Press Releases


Action2015 Campaigning 2015 Grant Update, Gambian Civil Society Organisation CAID Succeeded


Dear colleagues,

The action/2015 Grant Selection Committee received over 230 requests from over 70 countries during the current grant cycle and is pleased to announce that the following 44 applicants from 41 countries were selected to receive grant funding.

Africa
  • National coalition action/2015 (Benin)
  • Coalition Yikiri pour la Jeunesse dans l’agenda post-2015 (Burkina Faso)
  • Action for Peace and Development (Burundi)
  • Action/2015 National Coalition (Cameroon)
  • AFHON Cote d’Ivoire (Cote d’Ivoire)
  • HelpAge International (Ethiopia)
  • Attac Gabon (Gabon)
  • Abibimman Foundation / GCAP (Ghana)
  • HelpAge International (Kenya)
  • Centre for Peace & Development Effectiveness  (Liberia)
  • Council for NGOs in Malawi (Malawi)
  • Alliance contre la Pauvreté au Mali «GCAP/Mali » (Mali) 
  • PAN Mauritius (Mauritius)
  • Climate & Sustainable Development Network of Nigeria (Nigeria)
  • Healthy People (Rwanda)
  • GCAP Senegal (Senegal)
  • Youth Partnership for Peace and Development (Sierra Leone)
  • Coalition: Africa Monitor, World Vision, Africa Unite, ONE and Save the Children (South Africa)
  • Human Rights Institute of South Africa (South Africa)
  • GCAP Tanzania (Tanzania)
  • The Children and Community Initiative for Development – CAID (The Gambia)
  • Jeunes Verts Togo (Togo)
  • Africa Monitor Trust (Uganda)
  • Uganda National NGO Forum (Uganda)
  • Zambia Council for Social Development (Zambia)
  • National Associaion of NGOs
Asia
  • Coalition for Action/2015 – secretariat:  World Vision Bangladesh (Bangladesh)
  • NACDOR (India)
  • Spektrum Pelangi Indonesia Foundation (Indonesia)
  • AWAZ Foundation (Pakistan)
  • Global Call Against Poverty (Philippines)
  • Earthlanka (Sri Lanka)
Latin America and the Caribbean
  • Red Argentina para la Cooperación Internacional - RACI (Argentina)
  • Caribbean Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Livelihoods (Barbados)
  • Red Asociación de Voluntarios de Bolivia/Asociación Nacional de Adultos Mayores de Bolivia –ANAMBO (Bolivia)
  • Fundação Abrinq/Save the Children (Brazil)
  • Confederación Colombiana de ONG (Colombia)
  • Asociación Regional Centroamericana por el Agua y el Ambiente - ARCA (Costa Rica)
  • Alianza ONG (Dominican Republic)
  • Siglo XXIII (El Salvador)
  • Investigación, Organización y Acción Comunitaria Altepetl AC (Mexico)
  • Coalición Nacional Llamado de Acción contra la Pobreza, GCAP Nicaragua (Nicaragua)
  • SINERGIA (Venezuela)
Middle East and North Africa
  • IndyAct (Lebanon)

We will soon have other rounds of grant opportunities and we will make sure to circulate these out as soon as they are ready. We are expecting the next round of grants to be available in March-April for mobilization activities in May and June.

In the meantime, we hope that you are all getting ready for the campaign launch (see campaign launch products’ description below). As ever, if you have any questions or recommendations, please do not hesitate to contact the Global Hub, Campaign Launch Action Team or the points of contact of your national coalitions and regional coordinators.

Wishing a lovely and festive holiday season.

Sincerely,

The Grant Selection Committee, on behalf of the action/2015 team

Advancing youth agricultural entrepreneurship and ICT innovations to boost climate-resilient food value chains

The Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA) is a joint international institution of the European Union (EU) and African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group of States. Its mission is to advance food and nutritional security, increase prosperity and encourage sound natural resource management in ACP countries. It provides access to information and knowledge, facilitates policy dialogue and strengthens the capacity of agricultural and rural development institutions and communities.

