IDEX

IDEX Newsflash, June 29, 2009

2009-06-29T14:17:00.000-07:00

Bangladesh
Some 1,000 Rohingyas evicted from makeshift huts 6/29, IRIN
Over the past two months the local authorities in Cox’s Bazaar District, southeastern Bangladesh, have torn down scores of makeshift huts belonging to an estimated 1,000 Rohingya refugees.

Acid Violence in Bangladesh 6/30, The New Nation
Acid throwing on women and girls are on the rise in Bangladesh. Acids are used to disfigure and sometimes kill women and girls. Recently a housewife sustained severe burns as her husband and mother-in-law allegedly hurled acid at her following a dowry dispute at Narayanpur in Trishal upazila.

Guatemala
Guatemalan fears a tweet will make him a jailbird 6/26, AP
Jean Anleu was so fed up with corruption in his country that he decided to vent on the Internet, sending a 96-character message on the social-networking site Twitter. That message has now earned him a potential five-year prison sentence.

Guatemala reports first death from A/H1N1 virus 6/26, Xinhua
The Guatemalan Health Ministry reported on Thursday the first death from A/H1N1 flu in the country. Currently, Guatemala is on an orange alert level and all elementary schools in the country are temporarily closed.

India
Ancient India didn’t think homosexuality was against nature 6/27, The Times of India
On a petition seeking to decriminalize homosexuality, the government said that there were "no convincing reports to indicate that homosexuality or other offences against the order of nature mentioned in Section 377 IPC were acceptable in the Indian society prior to colonial rule." But India distanced itself from that provision when Sweden questioned its record in ensuring equality irrespective of a person's sexual orientation.

Indian Women Protest Sex-Selective Abortions 6/26, NTDTV.com
Thousands of women hold a massive rally in India protesting against an increasing number of abortions. In some areas of India an estimated 2,000 unborn girls are illegally aborted every day, according to the United Nations.

Mexico
Mexico sends additional troops to Juarez 6/22, Press TV
Mexico sends 1,500 additional soldiers to its northern borders to contain rising drug violence after initial troop deployment failed to effectively address the problem.

Swine Flu Cases Spike in Two Mexican States 6/26, AP
Mexican health officials say swine flu cases have spiked in the southern states of Yucatan and Chiapas prompting authorities to start the summer break weeks early.

Nepal
Nepal Coalition Looks Shaky 6/29, Financial Times
Nepal's ruling coalition was struggling for stability at the weekend. Disputes over the allocation of cabinet portfolios underscored the uneasy balance Madhav Kumar Nepal, prime minister, must strike in guiding the 22-party alliance.

Record 68 per cent students pass matric exams in Nepal 6/29, indopia.in
A record 68.47 percent of regular students passed this year's School Leaving Certificate (SLC) examinations conducted by the Office of the Controller of Examinations (OCE), according to officials. This is the highest percentage of students passing the SLC exams in the history of Nepal.

South Africa
Time to Rethink Testing 6/26, Plus News
It has become a given – test more people for HIV and you'll get more people on treatment earlier, plus cut down on risky sex. But recent research on the behavior of people who test HIV negative, has led some doctors to question the testing gospel.

Research puts rural gays under spotlight 6/24, Behind the Mask
The University of South Africa (UNISA) together with Gay Umbrella, a lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) organization in the North West Province, have joined forces in a two year systematic research project that will provide important insights into the rural perspective of gays and lesbians.

Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe Denies Diamond Killings 6/24, Association of Zimbabwe Journalists
A Zimbabwean minister on Wednesday denied any killings in the eastern Marange diamond fields, where rights groups have sounded the alarm over the forcible evictions of small-scale miners.

State concedes Mukoko’s abduction was illegal 6/25 SW Radio Africa News
A state prosecutor on Thursday conceded that the way human rights campaigner Jestina Mukoko was abducted by state security agents, was illegal. The 53 year-old former news reader has taken her case to the Supreme Court, seeking a permanent stay of her prosecution.

Bumper crop, but Zimbabwe hungry 6/25, BBC
Some three million people face hunger in Zimbabwe, despite a significant rise in food production, the UN says. Good rainfall over the past year has boosted production of the staple crop, maize, by 130% to 1.1m tonnes, but about 2.8m people will still face food shortages this year

Global
The World Financial Meltdown: What now for African women? 6/25, Pambazuka News
It is feared that the current crisis will result in reversal in achievements made under the Millennium Developments Goals (MDGs) and human rights in Africa. This is particularly true for African women who for a long time have been the face of poverty in Africa.

Global Finance Ignores World's Poor 6/24, Al Jazeera English
As government officials from around the world descend on New York this week for a UN conference on the economic crisis and its impact on development, the main issue up for debate is how the poorest countries can influence the way the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank operate.

Seeds Of Change with Claire Hope Cummings - Tuesday, June 23

2009-06-19T12:08:00.000-07:00

Join us this Tuesday to hear award-winning author Claire Hope Cummings talk about sustainable agriculture and seed-saving and why the are important development tools around the world.

What: IDEX Annual Event: Seeds Of Change

When: Tuesday, June 23rd, 2009 from 6:30pm - 9:30pm

Where: The Solarium, 55 Second Street, San Francisco (See map.)

Featured Speaker: Claire Hope Cummings

Tickets: $60 includes appetizers and host bar. Catering by Jane Hammond Events.

RSVP: Tickets are $60 each.

Bring your friends! Buy 3 tickets and get 4 tickets for the special price of $180. Reserve your tickets online, or phone Gillian Wilson at (415) 824-8348.

Celebrate the success of our local partners, in Guatemala, Mexico, India and Nepal that are using sustainable agriculture to build food security and mitigate the impact of climate change, while developing flourishing livelihoods and communities.

We are delighted to have Claire Hope Cummings, farmer, environmental lawyer, journalist and author of the critically acclaimed book Uncertain Peril: Genetic Engineering and the Future of Seeds, as our Guest Speaker. Claire is well known in the Bay Area as food and farming editor for KPFA where she hosted a weekly radio program.

Learn about IDEX’s current partners. Bid on incredible gifts at the IDEX Silent Auction. Enjoy tasty appetizers, wine, music and reconnect with your friends at IDEX.

IDEX Newsflash, June 15, 2009

2009-06-15T13:27:00.000-07:00

Bangladesh
Bangladesh Announce over $16 Billion Budget to Reduce Poverty 6-11-09, All Headline News
Bangladesh on Thursday announced a $16.49 billion national budget for the fiscal year 2009-10 aiming to reduce poverty by creating jobs across the country.

Does Bangladesh Use Foreign Aid Wisely? 6-14-09, BBC
Bangladesh receives about $2bn in foreign aid each year, but it does not always reach the people it is intended to help.

Police Arrested in Jessore for Having Hand in Human Trafficking 6-15-09, The New Nation
Human trafficking through different border points of Jessore district has reached an alarming level and administrative personnel are being involved in the trade.

Guatemala
Guatemalan Remittances Down Almost 10% 6-11-09, Latin American Herald Tribune
The sending of remittances to family members by Guatemalans living abroad fell 9.5% in the first five months of 2009, the country's central bank said Thursday.

One Woman's Fear in the Fight Against Corruption in Guatemala 6-10-09, CNN
After 22 years of speaking out against corruption, first as a lawyer and then as a congresswoman, Anabella De León says she remains fearful given the legacy of violence and instability in Guatemala.

India
'Sodomy' Laws Perpetuate Colonial Prejudices 6-14-09, Human Rights Watch
As the High Court in Delhi prepares to rule on whether adult, consensual homosexual conduct should continue to be illegal in India, the nation's new government should drop its opposition to law reform, Human Rights Watch said today.

India's HIV Victims Find Solace in Marriage 6-14-09, AFP
Taking medicines on time is a big part of a successful marriage for Ravi and Nima -- an HIV-positive couple who met as a direct result of the enduring stigma attached to AIDS in India.

Mexico
Human Rights Watch: Mexican military abuse rising 6-12-09, AP
Abuses by the Mexican military have surged since the government deployed troops to fight drug cartels more than two years ago, and too little is done to investigate allegations of rapes, killing and torture, a rights group said Thursday.

Mexico to Cut Greenhouse Gas Emissions 6-8-09, Environmental Leader
Mexico's President announced that Mexico will voluntarily cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 50 million tons a year by 2012 through the use of more efficient cars and power plants as well as reductions in gas leaks and flaring by the oil industry.

Nepal
OHCHR May Get Term Extended 6-15-09, My República
The government is likely to review its decision to extend the tenure of Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Nepal (OHCHR-Nepal) only by three months against the OHCHR-Nepal's proposal to extend the tenure by three years.

Women's Health in Nepal 6-9-09, Public Radio International
Dr. Sangeeta Mishra is a gynecologist from Nepal, and a Fulbright Scholar at Johns Hopkins University. She discussed how women's health issues are addressed in Nepal in an interview with PRI.

Political Violence Threatens Peace in Nepal:UN 6-12-09, AFP
A recent rise in violence by political parties and their affiliates in Nepal could threaten a three-year-old peace process, the UN human rights representative in the country has warned.

South Africa
Charities report sharp rise in number of abandoned South Africa babies 14-6-09, The Guardian
Children's charities have reported a sharp rise in the number of babies abandoned by mothers driven to poverty and desperation in recession-hit South Africa.

South Africa's HIV Epidemic Has Stabilized 14-6-09, HealthNews Track
South Africa's HIV epidemic has leveled off at a prevalence of 10.9% for people aged two years and older, with 5.2 million people estimated to be living with HIV in 2008.

Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe girls trade sex for food 6-12-09, BBC
Growing numbers of children in Zimbabwe are turning to prostitution to survive. Increasing poverty is leading girls as young as 12 to sell their bodies for as little as a packet of biscuits.

