unesco nairobi office bulletin · 2 unesco nairobi office bulletin, 1st issue, 2009 the changing...

UNESCO Nairobi O ff ice Bul let in , 1 st I ssue, 2009 1

UNESCO Nairobi Office Bulletin

1st Issue, 2009

Editorial

In this IssueEditorial ...................................................................... 1

Strengthening Peace Building through Science and Technology .................................... 2

The African Network of Scientific & Technological Institutions (ANSTI) .................. 5

Degradation of the Hydrological and Hydrogeological Conditions in the Mau Complex Watersheds ........................................... 6

Tanzania and Kenya Commit to Improve Transboundary Management of the Amboseli-Kilimanjaro Corridor ......................... 9

Planning for Sustainable Coastal Livelihoods using Decision Support Tools in Zanzibar, Tanzania ...............................12

Supporting National Efforts Towards Quality Education and Lifelong Learning for All......13

IPDC Continues Visible and High-Impact Contribution in East Africa ...............................15

Update on Activities to Promote the Cultural Diversity in the Nairobi Cluster Countries .................................................................17

Announcements/Events....................................21

Editorial Team:

Joseph G. M . Massaquoi Alice A. Ochanda For additional information on all the activities presented in this bulletin, please contact

Mrs. Alice A.Ochanda at: [email protected].

United Nations

Nairobi Office

la science et la culture

Cultural OrganizationEducational, Scientific and

Organisationdes Nations Unies

pour l’éducation,

This issue of the Bulletin covers the first half of the year 2009 which is the final year for the implementation of programme activities in the biennial programme and budget (2008-09). The Nairobi Office is a combination of two UNESCO Offices, one of which is the Regional Office for Science and Technology in Africa. Therefore, in executing its functions as regional science office, it is expected to play leadership role in the region in discussions on science and technology. In line with this, the reader will find that in this issue of the bulletin, the Office has initiated discussions on the role of science in overcoming contemporary challenges to development. The first article in this discussion is that on science and technology for peace-building. In a region where thirty percent of the countries are experiencing some kind of conflict in the last decade, peace-building has become a major development issue.

The bulletin also has several other articles on various activities that have been undertaken in the field of science and technology in the last six months. They include activities on the promotion of Biosphere Reserves as Learning Laboratories for sustainable development, and the recent launching of the Regional Forum for Women Engineers and Girl Scientists (WEGSA). There is also an interesting article on the degradation of the hydrological and hydro-geological conditions in the Mau Forest in Kenya. The debate over the use of the Mau Forest is currently a major political issue in which science will play the role of a “witness”.

In Education, the Nairobi Office has been very active in all Cluster member countries and this is reflected in the article that covers ICT in education, literacy and skills development, HIV and AIDS and TVET. The bulletin also discusses the recent study by the Office which will enable us to look back and determine our way forward in providing support to the Education Sector in the region.

In Communication, the bulletin has discussed the impact of the International Programme for Development of Communication (IPDC) in the East African Region. This issue of the Bulletin has brief details of various IPDC projects in the member countries covered by the Nairobi Office.

In the field of Culture, the Nairobi Office carried out activities in all Cluster member countries and some of these are described in the bulletin.

The information in the bulletin is not just about programme activities. In the period January – June 2009, this Office undertook several non-programme activities. This includes the annual Office retreat and the second Consultation Meeting of Secretaries-General of the National Commissions of UNESCO in Nairobi Cluster countries. The Office also participated in the Retreats of the UN Country Team (UNCT) and that of the UN Regional Directors Team (RDT). This issue of the Bulletin has information on all these meetings.

UNESCO Nairobi O ff ice Bul let in , 1 st I ssue, 20092

The changing nature of conflicts and their effects, suggest that post conflict assistance should no longer just be confined to humanitarian aid. Once a conflict has taken place the society is completely destabilised and there is need to rehabilitate through a set of actions, predominantly diplomatic and economic, that strengthen and rebuild governmental infrastructure and institutions in order to avoid relapse into conflict. This is the peace building process. It requires understanding the causes of conflict, the identification of the requirements for peace, and the actions to achieve the peaceful status.

Conflict poses many challenges for development:

• Itweakensthehumanresourcescapacity,• destroystheinfrastructureandthenatural

environment;• Itpoisonsthesocialandpoliticalclimate;• Itaffectstheabilitytoplanfordevelopment

Causes of conflict

• Skeweddistributionofresources• Denialofhumanrightsandotherfreedoms• Breakdownincommunication• Povertyisalsoacontributoryfactor.

Peace building is now central in almost all development assistance programmes because of the negative effect of conflict on development. Therefore in several countries in Africa, if we wish to utilise science and technology for development, scientific knowledge must be mobilised for peace building. This article will examine the role of science and technology in the peace building process. It will closely scrutinise the thematic group of actions frequently employed in peace building and proceed to show the role that science and scientists can play in peace building.

2. Causes of Conflict and Requirements for peace

In the last two decades many conflicts have erupted all over Africa. Almost thirty percent of countries in the region have had some type of violent conflict in the recent past. These include full-scaled armed conflicts, military occupation, and popular rebellion. Most of the conflicts can be described as “political violence” and come in different categories: Those arising from imposed societal inequities in resources and power (i.e. structural political violence arising from poor

Natural ScienceStrengthening Peace Building through Science and Technology

This is one of a series of articles to discuss the role of science and technology in meeting the contemporary

challenges to development in Africa. In subsequent articles we shall look at the roles of science and

technology in Poverty eradication and also in tackling global change

1. Introduction

All over the world there is a strong interest in the promotion of sustainable development. The global society wants an economic development that gives the

present generation reasonable services and comfort without sacrificing those for future generations. In most countries, especially in Africa, this important goal is constrained by many factors which include conflicts, global change and poverty. Global change groups together the effects of the population changes, climate change and the accompanying environmental disasters like famine and floods. All these challenges are human-induced or can be controlled by appropriate policies and actions. Furthermore they are inter-related, sometimes feeding on one another. Any of them can destroy all the factors of production and lower the economic growth rate.

This article addresses one of these challenges: conflict. It addresses the questions: How does a society prevent conflict and promote post-conflict restoration and more importantly what is the role of scientific and technical knowledge in the process. Conflict adversely affects sustainable development in many ways. First, it destroys the human resource base. During conflicts several people including children are killed. An even higher number die later from hunger, disease and malnutrition that results from the disruption of food supply. In addition the flight of qualified personnel to safety in other regions also weakens the human resource capacity. Conflict also adversely affects the national infrastructure and the environment both of which are usually considered as military targets or part of the strategy for the prosecutions of the war/conflict. In general all economic activities are adversely affected. It is estimated that there is a drop of 2.2 percentage points from the GDP growth rate in each year of conflict. The political climate is also poisoned. There is a general mistrust, suspicion and lack of confidence among various political, ethnic and other groupings.


economic and political governance) ; militarization and war ; political assassinations, torture, disappearances, detention and harassment (repressive political violence) ; violence against the state in the form of coup d’etats, guerrilla warfare and revolutionary forces (reactive political violence) A significant number of African countries are in post conflict rehabilitation phase and are implementing several Peace-building actions.

One major contributing factor in many conflicts in Africa is poverty. There may not be any direct causal relationship between poverty and conflict. In other words, it is not expected that every poor country will descend into violent conflict. Similarly not every rich country is immune from conflict. However there is evidence that , all other things been equal, a country with a gross domestic product of $250 per person has, on average a 15 percent risk of experiencing a civil war whereas another country with a gross domestic product of $5000 has only 1 percent risk. Furthermore, a survey showed that in 2002 nearly two-thirds of the poorest countries of the world were in conflict. Therefore, poverty, especially if it is accompanied by inequitable distribution of wealth, plays a major role in most conflicts. It creates resentment by the poor against those who are well-off. It generates a lot of anger and hatred in society. If the lines separating those who are poor and those with wealth coincide with those that separate the ethnic groups or regions it creates an atmosphere for conflict. Most of the conflicts that may be construed to be political are really fightsover resources (jobs, tax revenues, infrastructural developments etc). It is not uncommon to hear politicians say “it is our group’s turn to provide leadership”. The intention that really lies behind such statement is access to and control over the national cake/ resources. When there is resistance from another group to this take–over of political power (actually economic resource), conflict ensues.

Other common root causes of conflict include skewed land distribution, environmental degradation and unequal political representation. These problems must be addressed if there should be peace. Avenues should be sought for economic and social transformation to ensure equitable distribution of these non-renewable and non-expandable resources.

The denial of human rights is another of the root causes of conflict in most societies. In many countries in Africa were conflicts have occurred one can identify many historical injustices that denied some of the citizens their basic rights. The lack of respect for the fundamental rights such as the right to vote, freedom of speech and assembly also promote conflict. Several countries emerging from conflict have had prohibitions against meetings/ gatherings of people in excess of a particular size. Some have failed to conduct free and fair elections and suppressed any political opposition to the Government. Other violations of human rights include torture and illegal detention.

