Uganda: Mediator to Meet Kony Today

South Sudan's Vice-President Riek Machar, the chief mediator in peace talks between the Ugandan Government and the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) was to meet LRA leader Joseph Kony in Ri-Kwangba today, according to Uganda Government sources. This development follows the failed signing of a peace pact with the Government of Uganda by the LRA leader earlier this month. Kony cited insufficient information about the traditional court system under which the LRA would be tried in Uganda as the reason why he did not sign the agreement. He also needed assurances that he would not be handed over to the ICC. The meeting with the mediator should supply more assurances and hopefully bring a settlement to the on again-off again peace process.

http://allafrica.com/stories/200804300004.html

A New Way of Looking at Agriculture

The way the world grows its food will have to change radically to better serve the poor and hungry if the world is to cope with a growing population and climate change while avoiding social breakdown and environmental collapse. That is the conclusion of a report by the International Assessment of Agricultural Science and Technology for Development (IAASTD), incorporating assessments and ideas of over 400 scientists.

The report found that the way to meet the challenges of combining production, social and environmental goals lies in putting in place institutional, economic and legal frameworks that combine productivity with the protection and conservation of natural resources like soils, water, forests, and biodiversity while meeting production needs.

IAASTD’s report was launched on 15 April 2008 in Johannesburg, South Africa, but was already engendering a lot of response a week earlier at a intergovernmental plenary in the same city where the assessment findings were reviewed ahead of its presentation.

http://allafrica.com/stories/200804150171.html

http://adamsmith.wordpress.com/2008/04/16/388/

New Weather Resilient Rice Spells Hope For Africa

In the midst of the food crisis taking place around the globe fresh help is coming to African rice producers and their clients with the release of varieties of rice that are resilient to soil and weather conditions found on the continent. So far, varieties of rice grown on the continent have only been able to meet 54% of local demand with much of the rest being met by imports from Asia. In times of global rice shortage this is a dangerous situation. To mitigate the effects of current and future rice crises the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) is backing the release of new resilient rice varieties in six African Countries. It’s a move that could see Africa self sufficient, to a great extent, in rice production –good news for a rapidly growing and increasingly rice hungry African population.

http://allafrica.com/stories/200804241054.html

Never a better time to think positively

Unless you have decided to shut yourself off from access to World News and News about Africa it couldn't have escaped you that there is an almost overwhelming amount of bad going on here in Africa. You have probably concluded by now that the World, and especially the African Continent, is in major crisis -what with a global food crisis taking its toll, election related calamities in Kenya, Zimbabwe and Ethiopia, the failed signing of a peace pact in Uganda along with bad news from areas we are accustomed to receiving it from like Darfur, Somalia and the DRC. That there is a crisis it cannot be denied but to sit back and give ourselves over to despondency and fear would be tragic.

In the midst of all the wickedness and calamity taking place on the continent there is a lot of good being planned and implemented by people who refused to believe that they could do nothing about what is taking place. The primary purpose of this blog is to highlight the good that is being done in the hope of inspiring you to think of the possibilities that exist, even in the worst of times, to push the agenda of 'wholesome' prosperity forward. Our vision is that you would find our blog an oasis of good news, in the midst of a desert of bad news, from which you can be rejuvenated and refreshed to face a world with immense challenges. We are hoping that you can become a force for good inspired by the stories of the courageous we post on this blog.

You must remember that crisis often has a way of bringing out the best in people and forging great character. We need not look back far in history to see instances where as individual nations or as a global community we overcame insurmountable challenges; The Great global depression -1920's- comes to mind so does pulling out of the oil-shock of the 1970's and the very recent ending of the Sudanese Civil War. We can come out on top in this very challenging season and we (New Growth International bloggers) would like to feel that we played at least a small part -however small it was -in the turn-around.

Rolling Back Malaria in Africa

A 9th April, 2008 post on allafrica.com carries an interview with Dr. Awa Marie Coll-Seck the Executive Director of the Roll Back Malaria (RBM) Partnership in which she gives insight into the achievements of the Partnership in combating the malaria pandemic in Africa. Roll Back Malaria is a partnership launched in 1998 by the World Health Organization, the United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef), the UN Development Program (UNDP) and the World Bank. It has as its principal goal to mark 2015 as the year in which malaria is eliminated as a major cause of mortality and as a barrier to social and economic development growth anywhere in the world. So far, RBM has helped put malaria firmly on the development and international agenda bringing funding to fight the disease from $60 million to $1 billion (US dollars). It is currently in the process of establishing an Affordable Medicines Facility.

