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Creative Economic Development Month

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

03 June 2020

 

Post No. 146

 

 

 

 

What’s on at CENFACS in June 2020?

 

The following selected initiatives are amongst those which will make the end of this year’s Spring of Life Salvation and Renewal, and the start of Summer of Happiness at CENFACS.

• World Anti-poverty System (WAS): How Covid-19 Makes the Idea of an International System for Poverty Reduction even more Relevant (Global advocacy project)

• Support the Economies of Africa-based Sister Organisations during the Sanitary Crisis (Fundraising project)

• Create and Innovate within the context of Life-threatening and -destroying Impacts of Covid-19 with Jmesci project (Creation and Innovation project)

• Thanksgiving Days (Supporters’ project)

• 100 Days of Covid-19 Campaign by CENFACS (Survey)

 

Note:  The above initiatives are only a selection of what we have planned for June 2020.  We may introduce new initiatives and or upgrade the existing ones depending on the circumstances as we have from time to time to respond to emergencies and urgent humanitarian issues, like we did it with Covid-19.  In which case, we shall let you know. 

                            

Also, in every work we do in order to help reduce poverty, there is always a cost to bear.  If you could help alleviate some of our costs, we would more acknowledge your support than just appreciate your gesture. 

 

The above is our indicative plan for June 2019.  Within this plan, what is on at CENFACS for this week?

 

 

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• June 2020 Message to Africa-based Sister Organisations to Build Back Better Africa

• Create and Innovate within the context of Life-threatening and -destroying Impacts of Covid-19 with Jmesci project (Creation and Innovation project)

• 100 Days of Covid-19 Campaign by CENFACS

 

   … and much more!

 

 

 

 

Key Messages

 

~ June 2020 Message to Africa-based Sister Organisations to Build Back Better Africa

 

Our advocacy about Rebuilding Africa by shadowing the epidemiological curves (“epi-curves) of the coronavirus pandemic is still on course.  While it is going on, we are also pleading for you to Build Back Better Africa when the “epi-curves” of Covid-19 move to their descending trends and after.

Build Back Better Africa is indeed a message of encouragement and hope to our Africa-based Sister Organisations, especially at this challenging time of the Covid-19 disruption and lockdowns.  One could hope that the work they are doing in the different phases of the “epi-curves” of Covid-19 will be rewarded at the recovery stage and beyond.

We all know that Covid-19 won’t be there forever.  It is just an episode in mankind and Africa’s history.  The history of human beings is full of stories of virus and disease outbreaks.   Although Covid-19 is specific in its kind as it poses both devastating economic and health threats; however sooner or later, pandemic lockdowns will be eased and economies will be fully functioning again.

There is a high possibility to build back better Africa, to return much stronger to the business of the poverty relief, to recover economically and sustainably, to regain the losses made and to refocus to address beneficiary immediate pressing needs.  Believe it or not, you can turn the tears of pain into those of joy and happiness.  

As far as CENFACS is concerned, we shall continue to advocate and support you in this battle against Covid-19, battle we think could be winnable if we keep working together and supporting each other.

As part of this mutual support, we are conducting a survey (the Covid-19 Survey) about the Impacts of Covid-19 Shock.

It is known that the Covid-19 Shock is impacting everybody and sector.  In order to be more specific in the way is affecting Africa-based Sister Organisations (ASOs), we are conducting a survey regarding the economic health of these organisations.

The survey is about finding out how Covid-19 is impacting each ASO, particularly but not exclusively, those ASOs working on mining, ecological and sanitation issues.  The survey is an opportunity for engagement renewal in order to meet unmet health and humanitarian needs. 

The survey has the following three objectives:

(1) Finding out how (strongly or averagely or weakly) Covid-19 is impacting individual ASO and their users

(2) Development of ways of mitigating issues found and brought by Covid-19

(3) Start gathering data for the preparation of the post-Covid-19 recovery strategies

As part of this survey, we are questioning ASOs to openly tell us, by using their own words and figures, the way in which the Covid-19 is affecting them.

