Human capital development is an essential component of social-economic and business/commercial development; an academics is a vital aspect of this equation. Thus, you might be interested in the following information:
5th European Conference on African Studies (ECAS 5), Lisbon, June 26-28, 2013.
Panel 145:
“The theory and methodology of representation(s): the analytical potential of a concept in contexts of transformation and innovation in contemporary Africa”.
Convenor:
Christine Ludl (Bayreuth International Graduate School of African Studies / Centre Marc Bloch Berlin.
Short Abstract
This panel examines the analytical and heuristic potential of the concept of representation(s) and its linkages to concepts of culture, identity, and politics in contexts of social, cultural, political, and economic transformation, creativity and innovation in contemporary Africa.
Long Abstract
The concepts of representation(s) and the imagination play an important though implicit role in the social and cultural sciences. They frequently appear as the smallest but hardly defined unit of concepts of culture and identity or serve as their substitute. Studies on popular culture gave important insight in how citizens interpreted and dealt with authoritarian contexts and how representations of legitimacy and success underwent profound transformations during the democratic transitions in the 1990s. More recently, studies accounted for the creativity of African citizens and institutions in contexts of on-going social, political, economic, and cultural transformation. Finally, the “writing culture” debate and its repercussions addressed questions of authorship and the production of knowledge to which the question of representation(s) is central. However, the notion is rarely based on clearly defined concepts or connected to a corresponding methodology. This panel examines the analytical and heuristic potential of the concepts of representation(s) and the imagination. How can we conceptualize the notion of representation(s) both in the sense of ideas, perceptions, and the imagination of future possibilities and of the modes of their presentation and expression through language, practices, cultural productions, and performances? What epistemological and methodological implications follow from these concepts? The panel invites papers, which propose innovative theoretical and methodological approaches to the notions of (social) representations and the imagination and of their linkages to concepts of culture, identity, and politics through empirical research in contexts of social, cultural, political, and economic creativity and innovation in contemporary Africa.
Proposals should consist of a paper title, a (very) short abstract of less than 300 characters, and an abstract of 250 words.
The deadline for paper proposals is January 16, 2013. All paper proposals must be made online using the link at the bottom of the panel description:
http://www.nomadit.co.uk/ecas/ecas2013/panels.php5?PanelID=2204
General rules on how to submit a paper proposal can be found at:
http://cea.iscte.pt/ecas2013/cfp.shtml.
Please check the ECAS website on http://cea.iscte.pt/ecas2013/index.shtml, the dates of the conference are likely to change to June 27-29!
This report is the final deliverable of the Open Data, Open Society research project. It follows the publication of the Open Data, Open Society report, finished in late October 2010 and published in early January 2011. That first report focused on explaining the critical importance of digital data in contemporary society and business activities; defining Open Data; giving examples on their potential, especially at the local level, on transparency and economics activities; finally, defining summarizing some general best practices.
Link: http://www.lem.sssup.it/WPLem/odos/odos_2.html#toc28
—
Jobs in Africa – www.wejobs.blogspot.com
nafasi mpya za Kazi www.kazibongo.blogspot.com
Habari na Picha www.patahabari.blogspot.com
You cannot fill the gap for “Free Business Enterprising on Free Trade” like personal private business partnership without incorporating Public Mandate…….Museveni and Kagame’s plan will fail in East Africa and the same will fail to bring True Democracy unless the People agree to the Plan…….In Which case, Kibaki’s underground plan with the so called Chinese will not succeed……..The Soviet Block plan to hijack Africa in the Scramble to Africa will surely fail very miserably……
It is about time Kibaki Cooperate with Kofi Annan with Mkapa and he will stay safe…….Kibaki and Uhuru will not escape the Land Law with the Financial Budget Policy enactment……The police and Devolution is a must………
Check it out………!!!!
Judy Miriga
Diaspora Spokesperson
Executive Director
Confederation Council Foundation for Africa Inc.,
USA
http://socioeconomicforum50.blogspot.com
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Kenya’s Score Card
Published on Oct 11, 2012 by K24TV
Annan, Mkapa to give their assesment
The scheduled meeting between president Mwai Kibaki, former UN secretary general Koffi Annan and former Tanzanian president Benjamin Mkapa is in doubt, as president Mwai Kibaki is said to have been chairing a cabinet meeting in the morning. The intended plan was to meet with the two principles on the first day of their meeting, with prime minister Raila Odinga already having met the pair. It is however not clear if their meeting with president Kibaki will take place. The duo who are on their last day of their four day visit to Kenya, will hold a press briefing where they will inform on their assessment so far on the country’s progress of implementing agenda four.
Annan worried at high rate of ethnic violence in Kenya
Published on Oct 11, 2012 by capitalfmkenya
No description available.
Annan:Kenya should demonstrate how a constitution can impact a nation positively
Published on Dec 3, 2012 by NTVKenya
http://www.ntv.co.ke
Koffi Annan, the chair of the Panel of Eminent Persons says Kenya has a chance to demonstrate how a constitution can impact a nation, particularly during the upcoming election. Annan, accompanied by former Tanzanian President Benjamin Mkapa, spoke at the Supreme Court, where they met the Chief Justice, Dr. Willy Mutunga. The two are visiting the country to monitor the electoral process.
Thank you Annan. Some ignorant kenyans wants to test the reaction of the international community if they chose thugs as president. Mine is a little prayer for them. The world has changed. Take them to the Hague now please..
Odorono blu 1 hour ago
Kenyans are being led by hand to the polls by foreigners just in case they trip over and knock out their front two teeth. lol
magellanmax 4 hours ago
ANNAN, MKAPA SATISFIED
Published on Oct 12, 2012 by gbskenyatv
The chair to the panel of eminent African personalities Kofi Annan HAS indicate that even if they are leaving the country confident that the next elections will be peaceful since Kenyans have learnt a lessons from the outcome of the disputed 2007 elections, politicians have to exercise a lot of caution with their utterances as the country approaches the forthcoming elections. Annan also indicated that it will be up to the courts to decide on the fate of two presidential candidates facing charges on crimes against humanity at the ICC but stated that a presidency by any of them could have serious implications on foreign relations.
Talk to Jazeera – Kofi Annan
Uploaded by AlJazeeraEnglish on Mar 11, 2010
The former secretary-general of the United Nations in conversation with Teymoor Nabili about China-African relations, Middle East peace, eradication of poverty and the future of Kenya.
Globalization’s Glass House Must Remain Open
Uploaded by YaleUniversity on Jun 8, 2009
Kofi Annan, then Secretary-General of the United Nations, speaks at Yale about creating an inclusive globalization.
Kofi Annan: Developing countries are paying for a crisis the
Uploaded by theindependent on Mar 13, 2009
In an interview with France 24 from Dar Es Salaam in Tanzania where African politicians are attempting to draft a common position on the global economic downturn in anticipation of the G20 meeting next month, Former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan describes the international community’s frustration at the ramifications of the current financial crisis on the developing world.
Kofi Annan on the need for an “African Green Revolution”
Uploaded by salzburgseminar on Jun 24, 2008
Kofi Annan gives an exclusive interview to Salzburg Global Seminar Senior Vice President, Edward Mortimer. Kofi Annan has called for a “uniquely African Green Revolution” founded on “bold pro-poor policies” to address the food crisis facing Africa and the world. In this interview Mr. Annan answers specific questions about the current crisis.
Kofi Annan Speaks at Rome Conference on MDGs…Check from 15:40
Uploaded by mcampaign on Jun 28, 2007
http://www.millenniumcampaign.org
Former Secretary General of the UN, Kofi Annan, speaks at the “Running out of Time” conference for local authorities in Rome, discussing the Millennium Development Goals.
Annan, Mkapa visit to support voter education
Updated Monday, December 03 2012 at 00:00 GMT+3
By Roselyne Obala
NAIROBI; KENYA: Former United Nations Secretary General, Kofi Annan arrived in the country on Sunday to support electoral preparedness by encouraging nationwide voter registration and education.
Dr Annan together and former Tanzanian president, Benjamin Mkapa, both members of Eminent African personalities will also make a follow up on issues raised in their last visit. The two will be in the country for four days amidst heightened political activities.
However, Annan’s last visit in October sparked off an outcry from a section of leaders allied to presidential aspirants, Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta and Eldoret North MP William whom he cautioned Kenyans against electing.
Annan’s message noted that electing people facing charges at the International Criminal Court (ICC) would have implications on Kenya’s foreign relations.
Annan returns to Kenya just weeks after his last visit, when he failed to meet President Kibaki.
Annan’s statement did not seem to go down well with the leaders.
According to a Media statement, the two were expected to arrive yesterday and leave on Tuesday.
The objective of their visit is to follow up on issues raised during their October visit, particularly on voter education and registration.
The two are scheduled to meet with Government, independent and constitutional commissions and other stakeholder groups, including the business leaders, civil society, religious leaders, and the media.
