With a Human Development Index ranking of 163 Zambia is one of the least developed countries in the world (UNDP 2004). Without question, reducing the number of Zambians living in absolute poverty is a valid goal to be pursued at a national and international level. Based on current trends, however, this and most of the other 7 MDGs are unlikely to be met in Zambia by 2015. From this one might infer that the MDGs are not making a great deal of difference at the local level in improving the lives of the most impoverished. This paper sets out to examine the main reasons why this is so, taking international as well as national economic, social and political factors into consideration.

There is need for a revolution in the women's movement in preparation for the 2006 general elections, Federation for Free Trade Unions (FFTUZ) president Joyce Nonde has said. In an interview, Nonde said time was running out for the women in the country. "There needs to be a revolt among the women because as I see, very few women will participate in elections and we will have the same scenario where women are under represented and this should not be encouraged," Nonde said. She called on women organisations countrywide to start identifying and encouraging capable women to participate in next year's elections.

AFRODAD is in search of a competent young man/woman to work as a Programme Officer for its Fair and Transparent Arbitration (FTA) Project. The position is a two year contract subject to renewal. The officer will be stationed at AFRODAD's Mulungushi, Lusaka office.

Zambian police are investigating charges of sedition and criminal libel against two journalists, raising concern that freedom of expression is under threat. Sipo Kapumba, a spokesman for the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Zambia, told IRIN the police had summoned Fred M'membe, editor of the privately-owned The Post newspaper, on 29 June after a series of editorials critical of President Levy Mwanawasa's government.

Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa has made his anti-corruption campaign the hallmark of his administration, hoping to persuade voters to give him a second term in next year's elections. Now it may well secure his ousting. The campaign has won Mwanawasa powerful enemies within the circle of former President Frederick Chiluba, the man the anti-graft efforts have largely targeted, while some senior figures in his own administration are unsure of whether they may be next in line for investigation.

A former top Zambian official has been arrested and charged with corruption, following a public outcry when the case against him was dropped. Kashiba Bulaya is accused of receiving a bribe of $270,000 to award a contract to supply anti-Aids drugs. The BBC's Musonda Chibamba says the original investigation was dropped on government orders, sparking protests from church groups and donors.

Zambia's ruling party, the Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD), on Friday denied that it had authorised any attack on the media, after claims that its supporters had attacked newspaper vendors. "We are committed to a democratic regime and believe in the freedom of the press," MMD spokesman Akashambatwa Mbikusita-Lewanika told IRIN.

Zambia has been hosting refugees for more than 30 years now. In the country’s Western Province there are approximately 150,000 refugees with an estimated 35,000 refugees living in the two camps of Nangweshi and Mayukwayukwa, while the remaining 115,000 are not registered by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) and are spontaneously settled. The Zambian Government with the support of UNHCR and other partners has since embarked on a poverty reduction strategy called the Zambian Initiative Programme (ZIP). The programme aims at developing refugee host areas and ensuring harmony between refugees and their hosts.

June 16: Day of the African Child: The following events will be held between the 14th and the 16th of June, 2005. There will be two radio programmes, one on radio phoenix and another on radio two, there will be an evening launch at Pamodzi Hotel. The climax of the launch will be marked by an open concert that will be held at Matero grounds on June 16 from 12:00hours to 15:00hours. The National Civil Society MDG campaign would like to invite you to the launch of the Africa White Band Campaign that will take place on 16th June, 2005 at Matero Shoprite. Three activities have been lined up for the launch, the first will be two radio programmes that will be on ZNBC radio two and radio Phoenix. The second activity will be an evening discussion that will held at Pamodzi Hotel on the eve of June 16. The 16th of June marks the day of the African Child. It is commonly known to many as the Soweto uprising or the Sarafina story (movie). The evening launch will include a discussion that will provide interventions to following question, ‘When do leaders fail voters, from political independence to Economic independence, where is the missing link between the young and the old in the fight against poverty?

A critical shortage of medical staff in Zambia is compromising the quality of public healthcare as doctors and nurses continue to leave the country in search of more lucrative employment. Zambia has about 10,000 registered nurses for a population of around 10 million, according to statistics released by the health ministry in 2004.

United Nations secretary general Kofi Annan has said the world will not achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) unless environmental planning is incorporated in urban management. And tourism, environment and natural resources deputy minister Nedson Nzowa has expressed sadness that big businesses in Zambia were making huge profits at the expense of protecting the environment.

Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa's anti-graft credentials have been battered after his government halted the case of an ally charged with squandering millions of dollars meant for Aids drugs, analysts said on Sunday. Opposition groups, diplomats and newspapers questioned Mwanawasa's commitment to fighting graft after the country's top prosecutor dropped proceedings against former health ministry official Kashiwa Bulaya.

HIV/AIDS is having an impact on teacher absenteeism in Zambia, which in turn is affecting the quality of education, according to a new World Bank study. 'Teacher Shocks and Student Learning: Evidence from Zambia', found that when teachers were absent as a result of illness, the level of learning was affected.

OneWorld Africa is seeking motivated, qualified and experienced individuals to fill in the vacancies of Web Development and Technical Operations manager and Digital Opportunity Channel Africa editor. OneWorld Africa (OWA) is part of the OneWorld network (www.oneworld.net) an international not-for-profit organisation founded to promote the effective use of ICT media for poverty alleviation, promotion of sustainable development and human rights.

A group of HIV positive people in Solwezi, the administrative capital of Zambia's Northwestern province, is helping its members access antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) with the proceeds from its income-generating activities. The hammermill project of the Network for Zambian People Living with HIV/AIDS (NZP+) in Solwezi, about 700 km northwest of the capital, Lusaka, is also making it possible for members to go for viral load testing.

Open University vice-chancellor Dickson Mwansa has called for education reforms in the country in order to solve some of the problems the University of Zambia (UNZA) and the Copperbelt University (CBU) are experiencing. He said Government had concentrated too much on basic education at the expense of secondary and tertiary education.

Riot police in Zambia fired tear gas on Monday night at hundreds of students from the country's biggest university who stoned vehicles and barricaded main roads to protest the government's refusal to increase their allowances. Students from the University of Zambia battled police for over three hours before they were forced back to their campus, a law enforcement spokesperson said.

Lusaka High Court judge Christopher Mushabati has ordered the immediate trial of former President Frederick Chiluba and two others without delay. Judge Mushabati made the order when he dismissed a constitutional reference from Chiluba's lawyers Simeza Sangwa and Associates that had asked the High Court to determine whether they could be availed with the documents that the prosecution intends to use during trial in an effort to prepare their clients' defence.

Government will ensure that all barriers against women's participation in national affairs are removed to enhance economic development, Gender In Development Division (GIDD) acting Permanent Secretary Lawrence Musonda has said. Dr Musonda said Government was aware that women played a critical role in various socio-economic activities of the nation, hence its resolve to redress gender imbalances in the productive sectors.

Zambia has begun building a modern molecular biology laboratory to detect genetically modified (GM) organisms entering the country. The National Institute for Scientific and Industrial Research (NISIR) began the project last month. It is expected to finish by December. The Norwegian government has donated US$330,000 for buying equipment and training scientists.