AJF:Newsletter[quarterly]"Africa NOW" No.96

Africa Japan Forum (AJF) works with African People for African People's better life.

Africa NOW No.96

Issued on November 30, 2012 by Africa Japan Forum (AJF)

Special Topic: One Year and a few months after the independence of South Sudan

In July 2011, a new state "Republic of South Sudan" joined the African Union and the United Nations. In 1956, Sudan became an independent country and soon some of the southerners began a war against the central government for their independence. During the years between 1956 and 2011, what happened there, why did these things happen, and what is happing now? This issue of "Africa NOW" features Sudanese history, and gives some sketches on present day Sudan.

pp.3-12 Interview with KURITA Yoshiko-1
"The Future of "Two Sudans": Reflections from a Historical Perspective"

As a researcher of Sudanese current history, Ms. Kurita suggests that the current situation of Sudan in a historical perspective be considered and advises taking care of the peoples' struggle for democracy. From 1956, people of Sudan saw four coup d'etats and for three times succeeded in reestablishing the government based democratic elections. Now, they struggle for peace and democracy, we should inform about their struggle in Japan.

p.13 Chronology of Sudan

pp.14-18 "Sudan, still with conflicts; a case of South Kordofan"
by IMAI Takaki

Mr. Imai, the representative of Japan International Volunteer Center (JVC) in Sudan, has been in Sudan since 2007, at first at Juba in southern Sudan and now at Khartoum. Last year, he fled from the fire of armed conflict in South Kordofan where JVC supports refugees from conflicts. Imai describes his own experiences in South Kordofan and expresses his belief that for peace-making in Sudan it is necessary to make an inclusive solution that the people of South Kordofan and Blue Nile can be content with.

pp.19-23 "Visually impaired students' struggles for access to knowledge inspire children with visual impairment in Sudan"
by SAITO Ryoichiro

From 2010, Committee for Assisting and Promoting Education of the Disabled in Sudan (CAPEDS) helps visually impaired college students to teach children with visual impairment on braille in Sudan. They say that some of children master braille so well that they are able to teach themselves and others. There are only three schools for children with visual impairments in Sudan, so these braille teaching projects are very important for the children. Coming in contact with college students who are visually impaired these children can have hopes to study in universities themselves in the future.

p.24 "Bridging the divide between the having literacy and the not having"
by SAITO Ryoichiro

Now, in African countries, smart phones are becoming familiar to many people. These tools may give many people with literacy easier internet access and more opportunities to embrace Lady luck. But character-based information on smart phones far from the non literate, so there is a fear that gap between the having literacy and the not having will increase. Text reading software for mobile tools which is now available to many visually impaired people world-wide and is used by the elders in Japan day by day can help those not having literacy to access character-based information. Saito introduces voices of users of these tools to our readers, especially to international cooperation workers.

pp.25-27 Interview with INABA Masaki
"E-magazine "Global AIDS Update" no.200 have been published"

Africa Japan Forum (AJF) began to publish a biweekly e-magazine "Global AIDS Update" in 2004 and has been publishing to current information about this e-magazine, Inaba, International Health Director of AJF, spoke with Ms. Wada last July. What inspired him to make an e-magazine, what mean changes in actions against HIV/AIDS and others.

Back cover To readers ("Hitotsu no musubime toshite" in Japanese) and Daily Information from the secretariat of AJF to readers.

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