Africa will negotiate for a new era of green industrialisation

Speaking at the African Pavilion at COP 21, Mr Carlos Lopes asserted that the rapid economic growth experienced by many African countries over the last decade comes despite major challenges that other continents have not had to face, such as complexities around intellectual property and more sophisticated trade regulations. “Africa is industrialising in an environment where achieving growth is more challenging. Windows that were open for other continents, enabling them to industrialise quickly and easily, are now closed for Africa.” However, in these seemingly adverse conditions lie clear opportunities which Africa can readily harness. As a latecomer, Africa can take immediate advantage of the new technologies that have been put in place over the last ten years. Africa has, for example, asserted itself as the leader in mobile banking technologies. In the same way, the continent is well placed to capitalise on new advances in renewable energy infrastructure and technologies. “We have the potential to access renewable energy at a time when the price for producing this energy is comparable to fossil fuel production. Industrialised countries will have to retrofit older infrastructure to harness the sector’s vast potential. Africa, however, is not married to any technological platform and is ready to leapfrog to these new, efficient and more sophisticated technologies.” Furthermore, with a rapidly growing population – set to reach 2 billion by 2050 – Africa will have an immense labour force ready to support this growth. By capitalising on these new technologies, Africa is poised to be the first continent to industrialise through powering renewable energy potential. “Our renewable energy potential is the best in the world, giving us a ticket for green industrialisation; a ticket to do things differently. Africa is here at the COP21 climate negotiations to clearly make this case. We are ready to negotiate hard for a climate deal that will allow the continent to pursue this pathway to a greener industrialisation that will not only further Africa’s development but also make a significant contribution to global efforts to reduce emissions,” Lopes concluded.

Africa is the Continent of now, says Mme Zuma of the AUC

Underscoring the increasing role that Africa now plays in seeking solutions to global impacts of climate change, Madame. Zuma called on Africans present at COP 21 to “prove that we are here, we are present, and we are ready to demonstrate that we can help through substantive contributions towards viable solutions to problems facing humanity, especially those posed by climate change.” “Africa’s contribution are not limited to the COP 21 negotiations but will go far beyond," she said, calling on African negotiators to do their best to defend the Continent’s positions in all the negotiation streams. She thanked the partners in the ClimDev initiative who teamed up with the African Union Commission to set up an Africa Pavilion at COP 21 - United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the NEPAD Agency. A Special Thank You message was reserved for President Boni Yayi of Benin, whose government provided financial support for the pavilion, calling on other governments to follow the example and show that Africa is ready to solve its own problems. Thanks to the pavilion which is hosting hundreds of events to raise awareness of the challenges facing Africa, African leadership the unwritten message of it is that Africa is forging its way, despite a myriad of challenges to address its own problems. She called on those working in the pavilion to make it as dynamic as possible. The Africa Pavilion at COP21 is aimed, among other things, at providing a forum for discussions and debates on climate change issues relevant to Africa, in the broader context of sustainable development. It is conceived as a platform to enhance critical reflections on the relationship between the available information and knowledge, technical services and policy directions on climate change in Africa. It will create opportunities for knowledge-sharing between policy makers and practitioners, the scientific community and the negotiators on the implications of climate change for the inclusive growth agenda, especially focusing on the interactions between the climate change and vulnerabilities. The African Pavilion will also help to identify opportunities of climate change for Africa. It will catalyze the identification of the climate policies, practices from the recommendations from research, and promote quality scientific research. An important event at the Pavilion will be the Africa Day event at which the Executive Secretary of ECA, Mr. Carlos Lopes; the President of the African Development Bank and the CEO of the NEPAD Planning Agency will discuss priority issues with participants in the event.

