Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

10 April 2019

Post No. 86

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• Rebuilding Africa

• Protection of People affected by Floods

• Renewal Season over Easter and Quadranscentennial (Q) Year 

 

… and much more!

 

 

Key Messages

 

~ Rebuilding Africa

As we argued in our previous communication, CENFACS does not only work in bringing and lighting a Blaze of Hope for the Victims of Destructive Wars and Natural Disasters.  CENFACS takes the process of working with them further in helping them  to overcome underlying poverty and hardships. 

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

Rebuilding Africa can take place in countries for example that are experiencing embryonic democratic transition (like the Democratic Republic of Congo) or countries that came out of destructive natural disasters (for instance Madagascar) or countries that experiencing peace transition after destructive wars (similar to the current process in the Central African Republic) or even countries searching for a truly democratic transition (such as Algeria at the moment).

For further details about the work on Rebuilding Africa, read under the Main Developments section of this post.

 

 

~ Protection of People affected by Floods

The second note of our theme on protection is the Protection of People affected by Floods.  This week, we are looking at what types of protection they need as we are dealing with the all sections of the population who could be affected.

Under the Main Developments section of this post, we have provided the contents making this second note of our protection theme.

 

 

~ Renewal Season over Easter and Quadranscentennial (Q) Year

Our Q Year and Project continue over this Easter season with the topic of renewing lives as we are trying to factorise “quadranscentenniality” into our renewal work this Easter.  It is about looking at what the Q factor can play within the season of renewing lives. 

As the Q Project is about recalling the last 25 years of CENFACS, we can try to increase renewal by a factor of 25.  So, the Q factor is an element that can contribute to the renewal of lives as it explains the outcomes that could have been achieved in working to reduce poverty and helping to renew lives over this time frame.

Apart from this factorisation of “Quadranscentenniality”, we are looking back some of the works we did (our quadranscentennial legacy) in order to help renew lives here in the UK and in Africa for the people and communities affected by wars and natural disasters.

For more information about the Q factor and the relationship between the Q Year and Season of Renewing Lives, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

Extra Messages

 

~ Holiday with Relief at Easter Time

The Individual Capacity Development Programme (ICDP) resource entitled Holiday with Relief continue to be our source of reference this Easter holiday, together with its focus on Life Sustenance and Climate. 

For those who are looking for advice, tips and hints including fixers for their Easter holiday; our ICDP resource is a handy basic companion to consider for Holiday with Relief.  It contains useful pieces of information for holiday with relief whether holiday makers stay at home or go away to pass their holiday.

Its handiness and usefulness are as good for this year’s edition as for the previous issues.

To request a copy of the ICDP resources, please contact CENFACS.

Whether you pass your Easter holiday at home or away, CENFACS wishes you a Very Relaxing Easter Break!

 

 

~ Easter Shopping and Donations at CENFACS Charity e-Store

Do something little this Easter at CENFACS Charity e-Store, the store built for you to help reduce poverty!

We need QUALITY GOODS.

We always need goods that people do not want or need or even want to recycle.

We need SHOPPING as well.

You can shop at CENFACS Charity e-Store this Easter.

With your generous SHOPPING and or GOODS donations, these can be turned into cash and help to create an amazing experience of reducing poverty and hardships over this Easter and beyond for those in most pressing needs.

Because CENFACS Charity e-Store is a digital one, you can shop or donate wherever you are, even if you are on Easter holiday, and at any time.  The shop is opened 24 hours, 7 days a week.

To shop and or donate goods, go to http://cenfacs.org.uk/shop/

 

 

Main Developments

 

We have two exciting developments for you this week: Rebuilding Africa and Protection of People Affected by Floods.

 

• Rebuilding Africa

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

Rebuilding in the context of our poverty relief work has to be placed in the perspective of helping poor people and their organisations to overcome the ill effects of wars and natural disasters.  It is down to Africans to rebuild Africa, not CENFACS.  CENFACS as a charity just gives a helpful hand to them to reduce or better end poverty.

 

• • What rebuilding is about 

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

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

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

This Projects Planning and Development activity enables us to improve our way of doing development work, to rethink and exchange new ideas, avenues, approaches and projects to better respond to the following:

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

√ New emerging threats and risks

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

 

This planning and development process is within the context of enhancing our African Rebuilding and Sustaining Infrastructures and Lives programme.

 

•• What are those projects or responses?

Projects planning and development for responses could deal with environmental and war events.

 

Project developments linked to environmental events may respond to the following

≈ Short-term environmental strikes

≈ Disasters linked to climate change cycles

≈ Long-term environmental storms and catastrophes

 

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

≈ Short-term crisis and armed conflicts and disputes

≈ Wars linked to economic trends and business cycles

≈ Long-running and permanent wars and structural warfare

 

Project developments linked to both environmental and war events will be a process of projects planning and development that has a double response to environmental and war events for short, medium and long running crises.

To be more specific, let takes the case of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

 

•• Project development in the Case of New democratically-transited Countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is a country that has recently transited to political democracy and that experienced wars for almost three decades and environmental impacts.  With this transition, one can assume that DRC requires rebuilding. 

After CENFACS’ continuing appeals to light a blaze of hope for the victims of unfinished business of political democratisation processes, it is now the time for us to start advocating for rebuilding the DRC.  The country managed against all the odds to peacefully transit to political democratisation with this year’s presidential election.  There could be a need to talk about and think of short, medium and long term project developments that meet the basic needs in the new context of this country. 

One can hope that our Congolese Sister Organisations will seize the new opportunity and momentum provided by the newly elected governance to start a new process of rebuilding DRC from the legacies of wars and environmental events, so that the needs and ends of the ordinary Congolese can be met again like three decades ago.  

 

• Protection of People Affected by Floods

All the people affected by a flood event need to be protected from this event.  This protection includes the protection of those who are victims of floods and those who help them.  However, like in any situation or catastrophic event, there are always those who are weak, sick, vulnerable and defenseless.  For those ones, perhaps a much needed attention has to be deployed.  So, this week’s protection work will focus on the people affected by floods.

 

•• Who are those people who need protection from floods?

 

There are many types of victims who include the following:

 

√ Those who lost almost everything (including their homes, relative and friends)

√ Those who suffer from trauma and psychological effect of the floods

√ Homeless

√ Farmers and fishermen

√ Foreign visitors and tourists

√ Those who are separate from their community and family members

√ Ill-people from stress-related symptoms

√ Evacuees

√ Displaced persons

Etc.

 

•• How do they get cover from the damage, loss and harm from floods?

Our Appeal for Renewing Lives in flood-affected African countries (Burundi, Madagascar and Niger) which was published last week in the context of our ReLive Issue No. 11 of this Spring provides answer to the above question.  The answer may not be complete, but it indicates what needs to be done.

In this Issue No.11 of ReLive, we have run a poverty relief model of 14 Gifts in 20 Reliefs as our way of responding to the people affected by floods in these African countries.  The propositions made for flood relief in this Issue No. 11 and in our model are applicable to many flood cases, although one should be cautious in generalising them. 

The model is restrictive and applicable to the above case of these African countries.  We are not sure if it is replicable or extendable to others cases in other regions of the world.  Every flood situation needs to be treated on its own merit while customising solutions.

For a full coverage of this appeal and a further understanding of protection for the people affected by floods as well as to support them, go to: http://cenfacs.org.uk/supporting-us/

 

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 2019.

With many thanks

 

 

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

03 April 2019

Post No. 85

 

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• April Month of Protection: Flood Protection

• ReLive Issue No. 11: 14 Gifts in 20 Reliefs

• Climate Protection and Stake for African Children – Phase 3

 

… and much more!

 

Key Messages

 

~ April Month of Protection: Flood Protection

Our April month of Protection will focus on Flood Protection for this year.  This topic is chosen in the light of the flood disaster, which has happened in Southern Africa.  It is also chosen to highlight the theme of our Spring campaign, which is centred this year on Rebuilding and Renewing Lives in flood-affected African countries.

We have selected four key notes to compose this Spring theme, which will last four weeks with one note every week, starting from the 1^st of April 2019.  These key notes are as follows:

 

⇒ Protection of flood-affected areas (week beginning 01/04/2019)

⇒ Protection of people affected by floods (week beginning 08/04/2019)

⇒ Protection of infrastructures, homes and buildings (week beginning 15/04/2019)

⇒ Protection of livelihoods and local lives (week beginning 22/04/2019)

 

In brief, these key notes about protection will deal with four elements: Areas, People, Infrastructures and Lives.

~~ Week beginning 01/04/2019: Protection of flood-affected areas 

Within this key note, we would deal with the following

 

√ Flood safety tips

√ Flood warning system

√ Action plan against flood

√ Flood evacuation

√ Health

√ Electricals

√ Insurance etc

For details about Protection Month and Flood Protection, contact CENFACS.

~ ReLive Issue No. 11: 14 Gifts in 20 Reliefs

The 11^th Issue of ReLive, of Rebuilding and Renewing Lives will focus on African countries affected by floods, particularly but not exclusively on the three African countries which are Burundi, Madagascar and Niger.

In the last week’s post, we said that we would continue to sympathise and support the flooding cause in Southern Africa (in Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi).  However, the magnitude, scale and effects of their flood disaster are beyond our scope and capacity.  They are already prominent charitable, non-governmental as well as multilateral organisations which have been already and heavily involved in this flood disaster.

Under the Main Development section of this post, we have provided more information about ReLive and some highlights about the Issue no. 11 of this campaign.

To support and or enquire about ReLive Issue No. 11, please contact CENFACS.     

~ Climate Protection and Stake for African children (CPSAC) – Phase 3

 

~~ Santiago Makes It Work

Our climate advocacy work about CPSAC – P.3 with Santiago Makes It Work, continues this week as well.  This week, we are working in the preparation of our next Climate Talks Follow-up.  We will be following the Santiago Climate Conference, which will feature the 25^th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP25) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to the UNFCCC and meetings of the UNFCCC subsidiary bodies; conference expected to take place from 2 to 13 December 2019.  The pre-COP will be on from 26 November to 1 December 2019. 

While our preparation is in progress, we are as well working on the lessons that can be drawn from what happened in Southern Africa with the flood disaster there.

 

~~ Lessons and experiences from the flood disaster in Southern Africa

We are working on the lessons that can be learnt from the recent flood disaster in Southern African Countries (namely Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe) in terms of protecting African children from the effects and impacts of climate change, here flood disaster.  In particular, what can be done to ensure that African children are protected and are eligible to emergency payments?  How the climate insurance world can provide a cover to those who cannot afford to pay for it, but they need it as humans, as flood disaster victims?  These are the kinds of questions we are trying to ask ourselves and trying to respond as well; although it may be too earlier to do so.

To support CENFACS’ Climate Talks Follow-up project and to bring your input to the protection case of children in Southern Africa, contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

Extra Messages

 

~ Last Month’s Climate Action: Thanks!

We would like to thank all those who supported our Climate Action Month.  We hope they will continue to support it in the future.  Many thanks!

~ Quadranscentennial (Q) Year (2019) and Protection Month (April)

We are in CENFACS’ Quadranscentennial (Q) Year (2019) in a Month (April) of Protection. 

