Category Archives: SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

The Self-Employed Women’s Association: Shining a light on India’s poor

. . SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT . .

An article by William French, for The Elders (abridged)

India is an increasingly dynamic player in the modern digital economy, but many thousands of poor and rural communities still have their lives and work dictated by the rhythms of the sun and the moon. A lack of access to affordable energy means sundown equals shutdown, a loss of productivity, efficiency and valuable income.

BhattClick on photo to enlarge

Ela Bhatt with members of the Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA). Photo: The Elders | Tom Pietrasik

“No light means we cannot continue to work after sunset. This means less income, and often we cannot afford to eat on the next day”, in the words of Santokben, an artisan from the village of Bakutra in Gujarat.

To break this cycle, the grassroots trade union SEWA (Self- Employed Women’s Association) has been working since 2009 to promote its “Green Livelihoods Campaign” – known as “Hariyali” in the local language – to provide cheap access to sustainable energy across India. SEWA, founded in 1972 by Elder Ela Bhatt, has argued for decades that access to energy is vital in emancipating communities and especially women who are otherwise marginalised both economically and politically.

“The Hariyali Campaign has been structured to deliver Energy Access, financial inclusion and gender empowerment for SEWA’s members,” said Ela Bhatt. “The key to success was in building a model which is sustainable, replicable and scalable.”

n practice, portable solar LED lanterns and clean cooking stoves are provided to SEWA members, paid for by instalments. SEWA has negotiated an unsecured bank loan of Rs 250 million ($4.2 million) from an Indian private bank to provide this service to its members.

The result has been electrifying – in the most literal sense. In the words of Kapilaben, a widow and small farmer from the Gujarat village of Rasnol:

“When my husband died I had to bring up three daughters. Life was dark as we had no electricity and everything felt hopeless. How do I cope? Thanks to ‘Hariyali’ I now have a solar lantern and a cooking stove. Now I do all the work, send all my three daughters to school and am now a grassroots leader at SEWA!”

Underlining the complex nature of its work in a country as vast and diverse as India, SEWA has identified three major challenges which highlight the importance of listening to local communities and learning from their own needs and experiences. It aims to raise awareness, for example of how to use more efficient and healthy cooking stoves; to determine availability so the right sort of stove is delivered to the right people (ie, the stove made for the South Indian population who mainly eat rice isn’t suited to those who eat roti in North and Central India); and guarantee affordability by closely working with local communities and financing partners.

SEWA has also developed “Project Urja” to provide solar lights to women’s self-help groups across the deprived Bihar-Mungar region using a special “energy loan product” in cooperation with India’s Ministry of Rural Development. By February 2013, 177 LED lights had been provided to seven villages, meaning that children could study after dark, the women could cook better meals at night and they could also charge their mobile phones.

For Ela Bhatt, this is a shining example of how innovation and cooperation can transform lives and raise communities out of poverty.

Question for this article:

Do women have a special role in poverty reduction?

According to the target articles (below), as well as many other economic analyses and reports, the key to poverty reduction is the education and employment of women and their actions for economic justice.

The Road Ahead: Strategies to Support Women Entrepreneurs in Latin America
In Cambodia, the women are saying, “No!”
The Self-Employed Women’s Association: Shining a light on India’s poor

South Asia, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Move the Money! The Global Campaign on Military Spending

. SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT .

an article by Colin Archer, Secretary-General, International Peace Bureau (abridged)

The idea that the world spends too much on war and militarism is widely shared among peace activists. And when they care to think about it, millions of ordinary people around the world share this opinion. But it has yet to become a major political debating point. We aim to change all that!
2038 ipb

The issue is especially crucial in a period in which tensions between major states (Japan v. China…) and between governments and violent fundamentalists (US v ISIS…), are becoming increasingly militarised. Pressure to spend more taxpayers’ money on warfare is growing. The current situation is also the result of decades of past investments in the military, and the insatiable appetites of war profiteers.

A new global campaign

In December 2014, the International Peace Bureau (IPB) announced the launch of a permanent, global, year- round campaign to tackle the worldwide issue of excessive military spending. In 2013 the world’s governments spent over USD 1700 billion on the military sector. This is money that could instead be spent on creating jobs for young people, feeding the hungry, protecting us all from the effects of climate change, tackling ebola…and much more. IPB has for several years called for annual reallocations of (minimum) 10% from the military budgets of all states; and for a process to be started to reduce arms production as well as the international weapons trade.

The campaign builds on over a decade of work done by IPB and others on the theme of ‘Disarmament for Sustainable Development’. It incorporates the Global Day of Action on Military Spending (GDAMS) – now in its 5th year), whose goals it shares and which is also coordinated by the IPB.

What are our goals?
The overall goal is to achieve major re-allocations of military expenditures (especially in high-spending countries). But how should that money be spent, if it can be ‘liberated’? To keep things relatively simple, we propose a reallocation to 4 broad alternative areas:
Peace: disarmament, conflict prevention and resolution, human security;
Sustainable development and anti-poverty programmes;
Climate change and biodiversity loss – for mitigation and adaptation;
Social justice/welfare: public services, human rights, gender equality, green job-creation.

We view the above shifts as part of a wider global transformation towards a culture of peace.

In 2015 we intend to have an influence on key international debates in two of these areas:

* Development: to ensure the inclusion of language relating to military spending and disarmament in the UN’s Post 2015 Development Agenda; to be adopted at the UNGA in the autumn.