Africa drives bold new narrative at COP21, asserts post-COP period will be key

Speaking in the aftermath of the landmark Paris conference, Ms. Denton commended Africa’s positive and tireless commitment throughout the entire negotiation process, successfully demonstrating its weight in the global climate negotiating arena. “The significance of this COP was clear; this was the frontier COP, the COP of humanity. If an ambitious agreement was not achieved in Paris, the opportunity would have been missed. “Africa came to these negotiations with determination and commitment, indicating that it is far more than just an observer. We reminded the world that as fifty-four countries, Africa is a considerable force – and, without the buy-in of these countries, there would have been no global agreement. At COP21, Africa laid out a clear set of issues and left the conference with a real sense of satisfaction, having put these issues firmly on the table.” However, according to Ms. Denton, the signing of the long-awaited climate deal remains only a step in the right direction – for Africa, the real challenge lies in implementation of the agreement in the post-COP period ahead. “Many of the issues the continent brought to COP21 will not be resolved overnight. Much work remains to be done in terms of putting our ambitions and development objectives into practice – a big part of this will be seeing how we can finance these plans.” Yet according to Denton, clear Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDC), setting out how African nations will tackle climate change – both in terms of reducing carbon emissions and in adapting to climate challenges – will serve the continent well as it pushes ahead with implementation. “Africa’s INDCs, including specific proposals on how it intends to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, were the most ambitious of all. These proposals run alongside concrete plans of how the continent intends to drive forward its economy with the development of sectors such as energy, forestry and agriculture. With clear climate action plans that are carefully aligned with national development strategies, Africa has done much valuable work in charting the pathway going forward.” Ms. Denton continued that submitting these ambitious national plans of action have contributed to a bold new narrative for the continent, emerging from the Paris negotiations. These plans, combined with the launch of two dynamic pan-African initiatives - the African Initiative on Adaptation and Loss and Damage, and the African Renewable Energy Initiative - have cemented the continent’s place as a front-runner in a new decarbonised world, and a thought-leader in developing innovative climate solutions. “In Africa’s INDCs and the launch of these two initiatives, Africa set out some very clear and tangible proposals. With this, we have seen a clear shift in narrative, moving away from an old dialogue which saw Africa “asking” – be that for financial support or new technologies. “With its own ambitious plans, Africa has demonstrated that it will not passively wait for things to happen. Instead, it has embraced a new determination and unity, showing the world that it is in control of its own development – and its own destiny,” Denton concluded.

Red Alarm In Copenhagen

By Jens Galschiot,Copenhagen
Thousands of red LED lamps will mark a 7-meters water rising during the COP15 climate summit. The art happening Sevenmeters.net is a visualisation by Jens Galschiot, about how Copenhagen will look like, when all the ice of Greenland has melted away.
Galschiot and his volunteers, armed with long ladders, will this Saturday and Sunday hang up the LED lamps. They will start by the three big 'refugees' on Vejlands Allé / Ørestads Boulevard by the Bella Center. The 2,000 LED lamps are specially made in the artist’s workshop of bicycle lamps, which are soldered and glued together with extra batteries, so the will be able to blink constantly during the meeting.
The artist, who is well-known for his poignant - yet audience-friendly, art manife¬sta¬tions, got the permission to put up all of the blinking lights in a 7 meter line above daily water, around the lakes and in the whole channel area in the center of Copenhagen, and along the roads to the Bella Center. Galschiot hopes that the red blinking LED-lights will be some sort of an international grassroots’ symbol of the climate catastrophe.
With the happening Galschiot will visualise, that when the water rises and drought expands, there will be many places where people no longer will be able to stay. For example the isle of Amager, where the Climate Summit is held, will be 5 meters under water, if Greenland’s ice melts. If the ice of Antarctica also melts, the water will rise another 75 meters, so the peaks of the mountains will be in great demand, and there are not plenty of them in Denmark.
”With this manifestation I will highlight the climate crisis, and the fact, that it is not only a problem for the polar bears and the nature. The global warming may be a catastrophe for humanity. UN says that over 200 million refugees will be a reality in the next 40 years.
The refugees will trigger a giant demographic crisis, with risks of closing the national borders and beginning an ‘all against all fight, to protect our territory against the refugees, which our own CO2 leak has created. A frightening scenario that will put our humanistic and democratic civilisation under intense pressure, so that war and rise of totalitarian systems might be the consequence. This is the legacy that we will leave to our children!” Galschiot says.
At the venue of the climate summit there will also be red blinking LED lamps. Small badges will be given to the delegates, so they can use them as a silent indicator about how seriously they take the climate crisis.

