Summit to think about

Ive been impressed by the series of News Specials on ITV News this week, using undercover filming in Zimbabwe to show us the deepening crisis there. You can watch all these, and an interview with Gordon Brown, online.

ITVs reports have helped to keep Zimbabwe in the news and brought scenes of ordinary people faced with supermarket shelves empty of food and only filthy water to drink, into our living rooms.

Gordon Brown, of course, has also put Zimbabwe high on the news agenda with his threat to boycott the upcoming EU-Africa summit if President Mugabe takes his seat at the table. Zimbabwes UN ambassador says the President will defy the Prime Minister so it will be interesting to see what happens.

More importantly, however, what will become of the people of Zimbabwe in the face of the worsening economic, social and human rights situation in Zimbabwe?

Lend your support Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA),

 who vigorously campaign for human rights and have demonstrated incredible resilience, bravery and determination, refusing to be intimidated despite the dangers they face.

Amnesty highlighted the case of the `Jena Six last week and hopefully thats one reason why the issue hasnt gone away. Yesterday, tens of thousands of marchers descended on this tiny Louisiana town to support six black teenagers arrested over the beating of a white classmate. David Bowie has donated £5,000 to the Jena Sixs legal defence fund.

Todays Daily Telegraph has pictures of the demonstration and reports that the treatment of the Six, five of whom were initially charged with attempted murder, has put race near the top of the US political agenda.

Black American leaders hailed the beginnings of a 21st Century civil rights movement. Isnt it appalling that the US should need such a thing?