Petition to UK Prime Minister to ‘Save the Commonwealth Scholarships’

This one is for UK residents only. Did you know you can petition 10 downing street directly on issues that concern you?

Here is one petition that I feel quite strongly about:

The Foreign Secretary recently announced the end of FCO funding for the Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan. We, as current or former award-holders and interested parties, petition the Prime Minister and Government to reinstate this funding. The plan is globally competitive, builds lasting relationships with alumni, and has trained international leaders. It provides a unique opportunity for shared understanding between people in the UK and those in other Commonwealth countries.

Since 1959, more than 25,000 Commonwealth citizens have held awards. Without FCO support, Commonwealth Scholarships will not be available to Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Singapore, Malta, Cyprus, Brunei and the Bahamas. Reciprocal arrangements will be at risk. The scheme fosters unique academic excellence; no other plan enables Commonwealth citizens to pursue doctorates in the UK. The FCO’s withdrawal contrasts sharply with the Prime Minister’s announcement of new funding for the plan at CHOGM 2007.

If you want to sign the petition go to:

http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/comschols/

Africalia Funding for cultural projects in Africa

Please read the article carefully and apply to the organisers as detailed below, NOT to Sociolingo.

Africalia Funding

Region

Western Europe

Deadline Date

120 days (4 months) before starting the project

Africalia, an initiative of the Belgian Development Co-operation, is calling for proposals. Launched in 2000, Africalia aims to promote sustainable human development through supporting the arts and contemporary African artistic expressions. The maximum request for project submission application must not be more than EU€25,000.
The organisation focuses on cultural operators in 15 countries spread over the four sub Saharan regions:

• Western Africa: Mali, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Ghana
• Eastern Africa: Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia
• Central Africa: Democratic Republic Congo, Burundi, Rwanda
• Southern Africa: South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Namibia

Africalia sponsors cultural projects initiated in Africa in different disciplines including:

• Visual arts (plastic arts, photography and design).
• Performing arts (theatre, storytelling, dance, music, street animation and puppet theatre).
• Literature (literature in general, including youth literature and comic books).
• Audiovisual arts and media (radio, documentaries, animation, short film) dealing with culture in this contemporary dimension in an original and creative way.
• Architecture

Priorities and operational objectives of the Africalia programme:

• Extend training opportunities and professionalisation
• Ensure support to contemporary African artistic creation, primarily projects that benefit African audiences
• Foster decentralisation and South/South exchange and contribute to the mobility of artists and the professional distribution of their work
• Stimulate awareness of the impact of cultural acts on society and support the development of cultural journalism
• Create ties between South and North, and in particular between Africa and Belgium, in the spirit of true exchange, bringing African cultural operators (artists, journalists, educators, organisations) in relationship with their counterparts residing in Belgium.

Application Information

Who can submit a project? Legal persons (organisations, festivals or other associations involved in the arts) based in one of the above mentioned African countries, with legally adopted articles of association and proven experience in the arts. Exceptionally, with regard to support and/or develop bridges between cultural operators active in Belgium and African operators, experimental projects initiated in a spirit of partnership can be submitted by Belgian structures, as long as they clearly work in partnership with a local African cultural organisation that assumes the realisation of the project and favours the empowerment of the population.

Selection criteria

Only structuring projects, organised by professional cultural operators located in one of the 15 above mentioned African countries, presenting local associative or institutional implication, consistent with Africalia’s vision and areas of intervention, and effectively attributing to sustainable human development will be selected.

Specific Conditions:

Conditions include:

• The financial forecast must foresee several partners.
• Africalia’s intervention in the project must not exceed 25% of the forecast.
• The project initiators must be able to demonstrate a previous experience in the domain they wish to develop
• One submitted project per year per structure.
• As for festivals, a code of professional ethics, even if minimal, must be respected, taking the following in consideration:
  1. The artist’s work (to respect the technical conditions of presentation of a performance)
  2. The payment of the artists’ fees foreseen in the forecast
  3. Good management of transport, accommodation of the guests, quality of reception and meals (according to the habits and customs of the inviting country)
  4. The security of persons, works and equipment (taking the necessary insurance policies)
  5. A genuine respect of the public
  6. An actual promotion of the artists and their work by the organisation.

The following projects have no priority:

Action theatre (theatre of social intervention) that puts message before artistic integrity and aims to bring its audience to take position on a certain concept.

Socio-cultural activities geared towards children and young people, that don’t primarily aim to realise an professional artistic event.

Projects concerning only the purchase of material or equipment.

The following projects are ineligible:

Occasional projects.

Projects relating to construction or restoration costs.

