Continent of Sorrow

Listen to Nehanda Radio Live Zimbabwe

2012-10-19T02:36:00.001-07:00

Who is Nehanda Radio?

Nehanda Radio is a Zimbabwean radio station that provides 24 hour running news on the website and during broadcasts. We also aim to provide breaking news as it happens via our popular e-mail alert system which listeners and readers can subscribe to. Zimbabwe is in the midst of a great tragedy and we believe we have a role to play in informing everyone involved in trying to change things.

Why the name

We draw our inspiration from Mbuya Nehanda, the mother of our nation. She was the spirit medium that was the inspiration behind the 1896-97 first chimurenga. When the Europeans arrived in Zimbabwe, Nehanda’s spirit medium was a woman by the name of Nyakasikana. She lived in the northern part of Zimbabwe and used her leadership to spearhead the first war of resistance (Chimurenga CheKutanga) against European domination of the region.

Listen to Nehanda Radio Live

Famine In East Africa

2012-10-03T15:42:00.004-07:00

With East Africa facing its worst drought in 60 years, affecting more than 11 million people, the United Nations has declared a famine in the region for the first time in a generation. Overcrowded refugee camps in Kenya and Ethiopia are receiving some 3,000 new refugees every day, as families flee from famine-stricken and war-torn areas. The meager food and water that used to support millions in the Horn of Africa is disappearing rapidly, and families strong enough to flee for survival must travel up to a hundred miles, often on foot, hoping to make it to a refugee center, seeking food and aid. Many do not survive the trip. Officials warn that 800,000 children could die of malnutrition across the East African nations of Somalia, Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Kenya. Aid agencies are frustrated by many crippling situations: the slow response of Western governments, local governments and terrorist groups blocking access, terrorist and bandit attacks, and anti-terrorism laws that restrict who the aid groups can deal with -- not to mention the massive scale of the current crisis. Below are a few images from the past several weeks in East Africa.

Source:

http://www.theatlantic.com/infocus/2011/07/famine-in-east-africa/100115/

BusinessDay - Poor crops ‘to worsen’ hunger season in Horn states

2012-10-03T15:42:00.000-07:00

BusinessDay - Poor crops ‘to worsen’ hunger season in Horn states

GET A LIFE NOW: Izhar cardboard bike project on Vimeo

2012-10-03T15:12:00.001-07:00

Izhar cardboard bike project on Vimeo

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The firm has a proven track record for working with and supporting start-up companies and helping them grow. Over the years, ERB has accompanied their clients in raising hundreds of millions of dollars. ERB has also been involved in its clients’ M&A transactions amounting to over one billion dollars. Known for being astute, quick to respond, transparent and professional, clients trust the ERB team to effectively manage the financial aspects of their operations. The advantages are clear: 1) Reducing expenditures by outsourcing financial services; 2) More time for the client to focus on what they do best; and, 3) The peace of mind of knowing that the company’s finances are in good hands.

Izhar cardboard bike project

by Giora Kariv 7 months ago

Film-maker & producer: Giora Kariv. gigicom77@gmail.com Photography: Uri Ackerman

Contact for the bike: danit@erb.co.il

For more information and content about this project:

erb.co.il/en/aboutus.asp?p=yxdn-vrjd-ufzg-ukyv

ERB in Facebook:

facebook.com/pages/ERB-Financial-Group/108159489328980

ERB in Twitter:

google.com/url?q=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2Fdanit92958022&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNETdWvfItdtB1yvRqTSVlER14BQ_Q

Izhar cardboard bike project on Vimeo

GET A LIFE NOW: Izhar cardboard bike project on Vimeo: Izhar cardboard bike project on Vimeo ERB provides a full-spectrum of customized financial services for start-up, high-tech,...

"The How of Happiness" Sonja Lyubomirsky - TalkRational

2012-10-03T15:05:00.002-07:00

Daily Mail a daily in England gives away the most important text in the book???

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/you...n_page_id=1908

Quote:

Take these 12 steps to a happier you

By SONJA LYUBOMIRSKY (Taken from the book by DM )» Last updated at 18:21pm on 7th December 2007

STEP 1 - Show gratitude (* There's a lot more to gratitude than saying "thank you." Emerging research shows that people who are consistently grateful are happier, more energetic and hopeful, more forgiving and less materialistic. Gratitude needs to be practised daily because it doesn't necessarily come naturally.)

STEP 2 - Cultivate Optimism

STEP 3 - Avoid overthinking and social comparison
(* Many of us believe that when we feel down we should try to focus inwardly to attain self-insight and find solutions to our problems. But numerous studies have shown that overthinking sustains or worsens sadness.)

