COP18 reduced enthusiasm...

Today, delegates to the UN framework conference on climate change COP18 prepare to depart Doha as COP18 ends. The conference started with expectations but as it ends the key issues are yet to be resolved.
Several reports worry that no breakthrough was made regarding  the issues at stake.
Speaking to Non-Governmental Organizations the eve of the closure, head of the African Group of Negotiators, Dr Emmanuel Dlamini says, equity is important in all aspects of climate talks; he made a strong case that least developed nations should not be treated the same as developed countries.

The first challenge African nations are entertaining is that, they might leave Qatar without a clear commitment from developed nations. Another challenge would be maintaining unity among the African delegation. At COP 15 in Copenhagen and COP16 in Cancun, African countries were successful in starting the process for the establishment of the Green Climate Fund (GCF) which was later approved at COP17 in Durban,  but now not all are willing to put pressure on developing nations.

Authorities in Qatar set out to achieve positive outcomes at COP18. The new conference President, Abdullah bin Hamad Al-Attiyah at the start of the conference called on Governments to focus on the task ahead and committing to the objectives of the Kyoto protocol.

"Climate change is a common challenge for humanity. We have a precious opportunity over the coming days, and we must make 

full use of it'' Al-Attiyah 

3years ago rich nations promised long term financial help to the poorer nations to help in the switch to clean energy and adaptation. The offer was $10 billion a year in 2010-2012. That amount was to increase to $100 billion by 2020.The pledge didn't say how these monies would come.

It is feared that if Doha fails to provide tangible commitment from developed countries adaptation,mitigation and the fight against climate change will suffer in coming years.

Child marriage

As the flutes played sonorous tunes, women clad in henna, crisp attires and smelling of freshly burned incense  clapped and hummed lyrics only the locals could understand; the guests had began to gather.



From behind the weather beaten blinds a frail hand clasped the cup of locally brewed liquor, with tear filled eyes she gulped down the smelly substance (her mother had said it would drive away the spirits that brought fear) she was even more scared now.

Her father raised his hands and in an instance, the music stopped; heart beating faster than the drums she had heard earlier, it was time.
In a whiff she could smell the fresh marigold flowers,she knew that smell all too well (she had sold them at the flea market) that signaled the arrival of the groom.
The wedding was officially in progress, this lavish ceremony was for a 13 year old; her groom old enough to be her father.
Neighbors were also at their front porch waiting to see the instant transformation from child to womanhood.
Another child bride was about to be given away....

This is the sad tale of girls across the world given to marriage, the UN says about 70million girls marry before their 18th birthday.

Oct 11th 2012 was celebrated as the first ever ''Day of the girl child''. This project is looking at peculiar challenges young girls face and it's calling for an end to child marriages using education as its key strategy.

After these girls are given away, they either die in child birth (barely a year after) or are left to battle VVF (vesicoviginal fistula) and other post-natal complications. Many are sent away by their husbands to return to the care of poor parents who had given them away in the hope for a better life.

 “The women of the future, the young girls of the world, should not be deprived of their fundamental human right to play and learn and enjoy being children,”...'' Fatou Bensouda ICC

“A girl should have the right to choose whom she marries and when,” Babatunde Osotimehin UNFPA E.D

''If present trends continue, 142 million girls will marry over the next decade. That’s 38,000 girls married every day for the next 10 years.'' icrw.org

When we continue to play ignorant, more young girls are deprived of the right to education, a proper childhood, opportunities of greatness and even choice.

(the preceding story is fiction and any resemblance to any true events or persons is merely coincidence. )

FOOD?...

2012 is a year that was marked with extreme weather conditions across the world and experts are saying this could lead to hike in food prices and possible shortage in 2013.

In poor countries of the world people are already experiencing food shortage.
I read a story on CNN.com and I was moved to tears...  A woman in Yemen and mother of six says, she ties a scarf around her stomach when she gets hungry because there isn't enough to go round her and the kids.

I quickly imagined the half eaten plates of food we haul to the trash not mindful of the people several doors away who would do anything for our left overs.

I attended a wedding (2 actually) at the weekend (you know how extravagant Nigerian weddings get) and we all were guilty of picking through our food; a woman beside where I was didn't even want the little boys scavenging the left overs to pick her half eaten plate of jollof rice and chicken wing that sat on the table abandoned for close to 15mins...''will you disappear from here?! haah this children no get mannas oh'' I saw the boys scramble away licking their hands from the sauce they had eaten from my leftovers.

