Let us pray
Author: sarahwakasa
Zorro
Cow rider
julius-cu.jpg
Close up of Julius. This was for his column in the student newspaper.
Eagle
Another attempt to draw, dug deep from the archives
Aftermath of Kenya 2007 PEV
What will correct Africa’s socio-economic fails?
By Sarah Wakasa
Posted on 18th February, 2013
Numerous challenges stand in the way of Africa’s ambition, one might lax, stuck amidst this tangles of economic and social fails that have crippled progress.
Why do we fail and wander aimlessly unable to feed our children and yet countries with a fraction of the resources we boast of manage to become first class nations amidst the worst of economic crises?
More than 218 million people live in extreme poverty. Poverty has made the continent writhe in other opportunistic fiends like climate change yet its economies rely on climate-dependent sectors such as water-fed agriculture, and its coping capacities are weak.
What’s worse – when breaks like HIV/AIDS, corruption, conflict and wars keep stagnating this fight against poverty.
So has money set us apart? Yes the lack of it at least – Undoubtedly, poverty has put an unbearable strain on Africa.
While noting Africa’s maladies, it would be dispiriting not to mention the improvement in telecom innovation that has broadly improved the quality of life across sub-Saharan Africa.
There has been an increase in African countries that are increasingly embracing technology as a driver of development, e.g. Kenya’s Vision 2030 and Rwanda’s rapid ICT growth. Despite sub-Saharan Africa’s impressive economic performance over the past decade, which has resulted in marginal poverty reduction, her way to economic liberation is still beset with thorny issues that need a massive and quick clean up!
Africa is still aloof, missing out on technologies and innovations chances that have seen other regions massively reaping gains.
And in the face of this, we still do not see much allegiance by parliamentarians in investing in research institutions and efforts towards innovation and entrepreneurship.
The latest world University ranking demonstrates this as only three universities in Africa, all in South Africa, made it to the top 400 in the 2012/2013 Reuters/Times Higher Education.
Countries are making a kill from technology and innovation, yet what we see in our backyards are continuous ranting about political supremacy rather than issue-based politics, a distraction to the public and an amusement backed by our media.
Africa, a great consumer of technological knowledge from other region’s innovations still falters behind, lacking aggressive policies and commitment to build its own capacities.
“Without aggressive policies and commitment to build endogenous capacities on the continent, Africa will remain a knowledge consumer not a knowledge producer in the third industrial revolution,” said Prof. Kevin Urama, of the Executive Director of the Africa Technology Policy Studies (ATPS).
In order to change this, we need a serious reform of our priorities to those that would fast pace our economic issues. What better way than promoting policies that would boost business science, research, agricultural productivity, for example?
Our governments need to encourage its in-house initiatives aiming at transforming Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) knowledge structures. Initiatives like tech hubs need to be supported by governments and the private-sector. We need to buzz up these young African talents and the works to increase the competitive impact they aim.
We need to need to tap into the private sector; continual handouts will not liberate us. We need to elect leaders that will cultivate an entrepreneur-friendly environment. An atmosphere where entrepreneurs can foster their small and medium–size sized companies, where easier access to capital needs are made possible.
The irony is that most of our nations have now clocked the 50 year mark of independence, yet we are trapped in the over-reliance of hand-outs. Crippled with widespread corruption that is costly and a derailment to development and augmented socio-economic disparities.
Our problems may seem complex but one sure thing is that innovation and entrepreneurship are comebacks to sustainably set us on a competitive globally edge.
It’s green growth O’clock!
Published by UNEP GSSD 2013 Expo – Url unavailable
By Sarah Wakasa
28 October -NAIROBI – Did you know that development that is not based on green growth may lead to prosperity, but only in the short term, and will soon be undermined by insecurity and vulnerability?
Green growth is emerging as a guiding framework for delivering development goals for the upcoming decade which is believed to bring major opportunities to improving livelihoods and reducing poverty. (OECD 2013)
Against this, marked the opening of the world’s biggest stage for development solutions created in the South for the South. – The UN South South Expo.
Hosted by UNEP under the theme “Building inclusive green economies, this weeklong event brings together hundreds of high-level delegates across the world tackle development challenges by harnessing and exchanging innovative solutions developed in the global South.
Speaking during the event, the UN Under Secretary-General and UNEP Executive Director, Achim Steiner said, “The transition to inclusive green economies is essential to the socio-economic development of countries all over the world, however, no one nation, community or agency has all the answers.”
It is estimated that the global population will have escalated to 9 billion people by 2050 and a key challenge will be meeting the energy, food and water needs and ensuring that they have clean and healthy living environments. An additional 1 billion people risk to live in severely water stressed areas by 2050, with developing countries hardest hit (OECD 2013).
The time for green growth is now. The benefits can be calculated not only by the money saved, but also in more secure livelihoods and lives saved. If not, we will wish away the development we have built over decades and compromise the lives of the future generation.
No climate fund, No poverty reduction?
By Sarah Wakasa
DURBAN, 8 December 2011 – The President of the African Development Bank, Donald Kaberuka, told a major forum at the COP17 talks in Durban yesterday that ”failing to fund climate change is failing to fund poverty reduction.”
The AfDB Head emphasized that rich countries urgently need to address the issue of carbon taxation to scale-up climate funds.
African leaders have repeatedly urged developed countries to honor their commitments and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by at least 40 percent between 2013 and 2017. The debate also advocated the need for Africa to explore innovative ways to internally secure its necessary climate funds.
The forum debate comes barely a few days after ministers from over 50 African countries released a statement demanding, “An ambitious second commitment period under the Kyoto Protocol, effective action under the Bali Action Plan and scaled-up finance” at the ongoing climate talks in Durban.
The Africa Union Chair, Jean Ping pointed out, “Climate finance is the main issue which will determine how climate change adaptation and mitigation can contribute to sustainable development.”
He added, “Africa is ready for a green economy that needs the finance and the technology which will not only help Africa but the rest of mankind.”
Africa is vulnerable to climate change and has minimum resources required to bear the adverse impact but he noted that a few countries including Kenya, Mali and South Africa have plans for a Green Energy Fund to secure climate funding in the long term.
“Climate Finance should not be confused with Overseas Development Assistance,” said Pravin Gordhun, South African Minister of Finance.
“Unfulfilled promises from the international community have incited a lack of confidence,” said the Executive Secretary, UN Economic Commission for Africa, Abdoulie Janneh.
On the issue of accountability and trust, Barbara Buchner of the Climate Policy Initiative explained that understanding the flow of resources by assessing the number of investments and whether financial resources are being spent effectively is critical.
UNISDR strongly maintains disaster risk reduction as a cost-effective approach to reduce the negative impacts disasters. According to the latest UNISDR policy brief launched at the climate talks, the benefits of disaster risk reduction can be calculated not only by the money saved, but also in more secure livelihoods and saved lives.
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