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African Group Calls for the Enactment of Genetic Law 4mins. 35secs. 3 African
delegates at the fifth Conference of Parties on Biological
diversity held in Nairobi stress the need to protect community and
farmers rights.
Animal Welfare Agency Raps Namibian Seal Hunt 4mins. 30mins. 3 Namibia's
decision to expand her seal harvesting industry has
come under criticism from the International Fund for Animal Welfare
Cement Factory Urged to be More Sensitive to the Environment 2mins. 30secs.
4 A challenge to cement factories in Africa to invest in environmental
management and protection has been made in Kenya
Ghana: Breaking the Silence 7mins. 4 A new report sheds new light
on the issues involved in violence
against women in Ghana
Governments Meet to Review Protection of African Wildlife 4mins. 15secs.
5 As parties to a major agreement against the illegal trade in fauna
and flora in Africa meet in Nairobi , analyst agree that this is a major step
in support of African initiatives to protect wildlife.
Zimbabwe Records Greater Participation of Women in Recent Elections 6mins.
5
Zimbabwean women attempted to boost their numbers in the recently concluded
parliamentary elections.
The Press as Mediators in Times of Conflict 3mins. 8secs. 6 A recent
workshop held in Nigeria, calls for a paradigm shift in the
responsibilities of the media in terms of conflict
Preserving Endangered Sharks in West Africa 10mins. 6secs. 7 Conservationists
call for the protection sharks and varying species
of skates in the West African sub region
President Clinton Signs Two Key Protocols 2mins. 9secs. 8 The
United States becomes one of the first countries to sign two key
United Nations protocols that strengthen global standards on the protection
of children
Rapid Urbanisation: Major Threat to Health and Environment 8mins. 33secs.
8 A United Nations report has identified unplanned urbanization as
a major health harzard in Southern Africa
Amnesty International Calls for an End to Sexual Violence in 9mins. 48secs.
9 Sierra Leone
The human rights organization has identified abduction rape and sexual
slavery has being among the most abhorrent features of the
nine-year old armed conflict in Sierra Leone 1
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Beijing plus 5 : African Delegates disappointed with Women's 9mins. 9secs.
10 Summit
The much awaited women's conference has come and gone but it seems
to have fallen way below the expectations of many.
Subsistence Farming Depletes Malawi's Forests 1min. 9 secs. 12 Malawi
has been identified as having the highest rate of
deforestation in the Southern Africa Development Community region
Noted…
AENS Wins International Press Freedom Award 1 mins. 28secs. 12
The Power of Statistics 3mins. 29secs. 12
Children's Section
How Nwapfundhala Chops Wood 6mins. 18secs. 13 Nwapfundhala,
the hare, learns the value of friendship
The First Zebra 8mins. 9secs. 13 Why the Zebra sports a shiny black
and white coat but no horns!
Parting Shots
Unforgettable Quotes on Conservation and Development. 15 2
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African Group Calls for the Enactment of Genetic Law 4mins. 35secs.
African delegates at the recent Fifth Conference of the Parties of the Convention
on Biological Diversity
held in Nairobi during May 15-26 have stressed the need to protect community
and farmers' rights from piracy through co-ordinated efforts in the relevant
agencies dealing with such issues.
In their two-page declaration, read out by an Ethiopian delegate, the African
Group also called for the fostering of leadership of local communities in continued
conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity
as well as their full participation in all decision making. The African Group
were part of some 1,500 delegates who attended the Nairobi conference on Convention
on Biological Diversity -COP 5.
The group also called for the promotion of sustainable farming community agriculture
using both traditional and modern techniques to increase the use of agro-biodiversity
and to harness ecological dynamics to
boost and protect production. The Group further encouraged the enactment of
the national laws consistent with the African Model Legislation for the Protection
of Rights of Local Communities, Farmers and Breeders
and for the Regulation of Access to Biological Resources (OAU, 1998).
In their declaration, they noted: "As a matter of priority, the issue of repatriation
of Africa's genetic resources abroad, access to, and the sharing of benefits
accruing from the use of Africa's genetic resources
in terms of Convention on Biological Diversity, CBD should be addressed".
The African Group opposed to the patenting of life forms, saying that there
was a need for a push for a global enabling condition for
forest biodiversity, conservation and sustainable use in the relevant forum.
The African delegates appealed to all development and funding agencies in the
spirit of Agenda 21, to provide technical and financial
support to African countries and initiatives with regard to capacity building
in priority areas of CBD. All Africa News Agency
Animal Welfare Agency Raps Namibian Seal Hunt 4mins. 30mins.
The International Fund for Animal Welfare has expressed deep concern over
the recent announcement by the Namibian Government that it will expand its seal
harvesting industry. The Namibian cabinet last week
approved a recommendation by the fisheries minister, Dr. Abraham Iyambo, to
double the number of seal concession holders from two to four. Iyambo had earlier
in the year said the government planned to
"drastically increase" seal harvesting quotas in 2000, claiming that a rapidly
increasing seal population in
Namibian waters posed a threat to the local fishing industry. The country's
2000 sealing season begins in August.
