Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

25 April 2018

Post No. 36

The Week’s Contents

The week commencing 23 April is made of the following contents:

• Local Protections month with Economic Protection as a focus

• Reflection Day on Making Transitional Economy Work for Poor Families

• Halving Poverty by Halving the Number of Children without Access to Safe Drinking Water and Sanitation

Key Highlights of the Week’s Contents

Our month of Protections has entered its final phase with Economic Protection this week.  The last three weeks of our Local Protection activities were made of natural events (week one), infrastructure (week two) and people’s empowerment (week three).  We would like to thank those who supported us so far.

This week’s Local Protections is about ways of protecting local people and local life in the process of meeting their unlimited needs of consumption and production under the limited availability of resources and their budget constraints.  This demands the protection of local economic rights. The week is also of our Reflection Day, reflection whose theme is about Making Transitional Economy Work for Poor Families. 

So, we are conducting two protection activities this week, which are: 1) Protection of economic rights (to be run the all week), 2) A one day of reflection on Making Transitional Economy Work and Succeed for Poor Families.    

Our campaign against child poverty known as Halving Poverty is resuming this month to take over the ReLive fundraising work which officially ended on last 20 April.  We would like to thank those who supported the 10^th Issue of ReLive. 

This year’s Halving Poverty focuses on Halving the Number of Children without Access to Safe Drinking Water and Sanitation.  For more about Halving Poverty or to support it, go to http://cenfacs.org.uk/supporting-us/

• Economic Protection Week, started 23 April

The economic protection week is about dealing with the protection of economic rights of local people and families.  This raises the issue of how we can use limited availability of economic resources to protect the minimum fulfillment of unlimited demand, for goods and services, for local people and families.

Raising this issue is also pointing at what we can do to go beyond the efficiency of resource use in the economy to add the removal of damage and injury from poor people and families.  This can be done by building protection-friendly development agenda.

In practical terms, the problem of economic protection leads to re-visit what can be called economic rights or second generation of rights in terms of constitutional protection of economic rights (as defined by the Covenant on Economic Social and Cultural Rights adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on December 16 in 1966).

For example, in the Article 10 of this Covenant it says that the state parties commit themselves to the protection of the family, mothers, children, and minors.  So, economic protection goes hand in hand with the care of economic rights.  This is this week’s activity about local protections.

To support or join the Local Year Campaign, contact CENFACS.

• Reflection Day, 27 April: Making Transitional Economy Work and Succeed for Poor Families

There is always an economic cost when countries decide to disengage from economic regional integration, just as there could be benefits in doing so.  This is particularly obvious when exiting the European Union economic integration model. 

Because our week is about protection from harms and risks, we will focus on what we can do to minimise or nullify economic costs and threats rather than on protecting the benefits and opportunities resulting from this disengagement.   

Due to potential risks or costs that may accompany any exit from the EU, there is a need to make sure that these costs and threats are considerably reduced or nullified for the most vulnerable and poorest people.  In other words, how we can economically protect poor families (particularly but not exclusively women and children) when a free market-based economy exits from a regional economic integration model and goes in transition.  Equally, we can ask ourselves this: what to do to make transitional economy work and succeed for poor women and children?  Our Reflection Day will tell us what to do. 

The Reflection Day will be about thoughts on Making Transitional Economy Work for Poor Families.  We shall reflect on the shape that the economy may take during the transitional phase before the full exit.  Then, we will mirror the kinds of steps that need to be taken for the new economy meets the needs and aspirations of poor families.

To do that, we are going to refer to economic rights or second generation of rights.   We will think of direct and indirect economic rights as well as ways of protecting them.

Thought on direct economic rights

We are going to reflect on ways of protecting poor families to get the following:  adequate standard of living, health and education, work, social security etc.  These are the direct rights touching the economic interests and welfare of these families. 

Thought on indirect economic and sustainable development rights

There are indirect sustainable development rights as well, which include the protection of the poor from food prices, the necessity to combat biodiversity, the protection of poor countries and poor people from the effects and impacts of adverse climate change etc.  Whether it is about bio-diversity or climate change, there is always an economic content in them that is not easy to disentangle and that requires protection.

Briefly, our week of economic protection that will climax to an economic day of protection will be about thinking ways of keeping safe the different items that make household budget in a poor family; items making family balance sheet, income and expenditure account, wealth accounts etc.

Finally, our Reflection Day will be about how poor people, women and children can economically protect themselves rather than how we protect them.  In this respect, we shall think about economic self-protection and economic self-empowerment for protection.   

To support or join the Economic Reflection Day, please contact CENFACS.   

Below we have provided a timeline about CENFACS’ Reflection Day for reference.

• Reflection Day Timeline

The Reflection Day is a day of thoughts by bringing together the two pillars of our network and protection programme, which are 3W and PPS.  Although they started in 2003, we only introduced a Reflection Day (RD) in them in 2011.  In 2016, we amalgamated 3W and PPS to become women and children projects.

The RD is a day of introspection to think in deep the ways forward for our systems of support network and protection for poverty relief and development in face of the current, new and emerging challenges ahead as well as the changing development landscape. 

Since its inception, the following is the timeline of 3W and PPS

2011: Making Networking and Protection Even Better in 2011

2012: Raising Standards in Poverty Reduction for Improving Lives

2013: Place of Women and Children in the Post-2015 Development World (Part I)

2014: Women and Children in the Post-2015 Sustainable Development Agenda  (Part II) – A Stock Taking Reflection Event

2015: Doing Business to Lift Women and Children out of Poverty

2016: Improving Digital Protection for the Extremely Digitally Poor Women and Children

2017: Reducing Information and Communication Poverty for Multi-dimensionally Poor Women and Children  

For your information,

3W & PPS = Support Network and Protection for Poverty Relief and Development

Women and children projects = amalgamation of 3W and PPS in 2016

3W (What Women Want) = a CENFACS support network scheme to enhance the lives of multi-dimensionally deprived women and families.

PPS (Peace, Protection & Sustainability) = a CENFACS child and environmental protection programme to support multi-dimensionally vulnerable children, young people and families

For more information on 3W and PPS or Women and Children projects, please contact CENFACS.

Thank you for visiting CENFACS website and reading this post.

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

We look forward to receiving your regular visits and continuing support during 2018.

With many thanks

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

18 April 2018

Post No. 35

The Week’s Contents

The poverty relief display at CENFACS for this week is made of the following contents:

• Local People’s empowerment for protection

• ReLive No. 10: Only Two Days To Go!!!

• The Integrated Twenty-tens programme

Key Highlights of the Week’s Contents

We are now in week 3 of our Local Protections month.  This week’s focus is on the power that local People may or may not to protect themselves and the lives of others including of the environment, fauna and flora.

If they do not have the power for protection, how do we empower them or work with them to get the relevant power or authority they need in order to keep life safe?  The answer to this question and further information about this week’s protections work can be found below.

The week is also about the remaining Two Days of our ReLive campaign which is still on.  The campaign, which falls within the scope of this month of protections, is about supporting the local people in the Islands East of Africa (i.e. Madagascar, Mauritius and Comoros).    

Now most of you are back from Easter holidays, we hope you can catch with what is going on at CENFACS if you were not following us online.  This campaign still needs support.   We welcome you for coming back and look forward to any support you may consider to give to this campaign.  To support, go to http://cenfacs.org.uk/supporting-us/

Finally, the week is of the news about updates of the Twenty-tens programme which has been enhanced with new features.  The three main areas of the integration in this programme have been conducted.  These areas include a) Sustainable Development Goals, Agendas 2030 and 2063 b) Digital and Social Media dimensions c) Transitional Economy.  Further details about these updates are given below.

• Local People’s Empowerment for Protection

Local protection can aim at reducing poverty and hardships through the empowerment of local people (particularly but not exclusively the poor and vulnerable ones) and promote their participation in peace and security building infrastructures and capacities. 