To highlight the Q Year in the month of Protection, we are working on lasting or sustainable protection.  As such, we are going to “quadranscentennialise” protection by making it sustainable and lasting for a period of 25 years at least.  This is our way of linking “quadranscentenniality” and protection. 

The verb “quadranscentennialise” and the word “quadranscentenniality” do not exist in English dictionary.  So, we would like to ask to our readers not to waste their time searching them in the paper or online dictionary.   This is why we put them in double inverted commas. 

“Quadranscentennialisation” of protection is a process of making protection to sustain or last 25 years or more for the future generations.  Protection looked at in this way is all encompassing concept of defense against harm, loss and damage.  Here these harm, loss and damage are caused by floods.

To support the process of making protection last to a trend of 25 years or more, contact CENFACS.

 

 

 

Main Development

 

• ReLive Issue No. 11: 14 Gifts in 20 Reliefs

What is ReLive?

ReLive is one of CENFACS’ Spring campaigns and a bridge between CENFACS’ Winter Lights and Spring Relief seasons. 

As ReLive advocacy is designed to advocate help the peoples and communities whose lives and livelihoods have been destroyed to rebuild themselves, our appeal will try to achieve this for the above selected African countries in this Spring 2019. 

Although this appeal is a seasonal appeal related to Spring, it is also a consolidated one following our Winter Light appeals on countries such as Central African Republic, and a joint one as we have added three African countries (notably Burundi, Madagascar and Niger).

What is the focus for ReLive in 2019?

The 11th issue of CENFACS’ Annual Spring Appeal for Renewing Lives (ReLive) will focus on advocating for the support of the flood victims in Africa.   For the purpose of this year’s Spring Renewing Life Appeal, we are going to limit to the above stated three countries:  Burundi, Madagascar and Niger. 

Because of the similarities of flood events and humanitarian issues in these countries, we are launching a unified appeal to cater for the three countries.  We are doing it through what we call Gifts of Renewing Lives or Life-Renewing Projects.

There are other countries in Africa which have been affected by major flood disasters.  These countries are Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Malawi.  As already said, we would like as well to show our sympathy and support.  However, their cases, which are beyond our scope and scale, have been dealt by other major humanitarian relief organisations.  Also, the underlying principle of ReLive campaign is to help rebuild or renew lives rather than to respond to emergency and contingency needs.  Therefore, this appeal does not apply to them.

What are Gifts of Renewing Lives or Life-renewing Projects (LRPS)?

Life-renewing projects (LRPs) are poverty relief and Spring like gifts designed to materialise ReLive advocacy by helping people to set free from multi-dimensional deprivations and hardships so that they can start up again, renew and rebuild their lives with hope.

LRPs are part of CENFACS’ African Rebuilding and Sustaining Infrastructures and Lives Programme. Spring Gifts of Renewing Lives are about bringing renewal, joy and hope to needy people.  These Spring 2019 Gifts will be about bringing the same benefits to the peoples of these three African countries.

 

What are these ways or gifts of renewing lives?

This Spring, we are running 14 Gifts in a world of 20 Reliefs or Helpful Differences.  What this means.

It means donors or funders have 14 Gifts of Renewing Lives to choose from and 20 Reliefs to select from to make helpful differences to the flood victims.

In total, our Spring Relief campaign is providing to potential supporters 14 GIFTS of rebuilding lives in the three African Countries in 20 RELIEFS to make this happen.

 

For this renewal to happen, support is needed towards LRPs.

To support, go to http://cenfacs.org.uk/supporting-us/

 

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 2019.

With many thanks

 

 

 

 

 

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

27 March 2019

Post No. 84

 

The Week’s Contents and Trends

 

• FACS Issue No. 63: Abstract and Contents

• Climate Action Month, Week Four (Starting 25/03/2019) – In focus: Resilience, Adaptation and Mitigation

• ICDP (Individual Capacity Development Programme) Resource, Holiday with Relief – In focus for Spring 2019 Issue: Life-Sustenance and Climate

 

… and much more!

 

 

Key Messages

 

~ FACS Issue No. 63: Economic Value Chains in Africa – What they can reveal for those in need.

The next issue of FACS (CENFACS’ bilingual) will be entitled as follows:

Economic Value Chains in Africa – What they can reveal for those in need.

The issue deals with interlinked economic activities that contribute in bringing a product or a service from conception to final disposal after use.  This set of interlinked economic activities contributes to pro-poor initiatives and facilitates better linkages between market players.  The 63^rd Issue aims at looking at what these interlinked economic activities or economic value chains can reveal for the life- sustaining needs of those in most pressing needs.

Under the Main Developments section of this post, we have provided the abstract of the 63^rd Issue and the various elements making its contents.

~ Climate Action Month, Week Four (Starting 25/03/2019) – In focus: Resilience, Adaptation and Mitigation

Our Climate Action Month and Weeks continue this week, which is the last one.  The focus for this week’s action will be on three elements: resilience, adaptation and mitigation.

Resilience will be about regaining structure and function after disruption from adverse climate change

 Adaptation will deal with change in the structure or habit to adjust or enhance one’s ability to survive in the environment

Mitigation will treat avoiding or minimising negative environmental impacts.

Further details about actions related to each of them are given under the Main Developments section of this post.

~ ICDP (Individual Capacity development Programme) Resource – In focus for Spring 2019 Issue: Life-Sustenance and Climate

Grasping the Nettle of Holiday with Climate Relief and Skills

The 2019 Spring Edition of ICDP speaks about climate (i.e. the average atmospheric conditions prevailing in a region) and Life-sustenance.  It looks at nine basic life-sustaining goods (that is food, environment, health, protection, education, housing, clothing, water/drink and energy) in relation to each of them with climate.

Under the Main Developments section of this post, we have given the key highlights on advice, tips and hints regarding the links between climate and life sustenance.

 

 

Extra Messages

 

~ Cyclone Idai in Southern Africa

We have followed what happened and we are continuing to watch what is happening in Africa about the magnitude and scale of Cyclone Idai together with the damage it has caused so far. 

We are supporting other charitable organisations and non-governmental organisations as well as civil societies and all those who have engaged in helping to alleviate this environmental crisis and its victims.

We hope that every effort will be deployed to scale down the impact of this cyclone and every victim will get the assistance they need and get back to their normal life.  It is worth thanking all forms of help given to the Cyclone Idai Victims.

~ Rebuilding Africa

In parallel to this support to the cause of the Cyclone Idai Victims, we are carrying on our work on rebuilding Africa as the Spring Relief season is featured and themed as of Rebuilding and Renewing Lives.  We shall let you know of any project or activity regarding Rebuilding Africa initiative.

~ African Children, Climate and Sustainable Development Goals (ACCSDGs) – In search of new forms of data for the African Children Victims of Flood Disaster

Our search for new forms of data that show how African Children are or are not meeting Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is still on course.  This week, we are including in our pilot research project the African Children victims of flood disaster.  As a sample, we are considering cyclone victims like children victims of cyclone Idai in Southern Africa.

We shall consider data related to life-sustaining needs such safe drinking water, sanitation, shelter, protection, environment, food, health etc.  These data can speak about the conditions of these children and the level of meeting (or not meeting) sustainable development goals.  Data can tell also if there has been a setback in meeting SDGs.  Particularly, in places where schools and health centres have been destroyed, buildings have been flattened and where there is a high risk of water-borne diseases; there is a considerable amount of data to be collected and treated. 

To support and or enquire about the new forms of data for ACCSDGs, contact CENFACS.   

 

 

Main Developments

 

• FACS Issue No. 63: Abstract and contents

 

Please find below, the abstract and the key pieces making the contents of the 63^rd Issue of FACS; Issue entitled:

Economic Value Chains in Africa – What they can do for those in need

 

The 63^rd Issue explore the determinants of value chains in Africa for those in most need.  Value Chains (VCs) can be global, international, regional and domestic.  They can include various aspects of trade such as economic, social, environmental etc.

In this Issue, the focus will be on Domestic Value Chains (DVCs) and on their economic aspects.  DVCs are more realistic than others, knowing the difficulties many African countries face to establish Regional Value Chains.  DVCs can provide a window of opportunities not only to reduce poverty but also to enhance the quality of life.  DVCs are much closer to those in most need compared to other forms of VCs.

The 63^rd Issue reveals and offers a different perspective what people think what CVs can do or cannot for the poor.  Hence, the Issue enables to close the gap in poverty reduction knowledge and practice regarding the effects of VCs on those in most need.    It further provides scope on how to understand data patterns and trends in sustainable development goals related to those in need.  VCs approach is not an end of itself; it reveals the provisions and limits that those in need can expect from CVs.   

In this Issue, those in need include the following: poor people, families in need, children in need, Africa-based Sister Organisations in need, communities in need, small and poor traders in need.

The setting up and development of VCs can be beneficial for those in need.  CVs processes can as well reveal hidden and unmet needs to be met, and what is needed to improve the skill set of poor people.

The following articles, events and project will make the contents of the 63^rd Issue:

Economic integration of rural farmers through domestic value chains; Acquisition of new operational skills by small and poor traders; How VCs contribute towards pro-poor initiatives in Africa; Promotion of infrastructure to create DVCs; Access to financing to develop VCs in the voluntary sector; Reducing the cost of transportation to create effective VCs; Dynamics of links for the supply chain to create and strengthen VCs; What African value chains experiences can reveal for the poor; Economic value chains niches for African organisations in need; The development of industrial poverty relief services to reduce poverty within the context of economic value chains; Experiences and lessons from value chains in the voluntary and community sectors in Africa; How to accelerate pace and extend poverty relief work through value chains; How can product diversification can help to reduce poverty and hardships; How can Africa-based Sister Organisations participate in value chains schemes; Les chaînes de valeurs économiques et la reduction de la pauvreté en Afrique; la chaîne de valeurs en tant qu’association soudée pour remplir les besoins et demandes des consommateurs pauvres en Afrique; Skills Development to Integrate and Survive Economic Value Chains (SDIEVC) project or Skills for Value Chains (Skvach) project.

 

For pre-release details about this Issue, contact CENFACS.

 

• Climate Action Month, Week Four (Starting 25/03/2019) – In focus: Resilience, Adaptation and Mitigation

The following actions will be undertaken under the Climate Action Week Four:

~ Resilience actions will be on

√ Regaining structure and function after climate change

√ Getting back our original shape following climate change

√ Recovery from the effects and impacts of climate change

~ Adaptation actions will consist of

√ Behaviour towards change

√ Ability to survive environmental change through time and at different place

√ Adjustment to changing conditions

√ Development of adaptive capacity

~ Mitigation actions will include the following

√ Avoidance and minimisation of negative environment impacts

√ Repair and restoration of the affected environment

√ Lessening or softening the impacts of climate change

√ Protective steps and measures

√ Compensation schemes

√ Substitute resources

The above actions can be taken at personal level, in community, at work etc.

To support and or enquire about Climate Action Month and Weeks, particularly Climate Action Week Four; contact CENFACS.

    

• ICDP (Individual Capacity Development Programme) Resource (Holiday with Relief) – In focus for Spring 2019 Issue: Life-Sustenance and Climate

The focus of the Spring 2019 Issue of ICDP resource is on Climate and is entitled “Life-sustenance and Climate”.  Climate is defined as the average atmospheric conditions prevailing in a region.

