Category: Culture

The annual Ecotourism Initiative festival has been marked by residents of Vodza in the Keta Municipality of the Volta region with the aim of promoting ecotourism and culture in the area.

The initiative represents the dream that had existed since the reclamation of the land from the sea (Atlantic Ocean) and the dredging of the Keta Lagoon in the 1990s with the hope of transforming the ecological and cultural resources into iconic tourism destination with conservation of biodiversity of present and future generations.

Mr Joshua Kaleawo Agbezudor, Chairman of the occasion, in an interview, disclosed to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that the festival was also aimed at reuniting families and friends for the required bonding, relationship and development of the area.

'This year's celebration was the second edition, which helped in keeping and promoting the rich cultural values of Vodza,' he said.

Mr Agbezudor, who is also the 'Eƒufia' (Chief Fisherman) of Vodza further expressed joy over the high patronage by people who traveled from far and near to join in the celebrations.

He called on individuals, philanthropists, and corporate organisations to support them for a bigger festival in the future.

Audrey Gadzekpo, Professor at the Department of Communication Studies, University of Ghana, who is also a native of Vodza, told the GNA that residents contributed for the organisation of the festival.

'Our idea is to help promote our cultural ecosystem and tourism potential in our area to the world. We have tourism sites such as Atorkor slave market, ?enya Vudo, Woe Light House, Fort Prinzenstein, the Lagoon, and the Sea, among others that attracts people during occasions, which need to be promoted,' she added.

Some residents the GNA interacted with expressed excitement and commended the organisers for their effort in bringing development to the area.

The festival also saw residents competing in some sporting disciplines such as regatta, swimming, boat racing and food bazaar, which displayed various indigenous dishes of the area.

There were also a display of rich traditional culture through drumming and dancing.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Mr. Mark OkrakuMantey, Deputy Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture has launched the 2023 Kwahu Easter paragliding festival at Odweanoma mountains at Atibie in Kwahu South Municipality.

At the ceremony, he said the paragliding was a major role for domestic and international tourism for Ghana.

He said in 2022, Ghana was adjudged the number one in tourism in West Africa and said President Nana Addo DankwaAkufo-Addo's viable decision for the tourism industry contributed to the achievement.

He commended the participation of the private sectors in the tourism industry and said tourism was a marketing environment which everyone could benefit from. ' Tourism is no longer a facade, it's a big business for profit so we should all get involved. The whole country will benefit from the equity if we play the game well.'

Paragliding is an aviation sport that is enjoyed by hundreds of people around the world.

The origin of paragliding has roots in the sport of parachuting. In Ghana, paragliding was initiated by the Ministry of Tourism in April 2005 during the annual Easter Festival in Kwahu Atibie. It was organized to coincide with the Easter festivities that year on the Odweanoma Mountains, with the exception of 2009.

The paragliding festival has been organized each year. As an aviation sport, the event is patronized by both local and international tourists during the Easter season.

Mr . Akwasi Agyeman, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Ghana Tourism Authority said the authority was determined about the domestic tourism promotion under the Ghana Tourism Development Project which was currently being administered by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture. Especially the ' Experience Ghana, Share Ghana ' campaign.

He said the campaign was to encourage the public to travel and experience Ghana through attractions, food, clothing, music and dance.

'The public will also have the opportunity to experience Ghana with discounted tour packages and a chance to win prizes by sharing the activities they engage in through postings on all social media platforms'.

Mr. Seth Kwame Acheampong, Eastern Regional Minister said ' we cannot be talking about paragliding festival without showcasing our culture, as it is who we are as a people. The region is endeared with diverse natural resources and tourist sites.' Among them are the rivers and lakes in the Kwahu AframPlains, the Kwahu mountain ranges, Bunso canopy walk, Atiwa Forest Reserve, the Digya Forest Reserve in the AframPlains, the Oda big tree, the Boti Water Falls, and AburiBotanical Garden.

He said ' it is our hope that as we continue to celebrate our conservation and preservation of our eco- system as a people, the youth should develop much interest in saying no to poaching, galamsey, and the wanton destruction of our forest reserves. Let us take conscious steps to imbibe in importance Our of youth the the rich vegetation cover which have been handed down to us by our ancestors.' He expressed the hope that taking cognizance of the festival vitality and values would better equip the people to build a better eco-system to survive us and the generation yet to come.

