Pambazuka News

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.

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. 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.