City Link Haarlem Mutare

The City of Haarlem has an official link with the City of Mutare in Zimbabwe. Mutare is situated in the eastern highlands of Zimbabwe on the border with Mozambique.

The Stichting Stedenband Haarlem-Mutare (Haarlem Mutare City Link Foundation) has been established to give form and content to the relation. The foundation works together with but is independent from local authorities and other organisations. The foundation organises activities at both Haarlem and Mutare.

The main counterpart of the foundation at Mutare is Local Action 21 (LA21).

Zimbabwe news
For current and accurate information visit the website of Mail & Guardian, a South African newspaper with good information on Zimbabwe (www.mg.co.za)
You may also find some news and background information under news on our website.

Below you will find an analysis of the situation in Zimbabwe from the zimonline website. We think it depicts the situation in Zimbabwe quite well.

Writing is on the wall for Mugabe, ZANU PF
by Showers Mamowa
Thursday, 11 December 2008
OPINION: A rather unimagined twist of events occurred last week in Zimbabwe’s perpetual political vicissitudes. This time it was the very guarantor of President Robert Mugabe’s authoritarianism: soldiers running amok in the capital. For further information, visit niews

What is next
The political, economic and social crises continue in Zimbabwe. The International Crisis Group has written a report in which it does proposals on how to proceed. Below you will find a link to this report.
Ending Zimbabwe’s Nightmare:
A possible Way Forward,
International Crisis Group, December 2008
Website: www.crisisgroup.org

Teen HIV Prevention Programme
On You Tube you may find a video about the activities of youngsters in Mutare on how they educate on the prevention of HIV/aids. http://nl.youtube.com/watch?v=iXePjXvuiFk

CIOS Xplore – Sport education without borders
From 27 October until 21 November 16 2008 sport leaders from Mutare visited the Netherlands. They are part of the Xplore-exchange, (a programme financed by the Dutch Foreign Ministry) They also celebrated the 60 year anniversary with the CIOS (Haarlem Sports Institute at the ROC NOVA College). During their stay in the Netherlands, the Mutarese sport leaders attended different sport activities and instructions. In Mutare, these sport leaders have already set up sport events for eight years. With the assistance of some Dutch sport instructors posted in Mutare, the Mutarese sport leaders have developed their own training.
More information: www.ciosxplore.web-log.nl

Mutare on Google Earth
You may find some recent and detailed pictures of Mutare on Google Earth. Mutare can be found in Southern Africa, between 18°57’and 19°03’ South and 32°28’ and 32°42’ East.

ANBI status
Since January 2008, the Dutch Tax Department regards the City Link Haarlem Mutare as an ANBI (an institute for general benefit). This means that donations to the City Link are tax deductible.

Hunger for Books

‘The quest for reading materials in Zimbabwe is a living one. We used to be the brain basket of our region and we boasted of highly qualified and intellectual people. But our educational system has been eroded by the ongoing persistent economic problems that have made the teachers leave their students for greener pastures.
The country is suffering brain drain. We desperately lack reading materials, not only novels but also educational books, to develop our students in all kinds of subjects. We need books for all levels from primary schools up to university.’
Keaven Simomondo, poet and actor

Hungry for books?
Last year, when Doris Lessing received her Nobel Price for Literature, she wrote an inspiring speech. She recounted that, suffering from the plundering rule of Mugabe and his henchmen, the people of Zimbabwe are not only craving for food but also for knowledge. People are generally well educated, but they can not afford books. The price of a book equals an average year income.

Doris Lessing

That is why the City Link Haarlem-Mutare has set up the Hunger for Books campaign. That is why we ask the people of Haarlem to raid their bookcases and hand in all the Books in English that they can part with. During the campaign, books can be dropped off at various places, such as libraries and several book shops in the Haarlem region. All kinds of books in English are welcome: fiction, school books, children’s books, computer manuals, photo books, pop-up books, and even sheet music. As long as the books are in good condition! We will ship the books to Zimbabwe.

In the Central Library of Haarlem, on Friday, 23 January 2009, the Hunger for Books campaign took off. Some well known authors, such as
P.F. Thomése, Herman Koch, Renate Dorrestein, The Tjong King, Conny Braam, Franc Knipscheer, Els Pelgrom, Lilian Blom, Sybilla Claus, read from the work by Zimbabwean authors. The Wings Ensemble, with professional musicians from different orchestras, took care of the musical side. The closing session will also be in the Central Library of Haarlem on Wednesday evening 25 February.

Entrance fee for both events: a book in English!

For a complete list of places where books may be dropped off, see this item in the Dutch section

Doris Lessing: On not winning the Nobel Prize
Nobel Lecture December 7, 2007
© THE NOBEL FOUNDATION 2007

Moving art from a troublesome region

Six young artists from Zimbabwe and South Africa
18 January – 1 March 2009

Artists: Nelson Makamo (South Africa), Patrick Makumbe, Lovemore Kambudzi, Misheck Masamvu, Dydmus Tunzi en Lionel Mbayiwa (Zimbabwe)

Galerie 23
KNSM-laan 307-309 1019 LE Amsterdam
Opening times:
Monday-Friday: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday: 11 a.m.  - 5 p.m.
website: http://www.galerie23.nl/

Work of Zimbabwean artists for sale

Reporting and Recording Zimbabwe
The Britain Zimbabwe Society 2008 Research Day
by Wendy Willems
The Britain-Zimbabwe Society (BZS) Research Day 2008 explored how the Zimbabwe story was ‘reported and recorded’ both prior to and post Independence. The day addressed a range of research questions, including how the Western media, and the British media in particular, covered the Zimbabwe story, the challenges local journalists in Zimbabwe face in covering issues, and the way in which the news agenda is determined. Zimbabwe’s history has been characterised by state attempts to control the media, alongside state support for mass media as a means to reach both rural and urban populations. In recent years, newspapers have been shut down, radio stations jammed, journalists arrested and others have gone into exile. This media environment has been deemed repressive by a broad range of commentators, while government supporters have portrayed the independent media as the product of externally-funded actors. The Research Day attempted to put these developments into broader historical, legal and media contexts.