Ask the right questions to prevent further tragedies
13 October 2008
TWO significant reports were released by the government in recent weeks: Towards a Fifteen-Year Review; and a damning task team report on the investigation of the deaths of 140 Eastern Cape infants during the first three months of this year.
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The missing link in primary health care: empowering demand from communities in Uganda
25 September 2008
Through examining the experience of the Ugandan Coalition for Health Promotion and Social Development (HEPS-Uganda), Rosette Mutambi highlights the extent to which ordinary Ugandans remain without effective official health care. While stressing the role of government in empowering local communities, she argues that genuine improvement in primary health care rests on involving an informed population in the planning and implementation of the system overall, a consideration of even greater importance in a resource-poor nation like Uganda
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Mauritius: Women still seeking the political kingdom
16 September 2008
PORT-LOUIS, Sep 16 (IPS) - Mauritius -- along with Botswana, Malawi and Madagascar -- did not sign the Gender Protocol at the Southern African Development Community (SADC) summit in August. While the island nation has made some recent progress in political representation of women at the level of Parliament, much remains to be done to allow women to enjoy their full rights in the political arena.
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SADC Protocol on Gender: What’s in it for the media?
14 September 2008
The recent signing of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Protocol on Gender and Development could mean that the stories and images in the region's media may soon have a more balanced perspective.
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Trevor Manuel: Steve Biko memorial lecture
11 September 2008
Ninth Annual Steve Biko memorial lecture delivered by Minister of Finance T Manuel, in Cape Town.
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Social accountability imperative to a decent education system
08 September 2008
Oxford University's Dr David Johnson says that without a strong level of local accountability, education in developing countries will not see its quality increase.
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Swazi law and custom under pressure
06 September 2008
When the women's movement in the southern African kingdom of Swaziland took to the streets in August to challenge what they called extravagance by the royal family, Swazi traditionalists were livid.
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North Africa: Women secure more rights
01 September 2008
Hayet Laouni is a member of Tunisia's senate and an owner of her own maritime business. She credits her success to the liberal approach to women's rights that the government has shown since independence, and to its investment in education. "I am very grateful to my country," she says. "I was born and grew up in a part of the world where life is supposed to be hard for most people, but harder for women. In fact, I come from two parts of the world, Africa and the Arab Muslim world."
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Women leaders ask where is our money
22 June 2008
Even though seven out of eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) impact on women, both donors and governments receiving aid overlook the need to make resources available for gender empowerment
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SAIIA Occasional Papers Series, No. 2 & 3: Civil society participation in APRM in Uganda & South Africa
01 June 2008
As the 28 participating presidents and prime ministers of the Forum of the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) gather to consider the Country Review Reports of Burkina Faso, Nigeria and Uganda in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt on 29 June 2008, we present two papers drawing important lessons about civil society participation in the APRM process. The APRM is an opportunity for civil society organisations (CSOs) to identify neglected problems in their countries, make convincing cases and to suggest workable solutions. However, CSOs have realised that the peer review process is complex, time-consuming and exacting. These papers outline how some groups have been successful in influencing the form and content of the APRM at national level, and how they coped with the many challenges they faced – including lack of information, the pace and duration of the process, and funding. They demonstrate that obstacles can be overcome with preparation, focus and stamina, and, most importantly, an articulate, evidence-based written submission that gets into the right hands. Both offer advice to others who may tread the APRM path, or seek to influence other policy-making processes.
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Unchecked executive powers: Lessons in effective government design
01 June 2008
Without checks and balances, the executive branch of government will inevitably dominate governance structures. This tendency has been particularly pronounced in Africa, in part because countries inherited the structures of the colonialists and then proceeded to adapt them to the norms and needs of their own cultures without ensuring effective restraints on power along the way.
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Women's groups push for gender-sensitive budgets
14 May 2008
As women's groups and political activists intensify their global campaign for gender empowerment, there is a growing trend towards "gender budgeting" both among developed and developing nations.
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Can the cellphone help end global poverty?
