2013 marked the 40th anniversary of the assassination of Amilcar Cabral, revolutionary, poet, liberation philosopher, and leader of the independence movement of Guinea Bissau and Cap Verde. Cabral's influence stretched well beyond the shores of West Africa. He had a profound influence on the pan-Africanist movement and the black liberation movement in the US. In this anthology, contemporary thinkers commemorate the anniversary of Cabral's assassination. They reflect on the legacy of this extraordinary individual and his relevance to contemporary struggles for self-determination and emancipation.

Leading up to the 200th commemoration of the abolition of the slave trade and the 50th anniversary of Ghana's independence, Pambazuka News carried a series of four special issues during 2006 and 2007 that included articles designed to raise awareness and debate on issues of trade and justice. These and other articles from Pambazuka News have been gathered in this book. We have chosen a deliberately provocative subtitle for this book: 'How trade undermines democracy and justice.' Two years ago saw large mobilisations around the world, calling for 'trade justice.' The campaigners were lobbying for the introduction and implementation of new world trade rules, ones that would work for all people, instead of benefiting those who already have the most. They argued that the global trading system should be rebalanced, taking into account the needs of the poor, human rights and the environment. But, can trade in the era of globalisation be 'fair' or 'just'? Drawing on lessons from the slave trade, studies of the international finance institutions and the struggles of many African people to make a living, these essays provide insights into how free trade policies have a profoundly negative impact on democracy and justice in Africa. Whether it is the effects of trade policies on informal street traders, who in Africa are often women, the decimation of a country's health system as a result of the World Bank's obsession with low inflation, or the sacrificing of community rights in the interests of multinational corporations, it is clear that 'free' trade policies impose a profit first and people last regime in Africa. Many of the book's contributors will be familiar to the readers of Pambazuka News. They include Charles Abugre, Tope Akinwande, Soren Ambrose, Nnimmo Bassey, Patrick Bond, Jennifer Chiriga, Cheikh Tidiane Dieye, M.P. Giyose, Manu Herbstein, Mouhamadou Tidiane Kasse, Salma Maoulidi, Stephen Marks, Mariam Mayet, Henning Melber, Winnie Mitullah, Patrick Ochieng, Oduor Ongwen, Robtel Neajai Pailey, Liepollo Lebohang Pheko and Jagjit Plahe. The publication of this book was made possible with the support of HIVOS.

Racism after Apartheid, volume four of the Democratic Marxism series, brings together leading scholars and activists from around the world studying and challenging racism. In eleven thematically rich and conceptually informed chapters, the contributors interrogate the complex nexus of questions surrounding race and relations of oppression as they are played out in the global South and global North. Their work challenges Marxism and anti-racism to take these lived realities seriously and consistently struggle to build human solidarities.

China's global expansion is much talked about, but usually from the viewpoint of the West. This unique collection of essays, written by scholars and activists from China and the global South, provides diverse views on the challenges faced by Africa, Latin America and Asia as a result of China's rise as a significant global economic power. Chinese aid, trade and investments - driven by the needs of its own economy - present both threats and opportunities for the South, requiring a nuanced analysis that goes beyond simplistic caricatures of good' and evil'. China's engagement cannot be understood independently of the imperial expansion of the US in the global economy. Chinese production and American consumption, ' writes Walden Bello, are like the proverbial prisoners who seek to break free from one another but cannot because they are chained together. This relationship is progressively taking the form of a vicious cycle.' Arising from a conference held in Shanghai in May 2007, when the African Development Bank was also meeting in that city, this book provides a fresh perspective that focuses on the economic, social and environmental impact of China's expansion. It represents the first attempt to establish a dialogue between civil society in China and the global south. From reviews of Fahamu's African Perspectives on China in Africa (2007): ...a timely book on a subject of critical importance. We should use it to strengthen Africa's hand in negotiating with China...' Irungu Houghton, Pan African Policy Advisor, Oxfam GB ...the first attempt in recent years to examine African views of China.' London Review of Books anyone interested in economic developments in Africa - and China - will find much useful material here.' Charlie Hore, Socialist Review

