Guardian: How to build resilience in the Sahel – After three droughts in the past seven years in the Sahel region, humanitarian organizations and donors are working to boost the Sahel’s resilience: “the ability of families, households or communities to absorb shocks.” During and after droughts, the main threat to the population is access to food. Decisions taken to “survive compromise the long-term prosperity of households” and when there are successive droughts, recovery is even more challenging. (David Gressly)
CNN: Economist Dambisa Moyo: China can transform Africa – Zambian economist Dambisa Moyo is an outspoken critic of international aid, “arguing for years that foreign handouts stifle Africa’s development, perpetuate corruption and hinder the continent’s growth.” Despite this, Moyo is optimistic about the future of Africa and “looks at the positive impact that China can have on the continent” in this recent interview.
AllAfrica: Kenya: The Possibility of Peaceful and Free Elections – As Kenya’s general elections approach, many within and outside the country, continue to caution against the possible recurrence of violence. As part of the effort to create a conducive environment, the presidential candidates have signed a code of conduct committing themselves to using established legal recourse for any disputes relating to the March 4th elections. There has also been a great deal of public mobilization by civil society organizations, newly established institutions and the media to create public awareness of the need for peaceful elections. (Solomon Ayele Dersso)
TV Magazine: The adventure of a lifetime – Brenda Blethyn and Hillary Swank are starring in the upcoming Richard Curtis movie Mary and Martha, “a Comic Relief film raising awareness of malaria.” In a recent interview, Blethyn explained that a child dies every minute from malaria and “it’s so affordably preventable.” The film airs on BB1 this Friday. (Jenna Good)