There were seven pilots for the paragliding flight at this year's Kwahu Easter festival and the patronage was encouraging.

Source: Ghana News Agency

Celebrated musician Winky D, who sings about the economic meltdown in Zimbabwe, is pulled off stage by police mid-show. Zimbabwe police on March 4, 2023 stormed the stage and shut down the show of a popular musician known for his critical commentary, Human Rights Watch said today. Wallace Chirumiko, 40, known as “Winky D,” is a celebrated reggae-dancehall artist who recently released an album that contains lyrics against social and political injustice, corruption, and the economic meltdown in Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe authorities should promptly investigate and take appropriate action against officials responsible for this and other acts of intimidation, harassment, and threats against artists peacefully expressing their views. Particularly ahead of general elections expected in July or August, the authorities need to fully respect and protect the rights to freedom of speech, expression, and assembly. “Shutting down Winky D’s show sends a message that Zimbabwe’s authorities are willing to harass even the most popular performers for what they say,” said Idriss Ali Nassah, senior Africa researcher at Human Rights Watch. “The Zimbabwe government needs to quickly take strong action to demonstrate that free expression will be respected, or there will be genuine concerns that upcoming elections can’t be credible, free, and fair.” Following the release of Winky D’s album in January, the Economic Empowerment Group, a lobbying group affiliated with the ruling Zanu-PF party of President Emmerson Mnangagwa, held a news conference saying that Winky D should be banned from performing at any public event or public venue in Zimbabwe, and that all local radio stations should be forbidden to play his music. The group accused the musician of instigating dissent among the country’s youth as part of a “regime change agenda.” Members of Zimbabwe’s arts community expressed concern that the government’s actions against Winky D are part of a broader threat to basic rights and liberties ahead of the general election. Winky D’s song ‘ibotso,’ which talks about corruption, mismanagement and the abuse of national resources by an elite few, rattled the authorities and has made Winky D a marked man. With elections looming, any politically conscious popular musician who sings about what is deemed to be anti-government sentiments becomes an enemy and the government will try to intimidate and suppress the thinking of that artist. Theater and film producer Daves Guzha told Human Rights Watch: “The action by the police against Winky D was a clear abuse of power. The National Arts Council of Zimbabwe should stand with artists and take a position to push back against such abuse of power by the state and its agents.” He said: “We can’t have a situation where artists can’t freely express themselves because they fear to be harassed, arrested, or have their rights violated. It is not a crime being an artist. During the same weekend, another popular musician known as Baba Harare, who has over 400,000 Facebook followers and has been using his platforms to encourage young people to register to vote, posted that the police had refused to grant him permission to hold a show. He said no reasons were given. On March 5, Baba Harare wrote on Facebook: “It is with great disappointment that I have to inform you that my scheduled show in Chitungwiza has been cancelled. Police did not give us clearance to perform.” “The harassment of musicians highlights the Zimbabwe government’s growing intolerance of voices deemed critical to the Mnangagwa administration in the run-up to mid-year elections,” Nassah said. “The authorities should stop harassing artists and allow them to express their views and practice their art without fear. The authorities should swiftly act to ensure that police are impartial and are not used to violate freedoms of association and expression protected by international law.” Source: IFEX

In 2021, extreme weather events and natural hazards cost the world US$343 billion in economic losses, the fourth highest year on record. Of these losses, only 40 percent were compensated by an insurance policy.

The covered losses were primarily in high-income countries that are largely responsible for greenhouse gas emissions. Here, infrastructure and populations are better insured. When families can't afford insurance, they have few coping strategies available when disasters strike. In a sudden emergency such as a flood, families can be forced to make tough choices to cover their immediate needs, such as selling assets and livestock.

These decisions can push families deeper into poverty and food insecurity, and limit their ability to withstand future shocks.

What exactly is climate risk insurance?

It is a risk-management tool that compensates people when they suffer financial losses, in exchange for a small fee called a premium. Insurance companies pool the premiums across diverse regions and risks, so large sums of money can be distributed to policy holders when a disaster occurs.

Since the money received is much higher than the premium paid, impacted people can recover quickly or prepare for the future, preventing hunger from taking hold in the long term. The World Food Programme (WFP) helps countries and vulnerable people to access insurance through climate action in 18 countries. In 2021, US$4.7 million in payouts were made to combat the effects of climate change.

