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

 

Welcome to CENFACS’ Online Diary!

14 February 2018

Post No. 26

THIS WEEK…

Our Sustainable Development month continues as planned; just as our work on Localisation of Sustainable Development Goals under the 3G project or African Children Climate and Sustainable Development Goals (ACCSDGs).

The week is also of the start of our second wave of appeal under the Light projects with this time a focus on the Central African Republic and Region of Africa – the CARRA Appeal.

We have added to the Light projects a financial element in the form of donation and gift aid which we are asking to supporters to consider. 

We have to bring in this financial addition to the Light Appeal as some of you have requested us to include the possibility to donate or provide a gift in our advocacy for those who wish to do so. 

This inclusion has been done although the principles of creation of the Light Project remain and rest on its spiritual and developmental values to convey the message of peace and deliver hope. 

This financial aspect of the Light Appeal can be found on the page Support Us of this website at http://cenfacs.org.uk/supporting-us/ 

Before presenting the CARRA Appeal to you, let’s pursue once more the Localisation of Sustainable Development Goals with this week’s sub-theme: LOCALISATION IS NOT A RETREAT.  We are doing it while dealing with our plans about ACCSDGs and the Local Year Campaign.

• Localisation is not a retreat

Engaging with localisation is not a retreat from the process of globalisation of sustainable development goals.  Localisation is an added value to globalisation and a process of designing and applying at the local level the goals we all agree as a global community.  We want these goals to reflect the needs and aspirations even better to be the making of local people.  And as 2018 is the Year of Local People at CENFACS, we would like these goals to be honed by them – the Local People. 

As part of the localisation process this week, we are dealing with the skills and knowledge that make localisation process easier.  These skills can be added to our data bank of skills for poverty relief and sustainable development.

• ACCSDGs and the Local Year Campaign

We are processing with the identification of outputs and intermediate outcomes regarding Climate and Sustainable Development Goals while continuing building on advocacy for a better local impact as planned.

Our Local Year Campaign continues with search on ways of making global goals honed by local people while working on indicators to measure local outcomes for local people.

For more on the localisation work this week, please contact CENFACS.

LIGHTING A BLAZE OF HOPE FOR THE VICTIMS OF CONFLICTS IN THE CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC AND REGION OF AFRICA (CARRA) –

THE CARRA  APPEAL

This appeal is about the conflict-affected and impoverished peoples of Central African Republic (CAR).

CAR is one the lowest ranked countries with a human development index 0.352 in value according to the United Nations Development Programme (*). This country has been caught in a deadly conflict since 2013.  CAR has a failing State unable to protect its own population.  In 2016, it spiraled into civil war.  The same conflict reappeared recently. 

(*) United Nations Development Programme, Human Development Report 2016 – Human Development for Everyone, New York, 2016

Whatever the arguments from different sides engaged in this long running conflict, something needs to done to bring peace and hope for the ordinary people who quite often are the victims of rivalry they do not understand neither control.

CENFACS appeal is apolitical, non religious and non partisan from the conflicting sides and between the two armed self-defence groups loosely-organised and others.

This current appeal is the 3^rd Light Project concerning the CAR.  In 2014 and 2015, we launched similar appeals.   And some forms of truce and normality were established. 

We thank those who responded our previous appeals and to similar appeals regarding the CAR, as well as those who worked to save lives there.

As there is a repeat to the crisis, we are renewing our appeal for support to the Victims of Armed Conflicts.  And this appeal is part of the series of our Light Projects carried out this Winter 2018.

What this new appeal will achieve compared to the previous ones

This renewed CARRA Appeal will help to bring peace and hope to the long suffering local and ordinary peoples of CAR.  Particularly, one can hope with your support, the following can be achieved

• End five years of misery of the local poor people there

• Stop chaos and lawlessness as well as the killings and counter-killings of innocent local people

• Neutralise the armed groups that are responsible for these innocent killings

• Reduce conflicts over natural resources (e.g. diamonds, gold and silver) and over spaces

• End successive waves of ethnic cleansing

• Reduce strife between fundamental religious groups etc

Who are going to benefit from this appeal and your support?

The beneficiaries of your action include the following

• Self-protected persons

• Internally displaced people in the areas of Markounda for example

• Local poor traders and amongst them women traders

• Those living in extremely difficult conditions

• Confined families in makeshift shuts

• The victims of the fight between the two prominent rival armed groups

• Poor traders facing off with militia over extortion demands etc

To Light a Blaze of Hope for the Conflict Victims in CAR, 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!

07 February 2018

Post No. 25

Sustainable Development Month –

⇒ Localisation of Sustainable Development Goals

February is our sustainable development month according CENFACS development calendar/planner.  The concept of sustainable development used by CENFACS is the one given by the World Commission on Environment and Development as “a development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” (1)

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

Since the Global Goals for Sustainable Development were declared and agreed in 2015 by the United Nations, we tend to focus in February on these goals. 

Last February, we tried to contextualise Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by placing them in children settings and programmes.  As we are in CENFACS’ Year of the Locals this year, we are working on the best way of making SDGs local goals as well. 

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. 

Speaking about the connection between the local and contentious politics regarding global environmental governance, Kate O’ Neill (2) argues that “Global environmental change … has unequal impacts around the world”. (p. 208).  She gives the case of Inuit Peoples of the Arctic Circle who need to take their own action to change global politics around environmental issues.

( 2 ) Kate O’ Neill, The Environment and International Relations, Cambridge University Press, 2009.

From Kate’s say, there is a need to localise SDGs to make them local people’s goals.  Localisation of SDGs is just one of the many examples of localisation.

If any global goals for sustainable development and poverty relief touch local life and local people, then there would be a need to make them local; that is honed by local people. 

This could be done for global goals (like SDGs and climate change goals).  This is the same for regional, bilateral, multilateral, national and international goals.     

To support and or enquiry about localisation of SDGs, please contact CENFACS

This February is also about the other two projects in our development calendar, which are: ACCSGDs (3G project) and project 16 in 4.

⇒  ACCSDGs

 

Continuing our advocacy from where we left it…

Our Work about ACCSDGs in 2017

Last year, we upgraded our work on the African Children’s Climate and Sustainable Development Goals with Contextualization of these global goals in any work we do for and with children.

Contextualizing sustainable development goals (SDGs) is a process of assigning meaning of sustainability in whatever we do and try to achieve as outcomes for and with children.  We also contextualise climate goals.

As a result of this initiative, we contextualised and placed CSDGs in children settings and programmes, and measured their effects on the welfare and well-being of the same children.  

This helped to widen the scope of the well-known three dimensional aspects of sustainability: economic, social and environmental.  In doing so, we managed to improve our understanding of contextualising practice of CSDGs for children. 

As part of this contextualising process, we dealt with the following two questions during the first act of 3G project:

1/ Are (or will) Climate and Sustainable Development Goals (CSDGs) working (work) for children? 

2/ Are (will) CSDGs positively impacting (or impact) children’s welfare and well-being? 

If the answers to these questions were no or little, then we needed to clearly advocate for strong impact from CSDGs for children in multi-dimensional aspects of their life: education, protection, housing, health, environment, economic well-being, social etc.  Which we did.

The main purpose of this first act was to reduce and nullify adverse impacts of global goals on children while maximising benefits and good impacts deriving from the application of these goals.  All this is done for the sake of children’s welfare and well-being. 

So, 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.

To handle this process we may need to make and answer the same questions.  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 provide the basis to formulate our advocacy in the context of 3G project, advocacy which is to demand not only an impact but a better impact from CSDGs.   

This year’s work about ACCSDGs

One year on, we can argue that there are mixed opinions regarding the impacts of CSDGs.  Some think there is an impact while others argue there is no difference. 

However, it is too earlier to get the real impacts since SDGs have been around only for 2 years.  It is also premature to speak about the impacts of global climate goals as there is still some discussion regarding the climate finance and insurance without talking about other related issues. 

But, this does not stop us to start thinking to formulate an advocacy strategy to demand a better impact from CSDGs.  Especially as we are still at the impact level with this project.

It emerges from the above that the next step about ACCSDGs (3G) is advocacy strategy for a better impact.  This advocacy will be conducted under the banner of Generation Global Goals (3G), highlighting the different global goals and what they claim to achieve for local children. 

Advocacy on Better Impact is also part of our 2020-2030-2063 Follow-up Programme for Monitoring and Evaluation of the Climate Change Reduction, of Halving Poverty, of Sustainable Development Goals and of Africa Agenda (XX236.3 FP). 

While we are formulating our Better Impact Advocacy, we are also looking at or measuring intermediate outcomes and outputs that CSDGs are having so far.  As we all know, project impact does sometimes take time to materialise.  At this stage, we can only speak about some changes.

This is what this February 2018 activity will be about regarding ACCSDGs.  It is will be about whether or not there are outputs and intermediate outcomes achieved so far 

However, as we are in CENFACS’ Local Year or the Local People’s Year, we are also searching this February on ways of localising CSDGs.  We are working on a process of making CSDGs more suitable for local children and local areas.

As you know local people include local children as well.  Because we are at the Impact level of CSDGs, we will be making an effort through our Better Impact Advocacy to capture local impact for local children as far as CSDGs are concerned.

Following from what precedes, our work on African Children during this February will have a three-dimensional aspect as follows:

• Identification of outputs and intermediate outcomes (or changes) achieved so far 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

To support and or get further details about ACCSDGs, please contact CENFACS

 

⇒  2018: Dedicated as a Local Year or Local People’s Year

This year, it will be 16 years since CENFACS was registered as a charity in 2002.  During these 16 years, we have been working with local people as it is specified in our charity objects.  . 

It is not by chance if CENFACS’ motto says: “Working in partnership with local people to develop sustainable initiatives”  

To acknowledge our 16 years of work with local people, we have decided to dedicate 2018 as the Locals’ Year.

Sixteen Years of CENFACS in Four Days

Sixteen years in the life of a person (physical or moral) is the age of maturity.  To acknowledge that CENFACS is now a mature organisation and has been working with local people, we will be running two sub-projects which are two parts of the same coin.  They are:

1/ 2018 as a Local Year, this will carry us throughout 2018

2/ A project called 16.4 highlighting CENFACS as a mature organisation (i.e. 16 years of working with the locals to be acknowledged in 4 days).

The details of the project Sixteen Years in Four days (16.4) will be released in due course.  In meantime, let’s talk a bite about our Local People’s Year or the the Local Year Campaign, which already started since January 2018. 

2018 as a Local Year or the Local People’s Year

Before going further, let’s first define the local people of CENFACS. 

Who are our local people?

As some of you know, development is about people made by people for people.  The local people who have been working with us to develop sustainable initiatives are as follows:

♣Project and programme initiators who initiate them and work with CENFACS in the planning and implementation process, initially these people were based in Africa

♣ Project and programme beneficiaries who get their need of poverty and hardships sorted through the development of sustainable initiatives

♣ The representatives and members of staff of grass root Africa-based organisations with whom they have working relationships in last the 16 years

♣ The representatives of community organisations in the UK (Croydon) dealing with community development with whom we networked on different issues

♣ Representatives of African Diaspora organisations in the UK with who we shared various platforms on different issues concerning Africa

♣ Representatives and members of staff of Non-governmental organisations based in the UK and engaged in international development with who we networked on different occasions

♣ Local authorities and community leaders that facilitated our work on the grounds

♣ Individuals working on the grounds in contact with the people living in poverty and hardships, the ones our projects and programmes benefited

♣ Volunteers and supporters from where our projects and programmes were implemented or delivered

♣ Field workers involved in the areas of operation of CENFACS in the UK and Africa

♣ Inhabitants where our projects and programmes were based in the UK and Africa etc

In brief, these local people are CENFACS’ personas in digital marketing and the raisons d’être of CENFACS.  All the types of persons mentioned above had and have some involvement and participation in their responsibility in the local issues to make local needs to be met.  This is why they are our local people.

Now you know who are CENFACS’ local people, let’s see what our 2018 of the Locals will likely to be.

Contents for 2018 as Year of the Locals

It will be first about remembering some of the key works we did together with our local people in the last 16 years.

We will then take some actions to feature 2018 with some local people’s themes to highlight the dedication we have made to it. 

Moreover, it will be about localisation economies in the voluntary sector (when poor local people with specialised skills are located locally and taking advantage of better opportunities). 

The year is as well of local indicators and outcomes to measure what we do with the locals.

Briefly, our actions will include:

♦ Localisation of global goals by making them local and honed by local people

♦ Local approach on poverty and vulnerability issues

♦ Linking local and national and global

♦ Linking local in the UK and local in Africa

♦ Local projects bringing local benefits

♦Local People or local champions or even local heroes making local impacts

As the year moves on, we will inject local features bit by bit into out projects and programmes to reflect our Local People’s Year.

For further details about CENFACS’ Local Year, 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!

31 January 2018

Post No. 24

This week is the second one for our DRC Appeal which was launched under the Light projects.  The first appeal was about Conflict Victims while this one is about Flood Victims.

Before dealing with this week’s appeal (Flood Victims), let’s highlight other matters trending at CENFACSSPHERE and making this week’s contents as well. They include: the ends of this year’s Gifts of Peace and Responsible Consumption campaigns, and Unwanted Festive Gifts.

GIFTS OF PEACE AND RESPONSIBLE CONSUMPTION CAMPAIGNS

Our Gifts of Peace campaign ends today.  However, as there is always a life who desperately needs support we will continue to accept any giving made beyond the deadline of 31/01/2018.

We would like to thank you all for your Gifts and for making our Season of Peace to happen.

Our January month of Responsible Consumption ends today as well.  However, our resource on Consume to Reduce Poverty (CRP) and Climate Change is still available for you from CENFACS depository and e-Shop.  Likewise, our CRP advisory and advocacy project is still running.

Again CENFACS would like to thank you for your support about Responsible Consumption and for being responsible consumers yourselves.

UNWANTED FESTIVE GIFTS: Recycle Them!

Some of you may have received gifts over the festive period.  If you decide you don’t want or need them, we wonder if you could consider CENFACS Charity e-Shop for donation of your Unwanted Festive Gifts.

Our Charity e-Shop is ready to receive your Unwanted Festive Gifts that you may have received over the festive time and you don’t want or need them.

You can donate your Unwanted Festive Gifts to CENFACS to help raise the money for the deserving causes of poverty relief.

Donating Unwanted Gifts or goods is also an opportunity or alternative way to recycle those goods you have received or bought that they are no longer needed.  

To donate your unwanted gifts or goods, contact CENFACS or go to http://cenfacs.org.uk/shop/

THE DRC APPEAL Continues…

With Lighting A Blaze Of Hope For The Flood Victims In DRC

Last week, we appealed to you to Light a Blaze of Hope for the Conflict Victims in the DRC.  We thank you for your response.

As the DRC Appeal is within a series of appeals under our Light Projects, this week is the second part of DRC Appeal.  So, our Light Projects to deal with the complex humanitarian situation in DRC continue this week.  This time is about Lighting a Blaze of Hope for the Flood Victims there.   

Why we are appealing for the Flood Victims in DRC

Since 2017 until this January, DRC has been badly flooded particularly in the North Kivu and Kinshasa to name just two of the flooded areas there.  According to local sources, Kinshasa experienced records of 182 mm of rain in a 24 hour spell. 

As a result, there have been a great number of homes swiped by heavy rains, collapsing walls and landslides, exacerbation of diseases with 55000 cases recorded of cholera and 1190 deaths from cholera. 

Adding to this pitiable picture, there are poor sanitation and lack of access to safe drinking water, poor infrastructure and flooded roads with rainfall etc.  The number of deaths from flooding continues to increase. 

This difficult environmental health situation is happening at the time when the same country is confronted with armed conflicts over its democratic transition processes.  The conflicting situation has already made the local Congolese people to pay a heavy price. 

According the same local sources, about 10.5 million people are bound to be in distress this 2018; 1.7 million of people were internally displaced; dozens of mass graves were found in conflict-stricken villages etc. 

In addition to this appalling situation, a high number of human rights abuses was accounted from the sides of  the rebels, government forces and state-linked militia (called Bana Mura), as well as extreme violence by militia groups and government forces. 

Despite these alarming conditions, only half of funding appeal was received; meaning that the rest has not yet being released.

What we are asking you to do

Whatever the causes or reasons (such as flooding and or conflict or other types of events) of the crisis there, it makes sense that the international development community that we make up acts and supports NOW, NOT LATER!

This is why the Light Projects exist at CENFACS.  The Light Projects are not just about appealing for funding although there is a say that “Money is King”.  Light Projects are also and more about making the mechanics of the international development system and the development community to do something about difficult conditions poor local people can be caught in. 

Things such as talking to someone who has influence or power on what is happening on the ground can change life; just as networking, campaigning, responding to a petition etc. can make a significant impact.  A telephone call or a mobile phone text message or even a tweet can save millions of lives. 

These kinds of simple things that one can do matter a lot for those whose life is at risk.  It is not surprising if Wangari Maathai said that “It is the little things citizens do that is what will make the difference” (Wangari Maathai, Environmental Activist and Nobel Peace Prize Winner). 

CENFACS’ little thing is to assemble resources and make this appeal.  We are now asking you to do your little thing, if you can, to make helpful difference to the life of the Flood Victims in the DRC. 

Our appeal is all about going beyond the big picture of humanitarian relief aid and military intervention by doing little things such as Bringing and Lighting a Blaze of Hope for those who are in a desperate situation and have a pressing need there.

Briefly, because of the greater need arisen from the current grave situation in the DRC, CENFACS is appealing to the world of peace, to you to support its Wintry call of LIGHTING A BLAZE OF HOPE FOR THE FLOOD VICTIMS IN DRC.

To support this appeal and the Flood Victims in DRC or to enquiry about the Light 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!

24 January 2018

Post No. 23

 

The 23rd Post of this Blog Page will cover our Light Projects which kick off with the DRC (Democratic Republic of Congo) Appeal, the return of our All-Year Round Projects (i.e. Play, Run and Vote) and   our last reminder about the Gifts of Peace.

Summaries of the Contents for Post No.23

♦ ONLY SEVEN DAYS TO GO…

BEFORE THE GIFTS OF PEACE CAMPAIGN ENDS!

We are again appealing to you/potential donors to donate or support our Gifts of Peace. 

Sometimes, we take peace as granted but for those living in poverty it isn’t! You can donate to make peace become a reality in their life this January 2018.

To donate and or for further details about Gifts of Peace, go to http://cenfacs.org.uk/supporting-us/

 

♦ ALL-YEAR ROUND PROJECTS –

CENFACS POVERTY RELIEF LEAGUE (CPRL)

Play the CPRL for the Passion of the Poverty Relief Game!

CENFACS’ first tier poverty relief competition is still on.

Matches Started Since the 1^st of January 2018: 16 teams and 32 matches

You can join the game at any time this Winter 2018.

Which of your team country will reach the Finals Last Four Next Autumn?

To know that you need Playing or Gaming for Poverty Relief and Development.

Please don’t forget to tell your game story including fixtures, scores and results.

 

♦ LIGHT PROJECTS: DRC Appeal

As said above, our Light Projects 2018 are kicking off this week by Lighting a Blaze of Hope for Conflict and Flood Victims in the Central Africa, particularly in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

This is a continuation of last year appeal on the same DRC.  Last year, we appealed to you and to the international development community to light a blaze of hope for the local people of DRC for their unfinished democratic transition to be resolved in peace. 

Many of you responded to our appeal and we thank you for your response.

This year, since there is a repeat of potential fights between the conflicting sides together with the flooding situation which occurred recently, we would like to appeal to you again to do something new to the complex humanitarian and democratically disputed circumstances of the DRC. 

Because of the nature of CENFACS ‘Light Project (addressing the two problems faced by the victims of armed conflicts and destructive natural disasters), we will conduct two appeals for DRC this year. 

We are first re-launching our appeal to support Conflict Victims this week, and then the following week we will focus on Flood Victims.

To support DRC Appeal, contact CENFACS.

 

To get a better understanding of the contents/summaries presented above, please continue to read below.

 

DRC APPEAL

This first wave of Winter 2018 Light Appeal projects is about Bringing and Lighting a Blaze of Hope for the Hardest Hit People in the DRC by Continuing Armed Conflicts and Unfinished Business of Peaceful Transition to Political Democratisation Processes. 

Since the DRC embarked in the mid-1990s on the process of political democratisation, their new experience has never ended.  Instead, it resulted in continuing armed conflicts and political instability, particularly in the eastern side of the country without excluding the Capital Kinshasa. 

As a charitable organisation, we understand the level of complexity of the issues there and the arguments/reasons from different conflicting sides.  What we are interested in are the innocent local people of the DRC who have been hardest hit for almost two decades and half of neglect and suffering from this controversial process. 

Our appeal is apolitical and impartial.  It is about supporting the ordinary local poor Congolese people who have been caught in a political process they do not control and that made their lives miserable since it began. 

We are Lighting a Blaze of Hope for Poverty Relief and Development so that the local Congolese people in DRC could turn their two decades and half of suffering into a future of hope, peaceful and sustainable development. 

We are advocating and hoping that the wisdom will prevail from the mindsets of all involved parties so that the lives of vulnerable and poor DRC local people are protected while this process is still going through until it finishes peacefully. 

WHO ARE THOSE LOCAL PEOPLE WHO NEED A BLAZE OF HOPE?

These are: the victims of sporadic or organised violence, the dissatisfied with blocked election process, the discontented of two decades and half of unsuccessful transition to political democratization, the continuously poor unpaid  workers and civil servants, poor farmers victims of weak international commodity prices and declining terms of trade, internally displaced persons especially in the Kasai and Kivu, innocent victims of local rebel factions and armed ethnic militias that control some parts of the Congolese territory and destabilized the territory, the poor local people paying the price of high levels of corruption at the high-level of the country’s governance, those who have been denied of free expression and voice, in brief the angry for the lack of freedom from the Unfinished Business of Transition Process to Political Democratisation.  These are the poor local sufferers from civil unrest, economic insecurity and armed conflicts.

HOW TO SUPPORT THEM AND COMMUNICATE WITH CENFACS?

To support this Winter 2018 Appeal and communicate with CENFACS, please use the following:

w: www.cenfacs.org.uk  t: 07950515191 e:facs@cenfacs.org.uk  r:1092432

ALL-YEAR ROUND PROJECTS ARE BACK!

Our three All-year Round Projects – which are Play, Run and Vote – are back this January 2018 for another year running.

• CENFACS’ 2018 RUN TO REDUCE POVERTY IN AFRICA (2018 RRPA)

There are many ways you can support CENFACS’ 2018 RUN TO REDUCE POVERTY IN AFRICA (2018 RRPA).

You can choose what you intend to do to support as follows: 

• Research & report to CENFACS your AGGRAPR (African Global Games Runners, Agents of Poverty Relief)

•  Organise a run or race event

• Include CENFACS’ 2018 RRPA into your event days

• Support this project generally or miscellaneously

• Straightway donate to CENFACS.  

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

For more details about CENFACS’ 2018 Run To Reduce Poverty in Africa, please contact CENFACS.

 

• CENFACS POVERTY RELIEF LEAGUE,

The World’s Development League without Relegation!

• Those who make progress on poverty reduction get rewarded by moving up on top their economic grouping/band.
• Those who fall behind poverty reduction get the support they need, not a punishment.

RALLY BEHIND YOUR TEAM-COUNTRY AND SUPPORT THEM TO WIN OVER POVERTY AND HARDSHIPS AS WELL ESCAPE FROM POVERTY FOR EVER!

The 2018 championship of CENFACS Poverty Relief League (CPRL) started since the beginning of the year. You can play or support projects for poverty relief in Africa.

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 have not yet registered and or started to play for poverty relief and development, you can still register to play and or support.

 Register NOW!

• VOTE YOUR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND POVERTY RELIEF MANAGER OF 2018

Relieving poverty is not an exclusive business or a matter of specific organisations or individuals who have that task, skills, capacity, mission or vision. Poverty can be relieved by everybody as long as they have the willingness, ability and wisdom to do so. However, to continue to relieve it requires more than the above qualities; perhaps it could demand passion, hard-working enterprise and above all tireless work.

Having considered a number of experiences, works and evidence-based stories about people’s contribution to poverty relief, CENFACS set up in 2014 an all-year round scheme aiming at finding the Poverty Relief Manager (PRM) of the year. This is a Vote project – a yearly project of selecting, voting and rewarding in CENFACS’ way and terms people’s contribution to poverty relief in Africa. This project is run together with the projects RUN TO REDUCE POVERTY IN AFRICA and CENFACS POVERTY RELIEF LEAGUE, which are also all-year round ones.

For basic details for those who want to vote this year’s PRM, please contact CENFACS.

 

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 all-year round 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 are doing or taking part in this year.  As we are in CENFACS’ Year of Local People or the Locals’ Year, don’t forget to involve Local People in your event/project.

 

ANNOUCEMENT OF 2017 RUN, PLAY AND VOTE ACTION-RESULTS: Still Pending!

The Action-Results of 2017 are still pending for many of our players, runners and voters of poverty relief. 

We would like to hear from you about the Best African Countries of 2017 which best reduced poverty, the Best African Global Games Runners of 2017, and the Best African Development Managers of 2017. 

If you have not yet told us, have your say now!

 

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!

18 January 2018

Post No. 22

FACS ISSUE NO. 58  ♦   GIFTS OF PEACE  ♦  CONSUME TO REDUCE POVERTY

This week’s post will cover three main areas of our work: the Issue no. 58 of our bilingual newsletter FACS, our fundraising campaign regarding Gifts of Peace and the 6^th Issue of Consume to Reduce Poverty.

The lead content or question of this week’s post is how can we continue to help in reducing poverty when free market-based economies go in transition, with a particular case of the UK exiting the European Union?

The answer to this question can be found in the 58^th Issue of FACS which is out now.  We have provided below the key summaries about the issue.

Besides the above lead story of the week, we would like to remind you that our Gifts of Peace Campaign continues and will end on the 31^st of January 2018.

To donate or enquiry go to the page “Support Us” of this website at http://cenfacs.org.uk/supporting-us/

 

The January month of Responsible Consumption together with our advocacy against consumption-based poverty continues as well. Likewise, our Consume to Reduce Poverty (CRP) project is still available to support poor children, young people and families who are poor by consumption (i.e. whose consumption is below the defined threshold).

The resource relating to this CRP is also available.  As we said it last week, the focus of this year’s CRP issue is on Online Shopping and Buying – Tips and Hints. 

As part of the engagement to this focused theme, we encourage participants to the CRP to exchange their shopping and buying experience through social media networks in order to help reduce consumption-based poverty.

For support on consumption-based model of poverty and to access CRP contact CENFACS.

 

FACS ISSUE NO. 58    >    KEY SUMMARIES

We have already provided the abstract of this issue two weeks ago.

Below are the key summaries making the contents of this issue.

• DOING THEORY THINKING ABOUT TRANSITIONAL ECONOMY IN THE CONTEXT OF MARKET-BASED REGIONAL ECONOMIC INTEGRATION (page 2 of FACS)

Transitional economy or transition economy was applied to the Eastern and Central European economies in the late 1990s when they moved from centralised or planning economy to a market-oriented economy.  It was when the Soviet Union communist bloc collapsed in 1991 and was then seen as a transition from planned economy or state controlled economy to a market-based one.  The concept of economic transition can be extended today to include various types of economies. 

Before extending it, we are going to define it.  We will then establish its links with both exited and regional economies, democracy, market orientation and third sector players. 

What is economic transition?

We are going to borrow the definition of economic transition from the Cambridge Business English Dictionary (1) which defines it as:

“an economy that is changing from being one under government control to being a market economy (= one in which companies are not controlled by the government)”

By doing some theory thinking, we can extend this definition to other types of economy.  To do that we can make the following working hypothesis.

If an economy changes its ties regarding its international economic relations or de-link itself from its international mode of functioning after being engaged in a particular economic area for a long period (for example 20 years or more of trend), this economy may need undergoing some forms of transition in order to keep its equilibrium and avoid major functional upsets.  Depending on the influence of this economy on the bloc or area, the latter may or may not need a transition or some adjustments as well.

From the above perspective and assumption, a transition economy or transitional economy is also an economy which is changing from an integrated economy within a regional economic bloc to an economy that is exiting (exited) from the bloc.

An implication of economic exit: A transitional period

Transiting from a regional economic bloc to an exited economy can be soft or smooth or even hard landing depending on what countries involved want.

The exited economy may require legal and institutional reforms, a new social safety net, new trade relations, macroeconomic stabilization, monetary support and economic restructuring and reforms at various levels (micro, miso and macro levels).  This is why a transitional period for an exited economy may be needed. 

Economic transition, exited and regional economies

As said above, there could be transition for both the leavers and the rest of the bloc.  In which case, we can speak about transition of the economy of the bloc and of the leaving country.  It means that both economies may need a preparatory period to minimise or nullify adverse effects and impacts of the exit from the bloc. 

This transition may apply to their governing institutions as both sides may need to adjust not only their economies but also their institutions (like in a theoretical case for the economic transition of the UK and the European Union)   

Economic transition and social change

Economic transition can open up a process of social transformation and a new wave of change.  There are various models of social transformation which include: a revolutionary model (like in the case of the Eastern and Central European model of the 1990s), an evolutionary model (such as a Chinese model), a gradualist model etc. 

Because society is never static as said Scott and Marshall (2), economic transitions or shifts can lead to social change (i.e. the outcome of a struggle for advantage between different competing groups as defined by Conflict theories).  Economic transition can produce a structured process leading itself to a specific direction or tendency in society (pp. 72 &73).

Transition within a market-based economy and democracy

If this exited economy comes from a regional economy with market-based institutions, it may still be a market-based one.  But, as it will no longer be part of a regional economic bloc, regional institutions may no longer apply to the exited economy. 

Although we spoke about the Soviet bloc, there is no comparison with other economic blocs (e.g. the European Union) which are mostly based on democratic principles and the free will of each country to join or stay in or even leave the bloc.  The Soviet bloc was based on force. 

Every things remaining equal, the EU is a successful story in the theory of regional economic integration in terms of poverty reduction and free movement of people and markets.  The exiting UK remains a special case of exit in the history of regional economic integration.

Economic transition and third sector

The business of poverty reduction may be reshaped by those involved in it as economies are in a transitional phase.  In those involved in poverty reduction; there are voluntary, non-governmental, third sector and community organisations.  They may find it useful to have transitional plans, programmes and strategies or put it simply a plan A, B or C to deal with the effects of economic transition.

CENFACS and economic transition

In order to take into account this new economic landscape, CENFACS is integrating transitional economy and the Post-REI (Regional Economic Integration) into its revised version of the Twenty-tens Programme.

This integration will apply as we move along with economic transition.  In other words, most of the projects designed for the Twenty-tens will be dotted with transitional economy. 

To sum up, we can do some theory thinking regarding economic transition and extend it to the reality of exited and regional economies.  Likewise, we can look at how this theory and its practice relate to the life of third sector and define the new frontiers of poverty reduction.  Its application on CENFACS pushes us to redefine, rethink and adjust the way we do poverty relief and development work both in the UK and Africa.

(1 ) https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/transition-economy (accessed 06/01/2018)

(2) Scott J. & Marshall G., Oxford Dictionary of Sociology, Oxford University Press Inc., New York, 2009

 

• CENFACS PLAYING WELL THE GAME OF ECONOMIC TRANSITION (page 3 of FACS)

When a country decides to withdraw its membership from a particular organisation such a regional economic bloc, it is always expected from the two sides, the leavers and those remaining in the organisation, to clarify their terms and conditions of separation.    This expectation comes from all the economic actors (i.e. the public, the private, public and the voluntary sectors).  Sometimes, it may require setting up transitional institutions to deal with transition.  For example, in the case of the economic transition of Eastern and Central European Countries a European Bank for Reconstruction and Development was set up.  We would not recommend a new bank for every case of economic transition.

The voluntary and charitable sector them too expect clarification in the local and international development strategies.  This clarification is required so that they know HOW THEY CAN DO POVERTY RELIEF WORK WHEN ECONOMIES ARE IN TRANSITION like in the case of the exit of the UK from the European Union.  Beyond these expectations, the responsibility of making transition work for the voluntary sector lies not only on the enabling institutions of the economic transition; but also on what each organisation can do to make transition works for them.

Regarding CENFACS, some elements of our strategy and thinking can be found in the previous work we did on this issue.  As a UK-based charity, economic transition, if any, may or may not affect us as it may do for others in the voluntary and charitable sector.  However, the effects of economic transition should not be conceived as one size fits all. 

To well play our part of the game of economic transition, we will consider the following areas of game playing: funding, volunteer recruitment, project beneficiaries, research and development, overseas representation, international financial transaction and travel

Funding: as we are no longer recipient of the European Social Fund, transitional change in the grant making process may not affect us.

Volunteer recruitment: it is now almost ten years that we have not been able to recruit volunteers from continental Europe.

Project beneficiaries: as we work in partnership with local people to develop sustainable initiatives, most of our users (both indirect and end users) are local in the UK and Africa.

Overseas representation agency: we do not possess any overseas office in the continental Europe.  We are UK-based and work with Africa-based organisations.

International financial transaction: because of our size, we do not manage a large amount of foreign exchange currency or international money transfer through the EU.

Research and development: we do our own independent research with a very limited budget.

Travel: we are local and if it happens that we need to visit overseas projects, our supporters can do it for us.

To continue to do our poverty relief work in transitional economies, we need take into account the above factors as well as integrate transitional economy into our strategy, programmes and projects.  Having a very little reliance on others puts us in a position to make economic transition to work for us. 

Briefly, to well play the game of economic transition the rules of game have to be fair and transparent and communicated to all players.  We hope that economic transition will come with new opportunities so that we can continue our work on poverty reduction.

• EFFECTS OF ECONOMIC TRANSITION OF REGIONAL ECONOMIC INTEGRATION ON CENFACS (page 3 of FACS)

We can only fully speak about the effects of economic transition when it has occurred and completed.  However, during the transitional period, there could be some effects although we may be in the assumption of the rules of REI (Regional Economic Transition) would continue to apply until the end of economic transition.  Also, to speak about transition, we need to identify what the REI (e.g. European Union) has been providing to the voluntary and charity organisations both directly and indirectly.  

Briefly speaking, there is a number of benefits such as funding opportunity (through the European Social Funds, ERAMUS programme and other funding programmes), labour (volunteers, workers and other supporters), the economic scale of the big European Union (EU) market etc.  These benefits can be added with the general attributes of any regional economic integration such as the general free movements of labour, capital, goods and services.   

It has to be emphasised that the virtue of big market of the REI has a good feeling factor.  This can add an effect on the way we do development and poverty relief works.  Until a country effectively leaves a given REI (like the EU), these benefits may still exist unless there is an alternative arrangement.   The feel good factor may increase or decrease depending on the assurance from the decision making bodies of economic transition. 

Although it is premature to speak about the effects of economic transition of REI, there is no doubt CENFACS may benefit from the good feeling factor and the enabling institutions gearing to support the voluntary and charity organisations during the economic transition of REI.  At the end of economic transition, we will then do impact analysis of economic transition in terms of its effectiveness and outcomes on us.

 

• SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN THE TRANSITIONAL PHASE OF POST-REGIONAL ECONOMIC INTEGRATION (page 4 of FACS)

Some of you may be aware that CENFACS work in partnership with local people to develop sustainable initiatives.  Most of the initiatives we try to develop both in the UK and Africa are to do with sustainable development and poverty reduction.

Some of you know as well, the Regional Economic bloc like the European Union (EU) has got good policies on the environment.  Also, most of the EU member States adhere to the principles of the International Climate Treaty on Climate Change (the Paris Climate Treaty).  Likewise, the majority of the EU countries including the UK agree on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and Agenda 2030.  At the level of EU and African Union cooperation, there are areas of sustainable development that are covered. 

Sustainable development will continue to be an ever growing area of interest and a driver in international development.  Organisations involved in the work about sustainable development will continue their work.  CENFACS’ work on sustainable development will still continue in the transitional period and beyond. 

 

• L’ASSOCIATIF DANS LA TRANSITION ECONOMIQUE (page 5 & 6 of FACS)

Quand un pays membre d’un ensemble économique régional décide de quitter l’ensemble ou le bloc économique, il peut y avoir plusieurs scénarios pour exécuter cette sortie.  La manière la plus prudente de s’y engager est de concevoir une période de transition entre l’économie sortante et l’économie régionale restante.  Elles peuvent s’entendre d’avoir une transition économique. 

La transition économique peut avoir des formes ou modèles variés (transition soit totale, soit partielle, soit encore sélective).  Quelque soit le modèle choisi par les parties en présence, il serait mieux que ce modèle soit aussi compatible avec les besoins et demandes des operateurs et acteurs économiques, particulièrement et non exclusivement avec ceux du secteur associatif.  Ceci est important pour éviter des crises de gestion de transition sans parler d’autres types de crise. 

L’importance de l’associatif dans la mécanique de transition économique

Le secteur associatif est un des secteurs qui s’occupent des activités de réduction de pauvreté et de développement international.  C’est aussi celui qui travaille avec les pays en développement, parmi eux ceux d’Afrique.  Ce secteur œuvre avec ces derniers sur les questions africaines de réduction et de fin de pauvreté.

L’inscription de la tâche « réduction de la pauvreté » dans le modèle de transition économique

L’intérêt d’avoir l’associatif dans le modèle de transition économique va de soi.  Si l’on veut continuer à réduire la pauvreté à l’intérieur comme à l’extérieur du bloc économique, alors cette tâche de réduction de la pauvreté doit être aussi inscrite parmi les priorités du nouveau modèle de transition économique.  Ceci concerne aussi bien le modèle au niveau du bloc qu’à celui de l’économie sortante, de même qu’à celui des organisations associatives. 

La présence du modèle de transition dans le fonctionnement de CENFACS

S’agissant du modèle de transition s’appliquant à l’économie associative, la transition doit être présente dans le modèle de fonctionnement des économies associatives.   C’est pourquoi, au niveau de CENFACS, nous nous sommes engagés à réfléchir sur les effets de la transition économique entre l’Union Européenne et le Royaume Uni sur nous.   Nous le faisons malgré le fait que de part et d’autre, ils évitent de parler de la transition économique alors qu’en réalité ce qui se passe entre les deux camps c’est la transition économique.

Que conclure?

Pour des raisons évoquées ci-haut, l’inclusion de l’associatif dans le modèle de transition économique paraît nécessaire sinon indispensable si l’on veut préserver les acquis et rechercher des solutions nouvelles en matière de réduction et de fin de pauvreté.

 

• HOW AFRICA-BASED SISTER ORGANISATIONS PERCEIVE TRANSITIONAL ECONOMY (page 7 of FACS)

A number of Africa-based Sister Organisations (ASOs) do not think that the transition of the economies of regional economic bloc such the European Union and the exiting UK will have a significant impact on them.  They also trust that CENFACS will continue to work with them on poverty relief even if there are some changes.   They strongly believe that the EU and UK will be still attached to the value of international development and work on poverty and humanitarian relief during and after the transition. 

The above are just the preliminary findings of how ASOs perceive transitional economies of the EU and UK.  A full survey on the opinions of ASOs may be required to provide a more or less rational argument based on qualitative and quantitative data and research on their real perception about the transition of the economies of EU and UK if it happens.

• SURVEY ON THE EFFECTS OF ECONOMIC TRANSITION ON THE ECONOMIES OF AFRICA-BASED SISTER ORGANISATIONS (page 7 of FACS)

As part of an investigation on the effects that economic transition of Regional Economic Integration (expressed by the UK leaving the European Union) could have on the work of Africa-based Sister Organisations, CENFACS would like to collect your views. 

The aim of the survey is to assess or appraise the extent to which economic transition of both the REI (here EU) and the leaving country (e.g. UK) can affect the performance and the economy of the non-governmental, charitable, voluntary and community Africa-based organisations. 

If there is an effect, what are the size, magnitude and direction of this effect?

To take part in this survey, please contact CENFACS.

If you have already conducted your own survey, please let us know your results.

Thank you!

 

• VOLUNTEERING IN THE TRANSITIONAL PERIOD OF POST-REGIONAL ECONOMIC INTEGRATION (page 8 of FACS)

Already in the Issue of FACS no. 55, we spoke about the skills needed in Post-REI (Post-Regional Economic Integration) times.  We also touched on the issue of transitional volunteering.   We promised to come on the issue of P-REI volunteering in Winter 2017/18 which we did. 

Our Winter e-discussion on Volunteering in the Post-REI (Regional Economic Integration) Era showed the need to rethink the role and the skills we need for our current and future volunteers.    The discussion was an opportunity to exchange ideas on skills auditing and reappraisal, adapting capacities and the areas of training that our All in Development Volunteers may need in order to deal with our work during the transitional economy.  

If you have anything to add to our work or need further details about it, contact CENFACS.

 

• A FINANCIAL COMPANION FOR SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED ORGANISATIONS DURING THE TRANSITIONAL ECONOMY (page 9 of FACS)

When exiting a regional economic bloc, there could be mixed reactions and effects in all areas and directions of life, including in the life of small and medium-sized organisations from both sides of exit.  Some organisations may have the capacity to rapidly adjust to the new transitional situation.  Others may find it difficult to cope with the new life.  Already small and medium-sized organisations are stretched out from the financial point of view.  

A financial companion to smooth financial pain for those organisations in financial need may be required as it can help reduce uncertainty and create the climate of confidence.   A financial companion may also be needed for Africa-based Sister Organisations (ASOs) if transitional economy may affect them.  They may need financial support to continue to achieve their mission and objectives.

Put it simply, a financial companion may help to answer two basic questions: what and why?

What?

The financial companion could be a financial transitional programme to accompany small and medium-sized organisations (SMOs) and ASOs throughout the period of economic transition.  The programme can include a mixed funding package of financial products and services such as grants, concessionary loans, income generation schemes, online fundraising, bonds and shares, financial advice and advocacy etc.

Why?

There is a number of other reasons they need financial support which include:

• Some of the funding schemes may not be accessible to SMOs and ASOs

• Like any other organisations, SMOs and ASOs always need funding to carry out their charitable mission

• To keep their work of poverty reduction going

• To help achieve their organisational goals, sustainable development goals and climate/carbon free goals

• They are the organisations working closely with poor people on the ground etc.

Both the type of financial accompany they need and the reasons for their need make sense to think of a financial support or companion to be on the side of SMOs and ASOs in order to reduce any adverse impacts of the economic transition that may occur when a country is exiting any given regional economic bloc.    

• PROJECT OF INTEGRATION OF ECONOMIC TRANSITION INTO CENFACS’ PROGRAMMES OF WORK (page 10 of FACS)

As it is titled this project is about integrating economic transition into CENFACS’ Programmes which may be affected by the economic transition.

It is a project designed to help reduce the adverse impact of economic transition, if there will be any, on CENFACS and CENFACS project and programmes beneficiaries.

Through this project we will develop way of working that takes into account the contents of the economic transition and also take actions to correct any potential harmful effects that may result from the transition while using any good opportunities that may arise from economic transition to strengthen our work on poverty reduction.

The length of this integration will be determined by the nature, length and influence of the economic transition on CENFACS and its project and programme beneficiaries. 

To support and or find out more, please contact CENFACS.

For a full copy of the 58th Issue, 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!

10 January 2018

WHAT IS ON AT CENFACS THIS SEASON OF LIGHT

Our Season of Light continues with the Light Projects, as indicated on the above projects and programmes planner scheduled for January, February and March 2018.

To put our Season of Light into practice, there will be two waves of advocacy work to support the victims of armed conflicts and destructive natural disasters in Africa. 

The first wave of action will be on the past, the legacies of the very latest events in the Central and West Africa (Central-West Africa Post-War and Post-Disaster Appeal).

The second wave of action will be on advocating for support for the victims of the current and emerging armed conflicts and destructive natural disasters in Africa.  

As nolvelty to this year’s Season of Light, we have introduced three new projects: Digital and Social Media Campaign, Generation Global Goals and this Year’s Dedication as the Locals’ Year.

The Digital and Social Media Campaign will kick off by the end of January with “The Role of Mobile Phone as a Tool for Poverty Relief for Children” as an opener.

Generation Global Goals project is an online discussion regarding the impacts of the global goals on children.  It will be conducted under CENFACS be-Africa forum.

Each year, we try to find the best way to meet the needs of our project beneficiaries while remembering some of the work we did with them and exploring innovative ways to re-engage with stake holders.  We do it by dedicating the year to a particular memorable theme.  As result, 2018 has been declared as the Locals’ Year at CENFACS.

Our January month theme of Responsible Consumption under Consume to Reduce Poverty (CRP) and Climate Change project continues as well.   This year’s 6^th issue of CRP will focus on Online Shopping and Buying Tips and Hints.

Another feature of the current Season of Light is the inclusion of new elements into the revised version of the Twenty-tens Programme.  This inclusion will help to update it in line with the development contexts in which we operate.  In particular, these development landscapes are of global goals and agendas, of digital and social media technologies, and of UK exiting the European Union.

• Light Projects

This Winter 2018, our Lights projects will focus on two parts or two waves of action as said above:  1/ post-war and post-natural disaster developments 2/ current and emerging armed conflicts and environmental catastrophes

A Blaze of Hope for post-life following armed conflicts and natural disasters

When there are environmental disasters and armed conflicts, there are pledges and commitments to end the effects of wars and disasters.  For various reasons, some of these pledges do not materialise.  The post-war and post-disaster developments are sometimes left without support sometimes until the conflicts and disasters return and or strike again.  

As we cannot wait the return or repeat of the same wars and disasters, our first Blaze of Hope will go this Winter to the unfinished business of previous destructive wars and natural disasters (Central-West Africa Post-War and Post-Disaster Appeal).

A Blaze of Hope for the eruption of any armed conflicts and natural disasters

We always advocate for preventive development and we do not seek for destructive events to happen.  However, our preparedness and readiness make us to assemble as quickly as possible advocacy tools should any effects and impacts erupt from wars and natural disasters in Africa. 

So, our second wave of intervention or Blaze of Hope will go this Winter to erupted effects of armed conflicts and natural disasters in the areas of our interest in Africa (Details of this second appeal will be released in due course). 

With these two waves of action over this Wintry Season, we hope to enlighten the lives of those in need.

CENFACS look forward to your support to deliver this Wintry Appeal

• Year 2018 as CENFACS’ Local Year

Our motto says “Working in partnership with local people to develop sustainable initiatives”.  What this means for us and our stakeholders? 

From our point of view and of digital marketing, Local People are CENFACS’ personas.   They are the raison d’être of CENFACS. 

The Locals’ Year is one year project of celebration of 16 years of CENFACS working in partnership with local people to develop sustainable initiatives since its registration. 

Details of this celebration will follow in due course. 

To support and or find out more, please contact CENFACS.

• Digital and Social Media Campaign

The Role of Mobile Phone in Helping Women and Children to Reduce Poverty

This campaign is part of our Digital and New Media Programmes.  The campaign will be opened by looking at the Role of Mobile Phone in Reducing Poverty and Hardships amongst Women and Children.

Indeed, it is now not anymore a secrecy that many people are using their mobile phones (with internet enabling features) to check and read news, check sports results, access and search for local information (e.g. finding a local plumber), manage their finances, play games, download and upload documents etc.    This is true for those who are house bound but as well for those on the move, at work and in any part of the world. 

At the moment, it is also an educational and social habit that kids are using the mobile phones of their parents, especially their mothers’ ones, to access school home works or just to do search for home works on regular basis.  The digital and mobile worlds have gradually penetrated our kids’ educational and learning habits and working patterns.

As part of the first track of our Digital and Social Media Campaign, we will look at how women and children can use the mobile phones in effective way to reduce poverty and hardships.  This first track of the campaign will deal with the following matters.

• Whether or not mobile phones got features and functions for women and children to reduce poverty (for example educational and learning functionalities)

• The impact of mobile phones in poor families and the digital dependency culture they bring along with them

• Using mobile phones cannot be done without protection and security.  Therefore, how much mobile phones are secure and protective for vulnerable and exposed-to-threat users.  Do mobile phone designers and manufacturers introduce safety and protection into design of their products, especially for those who use them for educational and learning purposes?

• In terms of social responsibility, what can the mobile phone industry (including software designers and developers) do to protect vulnerable and exposed-to-threat users so that they can make their devices even more user-friendly and free from threats?   

For further details and to support this Digital and Social Media Campaign, contact CENFACS.

• Consume To Reduce Poverty and Climate Change

Issue 2018: Buying and Shopping Online

Key highlights, Tips & Hints

Online Buying 

Buying online can be cheaper as some product retailers can manage to save on costs of having and maintaining their physical presence on the streets.  It means that their products could be accessible for less money online compared to the shopping carried out by travelling to their trading premises. 

By doing so, this helps to levy less their prices over customers.

Online Shopping

Using the internet, e-mail, social networks and other communication technologies to look at or buy products (i.e. goods and services) has now become common for everybody who can have access to them.  These technologies can help us to search and find the products we need to wisely consume in order to reduce poverty and hardships. 

There are risks and benefits associated with them.  One of them is related to intrusion to financial transactions (such as banking, paying bills, security issues about account details etc.) by malicious software, ransom ware, spyware and unscrupulous people.

Online products verification, identity and authenticity

Although there is a possibility to see on scream the product features and other specifications and read other people’s testimonies, reviews or comments about it, it is still difficult to get the true feeling of it physically speaking. 

So, one may need to be careful about the true physical features and qualities of the presentation of the product on line if they cannot touch it and physically feel it.  They have to be sure that the message advertised and marketing match products results and tests, and customer’s satisfaction. 

Online Security 

When buying online, you still have to check, compare and contrast products, terms and conditions of business, buying terms, prices etc.  Before you sign up, add to your shopping basket and purchase an item, you need to read, discuss and check what you are agreeing on.  You may even take more precautions when selecting items, filling up buying forms to enter your personal, financial information and sensitive details. 

You should also be aware of scams and illegal and malicious practices as the online technology did not only improve and facilitate lives but has also increased the risks of fraudulent and criminal activities.  For own online security, use the e-safety tools and advice.

To support Responsible Consumption and get the full issue 2018 of Consume to Reduce Poverty and Climate Change, 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!