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GEO/ICAE
1. - IALLA III 2007
4.- A double tragedy: the death of
Tanzania’s Youngest MP
7.- Opportunity /
International Communications Campaigner
Please note that there are scholarships for applicants from the south.
(French bellow - Francais cidessous)
The
International Council for Adult Education (ICAE) is pleased to announce its
third edition of the Academy of Lifelong Learning Advocacy that will be held
in Montevideo, Uruguay, from September 24 to October 12, 2007.
………. FRENCH
Le Conseil International d'Éducation des Adultes a le plaisir d'annoncer la troisième édition de son cours de formation en défense des droits pour l'apprentissage tout au long de la vie (ICAE Academy of Lifelong Learning Advocacy - IALLA), qui aura lieu à Montevideo, Uruguay, du 24 septembre au 12 octobre, 2007.
La date limite pour se présenter est le 30 juin 2007. Veuillez envoyer les renseignements à: icaeialla@gmail.com
Merci d'en
donner la plus ample diffusion.
2.- ICAE Virtual Seminar / CONFINTEA_BENCHMARKS
3.- International Conference: The Right to Education
in the Context of Migration and Integration
Advance
notice!
Language
as a Key to Integration and Participation
Adult Education and International Cooperation in Bonn Thursday, 15 November 2007, from 2:00 pm (Deutsche Welle)
to Friday, 16 November 2007, 5:15 pm (Gustav-Stresemann-Institut)
Partnership: Deutscher Volkshochschul-Verband (DVV) International Council for Adult Education (ICAE) European Association for the Education of Adults (EAEA) The European Language Certificates (telc GmbH) Deutsche Welle (DW) Implemented by: dvv international Conference Languages: English and German
Supported by: Bundesministerium für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung (BMZ) Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge (BAMF) telc GmbH Deutsche Welle
Information and Registration: conference@dvv-international.de More information from 1 July 2007 on the website: www.migrationandintegration.de
4.- A double tragedy: the death of Tanzania’s Youngest MP
Tanzanians received with shock news of the death of Hon. Amina Chifupa late on Tuesday evening June 26, 2007. The death occurred at the Lugalo Military Hospital in Dar es Salaam, where she had been admitted for some time. The cause of death is not clear and theories abound. Nevertheless during a televised interview her father indicated that her death resulted from high levels of blood sugar and a fever that would not abate.
The controversy around her death has instigated soul searching among Tanzanians, especially women and the youth. The late Chifupa came to national prominence after she became the youngest contestant to vie for the ruling party’s youth wing candidacy to Parliament in the 2005 General Election. She had no prior political experience but was a popular radio announcer on a private station- Clouds FM. After an aggressive and a well publicized campaign she emerged victorious and was paraded as one of the ruling party’s ‘new blood’.
Hon. Chifupa made history when she was appointed by the ruling part, CCM, to the Youth Special seats in parliament. Upon her swearing in, just a few months short of her twenty fifth birthday she became the youngest parliamentarian ever. Her short service in Parliament, spanning about eighteen months, was eventful. In the House, Hon. Chifupa was a fierce critique of government inaction to arrest known drug smugglers intensifying addiction rates among youths. A visible figure, she graced numerous social events particularly reaching out to children and youth in difficult circumstances.
Initially the media carried stories about her ‘blunders’ in parliament: being chastised for how she dressed or spoke furthering the perception among the political bourgeoisie (civil society and civil servants) that she was inept and frivolous. The fact that she operated in a parliament obsessed with academic qualifications instead of MPs ability to serve (it is infested with “Profs.” and “Drs.”) meant that she was often not taken seriously considering her age and low academic status. Thus even when she took up the issue of drug trafficking many dismissed her campaign as attention seeking. Some thought she was naïve and was being used by aggrieved persons with business grudges who were not brave enough to take on the drug mafia.
A strong supporter of the revised Bill on the importation of narcotics and other banned substances she challenged authorities to take firm action against drug smugglers who were killing Tanzanian’s human resource capacity. On occasions she promised to reveal a list of names of big shots deep in the drug trade if there was assurance that the government would take action, executive and legal, against the culprits. Ironically her death occurred on the day the country was observing the World Anti-Narcotics Day fueling suspicions of the involvement of drug barons in her death: Skeptics think this is more than a coincidence suggesting that it is symbolic message from the drug mafia who will stop at nothing to guard their lucrative trade.
