Climate-Smart Agriculture Online Learning EventFAO welcomes everyone interested in climate-smart agriculture to join an online learning event in mid-May 2014.
2 webinars and online discussionsThe learning event consists of 2 webinars of 1,5 hours, combined with online discussions on Climate-Smart Agriculture approach and policies. The presentations will be followed by a question and answer session where participants have the opportunity to ask the presenters about Climate-Smart Agriculture approach and policies.
- Webinar 1: Climate-Smart Agriculture – definition and approach
- Webinar 2: Implementing Climate-Smart Agriculture – Policies and institutions are key
Reserve your seat now: http://bit.ly/1mdkjXe
The event is organized by FAO’s Climate Change, Energy and Land Tenure division in collaboration with colleagues and partners. Enrolled participants will receive invitations to the webinars and more details prior to the event.
Thursday 3 April 2014
Momentum for Change’s 2014 Lighthouse Activities
The search for Momentum for Change’s 2014 Lighthouse Activities is on!
Spearheaded by the UN Climate Change Secretariat, the Momentum for Change initiative shines a light on the most practical, scalable and replicable examples of what people around the world are doing to tackle climate change.
If you’re leading a small, entrepreneurial project or if you’re part of a large initiative that is transforming cities, governments and businesses, we want to hear from you!
The 2014 Lighthouse Activities will recognize climate action in four key
areas: action by and for the urban poor; action that fosters women’s leadership and empowerment; action that is financing climate friendly investment; and action that uses ICT solutions.
Visit www.momentum4change.org to learn more and apply.
Farming First and IFPRI training workshop for young communicators in Addis Ababa on May 14th, prior to the IFPRI 2020 Resilience Conference.
A reminder to get your applications in for the Farming First and IFPRI training workshop for young communicators in Addis Ababa on May 14th, prior to the IFPRI 2020 Resilience Conference.
The workshop will serve to (a) build participants’ capacity to communicate “resilience” topics more effectively and creatively and (b) generate content throughout the conference and afterwards for populating Farming First and IFPRI online platforms.
The target audience are young communicators working in the agriculture/sustainability/
You can learn more about the workshop and how to apply here:
While the workshop itself is entirely free to participants (including breakfast and lunch on the day), all travel-related expenses are the responsibility of the participants and/or the organization for which they work.
YOBLOCO Awards ACP Blogging Competition 2014
The Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation
ACP-EU (CTA), in collaboration with FARA, Yam-Pukri, CAFAN, AYF, ANAFE, SPC,
PAFPNET and e-Agriculture launched the 2nd Edition of the Youth in
Agriculture Blog Competition (YoBloCo Awards) in Guyana in 2013.
If you didn't know already this contest is organised in the framework of the ARDYIS
project, which aims to raise youth awareness and improve their capacity on
agricultural and rural development issues in ACP countries using Information
and Communication Technologies (ICTs).
The aims of this blog competition are to:
- Put into limelight issues, successes and challenges faced by youth engaged in agriculture, in urban and rural areas;
- Encourage the production of information and the use of new information and communication technologies by young farmers groups and organisations interested in the youth in agriculture question;
- Promote the sharing of information on the issues of agriculture and rural development in African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries.
You can vote for me through this link by following the instructions on the page to vote for this blog and another of your choice :http://www.yobloco.info/about Thanks so much!!!
S4 Foundation World Water Day 2014 Activities
I wanted to do a post on my activities for world water day 2014 besides the previous one to show how small actions can make a difference to the lives of young people . Here in Guyana I run my own foundation called the S4 Foundation which helps men,women and children who have experienced domestic violence and abuse. For world water day we have been donating water to people who need it most . The two donations were made to the National HIV/AIDS Secretariat food bank for persons living with hiv across guyana and the second was made to Gifted Hands Learning Centre for children with special needs including autism .
See a link to the news report of the activity in the Guyana Times : http://www.guyanatimesgy.com/?p=55787
Follow the High-Level Panel "Realising the Promise of Agriculture for Africa's Transformation" organised by CTA on 4th April!
The Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA), in collaboration with the European Commission and the African Union Commission, is organising a very special High-Level Panel entitled “Realising the Promise of Agriculture for Africa’s Transformation” on 4th April 2014 (09:00 – 13:00 CEST) as part of the Brussels Development Briefings.
The panel will discuss the opportunities for investment in African agriculture and the importance of building partnerships to increase productivity and improve the livelihoods of smallholder farmers.
Confirmed speakers include H.E. Mr. Jakaya Kikwete, President of Tanzania, H.E. Mrs. Tumusiime Rhoda Peace, AU Commissioner for Agriculture & Rural Development, Mr. Jøgen Ole Haslestad, CEO of YARA, Mr Frank van Ooijen, Director Sustainability, Friesland Campina, and Mr Theo de Jager, CEO, SACAU.
Following the High-Level Panel, CTA will host a lunch to mark its 30th Anniversary. During the occasion, CTA will also launch a book entitled, Stories of Change: Transforming Lives through Agricultural and Rural Development.
More information on the event can be found in this Press Release and on the Brussels Briefings Blog.
Follow the event LIVE
Webcast: The High-Level Panel will be streamed live as from 09:00 (CEST) on this link: http://bit.ly/1dQIMzg
Live tweets: Follow and join the conversation on Twitter with hashtag #CTA30th
Spread the word on Social Media!
Feel free to share the following suggested posts in your networks:
Facebook/Linkedin/Google+
Join CTA, the European Commission and the African Union Commission on 4th April 2014 for a High-Level Panel to discuss Investment in African Agriculture. Among other distinguished personalities, speakers include H.E. Mr. Jakaya Kikwete, President of Tanzania. On this occasion, CTA will also launch its 30th Anniversary!
Follow and join the conversation on Twitter with hashtag #CTA30th and you can also watch the event via live streaming:http://bit.ly/1dQIMzg !
Find out more here: http://bit.ly/1dQKBMl
Twitter
· Join @CTAFlash, EC and AUC for a High Level Panel on Investment in African #Agriculture on April 4th ! http://ow.ly/vktVS#CTA30th
· Follow the High Level Panel on Investment in African #Agriculture by @CTAFlash on April 4th with hashtag #CTA30th !http://ow.ly/vktVS
· High Level Panel: Investment in African #Agriculture by @CTAFlash will be webcasted on Apr 4th! Watch here:http://bit.ly/1dQIMzg #CTA30th
· Find the Background note on High Level Panel on Investment in African #Agriculture by @CTAFlash here: http://ow.ly/vkHpH#CTA30th
· H.E. Mr. Jakaya Kikwete, Tanzania President to speak at High Level Panel organised by @CTAFlash on 4th Apr!http://ow.ly/vktVS #CTA30th
Wednesday 2 April 2014
Rethinking Development in Latin America :SHAPE Panama 2014 Representing The Georgetown Hub of The Global Shapers Community of The World Economic Forum
So I have been travelling a bit and had limited internet access but for good reason! I would like to share with all my readers my experience of SHAPE Latin America which took place in Panama hosted by the World Economic Forum Global Shapers of the Panama Hub at the amazing City of Knowledge.I represented the Georgetown Guyana Hub along with 5 other members of my hub for 6 spectacular days.
The Panama Shapers kicked off shape by organizing a trip to San Blas sponsored by Coca Cola and we spent the day on the idyllic hook island which belongs to one of the seven Amerindian communities of panama who still inhabit the island. Other highlights include panel discussions and a special lunch with Coca Cola executives, sessions with members of IE Business school,City of Knowledge and breakout sessions on various topics. I chose the one focused on politics in Latin America with a former president of Panama which was nothing short of awesome!.
The experience was unforgettable!. I now have friends from every part of central and Latin America as well as the Caribbean! It was so exciting to find out what every hub and individual is working on .Finding common threads and unexpected ones! .We ventured out into the city parks to ask people what development means to them which was great because we got people from all walks of life to talk about their experiences of the development they have seen in panama and Latin America .
We had a session with Gayle Allard playing "the Monsoon " which is an agricultural game to understand farming families living in poverty and the challenges they face with fluctuating markets,labor costs ,weather conditions,crop failure and other variables to get a better understanding of their grassroots reality on a daily basis. The game proved eye opening to many as they struggled to live above the poverty line,became malnourished and even sold/married their daughters off to make ends meet in the game.My team kept our finances in check and made the best of the land we started off with in the game!
