50 items tagged "Social Issues"

• June 18, 2013
• 15:41

  Africa: New Oxfam Plan to Tackle Global Poverty Based On "People Power"

   » ‎AllAfrica News: NGOs and Civil Society

  Tags:  Africa, Oxfam, Social*Issues, Environment 

  [Oxfam]Under the title "The Power of People against Poverty", Oxfam has adopted a new strategic plan that shifts the focus of its work onto the empowerment of people to shape their own future free from poverty.
• 14:02

  Egypt: Activist Faces Jail Sentence On Bogus Charges

   » ‎AllAfrica News: NGOs and Civil Society

  Tags:  Egypt, artificial*intelligence, Politics, Social*Issues, Law*Crime 

  [AI London]A recent one-year prison sentence handed down against a prominent opposition activist in Egypt is the latest attempt by the government to silence criticism, Amnesty International said today while calling for the conviction to be quashed and for him to be released.
• 13:54

  Tanzania: Police Abuse, Torture, Impede HIV Services - People Most At Risk Driven Underground By Discrimination, Violence

   » ‎AllAfrica News: NGOs and Civil Society

  Tags:  Dar*Es*Salaam, Tanzania, Wake*Up*and*Step*Forward*Coalition, Human*Rights*Watch, Social*Issues 

  [HRW]Dar es Salaam -Tanzanians who are most at risk of HIV face widespread police abuse and often can't get help when they are victims of crime, Human Rights Watch and the Wake Up and Step Forward Coalition (WASO) said in a report released today.

• June 17, 2013
• 18:27

  Rwandan students seek asylum over M23

   » ‎News24 Africa

  Tags:  Uganda, Education, War*Conflict, Social*Issues 

  Sixteen Rwandan students are seeking asylum in Uganda, saying they are the victims of harassment by security officials back home for refusing to join the Congolese rebel group M23.

• 16:26

  Liberia: RHRAP Ends Work Shop for Inmates in Bong Co.

   » ‎AllAfrica News: NGOs and Civil Society

  Tags:  Bong*Co., Social*Issues, Law*Crime 

  [Informer]The Rural Human Rights Activists Programme (RHRAP) has successfully ended a two-day psycho-socio, Trauma Healing and Conflict Management Workshop for inmates at the Gbarnga Central Prison in Bong County. The workshop was held from June 6-7, 2013.
• 13:04

  Nigeria: Post-2015 MDG - Charity Urges Nigeria On UN Report

   » ‎AllAfrica News: NGOs and Civil Society

  Tags:  Nigeria, United*Nations, Save*the*Children, Health*Medical*Pharma, Social*Issues 

  [Daily Trust]The charity, Save the Children has urged Nigeria and all United Nations member states to drive the agenda stated in a new UN report to push millennium development goals beyond 2015.
• 12:39

  Liberia: Crusaders for Peace Prepares for Huge Task

   » ‎AllAfrica News: NGOs and Civil Society

  Tags:  Liberia, Politics, Social*Issues 

  [New Republic]The Liberia Crusaders for Peace, an advocacy and empowerment non-government organization, is preparing for a very huge task across Liberia in line with land rights promotion campaign.
• 10:13

  Swaziland: Activist Stones Ginindza Dies

   » ‎AllAfrica News: NGOs and Civil Society

  Tags:  Social*Issues 

  [Swazi Media]Swazi activist Stones Ginindza passes away

• June 14, 2013
• 22:08

  Child soldiers jailed in Mali jails

   » ‎News24 Africa

  Tags:  Mali, War*Conflict, Social*Issues, Health*Medical*Pharma 

  An investigation by Amnesty International has found that children as young as 13, who were recruited by armed groups, are now among the inmates crowding jails in Mali's capital.
• 20:03

  Mugabe's election date 'illegal'

   » ‎News24 Africa

  Tags:  Zimbabwe, Mugabe, Politics, Social*Issues 

  Lawyers' groups in Zimbabwe say a unilateral call for end of July polls by the country's president is illegal, and he could be forced to overturn it at an upcoming regional meeting.