Trouble simmering in Tana over ‘annexed land’
The village of Tarasaa in the Tana Delta, where a row is simmering over the allocation of tens of hectares to Canadian firm Bedford Biofuels. Photo/LABAN WALLOGA NATION MEDIA GROUP
By SARA-CHRISTINE GEMSON sgemson@ke.nationmedia.com and SARA MOJTEHEDZADEH smojtehedzadeh@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted Monday, December 3 2012 at 02:00
In Summary
As the dust settles on one of the Tana Delta’s worst chapters, a new storm is gathering over what local residents call alienation of their resources.
A Canadian firm is particularly on the spot over a huge piece of land it says it is using as a nursery for a massive jatropha project, but the local leadership says those tens of hectares, and many more on the radar of the Canadians, had better be under their ploughs and hoes
The shifting scenery of the Tana Delta is the first hint of the region’s fragility: green plains punctuated with silvery cashew nut trees melt into areas where only the scrappiest of shrubs emerge from the arid ground.
This area was in the news recently for the wrong reasons after the Orma and the Pokomo reached for each other’s throats over land and other resources, but it is still attracting the attention of investors.
One of those investors is Bedford Biofuels, a Canadian firm which is quickly discovering that the challenges of investing in the volatile delta can be daunting.
The Canadian firm is seeking to produce biofuel by setting up a large-scale plantation of the jatropha plant in the region, explaining that the delta is an ideal place to demonstrate the viability of the plant for biofuel production.
However, it is struggling to overcome a series of roadblocks to its project, including local opposition, environmental concerns, government regulations, and regional instability.
“You wouldn’t believe what we’re up against. The challenges are next to impossible to overcome. It’s one thing after another,” Mr David McClure, CEO of Bedford Biofuels, explained in a phone interview from Canada.
When Bedford arrived in the region in 2008, it firmly believed that it could contribute to the economic development of the region and, in 2009, following public information campaigns and community meetings, signed 45-year leases with six group ranches for 120,000 hectares of land, with plans to plant jatropha on half of the leased property.
But progress has been slow: The biofuel company obtained a licence from the National Environment Management Authority (Nema) in 2010 which restricted it to an initial 10,000-hectare pilot project to evaluate the social and environmental impact of the plantation.
So far, Bedford Biofuels has planted just 19 hectares — a nursery of eight varieties of jatropha — to test which variety might be best suited to the region.
The initiative has also been hampered by regional instability, which came to a head in September when more than 100 people were killed in violent clashes between Pokomo farmers and Orma pastoralists in the delta.
Mr Joel Ruhu, Bedford’s vice-president for human resources, admits that the violence has been a major concern for the company.
“If there are conflicts in the area of operation, you can’t do anything. You literally can’t do anything. So instability causes a lot of delay in us moving forward with the project,” he told DN2 during an interview in Malindi recently.
And, while the clashes were not on land leased by Bedford Biofuels, activists are still worried that the project could upset the region’s delicate environmental and social balance
For centuries, Tana’s occupants have kept the place in harmony with nature.
“When waters ebb, farmers plant rice. The Pokomo have planted rice for centuries. During the floods, pastoralists drive out herds… that’s the traditional way of using the land, keeps the ecosystem functioning,” explains Ms Serah Munguti, communications and advocacy manager at Nature Kenya.
But environmentalists like Ms Munguti say the arrival of foreign companies like Bedford Biofuels, who come to the delta armed with ambitious plans for large-scale, intensive farming, might disrupt the system.
That, according to Ms Munguti, promises to heighten tribal tensions.
“The conflict comes because everybody wants the water. The Tana Delta as it is today is a recipe for disaster,” argues Munguti. “There is already conflict over limited resources. Then you look at all the projects that have been proposed and you can imagine what we are setting ourselves up for.”
Tana residents say Bedford’s presence has not yet been a catalyst for conflict — but its arrival has raised questions about land ownership for the first time between neighbours, fostering a sense of anxiety and insecurity.
Local farmer John Kazungu Katana, who settled in the area over 30 years ago, says leaders from the neighbouring Pokomo village have told him he may have to move off their land.
“They have been giving some stress on the land, that people must move, that they gave the land to other people, so they gave us a few challenges that made us worried,” he explains.
Others are concerned about the impact Bedford’s plantation might have on their livelihoods and surroundings.
“We don’t know the effects of the jatropha project, but we have heard that it makes the land become dry and ineffective for pastoralism,” worries Mr Shukri, a Wardei and local teacher. “It is going to even affect the wild animals that we have in that area, and those animals are very important.”
As for those who agreed to the project following Bedford’s public information meetings, the senior chief of Ngao location, Mr Abraham Masouse, believes the company took advantage of their desperation.
“They are just using our poverty for their own gain,” he says. “If someone is suffering, will they turn down your proposal to get them milk and honey? They will accept it, and that’s what they did.”
But Bedford Biofuels insists that it legitimately gained the approval of local communities by meeting with the boards of the ranches as well as local residents to explain the project.
Mr Ruhu believes that those who are concerned about being displaced are ill-informed; most of the land is uninhabited and only two ranches have squatters, he claims.
“We went through 18 months and didn’t displace one person. We’re the champion of the people… the last thing we want to do is displace people,” adds CEO McClure
The Nema licence also imposes strict guidelines on the project, including the creation of wildlife corridors through which the pastoralists will be allowed to travel with their herds.
But Mr Richard Ndegwa, a principal agricultural officer in the Ministry of Agriculture, is not surprised to hear that there is public opposition despite the need for development in the area.
“When you get land from a local authority, inhabitants ask why are we giving land to a foreign company and yet we have people in the same region who are considered to be landless. It is very, very sensitive. Even if the company and local authorities discuss with local people, if they aren’t in agreement, local investment by a foreign company may not come off,” explains Mr Ndegwa
Bedford also insists its activities will not jeopardise Tana’s sensitive eco-system or inflame competition over resources.
“The recent clashes were not because of limited resources — water and pasture. Everybody is talking about water and pasture. But that is not true. The clashes were politically instigated,” asserts Mr Ruhu.
But the assistant director of agriculture, Mr Clement Muyesu, says the company can be certain of the impact the project might have, given its size.
“Ten thousand hectares is a lot of area by any standards,” remarks Mr Muyesu. “It’s a massive area, especially for a new corporation. It will raise a lot of eyebrows. In terms of expectations, you cannot just say you are just trying with 10,000 hectares… it’s just too much.”
The local community has high expectations, as set by Bedford’s initial promises.
As well as paying rent to ranchers and creating over 3,000 jobs once the project is fully operational, the company also pledges to invest in local infrastructure.
“We have a budget of $3.6 million (about Sh3 billion) for every 10,000 hectares to cater for the needs that the people themselves will come up with, be it a school, a health centre, or water. The projects will be started when the project takes off,” claims Mr Ruhu.
But whether those promises will be realised depends on the success of the project, which is far from assured.
While Nema gave Bedford a licence to proceed, and says that it is “satisfied with the activities of Bedford” and does not have any concerns about its initiative, the Ministry of Energy claims that it has not approved such a large-scale jatropha project.
Ms Faith Odongo, head of the biofuels section at the ministry, says the few jatropha projects undertaken in Kenya have demonstrated that the plant “is not a good candidate for biofuel production in Kenya”.
As a result of a feasibility study by Africa Harvest commissioned by the Ministry of Energy, which found that it would take a company at least 15 years to break even with a jatropha biofuel project, Ms Odongo says the Ministry of Energy has not encouraged any large-scale investment in the sector.
“It does not make sense to recommend such an investment to anybody,” she says.
Others claim that the science behind jatropha’s success is shaky.
Bedford’s website praises the jatropha plant as “a robust and relatively drought-resistant, sustainable biofuel feedstock” whose cultivation “can help build economies of underdeveloped countries”.
The plant has also been hailed in some research as a miracle crop that can even survive on barren land.
But Ms Munguti is sceptical. “They said jatropha would grow in deserts, then they found it can’t. It needs more soil fertility and more water than maize,” she claims.
dn2@ke.nationmedia.com
Collins Areba•2 days ago
Jatropha is always a wrong crop, tana delta is a fertile, irrigable region suitable for growing food crops, they claim that jatropha can grow in arid and marginalized areas (yes it will grow but good luck flowering), If the government and bedford are indeed genuine about developing arid land kenya for biofuel production, let them try it in the northern frontiers…
Pitchaya’s History Blog
March 7, 2011
History IA Analysis: What were the causes for and effects of the failure of the Madagascar Plan?
The Madagascar Plan was a Nazi project involving the deportation of 4 million Jews to Madagascar. While it had been proposed in 1938 (Benz, 66), the planning did not start until shortly after the German defeat of France in June 1940. Madagascar had been owned by the French and as a result of the Battle of France, was to be ceded to German control (Benz, 69). In a speech in February by Alfred Rosenberg, chief ideologue of the Nazi Party, it was a means of “solving the Jewish question by establishing a Jewish reserve on Madagascar” (Benz, 67). The Madagascar Plan was never completed and the file on the project was closed in February 1942 (Benz, 72.)
