Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

23 June 2021

 

Post No. 201

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• Research and Development to Build Forward Better Together

• Creative Economic Development Month – In Focus for Week Beginning 21/06/2021: Green and Clean Creations and Innovations.

• Distress-free Life from Enduring Coronavirus for Children, Young People and Families in Africa

 

… And much more!

 

 

 

Key Messages

 

• Research and Development to Build Forward Better Together

 

To build forward better from the coronavirus pandemic, it requires research and development.  And research and development are at the heart of everything we do at CENFACS.

We are researching for new ideas to better help reduce poverty amongst our users in the community and Africa-based Organisations making part of our area of operation in Africa.  We are as well researching for new ways of applying ideas to better help reduce poverty and hardships amongst the same beneficiaries. 

To be practical, we are currently researching on the Economics of Not-for-profit Solutions to Poverty, in particular but not specifically to COVID-19-induced poverty.  Under the Main Development section of this post, we have provided further details about this first key message and current research focus.

 

 

 

• Creative Economic Development Month – In Focus for Week Beginning 21/06/2021: Green and Clean Creations and Innovations.

 

Our delivery of the Creative Economic Development Month continues with the featuring of Green and Clean Creations and Innovations.  To feature them, we are going to try to understand their meanings and give some highlights about what our Africa-based Sister Organisations are doing in terms them. 

 

• • Understanding of green and clean creations and innovations

 

The following summarises our apprehension of green and clean creations and innovations.

 

• • • Green creations and innovations

 

Green creations are processes or actions of bringing something into existence and do not or cause less harm to the environment. 

Green innovations are about making changes in established things without or with less harm to the environment.

So, green creations and innovations are those which ensure that natural assets continue to provide the resources and environment services on which human and other beings rely upon.

   

• • • Clean creations and innovations

 

Clean creations are about generating new and unique ideas on things that are free from harmful substances or effects to health, life and the nature.

Clean innovations are about executing the creative ideas into practice that does not cause harmful fallout or contamination to human life and the nature.  

Thus, clean creations and innovations are those that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and negative environmental impacts through efficient use of natural and few non-renewable resources.

Briefly speaking, the interest in this week of the Creative Economic Development Month is on creations and innovations that are environment-friendly (that is, they have a small or zero environmental impact) and reduce waste in the nature.   We are as well interested in creations and innovations that lower emissions of greenhouse gas, reduce climate-damaging carbon dioxide emissions, spearhead green energy solutions and increase the share of renewables in the energy mix in the process of creating and innovating for life, work and future.

 

• • Africa-based Sister Organisations’ Green and Clean Creations and Innovations

 

There are many green and clean creative and innovative initiatives carried out by our Africa-based Sister Organisations.  Amongst them, we can mention the ecological site run by one of our African partners in Togo.  The initiative included: education and training, growing of young seedlings in greenhouses (e.g. planting peppers in greenhouses and eggplant in new greenhouse), experiment, etc.   

This ecological site is an experience of environment-friendly initiative that is aligned with greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals and targets.  It is a good example of how to grow plants without depleting natural resources.

For more information about this initiative and other similar works carried out by our Africa-based Sister organisations, please contact CENFACS. 

 

 

 

• Distress-free Life from Enduring Coronavirus for Children, Young People and Families in Africa

 

Distress-free Life from Enduring Coronavirus for Children, Young People and Families in Africa is one of the Summer Appeal projects making the first part of our Summer Programme, which will be published soon.  This appeal has been already launched.

The appeal is about supporting children, young people and families (CYPFs) in places in Africa where healthcare systems are vulnerable and weak, and cannot cope with the mounting pressure and damaging effects of the Covid-19.

Supporting this appeal means helping CYPFs to minimise and mitigate the impacts of Covid-19 on them. Your support will help to reduce the risks stemming from the economic and health threats that have been caused by Covid-19.  One can think of a child or young person without any dreams and expectations, what will be his/her future.

Can you help this child?  Yes or No!

If you say yes; then…

√ You can help that child to dream and expect for a better life and future. 

√ You can help stop Covid-19 to become a structural constraint and handicap for that child.

√ You can help stop Covid-19 to create lifelong impacts on children and young people.

√ You can help stop children’s and young people’s lives being reduced back below the poverty line.

√ You can stop the lost generation of Covid-19 or “the pandemial generation” to happen in Africa.

To make the above happen, support Distress-free Life from Enduring Coronavirus for Children, Young People and Families in Africa.

Details of this appeal and ways of supporting can be found at: cenfacs.org.uk/supporting-us/

 

 

Thank you for helping CENFACS IN ENHANCING AND SUSTAINING FREEDOMS AND CAPABILITIES BY WORKING IN ALLIANCE WITH LOCAL PEOPLE TO DEVELOP SUSTAINABLE INITIATIVES.

 

Extra Messages

 

• Thanksgiving Days: Supporters’ Days (28 to 30 June 2021)

 

From 28 to 30 June 2021, we will be thanking all our supporters (current and past ones). 

We would like to take the opportunity of the end of June to thank them (and you if you are one of them) for helping CENFACS IN ENHANCING AND SUSTAINING FREEDOMS AND CAPABILITIES BY WORKING IN ALLIANCE WITH LOCAL PEOPLE TO DEVELOP SUSTAINABLE INITIATIVES.

  

• •  What do mean by Thanking Days or Supporters’ Days?

 

These are Special Days of Thank You we would like to dedicate to all those who contributed to our work for any types of support they have given us over this financial year.  This dedication is normally held in the last week of and by the end of June.  For this year, Thank-you Days will be held from 28 to 30 June 2021. 

As we are in CENFACS’ Creative Economic Development Month and Leafy Year, we shall find all sorts of creative, innovative and communicative ways of thanking our invaluable supporters and backers.  These thanking ways may include the following:

√ Conversing with our supporters over phones

√ Signing and sending thank-you prints or e-cards to them

√ Telling them the stories or outcomes about the people and communities they helped through their support

√ E-mailing, texting and tweeting them with messages of gratitude

√ Telling and sharing thank-you stories

√ Playing and listening with them music and songs of thank you

√ Making and playing thank-you videos and films

√ Giving back to them by volunteering our time to the cause they deeply care about

Undertaking a free translation service (French to English and vice versa)

√ Reading African poems and poetry

√ Sending to them digital and technologically animated thank-you messages

√ Doing creative and design works symbolising thank you

√ Sending designed and hand crafted made objects and crafts of acknowledgement

√ Making video calls since the coronavirus pandemic and its associated impacts continue to restrict some forms of physical contact, etc.

If you are one of the CENFACS’ supporters, please we would like to let you know the Thanking Days at CENFACS are your Days.  Do not hesitate to get in touch, if you do not mistakenly hear from us.  We will welcome you; reconnect with you and thank you on the occasion for the helpful difference you made to our work and project beneficiaries.

Your invaluable support has meant a lot for our programme and project beneficiaries over this ending financial year.

We would like to express all our sincere gratitude to you for helping us to help reduce poverty.

For further details, contact CENFACS’ Thanksgiving-End-of-June-2021 Team.

 

 

 

•  Arts and Design Project –

In Focus: Unknown and Unnamed Artists and Designers of Poverty Relief and Sustainable Development with the example of Young Creators and Innovators

 

Artists and designers play an active role in helping to reduce poverty and enhance sustainable development.  So, this week we are working on some of the works carried out by artists and designers especially those from small scale and charitable backgrounds, the local arts and design products and services undertaken by local people and communities sometimes to make ends meet. 

These kinds of work can include those carried out by poor families, children, young people and those who are left out of the economic growth or upturn.  Additionally, there are works carried out by unknown and unnamed artists and designers who may be amateurs or not professionals or not just celebrities.  Every year, we try to find out unknown and unnamed artists and designers, as part of Arts and Design Project. 

All these small pieces of art and design works can help relieve poverty and enhance the process of sustainable development.  They can help build forward better during this pandemic time.

 

•  •  Example of Unknown and Unnamed Artists and Designers: Young Creators and Innovators

 

Some Young Creators and Innovators can be classified as unknown and unnamed artists and designers.  They are of all sorts of talents and abilities who can create and innovate to reduce poverty and enhance sustainable development.  They can as well help to build forward better from the coronavirus pandemic.  Their works can help reduce Covid-19 induced poverty and hardships while keeping the progress of the realisation of sustainable development goals.  They could be the finders of the today’s solutions for tomorrow’s problems.   

So, this week we are continuing our Arts and Design project by looking at the contribution that unknown and unnamed artists and designers, and amongst them are Young Creators and Innovators, are making in reducing poverty and hardships as well as in enhancing sustainable development.

If you are a young creator and/or innovator and has some feeling that you would probably fall under the category of unknown and unnamed artists and designers, CENFACS would like to hear from you as well as your creative/innovative work.

 

 

• Africa’s Healthcare Capabilities in face of COVID-19 Rebound

 

One year ago, we argued about the need to boost Africa’s healthcare capabilities in order to shadow the evolution of the epidemiological curves of the coronavirus pandemic.  This argument was part of our COVID-19 Campaign and Advocacy on Rebuilding Africa. 

This week, we are examining if African countries succeeded in allocating 1% or more of their gross domestic product to health.  We are indeed looking at if they boosted their health capacities since there has been a rebound of COVID-19 infection in many places in Africa.

Those who will be interested in this issue of Africa’s healthcare capabilities, they can feel free to let us know.  Likewise, those who have data or more information about investments in health care capabilities in Africa, they can – if they want – share them with the community and CENFACS.

To discuss or share data on Africa’s healthcare capabilities, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

Main Development

 

• Research and Development to Build Forward Better Together

 

To build forward better together, we are going to consider the following items making our research and development work.

 

• •  Research and Development within CENFACS

 

The function of research and development (R&D) is important within CENFACS.  This is because we can only help to reduce poverty and enhance sustainable development if we are able to undertake research and develop solutions together with local people to poverty reduction and to the enhancement of sustainable development.  In this respect, the kinds of research and development work we do are related to the core activities of poverty reduction and sustainable development. 

In the context of this year’s Creative Economic Development Month, we are carrying on research and development related to coronavirus-induced poverty and hardships on the one hand, and the delay or prevention caused by Covid-19 in the progress of the realisation of sustainable development goals on the other.  This is the general scope of our research and development work. 

Within this scope, we are currently working on the Economics of Not-for-profit Solutions to poverty, in particular but not specifically to COVID-19-induced poverty.  We are researching these solutions in the context of African Continental Free Trade Area.  However, before going any further in the presentation of research and development, let us define the economics of not-for-profit solutions to poverty.

 

• • What is the economics of not-for-profit solutions to poverty?

 

To understand the economics of not-for-profit solutions to poverty, one needs to first understand economics.  To comprehend economics, we are going to refer to the basic dictionary of economics by Christopher Pass, Bryan Lowes and Leslie Davies (1).  C. Pass et al define economics as

“The study of the problem of using available factors of production as efficiently as possible so as to attain the maximum fulfilment of society’s unlimited demands for goods and services.  The ultimate purpose of economic endeavour is to satisfy human wants for goods and services… whereas wants are virtually without limit, the resources – natural resources, labour and capital – available at any one time to produce goods and services, are limited in supply; i.e., resources are scarce relative to the demands they are called upon to satisfy” (pp. 153 & 154)

From the above definition, one can deduct that the economics of not-for-profit solutions to poverty is the study of the allocation of resources and of choices made by not-for-profit organisations providing solutions that do not seek to make profit in order to resolve the problem of lack of money and material possessions.  Because resources (especially natural ones) are scarce and non-renewable, one can make not-for-profit choices in order to satisfy the demand of those in need, especially in most pressing and urgent needs like the ones led by the coronavirus pandemic.   

 

• • Research on the Economics of Not-for-profit Solutions to Poverty

 

As part of research and development of the month of Creative Economic Development, we are going to share with readers of this post the current work we are conducting in terms of Investing in the Not-for-profit Organisations (N4POs).  The coming Issue of FACS (Issue no. 72) will give more information about the investments in the not-for-profit organisations in Africa.

In meantime, let us argue that the current work is about how investing in the N4POs can contribute to further poverty reduction and long term economic development in the African Continental Free Trade Area.  The positive long term expected effects or outcomes from this kind investment will include the following:

jobs creation, boosting and development of products and services, support to the green and blue developments, building forward better lives from the coronavirus pandemic, natural resources management and conservation, etc.

As part this study, we are looking at data in investments in the not-for-profit economies in Africa as well as working on two assumptions or tests.

 

 

• •  Testing hypotheses

 

The first Test is that investing in the not-for-profit organisations in Africa can lead to poverty reduction in bulk or mass poverty reduction.  However, for this to happen, the following conditions need to be met:

∞ Better money governance; that is money invested has to be allocated to lifting people out of poverty not to paying high salaries to those who run those N4POs

∞ There should be no or less disruptive events (such as civil wars, conflicts, natural and health disasters, etc.)

∞ There should also be creative productive capacities to reduce over-dependency over not-for-profit investors in the long term

∞ Investments made should be in line with greenhouse gas emissions reduction programmes, goals and targets

∞ The transformation of consumption spending into production spending needs to be part of a long term plan.

Everything remaining equal if these conditions are respected, the model of reducing poverty in bulk could continue over time. 

 

 

The second or alternative hypothesis is that investing in the not-for-profit in Africa will not lead to mass poverty reduction in Africa.  There are many factors militating en favour of this position which include the following: the level of development of economies forming the African Continental Free Trade Area, the deep scars left by the coronavirus, the infancy or embryonic state of the African Continental Free Trade Area itself, etc.

In both tests, causality and attribution approach, quantitative and qualitative techniques and methods will be used.  For example, quantitative techniques and methods can be used to test if there is a correlation between mass poverty reduction in the post-pandemic era and investment in N4POs.  The same or similar techniques and methods can also be used to determine the relationships between investment in N4POs and their long-term economic development in the African Continental Free Trade Area. 

By economic development, we mean what C. Pass et al. (op. cit.) define as

“A process of economic transition involving the structural transformation of an economy through industrialisation and raising of gross domestic product and income per head” (p. 149)

For further details and or enquiries about this Research and Development activity, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

_________

Reference

(1) Pass, B. Lowes and L. Davies (1988), Dictionary of Economics, HarperCollins Publishers, Collins Reference, London & Glasgow

_________

 

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.

Donate to support CENFACS!

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

Thank you for visiting CENFACS website and reading this post.

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

We look forward to receiving your regular visits and continuing support throughout 2021 and beyond.

With many thanks.

 

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

16 June 2021

 

Post No. 200

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• Game of the Not-for-profit Developers

• Creative Economic Development Month – In Focus for Week Beginning 14/06/2021: Creations and Innovations to Counteract Future Shocks and Disasters

• Coming this Summer 2021: FACS Issue no. 72 to be entitled as Investing in the Not-for-profit Organisations within the African Continental Free Trade Area

 

… And much more!

 

 

Key Messages

 

• Game of the Not-for-profit Developers (GN4PDs)

 

Game of the Not-for-profit Developers (or the Game of the African Not-for-profit Organisations in the African Continental Free Trade Area) is an investigative project that continues our search or investigation with Africa-based Sister Organisations about the gains that the African Not-for-profit Organisations (AN4POs) can realise by being actively and fully engaged in the process and the development of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

It is an investigative project because through this project, we shall carry out a thorough and detailed examination of the benefits of being deeply involved in the game of trade integration of the AfCFTA.  In doing so, the project will try to expose both the advantages and disadvantages from the AfCFTA, from the perspective of the not-for-profit development.  In this respect, the Game of the Not-for-Profit Developers is a form of gamification of the elements of game playing (such as the rules of game in the marketplace) to the area of poverty reduction.

Under the Main Development section of this post, we have provided a summary of project proposals relating to this project.

 

 

• Creative Economic Development Month – In Focus for Week Beginning 14/06/2021: Creations and Innovations to Counteract Future Shocks and Disasters

 

Our month of Creative Economic Development continues as we have started looking at creations and innovations that could help us to nullify or reduce the adverse impacts of future socks and disasters.  Future shocks and disasters may not be known since we are in the territory of futurology and uncertainty.  However, this does not stop us to make preparation in counteracting these shocks and disasters if they happen.  To prepare ourselves, we are going to work on creations and innovations to counteract imminent risks as well as those may happen in Africa.