Sarah Scarth, director of the fund for Southern Africa, said the organisation
had followed the development of the annual hunt for many years and had not seen
any evidence -scientific or otherwise -to support the
need of expanding the Namibian seal harvesting industry. She added that there
were serious questions around the sustainability of the current bull harvest.
Currently there is no agreeable method to assess the
bull population or to determine their annual growth. It would thus be contradictory
to increase the quota to
support an expanded sealing industry in the absence of such information.
"We also know of no scientific evidence that would justify a Namibian seal
cull to benefit fisheries. Scientific
studies from around the world, notably Canada, have shown that over-fishing
is most responsible for the demise of fish stocks, not predation by seals,"
she said. "If quotas are to be increased, information regarding
the sustainability of the hunt should be made available for independent scientific
scrutiny," she added.
Namibia's hunting quota in 1999 was for 30,000 seal pups and 5,000 seal bulls.
According to the last census, conducted in December 1997, the total seal pup
population was estimated to be 905,000. No 3
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figure for bull seals was available. Panafrican News Agency
Cement Factory Urged to be More Sensitive to the Environment 2mins. 30secs.
Cement factories in Africa have been challenged to invest more in environmental
management and protection
in order to protect people living in their vicinity and the environment from
massive pollution.
Kenya's tourism, trade and industry minister, Nicholas Biwott, said the companies
should stop concentrating on profits at the expense of the environment and human
health. This was said at a seminar on awareness
of cement effects. Biwott asked Kenya's main cement factories to play a pivotal
role in reclaiming the
environment they have exploited. He urged the cement manufacturers to emulate
the Mombasa-based Bamburi Cement factory that is renowned for environmental
rehabilitation.
"It would be worthwhile for the cement industry to invest more in environmental
protection", the minister said, urging the companies to be innovative. Sponsored
by Kenya Bureau of Standards, the seminar
brought together leading stakeholders in the country's cement industry.
Kenya currently consumes over 500,000 million metric tonnes of cement annually,
which translates to 50 kg per person per year.
Panafrica News Agency
Ghana: Breaking the Silence 7mins. Violence against women is a reality
but very few women are prepared to talk about their experiences.
More often than not, women face numerous barriers that discourage them from
talking.
When they choose to talk about their experiences, however, state agencies are
the least likely venue for them to report; they prefer to report to family,
friends or members of the community.
These are some of the findings of a new report on violence against women and
children. Titled "Breaking the Silence and Challenging the Myths of Violence
against Women and Children in Ghana", the report is a
collaborative work involving the Gender Studies and Human Rights Documentation
Centre (GSHDRC) , the Trade Union Congress (TUC), the Centre for the Development
of People (CEDEP), Action Aid,
Bawku East Women's Development Association (BEWDA), World Neighbours, Centre
for Sustainable Development Initiatives (CENSUDI) and Associates in Development
(ASSID). The report covered 20
districts in all the 10 regions of the country. The research techniques involved
focus group discussions,
questionnaires and key informant interviews.
The report underscored the importance of family and friends as a means of
support when women experience violence in all its forms. For women that reported
physical violence -9 out of 10 reported at the informal
level (family, religious leaders and friends) while 1 in 10 reported at state
agencies (police and courts).
The report lists a number of reasons why women are reluctant to report or talk
about violence, including shame, shyness or timidity on the part of the victim,
the ability of the society to trivialise women's experiences
of violence, and women's lack of confidence in reporting agencies. Other reasons
given were culture and social habits, previous action taken against perpetrators,
financial cost, fear and family pressure. For
example almost 2 in 10 did not leave their male partners who had been violent,
due to pressure from family and friends while almost half of the women interviewed
did not leave abusive partners because of children. 4
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According to the report, sexual violence such as rape, incest and harassment
are considered taboo topics generally. These incidents are under-reported and
the subject is not easily discussed. Similar reasons were
cited even when it came to reporting forced sex. On financial cost, the report
notes that 18% of women injured during a physical assault did not seek treatment
because they had no money of their own.
The report concluded by stating that there is need to increase the capacity
of organisations and individuals to be able to respond to reported cases of
violence against women and children. To facilitate this, it
recommends the development of policies and procedures for response and guidelines
for the collection and management of information on violence against women and
children.
"The research", says Professor Akua Kuenyehia of the Faculty of Law, University
of Ghana, "will provide stakeholders with the necessary data to address the
issue of violence and an opportunity to work towards
real solutions". Accra Mail
Governments Meet to Review Protection of African Wildlife 4mins. 15secs.
