When: Thursday 9 May 2013
Time: 5.30 – 7pm
Where: Book Cafe, 139 Samora Machel Ave/6th Street, Harare

On Thursday 9 May the popular arts hub, THE BOOK CAFE once again offers a platform and opens its doors for a free public discussion on THE ARTS & DISABILITY.

An initiative of the budding organisation ‘SIGNS OF HOPE’ the discussion brings together Zimbabwean musicians, singers and actors to examine the question “How do artists view and engage with the disabled through their art?”

Gone are the days when people with disabilities were secluded in private corners and excluded from social, educational and political activities. In Zimbabwe, like anywhere in the world, huge strides have been made as the nation produces excellent lawyers, teachers, activists, artists and sportspeople with disabilities who are excelling in their fields and making a difference in society. Compared with the western world however, we are still far behind, in terms of facilities and general perception of people with disabilities, and their inclusion and participation in nation building. Everyone has a role to play in society, and the discussion aims to raise awareness among the public in general and artists and arts practitioners in particular, about how the arts can contribute to attitude change in society, the gender perspective, and where the links might be.

Speakers include the acclaimed songwriter and guitarist Victor Kunonga who is active in this arena, working on projects with the St Giles Rehabilitation Centre; afrojazz singer/songwriter Dudu Manhenga, and Daniel Maphosa of Savannah Trust, working in theatre development. Masimba Kuchera will speak from the perspective of people with disabilities, and the discussion will be moderated by Thomas Deve.

The discussion is free and all people are welcome. Artists are specially invited to participate and gain a deeper awareness of the issues concerned.

Hey! Need a job? Want to work in the NGO/development sector in Zimbabwe? Check out the job vacancies below and apply today. If you want to receive regular civic and human rights information, together with NGO job vacancies and other opportunities like scholarships by getting our regular email newsletter, please email join [at] kubatana [dot] net

Two (2) vacancies: Restless Development Zimbabwe
Deadline: 10 May 2013 (1630 hours)

1) Programme Manager (Based in Harare, Zimbabwe)

Restless Development Zimbabwe is seeking a talented and dynamic leader to take up the role of Programme Manager in our growing Country Programme. The successful candidate will have the skills and ability to ensure quality and impact across all our programme areas, coupled with the passion and commitment for developing others and empowering young people to be the best they can be. This is an ideal opportunity for an individual looking to enhance their leadership capabilities in a senior management role within the NGO sector and gain experience across a range of functions, including Donor Management, Finance, Operations, Human Resources and Programme Quality.

Apply
Full job descriptions and application forms (No CVs accepted) can be downloaded from: www.restlessdevelopment.org/work-with-us and sent to: jobs [at] restlessdevelopment [dot] org

2) Assistant Programme Coordinator (Based in Chimanimani)

This is an ideal opportunity for individuals looking to advance their careers within the NGO sector and gain experience across a range of functions. The APC should have a minimum of 2 years youth development experience coupled with a passion and commitment for developing others and empowering young people to be the best they can be.

Apply
Full job descriptions and application forms (No CVs accepted) can be downloaded from: www.restlessdevelopment.org/work-with-us and sent to: infozimbabwe [at] restlessdevelopment [dot] org

“Kings and lords come and go and leave nothing but statues in a desert, while a couple of young men tinkering in a workshop change the way the world works.” - Terry Pratchett from The Truth

Zimbabwean electoral reform and conditions are the subject of much discussion as Parliament begins debate on Zimbabwe’s Draft Constitution this week.

The Constitution, however, is just the beginning. As an article prepared for the Zimbabwe Election Support Network points out, a great deal of legal reform needs to happen in the coming months to prepare for Zimbabwe’s elections. For example, Zimbabwe’s Electoral Act will need to be revised to accommodate new structures including proportional representation.

In addition, the Zimbabwean electoral landscape needs to loosen up. This includes the media, the voter registration process, and also a respect for basic human rights like freedom of association, expression and assembly.

The International Crisis Group’s latest report Zimbabwe: Election Scenarios recognises the challenges that Zimbabwe’s electoral process will face this year, but is optimistic that if SADC draws “red lines” (think the US + Syria) which are enforced, Zimbabwe’s next election could be peaceful, and yield a credible result.

But as they note in their conclusion:

Progress is possible, but only if fundamental contradictions between the parties’ interpretation of what is now required are resolved. Whereas the MDC formations have called for the full resolution of outstanding election roadmap issues even after adoption of a new constitution, ZANU-PF says the new constitution should supersede the roadmap. Without agreement on such important issues, Zimbabwe is not ready for elections. At the same time, without a more concerted effort, there is no guarantee that deferring the election further will indeed lead to reform. At the very least, more robust engagement of civil society and citizens with SADC facilitators and GPA mechanisms, such as the JOMIC, is required to develop confidence in Zimbabwe’s battered institutions, especially through the deployment of an expanded monitoring presence.

This is exactly the problem: “Without agreement on such important issues, Zimbabwe is not ready for elections. At the same time, without a more concerted effort, there is no guarantee that deferring the election further will indeed lead to reform.”

If neither local politicians nor pressure from SADC have helped get agreement on these issues yet, why will the next six months be any different?

It always been said women are better at telling their own stories, but one South African guy has defied all odds to take readers on a journey of a female university student. Please note that the identity of the writer was only revealed towards the last chapters on the blog, Diary of a Zulu Girl. I came across this blog a few weeks back and have been addicted to Thandeka the main character whom I thought was real and telling her own university experience story. Thandeka according to the writer, is making the transition, ‘from mud huts and umqombothi (African beer) to penthouses, expensive weaves and Moet”. I have only read a few of the first chapters but learning that the writer is male will not deter me from continuing with my interesting read.

I fell in love with Thandeka, not just that my best friend in primary was named Thandeka, but because in some scenes I could easily relate to her. For instance her first night of going out, not that my first night out happened as fast as hers, in the first 24 hours of her university life. But in the sense of how easily girls fall to ‘peer pressure’ in universities by the ones they trust. In the story, Thandeka had a ‘cousin’ S who was already enrolled at the university and whom her parents entrusted her to. It’s therefore easy for such people to influence whoever they have to watch over in campus be it in a good or bad way. On heir first night out, Thandeka dressed in her best clothes but according to her ‘cousin’ S the clothes were not suitable for going out….

…At 1030pm S came to my room to check if i was ready. I was wearing my hip-hop outfit (trend back home), skinnies with sneakers etc. You know the teen high school uniform for going out. We all look like lil Wayne wannabes. Looking at her i felt stupid! …She laughed and said we are not in Mooi River anymore I will have to change. I told her I did not have any such clothes and she said don’t worry i will hook you up…I had a weave on which back home we commonly call “razor” you know the one which short and is flat but curly at the back. She told me that by the end of the week this must go because here it was called “kasi weave”. She told me to rather stick to braids or my hair if i didn’t want weave. i was an eager student and dint wanna look rural so i absorbed it all…

The writer through the chapters that I have read so far, portrays real characters whom people can relate to out there. In an interview with The City Press, he says he drew his inspiration ” from years of giving advice on Facebook to his friends.” At least its not from the movies, its from real girls he interacts with no wonder he was able to portray the real life of a typical university girl. What really left me pleased with Mike and all the characters in his blog, is that his blog was entirely written on his mobile phone! The blog has been running for three weeks and ends with Chapter 51.

A comment made on the log reads: “I would like to start off by thanking you for opening our eyes as the youth. I am a 21yr old journalism student from Durban and I must say this blog really touched me. I am set to leave for JHB in the next two months and I will really be the “Zulu girl going to JHB” LOL…I feel that you have prepared me for what is to come and you have encouraged me to really take a look at myself and really check where my values stand.”

After an inspiring meeting yesterday afternoon in which activism in its many flavours was discussed, I had the mojo to stop my car, get out and do some investigating into an issue that’s been burning my arse lately. Of course you will also have realised that countless trees are being cut down all over Harare. I’ve been wondering who is behind cutting them down. Vigilante woodcutters? The City of Harare goes income generating? Over reaching home owners?

At the corner of Enterprise and Ridgeway South some big trees that afford remarkable shade and at times, rain cover to pedestrians, walkers, runners and vendors are being felled. When I stopped and hauled my outrage out of my car and onto the street this morning I was told that the City of Harare had been requested by the occupants of number 2 Ridgeway South to remove the trees because they’re dangerous and pose a threat.

All well and good but a few questions come up:

a) When the trees are felled, they may be felled responsibly but the area that they are taken from is not restored and our streets are slowly becoming lined with ugly tree stumps. So who is responsibly for ‘making good’ the area, ie removing the stumps?

b) Which of course begs the question – why doesn’t the City of Harare in partnership with either local residents or organisations like E Africa, replant new indigenous trees so that Harare doesn’t become a treeless city?

My next step:
- Write to City of Harare and raise this issue with them (I’m crossing fingers I get a response – safer than holding my breath because I’m likely to Die waiting)
- Write to the occupant who asked for the trees to be removed to see if they are willing and able to become tree champions; replant whatever you take out or ask to be taken out.
-Write to E Africa and ask them if they have any replanting schemes to mitigate the current cutting down of trees.