This can include a range of local perspectives and initiatives to empower local protectors, such as training, meetings, dialogues, meditation, facilitation, awareness raising and media support etc.  In terms of the work conducted by our Africa-sister organisations, it is the story of local humanitarian responders.  The examples of local protectors can be found the following countries:

In the Democratic Republic of Congo with Local Protection Committees aiming at empowering women in the North Kivu province in helping them to address local security issues and advocacy for women’s participation

In Central African Republic with self-protected persons, especially poor traders facing off with militia over extortion demands.

The empowerment of local people goes beyond that.  It involves the formation of local protection advisers and officers to deal with protection of those fleeing domestic violence and abuse, with child protection by protecting children victims of the adverse effects and impacts of climate change, children at risk of neglect and of international perverted ideologies etc. It is further about equipping them with online and digital technologies and facilities as the boundaries of threats and risks to protection keep shifting.  So, empowering local people with these tools can enhance both offline and online protections.

To support and or join CENFACS’ work on Local Protections this week, contact CENFACS.

• New Updates of the  Twenty-Tens Programme are Available NOW!

The projects making the Twenty-tens programme have been progressively updated following our integration of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Agendas 2030 and 2063; of Digital and Social Media dimensions and of Transitional Economy into it.

The initiatives of the 2010s Programme

The updates concern the following selected initiatives:  Drugs and substance for poverty relief, Green conservation and sustainable forests, World Anti-Poverty System, Environmental science and energy for poverty relief, Food security and adapted to climate and human needs, Find my inspiration for poverty relief, Women and children FIRST development days, Volunteering for poverty relief, and June month of environmental and sustainable creative initiatives.

The updates and integrations made regarding these initiatives

The updates and integrations have been made at three levels related to: global goals, digitalisation and social mediatisation, and economic transition.

•• Enhancement with global goals and agendas

Each of these projects now contains the elements of SDGs, Agendas 2030 and 2063 related to it.  For example, the initiative of Food Security and Adapted to Climate and Human Needs is now related to Zero Hunger (Goal 2).  Likewise, the initiative of Drugs and Substance is linked to the Good Health and Well-being (Goal 3)

•• Upgrading with digitalisation and social mediatisation

CENFACS beneficiaries currently have the opportunity to interact each other on social media platforms and can create online networks of discussions (provided they mention it to CENFACS) with regard to the contents of these above projects.  They can visit our digital store and digitally access our services and products.  They can as well place comments and write reviews on our work 24 hours, 7 days a week.

•• Mixing with transitional economy

Each of these projects will be moving in line with changes occurring as economies transit in the Post-Regional Economic Integration era.   Plans have been made to get some mix of the transitional economy into the Twenty-tens.  For example, any changes in the free movement of people and in data protection policy will be reflected in our initiative of Volunteering for Poverty Relief.

For more about these updates and integrations, please contact CENFACS.

Thank you for visiting CENFACS website and reading this post.

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

We look forward to receiving your regular visits and continuing support during 2018.

With many thanks

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

11 April 2018

Post No. 34

The Week’s Contents

• Week Two of Local Protections

• ReLive No. 10 continues…

• World Anti-Poverty System 2018: Coalesce to Shape the Pattern of Ultimate Poverty Relief

Key Highlights of the Week’s Contents

We are in the second week of our Local Protections month.  This week our focus is on the enabling infrastructure and logistics to support us to provide protection.  Indeed, protection cannot be done in a vacuum.  There should be some services, equipment and stock of facilities as well as planning and organisation. 

The above protective arsenal can be found within the organisation engaged in the protection work and within the environment in which that organisation operates. 

For more about this week’s local protections work, read below.

The 10th issue of CENFACS’ Annual Spring Appeal for Renewing Life (ReLive), which is on advocating for support for the peoples of the three Islands East of Africa (made of Madagascar, Mauritius and Comoros),  continues this week. 

CENFACS would like to remind those who are willing to support this Spring initiative the following.  There are 14 Gifts of Renewing Lives or Life-Renewing Projects attached to this ReLive Appeal as the fundraising version of this advocacy: six for Madagascar; five for Comoros and three for Mauritius.  

For further details about this advocacy (including its deadline), go to http://cenfacs.org.uk/supporting-us/

Our next thematic work about the WAS/ISPR (World Anti-Poverty System or International System for Poverty Reduction) will be to Coalesce Together To Shape The Pattern Of Ultimate Poverty Relief.  Although this 2018 act of WAS/ISPR will be conducted at the beginning of Summer, we are starting this week to discuss what will make the contents of this act. 

You can support WAS/ISPR with your voice, by e-signing our petition and e-mobilising through social media networks and platforms, by branding your event with WAS/ISPR message etc. 

To join and or support the WAS/ISPR campaign, contact CENFACS.

• Week Two of Local Protections: Local Infrastructures and Logistics for Protection

To undertake the work of protection at any levels (here local), it requires resources, infrastructures and logistics.  Much of this will be in the hands of local and national authorities whether in the UK and in Africa.  If so, how CENFACS and Africa-based Sister Organisations can undertake the work of protection in this context. 

We all need basic infrastructural and logistical support at various levels (at the local level particularly but not exclusively).  This could mean having local infrastructure charities to support local voluntary and community organisations working in the area of protection.  This can require support for voluntary sector infrastructure and local infrastructure bodies to deal with protection work.

Local infrastructure for protection will include the permanent services and equipment needed for a local area to enable itself to keep local people safe at local level.  In this respect, roads, factories, broadband and transport networks (to name the few) will be paramount in making the bulk of this infrastructure. 

Local infrastructure for protection also consists of other services and facilities such as protective equipment, creation of safety zones or areas, wildlife sanctuary, factories that recycle waste, facilities to prevent fires as well as local rules and permanent services linked to the protection of animal, trees, rainforests, foods, water, health, farming etc.

Additionally, data protection, protection suite software and apps can reinforce these infrastructural tools.  As we are in digital and online worlds, we can have local protection software and apps which can be installed or downloaded on people’s personal devices (tablets, laptops and mobile phones).     

So, this week it is all about this: what local infrastructure and logistical support we have at local level and how we can deploy them by working in partnership with local people to develop sustainable protection initiatives as well as make protection happen in the lives of those who are unprotected or with less protection. 

By the way, it is worth remembering some minds that our work is on protection not protectionism.  We are working with local people on shielding them from danger like adverse climate change (this is protection).  We are not here dealing with a system of protecting home industries against foreign competition by taxing imports (which is protectionism).

To support and or join CENFACS’ work on Local Protections this week, contact CENFACS.

Thank you for visiting CENFACS website and reading this post.

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

We look forward to receiving your regular visits and continuing support during 2018.

With many thanks

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

04 April 2018

Post No. 33

The Week’s Contents

/ ReLive No. 10

/ Holiday with Relief – Spring 2018 Issue

/ Local protections

Key Highlights of the Week’s Contents

Those who are familiar with CENFACS’ development calendar know that April is the month of Protections at CENFACS.

As we are in the year of Local People at CENFACS, this year’s Protections month will be a local affair. 

This month is within one year of the UK’s exit from the EU.  Because of that, we will add to our Local Protections the economic dimensions of Protection.  In particular, we will think – at our climax Day of Reflection – of ways of Making Economic Transition Work for Children and Women. 

Details of the Economic Protection Day, which is scheduled for the 27^th of this month, will be released in due course.

The week is also about the Spring 2018 Issue of Holiday with Relief – one of CENFACS’ ICDP (Individual Capacity Development Programme) resources.  This year the focus of our holiday resource is on Local Information and News. 

Indeed, whether we pass our Spring or Easter holiday at home or away, we need local information from whether we would be based to pass our holidays.  We need it so that we can make our plans and achieve our holiday goals and aims successfully. 

