Hon. Wangari Maathai blazed the trail for African and Kenyan women in regard to international recognition for peace activism. Betty Kaari Murungi has now followed in those footsteps. On November 11th 2005, in New York, Betty received the annual International Advocate for Peace Award which honours individuals who embody passion through their work in international conflict resolution. This award was founded by the Cardozo Journal of Conflict Resolution which draws its name from former U.S. Supreme Court Justice, Benjamin N. Cardozo, who was renowned for his integrity and social consciousness.

The Kenya Civil Society Coalition on Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) has launched a campaign for a common platform to secure trade justice for Africa. At the forthcoming World Trade Organisation (WTO) Inter-Ministerial Conference, slated between December 13 and 18, the Global Call for Action Against Poverty (GCAP- Kenya), urges that the delegation to represent Kenya at the talks and put emphasis on the country’s right to food security and freedom from dumping.

On December 7 and 8 ActionAid International (Kenya) will host a Pre-Hong Kong meeting for Cotton Farmers in Africa to be held at the Pan Africa hotel in Nairobi, Kenya. The Sixth World Trade Organization (WTO) Ministerial Conference is scheduled to take place from 13th – 18th December 2005 in Hong Kong. It is expected that fundamental issues with far reaching implications on the development of African agriculture are going to be part of the agenda for discussion. All sub-sectors in agriculture are going to be affected in one way or the other by decisions to be made during this crucial and important conference. One such sub-sector at the heart of most African farmers is cotton which is an important element of the on-going negotiations in agriculture. In view of the above, ActionAid International Kenya will be organizing a meeting in Nairobi whose overriding goal is to mobilize cotton producers from around Africa to voice out their concerns ahead of the forthcoming WTO meeting. The outcome of the meeting will be presented to the delegates attending the WTO meeting for advocacy and lobbying purposes during the Ministerial conference.

South Africa’s Mail and Guardian reports that Nobel Peace laureate Wangari Maathai on Tuesday urged Kenya's bickering political leaders to show restraint in a crisis of authority that has raised fears of unrest in East Africa's most stable nation. Hoping to trade on respect earned when she won the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize, Maathai urged Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki and the opposition to cool tensions that erupted after last week's rejection of a new Constitution. "Leaders must now remove the barrier which divided Kenyans and now threatens justice and security," she told reporters at a news conference in Nairobi.

The Orange Democratic Movement has put together a new document which gives President Kibaki 180 days to deliver a new constitution. "Now that the proposed constitution has been rejected, we urge the President to fulfill his original promise and deliver a people's constitution within 180 days." "It will be a constitution that will secure democracy and social progress to the people of Kenya, our children, grandchildren and generations to come," they said. They said the rejection of the proposed constitution had given Kenyans an opportunity of reconsidering the issues which were not negotiated and that Kenyans would no longer tolerate individual MPs being given ministerial responsibilities without their parties' consent as this undermined the democratic process.

A challenging job and a unique opportunity to make a real impact on poverty and suffering and channel your passion to influencing policy makers to protect and advance the human rights of poor communities. These are some of the things you can look forward to when you join us at Oxfam as the Regional Policy & Advocacy Coordinator (RPAC).

The "Mexico City Policy," also known as the "Global Gag Rule" denies U.S. funding to foreign non-governmental organizations that work on safe abortion issues. It was reimposed by President George W. Bush in 2001, but in 2003 the administration said that the rule would not apply to funds for fighting HIV/AIDS. Now, according to the Center for Health and Gender Equity, the administration is reversing that policy in a new $193 million program in Kenya.

IRC Kenya is seeking an experienced team leader with significant proposal writing experience to assist in the writing of a health/HIV proposal.

Kenya's President Mwai Kibaki has conceded defeat in a crucial vote on a new constitution. "My government will respect the will of the people," he said, looking sombre, in a live television address. The BBC's Adam Mynott says the result is a huge setback for Mr Kibaki who led the "Yes" campaign. Many used the poll to protest at Mr Kibaki's leadership.

* Related Links:

- Perspectives on the November 21st Referendum
http://kenyasocialist.org/kswsfiles/2005/kenya_referendum_perspectives…

- Congratulations to the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) on winning the November 21st Referendum
http://kenyasocialist.org/kswsfiles/2005/congratulations_to_odm.htm

Kenya has just come out of a period of voting for a Constitution. As Maina Kiai argues, what is at the core of this Constitution is not really what it claims to be, instead it is about power and ethnic politics. Kiai describes the political climate behind this referendum, but also offers some suggestions for solidarity and action. Communities of faith must gather together and make any efforts, no matter how small or symbolic they may be, to show Kenya and its government that it is peace and tolerance that is needed.