WORLD AIDS DAY 2009

Courage and leadership must continue in the AIDS response, urges Alliance Executive Director, Alvaro Bermejo. Writing from Cambodia, Alvaro says the benefits of committed partnerships are clear to see this World AIDS Day, a sign which he believes should inspire stakeholders to recommit to fighting the spread and the impact of HIV.I write this from Cambodia, a country that in spite of ranking 137 in the Human Development Index has already achieved its Millennium Development Goal target of halving HIV prevalence. This is a country that despite a weak health infrastructure has managed to provide antiretroviral treatment to over 90% of those who need it.
The secret of this success? It’s been done through the strongest partnership I’ve come across in my travels for the Alliance. A coalition of affected communities, expert patients, health professionals, NGOs, government, donors and researchers who have come together to fight the epidemic.
Unprecedented partnerships have been formed all over the world in our efforts to tackle HIV and it is paying off. The latest data shows new HIV infections are down by 17% with the greatest progress made in the hardest hit region of sub-Saharan Africa. HIV prevention programmes are making a difference and thanks to the availability of treatment more people are living longer and AIDS-related deaths are down.
But the global economic crisis and conflicting priorities are putting these partnerships and this progress at risk. Funding for HIV prevention is still the smallest proportion of national AIDS budgets and many programmes are not targeting those most in need or most at risk. There are also worrying signs in some countries that governments might be about to put in place legal frameworks that further institutionalize discrimination against groups most at risk. Discrimination against sex workers, drug users and men who have sex with men violates human rights, fuels the epidemic, and undermines cost-effective interventions.
The economic crisis might provide the incentive for a scenario of increased solidarity to emerge. One in which NGOs focus on developing more efficient and sustainable responses, work with committed political leaders to create policy space for focused prevention interventions and introduce legal frameworks that reduce long-term vulnerability; a scenario where donors and the international community find creative ways to close the financial gap that countries are facing and resource health systems, through innovative financing, such as introducing a currency transaction levy or other forms of financial taxes.
But the other extreme scenario isn’t appealing. It is one in which donors and political elites reduce their financial commitments, are unwilling to take the difficult decisions that efficient, focused HIV prevention requires, and row back on commitments to universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support; a scenario in which NGOs take to confrontation and people living with HIV abandon their active involvement and solidarity that has been crucial to our response to HIV.
What is in no doubt, is we are going to have a ‘new’ response emerging from the economic crisis. Whether it is a creative one that builds on increased solidarity or a destructive one that weakens these partnerships depends on the leadership each one of us shows.
World AIDS Day is a good opportunity to remind us to continue to show dynamic, innovative and courageous leadership. The fantastic integration between healthcare services with NGOs and faith-based organisations running home and community care programmes that I see here in Cambodia and elsewhere around the world can inspire the vision we all need.
Let’s make this World AIDS Day an opportunity to recommit ourselves to continue to fight the spread and impact of HIV, and to hold governments to account for any failure to protect their citizens’ human rights.
Alvaro Bermejo, Executive Director:
"What is in no doubt, is we are going to have a ‘new’ response emerging from the economic crisis".

In Another News, The Population Council Has Advanced Access to Services for Populations Most Vulnerable to HIV.
Men who have sex with men (MSM) remain extremely vulnerable to HIV and AIDS, particularly in the many developing countries where their sexual behavior is criminalized. Harmful policies, a lack of targeted health information, and widespread stigma and discrimination--even at the hands of health providers--continue to stand in the way of the goal of universal access to HIV-related services.

The Population Council is committed to reducing HIV infection and transmission among MSM by increasing access to prevention, treatment and care services through our innovative research strategies and program approaches. Council researchers identify and describe the risk behaviors of this often hard-to-reach population, test interventions for expanding access to HIV-related services, and raise awareness among governments and program planners through high profile meetings and dissemination efforts. Our research is getting attention, and, most importantly, it is making an impact.

In recognition of World AIDS Day, we invite you to view a slide show, which highlights the important work we are doing with MSM in Nigeria. You will also find the moving personal stories of Patrick, Samuel, and Adeolu, just a few examples of young men whose lives we have changed.

These are just a few examples of how the Council is contributing to the worldwide effort to foster universal access to HIV services as a basic human right, with a special focus on vulnerable populations. We encourage you to read more about our work on our website.

