Liberia’s Vice President Joseph N. Boakoi says Liberia and the entire continent of
Africa is reeling from the debilitating effects of climate change and needs prompt and robust action, though Africa is not among those who pollute the World.
Ambassador Boakoi said in an attempt to address the travesty of justice imposed by the World’s leading polluters, African leaders have agreed to demand compensation from industrialized countries that are engage in the pollution of the continent and the World.
Speaking at the launch of the 2009 State of the World Population (SWOP) Report in the Auditorium of the University of Liberia, Amb. Boakoi noted that, though Liberia has not significantly contributed to global warming but the country is a victim of the phenomenon of climate change.
He said Liberia has been listed among disaster prone nations and gradually being affected by unprecedented levels of floods, sea erosions and other forms of climate change.
The program organized by the Ministry of Planning and Economic Affairs in collaboration with the United Nations Fund for Population Agency (UNFPA) was held under the theme: “Facing A Changing World: Women, Population and Climate”.
V.P Boakoi further said, climate change is partly the result of an approach to development and economic growth that has proven to be unsustainable, which halting will require what he called, ‘a fresh, more equitable and sustainable approach to the way people live, produce and consume.’
Amb. Boakoi also indicated that as the growth of the World’s population estimated at 7 billion, economies and consumption outpaces the earth’s capacity to adjust, and climate change could become more extreme and conceivably catastrophic.
Also speaking for UNFPA Resident Representative Esperance Fundira, the Resident Representative of the World Health organization (WHO), Dr. Nestor Ndayimirije said the launch this years’ SWOP report under the theme: “Facing a Changing World: Women, Population and Climate”, explores the links between climate change and population dynamics.
Dr. Ndayimirije said climate change remains a key issue of population dynamics, poverty and gender equality.
“Experts have established that climate-the average weather condition over time-is always changing, but never in the history of human existence more dramatically than it is likely to change in the coming century,” he noted.
The WHO boss said it is evident that climate change is largely due to human action, which influences activity on phenomenon in a very complex way.
According to Dr. Ndayimirije, WHO fact-sheet 2005 indicates that approximately 600,000 deaths occurred worldwide as a result of weather related disasters in the 1990s: and some 95% of these were in poor countries.
He pointed out that climate scientists have predicted that if these trends continue unabated there will be further catastrophic effects on the environment, habitats, economies and people.
Dr. Ndayimirije further said the report points out that countries also need to invest in women, ensuring that alternatives are provided including, wood imported fuel, secure clean water supplies, better roads and mobile phones.
The WHO boss noted that women and girls need education and health care including their reproductive health.
According to him, there are about 200 million women today who would like to space or prevent pregnancies, and who have no access to reliable and modern contraception.
“Helping women to make their own decisions about family size would protect their health, make their lives easier, help put their countries on a sustainable path towards development – and ensure lower greenhouse-gas emissions in the long run,” Dr. Ndayimirije said. See full text of the UNFPA boss message delivered by WHO’s Ndayimirije.
UNFPA Liberia Statement on the Occasion of the Launch of State of World Population Report 2009
Delivered by Dr. Nestor Ndayimirije,
Resident Representative, World Health Organization (WHO)
November 18, 2009
His Excellency the Vice President of Republic of Liberia,
President of University of Liberia
Honorable Ministers
Members of the National Legislature
Senior Government Officials
Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General
Members of the Diplomatic Corps,
UN Colleagues
Members of the Civil Society,
University Professors
Women
Students and Youth
Representatives of the Media
Distinguished ladies and gentlemen,
On behalf of my Colleague UNFPA Resident Representative Madam Esperance Fundira, I would like to express our sincere thanks to the Government of Liberia especially the Hon’ble Vice-President for the support and gracious presence at this occasion.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Today, we launch the 2009 State of World Population report under the theme: “Facing a Changing World: Women, Population and Climate”. This year’s report explores the links between climate change and population dynamics. It demonstrates that climate change remains a key issue of population dynamics, poverty and gender equality.
How deep the trouble mankind is confronted with today as a result of its own activities? Experts have established that climate-the average weather condition over time-is always changing, but never in the history of human existence more dramatically than it is likely to change in the coming century.
This growing body of evidence shows that recent climate change is largely due to human action. The influence of human activity on climate change is very complex.
Ladies and Gentlemen
Her Excellency Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, President of Republic of Liberia, in her recent welcome address at the “Consultation on Climate Change, Human Rights, Peace and Security”, stated and I quote:
“While Liberia has not contributed in any significant degree to global warming, it is, nevertheless, a victim of the phenomenon of climate change”.
According to the World Health Organization factsheet 2005, “approximately 600,000 deaths occurred worldwide as a result of weather related disasters in the 1990s: and some 95% of these were in poor countries”. If these trends continue unabated, many climate scientists are predicting further catastrophic effects on the environment, habitats, economies and people.