• 15:26

  Uganda: Civil Society Reaction to State of the Nation Address

   » ‎AllAfrica News: NGOs and Civil Society

  Tags:  Uganda, Civil*Society, Museveni, Politics, Social*Issues 

  [Pambazuka]A coalition of civil society organizations fighting for realization of the right to health in Uganda issued the following statement in reaction to President Museveni's State of the Nation Address:
• 15:19

  Namibia: Young Feminist Group Seeks Help

   » ‎AllAfrica News: NGOs and Civil Society

  Tags:  Namibia, Human*Interest, Social*Issues 

  [Namibian]THE Biblical saying that a prophet has no honour in his village became a truism for a young feminist organisation that seeks to promote gender equality in Namibia in line with SADC policies.
• 14:12

  Kenya: Coast Leading in Homosexuality

   » ‎AllAfrica News: NGOs and Civil Society

  Tags:  Kenya, Industry*AIDS*Prevention, The*Star, Cynthia*Kimola, Social*Issues 

  [The Star]Coast region is leading with the highest number of men having sex with men, one of the groups rarely considered in HIV/AIDS prevention programmes.Cynthia Kimola with that report.
• 10:56

  Nigeria: 'Do Not Employ Underage Children As Domestic Servants'

   » ‎AllAfrica News: NGOs and Civil Society

  Tags:  Nigeria, Veronica*Umaru, Labor, Social*Issues 

  [Daily Trust]Mrs Veronica Umaru is the National Coordinator of Women Trafficking and Child Labour Eradication Foundation (WOTCLEF). In this interview, she explains the effect of child labour and employing underage children in the home. Excerpts.

• 10:23

  Strike hurts Mozambique hospitals

   » ‎News24 Africa

  Tags:  Mozambique, Disaster*Accident, Social*Issues 

  A Mozambique medical strike now in its third week has paralysed all but essential services at some of the country's busiest hospitals.

• 8:37

  Tunisia: Imprisoned Femen Activists Should Be Released

   » ‎AllAfrica News: NGOs and Civil Society

  Tags:  Tunisia, artificial*intelligence, FEMEN, Politics, Social*Issues 

  [AI London]Yesterday's prison sentences against three activists from FEMEN, an international women's movement known for staging topless protests, in Tunisia are an unacceptable restriction on freedom of expression, Amnesty International said today.
• June 13, 2013
• 22:01

  Morocco: 'Little Maids' but Big Victims

   » ‎AllAfrica News: NGOs and Civil Society

  Tags:  Morocco, Medical*Little*Maids, Social*Issues, Labor, Law*Crime 

  [AlertNet]Each year Terre des hommes witnesses young girls from rural zones in Morocco being exploited by employers in the city, despite the strengthening of laws in Morocco.
• 14:21

  Kenya: War On Drugs Flagging, Says NACADA

   » ‎AllAfrica News: NGOs and Civil Society

  Tags:  Kenya, The*Star, National*Authority*for*Campaign*Against*Alcohol*an, Social*Issues, Politics 

  [The Star]THE National Authority for Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse has called for a special police unit and court to boost the war on illegal substances.
• 12:47

  West Africa: Boko Haram - Group Tasks FG On Refugees in ECOWAS

   » ‎AllAfrica News: NGOs and Civil Society

  Tags:  Lagos, Federal*Government, Politics, Social*Issues, War*Conflict 

  [Vanguard]Lagos -The Federal Government has been urged to assist Nigerians, forced to flee to neighbouring West African countries to escape from the Boko Haram violence in Northern Nigeria.
• 9:19

  Chad: Situation Precarious for People Displaced in Tissi

   » ‎AllAfrica News: NGOs and Civil Society

  Tags:  Chad, ICRC, Social*Issues 

  [ICRC]The situation of thousands of people displaced in Tissi, eastern Chad, remains worrying.

• June 12, 2013
• 22:48

  Kenyan MPs take first pay cut

   » ‎News24 Africa

  Tags:  Industry*tax-free*car*grant, Africa, Social*Issues, Politics, Labor 

  Kenyan MPs, among the best paid in Africa, have bowed to public anger by accepting their first pay cut - but only in exchange for a tax-free car grant, pensions and extra allowances.

