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U P D A T E 



Justice@starmail.com
Moderator@eGroups.com

Global Humanitarian & Volunteer Projects




          F O U R  (4)  A N N O U N C E M E N T S



Below, please find details on the following:


1]  Summer Volunteer Projects - GHANA, West Africa - important community
          development and environmental work.  Projects revolve around
          themes of self-help, sustainable development and empowerment.

          Arrange to earn academic credit.

          - Join the new VOLU list


2]  Professor Harold Rogers' highly-praised AASP Educational Travel 
          Program to Cuba, Brazil and Africa - now in its 19th year.

          Multi-disciplinary
          Multiple itineraries (including over a dozen African countries)
          Various departure and return dates, year round, all four (4)
seasons.

          Earn academic credit.


3]  Human Rights issues: help save a life for the price of a stamp
          An African tourist, turned Human Rights prisoner, will
          soon pass his 6th consecutive birthday behind bars, abroad

          - Join the new Justice list


4]  New Free Service:  Receive by E-mail announcements on
    opportunities (volunteer work, internships, jobs, 
    conferences, events) and on news and politics in the 
    vast African Diaspora

    Join the information network for the African Diaspora, with
    900-plus subscribed worldwide -- linking people, campuses, 
    communities, nations and continents

    Join the <<AfricaWorld>> Community

________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________




1]



AFRICA: Summer Internships & Volunteer Opportunities

     20 Projects - Applications Now Accepted

     Voluntary Workcamps of GHANA, West Africa

     [referred to simply as "VOLU" - rhymes with "tofu"]

     Since the mid-50's, VOLU has played the leading role
     in youth training and community development in one of Africa's
     most progressive new nations, known as the Gold Coast before
     independence.

     Projects are often located in villages and rural areas -- 
     participants will have a unique oppportunity to explore traditional 
     family and community life, and to become immersed in the rich
     culture, music, crafts and art of their surroundings.


Eligibility:  Age 16 & Up  [no upper age limit]

Apply ONLINE in the interest of time; go to: 

              http://www.ghaclad.org/volu

ACADEMIC CREDIT

Students are encouraged to arrange with their schools,
colleges or universities to earn academic credit, typically
7 to 12 units.  An academic advisor, a professor you know,
or your major department will be able to help in making these
arrangements, usually as an "Independent Study" or "Field Study"
course.  You may offer to write a paper on your experience on your
return.

 \___ \___ \___ \___ \___ \___ \___ \___ \___ \___ \___ \___



   V O L U N T E E R S

   ECOLOGY * CONSERVATION * ENVIRONMENT * CONSTRUCTION

   DISTANCE LEARNING * COMPUTERS * REFORESTATION * YOUTH WORK


 Self-help sustainable community development programs


 Applications are being accepted for 20 projects

      Workcamps * Communal, Shared Living

      Ample positions remain, but you must apply now

 _____________________________


Chief VOLU Contacts:

     Dr Osei Darkwa <darkwa@uic.edu>
     Dr Geroge Kojo Arthur <arthur@marshall.edu>


_________________________________________________________


For details & project descriptions, go to:

http://x5.dejanews.com/getdoc.xp?AN=467396137
http://x4.dejanews.com/getdoc.xp?AN=469643200


WHERE TO APPLY - pls apply on the Web at:

http://ghaclad.org/volu
http://ghaclad.org/volu/workcamps99/application/offline.htm <-Apply
Offline
http://ghaclad.org/volu/workcamps99/application/online.htm <-Apply Online

It's best to complete the application ONLINE, in the interest of time.

If you do not have Web access, please request an application by
E-mail.  Write to:  VOLU-application@ghaclad.org


TO JOIN MAILING LIST, go to:
http://www.ghaclad.org/volu/workcamps99/discussion.htm 

Or (if you do not have Web access), write to:

        VOLU-subscribe@egroups.com

Through this list, you will be kept updated, 
and will be able to communicate with  
VOLU staff and aspiring participants.  

