It’s not all fun and games: Brazil and the 2014 World Cup

I love the World Cup, ever since my first World Cup memory, in 1998. I still remember being huddled around the TV with family and friends watching the France-Brazil final, and the shared sense of disappointment of Brazil’s loss (and perhaps even more so of France’s triumph – the family and friends in question are English).

Four World Cups later, and I’m still hooked; I can’t wait for this year’s tournament to begin. However, while my love of the tournament remains unconditional, 16 years have passed since that final in France, and I have grown up, and with it my understanding of world has changed. For better or for worse, I have come to realise that football is more than just a game, and this tournament much more than just a sporting competition.

Over the years and the event has grown in importance and reach, with an estimated 3.2 billion people tuning in to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa (FIFA, 2011). With half the world as an audience, the dream of participating in the World Cup has become a global one, and the chance to host the event has become an honour than every country dreams of.

This year, the World Cup returns to South America, and to the land of “the beautiful game”, 5 time World Cup champions, and home to some of football’s greatest, like Pelé, Ronaldo, and Ronldinho to name but a few…

… and over 43 million people living in poverty,  a country ranked 86th on the Human Development Index (HDI), (CIA World Factbook, 2012). And yet an estimated  €9.2  billion will be spent on the upcoming tournament; €9.2 billion euro that could have gone towards tackling any number of issues across the country (Harris, 2013).

What do Brazilians have to say about this? National pride Pelé made his opinion quite clear:”Brazil is running a great risk of embarrassing us in how it runs the World Cup, principally in communications. The airports are frightening and not just for Brazilians.” (ABS-CBN News, 2011)

Thanks to social networks, we’ve been able to hear from more than just celebrities. Filmmaker Carla Dauden put it her point of view quite eloquently with her viral video “No, I’m not going to the World Cup“:

With growing animosity towards the World Cup, the slogan, “All in one Rhythm”, couldn’t seem more ironic.

Since Brazil embarked the perilous path to the 2014 World Cup, the Brazilian people have seen billions of dollars go towards shiny new stadiums, while promises of public transport improvements, which could represent a true legacy, have fallen by the wayside. And if the budget concerns weren’t enough to contend with, the forced evictions, and demolition of thousands of homes in favelas that happen to be located too close to desirable tourist areas have further tarnished the memory of the 2014 World Cup, years before it even begun (Huffington Post, 2012).

And what of FIFA’s response? FIFA president Sepp Blatter put it quite clearly:

“Brazil asked to host the World Cup. We didn’t force it on them. It’s obvious that stadiums need to be built but that isn’t the only thing in a World Cup: there are highways, hotels, airports and a lot of other items that remain as a legacy.”
(Downie, 2011)

Disappointing. A shirking of responsibility, and the glittering promise of the legacy. Unfortunately, despite the potential that the World Cup has to be a “catalyst for social and economic development” (Darnell, 2012), in reality there has been little to suggest that ‘legacies’ (cultural and/or infrastructural) merit the financial commitment required. For the World Cups hosts over the last 2 decades (excluding the World Cup’s debut in Africa, in the South Africa 2010 World Cup) Germany, Korea-Japan, France, USA, all advanced economies, the burden of the World Cups ever increasing cost was not as difficult to bear. However, with the expected spending for the World Cup to be more than the 2 previous cups combined, Brazil, even with its strong economic growth, is in trouble.

So where does that leave us? With our rose coloured glasses torn off, and there’s no way back. The 2014 World Cup will be remembered not only for its champion, but also for the pain and suffering around it, and as the time when Brazilians rejected football (if you can forgive the stereotype).

For me at least, the memory is already blemished. Can I still love the World Cup, knowing all that I know?

Yes. Of course I can, and I do. On June 12th I will be glued to the TV (schedule permitting), with family and friends watching the opening match between Brazil and Croatia. For a moment, amidst the excitement, I will forget. Along with billions of people across the globe, from all walks of life. Some might call it escapism, but I prefer to think of it as a celebration of global sense of unity. A celebration of an event that captures the attention and dreams of so many, and allows us to have a brief, shared moment of relief from whatever else may be happening around us.

There is beauty in that. The truth is, for all its flaws of the World Cup, of which I named just a few, there is no denying the power of football. The question is how we attempt harness that power towards greater good. When it comes to the World Cup promise of a lasting legacy for Brazil, I think that ship has sailed. Just as the World Cup can be a driver for development, it also brings with it a lot of risk. The recent trend in granting the right of these kinds of sporting mega-events (the Common Wealth Games in Delhi, World Cup in South Africa, Olympics in China for example) comes with a certain responsibility, from both those submitting their bids, and those approving them.

But in the Case of Brazil 2014, with the the inaugural match just  6 months away, there is no turning back; The Show Must Go On. Maybe all we can ask of this year’s World Cup is that, even if we allow ourselves a few moments of blissful forgetfulness, we remember the path to Brazil 2014, and more importantly that we learn from it.

Sources:

Darnell, Simon. Mega sports for all? Assessing the Development Promises of Rio 2016. Proceedings: International Symposium for Olympic Research. 2010. Retrieved from:

http://www.questia.com/library/journal/1G1-268478201/mega-sport-for-all-assessing-the-development-promises#articleDetails

Dip, Andrea. Brazil World Cup: Forced Evictions. The Huffington Post Online. 28 June, 2012.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/28/brazil-world-cup-forced-evictions_n_1631885.html

Downie, Andrew. World Cup legacy for Brazil goes beyond soccer, says Blatter. Reuters. 19 June, 2013.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/06/19/us-soccer-world-brazil-blatter-idUSBRE95I11020130619

FIFA, Almost half the world tuned in at home to watch the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa. FIFA.com, July 2011.

http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/archive/southafrica2010/organisation/media/newsid=1473143/

Harris, Nick. World Cup 2014: Will the beautiful game turn ugly in Brazil amid angry protests at 7.6 bn cost of World Cup finals. The Daily Mail, 30 November, 2013.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/worldcup2014/article-2516225/World-Cup-2014-Will-beautiful-game-turn-ugly-Brazil.html

The CIA World Factbook, Brazil. Updated 2014.