As rightly observed by the UNFPA Executive Director Madam Thoraya Ahmed Obaid, I quote:
“During the past half century, rapid population growth and industrialization have led to a rapid rise in greenhouse gas emissions. We have now reached a point where humanity is approaching the brink of disaster.
The damage done to the environment by modern society is one of the most inequitable risks of our time. Right now, the carbon footprint of the poorest billion people on Earth is a mere 3 per cent of the world’s total carbon footprint. And it is the poor who will bear the disproportionate brunt of our changing climate.
For many people, especially poor women in poor countries, climate change is here and now. Women work hard to keep their households together. They fetch the water, find the food and the fuel to cook it, and clean up afterwards. They watch their children’s health and care for their illnesses. In recent years, both food and fuel have been harder to find. The available water carries parasites. Malaria is creeping into areas that used to be mosquito-free. And floods, rising seas and drought present growing challenges.
Poor women in poor countries are among the hardest hit by climate change even though they contributed the least to it. Poor women don’t take planes. They don’t drive cars. As often as not, they can’t find a vehicle to get them to hospital if they have a difficult labour. In fact, they get very little support for all they do.”
Madam Thoraya also observed and gave a clarion call, I quote:
“This must change. As this report points out, support for women grappling with climate change means empowering them to take their own decisions and be involved in public decisions that affect their lives. Yes, countries need to invest in green technology and reduce emissions immediately and this is a focus for next month’s conference in Copenhagen.
This report points out that countries also need to invest in women – in ensuring alternatives to wood and imported fuel, in secure clean water supplies, in better roads and mobile phones. Girls need education and health care. Women need attention to their own health, including their reproductive health. There are about 200 million women today who would like to space or prevent pregnancies, and who have no access to reliable and modern contraception.
Helping women to make their own decisions about family size would protect their health, make their lives easier, help put their countries on a sustainable path towards development – and ensure lower greenhouse-gas emissions in the long run.”
Ladies and gentlemen, climate change has the potential to reverse the hard-earned development gains of the past decade and the progress towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals. Climate change threatens to exacerbate poverty and burden marginalized and vulnerable groups with additional hardships. Poor households are especially vulnerable to climate change because their marginal income provides little or no access to health services or other safety nets to protect themselves against the threats from changing conditions.
The Way forward
Ladies and gentlemen,
The 1994 International Conference on Population and Development or ICPD, was a milestone in the history of population and development. There is a good reason to believe that achievements of the ICPD Goals of universal access to reproductive health, in combination with improved education of girls and gender equality, would help reduce greenhouse-gas emissions in the long run.
Meeting the needs of some 200 million women worldwide who wish to avoid or delay pregnancy would prevent some 23 million unplanned births and 142,000 pregnancy-related deaths. In addition to contributing to eventual population stabilization, women’s ability to plan their families can empower them to cope with the realities of a changing climate, including migration in the face of drought, floods and other extreme weather conditions. The contributions of women to addressing the effects of a changing climate are maximized when they are able to plan their pregnancies and protect their reproductive health.
What is the future scenario? I would like to reiterate the way forward proposed by UNFPA Executive Director, I quote:
“Any treaty emerging out of this Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change “that helps people adapt to climate change and that harnesses women’s and men’s power to reverse the warming of the earth’s atmosphere would launch a genuinely effective long-term global strategy to deal with climate change.
Overall, climate change is not just an issue of energy or the environment; it is also a moral issue of justice and equity. All nations and people have the right to development. And all countries are challenged to develop in ways that are socially equitable and environmentally sound.
Women should be part of any agreement on climate change—not as an afterthought or because it’s politically correct, but because it’s the right thing to do. Our future as humanity depends on unleashing the full potential of all human beings, and the full capacity of women, to bring about change.”
I thank you once again Ladies and Gentlemen for joining us today!
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Worldwatch is Lead Author of the UNPFA State of the World Population 2009
Report finds that women will be most affected by climate change but
remain noticeably absent from Copenhagen agenda.
Washington, D.C.-Women will bear the greatest burden of a changing
climate but so far have received little attention from negotiators
working toward a new global climate deal, according to the 2009 edition
of the United Nations Population Fund's State of World Population.
Robert Engelman, Worldwatch Institute's Vice President for Programs, was
lead author of the report, which argues that women's issues, and
especially women's health issues, have been largely overlooked in
discussions leading up to the UN climate talks in Copenhagen, Denmark,
this December.
"This is the first report in which a United Nations agency has connected
climate change to human population and the status of women," Engelman
said. "Its main finding-that investing in women and erasing the
constraints on their achievement will slow climate change and build
social resilience-is powerful and hopeful."
In addition to exploring the inherent connections between population and
climate change, the report examines the climate issue as it pertains to
multiple aspects of health, development, and the global environment.
These connections have long remained at the forefront of Worldwatch's
research.
State of World Population 2009 shows that investments that empower women
and girls-particularly investments in education and health-also bolster
economic development and reduce poverty. But these investments have an
additional beneficial impact on climate.