 

• • Creations and Innovations to counteract imminent risks

 

Regarding the kinds of future shocks and disasters that may surprise us or one may encounter, there are those ones listed as risks in the 16^th edition of the World Economic Forum’s annual analysis – the Global Risks Report 2021 (1).  In its report, the Forum categorises risks into the following types: economic, environmental, geopolitical, societal and technological ones.  On the page 12 of this report, there are 10 top risks that are likely to happen and 10 top risks that may impact over the course of the next ten years. 

Additionally, it is indicated in this report that further to the survey respondents’ results, the 10 top global risks by likelihood (from unlikely to very likely to occur over the course of the next ten years) are:

(1) extreme weather  (2) climate action failure  (3) human environmental damage  (4) infectious diseases  (5) biodiversity loss  (6) digital power concentration  (7) digital inequality  (8) interstate relations fracture  (9) cyber-security failure (10) livelihood crises

For the same survey respondents’ results, the 10 top global risks by impact (from minimal to catastrophic impact to occur over the course of the next ten years) are: 

(1) infectious diseases  (2) climate action failure  (3) weapons of mass destruction  (4) biodiversity loss  (5) natural resource crisis  (6) human environmental damage  (7) livelihood crises  (8) extreme weather  (9) debt crisis  (10) IT infrastructure breakdown

It is possible to create and innovate to counteract any of these risks if they happen. 

For instance, one can create and innovate to counteract the damaging effects of extreme weather which is the top global risk by likelihood according to the World Economic Forum’s report.  Likewise, one can create and innovate to counteract the life threatening and destroying effects of infectious diseases which are the first top global risk by impact.  And the coronavirus as an infectious disease has so far historically and adversely impacted the humanity.  Should we created and innovated more, we could have sensibly reduced or avoided the harmful impact of the coronavirus which is still not shown any sign of giving up.

 

• • Creations and innovations to counteract shocks and disasters in Africa

 

Every year, there are events (such as civil conflicts, civil insecurity, floods, torrential rains, etc.) that lead to population displacements, food insecurity and other socio-economic impacts to people, especially the poorest ones.  This is let alone the coronavirus that has led to containment measures.

For example, in their recent joint Global Report on Internal Displacement, the International Displacement Monitoring Centre and the Norway Refugee Council (2) have noticed the following:

6,780,000 (almost 27.4%) people were displaced by conflicts and violence, and 4,299,000 were displaced by disasters in 2020 in Sub-Saharan Africa. (p. 8)

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) have involuntarily and internally displaced many people.   The recent eruption of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Mount Nyiragongo is yet another illustration of these natural disasters and their consequences on human lives.

It is possible for Africans to create and innovate to counteract the detrimental effects and impacts of these events.  It is also possible to create and innovate to stop women and children to bear the brunt of future shocks and disasters. 

However, creating and innovating to prepare against, prevent and counteract future shocks and disasters require investments.  One can hope that with the funding programmes going on to eradicate the coronavirus, there would be also financial schemes to help counteract future shocks and disasters, at least for that are likely to happen in the near future.

To support the Creative Economic Development Month, please contact CENFACS.  To share your creations and innovations to counteract future shocks and disasters, please also contact CENFACS.

 

 

• Coming this Summer 2021: FACS Issue no. 72 to be entitled as

Investing in the Not-for-profit African Organisations in Africa –

How to reduce more poverty in the African Continental Free Trade Area

 

As the momentum about the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) keeps growing, many would call on investors to pour in their capital.  However, given the size of poverty in Africa, would not be better for investors motivated by other motives than profit to move to those areas of AfCFTA or African market that are not-for-profit making, but that take poverty reduction as their core mission? 

The need for the distribution of investments and penetration of investors to deprived areas is even greater now as the coronavirus has wiped out hard-won outcomes (for many decades) about poverty reduction in Africa.  For example, when navigating the impact of COVID-19 in Sub-Saharan Africa, the International Monetary Fund (3) argues that

“In Sub-Saharan Africa, estimated employment fell by about 8½ per cent in 2020, more than 32 million people were thrown into poverty…” (p. 11)

This estimated number of poor people has to be added to the pre-pandemic poor.  If there are so many people living in poverty, it makes sense to appeal to not-for-profit investors to chip in. 

The 72^nd Issue of FACS will examine how not-for-profit driven investors can support not-for-profit organisations and development in the AfCFTA.  Especially, this Issue will look at the climate and conditions in which this could bring more and better poverty reduction outcomes in Africa. 

Through this Issue, we are going to discuss a new direction or re-orientation of investments in Africa with a mission to lift more people from poverty and hardships.  This will help to add value to poverty reduction compared to the classic route or channel of investments in Africa.

The 72^nd Issue is a journey with those in need in a new area of trade integration in Africa with new types of investors to meet their needs and build forward better from the COVID-19 induced poverty and hardships.  Amongst those investors are social ones.

As Muhammad Yunus with Karl Weber (4) put it in the introduction to their book:    

“In a social business, an investor aims to help others without making any financial gain himself” (p. xvii)

They also argue in the same introduction the following:

“No doubt humans are selfish beings, but they are selfless beings, too.  Both these qualities coexist in all human beings” (p. xv)

It is this selfless motivation or dimension driven by investors that will be about in the 72^nd Issue of FACS in order to lift more people out of poverty.

Further details about this Issue will be released in due course.  However, for those who would like to reserve a copy they are welcome to contact CENFACS.

 

Extra Messages

 

• Spring Project of Building Back Better from the Coronavirus: Only 1 Week to Go!

 

The Project of Building Back Better from the Coronavirus aims at reducing poverty, particularly sanitation poverty, in the process of building back better from the damaging effects of the coronavirus pandemic while fighting it where it is still claiming its victims during this season in Africa.

This project has two key objectives which are:

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

(b) 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 goals and targets  

You can support it to make helpful difference for the victims of the coronavirus pandemic in Africa.

To support, contact CENFACS at:  Support Causes – (cenfacs.org.uk)

 

 

 

• Arts and Design Project

e-Workshop 2: Making and Sending a p-Card or e-Card to Support World Desertification and Drought Day 2021 on 17 June

 

The 17th of June 2021 is the United Nations World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought, which is an event to promote awareness of the desertification of Earth dry lands and supports efforts to combat this.  The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (5) says that message of Desertification and Drought Day 2021 is

“Investing in activities that protect and restore natural ecosystems will boost the recovery from COVID-19 for communities, countries and economies worldwide”

One can seize this occasion to construct and post a p-card (paper card) and/or e-card (electronic card) as expressions or ways of sustainably managing land to resonate the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought on 17/06/2021.    One can follow the card design criteria we published last week for Arts and Design e-workshop 1, and design their p-card or e-card.

So, those who wish and want can design and post an e-card or e-object to feature the theme and focus of Desertification and Drought Day 2021.

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

To find out more about Desertification and Drought Day 2021, please go to:  Media advisory: Press Kit for Desertification and Drought Day 2021 | UNCCD

 

 

 

• Ways through which CENFACS is creating and innovating to build forward better together

 

As part of building CENFACS forward better, we would like to share with the community and stakeholders the following means of creation and innovation:

 

Stories

 

We use stories (through our All in Development Stories Telling and Sharing Programme) to track users’ and the community’s experiences.

 

E-advice Services

 

To counteract the handicaps brought by the coronavirus and accidental damages caused by the containment measures (e.g. social distancing, lockdowns and border control), we have now innovative e-advisory services on a range of matters.

 

E-workshops

 

In order to get more people involved in our activities, services, projects and programmes; we are running e-workshops.

 

Skill Data Bank

 

To stay connected with the community and match skills and needs, we have maintained a searchable database where people can register their skills at any time.

 

CENFACS Website and Twitter account

 

We use our website and twitter account to map out or simply check the community engagement.

 

Nature-based and circular economic solutions

 

We often refer to green and sustainable ways of solving problems in our work.

These creative and innovative initiatives will help us to build forward better together with the community and Africa-based Sister Organisations.

For those who would like to find out more about CENFACS‘ creative and innovative initiatives, they are welcome to contact us. 

 

 

 

Main Development

 

• Game of the Not-for-profit Developers (GN4PDs)

 

• • What is GN4PDs?

 

The Game of the Not-for-profit Developers (or the Game of the African Not-for-profit Organisations in the African Continental Free Trade Area) is an investigative project that aims to help African Not-for-profit Organisations to get the best of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) so that they can expand their outcomes in terms of poverty reduction, and in doing so help lift more people out of poverty in Africa or in this area.

The project, which is not a sum of recreational activities, is a model of decision-making process that analyses the threats and risks deriving from the trading space provided by the AfCFTA while identifying the opportunities that can be reaped of the same space.  The investigative project takes into account the local needs as well as the conflicting interests of the other game players and their choices.

 

• • Project components/activities

  

The following are the project activities:

 

√ Negotiation and bidding in international capital markets to secure funds for poverty reduction

√ Development of cross-border services and their delivery to users of various countries

√ Promotion of indigenous and local technologies and inward-looking services

√ Attraction of not-for-profit foreign direct investments

√ Capacity building and development support to provide cross-border services or not-for-profit services to other countries in the context of AfCFTA

√ Building forward better infrastructures, capacities and structures

√ Exploration, search and creation of market niches and opportunities within the AfCFTA

√ Formation and development of poverty-reduction alliances

√ Development of value chains and of pan-African service creating effects for poverty reduction

√ Techniques to engage with poverty reduction work in the game of free trade or economic integration

√ Creation of scale economies of poverty reduction

√ Inward-looking poverty reduction services

√ Outward-looking services to meet demand and needs beyond borders

√ Help to win market niches, opportunities and contracts

Etc.

 

• • Project outcomes

 

One can anticipate the following changes and effects may happen:

 

√ Project beneficiaries will become empowered and better negotiators on the international trade and capital markets

√ Increase and improvement of cross-border services provision and delivery of poverty reduction

√ Amelioration of capacity to provide cross-border services in the context of the AfCFTA

√ Adapted infrastructures, capacities and structures to cope with the demand and requirement of an integrated and continental free trade area

√ More discoveries of market niches and opportunities for poverty reduction

√ Increase in the number and quality of allied organisations working on similar poverty reduction issues and poverty reduction services/products

√ Enhancement of value chains of poverty reduction within and across the not-for-profit organisations

√ More and better beneficial effects on poverty reduction across Africa

√ Better coverage of poverty reduction services across Africa

√ Reduction of cost of producing poverty reduction services per unit

√ Upping of access to finances relating to poverty reduction work

√ Increase in networking and self-reliance

√ Security of not-for-profit investments and better opportunity for organisations to develop and thrive

Etc.

 

• • Project indicators

 

The following indicators will help to measure the performance of the project:

 

√ Number of people lifted out of poverty

√ Number of jobs created in poor areas of the AfCFTA

√ Saving achieved in terms of production/service costs

√ Number of branches or outlets opened in deprived areas of the AfCFTA

√ Amount of not-for-profit investments and investors secured

√ The percentage of increase in the size of users’ base

√ Number of supporters gained as a result of continental free trade integration

√ Number of people who become members or join the organisation because of its activities in the AfCFTA

√ Number of negotiated contracts won or acquired as a result of active involvement in the AfCFTA

√ Inventory of skills and abilities gained as part of trade integration

√ Number of networkers and partners got following full participation in the life of the AfCFTA

Etc.

The above indicators should not be measured in isolation.  One should undertake a comparative approach by checking their performance against similar indicators related to other players or gamers operating in the AfCFTA and market.

 

• • Project beneficiaries

 

Generally, the beneficiaries of this project will be the African organisations that would like take active part in the AfCFTA.

Although we speak about organisations, in reality the GN4PDs will benefit individuals who are and will be the users or project beneficiaries of these organisations.  This is because the main aim in being in the AfCFTA is to help reduce poverty in large scale within the AfCFTA, in different countries making the game of AfCFTA.

 

• • Project funding status

 

So far, this project is unfunded.  This means we are open to any credible funding proposals or proposition from potential funders or donors.  It is known that the coronavirus pandemic has put a toll on everybody.  However, those who would like to support this project will be more than welcome.

To fully or partly fund this project, please contact CENFACS.

 

• • Impact monitoring and evaluation

 

As part of impact monitoring, there will be routine and systematic gathering of information on all aspects of the project.  In other words, we will systematically collect and analyse information to keep regular checks and balances on the project.

Likewise, we shall assess what the project will achieve in relation to the overall aim it was set up.  This is to say that evaluation will be conducted regarding the efforts spent on this project to find out whether or not these efforts are value for poverty reduction in the context of continental free trade integration and area.

In proceeding in this manner, we will be able to measure the impact or at least the outcomes from this project.

As said above, it is known that this time of the coronavirus pandemic and continuing lockdowns is a challenging one.  The health and economic crisis instigated by the coronavirus pandemic has perhaps negatively impacted people’s pockets and bank accounts.

However, for those who would like to build forward better Africa without poverty or with less poverty, this project is an opportunity to direct efforts to a new journey, a creative and innovative way expressed by the not-for-profit development.  Those who would like to join us in this journey or may be interested in this project, they should not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

For details including full project proposals and budget for the Game of the Not-for-profit Developers, please contact CENFACS.

_________

 

References

(1) World Economic Forum (2021), The Global Risks Report 2021, 16th Edition, Insight report

https://www.weforum.org/global-risks

(2) International Displacement Monitoring Centre & Norway Refugee Council (2021), Global Report on Internal Displacement, May 2021

(3) International Monetary Fund (2021), Regional economic outlook. Sub-Saharan Africa: navigating a long pandemic, World Economic and Financial Surveys, April 2021, Washington, D.C.

(4) Muhammad Yunus with Karl Weber (2011), Building social business: the new kind of capitalism that serves humanity’s most pressing needs, Public Affairs, New York

(5) Media advisory: Press Kit for Desertification and Drought Day 2021 | UNCCD (accessed June 2021)

_________

 

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.

Donate to support CENFACS!

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

Thank you for visiting CENFACS website and reading this post.

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

We look forward to receiving your regular visits and continuing support throughout 2021 and beyond.

With many thanks.

 

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

09 June 2021

 

Post No. 199

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• Creative Economic Development Month – In Focus for Week Beginning 07/06/2021: Creations and Innovations to Build Forward Better Together Greener and Cleaner

• Skills to Build Forward Better Together Greener and Greener

• Building Code and Poverty Reduction

 

… And much more!

 

 

Key Messages

 

• Creative Economic Development Month – In Focus for Week Beginning 07/06/2021: Creations and Innovations to Build Forward Better Together Greener and Cleaner

 

As planned, the first item of the Creative Economic Development Month is about the kinds of creations and innovations we need in order to build forward better together greener and cleaner during the easing of pandemic related restrictions and the resumption of mobility.   Given the unprecedented impacts of COVID-19 and associated containment measures, one needs to create and innovate in order to tackle these impacts and pave the way for a new and better life. 

The coronavirus pandemic and accidental damaging effects of containment measures have pushed many people in need to another territory of poverty.  In some circumstances, they have changed the very nature of poverty and hardships.  In respect, to build forward better from this changing nature of poverty and hardships, creations and innovations are needed, even requested.  They are needed and demanded because one cannot just build like in the past; they need to build forward better together greener and cleaner.

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

 

 

 

• Skills to Build Forward Better Together Greener and Greener

 

To build forward better, it requires skills (that is naturally acquired or developed dexterity) to do it.  It demands more than the generic skills since we are in a completely different situation in which we are trying to move forward from a different type of crisis, from historical point of view.

To the conventional skills (like communication, networking, social intelligence, home economics, risk management skills, etc.), one needs to add other ones such as resilience, recovery, rehabilitation, reconstruction, creativity, togetherness, adaptability, investment, sustainable skills, etc.  This addition should be done without forgetting the skills to build greener and cleaner environment.

Briefly, one may need a set or suite of new and revolutionary skills in order to build forward better together greener and cleaner.  This set or suite will be made with both hard and soft skills to manage competing priorities in time of building forward together greener and cleaner.