The Issue on Life-sustenance and Climate brings together nine basic life-sustaining goods (or needs) and climate in terms of our Holiday with Relief.  These nine basic life-sustaining goods or needs are as follows: Protection, Food, Education, Health, Water, Environment, Clothing, Energy and Housing.

It tries to establish the links between each of these goods or needs and climate while raising the relevancy of precautious and prudent handling of these links.  In doing so, it provides advice, tips and hints on maintaining these relationships for an adapted, mitigated and resilient holiday.  It means a holiday during which we can adapt, mitigate and be resilient with the climate.   

It looks at how these nine variables connect with climate to smooth the enjoyment of our holiday.  It provides some indicative advice, tips and hints on how to handle these elements in relation to climate (whether it is extreme or good or bad or moderate or better) so that our holiday is not adversely affected by climate conditions. 

The following are the key highlights on the advice, tips and hints about the links between these nine life-sustaining goods (or needs) and climate.

Protection (1)

Its link with climate indicates how we defend ourselves from trouble, harm or loss that climate can cause to us.  Planning a successful holiday means making sure that we organise a protective plan of action or setup to protect ourselves from climate variation or change.

 Food (2)

It is pointless to say that what we eat is influenced by climate change or variation.  These change and variation can lead us or force us to adapt to particular food products to consume.  So, knowing what climate can look like in holiday can help to plan food to cope with the climate change.  We can use climate change food calculator to take our food planning to the next level.

Education (3)

Knowledge and understanding acquired through study and training are useful for a satisfying and rewarding holiday.  They are also important to know and understand climate so that our holiday finds its meaning and purpose, as well as stays within the goals we set up before its starts.

Health (4)

Climate change can affect our general condition of body and mind; which can in return impact our holiday.  Unless we want to have holiday without relief, Holiday with Relief implies the integration of both health and climate for a good well-being and healthcare.   

Housing (5)

Knowledge and skills about cover provision and protection from climate change can help to better keep our time of enjoyment and relaxation as we planned it.  Adverse climate change can affect our shelter or housing.  Knowing about this potential climate effect or impact can help to make the necessary housing planning or shelter we need for a smooth holiday.

Water (6)

Learning and keeping informed about how climate change is affecting the water we drink and use, and how water authorities are trying to regulate water matter can help our holiday.  The last thing we need is to experience the lack of or shortage of water during our holiday because of climate change.  Just as we do not want flood disaster during our holiday.

Environment (7)

Both abiotic and biotic conditions and factors can influence our holiday and make it without relief.  Learning basic skills and acquiring essential knowledge about the environment in relation to climate change can be a deciding factor for our happiness or unhappiness during our holiday or break.

Clothing (8)

Garments and or anything we dress to cover human bodies have been recently even dramatically affected by the climate change.  As the climate getting warmer than in previous centuries ago, we may need less and less heavy clothes on our bodies.  This applies to the clothes we wear during the holiday season as well. 

Energy (9)

The way we use power (water, electricity, gas, charcoal, wins etc.) matters with the climate change.  A better understanding of energy use and its sources can provide answers about its interaction with climate.  This can be done without ignoring the possibility to make some energy transition or renovation during our holiday.

To sum up these highlights and Spring 2019 Issue, it is right to argue that if one knows the state of the climate during their holiday, they can reinforce their ability to act at will.   Climate knowledge and skills give us freedom as they liberate us from compulsion.  In other words, they give us the independence to enjoy our holiday.  One can think of climate forecasts in helping us to better plan and prepare for any climate change.   

Briefly, the 2019 Spring Edition gives some insights into the way of integrating a climate dimension to our holiday whether we pass it at home, away or on the move.

For the full version of Spring 2019 ICDP, please contact 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 2019.

With many thanks

 

 

 

 

 

  

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

20 March 2019

Post No. 83

 

 

 

The Week’s and Spring’s Contents

 

• Spring Relief Projects and Programmes

• Spring Appeal (ReLive, Issue No. 11)

• ICDP (Individual Capacity Development Programme) Resource (Holiday with Relief)

 

… and much more!

 

 

 

Key Messages

 

~ Spring theme

The key theme for Spring at CENFACS is Rebuilding or Renewing Lives, Infrastructures and Institutions.  In other words, Spring Relief is the season of rebuilding from what has been destroyed by wars, natural disasters, bad economic management, mistakes of the past etc.  We need to rebuild in order to reduce poverty, stop its re-appearance and avoid the emergency of new types of poverty and new generations of poor people. 

The Winter Season of Light, which is ending in a couple of days, gives us an opportunity to bring some lights and hopes to those in most need so that they can find the reasons to believe in life again.  The Season of Light tackles poverty as a lack of hope and expectations.  However, our work does not stop there.  In Spring, we take the challenge of working with those in need to rebuild their lives, infrastructures, buildings, development of relationships, communities etc from the damage, loss and worse change experienced or caused.

So, the key words for the Spring Season are rebuilding and renewing.  We shall come back on these words with our advocacy project about Rebuilding Africa.  

~ Spring Relief Projects and Programmes

We have provided under the Main Development section of this post a selection of projects and programmes which will make this Spring – Spring Relief season.  As said, it is a selection.  Therefore, one should expect the introduction of new activities and the continuation of ongoing initiatives like our all year round projects.  That is to say, there will be additional projects and programmes as we progress throughout this Spring season. 

To reflect CENFACS’ Q Year Campaign in our Spring projects and programmes, we have provided some highlights about three components of Q project, which are:  Historical Survey of CENFACS’ Protection Work since 2006, Volunteering Story of CENFACS’ since Creation, and CENFACS as a Quadranscentennial (Q) Creation.

~ Coming this Spring: Spring Appeal (ReLive, Issue No. 11) and Holiday with Relief (Resource) – Spring 2019 Issue

~~ Spring and Easter Humanitarian appeal Appeal (ReLive, Issue No. 11)

CENFACS’ Annual Spring Appeal for Renewing Life (ReLive) will focus on advocating for support to the peoples of the worst affected areas of flooded African countries.  So, the Eleventh Issue of ReLive will deal with Flooding African Countries. 

The focus will be on African countries that have experienced continued floods and torrential rains which often damage homes, roads, other infrastructures (like health and educational ones), cut off communities as well as create human fatalities and misery.  As before, there will an appeal case under our Life-Renewing projects or gifts for the victims of floods in Africa.  The details of the Gifts for Renewing Lives will be released by the middle of Spring 2019.

~~ ICDP (Individual Capacity Development Programme) Resource (Holiday with Relief) – Spring 2019 Issue

The Spring 2019 Issue of ICDP resource will focus on Climate.  Whether we go away or stay at home or even we are on the move for holiday; we need climate or weather information and knowledge about precipitation, temperature, wind velocity, sunshine, humidity etc.  To achieve a successful holiday, we need to be aware of and do something about the climate.

The 2019 Spring Edition of ICDP speaks about climate (i.e. the average atmospheric conditions prevailing in a region) and nine basic life-sustaining goods (that is food, shelter, health, protection, education, housing, clothing, water/drink and freedom). 

It looks at how these nine variables connect with climate to smooth the enjoyment of our holiday.  It provides some indicative advice, tips and hints on how to handle these elements in relation to climate (whether it is extreme or good or bad or moderate or better) so that our holiday is not adversely affected by climate conditions. 

Briefly, the 2019 Spring Edition gives some insights into the way of integrating a climate dimension to our holiday whether we pass it at home, away or on the move.

 

Extra Messages

 

~ Climate Action Month and Weeks 1 and 2: Progress Report

Our two weeks of action (on Energy Transition that started on 04/03/2019 and on Climate Finance and Insurance that began on 11/03/2019) were run smoothly and productively.  The Energy Transition action was about the passing from fossil fuels to renewable energy, while Climate Finance and Insurance concerned the mobilisation of sources of finance and cover/protection to reduce adverse effects of climate change.  We would like to thank all those who supported them. 

~ Climate Action Month and Week 3 – In focus: Nature-based Solutions

In this week three of our Climate Action Month, we are continuing our advocacy with the theme of Nature-based Solutions (NBS).   It is about taking actions for better use of nature and natural functions of healthy ecosystems to help reduce the impacts and effects of climate change. 

The NBS will revolve around the following actions:  reduction of water pollution, water security, food security, disaster risk management, sustainable management etc.  These are actions to enhance nature with its components.

Additionally, this week’s NBS will bring to light some of the good practices and actions carried out by our Africa-based Sister Organisations.  We shall finally include NBS for poverty relief. 

To support and or engage with the contents of this week’s climate action, please contact CENFACS.

~ The Twenty-twenties (2020s) Development Agenda

The discussions and thoughts about CENFACS’ 2020s Development Agenda are scheduled for this week.  As previously said, these discussions and thoughts are carried out in parallel with the review and evaluation of the 2010s Programme.

To bring your input to either the review of the 2010s or the preparation of the 2020s Development Programme, contact CENFACS

 

Main Development

 

Spring Relief 2019: Projects and Programmes

 

CENFACS is pleased to present its new season Spring collection of selected projects and programmes with a choice of relief services.  For every of these projects and programmes, you will find user-friendly and –centred relief.

These projects and programmes are free but we do not mind donations.  The more you donate, the more we can relieve.  Please find below the core highlights and full selection of Spring Relief projects and programmes.

 

• Core Highlights

These highlights concern three sub-projects or activities of the Quadranscentennial (Q) Year and Project for this Spring, which are: Historical Survey of CENFACS’ Protection Work since 2006, Volunteering Story of CENFACS’ since Creation, and CENFACS as a Q Creation.

⇒ Historical Survey of CENFACS’ Protection Work since 2006

The historical survey and process of CENFACS’ protection work since 2006, which is part of Q Project, is the study of CENFACS’ work on protection since it began it through the programme Peace, Protection and Sustainability.  It is an investigation about our legacies in advocating for a sustainable cover to unprotected or less protected, vulnerable and poor people, especially but not exclusively women and children.  It is as well the legacy of work carried out with Africa-based Sister Organisations on this matter.

⇒ Volunteering Story of CENFACS’ since Creation

This is another activity of Q Year and Project.  Since its inception in 1994, CENFACS started as a voluntary organisation made with people willing to do something about poverty and hardships without firstly thinking of making money out of it.  This founding idea has been underlying in our work until today. 

Men and women from all walks of life voluntarily came and joined us to fulfil this altruistic philosophy in our journey in making helpful difference in the lives of others.  This is our volunteers’ story, the story of all in development volunteers.

⇒ CENFACS as a Quadranscentennial (Q) Creation

CENFACS is a make for the relief of poverty and hardships that has lasted 25 years.  The Q Creation element of the Q Project provides an opportunity to go in depth about the theory of existentialism and of extirpating the existential feature of CENFACS to understand for example why some creations last longer and others live shorter, even disappear.  Because CENFACS exists, it has an essence.  The humans who make CENFACS are active and creative.