Girls with higher levels of
education, for example, tend to have smaller families as adults, and the
ensuing lower fertility rates contribute to slower growth in greenhouse
gas emissions and improved adaptation to the impacts of climate change.
A recent report published by Worldwatch and the United Nations
Foundation, Global Environmental Change: The Threat to Human Health
notes that 200 million women
worldwide currently lack access to the family planning services they
want or need, ranging from contraception to reproductive health
counseling.
The report's author, Dr. Samuel S. Myers of Harvard
University, asserts that providing these services and allowing women to
decide for themselves whether, when, and how often to give birth is an
adaptive strategy against many of the predicted impacts of climate
change-all of which will be exacerbated by larger populations needing
access to resources, secure homes, and productive lands.
"No other intervention would provide more benefits across the health and
environmental sectors than providing global access to family planning
services," says Dr. Myers.
According to State of the World Population 2009, the poor are especially
vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, and the majority of the 1.5
billion people living on $1 a day or less are women. The poor are more
likely to depend on agriculture for a living and therefore risk going
hungry or losing their livelihoods when droughts strike, rains become
unpredictable and hurricanes move with unprecedented force. The poor
also tend to live in marginal areas that are vulnerable to floods,
rising seas, and storms. Research cited in the report shows that women
are more likely than men to die in natural disasters-including those
related to extreme weather-with this gap most pronounced where incomes
are low and status differences between men and women are high.
"We can't successfully confront climate change if we neglect the needs,
challenges, and potential of half the people on this planet," said UNFPA
Executive Director Thoraya Ahmed Obaid in a UNFPA release announcing the
State of the World Population report. "If we are really serious about
halting climate change, then we must get serious about eliminating
inequalities between the sexes and empowering women to persevere in our
warming world."
For more information or to download State of the World Population 2009,
please visit http://www.unfpa.org/swp/
remain noticeably absent from Copenhagen agenda.
Washington, D.C.-Women will bear the greatest burden of a changing
climate but so far have received little attention from negotiators
working toward a new global climate deal, according to the 2009 edition
of the United Nations Population Fund's State of World Population.
Robert Engelman, Worldwatch Institute's Vice President for Programs, was
lead author of the report, which argues that women's issues, and
especially women's health issues, have been largely overlooked in
discussions leading up to the UN climate talks in Copenhagen, Denmark,
this December.
"This is the first report in which a United Nations agency has connected
climate change to human population and the status of women," Engelman
said. "Its main finding-that investing in women and erasing the
constraints on their achievement will slow climate change and build
social resilience-is powerful and hopeful."
In addition to exploring the inherent connections between population and
climate change, the report examines the climate issue as it pertains to
multiple aspects of health, development, and the global environment.
These connections have long remained at the forefront of Worldwatch's
research.
State of World Population 2009 shows that investments that empower women
and girls-particularly investments in education and health-also bolster
economic development and reduce poverty. But these investments have an
additional beneficial impact on climate.
Girls with higher levels of
education, for example, tend to have smaller families as adults, and the
ensuing lower fertility rates contribute to slower growth in greenhouse
gas emissions and improved adaptation to the impacts of climate change.
A recent report published by Worldwatch and the United Nations
Foundation, Global Environmental Change: The Threat to Human Health
worldwide currently lack access to the family planning services they
want or need, ranging from contraception to reproductive health
counseling.
The report's author, Dr. Samuel S. Myers of Harvard
University, asserts that providing these services and allowing women to
decide for themselves whether, when, and how often to give birth is an
adaptive strategy against many of the predicted impacts of climate
change-all of which will be exacerbated by larger populations needing
access to resources, secure homes, and productive lands.
"No other intervention would provide more benefits across the health and
environmental sectors than providing global access to family planning
services," says Dr. Myers.
According to State of the World Population 2009, the poor are especially
vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, and the majority of the 1.5
billion people living on $1 a day or less are women. The poor are more
likely to depend on agriculture for a living and therefore risk going
hungry or losing their livelihoods when droughts strike, rains become
unpredictable and hurricanes move with unprecedented force. The poor
also tend to live in marginal areas that are vulnerable to floods,
rising seas, and storms. Research cited in the report shows that women
are more likely than men to die in natural disasters-including those
related to extreme weather-with this gap most pronounced where incomes
are low and status differences between men and women are high.
"We can't successfully confront climate change if we neglect the needs,
challenges, and potential of half the people on this planet," said UNFPA
Executive Director Thoraya Ahmed Obaid in a UNFPA release announcing the
State of the World Population report. "If we are really serious about
halting climate change, then we must get serious about eliminating
inequalities between the sexes and empowering women to persevere in our
warming world."
For more information or to download State of the World Population 2009,
please visit http://www.unfpa.org/swp/
David Crane calls for war crimes court
-Taylor faces second trial
By P. Alphonsus Zeon in The Hague
Liberia’s former President Charles Taylor faces the prospect of another trial if at all he gets away as a free man in his current war crimes trial before the Special Court for Sierra Leone in The Hague.
