The following information was released by the United Nations Human Settlements Programme:

UN-HABITAT in collaboration with the Government of Kenya and the NGO Maji na Ufanisi, last week opened new public toilets and bathrooms intended to help improve the lives of destitute Nairobi slum dwellers.

The agency's Executive Director, Mrs. Anna Tibaijuka, hailed the new facilities designed to serve some 20,000 people and built at a cost of approximately USD 140,000 under the Kibera Integrated Water, Sanitation and Waste Management Project, part of the Kenya Slum Upgrading Programme.

Said Mrs. Tibaijuka: "The collaborative effort we have witnessed under the Kibera Water and Sanitation initiative assumes greater importance in the face of one of the most pressing issues facing our world today - rapid urbanization and its impact on communities, cities, economies and policies. Kenya's slums are growing at an unprecedented rate."

The Kenya Slum Upgrading Programme was set up in 2004 as a collaborative initiative between the Government of Kenya and UN-HABITAT. It draws on the expertise of a wide variety of partners in order to improve the livelihoods of people living and working in slums and informal settlements in the urban areas of Kenya through the provision of security of tenure and physical and social infrastructure, as well as opportunities for housing improvement and income generation.

Background

At the fourth session of the World Urban in Nanjing, China this year, Kenya's Minister for Nairobi Metropolitan Development, Mr. Mutula Kilonzo, Minister for Nairobi Metropolitan Development and Mrs. Tbaijuka, signed a special agreement to help uplift Nairobi. The ceremony was witness by Prime Minister Raila Odinga and several other senior officials.

Under the agreement, UN-HABITAT agreed to lend support to the establishment of the Ministry, preparation of Nairobi Metropolitan Strategy and a Spatial Development Plan.

The plan dubbed, Nairobi Metro 2030, aims to grow and develop Nairobi into a world class region, able to create sustainable wealth and quality of life for its residents, investors and offer an unmatched experience for its esteemed visitors. Further, it provides a framework through which the people of the Nairobi Metro Region will respond to current and future challenges over the next 22 years.

Backed by in-house experience and extensive global networks of professionals/practitioners and institutions, the plan is supported within UN-HABITAT's mandate as the City Agency of the United Nations in addition to the fact that Cities are the engines of economic growth.

The Memorandum of Understanding will be signed against the backdrop of the Fourth Session of the World Urban Forum (3-6 November) in Nanjing, China, attended by a wide range of partners from non-governmental organizations, community based organizations, urban professionals, academics, to governments, local authorities and national and international associations of local governments. Under the theme of Harmonious Urbanization: The Challenge of Balanced Territorial Development, the forum provides all actors, a common platform to discuss urban issues in formal and informal ways and come up with action oriented proposals to create sustainable cities.

Nairobi Metro 2030 is part and parcel of the overall national development agenda. This agenda is encapsulated in Kenya Vision 2030 and the Grand Coalition Government Policy Agenda. These two documents are the country's response to dealing with five key development issues, namely rapid economic growth, employment and balanced wealth creation, poverty alleviation, meaningful youth engagement and a vigorous pursuit of regional equity in all its manifestations.

Therefore, the Nairobi Metro 2030 Strategy aims at optimizing the role of the Nairobi Metro Region in the national development effort. It will be targeted at ensuring that it facilitates the effective and efficient utilization of the NMR's resource endowments as well as an instrument for developing the other regions of the country through effective economic and other structural linkages to the rest of the country

Experts from the African Union Commission, the UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and the Africa Development Bank (AfDB) have reiterated the fact that land policy and land reforms are fundamental in addressing issues of poverty, food security and general stability in the African region.

They were speaking at the opening session of a three-day regional consultative workshop on land policy in North Africa. Officials from the AUC, UNECA, and AfDB underscored the urgent need to build solid partnerships for land reforms in Africa.

Dr. Josue Dioné, Director of the Division of Food Security and Sustainable Development at the ECA, said that “many parts of the continent are riddled with conflicts related to failures in systems for land governance, control and use”.

Mr. Peter Mwanakatwe of the African Development Bank drew a link with the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals, including the promotion of gender equality and women empowerment and explained that they are interwoven with land use.

Dr. Abebe H. Gebriel of AUC spoke on behalf of Mrs. Rhoda Peace Tumusiime, AU Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture. He pointed out that “in order to ensure that land policy and agrarian reforms address pertinent issues in Africa, we must recognize the need for a policy framework that addresses issues related to state sovereignty over land; the unequal distribution of land resources, the dualistic nature of property systems, land tenure… and land issues in the post-colonial reconstruction”.

