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  • CSOs Warn of Worsening Rights Abuse

    Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights and the Zimbabwe Human Rights Association warn of worsening human rights abuse at the hands of Zimbabwe’s state security agents

    Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) and the Zimbabwe Human Rights Association (ZimRights) have warned of worsening human rights abuse at the hands of Zimbabwe’s state security agents. The warning follows an escalation in the number of threats, intimidation and harassment against its members.

    ZimRights director, Okay Machisa, explained how he and other members of the ZimRights board last week received a series of threatening text messages and phone calls, warning them against conducting constitutional outreach programmes.

    Source: 
    All Africa

  • South African Institute of Race Relations Comments on the 2010/11 Budget

    The proportion of GDP taken in tax has risen from 22.5% in 1994/95 to 26.8% in 2009/10. But the bigger tax take (and doubling of the public sector wage bill in five years) has been accompanied by diminishing state effectiveness. 

    People in top tax brackets get few direct benefits. Many pay twice over. Inter alia, their taxes finance social grants, health care, and education, but none qualify for social grants, while most pay for private health care and education.

    Author(s): 
    John Kane-Berman

  • Landmark Ruling on Indigenous Land Rights

    The Human Rights Watch, WITNESS and the Endorois lawyers describe a ruling by the African Commission on Human and People's Rights condemning the expulsion of the Endorois people from their land in Kenya as a major victory for indigenous peoples across Africa

    The Human Rights Watch (HRW), WITNESS and the Endorois lawyers have described a ruling by the African Commission on Human and People's Rights condemning the expulsion of the Endorois people from their land in Kenya as a major victory for indigenous peoples across Africa.

    The Commission ruled that the Endorois' eviction from their traditional land for tourism development violated their human rights.

    Source: 
    All Africa

  • Malawi Criticised for Jailing Gay Couple

    African CSOs Condemn Criminal Prosecution in Malawi of Same-Sex Case and Call for Repeal of Discriminatory Laws and Dismissal of Charges

    Press Release

    28 January 2010

    Over forty African civil society organizations, in a statement released today, expressed their deep concern at the imprisonment and prosecution of Steven Monjeza and Tiwonge Chimbalanga under provisions of Malawi’s penal code criminalizing private sexual behavior.  They called on the Malawian government to drop all charges against both individuals and repeal the discriminatory criminal law. 

    Date published: 
    01/28/2010
    Organisation: 
    Southern Africa Litigation Centre

  • HRW Criticises Impunity and Violence

    Impunity for past electoral violence is a major barrier to a free and fair election in Uganda in 2011, says the Human Rights Watch report

    Impunity for past electoral violence is a major barrier to a free and fair election in Uganda in 2011, according to a summary of the Human Rights Watch (HRW) report.

    The report points out that the perpetrators from all sides of the political spectrum have very rarely faced justice for crimes committed in past elections.

    It further states that those responsible for earlier offences, as well as those contemplating crimes, will feel unconstrained in future elections barring new measures and increased enforcement.

    Source: 
    All Africa

  • Beyond the Profits System

    While many have claimed that no one could have foreseen the financial crisis, Harry Shutt was predicting just such a collapse as far back as 1998 in his book, The 'Trouble With Capitalism'. In 'Beyond the Profits System', Shutt offers a radically different analysis to the mainstream, establishment commentators who have struggled to come to terms with the crisis.

  • Words to the Change the World

    Words to Change the World is an eclectic but conceptually unified compilation of classic progressive writings from the 16th to the 21st centuries, offering students, activists and general readers a uniquely diverse and accessible overview of the evolution of progressive thinking and social action through to the present.

  • Towards Tolerance, Law, and Dignity: Addressing Violence against Foreign Nationals in South Africa

    This research report from February 2009 discusses the violence against foreign nationals which occurred in South Africa in May 2008. The report presents the findings of a baseline study commissioned by International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and conducted by the Forced Migration Studies Programme (FMSP) at Wits University in Johannesburg. It outlines the political economy of violence against outsiders and the immediate triggers and factors that helped translate xenophobic attitudes into the violent attacks witnessed in May 2008.

  • NGO Calls on Guinea to Release Activist

    A prominent human-rights leader is still behind bars in Guinea

    A prominent human-rights leader is still behind bars in Guinea, almost two weeks after special service agents detained him.

    Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called for the immediate release of Mouctar Diallo, a human-rights activist imprisoned in the Guinean capital Conakry.

    Human Rights Watch West Africa Researcher, Corinne Dufka, says the ruling National Council for Democracy and Development wants to silence political opposition.

    Source: 
    Voice of America

  • Goldstone Wins Stockholm Human Rights Award

    Richard Goldstone, a South African jurist, will receive the Stockholm Human Rights Award from Sweden NGOs

    Richard Goldstone, the South African jurist and author of a United Nations (UN) report which accuses Israel of committing war crimes during its military offensive in the Gaza Strip last winter, will receive the Stockholm Human Rights Award.

    The International Legal Assistance Consortium, a Sweden-based umbrella group of NGOs which oversees the awarding of the prize, says that Goldstone has made an outstanding career in the promotion of the rule of law and human rights in South Africa and during the last 15 years in various highly prestigious international fora.

    Source: 
    Champress

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