Tsvangirai Urges US to Support Inclusive Gov't 10-6-09, Association of Zimbabwe Journalists
Zimbabwe Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai is urging the United States to support his government despite abuses by his coalition partner, President Robert Mugabe.

General
African states seek own solution in world crisis 6-7-09, Reuters
Africa must seek to solve its own problems as the global economic crisis limits the ability of more developed countries to follow through on aid pledges, African ministers told a conference in Cairo.

Financial crisis could force more girls into work 6-12-09, IRIN
The financial crisis could force more girls into work as financially squeezed families withdraw their daughters from school to seek jobs, warns the International Labour Organization.

Making the Case for Climate as a Migration Driver 6-14-09, New York Times
A new report on human migration and climate change, gave an overview of where the changing environment is driving decision-making on the ground and which areas are likely to be hit hardest if things get worse.

IDEX Newsflash, June 8, 2009

2009-06-08T12:16:00.000-07:00

Bangladesh
Mother Caned in Bangladesh for Talking to Muslim Man 06-06-09, AFP
A Muslim mother has been caned for talking to a Hindu man in Bangladesh, police said Saturday, prompting fresh concerns about a rise in cases of harsh treatment of women under strict Islamic law.

Migrants return to Bangladesh 06-04-09, BBC
Thousands of Bangladeshi migrant workers are returning home as a result of the global recession. There are more than six million Bangladeshis working abroad and the remittances that they send home are the country's largest source of foreign exchange.

Guatemala
Drug Violence Spilling into Guatemala 06-04-09, LA Times
As Mexican President Felipe Calderon presses an anti-narcotics offensive in Mexico, the war has spilled south into Guatemala, where proximity, weak law enforcement and deeply rooted corruption provide fertile ground for Mexico's gangs.

TV Reporter Gunned Down in Guatemala 06-08-09, Latin American Herald Tribune
A reporter for the Tele Diario news show of Guatemala's Channel 3 television was gunned down in the eastern city of Chiquimula, police said on Sunday.

India
Police Fire on Protesters in Indian Kashmir 06-08-09, AP
Security forces opened fire on protesters in Indian Kashmir on Monday, wounding at least seven people, including two critically, in the worst clash since unrest broke out last week over the deaths of two young women.

Domestic Abuse Plagues India's Upper-Crust 06-08-09 Reuters
Millions of Indian women, from all classes, are abused by their husbands. A recent government survey said one in three Indian women were victims of domestic violence.

Mexico
Mexico drug arrests leave prisons crowded, violent 06-02-09, Reuters
The rounding up of thousands of suspects in Mexico's drug war has left the already unruly prison system overwhelmed with jailbreaks and struggling to contain deadly riots between inmates from rival gangs.

Mexican Women Clash over Abortion 06-06-09, Ohmy News
There is a fierce ongoing battle over the abortion issue in Mexico. Two years ago, the country's capital caused controversy when it became the first state to authorized legal abortions up to the first trimester.

Nepal
Strike Shuts Schools, Shops in Nepal 06-08-09, AFP
A strike called by Maoist sympathizers on Monday paralyzed large swathes of Nepal. The one-day general strike in western Nepal came a week after protests by another group of Maoist supporters, and appeared to be part of a campaign to bring chaos to the Himalayan nation.

Nepal's MJF withdraws from government 06-06-09, Press TV
Just after 11 days in power, Nepal's new communist-led ruling coalition receives its first jolt with its regional ally, the MJF, withdrawing support.

South Africa
Visa Waver 'Encumbering' Zimbabwean Trade 6-5-09, Terra Viva
The government's removal of visa requirements for Zimbabweans in April was aimed at easing entry. But, for Alice Kakwindi, Grace Chimhosva and other cross-border traders, entering South Africa has subsequently turned into a nightmare.

TB Vaccine Trials for Babies 6-4-09, PlusNews
A new trial to test the efficacy of a tuberculosis (TB) booster shot for babies is about to start in South Africa, but when your subjects are too young to eat solids, the challenge rises to a new level.

Rape of Gay Man Sparks Provincial Protest 6-3-09, BTM
Trial for a rape case of a gay man known only as Luanda will be heard on 22 June this year following its postponement on Friday 29 May as two of the three accused did not pitch up.

Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe to use SA Rand Permanently 06-04-09, AfricaNews
Zimbabwe's minister of finance, Tendai Biti, has announced that the fragile government of that country is considering the idea of using the South African rand as it's permanent official currency. "We are looking at various avenues and the adoption of the rand is likelihood," he said.

COMESA Mulls Rescue Package for Zimbabwe 06-04-09, AFP
Africa's COMESA trade bloc is preparing a financial rescue package for Zimbabwe to help the southern African nation to rebuild its shattered economy, a senior official said Thursday.

General
IMF Doubles Lending to Africa 6-4-09, afrol News
As a response to the global crisis and an increased capital basis, the International Monetary Fund has already more than doubled its lending to Africa this year compared to the record year of 2008.

Betty Makoni - CNN Hero

2009-06-04T16:37:00.000-07:00

Betty Makoni - Photo courtesy of CNN

Betty Makoni has been nominated as a CNN Hero for her work protecting the powerless. Betty was interviewed on Larry King Live on June 4, 2009.

To read CNN’s story on Betty and watch CNN’s two videos featuring Betty and the work of Girl Child Network go to CNN Heroes.

We are delighted that Betty is receiving such well-deserved recognition for her work and hopeful for the positive impact that such attention and focus can bring to Betty and Girl Child Network.

The Angus Gillis Foundation & Their Self-Help Model

2009-06-04T15:06:00.001-07:00

IDEX Program Officers, Kat and Vini recently went on field visits in South Africa to research groups IDEX could support through our catalyst grants program. This blog post comes from Kat, who visited Angus Gillis Foundation at the end of April.

This morning I flew into Port Elizabeth, a coastal city in the Eastern Cape province. But as usual Port Elizabeth was not my final destination. I was visiting Grahamstown another hour and a half away. This is where the Angus Gillis Foundation (AGF) is located. This organization was founded in 2002 by an independent charitable trust initiated by the owners of the Kwande Private Game Reserve.

All too frequently when new game reserves have been established, the owners have evicted people from their homes and villages within the reserves. The owners of Kwande wanted to support the villages within the perimeters of the new game reserve. As a result the Angus Gillis Foundation was formed and named after the Scottish grandfather of one co-owner of the Kwande, who lived a lift of compassion and philanthropy.

Since 2002 AGF has helped established 39 self-help groups (SHGs) in 12 villages reaching 520 unemployed people. Most SHG members are women: only 4 members are men. Each group has 8 and 20 members and meets once a week. As part of this meeting they collect savings from members up to R2 (22 cents) per week.

But in addition to acting as a savings tool, the weekly meetings encourage members to share their problems, and in turn this builds a powerful support system that nurtures enduring trust among members. And as their savings grow the group can initiate loans to the group members. Once the group achieved a certain level of savings, AGF will offer assistance to help develop small businesses.

Today, Diana Hornby, the director of AGF, is introducing me to several business initiatives. First I meet the Unopopana Doll Cooperative, a 6 women-member cooperative in the KwaPontak village within the Kwande Private Game Reserve. The coordinator of this cooperative is Jennifer, who is clearly a natural community leader. Another program run by AGF is their annual leadership program, which trains local leaders on how to build capacity and become more effective within their communities in improving livelihoods.

I also met Novulo Sideba, another community leader in the same village. She started a baby and toddler program, which in turn inspired the construction of a community center, using recycled materials, to house this program.

Both Novulo and Jennifer sit on a Steering Committee, which represents two villages, KwaPontak and KwaDoli, and 700 community members. The committee meets monthly to discuss urgent issues to address the needs of their communities.

The Steering Committee is leading the development of a Pro-poor Tourism Community Center. This will provide an education program for the community members and at the same time host unique cultural experiences for tourists. The Center is still being constructed but the education program is already up and running and the doll-making cooperative has relocated their doll production there.

After the Kwande Private Game Reserve, Diana took me to visit Glenmore Township. Glenmore was settled after black people were evicted from Colchester, a white-dominant area between Port Elizabeth and Grahamstown. Here, I attended a cluster group meeting. According to the self-help model that AGF follows, when 10 SHGs have been established in one village, then a cluster is formed. Two representatives from each of the 10 SHG come together in a cluster, to share experiences, provide support, and discusses how they can mutually access government resources to address their local challenges.

I was able to ask a few of them what they saw different in their lives since joining the cluster groups. One of them said to me, “I used to be so shy and not feel confident to speak in a group. But now, with the self-help group, I feel confident to speak up and not only that, I’m able to save money as well.”

IDEX Annual Event - Seeds of Change

2009-06-04T11:23:00.000-07:00

IDEX invites you to join us at The Solarium on 55 Second Street for a very special evening!

What: IDEX Annual Event and Silent Auction

When: Tuesday, June 23rd, 2009 from 6:30pm - 9:30pm

Where: The Solarium, 55 Second Street, San Francisco (See map.)

Featured Speaker: Claire Hope Cummings

Tickets: $60 includes appetizers and host bar. Catering by Jane Hammond Events.

RSVP: Tickets are $60 each.

Bring your friends! Buy 3 tickets and get 4 tickets for the special price of $180. Reserve your tickets online, or phone Gillian Wilson at (415) 824-8348.

Celebrate the success of our local partners, in Guatemala, Mexico, India and Nepal that are using sustainable agriculture to build food security and mitigate the impact of climate change, while developing flourishing livelihoods and communities.