The Addis Ababa workshop is the sixth in a series of regional stakeholder consultations aimed at coming out with a consensus document to be tabled at the AU Assembly of Heads of State and Government during its July 2009 Summit.

There have been regional consultations for Southern Africa in Windhoek, Namibia (29-31 August 2007); Eastern Africa in Kigali, Rwanda (16-18 January 2008); West Africa in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso (15-18 April 2008) and Central Africa in Yaounde, Cameroon (6-8 August 2008).

The current workshop hopes to reach consensus on the revisions to finalize the regional background document on land policy in North Africa.

It will also discuss specificities initiatives that should be included in the continental framework.

The key outcome of the regional consultation will be an enhanced regional background document whose elements will enrich the draft continental framework and guidelines, and inputs to the development of relevant benchmark indicators.

The initiative started with a Continental Consultative Workshop in 2006 that discussed major land policy issues and has gone through several phases of assessments and stakeholders consultations leading to the drafting of the “Framework and Guidelines”.

It is supported by the African Union Commission, the Economic Commission for Africa and the African Development Bank.

Tonight I joined a dynamic discussion about how to make TheStoreFront Community project self-sustaining...and I couldn’t help but flash back into the early days of when TakingITGlobal was founded and we had our discussions on what future directions we would take and how our ideals and dreams could be transformed into actionable plans. Of course, even after 9 years of having the ‘idea’ of TIG, the essence of having challenging strategic conversations still remains part of my current reality – however the energy in the room this evening reconnected me to the Fall of 2000, when we hosted meetings with invitations sent out to friends, organizations and those who joined our website from Toronto.



The dynamics of the room jolted from cohesive and interconnected to somewhat tense given the financial realities of the project. Earlier this year, a 1000 square foot store front space was established in order to serve as a support and communication network in the context of an urban village. Starting in January, the costs of rent will be doubled and the project in its current state does not generate enough revenue to afford costs of rent or administration. That said, an exciting range of events have taken place in recent months including a documentary with interviews of people in the neighbourhood, the inaugural BIG on Bloor Festival (bigonbloor.com/festival), the “b-l-o-o-o-o-r” design campaign including sales of well designed American Apparel t-shirts and bags, the “Everything Local” silent auction event and hosting of meetings, events and exhibits including the Afri Village Fest front window presence & photo documentation.

The project was made possible through a partnership between ThinkTankToronto, Business Improvement Area Office, and a group of students and faculty at the Ontario College of Art and Design (OCAD).

A key driver and designer of the initiative is a former TakingITGlobal staff member, Ghazaleh Etezal who is currently 21 and worked with us as a graphic designer in 2006. As I connected with Ghazaleh this evening, it was amazing to see her in action in her role as one of the connectors and in hearing people reference her contributions of design, research and coordination for TheStoreFront. It was also great to chat with Ghazaleh this evening and hear her attribute TakingITGlobal as part of her inspiration for the project.



In many ways, the place based goals of creating community for TheStoreFront initiative are aligned with the global online community objectives for TIG. As explained on the website, TheStoreFront aims to be “the common space between two separate disconnected worlds of youth, institutions, neighbourhood NGOs, programs and services available within the BloorCourt and BloorDale Villages (Christie to Lansdowne on Bloor West).” On a conceptual level, it is intriguing for me to observe and be part of a conversation about how to grow and sustain a space that supports vibrant community engagement.

Some of the ideas shared this evening that are most interesting to me include:

- Having a paid membership fee (i.e. $10/month)
- Hosting regular meetings (weekly or monthly) for ‘members’ to attend which would serve as a social space, with topics of discussion
- Utilizing the space to feature the products of local artists (i.e. clothes, jewlery, artwork)
- Having a cafe space with organic chocolate & other organic snacks sold
- Renting out the space to community organizations for events/meetings
- Offering workshops to help meet needs of community members (i.e. English as a second language, or focusing on a particular craft/skill with guest speakers etc).
- Establishing a core base of volunteers (i.e. a partnership with the neighbouring Working Women Community Centre), to offer an experience for newcomers to Canada living in the neighbourhood which would help to ensure that core responsibilities are fulfilled (i.e. keyholders with people who are responsible for opening & closing up the space)

One concern that emerged from the discussions was the issue of timing and how challenging it will be to raise sufficient funds in time for the end of the year. There was some discussion on what the concept or project would be if it did not live in the specific space at 957 Bloor W – however most of the ideas generated were aimed at trying to keep the space alive.
If it ends up not being feasible to maintain the 957 Bloor W StoreFront space due to costs, my recommendation is to develop stronger partnerships with existing places designed for the community (i.e. local community centres, employment centres, libraries etc) and try to help revitalize existing spaces that are supported by the government and that have a history of serving the community. While I love the idea of transforming commercial spaces into being community driven and serving, it may be too challenging to develop a financially sustainable model at this current time due to current economic realities.