In digital and online worlds, accessing local information is now become easier than ever before.  With an average smart mobile phone, one should be able to access local information they need. 

The week is finally of the 10th Issue of ReLive.  ReLive is one of CENFACS’ Spring campaigns and a bridge between CENFACS’ Winter Lights and Spring Relief seasons.  The 10th issue of CENFACS’ Annual Spring Appeal for Renewing Life (ReLive) focuses on the support for the peoples of the three selected Islands East of Africa, which are: Madagascar, Mauritius and Comoros.

For further details about the 10th Issue of ReLive and the fundraising campaign related to it, go to http://cenfacs.org.uk/supporting-us/

• Holiday with Relief (HwR) – Spring 2018 Issue: Local Information

This Issue, which gives some useful and hassle-free holiday tips and hints as well as handy holiday information, covers three areas of interest related to holiday making:

♦ Online local information with search tips and hints

♦ Print local information with guidance and directions

♦ The use of social media networks and platforms to access local information

To get a copy of this resource and or of previous ones, please contact CENFACS. 

• Local Protections: Tightening the Fences of Protection Locally

There are many types and aspects of protection.  To keep our Local Year Campaign going, we have chosen to focus this year on local aspects of protection, on tightening the fences of protection locally.   As a result, our month of Protections has been organised as follows.

♦ Local protection against natural events (week beginning 02 April 2018)

♦ Local infrastructures for protection (week beginning 09 April 2018)

♦ Local People’s empowerment for protection (week beginning 16 April 2018)

♦ Economic Protection (week beginning 23 April 2018), which will culminate with a Reflection Day at the end of the week

•• Local protection against natural events: Week beginning 02 April 2018

The process of shielding or keeping people safe from destructive natural events (such as flooding, landslides, violent rains, drought etc from severe weather) or against damage, loss and destruction; has a significant local content and impact.

In our first week of the Local Protections month, we are looking at the following:

♦ Ways of protecting people living in areas affected by natural disasters and complex emergencies to survive and protect themselves

♦ Ways of supporting locally-led natural crisis responses

♦ Community-led and community-based protection and survival

♦ Links between local, national and global protections from natural events

♦ How our Africa-based Sister Organisations are coping with local protections (for example the copying strategies in the case of the victims of natural disasters in DR Congo and of the poor traders facing off with militia over extortion demands in Central African Republic), with localisation and locally-led responses

♦Protection organised by local communities to support displaced people by natural events

♦Protection from the effects and impacts of treacherous weather in order to avoid risks and hazards to health 

To support or to get details about this week’s local protection work, please contact CENFACS.

 Thank you for visiting CENFACS website and reading this post.

We look forward to receiving your regular visits and continuing support during 2018.

With many thanks

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

28 March 2018

Post No. 32

The Week’s Contents

• Easter Holiday Arrangement

• Local Climate Action and CSPAC (Climate Stake and Protection for African Children) project – Phase 2

• All-Year Round Projects

• Easter Holiday Notice

During the Easter Holiday period most of campaigns will be scaled down to reflect the celebratory nature of Easter. 

We are closed on the Easter Bank Holidays (30/03/2018 and 02/04/2018). 

Some of our projects and programmes (e.g. children and family projects), which are linked to school terms are also scaled down over the Easter period.

You can still contact CENFACS online 24 hours and 7 days a week should you have any query.

As part of CENFACS’ Outreach project known as “Walks to the Need”, we encourage our supporters (those who can) to use Easter Holidays as an opportunity to visit our Africa-based Sister Organisations and other similar projects.  This kind of visit impacts or field works helps to get the real outcomes of poverty relief from the grounds and share experiences together.    

We would like to wish you Happy Easter!

For any queries about our projects and programmes over the Easter Holiday period, contact CENFACS.

• Local Climate Action and CSPAC (Climate Stake and Protection for African Children) – Phase 2

∴ Our Climate Action month ends this week. We have been overwhelmed by messages of support and encouraging comments about our work generally and the Climate Action in particular.  These are some of the comments we received from commentators who chose to stay anonymous:

“I have learnt a lot about your climate work.  It has inspired me in the way I do my own work.  Thank you for sharing your contents with me”

“Many thanks for your amazing blog. It was actually very useful. I am so glad I found this”

“Thanks for the blog, it truly is packed with a lot of useful information. This helped me a lot”

“I like everything you post. You have done really good job”

“This is a really great resource! A lot of useful info and handy tips, thank you”

∴ Continuing to make our case for African Children through CSPAC – P.2 with KIP (Katowice Implements Paris)

As part of our journey in the process of advocating that global goals (such as climate change goals) work for children, we are working this week on the fit of finance and insurance packages available on the market for the needs of children from developing countries like those of Africa.  We are also working on effective ways of distributing them amongst children in need.  

To support or enquire about Local Climate Action month and CSPAC – P.2, contact CENFACS. 

• All-Year Round Projects This Spring: Run, Play & Vote projects 

The following are the activities to carry out or questions to answer for those who want to support these projects and CENFACS.

… For Run project (or Run To Reduce Poverty in Africa in 2018)

Are you researching your African Global Games Runners, Agents of Poverty Relief (AGGRAPR)?

Did you or are you organising a run or race event?

Are you planning to include CENFACS’ 2018 Run To Reduce Poverty In Africa (RRPA) into your event?

Are you supporting the Run project in your own way?

Are willing to donate to CENFACS, and if yes for how much?

… For Play project (or CENFACS League for Poverty Relief)

Which team country will top up CENFACS’ Poverty Relief League as a result of you gaming?

Which team country will be above 40-point mark to escape the square of inescapability?

Which team country will cruise into quarters in Summer 2018?

Who will be and what is your bet for the Best African Countries which Will Best Reduce Poverty in 2018?

… For Vote project (or International Development and Poverty Relief Manager project)

Are you searching for your manager of the year 2018?

What does make him or her different from others?

What is their greatest achievement so far?

What are your selection criteria?  

Remember!

If you are Playing the CENFACS Poverty Relief League and its sub-project Le Dernier Carrẻ, there are 16 team countries in this Poverty Relief and Development League playing each 32 matches/games each against the other. 

If you are Running for Poverty Relief and Development, you can do it alone or as a group. 

If you are casting your Vote for an International Development and Poverty Relief Manager of 2018, vote for someone who did something against poverty and hardships only. 

Whether you are Gaming or Running or even Voting for Poverty Relief and Development, please keep a track record (including the facts, data, videos, reviews and images) of your activities to make and share your story with us and others.    

To do that, you do not need sophisticated technologies or a third party.  With your mobile phone only – if you have one – you can text, record voices, make a video, take pictures, phone etc to capture and communicate the impacts of any event or activity you did, are doing or taking part by the end of this year. 

We would be more than happier to hear about your Actions and Results.   As these projects are all-year round, we would like supporters to them to communicate their actions and results every season; this Spring season too.  This enables all of us to track progress and improve the ways these projects are delivered.

What we expect from your support is to be able to tell us by the end of 2018 the following:

√ The Best African Countries of 2018 which best reduce poverty

√ The Best African Global Games Runners of 2018

√ The Best African Development Managers of 2018 

To support and or get further details about All Year Round Projects, contact CENFACS.

Thank you for visiting CENFACS website and reading this post.

We look forward to receiving your regular visits and continuing support in 2018.

With many thanks

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

21 March 2018

Post No. 31

This Week’s and Spring’s Contents

• Spring Relief Projects and Programmes
• Climate Stake & Protection for African Children (CSPAC) – Phase 2 – Katowice Implements Paris (KIP)
• Spring Appeal (ReLive, Issue No. 10) & ICDP (Individual Capacity Development Programme) Resource (Holiday with Relief)

What’s on offer at CENFACS

We have on offer for this week and this Spring 2018 the following.

