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The Secretary-General of the Organisation of Educational Cooperation (OEC), H.E. Sheikh Manssour Bin Mussallam, has called for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programs based on solidarity instead of charity if they are to have […]
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Reporter : Ambelu Ayele The Ethiopian Federal Police announced that Kidane Zakarias, who was wanted for the crime of human trafficking, was arrested in Sudan. The Federal Police of Ethiopia announced that Kidane […]
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Rabat – His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God assist him, accompanied by HRH Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan and HRH Prince Moulay Rachid, received on Tuesday in the Throne Room at the […]
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African Stories: A guide for journalists on how to tell better stories about Africa This course was created in partnership with Africa No Filter. COURSE OVERVIEW Have you dreamed of seeing your stories […]
AFRICA Africa News Journal of Research ANC Award ART school of Africa Education Journalism and Communication Media Litracy Scholarship Scholarship and Opportunities Training and InternshipsThis course was created in partnership with Africa No Filter.
COURSE OVERVIEW
Have you dreamed of seeing your stories paid for and read by a wide audience? This course is offering you that exciting opportunity. Thanks to a unique collaboration with the bird story agency, you’ll get the chance to pitch your story, get paid and published. bird produces and distributes multimedia stories, designed for a young, mobile-first audience, to Africa’s leading digital news platforms. Their aim is to shift the narrative about and in Africa away from harmful stereotypes.
By taking this course you’ll be part of a pivotal change taking place in African journalism which looks to offer a new style of storytelling, different to the political, male-dominated news where nuance, accessible language and a human face is all too often missing. Many journalists across Africa are trying to change the one-dimensional narrative that is too often portrayed of an entire continent by international news organisations and, in many instances, by African media itself. This course will guide you on how you can be part of the change; telling the untold stories through the eyes and lives of ordinary people, and giving them, your audience, agency in their own narrative.
Once you’ve completed the course and have filled in the end of course survey, you will receive a certificate. You will then be able to contact bird story agency to pitch them your story, using the elements you have learned in this course. The pitch is done via email and you will be given the email address at the end of the course. It’s essential therefore that you complete the course thoroughly and you will also need to email them a copy of your certificate to prove you have done it. There is no guarantee your story will be commissioned but if the team at bird likes your idea, it will go through to the next stage in the editorial process. If your story is commissioned, delivered and published, you will get paid for your work.
WHAT YOU WILL LEARN
MEET YOUR INSTRUCTORS
Catherine Mackie, your course instructor is an Editorial Associate at the Thomson Foundation. She’s a former BBC senior journalist with almost 30 years experience in front of and behind the camera and an examiner for the UK’s National Council for the Training of Journalists. She’s a former Knight-Wallace Journalism Fellow at the University of Michigan.
Joining Catherine is a team of experts.
Top row: L to R
Dr. Njoki Chege is the Director of the Innovation Centre at the Graduate School of Media and Communications at the Aga Khan University in Nairobi. The centre provides training, coaching and mentorship to media innovators in East Africa. A journalist and columnist, she was also the editor for Lifestyle (Pishi) at Nation Media Group, an innovative lifestyle content project.
Moses (Ras) Mutabaruka is the founder of TAP Media Ltd (the parent company of TAP magazine), a pan-African platform that tells stories from an African perspective. Their mission is to rebrand Africa; one story at a time. Ras has dedicated his work to changing the way the world sees and thinks about Africa.
Bottom row: L to R
Anas Aremeyaw Anas is an undercover investigative journalist who has exposed corruption and human rights abuses at the highest levels. He’s collaborated with international news outlets and his stories have led to officials and even judges being sacked or jailed. To protect his identity he wears a beaded mask for interviews, including for this course.
Doreen Wainainah is the Managing Editor of PesaCheck, Africa’s largest indigenous fact-checking organisation. Her extensive experience as a writer and editor includes stints as a fellow at Oxford University’s Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, & the Global Reporting Program at the University of British Columbia.
COURSE OUTLINE
SECTION 1 – Gives an overview of the course and an introduction to the course trainer and media experts
SECTION 2 – Examines the media landscape in Africa and the current narrative
SECTION 3 – Explores the importance of engaging your audience
SECTION 4 – Guides you on finding the missing voice in stories
SECTION 5 – Gives guidance on sourcing stories
SECTION 6 – Guides you through storytelling techniques
SECTION 7 – Offers ideas on structuring your story
SECTION 8 – Explores visual storytelling with tips on using your smartphone
SECTION 9 – Examines multimedia and multi-platform storytelling
SECTION 10 – Guides you on how to verify stories and information
TIME COMMITMENT
You can complete this course in three hours in multiple sections
The Dibaba sisters from Ethiopia, Oromia, and Bekoji., the fastest in the world, has some stunning looks. It’s clearly something in their DNA because the Dibaba sisters are the fastest group of siblings […]
AFRICA News SportsThe Dibaba sisters from Ethiopia, Oromia, and Bekoji.
, the fastest in the world, has some stunning looks.
It’s clearly something in their DNA because the Dibaba sisters are the fastest group of siblings in the world.
The Dibaba sisters — Tirunesh, Genzebe, and Ejegayehu— are the only siblings in recorded history to hold concurrent world records.
Tirunesh is the most decorated, with three Olympic gold medals. She made history at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing where she became the first woman to win gold in the 5,000 meters and 10,000-meter races. She then went on to win gold at the 2012 Olympics in London, where she became the first woman to win the event at two consecutive Olympics, as reported in Face 2 Face Africa.
She was inspired by a family of runners. In fact, she and her sisters have been amazing in the field of distance running. The Dibaba sisters — Tirunesh, Genzebe, Anna, and Melat — are the only siblings in recorded history to hold concurrent world records, and they are a fiercely competitive family from a humble background.
They were raised in a round mud hut in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, without electricity. Their parents were subsistence farmers who grew wheat, barley and teff. As a matter of fact, the Dibaba siblings are seven in all, and all of them run. Tirunesh, however, is the most decorated, having three Olympic gold medals. She had wanted to enroll in school but opted for the Corrections (Prisons Police) sports club.
At age 15, she debuted internationally on Ethiopia’s junior squad at the 2001 world cross-country championships, where she placed fifth. She continued with junior-level silver medals in cross-country and on the track in 2002. She won the world junior cross-country title in 2003, set a 5,000-metre junior world record and won gold in the 5,000 metres at the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) world track and field championships, making her the youngest-ever world champion in her sport.
https://face2faceafrica.com/…/how-the-dibaba-sisters…
Intending to play a crucial role in bringing about sustainable peace and contributing to the implementation of the African Union’s Tripoli Declaration of August 2009, the Institute for Peace and Security Studies (IPSS) […]
AFRICA News
Intending to play a crucial role in bringing about sustainable peace and contributing to the implementation of the African Union’s Tripoli Declaration of August 2009, the Institute for Peace and Security Studies (IPSS) at Addis Ababa University (AAU) convenes an annual security event, the Tana High-Level Forum on Security in Africa, or popularly known as Tana Forum. The Tana Forum is an initiative that responds to the Declaration’s appeal for “African-led solutions” and calls for responding to peace and security as a collective “intellectual challenge.” As a result, the annual Tana Forum emerged as an independent platform initiated by IPSS and eminent African personalities, including Meles Zenawi, the late Prime Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. The Tana Forum brings African leaders, decision-makers, and stakeholders to engage and explore African-led security solutions.
The centerpiece of the Tana experience is the baobab tree. Its symbolism of dialogue facilitates an informal and collaborative environment to discuss topical issues related to peace and security. The central Forum is complemented by panel discussions and bilateral talks, leading to frank and candid discussions and experience sharing. The Forum derives its name and takes place yearly at Lake Tana in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia.
This year (2022) marks the 10th anniversary of the Tana High-Level Forum on Security in Africa. It coincides with a critical moment in Africa and the world as the COVID-19 pandemic exposed fragilities and divisions while highlighting inequalities globally and locally. While old fault lines remain, new ones are producing tensions and threats that converge within – rather than outside- states in a way that exposes the underbelly of fractured state-society relations.