On a final note...I do hope that the financial challenges can be overcome and that a proven model can be developed, shared and scaled with other communities!

Here's a list of who came:

Night at the Indies / Meow Films: Gurbeen
Community Arts Collective / Daily Bread Food Bank: Jim
BIG and BIG Festival: Ann
People Plan Toronto: Ann
DIG IN: Donna / Ann
Torontopedia: Himy
Working Women: Diana / Jessica
BloorCourt BIA: Shelley
IF Theatre: Sara
Supportive, active, creative, engaged dedicated locals: Ryan / Michelle / Phil / Darcy / Leah / Leigh / Chatherine S / Craig / Camilo
Delaware Residents (Street Festival): Rosalie
Delaware Open Space: Darcy
Humanist Movement: Nick / Roberto
Sistering (past Chair): France
Green Party: Steve
Annex Lions Club: Monica
Wireless Toronto: Gabe
Concord Café: Genoveva
Christie Ossington Neighbourhood Centre: Tim
Dufferin Grove Residents Association: / Rob
Anarchist U: Christian / Maggie
Laidlaw Foundation: Ana
Globe & Mail: Nadja
Property Owner 957: Robert Markovits
Chemistry Branding (consultant and partner): Will
Jim Allen Photo: Jim
TakingITGlobal: Jennifer

[unconfirmed]
Freedom Clothing: Amanda
Parkdale Liberty: Jennifer
ArchiTEXT: Zahra
Long & McQuade: Jon
Toronto Poets: Jason / Hajile
Linux Caffé: David

On December 1, Development Generation Africa International members joined the rest of the world in observing the World AIDS Day 2008.

At the occasion, the organization launched the Primary ABIA Project against HIV/AIDS to look into the plight of young people living with HIV/AIDS especially in the areas of nutrition and empowerment.

Director of Health-HIV/AIDS of the organization, Christopher Ezemobi who addressed participants stressed the need for the World AIDS Day event to lead, empower and deliver young people from the grip of AIDS in the 21st century and promised that the project will go a long way to present their plight to the people and involve them in solutions.

He said some of the problems being highlighted by young people living with HIV/AIDS is an indication that “We must continue to speak up openly about AIDS. No progress will be achieved by being timid, refusing to face unpleasant faces, or prejudging our fellow human beings. In the ruthless world of AIDS, there are no us and them…and in that world, silence is death.”

Children, young people and civil society groups attended the event as well as government officials.

It's not very often that there can be a blog title like this one. Canadian politics = exciting? What? Where am I? But for once - we've got something going on. I think what is happening now in Ottawa might actually be more exciting than what is happening right now in American politics. What is happening right now in American politics is Obama naming Hilary Clinton his Secretary of State which isn't exciting because everybody already knew it was happening two weeks ago.

Whereas no one in Canada saw this one coming. Bam! The Liberals, NDP and Bloc have all been secretly scheming against our latest Harper government since they all 'lost' to him during an election featuring one of the worst voter turnouts of all time.

If Harper's government tries to pass a budget that includes no stimulus package for the Canadian economy and cuts public funding for political parties they are going to pounce! If Harper's government presents a revised budget they will probably pounce anyways! Bringing down the government in a no-confidence vote and then asking to create a government made up of a coalition of Liberal, NDP and the Bloc when they feel like it.

This is pretty exciting for people who like watching Harper's sneaky plans to establish a Conservative monopoly within Canadian politics blow up in his face.

I like the coalition idea because it's a risk, it's new, it's sticking it to Harper, and it feels more like real politics than anything I've seen in Canada in a long time.

I don't like the coalition idea because it will make Stephane Dion Prime Minister, it will give the Bloc a lot of power to decide which coalition legislation goes through and which doesn't, and it will be unstable in a period where stability would be good.

So it's more like choosing the lesser evil. The stability of knowing you have a sneaky grinch as your Prime Minister. Or the potential of having five bickering 'Prime Ministers' (Dion, Ignatieff, Rae, Layton and Duceppe) and then a swift return to the grinch.

Nairobi 26 November 2008: UN-HABITAT in collaboration with the Government of Kenya and the NGO Maji na Ufanisi, is convening a handing-over ceremony of water and sanitation facilities built under the Kibera Integrated Water, Sanitation and Waste Management (K-WATSAN) Project, part of the Kenya Slum Upgrading Programme (KENSUP). The ceremony is scheduled to take place on Wednesday 26th November, 2008 starting at 9.00 am.



