http://copudo.tigblog.org/ What's on the minds of young leaders from around the globe? en-us http://copudo.tigblog.org/post/416927 THE HANDING OVER OF COMPUTERS TO THE YOUTH
EMPOWERMENT CENTRES FRIDAY 27 JUNE 2008 AT NYS

HEAD QUATERS-NAIROBI.

Director Youth Development- Mr. Julius Kubai,
Director Youth Training- Dr. Dinah Mwinzi
Representatives from Microsoft East Africa,
Distinguished guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen.

It’s a great Honour for me to stand here and witness this historic function of handing over Computers donated by Microsoft East Africa to the Youth Empowerment Programme in Kenya.

Resounding recognition should go to both the Ministry of Youth and Sports and Microsoft East Africa for their vision to empower the youth of this country through providing the necessary tools. UN-HABITAT is proud to be associated with such efforts that will go along way in
empowering the youth of this country particularly in ICT.

As you may know, the United Nations defines youth as those between ages 15 and 25. In Nairobi, these youth constitute about 75 per cent of the total population. Of those, about 75 per cent live in the informal settlements around the city one of the consequences of rapid urbanization.

UN-HABITAT is one of the international institutions that provide an overall perspective on urbanization. The overarching goal of UNHABITAT is to ensure an effective contribution to sustainable urbanization. The goal of sustainable urbanization is livable, productive
and inclusive cities and towns. It embraces relationships between all human settlements from small towns to metropolises, between urban centres and their surrounding rural areas. As a process, it captures a vision of inclusive growth that is people centric and embraces social harmony,
economic vitality, and environmental sustainability. At the center of this is youth development and empowerment.

We at UN-HABITAT are committed to strengthening the capacity of youth to fulfill their role in this urbanizing world. Through pioneering work such as strategic interventions through the One Stop Centre model it is our responsibility to ensure the highest possible multiplier effects of such programmes. Today we see that multiplier effect.

Ladies and Gentlemen,
We are also here to celebrate the changes in the way young people see themselves and their role in urban development, governance and improvement of urban life. We are here to witness the significant chievements young people have made both as actors and participants in urban life when given the right tools. We believe that we can change the way the world views young people. Not as a problem generation, but as a generation of young people who are actively participating in creating a better world.

The Kenya government has shown us a glimpse of the better world through the recently launched vision 2030. However, in order to realize this vision computer knowledge and skills has to be emphasized in the curriculum. Every youth of this country needs the basic skills on ICT.
Even for those who have already left school and did not have a chance of learning the subject; have the chance to pursue this through initiatives such as the empowerment centres.

Ladies and Gentlemen
There has been a long history between the United Nation work and the Youth Empowerment Programmes in Kenya.
UN-HABITAT initiated the first Youth Resource Centre in Nairobi in August 2003 on the International Youth Day. This was in response to a stakeholders meeting held the previous years in Nairobi to review the needs and potentiality of young people in and around Nairobi. There were a lot of services offered by different partners and it was therefore prudent to offer these under one roof. One of the components covered by the “One Stop Resource Centres” was ICT.
In partnership with the City Council of Nairobi among others, UN-HABITAT, through its Youth
Programme has continued to support the One Stop Youth Resource Centre offering a wide range of services to the youth of this city.

It is evident that ICT is a strong tool for development and Various UN agencies are looking for ways of formulating policies and coordinating ICT youth related programmes globally. We request other partners to join hands with United Nations, the Ministry of Youth and Sports and Microsoft East Africa to make this happen. Youth led and youth serving organizations should have a major role in this.

Let me now conclude these brief remarks by quoting our Secretary General Ban Ki Moon in his recent statement: “... let us promote visionary public policies, innovative business models and creative technological solutions that will empower young people and engage them in the global
effort to achieve the Millennium Development Goals,”

I thank you all.

]]> Thu, 10 Jul 2008 10:55:00 EDT http://copudo.tigblog.org/post/416927 http://copudo.tigblog.org/post/416923 30/06/2008
Nairobi




UN-HABITAT facilitated the setting up of the One stop centre in collaboration with City Council of Nairobi. It was opened in 2003 on the International Youth day. Under the Ministry of Youth and Sports policy the ministry is setting up empowerment centres nation wide at the constituency level. The Ministry is using the One Stop centre model to replicate country wide. One stop centre model provides space and information for youth engagement

The objectives of the youth empowerment programme is to facilitate youth engagement towards building a better Kenya. Youth employment, empowerment and participation are among the strategic pillars for the Ministry’s strategic interventions

Speaking during the occasion, Microsoft representatives said they will assess the utilization of the first bunch of computers with a view for more support in future while a government of Kenya officials disclosed that there was provision for setting up youth empowerment centres country wide in the national budget.

Regards,
Christabell]]> Thu, 10 Jul 2008 10:46:00 EDT http://copudo.tigblog.org/post/416923 http://copudo.tigblog.org/post/415451 Nairobi



Working in collaboration with two Kenyan engineering firms, UN-HABITAT has developed innovative tractor trailer system and a small pick up vehicle to meet the solid waste collection needs of small towns.

In a clear demonstration of public-private sector partnership which it has been championing, UN-HABITAT tapped Farm Engineering Industries Limited based in the western Kenya town of Kisumu and Ndume Engineering of Gilgil town, also in Kenya to develop the inventions..

“This is going to be a major boost in our war against waste in the municipality,” said a technician given training on the new system last week. “We are really grateful to UN-HABITAT for coming up with this idea.”

In Kisumu, the The participants were also addressed by Engineer Patrick Ombogo the Chief Executive of the Lake Victoria South Water Services Board, a one of the UN-HABITAT implementing partner partners under the Lake Victoria Water and Sanitation Initiative.

Mr. Ombogo challenged the technicians, operators and officials of local authorities in the project towns and their bosses to cultivate a culture of maintenance for their equipment. He said regular good maintenance will in the long run ensure that the machines last longer and are cost effective.

“Even if UN-HABITAT continues to pour in mmoney into this equipment, if they are not well maintained this would just be money going down the drain and this is wastage we must stop,” he said.

The Ndume Little Pickup has a flat deck body with a very low loading height. The flat body carries six or eight bins of waste which can be lifted on or off the pick-up by hand. In six of the seven towns, these vehicles will be used to provide a primary collection service, collecting bins of waste from businesses and residential premises and transporting them for transfer into large containers or low loading height trailers which will then be transported to the disposal site.

The target towns are Homa Bay and Kisii in Kenya, Bukoba and Muleba in Tanzania, and Kyotera and Nyendo Ssenyange (a satellite town of Masaka Municipality) in Uganda, as well as from the border town of Mutukula on the Uganda /Tanzania border.

The Lake Victoria Region Water and Sanitation Initiative is a collaborative effort of UN-HABITAT with the Governments of Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, and the Secretariat of the East African Community. It supports small towns in the Lake Victoria region to attain the water and sanitation target of the Millennium Development Goals. Its objectives are to improve the water supply and sanitation coverage for the poor and to reduce the pollution of the lake from these towns. UN-HABITAT provides capacity building and grant support to seven towns in the Lake Victoria region to rehabilitate existing facilities and to improve local capacity for operations, maintenance and service delivery.
]]> Mon, 07 Jul 2008 19:20:00 EDT http://copudo.tigblog.org/post/415451 http://copudo.tigblog.org/post/415441 30/06/2008
Nairobi

Further to the special announcement of 21 June 2008, on the possible postponement of World Urban Forum, we are pleased to announce that the Forum will take place as previously planned from 3 November 2008 in Nanjing , China. UN-HABITAT and the host Government of China invite participants to continue registering for WUF4 online at www.unhabitat.org/wuf . Any inconvenience caused is regretted.