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2046.html

ABS-CBN News Pelé fears embarrassment over World Cup delays. abs-cbnnews.com. 19 February 2011.

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/sports/02/19/11/pele-fears-brazil-embarrassment-over-world-cup-delays

Comments Off on It’s not all fun and games: Brazil and the 2014 World Cup / 10 Jan 2014 por asyamarhubi
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An overview of the resource curse in Africa: a hinder for development?

The “Resource Curse” has been a topic of study for decades and is now a well-established term in both academic literature and the public mind. It can be resumed as a paradox: you would expect countries with a lot of natural resources to have big economic growth or GDP. Common sense suggests that natural resources, arguably the most important factor in any industrial society, brings with it development. However, this is far from reality. What are the causes for the curse and are there any solutions proposed by developed nations? And further to this, does foreign investment help or worsens development?

To put the resource curse in perspective; Angola, one of the top oil producers in Africa has one of the highest poverty and corruption rates in the world, while Luxembourg or Hong Kong, countries/regions with literally no natural resources experience a high standard of living. How can a country with huge oil reserves (oil being the motor of modern economies, hence arguably the most valuable resource in the world) have such negative rankings in terms of development? According to academia, there are several causes:

1) Dutch Disease: An economic phenomenon in which large export revenues cause the real exchange rate to appreciate. So revenues from natural resources cause an increase in the real exchange rate, damaging tradable sectors making them less competitive in world markets.

2) Revenue Volatility: Booms in commodity prices destabilize the economies that depend on them.

3) Governance: This seems to be at the core of the problem. Bad governance is the cause of corruption and conflict for natural resources. Crooked leaders often prefer to put the countries mineral or petroleum wealth into their pockets rather than investing in infrastructure and education.

 

From the top eight oil producers in 2011 (Nigeria, Algeria, Angola, Egypt, Libya, Sudan, the Republic of Congo and Equatorial Guinea), all of them have a negative score on the World Banks control of corruption index.

(World map showing the corruption levels amongst countries, source: Transparency International)

It is also common that countries with weak governance and abundant natural resources are prone to violent conflicts. Angola coloured dark red for its high corruption rate, also has experienced armed violence in regions where oil is produced (case for the oil-rich Cabinda province). These conflicts over the control of resources affect the safety of civilians. They also lead to the enrichment of the political elite.

So, after knowing the reasons why the curse exists, are there any solutions proposed? The answer is yes, and most of them address governance policies that ensure transparency, anti-corruption rules and  economic policies that promote diversified economies:

1) – The World Bank’s International Finance Corporation (IFC). It stipulates the requirements for investments in private sector projects. In 2011, it made revisions including improvements mandating contract and revenue transparency. However, a criticism is that IFC rules do not affect bilateral loans ( so deals are made secret from the public)

2    – The Equator Principle (EP). A voluntary programme focused in the financial industry. Requires borrowers to consider social and environmental standards before banks provide loans. Since its creation in 2003, more than 70 banks are participating. Despite it being promising in theory, it lacks a mechanism for determining if the banks and borrowers are actually operating to EP standards.

3) – The Open Government Partnership (OGP). Launched in 2011, it is an international action for more government transparency and accountability.

 

After looking at the promising steps addressing the resource curse it is quite inevitable to feel some optimism that Africa can become prosperous. A recent study by the World Bank (Africa’s Pulse) states that since the beginning of the 21^st century oil producing countries have achieved sustained growth. For Example, Angola has seen an annual growth rate of more than 7%. The issue here is whether this economic growth translates into a positive impact on poverty rates. According to the report “the benefits of growth have not reached the poorest segments”.

When looking at the controversial topic of the resource curse it is worth considering different perspectives on the matter, as it helps to understand the situation in a broader way. Some authors, like Daniel Lederman and William Maloney, have suggested that natural resources are not a curse. An example of this is Norway and Russia, with huge oil and gas reserves respectively, and both experiencing growth and a good standard of living. Further to this, the US used to have huge oil reserves while Europe benefited from timber. These examples dismantle the whole concept of the curse, as it reveals that resource rich nations can also experience positive drawbacks. From what I have investigated so far, it becomes clear that it is more a matter of tradition than of resources. Europe and the US have a long tradition of exploiting minerals and other resources, where areas like Africa do not (as they did not experience the industrial revolution). Therefore it is understandable that when industrialized nations finish with their reserves of resources they seek more elsewhere. This is what history reveals, and this is why most mineral and oil reserves in Africa are owned by foreign corporations.

The search for resources brings China into the game, probably the biggest player in Africa at the moment. As China is experiencing a huge industrial transformation, it seeks the resources it lacks in its territory, hence aiming at Africa. The investment of China in Africa has been gradually increasing over the years.

Some might argue that the case of China in Africa is a classic example of how multinational corporations take advantage of a country’s weak governance (low job security, no environmental regulations…) to exploit resources. However this is a one-sided view, as China provides infrastructure (such as roads) while leaving sovereignty to the people in the areas they operate, something western companies failed to do. They also provide cheaper products than their predecessors (western companies). For example, Chinese cellphones are selling a lot in Africa due to their low cost in comparison to western products. So despite the negative views of Chinese companies operating in Africa, it is clear that they are a key player in Africa’s telecom infrastructure expansion.