They can directly answer to CENFACS by using our contact details on this website.

To get involved and or full access to the survey, please contact CENFACS.

For any queries and enquiries regarding this message, please contact CENFACS.

After reading this message, please pass it onto a person who may be interested or around your network.

Many thanks!

 

 

 

 

 

~ Create and Innovate within the context of Life-threatening and -destroying Impacts of Covid-19 with Jmesci project (Creation and Innovation project)

 

Individual and collective creations, in the ways of improving lives through the conception of fresh ideas and the implementation of practical ideas to escape from poverty and hardships as well as foster a better environment and sustainability, are CENFACS’ area of interest.   We create all over the year and life; however June is the month for us to acknowledge our environmental and sustainable makings. 

June is the month of Creative Economic Development at CENFACS with creation and innovation on the main menu: creation for researching and developing fresh ideas to reduce poverty, particularly extreme poverty; innovation for making these ideas come true, transformable into practical environmental and sustainable initiatives and actions. 

Put it simply, Jmesci (June Month of Environmental and Sustainable Creative Initiatives) is just about finding out ways of engineering creations relating to the environment and sustainability in order to further reduce poverty and improve the quality of life.

This year’s Jmesci is special since we are continuing to live with the challenge and damage that the coronavirus pandemic has posed to all of us.  There is a need to create and innovate to overcome these health and economic threats that Covid-19 has brought to us and to CENFACS’ work.

At the level of CENFACS, we are not going to invent a medicine or vaccine to cure Covid-19.  However, we can together create and innovate to mitigate Covid-19 induced poverty and hardships.

We have already started these creation and innovation processes since we kicked off the Covid-19 Campaign.  As this month is about creation and innovation, we are going to deepen these processes.  To know how we are going do it, please read the Main Development section of this post.

To support CENFACS’ Creative Economic Development month, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

 

~ 100 Days of Covid-19 Campaign by CENFACS

 

The 100 Days of Covid-19 Campaign by CENFACS (100 Days of CCC) is a request by CENFACS to you to freely tell us your feelings about the Campaign for Resilience against the Coronavirus Pandemic (the Covid-19 Campaign) which started on 18 March 2020 and which will reach its 100 days on 26 June 2020.

The aim of this campaign is to protect and save lives within and around CENFACS against the life-threatening and destroying impacts of Covid-19, while reducing sanitation poverty that may be caused by the economic and health threats posed by the same virus.  In this respect, the Covid-19 Campaign project is line with the UK and global efforts made to fight the coronavirus pandemic, while intending to make sure that those living in poverty and who are vulnerable are not left behind during the Covid-19 battle.

Given the fact that we are engaged in this campaign project since March 2020, it is normal to start to ask your views or comments the way in which this campaign has been conducted.  The campaign covers the two areas of our operation which are: the UK and Africa (Francophone Africa).  The campaign project beneficiaries are CENFACS stakeholders and those who are directly and indirectly linked to them as well as the wider community and the public.

The campaign has three phases: Initial Response to Covid-19 (phase 1), Impact Monitoring and Evaluation (phase 2), and Post-Covid-19 Rehabilitation Strategies (Phase 3).  At the moment, we are in phase 2 of this campaign project.

From now on to the 26th of June 2020, we are asking to those who can to tell us what they think about the 100 Days of CCC.  One can give their feelings and views about the general conduct of this campaign.  One can as well be more specific in raising some questions or highlighting points to consider about this campaign.  In particular, we would like some true feelings or comments on the following:

=> CENFACS’ leadership in terms of the Covid-19 campaign (for example: Has CENFACS shown any leadership since it started its own campaign?)

=> CENFACS’ engagement to the community (for example: Has CENFACS engaged enough with the CENFACS community throughout this campaign?)

=> CENFACS’ support to the Africa-based Sister Organisations (for example: Has CENFACS been supportive to these organisations in their effort to fight Covid-19 and its far-reaching impacts?)

=> CENFACS’ contribution to the on-going effort to eradicate the coronavirus pandemic (for example: What kind of impact the campaign has made or will make compared to similar efforts undertaken?)