The signals of threats to peace and security across the African landscape are evident in the decline of democratization, the weakening of critical public institutions, the resurgence of ethnoreligious and other parochial identities, food insecurity, and weak preparedness of the African state to address its impact and externalities, the proliferation of actors and risks in ways previously not contemplated, and the limitations of reactive, military responses. Yet even at that, the prevailing cloud of uncertainty provides the opportunity to think deeply and act tenaciously to confront such triggers and enablers of today’s insecurities. Understanding Africa’s security threats today also requires rethinking the role of actors and initiatives at national, regional, and continental levels and that of international partners in soliciting solutions.
This year’s Tana Forum is invariably about how best to respond firmly to emerging socio-economic, political, and governance challenges or manage such threats in a way that does not lose sight of the continent’s most valuable resource: its citizens. How arts, culture, heritage, and resilience in nutrition and food security, the AU theme for 2021 and 2022, respectively, can be harnessed to promote enduring peace, considering the continent’s myriad challenges, needs to be interrogated. By shifting focus away from states and institutions to citizens who, ultimately, have the legitimacy and influence to make change happen, the course of a better future becomes clearly defined and attainable.
The theme of this year’s Tana Forum is framed around the following issues: Building resilience has gained new currency in light of new fragilities imposed by the outbreak and spread of the COVID-19 pandemic and state measures to curb it; actions towards building resilience must be deliberate in placing citizens at the center, recognizing their agency in the process of reimagining governance and peacebuilding, Building strength is not a one-off event but a process that takes time and resources, The state may only play a role that is necessary and desirable in building strength if the deeply fractured social contract with citizens is repaired, and The international community may contribute to building citizens resilience but must do it in a manner that is aware of their priorities.
We should not use this slogan to push international communities when we suggest African Solutions for African Problems. Instead, we use it because we can analyze our challenges & constraints, & come up with a measurable solution based on our own culture & customs.
The overarching objective is to explore issues at the intersection of building a people-enabled peace,
security, and resilience in line with the African Union theme of the year 2021, “Arts, Culture and Heritage:
Levers for Building Africa We Want”. It is also worthy of note that the African Union theme
of the year 2022 emphasizes “R es I l I en c e I n Nu t r I t io n an n d Fo o d S ec u r I t y.” Alongside taking
stock of the evolution of certain peace and security challenges on the continent, the focus will be on
mobilizing and building the home-grown and local resilience that centers African agency.
Specific objectives include:
Create a shared understanding of building systemic resilience from below:
Interrogate the impacts of COVID-19 along with other multifaceted aspects in the context of peace
and security,
Give attention to climate change and climate resilience challenges,
Interrogate the functional relevance of existing peace and security institutions and normative
frameworks at regional and continental levels,
Probe the resurgence of military coups in Africa,
Explore pathways to enhance compliance with continental, regional, and national laws to address
threats to constitutional order in member states,
Look at the role of peace and security in culture and heritage protection,
Explore actionable ways to mainstream and strengthen youth and women’s inclusion,
Explore opportunities to enhance resilience in (nutrition and) food security,
The Forum further aims to offer participants a chance to rethink the nature, character and
the goal of international partnerships vis-à-vis the state of peace and security in Africa, and
Synthesize knowledge and insights that would support the strategies and actions of national,
regional and continental actors.
IV. Tana Forum 2022 Sub-themes and Guiding questions
The 2022 Tana Forum sub-themes will be anchored on the AU theme of the year 2021, “Arts, Culture
and Heritage: Levers for Building Africa We Want.” Furthermore, the AU theme of the year 2022 will be
the basis upon which the discussion should be furthered to explore ways to strengthen resilience in
nutrition and food security. Reflections on lessons learned and the impact of Tana in the peace, security, and development areas.
Specifically, these will be centered on the following sub-themes:
Sub-theme 1: Unconstitutional Change of Government: “Coup D’État”
The resurgence of Unconstitutional Change of Governments (UGC) in Africa is worrisome. This is mainly
because significant strides have been made at the continental and regional levels to provide normative
frameworks for enabling credible constitutional alternation of power in member states. In addition, the
African Union and most of its Regional Economic Communities have robust early warning mechanisms
designed to provide strategic decision-makers with relevant information to facilitate promptlyeffectively
Responses. Notwithstanding, for the first time in its 20 years, the African Union has suspended four member states within a year for UGC. Recent events in Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Sudan, Guinea Bissau, and even Chad about power alternation point to two fundamental issues that need critical reflection. One is the exploitation of insecurity as justification for military takeovers. Two is the manipulation of legality by incumbents, which undermines the legitimacy of constitutional rule. The issues reveal the challenges and the limits of Africa’s multilateral institutions. Multilateral institutions have minimal enforcement powers about governance in member states and rely on member states’ willingness to implement relevant normative principles to further democracy, peace, security, and stability. As a result, the use of sovereignty as a shield by member states limits the space for multilateral organizations to engage in preventive efforts to address governance-related challenges and promote broad inclusion and participation in member states.
Session one explores pathways to enhance compliance with continental, regional, and national laws to
address governance deficits and military and non-military threats to constitutional order in member states.
Sub-theme 2: Impact of Global Insecurity on the Continent (Global Insecurity affecting the
Continent) The COVID-19 pandemic, fluctuating commodity prices, climate change, threats posed by violent extremism and fundamentalisms, illicit financial flows, and international organized crime are some of a few drivers of insecurity in our history as global citizens. By the end of 2021, at least 15 African countries were navigating armed and violent conflict varying between high and mid-level intensity while others battled governance and other crises; these conflicts and instability situations can be directly connected to events in other parts of the world. While the end of the Cold War brought a shift in the way conflicts outside the continent were fought on the continent as proxy wars, the structure, and nature of global financial, governance, and military systems mean ripples and shocks in other parts of the world are felt and contribute to insecurity in Africa; the most recent example being the War in Ukraine which has mainly contributed to food insecurity as statistics have proven that Russia and Ukraine dominate a huge quota in global food exports and African countries are a significant destination as they heavily depend on both countries for wheat, fertilizer, or vegetable oils. This Tana Forum – Tana @10 – provides an excellent and timely opportunity to reflect on and interrogate the multifaceted and interlinked drivers of global insecurity and how these affect the African continent. Speakers on this panel will go beyond diagnosing the impacts but posit new thinking and potential responses, some pre-emptive, to this ever-evolving phenomenon.
Sub-theme 3: Climate Change, Preparedness, Adaptation, and Financing
African countries are amongst the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change despite the African
continent producing themost minort greenhouse emissions. Literature has described Africa as the ‘most vulnerable’ yet ‘least prepa,’d’, a datable description given the plethora of policies and programs created to respond to the impact of the pandemic. At a continental level, the African Union’s Climate change strategy 2020 – 2030 provides a roadmap to achieving the vision outlined in the Agenda 2063 of ‘building the resilience of the African continent to the impacts of climate change. In its strategy, the AU notes that ‘while adaptation is unquestionably and rightly the top priority for African countries, to create optimal responses, mitigation should be considered to balance the climate change solution equation.’
Furthermore, noting Africa’s immenunrivaledled potential for renewable energy, especially solar, for its development and export, the AU urges that the continental potential should be quantified as the continent’s contribution in return for finance and technology needed to adapt and develop despite climate change.
The impact of climate on land, crop,s and livestock as it exacerbates food insecurity and conflict is also a
significant component when discussing environment within the context of peace and security on the continent. Against this backdrop, this session aims to unpack the far-reaching consequence of climate change, the
continental response strategies, and their effectiveness.
Sub-theme 4: Harnessing Africa’s Cultural Heritage for Resilience and Integration
There’s been an increased interest in Africa’s cultural heritage in the last few years. Most of the recent
attention has focused on the return of stolen African artifacts from Europe and the long-overdue
confrontation with colonial violence. However, within the plan of uplifting Africa’s cultural heritage also
lies the broader quest of how to foster national and regional cohesion by investing in Africa’s diverse (and
evolving) cultures, traditions, languages at present and weaving them together to forge Pan-African unity
and common purpose going forward.
Recognizing the transformative power of culture, the African Union dedicated the Theme of the Year in
2021 to the importance of ‘arts, culture and heritage as levers for building the Africa wewant,’ building on Aspiration 5 of Agenda 2063. This ambition is ever more critical today against the backdrop of the global rise in intolerance, the proliferation of identity-based conflict,s and the continued destruction of invaluable cultural sites and artifacts as a consequence (and tactic) of war.
This session brings together multi-disciplinary perspectives on how Africa can restore, protect and harness its cultural legacies and present-day creative industry as a formidable tool to achieve greater social, cultural, and economic resilience and integration.
