From ngopulse at sangonet.org.za Wed Feb 4 15:05:04 2009 From: ngopulse at sangonet.org.za (NGO-Pulse) Date: Wed Feb 4 15:16:38 2009 Subject: [NGO-Pulse] =?windows-1252?q?Issue_158_-_NGO_Crisis=2C_Corporate?= =?windows-1252?q?_Giving=2C_Newsflashes=85?= Message-ID: <49899280.9040601@sangonet.org.za> NGO Pulse Masthead issue no 158 04 February 2009 Contents <#New_Jobs_Proposals__Events> New jobs, proposals and events <#New_Jobs_Proposals__Events> <#Quote_of_the_week> Quote of the week <#Quote_of_the_week> bullet <#Comment_of_the_week_> Comment of the week <#Comment_of_the_week_> bullet <#Latest_News_Flashes> Latest news flashes <#Latest_News_Flashes> bullet <#Nonprofit_Analysis_and_Opinions_> Non-profit analysis and opinions <#Latest_News_Flashes> <#Latest_News_Flashes> bullet <#Prodder_Directory> Prodder Directory <#Prodder_Directory> bullet <#SANGOTeCH> SANGOTeCH <#SANGOTeCH> bullet <#BackaBuddy> BackaBuddy <#BackaBuddy> bullet <#SN-Announce> SN-Announce <#SN-Announce> Quote of the week What we know about the global financial crisis is that we don't know very much. - Paul A. Samuelson. Comment of the week The global financial crisis has reduced the demand for talent but only temporarily. However, the market is predicted to go crazy in about 18 month?s time. The developed world is hungry for talent. A percentage of South Africa?s population is well educated, skilled and feels unrespected, unappreciated and constrained. - Averile Ryder, founder of Averile Ryder Reward Specialists. SN-Announce SN-Announce is an e-mail advertising service with a readership of more than 10 000 people. Subscription to the SN-Announce service is free. For more information contact Nicolle Beeby on +27 11 403-4935 or nicolle@sangonet.org.za Prodder Directory Prodder is the most comprehensive directory of NGOs and development organisations in South Africa. To view the directory, click here . Order your copy of Prodder - NGOs and Development in South Africa 2008, here . SANGOTeCH SANGOTeCH provides software and hardware to NGOs at discounted fees in conjunction with ICT donor partners. It supports NGOs to make the most of their ICT purchases and infrastructure. For more information about SANGOTeCH, click here . BackaBuddy SANGONeT supports BackaBuddy, an online fundraising website which combines the power of sport and the reach of the Internet in support of NGOs in South Africa. For more information contact David Barnard or Matthew de Gale on +27 11 403-4935 or e-mail: info@sangonet.org.za NGO Crisis, Corporate Giving, Newsflashes? In this week?s edition of NGO Pulse, we continue our focus on the challenges that the South African NGO sector is currently experiencing. Casting a historical eye on what he describes as the ?roots of the NGO crisis? frequent contributor Frank Julie, writes that shifts in the power relations in South Africa post 1994 and led to the cooption of sections of NGO leadership ?to a discourse that was detrimental to the interest of the poor and marginalised.? He argues that ?what was transferred (content) as part of leadership development in the SA NGO sector cannot be divorced from how (methodologies/form) it was transferred. A clear shift took place from ? informal learning approaches [?] dominated by activism to more formal approaches to learning[?] dominated by a discourse of ?development? and ?good governance? with a new trend amongst the leadership towards materialism and individualism.? Click here to read the full article. As NGOs continue to feel the funding pinch, we also publish an article on South Africa?s first social investment 'stock exchange' - the South African Social Investment Exchange (SASIX), a project of GreaterGood SA, though which donors can invest in results-driven development projects. Manager of GreaterGood SA?s media portfolio, Roxy Mitchell writes that while corporate philanthropy in South Africa stands at roughly R5 billion a year and individuals give an estimated R12 billion from their own pockets, things are not getting substantially better for the poorest of the poor. ?There may be more money available for non-profit organisations (NPOs) than ever before, but it generally flows to big, well-connected organisations, while crucial, grassroots non-profits working at the coalface of poverty lose out. SASIX ? www.sasix.co.za ? helps level the playing field by giving small, pioneering NPOs the same access to funds and capacity development as the bigger, better-known causes?, she writes. Click here to read the full article. This week we also reintroduce the popular SANGONeT poll question. Given our focus over the last few weeks, we thought today's poll question, suggested by Pirowshaw Camay, director of the Co-operative for Research and Education, would be particularly relevant. Over time some organisations have built up a reserve of funds for themselves for use in emergencies. At the same time, there are instances in which organisations require funds to start projects, fulfill contracts or start work on a tender but have to wait several months before the contractor (normally a government department) pays for services rendered. Today's poll question asks if organisations which have a surplus of funds agree to pledge a portion of that surplus to create a National Civil Society Organisation (CSO) Fund which would then leverage further funding from a bank or development fund to source funds not timeously received for work undertaken on contract. Click here to vote or access the poll question from the front page. Look out for our special 2009 Budget edition next week and remember to diarise the SANGONeT roadshow which will be in Durban and Cape Town from 9-13 March. Janine Moolman Editor, editor@sangonet.org.za New Jobs, Proposals & Events Employment Opportunities * Networking AIDS Community of South Africa, a NGO that represents over 300 government, non-government and community based organisations, seeks to employ a Senior Administrator/PA