Foreign investment in Africa can be regarded as a way of exploiting their natural resources but also a path for development, as seen with China’s telecom aid. After investigating the resource curse, it has become clear to me that it might not be appropriate to describe the situation of resource rich nations with this term. As seen with Norway in Europe, it is not always the case. By looking at the causes and cures for the curse, it seems that there is chance for African countries rich in resources to develop. This will depend on Africa’s capability to improve their governance, as this is the key factor for change.

REFERENCES

– – Brautigam and Xiaoyang, (2010) “China’s investment in Africa’s industrial zones”,

http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTRANETTRADE/Resources/Internal-Training/287823-1229467556379/BBL_China_Africa_Jan6_10_Brautigam_Tang.pdf

– – Brown, Peter (2009), “China’s phone firms help Africa go mobile”, http://www.atimes.com/atimes/China_Business/KK18Cb01.html

– – http://www.worldbank.org/en/region/afr/publication/africa-s-ample-resources-provide-an-opportunity-for-inclusive-growth

– – Lawson-Remer,Terra (2012), “Beating the Resource Curse in Africa: A Global Effort”, Council on Foreign Relations

http://www.cfr.org/africa-sub-saharan/beating-resource-curse-africa-global-effort/p28780

– – Mengjie, (2013) “China helps enhance Africa’s self-development capability”, http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/china/2013-08/29/c_132673308.htm

– – Rosenberg, Tina (2013) “Avoiding the curse of the oil-rich nations”, The New York Times

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/02/13/avoiding-the-curse-of-the-oil-rich-nations/?_r=0

– – Shaxson, Nicholas (2013) “The resource curse, or the paradox of poverty from plenty” , Open democracy,

http://www.opendemocracy.net/ourkingdom/nicholas-shaxson/resource-curse-or-paradox-of-poverty-from-plenty

– – Tran, Mark (2012) “Are natural resources a blessing or a curse for developing countries?”, The Guardian,

http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2012/oct/25/natural-resources-blessing-curse-developing-countries

Comments Off on An overview of the resource curse in Africa: a hinder for development? / 10 Jan 2014 por alvarohernandez
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Punished for being you: Uganda’s Disturbing Reality

Homophobia – A Threat to Civil Society

Each one of us has a sexuality. This is an integral part of what make us who we are.  Psychologists agree that a person’s sexuality cannot be chosen, forcefully changed or inherited. Despite this, prejudices of same-sex relations in the form of homophobia exist the world over. According to the International Service for Human Rights, “The UN Human Rights Council should take a strong stand against discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity”.  Homophobia and intolerance towards sexual minorities is widely debated in the context of a violation of basic Human Rights.  While sexual orientation is not explicitly mentioned in the UN Declaration of Human Rights, evolving perceptions of discrimination and interpretations of Human Rights laws in modern society have given this subject an increased importance.

In many countries prejudices are subtle – in the form of social pressure to conform. However recently in some parts of Africa, homophobia has taken a more violent form. One country where extreme intolerance towards sexual minorities has widely been reported is Uganda.

Hailed as one of Africa’s economic success stories, Uganda has made considerable progress over the past 20 years.  Following the removal of Idi Amin from power in 1979 (one of Africa’s most notoriously tyrannical dictators), and then a decade of civil unrest, the country underwent a period of fundamental economic and political change.  Reforms backed by Western governments as well as the discovery of oil and gas reserves brought about solid growth and a fall in inflation.  During this period of structural adjustment, focus was given to debt relief as well as ensuring consequent public spending management. This then led to the emergence of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and NGOs whose primary goal became to serve the needs to those affected by the diminished role of the state.

Uganda’s history of human rights abuses and the still very restrictive political system has meant that the protection of these has become a key item on the agenda of many NGOs. Indeed as is often the case in a fledgling democracy, the Ugandan government has been criticised for trying to enforce their influence onto civil society.  One particular area that has captured international attention has been government backed attacks on the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) groups. Inherited from colonial rule, the practise of homosexual acts is a criminal offence in Uganda and is punishable with up to life imprisonment.  Despite international condemnation, an anti-homosexuality bill which was submitted in parliament in 2009 and then passed (pending approval) in December 2013 extends this by penalising those seen to support or promote an LGBT agenda.  The bill, which has received widespread international condemnation, suggests harsher penalties for “sexual touching” between same sex-couples and punishes parents who do not report their gay and lesbian children to the authorities as well as landlords who provide housing to suspected homosexuals.  The bill has a very loose framework that leaves many sections open to multiple interpretations. In theory this could mean that anyone associating with gays or lesbians could face condemnation – a doctor treating a gay man could be charged for doing so and an article such as this would be seen as “gay propaganda”.

In Uganda there is a strong anti-gay sentiment rooted in society which has resulted in an extremely marginalised LGBT community.  Such is the shame of being homosexual, that abandonment by families, dismissal from work and refusal of basic medical services are not uncommon.  Many have pointed to the government’s unabated hostility and harassment of homosexuals as a populist method of gaining public support at the cost of an already very vulnerable section of society. A feeling of discomfort towards a “different” group has manifested into a paranoia and obsessional hatred among the general public.  Claims linking homosexuality to the spread of HIV/AIDS as well as defining them as paedophiles looking to “recruit” children contribute to the overall demonisation of gays and lesbians.  In a deeply Christian country where Church and State work closely together this issue has been further exacerbated by an influx of evangelical (anti gay) forms of Christianity from the USA looking to spread their influence and “protect” the moral fabric of society.  Homosexuality is a common theme in church services in which pastors use their platform to preach anti-gay rhetoric and encourage disgust and outrage among their congregations.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Commentators have described homophobic attitudes in Uganda as a virulent hatred, with homosexuality considered by many a sin greater than rape or murder. Those people who choose to live an openly homosexual lifestyle do so at great personal risk.  Curative rape to “treat” lesbianism, gay bashing and even public outings by the tabloid press are bitter realities faced by the Ugandan LGBT community. Civil rights groups and NGOs working with sexual minorities face harassment and many have been forced to withdraw their support from the country.  The murder of prominent advocate for sexual minorities David Kato brought worldwide condemnation. Kato became a publicly known figure in Uganda after he successfully sued the tabloid Rolling Stone for defamation after the newspaper had published Kato’s picture, name and address in an article which called for the execution of these homosexuals who are named and shamed.  Unperturbed, Kato continued his work for the NGO Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG) however the frequency of harassment and homophobic threats towards Kato increased dramatically.  It is widely believed that his murder was attributed to his court case and his advocacy of gay rights.