Projects seeking the self-promotion of their authors.

Actions with a political purpose, actions that are discriminatory in nature or preaching activities.

The application must include:

1. The completed application form
2. Organisation:
   • A copy of the published articles of association
   • The composition of the Board of Directors
   • The organisation chart
   • The P&L account and balance sheet of the previous year
   • A detailed curriculum vitae of the contact persons
   • Bank certificate including the following information: account number (under IBAN structure if available), account holder, name and address of the bank, bank SWIFT or BIC code
3. Project:
   • Previous projects: References concerning these activities (experiences)
   • Activity report and financial statement
   • Documentation enabling their evaluation

   Current Project:

   • A detailed presentation of the project, including its development objectives, immediate objectives of the project (what must be achieved, what is the reason, how, by whom and for whom), Foreseen activities (mention for each activity: Description, target audience, means, programme, partners and participants, conditions, expected results, follow up)
   • The schedule of the project implementation
   • Activity chart
   • Infrastructure and material resources
   • A detailed budget in euros: forecast of all expenses and proceeds. Mention all other financial partners (preferably with their confirmation) and including a breakdown per heading. The amount requested from Africalia, as well as its purpose, must be clearly stated. An example is available on the Africalia website

Click here for more information.
Click here to download the application form.

Contact

Africalia

• ICT for Development

Africalia
Boulevard Leopold II 170
1080 Brussels
Belgium
Tel: +32 (0)2 412 58 80
Fax: +32 (0)2 412 58 90
africalia@africalia.be
Africalia website

The Building and Social Housing Foundation seeking entries for the 2008 World Habitat Awards competition.

The Building and Social Housing Foundation is currently seeking entries for the 2008 World Habitat Awards competition.

Introduction

Established in 1985, the World Habitat Awards seek to identify practical, innovative and sustainable solutions to current housing issues faced by countries of the global South as well as the North, which are capable of being transferred or adapted for use elsewhere. Entries are assessed by a panel of international judges and an award of £10,000 is presented to the two winning projects at the annual United Nations global celebration of World Habitat Day. Find out more

Who can enter?

The competition is open to all individuals and organisations, including central and local governments, community-based groups, NGOs, research organisations and the private sector from any country of the world.

Apply online

Stage I of the submission process requires only a concise summary of the project. Further details can be found on the World Habitat Awards website at www.worldhabitatawards.org. Please note that all entries should reach BSHF by 1st June 2008. Click here to apply online Please feel free to forward this message to others who may be interested. Should you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact us at wha@bshf.org.

SHAILJA PATEL AWARDED THE FANNYANN EDDY POETRY AWARD

SHAILJA PATEL AWARDED THE FANNYANN EDDY POETRY AWARD

Pambazuka Editors’

Pambazuka News is pleased to announce that one of its writers,

Shailja Patel has been awarded the FannyAnn Eddy Poetry Award, from

the International Research Network (IRN -Africa), for her poem,

“Screaming.”

FannyAnn Eddy, fearless leader of the Sierra Leone Lesbian and Gay

Association, was brutally raped and murdered in 2004.

The awardees said that “Screaming” is striking because it illustrates

how damage to the body is one of the many weapons patriarchy uses

against those who dare assert dissident sexualities. One way of

theorizing eroticism is exceptionally demonstrated through this poem.

Screaming” will appear in IRN-Africa’s forthcoming collection of

writing on alternatives to heteronormativity in Africa, “Outliers”.

******

Free resource: Toolkit - Proposal Writing and Fundraising

Source: Global Development Network

This toolkit provides tips and practical suggestions for applying for funding and proposal writing. It is based on interviews with experienced research fundraisers. Obtaining funding for your research is a difficult achievement, so we hope this guide will help give your proposal the best possible chance of success.

Go to Proposal Writing and Fundraising Toolkit to access the toolkit online

Contents of the toolkit

This toolkit is divided into six sections. Here is a brief description of each section, along with a link to each section.

