Archives: Opinions

  • The real people affected by lack of access to energy must not be forgotten in the COP process

    Looking back on my overwhelming first time attending a Council of the Parties (COP) at COP22 in Marrakech last November, it was filled with so many meetings, side panels, negotiations and networking opportunities that it was easy to overlook the real people affected by lack of access to energy. Acronyms were flying all over the place,…

  • Why Southern Africa Needs to Focus on Green and Inclusive Energy

    Zimbabwe’s Minister of Energy and Power Development, Samuel Undenge, recently announced at the 48th Southern African Power Pool (SAPP) meeting in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe that the region will add 30 000 MW to the region between 2017 and 2022. Addressing delegates at the meeting, Undenge lamented the slow pace of commissioning of new projects but hoped…

  • Renewable Energy Carries Potential to Propel Zimbabwe

    Harnessing Zimbabwe’s abundant renewable energy resources is key to helping the country support its development strategies and leapfrog towards low-carbon socio-economic progress. Energy is increasingly being recognised as a pre-requisite for human development: it’s surprising that it took the world so long a time to acknowledge this reality. Fortunately, it is now enshrined in the…

  • The Global Gag Rule’s impact on Kenya’s reproductive health sector

    Within the first week of assuming office, US President Donald Trump reinstated the Mexico City Policy, also known as the Global Gag Rule. Simply, this policy prohibits any entity that receives US Government (USG) funding from carrying out any abortion-related activity, regardless of the source of funds.  This Mexico City Policy is a partisan affair…

  • On Internet Freedom and Access in Zimbabwe

    As Hivos, we fully believe that freedom of expression and the media is a basic requirement for citizens to stay informed, express an opinion and become civically involved in society. Across the globe, the internet has been growing as a medium of communication, facilitating freedom of expression and economic development. In countries where the internet…

  • ‘Open source’ seeds key to addressing hunger

    One of the most celebrated United Nations events, the World Food Day was marked on the 16th of October this year. Even as we celebrated World Food Day to promote awareness and action against hunger, malnutrition and poverty; 1.5 million Kenyans are still starving. Not enough done to halve the number of hungry Kenyans The…

  • We must all remain critical and combative at COP22

    The fact our planet’s climate has been affected beyond repair by human intervention is one of the most thoroughly researched and well-established scientific findings of all time. If we are to even partially avoid crippling future generations with debts and dangerously degraded environments, then we need thorough action as soon as possible. A solution was…

  • Zambia needs to say goodbye to the maize mono diet

    Zambia is a potentially rich country, with a predominantly young population, abundant land, water and minerals. However, this country is somewhat surprisingly dangling at the bottom of the 2016 Global Hunger Index.    Nagging challenge Malnutrition has actually been a nagging challenge for the people of Zambia for quite a long time now, without much improvement.…

  • The Green Climate Fund must change course to have a real impact on lives

    (Note: the Green Climate Fund Board is meeting from 12 – 14 October 2016 Quito, Ecuador) Sulis Setiawati plucks some fresh vegetables from a field and smiles: “Thanks to the solar irrigation, farmers can now grow a range of fresh vegetables when in the past they had to survive from growing corn and maize.” She…

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