We are delighted to have Claire Hope Cummings, farmer, environmental lawyer, journalist and author of the critically acclaimed book Uncertain Peril: Genetic Engineering and the Future of Seeds, as our Guest Speaker. Claire is well known in the Bay Area as food and farming editor for KPFA where she hosted a weekly radio program.

Learn about IDEX’s current partners. Bid on incredible gifts at the IDEX Silent Auction. Enjoy tasty appetizers, wine, music and reconnect with your friends at IDEX.

IDEX Newsflash, June 1, 2009

2009-06-01T13:41:00.000-07:00

Bangladesh
Bangladesh, Burma Work to Resolve Rohingya Repatriation 6-1-09, Irrawaddy
The influx of Rohingya refuges into Bangladesh will not stop until there is a change in Arakan State and Burmese officials agree to repatriation, Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dipu Moni said at a press conference on Friday.

JS Body to Decide on Tipaimukh 5-31-09, bdnews24.com
An all-party parliamentary committee will take a decision on whether to send a team of experts to the site of the proposed Indian Tipaimukh dam and hydropower project over the cross-boundary river Barak, the water resources minister said Sunday.

Guatemala
Taiwan President Visits Guatemala 5-30-09, AFP
Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou on Friday arrived in Guatemala for a three-day visit in a bid to boost relations in a region where support for Taiwan has reduced in recent years.

Guatemalan murder mystery threatens government 5-27-09, AP
A slain lawyer's taped accusations that the president wanted him dead threaten to topple Guatemala's first leftist government in more than 50 years and have sharpened the political divide between rich and poor.

India
Indian Rights Activist, Freed on Bail, Vows to Continue Work 1-6-09, The Wall Street Journal
Doctor and human-rights activist Binayak Sen, released on bail last week had been held on charges of aiding Maoist insurgents, said he will continue treating patients from Indian tribal areas and fighting for their rights, despite weak health and threats to his life.

Expectations increasing from Indian Corporates on CSR 6-1-09, India PR Wire
A greater need for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in India has brought companies who initiate and participate in CSR activities into the limelight and increased public expectations of them.

Mexico
Indigenous rape victims fight military impunity 6-1-09, IPS
Inés Fernández and Valentina Rosendo, both 23, have suffered death threats and have been stigmatized as rape victims. This month Fernández managed to take her case to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, and Rosendo may achieve the same in the near future.

Mexico Heads World Violence on Journalists 5-31-09, Prensa Latina
Mexico is heading a world list regarding the attacks against journalists, the most vulnerable in the exercise of their profession, the director of the Center of Human Rights reported Sunday.

Mexico offers $380,000 reward in journalist murder 5-28-09, AP
Mexico's top prosecutor on Thursday offered a $380,000 reward for information in the kidnapping and murder of a newspaper reporter who was found beaten and dead in an irrigation canal in northern Mexico this week.

Nepal
PM Nepal finds OHCHR insignificant 5-27-09, eKantipur
Newly elected Prime Minister Madhav Kumar opined that the role of Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Nepal is insignificant. He accused the UN rights body of “paying attention to political events and neglecting major incidents of human rights violation” and said renewing its tenure is unnecessary.

Sons of Soil Shut Down Kathmandu Valley 6-1-09, IANS
A community that has been residing in the Kathmandu Valley shut down the capital and 10 more districts, demanding an autonomous state for themselves and the scrapping of a reviled urban development plan. Nearly two dozen people were injured.

South Africa
Rush Job on NHI? 29-5-09, Health-e.org.za
An ANC task team is trying to convince the ANC and government to hastily implement a National Health Insurance (NHI) plan that many believe spells disaster for the buckling public health system.

HIV-Prevention Policy Not Working in South Africa 6-1-09, BusinessDay
A visiting US congressman has expressed concern about SA’s inability to significantly reduce the level of new HIV infections despite education and prevention campaigns.

Decriminalizing Sex Work Only Half the Battle 6-1-09, BuaNews
Proposals to decriminalize sex work in South Africa have been moved back to the front burner after a provincial premier remarked that the issue should be addressed "objectively and with an open mind".

Zimbabwe
Zimbabwean Journalists and Lawyers Brought before the Courts 28-5-09, SW Radio Africa
Two editors from the Zimbabwe Independent newspaper will stand trial on June 16th. The two are accused of writing a story that would undermine public confidence in law enforcement agents.

EU not ready to resume ties with Zimbabwe: letter 28-5-09, AFP
The European Union is not yet ready to establish normal ties with Zimbabwe or resume aid despite a "positive evolution" in politics there, according to a letter made public Thursday.

General
Large-scale foreign land acquisitions could harm local people, says UN-backed report 26-5-09, UN News Service
A United Nations-commissioned study shows that land acquisitions are on the increase in the developing world, raising the risk that poor people will lose access to land, water, and other resources.

Africa’s Growth to fall to 2% in 2009 28-5-09, Africa News
African growth will fall to 2% in 2009 from 5.1% in 2008 and agriculture will prove the continent's best chance of pulling itself from poverty. Most African economies had been growing steadily but the global economic crisis has caused aid flows to fall, slashed demand and prices for its agricultural exports.

The Thandanani Food Garden

2009-05-28T12:38:00.000-07:00

IDEX Program Officers, Kat and Vini recently went on field visits in South Africa to research groups IDEX could support through our catalyst grants program. This blog post comes from Kat, who visited RUCORE at the end of April.

Mambulu is a rural village 3 hours from Durban, and over an hour from Kranskrop, where the paved road ends. From there the rest of my trip was on a winding dirt road bouncing up and down the mountains of Zululand to reach Mambulu. I was on my way to visit the Thandanani Food Garden, established by local community leader Joseph Gewabaza with the support of RUCORE.

RUCORE, Rural Educational Development Corporation, was founded in 1991 to support the development of a living and learning center that promotes ecological approaches to sustainable community development. RUCORE initiated its support with the establishment of the Tlholego Village in 1990 near Rustenburg in the Northwest Province. It is here that Joseph was trained in sustainable agriculture, permaculture and ecological land use design.

Joseph is originally from Mambulu Village and but met Paul Cohen, the founder of RUCORE, in Johannesburg. Joseph learned about RUCORE’s work in the Tlholego Village and volunteered to be trained for a two-year apprenticeship. He wanted to see if he could replicate the model in his own village. He asked his community at the Mambulu Village, whether they would give him permission to go to bring back this expertise to his community and they approved.

After his two-year apprenticeship Joseph returned to Mambulu Village in 2000, and initiated the Thandanani Vegetable Gardens, which today has 90 community members, mostly women, working in them.

Thandanani means, "love each other" in Zulu. It also represents the important source of food security that comes from the garden and inspires community members to care and work together. The 90 community members come to the garden three times a week to work on the garden. All of them come together so that everyone can see each other working and it encourages trust among the members.

When I arrived there were around 30 women preparing the land for the fall season. In this garden they have cultivated cabbage, spinach, onions, green peppers, tomatoes, beetroots, corn and potatoes. Their main challenge is the lack of water; the nearest river is two-hour round trip by foot. The women organize shifts to collect water. Every morning at 8am, one group of women will go the river; another group sets off at noon. This way they can just about keep their plants watered.

Since they started the garden, they no longer have to spend time and money (US$2.20 per trip) traveling on the dirt road to Kranskrop to buy food. They’ve also been able to get the local municipality to support them with fencing to protect their garden. But this support is insignificant compared to the help received by nearby communities who use conventional farming methods.

Like many countries, South Africa is more supportive of conventional farming than organic farming. In spite of the women of the Thandanani Food Garden are determined to continue organic agricultural practices. Recently, the village won a local vegetable competition. They won quite simply because they had the highest quality vegetables.

Their commitment was evident. After meeting me the women went straight back to work in their garden. Without the garden they would have limited sources of income with which to buy food and cover other costs.

Now that they have food security for their households, their next goal is to grow enough to sell some vegetables and earn an income. After this they have plans to start community initiatives such as a new clinic and a kindergarten for their children. Currently they have to travel to get health care and go to school.

At Kranskrop we sought out Joseph to say goodbye. In addition to working with the Thandanani Food Garden he has a full time job as a minibus taxi driver. Always smiling, he waved us goodbye as people began to fill up his van.

IDEX Newsflash May 25, 2009

2009-05-26T17:30:00.000-07:00

Bangladesh
HC asks government to stop river encroachment 5-25-09, The Daily Star
The High Court (HC) yesterday directed the government to take appropriate steps to stop encroachment, earth-filling, and construction of illegal structures on the Buriganga, Turag, Balu, and Shitalakkhya rivers.

Bangladesh mutiny deaths probed 5-21-09, BBC
Bangladesh has ordered an inquiry into the deaths of 21 border guards who were held in custody after a mutiny in February that killed nearly 100 people.

Guatemala
Guatemala Murder Scandal Could Threaten the Presidency 5-20-09, Christian Science Monitor
The scandal surrounding accusations that Guatemala's president orchestrated the murder of a prominent lawyer is deepening divisions in the country. It is also handing the country its greatest threat to democracy since the civil war ended.

Poverty reduction programs under fire 5-21-09, Latin America Press
The Social Cohesion Council, a government body dealing with social development, announced a Strategic Plan to Reduce Chronic Malnutrition which will distribute about US$12 a month to the beneficiaries of the conditioned cash transfer program Mi Familia Progresa, in four Mayan Chortí municipalities of Chiquimula.

India
In Punjab, Crowding Onto The Cancer Train 5-11-09, NPR
Train No. 339 routinely carries at least 60 cancer patients for treatment at the government's regional cancer center. Researchers caution that the findings do not prove that pesticides are causing cancer. But are the modern farming methods brought by the so-called Green Revolution of the 1960s and '70s making people sick?

