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Reporting
on Human Rights, Democracy&Development
Vol. 1 No. 7 Feb. 2, 2001
Please send this newsletter to anyone who would be interested! Contents
1. EDITOR'S COMMENTS
2. RIGHTS AND DEMOCRACY
3. DEVELOPMENT
4. REFUGEES
5. MEDIA
6. CAMPAIGNS AND CONFERENCES
7. HEALTH
8. CHILDREN ISSUES
9. LAW
10. GRANTS
11. CONTACT
12. CORRECTION
EDITOR'S COMMENTS WEST AFRICA NEWSLETTER, GETS YOUR MESSAGE IN THE RIGHT HANDS
Every International Non-governmental Organization (INGO) has a website. These websites are filled with information that is vital to West African Countries. Information if used properly could help solved many of the simple problems that exist in West Africa. But easy access to these websites is a problem. Most computers used in West Africa, by people who will benefit from these informations are not able to download a lot of the texts and graphics that are placed on these websites. If local organizations and media practitioners are not able to benefit from these websites, then one wonders about the usefulness. Another problem that is faced by most grassroots organizations, journalists and media houses----they don't have a computer or access to the Internet. To browse the Internet for an hour, say in Liberia, it is US$10.00. That is equivalent to LD$400.00, which is about 50% of the government's minimum monthly salary------LD$800.00. In other West African countries the situation is worst. WEST AFRICA NEWSLETTER, a project of Liberia Institute of Journalism, in Monrovia, Liberia, West, Africa and funded by the International Center, in Washington, D.C., is emailed free of charge to over 200grassroot organizations, 400 journalists, 67 newspapers and 25 radio stations in West Africa. This doesn't include our many subscribers in other parts of Africa and the World------from South America to far away Papua New Guinea, in Asia. With this vast network you can agree, that if we publish your news and press releases it will be seen and read by the people it is intended to reach.
RIGHTS AND
DEMOCRACY HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH WORLD REPORT 2001: NIGERIA: HUMAN RIGHTS
DEVELOPMENTS
www.hrw.org/wr2kl/africa/nigeria.html
Nigeria entered a second year of civilian rule under the presidency of (former general and military ruler) Olusegun Obasanjo. Yet the new government failed to fulfill the hopes raised by the elections of 1999. NIGERIA: Teenage Mother Whipped "Cruel and Unusual Punishment", a Violation of International Standard http://www.hrw.org/press/2001/nigeria0123.htm Human Rights Watch Condemned the Nigeria government's failure to protect a teenage mother, Bariya Ibrahim Magazu, from being whipped by local officials.
UN ADOPTS DRAFT DECLARATIONhttp://www.unhchr.ch/huricane/huricon.nsf/newsroom?openframeset
The three-day African Regional preparatory meeting for the World conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and related Intolerance wined up its deliberations in Dakar, Senegal, on 24 January, adopting a draft declaration focusing, among other things, on the impact of Slavery and Colonialism.
DEVELOPMENT
African Communities Take Charge of Development
World Bank approves grassroots lending projects in Nigeria and Senegal
http://www.worldbank.org/developmentnews/stories/html/010301a.htm
The World Bank last month approved two poverty reduction loans, which heavily empower target communities with the projects' management and implementation. Helping Africa's Poor to Manage Risks New social protection strategy addresses AIDS crisis, other poverty traps http://www.worldbank.org/developmentnews/stories/html/012601a.htm Life in Sub-Saharan Africa comes with many risks. Characteristics of the region include high poverty and equality, AIDS and other epidemics, macroeconomic shocks, conflicts, repeated drought and seasonal food shortages---just to mention the most obvious threats to a safe and secure life. Parliamentarians and the World Bank Focus on the Fight against Poverty http://worldbank.org/pressrelease.nsf Over 90 parliamentarians from 35 countries in Europe, Central and Eastern Europe, Asia, Africa, and North America are meeting in London with the World Bank to determine to how they will further expand a global network to focus on the fight against poverty. Quaker Africa Initiative Gets Underway http://www.afsc.org/int/bulletin/wi2k11.htm In the past year, a growing number of AFSC staff and committee members have become concerned about the increasingly marginal status of Africa in global politics.