* Climate: to ensure that the target of $100 bn in annual governmental contributions to the Green Climate Fund is met by the date of the COP 21 climate conference in December. These contributions should come from reductions in military budgets. . . .

All are welcome to join! Just drop us a line at: mailbox@ipb.org.

Latest Discussion

Does military spending lead to economic decline and collapse?

Latest reader comment:

I think it was Marx who said that military spending is like throwing money into the sea, since it does not produce anything of value for people.

We could saw this previously in the case of the Soviet Union that was driven into bankruptcy by the arms race, which was a deliberate and successful strategy of NATO.

But now, if we look clearly, we can see it is now the case for the United States which produces very little for export and imports enormously (especially from China), while it spends most of its wealth on arms production.

Arms production is hidden in the official government budget of the United States. First, the government adds in social security which does not come from taxes, but which is simply a form of saving by those who pay into the system. Then it hides much of military spending in other budgets (for example nuclear production is hidden under energy). And finally, it fails to mention that most of the enormous budget item of debt payment is actually the payment for previous wars and arms production.

According to the careful research of the War Resisters League, almost half of the federal budget of the United States is for present and past military expenses. This amounts to over 1.3 trillion dollars a year!

global, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

U.N. Climate Talks Advance Link Between Gender and Climate Change

. SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT .

an article by Denise M. Fontanilla, Inter Press Service News Agency (reprinted by permission)

A week of climate negotiations in Geneva, Switzerland Feb. 8-13 are setting the stage for what promises to be a busy year. In order to reach an agreement in Paris by December, negotiators will have to climb a mountain of contentious issues which continue to overshadow the talks.

gender

Anniete Cohn-Lois, head of gender affairs for the Dominican Republic government. Credit: Chris Wright (click on photo to enlarge)

One such issue is the relevance of gender in the climate change negotiations.

While gender mainstreaming has become a standard practice within development circles and was a critical aspect of the Millennium Development Goals, it still remains on the fringes of the U.N. climate discussions.

Recent developments have forced gender back into the spotlight thanks to concise action this week from the representatives of a number of countries, including the Dominican Republic, Ghana, Sudan, Mexico, Chile and the EU.

Anniete Cohn-Lois, head of gender affairs under the Dominican Republic’s vice presidency, has been one of the most vocal proponents of gender equality in the negotiations. According to the Germanwatch Long-Term Climate Risk Index, the Dominican Republic was the eighth most affected country in terms of the impacts of climate change over the past two decades.

However, as Cohn-Lois explained, her passion for Gender rights here in Geneva has been inspired by a particularly localised experience of marginalised women in Jimani, on the southern border with Haiti.

“The area that has been the most affected by climate change is actually the poorest. Of the people living there, the most heavily impacted by climate change are women, many of which are actually heads of their families,” she said.

Cohn-Lois added that many of the women in this area are single mothers, with some taking care of both elderly relatives and children. These women are some of the most vulnerable to climate change in the Dominican Republic and face several challenges, including gaining access to clean water.

“Since the southern side is such an arid part, access to water is still an issue. They can only afford to buy water weekly or even biweekly and find a way to [store] it,” she said.

She also noted that they have a wind farm in the area which provides electricity to most of the houses there.

Cohn-Lois is aware that women face similar challenges all over the world. Through her diplomatic post, she has markedly advanced the awareness of the importance of gender equality within the U.N. climate negotiations.

This week, she has called not only for gender equality in relation to climate change, but also gender-sensitivity, particularly and the value of community-based approaches to climate mitigation and adaptation programmes.

However, as Verona Collantes of UN Women argues, the task is not only to recognise that women are more affected by climate change, but to ensure they are a large part of the solution.

(This article is continued in the discussion board, above and right.)

Continuation of article

“Women and girls are differentially impacted by climate change. More importantly, they are agents, they have been contributing to climate solutions especially at the community level,” the Filipina said.

Climate change affects the poorest and most vulnerable people the most, and according to U.N. figures, women comprise 70 percent of the world’s poor.

Collantes also noted that women, especially indigenous women, make up the majority of those involved in agriculture and sustainable forest management, which is why it is critical they be represented in discussions on reducing forest-related emissions, here at the U.N. climate negotiations.

“When the man goes to earn a living, it’s the woman who becomes the chief of the household. It’s tied to the management of natural resources and livelihood, using fuel to warm their houses or cook their food, and fetching water – all of those have implications on climate change which, more and more, the parties to the UNFCCC [United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change] are increasingly recognizing,” she added.

While the U.N climate convention itself did not originally have a reference to gender, it began to be integrated into the talks at the 2001 conference in Marrakech, Morocco. There, negotiators agreed to improve women’s participation in all decision-making processes under the talks.

Following this milestone, the issue became dormant. For the next 12 years, gender was barely mentioned within the negotiations. Then, at the 2012 conference in Doha, Qatar, it was finally revived, thanks largely to a new wave of gender-sensitive negotiators such as Anniete Cohn-Lois.

According to Collantes, the issue then became dormant for almost 10 years. It was not until 2010 in Cancun, Mexico that gender equality once again came under consideration. And it was in Doha that the agreement began to shift from merely a recognition of gender balance towards ensuring women’s capacities are enhanced and formally recognised within the U.N. climate negotiations.