13 April 2008
If you need to reach Jan Chipchase, the best, and sometimes only, way to get him is on his cellphone. The first time I spoke to him last fall, he was at home in his apartment in Tokyo. The next time, he was in Accra, the capital of Ghana, in West Africa. Several weeks after that, he was in Uzbekistan, by way of Tajikistan and China, and in short order he and his phone visited Helsinki, London and Los Angeles. If you decide not to call Jan Chipchase but rather to send e-mail, the odds are fairly good that you’ll get an “out of office” reply redirecting you back to his cellphone, with a notation about his current time zone — “GMT +9” or “GMT -8” — so that when you do call, you may do so at a courteous hour.
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Demolishing Zimbabwe's education system teacher by teacher
08 April 2008
With the inflation rate at 100,000%, educators simply can't afford to teach. They are fleeing to take menial, but better-paying jobs -- leaving students behind.
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Zambia still lagging behind in female representation
07 April 2008
Just what should be done in Zambia to enhance the participation of women in the social, political and economical spheres of the country?
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Ms Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi, South African Minister for Public Service and Administration, at the gender roundtable in Bujumbura, Burundi
07 April 2008
“In post conflict countries, the work of government and civil society should coalesce to address development and to empower people, thereby taking issues of gender very seriously. It should be noted that conflict and wars affect men and women differently; therefore there should be a concerted effort to understand these different realities. Policies that are put in place to address specific areas in an attempt to rebuild a nation will impact on men and women differently. It is therefore critical that gender issues are taken into consideration when issues of development are being addressed”, said Minister for Public Service and Administration, Ms Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi at a Gender roundtable held in Bujumbura, Burundi on Monday (7 April 2008).
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Trust in state institutions: Opinion poll data from five African countries
26 February 2008
Efforts to promote social accountability, it could be argued, stand a better chance of success in countries where citizens have a generally positive view about state institutions. Over the last year, Gallup Consulting has published the results of opinion polls in various African states which probe this very point. Readers might be interested in the press releases covering attitudes in Ethiopia, Liberia, Ghana, Mozambique and Botswana. Readers might then wish to read Social Accountability in the Public Sector for a more extensive discussion of the topic.
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Is aid channelled through African governments a waste of money?
21 January 2008
Yes: John O'Shea says Irish aid bestows legitimacy and credibility on rapacious and oppressive governments.
No: Hans Zomer says that without government, there can be no development. Aid comes from the outside, but development must come from within.
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The Next Step: Civil Society Mobilization in Africa’s AIDS Fight
14 January 2008
In the past seven years, the world has witnessed at least three hopeful trends in the fight against HIV/AIDS in Africa: (1) funding for AIDS prevention, care, support, and treatment programs has reached an all-time high; (2) the HIV prevalence rate has declined in some countries; and (3) most African governments have developed AIDS strategies and policy-making institutions. While these are important accomplishments, we must now ask: “How can the positive momentum of these AIDS efforts be sustained?” Increased civil society mobilization and AIDS advocacy is essential to capitalize on these developments.
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Investing in the health of mothers
04 January 2008
Listening to a mother's foetus in Liberia: African women not only need access to well-equipped health clinics, but also assistance from trained personnel who can recognize and deal with complications.
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As African countries overhaul education, a school succeeds against the odds
05 December 2007
Here at the Chiseka school on the rural outskirts of town, many children attend class outside, sitting among weeds in the shade of a towering blue gum tree. There are 1,531 students, six classrooms, no running water and no light bulbs.
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What role for different actors in the achievement of development results: the case of the civil society in the development of Africa
30 November 2007
Results-based management in development, as it is currently termed, is a recent concept, but the underlying principle seems to us to be based on the most elementary common sense, to the extent that the ultimate goal of any kind of management organized within a strategic framework is necessarily to attain effective results that justify the measures taken.
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Participation of women vital for Africa's development
09 November 2007
(AXcess News) Washington - Poverty in Africa can only be eliminated when equal rights for women are achieved, a new report says.
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Governance Forum challenges Africa’s heads of state on transparency, legitimacy, participation: African countries commit to strengthening state capacities for good governance
05 November 2007
Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso: After three days of around-the-clock deliberations, the 300 delegates at the Seventh Africa Governance Forum (AGFVII) agreed on recommendations to boost the efficiency and responsiveness of African governments to deliver essential social services to their people. Their proposals will be presented to Presidents and Prime Ministers from across the region at the next African Union Summit.
