Teaching journalists to cover HIV and AIDS in a way that focuses on the broader question of their role in democracy-building

Marietjie Oelofsen of Idasa-GAP says the curriculum development project with UNESCO is a continuation of Idasa-GAP’s consideration of the role of journalists in unlocking resources across communities to deal with the challenges of HIV and AIDS. “It will look at the potential of journalism education to prepare journalists to generate a public conversation about citizens’ [...]

Idasa working with AIDS groups in five African countries

Democracy institute Idasa will be working in Burundi, Cameroon, Ghana, Uganda and Zambia focusing on HIV and AIDS and human rights. Idasa’s Governance and AIDS Programme (GAP) has already held meetings with government officials from various ministries and members from groups like the Alliance of Mayors Initiative for Community Action on AIDS at the Local [...]

Paul Graham statement at Community of Democracies on 3rd July 2010

The Community of Democracies recently commemorated its 10th Anniversary in Krakow Poland, where over over 100 civil society leaders and democracy activists from every region of the world participated. Idasa’s Paul Graham spoke to State representatives – see his remarks here.

Media for Advocacy trainees talk about their work

Leo and Raynor Listen to Leo from ISODEC (Ghana) and Raynor from Elimu Yetu (Kenya) on the work they are doing on education rights in Africa.  Both were participants at a training workshop on using “Media for Advocacy” in Tanzania in February 2010, for partners and colleagues around the continent, working in education. Also see [...]

African Governance – Ibrahim Index

The Ibrahim Index of African Governance is a comprehensive ranking of sub-Saharan African nations according to governance quality. The criteria for assessment capture the quality of services provided to citizens by governments and focus on the results that the people of a country experience. The criteria are divided into five over-arching categories which together make [...]

Council disconnects children’s water

The decision to shut off water and electricity to schools is a violation of human rights, of the right to education in particular. Though the Tshwane Metro Council called it a last resort; it is simply not an option.

Did SA sell weapons to rogue regimes ?

The debate on South Africa’s arms trade is once again in the spotlight. The Democratic Alliance’s David Maynier has informed the House of his serious concerns regarding possible weapons transactions involving countries with very dubious human rights records, such as Libya and North Korea.  There might also be an arms deal pending with neighbouring Zimbabwe.

Human Rights and Prisoners – Zimbabwe

Shouldn’t human rights apply to all humans, even prisoners? Should the crime of stealing a piece of meat be punishable by death? In Zimbabwe’s prisons even a short incarceration period has a high probability of ending an inmate’s life, a fate that torments prisoners when they are imprisoned.

Elections and Human Rights

While the definition of human rights seems simple and makes perfect sense to most of us, this unfortunately does not mean that all people everywhere have enjoyed equal rights through the ages. Human rights have always been, and continue to be, at the root of many struggles for national, group and personal freedom. As elections [...]