The Battle of Britain was a direct cause for the failure of the plan. The defeat of France in mid-1940 left “Britain alone and apparently helpless” (Shirer, 758). The earlier German victories in Europe led the Nazis to believe that “the British would see reason and be forced to the peace table” (Tucker, 1132); that Hitler was beginning to “believe in his own myth” (Evans). On November 15 1939, (Tucker, 1132) Raeder told the Naval War Staff to study “the possibility of invading England, a possibility arising if certain conditions [were] fulfilled by the further course of the war” (Shirer, 758). Operation Sea Lion was a planned amphibious invasion of Britain, with which Hitler hoped to “secure space on ships […] for the purpose of solving the Jewish problem” (Benz, 72). After a successful invasion, Germany could then use Britain’s large navy in transporting the Jews to Madagascar. However, air superiority over Britain was a necessary condition for this invasion, and Germany’s defeat in The Battle of Britain resulted in the failure of Operation Sea Lion. The Nazis’ objective in the Battle of Britain’s was to “[drive] the British Air Force from the skies and [achieve] the one condition on which the launching of the invasion depended” (Shirer, 774). After several consecutive weeks of bombing London, German bombing squadrons were intercepted by the British Air Force on September 15, suffering insurmountable losses. The failure to gain air superiority meant that German military forces were unable to cross the English Channel and initiate Operation Sea Lion. Hitler now had no means of executing the Plan.
The Madagascar Plan had been formulated based upon Hitler’s “myth” (Evans) – his overconfidence about the outcomes of the war. It was only pursued “for some weeks in earnest” (Benz, 68), immediately after France’s defeat. As a result of the unsatisfactory outcome of the Battle of Britain, carrying out the Madagascar Plan was implausible. Operation Sea Lion was postponed indefinitely on the 27th of September, 1940. There is no archival evidence of alternative routes, sea lanes or other methods planned by the Germans of transporting Jews to Madagascar.
The Madagascar Plan was never believed to have been concrete and there is no archival evidence on whether the Germans would have executed it had Operation Sea Lion not failed. Hitler was constantly moving the Plan’s deadline – in 1940, he had Jews sent to camps in France, saying they would soon be deported to Madagascar. In mid-1941, he had pushed the execution of the Plan after “the completion of the Eastern Campaign”(Friedlander, 203), showing he was not serious about following through.
The failure of the Madagascar Plan was inconsequential. Benz separates the solutions to the Nazis’ “Jewish Question” into two parts. The initial solution was largely about emigration, whereas the final solution was extermination. While the Plan’s failure could be twisted to represent the failure of the initial solution, it was most likely propaganda, intended to mask the cruelty of Nazism and the campaign against the Jews. Furthermore, Benz also states that “The Madagascar plan was in no way a philanthropic project” (Benz, 67) – there had already been “fantasies of extermination “(Benz, 68) within the initial solutions of deportation. The Nazis believed that places like Madagascar, Guyana and Alaska were territories “of an insular nature” (Benz, 71), and would eventually “decimate” (Benz, 68) the Jewish numbers. Although there were two parts to the solution, both contained underlying motives of extermination. Therefore, the failure of the plan would have little or no effect on the mass extermination of the Jews after 1941.
The failure of the Madagascar Plan did not contribute to the final solution. There are quotations supporting the claim that the Nazis had not intended to execute the Plan regardless of the turnout of Operation Sea Lion. If they had not been serious in the beginning, its failure could not have contributed to the decision to carry out the killings. The Wannsee Conference was held in January 1942, to “co-ordinate the administrative details”(Evans) of setting up extermination camps around Europe. They had “the principle or even the sole purpose of killing Europe’s Jews” (Evans). Existing camps were equipped with “additional extermination facilities” (Tucker, 1678). However, plans of extermination had already been in place since 1939. Friedlander believes that Hitler was “using “Madagascar” as a standard of the end goal of his policy: The expulsion of the Jews from Europe” (Friedlander, 203). This is part of an ongoing debate between intentionalist and functionalist historians and forms part of the larger question: whether Hitler had planned the Holocaust or not. Intentionalist historians argue that Hitler already planned for mass extermination of the Jews, and that the Holocaust was not a consequence but an idea (Layton, 91). The failure of the plan did not contribute to the final solution. Rather than leading to the mass exterminations, it was a façade.
Section E – Conclusion
The failure of the Madagascar Plan was due to the failure of The Battle of Britain, which made the plan logistically unfeasible. Without a large navy at his disposal, Hitler could not carry it out. However, it was also speculative and even had Operation Sea Lion succeeded, there is no evidence stating the Plan would have been executed. Therefore, its failure was inconsequential and played no role in the Holocaust.
Anyone who by now has not decide to run for Governor is a Johnny-come-lately and probably bad for our County. Those who have declared their interest have already failed to impress. It is time to make up your mind.
Mine is made up.
Dr Barack Abonyo is the best we have. I have tried and tested him. He has passed. He understands to commoner better cause he was born poor and was almost a school drop-out. Then we gave him scholarship which saw him excel all the way to USA where he not only attained with distinction, the highest level of education, but was kind enough to facilitate for FAMU to present Agwambo’s first honorary PhD.
Truth be told. Now others are following in his footsteps because he is already leading, can’t you see? It is said that you send your children to get education so they can come back and effect positive change in the living condition of the environment they grew up in. Who is better than Dr Barack Abonyo.
My 10th great grandfather Ragem tells me that we should let Barack rock Kisumu lest something big befall our Kisumu City and our people. Notwithstanding all their shortcomings, BABONYO, as I fondly call him is my final choice. There! I have done my part.
BABONYO biro, and it’s your turn to say YES HE CAN. BABONYO biro, Yawneuru yo!
Two Kisumu based teachers are appealing to the Commissioner of Police Mathew Iteere to help them get justice through arresting and persecution of two Mwalimu Sacco officials Chairman Dan Omotto and Committee Member Sande Ochieng’ whom they said obtained money from them in the guise selling for them the said Sacco plots which they have not got after six months.
The teachers Dan Owino Nyakwaka and Everline Anyangop Dero while speaking in Kisumu said they each paid the duo kshs 800,000 each and that their attempts to bring the two culprits to book have been thwarted by some junior CID officers based at the Kisumu DCIO office.
“We have recorded statements and even brought all the documents the said detectives wanted and surprisingly they have done nothing and anytime we make enquiries they say that they are still hunting for the duo” they lamented,.
They expressed shock that one of the CID officers who were investigating the matter told them that Omotto and Sande were ready to refund them their money in installments and wondered if arbitration is the role of the police.
“We opted to follow the law because we could reach any form of compromise, how is it then a man who should be neutral in the issue is calling for arbitration?” they wondered.
They are calling on Mr Iteere to instruct Nyanza CID boss Joseph Mugwanja to look into there issue and necessary legal action be taken.
“We might not be left with any other option but take law into our hands” thy threatened.
Contacted both Omotto and Sande wondered why the aggrieved teachers opted to go to the press.
“Why are they coming to you yet we have pleaded with them that an amicable solution can be reached through dialogue?” they wondered
This report examines the future of citizen-oriented services in local e-government due to recent advances in GIS technology. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are technological tools to depict spatial information visually and to conduct spatial analysis. GIS is commonly defined as “a system of hardware, software, data, people, organizations and institutional arrangements for collecting, storing, analyzing, and disseminating information about areas of the earth” .There has been significant growth since the 1990s in the adoption of GIS by local governments across the United States and in many other countries. In parallel with that growth has been the effort to apply GIS methods to citizenoriented public services
[image]Clean African Nazarene University http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8o63w-0j964/UKuF8ucam4I/AAAAAAAACJw/9DTG_Fzoyns/s1600/PICT2611.JPG
Friends,
We are launching the University Students for a Clean Kenya on the 29th Nov 2012 the same day we will be hosting a Breakfast Meeting with the Health and Environment Journalists. I want the Team Leaders from the Kenyan Universities to write to me for their accreditation. My email address is komarockswatch@yahoo.com
This is going to be a voluntary Platform through which we are going to rally Kenyans back to self esteem as we work towards Cleaning our System. We must believe in Kenya and in our power to re-ignite the Independence Spirit and Aspirations of our Fathers. We must all unite to say NO to Tribalism, Impunity, Greed, Corruption, Big Money in Politics. And we must unite to vote out incompetence and lethargy.
We must advance Environmental Health and Science as the next frontier for National Development as we seek Peace amongst all Kenyans and pitch tent for Good
Governance. We must look back and be very brave in identifying where the rain started beating us and we must seal all those loopholes that make politics be the centre stage of our lives everyday at the expense of economic development, national building and servant leadership.