Other than a mafia conspiracy competing theories surrounding her death include depression and illness allegedly brought about by the incessant media lashing and ineffective support systems to help her cope with the onslaught. Surely, no male politician or public figure has been hounded in this manner. Attempts by the Feminist Network (FemAct) to end the obscene manner the local media intruded in her private life fell on deaf ears as the media put aside all ethical considerations and tried to make a buck through misogynistic preoccupations. Certainly they also need soul searching.
The circumstances surrounding her death are mysterious. For a number of months Hon. Chifupa was on the news over alleged matrimonial difficulties with her husband. The media relentlessly covered their separation in detail allegedly over some affair she was having with another politician. In the most recent coverage a local paper reported that Hon. Chifupa had her hair shaved off like Britney Spears and was in need of help (apparently she was distressed and depressed). They also reported that her parents locked her up to contain her. it is clear that the media was trying to paint a picture of a young woman who was out of control while in fact it suggests that she was a woman in distressed and her family tried to help her the best way they could including traditional interventions.
Reacting to her saga I observed to a friend about how many of us had kept silent over the media’s assault on her privacy. Characteristically my friend blamed the victim suggesting that she was a victim of her own doing: she loved using the media for publicity and it seems the media had gotten the better of her. Many women were less sympathetic over her matrimonial difficulties because they blamed her for breaking the home of another woman when, with pomp, she used her office as a media announcer to publicly announce her romance with her husband who was then “another woman’s husband”. Society was harsher on her, not her husband, as if he was not complicit: After all he was the married party and at the time she was very young. The fact that he was a famous personality with money did not help making their romance a sensational piece of tabloid news.
Such biased attitudes were to persist as she was crucified in the media for her alleged infidelity while the acts of her husband (who was rumored to want to take on an additional wife) and alleged ‘friend’ were beyond reproach. The ferocity at which her personal life was attacked and her privacy invaded is legendary and compares to women globally, who have been subjected to the same fate with dire outcomes. Surely, the manner in which the media followed and consumed her every action easily qualifies her to be Tanzania’s Lady Di. News of her troubles, real and imaginary, sold papers.
It is not surprising that the Amina saga is being trivialized in sexual terms- reducing it to a matter of an out of control woman who could not handle political power such that she engaged in sexual excesses necessitating her husband to shock her from her power stupor by issuing the ‘magic talak’, the prerogative of the husband. Indeed the attack on Hon. Amina is about women and power and the fear this still evokes in larger political establishment and civil society sector.
Amina challenged our notions of leadership to the core- being young, a woman and fearless. We know that what was touted as an affair is her challenge to befriend another ardent youth leader from the opposition to pursue the youth agenda beyond partisan ranks. Rumours have it that she the smearing campaign against her was instigated by her desire to move up the party youth ranks. It is an open secret that power tussles in political parties are frequent and in nature very ugly: For many politics is a profession and a means of livelihood and influence they will protect at all costs. What she the price? Amina may have been naïve in her political engagements but perhaps this was her salvation in a corruption infested political arena. She stood up for the public good but was let down by the public she served as they ingested without reproach her very public humiliation.
While stories of her private life continued to circulate on the media on a daily basis, Hon. Amina was noticeably absent from public view. No one saw or heard from Amina since she failed to turn up for a scheduled tell all press conference. Only her father turned up hardly raising eyebrows or raising interest among journalists who hitherto expressed great interest in investigating her sexual life. More surprising her absence from the ongoing budget session was unexplained. Clearly Amina was in trouble but how many of her so called “wapenzi” (admirers) in parliament, in the party and among the public reached out to her at her hour of need? It is very telling that while the chair of the opposition party of Amina’s alleged male friend came out to protect his protégée no one, at least from her party, came out in defense of the late Amina. Are we crying empty tears?
