Archives: Opinions
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Bringing renewed energy to the development sector’s push for change
By Diana Monissen, Chair of Hivos’ Supervisory Council The world’s social problems have increased significantly in the last several decades. It’s quite a litany when you think about it. Poverty, corruption, climate change, power imbalances, forced migration, shrinking civic space, human rights defenders under duress, and growing inequalities faced by marginalized groups. This is why…
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Why we must enable and amplify locally-shaped climate solutions
By Maimuna Kabatesi (Country Engagement Manager) and Merit Hindriks (Advocacy & Communication Officer) Vulnerable communities are disproportionally affected by the climate crisis. It is they who bear the brunt of global heating, which severely threatens their environment, livelihoods, and access to food, water and shelter. In short, their very existence. Climate change also exacerbates existing…
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Post Covid; reassessing access to clean cooking in low-income households
With growing evidence suggesting that exposure to air pollution significantly increases the risk of being infected by (and dying of) COVID-19, access to clean cooking is more critical than ever. Emerging trends show that households are regressing by switching from clean (Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG), electricity) to dirty cooking fuels (such as kerosene, firewood and…
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Why the youth need to make proper follow-ups on issues affecting them
August 12 is the designated International Youth Day, particularly serving as the annual celebration of the role of the youth highlighting their initiatives, voices and action. In Tanzania as with many places in the world, the youth were able to celebrate by sharing various messages on social media and other platforms, participating in workshops as…
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Juventudes latinoamericanas: reivindicando el derecho a sociedades resilientes, diversas e inclusivas
Texto por: Anthony Marten, Nora Sánchez, Diego Pérez y Andrés Méndez Este año el Día Internacional de la Juventud reconoce “El compromiso de la juventud para la acción global”. Con este día se resalta las formas en que la participación de la juventud a nivel local, nacional y global para construir sociedades más diversas, inclusivas…
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Critical content under threat across East Africa
Across East Africa, a repressive tide against freedom of expression continues to rise through punitive laws being passed by the day. On 5 June 2020, the Kenya government printer published the Statute Law (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill 2020 which includes proposed changes to the Film and Stage Plays Act 1962 (Cap 222) to give the Kenya…
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Involve marginalized groups to make food systems more climate-resilient
Written by Nout van der Vaart, Hivos Advocacy Officer Sustainable Food At last week’s 2020 High Level Political Forum (HLPF), UN member states discussed how to get back on track to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in light of the Covid-19 pandemic. They focused on a dire need for “accelerated action and transformative pathways…
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Diversity and inclusion should not be mere policies
On May 25 2020, George Floyd lay tragically on the concrete taking his last breath for nine minutes as his life was taken from him. This instance would be a catalyst to one of the largest protests and movements seen worldwide. The global out-pouring and support to end systemic racism has been visible to not…
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Women leaders call for action in response to Covid-19
Opening opportunities for gender equality in the transition to sustainable energy By Sheila Oparaocha and Elizabeth Cecelski (ENERGIA)**, Rabia Ferroukhi (IRENA), Dymphna van der Lans (Clean Cooking Alliance), Irene Giner-Reichl (GWNET), Monica Maduekwe (ECREEE), Ajaita Shah (Frontier Markets) As women leaders working to achieve sustainable energy for all, we are calling for gender equality in…
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We should all be outraged
On June 15 one of the Philippines’ most prominent journalists, Maria Ressa, was found guilty of “cyber libel”. Ressa is executive editor and CEO of the online news outlet Rappler. She was convicted together with Rappler’s former staff member Reynaldo Santos Jr. Both are now facing up to six years in prison. Rappler has been…
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Leaving no one behind in times of Covid
Opinion by Karen Hammink and Justus Eisfeld, both Program Development Manager Sexual Rights and Diversity at Hivos Covid-19 demonstrates once again that no disaster affects all people equally. Groups that were already pushed to the margins of society before the virus existed are likely to be most affected. Women and girls, LGBTI persons, people living…
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E-procurement and Tanzania’s public procurement transformation
The month of June 2020 marks two years since the introduction of Tanzania’s e-Procurement System (TANePS), a platform that seeks to migrate all public procurement processes online. Hosted by the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA), it supports procurement of goods, works, consultancies, non-consultancies and disposal of assets. June 2020 has been marked as the deadline…