Africa Youth Trust is an independent, non-partisan, development and advocacy organization. AYT was created Youth Led Development model in Kenya with a view of replication in other African countries
MASHARIKI E-BULLETIN
Issue: October 2012
NEWS FROM THE SECRETARIAT Kenya Roundtable Meeting On 19th September 2012, AYT in partnership with the National Youth Sector Alliance hosted the Kenya round table meeting at the Silver Springs hotel in Nairobi. The meeting brought together leaders from youth organizations, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MOYAS), Ministry of East African Community and members of the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA). Similar to other round table meetings held in Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda and Tanzania, the purpose of the meeting was to share with the participants about the draft EAC youth policy and the proposed EAC youth council as well as have discussions on how young people can enhance the EAC integration process. The meeting was officially opened by Mr. Kennedy Nyambati the Deputy Director, Social Affairs in the Ministry of East African Community. In his opening remarks, he stated that issues of the youth cannot be ignored and had to be addressed at the community level as well. He called on the participants to critically review the draft policy, identify gaps and ensure that those gaps are addressed. Additionally, he pointed out that the Ministry of EAC was currently undertaking activities aimed at creating awareness amongst the youth about the opportunities available in the EAC. Also present in the meeting were EALA members from Kenya Hon. Abubakar Zein and Hon. Agnes Mumbi who affirmed their support for the project. Hon. Abubakar pointed out that he welcomed the opportunity to engage in youth issues at the regional level adding that he was a member of the General Purpose Committee, the committee under EALA tasked to deal with youth issues. Other Kenyan EALA members in the committee include Hon. Nancy Abisai and Hon. Sarah T. Bonaya. Concerns were raised about the lack of information about the EAC integration process at the grassroots level as well as lack of access to the policy by young people. Stella Agara, AYT’s Programmes Manager, challenged youth leaders present to share the draft policy with their organizations networks adding that it is through such networks that information will reach youth at the grassroots. The youth empowerment resource centers established by the Ministry of Youth affairs and sports were also identified as possible avenues for sharing information about the draft policy and the proposed EAC youth council. The establishment of National Youth Councils in EAC countries where they do not exist is important and one of the requirements that have to be met in the establishment of the EAC youth Council. As such, Mr. Johnstone Keverenge from MOYAS, in his closing remarks highlighted that the Ministry’s goal was to have the Kenya national youth council set up before the next general elections which are to be held in March 2013. He cited challenges in the financing of the elections but expressed confidence in the successful outcome of the elections. For further reading visit: www.africayouthtrust.org
EAC NEWS
New Inter University Council for East Africa ( IUCEA) Bill Approved The 1st Extraordinary Sectoral Council on Education, Science and Technology, Culture and Sports was held in Kigali, Rwanda between the 5th-8th of November,2012.The Ministers responsible for Education, Science and Technology, Culture and Sports in the adopted the revised draft Inter University Council for East Africa (IUCEA) Bill, 2012. The 5-8 November meeting chaired by Hon. Ababu Namwamba, Kenya’s Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports considered among others, the draft IUCEA Bill that proposes to enact a new Act on the Inter-University Council for East Africa, 2012; plans to operationalize the East African Science and Technology Commission and East African Kiswahili Commission; as well as matters regarding Mutual Recognition Agreements that various professional bodies are currently working on to facilitate movement of labor and trade in professional services.