Objective: The objective of this grant is to advance agricultural entrepreneurship and ICT innovations by young people. It responds to the strategic need to strengthen the involvement of youth in agriculture. It will support youth capacity building and entrepreneurship in ICT for agriculture (ICT4Ag) and promote youth employment opportunities. The call for proposals builds on various activities that CTA has been implementing in the area of agribusiness, value chain development, ICT for agriculture, and youth in agriculture (notably within the framework of the Agriculture, Rural Development and Youth in the Information Society (ARDYIS) project).

Proposals can be submitted in the following two categories:

Category 1: Proposals aimed at strengthening youth engagement and entrepreneurship in strategic food commodity value chains. They will favour the consolidation of agro-food cooperatives or companies led by young people, or the creation of innovative agro-entrepreneurial mechanisms for the benefit of youths.
Category 2: Proposals aimed at implementing the “AgriHack Talent” programme at national or regional level, with a focus on value chain development, regional trade or climate change adaptation for strategic food commodities. The objective of the AgriHack Talent programme initiated by CTA is to support ICT innovations and entrepreneurship in agriculture by youth. It encompasses a series of activities at the heart of which a hackathon or coding competition is organised, followed by capacity building, entrepreneurship support in ICT and agriculture business, as well as promotion of the products developed. Proposals may include other activities, or may not include all activities of the model.

For both categories, successful applicants will receive grants ranging from EUR 30 000 to 100 000.
Who can apply: Only youth organisations or organisations working on youth issues can submit proposals.
Language: Proposals may be submitted in either French or English
Submission method: By email to youthgrant@cta.int
Deadline: Applications must be submitted on or before 15 February 2015 at 23:59 hours, Netherlands time.

-----

Please share this to your networks and on social media:

- Twitter:
#Youth Call for Proposals: Apply by February 2015 http://bit.ly/youth-call-cta #entrepreneurship #youthagri  #ICT4ag @ardyis_cta @CTAflash

- Facebook, Google+
Apply to the CTA Youth Call for proposals by 15 February 2015!
Advancing youth agricultural entrepreneurship and ICT innovations to boost climate-resilient food value chains

More information: http://bit.ly/cta-youth-call
 

U.S. Mission to UNESCO (USUNESCO)
Media Training and Development Small Grant Opportunity


The U.S. Mission to UNESCO has a small fund available to support projects aimed at the promotion of media independence and pluralism, development of community media, radio and television organizations, modernization of national and regional news agencies, and training of media professionals. Proposals should be 1-2 pages in length and include a brief description of the project, the partner organization(s), and a simple budget. The deadline for proposals is 24 August, 2014. Projects that are accepted for funding may receive a grant worth up to US$10,000.

UNESCO has a unique mandate within the UN system to promote freedom of expression and freedom of the press as a basic human right and is the lead agency for the UN-wide Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity. One of the major themes of UNESCO’s work in ensuring a free press is a focus on training, professional and technical development of the media in developing countries. Through its Intergovernmental Program for the Development of Communication (IPDC), UNESCO supports media projects but also seeks to secure a healthy environment for the growth of free and pluralistic media in developing countries. Through this small grant opportunity, the U.S. Mission to UNESCO seeks to support the themes highlighted by the IPDC at UNESCO, specifically:

Promotion of freedom of expression and media pluralism: encouraging the free flow of information and strengthening communication capacities in developing countries, including promoting a safe environment for journalists and media workers, on creating a pluralistic media environment through the development of Community-based media, and encouraging transparency of administration at local levels.

Capacity development for journalists, media managers and journalism educators/trainers: improving the knowledge, skills and awareness of media professionals; basic and advanced training to increase the investigative capacities of media workers and the management expertise of executives as well as building the institutional capacities of journalism education institutions and providing training to trainers.

Integration of traditional news media and new trends in communication: assisting stand-alone traditional media platforms to take advantage of the new communications environment (e.g., launching online and social media outlets).

For more information on this small grant program, contact the Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Embassy Banjul via email PublicDiplomacyBanjul@state.gov.