to be based in the Western Cape. The application deadline is 8 February 2009. For more information, click here . * Khanya-African Institute for Community-Driven Development invites applications from suitably qualified candidates for the position of Participatory Monitoring & Evaluation Specialist. The application deadline is 13 February 2009. For more information, click here . * The South African Institute of International Affairs, an independent, non-governmental international affairs think-tank, seeks to appoint a Programme Administrator for its Development through Trade Programme to be based in Pretoria. The application deadline is 19 February 2009. For more information, click here . Proposals, Grants & Awards * The University of the Witwatersrand?s Investigative Journalism Workshop, in conjunction with the Valley Trust, is calling for entries for the Taco Kuiper Award. The award carries a cash prize of up to R200 000. The submission deadline is 27 February 2009. For more information, click here . * The African, Caribbean and Pacific?s Science and Technology Programme is calling for proposals for projects that focus on environmental research activities, energy, transport, agriculture and agro-industry and sustainable trade. The submission deadline is 27 February 2009. For more information, click here . * The International Women?s Media Foundation is calling for applications for the 2009-10 Elizabeth Neuffer Fellowship. The fellowship recognises journalists working in human rights and social justice and is open to women journalists whose focus is human rights and social justice. The submission deadline is 15 April 2009. For more information, click here . New Events * The Computer Education Community Society is conducting a two-day course on Web Design Training Using Joomla from 17-18 February 2009 in Johannesburg. For more information, click here . * Southern Hemisphere Consultants is conducting a five-day training workshop on Project Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation using the Logical Framework Approach from 23-27 February 2009 in Cape Town. For more information, click here . * The University of Pretoria's Centre for Human Rights is conducting a course on Gender Equality from 7-11 September 2009 in Pretoria. For more information, click here . Training * The Western Cape Provincial Development Council in partnership with the South African NGO Coalition Western Cape is hosting the Western Cape Civil Society Summit on 21 February 2009 in Cape Town. For more information, click here . * The Community Development Resource Association, a NGO that works with development practitioners, organisations and movements who are engaged in social transformation with marginalised communities is hosting its Biennial Practice Conference from 12-15 May 2009 in the Western Cape. For more information, click here . * eLearning Africa is hosting a conference entitled ?eLearning Africa 2009: 4th International Conference on ICT for Development, Education, and Training? from 27-28 May 2009. For more information, click here . Latest News Flashes Recent LOCAL news items: * MISA Welcomes Rejection of Film and Publication Bill * SAHRC Launches Human Rights Journal * IEC Calls for Political Tolerance * TAC Criticises MEC Over ARV Shortage in the Free State * High Court Dismisses Abahlali Basejondolo Case * CGE to Investigate Sexwale Over Witchcraft Remarks * AfriForum Criticises ANC Over Rector Appointment * African Sex Worker Conference Gets Underway in Johannesburg Recent INTERNATIONAL news items: * Zimbabwe?s Cholera Deaths at 3 000 * UNRWA Distributes Food Aid to Palestinians * UNICEF Appeals for Funds for Overlooked Emergencies * NGO Blames HIV/AIDS Spread on Cultural Practices * NGO Condemns Torture in Nigeria * AI Urges UN Review to Deliver on Human Rights Non-profit Analysis and Opinions * Book: Writing for Our Lives * Report: Land Reform in South Africa * Report: Wage and Non-wage Settlement Trends * Paper: Business and Human Rights * Portal: Citizen Journalism in Africa Project Copyright Unless otherwise stated, content on the NGO Pulse website is licenced under Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works . Subscriptions TO SUBSCRIBE: send an email request to nicolle@sangonet.org.za with the subject "subscribe me". If you have the time to elaborate in just a line or two, we are keen to find out about your professional and development interests. TO UNSUBSCRIBE: send an email request to nicolle@sangonet.org.za with the subject "unsubscribe me" along with your e-mail address. -------------- next part -------------- Skipped content of type multipart/related From ngopulse at sangonet.org.za Wed Feb 11 12:44:38 2009 From: ngopulse at sangonet.org.za (NGO-Pulse) Date: Wed Feb 11 13:20:32 2009 Subject: [NGO-Pulse] Issue 159 - Climate Change, SOS Coalition, Budget Speech... Message-ID: <4992AC16.4000505@sangonet.org.za> NGO Pulse Masthead issue no 159 11 February 2009 Contents <#New_Jobs_Proposals__Events> New jobs, proposals and events <#New_Jobs_Proposals__Events> <#Quote_of_the_week> Quote of the week <#Quote_of_the_week> bullet <#Comment_of_the_week_> Comment of the week <#Comment_of_the_week_> bullet <#Latest_News_Flashes> Latest news flashes <#Latest_News_Flashes> bullet <#Nonprofit_Analysis_and_Opinions_> Non-profit analysis and opinions <#Latest_News_Flashes> <#Latest_News_Flashes> bullet <#Prodder_Directory> Prodder Directory <#Prodder_Directory> bullet <#SANGOTeCH> SANGOTeCH <#SANGOTeCH> bullet <#BackaBuddy> BackaBuddy <#BackaBuddy> bullet <#SN-Announce> SN-Announce <#SN-Announce> Quote of the week We can debate this or that aspect of climate change, but the reality is that most people now accept our climate is indeed subject to change as a result of greenhouse gas emissions. - Tony Blair, former British Prime Minister. Comment of the week It is clear that there is no shortage of generosity or funds, yet things are not getting