The recent case of the Briton, Bernard Randell, arrested in Uganda on grounds of possessing gay pornography on his personal computer has once again highlighted the desperate situation on an international platform.  Uganda has been dubbed by foreign media as “the worst place to be gay”.  There seems to be little doubt of the truth behind this statement. In a country where the government systematically subjects a minority to unabated harassment and actively encourage their discrimination, it would appear that very little consideration is given to basic human rights.  The effectiveness of CSOs is being impeded, leaving an already vulnerable group in an even worse position. The role of civil society in stimulating public debate and offering a platform for all citizens has in this context been silenced.  The government has rebuked calls from the international community for a policy change and further antagonize the situation by labelling homosexuality a Western disease and “Un-African”, therefore encouraging nationalistic convictions.  Ironically the reality of the anti-homosexual laws and intolerant attitudes are more reminiscent of British colonial rule when homosexuality was defined and outlawed within the legal system, than of a free, independent Africa.

While the future for Uganda’s LGBT community is unclear it is of utmost importance that their struggle is not forgotten or goes unheard.  It has been suggested that foreign donors should halt aid in protest, however this would then leave the LGBT community in a more vulnerable position. It seems clear that in Uganda as indeed much of Africa, acceptance and the beginnings of equality for the LGBT community can only be brought about with a general acceptance that sexuality is key to what makes us who we are.

Comments Off on Punished for being you: Uganda’s Disturbing Reality / 10 Jan 2014 por davidthorpe
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Ghana Education System – Computerized School Selection and Placement System

An investment in knowledge pays the best interest. Benjamin Franklin.

As a young African Woman I see education as the only connecting thread that can carry African to greatness, since without it you cannot contribute to your world positively. You can only go a mile further if only you have knowledge in the field you are in, and education is the only way to gain that.

In my view education creates opportunities for sustainable and viable economic growth now and into the future and it also helps people to work better, happy and appreciate diversity.

In every year more than 370,000 school children in Ghana write the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE). Although the abolition of school fees and the provision of subsidies have really helped Ghanaian children, more than 40% of these children stay at home without going to senior high school or learning any vocation, after going through nine years of a compulsory system (ninth grade). Almost all the pupils who get to high school do so as a result of the Computerized School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS), which was, introduced in 2005 after two years of working to ensure smooth operations.

The CSSPS is a system used by the Ghana Education Service (GES) to place qualified BECE candidates into Senior High School (SHS)/ Technical Institutes (TI)/ Vocational Institute.

The CSSPS, though embattled with many challenges seem to have instilled some level of sanity, fairness and ease into the admission of students into the selection of schools. It has also brought about improvements in certain hitherto dilapidated schools due to the fact that, some of the student whose parents happen to be influential people have risen to the occasion by speaking and gathering resources to make those schools in which their children are much better.  It has also, to some degree wiped out the rot of bribery in the admission process. Its functions have become a whistle blowing activity that alerts the government about the state of most of Ghana’s second cycle institutions and the need to improve infrastructure in every school.  It has also brought in the virtue of merit in the selection of students into certain school and has indirectly influenced the drive of students, school authorities and parents to provide conducive environments and material for the studies of their wards. It has promoted regional integration by enabling candidates to choose schools from any of the ten regions within the country. It ensures a more efficient and effective use of human and scarce financial resources of GES.

The CSSPS system has many challenges as computer errors are bound to happen irrespective of how one does data validation since systems can never be 100% accurate. Sometimes, for example, male’s students are posted to girl’s schools and vice versa. The Chronicle newspaper also indicates that some staff at the CSSPS Secretariat were manipulating the system to serve their interests by taking money from parents as a bribe, so that their wards were posted to schools of their own choice. Also many people are rejected by the computerized system.

To address these problems, the Ghana Education Service recently came out with a BECE re-sit examination policy which would serve as an opportunity for those who could not pass certain subjects and therefore were not selected for any school by the computer system. The government should also build more schools to ensure that all students get admission when their results comes out or offer them the chance to learn new skills while they prepare themselves for re-sits. Doing this will help to reduce social problems.

The system has not only brought about good governance but it put an end to anxiety, frustrations and confusion that qualify candidates were going through due to delays in the placement of such candidates, also to the benefits of the schools it has also help in ensuring that schools do not take more than their limits in order to hence good learning environment.

Difficulty in handling large numbers of qualified students as the number of registered candidates increased every year is now a thing of the past.

Again the system has made it easy access to placement results through SMS where a candidate only texts the candidates ID and instantly receives a reply on his/her placement status indicating the secondary school where he/she was placed and the program.

The environment in which students live, learn and the ways in which people work and live are constantly being transformed by existing and emerging technologies. The CSSPS systems is a clear example of how technology can support student performance, positive attitudes and motivation to create meaningful learning and the acquisition of basics skills and knowledge.