Innovation Prize for Africa (IPA) 2015 now open – USD 150,000 in prizes for continent’s brightest innovators to accelerate Africa’s development

With 2000 innovators from 48 countries entering in its first three years; IPA 2015 takes investment in unleashing and supporting sustainable African led innovation past half a million USD

JOHANNESBURG, South-Africa, August 1, 2014/ -- The African Innovation Foundation (AIF) (http://www.africaninnovation.org) is calling on all African innovators to submit their entries for the fourth edition of the Innovation Prize for Africa (IPA) competition (http://www.innovationprizeforafrica.org). The IPA is presented annually, enabling and encouraging African pioneers to develop creative ideas and techniques to overcome some of the challenges faced by the continent and support sustainable development.

Capture.PNGVideo of IPA Winner 2014: http://africaninnovationnews.com/wp-content/uploads/video/2014/src/IPA_2014v2.mp4

Photo: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/index.php?level=picture&id=1269 (AIF and IPA founder Jean-Claude Bastos de Morais with the 2014 IPA winners: Dr. Nicolaas Duneas & Mr. Nuno Pires and the Nigerian Former Minister of Science and Technology)

Logo Innovation Prize for Africa (IPA): http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/plog-content/images/apo/logos/ipa-3.jpg

Logo African Innovation Foundation (AIF): http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/plog-content/images/apo/logos/aif.jpg

“At the African Innovation Foundation we are passionate about Africa and its potential, that we firmly believe will be led by empowering a new generation of African innovators and entrepreneurs.  But we also recognise that this new generation needs the resources and the opportunities to realise their ambition,” said AIF and IPA founder Jean-Claude Bastos de Morais.  “ IPA provides a platform to encourage and harness these entrepreneurial skills in order to help improve the lives of Africans and to help realise untapped potential. The prize is also a great way of unleashing creativity and promoting growth within the African continent.”

The IPA is becoming integral to facilitating ground-breaking thinking, creativity and driving awareness to the outstanding work being done in Africa by Africans. IPA 2013 winner, AgriProtein went on to raise $11 million to build its first two commercial farms in Cape Town.

“Africa needs meaningful investment to alleviate poverty and provide inclusive prosperity. To achieve this, we need to be able to provide environments that promote quality investment for the people and reduce risks. Forums like the IPA are necessary to make the most of the continent's investment," said AgriProtein spokesperson, David Drew.

All innovations are evaluated based on the following criteria: originality, marketability, scalability, social impact and scientific/technical aspects. The best submission will be awarded a grand prize of USD 100 000.  The second prize of USD 25 000 will be awarded to an innovator with an innovation which has the best commercial and business potential. An additional award is a special prize granted to the innovator whose innovation has the best social impact in the community.

The IPA encourages entries in five key categories: Agriculture and Agribusiness, Environment, Energy and Water, Health and Wellbeing, ICT applications, and Manufacturing and Services Industries.

Recognising home grown innovative ingenuity, the prize contributes to increased funding of start-ups, adoption of new and emerging technologies and accelerated growth of the private sector.   With ever changing economic and social environments, it is critical that proposed solutions tackle issues affecting African lives, and that they are effective and are different from the existing ones. 

IPA 2014 named Dr Nicolaas Duneas and Mr Nuno Pires from South Africa the winners of the grand Prize and received USD 100’000 for their Altis Osteogenic Bone Matrix (Altis OBM TM), the first injectable porcine derived BMP medical device in the world — an innovative product for the treatment of bone injuries and voids through the use of a regenerative biological implant.

The IPA also beckons all investors, governments and other stakeholders interested in evaluating, investing and maximising the continent’s resources to participate in this innovative and empowering initiative and make a significant change through generous contributions that will accelerate the Africa’s economic growth.

The deadline for submitting applications for IPA 2015 is 31 October 2014 at 24h00 GMT. For more information on competition categories, conditions of entry, and submission details, please visit: http://innovationprizeforafrica.org/.

Distributed by APO (African Press Organization) on behalf of the Innovation Prize for Africa (IPA).