As usual many explain her death as “God’s doing”. But is it or are we unpreapared to question our actions and inactions? Certainly, her youth, popularity and sex had everything to do with her death and manner of dying. Her death is a double tragedy: for our collective failure to rein in media excesses; and for our inability, as women and activists, to express solidarity to a soul clearly in distress. Importantly, it begs serious interrogation about how we prepare and support upcoming women leaders, as individuals and as professionals, beyond the concern of raising the numbers of women assuming office. We need to move beyond tokenism to empowerment.
Salma
Maoulidi, Dar es Salaam.
5.-
Women’s Education and the Right to Information Mela
Information and awareness are important aspects of adult women’s education and literacy. In the past five years women associated with Sahjani Shiksha Kendra have tried to use their acquired information to raise issues of concern, but have often faced challenges due to lack of proper information. The Right to Information Act brought with it new hope hope to finally get all the information that was so far inaccessible in official books and records.
After this session Women asked many question related to ration cards, Job cards, health system and land problem. After this, based on previous days' discussion, 3 applications were written. This gave women and adolescents the opportunity to use the skills learnt to get information. The applications were sent to the relevant representatives from the administration, whom we had also invited for the Mela.
There was also an exhibition theatre, songs, etc through which women made presentations in the session on issues and surveys they have done in their own villages. Other civil society groups working with women from marginalised sections, especially on the Right to Information, also participated and shared their work in this two-day Mela. For this mela women contributed 20 Rs. A follow-up plan made by sahjani team to follow-up RTI application, to share mela activities in villages that didn’t come for mela and identification of issues and writing applications with women.
Purnima Gupta IALLA I graduate
6.- Workshop "Building an Asian community of practice
on monitoring and budget analysis"
dciganda@socialwatch.org
7.- Opportunity /
International Communications Campaigner 12-month contract or secondment Open location but preference for Johannesburg, Nairobi or Rio
In June 2007, ActionAid is launching the first phase of its HungerFREE campaign. We are looking for a media expert with international public campaign experience to coordinate the media push for the next phase of the campaign. We would like this person to join us in September or October 2007, and this is a full-time one year contract. You will be reporting to the International Head of Media and Images.
We are looking for a person with the following skills and experience:
Media relations You will raise visibility for the HungerFREE campaign by supporting national country ActionAid offices throughout the world to push their campaign messages and stories to their local media, and you will push this campaign directly with the international media.
Writing and editing You will write and produce media briefings and edit case studies that best illustrate the messages and issues that we are promoting through the campaign.
Multi-media experience We are looking for someone with experience of different media formats. You will mainly be writing and producing text content, but we would also like you to have experience – or the aptitude and willingness to learn – of capturing and editing video, audio and stills content. You will also be able to manage film and media crews.
Team player Working alongside the international campaign, online and images teams, you will identify and work together to ensure that strong visuals and footage are captured, and that online stories and actions are coordinated with campaign media pushes. As part of the international media team, you will also help support other international media activities that are not directly campaign related, such as journalist trips, media briefings and statements.
International experience You will be working closely with communications and campaign colleagues in many different countries in Africa, Asia, the Americas and Europe, and you should have experience of working and campaigning in different contexts.
Languages Our working language is English, and fluency in Spanish or French would be a big asset.
Application Procedure: To apply, please send your CV and a cover letter stating how you meet the person specification to comcamp.jhb@actionaid.org by 6 July 2007.
ActionAid International is an equal opportunities employer. We will respond only to short listed candidates. Whilst all applicants will be assessed strictly on their individual merits, qualified women are especially encouraged to apply.
PLEASE TAKE NOTE One of the objectives of Voices Rising, the on line magazine from ICAE (International Council for Adult Education) is to democratize the access to information. Although Voices Rising believes that the information it receives is of trustable sources and before publishing it measures are taken to ensure that it is reliable, the possibility is always there that we can make a mistake or that we can be surprised by ill intentions. Therefore, and with the aim of protecting the interests of all our subscribers and readers, VOICES RISING recommends that you take all necessary precautions before taking significant decision in relation to the published information. If you wish to subscribe or unsubscribe to VOICES RISING please write to: voicesrising@icae.org.uy
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