On 25 May 2014 the African Union (AU) will be 12 years old, having been set up in Addis Ababa on 9 July 2002. In May 2014 Pambazuka News seeks to have a special issue on projecting into the future what Africa will look like in 50 years time. What kind of Africa do women, youth, trade union activists, environmentalists, human rights, LBGTI and sex worker activists envision? What are the dreams of African writers, poets, scientists, engineers, agronomists, musicians for the continent in 50 years time? The revolutionary Thomas Sankara heeded that: “we must dare to invent the future.” What future will Africans create in 50 years time? Will we continue to ape the intellectual paradigms of the West, in terms of economic models, fashion and style? Is this imitation an inevitable aspect of “globalisation”? What institutional challenges face the AU in the next 50 years? These are the issues and questions they hope the special issue will grapple with and address in articles. Poems, short stories and personal opinion pieces are welcome.
Jobs and Announcements
The Innovating for Maternal and Child Health in Africa program is launching a call for letters of intent for the selection of Implementation Research Teams. This program is funded by Canada’s Global Health Research Initiative, a collaboration of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, and IDRC.Sub-Saharan Africa is the program’s region of focus. The proposed research project must take place in at least one of the targeted countries: Ethiopia, Ghana, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Nigeria, Senegal, South Sudan, and Tanzania. (Research can also take place concurrently in other countries.
The Innovating for Maternal and Child Health in Africa program is launching a call for proposals for the selection of Health Policy and Research Organizations. This program is funded by Canada’s Global Health Research Initiative, a collaboration of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, and IDRC. Sub-Saharan Africa is the program’s region of focus, targeting these nine countries: Ethiopia, Ghana, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Nigeria, Senegal, South Sudan, and Tanzania.
One of the most important vehicles that CODESRIA uses to mobilise national-level research capacities and channel them into organised reflections has been the National Working Groups (NWGs). Through this mechanism, it encourages African researchers to autonomously organise and pursue research on priority themes of their choice. In line with the retention of NWGs as important instruments for promoting research, publication and the exchange of knowledge on important national issues in Africa by CODESRIA’s 2012-2016 strategic plan, the Council invites proposals for the constitution of NWGs under its 2014 grants competition. The Council particularly desires proposals that seek to weld structured empirical research into innovative theoretical reflections on important national issues.
The eLearning Africa “Through your Lens” Photo Competition is back this year in its fifth edition. Under the theme of “Social Africa: building bridges through ICT”, budding photographers are invited to submit snapshots depicting how ICT is enhancing the way individuals and communities in Africa live, learn, cooperate and connect. Contributions from all sectors and walks of life are welcome. The photo should show how communication tools and information technologies can build bridges and foster relationships between people and be accompanied by a brief description outlining the inspiration behind their idea.
The 4th Ethics, Human Rights and Medical Law Conference is a must attend event for healthcare professionals in South Africa and the surrounding region. A one-day conference that is fully dedicated to the above topics, it was created to demonstrate how important all three subjects are, as well as how they connect to one another.
Pambazuka News needs volunteers to translate articles. Published weekly in English and French, and every 15 days in Portuguese, our electronic newsletter sometimes translates articles from one language to another. Through this, they aim to break down language barriers, give more audience to relevant analysis for our contributors and encourage exchanges between linguistic communities in Africa and around the world. In this Pambazuka is unique.To deal with increasing translation needs, they are looking for volunteers to strengthen our team of volunteer translators who assist us in this task and contribute to what Pambazuka is.They engage to sign all translated articles with the name of their authors.
The African Network for Strategic Communication in Health and Development (AfriComNet), a network of health communication practitioners across 50 countries, proposes an interactive three-day practicum focused on health communication monitoring and evaluation. The practicum will address topics such as how health communication strategy design influences monitoring and evaluation plans; the use of behaviour change theories/models to guide evaluation planning; using evaluation and monitoring data to inform program strategies; using health communication research to test theories; and effectively disseminating and using evidence and findings to improve the science of health communication. Early registration is encouraged as the practicum is limited to a maximum of 150 participants. To register, please complete the registration form on the website.
In celebration of the 15th anniversary of the Award in 2007, the Royal Thai Government and the Prince Mahidol Award Foundation decided to convene an annual international conference focusing on policy-related public health issues of global significance. The call for abstracts for the 2015 conference is open and abstracts must be submitted electronically through the conference website.
Africare’s Injongo Yethu Project provides technical support and assistance as a contribution to the South African Government’s response to HIV and AIDS in the Chris Hani, Cacadu and Amathole Districts of the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. Funded by the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the project aims to strengthen and scale up prevention, treatment, care and support for people living with HIV and AIDS, their caregivers, family members, and community including orphans and children made vulnerable due to HIV and AIDS.Africare seeks to appoint a Monitoring and Evaluation Technical Advisor, based in the Eastern Cape.
For further information visit the website.