References

1. http://www.ges.gov.gh/?q=content/cssps

2. http://www.globalpartnership.org/our-work/areas-of-focus/conflict-affected-and-fragile-states/

3. http://www.slideshare.net/emjoau/the-importance-of-technology-in-education

4. http://www.ghananewsagency.org/education/ges-council-calls-on-parents-not-to-interfere-in-shs-selection–32855

5. http://www.siscogh.com

 

 

 

 

 

Comments Off on Ghana Education System – Computerized School Selection and Placement System / 10 Jan 2014 por mavisasare
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TERRESTRIAL ALIENS

What is Invasive Specie?

According to the Department of the Environment of Australian Government, invasive specie is a species occurring, as a result of human activities, beyond its accepted normal distribution and which threatens valued environmental, agricultural or other social resources by the damage it causes.

In a more easily way, I would say that Invasive Species are animals, plants, parasites or disease-causing organism that establish outside their natural range and became pests. Native species can also become invasive if transferred outside their natural range (GEIB).

Many of the most damaging invasive animal species were originally introduced either for sport, as pets, or as livestock and pack animal. Some were introduced to control other pests and became pests themselves. Others arrived to other countries accidentally (Vila, M. et all, 2006).

Pinche aquí para ver el vídeo

Invasive plants, on the other hand, were introduced in a variety of ways, for instance as crops, pasture and garden plants and to prevent erosion. Some established so well that they have spread to the bush, where they have thrived (Department of Environment and Heritage, Govern of Australia).

But another important point is that Invasive Species also include disease-causing organisms such as fungi and viruses. In fact, it is recognized that Invasive Species are the second reason of Biodiversity loss after the fragmentation of the habitats and it is estimated that Invasive Species are responsible of 40% of the last five centuries extinctions (Department of Agriculture, Cattle Raising and Environment, Aragón Government).

What kind of damages can they produce?

ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE

Invasive Species could produce the extinction of other autochthon similar species because of depredation, competence or because they could transmit diseases (the case of American Red Crayfish in Spain). Furthermore, some Invasive Species can change a whole ecosystem or a habitat; it is the case of Mussel Zebra (NOAA).

ECONOMY AND HUMAN ACTIVITY DAMAGES

A lot of this kind of species cause huge harm in human activities and thus in the economy of the region. Those Invasive Species could cause damages in forests, in fishing activities, they can affect water quality, in industrial process… Also it is important to mention that it is necessary to use chemical methods to eliminate those pests and it could be harmful for the environmental of the area. It is the case again of the Mussel Zebra that cause huge damages in pipes of water and is the reason of enormous inversion of the government that tries to solve the problem (NISIC).

HUMAN AND ENVIRONMENT HEALTH

Finally, some Exotic Invasive Species can transmit diseases that could affect to human, pets or wild species. It is relevant in mammals.

Who is responsable for managing Invasive Species?

Local governments have responsibility for nature conservation through land-use planning, development and of course the control of invasive species. In my opinion is cooperation between land managers, local communities, landholders, local government and international agencies that have to control the animal’s transportation and the entrance vectors that those species use.

State and territory governments have specific legislation relating to conservation of biodiversity and have responsibility for managing Invasive Species at local, regional and state levels.

References

• NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration).
• NISIC (National Invasive Species Information Center), United States Department of Agriculture.
• Environmental Department of Australia Government.
• GEIB (Grupo Especialista en Invasiones Biológicas).
• Department of Agriculture, Cattle Raising and Environment, Aragón Government.
• Vilà M., Bacher S., Hulme P., Kenis M., Kobelt M., Nentwig W., Sol D., Solarz W. 2006. Impactos ecológicos de las invasiones de plantas y vertebrados terrestres en Europa . Ecosistemas. 2006/2.
• Invasive Species International.

 

Comments Off on TERRESTRIAL ALIENS / 10 Jan 2014 por guillermojoselatorre
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VALUES FOR SUSTAINABILITY: EACH OF US MAKES A DIFFERENCE

 

I believe that our society is losing many of its human values and principles. Media, governments and sources of power, try to submerge us in the current flow of technologies, quick times, running information and consumption, and most people appear to just go along with this. This is a real problem, not just for us but also for everything around us:  our society, families, environment, education, etc. So, it is time to become concerned about real problems.

The task for many organizations and institutions is to enhance and introduce into society the principles and values inherent in sustainable development. And as I read once: “the ways in which countries decide how to approach sustainable development are closely linked to the values held by the people, because these values define how personal decisions are made as well as how national legislation is written”. To understand our own values, societal values, and the values of people around us, it is essential to understand the “individual´s own worldview”. This helps us make sense of the world, understand our place and purpose in it.  Every country or cultural group must develop their values to promote and build skills for sustainable development.

The United Nations has created the “Earth Charter” which develops some fundamental principles for sustainability. They are summed up in three different branches: environmental, economic and social issues.

Approaching the environmental sphere, first, we will say that the goal is to not harm the environment or deplete natural resources. We also need to ask what an environmental worldview point means. As well as how the environment works, and what our place is here based on human superiority over nature, this is also about having in mind that all species have an equal worth. Earth´s biological diversity is our most important environmental benefit, because is the only thing we have to survive. It provides us with food and all our humans needs, so we have both an ethical and a smart obligation to committing ourselves to the idea of taking care of the natural environment as an ecosystem service.  We should also consider the “carrying capacity of a given environment”. This is the capacity of the earth to absorb waste and renew itself. This means that is necessary to create plans for sustainable living with education and family-planning available to everyone.

The main issue in the social sphere is to reach “equitable decisions that reflect the needs of society and ensure the costs and benefits are shared equally by all groups.”  This involves the what I call voluntary simplicity. And what does it mean? It means that to reach quality of life and happiness we do not need to accumulate a lot of material goods. What defines us is not what we own. So, maybe we have to think about this again. Although we have to bear in mind that we need some goods and services for our living, our behavior should be in balance with the consumption of natural resources.

