September 29

PAMBAZUKA NEWS 398: LINKS AND RESOURCES

Africa Trackbacks (0)

CONTENTS:

1. Announcements,

2. Zimbabwe update,

3. Women & gender,

4. Human rights,

5. Refugees & forced migration,

6. Social movements,

7.  Elections & governance,

8. Africa & China,

9. Corruption,

10. Development,

11. Health & HIV/AIDS,

12. Education,

13. Environment, 

14. Media & freedom of expression,

15. Social welfare,

16. Advocacy &  campaigns,

17. Conflict & emergencies,

18. Internet & technology,

19.  Fundraising & useful resources,

20. Courses, seminars, & workshops, 

21. Jobs

Highlights from this issue
 
ANNOUNCEMENT: Banking on Social Change collaborative challenge!
ZIMBABWE UPDATE: New government ‘must prioritize human rights’
WOMEN & GENDER: Forum focuses on needs of Africa’s women
CONFLICT AND EMERGENCIES: Thousands flee LRA in Congo
HUMAN RIGHTS: Darfur deception
REFUGEES AND FORCED MIGRATION: Future of Zimbabwe Migrants in Southern Africa
SOCIAL MOVEMENTS: Water crisis in Africa
ELECTIONS AND GOVERNANCE: DRC PM resigns
AFRICA & CHINA: Ripples of China milk scandal in Africa
CORRUPTION: Africa’s movers and shakers
DEVELOPMENT: Leaders speak out on food, fuel crises
HEALTH & HIV/AIDS: Circumcision booms in Kenya
EDUCATION: Zimbabwe schools turn children away
ENVIRONMENT: SA community takes on big polluters
MEDIA AND FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION: Cameroon publisher held
SOCIAL WELFARE: SA Unions urge new president to ease poverty
ADVOCACY AND CAMPAIGNS: Break the Silence Congo Week
INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY: The case for licensed open-source software
PLUS: e-newsletters and mailings lists; courses, seminars and 
workshops, and jobs
 
*Pambazuka News now has a Del.icio.us page, where you can view the 
various websites that we visit to keep our fingers on the pulse of 
Africa! Visit http://del.icio.us/pambazuka_news
 
Thanks to Fareeda Jadwat for this.
 
September 29

Harvard Project On The Soviet Social System Online

Russia, including the Soviet Union Trackbacks (0)
Harvard project on the Soviet social system online
The website "The Harvard Project on the Soviet Social System Online" holds the digitized transcripts of the 705 interviews done with Soviet refugees, which are part of the Harvard Project on the Soviet Social System (HPSSS) and are currently deposited at the Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies Collection of the H. C. Fung Library. These interviews cover the period between 1917 and 1940s and were carried out "during the early years of the Cold War". The website is therefore an important source for oral history of that period. The homepage of this project is hosted on the Harvard College Library page and it holds necessary information about the project and how to use the HPSSS database. The interviews are divided in to A-Schedule with personal life stories and B-Schedule with interviews on special topics. Searching and viewing the results of the queries are explained, while finding aids and manuals describe the system of indices created for these interviews and ancillary material added to the database. The search is by keyword or phrase with the possibility to narrow the query to one or the other of the groups of interviews. The digitized images of the typescript pages are sometimes faint but the texts are also available in HTML format and legible. The navigation is easy: images can be zoomed in and out, can be viewed in four sizes, the page can be rotated. This is a primary source of great significance for the historians of the first decades of the Soviet Union. Intute.ac.uk
http://hcl.harvard.edu/collections/hpsss/
September 29

National Government Statistical Web Sites Webarchive

Statistical information Trackbacks (0)
National Government Statistical Web Sites webarchive
This site contains a database of archived websites from national government statistical agencies which have been selected by staff from Indiana University and archived by the Archive-It subscription service created by the Internet webarchive . They include over 70 examples of the websites of statistical agencies from governments in Sub-Saharan Africa, Central Eurasia, East Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, Oceania, Russia and Eastern Europe, South Asia, and Southeast Asia. Each entry has snapshots of the site from different dates which capture news stories. Typical site contents include official statistics, datasets and statistical yearbooks. The collection may be searched or browsed. Most archived sites are from 2006/7 onwards. Intute.ac.uk
http://www.archive-it.org/collections/
September 29