• 14:26

  Tanzania: 'Children Work As Tour Guides'

   » ‎AllAfrica News: NGOs and Civil Society

  Tags:  Tanzania, Daily*News, Labor, Social*Issues, Entertainment*Culture 

  [Daily News]Zanzibar -ACTIVISTS in Zanzibar have raised concern over the increasing number of children who are engaged in tour guide business contrary to child labour laws.
• 8:33

  Kenya: Danish Refugee Council Launches Scholarship Programme in Dadaab

   » ‎AllAfrica News: NGOs and Civil Society

  Tags:  Kenya, Danish*Refugee*Council, Social*Issues, Politics, War*Conflict 

  [Sabahi]The Danish Refugee Council (DRC) announced Monday (June 10th) the launch of a scholarship programme for Somalis in Kenya's Dadaab refugee camp complex, providing educational opportunities for youth and vocational training for adults.

• June 10, 2013
• 17:43

  Rights based climate litigation in the Indian courts: potential, prospects & potential problems

   » ‎Eldis Latest Research

  Tags:  India, Civil*Society, Environment, Social*Issues, Law*Crime 

  Climate litigation is in its infancy in India. Climate-related claims have yet to be litigated in the courts. There are a few cases in which climate change has been referred to but only in passing. This report argues that the situation may well be set to change. Climate change and its impacts are rapidly capturing the popular imagination in India. There is a growing recognition of the importance and urgency of the issue and multiple climate policies and initiatives have been launched in response. Moreover, India has an engaged and proactive civil society, an activist judiciary, a progressive body of enviro-legal jurisprudence and an unparalleled culture of public interest litigation. This suggests not just that there are potential litigants waiting in the wings, but also that climate-related claims are likely to be favourably entertained by the judiciary.

• June 05, 2013
• 23:29

  Gay rights case moves to High Court

   » ‎News24 Africa

  Tags:  High*Court, Paul*Kasonkomona, Social*Issues, Law*Crime 

  The trial of prominent Zambian gay rights activist Paul Kasonkomona was put on hold in order for the High Court to rule on a challenge brought by his lawyers.
• 22:05

  Egypt charges protesters

   » ‎News24 Africa

  Tags:  Egypt, Law*Crime, Politics, Social*Issues, Religion*Belief 

  Egypt will try 12 activists for allegedly instigating violence during protests.

• 20:21

  Tunisia: French, German Women Face Court for Topless Protest

   » ‎AllAfrica News: NGOs and Civil Society

  Tags:  TUNIS, Tunisia, German*Women*Face*Court*for*Topless*Protest, Social*Issues, Education 

  [RFI]Two French women and a German went on trial in Tunisia on Wednesday for holding a topless anti-Islamist protest in the capital, Tunis.

• 19:27

  Revenue reform and statebuilding in Anglophone Africa

   » ‎Eldis Latest Research

  Tags:  Industry*revenue*systems, Africa, Social*Issues, Business*Finance 

  Within the development field, tax administration reform is an area of relative success. Over the past two decades, the national revenue systems of most countries in anglophone Africa have undergone major reforms. These comprise, in particular, the introduction of Value Added Tax (VAT), the adoption of ‘advanced’ tax administration practices, and the creation of semiautonomous revenue authorities. What do these reforms imply for emerging patterns of politics and governance in anglophone Africa?

  Considering this question this paper offers a number of conclusions:

  The impact of these reforms has been shaped by the broad context within which they were being implemented, especially the increasingly transnational character of many important policymaking relationships. Senior African revenue staff feature increasingly in transnational expert networks, and face a wider range of employment opportunities, public and private, both at home and abroad   These revenue reforms have contributed only modestly to statebuilding - actual revenue collection has not increased much; improvements in organisational capacity have been concentrated at national and capital city level; pand some anticipated spillover benefits from improving the revenue collection apparatus have not been realised   While these reforms have made it possible for governments to raise revenue from the private sector in a more ‘institutionalised, rule-bound' manner, they have also increased the possibility that the taxation system will be shaped by private sector interests, making it difficult for governments to raise the revenue that they claim they need.

• 17:20

  Kenya: Free Maternity must reduce deaths.