At the same time, please look at this Petition and if you are agreeable to its content, sign and help disseminate the same far and wide; http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/removing-the-director-of-environ>nment-at-ccn-from-office.html
Let us Move From Talking to Tasking as we Stay with the Issues garbage.
Let us all work for a Clean Kenya and a Clean Africa as a Transformative Deliverable as we turn 50 in Kenya.
Odhiambo T Oketch,
Executive Director,
The Clean Kenya Campaign- TCKC
Tel; 0724 365 557
Email; komarockswatch@yahoo.com
Blogspot; http://kcdnkomarockswatch. blogspot.com
Website; www.kcdnkenya.org
Facebook;University Students for a Clean Kenya
Facebook; Odhiambo T Oketch
Facebook; Monthly Nationwide Clean up Campaign
Mailing Group; friendsofkcdn@ yahoogroups.com
The Clean Kenya Campaign is an Initiative of The KCDN Kenya
One Laptop Per Child Trials as of mid 2008 View OLPC Trial Schools as of mid 2008 in a larger map
Truly innovative companies, according to Roger Martin, author of ?The Design of Business?, are those that have managed to balance the ?reliability? of analytical thinking with the ?validity? of abductive thinking. Basically, these two concepts try to differentiate two ways to deal with innovation. We can either: (a) use statistics, trends, quantitative surveys, and historical data to produce reliable results; or (b) develop a deep understanding of the basic needs of end users for the specific problem that needs to be tackled and propose a valid solution that would satisfy these needs. The author makes a very good case for validity, which is usually forgotten by companies that prefer reliable results that keep most companies? top executives and stock analysts at ease.
This call for a change on how to tackle innovation has originally been directed to businesses1, and takes the concept of design thinking (that is, borrowing the thinking process of designers) to services and companies in general. However, I believe it should also be applied to governments, more specifically on how governments should take advantage of ICTs to improve service provision internally (within government entities) and to citizens.
Most governments that introduce ICTs in their service delivery structure have basically applied technology to the exact same workflow they had before, replacing papers with emails and signatures with digital certificates. But ICTs in general ? and broadband in particular ? do not just improve the efficiency of governments. They have the potential to transform how governments work, redefining their relationship with citizens and expanding the array of services and transactions that could be provided and implemented.
This, however, is a very risky proposition for governments. And if most private companies rely on analytical thinking due to their overall aversion to risk, governments in most developing countries have a much less functional innovation system (in many cases, equivalent to a ?copy-paste? function to be applied to ?best practices? in other countries).
So what is design thinking for governments anyway? It is not that much different than its private sector equivalent. It is about going back to the basics. And I mean the basics, trying to understand what citizens need from their governments (yes, that far back) and then answering the question: how could governments (hopefully, leveraging the new set of technologies and devices that exist today ? and their spread among the general population) be able to satisfy these needs? Then, it is all about building prototypes, testing, trial and error, and of course a good set of evaluation and feedback mechanisms2.
For governments, as well as for companies, the main challenge is twofold: on one hand, governments watching their public expenses are generally risk averse, and consequently they hardly take any risk to implement services that could fail, more so services that are not requested explicitly by citizens, without any case study, previous experience, and/or statistical analysis to rely on. In some countries, such an adventurous enterprise could even get people in jail.
On the other hand, those governments where new services (truly new services) are allowed to be tried out don?t necessarily know when to stop. Fear to admit failure or lack of supervision lead to an unnecessary draining of public resources that create a bad precedent, funding initiatives that never take off.
In both cases, most governments do not have the right internal mechanisms to allow for the testing of new services and ideas. They either don?t allow any innovative project to be implemented, or don?t provide any incentives (usually by punishing all failures), or allow failures to continue endlessly. Failures should be acknowledged rapidly, and then changed based on feedback from end users to be tried again ? and again.
There are only a handful of examples I can think of (Mr. Martin?s book brings several from the private sector) where design thinking is making a break-through. The first one that comes to mind is of course the idea of giving laptops to all school-aged students. Not a very innovative idea nowadays, huh? Try proposing it before Nicholas Negroponte did, back in January 2005. The concept has now multiple projects around the world (see map above). Is it in experimental stage? It should be indeed. No one can claim (yet) that there is a successful ?best practice? that could be applied to every country. Moreover, governments that are implementing such programs should be ready to detect needs for improvement and not be afraid of changing the approach if they believe it is not working.
President Mwai Kibaki has announced that the government will soon elevate 13 constituent university colleges into fully fledged public universities.
The move will see the number of fully fledged public universities in the country moving up from the current 7 to 20.
Speaking during the award of charter to Great Lakes University of Kisumu president Kibaki said the government was intensifying efforts aimed at enhancing access ,equity and relevance in higher education. He said the award of the charter was significant the university which became the 15th private university in the country to have attained full accreditation status.
The president who was accompanied by the minister for higher learning prof.Margaret Kamar and two other ministers from the Orange Democratic Movement ODM said the increased production of high quality and relevant human capital in the country will enable it to participate more effectively in the rapidly globalizing and increasingly knowledge based world.
” In response to development needs as captured by both our vision 2030 and the Kenyan constitution ,some of these universities will be dedicated to science and technology education and training” said president Kibaki.
Prof. Kamar who spoke before the president said many Kenyans qualifying to join universities were being denied access due to limited number of university places that the current 7 public universities can absorb through the joint admission board that select students joining public universities in the country.
She said out of the 400,000 students who sat Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) in the year 2011 a total of 114,236 students qualified after they obtained mean grade of C+ being the minimum university admission requirement but only 41,879 students were admitted to the public universities through Joint Admission Board (JAB).
” It is disheartening that a total of 76,377 students who got the mean grade were not absorbed.This is why there is great need for government to work towards expanding access to meet the growing need of getting university education” she said.
The minister however called upon the existing institutions of higher learning to ensure quality, relevance and equity in terms of choice and delivery of their programs is maintained.
” Our universities must ensure those who graduate from their institutions are acceptable globally and are able to compete at par with those from the rest of the world” She added.
Public service minister Masada Otieno who represented the Prime Minister Raila Odinga at the event asked the universities and faith based institutions to help rid the country of ethnicity which he claimed was the biggest problem the country was facing.
” The issue of ethnicity is deeply rooted in our nation and its high time our universities and churches combined forces to rid this nation of the pandemic. Matters have not been helped by the fact that many people are educated. We still think as tribes first and not Kenyans.”Said the minister.
Renowned scholar prof David Wasawo was installed as the first Chancellor of the Great lakes University university of Kisumu (GLUK) which was initially known Tropical Institute for Health and Community Development when it began in 1998. Prof Dan Kaseje was also installed the university’s Vice Chancellor in a ceremony presided over also by the chairman of the university board of trustees Bishop Wayi Abiero of Maseno Anglican Church Of Kenya Maseno Diocese.
Cabinet Minister James Orengo (Lands) and assistant minister Prof Ayiecho Olweny (Higher Education) and members of parliament Ocheing’ Polyns (Nyakach) and Shakil Shabir ( Kisumu Town East )attended the ceremony which was also graced by several dignitaries and top academicians.
Many young people around the world — especially the disadvantaged — are leaving school without the skills they need to thrive in society and find decent jobs.
As well as thwarting young people’s hopes, these education failures are jeopardizing equitable economic growth and social cohesion, and preventing many countries from reaping the potential benefits of their growing youth populations.
The 2012 Education for All Global Monitoring Report will examine how skills development programmes can be improved to boost young people’s opportunities for decent jobs and better lives.
“Digital textbooks, online lectures, innovative software, learning games, laptops, tablets, and smartphones have all made it possible to customize content, enhance instruction, and improve assessment in the educational arena. This convergence of possibilities could really revolutionize the way students learn. But the landscape is decentralized and complicated, and leveraging what’s possible to really move the field of education forward will not be easy.
“To explore these challenges and opportunities, the Center for Social Innovation, Stanford’s School of Education, and the LEAD Commission recently cohosted a symposium on technology in education here on campus. The presenters were as diverse as the field. Four, however, stood out to make a significant difference. Each represents a different approach and set of priorities, and highlights key questions as we work to bridge the huge gap between technology’s potential and today’s reality.”
It is with a lot of pride and honor that I congratulate President Barack Obama on the historic landslide election victory for his second term as the President of the United States of America and Commander In Chief. It was really nice to see the presentation of how the various American groups voted based on their issues and views that are supported by President Obama. Power to all the people of America who made sure that their voices were heard through the ballot to elect their representatives in all levels of public offices in the United States of America.
The board of elections did a very commendable job in presenting how the African Americans, Latino Americans, and Mexican Americans, Asian Americans etc voted. There is one forgotten group whose votes also count – the Continent Of African Americans (African Immigrants).
We are lodging a complaint to be recognized as a block as other groups are because we are a big block worthy of recognition.
After winter by March next year God willing we shall come with the best ideas that will open the windows to our success to run for the higher public offices up to Senate we shall make it as others have done it.