Contacts
Janine Raftopoulos, Burson-Marsteller
Phone: +27 11 480 8525
Email: Janine.raftopoulos@bm-africa.com

Pauline Mujawamariya, AIF    
Phone: + 41 44 515 5466  
Email: ipainfo@africaninnovation.org

About IPA
The Innovation Prize for Africa (IPA) (http://www.innovationprizeforafrica.org) is an award founded by the African Innovation Foundation (http://www.africaninnovation.org). It mobilizes African innovators and entrepreneurs by providing a total of USD 150 000 to winners who deliver market-oriented solutions for African-led development. The IPA honours and encourages innovative achievements that contribute toward developing new products, increasing efficiency or cost savings in Africa. The prize also encourages private equity investors, government and development leaders to invest across sectors and build a climate that fuels Africa’s economic growth.  For more information and additional media background go to http://www.innovationprizeforafrica.org , and follow the IPA on Twitter (https://twitter.com/#!/IPAprize) and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/InnovationPrizeforAfrica).

About AIF
The African Innovation Foundation (AIF) (http://www.africaninnovation.org) is a new model of 'next generation' African foundations, mobilising innovation across the continent for the personal, cultural and economic benefit of all Africans. AIF’s projects are aimed at releasing untapped potential in Africa, stimulating African ideas & perspectives within emerging industries and across diverse disciplines.  For more information visit http://www.africaninnovation.org/

SOURCE 
Innovation Prize for Africa (IPA)



Call for proposals for innovative energy technology ideas
Dear Colleagues,

Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe  would like to bring to your attention an interesting opportunity to develop innovative start-ups in climate-friendly energy sector  :

The European Institute of Technology's (EIT) Knowledge and Innovation Community (KIC) for InnoEnergy calls for proposals for innovative climate friendly energy technology ideas

Two among six fields in which KIC InnoEnergy strengthens European innovation and entrepreneurship is Renewable Energies and Clean coal technologies. It does this through so-called ‘innovation projects.’ Financing ranges from Eur 0.5 – 5m for technology start-ups and lasts 3 years while the technology is expected to be on the market in five. 

KIC InnoEnergy’s current call for proposals for innovative energy technology ideas closes on May 23, 2014. More information is available here: http://www.greenhorizon-online.com/index.php/Europe/eit-kic-starts-innovation-once-more.html

Enquiries are also welcome to Jerome Simpson at REC: jsimpson@rec.org who as KIC InnoEnergy partner for central and eastern Europe coordinates outreach and the development of innovation projects concerning the region.

Thank you and best wishes,

Mariia Khovanskaia (Ms)
Expert
Climate Change and Clean Energy Topic Area
Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe HQ
Hungary

CALL FOR ENTRIES: Media Awards on Electrical Counterfeiting in Africa

Schneider Electric (http://www.schneider-electric.com), the global specialist in energy management, is sponsoring the first edition of the Media Awards on Electrical Counterfeiting in Africa, to be held between February 18 and March 9, 2014.

Logo: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/plog-content/images/apo/logos/schneider_electric.jpg

This competition is open to African journalists who publish or broadcast original investigative reports on issues relating to electrical counterfeiting in Africa.

Interested journalists can each submit up to two pieces of work, which can include articles from traditional print or recognized online newspapers, magazines, or journals; radio broadcasts; television documentaries or reports.

The entry form is available at http://www.apo-opa.com/entryform

Eligible works must be published or broadcast between 18 February and 9 March 2014.

Articles or broadcasts can be submitted in French or English. Works not originally published or broadcast in one of two languages must be translated into one of the two competition languages in order to be considered for submission.

A press release presenting the winning entry will be distributed on March 12. Winning journalist will be invited to attend the POWER-GEN Africa 2014 (http://www.powergenafrica.com), the leading international conference for the power sector in sub-Saharan Africa.

All entries must be received by no later than 9 March 2014.

About Schneider Electric
As a global specialist in energy management with operations in more than 100 countries, Schneider Electric (http://www.schneider-electric.com) offers integrated solutions across multiple market segments, including leadership positions in Utilities & Infrastructure, Industries & Machines Manufacturers, Non-residential Building, Data Centres & Networks and in Residential. Focused on making energy safe, reliable, efficient, productive and green, the Group's 140,000 plus employees achieved sales of 24 billion euros in 2012, through an active commitment to help individuals and organizations make the most of their energy.