After the recent earthquake in China’s Sichuan Province, the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development of China, which is host to the Fourth session of the World Urban Forum (WUF4), had suggested a possible postponement of the meeting to enable the Ministry to focus on the reconstruction effort which is a priority.

However, recognizing the efforts that have already gone into the preparations for the Forum by Habitat Agenda partners and UN-HABITAT, the Government of China has confirmed that it will host the Forum in Nanjing from 3- 6 November 2008.

UN-HABITAT and the Committee of Permanent Representatives in Nairobi have expressed their appreciation of the constructive approach and understanding of the Government of China.
]]> Mon, 07 Jul 2008 18:15:00 EDT http://copudo.tigblog.org/post/415441 http://copudo.tigblog.org/post/415439 Nairobi



UN HABITAT, the University of Colorado and partners held a two-day seminar this week to launch a new research study in Kenya, India and Nepal to see how social entrepreneurship relates to sustainable community and urban development. “UN HABITAT believes that research such as this will allow us to provide the global community a baseline from which to better understand how to support social entrepreneurship,” said Mr. Banji Oyelaran-Oyeyinka, Director of monitoring and research at UN-HABITAT.

The Kenyan phase of the study will take place in the capital Nairobi over the next three weeks and will involve many government and non-government partners.

Mr. Stephen Jalenga of the Kenyan Ministry of Youth Affairs said the Kenyan government was taking the lead in promoting entrepreneurship through its Youth Fund. In its most recent budget, he said the government had allocated the equivalent of USD 3.8 million to youth through various projects, some of which were modeled after the One Stop Youth Resource Information Centres developed by UN HABITAT and its partners through the Global Partnership Initiative for Urban Youth Development.

The second day of seminar moved to airobi's downtown One Stop Youth Resource Information Centre which has the back of the University of Colorado.

“To better understand social entrepreneurship, we felt that we needed to go to a space in Nairobi where young entrepreneurs were creating their own businesses and receiving training,” said Mr. Doug Ragan, Coordinator of the University of Colorado research programme in Kenya. “We were inspired by the innovation and ingenuity of the young entrepreneurs we met there, and they provided valuable input into the research process.”

The Kenyan phase of the research project will be undertaken for the next 3 weeks. The project is scheduled for completion in all three countries by year's end with a report to follow early in 2009.

]]> Mon, 07 Jul 2008 18:05:00 EDT http://copudo.tigblog.org/post/415439 http://copudo.tigblog.org/post/394689 Nairobi



Young people drawn from two Nairobi slums are set to be the first beneficiaries of a donation by UN Secretary General Mr. Ban Ki-moon which is being administered by UN-HABITAT.

At the beginning of last year, while visiting Kenya, United Nations Secretary-General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon was deeply moved at the poverty he witnessed in Kibera, the largest slum in Africa. He, therefore, pledged a donation of USD 100,000 to help train young people living in Nairobi’s slums.

The result is that 70 young people representing 13 different villages of Kibera as well as their colleagues from Mavoko (also an informal settlement on the outskirts of Nairobi) gathered at UN-HABITAT to celebrate the launching of the Youth Empowerment Programme.

Addressing the youth, UN-HABITAT Executive Director Mrs. Anna Tibaijuka encouraged them to move beyond the tensions left by the unfortunate conflicts which took place in Kenya earlier this year. A disputed election process saw skirmishes erupt in Kenya early this year with some 1,200 people losing their lives while over 100,000 were displaced.

Instead, Mrs. Tibaijuka called on young people to take responsibility to empower themselves, organize, and effect positive change in their communities.

The representative from the Kenyan government, Mr. Stephen Jalenga from the Ministry of Youth and Sports, thanked UN HABITAT for its leadership in providing this training, and as well for empowering youth to organize themselves.

“There are over 700,000 people in Kibera, and 60% of them are youth.” stated Linus Sijenti, a youth leader form Kibera. “This project is the first step in giving young people skills to lift them out of poverty.”

Youth chosen for the course will be trained in three key innovative techniques that includes making “Habitat blocks”; glass “Bottle window” tiles; and “Ferro cement” doors.

“Habitat blocks”, are low-cost bricks that are only 20% of the cost of an ordinary brick. Glass “Bottle Window” tiles are near unbreakable glass windows that can be made out of recycled materials while the “Ferro cement” doors are almost fire and bullet proof. Training in these three innovative techniques will allow the participants to attain skills that they can market and use to start small enterprises within their communities.

]]> Mon, 23 Jun 2008 16:57:00 EDT http://copudo.tigblog.org/post/394689 http://copudo.tigblog.org/post/394667 As a result of the recent earthquake in China’s Sichuan Province, the Ministry of Housing and Construction of China (MHCC) which is host to the Fourth session of the World Urban Forum, and which is keen for a successful event, has suggested a possible postponement of the meeting. This is so that it (MHCC) can concentrate on humanitarian relief operations as a matter of priority to ensure that the populations affected are properly sheltered before the onset of next winter.

This very difficult situation of force majeure facing the country, and in particular the Ministry of Housing and Construction of China, is undeniable and understood. The Members of the Committee of Permanent Representatives in Nairobi and UN-HABITAT have discussed the matter and are fully sympathetic with the situation. However, as an official meeting of the United Nations mandated by the General Assembly to be held this year, postponement is not possible. Discussions are underway with China to find a mutually acceptable solution. Such a solution would entail more support by the UN-HABITAT Secretariat in the organization of the Conference to reduce the burden on the host with the intention of keeping the meeting as planned in Nanjing, thereby avoiding financial losses for WUF 4 partners who have already made travel and other committments.

Should difficulties in holding the meeting in Nanjing prove insurmountable, WUF 4 will be relocated to another suitable venue in Asia on the same dates so as to minimize logistical and financial inconvenience.

If the Asian option does not work out, in line with UN rules and standard practice, we are pleased to inform WUF 4 participants that UN-HABITAT's host country, Kenya, has kindly offered to host the event in Nairobi during the same dates.

WUF 4 participants are advised to continue with registration and their substantive preparations for the event as they monitor progress on the venue on this website. It is anticipated that the matter of the venue will have been concluded by 15th July.

Regards,
Christabell]]> Mon, 23 Jun 2008 16:02:00 EDT http://copudo.tigblog.org/post/394667 http://copudo.tigblog.org/post/387583 The Fourth World Urban Forum (WUF) will take place in Nanging, China from 3rd - 7th November 2008 and the World Urban Youth Forum (WUYF) will take place, before the WUF, from the 1st to the 2nd of November 2008.

The aim of the e-consultation is to gather information for the Development of a Background Paper for the WUYF.. Participants to the consultations are requested to consult with their peers who do not have access to internet so that their opinions can be included in the paper as well.

