UN-CSO CONSULTATIVE MEETING ON THE STATE OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND THE RULE OF LAW IN ZIMBABWE

 

A Constitutional Amendment Bill was put in place to set up a National Human Rights Commission.

 

The meeting between CSOs and the UN, which was convened on 28 June 2007, discussed among other things the meaning of the text of the bill as it relates particularly to the establishment of the National Human Rights Commission. It was noted that the Government of Zimbabwe has an obligation under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights to set a body such as the National Human Rights Commission. The UN also recommended the creation of such institution as a best practice but it only supported the initiative provided it follows the framework established by the Paris Principles.

 

On the same note, the Government of Zimbabwe proposed a second round meeting with CSOs in July 2007 to discuss the gazetted bill as a framework for the establishment of a National Human Rights Commission. However, there was divided opinions over the issue of a meeting as some thought the meeting was not necessary while others felt that the proposed dates were too soon.  Awaited is the CSOs’ position on the question of a meeting and the decision will be communicated to the government of Zimbabwe after consultations with stakeholders have been made.

 

WTO, IMF must consider the poor

By Sifelani Tsiko

THERE is need to build strong social movements to demand greater accountability and the adoption of pro-poor policies from multilateral institutions as Africa prepares to host the World Social Forum for the first time on its soil in January next year.

Development experts told journalists and Global Call to Action Against Poverty (GCAP) goodwill ambassadors who met recently in Victoria Falls that emerging activists in eastern and southern Africa must come together to strengthen the African civil society's engagement on World Trade Organisation (WTO) process to fight against trade injustices. Full Article>>

Taking Global Governance, Trade Justice and the WTO issues to Africa emerging Activists.

Activist learning Workshop, 29-31 March 2006.

In line with MWENGO’s goal to enhance the ability of African NGOs to participate in the policy making processes related to development at the national and international levels, the organisation organised and hosted a successful Activist Learning Workshop for emerging activists, from the 29th to the 31st of March 2006.    Full Article>>

Popular and democratic resistance to neo-liberalism

Special issue for African Social Forum

Three years after the launching of the Social Forum in Africa, we have witnessed a blossoming of initiatives on the continent, aimed at creating national, sub regional and thematic spaces. The said spaces are meant to promote freedom of speech, convergence as well as the construction of alternatives to neoliberalism and corporate-led globalisation.

They certainly have several permanent structural constraints such as the state of social fragmentation, the unfavourable political conditions, and the difficult institutional environment. However, they facilitate the maintenance of a minimum of debate within African societies on pertinent issues and nurture the hope of democratically improving the conditions of living and of participation.

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Internships

Under the auspices of the new MWENGO mission:

“to nurture a community of values by strengthening and mobilising African human resources in support of organisations fighting for social justice.”

As internships focus on the development of young professionals (some of them potential leaders), it affirms our commitment to ‘strengthening and mobilising African human resources.’ The internships become vehicles for ‘value-formation,’ validation and consolidation of NGO core values and principles, which must themselves be consistent with the larger development philosophy and ideology within the broad framework of Africa’s development agenda.

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Vision for Africa 2050 Launched

Agencia de Informacao de Mocambique (AIM)

Young people from across southern and eastern Africa on Friday launched their "Vision for Africa 2050", painting a picture of the peaceful and prosperous continent that could exist in half a century's time, and challenging their fellow citizens to work towards this.

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