STEP 4 - Practice kindness

STEP 5 - Nurture social relationships

STEP 6 - Develop coping skills

STEP 7 - Learn to forgive (* Forgiveness is not the same thing as reconciliation, pardoning or condoning. Nor is it a denial of your own hurt. Forgiveness is a shift in thinking and something that you do for yourself and not for the person who has harmed you. Research confirms that clinging to bitterness or hate harms you more than the object of your hatred. Forgiving people are less likely to be hostile, depressed, anxious or neurotic.

* Forgive yourself for past wrongs. Recognising that you too can be a transgressor will make you more empathetic to others. )

STEP 8 - Find more flow (* "Flow" was a phrase coined by psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi in the 1960s. It means you are totally immersed in what you are doing and unaware of yourself. Happy people have the capacity to enjoy their lives even when their material conditions are lacking and even when many of their goals have not been reached.)

STEP 9 - Savour the day

STEP 10 - Commit to your goals (* People who strive for something personally significant, whether it's learning a new craft or changing careers, are far happier than those who don't have strong dreams or aspirations. Working towards a goal is more important to wellbeing than its attainment.)

STEP 11 - Take care of your soul (* A growing body of psychological research suggests that religious people are happier, healthier and recover better after traumas than nonreligious people. ...
* Find the sacred in ordinary life ...)

STEP 12 - Take care of your body

"The How of Happiness" Sonja Lyubomirsky - TalkRational

Africa next: With investment outpacing aid, is this a new golden age for the poorest continent? - The Globe and Mail

2012-09-22T22:39:00.001-07:00

Watch

Video: Investigating the Africa boom

In this first of a six-part series, Globe and Mail Africa correspondent Geoffrey York investigates how Africa's growth is changing its future.
In the dusty streets of the tiny village of Romaro, a building boom is under way. Crumbling mud shacks are being replaced by new tin-roofed houses. Almost overnight, the village’s ancient way of life has vanished. Most of its farmland has been swallowed up by a Swiss multinational, Addax Bioenergy, which has leased more than 14,000 hectares of Sierra Leone for a $330-million sugar-cane plantation to produce ethanol for the European market.
In pictures: The faces of development in Sierra Leone

Centuries of subsistence farming have been replaced by wage labour as the 200 villagers are propelled into the globalized economy. Most families in Romaro now have at least one person employed by the Swiss company, which pays leases and helps to plow the remaining farmland. The money has allowed the villagers to build 13 new houses.
“We get a wage every month,” says Mohamed Kamara, a security guard at the sugar-cane plantation. “Now, I have job security, and I can get credit from a bank. It’s far better than before.”
It's the unexpected message of today's Africa. Every week, another bank or investment fund is touting it as the next big thing, an emerging lion to follow the Asian tigers. Resource exports are soaring, and growth is climbing to unprecedented heights – second only to Asia, and fast catching up. And for the first time in generations, Africa is receiving more investment than foreign aid.
But people tell a different story just a few kilometres away from Romaro, in Lungi Acre. The 700 villagers there have been boxed in by the Swiss project, their huts surrounded by the vast plantation. Rice and cassava fields were bulldozed, and people were left with so little water and farmland that they say they must buy imported rice in the markets. Just outside the village, a water reservoir is fenced off with razor wire, and guards patrol to chase villagers away from the sugar cane.
“Addax is making the situation much worse,” says Abdullah Serry, an elder. “There’s no water for the little land we have left. We were dependent on those lands for all these years. We depended on them for survival. Now, we rely on Addax for everything.”
The dynamic of the two Sierra Leonean villages is the tale of the new African boom.
As investors and traders pour in, some of the poorest corners of the continent are being transformed. “Tomorrow’s Africa is going to be an economic force,” says a report from Goldman Sachs. KPMG trumpets the Africa story as “the rise of the phoenix.”
Many factors have made this possible. After decades of stagnation, in recent years most African countries began to reform their economies. Wars, coups, political instability and disease have declined since the late 1990s. And rising commodity prices have lured investment in African resources.
Mobile technology is leapfrogging ahead (Africa has become one of the fastest-growing markets for Canadian firm Research in Motion’s BlackBerry) and a new consumer class has been born. Multinational retailers are leaping in, and even Wal-Mart recently acquired a chain with nearly 300 stores in 14 African countries.
The prosperity of China has been a particular spark, with about 2,000 Chinese companies investing $32-billion in Africa by the end of 2010. Beijing’s trade with Africa has soared from $2-billion to an incredible $166-billion in the past dozen years.
But what is the truth behind the hype? The Globe and Mail has spent months investigating the African boom, journeying from Congo and Burkina Faso to Liberia and Botswana, talking to everyone from miners and farmers to factory owners and chief executives.
The rise of Africa is an issue with huge ramifications for Canada, since it could affect how we tailor our foreign aid, how our mining and energy companies choose their next targets and where our manufacturers will find their future markets. Yet the realities are obscured by lingering clichés about Africa and an unwillingness to consider the social costs.
As foreign investment mounts, it often brings with it traumatic social dislocation and a distorted economy. The money often disappears into the pockets of a corrupt elite, while ordinary Africans see fewer benefits. Oil-rich countries such as Nigeria and Angola are the most extreme examples, where billions of dollars in oil revenue have gone into the foreign bank accounts of top officials, leaving most of their citizens poorer than ever.
It does not have to be this way. A few African countries, such as Botswana and Ghana, have carefully managed their resource revenue and transformed themselves into middle-income countries. Botswana has capitalized on its diamond mines by creating a fledgling industry in diamond sorting and processing, and it is increasingly seen as a model for the continent.