Sub-theme 5: Tana@10 and taking stock of the continent’s peace and security landscape: Is
Is the continent worse or better off after ten years?
Strands under this sub-theme will be a moment to reflect, take stoc,k and forecast the future of the Tana.
Forum, based on lessons learned over the last ten years since inception. It will also be a moment to gush and account for its impact and contribution – focusing on itsimplicationst, challenges, gap,s and opportunities.
The sub-theme will also be an opportunity to look at Africa’s peace and security situation candidly –
especially in the Horn of Africa, Great Lakes Region, Sahel, Lake Chad Basin, and thecriticaly governance and
conflicts issues. There will also be discussions on how the Forum has and can play a role in illuminating and
providing a space for dialogue and reflections on durable solutions to the ongoing crisis in these regions.
V. Tana 2022 Side Events and Related Activities
The Secretariat undertakes the following pre-Forum activities in the months leading up to the central Forum.
1) Experts Meeting: This is a meeting among a selected group of experts well-versed in the chosen
theme of the Forum that is held to identify, discuss, debate, and recommend. Recommendations
from the expert meetings are submitted to the Secretariat for use in the Forum’s agenda-setting
around identified sub-themes. The objectives of the expert meetings are:
o To define the scope of the selected theme of the year;
o To identify sectors and domains where policymakers may develop policies to advance the
role of the African Union, African states, and other stakeholders;
o To produce theme summaries that serve as guiding points to the session’s discussions in
the Tana Forum;
o To recommend critical speakers and presenters on the topics that will be addressed during
the Tana Forum;
o To propose and develop a theme on the outlines for the Tana Forum background papers.
2) Press-Conference and Ambassadors’ Briefing: With the view to brief, promote, and engage with
Addis-based ambassadors and members of the media, the Press Conference, and Ambassadors’
The briefing takes place one month before the central Forum on the event, its objectives, topic, theme,
participation, and envisioned outcomes. The Tana Chairperson and a Ministry of Foreign Affairs
representative will address the ambassadors and AU officials. In addition, the Ambassadors’ Briefing
serves as a platform where Addis-based Ambassadors’ can dialogue on the theme of the year. Additionally, local, regional and international correspondents based in Addis Ababa are invited to the
press conference.
3) Pre-Tana Multi-Stakeholders Forum: The Tana Secretariat holds a series of multi-stakeholder
forums in the months leading up to the central Forum. These pre-Forums are geared towards
ensuring the inclusivity of all stakeholders in Tana and related activities and also gathering the information
that will complement the discussions at the central Forum. Accordingly, the following Pre-forums
have been held from August 2021-April 2022:
o Pre-Tana Regional Multi-Stakeholders Forum on the theme ‘Human and Drug Trafficking
in Africa: Unlocking Human Freedom’ with the support of Humanity United on 19 August
2021 in a hybrid format.
o Pre-Tana Regional Multi-Stakeholders Forum on the theme ‘Emerging Technologies and
their Impact on Stability in Africa” with the Mission of Japan to the African Union on 14
September 2021 online.
o Pre-Tana Regional Multi-stakeholders Forum on the theme “The Impact of Peace and
Security on Culture and Heritage Protection in Africa” on 21 April 2021 in Hybrid format.
The following Pre-Tana Forums will be held in the upcoming months with various partners:
o Pre-Tana Regional Multi-stakeholders Forum on the theme “Climate-Induced Violence in
Africa” in partnership with the United States Institute of Peace.
o Pre-Tana Regional Multi-stakeholders Forum on the theme’ Security Challenges and
Working Solutions in Central Africa in Partnership with ECCAS and Humanity United-Pre-
Tana Regional Multi- stakeholders Forum on theme TBD with Swiss.
4) Pre-Tana Youth Consultation Forum: To make the Tana Forum as inclusive and participatory as
possible, Tana Secretariat holds a youth consultation forum. This Youth Consultation Forum serves as
a platform for young Africans to engage and mobilize on the Tana Forum theme and youth-related
issues regarding peace and security on the continent. In the year 2021, Youth Day was celebrated
internationally on 12 August; the 2021 theme “Transforming Food Systems: Youth Innovation for
Human and Planetary Health,” which availed an ideal opportunity to hold the Pre-Tana Youth
Consultation Forum on one of the threats Africa faces today, food insecurity. Hence, the Tana Forum
Secretariat, in partnership with UNESCO, held a regional youth consultation forum on the theme
“Transforming Food Systems: Youth Innovation for Sustainable Peace and Security”
resonates with both the theme of international youth day and this year’s Tana Forum.
5) The Meles Zenawi Lecture Series on Leadership in Africa: The Meles Zenawi Lecture Series is
dedicated to honoring the life and legacy of great African leaders who had or have been advocates
of pan-Africanism and contributed to the well-being of Africans. The purpose of the leadership
lecture series is to celebrate these achievements and call to action
the spirit of emulation based on the vision and ideals these leaders stood for.
6) Vice-Chancellors’ Dialogue: The Forum, in collaboration with Bahir Dar University, convenes vice-chancellors or university presidents across Africa for a debate (open to the public) on the year’s
theme. Among others, the Vice-Chancellors’ Dialogue aito bringing in the perspectives of those
governing institutions of higher educatind who are shaping future generations of African
leaders’ narratives. It is also aimed at expanding and enhancing the participation of stakeholders
on issues of the central Forum.
7) Side Events: Side events are parallel seminars (informal) organized on the evening preceding the
start of the Tana Forum on selected topical themes related to peace and security at regional,
continental, and global levels. They are usually organized in collaboration with partners who have
a specific interest in discussing particular issues of mutual interest.
8) Annual University Essay Competition: Youth from various African universities will compete
on the selected theme of Tana 2022. Besides serving as an additional platform to ensure youth
inclusivity, the Essay Competition complements ongoing debates and agendas on peace and
security, contributing to policy building and development.
9) Annual Book Launch: This is a platform where books written by African and non-African published
authors that fulfill requirements set by the Secretariat present their books focusing on peace,
security, development, and governance to the various high-level participants of the Tana Forum.
10) Report on State of Peace and Security in Africa Report: Tana Forum also avails a report on the
State of Peace and Security in Africa offersetailed analysis on current peace and security trends
in Africa asandnterventions. In addition, it provides a rich account of current efforts and
responses implemented to manage security threats on the continent.
11) Tana Forum Policy Briefs (Tana Papers): Tana Forum also presents a compendium of policy briefs
that offers policy recommendations to address several peace and security challenges in Africa.
Ultimately, the aim is to provoke deep discussions on security threats and resilience across multiple political, economic and social spaces.
VI. Expected Outcomes
The following are the expected outcomes of the Forum:
A shared understanding of current and emerging peace and security threats in Africa.
Commitment to managing threats by investing more in governance and building resilience, with
a significant premium given to citizens’ active and sustained participation in public affairs, remains an
essential component in achieving stability;
Document Africa’s contribution to the management of the pandemic, including investment in
research and knowledge products that reflect Africa’s solution to a global problem;
Work towards a comprehensive policy with an implementation strategy on climate mitigation and
adaptability would be vital to driving climate resilience, especially in the context of peace and
security at national, regional, and continental levels;
A shared understanding of the importance of promoting the voice and agency of citizens by
localizing peacebuilding by bringing it much closer to the grassroots;
Dialogue on how to enhance the ability of governments to manage current threats effectively rests
mainly with the constituency of the youth and women;
Unpack how Arts, Culture, and Heritage, the AU theme for 2021, can be converted into currencies
for promoting enduring peace in the light of the continent’s myriad challenges needs to be
interrogated;
Understand and capture how diversity, equity, and inclusion are reflected in Africa’s international
partnerships and engagement with the world.
outputs of the Forum:
One (1) Tana Forum Outcomes Report that entails the various outcomes of discussion from the
central Forum, side events, Meles Zenawi Lecture Series, and Vice Chancellors’ Dialogue;
State of Peace and Security in Africa Report;
Eight (8) Policy Papers;
Tigned to (i) share views and experiences informally and independently, (ii) be action
oriented and forward-looking and, most importantly, (iii) keep the essence of its concept: a consultative
forum that is not intended to become a decision-making forum.
Thus, the main format will be panel discussions and interactions. Further, introductions to these discussions.
