Mandela Condemns Fraudulent Foreword

Nelson Mandela has denied writing the foreword for President Denis Sassou-Nguesso of the Democratic Republic of Congo and has threatened the ‘appropriate’ legal action.

The book ‘Straight Speaking for Africa’ claims to have a foreword written by former South African President despite the fact that he has publically stated that he will not write any more.

The book claims to quote Mandela as saying that Sassou-Nguesso is one of the “greatest African leaders, who has worked tirelessly to free oppressed people from their chains.”

The Mandela Foundation has said in a statement that they “Condemn the brazen misuse of Mandela’s name and will be taking the appropriate legal action.”

556 Dead and Counting

556 people have been shot by South Africa’s police in the last year, this included 32 bystanders.

The death toll was the fourth consecutive rise that the Independent Complaints Directorate have recorded. The number of deaths caused by police action in South Africa has nearly doubled from 281 deaths since 2006-2006.

The death toll is nearing levels of the apartheid era where is it estimated by the Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation that 653 people where shot and killed by police in 1976.

The increased has been blamed by police of President Jacob Zuma’s call for a shoot-to-kill policy.

According to Durban resident Rhiannon Darcy; “Guns are very easy to get hold of and this means that there is a lot of violent crime. Hi-jacking and armed robberies happen every day. I have been here for 8 months and I have already witnessed 5 armed hi-jacking’s in broad daylight. So I totally agree with the shoot to kill policy. You can’t put the people in prison as they can’t afford the prison sentences and the re-offending rate is so high it is a waste of time. If someone hi-jacks a car and is driving around they will often shoot people randomly and drive so dangerously they cause many deaths by crashing. They are also hard to catch as the population is so massive and CCTV and things aren’t everywhere like here. As such, if a police man can legally shoot them to kill they can prevent many potential deaths.

The issue is not as cut and dry as it would appear people in the west, Miss Darcy also said that; “Police often abuse their power and they can potentially abuse this but there was so much corruption as it was to start within the police force that perhaps giving them more power and legal rights might have a positive affect where they won’t’ have to feel like they need to take the system into their own hands. A lot of innocent people get murdered everyday due to crime, rape and drugs so you do live in a constant state of terror.”

Whilst it is clear that the number of people being shot and killed by police in South Africa at the moment is far too high, and rising at an alarming rate there is also much more to the issue. The people of South Africa are not in uproar, like the people of Britain when police shot and killed Jean Charles de Menezes, it is perhaps seen as a necessary evil in attempting to make the streets safer for all.

$800m of Unspent Aid

Zimbabwe's unstable power sharing government are once again divided, this time over how to spend $800m of recently approved aid.

Gideon Gono, Governor of the Central Bank and ally of Robert Mugabe has accused Finance Minister Tendai Biti of being too slow to spend the donated money.

Biti has been cautious in spending the money donated by the IMF and African Export-Import Bank that amounts to $800m, and wants to wait for an approved budget, which will not be presented until November, before spending the money.

Gono, who has often clashed with Biti over Zimbabwe's finances, wants to see the money given to farmers and manufacturers to boost the failing economy.

Mr Biti and the Movement for Democratic change (DMC) have blamed Mr Gono for the current state of the economy and have called for him to be replaced.

"People are dying, and they are waiting for a budget", said former Zimbabwean tobacco farmer Joe Nell. "It just seems like petty arguments and point scoring from everyone, so nothing ever gets done and the people are forced to suffer and things will probably only get worse until Mugabe goes."

The public are crying out for the government to use the money to prevent the spread of cholera however with nothing set to bet spent until the budget is presented in November, the start of the rainy reason, which lasts through until November the government will be too late to prevent any further spread.

There has been comment at the moment from Mr Biti or the DMC as to how they propose to spend the $800m but Zimbabweans are hopeful that it will be spent on improving the general living conditions of the people.

NGOs are failing Africa

Britney Spears has shaved her head, Madonna and Angelina Jolie are adopting countless children, Katie Price and Peter Andre are getting married and then divorced. These stories have been splashed all over our newspapers; it makes for easy reading… even celebrities have their problems. But what we should really be talking about is far harder to swallow, Africa and the failing humanitarian aid efforts.

Africa has been the target and unfortunately the victim of foreign aid that has on the whole failed to work over the last 50 years. In July 2005 millions of people turned out in support of Bob Geldof because they wanted to ‘Make Poverty History.’ The plan was simple get the public excited by hosting huge concerts across the globe. Then create the ultimate fashion accessory of a white plastic wristband that sported the slogan and advertised to the world that you were an active and passionate solider in the fight against poverty. All this public attention and media furore would in turn pressurise governments into working together and eliminating third world debt. Simple!