Indian Rights Activist to be Freed on Bail 5-25-09, AP
India's top court on Monday ordered that a human rights activist facing trial in eastern India for allegedly aiding the region's communist rebels be released on bail.

Mexico
Crisis Drives Up Poverty Rate 5-23-09, IPS
Between 1994 and 1996, the poverty rate in Mexico climbed from 52 to 69 percent due to a deep but short-lived global economic recession that broke out in this country. Now this country is experiencing another depression, which originated in its northern neighbor, and that will last at least until 2010.

Avalanche of anti-abortion laws 5-22-09, IPS
In the last 13 months, 12 of Mexico's 32 states have approved amendments to their state constitutions defining a fertilized human egg as a person with a right to legal protection, and seven other state parliaments are taking steps in the same direction.

Nepal
Senior UN official lauds Supreme Court reforms 5-19-09, UN News Service
The top United Nations human rights official in Nepal today welcomed Supreme Court reforms initiated by the fledgling democracy’s newly appointed Chief Justice. The measures are aimed at enhancing transparency in its system of jurisprudence.

Successive governments have ignored agriculture 5-25-09, eKantipur
According to a recent report from the Ministry of Agriculture, 40 percent of the people in the hills and mountains, barring the eastern region are suffering from a serious food deficit of 133,000 tons. Jagannath Adhikari, a geographer by training, has undertaken extensive research in Nepal's rural areas, studying, among other things, remittances, migration and food security.

Constitution-drafting process finally begins after a year 5-25-09, eKantipur
Only a year after its first meeting was convened, the Constituent Assembly (CA) has finally entered the constitution-drafting process. The CA’s National Interest Preservation Committee (NIPC) among its 11 committees presented its concept paper on the constitution.

South Africa
The Grass Beneath the Fighting Elephants 5-22-09, Pambazuka
There is an African saying that when elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers. In South Africa lately, the elephants have been the two biggest winners in the April elections-the African National Congress (ANC) and the Democratic Alliance (DA). The grass is democracy and women's rights.

South Africa goes into recession 5-25-09, BBC
The South African economy has gone into recession for the first time since 1992, following a sharp slowdown in the manufacturing and mining sectors. Africa's biggest economy contracted at an annualized rate of 6.4% between January and March.

South Africa gets anti-crime boss 5-21-09, BBC
South Africa has appointed a relatively unknown police officer to head its new serious crimes agency that replaced the elite Scorpions unit. He will head the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation when it launches in July.

Zimbabwe
No Movement on Media Reform Despite Government Pledges 5-21-09, SW Radio Africa News
Repeated promises to reform the repressive media environment in Zimbabwe are proving hollow. Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai on Thursday said there have been "significant improvements," but improvements are not translating into action.

Long Road to Water Sustainability 5-22-09, IPS
As Zimbabwe's national unity government approaches 100 days in office, Finance Minister Tendai Biti has said it will take some time for the country to return to 1996 standards, before what was once southern Africa’s second largest economy went into a tailspin.

General
2009 Report on State-Sponsored Homophobia
ILGA, the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association published the third edition of its report and map on State Sponsored Homophobia, a collection of legislation criminalizing consensual sexual acts between persons of the same sex in private over the age of consent.

African Finance Ministers to Discuss Impact of Economic Crisis 5-21-09, Afrique en ligne
African ministers have scheduled a meeting to discuss measures required to deal with the global economic crisis. The meeting will explore ways of dealing with the crisis through enhanced fiscal planning and ways of raising funds internally within Africa.

Rainman Landcare Foundation

2009-05-21T12:14:00.000-07:00

IDEX Program Officers, Kat and Vini recently went on field visits in South Africa to research groups IDEX could support through our catalyst grants program. This blog post comes from Kat, who visited Rainman Landcare at the end of April.

Today I'm in the Valley of 1,000 Hills, a long stretch of hills between Durban and Pietermaritzburg. Years ago the Zulus would have their huts on each of the hills and call out to each other, or so I was told. I’m here to visit Rainman Landcare Foundation in an area called Peacevale.

Raymond Auerbach is the director and founder of Rainman Landcare Foundation. He used to be a university professor at Pietermaritzburg but saw the academic field of organic farming lacked a way of teaching practical skills. He was inspired to found Rainman Landcare to provide the services such as:
1) Vocational skill training in organic farming,
2) Organic farming facilitator course following the train the trainer model, and
3) Policy work in terms of lobbying for more support for the organic movement in South Africa.

Today is the first day back from Easter break for 23 students and they are eager to see the progress their green beans have made. They come here to become accredited as an organic farmer, and the training takes 8 months. The students are all community members who want to learn about organic farming so they can grow their own food gardens.

Before the break, the students had put mulch on the land to maintain moisture in the soil, and to protect their beans from pests during their absence. Now they observed the differences in bean growth between those students who had mulched properly and those who hadn’t.

Raymond then took me to visit a community in Cliffdale. One of his graduates from the course had trained other members in his community to farm organically. 16 community members are managing the land quite successfully. But even though they've been able to farm good organic crops they haven't been able to transport any of their products to sell at the bigger stores, such as Woolworth's or Pick and Pay, as no one owns a car.

They’ve also grown indigenous plants to encourage the preservation of their culture. The crops that are grown on this field go first to the members working on the garden and then the food is distributed for those who can't work the land, such as young orphans or the sick. The rest is then sold to the community.

Building on their success they have started to raise free-range chickens. The group hopes to access government resources to repair their chicken coop so the chickens feel comfortable in laying their eggs.

Although Rainman Landcare organic farming skills were taught to just one person in Cliffdale, 16 people can now farm in an organic way. They continue to find ways to use the skills and training to improve their community. They are even involving the local school and want persuade the school to allow them to develop an organic garden in their backyard for the student to learn about their vegetables and food.

IDEX Newsflash, May 18, 2009

2009-05-19T10:46:00.000-07:00

Bangladesh
HR Watch for disbanding DGFI Rab 5-19-09 The Daily Star
Human Rights Watch has recommended the disbanding of the Rapid Action Battalion and the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence, terming them symbols of abuse and impunity in a report released yesterday.

World Bank helps Bangladesh control air pollution 5-13-09 Reuters
The World Bank approved on Wednesday a $62.2 million credit to help Bangladesh to control urban air pollution through cutting emissions in key polluting sectors such as transport and brick-making.

Guatemala
Guatemala's Dirty War 5-18-09 ZNet
Guatemala released secret NCP files on suspected "subversives". Other files, released from the Military Archives, implicate the military's high command in their planning and execution.

Guatemalan protests as leader faces murder claims 5-14-09 AFP
Angry crowds marched in downtown Guatemala City, some demanding the resignation of President Alvaro Colom and others defending him against accusations of murdering a prominent lawyer.

India
Development trumps regional issues in Indian vote 5-18-09 Reuters India
Millions of Indians appeared to have jettisoned caste and linguistic identities to vote for good governance in India's general election, which may change policies to win over voters, analysts said.

India rupee posts biggest gain in 11 yrs after poll 5-18-09 Reuters India
The Indian rupee surged over 3 percent on Monday, posting its biggest gain in more than a decade on hopes for reforms, foreign inflows and a massive jump in the share market after the ruling coalition swept national polls.

Mexico
Mexico Faces Downgrade After 'Very Complacent' Decade 5-12-09 Bloomberg
Mexico's credit rating may be cut as the global recession exposes the government's failure to raise taxes and ease its dependence on oil income, according to Credit Suisse Group AG and UBS AG.

Guerrillas, narcos, Washington, and the ghosts of 1910 5-14-09 Frontera NorteSur
A guerrilla group made allegations that the government was supporting the Sinaloa Cartel, as the U.S. Congress is considering a $470 million Drug War request by the Mexican government.

Nepal
Political impasse delays humanitarian assistance 5-15-09 IRIN
The ongoing political impasse in Nepal has affected the flow of humanitarian assistance and development work, local and international aid workers say.

Experts call for climate change adaptation plans 5-8-09 IRIN
Nepal is one of a number of South Asian countries directly affected by global warming: Local experts warn that climate change adaptation plans urgently need to be put in place.

South Africa
Minister Moves to Ease Relationship With Traditional Leaders 5-18-09 BusinessDay
A traditional leaders' institution would be established to improve ease tensions between elected public officials and traditional leaders on rural development issues.

Huge Fire Kills Seven in South Africa 5-16-09 Shabelle Media Network
At least seven foreign and South African people have died and more others injured after enormous fire burnt a shop in Cape Town overnight.

Zimbabwe
International Relations Move From Freezer to Fridge 5-18-09 IRIN
A defrosting of relations combined with a financial mechanism designed to avoid donor money flowing through the hands of ZANU-PF is gently prising open the door for assistance.

Environment Conservation Proves Tough Call 5-14-09 Financial Gazette
While a decade of economic decay has exerted pressure on the environment as well as pushing marginalized communities into abject poverty, conserving what is left is proving to be a tough call.

Prominent Human Rights Lawyer Arrested 5-14-09 AP
A prominent Zimbabwean human rights lawyer was arrested Thursday at a court in Harare, colleagues said. Alec Muchadehama was arrested at a magistrates court where he had gone to work.

General
Grain crisis and political economy of a new scramble for Africa 5-14-09 This Day
A far-reaching crisis in the financial systems of the developed world and food security in many Asian countries is compelling them to seek land elsewhere. Africa is the choice continent, but it is brittle.

Turning Agriculture into a Business 5-14-09 API
A plan by the Africa Commission to side-step African governments and target the private sector to invigorate the continent's business and agricultural capacity was launched in Copenhagen, on 6 May.

LGBTI Activists Optimistic about Progay Resolution 5-15-09 Pambazuka
African LGBTI human rights defenders are optimistic that a resolution to end discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in Africa will be adopted by the African Commission.