   » ‎AfricaNews - RSS News

  Tags:  Kenya, James*Macharia, Health*Medical*Pharma, Social*Issues 

  Although Kenya has budgeted Sh8 billion for free maternity and prenatal care to mothers giving birth in public health institutions, the country must do more to arrest the high number of maternal and prenatal fatalities. Newly appointed Health Secretary James Macharia inspected the largest maternal hospital in East and Central Africa at Pumwani to deliver…

• 15:32

  Nigeria: Jonathan 'Must Veto' Anti-Gay Wedding Bill

   » ‎AllAfrica News: NGOs and Civil Society

  Tags:  Nigeria, artificial*intelligence, Goodluck*Jonathan, Social*Issues, Religion*Belief 

  [AI London]President Goodluck Jonathan of Nigeria should not sign into law a draconian new bill that would formalize discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people and have wide-ranging effects on civil liberties in the country, 10 Nigerian and international human rights groups said today.
• 14:36

  Uganda: 500 to Benefit From Kisti Charity

   » ‎AllAfrica News: NGOs and Civil Society

  Tags:  Uganda, Benefit*From*Kisti*Charity, Robin*Kisti, Social*Issues, Human*Interest 

  [Observer]At least 500 needy Gulu residents are tipped to benefit from a charity drive spearheaded by popular NTV journalist, Robin Kisti.
• 11:09

  Tunisia: Femen Activist Must Be Released

   » ‎AllAfrica News: NGOs and Civil Society

  Tags:  Tunisia, artificial*intelligence, Social*Issues, Law*Crime 

  [AI London]A 19-year-old Tunisian activist for the FEMEN network is facing further accusations after having been convicted and fined on Thursday for the possession of a self-defence spray.

• 10:08

  DRC treats 300 rape victims a month

   » ‎News24 Africa

  Tags:  United*Nations, Disaster*Accident, Social*Issues 

  The UN's deputy emergency relief co-ordinator says a hospital in eastern DRC that helps victims of sexual violence is now treating 300 rape survivors a month.

• 8:40

  Uganda: Activists Want Climate Change Budget Increased

   » ‎AllAfrica News: NGOs and Civil Society

  Tags:  Uganda, Environment, Politics, Social*Issues 

  [New Vision]The Government should increase the budgetary allocation to climate change-related activities if Uganda is to achieve Vision 2040 and the National Development Plan 2010-15.

• June 04, 2013
• 20:12

  "You are all terrorists:” Kenyan police abuse of refugees in Nairobi

   » ‎Eldis Latest Research

  Tags:  Nairobi, Social*Issues, War*Conflict 

  This 68-page report is based on interviews with 101 refugees, asylum seekers, and Kenyans of Somali ethnicity. The report aims to document how police used grenade and other attacks by unknown people in Nairobi’s mainly Somali suburb of Eastleigh and a government order to relocate urban refugees to refugee camps as an excuse to rape, beat, extort money from, and arbitrarily detain, at least 1,000 people. The police described their victims as “terrorists,” and demanded payments to free them.

• 19:10

  This tension – between Norwegian selfinterests on the one hand and the question of poverty reduction and social development for the world’s poor on the other - lies at the heart of this report. Nigeria is a very interesting case in this regard: While

   » ‎Eldis Latest Research

  Tags:  Nigeria, Industry*off-shore*energy*services, Social*Issues 

  This tension – between Norwegian selfinterests on the one hand and the question of poverty reduction and social development for the world’s poor on the other - lies at the heart of this report. Nigeria is a very interesting case in this regard: While the country faces enormous challenges in terms of poverty and underdevelopment, it also represents a very interesting market for an increasingly globalised Norwegian export industry, particularly in the field of off-shore energy services.