2007 marked the 21st anniversary of the entry into force of the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights and the establishment of the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights. It was a moment both for celebration and for reflection on the achievements and the limitations of the charter and its implementation. The purpose of this book, which accompanies a special issue of the award-winning electronic newsletter Pambazuka News, is not only to mark the 20th anniversary, but also to popularise understanding of the work of the commission. The essays in this book review the achievements of the commission since its establishment, with contributions from Hakima Abbas, Korir Sing'Oei Abraham, Roselynn Musa , Mireille Affa'a Mindzie, Otto Saki, as well as interviews with Commissioner Bahame Tom Mukirya Nyanduga, Special Rapporteur on Refugees and Displaced Persons in Africa, and Commissioner Faith Pansy Tlakula, Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression in Africa. The articles appear in English in the first part of the book with French translations in the second.

The essays in this book first appeared in the prize-winning weekly electronic newsletter, Pambazuka News. They provide an easy-to-read introduction to the struggle for women's rights in Africa. The contributors describe how African women won a cross-continental campaign for a protocol to protect their rights. In a rich variety of articles, they consider topics such as: women and conflict, the impact of current US policies on women's health in Africa, women's rights in Islam, and the implications of the Jacob Zuma trial for women in South Africa. Patrick Burnett, from South Africa, has a background in journalism. He is a contributing editor of Pambazuka News, and runs Fahamu's Cape Town office. Firoze Manji is the director of Fahamu and editor of Pambazuka News. Originally from Kenya, he has more than 30 years of experience in international development, health and human rights. He is a member of the editorial board of Development in Practice. Shereen Karmali is an editor with wide experience in the NGO sector. She is a co-director of Fahamu.

The 54 essays included are wide- ranging and complied into 11 focused chapters. An introductory chapter outlines the global and regional context of underdevelopment in Africa, while special attention is given to the conflicts in The DRC, Rwanda, Sudan and Zimbabwe. The establishment of the African Union and attempts to develop regional integration are commented upon along with special chapters devoted to resource exploitation, Womens Rights and the rights of refugees in Africa. Both the IMF and World Bank celebrated their 60th anniversaries in 2004; their track-records in Africa are assessed. The concluding Chapter 11 contains a selection of letters submitted by subscribers to Pambazuka News which demonstrate the lively debate many of these editorials have sparked. The 47 contributors include such distinguished Africans as Mahmood Mamdani, Adebayo Olukoshi, Kewsi Kwaa Prah, Brian Raftopoulos, Pierre Sane and Ernest Wamba dia Wamba.

China's involvement in Africa has provoked much debate and discussion. Is China just the latest in a line of exploiters of Africa's rich natural resources who put their own economic interests above humanitarian, environmental or human rights concerns? Or is China's engagement an extension of 'South-South solidarity'? Does China's involvement enable African countries to free themselves from the tyranny of debt and conditionality that, through two decades of structural adjustment programmes, have reversed most of the gains of independence? Or is Africa swapping one tyranny for another? Much of the commentary on China in Africa focuses either on assessing how Western capital's interest might be affected, or on denouncing China for practices that have for centuries been the norm for US and European powers - support for dictators, callous destruction of the environment, exploitation of minerals, and complete disregard for human rights. Lost in that noisy debate has been the voice of independent African analysts and activists. They are heard in this unique collection of essays from the prize-winning weekly electronic newsletter, Pambazuka News. As these articles demonstrate, there is no single 'African view' about China in Africa, but the authors are united by their concern for, and commitment to, social justice for Africa's people. The contributors include: Ali Askouri, Horace Campbell, Michelle Chan-Fishel, Moreblessings Chidaushe, John Blessing Karumbidza, Daniel Large, Anabela Lemos, Firoze Manji, Stephen Marks, Ndubisi Obiorah, Kwesi Kwaa Prah, Daniel Ribeiro and John Rocha.