The SOURCE of all good things….

As part of the Pro Bono Australia community, you’ll know that we act as major online resource hub for people engaged with Australia’s Not for Profit Communities. You’ll also know that we’ve been around for over 10 years and know and understand the sector in depth. We’ve identified over time that whilst there are over 600,000 Not for Profit organisations in Australia, employing over 890,000 people and engaging 4.6 million volunteers annually, that: 1. Currently there is nowhere Not for Profit organisations can find suppliers of goods and services who understand the particular needs of the Not for Profit sector. AND 2. Many suppliers have difficulty identifying how to market their goods and services to Not for Profit organisations in an efficient and cost effective way. So, after many years of working with community organisations in both our professional and voluntary capacities, we’ve identified the need for a directory that specifically assists Not for Profit organisations in finding goods and service providers who know and understand the specific requirements of the Not for Profit sector. And we’ve named it Source. The Source Guide Distribution: 10,000 printed copies – Will be sent free of charge to key Not for Profit decision makers (CEO’s, CFO’s and HR Managers) More than 400,000 – our annual website visitors will be able to access the online Source Guide. If you know a product, service or supplier that helps Not for Profit organisations, we’d love to hear from you. If you have any further questions or would like to discuss the best way to be listed in the directory , please don’t hesitate to contact us directly. We have some great introductory offers for our inaugural edition. Click here to find out more. Many thanks, The Pro Bono Australia Team. follow on Twitter | friend on Facebook

Rwanda at risk of becoming another Zimbabwe – #CHOGM Greens

Rwanda at risk of becoming another Zimbabwe

Media Release: October 26th, 2011

Australia and other Commonwealth Governments naively believed admission to the Commonwealth would support Rwanda’s path to democracy, but human rights abuses have continued and worsened, President of the Democratic Green Party of Rwanda, Frank Habineza, and Australian Greens Leader, Bob Brown, warned today.

"The Commonwealth should take action or risk Rwanda becoming another Zimbabwe. Without swift action, the calls will become louder to suspend the Commonwealth’s newest member," Senator Brown said.

"The entry of Rwanda into the Commonwealth in 2009 was allowed despite suspicions of political abuses being undertaken by the Government. A coalition of Greens in Commonwealth nations, including Senator Brown, warned against Rwanda being admitted without conditions being placed on its entry," Mr Habineza said.

"The 2010 Presidential elections saw the Kagame government becoming increasingly intolerant towards the central role that opposition parties and a free media have in robust democracies," Mr Habineza said.

Senator Brown and Mr Habineza call on the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group to undertake the following steps in the next 12 months:

• Fund the provision of ballot box seals which are uniquely numbered or identifiable, to ensure security seals are a security feature for the next Chamber of Deputies election in Rwanda in 2013;

• Provide observers to oversee the registration of opposition political parties in the six month leading up to the next election, and advise if there have been irregularities in this process;

• Request the Government to re-open the investigation into the death of the Green Party Vice President, Andre Kagwa Rwisereka which occurred on 14 July 2010;

• Seek input from civil society organisations like Friends of Rwandan Greens; and,

• Pressure the Rwandan Government to release political prisoners and jailed journalists, and letting the independent media operate freely.

"Around the globe Green MPs will be watching to ensure the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group is taking active steps to improve democracy in Rwanda," Senator Brown said.

Concerns have already been expressed by Human Rights Watch, the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, Amnesty International and also the Commonwealth Observer Group that democracy in Rwanda is being undermined.

Mr Habineza is in Perth and available for interviews.

Media Contact: Giovanni Torre – 0417 174 302