=> CENFACS’ creativity during the Covid-19 crisis (for example: Has CENFACS established any ability to produce anything new or original in the fight against Covid-19?)

=> CENFACS’ post-Covid-19 vision (for example: Has CENFACS demonstrated the ability of perceiving what is likely to happen after Covid-19, and start wisely planning for it?).

One can pick up any of the above six selected areas and tell us what they think.  You can use your own words and numbers to tell us what you think.  If you are going to give your views or comments, please do it by the 26/06/2020. 

 

 

 

 

Extra Messages

 

~ Triple-value Playing Initiative as a Covid-19 Recreational Activity

 

As part of breaking out the vicious circle of the Covid-19 lockdown, you can play the CENFACS’ League for Poverty Relief and Development (CLPRD) while still respecting the anti-coronavirus restrictions and measures.

For those who are familiar with the matrix game and the fundamental theorem of game theory, they can use them to play.  You need to be at least two players.  Below, it is shown briefly how this can be done.

Problem

Using the criteria of food security, determine which country making the CENFACS’ League of Poverty Reduction and Development is doing well to maintain food access and reduce food poverty under the current constraint of Covid-19 and social distancing restrictions.  Obviously, you need data on food security for your two countries chosen.

Clues for answer

a/ Find one person to play against each other

b/ Choose each one country (country A or country B) of the CLPRD in Africa that are ranked as low human development countries

c/ Decide which game strategies you want to use (e.g. optimal mixed strategies) to get the best outcome

d/ Check their performance in terms of poverty reduction and food security to determine how well they are doing

e/ If a country (A or B) scores a good result in food security, a positive value of 1 is given to it.

f/ If a country (A or B) scores a bad result in food security, a negative value of is given to it.

You can use a game matrix containing numerical data giving information about the results of poverty reduction achieved during the Covid-19 outbreak by each chosen country for each player.

Play until you find which of your team country reaches the Last Square of Poverty Reduction (Le Dernier Carré).

For your information, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (1) defines food security as

“ a situation that exists when all people, at all times, have physical, social and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life”.

Countries making the CENFACS’ League of Poverty Reduction and Development are:  

Papua New Guinea, Comoros, Rwanda, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda, Mauritania, Madagascar, Benin, Lesotho, Cote d’Ivoire, Senegal, Togo, Sudan, Djibouti, Malawi, Ethiopia, Gambia, Guinea, Liberia, Guinea Bissau, Democratic Republic of Congo, Mozambique, Sierra Leone, Burkina Faso, Eritrea, Mali, Burundi, South Sudan, Chad, Central African Republic and Niger.     

You can choose 16 team countries from the above.  The 16 team countries chosen from the Poverty Reduction and Development League will play 32 matches or games each against the other.

Should anyone needs more information or support, please contact CENFACS.

 

(1) www.fao.org

 

 

 

 

~ CENFACS’ Mission Year in the Month of Creation

 

CENFACS’ 2020 Mission Year is a coordinated plan by CENFACS to provide what is needed and necessary to support any efforts of poverty reduction.  At this particular time of Covid-19 outbreak, this mission is about the reduction of health and sanitation poverty linked to the coronavirus pandemic outbreak. 

To reduce poverty, it requires a number of initiatives.  One of these initiatives is creation; that is bringing into existence ideas, products, services, projects, proposals and so on to help reduce poverty.    In its Mission Year, CENFACS undertakes to produce new proposals to help reduce poverty and hardships.  It is particularly vital to do it since we are in the extremely difficult time of health and economic crisis led by Covid-19.

For example: in the context of Covid-19 health and economic threats, bringing new ways of relieving sanitation poverty could help many people who are lacking sanitary products and facilities.  Likewise, forming poverty-relieving products from nothing can help reduce the lockdown-induced poverty and hardships.  These types of poverty-relieving creations are commendable at this particular time; time during which lockdowns have started to be eased in some places.