Single page

Africa next: With investment outpacing aid, is this a new golden age for the poorest continent? - The Globe and Mail

Small is Beautiful

2012-09-19T13:00:00.001-07:00

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Eco Power Africa - A Mini Power Grid Startup

Eco Power answers a need for more mini-grid energy startups across the continent.Their product could be self built or purchased:

The GEK gasifier which is designed to consume kilos, not tons of biomass daily. The GEK gasifier is clearly a winner for those who have plenty of biomass lying about, such as lumber sawmills, farmers or food processors. Other entrepreneurs will have to obtain biomass. Since biomass is waste by-product, the main expense will not be the biomass itself but transporting it to the gasifier.

A need for decentralized micro-grids:

the solution is modeled on the telecom breakthrough in Africa. Following the central-station model as practiced in the West meant that Africa had no tele–communications for decades. Cellular telephone technology allowed local entrepreneurs to build small, cheap, and rapidly deployable cell towers. Cellular technology enabled Africa to avoid replicating the expensive centralized model.

The same can be done with electricity generation. Instead of investing billions in constructing major power stations, transmission towers, and distribution and metering infrastructure, it is much easier to deploy micro-to-small power generating nodes that will supply electricity efficiently on a localized basis.

By default, power generation in most of Africa is already Distributed Generation. Institutions and individuals that can afford it use diesel genrators. But diesel is much too expensive, inefficient and polluting.

Because there is no readily available distribution network for conventional fossil fuels – gas, oil or coal – distributed generation in Africa will depend on the advent of green technologies.

EcoPower Africa’s solution is to generate electricity with locally available biomass fuel, making electricity much more affordable.

Coupled with biogas generation, mini-grids like these could solve the energy power generation problem.

Source: http://timbuktuchronicles.blogspot.ca/2012/09/eco-power-africa-mini-power-grid-startup.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+blogspot/cNFJo+%28Timbuktu+Chronicles%29

2012-09-15T18:46:00.001-07:00

PERMANENT ERROR

During 2009-2010 Hugo photographed the people and landscape of an expansive dump of obsolete technology in Ghana. The area, on the outskirts of a slum known as Agbogbloshie, is referred to by local inhabitants as Sodom and Gomorrah, a vivid acknowledgment of the profound inhumanity of the place. When Hugo asked the inhabitants what they called the pit where the burning takes place, they repeatedly responded: ‘For this place, we have no name’.

Their response is a reminder of the alien circumstances that are imposed on marginal communities of the world by the West’s obsession with consumption and obsolesce. This wasteland, where people and cattle live on mountains of motherboards, monitors and discarded hard drives, is far removed from the benefits accorded by the unrelenting advances of technology.

The UN Environment Program has stated that Western countries produce around 50 million tons of digital waste every year. In Europe, only 25 percent of this type of waste is collected and effectively recycled. Much of the rest is piled in containers and shipped to developing countries, supposedly to reduce the digital divide, to create jobs and help people.

In reality, the inhabitants of dumps like Agbogbloshie survive largely by burning the electronic devices to extract copper and other metals out of the plastic used in their manufacture. The electronic waste contaminates rivers and lagoons with consequences that are easily imaginable. In 2008 Green Peace took samples of the burnt soil in Agbogbloshie and found high concentrations of lead, mercury, thallium, hydrogen cyanide and PVC.

Notions of time and progress are collapsed in these photographs. There are elements in the images that fast-forward us to an apocalyptic end of the world as we know it, yet the alchemy on this site and the strolling cows recall a pastoral existence that rewinds our minds to a medieval setting. The cycles of history and the lifespan of our technology are both clearly apparent in this cemetery of artifacts from the industrialised world. We are also reminded of the fragility of the information and stories that were stored in the computers which are now just black smoke and melted plastic.

