As part of the African Governance Institute’s activities programme in policy dialogue and advocacy for democratic and participatory governance in Africa, this seminar is designed to allow governance experts, governance practitioners from the public and private sectors, and civil society activists to engage in an intellectual dialogue on the major challenges facing Africa and to propose ways in which to rethink governance in general, and developmental governance in particular, with a view to satisfying the people’s aspirations for peace, human rights and development. The development challenge for Africa is to institute policies, institutions and processes that would help eradicate poverty and enhance socio-economic transformations as a means of reinforcing human security and ensuring self-sustaining development. Given the challenges of globalisation and the worldwide hegemony of liberal ideology, it is imperative that in the current rehabilitation of the pan-African project of continental unity, those in position of authority in politics, bureaucracy, civil society and the private sector, be challenged to generate new African thinking on developmental governance.
Jobs and Announcements
The goal of this petition is to get 10 million signatures (globally) in 10 years and to moblise support to force world leaders to implement anti-poverty policy changes. Ten solutions are proposed to end poverty. Full equality between men and women, a worldwide minimum wage of $20 per day and the end of child labour are proposed, as well as guarantees of shelter, healthcare, education, food and drinking water as basic human rights. Land redistribution, an end to private monopoly ownership over natural resources, the termination of intellectual property rights on pharmaceutical drugs and the cancellation of third world debt are also mentioned. Total transparency is demanded for any corporation with more than 100 employees and a 1% tax on all benefits distributed to shareholders of corporations to create unemployment funds. Other solutions include the termination of tax havens around the world, cancellation of taxes on labour and basic consumption while introducing global taxes, equal voting for developing countries in international organisations such as the IMF, and a commitment by industrialised countries to decrease carbon emission by 50% over a ten-year period, as well as reducing by 25% each developed country’s consumption of natural resources.
Three leading paediatric associations are uniting to host the 26th IPA Congress of Pediatrics in Johannesburg, South Africa from 4–9 August 2010. More than 5,000 participants are expected to attend this landmark event, the first IPA congress to be held in sub-Saharan Africa. It will unite paediatricians and health professionals working towards the target set by Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to reduce child mortality by two thirds before 2015. The scientific programme is designed to meet the needs of general paediatricians from both the developed and the developing world. Plenary sessions will include: the MDGs and the current state of health of children in the world, and progress towards the MDGs; the state of the world’s newborns, including major issues determining maternal and newborn health in developing and developed countries; the determinants of health, such as genetics, nutrition and the environment; disasters and trauma affecting child health, such as disasters, crises and the worldwide epidemic of trauma; and the global burden of infectious diseases affecting children and the challenge of emerging infections.
Researchers during the early stages of their independent research careers often find it hard to obtain grant support in competition with more established colleagues. This is paradoxical since there is evidence that researchers at the start of their independent careers are at their most creative. The Wellcome Trust Investigator Awards will be specifically targeted at this group of researchers; Wellcome Trust Senior Investigator Awards will be reserved for fully-established independent researchers. Investigator Awards will be made available at two levels of experience and seniority: Wellcome Trust Investigator Awards and Wellcome Trust Senior Investigator Awards. In addition to these new awards, the Trust will be introducing Enhancement Awards, which will be available to Wellcome Trust Investigators, Research Fellows and Strategic Award holders. These will provide flexible additional funding to support evolving research programmes and could, for example, support equipment, collaborations, and additional research costs.
Experimental Biology is an annual meeting comprising of nearly 13,000 scientists and exhibitors representing six sponsoring societies and 18 guest societies, which will be held from 24–28 April 2010 in Anaheim. General fields of study include anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, molecular biology, pathology, nutrition, pharmacology and immunology. EB 2010 is open to all members of the sponsoring and guest societies and nonmembers with interest in research and life sciences. The majority of scientists represent university and academic institutions as well as government agencies, non-profit organisations and private corporations. This multidisciplinary, scientific meeting features plenary and award lectures, pre-meeting workshops, oral and posters sessions, on-site career services and exhibits of an exhibit floor with an array of equipment, supplies and publications required for research labs and experimental study.
