Home - GSDM · Home - GSDM ... 8o h;:

GLOBAL SOUTHDevelopment Magazine

#1 1 , Oct 201 2, A development quarterly

ISSN: 1 799-0769, www.si lcreation.org

Initiatives and People Inspiring Action and PromotingSustainable Development from Around the World

Global South Development Magazine is a quarterly magazinepublished by Silver Lining Creation, Finland. The magazine covers awide range of developmental issues primarily of the developing worldand is an initiative of freelance writers and development activists fromdifferent parts of the world.

Editor-in-Chief

Manoj Kr Bhusalmanoj [email protected]

Assistant Editor

Ioulia Fenton

Editorial Assistants

Carolynn LookDinesh PoudelSuraj Chand

Regional Editors

Lingson Adam (East Africa)Khalid Hussain (South Asia)Noah Marwil (Latin America)Catriona Knapman (The Middle East)Edvin Arnby Machata (West Africa)

Special Correspondents

Mary Namusoke (Women’s issues in Africa)Roxanne Irani (Global environmental issues)Sandeep Srivastava (Climate change)Aliza Amlani (Global Health)Deanna Morris (Livelihood & Global Economic Affairs)Aparna S Patankar (Global Education)Kate Kardol (Development Aid & Conflict States)Hriday Sarma (South-to-South Development Cooperation)Irene Nyambura Mwangi (Development & Democracy in Africa)Debora Di Dio (Food Soverignty and Rural Livelihoods)

Country Correspondents

Victoria Lucy Peel Yates (Argentina)Tithe Farhana (Bangladesh)Dr. Lykke E. Andersen (Bolivia)Marita Haug (Brazil)James Belgrave (Burundi)Gareth Mace (Cambodia)Meerim Shakirova (Central Asia)Fady Salah (Egypt)Emily Cavan Lynch (DR Congo)Dr.P.V.Ravichandiran (India)Alphonce Gari (Kenya)Jaya Jung Mahat(Nepal)Samuel Adikpe (Nigeria)Ricardo Morel (Peru)Mohamud Hassan (Somalia)Moses C Masami (Tanzania)Kimbowa Richard (Uganda)Jasen Mphepo (Zimbabwe)

Published By

Silver Lining Creation ry-FinlandEmail: [email protected]@silcreation.orghttp://www.silcreation.orgISSN 1799-0769Subscribe the magazine for free atwww.silcreation.org

www.gsdmagazine.org

Letter to the editor

Women of the

evolution!Your latest issue was a good

read. But I would have called it'women of the evolution'instead of 'women of therevolution' as womenempowerment in the MiddleEast has a long andevolutionary history.

The Arab Spring was notfought forwomen's rightsper se, but just tobring downreckless dictators.The movementwasn't caused byTwitter orFacebook either.Neither it wasparticularly aimedat consolidating

democracy in the region.I am not very pessimistic,

but it will take a significantamount of time and effort toproperly establish women'srights in the region and merelegal provisions and seasonal'revolutions' won't be enoughtfor that.Fatima M, Cairo Egypt

Microfinance needs

an overhaulI read your 'investigative'

feature about microfinance inBangladesh, and based on myown experience withMicrofinance, I can say thatyou made a good diagnosis ofso many complexities attachedto it.

In my opinion, microfinanceshould be carried out in aholistic manner, but that seemsvery hard because it requiresalmost a complete overhaulingof the system. There areidealogical issues of

institutions and evenindividuals involved inmicrofinance activities.

In somanydiscussions Ialways ask:Microfinance is reallyfor whom?And thatinstantlymakes melike an 'odd' charater inotherwise a smooth story.Ramon M. , Rangpur,

Bangladesh

Focus more on citizen

journalismI have been reading Global

South Development Magazinefor a while now and I love it.However, like many otherdevelopment publications,GSDM faces the danger ofparachute journalism.

Thereseem to bequite a fewlocal, citizenjournalistswriting abouttheir ownissues, butmany ofGSDMreportersseem to bewesternNGO workers working in thedeveloping world, and at timesthe reporting seems veryshallow.

Nothing against the

NGO/INGO workers, but in myopinion, GSDM shouldpromote citizen journalism andencourage the locals to writeabout themselves, and as far asI have understood, themagazine is all about that.

Even in the developingworld, selecting unbiased,

independentreporters is adaunting taskas manypeople do havetheir ownpersonalinterests andhiddenagendas, but Ithink in anycase they cando a better jobwhen it comes

to reporting their localcommunities, problems theyface and the solutions they havefound.Sujata C. New Delhi, India

Global Editorial Team

Global South Development Magazine, Founded in 2010October 201 2 ISSUE 1 0 WWW.SILCREATION.ORG

4 Introduction: Unsung Heroes and Inspiration for Change5 South in the Frame: Photos from Mali and Afghanistan6 News Analysis: Global South7 Photo Essay: Life in Post-War Nicaragua27 Country Profile: The Republic of Singapore29 Tips from the Field: Improving Education Means Investing in Educators31 Gender & Development: Can Family Work as a Human Rights Defender in theDeveloping World?32 China: Graffiti on the Great Wall: the Hidden Street Art Culture ofBeij ing34 Food Security & Nutrition: Rural Women in Bangladesh: the Key to Food Security &Nutrition37 Women Entrepreneurship: Helena Lutege: A Female Entrepreneur Transforming theLives ofThousands in Tanzania38 Refugees: The World's Largest Refugee Camp- What is the Future for Dadaab?40 Latin America: Honduras: Violence, Repression and Impunity Capital of the World42 Development in the News

Initiatives and People Inspiring Action and Promoting SustainableDevelopment from Around the World- Page 11

www.silcreation.org

While watching the U.S. Presidentialdebates last week, a friend ofmine askedme an interesting question: “If youbecame the First Lady, what would beyour platform?” Beyond thinking aboutthe issues I care most about, I foundmyself day-dreaming about what itwould be like to have the power toinfluence an entire country, focus theircollective will and really make a dent inimproving the lives of people around theworld. While this is a noble goal, it’salso a seductive trap. Very often we feellike we need to either know everythingabout an issue or be in a recognized high-profile position to enact change.However, real people everywhere areproving this wrong.

I think about the anger, apathy andconfusion that Ioulia Fenton mentionsfeeling after reading countlessenvironmental and economic books inher “Be the Change You Want to See”book challenge article this month. It’seasy to feel paralyzed by all the world’sproblems and think that there is no waywe, as everyday individuals, can begin tomake an impact. This is a very realfeeling and I hear it on a regular basisfrom the every-day citizens I work withon civil society campaigns across theglobe. We tend to feel that ifwe can’t doit all or know all the answers, then it’snot worth trying.

This is the danger that we as NGOsand civil society organizations createwhen we lift up and celebrate only thebest of the best of us. People like NgetThy from the Cambodian Center for theProtection ofChildren's Rights in GarethMace’s article and Helena Lutege, thefemale entrepreneur from Tanzinia inMary Namusoke’s piece certainlydeserve our attention and recognition, butso do the many nameless and facelessamong us, like the person who simplyasked Chinese Graffiti Artist, ZhangDali, “Who are you?” and sparked anation-wide dialogue in Carolynn Look’sarticle: Graffiti on the Great Wall: TheHidden Street Art Culture ofBeij ing.

I remember bringing a woman withme to the U.S. Capitol to meet with her

Senator on a Citizen’s Lobby Day I wasworking on several years ago. Thewoman was so nervous to have aconversation with her elected official thatshe was visibly shaking. I tried to re-assure her that she didn’t need to have allthe answers; she just needed to tell herstory. Her personal story was morecompelling that any pie graph I hadstuffed away in my brief case.

As we began the meeting, thevolunteer advocate (I’ ll call her Kris)forgot all her talking points, butproceeded to pull out her family photoalbum and showed the Senator the peoplein her life that lost their lives to cancer.A brother. A nephew. A mom. A bestfriend.

The bill that we were advocating foreventually passed. The piece oflegislation and all the elected officialsand influential advocacy groups thatsupported it were hailed in the press, butthere was no mention ofKris, a regular,every-day person who did what she couldin 15 minutes of her time to make theworld a better place, simply by tellingher story. No fancy degree, title or factsand figures necessary.

This month, as we hear aboutoverwhelming social problems, let’schallenge ourselves to not feel paralyzedby our seemingly lack of power to affectthese conditions or believe that we can’taffect change without an esteemed title orcredentials. Let’s not forget that everydaypeople matter.

After all, if the rural women inBangladesh, featured in Debora Di Dio’sarticle this month are transforming foodsecurity and nutrition for their entirecommunity by fetching water for theirfamilies, planting crops and caring forchildren aren’t waiting to become FirstLady to fulfill their platform, there’s noreason I need to wait either.

Paula Fynboh is an independent

contractor and consultant who

specializes in capacity building, story

telling, civic engagement and

grassroots participation. She can be

reached at paula. fynboh@gmail. com.

"It’s easy to feelparalyzed by all theworld’s problems andthink that there is noway we, as everyday

individuals, can begin tomake an impact"

"This month, as we hearabout overwhelmingsocial problems, let’schallenge ourselves to

not feel paralyzed by ourseemingly lack of power

to affect theseconditions or believethat we can’t affectchange without anesteemed title or

credentials. Let’s notforget that everydaypeople matter"

By PAULA FYNBOH

GSDM guest contributor

Introduction GSDM Inspiration Issue

Global South Development Magazine Oct 201 2 4

Global South In the Frame

Malian refugees in Damba camp / Eight years old Abubakrim, lies down on the ground inside the health center in Damba refugee camp with his motherFadmata checking on him. Photo: UNHCR/H Caux


Wheat fields in Salang, Parwan Province, Afghanistan. In Afghanistan 12 to 15 percent of land is arable. Approximately 1 .5 million hectaresconsists of rain-fed land and farmers depend on rains for agricultural production. UN Multimedia/Fardin Waezi.

PAKISTAN: Quality

education still a long way off

News Analysis Global South

ISLAMABAD, 9 October 2012 (IRIN) - As eveningapproaches in the centre of Pakistan’s capitalIslamabad, children gather at a small playground,chatting and laughing. It is a scene played out incountless parks across the country, but the childrenare not here to play after school - they are here toattend one.

For three hours every evening, free classes runhere for anyone who wants to attend, with the ideabeing that some of the many children who live onIslamabad’s streets, or work in its markets andhouses, might benefit.

Mohammad Ayub, who runs the unofficialschool, began teaching children whose parentscould not afford to send them to school in 1988.

Despite the fact that state-run primary schools donot charge fees and many provide free textbooks,other expenses (such as stationery, uniforms andtransportation) mean that for many poor families,schools are unaffordable.

“It became quite popular and many parents whocouldn’t afford a meal - forget education - wouldsend their children to my little school in theevenings,” Ayub said.

The school, which relies on volunteers anddonations, is one of dozens of informal institutionsin the capital which are helping to educate children.

Pakistan has made limited progress in improvingthe quality and reach of its education system, andmillions of children are missing out on schoolingaltogether in what the governments of Pakistan andthe UK have termed an “education emergency”.

Despite making education a fundamentalconstitutional right in 2010, Pakistan has no chanceof fulfilling its Millennium Development Goal ofachieving universal education by 2015.

Over seven million primary-aged children do not

attend school, according to a 2011 report by thePakistan Education Task Force (PETF), a bodywhich includes senior education officials andindependent experts.

The UN Education, Scientific and CulturalOrganization (UNESCO) said in 2010 that 30percent of Pakistan’s population lives in a state of“extreme educational poverty” - receiving less thantwo years of education.

“We could clearly see that an emergency wasunfolding. Fifty percent of children of primaryschool age were not attending school or notcompleting it,” said Shahnaz Wazir Ali, social sectoradviser to the prime minister and PETF co-chair,adding: “We can no longer treat the education sectorwith a business-as-usual approach.”

PETF reckons the economic cost to Pakistan ofnot educating its people effectively translates intohundreds ofmillions of dollars in lost productivity.

A success story

Many of those who have finished Ayub’s informalschool in Islamabad have gone on to complete highschool and college, and today have jobs they couldnever have dreamed of. Ayub estimates that 20percent of the students finish grade 10, with around10 percent going on to complete degrees at colleges.Many, like Yasmin Nawaz, a 30-year-old mother ofthree who graduated from the school in 1994,became teachers themselves.

“I finished middle school, grade 8. My parentscouldn’t afford to send me to high school, butMaster Ayub said I must,” Nawaz said. “He paid formy textbooks and my exam registration fee, and inreturn, I taught here at the school. I then taughtelsewhere as well.”

Despite the clear return on this investment and


- 2015 Education MDG in jeopardy- 30% of population gets less than 2 years of education- Policy hinders progress"

SEVARÉ, 8 October 2012 (IRIN) - Children asyoung as 14 are joining military training camps runby militias in southern Mali preparing to fightIslamist groups in the north. At the same time,Islamist groups in the north are recruiting childrenas young as 11 to man checkpoints, gatherintelligence, searchvehicles and patrolthe streets in Gao,Timbuktu and Kidal,according to aidagencies and humanrights groups.Fatoumata Tall, a 16-year-old from Ségouin south-central Mali,had never held a riflebefore coming to amilitia training campin Sevaré, in central Mali about 45km from theIslamist-held north.

After six months of rigorous training mainlyfrom former soldiers in the Malian army, she isready for battle, saying she cannot accept theoccupation, or the Islamists imposing Sharia in hercountry.

“I am determined to fight. . . Our goal is toliberate the north. Whatever the price, we can’tabandon our people,” she told IRIN.

In Sevaré alone, hundreds of youths andchildren, many of them 14 or under, are living andtraining in run-down barracks or school-buildings.They spend hours each day learning how to use agun, simulating hand-to-hand combat, andexercising.

Calling themselves the FLN, or the LiberationFront of the North, most are proud to be here andmany have come without their parents’ knowledgeor approval. “It’s my country and I’m doingwhatever it takes to defend it,” said FatoumataTall, explaining that her parents would force her toleave immediately if they knew where she was.

One camp holds 1 ,000 youths, another 400,according to militia trainer Col Ibrahima Outtara,though IRIN was unable to verify these figures.

The militia are short on arms and have toborrow guns from the Malian army for weapons-training, said leaders at FLN camp just outside ofMopti. The government promised food, equipmentand funding but it never materialized, so trainersrely on handouts from the local population to getby.

None of the youths IRIN spoke to had eatenmore than one meal of rice per day.

One of the drivers behind a military coup thatousted President Amadou Toumani Touré in Marchwas the long-term neglect and marginalization ofthe Malian army, which needed more manpower,weaponry and better training to take on Islamists inthe north. In what Reuters described as a“spectacular own goal” the political havoc in thesouth was a contributing factor to Tuareg rebelsand Islamist groups taking control in the north.

Tall hopes to join the army when she“graduates” but Mohammad Maiga, a formersoldier who directs one of the camps, said heknows recruits will not be accepted as they areunder-age.

Mali is a party to the Convention of the Rightsof the Child and its Optional Protocol, barringrecruitment of children under 18.

BANGKOK, October 2012- Food losses inAsia due to disasters or poor storage, packingand delivery are set to worsen, andgovernments are ill-prepared to stem thewastage, according experts recentlyconvened by the Centre for Non-TraditionalSecurity Studies in Singapore.

Possible solutions include redistributing

edible wasted food to people; turning it intoenergy and agriculture inputs; anddeveloping new technology to separate foodwaste from other rubbish. Policymakers needto take a “total supply chain approach” orelse risk breaking Southeast Asia’s fragilefood system, said the experts.

“It is likely that the region wastesapproximately 33 percentof food, but accurateestimates are not availabledue to a dearth ofquantitative information.”

Increasing urbanizationmeans food will tend totravel farther, somethingthat could exacerbate thefood waste problem.Governments need to betterfund the tracking of foodwaste (especially fish,vegetables and rice), theysaid.

Pakistan’s pledge to spend at least 4 percent of itsGDP on education, that figure has been decreasing.Education spending today stands at less than 1 .5percent of Pakistan’s GDP, according PETF.