   

• 8:57

  Zambia sees growing homophobia

   » ‎News24 Africa

  Tags:  Social*Issues, Law*Crime, Human*Interest 

  Two high-profile cases involving a suspected gay couple and a homosexual rights activist come back-to-back in Zambian courts this week raising concerns over growing homophobia.
• June 03, 2013
• 18:36

  Egypt sentences 5 drug mules to death

   » ‎News24 Africa

  Tags:  Egypt, Health*Medical*Pharma, Law*Crime, Social*Issues 

  Egypt has sentenced 5 foreigners to death for drug smuggling.
• 16:53

  Tuaregs accused of expelling blacks

   » ‎News24 Africa

  Tags:  Kidal, Social*Issues, War*Conflict 

  Black residents of the tense northern Malian city of Kidal say that the rebels from the lighter-skinned Tuareg ethnic group are planning to expel the city’s dark-skinned inhabitants.
• 10:37

  'African conflicts fuelled by global bullies'

   » ‎News24 Africa

  Tags:  Zimbabwe, Africa, Robert*Mugabe, Politics, Social*Issues 

  Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has accused Western countries of fuelling conflicts in Africa under the disguise of peacekeeping, according to a report.

• 8:50

  Kenya: Civil Society to Stage Another Protest Over MPs Pay

   » ‎AllAfrica News: NGOs and Civil Society

  Tags:  Nairobi, Kenya, Civil*Society, Politics, Social*Issues 

  [Capital FM]Nairobi -Civil society groups are planning to stage another demonstration on Tuesday next week to press MPs drop their salary increase demand.
• June 01, 2013
• 11:24

  Angola: Angola - Police Disrupt New 'Disappearances' Protest - No Credible Inquiry 1 Year After 2 Activists Abducted

   » ‎AllAfrica News: NGOs and Civil Society

  Tags:  Johannesburg, Angola, Human*Rights*Watch, Social*Issues, Politics 

  [HRW]Johannesburg -Angolan authorities forcibly broke up a peaceful protest on May 27, 2013, denouncing the enforced disappearance of two activists a year ago, Human Rights Watch said today. Human Rights Watch also expressed concern at the lack of a credible investigation into the disappearances.

• May 31, 2013
• 19:51

  Expanding microfinance in Latin America’s rural areas

   » ‎Eldis Latest Research

  Tags:  Industry*rural*finance, Industry*view*on*adaptations*to*credit*technology, Industry*risk*management, Industry*financial*services, Social*Issues 

  Rural finance has the potential to help poor people out of poverty, and Latin America has met that challenge in some unique ways.This Brief by discusses impacts of microfinance’s in rural areas, presenting evidence on rural poverty as well as on microfinance’s positive effects on consumption and investment in education. It then describes the evolution of rural microfinance in Latin America, before presenting some key Latin American experiences that aim to increase rural peoples’ access, not only to credit, but to a range of financial services and products. The author provides a view on adaptations to credit technology used in urban areas for application in rural finance, and emphasises the importance of risk management in order to expand outreach. Key lessons:

  rural areas need financial services for all types of economic activities, and these services should encompass more than credit. Latin America has shown that this is possible, in part with proper risk management strategies economies of scale and scope achieved by larger MFIs allow for better diversification of risk so that agricultural lending can be amplified. This likely indicates that prioritising growth and the diversification of these institutions should be an important task for governments and donors providing support for the sector

• 17:19

  Libya: U.S. State Department Daily Press Briefing: Benghazi & Egypt

   » ‎AllAfrica News: NGOs and Civil Society

  Tags:  Egypt, Department*of*State, United*States*Department*of*State, Politics, Social*Issues 

  [State Department]Excerpt from the United States Department of State daily press briefing:
• 15:20

  Egypt: New Draft Law an Assault On Independent Groups

   » ‎AllAfrica News: NGOs and Civil Society

  Tags:  New*York, Egypt, Human*Rights*Watch, Social*Issues, Politics 

  [HRW]New York -The draft Associations Law that Egypt's president put before the country's legislature on May 29, 2013, would allow the government and its security agencies to arbitrarily restrict the funding and operation of independent groups if it is adopted in its present form, Human Rights Watch said today.