The theme of both Forums is Harmonious Urbanization: The Challenge of Balanced Territorial Development. UN-HABITAT would like to solicit thoughts experiences and suggestions from you, the youth, on this theme through this e-consultation. This process will present an opportunity for you to articulate and give meaning to what you consider harmonious or inharmonious in your lives, towns and cities. It is also an opportunity for you to suggest ways to increase harmony in your neighbourhoods.

As we start off please I'd like to invite you to http://groups.takingitglobal.org/WUYF4

a) Introduce yourself
Name: _____________________
Organization: _________________________
Position________________
Country: ________________________________
Age: ____
Gender: ________

b) Write a few line about your expectations on this e-consultation
c) Share your understanding of the UN-HABITAT World Urban Youth Forum

Looking forward to the e-consultations

Regards,
Christabell A Opudo
Local Programme Assistance
UN-HABITAT Partners and Youth Section

http://profiles.takingitglobal.org/copudo
]]> Thu, 12 Jun 2008 09:17:00 EDT http://copudo.tigblog.org/post/387583 http://copudo.tigblog.org/post/383987
Move Your Lips
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Invite as many people as you can to this cause - and build maximum support

for more information click this link http://apps.facebook.com/causes/75383?recruiter_id=2001358

Cheers]]> Fri, 06 Jun 2008 08:30:00 EDT http://copudo.tigblog.org/post/383987 http://copudo.tigblog.org/post/358483 Beijing

The Ministry of Housing of China and UN-HABITAT held a press conference in Beijing on the fourth session of the World Urban Form to be held in Nanjing from 3-7 November 2008.


Representatives from some 80 international and national media organizations attended the press conference. It was addressed by the Vice Minister of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, Mr. Qu Ji, the Vice Governor of Jiangsu Provincial Government, Mr. He Quan, the Vice Mayor of Nanjing Municipal Council, Mr. Lu Bing, and UN-HABITAT’s Director of External Relations and Secretary to the agency’s Governing Council and the World Urban Forum, Mr. Rolf Wichmann.

Vice Minister Qu Ji highlighted the international importance of the Forum and this year’s theme of Harmonious Urbanization which will focus on integrated social, economic and environmental development as well as the overall harmony between urban and rural, new and old and social harmony. He described the different events of the Forum which range from peer round-tables, high level dialogues, networking event and a 20,000 square meter exhibition showcasing the latest concepts, technologies, techniques, research and cases studies of sustainable urban development.

Mr. He Quan, the Vice Governor of Jiangsu Province, whose urban population is over 53%, and which has five mega cities, and 29 large and medium cities, said the Forum was particularly relevant to his province. The meeting, which brings thousands of decision makers and experts to Nanjing, offers the province rare opportunity because Jiangsu is at a critical stage in transforming to a more industrialized urban economy with stronger links to international markets and economies.

The Vice Mayor of Nanjing Municipal Government, Mr. Lu Bing, welcomed the press to Nanjing to promote conference and the city, one of China’s four most famous ancient capitals. A crossroads of ancient civilization and modernization, Nanjing, located in the east of China in the Yangtze River delta, has a history of over 2,480 years. The city has won prizes in China for its cleanliness, gardens, tourism, and forestation.

Representing UN-HABITAT, Mr. Wichmann, said the World Urban Form was a unique meeting place for leaders and experts from all levels of government, civil society organizations, academic and research institutions and the private sector to exchange views and experiences on sustainable urban development and make recommendations to the international community on the way forward. The fourth World Urban Forum in China would highlight how the country’s success in managing the transition to one of the strongest an urban based modern economy in a matter of a few decades – an achievement that is unique in modern times. He explained that theme of the Forum, Harmonious Urbanization expects to come up with policy recommendations on issues ranging from environmentally sustainable urban economic growth and social equity to the preservation of historic neighbourhoods – issues facing the majority of countries as we enter humanity’s urban century. UN-HABITAT and the Government of China expect the forthcoming Forum to be an exciting and stimulating event - a showcase for innovations, small and large, in urban policy and practice, for new urban technology and for community-based solutions, and a meeting place between the public and private sectors and civil society – all joined by a common purpose: Sustainable growth and harmonious urbanization.
]]> Thu, 17 Apr 2008 12:51:00 EDT http://copudo.tigblog.org/post/358483 http://copudo.tigblog.org/post/357375 Dar es Salaam

Thousands of people braving heavy downpours joined dancers and musicians on Sunday to cheer the 2008 Olympic torch relay as it was carried through Tanzania's commercial capital on its only African stopover.

"I can only congratulate the people," said UN-HABITAT's Executive Director, Mrs. Anna Tibaijuka, hailing the warm and peaceful passage of the torch in her home country. One of 79 bearers of the Olympic flame on Sunday, she used it to light the cauldron at Tanzania's national stadium. "We should be proud that we have been selected among many to represent Africa," she said.

The torch procession started at the headquarters of the Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority, which operates a railway line built with Chinese help in the 1970s. Vice-President Ali Mohamed Shein lit the Olympic torch, passing it on to cabinet minister Mohamed Seif Khatib, who led the relay team from Dar es Salaam's train station to the national stadium where it was handed to Mrs. Tibaijuka.

A crowd of mainly youthful people carrying miniature Olympic flags ran behind the relay team. They chanted, "we are happy the torch came to Tanzania".

"This torch is not a Chinese torch. It is a symbol of our togetherness as the people of the world and that is why as members of the world community, we people of Dar es Salaam and Tanzania in general are ready to give it a very warm welcome and show the rest of the globe our commitment to peace," said the deputy Mayor of Dar es Salaam, Mr. Ahmed Mwilima, setting the stage for the cheerful mood that pervaded this coastal city as the residents and their leaders eagerly greeted the event.

His remarks were a veiled reference to protests in other cities against China's policies in Tibet, the Sudanese Darfur disctrict and its human rights record. Kenya's Nobel Peace Laureate, the environmentalist, Ms. Wangari Maathai, withdrew from the Dar es Salaam as a mark of protest.

In remarks at a news conference earlier during the weekend, Mrs. Tibaijuka said it was "very healthy to raise such concerns so long as you do it peacefully and do not turn it into a violent protest".

The Congolese environmentalist, Mr. Pierre Kakula, who also carried the flame on Sunday, said it was a great honour for Africa to have the torch passing through Tanzania. His fellow torch bearer, the legendary Kenyan track star Mr. Kipchoge Keino was equally upbeat saying that he was proudly participating an east African keen to promote unity among youth around the world.

]]> Mon, 14 Apr 2008 17:29:00 EDT http://copudo.tigblog.org/post/357375 http://copudo.tigblog.org/post/357377 Dakar

Top officials from the government and civil society bodies gathered in the Senegalese city of Kaolack last week to launch a national participatory budgeting programme for cities of Kaolack, Rufisque Est and Meckhe designed to give the public at large a greater say in government and municipal spending.

The so-called participatory budgeting system, widely practised in Latin America, is expected to be introduced in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Mozambique and other African countries to ensure more transparency and better governance in Africa’s rapidly growing towns and cities. UN-HABITAT is expected to play a major role as a key advisor and partner providing firsthand information on the implementation of the system.

Speaking at the Dakar launch, Mr Alioune Badiane, UN-HABITAT’s Director of the Regional Office for Africa and the Arab States, urged government leaders and other elected civil officials to make every effort that would ensure the successful implementation of the programme.

“Lessons learnt from this exercise should be shared at the international forums such as World Urban Forum coming up later this year in Nanjing in China,” he said.