REFUGEES UNHCR PREPARES TO RECEIVE 50,000 SIERRA LEONE REFUGEES http://www.reliefweb.int/w/rwb.nsf
As the security situation continues to deteriorate in Guinea, the United Nations High Commissioner of Refugees (UNHCR) said that it is preparing to receive up to 50,000 returning Sierra Leonean refugees over the next six months. (Source:UN Mission) 10. Killed as Guinean helicopters attack Liberian town: claim http://www.reliefweb.int/w/rwb.nsf At least 10 people were killed in an attack this week by Guinean helicopter gunships on the Liberian border town of solumba, Defense Minister Daniel Chea said Tuesday. (source:AFP)
EU Wants
Taylor Pressurized To Stop Aiding RUF
http://www.allafrica.com/stories/200101290513.html
The European Union supports initiatives by the Security Council to put pressures on Liberia's President Taylor who, according to the evidence given by the UN survey report on Sierra Leone, continues to play a decisive role in the conflict that rages in that country. (source: Pan African News Agency) SIERRA LEONE PURSUES A TWO-PRONGED APPROACH http://www.sierra-leone.org The Sierra Leone government announced last week its support for the sanctions resolutions, and has indicated it would like to see the international pressure on Liberia go up. A diplomatic source told the Sierra Leone Web that Sierra Leone was pursuing a two-pronged approach: first, request for the extradition from Monrovia of former RUF field commander Sam "Mosquito" Bockarie "based on (Liberian Foreign Minister Monie) Captan's public statement to that effect that we have not requested the repatriation or deportation of (Bockarie) and others", and second, "to make sure ECOWAS doesn't save Taylor by suggesting regional dialogue instead of sanctions". Intensive contacts are underway on both strategies both at the UN and in the Sub-region, the source said.
MEDIA WORLDWATCH HIRES PUBLIC RELATIONS SPECIALIST http://www.worldwatch.org/bios/index.html
Leanne Mitchell has joined World Watch as public relations specialist, replacing Mary Caron who left to continue her studies. On 13th January World Watch launched the State Of the World 2001. World Watch specializations include alternative energy, pollution, climate change, and natural disasters amongst many others. See World watch website for more details.
CAMPAIGNS
AND CONFERENCES
World Bank Policy on Information Disclosure
http://www.bicusa.org/action
The "Global Call for greater Transparency at the World Bank", has been endorsed by roughly 250 civil society organizations in almost 80 countries, and the numbers are growing daily. Your help is needed to send a clear message to the World Bank that people have a right to know the policies and projects affecting their lives. For more details how to help, contact Graham Saul, Bank Information Centergsaul@bicusa.org Fax:1-202-737-1155
EMAP launches
Kits for Kids in Africa Campaign
http://www.afsc.org/intl/bulletin/wi2k12.htm
More than 2 million Angolans live in camps for internally displaced people (IDPs) and another 300,000 have fled to neighboring countries as refugees-the result of a long-running, brutal civil war. Children often suffer the most-they have lost what few possessions they had and there is little to do in the camps. AFSC's Emergency & Material Assistance Program (EMAP) is doing a large-scale campaign to provide "a little something that a child can call her own." You can help with this Campaign. For more details go the website.
FREE TRIP
TO EGYPT AND GHANA
http://www.dzertclub.com
The d'zert Club, the world's largest and fastest growing African American youth organization of its kind, is sponsoring a FREE trip to Egypt in North Africa and Ghana in West Africa for 200 students. For more details contact: Philip Shalahuddin, at telephone: 215-247-5121x2 or check the website.