Pr. Leopoldo Robellato exchanges with FFF Cameroon

The President of the International NGO, Incontro FraI Popoli of Cittadella, Italy, Professor Leopoldo Robellato, held a working session with the Programmes Manager of the Fine Forest Foundation – Cameroon, James Achanyi-Fontem, at the Missions Procure General of Akwa-Douala on May 22.
FFF Cameroon Programmes Manager was accompanied by Trustee Anna Nven, one of the Commissioners of account of the organisation, to present the charity's activities coordinated from its headquarters at Nchou Njeh in Lebialem Division of the south west region of Cameroon.
In effect, Professor Leopoldo Robellato was delegated by Father Silvio Turrazzi, the founder of Associazione Muungano in Parma, Italy to investigate on the visibility of the operations of Fine Forest Foundation Cameroon by tracing its history, activities undertaken, on-going projects, management policies, community projects orientation, beneficiary target groups, impact and community involvement approaches.
The programmes manager told Professor Leopoldo Robellato that Fine Forest Foundation is a national NGO covering the whole territory of Cameroon with Lebialem Division being the pilot site of its activities due to the assert in Menji for expansion and rural communities outreach. He added that FFF Cameroon's head quarters at Nchou Njeh has plans to house a Galenic Laboratory, while the land assert located in Menji, Nveh, Ncheh Mbin, Njeh, Barombikang, Mbalangi and Bombe is reserved for planting medicinal plants that would be transformed into pharmaceuticals in the future.
The envoy of Father Silvio Turrazzi asked how large the FFF organisation is and if it had legal frame documents. The list of the board of trustees and the legal frame work documents were presented. He asked about the specialist who was going to assist in setting up the galenic laboratory project and was informed that Dr. Ajuah Nkohkwo, who lived in Italy for several years working on pharmaceutical in puts and out puts was champion of the initiative, though the community populations were involved in the production of rural materials like medicinal plants, planting and harvesting before transformation.
The project will associate the traditional healers in the collection and transformation of special species. When questioned on what the project is expected to cost, James Achanyi-Fontem, guided Professor Leopoldo Robellato on project strategy, cost and time frame already established covering the period from 2009 - 2012.
On collaboration with the government, FFF Cameroon presented documents and pictures of realizations, training and community awareness campaigns undertaken during Commonwealth professional internships in London and Cameroon with the health library set up within the Azi District Hospital to serve staff and the public for information and consultation purposes.
Concerning social inclusion and integration of orphaned children, Prof. Leopoldo Robellato, was told that the best gift children in Africa need is education, and this explains why FFF Cameroon assists in paying school fees of under-advantaged children in poor families and orphaned children. The donation of multi-purpose grinning mills to well structured women’s organisations for empowering them economically was highlighted as an on-going annual initiative.
The girl-children not capable of continuing education for one reason or the other are introduced into micro-enterprise learning activities, which lead them to self-employment after training as apprentices. The above presentation ended with a small album of FFF cameroon past activities explaining vibrant impact activities presented during the working session.
Who is Prof. Leopoldo Robellato ?
Prof. Leopoldo Robellato is a biologist and retired University lecturer of Bologne,Italy. He stopped lecturing four years ago to start solidarity and humanitarian work as new occupation through the Italian NGO “Incontro Fra I Popoli” chaired by him. He had worked in Yagoua, north region of Cameroon for four years from 1983 before moving to the Democratic Republic of Congo and other parts of the world.
His international humanitarian organisation operates in partnership with the European Union and he is currently supervising projects in Cameroon (Bafia, Mbouda & Ngaoundere), Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo, Senegal, Niger, Nepal, Peru, Romania and Sri Lanka.
The president of “Incontro Fra I Popoli” said his organisation is involved in the promotion of international solidarity through cooperation and reciprocity based on partnership. Within the partnership, emphasis is put on the sharing of experiences of the same mission with the civil society organisations working or engaged in development programmes and projects with their own human and technical resources.
According to Professor Leopoldo Robellato, both parties assist mutually, cooperate at the same level, receive and give advice and together a new world is built. The convergence through partnership starts with the objective of projects, the elaboration of a joint strategy, sharing of responsibilities, the consolidation of reciprocity links and both parties consider themselves as agents of development at the level of their respective populations.
With this approach, there is no limit to partnership. The president of “Incontro Fra I Popoli” said, that his organisation does not accept any partnership that aims at the execution of a project by an individual. To get involved, his organisation starts with new links of partnership and sharing of competence and responsibility. This approachhe added, is linked to the start of new collaboration.
At the end of the session, Professor Leopoldo Robellato, observed that the health development package of FFF Cameroon presented at the Procure General of Akwa-Douala could be estimated to cost a total of 100.000 Euros. He acknowledges that Fine Forest Foundation Cameroon is considered by him as a stable and well structured civil society organisation with visible development impact.
He explained that before leaving Italy, he intended to travel to Lebialem to inspect the project site at Nchou Njeh, but his very busy schedule and change in flight itinerary modified his intention. He lauded the efforts and the fact that a meeting took place for the presentation especially as the impact of health initiatives realized and planned for the future were made visible.
Professor Leopoldo Robellato can be contacted through the following address: Incontro Fra I Popoli, via Pezze, 16 – 35013 Cittadella(PD), Italia Tel/fax: 0039 049 597 53 38 Cell: 335 836 7012 Email:info@incontrofraipopoli.it

