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.

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.