sangoco and several Ethiopian organisations assembled in front of the Ethiopian embassy in Pretoria to shout, chat and scream for human rights in Ethiopia.

The Global Forum will bring together development partners, donors, UN Agencies, Civil Society organizations, Law Enforcement Agencies, Human Rights Activists and research Organizations to develop a Consensus Document on a global Strategy to eliminate FGM/FGC Date: 30th July to 4th August 2007.

Ethiopian journalistPaulos Kidane, a journalist with the Amharic-language service of state-owned Eri-TV and radio Dimtsi Hafash (Voice of the Broad Masses), died in June 2007 in an attempt to flee on foot across the border into Sudan.

The Ethiopian military has forcibly displaced thousands of civilians in the country's eastern Somali region in recent weeks while escalating its campaign against a separatist insurgency movement, Human Rights Watch has reported. Both the government and rebel Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) must protect civilians and ensure their access to humanitarian relief.

The UN refugee agency has begun the resettlement in the United States of some 700 ethnic Kunama refugees from Eritrea, flying out a first group of 29 from Addis Ababa after years of exile in northern Ethiopia. The refugees left Shimelba camp earlier this week and flew out from the Ethiopian capital on Wednesday evening after a pre-departure briefing by staff of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), which is handling the logistics of the resettlement operation.

ZOA Refugee Care is an international NGO operating in more than 10 countries worldwide. The Peace Building Advisor advises and supports the Head of Programmes of ZOA Ethiopia on all aspects of its Peace Building programme. He may also provide general advisory support to ZOA Ethiopia as requested by the Country Director. Deadline for applications is 1 August 2007.

Through personal stories, songs and their memories, these Ethiopian narrators talk about the sharp contrast between the past and present. Their key concerns are conflict, deforestation, the decline of pastoralism, and the impact of agriculture.

The Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA) invites the urgent attention of the membership of the Council, the wider African and global social research community, all believers in the democratic ideal, and all persons of good will to the serious developments in Ethiopia bearing on the lives of 38 persons, all citizens of Ethiopia, who had been arrested in the aftermath of the street protests that greeted the manipulation by the authorities of the results of the 2005 general elections. The 38 are part of a total of 111 persons – including 25 persons who had already been forced into exile – initially charged with an assortment of offences arising from the elections.

Ethiopia has charged 55 opposition members with trying to launch a rebellion, a government prosecutor told said on Wednesday. More than one hundred opposition figures are already on trial, accused of plotting a coup after disputed 2005 elections.

Ethiopia said on Thursday it had detained 50 government and company officials for graft in one of the East African nation's largest crackdowns. Ethiopia has a relatively clean image by the continent's standards, managing to avoid the sort of major public corruption scandals plaguing neighbour Kenya, for example

Afroflag Youth Vision, a network of youth organisations, and Oxfam GB recently held discussions at the Axum hotel in Addis Ababa on the African Union’s proposal to establish continental government. 150 participants from mainly local NGOs, universities, international organisations, and embassies, and national and international media attended the event.

Three presentations clarified the implications of the AU proposal. Desire Assogbavi, Oxfam GB, pan-Africa senior policy analyst provided a brief analysis 'AU Study on the Continental Government towards the United States of Africa'.

Dr Tim Murithi, senior researcher, Direct Conflict Prevention Programme, Institute of Security Studies (ISS), presented a paper 'From Pan Africanism to the Union of Africa'. Derese Getachew, lecturer in sociology and social anthropology, Addis Ababa university, presented a paper 'African Citizenhood and Challenge to realize the United States of Africa'.

Participants expressed concerns about the timing, feasibility and lack of citizens’ involvement in the process of establishing a union government. For most of the participants, this was the first time they had heard of the proposal. They felt that integration and/or unity of the continent should start from the bottom - the people, not from the top - with heads of states. A true African citizen must identify with and be able to move freely within the continent. African Union member states must also establish common standards of democracy and human rights, before establishing a union government.

Further, conflicts within and across national borders continue to plague the continent. The current AU must demonstrate a greater capacity to resolve ongoing conflicts on the continent. Though participants did not reject the idea of establishing a union government, they were concerned that the timeframes for achieving the proposal were too ambitious. However, a first step towards achieving unity would be to rationalise existing Regional Economic Communities.

More importantly, there needs to be more media involvement and coverage, especially in local languages, to promote greater awareness and involvement of the public in the process of establishing union government.

The overall aim of the course is to enhance the understanding of the concepts of gender and development, and in mainstreaming gender in institutions and programmes. The course covers the history and rationale of gender and organisational development, gender analysis and planning, methods and processes for gender needs assessment and institutional audit.

FARM-Africa, an international non-governmental organisation that aims to reduce poverty in eastern and South Africa, is looking for a professional with at least three years experience of leading and managing a substantial and complex country programme in Africa. Closing date: 31 May 2007.

Like his neighbours in the southern Ethiopian district of Yirgacheffe, Birhanu Gizamu is a smallholder coffee farmer. Unlike the rest of the community, however, he has no hesitation in whipping out a crumpled blue card from the clinic which proclaims his HIV status. "I tested negative," the 42-year-old proudly noted, handing over the card for verification. "I went for [an HIV] test in 2005 after my wife pushed me, so we went together; I'd been in the military before becoming a coffee farmer, so I knew I was at risk."

The meeting of the IGAD Capacity Building Programme Against Terrorism (ICPAT) will be chaired by IGAD and is to be attended by IGAD member states and the seven donor countries. The Steering Committee guides the activities of the programme and is expected to agree on activities for the next six months. For enquiries, please contact Amb Hiruyi Amanuel, ISS ICPAT Office, Addis Ababa, Tel: +251 11 372 4720/2, Fax: + 251 11 372 4719, E-mail: [email][email protected]

In a press release, Oxfam has welcomed news that Starbucks and the Ethiopian government have agreed in principle to sign a licensing, distribution and marketing agreement this month that recognises the importance and integrity of Ethiopia's specialty coffee names, Harar, Sidamo and Yirgacheffe. Phil Bloomer, director of campaigns and policy at Oxfam, said: 'In just seven months, more than 93,000 people worldwide have joined us in calling on Starbucks to sign this agreement.'

Ethiopian rebels have freed seven Chinese workers who were seized in a deadly oilfield raid that was one of the worst attacks to date on Beijing's growing interests in Africa. Officials said separatist gunmen killed 65 Ethiopians and nine other Chinese in last Tuesday's pre-dawn assault on the exploration field in the barren eastern Ogaden region.