But four years on what has really been done? There is no denying that the G8 summit came at an unfortunate time, as it was interrupted by the London bombings and was followed by a summer of bad news from Iraq to Hurricane Katrina. Optimists might hope that Live 8 disappeared from headlines because it has as Geldof put it “scored 10 out of 10 in aid and 8 out of 10 on debt relief.” While the cynics among us might have blamed the limited attention spans of western audiences that are more interested in celebrities and Jeremy Kyle than the many crises befalling Africa. Either way Live 8 like so many others before it vanished from the public eye.

As a general rule for every good foreign aid project, which are coincidently usually pretty small, there are dozens of failures costing millions of pounds. There is a general belief in Africa that aid fails because it enriches the wealthy and powerful at the cost of ordinary people. Foreign aid weakens the state in Africa and the only people who seem to grow stronger are the donors, governments and NGOs. It damages the prospects of normal people to better their lives, which in turn, turns ordinary Africans in to victims.

Many NGOs across the continent are practically patronising treating those they are supposed to be helping as inferior and failing to truly recognise the hard working and entrepreneurial culture. The continent is in need of a hand up, not a hand out. Microfinance programmes are an ideal way for an NGO to actually make a difference for the better, but so few have chosen to go down that road.

Distrust in NGOs is rife across Africa, and yet thanks to corrupt governments they have become an integral part of life. Far too many seem more interested in getting rich from the suffering of others. Staying away in extremely comfortable accommodation with their malaria tablets, hand sanitizers and satellite phones they have no understanding of the troubles befalling the recipients of their work. Dropping off food parcels and clothes once a month is all well and good but unfortunately it only perpetuates Africa’s problems rather than doing anything to solve them.

Those of us funding the organisations through donations need to start demanding to know exactly how our money is spent, and having a say in where our donations go. Education and sustainability should be the two key words for NGOs in Africa instead of aid. Aid is a temporary solution but far from a cure. We need to work alongside communities instead of for them. By improving local facilities and educating locals in the best ways to manage and maintain them will ensure that eventually foreign involvement will become redundant.

Whilst there are many well meaning NGOs and volunteers who truly do want to make a difference and change things, very few have actually been able to achieve what they set out to do. AfriKids is a relatively small charity which is showing all the markings of being extremely successful in their area of northern Ghana. With only 6 members of staff in the UK and the entirety of the Ghanaian branch run by locals. They proudly proclaim that their philosophy is to listen to the community’s needs, empower them to make the necessary changes themselves and to ensure absolute sustainability.

Controversial journalist and film maker Sorious Samura, who is famous for his shocking documentary ‘Cry Freetown’ as well as his ‘Living With…’ series which was broadcast on Channel 4 and CNN visited several of the AfriKids projects in February 2008 whilst making a documentary entitled ‘How to Make a Difference in Africa’ and was incredibly impressed with their ethics and methodology.

“I believe history will judge AfriKids as one of the few charities who manage to answer the million dollar question: how can we make aid work for Africa? The way they give in Ghana seems to me as the ultimate upgrade of aid in Africa.” Being aware that overall sustainability is dependent on the overall economic situation of the region, AfriKids have developed a range of project that will create job opportunities and inject investment and skills into the local economy as well as raising an income for AfriKids Ghana.

Dan Salmons, Head of Innovation for Barclaycard has even gone as far as to say that “AfriKids is genuinely transformational for Ghana; a model for perhaps how all aid will one day be conducted; locally led, effective and sustainable.”

We are constantly bombarded with negative images of Africa, as a continent ravaged with war, Aids and poverty. Every few years Bob Geldof will pop back up again shouting at us to ‘give him our f-ing money’ and we will kindly oblige but we in the western world surely have a duty to give to projects, charities and NGOs who are actually making a difference, who are willing to be held accountable and are transparent with all of their expenditure. Live 8 has come and gone and not even a fraction of what was promised has been delivered 4 years on.

Make Poverty History has done not been able to keep its promise, while it was a great exercise in increasing public awareness; it did nothing to combat the root of the problems facing the most troubled continent on earth. Don’t just donate blindly to charity because they have a sad advert research where and how your money is likely to be spent. The road to hell was paved with good intentions and a lot more than good intentions are needed if we are to do anything to help truly make poverty history once and for all.

Ghana's Child Smoking Fears

Despite the well publicised health risks of smoking, there are fears by Anti-smoking activists that cigarettes are so cheap in Ghana that even children can buy them, especially as they are being sold in single sticks as opposed to by the pack.

In Ghana it is common for parents to send their children out to buy their cigarettes for them, and in some cases children are also asked to light it before bringing it to their parents. Through natural curiosity or perhaps in a bid to keep the cigarette alight children are often tempted to take a puff. It does not take long for the nicotine to do its job and children easily become addicted.

Another issue is that a lot of cigarette vendors entrust their products with children to sell. Ion such establishments the cigarettes are usually sold alongside sweets and drinks.