Link: http://www.pieterhugo.com/

PIETER HUGO - Photographer

2012-09-15T18:06:00.001-07:00

PERMANENT ERROR

During 2009-2010 Hugo photographed the people and landscape of an expansive dump of obsolete technology in Ghana. The area, on the outskirts of a slum known as Agbogbloshie, is referred to by local inhabitants as Sodom and Gomorrah, a vivid acknowledgment of the profound inhumanity of the place. When Hugo asked the inhabitants what they called the pit where the burning takes place, they repeatedly responded: ‘For this place, we have no name’.

Their response is a reminder of the alien circumstances that are imposed on marginal communities of the world by the West’s obsession with consumption and obsolesce. This wasteland, where people and cattle live on mountains of motherboards, monitors and discarded hard drives, is far removed from the benefits accorded by the unrelenting advances of technology.

The UN Environment Program has stated that Western countries produce around 50 million tons of digital waste every year. In Europe, only 25 percent of this type of waste is collected and effectively recycled. Much of the rest is piled in containers and shipped to developing countries, supposedly to reduce the digital divide, to create jobs and help people. In reality, the inhabitants of dumps like Agbogbloshie survive largely by burning the electronic devices to extract copper and other metals out of the plastic used in their manufacture. The electronic waste contaminates rivers and lagoons with consequences that are easily imaginable. In 2008 Green Peace took samples of the burnt soil in Agbogbloshie and found high concentrations of lead, mercury, thallium, hydrogen cyanide and PVC.

Notions of time and progress are collapsed in these photographs. There are elements in the images that fast-forward us to an apocalyptic end of the world as we know it, yet the alchemy on this site and the strolling cows recall a pastoral existence that rewinds our minds to a medieval setting. The cycles of history and the lifespan of our technology are both clearly apparent in this cemetery of artifacts from the industrialised world. We are also reminded of the fragility of the information and stories that were stored in the computers which are now just black smoke and melted plastic.

PIETER HUGO - Photographer

Link: http://www.pieterhugo.com/

Mali Crisis Worsens West Africa Food Crisis | Special Section | World | Epoch Times

2012-05-11T01:04:00.001-07:00

Mali Crisis Worsens West Africa Food Crisis | Special Section | World | Epoch Times

West Africa’s Sahel region is facing a massive food shortage, with as many as 15 million people facing hunger or starvation, a high-level United Nations official said.
The recent clashes between Tuareg-led rebels and the Malian government have worsened the food insecurity in the Sahel region, a belt-like area that stretches across Africa, from the Red Sea to the Atlantic Ocean. Tens of thousands of people have fled Mali to nearby countries such as Niger, where food is in short supply.
“In this case, the crisis is different than it’s ever been in the past,” said Ertharin Cousin, the Executive Director of the World Food Program (WFP), referring to crises in 2005 and 2010. “It’s even more complicated because of the evolving conflict situation in Mali as well as the high food prices,” she said in a press release.
Cousin said around 35,000 refugees have poured into Niger from Mali in the past several months, exacerbating problems caused by a rain shortfall and failed harvest in the region. The lean season, which technically starts in June, has already started for some families.
“Because the rains failed last season, what you’re seeing is that the hungry poor, the most vulnerable populations, are now at the point where they have depleted their assets,” Cousin said.
However, with the political situation in Mali still in flux, the U.N. expects even more people to cross into Niger.
“My father gave me a goat that I sold to pay for transportation from Menaka (in eastern Mali) to Niger, but it was not enough for all of us so I left my three youngest children with my cousins,” Mariama, 47, was quoted as saying by the U.N.
“We could not stay in Menaka as my family members are also having problems to feed their own families; we just did not want to be an extra burden.”
Ousseini, a 30-year-old Malian teacher, said he was forced to sell some goats and a television to get enough money to take himself, his wife, son, and seven nephews to the Mangaize camp in Niger. “We left because of insecurity, but also because I have not been paid since February,” he said.
Around 1 million children risk starving to death in the near future in the Sahel region if the international community idles, the U.N. said.
The Sahel is the transitional point between the Sudanian Savannas in the south and the Sahara desert, and cuts across Senegal, Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Algeria, Niger, Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon, Sudan including Darfur, and Eritrea.
Niger is the worst affected country in the region, Cousin said. The WFP has begun an emergency operation to feed 3.3 million people in Niger, focusing on children under two.
The Epoch Times publishes in 35 countries and in 19 languages. Subscribe to our e-newsletter.

