Monthly Archives: June 2013

Conflict, International, Justice

UN renews efforts to tackle sexual violence in conflict

Yesterday, the UN Security Council passed Resolution 2106 on sexual violence in conflict unanimously in renewed efforts to prevent and tackle the scourge that has come to characterize many conflicts on the globe.

Over the last four decades, the nature and actors in armed conflicts have changed a lot. Today’s wars kill more civilians than combatants and sexual violence particularly against women has become the norm. Also the use of child soldiers increased even if these acts were in violation of the 1949 Geneva conventions.

In 1999, UN Security Council passed Resolution 1261 that condemned the use of child soldiers. The following year Resolution 1325 was passed addressing issues of women in conflict. The Resolution looked at the gender perspective that included the special needs of women and girls in repatriation, resettlement and post-conflict reconstruction.

A woman attends a prayer session at Panzi Hospital in Bukavu DRC where hundreds of sexual violence victims are treated every month. Rosebell's photo.

A woman attends a prayer session at Panzi Hospital in Bukavu DRC where hundreds of sexual violence victims are treated every month. Rosebell’s photo.

Noticing that resolutions over the decade had not done much to deter increased and systematic use of sexual violence as a war tactic, UN Security Council passed Resolution 1820 (2008) that demanded “immediate and complete cessation by all parties to armed conflict of all acts of sexual violence against civilians.” And years to follow more resolutions like 1960 were passed to get parties in conflicts to prevent and/or end sexual violence.

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Africa’s lost monies; What has tax transparency in G8 countries got to do with it?

On Tuesday June 18, G8 leaders signed the Lough Erne Declaration in Northern Ireland  – promising greater transparency about company ownership to flush out firms who deliberately avoid paying tax.

In a global push against tax evasion the UK, US, Germany, France, Italy, Canada, Japan and Russia signed the declaration that many campaigners said had more ‘should’ and didn’t promote openness.

British Prime Minister David Cameron said the declaration would support nations including the poorest in the world and would help ensure ‘proper tax justice’. The declaration indicated:

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Africa, Conflict, Development, International

Does G8 move on extractive industries mean anything for African countries?

Ahead of the meeting of leaders of world’s major economies the G8, the British Prime Minister David Cameron announced the G8 and 15 developing countries have agreed to work together to make sure that “the poorest people benefit from their country’s natural resources, by improving the transparency of their extractive industries and land rights.”

The G8 which includes US, UK, Russia, Japan, Canada, Italy, Germany and France plays a big role in extractives industry in African countries.

Mr Cameron made the announcement during a panel session with African leaders at the Open for Growth on 15 June 2013. Of the 15 countries, 8 developing countries will be focused on improving the extractives sector while 7 are on land rights.

This seeming shift of G8 countries from aid to improving trade may be driven by various factors – increased Chinese penetration in African extractives industry and also the non-sustainability of the aid model for both receiving and donor countries as donor countries have been hit by the economic crisis.

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Africa, Development

Push for transparency at G8 alone will not solve land grabs in Africa

This week I am working with the IFCampaign at the G8 in Enniskillen, Northern Ireland. The G8 leaders are discussing trade, taxes and Transparency and a good deal of parternships will be announced regarding G8 countries and role in developing countries. I will be blogging about any initiatives. This is the first in the series of blogs.

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President Obama meeting British Prime Minister David Cameron

In May 2012, a few months before he passed away, Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi while attending the World Economic Forum on Africa was asked a question that intrigues most African citizens. Why do African leaders- revolutionaries turn to looting their own countries once in power? The brainy later leader of Ethiopia responded by highlighting foreign corporations’ role in impoverishing Africa. He hinted that African leaders, in their quest to find jobs for an increasing unemployed population, were being held hostage by corporations that come in to invest.

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A father’s day note

Happy Day to all moms who work day and night being both father and mother to your children! We live in an interesting world where fathers never turn up when you need a pencil, a school bag, tuition fees or at a school event. They are never anywhere close when you are doing homework each night.

These are the fathers who will fight to be present at your graduation, remind you how they are your father and list all their entitlements on the news of a possible marriage or simply turn up at your door to because now you are somebody.

