16 July 2015 — Pambazuka News

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Pambazuka News (English edition): ISSN 1753-6839

 

CONTENTS: 1. Features, 2. Announcements, 3. Comment & analysis, 4. Advocacy & campaigns, 5. Jobs

 

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1 Features SHARKS OR CROCODILES: HOW TO GET RID OF AN ACTIVIST IN ANGOLA Rafael Marques de Morais

 

Angolan political activists exercising their constitutional right to peaceful protest face illegal arrest, torture and assassination in the hands of the security forces. The justice system has also been compromised to protect the government of President Jose Eduardo dos Santos. http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/features/95161

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5 SIMPLE THINGS THAT COULD GET YOU ARRESTED IN ANGOLA Muluka Miti-Drummond

 

State repression in the Southern African nation has reached ridiculous lows. President Jose Eduardo dos Santos’ government appears to be paranoid. It boggles the mind how long this surreal state of affairs will go on. http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/features/95174

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JOURNALIST WHO EXPOSED TORTURE, CORRUPTION IN ANGOLA IS STILL AT RISK Nic Cheeseman

 

Rafael Marques de Morais is currently on trial in Angola. His crime’ To write a book that detailed the corruption of Angolan military generals. It is now clear that he is not getting a fair trial in a country that has yet to experience genuine democratisation. His experience reveals the dark side of the Angolan oil boom, and the incredible risks that some people take for the love of their country. http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/features/95162

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THUS SPOKE ETHIOPIA’S REEYOT! Alemayehu G. Mariam

 

Last week, the Addis Ababa dictatorship suddenly released jailed prominent journalist Reeyot Alemu and four bloggers without explanation. Reyoot has vowed to continue her struggle for democracy in her country, where many other journalists, bloggers and political leaders remain in jail. http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/features/95172

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ETHIOPIA’S HACKING REVELATIONS Why is one of the world’s leading foreign aid recipients spending millions on internet hacking’ Fikrejesus Amahazion

 

Ethiopia is a heavily aid dependent country. Its Western supporters should ask themselves why such a poor country spends millions of dollars a year trying to hack the phones of exiled journalists instead of using the money to feed hungry citizens and provide other essential services. http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/features/95163

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BROKEN PROMISES How Kenya is failing to uphold its commitment to a free press Committee to Protect Journalists

 

Kenya’s constitution guarantees freedom of the media, but President Uhuru Kenyatta’s Jubilee coalition has introduced several bills that undermine rather than enforce that principle. Journalists are vulnerable to legal harassment, threats, or attack, while news outlets are manipulated by advertisers or politician-‘owners. The deteriorating climate comes at a crucial time for Kenya’s democracy, security, and economy. A CPJ special report ( https://cpj.org/reports/broken_promises_kenya_cpj_special_report.pdf ) by Sue Valentine and Tom Rhodes.

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BRICS BANKERS CONFIRM THEY WILL UNDERGIRD ‘ NOT UNDERMINE ‘ WESTERN FINANCIAL DECADENCE Patrick Bond

 

Will the bloc’s policies and structures be deployed to fight the poverty, ecological destruction and climate change, privatisation and corruption, illicit financial flows and Resource Cursing associated with current global lending, or will they amplify these features’ http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/features/95165

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BRICS: THE STRATEGIC ROAD MAP Kester Kenn Klomegah

 

After three days of high-level summit deliberations, the BRICS group of countries of the world’s five leading emerging nations (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa), have laid out the strategic road map that will tackle challenging development and infrastructure projects, and will seek close economic cooperation under the plan termed “the Strategy of Economic Partnership” that will run till 2020. http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/features/95177

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DEFERRED CONSTITUTIONALITY, CONSTITUTIONAL CRISIS AND SOUTH SUDAN’S COMPROMISE DEMO(N)CRACY Olivia Lwabukuna

 

Last week the constitutional deadline of the presidential term in Africa’s youngest nation South Sudan expired, but current President Kiir and his parliament extended their mandates through a constitutional amendment. Is it a prudent move in a country embroiled in a civil war or an excuse to hold on to power’ http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/features/95176

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PRICE OF KOTA SOLD IN PARIS IS INTERESTING’ But what about loss to creators and original users’

 

The original owners in Africa that were supposed to keep the skulls and bones of their Ancestors may not even be aware of the whereabouts of the kota. Does it not matter that what is part of a people’s belief may be decorating the rooms of non-believers elsewhere in the world for aesthetic pleasure’ http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/features/95166

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THE MYTH AND DELUSION OF DEVELOPMENT Lennon Chido Mhishi

 

The system of development is broken. The concept remains a shell that hides wasted time, effort and sentiment. Those espousing the development system as it currently exists should carefully consider whether their efforts are bringing around the promised goals. http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/features/95169

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THE IGBO GENOCIDE, BRITAIN AND THE UNITED STATES (PT.2) Herbert Ekwe-Ekwe

 

