Check out this update on what’s happening in Zimbabwe from our friends at Amnesty International USA.

-Margaret McDonnell

Zimbabwe is locked in an increasingly downward spiral of diminishing civil rights, decaying infrastructure, violent farm seizures, food insecurity and mass displacement of persons through government destruction of property and those escaping violence and poverty. The situation came to a head last year following Presidential and Parliamentary elections when a run-off election instigated mass violence perpetrated against members of the opposition candidate party Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) and human rights defenders in an attempt to sway the election results.

A power sharing agreement was negotiated in September 2008 between President Mugabe of the ZANU-PF party, Morgan Tsvangirai of the MDC-T and Arthur Mutambara of the MDC-M, calling for a return to the rule of law, an end to harassment of political parties, respect for human rights, a new constitution and prosecutions of perpetrators of the election violence.

Since the new government was sworn in February of this year, there have been some small changes in Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe now uses a monetary system based on the US dollar or South Africa rand which has curbed inflation but it means many people can’t access hospital care because they have no foreign currency. Additionally, Zimbabwe’s healthcare system cannot provide the services necessary to sustain the population due to serious shortages of basic clinical equipment and medications.

Zimbabwe also faces a continuing cholera epidemic that has seen 100,000 cases and claimed more than 4000 lives since initials outbreaks in August 2008. The epidemic’s severity is traced to lack of functioning hospitals, abject poverty due to the collapse of the nation’s economy and infrastructure and the rainy season that caused raw sewage to seep into wells used for drinking water. Crisis levels of the outbreak will resume when the rainy season returns in October 2009 if the water treatment plants and sewer systems are not repaired.

Zimbabwe’s education system, once a model in southern Africa, is in a state of near collapse. Compulsory school fees are not affordable by most of the population. Educational supplies are not sufficient to promote a conducive learning environment, with children required to bring chalk, paper and other materials to the classroom. The current Education Minister David Coltart reports an average of 30 pupils share one text book in rural areas while in urban areas it is mostly 15-1 or 20-1. An assessment by UNICEF in February 2009 reported “eighty-six percent of schools reportedly open were not fully functional; 54% of the opened schools were conducting no classes at all. Ninety-two schools visited were completely closed: of the total 94 schools reportedly “open,” only 14% of schools reported teaching at full capacity.”

Amnesty International’s Secretary General visited Zimbabwe last month and noted that repression of human rights defenders, political activists, lawyers and journalists continues. In fact, while she was there, members of civil society group Women of Zimbabwe Arise held a protest near the building Ms. Khan was simultaneously conducting a press conference. Police converged on the protest, arresting and beating many people severely, including a grandmother and a mother with her 9 month old baby.

Zimbabwe is approaching new elections in less than a year’s time. The new constitution process requires it to be ratified by the Zimbabwe people in a vote which should occur around July 2010. Further, if the new constitution alters the current structure of the power sharing agreement, such as eliminating the new Prime Minister position or calls for new Presidential elections, there is potentially a second election in Zimbabwe as well. Considering that the violence never ceased in Zimbabwe, the chances of a dramatic increase during the next year are high.

You can help. Amnesty International USA and Physicians for Human Rights are calling for the United Nations and African Union to deploy human rights monitors on the ground in Zimbabwe NOW. These monitors will assist in compiling investigation reports of the violence that occurred during the elections last year, assure that humanitarian aid flowing into Zimbabwe is distributed equitably, monitor and report on-going incidences of human rights violations and hopefully remain on the ground throughout 2010 to assist with monitoring human rights conditions during the coming elections.

-Sarah Hager, Amnesty International USA

Sign the petition here calling for human rights monitors to be deployed to Zimbabwe.
Listen to Amnesty International’s Secretary General Irene Kahn discuss her visit to Zimbabwe.

Thanks to Amnesty International USA, last week I and some other ONE staff got the chance to meet with two extraordinary women from the organization Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA). Formed in 2003 by Jenni Williams, WOZA now has a membership of over 70,000 women (and men) and has truly become a grassroots force to be reckoned with.