The above is what we mean by CENFACS’ Mission Year in the Month of Creation.  However, should anyone has any queries or enquiries about the link between CENFACS’ Mission Year and Month of Creation, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS

 

 

 

~ Poverty Environment Programme (PEP): Covid-19 as an Essential Message for Poverty Reduction and Healthy Environment

 

June Month of Environmental and Sustainable Creative Initiatives (jmesci) is also a month to revisit our Poverty Environment Programme.  We are revisiting it this time through the message that Covid-19 brought to us in terms of healthy environment and poverty reduction.

The Covid-19 lockdowns have pushed some multilateral and bilateral organisations to bail out poor countries (in Africa for example).  The same lockdowns have helped to reduce the cost that humans put on the health of the environment (for example through pollution, noise, CO2 emissions, etc.)

That essential message is a wake-up call for all of us.  It is also a message for our PEP, programme in which poverty reduction and healthy environment go hand in hand.  In this respect, the lack of sanitation (characterised by sanitation poverty) can be inextricably linked of unhealthy environment. 

So, it is in the twin reduction of poverty and unhealthy environment that this special relationship between poverty reduction and healthy environment makes CENFACS’ PEP.  Covid-19 as an Essential Message for Poverty Reduction and Healthy Environment has reinforced or enlightened this link.  

This week, we are working on this essential message to echo another message, the message from the United Nations World Environment Day on 05 June 2020.  The World Environment Day message is “It is time for nature”.  We will be living up to this essential message of Covid-19 while supporting the Environment Day.  

For details about the PEP, go to http://cenfacs.org.uk/development-programmes/

For further information about the Covid-19 as an Essential Message for Poverty Reduction and Healthy Environment, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

 

Main Development

 

Create and Innovate within the context of Life-threatening and -destroying Impacts of Covid-19 with Jmesci project (Creation and innovation project)

 

• • 2020 Jmesci (June Month of Environmental and Sustainable Creative Initiatives)

 

The context of life-threatening and –destroying impacts of Covid-19 is a framework of the dominance of the coronavirus pandemic with many things happening such as:

people are infected by the coronavirus pandemic, markets and societies are shut down, there are lockdowns everywhere, there has been a decline in progress made for the sustainable development goals, there is an increase of extreme poverty, millions of people have lost their jobs, there is an exposure of economic and societal weaknesses, there is a reversal of gains made about economic growth, there will be a loss of generations, there are lacks of essential health services in many places, an unknown and uncertain future is hanging, etc.

In times of economic and health threats as well as of uncertainty and inability to accurately know or predict the future like the time brought by Covid-19, creating and innovating are the keys to continue to reduce poverty and enhance sustainable development.  This is because in these kinds of times, some needs change, other ones emerge and other more remain unchanged.

In uncertain and threatening times like the Covid-19 crisis time, people in most pressing needs could find themselves in a situation which denies them any ability to meet basic life-sustaining needs, therefore to reduce poverty.  Likewise, they could have their purchasing power reduced or increased.  So, creating and innovating in difficult times like of Covid-19-led economic and health threats are keys to continue to reduce poverty and enhance sustainable development.

As said above, we may not invent the medicine and vaccine to cure the coronavirus pandemic; but we could create and innovate to reduce poverty and enhance sustainable development in times of coronavirus-induced economic and health threats and uncertainty.

Finding out ways of engineering creations and implementing innovations to deal with the life-threatening and –destroying impacts of coronavirus pandemic in order to further reduce poverty and improve the quality of life, will be the focus for 2020 Jmesci. 

 

• • How to deal with economic and health threats and uncertainty posed by Covid-19? 

 

Since our argument is the coronavirus pandemic is an economic and health threat, we are going to deal with this threat in two ways.

 

⇒ Week beginning 01 June 2020: Creativity in times of economic and health threats

⇒ Week beginning 08 June 2020: Innovation in times of economic and health threats

 

• • Week Beginning 01 June 2020: Creativity in Times of Covid-19-led Economic and Health Threats with a Focus on Creative Economic Development Projects

 

At this time of the coronavirus-led economic and health threats, creative economic development could be one of the possible ways of mitigating the multidimensional effects of Covid-19 on poor people and the creative economy.  It can respond to these effects in the reopening phase of economies.  This is despite the fact that some of the activities forming the creative industries have been declared as non-essential.  However, what is a creative economic development?