Abstract submission for IPA 2010 is still open. Participants wishing to propose papers for oral or poster presentations are invited to submit their abstracts via the Congress website address given here. Abstracts should be limited to 250 words. Topics include: child health and survival; Millennium Development Goals; neurology; cardiology; dermatology; endocrinology, diabetes, obesity and adolescent medicine; genetics, congenital anomalies; infectious diseases; allergy and immunology; development, neurodevelopmental disability and other long term outcome studies; pulmonology; nephrology; nutrition, gastroenterology and metabolism; pharmacology; neonatology; haematology and oncology; education and training; paediatric surgery and surgical sub-specialties; and miscellaneous topics. Only abstracts of authors who have paid their registration fees by 31 March 2010 will be scheduled and included in the final programme.
HEARD at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa is offering to support up to 12 young researchers by linking you to an international academic mentor who will support your writing of an article for submission for publication. If you are a young researcher (35 or under on 1st January 2010), resident in the SADC and EAC region and have exciting and original research on universal access to prevention, treatment, care and support, now is your chance to submit an article to a reputable peer reviewed international journal. Submissions need to include the application form (available on the website address given below) and a 10,000-word paper on a topic engaging with universal access. Papers should be no longer than 10,000 words and must be written in English. All disciplines may submit papers on universal access but topics should focus on social science, humanities or economics issues. Bio-medical topics will not be considered for support. Based on regional priorities, particular attention will be given to papers on issues faced by women – including sexual and reproductive health and rights; prevention topics in general and topics of health and economics.
The MA or Masters in Participation, Power and Social Change (MAP), offered by the University of Sussex, United Kingdom, is an 18-month programme providing experienced development workers and social activists with the opportunity to critically reflect on their practice and develop their knowledge and skills while continuing to work or volunteer for most of this period. The MA combines academic study, practical experience and personal reflection. Students carry out an action research project related to their work, inquiring into the challenges of participation and power relations, reflecting on their actions and assumptions, and exploring what it means to facilitate change. Designed for development workers and social change activists, this course combines academic study, practical experience and personal reflection. Students are able to continue with their work or volunteering activities while pursuing an MA degree, which includes a 12-month period of work-based learning in which they carry out an inquiry into their own practice. IDS is seeking interested people with at least three to five years of experience to join the October 2010 intake.
The Fourth Africa Conference on Sexual Health and Rights is part of a long-term process of building and fostering regional dialogue on sexual rights and health that leads to concrete action to influence policy particularly that of the African Union and its bodies. The purpose of the conference is to examine the interrelationship between sexuality and HIV and AIDS. In particular, it aims to open up discourse on sexuality in Africa and how this might lead to new insights in reducing the spread of HIV in Africa. The focus will be on identifying new and emerging vulnerabilities and vulnerable people using the concept of sexual rights and sexuality in the fight against HIV and AIDS. It will also explore how the application of human rights framework to sexuality might provide new insights in developing interventions to reduce the spread of HIV and map out new and innovative strategies, programming and funding best suited to deal with those most vulnerable to infection. The conference will provide a framework of how sexuality and the application of sexual rights may lead to openness, responsibility and choices for all people, particularly young people, on sex, sexuality and sexual behaviour.
The European Development Fund is offering grants for its ARIAL programme. The overall objective of the programme is to promote the political recognition and engagement of the local authorities (LAs) as important players and partners of development. The specific objective of the programme is to promote and strengthen the capacity of LAs in African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries. In particular it seeks to strengthen LA representative institutions from the national level up to the international level so that they will be able to take part in the implementation of development policies, in particular with the European Union, and play a political role as provided for by the Cotonou Agreement. The core target group will be existing national and regional local authority associations, which are still to be identified by the successful candidates. Applicants will explain the methodology with which they plan to select/or have already selected the associations who will receive their support. Any selection process should ensure the effective representation of all ACP regions, and, where possible, all ACP countries. The successful candidate will ensure that existing associations, who most effectively represent local authorities, will receive support.