 

 

 

• Building Code and Poverty Reduction

 

The 3^rd key message is about the discussion we are having regarding the relationship between the building code and poverty reduction.  It is about whether or not it is possible to make building code poverty reduction friendly and green aligned in the process of building forward better lives in the post-pandemic area. 

This discussion is similar to the one we had about the mining code.  Many thought it was not possible to insert poverty reduction commitment in this code.  Experience has proved that it is possible to do it.  Now, many defenders of poor are calling on the review of some mining conventions in some countries in Africa.

 

What is a building code? 

 

There are many definitions about it.  In the context of disaster risk management, we have selected the following terminology given by the United Nations/International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (1), which argued in 2009 that building code is

“A set of ordinances or regulations and associated standards intended to control aspects of the design, construction, materials, alteration and occupancy of structures that are necessary to ensure human safety and welfare, including resistance to collapse and damages”.

So, using this terminology, we are going to discuss the relationship between building code and poverty reduction in terms of the possibility of inserting poverty reduction criteria into building code as we are building forward better together from the legacies of the coronavirus pandemic.  Inserting poverty reduction in the building code will mean that no one will be left behind the process of building forward better together greener and cleaner.

Those who would be interested in this discussion, they are welcome to usher in with their proposals or arguments.

To discuss the link between building code and poverty reduction, just contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

Extra Messages

 

• Tigray Food Appeal

 

• • What this appeal is about

 

This is an appeal regarding the food crisis and hunger situation in Tigray.  We are continuing to appeal because the critical situation in Tigray does not show any signs of abating. 

The following are what the Food Security Information Network (2) says about Tigray:

“The extremely concerning humanitarian situation in the northern region of Tigray continues to deteriorate due to fighting and conflict” (p. 26)

“Fighting broke out in many parts of Tigray in early November [2020] and rapidly deteriorate into a dire humanitarian crisis with access to essential services” (p. 51)

The data from the same source of information speak for the peoples of Tigray.  We know that at this challenging time, it is not easy to support many causes even deserving ones.  However, we are appealing to you to help reduce the drivers of food crisis in Tigray, which are conflict and insecurity.

 

• • What you can do to help

 

You can help the peoples of Tigray by

 

√ Talking to someone who has influence on what is happening on the ground to change life

√ Networking, campaigning, responding to a petition, and so on to make your contribution

√ Making a phone call or sending a mobile phone text message or even a tweet or taking part in a video conference to save hungry lives in Tigray

√ Raising your voice about the food crisis in Tigray at international humanitarian talks or rallies

√ Spreading the news in your social media networks and contacts about the issue and the potential threat this may bring to the Horn of Africa  

√ Having some thoughts about what is happening in Tigray and on practical ways of helping the peoples of Tigray to build forward better from their food crisis

Although physical gatherings are still restricted or banned in some places because of the COVID-19 continuing lockdowns, most of the above actions can be done online and remotely.

CENFACS hopes you will act upon this food appeal to create and innovate so that the food sufferers in Ethiopia’s Tigray can get access to food and navigate their way to sustainable and inclusive peace. 

 

 

• Arts and Design Project and e-Workshop: Making and Sending a p-Card or e-Card

 

For those who are trying to design and send a paper card (p-card) or an electronic card (e-card) as a way of participating in the Creative Economic Development month, please make sure that the poverty relief message you are conveying is without confusion.  You can follow the criteria below.

 

• • Criteria for a good card design

 

When designing a card, it is better that your art or design work

√ contributes to inclusive and sustainable development goals

√ is a driver and enabler of sustainable development processes

√ is data or evidence-based as an expression of realities

√ is aligned with greenhouse gas emissions goals and targets

√ is capable of leading to new pathways for the creative economy

√ reflects on creative economic development

√ connects with the different sectors of the creative economy

√ adds value to nature-based solutions to design problems

√ is conducive to new opportunities for sustainable development

√ is supportive of learning and innovation for poverty relief and sustainable development

√ opens up a possibility of a model of working together

√ touches climate change issues (such as plastic pollution)

√ deals with sustainability issues (like conservation of the nature)

√ develops culture of poverty relief and sustainable development

Although these criteria seem to be quite a lot, it would be enough to meet as many as one can in the design of their p-card or e-card.

To create and send your card or support CENFACS’ Creative Economic Development month, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

 

• World Anti-poverty System: Uneven access to COVID-19 vaccine can justify the need of an International System for Poverty Reduction

 

Every time there is a global crisis, it is also a reminder of the best possible global mechanism of dealing with the crisis.  The coronavirus pandemic is yet another opportunity to ask ourselves about the best system or set-up to deal with the crisis of magnitude of COVID-19. 

One can ask themselves this question: 

if we had an International System for Poverty Reduction (that is a World Anti-poverty System comparable to the institutions of Bretton Woods System), would this system help to better deal with the coronavirus crisis or not? 

The same question could be raise about the access to COVID-19 vaccine and licences to produce it in Africa for example.   

There could be pros and cons about such a system.  However, given what is happening with the COVID-19 vaccine in some parts of the world like in Africa, an International System for Poverty Reduction would be in a better position to get the best deal for universal access to COVID-19 vaccine for all the poor. 

If you think that uneven access to COVID-19 vaccine can help in the creation of an International System for Poverty Reduction, please let us know your arguments.  If you do not think so, still let us know what you think. 

You can join CENFACS’ Campaign for an International System for Poverty Reduction.  To join, just contact CENFACS.

 

 

Main Development

 

• Creative Economic Development Month – In Focus for Week Beginning 07/06/2021: Creations and Innovations to Build Forward Better Together Greener and Cleaner

 

The main story of this post consists of the following items:  our understanding of creations and innovations to build forward better together, aim and objectives of creations and innovations, types of these creations and innovations, their outcomes, their monitoring and evaluation, and reporting and sharing the results of our creations and innovations with others.

 

• • What are creations and innovations to build forward better?

 

Creations to build forward better are the generation of new ideas and solutions in a unique, original and different way to build and enhance human capital in order to reduce and/or end COVID-19 induced poverty and hardships.  The context of these creations is of rebuilding and sustaining lives, infrastructures and institutions to move forward from COVID-19 crisis and containment measures. 

To highlight this new context of rebuilding, the proposal prepared in June 2020 by the United Nations (3) country team in Iran stated that

“The overall intent in building forward better is not to go back to the pre-COVID-19 normal, but to pave the way for the new and better normal following the outbreak”  

Similarly, innovations to build forward better are the application of new ideas to build forward better.  They could also be about making changes in established creations by introducing new methods or ideas or products in order to enhance the process of building forward better.    

 

• • Aim and objectives of creations and innovations to build forward better

 

To create and innovate to build forward better, there must be an aim; just as there should be objectives.  The aim is the change we plan to achieve or the difference we want to make in creating and innovating to build forward better. 

We know that the aim of our creations and innovations would be to reduce and possibly end poverty induced by the coronavirus and accidental containment measures.  That is why we are helping in the process of building forward better. 

We are also building forward better so that future generations do not experience the same poverty or any other new forms of poverty and hardships.  We are furthermore building forward so that the generations to come do not feel their ability to satisfy their own needs compromised by our current behaviour or overuse/exploitation of natural resources.

To back up or deliver our core aim, we need objectives (that is, a set of things to aim at) when we create and innovate to build forward better.   Amongst these objectives are: optimisation of the users’ utility in terms of satisfaction of needs to reduce poverty, improvement of users’ earning capacities, increase users’ share of renewables in the energy mix, support users in the process of finding occupational activities, etc. 

These objectives will determine the strategic and operational policies of creations and innovations to adopt in order to meet the central aim of poverty reduction in the process of building forward better.

 

• • Types of creations and innovations to build forward better

 

• • • Types of creations to build forward better

 

Concerning the types of creations to build forward better, one can include those related to

∞ Inspiration

∞ Planning

∞ Matching plans with the community’s/Africa-based Sister Organisations’ needs

∞ Research analysis

∞ Data collection and treatment

∞ Establishing the need of building forward better

∞ Identifying constraints, risks and opportunity through feasibility study

∞ Selection of projects, models, activities, designers to build forward better

∞ Production of information needed to construct the process of building forward better

Etc.

One should as well align creation with innovation if they want their creativity becomes a reality.

 

• • • Types of innovations to build forward better

 

Regarding the types of innovations to build forward better, one can have the following:

∞ Innovations that introduce new technologies (for example an App to cover COVID-19 highly infected area)

∞ Innovations related to new product or service (for instance drones to find postcodes not covered by the COVID-19 vaccine)

∞ Innovations regarding a new method of producing poverty reduction or an improvement in the existing methods of poverty reduction (such as solar panels to capture solar power and provides heating energy for the energy poor at cheaper costs).

 

• • Green and clean creations and innovations to build forward better

 

We will be interested in creations and innovations that are environment-friendly (that is, they have a small or zero environmental impact) and reduce waste in the nature.  In this respect, the process of building forward better needs to lead to a better natural resources management.  

We are as well interested in creations and innovations that lower emissions of greenhouse gas, reduce climate-damaging carbon dioxide emissions, spearhead green energy solutions and increase the share of renewables in the energy mix in the process of creating and innovating for life, work and future.

We shall argue in depth about green and clean creations and innovations in two weeks’ time. 

 

 

• • Creation and innovation outcomes

 

As result of creations and innovations work, there will be changes and effects as our Africa-based Sister Organisations (ASOs) and the community will be built forward better.

The outcomes for ASOs could be that they become

√ Digitally transformed

√ More resilient to future shocks and crises

√ Healthy and thriving organisations

√ Less risky in terms of their poverty reduction tools

√ Climate-smart

√ Remote working able

√ Better manager of natural resources

√ Better user of nature-based solutions to reduce poverty

Etc.

 

 

 

• • Monitoring and evaluation

 

There should be routine and systematic gathering of information on all aspects of creations and innovations to build forward better.  In other words, one should systematically collect and analyse information to keep regular checks and balances on creations and innovations.

Likewise, we could assess what creations and innovations have achieved in relation to the overall objectives they were set up and the terms of reference of build forward better programme.  This is to say that evaluation should be conducted regarding the efforts spent on the activities of generating new ideas and putting these creative ideas into practice.  This should be done to find out whether or not these efforts are value for the process of building forward better.

 

• • Reporting and sharing the results of creations and innovations

 

Making a statement or an account about the results of creations and innovations, and sharing it with others can be a good way of getting people involved in what one is doing.  It will also help to make the process of building forward better as a shareable and inclusive; particularly, when one wants this process to be of leaving no-one behind.

There are many ways one can share their creations and innovations to build forward better greener and cleaner from the coronavirus pandemic and accidental damages caused by the containment measures.  These ways could include the following ones: 

∞ Written texts or format

∞ Phone calls

∞ Audio tapes

∞ Short films

∞ Video calling and conferencing

∞ Podcasts

∞ Exhibitions (physical and/or online)

∞ Social media platforms

Etc. 

The report should highlight the activities and accomplishments in terms of creations and innovations made in the context of building forward better.

To end this Main Development section of the current post, let us remind to everybody that the month of Creative Economic Development is not about CENFACS alone.  It is the month to recollect together our makings and the application of these makings we have been doing throughout the year.  

Likewise, this week of creations and innovations to build forward better is not about CENFACS solely.  It is about the community, users and stakeholders to create and innovate to build forward better, and mostly to make their makings reduce poverty and hardships induced by the coronavirus and accidental damages caused by the containment measures.  In this respect, we are all creators and innovators in the process of building forward better greener and cleaner.

To support the Creative Economic Development Month, please contact CENFACS.  To share your creations and innovations to build forward better greener and cleaner, please also contact CENFACS.

 

_________

     

References

 

(1) https://www.unisdr.org/files/7817_UNISDRTerminologyEnglish.pdf (accessed June 2021)

(2) FSIN and Global Network Against Food Crises. 2021. Global Report on Food Crises 2021. Rome

http://https://www.fsinplatform.org/sites/default/files/resources/files/GRFC2021.pdf (accessed June 2021)

(3) https://unsdg.un.org/sites/defsult/files/2020-09/IRN_Socioeconomic-Response-PLan_2020_update.pdf (accessed June 2021)

 

_________

 

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.

Donate to support CENFACS!

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

Thank you for visiting CENFACS website and reading this post.

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

We look forward to receiving your regular visits and continuing support throughout 2021 and beyond.

With many thanks.

 

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

02 June 2021

 

Post No. 198

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• Creative Economic Development Month and Jmesci (June Month of Environmental and Sustainable Initiatives) 2021 Project

• Leafy Year and Creative Economic Development Month

• Build Forward Better Together Programme: Phase B of Implementation of Building Africa

 

… And much more!

 

 

 

Key Messages

 

• Creative Economic Development Month and Jmesci (June Month of Environmental and Sustainable Initiatives) 2021 Project

 

Following CENFACS’ development calendar, we are in the Month of Creative Economic Development; and the project (June Month of Environmental and Sustainable Initiatives project) featuring this month has just kicked off.

During this month of creation and innovation, our work will be about the kinds of creation and innovation we need in order to continue to address the challenge of COVID-19-induced poverty while finding ways together with users and supporters to continue the work of building forward better together greener and cleaner from the coronavirus.

Under the Main Development section of this post, we have provided the key elements making this first key message.

 

 

 

• Leafy Year and Creative Economic Development Month

 

Our campaign of 2021 as a Year of Leaves continues during the Month of Creative Economic Development.  During this month, we shall try to bring together the elements of this campaign and those of creative economic development in order to better help in reducing poverty and enhancing sustainable development. 

Indeed, Leafy Year is an organised series of actions in support of leaves as means to reduce and possible end poverty in certain circumstances.  Leafy Year can have some links with economic development, particularly in the terms of Bernstein (1) who argues that economic development is about

“Raising the productive capacities of societies, in terms of their technologies (more efficient tools and machines), technical cultures (knowledge of nature, research and capacity to develop improved technologies), and the physical, technical and organisational capacities and skills of those engaged in production.” (p. 59)

It is the creative aspects in these productive capacities in terms of technical cultures and the technical and organisational capacities and skills that we are trying to explore for their potential relationships with the nature through leaves.  It is the ability to bring into existence processes and techniques that use leaves to raise productive capacities to reduce poverty while enhancing sustainable development.

During this month, we shall introduce in our Leafy Year campaign how leaves can help in raising creative capacities in the process of poverty reduction and sustainable development.

For those who would like to join or add their input to our Year of Leaves and Creative Economic Development Month, they are welcome to contact CENFACS and let us know their proposals for action.

 

 

 

 

• Build Forward Better Together Programme: Phase B of Implementation of Building Africa

 

In theory, we started this process of implementing Building Forward Better Together Programme in March 2021 when we launched this programme.  In the phase A of the process of building from the coronavirus has been Build Back Better Together greener and cleaner.    Last month, it was all about Build Back Better which we conducted through Stories (that is, All in Development Stories).

Having dealt with Phase A of the building process, we are now going back to the Phase B, which is Building Forward Better Together Programme.  We are going back because the process of building is a backward and forward one, and vice versa.  We argued that Building Forward Better Programme takes stock of CENFACS’ version of Build Back Better Programme.   

In this Phase B, we are trying to Build Forward Better with Africa-based Sister Organisations (ASOs) and within CENFACS itself.  In the process of working together with them, we shall support them in the following areas of building forward better:

√ Focusing on end-users as beneficiaries of building forward better from the coronavirus

√ Helping them to reap off the benefits provided by digital transformation such as remote work

√ Contributing to their work on ring-fencing their structures and infrastructures to become more resilient to future shocks and crises

√ Advising them in matter of de-risking their poverty reduction instruments

√ Advocating with them for investing in internet-based economic and nature-based solutions

√ Supporting them in strengthening their resilience and of their users

√ Promoting to them the benefit of bringing together green and blue economies within their structures and systems of production

√ Encouraging them to use climate-smart approaches to tackle build-forward-better problems and barriers

Etc.

It is hoped that all the above will help ASOs build forward better together greener and cleaner.

