Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

01 June 2022

 

Post No. 250

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• Creative Economic Development Month and Jmesci (June Month of Environmental and Sustainable Initiatives) Project 2022

• The Children of Chad Need your Support at the Moment

• Activity/Task 6 of the Knowledge (K) Year/Project: Understanding the Creative Skills of Those in Need

 

… And much more!

 

 

 

Key Messages

 

• Creative Economic Development Month and Jmesci (June Month of Environmental and Sustainable Initiatives) Project 2022

 

Rising prices of energy, food, fuel and other essential and life-sustaining goods and services have put further pressure on those already living in poverty and experiencing  economic vulnerabilities.  Likewise, the cost of living crisis, which has followed the lingering effects of the coronavirus and the geo-economic rivalries around the Ukraine invasion by Russia, can only make life worse, if not impossible, for the poor.

There are ways of responding to this pressure.  Amongst ways of responding are creations and innovations.  Indeed, whether it is about the natural resources (like oil, gas, sunflower oil, wheat, etc.) crisis or cost of living crisis or any other geo-economic crisis, the way of responding to these crises could be through creations and innovations.

Forming responses from nothing just as bringing responses into existence could be a way to deal with the above mentioned crises.  Equally, introducing new ideas or methods as well as making changes to what has been tried and tested to respond to these crises may altogether lead to solutions.

During this Month of Creative Economic Development, we are going to work with the community – via the project Jmesci (June Month of Environmental and Sustainable Initiatives project) featuring this month – to try to create and innovate so that we are all able to better meet the challenges and cross the hurdles brought the current crises (i.e. cost of living crisis, the Russia-Ukraine crisis, natural resources crisis, etc.).  It is a feature-rich month during which we shall streamline users’ content creation and innovation processes.

In this process of creating and innovating, we shall consider some of the creative and innovative ideas, proposals, experiences and tools that have been so far put forward to help poor people reduce poverty and hardships, or at least to manage the cost of living crisis.

Our work will revolve around the kinds of creation and innovation the CENFACS Community needs in order to continue to address the legacies of COVID-19 (e.g. COVID-19-induced poverty), to carry on together with users and supporters the work of building forward better together greener, cleaner and safer from the coronavirus; while tackling the current cost of living crisis.

Under the Main Development section of this post, we have provided further information about this first key message.

 

 

• The Children of Chad Need your Support at the Moment

 

The under 5 years old children of Chad are in a situation of severe acute malnutrition as a result of food crisis in Chad.  These children need your life-saving help to meet their life-surviving need.

 

Chad is going through one of the food crises within living memory of the decade.

 

It is known that the lingering effects of COVID-19 and the current cost of living crisis are adversely impacting many people and communities around the world.  But, children who live in a country like Chad, which is the world’s third country from the bottom in terms of human development index, tragically suffer from these effects without getting enough help they need.

 

The World Food Programme (1) estimates that

 

“2.1 MILLION PEOPLE in Chad will be FOOD INSECURE during the 2022 lean season (from June to August 2022)”, 37.8% of CHILDREN UNDER 5 are STUNTED” there.

 

Likewise, the following data provided by local sources in Chad tells the story of these children in most need there:

 

∝ 1.6 MILLION children under 5 NEED NUTRITIONAL ASSISTANCE

∝ 343 087 of them DESPERATELY NEED HELP

∝ These children are UNDERNOURISHED WITH ACUTE MALNUTRITION SYNDROME

∝ They are in LIFE-THREATENING CONDITIONS due to protein deficiency, known as kwashiorkor

∝ There is a LACK OF HOSPITAL BEDS and of QUALITY HEALTHCARE

∝ HOSPITAL SERVICES are OVERWHELMED WITH CHILDREN whose LIFE is THREATHENED and AT RISK

∝ In N’Djamena alone, the PREVALENCE OF MALNUTRITION is 10.3%

Etc.

 

The following numbers about food prices further explain how it is difficult for poor children to access food in Chad:

 

∝ The bag of three kilos of maize has increased from 500 CFA francs in 2021 to 800 CFA francs today

∝ The price of cooking oil has increased by 65%

∝ The price of fish has double.

 

The need for emergency support is even greater than ever before for the children of Chad.

 

For £9.5, you can provide an emergency and life-saving support to food insecure and malnourished child in Chad, particularly in N’Djamena.

Your gift of £9.5 today will contribute toward the price of an hospital bed (£672 on average) or to provide food to enhance the life of a child in need.

Your £9.5 will go to the cost of 1 hospital bed for a child in need of hospitalisation and/or food to back the treatment they will receive as well as help them self-sustain.

 

There are organisations that are already on the ground and trying to help as much as they can.  For example, the World Food Programme is trying to help, just as the World Bank (2) provided funding to support 437,000 vulnerable people experiencing severe food and nutritional insecurity located in both urban and rural areas.  However, there is a need to complement these efforts, particularly with a complementary support that is not in the form of financial debt.

The demand for items such as emergency medical products, hospital beds, water purification equipment and food stuffs is 5 times greater than ever.

They need food or income to buy food, life-saving and sustaining services.

You can help the Children in Need of Chad.

Would consider making a gift of £9.5 to help the Children in Need of Chad to navigate their way out of malnutrition?

You can donate, gift aid and or support differently by

 

phoning, e-mailing, texting CENFACS and filling the contact form on this website.

 

Please support TODAY so that we can help the Children of Chad who Need your Support at this Moment. 

To discuss and get further details about this appeal, please contact CENFACS at http://cenfacs.org.uk/contact-us/

Thank you for considering delivering on this appeal.

 

 

 

• Activity/Task 6 of the Knowledge (K) Year/Project: Understanding the Creative Skills of Those in Need

 

Poor people have creative skills like other people.  Because they have creative skills like anybody else, the task here is treble:

 

1) to learn, understand and identify the kinds of creative skills those in need have

2) to know the creative skill gap in them so that this gap can be filled

3) to explore with them how they can push the boundaries through their creative skills in order to grab opportunities and take part in the knowledge-based economic activities.

 

By knowing their creative skills, it is possible to work with them to use their creative skills and or develop them so that they can reduce poverty and come out poverty through their creative skills.

So, during this month the 6th Activity/Task of our Knowledge (K) Year/Project will be about understanding the creative skills that those of our community members in need possess, bridge gaps in creative skills and use these skills to reduce poverty and enhance sustainable development.

To work with us via this Activity/Task 6, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

Extra Messages

 

• Spring Project of Building Forward Better from the Coronavirus (SPBFBC): Only Three Weeks to Go!

You can help…

 

1) Rebuild resilient critical infrastructures, facilities and livelihoods required for the functioning of COVID-19 stricken people and communities in Africa

2) Restore basic life-sustaining health, economic and environmental assets, systems and activities of COVID-19 affected people and communities as well as align them to greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals and targets.

 

You can DONATE, PLEDGE AND MAKE A GIFT AID DECLARATION for any amount as a way of supporting the SPBFBC.

To donate, gift aid and or support differently, please contact CENFACS.

For further information about project aim, objectives, beneficiaries and outcomes; please go to: cenfacs.org.uk/supporting-us/

 

 

 

• E-workshop for Voters of International Poverty Reduction and Development Manager (IPRDM): Vote your IPRDM

How to choose your IPRDM

 

As part of CENFACS’ All Year Round Vote Project (that is, CENFACS International Poverty Reduction and Development Manager Project), we can work together to support you (as a voter) to choose or select the person you think that he/she would best help reduce poverty and enhance sustainable development in 2022.

There are reasons why we need to work together in choosing your IPRDM.  The following can explain the need of working together:

 

σ Many people carry out work in the context and field of poverty reduction without sometimes realising that they are helping others to come out poverty and hardships

σ It could be sometimes difficult to identify, choose and nominate the one who really achieves tangible results in terms of helping others without gaining any personal benefit in exchange

σ It is even challenging to know who stands out the crowd.

 

Because of these reasons, it make sense to support each other in deciding who should be named as the Best International Poverty Reduction and Development Manager of 2022.  He/she could be a Cost-of-living Crisis Manager or a Disaster Risk Reduction Manager or a Post-disaster Reconstruction Programme Manager or Build Forward Better Manager or anybody else.

To enable Voters of IPRDM to make data-based decision, we have put in place a decision-making process/model of working together to facilitate the selection or choice of Voters’ ideal IPRDM.

After following the e-workshop, one can master the skills that will enable them to find out an ideal International Poverty Reduction and Development Manager who is helping or who helped people and communities to both meet sustainable development goals and reduce poverty the post-pandemic era.

 

• • How to find out your IPRDM

 

To research your International Poverty Reduction and Development Manager (IPRDM), you need to take some steps before casting your vote.  They include the following:

 

√ Write down your IPRDM job description

√ Write down your IPRDM person specification

√ Organise a timescale for each activity and set up a completion date

√ Watch or observe as many candidates as you can (watch work they are doing)

√ Do not watch only their actions, but also watch their numbers or statistics

√ Check their CV, credentials and references

√ Assess their progress and achievements

√ Search your ideal three International Poverty Reduction and Development Managers within potential candidates you have been watching and match the best three candidates (after shortlisting) with job description, person specification, and their achievements in terms of poverty reduction and sustainable development goals

√ Select one amongst the three who comes on top

√ Vote your IDPRM.

 

• • Who is your IPRDM? 

 

He/she is a person who would have met the defined person specification and job description in terms of helping those in most need and most vulnerable to achieve defined areas of sustainable development goals and reduce poverty in the post-pandemic era.

He/she is a person who has been helping those in need to navigate their way out of the cost-of-living crisis.

He/she is a person that can help poor people to meet their utility or welfare under the difficult context and constraint of soaring prices of energy, food, housing, money (interest rates), water, etc.

Please remember, whatever your ideal/virtual Manager is doing or will do, he/she needs to help people meet sustainable development and poverty reduction goals in the post-pandemic era.

Good luck in search of your IPRDM!

For any enquiries or queries about this e-workshop, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

• Zero Income Deficit Campaign

In focus: Tackling Negative Budgets

 

As part of CENFACS‘ Zero Income Deficit Campaign, we are working with users on negative budgets for households.  We are doing it since many households within our community are struggling to have positive budgets at this time of the cost of living crisis.  But, what is a negative budget?

 

• • Basic understanding of a negative budget

 

According to Jasmin Matin and Joe Lane (2), a negative budget appears in household accounts

“When a [Citizens Advice debt] adviser does an SFS [Standard Financial Statement] with someone in debt and they have £0 or less after living costs – but before any debt repayments are considered” (p. 6)

The two authors argue that

“Having a negative budget means people aren’t able to make any debt
repayments. Often it means they will have to go without essentials, for example cutting back on spending on food and utilities, and are far more likely to fall into arrears with essential payments such as rent and council tax” (p. 6).

This notion of negative budget is important at this time of the cost of living crisis as many people, including our users, are struggling with their household budgets.  To be on their side, CENFACS will be working with those who want.

 

• • Working together with the community on negative budgets

 

Our work with the community on the negative budget matter will be with those of our members failing to cover basic living costs or those who do not have enough money to meet essential living costs.

Our work with them will cover the following areas:

 

√ Causes of a negative budget

√ Symptoms of a negative budget

√ Ways of easing the burden of negative budget on households making our community

√ How to make sure that a negative budget does not lead to further poverty or to feeding poverty for households

√ An action plan to tackle a negative budget and poverty linked to the cost-of-living crisis

√ Support and resources available on the market for households in negative budgets

Etc.

 

For those members of our community having negative budgets and looking forward to working with us on this needful issue, they are free to contact CENFACS.

 

 

Message in French (Message en français)

Le Mois du développement économique créatif a commencé.

Au cours de ce Mois du développement économique créatif, nous allons travailler avec la communauté – à travers le projet Jmesci (qui signifie mois de juin des initiatives environnementales et durables) – pour essayer de créer et d’innover afin que nous soyons tous en mesure de mieux relever les défis et de surmonter les obstacles apportés par les crises actuelles (c’est-à-dire la crise du coût de la vie, la crise russo-ukrainienne, la crise des ressources naturelles, etc.).

Dans ce processus de création et d’innovation, nous examinerons certaines des idées, propositions et outils créatifs et innovants qui ont été proposés jusqu’à présent pour aider les pauvres à réduire la pauvreté et les difficultés, ou du moins à gérer la crise du coût de la vie.

Notre travail portera sur les types de création et d’innovation dont la communauté CENFACS a besoin pour continuer à faire face aux séquelles de la pandémie de COVID-19 (par exemple, la pauvreté induite par le COVID-19), pour poursuivre avec les utilisateurs et les sympathisants le travail visant à faire avancer mieux ensemble plus vert, plus propre et plus sûr après le coronavirus; tout en s’attaquant à la crise actuelle du coût de la vie.

Pour donner suite à ce que nous avons dit, le Mois du développement économique créatif  est organisé comme suit.

A partir du mercredi 01/06/2022 : Créations et innovations post-pandémiques pour poursuivre le processus de construction future

A partir du mercredi 08/06/2022: Créations et innovations post-pandémiques pour faire face à la hausse des prix de l’énergie

A partir du mercredi 15/06/2022 : Créations et innovations post-pandémiques pour faire face à la hausse des prix des denrées alimentaires

A partir du mercredi 22/06/2022 : Créations et innovations post-pandémiques pour répondre à la crise du coût de la vie

Ce qui précède est notre organisation pour réaliser le Mois du développement économique créatif.  Pour toute question ou demande d’information supplémentaire concernant l’organisation ci-dessus, veuillez contacter le CENFACS.

 

 

 

 

Main Development

 

• Creative Economic Development Month and Jmesci (June Month of Environmental and Sustainable Initiatives) Project 2022

 

To compose the key message of this post, we  have been considered the following points:

 

Basic understanding of the creative economic development, what 2022 June Month of Environmental and Sustainable Creative Initiatives (Jmesci) project will be about, the kinds of creative economic development projects we will be dealing with, the way in which we are organised to deliver the Creative Economic Development Month and the featuring of other environmental activities or events outside but closer to CENFACS’ work. 

Let us look at these points one by one.

 

• • Understanding the creative economic development

 

To grasp the creative economic development is better to start with the understanding of the creative economy.

 

• • • Basic understanding of 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 (4) 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 and 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.

 

• • • Creative economy from the perspective of sustainable development

 

From this perspective, one needs to include the definition of sustainable development as given by World Commission on Environment and Development (5), 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.  Since, we are pursuing CENFACS’ Programme of ‘Build Forward Better Together Cleaner, Greener and Safer’; these activities need to be clean, green and safe.

 

• • What June Month of Environmental and Sustainable Initiatives 2022 is about?

 

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.  It is the project that features or carries the Creative Economic Development Month.

This year’s Jmesci will be about creations and innovations that help cure crises (e.g. the cost of living crisis, natural resource crisis, geo-economic crisis, etc.) as well as those that help prevent future crises, shocks and disasters to be harmful or destructive for people and communities we serve.

We have already started these creation and innovation processes since we kicked off the Covid-19 Campaign in 2019 to deal with the coronavirus crisis.  As this month is about creation and innovation, we are going to continue and deepen these processes.  To know how we are going do it, please continue to read the next communications in the following weeks starting from this Main Development section of this post.

 

• • Kinds of creative economic development projects dealt with

 

The types of creative economic development projects that will be considered will be those helping people in need to reduce or end poverty while enhancing sustainable development.  In other words, for any creations and innovations to meet the objectives of the creation and innovation month, they need to address poverty while contributing to the principles of sustainable development; that is development that is clean, green and safe.

From the idea or conception to the implementation of these projects, their contents need to have the values of poverty reduction and sustainability (particularly the clean, green and safe aspects of sustainability).  As we continue to unveil these projects throughout this month, these values will become apparent and self-explanatory.  This will as well determine the manner in which the Creative Economic Development Month will be approached and delivered through the month.

 

• • The way in which the Creative Economic Development Month will be delivered

 

To deliver on what we have argued so far, the Creative Economic Development Month (CEDM) is organised as follows.

 

⇒ From Wednesday 01/06/2022: Post-pandemic Creations and Innovations to Continue the Process of Building Forward Better

 

The Post-pandemic Creations and Innovations are the general theme that introduces the Creative Economic Development Month.  They are the creations and innovations relating to the current post-pandemic period and are meant to help reduce post-COVID-19-induced poverty and enhance sustainable development.

More on these Post-pandemic Creations and Innovations can be found below.

 

⇒ From Wednesday 08/06/2022: Post-pandemic Creations and Innovations to Deal with Rising Energy Prices

 

As argued earlier, rising energy prices can only be properly dealt with via creations and innovations.  There are creations and innovations that are undertaken by energy providers and authorities to support energy consumers.

In the context of CEDM, we shall mostly cover initiatives that can be undertaken by CENFACS and the community it represents to deal with rising energy prices.  We shall as well take action about energy poverty.

 

⇒ From Wednesday 15/06/2022: Post-pandemic Creations and Innovations to Tackle Food Price Increases

 

Our community members may not have control over the way in which food market prices are fixed, but they can work with CENFACS so that together we can create and innovate ways to keep meeting needs and to respond to food price increases.  In our work with them, we shall make sure that food price increases do not lead to a rise in food poor and poverty within our community.

 

⇒ From Wednesday 22/06/2022: Post-pandemic Creations and Innovations to Respond to the Cost of Living Crisis

 

When one talks about creations and innovations to manage rising prices of energy, food, and any other essential living items; it all comes down to meeting basic living costs.  When these costs become so high to the extent that they turn into a crisis like it is now with the cost of living crisis; then creations and innovations could be the answer.

Creations and innovations will further assist to avoid that the cost of living crisis to trend from cyclical to structural issue within the members of our community.   In other words, creations and innovations will help avoid that poverty that could be transitory because of rising prices of goods and services to become permanent or intergenerational or simply stay in the long term.

The above is our organisation to deliver CEDM.  For any queries or enquiries about the above organisation, please contact CENFACS. 

 

 

• • Post-pandemic Creations and Innovations to Continue the Process of Building Forward Better (From Wednesday 01/06/2022)

 

These first post-pandemic creations and innovations kick off the Creative Economic Development Month.  Let us try to understand what they mean, what the types of creations and innovations they are, and how CENFACS will be working with the community to create and innovate to continue the process of building forward better.

 

• • • What are post-pandemic creations and innovations?

 

Post-pandemic creations are the makings, inventions and productions following the period after the coronavirus period.

Post-pandemic innovations are the changes, alterations and reforms introduced after the coronavirus period of disaster.

In the context of CENFACS’ Creative Economic Development Month, the creations and innovations in which we are interested would be those that help our members to reduce poverty and enhance sustainable development.

 

• • • Types of post-pandemic creations and innovations to reduce poverty and enhance sustainable development

 

• • • • Types of post-pandemic creations and innovations to reduce poverty within the community

 

Without distinguishing creations from innovations, post-pandemic creations and innovations to reduce poverty within our community could include the following:

 

√ Delivering online services to support people from where they are, like it was during the coronavirus period

√ Adjusting poverty reduction services to the community’s new or emerging challenging post-pandemic needs and behaviour changes during the coronavirus crisis

√ Reducing the asymmetry in the distribution of the post-pandemic effects within the community between different groups (young and adults), between genders, between those who have economic activity and those who do not have.

Etc.

 

• • • • Types of post-pandemic creations and innovations to enhance sustainable development within the community

 

Post-pandemic creations and innovations to enhance sustainable development within our community could include the following:

 

√ Promoting eco-friendly services

√ Innovating with the community to reduce food waste at this time of the cost of living crisis

√ Researching and identifying alternative sources of energy that are affordable and efficient for the community

√ Increasing acceptance of net zero path by the majority of members of our community

Etc.

 

• • • Working with the community to create and innovate to continue the process of building forward better

 

To create and innovate to build forward better, we require the inputs of everybody making our community and cherishing our noble causes of poverty reduction and sustainable development.  We need everybody because the post-pandemic creations and innovations are not designed by and for CENFACS alone.  They are made by and for the community, our users and Africa-based Sister Organisations.

It is all of us working together so that we can create and innovate to continue the process of building forward better together cleaner, greener and safer.  Together we can have and share building better poverty reduction experiences.  This is why during this month, we shall appeal to poverty-reduction content creators and innovators to come forward and support the Creative Economic Development Month.  We will work with them under specific creative economic development projects, such as projects relating to reducing energy, food and cost-of-living crises.

 

• • 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.

To be more specific, let us look at one example and one activity relating to creative economic development projects.

 

 

• • • Example of Creative Economic Development Project: Art and Design for Poverty Reduction and Sustainable Development

 

CENFACS’ creative economic development projects (like Art and Design for Poverty Reduction and Sustainable Development) can help users to manage the cost of living crisis.

For example, we normally run Art and Design for Poverty Reduction and Sustainable Development as a creative economic development project.   Through this project, participants can unlock their creative aspirations to build and develop poverty reduction content-creating objects or materials.  This exercise will provide them with poverty reduction building experiences via objects/materials.

 

 

• • • Creative Economic Development Activity of the Month: Construct and Post e-cards or e-objects

 

One of the activities related to this project for this year will be to construct and post e-cards or e-objects expressing the theme of “Living Sustainably in Harmony with Nature”.  The construction will echo the World Environmental Day’s celebratory theme on 05/06/2022.

One can as well construct and post the similar cards as expressions or ways of dealing with drought to resonate the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought on 17/06/2022.  The theme of 2022 Desertification and Drought Day is “Rising up from drought together”.

So, those who wish and want can design and post an e-card or e-object to feature the theme of “Living Sustainably in Harmony with Nature” relating to World Environment Day, and/or the theme of “Rising up from drought together” linked to the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought.

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

 

• • Inclusion of other environmental activities into Jmesci 2022

 

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

Examples of June world environmental events and days of the month include the following events which we have already mentioned:

 

∝ The United Nations World Environment Day to be held on 05/06/2022 under the theme of “Living Sustainably in Harmony with Nature“

∝ The World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought 2022 to be held on 17/06/2022 under the theme of “Rising up from drought together“.

 

The above notes are for CENFACS’ Creative Economic Development Month.

To support and or engage with CENFACS’ Creative Economic Development Month and or  the project Jmesci, please contact CENFACS.

 

_________

 

• References

 

(1) https://www.wfp.org/countries/chad (accessed in May 2022)

(2) Matin, J. and Lane, J., (2020), Negative Budgets: A New perspective on poverty and household finances at www.citizensadvice.org (accessed in May 2022)

(3) https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/agriculture/brief/food-security-update (accessed in May 2022)

(4) https://unctad.org/en/Pages/DITC/CreativeEconomy/Creative-Economy-Programme.aspx (accessed in May 2022)

(5) 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 this year

 

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 also consider a recurring donation to CENFACS in the future.

Donate to support CENFACS!

FOR ONLY £1, YOU CAN SUPPORT CENFACS AND CENFACS’ NOBLE CAUSES OF POVERTY REDUCTION.

JUST GO TO :Support Causes – (cenfacs.org.uk)

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 2022 and beyond.

With many thanks.

 

 

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

25 May 2022

 

Post No. 249

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• All in Development Stories Telling Serial 4: Stories of Green and Climate Alignment in the Post-coronavirus Era (From Wednesday 25/05/2022)

• Stories of Those at Risk of Being Left Behind Build Forward Better from the Coronavirus Disaster and its Variants

• Stories of Coping with the Cost-of-living Crisis

 

… And much more!

 

 

 

Key Messages

 

• All in Development Stories Telling Serial 4: Stories of Green and Climate Alignment in the Post-coronavirus Era (From Wednesday 25/05/2022)

 

The last episode of our series of AiDS (All in Development Stories) Telling and Sharing Programme is on Stories of Green and Climate Alignment.  The latter are the serialised experiences or anecdotes of actions that do not cause harm to the environment and help continuity over the long term period without adverse effects.

The stories to be told, shared and learnt will be of rebuilding forward better while making sure that your process of rebuilding lines up with the greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals and targets in the interest of the commons.  These serialised stories are part of the process of building forward better greener, cleaner and safer.

To join and / or steward the programme by telling and sharing your story, please contact CENFACS.

Under the Main Development section of this post, you will find notes highlighting this Serial 4.

 

 

• Stories of Those at Risk of or Being Left Behind Build Forward Better from the Coronavirus Disaster and its Variants

 

The process of building forward better may not do justice to everybody for various reasons which are sometimes difficult to identify.  There are people and / or members of our community who have been accidentally left behind in the process of building forward better from the coronavirus disaster and its variants.

The notion of being left behind applies to individuals and households in our community.  This notion also refers to those of them living in “left behind neighbourhoods” as defined by the Local Trust (1).

We would like to hear the narratives of these people and community members who are feeling or being left behind so that advocacy can be activated and stepped up to do something about their situation. 

Like the stories of those living in left behind neighbourhoods as described by the Local Trust (op. cit.), the stories in which are interested will be those of…

 

√ Not having  a place or space to meet, to connect and to actively engage with the community

√ Having poor socio-economic outcomes in the process of building forward better

√ Falling behind the realisation of key metrics (such as in health, education, skills, income, etc.) of poverty reduction and sustainable development

√ Isolation and loneliness

√ Lack of connectivity to key services, facilities and digital infrastructure

√ Not receiving a fair share of the amount of support needed to move forward

Etc.

 

We are as well taking the stories of those at risk of being left behind in the process of building forward better; left behind because of their age, gender, ethnicity, race, and migration and disability status.