Zambian Government to sign NEPAD Agricultural Pact

Zambia will sign the NEPAD initiated Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) pact at the culmination of an Africa Agricultural stakeholders meeting set to be held in its capital, Lusaka, from April 29 -30. Established in July 2003, CAADP is the highest policy level framework for the development of agriculture in Africa. Zambia will be the second African country after Rwanda to sign onto the programme. CAAPD’s overall goal is to help African countries reach a higher path of economic growth through agriculture-led development that will see food and other agricultural related production increase by addressing some of the hindrances to growth in the sector. The framework intends to push agriculture growth rates to six per cent per year to create the wealth needed for rural communities and households in Africa to prosper.

http://allafrica.com/stories/200804211573.html

Calling on social entrepreneurs in Kenya

If you are seriously thinking of starting a social enterprise in Kenya, or already have, and are looking for funding, we may have some good news for you. New Growth International brokers social entrepreneurs who are looking for funding from donor agencies. We seek out innovative social enterprises and link them with the donor community who are eager to invest in ideas that show great promise in terms of impact and sustainability. At the moment we prefer to deal with enterprises that are looking for an investment of between Kshs 500,000 to Kshs 1 million in their initiative. Interested social entrepreneurs may contact NGI’s Junior Programme Officer in Nairobi, Rocky Olende, at the email address rolende@newgrowthint.com for further details. We aim to chart innovative pathways to the prosperity of communities through this arm of our business.

Surfing the West Coast of Africa

Three South African surfing enthusiasts packed in their day jobs a few months ago to embark on an odyssey few (maybe none!) have ventured to undertake; a surfing trip along the West Coast of Africa. Tim Harris, Mike Sternberg and John Fleming took their trip through a long a coastline not renowned as a surfing destination and more ‘famous’ as a region that is civil war, poverty and corruption ravaged. They were pleased to report that they didn’t experience many of the negative stereotypes associated with the region but rather the world renowned African hospitality and some incredible surf! They didn’t pay a single bribe throughout their journey and they made friends among “tightly knit surfing communities” they met along the way.

Six months after they left South Africa they are still enjoying their odyssey along the Moroccan coastline. They encourage African and international surfers to seriously consider the West Coast of Africa as a destination.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7340506.stm

NEPAD Rolls out Africa E-school Plan

The New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) is set to roll out a forward-thinking plan to take ICT learning and techniques to a large number of secondary schools in Africa. This will be an Africa-wide plan launched through the e-Africa Commission, based in Johannesburg, South Africa, and scheduled to begin at the end of June. The plan aims to harness ICT in a bid to improve the quality of teaching and learning in African schools as well as to create a critical mass of African youths to bridge the ICT gap between Africa and the rest of the world. The initial phase of the e-schools project was run successfully in 11 African countries after African leaders agreed to the plan in 2003 and has high hopes of being successful in the rest of Africa. The project will rely on an Africa-wide satellite network to provide internet access to the 600, 000 or so schools projected to be covered by 2015 which will each be equipped with a computer lab of at least 20 computers, a server and network infrastructure, as well as peripherals.

http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/144664/nepad_rolls_out_africa_eschool_plan.html

Singer rewarded for shining light on sanitation

Feliciano dos Santos, a Mozambican musician, was recently awarded the Goldman Environmental Prize for using his music star status to raise awareness about clean water and sanitation. The musician has held a longsuffering campaign in his native country to curb the effects of poor hygiene and water usage through the advancement of good water and sanitation practices in his music and through his NGO –Estamos. The UN says diarrheal diseases kill an estimated 1.8 million people each year around the world and in dos Santos’ country there has been much need for his services especially in Niassa, his home province, where he began his campaign in 1992. Dos Santos composed a song to promote the use of concrete slab latrines being advocated by the UN in his country in 1992 and never looked back -using his music from then on to tirelessly promote the safe use of water and cleanliness.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7342789.stm

http://www.africanloft.com/music-mozambique-artist-feliciano-dos-santos-receives-international-recognition-for-promoting-sanitation/