For further details about Build Forward Better Programme (including the different projects and activities making this programme, outcomes, indicators, benefits, budget, monitoring and evaluation), please contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

Extra Messages

 

• Spring Project of Building Back Better from the Coronavirus: Only 3 Weeks to Go!

 

The Project of Building Back Better from the Coronavirus aims at reducing poverty, particularly sanitation poverty, in the process of building back better from the damaging effects of the coronavirus pandemic while fighting it where it is still claiming its victims during this season in Africa.

This project has two key objectives which are:

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

(b) 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 goals and targets   

You can support it to make helpful difference for the victims of the coronavirus pandemic in Africa.

To support, contact CENFACS at:  Support Causes – (cenfacs.org.uk)

 

 

 

• All in Development Stories Telling Series/Programme Closed!

 

All in Development Stories Telling Series/Programme with its 2021 theme of Building Back Better is now closed.  May Stories told are being processed. 

The notification of May Stories received and accepted will be done by 17/06/2021.  Only those who submitted their May Stories that have been accepted will be notified.

Thank you for your story donation.

 

 

 

• Dematerialisation Event: 05/06/2021

 

On 05 June 2021, CENFACS will work on dematerialisation as way of echoing the World Environment Day 2021’s theme of Ecosystem Restoration.  This work is also part of CENFACS‘ Poverty-Environment Programme. 

 

• • What is dematerialisation?

 

According to the World Bank (2), dematerialisation refers to

“An absolute or relative reduction in the quantity of materials required to serve economic functions in society”

This definition will be used to work together with the community and explore non-conflicting ways of activating the process of dematerialisation in the economic functions of their households.

 

• • Working with the community on dematerialisation

 

With reference to the above definition, CENFACS shall work with its community to help explore way of reducing the quantity of resources or materials from the ecosystem in order to meet their basic life-sustaining economic needs.  This will be an opportunity to promote and spread the news about dematerialisation in the way the community produces, consumes and distributes products and services.

The work on dematerialisation is CENFACS’ way of supporting the ecosystem restoration.

Those who may be interested in the dematerialisation event, they can contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

 

Main Development

 

• Creative Economic Development Month and Jmesci (June Month of Environmental and Sustainable Initiatives) 2021 Project

 

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

the definition of the creative economic development, what 2021 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.

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 (3) 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.  From this perspective, one needs to include the definition of sustainable development as given by World Commission on Environment and Development (4), 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.

 

 

 

• • What June Month of Environmental and Sustainable Initiatives 2021 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 as well as those that help prevent future shocks and disasters to be harmful or destructive for people and communities.   

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

From the idea or conception to the implementation of these projects, their contents need to have the values of poverty reduction and 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. 

 

 

• • 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 is organised as follows.

 

• • • Week beginning 07/06/2021: Creations and Innovations during the Process of Building Forward Better

 

Forming from nothing ideas or introducing changes to move forward together will be the main activity during the month of June 2021.  These creative ideas and innovative ways of working will enable to find the means to meet the level of ambition we have for the kind of poverty reduction, sustainable development and future we want.

 

• • • Week beginning 14/06/2021: Creations and Innovations that Counteract Future Shocks and Disasters 

 

Using our skills, knowledge and talents to find techniques, technologies and new methods to deal with the currently pressing and immediate crisis may not be enough unless we create and innovate to prevent or at least to mitigate future crises.  It means there could be another need to bring into existence ideas and introduce changes and new methods to address future crises if they happen when they happen. 

 

• • • Week beginning 21/06/2021: Green and Clean Creations and Innovations

 

We will be interested in creations and innovations that are environment-friendly (that is, they have a small or zero environmental impact) and reduce waste in the nature.   We are as well interested in creations and innovations that lower emissions of greenhouse gas, reduce climate-damaging carbon dioxide emissions, spearhead green energy solutions and increase the share of renewables in the energy mix in the process of creating and innovating for life, work and future.

For any query about the above organisation, please contact CENFACS. 

 

• • Creative Economic Development Projects

 

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

For example, we normally run Art and Design for Poverty Reduction and Sustainable Development as a creative economic development project.   CENFACS’ creative economic development projects (like Art and Design for Poverty Reduction and Sustainable Development) can help users to make their transition from the COVID-19 lockdown to a partial reopened economy to a fully functioning economy.

One of the activities related to this project for this year will be to construct and post e-cards or e-objects in support of Ecosystem Restoration to echo the World Environmental Day’s celebratory theme on 05/06/2021. 

One can as well construct and post the same cards as expressions or ways of sustainably managing land to resonate the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought on 17/06/2021.  The motto for this international day is ‘healthy land, healthy people’.  

So, those who wish and want can design and post an e-card or e-object to feature the theme of “Ecosystem Restoration” relating to World Environment Day, and/or the theme of ‘Food. Feed. Fibre’ 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 2021

 

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. 

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

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 05/06/2021 under the theme of ‘Ecosystem Restoration’

– The World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought 2021, which will be held on 17/06/2021 and will take place online.  The theme for 2021 Desertification and Drought Day is ‘Food .Feed .Fibre’.

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

 

_________

References

(1) Bernstein, H. (1983), ‘Development’, in Thomas, A. & Bernstein, H. (eds) The ‘Third World’ and ‘Development’, Block 1 of the Open University course U204 Third World Studies, The Open University, Milton Keynes 

(2) https://blogs.worldbank.org/developmenttalk/dematerialisation-degrowth-and-climate-change-agenda (accessed May 2021)

(3) https://unctad.org/en/Pages/DITC/CreativeEconomy/Creative-Economy-Programme.aspx (accessed May 2021)

(4) 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 consider a recurring donation to CENFACS in the future.

Donate to support CENFACS!

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

Thank you for visiting CENFACS website and reading this post.

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

We look forward to receiving your regular visits and continuing support throughout 2021 and beyond.

With many thanks.

 

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

26 May 2021

 

Post No. 197

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• All in Development Stories Telling Serial 4 – In Focus from Wednesday 26/05/2021: Stories of Reconstruction

• Reconstruction Stories of Internally Displaced People and Returnees in Africa

• Stories of Volunteers’ Action across All Fronts of Build Back Better (i.e. Recovery, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction)

… And much more!

 

 

 

Key Messages

 

• All in Development Stories Telling Serial 4 – In Focus from Wednesday 26/05/2021: Stories of Reconstruction

 

The last episode of our series of AiDS (All in Development Stories) Telling and Sharing Programme is on Stories of Reconstruction.  The latter are the serialised experiences or anecdotes of restoration to an original condition before the coronavirus crisis and containment measures.

The stories to be told, shared and learnt will be of rebuilding both people and communities in need after the coronavirus stroke and accidental damages caused by some of the measures meant to control the COVID-19 disaster.  These serialised stories are part of the process of building back better greener and cleaner. 

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.

 

 

 

• Reconstruction Stories from Internally Displaced People and Returnees in Africa

 

People continue to be involuntarily and internally displaced in many parts of the world including in Africa.  They are displaced because of natural disaster-driven, conflict-fuelled and other factors.

For example, in their recent joint Global Report on Internal Displacement, the International Displacement Monitoring Centre and the Norway Refugee Council (1) have noticed the following:

6,780,000 (almost 27.4%) people were displaced by conflicts and violence, and 4,299,000 were displaced by disasters in 2020 in Sub-Saharan Africa. (p. 8)

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) have involuntarily and internally displaced many people. 

In the context of our AiDS Telling and Sharing Programme, one can tell and share stories of displaced persons returning to rebuild and reconstruct their damaged or destroyed homes and lives. 

To tell and share your stories of the displaced and returnees who reconstructed their lives, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

• Stories of Volunteers’ Action across All Fronts of Build Back Better (i.e. Recovery, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction)

 

These stories could be related to actions generally taken in volunteering capacity to help people and communities in need to recover, rehabilitate and reconstruct from the coronavirus disaster and its side effects.  They could also be actions in which a volunteer got specifically involved and at the fronts of recovery, rehabilitation and reconstruction processes.  

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

 

 

Extra Messages

 

• 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 2021.

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

<> 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

<> 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

<> 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 the best International Poverty Reduction and Development Manager of 2021.  He/she could be a COVID-19 Manager or a Disaster Risk Reduction Manager or a Post-disaster Reconstruction Programme 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 era of Covid-19.

 

• • 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)

√ 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, 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 era of Covid-19.

He/she is a person that can help poor people to meet their utility or welfare under the difficult context and constraint of Covid-19.

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 Age of COVID-19.

Good luck in search of your IPRDM!

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

 

 

 

• Convergence between Reduction of Energy Poverty and Zero Carbon Dioxide Emissions by 2050

 

In the light of the International Energy Agency’s (2) call for a ban on new coal, gas and oil projects to reach zero carbon dioxide emissions by 2050, CENFACS is revisiting its Goal 3 of tackling and reducing energy poverty. 

The Goal of Reduction of Energy Poverty (or Goal 3) is the one CENFACS set in its 2020s Poverty Reduction Programme and Development Agenda.  Energy poverty can be defined in many ways.  According to Habitat for Humanity (3), energy poverty is

“A lack of adequate, affordable, reliable, quality, safe and environmentally sound energy services to support development”.

Energy poverty forms part of CENFACS’ 2020s Poverty Reduction Programme and Development Agenda.  As part of these programme and agenda, it makes sense to reduce it since many people and communities in Africa are still struggling from energy access distribution.  Without putting statistical data on this lack of access, there are still hugely considerable numbers of people in Africa without access to electricity.

For example, the COVID-19 crisis and vaccines have openly exposed the lack of capacity in terms of electricity and fridges to store vaccines in many parts of Africa.

In Africa, many people are still lacking access to clean cooking facilities while relying on polluting energy sources or fuels such as solid biomass, coal and kerosene to meet their basic life-sustaining energy needs.  Yet, the achievement of universal energy access by 2030 is the United Nations Agenda (4) for Sustainable Development Goal 7 of ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all.  

Energy transition is the 2020s challenges for Africa if people, especially the poor ones, are requested to find sustainable way of consuming energy while still keeping pace with poverty reduction and sustainable development. 

One can hope in the process of building back better greener cleaner from the coronavirus, Africa will find its tune or way of making convergence between the goal of reduction of energy poverty and the goal of zero carbon dioxide emissions by 2050.

To discuss this convergence, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

• Stories of Those at Risk of Being Left behind Build Back Better from the Coronavirus Disaster and Containment Measures (i.e. social distancing, lockdowns and border closures)

 

The process of building back 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 back better from the coronavirus disaster and containment measures. 

We would like to hear the narratives of these people and community members so that advocacy can be activated and stepped up to do something about their situation.

Anyone has who has the stories of the left behind, they can join and steward the AiDS programme by telling and sharing them with us.

 

 

 

Main Development

 

• All in Development Stories Telling Serial 4 – In Focus from Wednesday 26/05/2021: Stories of Reconstruction

 

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

Understanding of reconstruction, reconstruction in the context of AiDS Telling Programme, reconstruction as part of the process of building back better, story scene settings, types of stories wanted, and social media as reconstruction story tracking tools.

 

• • Understanding of reconstruction

 

There are many ways in which reconstruction can be understood and defined.  The definitions we have selected within the literature are as follows.

Jha et al (5) define reconstruction as:

“The restoration and improvement, where possible, of facilities, livelihoods and living conditions of disaster-affected communities, including efforts to reduce disaster risk factors.  It is focused primarily on the construction or replacement of damaged physical structures and the restoration of local services and infrastructure”.

However, Thurairajah et al (6) contend that

“Reconstruction is a rebuilding measure which involves not only constructing physical structures but also building the confidence, self-respect, self-esteem, self-dependency, mutual support and mutual trust and, the rebuilding of communities.  This long-term process focuses on human and material resource development, coordinated effort towards independence, sustainability, and empowerment” (p. 1106 & 1107)

In order to tell and share stories in this Serial 4, our understanding of reconstruction will revolve around both physical and non-physical structures.  It will be in the context of building back better greener and cleaner.

 

• • Reconstruction as part of the process of building back better greener and cleaner

 

Reconstruction will be approached from the build back better perspective.  From this perspective, the definition which is appropriate is the one given by the United Nations Assembly (7) arguing in 2016 that

“Reconstruction is the medium- and long-term rebuilding and sustainable restoration of resilient critical infrastructures, services, housing, facilities and livelihoods required for the full functioning of a community or a society affected by a disaster, aligning with the principles of sustainable development and build back better, to avoid or reduce future disaster risk”

From this definition, let us focus on alignment with the principles of sustainable development.  One of these principles is to do with green and clean development. 

From this principle, it would better for those submitting stories of reconstruction to make sure that their stories are of building back greener and cleaner.  They are of environment-friendly (that is, they have a small or zero environmental impact) and reduce waste in the nature.

These could be the stories of lowering emissions of greenhouse gas, of reducing climate-damaging carbon dioxide emissions, of spearheading green energy solutions and increasing the share of renewables in the energy mix in the process of reconstructing lives.

 

• • Reconstruction in the context of AiDS Telling Programme

 

The definitions of reconstruction we are using are the ones we have given above.  For those who would like to tell and share their stories, they can refer to the above definitions.  For those who may have a different approach to reconstruction than the ones we have highlighted from the above definitions, they can still submit their stories while specifying the kinds of reconstruction they are using or have in mind.  

 

• • Story scene settings

 

When we are talking about reconstruction, one may think about the American reconstruction after the civil war in the 18^th Century or the European reconstruction after the World War II in the 19^th Century or the Congolese reconstruction after the two waves of war in the Democratic Republic of Congo in the 1990s and early 2000s (i.e. 1996-1997, then 1998-2003) or any other reconstruction experience.  However, the reconstruction we are referring to is the one after the COVID-19 outbreak.  It is the reconstruction forming part of the building back better process from the coronavirus that broke out in 2019.  So, stories to tell and share are those relating to the post-COVID-19 disaster reconstruction.

 

• • Types of stories wanted

 

The choice or selection of definition of reconstruction that one can make will have some implications in terms of the stories one would like to give or donate.  Depending on this choice or selection, it is possible to have the following stories of:

√ Restoration and improvement of facilities, livelihoods, and living conditions of disaster-(or COVID-19) affected communities (for example, the recent disaster case of communities and people affected by the eruption of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Mount Nyiragongo)

√ Efforts to reduce disaster-risk factors

√ Construction or replacement of damaged structures because of COVID-19 and unwanted consequences of containment measures

√ Restoration of local services and infrastructure on which poor people and communities depend for their lives

√ Building confidence, self-respect, self-esteem, self-dependency, mutual support and mutual trust

√ Rebuilding both communities and individuals in need of reconstruction

√ Reducing vulnerability and improving living conditions of those in need of reconstruction

√ Reducing the volume of material and energy used to reconstruct lives

√ Post-pandemic economic reconstruction greener and less material-intensive

Etc.

The above are just an illustration of ways of developing, telling and sharing stories of building again lives.  There are many other ways of building again lives.  If anyone of you has them, they can share with CENFACS to steward All in Development Stories Telling and Sharing Programme.

 

• • Social media as reconstruction story tracking tools.

 

To track the reconstruction 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 reconstruction 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 your story.

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

We look forward to your story of reconstruction in the context of building back better greener and cleaner.

 

_________

 

References

(1) International Displacement Monitoring Centre & Norway Refugee Council (2021), Global Report on Internal Displacement, May 2021

https://www.internal-displacement.org/sites/default/files/publications/documents/grid2021_idmc.pdf (accessed May 2021)

(2) International Energy Agency (2021), Net Zero by 2050: A Roadmap for the Global Energy Sector, Flagship report – May 2021

(3) https://www.habitat.org/emea/about/what-we-do/residential-energy-efficient-household/energy-poverty (accessed May 2021)

(4) http://undp.org/content/undp/en/home/presscenter/pressreleases/2015/09/24/undp-welcomes-adoption-of-sustainable-development-goals-by-world-leaders.html (print)

(5) Jha et al (2010), Safer homes, Stronger communities: a handbook for reconstructing after natural disasters. The World Bank, Washington, D. C.