It means that as CENFACS is an existential moral person, we need to find out the dynamics within CENFACS which has kept it to reinvent and rejuvenate its self as an existential model of working with local people, as well as to understand the functionality and structural power relations within CENFACS which have kept it going.  In doing so, we can pull out some lessons for learning and development about creations in the field of poverty reduction and development.

• Full Selection

The following selected initiatives (selected for public information) are amongst those which will make Spring Relief 2019 at CENFACS.

April: Protection Month

 

• Historical Survey of CENFACS’ Protection Work since 2006 (Q Project)

This month’s protection theme is Protection of Victims of Wars and Natural Disasters (Protection project)

• Women and Children projects (3W & PPS Reflection Day):

Reflection on the Protection of Women and Children in War-torn Zones and Natural Disaster-stricken Areas

 

May: Stories Telling Month

 

May Stories – Entries for Stories on Poverty Relief and Development for May 2019 are now open. To tell your story of change for change to CENFACS, contact CENFACS for story telling terms and conditions.

• Volunteering Story of CENFACS since Creation – Tell it! (Volunteer’s & Stories Telling project)

• Rebuilding Africa: Rebuilding Lives in the New Democratically-transited African Countries (Advocacy project)

 

June: Creation & Innovation Month

 

• Q Project: CENFACS as a Q Creation (Celebration project)

• Creations and Innovations within the Context of Uncertainty to Reduce Poverty with Jmesci project (Creation project): Featuring Similar Creations that deal with uncertainty

Note: 

The above initiatives are only a selection of what we have planned for Spring Relief season.  We may introduce new initiatives and or upgrade the existing ones depending on the circumstances as we have from time to time to respond to emergencies and urgent humanitarian issues.  In which case, we shall let you know. 

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

To request further information about Spring Relief projects and programmes, please contact 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 2019.

With many thanks

 

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

13 March 2019

Post No. 82

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• Climate Action Month and Weeks – In Focus: Climate Finance and Insurance

• The 2020s Development Agenda

• Quadranscentennial (Q) Year and Project

 

… and much more!

 

 

Key Messages

 

~ Climate Action Month and Weeks – In Focus: Climate Finance and Insurance

Our Climate Action Month and Weeks is now in the second week with a focus on Climate Finance and Insurance actions.  These are financial and protective actions or initiatives that help to make the fight against adverse effects of climate change to become a reality and deliver tangible outcomes. 

Under the Main Developments section of this post, we have provided the key points of this week’s climate action advocacy.

~ The Twenty-twenties (2020s) Development Agenda

The discussions and thoughts about CENFACS’ 2020s Development Agenda have started.  These discussions and thoughts are carried out in parallel with the review and evaluation of the 2010s Programme.

To bring your input to either the review of the 2010s or the preparation of the 2020s Development Programme, contact CENFACS.

~ Quadranscentennial (Q) Year and Project: Is climate reclaimable?

Our Q Year and Project include climate actions this month.  So, as part of our previous work/action entitled “Reclaiming the Climate”, CENFACS is looking into its quadranscentennial legacies related to the actions carried out under reclaiming the climate in Africa.

Reclaiming the Climate was and is CENFACS’ sustainable development initiative aiming at helping to reduce adverse effects and impacts of climate change; in doing so undertaking actions on the cut of carbon emissions to get the climate and temperature (whether at local or national or regional or even global levels) at the level and degree that are acceptable for the future survival of these different places or levels.

To make climate reclaimable possible, contact CENFACS.

 

 

Extra Messages

 

~ Algeria Peace Appeal Response

Our appeal for a peaceful transition to political democratisation processes in Algeria continues.  We would like to thank those who responded to this appeal.  It is possible to achieve fruitful democratic change through a model of peaceful poverty relief movements. 

One can hope the Algerian case will be another example of peaceful democratic change.  If this is the case, this will help avoid Algeria going down the line of humanitarian crisis as we saw in other places in Africa like in Libya.

To support and or enquire about the Algeria Peace Appeal, contact CENFACS.

~ Halving Poverty for the Children Victims of War in the Central African Republic (CAR)

Our campaign to halve poverty in CAR is still running.  You can help to halve poverty in CAR by donating £5 or more. 

To donate or enquire about Halving Child Poverty in CAR, go to http://cenfacs.org.uk/supporting-us/

Thank you!

~ Making Zero Hunger Africa campaign

We are pursuing our appeal to step up efforts to reduce hunger in Africa.   It is worthwhile pursuing a deserving cause such as reducing or even ending the number of hungry people in Africa and elsewhere in the world including in the UK.  This is regardless of the knowledge of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 2 of Hunger Zero that one may have.

To respond and or enquire about this campaign, contact CENFACS.

 

 

Main Development

Actions on Climate Finance and Insurance

Our climate action is in its week two (starting from 11 March 2019) with a focus on finance and insurance.  Climate action on finance and insurance is about doing something by mobilising financial funds and covering against damage (or loss or death) as result of adverse effects of climate change. 

Our action on this matter, which includes our previous works on the Financial and Insurance Odyssey, covers three levels of work as follows: actions on finance, actions on insurance and actions with Africa-based Sister Organisations.  Some of these areas of actions cross each other.

~ Actions on climate finance or financial resources mobilisation include the following:

√ Clean technology fund (CTF) that work for poor children from poor nations

√ Equity resulting from converted CTF debt to benefit children from poor nations

√ Mobilisation of adaptation fund and least developed countries fund

√ Mobilisation of the climate finance system that makes climate finance work for children.

√ Climate finance friendly solutions to child protection against climate change

~ Actions on climate insurance or cover against damage, loss and death revolve around the following

√ Reduction of insurance premiums to improve affordability of insurance for poor and vulnerable children

√ Helping children victims of climate change from poor countries to buy insurance policies related to new technologies

√ Making risk insurance work for African children

√ The development of anticipatory, absorptive and adaptive capacities

~ Actions to support Africa-based Sister Organisations working on climate finance and insurance consist of

√ Climate donations and donors

√ Financial products and services to fund climate change work undertaken by these organisations

√ Insurance products and services to cover climate risks and threats

√ Private funds mobilisation

√ Climate fundraising activities and events

√ Grant making for climate work

√ Climate income generating activities etc

Briefly, climate actions for the week two will take into account the key activities carried out to mobilise climate finance and get cover against the adverse effects and impacts from climate change, especially for those who cannot afford to pay for the cost and cover against adverse effects and impacts of climate change.  

 

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 2019.

With many thanks

 

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

06 March 2019

Post No. 81

 

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• The Twenty-tens  Programme (2009-2019): Review & Prospects, Towards The Twenty-twenties Development Programme 

• Climate Action Month and Weeks 

• Light Appeal: Algeria Peace Appeal

 

… and much more!

 

 

Key Messages

 

~ The 2010s Programme (2009-2019): Review & Prospects, Towards The 2020s Development Programme

2019 is the year end of CENFACS’ 2010s Poverty Relief Programme, which has been our 10 year work plan that began on 1 January 2010 and will end on 31 December 2019.  In 2017, we conducted an evaluation, review, survey of this programme.  As a result, we upgraded it.

As we will be moving into a new decade in 2020, we are starting some rounds of reflections and conversions about the next programme of our poverty relief work.

From this March 2019, we shall conduct another review and discussion on the 2010s’ record and look at prospects.  These rounds of discussions, thoughts and consultations with CENFACS’ stakeholders will enable to shape up the future of our poverty relief work.

We hope that after these processes of evaluation, review, closing up and conversation have been completed, we will be able set up another programme, the Twenty-twenties (2020s), by the end of this year.

A monitoring and evaluative process of this nature and magnitude will require us to ask stakeholders their opinions and suggestions on regular basis.  In which case, we shall contact them/you for this purpose.

 

 

~ Climate Action Month and Weeks

For those who are familiar with CENFACS’ development calendar, they can remember that March is the Climate Action month at CENFACS.  This year’s Climate Action Month will be about supporting the Paris Agreement in our own way and means while working within the contents of this Agreement and in line with similar actions undertaken by other organisations across the world.

The Paris Agreement, which was adopted in 2015, was an essential step to address climate change. As we all know, this Agreement has the central goal of keeping global average temperature rise this century to well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels and to as close as possible to 1.5 degrees Celsius.  Supporting it makes sense.

However, the world has to make it work.  As part of making it work, CENFACS will hold four weeks of climate action this March as follows.

⇒ 04/03/2019: Energy Transition (from fossil fuels to renewable energy)

⇒ 11/03/2019: Climate Finance and Insurance (mobilisation of sources of finance and cover/protection to reduce adverse effects of climate change)

⇒ 18/03/2019: Nature-based Solutions (to reduce carbon emissions)

⇒ 25/03/2019: Resilience, Adaptation and Mitigation (human efforts to reduce and manage the impacts and risks of climate change)

To support and or enquire about CENFACS’ Climate Action Month and Weeks, contact CENFACS.

Under the Main Developments section of this post, you will find the Key Actions about energy transition for this week.

 

~ Light Appeal: Algeria Peace Appeal

Our Season of Light continues and will end with the end of Winter this month.  We are continuing it with Peaceful Poverty Relief Movements in North Africa, particularly with what is happening in Algeria now.  What is currently taking place in Algeria occurred in the North Africa in 2010 and 2011.  It was termed as Arab Spring in 2011.  CENFACS called it Poverty Relief Movements.

Because of what is happening in Algeria now, we are launching this appeal (the Algeria Peace Appeal) to support Algeria to keep peace on track as the country is disputing its democratic transitional process.

For further details about CENFACS’ work on Poverty Relief Movements in North Africa, contact CENFACS.  The 31^st Issue of CENFACS’ FACS Newsletter, which was published in Spring 2011, dealt with Poverty Relief Movements in North Africa.  To request a copy of this Issue, contact CENFACS.

For further details on the Algeria Peace Appeal, please read under the Main Developments section of this post.

 

 

 

 

Extra Messages

 

~ Climate Protection and Stake for African Children (CPSAC) – Phase 3

At the end of 2018, we informed you that there was a consensus within CENFACS so that our Climate Talks Follow-up project got to the next level from 2019.

The next follow-up is Taking Climate Protection and Stake for African Children at the Implementation Level.  It is the Phase 3 of our Climate Talks Follow-up project.  Phase 1 was the First African Children Generation of the Millennium Development Goals and the Climate State, while Phase 2 was Climate Protection and Stake for African Children.

~~ 2019 Climate Talks Follow-up with Taking Climate Protection and Stake for African Children at the Implementation level.

TCPSACI (Taking Climate Protection and Stake for African Children at the Implementation level) or Climate Protection and Stake for African Children (CPSAC) – Phase 3 starts by following the Climate Talks to be held in Santiago (Chile) at the 25th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 25) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which is expected to take place from 11 to 22 November 2019.  Therefore, our next follow up is Santiago Makes It Work.

~~ TCPSACI or CPSAC – Phase 3: Santiago Makes It Work

Santiago Makes It Work will look at how previously agreed measures will help to protect children especially when reporting and verifying emissions-cutting efforts.  Our position is explained by the fact that there is still a missing element which is stepping up targets on child protection in relation to cutting emissions.

One can hope that when the United Nations will meet in Santiago (Chile) in November 2019, this will be an opportunity to sort out the final elements of the Paris rule book and begin work on future emissions targets.  In doing so, this will provide us some clarity about climate protection and stake for children.