Unity Cabinet named ending a political deadlock in Kenya

The political deadlock in Kenya, brought about by conflicting ideas about how its coalition cabinet, scheduled to be formed under the terms of an agreement signed six weeks ago by President Kibaki and opposition leader Raila Odinga, should be constituted, was brought to an end yesterday with the announcement, by the President, of a cabinet encompassing Members of Parliament from both sides of the political divide. Raila Odinga was named Prime Minister and his party, the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) managed to acquire some key ministries. Nevertheless, the portfolio balance in the cabinet ODM was demanding was not attained. The cabinet does, however, have ODM’s full consent and in an ODM official’s own words “there had been concessions [made by] both sides” to end the deadlock. Compromises were made to pull the country from under an ominous shadow of political, social and economic disaster that had been hanging over the nation for the past three months.

We hope and pray this settlement holds and that it would be just but the beginning of an era of goodwill among the political class –the environment this country needs to heal and move forward from past injustices and the social and political culture which helped precipitate the violence and hatred which followed the announcing of the results of December 2007 Presidential election.


http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7345617.stm

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/14/world/africa/14kenya.html?_r=1&ref=africa&oref=slogin

Uganda rebels 'due to sign peace'

The final peace agreement to end the more than 20 year old conflict between the Ugandan Government and the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) rebel group is set to be signed today and on Monday April 14th at separate locations by rebel leader Joseph Kony and Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni respectively. The signing of the peace agreement is the culmination of a process which began in July 2006 to bring the two sides in the conflict together to chart a way forward for peace. As part of the settlement the LRA will disarm and demobilize its troops in the period within 30 days after President Museveni puts his signature to the agreement. This is good news for the victims and potential victims of the conflict in which almost two million people have been displaced and tens of thousands have died.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7340009.stm

http://allafrica.com/stories/200804091074.html

India forges closer ties with Africa at Summit

Manmohan Singh, the Prime Minister of India, opened the first India-Africa Summit in New Delhi, Tuesday, at which he committed India to greater engagement with Africa. Included in India’s commitment is a duty free tariff preference scheme for all 50 Least Developed Countries of which 34 are in Africa, provision of more than $500 million over the next five to six years in grants for development projects and the setting up of an India-Africa Voluntary Corps devoted to development work. Africa is also to benefit from India more than doubling its lines of credit to African countries and regional economic groups to $5.4 billion, up from $2.15 billion in the last five years. India is also set to gain from this relationship with the potential political support of 54 of the world’s nations, new markets for its goods and services and new source for goods.

14 African leaders including 10 heads of state attended the Summit.


http://www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php?clid=2&theme=&usrsess=1&id=198601

AfDB: Good news towards progress on Paris Declaration

The African Development Bank (AfDB) Group recently held a seminar in Tunis at which it was revealed that the Bank had made strong progress towards aligning its lending to national priorities of its member states as part of its provisions for reaching targets set in the Paris Declaration. The seminar was called to review the institution's progress towards the attainment of targets of the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness and the Bank's readiness for the Accra High-Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness scheduled to take place in the Ghanaian capital from September 2-4, 2008. It was also revealed that AfDB had made important headway in working with other donors on member country studies and that it had inspired increased respect in client countries.

Endorsed by more than one hundreds ministers, senior government officials, and heads of development agencies, including the African Development Bank Group, the Paris declaration lays out a roadmap designed to improve the quality of aid and its impact on development. It uses 12 indicators to measure improvements in aid effectiveness. Targets to be achieved by the year 2010 have been set for 11 of the indicators.


http://allafrica.com/stories/200803270650.html

Agricultural Institute’s work highlighted by the BBC

BBC Radio 4 Africalab is set to air a programme tonight highlighting the work of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) in alleviating hunger and poverty in Africa. The show will centre around an interview with the Institute’s Director General Mr. Hartmann and include the thoughts of other staff members at IITA’s campus in Ibadan, Nigeria. Excerpts of the show, which served to show how agricultural solutions, come to on the ground in Africa, are doing much to win the war against hunger and poverty on the Continent, are available online. IITA uses conventional techniques rather than genetic modification to come up with crop breeds that are high yielding and disease resistant. It also seeks innovative ways to combat other enemies to food security such as parasites and weeds. The institutes hires some of the world’s best breeders and minds who produces sustainable results by being directly on the ground where they are able to see first hand what might work and what might not. This on a continent that has all to often had ‘solutions’ forced on it which really didn’t take into account the realities on the ground.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7330259.stm

