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Building gender equality into Sierra Leone’s potential – The Irish Times – Mon, Jul 15, 2013

July 16, 2013

Peter Singhatey Articles on Africa Africa, Conflict, Gender Equality, peter singhateh, Sierra Leone Leave a comment

Building gender equality into Sierra Leone’s potential – The Irish Times – Mon, Jul 15, 2013

via Building gender equality into Sierra Leone’s potential – The Irish Times – Mon, Jul 15, 2013.

Imagine starting a country from scratch. That’s what it feels like everyone is doing in Sierra Leone, a country now 10 years out of a civil war, but still struggling to restore infrastructure to pre-war levels.

It’s not a disaster zone and it’s not like countries such as Brazil or Nigeria with extremes of wealth and poverty, luxury living and slums. Almost everyone – eight out of 10 – in Sierra Leone is poor according to the UN development index.

That said, the country is bursting with energy and optimism. “Sierra Leone is not going backwards,” says Dr Mohamed Yilla, an obstetrician and country director for Evidence 4 Action, a programme funded by British aid aimed at reducing maternal and baby mortality.

“With the windfall taxes coming from the mines, the potential for improvement is enormous,” he says…

Gamcotrap takes another giant step in stopping FGM – The Point Newspaper, Banjul, The Gambia

July 9, 2013

Peter Singhatey Articles on Africa Africa, Culture & Tradition, FGM, Gambia, peter singhateh 1 Comment

Gamcotrap takes another giant step in stopping FGM – The Point Newspaper, Banjul, The Gambia

via Gamcotrap takes another giant step in stopping FGM – The Point Newspaper, Banjul, The Gambia.

The Gambia Committee on Traditional Practices Affecting the Health of women and children (GAMCOTRAP) on 6 July 2013 took yet another bold step towards the fight against Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in the country by sensitizing the District of Kombo East, West Coast Region, on the harmfulness of FGM.

The day, which brought together more than hundred participants from villages all over Kombo East District, included community leaders, Imams, alkalos, ward councillors, and the chief of the district.

The occasion also addressed the effects of FGM, the right of children and women among other issues.

Speaking on the occasion, Gamcotrap Executive Director Isatou Touray commended the community of Kombo East for sparing time from their farm work to attend the occasion, and prayed for a fruitful rainy season.

Dr Touray said they had not conducted the occasion to force anyone to abandon FGM, nor were they out to fight religion, culture or tradition. They were instead in to raise awareness on the harmfulness of some traditional practices as well as to promote and protect the rights of women and children, she said.

She emphasised the importance of dialogue and respect for different and divergent opinions…

The false God of 0.7: understanding the Aid Business – By Richard Thomas | African Arguments

July 2, 2013

Peter Singhatey Development Aid Africa, Development, Gambia, UK Aid Programme Leave a comment

The false God of 0.7: understanding the Aid Business – By Richard Thomas | African Arguments

via The false God of 0.7: understanding the Aid Business – By Richard Thomas | African Arguments.

The debate about the UK aid programme has been heating up over the last few months. There is general agreement that we should respond to humanitarian disasters, such as famine or tsunamis, but the debate has now focused on whether we, the UK, should give 0.7% of our GDP towards our aid programme and whether this should be enshrined in law. The argument for an aid programme is strong, for reasons of self interest as well as morality, but the doubters are not short of powerful facts and difficult questions.

We will give £220m a year to the DRC in 2013-4, not a country with which we have close links, and one which according to Richard Dowden, has a government which is ‘unpopular, corrupt, rapacious and incapable of establishing effective institutions’. Other governments are not much better from the point of view of the poor. For example, why should we double our aid to Pakistan in the next two years when they do not bother to collect tax from the rich or give money to India when they have a space programme?

Obama lands in Africa amid Mandela gloom – The Point Newspaper, Banjul, The Gambia

June 28, 2013

Peter Singhatey Uncategorized Africa, Development, Gambia, International Security, peter singhateh Leave a comment

Obama lands in Africa amid Mandela gloom – The Point Newspaper, Banjul, The Gambia

via Obama lands in Africa amid Mandela gloom – The Point Newspaper, Banjul, The Gambia.