IDEX Newsflash - May 11, 2009

2009-05-11T17:28:00.000-07:00

Guatemala
Intl Women's Meeting in Guatemala - Prensa Latina – 10 May 09
Women Redefining Democracy for Peace, Justice and Equality Conference begins in Antigua, Guatemala Sunday, with some 130 women delegates attending, four of them Nobel Prize winners.

Guatemalan Closing Indigenous Gap - Prensa Latina – 8 May 09
The forum for the 32nd Meeting of the Direction Council of the Fund for Development of the Indigenous People in Latin American and the Caribbean, gathered representatives of different Latin American and Caribbean ethnic groups who prepared proposals of political inclusion and their demands to their respective governments.

Mexico
Mexico's schools cleaned, ready to resume classes - Signonsandiego.com – 11 May 09
Mexico's primary schools and kindergartens are ready to welcome back millions of students on Monday.

Mexico drug violence rises on border despite army - Reuters – 11 May 09
Killings between rival drug cartels are rising again in Ciudad Juarez despite a massive army deployment.

India
In Punjab, Crowding Onto The Cancer Train - NPR – 11 May 09
Researchers in India found that farming villages using large amounts of pesticides have significantly higher rates of cancer than villages that use less of the chemicals.

Kashmir strike mars India polls - Aljazeera.net – 7 May 09
The fourth phase of voting in India’s month long general election is taking place, with 85 seats up for grabs in seven states. Heavy security has been deployed for polling in the Kashmir valley, the disputed northern Himalayan region claimed by both India and Pakistan.

Nepal
Nepal parliament to pick new prime minister - Reuters - 10 May 09
Nepal's President Ram Baran Yadav asked the Himalayan nation's parliament on Sunday to elect a new leader to replace Maoist Prime Minister Prachanda who resigned last week after failing to sack the army chief.

Experts call for climate change adaptation plans - IRIN – 8 May 09
Nepal is one of a number of south Asian countries directly affected by global warming, especially in mountainous regions. Local experts warn that climate change adaptation plans urgently need to be put in place.

Bangladesh
Bangladesh seen hit hard by global recession – EU - Reuters – 7 May 09
Bangladesh’s economy, particularly exports and remittances, could be hit hard in the next fiscal year, beginning in July, due to the global recession, EU officials in the south Asian country said on Thursday.

Bangladesh seeks foreign aid to dredge silted rivers - The Hindu – 7 May 09
Bangladesh has sought foreign aid to dredge all its rivers and has told prospective donors that funds provided would be properly used.

South Africa
More Women Make Up New Cabinet - allAfrica.com – 10 May 09
Fourteen Ministers and 12 Deputy Ministers are women, putting the representation in the new Cabinet at almost 42%.

Zimbabwe
Police Swoop On Zimlnd Offices - allAfrica.com – 9 May 09
Officers from the Police Law and Order Section were sent in with orders to arrest two editors of the Zimbabwe Independent over a story published on Friday naming Central Intelligence Organization officers and police officers who were allegedly involved in the abduction of human rights and MDC activists in November last year.

Govt Gets Seven-Day Ultimatum – allAfrica.com - 09 May 09
Civil servants have given government a seven-day ultimatum to address their demands for more realistic salaries or risk a crippling strike.

Don't Abuse Visa-Free Scheme – Mohadi - allAfrica.com – 7 May 09
Zimbabweans can obtain a free visitor's permit at the border or airport that entitles them to stay in South Africa for up to 90 days, but Home Affairs Co-Minister Kembo Mohadis warns against abusing the new system.

Zimbabwean migration camouflages human traffickers - IRIN – 1 May 09
The southern African spokesman for the International Organization for Migration stated that conditions at the South African and Zimbabwe border are ideal for human traffickers.

General
Foreigners Lead Global Land Rush - IPS - 5 May 09
More than 20 million hectares of farmland in Africa and Latin America are now in the hands of foreign governments and companies, a sign of a global "land grab" that got a boost from last year's food crisis.

The Fight For Clean Air

2009-05-05T13:28:00.000-07:00

IDEX Program Officers, Kat and Vini are on field visits in South Africa to research groups IDEX could support through our catalyst grants program.

We spent South Africa's election day in South Durban's industrial wasteland with the South Durban Community Environmental Alliance (SDCEA). SDCEA was founded in 1996 as a coalition of communities working for environmental justice in South Durban and beyond.

We met with Desmond D'Sa, SDCEA’s director, who shared stories of protests, actions and campaigns; we were devastated and inspired at the same time. 52% of all children in South Durban have asthma. Absentee rates at the schools in the area are over 40% due to respiratory illness. Cancer rates are higher than any other single geographic area in the province.

From a hilltop in the middle of South Durban, which is home to 300,000 people, we saw heavy industries spewing waste into the ocean and the air. The industries generate 40 million Rand in profit each day, and there is little incentive for the government to move them.

South Africa’s largest landfill site was also in this area. It finally closed last year as a result of public pressure. Until then, the landfill received contaminated waste from hospitals, including needles and industrial waste. The landfill was next door to a semi-rural area in a black township.

Desmond told us that until last year, children played on the landfill. There are no records of how many kids died but community reports indicates many are still sick. SDCEA gather evidence and generates reports to mobilize community and policymakers. He took us to a previously white owned area where a petrol leak sprung up a few years ago. Overnight residents fled but the oil company preserved the homes in the hope that up and coming middle class blacks would move in… and they did. People are still living on oil pipelines, over contaminated soil.

Desmond showed us incredible photographs documenting over ten years of tireless work. But his greatest pride is a curriculum of books developed for township schools to teach about environmental justice.

Mrs. Gawanda lives in South Durban, in public housing with her husband and 5 grandchildren. She told us that all of her grandchildren except one have asthma and other respiratory illnesses. Yet health care is hard to come by; the nearest clinic is a 2-hour bus ride away, and medication is not available in regular supply. But Mrs. Gawanda calls herself a fighter. She is at every action meeting to demand an accessible clinic and clean air in her neighborhood. "I do this for my grandkids. That's why I can’t stop", she says.

More information on S. African's environmental justice movement is also available from another organization we visited: Groundwork.

IDEX Newsflash - May 4, 2009

2009-05-04T15:29:00.000-07:00

Guatemala
Guatemala Debt at 22% GDP - Prensa Latina – 30 Apr 09
The Bank of Guatemala (BANGUAT) has over $4.3 billion in foreign debt; a reported $225 million will be covered with bonds from the Treasury if approved by Congress.

Guatemala Fights {Childhood} Malnutrition - Prensa Latina – 29 Apr 09
The Guatemalan government will be implementing a pilot program in 4 municipalities in the eastern department of Chiquimula that will work to decrease childhood chronic malnutrition among the poor.

Mexico
Congress Closed to Indigenous Women - IPS – 30 Apr 09
Two indigenous women, Rogelia González of Oaxaca and Celia López of Chiapas, running for Congress seats in the July legislative elections would be the first in Mexico’s Congress if successful.

Mexico health chief: Swine flu cases leveling off - SignonSandiego.com – 30 Apr 09
Health secretary Jose Angel Cordova reported on Thursday that the number of new swine flu cases is stabilizing in country.

Bangladesh
Taking Jobs to Bangladesh’s Poor - BBC – 30 Apr 09
Forty women in the rural area of the Jamuna river area speak about the benefits they have experienced working for a company that sells hand-knitted baby clothes and toys to customers in Europe, Australia, and the U.S.

India
Indians vote in key third phase - BBC – 30 Apr. 09
Voting has ended in India in the third of five stages of the country's general election. Millions cast ballots in 107 constituencies across nine states and two federal territories.

Nepal
Protests erupt in Nepal after PM fires army chief - Associated Press – 3 May 09
Nepal's prime minister fired the army chief Sunday after a struggle over admitting former Maoist rebel fighters to the military, sparking mass protests.

Senegal
African Bid to Fix Fallout - allAfrica.com – 30 Apr 09
Some of Africa's leading minds meet in Dakar, Senegal at the weekend to find ways of reducing the impact of the global economic crisis on the continent.

Drop in Malaria – Increased Efforts or Reduced Errors - allAfrica.com – 27 Apr 09
The number of infections and deaths reported as malaria have dropped by at least 74% since the country started using rapid diagnostic tests in October 2007, according to the government.

South Africa
Country Countering Xenophobia With Help of the UN Refugee Agency - allAfrica.com – 1 May 09
UNHCR is assisting the Government and independent humanitarian organizations, such as the Nelson Mandela Foundation in their efforts to combat xenophobia in South Africa where tens of thousands fled their homes last year after a wave of attacks on foreigners.

ANC Announces its Premier Candidates - allAfrica.com – 30 Apr 09
The ANC has announced its premiers, with 5 being women, but 4 will rule the provinces as Lynn Brown will be a shadow premier in the Western Cape that was lost to the DA.

Zimbabwe
More Zimbabwean Migrants Expected in Musina - allAfrica.com – 30 Apr 09
The South African border town of Musina is bracing for an increase in migrants as faith in Zimbabwe's new unity government wanes and the lure of a new permit system specifically tailored for Zimbabweans makes it easier for them to work and study in SA.

Relief Efforts Gear Up - allAfrica.com – 29 Apr 09
International humanitarian aid efforts to Zimbabwe to help combat a continuing cholera outbreak and overcome widespread food shortages are intensifying.

The Farmers Of Home

2009-04-28T09:00:00.000-07:00

IDEX Program Officers, Kat and Vini are on field visits in South Africa to research groups IDEX could support through our catalyst grants program.