It was hoped that the programme will enable municipalities in Senegal and in other parts of Africa reduce the biting poverty, and achieve the Millennium Development Goals.

Speakers at the launch expressed gratitude to the Spanish Cooperation, who supported the initiative and expressed their commitment to implement in their municipalities and local authorities the participatory budgeting programmes. They hoped the system will give local communities a greater say in local spending, improve service delivery and promote transparency.
]]> Mon, 14 Apr 2008 16:33:00 EDT http://copudo.tigblog.org/post/357377 http://copudo.tigblog.org/post/350135 Nairobi



UN-HABITAT Executive Director Mrs. Anna Tibaijuka is one of the high profile individuals selected to take part in the Olympic Torch Relay in Tanzania – the only African country through which the torch will be carried en route to the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.

Among others taking part in the relay holding in the Tanzanian capital Dar es Salaam are Kenyan track legend Kipchoge Keino and Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai. They will be participating under the banner of the Coca Cola Company which is a worldwide partner of the Olympic Torch Relay for the sixth time in 12 years.

“This is a great honour both to me as a person and to UN-HABITAT. The Olympics symbolizes the unity of humankind and to be chosen to participate in the Torch Relay is a once in a lifetime opportunity which I will greatly treasure,” said Mrs. Tibaijuka who is known to keep herself fit by jogging regularly.

Commemorating the theft of fire from the Greek god Zeus by Prometheus, the torch’s origins lie in ancient Greece, when a fire was kept burning throughout the celebration of the ancient Olympics. The fire was reintroduced at the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam, and it has been part of the modern Olympic Games ever since.
]]> Fri, 28 Mar 2008 19:51:00 EDT http://copudo.tigblog.org/post/350135 http://copudo.tigblog.org/post/350151 Nairobi

UN-HABITAT Executive Director Mrs. Anna Tibaijuka is one of the high profile individuals selected to take part in the Olympic Torch Relay in Tanzania – the only African country through which the torch will be carried en route to the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.

Among others taking part in the relay holding in the Tanzanian capital Dar es Salaam are Kenyan track legend Kipchoge Keino and Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai. They will be participating under the banner of the Coca Cola Company which is a worldwide partner of the Olympic Torch Relay for the sixth time in 12 years.

“This is a great honour both to me as a person and to UN-HABITAT. The Olympics symbolizes the unity of humankind and to be chosen to participate in the Torch Relay is a once in a lifetime opportunity which I will greatly treasure,” said Mrs. Tibaijuka who is known to keep herself fit by jogging regularly.

Commemorating the theft of fire from the Greek god Zeus by Prometheus, the torch’s origins lie in ancient Greece, when a fire was kept burning throughout the celebration of the ancient Olympics. The fire was reintroduced at the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam, and it has been part of the modern Olympic Games ever since.
]]> Fri, 28 Mar 2008 19:51:00 EDT http://copudo.tigblog.org/post/350151 http://copudo.tigblog.org/post/346015 Nairobi



In a move aimed at helping young people attain better prospects in life, UN-HABITAT is embarking on a new campaign in Kenya to partner with the private sector to achieve this goal.

Spearheaded by the agency’s Partners and Youth section, the initiative will seek to get big business to underwrite activities aimed at improving the lives of young people. And it is not just another project in quest of financial help – it is also seeking resources and mentoring.

“It will be a good investment for example, if a cement manufacturing firm allocated some resources in training masons and plumbers because in the long term, these are people who will be directly involved in using the firm’s products,” said Mr. Anantha Krishnan of UN-HABITAT said.

Consequently, UN-HABITAT has engaged a Kenyan based corporate consultant to explore ways of selling the idea of investing in youth to corporations. Together with the firm, IQ Marketing, UN-HABITAT is seeking means to have some of these businesses join it at the fourth session of the World Urban Forum in Nanjing China later this year and sell to them the idea of being actively involved in capacity building among youth.

According to Ms. Louisa Gikonyo of IQ Marketing, young people were faced with many challenges including differences in upbringing, marginalization due to age, literacy levels as well as lack of forums to interact. UN-HABITAT, she said, had a window of opportunity to address some of these challenges by helping to create forums for interaction and seeking in-house training opportunities for young people in the private sector.
]]> Thu, 20 Mar 2008 12:15:00 EDT http://copudo.tigblog.org/post/346015 http://copudo.tigblog.org/post/343853 Nairobi

The Government of the People’s Republic of China has confirmed that the Fourth Session of the World Urban Forum, which is to be held in the city of Nanjing, will now take place between 3-7 November 2008. UN-HABITAT Executive Director Mrs. Anna Tibaijuka thanked the Chinese government saying that it was a great honour to have them host this increasingly popular event in the UN calendar, especially as the meeting is dedicated to discussing urban issues and China is now one of the fastest urbanizing countries in the world.

"We are looking forward to being in Nanjing for this landmark forum, particularly as China has a lot to offer the world at large in terms of lessons learnt in sustainable urbanisation,” she said.

The theme for the forum is ‘Harmonious Urbanization: The Challenge of Balanced Territorial Development'. The Chinese authorities are keen to promote this concept since China’s urban population has risen from 191 million (9 per cent of the whole population) in 1980 to 380 million (30 per cent of the whole population) in 1997, which has imposed significant strains on city administration. Moreover, the number of cities has soared from 223 in 1980 to 668 cities and 17,000 towns in 1997.

“When the world converges on Nanjing, the global urban population will have passed the half way mark and more people will be living in cities than in rural areas,” said Mrs. Tibaijuka. “In this era of rapid urbanization, compounded by the complexities of climate change, we look forward to a stimulating exchange of ideas on how best to make the process of urbanization more harmonious and less divisive.”

The World Urban Forum is a biennial gathering that is attended by a wide range of partners, ranging from non-governmental organisations, community-based organisations, urban professionals, and academics, to governments, local authorities and national and international associations of local governments. It gives all these actors a common platform to discuss urban issues in formal and informal ways and come up with action-oriented proposals to create sustainable cities. For further information about WUF4, click onto the website: www.unhabitat.org/wuf.

The third session of the World Urban Forum was hosted by the Government of Canada in Vancouver in 2006 the second one was staged in Barcelona in 2004; and the first was held in Nairobi in 2002.

The World Urban Forum was established by the United Nations to examine one of the most pressing issues facing the world today: rapid urbanisation and its impact on communities, cities, economies and policies. It is projected that in the next fifty years, two-thirds of humanity will be living in towns and cities. A major challenge is to minimize burgeoning poverty in cities, improve the urban poor's access to basic facilities such as shelter, clean water and sanitation and achieve environment-friendly and sustainable urban growth and development.

for more information visit www.unhabitat.org]]> Fri, 14 Mar 2008 11:04:00 EDT http://copudo.tigblog.org/post/343853 http://copudo.tigblog.org/post/342439
In cities of the developed world, more jobs are being created in the financial sector and in informal management as a result of globalization, while in the developing world, trends point toward an increasing “informalization” of the urban economy, as the formal sector fails to provide adequate employment opportunities for the number of young people and adults seeking work. According to the International Labour Organization, approximately 85 per cent of all new employment opportunities around the world are created in the informal economy. In some countries, employment in the urban informal sector has risen sharply over the past decade. Lithuania, for example, experienced a 70 per cent increase in urban informal employment as a percentage of total employment between 1997 and 2000. The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean estimates that urban informal employment in that region increased from 43 per cent in 1990 to 48.4 per cent in 1999.