For this week, we are continuing our work on CSPAC – P. 2 with KIP as our 2018 working theme.  We are also undertaking Local Climate Action activities to keep up with our month of Climate Action.

For the Spring season, you will find below a number of selected projects and programmes making Spring Relief.  We have added to them two coming initiatives: our Easter humanitarian appeal (ReLive, Issue No. 10) and our Spring ICDP resource (Holiday with Relief).

• This week’s activities

•• Activities under CSPAC – P.2 with KIP

Need Assessment of the Costs of Climate Protection for Children

Children have many types of needs starting from the basic to the more complex ones, like any human beings.  Amongst children’s needs are those to reduce poverty and hardships.  Along with these needs are financial and insurance requests to meet and address the adverse impacts and effects of climate change. 

As part of KIP, we are working on these financial and insurance needs.  This is because in order to advocate with children for climate finance and insurance covers, one needs to work out costs and carry out a financial need assessment of these covers.  This is done bearing in mind the characteristics of climate events at particular places.

•• Activities under Local Climate Action

Activities for LCA for this week include the following.

Climate Change Action plans: This activity is about looking at the gaps between plans and achievements, between what has worked and what is not working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Mapping of Climate Change Actions: This activity helps in identifying good actions taken locally and rating them.

To engage with the contents or activities related to CSPAC – P.2 and LCA, please contact CENFACS. 

• Coming this Spring: Holiday with Relief (Resource) and ReLive (Appeal)

Holiday with Relief: Focus for 2018 is on Local Information

To reflect CENFACS’ Local Year Campaign in our Spring resource, we have chosen to raise the importance of local information whether we pass holidays at home or away.  To achieve a successful holiday, we need local information which we can get through local newspapers, magazines, institutions, shops, tourist offices, TVs, radios, libraries etc. 

We can also use Google search engine and other information search platforms from our mobile phones or any digital devices to access the types of information we need.  So, whether we pass our holidays at home or go away we need local information to enjoy our holidays.

ReLive, Issue No.10

CENFACS’ Annual Spring Appeal for Renewing Life (ReLive) will focus on advocating for support for the peoples of three African countries surrounded by water or island countries (Comoros, Madagascar and Mauritius). 

Details of the Gifts for Renewing Lives will be released by the middle of Spring.

Apart from these above coming initiatives, please also find below some other selections from our Spring menu of works.

To get further details about Holidays with Relief and ReLive, please contact CENFACS.

• Spring Relief 2018: Projects and Programmes

The following selected initiatives (selected for public information) are amongst those which will make Spring Relief 2018 at CENFACS.

April: Protection Month

••  This month’s protection theme is Local Protection (Protection project)

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

Making Transitional Economy Work for Women and Children – Economic Protection Day (Protection project)

May: Stories Telling Month

•• May Stories – Entries for Stories on Poverty Relief and Development for May 2018 are now open. Tell your story of change for change to CENFACS, contact CENFACS for story telling terms and conditions.

Local People’s and Champions’ Stories of Poverty Relief – Tell it! (Volunteer’s & Stories Telling project)

•• Rebuilding Africa: Rebuilding Lives in the African Islands of South-East Africa (Appeal project)

June: Creation & Innovation Month

•• 16.4 Project: Sixteen Years of CENFACS in Four Days of Celebration – Sedecim Year (Celebration project)

•• Creations and Innovations for Transitional Economy and Poverty Reduction with Jmesci project (Creation project): Featuring Local Creations

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. 

Thank you for visiting CENFACS website and reading this post.

We look forward to receiving your regular visits and continuing support in 2018.

With many thanks

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

14 March 2018

Post No. 30

The Week’s Contents

The week beginning 12 March 2018 is made of the following key contents

• Local Climate Action

• Madagascar Appeal

• Language of Poverty Relief

• Local Climate Action (LCA)

Our LCA continues with Art and Design for Poverty Relief and Sustainable Development project.   This is an activity of support to LCA and the Local Year Campaign at CENFACS by taking action to design an e-card (electronic-card) or p-card (paper-card) to help reduce local greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE).  

You can write a message on your e- or p-card.  The message on your design product needs to be of motivating the locals and showing ways of making cuts in GHGE. 

After your design and art work done, you can post your work to us and other local people to motivate the local world on ways of helping to reduce GHGE.  

We thank you for your support in taking LCA and creating to help reduce GHGE.

For more on this LCA initiative, please contact CENFACS.

• Madagascar Appeal

Lighting a Blaze of Hope for the Victims of Natural Disasters in Madagascar

Our advocacy work on Madagascar continues by supporting the Victims of cyclone, floods and drought.  Anyone who would like to Light up this Blaze of Hope with CENFACS is welcome to do so.  If you instead choose to support these victims otherwise while still keeping the essence of CENFACS’ Lights Appeal, please let us know as well.   

To Light your Blaze of Hope for the above Victims with CENFACS, please contact CENFACS so that we know what you are doing about this appeal.

For further details about this appeal, please contact CENFACS as well.

• Language of Poverty Relief

Language of Poverty Relief is the title of the 59^th Issue of CENFACS’ bilingual newsletter (Spring 2018 Issue) as we informed you some few weeks ago.

Please find below the key highlights and summaries about this Issue.

Key Highlights of the 59th Issue of FACS –

This issue helps in understanding of language as a system for poverty relief and sustainable development.  It provides some insights on how poverty can be addressed through languages and how much change we can together make in the life of the poor through languages.

Languages can be used in a given context to reduce poverty.  Languages can influence economic status.  In a book edited by Harbert and other people, they argue that “On the one hand, poverty affects language survival… On the other hand, the languages people speak or do not speak, can influence their economic status in substantial ways, limiting or facilitating access to jobs and education and full participation in the functions of the society”.  (1)    Languages influence human conditions of life, including of the poor.  

In accordance with econolinguistics (or social science of language), language is also a system of education to help lift up the standard and help society to function.  For example, (2) the need of literacy in Swahili became an objective of the colonial system according to Leonard Bloomfield (p. 128).  The acquisition of social status can be assisted by the manipulation of language.   In the Social Context of Language Standardisation in India, Franklin C. Southworth mentioned Bloomfield (1933: 496-7) in saying that many persons and families rose into relatively privileged positions and had to change from non-standard to standard speech. 

So, the way people use their language can provide them some economic and social status.  The 59^th Issue goes further in providing some elements on how language can be a tool for poverty relief and sustainable development. 

(1) Language and Poverty, Edited by Wayne Harbert, Sally McConnell-Ginet, Amanda Miller & John Whitman, Multilingual Matters, 2008

(2) Language of Inequality, Edited by Nessa Wolfson and Joan Manes, Mouton Publishers, Berlin, New York, Amsterdam 1985

Key Summaries of the 59th Issue of FACS –

HOW WE CAN USE THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE TO REDUCE POVERTY (Page 2 of FACS)

Language is a determinant factor of access to resources, assets, facilities and support.  Language disadvantage and capability deprivation can reinforce other areas of disadvantages and deprivations.  Language has a relieving power from poverty and hardships.  For example, a good command of the four key skills of English language (i.e. reading, writing, speaking and listening) can help overcome deprivations and vulnerabilities.

English is the spoken and written language in the UK.  As a language of education, communication, life and work; English is the spoken and written language for both UK nationals and ethnic minorities.  To comfortably and accurately express needs, both UK nationals and ethnic minorities have to use English language as a medium of communications. 

In this respect, language is important in human life.  The importance and power of the English language are even self-explanatory for ethnic minority communities.  In order for them to reduce communications poverty and other forms of poverty (such as income, consumption poverty), it is vital for them to overcome any forms of English language barriers. 

One can still argue that why some people speak well English but are still poor.  Well, the types of poverty they experience may or may not be linked to language poverty.  For them, there could be a need to find different explanations about their state of poverty and life circumstances. 