“The government recognized this problem earlyon. We’ve been working hard, on our own and withour major partners, especially the Britishgovernment, to improve the situation,” Ali said.“Much more needs to be done but the governmenthas taken some significant decisions andimplemented them too.”

These efforts include investments in teachertraining, infrastructure and providing textbooks tostudents, but it is not merely a matter of gettingchildren into school. The quality of their educationalso needs to be addressed, analysts say.

“One of the solutions you hear to the problemsin Pakistan’s education sector is for the privatesector to step up and fill the gap,” Abbas Rashid,executive director of the independent Society forthe Advancement ofEducation, told IRIN.“Around 30 percent of students are attendingprivate schools, but what kind of education arethey getting?”

Poor quality

Private schools, analysts say, are preferred byparents over government schools, despite thehigher fees, but the quality of education at theseschools is often only marginally better. “The issueis: better does not necessarily mean adequate,” saidRashid.

According to the 2011 Annual State ofEducation Report (ASER) compiled by the SouthAsian Forum for Education Development, 45percent of grade 5 students in public schools canonly read a grade 2-level story in Urdu. Thenumber is only slightly better in private schools -57 percent.

That parents are concerned about quality isreflected by the fact that many of the students atMohammed Ayub’s school attend governmentschools in the morning. Seven-year-old RimshaSamuel goes to a government primary school in themorning, and after lunch, heads to Ayub’s schoolfor further classes.

“After I study here, I understand my lessonsreally well. I don’t forget and do well in tests,”Samuel said.

Lack of resources not the only problem

Meanwhile, Ayub says: “Do I think theeducation system in Pakistan has let the children ofthis country down? Sure… But the reason for thatis not lack of resources. If resources were an issue,where did they get money for all these schoolbuildings where teachers don’t teach… There’s justno will to improve the situation.”

Experts agree that just throwing money at theproblem will not solve it, and that policy andgovernance are issues that have to be dealt with atthe same time to achieve any lasting results.

“Money is one of the main issues, but there is aproblem with how policies are made. And they areconstantly changed, not using the research that hasbeen carried out on the sector,” said Fareeha Zafar,an independent education expert.

Accountability

“There is the issue of governance, there are noaccountability mechanisms. For example, even ifyou do have sufficient teachers - which we don’t -if they are not in school, it is not possible toachieve anything.”

The LEAPS (Learning and EducationalAchievement in Pakistan Schools) project andPETF estimate that teachers in governmentschools, despite being paid more than their privatesector counterparts and having greater job security,are not present one-fifth of the time. Governmentschool teachers often use political connections andunion action to protect themselves.

“Even if a senior officer reports a teacher that isnot performing or not even attending school, it isvery difficult to take action because they willinvolve the unions or go to an MNA [member ofthe National Assembly] ,” said Zafar.

“Even if you get that [teacher accountability] ,the quality of education, of textbooks, is an issue.So all of this needs to be considered, not just whatis spent on education, but how.” (IRIN)


News Analysis Global South

MBABANE, September 2012- The practice ofmenmarrying underage girls - which has been anaccepted social norm for centuries but has beenlinked in recent years to the spread ofHIV - wasrecently declared illegal in Swaziland.

Known in SiSwati as ‘kwendizisa’ , the marriageof an adult man to an underage girl was considereda legal “grey area” prior to the promulgation of theChildren’s Protection and Welfare Act of 2012.According to the 2005 Swaziland constitution,some customary practices are allowed unless theyconflict with constitutional clauses.

“Swazi men marrying girls once the girls enterpuberty is not a customary law. It is not mandatory.It is tolerated because it has always been done. Buttimes are changing, and Swaziland has the highestHIV prevalence rate in the world. This practice hasadded to the spread ofHIV. It is a great victory forpublic health and for the rights of girl children thatthis outmoded practice must now end,” AIDSactivist Sandra Kunene told PlusNews.

Married adolescents are at greater risk ofHIVinfection because many of them are in polygamousunions, face sexual violence or are unable tonegotiate safe sex. The girls also tend to have littlecontact with their peers, restricted social mobility,low levels of education and limited access to mediaand health messages.

KATHMANDU,September 2012Government oversight is preventing localcommunities from reaping economic benefitsfrom forests they have spent decades re-generating, activists say.

Communities “cannot make [the] best useof their available resources because of therestrictions imposed and a complicatedprocess of getting approval for harvesting ofany timber and non-timber forest products,”Ganga Ram Dahal of the Rights andResources Initiative (RRI), a global coalitionpromoting forest land tenure reform, toldIRIN.

The challenge is“safeguarding the rights”of communities, Bharat Pokharel, foresterand deputy country programme director inNepal for the Swiss development agencyHelvetas, explained at a recent regionalworkshop on forestland tenure held in thecapital, Kathmandu.Today, communityforestry covers 1 .6 million hectares, or aquarter of all forestland in Nepal.


Photo Essay Aftermath of a war

By DIEGO CUPOLOText & Photos

"Now we’re back inpower. We have

Daniel. He’s not sogreat, but we don’thave a better choice.He’s the least evil ofour choices. Who elseam I going to votefor? The Reds?"

Corina's storyWe spent four days in a tunnel once.

During the war, the Sandinistas usedunderground tunnels to get from one houseto another. It was a good way to trickSomoza’s men and escape.

At one point they were bombing Esteli.The military was all over the city. Soldierswould radio each other before bombing raidsand say “take cover, we’re going to dropcandy.”

Twenty of us had to stay in a small tunnelfor four days during a period of very heavybombing. I was the only one that would goout in the street to see what was happening.How did we eat? We didn’t eat, it’s thatsimple. We had one bucket for piss and thatwas it.

The war was terrible, but it felt good tofight for something we believed in. I was anurse through most of the revolution. Wewent out in the mountains and gave aid toguerrillas in their camps. After the war I wasa teacher in Esteli. We won the war and ourmain goals were to educate the poor and

help farmers.But we weren’t allowed to do that.

Señor Reagan started the Contra War afterSomoza fell. He armed Somoza’s formermilitary men, trained them in Honduras, andthere were always battles near the border.It was a very hard time.

The U.S. put an embargo on us, just likethe one in Cuba, and they didn’t stop it untilthe FSLN lost power in 1990.Now we’re back in power. We have Daniel.He’s not so great, but we don’t have a betterchoice. He’s the least evil of our choices.Who else am I going to vote for? The Reds?I’m Sandinista.

It’s been hard ever since the revolution,sure. We’re in a transitional faze. I guess it’snormal.

But the worst part, the absolute worstpart about everything I’ve experienced inmy life is how the U.S. always gets involvedin our lives. They never leave us alone. Theywant to control the world and here, in poorlittle Central America, they really show it.It’s like we’re their children.

Nicaragua is the second poorestcountry in the western hemisphere. Thegoverning political party, FrenteSandinista de Liberación Nacional(FSLN), was brought to power afteroverthrowing longtime dictatorAnastasio Somoza in the 1979revolution.In the 1980s, the FSLN began

implementing social programs aimedat reducing illiteracy and hunger, butwas soon forced to divert scantresources to fight Contra Wars againstU.S.-armed militias, which werenotably composed with Somoza’sformer guardsmen.Today, the nation is still recovering

from decades of violence and manyresidents, known as “Nicas”, lack basicfood items as they watch local cropsget shipped overseas. The following isa compilation of thoughts andconversations from the rural areas inthe northern Nicaragua one monthbefore the 2011 elections.


El Viejito

“He’s waiting to die,” she said.“He’s lived more than a hundred years and helost his vision three months ago.”“He worked hard all his life. He was a toughman, but now he just stays in his room all daybecause he doesn’t want anyone to see him soold and so blind.”“He says he doesn’t like being with peopleanymore because he can’t see them. It makeshim uncomfortable.”“He’s funny, though. Last night he was yellingfor me to make him coffee. It was four inmorning. He can’t see so he doesn’t know whattime it is anymore. Night and day are the samefor him.”“You know, he met Sandino in person when hewas a teenager. After that, he went on to do alot ofwork for the FSLN.”“Is he dead yet?” A voice asked from thekitchen.“No, I checked on him this morning, but maybehe’s dead now.”

JavierNo, I’m not voting in the elections.I already know who’s going to win.Daniel.

There’s no real opposition and the FSLN has allthe money. It’s corruption.Let me give you an example. We have specialofficers that count the votes in every election.Normally, each party has their own officer, but allof the officers are now part of the FSLN. Basically,we have people counting votes for the partiesthey’re running against.

People know our government is corrupt, butthey don’t do anything about it. They thinkchanging our politics means another war so theydon’t complain much. With the revolution not sofar in the past, most people just want peace.The FSLN knows this and it’s part of how they

stay in power. Not many people will speak badlyabout them. It’s dangerous to speak against them.They don’t kill you or torture you like Somoza, butthey’ll ruin your life.

You know, they have offices in every townwhere they give you a special document sayingyou’re a Sandinista. If you’re against any of theirpolicies they take this document away from youand this is important because most places require itwhen they hire you.

Daniel is looking more like a dictator everyyear.It’s a shame really. The FSLN started with goodintentions: help the poor, vaccinations, healthservices, education in rural areas. Now thingschanged. We’re not getting anywhere.Daniel always criticizes the U.S. in his speeches,but then he signs trade deals with them when hegets back to his office. We’ve been getting more

help from Chavez lately, but he’s the same. Chavezyells and screams about U.S. imperialism, but inthe end, he sells most ofVenezuela’s oil to the U.S.

It’s the same story in every Latin Americancountry. We seem to copy each other, dictators andall.

Me, I just want to make a little money andsupport my family.

It’s hard living here on the farm. We loose a lotofmoney and we don’t even have enough peopleto work the land anymore. Everyone’s moving tothe cities thinking they’ll have better lives, but theyjust find more problems. You have to buyeverything in the city and most of it’s puregarbage.

I don’t know what to do, really. I feel stuck.Maybe something will change later, but for nowwe have Daniel and Daniel promises everythinganddelivers little.

"People know ourgovernment is corrupt,

but they don’t doanything about it.

They think changingour politics meansanother war so theydon’t complain much.With the revolutionnot so far in the past,most people just want

peace"


"The war was horrible. Wenever had enough to eat.

It was worse for the childrenthough. They suffered themost. Children and old

people. Anyone who couldn’trun fast enough"

Global South Development Magazine Oct 201 2 1 0

Doña Maria

The war was horrible. We never hadenough to eat.It was worse for the children though.They suffered the most. Children andold people. Anyone who couldn’t runfast enough.

This was my family’s land, but wehad to move to Managua during thewar. It was too dangerous here nearthe border. There were troopseverywhere. They passed by everyday. They’d take people away and wewouldn’t see them again.What happened to them? They killedthem of course. They killed mymother.

That’s what they did. It was worseduring the Contra War. They came topoor villages on purpose. They knewno one would notice. No one waswatching. They did what they wantedto us.

We couldn’t come back home untilthe late 80s. Fifteen years after weran away. When we arrived the FSLNhad stolen parts ofmy father’s landand gave it to other people. It waspart of their anti-poverty campaign.But we were lucky. We got to keepmost of our land. Other people cameback and found new families living intheir houses. I knew a woman, theFSLN took her house and she had tomove to Canada as a refugee. She hadthree children up there and stayedthere. I guess she’s doing well.

Us, we have to stay here. This landis what we have. It’s not good landand not much can grow in it, but it’sours. We grow coffee. That’s what wedo.At least we have peace now. That’sall I want.Do you want something to eat?I get worried when you don’t eat.

Silcreation offers a range of free distance learning courses every year.For 2012 and 2013, we are offering an exciting course:

Want to apply? Keep checking silcreation.org/distancelearning


Cover Story Development Inspirations 201 2

Initiatives and People Inspiring Action and PromotingSustainable Development from Around the World


I tend to get pretty depressed after readingmany economic, international development andenvironmental books—factual, fiction orotherwise. If you do not know what I mean, Ihighly recommend reading Daniel Quinn’s1992 novel Ishmael. Set up as a conversationbetween a teacher and student, where theformer happens to be a hyper-intelligent,talking Guerrilla, the book slowly takes thereader through environmental philosophyreasons for how we have managed to getourselves into the present day environmentalmess. Upon turning over the last page I feltempty and angry at everyone, especiallymyself. Being on vacation in El Salvador andstaying in an air-conditioned hotel room withan outdoor pool, which already felt prettyuncomfortable, all of a sudden felt like aridiculous extravagance that was killing theplanet. I immediately understood why onereviewer had said: “From now on I will dividethe books I have read into two categories -- theones I read before Ishmael and those readafter.”

The simple lack of available information ortransparency around the use and effects ofchemicals in every product that surrounds ourlives—as well as more blatant and grievousreleases of chemicals into the environment byarmy weapons testing and otherindustries—exposed by Yale Professor JohnWargo in his 2011 book Green Intelligence leftme feeling paralysed. The massive privateefforts to shut the public out and the inadequatepolicies and regulations in place to holdbusinesses responsible for polluting theenvironment and human beings to the point ofdisease and death was devastating—I just hadno idea what I could do.

The 2004 Confessions of an Economic HitMan was one of only two books that ever mademe literally weep upon finishing it. I rememberthe moment vividly as I shrank deep into mylong-haul flight airplane seat and quietlysobbed on my route to do fieldwork inGuatemala. The book is a personal life historyexposé by John Hopkins that claims that he,and many people like him, were used toconvince the political and financial leadershipof underdeveloped countries (often using falseprojections) to accept enormous developmentloans from institutions like the World Bank andUSAID that saddled them with an impossibledebt and perpetual under-development—whilethe developing countries had to pay back loanswith interest to U.S.-dominated institutions,they were contractually obligated to use U.S.firms for the projects that were the purposes ofthe loans to begin with, thus making sure thatinternal development would not, in fact, occur.

Naomi Klein’s 2008 The Shock

Doctrine—a carefully researched anddocumented behind-the-closed-doors story ofhow American “free-market” policies havecome to dominate the world throughexploitation of disaster-shocked peoples andcountries—had a similar, sinking effect. Isimply felt powerless to be able to affect achange when so many of the world’sinequalities and injustices seemed to bepurposely orchestrated by a powerful few thatare unreachable to so many of us.

And there are many more book exampleslike that—all with one thing in common: I feltworse than before and immobilised afterreading them: I had no idea where to start.

Then, through serendipity more than plan, Ibegan to slowly see things differently. Livingand working in different countries like Bolivia,Thailand, Nicaragua and Guatemala, forexample, I saw many hardships, but also manysmall victories that ordinary people werewinning by improving their lives and the livesof others. The sheer passions and determinationthat Edwin showed—a gentle giant of a man,an artist and a teacher who found a dream jobworking for an educational NGO inGuatemala—was simply inspiring. He workedlong hours and weekends, through harshweather,illness and personal trauma, notbecause he has to got to work, but because hewants to help his indigenous Maya community.

My recent involvement with WorldwatchInstitute’s Nourishing the Planet project wasalso enlightening. Recognising that the currentglobal systems are not sustainable and are, infact, destroying people and the planet, ithighlights individuals, initiatives andorganizations that are striving to make adifference. The projects are often small, startedon someone’s spare time, with little fundingbut a ton of commitment, enthusiasm andheart. Yet, they are making huge differences inpeople’s lives and in improving theenvironment.

I also began reading books and works withthe objective of looking not only for problems,but good, practical suggestions on how to solvethem. For this issue I reviewed Ecoliterate:How Educators Are Cultivating Emotional,Social and Ecological Intelligence, written byDaniel Goleman, Lisa Bennet and ZenobiaBarlow of the Center for Ecoliteracy. It tellseight stories that start by outlining problems ofinjustice, corruption and pollution that pertainto such things as the awfully destructivemountaintop mining; poverty and unfairness indistribution of resources and quality ofeducation in schools; and environmental andsocial destruction of oil drilling in indigenouspeople’s traditional home environments. Yet,the bad news only sets the scene and the book

is a revelation ofpractical action thatindividuals andcommunities—including children andyouths—are makingin their fight for abetter world.