Parties to a major agreement against the illegal trade in fauna and flora
in Africa opened a meeting in
Nairobi, Kenya on the 5 th of July to review United Nations' and other reports
on the status of their efforts. The Governing Council of the "Lusaka Agreement"
-formally called the Lusaka Agreement on Cooperative
Enforcement Operations Directed at Illegal Trade in Wild Fauna and Flora -met
at the headquarters of its Task Force, located at the Kenya Wildlife Service.
"This is another important step forward in our ongoing efforts to support
African governments' initiatives to deal with the illegal traffic in fauna and
flora," said Jim Sniffen, an Information Officer with the United
Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). The Lusaka Agreement was developed under
the auspices of UNEP, and the Governing Council is considering reports by that
agency's Executive Director, as well as
a report by the Director of the Lusaka Task Force.
The Task Force, referred to by many as the "African Interpol for Wildlife" was
established under the Agreement to fight wildlife crime in Africa through cooperative
investigations and information sharing and
dissemination. Members of the Governing Council, who comprise the six parties
to the Agreement, are also reporting on their efforts to facilitate the work
of the Task Force. According to
UNEP, the officers of the Task Force, in collaboration with designated national
bureaus, have successfully conducted cross-border and under cover operations
which have resulted in the catching of hundreds of
tons of ivory tusks and fire arms as well as the arrests of several poachers.
The parties to the Agreement are the Republic of Congo, Kenya, Lesotho, Tanzania,
Uganda and Zambia.
Ethiopia, South Africa and Swaziland have signed the treaty, which entered into
force on 10 December 1996.
United Nations
Greater Participation of Women in Zimbabwe's Elections 6mins.
Zimbabwean women attempted to boost their numbers in the parliamentary elections
on June 24 and 25 with 55 of them from the ruling and opposition parties seeking
seats, the largest number of female candidates
in the country's 20-year history. 5
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The last parliament, dissolved on the 11 th of April, had 21 women members,
one of whom was from the opposition. The ruling party ZANU-PF (Zimbabwe African
National Union -Patriotic Front) fielded the
largest number of women candidates this election with 20 running. The Movement
for Democratic Change (MDC), which was formed nine months ago, put forward 11
women out of its 120 candidates.
However, women's pressure groups are far from impressed with the numbers,
though a significant feature in party manifestos are elaborate provisions for
empowering women at the grassroots. For instance, the
MDC pledged to promote a "grassroots process" towards gender equality in economic,
social and political life, saying it would ensure that women were not unfairly
prejudiced by their childbearing and reproductive
role in relation to employment or economic opportunity. ZANU-PF resolved that
a minimum quota of 50 seats in its central committee must be allocated to women.
At the party's congress held at the end of last
year, another resolution was passed that for every three positions, a woman
must occupy one. But the
resolutions are yet to be implemented.
With women constituting 52 percent of the population and representation not
quite above the half-way mark of the set SADC target, women's movements are
pressing for more concrete action. The country
does not match up with the rest of southern Africa's leaders in gender balance.
South Africa and
Mozambique, both of which are close to fulfilling the 30 percent quota provided
for in the declaration signed in 1997 by the heads of state of the Southern
African Development Community, (SADC) which
each of the 14 member countries must reach by the year 2005.
South Africa currently has the highest representation of women in parliament
and cabinet in the region.
Their 400-member parliament has 119 women or 29.8 percent, a mark very close
to the minimum required by the 1997 declaration. Mozambique ranks second at
28.4 percent of the 250-member parliament, 71 of
whom are women but the cabinet of 37 has only one woman. Both the African
National Congress, the South African ruling party and FRELIMO, Mozambique's
ruling party, have a 30 percent quota system
for women in their party structures which has helped increase their participation
in decision-making positions.
Malawi, Swaziland and Lesotho are the lowest in terms of women's representation
in parliament in the SADC region, with all of them standing below the 11 percent
mark .
Southern African Research and Documentation Centre
The Press as Mediators in Times of Conflict 3mins. 8secs.
A workshop organised by a non-governmental organisation, Negotiation and
Conflict Management Group and sponsored by the United States Agency for international
Development Office of Transition Initiatives
(USAID – OTI); resolved in a communique that; there should be a paradigm shift
from the media's usual path of the jurist informing and entertaining when the
issue is conflict and set agenda for solution. The
national workshop which was primarily aimed at communal and religious conflicts
resolution attracted
both community and religious leaders, as well as individuals from the academic
community. The participants also included journalists from Nigeria's leading
print, radio and television establishments.