What is true is that we can reduce poverty by helping those whose English is not their first language to learn, speak and write with confidence in English so that they can adequately express their needs and aspirations in the society where they live and in which English is the official language.

LANGUAGE TRANSLATION AS AN EXAMPLE FOR POVERTY REDUCTION (Page 2 of FACS)

Both computerised and digital translations and human translation can be used to help reduce and end poverty.  In particular, we are talking about translation (e.g. CENFACS’ Translation service) for the community in need of a language to fully function in the UK society. 

Translating works for those people from communities who find difficult to express their needs in English are proved to be effective in addressing the need of these communities.  This is the case of the translation conducted by CENFACS to help French-speaking people and families.  

Although the aim of the languages projects at CENFACS is to empower people in need to communicate their needs and aspirations by themselves in their chosen languages; where they fail to do so because of language, CENFACS works with them through the learning of the English language.  This enhances their integration and participation as economically active members of the UK society.

MATERNAL LANGUAGE AS THE FIRST STEP FOR POVERTY REDUCTION (Page 3 of FACS)

Generally speaking, mother tongue or maternal language is the language that a person learns as a child at home (usually from their parents).  It is the one children may use to express their basic life-sustaining needs of food, clothing, shelter, care, health, education etc.

Being able to express your needs in your mother language is important in the process of poverty reduction, especially for children.  Those who fail to do that can sometimes end up where many opportunities of life are denied to them.

Being able to communicate in this language, in the place where it is used while you are there, can save one from trouble.  This is because for some people, poverty starts when they were little and if they cannot express themselves in their first language to get those needs sorted out.  Then, they may or may not end up poor as a little ones.

LANGUAGE AND GENDERED POVERTY (Page 3 of FACS)

Although the concept of gender relates to both men and women, in this 59^th Issue our focus is on women’s conditions of poverty.  These conditions are of access to and unequal distribution of resources, material assets, social assets, health, social networks etc.  It is also the problems of: participation in decision making, recognition of the care economy, access to employment and equal pay, economic autonomy etc.  This article discusses the idea whether or not language itself delays women’s empowerment in relation to these conditions.  

So, by talking about gendered poverty the 59^th Issue would like to point out one form of poverty experienced by women.  This form is through language.  The Issue discusses and finds that some languages the way in which they were constructed tend to be gender biased as far as some vocabularies to address women.  For example, in Latin languages the masculine tended to win over feminine when it comes to use verbs in past participle and adjectives.    Women had to carry male titles as the academicians did not engender titles.  There has been some efforts from some academics to change this, however there is still a long way to go for the humanity to fix the problem.  One may ask a question how this can create or exacerbate poverty.

Gender inequality in language can create or exacerbate gendered poverty; keeping women poor in society as the language used does not command equality and empowerment.  Believe it or not, reducing gender inequality in language can lead to the reduction of gendered poverty.   In this respect, there is a need to engender poverty alleviation through the improvement of languages.  

E-LEARNING APPS AND TABLETS IN LITERACY FOR CHILDREN IN A GLOBAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENT  (Page 4 of FACS)

To improve literacy rates and inclusion; e-learning apps and tablets in literacy can help to back up off-line methods of learning.  It can help exchange learning development experiences between children across the world; children who have similar needs of reducing literacy-related poverty.  This can enhance the language and communication skills for and between children, as well as boosting equal opportunity for them.

These ways of learning would include online digital lessons, educational resources, activities and games to support children’s learning.  This can inspire and challenge’s learning ability to be creative.  This kind of learning opportunity is also a chance to reduce poverty, especially child poverty.   We should not forget the problem of online protection and vulnerability that the use of e-learning resources can pose.  

There are already online educational resources and activities to support children’s learning.  Some of these resources are free.  Literacy sites for kids are available on i-player and as podcasts for learning for life, poverty relief and sustainable development.    Being conversationally-fluent in multi-language and able to use digital literacy apps and tablets can help children to reduce poverty and hardships.

COMUPTERISED AND DIGITAL LANGUAGES FOR POVERTY RELIEF (Page 4 of FACS)

The computing and digital worlds have brought a lot of changes and opportunities for everybody including the poor people.  The ability to read and write via Information Communications (IT) and digital technologies has a tremendous effect on people’s life, including the poor as well. 

We can use digital literacy to fight poverty.  Being IT and digital literate is itself a sign of poverty relief.  Likewise, being able to understand the IT and digital languages can be highly beneficial in terms of poverty reduction.  Today, it is much easier to communicate with our Africa-based Sister Organisations (ASOs) via the computerised and digital languages than many years ago.  This enables us to better plan together projects and programmes as well as support those lives in desperate need. 

Information and Communications Technology (ICT) is widely accepted as a powerful tool for poverty eradication, just as the computerised and digital languages have been recognised being effective in poverty alleviation.  Although there is a digital divide between the North and the South, this divide does not stop the globalisation process of the computing and digital technologies to reach the remote areas of the globe.

LES LANGUES AFRICAINES COMME CELLES DE REDUCTION DE LA PAUVRETE  (Page 5 & 6 of FACS)           

L’Afrique est peuplée de plus d’un milliard de personnes physiques qui parlent plus de deux milles langues.  Ces langues représentent un atout majeur pour la réduction de la pauvreté.

Ces moyens d’expression peuvent libérer les pauvres en Afrique et être des instruments de lutte contre la pauvreté et la précarité.  Mais, il y a un problème avec ces langues.  Le problème est celui-ci : comment faire que les langues africaines deviennent des vrais outils de combat contre la pauvreté. 

Pour y arriver, nos collègues des organisations africaines associatives ou à but non lucratif  peuvent envisager entre autres faire des travaux dans les domaines suivants:

√ Développer les librairies et bibliothèques locales et communautaires des langues africaines

√ Etendre les moyens de lire et écrire dans les langues africaines

√ Créer des projets and s’affilier à des réseaux d’apprentissage de langues sur l’internet et utilisant les numériques

√ Améliorer les compétences littéraires et linguistiques

√ Revaloriser l’éducation, la pratique et la culture des langues

√ Créer des infrastructures des langues à travers des projets de développement linguistique

√ Augmenter des emplois et des travaux volontaires liés à l’usage des langues

√  Encourager le développement de langues commerciales

√ Améliorer les informations de santé et de nutrition dans les langues s’adressant  à leurs bénéficiaires

√ Créer des infrastructures liant les langues et la réduction de la pauvreté sur la plan local

Cet ensemble de ces chantiers de travail peut faire que les langues restent et, si elles ne sont pas, deviennent celles de réduction de la pauvreté.   Nos collègues africains peuvent planifier des projets dans ces domaines.  Si ces projets existent déjà, c’est mieux.   S’ils n’existent pas ou s’ils sont confrontés au problème de financement, alors des efforts peuvent être déployés pour trouver le financement nécessaire.

GRAMMARIANS AND THEIR LEGACIES IN TERMS OF POVERTY RELIEF  (Page 7 of FACS)

There is always a debate over the way in which any language is written and spoken; whether or not a language is written or spoken to favour or  not favour a particular social group (such as the upper, middle or low classes).  In other words, whether or not there are words or expressions to boost the bourgeoisie or not to favour the proletariat. 

In this quest about the place of language in the process of exacerbating or reducing poverty, there is the responsibility of the academicians of language and amongst them are grammarians, those who wrote grammars we use today. They may or may not have some legacies in terms of poverty relief.

We can question their works.  Does grammar reinforce division amongst social classes or bridges divisions?  Is the way poor people use the language compared to the conventional grammar acceptable or they have to do it in a particular manner or format in order to move out of poverty?   For example, what are the legacies of Louis Maigret and Maurice Grevisse (French language grammarians) in terms of poverty relief? Did their grammar works deepen poverty or their writings have nothing to do with poverty whether at home or overseas (in Africa for example)?  This is the investigation under this article.