KENSUP was set up in 2004 as a collaborative initiative between the Government of Kenya and UN-HABITAT. It draws on the expertise of a wide variety of partners in order to improve the livelihoods of people living and working in slums and informal settlements in the urban areas of Kenya through the provision of security of tenure and physical and social infrastructure, as well as opportunities for housing improvement and income generation.



K-WATSAN is a pilot demonstration project implemented in Soweto East (one of Kibera’s 13 villages) that aims to improve the livelihoods of people, by supporting small-scale, community based initiatives in water, sanitation and waste management, and by providing basic services, infrastructure and capacity building.



The project is guided by the following objectives:



· Improving water, sanitation and waste management through the provision of storm water drains, communal water and sanitation facilities, and small-scale door-to-door waste collection and recycling services;

· Improving mobility within Soweto East, by constructing a low-volume road, taking into account the needs of non-motorised transportation users;

· Providing household power connections in conjunction with the Kenya Power and Lighting Company;

· Establishing a computerized community and youth resource centre, a dispensary for small children and a rehabilitation facility for children with disabilities;

· Strengthening the institutional and technical capacities of selected key target groups by conducting training courses.



K-WATSAN introduced and tested UN-HABITAT’s new development approach within KENSUP and focused on the provision of basic infrastructure, such as water and sanitation, as a start to improving life for people living in the slum. The local community has been fully involved in the project which demonstrates that slum dwellers can take responsibility for their living conditions, and that their contribution is essential in finding lasting solutions. Their participation also builds social cohesiveness and integration within their community.





For more information, please contact: Sharad Shankardass, Spokersperson & Head, Press & Media Relations Unit, Tel: 7623153, or Ms. Zahra Hassan, Media Liaison, Tel: 7623151, Fax: 7624060, E-mail:habitat.press@unhabitat.org, Webiste: www.unhabitat.org

This year marks the 20th anniversary of World AIDS Day (WAD), commemorated annually on 1 December by individuals and organisations across the world to bring attention to the global AIDS epidemic.



United Nations Member States have committed to scale up their response to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support. Investments made in the AIDS responses over the last 10 years are starting to bear fruit and an increasing number of people in developing countries are receiving life-lengthening antiretroviral drugs.



However, an estimated 33 million people are still living with HIV, and there were 2.7 million new HIV infections and some 2 million AIDS-related deaths in 2007. For every two people put on antiretroviral drugs, another five become newly infected.



Sustaining leadership requires the world to focus on AIDS every day of the year. “By investing in AIDS we can halt and reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS and move forward in our efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals,” says the UN.



The 20th anniversary event is being marked under the theme: “Lead, empower, deliver”.



Secretary-General on World AIDS DAY



Secretary-General BAN Ki-moon, in a statement ahead of the day, stressed the need to “sustain leadership”, build upon achievements, and maintain momentum. “The need to lead, empower and deliver on AIDS is as real and urgent as ever,” he said.



“We have to end the stigma and discrimination that still stop so many people from learning how to prevent HIV and get treatment,” stressed Mr. BAN.



Fewer people are being infected with HIV, and fewer people are dying of AIDS, he noted. “This success owes itself to people all over the world who are taking the lead to stop AIDS,” said the secretary-General.



Governments, he said, are delivering on their promises to scale up universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support. However there is no room for complacency. “AIDS will not go away any time soon. People are still being infected with HIV faster than we can get them on treatment. AIDS is still one of the top ten causes of death worldwide, and it is the number one killer in Africa,” stated the Secretary-General.



An audio file of Secretary-General’s remarks will be available on 1 December in MP3 format on the UN Audio Library web site.



AIDS Outlook



The joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) on Friday, 28 November launched a new report: AIDS Outlook that provides perspectives on some of the most pressing issues that will confront policymakers and leaders as they respond to the challenges presented by AIDS in 2009.



“In many ways the year ahead will be a year of transition—and acceleration,” said a UNAIDS statement. Many countries are reviewing their national strategies on AIDS, and “even though political commitment for AIDS is at an all-time high, recent developments in the financial world will test the resilience of many,” noted UNAIDS.



The report, the UN agency said, is an opportunity for reflection on what has been possible to achieve with leadership as well as for refocusing on some key areas that are impeding progress. “It is not a ‘how to manual’ or a ‘policy statement’, but provides insights based on evidence on new ways to build on and improve the AIDS response,” says the statement.





New York



The UN Inter-Agency Working Group on AIDS (IAWG) is supporting the commemoration of the 20th anniversary of WAD at the historic Riverside Church in New York, 490 Riverside Drive - between 120th and 122nd streets.



The event at 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, 30 November will be an evening that underscores the need to lead, empower and deliver more resolutely on AIDS.



The Secretary-General’s message to mark the Day will be delivered by video. Other speakers at the event will be United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Goodwill Ambassador, Mpule Kwelagobe, chairperson of the National Black Leadership Commission on AIDS, Reverend Dr. Calvin O. Butts, III, and the speaker of the New York City Council Christine Quinn.



The Lavender Light Gospel Choir will perform during the programme and there will be a reception and entertainment by The Karla Harby Outcats Jazz Trio. HIV and hepatitis testing will be available at an information fair following the reception.



The support of the IAWG to this event aims among other things to bring the UN and New York communities together and, in the process, cultivate a stronger relationship between UN entities, member states and civil society organizations.

It is also to sustain the momentum generated by the 2006 Political Declaration on HIV/AIDS and the 2008 High-Level Meeting on HIV/AIDS as well as motivate various interest groups to be personally involved in the response to AIDS.

I am sitting in the eInclusion Ministerial Conference and Expo beginning in Vienna today, and I have very (very) mixed feelings. While I admire the obvious effort put into this conference and the entire eInclusion concept as driven by the European Union, I am wondering when African governments will quit the low-hanging fruit of “pot belly politicking” and focus on the real essence of governance — improving the lives of the people. This is the 21st century and the average African youth is increasingly becoming less competitive in a world that has obviously lost all its borders. But I am glad that even in the face of this obvious neglect on the part of African governments, there are people (and institutions) that are consistently bridging the gap between what is and what must be. They are my heroes!

I return to Lagos (tomorrow), happy about how my discussions have gone at the various preparatory meetings — and also with some renewed passion to catch up with the many demonstrations I have seen at the 2 different conferences I have attended here in Austria (in Graz and now Vienna) thanks to the Salzburg-based International Centre for New Media. My return to Lagos is made more exciting by the fact that in six (6) days, the Ajegunle.org project will be celebrating the first set of graduates who have now gone through the various phases of the project — orientation, capacity building, internship, peer training and consistent reports to PIN; another reminder of those efforts that dare to confront the status quo in order to take Nigeria (and her youth, especially) to the New Economy. The project is driven by a young man whose passion I am yet to fathom; he knows how to deliver even in the face of near-zero resources: Ugochukwu Nwosu.

Ugo started volunteering for Paradigm Initiative Nigeria even before we became a legal entity. At the time when PIN was just an online group that tried its best to connect youth to any possible ICT opportunities, Ugo joined others to contribute man-hours to make this possible. I was quite surprised that he chose to return to that same role of a volunteer when he completed his undergraduate studies, and he has since moved on from volunteer to intern and then full time staff. While I keep myself busy with the task of institutional development and also attend to the commitments that come with my service in a number of roles, Ugo is the one who keeps the engine of progress in PIN going. When PIN becomes the institution I’m working hard to build, it should not be a surprise to see Ugo play a role that many of his peers will consider lucky. It would have been duly earned. I am not afraid to celebrate you, Ugo, because you represent the generation of youth who are now leading the campaign I spent my last decade working on. Thank you!

Each time I look to the corner of my office where a good number of award plaques sit, I think about the people who have now taken the message and have turned it into a lifestyle. To Ugo and the many young people who still understand the principle of delayed gratification (and forge ahead to deliver change even under the least comfortable circumstances), I salute you. You are my heroes, I celebrate you!

Listen to this podcast (computer-generated voice)

I’m in Austria to conclude talks on a new initiative that will help Paradigm Initiative Nigeria and other partners connect young Nigerians (and eventually Africans) with the opportunities that come with innovation (with a special leaning towards mobile applications). Like many first-time visits, this has been a splendid one for me. From the diplomatic intervention to the 9-hour wait in Doha (thanks to the lounge whose name I’ve now forgotten), “where’s my 30 year-old blonde” wait at the train terminal, nice 3-hour trip with my guide-turned-friend, warm welcome by my hosts and progress on the mission, I’m loving it! I think I should also say I love the snow too, because it was actually fun getting lost last night and falling twice (do I now have to buy anti-slide shoes?) in the snow. Confession: I love Lagos more, even if the heat is often unbearable

The meetings were timed to coincide with the Europrix Festival in Graz and it’s been 2 full days of inspiration! Meeting young Europeans who are showcasing their innovative projects has added new flavour to the content of my meeting discussions — and I can’t wait to see young Africans come together to celebrate innovation and create new pathways for their respective industries. Listen to the organizers: The EUROPRIX winning projects are the best of young multimedia contents and design in Europe. The projects and products are the top selection from all entries to the Top Talent Award. They show that the new developments are not isolated, but that from the Baltic to the Mediterranean, from small towns to the European metro centres, young media designers have taken charge of the technologies to create new applications and contents that work in the real world.

Following yesterday’s beautiful session that featured a keynote presentation and discussions led by past winners of Europrix awards in different categories, today’s session focuses on demonstrations by category finalists. You can see a complete list of nominees here but the Robovox demonstration was really cool! The Robovox, a large interactive public sound installation using SMS for general public interaction, allows anyone to say anything out loud (and anonymously) by sending text messages to the robot via a short code. Even though the demonstration was made with a much smaller (about 2m) robot, the Robovox installation is usually 8m tall and has traveled to a number of public squares across the world. During the presentation, various text messages made their way to the short code and Martin Bricelj had to allow Robovox to say the many things that anonymous text authors just had to let out.

I wonder if the idea can be integrated into the existing public monuments so that the three elders that greet you as you enter Lagos can say Eko o ni b’aje! to remind everyone who drives into town that we make Lagos whatever it becomes.

Listen to this podcast (computer-generated voice)

Pari réussi pour la deuxième session de formation Leadership Action, organisée par la Jeune Chambre de Commerce de Montréal (JCCM)* le 26 novembre dernier, au centre ville de Montréal. Encore une fois la JCCM a su répondre aux attentes des participants avec brio.
Le thème de l’atelier était axé sur la notion de connaissance: connaissances professionnelles approfondies et sensibilité aux enjeux d’affaires et sociaux.

Animée par deux experts du monde des affaires, la JCCM, toujours fidèle à son approche intergénérationnelle a opté pour une formule encore plus interactive !
Une combinaison gagnante qui a eu le mérite de permettre la contribution de chacun des participants.

Une vingtaine de jeunes professionnels/entrepreneurs, répartis en groupes de 4 ont été invités tout au long de l’atelier à réfléchir sur différents exercices, et ce en 3 temps : individuellement, en sous-groupes, enfin en partageant le fruit de leur réflexion à l’ensemble du groupe. Les participants étaient aidés par un questionnaire, une feuille de route et les rétroactions éclairantes des présentateurs…

D’une part, Francois Taschereau, directeur général d’Edelman relations publiques à Montréal, et gouverneur à la JCCM, qui a cumulé plus de 20 ans d’expérience en affaires publiques et communications corporatives, à titre de consultant ainsi qu’au sein de grandes entreprises et du gouvernement du Canada.

D’autre part, Frédéric Michel, président de la JCCM et directeur principal, Services-conseils, Gestion des risques et Amélioration des opérations chez KPMG depuis 2007. Titulaire d'un diplôme en ingénierie de l’Institut Chimique et Textile de Lyon (France), et d'un MBA de l’École de gestion Telfer de l’Université d'Ottawa, il a reçu en 2008, le prix Tremplin de l'Association des MBA du Québec.

Voici une brève synthèse des exposés des experts :
C’est bel et bien dans l’action que l’on développe ses capacités de leadership. Le leadership ne s’enseigne pas, il se développe tout au long de notre carrière.

Les compétences techniques ne suffisent pas. On peut être le meilleur des experts, mais ne pas savoir mobiliser et motiver une équipe, trannsmettre des connaissances, résoudre des conflits...
François Tashereau nous a parlé de la gestion des priorités en nous illustrant par des exemples précis (conversations stériles avec des collègues, réunions trop longues et non-productives…)

Il a également insisté sur l’importance de la lecture pour développer ses compétences de leadership (livres, journaux, revues, magazines…), en mentionnant qu’il ne sert a rien de TOUT lire mais qu’il faut s’atteler à lire des choses pertinentes relatif à ses champs d’intérêt et d’expertise. En d’autres mots, lire mieux et plus efficacement (notamment en prenant des cours de lecture rapide si nécessaire).
Aussi l’exercice proposé par Francois Tashereau sur le "Need to know", "Nice to know" et "Don’t need to know" a permis à chacun des participants de mieux comprendre comment il peut gagner du temps et mieux gérer le volume d’informations auquel il est souvent exposé dans son travail.

Frédéric Michel nous a exposé de façon claire et succincte les principaux points à retenir concernant la gestion de risque.

La notion de risque est inhérente à toute activité humaine. Dans le domaine des affaires, que ce le secteur des ressources humaines, des communications, des technologies etc, on est tous exposés à des risques…La notion de risque empêche l’atteinte de l’objectif tandis que l’opportunité la maximise.

Il y a 4 stratégies de gestion de risques :
- éviter le risque
- accepter le risque
- transférer le risque
- mitiger le risque (en d’autres mots le réduire)

La dernière option est la plus souvent présente dans le milieu des entreprises.
Quant aux discussions, elles ont été productives et fructueuses. Voici les principaux points qui ont été mis en commun lors de l’échange collectif :

• Identifier les domaines où l’on a besoin d’élargir ses compétences
• Être à l’écoute
• Sortir de sa zone de confort
• Être proactif
• Se créer des opportunités
• Être toujours à l’avant-garde
• Aimer ce que l’on fait
• Être conscient des risques et des opportunités
• Gérer ses priorités (et entre autres savoir dire non!)
• S’inscrire aux 5 -6 blogs (flux RSS) concernant l’actualité de notre domaine d’activité
• Organiser l’échange d’information
• Savoir déléguer
• Équilibre vie travail famille
• Être intelligent dans son réseautage
• Se constituer un plan d’action
• Se faire "challenger" par un coach

En bref, c’est à nous tous de rester maîtres à bord de notre processus de développement de connaissances, de savoir identifier ce qui est bon, pertinent de connaître ou non pour nous-mêmes, de suivre notre propre cheminement tout en faisant un bilan et en se remettant en question régulièrement.

*Les partenaires du Programme Leadership Action: Secrétariat à la Jeunesse du Québec, Défi de l’entrepreneuriat Jeunesse

Art for me
is a journey
into the unspoken, unknown, unwanted and unheard
realities of our shadows
and of our hopes.

We are suspended in time
glimpsing in the mirror
of our future and our past
They flash before us and cause a jolt
of hope, of fear, of want, of release.

Our senses on overload
we admire and adore
our object of fascination
representing the idol we love
and demon we hate.

we forgive
we empathize
we heal
we bathe
in beauty
and bliss.

This is art
for me.

La INICIATIVA PAZ CON LA NATURALEZA (IPN) es una iniciativa del gobierno de Costa Rica, lanzada oficialmente, por el Presidente de la República Oscar Arias Sánchez, el 6 de julio del 2007 con el fuerte compromiso político de IPN de luchar contra los procesos de degradación ambiental.

La propuesta implica para Costa Rica elaborar agendas de trabajo tanto a lo interno como hacia el exterior. Ambas agendas tienen como eje transversal la consecución de la sostenibilidad ambiental para el mantenimiento y la recuperación de los ecosistemas que soportan la vida en la Tierra.

La Iniciativa propone acciones en Costa Rica a lo interno:

Acciones para convertir a Costa Rica un país carbono neutral al 2021.
Elaboración y puesta en ejecución de Planes de Gestión ambiental en todos los órganos de Gobierno.
Promover el aumento de la cobertura forestal y el sistema de áreas protegidas.
Incluir la Educación Ambiental para el Desarrollo Sostenible dentro del currículo de la Educación Pública.


IPN también procura la acción internacional para liderar una campaña de protección ambiental contra los efectos del Cambio Climático. Los retos más significativos, en este sentido, son:

Crear y liderar una red internacional de países carbono-neutrales.
Impulsar mecanismos financieros para la protección de bosques primarios.
Promover el Canje de Deuda para la protección del medio ambiente.
Apoyar un canon internacional a las emisiones de carbono.


La Iniciativa se presentó inicialmente en un Decreto Ejecutivo (No. 33487-MP) publicado en la Gaceta el 29 de Diciembre del 2006; en esa misma Gaceta se publicó un acuerdo (025-MP) que declara de Interés Público la Iniciativa y emite una directriz a los Ministerios e Instituciones descentralizadas para que se sumen a través de acciones concretas.

También establece la Comisión Presidencial con 25 miembros y un Comité Ejecutivo de alto nivel. La Iniciativa Paz con la Naturaleza es liderada por una Oficina Ejecutora adscrita al Ministerio de la Presidencia.

Tomado de: http://www.pazconlanaturaleza.org/quienes-somos.php

EARTH es una universidad internacional, privada y sin fines de lucro, inaugurada en 1990 y dedicada a la educación, proyección, investigación y generación de valor mediante acciones de producción, transformación y comercialización. Su programa académico de licenciatura se concentra en las ciencias agropecuarias y el manejo racional de los recursos naturales. La Universidad trabaja para contribuir al desarrollo sostenible y hace énfasis especial en el trópico húmedo, región caracterizada por una inmensa riqueza biológica y cultural, amenazada por la marginalización social y sistemas de manejo inapropiados.

Cada año, otorga los premios Heliconia a los estudiantes, basándose en los siguientes valores: Desarrollo del ser humano
Comportamiento ético
Comportamiento ético
Búsqueda del conocimiento
Conservación de la biodiversidad
Excelencia académica
Conciencia social
Desarrollo sostenible

El martes 18 de Noviembre, fui galardonada con un premio Heliconia en mi Universidad, por representar y difundir la filosofía de la EARTH internacionalmente. Me siento muy contenta, pero a la vez es una motivación para continuar siendo tan proactiva como hasta ahora, y vinculándome a actividades cocurriculares que contribuyen a mi formación personal y profesional, y expande el nombre de esta familia educativa.

¡Muchas Gracias EARTH!!!

¿Quien eres tú realmente? Tal vez ni tu mismo lo sabes. “Conócete a ti mismo” era una vieja máxima griega, que decía que solo conociéndonos realmente como somos podemos llegar a conocer a los demás. Así, muchos de nosotros hemos respondido en más de una ocasión los test de personalidad que se nos presentan en revistas o periódicos. Pues bien. Aquí hay una nueva oportunidad de que desarrolles más tu conocimiento acerca de ti mismo.

QUE ES LA KOKOLOGIA?
Kokologia es una palabra compuesta a partir de la palabra kokoro, que en japonés quiere decir espíritu, y del sufijo griego logia, que quiere decir ciencia. Fue inventada en el Japón a finales del siglo pasado por el Dr. Isamu Saito, profesor de sicología e investigador de la Universidad de Risso, y Tadahiko Nagao, un productor de televisión, quienes hicieron una serie de programas sobre el autoconocimiento a través del juego. Esta basado en la unión de las corrientes sicológicas contemporáneas, desde el funcionalismo y estructuralismo hasta el conductismo, neoconductismo y humanismo, y las bases de la sicología oriental, principalmente el autoconocimiento hindú, la sicología del Tao, y el planteamiento budista en psicología.
En resumen, es un juego que aplica la sicología, para aprender de ti mismo y de los demás de una manera divertida.

COMO SE JUEGA LA KOKOLOGIA?
Como todo juego, la Kokologia tiene sus reglas. Estas son:
1. Siempre se juega en grupo, o cuando más, en pareja. No lo puedes jugar tú
solo.
2. Se debe ser totalmente espontáneo y sincero.
3. No intentar deducir ni racionalizar las respuestas, lo ideal es disfrutar de la espontaneidad del juego.
4. ¡¡¡NO HAGAS TRAMPA!!! No mires las respuestas antes de contestar. Te estarás engañando a ti mismo.
4. Recuerda que es un juego. Tienes que jugarlo por placer. Si en algún momento te sientes tenso,
es mejor que lo dejes por el momento y lo intentes otro día.

Tomado de: http://amigos.com/blog/22766/post_90184.html

3,000 prisoners in Kenya, prison staff and their families will soon have improved access to clean drinking water and basic sanitation facilities, thanks to a cooperation agreement signed between UN-HABITAT and a local NGO, the Prisoners Care Programme. The Prisons Water Project, to be piloted in Homa Bay and Kisii Prisons, will also benefit local communities living around the prisons.

Under the agreement, UN-HABITAT will provide the NGO with USD 167,537 to construct water storage facilities in the prisons and connect them to the municipal water system. The money will also be used to rehabilitate existing sanitation facilities and construct new improved facilities to ensure better hygiene in the prisons. These activities are scheduled to be completed within 9 months.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, the head of the Water and Sanitation Programme of UN-HABITAT, Mr. Bert Diphoorn, noted that the project would uplift the living conditions in the prisons by providing clean drinking water, an extremely rare commodity in many Kenyan prisons. “ Caravans of prisoners trooping to nearby springs and other dirty water sources will be a thing of the past”, he said.

Reiterating her NGO’s commitment to implementing the project according to the agreed schedule, the Executive Director of the Prisoners Care Programme, Ms. Jemima Gichungu, thanked UN-HABITAT for supporting the prisons water project, noting that Kenyan prisons are currently characterized by severe overcrowding, with inadequate and rudimentary facilities. “Lack of clean drinking water and inadequate sanitation facilities often result in deaths of inmates due to water-borne diseases”, she said.

The Prisons Water Project is a component of the ongoing Lake Victoria Region Water and Sanitation Initiative, a joint project by UN-HABITAT and the Governments of Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. It promotes improved access to water and sanitation, encourages efficiency in water use through demand management, and supports capacity building activities to help towns around the Lake to attain the water and sanitation targets of the Millennium Development Goals. The first phase of the programme has as already provided improved water services to over 114,000 persons and improved sanitation to about 20,000 persons.