West Africa’s Sahel region is facing a massive food shortage, with as many as 15 million people facing hunger or starvation, a high-level United Nations official said.
The recent clashes between Tuareg-led rebels and the Malian government have worsened the food insecurity in the Sahel region, a belt-like area that stretches across Africa, from the Red Sea to the Atlantic Ocean. Tens of thousands of people have fled Mali to nearby countries such as Niger, where food is in short supply.
“In this case, the crisis is different than it’s ever been in the past,” said Ertharin Cousin, the Executive Director of the World Food Program (WFP), referring to crises in 2005 and 2010. “It’s even more complicated because of the evolving conflict situation in Mali as well as the high food prices,” she said in a press release.
Cousin said around 35,000 refugees have poured into Niger from Mali in the past several months, exacerbating problems caused by a rain shortfall and failed harvest in the region. The lean season, which technically starts in June, has already started for some families.
“Because the rains failed last season, what you’re seeing is that the hungry poor, the most vulnerable populations, are now at the point where they have depleted their assets,” Cousin said.
However, with the political situation in Mali still in flux, the U.N. expects even more people to cross into Niger.
“My father gave me a goat that I sold to pay for transportation from Menaka (in eastern Mali) to Niger, but it was not enough for all of us so I left my three youngest children with my cousins,” Mariama, 47, was quoted as saying by the U.N.
“We could not stay in Menaka as my family members are also having problems to feed their own families; we just did not want to be an extra burden.”
Ousseini, a 30-year-old Malian teacher, said he was forced to sell some goats and a television to get enough money to take himself, his wife, son, and seven nephews to the Mangaize camp in Niger. “We left because of insecurity, but also because I have not been paid since February,” he said.
Around 1 million children risk starving to death in the near future in the Sahel region if the international community idles, the U.N. said.
The Sahel is the transitional point between the Sudanian Savannas in the south and the Sahara desert, and cuts across Senegal, Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Algeria, Niger, Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon, Sudan including Darfur, and Eritrea.
Niger is the worst affected country in the region, Cousin said. The WFP has begun an emergency operation to feed 3.3 million people in Niger, focusing on children under two.
The Epoch Times publishes in 35 countries and in 19 languages. Subscribe to our e-newsletter.

Tags: niger sahel west africa

Bid to stop elephant poaching in Cameroon ends in violence - Calling Card News

2012-05-10T23:53:00.001-07:00

Bid to stop elephant poaching in Cameroon ends in violence - Calling Card News

Bid to stop elephant poaching in Cameroon ends in violence

March 12, 2012

Poachers have always targeted elephants for their ivory tusks, but the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) recently reported more than 300 have been slaughtered in the past few months. In an effort to stop the illegal slaughter of these creatures, the IFAW and the Cameroon government have employed military force.

However, this tactic resulted in violence. A clash between poachers and the Cameroon Rapid Intervention Battalion left 10 elephants, one soldier and one poacher dead.

"The fight against poaching is a war and like any other war there will be casualties," said Celine Sissler Bienvenu, director of IFAW France and head of operations in Africa. "These poachers are working in gangs. We found shells indicating they are armed with military-issue automatic or semi-automatic weapons... Villagers who have come into contact with the poachers were told of their plans to collect as much ivory as they can until the end of March."

The best way to put an end to the unnecessary slaughter of elephants in Cameroon, according to Sissler Bienvenu, is to remove the demand for ivory on an international level.

How to Make a Difference

2012-05-10T23:25:00.001-07:00

How to Make a Difference

How to Build a Culture of Community Involvement

One of the biggest issues in many small (and not so small) communities is that of getting volunteers for community organisations and events. Often it seems to be the same small group of people doing everything.

Below are a few suggestions to encourage more volunteers to come forward. None of this will result in stampedes of volunteers overnight, but if we think long term about building a community with a culture of active community involvement, they may help.

Set up service awards presented by Council/Community Board/local government - monthly/annually/as appropriate
Volunteer "jobs" board in the library and also in the Messenger
* Make sure that listings say skills required, that training is offered, what skills volunteers will gain etc etc
Volunteer "jobs" expo
Partner with significant employers in the area to have staff community volunteering recognised in some way
Partner with Government agencies/Social Services to have community service/volunteering encouraged
Put a monthly volunteer interview/profile in local newsletters/newspapers (+ sponsored award?)
* Why do you volunteer?
* How did you get involved?
* What do you get out of it?
* What skills have you gained?
* What skills did you need?
* How much time does it take?
Interview as diverse range of people as possible - ie not the usual suspects. Eg The bowls club secretary, Lions club treasurer, a volunteer fire fighter, someone from the Marae Committee, a PTA member, the Rugby club Pres ..

How do you encourage Volunteering in your community?

Poachers slaughter 200 elephants in Cameroon national park in six weeks. « The Truth is Where?

2012-05-10T23:22:00.001-07:00

Poachers slaughter 200 elephants in Cameroon national park in six weeks. « The Truth is Where?

Poachers have killed more than 200 elephants in six weeks in Cameroon, in a “massacre” fuelled by Asian demand for ivory.

A local government official said heavily armed poachers from Chad and Sudan had decimated the elephant population of Bouba Ndjida national park, in Cameroon’s far north.