Youth HIV Education In Cameroon Colleges

HIV/AIDS EDUCATION IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS
By James Achanyi-Fontem, Cameroon Link
Yvonne Fonduh Bekeny has published her findings on HIV/AIDS education in secondary schools in Cameroon within the frame work of a study of Government Bilingual High Schools in the capital city of Yaoundé. Yvonne is a master’s degree in development and international cooperation graduate of the UNIVERSITY OF JYVÄSKYLÄ, (Department of Education Sciences) Finland.
The study describes secondary school students’ knowledge, attitudes and behaviour in relation to HIV/AIDS and compares these aspects in two Government Bilingual High Schools in Yaoundé-Cameroon. One school ran a formal HIV/AIDS education programme and the other did not. Factors influencing students’ attitudes towards people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIV) and their trusted sources of HIV/AIDS knowledge were examined.
618 students participated in the survey with ages ranged from 10 to 25 and the average age was 15. The data was collected in November 2008 and findings indicated that students in the two schools are quite knowledgeable about modes of HIV prevention and transmission, while more students in the intervention school are conversant with facts.
There were no differences in attitudes towards PLHIV observed in both schools. Students of the intervention school reported more positive attitudes towards condoms than those of the no-intervention school. Girls demonstrated more discrimination towards PLHIV than boys and religion has an impact on attitudes toward PLHIV.
Students trusted doctors/nurses, parents and teachers as important sources of HIV/AIDS knowledge. The research showed that HIV/AIDS interventions actually impact moderate behaviour changes, but there is weak correlation between HIV/AIDS education and attitudes towards PLHIV.
This calls for vigorous input into the formal HIV/AIDS intervention, targeting specific behavioural aspects and perhaps qualitative approaches to understanding the drivers of students’ attitudes. Yvonne Fonduh Bekeny suggests that parents should be more involved in the process of HIV/AIDS education as well.
Genesis
Since its discovery, the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) has spread more rapidly than most diseases in recent history, having social-cultural, economical and moral repercussions on individuals, families, communities and threatening foundations of entire societies. Over the years, the link between HIV/AIDS and impoverishment has grown and even stronger as the disease is infecting and affecting the younger generation who are the productive labour force of every economy. An estimated 11.8 million young people aged 15–24 are living with HIV/AIDS, and half of all new infections, over 6,000 daily, are occurring among them (The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, UNAIDS, 2003).
Africa is still the highest hit region with 63% of global infections and the highest prevalence among the age group 15-49 (UNAIDS, 2003). The international community has come to acknowledge that HIV/AIDS is not only a health problem. It is a developmental disaster of alarming proportions which will affect development goals at the human, financial and material levels.
In Cameroon, the prevalence has generally been stagnating and the WHO (2005) observes that young people in Cameroon are highly affected. Indeed, a third of Cameroonians infected are 15-29 years of age. This age group constitutes all Cameroonians who are in secondary school, high school, University, vocational schools, professional schools and those in active service. Cameroon has a population of about 18,175.000 million, (WHO Cameroon, 2009).
According to UNAIDS (2008), HIV adult prevalence stands at 5,5%. The number of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHIV) is 543,295. The number of infections for those aged 15-24 years is 3,2%, 44.813 children aged 0-14 are living with HIV and children orphaned by AIDS related diseases amount to 305,000. Deaths related to AIDS infections are 43,632.
In their article, Mbanya, Martyn & Paul (2008) state that the socio-economic impact of the disease is profound with growing numbers of sectors being affected, and high hospital bed occupancy rampant. They add that this results in overstretched medical personnel and extra burden to the health and education sectors where school teachers are reported to be unproductive
