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

Today ONE members are taking action to make sure the African Union keeps its promise to put Zimbabwe on the right footing and show the world that it is serious about change. The African Union (AU) will serve as guarantor for the new Zimbabwe “unity government” and it is critical that they take immediate action to ensure Zimbabwe takes steps in the right direction.

In recent weeks, Zimbabwe has attempted to form a “unity government” between President Robert Mugabe and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai. Show the African Union that the world is watching to make sure it keeps its promise to this new government, by signing our petition to the newly-elected African Union chairman Muammar Gaddafi.

Petition text:

Please ensure that the African Union executes its role as guarantor of the new Zimbabwe unity government.

In the past weeks and months we’ve been keeping you posted on the ONE Blog about the increasingly volatile and dangerous situation taking place in Zimbabwe. After suffering through a botched and violent election last year, Zimbabwe remains a land of devastation. 28 years of increasingly dictatorial rule by President Robert Mugabe have led to hyperinflation, food shortages and a breakdown of basic public services.

Take action now by adding your name to our petition asking the African Union to do its job as guarantor of the unity government, and work to end the political repression that has crippled Zimbabwe.

Thank you for your voice,

-Chris Scott

NY Times: Mugabe Foe Sworn In as Zimbabwe Prime Minister
Zimbabwe’s opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai has taken office as prime minister in a deal with old rival President Robert Mugabe aimed at saving Zimbabwe.

WSJ: Zimbabwe Chooses an African Delusion (opinion-editorial)
Mr. Tupy, a policy analyst at the Cato Institute suggests that the West has to recognize this fundamental lack of political freedom and accountability in Africa. That is especially important now that tens of billions of dollars have been promised to Africa as part of a new push for African development agreed at the 2005 G-8 summit in Gleneagles, Scotland. Mr. Tupy states that bad government in Africa is tolerated and sometimes even encouraged. Zimbabwe’s power-sharing agreement is not a solution, but a delusion.

-Chandler Smith & Chris Scott

Zimbabwe’s parliament just unanimously approved an amendment that will allow opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai to become prime minister of Zimbabwe. We’ve been keeping you posted about these developments as they occur at our Zimbabwe page , so be sure to check the ONE Blog for further news.

Details of the amendment below, article here

The move allows a power-sharing deal to go ahead with Zanu-PF leader Robert Mugabe remaining the president.

Mr Mugabe is expected to sign the amendment on Friday and Mr Tsvangirai is due to sworn in on 11 February.

The power-sharing deal was agreed in September 2008 but has been mired by bitter disputes.

Last week, southern African leaders, who have been mediating the deal, persuaded Mr Tsvangirai’s Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) to join a joint administration despite their concerns over Zanu-PF’s commitment to sharing power.

-Chris Scott

• Britain expressed skepticism yesterday about Zimbabwe’s new coalition government, but pledged support because of the suffering of the population, indicating a shift in the West’s stance on the crisis. The comments followed a similar shift of tone from Washington since opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai agreed to enter a power sharing government with President Robert Mugabe last week. “We’re skeptical but we’ve got to try and help this work,” a British official said, saying Britain and others would be generous donors if the agreement succeeded.
• A look at the collapsing education system in Zimbabwe shows that of the country’s 130,000 teachers, roughly 60,000 have left the country or the profession because hyperinflation rendered their salaries worthless. The collapse is even more stunning considering it was not many years ago that Zimbabwe boasted the highest educational standards in Africa. Its literacy rate, for instance, rivaled America’s, and 96 percent of its children attended school.

-Steve Wilson

The New York Times is reporting that Zimbabwe’s opposition leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, has decided to join a power-sharing government as prime minister with President Robert Mugabe. This decision was reached unanimously at a meeting of the opposition party’s leadership in Zimbabwe’s capital, Harare. The Times reports that it will “usher in a new phase in the opposition’s decade-long struggle against Mr. Mugabe, 84, and his almost 30-year grip on power.” We’ll bring you any further developments as they occur.

Excerpts from the breaking news below, full report here

Mr. Tsvangirai now faces the daunting job of reviving Zimbabwe’s moribund economy and rescuing an increasingly famished, sick and impoverished population with a partner, Mr. Mugabe, whose security forces have viciously beaten Mr. Tsvangirai and thousands of his supporters over the past two years and abducted and allegedly tortured dozens more in just the last few months.

But after more than four months of deadlock and uncertainty following Mr. Tsvangirai’s signing of the power-sharing deal with Mr. Mugabe, his followers reacted with hope that he might be able to stop the country’s accelerating downward spiral.