South Africa: Black Empowerment Broadens Its Reach

Sasol, South Africa’s energy and mining giant, recently announced that it would sell 63.1 shares worth 25.9bn rand ($3.19bn; £1.6bn) to black staff and black investors, in the country's largest ever Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) deal. The deal represents a sale of a 10% stake in the energy giant’s business. The government-backed BEE scheme aims to increase black economic ownership encouraging broad based economic empowerment. Sasol’s Chief Executive Pat Davies says the company’s move…“will make a difference by creating significant economic opportunity for more than one million potential beneficiaries ranging from individuals to rural women's groups who can invest in Sasol.” Sasol’s deal is particularly significant as the company has had long-held reputation for being a white, male-dominated corporation that struck it rich during the apartheid years.

http://allafrica.com/stories/200803260269.html

Concept of Soccer Academies really catching on

No sooner had we posted the story on the Japanese expatriate who plans to set up a football academy in rural Kenya we came upon reports about some more initiatives to set up other academies in the same country; The country’s football association, the KFF, is reported to be planning to set up a football academy in each of Kenya’s eight provinces while two foreign businessmen are working on plans to put one up in the coastal city of Mombasa. These are signs that a lot of people are beginning to recognize the manifold benefits of having such institutes on the ground especially as it relates to talent development, the economic empowerment of the children involved as well as the underlying benefits to their communities. A plethora of efficiently run football academies would do the country well in view of the popularity of the sport, the abundance of talent available and their innovativeness in getting children in classrooms and off the streets.

http://www.kenyafootball.com/index.php?doc=story&id=340&categ=1

JAPANESE EXPATRIATE SETS OUT TO LAUNCH FOOTBALL ACADEMY IN RURAL KENYA

Nyahururu, a rural town in Kenya, is set to get what no other town in the country (besides Nairobi, the capital city) has –a fully fledged football academy (and Nairobi has only one!) –if the efforts of a Japanese expatriate bear fruit. Football or soccer is the national passion of Kenya though much of the passion is directed at foreign teams while the local leagues have been largely neglected. For most able bodied young Kenyan boys playing football is the number one pastime and many have harbored dreams of playing for the national team as well as for European clubs. Some youth teams and senior league teams have incorporated some of these enthusiasts and succeeded in giving their lives some structure and direction. However, a majority of these clubs have only been able to provide these children with a football, a coach and a playing field when their needs are much deeper. A great number of the children need food, clothes and psychological and academic nurturing. A fully fledged soccer academy of the kind that is available in other African and European countries could and should provided this and more in a country where there are a great number of idle and despondent youths to whom an academy would be a life-line.

Football academies in other countries around the world have been successful in keeping children and young adults off vices they are destined to get involved with on the streets and giving them a future they would find almost impossible to achieve otherwise. The elite world football leagues are teeming with products of these academies while other fields can thank these academies for producing high quality professionals, entrepreneurs, doctors and lawyers. We hope the initiative in Nyahururu is a success, that it spreads to other towns and that it does at least nearly as well as some breakthrough initiatives in other countries.

Yoji Sato, the man behind the academy idea, is a Japanese football fan who came to Kenya 11 years ago to write the thesis to his Theological degree and to help run a relief programme set up by his father’s church. He fell in love with the country and after making many return trips there decided to settle in Nyahururu. He currently holds practice sessions with the local children every day of the working week -perhaps small ground work for his big dream; He plans on spending at least 10 million Kenya shillings to put up the academy which will also run literacy programmes.

Page VIII, Football Monday, Daily Nation Newspaper, Kenya, Monday March 31st, 2008

KENYAN YOUTHS SET TO BENEFIT FROM NEW EMPLOYMENT PROGRAMME

A new scheme offered under the auspices of the Kenyan Government through its Youth Enterprise Fund is set to alleviate some of the unemployment burden set on the country. The ambitious scheme aims to source for jobs in foreign nations for Kenyan youth using international employment agents. According to the Enterprise Fund’s chief executive Ms Helen Tombo, 318 Kenyan youths have already benefited from the scheme -landing jobs mainly in the Gulf region. Thousands more are set to benefit. The initiative is just one of the many innovative programmes being put forward by governmental and non-governmental entities to cut back on the 40% unemployment rate in Kenya.

http://www.nationmedia.com/dailynation/nmgcontententry.asp?category_id=1&newsid=120163