My most recentforay into FredMagdoff’s and JohnBellamy Foster’s2011 What EveryEnvironmentalistNeeds to KnowAbout Capitalismalso surprised me as,after a longdescription of howthings have gonewrong, the bookends with a longchapter on whatactivists, academics,policy makers andnormal peopleshould and candemand to helpchange thingsaround.

As I began to getmore and moreinspired, the wordsofGhandi—recounted to me by a closefriend—really helped put things in perspective.“Be the change you want to see,” he said when,in turn, quoting his own grandfather. So I havedecided to make a pledge to no longer beinactive or feel paralysed because the size ofthe problem seems too big for me to make adifference. We can all make small changes and,as part of the GSDM inspiration issue, I pledgeto do everything I can—within the time that Ican spare and within the confines of thechanges that I can realistically make—to makesure that my life reflects my ideals as much aspossible. I will carry a thermos flask to makesure I never buy a bottle ofwater or take mycoffee to go in a throwaway paper cup. I willcarry a reusable shopping bag to make sure Inever use a plastic one. I will not buy clothesunless I absolutely need them and I know thatthey are sourced and made responsibly. And,locally, I will work to improve my communityand be a greater advocate for sustainability,social justice and the future of humanity. Joinus, feel inspired and feel empowered to make achange. After all, as the zen saying goes:“Happiness ifwhen what you think, say and doare in harmony.”


By IOULIA FENTON

GSDMAssistant Editor

"throughserendipity morethan plan, I beganto slowly see

things differently.Living andworking indifferent

countries likeBolivia, Thailand,Nicaragua andGuatemala, forexample, I sawmany hardships,but also manysmall victoriesthat ordinarypeople werewinning by

improving theirlives and the lives

of others"


The world’s global food andagriculture system is not working. Onthe one end, the Green Revolution hasconverted much farmland intoindustrial agricultural production thatuses man-made chemical pesticidesand fertilizers instead ofmethods thatare more harmonious with nature. Thishas led to the loss of biodiversity astillage and use of pesticides have killedoff or deterred other plant and animalspecies. It has also helped fuel climatechange as more and more forests arecut down for conversion to agriculture,while chemical pollution has furtheredair, water, and land pollution. It hasalso led to the sprouting of a multibillion dollar a year geneticallymodified crops industry with plantsengineered in genetics labs to becompatible only with certaincompanies’ chemical agriculturalinputs. Far from delivering thepromised gains in yields and greaterincomes for developing countryfarmers, it has led to pesticidedependency and spiraling cycles ofdebt and death as smallholders fail tokeep up (see GSDMApril 2012 issueon Farmer Suicides in India for moredetails).

On the other end of the system,every year the world produces enoughfood to adequately feed and nurtureevery human being on the planet. Yet,already huge disparities in access keepgrowing as advanced nations wasteenough food to feed three billion

additional people, while one billion oftheir neighbors in the South facecrippling problems of severe under-nutrition. The problem is complicatedby the fact that—as a result of anindustrial food business system gearedtowards longer shelf-life and biggersales and due to poor policy andindividual decisions—much of thefood that does reach both rich and poorconsumers is highly processed andloaded with salt, sugars, and fats,while lacking even the basic nutrients.This has led to widespread obesitythroughout advanced and developingnations and more deaths are nowattributed to related non-communicablediseases—heart attacks, type 2diabetes, osteoporosis, and thelike—worldwide than to any othercause.

Although the situation may seemdire, there is something that everyonecan do to make a difference.Fortunately, individuals, communities,and organizations around the world aretaking action—big and small—toaddress different challenges along thefood and agriculture chain. As part ofthe inspiration issue, we bring you 12tales of such nuggets of positivity thatprove that the scale of the problemneed not cause depression, paralysis,and inaction. Rather, that taking onsmaller, focused chunks of the issuecan lead to impressive results and realimpact on the health and lives ofothers.


By IOULIA FENTON & ADAM NELSON


"Although thesituation may seemdire, there issomething thateveryone can do tomake a difference.Fortunately,individuals,communities, andorganizations aroundthe world are takingaction—big andsmall—to addressdifferent challengesalong the food andagriculture chain. Aspart of the inspirationissue, we bring you 12tales of such nuggetsof positivity that provethat the scale of theproblem need notcause depression,paralysis, andinaction"

Tlhago means nature in Afrikaans.And it is nature that the TlhagoPrimary Agricultural Cooperativehas brought to the roof-scape ofJohannesburg, South Africa. Theproject was started in 2010 byTshediso Phahlane and hisenthusiastic team-mates by securing

funding from theJohannesburg DevelopmentAgency (JDA) to create thefirst garden on a buildingrooftop donated by thecity’s Affordable HousingCompany (Afcho). Theorganization’s goal is totackle climate change (CC) byeducating youth and communitymembers about its causes andeffects. It also teaches them howurban gardening can be part of thesolution to environmental problems,while minimizing unemployment,poverty, and malnutrition.

The cooperative does much of itsteaching in the communities’ own

languages and so far, throughoutreach and educational activities, ithas transferred urban gardeningskills to more than 100 people fromlocal communities. Since itsconception in July 2010, thecooperative’s six organizers haveplanted two rooftop gardens at theheart of the metropolis and theydream of one day greening the entiremetropolis.

Forum for the Future—a globalindependent non-profit that seekssystem-wide solutions to globalchallenges—believes that, byfundamentally changing theiroperating models, businesses can bethe key to future sustainability. Theywork with major and smallerindustry players—like PepsiCo,Target, Unilever, supermarket chainsMarks and Spencer and Tesco, andsmaller, dynamic enterprises like thefarmer’s networking platform

Sustaination, organic babyfood producer Ella’s

Kitchen, and Fair Trade-focusedCafédirect—to help them see theworld differently. ThePepsiCo Global Scenarios andStrategy 2030 project, for example,included interviews with more than100 experts from within and outsidethe industry and a series ofworkshops to engage key peopleacross the business. It illustrated toleaders that things like obesity andclimate change are not merely public

or individual problems, but, in fact,represent significant risk factors asfar as profitability and viability ofPepsiCo itself.

There is a big difference betweenbeing a little greener and being trulysustainable, and the ultimate visionof the Forum is to help companiesbecome the latter. For example, oneof the Forum’s pioneer partnersKingfisher—a non-food retailer thatsells things like lawnmowers andpaint—has developed a vision ofbecoming a net-positive company in

Sheelah Muhammad is the co-founder of Fresh Moves—a projectworking for food justice inChicago’s poorest areas. Theorganization employs five peoplefrom the communities in which theyoperate—prioritizing difficult-to-employ individuals who struggle tofind work elsewhere—to bring freshfruit and vegetables to communitiesthat lack greengrocers or other

sources of healthy food options.Their vehicle of choice? A convertedcity bus operating as a mobilegreengrocer’s.

Today, under the slogan “No morefood deserts. The drought is over! ”Fresh Moves operates a weekly routestopping in 12 different locations in

Chicago’s West side. The bus hasbeen converted with multiple verticalrows of fruit, vegetable, and greens-filled greengrocer baskets on the

inside (over 40 differentproducts in total) andpainted in crimson-redwith ripe bananas, carrots,and watermelons on theoutside. The produceoffered is as seasonal andlocal as possible—theproject sources goods fromChicago’s urbanagriculture initiatives, suchas Windy City Harvest and

Growing Power, and supportsAfrican-American farmers outsidethe city.



Tlhago Cooperative’s Rooftop Harvest (Photo Credit: Tshediso

PepsiCo U.K. is working towards a truly sustainable business model thanks to the

work ofForum for the Future (Photo Credit: Forum for the Future)

The Fresh Moves Bus (Photo Credit: Fresh Moves)

Steve Dudenhoefer is the founderofAk’Tenamit, an indigenous-runnon-governmental organization(NGO) in Guatemala. Theyrecognized early that the country’seducation system was de-linkedfrom the potential job market andover the years have developedtheir own methodology providingappropriate vocational training forindigenous boys and girls from ruralareas to become future leaders in

their communities and generators oftheir own wealth. Set in a remotelocation on the Rio Dulce, the

curriculum is implemented in theAk’Tenamit boarding school, servingas an academy and practical trainingvillage. It houses an on-siterestaurant and handicraft shop wherestudents from hundreds of differentrural communities receive some oftheir 3,000 hours of practical trainingin leadership, sustainable tourism,sustainable agriculture, andcommunity well-being, instead oftraining as accountants orsecretaries. Students also learnabout, preserve, and identify withtheir Mayan language and culture,something that has been activelysuppressed throughout much ofGuatemalan history.

Richard Reynolds lives in arelatively cheap, small, inner city

flat in a large, grey,1 970s purpose-built, ex-council authority block.Unfortunately, as withmost cities around theworld, this relativeaffordability comes at aprice—the surroundingstend to be as grey as thebuildings themselves.As a frustrated gardenerwho grew up in the

countryside, he decided to do

something aboutthat. Initiallygoing out alone,under the cover ofdarkness, hebegan to slowlyand secretly

reclaim the darkest of spaces byplanting grasses, shrubs, and flowerson abandoned grim lots.

He called it Guerilla Gardening,blogged about it, and soon found thathe was not alone—at the last countof his followers, there were morethan 83,000 gardening guerillasaround the globe causing gorgeousgreen havoc with nothing but greenfingers, a handful of seeds, clippers,and spades.

In the Mukono District ofUganda,Developing Innovations in SchoolCultivation (DISC) has set out toeducate the next generation in hopesof continuing Uganda’s agriculturaland culinary traditions. At KisogaSecondary School in Kampalastudents are being taught to managea sustainable school garden thatproduces fresh fruits and vegetables.Food from the garden, served atlunch, has significantly decreased

childmalnutritionin the village.

DISCcoordinators, Edward Mukiibi andRoger Sserunjogi, have also beenimproving young students’ viewstowards agriculture. Due to theirwork in reversing stereotypes,students no longer see agriculture asa burden, punishment, or a last

resort, but are starting to see it as aviable alternative with which tomake money and assist theircommunities. With recent supportform Slow Food International, DISChas expanded its original program to15 other schools.



Ak’Tenamit’s 2010 Graduates (Photo Credit: Ak’Tenamit)

Richard Reynolds: Advertiser by Day, Guerrilla Gardener by Night (Photo Credit: Richard Reynolds)

Project DISC is helping to improve health and nutrition ofentire communities in Uganda. (Photo Credit: Project DISC)

The borders andsurrounding regions ofMexico, Guatemala, andBelize were once home tomillions of people whomanaged to thrive despitethe area’s poor soils,climate variability, andpronounced wet and dryseasons. To this day, thearea has never beenoccupied to the samelevels, partly becausemodern technology has notbeen able to practicallyresolve these problems. Inan attempt to find asolution, Dr. Ezgi AkpinarFerrand—a Turkish researcherworking at Southern ConnecticutState University—started conductingresearch on a relatively simpleancient Mayan system of human-

made ponds called aguadas—thatwere lined with locally-sourcednatural materials such asimpermeable clay, plaster, andstone—as an alternative to moremodern agricultural practices. Withplentiful water reserves collected in

the aguadas, filtered for consumptionwith connecting silting tanks, theyrepresent a manageable way toprovide water for agricultural,drinking, and other needs.

Now Dr. Akpinar Ferrand hasteamed up withethnographer Dr.Betty Faust on anappliedproject—reconstructing an ancientcanal irrigationsystem with raisedagricultural fieldsto help thestruggling Mayanfarmingcommunity ofPich, a village of2,000 inhabitantsin the state ofCampeche,Mexico. If

successfully reconstructed, thissystem would help nourish thesurrounding land, increase incomeand water security, and be a modelfor other populations living in thearea.

Following in the footsteps ofadvanced nations, much of thedeveloping world isundergoing the nutritiontransition—rapid changes inthe types of foods that areavailable and consumed thatlead to diets shifting fromtraditional plant-based andhome-cooked foods to meat-derived and processedproducts. This is accompaniedby an epidemiologicaltransition from infectious tochronic, non-communicable diseasessuch as obesity, diabetes, andcardiovascular disease, which arenow killing more of the world’speople than anything else.

One culprit is the growth of thesugary drinks industry, and for many,

like the distinguished Professor ofGlobal Nutrition at the University ofNorth Carolina’s School of PublicHealth, Dr. Barry Popkin, thesolution lies in changing publicpolicies to make healthier optionsmore widely available and easilyaccessible to the public. In 2006,

Popkin launched the U.S BeverageGuidance Panel, which successfullybrought the discussion over theproblem of sugary intake tonutritionists and policy makers in theU.S and around the world. He hasgone on to contribute significantly to

the Mexican BeverageGuidance Panel, too,which eventually led to20 million people ongovernment-funded foodprograms to switch fromwhole milk to 1 .5percent milk and toschools cutting outsugary beverages. Tohelp governmentsmeasure the impact ofthe problem, Dr. Popkinhas conducted National

Health and Nutrition Surveys inChina, the Philippines, and theUnited Arab Emirates, while alsoadvising decision-makers on nationalhealthy food and drink policies andprograms in South Africa, Spain, andthe United Kingdom.



Ancient Mayan sites like Tikal in Guatemala hold technological secrets that could help solve today’s problems. (Photo Credit: Ioulia Fenton)

Professor Barry Popkins has been dubbed the “Nutrition Transition King” for his work in food and health research and policy.

(Photo Credit: UNC)


Sahel Eco is a non-profitorganization helping to improve thelives of those living in Mali’s desertand semi-desert regions.Desertification due to deforestationrepresents the biggest threat toMalian lifestyle, where 70 per centof the population lives on less than adollar a day and depends heavily onrainfall to water their fields andanimals. Working predominately inthe Mopti, Segou, and Koulikororegions ofMali, the organization is

addressingtheissueby

continuing the work ofSOS Sahel InternationalUK. Members of SahelEco are showing farmersthat proper treemanagement will protectsoils and provideeconomic benefitsthrough timber, fuel,animal feed, fruits, herbal medicines,and even raw material for mats,baskets, and hats. Throughdemonstrating the benefits of agro-

forests, Sahel Eco has been buildingsupport for and improving localknowledge of tree management todramatically impact the encroachingdesertification in Mali.

G. R. Sakthivel, an Indian sugarcanefarmer and a member ofErode’sorganic farmers’ federation, hasdeveloped an ingenious way to filtercattle waste to create highersugarcane yields while decreasinghis labor input. The system firstcollects and mixes cattle dung and

urine. Then, a seriesof filtration systemsseparates solid matter,which is used forbiogas production.

The remaining nitrate-rich, organicliquid is used as fertilizer anddispersed through a drip irrigationsystem. The natural fertilizer notonly increases yields, but alsoincreases the presence of earthwormsand the soil’s water-retaining

capacity. This, in return, meansSakthivel spends less time and effortre-working soils hardened bychemical fertilizers, while increasinghis income. The system has thepotential to save farmers up toRs.27,000 (about $500) per acre andpromises to work for other crops,too. Already ten sugarcane farmershave adopted the system in theSathyamangalam region and othersare following suit with great results.

Though generally not consumed bymodern populations, the Maya Nuthas historically been a vital andnutritious staple of the CentralAmerican Maya. Incrediblynutritious, it is high in calcium, fiber,iron, folate, potassium, antioxidants,and can be eaten by both people andlivestock. It also provides manyecosystem services to rainforests andpeople—it protects watersheds andbiodiversity and the Maya Nut tree isperfect for reforestation by providing

valuableshade andprotectionfrom rainanderosion allyeararound.

Now,with thehelp of theMaya NutInstitute—which teaches ruralcommunities over 100 ways to

prepare the nut to produce savoryand sweet foods, drinks, baked


Sahel Eco is helping farmers re-green dessert soils (Photo Credit: Sahel Eco).

Mr. Sakthivel is turning animal dung into organic fertilizer gold (Photo Credit: The Hindu)

The Maya Nut is transforming people’s livelihoods and benefiting the environment all across Central America. (Photo Credit: Maya Nut Institute)


goods, sauces, and condiments thatthey can consume or sell—it is also avaluable source of income toindigenous populations acrossCentral America. To date, theinstitute has reached over 1 ,200

communities across Guatemala,Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua,and Mexico.