List members will be able to share tips and 
information in preparation for the 
voyage (re: obtaining immunizations & visas, 
finding affordable flights, etc.).



\___ \___ \___ \___ \___ \___ \___ \___ \___ \___ \___ \___ 


Self-help sustainable community development programs

A sample of VOLU's 20 Projects/workcamps:
    1, 2 or 3 weeks in duration, with various starting 
    dates between June and October


COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
YOUTH WORK
REFORESTATION - AGRICULTURE
CONSTRUCTION OF A HEALTH CLINIC
OIL PALM PLANTATION
CONSTRUCTION OF A SCHOOL LIBRARY
COCOA PLANTATION
CONSTRUCTION OF A SCHOOL BLOCK
CONSTRUCTION OF A DORMITORY (for the Youth 
    Leadership Training Institute)
CONSTRUCTION OF A STUDENT HOSTEL (for a
    VOLU Youth Training Center)
COMPUTER REPAIR & TRAINING (Kordiabe)

Many elect to participate in 2 or more projects

__________________________________________
__________________________________________


FEES:  

       Fees are minimal.

       Volunteers pay $250 for 1 camp; or a flat $350 for 2 or 
       more camps - fees cover room and board during the 1 to
       3 week projects.  

       Many volunteers attend 2 or more camps.

       Volunteers are responsible for their airfare to Ghana, 
       for local transporation in Ghana to the camps, and for 
       living costs while in Ghana before and after camps.

Participation in VOLU projects is the most economical way we know 
       of to experience Africa in a way that a mere tourist 
       could not, while making a meaningful contribution to African 
       people and to African development.


\___ \___ \___ \___ \___ \___ \___ \___ \___ \___ \___ \___ 


REFLECTIONS ON THE VOLU EXPERIENCE

    by Dr. Geroge Kojo Arthur, US Registrar for VOLU


VOLU is a non-profit organization based in Ghana. It was
established in 1956 in secondary schools in the Cape Coast area
to mobilize the labor of the youth and others to undertake
community projects to help bring development to various
communities in Ghana (then called Gold Coast).

The first projects were the building of public bath houses at
Anomabo and then a set of buildings that now serves as the Adul
Residential Training Center at Tsito. Over the years, VOLU'S 
efforts have included:


- mobilizing volunteer labor to build schools, health centers,
      roads, wells

- laying pipes to bring water into villages; planting trees in an
      afforestation program, etc.

- youth training & community development

- conservation, ecology, the environment


VOLU has a training center at Kordiabe where vocational programs
in capentry, mansonry, and dressmaking are taught to young people
between the ages of 14-18. VOLU helps the graduates to find jobs
or start their businesses after the training.

VOLU has a cocoa plantation and teak tree plantation.

This year, there will be several afforestation camps.

Ghana Distance Education

GhaCLAD (Ghana Computer Literacy & Distance Education Program), 
a non-profit organization based in the US, has been working with 
VOLU to set up computer repair and computer literacy projects. 

You may visit the web site of GhaCLAD; you are welcome to join the
list of volunteers who are planning the 2nd Int'l Conference on
African Computer Literacy, Distance Education & Info Technology.

     http://www.ghaclad.org

Or, you may join GhaCLAD by sending a blank E-mail msg to: 

     GhaCLAD-discussion-subscribe@eGroups.com

     Please reply to the CONFIRM Request when it arrives.


.......


I participated in VOLU's camps for several years when I
lived in Ghana. The camp activities mostly involved manual
labor in constructing school blocks, health clinics, public
bath houses, public libraries, and tree planting.

Campers and the community people provide the manual labor
for the one or two bricklayers/masons at the project.
Something similar in the US is the Habitat for
Humanity project and road cleaning of the Adopt-a-Highway
project.

Why should one go to Ghana to provide manual labor?

I do not have what you would consider a good answer for that. But
I have always considered voluntary work as a civic duty.