substantially better for the poorest of the poor. Until funding is channelled effectively, the struggle to alleviate the country's socio-economic problems will persist. - Roxy Mitchell, GreaterGood South Africa. SN-Announce SN-Announce is an e-mail advertising service with a readership of more than 10 000 people. Subscription to the SN-Announce service is free. For more information contact Nicolle Beeby on +27 11 403-4935 or nicolle@sangonet.org.za Prodder Directory Prodder is the most comprehensive directory of NGOs and development organisations in South Africa. To view the directory, click here . Order your copy of Prodder - NGOs and Development in South Africa 2008, here . SANGOTeCH SANGOTeCH provides software and hardware to NGOs at discounted fees in conjunction with ICT donor partners. It supports NGOs to make the most of their ICT purchases and infrastructure. For more information about SANGOTeCH, click here . BackaBuddy SANGONeT supports BackaBuddy, an online fundraising website which combines the power of sport and the reach of the Internet in support of NGOs in South Africa. For more information contact David Barnard or Matthew de Gale on +27 11 403-4935 or e-mail: info@sangonet.org.za Climate Change, SOS Coalition, Budget Speech... The three articles we feature in this week's edition of NGO Pulse reflect the vibrancy of the South African civil society sector. Media, governance, climate change - all critical areas of ongoing activism both in communities and at the level of policy. In our first article, independent researchers, Victor Munnik and David Hallowes, focus on the debates about South Africa's plans to deal with climate change. They commend the government for planning to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. They argue that: "This would be an incredible achievement for South Africa, the biggest greenhouse gas emitter on the African continent, with 73 percent of African emissions." Click here to read their joint article. SANGONeT information coordinator, Butjwana Seokoma, attended a two-day SABC Position Paper Workshop hosted by the Save Our SABC Coalition in Johannesburg. Seokoma writes that the workshop was aimed at bringing together coalition members, NGOs and policy-makers to draft a civil society position paper to be used as a lobbying tool for new SABC legislation. He says that the workshop also explored strategies for lobbying for a new SABC Act as well as to chart a way forward for the SOS Coalition. Click here to read his article. In another article, Seokoma reports back on the Khanya Institute for Community-Driven Development (Khanya-AICDD) seminar entitled "Is there a Crisis of Governance in Southern Africa? If so, Whose Crisis and Whose Responsibility". He quotes Khanya-AICDD's rethinking governance practice manager, Vincent Hungwe, as saying that: "Southern Africa needs policies, institutions and systems that are legitimate." Hungwe favours political systems that are informed by dialogue. Click here to read his article. April 22 has been announced as the day when South Africans take to the polls in the country's fourth democratic elections. It signifies the beginning of more intense campaigning as political parties will do their utmost to convince the electorate of their ability to deliver. What do party elections manifestos say about the concerns we highlight today? What are the criteria that members of civil society organisations will use to determine how they will vote? How do we measure delivery? We also feature an article from Consultancy Africa Intelligence (CAI) focusing on the global economic crisis. In this article, CAI's Johnathan Mundell quotes World Bank's Julian Schweitzer as saying "the global economic crisis could result in tens of thousands of preventable deaths if countries do not defend programmes aimed at the poor." Remember to vote in this month's poll question. The question asks if organisations which have a surplus of funds would agree to pledge a portion of that surplus to create a National Civil Society Organisation (CSO) Fund which would then leverage further funding from a bank or development fund to cover funds not timeously received for work undertaken on contract. Click here to vote or access the poll question from the front page. Look out for our special 2009/10 Budget edition of NGO Pulse on 13 February 2009. Unlike previous budget speeches, more South Africans are interested in finding out how the Finance Minister will deal with soaring food prices and the global economic meltdown. Interested civil society organisations can send their comments and contributions to info@sangonet.org.za by no later than 12h00 on Thursday, 12 February 2009. We also urge you to diarise the SANGONeT roadshow which will be held in Durban from 10-11 March and Cape Town from 12-13 March 2009. As usual we invite your comments and suggestions. NGO Pulse Team, editor@sangonet.org.za New Jobs, Proposals & Events Employment Opportunities * The Institute for Democracy in South Africa's Political Information and Monitoring Service seeks to appoint a Political Researcher to be based in Cape Town. The application deadline is 15 February 2009. For more information, click here . * The Open Democracy Advice Centre, a NGO working to implement the right to know in the interests of social and economic justice, seeks to employ a dynamic Trainer/Advisor to be based in Cape Town. The application deadline is 18 February 2009. For more information, click here . * M?decins Sans Fronti?res invites applications from suitable qualified candidates for the position of Head of Communications to be based in Johannesburg. The application deadline is 27 February 2009. For more information, click here . Proposals, Grants & Awards * The University of the Western Cape, in partnership with the Vlaamse Interuniversitaire Raad, invites applications for the Prestige Postgraduate Scholarships. Master's scholarships are R56 000 per annum (full-time) and