The informal economy gives youth opportunities to legitimate work by offering experience and self-employment opportunities. Tracking how many youth participate in the informal sector is difficult for a number of reasons and limited data currently exists. But some trends are beginning to emerge. UN-HABITAT analyses that the majority of young people working in the urban informal sector live in slum areas. For example, in Benin, slum dwellers comprise 75 per cent of informal sector workers, while in Burkina Faso, the Central African Republic, Chad and Ethiopia, they make up 90 per cent of the informal labour force.

Gender differences in employment

In slum communities, early involvement in family responsibilities may explain the high employment rates of young men and the low employment of young women. Youth residing in slum areas are more likely to have a child, be married or head a household than their counterparts living in non-slum areas. In Uganda, 34 per cent of young men living in slum areas head a household compared with 5 per cent of young men living in non-slum areas. Family responsibilities at a young age often compel young men to seek and obtain jobs.
On the other hand, young women living in slums are less likely to seek paid employment, as early marriage and childbearing forces them to stay at home. Six out of 10 young women living in Uganda’s slum communities have a child or are married – double the number in non-slum communities. The majority of young women in slums tend to have children at an earlier age then their non-slum counterparts. In the absence of an extended family to help with taking care of children, the sick and the elderly, young women living in slums are more likely to stay at home to look after children and do household chores. This limits their opportunity to look for jobs away from home, particularly in the formal sector.


This graph demonstrates the proportion of Women aged 15-24 who stopped going to school because of inability to pay school fees
Source – UN-HABITAT Global Urban Observatory 2005

Consequences of youth unemployment

When youth seeking work fail to find productive, decent livelihoods, they can become socially excluded and enter a cycle of poverty, experiencing high rates of unemployment across their life spans. The importance of helping youth find productive and decent employment has therefore become a primary motivation of international youth policy-making and development efforts.

Many countries in the developing world are experiencing distinctive “youth bulges”, which occur when young people comprise at least 4 per cent of the population. There has been increasing concern among policymakers that the frustrations accompanying long-term unemployment among large populations of young men in urban areas may feed political and ideological unrest and provoke violence. As demonstrated by the riots in Paris in late 2005, high youth unemployment, particularly within marginalized ethnic minorities, can create urban unrest, which can challenge government authority and endanger national stability. More importantly, high levels of unemployment among youth, particularly in urban areas, indicate that cities are unable to absorb labour, which in the long term has a direct impact on economic growth and poverty reduction.

The Executive director of UN-HABITAT Mrs. Anna Tibaijuka sums it up in her speech at the Global Youth Leadership Summit thus: “Have no doubt: towns and cities are growing at unprecedented rates setting the social, political, cultural and environmental trends of the world, both good and bad. If world leaders are committed to helping reduce urban poverty, it will have a positive impact on the environment.

The key figures of our latest research give a measure of the urban crisis we face: Asia accounts for nearly 60 percent of the world’s slum population with a total of 581 million slum dwellers in 2005. Sub-Saharan Africa had 199 million slum dwellers constituting some 20 percent of the world’s total. Latin America had 134 million making up 14 percent of the total. At the global level, 30 per cent of all urban dwellers lived in slums in 2005, a proportion that has not changed significantly since 1990. However, in the last 15 years, the magnitude of the problem has increased substantially: 283 million more slum dwellers have joined the global urban population.

These shocking facts and figures explain in part why young people are so vulnerable to unwanted pregnancies, early marriages, prostitution, drug abuse, crime, and AIDS. This is why we are working to keep the candle of hope burning for young people by investing in them and by consulting them. The exclusion of so many young people around the world from decision-making, education, health, and from basic services is both a violation of their human and civil rights, and a failure of sound economic policy.

When it comes to peace, a theme of this conference, make no mistake: slums are a hub of rising crime and violence. We must remember that in this global village, someone else’s poverty and deprivation very soon becomes one’s own problem: be it poor job prospects, illegal immigration, pollution, AIDS, other diseases, insecurity, and crime. Eventually, it leads to fanaticism and terrorism.

What solutions and alternatives can we find? The recent award of the Nobel Peace Prize to Professor Muhammad Yunus and the Grameen Bank shines out as a most apt example of how alternative economic measures can benefit marginalized communities, which in many developing countries are made up largely of young people.”
]]> Sun, 09 Mar 2008 13:10:00 EDT http://copudo.tigblog.org/post/342439 http://copudo.tigblog.org/post/342435
Shape the city of your dreams by entering the International Essay Competition 2008!

Have you ever thought about the city you live in and the opportunities and challenges that lay in wait?

Have you ever voiced the needs for action and agenda to transform your city into the city of your dreams? Have you ever taken action, to make this happen? Would you like $5,000 dollars?

If you have ever given thought to any of these questions. If you have ever wanted an opportunity to voice your views on these topics to the public - now is your chance to be heard! Share your experiences with your community development projects, or impart your plans on what can be done. There is no better way to work towards a better world without the visionary ideals from you, the youth, the public - the citizens and future of these communities!

Organized by the World Bank, the Cities Alliance and the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and in partnership with a great number of outstanding academic and civil society institutions, local governments, and UN-agencies including UN-HABITAT, the International Essay Competition will be judged by a jury of renowned professors and leaders from around the world. You have the opportunity to reach not only the academic bigwigs of society, but the leaders of incredible international development agencies as well!

Give yourself the possibility to transform your ideas into action and WIN $5,000 for it! There are just a few more weeks until the deadline for submission!

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Deadline for Submission: 23 March 2008

For more details of topics, rules, awards , criteria and the application process please visit http://www.essaycompetition.org
]]> Sun, 09 Mar 2008 13:03:00 EDT http://copudo.tigblog.org/post/342435 http://copudo.tigblog.org/post/342427 Beirut



UN-HABITAT has completed two operations in Lebanon funded by the European Union that have rebuilt and renovated thousands of homes hit in Israeli air raids in July 2006.

Some 3,640 families or about 18,200 individuals were the beneficiaries of the EUR1.2 million projects in various neighbourhoods of the capital, Beirut, southern Lebanon and the Bekaa valley. The European Union’s Humanitarian Aid department (ECHO) was the sole funding source for the 2 projects.

In the first project costing approximately Euros 700,000, UN-HABITAT teamed up with the Municipality of Choueifat, the Ministry of Social affairs and local neighborhood committees. It closed in December last year. The second project, which wound up February 15 2008, and worth about EUR 400,000, was implemented by the Danish Refugee Council and other partners working in 30 municipalities in southern Lebanon and Bekaa.

Mr. Adnan Hammound, a beneficiary in Beit Lif village said, “the project has achieved what we were dreaming of. Lands were surveyed and maps were drawn…we can do nothing but thank them for what they did.”

Mr. Bassam Raad, Mayor of Baalbak, said “we consider this project essential, which came to respond to war consequences. We wish this to continue with this project so that the city of Baalbak will become more organized and more developed”.

