Mar 1st, 2012 10:32 AM UTC
By Wangui Muchiri
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“Farming is the future. Famines should be consigned to history.”
A group of smallholder farmers and ordinary African citizens marched to State House in Tanzania today, to deliver a petition signed by more than 16,000 African ONE members. This was the first time Tanzanian President Kikwete had received a continent wide petition, and the first time ONE had delivered a petition on African soil.
ONE members and partner organizations march to State House
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Feb 24th, 2012 3:56 PM UTC
By Wangui Muchiri
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This piece is cross-posted from ONE’s Africa blog.
Senegal has often been celebrated as an oasis of peace amidst its coup ridden neighbors in West Africa. However, with the recent violence that has rocked Dakar ahead of Sunday’s presidential elections, many have began wondering if Senegal could be on the brink of losing its reputation as Africa’s most stable democracy. Protestors are up in arms against anti-riot police in down town Dakar, bringing business almost to a stand still and dozens have been reported injured.
The conflict is based on President Wade’s bid for a third term. Opposition parties are said to have vowed to cause mayhem, should the 85-year-old incumbent win the election. Their bone of contention lies in the fact that the constitution clearly bars President Abdoulaye Wade from contesting in this year’s elections. Some opposition members are calling for a postponement of the election saying that it would be impossible to hold a free and fair election in Senegal.
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Sep 27th, 2011 11:32 AM UTC
By Wangui Muchiri
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This post from Wangui Muchiri originally appeared on our ONE Africa website.
I am reminded of a story told by Professor Wangari Maathai of a hummingbird trying to save a burning forest with drops of water carried on its beak, as larger animal forests watched. Bewildered at the hummingbird’s clearly futile efforts, the other animals ask the hummingbird what she thought she was doing. Without stopping, the hummingbird says, “I am doing the best I can.”
And this is the way the Professor lived. She called herself a hummingbird, doing the best she could, to viciously protect the environment, to the chagrin of more powerful people in authority who stood by and watched, sometimes calling her a crazy woman.
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