R28 000 (part-time). Doctoral scholarships are R90 000 per annum (full-time) and R45 000 (part-time). The submission deadline is 2 March 2009. For more information, click here . * The Canadian International Development Agency is calling for proposals from civil society organisations that are working to promote good governance in South Africa. The proposal budget must not exceed CAD100 000. The submission deadline is 6 March 2009. For more information, click here . * Consultancy Africa Intelligence, a South African-based research and strategy firm, is offering NGOs access to any or all of its standard research publications for a no obligation 3-month trial period. For more information and to sign up to the trial, click here . New Events * The Democracy Development Programme is hosting a political forum entitled "The Underlying Trends of Party Support and Voting Patterns in the South African Political Context" on 26 February 2009 in KwaZulu-Natal. For more information, click here . * The Human Sciences Research Council is hosting a public lecture on "Couples HIV Risk Reduction Intervention and Medication Adherence Intervention Among HIV Positive Women" on 24 February 2009 in Pretoria, Durban and Cape Town. For more information, click here . * The Southern Africa Institute for Fundraising is hosting its 9th Biennial Convention - Making Waves, from 26-28 May 2009 in KwaZulu-Natal. For more information, click here . Training * The Institute for the Advancement of Journalism is conducting a one-day course on Working the Web on 16-17 March 2009 in Johannesburg. For more information, click here . * The Economic Policy Research Institute, in partnership with Maastricht University and the University of Cape Town, is hosting on course on Designing and Implementing Social Transfer Programmes from 26 July to 8 August 2009 in Cape Town. For more information, click here . * The Foundation for Professional Development, in partnership with HIV 911, is conducting a three--day course on HIV Management for Lay Counsellors from 9-11 September 2009 in Durban. For more information, click here . Latest News Flashes Recent LOCAL news items: * Voting Abroad a Logistical Nightmare, EISA * South Africans Abroad Must Vote, Court * Less Electricity Used in December, Eskom * White South Africans More Likely to Vote, Poll * Jansen Appointed to Help Mangosuthu University * Skweyiya Speaks Out on SRD * Motlanthe Speaks Out on Poverty * IEC Needs Proof of Missing Voters * Cabinet to Consider Concept Paper on Women Ministry * Motlanthe Refers Broadcasting Amendment Bill Back to Parliament * NMF Initiative Focuses on Xenophobia * SANEF Speaks Out on Election Reporting Recent INTERNATIONAL news items: * Red Cross Appeals for Funds to Fight Cholera in Zimbabwe * Gender Activists Criticise Botswana Over Traditional Brews * UNHCR to Relocate Somali Refugees * MSF Condemns the Killing of Madagascan Journalist * IFJ Condemns Escalation of Violence against Journalists in Somalia Non-profit Analysis and Opinions * Guide: Tactical Technology Collective * Report: Ubiquitous ICT for Sustainable Education and Cultural Literacy * Speech: President Kgalema Motlanthe's State of the Nation Address * Guide: SANGONeT Development Calendar 2009 * Portal: Citizen Journalism in Africa Project Copyright Unless otherwise stated, content on the NGO Pulse website is licenced under Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works . Subscriptions TO SUBSCRIBE: send an email request to nicolle@sangonet.org.za with the subject "subscribe me". If you have the time to elaborate in just a line or two, we are keen to find out about your professional and development interests. TO UNSUBSCRIBE: send an email request to nicolle@sangonet.org.za with the subject "unsubscribe me" along with your e-mail address. -------------- next part -------------- Skipped content of type multipart/related From ngopulse at sangonet.org.za Fri Feb 13 13:57:53 2009 From: ngopulse at sangonet.org.za (NGO-Pulse) Date: Fri Feb 13 14:00:07 2009 Subject: [NGO-Pulse] Special Edition: 2009/10 National Budget Message-ID: <49956041.1050308@sangonet.org.za> NGO Pulse Masthead special edition 13 February 2009 SN-Announce SN-Announce is an e-mail advertising service with a readership of more than 10 000 people. Subscription to the SN-Announce service is free. For more information contact Nicolle Beeby on +27 11 403-4935 or nicolle@sangonet.org.za Prodder Directory Prodder is the most comprehensive directory of NGOs and development organisations in South Africa. To view the directory, click here . Order your copy of Prodder - NGOs and Development in South Africa 2008, here . SANGOTeCH SANGOTeCH provides software and hardware to NGOs at discounted fees in conjunction with ICT donor partners. It supports NGOs to make the most of their ICT purchases and infrastructure. For more information about SANGOTeCH, click here . BackaBuddy SANGONeT supports BackaBuddy, an online fundraising website which combines the power of sport and the reach of the Internet in support of NGOs in South Africa. For more information contact David Barnard or Matthew de Gale on +27 11 403-4935 or e-mail: info@sangonet.org.za Special Edition: 2009/10 National Budget The 2009/10 National Budget was presented by Finance Minister Trevor Manuel on 11 February 2009 in Cape Town. We are pleased to present you with a special edition of NGO Pulse which highlights the comments of various NGOs in response to the budget. Most NGOs acknowledge the unique challenges that the Minister of Finance faced in preparing this year's budget as a result of the global financial crisis and its impact on the South African economy. However, the key issue highlighted in most NGO comments is not the availability of more or less money compared to previous budget commitments, but rather concerns about the ability and capacity of government departments to deliver services in line with their mandate. Similarly, questions