on several counts and morbidity increasing from opportunistic infections. This of course, poses a major challenge to the socio-economic development of the country considering the fact that the age group below 15 makes up about 42% of the entire population (Population Reference Bureau, 2009).
Although the government of Cameroon has been quite committed in the fight against HIV/AIDS, especially in the domain of providing Anti Retro Viral (ARV) drugs and care and support of people living with HIV/AIDS, it has been observed that prevalence among the 15-24 years old is staggering, and they still remain the highest risk group in Cameroon.
Children infected and affected by HIV/AIDS are more likely to drop out of school at some point in time. The entire school systems are themselves affected by HIV/AIDS, 95% of HIV positive teachers have difficulties with punctuality in school and 73% of them affirm that they have to stop lessons from time to time when they are not physically fit. Up to 67% of students living with HIV face similar problems. (UNESCO Cameroon, 2007). These circumstances make it difficult for students to have a decent education.
The Paranoid situation created by this pandemic is putting the entire educational systems and the society at large under pressure. The education system must be supported through prevention, for education is the major driver of economic and social development. Indeed, countries education sectors have a strong potential to make a difference in the fight against HIV/AIDS (Bundy 2002). Prevention and coping strategies can only be ensured through education for it is a reality that with the present state of scientific knowledge and development, the only protection available to society is through education (Kelly, 2004).
The youth were the focus of this study because they are the future driving force of the economy and their well being will improve every aspect of the nation’s development, including demographic aspects such as life expectancy, which is currently at 50 years (UNDP, 2008). During my years as a teacher, I realized that most students infected or orphaned by AIDS related causes, could not afford school requirements and they were also under a lot of psychological pressure as a result of stigma and discrimination. Consequently, some students who were infected and affected were perpetual absentees because of the social effects, exclusion, anxieties and impoverishment perpetrated by the AIDS epidemic.
These experiences have moved me to research on HIV/AIDS education and its relevance to secondary school students as one means to disenable the vicious cycle of trauma, impoverishment and disease stimulated by HIV/AIDS. This is an attempt to mitigate the impact of the pandemic on the students in particular and on the educational system in general. It is also important because
halting the spread of HIV is not only a Millennium Development Goal (MDG) in itself, but a prerequisite for reaching other MDGs (UNESCO, 2006). Thus, if Cameroon is to achieve Education for All (EFA) and other MDGs by 2015, education at this stage must incorporate# aspects of HIV/AIDS. The Global Campaign for Education (GCE) has observed that education
can have a dramatic effect on the health of a nation. Girls and boys who complete primary school are 50% less likely to be infected with HIV, implying that 7 million cases of HIV could be prevented in a decade by the achievement of EFA (GCE, 2007).
The UNAIDS Cameroon (2008) country report concludes that there is less emphasis on national prevention programmes and much attention is focused on treatment and care of PLHIV. The International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPE) indicates that HIV/AIDS is still a problem in Cameroon especially for young women and girls. They further that stigma and discrimination is a distinct problem in Cameroon (IPPF, 2007). This issue is emphasized by Njechu (2008) who reports that the non-collection of HIV results after screening has been blamed for the increase in HIV incidences in Cameroon. His report was based on information from the Yaoundé based Institute of Behavioural Research (IRESCO) who warned that only 7% of young people aged 15-24 who went for voluntary testing collected their results.
The research revealed that many who did the screening test and failed to collect their results either feared stigmatization or imminent death if they were HIV positive. The research also stated that only a few Cameroonians within this age group go in for voluntary testing.
For more information, contact researcher by email: bekeny@yahoo.fr