SOURCE 
Schneider Electric SA

First African Blogger Awards now open for entries

The continent’s very first awards programme that measures online and social influencers’ reach and influence

CAPE-TOWN, South-Africa, February 26, 2014/ -- Entries to the 2014 African Blogger Awards (http://www.africanbloggerawards.com), the continent’s very first awards programme that measures online and social influencers’ reach and influence through data analysis, are open to bloggers, Instagrammers, Tweeters and YouTubers across Africa.

Logo: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/plog-content/images/apo/logos/african-blogger-awards-logo.png

Infographic "The African Digital Frontier": http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/plog-content/images/apo/photos/140226.png

The Awards have been divided into 36 categories, providing the opportunity for influencers on these platforms to be measured objectively against their peers, and duly recognised for their achievements.

Categories are diverse, and include sectors such as Advice, Fashion and Beauty, Events and Nightlife, Education, Sports, Political, Technology and Gadgets, and Youth Culture among others.

“The African Blogger Awards are the first completely impartial, objective awards for online and social influencers on the African continent because winners will be determined by data analytics provided by Webfluential, and not through peer nominations,” says Mike Sharman, co-founder of the African Blogger Awards.

The Awards will also give brands and the marketing industry, including advertisers, public relations agencies and media buyers in each country, an impartial measurement of the most relevant online and social influencers to include in their campaigns, making sure that they achieve the greatest possible impact for their marketing spend.

There is no cost to enter, but entrants are required to register their blog, Twitter, Instagram or YouTube profile (or a combination thereof) on Webfluential (http://www.webfluenti.al), a platform designed to quantify the reach, resonance and relevance of bloggers, Instagrammers, Tweeters and YouTubers with over 1000 active, legitimate followers. Evaluation of the entrants will be managed primarily through Webfluential (https://webfluenti.al)

•          Reach measures the size of an influencer's audience (following) per social media network.
•          Resonance is a measure of how widely the content that an influencer shares reaches outside of their own community.
•          Relevance is a measure of the response from the influencer's community in the form of likes, comments, retweets.

Bloggers, Instagrammers, Tweeters and YouTubers who are permanent residents of any African country are eligible to enter the African Blogger Awards.

Entries for the awards close on 9 March 2014 at midnight GMT+2, and results will be announced on 16 April 2014 via the competition’s Twitter profile, @African_Blogger, from 11h00 GMT+2. Overall awards for Africa’s Top Blogger, Top Instagrammer, Top Tweeter and Top YouTuber will be announced on 18 April 2014 at a celebration hosted in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Winners in each category will receive a web banner announcing their achievement that can be personally-leveraged through their social network and a commemorative trophy.

“As the competition grows, we plan to host the awards ceremony in other cities on the African continent each year, in recognition of the enormous influence that the online community has on news, lifestyle, media and marketing across the continent,” says Murray Legg, co-founder of the African Blogger Awards.

Distributed by APO (African Press Organization) on behalf of the 2014 African Blogger Awards.


Media contact:
Nicky James
Tribeca Public Relations
011 208 5527
Nickyj@tribecapr.co.za

SOURCE 
2014 African Blogger Awards

GIABA builds the capacities of Law Enforcement Agencies


The Inter-governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA) will
organise a national training workshop on the Detection, Dismantling and Investigation of Money
Laundering/Financing and Terrorism (ML/FT) for Law Enforcement Agencies in Dakar, Senegal, from the 25th to the 28th of February 2014.

The aim of the workshop is to develop and improve the technical skills and capacities of the staff of the agencies to enable them effectively investigate money laundering, financing of terrorism and other financial crimes. It is also aimed at helping participants make good use of international cooperation and information sharing with financial intelligence units
(FIUs).

FATF's recommendations on anti-money laundering and counter financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) require that countries give competent authorities the financial, human and technical resources they need to perform their duties. Moreover, Mutual Evaluation reports and the Follow-Up reports of GIABA member States have shown that law enforcement authorities lack the required capacity discharge their statutory obligations adequately.

This situation has been traced to the following: the lack of political will; the lack of suitable legislative frameworks, appropriate skills and resources; and the absence of intelligence sharing between authorities to conceptualise the core elements of economic and financial crimes.