Every thing is possible. This is the time, time has come without no fear let us work to gather as one people with the best talents as a result of wining the war of selfishness let as be honest by supporting the siting president of our beautiful Land on earth.
Have faith in any matter you have in front of you leave everything to God and pray all the time for what you are per suing, I noticed some months ago some people were not sure with our brother’s Barack Obama wining, this is our brother and we must protect him by prayers as God gave him to us, we love him I love him no matter what I love Barack
Remember: Dr. Obama senior was a God sent to come to US and deliver the message this is what it is today, if you don’t understand how God works this is how he does his things I’m asking you to pray and have faith, knowledge and wisdom have faith in every thing that you need to know a bought how God works. Have faith and act on it by your self don’t be shaken by any worries in front of you leave everything to your Heavenly Father God.
The hard work is on now; it is not going to be easy to work with Republicans and T- Party but things will be on the table as you voted in the siting President.
African Immigrants wake up; you have held the head of the snake and we shall share it with others, our share will be the skin, filet, poison venom, bones will be shared with others too, but ask your Doctor first before you handle it.
Remember God never brought us to this Land without a reason this is our Land for ever and who ever is in this Land right now you are at home, you have a right to claim Land of our Heavenly Father God. Every body in this Land Black and White all are foreigners in this Land of God. In the eyes of the Lord we are one.
This is the time African Immigrants will request White House to allow us to entertain American siting President Barack Obama with all types of African traditions of dancers, as from Joramogi Luo Land,Nyakinywa Kikuyu Land, Ohangla Luo Land, Nyatiti Mixed Luo, maboko mixed KIkuyu, Sikuti Luya Land, Asilili Kamba Land. Olomide with his group Congo Land.
This will be a hard time for the siting president to accept for our request soon because he have a lot to do each and every minute and every day but God willing he may have a one day chance to allow us to entertain him at his White House. We are coordinating with the Kenya Government Ministry of culture and Social Services so as to work jointly with them possibly to make it be the best organized arrangement for the Visas from American Embassy in Nairobi.
The first arrangement meeting will be held in Virginia Richmond as we shall be coordinating with Kenyans in Kenya and in USA.
Thanks to every body and enjoy the new born baby each day and weekends.
Yours Faithfully Tom Nyambok as a candidate for Virginia Governorship come next year 2013.
Let us see how best it can help us work for a Clean Kenya.
I am Oto
— On Wed, 10/24/12, odhiambo okecth wrote
From: odhiambo okecth
Subject: Stakeholders Contacts in Various African Countries by October 31, 2012.
Date: Wednesday, October 24, 2012, 12:33 AM
This is very timely for us in Kenya.
As we speek, we have been in discussion with the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Environment and Mineral Resources and the Ministry of Public Health and Sanitation on the same lines.
We have made some progress and this intervention comes in to strengthen what we are already doing.
Again, you must have noticed that we have involved the University Students, the Lecturers and the Clergy in The Clean Kenya Campaign. This simply proves to all that we have a road map and we surely know what we want and what we are doing.
As soon as I receive the necessary materials, I will share the same with our links. We might want to host you guys in Kenya in May 2013 for a major Forum on this subject.
Be rest assured that we at The Clean Kenya Campaign will do our part.
Lastly, who is Dr Dieulissaint? I can see that he comes from 4 Countries.
Let us all work for a Clean Kenya and a Clean Africa as a Transformative Deliverable as we turn 50.
Odhiambo T Oketch,
Executive Director,
The Clean Kenya Campaign
Email; komarockswatch@yahoo.com
Blogspot; http://kcdnkomarockswatch. blogspot.com
Website; www.kcdnkenya.org
Facebook;University Students for a Clean Kenya
Facebook; Odhiambo T Oketch
Facebook; Monthly Nationwide Clean up Campaign
Mailing Group; friendsofkcdn@ yahoogroups.com
The Clean Kenya Campaign is an Initiative of The KCDN Kenya in partnership with A Deeper understanding of the Eco-System
— On Tue, 10/23/12, Prof. Martin Ayim wrote:
From: Prof. Martin Ayim
Subject: Stakeholders Contacts in Various African Countries by October 31, 2012.
Date: Tuesday, October 23, 2012, 6:22 PM
Dear DHLAT & Global Collaborators.
Greetings. It is time to get going. With all BIOS in and the Director of Global Networking is handling production of the DHLAT manual, the rest of us need to go to work to identify the Stakeholders of their countries. We need the Names (Person or Organization, Phone Number and email address). With this we will build a database of DHLAT global circulation of the manual and more. Stakeholders for us to target are Governmental Agencies-Ministry of Health and Ministry of Education, Faithbased Educational agencies-Catholic, Presbyterian and Baptist). Other groups are WHO an UNESCO-African Regional Offices. We should have this for each country we have on the initial list below.
The Director of Planning and myself will identify every African Embassy (53) contacts in Washington DC. Furthermore, we all need to make initial contacts with our Congressmen and Senators to introduce DHLAT, especially those interested in African Affairs or serving on Caucuses that have to do with Health and Africa. I will handle the White House. Take note that DHLAT & Global Collaborators is NOT a Political Group. Our discussions with contacts should be purely professional-Health Illiteracy in Africa being the problem and our solution is Infusion of Health Education and Health Promotion as a Subject in School Curriculum from Kindergarten to High School within the framework of Comprehensive School Health Education. It is along this curricular line that we have the finished product “BluePrint for Comprehensive School Health Education in Africa”.
We should have this information ready by October 31st, so that when the manual is ready, we will hold a Conference Call to talk about it and “GET OUT” the message–Advocacy Journey truly begins at this time. We need one organization that has an African Regional Office to buy our message, or for the USA to give a stamp of approval. Or, One Country that sets the ball rolling. We have to get the message OUT first in a powerful and meaningful way. DHLAT & Global Collaborators is a powerful and credible professional group .
From the last Conference Call, Countries of First line of attack were approved.
Prof. Young moved that the countries indicated by members should be our first line of attack for the advocacy journey. That, members from these countries and volunteers to act in these countries go to work full scale to get the brochures and vision to all stakeholders (Governments, Quasi-Governmental, Non Profits, Proprietary, Civil Society, and Faith Based Institutions. Motion was seconded by Mr. Ohiri. Vote was unanimous. The countries are:
· Cameroon (Prof. Martin Ayim, Mr. Bonito, Dr. Emmanuel Ayim, Dr. Dieula Delissaint, & Dr. Joannes Paulus Yimbesalu)
· Nigeria (Mr. Ohiri, Ms Udochi, Ms Agwus, Ms Amuta, and Wura)
· Ghana(Ms Doris Glover and Ms Angela Cruz)
· South Africa (Prof Young, Ms Outley & Prof. McKyer)
· Niger (Ms Nafissatou Cisse)
· Sierra Leone(Fredanna)
· Zimbabwe ( Moleen)
· Ethiopia(Vinnette Holt)
· Angola (Joseph Goes (USAID)
· Kenya(Dr. Dieulissaint & Mr. Oto Odhiambo)
· Uganda(Dr. Dieulissaint)
· Central African Republic(Dr. Dieulissaint)
· Democratic Republic of Congo(Dr. Dieulissaint)
Lets get the Stakeholders Contacts. Deadline October 31.
Professionally Yours,
================
Prof. Martin Ayim Ph.D., MPH, MCHES
Endowed Professor of Health Education, Grambling State University, Louisiana, USA
NEW BOOK PROMOTION & HEALTH LITERACY ADVOCACY JOURNEY IN AFRICA
Chair & Lead Consultant: Diaspora Health Literacy Advocacy Team (DHLAT) & Global Collaborators for Infusion of Health Education and Health Promotion as a subject from Kindergarten to High School in AFRICA.
AFRICA 24 Advocacy Coverage: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xtegbv_decryptage-martin-ayim-cameroun_news
TO ADOPT AS A TEXTBOOK FOR UNDERGRADUATE COURSES
__________________
Title: Communicable Diseases for School and Community Health Promotion
ISBN: 9781468500233(Paperback): 9781468500226(e-book)
Author: Martin Ayong Ayim
Publisher: Authorhouse Publishing (www.authorhouse.com) Email: bkorders@authorhouse.com 1888-280-7715
http://bookstore.authorhouse.com/Products/SKU-000483218/COMMUNICABLE-DISEASES-FOR-SCHOOL-AND-COMMUNITY-HEALTH-PROMOTION.aspx
__________________
Executive Director: Minority Health Promotion Initiative, Inc www.minorityhealthpromotion.com
__________________
A wise man is superior to any insults which can be put upon him, and the best reply to unseemly behavior is patience and moderation—Moliere
“Good Health is the Foundation of Life and Success” (Ayim, 2003)
“The time is always right to do what is right”. (Martin Luther King, Jr)
“The aim of education must be the training of independently acting and thinking individuals who, however, see in the service to the community their highest life problem” (Albert Einstein).