Visitors to Mbeere district in Kenya's Central Province can hardly miss them: bags of charcoal laid on either side of the road. Those who sell the bags are far less visible, however. They hide in the surrounding dense vegetation, only appearing to make hurried sales. The reason for this secrecy? Fears of imminent arrest by officials who are trying to curb the illegal logging in Mount Kenya forest which supplies the wood used to make charcoal. There are fears that tree felling may decimate the 2,700 square kilometre forest, which serves as a catchment area for no less than 60 rivers.

The free primary education programme has won high accolades and Sh1.8 billion from the World Bank. World Bank country director Collin Bruce asked the Government to ensure that the money - for buying learning materials for the 18,000 primary schools across the country - would arrive in time to purchase materials for the new year. The money will be added to the billions of shillings the Government has invested in the programme since its start in January 2003 - one of the pre-election pledges fulfilled when Narc came to power.

A group is protesting their arrest in a government crackdown against suspected members of the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) who have been blamed for the massacre in Turbi in Kenya's Marsabit district. More than 100 people were killed and hundreds left homeless. "It is quite questionable to accuse these people of being unlawfully in the country when the Kenya government is fully aware of their presence for the past three decades and the same government is the one that settled them in Badasa together with the UNHCR," a letter to the Immigration Minister written by the Marsabit Catholic diocese says. The refugees don’t deny their Ethiopian nationality, but say they have married Kenyans. Some have their children working with the government. Others are studying in Kenyan schools – both primary and secondary. Yet others are in local colleges and universities.

Antony Ngige, a producer and feature reporter for the Kenyan Kikuyu radio station Kameme FM, produced a radio program about Internews' Local Voices project in Kenya that trains journalists how to cover HIV/AIDS. The station has close to 2 million listeners and is one of the most popular Kiukyu stations in the country. Ngige had attended two Internews journalism workshops on HIV/AIDS in Nairobi Kenya. For the story, he interviewed Internews Kenya Resident Advisor Mia Malan, Internews Kenya Media Coordinator Sandra Ndonye and Ann Mikia, another journalist trained in HIV/AIDS reporting.

It's a move which some say has created a "disaster in waiting." However, Kenya's government is refusing to alter its decision to downgrade Amboseli, a globally-renowned national park, to game reserve status. The decision was put into effect in October by Tourism and Wildlife Minister Morris Dzoro following a presidential order - and has resulted in Amboseli being placed under the control of a local authority, the Ol Kejuado County Council. Previously the park was managed by the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), the East African country's national conservation authority, which took charge of Amboseli in 1974.

Kenya and the European Union started negotiations for a new trade pact the last week of October amid fears that the country could lose Sh9.5 billion. An impact assessment study conducted by the Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis (Kippra) reveals that the Government would lose Sh6.9 billion in revenue. Another Sh2.5 billion would be lost as exporters lose their market share to the EU market to competitors. A further Sh35 million would be lost through trade creation. Already, there are fears Egypt is eating into the EU horticultural market that Kenya had dominated for over a decade now. The new trade pact that would replace the 2001 Cotonou agreement between the 79 African, Caribbean and Pacific countries (ACP) becomes effective in January 2008. However, Trade and Industry permanent secretary David Nalo maintained that the Government is determined to negotiate the new pact.

The successful candidate for this job will:
Accompany the Executive Director in establishing a SWAN head office and five regional offices in Southern Sudan, assist the core implementation team to establish procedures and implement prioritized activities in the Strategic Plan in a specified time frame, mount a marketing strategy for resource acquisition and effective utilization, ensure that SWAN's connection to the international communication network is up to date and functioning, develop and implement appropriate lobbying and advocacy strategies to ensure that all stakeholders easily understand the objectives of the new SWAN, ensure that the new structures are flexible and running smoothly and that agreed-on goals are realized, document the process of the new phase in the history of SWAN for the contract period.

There will not be additional funding for the Sondu Miriu hydro-power project, Japan's ambassador to Kenya said October 18, according to Nation Media. The envoy, Mr Satoru Miyamura said his government had given the nearly Sh22 billion initially needed to complete the two-phased project, which begun in 1998 but stalled two years later. Mr Miyamura said: "We have disbursed all the money we were to give. There are no plans for extra disbursement."

Nearly 600 Kenyatta University lecturers rushed to beat a deadline to sign back-to-work forms the week of October 31. Those who signed the forms included many officials of the local chapter of the Universities Academic Staff Union, Uasu. But about 100 lecturers had not signed to indicate they were ready to resume duty when the university reopens. They were away from campus on official duties, including study leave and leave of absence. Public relations officer Ken Ramani confirmed the figures, adding that the senate - the main university governing organ - would meet to discuss reopening.

A limited measles immunisation campaign has been launched in Nairobi following an outbreak of the disease in a suburb of the capital city, health authorities said on Friday. The campaign targets children under the age of five and is confined within Eastleigh, a downmarket suburb east of the city centre with a considerable number of refugees from Somalia, said an official in the disease management unit of the ministry of health who asked not to be named.