We had a session of communal drumming and took in some culture at an intimate cocktail art gallery and also toured the famous plazas of panama city and the Panama canal which revealed the city's varied and colorful history. We also had lunch with the current foreign minister of Panama where he talked to the global shapers about Panama's development in Latin America among other things.
A lot of shapers had been to other shape events hosted by other hubs but this was my first shape event and I am blown away by the potential for collaboration on innovative projects not only hub projects but personal causes ,friendship and discovery that I have experienced in Panama with people from such diverse backgrounds .I was also so happy to represent Guyana and meet other Caribbean shapers from Trinidad,Barbados,Bahamas,Dominican Republic and Haiti.
I have broadened my perspective ,made amazing new friends and learnt so much! Check out this slide show of some of the amazing moments of SHAPE Panama !
Photo Gallery by QuickGallery.com
Monday 24 March 2014
PROPOSAL OPPORTUNITY : PLUG & PLAY DAY at FIN4AG International Conference on "Revolutionizing Finanace for Agriculture" in Nairobi Kenya
Plug and Play Day at Fin4Ag Conference
With experiences from the
first ever successful Plug & Play Day held at the ICT4Ag Conference in
Kigali 2013, the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA)
is proud to repeat the event at this years' International Conference on
"Revolutionizing Finance for Agriculture" taking place in Nairobi,
Kenya.
BACKGROUND
The conference is being
organized in collaboration with AFRACA and other partners from July 14 – 18
2014. The "Plug and Play Day" is scheduled for Monday 14 July with
lots of interesting activities. Participants will be offered valuable and very
practical insight into the latest technological developments in the field of
ICTs for agricultural finance. This is a true hands-on experience with
demonstrations and in-depth sessions by prestigious application providers and
experienced practitioners. Participants are expected to test-drive latest
mobile applications, Web 2.0 and social media tools; and discover how they can
make these tools work for them in value chain finance. Topics to be covered in
these Plug and Play Day sessions will closely parallel the broader conference
themes and will be tailored to the needs of our stakeholder groups such as
farmers and farmer organizations, bankers, financial regulators, agricultural
researchers, policy and decision makers in the governments, intermediary
organizations, private sector organizations, and civil society organizations.
PROPOSALS FOR DEMONSTRATION
Proposals are being solicited
from interested application developers, innovators, as well as “techies” to
demonstrate systems/applications/innovations that fall within the conference
theme. The sessions will be designed to allow demonstrators to share their
skills and expertise in an interactive format, learn with participants who may
be interested in these tools, and enable hands-on experience from participants.
(Note: This could also be a platform for systems/applications/innovations
developers to showcase the value of their innovations to potential investors).
POTENTIAL AREAS TO BE COVERED
– DIGITAL/MOBILE FINANCIAL SERVICES FOR AGRICULTURE
Recent years have seen
impressive improvements in technologies for mobile payments, remote management
of commodity flows, mobile delivery mechanisms for insurance, electronic
warehouse receipt systems, etc. These new technologies not only reduce the
transaction costs of agricultural finance, they also enable entirely new
financing modalities. In the wake of these developments, there still appears to
be some innovation gap. We are therefore looking for proposals globally that go
beyond the traditional mobile money/mobile payment services to more innovative
approaches to the use of mobile technologies/ICTs for agricultural value chain
finance.
LANGUAGE
Proposal should be submitted
in English or French.
IMPORTANT DATES
Submission opens: 14th March
2014
Submission closes: 7th April
2014
Notification of acceptance:
Successful submissions will be notified approximately
2-3 weeks after the closing
date, the latest by 25th April)
Accepted demonstrators will
be required to submit a revised synopsis by 30th
May to be included in the
conference programme book.
The Plug & Play Day takes
place on Monday 14th July 2014
CONTACT INFORMATION
Please submit your proposals
here. Please note that at this point in time, we are not able to cover travel
costs and daily allowance.