The health risks of smoking are of course severe. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has recently released figures which say that each year 5 million people die as a result of smoking and that someone dies every 6.5 seconds from tobacco use. Smoking is also estimated to shorten life expectancy by 20 to 25 years.

If this trend is allowed to continue, smoking is predicted to kill 6 million people in 2010 which is more than HIV, malaria and TB combined. By 2030 the figure is likely to be over 10 million smokers and passive smokers with 70% in developing countries, including Ghana.

A spokesperson from Ghana’s High Commission in the UK told me; “Smoking is of course a huge concern, particularly if children are involved.”

Ghana does not currently have a law to regulate the tobacco industry, or the use of tobacco. A tobacco control bill has been pending for several months, even as Ghana was one of the first countries to ratify the UNs Framework for Tobacco Control (FCTC). However many people fear the power and influence of the rich tobacco companies in preventing any further progress.

Santa and Swine Flue

American Santa’s have been demanded priority status for swine flu vaccinations as one of the many precautions that they are taking before the festival onslaught on snotty nosed children.

Doctors in America fear the traditional visit to Santa could become the primary cause of the spread of the swine flu virus.

Professional Santa’s organisation has gone as far as to urge members to boost their immune systems my taking vitamins as well as to install hand sanitizers at grotto entrances and exits as well as increased cleaning of suits and beards. Some shops have also given elves the additional duty of pulling out sickly looking children from queues.

Visiting Santa has become such an important part of American life at Christmas that some Santa’s have estimated that they see around 10,000 children each year. As a result of this Santa leaders have already asked congressmen in Washington to priorities their members for the swine flu vaccine and put them on par with health workers.

With all the panic in America, there is as always a chance that Britain will follow and it would seem that as with most things American, we are. West Orchard shopping centre in Coventry has for the first time this year installed hand sanitizer outside the grotto, as well as in the outdoor area where children can see Reindeer.

There is obvious and understandable concern from parents about the threat of Swine flu but in West Orchards at least they seem satisfied at the precautions taken not only for the Christmas season but also the ‘Sani-posts’ that have been installed on every level of the shopping centre.

Sarah Hurley a student teacher, who visits Santa every year with her nieces said, “Children are little germ factories, they are always going to get sick, and they are always going to cough and sneeze on people, there isn’t all that much that can be done about it. It’s good to know that shopping centres are taking some preventative measures but its madness to blame Santa for swine flu and if it goes too far it would ruin the experience for children.”

Peace at Last

November is Peace month in Coventry, the city of peace and reconciliation. The city held its seventh peace festival which was condensed from its usual month long affair into just two weeks. The event included exhibitions, concerts and film screenings and the Presentation of Peace Prize to Bruce Kent who is one of the Countries most prolific campaigners for Nuclear Disarmament.

On 14^th November 1940 400 German bombs were dropped on the city causing mass destruction and killing hundreds of people. The cathedral was destroyed but subsequently took it upon itself to rebuild in the pursuit of reconciliation. Combined with a history of Trade Unions and Socialists in the 20’s and 30’s the Coventry became known as the City of Peace and Reconciliation.

In the spirit of reconciliation the city was twinned with other cities that were devastated as a result of the Second World War, including Stalingrad and Hiroshima and since then its reputation as a city for reconciliation and peace has grown, and become globally renowned.

In 1999 Coventry University has a department dedicated to the study of peace reconciliation and forgiveness. The centre offers an MA Peace and Reconciliation Studies as well as a Postgraduate Certificate in Conflict Resolution Skills.

The courses aim to bring about international understanding. The hope is that the work carried out at the centre will empower grass roots, national and international levels who strive to end violent conflict through non violent means and lay the foundations for peace between those involved in conflict. Whilst the centre works with the Cathedral they are not part of the religious centre as they aim to teach in a secular academic environment.

Recent graduate Sujana Upadhyay came to Coventry after working with the Charity Practical Action which works in Latin America, East Africa, Southern Africa and South Asia, and attempts to help the world poorest communities using “simple technology to fight poverty and transform their lives for the better.” Working with the charity and growing up in Nepal during their Civil War inspired her to take on the Masters programme.

Working alongside the Cathedral several of the students from the course gave public talks about their experiences of growing up in a war zones such as Kenya and Iraq. In the past students from Palestine have spoken of their experience of life in Refugee camps in Bethlehem and living under occupation.

The centre is also working alongside the Cathedral and the Herbert Art Gallery to promote Olympian Ideals of sports, ethics and peace and the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics. There are plans for a series of activities that will complement the sporting events of the games by “by providing a cultural experience of ‘peace and reconciliation.”

The hope is to promote the concept of peace and international friendship as well as supporting those suffering as a result of armed conflicts.