In 2013, a further workshop was held on gender, climate change, and the negotiations in Warsaw, Poland. At that stage, countries and observer organisations submitted ideas on how to advance the gender balance goal.

Last December, a two-year work programme to further explore gender issues was established in Lima, Peru. UN Women is also continuing this work, and currently preparing for another workshop in June on gender-responsive mitigation, technology development and transfer.

“We look at it from the aspect of women’s participation in the development of technology, women’s access to those technologies. Are they part of the beneficiaries? Were they even thought of as beneficiaries in the beginning?” Collantes said.

However, in Warsaw, the U.N. reported that less than 30 per cent of negotiators representing their countries were women. Since then, there have been small representational improvements, but we are still very far from achieving gender equality within the U.N. representatives, let alone in their decisions.

[Thank you to Janet Hudgins, the CPNN reporter for this article.]

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India: New Institute for Peace through Tourism (IIPT)

. SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT .

an article by Youth Delegates from IIPT India who came to IIPT Conference in South Africa

IIPT India is a new initiative which we need in India because our country has not realized in potential in tourism. We want people to come to India to experience its beauty.

india-2
click on photo to enlarge

We are students in management at SVIMS Mumbai University. Our professor Kiran Yadav together with one of his colleagues Ajay Prakash organized an initiative of IIPT (Institute for Peace through Tourism) in India earlier this year and told us about it. We had never before imagined how tourism could promote peace, so we like the concept.

We were pleased at the opportunity to come to this conference in Johannesburg (South Africa) on peace through tourism. We are 14 students, part of a youth leadership forum.

The new Prime Minister of India is now promoting tourism with an “incredible India” campaign. We spoke here with the head of the United Nations World Tourism Organization who told us that when he visited India in 2002 he found that the government was not very interested in tourism. Now that has changed.

Before coming here we mobilized about 500 students to sign the credo of the peaceful traveler developed by the international IIPT.

When we go back we will try to put into practice what we have learned here – especially community-based tourism.

For example, the Dharavi zone in the heart of Mumbai, traditionally considered as a slum, has thousands of small household industries. The entrepreneurs there want to invite tourists to visit them. So now we have guided tours of Dharavi where they show how small- scale industry can play an important part in the Indian economy.

We are inspired by the example we have heard here about climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, and we could do similar tours in the mountains in Maharashtra which is a popular site for trekking not too far from Mumbai.

We have made videos of speakers here at the conference, and we will show them to the students who couldn’t come with us, and to other whom we can interest in the future of IIPT India.

We are interested in internship possibilities for peace through tourism that we have heard about here. And then we can become ambassadors of peace.

Since Indians love the Bollywood cinema, maybe we can interest some actors and actresses to promote peace tourism.

For us tourism used to mean just seeing new places, but now we realize that it can be a chance to know new people and to promote peace.

Question related to this article:

How can tourism promote a culture of peace?

Comment by Liliana Mota, October 23, 2013

Why tourism?

Can tourism be seen as an instrument to achieve complicity between people’s minds?

“There is nothing better that connects two people’s mind than a good conversation” The above quote could be used to describe the effect which tourism has on people. Like a great conversation, tourism could be said to play a vital role amongst people all over the world. It fosters communication in all its senses, intercultural dialogue and mutual understanding.

In today’s world it is evident that there is a shortage of moral or ethical values amongst people across the different nations in this world, resulting in a globalised world lacking these morals and ethical values. Ignorance, the failure to consider the needs of others, and selfishness are a few of the ways which hinder us from embracing diversity and a common human perspective, which would result informal empathy, internal moral compassion, tolerance of differences, historical consciousness and interpretation. The above mentioned features are intrinsic, inherent and can be found in the practice of tourism.

Tourism has been emphasized as one of the most effective instruments which continue to tackle to tackle social and economical poverty, as well as encourage the culture of peace practice amongst people. In looking at the UN architecture, one is able to see the growing implications which the tourism sector has on the world and world policies. The touristic phenomenon has achieved a world record of 5% of world’s GDP contribution and is responsible for 235 millions jobs, according to the UNWTO’s data. Often the tourism sector counts more than 20% of the countries’ GDP.

On the negative side of this, it is evident that tourism focuses on economical matters, depriving any focus on the global implications of the constant interaction tourism encourages.

In the literal sense, tourism is nothing more or less than people meeting with the willingness to understand each other’s differences and point of view and simultaneously creating the opportunity for dialogue, mutual understanding and peace to take place.

Apart from tourism, various factors could be seen to play a role in encouraging integration and diversity amongst societies across the world. For example, the cultural segment has played an essential source of people’s integration and inclusiveness in developing countries.

Education has also played a significant role in encouraging integration, and incorporation amongst people all over the world. Education has been reconsidered and proposed to being the catalyst for exchange between countries, cultures and sectors, and most importantly for enhancing the lives of people by granting them the opportunity to leave their poverty stricken lives and societies in exchange a for better future which includes job and exchange opportunities.

In the tourism world, differences play the most essential role, differences among people represents the added-value. Being different is always a positive factor that usually motivates and encourages people to get to move and engage with each other and embrace the differences with the use of spiritual, religious and cultural meanings.

