Abibimman IS calling for Decent work and Green jobs policies in Ghana

PRESS STATEMENT

World Day for Safety and Health at Work

DATE: 28 April, 2013

Abibimman Foundation, Global Call to Action against Poverty (GCAP-Ghana) and IDAY- Ghana, we call for decent work and green jobs policies in Ghana as we celebrate World Day for Safety and Health at Work

Worldwide, occupational diseases continue to be the leading cause of work-related deaths. According to ILO estimates, out of 2.34 million occupational fatalities every year, only 321,000 are due to accidents. The remaining 2.02 million deaths are caused by various types of work-related diseases, which correspond to a daily average of more than 5,500 deaths. This is an unacceptable Decent Work deficit, According to (ILO)

Decent work is the best strategy to achieve sustainable development that is centered on people. Social dialogue is the component of decent work; it is a means of resolving conflict, for defending and promoting rights at work

Unemployment and underemployment are forms of exclusions that affect many people in Ghana. Employment has not featured as an important macroeconomic variable over more than two decades of macroeconomic stabilization, structural adjustment and economic liberalization

We are calling on government to come out with green jobs policies, Placing gender equality and empowerment at the heart of its development, preventative safety, health culture involving all stakeholders

On this day, we wish to remind NGOs, CSOs to advocate for decent work targeting young people, decision makers, employers and government

We, at Abibimman Foundation, AYICC –Ghana, GCAP-Ghana and IDAY-Ghana, believe we can achieve the Millennium Development Goals thought decent work and green jobs

Kenneth Nana Amoateng 

Chief Executive Officer 

Abibiman Foundation 

 www.abibimmanfoundation.org/ Tel +233-303-213918, Mob:+233244023651

Fight against malaria thougth Artimisai Annua

PRESS STATEMENT

World Malaria Day,

DATE: April 25, 2013

 Abibimman Foundation and IDAY- Ghana, join the rest of the world to celebrate World Malaria Day

 “It is unacceptable that malaria still kills an estimated 660,000 people worldwide, mostly children under five years in sub-Saharan Africa every year more than any other single infection and those who survive may suffer from brain damage or paralysis, According to the World Health Organisation (WHO)” 

Pregnant women and their unborn children are also especially vulnerable to malaria, which is a major cause of low birth weight, anemia and infant death.

 If malaria is to be controlled, interventions must be further scaled up, sustained financing must be made available, and community involvement and leadership must be encouraged, alongside stronger global, regional and national partnerships.

Warm, Climate change and humid atmospheric weather conditions, prevailing in tropical lowlands throughout most of the year, make areas suitable for water-associated diseases like malaria.

 Malaria can be prevented through personal protection against mosquito bites and can be treated effectively with medication. 

Stand up and be commitment to the fight against malaria thougth Artimisai Annua the sure way out

 We, at Abibimman Foundation, AYICC –Ghana, GCAP-Ghana and IDAY-Ghana, believe that with commitment and resources, we can eradicate malaria and achieve the Millennium Development Goals

Kenneth Nana Amoateng 

Chief Executive Officer 

Abibiman Foundation 

 www.abibimmanfoundation.org/ Tel +233-303-213918, Mob:+233244023651

Water resources are our lifeline for survival Ghana Youth

Today, we join millions of people across the globe to mark World Water Day. This day should be a day of reflection on millions of people who do not have access to clean drinking water, The fulfillment of all fundamental human needs is largely dependent on water and access thereof

We live in a world where clean, fresh drinking water is becoming increasingly scarce It can take about 10 to 15 times more water to produce a kilo of meat than a kilo of wheat. By 2030 we will need at least 50% more food, 45% more energy and 30% more water.

Today, over 780 million people do not have access to improved sources of drinking water and 2.5 billion people are without improved sanitation.

Water withdrawals should increase by 50 percent in developing countries and by 18 percent in developed countries. Water for irrigation and food production constitutes one of the greatest pressures on freshwater resources

Climate Change and Population growth associated with changing consumption patterns, especially in cities, is driving an increase in water demand. Our lifestyles are more water hungry

Water and sanitation should contribute significantly to the realization SDGs, including reducing poverty, promoting gender equality, reducing child and maternal mortality and providing universal primary education.

Government must take a step to make Ghana a less wasteful place when it comes to the use of a key natural resource and provide safe and clean water to all Ghanaian  Water resources are our lifeline for survival, and for sustainable development in the twenty-first century.”

As we mark the world water day remember that A4 paper = 1 liter of water. Using less water to flush the toilet or take a shower rather than a bath

We, at Abibinsroma Foundation, AYICC –Ghana, GCAP-Ghana and IDAY-Ghana believe it is indeed possible to achieve the SDGs by the year 2030.

 Kenneth Nana Amoateng 

Chief Executive Officer 

Abibinsroma Foundation - www.abibinsromafoundation.org/ Mob:+233244023651http://climatechange-tv.rtcc.org/kenneth-nana-amoateng-october-2009/www.abibinsromafoundation.org
http://climatechange-tv.rtcc.org/kenneth-nana-amoateng-october-2009/

MDGS INTERRELATIONSHIPS

www.abibimmanfoundation.org

MDGS INTERRELATIONSHIPS
MDG7: Ensuring Environmental Sustainability

MDG 1: Eradicate extreme Poverty and Hunger
Continuous Degradation of natural resources such as food, medicinal plants, fuel wood etc. and land degradation might lead to poverty

MDG2: Achieve Universal Basic Education
Availability of water and energy sources particularly girls spend more hours gather

Ring water and fell water before going to school and firewood Burden of environmental health threats

MDG 3: Promote Gender Equality and Empower Women
Poor women exposed to indoor air pollution, burden of collecting fuel wood and water, and unequal access to land and natural resources

MDG 4: Reduce Child Mortality
Environmentally related diseases- indoor and local air pollution, unsafe water, poor sanitation

MDG 5: Improve Maternal Health
Physical stresses associated with the gathering of environmental resources such as firewood, good drinking water.