“We are talking about a very serious case of trans-frontier poaching, involving well-armed poachers with modern weapons from Sudan and Chad who are decimating this wildlife species to make quick money from the international ivory trade,” said Gambo Haman, governor of Cameroon’s northern region.

Speaking on local radio, Haman said some of the poachers were on horseback and operated with the help of the local population, who were given free elephant meat and were glad to be rid of animals that damage their crops.

The International Fund for Animal Welfare (Ifaw) said cross-border poaching was common during the dry season but the scale of the killings so far this year was unprecedented.
“This latest massacre is massive and has no comparison to those of the preceding years,” the group said in a statement.

Citing a record number of large scale ivory seizures in 2011, Traffic, a conservation group that tracks trends in wildlife trading, has warned of a surge in elephant poaching in Africa to meet Asian demand for tusks for use in jewellery and ornaments.

Underlining the clout of the poaching force, Haman said a group of 50 had killed six Chadian soldiers who tried to arrest them as they fled with the ivory.

“In January we counted 146 [elephant] carcasses and since the beginning of this month we’ve had close to 60 already. This may only be a tip of the iceberg as some may have been killed in parts of the park that we cannot access,” Haman added.

Cameroon has dispatched a rapid-reaction force to the area but Haman said there were not enough troops to cover the remote park.

Ifaw said it was not clear how many elephants remained in Cameroon. A 2007 estimate put the figure at between 1,000 and 5,000.

Traffic has said that the spike in poaching and illegal ivory trade in Africa is a direct consequence of China’s investment drive into the continent.

Trans-frontier poaching decimating elephant herds in Camaroon

2012-05-10T23:12:00.001-07:00

Poachers, believed to be armed groups from Chad and Sudan, have been blamed for an unprecedented spate of elephant deaths in Bouba Ndjida national park in Cameroon. The demand for ivory in Asia is thought to be the reason for more than 200 elephants being killed within the park in a six-week period.
As a result of this outbreak of poaching by heavily armed gangs, the elephant population within Bouba Ndjida national park in the far north of Cameroon has now been severely depleted
.
“We are talking about a very serious case of trans-frontier poaching, involving well-armed poachers with modern weapons from Sudan and Chad who are decimating this wildlife species to make quick money from the international ivory trade,” says Gambo Haman, governor of Cameroon’s northern region.
Read more: http://blog.arkive.org/2012/02/elephant-slaughter-in-cameroon/
http://www.theprovince.com/news/Cameroon+elephants+slaughtered+hundreds/6175134/story.html

http://www.greenpeace.org/new-zealand/en/news/blog/shark-finning-fines-add-to-spotlight-on-taiwa/blog/39109/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+gpnzblog+%28Greenpeace+New+Zealand+Weblog%29

Camaroon send in military to stop elephant slaughter | Metro Newspaper

2012-05-10T21:26:00.001-07:00

Camaroon send in military to stop elephant slaughter | Metro Newspaper

Camaroon send in military to stop elephant slaughter

Written by: Derrick Spies

Cameroon has launched a military offensive to flush out elephant poachers from a remote national park in the country’s northeast near the border with Chad.

Defense Minister Alain Mebe Ngo’o announced the operation on state television late Thursday, saying that the country needed to take action against the poachers believed to be from Sudan.

In just eight weeks, the World Wildlife Fund estimates that the poachers have decimated the elephant population, killing between 200 and 300 of the roughly 400 elephants in the Bouba N’Djida National Park.

The wildlife group said in a statement released Friday that the military operation was launched Wednesday night after a high-level meeting between the minister of defense and the minister in charge of wildlife. The group cited unnamed sources confirming that over 100 Cameroonian soldiers had entered the park on Thursday to secure the area from poachers.

According to the wildlife group, the heavily armed poachers entered Cameroonian territory illegally via the border with Chad in order to harvest the ivory.

“The poachers, who are reportedly Arabic speakers traveling on horseback, are believed to be from Sudan and it is widely speculated that the vast volumes of ivory are destined for Asian markets,” said the WWF.

The government has been under pressure to take action from both environmental groups and the European Union, ever since graphic images of the slaughtered elephants were published.

“We saw this situation coming,” said Basile Yapo Monssan, the WWF country director. “We have consistently alerted the government on the alarming growing rate of poaching in Cameroon. This is their wake-up call,” Yapo says.

In 2010, WWF wrote a letter to the prime minister saying that drastic measures were needed to stop the crossborder poaching. In 2011, a group of 12 ambassadors followed up with a second letter.

Lamine Sebogo, the group’s elephant coordinator, said that northern Cameroon’s elephant population represents 80 percent of the total population of savanna elephants in all of Central Africa.

“Any remaining elephant population remains at high risk until military forces are able to secure the area,” said the WWF. “It is absolutely vital that the (military) exercise is not a publicity stunt – the poachers must be engaged, arrested and prosecuted to send out a strong message.”