This food shortage experts are saying is a result of climate change, corruption, rising energy costs and extreme weather among several other reasons.
The year has been a tough one for farmers across the world with rains pouring longer than necessary; intense heat, drought and flooding.Farmers are already fearing poor yields.
 "Putting a stop to food price crisis requires a radical new approach to the way we grow, share and manage food," Oxfam's Colin Roach
Adaptation methods like irrigation farming (In Africa) and planting genetically modified seeds are being used to salvage the situation.

With Nigeria's 170 million population, about 635million naira is spent on wheat import and another one billion naira on rice imports every year.(Debisi Araba S.A min of Agric) we can only guess what impact such amounts could have on our Agricultural sector.

 The question on my mind is, don't we or can't we grow rice and wheat? must we import?
I remember when Agriculture was the main stay of Nigeria (well i wasn't born then), then the oil boom happened and everyone forgot how to till the ground and Operation feed worked while it lasted.
This festive season for me will be with a little bit of caution and sharing...cos someone close needs a meal to sleep well tonight...

NCC vs service providers vs consumers...

So I was about to make a call then realized I was low on call credits, I purchased 2 cards, scratched and loaded...then the usual notification came; ''you have successfully loaded **** naira but based on NCC directives 5% rewards have been suspended till further notice''.
Imagine my shock, I hadn't fully read the news of the promotion ban by Nigeria's independent regulatory authority on Telecommunications the NCC so I was oblivious of the full details.

The document titled: Ban of all promotions and lotteries by telecommunications operators, says, the action was taken because of complaints received from consumers (hmmm like all our complaints have been heeded to): ''the Commission is also mindful of its statutory responsibilities such as; to protect and promote the interest of consumers against unfair practices, promote fair competition in the industry by protecting Operators from misuse of market power and anti-competitive/unfair practices by other Operators''. Tony Ojobo NCC Director of public affairs


Ok, no doubt NCC is looking out for our best interest..but, what happens when network is terrible or days when you are charged for an SMS that wasn't delivered or dropped calls? what happens to all that? will these get any attention?


 Trust me, I was one of the skeptics of recent promo's, I mean using a plane as a price was more disturbing than appealing (to me that is) or giving one person 100million naira (or was it dollars?)
 I feel it's only logical that if the service providers want to reward their over 80 million subscribers, it should be done in a way that at least a good percentage of that number enjoys such reward.

''This ban covers all proposed and approved promotions and lotteries on which the Commission has given approval further to the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) entered into with the National Lottery Regulatory Commission (NLRC). This ban is with immediate effect and shall continue to remain in force until such a time as may be determined by the Commission.''

So while we await this face off between NCC and Telecomm service providers to fade, we pay higher tariffs with no incentives..

Shutting Down

Shutting down! Were the words that flashed across my now dying computer screen, the computer-generated voice that usually warned me didn’t have the chance to as the computer powered off before the 20 seconds timer elapsed.

The train of sweat going down my spine was another cause for worry; PHCN had done their deed for the evening. In the sickening heat of Abuja one would think they’d be generous with power.

The excitement from the meeting I had attended that evening quickly faded in the heat; all the creative juices that flowed then could not cool my now heating head, I could not write not even to scribble down a line of the many thoughts we had shared.

The bottle of almost iced water had melted to a lukewarm nightmare the urge to spew it out was strong but I needed some liquid for my dry throat; even though it is said that cold water doesn't quench thirst, I craved what we call a sweating bottle (bottle of ice cold water or drink) just the satisfaction of holding it would suffice. 

 The continued hissing and the screaming baby from next door attest to the fact that I wasn't alone. 

like clock work, I snapped shut the laptop unplugged it and laid beneath the window looking for possible airy spots in the room, the card I had turned to a fan had gotten soft and wasn't blowing air, the door was ajar but nothing seemed to help, I discarded the paper and fidgeted with the pillow trying to get the most comfortable position I heard the AC roar to life... pheww what a relief. NEPA!!! the loud voices from the neighborhood almost overpowered my noisy AC. 