By running workshops on how tocook and market their own goods,the institute has made considerable

impacts on the lives ofwomen too.Since its conception, 1 7,000 womenhave been trained resulting in theestablishment of 20 separate woman-run businesses that produce andmarket Maya Nut products across

Founder of the PermacultureResearch Institute ofAustralia,GeoffLawton, has embarked on anew mission to regreen theJordanian desert. For the task, hehas developed a basic system ofpermaculture—a philosophy ofworking with, rather than againstnature in all humanendeavors—he calls an “anti-evaporation” design. The system

restores the productivity of theSahel dessert soils that are toohigh in salt content foragricultural production; it utilizesmulching, compost beds, andsunken, shaded garden beds toincrease organic matter whilereducing salt buildups.

By using a 3,000 square meterdemonstration site in Jordan,Lawton has been able to showlocals how to work and practicehis anti-evaporation system. Bydoing so, he is restoring the soil'sfertility and turning the Jordaniandesert back into an oasis. With

agricultural lands becoming lessproductive due to salinization,Lawton has provided a systemthat not only restores soilnutrients, but one that is alsoeconomically andenvironmentally beneficial.

From innovations that work atthe local community levels tothose helping change howbusinesses operate and thepolicies that shape ourenvironment, the world is full ofinspiring examples that show thateveryone can do something tomake a difference. We thankguerilla gardener RichardReynolds in London, rooftop

climate changechanger TshedisoPhahlane in SouthAfrica, youthengagers EdwardMukiibi and RogerSserunjogi inUganda, organicwaste-filterer Mr.Sakthivel in India,the global foodpolicy fighter BarryPopkins, andeveryone else for

their continuous efforts in makingthe world’s food and agriculturesystem more productive,healthful, and environmentallysustainable.

Ioulia Fenton leads the food and

agriculture research stream at the

Center for Economic and

Environmental Modeling and

Analysis (CEEMA) at the Institute

ofAdvanced Development Studies

(INESAD) in La Paz, Bolivia.

Adam Nelson is a research and

communications intern with

INESAD.


The Jordan demonstration site is showing hundreds offarmers how to re-green the dessert. (Photo Credit:

Permaculture Research Institute)

HEALTH: NewTB vaccineon thehorizon

LONDON, October 2012 - A researchteam at Oxford University in the UK isvery close to determining the efficacy oftheir new tuberculosis (TB) vaccine. Ifcurrent clinical trials are successful, it willbe the first new TB vaccine in almost acentury.

The urgent need for a new vaccine isemphasised by research showing thatextensively drug-resistant (XDR) forms ofthe disease are rapidly spreading.

Today, most babies in the world areimmunized with the old Bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccine, first used in 1921 .The leader of the Oxford research team,Helen McShane, says it saves children'slives, but beyond infancy its effects arelimited.

"We know that when BCG is given atbirth, it does work well to protect againsttubercular meningitis and thedisseminated disease that has spreadoutside the lungs… What we also know isthat BCG is very variable in protectingagainst lung disease, which is where theburden of the disease is, particularly inadults and adolescents,” she said.

Oxford’s vaccine, known as MVA85A,is designed to boost the effects ofBCG.“It's that efficacy against severe diseasewhich is the rationale behind keepingBCG and making it better,” McShanesaid. Clinical trials are taking place inSouth Africa, following 3,000 babies, allofwhom received BCG; half of them alsoreceived the new booster vaccine. Trialsof the vaccine’s effectiveness in adults aretaking place in both South Africa andSenegal, with results expected in the firstquarter of 2013. (PlusNews)

Image Credit: Center for Ecoliteracy)

Book Review Development Inspirations 201 2

Ecoliterate inspires practical action towards sustainability

IOULIA FENTONGSDM Assistant Editor

One of the hardest things to do foranyone interested in issues ofenvironmental sustainability is totranslate ideas and complaints intopractical, positive, change-makingaction. For those who try to teach thenext generation of environmental andsocial leaders in schools, incommunities, or even online, this is evenmore important—merely talking aboutproblems is likely to inspire only thestudents’ depression and frustration atlack of solutions. Luckily, Ecoliterate, anew book by psychologist DanielGoleman and Lisa Bennett and ZenobiaBarlow of the Center ofEcoliteracy—anorganization that supports and advanceseducation for sustainable living—is adeep well of ideas for those seekinginspiration.The book is based on the premise that

being successful at any endeavourrequires more than a good IQ. Drawingon co-author Goleman’s seminal books,Emotional Intelligence and SocialIntelligence, it explores the importanceof developing the ability to manage one’sown emotions and maintain goodrelationships with others. It describesthese capacities as key to improvedacademic success and the cultivation ofecoliteracy, which is the understandingand caring about the connectionsbetween humans and other aspects of thenatural environment.

The authors also introduce fiveecoliterate practices:1 . Developing empathy with all forms oflife by recognizing that human being arenot separate to the rest of nature.2. Embracing sustainability as acommunity practice involving otherpeople.3 . Making the invisible negative effectsof environmental destruction visible forall to see.4. Better anticipating unintendedenvironmental consequences of humanactions.5. And a better understanding of hownature sustains all life.

Believing that teachers “are ideallysituated to lead a breakthrough to a newand enlightened ecological sensibility”,the authors spend the rest of the booktaking an in-depth look at six eight real-life case studies that embody these fivepractices.

The first, for example, is a story of acommunity’s fight against Mountaintopcoal mining in the Appalachians—apractice that has destroyed 500mountaintops, 1mn acres of forest, and

2,000 miles of streams since the 1980s.The far-reaching, invisible effects of themining were made visible to a group ofstudents from Spartanburg Day School,South Carolina. The kids went on a“Power Trip” to Kentucky. Theexcursion contrasted an on-the-groundvisit to a largely undisturbed, lusciouslygreen part of the mountain range with anairborne view of fractured earth andsludge ponds of the heavily mined BlackMountain. The children felt such a strongemotional response from an innateempathy with the natural world that theywere propelled into a range of practicalactions, including publishing stories inlocal media and starting school andcommunity-based environmental clubs.

The third story tells the tale of theGwich’in people’s resistance to oildrilling in Alaska—an intrusive practicethat threatens to destroy the environmentand their very way of life.

The fourth narrative talks about KidsRethink New Orleans, a studentorganization that is fundamentallyreshaping schools’ lunches,environments, and general sustainabilityfor the better.

Next, the reader is introduced to Dr.Aaron Wolfwhose research into cross-border management of common waterresources, such as rivers and lakes, hasshown that cooperation is best achievedwhen emotional, ecological, and evenspiritual dimensions of importance ofdifferent parties are addressed.

Then the story of the Students andTeachers Restoring a Watershed(STRAW) program illustrates how,through emotional, social, and ecologicalintelligence, over two decades more than30,000 kids have engaged in positive,ecosystem restorative action.

Through the tale of the La SemillaFood Center, Anthony, New Mexico—agrassroots organization that is leading thecharge against obesity and hunger inlocal communities by forming YouthFood Policy Councils and youth farmingopportunities—the reader learns howvital building connections can be ininspiring community-wide action.Theseand two other stories carry powerfulmessages and inspiring examples ofpractical action taken by adults andchildren all around the United States.

Complete with lesson-planning guidesfor each chapter and a professionaldevelopment plan, the book is writtenspecifically for educators. However, itwill strike a chord with anyone interestedin sustainability. Aspiring and current

A woman in the vil lage ofNjama in KailahunDistrict, Sierra Leone

activists and leaders will certainlydraw from Teri Blanton—one ofthe main advocates againstmountaintop removal mining—andher views on effective leadership:“don’t lead through anger,” shesays, “reach people on a humanlevel through stories, fosterdialogue instead of debate, [and]speak from the heart.” Otherswould find truths in the words ofSarah James—an indigenouswoman leading the Gwich’in(Caribou) people’s stand against oildevelopment in Alaska—too.“There is nothing hard about it,”she says when talking aboutreducing, reusing and recycling,

“there is nothing easy about it, it issomething you do every day. Andif everybody does it, it will becomea way of life.”

Overall, Ecoliterate is a verytimely contribution to a growingmovement that is aiming to securea sustainable future for upcominggenerations. And because of therelevance of the grassroots casestudies it covers, the myriad ofinspiring wisdoms to be found inthe words of the stories’propagators, and the generalaccessibility of the writing, it is amust read for anyone interested inmaking or seeing a change fromthe bottom up.

"Ecoliterate is a very timelycontribution to a growing movementthat is aiming to secure a sustainablefuture for upcoming generations "

"The book is based on the premise thatbeing successful at any endeavourrequires more than a good IQ"



"Tuition and housingat universities in largecities like Bolivia’scapital city ofLa Pazare unaffordable foryoung people from

rural areas and accessto higher education islimited, even if they

have personalmotivation and moralsupport from their

families"

A university on the eastern slopes ofthe Andes in rural Bolivia is providingan avenue for students to obtainprofessional skills and leadsustainable development in their owncommunities, something that wasunattainable prior to its founding in1993.

The Unidad Académica Campesina-Carmen Pampa (UAC-CP), a college offeringundergraduate degrees to men and womenfrom Bolivia’s rural area, was founded bySister Damon Nolan, a missionary Franciscanwho has worked in education in the tinyAndean community ofCarmen Pampa since1980. She witnessed the lack of access tohigher education, absent from most ruralareas in Bolivia, and recognized that youngpeople –especially girls – had very fewopportunities to become professionals inorder to help advance their owncommunities. Tuition and housing atuniversities in large cities like Bolivia’scapital city ofLa Paz are unaffordable foryoung people from rural areas and access tohigher education is limited, even if they havepersonal motivation and moral support fromtheir families. In addition to economicobstacles, attending a university in a largecity takes young people away from theirtraditional communities, separates them fromtheir communities’ livelihoods, and rarelyoffers the experience needed in order forthem to return to their communities and helpstimulate local development .

The UAC-CP is fulfilling this need,offering undergraduate degrees in agronomy,education, nursing, veterinary/animal science

and rural tourism. The students practiceservice-learning through community serviceprojects that benefit the College itself andsurrounding rural villages. Classroomstudies, community outreach, researchmethods, production activities, the focus onpeace and justice, an emphasis on genderbalance, and a group of dedicated professorsand administrators are all part of theCollege’s unique curriculum that givestudents the footing they need to succeedafter graduation.

One example of success is a 1999Agronomy graduate named René Villca.Villca is the executive director of a honeyprocessing association called FUNDACOM,based in the town ofCoroico, near theCollege. FUNDACOM was founded in 2005by a group UAC-CP graduates who continueto manage the budding enterprise. Five outof six of his current employees are UAC-CPalumni (see photo), and Villca manages theintake and processing of honey from manysmall, rural indigenous farmers from acrossthe entire region. Startup funding wasprovided by the Horning family fromWashington, D.C., and now FUNDACOMreceives funding and support fromFONADAL, an E.U.-supported institutionthat “promotes integral development

By RACHEL SATTERLEE


processes by financing projects prioritized bylocal stakeholders and beneficiaries…in theareas of economic, social, and environmental[development] .” With this support, Villca’sbusiness is able to provide 98 percent of itssupply of honey to the Subsidio Prenatal yLactancia program ofBolivia, which is the

equivalent ofWIC (Women, Infants andChildren) food assistance in the UnitedStates. FONADAL pays FUNDACOM amarket rate for the honey that they providefor free to poor families in Bolivia. Theremaining two percent of their honey is soldin the general market.

When asked what FUNDACOM’s role isin supporting sustainable andenvironmentally friendly livelihoods for ruralpeople, Villca responds that, “We generatedevelopment that supports the protection ofnatural resources. Beekeeping is an activitythat requires a healthy environment.”

FUNDACOM provides technical supportto the beekeepers that work with them,helping farmers solve problems, and givingadvice about how to increase production. Inthis way, Villca hopes that the association cancontribute “con un grano de arena [with agrain of sand], helping to fulfill the missionofCollege, to empower the neediest people.”

Villca has tremendous gratitude for hiseducation and the support that he received atThe Unidad Académica Campesina-CarmenPampa. He grew up in Charazani in anindigenous Quechua family, with his foursiblings, and parents who never had theopportunity to go to school. His father didnot contribute to the family, and his motherearned the equivalent of less than one dollarper day. His mother encouraged her childrento pursue education, and with her moralsupport he graduated from high school.Villca later became the first person in theirfamily to enroll incollege. With twoscholarships from Catholic missionaries, hewas able to pursue a degree in agronomy atthe UAC-CP.

It is clear that Villca regards all of hissuccess with much grace and appreciation, asdoes the FUNDACOM staff. He says thatwithout his college education at the UAC-CPand the scholarships that he received, hecould not have studied beyond high school.He knows his education has not onlycompletely changed his role within thecommunity, both in terms of leadership andacceptance, but also his own perception ofhimself and a pride in his culture and ruralcommunity. He is grateful to be able tosupport his wife and kids on an income thatprovides a living wage.As more students enroll in degree programs

at the College, and as more students graduate,there continues to be more and moreinspiring stories similar to that ofRenéVillca. And one thing will never be in doubt:education in rural areas creates positivechange for some of the world’s mostdeserving people.

Rachel Satterlee is pursuing a Master ofArts

in Sustainable International Development at

Brandeis University and is completing her 6-

month work practicum at UAC-CP. She is

implementing a survey ofgraduates, the data

from which she is organizing into a database

and into an interactive online map and

graphics.

"The UAC-CP isfulfilling this need,

offeringundergraduate degrees

in agronomy,education, nursing,veterinary/animalscience and rural

tourism. The studentspractice service-learning throughcommunity serviceprojects that benefitthe College itself andsurrounding rural

villages"



VICTORIA PEEL YATESGSDM Argentina

Last year’ s “Occupy” movementwas as polarizing as it wasubiquitous. From its beginningson Wall Street, the protest spreadacross the world, even as far asBurundi, and was largelyinfluenced by the events of theArab Spring, which had takenplace earlier in the year. Peoplewere protesting against the powerof the so-called “1%”, accused ofcausing the global financial crisisthrough reckless and irresponsibledecision-making. Ordinary peopleacross the world bore the brunt ofthe repercussions caused by theseactions, and, in an unprecedentedshow of solidarity, took to thestreets to voice their outrage atbeing left to pick up the pieces.

But for many LatinAmericans, this movement,though new to many peoplesaround the world, couldn’ t havebeen more familiar. One couldeven argue that tactics andphilosophies surrounding themovement drew inspiration fromsimilar movements in LatinAmerica, such as the occupationof factories during Argentina’seconomic crisis.

In 2001 , economic disasterstruck Argentina and transformedits economy almost overnightfrom being one of the region’s

strongest to one of the weakest.Faced by sudden and extremeunemployment, poverty, andhomelessness, ordinaryArgentineans put on a display ofincredible resourcefulness andresilience as they carved out anew society from what was left ofthe old. Barter systems,community-run kitchens and evenan alternative currency quicklyrose from the ashes of the oldsystem, while protesters took tothe streets with such force thatthey ousted five successivepresidents within two weeks.Factory workers occupied theirplaces of work out of sheerdesperation, under the slogan“Occupy, Resist, Produce”.

Whether the social movementsin Latin America directly inspiredthe Occupy movement of 2011 , itis hard to say, but the parallelsbetween them are striking. Theyshare a common enemy in theglobal banks, internationallending institutions, andmultinational corporations, whoare arguably largely to blame forthe crises of both 2001 and 2008.Moreover, both have sought tomake revolution a part ofeveryday life and to challenge thestatus quo.