__________________
Spiritual Strength: Psalm 23 and Ephesians 3:20 & Philippians 4:13
God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference (Neibur)
From: Ouko joachim omolo
Voices of Justice for Peace
Regional News
BY FR JOACHIM OMOLO OUKO, AJ
NAIROBI-KENYA
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2012
Gutter Press, Citizen Newspaper reported last week that Kisumu Catholic Archdiocese Bishop Zacchaeus Okoth was interfering with Catholic sponsored school, citing one of the schools that he intervened in making sure that the headmistress who was not a catholic removed from that school.
[image]From left Methodist Church of Kenya Presiding Bishop Rev Stephen Kanyaru, Catholic Archbishop John Cardinal Njue and Head of the Anglican Church Rev Eliud Wabukala during a news conference at Waumini House, Nairobi September 20, 2012. The Church leaders have opposed the Basic Education Bill saying it does not recognise their role in education/ Photo courtesy Daily Nation.
This as a matter of fact is not interfering with the schools. Sponsored schools must keep their faith identity and one of the conditions is that the head of the school must be of that particular faith. Not only the head of the school but even the chairperson of the board of governors and Parent Teachers Association. This is not only catholic but all faith based schools in Kenya.
These schools tend to derive spirituality, morality, ethics, religious laws or preferred lifestyle from their ideas about the cosmos and human nature. This is because spirituality in this context is a matter of nurturing thoughts, emotions, words and actions that are in harmony with a belief.
The issue is coming at the time a judge ruled Thursday that cheerleaders at an East Texas high school can display banners emblazoned with Bible verses at football games, saying the school district’s ban on the practice appears to violate the students’ free speech rights.
District Judge Steve Thomas granted an injunction requested by the Kountze High School cheerleaders allowing them to continue displaying religious-themed banners pending the outcome of a lawsuit, which is set to go to trial next June 24, according to Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott said. Thomas previously granted a temporary restraining order allowing the practice to continue.
In the Philippines for example, private schools have been operated by the Catholic Church since the time of Spanish colonization. The Philippines is one of two predominant Roman Catholic nations in South Asia.
To keep the faith identity in schools, is why in Ireland Catholic schools in are state-aided, rather than state owned. Church groups in Ireland privately own most primary and secondary schools. Evidence indicates that approximately 60 percent of secondary schools pupils attend schools owned by religious congregations.
In England and Wales, Catholic schools are either independent or voluntary aided, with the funding divided between the state and the Catholic Education Service. It explains why a head teacher who recently tried to reduce the influence of religion inside the classroom by creating the country’s first secular state school had his plans blocked by senior government officials who called it a ‘political impossibility’.
That is why all schools, faith and non-faith alike, must teach religious education as part of the basic curriculum. In some countries, Catholic schools are funded by the state.
[image]From left to right, Elizabeth Ouko, Irene Dete and Martha Dete pose for a photo with Fr Omolo Ouko, AJ. Sponsored schools must keep their faith identity. This is not only catholic but all faith based schools in Kenya/ Photo by Stephen Dete.
Generally a maintained faith school is a foundation or voluntary school with a religious character. It has a foundation which holds land on trust for the school – and which may have provided some or all of the land in the first place – and which appoints governors to the school. In many cases, the land is held on trust for the specific purposes of providing education in accordance with the tenets of a particular faith.
Decisions on the establishment of maintained faith schools are taken under local decision-making arrangements – either by the local authority or the Schools Adjudicator, following a statutory process.
Admissions policy is determined by the school governors, even though in some cases the local education authority is also involved. The Church of England for example urges schools to take account of the local community and make sure wealthier parents from outside the area do not push out local people.
It explains why in Scottish Catholic schools, employment of non-Catholics can be restricted by the Church; often, one of the requirements for Catholic applicants is to possess a certificate that has been signed by their parish priest, although each diocese has its own variation on the method of approval.
Non-Catholic applicants are not required to provide any religious documentation. Certain positions, such as head teachers, deputy heads, religious education teachers and guidance teachers are required to be Roman Catholic.
Scottish faith schools have the practice of school-wide daily assembly/worship; some Catholic schools even have their own prayer. Whilst maintaining a strong Catholic ethos, Scottish Catholic schools have long welcomed pupils from other faith backgrounds, though they tend to give precedence to non-Catholics who come from religious families and a large number of Muslims also go to Catholic schools.
Against the background that Kenya Episcopal Conference are opposed to Basic Education Bill 2012 .If passed and enacted, the Bill could result to loss of church land where various schools stand, church leaders say.
The bishops are also unhappy with the composition of the National Education Board and land ownership of schools as contained in the Bill. The Bill does not recognise the churches role in education.
Fr Joachim Omolo Ouko, AJ
People for Peace in Africa
Tel +254-7350-14559/+254-722-623-578
E-mail omolo.ouko@gmail.com
Peaceful world is the greatest heritage
That this generation can give to the generations
To come- All of us have a role.
The 2012 Women for Education prize was awarded today to EAST (‘Water, Agriculture Health in Tropical Zones’) for its work in Madagascar
Promoting women’s empowerment and their access to education and health
DEAUVILLE, France, October 15, 2012/ — The 2012 Women for Education prize was awarded today to EAST (Eau Agriculture et Santé en Milieu Tropical, ‘Water, Agriculture Health in Tropical Zones’) for its work in Madagascar. The ceremony took place at the Women’s Forum Global Meeting in the presence of Véronique Morali, President of the Women’s Forum for the Economy and Society; Christine Albanel, Executive Vice President Events, Cultural and Institutional Partnerships and Philanthropy, Orange Group; Valérie Toranian, Director of ELLE magazine and President of the ELLE Foundation; and Caty Forget, Managing Director of Sanofi Espoir Foundation.
On behalf of its Malagasy teams, Dr. Loïc Monjour, President of the EAST non-governmental organization, received the 30,000 € award, which is financed by Orange Foundation and Sanofi Espoir Foundation.
The EAST project amply fulfills the objectives of the call for proposals that was launched last summer by the three Foundations ELLE, Orange and Sanofi Espoir:
A program whose goal is to contribute to the education of women, and to the improvement of their access to health, via new information and communication technologies (NTIC).
In the context of an overall program deployed in two neighborhoods of Madagascar’s capital Antananarivo, EAST supports local Women’s Associations for the Promotion of Hygiene and Health. The project selected for the award is aimed at complementing these associations’ classic methods of education and sanitary prevention within local communities. The project strengthens the literacy skills of women as “health messengers” and trains them to use new information technology, in order to improve health behaviors of the local population in terms of hygiene, sanitary conditions, and individual and community health.
Created in 2007 by ELLE magazine, the ELLE Foundation and the Women’s Forum, the Women for Education initiative annually honors an international NGO working towards the economic emancipation of women in a developing country, and their access to education and health. From 2007 to 2010, awards were given to five projects in Afghanistan, India, Mexico, Ethiopia and Haiti. In 2011, Women for Education supported the launch of “Stand up for African Mothers”, an international campaign by AMREF Flying Doctors to improve maternal health thanks to midwives’ training.
Press contacts:
Women’s Forum for the Economy and Society
Caroline Simon
+ 33 1 43 12 56 25
caroline.simon@womens-forum.com
ELLE Foundation
http://www.ellefondation.org
« To promote women and girl’s education all around the world »
The ELLE Foundation, created in 2004 by the Lagardère Active Group, supports projects implemented by Non-Governmental Organizations to promote women’s emancipation, girls’ education, unskilled women’s vocational trainings in France and abroad.
Nearly 8 years after its creation, the ELLE Foundation has supported more than 50 projects and contributed to help and empower thousands of women all around the world.
Orange Foundation
http://www.fondationorange.com
The Orange Foundation has supported projects in 30 countries in Africa, Europe, the Middle East and Asia where the France Telecom Orange Group operates since 2005. The Orange Foundation works closely with local communities and non-profit organisations, adapting to the context of each country, to encourage solidarity and address issues in three areas: health and disability, education, and culture. The Orange Foundation also leverages the potential of digital tools to support economic and social development.
Sanofi Espoir Foundation
http://www.fondation-sanofi-espoir.com
The Sanofi Espoir Foundation is dedicated to reducing inequalities in healthcare over the long term by addressing key issues in prevention, training, and access to care, particularly among the most needy communities and populations.
In addition to responding to humanitarian emergencies, the Foundation is committed to building long-term partnerships in the healthcare and development field so as to reduce the economic burden of disease and overcome the poverty-disease spiral. In 2011, nearly 60% of the projects of the Foundation were implemented in Africa, which represent 44 programs in 24 countries.
Women’s Forum for the Economy and Society
http://www.womens-forum.com
Founded in 2005, the Women’s Forum for the Economy and Society is the world’s leading forum looking at major social and economic issues from women’s perspectives. It promotes the empowerment of women worldwide, as well as the networks of collaboration that enable women’s voices to be heard with clarity and force. The Women’s Forum meetings, including a major annual Global Meeting, highlight unusual, strong and important women in politics, business, civil society and academe. The Global Meeting is also accompanied by The Discovery, a uniquely vibrant content relay that features meetings, discussions, classes and practical workshops.
