Caravan Dispatches - Flashback - Of Big Malls and Well Maintained Roads

Some flashback ....

Written on the 29^th November 2011

Hibberdene, South Africa. Photo Courtesy of  telegraph.co.uk 

Today it is sunny in Durban. The kind of sun that you wish you had time to go for a deep swim. We are on the road heading into town in what will be a one hour plus journey. Our hosts have  been gracious at Hibberdene, the area we have been putting up.

Today we change places and get nearer to the International Conference Centre, where the Climate Change Conference is taking place. What has not stopped amazing many of the caravanites is the road network here. The roads are so well done. 

For Kenyans especially it is a culture shock to be driven around on roads that have no potholes. The drive we have is one of the longest l know yet if it were in Kenya it would take us more than 3 hours to maneuver through traffic. The lanes here are also a shocker. They are mostly four to six lanes. No not 3 for each direction but 6 for one direction. And no, it is not just for one road like that of Thika road in Kenya. It is most roads. The minimum lane road is like the one we are on right now. It is two lane. Compared to Kenya cars here move fast. Sometimes it is all the six lanes coming at you.

Courtesy of blog.travelpod.com

I remember wanting to cross the 6 lane road yesterday from the conference centre and asking one of the policemen, ‘how do you cross these lanes?’ He simply answered, ‘ Wait until the robot stops them.’ The traffic light that is.Seriously, well done and maintained.  The country side is beautiful and clean. You should be here to see it.

Then we noticed something yesterday. The traffic police are mostly women, beautiful women in pretty uniforms and white hand gloves. Oh my recipe for accidents in Kenya. No seriously. These women are pretty. Just noticed them especially yesterday when we were leaving the conference centre. Oh and they stop the cars and the motorists stop. 

Can that happen in Kenya seriously? Yesterday we went out to print some documentation we needed at a mall that is near the centre. It was fully packed. I wondered aloud, ‘Don’t people have anywhere to go other than sit around and have coffee?’ To which the local who was taking around said, ‘well this is a popular bus stage hence the big number of people.

This place is big on malls.Oh they are big and splashy. While in Kenya we have just a few and others coming up, South Africa is way ahead. Indeed a culture shock for me. Note to self-Kenya needs to attract more investors.

By Maria Wanza

Caravan Brief - I Am Not Here For Sympathy But For Justice, Former Ireland President

Her Excellency Mary Robinson

Her Excellency Mary Robinson, former Ireland president met with Trans African Caravan of Hope caravanites yesterday at University of Kwa Zulu Natal. Her Excellency was there as she put it, ' to listen to the caravanites and help them articulate their voices on the floor of negotiations.'

Caravan Picture Speak - Bulawayo, Zimbabwe...A Spirited Dramatization of the Petition

This is Us

Here's How we Send Our Message

Here we go

Her Song, Their Song, Our Song

The above team is an award winning group that dramatizes messages. This time the group dramatized the Trans African Caravan of Hope Petition that is being presented to the incoming COP17 president, Ms Maite Nkoana-Mashabane in South Africa.

The song they did stirred a number of emotions. At first, it was anger of what Africa is being subjected to and a little while later, eyes across the hall were getting teary and hands were reaching for handkerchiefs or Kleenex, It was moving.

Uganda's Vice President Flags Off Caravan of Hope ahead of COP17

By Maria Wanza

Uganda Vice President, Hon Ssekandi Edward Speaking During the Flag Off

Early this afternoon, His Excellency the Vice President of Uganda, Hon Edward Ssekandi graced the official flag off of the Trans African Caravan of Hope in Uganda which was held at the Makerere University. ‘The significance of the Caravan’s visit underscores the important position Uganda occupies in the promotion of environmental issues,” noted Hon Ssekandi in his opening remarks while speaking at the well attended activity organized by CAN Uganda.

The vice president, who is  a former two-term House Speaker and Lawyer, added that even though the government of Uganda had demonstrated a significant progress in issues of environmental management, more still needed to be done. The Vice president then handed the Ugandan flag to the Caravanites from Uganda trusting that the decisions to be made for Uganda would be for a good cause.

Loud and Clear Message

The meeting also saw Climate Action Network, CAN Uganda and Pan African Climate Justice Alliance, PACJA, present a joint statement where they urged governments at the COP17 end years of unacceptable uncertainty and   meet their moral historical, legal obligations, and commitment for action on climate change in accordance with the requirements of science and equity. Other demands included developed countries providing financial resources to address their climate debts, that global warming be kept well below the 1.5degrees Celsius point and that they halve their emissions by 2017. The Uganda government was particularly urged to take nationally appropriate mitigation actions.

This is what we want

During the meeting, Hon Mutebi, a former member of parliament sort to draw a picture of how dire the situation of climate change is. He said, 'Even if Africa planted trees and covered all its land, we will still not be able to handle the carbon emissions if the west doesn't stop polluting.' An even grimer picture was when he pointed out that the North Pole was in the next 10 years, in danger of losing a significant amount of ice. Mountains Rwenzori, Kenya, Kilimanjaro and Everest are already losing their ice caped figures.

Representing PACJA continental coordinator was John Bideri, who is one of the coalition’s steering committee members. During his speech he pointed out that the impacts of climate change in Africa are compounded by low adaptive capacity which he attached to inadequate finance and technical resources. Adding other issues compounding impacts of climate change were, ‘High levels of poverty, lack of awareness on the impacts, vulnerability and risks associated with climate change among others.’

Yes Sir, We Shall Be Heard

Mr Bideri urged that international action on climate change must address among others inter-related actions which include the need for a paradigm shift that supports strategies for achieving equitable development and the releasing of up to $30billion already committed by developed countries.

The Caravan now sets off for Kenya after kicking off in Burundi and later in Rwanda. Uganda was the third country on the list on its way to Durban, South Africa.