Capped off by a dialogue with Burkina Faso’s President, Blaise Compaore; Paul Kagame, President of Rwanda; and Prime Ministers Abdelaziz Belkhadem of Algeria, the AGF VII brought together government officials, civil society representatives, journalists and business leaders from more than 30 countries under the theme “Building the Capable State in Africa”. A flagship governance initiative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the AGFVII was convened by the agency’s Regional Bureau for Africa.
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Rwanda: Bridging the Digital Divide to Reduce the Dependence On Aid
02 November 2007
More than US$50 billion of largely private sector investment has been pledged to develop Africa's burgeoning information and communication technology (ICT) sector at a summit attended by African heads of state and more than 1,000 representatives from the industry.
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SADC AIDS Network of Nurses and Midwives
04 October 2007
I am indeed privileged this evening to be addressing the audience of your calibre. Occasions like these are a delight to be part of, not only because they bring us together but because they create an opportunity for all us to refocus on our common goal - which is the improvement of the health of our people through provision of quality health care services and improvement of the working conditions of care providers so that they may be able to better serve our nations.
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Sustainability, Education and the Management of Change in Africa (SEMCA): A Community of Practice linking those involved in capacity development
01 October 2007
SEMCA is dedicated to the transformation of Higher Education in Africa for a new generation of graduates working closely with rural communities to research and produce innovative, sustainable development options and implement changes.
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Women, the state and Africa
16 September 2007
As South Africa debates the political challenges associated with the ANC’s year-end conference at Polokwane, this is perhaps a good moment to think beyond immediate struggles and to consider what women have achieved beyond the borders of this country.
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How to Get Girls in Schools: Conditional Cash Transfers in South Asia
10 September 2007
What are successful models to get girls in schools in Pakistan where only 57 percent of girls and women can read and write and where in rural areas only 22 percent of girls have completed primary level schooling as compared to 47 percent of boys?
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Knowledge sharing on social accountability: Ethiopia workshop
05 September 2007
Social acountability in Ethiopia is on the move! Over 200 representatives of the Ethiopian government and civil society debated key social accountability themes during the launch of the Protection of Basic Services (PBS) Grant Initiative in Addis Ababa in July 2007. ANSA-Africa and the World Bank supported the two day event, securing the participation of keynote speakers from Senegal, Uganda and South Africa. They briefed delegates on their experiences in conducting community score cards and in budget monitoring. The case studies covered local government service delivery and the health and education sectors. Representatives of the Ethiopian government and civil society also addressed participants.
The Social Accountability Programme is a component of the overall PBS project. The PBS is an Ethiopian Government project intended to give voice to the needs and concerns of Ethiopia's poor. Social accountability processes implemented by civil society organisations in cooperation with government institutions and public service providers aims to make service delivery more effective, efficient, responsive and accountable. It also seeks to enhance the transparency of budget processes and the capacity of citizens to engage in budget monitoring processes.
GTZ manages the programme. It is financed by a World Bank managed multi-donor trust fund.
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Address to the Regional Committee for Africa
27 August 2007
Your Excellency Mr Mvouba, Prime Minister of the Republic of Congo, honourable Minister Raoul, Republic of Congo, honourable Minister Tedros Yesus, Chairman of the 56th session of the Regional Committee, honourable representative of the African Union, Regional Director Dr Sambo, honourable ministers, excellencies of the diplomatic corps, distinguished delegates, colleagues of the UN family, ladies and gentlemen.
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International Health Partnership
22 August 2007
The UK Prime Minister and German Chancellor Angela Merkel have released the following joint statement on a new International Health Partnership. The Partnership will bring together major donor countries, including Britain and Germany, and key international agencies such as the World Bank and the World Health Organisation.
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Western Cape Education Department launches service delivery charter
17 August 2007
The Western Cape Education Department (WCED) today (Friday, 17 August 2007) unveiled a 12 point plan committing itself to ensure that all teachers are competent and well-prepared, and that teachers will be able to recognise and assist learners experiencing barriers to learning.
