I’ve wanted to take this photo for a while now because it expresses how I feel about politics in Zimbabwe. It’s all such cock and bull as politicians jockey for privilege and power for their own benefit. Maybe that’s politics the world over, but I find it very depressing at this time  in my home country. As the 2013 elections loom large more then ever there seems so little to differentiate between the main political players. Arrogance is writ large and self aggrandisement is the name of the game.

Fear is the enemy of creativity, the hotbed of mediocrity, a critical obstacle to mastering life. Few embody the defiance of fear with grater dignity and grace than reconstructionist Maya Angelou, who has overcome remarkable hardships — childhood rape, poverty, addiction, bereavement — to become one of today’s most celebrated writers.

More from Brain Pickings

It’s shocking the kind of danger journalists continue facing across the world in their daily “routines”, and I put routines in quotes because these are people going about their normal work like any other, but which has turned out to be a perilous undertaking.

At the World Press Freedom Day celebrations this year being held in Costa Rica, one panelist literally grieved over how even countries that have promoted themselves as paragons of democracy have shown shocking impunity in their treatment of journalists.

This of course is the argument that has always been advanced by regimes that have not disguised their intolerance to press freedom that the these developed nations cannot preach to them about human rights, press freedom when they are themselves the worst violators.

It is a debate that is sure to go on for years to come, yet what has generally been agreed on during this year’s press freedom celebrations is that little is being done to ensure journalists are safe, not just embedded war correspondents as one would imagine, but the everyday journalist seeking to report anything from government corruption to organized crime.

I was jolted by one panelist who said that Pakistan remains one of the worst countries in the world to work as a journalist as journalist killings have become a daily thing despite “Pakistan being a democracy.”

Pretty instructive stuff as this resonates with many countries, some which we will not mention by name!

While other governments take journalist killings in their strides, what has emerged as worse practices is that some countries that violate these freedoms say, look, no journalist is in jail here, no journalist has been killed by state security forces, so why accuse us of being enemies of a free press, see we even have a plurality of newspapers!

As journalists celebrate this important occasion, even an African Union director of information conceded that African governments still have a lot to do to ensure journalists work in safe conditions, an acknowledgement that indeed many African countries remain hostile to a vibrate and inquisitive press.

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

Project Director – Zimbabwe: Freedom House

Freedom House promotes the spread of freedom and democracy around the world through research, effective advocacy, and programs that support frontline activists. We are a leader in identifying threats to freedom through our highly regarded analytic reports, including Freedom in the World, Freedom of the Press, Freedom on the Net, Nations in Transit, and Countries at the Crossroads. With 13 field offices and two U.S. offices, we support the right of every individual to be free.

Position Summary
The Project Director will lead Freedom House programs to advance democracy and human rights in countries in South Africa. She/he will be responsible for program management including strategic design and implementation, financial management, staff supervision, office management, communications, monitoring, evaluation, and reporting. Furthermore, the Project Director will be responsible for building and maintaining partnerships with civil society and human rights organizations in the region. This position is based in Harare, Zimbabwe or Johannesburg, South Africa and reports to the Director for Africa programs based in Washington, DC.

Minimum Qualifications
-Bachelor’s degree in political science, international relations, law, or related field
-Master’s degree strongly preferred
-Minimum 8-10 years of experience with democracy and human rights programs
-Strong ability to communicate effectively in English, both orally and in writing
-Strong knowledge of human rights principles and mechanisms, and understanding of democracy promotion
-Experience with managing and implementing multi-component, donor-funded programs
-Experience providing technical assistance to local organizations in Africa
-Experience in challenging environments and flexibility to apply lessons learned from other contexts
-Knowledge of USAID rules and regulations, and other donor approaches to civil society development
-Demonstrated ability to mobilize communities and encourage the inclusion of marginalized groups
-Strong ability to apply interpersonal skills, and successfully work in a diverse and multicultural environment and with stakeholders in the region
-Strong track record in project and staff management Ability to build and strengthen civil society organizations
-Ability to consistently apply good judgment in problem solving and decision making
-Ability to maintain the highest degree of confidentiality regarding all aspects of work at all times

Some Duties and Responsibilities
-Develop and implement programs to support civil society and human rights in challenging environments
-Monitor and evaluate processes, and write program reports to ensure completion of program objectives
-Assume responsibility for the daily operations of the office, which includes but is not limited to: financial management, management of sub-grants, general office administration, monitoring of reports and program evaluation of all programs for which the office is responsible
-Network and liaise with consultants, members of governments, civil society organizations, international and regional bodies, and private funders
-Travel as needed in country and abroad to represent Freedom House before counterparts and the donor community
-Other related duties as assigned

Qualified and Interested applicants
We invite qualified candidates to send a resume, and cover letter with salary history and desired salary (only candidates who send salary requirements will be considered for the position) to: recruiting [at] freedomhouse [dot] org or fax at (202) 822-3893, Attention: HR Dept., referencing 2012-109 PD Zimbabwe.

Only candidates who have been selected for an interview will be contacted.

This guy is a riot…

One of the most colourful men in African politics happens to be white. Guy Scott is the vice-president of Zambia but his race is probably the least exceptional thing about him. On a recent afternoon in the capital, Lusaka, Scott held court with the kind of candour – and eccentricity – seldom heard from today’s media-honed political class. He dismissed South Africans as “backward”, insisted that Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe wants to quit, and discussed Zambia by way of references to Marlon Brando and the Klingon empire. More from the Guardian African Network

The Workers’ Day theme at Gwanzura stadium was “Workers under siege, organize unite and fight on” – indeed workers in Zimbabwe are under siege from politicians who have hijacked the event to further their interests. If workers have nothing to lose but their chains like what Karl Max said in his literature, maybe its high time Workers Day in Zimbabwe is left to workers and free from politics. Sloganeering and empty promises from civic society activists who are trying to transform into political parties were the only major highlights of the day for those who braved yesterday’s chilly morning weather. Instead of addressing bread and butter issues for the workers most labor organizations have aligned themselves to various political parties and workers have been left wondering if the occasion had been turned into a political gathering. To lead a labor organization is now a one-way ticket to political stardom and this has lead to massive splits in the labor movement in the country as noted by the contestations for donor funds yet the marginalized worker continues to rely on empty promises of decent wages and better working conditions. The government has also taken advantage of these disorganized labor movements by refusing to come to the negotiating table hiding under the disguise of demanding legitimate workers representatives from labor unions. The same politicians who were propelled into power through a labor backed party now seem to be enjoying the sweet benefits of power and have turned out to be the oppressors. One aspiring politician reminded workers who assembled at Raylton Sports Club yesterday to never trust politicians and later used the same platform to announce intentions of launching a political party!