TCPSACI or CPSAC – Phase 3 will also help us to prepare for the United Nations Climate Summit, which is scheduled for 23 September 2019.

As the agendas for COP25 and the UN Climate Summit will become clear, we shall release further information about our advocacy work on both events; work which includes TCPSACI or CPSAC – Phase 3 and the Follow up of the Climate Summit.  In meantime, we are doing our preparation for these follow ups.

 

~ African Children, Climate and Sustainable Development Goals (ACCSDGs): New Forms of Data

Preliminary Facts –

Our campaign related to ACCSDGs continue as well.  We are still working on the new forms of data (both qualitative and quantitative).  The preliminary facts or findings have shown that in natural disaster-stricken areas (like the Lake Chad region) and war-affected zones (such as in the North East of the Democratic Republic of Congo), children victims of these two (natural and war) events are still failing to meet sustainable development goals.  In particular, they are off track for meeting the goals and targets related to health, safe drinking water, education, sanitation, shelter, protection, environment etc.  Meeting life-sustaining needs for them is everyday’s incredible challenge.

To support and or enquire about new forms of data for ACCSDGs, contact CENFACS.

 

~ Quadranscentennial (Q) Year and Project

Our Q Year and Project are underway as we are trying to work out what has been as climate action legacies in our Q years of development.  At the moment, we are engaging in the process of looking at how our climate action and month find expression in CENFACS’ Quadranscentennial development.  

To support and or enquire about the Q Year and Project, please contact CENFACS.

 

 

Main Developments

 

• • Energy Transition Actions Week (beginning 04/03/2019)

 

What is about?

To pass from fossil fuels (i.e. non-renewable resources such as coal, oil and natural gas) to renewable energy (that is, materials and energy sources that can be used over and over again), it requires a preparation to avoid both cultural and psychological chocks, or even social and civil conflicts like the ones we are seeing in France every Saturdays with the yellow vests.

This week, it is about actions to prepare our mindsets to embrace the move from pollutant to non pollutant sources of energy.  Our energy transition actions week will revolve around the following Key Actions.

 

Key Actions on Energy Transition this Week

√ Education and training on the need of energy transition

√ Techniques to prepare our mindsets for a shift or transition in energy consumption in adopting sustainable and renewable energy (e.g. wind, solar, plant, animal, wave and water powers)

√ Energy saving acts

√ Meeting both life-sustaining energy needs and poverty reduction goals

This week’s actions are also about making sure that energy transition actions do not hamper our already made efforts to reduce and end poverty.  It means as well referring to the model of circular economy that tells us to satisfy human needs (e.g. energy needs), there is no need to over-exploit natural resources.  From this standpoint, it is about working together with local people to develop energy transition initiatives (or actions) that are compatible with their needs of poverty reduction.

In brief, this week is about taking little actions (for energy transition) at individual and community levels; actions that can have a BIG impact on the ending of burning fuel and causes of pollution.

To support and or enquire about CENFACS’ Climate Action Month and Energy Transition Week, contact CENFACS.

 

• • Light Appeal: Algeria Peace Appeal

Before dealing with the Algeria Peace Appeal, let us talk about the preceding Poverty Relief Movements in North Africa and what CENFACS did to support the victims of these movements.

⇒ The 2010-2011 Poverty Relief Movements in North Africa

In December 2010, North Africa embraced what CENFACS defined as Poverty Relief Movements (PRMs).  Some called it the Arab Spring which is referred in the literature of political democratisation to the democratic uprisings that rose independently and spread across the Arab World in 2011.  The movement originated from Tunisia in December 2010 and quickly took hold in Egypt, Libya, Syria, Yemen, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Jordan.  Algeria did not go through that democratic transition like other North African countries of Maghreb like Tunisia and Egypt, let alone Libya whose democratic experience went into anarchy. The Algerian leadership was skilful enough to control the 2010-2011 democratic storms.

When the PRMs of the 2010-2011 happened, CENFACS launched the North Africa Appeal (NARA) in Spring 2011.

⇒ North Africa Appeal (NARA) in Spring and Autumn 2011

The NARA was a CENFACS poverty relief and peaceful drive to support the poor and innocent victims of the humanitarian crisis that occurred in the North Africa in the light of the instable and conflicting situation of the time in the region as the people there voiced their demands for freedom against poverty and inequality.

The NARA Initiative was followed by a re-appeal in Autumn 2011 (NARRA) from CENFACS.

As part of CENFACS Life-rebuilding Stories May 2016 project and of CENFACS’ Year of Protections, we re-advocated to the international development community to step up the process of rebuilding North Africa given that it was more than 5 years since North Africa embraced political democratisation processes.

We thanked those who responded to these appeals

⇒ The 2019 or current Peaceful Poverty Relief Movement in Algeria

The history may repeat itself this Spring 2019 in Algeria, but differently.  This repetition is happening as young Algerians are demanding freedom from poverty; poverty induced by a lack of true democratic transition.  They are not only asking for more and better sanitation, water and electricity, but also for democratic and political change.  Whatever the nature of claims or demands each side may have, one could hope the process that Algerians may go through should be via peaceful and democratic means.

⇒ The Algeria Peace Appeal

As far as CENFACS is concerned, we can only appeal to the Algerian peoples to resolve their difference peacefully and democratically.  As we always argue our advocacy work is charitable and a-political.  We do not interfere in people’s problems.  We respect people’s rights to agree and disagree on the way they want to run their internal affairs, countries, towns, regions, communities etc.

Our Light Appeal to Algeria (the Algeria Peace Appeal) is only to demand to the disagreeing or conflicting sides on the democratic process to restrain from the use of forces and violence.  So far, demonstrations against poverty and hardships in Algeria have been peaceful.  We can expect that human rights, especially but not exclusively of the poor and most vulnerable will be protected as this process, which has just started, is going through.

Additionally, we are asking to the development communities from within and outside Algeria to do what they can to avoid this democratic crisis to get out control and make sure to be resolved peacefully and democratically.

This is our way of lighting and bringing a blaze of hope to the ordinary Algerian people who are going through a delicate and disputable governing process.

What you can do to help

There are many ways of helping which include the following.

• You could INFLUENCE people both around and not around you to help Algeria to go through a peaceful transitional process
• You could CHOOSE your own way of helping and let CENFACS facilitates your help reaches out to the peoples of Algeria who need peace and democracy
• You could SUPPORT CENFACS to support the people and Africa-based Sister Organisations in need on the grounds and working on peace initiatives in Algeria

What CENFACS want you to do

CENFACS would like to appeal to you to undertake any of the following actions by supporting

• The Overseas development charities campaigning and working on peace in North Africa, particularly for peace in Algeria
• CENFACS’ Appeal for peace in Algeria
• CENFACS to support its Africa-based sister organisations and other organisations working on the grounds in Algeria for making peace and democracy
• A comprehensive strategy for preserving peace and democracy in North Africa to prevent future conflicts between people, between communities
• CENFACS’ New Transitional Development Programme that moves Africa-based Sister Organisations from being subject to emergency relief programme to become organisations enjoying a normal sustainable development programme
• CENFACS’ Humanitarian Relief efforts under the programme of Rebuilding and Sustaining Infrastructures and Lives in Africa

How we can communicate to deliver this Appeal

For support relating to

• Overseas development charities and non-governmental organisations, contact them individually
• CENFACS’ sister organisations, speak to CENFACS
• CENFACS, contact us and/or send your support to CENFACS.

To enquire about CENFACS’ current Algeria Peace Appeal, contact CENFACS.

Thank you for supporting this appeal and the peoples of Algeria!

 

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 2019.

With many thanks

 

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

27 February 2019

Post No. 80

The Week’s Contents

• Q Project

• Sustainable Development Month

• Making Zero Hunger Africa Campaign

 

…   and much more!

Key Messages

 

~ Q Project

The learning of CENFACS and Q Project continue this week with additional contents about this project.  Particularly, we are working on what this project will be about and what it will cover including its aim, objectives, activities, implementation plan, fundraising request, outcomes and monitoring and evaluation.  

While we are working on the above project components, we have provided further details about the “Q” Year under the Main Development section of this post.

 

~ Sustainable Development Month: Images and Infographics

This week is the last one for our Sustainable Development Month.  For these last days, we are working on the representation of information, data and knowledge about sustainable development.  In particular, we are looking at how imaging of sustainable development and the use of infographics can enhance our cognition system in understanding data patterns or trends and relationships as well as monitor changes in sustainable development variables over time.  Likewise, we are measuring the extent to which infographic images can contribute in the better use of sustainable development goals and targets.

To support and or add something before the sustainable development month ends, contact CENFACS.

~ Making Zero Hunger Africa To Happen

This week we are stepping up our campaign to eradicate hunger in Africa.  This is due to the fact that hunger is on the rise in Africa again.

According to the United Nations report (1),

“Africa is not on track to meet Sustainable Development Goal 2 (of Zero Hunger). The prevalence of undernourishment continues to rise and now affects 20 per cent of the population on the continent, more than in any other region.  In sub-Saharan Africa,… now 23 percent of the population is undernourished. …The rise in the prevalence of undernourishment has been highest in Western Africa, followed by Central Africa.  There are today 821 million undernourished people in the world, 36.4 million more than in 2015. Of these 257 million are in Africa, of whom 237 million in sub-Saharan Africa and 20 million in Northern Africa. Compared to 2015 there are 34.5 million more undernourished in Africa, 32.6 million more in sub-Saharan Africa, and 1.9 million more in Northern Africa. Nearly half of the increase is due to the rise in undernourished people in Western Africa, while another third is from Eastern Africa” (p. XII).

The above data tell us that something needs to be done for Africa to be on track to meet Sustainable Development Goal 2.  This can be done by working together with all the stakeholders to help to reduce and eradicate hunger in Africa.   Under the Main Development section of this post, we have highlighted what Making Zero Hunger Africa covers.

(1) United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation and Economic Commission for Africa: Regional Overview of Food Security and Nutrition.  Addressing the threat from climate variability and extremes for food security and nutrition, 2018

Extra Messages

~ African Children Climate and Sustainable Development Goals (ACCSDGs) and the New Forms of Data

We are carrying on finding the new forms of data for this project.  We are adding to the data from war and natural disasters data about children international migrants as well.  It is about finding out what data (both qualitative and quantitative) tell us how these migrant children are meeting or not meeting sustainable development goals and targets.

 

~ Support Africa Feed Africa with Agriculture (AFAA) Project

Because of the recent rise of hunger in Africa as said above, you can support AFAA project.

The AFAA project is a sustainable initiative aiming at reducing food poverty and related issues (malnutrition, undernourishment, sanitation etc.), related to the lack of food and its fair distribution in Africa.  The project is designed to achieve its aims via agriculture and farming.

Agriculture has always been said to be the mother of priorities when it comes to feeding people and providing for other needs and demands in society in Africa.   Especially for rural populations, agriculture and farming are vital. 

Given the potentials that Africa has in agriculture, it is possible for agriculture to feed Africa and leave no one hungry or without agricultural food.  And most of Africa’s economies are agriculture-based ones.  Agriculture can reverse the rising trend of hungry people in Africa.