In the eleven point communique, the participants at the workshop agreed that
the media in reporting conflicts should focus more on the positive aspects of
conflicts instead of the negative which was presently
the case in Nigeria. The media was also tasked to support NGOs that are involved
in finding positive results in conflict resolutions. The workshop found that
the media's traditional role of reporting conflict
needed to change. The press, they argued were more intent on making a capital
out of conflicts instead of seeking solutions. 6
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One of the speakers, Joan Mbagwu, said the press must help in the management
of conflict in a constructive
way such that the resultant effect becomes development, change, understanding,
resolution, friendship, interaction, communication, progress, peace, love, and
increased knowledge. She concluded "it is important
to leave our minds open and know that every conflict situation might create
an opportunity for change and development, if we manage that conflict constructively
and refrain from running away from it or leave it to
result into violence". Post Express
Preserving Endangered Sharks in West Africa 10mins. 6secs. Over 50
different types of sharks and more than 30 species of skates and similar fish
live in complete
insecurity in the West African sub-region, from Mauritania to Guinea, including
Cape Verde.
In view of man's over-exploitation of skates and sharks and the risk of losing
biological diversity, organisations such as the World Union for the Protection
of Nature (IUCN) and the World Wide Fund (WWF), have
initiated sensitisation and research projects as well as those aimed at ensuring
follow-ups in the field. On a world-wide scale, the UN Food and Agriculture
Organization has since 1999 developed an international
shark management and preservation action plan, which proposes certain research
and regulations for adoption by member states. The Fondation Internationale
du Banc d'Arguin'( FIBA), in collaboration with
IUCN and national institutions, has since 1997, been implementing a research
project on sharks in the
sub-region, with a view to documenting and monitoring the West African situation.
The catch at local fishing grounds along the coasts, from Mauritania to Guinea,
were examined, and accounts collected with
regard to the development of the skate and shark population; the research
reveals a critical situation of over-exploitation.
The study showed that some species, such as sawfish, no longer existed in
the sub-region, while others, like the African straw fish, the tiger shark,
lemon shark or the big hammerhead shark, are in extreme
danger. This is partly because their biology is characterised by a long life,
very late sexual maturity (15 years or more in some species), a viviparous reproduction
in almost all species (do not lay eggs but
deliver complete and autonomous 'babies') with an extremely long gestation period
(over a year for some species) and a very reduced fertility (less than 10 'babies'
carried by most of them). Moreover, the rhythm
of population renewal is so slow that the stocks crumble as soon as they are
exposed to targeted or intensive exploitation.
And yet, the shark plays a crucial role of regulator between marine species
in the sea, and its growing shortage may lead to the proliferation of undesired
species, if not to the radical change in the behaviour of
prey species. The over-exploitation and gradual extinction of sharks may result
in the shaking up of the whole marine ecosystem balance.
The situation is not helped by the rising demand for shark products. Today,
the cost of products has risen sharply. A kilo of good quality dried fins costs
several hundreds of US dollars in Hong Kong while is
bought from the fishermen at about 50 to 70 US dollars in West African countries.
Because of the advantages
offered by such a market, which no doubt represents the greatest danger for
the species' survival, many fishermen have become specialised in shark fishing.
Considering the dual ecological and socio-economic risks, conservation bodies,
in collaboration with the
sub-regional Fisheries Commission (CSRP), recently organised a workshop for
consultations on shark fishing and the sustainable management of the species.
The workshop brought together all the actors in the
field (fishermen, middlemen and traders) with scientific researchers and representatives
of Fisheries Ministries of countries of the sub-region. 7
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Recommendations highlighted the importance of finding a sub-regional solution
for the species as well as
for migrant fishermen, through a CSRP co-ordinated action plan. The need to
strengthen research on the environment and the biology of species and to better
describe the exploitation chain was also stressed,
with a view to having reliable information to review existing measures and
regulations. The meeting agreed on the need to institute conservation measures,
by protecting areas and periods of reproduction and by
reducing the fishing efforts, in general. A clear consensus was reached on the
need to support specialised
local fishermen in their re-conversion efforts which will enable them to direct
their activities towards other fisheries resources and avoid bankruptcy. Other
actors, such as middlemen and traders, should also be
taken into account. Donors were requested to support grassroots communities
and states prepared to participate in these various efforts. Finally, all the
participants strongly insisted on the need to sensitise
public opinion, develop information capacities of actors and managers, and communicate
knowledge through
the media and education programmes.
All these recommendations will be taken into account during the preparation
of the sub-regional action plan for the preservation and management of the shark
population, of the sub-regional commission. The
efficiency of this initiative will largely depend on the commitment of the competent
authorities as well as
donor support. Panafrican News Agency
President Clinton Signs Two Key Protocols 2mins. 9secs. On July 8,
2000, the United States became one of the first countries to sign two key United
Nations
protocols that strengthen global standards for the protection of children after
President Clinton put his signature to the treaties at a ceremony at UN Headquarters
in New York.
Welcoming the US leadership in signing the two optional protocols to the Convention
on the Rights of the Child on protecting children against prostitution and involvement
in armed conflict, the UN Deputy Secretary-General
Louise Frechette said the move would "undoubtedly inspire other countries to
add their names to these instruments."