Anyone who has these kinds of stories of the left-behinds, they can join in and steward the AiDS programme by telling and sharing them with us.

 

 

 

• Stories of Coping with the Cost-of-living Crisis

 

The prices of energy, food and fuel have dramatically gone up.  The hikes in energy, food and fuel prices have led to inflation in many parts of the world including the UK.  They have also made the cost of living dearer to such an extent that they have led to a crisis.  In those circumstances, there could be stories to tell on how people, and in particular those making our community, are navigating their way to make ends meet.

Amongst these stories, they are those of…

 

√ Being identified as individuals or households in need of financial help

√ Having helpful and supportive communications with food and energy providers or charitable organisations to help you successfully manage the cost-of-living crisis

√ Benefiting from loyalty programmes or plans that are helping you to cope with the cost-of-living crisis while building forward better

√ Getting support (from friends, families and organisations) to handle the cost-of-living crisis

√ Being well informed about the causes of the cost-of-living crisis and what to do cope with it

Etc.

 

Anyone who has these kinds of stories of coping with the cost-of-living crisis, they can join in and steward the AiDS programme by telling and sharing them with us.

 

 

Extra Messages

 

• Stories of Volunteers’ Action across All Fronts of Build Forward Better (i.e. Restoration, Recovery, Transformation and Alignment)

 

These stories could be related to actions generally taken in volunteering capacity to help people and communities in need to restore, recover, transform and green align in the post-pandemic era.  They could also be actions in which a volunteer got specifically involved and at the fronts of restoration, recovery, transformation and alignment processes.

To tell, share and provide opportunity for learning development through your story of volunteers’ actions across all the fronts of restoration, recovery, transformation and alignment; please contact CENFACS.

 

 

• Stories of Building Forward Better from Natural Disasters (like the Volcanic Eruption of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Mount Nyiragongo)

 

Last year, we recorded Reconstruction Stories from Internally Displaced People and Returnees in Africa, particularly from drawn-out conflicts and violence (in countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, etc.) and natural disasters (like intense cyclones, torrential rains and floods).

This year, we would like to hear similar stories, particularly of those who have returned to the vicinity of the natural disaster area to build forward life.  They are returning because of various reasons.  Among these stories, there are those of the victims of the Nyiragongo disaster where there were almost 32 tragedies.

The stories in which we are interested are those of…

 

√ Displaced persons living in host families and temporary camps

√ Lack of choice rather than to return to the disaster area to live and build forward

√ Respect for any prohibitions to return to a disaster area because it is still dangerous

√ Potential volcanic threats from the eruption of carbon dioxide in the volcanic area or nearby

√ Local support in terms of resettlement, rehousing and build forward livelihoods

Etc.

 

We are asking our Africa-based Sister Organisations working with the locals of Nyiragongo to provide factual stories.  They can share with us any of the above mentioned types of stories.

To share your story of working with the peoples of Nyiragongo to build forward their life, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

• Spring Project of Building Forward Better from the Coronavirus (SPBFBC)

 

You can help…

 

1) Rebuild resilient critical infrastructures, facilities and livelihoods required for the functioning of COVID-19 stricken people and communities in Africa

2) Restore basic life-sustaining health, economic and environmental assets, systems and activities of COVID-19 affected people and communities as well as align them to greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals and targets.

 

You can DONATE, PLEDGE AND MAKE A GIFT AID DECLARATION for any amount as a way of supporting the SPBFBC.

 

To donate, gift aid and or support differently, please contact CENFACS.

 

For further information about project aim, objectives, beneficiaries and outcomes; please go to: cenfacs.org.uk/supporting-us/

 

 

 

Message in French (Message en français)

Projet de sécurité énergétique (PSE)

Dans le cadre de PSE, nous travaillons sur les activités suivantes liées à ce projet :

√ Évaluation des besoins des utilisateurs de ce projet en matière de sécurité énergétique

√ Identification des options sur le plan de sécurité énergétique

√ Développement d’un filet de sécurité et d’une protection énergétiques

√ Examen du budget énergétique des ménages

√ Stratégie visant à accroître la résilience aux chocs et aux crises énergétiques

√ Gérance et conseils pour accéder à des services énergétiques de qualité, abordables, fiables et sûrs.

Pour les membres de notre communauté qui souhaitent participer à ces activités ou qui souhaitent discuter avec nous de l’une des activités mentionnées ci-dessus, ils sont invités à contacter le CENFACS.

 

 

 

Main Development 

 

• All in Development Stories Telling Serial 4: Stories of Green and Climate Alignment in the Post-coronavirus Era (From Wednesday 25/05/2022)

 

To develop the notes relating to this Serial 4, we have assembled the following pieces:

 

∝ What is a Story of Green and Climate Alignment?

∝ Types of Stories of Green and Climate Alignment

∝ Role or Character in Role-playing Story of Building Forward Better

∝ Social Media as Story Tracking Tools

∝ Ways of Supporting All in Development Stories Telling Programme

 

• • What is a Story of Green and Climate Alignment?

 

To define a story of green and/or climate alignment, one needs to understand green and or climate alignment.

 

• • • Definition of green and climate alignment

 

Within the literature about alignment, we have selected two definitions.

 

The first definition of alignment is given by Xiaoyun et al. (2) when discussing global green taxonomy development, alignment and implementation.  For Xiaoyun et al., green alignment is

“Any effort made by national and international organisations to align various taxonomies to reduce market fragmentation and facilitate the cross-border flow of green capital” (p.3)

These authors pursue by arguing that

“Alignment can help to address information asymmetry at project and entity levels and can encourage clear disclosure and communications” (p. 9).

In the context of our stories of green alignment to tell and share, we are not going to speak about classifying anything to reduce market fragmentation and facilitate the cross-border flow of green capital.  We are instead interested in the stories of any classified assets that could enable the flow of green capital to reduce poverty and enhance sustainable development.

 

The second definition of alignment is provided by Shravan Bhat & Lee Ann Barnett (3) who argue that

“Climate alignment is the process of bringing the global economy’s greenhouse gas emissions in line with 1.5 degrees Celsius temperature targets”

This second definition falls within the scope of our stories of green and climate alignment to build forward better.

 

• • Types of Stories of Green and Climate Alignment

 

From the argument of Shravan et al. (op. cit.), the stories of green and climate alignment that we are expecting will be those of…

 

√ Using low-carbon solutions to build forward better

√ Transitioning high-carbon assets to low-carbon ones

√ Replacing carbon-intensive assets with net-zero alternatives

√ Substituting high-emitting activities to net-zero emissions ones

√ Grabbing climate-aligned investment opportunities

√ Using innovative alignment-linked products and services

√ Addressing emissions from the production and purchase of goods and services

√ Engaging real economy to decarbonise 

√ Dealing with carbon-intensive way of living and working

√ Mapping your journey to green and climate alignment

√ Accountability to, transparency and aligning with market-driven forces that are low-emitting in greenhouse gases

√ Taking a science-based transformation pathway to reach net-zero emissions

√ Using metrics to measure your progress towards net-zero emissions goals and targets

Etc.

 

They are indeed the stories of…

 

√ Helping the real economy moves toward net-zero emissions

√ Supporting progress toward global climate goals in the real economy

√ Addressing barriers to green and climate alignment

√ Achieving net-zero emissions in the real economy

√ Building forward better that saves, preserves and conserves natural and non-renewable resources without depleting them.

 

• • Role or Character in Role-playing Story of Building Forward Better

 

In every role or character in role-playing story of building forward better, one needs to consider or have the net-zero emission thinking of alignment.  So, this thinking will be like a reminder for us and will help to make our experience or story is like the one that saves, preserves and conserves natural and non-renewable resources without depleting them.  It is finally about making story capable of continued life over the long term without adverse effects.

Those who may be interested in role-playing in the context of Stories of Green and Climate alignment, they can contact CENFACS for further discussion on the matter.

 

• • Social Media Platforms as Story Tracking Tools

 

To track the stories you are or will be telling and sharing with us, we have developed a certain number of tracking tools for monitoring and evaluation purposes.  One of these tools is our AiDST (All in Development Stories Telling) terms and conditions which we highlighted at the beginning of this programme.  We strongly recommend to those who would like to submit their stories to consider this tracking tool.

It is increasingly fashionable for people to tell and share their stories via social media platforms (e.g. twitter, Tik Tok, etc.).  If you are going to use these platforms, please let us know so that we can follow and track your story.

 

 

• • Ways of Supporting All in Development Stories Telling Programme

 

For any programme to continue, it needs support.  This need of support also applies to CENFACS’ All in Development Stories Telling Programme.  For us to continue this programme, we need your support.

The first life line of support for this programme is stories.  Without stories, there will not be a story programme.  The programme also requires human resources (e.g. volunteers).

Besides the above non-monetary support, the programme needs income-related help in order to store and share stories as well as to preserve the legacies of stories donated. 

People and organisations willing to support this programme can do it at any time.  For those wondering if there is any specific fundraising event relating to the programme in this month, we would like to inform them that we are holding two days (on 30 and 31 May 2022) event for them to give a story and/or to donate money or even gift the programme.

 

 

To donate, tell and share your storying gift of recovery, please contact CENFACS.

If you have a story of green and climate alignment in the process of building forward better, please do not hesitate to tell it to CENFACS.

We look forward to your story of green and climate alignment in the context of building forward better greener, cleaner and cleaner.

_________

 

• References

 

(1) https://localtrust.org.uk/policy/left-behind-neighbourhoods (accessed in May 2022)

(2) Xiaoyun, Xie, W., Deng, M., (2022), Global green taxonomy development, alignment and implementaion at https://www.climatebonds.net/files/reports/cbi_taxonomy_ukpact_2022_eng.pdf  (accessed in May 2022)

(3) Bhat, S. & Barnett, L., A., (2021), Climate-Aligned Finance 101: What Is It, and Why Should You Care? at https://rmi.org/climate-aligned-finance-101-what-is-it-and-why-should-you-care/ (accessed in May 2022)

_________

 

• Help CENFACS keep the Poverty Relief work going this year

 

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 also consider a recurring donation to CENFACS in the future.

Donate to support CENFACS!

FOR ONLY £1, YOU CAN SUPPORT CENFACS AND CENFACS’ NOBLE CAUSES OF POVERTY REDUCTION.

JUST GO TO :Support Causes – (cenfacs.org.uk)

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 2022 and beyond.

With many thanks.

 

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

18 May 2022

 

Post No. 248

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• Rebuilding Africa in the Post-pandemic Era

• All in Development Stories Telling Serial 3: Stories of Transformation from the Coronavirus Disaster and its Variants (From Wednesday 18/05/2022)

• CENFACS’ All in Development Stories Library

 

… And much more!

 

 

 

Key Messages

 

• Rebuilding Africa in the Post-pandemic Era

 

As we argued in our previous communications, CENFACS does not only work in bringing and lighting a Blaze of Hope for the victims of destructive wars, natural disasters and other major crises (like the coronavirus shock or the cost-of-living crisis).  CENFACS takes the process of working with these victims further in helping them  to overcome underlying poverty and hardships induced by these events as well as supporting them to build their future.

CENFACS works with them and or their representative organisations to alleviate poverty and hardships as the lack of hopes and expectations.  In the process of relieving poverty as the lack of hopes and expectations, the next step or phase of our advocacy is Rebuilding or Renewing Lives.  We call it Rebuilding Africa.

 

• • Where Rebuilding Africa can take place

 

Rebuilding Africa can take place in the following types of countries:

 

√ Countries that are experiencing embryonic democratic transition or want to nurture their democratic transition (like the Democratic Republic of Congo)

√ Countries that came out of destructive natural disasters (for instance Madagascar)

√ Countries that are undergoing peace transition after destructive wars (similar to the current process in the Central African Republic)

√ Countries searching for a truly democratic transition (such as Algeria at the moment).

 

• • The focus for this year’s Rebuilding Africa

 

This year, our Rebuilding Africa advocacy will focus on how Africa is trying to recover itself from the coronavirus disaster under the current constraint of another crisis, the cost-of-living crisis.  The latter has been caused by a number of factors including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which has led to rising prices of energy, food, money (interest rates), etc.

Further details about this advocacy work on Rebuilding Africa in the Post-pandemic Era can be found under the Main Development section of this post.

 

 

 

• All in Development Stories Telling Serial 3: Stories of Transformation from the Coronavirus Disaster and its Variants (From Wednesday 18/05/2022)

 

We are going to start this Serial 3 by asking the following questions:

Has the coronavirus changed people (particularly our users) in their communities and organisations they work with in terms of their habits relating to the non-essential economy or their relationships with the nature?  Do people just want to get back on their feet by building back better their life as it was in the pre-pandemic era and keep their relationships with the nature like business as usual?

If people have changed and made the operation of building from the coronavirus not only as a way of getting/building back what was destroyed or lost, but also a process of looking or building forward; then there could be transformation.  And if there is transformation, there could be a story to tell and share about this transformation.  Stories of transformation can help to know, if not to measure, the change or transformation in the process of building forward better that people are undertaking.

However, before going any further, let us try to understand transformation, define stories of transformation and identify types of transformation stories to submit in the context of CENFACS AiDS Telling and Sharing Programme for this year.

 

• • Basic understanding of transformation

 

Our basic understanding of the word ‘transformation’ comes from Chambers’ Combined Dictionary Thesaurus (1), which states that

“Transformation is a change of form, constitution, or substance” (p. 1306)

From this definition of Chambers’ Combined Dictionary Thesaurus, transformation will be here approached from three perspectives, which are: economic, social and environmental. 

We are approaching it from these three perspectives because we would like to stay within the spirit of the work CENFACS does in sustainable development.  Let us look at each of these perspectives of transformation.

 

 

• • • Economic transformation

 

Economic transformation can be understood in many ways.  According to Hidalgo et al (2), economic transformation is

“A process of continuous upgrading of domestic capabilities and type of goods produced”.

As to Page and Shimeles (3), they argue that economic transformation is

“Significant changes in economic structure as factors of production moved from lower – to higher-productivity uses”.

From these economic arguments, our apprehension of economic transformation will be on what happened to people (here our users) and the organisations we work with in terms of economic transformation in the process of building forward better from the coronavirus and its variants.  Therefore, the stories we are seeking are those of economic transformation of these people and organisations.

 

• • • Social transformation

 

Our selected definition of social transformation stems from the online website ‘igi-global.com’ (4) which states that social transformation is

“The long-term change processes occurred in social norms, levels, and relationships of social structure”

On the same website, it said that

“Social transformation is a process that tends to meaningfully change a specified set of social relations”.

This definition will help to select stories of social transformation amongst our users and organisations working with us.  In these stories of transformation, we shall try to find out if there is any sustained process that can enable to identify a defined direction of social transformation.

 

• • • Environmental transformation

 

Transformation is perceived here from what Chris Park (5) explains in his Oxford Dictionary of Environment and Conservation, which is:

“Transformation is progressive change that removes evidence of an earlier state, such as the conversion of land from one use to another (such as deforestation)” (p. 457)

This definition will be used to tell and share stories of how people and organisations we work with strive to change their relationships with conditions, factors and influences that affect the life, development and survival of the natural world in which we live.

From these definitions of transformation, one can now try to understand stories of transformation.

 

 

• • Stories of Transformation to Build Forward Better

 

• • • What are Stories of Transformation?

 

To help some of our readers understand these stories, we would like to refer to what the ‘writepractice.com’ (6) argues about them, which is:

“Transformation stories examine the hero’s process of change as they evolve through the stages of the plot, reacting to events and stimuli, becoming a different person from how they started out”.

To develop stories of transformation, one may find this definition useful or simply operational.  One can define their hero in the process of building forward better.  They may perhaps have a theory or practice of change that is appropriate for their model or experience of transformation in order to capture and tell their stories from the reality of life.

 

 

• • Identification of types of post-pandemic stories of transformation to submit or share in the context of CENFACS AiDS Telling and Sharing Programme

 

The following could be eligible as stories to tell and share:

 

Stories of…

 

√ Scientific advice given by COVID-19 scientists/experts and how this advice helped the story teller and sharer to get on with the process of building forward better

√ Meaningful inclusion of the marginalised in the process of building forward

√ Science-policy processes that helped story tellers to reach their goal of building forward better

√ Being genuinely listened as a new voice

√ Local social conditions and responses that story tellers may have benefited in the process of building forward better

√ Improvement of social position and rights in the process of building forward

√ Shared networks that were or are supportive in the process of building forward

√ Promoting redistribution and sharing power and control-over decision-making, resources and benefits in the process of building forward

√ Digital transformation in story tellers’ life-making during the process of building forward

Etc.

 

The above types of stories of transformation to  be told and shared would be  real stories of change from real people, not fiction or imaginary. 

They are of…

 

√ Lasting change from those we serve in our community, as these stories help to rebuild, enlighten and renew lives

√ Post-pandemic economic, social and environmental transformations

√ People and the community we serve as well as of those organisations we work with in Africa

√ Green, clean and safer transformations from the COVID-19 disaster and associated adverse impacts

√ Poverty reduction and sustainable development in the post-pandemic era.

 

The above notes are about transformation stories.

If you have a story of green, clean and safer transformation from the COVID-19 disaster and associated adverse impacts, please do not hesitate to tell it to CENFACS.

To donate, tell and share your storying gift of transformation, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

 

 

• CENFACS’ All in Development Stories Library

 

CENFACS’ All in Development Stories (AiDS) Library is an inspirational, motivational, learning and development place for CENFACS‘ members where we keep captured stories and tales of AiDS. 

 

• • What is this library about?

 

It is a database of stories told and /or donated since the inception of AiDS Telling Programme in 2009.  It is a resource or data bank for those members of the CENFACS Community and others who are looking for stories of poverty reduction and sustainable development.  Data stories are kept in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation.

Those who have stories falling within our eligibility criteria can add value to CENFACS‘ AiDS Library by donating stories to store.

 

 

 

Extra Messages

 

• Permission to Share a Story with CENFACS

 

Generally, when we ask people’s stories, we also seek permission to share their stories.  This is because telling us your story does not necessarily mean that you have given us the permission to share it.  Your permission could be verbal or written.

We review the conditions of permission in the light of the law.  Our story telling and sharing policy includes as well images or any infographics making these stories.  Our story telling and sharing policy is available to story tellers on request.

To keep our Story Month within the spirit of this policy, we are dealing with copyright law, permissions and licensing in order to share your story contents.  We are particularly working on copyright permissions that story donors need to give to us in order for us to share their stories.

Working on copyright permissions is about staying copyright compliant as far as permissions to share your story is concerned.  In simple terms, it means we will ask you whether or not, you agree for us to share your story including imaging or infographic parts of your story.

We are as well responding to any questions linked to copyrights relating to sharing stories.  For those who may have any issues to raise with story telling and sharing in the context of CENFACS’ AiDS Telling and Sharing Programme, they should not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

• Ways to Submit or Give your story

How to make your stories to reach CENFACS and others in the community

 

There are many means or ways in which you can submit or donate your story.  In the context of this Serial 3, there are ways that one can use to do it, which are:

 

• •   Written text options

 

You can write your story in a textual format.  You can use email, mobile phone, text messing system and CENFACS’ contact form; and send your story in the form of text.  To do that, you do not need special skills.

 

• • Phone calls

 

You can call CENFACS and give your story via phone.

 

• • Audio storytelling and listening

 

You can use the capacity of audio to tell your volunteering story.  Audio storytelling (with short digital narratives, podcasting, social media and online streaming) can help create and share the impact of the change you made or have made.

 

• • Short film experiences

 

You can make short films to support your storytelling experiences and create a social impact.   You can make film on your smart phone with a video content.  Shooting interviews with story participants can also help to create experiences that maximise social media and essential story contents.

 

• • Video options

 

You can use audio High Definition video calling (for example Skype video calls or Google Meet for video conferencing options) to tell and share you story with CENFACS and others.

If you are going to use video options, it is better to use a free option and non-profit programme, as they are accessible to everybody to join in with at home or wherever they are, especially at this time of the cost of living crisis.

Some of our users and members may not be able to afford to pay for some types of video options on the market.  That is why it is better to use something which is accessible by the majority of people.

For the purpose of data protection, please use the security tips attached to your chosen option.

If you know you are going to tell your story via video calling or conferencing option and you want CENFACS to participate or join in, you need to let us know at least three days before your story calling or conferencing start so that we can plan ourselves. 

You need as well to inform us about the date, time and possibly participants.  You can email, phone, text or complete the contact form to let us know as we are busy like you.

If you have a story, you can tell and share with us and others via the above named means.  And if you do not mind, we will circulate – with your permission – your stories within the CENFACS Community.

 

 

 

• E-workshop for Gamers of CENFACS’ Poverty Reduction League: Create a League Table

How to create your African Countries’ League Table when gaming for poverty reduction

 

As part of CENFACS’ All Year Round Play Project (that is, CENFACS Poverty Reduction League), we can work together to support you (as a gamer) create your league table as you play.  You can create a poverty reduction table showing the following:

 

√ Your selected African team countries

√ The number of criteria/indicators you can assess them against

√ The number of criteria/indicators any of them has passed

√ How many of them they average

√ How many of them they under-perform

√ How many of them they score against the opposition

√ How many of them they concede against the opposition

√ Points they earn or share for each game.

 

By systematically and continuously recorded the results, scores and actions of your game fixtures via this table, you will in the end know which African country that would best reduce poverty by the end of 2022.

To access this e-workshop and get the grips with skills and techniques to create your poverty reduction league table, just contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

Message in French (Message en français)

Voies de soumettre ou de donner votre histoire

Comment faire pour que vos histoires atteignent le CENFACS et d’autres membres de la communauté

Il existe de nombreux moyens ou voies de soumettre ou de donner votre histoire dans le contexte  des histoires de ‘Tous dans le développement‘.  Vous pouvez utiliser les moyens suivants:

√ Options de texte écrit

Vous pouvez écrire votre histoire dans un format textuel.  Vous pouvez utiliser le courrier électronique, le téléphone portable, le système de messagerie texte et le formulaire de contact du CENFACS; et envoyer votre histoire sous forme de texte.  Pour ce faire, vous n’avez pas besoin de compétences particulières.

√ Appels téléphoniques

Vous pouvez appeler le CENFACS et donner votre histoire par téléphone.

√ Narration et écoute audio

Vous pouvez utiliser la capacité de l’audio pour raconter votre histoire de bénévolat.  La narration audio (avec de courts récits numériques, des podcasts, des médias sociaux et du streaming en ligne) peut aider à créer et à partager l’impact du changement que vous avez apporté ou accompli.

√ Expériences de courts métrages

Vous pouvez faire des courts métrages pour soutenir vos expériences de narration et créer un impact communautaire.   Vous pouvez faire un film sur votre téléphone intelligent avec un contenu vidéo.  Les entretiens de tournage avec les participants  à votre histoire peuvent également aider à créer des expériences qui maximisent les médias sociaux et les contenus essentiels de l’histoire.

√ Options vidéo

Vous pouvez utiliser les appels vidéo audio haute définition (par exemple, les appels vidéo Skype ou Google Meet pour les options de vidéoconférence) pour raconter et partager votre histoire avec CENFACS et d’autres.

Si vous envisagez d’utiliser des options vidéo, il est préférable d’utiliser une option gratuite et un programme à but non lucratif, car ils sont accessibles à tous pour participer à partir de chez-soi (la maison) ou où qu’ils se trouvent, en particulier en cette période de crise du coût de la vie.

Certains de nos utilisateurs et membres peuvent ne pas avoir les moyens de payer pour certains types d’options vidéo sur le marché.  C’est pourquoi il est préférable d’utiliser quelque chose qui est accessible par la majorité des gens.

Aux fins de la protection des données, veuillez utiliser les conseils de sécurité joints à l’option que vous avez choisie.

Si vous savez que vous allez raconter votre histoire par appel vidéo ou par conférence et que vous souhaitez que le CENFACS participe ou se joigne à vous, vous devez nous le faire savoir au moins trois jours avant le début de votre appel ou de votre conférence afin que nous puissions nous organiser.

Vous devez également nous informer de la date, de l’heure et éventuellement des participant(e)s.  Vous pouvez envoyer un e-mail, téléphoner, envoyer un SMS ou remplir le formulaire de contact pour nous le faire savoir car nous sommes occupés comme vous.

Si vous avez une histoire, vous pouvez la raconter et la partager avec nous et d’autres personnes par le biais des moyens susmentionnés.  Et si cela ne vous dérange pas, nous diffuserons – avec votre permission bien sûr – vos histoires au sein de la communauté CENFACS.

 

Main Development

 

• Rebuilding Africa in the Post-pandemic Era

 

The following two sub-headings explain our advocacy about Rebuilding Africa in the Post-pandemic Era:

 

a) Rebuilding as a Next Step after Bringing and Lighting a Blaze of Hope

b) Activities to Help Rebuild Africa in the Post-pandemic Era.

 

• • Rebuilding as a Next Step after Bringing and Lighting a Blaze of Hope 

 

As argued above, Rebuilding is the next step in our process of helping in reducing the impacts and effects of war and natural disaster events or any other major crises.  Saying that we are going to rebuild Africa, it does not mean that we are going to remake all the sectors of Africa from scratch.

