Thursday, January 15, 2015

AFRICA LAUNCHES ACTION 2015 CAMPAIGN

Thursday the 15th of January 2015 places a very legible mark on the road map to the post 2015 global development framework, with Civil Society Organizations in Africa actively participating in the launch activities of a global action/2015 campaign.

Action/2015 Pre-Launch Activity_Nigeria

Action 2015 is a growing citizen’s movement of hundreds of organizations around the world coming together to demand truly ambitions agreements on climate change poverty, inequality and injustice in 2015.

The action 2015 campaign is set to exert pressure on world leaders to take concrete and ambitious action as the world prepares for a new sustainable development agenda due in September as well as the new binding climate targets to be unveiled in December 2015.

The post-2015 development framework to be unveiled on 28th September 2015 by UN member states will determine how resources and priorities are shaped over the coming 15 years.

The Action2015 Movement notes that for good or bad the decisions made by world leaders in 2015 will greatly shape the future for the people and planet.

The launch activities which are customized to suit participating countries’ contexts galvanizes support for the campaign and are aimed at getting  the public exited about the opportunities in 2015 and call on them to join the campaign

These January 15th launch activities will increase visibility of the campaign at global, national and local level and make sure that world leaders get it loud and clear that the global public are demanding action in 2015.

Burkina Faso

According to the Action2015 National Coordinator in Burkina Faso, Cheik Traore Faisal, about 500 young people will deliver an Action2015 Campaign message to the President of the country’s National Transition Council (NTC).

Traore Faisal says the Chief of staff in the Prime Minister’s office has committed to append his signature on a giant poster also to be signed by other leaders and members of public.

Sierra leone

In Sierra leone the Action2015 launch activities included a meeting with the office of the Chief of staff at the State House in Freetown on 13 January.

Ibrahim Bayoh of the Youth Partnership for Peace and Development (YPPD) organization in Freetown says other launch activities includes a media round-table bringing together over 30 media professionals
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0n January 29th a National Action2015 Stakeholders Forum is expected to attract over 500 participants from across Sierra Leone including state and non-state actors.

Tanzania
Participants at the Action2015 Campaign Launch event in Tanzania
In Tanzania a group of 50, fifteen years olds will be meeting Tanzania Vice President Hon. Gharib Biladi at 15hrs East Africa time, to deliver their Action2015 message.


According to GCAP-Tanzania Coordinator, Finland Bernard the Action2015 launch in Tanzania which also included a public mobilization event earlier in the day presents “a best opportunity to change the life of our people while securing a better planet.”

The event was attended by people from different backgrounds, including 15 years old youth from secondary schools, youth from universities, youth from different community groups including jogging groups, scouts and other community members.


The event started with a match, followed by a statement from action 2015 Tanzania. Demands from various groups who took part in the event mainly featured the problem of youth unemployment in Tanzania.

Rwanda

Rwanda’s Dr Jean Christophe of the Healthy People Rwand (HPR) organization says 15 youth organizations are taking part in the Action2015 launch.

Two representatives from each participating organizations formed part of a delegation at the launch event. The event was also attended by decision makers from the Rwanda Development Board, the Rwanda Governance Board, the Rwanda Environment Management Agency, the Ministry of Health the National Youth Council and the Ministry of youth and ICT.

“we are flattered by being part of this global movement and expect from us great inputs for the upcoming summits.Dr Jean Christophe

Kenya

At the Action/2015 Campaign  Launch in Nairobi, Kenya
In Kenya the head of Policy, Advocacy and Campaigns at Help Age International, Jamillah Mwanjisi has said the old, the young and children took part in the Action2015 Campaign Launch with thematic discussions, photo sessions and entertainment.

Three veteran musicians and 3 of the top young artists have also collaborated to compose an Action2015 Campaign song. The song is set to be released to the public on January 23rd 2015.

Still in Kenya, the Action2015 Kenya Partners held a National Launch at the Panafric Hotel in Nairobi bringing together individuals and representatives from Organizations from the Country’s 47 administrative counties, government officials, development partners, the media and elected leaders.

Stephen Cheboi of the Action/2015 Kenya Partners reveals that after the Launch they will embark on Nation wide dissemination forums in all the 47 counties to ensure active participation by members of public in the post-2015 development agenda’s formulation process.

The national launch brought together over 300 men, women and children from all over the country. Issues of climate change, inequality and poverty eradication were well discussed.

Action2015 Kenya Partners has among other members the National Council of NGOs, GCAP-Kenya, ACORD-Kenya, Help Age International-Kenya, Save the Children-Kenya, WWF, Seed Institute, Organization of Africa Youth (OAY), YWLI and World Vision-Kenya
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Ghana

In Ghana, the Action/2015- Ghana and partners used the Launch Day to mount pressure on government to reduce poverty, climate change and inequality.

Taking place under the slogan "Act now, leave no citizens behind in Fighting poverty, inequalities and climate change", the launch event brought together organizations, youth, media, women and faith-based organizations.



Action/2015-Ghana Coordinator, Kenneth Nana Amoateng notes that the campaign in Ghana aspires to unify and coordinate isolated civil society efforts in the country to ensure that people-centered response mechanisms are accorded desirable attention and relevance.

Open letter

To coincide with the Launch of the action/2015 campaign, an open letter has meanwhile been signed by over 30 high profile individuals from around the world.

The individuals who include among others the co-chairs of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Bill Gates and Melinda Gates, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Angelique Kidjo, Yvonne Chaka Chaka, UNICEF Goodwill ambassador Shakira and Malala Yousafzai the 2014 Nobel Laureate have called on world leaders to seize the most important opportunity they have since the start of the new millennium to make progress on climate change, poverty and inequality. 

They have expressed concern that with just few months to go before the two important summits in 2015 only few world leaders are playing the much needed leadership roles. 

Their letter urges world leaders to steer the change from top or risk sleep-walking the world towards one of the "greatest failures of recent history." 

"We see climate progress but not yet of the scale that is needed, and a set of goals that are hugely ambitious but will be meaningless without brave financing and implementation agreements led from the very top." reads the letter     

Nick Waigwa, Nickpoint Media Trust

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