_Sean O’Toole has no hair and vertically long head. His nose is pointed downward and his mouth resembles that of a fish. To further quote Abdul Adan, “The guy was unlike anyone I have ever seen before.” Read his article on pulp African fiction here

Internship position: Policy Intern – Poverty Reduction Forum Trust

Organization Overview

The Poverty Reduction Forum Trust (PRFT) influences the formulation of pro-poor policies through carrying out research on poverty related issues, engaging with policy makers, promoting broad-based consultative dialogue and processes, as well as advocating for sustainable human development in Zimbabwe. In order to achieve this goal, the organization conducts poverty related research and promotes evidence based policy formulation and dialogue between civil society, development partners and policy makers on issues of sustainable poverty reduction and human development.

Details about PRFT background can be obtained from www.prftzim.org

Job Qualifications

Open to a recent graduate or student seeking a learning opportunity in poverty research, policy, or policy advocacy. Candidate must have excellent oral communication, research, organization, and writing skills. Graduated with, or studying towards a degree in Development, or other related qualifications.

The intern will work closely with the PRFT team and will:

- Assist staff by conducting research, developing policy fact sheets, tracking national legislation, and organizing outreach programs.

- Provide staff with support in research and analysis of various topics, organizations, and key players in the field.

- Assist in the development of research papers and other advocacy materials.

- Provide any other administrative support to staff as needed.

This position requires 8 months commitment with possibilities of extension.

Please send your CV and cover letter to Denboy Kudejira: Denboy [at] prftzim [dot] org and cc prftresearch [at] gmail [dot] com

The position starts February 1st 2012

In Zimbabwe, it is clear that the opposition party MDC (MDC has lost the mojo and has been weakened by in-fighting) is not the party that will bring down Mugabe (as it was hoped), but expect a potential split within the ruling ZANU-PF party. As Mugabe’s health continues to deteriorate, we expect infighting as members vie for control and Mugabe’s position.

Read Ndumba Kamwanyah’s assertion that “Southern Africa’s ‘democracies’ do not produce citizens but subjects controlled by governments due to the hierarchical nature of the region’s politics, which demands obedience.”

Reading a report by the Research and advocacy unit this morning I came across an interesting fact, the most commonly reported perpetrators of political violence are non state actors. It’s not the first time I’ve read or seen this. A mini-documentary about political violence during the 2008 harmonised elections last year featured eminent political scientists stating the same fact.

Considering the long and emotional debates I’ve had with the war vet I am vexed that it’s taken such a long time to hit home. If the most commonly reported perpetrators are non state actors, why do we equate political violence to state sponsored violence? Clearly these are not the same thing. Knowing this, it is not then possible to consider that the State itself has assumed this indictment and so refuses to prosecute rather than risk the appearance of tacit acknowledgement. The fact of who is perpetrating the violence has been conflated with the state’s complicity by not acting to prevent and deter it. In the public and international mind it is the state, or rather the Mugabe regime half of the state, that perpetrates violence, leaving the actual perpetrators, who exploit political tensions to mask their activities, blameless. How do we deal with violence if at the outset we place the entire burden of responsibility on the wrong party?

On the one year anniversary of the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, artists from the U.K. activist group, Liberate Tate, staged an intervention they titled “Human Cost” at the Tate Britain.
- Source: art-for-a-change.com

“Why hire a lawyer, if you can buy a judge?” Read John Githongo’s article on corruption and how the West will deal with it.