The urge to write had disappeared, now I was having a writers block...next I knew, it was wee hours of the morning, I had slept it through, so all the writing I finally did was a dream mchewww!!!

Outside the box?

It's more than cliche when someone yells at you continuously, ''think outside the box''.
What do you do when your creativity has been stretched thin? you've looked at things from every angle and nothing seems out of the ordinary?

In trying to think out of the box, people most often forget to exhaust all options within the box. In trying to get people creatively thinking, we most times succeed in getting to ignore salient opportunities hidden just under your nose.

I get tired of hearing; ''this is how we do it here'' or ''it's always been done this way'' (hey, that's why you've got the same results.)

The idea is not to get conformed to the norm but breakout to be a difference. A barrier breaker I learnt recently, is one who seeks to be different and do things differently, one who will spare head new things and break the bounds of every limitation. Let it be said that you did things another way not necessarily new maybe new to your environment or cycle.. How great a victory dance you'd have when you can gladly sing ''I told you so'' to the nay sayers (no mater how quietly lol..)But, within the limitation of our sight is great opportunity...we can find great ideas even from the seeming un-productive box....Have a box first before even thinking outside it. It's easy to say I'm thinking outside the box and not have a slight incline what the box ought to be. 

As you struggle to think beyond the box, just pause, look around, be sure you've exhausted every creative juice possible. 

Be your best critic, (that I've learnt the hard way after having to re-do a creative piece four times cos the gate keeper as I came to discover, didn't have the necessary prowess.) you'll do yourself and others a lot of good.
Set goals, achieve them and move on...mantra!

Seasons change..

Today the weather is harsh the nape of my neck is the driest I've had in years, the soles of my feet could bruise a baby's soft skin even de-thread a blanket. hmmmm harmattan!
With every effort at protective styling, moisturizing and staying hydrated, nothing seemed to be working, my hair was in disarray,my heels  and my skin, the topic of an epic novel.


 My hair dry as bristles of an old brush, I wrap a scarf securely around my head covering up the messy bunch; then she pulls the scarf without the slightest warning; ''when are you making your hair sef? abi you don't have money? can't you relax it? (as if I wasn't having a bad hair day already).

Reluctant to answer the questions and cause a scene I spoke from my RENEWED mind; ''My decision to go natural was totally mine, I don't harass you when you attach synthetics to your head'' (not so renewed but...) your guess as good as mine; total silence.

Then the taunting image of work floods my mind, where the fan blows overhead like the northern desert winds I mean it was bad enough that the air was coarse and dusty, I have to put up with a cranky ceiling fan blowing hot air like pursed lips blowing air.

Recovering from the scald on my tongue, (an ugly reminder never to drink a boiling cup of tea) The day went by at snail pace. As I sat at my desk staring at the bright computer screen, in my mind I was prancing the office space screaming my best rock tune all in a bid to get the tempo up.
It was in all this that I noticed the wrinkly fingers that moved around the keyboard, was I getting old?...hahahahahaha no of course not it was the harmattan my skin was drying out, what were you expecting? I had almost emptied a tube of hand cream in a bid to get it velvety smooth..all that one na for advert.

Just then at the corner of my eye I caught the image of my colleague recklessly picking his nose, you'd think he lost a pen in there...harmattan he'd say..yuk...to be fair to him, your nose gets dry and tingly from breathing in all that dusty air. O boy! ever heard of a handkerchief? maybe not.

happy thoughts, happy thoughts I sang to myself as the clock struck 5 you could almost hear my sigh of relief from the room across..it was then end of another day I continue to battle the weather, more protective styling, moisturizing and hydrating for my hair, and a lot of water and moisturizer for my skin as well.Maybe the weather will be kind enough...see you lovely skin and hair at the end of the season.(harmattan is no excuse to look scruffy!!! I don't intend to).

COP18 making strides

As talk on gender equality continue across the world, the role of women in the struggle to save the earth has been at the fore in the last couple of years. Several adaptation and mitigation measures in tackling climate change have involved women.

The  ongoing United Nations Framework on Climate Change Conference UNFCCC COP18 celebrated it's maiden edition Gender day. The theme of the first ever gender day  ''moving beyond the rhetoric'' revealed women (and children) as most vulnerable in the effects of the changing Climate.

The panel saw women as major partners in the fight against Climate Change because of the roles they play in the home as care givers. 