Since November 2006, UN-HABITAT in Lebanon was able to secure some EUR 3 million from a several donors, mainly from ECHO and the governments of The Netherlands, Cyprus and Finland

All projects were in line with UN-HABITAT’s mandate in post crisis environs: to respond to recovery and reconstruction efforts, contributing to strengthening local authorities, community based organizations and affected communities and laying the foundation for long-term sustainable recovery of the war-affected areas.
]]> Sun, 09 Mar 2008 13:00:00 EDT http://copudo.tigblog.org/post/342427 http://copudo.tigblog.org/post/342425 Islamabad

UN-HABITAT this week received additional funding of USD 2 million from the Department for International Development of the United Kingdom to strengthen its training and technical assistance for the victims of a Pakistan earthquake who lost their homes.

“UN-HABITAT Pakistan is starting its third year of activities in support of the reconstruction of safer housing in the mountainous areas affected by the October 2005 earthquake. The main focus of the activities has been to provide basic training and technical advice to rebuild earthquake resistant houses. This has been strongly supported by the strengthening or creation of thousands of community organizations” said Jean-Christophe Adrian, the UN-HABITAT Pakistan Chief Technical Adviser.

Since October 2005, UN-HABITAT Pakistan has raised USD 17 million for its earthquake response from various donors including the Canada, Sweden, Britain and the United States. To date over 660,000 people have been trained on how to build homes using earthquake resistant construction techniques.

UN-HABITAT’s work has helped significantly improve understanding and application of safer building techniques.

The housing reconstruction programme in Pakistan is internationally recognized as an unprecedented success with two thirds of the 600,000 houses damaged or destroyed already rebuilt after two years. With heavy snowfalls and temperatures dropping as low as minus 14, this winter is the most severe experienced in northern Pakistan for more than a decade.

Because of the rate of reconstruction, there has so far been no increase in the number of people dying of cold. The government’s Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (ERRA) would like to finalize the housing reconstruction programme by October 2008, and the new funding from Britain will enable the programme to continue until then.
]]> Sun, 09 Mar 2008 12:52:00 EDT http://copudo.tigblog.org/post/342425 http://copudo.tigblog.org/post/342423
The purpose of the National Youth Violence Prevention Week has been to help raise awareness and build capacity on youth violence prevention and to assist young people to take responsibility for community safety and security. We have worked in close collaboration with their local authorities and other partners such as the private sector.

It is now time that we embark on the National Campaign to mobilize communities countrywide - especially young people to volunteer their services in reconstructing the business premises and homes that were destroyed during the post-election violence. This reconstruction effort can also provide a useful base for national reconciliation with the participation of communities both affected and involved in the destruction. UN-HABITAT’s Shelter Recovery Needs Assessment Report could provide a useful source of reference for this campaign.

Violence and unrest cannot be addressed without looking at the root causes. The two main causes of youth unrest are poverty and unemployment. Employment creation and entrepreneurship need attention by government as well as the private sector.

Entrepreneurship especially by youth brings us hope. Entrepreneurship is a way to follow a dream. Your efforts are the processes of discovering, evaluating, and exploiting opportunities. This is the natural entrepreneurial spirit of youth. You like the idea of running your own businesses. You like the feeling of hope, independence, and of being in control. We must all nurture this curiosity and interest among young people by developing and supporting programs that give youth early exposure to the risks, rewards, and critical thinking skills needed to succeed.

UN-HABITAT promotes sustainable urbanization and shelter for all, with the support of a personal grant of USD 100,000 from the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon following his visit to Kibera early last year. This grant has now been leveraged with funds from the Government of Norway to a tune of USD 1 million, and other donors are being sought. The funds will be utilized for skills training and the process of training slum youth in building and construction related skills and in entrepreneurship is to start soon at our Estate in Athi River and in other vocational training centres.

After the Week’s activities, it is also now the challenge of you, the delegates to stimulate public awareness of the negative impact of youth violence and the ways in which it can be tackled by providing alternative avenues for active non-violence. It is my hope that the plans of action for youth violence prevention that you have developed during the week will be further refined at the grassroots. Collaboration with the local government, the provincial administration, the health services and other sectors such as education, social services and the police is essential.

At the next annual meeting in 2009, you will be looking at advances made on the recommendations that you have agreed today, and discuss further ways to implement this Forum’s recommendations. In this connection, UN-HABITAT will support the initiative by youth by establishing a website (www.safercitieskenya.co.ke) and an online forum that will keep you connected with tools and practices that you could use in implementing your local plans of action.

To this end, the role of the private sector is indeed crucial to empower young people to implement their action plans. In this respect, I would like to single out three major activities.

One is the Peace Garden as depicted in the model exhibited here today. I am made to understand that the vision of the this initiative is to provide a sanctuary in affected areas around the country and to provide a platform for messages of reconciliation and healing.

The second activity is the Kilimanjaro Initiative, an annual event highlighting the importance of unity and positive community action. I wish to specially mention Tim Challen, the founder of this initiative who overcame adversity after being shot in the leg in Nairobi while on a mission from Geneva on behalf of UNFCU. After recovery from complicated surgery in Switzerland, Tim decided to move on. He decided he could not spend all his life being bitter about the senseless attack he and his female companion were subjected to. He had realized that most of his attackers were very you, and came to a conclusion that the best way is to provide meaningful occupation for the youth, if one is to keep them from anti-social behaviour and violence and crime. Instead of being caught up into bitterness and revenge, he surprised us all by working on an activity that can discourage the youth who had attacked him from senseless violence to something useful. It is my privilege today to congratulate Tim and his expedition that has returned from the Mountain, through Kilimanjaro Initiative that is now growing from strength to strength. I understand this year’e expedition was going to be much larger had some participants not cancelled because of the post election violence. With that problem behind us, I believe next year we shall see a huge expedition. More important, Tim is now involved in a worldwide campaign to get the credit union movement, corporate and individual well wishers to support micro-credit schemes for young people as well as upgrading of sports fields in support of safer neighborhoods in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam. I have been invited to address the next World Credit Union Conference to argue your case through our cooperation with Tim Challen. I promise to do my best.

Third, I have pointed out that UN-HABITAT will be supporting those youth who are able and willing to establish neighborhood youth-groups for non-violence, or youth peace groups and study circles. This initiative will enjoy my personal patronage because I am convinced that we need to have a non-violent movement in Kenya and Africa, if we are to discourage young people from being forced into anti-social behaviour, while permanent solutions to idleness are being found.

I would like to thank the Ministry of Youth and Local Government for their commitment to this process. UN-HABITAT will continue to do everything it can to provide leadership and support for these efforts. As part of the UN system, we exist to promote the empowerment of vulnerable groups in local governance. Violence prevention contributes directly to this cause.

If each of you represented here identifies just one activity to associate with as part of the National Campaign on Youth Violence Prevention in your own local neighbourhoods, we will have taken another step towards making Kenya a safer place.

In light of the above, I wish to invite you all to fill your glasses and toast to the signing of the peace agreement and to join me in launching of the National Campaign on Youth Violence Prevention.

Once again, let me reiterate my congratulations to the leaders and people of this country for the historic political agreement signed yesterday. It has paved way for us to continue our work with the youth taking the lead.

Thank you for your attention.

]]> Sun, 09 Mar 2008 12:50:00 EDT http://copudo.tigblog.org/post/342423 http://copudo.tigblog.org/post/342421 Nairobi



A youth violence prevention week came to a close at the weekend with participants pledging to spread the peace message across Kenya after two months of tension and ethnic violence following elections in December 2007.