FACT SHEET - TRANS AFRICAN CARAVAN OF HOPE

What is the Trans African Caravan of Hope?

The Trans African Climate Caravan of Hope is a road show that will seek to galvanize the cross country stakeholder voices, with an ultimate aim of telling the African story while making known the demand of Africa among its inhabitants and the rest of the world. The Caravan is a huge mobilization and awareness creation opportunity for African civil society to highlight the challenges climate change poses to Africa’s efforts to extricate herself from poverty and attainment of Millennium Development Goals.

   What are the Main Objectives of the Caravan?

   ·    To mobilize and rally together African civil society towards a common advocacy and campaign demands on climate change and climate justice towards United Nations Framework Climate Change Convention (UNFCCC) – Conference of Parties (COP) 17;

·         To create awareness and build momentum towards UNFCCC- COP17 among African people and the rest of the world;

·         To lobby and pressurize African leaders/policy makers to work together in support of an international climate change treaty that is responsive to the continent’s realities and reality to science;

·         To drum up support for pro-people and just responses to climate change;

·         To share civil society (and African People’s Protocol) perspectives and positions on climate justice with influential political actors, including the African Heads of State.

Zambia - A Beehive of Activity as Caravan Flag Off Nears

The Zambia Climate Change Network, ZCCN, has been a beehive of activity as the Caravan nears its flag off in Bujumbura, Burundi in the next fortnight.  The activities have mostly dual expected outcomes; to create awareness about the caravan of Hope and secondly, to garner support through signatures of the Africa People’s Petition.  The following are just a few interesting activities they have been carrying out and others that are yet to happen. Read on...

Participation in the Regional Social Forum

The team participated in the regional social forum for Southern Africa which was held in Lusaka. During this forum, ZCCN, exhibited the concept and work of the caravan. They also launched  the signing of the peoples petition where  over 500 signatures were secured

Country Exchange among Caravan of Hope Participants

ZCCN representatives visited Malawi to share lessons and plans on the readiness of the Caravan activity. Chomba Machaya and Henry Malumo represented the ZCCN and Action Aid respectively and touched base with the status of caravan preparations in Malawi with a call for enhanced collaboration and unified approach.

Media Engagement

The team has also been doing interviews with a number of radio and television programs. The radio and TV stations include: Radio Phoenix, ZNBC, Radio 2, Christian voice and Radio 1. The interview’s key objective has been to increase country awareness of the Caravan activities. Resource persons from the caravan country committee have shared the aspirations and plans of the caravan.
The team has also held media workshops where they have not only highlighted the caravan and its objectives but also discussed climate justice.

Community Awareness Workshop

This workshop will be carried out in Chipata and Livingstone. These areas are critical since they will serve as entry and exit points for the Caravan in Zambia respectively. The date of the workshop is 31^st October, 2011.

                                 

Country Negotiators Involved

The group, recognizing the importance of wider consultation and involvement, has shared the peoples message with the Zambian negotiators and country drafting teams. The drafting of the country position will be carried out from 26^th to 29^th October, 2011.

For More information Contact:

Noah Zimba @:

Tel: +260 211 257 115

Email - gbnaturals@gmail.com

MEDIA RELEASE

PACJA to Participate in October 28 Durban Community Climate Change Summit

-Nairobi, October 22, 2011

PACJA’s Noah Zimba is scheduled to be part of a panel on climate change taking place on October 28, 2011 in Room L2, Memorial Tower Building, University of Kwa Zulu Natal in Durban , South Africa. The event takes place from 7 to 9 pm.

Other co-discussants on the panel include Patrick Bond from the Centre of Civil Society, UKZN and his colleagues Thando Manzi, Dudu Khumalo, Orlean Naidoo and Molefi Ndlovu.

This summit is part of the Harold Wolpe Memorial Lecture series.

The theme of the evening will be to link the broader climate change debate to the concrete and specific local issues like protecting people and beaches against e.coli floods, reconnecting electricity after devastating price hikes; creating “climate jobs”; demanding renewable energy, fending off South Durban fossil fuel attacks, confronting the carbon traders and contesting the so called “carbon debt”; halting Durban off shore oil drillers among other socio-economic concerns.

The Pan African Climate Justice Alliance through Noah Zimba, will be talking about COP 17 and the relevance of the United Nations from an African continental perspective.

This Harold Wolpe lecture functions supported financially by the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation and the National Lottery is one of the lead up events leading up to the COP 17 Summit also taking place in Durban from 28 November to the 9^th December 2011.


By Onyango Oloo

Pomp and Color to Mark Kenya's Gala Night Caravan Flag Off

In the build up to the CoP 17 meeting in Durban, different countries are involved in in-country activities to welcome and flag off the Trans African caravan of Hope. The caravanites will be coming to Kenya on the 13^th -14^th November, 2011. They arrive in Nairobi in the wee hours of the 13^Th  November, 2011  morning and leave on 14^Th November, 2011 morning.
To this effect, the Kenya Climate Change Working Group, the Kenyan host of the caravan has activities lined up to ensure that the caravanites have a memorable event here in Nairobi. There will be various activities before the caravan gets to Kenya which will be culminated with a Gala night to flag off the caravan.

PRE-CARAVAN ACTIVITIES LEADING UP TO THE GALA NIGHT

Schools and Campus Petition Drive

In collaboration with the Green Africa Foundation(a KCCWG member and recently the 2011 MDG award winner in the category of Environmental conservation) , KCCWG will have a petition drive in schools that will seek to educate young people on issues of Climate Change, what the talks in Durban are critical for their survival, sensitize them on the caravan. There are also volunteers within PACJA that are carrying out petition drives within different campuses. They will create a social media event on face book in which campus students will sign the petition online.