The challenges are monumental, and the distrust of Mr. Mugabe is so deep that it is uncertain whether the United States and European nations will lift sanctions and infuse substantial new aid for the reconstruction of Zimbabwe until they have solid evidence that he will agree to sweeping changes in the country’s disastrous economic policies, the restoration of the rule of law and democracy.

-Chris Scott

• President Obama spoke by phone yesterday with South African President Kgalema Motlanthe and said Pretoria had an important role to play in helping resolve Zimbabwe’s political crisis. “President Obama emphasized the importance of South Africa’s leadership role as a strong and vibrant democracy in Africa. The two leaders discussed their shared concerns about the situation in Zimbabwe,” the White House said in a statement.
• Zimbabwe’s unemployment rate has spiked to 94 percent, meaning that fewer than half a million people in the country are formally employed, the UN’s humanitarian arm said today. “At close of 2008, only six percent of the population was formally employed, down from 30 percent in 2003,” said a report from the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
• And the dire news continues from Zimbabwe as more than half of the country’s population will need food aid in February and March, the World Food Program (WFP) said on Thursday. The WFP said in a statement that it aims to assist 5.1 million people in February while a group of U.S.-sponsored aid organizations plans to assist 1.8 million more people in the southern African country.

-Steve Wilson

• Uncertainty remains over the future of power-sharing negotiations after the opposition said it would not accept the outcome of last weekend’s regional summit.
• Zimbabwe will present its annual budget this week, which analysts expect to contain desperate measures in the wake of economic collapse amid political crisis.
• Cholera deaths in Zimbabwe have climbed above 3000 as the disease now spreads to rural areas.
• Anti-apartheid activist Kumi is going on a hunger strike to pressure the South African government to demand faster political change in Zimbabwe and urge African leaders to isolate the country’s president, Robert Mugabe.
• The European Union has tightened its sanctions against Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, EU officials have said. More than 60 individuals and firms with links to Mr Mugabe have been added to a list of those banned from travelling to the EU or doing business there.
• The Center for Global Development authors a memo to President Obama outlining what the new administration can do to restore democracy in Zimbabwe.
• Most schools in Zimbabwe stayed closed yesterday on the first day of term, presaging a second year in a row of almost no education for the country’s children.
• President Obama wants a fresh approach to toppling Robert Mugabe and is discussing with aides an unprecedented, US-led diplomatic push to get tough new UN sanctions imposed against the Zimbabwe regime, The Times has learned. During talks Mr Obama has had with his top Africa advisers in recent weeks, the central idea they focused on was taking the issue of Zimbabwe before the UN Security Council, but for the first time to combine such a move with an intense diplomatic effort to persuade Russia and China not to block the initiative.

-Chris Scott

I read this story in Sunday’s New York Times on children fleeing Zimbabwe “for lives just as desolate” in South Africa, and wanted to share it here on the ONE Blog.

Below are some excerpts but you can read the full piece on their site.

With their nation in a prolonged sequence of crises, more unaccompanied children and women than ever are joining the rush of desperate Zimbabweans illegally crossing the frontier at the Limpopo River, according to the police, local officials and aid workers.

What they are escaping is a broken country where half the people are going hungry, most schools and hospitals are closed or dysfunctional and a cholera epidemic has taken a toll in the thousands. Yet they are arriving in a place where they are unwelcome and are resented as rivals for jobs. Last year, Zimbabweans were part of the quarry in a spate of mob attacks against foreigners….

South Africa’s national police force is exasperated by the crimes… most victims do not file complaints. After all, they are here illegally, unless remaining in the Showgrounds. “Last week, I had 1,500 ready for deportation,” he said.

The captain stood up, walking over to a computer screen. “We keep photos of the refugees killed near the border.”…

Mention of the children seemed to feed his exasperation. “Street kids, more all the time,” he said. “They come in as if they are playing in a game.”

He asked, “What do we do about these kids?”

-Virginia Simmons

The United Nations is reporting today that approximately 2,971 people in Zimbabwe have now died from a cholera outbreak that has afflicted the country. We’ll keep you posted on this and other developments in Zimbabwe here.

Excerpts below, full report here

The U.N. humanitarian office said 2,817 new cases were reported Monday, taking the cumulative number of infections since the outbreak began to 56,123.

The global body said more than one person in every 20 who contract cholera in Zimbabwe is dying of the disease. The usual mortality rate for large-scale outbreaks is 1 in 100.

The outbreak began in August and spread rapidly because of Zimbabwe’s poorly maintained infrastructure and crumbling health care system.

-Chris Scott