Here are four reasons why climate risk insurance is an effective tool for WFP to build resilience, protect livelihoods and enable people to not just survive but thrive.

1. Timeliness and Planning

In any disaster, time is of the essence. With WFP’s climate insurance in place, support reaches households quickly through real-time monitoring and advanced planning.

When WFP purchases insurance policies at the national level, we partner with national disaster response agencies to develop plans for delivering funds as quickly as possible when disaster strikes.

When insuring individual families, WFP and local insurance companies decide how the money will reach affected households in advance. This proactive approach means people receive early assistance after a climate shock, saving more lives and livelihoods and ultimately being more cost-effective.

2. Protection for when its needed most

When WFP helps governments, smallholder farmers and pastoralists to access insurance, it provides rapid finance for social protection systems that allow for scaled-up assistance when an extreme weather event occurs.

“The climate’s changed, weather patterns have changed,” says Abdulahi Heben, a pastoralist in the Somali region of Ethiopia. “We know this is contributing to the drought that we are experiencing.”

Abdulahi and his herd are currently struggling through a record-breaking drought that has forced him to relocate his family from his village to the river 7 km away. He was insured under WFP’s livestock insurance programme, in partnership with the local government.

When two consecutive payouts were triggered, more than 25,000 families received help to protect their herds and meet their immediate needs. Knowing that insurance provides a protective safety net during droughts, pastoralists like Abdulahi can feel comfortable investing in equipment such as water tanks or new irrigation systems.

3. Financial resilience through an integrated approach

WFP promotes insurance through an integrated climate risk management approach that helps farmers to reduce their risk, access insurance, increase savings and invest in their livelihoods. As insurance is not a standalone solution, the package complements insurance so farmers can benefit even in a good season.

“I did not have cash to pay for my insurance so I chose to work for it,” says Khadija Yasi, a farmer in Malawi, where drought is a recurring and severe risk. In Malawi, participants either pay or work for several days to cover the cost of their insurance premiums. “I planted trees and I have been trained in making organic fertilizer for my veggie gardens," adds Khadija. "This is how I paid for my insurance.”

This guarantees that if there is a poor harvest, she will be compensated and can replant her crops that season or the next. “I am also hopeful that with the different farming techniques I am learning, I will not be vulnerable to climate shocks in the future.”

Khadija is also part of her local village savings and loans (VSL) group which helps build up her savings for smaller shocks and take out loans to invest in her future.

4. Establishing new insurance markets

The long-term sustainability of climate risk insurance allows vulnerable policyholders to build resilience to climate shocks. WFP strives to strengthen both the supply and the demand in new insurance markets, so vulnerable people can access and understand these tools, and insurance companies can provide these products independent of WFP’s support. This involves working with local companies and partners to gradually increase how much farmers or governments contribute to the cost of the premiums.

In Senegal, WFP has a well-designed strategy for gradually increasing farmers’ contributions to the premium cost. This resulted in over 7,500 insured farmers paying the full premium in cash in 2021. It’s an example of both successfully growing the number of insured households, and fostering local ownership of the insurance product design.

Source: World Food Programme

Delegates in the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budget) today asked for details on cost savings and efficiency as the Organization’s top official for supply chain management unveiled the Secretariat’s plan to restructure the way the Department of Operational Support manages and delivers equipment and services to peacekeeping missions around the world.

Christian Saunders, Assistant Secretary-General for Supply Chain Management, gave Member States a comprehensive briefing on the new Strategic Deployment Solutions concept, which revamps the existing Strategic Deployment Stocks concept to more effectively and efficiently deliver supplies and services to these missions. At the same time, it would not increase the portion of the United Nations Logistics Base budget related to these activities.

With the new supply chain plan, the United Nations Logistics Base in Brindisi, Italy, could even expand its services to meet the equipment and services needs of special political missions and humanitarian operations, Mr. Saunders said. The logistics base is also known as the United Nations Global Service Centre. “It will make the UN more efficient across the board,” he said. “And it will give Member States much better return on their investment.”

For example, one problem the new concept would tackle is the depreciation, and even obsolescence, of peacekeeping operations equipment, such as bulldozers and other earth-moving equipment, used at missions. Rather than remaining unused with a mission after it accomplished its job, the equipment would be brought back to a central location, refurbished, and then sent out to another mission as needed, he said. That would provide for more effective and cost-efficient use of equipment.

