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Notes from the Field
December 2008
Wednesday December 31, 2008
Posted by: CARE at 1:49PM EST on December 31, 2008
While the Gaza strip is currently facing some of the toughest challenges in the Palestinian territories, I’m writing my own very personal story. But it is also the story of 1.6 million Palestinians living in Gaza.
The 28th of December, 2008, was a day to remember. It was 4:30 p.m. I was sitting with my six kids at my house which is 500 metres away from the Egyptian border. The darkness was surrounding us like a monster, and a few candles were lighting our path to the kitchen and bathroom. It was a moonless night, full of unpredictable, unknown fear. I was telling my kids stories to distract them, when suddenly it was like an earthquake - six consecutive air strikes shook the house up and down. The house was like a piece of paper swinging in the air. The kids were screaming, running in all directions, seeking to escape the chaos of the airstrikes. It was uncontrollable panic every where. ... (more)Wednesday December 24, 2008
Posted by: CARE at 11:52AM EST on December 24, 2008
I leave Ethiopia today, December 22, after
nearly two weeks of visiting rural communities and meeting with local CARE staff
and health workers. My first trip ever to this country came on the eve of the
25th anniversary of the 1984 famine.
The situation in Ethiopia is bad. Around the countryside, the drizzle of rain turned shrubbery green, but it came too little, too late. Drought has caused most crops to fail. Nearly 85 percent of families in this country of 80 million people depend on seasonal rains to grow food on half-acre-sized plots of land — the primary source of nourishment for their children. It seems that larger families are feeling the pain of hunger and malnutrition first. ... (more)Tuesday December 23, 2008
Posted by: CARE at 5:44PM EST on December 23, 2008
Final Days at Poznan - December 11th, 2008
Posted by: CARE at 5:06PM EST on December 23, 2008
Day 11 Reflections from the United Nations Climate Change Conference, held in Poznan, Poland from Dec. 1 - 12.
On December 6, Bread for the World, CARE International and Germanwatch submitted a proposal to the Secretariat that calls on Parties to prioritize, in the Convention's framework for long-term cooperative action, the needs and rights of people most vulnerable to climate change. As it stands, there has been a lot of discussion here in Poznan about prioritizing the adaptation needs of the countries most vulnerable to climate change. This discussion is, indeed, an important one. ... (more)
Posted by: CARE at 4:22PM EST on December 23, 2008
Further observations from the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Poznan.
I am participating for the first time at a meeting of the Conference of Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. And as a "first timer", I have been grappling with two very strong emotions. First and foremost, there is the exhilaration about being a part of what could be a monumental event. If these talks succeed, the world is going to be much closer to a post-2012 agreement that will increase our chances of avoiding dangerous global warming. Being here as a delegate offers me the opportunity to work with my colleagues to advocate on the issues that are important to CARE and, most importantly, to the communities where we work. We have a chance, and the space, to raise the profile of the needs and rights of the world's poorest people, who are the most affected by climate change yet the least responsible for the problem. ... (more)
Posted by: CARE at 12:50PM EST on December 23, 2008
More Observations from the United Nations Climate Change Conference held in Poznan, Poland, from Dec. 1 - 12.
The NGO Practical Action held a side event that focused on the integration of Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) into Climate Change adaptation. This means enabling communities to be prepared to face disasters prior to them happening and in a way that loss of lives is minimized and livelihoods are protected. As I watched the brief video that introduced the speakers, it all came together and I could relate the issue to CARE's work in Bangladesh, Vietnam and Tanzania. It all made perfect sense until I heard two gentlemen, one from Honduras and one from Vietnam, make a few simple remarks. "Let me assure you," one said to the audience in a serious tone, "that disasters in my part of the world and in my community are becoming more intense every year. We simply can no longer predict them. Lives are being lost, and frankly no one is there to help us." ... (more)Friday December 19, 2008
Posted by: CARE at 4:57PM EST on December 19, 2008
Day 4 Observations from the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Poznan, Poland, held Dec. 1 - 12.
There are thousands of people running around at COP14. It is an excellent place for meeting colleagues and finding out what is happening on the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) fund. You see, rich countries are committed under the Kyoto protocol to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. One option on the table is that instead of reducing the emissions in their own country, they can finance a project in a developing country. So the financing mechanism for doing this is called the Clean Development Mechanism.Most of time, the projects financed are related to renewable energy like wind turbines, solar, improved cooking stoves, etc. ... (more)
Posted by: CARE at 3:27PM EST on December 19, 2008
Day 1 Observations from the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Poznan, Poland, held Dec. 1 - 12. This is my first UN conference on climate change. I used to attend HIV/AIDS conferences, and today, being December 1st –World AIDS Day – my thoughts go back to those moments. It is a very different atmosphere here in Poznan, with many scientists and, on the surface, fewer activists. But the truth is that here, too, there are many deeply passionate and committed people. Civil society organizations attending this conference are truly acting as watchdogs of governments and holding delegates accountable. ... (more)
Posted by: CARE at 3:06PM EST on December 19, 2008
Day 1 Observations from the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Poznan, Poland, held Dec. 1 - 12. I am disillusioned to see rich countries focus on protecting their economies, while people in poor countries are living on the edge and this climate change crisis is going to push them off. The process seems to be out of touch with the reality of people who live with impacts of climate change everyday. ... (more)
Posted by: CARE at 2:49PM EST on December 19, 2008
Day 1 Observations from the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Poznan, Poland, held Dec. 1 - 12.
At a time when we need clarity and commitment by Parties to the Convention to move forward, what I am seeing and hearing is a striking amount of ambiguity. A lot of the assumptions and givens that we had in the previous years are all up in the air—in transition. I am feeling nervous about whether or not this ambiguity can be overcome and whether we can make the progress we need to between now and this time next year. ... (more) Thursday December 18, 2008
Posted by: CARE at 3:58PM EST on December 18, 2008
Day 1 Observations from the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Poznan, Poland, held Dec. 1 - 12. When I heard the chairmen of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) say, while speaking at this morning's plenary session, that more than 4 billion people will face severe water shortages in about 20 years, I had a very unreal sense. On the one hand, there is fluff from the politicians; on the other, there is a scenario that is portrayed so horrifyingly by scientists, you would think that everyone would be in an uproar. Instead, there are just set speeches and business as usual.
Posted by: CARE at 3:25PM EST on December 18, 2008
Day 1 Observations from the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Poznan, Poland, held Dec. 1 - 12.
Friday December 12, 2008
Posted by: CARE at 7:01PM EST on December 12, 2008
Reflections from the United Nations Climate Change Conference, held in Poznan, Poland, from Dec. 1 - 12. This is the first time I have attended a Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The COP meets every year to review the implementation of the Convention. I expected it to be this big, but what I did not expect is for it to feel like a small community, almost like a family where everyone is working on climate change. It actually seems manageable. Many people know each other and you frequently meet people again and again. It is strange, because the venue is big and there are more than 10,000 people gathered here. I would have expected it to be more confusing, almost like a volcano. ... (more)Friday December 5, 2008
Posted by: CARE at 9:14AM EST on December 5, 2008
I spent two full days at the UN Climate Change Conference in Poznan. Until then my knowledge of these issues was very vague and abstract. I could barely grasp what was happening when TV cameras zoomed on the meeting. I have to admit, that two days later I am not much wiser.
... (more)
Posted by: CARE at 8:56AM EST on December 5, 2008
I am overwhelmed by the complexity of what is happening at COP 14 in terms of the negotiations, the high number of Parties, the many different expectations, goals and agendas. The odd thing is that we are attending a conference that does not yet have a clear goal apart from paving the way to next year’s Copenhagen agreement. ... (more) |