As part of its technical assistance role, GIABA assists its member States at both the national and regional levels by providing capacity-building programmes to stakeholders. During the workshop, judges and investigators, who have to deal with economic and financial crimes, will be better equipped, through case studies, drills and specific instruments, to effectively cope with the challenges posed by the ML/FT scourge in the sub-region. The workshop is expected to enhance the capacities of AML/CFT enforcement officers and enable them to better gather and present evidence in ML/TF
cases.

ENFORCEMENT OF QUALITY STANDARDS IN TOURISM ESTABLISHMENTS

Following our press release in the print media carried for several weeks in September 2013 with respect to the maintenance of standards, fair play and equity, the general public is hereby informed that the Gambia Tourism Board in exercise of the provisions of the Gambia Tourism Board Act and Tourism Regulations 2011, respectively, has decided to close down the following establishments with effect from Thursday 6th February, 2014 until further notice:
1.      Wow Night Club located on the Senegambia Strip, Kololi
2.      Totties Night Club located on the Senegambia Strip Kololi

These Night Clubs failed to meet minimum standards for operation after an inspection and in addition Wow Night Club consistently measured unacceptable sound level of above 80 decibels.

Other establishments who have been warned about their unacceptable noise levels are by this press release cautioned that if they do not desist from playing music beyond the statutory limits established by the GT Board; they would suffer the same fate as the two clubs above. 

The GT Board would continue to monitor all tourism establishments for standards, fair play and sound and ethical business practices.

Tourism establishments especially Bars and Restaurants. Guest House, Camps, Lodges Night clubs, Hotels, Ground Operators and Equipment Hirers are hereby reminded to take the necessary actions within their establishments to meet the requisite standards.

You are kindly requested to visit our quality Control & licensing office at Senegambia for support and guidance. The GT Board equally solicits your support and collaboration in ensuring that Destination Gambia continues to maintain its competitive edge.

GT Board Management 


Support for green economy surges but crucial gaps remain

Governments, businesses, investors and others are embracing the ‘green economy’ idea, but differences in the way they interpret it pose barriers to sustainable development, according to a report published today by the International Institute for Environment and Development and the Green Economy Coalition.

The Green Economy Barometer report, produced for a three day conference on ‘real green economies’ at Wilton Park this week, provides a current analysis of who is doing what, where, and why.

“The green economy concept is an antidote to the prevailing brown economy, which is a major driver of environmental degradation and inequality,” says Oliver Greenfield Convenor of the Green Economy Coalition. “Its purpose is to improve both society and the natural environment. Right now though, the most powerful players are backing a narrower goal of ‘green growth’, which risks being discredited unless it more effectively tackles inequality.”

The report outlines ways to bridge this and other gaps that could jeopardise the transition towards inclusive, sustainable development.

Who are the players?
While the United States and most Latin American countries have not pursued the green economy or green growth concepts, many other nations have. They include: China; Denmark; Ethiopia; Indonesia; Mauritius; Mexico; Morocco; Peru, Vietnam; Philippines; South Africa; South Korea; Thailand, Rwanda, and the Caribbean region.

Other emerging leaders include research institutes, civil society organizations, consultancy firms (such as McKinsey and PWC), the ‘B Team’ group of business leaders, investors, development banks and bilateral donors.

What are they doing?
·         Development banks are providing billions of dollars to support green growth and encourage private sector investment
·         Countries, rich and poor, are developing national green economy strategies and legislation
·         Companies and international institutions such as the World Bank and UN agencies are developing ways to measure the social and environmental performance of economies, with metrics that go beyond tradition GDP and shareholder value.
·         New ‘green financial products’ — such as green insurance bonds — have also come onto the market. Some of the world’s largest investment banks have drafted voluntary guidelines for the development and issuance of green bonds.

While the players are beginning to align their views and activities, there are important gaps.

A question of equity
Although governments and international institutions have stressed the benefits of ‘inclusive green growth’ for poor people, they have ignored the emerging crisis of rising inequality – which is undermining our economies and our political systems. The nascent global and national architecture for a green economy is ill equipped for delivering more equitable outcomes.