The Department would also gain better pricing by placing orders for vehicles, vaccines, and even blood well in advance through a central buying mechanism rather than waiting for each mission to place and pay for an order.

When the floor was opened for questions, the representative of Italy asked for more details about the factors affecting the project’s estimated implementation time of three to five years. Mr. Saunders said many factors could impact the timeline and explained that the Department would begin the application of the new supply chain system with one or two of the 40 categories of supplies, perhaps engineering and medical supplies.

Responding to the delegate of Mexico’s question on the financial implications, he said the only implications would be those as described. During his presentation, Mr. Saunders had mentioned the reclassification of a P4 Logistics Officer post to a P5 Senior Logistics Officer post, and the creation of one P4 post of Movement Control Officer. This person would manage additional Strategic Deployment Solutions elements and the increased workload of inbound-outbound shipments. Costs would not increase for the clients or the missions.

To the speaker for the United States’ query about how savings will be tracked and reported to Member States, and how a baseline cost — on which to base such savings — will be presented, Mr. Saunders said the costs and accompanying savings can be tracked but the process has become more complicated as inflation has increased prices. The data will be tracked and the Global Service Centre will initially track a few solutions and present the results to the Fifth Committee. He noted that the peacekeeping missions, not the United Nations Logistics Base, will accrue the savings. The missions will also save time through more efficient deliveries.

The representative of Japan, noting the interconnectivity and similarity of stocks in Brindisi, Entebbe and various missions, asked how strategic deployment, regional deployment and mission stocks will be balanced. Mr. Saunders said these missions and Brindisi and Entebbe will work hand-in-hand to improve equipment delivery. For example, the placement of stocks in regional warehouses, like Entebbe, can then be used to more quickly supply missions in remote locales. These remote missions can then reduce their stocks, resulting in less waste and obsolescence.

Responding to the United Kingdom’s delegate on how expansion of a client base will impact efficiency, Mr. Saunders said the United Nations aims to reduce duplication. To do so, the Organization must be considered as one family. An example of how Strategic Deployment Solutions have already supported the entire United Nations family is in Ukraine, he said, where it has provided armoured vehicles to many United Nations agencies, enabling them to implement their programmes quickly. Vehicles in Brindisi were driven by volunteer drivers to the Polish border. Some were brought back; others remained. He said the presentation of a progress report on the Strategic Deployment Solutions concept to the Fifth Committee after 48 months will be important and create value.

The representative of Cameroon, speaking for the African Group, highlighted the importance of stock management, as this issue is connected to those of supply, personnel and sustainable development. Also spotlighting the importance of circularity, which allows for economies of scale and the efficient use of resources, he pointed out that a recent field visit revealed that the cost of shipping certain vehicles to Central Africa from Brindisi exceeds the cost of those vehicles. He said cost-benefit discussions will be followed going forward.

On that point, Mr. Saunders said the use of regional warehouses will allow greater purchases from local and regional vendors, a more efficient use of resources. This will also reduce the transfer of goods over long distances, which will curb the pollution created by ships and aircraft.

The speaker of Iraq thanked the Assistant Secretary-General for his proposal and expressed hope that the same will guide the Fifth Committee to allocate proper resources for the United Nations Logistics Base and other United Nations entities.

Giovanna Ceglie, Director of the United Nations Global Service Centre, pointed out that the resources requested to implement the Strategic Deployment Stocks concept — namely, the creation of a new P4 position and the reclassification of an existing P4 position to a P5 position — will also serve other purposes. The new P4 position is required to implement a digital transformation of supply-chain operations. Much of this is currently done manually, and such transformation is necessary for critical operations such as budget expenditure, contract governance, compliance procedures and automatic shipment planning, she explained. The P5 position reflects the increase in skill required to adopt innovative strategic deployment solutions and to redesign comprehensive sourcing solutions. She added that this reclassification is also needed to improve the structure of the section, which has been lopsided for a number of years.

The Fifth Committee will reconvene at 3 p.m. on Thursday, 12 May, to fill a vacancy in the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ), discuss the financial situation of the United Nations, and consider other peacekeeping financing issues.

Source: UN General Assembly