This notion of tourism needs to be addressed in multilateral governance discussions, where all the main actors, the international community, the ministerial and experts, private sector, local institutions and civil society engages are all present, and are all willing to work together in combined efforts and initiatives (from poverty alleviation to the promotion of awareness of sustainable development addressing special needs like regional development, urban planning and protection of natural and cultural landscapes). This combined approach of working at the local level within communities and at the national and international level, in order to reach and engage the poor, has been considered as potentially being the “one possible and effective answer” and effective approach towards the world’s poorest areas where it can make a difference.

South Asia, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Peace through Tourism by David Scowsill, President and CEO of WTTC

. SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT .

an article by Bea Broda, TravelTv for E Turbo News

The UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and stakeholders, namely the global private travel and tourism industry, had a say at the the IIPT World Symposium in Johannesburg today.

scowsill
click on photo to enlarge

Represented by David Scowsill, President and CEO of WTTC, this is what the World Travel and Tourism Council thinks on Peace through Tourism:

“WTTC wants to help the tourism industry to glow sustainably. Travel is the language of peace and it accounts for 9% of the world’s GDP and for 1 in 11 jobs. It employs over 12 million people in Europe and 63 million in Asia and 8 million in Africa. Tourism is glowing every year and is resilient. It grows 1% faster than the rest of the global economy annually. Beyond economics, it brings people together and is a force and driver for peace. We must harness the opportunities in rebuilding reconciliation and justice. It can be a source of conflict and uncertainty if no deployed effectively.

“IIPT promotes a higher purpose of tourism, like reducing environmental impact. Such initiatives are widespread. Aggregating the data across the sector can be challenging, as sectors measure things for their own needs. The Hotel Carbon Measurement Initiative has helped with agreed upon metrics and measurements. Best examples of sustainable tourism are recognized annually.

“Providing skills training is vital to development and tourism drives this as we strive to meet the needs of consumers. Over the next ten years some 40 million jobs could be at risk if the industry does not train people with the skills. Hospitality training is critical and there are initiatives to foster this.

Tourism calls on many sectors and is keeping an eye on the supply chain. Tourism stimulates and also depends on connectivity. It helps people when they need it most, like planes helping during typhoons and supporting relief efforts.

Tourism calls on many sectors and is keeping an eye on the supply chain. Tourism stimulates and also depends on connectivity. It helps people when they need it most, like planes helping during typhoons and supporting relief efforts.

Governments must be encouraged to a more peaceful future.

“Travel and tourism is a primal force, it doesn’t just mean holiday. What we have in common matters a lot. The more people travel and understand each other, the less chance there is of war. It’s an interdependence that can lead to more cooperation and peace.

“The economic impact of tourism is increasingly understood and we are making headway with the social benefits. People instinctively share travel with their friends; it broadens the mind, mends fences and breaks down negative perception. We have a really powerful message, and peace security and understanding can be fostered through tourism.”

Question related to this article:

How can tourism promote a culture of peace?

Comment by Liliana Mota, October 23, 2013

Why tourism?

Can tourism be seen as an instrument to achieve complicity between people’s minds?

“There is nothing better that connects two people’s mind than a good conversation” The above quote could be used to describe the effect which tourism has on people. Like a great conversation, tourism could be said to play a vital role amongst people all over the world. It fosters communication in all its senses, intercultural dialogue and mutual understanding.

In today’s world it is evident that there is a shortage of moral or ethical values amongst people across the different nations in this world, resulting in a globalised world lacking these morals and ethical values. Ignorance, the failure to consider the needs of others, and selfishness are a few of the ways which hinder us from embracing diversity and a common human perspective, which would result informal empathy, internal moral compassion, tolerance of differences, historical consciousness and interpretation. The above mentioned features are intrinsic, inherent and can be found in the practice of tourism.

Tourism has been emphasized as one of the most effective instruments which continue to tackle to tackle social and economical poverty, as well as encourage the culture of peace practice amongst people. In looking at the UN architecture, one is able to see the growing implications which the tourism sector has on the world and world policies. The touristic phenomenon has achieved a world record of 5% of world’s GDP contribution and is responsible for 235 millions jobs, according to the UNWTO’s data. Often the tourism sector counts more than 20% of the countries’ GDP.

On the negative side of this, it is evident that tourism focuses on economical matters, depriving any focus on the global implications of the constant interaction tourism encourages.

In the literal sense, tourism is nothing more or less than people meeting with the willingness to understand each other’s differences and point of view and simultaneously creating the opportunity for dialogue, mutual understanding and peace to take place.

Apart from tourism, various factors could be seen to play a role in encouraging integration and diversity amongst societies across the world. For example, the cultural segment has played an essential source of people’s integration and inclusiveness in developing countries.

Education has also played a significant role in encouraging integration, and incorporation amongst people all over the world. Education has been reconsidered and proposed to being the catalyst for exchange between countries, cultures and sectors, and most importantly for enhancing the lives of people by granting them the opportunity to leave their poverty stricken lives and societies in exchange a for better future which includes job and exchange opportunities.

In the tourism world, differences play the most essential role, differences among people represents the added-value. Being different is always a positive factor that usually motivates and encourages people to get to move and engage with each other and embrace the differences with the use of spiritual, religious and cultural meanings.