are raised about the lack of recognition for the role of NGOs, especially in this difficult economic climate, when often it is NGOs which have to respond to the needs of the poor in the absence of sufficient capacity and service delivery by government departments. The following NGOs have commented on the budget (click on the name of the organisation): * Afesis-corplan * African Monitor * Black Sash * CAF Southern Africa * Centre for Policy Studies * Eastern Cape NGO Coalition * Ecumenical Service for Socio-Economic Transformation * Helen Suzman Foundation * Institute for Democracy in South Africa * People Budget Coalition * Project Literacy * QuadPara Association of South Africa * South African Institute of Race Relations * Steve Biko Foundation * Umcebo Trust We welcome any other NGO comments in response to the budget and will highlight them on the special Budget page on the NGO Pulse portal. Please forward contributions to the NGO Pulse Editor . - NGO Pulse Team Copyright Unless otherwise stated, content on the NGO Pulse website is licenced under Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works . Subscriptions TO SUBSCRIBE: send an email request to nicolle@sangonet.org.za with the subject "subscribe me". If you have the time to elaborate in just a line or two, we are keen to find out about your professional and development interests. TO UNSUBSCRIBE: send an email request to nicolle@sangonet.org.za with the subject "unsubscribe me" along with your e-mail address. -------------- next part -------------- Skipped content of type multipart/related From ngopulse at sangonet.org.za Wed Feb 18 15:02:40 2009 From: ngopulse at sangonet.org.za (NGO-Pulse) Date: Wed Feb 18 15:07:10 2009 Subject: [NGO-Pulse] Issue 160 - Budgeting, Saving Energy, =?windows-1252?q?Prodder/Gu?= =?windows-1252?q?ideStar=85_?= Message-ID: <499C06F0.6000202@sangonet.org.za> NGO Pulse Masthead issue no 160 18 February 2009 Contents <#New_Jobs_Proposals__Events> New jobs, proposals and events <#New_Jobs_Proposals__Events> <#Quote_of_the_week> Quote of the week <#Quote_of_the_week> bullet <#Comment_of_the_week_> Comment of the week <#Comment_of_the_week_> bullet <#Latest_News_Flashes> Latest news flashes <#Latest_News_Flashes> bullet <#Nonprofit_Analysis_and_Opinions_> Non-profit analysis and opinions <#Latest_News_Flashes> <#Latest_News_Flashes> bullet <#Prodder_Directory> Prodder Directory <#Prodder_Directory> bullet <#SANGOTeCH> SANGOTeCH <#SANGOTeCH> bullet <#BackaBuddy> BackaBuddy <#BackaBuddy> bullet <#SN-Announce> SN-Announce <#SN-Announce> Quote of the week I've a problem with the word charity because I think that NGOs, as I prefer calling them, really do take the work of moral and social responsibilities that ought to be taken on by governments. - Emma Thompson. Comment of the week In these uncertain times, it is imperative that the economic actors in both the public and private sectors work towards growing the economy through effective service delivery, and attracting foreign investment. - Ahmed Mohamed, Institute for Democracy in South Africa. SN-Announce SN-Announce is an e-mail advertising service with a readership of more than 10 000 people. Subscription to the SN-Announce service is free. For more information contact Nicolle Beeby on +27 11 403-4935 or nicolle@sangonet.org.za Prodder Directory Prodder is the most comprehensive directory of NGOs and development organisations in South Africa. To view the directory, click here . Order your copy of Prodder - NGOs and Development in South Africa 2008, here . SANGOTeCH SANGOTeCH provides software and hardware to NGOs at discounted fees in conjunction with ICT donor partners. It supports NGOs to make the most of their ICT purchases and infrastructure. For more information about SANGOTeCH, click here . BackaBuddy SANGONeT supports BackaBuddy, an online fundraising website which combines the power of sport and the reach of the Internet in support of NGOs in South Africa. For more information contact David Barnard or Matthew de Gale on +27 11 403-4935 or e-mail: info@sangonet.org.za Budgeting, Saving Energy, Prodder/GuideStar? The comments we received in response to last week?s Special NGO Pulse Edition: 2009/10 National Budget point to a shared concern amongst civil society organisations about the impact of the global financial crisis on the NGO sector. The budget edition prompted questions about online fundraising, retrenchments in the sector and, as expressed in some of the contributions, how to ensure delivery in the context of a declining pool of funding. Writing in this week?s edition of NGO, Pulse Errol Goetsch, director of the Centre for Social Impact - South Africa, writes that non-profits must make the most of fewer funding opportunities. He offers some practical advice on how to ?up-size? funding applications and ensure that activities are adequately budgeted for. ?There is one thing worse than having a good proposal rejected - having a bad one accepted! Proposal writing is unfunded, so many fundraisers normally skimp the work plans and budgets. In the rush of deadlines, with information missing, budgets are often inaccurate ? and for honest organisations, too small rather than too big?, he writes. Click here to read the full article. A good sense of the non-profit sector is invaluable for donors, CSI roleplayers and NGOs themselves. Knowing who does what, when, where and how helps develop good networks, can reduce duplication and also assists donors when making decisions about allocating funding. Also in this issue, Aadila Molale and David Barnard write of the launch of the Prodder/GuideStar NGO Directory Project ? a strategic partnership between SANGONeT and GuideStar International and the next step in the evolution of SANGONeT?s Prodder NGO Directory. The new project, write Molale and Barnard, will provide more in depth organisational listings and a much more powerful search functionality. ?The