• May 30, 2013
• 19:36

  Global overview 2012: people internally displaced by conflict and violence

   » ‎Eldis Latest Research

  Tags:  Syria, Colombia, Industry*long-term*solutions, Kate*Halff, Social*Issues 

  Over 6.5 million people were newly displaced inside their home countries in 2012, almost twice as many as the year before. Because these people have not crossed a border, they are not refugees and do not benefit from international protection. Much of the spike in the number of internally displaced people worldwide was due to the 2.4 million people displaced by the crisis within Syria by the end of 2012,’’ said Kate Halff, Director of IDMC. ‘‘Here, the acceleration of internal displacement is closely linked to the conflict, creating a ‘snowball effect’. In this context, internal displacement becomes a ‘moving target’ for those tasked with the response.” Until the conflict in Syria is resolved, internal displacement will continue to accelerate. This phenomenon has been witnessed in other countries with protracted, on-going conflicts. These include Colombia, which continues to host the largest number of internally displaced people (IDPs) in the world, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), which has the third largest IDP population behind Syria. With 10.4 million IDPs reported in sub-Saharan Africa, this region hosts almost a third of the world’s total. In DRC, 1 million were forced to flee their homes as a consequence of a major upsurge in violence in the eastern provinces. ‘‘Years of insecurity in DRC have depleted the coping ability of both IDPs and those who host them, having a profound and devastating impact on peoples’ lives,” says Halff. While DRC has the largest new displacement figures after Syria, a large portion of the 2.7 million IDPs are living in situations of protracted displacement. The report suggests that while a resolution to the conflict, particularly in Syria, is critical to the stabilisation of the internal displacement crisis, it highlights the importance of bridging the gap between emergency response and development activities. “90% of the countries monitored by IDMC have IDPs living in protracted displacement, often for decades while second and third generations are born into displacement,’’ says Halff. ‘‘Governments are responsible for finding long-term solutions for their displaced citizens. However, these can only be realised when governments and the international community recognise that people forced from their homes require not only a humanitarian response at the height of a crisis, but sustained engagement until a lasting solution is achieved.

• 19:19

  Global estimates 2012: People displaced by disaster

   » ‎Eldis Latest Research

  Tags:  Refugee*Council, Disaster*Accident, Social*Issues 

  The displacement of people by the risk and impact of disasters is a concern for policymakers in both rich and poor countries worldwide. Since 2009, the Norwegian Refugee Council’s Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC) has been providing global estimates of the number of people displaced each year to inform policy and measures by governments and other humanitarian and development actors that address the risk of displacement and ensure vulnerable displaced people are protected. This year’s report presents new findings for displacement during 2012 and analysis drawn from five years of data compiled by IDMC. As with previous years, estimates were determined by collecting, cross-checking and analysing secondary data from an expanding range of sources related to rapid-onset weather-related and geophysical hazard events. Statistical data is complemented by research on specific countries, situations and types of disasters.

• 15:51

  Africa: Trailblazers and Laggards - One Data Report Updates MDG Progress

   » ‎AllAfrica News: NGOs and Civil Society

  Tags:  Social*Issues 

  [ThinkAfricaPress]On 5 April this year, the countdown began for the final 1,000 days of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the most ambitious group of targets ever set to reduce global poverty. Launched in September 2000, the MDGs encompass a range of aims including halving global poverty, reducing child mortality by two-thirds, combating HIV/AIDS and malaria, and achieving universal primary education. Now, with the 2015 deadline fast approaching, the global community must focus on measuring the progress to date and h

• May 29, 2013
• 14:38

  Human rights in Latin America

   » ‎Eldis Latest Research

  Tags:  Civil*Society, Politics, Social*Issues 

  Human rights have played a key role in ending dictatorships in Latin America, inspiring democracy, fostering social justice and generating a more empowered and active citizenship. This guide highlights the key policies and practices that have made these advances possible. It explores the ways that states have implemented concrete legislative and public policy actions at the national and regional level to meet their obligations to protect and defend human rights. It then goes on to highlight the impact of the activism of a vibrant civil society in using these mechanisms to promote and guarantee the realisation of human rights, and in creating oversight mechanisms to monitor states’ compliance with their human rights obligations.

• May 23, 2013
• 22:24

  300 000 displaced in Darfur this year

   » ‎News24 Africa

  Tags:  Sudan, Politics, Social*Issues, War*Conflict, Weather 

  A resurgence of fighting in Sudan's western Darfur region has driven 300 000 people from their homes so far this year.