(6) Thurairajah, N, Amratunga, RDG and Haigh, RP, (2008), Post-disaster reconstruction as an opportunity for development: Women’s perspective, Conference or Workshop Item

http://usir.salford.ac.uk/9809/ (accessed May 2021)

(7) https://www.unisdr.org/files/53213_bbb.pdf (accessed May 2021)

_________

 

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.

Donate to support CENFACS!

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

Thank you for visiting CENFACS website and reading this post.

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

We look forward to receiving your regular visits and continuing support throughout 2021 and beyond.

With many thanks.

 

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

19 May 2021

 

Post No. 196

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• All in Development Stories Telling Serial 3 – In Focus from Wednesday 19/05/2021: Rehabilitation Stories

• Stories of Rehabilitation of Poverty Reduction Infrastructures in Africa

• Stories of Volunteers’ Actions across All the Recovery and Rehabilitation Fronts

 

…And much more!

 

 

 

Key Messages

 

• All in Development Stories Telling Serial 3 – In Focus from Wednesday 19/05/2021: Rehabilitation Stories

 

The lead message of this 196^th post of CENFACS Blog is about the tales of helping people and communities in need to re-adapt to society and the economy after being adversely affected by the coronavirus disaster and associated containment measures (i.e. social distancing, lockdowns, travel restrictions and border control).

The accounts to be told; shared and learnt are those that falling within the scope of the process of building back better from the coronavirus and accidental damages caused by the COVID-19 containment measures.  They are also the following level of stories after those of recovery that we called upon in the last post.

To continue the presentation of this first key message, let us stress this.  The recovery stories presented in Serial 2 are/were those of individuals and/or communities trying to recover while the tales of rehabilitation in Serial 3 are those of systems that rehabilitate from the life-threatening and –destroying impacts of the coronavirus.  However, within the rehabilitation literature, there are authors who speak about the rehabilitation of individuals as well.   The Rehabilitation Stories we are asking for are those related to disaster risk reduction management.

Under the Main Development section of this post, we have provided more details about these Serial 3 stories.

 

 

 

• Stories of Rehabilitation of Poverty Reduction Infrastructures in Africa

 

Before speaking about these stories, let us clarify our understanding of infrastructure. 

By infrastructure, we mean both soft and hard infrastructure.  The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (1) defined it in 2011 in the following terms:

“In general, infrastructure can be categorised into ‘hard’ infrastructure and ‘soft’ infrastructure.  The former refers to physical structures or facilities that support the society and economy… The latter refers to non-tangibles supporting the development and operation of hard infrastructure”.  (p. 5)

From this definition of infrastructure, it is possible to check the state of poverty reduction infrastructures in Africa during and after the coronavirus disaster.  Many of them may have been damaged by this unprecedented disaster. 

Those who hold stories about any rehabilitation work on these infrastructures related to basic utilities (such as water supply, health centres, hospitals, schools, irrigation, sanitation, etc.) can tell and share them.

We would like as well to hear and share the rehabilitation stories of soft infrastructures for poverty reduction, such as information systems, knowledge bases, digital infrastructures, etc. 

Both soft and hard infrastructures have been adversely affected by the coronavirus in Africa.  We would like to hear the rehabilitation stories of these infrastructures. 

 

 

 

• Stories of Volunteers’ Actions across All the Recovery and Rehabilitation Fronts

 

By definition, All in Development Stories are the stories from volunteers.  To go back to these basics, we are considering the accounts of actions carried out by All in Development Volunteers in the areas of recovery and rehabilitation from the life-threatening and –destroying impacts of the coronavirus. 

These stories could be related to actions generally taken in volunteering capacity to help people and communities in need to recover and rehabilitate from the coronavirus disaster and its side effects.  They could be also actions in which a volunteer got specifically involved and at the fronts of both recovery and rehabilitation processes.  

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

 

 

 

Extra Messages

 

• Stories of Environmental Rehabilitation in the Era of COVID-19

 

Since sustainable development is one of CENFACS’ specialities, we are as well calling for submission of stories of environmental rehabilitation.  These are the tales of returning disturbed or disrupted natural sites to their original condition.  They are the revelations of the rehabilitation process in dealing with environmental pollution as well. 

For example, one can submit a story of returning habitat or ecosystem to its original condition. 

During the coronavirus lockdowns, there have been many examples in terms of the way the environment has gained in conservation and protection.  Likewise, during the easing of pandemic-related restrictions and the resumption of mobility for certain societies and economies, there could be interesting stories of rehabilitation that one can tell, share and provide opportunity for learning and development.

For instance, the 22^nd of May 2021 is the International Day for Biological Diversity (IDB), which will be celebrated virtually.  The slogan for the IDB on 22 May 2021 is: “We’re part of the solution”.  To echo the IDB, CENFACS will be featuring or making a story of the African Biodiversity Hotspots, particularly the Peatlands of the Congo Basin.  Through this featuring or story making, we shall as well look at if there is any story of rehabilitation relating to the Congo Basin Peat lands.

For those who have those stories of environmental rehabilitation during this time of the coronavirus pandemic, they can submit them to CENFACS.

 

 

 

• 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 2021.  

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

 

 

 

• Be.Africa Forum Discussion: Can Differences in COVID-19 Vaccination Rates Drive Divergent Poverty Reduction Rates in Africa?

 

There is a disagreement between those who think that differences in access to COVID-19 vaccines can lead to divergent paths in terms of poverty reduction in Africa and those who believe in the opposite. 

You can make your contribution to this debate over access to COVID-19 vaccines by telling the forum what you think.

To tell and share your thoughts on the question, just contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

Main Development

 

• All in Development Stories Telling Serial 3 – In Focus from Wednesday 19/05/2021: Rehabilitation Stories

 

Before detailing the types of rehabilitation stories we are aiming for, let us explain the following: the selected definitions of rehabilitation for this Serial 3, rehabilitation as part of build back better programme, rehabilitate greener and cleaner, types of rehabilitation stories sought, rehabilitation stories tracking tools and ways of making your story to reach out to the CENFACS Community.

 

• • Selected definitions of rehabilitation

 

In order to help those who would like to give or donate stories, we have selected two definitions of rehabilitation which are as follows.

The first definition is from the United Nations General Assembly (2) which argued in 2016 that

“Rehabilitation is the restoration of basic services and facilities for the functioning of a community or a society affected by a disaster”

The second definition is from the World Health Organisation (3) which explains that

“Rehabilitation is a set of interventions designed to optimise functioning and reduce disability in individuals with health conditions in interaction with their environment”.

The first definition is related to the socio-economic situation in which people and community can find themselves in the aftermath of a disaster.  The second definition features actions taken to help individuals from the health point of view.

Since we always argue that the coronavirus is an economic and health crisis, both definitions of rehabilitation would be our guiding principles for the creation of stories of rehabilitation from real life.

 

• • Rehabilitation as part of build back better programme

 

Rehabilitation here is part and parcel of build back better programme which CENFACS is pursuing in order to help people and communities to come out from the detrimental impacts of the coronavirus.  Rehabilitation is thus a continuing and back-forward process that needs to be placed within the context of disaster risk reduction management theories and practices. 

 

• • Rehabilitate greener and cleaner

 

In our request for stories, it would better for those submitting stories to make sure that their stories are of bringing back greener and cleaner.  They are of environment-friendly (that is, they have a small or zero environmental impact) and reduce waste in the nature.

These could be the stories of lowering emissions of greenhouse gas, of reducing climate-damaging CO2 emissions, of spearheading green energy solutions and increasing the share of renewables in the energy mix in the process of rehabilitating lives.

 

• • Types of rehabilitation stories sought

 

The choice or selection of definition of rehabilitation can have some implications in terms of the stories one would like to give or donate.  Depending on this choice or selection, it is possible to have the following stories of:

√ Enabling basic services and facilities to resume functioning

√ Assisting the victims’ self-help efforts to repair the damages caused by COVID-19

√ Revival of economic activities

√ Optimizing functioning in individuals who suffered from COVID-19 adverse impacts

√ Improving interactions between individuals suffering from COVID-19 led conditions and their environments

√ Addressing underlying conditions left by the coronavirus (e.g. health and economic pains)

√ Improving the way in which an individual functions in everyday life

√ Supporting individuals and communities to overcome difficulties with economic and health legacies of the coronavirus pandemic

The above are just an illustration of ways of developing, telling and sharing stories of bringing back lives to an original condition.  There are many other ways of bringing back lives.

If anyone of you has them, they can share with CENFACS to steward All in Development Stories Telling and Sharing Programme.

 

• • 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.

 

• • • 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 project 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 coronavirus pandemic.   

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 your stories within the CENFACS Community.

 

• • Rehabilitation stories tracking tools

 

To track the rehabilitation 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 (All in Development Stories) terms and conditions which we highlighted at the beginning of this programme.  We strongly recommend to those who would like to submit their rehabilitation stories to consider this tracking tool.

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

_________

 

References

(1) The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT), 2011, Infrastructure for Economic Development and Poverty Reduction in Africa, Nairobi, Kenya (www.unhabitat.org)

(2) https://www.unisdr.org/files/53213_bbb.pdf, United Nations General Assembly 2016 (accessed May 2021)

(3) https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/rehabilitation (accessed May 2021)

 

________

 

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.

Donate to support CENFACS!

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

Thank you for visiting CENFACS website and reading this post.

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

We look forward to receiving your regular visits and continuing support throughout 2021 and beyond.

With many thanks.

 

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

12 May 2021

 

Post No. 195

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• All in Development Stories Telling Serial 2: Stories of Recovering from the Coronavirus Disaster and Containment Measures (From Wednesday 12/05/2021)

• Africa-based Sister Organisations and Data-based Stories of Recovering from COVID-19 Adverse Impacts

• Africa-based Sister Organisations and “Pro-benefit” Organisations in Africa

 

… And much more!

 

 

 

Key Messages

 

• All in Development Stories Telling Serial 2: Stories of Recovering from the Coronavirus Disaster and Containment Measures (From Wednesday 12/05/2021)

 

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 back better from the coronavirus and associated containment measures.  They are also stories 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, 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.  Because the coronavirus has been a disaster, a recovery action can be taken at the individual and community levels. 

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 return to their original state.

Since we are working within the framework of a recovery that is green, clean and sustainable; we are therefore looking for stories of recovery from COVID-19 health, climate and green economic crises. 

Under the Main Development section of this post, there is more about this Serial 2 of our May Month 2021.

 

 

 

• Africa-based Sister Organisations and Data-based Stories of Recovery from COVID-19 Adverse Impacts

 

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 adverse impacts.

We continue to have reports of local people struggling to access life-sustaining basic needs (such as food, water, sanitation and financial support) in order to fight the economic threats and social disruptions from Covid-19; let alone the threat it poses to lives in Africa.  We had also reports of those who have successfully recovered from the health and economic impacts from the same coronavirus and containment measures. 

As we are in CENFACS’ Stories Month, we would like to include their tales or experiences of recovering from the coronavirus pandemic and containment measures.  We would like them to tell us their stories with data (i.e. textual, numerical and visual data).

For any of ASOs that would like to submit or donate their data-based stories of recovery from Covid-19 adverse impacts, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

 

• Africa-based Sister Organisations (ASOs) and “Pro-benefit” Organisations in Africa

 

We are carrying on with the proposals we made to those African organisations that are willing to build and develop their capacity in order to better operate and / or improve their participation in the development of the African Continental Free Trade Area. 

As part of strengthening their capacity, we are also working on the “pro-benefit” sector or the fourth sector; a sector that is made of cooperatives, social enterprises, social change organisations, public benefit corporations, community development banks, community interest companies, etc.

We are advocating for those ASOs that have not yet done it so far to consider searching for market niches and opportunities with or within “pro-benefit” organisations in order to increase and improve their outcomes in terms of poverty reduction.  ASOs can deliver “pro-benefit” services in some of the under-prioritised and unidentified markets in areas such as water, sanitation, education, shelter, protection, digital support, financial services, etc.

For those of the ASOs that would like to discuss with us about the “pro-benefit” work with African organisations, they are welcome to contact CENFACS.

 

 

Extra Messages

 

• What to do when the heaviest burden falling on you during the recovery process?

 

As part of the recovery stories telling sessions, we are discussing what to do when the heaviest burden falls on you in terms of what to do to get out poverty induced by the coronavirus disaster and associated containment measures. 

Those who would like to discuss with us and others through their recovery stories of having to handle the heaviest burden in order to get out of the damage that the coronavirus and associated impacts have inflicted upon them, they can contact CENFACS with their recovery stories.

To tell your recovery story of handling heavy burden through discussions, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

• Capacity Development to Live and Sustain within the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)

 

Our offer to work with African organisations and individuals from the charitable and not-for-profit sector to build and/or develop their capacities to operate in the context of the AfCFTA is still available. 

For those who think that their organisation does not have the necessary and required capacity to provide cross-border services in the context of AfCFTA, they can contact CENFACS so that we can together organise a programme or plan of work.

CENFACS can work with your organisation in blended ways to find the right capacity to build and/or develop to enter and / or sustain in the trading space provided by the AfCFTA.

Need capacity development to operate within a free trade area; please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

 

 

• Survey about gains and losses for the African Not-for-Profit Organisations (AN4POs) in the Game of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)

 

Our survey concerning the advantages and disadvantages deriving from the AfCFTA for the AN4POs is still on.  The survey is about to evaluate the gains and losses for the AN4POs in the context of AfCFTA. 

As a part of this survey, we have developed a questionnaire to help you give your views.  One of the questions in this questionnaire is:  Do you think that the AfCFTA will benefit the not-for-profit development in Africa?

If you have not yet answered to this question, please have your say.  You can simply say ‘Yes’ or ‘No’.  You can go further in adding some comments.  You can as well take part in the full survey should you wish to do so.

To take part in this survey, just let CENFACS know.

 

 

 

Main Development

 

• All in Development Stories Telling Serial 2: Stories of Recovering from the Coronavirus Disaster and Containment Measures (From Wednesday 12/05/2021)

 

Before developing the types of stories of recovery we are calling for, let us say a few words about the context, kind of recovery we are talking about, criteria about recovery stories, and benefits relating to stories telling and sharing.

 

• • Meaning of recovery in the context of AiDS Telling Programme 2021

 

As part of this context, recovery is looked at as the process of combating the socio-economic and health disturbances and disruptions brought by the coronavirus and associated adverse impacts.  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”

Since COVID-19 has been a disaster, recovery stories will be the tales relating to this disaster.

 

• •  Kinds of recovery stories expected

 

They are those of a sustained cycle or stage of period of fight against the coronavirus disaster or shock 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 phase of the epidemiological curves of the coronavirus pandemic when the process of building back better starts.

 

• • Eligible criteria about recovery stories

 

The stories to be given or donated should be of recovering from the socio-economic and health impacts of the coronavirus shock/disaster and associated containment measures.  These stories will be more appealing to the AiDS assessment team if there have highlights of green, clean and sustainable aspects in them.   

 

• • Identification of stories according 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 suffer 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 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 do it.

 

• • 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.  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 used; recovery funding; restoration of emotional, social, economic and physical well-being, etc.

 

• • 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 from poverty and hardships through stories telling, sharing and stewardship

√ Stewarding CENFACS’ All in Development Stories Telling Programme

 

• • 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.

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

 

_________

 

References

 

(1) Park (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 consider a recurring donation to CENFACS in the future.

Donate to support CENFACS!

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

Thank you for visiting CENFACS website and reading this post.

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

We look forward to receiving your regular visits and continuing support throughout 2021 and beyond.

With many thanks.

 

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

05 May 2021

 

Post No. 194

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• May Stories – All in Development Stories: Stories of Building Back Better from the Coronavirus Disaster and Containment Measures

• All in Development Story Telling Series

• Leafy Year and May Stories

 

… And much more!

 

 

Key Messages

 

• May Stories – All in Development Stories:

Stories of Building Back Better from the Coronavirus Disaster and Containment Measures (social distancing, lockdowns and border closures)

 

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.  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 story telling project.

 

• • This year’s theme for AiD Stories project

 

This year, the theme for AiD Stories project will be about Stories of Building Back Better from the Coronavirus Disaster and Containment Measures (e.g. social distancing, lockdowns and border closures). 