Prodder/GuideStar NGO Directory Project will utilise the existing Prodder NGO Directory to create a searchable database of profiles and reports on individual NGOs in South Africa. The service will be inclusive, publicly accessible and non-evaluative. The service will promote transparency in the NGO sector by assembling and displaying various reports on individual NGOs. Those who would like to donate to, contract or partner with NGOs can conduct preliminary research on suitable candidate NGOs?, they writes. Click here to read the full article. Butjwana Seokoma, SANGONeT?s information coordinator, takes us back to a time of ?cold, dark nights without any TV or heaters? as he shares his thoughts on Eskom?s energy saving campaign. Arguing that Eskom should include business, particularly high energy consuming industries in their campaign, he writes: ?If Eskom believes that the fluorescent bulbs that it rolls out to communities save more electricity, why is a parastatal like Metrorail, for example, allowed to get away with still using 100 watts globes in its trains? Imagine my shock when I, on my way home from buying the energy-saving globes myself (the good citizen that I am), realise that the train I am travelling in is using the very globes that I am replacing!? Click here for the full article. Lastly, Charlotte Sutherland, writing in the Consultancy Africa Intelligence?s ?Gender Issues in Africa? newsletter, which we republish today, reflects on the recent repeal of the Republican inspired Mexico City Policy, otherwise known as the ?global gag rule? by US President Barak Obama. ?President Obama?s dedication to positive legal changes in favour of gender equality and women?s empowerment is like a fresh breeze through the repetitive and often hollow political discourses (and actions) on gender issues. Hopefully the positive repercussions of Obama?s decision in the US will spread out to touch African women?s lives as well?, she writes. Click here to read the full article. The long-awaited SANGONeT roadshow is getting underway. Remember to diarise 9 March if you are in Durban and 12 March if you are in Cape Town when you will be able to find out more about SANGONeT?s programmes and services and also participate in a training session on how to make NGO Pulse work for you and your organisation. RSVP to Dipuo Mahanyele @ SANGONeT by 4 March 2009 on Tel: (011) 403-4935 or dipuo@sangonet.org.za . We look forward to seeing you there. Remember that you can collect free copies of the SANGONeT 2009 Development Calendar at the SANGONeT office in Braamfontein. This year the calendar has been produced in partnership with the Southern Africa Trust. As always we invite your comments ideas and suggestions. Editor, editor@sangonet.org.za New Jobs, Proposals & Events Employment Opportunities * The Development Institute for Training, Support and Education for Labour invites applications from suitably qualified candidates for the position of Deputy Director to be based in Johannesburg. The application deadline is 27 February 2009. For more information, click here . * The Institute for Justice and Reconciliation, a NGO which promotes reconciliation, transitional justice and democratic nation-building in Africa, seeks to appoint a Political Researcher. The application deadline is 27 February 2009. For more information, click here . * Save the Children invites applications from suitably qualified candidates for the position of Education Manager to be based in Pretoria. The application deadline is 2 March 2009. For more information, click here . Proposals, Grants & Awards * One World Broadcasting Trust invites entries for the Special Award for Development Media, which aims to recognise an outstanding media project or organisation working on the ground in the developing world. The submission deadline is 27 February 2009. For more information, click here . * Entries are invited for the SADC Media Awards Competition 2009 from South African journalists who have covered the South African Chapter of the Southern African Development Community in 2008. The submission deadline is 31 March 2009. For more information, click here . * Entries are invited for the WACC Photographic Competition 2009. The first prize is US$500 and each commendation will be awarded US$200. The submission deadline is 1 May 2009. For more information, click here . New Events * The Western Cape Provincial Development Council, in partnership with the South African NGO Coalition Western Cape, is hosting a one-day Western Cape Civil Society Leaders? Summit on 21 February 2009 in Goudini. For more information, click here . * The Duduza Development and Resource Centre, in partnership with the Siyafunda Community Development Centre, invites 50 people to the launch of their Third Computer Technology Centre on 24 February 2009 in Nigel. For more information, click here . * The Department of Minerals and Energy is hosting the Renewable Energy Summit 2009 from 19-20 March 2009 in Centurion, Pretoria. For more information, click here . Training * The Training Centre for Development Cooperation in Eastern and Southern Africa is conducting a course on Civic Education for Political Empowerment 2009 from 16-27 November 2009 in Arusha, Tanzania. For more information, click here . * Inyathelo ? The South African Institute for Advancement is conducting a course on Advancement and Fundraising Basics from 4-5 March 2009 in Cape Town. The registration deadline is 27 February 2009. For more information, click here . * The University of South Africa is launching Free Online Courses in African Languages on 26 February 2009 in Pretoria. RSVP on or before 23 February 2009. For more information, click here . Latest News Flashes Recent LOCAL news items: * NGOs Comment on Budget 2009/10 * SAIRR Speaks Out on Fraud and Corruption in the ANC * SANEF Condemns Shooting of Journalist * FXI Pushes for New Broadcasting Act * PASASA Survey Focuses on Paraffin