The two instruments reflected an "international sense of justice" and the
shared belief that "children deserve love and protection," President Clinton
said as he pledged to send both protocols to the US Senate, and
expressed the hope that they could be ratified this year. The US appreciated
that it had been given the chance to play a leading role in negotiating the
agreements, and was among the first nations to sign them,
the President said. He pledged his best efforts to see that the US was also
a leader in implementing the instruments, so that the children of the world
would have "a future far better than the past."
Addis Tribune
Rapid Urbanisation: Major Threat to Health and Environment 8mins. 33secs.
Unplanned rapid urbanisation has been identified as a health hazard in southern
Africa leading to conditions
that spread serious diseases. These diseases stem from environmental problems
such as contaminated water, poor sanitation, smoke-polluted indoor air and exposure
to mosquitoes, along with other examples
of crowded living conditions. According to a United Nations Environment Programme
(UNEP) report, Global Environmental Outlook 2000, these environmental health
problems in developing countries are
now exacerbated by emerging problems of industrial and agricultural pollution.
Chemicals used in both primary sectors are major factors in causing and worsening
tuberculosis, bronchitis, heart disease, cancer
and asthma. Increased exposure to chemical health risks in urban areas is particularly
harmful to children
and pregnant women. 8
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Most African cities were developed as colonial administrative and trading
centres rather than industrial and commercial centres equipped to support large
populations. As a result, well-serviced expensive city
centres are often surrounded by underdeveloped and inadequately serviced settlements
supporting most of the population. The quality of housing and services varies
greatly. Urban authorities have been unable to
keep up with the explosive growth of squatter communities and shanty towns.
The poor are often cramped in inadequate housing along floodplains or other
areas that are vulnerable to pollution because that is the
only place where they can afford to rent or build accommodation in urban parts
of Malawi, South Africa,
Zambia and Zimbabwe, says a report by the International Institute for Environment
and Development (IIED). Stream bank cultivation is now rampant around southern
African cities and towns as people seek
to counter the effects of poverty resulting in contamination of water sources
by fertilizers and pesticides applied in these small, unplanned farm plots.
According to the UNEP report, nearly half of the world's population will live
in urban centres by the end of the 20th century. Currently, 30-60 percent of
the world's urban population are in low-income countries,
and lack adequate housing with sanitary facilities, drainage systems, and clean
piped water. Malaria and dengue fever are some of the common diseases spreading
as a result of unplanned urbanisation. The two
primary mosquitoes causing these diseases have adapted from their natural forest
environments, where they breed in tree holes containing rainwater, to the urban
environment where they breed in drains, water
cans, discarded tyres, pots and bottles.
The quality of air is also affected by the industrialisation that occurs with
urbanisation. Air pollution levels are neither monitored nor controlled in most
cities in Africa, but while air pollution is still low compared
with other areas, it is becoming a problem at local levels, especially in
major cities. The quality of rain reflects broadly the state of atmospheric
pollution in the region. One of the more damaging products of
such pollution is acid rain which is caused by sulphur dioxide set free in the
atmosphere where it dissolves
in the moisture to form sulphuric acid. Acid rain damages soil, plant leaves
and water with a consequent ill-effect on human health.
.
Due to these many environmental factors, areas settled by the urban poor are
often fragile, and the concentration of population contributes to the degradation.
Since urbanisation has adverse effects on the
environment and preventing it is next to impossible, slowing the rural to
urban drift by developing rural centres would allow the latter to enhance their
employment capabilities. Such a move will have to be
complemented by sound economic policies that discourage rural-urban drift. This
will reduce the strain on
the services and infrastructure in urban areas and alleviate environmental degradation.
Southern African Research and Documentation Centre
Amnesty International Calls for an End to Sexual Violence in Sierra Leone
9mins. 48secs.
Abduction, rape and sexual slavery of girls and women in Sierra Leone must
be stopped, says Amnesty International in a new report released on the 2 nd
of July 2000. These practices have been among the most
abhorrent and distressing features of the nine-year internal armed conflict
in Sierra Leone. "Rape, sexual slavery and other forms of sexual violence by
rebel forces have been systematic and widespread," notes
the human rights organization which is making specific recommendations to all
the forces involved and the
wider international community.
Thousands of women of all ages have been raped and abducted. Often they have
been forced to become the sexual partner or "wife" of combatants. Beyond the
brutality and trauma of rape itself, sexual assault
can result in serious physical injury, forced pregnancy, disease and even
death. The terror wreaked by rebel forces on civilians has also included men
being forced to rape members of their own family under
threat of being mutilated by having their hands or arms cut off. 9
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Despite the peace agreement signed in Lome, Togo, in July 1999 between the government
of Sierra Leone and the Revolutionary United Front (RUF), human rights abuses
against civilians, including rape and other
forms of sexual violence, have continued. Renewed insecurity and fighting since
May have further aggravated
the incidence of rape. In mid-May rebel forces from the RUF raped and abducted
girls and women in the area around Masiaka, some 40 kilometres from the capital
Freetown. Among the victims was a woman in
her twenties, with a five-month old baby, who was abducted after rebel forces
took control of Masiaka. At the time of her abduction she was stripped and raped
by seven combatants. Taken to a rebel camp, she
was repeatedly raped and was later forced to carry supplies, cook and cut wood.