The VOLU camps gave me the opportunity to get to know the other
world beyond my small town. I participated in camps in 8 of the
10 regions of Ghana. I made many friends - Ghanaians, Americans,
Canadians, Germans, British, Dutch, etc - by attending these
camps. I learnt leadership, organizational, academic, and social
skills by participating in VOLU's camps. Participation in these
camps made me to appreciate that I had something to offer to
others in need.

In the camp, volunteers take turns to write a log of he day's
events at the work site, in the community, or places campers
would go for sight-seeing - excursion is the term we used. The
"log" gave me the opportunity to develop my writing skills as a
student. We had university, teacher training college, technical
school, and secondary (high) school students. The "log" writing
was fun.

We also planned our own evening entertainment - singing games,
story telling, comedy (jokes - similar to stand-up comedy as
occurs at Improv).

When the rains used to run, VOLU campers could get concession
tickets that cost only one-third of the regular fare. The State
Transport buses (similar to Greyhound) gave half rate fares to
VOLU campers. Now you realize how I was able to attend camps in
the 8 regions.

VOLU camp participation gave me my first opportunity to ride a
plane. I attended a camp in the north and when the camp was over,
the Volta River (which almost divides north and the south of the
country) was in floods.

Ghana Airways offered us a free ride from the north to two
cities: Kumasi and Accra. I was a student at that. There were 3
of us from the same school. When we went back to school and
showed pictures of us on the plane, can you imagine what our
school mates did the next camp season?

In 1996 I went back to Ghana to do field research in the Kumasi
area. I was close to a village where I atended a VOLU camp, and
one woman from the village "adopted" me as her son. VOLU helped
build a primary school. I decided to visit the village, again.
The whole village came to see me like a lost son. My own hometown
is about 250 miles from this village, yet I am still thought of
as a native son of that village. And do I feel good about that!

Participation in VOLU camps made me realize that one person can
make a difference. That one person is YOU.

When you go, take with you clothes you would wear for doing yard
work in the summer. Take work gloves. Take tanning lotion.

Get your passport (ask your local post office about that), and
secure a visa from the Ghana Embassy in Washington DC; the Ghana
High Commission in Ottawa, Canada; or the Ghana Consulate in New
York.

Check several of the web sites on Ghana. You may start with the
following sites:

GhaCLAD - http://www.ghaclad.org
My web site - http://www.marshall.edu/akanart/

If you have any further questions, please feel free to write.

______________________________


George F. Kojo Arthur, PhD
Director, Akan Cultural Symbols Project
http://www.marshall.edu/akanart/

Vice President, 
Ghana Computer Literacy and Distance Education Project
http://www.ghaclad.org

E-mail:  arthur@marshall.edu


\___ \___ \___ \___ \___ \___ \___ \___ \___ \___ \___ \___ 



African Grassroots Self-Help Projects, OPEN to Volunteers

       GhaClad (with offices in Chicago) is the official 
       arm of VOLU (the Voluntary Workcamps Association 
       of Ghana).  VOLU is a remarkable program, full
       of energy and ambition -- run totally by
       the people of Ghana.

       VOLU offers 1 to 3 week workcamp experiences in Ghana
       throughout the year, including during Summer.
       Volunteers will join with Ghanaians and volunteers 
       from other African countries, in building roads, schools,
       medical clinics, libraries, etc., usually in rural 
       Ghanaian communities.  Projects include reforestation,
       agriculture, computer training and repair.  Projects
       involving public health and medicine may be announced
       for next year.       

       VOLU has been the leading community and youth development 
       organization in Ghana for 40-plus years.

__________________________________


LOCATIONS OF WORKCAMPS

Workcamps are scheduled for the following Regions:

Upper West Region; Upper East Region; Northern Region;
Brong Ahafo Region; Ashanti Region; Eastern Region;
Volta Region; Western Region; Central Region; Greater
Accra

Refer to the OnLine Map of Ghana
http://ghaclad.org/volu/summer99/regions.htm


_________________________________


FEES:  

       Fees are minimal.