Safety * Municipality Appeals for Cholera Funds * African Monitor Hails New Zimbabwean Government * Undocumented Migrants Raped and Robbed in Musina, IOM * 2nd Making CSI Matter Conference in Johannesburg Recent INTERNATIONAL news items: * Zimbabwe?s Health System Collapsed, MSF * Child Soldiers Released in DRC * UNDP Denies Comments on Nigeria and MDGs * Scientists Warn About Biofuels * Jordan to Review Law on NGO Funding * Mobile Chargers to go Universal in 2012 Non-profit Analysis and Opinions * Book: Forced Displacement * Guide: Sharpening the Development Process * Guide: SANGONeT Development Calendar 2009 * Toolkit: Inyathelo Donor Prospect Database * Portal: Citizen Journalism in Africa Project Copyright Unless otherwise stated, content on the NGO Pulse website is licenced under Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works . Subscriptions TO SUBSCRIBE: send an email request to nicolle@sangonet.org.za with the subject "subscribe me". If you have the time to elaborate in just a line or two, we are keen to find out about your professional and development interests. TO UNSUBSCRIBE: send an email request to nicolle@sangonet.org.za with the subject "unsubscribe me" along with your e-mail address. -------------- next part -------------- Skipped content of type multipart/related From ngopulse at sangonet.org.za Wed Feb 25 13:40:40 2009 From: ngopulse at sangonet.org.za (NGO-Pulse) Date: Wed Feb 25 23:18:49 2009 Subject: [NGO-Pulse] =?windows-1252?q?Issue_161_-_Poverty=2C_Elections=2C?= =?windows-1252?q?_Prodder_Online_Survey=85?= Message-ID: <49A52E38.7070409@sangonet.org.za> NGO Pulse Masthead issue no 161 25 February 2009 Contents <#New_Jobs_Proposals__Events> New jobs, proposals and events <#New_Jobs_Proposals__Events> <#Quote_of_the_week> Quote of the week <#Quote_of_the_week> bullet <#Comment_of_the_week_> Comment of the week <#Comment_of_the_week_> bullet <#Latest_News_Flashes> Latest news flashes <#Latest_News_Flashes> bullet <#Nonprofit_Analysis_and_Opinions_> Non-profit analysis and opinions <#Latest_News_Flashes> <#Latest_News_Flashes> bullet <#Prodder_Directory> Prodder Directory <#Prodder_Directory> bullet <#SANGOTeCH> SANGOTeCH <#SANGOTeCH> bullet <#BackaBuddy> BackaBuddy <#BackaBuddy> bullet <#SN-Announce> SN-Announce <#SN-Announce> Quote of the week The mother of revolution and crime is poverty. - Aristotle, Ancient Greek Philosopher. Comment of the week The severe economic downturn means that NPO?s must make the most of fewer funding opportunities. - Errol Goetsch, Director of the Centre for Social Impact, South Africa. SN-Announce SN-Announce is an e-mail advertising service with a readership of more than 10 000 people. Subscription to the SN-Announce service is free. For more information contact Nicolle Beeby on +27 11 403-4935 or nicolle@sangonet.org.za Prodder Directory Prodder is the most comprehensive directory of NGOs and development organisations in South Africa. To view the directory, click here . Order your copy of Prodder - NGOs and Development in South Africa 2008, here . SANGOTeCH SANGOTeCH provides software and hardware to NGOs at discounted fees in conjunction with ICT donor partners. It supports NGOs to make the most of their ICT purchases and infrastructure. For more information about SANGOTeCH, click here . BackaBuddy SANGONeT supports BackaBuddy, an online fundraising website which combines the power of sport and the reach of the Internet in support of NGOs in South Africa. For more information contact David Barnard or Matthew de Gale on +27 11 403-4935 or e-mail: info@sangonet.org.za Poverty, Elections, Prodder Online Survey? Do we ?cost? the impact of poverty and hunger to a country?s development? Whether it be in the form of higher health costs or poor school attendance, poverty and hunger in South Africa, and in developing countries more broadly, are key factors in economic and social development. In an article we publish this week, Tracy Cull and Katharine Vincent from the Regional Hunger and Vulnerability Programme ask what it would cost to alleviate hunger. Quoting Jeffrey Sachs at a UN meeting late last year, they write of the irony that the US could find $700 billion for ?a bailout of its corrupt and errant banks, but couldn?t find a small fraction of that for the world?s poor and dying.? In his blog Sachs writes: ?...the very banks being bailed out so generously had awarded themselves more than $30 billion in bonuses early this year, roughly the world?s entire aid budget for 800 million people in sub-Saharan Africa.? Cull and Vincent review a new book, Seasons of Hunger: Fighting Cycles of Quiet Starvation Among the World?s Rural Poor, which ?puts a figure to how much it would cost to alleviate hunger.? Click here to read the full article. Reporting on a debate held between political parties on eradicating poverty in South Africa, Butjwana Seokoma, SANGONeT?s information coordinator writes that while the country has one of the highest poverty levels in the world, government has made efforts to address poverty through the provision of social grants. Seokoma presents the positions of different political parties who participated in the debate. Click here to read the full article. We also publish the first of a series of articles on the work of the Sonke Gender Justice Network which works to address the social aspects of the HIV epidemic, with a particular focus on gender issues. This week we include an article by Kristin Palitza on an anti-xenophobia mural project in Johannesburg and Cape Town. Quoting Sonke co-director Dean Peacock, she writes: ?Although we see no reports on violence against foreign nationals in the media anymore, it is an ongoing issue, even if it happens on a smaller scale...With the help of public art, we want to draw attention to xenophobia as an ongoing problem, to the importance of reintegration of refugees and migrants who had to flee their homes and to the fact that we don?t do