Abalimi Bezekhaya is just 30 minutes outside of the center of Cape Town. Abalimi Bezekhaya, is working to improve sustainable food production and environmental greening in the townships of Cape Town. Their focus is to provide skills development through training and support people and organizations that wish to practice organic horticulture and micro farming. Abalimi Bezekhaya means "the farmers of home" in Xhosa.

We visited a community garden managed by mainly elderly women, who are members of VUFA – a black women-led urban farmers association in South Africa called Vukuzenzela Urban Farmers Association. On 5,000 hectares of land, 5 elderly women and 1 man are running this community garden. The vegetables are not just for their own consumption, but also to bring in an income when sold at market.

Since beginning to grow their own vegetables the women have seen incredible health benefits. Most importantly, they have been in such good help they haven't had any need to see a doctor.

VUFA has implemented a challenging recruitment process. To demonstrate their commitment to the group women must volunteer with the group for one year, before being asked to join. Many of these elderly women have a lot of time on their hands and enjoy fully being in the garden. But it's been harder to capture the attention of young people.

At the Abalimi office, we met Christina Kaba, the chair of VUFA. Christina came to Cape Town from Mpumalanga and started working with Abalimi in 1989. Christina became a strong promoter of women growing their own home gardens (tree nurseries) in the townships. It is her goal that VUFA can provide a platform for a unified voice to be showcased at the government level to represent all urban women farmers.

Christina invited Vini and me to visit Khayelitsha, a township about an hour away from Cape Town. Here, the community groups are not only developing gardens, but many of the women are initiating for sewing projects or running a soup kitchen together. Abalimi has played a key role in supporting VUFA with marketing their vegetables, but VUFA members now want to be trained in management and bookkeeping skills so they can learn to stand up for themselves and run VUFA by themselves.

We visit the community garden that Christina started long ago in Khayelitsha. It is close to where she lives, and now has 10 women taking care of it. On one side is the garden they grow vegetables for market as a group, and on the other, each woman has their own small plot of land to grow food for self-consumption and to sell to people in the township.

Christina introduced Nokwanda to us. She had trained Nokwanda in how to run a community garden, in turn another 8 women have bee trained to grow vegetables. Even more, Nokwanda invites other people in the township a 4-day training workshop so the participants can start a garden at their homes. The group will follow-up with them for the next two years.

VUFA is very community minded and works in a number of ways to share their garden and vegetables. Children in primary school are taught about growing vegetables and where their food comes from. Young people in tertiary education are encourage to do internships at the garden. VUFA also gives away a portion of their vegetables to disability and HIV programs plus they have plans to start a hospital gardens.

The women were kind enough to have cooked a fresh traditional dish made from the vegetables of the garden pronounced "imifino" a mixed of spinach, cabbage, green peppers and green onions. It was both delicious and left me a wonderful feeling to know where my food came from, and that it was fresh from the earth and not been processed in any way.

IDEX Newsflash, April 26, 2009

2009-04-27T13:22:00.000-07:00

Mexico
Hog Flu Vaccination Aborted in Mexico - Prensa Latina – 26 Apr 09
Government in the DF aborted a mass vaccination campaign against the hog flu, because it will not stop the outbreak of the new virus that is affecting the Mexican capital and other regions of the country.

Guatemala
Central American Vice-Presidents to Meet in Guatemala - Prensa Latina – 23 Apr 09
The VPs are to discuss programs and actions to promote transparency in the region.

Today starts Free Access to public information - Guatemala Times – 21 Apr 09
Law establishing free access to public information from all government institutions has recently gone into effect.

India
India holds second election day - BBC – 23 Apr 09
Second phase of voting took place today and counting is due on May 16.

Nepal
72,000 hectares forest destroyed - eKantipur.com – 26 Apr 09
Fires have hit at least 13 districts, killing 5 people and destroying more than 72,000 hectares of forest.

Bangladesh
Bangladesh power crunch shuts fertilizer plants - Reuters – 27 Apr. 09
Bangladesh has closed all three state-run fertilizer factories to divert gas to power plants to boost electricity generation.

Diarrhea near epidemic in Bangladesh heatwave - AFP via Google news – 27 Apr 09
Cases of diarrhea in Dhaka are reaching epidemic levels, according to a health expert, as the Bangladeshi capital is facing record temperatures, a severe water shortages and power cuts.

Senegal
Fines to fight malaria - IRIN – 24 Apr 09

Can 'Green Charcoal' Help Save the Trees? - allAfrica.com - 20 Apr 09
An environmental NGO in northern Senegal is about to go to market with "green charcoal" - a household fuel produced from agricultural waste materials to replace wood and charcoal in cooking stoves.

South Africa
ANC Scores Another Victory: Now Deliver, Voters Say - IPS – 24 Apr 07
As results from South Africa’s April 22 elections come in, the ruling ANC is poised to return to power in the 400 seat National Assembly.

Zimbabwe
Who Speaks for the People on New Constitution? - IPS – 27 Apr 09
Messages declaring that the people of Zimbabwe will write their own constitution can be found throughout Harare as part of a campaign launched by the National Constitutional Assembly to oppose the constitution-making process proposed by the coalition government.

Anderson Manyere, "I Would Only Be Given Two Liters of Water a Week" - IRIN - 23 Apr 09
Freelance journalist Anderson Manyere who had been detained since December 2008 was released this month.

Wild Animals Compete for Scarce Crops - IRIN -22 Apr 09
Food shortages in Zimbabwe’s North Province are being compounded by elephants eating and trampling the villagers’ crops.

General Interest
Analysis: IMF relevant again, will big plans work? - Associated Press – 25 Apr 09
As the IMF begins rolling out ambitious plans to help jump start the economy, this article asks if the agency is up for the task.

"Poor Countries Struggle to Mainstream Gender in Trade" - IPS – 24 Apr 09
Discussion with UNCTAD officer Simonetta Zarrilli about how trade policies affect women’s livelihoods.

A G8 on agriculture without farmers = more hunger and poverty - Via Campesina – 21 Apr 09
Press release from La Via Campesina regarding the recent G8 meeting on Agriculture in Cison di Valmarino.

Finding Peace By Building Trust

2009-04-27T08:00:00.000-07:00

IDEX Program Officers, Kat and Vini are on field visits in South Africa to research groups IDEX could support through our catalyst grants program.

Today we drove to Woodstock, one of the oldest neighborhoods of Cape Town. We are there to visit Whole World Women Association, (WWWA) which is an organization that works with refugee communities to prioritize women's issues.

Founded in 2002, WWWA initially served as a self-help and support group for refugee women. The organization raises awareness on the plight of ordinary refugee women, the impact of war and trauma on the human psyche. Their membership is open to refugee women of all ages and backgrounds, as well as refugee children who are living at home with their parents or in foster homes and shelters.

We were invited to participate in one of their monthly meetings with WWWA staff and peer coordinators. Peer coordinators were developed to encourage refugees who had received support from WWWA to share the skills training and awareness with their respective communities. Each peer coordinator comes from a different country and gives the training in their native languages, ensuring that all refugee communities are reached.

This particular workshop addressed HIV/AIDS and the struggle to reduce the number of infected women. Many refugees are already infected and affected by the HIV pandemic and require training on how to deal and live with this situation. Working with existing organizations, WWWA offers training in the management and prevention of HIV/AIDS.

Mary Magdalene Tal, founder and director of WWWA, shared how WWWA has seen a positive change in people attitudes to learning about HIV/AIDS. At first it was hard to encourage refugee women to go to HIV/AIDS awareness workshops as they were scared to be identified as an infected women. But now, 90% of calls WWWA receives are from people wanting to learn more about HIV/AIDS.

Mary is a refugee from Cameroon and as educated as she is, she found it so hard to get any type of support. She was inspired to create an organization that provided support especially to refugee women. Mary worked before with the Human Rights Media Center as a refugee project coordinator and at Ilitha Labanthu, where she gave legal advice and assisted abused women and children with their court cases.

Towards the end of the workshop, the facilitator had us participate in different team-building activities that involved putting together a lego-like toy. After the exercise, we all reflected on what made the exercise a success or not, bringing up the main idea of how when people are trusting each others strength and knowledge, as well as respecting each other, we can achieve many things.

It’s great to see that WWWA has hired staff members from different refugee communities, DRC, Cameroon, Nigeria, and many more. Mary shared with us that the "common goal is to keep the war behind us and find peace by building trust."

As Epiphanie Mukasano, a Rwandan refugee and WWWA member writes,

"I am the woman
you despised the other day
throwing out wicked words
which cut like a sharp knife

I am that woman
at whom you threw burning pots
and whose clothes you scornfully tore away
chasing me with a broom out of your house

I am the woman
who wandered naked
in the dark street
wondering where to go

I am the woman
full of scars, but
I do not hold a grudge

Today I am stretching out my hand
Will you take it?"

Ending Sexual Violence With REACH

2009-04-24T10:15:00.000-07:00

IDEX Program Officers, Kat and Vini are on field visits in South Africa to research groups IDEX could support through our catalyst grants program.

Today we traveled one hour north of Cape Town towards Paarl, an area surrounded by mountains and vineyards, on the banks of the Berg River. We visited one of REACH's awareness workshops on sexual harassment with an objective of encouraging women to participate in sharing their life stories to create a book in time for Rural Women's Day on August 15, 2009.

REACH stands for Rural Education, Awareness and Community Health, an organization that addresses sexual harassment and sexual violence, and its interlinking factors on farms and in farming communities in the Western Cape. Joanie Fredericks and Claudia Lopes founded REACH. It is a response to the high prevalence of violence against women, alcohol and drug abuse, and HIV/AIDS in the Southern Western Cape’s rural communities which lack programs and support services to address and assist those whose lives are affected by these social responses.

