Pambazuka News

Pambazuka News (http://www.pambazuka.org/), published by Fahamu since 2000, is a pan-African electronic weekly newsletter and platform for social justice in Africa providing: contemporary commentary and in-depth analysis on politics and current affairs development, human rights, refugees, gender issues and culture in Africa. It is designed to be a tool for progressive social change. Pambazuka News is published in English, Portuguese and French. Since 2000, more than 400 issues in English, Portuguese and French have been published. It has an estimated readership of half a million. Pambazuka News also produces the AU Monitor blog which provides regular feedback to African civil society organisations on what is happening with the African Union. The podcasts and videocasts produced by the Pambazuka team were amongst the first African podcasts. Pambazuka News was also a key player in the campaign for the ratification of the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa.

Contents

Newspaper

Fahamu’s flagship publication, Pambazuka News, An open-access, pan-African email and online newsletter with English, French and Portuguese editions, some 15,000 subscribers and an estimated weekly readership of around 500,000, has been generated predominantly in Africa since 2000. The 400th issue was published in 2008 It is produced by a pan-African community of over 1,200 citizens - academics, social activists, women's organisations, writers, artists, poets, bloggers, and commentators - who together produce analyses that make it an innovative and influential site for social justice in Africa. Pambazuka publishes broadcasts, special reports and have grown a wing of book publication since it founding as a newspaper.

Broadcasts

Pambazuka broadcasts feature audio and video content with commentary and debate from social justice movements across the continent. These multimedia products are distributed widely and used by community and mainstream radio broadcasters. The podcasts can be listened to on the Pambazuka website or downloaded for free through iTunes.

Special reports

Fahamu publications provide a source of policy analysis from within Africa. They are an important part of their mission to publish news and information and stimulate debate, discussion and analysis on human rights and social justice in Africa by Africans. Fahamu produces a series of special reports, some of which are published in Pambazuka News, and some of which are made available as separate downloadable documents from the Pambazuka website.

Critical reception

Pambazuka was unexpectedly successful from the start according to founding editor Firoze Manji.[1] and has received praise from many Africans and non-Africans alike.[2] “Pambazuka News has, in the short time of its existence, carved a niche for itself as an important forum where Africans talk frankly among themselves and reflect on the condition of their continent and its place in the new global order. For far too long Africa and Africans were pushed to the margin of global discourse. Others spoke for them, very often misrepresenting and distorting the reality to suit their own interests. No longer, and this is thanks to Pambazuka and its team of writers, analysts and editors.” -Dr Ike Okonta, Department of Politics, University of Oxford [3]

Awards

References

  1. ^ http://www.londonmet.ac.uk/londonmet/library/y94315_3.pdf
  2. ^ http://www.fahamu.org/pambazuka/more/what_you_say_about_pambazuka_news/
  3. ^ http://www.fahamu.org/pambazuka/
  4. ^ http://www.politicsonline.com/content/main/specialreports/2008/top10_2008/
  5. ^ http://www.kiwanja.net/database/project/project_umnyango.pdf
  6. ^ http://www.idrc.ca/en/ev-92800-201-1-DO_TOPIC.html
  7. ^ http://info.aol.co.uk/about/community/innovation/innovation_in_community.pdf
  8. ^ http://genardis.apcwomen.org/en/archive/2005
  9. ^ http://www.kiwanja.net/database/document/report_mobiles_fahamu.pdf