Pambazuka News
Encyclopedia
Pambazuka News 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.
’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.
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.
“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
Fahamu
Fahamu is a not-for-profit organisation committed to serving the needs of organisations and social movements that inspire progressive social change and promote and protect human rights. It has played a pioneering role in using new information and communication technologies to support capacity...
since 2000, is a pan-African electronic weekly newsletter and platform for social justice
Social justice
Social justice generally refers to the idea of creating a society or institution that is based on the principles of equality and solidarity, that understands and values human rights, and that recognizes the dignity of every human being. The term and modern concept of "social justice" was coined by...
in Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
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
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, Portuguese
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
and French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
. 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
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
which provides regular feedback to African civil society
Civil society
Civil society is composed of the totality of many voluntary social relationships, civic and social organizations, and institutions that form the basis of a functioning society, as distinct from the force-backed structures of a state , the commercial institutions of the market, and private criminal...
organisations on what is happening with the African Union
African Union
The African Union is a union consisting of 54 African states. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established on 9 July 2002, the AU was formed as a successor to the Organisation of African Unity...
.
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
African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights
The African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights is an international human rights instrument that is intended to promote and protect human rights and basic freedoms in the African continent....
on the Rights of Women in Africa.
Newspaper
FahamuFahamu
Fahamu is a not-for-profit organisation committed to serving the needs of organisations and social movements that inspire progressive social change and promote and protect human rights. It has played a pioneering role in using new information and communication technologies to support capacity...
’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. and has received praise from many Africans and non-Africans alike.“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
Awards
- Pambazuka News was voted one of the top ten websites for 2008, 2007, 2006 and 2005 in the annual 'Top 10 Who Are Changing the World of Internet and Politics' award organised by PoliticsOnline and eDemocracy Forum.
- Pambazuka News won the non-profit category of the sixth annual Highway Africa awards for the innovative use of new media.
- Fahamu is one of five Tech Laureates in the 2005 Microsoft Education Award category of the Tech Museum Awards, representing the "best of the best technologists whose innovations benefit humanity".
- AOL innovations in the community award 2004, for innovations in the use of SMS for advocacy work.
- Fahamu South Africa is one of the 10 winners of the Gender and Agriculture in the Information Society (GenARDIS) 2005 Award.
- In 2004, Fahamu was runner up in the Stockholm Challenge awards for the development of distance learning courses for human rights organisations.