I have had close friends whose never-ever-present fathers turn up to ask their fiance loads of money a few weeks to their wedding and well those whose fathers only remember them when they hear they have got a job.

There are also those male relatives who are supposedly your father according tradition- because your father passed away at a young age. They never ever supported you but they will force their way to wedding meeting to demand their’rightful’ place.

These are true stories have plagued some peoples lives today.

So such on a day, I thank all fathers who are doing their best to be good fathers and good role models for your children especially daughters! Who believe that your daughter can be as good as your son and show it. You are gems!

When I think of good fathers, I am drawn to The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency, first book in the series by Scottish author Alexander McCall Smith set up in Botswana. His lead fiction character is Mma Precious Ramotswe, the first female private investigator in Botswana. Precious is always talking fondly about her late father Rra Obed Ramotswe who allowed her to inherit his herd of cattle in a culture where women aren’t really allowed this right. Precious describes herself as a “girl who has had a good father.” And this drives her to do great in her career.

To all fathers, I hope your children can proudly say, today or later in life, that they are proud of what you are doing for them! I

Happy Fathers Day from Belfast!

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Travel

Seven days in Myanmar

I had spent two nights -one in Nairobi and another in Bangkok thanks to Kenya Airways great service. So I arrived in Yangon whn over 200 Young Global Leaders had already immersed themselves in great discussion and I had to catch up.

1: Learning about Turkey in Myanmar

On my second day in Myanmar we visited a training institute for young leaders to discuss public leadership. One of the great presentations came from Turkey.  We were at an organization called Egress to exchange ideas on democracy and transitions. So I learnt that though Turkey has had free and fair elections, ethnic disputes and separatism have not gone away. Our presenter Umit left a couple of points for our hosts and I.

  • Transition doesn’t mean immediate consolidation with a few exceptions.
  • Elected governments are not necessarily much more liberal than military governments
  • Having elections and changing a constitution are not enough: authoritarianism may be in the society’s DNA so people might have gotten too used to it. There’s need for more work after those two processes.
  • Democracy and human rights do not often rank very high on the voters priority list.

I found these lessons not only relevant for Myanmar but also applied much to Uganda. I was amazed by the Myanmar youth who shared with us what they thought their government should make priority. Peace and security was high followed by education and political inclusiveness.
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Development, Uncategorized

Seven stories in seven days in Myanmar

I got off the Bangkok Airways flight at Yangon International Airport. At the arrivals, the long line for visas on arrival welcomes me and after an hour i get my visa. Things are a little slower than most places I have visited. So much paper work!!

I am in Myanmar for the Global Young Leaders forum run by the World Economic Forum. The Forum  will take place on the sides of World Economic Forum on East Asia both in Yango (Rangoon) and Nay Pyi Taw. I read in the Myanmar Times that the gathering of about 900 delegates will be the largest gathering the country has hosted in 20 years. I had read from ForeignPolicy  a few days before that “between 1900 and 1990, gross domestic product (GDP) growth  increased at no more than 1.6 percent a year — half of the rate of the rest of the world.”

From BBC I had read “from 1962 to 2011, Myanmar was ruled by a military junta that suppressed almost all dissent and wielded absolute power in the face of international condemnation and sanctions.” And i also have a Burmese friend who has been at the forefront working with dissents in the diaspora since late 1990s.

A mural at the Young Global Leaders Forum

A mural at the Young Global Leaders Forum

As I go deeper into the Myanmar Times pages, I find an MTN advert and all the talk is invest in this, invest in that. It’s a country that has been closed to the world for long and now everybody is rushing. Everybody talks of how much opportunity exists.  MTN is here because for the first time the government is going liberalize the telecom sector.

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US is about to pump in a lot of money after decades of isolating the country. Myanmar has oil, gas, timber and minerals. Its a market of over 60 million people.

As we drive past the Yagon University, the driver smiles brightly and tells me Obama came to the university on his visit recently.

As we close in to my hotel, I realize how heavy it’s been raining and it trained for most of my first 48 hours in Myanmar.

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