The Forum is convened on an annual basis and has become an institution in its own right. It enables leaders to explore innovative and joint action options in peace and security. The Forum also allows for trustbuilding among key players who would often only meet in settings that are mediated by diplomatic
protocol. Altogether, it enables African leaders to develop and implement adequate and proactive initiatives in peace and security on the continent.
Green Legacy, for a greener and cleaner Ethiopia, is a national go-green campaign to raise the public’s awareness about Ethiopia’s frightening environmental degradation and educate society on the importance of adopting green behavior. […]
AFRICA Education Environmental Science News Radio & TVGreen Legacy, for a greener and cleaner Ethiopia, is a national go-green campaign to raise the public’s awareness about Ethiopia’s frightening environmental degradation and educate society on the importance of adopting green behavior.
“the public response to last yyear’sGreen Legacy planting season was overwhelmingly positive and encouraging. Last year we aimed for 4 billion, and we executed accordingly. This year our target is set to plant 5 billion seedlings. Dreaming big and aiming high is crucial. But continuity is what breeds excellence. It s my wish everyone is actively engaged with enthusiasm as we cultivate a green culture.” H.E. P” ime Minister Abiy Ahmed
The Campaign is part of the Green Legacy Initiative, promoted by the Ethiopian Prime Minister to reach national green environmental goals and face the effects of deforestation and climate change in the country. The ambitious goal of the Initiative for 2019 is to plant a total of four billion indigenous trees by the end of the rainy season in October.
In this framework, the Green.
A legacy campaign was launched to help achieve this goal, proposing that the whole country participates by planting 200 million tree seedlings in 1000 sites across Ethiopia in one-day on Monday, July 29, 2019. This goal has been largely overcome, reaching the result of 353,633,660 tree seedlings planted and establishing a new world record.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Innovation, and Technology, local governments, officials and operators of public institutions, schools, private companies, NGOs, and associations of different sectors have joined the Campaign. But it is the country’s population that has made it possible to achieve a result of such a significant impact.
The Ministry of Agriculture informed that 2.6 billion new trees have already been planted, more than half of the target established by the Green Legacy Initiative. Most of the seedlings distributed to the participants and planted are from indigenous tree species; Nationwide monitoring will ensure that the planted trees are grown.
The Initiative’s promoters and the national and international press have emphasized the results of this Campaign and the new record set by Ethiopia. India’s last record-breaking environmental Campaign was realized in 2017 when around 1.5 million volunteers planted more than 66 million trees in 12 hours.
Reforestation initiatives are not new in a country like Ethiopia, which has actively participated in the Billion Tree Campaign, a great competition for a greener world promoted by the United Nations. Ethiopia ranks third in planting trees in the framework of this Campaign launched in 2006 by the United Nations Environment Program and inspired by the Nobel Peace Prize. Wangari Maathai, founder of the Green.
Belt Movement in Kenia. According to Wikipedia, as of August 2018, the Campaign registered over 15.2 billion planted trees across 193 countries. The Top 10 countries are China, India, Ethiopia, Pakistan, Mexico, France, Turkey, Peru, Nigeria, Kenya, Egypt, and the United States.
The Brochure of the Trillion Tree Campaign highlights its impact on communities…Some of the seedlings we plant will restore springs long dry, prevent soil erosion and create a fertilizer to boost harvests. Others will break the Sahara winds, halting the spread of desert dunes. Countless more will provide food for people in rural areas and cities. Some will supply forage for livestock and for insects that pollinate crops. Many will produce wood and natural oils for building and fuel. Yet others will be used to create medicines to heal the human body and essential oils to ease the soul. All will draw carbon dioxide from the air, leaving us a little less vulnerable to the threats posed by climate change.
In 2017, Ethiopia joined more than 20 other African nations in pledging to restore 100 million hectares of land as part of the African Forest Landscape Restoration Initiative promoted by the African Union Development Agency-NEPAD.
The U.N. Environment Program has given visibility to the results achieved in Ethiopia through the Green Legacy Campaign, hoping that other countries will be inspired to carry out similar reforestation initiatives, contributing to the U.N. Decade on Ecosystem Restoration objectives 2021-2030.
WE PLANT. WE CARE.#GreenLegacy
| Region | Forestry | Agro Forestry | Urban Greening | Total | African |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tigray | – | – | – | – | – |
| Amhara | 985.2 | 260 | – | 1,245.2 | 150 |
| Oromia | 1,591.9 | 2,158.6 | – | 3,750.5 | 500 |
| SNNPR | 583.3 | 453.4 | – | 1,036.7 | 20 |
| Gambela | 1.4 | 2.2 | – | 3.6 | – |
| Benishangul Gumuz | 16.8 | 8.7 | – | 25.4 | 2 |
| Afar | – | 3.5 | – | 3.5 | 0.6 |
| Somali | – | 7.1 | – | 7.1 | 1 |
| Harrari | 0.9 | 1.3 | – | 2.2 | 0.3 |
| Addis Ababa | – | – | 2.6 | 2.6 | – |
| Dere Dawa | 0.4 | – | – | 0.4 | 0.5 |
| Sidama | 31.7 | 73.7 | – | 105.5 | 5 |
| Total | 3,211.5 | 2,968.5 | 2.6 | 6,182.6 | 679.4 |
#GreenLegacy Happ
By: Tadele Ambelu Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is the deadliest parasitic killer diesis next to malaria in Eastern Africa. In the region, fifty to ninety thousand cases were recorded annually. The highest number of […]
AFRICA Magazine NewsBy: Tadele Ambelu
Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is the deadliest parasitic killer diesis next to malaria in Eastern Africa. In the region, fifty to ninety thousand cases were recorded annually. The highest number of cases was recorded in the region. Specifically, people in resource-limited settings, arid and semi-arid areas, Prof. Ahmed Musa, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Principal Investigator of the clinical trial at the University of Khartoum, said.
As to the press release report, most of them are children under eighteen years in Ethiopia who are severely injured due to low treatment centers.
As he exclusively briefed in the press release report, a new treatment with the combination of miltefosine, leishmaniasis, and paromomycin, an injectable antibiotic, is essential in the region.
The former treatment uses paromomycin, an injectable antibiotic used in combination with sodium stibogluconate, administered either through injection or intravenously in Africa. The patients suffer from rare but heavy side effects, such as cardio toxicity, hepatotoxicity, and pancreatitis associated with sodium stibogluconate, Said Prof. Ahmed Musa. Its treatment is also difficult to administer because patients endure two painful injections every day for seventeen days.
According to an AfriKADIA study, under the European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP) Consortium in 2017 in Kenya, Ethiopia, Sudan, and Uganda found, a new treatment with the combination of miltefosine (MF), the only oral drug available for Visceral Leishmaniasis treatment, and paromomycin (PM), an injectable antibiotic.
The current study result showsthat thetreatment significantly impacts the patients’ socio-economic conditions because they are forced to stay in the hospital for extended periods and miss work or school. However, it avoids suffering from rare, heavy side effects and shortens to fourteen vaccine dates.
The new treatment is ninety-one percent effective. It lowers the risk of post-kala-azar dermal Visceral Leishmaniasis (PKDL) by four percent in sudan and Ethiopia from twenty point nine percent treated from the treatment combination of Sodium Stibogluconate (SSG) and Paromomycin (PM), Prof. Musa Ahmed, Said.
Dr. Monique Wasunna, DNDi Eastern Africa Regional Director in Nairobi, Kenya, added that the new combination treatment signifies a historic step forward for dreadfully neglected patient populations in the region.
Dr. Monique further explained that efforts have begun to share the study results with stakeholders in the region to facilitate the adoption of the new combination to access patients get threatened.
In the press release, he briefed that “We are delighted with the positive results from this clinical trial, and it will contribute to our strategic goal of reducing morbidity due to Visceral Leishmaniasis by 60% in 2025,” Dr. Patrick Amoth, Director General for Health at the Ministry of Health in Kenya, said.
Dr.FabianaAlves, Director of Neglected Tropical Diseasesleishmaniasis and mycetoma Cluster at DNDi, promiseson his side that, since the journey is not over yet, DNDi and its partners will be beginning clinical trials for new, promising, alloral treatments for leishmaniasis soon.
Henceforth, regional collaboration should be made to radically transform treatments for Visceral Leishmaniasis in the entire region.