       Volunteers pay $250 for 1 camp; or a flat $350 for 2 or 
       more camps - fees cover room and board during the 1 to
       3 week projects.  

       Many volunteers attend 2 or more camps.

       Volunteers are responsible for their airfare to Ghana, 
       for local transporation in Ghana to the camps, and for 
       living costs while in Ghana before and after camps.



_____________________________________
_____________________________________


VOLUntary Workcamps Association of Ghana
1999 VOLU Summer Workcamps Programme

VOLU General Secretary
c/o GHACLAD
400 E. 33rd ST. # 1912
Chicago, IL, USA   60616

Fax: 312-996-2770

E-mail: VOLU@ghaclad.org, abc@starmail.com

Apply ONLINE at:  http://ghaclad.org/volu



\___ \___ \___ \___ \___ \___ \___ \___ \___ \___ \___ \___ 


2]


Professor Harold Rogers' 
AASP Educational Travel Program
Now is in its 19th year.

Africa - Cuba - Brazil


Remarkable and intensely personal.  Programs
are personally led by Dr. Rogers and his
colleagues.  Praised by former participants,
who often repeat.


773-667-1285 (ofc); 773-684-6967 (FAX)

-  Multiple Programs, Multiple Themes
-  Various departure dates, year-round, all 4 seasons
-  1 to 3 week multi-disciplinary programs / edutours
-  Academic credit

To receive the application and compendious
Catalog giving itineraries and departures, 
E-mail your full mailing address to:

     hrogers@ccc.edu
     abc@starmail.com

Apply NOW !!  It is best to phone.

For the application & details, go to:  

   http://www.earthcorp.com/journeys

Please ** Phone ** to receive the Catalog

An unforgettable, low-cost way to experience Africa, Cuba
and/or Brazil.




\___ \___ \___ \___ \___ \___ \___ \___ \___ \___ \___ \___ 



3]




H U M A N    R I G H T S 
________________________________________

..Letters with Wings   ///\_[_/\\\




    B a r r y   B R A I M A H


Still a young man, Barry would be nearly 50 years old
if he survived to be released in the year 2012.


New prison address:

     8674 B-Sud 227
     Centre Pen. de Clairvaux
     10310 Ville sous La Ferte
          FRANCE



The (Still) Forgotten Tourist



     Help SAVE a life for the price of a stamp.

     We are looking for concerned persons, and persons of
     conscience,to help with this effort.  If you can dispense
     with being judgmental and if you feel that ALL persons
     should be protected by fundamental Human Rights, we hope you
     will take part in this effort.


Issues:

*  Sentenced to 18 years in prison without the possibility of
         appeal
*  Non-respect of Vienna Convention consular agreements
*  Association avec malfaiteurs - guilt by association
*  Inquisitorial versus adversarial justice systems
*  Underlying racism & xenophobia
*  Excess of the State


    An African American tourist: prisoner of conscience in France

    Born and raised in Africa, Barry became an American
    citizen while studying in the United States.  In 1994,
    as an American tourist, he travelled to France for his first
    time.

    On July 2, Barry will pass his 6th consecutive birthday
    behind French bars, in a 6X12-ft cell -- providing not even
    enough room for him to stretch his 6'4" (1m95) frame.

Guilt by association

    On arriving in France for his first visit in 1994, he was
    arrested for what amounted to "association avec malfaiteurs"
    -- "knowing" someone whom French police had under
    surveillance for suspicion of trafficking.  Barry had been
    referred to this person for help with lodging during his
    brief stay in France.

Held 2 years

    He was held 2 years without trial, bail or opportunity
    to defend himself, even though a) nothing illegal was found
    in his possession, b) he has no arrest record, and c) he has
    no history of illicit involvement of any kind.

    No physical evidence of guilt was ever presented in French
    court, only that he "knew" a suspect.

18 years in prison without the possibility of appeal

    Even if Barry WERE guilty of something, an 18 year
    sentence without the possibility of appeal in a so-called
    civilized nation goes way beyond the pale.