The idea behind WOZA, as Jenni Williams and Magodonga Mahlangu stressed, is to give ordinary women in Zimbabwe the power to mobilize and take nonviolent action against injustices. Unfortunately, the right to mobilize—something we as ONE members often take for granted—is regularly stifled in Zimbabwe by a police force who, according to Ms. Williams, have become agents of the ruling party rather than an independent and non-partisan organization. Both Ms. Williams and Ms. Mahlangu have spent time in custody for exercising WOZA’s ability to organize and peacefully protest.

Both women spoke at length about some of the crushing social and systemic crises currently afflicting Zimbabwe, including a collapsing economy, healthcare system and a disintegrating—nearly nonexistent now—educational system. The children that are fortunate enough to live near an open and staffed school have to bring their own chair and chalk to school and basic medicines, including pain killers, are no longer available in many hospitals. As these problems mount, the Zimbabwe government continues to subvert the will of the people, making a stark divide between wealthy politicians and impoverished citizens.

It was fascinating and enlightening to hear Ms. Williams and Ms. Maglangu speak not only about their on-the-ground, personal experiences living in Zimbabwe, but also their efforts to mount a massive coalition of ordinary Zimbabwe citizens to speak out against the Zimbabwe government. They are truly living up to the mission of WOZA, which means “come forward” in Ndebele.

To learn more about WOZA and their ongoing campaigns, check out: www.amnestyusa.org/woza and http://www.amnesty.org.uk/actions_details.asp?ActionID=364.

-Chris Scott, ONE

Check out this post from our friends at Amnesty International USA.

-Margaret McDonnell

My work with Amnesty International USA (AIUSA) brings me in close communication with the brave persons fighting for their civil, economic and social rights in Zimbabwe. This includes labor rights activists and civil society members, but the majority of this contact centers on a group of women human rights defenders. AIUSA chose this group of women as a special focus case of Individuals at Risk for 2008-2009. In my work, I have the privilege of interacting with Jenni Williams, co-founder of Women of Zimbabwe Arise. Jenni shares inspirational words about the power of activists around the world to keep her safe from government brutality. She states that knowing her plight is broadcast around the world every time she is imprisoned for asking for such things as the equitable distribution of food aid, provides comfort for her in her cold, dank prison cell because she knows people are mobilizing to secure her release and safety.

Through peaceful protest Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA), and their sibling organization, Men of Zimbabwe Arise, focus attention on the problems in Zimbabwe that directly affect them and their families, such as food security issues, freedom of speech and assembly, health care and corruption. Jenni has been imprisoned more than 20 times, often beaten and harmed while detained, and yet continues to bravely march forward to provide a voice and motivation for all Zimbabweans struggling for a better life. Everyone has certain people in their lives they admire and respect for their skills, talents or other qualities. For me, that person is Jenni. She is a rock star. She marches out onto the streets of Zimbabwe, knowing she could be harmed for her beliefs but does it anyway in the hopes of improving the lives of all her fellow citizens.

Last week over 100 WOZA members were arrested and detained for marching in Harare and Bulawayo. Jenni and WOZA’s other co-founder, Magodonga Mahlangu, were not arrested in the demonstrations, but will be brought before the courts on February 26 for charges of disturbing the peace related to a protest in October 2008. Amnesty International USA currently has two actions you can take as we work to create safe operating space for all human rights defenders in Zimbabwe. The first action asks activists to send Valentines to Mugabe, showing that love is the greater power. The second action, found here, calls on the Minister of Justice to drop the trumped up charges against Jenni and Magodonga and not continue with their trial. Both of these actions will continue for the next two weeks.

Finally, you can see a documentary clip of Jenni speaking about the challenges of operating as a human rights defender in Zimbabwe. I hope you take the time to watch the video, are as inspired by these brave women as I, and will participate in these actions.

-Sarah E. Hager, Chair, Southern Africa Co-Group, Amnesty International USA