The United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) has a mandate to protect
civilians under imminent threat of physical violence. To carry out this mandate
effectively, the UNAMSIL must adopt a
more determined and active approach to protecting civilians, including girls
and women at risk of abduction, rape and other forms of sexual violence. This
should include extending, as far as possible, the area of
deployment of UNAMSIL troops, particularly in those areas of Northern Province
where abuses against civilians are continuing, and making every effort to defend
civilians from attacks by rebel forces.
While some assistance is being provided in Freetown by non-governmental organizations
to help victims of rape and sexual violence, much more needs to be done, especially
outside Freetown where little or no
help is available, says Amnesty International. Under customary international
law, rape committed by government officials or armed opposition groups during
armed conflict constitutes torture. Rape by
combatants in the conduct of armed conflict is now recognized as a war crime
and, when committed on a systematic basis or large scale, it is a crime against
humanity. As such, it is subject to universal jurisdiction.
In Sierra Leone the systematic way in which rape and sexual violence have
been used, and committed so extensively with impunity, indicates a deliberate
strategy to use rape and sexual violence against women
and girls as a weapon of war and to instil terror. The peace agreement of July
1999 provided a blanket amnesty for all acts including human rights abuses,
perpetrated during the conflict. Amnesty International
believes the amnesty in the peace agreement violates fundamental human rights
principles by providing
impunity to the perpetrators of gross human rights abuses and provides no deterrent
against further abuses. The United Nations added a disclaimer to the peace agreement
underlining the fact that the amnesty did
not apply to crimes against humanity, war crimes and other serious violations
of human rights and humanitarian law.
"There can be no amnesty for the systematic rape and sexual violence against
women and girls in Sierra Leone which amount to war crimes and crimes against
humanity", says Amnesty International. "All those
who are responsible must be brought to justice." Amnesty International
Beijing plus 5 : African Delegates Disappointed with Women's Summit 9mins.
9secs. As the Beijing Plus Five conference wound down on Thursday (June
8) consensus has emerged that not
much has been achieved. The conference began with high hopes that governments
would not only re-commit themselves to promises made at the Fourth World Conference
on Women in Beijing, China five
years ago, but that they would embrace other measures to ensure gender parity.
But as the conference
drew to its close liberal delegates and non governmental organisations (NGOs)
found themselves fighting a rearguard action to defend the 1995 Beijing Platform
for Action, the document whose
implementation they had gathered to review. 10
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The week had been characterised by thorny negotiations for a conference document
acceptable to all
governments. What should have been an assessment of how countries have progressed
on gender advancement and a push forward, became an occasion for a rehashing
of old controversies on sexual and
reproductive rights. To applause from an African NGO caucus, G77 negotiator
Timi Kuripamo-Agary said: "We have done everything to retain the Beijing Platform
for Action. We tried very hard not to water
it down." She said the G77 countries in general and the Africa Group of countries
in particular had
secured some agreements they could live with. These cover the gender implications
of debt and globalisation as well as a pledge from developed countries that
they would begin to accede to the benchmark figure of
0.7 percent of gross domestic product for aid disbursements.
But key rights were watered down in the course of the conference. These included
sexual and reproductive
rights as well as the recognition of women's rights as human rights. According
to Amnesty International: "Some governments are still attempting to backtrack
from the Beijing Platform for Action and weaken
what was agreed to five years ago. It is supposed to be Beijing Plus Five,
not Minus Five."
Negotiations on the conference outcome have been fractious with schisms emerging
between the G77
countries and the developed world over issues such as globalisation, poverty
and debt. There were also divisions between the Muslim and Christian religious
worlds and liberal countries on sexual and reproductive
rights. A negotiator said "It's hard to remember when [negotiations] have
been more difficult. They are hopelessly bogged down."
Meanwhile African NGOs issued a report lambasting the United Nations for the
treatment they have received this week. "We are disappointed that we have been
made to feel like intruders on the process.
We seem to have gone back on free participation," said Zambian NGO delegate,
Gladys Mutukwa.
African governments have been late in coming to the party because of poor organisation
and poor resources.
While developed countries have been preparing and meeting for months, the Africa
Group only met in the week of the conference. Although some, particularly the
Southern African Development Community
countries have fought a good fight in the negotiations, Africa has been conspicuous
by its absence. A cursory glance at the draft outcome document shows that no
ground has been won on the critical gender
concerns highlighted as vital for African women.