    This is a virtual death sentence, in a country where persons
    convicted of heinous crimes (rape and murder) often serve
    less than 10 years. The absurdity and incongruity of what has
    happened to Barry boggles the mind, and must not be tolerated
    by the international community.

Prison conditions

    So deplorable are prison conditions, and so high
    is the rate of suicides, that they say of the Clairvaux
    prison (tantamount to the "Alcatraz" of France):

    "You check in, but you might not check out."


Weight drops to 139 lbs (63 kilos)

    Before intervention by concerned persons in the international
    community, Barry -- who all his life has been both athlete
    and good student -- saw his weight drop to 139 lbs (63
    kilos).

    This state of malnutrition put him at additional risk for
    illness and depression.  Donations from concerned persons
    have enabled Barry to supplement his diet with food purchased
    from the prison canteen, and some of his weight has returned.

    Help the effort to keep Barry alive; send him a card, note or
    message of encouragement, to bolster his morale, and lend
    support for his Human Rights.

    The more contact a prisoner has with the outside, generally
    the better he will be treated.

New Justice List

    At last, a new Justice list has been set up to keep us
    updated on this case, and so we can share ideas on how the
    international community might be able to help.  Also, receive
    informative, insightful reports from Paris-based Human Rights
    monitors following their prison visits with Barry, and
    translations of articles on Human Rights and prison issues
    from French press.

    To join, send a blank message, or any message, to both:

            Justice@comports.com
            Barry-SUBscribe@eGroups.com

    and reply to CONFIRM Request when it arrives.  You will
    then be added.


WE WILL PRINT OUT & AIRMAIL YOUR PERSONAL MSG TO BARRY

    Go to:   http://www.poboxes.com/justice

        to write/post a personal message for Barry,
        of any length.

    Or, E-mail your message to:

              FreeBarry1@aol.com
              BarrySupport@starmail.com

        and we will mail it to him at his prison address.

Beyond the reach of the US Government

    The numerous appeals to the American Embassy and US State
    Dept. have essentially fallen on deaf ears.  In pat responses
    to pleas for help from Barry and his family, the US
    Government states:


       The United States cannot interfere with the
       judicial system of a foreign power.

       Americans who choose to travel abroad, do so at
       their own risk.


Background / Updates

Go to:

  http://www.comports.com/JUSTICE  <- prison letters
  http://members.aol.com/FreeBarry1/index.html
  http://www.poboxes.com/droits


DONATIONS:  Barry and his family are indigent.
        To obtain the address where contributions
        may be sent to help Barry, please write to:

                 FreeBarry1@aol.com

Thank you.


______________________
______________________



MESSAGE FROM THE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE:

_________________________________________________


We learned about Barry's case one year after his arrest. At that
time he had lawyers, who were old acquaintances of a friend of
his.  Barry could not afford a regular criminal lawyer and his
family did not have the money to finance one. Roughly speaking it
would have cost in the order of 50,000 francs for starters and
the lawyers helped for close to nothing. However, they were not
criminal lawyers and seeing them in action indicated that they
were really not competent to handle this case. They also had
problems with Barry's English, they did not always understand
what he was saying. We later determined that they did not have
all the facts and missed some critical points in his case.

Anyway, Barry was convicted and got 18 years. This decision was
appealed before  the Cour de Cassation, which decides only
technical aspects of the case, not the facts. This cost a lot of
money and produced no results.

After Cassation we took all the information we had and went to a
Human Rights lawyer who looked over the information with regard
to an appeal to the European Court. The problem here was that
only issues brought up during the trial could be brought before
that court. Barry's original lawyers did not bring up issues we
later found to be important.

At that point we did get several members of the Observatoire
International des Prisons (OIP) interested in Barry's case, and
they still are. [The OIP is one of the Human Rights organizations
most active in France -- in trying to improve prison conditions
and in making appeals on behalf of abused prisoners.] They
decided that a direct appeal to the President of the Republic was
in order. This would ask for a Presidential pardon for Barry. An
appeal was made and many letters sent to President Chirac on
Barry's behalf.