Before you start
This section provides a list of things to consider before you start. Key points are grouped under what you should know about the potential donor and what you should know about yourself and your organization. More  »

Writing the proposal
This section provides a checklist of things to consider when writing a proposal, such as style, structure and clarity. Some useful links on proposal writing are also listed. More  »

Budgeting
Budgeting is a critical element of a proposal, and conveys to the donor whether an organization has the capacity to manage and account for monies in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. This section of our proposal guide outlines points to remember when you come to putting together a budget to justify the funds for which you are applying. More  »

Guide to donors
Most funding requests, estimated at 90 percent, are declined immediately, either because they fall outside a donor’s stated interest areas, or because they are inadequately prepared and do not reflect the organization’s expertise and its ability to carry out the project’s objectives. This section helps you to judge which donor to approach and how best to approach them, starting with general points followed by more detail on individual donors. More  »

Institutional insights
The case studies in this section has been compiled from researchers and institutional bodies in developing and developed countries. They provide useful insights and advice on many aspects of the proposal process, highlighting the reality of fundraising and key issues that should be considered by researchers and institutions alike. More  »

Networking
This section provides a guide to networking with donors and funders, highlighting the importance of forging and maintaining relationships. More  »

African awards/prizes: 2007 Global Development Awards and Medals Competition

Source: Global Development Network

2007 Global Development Awards and Medals Competition

The Brisbane conference provided the venue for the finale to the Eighth Annual Global Development Awards and Medals Competition. Fourty researchers and development practitioners presented their selected papers/proposals at the conference and the winners were announced at the Awards dinner on January 30, 2008.

To find out more about a specific award or research medal, click on the relevant link below.

Awards & Medals: 2007 Winners

• Japanese Award for Most Innovative Development Project
  • View details of 2007 winners More  »
• Japanese Award for Outstanding Research on Development
  • View details of 2007 winners More »
• Medals for Research on Development
  • View details of 2007 winners by theme:
    
    1. Fragile States: Addressing Vulnerability More »
    2. Household Exposure to Risk: Effects on Poverty More »
    3. The Rule of Law: Providing Security for Development More »
    4. Women’s Rights, Security and Development: Challenges and Opportunities More »
    5. Natural Resources: Risks and Implications for Sustaining Development More »

    
    

African Winners: (Click on ‘more’ to access the pdf file of the paper)

Household Exposure to Risk: Effects on Poverty
Country	Paper title	Institution	Author(s)
Kenya	Household Vulnerability to Transient and Chronic Poverty: Evidence from Rural Kenya More »	Egerton University	Milu Muyanga (First prize)

Women’s Rights, Security and Development: Challenges and Opportunities
Country	Paper title	Institution	Author(s)
Cameroon	Gender discrimination and HIV/AIDS epidemic: Evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa More »	CERDI (université d’Auvergne)	Chrystelle Tsafack Temah (First prize)

South Africa: Dr. Neville Alexander of South Africa is the recipient of the 2008 Linguapax Prize

Source: Don Osborn

Dr. Neville Alexander of South Africa is the recipient of the 2008 Linguapax Prize:

22.02.2008

The South African linguist Neville Alexander will receive the Linguapax Award today in Barcelona, on the occasion of the Mother Language Day. The ceremony is framed in the Intercultural Week organised by the Ramon Llull University. Alexander, who coordinates the Project for the Study of Alternative Education in South Africa has devoted more than twenty years of his professional life to defend and preserve multilingualism in the post-apartheid South Africa and has become one of the major advocates of linguistic diversity.

http://www.unescocat.org/en/serveis/premsa.php

For more information on the Prize, see:

http://www.linguapax.org/en/premisLPXang.html

For more information on Dr Alexander see:

• A brief bio on the South African LitNet site
• An interview for PBS show “Frontline” about his imprisonment on Robben Island at about the same time as Nelson Mandela.
• An article about a talk he gave at the University of Minnesota in 2007
• A page with a list of some of his writing (with links)

(Source: Don Osborn)

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linguapax_Prize

GLOBAL: GRANT AVAILABLE: PHD AND POST-DOCTORAL - MAX PLANCK INSTITUTE

Source: Pambazuka

GLOBAL: GRANT AVAILABLE: PHD AND POST-DOCTORAL - MAX PLANCK INSTITUTE
FOR SOCIAL ANTHROPOLOGY

The Institute has the opportunity to fill alternatively 1 PhD Grant,
or 1 postdoctoral Grant Starting May 2008 (negotiable). The grant is
to be awarded in the context of the Max Planck Fellow Research Group
“Law, Organizations, Science, and Technology” (LOST) headed by
Professor Richard Rottenburg (Max Planck Fellow). The current
research focus is on “Biomedicine in Africa”. Special attention is
given to medical practice and argumentation in juridical contexts
such as in the control of epidemics, the legitimisation and
legalisation of diagnostic and healing practices, intellectual
property rights, medical evidence in various forms of courts of
justice etc. (for more details see http://www.eth.mpg.de/)
http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/fundraising/46233

GLOBAL: WWSF PRIZE FOR WOMEN’S CREATIVITY IN RURAL LIFE

Source: Pambazuka

GLOBAL: WWSF PRIZE FOR WOMEN’S CREATIVITY IN RURAL LIFE

The Women’s World Summit Foundation cordially invites you to submit
nominations for its 15th annual PRIZE for women’s creativity in rural
life, honouring creative and courageous women and women’s
organisations working to improve the quality of life in rural
communities around the world. Deadline: 31 March 2008.
http://www.pambazuka.org/en/category/fundraising/46203

Media award for reporting on water and sanitation

Source: APA

WHO offers media contest to journalists (2008-02-18 14:15:49)

APA-Maseru (Lesotho) The UN World Health Organisation (WHO) is offering a media award for reporting on water and sanitation issues, WHO officials announced here on Monday..