A prominent politician in Homa-bay County has called upon the ODM board of election to reconsider the possibility of postponing the party’s primary nomination dates from December 4/5 to another suitable date towards the end of the same month.
Dr Mark Matunga, who is also an aspirant for the Homa-Bay County governor position cited the KCE national examination, which would be taking pace at the same, adding this could have an adverse implication on the performance of students.
“Most schools classrooms will be used as polling stations, counting halls, wile candidates will be traversing the villages while making a lot of noisy through signings and blowing loudspeakers and aujas, vuvusellas and drums. The campaign noises in villages which are located next school could have negative effect on the performance of students sitting for national exam.
Moreover many teachers would be engaged as counting clerks, supervisors, returning officers and counting clerks at the time when they would be required to invigilate and supervise the exam to ensure that their student performed ell at the exam.
D Matunga has suggested that the ODM primary nomination dates be pushed forward to after December 20th . This will be after the schools re closed and the student gone hoe for the end of the year school holidays so the campaign noises will have no negative effect on the student’s performance.
He said his calls for the postponement of the ODM primary nominations must not be construed as meaning he is opposed to the party tentative nominate program, but feels that the logic must prevail, because Kenya valued education of their children highly.
Meanwhile the information emerging from the Suba region of the greater southern Nyanza says that Dr. Matunga is currently the leading contender for the Homa-Bay County governor position is under heavy pressure to switch his candidature fro that of the County governor and contest the Mbita parliamentary seat.
The aspirant who hails from Mfangano Island in Mbita district has yet to respond to the voters demand nor could he be reached for his reaction and comments on the latest demand could not could be reached through mobile phone.
Mbita constituency which was originally part of the Lambwe constituency which was established in 1961 has had half a doze of MPS previously, but none has ever come from Mfangano Island.
The first MP for Lambwe Valley constituency was Dr Joseph Gordo Odero-Jowi from Karungu in what is today Nyatike constituency. This was during the Lancaster Constitution, which had a tri-cameral parliamentary system with the National Assembly.
The late Senator Sellemiah Mbeo-Onyango from Mfangano was elected to represent the entire larger South Nyanza district I the Senate. But when the tri-cameral parliamentary system together with regional assemblies were abolished following the constitutional changes of 1965/1966 which were effected by an ct of Parliament, a new Mbita constituency was created after Lambwe constituency was sub-divided into two with the creation of Mbita constituency specifically to accommodate the South Nyanza district Senator. The late Mbeo Onyango therefore become the first MP for Mbita.
Under this new arrangement Dr. Oero-Jowi switched his political cmp to the newly created Ndhiwa prliamentary seat.
In the 1969 general election, the Late Mbeo-Onyango defended his seat, but he was trounced by a fellow islander George Osingo Migure from Rusinga Island. Migure, however, lasted for only five year one terms, and the seat was gabbed by the late Aphonce Okuku , the younger brother of the late Tom Mboya
Alphonce Okuku hails from Rusinga Island. He successfully defended his seat in 1974, but lost badly to Peter Clever Otieno Nyakiamo in 1983.BOTH Okuku and Nyakiamo served in the cabinet of President Moi as an Assistant Minister and full cabinet minister respectively.
Nyakiamo was from Kaksingiri in what is now Suba South, although he had a family root in Wakula sb-clan who are his uncles and who lives in Mfangano Island whose Wasiambi sub-clan lives in Kakasingiri, he was defeated was won by the former Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Works Dr. Valentie Omolo–Opere who whose time as Mbita MP saw the constituency being splinted into two with the creation of Gwassi constituency into two with the creation of Gwassi constituency, and the late Dr. Valentine Omolo Opere, another person from the mainland. Omolo Opere lost the seat to Felix Nyauchi a Nairobi lawyer who who the seat during the euphoria of Ford-Kenya in the 1992 first multiparty elections.
It was during Nyauchi time when the constituency was splinted into two with creation of Gwassi. Nyauchi as trounced by a Nairobi businessman Zadock Syong’o in1997 while during the same period of time Gerald OtenKajwang.won the Mbita seat and successfully defended it n2002 an 2007. Kajwang’ hail from Waondo in Gembe location in Lambwe Division. Looking deeply at the background of Mbita constituency, one could easily see that it is the residents of Mfangano Island who have yet to produce a parliamentary representative in Mbita ever since the inception of the constituency, though their voting strength is almost equal to those of the registered voters in the twin-Rusinga Island.
All the previous representatives have either come for the mainland or the neighboring Rusinga Ind, hence a strong demand by the residents of Mfangano that this time they be given a chance to produce one of their own as the next MP.
The Islanders have picked on Dr Matunga. However,Dr Matunga’s candidature, however, would complicate things for the Nominated MP Millie Odhiambo who hails from their neighboring Rusinga Island and who is so popular in Mbita at the moment an expected to sail through easily. This is because Dr.Mutunga is arguably the mentor of Milie Odhiambo.
The two have had a good rapport and cordial working relationship on friendly term, and people in the region expect Dr. Matunga to lend a hand of support by backing Ms Odhiambo in her bid to be elected as the next Mbita MP and she is equally expected to campaign for Dr.Matunga bid for the Homa-Bay County governor position.
Although she could be termed as a young firebrand legislator, Millie has performed very well in parliament even above the average of men and women sitting in the current 10th parliament. She has been an effective contributor to almost every local and international issue when such issues comes up for debate in the house to the house for debate. She has proved to be so eloquent an effective and formidable debater and one whose leadership has been tasted as a leader.
Since both Matunga and Odhiambo had one background of being the indignant Suba, and belonging to the two Islands whose inhabitants have the same background voters in the Sub region would like to see both Odhiambo an Matunga serving in senior positions in the next government an parliament.
Both Odhiambo an Matunga are wit armed with proper educational background and working experience.
This writer could not reach either the two, Odhiambo and Matunga to clarify these rumors, though the rumor about heavy pressure being put on Matunga to switch from contesting the governorship to that of Mbita parliament is so rampant in Mbita town and its environs.
Teachers are the backbone of any society, and education is the means to progressive development success story. Educational system must be handled with atmost due care engaging diverse opinion consultation and dialogue for its improvement and competitiveness but must not be allowed to be treated to serve divergence special interest or a short-cut to enrich some special interest aims…….
Cheers everybody……..!!!
Judy Miriga
Diaspora Spokesperson
Executive Director
Confederation Council Foundation for Africa Inc.,
USA
http://socioeconomicforum50.blogspot.com
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Chicago Teachers Vote to End Strike
By MATTHEW JAFFE | Good Morning America –
Chicago’s first teachers strike in 25 years will come to an end after a week and a half when the teachers union’s delegates today decided to return to school Wednesday.
Public school teachers emerged from a delegates meeting this evening and revealed that a huge majority had elected to suspend a walk-out that had dragged on for seven school days and featured bitter disagreements between teachers and the city of Chicago.
It had appeared that the strike was nearing an end Sunday, after both sides said Friday that they had settled on the framework for a new labor agreement. But to the surprise of many, the teachers decided to stay on strike Sunday, claiming that they needed more time to assess the deal.
The move infuriated Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who filed an injunction Monday to end the strike. However, Emanuel’s move was not successful and it took until the delegates’ meeting today for the union to call off the walk-out on their own terms.
The strike, the city’s first in more than two decades, had kept some 29,000 public school teachers and 350,000 students out of the classroom. For the last week and a half, students had gone to “safe haven” sites during the school day.
The two main sticking points in the talks had been the city’s new proposed teacher evaluation system and the process for re-hiring laid off teachers.
The teachers’ union had argued that the proposed evaluation system would emphasize students’ standardized test scores too heavily and unfairly penalize teachers, while the district countered that the system already includes input from teachers and can be adjusted to change the weighting of the test scores.
In the end that is just what the district did, reducing the emphasis on student testing and making the evaluation system more forgiving for teachers.
The negotiations featured a bitter back-and-forth battle between Emanuel, whom the teachers portrayed as a bully, and union president Karen Lewis, whom the city denounced for overseeing what they felt was an unnecessary strike.
After the teachers elected to return to school, Lewis told reporters that “we feel very positive about moving forward” and “grateful that we have a united union.” Lewis said “98 percent” of the delegates at the meeting today wanted to return to school.
Lewis said that while the strike is suspended, teachers have not officially signed off on the new deal. It could take up to two weeks for the union’s members to do so, she said, but the decision to end the strike was a clear-cut one.
Emanuel praised the proposed contract as one that will really help Chicago’s children.
“This settlement is an honest compromise,” he said at an evening press conference following the teachers’ announcement. “It means returning our schools to their primary purpose: the education of our children. It means a new day and a new direction for Chicago public schools. In this contract we gave our children a seat at the table.