The frustrations experienced at the Beijing Plus Five conference has raised
concerns that the women's movement is being "bureaucratised". Global gender
advancement seems to have become an unwieldy and
exclusive technocratic process, which leaves no place in the halls of power
for political advancement and activism. All energy and focus at UN conferences
is directed on "the document ", "brackets" and "language".
"The women's movement internationally must reclaim itself," says South African
representative Pregs Govender. The biggest lesson from Beijing Plus Five, she
says, is that the "women's movement is being co-opted.
We've become technocratic rather than transformative Women's advancement is
a profoundly political issue, yet the conference itself was a largely apolitical
process. Activism was left on the fringes".
On the eve of the close of the Women's summit, frustrated women stood outside
the negotiating chambers at the UN sporting angry T-shirts, which read, "No
going back". Excluded from the process, they were
left to voice their anger on the margins. It is not an end that was anticipated.
At the beginning of the 21 st century, it seemed that, for women, time had stood
still.
InterPress Service Africa 11
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Subsistence Farming Depletes Malawi's Forests 1min. 9 secs. Malawi has
the highest rate of deforestation in the 14-member Southern Africa Development
Community
region. Ironically, war-torn Angola has the lowest.
Malawi's deputy director of forestry, Paulos Mwale, has told PANA that the country's
deforestation rate is over 1.8 percent against the average 0.2 per cent in most
SADC member states. Mwale, who is member
of the SADC forestry sector technical co-ordination unit, said Malawi's high
rate of deforestation is due to over-dependence on subsistence agriculture whereby
large tracts of land are cleared for farming. In the
long run this practice depletes soil fertility, he said. "Population boom also
plays a factor in Malawi's high rate of deforestation," he added.
At least 50,000 hectares of Malawi's forests are cleared every year and foresters
say this is a very high rate natural resource consumption.
Panafrican News Agency
Noted…
AENS Wins International Press Freedom Award I mins. 28secs.
The African Eye News Service, AENS, was announced winner of this year's
Knight International Press Freedom Award in the United States on Thursday. The
prestigious award honours outstanding individuals
or organisations which have made remarkable contributions to the media in
their region of the world. Candidates are nominated by Knight International
Press Fellows, who are U. S. journalists travelling overseas
to share their skills with international colleagues. The awards will be presented
at the International Centre
for Journalists' annual Excellence in Journalism Dinner scheduled for October
11, 2000 in Washington DC.
African Eye News Service (South Africa)
The Power of Statistics 3mins. 29secs .
Flash a couple of figures in the face of a sceptic and chances are that
you will take home a convert. Such is the power of statistics. And no one knows
this better than the media. Many a times we have relied on
numbers to prove a point, state a case and push our numerous generic and acquired
biases.
It is against this background that one must take a very objective and critical
view of the rate at which the
western media churn out statistics on Africa. None is more guilty of this trend
than many western media organizations. Since the onset of the AIDS pandemic
on the continent, many of these organizations have
led a massive media blitz that has led to a lot of awareness about the situation
on the continent. The reputation of these media organizations has also helped
to legitimise a lot of opinions. Some right. Some
not so right. Some out rightly wrong and baseless. For instance, in the in dept
analysis section of CNN. com,
"AIDS: Africa in peril" notes that:
"West Africa is not as badly affected( as East Africa) but 1 in 20 adults
in Nigeria, Africa's most populous nation… are HIV positive. Every minute another
Nigerian becomes infected"
With Nigeria's notorious reputation for not keeping records and a dearth of
adequate research facility, one might ask, "where did the CNN get their figures?"
CFC 12
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Vol. II No. 19 CHANGE Radio
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Children's Section
How Nwapfundhala Chops Wood 6mins. 18secs. Nwapfundhla, the hare,
and Nwafene, the baboon, were courting in the same village and Nwapfundhla
was the first one to find himself a girlfriend. Nwafene felt very jealous of
his success and this led to hard feelings between the two friends. Finally,
Nwafundhla said to Nwafene, 'Don't worry, old friend, I will fix
you up with a girlfriend. '
Now Nwapfundhla was very tactful. He chose a girl who had not yet met Nwafene
and he explained that appearances were not everything – it was the character
underneath that mattered. By the time Nwapfundhla
had finished describing Nwafene's character in glowing terms to the young lady,
she could hardly resist him and so Nwafene also had a girlfriend.
However, even then the friendship was still strained.
One morning Nwapfundhla decided to teach Nwafene a lesson. 'Come with me to
chop wood' he said to his girlfriend. She picked up the axe and the two strolled
into the forest. Here Nwapfundhla chose a tree
which they cut down, split open and hollowed out, then they put the two empty
sides together so it looked like a normal tree again. Then they stood it up
in the same place where it had been growing and went home.
Next day, Nwapfundhla said to Nwafene, 'Let's take the girls and chop some
wood'. So the two girls picked up the axes and followed them into the forest.