Cacerolazo, Buenos Aires, 2001Photo: possible futures project


"Argentineans put ona display of incredibleresourcefulness andresilience as theycarved out a new

society from what wasleft of the old. Bartersystems, community-run kitchens and even

an alternativecurrency quickly rosefrom the ashes of theold system, while

protesters took to thestreets with such forcethat they ousted fivesuccessive presidentswithin two weeks"



By DANIELLE NIERENBERG

Director, Nourishing the Planet

Danielle Nierenberg is the Director ofthe Washington D.C. -basedWorldwatch Institute’s Nourishing

the Planet project, which highlights innovations around the world that are working to help alleviate

hunger and poverty while also protecting the environment. Danielle recently travelled to more than 30

countries in Africa and Asia to meet with individuals and organizations that are driving small and big

initiatives with huge impacts on the lives ofthe people in their communities and the world. To mark

International Day ofRural Women (October 15th) and the GSDMOctober 2012 Inspiration issue, she

describes members ofthe fairer sex who deserve praise and recognition.

Throughout September 2012, Worldwatch Institutecelebrated the crucial role that women and youthplay in ushering in the just and environmentallysustainable future that we’re working hard to bringabout. Even in the 21st century, women own lessthan 15 percent of the world’s land, earn 17 percentless than men on average, and comprise two-thirdsof the world’s 776 million illiterate adults. In thehope to also inspire GSDM readers, I would like tohighlight ten amazing women from all over theglobe who have been ongoing sources ofinspiration to myself, Nourishing the Planet, andothers:

1. Nany Karanja

Nancy Karanja is a professor of soil ecology at theUniversity ofNairobi. From2005 to 2009, Karanja was thesub-Saharan Africa regionalcoordinator for Urban Harvest,an initiative to enhance urbanagriculture’s potential andfood security in Kenya. Shehas led a number of studies onnutrient harvesting from urban organic waste, thereuse of urban wastewater for vegetableproduction, and the assessment of health risksassociated with urban livestock systems.

2. Rema Nanavaty

Rema Nanavaty is General Secretary of the Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA), thelargest union of informal sector workers in India.Founded in 1972, SEWA now has 1 .3 millionmembers, including small farmers, forest workers,salt farmers, artisans, and entrepreneurs. SEWAhelps its members get fair prices for their produce,

access markets and smallloans, and grow enough foodto feed themselves and theirfamilies. SEWA also providesmicro-credit loans through itsown women’s bank andinsurance policies, whilewomen can learn about newfarming practices and improve their reading andwriting skills at its training centers

3. Anna Lappé

Anna Lappé is co-founder of the Small PlanetInstitute, a non-profit organization dedicated tofurthering democracy and equitable developmentworldwide. Lappé is the co-author ofDiet for a HotPlanet: The Climate Crisis atthe End ofYour Fork andWhat You Can Do About It.Lappé is also a foundingprincipal of the Small PlanetFund and has for more than adecade been a key force in the growinginternational movement for sustainability andjustice in the food chain.

4. Sue Edwards

Sue Edwards is Director ofthe Institute for SustainableDevelopment, an organizationworking to influenceEthiopia’s governmentalpolicies on education,agriculture, and theenvironment, so as to create



awareness and promote sustainable development.She has lived in Ethiopia for more than 40 years.Both Edwards and her husband Tewolde BerhanGebre Egziabher are passionate about the role thatsmallholder farmers can play in creating asustainable future for all living things, from thegreatest to the smallest, from the most appealing tothe most appalling.

5. Stephanie Hanson

Stephanie Hanson is the Directorof Policy and Outreach at OneAcre Fund. From 2006 to 2009,she covered economic andpolitical development in Africaand Latin America for CFR.org,

t he website of the Council onForeign Relations. In 2008, she won a News andDocumentary Emmy for ‘Crisis Guide: Darfur’ , aninteractive media guide that explores the history andcontext of the crisis in the Darfur region of Sudan.

6. Elizabeth Katushabe

Elizabeth Katushabe is a Program Officer with thePastoral and Environmental Network in the Horn ofAfrica (PENHA), an international NGO led andinspired by Africans, committed to addressing issuesof pastoralist concerns from aregional perspective.Katushabe has held meetingsand workshops withparliamentary leaders andpastoralists in East Africa,attempting to bridge the gapbetween policy makers andrural communities. Katushabe has also worked withPENHA to emphasize the role that herders can playin protecting the environment, by employingpractices such as rotational grazing.

7. Shirley Lewis

Shirley “Baglady” Lewis is the Founder ofBagladyProductions, an organization that works withschools, individuals, and the government to putsustainable behavior into action. Her work includeswriting for newspapers in theUnited Kingdom andAustralia, magazines and in-house journals, news radioreporting and presenting forthe BBC and the AustralianBroadcasting Corporation. Sheis most well-known for heroriginal campaign to say “no” to plastic bags.

8. Sunita Narain

Sunita Narain is the DirectorGeneral of the Centre forScience and Environment, aNew Delhi-based public interest,research, and advocacyorganization that researches andlobbies for sustainable andequitable development. Narain also heads theSociety for Environmental Communications, andpublishes the fortnightly science and environmentmagazine, Down to Earth. Her research has focusedon the relationship between the environment anddevelopment, and has raised awareness about thevital need for sustainable development.

9. Marceline Ouedraogo

Marceline Ouedraogo is President ofBurkina Faso’srural women’s association, Songtaab-Yalgré, whichis the first group in the country toproduce and sell certified organicshea butter. When she startedSongtaab-Yalgré in 1990,Ouedraogo went door to door andwoman to woman, asking peopleto join. Because many of thewomen who joined the association were illiterate,Ouedraogo developed a program to teach them toread and to write. Today, the association iscomposed of over three thousand women in nearly adozen villages, and has 11 centers where theycollect arechete, or shea butter nuts. All of theprofits from the sale of shea butter—and peanut oil,soap, and other products the group is nowmaking—are distributed equally among themembers.

10. Nely Rodriguez

Nely Rodriguez is a mother, farmworker, and keyleader with the Coalition ofImmokalee Workers (CIW), acommunity-based farmworkerorganization based in the southernUnited States. CIW is comprised ofmore than 4,000 mostly Latino,Haitian, and Mayan Indian

members working mainly in agriculture throughoutthe state of Florida. Rodriguez has been a vital partof organizing and inspiring her community to speakout against injustice in the tomato fields. She is alsovocal about the hardships and sacrifices womenmake in the fields to put food on the table for theirfamilies while caring for and raising children.


“We don't know when we will die, [so] Ilike to do as much as I can. I want to try tomake a difference.” The words ofNget Thy(pronounced “Tee”), Executive Director ofThe Cambodian Center for the Protection ofChildren's Rights (CCPCR), could so easilybe passed off as empty platitudes by thosesceptical ofmotives behind success in thedevelopment field. But all it takes is onemeeting with Mr. Thy to see that here is aman who is most certainly not in the work ofsocial good to further his own ego. Hisjourney from a poor orphan up through theranks of one of the country's longestestablished children’s NGOs is certainly notsomething that he feels any need orinclination to shout from the rooftops. “If it'sgood for CCPCR, I'm okay [to do it] ,” hereplied to an interview request.

CCPCR was established in 1994 with amission to ensure that all children and youthhave equal rights in society and are free fromall forms of violence and exploitation. It nowhas active projects throughoutCambodia—projects like the Phnom Penhrehabilitation shelter for girl survivors ofabuse, exploitation and trafficking—thatfocus on key issues like child labour,trafficking and abuse through diverseactivities encompassing prevention andcommunity awareness, as well as therehabilitation and reintegration of those

rescued from trauma.Thy, a dedicated husband and a father to

three kids, is as kind-hearted and gracious aman as you could hope to meet. But it is hisingenuity and endless endeavour to progresshis organisation that really sets him apartfrom his peers. Thy works seven days a weekand can't remember the last time he had aholiday. “I just work—I never have [thought]about time. When I'm tired I just take a rest oreat some food,” he says. Always putting hiswork first, he spends much of his spare timereading documents and articles to generateideas for CCPCR.

Undoubtedly what drives and inspires Thyis the circumstances of his ownchildhood—orphaned at a young age, him andhis elder sister experienced desperate povertyand hunger. “It was really difficult. Often wewould just eat rice and not very much,” herecalls. “Knowing and remembering thosestruggles has definitely inspired me. I want tohelp poor people. I want to help children get[an] education so that they can get [a] goodjob—when they have opportunities, they cando the same as me,” he says. As a result of hisinfluence, access to education andempowerment through vocational training arekey to the CCPCR’s philosophy.

Mr. Thy's own crucial opportunity came asa young adult in 1992, when he passedenrolment examinations to study at


By GARETH MACE

GSDMCambodia

"CCPCR was establishedin 1994 with a mission toensure that all children andyouth have equal rights insociety and are free fromall forms of violence andexploitation. It now has

active projects throughoutCambodia—projects like

the Phnom Penhrehabilitation shelter forgirl survivors of abuse,

exploitation andtrafficking—that focus onkey issues like child labour,

trafficking and abusethrough diverse activitiesencompassing preventionand community awareness,as well as the rehabilitationand reintegration of thoserescued from trauma"


Cambodia’s Prek Leap National College ofAgriculture. “It was so great for me!” heenthuses with an infectious smile as heremembers the opportunity that a move to thecapital Phnom Penh presented for him. Yet, ashe would quickly learn, this next chapterwould not be without its challenges. With noclose family or any friends in the city hehoped to find shelter at a Pagoda—a Hindu orBuddhist temple or sacred, many-tieredbuilding characteristic of India, Cambodiaand countries of the Far East. Unfortunately,two residences turned him away because hewas a stranger. This distrust was symptomaticof the time when Cambodia was dominatedby the Pol Pot regime—Pol Pot was aCambodian Maoist revolutionary who led theoppressive Khmer Rouge from 1963 until hisdeath in 1998 that was responsible for thedeath ofmore than two million Cambodianpeople (21 per cent of the population).

Fortunately, Thy eventually found a homeat a Pagoda close to the University, where helived with other students and assisted themonks with alms collecting, cooking andhouse work in return for food and lodgings.With the day sometimes starting as early as4.30 a.m., this experience was exhausting.But Thy worked hard as he was grateful forthe opportunity and he understood theimportance of contributing to the spiritualpursuits of the resident monks.

Through his work, Thy made a goodimpression on everyone he met and soon wasoffered a leadership position in a neworphanage set-up by a wealthy foreigner. “Iwas so lucky! They gave me $50 per month,which was a lot for me at the time. I wouldbuy vegetables and cook with them,” heremembers. “This job was so important forme. I learned many things like how to bemore independent and responsible throughwriting reports and things like that. This waswhen I realised I wanted to work for acommunity organisation,” he says.

Following his graduation from PrekLeap—and after a handful of low paidstopgap jobs—it wasn't long before Thyfound himself as an employee of the recentlyestablished CCPCR. He earned himself acontract as a case investigator in 1996 andwas promoted to reintegration officer in 1997,before landing the role of Project Manager inKampong Cham Province in 1999 andSihanouk Ville two years later. Theorganisation had become the ideal home forthis empathetic and hard-working young man.

His progress and ability would next take himto the Philippines. Following CCPCR'srecommendation, he was awarded ascholarship to study at South East Asia RuralSocial Leadership Institute within SeasolinXavier University in Cacaya De Oro City hatgave him the opportunity to leave his homecountry for the first time in his life to earn aDiploma in Social Development andLeadership. He subsequently re-joined theCCPCR in 2004, became its Deputy Directorin 2007 and completed his meteoric rise threeyears later by becoming the top man in theorganization—the Executive Director.

Regrettably, he did not have the luxury ofbasking in this proud achievement as theorganisation was in the midst of one of themost testing financial situations it had everknown. “Because of the economic crisis,funding became very limited around that timeand I had to work so hard to reform andreorganise to allow us to continue our work. Itwas very difficult,” he says.

Even now, funding is an issue rarely offthe agenda for long and it can cause anxiety:“When things are going well and I see thedirect results of our work and the faces of thechildren we are helping…I love my job somuch. Other times it's just so stressful,” saysThy.

So what does Thy hope the organisationcan achieve while he is at the helm? “Oh somuch!” he smiles again. “I would really likeus to be more [financially] secure. To do this,it would be great ifwe could own our ownshelters, instead of renting them, and to haveour own income-generating business, so wedon't have to rely on the donors so much,” hedreams.

Mr. Thy’s route from humble beginningsto great successes have not been dominatedby personal ambition, but have been drivenby a heartfelt desire to make a difference tothe people of his country. He is a trulyinspirational figure, whose dedicated journeyand unwavering commitment to children’srights in Cambodia shines a light of hopewhere the darkness of poverty and justicedominates.Gareth Mace is the Cambodia country-

correspondent for GSDM. He is also a

Program Coordinator with Village Focus

International, an organisation that partners

with CCPCR on the Phnom Penh

rehabilitation shelter project. Photos:

CCPCR Facebook page.

"Mr. Thy’s route fromhumble beginnings togreat successes havenot been dominated bypersonal ambition, buthave been driven by aheartfelt desire to make

a difference to thepeople of his country.

He is a trulyinspirational figure,whose dedicatedjourney andunwavering

commitment tochildren’s rights in

Cambodia shines a lightof hope where the

darkness of poverty andjustice dominates"



Photo: TIME

Country Profi le Singapore

There is a lot more to this tiny countrythan the fame it receives for its foreigninvestment, spicy noodles and strict ‘nochewing gum’ policies. The history ofSingapore is in fact very unique for a formerBritish colony. It demonstrates a story ofsuccess against all odds—political, social andagricultural. And although it is a smallcountry, it is now known as one of the FourAsian Tigers, having one of the biggesttrading ports in the world. But how did thisTiger get its roar?

Little is known about Singapore beforebeing colonized. Formerly known asTemasek (“Sea City” in old Javanese), it waspart of various local empires and experiencedits rise under the Sultanate ofMalacca in the15th century, before it came under theinfluence of the Malay Sultanate of Johor in1511 . As of the 14th century, it was alsoknown as Singapura (meaning “Lion City” inSanskrit), based on a legend that told ofSrivijayan Prince Sang Nila Utama visitingthe island in 1299 and mistaking andunknown animal for a lion.

The commonly viewed ‘founder’ of thenation was Sir Stamford Raffles, whoestablished a British port on the island in1819 with permission from the Sultanate ofJohor. It became part of the British StraitsSettlement in 1826 and, unlike its colonizedneighbour Malaya, whose people felt moreemotional attachment towards the homeland,Singapore had more loyalties to Britain. Priorto Raffles’ arrival there were no more than1 ,000 people on the island, which soonbecame populated by immigrants from all

across the region, united by British rule. BothMalaya and Singapore, however, experiencedan urged demand for independence during theJapanese occupation in World War II. In the1950s, when the war was over, Singaporefound itselfwith high levels of deprivationand unemployment. The British tried toimprove the situation by slowly increasinglocal representation in government, but withthe formation of opposing parties andBritain’s efforts to combat communism, riotsincreased as students ofChinese-fundedschools felt discriminated against.Singaporean PM David Marshall travelled toLondon to demand complete independence,but was turned down with the words “If Igive you independence, it may fall into thehands of the communists.” He was devastatedand resigned from his position.

At the same time, Malaya next door hadalready achieved independence under thepowerful Prime Minister known as “TheTunku”. The two countries’ histories andeconomies were deeply interwoven and manyMalays were already living in Singapore.Britain acknowledged that a political mergerbetween these two countries would helpcrush communism in Singapore and allowedthem to declare independence in 1963 tomerge with the Federation ofMalaysia.Under this agreement Singaporeans still hadsome autonomy and did not automaticallybecome Malaysian. Malayans saw the mergeras an economic benefit, but were concernedthat the racial ratio would be off-balance withtoo many Chinese. Sadly, only two yearsafter the merger, Singapore was expelled

from the Federation. Singapore had expectedequality for all and saw itself as a partner, nota component state, while Malays wanted toretain special privileges. Malaysian leadersdid not want to compromise their superiorityand when the 1964 elections won a seat for aSingaporean party “the Tunku” becameafraid. Racial tensions were rising and theeconomic benefits did not materialize, so heexpelled Singapore because it was “the onlyway to maintain peace and harmony inMalaysia.”

