Communiqués de presse

Who Will Feed the Poor?

The amount of food produced and consumed on average by each person in the southern Africa region continues to decline, leading to persistent food insecurity among 40% of the region’s population, according to a policy discussion paper released by the Southern Africa Trust today.

Informal Cross Border Traders Need Recognition

A workshop to be held in Lilongwe, Malawi, next week will debate research findings about how to support informal cross border traders in southern Africa to benefit from trade integration in Southern Africa. In August 2008, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) launched a free trade area.

2008 Drivers of Change in Southern Africa Announced The prestigious non-monetary awards recognise outstanding new ways of working to overcome poverty. They recognise individuals and organisations from the business, government, and civil society sectors. This year, 60 nominations were received from 11 southern African countries.

Mozambique’s Young Diva Lizha James enters the Big Brother house this Friday for the change4ever campaign Award-winning Mozambican star Lizha James will join the MNET Big Brother Africa contestants in the house on Friday 17 October 2008 from 15h00 to 16h00 to debate the change4ever question: “If you could change one thing in your country that would impact on poverty forever, what would it be?”

Unique night of fashion with a social conscience offers sensational auction items If you could change one thing forever, what would it be? That’s the question the Southern Africa Trust has been asking the public this month, urging people to SMS the word “change” and their personal answer to 36545. Each SMS costs R5. The campaign aims to raise funds to support groups working to overcome poverty in southern Africa forever by addressing ithe underlying causes of poverty rather than just responding to its immediate symptoms.

Can We Meet the Social Cost of Integration in Southern Africa? Southern African countries should put in place a comprehensive regional social protection framework that allows migrants access to their benefits which include pensions. This call is made in a policy brief just released by the Southern Africa Trust entitled, Crossing the Threshold of Regionalism: Can We Meet the Social Cost of Integration in Southern Africa?

Lira among new ‘ambassadors for change’ The innovative anti-poverty campaign CHANGE4EVER has just added four more prominent ambassadors for change to its number, bringing the celebrities and public figures backing the campaign to an impressive 13.

South Africa’s premier celebrities step up in support of the Change4ever Campaign A host of South Africa’s premier personalities, from singers to TV and radio personalities, to fashion designers and public figures have all publicly declared their support for the Change4ever campaign, adding their names as ‘ambassadors for change’ to find lasting solutions to poverty in southern Africa.

If you could change one thing forever, what would it be? That’s the question posed to South Africans in the month of September through the dynamic CHANGE4EVER initiative presented by the Southern Africa Trust.

The poor hard hit by rising food prices – A matter of life and death The Southern Africa Trust is organising a public policy debate on the future of food security and access to affordable food for the poor in southern Africa that is aimed at raising awareness about the link between food scarcity and climate change, and agricultural productivity and bio-fuel production in the context of the food price crisis facing the peoples of the region.

Urgent regional meeting on the human security impact of attacks on immigrants in South Africa The Southern Africa Trust, in collaboration with Mrs Graca Machel and the Foundation for Community Development will on 10 June, 2008 hold an urgent meeting in Maputo, Mozambique to address the regional impact of attacks on migrants from other countries in South Africa.

High hopes for the upcoming SADC international conference on poverty and development Civil society organisations have expressed high expectations on the upcoming SADC International Conference on Poverty and Development to be held on 18-20 April 2008 in Mauritius.

Call for nominations for the southern Africa Drivers of Change Awards Please click here to submit online Please click here to download the entry forms Please click here to view the media release

Regional civil society organisations prepare for the forthcoming SADC International Conference on Poverty and Development The 9th of February 2008 marked the end of a three day SADC Civil Society workshop on poverty and development at Cedar Park Hotel and Conference Center in Woodmead, South Africa.

Change a life forever this festive season At this time of giving and sharing, the Southern Africa Trust has launched a challenging online giving campaign to raise funds from individuals and organisations in South Africa that will get the public thinking about how to seriously help people living in poverty – and give wisely.

Nominations now open for the southern Africa Drivers of Change Award The Drivers of Change award recognizes individuals or organizations from across the southern Africa Region that are making a real impact.

19 October 2007 Is the media ignoring half the population?

6 July 2007 At the midway point of achieving the MDGs, is SADC on track?

4 May 2007 Building Effective Mechanisms for Civil Society Engagement with Pan African and Regional Institutions

1 April 2007 Conference of African Finance, Planning and Economic Development: Ministers Must Revaluate Priorities

8 March 2007 Nominations Now Open for the Southern Africa Drivers of Change Award

26 October 2006 Honouring those who make a real and lasting difference

27 September 2006 SADC Secretariat in Partnership with Southern Africa Trust Launches the 2007 Secondary Schools Essay Competition

17 August 2006 SADC Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP): Towards a Regional Vision to end poverty? Amidst the SADC Summit of Heads of State and Government meeting in Maseru, Lesotho on 17th August 2006, civil society, business and media from the southern Africa region met on a rare platform to share knowledge and understand the SADC Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISDP). The panel discussion is an initiative of Southern Africa Trust (SAT), Southern African Regional Poverty Network (SARPN), SADC Council of NGOs (SADC CNGO) and the Institute for Global Dialogue (IGD). See selected pictures of the event here and the Media release click here

10 August 2006 The SADC Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan: Towards a Regional Vision to End Poverty?

28 June 2006 Recognising Drivers of Change in Southern Africa