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Falling HIV rates tell complex story
02 August 2007
When it comes to sub-Saharan Africa's devastating AIDS crisis, there is an understandable tendency to latch onto any scrap of good news.
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Challenging the Politics of Exclusion
01 August 2007
We ought to worry that the gender question in Kenya, and in Africa at large, has lost its impetus and important issues raised by feminists over the years have become convoluted.
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Flood, famine and mobile phones
26 July 2007
Technology is transforming humanitarian relief—and shifting the balance of power between donors and recipients.
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Can Technology Save Africa?
20 July 2007
As Africa strives to pull itself out of grinding poverty, countries are looking to technology to give them a leg up in the race for quality education.
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Declarations from Accra, New Delhi, Vienna, Geneva and Brussels
13 July 2007
July and August have seen a flurry of conferences - with matching declarations. ANSA-Africa brings you the outcomes of selected conferences which have an important bearing on the work of social accountability practitioners in Africa.
Declarations from:
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Address by the Director-General in The Presidency and Secretary to Cabinet, The Reverend Frank Chikane, at the fourth Commonwealth Heads of African Public Services Forum
11 July 2007
South Africa is indeed honoured to be hosting the fourth Forum of Commonwealth Heads of African Public Services together with the Commonwealth Secretariat on the theme: 'Creating a Responsive and Citizen-Centred Public Service in Africa.' I would like to echo the words of welcome expressed by Professor Levin and extend our warmest hospitality to our esteemed colleagues from our sister countries on the African Continent and our special guests and friends from the global village to which we all belong.
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Human rights-based development at the grassroots level in Kenya
11 July 2007
In April 2007, equalinrights facilitated and supported a five day workshop for 21 representatives of grassroots organisations in Vihiga, Kenya. The main theme was: ’Empowering rural grassroots stakeholders to confront poverty through human rights-based approaches‘. Facilitators James Nduko and Kukubo Barasa worked with the participants on a deeper understanding of power relationships, resource mobilisation, the human rights framework and tools for socio-economic inclusion. How did the participants respond to this workshop? And how do they plan to integrate the lessons they learnt within their own work?
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Trade: Rwanda Leading Africa in ICT Revolution
04 July 2007
Less than fifteen years after the genocide that destroyed much of Rwanda's human capital, infrastructure, and socio-economic fabric, the country is set to become sub-Saharan Africa's hub for information and communications technology (ICT).
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People's participation in budgeting: Why and how
30 June 2007
Posting the proposed national budget of Bangladesh for 2007-2008 FY in websites for feedback is a remarkable move. Perhaps, this novel move aims to gather voluntary feedbacks from the people to compensate for the parliamentary debate and, hence, does not indicate a policy shift towards 'participatory budgeting'. However, as I would like to argue here, participatory budgeting can be a credible policy choice for Bangladesh. Specially in the backdrop of Bangladesh's anti-poor growth and current stride to fight corruption, participation has the potential to create a back-up, if not a better, conduit to assess citizens' concerns in a more tangible and transparent way.
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7th Global Forum on Reinventing Government: Building Trust in Government
26 June 2007
Hosted for the first time by the United Nations, in partnership with the Austrian Government, the 7th Global Forum on Reinventing Government will offer plenary sessions, workshops and meetings, designed to contribute directly to the Millennium Development Goals by strengthening state capacity and improving the quality of governance.
Venue: UN Headquarters, Vienna
Date: 26-29 June 2007
Speeches now posted: www.7thglobalforum.org/Forum_Information/plenary.htm 
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7ème Forum Mondial: Réinventer la Gouvernance de l'Etat
26 June 2007
Organisé pour la première fois au sein des Nations Unies, le 7ème Forum Mondial Réinventer la Gouvernance de l'Etat, comprendra des sessions en plénière , des ateliers et des rencontres spécialement conçues pour apporter directement des contributions à la réalisation des Objectifs du Millénaire pour le Développement, à travers le renforcement des capacités de l'Etat et l'amélioration de la qualité de la gouvernance.