Thanks to research conducted by REACH on sexual harassment in rural areas we’re able to know the following.
1. South Africa has one of the highest rates of violence against women in the world.
2. Women are murdered, raped, physically assaulted, threatened, harassed and abused every single day.
3. Rural farm worker communities in the Western Cape are a vulnerable group: low wages, job insecurity, cramped and poor housing conditions, isolation, illiteracy and limited access to police, health and legal services all play a role to create this vulnerable environment.

We arrived at a cute daycare center. Children came running to hug us hello. The center shares their space with REACH so they can conduct their workshop there today. This center is in the middle of a beautiful landscape, where you can see endless green and the air is fresh. The staff of REACH worked to quickly to set up the center with posters and banners. 35 women farm workers eventually arrived enthusiastically greeting everyone at REACH.

The workshop was conducted in Afrikaans. Claudia translated the workshop for us in English. Joanie is the facilitator of the workshop today. She enjoys being a trainer and you can enjoy her charismatic presentation without knowing what she's saying. The women clearly have great trust in her and REACH. The women started the workshop by sharing why they like coming to REACH's workshop. One woman said "every time I come to REACH's workshops I learn something new about women's rights and I always go back and share it with other people who are not able to come."

Since 2006, REACH has organized a campaign each year for Rural Women's Day. This provides a platform for rural women to use their voice to highlight issues that affect them. The community members always decide what key issue will be highlighted. Last year it was community violence after a six-year old was kidnapped, raped and strangled by a neighbor. Women were shocked and used the event to share their feelings and concerns about community violence. This year the main issues will be alcohol and drug abuse.

In spite of the language barrier, it was evident that a comfortable space had been created. Towards the end of the workshop several women spoke about their story of abuse by a husband, boyfriend or community member and not having anyone to turn to. When REACH appeared in their lives, it gave them awareness to know that their rights had been violated and they could say "no more."

This is how REACH has been so instrumental, by providing this much-needed support system. Now women who have faced sexual and domestic violence can contact REACH and know thy can access assistance, whether it is legal support, counseling or health. Many of the women at the workshop were first-time attendees. REACH's work has hardly begun and the need is great.

Refugees In South Africa

2009-04-23T13:51:00.000-07:00

IDEX has funded groups in Zimbabwe for many years. Under the current political climate we have not been able to expand our grantmaking there and instead are researching organizations in South Africa that are supporting refugees. In Johannesburg, IDEX Program Officer, Vini, met with Group of Refugees Without Voice (GRWV).

GRWV was established in September 2002. It supports refugees, particularly women from Congo, Burundi, Sudan and Zimbabwe, in skill building for employment in South Africa and to support them in integrating into South African society. When refugees started trickling into South Africa to escape war and repression they found that South Africa was not always the safe haven that they imagined. GRWV supports long-term, durable solutions to end poverty for these families and build bridges with South Africans.

South Africa's vibrant civil society continues to work diligently to hold up the promise of a rainbow nation. But the rise of migrants and refugees from Somalia, Congo and Zimbabwe are triggering xenophobic violence in the country. Last year South Africa saw an unprecedented escalation in violence towards migrants when on May 11, 2008 a gang of young men from the Alexandra township of Johannesburg initiated merciless attacks on migrant workers living in a hostel. These attacks soon spread to provinces of KwaZulu Natal, Eastern and Western Cape. There were over 60 casualties, a third of them South Africans but ten of thousands of refugees were once again displaced.

The advisor to the board of directors, Norman, is from Johannesburg and explains the "majority of South Africans feel threatened because of high unemployment. They see refugees employed and think that jobs are being stolen when in reality refugees are willing to do even the most demeaning of jobs just to survive. We try and educate S. Africans about the plight of refugees. We try to remind folks that until not so long ago, all black South Africans, we were refugees ourselves in our own land."

Since 2002, GRWV has trained 150 people, along with a computer education program, they also pay school fees, provide stationary and transportation for refugee women to send their children to school.

A sewing project they established now works closely with businesses to encourage vocational training of women. Young women also learn dressmaking, fashion design and cutting skills. The organization actively encourages interaction and apprenticeships between refugee women and S. African women to build greater understanding.

A focus on advocacy in schools and vocational training with women has been key. Through schools, GRWV found that children would bring more inclusive attitudes towards refugees home to their parents and help parents build greater awareness. Also, instead of just helping refugee children, the group intensified its efforts to ensure that all children have access to supplies and books.

In the future, GRWV hopes to begin a small business seed capital loan and microcredit program to support the newly skilled graduates in launching their own businesses. Since employment through mainstream channels are not often available to refugees. As yet, this kind of funding is not available to the organization.

GRWV reaches out to refugees through refugee camps, informal settlements, markets and schools. Their list of people who need help continues to grow. Temporary support is given to refugees via UNHCR and Jesuit Refugee Services along with the Home Affairs Refugee Desk; a monthly stipend of roughly $80 for a family of four barely covers food.

Refugees in camps do not even receive stipends, only rations, thereby increasing dependency. It can take up to 12 years for refugees to have their case for asylum case heard. During this time work and housing are hard to find.

Chrispin Milengechi, the Congolese director of GRWV, tells us his own story. He had been a successful business owner in the DRC. He fled the war and came to Johannesburg where he hoped to live with dignity. But he found that all he could afford was a 30-foot square room, which he shared with 12 other refugees. His experiences in the DRC and as a refugee horrified him and he decided to live and work as a human rights activist, co founding GRWV with others.

GRWV has a waiting list of 100 people who need its service. 40 people are being actively enrolled and supported through their fledgling vocational skills program. The organization has gender parity in staff and board membership. Men and women treat each other with respect and kindness. There are important and needed financial, reporting, entrepreneurial and management skills on the board. Some members are also invited to the meeting.

We met Nora a young Congolege woman originally from Lumbumbashi. Nora is single and 19 years old. Initially hesitant she begins to tell us her story. She fled Lumbumbashi, DRC in 2003 with her mother, sister and brother. All three siblings are in college in South Africa.

Nora is studying fashion design and contacted GRWV in 2008. “I wanted them to assist me with my college fees. They haven’t been able to assist me yet, but I pray that they will soon.” She has attended university off and on for the last year due to lack of school fees. “This program should take three years to complete but it will take me longer because I have to keep dropping out. I just don’t have enough money.” Nora hopes to become a fashion designer. “Also, I want to do catering and interior design. I love making things beautiful. Sometimes, I get small jobs to create table settings for formal functions and I love it.” These jobs offset the cost of her school fees. “At the end of a job, I may earn up to 400 ZAR ($44 US), but typically you earn only 100 ZAR ($11 US), for an entire day of work.”

Nora is optimistic and upbeat about her future despite having to flee her country and the obstacles she is currently facing in South Africa. On this day, GRWV is holding a mini-workshop on effective communication in and between refugee organizations. Nora is an active participant. She gives valuable input on what is effective and ineffective communication and draws upon her experiences in college to inform the discussion.

In spite of a xenophobic environment and entrenched inequalities, the refugees in South Africa and the organizations that support them have hope. The organizations and the beneficiaries are vibrant and joyful and committed to a vision of a more inclusive South Africa, where the dignity and creativity of all her people are equal.

Making Earth Worms Happy

2009-04-22T11:22:00.000-07:00

To mark Earth Day (today, April 22) we'd like to share some more details from IDEX Communications Director, Gillian's trip to Udaipur, India last fall. Where she visited IDEX partner Sahyog Sansthan to learn how rural communities are adapting to climate change and mitigating its impact.

Give a little green this Earth Day and have your donation to Sahyog matched on GlobalGiving.com.

Heera Lal Sharma, the founder and Executive Director of Sahyog was my guide. Heera Lal knows the area around Udaipur well; he was raised here, and understands the importance of sustainable agriculture methods.

Sahyog encourages vermiculture, a composting method using earthworms to create rich, organic soil. Sahyog has started a number of vermiculture projects and provides training and funds to initiate vermiculture. The soil produced enriches the land, fertilizes crops, and improves the soil’s ability to retain moisture. Even during drought years, crops grown with soil from vermiculture produce greater yields.

I met with 3 Self-Help Groups. In each case I saw how fulfilling water needs was the priority. Sahyog does this in two ways; they renovate wells and they build bunds or berms to control the flow of water and irrigate crops.

During the monsoon, soil becomes waterlogged, collapsing the walls of the well rendering it useless. Sahyog works with SHGs to renovate wells. They insist that the SHG contribute at least 25% of the costs, plus labor. Sahyog and the local government fund the rest. Sahyog’s goal is to build relationships between communities and government and ensure everyone is a stakeholder in the renovation.

To improve crop irrigation Sahyog analyzes the terrain and identifies the best location to build bunds. Bunds are dams, usually foot-high mounds of earth and small rock that run the width and length of fields. They are multi-purpose and slow the flow of the rainwater and minimize erosion by containing the topsoil. But the dams are carefully constructed to allow water to seep through the rocks, and onto other communities. This method of water harvesting ensures nothing is wasted.

With your support IDEX has funded a number of such projects. At Bharave Village, I was shown the newly renovated well and bridge across the fields. The bridge also operates as a levee during the monsoon. Women and children pointed happily at the well and told me they could now drink fresh water.

I was really impressed by everything Heera Lal showed me. Then we went to the community of Kundai, which completely blew me away. At Kundai there are no incremental changes. This community has completely adopted sustainable agriculture and managed biodiversity without looking back.

Since climate change has begun to take effect, rain has become more irregular. Farmers used to rely on local weather patterns to know when to plant their crops. But climate change renders this knowledge useless. At Kundai they have learned simple, yet effective meteorological practices. They monitor and collect data on rainfall, temperatures and wind and share this with both their local community and the Indian government.