Expert Seminar
on Human Rights and Extreme Poverty
http://www.unhchr.ch/html/menu2/pvrty.htm
OHCHR is organizing an expert seminar to consider a declaration on human rights and extreme poverty from 7 to 9 February 2001 in Palais Wilson, Geneva. Governments' representatives, experts from within and outside the UN system, as well as interestedNGOs, will attend this seminar. Ambassador Thomas Hammarberg has agreed to chair this meeting. Send e-mail with comments and suggestions to: webadmin.hchr@unog.ch
United States
Institute of Peace
http://www.usip.org
You are cordially invited to a Current Issues Briefing on "THE CHALLENGE OF RECONCILIATION, JUSTICE AND RENEWAL IN RWANDA" Featuring PAUL KAGAME---President of Rwanda, Friday, February 2, 2001@10:00to 11:30 AM at The United states Institute of Peace, 2nd Floor Conference Room-1200 17th Street NW, Washington, DC. For reservation call Suzanne Wopperer at 202-429-3832
The African
Virtual University
http://www.avu.org/display.cfm?flag=
Pioneering distance education in Africa feeding hungry minds in Africa Information on 2001 courses and seminars now available! AVU Courses and Seminars for January-June 2001 are now available on our website.
NEMF SUPPORTS LIBERIAN SCHOOLS
Nimba Educational & Medical Fund (NEMF), a non-profit organization established in the United States to provide access to medical care and educational opportunities in Nimba County and other rural counties in Liberia, has sent a 20-foot container, loaded with thousands of text books, to the Nimba County school system (NCSS). The container left the US on November 22, 2000 and arrived in Monrovia on December 12, 2000. For more details on this organization and how they can help your school system, contact Mr. Cyril D. Lurlay at (404) 840-8603 or email: clurlay@hotmail.com
HEALTH WHO
Launches Mental Health 2001 Campaign
http://www.who.int/inf-pr-2001/en/pr2001-01.html
The stigma is meaningless. The discrimination is unfair, if not unethical. Treatment is possible. It has to be made available. In a bid to focus attention on the stigma and discrimination surrounding mental health, the World Health Organization (WHO) is launching a yearlong campaign on mental health. Global Health Issues http://www.who.int/inf-pr-2001/en/pr2001-03.html The year 2001 marks the 20th anniversary of the adoption of the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes. The World Health Organization's Executive Board in its resolution calls for strengthening of "national mechanisms to ensure global compliance with the Code".
CHILDREN ISSUES THE STATE OF THE WORLD'S CHILDREN 2001 http://www.unicef.org/sowc01/toc.htm
Chairman of the "I am Your Child Foundation", Rob Reiner, says that giving children a good start in life is the key to transforming whole societies. The State of the World's Children 2001 details the daily lives of parents and other caregivers who are striving in the face of war, poverty and the HIV/AIDS epidemic-to protect the rights and meet the needs of these young children.
Healthy Pregnancies: Protecting the rights of both women and children http://www.unicef.org/sowc01/panels/panel3.htm
Girls and young women must have educational opportunities to better provide for their children. Women of all ages need to be screened for HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases.
LAW NO FEDERAL PROSECUTION FOR DIALLO OFFICERS http:// www.cnn.com/2001/law/01/31/diallo.feds/index.html
The US Justice Department will not pursue federal civil right charges against four white New York City Police Officers who fatally shot an unarmed West African man two years ago.
GRANTS FORD FOUNDATION GRANTEES IN ELECTRONIC COMMUNITY PROJECT IN NIGERIA
Girls Power Initiative (GPI) Commences Gender Development Institute http://www.electroniccommunity.org/news/news_finder.html Girls' Power Initiative has commenced a Gender Development Institute to foster greater understanding of the interplay between women, men, gender and development.
Contact This newsletter is published weekly by the International Center, in Washington, DC, and Liberia Institute of Journalism, at the Corner of Broad and Johnson Streets, P. O. Box 2314, Monrovia, Liberia, West Africa. Tel: 011-231-227-327 email: lij72@hotmail.com Website: http://www.kabissa.org/lij To obtain further information, please contact editor: Vinnie Hodges at lij72@hotmail.com Or lij@kabissa.org
To subscribe or to stop receiving subscriptions, please place "subscribe or unscribe WEST AFRICA NEWSLETTER", in the subject heading and email to: lij72@hotmail.com or lij@kabissa.org We also welcome information or articles for publication in West Africa Newsletter (WAN). Please send them to : lij72@hotmail.com or lij@kabissa.org CORRECTION In our sixth edition of West Africa Newsletter, we attributed the interview conducted with the President of Liberia 's Press Secretary to Peter Andersen of Sierra Leone Web. We regret the error. It should have been attributed to BBC News.
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