[ ...Full Text... ]

(Please go to the article and apply to WHO not to Sociolingo)

Africa: The HERO Youth Ambassador Program

 The HERO Youth Ambassador Program.

HERO was developed to provide comprehensive school-based support to orphans and vulnerable children living in HIV/AIDS-affected African communities. Now, HERO is looking for 20 students (ages 16-19) from across the US and Canada to be selected as 2008 HERO Youth Ambassadors. Students chosen will travel to Africa in 2008. The deadline to apply for HERO is March 1, 2008.

You can learn more about this program here:

You can also check out some of the Youth Ambassador’s personal experiences in a series of webisodes here:

You may also be interested in these other ways to get involved.

African Doctoral Dissertation Research Fellowships

Please  Note: Potential applicants are welcome to send queries and applications to the following email address: addrf@aphrc.org

The African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC), in partnership with the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and Ford Foundation, is pleased to announce the African Doctoral Dissertation Research Fellowships (ADDRF), a new fellowship program to support doctoral students at African universities whose theses address issues relating to heath systems strengthening in Africa. One of these fellowships will support doctoral research that focuses on the broad field of sexuality research. The deadline for applications is *March 29, 2008*.

The ADDRF will award a maximum of 16 fellowships in the first year. These fellowships will be awarded to advanced doctoral students who are within two years of completing their doctoral thesis at an African university. Dissertation topics addressing health systems-related issues or sexuality from any disciplinary perspective are eligible for consideration.

We appreciate your assistance in distributing the attached call for fellowship applications to your colleagues and networks.

Potential applicants are welcome to send queries and applications to the following email address: addrf@aphrc.org

AFRICAN DOCTORAL DISSERTATION RESEARCH FELLOWSHIPS

The African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC), in partnership with the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and the Ford Foundation are pleased to announce a new fellowship to support doctoral students at African universities. The African Doctoral Dissertation Research Fellowship (ADDRF) seeks to facilitate more rigorous engagement of doctoral students in research, strengthen their research skills, and provide the fellows an opportunity for timely completion of their doctoral training. The fellowship targets doctoral students with strong commitment to a career in training and/or research. This first call focuses on students whose theses address issues relating to heath systems strengthening in Africa. ADDRF’s overall goal is to support the training and retention of highly skilled locally trained scholars in research and academic positions across the region.

DISSERTATION AWARDS

The ADDRF will award a maximum of 16 fellowships in the first year. These fellowships will be awarded to advanced doctoral students who are within two years of completing their doctoral thesis at an African university. Dissertation topics addressing health systems-related issues or sexuality from any disciplinary perspective are eligible for consideration.

ELIGIBILITY

The fellowship will primarily support research (including data collection and or analyses). Funds may not be used to support coursework.

Applicants must:

- Be citizens or permanent residents of a sub-Saharan African country,

-Be undertaking doctoral training at a recognized African university,

-Have completed all pre-dissertation requirements,

-Provide a detailed time-frame for completing their dissertation which should be endorsed by the head of department and the chair of the dissertation committee,

-Have a research topic that has been approved by their doctoral dissertation committee, as well as the official body overseeing ethical review of the research protocol, and

-Be able to complete their dissertation within 24 months of the start of the fellowship.

SELECTION CRITERIA

-The fellowship will target individuals whose dissertation research has great promise of making substantive contribution to strengthening health systems in Africa.

-Studies with clear linkages to relevant national or regional policies will be preferred.

-The fellowship will support original research that addresses a clear research question, employs appropriate and rigorous design, and has unambiguous policy implication(s).

-Candidates must demonstrate interest in pursuing a research career and dissertations must be sufficiently linked to future research interests.

-The dissertation should ideally be related to other work going on in the department or should have received strong endorsement and support from the department.

Female applicants and those from Francophone and Lusophone countries are especially encouraged to apply.

ELIGIBLE FIELDS OF STUDY

The dissertation research may address any of the following issues: Health Sector Analysis; Health Management and Organization; Dis