La Stampa July 2009

Kofi Annan: Africa is part of climate change solution

Jul 7th, 2009 1:43 PM UTC
By Chris Scott

Bob Geldof guest-edited Sunday’s edition of the Italian publication La Stampa. In the coming days we’ll be posting English language versions of the featured articles, including this one from Kofi Annan:

The financial meltdown has translated into a development crisis for Africa. This is revealing its vulnerability not only to economic contraction but also to climate change. Changing weather patterns are already affecting the lives of millions of Africans by reducing food security, facilitating the spread of diseases like malaria, and prompting mass migration. The livelihoods and lives of millions of people are at risk.

Ironically, this crisis also presents a unique opportunity for Africa. The urgency of efforts to address climate change is revealing interesting prospects on the mitigation side, particularly in the areas of renewable energy and low carbon growth.

There is a real possibility to steer countries toward a new development model that will not only benefit Africa but the world. In the meantime, adaptation to climate change is critical. For Africa this means ‘weather proofing’ development by increasing food yields, investing in climate-resilient crops and infrastructure, promoting rainwater harvesting, and expanding medical control measures in anticipation increased vector-borne diseases.

Africa needs additional resources, over and above existing ODA commitments, to adapt to climate change. Financing adaptation to climate will be a formidable challenge, particularly as it involves additional costs above traditional development assistance – when ODA budgets are under pressure. Estimates of the amounts needed by developing countries to help them adapt to these challenges vary between 50 and 100 billion USD per year.

This is why Prime Minister Brown’s proposal last week on creating a fund for climate change is so welcome.

Failing to act now will not increase costs in the future – both financial and humanitarian. We all stand to lose from a reversal of the economic and social progress made across Africa in the past decade. Burgeoning markets might disappear and investment opportunities evaporate, while the risk of political instability will increase. Every percentage fall in growth has direct social consequences whether on nutrition levels, infant mortality or school attendance. Every person pushed back into poverty is another step away from achieving the Millennium Development Goals. For all of these reasons, the continued engagement and support of all of Africa’s partners including the G8 counties is vital.

As this year’s DATA Report from the Africa advocacy group ONE underscores, (more…)

Archbishop Desmond Tutu: A promise to the poor is sacred

Jul 6th, 2009 6:22 PM UTC
By Chris Scott

As you know, Bob Geldof guest-edited Sunday’s edition of the Italian publication La Stampa. In the coming days we’ll be posting English language versions of the featured articles, including this one from Archbishop Desmond Tutu:

A promise to the poor is particularly sacred. It is an act of grace and great leadership when all efforts are made to keep these pacts, and that is why those G8 countries which are leading the charge for the poorest, especially for those in Africa, deserve such credit. But we who praise must also be prepared to censure where it is clearly deserved.

It saddens me that great nations like Italy and France are going in the wrong direction and falling behind with the pledges they made four years ago at the Gleneagles summit. We must all campaign to encourage the forthcoming G8 meetings to get back on track and do what is right.

Of course African development must be driven by African citizens – from all areas of society – but we also need and welcome international support in our struggle against poverty and injustice. That means support from governments, and from good citizens in countries like Italy.

I expect that most of us tend to be deeply distressed, devastated often when we look at the news and see Darfur, Zimbabwe, the Congo. “When are we going to get good news?” we ask. Well I want to tell you that there is good news from Africa.

When I went to Darfur recently, I was particularly struck by those humanitarian workers who keep going back into an awful situation. I want to stand up and shout loudly for the fact that there are so many young people who are incredibly idealistic, who do believe that poverty can become history, who believe that it is possible to have a world without war.

Evil does not have a free rein. I come from a position that says this is moral universe, and good will ultimately prevail. In Africa, just within the past decade, thirty four million more children are now going to school, having the chance to learn to read and write and escape poverty. This is thanks to the efforts of African leadership, and effective aid, including that of G8 countries. It can be hard to imagine that many children, 34 million.

So imagine just one child who can now go to school and receive the gift of education. Give this child the face of a child you know. Give the face a name. It’s not about numbers; it’s about that child – somebody’s son, somebody’s brother.

It is fantastic that this has happened. There is also good news in the fight against illnesses like HIV/AIDS. There are now an estimated three million people in Africa on life saving AIDS treatment. Imagine if you were in a family affected by AIDS, your breadwinner had received a death warrant and you are watching this person slipping away, and then they get antiretroviral drugs and you see a metamorphosis.

We thought our mother was dying but now our mother is well enough to go to work. There are three million such individuals. Because aid has been given. A promise to the poor is particularly sacred. Not keeping that promise is a sin.

Geldof’s LaStampa Causing A Stir

Jul 5th, 2009 4:20 PM UTC
By Helen Palmer

Bob’s guest editing of today’s special Africa edition of La Stampa has caused quite a stir in Italy, particularly his interview with Prime Minister Berlusconi.

In the interview, Berlusconi apologised to Africa for not having kept Italy’s aid promise. La Stampa’s headline is: “Africa, I’m sorry”. Berlusconi promises to rectify his “mistake”. Bob pressed him on Italy’s record of only having provided three per cent of the aid for Africa he promised at the Gleneagles summit in 2005 and said his credibility as G8 host this week was at stake. We will be campaigning further on this in the coming days before the start of his L’Aquila G8 summit on Wednesday. We’ll be looking for concrete actions to show how he will turn Italy’s dismal record around.

But today’s La Stampa edition newspaper is about much more than just Italy’s aid record. Headlined “Africa the Opportunity” its aim is to present a different, more rounded image of Africa to Italian readers, to show all the diversity and vibrancy of the continent on Italy’s doorstep. The newspaper and its respected young editor Mario Calabresi have shown great commitment to the issue, publishing around 30 pages of African content today, and promising more in the week to come.

There are articles from 30 guest contributors covering a range of themes, from Archbishop Tutu’s sermon on the morality of promise-keeping, to Bono’s “Love letter to Italy” and Sophia Loren’s story of growing up with poverty and war. There’s a preview of President Obama’s upcoming Ghana trip, and pieces ranging on subjects as diverse as Africa’s potential for trade and investment, climate change, immigration, music, fashion, and football.

You can see them all, plus photos and video of Bob in action as editor at www.lastampa.it/Africa . There’s an English language section too. You can also read about Bob’s Berlusconi interview in this Reuters story.

-Helen Palmer

Geldof-Edited Edition of La Stampa Released!

Jul 5th, 2009 2:18 PM UTC
By Virginia Simmons

A Bob Geldof edited edition of the major Italian newspaper “La Stampa” is out and available online on their site today! You can download a pdf of the front page here.

La Stampa’s editors turned over this Sunday’s issue to a dedicated Africa/G8 edition, edited by Geldof. The edition features contributions from prominent global figures including Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Bono, Kofi Annan and Sophia Loren.

Tomorrow all the articles and op-eds will be available in English too.

Trailer for Geldof-Edited LaStampa Up Today.

Jul 4th, 2009 2:08 PM UTC
By Virginia Simmons

The Italian newspaper LaStampa put out a 4-page trailer for tomorrow’s Geldof-edited Africa/G8 edition. Check it out.