For further information and
future updates about the Fin4Ag Conference please visit: http://www.fin4ag.org/
Sunday 23 March 2014
JOB VACANCY :Knowledge Management Assistant -- Africa Rice Center Benin Republic
Knowledge Management Assistant -- Africa Rice Center
Deadline: 30 Mar 2014
The Africa Rice
Center (AfricaRice) is
seeking a highly
qualified Knowledge Management
Assistant to be based at AfricaRice, Cotonou. AfricaRice is one of the 15
international agricultural research Centers that are members of the CGIAR Consortium.
Under the Supervision of the Head of Knowledge Management
and Capacity Strengthening,the
Knowledge Management Assistant
will assist in
the content development
and management of rice knowledge products intended for the rice e‐hubs.
Qualifications/Selection Criteria
MSc in communications or agriculture sciences specializing
in information sharing and dissemination.
At least three (03)
years’ experience in content management
of similar virtual platforms for Africa; Experience in working in a
multi‐cultural environment.
knowledge of agricultural research and development in
Africa, and proven skills in use of web2/3 tools. Proven ability to produce
knowledge products in English and French will be an advantage.
The candidate should communicate fluently (orally and in
writing) in English or French with a good working knowledge of the other
language.
Candidates should send an application (including a cover
letter and a detailed CV with the following information: Name, surname, gender,
nationality, certificates obtained, professional experience (stating clearly
beginning and end dates of each experience: day, month, year), language skills
(French/English), and the names and addresses (including telephone / fax / email)
of three referees.
How to apply
To apply for this position, please send your applications:
To: H.Zok@cgiar.org with the vacancy reference in subject:
GSS/02/PC/2014/03
Or to the following address: Head, Human Resources Unit,
AfricaRice, 01 B.P. 2031, Cotonou,Benin Republic
Deadline for submission of application is Sunday, March 30,
2014
MORE Information on the Africa Rice Center can be found Here :http://www.africarice.org/
GRANT OPPORTUNITY : Kurita Water and Environment Foundation – Water Research Grants 2014
Kurita Water and Environment Foundation – Water Research
Grants 2014
Deadline: 15 May 2014
The KWEF makes grants in Asian countries for water research
at universities, colleges, and research institutes. Any research subject in
field of water resources is acceptable, provided that the water area studied is
located in the researcher's home country. Examples of appropriate research
subjects are
Physical and chemical properties of water
New technologies for conservation and restoration of water
resources.
(River, Lake, Pond, Discharge etc.)
New technologies for water measurement and assessment
Grants are up to 500 thousand yen per project per year.
Applicants are preferably under age 40. Each applicant should have a Japanese
adviser in Japan or in the researcher’s home country.
The application period is 01 April through 15 May 2014.
More Information about The Kurita Water and Environment Foundation can be found HERE :http://www.kwef.or.jp/en/en_grant.html
EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY : PhD opportunity in Monitoring tropical Forests with CIFOR & The University of Wageningen
PhD opportunity in Monitoring tropical Forests with CIFOR
and The University of Wageningen
Deadline: 15 Mar 2014
Duties and Responsibilities
The candidate is expected to work in component 3 and focus
on studying terrestrial laser scanning for assessing tropical forest
characteristics such as height, volume, foliage and biomass and related changes
due to human activities. Terrestrial laser scanning has received increasing
attention for its capacity to allow retrieving forest structural parameters and
better linking ground and remote sensing data for quantitative forest
monitoring. Although there are some experiences of exploring this technology in
sub-tropical and tropical forest environments, systematic studies in tropical
forests are largely missing. Research would involve evaluating different data
acquisition strategies in terms of sampling and scanning density in different
forest densities and understory characteristics, assessing the accuracy of
t-LIDAR estimates to determine key forest parameters such as height, volume,
and biomass, studying the role of the full-waveform t-LIDAR signals and different
processing schemes and process and using the LIDAR data for collaborative
research with the other project partners.
Function Requirements
Education, experience, technical skills and competencies:
A motivated researcher with MSc degree
Related experiences in Forestry, Remote Sensing, Terrestrial
surveying, Ecology, Environmental Science, or Geography or a related field.
A background in terrestrial laser scanning and related data
analysis and processing is an asset.
