Candle-powered FM radios in Senegal: "First Lady of Senegal Inaugurates Community Radio
23/06/2003 (UNESCO)
The First Lady of Senegal Viviane Wade and UNESCO Dakar Office Director Armoogum Parsuramen inaugurated a community radio in the Senegalese village of Mbissao last week. UNESCO donated a so called suitcase radio - a portable FM station - and 40 oil lamps comprising an FM receiver powered by the heat of the flame. "

Africa Centre for investment Analysis: "For the first time, the Africa SMME (Small, Medium and Micro Enterprise) Awards will be presented at the 5th Annual Development Finance Conference to honour the best SMMEs in Africa. This gala-event will be broadcast live on SABC Africa and other broadcasting channels throughout Africa and beyond."

When King Mswati III dissolved Swaziland's Parliament this month in anticipation of October elections, he sternly warned prospective candidates not to murder innocent people in order to harvest their body parts to make a "muti" to bring good fortune... Usually marginal people in society, such as widows or orphans, are killed for pieces of flesh that are roasted, ground to powder, and combined with other ingredients for a potion its users believe will allow them to triumph over their rivals.
Source: Mail and Guardian

Internship at ReliefWeb, Geneva

Internship at ReliefWeb, 3-6 months starting a.s.a.p

ReliefWeb is a project of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs aiming to strengthen the response capacity of the humanitarian community through the timely dissemination of reliable information on prevention, preparedness and disaster response.

Duties: The intern will assist the information managers in the research and posting of information on humanitarian emergencies and related issues. This includes:

AP TV Job

You hardly ever see TV news jobs advertised. Here's an exception.

APTN has a vacancy for a Regional Editor covering Europe and Africa, based in London, to be responsible for all APTN's editorial coverage in the regions.
The Europe/Africa Editor identifies news for the international agenda and sets up detailed plans for coverage of day-to-day and special events. The Editor manages resources, budgets, and the operations of some forty bureaux in the regions. The position reports to APTN's Deputy Managing Editor (Planning).
Candidates need several years' experience in a senior role in television news-gathering, and a strong background in team leadership and resource management. An excellent knowledge of news and current affairs in Europe and Africa is essential, along with good organisational and communication skills. Languages are desirable.

Third World Network Africa - TWN Africa

Report challenges claims for Genetically Modified Crops in Africa.
After examining the impact of three genetically modified crops, sweet potato, maize and Bt cotton, on poverty alleviation in Africa this report concludes that biotechnology does not address the real causes of poverty and hunger in Africa.

Nominations open for African science, technology reporting awards

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Jun 20, 2003



Nominations have opened for Africa's biggest science and technology journalism awards, with a final deadline set for October 1.
The annual Profile Awards, sponsored by global technology group Siemens, is accepting nominations from anywhere in Africa for the first time. The awards previously only recognized work published in the southern African region.
The awards seek to showcase journalism that breaks the mould, and that elevates technology writing above the dull and jargon-ridden “techno-talk” that characterizes so much science reporting on the continent.
Winning entries should demonstrate journalists' ability to “unbundle” technology in writing that is interesting and easy-to-understand, and which makes even complex concepts, or the workings and benefits of technological processes, easily understandable to a lay audience.

Miraa farmers, traders protest flights ban

Miraa farmers, traders protest flights ban
By Patrick Muriungi


Angry miraa farmers and traders in Meru yesterday protested over the decision to ban flights to Somalia.
The farmers claimed the ban has so far caused them over Sh50 million in unsold miraa (khat) and demanded for the Government to lift the ban immediately.
Led by Mithika Kiome, Baituri M'Ithia and Bernard Kiome, the farmers and dealers said the ban on flights had greatly affected their only source of livelihood.
Most of the miraa which grows in mainly Meru North District is transported to Somalia via Wilson Airport.

Zanzibar International Film Festival

The Festival of the Dhow Countries, East Africa’s largest cultural event, will take place in Zanzibar from 28th June – 12th July 2003, in magnificent, historical venues along the waterfront of Stone Town. The festival celebrates the unique cultural heritage of the "Dhow" countries: the African continent and the Indian Ocean region and their global Diaspora.

Daily Nation on the Web

Somali leader seeks lifting of flight ban
By ADAN MOHAMED
The Somali Transitional National Government wants Kenya to lift the flight ban on the country.
The closing of Kenyan airspace to aeroplanes from Somalia will only add to the suffering of its citizens and undermine the on-going peace talks, President Abdi Qassim Salat Hassan said. His call came barely two days after the ban was effected.

Meet Gaetano, Uganda’s Big Brother housemate

By Elizabeth Kameo & Moses Serugo
May 27, 2003

If one is going to follow any reality TV show in Uganda this year, it has to be Big Brother Africa. Forget Survivor, Pop Idol ... Adrenaline is going to flow as Ugandans have a take too, a Ugandan housemate in the Big Brother house.
Uganda’s representative is 30-year old Gaetano, known by family and peers as Gae. Originally a dare, Gaetano Juuko Kagwa soon found that dare had turned into reality as he waved goodbye to his family and entered the Big Brother House.

Highway Africa 2003

The Highway Africa conference concentrates on new media issues relevant for journalists and the media and aims to bring African media into the centre of debates about the Global Information Society. It is an annual conference and includes panel discussions and debates, as well hands-on skills training workshops. This year's conference themed "Mainstreaming Media in the Information Society" will be held in Grahamstown, South Africa from the 8 - 10 September 2003.

Kenya's Friends Reunited: Welcome to WakoWapi

Welcome to the WakoWapi community. The premier Kenyan reunion and networking virtual community. In this commumity, people educated in Primary, Secondary, and High schools, Colleges and Universities in Kenya are able to reunite with old classmates and friends, catch up on old times, recreate, renew, rekindle and recapture old memories and experiences as well as make new lasting and meaningful friendships, now and into the future.

Job: Knowledge Coordinator, Infodev, World Bank

The new Knowledge Coordinator reports directly to infoDev?s Program Manager. To that end, the selected candidate will also be supervising a small team of staff as well as short-term consultants on a need basis. This position is central to the expansion of infoDev?s operations. He/she will:

- Ensure a significant increase in our ability to provide original analysis and research of relevance to the activities of infoDev and the ITC Department as a whole.
- Launch original research programs and develop ICT projects of interest to infoDev?s clients and donors.
- Accumulate data and knowledge on relevant ICT themes and best practices.
- Manage and expand infoDev?s activities in the area of knowledge dissemination (publications, events, monitoring and evaluation).
- Develop excellent cooperation with high-level research entities within and outside the World Banks Group (including universities, private research institutes and other international bodies).
- Contribute to infoDev?s strategy and policy formulation and interact with clients in this regard.
- Represent infoDev and GICT Department at internal and external fora.

Miner mobiles

Underground market attracts MTN

BY RODNEY WEIDEMANN, ITWEB JOURNALIST


[Johannesburg, 6 June 2003] - While there have been concerns raised that the local cellular industry has almost reached saturation point, mobile operator MTN is looking to break into the underground market.
The company has been conducting tests to assess the safety of electric and electronic detonators in the presence of cellular radio interference, in the hopes that it will soon be able to roll-out the next generation of underground communication systems within the country's mines.