This session featured several NGO's run by women that are causing a stir in their communities. 

Among notable projects involving women is the Solar mamas, a documentary filmed in India, this project saw illiterate grandmothers become solar engineers, with knowledge and resources gotten from the barefoot college and friends of the environment.

The gender day has been adopted as an annual event at the conference.

Also, the benefits of using traditional techniques to tackle climate change were discussed at the second 'Hikma' session. Hikma is the arabic word for wisdom.

The Hikam sessiona are a series of talks that showcase the work of Arab and middle eastern civil society organizations and bring to the fore the local knowledge accumulated by the middle Eastern communities.

Speaking up for the black continent, the African negotiators at the conference say, they will ensure the developed nations do not let the kyoto protocol die as it's commitment period comes to an end.

 

You would recall that in 1997, the Kyoto protocol was signed and later ratified in 2005, the first commitment will expire Dec 31st this year unless discussions at the ongoing COP18 can make provisions for a new life when the second commitment commences Jan 2013.  The Kyoto protocol is the only existing commitment binding industrialized nations to cut Green house gas GHG emission levels.

Meantime, discussions are underway as developing nations hope for a good outcome.

COP 18

It's already here?!
Today, over 7000 delegates from 194 countries converged for a two weeks at the magnificent Qatar National conference centre in Doha for the 2012 United Nations framework on Climate Change Conference UNFCCC or COP18.

The 18th session of these meetings began amidst warnings of calamity, experts warned that existing mitigation pledges are not nearly enough to limit warnings to a manageable 2 degrees celsius. UN climate chief Christiana Figueres speaking days ago says, ''a faster response to climate change is necessary and possible''.

In similar developments, the International Institute for Environment  and Development IIED reveals that, the rich nations have failed to fulfill 8 pledges made towards providing poorer ones with funds.

 The wealthier nations in 2009 promised to provide poorer nations with 30 billion US dollars by the end of 2012 , the finances were meant to  serve as new and additional finance balance between support for adaptation and mitigation activities

The report futher states that only 23.6 billion dolars of the said amount has been given and only 20% of the amount allocated to projects in these poor nations.

Less than half of the fast start fund is in grants while the other half is given as loans meaning the poor countries are expected to repay with interest.

Major concerns include the fact that wealthy nations have failed to prove that their contributions are new and not derived from existing grants.

Experts are saying when rich nations are not transparent about when and how they would meet their financial pledges developing countries are unable to plan adequate responses to climate change and make it difficult for developing nations to take serious what the richer ones will say at the UN climate change talks.

Further reports say, only two of the donors are remitting their fair share of the fund. Norway has been ajudged the best , providing five times their share of the fund; while the United States and Iceland have contributed less than half their share.

The conclusion of several expert opinions is that, COP18 will test how much pressure developing countries can exert on the richer nations.

Thanks giving vs Thanksliving

I woke up yesterday thinking, I have alot to be thankful for... it was Thanksgiving after all.

The 3rd Thursday every November is a federal holiday in the USA. The first Thanksgiving was celebrated in 1621 but became official in 1863 by then President Abraham Lincoln. He said it was a national day of ''thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent father who dwelleth in the heavens''.

As the years after the civil war went by so did the traditions that came with Thanksgiving. The holiday became a time for family and friends to gather and enjoy each others company as well as good meals. Talking of meals, Turkey became a traditional course during Thanksgiving dinner. The wild turkey is a native American diet that was introduced to early pilgrims around 1620.

But, do we have to wait till a day in the year to give thanks?
As I pondered on then wrote down my ''thankful'' list, I was shocked to realize the several things, people and moments we take for granted daily. The very act of waking and going to sleep, walking and talking, even the fact that I can move my fingers unassisted is a miracle.
 

A wise man once said, Thanksgiving is a life style hence it should be ''thanks living''. Every day and every waking moment is worth giving thanks.  The word translated as ''thanksgiving'' or ''gratitude'' in Greek is ''eucharistos'' from the root word ''charis'' embeded in eucharist which means GRACE. This means ''thankgiving'' is a recognition of God's favor towards us and acknowledging it by a life of gratitude (thanksliving).


                                                                                   As the millions of family and friends gathered
for this special holiday and each share their reason for being thankful, the lesson to us all is to be appreciative of one another and thankful for the gift of each other.