On December 14 2007, the Zimbabwean government published proposed amendments to the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA), the Public Order and Security Act (POSA) and the Broadcasting Services Act (BSA). In its analysis, the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Zimbabwe has come to the conclusion that the proposed amendment Bills contained in the extraordinary gazette reflect no serious intentions on the part of government to democratise the laws in question.

The recently held Connect Africa Summit in Kigali, Rwanda had two aims: to bring connectivity to Africa and to promote ‘Connect Africa’, a new partnership that seeks to expand the ICT infrastructure in Africa, especially Internet broadband. By the end of the two-day summit, investment commitments worth USD 55 billion had been secured and 2012 had been targeted for connecting all African capitals and major cities and strengthening their connectivity with the rest of the world.

The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa has published a new report defining fundamental geospatial datasets for Africa. The report is the first attempt to provide a continental common definition of what constitutes a minimally necessary core of geospatial data and information products to which policy makers can add other sectoral datasets to ensure geographic consistency in making decisions on socio-economic development issues.

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has backed the call of the Press Union of Liberia (PUL) for journalists in the country to stand in solidarity with six colleagues and a newspaper accused of libel by Ambrose Nmah, the general manager of a media group. Nmah, who also presents a news program on the radio, is suing the journalists after they published a statement calling on the PUL to investigate him for allegedly making comments on his radio program justifying physical attacks on journalists by police officers.

Jacob Zuma, the Teflon politician of South Africa, has performed one of the most stunning comebacks in the country's history. Despite having been sacked by Thabo Mbeki in 2005 for alleged corruption, remaining the target of an ongoing corruption investigation, and having faced accusations of rape, he swept to the leadership of the ruling African National Congress, defeating the incumbent, President Mbeki.

Women own only a small percentage of the world’s land, yet produce two-thirds of the food in developing countries. A a recent FAO-sponsored Technical Consultation on Gender, Property Rights and Livelihoods in the Era of AIDS (28-30 Nov 2007), in Rome, it was stated that women still account for 60% of all HIV infected adults living in sub-Saharan Africa.

FAO is working with affected women’s groups as well as with governments and local-level groups to increase awareness about the issues of land grabbing and land reform as they affect women in developing countries, in particular in areas of HIV/AIDS prevalence. Women continue to be discriminated and stigmatized despite the efforts that many governments have taken to sensitise communities in recent years.

Unlike many widows or separated women, Flavia Kyomukama, HIV positive and member of Women's group in Uganda, survived land property grabbing from her husband.

Delegates attending the GK3 summit have been introduced to "mzalendo", a Kiswahili word meaning, "patriot". The word became a subject of heated debate as South African-based Kenyan lawyer Ms Ory Okolloh shared her experience in new media, citizen journalism, human rights and development.

Why does it matter that two rich Westerners are batting back and forth over the strategies and benefits of a cheap computer for children in developing countries?, asks White African in his blog, in the wake of a debate as to whether children in the developing world would be better served by a laptop or food aid.

African leaders, entrepreneurs and development agencies should start developing content to harness the potential of emerging educational technologies, writes Calestous Juma. Digital education technologies like the XO '$100' laptop have their problems and critics. But the big challenge, says Juma, is teaching African children to use these technologies — and get the most out of them.

A new range of mobile phones has just gone on sale in Ethiopia, with the onscreen menu in Amharic, and the ability to send SMS text messages in the Ge'ez script - used for Amharic and other languages in the region. This is something of a breakthrough in a country where until recently text messaging was not allowed in any language.

A Sfax district court sentenced Tunisian journalist and blogger Slim Boukhdhir, known for his harsh criticism of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, to one year in prison on Tuesday (December 4th). The ruling drew a mixed reaction, with some journalists denouncing the court's decision and others saying they should not become involved in the matter.

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has said that an end to the legal persecution of journalists is an essential step towards providing human rights protection around the world. The IFJ, which is the world’s largest journalists’ group, says that governments who use criminal defamation and other legal restrictions to silence critical reporting undermine the role of media in exposing violations of rights across society

The first-ever multilingual poll of black, Hispanic and Asian Americans is a call to action for the ethnic media leaders who sponsored it. While respondents believe that ethnic media are "irresponsible" when it comes to covering race relations, they also describe ethnic media as a vital intermediary for strengthening inter-group communication. New American Media Editor Sandip Roy interviewed some of the poll’s media sponsors about how they view their shifting role in covering race relations in America.

ICTE is now accepting applications for the 2008-09 cycle of its International Guest Program. The International Guest Program brings Human Rights and Tolerance advocates and educators to New York City for a period of one to three months for a residency at the International Center for Tolerance Education (ICTE). All applications are due Monday, January 21st, 2008.

Human rights activists in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have accused their government and that of Angola of turning a blind eye to reports of widespread rape and other abuses of DRC migrant workers in neighbouring Angola. “The situation seems to be getting worse but the Angolan and Congolese authorities we have repeatedly approached show no political will to end the situation,” said Floribert Chebeya, who heads Voice of the Voiceless, a DRC NGO.

Kenya Data Networks (KDN)- a leading ICT infrastructure provider in the country has embarked on an ambitious program to provide all Kenya's schools from distant mountain villages to those in the swelling urban slum areas, with Internet connectivity.

The Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation (CTO)is to embark on a project for African rural inclusion known as 'Commonwealth African Rural Connectivity Initiative'(COMARCI). The chief executive of the CTO, Dr Ekwow Spio-Garbrah said the project has been structured to promote faster telephone and internet connectivity for rural communities in the 18 Commonwealth African countries.

Secondary school students incan now make use of computers and wireless connectivity for all types of class work, courtesy of the latest ICT development initiative that is expected to see to it that all schools have access to e-learning facilities. The programme has been launched by INTEL, a company that offers ICT solutions in Africa and Europe and puts Kenya in the list of two other African countries that would receive e-learning facilities in Secondary schools.

A baseline study into e-waste in Kenya has been launched at a meeting held in Nairobi recently. The meeting, on November 21 at the Jacaranda Hotel, was organised by the Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANeT), and attended by over 30 representatives of business, government, the non-profit sector and the media. The study will be conducted over the next three months, and is being supported by a partnership between Hewlett Packard (HP), the Digital Solidarity Fund (DSF) and the Swiss Institute for Materials Science and Technology (EMPA).

The need for greater urgency in addressing loss of wetlands in the Zambezi River Basin has been highlighted at a recent meeting in northern Zimbabwe. "Wetlands are crucial to all forms of life in the Zambezi Basin, yet they are not appreciated the way they should be," said Tabeth Chiuta, the water programme co-ordinator of the World Conservation Union (IUCN).