These stories will be…

– about how people and communities are trying or have tried to build back better from the coronavirus disaster and containment measures

– of those Asking for Help and Support, Recovery, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction from the shock and disaster caused by the coronavirus pandemic and associated containment measures

– the tales of physical, social, environmental, humanitarian and economic building back better.

 

Entries for these May Stories were opened since last March when we announced the general theme of Spring Relief 2021, which is “Build Forward Better Together Greener and Cleaner”.  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 2021

 

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

Additionally, we are registering people’s personal experiences of being or at risk of being left behind in the process of building back and forward from the coronavirus pandemic.

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

 

The 2021 series of AiDS Telling Programme starts from the 5th of May 2021, every Wednesday afterwards and will last until the end of May 2021.  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 Back Better Greener and Cleaner from the Coronavirus and Containment Measures (e.g. social distancing, lockdowns and border closures).

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) Asking for help and support

(b) Recovery and reset

(c) Rehabilitation

(d) Reconstruction

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.

 

 

• Leafy Year and May 2021 Stories

 

This month, we are continuing our Leafy Year or Year of Leaves by looking at the relationship between leaves and stories in the process of reducing poverty and enhancing sustainable development.

Indeed, stories of poverty reduction and sustainable development can be related to leaves of poverty reduction and sustainable development.  One can tell their story of poverty reduction and sustainable development and of how leaves can help in reducing poverty and enhancing sustainable development. 

In this respect, there could be a relationship between leaves and stories telling through poverty reduction and sustainable development.  Poverty reduction and sustainable development could be the main topics to tell our stories, just  as leaves could be the means to tell or express those stories.

So, in this Year of Leaves at CENFACS and month of stories telling, one can use leaves to tell and share their stories of poverty reduction and sustainable development. 

As we are in the process of building back better (BBB) from the coronavirus disaster and containment measures, one can as well use leaves to tell their stories of BBB from the coronavirus as well as how leaves are helping them or those around them to come out the coronavirus hardships and build back better.

Those who would like to go into depth about the relationship between leaves and stories or those who simply want to tell their stories via leaves, they are welcome to contact CENFACS or to do so.

 

 

 

Extra Messages 

 

• Rebuilding of Africa-based Sister Organisations’ Health Resources, Structures and Infrastructures: On Year On!

 

Last year, CENFACS advocated for the granting to Africa-based Sister Organisations of charitable and voluntary sector the appropriate means, organisation and equipment they need in order to better play their poverty relief role during and after the Covid-19 crisis.

For example, in Madagascar there is a growing concern about the lack of equipment to deal with the increasing number of COVID-19 patients victims of the violent South African COVID-19 variant. 

Another example is the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo (in South and North Kivu, Tanganyika Ituri and the province of Central Kasai) where almost 20 million people are experiencing famine and need urgent humanitarian assistance according to the United Nations.  Many of the suffering families in these places are far away and cut off from health centres and facilities as they are fleeing conflicts and are afraid to mix up to increase the probability of catching the coronavirus.    

One year on, we are discussing if there has been any boost of resources, structures and infrastructures Africa-based Sister Organisations so that they could effectively respond to the enormous challenge that Covid-19 has posed, and to new and emerging needs of their users.  These discussions are part of Rebuilding Africa together.

Those who have any contribution to make in these discussions, they are welcome to contact CENFACS.

To support CENFACS’ advocacy about Rebuilding Africa, please also contact CENFACS.

 

 

• Green and Sustainable Alignment of All Year Round Projects (or Triple Value Initiatives) to Long-term Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emission Reduction Goals and Targets

 

• • What is green and sustainable alignment of All Year Round (AYRPs) or Triple Value Initiatives (TVIs)?

 

Green and sustainable alignment of AYRPs or TVIs (made of Play, Run and Vote projects) simply means when planning and executing these projects or initiatives one should not cause harm to the environment.  Also, if these projects and initiatives are planned for a longer period, their long term life should be without adverse effects on the environment or nature.  This alignment is required for the GHG emission reduction goals and targets in the interest of the commons. 

 

• • The alignment of AYRPs or TVIs to GHG emission reduction goals and targets

 

Implementing AYRPs or TVIs requires taking into account the target requirements in terms of reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.  These greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction targets are binding ambition to progressively reduce GHG emissions to be in line with the Paris Agreement goal of keeping the global temperature increase to well below 2ᵒ C and pursuing efforts to keep it to 1.5ᵒ C.  From this binding global goal, each part and place of the world are making their own efforts to set up targets or pledges in terms of CO2 net-zero emissions by 2050. 

To move towards the 1.5ᵒ C trajectory; any activities conducted in order to reduce poverty and enhance sustainable development need to be aligned to this long-term climate goal and target.  In this respect, green and sustainable alignment of AYRPs or TVIs is about making sure that the conduct of these projects or initiatives reflects the climate need and agenda of meeting the GHG emission reduction targets. 

Any participant to these projects or initiatives needs to meet this requirement of long-term GHG emissions reduction goal and targets.

Those who may be interested in this issue of green and sustainable alignment of AYRPs or TVIs, they can contact CENFACS for further discussion on the matter.

 

 

 

• Capacity Development to Live and Sustain within the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)

 

Our offer to work with African organisations and individuals from the charitable and not-for-profit sector to build and/or develop their capacities to operate in the context of the AfCFTA is still available. 

For those who think that their organisation does not have the necessary and required capacity to provide cross-border services in the context of AfCFTA, they can contact CENFACS so that we can together organise a programme or plan of work.

CENFACS can work with your organisation in blended ways to find the right capacity to build and/or develop to enter and / or sustain in the trading space provided by the AfCFTA.

Need capacity development to operate within a free trade area; please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

Main Development

  

• May Stories – All in Development Stories:

Stories of Building Back Better from the Coronavirus Disaster and Containment Measures (e.g. social distancing, lockdowns and border closures)

 

• • 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 three 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 (like the Covid-19 outbreak or lockdowns) to take up volunteering and or internship roles and positions.

 

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

 

It 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.

This year’s storytelling and sharing will be about Building Back Better from the Coronavirus Disaster and Containment Measures (e.g. social distancing, lockdowns and border closures)

 

• • May 2021 STORIES: Building Back Better from the Coronavirus Disaster and Containment Measures (social distancing, lockdowns and border closures)

 

We are running 4 series of AiD Story Telling programme during this month of May, programme that will revolve around the process of building back better from Covid-19.

For those who want to tell their stories of asking for help and support, recovery, rehabilitation and reconstruction; they can choose among the following sequences to tell their stories. 

 

• • Types of 2021 Stories and Story Telling Series

 

AiD Story Telling Series: Starting 05/05/2021 and after every Wednesday until the end of May 2021.

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

 

# Serial 1: From Wednesday 05/05/2021: Stories of Asking for Help and/or Support 

These are the stories of those who were or are in need and who asked for any help and /or support to build back better from the effects of the coronavirus disaster and containment measures.

 

# Serial 2: From Wednesday 12/05/2021: Stories of Recovery and Reset

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.

 

# Serial 3: From Wednesday 19/05/2021: Stories of Rehabilitation

These are accounts of returning a disturbed life or re-adaptation to normal life and of restoration to a previous state before the coronavirus broke out and containment measures came into force.

 

# Serial 4: Week beginning 26/05/2021: Stories of Reconstruction

They are the experiences or anecdotes of restoration to an original condition before the coronavirus crisis and containment measures.

 

• • Add-on to CENFACS’ May 2021 Stories

 

As mentioned above, we shall add the Stories of Those At Risk of Being Left Behind Build Back Better from the Coronavirus Disaster and Containment Measures (social distancing, lockdowns and border closures).

 

There are people and / or members of our community who have been accidentally left behind in the process of building back better from the coronavirus disaster and containment measures.  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 has who has the stories of the left behind, please do not hesitate to tell and share it with us.

 

• • Nature-based Solutions inside your Stories of Building Back Better from the Coronavirus Disaster and Containment Measures (social distancing, lockdowns and border closures)

 

There are many solutions or recipes in order to build back from the coronavirus disaster and containment measures.  In the context of AiD Stories, we would like to hear stories of building back 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 (2) 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”.

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

 

 

 

• Serial 1: From Week Wednesday 05/05/2021: Stories of Asking for Help and/or Support to Build Back Better from the Enduring Coronavirus and Associated Containment Measures

 

One of the problems that many ordinary people (who have been affected by the enduring coronavirus and its associated containment measures) face is that they need help or support.  Although some of them have received help or support, there are still many of them who have not received any help or support they asked for.  In addition to that help and support given so far may not be enough to cover these damages caused by the coronavirus since these damages  are colossal . 

There could be many reasons that can explain why those who asked for help and support did not receive them.  Without getting into the reasons why those who asked for help or support did not receive it, let us simply argue that any help or support depends on many factors such as the way in which one asks for it, the person to whom they ask for support and whether or not is listening to them, the available resources for help and support, etc. 

This is why we want to hear the stories of those who asked for help and or support to build back better from the enduring coronavirus and its associated containment measures.

 

• Kinds of Stories of Asking for Help and Support

 

These are the tales of what, when, where, why, who and how to ask for help and support.  These stories connect those who ask to those who respond to asks.  Then, what are those stories?

 

They are…

√ the fables, written or spoken, made of words, voices and tones to ask for assistance

√ the anecdotes of building and developing relationships between those in need and those who help in fulfilling those needs

√ the tales of those who have asked for help or support in order to self-build or build back better

√ the accounts of those who give help and support since in every act of asking for help and support, there are always two sides (those who ask and those who give)

√ the stories of continuing asking for aid of those countries and communities that are still listed under humanitarian crisis.  Their ask at this time of the enduring coronavirus could be even bigger than at any time of the modern human history.

 

• Example of a story of asking for help

 

To illustrate the stories of asking for help or support, we are going to refer to the story or the well-known poem of the French poet Jean De La Fontaine (2).  One of his well-known poems is about ‘The fox and the crow’.  This is the poem:

Le Corbeau et le Renard

 

Maître Corbeau, sur un arbre perché,
Tenait en son bec un fromage.
Maître Renard, par l’odeur alléché,
Lui tint à peu près ce langage :
« Hé ! bonjour, Monsieur du Corbeau.
Que vous êtes joli ! que vous me semblez beau !
Sans mentir, si votre ramage
Se rapporte à votre plumage,
Vous êtes le Phénix des hôtes de ces bois. »
A ces mots le Corbeau ne se sent pas de joie ;
Et pour montrer sa belle voix,
Il ouvre un large bec, laisse tomber sa proie.
Le Renard s’en saisit, et dit : « Mon bon Monsieur,
Apprenez que tout flatteur
Vit aux dépens de celui qui l’écoute :
Cette leçon vaut bien un fromage, sans doute. »
Le Corbeau, honteux et confus,
Jura, mais un peu tard, qu’on ne l’y prendrait plus.

Jean de La Fontaine

 

 

In this poem, the fox that needed help from the crow said:

“Learn that every flatterer Lives at the expense of the one who listens to him”.  (translated from french as “Apprenez que tout flatteur
Vit aux dépens de celui qui l’écoute“)

Without calling those who need help or support as flatterers, one can learn about their stories of asking for help or support and help them to be listened to and get the backing they need in order to self-build or build back better greener and cleaner from the enduring coronavirus and associated containment measures.

To donate, tell and share your story of asking for help or support, please contact CENFACS.

 

• • 2021 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 2021 Entries 

 

As said above, the 2021 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 2021

 

# Start of online (e-mail) and paper-based submission (01/05/2021)

# Story submission deadline (31/05/2021)

# Notification of receipt/acceptance (by 17/06/2021)

# Submission of revised stories (01/05/2021 to 31/05/2021)

 

• • 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)

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, 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!

 

 

_________

 

References

 

(1) European Commission, Nature-based solutions | European Commission (europa.eu)

(2) Jean de La Fontaine, Le Corbeau et le Renard, poème de Jean de La Fontaine – poetica.fr

 

_________

 

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.

Donate to support CENFACS!

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

Thank you for visiting CENFACS website and reading this post.

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

We look forward to receiving your regular visits and continuing support throughout 2021 and beyond.

With many thanks.

 

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

28 April 2021

 

Post No. 193

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• FACS, Issue No. 71, Spring 2021: African Not-for-profit Organisations and the African Continental Free Trade Area

• Protection against Future Shocks and Disasters (Protection Key Notes 4 for Week Beginning Monday 26/04/2021)

• An Update of CENFACS’ Poverty Reduction Tools Box

 

… And much more!

 

 

 

Key Messages

 

• FACS, Issue No. 71, Spring 2021: African Not-for-profit Organisations and the African Continental Free Trade Area

How the African not-for-profit organisations can get the best of the game from a free trade area

 

There are pros and cons about any free trade areas.  Without selling the benefits of the African Continental Free Trade Area (ACFTA), the 71^st Issue of FACS supports the narrative that it is possible for the African Not-for-profit Organisations (AN4POs) like CENFACS’ Africa-based Sister Organisations to explore market niches and opportunities within the ACFTA so that they can deliver better and more poverty-reduction outcomes beyond their original borders. 

For example, the World Bank Group (1) argued in 2020 that

“At the moderate poverty line of PPP (purchasing power parity) US$ 5.5 a day, African Continental Free Trade Area has the potential to lift 67.9 million people, or 3.6 per cent of the continent’s population, out of poverty by 2035” (p. 7)

The above number or percentage is a huge market niche or opportunity for the AN4POs.  In this respect, the Issue reinforces the current running argument about reaping off the benefits from the economic space that the ACFTA will provide.

The Issue goes further in advocating that the AN4POs can use the leverage that would be provided by the ACFTA to form and/or develop poverty-reduction alliances or improve their existing links with other organisations of similar aims operating on the African soil in order to better deliver cross-border poverty-reduction outcomes, especially in the post-coronavirus and post-carbon emissions eras.

Furthermore, the Issue explains that the AN4POs can together improve value chains within their own organisations while developing poverty-reduction value chains across Africa.  This will help them deliver far-reaching poverty-reducing outcomes or poverty-reduction creating effects to those in need in Africa.  It is in this way they can gain in the game of the ACFTA.

Under the Main Development section of this post, we have given Key Summaries making the contents pages of FACS Newsletter, Issue No. 71 of Spring 2021.

 

 

 

• Protection against Future Shocks and Disasters

(Protection Key Notes 4 for Week Beginning Monday 26/04/2021)

 

Last week, we started this area of protection relating to future shocks and disasters when we presented the 11^th Edition of our Reflection Day (held on 27/04/2021) which focussed on the Protection of Women and Children against Future Shocks, Risks and Crises. 

We can refer to what we argued about the Reflection Day in order to strengthen protection against future shocks and disasters.  We are doing it with in mind the needs of poor people and the CENFACS Community.  However, before going any further in this presentation of protection key notes 4, let us try to understand the meanings of shock and disaster.

 

• • Meanings of future shock and disaster

 

There are many definitions of future shock and disaster.  For the purpose of these notes, we are referencing to the definition of Alvin Toffler (2) who argues that

“Future shock is a certain psychological state of individuals and entire society”

Psychological state of individuals and entire society can be affected by certain events such as food scarcity, climate change, the extinction of fish, infectious disease (like the coronavirus), etc.  For example, the impact of COVID-19 ripples across every community including the CENFACS Community.

As to disaster, we are borrowing its definition from the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Risk Reduction (3); definition which is:

“a serious disruption of the functioning of a community or a society involving widespread human, material, economic or environmental losses and impacts, which exceeds the ability of the affected community or society to cope using its resources” (p. 4)

Disasters can be natural (e.g. wild fires, global drought, etc.), economic (e.g. global economic collapse), health (e.g. the coronavirus pandemic), etc. 

These future shocks and disasters can be predicated or unpredictable.  Whether or not they can be predicted, one needs to plan protection should they occur.

 

• • Protection against future shocks and disasters

 

Self-protection or protecting poor people and communities from the adverse impacts of the eruption of future shocks and disasters means erecting defence against those shocks and disasters that are likely to happen.  As part of this protection process, one can use their foresight and work with the potential victims of these shocks and disasters to help them reduce their risks; manage them and adapt to the new normal.