QUALITATIVE DATA AND WORDS TO EXPRESS POVERTY AND ITS RELIEF  (Page 7 of FACS)

Poverty reduction is measured by both quantitative (numbers) and qualitative (words) indicators.  Because we are dealing with language, we are going to use qualitative (words) indicators in this 59^th Issue to express poverty and poverty relief.

In the language we use, words joined up to make a sentence and a paragraph, can help to understand poverty and to reduce it.   For example, we can use the following qualitative data.

According to UNICEF (3),

• About THREE out of FIVE Youth in Africa are NOT online

• Youth aged between FIFTEEN and TWENTY-FOUR have a LITERACY rate SEVENTY-NINE per cent for male and SEVENTY-TWO for female between TWO THOUSANDS ELEVEN and TWO THOUSANDS SIXTEEN in Sub-Saharan Africa

• Adult LITERACY rate for Females as a percentage of Males was SEVENTY-EIGHT in Sub-Saharan Africa for the same period

(3) United Nations Children’s Fund, the State of the World’s Children 2017: Children in a Digital World, New York

MODERN FOREIGN LANGUAGES AND POVERTY RELIEF  (Page 8 of FACS)

Without thoroughly defining modern foreign languages, let simply say that they are the languages studied for cultural or linguistic values for day-to-day communication.   Examples of these languages include Latin, French, Spanish and German.

Being able to learn and communicate in these languages can help you to a window of opportunities in ever growing globalised world.  This can help to reduce poverty linked to the lack of opportunities for work, for generating income, for educating etc.

This topic of modern foreign languages raises the need to question the relationship between poor people and modern foreign languages.  One may ask how many people from poor background manage to overcome their conditions because they were able to speak and write in another language.  It is a difficult question to answer but not impossible.

So, a good command of a foreign language can lead to a better lifeline of income earning opportunity and happiness.  Their benefits go beyond the function of providing opportunity to resolve unemployment.  They can help to connect and interact globally through the social media networks.  In this respect, the understanding of foreign language can be a tool for poverty relief and sustainable development.

LANGUAGE PROGRAMME IN EDUCATIONAL SYSTEMS AND POVERTY RELIEF  (Page 8 of FACS)

Without being judgemental of any educational systems, it is acceptable to argue that the study of languages in educational systems should not be solely based on meeting the general needs of the society.   Language programmes should as well be conceived in the way to respond to the needs of the poor in order to address poverty linked to poor language and inadequate linguistic skills.  This raises the issue of the usefulness of any language programme in terms of poverty relief. 

Educational systems forge pupils’ and students’ minds and intellectual constructs in terms of their perception of poverty and the language they may use to deal with this reality.  A language programme within these systems helps to develop people’s mind sets in terms of the languages and concepts they will use to apprehend poverty and poverty relief. 

However, educational systems are not the only place that forge people’s mind, other factors have to be taken into account as well.  This means that the lack of understanding and action against poverty by educated or uneducated people should not be put a blame on only their educational credentials or past.  An investigation of their background should be included as well. 

CENFACS’ LANGUAGE PROJECT OF POVERTY RELIEF – Case of deBASICS Project  (Page 9 of FACS)

Every time people in need get an opportunity to learn and understand a language and be able to write it (its orthography), this can enable them to communicate their needs of poverty relief and possibly to get the relief they deserve.  This can change and save their lives.  Mastering a language, for disadvantaged people, can provide further benefits such as get integrated, have a life and being included in the mainstream of the society they live in. 

An experience of using a language project to empower people in need is CENFACS’ deBASICS project.  deBASICS stands for Basic Skills Development.  This was a language and basic skills project set up by CENFACS to help reduce language and communications poverty amongst the French-speaking families through the provision and development of literacy and English language skills while seeking to enhance other life-sustaining skills by working together with them to integrate them in the part of the UK society where they live in so that they become economically active.

For more on deBASICS, please contact CENFACS.

SUPPORT LITERACY E-LEARNING FOR POVERTY RELIEF – LePR  (Page 10 of FACS)

You can support CENFACS to deliver for educationally and digitally needy children in Africa an e-learning project of literacy to help reduce poverty there.

Brief details of LePR

Project Aim

LePR aims at reducing literacy poverty and improving digital literacy skills via e-learning technologies with knock-on effects on other types of poverty that these poor people experience in their daily life.

Project Beneficiaries 

They will be children and youth people struggling in literacy, those who do not have schooling opportunity, those living in remote areas without educational opportunity, those living in the vicinity of war and environmental disasters and who lost the opportunity to learn and develop literacy skills.

Implementation areas

General literacy rates across Africa sometimes look good.  However, there are many pockets or places where literacy is still a challenging issue.  The LePR will be implemented in parts of Africa that are poor and without access to e-learning opportunity to build and develop literacy capacity and skills.

Means of delivery

Working together with our Africa-based colleagues, we intend to develop e-learning apps or to purchase apps from the market that can be customised to meet beneficiaries’ local needs.  We are also planning to provide tablets to schools and local communities and set up community literacy e-learning hubs or points.

Starting period

The starting month of this project will be September 2018.

For more details including LePR project proposals and budget, please contact CENFACS

To get a copy of the 59^th Issue of FACS and or to post your comments about it, use any Comments sections of this site to do it.

Thank you for visiting CENFACS website and reading this post.

We look forward to receiving your regular visits and continuing support in 2018.

With many thanks

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

07 March 2018

Post No. 29

This Weeks’ contents of our poverty relief work includes the following

~ Local Climate Action

~ Climate Protection and Stake for African Children – Phase 2, with Katowice Implements Paris as our working theme for this year

~ Integration of …

1/ Sustainable Development Goals, Agendas 2030 and 2063

2/ Digital and Social Media elements

3/ Transitional Economy

… into the Twenty-tens programme

• Local Climate Action and the Local Year Campaign

Those who are familiar with CENFACS Development Calendar know that March is CENFACS’ Climate Action month.  As said last week, March 2018 Climate Action will be a local business at CENFACS.  This is because we are in CENFACS’ Year of Local People – the Local Year Campaign. 

We are aware that much of local climate action, which is already undertaken, is in the domain of local authorities whether in the UK or in African countries.  However, local authorities cannot do anything unless they work together with local people and local organisations.

What sorts of climate action we are dealing with or looking for this March.

Our March Local Climate Action includes the following

• Mitigation of a community’s greenhouse gas emissions

• Climate protection at the local level

• Climate change action plans (from developing a greenhouse gas inventory to tracking and reporting)

• Finance and insurance for local climate action

• Actions taken locally etc.

To take climate action with CENFACS and or to support CENFACS’ Climate Action month, please contact CENFACS.

• Climate Protection and Stake for African Children (CPSAC) – Phase 2

CPSAC – P.2 continues with our next follow up of the Climate Change talks which will take place from 3 to 14 December 2018 in Katowice, Poland.

The new follow up is entitled Katowice Implements Paris (KIP).  Our preparedness for Katowice Implements the Paris Agreement for Children and Future Generations (or KIP) has started and is still part of CPSAC Phase 2. 

The CENFACS demand to the global climate talks remains the same, which is: to give climate protection and stake for African children; the African Children being a sample of our working model.  This demand is undertaking through the follow up of global climate talks like the next climate talks (COP24) in December 2018 in Poland.

~ Recap of our 2017 climate follow up works

Our climate protection continues by looking back the December 2017 Paris Meeting and forward the next round of climate talks (COP24) in 2018 in Poland.

We all know that the Paris Summits were held in December 2015 and last 12 December 2017.  We discussed the outcomes of these Summits and we said that the findings from their outcomes would be included in our next communication regarding the CPSAC – P.2 in 2018.  There was also Bonn Climate Conference, which we followed under the banner of What Bonn Say (WBS).

Our follow up work on these talks was/is about to expect from the climate change negotiations and representations at these talks to make the Bonn gathering a progress from the Marrakech talks and the Paris Agreement as pivotal regarding the protection of children against the adverse effects and impacts of climate change.

~~ What WBS was about

WBS was our 2017 follow up regarding what climate change experts and participants said and decided at the Bonn Climate Change Conference regarding the 2016 issues in terms of progress made and outstanding climate issues. 

WBS was both a specific follow-up as part of CPSAC Phase 2 and an example of the application of CENFACS‘ 2020-2030-2063 Follow-up (or XX236.3FP), which is our general follow up.  

XX236.3FP is made of four follow-ups for monitoring and evaluation of the following: the Paris Climate Change Agreement, the Istanbul Declaration to halve poverty by 2020, the United Nations Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development Goals, and Africa’s Agenda 2063.   

So, this 4-Follow-up programme includes the four of them.  For more on XX236.3FP, contact CENFACS and or read our previous posts in the archive section of this website and other resources in the CENFACS depository. 

WBS considered previous unsolved and pending issues as well as new ones from climate talks.  We kicked off WBS in March 2017 with following engaging points which were taken into the main Bonn Climate Change Conference:

• Better climate governance that works for and benefits children’s welfare and well-being

• The political economy of negotiations for child protection against climate-induced poverty

• Green and climate capacity building and education for child protection

• Climate-friendly and children-friendly technologies for poverty relief

• Climate change adaptation and mitigation programmes for children and future generations.

The above sharing advocacy or campaigning points/contents are the ones that we have been monitoring besides the other issues which emerged from the Bonn Climate Change Conference. 

After WBS, we had another follow up with the Paris Summit on Climate Mobilisation.

~~ CPSAC – P.2: The Paris Summit on Climate Mobilisation (PSCM)

The overarching goal of the PSCM was to mobilise public and private finance for projects to implement the Paris International Agreement on Climate Change.

The CENFACS demand to the global climate talks remains the same: to get climate protection and stake for African children.  This ask was undertaking through the follow up of the PSCM as global climate talks.

Our climate follow up of the Paris round discussions was on

• Making clean technology fund (CTF) work for poor children from poor nations

• The equity resulting from converted CTF debt to benefit children from poor nations as well

• The new pledges, if any, for adaptation fund and Least Developed Countries Fund to be mobilised to give a stake to poor children’s needs

• Mobilisation of the climate finance system and architecture to be designed so as to support poor children of poor countries 

~  The 2018 Climate Talks Follow up:

CPSAC (Climate Protection and Stake for African Children) – Phase 2 with Katowice Implements Paris (KIP) as climate advocacy theme for 2018.

Katowice Implements Paris (KIP) is the continuation of What Bonn Say, PSCM and our previous works

“Katowice Implements Paris” means that we are following the Climate Change talks which will take place from 3 to 14 December 2018, in Katowice, Poland. 

These talks will be held as the 24th Session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP24).

One of the most important tasks of the 24th Session of the of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP24) will be to work out and adopt a package of decisions ensuring the full implementation of the Paris Agreement, in accordance with the decisions adopted in Paris (COP21) and in Marrakesh (CMA1.1). Moreover, COP24 will include the so-called Facilitative Dialogue intended to support the implementation of national commitments.

Our follow up of COP24 is about making sure that the full implementation of the Paris Agreement benefit all the future generations including the African children.  The key word for KIP is and will be Implementation.

Our provisional areas of interest and entry points concerning KIP will be on

√ What climate decisions for the protection and stake of children, especially those from poor nations

√ The contents of the package to be implemented and children-friendliness of this package

√ Degree of integration of children’s needs and involvement of child protectors and advocates in the facilitative dialogue to support the implementation process

As we progress with the preparedness of this year’s follow up of climate talks, those areas of interest will be shaped to take into account the make-up of these talks, and the current and emerging needs of children victims, vulnerable and at risk of the adverse effects and impacts of climate change.

To support CSPAC – P. 2 and KIP, please contact CENFACS

• Integration into the Twenty-tens Programme

March 2018 is finally the month of Integration of three elements into the Twenty-tens programme, which are: Sustainable Development Goals and Agenda 2030, Africa Agenda 2063 and Transitional Economy

Integration of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Agendas 2030 and 2063 

Most of the United Nations’ 17 SDGs of the Agenda 2030 have been one way or another dealt with throughout our advocacy programme of work.  This integration is a further opportunity to make them reflective and clearly resonate as part of the review we conducted last year about this programme.  The resonance is for those SDGs which make the contents of and fit for our work.

Africa’s agenda 2063 has been around since 2015.  Our integration of this agenda is about taking into account its pledges and the 7 aspirations of the Africa We Want.  This has been and will be done when working together with our Africa-based Sister Organisations in the area of project planning, advocacy, climate protection and other areas of poverty relief and sustainable development.

Integration of the Digital and Social Media elements into the Twenty-tens programme

To enable the CENFACS Community and supporters to easily access the contents of the Twenty-tens programme, integration of the Digital and Social Media elements become an area of interest and focus at CENFACS.

The CENFACS Community and supporters can use their digital skills and devises as well as their social media accounts and networks to interact about their chosen pieces making the contents of the Twenty-tens programme to enhance the quality of their lives.

Integration of Transitional Economy

As the UK is on its way out of the EU, both the exiting UK and the remaining EU countries will be forced to move to a transitional period.  During that period and then after the full functioning of the Post-Regional Economic Integration (P-REI); the way we do the business of poverty relief and development could be affected.

To continue to deliver on our programme, there is a need to adapt it for the remaining two years.  In practical terms, it means incorporating the dimensions of transitional economy and P-REI development into the 2010s.

How we do it.  We will move hand in hand as the data and events of transitional economy and P-REI come to us and appear clear.

Briefly, the integration or factorisation of the above three areas of work in the Twenty-tens start this month and will continue along as we continue to deal with the Twenty-tens programme until its completion. 

To support the integration work, please contact CENFACS

Thank you for visiting CENFACS website and reading this post.

We look forward to receiving your regular visits and continuing support in 2018.

With many thanks

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

28 February 2018

Post No. 28

WHAT IS ON THIS WEEK…

Below you will find our short report giving you the key idea about what has happened in February and where we have ended up the month.

We have also added some little flavour about what we will be doing during March in terms of the remaining weeks of our Season of Light and the feature of our month of Protection.

We hope you find this week’s contents engaging and fit for the purpose of poverty relief and sustainable development.

END OF FEBRUARY REPORTING

Our month of Sustainable Development has come to an end.  We devoted ourselves in following our development calendar in working together with local people on the following initiatives:  African Children Climate Sustainable Development Goals (ACCSDGs) with Localisation of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Light Projects with the Central African Republic and Region of Africa (CARRA) appeal, and the Local Year Campaign as a dedication to the year 2018.

The key lessons we can draw from these sustainable initiatives are that centre staging the local people (including local children) in the process of harnessing changes help to achieve more in terms of outcomes and results. 

There is a relationship between the processes of localisation and sustainable development.  Localisation enriches sustainable development while sustainability injects an inter-generational ingredient into localisation.

We need to refine local indicators (both quantitative and qualitative) to be able to better seize local impacts.  This is why we need a Better Impact strategy. 

As the three of these sustainable development initiatives are continuous, we need to make sure that what we set up to achieve are realistically achievable within a given time frame, particularly

• Making SDGs work for ACCSDGs as our sampling model from the general theory making this project  

• Helping peace and hope to materialise in the lives of those in need in the context of Light Projects as fundamental principles of this appeal while looking forward to seeing the same lives (Innocent Victims of Destructive Armed Conflicts and Natural Disasters) regain the road of sustainable development

• Remembering our landmarks about the work in developing sustainable development initiatives we did with local people so far, while still helping in meeting the needs of the current local people as our Local Year Campaign progresses. 

Briefly, localisation helps to expand and enhance sustainable development.  Although our month of sustainable development has ended, sustainable development as our working area is still with us for as long as we continue to exist as an organisation.

COMING IN MARCH 2018

Our focus for the March month of Climate Action will be on Local Action against the Adverse Impacts and Effects of Climate Change on Local People.  Local Climate Action was mostly voted for this March as we are in the Local People’s Year at CENFACS – the Local Year Campaign. 

Next week, you will have the opportunity to find out what Local Climate Action entails and what activities will make our Climate month.   

This year’s March will not be only about Climate, but also about integration of sustainable initiatives into the Twenty-tens programme.   Since we revised this programme, there has been a need to update it with the changes of development and poverty relief landscapes. 

The integration into the revised version of the Twenty-tens programme will be done by bringing these three elements

1/ Sustainable development goals, Agendas 2030 and 2063

2/ Digital and social media dimensions

3/ Transitional economy and Post-Regional  Economic Integration 

When we planned the Twenty-tens eight years ago, none knew the above three factors would be instrumental in what we do today.  So, this integration is a kind of factorisation of these elements into the body of our programme so that it is in tune with the reality of the today’s and tomorrow’s worlds.

To follow and to support Climate Action and Integration month, please contact CENFACS.

ALSO COMING IN MARCH 2018 IS LIGHT ADVOCACY FOR MADAGASCAR

Our Light projects continue in March with the appeal for support of the Victims of Natural Disasters (i.e. cyclone, floods and drought) in Madagascar. 

Madagascar was struck by Cyclone Enawo in March 2017 and by Tropical Cyclone Ava last January 2018.  This country has a long history of repetitive cyclones and floods like other countries of the Indian Ocean (e.g. Mauritius and Reunion). 

The story is that after the strikes, there is always an epidemic phase of plague outbreaks.  This continues to happen without forgetting the continuing effects of previous cyclones and floods to the extent that this has become a vicious circle.

Although there is a local preparedness and response, this has never been enough.  As it always happens, the consequences of these natural disasters are deaths, displacement of people, food insecurity, epidemics, malnutrition, destruction and damage of homes etc.

Despite the strike which happened in January 2018, it is still expected that the cyclone season is far from over.  Cyclones, heavy rains and sustained winds are expected to strike again in the coming months.  The local capacity is limited to cope with the magnitude and the extent of the damage that these natural events cause.

This is why we are and will be launching this appeal in March 2018.

To support and or find out more about the Madagascar Appeal, please contact CENFACS.    

Thank you for visiting CENFACS website and reading this post.

We look forward to receiving your regular visits and continuing support in 2018.

With many thanks

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

21 February 2018

Post No. 27

WHAT IS TRENDING AT THE CENFACS THIS WEEK?

There are 3 contents:

1/ Light Appeal Update

2/ Integration between the Digital and Social Media campaign and the Local Year Campaign: My Local People

3/ News about the next issue of FACS, the 59^th Issue

• Light Appeal Update

The two appeals (i.e. DRC and CARRA appeals) that we have launched so far are trending well.  We had some good responses and wonderful comments about them.  Some of you have suggested to insert a fundraising element into our appeals, which we did.

The appeals are still live and those who wish to support or donate are welcome to do so.  In meantime, we can only say thank you for all your support. 

This is just a remainder.  Light appeals and projects are firstly not about asking for funding.  The philosophy of these projects is to do something different from the classic fundraising campaigns that characterize some humanitarian actions.  If you do not have money to donate, you can still do something to reduce poverty, change and save lives.  How?

There are little things one can do to boost these appeals, which are: responding to our petition, filling our questionnaire, sending a podcast, writing a tweet or responding to a tweet, talking to someone you know to influence peace and hope on the grounds, networking to bring lasting peace, making a video to galvanize attention about what is happening there etc. 

It is about doing something new against poverty and hardships.  As said in our previous communications about these appeals, these little things one can do can have a BIG impact on the lives of the Innocent Victims of Armed Conflicts and Natural Disasters.

So, there is a way of making sustainable peace and hope to happen without donating.  However, if you donate CENFACS will welcome your giving and thank you for your financial support.

To Light a Blaze of Hope for the Conflict Victims in Central African Republic and Democratic Republic of  Congo, contact CENFACS. 

• Integration between the Digital and Social Media Campaign and the Local Year Campaign through the theme of My Local People

As part of the above mentioned two campaigns, this week we are trying to find out who are our local people for poverty relief and development.  We all have and need local people to support us to help reduce poverty and possibly to enhance sustainable development. 

CENFACS knows who its local people are.  And two weeks ago, we defined and identified the Local People of CENFACS.  Now as part of localisation of sustainable development goals and the above campaigns, we are asking you to support us by identifying your local people.

Your local people could be: the people who have local responsibility; who provide local services; who deal with local security where you live; who cater for local healthcare; who speak on your behalf on local matters; who protect and care for the local environment where you live, who let you read for free and use the computer for free in your local library etc.  These are your Local People.

Why we are doing it?  It is important in the process of localisation to know who are our locals should we need help for poverty relief.  If we don’t know, we can do some searches about them using the digital facilities and social media platforms.  This is the point at which we start to talk about integrating our Digital and Social Media Campaign and the Local Year campaign.  If you have a mobile phone for example, you can search them and get in touch if you require relief or want to find out what is happening locally and in the local things linked to them.

Besides this integration activity, our link between African Children Climate and Sustainable Development Goals (ACCSDGs) and the Local Year Campaign continues.  At the moment, we are exploring steps and activities to making 2018 as the Year of Local Children  while continuing building on advocacy for a better local impact as planned.

To support or to get further details about our integration and link activities, please contact CENFACS

• Abstract about the next issue of FACS, the 59^th Issue

Please find below, the abstract about the 59^th Issue of FACS which will be entitled: 

THE LANGUAGE OF POVERTY RELIEF – In search for key poverty relief words

There is always a controversial debate that the way languages are written and spoken or simply words are used can be sometimes a vehicle to convey the meaning or message of poverty or wealth or both.   The same is said for images of development that can send a message of development or underdevelopment, of destitution or affluence.    This is to an extent that some argue that it is possible to write and or speak the appropriate language in order to conduct the business of poverty relief and development. 

This problem of the way we write and speak makes the 59^th Issue of FACS, CENFACS ‘bilingual newsletter.  The central question this issue will address is whether or not the use of language or words can reinforce or reduce poverty, our perception or behaviour or attitude on the poor people.

The issue will look at how languages used whether oral or written can (or cannot) adversely impact poverty and poor people.  In other words, using appropriate languages and or words can motivate, discourage and stimulate people’s minds to do better or worse for their development prospects.

The language of poverty relief is also when we use qualitative data or words which can also help reduce poverty if expressed in a way of motivating people to do something about poor condition sand the poor.

The issue will deal with the following matters:

• How maternal language can be a first step for reducing poverty

• Grammarians of previous centuries and their legacies in terms of poverty relief

• The language programmes in educational systems and poverty reduction

• Modern foreign languages and poverty relief

• Qualitative data and poverty relief

• How we can use English language to reduce poverty: Example of translation service at CENFACS to integrate those who have language barriers into the mainstream of the UK society and local lives

• Words that help end poverty

• E-learning, literacy apps and tablets for children’s language in a global learning environment

• A language project for poverty relief

• African languages as the languages of poverty relief

• Language and gender poverty

• Languages as a vehicle or tool to fight poverty and harships

• Computerized and digital languages for poverty relief in Africa

So, the above are the key areas making the contents of the 59^th Issue of FACS.

For further details about this issue, contact CENFACS

Thank you for visiting CENFACS website and reading this post.

We look forward to receiving your regular visits and continuing support in 2018.

With many thanks