The break down in communication makes it difficult for the conflicting parties to understand each other’s traditions, cultures and intentions. Very often conflicts arise as a result of misunderstanding that would not exist if there were communication. The existence of good means of communication and dialogue ensures that disputes are settled before they become violent conflicts. Dialogue between opposing groups can lead to deepened understanding and help to change the demonic image of the opposing groups. In Africa, most of the inter-ethnic conflicts have arisen out of negative stereo typical views of the opposing groups which sometimes create fear and mistrust. It is an established fact that throughout history ignorance (and in some cases contempt) of other cultures have led to conflicts.

3. Peace Building strategies and Actions

Peace building work focuses on reducing or ending violent conflict and the promotion of a culture of peace. Thus the strategy that is frequently used rests on two pillars: Changes in the mindset of the population and changes in the social, economic and political structure of society. The focus is on societal transformation targeting the individual, the structures and the institutions.

Peace building is a long-term process that commence after the peace-making and peace-keeping. Peace-making is the diplomatic effort to end the violence and peace-keeping is the military intervention by a third party to monitor and ensure that the conflict parties abide by the agreement of the peace deal. The peace building strategy must concentrate on the core problems that created the conflict. It must therefore examine the political, social and economic conditions and identify those aspects of the structures that should be changed in order to maintain durable peace. This may involve institutional reform, economic reforms and changes in the legal framework.

On the economic front the strategy in peace building is to create economic opportunities and ensure that the basic needs of the population are met. This will mean putting at the disposal of the society increased access to all the factors of production including land and scientific knowledge.

Following from this strategy, one is able to identify several generic actions present in most peace-building programmes. In order to achieve the strategic objective of political structural changes, the following actions are undertaken: election reform, judicial reform, power-sharing initiatives

Requirements for peace

• Socio-economicadvancementfortheeliminationofpoverty;

• Inter-groupdialogue• Acultureofpeace• Theenjoymentofhumanrightsandjusticebyall.


and constitutional reform: In order to achieve the objective of creating economic opportunities for the population, several actions are taken at the micro- and macro-economic levels. Actions taken at the micro level include the establishment of microfinance institutions that give loans for income generating activities. At the macro level assistance is provided to governments to build the foundations of the economy including support for agriculture, and the industries where the country has a niche and the reconstruction of the infrastructure. Finally, in order to change the mind set and attitude of the population peace education, promotion of inter-group dialogue and capacity building for dispute resolution are some of the actions used.

4. Science and technology

Science is a body of knowledge. But this is not just any knowledge. It is knowledge obtained through a study and practice that is referred to as scientific method. This method relies on observation and experimentation to describe a natural phenomenon. Hence when we talk of science we are referring to a system that comprises the content (i.e. the knowledge) and process (i.e the scientific methods). Technology is the application of the scientific knowledge. Thus when one is examining the role of Science and Technology in peace building actions, one is looking at the content, the process and the applications of science. The concept of scientific knowledge and the admissibility of a body of knowledge as modern science has always been a monopoly of the western world. There was no dialogue on the issue of what is scientific knowledge until recently when the west realised that there is vast resource base of knowledge in other civilisations. A true dialogue has now emerged leading to the promotion of Indigenous knowledge. Thus, scientific knowledge that can be used in peace building should not be restricted to western (laboratory-based ) knowledge but other types of knowledge that are also acquired through a process of experimentation and observation. Indigenous knowledge in the management and conservation of natural resources will no doubt play important role in peace building since most of the conflicts evolve from disputes over resources.

Important Attribute of science for peace building

ScientificknowledgeScientificprocess(experimentation)ScientificmindsetScienceasatool(technology)

After analysing the strategy for peace-building and a closer examination of all the attributes of science and technology, the following aspects of science are considered useful in peace-building programmes: Scientific knowledge; scientific process (experimentation and observation); Scientific mindset ( logical and analytical arguments); Science in application (technology) as tool for change and progress.

5. Science and Technology in peace building strategy

a) Science and Socio-economic advancement: In peace-building programmes socio-economic advancement is pursued through actions that generate employment and income and create an enabling environment for economic activity. The latter will include development of infrastructure. As an important factor in production, S&T increases productivity, production rate and income whenever it is introduced in an operation. In peace building some of the actions used for socio-economic advancement include support for agricultural activities, support for micro-enterprises including food-processing and post harvest activities. All these activities can be enhanced through scientific and technical knowledge and skills.

b) Science and Technology and inter-group dialogue: Through dialogue it is possible to assure peace, tolerance, cultural diversity and promote development. The question is: How can science promote dialogue among different cultures? In the first instant, Science can be a witness in any dialogue. Scientific evidence is sometimes crucial in resolution of disputes, mistrusts and in terminating the blame-game. In some cases attempting to hold a dialogue, will be futile without such evidence. Science has over the years earned the respect of been factual. In some societies confidence in scientific evidence has reached a point of religion where people believe even without understanding. This respectable position enjoyed by science enables it to be a valuable arbiter in disputes. For instance, disputes over access to water resources are being increasingly discussed through dialogue in scientific communities. Science can provide the hydrological map to support decisions and policies for sustainable management of the resource and therefore prevent conflict. Another example of how scientific knowledge can enrich dialogue is the case where communities encroach on forest reserves which serve as water catchment areas. One community may want to conserve the forest for the purpose of water supply another will like to use the land for agriculture and also use the wood from the forest for construction. These competing demands for the land resources can lead to conflict. Tension will rise between the communities with each side presenting powerful argument to support its method of using the land. Scientific evidence can be used as an impartial guide in any discussion on the future of the land under various usages.

Science enriches dialogue. It provides the content and the language of dialogue. Scientists could provide the knowledge and information that will form the basis of dialogue. The research activities, especially on conservation and sustainable management of natural resources, can uncover ideas and issues which could be used in any dispute on access to resources. Scientific community can also provide a forum for dialogue.

Dialogue during conflict can also be facilitated using Technology which is an application of science. Since dialogue


thrives through communications, then recent advances in communications technology should help the process. The emergence of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) has made all forms of communication easy and fast. Hence ICT in particular has facilitated dialogue.

c) Science and the culture of Peace (Peace education): Recently, peace education has become a strategy for peace-building. Peace education is pursued through the revision of the education curricula to imbibe in the population qualitative values, attitudes and behaviours of a culture of peace, including peaceful conflict-resolution, dialogue, consensus-building and active non-violence. It seeks to promote sustainable economic and social development-by reducing economic and social inequalities, by eradicating poverty and by assuring sustainable food security, social justice and environmental sustainability.

Since conflicts arise from disputes over natural resources (land and water), the sustainable management of natural resources and the conservation of the environment should be part of the curriculum of peace education. Scientific knowledge including indigenous knowledge is extremely important in environmental management.

6. Actions for integrating Science and Technology into peace building process

Science and Technology can make contributions to two strategic objectives of any peace building programme. The two objectives are: (i) To promote economic empowerment and equitable distribution of resources; (ii) To enhance dialogue among communities and contribute to the development of a mindset that promotes peace.

Accordingly the following actions should be undertaken in order to bring Science and technology to bear positively on the effort for peace-building

• Introduction of technologies into income generating activities

• Integrating Science and Technology policies into national economic development policies.

• Building technical and scientific capacity in post-conflict countries

• Use of scientists, science and technology in dialogue for conflict prevention

• Introduction of natural resources management in peace education

• Use of ICT in dialogue and communications• Introduction of science education in basic education

curricula

For more information, please contact: [email protected]

The African Network of Scientific & Technological Institutions (ANSTI)

The extra budgetary project (ANSTI), hosted by the UNESCO Nairobi Office, contributed to the implementation of the UNESCO regular programme through training, award

and administration of fellowships, capacity building for the development of e-learning materials and the production of e-courses for use in e-learning programmes in universities in Member States.

Within the framework of support for the staff development in universities in Member States, (8) postgraduate fellows were awarded fellowships to undertake postgraduate studies in various scientific disciplines. The fellows are staff members of institutions in Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi and Zimbabwe.

In order to promote e-learning in the institutions in the region, the following four courses were converted into e-learning format on interactive CD-ROMS. These courses which will be sent to several universities in the region shall be taught for a typical university semester:

• Electrochemistry&ChemicalKinetics• OrganicSpectroscopy• IntroductiontoJavaProgramming• HighwayandTrafficEngineering

In order to enhance the research capacities of scientists in universities in the region twelve conference grants were awarded to researchers to present their results at international conferences. The beneficiaries were members of staff of Moi University; University of Nairobi; Obafemi Awolowo University; University of Ibadan; Redeemers University; Kwame Nkrumah University of Science & Technology; Kenyatta University; International Center for Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE); University of Zambia, Stellenbosch University and the University of Botswana. Two university Professors from the Department of Chemistry and Analytical/Environment Division were supported to undertake an exchange visit to the University of Liberia to carry out a needs assessment of the Chemistry Department and give guidance, assistance and recommendations to develop a road map and relevant priorities to rebuild the department after years of civil unrest.

For more information on ANSTI activities, please contact: [email protected]


Water Sciences and the Eco-Systems

Degradation of the hydrological and hydro geological conditions in the Mau Forest Complex Watersheds

Kenya is classified as a chronically water scarce country. The country ‘s natural endowment of fresh water is limited by an annual renewable fresh water supply of only 647

cubic metres per capita. Globally a country is categorized as “water stressed” if its annual renewable freshwater supplies are between 1,000 and 1,700 cubic metres per capita.

The availability of water is often a key factor in determining the patterns of human settlement and the value of land for agriculture and livestock production. The limited endowment of water resources places an added financial burden on the population of Kenya compared to other countries. This burden is even greater because of the country’s vulnerability to rainfall variability. In these circumstances, water ought to be treated and managed as a scarce resource with real economic, social, ecological, and political values.

Kenya’s vision 2030 is also the country’s new development blueprint for the period 2008 to 2030. It aims to make Kenya a “middle income country providing high quality life for all its citizens by the year 2030”.

Vision 2030 is based on three pillars: the economic pillar, the social pillar, and the political pillar. In one way or another,

these pillars are all interrelated and the fibre that binds them together is the natural environment, with inherent supply of renewable and non-renewable goods and service. To support the social pillar, Kenya aims to provide its citizens with a clean, secure, and sustainable environment by the year 2030. To achieve this, the nation has set goals such as increasing forest cover from less than 3% of its land base at present to 4% by 2012. Among the strategies for achieving these goals are the following: promoting environmental conservation to help achieve the MDGs, improving pollution and water management through the design and application of economic incentives; and commissioning public-private partnerships for improved efficiency in water and sanitation delivery and the capacity for adaptation to the impacts of global climate change.

Forests play a key role for many aspects of water resource management and environmental protection. They represent a very important type of land surface in relation to water management and the climate system and are characterized by having deep canopies, deep root layers and deep and po-rous surface soil layers, compared to other vegetation types. These properties are important factors affecting the water cycle characteristics. Forests affect both evapotranspiration and runoff. The impact of forest on water quality and the characteristics of hydrological processes in forested catch-ments are of paramount importance for sustainable human development and the preservation of natural habitats. This impacts not only directly on the socio-economic situation of people living in forested environments, but also affects whole societies via the close links of forestry, sustainable water re-source management and other aspects of human economic behavior such as agriculture, energy supply and trade. This is the case with the Mau Forest Complex which is Kenya’s largest canopy forest ecosystem and the single most important water catchment in the Rift Valley and Western Kenya. Covering over 400 000ha, it is the largest of the five “water towers” of Kenya and the headwaters for the main rivers west of the Rift Valley, including: Nzoia river (Lake Victoria), Yala River (Lake Victoria), Nyando River (Lake Victoria), Sondu River (Lake Victoria), Mara River (Lake Victoria), Kerio River (Lake Turkana), Molo River (Lake Baringo), Ewaso Nyiro River (Lake Natron), Njoro River (Lake Nakuru), Nderit River (Lake Nakuru), Makalia River (Lake Nakuru), Nashi River (lake Nakuru). It feeds major lakes including: Lake Victoria, Lake Turkana, Lake baringo, Lake Nakuru and Lake Natron, of which three are transboundary (lake Victoria (Nile Basin), Lake Turkana (Kenya/Ethiopia), Lake Natron (Tanzania/Kenya).

Aerial view of Mau forest before destruction


The Mau Complex supports key economic sectors in Kenya including:

• Energy: the catchment’s potential hydropower genera-tion capacity is approximately 535 megawatts, which represents 57% of Kenya’s current total electricity gen-eration. The Southwest Mau Forest is the primary source of the Sondu River, site of the future Sondu-Miriu hydro-power plant.

• Agriculture: it isestimatedthat2/3oftheteaproducedin Western Kenya is grown in areas that benefit from the ecological functions of the Mau Complex. The tea sector brings around 50000 jobs and supports 645000 dependants.

• Tourism: Mau Forest wildlife and natural areas are thekey attraction for most of tourists. The rivers flowing from Mau Complex are also the lifeline for major tourism destination areas including: Maasai Mara National Reserve and Lake Nakuru National Park.

Its montane forests are an important part of water-flow regulation, flood mitigation, water storage, groundwater recharge, water purification, micro-climate regulation, and reduce soil erosion and siltation. The forests also provide other major environmental services, including nutrient cycling and soil formation. In addition, their role in storing carbon makes the Mau Forest globally important for mitigating climate change.

Catchment degradation and hydrologic effect of forest clearance

In spite of its national importance, many areas of the Mau Forest Complex have been deforested or degraded, much of this damage taking place in the past few decades.

Degazettement of forest reserves and continuous widespread encroachment have led to the destruction of over 100 000ha of forest since 2000, representing roughly one-quart of the Mau Complex’s area (Kenya Atlas). In 2001, 61023ha of forest in the Mau Complex were excised including over half of Easter Mau Forest Reserve. Between 1973 and 2005, Maasai Mau Forest lost over 8214 ha of forest within its official boundaries, which were established to protect the forest. Almost 43% of that loss occurred in just two years from 2003 to 2005.

In general, forestry practices and clear-cutting in particular, cause fundamental changes in the forest biogeosystem. Deforestation has a number of hydrological effects, including decreased canopy interception of rainfall, decreased transpiration from the replacement vegetation, increased evaporation from the exposed soil surface, decreased soil infiltration because of changes in soil structure, and increased velocity of runoff after removal of surface litter and roughness. In addition, in cloud forests the trees intercept mist and this source of moisture is lost after logging. The mist harvesting effect amounts to between 5 – 20 % of total precipitation. There is also evidence that extensive areas of forest cover cause convective currents that increase local precipitation but the size of this effect is difficult to establish.

Change in terrestrial ecosystems (e.g. deforestation, refor-estation and natural vegetation succession) can affect catch-

Mau forest water flow before destruction

Forest destruction © Onyando


ment water balance. Some of these effects increase runoff and some decrease it. The reality is that when forest is cleared for “shambas” (farms) there are many other hydrological ef-fects apart from just those from the vegetation removal. The density of settlement is such that significant groundwater is abstracted, surface runoff is intercepted in pans, areas(such as paths and around houses) become heavily compacted, while cropped areas retain good infiltration characteristics. Consequently, the widespread observation of river flows de-creasing after forest clearance is more likely to be the result of the dense settlement patterns or other causes of abstrac-tion than the result of the clearance. The figures in annex il-lustrate the change that occurs in the water table regime. The groundwater level decline may lead to a decrease in ground-water recharge, infiltration and evaporation. The formation of cones of depression may lead to a reduction in the yield of wells, the disappearance of springs and a reduction in groundwater discharge to rivers and lakes.

In addition to the impact on the availability of water and the magnitude of floods, deforestation can also result in increased erosion and higher sediment loads in rivers. As the sediment that is transported by rivers deposit in reservoirs behind dams, the storage capacity of these facilities reduces.

The impact of deforestation on the water resources in the Mau Forest Complex is expected to be significant on the following areas:

• Agriculture: agriculture often occurs on very steepslopes that could lead to excessive erosion. Use of agro-chemicals, especially pesticides with heavy metal content, also has a significant impact on water pollution.

• Urbangrowth: increasedurbangrowth in thevicinityofNakuru has various impacts on catchment degradation with significant volumes of solid waste, particularly plastic, petrochemical spills, lack of sewerage treatment plant

• Socio-economic consequences: The principal socio-economic consequences relate to the impacts of increased variability of stream-flow resulting from deforestation and poor catchment management, increased sedimentation resulting from the same, and the presence of heavy metals and nutrient resulting from the use of agro-chemicals, such as fertilizers and pesticides, on the “Shambas” (farms) that are present because of deforestation.

• Flow variability impacts the reliability of water supply.As flow variability increases, the reliability of water supply decreases unless additional storage is provided. As population grows, a point is reached when direct extraction of water from rivers cannot provide water in a reliable manner. This even occurs under natural conditions, when the demand for water during the dry season is greater than the volume of water provided by

base flow in the river. As the variability of flow increases because of deforestation, i.e. the magnitude of floods increase and those of base flow decrease, the amount of storage that is required to reliably supply water increases even further.

More reservoir storage will therefore be required if deforest-ation and catchment degradation are allowed to continue. If storage is not provided it will severely impact public health, lead to poverty and reduced industrial and agricultural pro-duction.

Erosion and sedimentation that results from deforestation and catchment degradation have additional undesirable impacts on the reliability of water supply. Surface erosion causes the loss of productive soil nutrients for crops or trees. This is an on-site-effect. Both surface erosion and mass wasting may also cause problems downstream by silting up reservoirs or irrigation channels and damaging water courses, land and properties – these are all off-site-effects, sediment transported in rivers deposit in reservoirs, reducing the available storage in these facilities.

The socio-economic impacts of poor water quality are also significant. It impacts public health, agriculture, industry, tourism and the general quality of life.

Perspectives

UNESCO and UNEP have jointly undertaken activities aiming at both analyzing the causes, consequences, extent and severity of deforestation in the Mau Forest Complex and investigating the contributions of both climatic and human factors to the changing hydrological conditions in the Mau Forest Complex.

For further information, please contact: [email protected]

Depleted Mau forest © Onyando


become a major challenge affected by Climate Change impact. The project aims at contributing to a better management of the area and to build capacity of stakeholders to better understand the linkages between integrity of ecosystem and livelihoods sustainability.

At the beginning of the project, in order to ensure national ownership, the project document content was revised in order to actualize its objectives, expected results and outputs with the current situation (time constraints, resources available, stakeholder’s needs). This led to a new logical framework which actually respected the initial project document.

Despite some constraints such as short duration of the project, or shortage of financial resources, the project implementation phase was successful and almost all the outputs have been produced and results achieved. Updated information on the site has been collected and shared with relevant stakeholders. Capacity of the stakeholders has been strengthened in the area of sustainable natural resources management as well as Climate Change impacts. The value of multi-stakeholder approach was essential for the project success.

There should be a follow up of this project to ensure the sustainability of the action undertaken.


Ecological Sciences

Tanzania and Kenya commit to improve transboundary management of the Amboseli-Kilimanjaro corridor

The last stakeholders meeting of the project “Biosphere reserves as learning laboratories for sustainable development in Africa – Ecosystems and livelihoods in the Amboseli

Biosphere reserve (Kenya) – Mt. Kilimanjaro World Heritage (Tanzania) transboundary complex, was held on 29 April 2009. The meeting was officially opened by Hon. Noah Wekesa, Kenya’s Minister of Forests and Wildlife and attended by senior Tanzania government officials.

Participants also included conservation Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs), national wildlife authorities, local community representatives, local authorities, universities and researchers from both Kenya and Tanzania. In addition, there was representation from UNEP, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and Climate Prediction and Applications Centre (ICPAC). This is a one year project being implemented in the cross border area (corridor) between these two famous internationally recognized sites. Given the economic and environmental situation, sustainable management of the transboundary area between Amboseli Biosphere Reserve and Kilimanjaro World Heritage has

Kenya’s Minister for Forests and Wildlife and UNESCO Nairobi Office Director

Conference participants


COMMUNIQUÉ FROM THE INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP ON BIOSPHERE RESERVES AS LEARNING LABORATORIES FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN AFRICA – IMPROVING

LIVELY MANAGEMENT OF THE ECOSYSTEM AND LIVELIHOODS IN AMBOSELI BIOSPHERE SERVE (KENYA ) AND MT. KILIMANJARO WORLD HERITAGE SITE (TANZANIA)

TRANSBOUNDARY COMPLEX

20TH – 22ND APRIL 2009

Preamble

We the participants from Kenya and the United Republic of Tanzania drawn for different Government and political leadership at the local and national levels, MAB National Committees, Researchers, International Agencies and Civil Society met at the Panafric Hotel, Nairobi, Kenya at the invitation of the UNESCO Nairobi Office. Gathered as Key Stakeholders of the Amboseli Biosphere Reserve and Mt. Kilimanjaro World Heritage Site, we reviewed the current status of the trans-boarder ecosystem. We deliberated on the issues and challenges of the Amboseli-Kilimanjaro ecosystem with a view to mapping a way forward towards improving a mutually shared transboundary Manage-ment of the ecosystem.

Following the intensive deliberations, we took note that: i. UNESCO through the Man and Biosphere (MAB) Programme provides the framework for designation of areas as

Biosphere Reserves (BR) at the request of Member Statesii. Madrid Action Plan (MAP), 2008-2013 aims at raising BR to be principle internationally designated areas dedicated

to sustainable development in the 21st centuryiii. Biosphere Reserves promote biodiversity conservation and sustainable development based on local community

efforts and application of sound scientific principlesiv. Climate change phenomenon presents one of the most serious and globally significant challenges to society

and ecosystems v. UNESCO has a significant capacity to influence, facilitate and advance progress in biodiversity conservation

through BR’s and World Heritage Sites vi. Amboseli BR is a unique area with the most approachable free-ranging elephants in Africa, with great biodiversity

and rich in Maasai culture vii. Amboseli biosphere and Kilimanjaro World Heritage Site were facing challenges of biodiversity loss

We further took note of the following challenges:i. Changes in land use in A-K ecosystem from pastoralism to crop cultivation and settlement was serious

undermining the ecosystem’s integrity ii. Loss of wildlife corridors due to settlements within the dispersal areas especially south of Amboseli National

Parkiii. Most water sources including rivers whose sources are in Mt. Kilimanjaro especially on the Kenyan side have

dried up or become seasonaliv. Degradation of swamps and wetlands that are critical to livestock and wildlife populations v. Human-wildlife conflictsvi. Wildlife poaching vii. High poverty levels viii. Deforestation through illegal tree felling and charcoal burning

Having exhaustively deliberated on the Agenda and taking cognizance of the specialized and technical nature of the UNESCO in facilitating Member States to achieve their desired goals and aspirations, we the participants recommend that Kenya and Tanzania authorities cooperate to improve transboundary management of A-K ecosystem complex. In this regard we the participants make the following specific recommendations: i. Nominate A-K ecosystem as a transboundary BR


Crosscutting Issues in ScienceLaunch of the Forum for Women Engineers and Girl Scientists in Africa (Forum-WEGSA)

In the last Issue of the Bulletin (2nd Issue, 2008), we introduced the newly established Forum for Women

Engineers and Girl Scientists in Africa. In this Issue, we give information about its launch and some of the activities that the Forum and its Chapters has been

involved in since.

The Forum for Women Engineers and Girl Scientists (Forum-WEGSA) was officially launched on 26 Febru-

ary, 2009 in Gaborone, Botswana. The launch was officiated by the Botswana Minister of Education, Skills and De-velopment, the Honourable Mr. Kavis Kario. Other dignitaries in attendance included The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Skills and De-velopment, Mrs. Ruth Maphorisa, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Academic Affairs at the University of Botswana – Professor Frank Youngman, the Director of the Office of Re-search and Development at the University of Botswana, Prof. Isaac Mazonde and the President of the Botswana Red Cross Society – Dr. Nomsa Mbere. The launch was also witnessed by the UNDP Resident Representative, Mr. Leonard Dikobe, UNICEF Deputy Representative Mr. Marcus Betts, US Peace Corps Country Director, Mrs. Peggy Mc Clure, British Council Director, Mr. Stephen Forbes and the Secretary General of the Botswana National Commission for UNESCO, Mrs. M.M Kelebe-mang. Others who participated in the launch were representa-tives of the SADC, Vice Chancellor of the Botswana University of Science and Technology, Professor Kweku Bentil, Dean of Uni-versity of Botswana Faculty of Engineering, Prof. Alfred Ngowi and the Director of the University Botswana Office of Research and Development, Prof. Isaac Mazonde. UNESCO Regional Bu-reau for Science and Technology in Africa was represented at the launch by the Programme Officer for Cross-Cutting Issues in Science. The Office also provided the financial support for the launch.

In his opening remarks to the participants at the launch, the Assitant Minister of Education, Skills and Development – the Honourable Mr. Kavis Kario stated that he is convinced that the launch of Forum will bring awakening among women and girls and create the required energy to want to get involved in SET. The Minister lamented the poor participation of girls and women in SET and told the participants that this was an indication that the ability of a nation was compromised since

women and girls always account for 50% of the population. He commended UNESCO’s role in the Forum’s establish-ment. The Minister further stated that with the Forum’s establishment, he hoped to see women engineers playing a more active role in the community. Be-fore ending his speech, Mr. Kario called upon male engineers to become mem-bers of the Forum and to support the elevation of women and girls in society.

Activities of Forum-WEGSA since the launchThe Forum has been involved in a number of activities since its launch in February. Key among these has been the career talk held for girls in secondary schools in both Botswana and Kenya. Through its interim Chapter Chair, the Kenya Chapter had an occasion to address girls at one of Kenya’s leading girls’ high schools on their career Day and to encourage them to take science education seriously. Other activities of the Forum have included the following:

i. Use of university open day to provide relevant and interesting information to secondary school students to build their interest in science and engineering courses. This was done by the Forum-WEGSA Kenya Chapter at the Faculty of Engineering stand during the recently held University of Nairobi Open Day.

ii. Mentoring for young and newly graduated women engi-neers to prepare them for the new life after graduation.

iii. Using existing networks in other Universities as well as industries to secure postgraduate scholarships for female engineering students and also for internships. So far, a total of three (3) students have benefitted from such scholarships in both Botswana and Kenya since February when the Forum was launched.

For more information, please contact:[email protected] or the Forum-WEGSA web site http://www.forumwegsa.com

Hon. Kario Assistant Minister for Education, Skills & Development

Dr. Jeffery, Forum-WEGSA Executive Secretary

Dr. Mumenya with secondary school girls during the University of Nairobi Open Day


Planning for sustainable coastal livelihoods using Decision Support Tools in Zanizibar, Tanzania

“Empowering NSAs in Tanzania to plan for sustainable coastal livelihoods using Decision Support Tools” is a ReCoMaP (EU) funded project that is taking place

along the Jambiani–Bwejuu coast of east Zanzibar, Tanzania (2009-2010). The project assists communities and stakeholders in the area to assess, plan and make decisions on management approaches that mitigate the problem of erosion faced by the community, as well as better plan coastal development taking account predicted future shoreline changes.

The Institute of Marine Science (IMS), University of Dar-es-Salaam in Zanzibar leads a national team of partners including Tanzania Fisheries Research Institute (TAFIRI), and the JAMABECO - Jambiani Marine and Beach Association. UNESCO/IOC coordinates and provides technical support for the project.

Project partners and local stakeholders are undertaking a participatory decision-making process to address the management issues faced at Jambiani-Bwejuu, supported by scientifically based future scenario development. Specifically, the project:

• Develops a suite of future scenarios with Decision Sup-port Tools and numerical modelling enabling stake-holders to visualise outcomes of human interven-tions.

Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC)

Damaged and abandoned houses on the Jambiani coast, showing the remaining sea wall in the background.

Rehabilitation of dunes undertaken by members of JAMABECO, in front of a local beachfront restaurant in Jambiani.

• Uses visual scenarios of coastal change to support ben-eficiaries to select desirable futures and management interventions, and developed management plans for this.

• Disseminates best practice guidelines locally, nationally and regionally, describing optimum approaches in developing and implementing the future scenarios

For more information please visit the IOC Capacity Devel-opment Website (www.ioc-cd.org) contact IMS on [email protected], or IOC at [email protected].


Education

Supporting National Efforts Towards Quality Education and Lifelong Learning for All: Targeted Interventions and Strategic Review and Planning

It has almost been 10 years since the international commu-nity including the Nairobi Cluster countries resolutely reaf-firmed their commitment to achieving quality education

and lifelong learning for all. Available evidence clearly dem-onstrates that much progress has been made particularly in relation to the access to primary education. With year 2015 fast approaching, what remains as single most critical chal-lenge is the quality of education.

In this context, UNESCO continues to support countries through targeted interventions in the spirit of the United Nations family delivering as one and in close cooperation with development partners, the civil society and the private sector. In Rwanda where UNESCO forms integral part of One UN team, UNESCO takes a lead role in one of Education Theme Group’s outcomes focusing on quality. The first six months of 2009 saw the launching of a number of important initiatives in the cluster countries:

ICT in Education

With the financial support from the Government of Japan, Uganda launched a project to improve the quality of educational services offered by the country’s Business, Technical, Vocational Education and Training (BTVET) institutions through training

instructors in ICT skills. This project supports the Ministry of Education and Sports’ vision to contribute to the development of human resources equipped with the knowledge and skills to use and apply ICT for sustainable development of the nation, and also the Ministry’s policy to make education relevant and responsive to the needs and requirements of the society, in particular, the world of work.

Comprehensive education sector response to HIV and AIDS

Apart from continued partnership with Ministries of Education in Kenya and Rwanda as featured in the last issue of Bulletin, with the support from UNAIDS and UNESCO, Uganda Ministry of Education and Sports launched a progressive campaign to popularize recently finalized Education Sector Policy in this area. More than 20,000 copies of posters and leaflets were developed. Some innovative methods, such as radio, will be utilized to ensure the widest possible outreach.

Literacy and skills development for youth and adults

Preparatory work is under way to launch a major capacity development initiative in support of Rwanda’s efforts in literacy and skills development for youth and adults. In line with Rwanda United Nations Common Operation Document, the goal is to support Vision 2030, Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy (EDPRS), Education Sector Support Program (ESSP) goals through strengthening the institutions, structures and programs for youth and adult literacy, skills training for out of school youth. This initiative

Skills development class in Rwanda


will directly respond to Rwanda’s draft National Adult Education Policy, and specifically aims at (1) increasing literacy rate among youth (15-24 years), (2) increasing literacy rate among those who are 15 years and above from 60.5 to 85% by 2010, (3) expanding skills training for out of school youth; and (4) promoting participating in skills training by youth especially girls.

Looking back for a way forward for UNESCO’s support to national education sector development

While supporting the implementation of the above mentioned initiatives, among others, the education sector is undertaking a programme review with a view to becoming more strategic and focused vis-a-via the organization-wide support to national education sector development. The objective is to review the work undertaken from 2001 to 2008, critically assess the quality of the organization’s support and impact made if any, and identify the comparative advantage with which the organization can confidently deliver high quality technical assistance services. The study therefore is looking to answer the following three questions:

1. How has the organization contributed to the education programme in the countries it serves (2001 – 2008) and how useful were the contributions?

2. How effective UNESCO’s approach has been in support of countries national education sector development, in particular Education for All?

3. What are lessons learned to inform the implementation of projects in pipeline and the planning of 35C/5, as well as of the next five year through to the end of current 34C/4)?

Some preliminary achievements made to date are: • Improved cohesion, synergy and quality in programme

planning, delivery and monitoring through full integration into One UN in Rwanda, as well as through country-based programme in Kenya, Eritrea and Uganda (2007 to date)

• Increasedpoliticalcommitmentandfinancialallocationto ECCD, literacy and ESD as a result of evidence-based policy development (2005 to date)

• Strengthenedcapacityofnationalandselectedprovincialstaff in policy development and subsequent strategic planning and programme development and delivery (2005 to date)

Proposed Focus areas are as follows:

• Monitoring of EFA: End-decade assessment (cluster-wide)

• Literacyandskillsdevelopment(Kenya,Rwanda,Eritrea)

• Teachereducation(TTISSA-Uganda,Eritrea)

• ECCD(Rwanda,Kenya)

• Sector-wide response toHIVandAIDS (Kenya,Rwanda,Uganda)

• Strategic planning (Somalia) with UNESCO-PEER pro-gramme

The most important working tool is so-called UNESCO Na-tional Education Support Strategy (by short, UNESS), a bilat-eral, outcome-based cooperation strategy spanning a period of UNESCO’s Mid-Term Strategy (2008-2013). The outcomes of the programme review will inform the finalization of UNESS, which will begin implementation in 2010, a beginning of UNESCO’s new Programme and Budget cycle.


CommunicationIPDC Continues Visible and High-Impact Contribution in East Africa

Overview

The contribution of the International Programme for the Devel-opment of Communication (IPDC) to UNESCO’s Communica-tion and Information Sector programme at the global level is

well documented and widely acknowledged. The IPDC is the only multilateral forum in the UN system designed to mobilize the inter-national community to discuss and promote media development in developing countries. Everywhere in the developing world, IPDC projects have enhanced freedom of expression and media plural-ism; community media development; the training of media profes-sionals and the establishment of international partnerships.

Although the above also holds for the East African region, in the last two years there has been a remarkable increase in applications for IPDC support. A sharp increase for IPDC project funding comes from community-based organizations (CBOs) seeking to build community radios and community multimedia centres (CMCs). This can be explained as mainly due to governments in the region opening up to community media development and hence making the licensing for and frequency allocation to prospective broadcasters much easier. Journalism schools, many of which are departments of national universities, have also jumped on this “band-wagon”, by seeking to establish campus radios that are low-power and which fall under the category of community radios in terms of their countries’ licensing regimes. These campus radios are mainly used to improve the balance in the journalism curricula between theory and practice, especially for broadcast media courses.

The IPDC has also responded to emerging media development priorities in the region, such as media training on conflict sensitive reporting and reporting on climate change related issues.

2008 IPDC’s $139,000 funding for projects in Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia and Uganda:

Rwanda: Improvement of distribution of private newspapersThis project established a distribution network for all private print media with an outreach to all major trading centres in the country. This was achieved by purchasing and installing newspaper stands that were placed in major trading centres. Delivery motorcycles were purchased to collect newspapers from different media houses and dispatch them through the national public transport system to 70 distribution outlets in rural trading centres.

Kenya: Community empowerment through community radio The purpose of the project was to establish a community radio in Voi, which targets local communities in Taita and Taveta Districts of Eastern Kenya. In November 2008, MWANEDU FM 96.1, was established and went on-air at the same time. The project provided initial equipment for the radio station and training for core staff and volunteers.

Somalia: Establishment of Hargeisa Campus CMCAs a result of this project a campus radio was established early 2009 at the School of journalism at the University of Hargeisa in Somaliland, a self-governing territory of Somalia. The radio contributes to improve the quality of journalism training at this university. The radio provides independent information and knowledge sharing through radio broadcasts to the university and surrounding communities, as an alternative to state and private media.

Somalia: Strengthening East African University journalismIn November 2008, a campus radio and a computer centre were commissioned at the Journalism School of the East African University, located in Puntland, a self-governing territory of Somalia. The main aim of building this centre has been to strengthen the university’s journalism training, as well as to bring plurality and diversity to radio programming in Puntland. Hence the radio has served as an alternative source of public

Community radio equipment installations at IPDC supported projects in East Africa


information and development support programming in areas that are of concern to students and the community around the East African University.

skills to effectively report on the post election realities in Kenya that will spur active and informed debate about the country’s national priorities and contribute to national healing and cohesion.

Rwanda: Building the capacities of the photolab of the Huye School of Journalism and Communication This project will establish a Photojournalism Laboratory at the School of Journalism and Communication of the National University of Rwanda. An average of 150 students will benefit annually from this facility through advanced practical training in photojournalism.

Somalia: Jowhar community radioThis project aims at establishing a community radio in the Middle Shabelle region of Somalia. This radio is expected to contribute to community access to information on peace-building and to addressing social injustices in the area.

Uganda: Establishment of Ngora Community Multimedia Centre, Kumi DistrictThe purpose of this project is to establish a community multimedia centre (CMC) that will engage the population of the Ngora country, Kumi District in facilitating self-expression, sharing and accessing information, knowledge and skills.

Observations:

In monetary terms the above IPDC contributions may not seem that significant. However, IPDC’s visibility and recognition should be judged by the ever increasing number of project applications, many of which do not receive funding support. Since 2008 the UNESCO Nairobi Office has been receiving an average of 20 project proposals annually, from the 5 countries the Office covers, all seeking IPDC support. This is an increase of more than 25% from previous years.

As shown above, during the same period the IPDC has funded an average of 5 projects from these countries, given that it is also on a competitive basis that emphasizes good quality proposals, project feasibility and sustainability, among other criteria. This limited funding situation is not likely to improve soon, especially given the ongoing global financial crisis, since that IPDC depends on voluntary donor contributions.

Despite these apparent funding challenges, awareness of IPDC among media stakeholders has shot up in the region and should be attributed to the high-impact projects that IPDC has supported in the recent past and the resources it has produced, such as the Media Development Indicators, Guidelines on setting up CMCs and others.

For more information, please contact: [email protected]

Uganda: Strengthening journalism training at Makerere UniversityMakerere University’s Department of Mass Communication was one of the UNESCO identified African potential centre of excellence in journalism training. The purpose of this project was therefore to upgrade broadcasting equipment of the ex-isting campus radio at the university, in order to strengthen journalism training. This upgrade is providing new journal-ism students and practicing journalists with the knowledge and skills to creatively produce programmes that both in-form and engage the public in development and democratic topical issues.

The project also intends to ensure that the journalism cur-riculum at the University meets the internationally recog-nised standards prescribed in UNESCO’s “Model curricula for journalism Education for Developing Countries and emerging Democracies”

New IPDC funding for a new set of projects in 2009:

Regional: Capacity building for media educators on reporting agricultural biotechnology and biofuels in East AfricaThis regional project is targeting media educators in ten journalism training institutions in Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. The aim of the project is to provide skills and knowledge for effective training in radio broadcast and specialized writing/scripting on biotechnology and biofuels.

Kenya: Professional Capacity Building for the Kenyan Media CorrespondentsThis project aims at equipping the freelance correspondents based in each of Kenya’s 8 provinces with the professional

Computer and Internet installations at some IPDC supported projects in East Africa


CultureUpdate on activities to promote the cultural diversity in the the UNESCO Nairobi cluster countries

Eritrea

National consultation meeting on the 2003 Convention and the establishment of a legal framework for the conservation of heritage

The National Commission of Eritrea for UNESCO and UNESCO Nairobi office jointly convened a national consultation meeting - from 8 to 10 April 2009 in Asmara – in order to discuss the safeguarding of cultural heritage of Eritrea. The participants included representatives from the line ministries responsible for cultural and natural heritage, universities, religious institutions, the National Museum, Research and Documentation Centre, and Regional and District administrations. Two resource persons from outside Eritrea contributed to the meeting.

The first half of the meeting focused on the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage; main issues were the scope and objectives of this Convention, possible safeguarding measures and the obligations for states parties. Since Eritrea is not yet a party, the participants also discussed the steps to be taken towards ratifying this legal instrument.

The establishment of a legal framework for the protection of heritage was the subject of the second part of the meeting. The participants reviewed a draft framework prepared by a group of Eritrean experts. The meeting was also an opportunity to discuss the implementation of the 1972 Convention in Eritrea; particularly because Eritrea has not yet

“An example of historical sites, the Church of Kidane Mehret near Sen’afe in Eritrea, © F. Ohinata/UNESCO”

nominated any sites for inscription on the World Heritage List, and its Tentative List so far contains only one site. The national authorities are currently preparing to finalise the revision of the Tentative List.

Kenya

Planning workshop on the nomination of Great Rift Valley serial and trans-boundary sites to the World Heritage List

The National Museums of Kenya - in collaboration with the African World Heritage Fund (AWHF) and the Nordic World Heritage Foundation - hosted a planning workshop on the nomination of Great Rift Valley serial and trans-boundary sites to the World Heritage List, on 8 and 9 January 2009 in Nairobi, Kenya.

Olorgesailie prehistoric site in Kenya, © F. Ohinata/UNESCO

The workshop was a follow up to the “Scientific Workshop on the Great Rift Valley Serial Trans-National World Heritage Property” held from 26 to 29 March 2007 at the headquarters of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in Nairobi.

The main objective of the workshop was to discuss amongst African countries sharing the Great Rift Valley how to coordinate steps for nominating trans-boundary sites in the Great Rift Valley that may have outstanding universal value. This initiative enhances cooperation amongst countries along the Great Rift Valley in the implementation of the World Heritage Convention, and it shall also help to improve the representation of African heritage on the World Heritage List.

Tentative List of Kenya revised

Since the ratification by Kenya of the 1972 Convention in 1991, four Kenyan sites have been inscribed on the World Heritage List. In order to plan a strategy for future nominations and


to take stock of sites in Kenya that may have outstanding universal value, the National Museums of Kenya convened a meeting on 20 January 2009. The meeting, which was financed by UNESCO Nairobi, examined the results of desk studies conducted by Kenyan experts. Based on the discussion of the meeting, Kenya revised its Tentative List to include 14 new sites, some of which fall under the African Great Rift Valley initiative.

The guidebook “Discovering the Kenyan Coast” is available!

While the Kenyan coast is widely known for its beautiful beaches, it is also home to the rich material and living heritage of the various communities living there. That heritage is remarkably diverse, since the Kenyan coast for many centuries has been an economic and a cultural hub between the interior and, the Arabic speaking world, the islands in the Indian Ocean and beyond. Oversea contacts have been formative in particular for Swahili cultural traditions and the Swahili language.

In June 2009 a guidebook “Discovering the Kenyan Coast” was published, presenting heritage of the Kenyan coast area - such as architectural heritage, archaeological sites and Swahili traditions, and suggesting itineraries for visiting remnants of the past and witnessing present-day living traditions.

The publication was pre-pared by the National Mu-seums of Kenya and the Institute of Research for Development. Financial assistance was provided by the Embassy of France in Kenya, the European Union (through the Tour-ism Trust Fund) and UNESCO Nairobi. It is available for 900 Ksh at the bookshops of the National Museums of Kenya in Nairobi and in Mombasa.

Rwanda

The UN country team in Rwanda participated in the workshop on the Cultural Diversity Programming Lens

Representatives of the UN Country Team from Rwanda participated in the sub-regional workshop, held in Dar-es-Salaam from 23 to 24 February 2009, to discuss the Cultural Diversity Programming Lens and its use in joint programming exercises. This workshop brought together 33 participants from three different UN country teams (Mozambique, Rwanda and Tanzania), representing a total of 12 UN agencies; the team from Rwanda included representatives from ILO, UNDP, UNFPA and WFP.

The Lens constitutes a tool for the systematic analysis of cultural diversity issues developed by UNESCO on the basis of a human rights based approach and in application of the Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity (2001).

Discovering the Kenyan Coast

Participants from Rwanda at the workshop on the Cultural Diversity Programming Lens, © UNESCO/F. Ohinata

Participants of the meeting on the revision of Kenya’s Tentative List© National Museums of Kenya

Somalia

Progress of the Japanese Funds in Trust project ”Safeguarding traditional Somali performing arts ”

Before the civil war Somalia enjoyed a vibrant cultural life, in which traditional performing arts – such as drama, poems and songs - played a major role. Somali people also made use of their performing arts in the resolution of conflicts. Because of the ongoing civil war the transmission of this living heritage is at risk.

The National Museums of Kenya was asked to conduct in early 2009 a six-week field work in order to identify elements of traditional Somali performing arts in the North Eastern Province of Kenya. The identified traditional expressions and practices include dances (deesha), poetry (gabay), songs (heesa) and games (ciyaara), performed and enjoyed by Somali speaking groups living in the eastern part of Kenya.


This research took place within the framework of the UNESCO/Japanese Funds in Trust cooperation project “Safeguarding traditional Somali performing arts”, which aims to contribute to the rehabilitation of Somali intangible cultural heritage. Due to the prevailing security situation, this project is imple-mented in Kenya; this is possible thanks to the cooperation of the national authorities of Kenya.

Uganda

Uganda ratifies the 2003 Convention

On 13 May 2009, Uganda deposited with UNESCO’s Director-General its instrument of ratification of the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. In accordance with the terms of its Article 34, the aforementioned Convention enters into force with respect to Uganda three months after the date of the deposit of this instrument, that is to say on 13 August 2009.

The Runyankore Rukiga - English Dictionary is available!

The Institute of Languages of Makerere University in Kampala completed in June 2009 the electronic version of a bilingual Runyankore Rukiga dictionary.

Runyankore Rukiga is spoken by some 1.6 million people in Uganda. In spite of this high number of native speakers, its viability is questioned since more and more young people tend to speak English instead of their ancestral language. It is hoped that this dictionary - which features over 15,000 lexi-cal items - will contribute to the preservation of the language

and thus to the linguistic and cultural diversity of Uganda.

This project, which started in 2005, was financed by the Gov-ernment of Japan through the UNESCO/Japanese Funds in Trust cooperation project “Writing a Runyankore Rukiga - English dictionary for the preservation of language”.

Training for community museums in Uganda

The Cross Cultural Foundation of Uganda, in cooperation with the National Museum of Uganda, organised a training workshop from 22 to 26 June 2009 in Kampala, aimed at reinforcing the capacities of 12 community museums. The training addressed such issues as the development of mission statements, basic conservation of artefacts, good management practices, skills in mobilizing funds as well as the preparation of an action plan for each of the participating community museums. Camel dance performed by a community in the North Eastern Province

in Kenya © Yakub, Dahiye/National Museums of Kenya

Isingiro mobile museum in Uganda, © Cross Cultural Foundation of Uganda

This was a follow-up activity to the heritage mapping exercise conducted in 2008 with financial support from UNESCO Nairobi. During the second part of 2009, the community museums in question will receive grants to implement the plans developed during the training.



Announcements/Events

Publication of a Book on UNESCO Science activities in AFRICA

As the Regional Bureau for Science and Technology in Africa, the Office recently published a book on its Science Programme Activities in Africa. The book covers programme activities for the period between 2008 and 2009. The programmes presented cover science and technology

activities by the UNESCO field Offices in Africa. The publication is available for download on our Office website:http://www.unesco-nairobi.org.

The Science Retreat in Paris, 8–10 June, 2009

On the first day of the meeting, the Divisional Directors at headquarters made presentations on the strategic direction of programmes in Basic & Engineering Sciences, Science Policy, Ecological Sciences and Hydrology. The Regional Directors also made presentations on their activities and their priorities in the next biennium. The Director of the Nairobi office, Prof Joseph G.M. Massaquoi presented the priorities for Science in the region and in addition, highlighted the weakness in the budget decentralization approach. The current approach does not enable field offices to address national issues and effectively involve UNESCO in the process of “delivery as one” within the one UN. He proposed an alternative approach.

Another highlight of the first day was the address by the guest speaker (Mr. Robert Martin Lees), the Secretary-General of the Club of Rome. During the Retreat one of

the parallel activities was a Regional Group meeting to discuss the Work plan for 2010-2011. The meeting resulted in the Africa Science Programme Officers identifying eight regional activities to be carried out in the ext biennium.

Meeting with Geneva Group, 11 June 2009 After attending the Science retreat in Paris, the Director of the Nairobi office joined the other Regional Directors of Science Bureaux and the Assistant Director General for Science (ADG/SC) (Mr. Walter Erdelen) in a meeting with about 12 members of the Geneva Group of Ambassadors to UNESCO. The members of this group comprise mainly Ambassadors from OECD countries. The meeting was chaired by Japan and Canada. The discussion focused on the problem and opportunities of the “One UN”.

Meeting with the Africa GroupOn June 11, 2009, the Science Programme Specialists from UNESCO Africa Field Offices together with the ADG/SC (Mr. Walter Erdelen) met with the African Ambassadors to UNESCO for about 40 minutes. The ADG/SC introduced members of the team and thanked them for agreeing to meet with us. The highlight of the meeting was the address by the Director of the UNESCO Nairobi office. He presented to the ambassadors the achievements of UNESCO in the Region and the priorities that will be pursued in the 2010-2011 biennium.

Field visit by Science Sector staff during the retreat

Africa science Programme Offices at work in Bonvin

The third biennial retreat of the UNESCO science sector took place in Paris, France from 8 to 10 June 2009. The meeting brought together over 100 science

programme officers from all field offices and headquarters. The participants deliberated on the work plans, and various proposals on communication, decentralization, the environment as well as the inter-sectoral platforms of Science Education; Climate Change, Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and Hazards Preparedness.


2nd Consultation Meeting of Secretaries-General of the National Commissions for UNESCO from the Nairobi Cluster Countries

28-29 May 2009Nairobi, Kenya

The Second consultative meeting of the Secretaries General of the National Commissions for UNESCO of the Nairobi Cluster countries was held in Nairobi from 28 to

29 May, 2009 at the Holiday Inn. The first such meeting was held in Kampala, Uganda in June 2007.

The Secretaries General held a two-day consultation with Programme staff from the Nairobi Office to discuss com-mon priorities and develop strategies for programme activities in the sub-region. They also wanted to develop synergies among themselves in carrying out common programmes in the Cluster and in their specific countries. All the other Secretaries-General of the Nairobi Cluster countries participated in the consultation with the excep-tion of their colleagues from Somalia and Burundi who were unable to travel due to unavoidable circumstances.

The specific objectives of the consultations were:• To provide a forum for the Secretaries General to

discuss programmes, review the implementation of

the 2008-2009 biennium programmes and other related issues.

• TodevelopClusterandcountryprogrammesinlinewith the 35 C/5 documents in the framework of the One UN.

• To identify strategies for the mobilization ofresources and partnerships for implementation of programmes and activities.

In his opening remarks, the Director of the Regional Bureau for Science and Technology in Africa, Prof. Joseph G.M. Massaquoi stressed the need for increased cooperation in the Cluster in order to promote the activities of UNESCO and the National Commissions in the region. This cooperation he said would entail preparation, implementation and evaluation of projects; and the exchange of information, resource materials and visits. The Director also welcomed the incoming Secretary General for Kenya, Mr. Mohammed M. Mwinyipembe.

UNESCO Nairobi office at the Retreat of the UN country Team

The annual retreat of the UN country team in Nairobi was held in January 2009, at the Leisure Lodge, South of Mombasa and was attended by almost all Heads

of Agencies inn Kenya. UNESCO was represented by the Director of the Office (Mr. Joseph G.M. Massaquoi) and the Senior Programme Specialist in Hydrology (Mr. Emmanuel Naah). The theme of the retreat was “Know Thyself”, and it fitted very well with the objectives of the retreat which were:• Takingstockof2008• Identifyingprioritiesfor2009• Establishingstrategicpartnerships• Grouplearning• TeamBuilding

The programme included reports on the 2008 thematic groups which were:• HIVandAIDS

• Sustainablenaturalresourcesandenvironmentmanagement

• Health• Gender• FoodsecurityandNutrition• Youthemploymentandempowerment• Informationandknowledgemanagement

A summary of 2008 Humanitarian Response was also given by the Office for the coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. (UNOCHA).

The retreat participants also listened to presentations from various experts to enable them learn and improve on their results matrix. There were presentations on conflict in the Horn of Africa (by the International Crisis Group); the Millenium Development Centre; and the Disaster Risk Reduction by ISDR.


Africa Regional Conference on Science Education, Abuja, Nigeria

The International Council of the Association of Science Education (ICASE) , in collaboration with the Science Teachers Association of Nigeria (STAN), UNESCO

Regional Office for Science and Technology in Nairobi, organised the Africa a regional meeting on Science Education in Abuja , Nigeria at the Sheraton Hotel and Towers from 24–28 May 2009. The objective of the conference was to review developments in Africa in all its facets with a view to identifying key challenges that can be addressed through science and technology education.

The main theme of the conference was : Meeting the Challenges of Sustainable Development in Africa through Science and Technology Education. The conference addressed this them through discussion on five subthemes which included:• Meeting the challenges of food security• Poverty alleviation through science and technology

education• Enhancing relevance of science and technology

curriculum and curriculum delivery• The role of the teacher and teacher professional

development

• Strengthening peace building through science and technology education

• Combating HIV and AIDS through education, preven-tion, care and support

• Strengthening partnerships• Nanotechnology for sustainable development

The Director of the UNESCO Nairobi office (Prof. Joseph Massaquoi) gave the keynote presentation on the sub-theme: Strengthening peace building through science and technology education

The outcome of the meeting was a conference declaration highlighting:• The role of science and technology education in

meeting the challenges facing the region especially in agriculture/food security, poverty alleviation, HIV and AIDS, and peace building;

• The role of the teacher and teacher development, and bridging the digital divide.

• The strategies for strengthening sub-regional and regional partnerships in supporting the delivery of quality science and technology education;

Visit of the UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador, Her Royal Highness The Grand Duchess of Luxemburg

In June 2009, Her Royal Highness, the Grand Duchess of Luxemburg (Maria Teresa) visited Nairobi, Kenya to address participants at the

official opening of the Conference on Micro-Finance which was held at the UN-Gigiri Complex on 4th June 2009. The Conference was organized by the Women World Bank (WWB) and the Africa Micro-Finance Action Forum. During her visit she was accompanied to all her engagements by the Director of the Nairobi Office (Prof. Joseph G. Massaquoi). In the picture, the Grand Duchess Maria Teresa is seen signing the visitors’ book upon her arrival at the UN Complex in Gigiri.”


L’ORÉAL/UNESCO Regional Fellowships for Women in Science in Sub-Saharan Africa

“The World needs science...Science needs women”

This conviction has united L’Oréal and UNESCO since 1998, when they joined forces to promote women in scientific research by creating the “For Women in Science”

Partnership. This unique partnership has developed into an ambitious programme:

For the first time in 2009 the For Women in Science Pro-gramme is launching of the L’Oréal-UNESCO Regional fellow-ships “For Women in Science” in Sub-Sahara Africa to assist women scientists in Sub-Saharan to realize important scien-tific research in all fields of science, engineering and technol-ogy. This fellowship is open to all women citizens and perma-nent residents from Sub-Saharan African countries.

A. About the Fellowships1. Fellowships will be awarded to women scientists in Sub-

Saharan African to realize important scientific research in all fields of science, engineering and technology.

2. Fellowships will be awarded for PhD research projects that will result in a Doctorate degree

3. The research is to be conducted in any country in Sub-Saharan Africa.

4. Fellowships up to the maximum value of US$20,000 will be awarded.

5. The age limit for the candidate is 40 years6. The selected beneficiaries will be awarded their

fellowships at a public ceremony.

B. Application Procedure1. Applications must be submitted on the official appli-

cation forms available from African Network of Scien-tific and Technological Institutions (ANSTI) based at the UNESCO Regional Office for Science and Technology in Nairobi, Kenya or downloaded from the ANSTI website www.ansti.org

2. The following information and documents must be included in the application:• Theofficialapplicationform• Curriculumvitae,mentioning theapplicantsmost

important scientific publications• Certifiedcopiesofdegreesordiplomas• Detailed description, maximum of five pages, of

the research proposal (including budget)• Scientific supervisor’s recommendationor recom-

mendation by the head of the scientific institution where the project will be realized

3. Each application shall be signed by the Dean/Head of the unit in which the candidate will realize the research work

4. Copies of any documents (including scientific publica-tions) that will assist the Fellows’ application may be submitted.

5. Applications shall be submitted before December 31, 2009 to: The Coordinator Africa Network of Scientific and Technological Institutions (ANSTI) P.O. Box 30592, 00100 GPO, Nairobi, Kenya;

E-mail: [email protected]. Incomplete or time barred applications shall not be

considered.

C. Notification of the Fellows

1. Fellowship beneficiaries, as well as their scientific super-visors will be notified by mail and email.

2. The list of Fellowship beneficiaries shall be announced in the regional media by L’OREAL.

3. All fellows will be invited to an award ceremony

D. Conditions of the fellowships

1. The objective of the fellowships is to help financially the fellows to realize promising scientific research to obtain a PhD degree.

2. The beneficiaries agree to include mention of the Fel-lowship in any publications resulting from the research.

3. The fellowships will be paid to the beneficiaries in one installment after the fellowships official ceremony and signing the preliminary contract with L’OREAL Founda-tion.

4. The fellows agree to be photographed, filmed and inter-viewed by the media.

5. The fellows acknowledge that they will be photo-graphed, filmed and interviewed by UNESCO and L’OREAL for purpose linked to communicating the “FOR WOMEN IN SCIENCE” program and these photos, videos and texts will be used in publications and audiovisual means including but not limited to written press, tel-evision, internet, photographs and brochures including distribution to the media worldwide.

6. The Fellows expressly authorize UNESCO and L’OREAL to produce, represent and use their image, name, distinc-tions and titles worldwide for unlimited duration. Such authorization shall strictly be limited to non-commer-cial uses and be directly related to the UNESCO-L’OREAL program for Women in Science.

7. The Fellow shall notify the President of the Jury in case of change of place of employment or research or resig-nation from the scientific project. After the reception of the notification the Jury decides if changes are allowed.


Departures/Arrivals

UNESCO Nairobi Office bids farewell to the staff members who have left the team while taking the opportunity to warmly welcome the new arrivals:

Departures:

Ms. Susan Nkinyangi, Senior Education AdvisorMr. John Nkinyangi, Regional Advisor for Social and Human Sciences in Africa

Arrivals:

Mr. Jacques Moulot, Senior Programme Specialist in Science and TechnologyMs. Yayoi Segi-Vltchek, Programme Specialist in Education

UNESCO Institute of Statistics (UIS) – Regional Office

Mr. Moritz Bilagher, Statistical Cluster Advisor in Nairobi – UISMr. Marc Bernal, UIS Regional Director

UNESCO at the Retreat of the Regional Directors Team for the East and Southern Africa Region

The UN reform has entered another phase. Earlier the em-phasis was working and delivering as one at the country level. This country level team work is now to be replicated at

the regional level. The UN Regional directors team (RDT) is the regional counterpart of the UN country team (UNCT), Its main function is to support the UN county teams to enable them advance the coherence agenda and enhance the strategic pro-gramming ,resource mobilization and partnership building

Its Core Functions include: the Provision of technical support to Resident coordinators (RCs) and UNCT in the region; Quality support and assurance of the common country programming (UNDAF) process; Performance appraisal and oversight of RC and the UNCT; Trouble shooting in difficult country situations, dispute resolution etc.

In Africa there are two RDTs. One covering east and southern Africa (RDT-ESA) and the other for west and central Africa. ( RDT/WACA). In UNESCO, the responsibility for participation in the two RDT is shared between the Director of BREDA and the Director of ROSTA. The RDT/ESA was established in 2004 but was only confined to the southern Africa region. It was enlarged to include Eastern Africa in 2006. UNESCO officially became member of the RDT/ESA in 2009.

In February 2009, UNESCO participated in the fourth meeting of the RDT/ESA. The Director of ROSTA (Prof Joseph G.M. Massaquoi) represented UNESCO at the retreat. The meeting was held from 12 to 13 February 2009 at the Windsor Hotel in Nairobi.

The objectives of the retreat were:• To assess the progress made against set priorities

for 2008 and identify key lessons learned for future improvement.

• To agree on proposed ESA RDT’s key priority work areas and results for 2009.

• To agree on concrete steps to be undertaken by the RDT ESA in forging partnership with AU, sub-regional entities (such as SADC, EAC, IGAD etc.) and UNECA.

• To examine the existing accountability structures and agree on concrete actions/steps for implementation in 2009, particularly in light of recent policy decisions and recommendations such as those on core functions of the RDTs that was agreed upon in the Global RDT meeting in Oslo.

• To agree on additional measures for strengthening RC/UNCT/RDT collaboration in the areas of technical support and oversight.

Teambuilding Retreat for UNESCO Nairobi Office

UNESCO Nairobi Office organized a teambuilding retreat from 23 to 25 April, 2009 at Sarova Lion Hill Game Lodge in Nakuru, Kenya. The purpose

of the retreat was to provide an opportunity for staff to look at improved work practices by focusing on Negotiation Skills and Office Practices as key issues. The retreat successfully addressed issues of team work and came up with recommendations to be followed up by both the management and Administration. The staff also agreed that there is a collective responsibility to ensure the implementation of the retreat recommendations.

unesco nairobi office bulletin · 2 unesco nairobi office bulletin, 1st issue, 2009 the changing...

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