This request for a pardon was refused.  We feel now that this
request was a bit premature and badly managed on our part. We
feel that the most important thing in France is to have a co-
sponsor who is an important person in French politics. We did not
have that.

With regard to what occurs in French prisons and the treatment of
prisoners, we feel that the Observatoire is a more effective group
than Amnesty International. The latter organization tends to deal
in high profile cases. Barry's case never attracted any attention
in the French or American press. Next, the abuses that we feel he
was subject to in his case were not grossly against his rights in
comparison with others accused and convicted in France. In fact,
from an abuse standpoint his case is not exceptional, probably
most of the accused in France are treated in the same fashion.

[Over recent years, France has received severe criticism from
international Human Rights organizations and the European Court
for its worsening record of Human Rights violations, especially
against persons of Arab and African descent.]

What makes Barry's case exceptional is that he is innocent. This
may occur in 1-5% of the cases in France. But the system here is
not geared to dealing with potentially innocent people, the
presumption of guilt is standard. We have repeatedly distributed
with Barry's newletters translated article of people convicted or
held for a long time and then having their case annulled on
evidence or accusations that would not produce an indictment in
the USA. In fact, the European Humans Rights Commission, and
Amnesty, constantly bring up cases of abuse in France. Right now,
new laws are being proposed before the French Assembly.

Finally, a member of the Observatoire has brought Barry's case to
the European Court in spite of prior advice from a lawyer that we
have nothing to claim, since claims were not established at the
time of his trial.

We should also state that the French authorities did not respect
Barry's rights under the article on Consular Accords of the
Vienna Convention which required them to notify the American
Embassy of Barry's arrest without delay.

We have made two requests to the State Dept on this, one directly
to the Secretary of State, and have not yet received a response
as to their having even received Barry's dossier on this matter.
If the American Government would at least acknowledge a violation
on the part of the French we might have a chance before the
European Court on that issue at least, and it might permit us to
open others.

Human Rights Committee

_____________________________________


How to receive the Human Rights Report, bi-monthly

To receive the Human Rights Reports (newsletter) on prison visits
with Barry, and on HR and prison issues in France and worldwide,
please send your request to:

        101716.144@compuserve.com



\___ \___ \___ \___ \___ \___ \___ \___ \___ \___ \___ \___ 



4]   


Join the <<AfricaWorld>> Community

New Free Service:  Receive by E-mail announcements on
    opportunities (volunteer work, internships, jobs, 
    conferences) and news/events in the vast African Diaspora

Join the information network for the African Diaspora, with
    900-plus subscribed worldwide !! -- linking people, campuses, 
    communities, nations and continents.

__________________________________________________


AfricaWorld: focusing on the vast African Diaspora

           The Dawning of a New Age


-----------------------

LEADS / TIPS

Pls find a long list of orgs & progs offering volunteer
     & internship opptys at:

     http://x10.dejanews.com/getdoc.xp?AN=414548873
     http://www.comports.com/AfricaVolunteers

Find copious lists of USA job openings in educ &
     research at:

     http://tikkun.ed.asu.edu/~jobs/joblinks.html

and at the Historically Black Colleges & Universities
     (HBCU) site:

     http://www.edonline.com/cq/hbcu/

For links to Job Banks and Resources, go to:

     http://www.comports.com/JobsInfo

For links to Fellowship & Scholarship Resources,
     Opportunities, go to:

     http://www.comports.com/BlackScholars
     http://www.rams.com/srn/

__________________________________________


Express Sign Up

Send any msg to:  AfricaWorld@comports.com 
           & REPLY to the Confirmation Request

To JOIN on the Web, or to browse past posts and helpful 
           resources on the Diaspora, pls go to:

http://www.earthcorp.com/africaworld
http://www.egroups.com/list/africaworld/thread.html

     Find previous posts of Job, Internship
          and Volunteer Announcements, at the
          above sites



BON VOYAGE !!









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