And in a happy coincidence, the efforts by the international community to end the post election skirmishes that has claimed some 1,000 lives and almost 300,000 others being displaced also bore fruit with a landmark political deal signed by President Mwai Kibaki and opposition chief Raila Odinga.

UN-HABITAT was one of the major promoters of the National Youth Violence Prevention Week, an activity of the "Safer Cities Kenya Project" that is a joint collaboration of the Government of Kenya with the United Nations under United Nations Development Assistance Framework for Kenya initiated in 2001.

Most of the speakers at the closing ceremony of the violence prevention week showed appreciation for the support UN-HABITAT had given to them and said that they had already started influencing their peers on the need to prevent violence.

In a keynote address, UN-HABITAT Executive Director Mrs. Anna Tibaijuka said it was now time that the participants embarked on a national campaign to mobilize communities countrywide – especially young people to volunteer their services in reconstructing the business premises and homes destroyed during the post-election violence.

“This reconstruction effort can also provide a useful base for national reconciliation with the participation of communities both affected and involved in the destruction. UN-HABITAT’s Shelter Recovery Needs Assessment Report could provide a useful source of reference for this campaign,” she said.

Kenya plunged into unprecedented violence after the December 2007 elections after the opposition accused the government of electoral theft. To bring to an end the anarchy, former United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan was mandated by the international community to mediate a peace agreement, an initiative that was also supported by UN-HABITAT. His efforts were rewarded last Thursday when both President Kibaki and Mr. Odinga signed a peace deal that will see them share power in an expanded government.
]]> Sun, 09 Mar 2008 12:45:00 EDT http://copudo.tigblog.org/post/342421 http://copudo.tigblog.org/post/341097
"It is now time to say good bye," Mr Annan said as he urged Kenyans not to leave the task of ensuring the implementation and success of the agreement reached last Thursday to politicians alone.

Mr Annan received a rare gift - a cockerel - from a post-election violence victim for striking the deal that reduced simmering tensions in the country and gave hope to millions of Kenyans of a return to peace and stability.

Civil servant Dismas Ooko, a lawyer, was at Serena Hotel in Nairobi with the white cockerel, a gift he said represented ordinary poor Kenyans who suffered most during the nearly two months of violence sparked by last year's disputed presidential elections results.

Mr Annan also received various gifts including carvings from Serena Hotel staff and other well-wishers. He also held photo sessions with various groups for his remembrance.

Singers Moipei Girls' Quartet which comprises of 14 year-olds triplets Mary, Maggie and Marta and younger sister Seraphine (12) captured the mood of Mr Annan's leaving through their emotional piece "Whispering Hope" as Nobel laureate Wangari Maathai, UN-Habitat executive director Anna Tibaijuka and ODM secretary general Anyang Nyong'o watched.

Other dignitaries including a Nigerian former minister Oluyemi Adeniji who is to take over from Mr Annan as chairman of negotiations between PNU and ODM, UN staff and other onlookers also gathered at Serena Hotel to witness Mr Annan's departure.

The singers hoped that the next time Mr Annan comes back to Kenya he will be able to enjoy the country's beautiful heritage.

Thanking Kenyans and the international community for their support, without which Mr Annan said he could not have succeeded in the mediation efforts, the former UN boss said there was still a long way to go before lasting solution could be found to the problems facing the country.

"We could not have come this far alone without the support of public and international community. We still have a long road ahead," he said.

He said Kenyans and the rest of the world want to see a stable, peaceful and prosperous Kenya.

Mr Annan called for the building of a secure Kenya.

He said the country has a lot to offer and that Kenyans should now work together and reconcile the nation.

Mr Annan, who said he will be back at the talks if needed said Kenyans should not leave the implementation of peace deal between ODM and PNU to politicians alone.

Dr Tibaijuka thanked Mr Annan for helping broker the agreement.

"It is the UN's work to look for peace and development," she said.

Mr Annan left for Kampala before heading to Geneva, Switzerland.

He is to chair an important board meeting of the Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa.

The former UN boss said he was looking forward to working with Kenyans towards the realisation of the goals agreed upon so far by President Kibaki and ODM leader Raila Odinga and, in the process, make Kenya stronger, more peaceful and prosperous.

Mr Annan's departure comes at a time when the National Dialogue and Reconciliation Committee is discussing long term solutions to problems facing the country.

On Saturday, Mr Annan said: "I was very pleased with the tone of our talks in the negotiating team on Friday. We touched on most of the major items in Agenda 4 (long term issues) including comprehensive constitutional review, the Truth Justice and Reconciliation Commission, the Independent Review Commission, Land Reform and Poverty."

Short term solutions to the problems, including ending violence, humanitarian assistance and political solution to disputed last year's presidential elections results have since been agreed upon by the negotiators.

The political solutions were the last to be resolved on Thursday following a power-sharing deal between President Kibaki and Mr Odinga.

The leaders agreed to create a prime minister post which is to be held by Mr Odinga and two deputies.

ODM and the government are to share ministerial positions as per their strength in Parliament.

Mr Annan's other Team of Eminent Persons members who were spearheading the talks former Tanzanian President Benjamin Mkapa and wife of former South African President Nelson Mandela, Graca have also since returned home.

Mr Mkapa left on Saturday while Ms Machel jetted out before Thursday's signing of the peace deal.

And as Mr Annan left, focus shifted to Parliament and Attorney General Amos Wako who are supposed to craft Bills and pass them to firm up the agreement.

Parliament is set to re-open on Thursday.

]]> Tue, 04 Mar 2008 18:08:00 EST http://copudo.tigblog.org/post/341097 http://copudo.tigblog.org/post/341083 LOCAL CONSULTANCY TO SUPPORT WE ARE THE FUTURE-ONE STOP CENTERS
IN POST-CONFLICT CITIES


PROJECT TITLE: We Are the Future (WAF) One –Stop Technical and Advisory Support Programme

POST TITLE: Programme Coordinator

DUTY STATION: Addis Ababa, Freetown, Kigali, Freetown and Nablus

EXECUTING UNIT: UN-HABITAT

Type of Contract: Consultancy

DURATION: 6 months

START DATE: March, 2008 to August, 2008

Remuneration: Monthly installments

UN-HABITAT and the Glocal Forum signed an Agreement of Cooperation aimed at strengthening the role of youth in cities. Subsequently, in the same year, a MOU was signed between UN-HABITAT, the Glocal Forum and Starbucks towards the development and implementation of We are the Future Centres in six post conflict cities. These pilot cities include Addis Ababa (Ethiopia), Asmara (Eritrea), Kigali (Rwanda), Kabul (Afghanistan), Freetown (Sierra Leone) and Nablus (Palestinian Authority).

Launched in 2004, the WAF initiative is the result of a strategic partnership between the Glocal Forum and the Quincy Jones Listen Up Foundation with the support of a coalition of stakeholders, including the World Bank and major private sector companies. Its main goal is to mobilise global resources for the benefit of children in post-conflict cities through the creation of municipally owned WAF Child Centres that focus on youth-led activities in five rehabilitation areas of Nutrition, Health, Arts, Sports and ICT. Viewing youth as assets for development, WAF is based on the principles of training young people to deliver youth-led services and educational programmes to young children as well as to their peers. Activities under the nutrition sector of WAF Centres will be coordinated and implemented through the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). UN-HABITAT will be responsible for developing and implementing the remaining areas of emphasis.