For example, the economist Federico Dominguez (4) in his work argues that the decade 2020-2029 will be the Decade of Turbulence.  If this turbulence will happen and will be caused by future shocks and disasters, then protection would be needed for the potential victims of these future shocks and disasters.

The above protection notes are the last for our Protection Month.  For those who would like to discuss with us about the Month of Protection and the different notes developed to cover it, they are welcome to contact CENFACS.

 

 

• An Update of CENFACS’ Poverty Reduction Tools Box

 

In the light of the COVID-19 evolution and experience, we have carried out a risk assessment of CENFACS’ Poverty Reduction Tools Box which we created in 2020.  As a result of this risk assessment, we have included COVID-19 protection items such as hand sanitising bottles, gloves, face coverings and other personal protection equipment. 

These items are related to COVID-19 containment measures.  This update is part of the efforts deployed in order to keep the community and general public safe from the coronavirus pandemic.

Likewise, we have aligned the tools that this box contains to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction goal targets in the process of building forward together greener and cleaner.  In doing so, we hope to continue to help reduce poverty with tools that are COVID-19 proof and aligned to GHG emissions reduction goal targets.

In these processes of updating and alignment, we have taken into consideration the current, changing and emerging needs of the community.

For any enquiries about these updates and any of the tools constituent the above mentioned box, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

 

 

Extra Messages

 

• Coming in May 2021: Volunteering Stories of Building Back 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 back better from the coronavirus disaster and continuing lockdowns.  We said better because we want to encourage those who will read All in Development Stories to be positive and optimistic about their future despite the COVID-19 upset.

This year’s stories are those of recovery, rehabilitation and reconstruction from the shock and disaster caused by the coronavirus pandemic and associated lockdowns.  They are the tales of physical, social, environmental and economic building back better. 

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

 

 

• Building Forward Better Together Greener and Cleaner with the “Pandemial Generation”

 

This week, we are also working on our post-coronavirus programme of Building Forward Better Together Greener and Cleaner.  We are doing through the African Children’s Climate and Sustainable Development Goals project or Global Goals Generation project, in which we use African children as a sample.  Some of these children may become the “Pandemial Generation”.  The “Pandemial Generation” or “Pandemials” are defined by the economist Federico Dominguez (op. cit) 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.  If so, there is need to find ways of working with them so that we can build forward better together greener and cleaner.

Those who may be interested in building forward better together greener and cleaner with the “Pandemials”, they can let CENFACS know.

 

 

• 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.

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.

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.

 

 

Main Development

 

• FACS, Issue No. 71, Spring 2021: African Not-for-profit Organisations and the African Continental Free Trade Area

How the African not-for-profit organisations can get the best of the game from a free trade area

 

The contents and key summaries of the 71^st Issue of FACS are given below.

 

• • Contents and Pages

  

Free trade development and not-for-profit development (Page 2)

Service-creating and –diverting effects for the African not-for-profit organisations (AN4POs) within the ACFTA (Page 3)

ACFTA as a framework of continuance of the AN4POs’ work (Page 4)

Quel est l’espace économique des organisations africaines à but non lucratif dans la zone de libre-échange continentale africaine (ZLECA)?  (Page 5)

Les organisations africaines à but non lucratif (OABNL) et la résorption des goulots d’étranglement économique liés à la zone de libre-échange (Page 5)

La ZLECA et la facilitation de la création des chaînes de valeurs de réduction de la pauvreté au sein des OABNL (Page 6)

Les OABNL et les économies d’échelle au sein de la ZLECA (Page 6)

ACFTA as a way of improving financial bargaining power (Page 7)

Outward- and inward-looking poverty reduction policies within ACFTA (Page 7)

Not-for-profit foreign direct investment in the AN4POs in the context of ACFTA (Page 8)

Help to Win Market Niches and Opportunities in the ACFTA (Page 9)

Capacity Development Offer! (Page 9)

Survey about gains and losses for the AN4POs in the ACFTA (Page 9)

Game of the Not-for-profit Developers (Page 10)

 

• • Key Summaries

 

Please find below the key summaries of the 71^st Issue of FACS from page 2 to page 10. 

 

••• Free trade development and not-for-profit development (Page 2)

 

Economically speaking, a free trade area would be a sort of economic integration in which free internal trade will be established between country members but each member would be free to levy different external tariffs against non-members.  In this kind of trade integration model, the emphasis is on free trade as this is seen as the engine of growth.

However, in places where there is a very high level of poverty like in Africa, this view on economic growth needs to be balanced and to integrate poverty reduction.  In those places of high level of poverty, the focus should be on what the free trade can bring to the reduction of poverty, to the quality of life of those who are poor and who make the majority of the free trade area in terms of population.  

By looking at things in this way, this raises the debate over the place and role of those organisations that do not have profit as their mission, but can contribute to the development of free trade and of the reduction of poverty at the same time.  In other words, the not-for-profit organisations that are specialised in poverty reduction need to have their place and role to play in the achievement of the growth of poverty reduction.  It further means that one should look for a pre-distribution of economic growth in terms of economic factors and forces that make it to happen rather than overlooking the redistribution of the fruits of economic growth from a free trade scenario.

The above is our first key summary.  For those who would like to further discuss this introductory summary, they are welcome to contact CENFACS.

 

••• Service-creating and –diverting effects for the African not-for-profit organisations (AN4POs) within the ACFTA (Page 3)

 

It is hoped that with a fully functioning ACFTA, there would be pan-African service-creating effects for poverty reduction for those AN4POs that would actively engage in poverty reduction work in ACFTA.  However, for this to happen, the AN4POs need to have relevant infrastructures, capacities and structures in order to provide poverty-relieving services across the continent or beyond their original borders.

Reciprocally, the potential service beneficiaries in recipient countries need to accept the services to be offered.  This is because there could be cultural and ethnic barriers or clashes to non-national service providers. 

Furthermore, there could be diversion or redirection of humanitarian relief aid provided by non-members of the ACFTA.

There could be more to argue in terms of service creation and diversion for AN4POs within the ACFTA.  For those who have any issues that they want to raise in relation to these effects, they can contact CENFACS.

   

 

••• ACFTA as a framework of continuance of the AN4POs’ work (Page 4)

 

ACFTA can be a model for the continuation of the poverty reduction work that the AN4POs are already doing.  This continuation can happen if the mechanism and mechanics of ACFTA provide an enabling environment for the not-for-profit development; not only for those trading goods and services for profit.  This is because history shows that there are places in the world with a high return on investment but with a very high level of poverty as well.

Profit making does not always lead to the reduction of poverty.  Poverty reduction is not always a direct consequence of profit-making activities.  Likewise, poverty reduction does not happen by chance.  For poverty reduction to happen, the value of poverty reduction has be embodied or integrated in the processes of production, consumption, distribution and exchange of goods and services, as well as in human relations.

That is why those organisations (like the AN4POs) that seriously take poverty reduction as their core mission are well placed in working on poverty reduction in the game of trade or economic integration.  They have to be given the right space and means to expand the benefits of what they are already doing at local and national levels (of poverty reduction) across the continental free trade area.

For any queries about the kind of place that the AN4POs need to be given in the ACFTA, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

 

••• Quel est l’espace économique des organisations africaines à but non lucratif dans la zone de libre-échange continentale africaine (ZLECA)?  (Page 5)

 

Quand on parle de la zone de libre-échange, on s’adresse souvent à des organisations important et exportant des marchandises et services pour réaliser le bénéfice ou le profit.  L’espace économique est surtout réservé à ce genre d’activités, d’entreprises ou organisations.

Et pourtant, faire du profit n’est pas toujours synonyme de réaliser le bien-être ou la qualité de vies des populations locales, surtout de celles qui vivent dans la pauvreté ou la précarité.

L’espace économique est aussi pour des organisations à but non lucratif qui prennent la réalisation des objectifs de réduction de la pauvreté comme une mission principale de leurs activités. 

C’est en intégrant et en donnant une part non négligeable à ce genre d’activités dans l’ensemble commercial continental africain que l’on peut espérer gagner le combat contre la pauvreté en Afrique.    C’est-à-dire qu’on jugulera l’épineux problème de pauvreté et de précarité en Afrique quand on donnera à ces organisations à but non lucratif la place qu’elles méritent ou une part égale par rapport aux autres au sein de la zone de libre-échange continentale africaine.

Pour ceux ou celles de vous qui veulent en savoir plus sur ce sujet, s’il vous plaît n’hésitez de contacter le CENFACS.

 

••• Les organisations africaines à but non lucratif (OABNL) et la résorption des goulots d’étranglement économique liés à la zone de libre-échange (Page 5)

 

La zone de libre-échange continentale africaine peut subir des goulots d’étranglement liés à des facteurs ci-après: l’offre de proximité, des coûts de transport, des marchés imparfaits et exigus, des écarts technologiques, etc.

En faisant que les OABNL soient une partie intégrante du jeu de l’intégration commerciale continentale, elles peuvent épauler les organisations à but lucratif dans leurs tentatives de résorption de ces maux économiques.  Car, les OABNL ont des atouts exceptionnles tels que leur imprégnation dans la vie locale avec des projets locaux.

En gros, les OABNL peuvent être un atout majeur pour les autres organisations commerciales oeuvrant dans la zone en les aidant dans leur tentative de règler ces goulots d’étranglement.

 

 

••• La ZLECA et la facilitation de la création des chaînes de valeurs de réduction de la pauvreté au sein des OABNL (Page 6)

 

Commençons d’abord par définir ce que l’on entend par une chaîne de valeur.  Pour le faire, nous allons utiliser la définition de M. Porter (4).  Selon lui, l’entreprise est

“un enchaînement d’activités qui permettent de transformer des achats (auprès de fournisseurs de matières premières, biens …) en ventes”.

En partant de cette définition, on peut dire que la chaîne de valeur (c’est-à-dire toutes les étapes dans la conception, la fabrication et la distribution d’un produit) peut jouer un rôle pour la réduction de la pauvreté.

Les OABNL peuvent établir des chaînes de valeurs leur permettant de réduire la pauvreté.  De même, elles peuvent utiliser l’espace de la ZLECA pour en faire advantage.  En d’autres mots, elles peuvent localiser les sources de différenciation de leurs organisations et identifier là où la valeur de réduction de la pauvreté peut se créer.  Ce qui peut leur donner un avantage compétitif en matière de réduction de la pauvreté.

Ces chaînes offrent aux OABNL la possibilité de s’insérer dans l’économie de la ZLECA et de développer des structures leur permettant de réduire la surdépendance aux organisations multinationales à but non lucratif.  Elles peuvent par ailleurs améliorer leurs capacités de négociation et corriger l’asymétrie de pouvoir et de relations avec ces organisations multinationales.

Pour plus de détails à propos de ce qui précède, s’il vous plaît contactez le CENFACS.

 

••• Les OABNL et les économies d’échelle au sein de la ZLECA (Page 6)

 

La ZLECA peut offrir aux organisations y oeuvrant ou participant des possibilités de réaliser des économies d’echelle.  Est-ce que cela va de soi avec les OABNL?

C’est possible pour des OABNL participant dans la ZLECA de réaliser des économies d’échelle qui leur permettront en retour de créer des échelles de réduction de la pauvreté.  Elles peuvent réduire leurs coûts unitaires ou moyens de production et distribution de services de réduction de la pauvreté pendant que la dimension de leurs opérations augemente dans la ZLECA.  Evidemment, cela dépendra du secteur et de location des OABNL. 

Il peut donc y avoir à terme des effets de l’ouverture commerciale sur la dynamique de la croissance de réduction de la pauvreté pour des organisations participantes à la ZLECA.

Pour ceux ou celles qui veulent débattre avec nous cette question sur les économies d’échelle des OABNL, elles peuvent contacter le CENFACS.

 

••• ACFTA a way of improving financial bargaining power (Page 7)

 

The AN4POs can use the leverage provided by the free trade area in order to improve their financial negotiation power in international funding market; just as they can tap into any new funding schemes or programmes that could be available for the not-for-profit sector or actors at the level of the ACFTA. 

For example, there are funding programmes that are more appealing to organisations working across many borders and delivering services to users in various countries than those working in a single country. 

The AN4POs can explore new and emerging funding opportunities that are or will be available within the ACFTA; just as they can bid in the international capital market to secure funds for poverty reduction in the ACFTA.  They can as well form a coalition within the ACFTA to appeal for funding to tackle various problems that Africa is facing, such as the elimination of tropical diseases, access to COVID-19 vaccines for the poorest people, etc.

Briefly, there are ways of increasing and improving the financial bargaining power and position of the AN4POs within the framework of ACFTA.

 

••• Outward- and inward-looking poverty reduction policies within ACFTA (Page 7)

 

The AN4POs can work in order to increase the rate of self-reliance between them while promoting indigenous and local technologies and innovative ways to reduce poverty.  They can assess the potential resources and opportunities given by the ACFTA and see how they can increase their level of self-reliance.  Where they fall short, they can evaluate by how much inward-looking services can fill the gap.

They should carry out a prudent and intelligent mix of inward- and outward-looking policies in order to continue their journey of poverty reduction and sustainable development.  This requires pragmatism.  They should not expect the ACFTA to provide all the answers to the problem.

In short, it is possible to get the best of ACFTA by conducting a clever mix of both outward- and inward-looking poverty reduction policies.

  

••• Not-for-profit foreign direct investment in the AN4POs in the context of ACFTA (Page 8)

 

The AN4POs can work to attract part of incoming foreign direct investment (FDI) that the ACFTA may benefit as a result of continental free trade area.  This part of FDI could be the one coming from overseas development organisations or non-trading arms of some multinational corporations.

For example, at the moment there are binding contracts or legislation in some places that force foreign multinational corporations to invest in local poverty reduction projects, green projects, programmes for much-needed support to marginalised communities, climate resilience and health initiatives, projects to reduce plastic pollution and waste, etc.

The AN4POs can get involved in those types of projects or programmes in the context of the ACFTA.  The principles of a free trade area can give them impetus to be more ambitious and grab the markets where legislation is permitted within the ACFTA.    

It may be too early to think of this kind of market opportunities.  However, as the ACFTA develops, this sort of opportunities could become clearer and wider.

 

 

••• Help to Win Market Niches and Opportunities in the ACFTA (Page 9)

 

Does any African organisation is interested in training, seminars, webinars, online discussions, forums and conferences, etc. in order to access the opportunities of the ACFTA?

 

 

 

••• Capacity Development Offer! (Page 9)

 

Does your organisation have the necessary and required capacity to provide cross-border services in the context of ACFTA?

If not, CENFACS can work with your organisation to find the right capacity to build and/or develop to enter and / or sustain in the economic space provided by the ACFTA.

Need capacity development; please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

 

••• Survey about gains and losses for the AN4POs in the ACFTA (Page 9)

 

There are advantages and disadvantages deriving from the ACFTA for the AN4POs.  Further to these advantages and disadvantages, CENFACS is carrying a survey to evaluate the gains and losses for the AN4POs.  As a part of this survey, we have developed a questionnaire to help you give your views.  One of the questions in this questionnaire is:

Do you think that the ACFTA will benefit the not-for-profit development in Africa?

 

••• Game of the Not-for-profit Developers (Page 10)

 

The Game of the Not-for-profit Developers (or the Game of the African Not-for-profit Organisations in the African Continental Free Trade Area) is an investigative project that aims to help African Not-for-profit Organisations to get the best of the African Continental Free Trade Area so that they can expand their outcomes in terms of poverty reduction, and in doing so help lift more people out of poverty in Africa or in this area.

The project, which is not a sum of recreational activities, is a model of decision-making process that analyses the threats and risks deriving from the trading space provided by the ACFTA while identifying the opportunities that can be reaped off from the same space.

The investigative project takes into account the local needs as well as the conflicting interests of the other game players and their choices.

For details including full project proposals and budget for the Game of the Not-for-profit Developers, please contact CENFACS.

 

The full copy of the 71^st Issue of FACS is available on request.