To support and or enquire about AFAA, please contact CENFACS.

 

Main Developments

 

• • 2019 as Quadranscentennial Year for CENFACS

 

⇒ What is a “Q” Year?

For the purpose of clarity, we are going to provide the following meanings.

Q Year is the dedication of 2019 as the year of celebration of 25 years of CENFACS since it was established in 1994.

Q Project or Project 25 is a set of activities and events planned and to be organised to mark the 25 years of CENFACS since established in 1994.  It is also called Project 25 and is going to deliver the “Q” Year. 

Q Development is a process of bringing better change in the lives of those in most needs.  This process is designed with the aim of reducing poverty and hardships while enhancing sustainable development through the 25 years experience of CENFACS.

Q Creation is the conceptualisation of CENFACS as an organisation which came into existence and which lasts 25 years.

 

⇒ Overview about the learning of CENFACS

We started this Quadranscentennial Year of CENFACS (or celebration of the 25 years of CENFACS) by learning at bit about CENFACS.  In that learning process, we had three phases in the life (timeline) of CENFACS: 1994 to 2002, 2002 to 2012, and 2013 to 2018.

First Phase (1994-2002) covered CENFACS’ background and CENFACS as an informal organisation but a forum for discussion on economic issues faced by Francophone Africa

Second Phase (2002-2012) dealt with the first growth and decade of CENFACS as a formal organisation.

Third Phase (2013-2018) focussed on international advocacy work of CENFACS to reflect the changing international and African landscapes in our work.

For details about the brief overview, please contact CENFACS.

⇒ 2019 as a Quadranscentennial Year

Our learning of CENFACS as a quadranscentennial model will continue next June 2019.  June is the month of creation for CENFACS.  CENFACS as a quadranscentennial creation will be dealt in depth in June. 

 

⇒ Q project or Project 25

It is a series of activities and events organised by CENFACS throughout 2019 to remember what has been achieved in the last 25 years of CENFACS, to learn from this past and spot the future trends for poverty relief in an ever changing development landscape. 

Project 25 is a smart (i.e. specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-bound) project that takes stock of the strengths of CENFACS in what happened in the last 25 years as well as looks ahead challenges, opportunities, risks and threats that CENFACS may face.  It is about re-engaging with stakeholders in a renewed future.

⇒ Implications “Q” celebration for CENFACS

Most of our work this year will be underpinned by quadranscentennial feature. It means they will command and enhance the values of freedom and capacities as quadranscentennial legacies of CENFACS.

⇒ “Q” Event days

Five days and themes to mark the “Q” Year as follows

19/04/2019: Historical Survey of CENFACS’ Protection Work

09/05/2019: Volunteering Story of CENFACS since creation

04/06/2019: CENFACS as a Quadranscentennial Creation

20/07/2019: Analysis of CENFACS’ Advocacy Work

19/08/2019: Outreach, Empowerment & 25 Years Trend of CENFACS

To support and or enquire about the Q Project and Q Year, contact CENFACS.

• • Making Zero Hunger Africa Campaign (MZHAC)

The aim of MZHAC is to raise awareness on sustainable food consumption and production in order to end hunger and malnutrition amongst those who are food deprived, particularly in Africa where the number of hungry people and families is on the rise again.  It is as well a campaigning response to the challenge of rise in hunger that Africa is facing today.

The following is making the contents of MZHAC.  

End Hunger & Malnutrition Goal

√ Achievable through 

√ Safe food

√ Nutritious food

√ Sufficient food

√ Life-sustaining nutrition

Support Small-Scale Food Producers in Africa

E.g

√ Family Farmers

√ Pastoralists

√ Fishers

√ Africa-based Sister Organisations working in food and nutrition projects etc.

Actions to Support the Food Industry in Africa

√ Promotion of sustainable agricultural practices

√ Supporting small scale farmers

√ Investing in agricultural infrastructure and technologies

√ Improving agricultural activities

Meeting Vulnerable People’s Nutritional Needs

E.g

√ Adolescent girls

√ Pregnant and lactating women

√ Older persons

Actions for Sustainable Food Production Systems

√ Help maintain ecosystems

√ Strengthen capacity for adaptation to climate change, extreme weather, drought, flooding and other disasters

√ Improve land and soil quality

To support and or enquire about MZHAC, contact 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 2019.

With many thanks

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

20 February 2019

Post No. 79

 

The Week’s Contents

 

• CENFACS “Q” Year (Q Project or Project 25)

• Burkina Faso Appeal

• Sustainable Development Month: What colours mean

 

…  and much more!

 

 

Key Messages

 

~ CENFACS “Q” Year (Q Project or Project 25): Timeline continues…

Our timeline continues with International Advocacy Years from 2013 to 2018.

Global, regional and technological events had made us to reshape our way of working together with local people to develop sustainable initiatives.  These events included the following: the transition of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals to Sustainable Development Goals in 2015, Africa’s Agenda 2063, the UK Vote deciding to exit from the European Regional Economic Integration model, the International Treaty on Climate Change, the rise of the digital and online technologies, the continuing effects of climate change and the rise of social media platforms.

This collection of events had made us to carry on in helping to reduce poverty and hardships but in a different way and setting of new development landscape.   This new development world order had meant for CENFACS to find a new market niche while still keeping its mission, aim and objectives the same.  It led us to raise our voice in advocating for more to be done for the most vulnerable and poorest in Africa and in the UK as well.

As a result, we developed together with our development partners advocacy initiatives to respond to the needs of the time and of the future for our beneficiaries.  You will find under the Main Development section of this post a selection of these initiatives making CENFACS’ International Advocacy Years from 2013 to 2018.  We have regrouped them under our timeline from 2013 to 2018.

 

~ Burkina Faso Appeal: Reactions & Expectations

We would like to thank those who generously responded to the Burkina Faso Appeal and those who spread our message about it.  One can expect that truce and mostly lasting peace and hopefully future will materialise in the lives of the peoples of Burkina Faso.  Sustainable peace and the willingness to a constructive dialogue will prevail in the mindsets of all those engaged in the security crisis in Burkina Faso.

One can as well hope that the G5 (made of Burkina Faso, Mauritania, Niger, Chad and Mali) will continue with its initiative to help end the security crisis in Burkina Faso. 

The viable solution to this crisis should go hand in hand with real work on poverty relief and sustainable development if one wants to prevent future crisis of this kind in Burkina Faso and its neighbourhood.  It is only in this way that the peoples of Burkina Faso will not be left halfway.

As far as CENFACS is concerned, we shall continue to advocate on behalf and with the peaceful development communities from within and outside Burkina Faso for sustainable peace and poverty reduction in Burkina Faso and its neighbourhood to become everyday reality. 

We will carry on in bringing and lighting a blaze of hope for the victims of armed attacks there for as long as the crisis lasts.  Many thanks!

~ Sustainable Development Month: What colours mean

⇒ Last week’s work on sustainable development

Last week, we worked on the theories of sustainable development and of collapsology.  The following points were raised about the theories of collapsology

<> There will not be a global collapse.

<> A widespread education for sustainable development together with responsible practice of the principles of sustainable development will help avoid the humanity (within it Africa) to overcome the problems posed by the consumption of fossil fuels.

<> Endless advocacy on raising awareness about the adverse effects of global warming and climate change as well as the application of climate adaptation and mitigation measures without forgetting climate finance and insurance will help to stop the so-called collapse of the humanity.

<> Today, humans are becoming more and more aware about the dangers of the misuse of fossil economy than many years ago.

<> In the last century (the 20^th Century), there were similar religious prophecies and predictions run by various religious leaders and prophets saying the same that in the year 2000 there would be the end of the world and the humanity would collapse.  No one of these predictions happened.

⇒ This week’s work on sustainable development

This week, we are pursuing our study and practice on sustainable development.  This time we are doing it by looking at the colours of sustainable development.

Do colours matter in what we do?  Do colours count for sustainable development and poverty relief?

Colours can symbolise sustainable development and poverty relief.  We are going to use the colour theory and practice to visualise poverty and sustainable development.

For example, CENFACS uses the blue colour to represent and visualise peace.  We also employ grey colour to signify originality.  We finally apply green as the colour of nature, environment and sustainability. 

So, we are going to look at the colour theory to continue our study of sustainability.

 

Extra Messages 

 

~ Halving Poverty for the Children Victims of War in the Central African Republic (CAR)

 

Our campaign to halve poverty in CAR is still running.  You can help to halve poverty in CAR by donating £5 or more. 

To donate or enquire about Halving Child Poverty in CAR, go to http://cenfacs.org.uk/supporting-us/

Thank you!

 

~ Supporting CENFACS in 2019 with a silver donation, a great relief and a product booster

 

Free for Supporters: Silver Status

Support our projects as you can or as you choose if you visit them or if you happen to be within the area of our projects. This will boost your support and help you to win a silver status as CENFACS’ Supporter in a CENFACS Silver Year or the Quadranscentennial Year of CENFACS.  Alternatively, you can fund CENFACS’ Silver year to win the same status.

Want to provide Great Relief as a Supporter

You can provide great relief by becoming a regular giver or supporter, adding value to you support and boosting your support.

Please contact CENFACS for details about becoming great reliever.

Need to boost your support

You can choose a particular sustainable initiative or programme or even CENFACS as your boost product.

You can support 3 projects or 2 projects and CENFACS

You can support 3 programmes or 2 programmes and CENFACS.

This will elevate your position as a project or programme donor/funder.

For further details about boosting your support, contact CENFACS.    

 

 

Main Developments

 

CENFACS “Q” Year (Q Project or Project 25)

2013-2018 as International Advocacy Years

The period between 2013 and 2018 is the years of international advocacy for CENFACS.  We had the first growth of CENFACS as a charity model between 2002 and 2012; a period during which we run projects in the UK and directly supported projects in Africa.

While we are still doing the same work here in the UK and there in Africa; we further raised our voice to speak on behalf of and with our project beneficiaries and Africa-based Sister Organisations on international matters that affect or could affect them.  This was to such an extent that their voices can be heard and their needs got better served.  These five years of voice raising and advocacy are included in the CENFACS “Q” Year (or the Q Project or Project 25).

Various developments made this possible for CENFACS which are:  the digital revolution, the transition of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals to Sustainable Development Goals, Africa’s Agenda 2063, the growing effects of climate change and the likely change of the UK‘s relationships with the EU.

The above named factors made CENFACS to advocate on issues such as child protection against the effects of climate change, paperless way of working with our Africa-based Sister Organisations, the need to set up an international system for poverty reduction, the necessity to monitor the global goals and their impacts on children and local life etc.

These factors had a probable effect on our work and the people or organisations we try to help and work with.  These events gave us a new window of opportunities to innovate and organise our poverty relief in a different way and setting as the following timeline shows.