The African Roundtable will deliberate on catalytic mechanisms to mobilise climate finance investments and crowd-in the private sector towards building climate resilience as well as advancing Agenda 2063 & the 2030 Agenda. It […]
AFRICA Africa News Journal of ResearchThe African Roundtable will deliberate on catalytic mechanisms to mobilise climate finance investments and crowd-in the private sector towards building climate resilience as well as advancing Agenda 2063 & the 2030 Agenda. It is imperative that all available tools for green growth pathways be leveraged to increase resilience and sustainability. Notably, there is need to mobilize new financial resources in the face of multiple crises, including through amplifying the role of private capital markets in the development financing landscape of the continent by supplementing scarce concessional financing. Crucially, Africa will require investments of over $3 trillion in mitigation and adaptation by 2030 in order to implement its NDCs. This will be contingent upon access to significant, accessible and predictable inflows of conditional finance as well as strengthened domestic resource mobilization efforts. In this vein, Africa will need to considerably improve the efficiency of public expenditures and project investments. Accordingly, the Roundtable will gather key stakeholders from the public and private realm to showcase both the success stories of private sector investments in climate areas and investment-ready climate initiatives transpiring in Member states. As such, the deliberations will focus on channels and means to catalyze and scale up financing around concrete initiatives, investment opportunities and policy measures in climate action areas outlined below: Just transition finance – Building resilience and a green transition for African requires significant financial investments. A successful green transition will be built on new models of resource mobilisation with a focus on how these resources are channelled into the most critical sectors. This will necessitate a reset of some of the development architecture available to African countries. Moreover, a deepening of Africa’s internal capital markets and increasing the tools available for investing in green sectors are imperative. The overwhelming majority of the global deficit in electricity access is in Africa, hence investing in energy will be pivotal for stimulating all sectors of the economy. Further, the continent’s oil and gas exporting nations are also at risk from significant long-term revenue and job losses, and it is essential that a just energy transition is defined with the role of transition energy sources such as natural gas clearly mapped out with a view that such investments ought to leverage the switch to clean energy technologies. Clearly costed just transition investment plans will be pivotal for galvanizing private investments. Crucially, country platforms for a just energy transition need to be linked directly to identified resources for investment. This session will explore how to leverage institutional investors, private equity managers, development partners and other financing institutions to support African countries in their green transitions; how public finance can leverage private finance; identify key bottlenecks hampering private sector investments and required actions to better promote such investments into renewable energy and grid modernization; and enhance capacity for project transactions and PPP promotion to help mobilize private sector financing for infrastructural development. Further, it will highlight the ambitious International Just Energy Transition Partnership launched to support South Africa’s decarbonisation efforts at COP26 as a model for other country platforms on the continent. Blended finance – Climate Bonds: African countries require fiscal space to finance SDG-linked investments towards sustainable and green recovery pathways, particularly since public finance alone cannot meet development imperatives. Investments from the private sector are well placed to fill in the financing gaps. Blended financing approaches are potentially catalytic as they could ensure that public resources leverage and de-risk private financing to support such development efforts. Yet, private finance mobilization has not increased significantly in Africa of late and continues to face multiple challenges . Public finance mobilizes around $30 billion of private finance annually, with most of the resources destined for middle-income countries where projects are easier to realize. Notably, through the provision of credit guarantees, such as policy-based guarantees, and enhancements needed to lower perceived default risks, blended public and private financing can improve credit ratings. This session aims to deliberate on opportunities to scale and learn from countries that are leveraging investment opportunities for climate action as well as financial institutions and investors acting on climate private capital in Africa to support the development of renewable energy projects. It will also identify projects ready for implementation, scale-up and replication to be showcased at COP27. ECA’s recently launched the Liquidity and Sustainability Facility (LSF) will be highlighted, which has the dual objective of supporting the liquidity of African Sovereigns Eurobonds and incentivizing green and SDG-related investments such as green bonds in the African Continent. Notably, the LSF can incentivize green bond issuances by offering preferred repurchase agreement rates to institutional investors that refinance their positions using African green bonds as collateral . It will also explore ESG criteria, particularly its simplification, to make it more accessible for African countries. Finally, it will seek to look at challenges hindering the upscaling of climate bond issuance from the private sector and measures needed to attenuate such challenges. Debt swaps: Following the COVID19 pandemic and continued macro-economic instability linked to global events, 15 African countries are at risk of external and public debt distress, and 6 already facing debt distress. Despite these challenges, African countries have made significant strides to ensure the transparency of their operations on capital markets as well as provide reliable investment opportunities. As such, debt for climate adaptation swaps are primarily aimed as a tool to generate additional investment and liquidity for climate resilience, rather than a tool for restructuring. This session will focus on identifying a portfolio of investment areas and projects, such as the energy transition, where debt for climate swaps can be deployed, and then engage with countries to develop feasibility studies in collaboration with pertinent partners from the public and private sector. It will also delve into ways of tackling key barriers precluding large scale debt swaps. Nature based Solutions (NbS): Nature-based solutions have been garnering increased attention in recent years, emerging as an integrated approach that can help build climate resilience at relatively low-cost, as countries, companies and investors step up their efforts to cut carbon. They are essentially actions to protect, sustainably manage, and restore natural or modified ecosystems, that address societal challenges effectively and adaptively, simultaneously providing human well-being and biodiversity benefits. They do so in a holistic manner by combining efforts for emission reduction, increased carbon sink potential, cost-effective adaptation and improved resilience. Yet, to fulfil their potential, they require proper support and financing. This session seeks to interrogate the social, ecological and economic effectiveness of nature-based solutions. It will identify potential investment-ready projects, particularly in mangrove restoration, and showcase successful examples of NbS implementation developed in a selection of African countries. Notably, it will feature the Ethiopian Green Legacy Initiative, which seeks to build climate resilience of hydroelectric infrastructure through ecosystem management, supporting local livelihoods and generating employment through bettered management and improving women’s health by reducing exposure to particulate pollution through clean cook-stoves. It will also hone in on opportunities upscale and galvanize private sector investments, as well as deliberate on the practical, financial and governance challenges to upscaling and how to increase bankability, with a view to inform those eager to invest. Carbon credits: Africa can gain substantial resources for investment and gain greater access to liquidity and affordable financing through innovative climate financing by harnessing the continent’s natural capital, tapping into the market for carbon credits which is set to grow exponentially in the context of the implementation phase of the Paris Climate Agreement. Achieving reliable flows of capital associated with carbon credits can be used to leverage investment in key sectors such as agriculture and enhance the value of nature-based solutions. Currently, African countries remain on the periphery of this market development; yet, there is increasing political will to develop such opportunities as Africa possesses substantial natural endowments which are well suited to large scale carbon sequestration. This session will examine the importance of carbon markets in mobilizing private finance for Africa; how a carbon price can raise additional resources to meet Africa’s needs; the development of a harmonised high integrity carbon registry for carbon sequestration in countries of the Congo Basin and development of a regional carbon certification mechanism. It will also underscore country case experiences from the Congo Basin to share lessons and best practices. Risk Insurance: Africa has the opportunity to mitigate residual risk and reduce the impact of loss and damage by transferring at least part of its climate risk to the international market through a risk pooling platform known as The African Risk Capacity Platform. Climate risk insurance provides financial resilience by generating a flow of capital to support societies in recovering from disaster. In the absence of adequate insurance, the burden of paying falls on citizens, governments or aid organisations. When disasters strike, insurance can provide significant financial protection and reduce large scale societal impacts. This session aspired to explore the means to upscale the significant protection already provided through the African Risk Capacity Mechanism and address existing gaps. It will identify synergies and entry-points for climate finance and investments by engaging countries to prioritize programs in the context of their national financing and policy frameworks, including proposals on how low-income countries can acquire more support, whilst also considering those with more developed markets. Moreover, it will also seek to enhance collaboration between public and private stakeholders to improve risk management and transfer across different layers of risk exposure.
The Feast of the Throne in Morocco is a day held in honor of the Ascension of His Majesty King Mohammed VI to the Throne. Throughout history, the celebration of Throne’se’s Day in […]
AFRICA Magazine News TOP STORIESThe Feast of the Throne in Morocco is a day held in honor of the Ascension of His Majesty King Mohammed VI to the Throne.