 

=> Understanding the creative economic development

 

To understand the creative economic development is better to start understanding the creative economy.

There are many definitions of creative economy.  In this communication, we have selected the definition given by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).  UNCTAD (2) argues that a creative economy

“essentially… is the knowledge-based economic activities upon which the ‘creative industries’ are based”.

The UNCTAD goes on by claiming that

“The creative industries – which include advertising, architecture, arts and crafts, design, fashion, film, video, photography, music, performing arts, publishing, research & development, software, computer games, electronic publishing, and TV/radio – are the lifeblood of the creative economy”.  

However, CENFACS looks at the creative economy from the perspective of development or sustainable development.  From this perspective, one needs to include the definition of sustainable development as given by World Commission on Environment and Development (3), definition which is:

“development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”.

So, the knowledge-based economic activities – upon which the creative industries are supported – need to be sustainable; that is capable of being continued over the long term without adverse effects.

 

=> Creative Economic Development Projects

 

There are areas of creative economic industries upon which we (together with those in need) draw inspiration to develop projects to help reduce poverty and enhance sustainable development.  These areas include: advertising, arts and crafts, design, video, research and development. 

For example, we normally run Art and Design for Poverty Reduction and Sustainable Development as a creative economic development project.   One of the activities related to this project for this year would be to construct and post e-cards or e-objects as expressions of Time for Nature to echo the World Environmental Day’s celebratory theme, as well as ways of sustainably managing land to resonate the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought.   So, those who wish and want can design and post an e-card or e-object to feature the theme of “it is time for nature”.

To support and or enquire about Art and Design for Poverty Relief and Sustainable Development, contact CENFACS.

As the lockdown eases, Creative Economic Development Projects could be that missing piece in the reopened economic system to carry the recovery through and to provide additional impetus.  CENFACS’ creative economic development projects (such as Art and Design for Poverty Reduction and Sustainable Development) can help users to start making their transition from the lockdown to a reopened economy to a fully functioning economy. 

 

• • Including other environmental activities into 2020 Jmesci

 

Our month of creation (of thinking up new things) and innovation (of converting our thoughts into tangible outcomes) revolves around global, national, local and sustainable issues and events of the month as well. 

However, due to the Covid-19 and the lockdown it has led, many of the contact or physical environmental events have been postponed or cancelled.  There are other online or virtual events that may take effect.

Examples of June world environmental events and days of the month include: 

The United Nations World Environment Day to be held on 05/06/2020 under the theme of “Time for nature

The World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought 2020, which is to be held on 17/06/2020 and hosted by Korea Forest Service for this year, will take place online.  The 2020 Desertification and Drought Day will focus on links between consumption and land (with a slogan of Food .Feed .Fibre).

To support and or engage to Jmesci, contact CENFACS.

(2)https://unctad.org/en/Pages/DITC/CreativeEconomy/Creative-Economy-Programme.aspx

(3) Brundtland et al. (1987) Our Common Future, World Commission on Environment and Development (The Brundtland Report), Oxford University Press, London

 

Help CENFACS keep the Poverty Relief work going in 2020.

We do our work on a very small budget and on a voluntary basis.  Making a donation will show us you value our work and support CENFACS’ work, which is currently offered as a free service. 

One could consider a recurring donation to CENFACS in the furture.

Donate to support CENFACS!

 

FOR ONLY £1, YOU CAN SUPPORT CENFACS AND CENFACS’ PROJECTS, JUST GO TO http://cenfacs.org.uk/supporting-us/

Thank you for visiting CENFACS website and reading this post.

Thank you as well to those who made or make comments about our weekly posts.

We look forward to receiving your regular visits and continuing support throughout 2020 and beyond.

With many thanks.

 

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