 

For any queries and comments about this Issue, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

_________

 

References

 

(1) World Bank Group (2020), The African Continental Free Trade Area: Economic and Distributional Effects, World Bank Publications, Washington, D. C.

(2) Alvin Toffler (1970), Future Shock, Pandom House

(3) United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Risk Reduction (2009), United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction, UNISDR Terminology on Disaster Risk Reduction

(4) Federico Dominguez (2021), La Rebelión de los Pandemials, Editores Argentinos

_________

 

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.

Donate to support CENFACS!

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

Thank you for visiting CENFACS website and reading this post.

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

We look forward to receiving your regular visits and continuing support throughout 2021 and beyond.

With many thanks.

 

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

21 April 2021

 

Post No. 192

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• Protection against the Newly-emerged Forms of Poverty and Hardships (Protection Key Notes 3 for Week Beginning Monday 19/04/2021)

• Coming Next Tuesday 27/04/2021: Virtual Reflection with a Focus on Ring-fencing Protection for Women and Children to Become More Resilient and Vigilant to Future Risks and Crises

• Advisory Support for Coronavirus Rescue Income (ASCRI)

 

… And much more!

 

 

 

Key Messages

 

• Protection against the Newly-emerged Forms of Poverty and Hardships

(Protection Key Notes 3 for Week Beginning Monday 19/04/2021)

 

Our Month of Protection continues this week with the Protection Key Notes 3 that deals with the protection against the emergence and manifestations of new forms of lacks or deprivations experienced by a number of our community members during the enduring coronavirus time. 

The new forms of lacks or deprivations are a situation of human failure in which a certain number of people in need has been struggling to meet the subsistence essentials of shelter, food, sanitation, etc. in order to maintain minimum levels of living.  This failure is in itself an expression of lack of protection for those who are economically vulnerable at this very challenging time.

These needy people and new forms of lacks or inabilities to meet basic life-sustaining needs are further explained in the Main Development section of this post.  In the said section, we will be mostly arguing about human protection against these new forms of poverty.

 

 

 

• Coming Next Tuesday 27/04/2021: Virtual Reflection with a Focus on Ring-fencing Protection for Women and Children to Become More Resilient and Vigilant in face of Future Risks and Crises

 

• • 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 enduring Covid-19, they may be facing sanitation poverty and associated hardships.

 

• • The 11^th Edition of CENFACS’ Reflection Day  

 

This year, the 11^th Edition of our Reflection Day will be virtually run like last year.  We shall keep it virtual since the fight against the coronavirus pandemic is still on.  Because of the enduring coronavirus, we will not be physically gathering together on the day.  Every participant will be reflecting from the location which is suitable for them (that is, like a virtual reality or remotely).

The 11^th Edition is about processing thoughts and feelings about the conditions of poor women and children in terms of the best way of protecting themselves or protecting them. 

It is about to enclose or reinforce protection for vulnerable and needy women and children to become more able to adapt and live despite future shocks and crises (like the coronavirus). 

Although the Virtual Reflection Day (VRD) is about resilience building, it is also about managing future risks and harnessing women’s and children’s leverage of new opportunities for defence.

 

• • The need of protection

 

One may argue or question if this protection is really needed since no one knows these future risks and crisis or simply when they are going to happen. 

To self-protect or protect lives no one needs a disaster first to happen.  There is a say that prevention is better than cure.  Protection is better before the disaster happens than waiting for a disaster to happen and react after.   

In fact, one could learn from the mistakes made about the coronavirus as infectious disease.  If preparation and protection were planned against the coronavirus, perhaps we would have minor impacts from it rather than those of a big scale like now.  However, what are those future risks or crises that women and children need to think of for their own protection?

 

• • Future risks that need protection for women and children

 

To simplify the matter, we are going to refer the 16^th edition of the World Economic Forum’s annual analysis – the Global Risks Report 2021 (1).  In its report, the Forum categorises risks into the following types: economic, environmental, geopolitical, societal and technological ones.  On the page 12 of this report, there are 10 top risks that are likely to happen and 10 top risks that may impact over the course of the next ten years. 

Additionally, it is indicated in this report that further to the survey respondents’ results, the 10 top global risks by likelihood (from unlikely to very likely to occur over the course of the next ten years) are:

(1) extreme weather  (2) climate action failure  (3) human environmental damage  (4) infectious diseases  (5) biodiversity loss  (6) digital power concentration  (7) digital inequality  (8) interstate relations fracture  (9) cyber-security failure  (10) livelihood crises

For the same survey respondents’ results, the 10 top global risks by impact (from minimal to catastrophic impact to occur over the course of the next ten years) are: 

(1) infectious diseases  (2) climate action failure  (3) weapons of mass destruction  (4) biodiversity loss  (5) natural resource crisis  (6) human environmental damage  (7) livelihood crises  (8) extreme weather  (9) debt crisis  (10) IT infrastructure breakdown

If any of these risks happen, they can affect the quality of life and well-being of women and children, especially the poor ones.  Because of that, we can reflect on the ways of protecting women and children from these future risks. 

For example, if there is a natural resource crisis, how can women and children protect themselves or how one can protect them?  The Reflection Day can help to shine lights or simply have some thoughts and feelings about the answer on this question.

In the light of these future risks, there is therefore a need to improve resilience and vigilance of women and children should these risks become realities.  In this respect, our Virtual Reflection Day will help in the following:

√ To provide ways of screening and analysing the early warning signals or signs of future threats and risks to protection so that women and children are not surprise by the course and speed of disastrous events like the coronavirus pandemic

√ To enable the identification and communication of the already-present, persistent and emerging risks  

√ To mostly ring-fence protection in face of these potential or probable risks.

 

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 COVID-19 Threats on our Network for Protection in the process of building forward better together greener and cleaner. 

 

• • Reflection on the Effects of COVID-19 Threats on our Network for Protection

 

Through this additional reflection exercise, we should be able to know whether or not the infectious disease like COVID-19 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 coronavirus 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 and cleaner.     

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 Coronavirus Rescue Income (ASCRI) to Help Those in Most Need

 

ASCRI, which is part of CENFACS’ Cube of Protection, is a non-face-to-face advice, support and information project to help those in most need and who lost their earning capacity or potential because of the destructive impacts of the enduring coronavirus pandemic on their incomes and lives. 

The ASCRI project has a double objective:

(a) Helping deprived and vulnerable people impacted by Covid-19

(b) Supporting them through the alleviation of the associated social, environmental and economic hardships caused by the coronavirus crisis

The project, which will help them to improve their prospects for earning income again, is also a deterrent against side effects of losing income or earning capacity; effects such as mental, psychological and social breakdowns.  Additionally, the project will help avoid reversal gains made by those in most need against poverty and hardships.  In doing so, the project will assist them in better coping with undesirable change brought by Covid-19.

The ASCRI advice will be given in three keys areas:

# Advice to help stop the loss of income

# Advice to support response to the loss of income

# Advice on recovery measures to minimise the long term impact of Covid-19 after it ends, while helping them find new or alternative sources of earning income to prevent them 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, develop new streams or sources of earning income again, build back better, etc.

To access and or gain the benefits of this project, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

Extra Messages

 

• Implementing Post-coronavirus Poverty Reduction Restructuring and Post-exit People’s Development Projects

 

From this week, we will start the implementation of the Post-coronavirus Poverty Reduction Projects (P-CPRRPs) and the Post-exit People’s Development Projects (P-EPDPs).

 

• •  P-CPRRPs

 

P-CPRRPs, which are designed to work with organisations (particularly our Africa-based Sister Organisations), will be implemented in the context of the Programme of Building Back Better and Forward Together Greener and Cleaner and via our International Advice Service. 

P-CPRRPs include the following:

managing changes, adaptation to new market developments, reorganisation of the system of poverty reduction production, and alignment to greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals and targets.

 

•  •  P-EPDPs

 

P-EPDPs, which are meant to support individuals (notably those making the CENFACS Community), will be carried out in the context of our Individual Capacity Development Programme and through our Community Advice Service. 

P-EPDPs include the following:

promotion of living levels, self-esteem building and maintenance, and protection of human freedoms.  

 

For those organisations or individuals in need who would like to work with CENFACS via either of these projects, they are advised to first contact CENFACS so that we can together carry out a needs assessment and draw a programme of work or action plan.

For any queries or enquiries about the above named two sets of projects, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

•  Coronavirus and Build Back Better Donations Needed!

 

The coronavirus pandemic and associated lockdowns have put serious pressure on the finances and other areas of operations of many organisations including ourselves.

We need donations to help those affected by both health crisis and lockdowns so that they can properly start the work of building back better.

We know that some of you have their income dropped because of the coronavirus pandemic and lockdown measures.  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 2021.

We look forward to your support.  Many thanks!

 

 

 

• YOUR SAY ON COVID-19 AND LOCKDOWNS as a New Poverty or New Opportunity

 

• •  COVID-19 and lockdowns as damages and opportunities

 

In any crises, there are both damages and opportunities.  This applies to the coronavirus as a health and economic crisis as well as to lockdowns as painkilling measures to stop the spread of the coronavirus disease.

One of the damages that the coronavirus has caused is the emergence of new poverty or new manifestations of poverty and hardships.  Likewise, some of the measures taken to combat the coronavirus have accidentally resulted in the exacerbation of poverty and hardships for some sections of the population. 

However, beyond or besides these damages, there could be opportunities not only for the well-off but also for those who are in need.  There could be opportunity to bring to attention their living conditions.  There could also be opportunity in the rebuilding process since there are calls for a recovery that is inclusive and for all.

So, as part of this week’s work on the protection against the new poverty, CENFACS would like to know from its members and followers if they consider themselves that the COVID-19 and some aspects of lockdown measures have been an experience of new poverty or new opportunity for them.

 

• • Sharing your COVID-19 and lockdowns experience

 

Those who think that COVID-19 has been an experience of new form of poverty for them; they can share with us their experience.

On the contrary, those who take a different view by contemplating that COVID-19 has been an experience of a new opportunity for them; they can as well share their experience in terms of the opportunity they have so far.

Those who believe that lockdowns or some aspects of lockdowns have been an experience of exacerbation of poverty or hardships for them; they can share with us their experience on this matter.

By contrast, those who feel that lockdowns or some aspects of lockdowns have brought some forms of opportunity for them; they can share with us their experience on this as well. 

To share your experience about COVID-19 and lockdowns as a new poverty or a new opportunity; you need to text or phone or e-mail or complete the contact form on this website.

 

 

 

Main Development

 

• Protection against the Newly-emerged Forms of Poverty and Hardships

(Protection Key Notes 3 for Week Beginning Monday 19/04/2021)

 

The following makes up the contents of protection key notes 3: the changing face of poverty, change of the very nature of poverty, the new poor who need protection and protection of the new poor. Let us look at this makeup.

 

•  •  The changing face of poverty

 

The history of poverty in many places at different times tells us that poverty keeps on changing or if it has the same content its manifestations/presentation may be various.   These changing face and manifestations are found at this time of the enduring coronavirus. 

At this time of the enduring coronavirus and lockdowns, poverty may have shown its new face and or manifestations.  This is to such an extent that one could argue that there are new forms of poverty.  However, if one disagrees with this, let say that there are at least new manifestations of poverty.  These new forms or manifestations could lead to a new message or paradigm shift in terms of the changing nature of poverty.

 

•  •  Change of the very nature of poverty

 

To speak about new forms of poverty, this requires a change of the very nature of poverty.  It means that poverty as a lack of means or resources has undergone some transformations in such a way that it becomes something that has never been or seen before in a particular place or time or format.  In other words, the essential character or outlook of poverty the way in which one knows it in particular place or at a specific time has changed. 

If one observes what has currently happened in some places during this health crisis, one can argue that the coronavirus has perhaps created new poverty or new manifestations of poverty, while some measures of lockdowns may have fuelled the problem of poverty and hardships.

Likewise, if one takes into account the various signs pointed up by relative poverty indicators, one could argue that the magnitude of phenomenon of “lack” has been so deeper to the extent that one could think that there are emerging new forms of poverty.  What are those forms or who are those new poor or new symptomatic to poverty.

 

• •  Types of new poor who need protection

 

Like in any lacks (or diseases), some people will show mild symptoms, while others will have strong symptoms of lack.  Others even could be asymptomatic as they may show manifestations of lack without really becoming poor.  For those who have been really affected by the socio-economic impacts of the coronavirus and inappropriate lockdown measures to the extent that they become poor or their conditions of poverty become exacerbated; who are they?

They are as follows:

√ The new types of street beggars (amongst them are normal looking gentlemen and normal young girls)

√ Those who failed to meet the punitive terms and conditions of the coronavirus financial bailout programmes and policies

√ The new homeless who are in search of any secure refuge or corner in the local area to shield themselves because the town and shopping centre are locked down

√ The rejected by the system that is meant to count every body

√ Those who have been cut off from their network of support or service

√ Those who simply own nothing

√ The previously and relatively protected who lost their protection because of the coronavirus and lockdowns

√ Those who become socially and economically vulnerable because of the coronavirus and lockdowns

√ Those who are experiencing instability in social relations because of the coronavirus and lockdowns

√ The new digital, information and communication poor not having access to support/help

√ Those who have been caught in poverty trap because of social and physical distance measures that made life line services to move away from them

√ The least protected community groups and sections of the local population

√ The isolated, confined and locked down without any means of survival or copping (such as food, medicines, sanitary items, etc.) or relationships

√ The less engaged in the local life

√ Those living in overcrowded homes and close-contact settings

√ The over-indebted because of the coronavirus and lockdown financial pressure

√ Students or those who need a considerable number of years to catch up with education and learning because of the coronavirus and inappropriate lockdown measures

√ Those who lost their informal jobs and are without financial bailout

√ Those who cannot learn from home because they cannot afford to buy distance learning technologies and equipment

Etc.

 

Most of these new poor or manifestations of poverty are the results of the coronavirus and asymmetrical distributional effects of lockdown measures.  They make the new forms of poverty that could be transitory.  However, because of the magnitude of the current crisis, some of them could become permanent if nothing is done to stop this new poverty.  So, protecting these people could help avoid them move from transitory to permanent poor/poverty.  It could even help to prevent the worst scenario of inter-generational poverty.

 

• • Protection of the new poor or symptomatic new poor

 

Any human being living in a place has to be numbered and their means of living has to be known as well.  In other words, without policing them, it is a duty of protection to know the number of human beings in a given area, and whether or not they have the means to meet their basic life-sustaining needs of food, shelter, health, education or training, clothing, protection, etc.    This knowledge about the number of people (or their statistics or quantity) and their means of living (or their quality of life) is in fact the first step in the process of building protection for everybody.

There could be three possible ways of getting information for poor people’s economic protection, which are as follows. 

They could be working and earning income.  If this income is not enough, they could be in-work or working poor. 

They could be getting support to cover their needs.  If this support is insufficient, then they could experience income poverty or any other forms of poverty. 

They could have savings or investments.  If these savings are low or investments are not rewarding, they could be still in symptomatic poverty. 

In the context of the coronavirus crisis, the above mentioned first step will enable to identify the new poor or symptomatic poor as well as assess their resources if they have any and their needs.  This process will enable to know who is lacking the means to survive the crisis like the coronavirus. 

Since we are in a situation whereby there have already been coronavirus and new poor, one needs now to think of the kind of work to do with these poor in order to provide them with the level of protection they need in order to come out poverty. 

Briefly, the protection of poor people is needed in order to tackle the emerging new forms of poverty and new manifestations of poverty that may have been caused by the coronavirus and exacerbated by some measures that were supposed to protect the public health, but accidentally end up by economically harmed them and others.

For any queries or enquiries regarding these protection notes and the previous ones as well as the entire Month of Protection, please do not hesitate to contact CENFACS.

 

_________

 

Reference

 

(1) World Economic Forum (2021), The Global Risks Report 2021, 16th Edition, Insight report

https://www.weforum.org/global-risks

 

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

 

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.

Donate to support CENFACS!

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

Thank you for visiting CENFACS website and reading this post.

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

We look forward to receiving your regular visits and continuing support throughout 2021 and beyond.

With many thanks.