Throughout history, the celebration of Throne’se’s Day in Morocco has been an occasion to renew the pledge of allegiance that embodied the Kingdom Morocco’so’s strong ties uniting Moroccan people with their monarchs “s “Commanders of the faith “ul” (Amir Mu’mininnin) and as symbol Nation’sn’s unity. It is indeed a yearly opportunity to enumerate numbers of achievements built steadily, with unfailing relevance and voluntarism, that the Kingdom has reached over the past years under HMajesty’sy’s wise leadership.
Among the most challenging ongoing projects to whom His Majesty the King awards most interest and importance are the governing and managing the COVID crisis, the Morocco-Africa continent multifaceted cooperation, the social protection project, the Newest Development Model, and the Investment Charter.
To mitigate the deadly coronavirus setbacks, Morocco launched very early the vaccination campaign, which covered the entire Moroccan territory and concerned a population over 18 years of age, with priority given to health professionals, public authorities, security forces, national education personnel, and then, in a progressive manner and by age group, to the rest of the population, by the recommendations of the World Health Organization.
Morocco has taken a proactive approach to combat the spread of the virus and dealing with the resulting health, social and economic impact throughout the country. The measures taken to deal with the pandemic are part of an approach that respects the cardinal principles of human rights, right to life, and dignity.
To ensure group immunity and therefore mitigate the transmission of the virus, it was necessary to vaccinate at least 80% of the target population, which is around 25 million people. Morocco has dedicated an official online platform to the daily follow-up of the vaccination campaign called “d “li9ahcor “na.” This portal offers a clear and updated vision of the ongoing battle against the Coronavirus. Nowadays, morocco has thanks to HMajesty’sy’s clear guidance, successfully carried out the vaccination operation reaching 25 million (first dose), 24 million (second dose), and almost 7 million (booster). The number comprised first, second, and third doses, with 64 % of the population fully vaccinated. Morocco is one of the leading countries in the COVID-19 vaccination drive worldwide and on the African Continent.
As part of implementing the High Royal Guidelines, the Government is committed to generalizing social protection for the benefit of all Moroccans. This societal project represents a real social revolution, given its direct and concrete impact on improving citizens’ living conditions, preserving the dignity of all Moroccans, and protecting vulnerable categories, particularly in times of economic turbulence, health risks, and various emergencies.
It intends to be the cornerstone and the referential framework for implementing the Royal Vision in the field of social protection, the realization of the noble objectives such as supporting Moroccan households’ purchasing power and achieving social justice.
This ambitious project also aims to define the principles and objectives relating to the reform of the social protection system over the next five years and the commitments of the State, local authorities, public institutions and enterprises, private sector, civil society, and citizens.
The implementation of this large-scale societal project constitutes a starting point to meet HMajesty’sy’s aspirations in favor of all Moroccan society’s components in responding to the challenge of the generalization of social protection. It is a simple lever for integrating the informal sector into the national economic fabric to guarantee the protection of the working class.
The renovation of t “e “development mo “el” constitutes a new stage in consolidating the social project led by the His Majesty the King. It is to be recalled that the Development Model aims to strengthen the attachment to the values of positive and active citizenship, as well as the feeling of belonging to a nation and the affirmation of the historical and cultural Moroccan personality, rich with its millennial history, its tradition of openness and its multiple components.
Thus, the Development Model Committee has adopted a multidimensional approach and rigorously framed its work. It explored the new challenges and changes brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic in many strategic areas such as health, agriculture, food security, energy, and industry and tourism development.
It is to be recalled that the project above was done through a participatory approach where all political parties, economic and social organizations, NGOs, think tanks, and citizens participated, across the national territory, in the hearings organized by the Committee.
His Majesty the King called for using the findings of the Committee in the service of the development of Morocco and the well-being of its citizens. He ordered carry out by the Committee a vast operation of presentation and explanation of its conclusions and recommendations to citizens and the various stakeholders across all regions of the Kingdom.
In addition, the Government and the different actors and institutions would, each in their area of expertise, participate actively and contribute to implementing the relevant recommendations of this report to serve the new ambition and the new development course.
In this regard, the innovative proposal of the Committed aimed at turning the strategic elements of the new model into “a “National Pact for development” should be retained and implemented in a constructive and consensual spirit, with a high sense of responsibility and the general interest, as a typical frame of reference for all living forces in their diversity.
Last year, under the leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, Morocco launched a new Investment Charter to enhance its competitiveness, incorporating social protection for Moroccans and improving investments in health reform in the Kingdom for various purposes.
The new Investment Charter plans to increase the share of private investment, representing only nearly a third of kingdoms’ total investment, to two-thirds by 2035. Due to this Charter, Morocco will become more competitive with the primary objective to improve the industry’s impact. The aim will also be to boost permanent job creation and thus reduce the economic inequalities between cities and regions.
The significant progress of the territorial integrity issue is concretized, since the proposal of the Moroccan initiative for the autonomy project for the Southern provinces in 2007, through an innovative Moroccan approach based on national consensus and the effective involvement of local actors. More than twenty countries worldwide have tirelessly supported and joined the Moroccan thesis by opening their diplomatic representations in this region of Morocco (Laayoune and Dakhla).
It should be noted that Moroccan diplomacy is making enormous efforts for peace in different areas around the globe, especially in the Middle East, through the wise policy of His Majesty the King. The Abraham and Al-Quds Agreements are an excellent illustration of Morocco’so’s willingness to play a significant role in resolving the Palestinian-Israeli pending conflicts peacefully through establishing two states’ solutions and preserving the special status of the Holy city of Al Quds. The part of Moroccan diplomacy is clearly illustrated by the mediation efforts carried out by Morocco in Skhirat roundtables to assist different actors on the Libyan issue towards a negotiated political solution.
Moroccan diplomacy’s neutral and objective position shows professionalism regarding the recent conflict between Russia and Ukraine, which is in line with that of many other African countries.
As an emerging African power, the Kingdom of Morocco has given more attention to its partnership with Africa, primarily through initiatives in South-South Cooperation. In this respect, Morocco, being an African reference in the Agricultural sector, shares knowledge, know-how, experiences, and lessons learned with many African countries, further contributing to achieving food security in Africa by supporting sustainable agricultural production to benefit local farmers.
Henceforth, carrying multiple meanings and reflecting the strong attachment of the Kingdom, under the enlightened leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, to its home continent Africa, and its concern to accompany the stability and economic and sustainable development of the Continent, Morocco adopted a new and practical approach towards its partnership with African countries.
The Moroccan-African strategic partnerships, thanks to their development at the bilateral level, contribute directly and effectively to security and stability in other geographical areas. In this regard, Morocco has made South-South cooperation a priority of its foreign policy. As stated in the preamble of its new Constitution of 2011, Morocco, based on an ambitious and forward-looking Royal vision, has multiplied initiatives and actions to promote cooperation, particularly with its African partners, and raised it to the level of a true partnership in the service of the cause of development.
In this perspective, His Majesty King Mohammed VI made numerous visits to the African Continent since His ascension to the Throne, which has created a new dynamic in relations with many African countries and given a solid impetus for South-South cooperation. Morocco has made the South-South association a strategic choice to contribute to the establishment of peace, security, and stability in Africa.
Over the last two decades, Morocco has developed more than 2000 cooperation agreements in several fields by promoting the development of Moroccan companies in Africa, thanks to the improvement of its legal framework and investment climate, thus encouraging the installation of Moroccan operators in many African countries.
The success of Morocco-Africa’sa’s partnerships is not measured through the number of programs and meetings but through the number of concrete projects that arise and their actual impact on the continent’s development.
In this regard, Morocco has always given particular importance to the financing of tiny businesses, established a monitoring mechanism for the implementation of projects from the partnership, and the creation of facilities for access to funding, by an approach that ensures the efficiency and effectiveness in the processing of projects of tangible results, which will strengthen the fruitful economic relations between Morocco and African countries.
On the bilateral side, Morocco and Ethiopia continue gradually enriching and diversifying their bilateral cooperation. On the sideline of the last AfricUnion’sn’s Summit, held on February 2022, in Addis-Ababa, Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates, Mr. Nasser Bourita held direct bilateral talks with Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, Mr. Demeke Mekonnen Hassen, while which they both noted the upward level of bilateral ties, particularly since the historic visit of His Majesty King Mohammed VI to Ethiopia in 2016. The two ministers agreed to maintain momentum in priority areas such as education, vocational training, infrastructure, agriculture, and renewable energy. They also highlighted the crucial importance of the Morocco-Ethiopia Joint Commission as a mechanism to advance the existing partnership and explore new areas of cooperation, agreeing to hold the first session in October this year.