Date et Lieu: Du 26 au 29 juin 2007, au Centre Autrichien de Vienne (ACV), a coté du siège des Nations Unies.
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No! to the United Graves of Africa
21 June 2007
From the 1-3 July 2007, African leaders will meet in Accra, Ghana at the 9th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union. The major agenda item is the proposal and plans for the United States of Africa. Africa's underdevelopment as manifested in its public health catastrophe is not on the AU summit agenda. This raises the crucial question of the kind of unity African leaders wish to achieve. Significantly the debate about the proposed union has revolved mainly around political issues without commensurate attention to the development issues which were no less important to the founders of the Pan African movement.
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Africa: "If You Want More Development, Include Women in Decision-Making"
15 June 2007
The '8th Triennial Commonwealth Women's Affairs Ministers Meeting' (8WAMM) has closed with an acknowledgement that gender equality is central to democracy, peace and economic growth; it also called for greater efforts to achieve parity between men and women.
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Education-Africa: Will eLearning make teachers redundant?
07 June 2007
Does electronic learning (eLearning) threaten to displace the teacher?
This question emerged at an international conference held in Nairobi last week, attended by 1,400 people from 88 countries. The latest in information communication technology (ICT) with a focus on education, training and development was showcased.
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Education-Africa: Learning at the Flick of a Switch
02 June 2007
An annual event, the gathering was held in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi this year, May 28-30, bringing together participants from across the globe.
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Budgeting with Women in Mind
01 June 2007
When leaders in developed and developing countries alike ponder ways to boost growth, reduce inequality, and improve living standards, the enduring battle of the sexes is most likely the last thing on their minds. But they might want to think again.
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CTA: ICT update
01 June 2007
ICT Update is a bimonthly web magazine with an accompanying printed bulletin and an email newsletter. It is published by the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA) ACP–EU, P.O. Box 380, 6700 AJ Wageningen, the Netherlands.
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A Quiet Revolution in Algeria: Gains by Women
25 May 2007
ALGIERS, May 25 — In this tradition-bound nation scarred by a brutal Islamist-led civil war that killed more than 100,000, a quiet revolution is under way: women are emerging as an economic and political force unheard of in the rest of the Arab world.
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Keynote address by His Excellency Mr. Festus G. Mogae, to the National Congress of the Botswana Democratic Party Women's Wing
23 May 2007
Keynote address by His Excellency Mr. Festus G. Mogae, President of the Botswana Democratic Party to the National Congress of the Botswana Democratic Party Women's Wing:
Party Chairman and Vice President, Lt. Gen. S K I Khama; The Chairperson of the National Women's Wing Committee, Hon Botlogile Tshireletso MP and Members of your Committee; The Chairperson of the National Youth Executive Committee, Mr. Kefentse Mzwinila and Members of your Committee; Members of the Central Committee; Member of the Central Committee of SWAPO and Secretary for Research & Documentation of the Women's Council of SWAPO, Ms Mildred Jantjie; Chairpersons and Secretaries of all Party Structures; Distinguished Guests; Dear Democrats;
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ANSA-Africa - Invitation for proposals
21 May 2007
ANSA-Africa’s operations will revolve around a range of interventions and projects that will be carried out across the Continent. The intention is for the majority of the projects to be done with local partners in the various regions and countries. This will assist in grounding the activities and ensuring that there is buy-in and acceptance of the initiatives, while ownership will also be of critical importance.
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ANSA-África - Convite para Propostas
21 May 2007
As operações da ANSA-África envolvem um vasto leque de intervenções e projectos a serem levados a cabo em todo o Continente. O que se pretende é que a maioria dos projectos seja executada com parceiros locais em várias regiões e países. Isto ajudará a enraizar as actividades e assegurar a aderência e aceitação das iniciativas, conjugada com a apropriação, aspecto igualmente de crucial importância.
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ANSA-Africa - Invitation aux propositions
21 May 2007
Les opérations de l'ANSA-Africa porteront sur un éventail d’interventions et projets sur tout le continent. L’objectif est de faire en sorte que ces projets soient menés en association avec des partenariats locaux dans les divers régions et pays. Cette démarche permettra de donner une bonne base à ces activités et assurera la participation et l’acceptation de ces initiatives, tout en renforçant leur appropriation.