This notion of tourism needs to be addressed in multilateral governance discussions, where all the main actors, the international community, the ministerial and experts, private sector, local institutions and civil society engages are all present, and are all willing to work together in combined efforts and initiatives (from poverty alleviation to the promotion of awareness of sustainable development addressing special needs like regional development, urban planning and protection of natural and cultural landscapes). This combined approach of working at the local level within communities and at the national and international level, in order to reach and engage the poor, has been considered as potentially being the “one possible and effective answer” and effective approach towards the world’s poorest areas where it can make a difference.

global, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Peace Through Tourism by Taleb Rifai, Secretary General of UNWTO

. SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT .

an article by Bea Broda, TravelTv for E Turbo News (abridged)

Taleb Rifai, the Secretary General of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) is in Johannesburg today at the International Institute for Peace Through Tourism (IIPT) Symposium.

unwto
Click on the photo to enlarge

He said when speaking on Peace Through Tourism:

“The topic of this symposium is quite relevant. We only need to read the headlines every day to be reminded of how much we are in shortage of peace and peace building. . .

“Tourism was created as a way to foster peace and understanding. No place is not visited and rights to travel cannot be denied. More than 1.1 billion people traveled in the last year, and that is a revolution into the “age of travel.” Ten million visit S. Africa in a year, and each of us is a potential ambassador of peace and we can help break down cultural barriers. Peace is at the heart of the UNWTO. The UN is built of social progress, peace and human rights, and UNWTO was put in place in 2003 to help build peace through tourism. Peace can inspire change. A more peace sensitive tourism sector can be built, by engaging and respecting local communities.

“We need to travel to learn and not condescend, and tourism must be considered at the community level. Local populations should be associated with tourism activities and share in the benefit of tourism.

“Tourism, culture and sports represent the most viable peace building and sustainable sectors, but also the most viable economically, surpassing the economy based on production. Amazing benefits are created by sports, for example, and tourism needs to be seen as a development tool.

“Three ways tourism can do this:

“1. Tourism builds respect and mutual understanding and sparks billions of encounters that are steps towards understanding. It builds our education and it can be peace sensitive and makes travelers global citizens.

“2. Tourism improves livelihoods and creates many jobs. It can help communities value their place in the world and what they have to offer. It can help people value their music, art, gastronomy, etc.

“3. Tourism leads to reconciliation within and between societies. It can open up peoples’ minds to other visitors. A great example is how FIFA in South Africa galvanized people together. If only all the wars in the world could be settled this way – with sports! Compete and hug each other after the game.

“1.8 billion people will be traveling by 2020. This is a good world, and we shouldn’t listen to the negative people that speak of such future terror. The IT revolution has also helped to bring us together – the world has never been better! We have never cared more about each other. For example, the kidnapping of the girls in Nigeria became a concern for all of us, as do tsunamis and wars wherever they are. We all care about these things, and we all wish to deliver a better world to our children than the one we started with. Tourism can help foster this.”

Question related to this article:

How can tourism promote a culture of peace?

Comment by Liliana Mota, October 23, 2013

Can tourism be seen as an instrument to achieve complicity between people’s minds?

“There is nothing better that connects two people’s mind than a good conversation” The above quote could be used to describe the effect which tourism has on people. Like a great conversation, tourism could be said to play a vital role amongst people all over the world. It fosters communication in all its senses, intercultural dialogue and mutual understanding.

In today’s world it is evident that there is a shortage of moral or ethical values amongst people across the different nations in this world, resulting in a globalised world lacking these morals and ethical values. Ignorance, the failure to consider the needs of others, and selfishness are a few of the ways which hinder us from embracing diversity and a common human perspective, which would result informal empathy, internal moral compassion, tolerance of differences, historical consciousness and interpretation. The above mentioned features are intrinsic, inherent and can be found in the practice of tourism.

Tourism has been emphasized as one of the most effective instruments which continue to tackle to tackle social and economical poverty, as well as encourage the culture of peace practice amongst people. In looking at the UN architecture, one is able to see the growing implications which the tourism sector has on the world and world policies. The touristic phenomenon has achieved a world record of 5% of world’s GDP contribution and is responsible for 235 millions jobs, according to the UNWTO’s data. Often the tourism sector counts more than 20% of the countries’ GDP.

On the negative side of this, it is evident that tourism focuses on economical matters, depriving any focus on the global implications of the constant interaction tourism encourages.

In the literal sense, tourism is nothing more or less than people meeting with the willingness to understand each other’s differences and point of view and simultaneously creating the opportunity for dialogue, mutual understanding and peace to take place.

Apart from tourism, various factors could be seen to play a role in encouraging integration and diversity amongst societies across the world. For example, the cultural segment has played an essential source of people’s integration and inclusiveness in developing countries.

Education has also played a significant role in encouraging integration, and incorporation amongst people all over the world. Education has been reconsidered and proposed to being the catalyst for exchange between countries, cultures and sectors, and most importantly for enhancing the lives of people by granting them the opportunity to leave their poverty stricken lives and societies in exchange a for better future which includes job and exchange opportunities.

In the tourism world, differences play the most essential role, differences among people represents the added-value. Being different is always a positive factor that usually motivates and encourages people to get to move and engage with each other and embrace the differences with the use of spiritual, religious and cultural meanings.

