NGOs

For Africa to effectively tackle the growing challenges of climate change currently holding every part of the world to ransom, the continent is in dire need of not less than $70 billion annually to mitigate the impact of the scourge. This is the view of Africa Environmental & Economic peace Mission (AEEPM).

Deputy national coordinator of the group, Rosemary Ijeoma Okenwa, says that the recent UN Climate conference which was held from 28 September to 10 October 2009 in Bangkok, Thailand, failed to reach an agreement on key issues slated for discussion.

As part of efforts to strengthen civil society in Rwanda, the Public Sector Capacity Building Secretariat (PSCBS), has kicked off a two-week training that targets 60 elected civil society representatives from all districts.

The training is under the $0.4m project for Civil Society Institutional Support and Capacity Building that is being funded by the African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF).

PSCBS executive secretary, Charles Karake, underscored the importance of civil society to the national development agenda.

The Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA) has declared "Movember" the month to challenge all South African men to grow their moustaches and help change the face of men's health.

Co-founder of the Movember, Justin Coghlan, points out that, "The aim of Movember is to raise awareness about men's health issues, and the idea has already generated interest from South African men ready to donate their faces and time."

Aid agencies are mobilising funds and relief supplies to help more than 1 000 Guineans injured in 28 September violence, as well as to brace for further unrest as the country remains volatile, according to the United Nations.

Aid workers say UN agencies, donors and NGOs in the capital Conakry are providing meals for hospital patients, giving medical supplies to health centres and ordering in new supplies to ensure adequate emergency stocks.

Several activists and Movement Democratic Change (MDC) officials in South Africa have slammed a NGO that allegedly manipulated the plight of Zimbabwean refugees to raise funds for a repatriation programme.

MDC chairperson in SA, Austin Moyo, points out that hundreds of Zimbabwean refugees at the Central Methodist Church in Johannesburg were duped into going back home, on the back of a promise of R7 000, computers, printers and scanners, to start Internet café's back home.

The heads of the umbrella organisation for all of Zimbabwe's NGOs have arrested amid worsening signs of the disintegration of the country's fragile coalition government.

Spokesperson, Farai Ngirande, says that chief executive of the National Association of Non-Governmental Organisations (NANGO), Cephas Zinumhwe, and NANGO chairperson, Dadirai Chikwengo, were arrested at the small airport in the northern resort town of Victoria Falls after a NANGO meeting.

Funda Centre is up and running again thanks to the efforts of Senior Citizens Focus Cooperative, a NGO that has taken over its affairs.

The Senior Citizens Focus Cooperative assumed control of the centre last year and has a 10-year lease. It is already offering 23 skills training courses to the community. About 5 400 people have already signed on for nursing, catering, carpentry and business skills.

International Committee for the Red Cross (ICRC) in Sudan's Darfur region says armed men have kidnapped a French aid worker.

The ICRC named the kidnapped man as Gauthier Lefevre and said he was snatched in West Darfur state near the border with Chad. The agency said he was travelling in one of two clearly marked ICRC vehicles.

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has given the Nigerian government seven days ultimatum to commence collection of overdue revenue from six multinational oil companies including Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) or face legal action.

Human rights group, Ditshwanelo, has called on Batswana to exercise their democratic right to vote on 16 October 2009.

Ditshwanelo wants Batswana to recognise that by casting their ballot they are exercising a human right enshrined in the country’s law and exercising the right to choose representatives of their choice.

The organisation further urges Batswana to vote consciously. It says voting based on emotional factors is not responsible voting.