“The challenge is to marry a broad concept of green with equity and inclusion, creating growth at all levels of the economy and ensuring that everyone shares in the benefits” says lead-author Emily Benson. But while the gap between “green economy” and “green growth” has narrowed, it still poses challenges. Most ‘green growth’ models still envisage that welfare gains will trickle down through existing channel, rather than resulting from progressive economic and social policy.

“In contrast to green growth, which has focused on attracting investment, green economy targets wider and deeper reform to create an economic system that better serves society,” says Steve Bass, head of IIED’s sustainable markets group. “A green economy should start where the majority of people are, tackling poverty and helping them to develop their assets and meet their needs and aspirations. So it should actively include the informal economy, small and medium enterprises, and locally owned and run solutions — not just big business.”

The report is attached here, under embargo until Monday 24 February at 00.01am

Contacts for interviews
Oliver Greenfield (oliver.greenfield@greeneconomycoalition.org)
Emily Benson (emily.benson@greeneconomycoalition.org
Steve Bass, IIED (steve.bass@iied.org)

ENDS

Mike Shanahan, PhD
Press officer
International Institute for Environment and Development
80-86 Gray’s Inn Road, London WC1X 8NH, UK. Tel: +44 (0)20 3463 7399; Fax: +44 (0)20 3514 9055

Biodiversity Media Alliance http://biodiversitymedia.ning.com
Climate Change Media Partnership roster http://climatechangemedia.ning.com

African Youth Panel (AYP) Call for New Members 2014

Dear All,

As part of its strategic directions to cover the entire African continent, The African Youth Panel www.africanyouthpanel.org is calling for new members into its fold from the underlisted countries attached in this email.

The African Youth Panel  is a platform of youth leaders from different African Countries and consists of members with diverse skills and backgrounds including academicians, activist, artists, civil society experts and politicians.
The African Youth Panel (AYP) is a non-profit and non-governmental platform of participation and exchange among youths in Africa, promoting the culture of development and implementing local, national and regional initiatives through its member organizations.
Email attached completed forms to  info@africanyouthpanel.org, on or before March 5, 2014


VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT -- Programmes Officer, IWA

The International Water Association is recruiting a full-time programmes officer to be part of its programmes team supporting the development, implementation and dissemination of various projects. 

The programmes officer will support the thematic programme: Water, Climate and Energy, with a particular emphasis on a new project working towards achieving carbon neutral water and wastewater utilities, as well as the wider urban water cycle. Furthermore, the incumbent will also provide support to projects and activities related to the utility member segment of IWA. 

The successful incumbent will have a master’s degree or equivalent in water management, environmental engineering, or other relevant field. S/he will have excellent communication (written and oral), research and analytical skills, with experience working in an international organisation and Latin America countries. 

S/he will have a good background in project design, implementation and evaluation and also experience in mobilising financial resources with donors. S/he will have knowledge of energy efficiency and production in water and wastewater utilities as well as addressing greenhouse emissions in the urban water sector. 

S/he will have the ability to coordinate and organise groups of experts in supporting energy and carbon reduction in water and wastewater utilities. The successful incumbent will speak fluently in English and Spanish.

Duty station: The Hague, The Netherlands.

Required Skills/Experience

·         Master’s degree or equivalent in in water management, environmental engineering, or other relevant field;
·         5+ years professional experience in the water and sanitation sector in related public entities, non-for profit organisations or private companies, with some international experience (i.e. working on projects or partners from multiple countries);
·         Experience in coordinating inputs from a wide-ranging group of experts, distilling and synthesising inputs into documents;
·         Sound knowledge of addressing energy efficiency and production in water and wastewater utilities, and greenhouse emissions in the urban water sector;
·         Strong communicator – in English and Spanish – with excellent networking and facilitation skills;
·         Ability to multi-task, effectively prioritize and work accurately under time constraints;
This is an exciting opportunity for a proactive, entrepreneurial, early career professional to be part of a global organisation working to support a growing network of water professionals.

To Apply: To be considered for this position, please submit your resume, cover letter and two references to: recruitment@iwahq.org  before March 5th, 2014.

Katharine Cross
Programmes Coordinator
International Water Association (IWA)
Mobile: +31621879553
Skype: katharine.cross_iwa

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