Tanzania establishes EAC desk in Key office Tanzania has established an East African Community desk in all its 142 districts, towns and municipal councils across the country to inform its citizens on the existing opportunities in the regional bloc. The desk will be manned by State officers and will have sufficient information about trade and investment policies, immigration, taxation and regulatory frameworks in each of the member country. According to the country’s Minister for East African Co-operation Samuel Sitta, the decision was taken after the government learnt that the majority of citizens know little about the bloc. For further reading visit: http://goo.gl/Y1bLD
Accelerating the East Africans Integration Process The East African Community (EAC) integration has reached a critical stage that requires the partner states to work closely to stump out any barriers to free movement of goods and services across their common borders. When East African economies merged and opened their borders to create one of Africa’s largest trading blocs, they agreed to operate a single market for goods, services, labour and capital, among others. The bloc has registered tremendous success. But the progress so far has also brought along challenges. The launch of the Common Market has been a major leap but member states must ensure that the ordinary people of East Africa benefit from that protocol. For further reading visit: http://goo.gl/qdG5R
EAC Drafts Code on Graft Legal and anti-corruption experts last week held a three day intensive work on the draft EAC Protocol on Preventing and Combating Corruption. The exercise followed the 24th extra-ordinary council of ministers directive to legal drafters and anti-corruption experts to harmonize and transform the policy content of the draft protocol into proper legal language for onward submission to the Sectoral Council on Legal and Judicial Affairs for legal inputs. EAC Deputy Secretary General in charge of Political Federation Dr. Julius Tangus Rotich said EAC was committed to the fight against corruption and with the opening up of borders for trade and investment to thrive the fight against corruption was now more imperative than before. For further reading visit: http://allafrica.com/stories/201210160061.html Regional Lawmakers Oppose Move to trim their Powers Members of the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) have criticised a proposal seeking to bar any individual member from initiating a motion or introducing any bill in the House. The proposal was fronted during the 25th meeting of the Council of Ministers held in Bujumbura, in August, calling for the amendment of article 59 of the Treaty to remove the part that states that “subject to the rules of procedure of the assembly, any member may propose any motion or introduce any Bill in the assembly.” The treaty referred to is the one governing the establishment of the EAC that was assented to by all the five member states, and works as the guiding tool for the integration process. For further reading visit: http://goo.gl/cCN4H
JOBS AND INTERNSHIPS
CONFERENCES AND WORKSHOPS
Human Rights Scholarship (HRS) Deadline for Application: 31 October 2012 University of Melbourne invites application for the Human Rights Scholarship which is awarded to local or international applicants for graduate level studies and who are able to demonstrate their commitment to the peaceful advancement of respect for human rights. Each year the University of Melbourne offers 2 HRSs to applicants wishing to undertake a graduate research degree at the University of Melbourne. For more information visit: http://goo.gl/jfMMZ
Equitas International Human Rights Training in Montreal, Canada June 9 – June 28, 2013 Application Deadline: 21 November 2012 Equitas is organizing the 34th annual International Human Rights Training (IHRTP) from June 9 to June 28, 2013 in Montreal, Canada. With support from the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), Equitas has funding to award a limited number of bursaries to selected International Candidates. This international training is an intermediate-level program which brings together approximately 90 participants from about 50 countries to help them deepen their understanding of human rights and of essential role of human rights education in effecting social change. For more information visit: http://goo.gl/1txrY
Global Change Leaders Application deadline: 3 December 2012 In 2011-2012, the International Centre for Women’s Leadership launched the Global Change Leaders program – a certificate course for emerging women leaders from the global south. Through campus-based education, field visits, mentorships and linkages to a global network of other women leaders, the program enables the women to strengthen their leadership capacities to contribute to change in their organizations and communities. Program participants engage in learning themes grounded in real world experiences. Topics covered include transformative leadership concepts, practical leadership skills, citizen-led and asset-based development, and oral and written communications. For more information visit: http://coady.stfx.ca/women/change-leaders/apply/ Sheffield Hallam University International Achievement Scholarship Application Deadline: 30 November 2012 Sheffield Hallam University invites applications for International Achievement Scholarships to Undergraduate and Postgraduate Students for which courses are offered by the university. The scholarships will be awarded to well-qualified students who demonstrate academic, personal or professional achievement in the personal statement on their scholarship application form. Successful applicants will