Somewhere between anarchy and authoritarianism is that sweet spot of democracy, and just like baseball, a few inches off the mark and you’ve got nothing but a flyout or, worse, a strikeout. Indonesia’s government and economy benefits from the hitter-friendly environment of Asia, where it’s been easy to hit home runs even during the recent global financial meltdown, but not everyone is rounding the bases. Far too often, corrupt politicians and their private sector cronies have been swinging with their eyes closed.
Indonesia’s balanced economy (GDP: 13.8 percent agriculture, 49.7 percent industry, 39.4 percent services), provides plenty of opportunity per se for households at every income level (Labor force: 43.3 percent agriculture, 18 percent industry, 38.7 percent...
ZICS will not be cocooned from the wider community. ZICS will be a focal point for the empowerment of local people.ZICS will provide considerable employment opportunities for local people and as the school develops will serve as a focal point for lifelong learning within it’s vicinity through outreach programmes and an extended school facility.ZICS will work within the community to develop:agricultural projects working alongside local farmers,improve literacy and numeracy levels of the adult population,develop an awareness of environmental and conservation issues,promote the Arts and Culture,develop an academy of sporting excellence.ZICS ultimately will become a beacon school that will reach out beyond it’s perimeters to promote solidarity and sustainable development within the wider...
In
Sustainable Development,
Environmental Issues,
Arts and Culture,
Sport,
empowerment,
ZICS,
Outreach Projects,
Agricultural projects,
lifelong learning,
solidaity,
Environment,
conservation
Biodiversity is much in the news this week as the Encylopedia of Life launches on the web [ark] and the Doomsday Vault [ark] opens its global seed bank [search] in Norway. Biodiversity databases [search] are fine, we must know species to understand and save them; as are efforts to conserve crop seeds [search] for an emergency that given continued inaction on climate and ecosystem loss seems increasingly probable.
But what of policies and actions necessary to protect that diversity? What of equal efforts to avoid the catastrophe of a homogenized Earth collapsing for lack of key species? There are far too few efforts to finance the building of knowledge bases of required policies and action plans sufficient to protect biodiversity, as that gets into politics, social change and...
Biodiversity is much in the news this week as the Encylopedia of Life launches on the web [ark] and Norway's "Doomsday Vault" [ark] opens its global seed bank [search].
Biodiversity databases [search] are fine, we must know species to understand and save them; as are efforts to conserve crop seeds [search] for an emergency that given continued inaction on climate and ecosystem loss seems increasingly...
Elephants and the ivory trade come under the spotlight as the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites) summit opens.Just prior to the opening, a committee voted that a limited sale of stockpiled ivory from southern Africa to Japan could go ahead.Some African countries want a 20-year ban on trading ivory.The two-week meeting in The Hague will also seek protection for the sawfish, cedar, and some corals.Conservation groups are targeting China's tiger farming business. See full...
A year in the Congo
It’s time for a short break. Imagine Kinshasa, the Congo, Central Africa, the tropics. Whatever comes into your mind. Now picture the diametric opposite. What do you see? Antarctica? Japan? Well, I see the Alps.
So, things may be a little slow around here for a couple of weeks. If you sign up to the RSS feed, you’ll know as soon as the next post is up. (Or if you prefer email, look for the little yellow icon on the right.)
In the meantime, newcomers are invited to check out the editor’s choice of highlights from the archives, and to visit the links page.
As for the rest of you, I highly recommend taking a look at what may be the only two Congolese blogs written in English (Diaspora excluded - if I’m wrong about that, please let me know)....
A female mountain gorilla carries her child on her back. Kahuzi Biega national park, South Kivu
It was admittedly a self-indulgent New Year’s resolution, but I’m nonetheless pleased to have fulfilled it so soon. Actually, I was supposed to meet some gorillas in 2006, but somehow never got around to it.
Their bulk is impressive, but they were untroubled by our presence, more interested in munching leaves and sheltering from the rain.
You can watch the big silverback having his veggie breakfast while junior practices his ballet moves here. (If you listen carefully, you can here the frenzied beeping of a Uruguayan peacekeeper’s camera. There was just no stopping him.)
More info about the park and its conservation challenges here and here....