Food availability, water quality, poor sanitation etc caused by environmental degradation tend to affect maternal health.

MDG 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria and other Diseases
Environmental degradation might lead to poor local economic Mishaps, rural-urban migration and overcrowding. These may lead to HIV/AIDS etc.

Increase in temp associated with climate change, poor sanitation conducive for vector multiplication

MDG 8: Global Partnership
For Growth and Dev't

Kenneth Nana Amoateng
Abibimman Foundation

Post-2015 development agenda and the framing of the sustainable development goals,

Post-2015 development agenda and the framing of the sustainable development goals, what are the key issues that needed to be addressed in terms of environmental sustainability from the African Youth perspective

As Africa is endowed with great natural resources like forest and minerals, sustainable management of these resources should be strengthened to ensure that the revenue from these resources are channeled into addressing social problems and also to access good health.

This can be done by reaffirming commitment to bilateral and multilateral agreement that protect, regulate and prevents the over exploitation of our natural resources. Example is the VPA agreement to prevent illegal timber onto the EU market. Beyond this, I believe the capacity of Africans should be built to introduce Forest certification in the management of their forest. This will not only help in the long term protection of our forest but will also secure the overall interest of the indigenous/local people.

Still there remain far too many people without sufficient food or even access to food of the
necessary nutritional value. Most estimates suggest that a 70 per cent increase in food production will be required in order to feed what is expected to be a global population of nine billion people by 2050. 

This is a significant challenge: limited opportunities exist for expanding the area of land under cultivation without compromising other land uses, and agriculture is currently too dependent on external inputs and over-reliant on fossil fuels. 

But most importantly, water availability is now regarded as the key constraint to further gains in agricultural output. 

While we require only about two to four litres of water a day to drink, it takes between 2,000 and 5,000 litres of water to produce one person’s daily food

There must be intense education and awareness creation for the youth on the post-2015 development agenda

Youth working in the area of environmental sustainability should be tasked with some responsibilities or roles in achieving goals or objectives set.

The views or opinions of young people should be included in all the decision making processes

By Kenneth Nana Amoateng,

Chief Executive Officer

Abibimman Foundation

www.abibimmanfoundation.org   

African youth involved in the Rio+20

African and Ghana youth voices were taken into account in the Rio+20 

Climate change is all about intergenerational equity and therefore the youth play a very important role in the national, regional and international negotiations and decision making. Rio+20 was a ground breaking conference which brought thousands of people together on the same platform to reaffirm and renew their political commitment to ensuring sustainable development. Therefore, like many of such conferences the participation of youth was highly anticipated. Unfortunately, only few countries in Africa (Ghana, South Africa, Kenya, Mali, Nigeria and Djibouti) had Youth as part of their official delegation. Even though there were quite a number of youth who participated as observers but their participation did not have so much influence on the outcome document since they were not part of the negotiations.  

I think so. Personally, I don’t think the voices of youth were taken into account during the conference. Just accepting or admitting a position paper from youth is not enough. Countries who participate in such conferences should be tasked with ensuring that the concerns raised by the youth are tackled at the national level down to the local level. This will help the youth to appreciate issues at stake and make informed contributions to the processes.

By Kenneth Nana Amoateng,

Chief Executive Officer

Abibimman Foundation

www.abibimmanfoundation.org   

Climate change in Ghana has become a threat to livelihoods

Climate change in Ghana has become a threat to livelihoods. Drought and over flooding in parts of the Northern Region of Ghana has become a yearly worry to the people and government. People along the banks of the Volta river are constantly displaced, homeless and landless. In the South particularly aquatic life is affected as a result of human activities and sea level rise that pollutes water bodies and the main economic activity which is fishing drops and this has affected the income levels of the people.

The climate change impacts in Northern part of Ghana results in severe draughts in the dry season, severe floods, high temperatures, influx of pest and diseases taking away human life and property, currently most parts of Northern Ghana is flooded and has rendered people homeless, lost of agricultural products and property. The heavy lost of farm crops is predicted to bring famine if measures are not put in place. The government of Ghana has contracted engineers to come out with ways to solve the problem. The government is also in consultation with Burkina Faso to solve the flooding problems collectively.

From a very personal view, I think the political will and commitment to respond fast to climate change has not been evident. African Leaders prefer to sign political agreements and agenda instead of designing these themselves. The fact African leaders never set the pace and lead in these agenda setting therefore limits their say in major issues of international concern.

Also there is no common clearly laid down strategies' by the African continent on how effectively they can handle this issue as a continent. Technologically, Africa has not been very innovative in curbing the effects, for instance green technology and the use of electric cars is gaining grounds in Denmark and Europe as a whole as ways of reducing climate change negative impacts.

 The question is what is gaining grounds in Africa? Nothing am aware of, or perhaps it's still in the making, but are we waiting for the worst to happen before we find the solutions? The individual African whose entire livelihood is dependent on our natural resources has no options than to face the severe damages from climate effects in the form of severe draughts, floods, high temperatures, influx of pest and disease among others. The voice of global actors (eg Danish Minister for Climate) for speedy actions must be seen as a wake up call of all Africans politicians especially the youth to look critically into this issue and get motivated to change this course.

By Kenneth Nana Amoateng,

Chief Executive Officer

Abibimman Foundation

www.abibimmanfoundation.org