nearly enough in South Africa to protect marginalised groups.? Click here to read the full article. In last week?s edition of NGO Pulse we included a notice of the launch of the UNISA free online courses in African languages. While they received a very positive response, the launch has had to be postponed due to the possibility of mass action taking place on campus. We will let you know of the new date. As mentioned last week, remember to diarise 9 March if you are in Durban and 12 March if you are in Cape Town when you will be able to find out more about SANGONeT?s programmes and services and also participate in a training session on how to make NGO Pulse work for you and your organisation. RSVP to Dipuo Mahanyele @ SANGONeT by 4 March 2009 on Tel: (011) 403-4935 or dipuo@sangonet.org.za . We look forward to seeing you there. We also invite you to help us improve the Prodder NGO directory. Please complete the Prodder Online Survey by 6 March 2009. Results from the survey will assist SANGONeT in identifying NGOs? information requirements, and develop new features and search functions for Prodder and inform the implementation of the Prodder-GuideStar NGO Directory Project , a strategic partnership between SANGONeT and GuideStar International aimed at expanding the functionality and value of the current Prodder NGO Directory. As always we invite your comments ideas and suggestions. Editor, editor@sangonet.org.za New Jobs, Proposals & Events Employment Opportunities * Norwegian Church Aid invites applications from suitably qualified candidates for the position of Assistant Programme Administrator/Junior Programme Officer to be based in Pretoria. The application deadline is 6 March 2009. For more information, click here . * Gender Links, a NGO that promotes gender justice and equality, seeks to appoint a Southern Africa Gender Protocol Alliance Manager. The application deadline is 6 March 2009. For more information, click here . * Grassroot Soccer, a NGO that provides life skills education to young people to prevent HIV/AIDS, seeks to employ a Junior Bookkeeper to be based in Cape Town. The application deadline is 10 March 2009. For more information, click here . Proposals, Grants & Awards * The Association for Progressive Communications Women's Networking Support Programme is calling for applications for country research partners for its project on sexuality and the Internet. The submission deadline is 16 March 2009. For more information, click here . * The Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship and Ernst & Young invite entries for the Social Entrepreneur of the Year Competition - South Africa 2009. The submission deadline is 31 March 2009. For more information and to submit an entry, click here . * The Harvard South Africa Fellowship Programme in conjunction with the Mandela Rhodes Foundation invite applications for the 2010/11 Fellowship. Applicants should be South Africans who were previously disadvantaged by law and resource allocation as a result of apartheid and its legacy. The submission deadline is 30 April 2009. For more information, click here . New Events * The Gender and Media Southern Africa Network, is hosting the CSW53 Cyber Dialogues on 4, 6 and 9 March 2009. For more information, click here . * The African Institute of Corporate Citizenship is hosting a seminar on Standardising Social Responsibility: ISO 26000 on 9 March 2009 in Johannesburg. For more information, click here . * Distance Education and Teacher Education in Africa (DETA) is hosting the DETA Conference 2009 from 3-6 August 2009 in Ghana. For more information, click here . Training * The Centre for Economic Journalism in Africa, a unit of the School of Journalism and Media Studies at Rhodes University, is conducting an accredited certificate course on Economics for Journalism from 3-7 April 2009 in Grahamstown. For more information, click here . * The Institute for the Advancement of Journalism is conducting a two-day course on Writing Opinion Pieces for Publications from 23-24 March 2009 in Johannesburg. For more information, click here . * The School of Social and Political Science at the University of Edinburgh is launching a new taught MSc Programme in Africa and International Development, starting from September 2009. The application deadline is 30 March 2009. For more information, click here . Latest News Flashes Recent LOCAL news items: * South African GM Crops Increasing ? AgriSA * Limpopo Losing War on Cholera ? Seloba * R100m to Repair Defective RDP Houses * Stats SA Comments on Farming Sector Income * Court Cases Unlikely to Affect Election Date - IEC * Gauteng Housing to Eradicate Informal Settlements * Land Rights Fuel Violence in Maandagshoek * Xenophobia, UNHCR Acted Within its Mandate * Zuma Blasts NMF on Mandela?s Health Reports Recent INTERNATIONAL news items: * Gates Foundation Donates US$100m for Anti-HIV Gel * Mobile Health Alliance Campaign Launched * NGO Calls for Transparency Over Land Purchases * UN Special Team Heads for Zimbabwe * Top US Newspaper Websites Named Non-profit Analysis and Opinions * Guide: Finding Work in Global Health * Website: Resource: Poverty Reduction Strategies Map * Booklet: The ?I? Stories * Paper: Poverty Lines and Lives of the Poor * Guide: SANGONeT Development Calendar 2009 * Portal: Citizen Journalism in Africa Project Copyright Unless otherwise stated, content on the NGO Pulse website is licenced under Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works . Subscriptions TO SUBSCRIBE: send an email request to nicolle@sangonet.org.za with the subject "subscribe me". If you have the time to elaborate in just a line or two, we are keen to find out about your professional and development interests. TO UNSUBSCRIBE: send an email request to nicolle@sangonet.org.za with the subject "unsubscribe me" along with your e-mail address. -------------- next part -------------- Skipped content of type multipart/related