The Igbo genocide was primarily about the protection of strategic British interests in Nigeria. The departing colonialists had secured the collaboration of the northern region, which was vehemently opposed to African independence. Thus Fulani-Hausa elites played a key role in the perpetration of the genocide. http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/features/95175

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2 Announcements 2015 DRIVERS OF CHANGE AWARDS: A CALL FOR NOMINATIONS

 

Nominations for the 2015 Drivers of Change Awards are now open! Nominate individuals, businesses, civil society organisations and government agencies that are making a real impact to end poverty. http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/announce/95170

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CALL FOR APPLICATIONS: MASTER’S DEGREE (LLM/MPHIL) IN HUMAN RIGHTS AND DEMOCRATISATION IN AFRICA APPLICATION DEADLINE: 31 JULY 2015 Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria

 

( http://www.chr.up.ac.za/index.php/academic/llm-human-rights.html ) This prestigous degree is presented by the Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria in partnership with 13 leading African universities.

 

APPLY ONLINE: http://www.chr.up.ac.za/index.php/llm-mphil-online-application-2015.htmlhttp://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/announce/95077

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PAN-AFRICAN HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS AWARDS

 

Pan-African Human Rights Defenders Network (PAHRD’Net) has opened a call for nominations for the 2nd Edition of human rights defenders awards. The awards will honor exceptional individuals who peacefully promote and protect universally recognized rights as stated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights. http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/announce/95137

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SECOND CALL FOR PAPERS: PAN-AFRICAN COLLOQUIUM IN BARBADOS UNIVERSITY OF THE WEST INDIES/BARBADOS, JANUARY 12-15, 2016 Pan-African Colloquium

 

The Departments of History and Philosophy; Government, Sociology and Social Work, The University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, Barbados and PANAFSTRAG are pleased to issue a second call for papers for this inaugural international Pan African Colloquium to be held at The University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, Barbados over the period January 12-15, 2016. http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/announce/95128

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3 Comment & analysis WHY TACKLING ILLICIT FINANCIAL FLOWS OFFERS ENERGY AND CLIMATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR AFRICA Stephen Yeboah and Mohamed A. Sultan

 

As world leaders converge in Addis Ababa this week to discuss financing for development, it is crucial that they find ways to stop the billions of dollars Africa losses each years in illicit financial outflows. They must also rethink climate adaptation and mitigation. http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/comment/95167

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POLITICS, KENYA STYLE Yash Pal Ghai

 

What is important for the Kenyan politician today is the economic resources of the state and the ease with which they can be used by them and their accomplices. The Kenyan state provides endless opportunities for this kind of exploitation. http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/comment/95168

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SIERRA LEONE TAKES HUGE LEAP FORWARD FOR WOMEN AND GIRLS Kavinya Makau

 

As we mark the 12th anniversary of the adoption of the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa ( http://www.au.int/en/sites/default/files/Protocol on the Rights of Women.pdf ) , Sierra Leone gives us a reason to celebrate. Earlier this month, following years of prolonged advocacy from local and regional groups, it became the 37th African Union State to ratify ( http://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFKCN0PI0LQ20150708’sp=true ) what is also known as the ‘Maputo Protocol’. http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/comment/95173

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OBAMA’S PRISON CHARADE Margaret Kimberley

 

Obama is a master of appearing to do what he doesn’t do. That is not all marketing skill; he also relies on a compliant corporate media and a spineless black misleadership class to fool nearly all of the people all of the time. His sudden desire to look like the Great Emancipator is an ongoing publicity junket. http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/comment/95179

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4 Advocacy & campaigns NIGERIA: THE SACKING OF THE UNSERVICEABLE SERVICE CHIEFS

 

Global Campaign On Military Spending, GCOMS-Nigeria, welcomes the decision of the President Muhammad Buhari government to sack the country’s Service Chiefs. http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/advocacy/95164

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OPEN LETTER TO RWANDA PRISONS DIRECTOR ON INTENSIFIED ISOLATION OF PRESIDENTIAL CONTENDER VICTOIRE INGABIRE Boniface Twagirimana

 

It is quite evident that for someone already detained in solitary confinement, these measures amount to mental torture in violation of the International Convention Against Torture, to which Rwanda is a contracting party. http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/advocacy/95178

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5 Jobs FINANCE AND OFFICE MANAGER – DAKAR Terms: Permanent ‘43,200 per annum A I Amnesty International

 

For over 50 years, we’ve been campaigning for human rights wherever justice, freedom and truth are denied. We’ve reshaped policies, challenged governments and taken corporations to task. In doing so, we’ve changed thousands of lives for the better. Join Amnesty at our new regional office in Dakar and you will too. http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/jobs/95127

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PRESS OFFICER – NIGERIA (1186) Closing Date:19 July 2015 Type:Permanent A I Amnesty International

 

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced press officer to join Amnesty International in our newly established Nigeria Section Office in order to shape and develop a media profile for its human rights work across the region. http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/jobs/95160

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Fahamu – Networks For Social Justice http://www.fahamu.org

 

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End of Pambazuka-news Digest, Vol 367, Issue 1

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