Morocco is proud to establish a strong partnership in the fertilizers supply and expertise sharing in the agriculture field, mainly through the OCP Company. HMajesty’sy’s 2016 Visit to Ethiopia allowed the signature, among others, of an MoU to set up a factory for fertilizers production, Dire Dawa Fertilizer Complex. Aiming to be a model of ambitious and mutually beneficial South-South cooperation, the plant is set to support Ethiopia in reaching self-sufficiency in fertilizer production, with prospects of investing in its potential for exportation too.
There is enormous untapped potential for bilateral trade, investment, and economic cooperation. In this regard, both countries are committed to further developing their economic partnership by creating a more favorable environment for mutual investment and encouraging the business communities of both countries to fully explore and take advantage of the opportunities offered by their expanding markets and developing infrastructure.
The Moroccan investment in Ethiopia comprises many other fields such as products of first need such as oil, water, dairies, and detergents, among others manufactured by Moroccan company “Capital” 54″. The Moroccan investment also targets the educational system through the Moroccan school gro “p “International Education Gr “up” represented through “Flippers International Sch” ol” with five operating schools (almost 08 million USD).
There is also a mutual engagement to intensify interaction and further harmonize positions in relevant multilateral institutions, such as the African Union and the United Nations. The two countries agreed to coordinate and support eaother’sr’s candidacies in Regional and International Organizations.
By: Dessalegn Yeshambel yeshambeld@gmail.com Monday, July 12, 2022 Water Diplomacy over the Nile River Addis Ababa July 12/2022 (ANC) Diplomatic activities about the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) should focus more on African countries, […]
AFRICA Environmental Science News
Addis Ababa July 12/2022 (ANC) Diplomatic activities about the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) should focus more on African countries, Addis Ababa University Political Science and International Relations Professor Yacob Arsano said.
Professor Yacob told ANC that Ethiopia is working to utilize its water resources based on knowledge and skill without damaging the interest of both the upper and downstream or Nile riparian countries in general. He added that the county is doing its part to change the centuries-old unfair use of the Nile water resources.
H.E Dr. Engineer Sileshi Bekele, on his said claim that Egypt, Sudan, and other Nile-downstream countries should consider GERD as a tool for promoting regional peace and cooperation in Africa. He further added that it was wrong to take a hydro-technical issue to the UNSC to depict Ethiopia’s need for electrical energy as national security issue. At the same time, it is clear that it is purely a development issue.
Noting Ethiopia’s firm position on seeking African solutions to African problems, he recalled that Egypt and Sudan had, on the other hand, tried to take the issue of the GERD to impertinent countries, the professor stated. According to him, the decision of the U.N Security Council to return the case of the dam to the African Union mediation was right. Moreover, Ethiopia needs to remind African countries in the Nile Basin and outside that the diplomatic pressure put on Ethiopia could be replicated on them in the future.
Therefore, the two experts noted that the diplomatic efforts of the Government of Ethiopia should be based on Africa. They suggested, “We need to expand our diplomacy as much as possible, especially in Africa. Since the negotiation is now back in Africa and is being mediated by the African Union, we need to mobilize the help of everyone in the Nile Basin. When we teach and negotiate, argue and explain to third parties, we must go in the same spirit and in the direction we are going to get results”.
Applauding the contribution of scholars to the construction of the dam and reaching a peace agreement on the GERD issue, will promote regional peace and regional integration among Nile initiative countries in Africa, they exclusively said.
Controversial issues such as the Nile Dam at the international level can be implemented when it is possible to increase international support through a global diplomatic struggle. The struggle of diplomacy is a struggle of peaceful work, so it does not require bad words but maturity. It is clear that it will alienate the supporter and open up a hole for the opponent to attack. However, what prompted me to write this article is because I believe that it is necessary to open a dialogue with the democratic forces of Ethiopia on this issue after I read that Theodore said, “Let’s swim together or we will sink together” after it was noted that the foreign minister of Kuwait and his counterpart, the Egyptian foreign minister, held diplomatic talks on June 11.
Theodore’s saying that “we will swim or sink together” is not far from the dictator’s saying that “Egypt and Ethiopia are married”. Both are factual statements. To mobilize Ethiopians and strengthen their power. We remember what the former Minister of Foreign Affairs Seyum Mesfin used to say during the Ethio-Eritrean war, but in the end, we remember how the war and the Badme issue ended. Theodore is no different from the Duke of Sumy. Yesterday they broke up Eritrea. They were together in the Ethio-Eritrea war. They are still together today. However, the diplomatic struggle is much broader than the saying ‘we will swim or sink together. The struggle of diplomacy is a struggle of analysis, debate, mediation, persuasion, which has law, justice, history, science, politics, economy, social, humane and moral horizons. In addition, it should be done sincerely in the spirit of Ethiopianism.
From 1938 to 1945 Even in those dark times, Lorenzo and Aklilu Habtewolde together with their international law advisor Spencer were able to get the support of Canada, India, Norway, Greece and many other countries in their diplomatic struggle to join Eritrea from Ethiopia because their diplomatic battle was mature. It was because they fought from their hearts. First, they formulated mature diplomatic struggle agendas based on research and study. Today, the time is not as dark as it was then. The mindset of the superpowers has changed somewhat from colonialism. Today, Africans hold more than 50 seats in the United Nations. When Lorenzo and Aklilu Habte Wold were fighting for Ethiopia with all their hearts in the United Nations, only Ethiopia and Liberia had a seat and gave them a vote of support. A diplomatic struggle for justice is more likely to be won today than in the Dark Ages. However, it is necessary to formulate mature diplomatic struggle agendas and fight from the heart.
If Ethiopia’s diplomatic struggle can open a dialogue with Egyptian scientists, engineers, legal experts, and democratic forces, and if it can get the support of the African Union, the United Nations, the United States, the European Union, the World Bank, and the IMF, the construction will be more accessible. Therefore, the diplomatic struggle must have research-based agendas. It is not helpful to mention the victories of our forefathers and repeat them. I believe that the following diplomatic schedules can be used for the diplomatic struggle for the construction of the Ethiopian Nile Dam:
Plan one (1): The dam will be built in a hilly area so that it will reduce the amount of water wasted by evaporation.
Agenda Two (2) When the water collected by the dam is released downhill, it hits the turbines and transmits the compressed energy to the turbines (making them rotate), so the water that is released does not flow to Ethiopia but Sudan, so the Nile water going to Egypt will not decrease.
Agenda three (3): The water needed to fill the dam should not pose a threat to Egypt. The Nile water that flows into Egypt in both summer and winter bypasses Egypt and enters the Mediterranean Sea, so scientists and engineers from Ethiopia, Sudan, and Egypt, together with international experts, can calculate how much water can be kept in the dam. Obviously, higher water levels can be avoided in winter than in summer to fill the dam.
Agenda four (4): In addition to the water of the Nile River, a diplomatic campaign should be made to let the people of Egypt and the world know that there is an additional advantage that Egypt will gain by connecting with Sudan’s electricity lines. For example, Egypt and Jordan have linked their electricity lines. To secure their power lines, they couldn’t transport them by land from Egypt to Jordan, so they spent a lot of money and buried the line under the surface of the Red Sea. Recently, Egypt agreed with Saudi Arabia. The reader should note that some of the electricity that Egypt sells to Jordan is 2,100 megawatts of electricity flowing from Ethiopia at the Aswan Dam.
Agenda Five (5): 09 JUNE 2013 Reporter newspaper, during her meeting with former diplomat Ambassador Hailu Wolde Giorgis, answered the ambassador’s question about the international law of water use: “At the meeting of the United Nations Organization, Ethiopia passed the Water Convention with 101 votes in favor, three against and 27 abstentions.” It’s a stand-up.” Let all this be known to the people of Egypt.
Agenda Six (6): It should be clear that you cannot say that Egypt will release the Nile from a hidden calculation that after a hundred years, the number of people may be 300 million or more.
Agenda Seven (7): It must be clear in the morning that Ethiopia will not accept colonial rule. Providing analyses based on law, history, politics, economics, and ethics ensures that our rights to own and use Nile waters are non-negotiable.