Lee Kuan Yew, the leader of Singapore atthe time, had been a faithful believer of themerger and was devastated by the separation.He had always believed that Singapore couldnot survive on its own, but he wasdetermined to prove himselfwrong. He saidof his newly born nation “Some countries areborn independent…we had it thrust upon us."How did this small country with fewresources survive against all odds? After itsdramatic break-up with Malaysia, the leadingparty, People’s Action Party (PAP), made aneffort to unite national identity by acceptingthe country’s colonial past. This acceptance,rather than the despising that is usually feltby formerly colonized countries, made itparticularly tolerable for foreign investors,who saw that Singapore valued stability. Thisis something that is unique to Singapore’shistory as not all former colonies had asstrong of a cultural tie to Britain as Singaporedid at its time of independence.

On a macro-economic level, Singaporehas become hugely successful. However, itsGDP doesn’t reflect the inequalities that the

By CAROLYNN LOOKGSDM Editorial Assistant


country’s wealth rests upon. AlthoughSingapore is one of the world’s mostexpensive cities, it still fails to implement aminimum wage policy, forcing low-wageimmigrants to work several jobs inunfavorable conditions to make ends meet.Furthermore, the Indonesia-Malaysia-Singapore Growth Triangle, established in

1990, has encouraged this exchange of low-wage immigrants (mostly female, informallabour, with very few rights) to work inSingapore’s industries and power the wealthof a few. The population continuouslycriticizes the government for allowing theincome gap between the rich and the poor towiden, while the high level of industrial

activity is taking its toll on the environment.Singapore now faces the challenge ofpromoting more socially and environmentallysustainable development policies before thegovernment loses its credibility, which couldend the PAP’s almost five decade reign.

EDUCATION-20% ofnational budget goes toeducation spending-described as “world-leading”-compulsory primary school-adult literacy 92.5% (women88.6%)

ROLE OF WOMEN-challenge of balancing traditionalwith modern-day roles-23.4% women in nationalparliament-42% ofworkforce, though this isless based on gender discriminationthan on lower academicqualifications

FREEDOM-enforces mandatory death penaltyfor drug trafficking and homicide,although the government is movingtowards abolishing it

ECONOMY-free-market economy-relies heavily on exports,particularly in consumer electronics,information technology products,pharmaceuticals, and on a growingfinancial services sector-GDP Growth: 4.9% (2011 )-GDP composition by sector: 0%agriculture, 26.6% industry, 73.4%services

ENVIRONMENT-industrial pollution-over 85% of coral reefs face wipe-out due to high coastal industrialactivity-limited natural freshwaterresources-limited land availability presentswaste disposal problems

Capital: SingaporePopulation: 5.4 millionArea: 697 sq kmGeography: Made up of 63 islandsat the southern tip of the MalayanPeninsula. Tropical, humid climatewith very little arable land and fewnatural resources.Languages: Mandarin (official)35%, English (official) 23%, Malay(official) 1 4.1%, Hokkien 11 .4%,Cantonese 5.7%,Teochew 4.9%,

Tamil (official) 3 .2%, otherChinese dialects 1 .8%, other 0.9%Ethnic groups: Chinese 76.8%,Malay 13.9%, Indian 7.9%, other1 .4%Religion: Buddhist 42.5%, Muslim14.9%, Taoist 8.5%, Hindu 4%,Catholic 4.8%, other Christian9.8%, other 0.7%, none 14.8%

Human Development Index:

0.866; rank 26 out of 187

KEY INDICATORS

Map source: Asia Online

Country Profi le Singapore


This Quarter’s Tip

Teachers are the linchpins that dictatewhether our children lead successfullives.

Improving school teacher quality isan effective and cost efficient way ofimproving education for thousands ofstudents living in the developing worldand it can be achieved by providingteacher training, creating local teachernetworks, instructing teachers on how tosolicit additional classroom materialsfrom their government and donors andhelping to alleviate other stressors on

teachers (i.e. transportation, safety,comfort).The Problem

As opposed to what many believe,deficits in education are largely causedby an inefficiency of service deliveryrather than a lack of interest ineducation. The average citizen wants tosend their child to school, as theycorrelate higher education with morelucrative job opportunities. However, itis the lack ofmaterials, quality andaccessible schools and well-trainedteachers that make school a feckless

endeavor and, in turn, discourage parentsfrom making their child’s education afamily priority.

Though in many developing countriesjobs are hard to come by, well-trained,motivated teachers are still in highdemand. Teacher training programs areoften expensive, time consuming andhard to come by. Most teacher trainingfacilities are located in largermetropolitan areas, making it difficultfor non-city dwellers to attend classes.As a result, rural villages are often givenno choice but to rely upon trained

NOAH MARWILGSDM Latin America

Series Tips from the field

You can supply a student with the best texts, the best infrastructure and the bestmaterials, but if the right person isn’t in place to take all of these resources andturn them into something educational, there is no point in investing in education atall.


urbanites to educate their children.However, since rural conditions areoften quite rugged and unforgiving,many teachers either refuse ruralassignments or simply do not show up.The government is subsequently forcedto hire poorly trained teachers tocompensate for the scarcity of qualifiededucators. As stated in the Handbook onthe Economics ofEducation , only 62%and 69% of primary school teachers inSouth Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa,respectively, are considered to betrained.The Theory of Change

A child’s educational outcome is moststrongly impacted by the quality ofhis/her teachers and, therefore, focusingon improving teacher quality willultimately improve the quality ofeducation.

There are two factors most affectingteacher quality—training andmotivation…or lack thereof. Teachertraining includes in-service training aswell as centralized workshops toimprove teachers’ classroommanagement, lesson planning andresource acquisition (i.e. how to solicitmaterials and equipment fromgovernment). In addition, sharpeningmath and literacy skills—the twoacademic abilities that translate mostclosely into essential life skills—will bevital when looking to make the largestgains in education as a cornerstone ofdevelopment.

In addition to skills training, it isimportant for teachers to know how toaccess educational materials for theirstudents to be used both for in-classroomand at home. For example, the ability topetition a government for more texts orclassroom furniture can greatly impact astudent’s classrooms experience.Furthermore, imparting information tostudents regarding where they can checkout a library book or where to go forremedial classes empowers them to takecontrol of their own education.

Equally as important as training ateacher is motivating a teacher. Asmentioned above, teachers are oftenassigned to work in remote, ruralvillages with run down infrastructureand uneducated, sometimes antagonisticadult populations. Their pay is meagerand often not remunerated in a timelymanner. It is therefore extremelydifficult to ensure not only that a teachergives their full attention to their job, butalso shows up for work.

There are a number ofmethods ofincreasing teacher motivation that areboth sustainable and do not require

increased educational funding. 1 )Creating a network for teachers indifferent villages to learn from eachother and mentor one another can createa much-needed support system forteachers who feel lost, scared orfrustrated. It also provides a venue toshare experiences or new teachingmethodologies that some may havepicked up in training session. 2)Improving sanitation infrastructure isrelatively inexpensive and highlyeffective in increasing female teachersattendance (See Room to Read’s TheRelationship between SchoolInfrastructure and Educationaloutcomes). Not providing a safe,comfortable place to go to the bathroomor change sanitary products during theirmenstruation period can lead to highteacher absentee rates. 3) Finally,holding the teachers accountable fortheir work can be an incrediblemotivator. Having a parent associationcheck in on classes during the schoolday and penalize and/or reward teachersbased on their in-classroom presence,classroom management (i.e. students arein seats learning as opposed to runningamuck outside) and test scores andgrades could light a fire that somedeveloping world teachers sodesperately need. As a rule, people whoknow they are being watched tend toalter their behavior accordingly.Evidence ofEfficacy

In December 2010 the Journal ofEducation for International Developmentpublished a paper written by AnnEmerson and colleagues from theAmerican Institutes for Research (AIR)entitled Teacher Peer Learning Groups:Contributing factors to clustersustainability that takes a look at thebenefits of teacher peer learning groups.The study suggests that taking advantageof teacher networks and establishingregular group meetings increases ateacher’s sense of stability, community,clarity of purpose, agency andcompetency.

Camfed, an organization dedicated tothe education and empowerment ofwomen in the developing world,organizes many committees at a varietyof different levels—some are high-leveland include Ministry ofEducation staff;others are very localized and includeonly parents of students—which hashelped in their aim to ensure thatcommunity voices are heard. In theirreport titled Camfed Governance:Accounting to the Girl, they demonstratethe child protective powers ofcommunity involvement and teacher

accountability.The Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty ActionLab (J-PAL) has done studies oninterventions related to literacy andteacher training. In their paper titled ABetter Way to Teach Children to Read?,teachers trained in a new type of literacycurriculum produced students who weremore literate and read more. Also, in thepaper Pay Based on StudentPerformance on Tests, teachers whosepay was based on student performanceincreased their students’ learning. Thesame was also true if they were offeredprizes for high test scores.Conclusion

Investing in teachers is a provenmethod to affect educational results.Given the proper support and training,one teacher has the ability to affect thelives of hundreds of children. You cansupply a student with the best texts, thebest infrastructure and the best materials,but if the right person isn’t in place totake all of these resources and turn theminto something educational, there is nopoint in investing in education at all.

Series Tips from the field

"A child’s educationaloutcome is most

strongly impacted bythe quality of his/herteachers and, therefore,focusing on improvingteacher quality will

ultimately improve thequality of education"


When we are talking about an scarcity ofinstitutional setups to defend humanrights in the developing world, we do notoften pay that much attention to oneinstitution that could possibly do thisjob: the family.

The developed developing dichotomycan be felt in areas of human rightspromotion as many developing countriesdo not have sufficient and effectivemechanisms to ensure human rights totheir citizens. Whereas, in contrast,developed nations seem to havemechanisms that ensure their citizen'srights and welfare needs. In short, thegovernment is the protector and providerin the developed world, but that jobbelongs to the family in much of thedeveloping world. As many of us haveour own personal experiences as well,the family works as a decision maker,opportunity creator, financial regulator,and welfare provider in our part of theworld.

So far so good, but the problembegins when that institutiondiscriminates among its members. Oftenwomen members of the family aredeprived of financial and property rightsand offered with meagre welfaresupport. Decision making rights forwomen are rare and due todiscrimination and lack of opportunities,their talents remain untapped and theircapabilities unrealized. Still todaymillions ofwomen suffer in differentcorners of the world, in the name ofreligion, for the sake of tradition andsuperstition and most of the time tofulfill masculine needs.

When it comes to genderdiscrimination and suppression, Iremember a sad event in Nepal which Iwitnessed just after the announcement ofdemocracy in 1990. In order to mark theachievement, a big rally was organizedin the district headquarters I wasworking in. Like many other, a localwoman also attended the event, carryinga party flat in her hands. However, in theevening, her both hands were choppedoff by her husband for attending apolitical rally.

Dr. Bruce, a British doctor, workingin the Western Regional Hospital inPokhara attempted to cureher hands, but it was too late.Consequently, she lost her both hands.This, however, is just one of extremeexamples ofwomen suppression we seeeveryday in many parts of thedeveloping world.

Recently, I was listening to a BBCinterview of a Pakistani woman whosenose had been chopped off by herhusband, but due to social and culturalpressure she had been living with thatman for more than 30 years, all the timehaving to cover her nose. On the otherhand, we do frequently hear about casesof honor killings, stoning, dowrydemands and acid attacks in many,primarily, muslim countries.

Banning girls and women fromparticipating in social events, traveling,visiting relatives and barring their rightto choose their life partner independentlyseem to be pervasive even in what manyperceive as liberal societies in the south.Women rights violations are not solecharacteristics of developing societies

though. While living and working in theWest, I do have witnessed differentforms of gender discrimination infamilies and work places.

Discrimination and early marriageseem to be closely interlinked. As girlsare deprived of education and cannotstand on their own feet, the societybelieves the only one way to make lifeeasier for girls is marriage. There isno guarantee that life is comfortableafter marriage because if aman wants to marry second wife, hecan leave first wife with children. Thereare numerous women with children onthe streets of developing countries,whowere abandoned by men.

So when we see the family as adefender of human rights and provider ofbasic welfare, we need to look at thefamily authority, that in many cases aremen. So we have to start working withthem, educating them, convincing them,and warning them. They to recognizethat their constructive role can result in aperfect family. They have the privilegeof getting education, employment andalso have property rights, so theircommitment and readiness to supportwomen is crucial. It's time to genuinelyrealize that a family, a society and anation with powerless or disempoweredwomen is not able to make significantprogress in economic, social andpolitical terms. Merely saying thatwomen are half the sky is not enough,it's time to realize their vast space in thatsky and happily accept and support theirexistence, movement and progresstowards equality and prosperity.

Merely saying that women are half the sky isnot enough, it's time to realize their vast spacein that sky and happily accept and supporttheir existence, movement and progresstowards equality and prosperity.

By KOMAL POUDEL

Guest contributor

Opinion Gender & Development


Beijing, China. Hundreds ofbuildings tower over the people thatbustle between them every day. Someget demolished, some get rebuilt,some just get a fresh layer of paint.But what strikes you as you walkthrough this eclectic monster of a cityis that none of its buildings arecovered in tags or graffiti as they arein other metropolises. Or so youwould think on first sight.

Coming from the capitol of streetart in Berlin, I was astonished to seethat Beij ing is so “clean”. But movingaway from the centre and beyond the2nd Ring Road, graffiti starts poppingup in various neighbourhoods, oftenwith local tag artists claiming a certainterritory or mobile spray-paintedimages immortalised (until removed)on the sides of public buses. The streetart culture in Beij ing is in fact agrowing sphere of artistic expression:hidden, yet increasingly powerful.

The phenomenon is not as new asit first appears. According to the 2005China Heritage Newsletter by theAustralian National University(ANU), a 2004 archaeological projectrevealed that graffiti on the Great Wallwas already popular in the 16thcentury, when “soldiers' wivesdecorated parts of the wall withimages of clouds, lotus blossoms and‘fluffy balls’ (xiuqiu), ‘ symbols of

peace and love’ .” Today, graffiti hascome back with renewed strength, andto fulfil quite a different purpose.In the past 17 years, graffiti hasbecome an inspiring field of dialoguebetween the public and the centralChinese government. Beij ing-basedartist Zhang Dali opened the city up tostreet art in 1995, after spendingseveral years in self-exile in Italy,where he became familiar with thetechniques of graffiti and its ability toarouse spontaneous communication.Upon returning to Beij ing, he startedby spraying in the hidden side streetsand underpasses of a city that seemedmore like a gigantic construction site.Later he left his mark on old, run-down buildings scheduled fordemolition, claiming back the spacethat had once been important topeople living there. His symbol washis spray-painted profile, appearinglike a ghost in alleyways and creatinga mysterious presence, as well as histag “AK-47”. Several days afterspraying for the first time on anoverpass in Beij ing, Zhang walked byand saw that someone had writtenunderneath “What the hell are youdoing? Who are you?” He took apicture of it and titled it “Dialogue”.

Although it wasn’t until threeyears after Zhang started spraying thathe actually started making a stir, the

By CAROLYNN LOOK

Editorial Assistant

"The street art culturein Beij ing is in fact agrowing sphere ofartistic expression:

hidden, yetincreasingly powerful"

Going South China


effect was that he created a dialoguethat soon involved the whole city. In1998, several cultural magazinesbegan discussing the culturalsignificance of graffiti: whether itcould be considered art, itscoexistence with urban development,and what the social role of the artist is.In light of the debate, Zhang evengave up his anonymity to join in,and—although he was met withhostility by the press, whocharacterized him as a vandal—heused the chance to communicate withthe Beij ing public.