- Sapa AP

Sustainable Development

2012-05-10T13:42:00.001-07:00

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/andrew-muir/balancing-economic-growth_b_1506358.html

Andrew Muir

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Balancing Economic Growth With True Sustainability

Africa , Social Entrepreneurship , Impact News

I am privileged to attend the World Economic Forum for the first time. For me, it is very poignant that this forum is taking place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Addis is not only the home of the African Union but also at the heart of the new economic growth taking place on the continent.

Talk here is that Africa's projected growth rate for 2012 will be in excess of 5% and at a time of global uncertainty and general economic downturn. Talking to various delegates it seems that whilst there is a genuine worry around food security and high rates of youth unemployment, there is, at the same time, a renewed optimism about this continent's future.

However, the sustainability of this economic boom and growth requires
 attention and planning. Much of the economic growth for Africa is 
around a so-called resource boom, and this equates largely to extraction
 (mining) as well as natural resource utilization (farming and 
forestry). Transforming ecosystems through economic development has 
yielded net benefits to human society, but continuing to achieve these 
gains by degrading nature risks irreversible declines in productivity 
and producing an inverse relationship between resource exploitation and 
poverty alleviation.

In terms of Africa, unmitigated loss of nature, accelerated by 
population growth, will lead to ecosystem change at a scale and breadth 
too costly to reverse, and particularly when one adds climate change 
predictions into this boiling pot. We must guard against loosing the 
true meaning and concept of sustainability.

We can learn from people who live directly in natural environments, 
such as farmers, the 'first people' and indigenous peoples of Africa and
 our world, notwithstanding that our environments and challenges have 
altered in the contemporary world. The North American Indians for 
example, had a basic philosophy that before every action and decision 
they took today, they would look to the impact to the seventh 
generation. How do we accept the implications of living within our 
means, of living with tomorrow in mind?

Clearly, now is the time to implement many of the agreements and 
mechanisms agreed to at COP17 and other forums that will combine 
sustainable resource utilization together with access to clean energy 
mechanisms. This would include African governments putting into place 
adequate policies together with the tools and resources to monitor and 
enforce impacts.

The World Economic Forum has highlighted the fact that one in six 
people do not have access to adequate nutrition (approximately 1 billion
 people).  

At the same time it is "spearheading efforts to rethink 
infrastructure development, reshape responsible capitalism and encourage
 the free movement of people and goods" and that "social development 
without economic progress is not feasible."

Leymah Gbowee: Unlock the intelligence, passion, greatness of girls - YouTube

2012-03-28T14:25:00.001-07:00

Message of Hope

Leymah Gbowee: Unlock the intelligence, passion, greatness of girls - YouTube

by TEDtalksDirector on Mar 28, 2012 http://www.ted.com Nobel Peace Prize winner Leymah Gbowee has two powerful stories to tell -- of her own life's transformation, and of the untapped potential of girls around the world. Can we transform the world by unlocking the greatness of girls?

other Blogs about Africa

2012-03-18T20:26:00.001-07:00

Waka Waka Part 1: From Windhoek - to Cape Cross - YouTube

2012-02-21T01:34:00.000-08:00

Waka Waka Part 1: From Windhoek - to Cape Cross - YouTube

Timbuktu Chronicles

2012-02-21T00:55:00.000-08:00

Timbuktu Chronicles

Emeka Okafor: Emeka Okafor is an entrepreneur and venture catalyst who lives in New York City.He is the curator of Maker Faire Africa.He was the director for TED Global 2007 that took place in Arusha,Tanzania.In addition he is a member of the TED fellowship team.His interests include sustainable technologies in the developing world and paradigm breaking technologies in general. His blog, Timbuktu Chronicles seeks to spur dialogue in areas of entrepreneurship, technology and the scientific method as it impacts Africa. "Timbuktu is a city unsullied by the worship of idols...a refuge of scholarly and righteous folk, a haunt of saints and ascetics, and a meeting place of caravans and boats" -Al-Sa'Di

In Cameroon Demangam Victorine Luekam a soya processor speaks with Martha Chindong of Agfax:

Soyabean image courtesy of Wikipedia

Through a simple processing technique, Demangam Victorine Luekam converts soya milk into a meat-like product. She then fries the soya meat in oil, which it allows it to be stored for up to a week, and sells cubes of it on sticks to a growing number of customers. Martha Chindong, who interviews Demangam, finds that soya meat is tasty as well as nutritious. It’s particularly good for menopausal women, as it contains natural oestrogen hormone. Eating soya products regularly helps to reduce the hot flushes that are a common symptom of menopause. And as a legume crop, soya also boosts soil fertility...[more]

Source:
http://timbuktuchronicles.blogspot.com/

See Africa Differently

2012-02-17T00:58:00.000-08:00

See Africa Differently

Africa is 54 diverse countries filled with people working to bring about positive changes.