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Merkel’s G8 – spot the difference
15 May 2007
When Germany's first woman chancellor Angela Merkel hosts the G8 summit in June, it will be the first time a woman leader has done so since Margaret Thatcher in 1984. Even an objective observer has got to find that a little bit staggering. Although Merkel has committed herself to a more collaborative style of leadership, like many women who rise to the top she's a right-wing politician and has not chosen to champion women's cause. In terms of political outcomes it remains to be seen whether the fact that she's a woman will make any difference at all.
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Rwanda: How is Country's Knowledge Revolution
14 May 2007
There was again, the same look - a combination of concern and disbelief - when I told a colleague that I'd been working in Rwanda. After all, what do we in the outside world know about Rwanda? A small country with a history of unspeakable violence and ethnic division, perhaps, but a place of opportunity? A leader of Africa's march into the 21st century? Rwanda?
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Home Affairs Services Available Via Sms
08 May 2007
The days of travelling long distances to Home Affairs offices to check progress on Identity Documents and passport applications are over, as one can now check this via short message service (SMS).
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Civil society and the Pan African Parliament and the African Peer Review Mechanism
08 May 2007
The Pan African Parliament (PAP) and the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) are key initiatives to promote governance and, thereby, accountability in Africa. Both face daunting challenges in achieving their respective mandates. ANSA-Africa brings you the communiques from two recently concluded conferences, held in Accra and Johannesburg, which focussed on the work of the PAP and the APRM.
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Can Angela Merkel deliver Tony Blair's legacy on Africa?
02 May 2007
With the trade talks failing and aid volume way below target, UK Prime Minister Tony Blair's legacy on Africa is at risk. The G8 meeting in Heiligendamm, Germany, in June, provides a last opportunity to twist arms and persuade the most powerful leaders in the world to deliver on their promises. Will Angela Merkel have the muscle?
This is the key question for a High-Level Policy Forum (‘Africa after the Africa Commission: What priorities for the German G8?’) convened in London on Wednesday May 2nd by the Development Studies Association of the UK and Ireland, the leading association of professionals in international development.
The meeting brought together parliamentarians, policy-makers, researchers and NGOs, to review the lessons of the Africa Commission set up by Tony Blair in 2004, and to take concrete proposals forward to this year's G8 summit. The themes for the day were based on feedback from key African stakeholders who took part in a stakeholder questionnaire.
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'If we wait for aid, we wait for ever'
01 May 2007
The women of the Sabiyel community crouch on matting in a hut made from clay, discussing what women the world over talk about: men. The hut is gloomy but for the haze of the burning sun outside and the technicolour patterns of the women's traditional African wraps.
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Address of the President of South Africa, Thabo Mbeki, at the National Conference of the South African Local Government Association (SALGA), Johannesburg
23 April 2007
Thank you very much for inviting me to address this national conference of the South African Local Government Association. The last opportunity that I had to address this august body was in September 2004.
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Confronting gender-based violence in Central Africa
16 April 2007
Occasionally I realize that I've changed. The sights and stories that once would have left me unable to sleep now pass almost without comment - the suffering caused by conflict in Darfur or elsewhere in the region almost never strikes a personal chord any more; it's simply part of the job. It's a sense of detachment that serves a purpose, a way of protecting oneself.
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Reawakening the digital development dream
16 April 2007
Seven years ago at the height of the ‘dot-com’ boom there was constant chatter about the need to help poor communities and countries close the ‘digital divide’. Fast forward half a decade of exponential technological progress and UN conferences, and the digital divide between the world’s rich and poor is accelerating as much as other gaps in the unprecedented opportunities of globalization. What can be done that is scalable and sustainable?
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Africa: Children in areas of conflict get little help for education, new report shows
12 April 2007
The world’s richest countries are failing to help millions of children in conflict-affected nations get an education, a new Save the Children report reveals today, ahead of a series of crucial world donor meetings. For example, in the Sudanese region of Darfur, over 50 percent of children are out of school, many forced from their homes due to violence, but almost no funding has been provided specifically to educate these children.
