Global Buzz 2022 03 01

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Global Buzz Report: March 2022

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GLOBAL CALENDAR of zoom events - We would encourage all of us to keep an eye on the Global Archive new initiative – hosting global conversations – book reviews, topical discussions, etc.

Do consider your participation as well as hosting an on line session some time!

Global Schedule of events! icaglobalschedule@gmail.com.

Remember: YOU are invited to:
1.Offer a presentation you are interested in giving;
2.Recommend other people to present;
3.Participate in any of the events and encourage your friends to attend; and
4.Give feedback by emailing: icaglobalschedule@gmail.com.

The vision for the Global Calendar of events is to make this easily accessible/ globally friendly to all no matter where/what!

As you will be aware, ICAI – GA is in process of some re-structuring (with all ICAs represented) – a further opportunity for strengthening our global/regional communication and collaboration.

GHANA: Development Institute

"Wildlife is something which man cannot construct. Once it is gone, it is gone forever"— Joy Adamson.

After years of putting in efforts to win the trust of the endangered Sitatunga within the Avu Lagoon enclave, our hard work has finally paid off and the animals are beginning to warm up to humans once again. Recently, both the male and female Sitantunga were captured on our field cameras, an indication that the antelopes are finally coming out of hiding! It was exciting to finally capture these antelopes that have been hiding for some time now.

A brief background to our success story

For a long time, there was no trace of the West African Sitatunga in the Avu Lagoon enclave as a result of negative human practices such as farming within the buffer zones. Even though Avu Lagoon was identified as the only existing habit for the antelopes in Ghana, they were nowhere in sight.

However, with a number of conservation activities using the CREMA approach such as demarcating core zones purposely for conservation, the animals are beginning to feel safe again. For the past 4 years, we have been working together with communities as well as partners to conserve the wetland under the Avu Lagoon CREMA partnership project. After taking the 17 partner communities through a number of capacity building sessions on the importance of conserving the wetland as well as wildlife, the communities pledged their commitment to partner with us in ensuring that.

What to know about the Sitatunga

The Sitatunga which is a swamp-dwelling antelope and an excellent swimmer as well is native to West and Central Africa. With elongated and wide-splayed hooves, these antelopes are able to walk on soft terrain such as swamps and marshes. However, when seriously alarmed, the sitatunga can sink below water to swim to deeper areas with only their nostrils above the surface.

In Conclusion…
With the Sitatunga finally coming out of hiding, World Wildlife Day 2022 couldn’t be any better. The theme for this year, “Recovering key species for ecosystem restoration”, also resonates with one of our goals for the project which is to preserve the small population of sitatunga that still exist. Indeed, we are recovering key species for ecosystem restoration. The Development Institute looks forward to more wins in the near future!

#WorldWildlifeDay2022
#RecoverKeySpecies

NEPAL:

ICA Nepal conducted the program on Promotion of Innovation and STEAM Education at 4 different schools of Bishnupur, a rural municipality in Siraha District in Province No. 2 of South-Eastern Nepal. The very program was first requested by the NCDC team and developed by the team of ICA Nepal.

The overall objective was to orient school teachers and students on innovation through Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEAM) approach in teaching and learning. Along with STEAM education promotion, ICA Nepal also handed over the COVID-19 response materials such as soaps, masks, and awareness-raising materials. In addition, sanitary napkins made by local women of Sindhupalchowk were also distributed to schools.

We took the program forward with insightful slides and presentations along with various instances of pertinent practices that we adopt in our daily life at home, village, and school. All of the participants were overjoyed to be assigned to such an important and sub-regional program as STEM education. At each school, we distributed science activities kits, health materials such as soap, masks, sanitary napkins, and books. The students and teachers were excited to get more enlightenment about Innovation and STEAM education as well as discuss the various programs and scopes based on their further studies. After receiving their science kits, the children were eager to put them to use on a daily basis.

The school was extremely appreciative of all of the assistance and requested further support as compound microscopes, computers, and modern equipment. Following our demonstration, the students and teachers at the school created a science material (solar cap) and used it.

Overall, the session remained very fascinating and knowledgeable. The enthusiastic participation from both students and teachers made the session successful.

During the visit, we realized that all the four schools of the Bishnupur Municipality are equally in critical need of project initiation that helps to uplift these students intending at holistic development of the school. The availability of technologies, electricity, latrines, and more exposure to education learning and implementation process was considered as a must for the further development of schools and students.

Every Friday Learning Friday
ICA Nepal has been organizing different Classified Talks shows from experts on Fundraising and Development-related topics. As mentioned in the earlier reports, we have been conducting Every Friday, Learning Friday program sessions by experts in a particular field. Topics for this February were:

The Founding Chairperson of ICA Nepal, Prof. Dr. Tatwa P. Timsina conducted a 3day intensive training session on Project Proposal writing for MinErgy.

In 2057 BS, ICA Nepal in coordination with ICA Japan conducted a series of income-generating skills training among them Lapsi Candy making training was one of them. Today, those small efforts have been able to produce significant results. The inspiring story of Ms. Devaka Shrestha and her team from Progressive Women Society was featured in a daily national newspaper.

ICA Nepal joined hands with the Rotary Club of Rudramati to conduct a 3-day Sewing and Cutting Training at Parbat. ICA Nepal facilitated all the required raw materials such as clothes and machinery.

OF INTEREST:

The bleakest of day when volcanic tremors erupted in their hearts,
their world turned upside down, their day turned into night, tanks
rolled in their peaceful streets, long range missiles blew up their apartment
buildings, their flight to freedom blocked — the return from the grave of the
cold war’s ‘iron curtain’ in Ukraine has plunged Central Europe* into the brink
of a third world war, as if the global threat of climate change, the fish kills
from deadly mining pollutants, the fracking of the earth that poisons
waterways, the demise of many species in our planet, the tsunamis drowning
islands of habitation, the pandemic that masked our sweet smiles were not
enough to terrorise our souls, the deadly dust of Chernobyl’s nuclear waste
floats in the air, the lust for power triggers the requiem —where were the wars
to end all wars from the smoking debris of the last century, a new tyrant
has arisen hell bent to destroy a next-door nation’s sovereign rights, to retrieve
what in his mind was his country’s lost empire, autocracy has no care for the collateral damage of the loss of innocent lives, what sanctions can stop a madman to take the world to a new hell on earth, voices of protest in Russia and round the globe ring out as a testament to the cry for freedom and peace, and we know deep down that, with unflinching faith and concerted action, our vision that goodness will triumph over the dark recesses of the soul, and with our embrace of our brothers and sisters in their darkest hour, the rays of faith and hope in our collective hearts can never ever be dashed.

Russia invades Ukraine, 24 February 2022
*Note: The usage of the concept of Central Europe or Middle Europe is unstable and arguable

Poem: Deborah Ruiz Wall, 26 February 2022