This notion of tourism needs to be addressed in multilateral governance discussions, where all the main actors, the international community, the ministerial and experts, private sector, local institutions and civil society engages are all present, and are all willing to work together in combined efforts and initiatives (from poverty alleviation to the promotion of awareness of sustainable development addressing special needs like regional development, urban planning and protection of natural and cultural landscapes). This combined approach of working at the local level within communities and at the national and international level, in order to reach and engage the poor, has been considered as potentially being the “one possible and effective answer” and effective approach towards the world’s poorest areas where it can make a difference.

global, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, United Nations,

The Contribution of Transfrontier Peace Parks to Peace in Southern Africa

. SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT .

an article by Peace Parks Foundation 2013 Annual Report

[Editor’s Note. A lucid description of the contribution of transfrontier peace parks to peace among the countries of Southern Africa was presented by Paul Bewsher, to the recent IIPT meeting on Peace through Tourism. Although we don’t have a copy of his talk, here is similar information from the Peace Parks Foundation Annual Report]

peaceparks
Location of the 18 transfrontier peace parks in Southern Africa.
click on photo to enlarge

By 1988 the idea had taken root within the World Conservation Union. Initially they identified 70 potential transfrontier conservation areas (TFCAs) in 65 countries around the world, but today the figure stands at 227 transboundary protected area complexes incorporating 3 043 individual protected areas or internationally designated sites.

It was in Africa, however, that the peace parks concept truly sparked into life. The brave dream of contiguous TFCAs in southern Africa began its realisation in the mid-1990s in the discussions of visionary leaders as they contemplated a new era of regional peace, democracy and development.

In the years since, it has been the political will of leaders in southern Africa, and the efforts of an organisation set up to champion the peace parks concept, that has seen the vision of peace parks taking shape on the subcontinent. Spearheaded by Dr Anton Rupert, and with President Nelson Mandela and HRH Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands as co-founding patrons, Peace Parks Foundation was founded on 1 February 1997 to facilitate the creation of TFCAs throughout southern Africa.

The concept of the region’s peace parks is as glorious as it is audacious: vast conservation areas that straddle national borders, of sufficient extent to incorporate entire biomes; of sufficient integrity to restore the ancient patterns of diverse ecological communities, and of sufficient vision to reconnect the shared cultures of tribal peoples, dislocated when colonial rulers arbitrarily imposed Africa’s borders.

Southern Africa’s peace parks today incorporate over half of the declared conservation estate in the region. At over a million square kilometres, they rival the combined landmass of France and Spain. These parks are as astounding in their extent as in their natural magnificence, the immense richness of their biodiversity and the importance of their cultural heritage.

[Although the emphasis is largely on natural preservation, there are also examples of transborder cultural initiatives include the following}

The !Ae!Hai Kalahari Heritage Park is managed by a joint management board, which comprises representatives from the ‡Khomani San and Mier communities and SANParks. The heritage park aims to preserve the cultural and traditional knowledge of these indigenous communities, while improving their opportunities to earn a livelihood. One of the key objectives is to expose the Bushman children to the traditional lifestyles of their ancestors. This is realised through the implementation of the traditional veld school at Bobbejaanskop, while adults participate in a similar programme at Imbewu Camp.

Question related to this article:

How can tourism promote a culture of peace?

Comment by Liliana Mota, October 23, 2013

Why tourism?

Can tourism be seen as an instrument to achieve complicity between people’s minds?

“There is nothing better that connects two people’s mind than a good conversation” The above quote could be used to describe the effect which tourism has on people. Like a great conversation, tourism could be said to play a vital role amongst people all over the world. It fosters communication in all its senses, intercultural dialogue and mutual understanding.

In today’s world it is evident that there is a shortage of moral or ethical values amongst people across the different nations in this world, resulting in a globalised world lacking these morals and ethical values. Ignorance, the failure to consider the needs of others, and selfishness are a few of the ways which hinder us from embracing diversity and a common human perspective, which would result informal empathy, internal moral compassion, tolerance of differences, historical consciousness and interpretation. The above mentioned features are intrinsic, inherent and can be found in the practice of tourism.

Tourism has been emphasized as one of the most effective instruments which continue to tackle to tackle social and economical poverty, as well as encourage the culture of peace practice amongst people. In looking at the UN architecture, one is able to see the growing implications which the tourism sector has on the world and world policies. The touristic phenomenon has achieved a world record of 5% of world’s GDP contribution and is responsible for 235 millions jobs, according to the UNWTO’s data. Often the tourism sector counts more than 20% of the countries’ GDP.

On the negative side of this, it is evident that tourism focuses on economical matters, depriving any focus on the global implications of the constant interaction tourism encourages.

In the literal sense, tourism is nothing more or less than people meeting with the willingness to understand each other’s differences and point of view and simultaneously creating the opportunity for dialogue, mutual understanding and peace to take place.

Apart from tourism, various factors could be seen to play a role in encouraging integration and diversity amongst societies across the world. For example, the cultural segment has played an essential source of people’s integration and inclusiveness in developing countries.

Education has also played a significant role in encouraging integration, and incorporation amongst people all over the world. Education has been reconsidered and proposed to being the catalyst for exchange between countries, cultures and sectors, and most importantly for enhancing the lives of people by granting them the opportunity to leave their poverty stricken lives and societies in exchange a for better future which includes job and exchange opportunities.

In the tourism world, differences play the most essential role, differences among people represents the added-value. Being different is always a positive factor that usually motivates and encourages people to get to move and engage with each other and embrace the differences with the use of spiritual, religious and cultural meanings.