Nwapfundhla walked in front and led them all
towards the hollow tree. When it came in sight, he pointed it out to his girlfriend
and said in a loud voice, which the others could not help overhearing, 'See
that tree? That's the tree I want and I'm going to chop
it down with my head. ' Then little Nwapfundhla, very sure of himself, strutted
up to the tree and gave it a light tap with his head. The hollow tree crashed
to the ground in a heap of splintered wood.
Nwafene's girlfriend looked on in wide-eyed admiration and quickly Nwafene
said, 'Of course, I taught him to do that. That's just the way I chop my wood,
you know. ' Then he looked around for a tree and the
one he chose was a little bigger than Nwapfundhla's. After all, he was MUCH
stronger than a mere hare – and unfortunately it was a leadwood tree.
'That's the tree I want, ' he announced. 'You watch me chop it down with my
head. ' Nwafene approached the tree very confidently to within a few strides.
Then he lowered his head and charged at great speed into
it. C R A S H!
Never again would Nwafene try to prove himself stronger than Nwapfundhla Shangani
folk tales
The First Zebra 8mins. 9secs. In the beginning when all was new on
the Earth the animal all similar, none having special horns or colorful
coats. The Creator was busy finishing off his great work and fashioned a multitude
of horns sizes and
shapes and coats of many types and colors. When he had finished He left them
in a cave close to the shores of a great lake. 13
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The Creator then sent a message to all the animals living on the grassy plains,
that they should go to the cave the next morning and select the horns and coats
they thought would suit them best. This caused a
great flurry of excitement and anticipation and the animals were all eager to
see what the Creator had made for them.
All, that is, except for Zebra, whose only cavern in life was food, in fact
it was well known among the other animals that Zebra was a glutton. When all
the other animals moved off towards the lake at first light, Zebra
did not join them. If he was going to take such a long walk he was going to
have a good breakfast of luscious grass and he could not see why all the other
animals urged him to hurry along to the cave, Zebra
muttered that he would follow on in due course, when he had finished his breakfast.
This was done through a mouthful of grass, so the other animals left the ill-mannered
Zebra in disgust.
Several hours later Zebra decided he had had his fill, and slowly sauntered
off towards the lake, following a broad trail left by the other animals. As
Zebra neared the lake, some of the animals were returning to the
plains and Zebra amazed by their change in appearance. Elephant had chosen a
rather drab gray coat, but set this off with a magnificent pair of ivory tusks.
Lion had chosen a sleek dusky coat with a regal mane of
long black hair. Sable had a glossy black coat and vicious sweeping curved horns.
One by one Zebra passed all the animals in their brand-new finery. Finally just
as he was about to enter the cave, Zebra passed Rhinoceros. Unfortunately Rhino
is very nearsighted; he had chosen a coat several
sizes too large and it looked rather baggy on him. Also, he had chosen two horns
that were not the same size and stuck them on his nose. All in all, Rhino looked
rather odd but he seemed very pleased with
himself.
When Zebra went into the cave the only coat left was a boldly striped black-and-white
one and he could find no horns at all. After such a long walk Zebra was feeling
quite hungry again so he quickly tried on the
remaining coat. This strange black-and-white coat did fit very well and as his
belly was rumbling he did not
care that it looked different; nor did he mind that no horns were left over
for him.
Meanwhile, back on the plains, all the other animals were admiring each other
in their brand-new finery. When Zebra got back to the plains he ignored all
the others and just put his head down and started
chomping away at his lunch. The other animals soon noticed the startling black-and-white
coat and so they
greeted Zebra with jeers and laughter.
"Look at the greedy Zebra in his funny new coat and without any horns!" cried
the Duiker scornfully. Soon all the other animals had taken up the chorus.
Zebra did not care. What did horns matter when all that really counted was
plenty of tender green grass to eat whenever he wanted? To this day Zebra had
not needed any horns, but he is always fat and glossy in
his peculiar black-and-white coat. When the hippo was hairy 14
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Vol. II No. 19 CHANGE Radio
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Parting Shots Unforgettable quotes on conservation and development.
"Nature is often hidden, sometimes overcome, never extinguished."
Francis Bacon, Essayist and philosopher, 1561-1626
"Revere the land of our fathers." Thomas Bullfinch,
1794-1867
"The sun, the moon and the stars would have disappeared long ago, had they been
within reach of predatory humans."
Havelock Ellis,
Essayist and psychologist, 1859-1939
"God has lent us the earth for our life. It is a great entail. It belongs
as much to those who follow us as it does to us, and we have no right, by anything
we may do or neglect to do, to involve them in unnecessary
penalties, or to deprive them of the benefit which we have in our power to bequeath.
John Ruskin.
"One could not pluck a flower without troubling a star." Francis Thompson,
Poet, 1859-1907 15
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