Little did he know that he startedsomething that would soon transformthe entire city. In the years leading upto the 2008 Olympics the governmentgave yet another push for rapidmodernisation and, with that,destroyed a lot of the older traditionalbuildings to make way for new ones.The Chinese character chai was onethat soon permeated traditionalhutongs all over the city. It warnedpeople that their homes, schools,work-places and lifestyles would soonbe ‘demolished’ , and replaced withshow-offish skyscrapers, hotels andrestaurants to impress and pleaseforeigners. But this did not quiet thedialogue that had been created—farfrom it. When the Central ArtsAcademy was relocated because ofthe city’s renewal policies, its studentsdecided to go around the city andpaste the chai character on thebuildings they didn’t like. Thismethod of using official discourse as amethod of resistance created asymbolic terrain for residents topartake in the moulding of their city.Today, graffiti is a trend that is on thebrink of exploding in China. But the

road has been bumpy, often met withmixed reactions by officials. Artistswatch in dismay as the governmentpaints over some of the oldest graffitiwalls in Beij ing to hide their creativityunder a thick layer of grey. Some getarrested and put in prison for severaldays. Many feel that the governmentdoesn’t care about the “aestheticpollution” that is sometimes createdby graffiti, but that they only careabout what the graffiti is trying toexpress. But mostly the officialssimply don’t know what to make of it.Street artist Zyko—speaking in aMarch 2012 documentary Spray PaintBeij ing—says that the people, on theother hand, are always very curiousabout what he is doing. They stand bywatching, smoking and drinking,interested in his message.All in all there are only about 30 streetartists in Beij ing, ofwhich less thanhalf is regularly active. This is quite alow number for a metropolis, but theirworks have had a great impact, if onlyto get observers to question their rolein producing and reproducing the citythey live in. Graffiti is impossible toignore. It is always there on theopposite wall when you go throughthe door in the morning, or in theunderpass when you’re walking toschool. It can be a big detailed mural,or a scribbled tag. No matter the form,it’s impossible not to listen to itsmessage, even if one does not agreewith it. In many ways, graffiti inBeij ing has been less a criticismtowards the government than towardsthe passivity of the public. It hasforced them to literally open theireyes.

The significance of street art inChina is two-fold. Firstly, it is amanifestation of creativity andoriginality in a country that iscriticized for its sole ability toreplicate and mass-produce. Many saythat the lacking element in theChinese economy is creativity, butperhaps they have been selectingentrepreneurs from the wrong places.The movement proves that Chinesepeople are capable of thinking outsidethe box, but the ones who end up inhigh positions are the ones whoconveniently think inside of it. Sadly,these are the ones who get to decidethe fate of the city.

Secondly, the intricate platform fordialogue that street art has createdcounters the West’s overly radicalizedviews of repression in China. It is aform of resistance specifically

contextualized in Chinese culture, usingindirect protest, irony and allusion toconvey a message, while Westernmovements use ‘ louder’ , more black andwhite methods such as enemy-targeting andsolution-finding, which don’t work inChina. The roles of individual actors aremore ambiguous and less dramatized than aWestern lens may lead us to believe.One could argue that repression of streetartists is stronger in the West: A recentarticle published in The Huffington Postwas titled “’Beij ing Was More Open-Minded’ : Street Artists Speak Out AgainstLondon’s Olympic Clean Up”. The factthat, in China, graffiti has not led tocensorship, but rather to an alternative formof communication is worthy of recognition.

The scene is not only growing inBeij ing: The rest ofChina has taken out itsspray cans too. Shanghai is quite thehotspot for famous street artists, evenfeaturing works by renowned Portuguesestreet artist Alexandre Farto that goes bythe alias Vhils. Chongqing—a major city inSouthwest China and one of five statecapitals—has one of the longest graffitiwalls in the world, stretching across1 .25km. Spray Paint Beij ing a greatresource for learning more about thisartistic movement that is on the verge ofexploding.

If art has the ability of transforming andinspiring society, this must surely be one ofits greatest moments.

"If art has the abilityof transforming andinspiring society, thismust surely be one

of its greatestmoments"


Going South China

The month ofOctober marksInternational Day ofRural Women(October 15) and World Food Day(October 16), an opportunity for theinternational community to celebrate thebold leadership and outstandingcontributions of rural women around theworld towards reducing hunger andundernutrition. The International Day ofRural Women recognizes the critical roleand contribution of rural women,including indigenous women, inenhancing agricultural and ruraldevelopment, improving food securityand eradicating rural poverty. ThisInternational Day was established by theUnited Nations General Assembly inDecember 2007, while World Food Daywas established by the Food andAgricultural Organisation’s MemberCountries at the Organization's 20thGeneral Conference in November 1979.

Rural women play a critical role inmeeting the food and nutrition needs oftheir households and communities, andthey are key to the success of emergencyand development programmes. TheUnited Nations’ Secretary-General BanKi-moon said that “Rural women havethe potential to improve the well-being ofentire societies if given equal access toresources and set free from thediscrimination and exploitation that holdthem back. Countries where women lackland ownership rights or access to credithave significantly more malnourishedchildren. By empowering rural womenwe could end the hidden developmenttragedy of stunting, which affects almost200 million children worldwide”. Despiteimpressive reductions in the percentage

of the population living below thepoverty line, 925 million hungry peopleare still desperately poor and consumeless than the minimum dailyrecommended food intake (FAO, 2010).Under-nutrition among pregnant womenin developing countries leads to 1 out of6 infants born with low birth weight, andpoor nutrition plays a role in at least halfof the 10.9 million child deaths each year(2012 World Hunger). Climate changewill also pose further risks for the ultrapoor, accelerating hunger and increasingthe risk of undernutrition and foodinsecurity.

The case ofBangladesh is particularlysignificant. Bangladesh ranks 129 among169 countries in the 2010 HumanDevelopment Index, and 116 among 169countries in the Gender Inequality Index(GDI). A joint assessment ofHouseholdFood Security and Nutrition conducted in2009 by WFP and partners reported thatnearly 40 percent of female-headedhouseholds are estimated to be foodinsecure compared to 24 percent ofmale-headed households. Inequality anddiscrimination against women continueto have significant impacts on the effortsto reduce poverty. The proportion of ultrapoor (intake of 1 ,600 k.cal/person/day)and extreme poor (intake of 1 ,805k.cal/person/day) is higher for female-headed households than male-headedones.

The challenges. Rural women andgirls make up a quarter of the globalpopulation, yet they routinely figure atthe bottom of every economic, social andpolitical indicator, from income,education and health to participation in

By DEBORADIO DIOGSDMspecial correspondent

Food Soverignty and Rural

Livelihoods

"Despite impressivegains over the pasttwo decades, rural

women in Bangladeshremain particularlyvulnerable to foodinsecurity andundernutrition"


Food Security & Nutrition Bangladesh

Photo :Cimmyt

decision-making. In most parts of thedeveloping world rural womenparticipate in crop production andlivestock care, provide food, water andfuel for their families, and engage in off-farm activities to diversify their families’livelihoods. In addition, they carry outvital functions in caring for children,older persons and the sick.

Despite impressive gains over thepast two decades, rural women inBangladesh remain particularlyvulnerable to food insecurity andundernutrition. They face discriminationin accessing assets and resources and aremore likely to be involved in unpaidfamily-related work or in low-paid work.Rural women are also at higher risk ofbeing subjected to violence, with far lessaccess to redress for the human rightsviolations they suffer. Due to socialrestrictions, they face additional barriersin generating income and are morevulnerable than men to the consequencesof natural disasters. Low status withinthe household and cultural practicesassociated with childbirth and intra-family food distribution lead to genderdiscrimination in the allocation of foodespecially for adolescent girls, andpregnant and lactating women. The highprevalence of early marriage andundernutrition in mothers and adolescentgirls contributes to the cycle ofundernutrition where neonatal deathsaccount for two-thirds of all infantdeaths. An estimated 30% of adultBangladeshi mothers are chronicallymalnourished, and at least 39% ofwomen suffer from anaemia duringpregnancy.

Michelle Bachelet, the ExecutiveDirector of the UN Entity for GenderEquality and the Empowerment ofWomen- UN Women, stated that noenduring solution to the major globalchallenges – from climate change topolitical and economic instability – canbe solved without the full empowermentand participation ofwomen across theworld. Nevertheless, rural womencontinue to face considerable social andeconomic hardship in accessing assetsand resources, such as, credit andagricultural tools.

The solutions. Breaking the cycle ofhunger and poverty at its roots beginswith women, because in situations ofdesperate poverty, access to food ispower. This is the reason why the UnitedNations with the major players of foodand nutrition security, especially theWorld Food Programme, prioritizeswomen and works in innovative ways toensure that rural women are empowered.Empowering rural women is critical to

the achievement of the MillenniumDevelopment Goals, and to do sodevelopment partners implement a widerange of community-based interventionsthat support women. Ifwomen’s abilityto act as economic agents of change inthe household can be strengthened, andtheir decision-making authority to useresources to the family's optimal benefitcan be enhanced, women are able toimprove and sustain the food security oftheir family members, and potentially thenutritional status too. Empoweringwomen with the resources to help lifttheir households and communities out ofpoverty can make significant impacts onBangladesh’s efforts to reduce foodinsecurit y and undernutrition.

The Government ofBangladesh iscommitted to attaining the MillenniumDevelopment Goal 3 to promote genderequality and empower women. TheGovernment acknowledges that inclusionand empowerment ofwomen are keythrust areas for improving the long-termfood security and nutrition situation ofultra poor households, and for thedevelopment ofBangladesh overall.Gender disparities continue to placeconstraints on development and thefailure to guarantee equal participation ofwomen in the socio-economicdevelopment is a price that Bangladeshcannot afford to pay. The exclusion ormarginalization ofwomen and food andnutrition security not only reducesopportunities for growth, stability andcooperation, but it also reducesproductivity, and economic benefits forthe local communities are put at risk topresent and future generations. Since thecountry’s independence in 1971 , theMinistry ofWomen and Children Affairs(MOWCA) and its correspondingrepresentation through the Department ofWomen at district and lower levels have

been playing a key role in promotinggender equality and women’s rights inBangladesh. The present Awami League-led Government has promised to restorewomen’s rights to inheritance and to enddiscriminatory laws by implementing theConvention on the Elimination ofAllForms ofDiscrimination against Women(CEDAW) and the Beij ing Platform ofAction (BPFA). In the last few years, theGovernment has strengthened itscommitment to equality between womenand men with the National Policy forWomen’s Advancement (first formulatedin 1997, and last revised in 2008) andmore recently with the passing of thelong-awaited Domestic Violence Bill(October 2010). Gender considerationsare a core element of the NationalStrategy for Accelerated PovertyReduction II (2009-2011 ) with specialemphasis on women’s contribution to thecountry’s economic development, andare incorporated in Vision 2021 whichpresents a specific commitment tomainstreaming gender concerns in allpolicies and to promoting genderequality in all aspects of society. With theobjective to leverage women’s role asdecision makers, the Government ofBangladesh has committed to advocatingfor changes in social attitudes andensuring women’s greater representationin all aspects of decision-making.

Women are a pivotal force behindachieving a food secure world. Thecomplementarities and synergiesbetween increasing women’s access andcontrol of livelihoods and householdfood and nutrition security are multiple.For instance, enhancing women's accessto food security and nutritioninterventions has a direct impact onaccess to food and dietary improvementfor the entire household due to women’smultiple role of producers of food,managers of natural resources, incomeearners, and caretakers. Therefore,increasing knowledge and resources inwomen’s hands leads to gains for ruralwomen, their children and family.Through employment generation, ruralwomen enjoy greater participation inhousehold decision-making, gainenhanced status in the family andcommunity, and their mobility andcommunity participation also increase.Because women’s food security andnutrition is a life cycle issue, when foodsecurity and nutrition interventions aretargeted at women they can make anenormous difference on the reduction ofundernutrition, maternal and neonatalmortality rates, improvement of dietarychoices, hygiene awareness andpractices, and generally higher

"Breaking the cycleof hunger and

poverty at its rootsbegins with women,

because insituations of

desperate poverty,access to food is

power"



productivity at home and work, thuscontributing to the prosperity of thesociety as a whole.

Michelle Bachelet ofUN Womenhighlighted that providing womenfarmers with equal access to resourceswould result in 100 to 150 million fewerhungry people, while ensuring that theyhave income, land rights and creditwould mean fewer malnourishedchildren. Higher levels of genderequality correlate positively with higherlevels of per capita gross nationalproduct. Socially prescribed rolescontinue to limit women’s access toeconomic resources such as capital,skills, and marketing know-how, at bothnational and local level. These samesocial norms limit women’s participationin decision making processes that affecttheir lives, including on food securityand nutrition.

United Nations agencies anddevelopment partners can support

Governments around the world bycreating an enabling environment forpromoting gender equality and theempowerment ofwomen in addressingfood and nutrition challenges. The UNsystem can support to mobiliseadditional resources and promote andprotect women’s rights; eradicate thepersistent burden of poverty on ruralwomen and develop women’s capacitythrough health and nutrition care.Furthermore, UN agencies and otherdevelopment partners can supportGovernments in capacity buildingobjectives, by fostering exchange ofknowledge and expertise, and helpingcoordinate and leverage efforts topromote and sustain the mainstreamingof food security and nutrition issues innational plans, policies and budgets.By investing more in women, weamplify benefits across families andgenerations.

' 'The health ofwomen is a crucialfactor in the healthof children, but

genderdiscriminationleaves womenparticularlyvulnerable to

disease and death''



"The exclusion or marginalization ofwomenand food and nutrition security not only reducesopportunities for growth, stability andcooperation, but it also reduces productivity,and economic benefits for the localcommunities are put at risk to present andfuture generations"

Mrs. Helena Lutege is an inspiringwomen entreprenuer in Tanzania.Coming from a backgroundcharacterised by poverty, she wasdetermined to work hard to breakthrough and live a decent life. Helena isthe founder ofBetter Life for TanzaniansTrust Fund (BELITA), a microfinanceorganisation which she started eightyears ago to provide financial services tosmall entrepreneurs, especially women,in Tanzania. Helena was born about 55years ago in Musoma District, Mararegion in the Northern part ofTanzania.She was raised by a single mother, amere peasant who struggled to makesure her children attend school. Helenamade it up to Grade Four (Senior IV)and when she first sat for the Grade IVnational examinations she failed butinsisted and repeated the class anotheryear and finally passed. Shen then cameto Dares Salaam, the capital ofTanzania,

where she started doing some petty workincluding as a shop attendant, keepingpoultry for business and so forth. It wasduring this time that she met with herhusband. The husband encouraged andsupported her to go for further education(a Diploma in Business Administration).After obtaining this diploma, Helenaworked with the Tanzania RevenueAouthrity and in 2006, she started herown business, the present day BELITA(Better Life for Tanzanians Trust Fund).Having secured some capital and comeup with an idea to begin extending smallloans to individuals who needed them,she utilised the sevant’s quarter at hermarital home premises as the office tooperate her business which has grownsince then. Begining as an individualsmall lender—with no formalbackground in banking andfinance—with five clients, the venturehas now become a full fledged

microfinance institution. Belita nowserves more than 3,000 clients, ofwhom75% are women living in the sub-urban,urban, rural and coastal areas ofEasternTanzania. Majority of these people havesmall businesses and borrow betweenTzs. 50, 000 (about US$32) to 1 ,000,000(about $645).

Mama Belita, as she is commonlyidentified by most of her clients says ithas not been a smooth road all the way.She recalls facing a lot of resistancefrom her family who at first did notsupport her engaging in a lendingventure or using the home premises. Butthat did not discourage her. Instead, shesought to strengthen her skills: In 2010,Mama Belita completed a post graduatediploma in microfinance at theUniversity ofDares Salaam. With aphilosophy ofBegin, Believe andBecome, her vision now is to seeBELITA serve people beyond Tanzania


Women entrepreneurship Tanzania

By MARYNAMUSOKEGSDMspecial correspondent

Development & Democracy in

Africa

Dadaab, the 20-year-old refugee campspawned by the Somali Civil War, hasbecome a perpetual humanitariandisaster, with thousands of peoplemalnourished, without shelter or anymeans of subsistence. Providing whatlittle health care and social servicesthere are in the camps still costs theKenyan government and theinternational community hundreds ofmillions of dollars. Largely, it is aproblem without a good solution.

While having generouslyaccommodated the refugees for twodecades, some Kenyan politicians havestarted to call more aggressively forrepatriation after the surge of newrefugees following last year’s famine.Sanctioning a military intervention intoSomalia in order to establish safehavens suitable for relocation has beenpart of this. This in turn has been metwith opposition from humanitarianagencies running the camps. Whilethey argue correctly that a repatriationat this stage would likely increaseinsecurities for refugees and aidworkers alike, they do not provide anyconstructive solutions of their own.