The former Chief Prosecutor of the Special Court who indicted Taylor had in fact called for another hybrid war crimes court for Liberia long before Taylor`s March 29, 2006 arrest at the Roberts International Airport.
In the February 8, 2006 submission to the Sub-committee on Africa Global Human Rights and International Operations, a committee of the International Relations, US House of Representatives, Mr. Crane said the conflict in Sierra Leone was far different from the Conflict in Liberia and that ‘another hybrid war crimes tribunal needs to be established to account for the war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by Charles Taylor and his henchmen from 1990 to 2003 in Liberia.’
He said Liberia, working together with the international community and under the auspices of the United Nations can account for what Charles Taylor did to his own countrymen.
Crane told the US lawmakers, ‘Charles Taylor has destroyed two nations, not just one.
He must be prosecuted for any crimes he is alleged to have committed in Liberia after he is tried for what he did in Sierra Leone.’ He said Taylor ‘is individually criminally responsible for the destruction of 1.2 million human beings.’ Crane warned that Taylor still poses a threat to Liberia and the region.
‘He is relatively young, wealthy, influential and has a supportive base, military and politically, within Liberia and the Mano River region.
Crane`s call for a second Taylor trial is contained in his ‘suggested roadmap for a successful beginning for Liberia.’
‘First, hand Charles Taylor over to the Special Court for Sierra Leone for a fair trial. This takes him out of the local and regional dynamic that is West Africa. The new President can move forward, confident that Charles Taylor is not lurking in the shadows undermining her initial efforts to develop a legitimate and accountable government in Monrovia.
Second, tie any financial and political support to good governance in Liberia.
Third, encourage the new administration in Liberia to establish the Truth and Reconciliation Commission called for in the earlier peace accords.
Fourth, within the next few years or so, another hybrid war crimes tribunal needs to be established to account for the war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by Charles Taylor and his henchmen from 1990 to 2003 in Liberia.’
Three of Crane`s suggested roadmap for Liberia had taken place in the country, except a court.
A local group, the Movement for the Establishment of a war crimes court has been campaigning since. But its efforts are hitting rock. Former UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan who received the group’s first petition for a court, asked the group to in fact petition its government. Many believe this is a sure way to kill the whole idea. Many in government who should make a formal request for the establishment of the court are potential indictees. It follows then that no one would want to indict himself by calling for a court in Liberia.
Even findings from the country’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission, including a provision, calling on President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf to stay away from public office for 30 years are facing resistance from government circles.
Taylor`s lawyer, Courtney Griffiths refers to Crane`s suggestion for a second trial for Taylor as a second opportunity to get Taylor if the prosecution fails to link him to the crimes in Sierra Leone. ‘So we will throw out - you get your pick. "If we miss him in the Sierra Leonean court, I will try to get him in Liberia."
Taylor said that was the whole point, ‘ they may as well just shoot me,’ he said as he hauls up to his shoulders the ends of his white African gown while resting his elbows on the desk behind which he sat. ‘That’s the whole construct, ‘banging on the desk in the court room.
Dr J. Peter Pham, Director, William R Nelson Institute for International and Public Affairs, James Madison University said ‘Liberia, while small in population and without any hydrocarbon reserves discovered to date, is in many ways the key to the entire sub-region. If Liberia remains stable, the fragile peace in Sierra Leone will be reinforced, the conflict in Cote d'Ivoire will be contained and collapse of Guinea mitigated. A democratic Liberia - and the Liberian people want it to be such - will be a beacon for the entire sub-region.’
Dr. Pham said Taylor’s invasion of Liberia, the initial conflict in Liberia made the outbreak of conflict in the neighboring states inevitable.
By P. Alphonsus Zeon in The Hague
Liberia’s former President Charles Taylor faces the prospect of another trial if at all he gets away as a free man in his current war crimes trial before the Special Court for Sierra Leone in The Hague.
The former Chief Prosecutor of the Special Court who indicted Taylor had in fact called for another hybrid war crimes court for Liberia long before Taylor`s March 29, 2006 arrest at the Roberts International Airport.
In the February 8, 2006 submission to the Sub-committee on Africa Global Human Rights and International Operations, a committee of the International Relations, US House of Representatives, Mr. Crane said the conflict in Sierra Leone was far different from the Conflict in Liberia and that ‘another hybrid war crimes tribunal needs to be established to account for the war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by Charles Taylor and his henchmen from 1990 to 2003 in Liberia.’
He said Liberia, working together with the international community and under the auspices of the United Nations can account for what Charles Taylor did to his own countrymen.
Crane told the US lawmakers, ‘Charles Taylor has destroyed two nations, not just one.
He must be prosecuted for any crimes he is alleged to have committed in Liberia after he is tried for what he did in Sierra Leone.’ He said Taylor ‘is individually criminally responsible for the destruction of 1.2 million human beings.’ Crane warned that Taylor still poses a threat to Liberia and the region.
‘He is relatively young, wealthy, influential and has a supportive base, military and politically, within Liberia and the Mano River region.
Crane`s call for a second Taylor trial is contained in his ‘suggested roadmap for a successful beginning for Liberia.’
‘First, hand Charles Taylor over to the Special Court for Sierra Leone for a fair trial. This takes him out of the local and regional dynamic that is West Africa. The new President can move forward, confident that Charles Taylor is not lurking in the shadows undermining her initial efforts to develop a legitimate and accountable government in Monrovia.
Second, tie any financial and political support to good governance in Liberia.
Third, encourage the new administration in Liberia to establish the Truth and Reconciliation Commission called for in the earlier peace accords.
Fourth, within the next few years or so, another hybrid war crimes tribunal needs to be established to account for the war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by Charles Taylor and his henchmen from 1990 to 2003 in Liberia.’
Three of Crane`s suggested roadmap for Liberia had taken place in the country, except a court.
A local group, the Movement for the Establishment of a war crimes court has been campaigning since. But its efforts are hitting rock. Former UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan who received the group’s first petition for a court, asked the group to in fact petition its government. Many believe this is a sure way to kill the whole idea. Many in government who should make a formal request for the establishment of the court are potential indictees. It follows then that no one would want to indict himself by calling for a court in Liberia.
Even findings from the country’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission, including a provision, calling on President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf to stay away from public office for 30 years are facing resistance from government circles.
Taylor`s lawyer, Courtney Griffiths refers to Crane`s suggestion for a second trial for Taylor as a second opportunity to get Taylor if the prosecution fails to link him to the crimes in Sierra Leone. ‘So we will throw out - you get your pick. "If we miss him in the Sierra Leonean court, I will try to get him in Liberia."
Taylor said that was the whole point, ‘ they may as well just shoot me,’ he said as he hauls up to his shoulders the ends of his white African gown while resting his elbows on the desk behind which he sat. ‘That’s the whole construct, ‘banging on the desk in the court room.
Dr J. Peter Pham, Director, William R Nelson Institute for International and Public Affairs, James Madison University said ‘Liberia, while small in population and without any hydrocarbon reserves discovered to date, is in many ways the key to the entire sub-region. If Liberia remains stable, the fragile peace in Sierra Leone will be reinforced, the conflict in Cote d'Ivoire will be contained and collapse of Guinea mitigated. A democratic Liberia - and the Liberian people want it to be such - will be a beacon for the entire sub-region.’
Dr. Pham said Taylor’s invasion of Liberia, the initial conflict in Liberia made the outbreak of conflict in the neighboring states inevitable.
Jappah family cries for justice
A family member of Aloysius T. Jappah, a former member of the presidential Technical Committee of the controversial Zakhem International Construction, Ltd involving the dismissed Managing Director of the Liberia Petroleum Refining Corporation (LPRC) Harry Greaves is challenging the Liberian government to take Mr. Jappah to court to enable him exonerate himself through the due process of law.
In a statement released in Monrovia Wednesday, November 18, on behalf of Mr. Jappah, Alteah Jappah said credible sources have hinted the family that there are attempts being made by the government of Liberia to sweep the alleged bribery accusation him (Jappah) under the carpet perhaps due to lack of sufficient evidence to link the accused.
“The government of Liberia must show courage in taking the appropriate steps to leave no doubts in the minds of the public as to who is criminally responsible in the alleged deal raised by Mr. Greaves,” the statement said.
According to the statement, Greaves months ago swore to an affidavit which he submitted to the Office of President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf alleging bribery demand on the part of Mr. Jappah which was later accordingly submitted to the Ministry of Justice for investigation.
However, the statement added, “strangely, after two days of investigation by the Ministry of Justice, Greaves undertook a dare-devil public campaign intended to mislead the public, when he realized that the bribery allegation scheme was being identified and exposed as a part of a signature pattern of his to discredit attempts to unmask the unholy Zakhem contract he (Greaves) was immediately dismissed the president.
The statement said unlike Greaves who has been fully compensated and given all his benefits since his dismissal, Mr. Jappah has written several letters to the President, Minister of State for Presidential Affairs, Minister of State for Finance, Economic, and Legal Affairs, the Minister of Justice, and the Director General of the Civil Service Agency to receive his just compensation for services rendered the government of Liberia but to no avail.
The Jappah family however described as “outright cruelty and no respect for governance and the rule of law” the apparent refusal by the government to pay their brother just benefit. The statement calls on the public to implore the President to pay Mr. Jappah and to properly investigate the litany of lies told against this decent young man whose character remained immaculate until he joined the company of wolves and hyenas.
In conclusion, the statement commended the Ministry of Justice for the professional form and manner in which the alleged bribery accusation against Aloysius Jappah was handled and investigated.
In a statement released in Monrovia Wednesday, November 18, on behalf of Mr. Jappah, Alteah Jappah said credible sources have hinted the family that there are attempts being made by the government of Liberia to sweep the alleged bribery accusation him (Jappah) under the carpet perhaps due to lack of sufficient evidence to link the accused.
“The government of Liberia must show courage in taking the appropriate steps to leave no doubts in the minds of the public as to who is criminally responsible in the alleged deal raised by Mr. Greaves,” the statement said.
According to the statement, Greaves months ago swore to an affidavit which he submitted to the Office of President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf alleging bribery demand on the part of Mr. Jappah which was later accordingly submitted to the Ministry of Justice for investigation.
However, the statement added, “strangely, after two days of investigation by the Ministry of Justice, Greaves undertook a dare-devil public campaign intended to mislead the public, when he realized that the bribery allegation scheme was being identified and exposed as a part of a signature pattern of his to discredit attempts to unmask the unholy Zakhem contract he (Greaves) was immediately dismissed the president.
The statement said unlike Greaves who has been fully compensated and given all his benefits since his dismissal, Mr. Jappah has written several letters to the President, Minister of State for Presidential Affairs, Minister of State for Finance, Economic, and Legal Affairs, the Minister of Justice, and the Director General of the Civil Service Agency to receive his just compensation for services rendered the government of Liberia but to no avail.
The Jappah family however described as “outright cruelty and no respect for governance and the rule of law” the apparent refusal by the government to pay their brother just benefit. The statement calls on the public to implore the President to pay Mr. Jappah and to properly investigate the litany of lies told against this decent young man whose character remained immaculate until he joined the company of wolves and hyenas.
In conclusion, the statement commended the Ministry of Justice for the professional form and manner in which the alleged bribery accusation against Aloysius Jappah was handled and investigated.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Professor honored with international award
Sharon Friedman, a professor of journalism, was awarded the International Green Pen Award from the Asia-Pacific Forum for Environmental Journalists for her work in advancing international environmental reporting this month.
The award is given to those who have helped encourage others to pursue journalism that focuses on the environment, according to Sri Lanka Environmental Journalists Forum, a social organization that uses the media to make change.
Friedman was among five independent environmental journalists who received the 2009 International Green Pen Award.
Friedman was awarded the honor based on her work with environmental reporting in the Asia-Pacific region of the world. Part of her work included leading teaching seminars in Asian countries, centered on the book written by Friedman.
Her book, "Reporting on the Environment: A Handbook for Journalists," was co-authored by her husband, Ken Friedman, also a journalism professor at Lehigh, and covers topics of responsible environmental reporting.
As with the seminars, the book was written with a focus on the Asia-Pacific region. Friedman says the book has been translated into 19 languages and is used in some of her classes.
The seminars in Asia occurred over almost a decade of summer trips that usually lasted between three and four weeks long, she said.
The training workshops were initially sponsored by the United Nations Economic Social Commission for Asia and Pacific, but Friedman says the funding was eventually picked up by several collaborating journalist forums when the U.N. funding ended.
Friedman considers herself an environmental journalist, but noted she did not start her career in environmental journalism until she had had several different careers.
Her undergraduate studies were focused on molecular biology, although she soon found work writing about ecology.
"I got a job writing about ecology and the environment at the National Academy of Sciences in Washington D.C., and so I didn't know very much about ecology, so I learned on the job from the best minds in the United States," said Friedman.
Friedman noted it was "serendipity" that led to these career changes into environmental journalism and her eventual connection to the groups in Asia.
Friedman says it was an article about environmental journalism that she wrote for a magazine titled "Environment" that caught the eye of a foreign U.N. executive.
"It was seen by the head of the U.N. program in Bangkok," Friedman said, who sent her several ambiguous telegrams, signed only with "Economic Social Commission for Asia and Pacific."
After finally arranging a long-distance phone call, Friedman became a consultant for the U.N. "The whole thing started by chance," Friedman said. "It turned out to be a wonderful experience."
Friedman recognizes her career and success are due to her flexibility of career paths and changes.
"I always tell my students that careers are not developed like straight bullets. Be adaptable and flexible, and open to new opportunity," she said.
Friedman noted the importance of environmental journalism today, especially in presenting a "non-biased point-of-view."
She described how environmentally inclined organizations and industries may present environmental information in different ways, furthering the need for environmental reporting.
"It raised awareness on many different levels," Friedman said of her work in environmental journalism.
This was not the first award Friedman has received for her work, although it is her first major international award.
In 1989, Friedman was elected as a fellow in the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Friedman was also a co-recipient of Lehigh's Hillman Award for her excellence in undergraduate instruction.
Read more at:
http://www.environmentaljournalists.org/Prof_Sharon_Friedman_of_USA.htm
Courtesy,
ALEX ZOOK, Forum for Environmental Journalists
The award is given to those who have helped encourage others to pursue journalism that focuses on the environment, according to Sri Lanka Environmental Journalists Forum, a social organization that uses the media to make change.
Friedman was among five independent environmental journalists who received the 2009 International Green Pen Award.
Friedman was awarded the honor based on her work with environmental reporting in the Asia-Pacific region of the world. Part of her work included leading teaching seminars in Asian countries, centered on the book written by Friedman.
Her book, "Reporting on the Environment: A Handbook for Journalists," was co-authored by her husband, Ken Friedman, also a journalism professor at Lehigh, and covers topics of responsible environmental reporting.
As with the seminars, the book was written with a focus on the Asia-Pacific region. Friedman says the book has been translated into 19 languages and is used in some of her classes.
The seminars in Asia occurred over almost a decade of summer trips that usually lasted between three and four weeks long, she said.
The training workshops were initially sponsored by the United Nations Economic Social Commission for Asia and Pacific, but Friedman says the funding was eventually picked up by several collaborating journalist forums when the U.N. funding ended.
Friedman considers herself an environmental journalist, but noted she did not start her career in environmental journalism until she had had several different careers.
Her undergraduate studies were focused on molecular biology, although she soon found work writing about ecology.
"I got a job writing about ecology and the environment at the National Academy of Sciences in Washington D.C., and so I didn't know very much about ecology, so I learned on the job from the best minds in the United States," said Friedman.
Friedman noted it was "serendipity" that led to these career changes into environmental journalism and her eventual connection to the groups in Asia.
Friedman says it was an article about environmental journalism that she wrote for a magazine titled "Environment" that caught the eye of a foreign U.N. executive.
"It was seen by the head of the U.N. program in Bangkok," Friedman said, who sent her several ambiguous telegrams, signed only with "Economic Social Commission for Asia and Pacific."
After finally arranging a long-distance phone call, Friedman became a consultant for the U.N. "The whole thing started by chance," Friedman said. "It turned out to be a wonderful experience."
Friedman recognizes her career and success are due to her flexibility of career paths and changes.
"I always tell my students that careers are not developed like straight bullets. Be adaptable and flexible, and open to new opportunity," she said.
Friedman noted the importance of environmental journalism today, especially in presenting a "non-biased point-of-view."
She described how environmentally inclined organizations and industries may present environmental information in different ways, furthering the need for environmental reporting.
"It raised awareness on many different levels," Friedman said of her work in environmental journalism.
This was not the first award Friedman has received for her work, although it is her first major international award.
In 1989, Friedman was elected as a fellow in the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Friedman was also a co-recipient of Lehigh's Hillman Award for her excellence in undergraduate instruction.
Read more at:
http://www.environmentaljournalists.org/Prof_Sharon_Friedman_of_USA.htm
Courtesy,
ALEX ZOOK, Forum for Environmental Journalists
Millions die annually in road accidents
Every day, in Liberia and around the world, more than 3,000 people are killed in road crashes and up to 137,000 are injured - that adds up to more than 1.3 million people dying on our roads every year. Far from abating, this tragic toll continues to increase, especially in low- and middle-income countries like Liberia, where more than 90% of road fatalities occur.
An additional tragedy is that youth are paying the highest price - worldwide, road traffic injuries are the leading cause of death among young people aged 15 to 29, and the second cause of death for those aged 5 to 14. That is unacceptable. We must work together to save these millions of lives, especially young lives.
A statement issued by the Liberia National Red Cross Society over the weekend in Monrovia said what makes these statistics particularly horrendous is that these deaths and injuries are preventable. Simple, cost-effective and proven measures can make the roads safer and change the behaviour of road users. This is why the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) are calling for urgent global action to address this major public health problem.
Governments must be persuaded to pass and enforce traffic laws to reduce speeding, to fix strict limits on drinking and driving and to make the use of seat belts and helmets mandatory. Other effective measures include the adoption of national road safety policies supported by adequate and stable financing, better road conditions, public awareness campaigns on road safety, more first aid training for new and professional drivers, and better emergency care for road crash victims.
More than one third of the IFRC’s 186 member societies including the Liberian Red Cross are actively involved in road safety activities. Many have integrated road safety in their first aid programs. Working at the heart of communities, they have effective access to people of all ages and conditions. They promote safe behavior for road users through public campaigns, they teach road safety to schoolchildren and provide first aid training, and of course, when road crashes occur, they are there, to provide vital first aid services to victims.
For their part, Red Cross and Red Crescent Youth have identified road safety as one of today’s key humanitarian challenges. In their agenda-setting Solferino Declaration in June this year, they call on the governments of the world to include first aid and road safety in national education curricula, and to allocate appropriate resources. They also commit to promote road safety and encourage their peers to act as responsible road users.
The IFRC believes that promoting a culture of prevention can minimize unnecessary deaths and ultimately build safer communities. In line with this approach, it has made safer roads a priority for action over the next ten years. As part of its commitment, it also hosts the Global Road Safety Partnership, created in 1999 to address road safety issues, principally in developing countries.
Working together with our partners - governments, civil society, UN agencies, as well as the transport, health and business sectors, we believe we can significantly mitigate the multiple and tragic social and economic consequences of road crashes.
An additional tragedy is that youth are paying the highest price - worldwide, road traffic injuries are the leading cause of death among young people aged 15 to 29, and the second cause of death for those aged 5 to 14. That is unacceptable. We must work together to save these millions of lives, especially young lives.
A statement issued by the Liberia National Red Cross Society over the weekend in Monrovia said what makes these statistics particularly horrendous is that these deaths and injuries are preventable. Simple, cost-effective and proven measures can make the roads safer and change the behaviour of road users. This is why the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) are calling for urgent global action to address this major public health problem.
Governments must be persuaded to pass and enforce traffic laws to reduce speeding, to fix strict limits on drinking and driving and to make the use of seat belts and helmets mandatory. Other effective measures include the adoption of national road safety policies supported by adequate and stable financing, better road conditions, public awareness campaigns on road safety, more first aid training for new and professional drivers, and better emergency care for road crash victims.
More than one third of the IFRC’s 186 member societies including the Liberian Red Cross are actively involved in road safety activities. Many have integrated road safety in their first aid programs. Working at the heart of communities, they have effective access to people of all ages and conditions. They promote safe behavior for road users through public campaigns, they teach road safety to schoolchildren and provide first aid training, and of course, when road crashes occur, they are there, to provide vital first aid services to victims.
For their part, Red Cross and Red Crescent Youth have identified road safety as one of today’s key humanitarian challenges. In their agenda-setting Solferino Declaration in June this year, they call on the governments of the world to include first aid and road safety in national education curricula, and to allocate appropriate resources. They also commit to promote road safety and encourage their peers to act as responsible road users.
The IFRC believes that promoting a culture of prevention can minimize unnecessary deaths and ultimately build safer communities. In line with this approach, it has made safer roads a priority for action over the next ten years. As part of its commitment, it also hosts the Global Road Safety Partnership, created in 1999 to address road safety issues, principally in developing countries.
Working together with our partners - governments, civil society, UN agencies, as well as the transport, health and business sectors, we believe we can significantly mitigate the multiple and tragic social and economic consequences of road crashes.
Carter Center team arrives in Liberia
The Press Union of Liberia (PUL) has announced the arrival into the country of a two-member delegation from the Cater Center on a week-long visit to renew support for efforts to advance the passage of the Freedom of Information Act.
The Carter Center Access to Information Manager/Associate Director, Laura Neuman and Senior Project Associate on Access to Information Initiative, Sarah Dougherty, arrived in the County Sunday, November 15 and are expected to meet with stakeholders to learn more about the state of the draft law and provide observations in light of emerging international standards and the way forward.
A PUL statement issued in Monrovia Sunday said the delegation will share international experience and lessons learned regarding the establishment of access to information regimes in separate discussions with Government officials, including Lawmakers, civil society actors and the media.
The visit is a follow-up to similar mission in October 2008 to share thoughts on the bill and support for its enactment.
The Freedom of Information Act was one of three bills submitted to the Legislature in April 2008 by stakeholders, including the Ministry of Information and the media community. The Bills have been locked up in committee room for well over one and a half years.
The Lawmakers have given assurances of the passage of the bill following their annual break.
Meanwhile, PUL President Peter M. Quaqua is off to Brussels, Belgium to participate in a roundtable on the Socio-Economic integration of ex-combatants.
The PUL president was invited by the organizers, International Alert to give his personal perspectives on “The Impact of Regional and International Dynamics of Reintegration Programs for ex-combatants.”
The Carter Center Access to Information Manager/Associate Director, Laura Neuman and Senior Project Associate on Access to Information Initiative, Sarah Dougherty, arrived in the County Sunday, November 15 and are expected to meet with stakeholders to learn more about the state of the draft law and provide observations in light of emerging international standards and the way forward.
A PUL statement issued in Monrovia Sunday said the delegation will share international experience and lessons learned regarding the establishment of access to information regimes in separate discussions with Government officials, including Lawmakers, civil society actors and the media.
The visit is a follow-up to similar mission in October 2008 to share thoughts on the bill and support for its enactment.
The Freedom of Information Act was one of three bills submitted to the Legislature in April 2008 by stakeholders, including the Ministry of Information and the media community. The Bills have been locked up in committee room for well over one and a half years.
The Lawmakers have given assurances of the passage of the bill following their annual break.
Meanwhile, PUL President Peter M. Quaqua is off to Brussels, Belgium to participate in a roundtable on the Socio-Economic integration of ex-combatants.
The PUL president was invited by the organizers, International Alert to give his personal perspectives on “The Impact of Regional and International Dynamics of Reintegration Programs for ex-combatants.”
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