Last but not least we need to ensure  that all costs are economically viable, including long-term environmental and societal costs. We have to have sustainable consumption even though our populations and economies grow. Society needs to use goods and services in ways that do not affect or harm the quantity and quality of natural resources. The use of natural resources are minimized but coverall the basic needs of the population.

These three main points interact to promote sustainable development. And our responsibility, as individuals, is to work with the aim of developing a better world. Each of us makes a difference. And it is in through collective activities, and working as a community, where we share the knowledge and the strength to fight together for a fair economic growth without compromising needs of future generations. Moreover, is in the governments and in constitutional and policy documents, where they have to start committing with sustainable principles to make possible “a generation of approipaite laws and suitable economic policies”

 

 

 

 

Comments Off on VALUES FOR SUSTAINABILITY: EACH OF US MAKES A DIFFERENCE / 10 Jan 2014 por sofiagarcia-carretero
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PASSION; AT THE HEART OF DEVELOPMENT

When I started my professional carrier I did not have a clear path to follow. My first jobs were in different areas of companies, always companies. Year after year I started to feel less motivated. I liked my job, liked what I was doing, the leader that I was becoming but, something was missing.

One day I discovered this sudden passion for the environment, for the amazing landscapes that mother earth gave us. So I started travelling inside my country. In every place that I visited the realities were completely different. The ‘locals’ treated me as family, with such an incredible welcome and a great heart. Some of the local communities did not have basic needs or even worst, they worked the hole day in agriculture for a price that was not fair.

My passion was getting bigger and bigger, I was worried about the amazing human beings that I managed to know from different places of the same country, and also worried about the environment and its growing pollution. I started wondering, how can a country be so different, so unequal and at the same time with breathtaking landscapes and greater amounts of natural resources.

I grew up in the capital, in a really polluted one. By that time I saw a lot of issues that we had to handle and I wanted to put my little granite of sand to contribute in reducing the pollution. So I created a small company of recyclables bicycles. The main idea of the company was to educate the citizens on air pollution and simultaneously to let them know that bicycles are a way of viable and good  transport for the health. I reused the old frames of old bicycles (vintage) in order to reduce the made of raw material, so, less impact. Because I was still working in the company, I could not be able to handle the situation so I had to put it in a standby situation.

Learning more and more about how to struggle with pollution I realized that I could not stayed sitting behind a desk looking how the environment was being destroy by human beings. You cannot think on how to help without seeing it up close. I quit my job and moved to the Amazon. The Amazon has the 33% of the lung of the planet, so I was really worry. When I was there everything came into my mind. Because I am lucky to have this engineering background I could think in how to struggle with the main issue, the river and air pollution. All this technological part of processes came to my mind, the high tech that we have and how to use it in a low tech zone to help social innovation, social inclusion, sustainability and reduction of pollution. I came up with an idea, instead of reducing the use of raw material, why not reusing and recycling the necessary evil that is waste, while teaching how?

GOOD USE OF TECHNOLOGY + KNOWLEDGE = DEVELOPMENT

So that is how I started this new challenge, all united to preserve the Amazon.        During my research I found out that the local communities use the water of the river not only to “take a shower”, but also to cook their food and to drink it.  The main idea is to tackle for social development and enhance their lifestyle by teaching them how can waste be useful for them out of the river. So there are three main projects that converts waste into something else more useful to achieve sustainability.

How can a human being live like this?

The main idea is not to give them the fish, is to teach them how to fish.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

photo: Gabriela Pella      place: Rio Nanay, Iquitos, Peru         -2013

As a resume, social innovation, social development, social inclusion and of course, environmental care are the main topics that this new challenge has to deal with.

By not polluting the river, reducing air pollution and give the ‘locals’ a better quality of life, we are going to be able to fight for a better future in the Amazon.

Comments Off on PASSION; AT THE HEART OF DEVELOPMENT / 10 Jan 2014 por Gabriela Pella Fernández
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Responsible business for successful societies

“…I believe that it is part of building good sustainable businesses to help establish safe, secure, stable and peaceful societies. Business thrives where society thrives.”
Peter Sutherland,

Chairman BP and Goldman Sachs around “The business of peace”

One day you wake up and as usual you take a shower, have some breakfast and brush your teeth. Then you go out, take your car, or maybe a bus or the metro, for sure there will be a traffic jam or the metro will be crowded, you probably wont make it on time. Maybe while you are walking someone in the street asks you for money, possibly you see some garbage in the street, one or two people riding bikes and a pedestrian fighting with a man in a car.

Then you finally get to work. While you are sitting you realize that you left your laptop on for all night and perhaps one of your fellow workers arrives telling some news about an attack in Israel or a community in Africa that doesn’t have access to water and electricity.

But now is time to work, so you just forget about all these stories and visions for one more day at the office. Most of people go to work 5 days a week, 8 hours a day; at the end you spend more time at the office than at home. So the question is: Do all these hours of work contribute with something good to your country? Or is it just doing the opposite? By saying this I don’t mean that you must work in Green Peace or that you have to be a volunteer in Africa. Businesses are business and you need a job, a house, food and a family. But what if the company that you work for could think not only in it’s own benefit and profit, but also in all the society, the environment, the communities and all families in poverty, like the one of that woman asking you for money at the morning.

We are used to think the government must take care of that situation, but reality shows us that we all; citizens, companies, civil society, public and private sector, must care.