 

CENFACS timeline continues from 2013 to 2018

 

2013

Perspectives for the Post-2015 Poverty Relief Project, a project of reflection for the post-2015 development world, which led to a CENFACS Argument for the Post-2015 Development as part of the global conversation on the transition from the United Nations Millennium Development Goals to the current 17 Sustainable Development Goals and 169 targets

3W Go Ten! (2003 – 2013), a celebration of CENFACS’ way of supporting poor women, mothers and families through Odyssey of Empowerment and the launch of newsletter “GOSSIPING”

2014

Working with Africa-based Sister Organisations for the integration of sports development projects and sustainable development initiatives to achieve poverty relief goals (through ELCLASSICO International project)

Vicennial project dealt with the work of CENFACS between 1994 and 2014

2015

CENFACS’ Argument for an International System for Poverty Reduction became effective campaign as advocated in 2013

Networked for international poverty relief and development as CENFACS’ links and integration to reduce poverty and build better change with unserved and underserved people and communities

Basic Community Support project that includes general advice, information, help, guidance, digital support and signposting in Croydon

2016

Year of protections for work and achievements made between 2006 and 2016

CENFACS’ process of advocating that climate and global goals work for the African children was done through Climate Talks Follow-up project (and its sub-project Climate Protection and Stake for African Children) and Global Goals project (and its sub-project African Children and Sustainable Development Goals)

Set up in Croydon a Consume to Reduce Poverty project that explores sustainable ways of meeting buying needs and consumption goals in order to reduce poverty and hardships

2017

African Organisations in the Post-Regional Economic Development

Set up New Media and Digital Programmes as part of CENFACS’ communications; programmes which took over Communication for Better Change

Introduced in Croydon a project to Bridge Financial Information Gap as a financial advocacy initiative of support to financially unaware users

2018

Poverty reduction in the transitional period of the post-regional economic integration

Sedecim project (or 16.4 project) was CENFACS 16 years of service and commitment to poverty relief and poor people’s well-being and welfare

Advocacy on the Odyssey of Climate Finance and Insurance for African Children as all the pain the victims of adverse climate change have to endure in their journey to win the mindsets of people to accept climate finance and insurance as some recognition of human responsibility and the price to pay for man-made behaviour against the nature and the victims from the forced change of the nature.

Run Digital and Social Media campaigns in Croydon for digitally unaware and poor users as well for those having problems to set up and confidently manage their social media accounts

For further and or enquiry about this timeline or any activity or project within the above timeline, contact 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 2019.

With many thanks

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

13 February 2019

Post No. 78

The Week’s Contents

• Burkina Faso Appeal

• CENFACS  “Q” Year

• Sustainability & Collapsology

… and much more!

Key Messages

~ Burkina Faso Appeal

Our Light Season and Projects continue with an appeal to support the victims of armed attacks in Burkina Faso and its neighbourhood.   The Burkina Faso is part of our second wave of appeals (or In-life Blaze of Hope) making our Light Projects.

It is about Bringing and Lighting a Blaze of Hope for the Victims of Armed Attacks and Conflicts in Burkina Faso and its Neighbourhood.

We always advocate for preventive development and we do not seek for destructive events to happen.  However, when events like in Burkina Faso happen, CENFACS can advocate to help reduce any adverse effects and impacts erupting from events like this. 

CENFACS is looking forward to your support to deliver this Wintry Appeal.  Thank you!

Under the Main Development section of this post, you will find further details about this appeal.

~ CENFACS Quadranscentennial Year

This week, we are continuing with our journey in learning about CENFACS as quadranscentennial creation.  Last week, we learnt about CENFACS’ origin and background.  This week, the emphasis is on CENFACS as a formal organisation.  We are focussing on CENFACS from 2002 (year of its registration) to 2012.  2002 to 2012 is a decade of building CENFACS as a formal organisation   In marketing jargon, it is the decade of the first growth of the idea of CENFACS as a charity model. 

The 2002-2012 timeline provides readers the opportunity to get grips with key highlights of activities and initiatives that shaped that first growth of CENFACS.   You can find this timeline under the Main Development section of this post.

 

~ African Children, Climate & Sustainable Development Goals (ACCSDGs), Generation Global Goals (3G project): In Search of New Forms of Data

Finding new forms of data particularly in areas affected by wars and natural disasters continues to be our focus about the ACCSDGs campaign.  We are interested in both primary and secondary data in both qualitative and quantitative terms.

In the context of this process of getting new data, we are working on data collection techniques and methods applicable to those kinds of situation as well as the reliability of data.  Likewise, we are dealing with the issue of data protection and regulations when handling international data such as those related to the conditions of children in war zones and areas affected by environmental disasters.

The above interest is meant to help the process of the implementation of SDGs for children.

Extra Messages

~ Sustainable Development and Collapsology

This week, we are as well carrying on our month of Sustainable Development by looking at the theories of collapsibility or collapsus theories.  The protagonists of these theories believe that our current civilisation based on fossil energies will disappear or collapse in the 2030s.  Their catastrophist argument is that there will be inevitability of the world’s catastrophe.

This week we are working on both sets of theories (sustainable development theories and collapsologist/catastrophist discourse).  The purpose of this week’s work is to find out how a good use of sustainable development principles can help avoid the so-called collapse or catastrophe of the human civilisation as the prophets of collapsology or catastrophism continue to argue.  Particularly, we shall work on how in Africa poor people and communities are finding out alternative energy to deal with fossil fuels and reshape their way of living.

~ Supporting CENFACS in 2019 with a silver donation, a great relief and a product booster

Free for Supporters: Silver Status

Support our projects as you can or as you choose if you visit them or if you happen to be within the area of our projects. This will boost your support and help you to win a silver status as CENFACS’ Supporter in a CENFACS Silver Year or the Quadranscentennial Year of CENFACS.  Alternatively, you can fund CENFACS’ Silver year to win the same status.

Want to provide Great Relief as a Supporter

You can provide great relief by becoming a regular giver or supporter, adding value to you support and boosting your support.

Please contact CENFACS for details about becoming great reliever.

Need to boost your support

You can choose a particular sustainable initiative or programme or even CENFACS as your boost product.

You can support 3 projects or 2 projects and CENFACS

You can support 3 programmes or 2 programmes and CENFACS.

This will elevate your position as a project or programme donor/funder.

For further details about boosting your support, contact CENFACS.       

Main Developments

• • Burkina Faso Appeal –

Bringing and Lighting a Blaze of Hope for the Victims of Armed Attacks in the Burkina Faso and its Neighbourhood

Our Season of Light and Projects continue with this new appeal for the peoples of Burkina Faso who are experiencing waves of armed attacks on their daily lives.

It is now 3 years that there has been a security crisis in Burkina Faso.  There is a disagreement between the majority ethnic group (Mossi) and the minority ethnic community (Peuls).  This disagreement has fuelled intercommunity conflicts and violence to the extent that there has been recently massacre in the village of Yirgou (according local sources).  Women and children have been displaced.  This has led to retaliation and a circle of reprisals and violence among and between civilians. This has been combined with terror threats to defenceless and innocent civilians.  Various parts of Burkina Faso (North, East and South West) have been affected by this continuing violence and security crisis.   

Because of these appalling events which are happening in Burkina Faso, CENFACS is launching this appeal before it is too late to intervene and avoid this situation gets worse and lead to humanitarian catastrophe in Burkina Faso and general contagion in the region of Sahel.  It is known that the countries of Sahel region have very limited financial resource capacity to face any major humanitarian catastrophe or a regional conflict.  They cannot afford to have this security crisis in Burkina Faso.

Our appeal is purely humanitarian and non partisan.  Our role is not to ignite the strife between the conflicting sides or between the attackers and their victims.  Our mission is purely humanitarian and charitable.  We understand the difference in perception and feeling regarding the way peoples choose to run their internal affairs between them.  They may agree or disagree on certain matters.  However, we do not agree that their disagreement should result into violence and armed attacks on defenceless, innocent peoples and infrastructures wherever country or region of the world this may happen. 

Whatever the reason they may have, it is not acceptable that defenceless civilians are subject to atrocities or mass attacks.  These kinds of mass attacks can result in tragedies, people get displaced, properties get destroyed, and common infrastructures get dismantled.  The history of Africa is full of pity cases of what this kind of violence can lead to.  We saw and witnessed in the past the same types of events leading to famine, general instability, humanitarian disaster and so  on in places like Sudan, Rwanda, Mali to name the few.

Before one can reach these tragic consequences in Burkina Faso, there is a need to prevent them.  Therefore, CENFACS is urging the development community from within the Burkina Faso itself and from outside the Burkina Faso to do what they can and it takes to avoid unpredictable catastrophic consequences from these repetitive attacks on the innocent civilians of Burkina Faso. 

In this respect, CENFACS welcome the collaborative initiative taken by the G5, which is the group of five countries made of Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and Chad.  G5 is a project of working together to stop and end these atrocities on the ordinary peoples of Burkina Faso and their region. 

One can hope that their determination to eradicate this disease from Burkina Faso and their region will go further in reducing poverty there, in combining security measures with poverty reduction strategies.  This kind of model of working together will help to provide food security, access to safe drinking water and sanitation, the building of infrastructures, the dealing with healthcare and above all the side effects of this security crisis, which has been running since 2016 or so.

CENFACS is as well appealing to those who can to do what they can and take in their position to help end this circle of violence on the innocent civilians of Burkina Faso. 

CENFACS always argues that there are little things that one can do to make BIG differences in the lives of those in most pressing needs.  These little things could include personal initiatives like the following

Talking to someone who may have influence on what is happening on the grounds in Burkina Faso.

√ Lobbying

√ Making a phone call

√ Taking part in peace initiative organised with and on behalf of the Burkinabe people

√ Campaigning and advocating for this deserving cause

√ Raising awareness of this appalling situation in Burkina Faso through the social media platforms

√ Make a podcast or a video to take action to help the victims of these atrocities

√ Helping the voice of ordinary Burkinabe people to be heard

Etc. 

These little things or blazes can help bring some lights to the lives of the Burkinabe people.   This is what CENFACS’ Light Project is all about.  This is what Bringing and Lighting a Blaze of Hope for the Victims of Armed Attacks in the Burkina Faso and its Neighbourhood, is finally about.

To bring and light a blaze of hope for the victims of armed attacks in Burkina Faso and its neighbourhood, please contact CENFACS.

Thank for carrying this appeal forward and for your support to the peoples of Burkina Faso.  

• • CENFACS “Q” Year through timeline

The following timeline provides an outline of CENFACS’ work from 2002 to 2012 – the period of the first growth about the idea of CENFACS as a charity model. 

This period was remembered in 2012 as CENFACS’ Decennary with 10 Leaves of Poverty Relief.

CENFACS’ Decennary was a celebration story of ten years of transforming lives and of building bonds and bridges with other communities.  It was as well an experience of skills development, mobilisation, advocacy, and protective and sustainable developments as the following key highlights of CENFACS’ timeline shows.