This notion of tourism needs to be addressed in multilateral governance discussions, where all the main actors, the international community, the ministerial and experts, private sector, local institutions and civil society engages are all present, and are all willing to work together in combined efforts and initiatives (from poverty alleviation to the promotion of awareness of sustainable development addressing special needs like regional development, urban planning and protection of natural and cultural landscapes). This combined approach of working at the local level within communities and at the national and international level, in order to reach and engage the poor, has been considered as potentially being the “one possible and effective answer” and effective approach towards the world’s poorest areas where it can make a difference.

Africa, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Community-based tours and stories in Alexandra, Soweto and more, South Africa

. SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT .

an article by Daniel Adidwa, Tour2-0

Tour2.0 is a platform that takes you on a journey of discovery through authentic community tours and tour packages that are based on real African stories told by community members within the context of their community. Tour2.0 enables you to read about and experience any of our tours in Johannesburg and Pretoria in real life, allowing you to discover the uniqueness of every community on our platform.

Adidwa
Location of the 18 transfrontier peace parks in Southern Africa.

Each community has a unique story to tell. We enable the visitor to experience this uniqueness. This gets people to understand other cultures by immersing them in the community. And they come to appreciate the history of the different cultures.

We don’t do “pity tourism” geared toward driving donations. We share and expose tourists to the good stories within the community. We don’t turn a blind eye to the problems that communities face, but our emphasis is on the good.

For our purposes locals have to participate. The first point is the guide. The guide has to be a local person who tells the communities story. When the guide is local, the information is more insightful. Once the community realizes that the guides are local, they are more welcoming to visitors because they know they are being represented by a fellow community member. This makes them more willing to participate, for example to welcome the tourist into their home.

Another point is that the tourist eats local food prepared by local cooks. And they have the opportunity to buy arts and crafts from local artists so that their money remains in the local community.

Our aim is that after experiencing the tour the visitor leaves with an appreciation of that community, its history, culture, present state and where it is going.

For example within the township of Alexandra, a local guide is a young lady named Asanda Daza. She is a 22 year old from Alexandra who is passionate about her community. Her tour is named “Lights, gangs and all that jazz.” She takes tourists through Alexandra’s cultural district, with visits to King’s Cinema, a cinema where jazz greats like Hugh Masakela frequently played before being exiled during apartheid, and where the legendary Nelson Mandela came to watch movies when he lived in Alexandra.

She also has you visit Msomi gang headquarters to learn about the gang rivalry between the Msomi and Spoiler gangs from the 1950’s to the 1970’s.

Her tour ends at a local jazz club where tourist are entertained by local jazz artists and traditional singers.

Another example is Lebo’s Backpackers Tours in Soweto which also involves the community in all aspects of the tourist’s experience and which tells the rich story of Soweto.

Question related to this article:

How can tourism promote a culture of peace?

Comment by Liliana Mota, October 23, 2013

Why tourism?

Can tourism be seen as an instrument to achieve complicity between people’s minds?

“There is nothing better that connects two people’s mind than a good conversation” The above quote could be used to describe the effect which tourism has on people. Like a great conversation, tourism could be said to play a vital role amongst people all over the world. It fosters communication in all its senses, intercultural dialogue and mutual understanding.

In today’s world it is evident that there is a shortage of moral or ethical values amongst people across the different nations in this world, resulting in a globalised world lacking these morals and ethical values. Ignorance, the failure to consider the needs of others, and selfishness are a few of the ways which hinder us from embracing diversity and a common human perspective, which would result informal empathy, internal moral compassion, tolerance of differences, historical consciousness and interpretation. The above mentioned features are intrinsic, inherent and can be found in the practice of tourism.

Tourism has been emphasized as one of the most effective instruments which continue to tackle to tackle social and economical poverty, as well as encourage the culture of peace practice amongst people. In looking at the UN architecture, one is able to see the growing implications which the tourism sector has on the world and world policies. The touristic phenomenon has achieved a world record of 5% of world’s GDP contribution and is responsible for 235 millions jobs, according to the UNWTO’s data. Often the tourism sector counts more than 20% of the countries’ GDP.

On the negative side of this, it is evident that tourism focuses on economical matters, depriving any focus on the global implications of the constant interaction tourism encourages.

In the literal sense, tourism is nothing more or less than people meeting with the willingness to understand each other’s differences and point of view and simultaneously creating the opportunity for dialogue, mutual understanding and peace to take place.

Apart from tourism, various factors could be seen to play a role in encouraging integration and diversity amongst societies across the world. For example, the cultural segment has played an essential source of people’s integration and inclusiveness in developing countries.

Education has also played a significant role in encouraging integration, and incorporation amongst people all over the world. Education has been reconsidered and proposed to being the catalyst for exchange between countries, cultures and sectors, and most importantly for enhancing the lives of people by granting them the opportunity to leave their poverty stricken lives and societies in exchange a for better future which includes job and exchange opportunities.

In the tourism world, differences play the most essential role, differences among people represents the added-value. Being different is always a positive factor that usually motivates and encourages people to get to move and engage with each other and embrace the differences with the use of spiritual, religious and cultural meanings.

This notion of tourism needs to be addressed in multilateral governance discussions, where all the main actors, the international community, the ministerial and experts, private sector, local institutions and civil society engages are all present, and are all willing to work together in combined efforts and initiatives (from poverty alleviation to the promotion of awareness of sustainable development addressing special needs like regional development, urban planning and protection of natural and cultural landscapes). This combined approach of working at the local level within communities and at the national and international level, in order to reach and engage the poor, has been considered as potentially being the “one possible and effective answer” and effective approach towards the world’s poorest areas where it can make a difference.