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Let’s talk Africa
11 April 2007
There is a media boom in Africa. Its growth is fuelled by democratic reform, globalisation, economic progress and the availability of new technologies. In the last five years, there has been a staggering growth in mobile phone use, far outstripping uptake of the internet. In Nigeria, for example, there has been a 66,000% growth in mobile phone users since 2001.Yet, despite this, radio remains the dominant mass media channel across the continent. These are among the findings of a major research programme in 17 sub-Saharan African countries.
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Developmental role of mobile communications technology
11 April 2007
The advent of mobile communications technology is fast impacting significantly on the socio-economic landscape of Nigeria and other African countries. In this report, Efem Nkanga appraises its crucial role in driving socio economic development on the African continent.
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Leadership: An African viewpoint and experience
10 April 2007
The connection between leadership and governance on the one hand, and outcomes in terms of economic growth, development and poverty reduction on the other hand, is not too difficult to discern.
What are not so easy to determine, and what are not receiving adequate attention in the development debate, are the circumstances that can produce the kind of leadership qualities in an African context (historical, cultural, and sociological) that are necessary to positively impact on the continent's development.
It does not matter how much the mainstream debate on African development tries to ignore or underplay the significance of Africa`s history and experience of slavery, colonialism, the Cold War and an exploitative global economic order in explaining the continent`s incidences of misgovernance, as well as current poverty levels and economic woes.
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Ungana – Afrika amplifying Southern African NGOs on ICT
01 April 2007
To address the current Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) capacity crisis most development organizations are facing, Ungana-Afrika, with three-year funding from international donors OSISA and Hivos, will be expanding and strengthening the network of development sector oriented ICT consultants, eRiders, across the Southern African region. The aim is to initiate sustainable projects that will provide ICT capacity building and support to development organizations in the region. This will help them to fulfill their potential to build a better and sustainable society by helping them to integrate ICTs as a strategic, mission focused, tool.
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Foundations for the future
30 March 2007
Like many other fourteen year olds, Mercy attends her local school. Unlike many other schoolchildren, she doesn't take this situation for granted. Mercy understands only too well not just the value of education, but of having a desk and a classroom at all.
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ANSA-Africa's first annual stakeholder workshop
30 March 2007
ANSA-Africa's first annual stakeholder workshop, held in Pretoria during mid-December last year, was attended by 60 delegates from some 15 African countries. They debated, in an often lively fashion, perspectives on social accountability issues. Delegates came from Togo, Zambia, Ghana, Tanzania, Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Mauritius, South Africa, Malawi, Mozambique, Liberia and Lesotho.
The workshop had various objectives. The most important was to introduce the concept of the Affiliated Network for Social Accountability (ANSA). But it also provided an opportunity for the participants to shape ANSA-Africa’s future activities. Delegates returned home very supportive of the role that ANSA-Africa could play in stimulating social accountability initiatives in Africa.
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Africa: Continent develops common science and technology action plan
29 March 2007
Africa has developed a consolidated action plan on science and technology that integrates the programmes and projects of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) into the structures of the African Union.
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Thirsty for basic services
26 March 2007
On a typical weekday in the Zambian capital, Lusaka, a group of women sits chatting under the shade of a tree a few metres away from a long, winding queue of 20-litre plastic containers and buckets. At the head of the queue, a barefooted boy pulls a half-cut container with a rope from a handmade well and pours the water into one container after the other.
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Address by Gauteng Premier Mbhazima Shilowa: Gauteng education summit
26 March 2007
We are gathered here this morning to consider one of the crucial matters in the transformation of our nation, the development of our province and the prosperity of our country. Education is the bedrock upon which we base all our efforts to reduce poverty, grow the economy and build Gauteng as a globally competitive city region.
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'Malaria does not have a voice'
01 March 2007
South African musician Yvonne Chaka Chaka, the “Princess of Africa”, is an artist, a mother, a businesswoman and, more recently, an avid social advocate in the fight against malaria.
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Meeting between government and civil society leaders from across Africa
ANSA-Africa is a new network designed to become the leading African institution for supporting citizen involvement in demand-side governance initiatives on the continent.
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