Civil society organizations (CSOs) gathered in Windhoek, Namibia from the 12th to 16th August 2010, for the 6th SADC Civil Society Forum and People’s Summit. Both events were well attended, with an estimated 350 participants attending the SAPSN People’s Summit. The Economic Justice Network (EJN) took part in both meetings and used the platform to launch its Photo Exhibition on Informal Cross Border Traders, which show cased eight informal traders that gave a photographic voice of their struggles during trade. The launch was a success and took place at the Heja Game Lodge in Windhoek. Rev. Maria Kapere, the General Secretary of the Council of Churches in Namibia (CCN) welcomed guests to Namibia and the launch. EJN’s Executive Director, Rev. Malcolm Damon gave the opening remarks and introduced the four informal traders (Maggie Mhango, Chambata Dexes Chanza, Sudecar Novela and Felita Macanja) who attended the launch.
The civil society presence in Windhoek was acknowledged and this is further illustrated by the media coverage which both events had. There were three major issues being voiced by CSOs, these include; the status of regional integration, Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) as well as the Free Movement of people in the SADC region. Please read more for the news links below.
More than 350 representatives of grassroots movements, community-based organizations, and faith based organizations, women’s organizations, labor, students, youth, economic justice and human rights networks and other social movements met in Windhoek, Namibia on 15-16 August at the sixth SADC People’s Summit organised by the Southern Africa Peoples’ Solidarity Network (SAPSN), supported by the local host organization NANGOF Trust. Click here for the Full 
There will be a six-month moratorium on new prospecting applications while a full audit of all mineral rights granted since 2004 is conducted, Mineral Resources Minister Susan Shabangu announced on Tuesday. She also promised greater transparency in the way rights were allocated, and an immediate centralisation of the issuing process. 
Sao Paulo, Aug 24 (Reuters) - Brazil's essential role as a provider of food for the world's expanding population is at risk if the government makes good on threats to curtail foreign investment in farmland. The late Nobel laureate and U.S. agronomist Norman Borlaug, who is widely recognized as the father of the Green Revolution, predicted Brazil would become the world's breadbasket in the 21st Century, as the United States was in the 20th. 
Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe on Tuesday defended a carbon tax that seeks to "green" the South African economy. "The introduction of carbon tax requires the availability of corresponding fuel quality to reduce greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere," Motlanthe said in Bloemfontein. "Tightening of fuel specifications and standards is inevitable for compliance with environmental challenges and new vehicle engine technology requirements." Motlanthe said the carbon tax would be accompanied by new guidelines for fuel efficiency, to be published by the Energy Department. 
Banned by the Namibian government from marching and voicing their discontent while the SADC heads of state meet between Aug 16-17, civil society organised a "people’s summit" in the city’s Catholic cathedral to discuss trade agreements and regional economic integration. 
2011 the world will again be watching South Africa, focused on an event that might be remembered far longer than the World Cup — the 17th meeting of the parties to the United Nation's climate convention. The hope of many is that the world may finally reach a just, legally binding and ambitious agreement on cutting carbon emissions — the agreement that Copenhagen failed to deliver. Putting aside whether that's likely, this means that an awful lot of attention is going to be focused on South Africa and raises the question — what example are we, as the hosts, going to be setting?