Africa, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

First UN conference on tourism and culture opens in Cambodia, seeks to build partnerships

. SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT .

an article by United Nations News Centre

Aimed at bringing together Ministers of Tourism and Ministers of Culture to identify key opportunities and challenges for stronger cooperation between the fields, two United Nations agencies launched the First World Conference on Tourism and Culture today [4 February] in the shadow of the legendary Angkor Wat temple, in Siem Reap, Cambodia.

cambodia
click on photo to enlarge

Statues on the Angkor Wat temple in Siem Reap Cambodia. Photo: UNESCO

The Conference, run by the UN World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) and the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) aims to address the overlap between culture and tourism, tackling the question of how to harness the power of tourism and culture to alleviate poverty, create jobs, protect natural and cultural heritage and promote international understanding.

“Today, cultural tourism – the world’s mosaic of art forms, heritage sites, festivals, traditions, and pilgrimages – is growing at an unprecedented rate,” said Taleb Rifai, UNWTO Secretary-General. “Humanity’s curiosity about cultural heritage is the element that truly differentiates one destination from another.”

Mr. Rifai described the growth of international tourism since the 1950s and the socio-economic contribution made by tourism, accounting for one out of every 11 jobs worldwide, as well as contributing nine per cent to global gross domestic product (GDP) and 30 per cent contribution to total global exports.

Irina Bokova, UNESCO Director-General, joined Mr. Rifai in looking forward to building a new, sustainable partnership that unites tourism and culture and said her goal was to create a positive mutually reinforcing dynamic between the two, working to build sustainability and to benefit local communities.

“Our starting point is to safeguard culture under all its forms, from monuments to living heritage, encompassing traditions, festivals and the performing arts,” said Ms. Bokova. We do so, because culture is who we are. It shapes our identity and is a means to foster respect and tolerance among people.”

She underlined the need to safeguard cultural heritage while moving ahead with sustainable tourism and said she believed that was the Conference’s core message, citing that vision as the route to promoting culture as a driver and enabler of sustainable development.

Cambodia’s Minister of Tourism, Thong Khon, also welcomed delegates, looking forward to the event’s contribution to sustainable conservation and development of tourism and culture.

[Thank you to the Good News Agency for bringing this article to our attention.]

Question related to this article:

How can tourism promote a culture of peace?

Comment by Liliana Mota, October 23, 2013

Why tourism?

Can tourism be seen as an instrument to achieve complicity between people’s minds?

“There is nothing better that connects two people’s mind than a good conversation” The above quote could be used to describe the effect which tourism has on people. Like a great conversation, tourism could be said to play a vital role amongst people all over the world. It fosters communication in all its senses, intercultural dialogue and mutual understanding.

In today’s world it is evident that there is a shortage of moral or ethical values amongst people across the different nations in this world, resulting in a globalised world lacking these morals and ethical values. Ignorance, the failure to consider the needs of others, and selfishness are a few of the ways which hinder us from embracing diversity and a common human perspective, which would result informal empathy, internal moral compassion, tolerance of differences, historical consciousness and interpretation. The above mentioned features are intrinsic, inherent and can be found in the practice of tourism.

Tourism has been emphasized as one of the most effective instruments which continue to tackle to tackle social and economical poverty, as well as encourage the culture of peace practice amongst people. In looking at the UN architecture, one is able to see the growing implications which the tourism sector has on the world and world policies. The touristic phenomenon has achieved a world record of 5% of world’s GDP contribution and is responsible for 235 millions jobs, according to the UNWTO’s data. Often the tourism sector counts more than 20% of the countries’ GDP.

On the negative side of this, it is evident that tourism focuses on economical matters, depriving any focus on the global implications of the constant interaction tourism encourages.

In the literal sense, tourism is nothing more or less than people meeting with the willingness to understand each other’s differences and point of view and simultaneously creating the opportunity for dialogue, mutual understanding and peace to take place.

Apart from tourism, various factors could be seen to play a role in encouraging integration and diversity amongst societies across the world. For example, the cultural segment has played an essential source of people’s integration and inclusiveness in developing countries.

Education has also played a significant role in encouraging integration, and incorporation amongst people all over the world. Education has been reconsidered and proposed to being the catalyst for exchange between countries, cultures and sectors, and most importantly for enhancing the lives of people by granting them the opportunity to leave their poverty stricken lives and societies in exchange a for better future which includes job and exchange opportunities.

In the tourism world, differences play the most essential role, differences among people represents the added-value. Being different is always a positive factor that usually motivates and encourages people to get to move and engage with each other and embrace the differences with the use of spiritual, religious and cultural meanings.

This notion of tourism needs to be addressed in multilateral governance discussions, where all the main actors, the international community, the ministerial and experts, private sector, local institutions and civil society engages are all present, and are all willing to work together in combined efforts and initiatives (from poverty alleviation to the promotion of awareness of sustainable development addressing special needs like regional development, urban planning and protection of natural and cultural landscapes). This combined approach of working at the local level within communities and at the national and international level, in order to reach and engage the poor, has been considered as potentially being the “one possible and effective answer” and effective approach towards the world’s poorest areas where it can make a difference.

East Asia, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT