Happy New Year!

What is your resolution about how you’ll get involved in making change happen in 2011?

Comment back, or email info[at] kubatana [dot] net

Rokpa Trust Zimbabwe presents ‘The Cup’ with a talk by Rob Nairn on ‘Living Joyfully.’

Friday 14th January 2011 from 5.30pm – 8.30pm at St. George’s College Lecture Theatre (near the school church), Borrowdale Road. Movie starts at 7pm.

Entrance fee: USD10

The first evening in a planned monthly event, includes guest speaker Rob Nairn, internationally sought-after teacher on Buddhism and meditation, followed by drinks and snacks and an award winning feature film for all ages by Khyentse Norbu, a prominent Tibetan Buddhist – ‘The Cup’ : World Cup fever sweeps into a remote Himalayan monastery and centuries – old traditions are threatened – the young monks will do just about anything to watch the final match, posing a unique challenge to the venerable lamas in charge. This breakthrough debut feature film is filmed on location – with Buddhist monk actors – at Chokling Monastery, India.

94 mins, Tibetan with English subtitles.

Rob Nairn is an excellent speaker and the film is a joy to watch. A time to be inspired, entertained and an excuse to socialize. An evening not to be missed!

For more information contact Rokpa Trust at rokpa [at] zol [dot] co [dot] zw or phone Amina Zuarica at +263 4 304202

A statement circulated by Gays and Lesbians of Zimbabwe (GALZ)

Acquittal of Ellen Chademana: 210 days to triumph!

The long awaited judgment in the Ellen Chademana case was delivered today 16 December 2010 exactly 210 days after her arrest on 21 May 2010. Chademana appeared before Harare Magistrate Don Ndirowei who acquitted her on charges of allegedly possessing pornographic pictures thereby contravening section 26(1) of the Censorship and Entertainment Control Act (Chapter10:04).

GALZ welcomes the acquittal of Ellen as a victory for human rights defenders in Zimbabwe working on ensuring that the rights of minorities and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and Intersex people in Zimbabwe are protected. LGBTI human rights defenders continue to experience harassment and Intimidation from police authorities in Zimbabwe. The environment continues to be hostile for human rights defenders.

On the eve of this Judgement, two police details visited the GALZ offices and demanded entry into the premises by threatening the security personnel present with arrest if they do not get access. This is clearly Intimidation and harassment by the Police clearly abusing authority to undermine minorities and an attempt to silence the Gays and Lesbians of Zimbabwe.

We call on the Police to acknowledge the role of all human rights defenders by putting an end to their harassment and ensuring protection and security of all human rights defenders.

Charges levelled against Chademana arose when police armed with a search warrant On May 21 2010 ransacked the GALZ offices alleging that the organisation was in possession of dangerous drugs and pornographic material. She was subsequently arrested and detained for seven days together with a colleague Ignatius Mhambi, who was also facing similar charges but was also acquitted.

WikiLeaks‘ Julian Assange isn’t up for rape, explains Fazila Farouk, but the uniquely Swedish crime of “sex by surprise.” Apparently no one is disputing that sex was had, or that it was consensual. Rather, the problem seems to be more a “lack of integrity.”

In the social justice universe, Julian Assange is a rock star. You know what I mean. Every profession has its rock stars. There are lawyer rock stars, doctor rock stars, engineer rock stars . . . I’m not so sure about accountant rock stars, but I think you get my drift.

There’s a certain kind of man that is great looking, has a cavalier confidence, superior intellect and is supremely successful in his career. Said man is also followed by a long line of women who succumb to groupie madness in his presence.

Actually, James Bond also comes to mind, but he’s a secret government agent, which is quite the antithesis of Assange. Still, you wouldn’t find James Bond being arrested for having spur-of-the-moment sex and we all know that the nature of his job requires a certain level of spontaneity.

Read more

Following on from a blog earlier this year about the YIDEZ campaign against Zimbabwe’s national youth service programme, we received this report from ZLHR sharing youths groups’ opinions on national youth service.

At a recent debate in Gweru, organised by the Civil Society Monitoring Mechanism (CISOMM), students and youth groups called for the outright abolishment of the National Youth Training Programme, arguing persuasively against it from a number of informed angles.

The debate, entitled With consideration for the provisions of the GPA, of what service is the National Youth Training Programme currently to Zimbabwe? brought together a dynamic, young panel to engage in a frank and provocative discussion on a topic that spoke directly to the concerns and interests of the student-filled crowd. In a packed room at the Midlands Hotel in Gweru on 25 November, the crowd – many of whom were students or youth leaders themselves – had the opportunity to hear first-hand from a graduate of Dadaya Training Camp, the Students’ Union President of Midlands State University, and a local lawyer and human rights activist.

In defence of the programme, the ‘graduate’ said it could be a platform for youth to collectively articulate and find solutions for the challenges they face, while it promoted nation-building in the youth by instilling the values of discipline, historicism, and non-violence. However, he acknowledged that it had been taken over by partisan agendas and that there was a serious problem of violence, mistreatment and politicisation. Exemplifying its non-compliance with the GPA, he said that stated objectives such as increasing HIV/Aids awareness in the youth were problematic when one considered the numerous rapes that took place in the camps.

The youth and other participants freely expressed their vigorous dislike of the programme and called for its abolishment. One argued that you cannot teach a young person about patriotism, citing the examples of the liberation movement forming in 1970s and the students’ struggles of ’87. They said that the camps were an abusive of youth, not empowering; they pointed to the deprivation of schools and colleges from funding, and also to increased violence and intolerance, and finally, the lack of consultation with the youth that might have seen emerge a service that was transparent and inclusive.

The forthrightness and willingness to engage on the part of the graduate was highly appreciated by all the crowd, although they took a different view. This is the nature of democracy. However, sadly, he testified that the time was not yet right to be able to engage on a greater level. We still have a long way to go.

The City of Harare is currently preparing the 2011 city budget. The below letter from the Harare Residents’ Trust outlines where you can review the budget and how to contribute your comments on it.

Dear Resident,

This letter serves to advise you that on 30 November 2010, and at Town House, around 4.30pm, the City of Harare, through the Finance and Development Committee Chairperson Ruth Rufaro Kavunika, tabled the 2011 City Budget before the full council meeting. This means that you as a resident have to take appropriate action to safeguard your financial interests in the coming year. The City of Harare has proposed increases in water rates, rentals and seeks to maintain the rates of clinic charges at 2010 levels, among others. There are several other proposals that you need to be aware of. You have to plan ahead, and the budget is the best policy statement to guide you.

The Harare Residents’ Trust advises you to take time to go and inspect the proposed budget at Town House, and all District Offices immediately. In terms of the Urban Councils’ Act (Chapter 29:15), once you have inspected the proposed budget, it is your right to make necessary comments on the budget, either rejecting/opposing the proposed charges or accepting them.

If you object to the budget, it is your responsibility to write your objection letter addressed to the Town Clerk, at Town House, specifying your reasons for rejecting the proposals, indicating your physical home address within the 30-day stipulated period. You are safe and it is within your rights to do so. Once thirty (30) objections are lodged, the City of Harare has to revise the proposals downwards before finally approving the budget.

This is the only major opportunity to the citizen to comment on the budget, otherwise if you do not use your right at law to make objections or inspect the budget, you have no one but yourself to blame when the budget is implemented beginning January 2011. The City will simply implement the high rates if you do not raise your voice.

When you write your objections, make two copies, which have to be both stamped at Town House, to serve as evidence that you submitted them. Submit the other copy to the HRT as a record so that at the end of the 30-day period of inspection, the organisation can also verify that nothing outside the law is done by the council, since there is no water tight method of verification and adjudication that safeguards the interests of residents.

The HRT will keep you informed on the budget making process until it is finally approved. Thank you for being a responsible citizen.

You can reach the Harare Residents’ Trust on 0712-500402, 0774-354201 or 0772-869294 or email hretrust [at] yahoo [dot] com