“In past negotiations taxpayers paid more but our kids got less,” he said. “This time our taxpayers are paying less and our kids are getting more.”
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Karibu Jukwaa la www.mwanabidii.com
Pata nafasi mpya za Kazi www.kazibongo.blogspot.com
Blogu ya Habari na Picha www.patahabari.blogspot.com
Coalition Government Leadership including Githae to be taken to court and the Coalition Government to resign immediately.
No games people……When they play fire, give them their dose so in the future it serves as a lesson to those who think the middle-class and poor cannot make a force to demand for their rights…….
Put fire on their bottom people…….It is the best most excellent prescription if discipline and order is the next thing needed for cooperation. Let them begin to jump towards the right direction as the fire is lit on their bottom…….
Judy Miriga
Diaspora Spokesperson
Executive Director
Confederation Council Foundation for Africa Inc.,
USA
http://socioeconomicforum50.blogspot.com
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— On Wed, 9/19/12, Maryann Wanjiru wrote:
From: Maryann Wanjiru
Subject: Githae says Treasury has no money to pay teachers
Date: Wednesday, September 19, 2012, 9:22 AM
Folks,
This just proves Kenya is not a country for poor and middle class folks, kwa ufupi Kibaki is not a president for the poor,
Githae now tells us there is no money to pay teacher, but there is money to increase Permanent Secretaries salaries, what a disgrace, Githae should resign and go eat rats, like he once said.
Children will be at home for a very looong time while a dysfunctional goverment claims to be in control, bure kabisa
Githae says Treasury has no money to pay teachers
By IMMACULATE KARAMBU Posted Wednesday, September 19 2012 at 14:41
In Summary
* Minister: Giving in to the teachers’ demands would impact negatively on Kenya’s economy.
* Treasury negotiating to have the tutors’ salary demands catered for in the next budget.
Finance minister Njeru Githae has said Treasury cannot meet the demands of striking teachers due to budgetary constraints.
Mr Githae said Wednesday the budget did not accommodate the tutors’ salary demands.
“The teachers’ demands were not included in the budget and according to the new law, the minister of Finance does not have powers to authorise anything which is not in the budget.
“The only options available include borrowing to pay salaries, increasing taxes or cutting on development expenditure. As the minister of Finance, I would have a problem borrowing to meet recurrent expenditure,” said Mr Githae
He was speaking at Treasury buildings during a loan signing ceremony between Kenya and Belgium to fund the installation of wind turbines at the KenGen’s Ngong wind power farm to increase its capacity.
The minister noted that giving in to the teachers’ demands would impact negatively on Kenya’s economy, which is on the path of recovery from a number of challenges experienced last year including high cost of living, increased interest rates and a depreciating currency that slowed down growth.
“Strikes are a common thing around election time. Giving in to these demands will impact negatively on the economy which is still fragile and recovering from the shocks experienced earlier on,” said Mr Githae.
The minister has been accused of snubbing meetings by the parliamentary committee working to resolve the nationwide strike, leading to further delays in the talks.
On Wednesday, the minister defended his absence saying that he was held up in other commitments including cabinet meetings.
He added that Treasury was negotiating to have the teachers’ demands catered for in the next budget.
“We are negotiating to see whether these demands can be catered for in the next budget as it is not possible to meet them now,” he said.
More than 800,000 pupils are expected to sit the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE)in about 23,000 schools while another 437,782 will sit the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) in more than 7,000 schools.
Their fate now depends on how fast negotiations to resolve the ongoing strike will be concluded.
Already, the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) has warned of a looming examination crisis should the strike persist.
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Karibu Jukwaa la www.mwanabidii.com
Pata nafasi mpya za Kazi www.kazibongo.blogspot.com
Blogu ya Habari na Picha www.patahabari.blogspot.com
For children growing up in crisis and post-conflict areas, opportunities for education and play are limited, and funding is scarce. In the most recent edition to the ‘Beyond School Books’ series, UNICEF podcast moderator Femi Oke spoke with Ms. Cassie Landers, Columbia University, and Ms. Evelyn Margron, Tipa Tipa Program Country Director, on the importance of learning through play. UNICEF is testing playground projects in Bangladesh and Haiti to inspire children’s dreams, to help them rebuild their confidence and rebuild communities. Children are developing many skills in the playgrounds, such as learning geometry, verbalizing better and following rhythm. They are developing important social skills by learning how to play together and how to help younger children understand their capacities.
Yesterday, the 3rd Governance, Leadership and Management Forum set off deliberations of among other things, the impact of Public Private Partnership in job creation, the correlation between economic growth and living conditions, the sustainability of economic growth trends in African economies, and the economic fragility of African economies.
This is the 3rd such forums, the first having been in 2010. This initiative by The Kenya Institute of Management is a great forum to deliberate how Africa can pull out of the poverty mess it is in, with focus on areas such as the role of enterprise in wealth and job creation in Africa, tapping into the untapped areas of enterprise to ensure sustainable growth, value chain of green business opportunities and the role of financial institutions in economic development can only be defined as such an opportune moment especially with the current unemployment and poverty levels in most African states.
Kenya turns 50 years next year, while our founding fathers identified poverty, ignorance and disease as the most serious afflictions for our people, we will have very little to celebrate with regard to the achievement of the same as we turn 50.
This however, should not mean we ought to resign ourselves to this state of affairs. During the forum, unemployment was identified as one challenge which comes with a myriad others. Negative effects such as insecurity, be it crime, food or the whole sphere of social, economic and political insecurity are functions of unemployment.
This is the time to take stock and review our priorities as a nation but more so, ask ourselves what we can, as individuals and collectively do towards achieving the targets we set as a nation towards alleviating some of these challenges.
If we should sit back and watch as things take a dark turn, we can only be consigning our children to a bleak future. The government has set a target for a better future for those of us who will live long enough to see that dawn. Vision 2030 is only 18 years away. It may seem far off but look how fast 50 years have arrived finding us far off the mark from alleviating poverty, disease and ignorance.
In this endeavor, The Clean Kenya Campaign-TCKC set out to work with government Ministries and Departments, the private sector and learning institutions to tackle one area towards attaining Vision 2030.
Our constitution guarantees every Kenyan a right to clean environments at Chapter 4 Article 42 which states as follows; “Every person has a right to a clean and healthy environment” and encourages all of us to take an active role in ensuring the same at Chapter 5 Article 69 (1); The State shall; (d) “encourage public participation in the management, protection and conservation of the environment.”
In view of this, The Clean Kenya Campaign-TCKC and key partners have been organizing awareness and cleanup campaigns across our towns, cities, neighborhoods and markets. We have also taken a deliberate step towards engaging both public and private sector to play active role beyond awareness into better waste management practices that creates both opportunities and wealth.
We are driving a campaign to ensure better waste management through Separation of Waste at Source as a sustainable management process which creates both opportunities and wealth in line with Vision 2030’s economic and social pillars, incidentally, some of the issues the 3rd Governance, Leadership and Management Forum is grappling with.
On the 11th July 2012 at The Charter Hall, we held the 1st Consultative Forum towards separation of waste whose theme was-Complementing Environmental Awareness with Practical Solutions.
Yesterday, one of our team members, Mr. Odhiambo T. Oketch was in Kisumu for a planning meeting with His Worship The Mayor of Kisumu, His Town Clerk and their teams towards strengthening and consolidating efforts to make our cities and towns clean.
On the 28th August, 2012, we will hold the 2nd Consultative forum at the KICC whose theme is-Practical Steps Towards Separation of Waste at Source.
Our aim is simple; we want to move from theories and boardrooms with this issue to practically achieving it. In order to do so, we have selected 5 key towns for piloting this process; Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, Eldoret and Nyeri. We have tasked ourselves and partners with deliverables that should ensure this become a reality.
In this regard, we are happy to announce that key partners have already taken up various components of the implementation process. We continue to reach out to many others and are in discussions this week with various private sector and corporate entities that have shown a clear interest in cleaner towns and cities.
Cleaner towns and cities are a sure capital, investment and tourist destinations. As we continue to consolidate the gains and make further steps, together with our key partners, we hope to deliver much cleaner towns and cities as Kenya turns 50 years on June 1st 2013.
Timely, quality and satisfactory service delivery is a crucial cog for achievement of such endeavors. Together with key partners, The Public Service Transformation Department- PSTD at the Office of The Prime Minister –OPM, National Environment Management Authority- NEMA, Ministry of Public Health and Sanitation, Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Environment, we look forward to ascertaining that service delivery informs our engagements for cleaner towns and cities but more so, that eventually, this becomes hinged on the criteria for adjudging a town or city clean.
Best,
Otieno Sungu.
The Clean Kenya Campaign-TCKC.
0729294743.
Blogspot; http://kcdnkomarockswatch.blogspot.com
Website; http://www.kcdnkenya.org