Rebuilding in the context of our poverty relief work has to be placed in the perspective of working with and helping poor people and their organisations to overcome the ill effects of wars and natural disasters or any other major crises (like the coronavirus, the cost-of-living crisis).  It is down to Africans to rebuild Africa, not CENFACS.  CENFACS as a charity just gives a helpful hand to them to reduce or better end poverty.

 

• • What Rebuilding Africa is about

 

Rebuilding Africa addresses the legacies left by destructive wars and natural disaster events or any other major crises like the coronavirus and the current cost-of-living crisis.  Every year, many human and wild lives as well as other ways of life have been destroyed as a result of wars, armed conflicts and environmental disasters.  These events often lead to humanitarian catastrophes, emergencies, contingencies, crises and responses.

What’s more, where there is destructive war, there is always a destruction of the environmental life.  Examples of these Destroyed Lives are what happened in the Democratic Republic of Congo, in Chad, in the Central African Republic, Burkina Faso, Mali, etc.

Rebuilding Africa initiative tries to respond to these events by undertaking projects planning and development activity within CENFACS and in association with our Africa-based sister organisations.

 

• • What this Projects Planning and Development is about

 

The Projects Planning and Development activity enables us to know the needs on the grounds and reach out to those in most need in Africa.  It also assists to improve our way of doing development work, to rethink and exchange new ideas, avenues, approaches and projects to better respond to the following:

 

√ New economic pressures and influences that can lead to the destruction of human and wild lives as well as other livelihoods or ways of life

√ New emerging threats and risks (like the coronavirus and the current cost-of-living crisis)

√ New types of needs to rebuild destroyed lives (including infrastructures) in Africa

√ Future risks and crises that are likely to happen and to cause human sufferings or impacts.

 

This planning and development process is within the context of enhancing our African Rebuilding and Sustaining Infrastructures and Lives programme.  More details about this programme can be found from CENFACS.

 

• • What are those projects or responses?

 

Projects planning and development for responses could deal with environmental and war events as well as near future risks and crises.  In other words, we undertake projects planning and development linked to three events: wars, natural disasters, and future risks or crises.

 

a) Project developments linked to environmental events

 

Project developments linked to environmental events may respond to the following:

 

∝ Short-term environmental strikes

∝ Disasters linked to climate change cycles

∝ Long-term environmental storms and catastrophes.

 

b) Project developments linked to war events

 

Project developments linked to war events may try to deal with the following:

 

∝ Short-term crisis and armed conflicts and disputes

∝ Wars linked to economic trends and business cycles

∝ Long-running and permanent wars and structural warfare.

 

c) Project developments linked to future risks and crises

 

Project developments linked to future risks and crises that are likely to happen and to have catastrophic impacts, may try to deal with the following:

 

∝ Infectious diseases like the coronavirus, the Ebola, etc.

∝ Natural resource crisis such as rising prices of energy and food due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine

∝ Interstate economic relations fracture because of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which has partly led to the current cost-of-living crisis.

 

Project developments linked to environmental, war and future events will be a process of projects planning and development that has a triple response to environmental, war and future events for short, medium and long running crises.  This planning will include also the organisation of specific activities to help the rebuilding process.

 

• • Activities to Help Rebuild Africa in the Post-pandemic Era

 

Rebuilding Africa in the Post-pandemic Era as advocacy includes four types of activities:

 

∝ Activities to end Build Back Better (Advocacy to manage endings)

∝ Activities to manage transition (to turn endings to new beginnings)

∝ Activities to manage new beginnings

∝ Activities to manage the future.

 

• • • Activities to end Build Back Better (Advocacy to manage endings)

 

To build forward better with communities and ASOs, it is better to successfully manage the end of or close build back better programme.  However, building better is a backward and forward process.  Even if one is in the process of building forward, they can still refer to the build back stage or programme to check if there is any link with the process of building forward.

 

• • • Activities to manage transition (to turn endings to new beginnings)

 

The activities to manage transition will include the three stages of transition as described by the Centre for Creative Leadership (7), which are:

“accepting the ending, living in the neutral zone and reach your new beginnings”.

These activities will help to turn endings to new beginnings.

To conduct these activities, we are going to look at transition cycle.  We shall as well recall the Elizabeth Kübler-Ross (8) change curve; in particular where changes can be integrated in renewed individuals.

By referring to her model of change, we can argue that people have already accepted and integrated the coronavirus pandemic in their mind sets as the 1960s theory of the five stages of grief or model of change curve by Elizabeth Kübler-Ross tells us.  We have accepted that change is inevitable; so we could now return to where we were before the coronavirus with changes rather than against them.  We can now move on with change and transition.

These advocacy activities to manage transition will be based on wellbeing economy, inclusiveness and safety to manage the process of coming out the coronavirus pandemic.

For example, we can advocate with ASOs so that they are not left behind in Africa’s recovery efforts from the negative effects of the coronavirus.  Our advocacy message could be that talks about financial recovery should include ASOs.

 

• • • Activities to manage new beginnings

 

The activities relating to the management of new beginnings will help to work with communities and ASOs to set up new goals, to identify opportunities and threats in the new development landscape (like the post-COVID-19 era).  We shall work with them via advice, tips and hints to manage a new beginning.

For example, we can revisit ASOs’ mission and vision in the new era of post-covid-19 reconstruction.

So, the activities to manage new beginnings will empower communities and ASOs to navigate their ways to improve in those areas where COVID-19 has brought a new window of opportunities and scope to learn and develop.  It is an advocacy work to freshly start and plan future.

 

• • • Activities to manage the future

 

By using futuring and visioning methods, it is possible develop scenarios, horizon scanning and trend monitoring/analysis to help build forward better.  These activities will enable us to better equip to minimise the likely harmful impacts of future risks and crises.  As Stephen Millett (9) puts it

“[But] building future planning into your everyday practices is not only vital – it’s eminently doable”

The activities will be conducted to help communities and ASOs to meet their goals of building forward together greener, cleaner and safer.

For any enquiries and queries about any of these activities, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

For further details about  Rebuilding Africa in the Post-pandemic Era, please also contact CENFACS.

_________

 

• References

 

(1) Chambers (1999), Combined Dictionary Thesaurus, Martin Manser & Megan Thomson (Eds.), Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh

(2) Hidalgo, C. A., Klinger, B., Barabasi, A.-L. and Hausmann, R. (2007), ‘The Product Space Conditions the Development of Nations’, Science 317 (5837): 482-487

(3) Page, J. and Shimeles, A. (2014), ‘Aid, Employment, and Poverty Reduction in Africa’, Working Paper 2014/043, Helsinki:UNU WIDER

(4) https://www.igi-global.com/dictionary/the-polictics-of-social-media/64575 (accessed in May 2022)

(5) Park, C. (2011), Oxford Dictionary of Environment and Conservation, Oxford University Press Inc., New York

(6) https://thewritepractice.com/write-a-transformation-story (accessed in May 2022)

(7) Centre for Creative Leadership at https://www.ccl.org/articles/leading-effectively-articles/adapting-to-change-its-about-the-transition/ (accessed in May 2022)

(8) Kübler-Ross E., 1969: On Death and Dying, New York: Simon and Schuster, Inc.

(9) Stephen Millett at https://www.triarchypress.net/managing-the-future.html (accessed in May 2022)

_________

 

• Help CENFACS keep the Poverty Relief work going this year

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 also consider a recurring donation to CENFACS in the future.

Donate to support CENFACS!

FOR ONLY £1, YOU CAN SUPPORT CENFACS AND CENFACS’ NOBLE CAUSES OF POVERTY REDUCTION.

JUST GO TO :Support Causes – (cenfacs.org.uk)

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 2022 and beyond.

With many thanks.

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

11 May 2022

 

Post No. 247

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• All in Development Stories Telling Serial 2: Stories of Recovering from the Coronavirus Disaster and its Variants (From Wednesday 11/05/2022)

• Africa-based Sister Organisations and Data-based Stories of Post-COVID-19 Recovery

• Goal for the Month: Reduction of the Lack of Storytelling Communication Skills

 

… And much more!

 

 

Key Messages

 

• All in Development Stories Telling Serial 2: Stories of Recovering from the Coronavirus Disaster and its Variants (From Wednesday 11/05/2022) 

 

Our Story Month continues with Serial 2, which is devoted to people-centred stories of regaining a former and better condition in the process of building forward better from the coronavirus and its variants.  These stories are those of setting again or returning to a previous stage or fixing what the coronavirus has destroyed, mostly from people in need.

Recovery is a process.  Like in any process, there are phases or stages.  In every stage or phase, there could be stories to tell and share.  Recovery can be economic, social, environmental, etc.  It can be in conservation, in disaster management, waste management, mineral processing, etc.

In the context of this Serial 2 of our May Month, we are interested in the storylines from disaster management; that is from the management of COVID-19 as a socio-economic and health disaster.  Disaster management is understood in Chris Park’s Oxford Dictionary of Environment and Conservation (1) as

“A comprehensive approach to reducing the adverse impacts of particular *disasters [natural or otherwise] that brings together in a *disaster plan all of the actions that need to be taken before, during, immediately after, and well after the disaster event” (p. 122)

One of the actions to be taken is recovery.  In the same dictionary, recovery is defined in disaster management as

“The coordinated process of supporting communities that have been affected by disaster in reconstruction of the physical infrastructure and restoration of emotional, social, economic, and physical well-being” (p. 373)

Because the coronavirus has been a disaster, a recovery action can be taken at the individual and community levels.  When recovery starts to happen, there are stories about it.

We are calling for submission of the stories of a coordinated process of self-support and /or supporting communities and people who have been affected by the coronavirus and trying to first return to their original state.

However, the recovery that we are dealing here is the one in the process of building forward rather than of building back.  In the building back situation, recovery is a process designed to get people back where they were in the pre-pandemic period.  Recovery in this situation is a static concept.

On the other hand, recovery in the building forward scenario is about looking forward to a better life rather than focussing on how lives and things were before disaster happened.  Recovery in the building forward context is dynamic.

Thus, the stories in which we are interested will be those of building/looking forward; that is lives and things that happened or are happening that will help to look or build forward in the future.

Since we are working within the framework of a recovery that is green, clean and safer; we are therefore looking for stories of recovery that include green, clean and safe elements in them.

Under the Main Development section of this post, there is more about this Serial 2 of our May Month 2022.

 

 

• Africa-based Sister Organisations and Data-based Stories of Post-COVID-19 Recovery

 

Our All in Development Stories Telling Programme includes the stories or experiences that our Africa-based Sister Organisations (ASOs) are having with local people regarding their recovery from the COVID-19  and its variants.

Like in many parts of the world, the post-COVID-19 recovery has been hampered by many factors such as the impact of Russian invasion of Ukraine, the cost of living crisis, rising energy prices and interest rates.  These factors do not make the post-COVID-19 recovery easy.  This is let alone other variables like armed conflicts and climate change in Africa.

We continue to have reports of local people struggling to access basic life-sustaining needs (such as food, water, electricity, sanitation and financial support) in order to recover from COVID-19.  We had also reports of those who have successfully recovered from the health and economic impacts from the same coronavirus and its variants.

As we are in CENFACS’ Stories Month, we would like to include their tales or experiences of the post-coronavirus recovery.  We would like them to tell us their stories with data (i.e. textual, numerical, infographic and visual data).  There are advantages deriving from telling and sharing stories of post-COVID-19 recovery.

 

• • Advantages of sharing recovery stories

 

Stories can help their local people to get back on their feet and move forward.  They can accompany them in their recovery to build forward better.  They can as well assist in mobilising resources, capacities and other types of support to help deal with the issue of poverty at this challenging time.

For any of ASOs that would like to submit or donate their data-based stories of post-COVID-19 recovery, they should not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

• Goal for the Month: Reduction of the Lack of Storytelling Communication Skills

 

All human beings have the skills to communicate.  However, are those in need effectively communicating their needs in order to achieve the poverty reduction goals they want or wish?

The lack of adequate storytelling skills to effectively communicate and express one’s feelings about poverty and hardships could be a barrier to reduce many forms of poverty.  Addressing this lack through the development of storytelling communication skills could be one of the vehicles to better empower those in need to better tell and share their stories.  It can also help in bridging the gap skills in this area of poverty.  Storytelling communication skills matter in the process of exploring or advocating solutions to their problems, as well.

For example, if you are a food poor or deprived, what are the things you need to say and the communication skills you need to deploy in your storyline so that you can win the minds and hearts of someone to support you in your journey to come out of food poverty and hardships?

So, this month we would like to deploy our efforts with our supporters to work with those suffering from the lack of relevant storytelling communication skills so that they can find the supportive skills they need to better tell their stories and effectively communicate in volunteering the types of solutions/responses they expect or may require.

The above is our poverty reduction goal for this month, which we are asking to our audiences and supporters to help or promote.

 

 

 

Extra Messages

 

• Triple Value Initiatives (TVIs)/All Year-round Projects (AYRPs) Activity: Tell and Share your TVI/AYRP Story

 

You can tell and share what you are doing as TVI/AYRP user or beneficiary.  Telling and sharing your TVI/AYRP (that is Play, Run and Vote) story can have benefits.

 

• • Benefits of story telling and sharing 

 

We can list the following benefits:

 

√ To interact via words and actions to reveal the elements and infographics of what you are doing as TVI/AYRP

√ To track progress made so far and improvements you may need about what you are doing as TVI/AYRP

√ To learn and develop on what you are doing as TVI/AYRP

√ To motivate others who are working on similar or complementary TVI/AYRP

√ To make your story positively impact deprived lives and reach out to the needy communities

√ To record and celebrate achievements made so far of what you are doing as TVI/AYRP

√ To develop strengths and better practices to solve problems encountered in implementing what you are doing as TVI/AYRP

√ To inspire and motivate others on the road of change for better change via TVI/AYRP

√ To encourage others take up roles and positions as well as engage with your TVI/AYRP.

Briefly, telling and sharing your TVI/AYRP story will enable assess the value of your engagement with TVI/AYRP while helping you to know what has worked and not worked so far before its deadline in December 2022.

 

To tell and share your TVI/AYRP story, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

• Zero Income Deficit Campaign

How to Mitigate Rising Interest Rates on your Household Budget Equilibrium

 

The recent rise in interest rates which followed rising prices of other goods and services (like food, energy, shelter, transport, etc.) can only negatively impact household budgets, especially of those already struggling to make ends meet.

As part of CENFACS’ Zero Income Deficit Campaign, we are working with those of our users who may be interested in finding ways to mitigate or reduce the impact of rising interest rates on their household budgets.

Those members of our community who may be interested in this activity, they can contact CENFACS.  Also, for those ones who have stories to share on how they are coping in mitigating the rise in interest rates on their budget balances, they can share them.

 

 

•  Fundraising your Run to Reduce Poverty in Africa  during this Event Season

 

For those who are running events in the context of Triple Value Initiative of Run to Reduce Poverty in Africa in 2022, they can use the opportunity of the event season to introduce a giving feature in their Run activity.  They can ask those who are involved in the run with them to support good causes, including CENFACS‘ noble causes.  This asking people to support concerns both in-person and virtual runs.

In this way, they can help revolutionise the Run activity with a fundraising element while running with or without others.  They can as well journal and develop a story about their Run activity.   They can share the contents of their journal and story of run with us and others.

However, they must remember that the aim of the CENFACS’ Run to Reduce Poverty in Africa is to select or find the African best runner of poverty reduction in 2022, rather than raising money.

For those who may be having or are experienced some problems in installing or inserting a fundraising feature in their runs, they can speak to CENFACS.

To discuss your progress in the run, the fundraising feature in the run or any other issues relating to All Year Round Projects (Triple Value Initiatives), please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

 

 

• Message in French (Message en français)

Notre mois de l’histoire se poursuit avec le feuilleton 2 qui se compose d’histoires de rétablissement.  Dans le contexte de ces histoires, nous recherchons des histoires qui peuvent entrer dans le cadre ou les exemples suivants.

• • Exemples d’expériences narratives de rétablissement

Les éléments suivants pourraient être admissibles en tant qu’histoires à raconter et à partager :

Histoires de…

√ Dépenses en biens et services de consommation en cours de développement

√ Gérer de manière optimale la crise du coût de la vie

√ Ne pas sombrer dans l’effondrement économique

√ Financement du recouvrement

√ Mobilisation du financement climatique

√ Bonne transition de la construction en arrière à la construction en avant

√ Commencer à faire un plan optimiste pour l’avenir

√ Confiance en tant que consommateur/consommatrice

√ Récupération du pouvoir d’achat

√ Revenu des gens qui revient au niveau d’avant la pandémie et même augmente

√ Se remettre sur pied de façon économique

√ Avoir une opportunité ou une ouverture pour aller de l’avant

√ Augmentation du revenu réel dans le parcours de rétablissement

√ Continuer à réduire considérablement la pauvreté induite par la COVID-19 et ses variantes

Etc.

Nous pouvons continuer la liste.  Cependant, l’important est que ces récits et ces voix du rétablissement doivent être inspirants, engageants et fondés sur des données probantes.

Pour raconter et partager votre histoire de rétablissement, veuillez communiquer avec le CENFACS.

 

 

 

Main Development

 

• All in Development Stories Telling Serial 2: Stories of Recovering from the Coronavirus Disaster and its Variants (From Wednesday 11/05/2022)

 

The notes highlighting this Serial 2 will be developed under the following three headings:

 

1) Telling and sharing stories in the context of AiDS Telling Programme 2022

2) Advantages of telling and sharing recovery stories

3) Tracking tools for recovery stories.

 

Let us see what each of the headings contains as notes.

 

• • Telling and sharing stories in the context of AiDS Telling Programme 2022

 

Under this heading, we are going to successively deal with the following:

 

∝ The contextual and conceptual meaning of recovery

∝ The kinds of recovery we are talking about

∝ Selection criteria about recovery stories

∝ Story identification

∝ Types of recovery stories

∝ Indicative examples of narrative experiences of recovery.

 

Let us consider each of them.

 

• • • Meaning of recovery in the context of AiDS Telling Programme 2022

 

As part of this context, recovery is looked at as the process of regaining a former and better condition after the socio-economic and health disturbances and disruptions brought by the coronavirus and its variants.  This recovery is part of a set of actions to be taken in the context of disaster management as defined by C. Parker (op. cit.). 

It is also in line with what the United Nations (2) argued in their General Assembly in 2016 which is

“Recovery is the restoring or improving of livelihoods and health as well as economic, physical, social, cultural and environmental assets, systems and activities, of a disaster-affected  community or society, aligning with the principles of sustainable development and build back better, to avoid or reduce future disaster risk”.

Although the United Nations speaks about alignment with build back better, our recovery goes further in resonating with build forward better.  In other words, we are more interested in stories about how people and communities are building forward rather than on how they built back.  This means that recovery has to be placed in the dynamic context of building forward better, with future in mind.  The stories of recovery are of course those of building forward better.

 

• • • Kinds of recovery stories expected

 

They are those of a sustained cycle or stage of post-COVID-19 disaster or shock period in order to improve people’s socio-economic and health conditions.

They are the stories of what happened to people, especially those in need, at the flattening or declining phase of the epidemiological curves of the coronavirus pandemic when they already built back and are now building forward better.

 

• • • Eligible criteria about recovery stories

 

The stories to be given or donated will be more appealing to the AiDS assessment team if they meet the following criteria:

 

a) They should be of recovering from the socio-economic and health impacts of the coronavirus shock/disaster and its variants

b) They have some highlights of green, clean and safer aspects in them.

 

• • • Identification of stories according to the phases of recovery process

 

As argued earlier, recovery can be a process or be done in different steps or phases.  In each step or phase, there could be a story to tell or share.

For example, in the field of emotion or trauma management after the coronavirus shock or disaster, there could be five stages that people who suffered from COVID-19 emotion or trauma may take.  These stages are:  pre-contemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, maintenance and termination.

Another example could be of a disaster-stricken community that can take three phases to recover, which are: post-impact relief, recovery and reconstruction, and transition.

In these above different phases or steps, there could be a story to tell and share from those who have been through any of them.  There could be as well stories to tell and share between stages or steps whether it is about an individual or a community.

Those who have a story to tell and share on any of these steps or stages, they can contact CENFACS.

 

• • • Types of possible recovery stories

 

From what we have so far described, recovery stories can be of various types depending on each community’s or each person’s circumstances with the impacts of COVID-19 and its variants.  These stories could include those of different stages of the recovery process as highlighted above.

To the above, one could also add stories of vision for recovery; recovery plan; recovery approach or methodology used; recovery funding; recovery of emotional, social, economic and physical well-being, etc.

 

• • • Indicative examples of narrative experiences of recovery

 

The following could be eligible as stories to tell and share:

 

Stories of…

 

√ Spending on consumer goods and services in the process of building forward

√ Optimally managing the cost-of-living crisis

√ Not going into economic or financial collapse because of COVID-19 

√ Financing recovery

√ Mobilisation of climate financing

√ Good transition from build back to build forward

√ Starting to make an optimistic plan for the future

√ Building confidence as a poor consumer

√ Spending power recovery and financial wellness

√ People’s income returning to pre-pandemic level and even increasing

√ Economically and financially getting back to your feet

√ Having a bright opportunity or opening to move forward

√ Increase in real income in one’s recovery journey

√ Being able to cope with the recent interest rise

√ Continuing to substantially reduce poverty-induced by COVID-19 and its variants

Etc.

 

We can continue the list of indications or signs of eligible examples of recovery in the context of building forward better.  However, the important thing is that these tales, voices and infographics of recovery need to be inspirational, engaging and evidence-based.

 

• • Advantages of telling and sharing recovery stories

 

The good thing in telling and sharing recovery stories is that these kinds of stories can bring four important outcomes to the community, which are:

 

√ Providing inspiration to others, particularly but not exclusively to the CENFACS Community members, suffering from the coronavirus induced poverty and hardships

√ Proofing that it is possible to recover from the adverse impacts of the coronavirus, particularly the types of poverty and unsustainable development it may lead to

√ Strengthening our infrastructure networks of protection and safeguarding from poverty and hardships through stories telling, sharing and stewardship

√ Stewarding CENFACS’ All in Development Stories Telling Programme and Stories Donor Development.

 

• • Recovery story tracking tools

 

To track the recovery stories you are or will be telling and sharing with us, we have developed a certain number of tracking tools for monitoring and evaluation purposes.  One of these tools is our AiDS terms and conditions which we highlighted last week.  We strongly recommend to those who would like to submit their recovery stories to consider this tracking tool.

Additionally, we may use other story trackers such as story focus, key message, contact person, contact information, etc.  Since we are in a digital world, we can also refer to digital trackers.

The above notes are about recovery stories.  If you have a story of green, clean and safer recovery from the COVID-19 disaster and associated adverse impacts, please do not hesitate to tell it to CENFACS.

To donate, tell and share your storying gift of recovery, please contact CENFACS.

________

 

• References

 

(1) Park, C. (2011), Oxford Dictionary of Environment and Conservation, Oxford University Press Inc., New York

(2) https://www.unisdr.org/files/53213_bbb.pdf (United Nations General Assembly, 2016)

 

_________

 

• Help CENFACS keep the Poverty Relief work going this year

 

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 also consider a recurring donation to CENFACS in the future.

Donate to support CENFACS!

FOR ONLY £1, YOU CAN SUPPORT CENFACS AND CENFACS’ NOBLE CAUSES OR POVERTY REDUCTION.

JUST GO TO :Support Causes – (cenfacs.org.uk)

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 2022 and beyond.

With many thanks.

 

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

04 May 2022

 

Post No. 246

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• May Stories – All in Development Stories: Stories of Building Forward Better from the Coronavirus Disaster and its Variants

• All in Development Story Telling Series 2022

• Activity/Task 5 of the Knowledge (K) Year/Project: Knowing the Real Stories of People in Need

 

… And much more!

 

 

Key Messages

 

• May Stories – All in Development Stories:

Stories of Building Forward Better from the Coronavirus Disaster and its Variants

 

Story telling is our main content for the month of May.  It is the month and time of the year we dedicate ourselves to telling and sharing poverty relief and sustainable development stories.

 

• • Why do we tell and share stories? 

 

This is because in whatever we do to help reduce poverty and appeal for support to development process, there is always a story to tell and share from various places we intervene and from different individuals and communities or organisations involving in our work.

 

• • How do we tell and share these stories?

 

We do it through All in Development (AiD) Stories project, which is our storytelling project.  There is an explanation about this project that can be found under the Main Development section of this post.  Every year, there is a different theme for this storytelling project.

 

• • This year’s theme for AiD Stories project

 

This year, the theme for AiD Stories project will be about Stories of Building Forward Better from the Coronavirus Disaster and its Variants.

These stories will be…

a) about how people and communities are trying or have tried to build forward better from the coronavirus disaster and its variants

b) of

∝ restoration to original or near conditions

∝ recovery forward better cleaner, greener and safer

∝ transformation to cope with the new realities and post-coronavirus economy

∝ aligning poverty reduction work with long-term greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals

c) of human, physical, social, environmental, humanitarian and economic building forward better.

 

Entries for these May Stories were opened since last March when we announced the general theme of Spring Relief 2022, which is “Build Forward Better Together Cleaner, Greener and Safer”.  So far, some people have shown some interests.  For those who have not yet submitted or told us their stories, this is the month to do it.

 

• • Underlying principle of AiD Stories project

 

The principle of AiD Stories project is that it is about stories by volunteers or people who are giving their stories not for money or not being paid for their experience they had in relation to the story theme.  However, this principle does not stop anybody to provide a story even if what they are saying come from their paid position.

Besides this general principle, we have two criteria we would like to highlight about the theme of AiD Stories project for this year.

 

• • Criteria for the theme of AiD Stories project 2022

 

1st Criterion

For this year’s AiD Stories project, we are mainly interested in Stories of building forward better cleaner, greener and safer from the coronavirus disaster and its variants, as mentioned above.  They are the stories of those who hit rock bottom of poverty because of COVID-19 and are trying to bounce forward in a sustainable way.

 

2nd Criterion

We are registering people’s personal experiences of being or at risk of being left behind in the process of building forward from the coronavirus pandemic and its legacies.  This is important at this time since there is another crisis, which is the cost-of-living crisis.  There is a risk that people could be left behind in the process of building forward better because of the fight against the cost-of-living crisis.  That is why we would like also to hear those personal experiences.

To facilitate and organise ourselves in the way of telling these stories, we are going to do it through a series or programme or a timeline of scripts.  There is more information about this series below.

For more information on AiDS project and this year’s storytelling focus and scripts, please read under the Main Development section of this post.

To tell your story of change for change to CENFACS, please contact CENFACS for story telling terms and conditions.

 

 

 

• All in Development Story Telling Series 2022

 

The 2022 series of AiDS Telling Programme starts from the 4th of May 2022, every Wednesday afterwards and will last until the end of May 2022.  These series, which are part of May stories, are a timeline of scripts or a set of notes arranged in line to tell and share Stories of Building Forward Better from the Coronavirus Disaster and its Variants.

There is no single logic or model of organising a story.  We thought that to make it easier, our storytelling series will follow these four sequences:

 

(a) Restoration 

(b) Recovery and reset

(c) Transformation 

(d) Alignment

 

The four sequences are linked each other in a sequential way.

For further details about these sequences or timeline of AiD scripts, please continue to read under the Main Development section of this post.

 

 

• Activity/Task 5 of the Knowledge (K) Year/Project: Knowing the Real Stories of People in Need

 

Stories can be told about people in need.  However, are these stories told on their behalf are real?  They could be; just they could not be.  It is better to listen to those in need tell and share their own stories, with their own words and numbers.  Stories (whether real or imaginary) told by them can convoy their real feelings, meanings and messages they want us to hear and know.  In this storytelling, we can assume they are telling the truth, not something else.

In these stories told and shared by those in need, they can tell not only what happened in their life, but also the things they have tried to come out poverty and hardships as well as what solutions or possible ways out of their problems.

So, during this month the 5th Activity/Task of our Knowledge (K) Year/Project will be about bridging knowledge gaps or having an understanding or grasp of the stories about those in need.  These stories could be told by someone else or preferably by those in need themselves telling their own stories.  It is a month of the following:

∝ What we really know about those in need

∝ What we do not know about them in terms of their problems.

 

These stories about them could be written or spoken descriptions of events of their life.  The stories in which we are interested are real.  Because what we want to know is real story, the reality of their life not fiction or imaginary.

For example, one way of knowing their real stories could be through the stories of how they (those in need) spend their time.

This is our Activity/Task 5 of the Knowledge (K) Year/Project, which consists of Knowing the Real Stories of People in Need.    This task can be undertaken by those members of our community who are interested in it.

To work with us via this Activity/Task 5, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

 

Extra Messages

 

• Spring Energy Security Activity: Knowing your Energy Security Risk Level

 

Following on some of the announcements and advertisements made on the page 9 of the 75th Issue of FACS newsletter, we are working on how to use the Energy Security Risk Index in order to measure Energy Security Risk Level for households making our community. 

Indeed, the Energy Security Risk Index as it is designed today is an international macroeconomic metrics.  This metrics can be customised and be used at the level of individuals and households.

Before explaining what activity is about, let us try to understand energy security risk and energy security risk index.

 

• • What is energy security risk index?

 

The European Commission (1) defines energy security as

“The uninterrupted physical availability of energy products on the market at a price which is affordable for all consumers (private and industrial), while respecting environmental concerns and looking towards sustainable development, whereby it considers availability and accessibility of supply, economic affordability and environmental sustainability, to be basic dimensions.”

This definition will be used when carrying out Spring Energy Security Activity on Knowing your Energy Security Risk Level.  From this definition, we can try to understand the risk associated to energy security.

To understand energy security risk, we are referring to the argument of the Global Energy Institute on this matter.  The Global Energy Institute (2) argues that:

“The International Energy Security Risk […] uses quantifiable data, historical trend information and government projects to identify the policies and other factors that contribute positively or negatively to international energy security”.

To measure this risk, the Global Energy Institute (op. cit.) uses an international energy security risk index, which it contends that

“The index is made up of 37 different measures of energy security risk in nine categories: global fuels; fuel imports; energy expenditures; price and market volatility; energy use-intensity; electric power sector; transportation sector; environmental sector; and basic science and energy research and development”.

This index can help to assess the risk associated to people’s vulnerability to the upheavals of the global energy market.  It can assist in supporting those who need to know their energy security level, especially those members of our community experiencing energy security problems.

 

• • What we can do together with energy insecure users

 

We can undertake the following sub-activities with them:

 

√ Conducting their energy security risk assessment or analysis

√ Checking the exposure of their household financial statements (i.e. balance sheet, cash flow statements/projections, etc.) to energy security risk

√ Reflecting this risk on the state of their finances and household financial wellbeing 

√ Establishing the degree of risk (i.e. high or medium or low) on their household assets and liabilities

√ Exploring together necessary steps (in the form of energy security action plan) they need to take to tackle or address their energy security risk.

 

As a result of these sub-activities, we will be able together to…

 

√ Calculate your/their energy expenditure intensity

√ Write energy budget responsive to energy price and market volatilities

√ Work out your/their energy use intensity (e.g. energy consumption) which can indicate whether or not user is energy poor or deprived

√ Above all, determine your/their energy security risk score.

 

For those members of our community who may be interested in knowing their energy security risk level/score as well as remedial actions to tackle any unmanageable high level of this risk, they are welcome to contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

• Have your Say on your Energy Security Status

 

Building on the theme of energy security covered in the 75th Issue of FACS, we are asking those who can to share with CENFACS their experience about how they are coping with rising prices of energy.  We are asking the following question:

 

How are these Spring rises in energy prices affecting their energy security status?

 

They can simply tick the following where appropriate.

 

They can as well try to be more expressive by explaining how these rises are affecting them.  They can e-mail or text or phone or even complete the contact form to express their feelings on the matter.

 

 

 

• Be.Africa Discusses Battery Development and Poverty Reduction in Africa

 

Following the launch of the Centre of Excellence for Advanced Battery Research in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on 22 April 2022, CENFACS‘ be.Africa is discussing the future possible impact of this Centre on poverty reduction in the DRC and in Africa.  One of the areas of this discussion is that battery skills development could be a niche for poverty reduction in the DRC and in Africa.

Indeed, producing electric batteries for electric cars requires science, technology, innovation and skills.  Beyond this feasibility study requirements, there are other externalities that may need to be considered such as environmental, developmental and social.  Besides these requirements, there are also expectations and outcomes in terms of what this kind of development (e.g. battery skills development) can generate as opportunities not only for businesses but also for local communities and populations, especially those living in poverty.

As CENFACS works with local people to develop sustainable initiatives to reduce poverty and enhance sustainable development, our discussion will be on the opportunity in terms of poverty reduction; that is, the impact of battery development on poverty reduction in DRC and in Africa.

For those who may be interested in this discussion, they can let CENFACS know what they think.  To contribute or engage with the discussion on the Impact of Battery Development on Poverty Reduction and Sustainable Development in Africa, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

Histoires de mai  dans le cadre du projet ‘Tous dans le développement’:

Histoires de construire mieux à partir de la catastrophe du coronavirus et de ses variantes

La narration est notre contenu principal pour le mois de mai.  C’est le mois et la période de l’année où nous nous consacrons à raconter et à partager des histoires de lutte contre la pauvreté et de développement durable.

Nous racontons des histoires à travers le projet ‘Tous dans le développement‘, qui est notre projet de narration.

Cette année, le thème du projet ‘Tous dans le développement‘ portera sur les histoires de construire mieux à partir de la catastrophe du coronavirus et de ses variantes.

Ces histoires seront…

a) sur la façon dont les gens et les communautés essaient ou ont essayé de mieux faire avancer à partir de la catastrophe du coronavirus et ses variantes

b) celles de…

∝ la restauration dans les conditions d’origine ou proches

∝ la reprise en avant, plus propre, plus verte et plus sûre

∝ transformation pour faire face aux nouvelles réalités et à l’économie post-coronavirus

∝ l’alignement des travaux de réduction de la pauvreté sur les objectifs à long terme de réduction des émissions de gaz à effet de serre

c) mieux construire vers l’avant humainement, naturellement, physiquement, socialement, environnementalement, humanitairement et économiquement.

Les inscriptions pour ces histoires de mai ont été ouvertes depuis mars dernier, lorsque nous avons annoncé le thème général de Printemps 2022, qui est « Construire mieux ensemble plus propre, plus vert et plus sûr ».

Jusqu’à présent, certaines personnes ont montré certains intérêts.  Pour ceux ou celles qui n’ont pas encore soumis ou ne nous ont pas raconté leurs histoires, c’est le mois pour le faire.

Pour plus d’informations sur le projet ‘Tous dans le développement‘ ainsi que sur l’accent et les scripts de narration de cette année, veuillez contacter le CENFACS.

Pour raconter votre histoire de changement à CENFACS, veuillez aussi contacter CENFACS pour les termes et conditions de narration.

 

 

 

Main Development

 

• May Stories – All in Development Stories:

Stories of Building Forward Better from the Coronavirus Disaster and its Variants

 

• • What is ALL in DEVELOPMENT STORIES project?

 

All in Development STORIES (AiDS) is a life story developing, telling, sharing and learning project set up by CENFACS in 2009 in order to give opportunities to volunteers, interns and other development supporters and enthusiasts to inspire others and spread the good news and will of better change to the community.  The project, which is run during the month of May, has four dimensions as follows:

 

√ AiDS is a telling and sharing story

 

It is about telling and sharing with us your experience and achievements made in the fields of local (UK) and International (Africa) developments.

 

√ AiDS is a learning and development process

 

It is also about learning from volunteers and interns how they improved their own life, changed deprived lives and reached out to the needy communities.  After learning, one can try to develop strengths and better practices to solve problems.

 

√ AiDS is an inspirational and motivational support network

 

After all, the project seeks to inspire and motivate others on the road of change for change; especially for those who might prepare and use their summer break or any other occasions to take up volunteering and or internship roles and positions.

 

√ AiDS finally is a state-of-the-art project 

 

It is the art of poverty relief telling story that enables us to get up-to-date information, knowledge and thinking in the fields of poverty reduction and sustainable development from those who went on the grounds to learn and experience real-life development works.  They return with volunteering stories to tell and share.  As the National Storytelling Network (3) puts it in these terms:

“Storytelling is the interactive art of using words and actions to reveal the elements and images of a story while encouraging the listener’s imagination”.

This year’s storytelling and sharing will be about Stories of Building Forward Better from the Coronavirus Disaster and its Variants.

 

• • May 2022 STORIES: Stories of Building Forward Better from the Coronavirus Disaster and its Variants

 

• • • What are Stories of Building Forward Better?

 

They are the sequencing tales of effectively moving towards long term recovery from the coronavirus pandemic and its variants, and achieving tangible sustainable outcomes.  They are also the accounts of preserving natural resources and capacities in this building process in order to revitalise life in the current context of cost-of-living crisis.  These stories will be presented via AiD Story Telling programme.

We are running 4 series of AiD Story Telling programme during this month of May, programme that will revolve around the process of building forward better from COVID-19 and its variants.

For those who want to tell their stories of Restoration, Recovery and reset, Post-COVID-19 Transformation, and Green Alignment; they can choose among the following sequences to tell their stories.

 

 

 

• • Types of 2022 Stories and Story Telling Series

 

AiD Story Telling Series: Starting on 04/05/2022 and after every Wednesday until the end of May 2022.

 

The following series or sequences have been planned for this month of storytelling (May Stories) relating to post-COVID-19 economic development.

 

# Serial 1: From Wednesday 04/05/2022: Stories of Restoration

 

These are the stories of giving back to original or near conditions what the coronavirus destroyed.  It could also be returning lives and things to a former and high status.

 

# Serial 2: From Wednesday 11/05/2022: Stories of Recovery and Reset forward better cleaner, greener and safer

 

These are the tales of regaining a better condition (that’s good health, former economic situation, etc.), of emotional, social, economic and physical well-being from the life-threatening and –destroying impacts of the coronavirus and its variants.  This regaining needs to be done cleaner, greener and safer.

 

# Serial 3: From Wednesday 18/05/2022: Stories of Post-COVID-19 Transformation

 

These are accounts of dramatically changing the appearance, nature, or function of what the coronavirus and its variants destroyed.  The coronavirus may have completely changed people’s lives from the way they were before.  We would like to hear these stories of complete change.

 

# Serial 4: Week beginning 26/05/2022: Stories of Green Alignment

 

They are the experiences or anecdotes of building forward better while  making sure that this building process or move stays within the 1.5ᵒ C trajectory as proscribed by the Paris Agreement goal (4) of keeping the global temperature increase to well below 2ᵒ C and pursuing efforts to keep it to 1.5ᵒ C.  Stories are green and sustainably aligned as they reflect the climate need and agenda of meeting the greenhouse gas emission reduction goals and targets.

 

• • Add-on to CENFACS’ May 2022 Stories: Stories of Those At Risk of Left Behind and of Coping with the Cost-of-living Crisis

 

# Stories of Those At Risk of Being Left Behind Build Forward Better from the Coronavirus Disaster and its Variants

 

There are people and / or members of our community who have been accidentally left behind in the process of building forward better from the coronavirus disaster and variants.  We would like to hear the narratives of these people and community members so that advocacy can be stepped up to do something about their situation.

Anyone who has the stories of being left behind, they should not hesitate to tell and share it with us.

 

# Stories of Coping with the Cost-of-living Crisis

 

As a second addition, we would like to consider Stories of Coping with the Cost-of-living Crisis.  In particular, we would like to hear tales of how the cost-of-living crisis is jeopardising the process of building forward better together greener, cleaner and safer.

Those who have these second-addition stories, they can contact CENFACS to submit their stories.

 

• • Nature-based Solutions inside your Stories of Building Forward Better from the Coronavirus Disaster and its Variants

 

There are many solutions or recipes in order to build forward from the coronavirus disaster and its variants.  In the context of AiD Stories, we would like to hear stories of building forward better using nature-based solutions.  What do we mean by nature-based solutions?

There are many ways of defining nature-based solutions.  The EU Commission (5) defines nature-based solutions as

“Solutions that are inspired and supported by nature, which are cost-effective, simultaneously provide environmental, social and economic benefits and help build resilience. Such solutions bring more, and more diverse, nature and natural features and processes into cities, landscapes and seascapes, through locally adapted, resource-efficient and systemic interventions”.

For those who would like to tell or submit their stories, it will be a good idea to bring out storying aspects of nature-based solutions making part of their stories.

 

 

 

• • Serial 1: From Wednesday 04/05/2022: Stories of Restoration

 

To approach this first serial, let us understand the stories of restoration and lay down the kinds of stories that can be told and shared with us.

 

• • • What are Stories of Restoration?

 

They are the tales of returning lives and things to their original condition or early good condition or improved condition.  The coronavirus and its variants may have threatened and destroyed lives and things.  The stories of restoration help to inform our story readers and listeners how we have been able to revive, re-establish and renovate lives and things.  They will elucidate the transition process to the final restoration products by the restorers or those who help in the restoration work.

 

• • • Kinds of Stories of Restoration

 

These are the tales of what, when, where, why, who and how to restore lives.  These stories connect restoration work, restorers and restoration beneficiaries.  Then, what are those stories?

 

They are…

 

√ transition stories leading to restoration stories 

√ the fables, written or spoken, made of words, voices and tones of restoration

√ the storytelling infographics of restoration

√ the anecdotes of building and developing relationships between those in need of restoration and those who help in restoration process and work

√ the tales of those who carried out restoration (restorers) to self-build or build forward better

√ the accounts of those who implement restoration (restoration implementors)

√ the stories of restorative economy as it is portrayed by Tearfund.org (6); that is the stories of restoring the balance in creation, of reducing inequalities and of leaving no-one behind. 

 

• • • Examples in a restoration story 

 

When explaining restoration stories, it is better for the storytellers to provide specific examples about or in their stories.  Exemplifying your story is important since we are talking about real-life stories not imaginary or fiction stories.  Also, because we are interested in stories of poverty reduction and sustainable development, the storytellers need to highlight aspects or ramifications of their story to poverty reduction.

To donate, tell and share your storying gift of restoration, please contact CENFACS.

 

• • Further information about May 2022 Stories

 

• • •  2022 Story Areas of Interest

 

We normally take stories that cover any areas of poverty reduction and local and international sustainable developments.

 

• • •  Contexts of Stories

 

Stories could come from any level of project/programme cycle (i.e. planning, implementation, monitoring, evaluation and review) as long as it is to do with poverty reduction and sustainable development.

They could also be a result of research and field work activities or studies.

They could finally be an experience of everyday life.

  

• • •  Call for 2022 Entries 

 

As said above, the 2022 Edition of AiDS has already kicked off.  For those who want to enter their stories of life renewal, please note you are welcome to do so.

Just read below the annotated timetable for story submission and CENFACS’ storytelling terms and conditions.

We await your responses to our call.

 

• • •  Annotated Timetable for Story Submission in 2022

 

# Start of online (e-mail) and paper-based submission (01/05/2022)

# Story submission deadline (31/05/2022)

# Notification of receipt/acceptance (by 17/06/2022)

# Submission of revised stories (01 to 31/05/2022)

 

• • • Storytelling Check List

 

Before submitting, please check that your story meets the following:

√ Relatable

√ Relevant

√ Engaging

√ Poverty-relieving

 

• • •  CENFACS Story Telling & Sharing Terms

 

To tell and/or share your May story, please let us know the following:

 

√ who you are

√ where and when your experience took place 

√ and of course the story itself.

 

You could also

√ text

√ twit 

√ send some forms of supporting materials/resources to back up your story.

Should you wish not to be name, please let us know your decision.

Please see below our story telling, sharing and learning terms.

 

• • • CENFACS story telling, sharing and learning terms:

 

1) We welcome both told and untold stories

2) Inside, witness, news, behind the scenes and case stories are eligible

3) We only take real life stories, not fiction stories or fake news

4) Tell true and evidence-based stories only, not lies

5) If possible, back up your stories with facts and data (numerical or textual or even infographics)

6) Mention location, dates and names of events in the story

7) We accept photos, images, pictures, videos, info-graphic materials, audios and other forms of resources (e.g. digital or e- technologies) to support, capture and communicate the impact of your story

8) Plagiarism, prohibited, offensive, violation of copyrights and unlawful/illegal materials are not accepted

9) Hacking, flaming, spamming, scamming, ransom ware, phishing and trolling practices are not accepted as well

10) We greatly consider stories highlighting nature-based solutions to poverty and hardships.

For further clarification, contact CENFACS.

 

Tell and share your story of change for change by communicating the impact you make!

CENFACS is looking forward to engaging with you through your story.  If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to CENFACS at facs@cenfacs.org.uk.

_________

 

• References

 

(1) European Commission, (2000), Towards a European Strategy for the Security of Energy Supply; Office for Official Publications of the European Communities: Luxembourg.

(2)  https://www.globalenergyinstitute.org/sites/default/files/2020-10/024036% (accessed in April 2022)

(3) https://storynet.org/what-is-storytelling/ (accessed in May 2022)

(4) https://unfccc.int/process-and-meetings/the-paris-agreement/ (accessed in May 2022)

(5) https://ec.europa.eu/info/research-and-innovation/research-area/environment/nature-based-solutions_en (accessed in May 2022)

(6) https://www.tearfund.org/-/media/files/action-resources/rubbish-campaign-resources/restoration-story-booklet.pdf (accessed in May 2022)

_________

 

• Help CENFACS keep the Poverty Relief work going this year

 

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 future or as a New Year resolution.

Donate to support CENFACS!

FOR ONLY £1, YOU CAN SUPPORT CENFACS AND CENFACS’ PROJECTS, JUST GO TO :Support Causes – (cenfacs.org.uk)

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 2022 and beyond.

With many thanks.

 

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

27 April 2022

 

Post No. 245

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• FACS, Issue No. 75, Spring 2022: Energy Security for Those in Most Need

• Protection Key Note 4 for Week Beginning 25/04/2022: Protection against the Cost-of-Living Crisis

• CENFACS’ Cube of Protection against Coronavirus: Evaluation for Learning and Development

 

… And much more!

 

 

 

Key Messages

 

• FACS, Issue No. 75, Spring 2022: Energy Security for Those in Most Need

 

The 75^th Issue of FACS, CENFACS’ bilingual newsletter, which deals with the problem of available energy sources (that is; materials producing energy) at an affordable price and without interruption, approaches energy security from the perspective of small-scale local development that directly benefit individual households and small communities, especially in rural and sub-urban areas.  From this perspective, the 75^th Issue does not deal with energy security at national level although it may sometimes appeal to macroeconomic concepts of energy security.

The 75^th Issue refers to the multidimensional energy poverty index in order to get a good understanding of the energy security problems faced by those in most need.  It also uses the international energy security risk index to measure and understand the vulnerability of energy poor to the upheavals and shocks of the global energy market.

The 75^th Issue considers the constraints of interstate fracture of economic and trade relations brought by the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and how these frictional relations could impact the energy security of the poor.  In this respect, it takes into account the geopolitics of energy security and its impact on the energy poor.

The 75^th Issue highlights the political and economic interests of energy actors within Africa, and how their interests impact energy poverty reduction in Africa.

The 75^th Issue does not only discuss the energy security dimensions of those in most need.  It as well offers  ways of working with them, especially CENFACS‘ users and Africa-based Sister Organisations; so that together we can develop solutions to energy security or poverty for those in most need within the CENFACS Community and the communities that our Africa-based Sister Organisations serve.

In those ways of working together, the 75^th Issue proposes nature-based solutions to energy security problems as way of aligning to net zero carbon development.  As such, the 75^th Issue provides a better insight and is a good starting point in the direction of building forward better together greener, cleaner and safer from the legacies of the current energy crisis.

Like any newsletter, the 75^th Issue finally provides information about what is happening inside and around CENFACS, updates about our ongoing projects and forthcoming events.

To get to grips with energy security issues raised in the 75^th Issue, please read the key summaries under the Main Development section of this Blog post.

 

 

 

• Protection Key Note 4 for Week Beginning 25/04/2022: Protection against the Cost-of-Living Crisis

 

We started our Month of Protection with Protection in the Context of Rising Cost of Living, because of what has been happening with the prices of energy, food, transport, shelter, etc.  The prices of these necessities of life have gone up to leading to what one may call the cost-of-living crisis.  Now, our Month of Protection has reached its last note, let us call back what we argued about the cost of living and the crisis relating to it.

 

• • What is the cost-of-living?  What is the cost-of-living crisis?

 

• • • What is the cost-of-living?

 

According to the ‘ecnmy.org’ (1) website,

“The cost of living is a measure of how much money it costs to live a fairly average quality of life.  Economists measure the cost of living by looking at different cities or countries and adding up the prices of the goods that people need to live an average life – food, housing, transport, energy and healthcare and taxes.  They then look to see where prices are on the whole are the most expensive”.

For example,  the website ‘expatistan.com’ (2) provides calculation for the cost of living.  As of April 2022, it has estimated that the cost of living in London (UK) for a family of four estimated monthly costs is £4,924, whereas the cost of living in Kinshasa (Democratic Republic of Congo) for the same family is 8,356,870 Congolese Franc.  According to the same website, the cost of living in London (United Kingdom) is 75% more expensive than in Kinshasa (Democratic Republic of the Congo).

If this cost of living goes up as it is the case now and people’s income does not increase to match it, then there could be a cost-of-living crisis.

 

• • • What is the cost-of-living crisis?

 

The Institute for Government (3) defines the cost of living crisis as

“The fall in real incomes (that is, adjusted for inflation and tax) that the UK has experienced since late 2021.  It is being caused by a combination of high inflation outstripping wage increases and upcoming tax increases that have squeezed incomes for many households”.

In these circumstances, there is a need of protection to help and support those who are failing to meet the rise in the cost of living.  To support and work with those members of the CENFACS’ Community who are failing to meet their cost of living, we have identified some areas of protection work with them.

 

• • Ways in which CENFACS can work with the community to protect it from the cost-of-living crisis

 

There is a number of ways in which CENFACS can work with the community to enhance protection against the cost-of-living crisis.  One of these ways is through our newly designed the Hexagon of Protection.

 

 

• • • What is CENFACS’ Hexagon of Protection?

 

It is a 2 dimensional project or model of working together that tackles poverty linked to the high cost of living or cost-of-living crisis.  The model considers the cost of living indexes which include expenses such as those on food, shelter, transportation, energy, clothing, healthcare and childcare, etc.   The model helps to alleviate the high cost of living that can settle in the long term.

The model complements what we said last week about Advisory Support for the Impacted of the Cost-of-Living Crisis.  This model is used when a user approaches us for support against the cost-of-living crisis.

For those who are looking for support against the cost-of-living crisis, CENFACS is ready to help, provided their need or demand of protection falls within the scope of the service we can provide on this matter.  Where our  capacity is limited, we can refer or signpost them to relevant services and organisations to deal with their problems.

The above is our Protection Key Note 4.  For any further details about Protection against the Cost-of-living Crisis and CENFACS’ Month of Protection, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

• CENFACS’ Cube of Protection against Coronavirus: Evaluation for Learning and Development

 

• • What is CENFACS’ Cube of Protection against the Coronavirus?

 

CENFACS’ Cube of Protection against the Coronavirus (4) is a cuboidal system that enables us to defend ourselves and the community against harms, dangers, threats and risks from the coronavirus and its associated health and socio-economic impacts.  This cube, which was set on 15 April 2020 to enable us to fight the coronavirus, brings together coronavirus-related initiatives that are intended to help poor, vulnerable people and incapacitated Africa-based organisations.  This cube is now under evaluation.

 

• • Evaluation: What are the Lessons and Experiences from this Cube?

 

We are currently evaluating this Cube of Protection and looking into what lessons and experiences we can draw from its use.  The evaluation will help to know if our response has been appropriate.  In particular, we are assessing how helpful and relevant it has been in the fight against the coronavirus.  We are doing this evaluation since we now are in the phase of ‘Living with COVID-19’ in England and most COVID-19 restrictions have been lifted.

In this study on the lessons and experiences about the Cube of Protection, we would like those of our members who have been able to use the cube and or its sub-cubes, to tell us what they think.

To tell your experience or join this evaluation activity about the lessons and experiences about the Cub of Protection, please contact CENFACS.

 

Extra Messages

 

• Coming in May 2022: Volunteering Stories of Building Forward Better from the COVID-19 Disaster

 

This year’s All in Development Stories will be about how people and communities are trying or have tried to build forward better from the coronavirus disaster and its variants.

This year’s stories are those of:

 

∝ restoration to original or near conditions

∝ recovery forward better cleaner, greener and safer

∝ transformation to cope with the new realities and post-coronavirus economy

∝ aligning poverty reduction work with long-term greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals.

 

They are the tales of human, physical, social, environmental and economic building forward better.

Besides that, we would like to consider stories of coping with the cost-of-living crisis.  In particular, we would like to hear tales of how the cost-of-living crisis is jeopardising the process of building forward better together greener, cleaner and safer.

For further details including the agenda for this year’s May Stories, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

• Fundraising while Gaming for Poverty Reduction

 

For those who are playing the CENFACS Poverty Relief League, they can use the opportunity of playing to introduce a giving feature in their game.  They can ask those who are involved in the game with them to support good causes in African countries making part of their fixtures and tables.  In this way, they can help revolutionise the game with a fundraising element while entertaining through the game with or without others. 

They can as well journal if they are writing a  Journal of Poverty Relief League. The journal will help them to capture the moments of their game via expressive writing and story.  It can have other benefits such as setting goals, tracking or measuring your progress on the game, recording and celebrating achievements and gaining both general and specific perspectives of their game.

However, they must remember that the aim of the CENFACS’ League of Poverty Relief is to help African countries reduce poverty by finding out the best performer amongst them in terms of poverty reduction.  The aim of this league is not to raise money.

For those who may be having or are experienced some problems in installing a fundraising feature in the game, they can speak to CENFACS.

Please remember that CENFACS’ League of Poverty Relief is the world’s only league without relegation.  Those countries that do not perform well in terms of poverty reduction get help, not a punishment.

To discuss your progress in the game, the fundraising feature in the game or any other issues relating to All Year Round Projects (Triple Value Initiatives), please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

 

 

• Protection of Children Victims of the Cost-of-living Crisis

 

From 2019 until now, the world has been battling against COVID-19 crisis.  Now, we have another crisis, which is the cost-of-living crisis.  The two crises are standing on the way of realising sustainable development goals and of achieving protection goals for children.

As part of the Month of Protection, we are as well looking at what can be done in terms of protection to reduce or nullify the cyclical impact of the current cost-of-living crisis on children’s protection.  The coronavirus crisis has led us to speak about the ‘Pandemial Generation‘.  The “Pandemial Generation” or “Pandemials” are defined by the economist Federico Dominguez (5) as

“those young people who are entering the world of work along with the coronavirus crisis”.

So, the children generation of the sustainable development goals (that is, children born between 2015 and 2030 during the life time of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals) could one day become the “Pandemial Generation” because of the long lasting legacies of the coronavirus pandemic.

However, there is no need to label children victims of the current cost-of-living crisis.  Instead of labelling them, it is better to explore and identify solutions that can help them for not to be the victims of another crisis like the cost-of-living crisis.  CENFACS’ Reflection Day (to be held on 27/04/2022) will go in depth by reflecting on what can be done to shield these children from the cost-of-living crisis.

For those who would like to work with us on this matter of Protection of Children Victims of the Cost-of-living Crisis or share their ideas with us, they are welcome to contact CENFACS.

 

Vient de paraître:

 

FACS, numéro 75, printemps 2022 : La sécurité énergétique pour ceux ou celles qui en ont le plus besoin

Le 75e numéro de FACS, le bulletin bilingue du CENFACS, qui traite du problème des sources d’énergie disponibles (c’est-à-dire des matériaux produisant de l’énergie) à un prix abordable et sans interruption, aborde la sécurité énergétique du point de vue du développement local à petite échelle qui profite directement aux ménages individuels et aux petites communautés, en particulier dans les zones rurales et suburbaines.  De ce point de vue, le 75e numéro ne traite pas de la sécurité énergétique au niveau national, bien qu’il puisse parfois faire appel à des concepts macroéconomiques de sécurité énergétique.

Le 75e numéro fait référence à l’indice multidimensionnel de précarité ou pauvreté énergétique afin de bien comprendre les problèmes de sécurité énergétique auxquels sont confrontés ceux ou celles qui en ont le plus besoin.  Il utilise également l’indice international des risques pour la sécurité énergétique pour mesurer et comprendre la vulnérabilité des pauvres en énergie aux bouleversements et aux chocs du marché mondial de l’énergie.

Le 75e numéro examine les contraintes de la fracture interétatique des relations économiques et commerciales provoquée par le conflit russo-ukrainien, et comment ces relations frictionnelles pourraient avoir un impact sur la sécurité énergétique des pauvres.  À cet égard, il examine la géopolitique de la sécurité énergétique et son impact sur les précarités énergétiques.

Le 75e numéro met en lumière les intérêts politiques et économiques des acteurs de l’énergie en Afrique et l’impact plus ou moins négatif de leurs intérêts sur la réduction de la pauvreté énergétique en Afrique.

Dans la présentation de l’analyse de la sécurité énergétique, le 75e numéro n’épargne pas l’économie politique des grands acteurs sur le marché de l’énergie contre les populations locales pauvres en énergie.  Parmi ces populations se trouvent des personnes avec lesqulles le CENFACS travaille.

Le 75e numéro ne traite pas seulement des dimensions de la sécurité énergétique de ceux ou celles qui en ont le plus besoin.  Il offre également des moyens de travailler avec eux/elles, en particulier les utilisateurs/utilisatrices  du CENFACS et les organisations sœurs basées en Afrique; afin qu’ensemble, nous puissions trouver des solutions à la sécurité énergétique pour ceux ou celles qui en ont le plus besoin au sein de la communauté CENFACS et des communautés desservies par nos organisations sœurs basées en Afrique.

Dans ces façons de travailler ensemble, le 75e numéro propose des solutions fondées sur la nature aux problèmes de sécurité énergétique comme moyen de s’aligner sur un développement net zéro carbone.  En tant que tel, le 75e numéro fournit un meilleur aperçu et un bon point de départ dans la direction de construire mieux ensemble plus vert, plus propre et plus sûr des effets parfois douloureux de la crise énergétique actuelle.

Pour vous familiariser avec les questions de sécurité énergétique soulevées dans le 75e numéro, veuillez contacter le CENFACS pour une copie de ce numéro.

 

 

Main Development

 

• FACS, Issue No. 75, Spring 2022: Energy Security for Those in Most Need

 

The contents and key summaries of the 75^th Issue of FACS are given below.

 

• • Contents and Pages

 

∝ Key energy concepts (Page 2)

∝ Russia-Ukraine conflict as a factor of energy insecurity for those in most need (Page 2)

∝ De-weaponization of energy to increase energy security outcomes for those in most need (Page 3)

∝ Energy as a an economic, environmental and social security for those in most need (Page 3)

∝ Africa-based Sister Organisations enhancing energy security for those in most need in Africa (Page 4)

∝ Africa-based Sister Organisations working with locals in most need to address energy insecurity in Africa (Page 4)

∝ Ce que les organisations africaines peuvent faire pour que les conséquences des hausess de prix énergétiques ne s’installent pas dans la durée au sein de leurs usagers (Page 5)

∝ Que peut-on faire pour que la crise énergétique ne fragilise pas les budgets de ménages en Afrique? (Page 5)

∝ Comment on peut éviter la pauvreté induite par l’insécurité énergétique au sein des populations locales en Afrique (Page 6)

∝ Sortir des conséquences directes de la flambée des prix énergétiques sur la sécurité énergétique en Afrique (Page 6)

∝ Africa-based Sister Organisations keeping energy security for their locals in most need during critical situations (Page 7)

∝ The dilemma between natural resources security by multinational corporations and energy security for those in most need in Africa (Page 7)

∝ International energy geopolitics and energy security for those in need in Africa (Page 8)

∝ Political economy analysis, energy security analysis and poverty reduction in Africa (Page 8)

∝ Say, Question, Support, Workshop, Top Tool, Information and Guidance, Activity and Giving (Page 9)

∝ Energy Security Project (Page 10)

 

• • Key Summaries

 

Please find below the key summaries of the 75^th Issue of FACS from page 2 to page 10.

 

• • • Key Energy Concepts (Page 2)

 

There are three concepts that will help the readers of FACS to better understand the contents of the 75th Issue.  These concepts are:  energy security, multidimensional energy poverty index and energy security risk index.

Let us briefly explain each of them.

 

• • • • Energy security

 

Energy security can be defined in many ways.  In the context of the 75th Issue, we are referring to what the International Energy Agency (6) argued.  The latter defines energy security as

“The uninterrupted availability of energy sources at an affordable price”.

The same International Energy Agency argues that

“Energy security has many aspects: long term energy security mainly deals with timely investments to supply energy in line with economic development and environmental needs.  On the other hand, short term energy security focuses on the ability of the energy system to react promptly to sudden changes in the supply-demand balance”.

In this 75th Issue, we have contextualised this concept of energy security by bringing it closer to energy insecure people, amongst them are our users and some of the local people with whom our Africa-based Sister Organisations work.

 

• • • • Multidimensional energy poverty index

 

When dealing with people experiencing energy insecurity, to better understand their experience one may need to bring in energy poverty.  And energy poverty has multiple facets or dimensions.  These facets or dimensions can be measured using metrics.  One of the metrics is multidimensional energy poverty index.  What is multidimensional energy poverty index (MEPI)?

According the website ‘tandfonline’ (7),

“Multidimensional energy poverty index, which consists of three broad categories of energy use (that is; lighting, cooking and additional measures), is calculated to formulate the energy security status of households” (p. 303)

The metrics of MEPI will be used in the 75th Issue to understand the energy security status of households making the CENFACS Community and the communities that our Africa-based Sister Organisations work with.

 

• •  • •  Energy security risk index

 

This index helps to assess the risk associated to people’s vulnerability to the upheavals of the global energy market.  To measure this risk, the Global Energy Institute (8) argues about an international energy security risk index.  According to the Global Energy Institute,

“The index is made up of 37 different measures of energy security risk in nine categories: global fuels; fuel imports; energy expenditures; price and market volatility; energy use-intensity; electric power sector; transportation sector; environmental sector; and basic science and energy research and development”.

The energy security risk index will be used to assess the vulnerability of those in most need in our community to the upheavals of the global energy market.

 

• •  • Russia-Ukraine Conflict as a factor of energy insecurity for those in most need (Page 2)

 

The Russia-Ukraine conflict has so far negatively impacted the energy security of those in most need, including those living in Africa.  Referring to this impact, Katie Auth and Todd Moss (9) argue the following:

“…In many African countries, the price of oil … has enormous impacts on electricity generation.  In West Africa, diesel generators account for more than 40 percent [PDF] of total electricity consumed; Senegal currently relies on oil for half its electricity generation.  This has enormous economic impacts: as fuel prices soar across the continent, businesses in countries like Nigeria – which has seen the cost of diesel increase by more than 200 percent – are struggling to stay afloat.  The rising cost of natural gas also makes utility-scale electricity generation much more expensive in markets like Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, and Nigeria”.

So, like in any conflicts or crises, it is always the poor (here the energy poor) who bear the brunt of this energy crisis or insecurity.

 

• • • De-weaponization of energy to increase energy security outcomes for those in most need (Page 3)

 

Using energy as a security weapon can adversely impact those in most need.  To highlight this adversity, Todd Royal (10) points out this:

“Since oil, natural gas, and coal are now intertwined with geopolitics, international relations, foreign policy, realist balancing that pits nation against nation, and macroeconomic monetary policy, energy and electricity are now coupled with national security.  Russia and Iran use fossil fuel, nuclear power plants, and renewable energy as weapons – hence the term the weaponization of energy”

Although Todd Royal uses the example of Russia and Iran, it could be another country or locality of the world.  Whoever weaponizes energy, this weaponization can be at the detriment of the energy security outcomes for those in most need of energy.  This is why there could be a need to de-weaponize energy to improve energy security for the poor.

 

 

• • • Energy as a an economic, environmental and social security for those in most need (Page 3)

 

a) Energy as an economic security means that scarce energy resources can be allocated to meet unlimited needs of those in need.  As Jiangquan et al. (11) put it:

“Energy economic security is described as a state in which energy supply can meet the energy demand of economic development, energy resources can be reasonably allocated and effectively utilised, sustainable development of energy assets can be fully considered, and regional and intergenerational equity of energy resources allocation can be guaranteed”.

 

b) Energy as an environmental security relates to the quality of life for those in most need as human beings and for other organisms (like plants and animals).  It is also about how human beings use natural resources to produce energy for their own needs.  In other words, human beings should not deplete or cause environmental insecurity through the process of exploiting natural resources to secure energy.

 

c) Energy as a social security means that energy is provided for the welfare and wellbeing of people in society.  In this respect, energy can help to live with others as friends, families and community.  Energy can assist in reducing poverty linked to loneliness or solitary.  It could be finally a system in which members of the community pay into a common energy fund to buy energy and share the cost of having energy.  If you are in most need and cannot afford pay by yourself energy, energy as a social security could be an option for you.

These three attributes of energy can be used to work with those in need in our community so that they can have the security of their energy.

 

 

• • • Africa-based Sister Organisations enhancing energy security for those in most need in Africa (Page 4)

 

Africa-based Sister Organisations (ASOs) are working in a number of initiatives and activities to support their locals in most need secure energy.  These initiatives and or activities include the following:

 

√ Raising awareness and increasing people’s access to modern cooking fuels such as liquefied petroleum gas, kerosene, biogas and ethanol gel fuel

√ Reduction of dependence on biomass

√ Distribution of cookstoves

√ Promotion of cookstoves that burn biomass more efficiently (i.e. clean-burning stoves)

Etc.

 

These initiatives and activities can help them to secure continuous availability of energy in varied forms, in the quantities they need, and at reasonable prices.

 

• • • Africa-based Sister Organisations working with locals in most need to address energy insecurity in Africa (Page 4)

 

ASOs are not only enhancers of energy security.  They also address energy insecurity through their promotion work.  They promote small-scale renewable energy sources (e.g. solar power, solar photovoltaic, etc.); just as they encourage reuse and recycling items and judicious energy consumption.  They explore renewable sources that can be affordable and safe energy supply for those in most need in Africa.

 

• • • Ce que les organisations africaines peuvent faire pour que les conséquences des hausess de prix energétiques ne s’installent pas dans la durée au sein de leurs usagers (Page 5)

 

La montée des prix produits énergétiques  tels que le pétrole et le gaz ne peut qu’heurter ceux ou celles qui souffrent déjà de manque de moyens pour subvenir à leurs besoins d’électricite, d’eau potable et du charbon.  Dans ce contexte pénible et inflationniste des prix, les organisations africaines de bienfaisance qui sont du domaine de CENFACS sont en train de travailler avec leurs bénéficiaires afin que ceux-ci ou celles-ci soient à même d’accéder aux énergies de base pour fonctionner.

Ce travail porte sur la fourniture d’aide financière et réelle pour faciliter l’accès à l’eau potable, à l’électricité ou au charbon ou encore au bois pour préparer les aliments aussi bien que pour entretenir la santé corporelle.  Ce travail s’étend aussi à leur assister à mieux comprendre les diverses informations et ressources produites by the autorités locales sur la sécurité énergétique.

 

• • • Que peut-on faire pour que la crise energétique ne fragilise pas les budgets de ménages en Afrique? (Page 5)

 

La crise énergétique a affaibli la manière dont les ménages pauvres ou modestes en Afrique se démènent pour financer leurs budgets, en mettant à rude épreuve les dépenses des ménages liées à la consommation d’énergie.

Il existe des moyens de contenir, d’anéantir ou de réduire les effets pervers de la crise énergétique sur les budgets des familles moyennes et pauvres.  Pour ce faire, les organisations africaines s’appliquent en calculant le coût de la crise énergétique pour leurs utilisateurs et en travaillant au cas par cas avec les bénéficiaires.

 

• • • Comment on peut éviter la pauvreté induite par l’insécurité énergétique au sein des populations locales en Afrique (Page 6)

 

On peut y arriver en développant des alternatives aux sources d’énergie traditionnelles.  L’une de ces alternatives est le développement d’énergies durables, propres et accessibles.  Ces énergies doivent être accessibles at tout le monde, en particulier à ceux ou celles qui souffrent de précarité énergétique ou la pauvreté liée à  l’insécureté énergétique.

Cela demande la transmission et le partage des connaissances sur des énergies renouvelables.  Pour ceux ou celles qui souffrent de la pauvreté ou précarité énergétique et qui ont besoin d’un soutien pour accéder à ces connaissances et technologies, ils ou elles auront besoin d’une assistance.   C’est en les soutenant de cette manière que l’on peut éviter ou faire reculer la pauvreté induite par l’insécureté énergétique au sein des populations locales en Afrique.

 

• • • Sortir des conséquences directes de la flambée des prix énergétiques sur la sécurité énergétique en Afrique (Page 6)

 

Pour sortir de ces conséquences, il y a lieu de procéder aux actions suivantes:

 

√ réaliser des progrès dans l’élimination progressive des combustibles fossiles (c’est-à-dire le charbon, le gaz et le petrole)

√ accélérer le déploiement des énergies renouvelables

√ réduire les prix des fossiles combustibles

√ progresser dans l’innovation en matière d’énergies propres

√ prévenir la pénurie d’énergie

√ stopper d’utiliser l’énergie comme une arme de guerre dans les négotiations internationales

√ éliminer la fracture interétatique des relations économiques et commerciales sur l’accès à l’énergie

√ développer des ecosystèmes d’innovation énergétique florissants

√ promouvoir la recherche et développement énergétique sur les produits non fossiles

√ pallier aux distortions artificielles sur les marchés de l’énergie.

Les initiatives ci-haut permettront de sortir à court, au moyen et long terme des conséquences néfastes directes de la flambée des prix énergétiques sur la sécurité énergétique en Afrique.

 

 

• • • Africa-based Sister Organisations keeping energy security for their locals in most need during critical situations (Page 7)

 

During critical situations (like of COVID-19 crisis and energy crisis), ASOs are working with locals in most need to access solar energy, hydropower like in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and other types of energy (such as gas generated power, coal, wind  and geo-thermal).

As energy security keepers, they are working with them to access light so that they can improve their healthcare, education and economic opportunities.  This helps their locals improve their energy consumption and access.

 

• • • The dilemma between natural resources security by multinational corporations and energy security for those in most need in Africa (Page 7)

 

There is an energy security dilemma between multinational corporations and people in most need in Africa.  Africa-based Sister Organisations can work with both sides so that the voices of those who are energy insecure and poor heard.  They can advocate so that the policies and practices of those multinational corporations searching for lucrative energy resources and contracts reflect or contain the interests of local energy insecure poor people and communities.

There has been some progress on this area of contracts about exploitation of natural resources (e.g. mining contracts).  However, more can be done to improve energy security for the poor locals.

 

• • • International energy geopolitics and energy security for those in need in Africa (Page 8)

 

The interests and behaviour of powerful energy players and countries can be looked at so that they do not inflict energy security of those in need in Africa.  Africa-based Sister Organisations working in those areas of geopolitics can work with those influent players and countries so that in their strategy to secure energy resources for their interests takes on board energy insecure poor people’s needs where those resources are located.

This is vital to avoid that these people become the victims of these geopolitical interests.  For example, the expansion of the exploitation of oil and other energy resources in Sub-saharan Africa by some of these global geopolitical players and powers should not be done at the expense of energy insecure and poor locals.

 

 

• • • Political economy analysis, energy security analysis and energy poverty reduction in Africa (Page 8)

 

Energy security analysis in Africa shows that often the political and economic interests of energy actors within Africa collides with energy poverty reduction in Africa.  If one wants to reduce or end energy poverty and improve energy security in Africa, then there is a need to make sure that the political economy of these actors (like in the case of the Inga Dam in the Democratic Republic of Congo) including their interests do not conflict energy insecure and poor to the extent of denying them their basic human rights.

 

• • • Say, Question, Support, Workshop, Top Tool, Information and Guidance, Activity and Giving (Page 9)

 

• • • • Have your Say

 

How the current rising prices of energy are affecting your energy security status? 

Please tick (√ ) as appropriate.

You can share  with CENFACS your experience about how you are coping from rising prices of energy.

 

• • • • Question

 

Is energy security a priority for you?

 

 

• • • • Ask CENFACS for Energy Security Support

 

You can ask for support to control your energy under the Advisory Support for the Impacted of the Cost-of-Living Crisis.

 

• • • • Mini Workshop

 

Boost your knowledge and skills about energy security via CENFACS. 

To enquire about the boost, please contact CENFACS.

 

• • • • Top Tool of the 75th Issue: Energy Security Risk Indicator

 

Energy Security Risk Indicator can help you assess your household vulnerability to the upheavals of the global energy market. 

For further details about this tool, please contact CENFACS.

 

• • • • Information and Guidance on Energy Security

 

You can request from CENFACS a list of organisations and services providing help and support in the area of energy security. 

To make your request, just contact CENFACS with your name and contact details.

 

• • • • Spring Activity

 

How to use Energy Security Risk Index to work out your own household energy security risk 

The index will help you find out your risk-aversion and vulnerability to rising prices of energy.

To take part in this activity, please contact CENFACS.

 

• • • • Readers’ Giving

 

You can support FACS, CENFACS‘ bilingual newsletter, which explains what is happening within and around CENFACS. 

FACS also provides a wealth of information, tips, tricks and hacks on how to reduce poverty and enhance sustainable development. 

You can help to continue its publication and to reward efforts made in producing it.

To support, just contact CENFACS on this site.

 

• • • • Energy Security Project (Page 10)

 

Energy Security Project (ESP) is an energy poverty-relieving initiative that will help assess the energy security needs of energy insecure and poor, and work together with them in order to explore and identify energy security options for them while developing the kind of energy safety net and protection they need. 

ESP will further assist in increasing resilience to energy shocks or crises while accessing quality affordable, reliable and secure energy services where beneficiaries live.

To support or contribute to ESP, please contact CENFACS.

For further details including full project proposals and budget about the Energy Security Project, please contact CENFACS.

 

The full copy of the 75^th Issue of FACS is available on request.  For any queries and comments about this Issue, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

 

_________

 

• References

 

(1) https://www.ecnmy.org/learn/your-home/consumption/cost-of-living (accessed in April 2022)

(2) https://www.expatistan.com/cost-of-living/comparison/kinshasa/london? (accessed in April 2022)

(3) https://www.institutefor government.org.uk/explainers/cost-living-crisis (accessed in April 2022)

(4) CENFACS’ Cube of Protection against the Coronavirus at cenfacs.org.uk/2020/04/15/protection-of-modest-incomes

(5) Federico Dominguez (2021), La Rebelión de los Pandemials, Editores Argentinos

(6) https://iea.org/topics/energy-security (accessed in April 2022)

(7) https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/10246029.2020.1843509 (accessed in April 2022)

(8) https://www.globalenergyinstitute.org/sites/default/files/2020-10/024036% (accessed in April 2022)

(9) Auth, K. & Moss, T., (2022), How Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine Will Impact Africa’s Energy Transition at https://www.cfr.org/blog/how-russia-invasion-ukraine-will-impact-africa-energy-transition (accessed in April 2022)

(10) Royal, T. (2019), Russia, Iran and Weaponization of Energy at https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2019/04/russia_iran_and_the_weaponization_of_energy.html? (accessed in April 2022)

(11) Wang, J., Wang, J., Shahbaz, M. & Song, M., (2021), Evaluating energy economic security and its influencing factors in China at https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/s0360544221008872?via%Dihub (accessed in April 2022)

_________

 

Help CENFACS keep the Poverty Relief work going this year

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 future or as a New Year resolution.

Donate to support CENFACS!

FOR ONLY £1, YOU CAN SUPPORT CENFACS AND CENFACS’ PROJECTS, JUST GO TO :Support Causes – (cenfacs.org.uk)

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 2022 and beyond.

With many thanks.

 

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

20 April 2022

 

Post No. 244

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• Protection Key Note 3 for Week Beginning 18/04/2022: Protection from Soaring Prices of Energy

• Coming Next Wednesday 27/04/2022: Protection Day with a Focus on Protection for Women and Children from Energy Crisis

• Advisory Support for the Impacted of the Cost-of-Living Crisis

 

… And much more!

 

 

Key Messages

 

• Protection Key Note 3 for Week Beginning 18/04/2022: Protection from Soaring Prices of Energy

 

The key message about this Note 3 is that due to the increase in prices of energy (i.e. electricity, gas and water), there is a need to protect those who are not able to match or meet this increase.  Amongst those who cannot meet or match this increase are some of the CENFACS Community members and the categories of people we have listed under the Main Development section of this post.

All of them need protection.  However, the kind of protection we are and will be talking about here is not the one they may already got either from those who have the power to reduce or subsidy the price of energy or energy companies (i.e. electricity, gas and water companies) that may offer to their customers protection schemes or even the protection products sold by financial institutions like insurance companies and banks.

The kind of protection we will be dealing with is mostly what CENFACS can do for the community it serves.  Besides that, we will include what the voluntary or the charitable sector is doing to support or work with those of our members  who have been drastically impacted by the cascading effects of soaring prices of energy and continue to suffer from dire consequences of these effects.  Under the Main Development section of this post, we have summarised the kind of protection we are arguing about.

 

 

 

• Coming Next Wednesday 27/04/2022: Protection Day with a Focus on Protection for Women and Children from Energy Crisis

 

Before telling you what is going to happen on 27/04/2022, let remind our readers, audiences and supporters the meaning of CENFACS’ Reflection Day.

 

• • What is CENFACS’ Reflection Day?

 

CENFACS’ Reflection Day is a day to acknowledge the conditions of women and children in need, to reflect on attitudes and what can be done to improve the living conditions of women and children in need.

CENFACS’ Reflection Day is also a special eventful day to re-engage our mind set and spirit to deeply think about the fate of poor women and children, and engineer possible new solutions that can lift them out of poverty and hardships they are facing.  At this time of the cost-of-living crisis, they may be facing poverty induced by this crisis.

 

• • The 12^th Edition of CENFACS’ Reflection Day 

 

• • • What is the 12th Edition of CENFACS’ Reflection Day? 

 

The 12th Edition of CENFACS’ Reflection Day is a continuity of the theme about self-protection by women and children themselves and/or protection of women and children by others against future risks or crises.  In this case, the risk or crisis is natural resource (e.g. energy), which is becoming scarce or weaponised.  Because of what is happening in Ukraine, energies (particularly gas and oil) become expensive and a weapon used in international economic and trade relations.

This high cost of energy and energy weaponization could have dire consequences on the way people access and pay for energy they need and consume.  Amongst these people are women and children, especially those living in poverty.  The 12th Edition of CENFACS’ Reflection Day is a day to think of the struggle these women and children have in face of energy crisis.  Before going any further, let us define energy crisis.

 

• • • What is energy crisis?

 

To define energy crisis, we are going to refer to what the ‘urbandictionary.com’ website (1) says about it.  On this website, energy crisis is defined as

“A society-wide economic problem caused by a constricted supply of energy leading to diminished availability and increased price to consumers”.

The online ‘urbandictionary.com’ further states that energy crisis is the noticeable price in increase of energy resources.

Within the literature on energy crisis, there are those who think that energy crisis is either a human-made crisis or a depletion of natural resources.  Others contend that energy crisis could be artificial distortions in the market introduced by energy suppliers and excessive restrictions on energy.

Briefly, energy crisis is a bottleneck in the supply of energy resources to an economy.  Whatever the real nature or cause of energy crisis, it has to be dealt with or at least reflected upon.

 

• • • What will happen on the 12th Edition of CENFACS’ Reflection Day?

 

On the 12th Edition of CENFACS’ Reflection Day, we will reflect on what can be done to improve the living conditions of women and children who are facing energy crisis, because they are not able to access basic energy they need and or they cannot afford to pay for it in order to live a normal life like any human beings.

The day is also about finding solutions to their energy problems through inspirations, new thoughts and ideas.  It will be about exploring ways of guaranteeing access and payment to cheap, sustainable, clean and safer energy for women and children.

 

• • • How the 12^th Edition of our Reflection Day will be run

 

This year, the 12^th Edition of our Reflection Day will be run in hybrid way.  We shall run it hybrid since we are gradually and prudently returning our services and activities as the COVID-19 restrictions have been lifted in England and the nation has moved to “Living with COVID-19” phase.

From the perspective of gradual return, the day will be organised  in-person and virtual.  Those who want to physically gather together on the day, they will be able to do so provided they follow health and safety rules, including those related to COVID-19.  For those going virtual, every participant will be reflecting from the location which is suitable for them (that is, like a virtual reality or remotely).

 

• • • What areas of thoughts our Reflection Day will touch upon

 

Our reflection will cover the following:

 

√ Progress on phasing down fossil fuels (i.e. coal, gas and oil)

√ Acceleration of the deployment of renewable energies

√ Fossil fuel prices

√ Clean energy innovation

√ Impact of interstate fracture of economic and trade relations on energy access for poor women, children and their families

√ Thriving energy innovation ecosystems

√ Energy research and development on non-fossils

√ Artificial distortions in the energy markets

√ De-weaponization of energy

√ Energy scarcity

Etc.

 

The above is the main menu of our Reflection Day.  Besides this main menu, we shall have a side menu which is Reflection on the Effects of the Cost-of-Living Crisis on our Network for Protection in the process of building forward better together greener, cleaner and safer.

Indeed, energy crisis is only an iceberg of the cost-of-living crisis.  The cost-of-living crisis includes crisis in various elements of living conditions such as energy, food, housing, education, transport, etc.  It is worth reflecting on how this crisis is impacting on the way of covering these elements, and the extent to which it could or could not influence our system of networking for protection.

 

• • Reflection on the Effects of the Cost-of-Living Crisis for Protection

 

Through this additional reflection exercise, we should be able to know or estimate whether or not the cost-of-living crisis has made our network for protection stronger or weaker or unchanged.  Alternatively, we can reflect on a new window of opportunities to network for protection that the cost-of-living crisis may have brought.

Briefly, this add-on activity will enable us to reset our system of networking for protection in the process of building forward together greener, cleaner and safer.

To support or join the Reflection Day on the Protection of Women and Children, please contact CENFACS.

Under the Main Development section of this post, we have appended a timeline about CENFACS’ Reflection Day for your reference.

 

 

 

• Advisory Support for the Impacted of the Cost-of-Living Crisis

 

The advisory support, which is part of package offered to the community to manage the cost-of-living crisis, is a deterrent against side effects of losing income or earning capacity because of severe consequences from the cost-of-living crisis.  These effects could be for example mental, psychological and social breakdowns. 

Additionally, the support will help avoid reversal in gains made by those in most need against poverty and hardships.  In doing so, the support will assist them in better coping with and managing undesirable changes brought by the cost-of-living crisis.

The advisory support will be given in three keys areas, which are:

 

√ Advice to help stop the loss of income because of high bills and prices to pay

√ Advice to support response to the loss of real income

√ Advice on recovery measures to minimise the long term impact of the cost-of-living crisis, while helping them find new or alternative sources of earning income to prevent people from economic and financial collapse.

 

Through this project, one can hope as outcomes, the following ones: 

 

√ Self-confidence

√ Self-esteem

√ Hope

√ A newly survival strategy

√ Development of new streams or sources of earning income again

√ Build forward better strategy

Etc.

 

To access and or gain the benefits of this support, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

Extra Messages

 

• Triple Value Initiatives (TVIs)/All-year Round Projects (AYRPs) Activity: Write a Journal of your TVI/AYRP

 

You can write and reflect on what you are doing as TVI/AYRP user or beneficiary.  Journaling a TVI/AYRP (that is Play, Run and Vote) can have benefits.  To get those benefits, one needs to have a goal and plan activities/achievements.

 

• • Benefits of journaling your TVI/AYRP

 

The journal will help you to capture the moments of your TVI/AYRP via expressive writing and story.  It can have other benefits such as setting goals, tracking or measuring your progress on TVI/AYRP, recording and celebrating achievements and gaining both general and specific perspectives of your TVI/AYRP.

 

• • Journaling Goal of TVI/AYRP

 

The goal is basically to explore and enrich one’s TVI/AYRP activity through creative writing.  This goal does not stop users of TVI/AYRP to have their own journaling goal.  Besides their journaling goal, they need to add what their journal can help achieve.

 

• • What one’s TVI/AYRP Journal can achieve

 

It can achieve many things including the following:

 

∝ Solve problems encountered in implementing TVI/AYRP 

∝ Enhance one’s health via TVI/AYRP 

∝ Improve TVI/AYRP outcomes.

 

For those who are undertaking any of the TVIs/AYRPs and would like to write a journal about their activity, they can do it.  There are many online and print resources available on the matter.

For those who would like to approach CENFACS for help and support to write a Journal of TVI/AYRP, they are welcome to do so.

 

 

 

• Goal for the Month: Reduction of Income Poverty and Poverty (or weaknesses) in Earning Capacity

 

• • What is poverty reduction goal for the month?

 

We select a particular poverty reduction goal each month to focus on.

This selection may come from or outside one of the stated goals of CENFACS‘ 2020s Development Agenda and Poverty Reduction Goals (2).

For this month of April 2022, we have selected ‘Reduce income poverty and poverty (or weaknesses) in earning capacity’ as our goal for the month. What is ‘Reduce income poverty and poverty (or weaknesses) in earning capacity‘ in the current context of rising cost of living? What does its selection mean?

 

• • Reduce income poverty and poverty (or weaknesses) in earning capacity

 

The rising prices of energy, food, housing, water, other utilities, transport, etc. could mean threat in real incomes.   There could be a threat as real incomes get dropped because of inflation.  Income poor people and families could find that meeting the high level of prices and bills is extremely difficult or even impossible.

So, this month’s goal is to reduce income poverty.  Reduce income poverty and poverty (or weaknesses) in earning capacity is the first CENFACS’ Poverty Reduction Goals.

 

• • What does its selection mean?

 

Reduce income poverty and poverty (or weaknesses) in earning capacity will help those who are struggling to meet the current high level of prices and bills to find some room for manoeuvre.    This reduction could be done either by improving the income side of the income poor or by cutting down non-essential expenses or both.  However, for income poor people most of their expenses are essential to maintain basic level of life.

For more details on the goal of this month and how to support this goal, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

• Africa-based Sister Organisations (ASOs) and Rising Prices of Energy and Food in Africa

How ASOs are working with their locals to avert cascading impacts of rising prices of energy and food

 

Studying how the global crisis is unfolding in depth and scale on countries, the United Nations Task Team for the Global Crisis Response (3) estimates that there are Least Developed Countries that are severely exposed to at least one dimension of the shock.  This Task Team argues that there are…

“[a] 25 economies in Africa with a severe exposure score across the Food, Energy and Finance dimensions; [b] 25 economies in Africa of a total of Least Developed Countries with a maximum exposure score in at least one of the Food, Energy and Finance dimensions” (p. 7)

This exposure to the dimensions of price shock of energy and food could suggest that ASOs could find themselves with a high demand of their locals in order to avert cascading impacts of this shock or rising prices of energy and food.  They are working with their locals on a number of fronts and projects (including access to affordable food, energy and water) in order to avert the impact of the current global crisis linked to  the war in Ukraine.

For those who would like to know more about how ASOs are working with their locals to avert cascading impacts of rising prices of energy and food, they are free to contact CENFACS.

 

La 12ème édition de la Journée de Réflexion du CENFACS aura lieu le 27 avril 2022. 

Qu’est-ce que la 12e édition de la Journée de Réflexion du CENFACS? 

La 12ème édition de la Journée de Réflexion du CENFACS s’inscrit dans la continuité du thème de l’autoprotection des femmes et des enfants ou de la protection des femmes et des enfants par les autres contre les risques ou crises futurs.  Dans ce cas, le risque ou la crise est que les ressources naturelles (par exemple l’énergie) deviennent rares ou transformées en armes.

En raison de ce qui se passe en Ukraine, les énergies (en particulier le gaz et le pétrole) deviennent chères et une arme utilisée dans les relations économiques internationales.

Ce coût élevé de l’énergie et la militarisation de l’énergie pourraient avoir des conséquences désastreuses sur la façon dont les gens accèdent et paient pour l’énergie dont ils ont besoin et qu’ils consomment.  Parmi ces personnes se trouvent des femmes et des enfants, en particulier ceux qui vivent dans la pauvreté.

La 12ème édition de la Journée de Réflexion du CENFACS est une journée pour réfléchir à la lutte de ces femmes et de ces enfants face à la crise énergétique.

Ce qui va se passer le 27 avril 2022

Lors de la 12e édition de la Journée de réflexion du CENFACS, nous réfléchirons à ce qui peut être fait pour améliorer les conditions de vie des femmes et des enfants confrontés à une crise énergétique, parce qu’ils ne sont pas en mesure d’accéder à l’énergie de base dont ils ont besoin et ou qu’ils ne peuvent pas se permettre de la payer pour vivre une vie normale comme n’importe quel être humain.

La journée consistera également à trouver des solutions à leurs problèmes énergétiques à travers des inspirations, de nouvelles pensées et idées.  Il s’agira d’explorer les moyens de garantir l’accès et le paiement à une énergie bon marché, durable, propre et plus sûre pour les femmes et les enfants.

Pour soutenir ou participer à la Journée de réflexion sur la protection des femmes et des enfants, veuillez contacter le CENFACS.

 

 

Main Development

 

• Protection Key Note 3 for Week Beginning 18/04/2022: Protection from Soaring Prices of Energy

 

To deliver this Note 3, we have assembled the following items:

 

∝ Basic data about changing prices of energy

∝ The need of protection

∝ Those who need protection

∝ Types of protection

∝ What CENFACS can do to support the community to meet its demand of protection.

 

Let us look at each of these items.

 

• • Basic data about changing prices of energy

 

There have been lots of figures and interpretations about how the price of energy sources (i.e. electricity, gas, oil, water, etc.) have gone up following the current cost-of-living crisis.  Some of these figures or statistical messages have not been easy to understand or simply are conflicting.  To make it easy, we are going to refer to what the UK’s energy regulator advised about the energy price cap.

The UK’s energy regulator Ofgem (4) advising energy consumers to check if the energy price cap affect them states on its website that

“The average price-capped rates for a customer with typical usage, paying by direct debit was £0.21 per kWh (at daily standing charge of £0.25) for electricity during the last price cap period, between 01 October and 31 March 2022.  The average price cap unit rates for a customer with typical usage, paying by direct debit during the current price cap period (i.e. between 01 April and 30 September 2022) is £0.28 per kWh at daily standing charge of £0.45”.

The same Ofgem (op. cit.) proposes the following for gas:

“The average price-capped rates for a customer with typical usage, paying by direct debit was £0.04 per kWh (at daily standing charge of £0.26) for gas during the last price cap period, between 01 October and 31 March 2022.  The average price cap unit rates for a customer with typical usage, paying by direct debit during the current price cap period (i.e. between 01 April and 30 September 2022) is £0.07per kWh at daily standing charge of £0.27”.

Although energy suppliers cannot charge more than the cap that has been set, the change in price cap between the above stated periods is in itself an indication of rising prices of energy.  This rise raises the issue of protection from soaring prices of energy.

 

• • The need of protection

 

Protection as a basic life-sustaining need is required to shield energy consumers, especially the poor ones; that is those who are not able to meet the soaring prices of energy.  They need defence against harm or danger from the impacts of soaring prices of energy on their budgets,  lives and livelihoods.  They need it to maintain basic conditions and values of life as humans.  Who need protection?

 

• • The protection needy

 

Those impacted by soaring prices of energy and in need of protection include the following:

 

√ Those suffering from cash shortfall induced by rising energy prices

√ Those who are collateral damage of rising energy prices

√ Those with high pressure on energy bills and prices

√ Those without livelihood guarantee under the current circumstances of rising energy prices

√ Those who have their living standards below the national average one

√ Those with income not aligned with inflation or the cost of living

√ Those who have been inflicted or incapacitated by soaring prices of energy

In short, the energy poor who could be amongst people listed above.  They need some forms or types of protection.

 

• •  Types of protection

 

Depending on people’s needs, this protection could cover the following matters:

 

√ Energy tariffs

√ Energy debt

√ Energy credit

√ Energy meter reading

√ Energy supply

Etc.

 

Briefly, protecting people, especially the energy poor, from these matters (i.e. energy tariffs, debt, credit, meter reading, supply, etc.) can help them to meet their energy needs and overcome the rise in energy prices.

 

• •  What CENFACS can do to support the community to meet its demand of protection from soaring energy prices

 

There are already energy protection measures in the market (like those relating to covering bills, disconnections, difficulty paying bills, etc.) that every energy consumer can get from their energy providers or statutory bodies. 

Our ways of working with the community to meet its demand of protection relating to energy is not to repeat those measures.  Instead, it is about adding something, perhaps new, to them.

Furthermore, CENFACS does not have the power to cut bills or to provide financial support towards energy bills.  CENFACS can however support the community on various grounds such as

 

√ Support users to reclaim their energy consumer rights

√ Help switch to energy-saving habits or measures at home

√ Explore ways of negotiating energy debt servicing to affordable plan

√ Provide one-to-one advice on energy relief needs and matters

√ Help understand what organisations are advising (e.g. Citizens Advice Bureau, Ombudsman services)

√ Find social safety nets for energy poor and most vulnerable

√ Help people understand energy literature (e.g. energy debt guide provided by Ofgem) and energy literacy statistics

√ Raise awareness of measures to lower energy use and carbon emissions at home

√ Help people and families in their alignment drive to green energy

√ Assist in reading energy comparison providers’ resources on energy prices and statistics

√ Provide information about energy support measures (e.g. energy grants, bills support, home insulation or retrofit, etc.)

√ Find nature-based solutions to energy poverty and problems

√ Signpost users to energy community services and hubs

√ Help people and families address energy poverty and precariousness

Etc.

 

From the above mentioned energy support services, we can help reduce pressure on energy budgets, in particular by advising how to reduce energy expenses while increasing incomes for energy and other household needs.

All these ways of working with the community will help to protect them from soaring prices of energy.  The more informed they are, the more likely they will find and practise the tools, tips and hints they need in order to overcome energy poverty and hardships.

It is all about working with them to improve the way in which they manage their income and life spent on energy in order to overcome future upheavals of the energy markets, which have recently been impregnated with stories of rising prices and costs.

The above is our Protection Key Note 3.  For any further details about Protection from Rising Prices of Energy and CENFACS’ Month of Protection, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

 

• References

 

(1) https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=energy%20crisis (accessed in April 2022)

(2) CENFACS, (2020), The Twenty-twenties (2020s) Development Agenda and Poverty Reduction Programme at cenfacs.org.uk/2020/03/11/the-2020s-agenda-and-programme/

(3) https://news.un.org/pages/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/UN-GCRG-Brief-1.pdf (accessed in April 2022)

(4) https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/information-consumers/energy-advice-households/check-if-energy-price-cap-affects-you (accessed in April 2022)

 

• Appendix

 

• • Reflection Day Timeline

 

The Reflection Day is a day of thoughts by bringing together the two pillars of our network and protection programme, which are 3W and PPS.  Although they started in 2003, we only introduced a Reflection Day (RD) in them in 2011.

In 2016, we amalgamated 3W and PPS to become Women and Children projects as we noticed in some situations it was difficult to separate women’s and children’s needs.  Where their needs are separable or differentiated one to the other, we run either of the two brands (that is 3W and PPS) individually.  This is why these two brands of our network and protection are still alive despite their amalgamation.

The Reflection Day is a day of introspection to think in depth the ways forward for our systems of support network and protection for poverty relief and sustainable development in face of the current, new and emerging challenges ahead as well as the ever changing development landscape.

Since its inception, the following is the timeline of 3W and PPS

2011: Making Networking and Protection Even Better in 2011

2012: Raising Standards in Poverty Reduction for Improving Lives

2013: Place of Women and Children in the Post-2015 Development World (Part I)

2014: Women and Children in the Post-2015 Sustainable Development Agenda (Part II) – A Stock Taking Reflection Event

2015: Doing Business to Lift Women and Children out of Poverty

2016: Improving Digital Protection for the Extremely Digitally Poor Women and Children

2017: Reducing Information and Communication Poverty for Multi-dimensionally Poor Women and Children

2018: Making Transitional Economy Work for Poor Families

2019: Protection of Women and Children in War-torn Zones and Natural Disaster-stricken Areas

2020: Protection of Women and Children in Times of Health or Sanitary Crisis like Covid-19

2021: Ring-fencing Protection for Women and Children to Become More Resilient and Vigilant in face of Future Risks and Crises

For your information,

3W & PPS = Support Network and Protection for Poverty Relief and Development

Women and Children projects = amalgamation of 3W and PPS in 2016

3W (What Women Want) = a CENFACS support network scheme to enhance the lives of multi-dimensional deprived women and families

PPS (Peace, Protection & Sustainability) = a CENFACS child and environmental protection programme to support multi-dimensional vulnerable children, young people and families

KNA (Keep the Net Alive) = a motto that helps to keep our networking for protection running.

For more information on 3W and PPS or Women and Children projects, please contact CENFACS.

_________

 

Help CENFACS keep the Poverty Relief work going this year.

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 future or as a New Year resolution.

Donate to support CENFACS!

FOR ONLY £1, YOU CAN SUPPORT CENFACS AND CENFACS’ PROJECTS, JUST GO TO :Support Causes – (cenfacs.org.uk)

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 2022 and beyond.

With many thanks.

 

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

13 April 2022

 

Post No. 243

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• Holiday with Relief – In Focus for Spring 2022 Issue: Energy and Food during Holiday

• Protection Key Note 2: Protection from Rising Prices of Food

• Help CENFACS Fight Poverty Induced by the Cost-of-Living Crisis with You this Easter

 

… And much more!

 

 

 

Key Messages

 

• Holiday with Relief – In Focus for Spring 2022 Issue: Energy and Food during Holiday

 

The Spring 2022 Issue our ICDP (individual Capacity Development Programme) Resource entitled as ‘Holiday with Relief’ is out now.

This year, ‘Holiday with Relief’ provides wealthy advice, tips and hints linked to energy and food during holiday.  Within this wealth of information contained in this Issue, there are tips and hints that can be used to tackle energy poverty and food poverty.

These tips and hints are meant to support those of our users and non-users who are struggling to make energy and food ends meet during holiday (that is; Easter holiday, work or school holiday and long Summer holiday).

This resource is packed with Spring-relieving ideas about how to reduce both energy and food poverty while being on holiday.  Although the contents of this year’s Holiday with Relief will be for holiday, they can be used at any other time of the year.

Under the Main Development section of this post, we have provided the summaries about the key advice, tips and hints.  To enquire about the full 2022 Issue of Holiday with Relief, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

• Week Beginning Monday 11/04/2022, Protection Key Note 2: Protection from Rising Real Prices of Food

 

To deal with protection from rising real prices of food, it is better to briefly explain food inflation and its measure, what we mean by protection against rising food prices  and what CENFACS can do to support the community in its efforts to fighting food inflation.   Let us look at these three items.

 

• • What is food inflation and how do we measure the rise in food price?

 

Economically speaking, food inflation is a general sustained rise in the level of food price.  There are many metrics to measure the rise in food price.  However, in the context of this Protection Key Note 2, we are going to refer to the metrics of inflation-adjusted food price index.  What is this index?

 

• • • Inflation-adjusted food price index

 

The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (1) provides its own index, which is called FAO Food Price Index (FFPI).  The FFPI is defined  as

“A measure of the monthly change in international prices of basket of food commodities.  It consists of the average of five commodity group price indices weighted by the average export shares of each of the groups over [a period, for example] 2014-2016”.

Likewise, the World Economic Forum (2) states that

“The Food Price Index is designed to capture the combined outcome of changes in a range of food commodities, including vegetable, oils, cereals, meat and sugar; and compare them month to month”.

According to this World Economic Forum (op. cit.), the index needs to be adjusted for inflation.  When prices are adjusted for inflation, they are real. 

So, in the context of this Protection Key Note 2, we will be interested in real prices which show the real impact or effects of rising food prices on income.  From this perspective, protection will be from rising real prices of food.

 

• • What do we mean by protection from rising food prices?

 

It is about shielding people from hikes in food prices.  People can be protected from rising food prices in many ways.

Assessing the world food situation via its Food Price Index, the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (3) argues that

“The FAO Food Price Index [FFPI] averaged 159.3 points in March 2022, up 17.9 points [12.6 percent] from February, making a giant leap to a new highest level since its inception in 1990.  The latest increase reflects new all-time highs for vegetable oils, and meat sub-indices while those of sugar and dairy products also rose significantly”.

As said above, the FAO Food Price Index is a measure of the monthly change in international prices of a basket of food commodities.

In the context of this Note 2, the interest is more on how CENFACS can work with the community to find ways of reducing the impacts of rising food prices and also to stop that these impacts lead to food poverty and poorness.

 

• • Ways in which CENFACS can work with the community to protect it from food inflation

 

CENFACS does not replace those who have the power to cut food prices and or provide financial support to its members of community who could become food poor or needy because of hikes in food prices.  However, there are handy ways in which CENFACS can work together with users to weaken the impact of food inflation.

In particular, CENFACS can work with them on the following matters:

 

∝ Food budget adjusted for inflation

∝ Comparison and contrasting of food real prices and stores

∝ Reduction of food waste at home and away

∝ Review of food spending and other expenses within household budgets

∝ Encouraging them to shop farmers’ markets

∝ Looking for charitable food support (e.g. food banks, food vouchers, etc.) for the food poor

∝ Keeping them aware of environmentally damaging food products

∝ Sharing with them tips and hints about ways of cutting food bills

Etc.

 

All these ways of working with the community will help to protect them against food inflation.  This is because the more informed they are, the more likely they will find and practise the tools, tips and hints they need in order to overcome food inflation. 

It is all about working with them to improve the way in which they manage their income and life in order to overcome future upheavals of the financial and real economic markets, which have recently been impregnated with stories of rising food and energy prices.

The above is our Protection Key Note 2.  For any further details about Protection from Rising Prices of Food and CENFACS’ Month of Protection, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

• Help CENFACS Fight Poverty Induced by the Cost-of-Living Crisis with You this Easter

 

You can donate or pledge or make a gift aid declaration to help CENFACS’ in its Charitable Response to the Cost-of-Living Crisis (CRCLC).

CRCLC is supporters’ contribution via CENFACS to the current effort to fight the cost-of-living crisis.

Any of the donations, pledges and gifts given will help those impacted by the cost-of-living crisis.

To support, just contact CENFACS by quoting or asking the Charitable Response to the Cost-of-Living Crisis (CRCLC).

Thank you!

 

 

 

Extra Messages

 

• E-discussion on Reduce For Quick Sale (RFQS) Items and Food Poverty Reduction

 

RFQS are those items or products past their best goods found in the bargain bins placed discretely around stores.  Many consumers or shoppers, especially those on low income brackets, who are goods price hunters, will look for RFQS to make their consumption ends meet.

If you are one of the RFQS hunters living on a tiny budget have the opportunity to buy these bargain goods; RFQS can make a great deal by helping you to reduce poverty.  And if you are food poor or in need of food, RFQS can assist you to reduce food poverty or at least to save money on your food purchase.

For those who had this experience on how RFQS has helped them to reduce consumption poverty or save on food purchase, they can join our e-discussion to exchange their views with others.

To e-discuss your RFQS experience, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

• CENFACS’ Charity e-Store during Easter Giving Season

 

CENFACS e-Store is opened for your Easter goods donations and goods purchases. 

At this time, many people have been affected by the cost of living crisis mostly driven by the hikes in prices of basic life-sustaining needs (e.g., energy, food, transport, housing, council tax, phone, etc.).

The impacted of the cost of living crisis needs help and support as prices and bills have astronomically gone up while incomes are still the same for many of those living in poverty.

Every season or every month is an opportunity to do something against poverty and hardships.  This April too is a good and great month of the year to do it.

You can donate or recycle your unwanted and unneeded goods to CENFACS’ Charity e-Store, the shop built to help relieve poverty and hardships.

You can as well buy second hand goods and bargain priced new items and much more.

CENFACS’ Charity e-Store needs your support for SHOPPING and GOODS DONATIONS.

You can do something different this Season of Goods Donations by SHOPPING or DONATING GOODS at CENFACS Charity e-Store.

You can DONATE or SHOP or do both:

√ DONATE unwanted Easter GOODS, GIFTS and PRODUCTS to CENFACS Charity e-Store this April and Spring.

√ SHOP at CENFACS Charity e-Store to support good and deserving causes of poverty relief this April and Spring.

Your SHOPPING and or GOODS DONATIONS will help to the Upkeep of the Nature and to reduce poverty and hardships brought by the cost of living crisis.

This is what the Season of Giving is all about.

Please do not hesitate to donate goods or purchase what is available at CENFACS e-Store.

Many lives have been threatened and destroyed by the cost of living crisis. 

We need help to help them come out poverty and hardships caused by the cost of living crisis.

To donate or purchase goods, please go to: http://cenfacs.org.uk/shop/

 

 

 

• Review of Post-coronavirus Poverty Reduction Restructuring and Post-exit People’s Development Projects (“Post-projects”)

 

In the light of the cost-of-living crisis, we are reviewing the Post-coronavirus Poverty Reduction Restructuring and Post-exit People’s Development Projects, which we set up one year ago.  The review is meant to integrate this cost.  The rise in the prices of energy, food, water, transport and other utilities and services has led to inflation.

Because of the cost-of-living crisis, the series of activities, proposals, plans, processes and tasks under Post-coronavirus Poverty Reduction Restructuring and Post-exit People’s Development Projects have to be adjusted to the current and near-future cost of living or inflation.  These projects cannot continue to be applied without considering this cost or inflation.

For those who would like to learn more about the consideration of the cost-of-living crisis or inflation within the “Post Projects” or just to enquire, they are free to contact CENFACS.

 

 

Réponse de bienfaisance à la crise du coût de la vie

Aidez le CENFACS à lutter contre la pauvreté induite par la crise du coût de la vie pendant cette période de Pâques.

Vous pouvez faire un don, une promesse de don ou faire une déclaration d’aide aux dons pour aider le CENFACS dans sa Réponse de bienfaisance à la crise du coût de la vie (RBCCV).

La RBCCV est la contribution des sympathisants à travers le CENFACS à l’effort actuel de lutte contre la crise du coût de la vie.

Tous les dons, promesses de dons et dons donnés aideront les personnes touchées par la crise du coût de la vie.

Pour aider ou donner votre aide, il suffit de communiquer avec le CENFACS en citant ou en se référant à notre Réponse de bienfaisance à la crise du coût de la vie (RBCCV).

Merci!

 

 

Main Development

 

• Holiday with Relief –

In Focus for Spring 2022 Issue: Energy and Food during Holiday

 

Looking for holiday with relief that gives you a control of your energy and the feeling of good food?  You have come to the right place as the following contents, tips and hints highlight it:

∝ What is Holiday with Relief?

∝ What is the focus for this year’s HwR?

∝ For whom this resource is designed  

∝ What is energy? What is food?

∝ What sort of food and energy do we need during holiday?

∝ Where to find cheap good foods and energy

∝ Reduction of food poverty and energy poverty during holiday

∝ Looking for help and support about Energy and Food during Holiday.

 

• • Content Summaries, Tips and Hints about Spring 2022 Holiday with Relief

 

• • • What is Holiday with Relief?

 

Holiday with Relief (HwR) is an awareness, preparedness and solutions focussed Resource to Manage Information over holidays (e.g. Easter and Summer holidays).

As an Information Manager, HwR is a set of life-changing tips and tricks to help and enable vulnerably unaware people to plan and have their holiday or break with confidence in taking into account all aspects of life and by making sure that key areas of those life aspects are not adversely affected.

 

• • • What is the focus for this year’s HwR?

 

The focus for HwR for this year is on Energy and Food during Holiday.  It is about providing a set of life-enhancing tips and hints to support those who are looking for  simple but practical advice to navigate their way towards control of their energy and the feeling of good food during holiday (e.g. Easter holiday).

 

• • • For whom this resource is designed

 

This resource is primarily designed for the CENFACS Community members and those related to them.

The resource also caters for the following:

 

√ Those who are looking for some basic ideas about energy and food during holiday

√ Those who are searching for nature-based solutions to the lack of energy and food during holiday

√ Those who are willing to create active and sharable holiday experiences through energy and food

√ Those (energy poor) having a high sensitivity of energy share to their household income

√ Those (food poor) struggling to meet the cost of a basket of food with minimum recommended nutritional intake

√ Anyone interested in energy and food during holiday.

 

 

 

 

• • • What is energy? What is food?

 

To define energy, we are going to borrow its definition from the Oxford dictionary of environment and conservation written by Chris Park (4).  The latter defines it as

“Usable power or the capacity to do work, measured by the capacity to do work (potential energy) or the conversion of this capacity into motion (kinetic energy)” (p. 148)

This power or capacity is needed whether one is on holiday or not.  In this Issue of HwR, the interest is in this power or capacity during holiday, particularly how this power or capacity can make one’s holiday happy.

To understand food, we have used Chambers Combined Dictionary Thesaurus (5) edited by Martin Manser and Megan Thomson.  In this thesaurus, food is defined as

“A substance taken in by a living organism that provides it with energy and materials for growth, maintenance and repair of tissues” (p. 502).

Indeed, food as a substance is required during holiday, because it can determine the state and conditions of one’s holiday.  In this Issue of HwR, we are providing help and support about ways of keeping one’s holiday plan under control via food or any substance that can help to grow, maintain and sustain lives over holidays.

 

• • • What sort of food and energy do we need during holiday?

 

There is no a specified set of the kind of food and energy during holiday.  It all depends on individual consumption habits, budget, culture, weather, etc.  It is the same for energy.  However, some can use this Easter holiday to save energy and food since we are in the challenging time of rising real prices of energy and food. 

One of the tips and hints of this Issue of HwR, it provides resources and leads about saving on energy and food.

 

 

• • • Where to find cheap good foods and energy

 

HwR contains a list of food stores and grocery sellers where those with limited income can purchase certain types of foods at the lowest prices.  Amongst them, are those food retailers and discounters whose business goal is to sell cheap but good quality foods.

As part of finding cheap good foods, HwR includes market research results about online reviews from some organisations.  Amongst these organisations is Which?.

Indeed, the online website ‘Which.co.uk’ (6) found in its best and worst supermarket reviews that

“Lidl was the cheapest supermarket in March 2022, with [Which’s] best of 21 groceries costing an average of £26.83.  The same or equivalent items from the priciest supermarket Waitrose, meanwhile, would have cost £36.04”.

There are as well energy suppliers and traders that offer cheap energy (.e.g. sustainable electricity, gas and water).  To make a choice or switch between them could be a matter of circumstances.

For example, Switch Plan (7) argues the following when dealing with the UK’s cheapest electricity suppliers:

“There is, unfortunately, no definitive answer to which supplier is the cheapest tends to change depending on the person and their circumstances such as the size of their home, how much electricity they use, and particularly the type of energy meter that house uses to monitor its electricity use”.

The same Switch Plan (op. cit.) further contends that

“The cheapest energy supplier in the UK is actually a very personalised thing, meaning that every household has unique energy needs and what may be the most economic energy plan for one person may be as cost-effective for others.  Every UK energy consumer is looking for something slightly different in a supplier and while there are certainly some energy plans and suppliers that are cheaper than others, the cheapest energy plan for you will depend on your unique needs”.

In its April 2022 online publication, Switch Plan (8) states that

“EDF Energy was amongst the 3 cheapest 12 month fixed-rate energy tariffs available in the UK, with Electricity Annually Costing £607.917 and Gas Annual Costing £443.496 (These rates are inclusive of VAT at 5%)”.

Depending on everyone’s circumstances, they may choose the food retailers and energy suppliers who can meet their needs.  However, for energy poor and food poor, this choice could be very limited.  This is why we have included tips and hints to tackle energy poverty and food poverty.

 

 

• • • Reduction of food poverty and energy poverty during holiday

 

Holiday can offer opportunity to some people to have healthy meals, particularly for those who fail to have a good meal during the non-holiday time as they have no time to eat and they are always in a dreadful rush.  They can seize the holiday moment to sustainably consume, to improve their basket of food with minimum recommended nutritional intake.

Likewise, holiday could be an occasion to tackle energy poverty for those who want to reduce the sensitivity of energy share to their household income.  The tip and hint here is they can review and or audit their energy expenses.  This exercise could only be helpful if they  do not run holiday activities that end up rising their energy and food bills instead of reducing them.

 

• • • Looking for Help and Support about Energy and Food during Holiday

 

CENFACS can work with those in need of help and support about energy and food during holiday by undertaking the following:

 

√ Determining the extent to which energy and food can contribute the quality of one’s holiday

√ Assessing by how much energy and food can contribute to holiday enjoyment

√ Helping them to develop their story of good holiday via energy and food

√ Measuring their happiness during holiday because of a good control over their energy and the feeling of good food.

 

For those users who would like to dive into Energy and Food during Holiday, we can provide them with online and print resources relating to Energy and Food during Holiday.  There is a lot of online resources and websites they can tap into, sign up and receive advice on them.

To support Energy and Food during Holiday and get the full Spring 2022 Issue of ICDP Resource (Holiday with Relief), please contact CENFACS.

 

 _________

 

• References

 

(1) https://www.fao.org/worldfoodsituation/foodpricesindex/en/ (accessed in April 2022)

(2) https://weforum.org/agenda/2021/10/global-food-prices-global-global-food-price-index (accessed in April 2022)

(3) https://www.fao.org/worldfoodsituation/foodpricesindex/en/ (accessed in April 2022)

(4) Park, C., (2011), Oxford Dictionary of Environment and Conservation, Oxford University Press, Oxford & New York

(5) Chambers (1999), Combined Dictionary Thesaurus, Manser M. & Thomson, M. (Editors), Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd

(6) https://www.w/which.co.uk/reviews/supermarkets/article/supermarket-price-comparison-aPpYp9j1MFin#which-is-the-cheapest-supermarket-in-2022 (accessed in April 2022)

(7) https://www.switch-plan.co.uk/compare-energy-prices/electricity/cheapest/#.~:text= (accessed in April 2022)

(8) https://www.switch-plan.co.uk/compare-energy-prices/cheapest/(accessed in April 2022)

 

_________

 

Help CENFACS keep the Poverty Relief work going this year.

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 future or as a New Year resolution.

Donate to support CENFACS!

FOR ONLY £1, YOU CAN SUPPORT CENFACS AND CENFACS’ PROJECTS, JUST GO TO :Support Causes – (cenfacs.org.uk)

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 2022 and beyond.

With many thanks.

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

06 April 2022

 

Post No. 242

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• Protection in the Context of Rising Cost of Living

• Climate Protection and Stake for African Children – Phase 3.2 and the Effects of Rising Cost of Living 

• Activity/Task 4 of the Knowledge (K) Project:  Knowing the Kind of Protection that the Impacted of the Rising Cost of Living Need

… And much more!

 

 

 

Key Messages

 

• Protection in the Context of Rising Cost of Living

 

The cost of living has dramatically risen in many countries including here in the UK and parts of Africa where CENFACS‘ operation is located.  The current rise in this cost has been the combination of various factors which include: the lingering effects of the coronavirus, the Russia-Ukraine war which has led to the increase in the price of energy and food, and recent rising prices of other utilities due to various factors. 

When the prices of food and energy go up, the scenario is that there is a sort of contagion effect in the economy.  The prices of other services (such as accommodation, transport, etc.), dissimilar utilities (e.g. phone), and goods will follow suit.

Whatever the origins and causes of the rising cost of living, it is important to find ways of solving this problem; at least to protect those without income or with less disposable income as they cannot afford to meet this rising cost of living.

It is well known that in this sort of context of rising and shocking prices and bills, often the poor and vulnerable bear the heavy brunt.  Since many of them will turn to charities and the not-for-profit organisations to seek help and support, our April Month of Protection will be approached on the tone of developing and sustaining protection against the cost of living crisis.  In particular, we shall look at protection against the rising prices of energy and food.

This is the context of our protection work for this April and possibly for this Spring 2022.  It is also the first message of this week’s post.  It is a message of protecting those without income or with less disposable income from the rising cost of living.

More on this message and the Month of Protection in the Context of Rising Cost of Living is covered under the Main Development section of this post.

 

 

• Climate Protection and Stake for African Children – Phase 3.2 and the Effects of Rising Cost of Living 

 

The rise in the cost of living can have some detrimental effects on the efforts one can make in order to have climate protection.  It can effect the implementation of climate protection and stake for children following the model of protecting children from climate proposed by CENFACS.  Before looking at what kind of effect or challenge that the rising cost of living can bring to climate protection, let us remind you our plan about 2022 Climate Talks Follow-up.

 

• • Taking Climate Protection and Stake for African Children at the Implementation (TCPSACI) with Installation Sub-phase (Phase 3.2)

 

Last month, we started the planning process of the 2022 Climate Talks Follow-up.  We informed you that the slogan for this 2022 follow-up would be: Sharm El-Sheikh Makes Children’s Dreams Come True.

Consisted of the 2022 Climate Talks Follow-up is our plan to engage with the 27th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 27) to the UNFCCC  (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change), which will take place in Sharm El-Sheikh (Egypt) from Monday 07 November to  Friday 18 November 2022.  This engagement or follow up will contribute to TCPSACI.

 

• • TCPSACI and the Effects of Rising Cost of Living

 

The rising prices of energy, food, water, rent and other services and utilities means that there could be a challenge to have protection of climate and the ozone layer.  In other words, measures to control the emissions of greenhouse gases and gases that adversely affect the stratospheric ozone layer (carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, chlorofluorocarbons and halons) could be jeopardised.  If these measures have to be carried out, their cost could increase at this current level of cost of living.

The increase of their cost could also mean the cost of protecting children and future generations could increase since there could be a risk of shifting priorities from climate protection to protection to meet basic life-sustaining needs of food, shelter, energy, etc.

Because of that, we are working on ways of making sure that the rising cost of living does not increase the cost of protecting children or deprioritise climate protection.

For those who are interested in the effects of rise in the cost of living on climate protection, especially on climate protection and stake for children; they can share their views with CENFACS.

To support and or enquire about CENFACS’ TCPSACI and share your views on the effects of rising cost of living on climate protection, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

• Activity/Task 4 of the Knowledge (K) Project: Knowing the Kind of Protection that the Impacted of the Rising Cost of Living Need

 

To undertake Activity/Task 4 of the ‘K’ Project, we will be working to have some understanding and information about the types of protection that those who have been impacted by the rising cost of living may need.

When there is a rise in the prices of energy, food, water, rent and other services and goods; it affects the all range of needs to be met by people (here our users and those working with us).  It also affects every area of protection linked to any of these services and utilities.  However, to know how it affects them and the kinds of protection they may need; one needs to work with them in order to properly identify the level and quality of protection they may need.

Briefly, in the Activity/Task 4 of the ‘K’ Project, we shall undertake three sub-activities, which are:

 

a) Gathering information about the effects of rising costs of living on those in need

b) Finding out the kinds of protection or shield they may need against these effects, and

c) Working together with them so they can navigate their way out of these effects.

 

For those members of our community who will be interested in the effects of rising prices and bills on their cost of living and in sharing with us the types of protection they may need to counteract or overcome these effects, they are free to work with CENFACS.

To work with us on the effects of rising prices and bills on protection, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

Extra Messages

 

• Integrating the Rising Cost of Living into Zero Income Deficit Campaign

How to protect low income poor’s accounts from the rise of prices and bills

 

When the prices of utilities, services,  and goods increase as well as bills go up; those with low income or who are simply poor have difficulties to cope with these rises.  As part of CENFACS’ Zero Income Deficit Campaign, we would like to work with those of our members who want to consider these rises (from prices and bills) in their household accounts.

 

• • What we can do together

 

We will be step-by-step exploring ways to include the rise in the cost of living in various family or household financial statements (e.g. budget, balance sheet, surplus and loss account, etc.).

We will be looking at how this rise is impacting and will impact family or household accounts.

 

• • How this integration will be helpful to those in need

 

This integration will enable to add financial control on family or household accounts.

It can as well help to find out the extent to which the effects of the rise in the cost of living could exacerbate poverty experienced by our members.

It can finally indicate whether or not these effects will influence the transmission of poverty to future generations or simply intergenerational poverty.

For those members of our community who will be interested in this sort of activities or exercises, they are welcome to contact CENFACS for further information.

 

 

 

• Build Forward Better Donations Needed!!!

 

This Spring Relief season, we would like to take this opportunity to communicate to you our need of donations which is now greater than ever before.  The lingering effects of the coronavirus and the cost of living crisis have put serious pressure on the finances and other areas of operations of many organisations including ourselves.

We need donations to help those who are still suffering from the legacies of the coronavirus and the current cost of living crisis so that they can build forward better cleaner, greener and safer.

We know that some of you have their income dropped because of the legacies of the coronavirus.  The current cost of living crisis can only add more pressure on the way people earn and spend their income.  However, for those who can, please do not hesitate to support as the need is still pressing and the stakes are still higher at this unprecedented time.

You could be a life-saver or changer this Spring.

We look forward to your support.  Many thanks!

 

 

 

• E-discussion on Bills and Prices

 

You can share your experience of coping with the current rise in the prices of food and other household items.  You can as well speak about your struggle to pay the recent percentage/rate increase in your utility bills and that of other services linked to your living expenses.  What is good about this sharing?

 

• • The good thing about sharing 

 

Your experience sharing will assist in knowing how the current rise in the cost of living is impacting you, the people around you (e.g. your family or household) and other people.

This experience sharing will also provide the data and facts for us together to organise an additional or new way of working with you and others to explore ways of reducing the impact of the cost of living crisis within the community.

Furthermore, we can raise awareness of your problem and advocate together your case so that those who are in a position to support you and the people around you can act.

To tell and share your experience of managing the impact of the rise in the cost of living, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

Plan de travail pour la mise en œuvre de la protection en avril 2022

Pour mettre en œuvre la protection en avril 2022, nous avons sélectionné quatre notes clés, qui sont données dans le tableau ci-dessous.

Ces notes seront élaborées à partir de tous les lundis d’avril 2022, comme prévu ci-dessus.

En outre, ce plan de protection doit être combiné avec l’aperçu des projets et programmes pour l’aide de printemps 2022 (que nous avons publié le 16 mars 2022 dans notre article n ° 239), qui comprend la protection de l’énergie et la sécurité pour les femmes et les enfants, et la protection contre la hausse des prix alimentaires et la pénurie.

À côté de ces notes sélectionnées et zones de protection, nous aimerions continuer à travailler sur d’autres domaines qui nécessitent également une attention particulière comme la protection contre le coronavirus ainsi que la protection de la flore et de la faune.

Pour plus de détails sur le Mois de la Protection du CENFACS, n’hésitez pas à contacter le CENFACS.

 

Main Development

 

• Protection in the Context of Rising Cost of Living

 

The following items make up the contents of Protection in the Context of Rising Cost of Living:

 

Context of protection in April 2022, What is the cost of living?, Identified areas of protection work and people to work with, Plan for the implementation of protection this April 2022, Protection against inflation from week beginning 04/04/2022, Protection against the coronavirus and Flora and fauna protection.

 

Let us briefly explain each of the above items making Protection in the Context of Rising Cost of Living.

 

• • Context of our protection work in April 2022

 

The context of our protection work in April 2022 is of rising cost of living in the UK and in some parts of Africa where we have operations.  It is the economic situation in which there has been rise in the energy price cap in the UK, meaning that households using gas and electricity will pay more per year.

As the UK’s Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (1), which is the energy regulator, put it on 3 February 2022 by stating that

“The energy price cap will increase from 1 April for approximately 22 million customers. Those on default tariffs paying by direct debit will see an increase of £693 from £1,277 to £1,971 per year (difference due to rounding). Prepayment customers will see an increase of £708 from £1,309 to £2,017”.

It is also a time during which rent has been increased for renters and tenants together with utilities like water, council tax and other services (e.g. phone).  This is without forgetting that the prices of food and transport have been increased as well.

Briefly, it is a context of rising bills and prices, of the rise in the cost of living during this April 2022, which has become the month of bill and price rises.  April is generally the month of protection according to CENFACS‘ development calendar.  But, what does cost of living mean?

 

• • Brief understanding of the cost of living

 

According to the ‘ecnmy.org’ (2) website,

“The cost of living is a measure of how much money it costs to live a fairly average quality of life.  Economists measure the cost of living by looking at different cities or countries and adding up the prices of the goods that people need to live an average life – food, housing, transport, energy and healthcare and taxes.  They then look to see where prices are on the whole are the most expensive”.

For example,  the website ‘expatistan.com’ (3) provides calculation for the cost of living.  As of April 2022, it has estimated that the cost of living in London (UK) for a family of four estimated monthly costs is £4,954, whereas the cost of living in Kinshasa (Democratic Republic of Congo) for the same family is 8,356,890 Congolese Franc.

If this cost of living goes up as it is the case now and people’s income does not increase to match it, then there could be a cost of living crisis.  What is the cost of living crisis?

The Institute for Government (4) defines the cost of living crisis as

“The fall in real incomes (that is, adjusted for inflation and tax) that the UK has experienced since late 2021.  It is being caused by a combination of high inflation outstripping wage increases and upcoming tax increases that have squeezed incomes for many households”.

In these circumstances, there is a need of protection to help and support those who are failing to meet the rise in the cost of living.  To support and work with those members of the CENFACS’ Community who are failing to meet their cost of living, we have identified some areas of protection work with them.

 

• • Identified areas of protection work and people to work with in this April 2022 

 

Following a basic needs assessment relating to the effects of the cost of living within the community, we have identified the following areas and people to work.

 

• • • Identified areas of protection work

 

The preliminary results of our basic needs assessment suggest that we can start with the following areas of protection work:

 

Energy supplies protection, energy protection as transition away from fossil fuels (like coal, gas and oil), energy protection as a collective purchase/procurement, energy protection as a dilemma between environmental protection and energy access, protection of the energy poor, etc.

 

As one can notice, most of these areas of work are about energy protection.  This is because most of the conversations within the community have been about the change in the energy price, which is quite unusual for many.  People are also concerned with the increase in the price of food, but they are familiar with it.    In the Plan for the implementation of protection this April 2022, we will consider other areas of protection rather than just working on energy protection.

 

• • • People to work with for April 2022 Protection

 

Early indication of our needs assessment also shows that we will be working with the following people who need support from the rising cost of living:

 

√ Those struggling with bills and prices

√  Those who need support to deal with the cost of living crisis

√  The severely impacted by inflation (both imported and domestic inflation)

√  Those with less or low disposable income

√  Those having less flexibility in their household budget

√  The energy poor

√  The food poor

√  The worst affected by the rising cost of living

√  The incapacitated by inflation

√  The other poor and vulnerable people

Etc.

 

• • Work Plan for the implementation of protection this April 2022

 

To implement protection this April 2022, we have selected four key notes, which are given in the table below.

 

These notes will be developed starting every Mondays of April 2022 as scheduled above.

Also, this plan of protection needs to be combined with the Preview of Projects and Programmes for Spring Relief 2022 (which we released on the 16th of March 2022 in our Post No. 239), which includes Energy Protection and Security for Women and Children, and Protection against Food Price Rises and Scarcity.

Besides these selected notes and areas of protection, we would like to keep on working on other areas that need particular attention too, like protection against the coronavirus as well as the protection of flora and fauna.

Before summarising these other areas of protection, let us look at the first selected key note of our plan, which is Protection against Inflation.

 

 

• • Week Beginning Monday 04/04/2022: Protection against Inflation

 

In this first key note, we would like those who are reading us and or supporting us to understand what we are talking about.  To do that, we are going to briefly define inflation, explain what we mean by protection against inflation and how CENFACS can work with the community to strengthen their fences of protection against inflation.

 

• • • What is inflation?

 

According to Christopher Pass, Bryan Lowes and Leslie Davies (5), inflation is

“An increase in the general level of prices in an economy that is sustained over a period of time” (p. 248)

They also argue that

“The rate of inflation can be measured by using a consumers’ PRICE INDEX which shows the annual percentage change in consumer prices” (p. 248).

For example, the Office for National Statistics (6) in the UK stated that

“The Consumer Prices Index including owner occupiers’ housing costs (CPIH) rose by 5.5% in the 12 months to February 2022, up from 4.9% in the 12 months to January 2022 [in the UK]”.

This figure was released on 23 March 2022 by the UK’s Office for National Statistics.  The next release will be on 13 April 2022.

With the current rise in the prices of energy (i.e. electricity, gas and water), food, rent, council tax, transport and other services and utilities in the UK; this figure could be bigger.

 

• • • Meaning of protection against inflation

 

Protection against inflation could mean many things to different people, organisations and institutions.  In the context of this note, protection against inflation is an action of shielding income poor people from the lack of means to buy or access goods and services they need to basically sustain their life.  They are unable to buy and access them because of a general rise in prices of these goods and services.

This inability to buy and access could mean that one is not protected from inflation wise.  Likewise, threats, attacks and neglect to deny people, especially the poor ones, to buy or access these basic life-sustaining goods and services which have been inflated (or being subject to inflation) is in itself an indication of a lack of protection.

Briefly, protection against inflation is a system of shielding those who are in need of buying or accessing basic life-sustaining goods and services from economic attacks and uncontrollable market forces (such as weaponization of energy prices as a result of Russia-Ukraine conflict).  It is a system that helps to economically keep safe those in need from the volatility of the prices of energy, food, transport, housing, etc.

Protection will help to deflect these negative forces that lead to a general increase in prices and the denial of poor people from buying and or accessing goods and services.  In these circumstances, there could be a need to work with the inflation-stricken people, especially the poor ones, so that they can find the means to navigate their way to strengthening their protective system.

 

• • • Ways in which CENFACS can work with the community to strengthen their fences of protection against inflation

 

There is a number of ways in which CENFACS can work with the community to boost their protection against inflation, which include:

 

√ Budgeting their income, expenses and needs

√ Prices hunting, comparison and contrasting

√ Getting informed about the current and near-future measure of inflation and the state of the economy in which they live

√ Providing them with leads to safety nets for the poor

√ Advising them not to rely on borrowing in order to deal with inflation, instead to invest in anti-inflation assets and solutions to poverty

√ Suggesting them to use nature-based solutions to inflation (e.g. use clean energy instead of polluting energy)

√ Recommending them digital solutions to their payment problems (e.g. digital payment of energy) to save money and papers

√ Working with them to reduce and restructure their accounts to deal with inflation

√ Including inflation accounting in their decision making processes

√ Advising them how to react and prepare from warnings, notices and alert messages about future rises of prices (for example, notices about the increase of utilities)

√ Developing their foresight skills to interpret inflation warning signals, forecasts and projections (e.g. what inflation predictions mean for household budgets)

√ Building their financial literacy statistics and numeracy skills to enable them to read financial information pages about inflation (e.g. charts, tables, in brief infographics about inflation)

√ Organising activities or workshops to help them integrate the rate of inflation into household financial statements and plans

√ Improving their knowledge in terms of the key financial dates to save in the calendar (for example, the release date of the rate of inflation, the start and end of tax year, etc.)

√ Motivating them to follow news and information about prices, bills and particularly the evolution of inflation

√ Asking them to subscribe to free providers of financial information that touches their life (e.g. free subscription to magazines, papers and websites that provide information about bills and prices related to products they buy or use)

Etc.

 

All these ways of working with the community will help to protect them against inflation.  This is because the more informed they are, the more they will find the tools, tips and hints they need in order to overcome inflation.  It is all about working with them to improve the way they manage their income and life in order to overcome future upheavals of the financial and real economic markets.

 

• • Protection against the coronavirus

 

The coronavirus threat has not yet disappeared.  This April, we will continue the protection work against the coronavirus pandemic since the coronavirus pandemic is still life-threatening and destroying despite the amount of efforts that have been deployed to reduce its far-reaching impacts.

We shall continue to maintain a healthy relationship between hands (e.g. washing our hands with sanitisers), faces (e.g. wearing face coverings if required), body (e.g. get vaccinated) and space (e.g. keeping indoor spaces ventilated).  It is better not to give up the basic healthcare principles and any life-saving advice until the coronavirus threat disappears.

We will continue to follow the COVID-19 situation in the UK and in Africa via our shadowing model.

Our COVID-19 Campaign is still in its Phase 3 of Post-COVID-19 Rehabilitation Strategies for our work in the UK and in Africa.

This phase or stage includes the following sub-stages: recovery, repair, strengthened restoration and functional capacity.  We are dealing with the four sub-phases (i.e. recovery, repair, strengthened restoration and functional capacity) at the same time since these sub-phases are interlinked.  This concerns our actions relating to the two operations (in the UK and in Africa).

Further details about the COVID-19 Campaign can be found from  CENFACS’ COVID-19 Hub for Poverty Reduction.

 

• • Protection of flora and fauna 

 

This month, we shall as well revisit progress made so far in protecting animals and plants.  We shall do it by recalling our Build Forward Better Flora and Fauna Projects, which were one of our XI Starting Campaign and Projects for Autumn 2021.

We will be doing it since we are in the Month of Protection and the Season of Spring Relief; season during which we are trying to Build Forward Better Greener, Cleaner and Safer.  In this Month of Protection and Season of Spring Relief, we will not forget flora and fauna.

Indeed, we continue to advocate for the protection of animals (fauna) in Africa and elsewhere in developing world whereby animals get killed, traded and extinct to such extent that some species are at the brink of disappearing.

We are as well extending our advocacy to other species in danger like trees, plans and flowers (flora).  It is about building forward these species that are threatened with extinction.

To advocate and raise your voice to build forward better endangered plant and animal species, contact CENFACS.

For any further details about CENFACS’ Month of Protection, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

_________

 

• References

 

(1)  https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/publications/price-cap-increase-ps693-april (accessed in April 2022)

(2) https://www.ecnmy.org/learn/your-home/consumption/cost-of-living (accessed in April 2022)

(3) https://expatistan.com/cost-of-living/country/united-kingdom (accessed in April 2022)

(4) https://www.institutefor government.org.uk/explainers/cost-living-crisis (accessed in April 2022)

(5) Pass, C., Lowes, B. & Davies, L., (1988), Dictionary of Economics, HarperCollins Publishers, London & Glasgow

(6) https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/inflationandpriceindices (accessed in April 2022)

_________

 

Help CENFACS keep the Poverty Relief work going this year.

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 future or as a New Year resolution.

Donate to support CENFACS!

FOR ONLY £1, YOU CAN SUPPORT CENFACS AND CENFACS’ PROJECTS, JUST GO TO :Support Causes – (cenfacs.org.uk)

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 2022 and beyond.

With many thanks.

 

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

30 March 2022

 

Post No. 241

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• Energy Transition Support Services

• Impact Monitoring and Evaluation of Climate Action Month 2022

• Practical Takeaways from Climate Action Month 2022

… And much more!

 

 

 

Key Messages

 

• Energy Transition Support Services

 

The Light Season has already gone with the end of Winter 2022.  However, Light Season’s Light and Net-zero Energy Projects have not yet gone.  We still have projects that are going on and are coming to bring light to those who need it, in particular to these ones:

∝ People who have experienced destructive natural disasters and war events in Africa (that is why Light Projects were designed)

∝ Members of the CENFACS Community who need light to ignite their lives

∝ and Africa-based Sister Organisations (ASOs) requiring light for themselves and or their locals.

Additionally, we have net-zero projects; that is projects aiming at achieving a balance between the amount of greenhouse gas emissions produced and the amount removed from the atmosphere.  Among these net-zero projects are Energy Transition Support Services.

 

• • What are Energy Transition Support Services (ETSS)?

 

At the start of this month, we introduced our two Light Season’s New Energy Projects, which included: a) Programme for Gradually Phasing Down Coal and b) Advocacy and E-workshops about Energy Transition.

 

a) The Programme for Gradually Phasing Down Coal

 

The Programme for Gradually Phasing Down Coal is about working together with ASOs to plan a certain number of initiatives and activities (e.g. training, workshops, awareness raising, skills formation and development, etc.) to help their locals gradually reduce the use of coal or any polluting source of energy in the process of meeting their basic life-sustaining needs and services as well as of contributing to the net zero greenhouse gas emissions world.

 

b) Advocacy and E-workshops about Energy Transition

 

Advocacy and E-workshops about Energy Transition are part of energy transition projects and will help to work with the community on affordable way to embrace or keep pace with energy transition by smoothly moving towards carbon net zero or post-carbon economy; from polluting to cleaner, greener and sustainable energy.

 

By focussing on Advocacy and E-workshops about Energy Transition, we can argue that they (advocacy and e-workshops) are Energy Transition Support Services.

ETSS are our new and additional support to the community and our members in order for them to stay on track with the net zero greenhouse gas emissions and respond to the energy poverty amongst our members.  They are energy transition solutions to shortening the net zero trajectory/journey.

This new and additional support has been expressed throughout the climate action notes which we provided (to highlight the theme of ‘Smooth the way to energy transition‘) during the last four Wednesdays.  Particularly, the notes relating to how CENFACS can work with the community on energy transition, are useful in understanding ETSS.

In this post, we are presenting these ways of working with the community (or ETSS), which can be found under the Main Development section of this post.

 

 

• Impact Monitoring and Evaluation of Climate Action Month 2022

 

Any action to be successful needs monitoring and evaluation to know that it has been executed as planned and the changes that may happen over time as a result of this action.

To monitor our climate actions (Climate Action Month 2022), we have been routinely gathering information on all aspects of the climate actions conducted.  We are examining what these actions have achieved or will achieve in relation to the aims and objectives we set up for them.  This monitoring has enabled us to keep an eye on the progress made so far.  In our approach to monitoring and evaluation, we included the four actions of our Climate Action 2022, which are: Plan to Reduce Coal Usage, Reduce/Phase Down Fossil Fuels, Cut Methane Emissions and Back Clean Energy.

Besides this monitoring activity, we are as well conducting evaluation for learning purpose.  This evaluation will help us to learn something from these actions.  It will also assist to check the actual outcomes against the objectives we set up for climate actions.  When this evaluation for learning is completed, we shall carry out an impact evaluation to find out how working with the community would have some influences in the long term on their energy use, in particular for those having the share of their income highly sensitive to energy bills.

One of the monitoring and evaluation indicators/tools we are using is to collect the views from those who have been acting with us and/or those who have been following us.  In this respect, we would like to ask them to tell us their feelings about the four climate actions taken as highlighted in the following simple questions.  They can provide their feelings in the form of a review or feedback or testimonial.  The results of their feelings will help to improve future climate actions.

 

 

Those participating to this survey can tick one box (ranging from 0 to 10) for each climate action.  Ticking the box will indicate to us how satisfied they are with the delivery experience about each action taken.  All the completed survey forms should be sent to CENFACS by mid-April 2022.

Those who want to provide feelings and would like to request the details about these actions prior to their response, they are free to make their request to CENFACS.

Thank you for considering our demand of feelings and for your support.

It will be good that those who would like to provide their feelings to do them by mid-April 2022.

 

 

 

• Practical Takeaways from Climate Action Month 2022

 

To deliver the theme of ‘Smooth the way to energy transition‘, we focused on four key climate actions from every Wednesdays of this month as follows:

 

∝ Plan to Reduce Coal Usage or Make a Plan to Phase down Coal (Climate Action 1, held from 02 to 08/03/2022)

∝ Reduce or Phase down Subsidies that artificially lower the price of coal, oil and natural gas (Climate Action 2, held from 09 to 15/03/2022)

∝ Cut Methane Emissions (Climate Action 3, held from 16 to 22/03/2022)

∝ Back Clean Energy (Climate Action 4, held from 23 to 29/03/2022)

 

What can we take away from these actions?

 

• • Key takeaways

 

The following are the main ideas to remember from March 2022 Climate Action.

 

1^st takeaway

 

Being able to explore alternative and affordable sustainable sources of energy to coal can help to save money, especially for those who are having energy bills/share highly sensitive to their household income.

 

2^nd takeaway

 

The energy dividend or money resulting from the cut of fossil fuel subsidies can be transferred to energy poor to consume cleaner, greener and sustainable energy.

 

3^rd takeaway

 

Cutting methane emissions from households can help reduce health poverty or indoor environment poverty linked to the polluting air and energy generated by gas stoves or any other domestic appliances that may be faulty.

 

4^th takeaway

 

An inclusive financial action that considers both the needs of the global commons and poor’s necessities has much chance to succeed than actions that solely focus on climate goals without or with little consideration to poverty and energy poor people.

For more details about the outcomes of CENFACS’ March Climate Action Working Days 2022, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

Extra Messages

 

• Integrating Climate Actions with Poverty Reduction Goals

 

To proceed with the integration of climate actions and poverty reduction goals; we are going to define climate action, state climate actions taken this month, highlight CENFACS‘ poverty reduction goals and explore this integration.

 

• • What is climate action? 

 

Climate action is an activity of engaging and putting ideas into practice to deal with any natural or induced change in the long term average weather conditions of a place, especially when this change adversely affects people’s and communities’ lives and livelihoods.  In other words, it is any effort to mitigate the adverse effects of this change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions while strengthening capacities and resilience to climate-induced impacts.

Climate action is also the 13th Goal of the United Nations’ (1) 17 Sustainable Development Goals and 2030 Agenda.

In the context of CENFACS’ Climate Action Month for this year, climate action is about any undertaken efforts to work with energy poor so that they can reduce any greenhouse gas emissions they can emit via the type of energy or equipment they may use and move towards the use of affordable, clean and sustainable energy.

 

• • Climate Actions taken this month

 

We have so far taken four climate actions, which are:

a) Plan to Phase Coal down

b) Reduce or Phase down Subsidies that artificially lower the price of coal, oil and natural gas

c) Cut Methane Emissions

d) Back Clean Energy.

The above mentioned actions can be integrated with poverty reduction goals.  Before doing this integration, let us briefly highlight the goals we are talking about.

 

• • CENFACS’ Poverty Reduction Goals

 

CENFACS’ Poverty Reduction Goals (2) are the following:

 

1. Reduce income poverty and poverty (or weaknesses) in earning capacity

2. Consume sustainably to reduce poverty and climate change

3. Tackle energy poverty

4. Support in-working poor people

5. Eliminate (inter/intra)generational poverty amongst women and children

6. Empower the digital and ICT (information and communication technology) poor people and communities

7. Help reduce climate-induced poverty or situational (or transitory) poverty amongst the victims of natural disasters and of destructive wars.

 

• • Integrating Climate Actions with Poverty Reduction Goals

 

It is possible to integrate the above four climate actions and the seven poverty reduction goals (PRGs). 

For example, one can integrate the climate action of cutting down methane emissions and the goal of tackling energy poverty.  In doing so, one can take PRG-integrated climate actions that could help to meet the needs of the global commons and the poor’s.

So, while we are conducting monitoring and evaluation of our Climate Action Month 2022, we are as well looking at the co-benefits and gains via PRG-integrated climate actions.

For those who are interested in the integration between climate actions and poverty reduction goals, they can contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

• Build Forward Better Donations Needed!

 

At the beginning of this Spring Relief season, we would like to take this opportunity to communicate to you our need of donations which is now greater than ever before.  The lingering effects of the coronavirus and the current energy crisis have put serious pressure on the finances and other areas of operations of many organisations including ourselves.  This is let alone the current level of inflation (that is, a sustained general rise in prices in an economy over a given period of time).

We need donations to help those are who still suffering from the legacies of the coronavirus and the current energy crisis so that they can build forward better cleaner, greener and safer.

We know that some of you have their income dropped because of the legacies of the coronavirus.  The current energy crisis can only add more pressure on the way people earn and spend their income.  However, for those who can, please do not hesitate to support as the need is still pressing and the stakes are still higher at this time.

You could be a life-saver or changer this Spring.

We look forward to your support.  Many thanks!

 

 

 

• Zero Income Deficit Campaign

 

In focus at the start of Spring 2022: How to successfully close your year-end personal and family accounts and get prepared for the next financial year with new accounts

 

The current fiscal year is about to end soon and the new one will start from the 6th of April as usual.  For those members of our community who are struggling to get a grip on their household accounts, there is still time to work with CENFACS to sort out their accounts.  CENFACS can work with them so that they could understand their financial position while keeping financial control on their accounts.

This year-end financial control exercise is part of CENFACS’ Zero Income Deficit Campaign, which is designed to help our community members to reduce and possibly end intergenerational poverty.

 

 

For those who may be interested in this year-end financial control activity, they can contact CENFACS. 

For your information, we do not deal with company accounts.  We only support our community members who are experiencing some difficulties in handling their household financial accounts and statements (i.e. balance sheet, cash flow statement, surplus and loss account, etc.).

 

 

 

Donnez votre avis sur la transition énergétique

Le CENFACS mène un travail de recherche communautaire sur les difficultés que rencontre la communauté avec la transition énergétique.  Cette recherche porte sur quatre domaines de nos actions climatiques, à savoir :

1) Élaborer un plan pour éliminer progressivement le charbon

2) Réduire les combustibles fossiles

3) Réduire les émissions de méthane

4) Soutenir l’énergie propre.

Cette recherche aidera à documenter et à comprendre les problèmes auxquels la communauté est confrontée afin de faire une transition en douceur vers une énergie nette zéro.

Cette recherche permettra également de mesurer l’effet de substitution de l’énergie au sein de la communauté; c’est-à-dire l’effet de substitution énergétique des combustibles fossiles (p. ex. le charbon, le pétrole et le gaz naturel) pour des énergies plus propres et renouvelables (comme l’énergie éolienne, houlomotrice et solaire) en raison d’une variation de leurs prix relatifs, en particulier et pas exclusivement pour les ménages à faible revenu.

La recherche aidera finalement à recueillir des données sur la façon dont la communauté a été affectée par la hausse du prix de l’énergie pour répondre à ses besoins énergétiques.

Pour participer à ces travaux de recherche, veuillez communiquer avec le CENFACS.

 

 

Main Development

 

• Energy Transition Support Services

 

The following items will enable to understand Energy Transition Support Services (ETSS):

What are Energy Transition Support Services?, What do these services consist of?  Who can benefit from them? and How to access them.

 

• • What are Energy Transition Support Services (ETSS)?

 

They are work performed for or assistance given to our community members who need support to change or move from fossil-based (fossil fuels like coal, gas and oil) to zero-carbon (renewables such as solar, wind, geothermal, biomass and electric) materials bringing power (i.e. sustainable electricity, gas and water) to them.

This work or assistance is done with them through advice, information, tips, hints, advocacy and campaign.  Through this work/assistance, we can assess and audit their energy needs, discuss with them their household energy sources and budget, inform them on energy-saving household appliances and alternatives, work with them on their journey to net zero and signpost them to services that could address their energy transition needs.

 

• • What do these services consist of?

 

They consist of what we can call ways of working with the community on energy matters.  CENFACS can work with its members on the following four areas of energy transition: Making a plan to phase down coal, reduction of fossil fuels, methane emissions reduction, and backing clean energy. 

 

• • • Four areas of work with the community

 

1) Working with and supporting the community on matters relating to Plan to Phase Down Coal consists of:

 

√ Identifying ways of reducing energy bills through personalised energy advice and tips

√ Signposting users to agencies dealing with energy or fuel poverty

√ Providing leads about energy auditing and assessment

√ Sharing with users both print and online sources and resources dealing with energy bills and payments, as well as energy efficiency.

 

2) Working with and supporting the community on matters relating to the Reduction of Fossil Fuel Subsidies consists of:

 

√ Sharing our understanding on how changes in fossil fuel subsidies can affect their household budgets

√ Updating them about any new and innovative practices in terms of energy use

√ Translating and interpreting in simple language complex issues of fossil fuel subsidies that can affect their lives

√ Helping them to save money on energy bills by sourcing with them affordable energy providers/suppliers and following energy saving tips and hints

√ Assisting them to transition towards cleaner, greener and sustainable energy via advice and targeted campaign messages.

 

3) Working with and supporting the community on matters relating to Methane Emissions Reduction consists of:

 

√ Advising members, particularly those who can afford, to use domestic appliances that reduce methane emissions (e.g. use of all-electric stoves instead of gas ones)

√ Reducing both environmental and health risks (e.g. respiratory diseases) through the choice of domestic appliances (e.g. cooking appliances) to be used

√ Suggesting and emphasising the ongoing message about fighting methane emissions via reduction of food waste and of meat consumption

√ Choosing diet that is net zero greenhouse gas emissions as far as methane is concerned

√ Encouraging them to use price comparison tools to compare and contrast prices from different energy suppliers and choose the one that suits their interest and need

√ Working with energy poor to help them take control of their energy

√ Directing them to supportive energy hubs, workshops and events

√ Explaining them what energy cap and energy rebate mean for their household energy budget

√ Lessening the impact of energy crisis on their household bills.

 

4) Working with and supporting the community on matters relating to Backing Clean Energy consists of:

 

√ Advocating to reduce financial barriers to participation to clean energy transition

√ Improving access to financing for energy-efficiency and fossil fuel-free upgrades

√ Campaigning to reduce energy poverty as a share of income spent on energy bills

√ Advocating to alleviate energy burden

√ Helping in the improvement of housing conditions for energy saving purpose

√ Supporting poor to be qualified for home improvements for energy saving and efficiency

√ Assisting them in their attempt to access cost-effective energy upgrades

√ Finding options that do not require debt to access clean energy

√ Raising awareness to them about energy efficiency measures

√ Helping them reduce energy bills via clean energy sources

√ Searching with them inclusive energy financing schemes that fit their needs.

Those members of our community who have problems with Planning to Phase Coal Down, Reducing Fossil Fuels, Cutting Methane Emissions, and Getting the Backing of their Clean Energy drive; and would like to work with us on these matters, they can contact CENFACS.

 

• • Who can benefit from them?

 

The first and direct beneficiaries of the above mentioned services will be and are CENFACS Community Members.  Those who are connected to them can also benefit from these services.  Members of sister communities working with us can indirectly benefit from them as well.

 

• • How to access ETSS

 

Access to ETSS can be done by

√ Booking an appointment for support on energy transition

√ Contacting CENFACS via phone, e-mail, text and completing the contact form on the page ‘contact-us’ of this website.

Services are free, confidential, open to everyone and held on a one-to-one basis or as a group and run by qualified, expert and committed volunteers.  Although services are free, we do not mind voluntary donations of any amount from any service users.

Health protection and safety relating to the coronavirus pandemic and its variants are and will be included in the delivery of these services.

For any queries and/or enquiries about ETSS, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

_________

 

• References

 

(1) https://sdgs.un.org (accessed in March 2022)

(2) CENFACS, (2020), The Twenty-twenties (2020s) Development Agenda and Poverty Reduction Programme at cenfacs.org.uk/2020/03/11/the-2020s-agenda-and-programme/

 

_________

 

Help CENFACS keep the Poverty Relief work going this year.

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 future or as a New Year resolution.

Donate to support CENFACS!

FOR ONLY £1, YOU CAN SUPPORT CENFACS AND CENFACS’ PROJECTS, JUST GO TO :Support Causes – (cenfacs.org.uk)

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 2022 and beyond.

With many thanks.