For example, Colombia is a country with 47 million inhabitants and according to the Agencia Nacional para la Superación de la Pobreza Extrema (ANSPE) 14 million live in poverty, this is 32% of the total population. Almost 836.000 families do not have access to drinking water, and because of the armed conflict, 5 million of people have been displaced from their own land by violence. Despite all, Colombia is considered an emerging economy and an economic power in the region. The GDP by 2012 according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) was US$378,713 millions. Taking into account that by 2000 this same figure was less than US$100,000 millions, this positions Colombia as the fourth biggest economy in Latin America nowadays. Although the world economy faces a difficult moment and most countries in Europe have recessive tendencies, Colombia reached in 2012 important growth rates in exportation achieving 7.6%.[1]

Source: Asociación Nacional de Empresarios de Colombia ANDI

Moreover, we can see two different realities, an emerging economy with an unequal distribution of wealth that keeps the 32% of the Colombians living below the poverty line and 10% in extreme poverty. This is also reflected in the results of the Millennium Development Goals for Colombia, where we can see that the country, although is working to achieve the goals, has very different results than the economics indicators.

As I have said, poverty is the biggest challenge mainly because the inequity, but to analyze just some of the Millennium Development Goals, we can see that although in the past two decades school places have been incremented in 2.178.000, Colombia seats in the ninth position between eleven countries in South America that have average schooling ages between 15 to 24 years. Likewise, speaking about gender equality and taking into account that 51% of the Colombian population are women; in average they just achieve 12% of the positions of popular election. To give one more example, in the infant mortality goal, between 1998 and 2011 the life of almost 6.000 children under one year were saved reducing thereby the infant mortality rate, even though nearly 8.000 children die annually.[2]

To see how is possible for a Colombian company to contribute to development; here is the case of Tiendas Juan Valdez, the Colombian brand of coffee world knows. Juan Valdez Café is a powerful initiative of PROCAFECOL S.A., the holding that administrates the shops, that lead to this brand, its owners and producers, to conquer with the quality of their product to consumers worldwide store.

Coffee has been for over 100 years one of the main engines for economic and social development in Colombia. The trade union for coffee, through the Federación Nacional de Cafeteros (FNC) has constructed a model of economic and social development that has positioned Colombian coffee as the best in the world, generating millions of dollars in revenue and transferring direct benefits to Colombian coffee growers. The model is based on the collective savings and becomes a reality thanks to the Fondo Nacional del Café, that has been focused on ensuring the welfare of coffee farmers and their families through the provision of public goods, such as technical assistance, scientific research, promotion and advertising, value added business development or the warranty of purchase that guarantees the commercialization of the crop to market.[3]

Going back to the daily routine I described and to the idea that all of us can contribute by these activities to create a better place to live far from discouraging statistics, comes the idea of making business and companies a key performer of development by the implementation of better and responsible business practices. Companies in Colombia have a good economic context to construct for their business a sustainable model that benefits not only society and the countries development, but also their own industry.

In fact the UN Global Compact has established a commitment of how business can support the Millennium Development Goals and the UN General Secretary, Kofi Anan supports that “At a time when more than
1 billion people are denied the very minimum requirements of human dignity, business cannot afford to be seen as
the problem. Rather, it must work with governments and all other actors in
society to mobilize global science, technology and knowledge to tackle the interlocking crises of hunger, disease, environmental degradation and conflict that are holding back the developing world.”[4]

Furthermore, business have a more important goal than generate profit and contribute to national GDP’s, they have the assignment of creating wealth for areas as human rights, labor standards and environmental performance. For me the strategy must not be to pursue profit to achieve social benefits, but pursue societal benefits to achieve profit. In fact, the publication Business and the Millennium Development Goals of The Prince of Wales International Business Leaders Forum in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme, has established a framework for action for companies in which are defined three spheres of influence that contribute to impact development: “Their core business activities – in the workplace, 
the marketplace and along the supply chain; their social investment and philanthropy activities; and their engagement in public policy dialogue and advocacy 
activities”.[5]

Colombia is an example of a so called developing countries that lives a good economic moment and has inmense opportunities to show how business can help development. I believe that when a company creates a strategy of sustainablity that is the heart of the organizational culture, is creating a new society, aware of the world’s economic, social and environmental problems and capable of changing their own every day life to the benefit of all.

 

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Comments Off on Responsible business for successful societies / 10 Jan 2014 por anamariarocha
IMSD /

Sustainability: The Dimension of Human Feeling

“I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something”.  Edward Everett Hale.

 

After 15 years of civil war and uninterrupted inter-confessional conflicts, Lebanon was transformed from a battlefield to a laboratory where diverse political formulas have been tested for a well-functioning society. While talking about taking action is something that our government has done for decades, taking these words and actually putting them into practice has been a challenge that civil society has proudly taken on over the years.

Reality on the ground shows that civil society chose to act by bringing development into the equation using a collaborative approach. The latter consisted of creating a bridge between the private sector, the public sector, and civil society. A bridge that from the beginning, was seen as transparent and started overcoming opacity even more as soon as change in the community was being achieved. Companies willing to play the social responsibility card are seeking to partner with NGOs to improve community understanding. Partnering with the civil society gives both the public and the private sector a sense of community linkage Therefore, the bottom of the pyramid is evolving into an opportunity for sustainable change, rather than being seen as an obstacle.

This positive change led to public acknowledgement of NGOs as key development actors in the country. This change has been introduced through a bottom-up bottom-down negotiation, reducing the communication gap between citizens and their government. Volunteerism and engagement were seen through a different light. Citizens, empowered by the successes of these organisations, felt the urge to embody the role of change maker.

 

Usually when we talk about sustainability we see it as a result we are aspiring to attain. Therefore we build strategies, researches and statistics in order to make our project productive over time. I, however, would like to link sustainability to something more personal, giving it a humane dimension by telling the stories of two Lebanese citizens that founded their respective NGOs as a translation of their personal experience.