Knowledge about tropical forests and the REDD process is
appreciated. Experiences and willingness to work with and in developing
tropical countries, and organizing and conducting field work in tropical
forests is important.
Excellent written and spoken English
Personal attributes and competencies:
Be self motivated, outgoing and welcome the opportunity to
work with significant autonomy
Be a team player and have excellent interpersonal
communications skills
Terms and Conditions:
The PhD position is supported by CIFOR with a monthly
stipend of €1700 for up to 4 years. The PhD research is conducted mainly at the
Centre for Geo-Information at Wageningen University (NL) and the related
Graduate School (www.pe-rc.nl) under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Martin Herold
in close collaboration with CIFOR partners.
The successful candidate is
expected to spend some time at CIFOR’s headquarter in Bogor, Indonesia,
and to spend a significant amount of time with field work in different
locations. He/she is also required to engage in international exchange and
meetings.
Application process can be found HERE : http://www.cifor.org/about-us/careers-with-cifor.html
The application deadline is 15 March 2014.
We will acknowledge all applications, but we will contact
only short-listed candidates.
To apply, please visit our career page and submit your
application materials (including a CV and a motivation letter) at the
Wageningen University vacancy page
University of Wageningen Website for more information is HERE :
https://www.connexys.nl/wageningenursite/page.html?p_sfw_id=652&adv_pub_id=1&adv_taal=2&p_taal=2
EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES for YOUTH in AGRICULTURE :Master's Studies in Renewable Energy & Agricultural Research Fellowships
International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) -- Masters Studies in Renewable Energy 2014-2016
Deadline: 31 May 2014
The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) offers up
to 20 scholarships annually for masters studies in renewable energy at the
MASDAR Institute of Science and Technology in Abu Dhabi, United Arab
Emirates. IRENA offers a high-level
lecture programme for its Scholars, dedicated to highlighting the latest
developments in renewable energy technology, policies, and market trends. Tap
into the knowledge of internationally recognised personalities, and become part
of the growing international network of renewable energy experts. IRENA
provides full financial support for two years. Instruction is in English, and
applicants must meet academic and language requirements. The deadline for applications is 31 May 2014.
More Information on The IRENA
Scholarship Programme HERE:http://www.irena.org/menu/index.aspx?mnu=Subcat&PriMenuID=35&CatID=110&SubcatID=156&RefID=156&SubID=162&MenuType=Q
Japan International Research Center for Agricultural
Sciences -- Research Fellowships 2014
Deadline: 21 Apr 2014
JIRCAS provides
fellowships to researchers in developing countries to collaborate with Japanese
counterparts for research in agriculture, forestry, and fisheries. This fellowship program has two types namely,
‘Tsukuba-Okinawa’ and ‘Project Site’. Under the former type, the fellowship
research is carried out either in Okinawa or Tsukuba. This year, however, all the proposed research
themes will be carried out at the JIRCAS Headquarters in Tsukuba. On the other hand, fellowship research under
the ‘Project Site’ type is conducted at research institutes in developing
countries where JIRCAS is currently implementing collaborative research
projects. This year, only one research
theme is submitted for this fellowship.
For application
copies of publication along with application form should be submitted to
the following postal address:
Mr. Takahiro Sato
Head, Research Coordination Section
Research Support Office
Research Planning and Coordination Division
Japan International Research Center for Agricultural
Sciences (JIRCAS)
1-1, Ohwashi, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8686, JAPAN
The deadline for
applications in both programs is 21 April 2014.
More information is available on JIRCAS website Here:http://www.jircas.affrc.go.jp/english/public_relations/jircasfellow/jircas_fellow.html
Cancer Fighting Research into Corilla to be done in Guyana
New research into the cancer fighting properties of Corilla will be undertaken in Guyana to extract a chemical the plant makes. In a new study being lead by Dr Emmanuel Cummings a senior lecturer at The University of Guyana and the research will be undertaken in the UK at The University of Central Lancashire where interactions between different cancer cells and the extracted Corilla property will be tested.