 

2002  

African contacts and sustainable development programmes

All in Development scheme – Volunteering for better lives

2003   

Strategic partnership development with Africa-based organisations

Planning and delivering of Capacity Advice & Development (CAD) project for Croydon’s African and Minority Ethnic People, particularly Supporting Women and Families to Support Themselves

2004  

Advice on project planning and development to Africa-based organisations

Planning and delivering of Free Employability Training (3W) project to help with job searching skills to French-speaking African unemployed refugee women living in Croydon

2005   

Building Bonds Building Bridges and advancing Africa’s cause and poverty issues by networking with African Diaspora and civil society organisations through ADVAD (African Diaspora Voices), AFFORD (African Foundation for Development), Connections for Development and BOND (British Overseas NGOs for Development)

Planning and delivering of Basic Skills Development (deBASICS) project in Croydon, that offered skills for work and life in the UK to refugee women of French-speaking African origin living in Croydon

2006    

Funding the building of a health centre for the people of Kewarla (Mali) through a local partner – the ONG GAIE/Femmes

Setting up Peace, Protection & Sustainability programme to support multi-dimensional poor children, young people and families; and an Outreach Translation service (French to English and vice versa)

2007    

Contribution to African Voices on consultation about Africa-Europe relations and on a Joint “EU Africa” strategy

Development and implementation of Communication for Change as a result CENFACS won THE BETTER PLANNING AND ORGANISATION OF COMMUNICATIONS ACTIVITIES AWARDS 2007

Planning and delivering the Project for Sustainable Skills for Employment (PROSSE) in Croydon to support unemployed multi-deprived women

2008  

Funding of the Income-generating Activities Against Child Trafficking with project partner – the “ONG” ESE-Benin

Planning and delivering of Basic Skills in Health and Social Care (BSHSC) project in Croydon

2009 

Financial advice to Africa-based indigenous organisations to manage economic recession under the Make Ends Meet Again campaign

Advisory support to the same organisations on project planning and appraisal with focus on climate induced poverty

Planning and delivering of Community Value Chains project, Seven Days of Development in July Project in Croydon

2010  

Project planning and appraisal service (with focus on environmental vulnerability) for African sister organisations)

Make Ends Meet in Africa advocacy and be.Africa as Ideas-Actions forum of debate

The 2010s Poverty Reduction advocacy programme of work

 2011 

Information and guidance to Africa-based organisations on green economy initiatives and models of income-generation for self-help capacity

Advice to the same organisations on strategy for coping with international regulatory framework for project monitoring, evaluation and reporting in time of financial austerity

The First African Children Generation of the Millennium Development Goals advocacy project

2012  

Advice to African partner organisations on ways of capturing the fruits of Africa’s economic growth while being recipient of overseas development assistance

Halving Poverty or the 2015-2020 campaign

For further and or enquiry about this timeline or any activity or project within the above timeline, contact 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 2019.

With many thanks

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

06 February 2019

Post No. 77

 

 

The Week’s Contents

• Sustainable Development Month

• ACCSDGs: In Search for New Forms of Data

• CENFACS’ Quadranscentennial Year

 

… and much more!

 

Key Messages

~ Sustainable Development Month

 

February is our sustainable development month  according CENFACS development calendar/planner.  It is the month we revisit our works related to sustainable development.  In particular, we try to look at again the United Nations’ Seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and their related targets.  We normally select one of the topics within the set of SGDs and targets; and try to expand on it.

 

~~ Last Year February’s work on SDGs

 

In 2018, we focussed on the localisation of SDGs by working on the best way of making SDGs local goals.  Localisation, which is the inverse process of globalisation, is a shift in the focus to the sub-national level.   It is a process of making SDGs more suitable for local areas and people.  Localisation is needed because the process of globalisation of sustainable development does not always address the needs and concerns of people and communities at the local level. 

 

~~ This February’s work on SDGs

 

This year, we are interested in capturing the new forms data about the use of the SDGs.  We are searching how the new datasets can help not only to improve the implementation of the SDGs; but also to keep pace with poverty reduction and fasten poverty reduction results.  Our interest goes beyond data collected from the stable environment (like from regions of Africa where there are political and economic stability) to consider exceptional and abnormal situations (for example where there have been wars and environmental disasters). 

Our approach on SDG data is about finding out what data from war zones and environmental situations in Africa can tell us on how people affected by wars and natural disasters are meeting or failing to meet SDGs and targets.  In this respect, we are looking for new forms of data regarding the implementation of SDGs on and by children (particularly but not exclusively data related to the way in which SDGs impact African children).

 

To support and or enquire about CENFACS’ Sustainable Development Month, contact CENFACS.

 

 

~ ACCSDGs (3G) project: In Search of the New Forms of Data

The African Children Climate and Sustainable Development Goals or Generation Global Goals (3G) project

We are resuming our advocacy work about the impacts of global goals (here climate and sustainable development goals) on the welfare and well-being of children, particularly but not exclusively on African children.  This time, our advocacy process is based on the new types of information to capture this impact.  This information could be quantitative (numbers) or qualitative (words) or both to test these impacts.  So, our 3G project is still at the impact level.

Under the Main Development section of this post, you will find further information about our focus on new forms of data for ACCSDGs this Year.  

 

 

 

~ CENFACS’ 

Quadranscentennial Year

2019 has been dedicated as a Quadranscentennial Year or the “Q” Year at CENFACS.  It is the year during which we are celebrating the establishment of CENFACS as a Quadranscentennial Creation.  This celebration kicks off this February. 

Next Summer, we will come back on the Quadranscentennial Creation particularly in June which is the Creation Month for CENFACS.  In meantime, we will be progressively sharing with our supporters and readers some information about CENFACS milestone so that they can learn a bit more about CENFACS.  We would like as well those who have recently joined us and those who may want to join us, to learn something about CENFACS on the occasion of this Silver Jubilee.

As part this exercise of learning and knowing about CENFACS, you will find in the Main Development section of this post, the background to CENFACS.

 

 

 

Extra Messages

 

~ Halving Poverty Campaign

 

This week is also the restart of our campaign on Halving Poverty for this year.  As we are still working on the effects of wars and natural disasters on the Central African Republic and Region of Africa (CARRA), our focus about Halving Poverty will be on halving child poverty for the children victims of wars in the Central African Republic. This fundraising campaign has taken over our Gifts of Peace which ended on 31 January 2019 for this year.  

 

To support Halving Poverty campaign, go to

 http://cenfacs.org.uk/supporting-us/

 

~ Supporting CENFACS in 2019 with a silver donation, a great relief and a product booster

⇒ Free for Supporters: Silver Status

Support our projects as you can or as you choose if you visit them or if you happen to be within the area of them. This will boost your support and help you to win a silver status as CENFACS’ Supporter in a CENFACS Silver Year or the Quadranscentennial Year of CENFACS.  Alternatively, you can fund CENFACS’ Silver year to win the same status.

 

⇒ Want to provide Great Relief as a Supporter

You can provide great relief by becoming a regular giver or supporter, adding value to you support and boosting your support.

Please contact CENFACS for details about becoming great reliever.

 

⇒ Need to boost your support

You can choose a particular sustainable initiative or programme or even CENFACS as your boost product.

You can support 3 projects or 2 projects and CENFACS

You can support 3 programmes or 2 programmes and CENFACS.

This will elevate your position as a project or programme funder or a product booster

For further details about boosting your support, contact CENFACS.

 

 

Main Developments

 

 

• • African Children, Climate & Sustainable Development Goals (ACCSDGs), Generation Global Goals (3G project): In Search of New Forms of Data

Before looking at this year’s advocacy, let’s recall what we did in February 2018.

 

February 2018 Work for ACCSDGs (3G project)

February 2018 activity regarding ACCSDGs was about whether or not there are outputs produced and intermediate outcomes achieved so far.

As we were in CENFACS’ Local Year or the Local People’s Year, we also did some searches on ways of localising CSDGs.  We worked on a process of making CSDGs more suitable for local children and local areas.

We made an effort through our Better Impact Advocacy to capture local impact for local children as far as CSDGs were concerned.

Our work on African Children had a three-dimensional aspect as follows:

√ Identification of outputs and intermediate outcomes (or changes) achieved from CSDGs while localising them

√ Continuing building on our advocacy strategy for a better local impact

√ Exploring steps and activities to making 2018 as the Year of Local Children

 

2019 ACCSDGs (3G) Advocacy: In Search for New Forms of Data

This year’s advocacy for 3G will be about finding new forms of data about the use of SDGs.  In other words, it is about capturing New Forms of Data regarding the application of Sustainable Development Goals. 

Capturing data regarding the coping and survival strategies as well as spatial and temporal activities of people and communities for their use of SDGs will be the main 3G focus.  Spaces and times are important factors in this data collection and analyis.  These users’ datasets about SDGs and their dynamics will be used for our further advocacy work on this matter.  

Particularly, we would like to get new forms of data regarding for example the victims of wars and armed conflicts as well as for the sufferers of climate change in terms of their uses of SDGs.  Among them are children.  Data could be about displaced children (displaced because of wars and natural disasters), street children, orphan children, children soldiers, children living in safety camps for humanitarian reasons etc.  Our new data work consists of finding out whether these children are meeting SDGs or SDGs are failing them.

These findings are important because 3G project is the impact level in CENFACS’ process of advocating that global goals work for children and not way around.  It is indeed the testing of the gains that global goals claim to achieve and of their impact on the welfare and well-being of children.  This is regardless whether these children are in spaces and times of peace or lack of peace (like conditions of wars and time of natural disasters). 

To handle this process, we may need to make and answer the same questions again and again.  Are global goals (here CSDGs) working for children?  Are they positively impacting (strongly, weakly and averagely) child poverty or on children?  The answers to these two questions will feed our Better Impact advocacy in the context of 3G project, advocacy which is to demand not only an impact but a better impact from CSDGs on children.

 

• • CENFACS’ Quadranscentennial Year: Background to CENFACS

The Centre for Francophone African Economic Studies (CENFACS) was originally created/founded in August 1994 by Celestin Tshilenge – a Postgraduate Development Economist – and conceived to fill a vacuum in economic development information concerning Francophone African Countries (FACS) in the UK compared to the vast research work carried out and publicly available information on the other parts of Africa in the UK at that time. 

For historical reasons, little information was available within the UK on FACS whereas they form a significant part of Africa.  28 African countries out of 54 are Francophone; that is those where French is a primary language for communication and/or medium of education.  Countries such as Rwanda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo came into the public eye in the 1990s, highlighting the media’s role in bringing attention to these countries only at times of wars, conflicts, natural and humanitarian catastrophes, immigration flows and political events. 

The above way of highlighting Francophone Africa resulted in crisis response or management by most African-led organisations based in the UK at that time rather than a preventive development strategy.  Thus, CENFACS’ uniqueness posited it to bridge the gap in economic information on Francophone Africa.  It was therefore a development-oriented body of knowledge, which aimed and still aims at promoting economic, social, human, environmental, transformative, sustainable and preventive development of Francophone Africa.

CENFACS operated as an informal academic forum on economic studies and issues of Francophone Africa.  From 2002, the informal organisation moved to embrace the spectrum of developmental issues in Francophone Africa.  The Centre for Francophone African Economic Studies became the Centre for Francophone African Development while keeping its acronym of CENFACS, and whereby the emphasis has been now put on development instead of economic issues purely.  From an informal forum of discussion, CENFACS began to promote small-scale sustainable initiatives in Francophone Africa while helping the ethnic minority people from Francophone Africa origin living in the UK.  It was then registered (registered charity number 1092432) with the Charity Commission for England Wales as a charity since 13 June 2002. 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 2019.

With many thanks