 

 

Lena Gebrane, is a mother who truly believes that feelings shouldn’t be property-owned, and that once shared, can become incentives for change in society. She felt devastated when her son Hadi was taken away from her due to a car accident that ended his life when he was only 19 years old. By choosing to act she founded an NGO by the name of “KUNHADI” to raise youth awareness on road safety through a new driving culture and keep youth safe on Lebanese roads, where around 520 people die every year due to speed and drunk driving.

 

“Donner Sang Compter” (DSC) (Give blood without expecting anything in return) is an NGO founded by Yorgui Teyrouz, a 20 year old student who decided to transform tragedy into opportunity after a personal incident made him think about the importance of giving back to his community. Due to a blood donation shortage in Lebanon, this organization conducts blood drives in collaboration with hospitals. By bringing innovative communication tools to the table, DSC was answering a vital need in society with more than 10.000 donors fulfilling more than 450 demands per month.

 

What can we say about these individuals that, in response to a painful feeling, made a difference that matured into solutions to national issues? How do we make this instinctive feeling sustainable in order to achieve a sustainable change in the world? The approach they both unconsciously used is people-oriented. The most honest feeling is the suffering of a human being. By listening to their broken heart they saw the bigger picture, the picture of positive change. Their NGOs started without a strategy or an advanced study, just an urgent response to a community need. However, working in the field brought in a more strategic approach, that consisted of placing the people at the heart of the project as a guarantee for its sustainability.

 

We always come across aspirational words and phrases filled with hope, beauty and promises. Words, that in the moment, create this sudden urge in us to become the best version of ourselves, wanting to change the way we are, the way we feel about the world, the people, our future, our children’s future…But is it enough? Do powerful quotes, and words that look good on paper have the same power when it comes to real life’s challenges? Do we still have the same urge once we become aware of the obstacles?

We choose to live what we’re feeling the way it suits us, we can either be the receiver by doing nothing, or the giver by using this destroying feeling and giving it back to others in the form of positive change.

Sources:

• www.dsclebanon.org
• www.information-international.com
• http://www.kunhadi.org/en/In-Numbers
• www.kunhadi.org

 

Comments Off on Sustainability: The Dimension of Human Feeling / 09 Jan 2014 por rimaelkhoury
IMSD /

CHANGING PERCEPTIONS: “A development Journey”

In August of 2006 I had the chance of visit one of the most amazing places in the world. It was so impressive that it made me feel the most insignificant person in the world but, at the same time, I did not want to leave. I am talking about Tanzania. I am talking about one of the wildest countries in the world. I am speaking about deepest Africa, the country of Kilimanjaro, Ngorongoro Conservation Area and Serengeti National Park, and the land of the Masais. I am talking about where humanity comes from and where there is a sense of incredible freedom.

At the beginning, this journey was supposed to be just a climbing expedition. But at the end it had become a really important experience that would change my perspective on the world we live in. During those weeks in Tanzania I felt a great connection with Africa. Everything there was new and amazing and those sensations still take my breath away now. Noises, smells, flavors and the things that we saw made me felt different: sometimes I found things disgusting, other times wonderful, but everything there transmitted a powerful energy that it is very difficult to describe.

The strongest experience was what I felt when I arrived in Africa. I was a child, I thought as a child and I had the point of view of a child. After the weeks I spent there, I became a kind of man, with a more mature mentality and an ability to see things with different eyes. This trip for me was similar to being born again. It is difficult to describe those feelings

Let me start from the beginning. The travel itself is not much fun – it takes more than 7 hours by air if you are coming from Spain. After the long trip we arrived in the capital of Kenya, Nairobi. Then, we had to wait more than 6 hours in the airport until we took a plane to Kilimanjaro airport, Tanzania. This moment was one of the most memorable episodes of the excursion because I saw Mount Kilimanjaro for the first time. The roof of Africa rises from the savannah fields and irrigates all the lands of Tanzania, providing the country with an awesome environment that is rich in wild life. On the first day of the climb, we crossed this magical landscape. But after a few nice hours, the mountain showed its real face: a huge volcano. For me the most wonderful thing about Kilimanjaro is the biodiversity and the enormous contrast between jungle and volcanic ecosystems.

As the days passed, I began realising that the climb was more difficult than I had imagined. After the barrier of 4,000 metres, I suffered altitude sickness. I finally got to to Lava Tower at 4,400 metres but then I had to give up the climb and start the descent to the town of Moshi. I felt really upset and disappointed. I was angry with myself and I did not know how to overcome this. But there was a big surprise waiting for me in Moshi.

While all of my sad feelings kept spinning around in my mind, I decided to make a journey to Arusha and Ngorongoro. This trip was amazing. I will never forget the emotions that I experienced inside the crazy markets of Moshi and Arusha. In those towns you can really see and smell the true essence of Africa and in that moment I realised that I wanted future to focus on sustainable development. Looking at everything around me I understood that I could not continue living my life in the way that I had lived and saying to myself that everything in the world was fair.

This idea was deepened when I visited the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. Here I discovered the most wonderful natural park that I could imagine. This Park was created by natural processes within the crater of an inactive volcano. Inside you are allowed to see different animals coexisting in a very rich habitat. In this ecological niche I decided to study environmental sciences so that I could work to protect natural resources and to try to guarantee for future generations the possibility of seeing this unique ecosystem.

As you can see, this trip started as a climbing journey with one only goal. But after more than a week in Tanzania I took one of the most important decisions of my life and changed all my ideas about how things work. And now, more than 7 years later, I still remember and dream about all the people that I met there and all the places I went to. I am also trying to achieve the two promises that I had made after I came back to Spain: the first one, “I will never forget the things that I saw, and I have to remember them in difficult situation of my life”. And the second: “I will come back and make sure that I reach the top of Africa”.

 

 

Comments Off on CHANGING PERCEPTIONS: “A development Journey” / 09 Jan 2014 por guillermojoselatorre
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