Our site is going to showcase exciting news, videos and personal stories from the world's second largest continent.

Visit our website http://www.seeafricadifferently.com/

Africa Pics

2012-02-17T00:51:00.000-08:00

Wildebeest Face Kenya

Woman carrying basket filled with coffee beans, overhead view, trade and investment, web graphic, issue graphic, African, walking

Acacia Tree at Sunrise

MONKEY BAY, Malawi - Funwe produces seeds for maize, groundnut,...

ONE | Amazing Africa: Photos from our archives

2012-02-17T00:46:00.000-08:00

ONE | Amazing Africa: Photos from our archives

aley/ONE.

Wildebeests in Kenya.

A mighty elephant in Nairobi, Kenya. Photo credit: Maura Daley/ ONE.

Beautiful african sunrise, with backlit acacia tree on Amboseli Natural Park, Kenya.

View of Kibera from the railroad tracks. Photo credit: Morgana Wingard/ONE.

Healthy corn crops growing in Monkey Bay, Malawi. Photo credit: Morgana Wingard/ ONE.

Cows and birds happily coexisting in Kenya.

Red dusk in Cairo, Egypt. Photo credit: Olivier Asselin/ Living Proof.

Gorgeous minaret. Photo credit: Olivier Asselin/ Living Proof.

Deer roaming the landscape in Nairobi, Kenya. Photo credit: Maura Daley/ONE.

How did Rwanda cut poverty so much? - latimes.com

2012-02-17T00:29:00.000-08:00

How did Rwanda cut poverty so much? - latimes.com

Africa | Americas | Asia | Europe | Middle East

How did Rwanda cut poverty so much?

This post has been corrected. See the note at the bottom for details.

The small African nation of Rwanda recently announced that it had cut poverty by 12% in six years, from 57% of its population to 45%. That equals roughly a million Rwandans emerging from poverty -- one of the most stunning drops in the world.

It's a remarkable achievement for Rwanda, which has emerged from civil war and a bloody ethnic genocide in the 1990s. How did it happen? The Times quizzed Paul Collier, director of the Center for the Study of African Economies at Oxford University, about the numbers.

Are there any doubts that the drop is real?

No doubts; I know the economics professor who did the data analysis, and he is highly experienced and painstaking, so it is genuine.

How did Rwanda cut its poverty so much?

There were one or two helpful events, notably the rise in world coffee prices, which pumped money into the rural economy, but, of course, overall the global economy since 2005 has not provided an easy environment for success. Hence, most of the achievement is likely due to domestic policies.

Rwanda is the nearest that Africa gets to an East Asian-style “developmental state,” where the government gets serious about trying to grow the economy and where the president runs a tight ship within government built on performance rather than

Photos in the news - chicagotribune.com

2012-02-14T19:15:00.000-08:00

Photos in the news - chicagotribune.com

Show of force

( Mohamed Abdiwahab, AFP/Getty Images / February 14, 2012 )

An African union peace keeping force and Somali government forces unite on the Mogadishu outskirts. Somalia African Union-backed Somali government forces have attacked Islamist Shebab rebel posts on the outskirts of the war-torn capital Mogadishu with tanks and artillery. Burundian troops with the AU Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) launched a pre-dawn attack against holdout positions of the Al-Qaeda allied Shebab, to secure a key road leading from anarchic Mogadishu to the rebel-held town of Afgoye.

Continent of Sorrow

Listen to Nehanda Radio Live Zimbabwe

Famine In East Africa

BusinessDay - Poor crops ‘to worsen’ hunger season in Horn states

GET A LIFE NOW: Izhar cardboard bike project on Vimeo

Izhar cardboard bike project

"The How of Happiness" Sonja Lyubomirsky - TalkRational

Africa next: With investment outpacing aid, is this a new golden age for the poorest continent? - The Globe and Mail

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Small is Beautiful

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PIETER HUGO - Photographer

Mali Crisis Worsens West Africa Food Crisis | Special Section | World | Epoch Times

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Sustainable Development

Andrew Muir

Balancing Economic Growth With True Sustainability

Leymah Gbowee: Unlock the intelligence, passion, greatness of girls - YouTube

other Blogs about Africa

Waka Waka Part 1: From Windhoek - to Cape Cross - YouTube

Timbuktu Chronicles

See Africa Differently

Africa Pics

Wildebeest Face Kenya

Acacia Tree at Sunrise

ONE | Amazing Africa: Photos from our archives

How did Rwanda cut poverty so much? - latimes.com

How did Rwanda cut poverty so much?

Photos in the news - chicagotribune.com

Show of force