To further the spirit of collaboration while at the same time synergizing our efforts, the Glocal Forum and UN-HABITAT merged UN-HABITAT's One Stop Resource Information Center model for urban youth development with the We are the Future programmes. Since 2005, UN-HABITAT has been providing technical advice and support to operationalize this new initiative, entitled We are the Future - One Stop Child and Youth Centres. This new programme aims at building on existing UN-HABITAT and Glocal Forum youth programmes and concepts towards replication We are the Future – One Stop knowledge and expertise in new cities. This consultancy serves to support the design and implementation of training programme and activities for young people in the areas of arts, sports, health and ICT within the WAF-One stop Programme in the pilot cities include Addis Ababa (Ethiopia), Asmara (Eritrea), Kigali (Rwanda), Kabul (Afghanistan), Freetown (Sierra Leone) and Nablus (Palestinian Authority).


WAF-One Stop programme activities developed will aim to:

• Build the capacity of young people in peer to peer and youth to child mentoring to improve their livelihood and achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
• Involve youth and children through the use of arts, sports, health, nutrition and ICT to be the agents of change in their communities.
• Train young people and their communities to use arts, health, sports, nutrition and ICT tools to interact with their city and the world at large

Youth Corps will be created and trained in the various sectors to teach their peers and younger children, as well as to engage them in day-to-day activities and community outreach. Moreover, the WAF-One Stop Programme will document examples of best practices and lessons learned on the basis of which the WAF-One Stop concept can be replicated at a global level and future youth empowerment and child development activities can be based. Moreover, the WAF-One Stop programme aims to contribute to achieving the broader development objectives of improving the quality of life of youth and children, and enabling them to realise their potential as agents of social change towards the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals.

4. Key Tasks and Outputs
Within the context of the WAF-One Stop Memorandum of Understanding and subsequent agreements of cooperation, signed between UN-HABITAT and the Glocal Forum, the consultant will coordinate and implement strategic, operational and financial planning as well as assist the municipality in developing training and capacity building programmes relevant to the overall operation of the We Are the Future-One Stop Centre.

Under the overall guidance of the Habitat Programme Manager (HPM) and the UN-HABITAT WAF-One Stop Programme Coordinator, The consultant shall undertake the following duties:

1. Provide on-going support to develop and implement a strategic and financial plan to operationalize programmes of the We are the Future-One Stop Centre, whilst linking the Centre programmes and activities to the local and national frameworks related to youth concerns.

2. Provide on-going technical support and advice to the Municipality and other stakeholders for the day-to-day delivery of activities of the WAF-One Stop Center.

3. Provide on-going technical and financial management support to the WAF-One Stop Centre Manager, WAF-One Stop Coordinator and the Local Management Committee in the delivery and establishment and day-to-day operations of the Centre.

4. Assist in the development and delivery of capacity building programmes that focus on peer to peer and youth to child models in the various WAF-One Stop sectors.


5. Develop and facilitate the putting into place knowledge management, marketing, advocacy, fundraising strategies and action plans to support the running of the Centre.

6. Document the best practices and lessons learned of the WAF-Once Stop Centre and make recommendations on the linkages with Global Partnership Initiative One Stop Centre cities in East Africa.

7. Oversee the use and accountability of funds and goods related to WAF-One Stop programming; Develop and implement budgetary and financial controls to monitor and evaluate cash flow and expenditures related to the WAF-One Stop Centre.

8. Liasie with and facilitate relations between local partners, the municipality and other stakeholders, including local World Bank offices, UN agencies, the municipality, the private sector, civil society regarding synergies and linkages with other child to youth programmes.

9. Provide monthly narrative and financial reports summarizing achievements, lessons learnt and best practices and use of project funds.

8. Qualifications:

Advanced diploma and/or university first degree in project management, international relations, development studies or education; Knowledge of programme design and management; Experience working with youth programme in developing countries and experience in building strategic partnerships and alliances for multi-stakeholder programmes and activities; Excellent oral and written command of the English language.

9. Payment Schedule:

Monthly payments upon submission of a substantive narrative and financial report on programme development and implementation.

Contact:
WAF-One Stop Programme Officer
UN-HABITAT
E-mail: partners@unhabitat.org

]]> Tue, 04 Mar 2008 05:51:00 EST http://copudo.tigblog.org/post/341083 http://copudo.tigblog.org/post/339707
Both President Mwai Kibaki and opposition leader Raila Odinga gave ground under massive international pressure and the intervention of African Union Chairman and Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete.

They unveiled a deal that is intended to steer the country towards much-needed reconciliation after allegations of rigging in last December's elections.

However, as chief mediator Kofi Annan said: "The journey is far from over. In fact it is only beginning."

A peaceful destination will only be reached only if Mr Kibaki and Mr Odinga show the political will.

After such a bitter dispute, which has cost 1,500 lives, trust between the two men has been in short supply - this is why it took more than a month of tortuous talks for them to reach a deal.

Hurdles ahead

This will not be the first time that the two leaders have formed a joint government - they did it in 2002 but it lasted barely three years before they fell out.

While Mr Odinga looks set to take up the new post of prime minister, it is not clear who prevails in the event of a disagreement between him and President Kibaki.

If the deal is strong enough to overcome that hurdle, the new optimism will prove well-founded.

All eyes in a country that has been mourning for the past two months now turn to parliament, where MPs convene next Thursday to vote for the National Accord and Reconciliation Act that will usher in these changes.

The first challenge facing the two leaders once the act is operational is to appoint a new cabinet, whose members will be shared out equally.

The violence has left deep ethnic divisions and a new cabinet must be named with a regional balance to appease communities that felt left out in the last administration.

Corruption scandals

Apart from the regional balance, Kenyans are eager to see the parties merge their policies and deliver an equal share of national resources.

Economic disparities lie behind much of the ethnic tension which exploded into violence after the disputed election.

One major policy difference is that of decentralising power and therefore wealth.

This was a key campaign pledge of Mr Odinga's Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) but not Mr Kibaki's Party of National Unity (PNU).

The coalition partners now have to marry these and other areas of disagreement.

President Kibaki is credited with steering economic growth in his first term in office but corruption thrived within his administration, drawing much criticism from foreign diplomats.

This is yet another hurdle for the new coalition - both sides include people linked with corruption scandals in the past.

Many doubt if the leaders will have the courage to sacrifice them and inject fresh blood into the administration since it is clear some of those tainted by scandal helped fund the campaigns and remain very influential.

Political will?

The talks which gave birth to this new power-sharing arrangement have brought to the fore the influence of hardliners on both sides.

While Mr Kibaki and Mr Odinga may have shaken hands and exchanged pleasantries, observers are sceptical as to whether they will ignore the advice of some of their hardline backers.

But failure to contain their influence may endanger the new coalition.

The power-sharing agreement ends if either partner walks out and this would throw the country back into another phase of uncertainty.

Some argue that the new deal could produce a new breed of leader who would be respected for their political principles and not the wealth they possess, as at present.

But as Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete squarely put at the signing ceremony, it is the political will of the two leaders that remains central if this promise is to become a reality.
Story from BBC NEWS:]]> Fri, 29 Feb 2008 15:45:00 EST http://copudo.tigblog.org/post/339707