Social Disadvantage Research Centre (SDRC), University Of Oxford

Poverty Policy Trackbacks (0)
Social Disadvantage Research Centre
The Social Disadvantage Research Centre (SDRC) is "an inter-disciplinary social research group carrying out policy related research within the Department of Social Policy and Social Work at the University of Oxford". The Centre's focus is on the concept and measurement of poverty particularly in small areas and over time. The centre's work includes the compilation of the UK's Index of Deprivation. This site contains details of the centre's research, working papers and publications, members, and a page of further links. Intute.ac.uk
http://www.spsw.ox.ac.uk/fileadmin/static/sdrc/
September 29

Democracy, Citizens And Elections Research Network (DCERN), University Of Manchester

Democracy Elections Citizenship Trackbacks (0)
Democracy, Citizens and Elections Research Network (DCERN)
The Democracy, Citizens and Elections Research Network (DCERN) is a research network based at the University of Manchester. It specialises in researching elections, electoral systems, electoral behaviour, election campaigns and political marketing, citizenship and participation and legislatures. Its website provides information on its aims, objectives and ongoiung research programmes. It includes free access to some full text working papers from its members. Intute.ac.uk
http://www.socialsciences.manchester.ac.uk/dcern/
September 29

Next Left Blog, The Fabian Society

Socialism United Kingdom The Left (politics) Accountability Blogs Trackbacks (0)
Next left blog from the Fabian Society
This political blog is maintained by staff and researchers of the leading left of centre think tank the Fabian Society. They include discussions of British elections, political events and thpersonalities and policies. There is a special interest in discussion of the British labour Party and its conferences. Materials are archived from 2008 onwards. Intute.ac.uk
http://www.nextleft.org/
September 29

Migration Research Unit, University College, London

Migration Trackbacks (0)
Migration Research Unit (MRU) The Migration Research Unit at University College London was founded in 1988. MRU has conducted research for the European Commission, the OECD, the Council of Europe, the UK Department for Education and Employment, the Home Office, the UN, the Australian Government details of which can be accessed online. Current research interests are in "transnationalism and diasporas as well as engagement with new geographical areas, particularly Africa". There is a list of publications, including some full text documents. These are in pdf format and require Adobe Acrobat software to access. There is a useful list of related weblinks. Intute.ac.uk
http://www.geog.ucl.ac.uk/mru/europe.html
September 29

American National Election Studies. From Intute.Ac.Uk

Elections United States of America Trackbacks (0)
American National Election Studies (ANES)
American National Election Studies produces high quality data on voting, public opinion, and political participation and has conducted national surveys of the American electorate since 1952. The website contains a data center where users may download zip files of surveys, questionnaires and associated documentation from 1948 onwards. Topics covered include: voter turnout, political involvement and participation amongst the American electorate. The site also contains background information on the methodology of the survey. There is conference information and links to other election studies.
http://www.electionstudies.org/
September 29

A More United Kingdom [Pdf]

United Kingdom Trackbacks (0)
How does a nation create a sense of community or national identity? It's no trivial query, and one that countries new and old have struggled with through the ages. The Demos organization's Liam Byrne recently tackled that question in regards to Britain via his thoughtful pamphlet, "A More United Kingdom". Released in September 2008, the 96-page work argues that, "shared standards are the secret to preserving harmony in a more diverse society." Bryne happens to be a British Labour Party politician, a Member of British Parliament, and the Minister for Borders and Immigration. In this paper, he offers three concrete ideas for strengthening shared standards and a "sense of fraternity for Britain." These ideas include a national day of celebration, a stronger defense of the Union, and "the Labour Party leading a renewal of civic pride and association as part of a broader, sustained effort to regenerate Britain’s poorest places." While readers may not agree with some or even all of his suggestions, the paper provides an interesting point of view into the politics of immigration, struggling economies, and changing social attitudes. [KMG] Scout Report

http://www.demos.co.uk/files/A%20More%20UK%20-%20web-1.pdf