Over the next two years two other professors Mr Jaipaul Singh and Ms. Kareshma Jeeboo will work on the USD$49,000 anti cancer project along with Dr Cummings.He indicated that Corilla already has some anti cancer properties and now " We just need to isolate it ,purify it and test it". Dr Cummings is one of 8 grant awardees by the World Bank & University of Guyana who have been awarded a total of USD$329,000 to use for projects to strengthen science and technology research contributing to low carbon development in Guyana
See Below a picture of Dr Cummings signing the research agreement for his team to conduct their research into Corilla as a cancer fighting agent with the Guyana Minister of Education Ms Priya Manickchand and Vice Chancellor of the University of Guyana Professor Jacob Opadeyi:
PHOTO CREDITS : Carib News Desk Online & Vauldine at www.Allvoices.Com
More information on the grants can be found here :http://www.uog.edu.gy/?q=newsletter/research-grants-awarded-staffers
MANGO : The MOVIE !!
Mango, the Movie from coleacp on Vimeo.
One of the fruits I have grown up enjoying since I was a child is Mango . They are grown all over Africa and the Caribbean and are very tasty indeed! . This short film made by COLEACP is all about Mango !. The film shows everyday mango farmers and producers from different countries including West Africa and the Caribbean working in their orchards . The film follows these farmers and they explain how family farming contributes to sustainable development and livelihoods as well as depicting the challenges real farmers face associated with climate change ,fluctuating markets,soil degradation,soil toxicity,soil erosion etc.
The meaning of sustainable development is broken down and the three key components are looked at namely environmental impacts,social impacts and economic impacts. Apart from the obvious environmental impacts associated with agriculture the video highlights the need for the sustainable development approaches to be used throughout the value chain from farmers to exporters and consumers.
In the Caribbean and Africa farmers and companies are shipping their produce to lower their environmental impacts and also using solar panels and the sun as more sustainable alternatives. For many farmers economic stability is their most important concern and investing in organic agriculture has many social benefits from creating jobs for youth and providing money .Family Farming and the impacts of agriculture are life changing for many poor families. The video highlights the social impact on women becoming employed in factories and becoming economically and educationally empowered which is fantastic.
More and more corporate social responsibility and the concept of fair trade among companies and the public alike is becoming accepted in supermarkets promoting equal pay for agricultural workers and better conditions. We need all sectors to embrace this sustainable way of thinking for the future. Sustainability is indeed here to stay ! Hope you enjoyed the film!
Saturday 22 March 2014
Happy World Water Day!
Today is World Water Day ! Water and Energy are of increasing importance to small island developing states like the Caribbean . In Guyana there are 200 identified sites that could be potential sources for hydroelectric power. With the further onset of global warming and climate change the debate around water resources is set the heat up over the next decade because as the world's population grows resources will become more scarce and put a strain on both developed and developing state economies. There are great possibilities for the Caribbean to further tap into hydroelectric and other sources of renewable energy such as solar and wind energy. The theme of this world water day is water & energy recognizing the strong link between the two.
The United Nations hopes to further address access to safe drinking water ,adequate sanitation and improve the provision of food and energy services to impoverished populations all over the world. I believe that it is only with a holistic approach by all stakeholders including populations all over the world to realize the long term and short term goals to reach true energy security and a sustainable green economy .Politicians,religious leaders,NGO's and other civil society actors ,government ,youth and even you can play your part in contributing to building a sustainable green economy .According to the United Nations 768 million people are lacking access to improved water sources and 2.5 billion people have no improved sanitation .These are shocking statistics showing how water and energy are affecting impoverished individuals.
So What Can WE DO ?
- We MUST learn to conserve more water and energy in general
- Switch OFF lights and PLUG dripping sinks . Small actions count!
- We MUST press our leaders at all levels to improve sanitation and access to water for those who do not have it. Become an advocate today!
- ENCOURAGE our leaders to create relevant ,effective and informed policies that can be realistically implemented to help the worlds poor by reducing inefficiencies,barriers and all forms of inequality
- USE this Very Cool Energy Consumption App here to help you conserve energy :https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=at.topfen.ecas
- PLAY & LEARN from these Creative UNAOC Winners Games highlighting water use and other relevant issues
- USE energy saving light bulbs
Check out these additional resources on World Water Day here : http://www.unwater.org/worldwaterday/campaign-materials/documents-and-information-resources/es/
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