Indeed, the scale of the camp putsany type of solution to a tough test.Currently 500,000 refugees, mostlySomalis, inhabit five camps in an aridenvironment around a village that 20years ago was home to a mere fivethousand inhabitants. To put that intoperspective, it’s as if the city ofLiverpool in the United Kingdom grew

to its current size from a sleepyunknown village in merely twodecades.

Integration?

Melanie Teff at the Guardian’s povertymatters blog suggested that therefugees living in Dadaab could be anasset in a comprehensive regionaldevelopment plan. She points to theentrepreneurial spirit ofmany residentsofDadaab, and research by CindyHorst, Senior Researcher at the PeaceResearch Institute Oslo (PRIO), andothers have illuminated the manysuccessful ways of coping with life inthe camp. Like in most populationshowever, only a small number havehad that little extra luck together withan entrepreneurial spirit to createsomething. The majority need jobsavailable for them to take part in adevelopmental project.

This is not to underplay theachievements of the camps’entrepreneurs. A study by thegovernments ofKenya, Denmark andNorway estimated that as much asUS$14 million is channelled into theregion through the agencies in Dadaab,and that refugee entrepreneursthemselves turn over $25 million.

This may sound like impressivefigures, but even when added together,and shared only among camp residents,not local Kenyans, it merely amountsto $78 per person. This is but a fraction

By EDVIN MACHATA

GSDMWest Africa Editor

"When we arrived, the policemade us line up facing a walland said we should ‘ thinkabout never coming back toKenya’ . Then police officershit all of us three or four

times on the back and headwith a stick. That night theKenyan men in a cell next toours, which was separatedonly by bars, urinated in

plastic bags and threw themat us and cursed at us inSwahili all night long"


Refugees Dadaab refugee camp

Alima Ali Abdi, 37, holds one of her three children as she waits inl ine to be received at the Ifo refugee camp in Dadaab. Photo:USAID

ofKenya’s still low $1 ,800 GDP percapita, and it highlights a particularsocio-economic characteristic ofmostlate developers: they do not lackmanpower, but capital.Thus, from a developmental stand point,it seems hard to argue that manpower-rich, capital-poor Dadaab has any valueto add to a national Kenyan economicproject, it merely dilutes thegovernment’s scarce capital resources.

Except for the tough job of funding acomprehensive regional developmentplan, there are important politicalobstacles. Before its civil war, Somaliahad difficult relations with its neighbors.It occasionally laid claim to Somaliinhabited territory beyond its borders,notably in the Ogaden war with Ethiopiain the 1970s and a proxy war in Kenya(the so-called Shifta war). Kenya isworried that if it integrated a greatnumber of additional Somalis in its east,similar future claims may seem moreplausible and be supported by a ‘fifthcolumn’ .

This worry and the perception ofSomali immigrants as taking jobs anddrawing a disproportional amount ofhumanitarian aid is also fueling strongracist sentiments towards the immigrants.A 2009 Human Rights Watch report,entitled From Horror to Hopelessnes,detailed some racist abuse faced bySomali immigrants in detention inGarissa:

“When we arrived, the police made usline up facing a wall and said we should‘ think about never coming back toKenya’ . Then police officers hit all of usthree or four times on the back and headwith a stick. That night the Kenyan menin a cell next to ours, which wasseparated only by bars, urinated in plasticbags and threw them at us and cursed atus in Swahili all night long. Wecomplained to the police but they didnothing to stop them.” Repatriation?

However, even while integration inKenya seems difficult, repatriation is no

less challenging. In spite ofKenya’sclaims that their incursion has securedsouthwestern Somalia from Al-Shabaab—the Islamist militia that formany years controlled much of southernSomalia—civilians continue to flee thearea rather than returning.

There are many second and even thirdgeneration refugees in the camps thathave nothing to return to in Somalia.Also, many more recent refugees have noclose family left across the border, andmost who used to own property thatserved as a means of subsistence hadthese destroyed or violently appropriated.

Without support to re-integrate back intoSomali society, it is likely that a greatnumber of immigrants would becomeinternally displaced persons (IDPs).Merely rebuilding the Dadaab complex100 kilometers east makes littlesense—not even for Kenya, as it wouldstill be a hotbed for terrorist recruitmentbut with easier access for Al-Shabaaboperatives.

A sudden influx of refugees into thepolitically and economically fragileSomalia could have devastating effectson the situation. Conflicts overrepossessed land and livestock would belikely, which would feed into the conflictbetween the Somali government and Al-Shabaab.

The continuing insecurity and the lackof opportunities across the border meansthat voluntary compliance is highlyunlikely, and without it repatriation is notreally an option. Moving the entirepopulation of a large city by force wouldrequire too many ofKenya’s police andmilitary forces, leaving other regions andpossibly safe-zones in Somalia withinadequate security. It would also violatethe 1951 refugee convention, bringinginternational condemnation and possiblysanctions onto Kenya. With an electionyear looming, it is likely that tough callsfor repatriation are more a call for votes

than actual desiredpolicy.

Solutions?

Considering thatthe staggeringchallenges with bothintegration andrepatriation are mademore difficult by thegreat number ofindividuals that needto be taken intoaccount, bothintegration andrepatriation must beemployed in a

medium to long-term, regional, cross-border development strategy. A thirdoption, not explored in detail here, isresettlement to a third country, which hasbeen, and should continue to be, pursuedfor as many as possible who are willing.

There are also some positive aspectsto the situation. As there are significantnumbers of Somalis permanently settledin Kenya since before independence, theSomali clan system could be used to havedistant relatives help integrate Somalirefugees out of clan solidarity. And, asIRIN reported on the 15th of June 2012,there is some political support for theintegration of a smaller number ofrefugees that have personal ties to Kenya.

In Somalia, the continued militaryoffensive against Al-Shabaab has fueledsome optimism that the main violentthreat may soon be defeated. Theappointment of the moderate HassanSheikh Mohamud to the presidency givesSomalis a more neutral figure to unitebehind. Still there is a long way to go forpeace and stability.

The combined integration, repatriationand resettlement of the refugees need alot of time, money, political will andlong-term security in order to succeed.


Refugees Dadaab refugee camp

There is no end in sight to violence andrepression in Honduras, nor the impunityand corruption with which the powerfuleconomic, military and political sectorsact. With American and Canadiangovernments and businesses maintainingpolitical, economic and military relationswith Honduras, their support only servesto further empower and legitimize theregime, all the while benefitting from theHonduran government’s subjugation ifits people.

A HUMAN RIGHTS AND SECURITYABYSS

Since the US and Canadian endorsedmilitary coup of June 28, 2009, whichousted the democratically electedgovernment, hundreds of pro-democracyactivists have been killed by the stateand its death squads. As a result,Honduras has been called“the murder capital of the world”, the“journalist killing capital of the world”,the “ LGBT killing capital of the world”,the “inmate killing capital of the world”and the “lawyer killing capital of theworld”, by the North American Congresson Latin America, the Monthly Review,the Miami Herald, the BBC, and theUnited Nations, respectively.

“[Honduras] is quickly turning into adisaster zone. […] To make mattersworse in Honduras, there are indicationsthat elements of the U.S.-backedgovernment are complicit in the violenceand criminality. […] The murder rate of82.1 per 100,000 residents […] givesHonduras the highest homicide rate inthe world,” said a January 2012 editorialin the Miami Herald entitled CentralAmerica’s Free-fire Zone.

“It’s time to acknowledge the foreignpolicy disaster that American support forthe Porfirio Lobo administration inHonduras has become. Ever since theJune 28, 2009, coup […] the country has

been descending deeper into a humanrights and security abyss. That abyss isin good part the State Department’smaking. […] According to the UnitedNations, it now has the world’s highestmurder rate, and San Pedro Sula, its

second largest city, is more dangerousthan Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, a center fordrug cartel violence. Much of the pressin the United States has attributed thisviolence solely to drug trafficking andgangs. But the coup was what threwopen the doors to a huge increase in drugtrafficking and violence, and it unleasheda continuing wave of state-sponsoredrepression,” said Dana Frank in aJanuary 27, 2012 New York Times op-edentitled In Honduras, a mess made in theU.S.

This situation of repression andviolence has gotten even worse. OnMay 11 , 2012, a US-DEA (DrugEnforcement Agency) raid in the Ahuascommunity of northeast Honduras left atleast four innocent people dead,including two pregnant women. Manymore were wounded.

EMPOWERING AND LEGITIMIZINGTHE ILLEGITIMATE

While the United States receives mostattention regarding its support for themilitary-backed government ofHonduras, Canada has played a majorrole in empowering and legitimizing theregime.

By GRAHAME RUSSELL

"Honduras has beencalled

“the murder capitalof the world”, the“journalist killing

capital of the world”,the “ LGBT killing

capital of the world”,the “inmate killingcapital of the world”

and the “lawyerkilling capital of theworld”, by the NorthAmerican Congress

on Latin America, theMonthly Review,the Miami Herald,the BBC, and theUnited Nations,respectively"


Latin America Honduras

Canada and the U.S. are the onlygovernments that deemed the violent,illegitimate post-military coup electionsin November 2009 both ‘fair and valid’ .Canada and the U.S. are the onlygovernments to have maintained fullpolitical relations with the military-backed regime. Since the coup, bothcountries—particularly Canada—haveeven expanded business dealings inHonduras.

In August 2011 , Canadian PrimeMinister Harper became the first foreignleader to actually visit Honduras sincethe military coup (most governments inLatin America today still do not havefull political and economic relations withthe military-backed administration).Leading a delegation of politicians andbusiness executives, Prime MinisterHarper signed a free trade agreementwith Honduras that gave internationalcredibility to the regime, furtherentrenching the rights ofCanadianmaquiladoras (sweat-shops), tourism,mining businesses and investors inHonduras.OUR PROBLEMSNorth Americans must pressure and

keep on pressuring our elected

politicians and government officials totake action against the current Hondurangovernment. Putting public pressure onNorth American governments andbusinesses is vital ifwe are to stopempowering and legitimizing theillegitimate Honduran regime.

It is equally important to support(with funds, human rightsaccompaniment, solidarity delegations,etc.) civil society groups inHonduras—many ofwhich are membersof the National Resistance Front—thatare courageously struggling to denouncethe abuses and human rights violations,all the while working to restore theirdemocratic order and to re-found thestate and society.2013 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONSDespite this situation, there is a chancefor positive political change in 2013.The wife of the militarily oustedPresident Zelaya has been chosen asleader of a new political party—LIBRE.Whereas many Hondurans—now in theNational Resistance Front—were notZelaya supporters before the coup, theyhave been moved by the dignified andcourageous positions that both MelZelaya and his wife Xiomara have taken

since the day of the coup.The 2013 presidential elections will

pit corrupted pro-coup, pro-oligarchyparties—that are likely to be backedopenly or indirectly by the US andCanada—against the LIBRE party, apolitical movement that has grown out ofcivil society’s courageous opposition tothe military coup and on-goingrepression.

LIBRE would easily win trulydemocratic elections, given the chance.However, these elections willundoubtedly be characterized byelectoral corruption and threats andsuppression against LIBRE supporters.

This is at once a struggle fordemocracy and human rights in bothHonduras and across Latin America. It isalso a fight to hold North Americangovernments, companies and investorsaccountable for legitimizing theillegitimate and for empowering arepressive and undemocratic regime.

Grahame Russell is a non-practicingCanadian lawyer, author, adjunctprofessor at the University ofNorthernBritish Columbia and, since 1995, co-director ofRights Action.


Photo Corner

Women sort pistachios by hand at a privately-owned factory in Herat, Afghanistan. Photo: UN Multimedia

Latin America Honduras

The Supreme Court in Brazil has found a topaide of the former Brazilian president, LuizInacio Lula da Silva, guilty of corruption.

Jose Dirceu, Lula's chief of staff from 2003to 2005, was convicted of running a schemethat used public funds to buy support fromopposition parties in congress.

He denies the scheme ever existed and saysthe allegations are political.

Lula, who remains hugely popular inBrazil, was not implicated in the case.

The former head ofLula's Workers Party,Jose Genoino, and its treasurer, DelubioSoares, were also convicted by a majority ofthe Supreme Court justices.

They potentially face between two and 12years in jail, but the sentences will not bepassed until the whole hearing is concluded. Alengthy appeal process is also likely.

Mr Dirceu is a former left-wing rebel whofought Brazil's military government in the1970s and was eventually sent to exile inCuba.

Along with Lula, he was one of thefounders of the Workers Party (PT) and wasone of the former president's closest politicalallies.

Mr Dirceu has said right-wing media andpoliticians fabricated the allegations to bringdown the government.

The scandal, which erupted in 2005, for atime threatened to engulf the Lulaadministration but he was comfortably re-elected as president the following year.

Development In the News

The biggest fish in thesea could be almost 25 per cent smaller by2050 because of global warming, accordingto a new study.

Warmer oceans will carry less dissolvedoxygen, causing fish to grow to smaller sizesand forcing them to move to cooler waters,the research published in the journal NatureClimate Change claims.

Scientists predict that a rise in globaltemperatures over the coming decades willcause the average body size of sea fish to

decline by between 14 and 24 per cent.The predication is based on a study of

more than 600 species of saltwater fish,including the Atlantic cod and the North Seahaddock.

About half of the shrinkage will be due tochanges in the distribution and abundance offish caused by changes to their environment,and halfwill be the direct result of living inoxygen-poor water.

Species living in tropical andintermediate-latitude oceans will suffer themost, with an average reduction in weight ofmore than 20 per cent, according to the studyby William Cheung and colleagues at theUniversity ofBritish Columbia in Vancouver,Canada.

While changes in distribution wereexpected, "we were surprised to see such alarge decrease in fish size", Dr Cheung said."The unexpectedly big effect that climatechange could have on body size suggests thatwe may be missing a big piece of the puzzle

Chinese people have seen a decrease inleisure time in the past three years, a newstudy shows.

Insight China, a State-run magazine thatlooks into Chinese people's welfare, polled1 ,007 people nationwide in August andSeptember and found that 70 percent saidthey are unsatisfied about the amount ofleisure time they have.Sixty percent of people surveyed werebetween 23 and 42 years old, more than 70percent earn 3,000 to 10,000 yuan ($480 to$1 ,590) a month, and 60 percent have abachelor's degree or higher qualification.

Nearly 70 percent said they areoverworked. More than 40 percent said theywork 40 to 50 hours a week, with 1 .3 percentsaying more than 80 hours a week.

Only 30 percent of those polled said theywork 40 hours a week, the statutory workinghours stipulated by Chinese law.The surveyfound that more than 40 percent spend lessthan 10 hours a week on leisure, and only 8percent havemore than 30hours a weekfor leisure.

Chinesepeople haveseendecreasingleisure timesince 2010,and more than40 percent ofrespondents said they have enjoyed lessleisure time this year than last.

Chinese people commonly feel theyhave insufficient leisure time because of thecountry's stage of economic development,said Wei Xiang, director of the Beij ingInternational Studies University's center for

China leisure economic research."China is still very much a labor-intensiveeconomy, and in such a situation it's hard tooffer plenty of time for people to enjoy

leisure," he said."Our study foundthat most Chinesepeople want to earnmoney instead oftaking vacations," hesaid."When Chinasuccessfully reformsits incomedistribution and theoverall socialsecurity system is

built, the situation will change."

Despite strong economic growth, foodsecurity remains an issue of primaryimportance for Africa, according to anew study by risk analysis companyMaplecroft, which classifies 75% of thecontinent’s countries at ‘high’ or‘extreme risk.’ In the light of recent

food price spikes, the findings areespecially significant for areas of sub-Saharan Africa where poverty, armedconflict, civil unrest, drought,displacement and poor governance cancombine to create conditions where afood crisis may take hold.


Read it Anywhere.Any device, any time.

Subscribe Now for Free!

www.silcreation.orgwww.gsdmagazine.org

Home - GSDM · Home - GSDM ... 8o h;:

Documents

Transcript of Home - GSDM · Home - GSDM ... 8o h;: