Experts from the African Union Commission, the UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and the Africa Development Bank (AfDB) have reiterated the fact that land policy and land reforms are fundamental in addressing issues of poverty, food security and general stability in the African region.

They were speaking at the opening session of a three-day regional consultative workshop on land policy in North Africa. Officials from the AUC, UNECA, and AfDB underscored the urgent need to build solid partnerships for land reforms in Africa.

Dr. Josue Dioné, Director of the Division of Food Security and Sustainable Development at the ECA, said that “many parts of the continent are riddled with conflicts related to failures in systems for land governance, control and use”.

Mr. Peter Mwanakatwe of the African Development Bank drew a link with the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals, including the promotion of gender equality and women empowerment and explained that they are interwoven with land use.

Dr. Abebe H. Gebriel of AUC spoke on behalf of Mrs. Rhoda Peace Tumusiime, AU Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture. He pointed out that “in order to ensure that land policy and agrarian reforms address pertinent issues in Africa, we must recognize the need for a policy framework that addresses issues related to state sovereignty over land; the unequal distribution of land resources, the dualistic nature of property systems, land tenure… and land issues in the post-colonial reconstruction”.

The Addis Ababa workshop is the sixth in a series of regional stakeholder consultations aimed at coming out with a consensus document to be tabled at the AU Assembly of Heads of State and Government during its July 2009 Summit.

There have been regional consultations for Southern Africa in Windhoek, Namibia (29-31 August 2007); Eastern Africa in Kigali, Rwanda (16-18 January 2008); West Africa in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso (15-18 April 2008) and Central Africa in Yaounde, Cameroon (6-8 August 2008).

The current workshop hopes to reach consensus on the revisions to finalize the regional background document on land policy in North Africa.

It will also discuss specificities initiatives that should be included in the continental framework.

The key outcome of the regional consultation will be an enhanced regional background document whose elements will enrich the draft continental framework and guidelines, and inputs to the development of relevant benchmark indicators.

The initiative started with a Continental Consultative Workshop in 2006 that discussed major land policy issues and has gone through several phases of assessments and stakeholders consultations leading to the drafting of the “Framework and Guidelines”.

It is supported by the African Union Commission, the Economic Commission for Africa and the African Development Bank.

got these two-liners in an email, thought they would make someone laugh, cry or smile.

THESE ARE ENTRIES TO A WASHINGTON POST COMPETITION ASKING FOR A TWO-LINE RHYME WITH THE MOST ROMANTIC FIRST LINE, AND THE LEAST ROMANTIC SECOND LINE:

1. My darling, my lover, my beautiful wife:
Marrying you has screwed up my life.

2. I see your face when I am dreaming.
That's why I always wake up screaming.

3. Kind, intelligent, loving and hot;
This describes everything you are not.

4. Love may be beautiful, love may be bliss,
But I only slept with you 'cause I was pissed.

5. I thought that I could love no other
that is until I met your brother.

6. Roses are red, violets are blue, sugar is sweet, and so are you.
But the roses are wilting, the violets are dead, the sugar bowl's empty and so is your head.

7. I want to feel your sweet embrace;
But don't take that paper bag off your face.

8. I love your smile, your face, and your eyes
Damn, I'm good at telling lies!

9. My love, you take my breath away.
What have you stepped in to smell this way?

10. My feelings for you no words can tell,
Except for maybe 'Go to hell.'

11. What inspired this amorous rhyme?
Two parts vodka, one part lime.

WHO SAID POETRY IS BORING

On December 1, Development Generation Africa International members joined the rest of the world in observing the World AIDS Day 2008.

At the occasion, the organization launched the Primary ABIA Project against HIV/AIDS to look into the plight of young people living with HIV/AIDS especially in the areas of nutrition and empowerment.

Director of Health-HIV/AIDS of the organization, Christopher Ezemobi who addressed participants stressed the need for the World AIDS Day event to lead, empower and deliver young people from the grip of AIDS in the 21st century and promised that the project will go a long way to present their plight to the people and involve them in solutions.

He said some of the problems being highlighted by young people living with HIV/AIDS is an indication that “We must continue to speak up openly about AIDS. No progress will be achieved by being timid, refusing to face unpleasant faces, or prejudging our fellow human beings. In the ruthless world of AIDS, there are no us and them…and in that world, silence is death.”

Children, young people and civil society groups attended the event as well as government officials.

4 delegates (includ myself) from ECO Singapore are representing Singapore at the United Nations Climate Change Conference, Conference of Parties 14 as observers. And as International Youth Delegates from the Conference of Youth which is concurrently happening.

The conference is taking place in Poznan, Poland and on a daily basis (we will try) to blog about our experiences, upload photos/videos, update on the latest happening as well as answer some reasonable requests to see/ask/find out more from the event!

Check out http://unfcccecosingapore.wordpress.com/ =)

Dec 01 is World AIDS Day


According to UNAIDS estimates, there are now 33.2 million people living with HIV, including 2.5 million children. During 2007 some 2.5 million people became newly infected with the virus. Around half of all people who become infected with HIV do so before they are 25 and are killed by AIDS before they are 35.

Around 95% of people with HIV/AIDS live in developing nations. But HIV today is a threat to men, women and children on all continents around the world.

Started on 1st December 1988, World AIDS Day is about raising money, increasing awareness, fighting prejudice and improving education. World AIDS Day is important in reminding people that HIV has not gone away, and that there are many things still to be done

Lets Join hands to eradicate HIV/AIDS.................FULL STOP

Charles Kash Jiduwah
Durector. Delta Change Network (DCN)

I'm not gonna tell you what to do or anything of the sort, i think it is in everyone's personal choice about how they acknowledge World's Aids Day. However, i am going to point out that it is the 20th anniversary since World's Aids Day is being recognized universally and still some places in the world havent come to grips with the pandemic.

Message from Diane Corriette, Manager of Dominican.Diaspora website

You never know when inspiration will strike and while washing up yesterday I thought about all the expertise that is on this wonderful network and the best way to utilise that for free for the benefit of young adults.

So I thought about mentoring young people in Dominica aged 17-24.This would not be promising them anything - like money or a job - but just providing them with your expertise (for example if they wanted to run a business) or just to keep them motivated if they are working towards something.

As a member of the diaspora do you feel able to give your time and expertise to something like that?It would be run through a private site. Run by young people (with me overseeing it) and it would contain positive people from this DD network, living around the world making a difference to young people in Dominica.

Having said that there would be nothing wrong with making a difference to our young in the diaspora too.

Thoughts, suggestions, ideas are welcome. It seems a shame to have all this expertise on here and not to make the most of it!

For more information, to give suggestions and feedback click here

President-elect Obama promises “new chapter” on climate change

More than 600 climate change leaders from across the country and around the world convened in Los Angeles today for the opening sessions of the Global Climate Summit, a 2-day event arranged by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to break gridlock on the issue ahead of next month's United Nations Climate Change Conference in Poznan, Poland.

In a short video addressed to the Summit's attendees, President-elect Obama emphasized his enthusiasm for the Poznan Conference and promised that his administration would mark a "new chapter in American leadership on climate change."

more here

Pray don’t find fault with the man who limps
Or stumbles along the road,
Unless you have worn the shoes he wears
Or struggled beneath his load
There may be tacks in his shoes that hurt,
Though hidden away from view,
And the burden he bears, placed on your back,
May cause you to stumble too.

Don’t sneer at the man who is down today
Unless you have felt the blow
That caused his fall, or felt the shame
That only the fallen know.
You may be strong, but still the blows
That were his, if dealt to you
At the self-same time in the self-same way,
May cause you to stagger too.

Don’t be too harsh with the man who sins
Or pelt him with words or stones
Unless you are sure, yea, doubly sure,
That you have no sins of your own.
For who knows, perhaps, if the tempter’s voice
Would whisper softly to you
As it did to him when he went astray
Would cause you to falter too.

It's not often that i read books, i just dont find the time to do it. But lately, i have found myself reading alot. i just finished reading Zoukland by Henderson and i have a book from Aurelius Gordon (Come Ye Forward Sons and Daughters, 2002) waiting on my bed for when i return to Dominica.

Currently though I am reading one of those self-help, self development books. While reading it i always remember this line by Billy Bob Thorton in this movie School for Scroundrels "How many of you have self-help books? Okay, that's your first problem. You can't help yourself, because your *self* sucks!", lol. (Don't worry that is not my quote for the week though)

I still find myself reading one by John C. Maxwell, America's expert on leadership, although im sure that is just a promotional tool. That is besides the point though, today's quote is taken from his book: The 17 Essential Qualities Of A Team Player.

In the book by Maxwell he quotes Cavett Roberts on page 15 in a text box as saying that "True Progress in any field is a relay race and not a single event." I think it clearly means that in everything you do thta you can't really do it alone, being human is about being dependent on someone for some help, assistance, cooperation, collaboration. That is why we are social beings, that is why we live in communities instead of being cooped up in the hills all alone, although some people do that but that is the exception and not the rule.

I also take it to mean that in everything you do, you shouldnt see yourself as the focus point but instead you should see the bigger picture, being the team. Striving to be a team player and improving the team should be one's objective and in so doing we also develop ourselves in the process. There's more that can be said about this quote but i've got work to do, so until next time...

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