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Southern Africa

26 July 2006
Stand up for your rights by François OST

RESPONSIBILITY, JUSTICE AND AIDS - "A matter of human rights and dignity" Description of an important mobilization in South Africa to fight against AIDS, violence made to women, for human dignity and human rights. Common but differentiated responsibilities: responsibility of the patient, the circle, the civil society associations, the South-African government, the international community. Something that grows when shared: ethics and responsibility, politics and responsibility (document (...)

19 June 2006
Interview in Chile to John Stewart, from Zimbabwe

Exchanges on the experience on the Charter from inhabitants of Zimbabwe, beween the difficulties of an antidemocratic regime. (available in the Spanish version of this article only)

"Many Hands Make Light Work" - The Masvingo Research on Human Responsibility - 19 June 2006

Reflexions of a popular community, Zimbabwe.

Prospects for 2006 - 20 January 2006, by John STEWART

1. Publication of the community book on responsibility, Calming the Storm. 2. Its introduction into Zimbabwean social movements and collective processes – including the local government training and reconceptualisation process (under ACPD), the opening space for political activities (under NOVASC) and the building of a united front for the struggle to change the system of government in Zimbabwe (ie how we are governed, not who governs us) – see document sent separately (key sectors: women, (...)

View on key concepts - 20 January 2006, by John STEWART

On governance : it is more useful to talk about whether a government and a state is responsible or irresponsible, rather than whether it is strong or weak. What is important is whether whatever power it holds is exercised in a responsible manner or not. In this sense [true or good] leadership is ‘the responsible exercise of power’. But as has been commented many times, in Africa we have rulers but not leaders. On the key African concept of Ubuntu : setting itself against the Cartesian (...)

Activities in 2005 - 20 January 2006, by John STEWART

Remarks and Suggestions on the National context This 2005 has been a very difficult and problematic year for Zimbabwe, and for my organization and its work (NOVASC). In many ways the ‘responsibility’ concept and the energy and foundation that it provided has underpinned all my work this year; it has been generative, unifying, giving purpose and meaning in often very difficult and tense situations. The ACPD team working on the community book, Calming the Storm, noted that it was an incredibly (...)

Objectives - 6 April 2005, by John STEWART

Following the meeting of the Charter Facilitation team in Syros in October 2003, an initial conception for the dissemination of the Charter in Zimbabwe and in the Southern Africa region was designed. This saw, in this first period, the application of the Charter and its concepts and principles to a number of key sectors in the Zimbabwe context, with this process being the means to build up a working National Charter team; and a more initial series of steps towards the building of a regional (...)

Activities achieved in 2003 and 2004 - 6 April 2005, by John STEWART

This process started in November 2003, with meetings with members of the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum and the Womens Coalition. Some regional inroads – contacts - were made during the Southern African Social Forum held in Lusaka in December 2003. Following the decision relating to the budget in early 2004, and responses from the various sectors met with (including labour, the local governance and local authorities sector, and media organisations), it was decided that the principal form (...)

Facilitation Team