I was introduced to Deepak who lives in Kundai; he showed off the benefits of the program, such as the renovated well, the irrigation channels strategically placed around fields and the diversity of the crops. Kundai farmers are growing plump eggplants, bright chilies, leafy greens, wheat, barley and much more. Close to the well, bamboo and sugar cane were growing. The crops are enough to feed families in Kundai while the bamboo and sugar cane help pay for their children’s schooling.

Kundai is in year 3 of a 5-year project. This was the first year the community had been able to plant their crops. Despite the monsoon in 2008 bringing just half of the expected rainfall, crops were flourishing Deepak was very happy at what they had accomplished so far. It meant he did not have to leave the family and migrate to Udaipur or Delhi to look for work. The family could stay together. His daughter clung to his hand, clearly delighted to know her father was not going anywhere.

Migration is a growing problem. As crops fail, people must move to look for work to feed their families. It was clear to me that sustainable agriculture is not just good for the planet, but also for families and communities who practice it.

Like many IDEX partners, Sahyog works to improve the livelihoods of rural communities. A focus on resource management and sustainable agriculture has helped people better prepare and surmount the growing threats of food and water crises. Water harvesting, vermiculture, and organic agriculture offer viable ways for communities to adapt to, and mitigate, the impact of climate change.

Kwathema Youth Group

2009-04-20T16:47:00.000-07:00

On April 6, IDEX Program Officer, Kat and Vini visited PWN support group members and got a sense of life in the townships of Johannesburg.

40 minutes away, we visit another township called Kwathema. There are currently 60 support group members in Kwathema and we’re meeting the Outreach Coordinator, Gladys Nikelo. Gladys has been part of Positive Women's Network (PWN) since 2003. When we arrived, Gladys was organizing a discussion form with the church youth group of Kwathema to start the conversation on the current HIV reality among youth in the townships. There were about 20 young men and women between the ages of 15 and 21.

Encouraged by the lively conversation and interest the youth were showing about HIV/AIDS, Prudence started facilitating the conversation to focus on what relationships are like among youth today and what they thought about it. Conversations went from "What do you think about guys having multiple girlfriends?" to "What do you think about the families having children on purpose to get social grants?" (Parents who have children are eligible to get a social grant for each child until they turn 18) or "How much did they know about HIV and are they aware enough to know how to prevent themselves from getting it?"

The youth all jumped to share their opinions and one young woman even asked if a female condom existed. It just so happened that Prudence had a sample in her bag and gave the youth group an impromptu workshop on how to use it. It was amazing to see Prudence clearly instructing the youth step-by-step how to use the female condom.

After the youth group left, I had a chance to talk to Gladys, as well as Kate, the Outreach Coordinator from Tsakane to see how their lives has improved since being part of PWN.

Gladys is 25 years old and she found out she was HIV-positive when she was 15. She tried to find a support system but was unsuccessful. When she was 19, she saw Prudence on a television show. Gladys and was amazed how confident Prudence was even though she was HIV-positive. Gladys went on a mission to find Prudence and when she did, immediately became a support group member of PWN. In 2008, after seeing her active participation, Prudence asked Gladys to become an Outreach Coordinator.

I asked Gladys what she thought of PWN and she responded, "Because of PWN, I'm a strong person and with my strength I hope to lead other women who are HIV-positive to be strong as well."

Realities In South Africa

2009-04-20T16:27:00.000-07:00

On April 6, IDEX Program Officer, Kat and Vini visited PWN support group members and got a sense of life in the townships of Johannesburg.

We first went to the township of Wattville to meet with one of the groups supported by Positive Women's Network (PWN), located an hour away from downtown Johannesburg. Wattville is home to approx 100 to 150 families. The support group has 57 members. Prudence Mabele, PWN's Director, grew up in Wattville and her grandmother, sister and many other family members still live there. As we entered the township, Prudence showed us the school that she went to and the corner where she used to sell vegetables to the community.

Right now, the main challenge that people face in the townships is unemployment. Many families have had to depend on social grants provided by the government, but these barely cover rent and food.

Monique, a support group member of Wattville since 2002, shared with us how difficult it has been to find a job. She joined the support group to be part of a women's group in her township. A year later she tested with HIV-positive, during her pregnancy with her fourth daughter. Pregnancy is a common way for women to find out that they're HIV-positive. Because she was already part of the support group she knew the importance of coming out as an HIV-positive woman. Not hiding that you are HIV-positive is empowering and can raise awareness that it is possible to live positively.

Tombifuthi (more known by her friends as Matigale), provides assistance to Watville's outreach coordinator, and supported Monique, so she was able to tell her family right away. It is very rare for HIV-positive women to share their diagnosis quickly with their family. That Monique was motivated to do this speaks to the great support system PWN has cultivated in the support groups.

Every Thursday, Monique brings her daughters to the support group meetings. She wants them to be aware of HIV, especially since they are young women. And young women living in townships have a high probability of being raped. This is a harsh reality in South Africa, where a woman is raped every 18 seconds.

The main activity of this support group is treatment literacy. HIV-positive women learn how to access treatment and the importance of not dropping the treatment. The group is also attending workshops to learn how to start support groups and how to counsel each other. HIV is unfortunately a part of many lives and deaths occur daily.

IDEX Newsflash, April 20, 2009

2009-04-20T13:40:00.000-07:00

Bangladesh
Bangladesh PM to seek more Saudi jobs for expats - Reuters India – 20 Apr 09
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina leaves for Saudi Arabia on Monday to push for more jobs for expatriate workers.

Bangladesh unveils 500-mln-dlr stimulus package - AFP via Yahoo News – 19 Apr 09
The Government will pump an extra 500 million dollars into the economy over the next 10 weeks according to finance minister A.M.A Muhith. About half the money will be used in the agricultural sector.

India
The biggest democratic exercise, Part Two - Aljazeera.net – 19 Apr 09
Video program, Listening Post, travels to New Delhi to investigate the influences of political parties, media, and corporations on the country’s electoral process.

508 Nominations for 25 seats - Times of India – 19 Apr 09
More than 250 candidates filed their papers on Saturday, the last day of filing nominations. This took the total number of candidates contesting for the 25 Lok Sabha seats in the state of Rajasthan to 508.

Nepal
India alarmed as Maoists resume war on Nepal Army - The Hindu – 20 Apr 09
India’s ambassador to Nepal, Rakesh Sood met Maoist PM Pushpa Kamal after indications that recent feuds between the government and the Nepal Army might lead to a resumption of war.

Government inaction exacerbates insecurity - IRIN – 15 Apr 09
Human rights groups in the country are warning that the country is seeing an increased culture of impunity for human rights abuses.

Guatemala
Guatemalan gangster arrested in 60 bus killings - Associated Press – 16 Apr 09
Guatemalan police have arrested a gang member accused of being behind the killings of 60 bus drivers and assistants.

Mexico
The Week in Mexico - SignonSandiego.com – 19 Apr 09
Mexico news in brief including President Obama’s trip to Mexico and union protests in Michoacán.

Senegal
Senegal’s lifeblood drains away - BBC – 10 Mar 09
Remittances to the country have decreased in both their amounts and their frequency because of the continuing international financial crisis.

South Africa
Over 300 International Observers to Oversee Electoral Process - allAfrica.com – 17 Apr 09
Sixteen observer teams including representatives form the Commonwealth, the SADC Parliamentary Forum, the Senegal People Development Institute and the SADC Electoral Forum will be overseeing Wednesday’s election.

A Century of Deafness to Facts About Lung Disease in Miners - allAfrica.com - 17 Apr 09
Opinion piece urges action on the part of government and the mining sector to address the prevalence of tuberculosis amongst miners.

'Still Not Enough' Women in Key Posts in Private Sector - allAfrica.com – 17 Apr 09
Government departments and state-owned enterprises have outdone the private sector in appointing women to key positions in the workplace, according to the Businesswomen’s Association (BWA) census released yesterday.

Father Adrian, 'She literally had to run from the graveyard' - IRIN – 13 Apr 09
A Catholic priest who established a shelter in Musina, South Africa speaks about some of the experiences of the Zimbabwean women and children he encounters their.

Zimbabwe
GNU Crisis Meeting Deadlocked - allAfrica.com – 16 Apr 09
President Mugabe and PM Tsvangirai together with the vice-presidents and deputy prime ministers on Thursday held a crisis meeting in Harare, which failed to resolve outstanding issues of the global political agreement.

Tsvangirai Sets Up Farm Probe Team - allAfrica.com – 16 Apr 09
On Thursday, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai appointed a ministerial team to probe claims of farm disruptions across the country. According to Tsvangirai’s spokesperson, the probes will investigate reports of new farm invasions days before the start of the winter wheat season.

Maize Producer Price Set At U.S. $265/T - allAfrica.com – 16 Apr 09
The Grain Marketing Board has announced the 2008/09 maize producer price of US$265 per ton.

Immigration Unearths Scam - allAfrica.com – 15 Apr 09
The Department of Immigration has unearthed a scam involving some officers and immigration consultants making applicants pay double or more to receive services. The Department has now banned applications for immigration services through consultants or agents.

Africa
EU-ACP Ties Threaten Regional Integration - allAfrica.com – 18 Apr 09
New ties between the European Union and the African Caribbean and Pacific Countries have a risk of undermining regional integration by fragmenting countries into numerous blocs, trade experts have warned.

IDEX Is Hiring An Office Manager

2009-04-16T10:58:00.000-07:00

Our Office Manager Ces, is relocating to LA. Which means IDEX is looking for an Office Manager.

If you are interested, or know someone who might be, you can find the full job description and details on our Vacancies page.

We are accepting resumes now and would like to get this position filled in the next month.

If you think the job description is a good fit please send us your resume and cover letter to omhire@idex.org.