US President Barack Obama landed in Senegal on Wednesday to begin a long awaited first major tour of Africa with the world preparing to bid a reluctant farewell to Nelson Mandela.

The possibility that the critically ill anti-apartheid icon could fade away within days has sparked uncertainty about Obama’s itinerary.

Plans to visit Senegal, South Africa and Tanzania over the next week could be complicated, shifting the focus of a trip meant to ease the disappointment of Africans who saw expectations for Obama’s presidency fall short…

Angelina Jolie Addresses UN On Sexual Violence

June 26, 2013

Peter Singhatey African Center for Strategic Studies Africa, Conflict, peter singhateh, Sexual Violence, War Leave a comment

Angelina Jolie Addresses UN On Sexual Violence

via Angelina Jolie Addresses UN On Sexual Violence.

The actress, a goodwill ambassador for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, said the Security Council had witnessed 67 years of war and conflict since it was established, but warzone rape had yet to be treated as a “serious priority”.

She told the council: “You set the bar. If the … council sets rape and sexual violence in conflict as a priority it will become one and progress will be made.

“If you do not, this horror will continue.”…

Fighting female genital mutilation in Africa – Features – Al Jazeera English

June 18, 2013

Peter Singhatey African Center for Strategic Studies Africa, FGM, Gambia, People & Society, peter singhateh, WHO Leave a comment

Fighting female genital mutilation in Africa – Features – Al Jazeera English.

On the International Day of the African Child, the suffering caused by female genital mutilation is under the spotlight with the controversial practice widely condemned by rights and health organisations.

According to the World Health Organisation , there are about 140 million girls and women around the world currently living with the consequences of the practice. The majority of these females are in Africa, where it is routinely done in 28 countries.

An estimated 101 million girls 10 years old and above have undergone varying forms of genital mutilation in Africa. A study by child rights and development organisation Plan International in Mali in 2010 found more than half of all fathers and one-third of mothers wanted their girls excised…

The curious case of Africa’s Progress and the missing Millennium Development Goals – By Susana Edjang | African Arguments

May 21, 2013

Peter Singhatey Articles on Africa Africa, Gambia, MDGs, People & Society, peter singhateh Leave a comment

The curious case of Africa’s Progress and the missing Millennium Development Goals – By Susana Edjang | African Arguments.

The eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) that have driven the global development agenda, since September 2000, when Kofi Annan, then Secretary-General of the United Nations, and 191 member states surprised the world by unanimously agreeing and making, the Millennium Declaration.

The Millennium Declaration was both a surprising and encouraging outcome for global progress. Not long before the Millennium Declaration was signed, just the previous year, 1999, world leaders failed to launch “the Millennium Round” of trade negotiations during the Word Trade Organisation (WTO) Ministerial meeting in Seattle. High, middle- and low-income countries could not find it in themselves to agree a global trade agenda that would benefit citizens in rich and poorer countries. In contrast, the MDGs were aspirational and unanimously adopted. They presented a vision of the world very difficult to disagree with; a world with less hunger; with education for all, without unnecessary deaths of women and children from diseases and misfortunes that could easily be prevented. Despite this rosy picture, however, the MDGs faced criticism from the start. They were criticised for being too driven by a pro-aid agenda favoured by the “Triad” — the United States, Europe and Japan — that with support from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank (WB) and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) had pushed through the Millennium Declaration. Through aid disbursed to achieve the MDGs, these donor groups were said to increase their influence over national policies in aid recipient countries…

Africa is riskiest place to be born; 1 million babies die on day of birth globally: new report – The Washington Post

May 9, 2013

Peter Singhatey Articles on Africa Africa, Child Mortality, peter singhateh, Save the Children Leave a comment

Africa is riskiest place to be born; 1 million babies die on day of birth globally: new report – The Washington Post.

NAIROBI, Kenya — More than 1 million babies die the day they are born every year, and the 14 countries with the highest rates of first-day deaths are all in Africa, according to a new report released Tuesday.

Somalia, Congo, Mali, Sierra Leone and Central African Republic are the five countries with the highest rates of such deaths, according to the report “Surviving the First Day” from the aid group Save the Children.