be awarded with a certificate to mark their achievement at a Scholarships ceremony following enrollment on their course and a payment will be made after enrollment. For more information visit: http://www.shu.ac.uk/international/scholarshipsbursaries/achievement.html The Google Anita Borg Memorial Scholarship Application Deadline: 1 February 2013 Female applicants are invited by Google for Anita Borg Memorial Scholarship for the upliftment of women in the fields of computing and technology. Dr. Anita Borg’s combination of technical expertise and fearless vision continues to inspire and motivate countless women to become active participants and leaders in creating technology. As part of Google’s ongoing commitment to furthering Anita’s vision, we are pleased to announce The Google Anita Borg Memorial Scholarship: Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Through the scholarship, we aim to encourage women to excel in computing and technology, and become active role models and leaders. For more information visit: http://www.google.com/anitaborg/emea/index.html
East African Higher Education Forum 24th – 26th October 2012 Arusha, Tanzania The Forum will bring together higher education managers, researchers, the business community, and policy makers from the EAC Partner States to deliberate on the role of universities in fostering regional integration and the development of knowledge-based economies in the East African Community, through forging linkages with the business community. The Forum is expected to provide a convergence platform for higher education and the business community so as to discuss and strategize on how to develop effective higher education systems in East Africa that would be linked to industry, for the promotion of sustainable socio-economic development and East Africa’s regional integration. Students and academic staff in universities in the region can avail themselves of the platform provided by the Forum to promote their brilliant ideas in business development and strategic innovations. Those with the best concepts-–identified through a call for conceptual write-ups–will be linked to the private sector for assistance from business experts to actualize their ideas. For more information visit: http://goo.gl/2CHUs Call For participation: National Youth Development Summit-Post MDG 2015 AGENDA.
A collaboration effort of Youth Millennium Development Ambassadors, Democracy Sierra Leone (DSL) & Worldview Mission THEME: "Putting Young People at the Heart of National Development" Venue: British Council Hall, Freetown Sierra Leone Date: 19th-21st March, 2013 Time: 10am-4:30pm prompt
STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES: 1. To bring together youth activists to review the attainment of MDGs in Sierra Leone and west Africa, develop strategies for accelerating the achievement of the MDGs and plan for the Post-2015 Development Framework. 2. To strengthen partnership within youth organizations in the region to implement MDGs based projects. 3. To create a platform for young people to learn and share their best practices in their actions towards achieving the MDGs. 4. To mobilize and motivate young people to actively get involved in the ongoing national, regional and international consultations on the Post-2015 Development Agenda. 5. To Present an African Youth Declaration on the Post-2015 Development Agenda. Join us By creating more awareness about this Global Event that focuses on young people Youth Millennium Development Ambassadors: http://www.mdgambassadors.org/ , info@mdgambassadors.org, isslcouncil2@gmail.com, info@democracysierraleone.org AWARDS
2013 United Nations Public Service Awards Call for Nominations Deadline for submission: 7 December 2012 The overall purpose of the UNPSA programme is to reward the creative achievements and contributions of public service institutions towards a more effective and responsive public administration in countries worldwide. An annual global competition that promotes the role, professionalism and visibility of public service, the programme aims to discover new innovations in governance; motivate public servants to further promote innovation; raise the image of public service; enhance trust in government; and collect and share successful practices for possible replication between and within countries. For more information visit: http://goo.gl/mxvSq RESOURCES
Strengthening Popular Participation in the East African Community The EAC, in cooperation with the GIZ-EAC Integration programme, has designed a special manual to inform and sensitize non-state actors on the advantages of EAC integration. The manual was developed in close dialogue and cooperation with civil society and private sector organizations. A special quality assessment group was set up for this purpose, and the EAC Secretariat has customized the document to the needs of PSO and CSO in line with EAC communication standards. For more information visit: http://www.eacgermany.org/
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East Africa’s Budget: Paying the Piper Community (EAC) partner states, aside from Burundi, announced their 2012/2013 budgets. As part of an agreement to harmonize and bring more convergence to their respective economies, all of these countries announce their budgets simultaneously. The budget period encompasses a variety of narratives that serve as a progress report of where each country stands on their economic and development targets. The budgets highlight the priorities of the countries and provide hints on future development strategies. To download the report visit: http://www.sidint.net/docs/RF27_EABudgets.pdf
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