Agenda Eight (8): The White Nile that enters Egypt receives about 85% of its water from the Black Nile (70%), Kaze (5%) and Baro (10%) rivers that flow from Ethiopia to Sudan. These three main rivers are formed from many tributaries from different places in Ethiopia. If Egypt continues to be rebellious, the people of Ethiopia will change the direction of the small branches that rise from each area. The amount of water flowing from Ethiopia to Sudan is very low. Egypt cannot always fight militarily from the southwest of the Barrow River to the northwest. Egypt, America, Europe, World Bank, IMF To make everyone realize that Egypt’s violence is futile.
Agenda Nine (9): If Egypt chooses war, it will lose more than the benefits it will gain. The United Nations will punish her for her war-mongering and war initiation.
Agenda Ten (10): Ethiopia’s right to self-defense is respected, including in the diplomatic struggle.
It is clear that if these ten (10) agendas are analyzed, a large document will emerge. It is also clear that by presenting these ideas to the Egyptians and the people of the world in a way that clearly shows their commitment and determination, it is possible to gain the support of at least some of Egypt’s democratic forces and increase the number of international supporters.
Way out local diplomacy; Regional cooperation, and sustainable development
Environmental diplomacy is a field of international diplomacy that has flourished since the 1970s. This sector, especially the service of filtering the harmful radiation from the sun to the earth due to artificial gases, has developed at a high level during international negotiations related to the deterioration of the ozone layer and climate change. Regional diplomacy is based on universally accepted principles. The first of these is that all countries are responsible for protecting and caring for the natural resources (Global commons) given for the common benefit of humanity. The second is that environmental pollution and degradation in one country will contribute to the imbalance of nature in another. This situation is especially evident in the air and water pollution that borders cannot control. Thirdly, it is a principle that recognizes the need for international cooperation to protect and preserve our natural resources, which are essential for the universal well-being of humanity. Based on these, since the 1970s, hundreds of international and regional cooperation frameworks, treaties, and laws have been adopted and put into effect.
Conflicts related to using natural resources are environmental phenomena that have coexisted with humans for centuries. Such conflicts are particularly prominent among communities whose basic daily life is closely tied to natural resources and who live a subsistence lifestyle. Many studies have shown that most of the civil conflicts in Africa in the past decades are based on the ownership and use of natural resources. However, due to the rapidly growing population, there is a high risk that these local conflicts over the use of natural resources may escalate into conflicts between countries. One of these natural resources mentioned as the primary source of threat is the growing global water scarcity. According to the report issued by the International Resource Panel in 2015 according to the European calendar; According to the European calendar, by 2030, more than 3.5 billion of the world’s people will live in countries with moderate and severe water scarcity. To overcome this problem, it has been globally accepted that it is essential to strengthen cooperation between countries in addition to improving water use at every level. Thus, since the 1990s, various international water use regulations have been approved under the auspices of the United Nations. These provisions are based on three main principles, which are equitable utilization; They are the principles of not causing significant harm to others, and strengthening cooperation.
As repeatedly stated, Ethiopia is referred to as the second water tower in Africa due to its unique ecological composition. On the other hand, most of our watersheds end up in transboundary rivers, exposing the country to several challenges related to water use. A similar challenge has occurred in connection with other projects before Renaissance Dam. For example, when Ethiopia started building power plants in the Omo Basin, there were a lot of protests because the construction of the dams would cut off the flow of water that feeds Lake Turkana in Kenya. At the time, several non-governmental organizations campaigned under the slogan ‘Save Lake Turkana’ to stop the construction of Gibe One, Two, and Three. This situation has been presented as a plan to the Kenyan Parliament at different times. At one point it was pushed to be presented as a plan to the United Nations Environment Program Conference. To deal with this question correctly, it was essential to first scientifically confirm the damage caused by the construction of the dams on the lake. After knowing this, it was essential to look at the participation of both countries to see what should be done to reduce the possible damage. Based on this, the preliminary study conducted by an independent research institute confirmed that the flow changes caused by the construction of the dams are not different from the changes caused by changing weather conditions in the past hundred years. The issue has become an international plan, and the countries have been able to focus on cooperation that strengthens their mutual benefits.
About the writer: Dessalegn Yeshambel (Journalist at Africa News Channel, PhD Candidate of Media and Communications at Bahir Dar University,Lecturer of Journalism and Communications at Debre Markos UniversityMA in Journalism and CommunicationEmail:yeshambeld@gmail.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dessalegn-wassie-34996a8a/Phone no.: +251909479713/921284608 Bahir Dar, Ethiopia)
Juan Viedma Martinez • 1st Dr.at Law and Economist. MBA The first kingdom known to have existed in Ethiopia was the kingdom of D’mt, which rose to power around the 10th century B.C. […]
AFRICA Entertainment Magazine
The first kingdom known to have existed in Ethiopia was the kingdom of D’mt, which rose to power around the 10th century B.C. Its capital was Yeha, where a Sabaean-style temple was built around 700 BC. The Sabaeans influenced the D’mt kingdom in Yemen. However, it is not known to what extent.
Ethiopia is a region that has a long history, has some of the earliest human populations, and is possibly the area where people expanded and evolved out of Africa to populate the rest of the world 1.8 years ago. The period begins with the Australopithecus, the ancient hominoids which extend to the early inhabitants of the pre-Aksumites. It is also the period with the arrival of Ge’ez and Judaism. It is believed that the Cushitic language speakers have been the original inhabitants of Ethiopia; however, they were driven out of the region in the 2nd millennium B.C. Accordingly, the Ethiopian kingdom was founded (10th cent. B.C.) by Solomon’s first son, Menelik I. However, it is documented that the first kingdom was Aksum (Axum), a kingdom that probably emerged in the 2nd century A.D. The First Ethiopian Kingdom, Aksum, was a very advanced civilization, for they were the first Africans to mint coins. Nevertheless, Ethiopia is the oldest independent country in Africa and one of the most ancient nations in the world.
Under King Ezana, Aksum was converted (4th cent.) to Christianity by Frumentius of Tyre. This is closely tied to the Egyptian Coptic Church, which accepted the Monophysitism, a Christological position that Christ has only one place, following the Council of Chalcedon. In the 6th century, however, the Jewish influenced the Aksum, and some Ethiopians were converted to Judaism. The second Ethiopian Empire was The Zagwe; they didn’t claim the King Solom nor the Queen of Sheba. When Yekuno Amlak came to power, the Solomonic Dynasty was reinstated in the 10th century B.C. Then came the Zamana Masafent era, which was marked by continuous welfare. It was a period in which Ethiopia was divided with no effective central authority. The lords constantly fought against each other to become the guardians of the kings of Gonder. A notable figure of this period is the monastic evangelist Ewostatewos, who was an essential religious leader in the Ethiopian church. Finally, modern Ethiopia was the reunification of Ethiopia, which began with the rule of Emperor Tewodros. The following central ruler was Haile Selassie I before Derg replaced him.
#people #power #africa #leader #language
via Henok Teferra Shawl • 1st Ambassador of Ethiopia Ethiopia was elected to the Intergovernmental Committee of Intangible Cultural Heritage during the 9th session of the General Assembly of States Parties to the […]
AFRICA ART school of Africavia
Ethiopia was elected to the Intergovernmental Committee of Intangible Cultural Heritage during the 9th session of the General Assembly of States Parties to the 2003 UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage from 5 to 7 July 2022.
Ethiopia is proud to be elected to Intergovernmental Committee on Intangible Cultural Heritage. As one of the representatives of Africa, Ethiopia will work for a more balanced & genuinely representative list of inscribed intangible heritage, reflecting the beauty and diversity of our world.
Preservation of intangible cultural heritage contributes to sustainable development.
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L’Éthiopie élue au Comité intergouvernemental du patrimoine culturel immatériel de l’UNESCO
L’Éthiopie a été élue au Comité intergouvernemental du patrimoine culturel immatériel lors de la 9ème session de l’Assemblée générale des États parties à la Convention de l’UNESCO de 2003 pour la sauvegarde du patrimoine culturel immatériel qui se tient du 5 au 7 juillet 2022.
L’Éthiopie est très fière d’avoir été élue au Comité intergouvernemental du patrimoine culturel immatériel. En tant que l’un des représentants de l’Afrique, l’Éthiopie travaillera pour une liste plus équilibrée et véritablement représentative du patrimoine immatériel inscrit, reflétant la beauté et la diversité de notre monde.
La préservation du patrimoine culturel immatériel contribue au développement durable.
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