#GlobalPower Women Network Africa

The 2nd High Level Meeting (HLM) of the GlobalPower Women Network Africa @gpowerafrica is kicking off today in Abuja.

The meeting, which is being hosted by President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan is bringing together African female government, business, development leaders and key stakeholders pushing and fostering the business of development in the African region.

The theme for the HLM is "accelerating the implementation of the global and regional commitments for women and girls, gender equality and HIV/AIDS in Africa; and the adoption of post-2015 priorities."

The GlobalPower Women Network Africa, GPWNA, a UNAIDS supported initiative is a network of African Women who are elected and appointed representatives that are at decision-making tables. The network seeks to advance gender equality and women's empowerment and promote discussions on their accelerated action as well as action on HIV/AIDS and Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights in Africa.

Follow tweets using #GlobalPower.

Using Technology To Fight Corruption In Nigeria

On June 20th 2013, West African NGONetwork (WANGONeT) launched a web portal called AntiCorruption Internet Database (ACID) www.antigraft.org, Nigeria’s first web repository for all corruption related issues in the country.

According to Tunji Lardner, the founder of WANGONet, the idea of creating a website to monitor and report corruption related activities in Nigeria first came into fruition 13 years ago, a period when internet access in the country was still a novel idea. He however reaffirmed that the relevance of ACID today is timely.

The Anti-Corruption Internet Database (ACID) aims to create an informative and educative corrupt practices data archiving and reporting platform with modern features for multi-dimensional public advocacy and civic engagement in the fight against corruption.

ACID is a first step to ensuring that Nigerians are able to rate themselves as well as their government leaders on efforts made to curb corruption.

The online portal which is available on both web and mobile application. http://www.antigraft.org has different strategic tools that everyone can use to report corruption or feel the pulse of corruption in the country.

To visit the website on your computer, please click www.antigraft.org

To download the mobile apps for your BlackBerry or Android enabled phones, please visit: www.antigraft.org/bb and www.antigraft.org/android.

Below are some of the tools available:

ACID Wiki: A source of information concerning definitions, laws, treaties and strategies concerning corruption.

Asset Declaration: A list of Nigerian politicians and government officials that have declared their assets. The "Report Asset tool" helps user report known asset of political actors and also upload supporting documents.

Bribe Reports: A tool to report corruption cases either from public or government agencies.  Also allows for user to upload supporting documents. (Multi-media and textual).

Budget: Monitor Public Projects yourself: View and share Budgetary Infographics
Download budget resources such as actual budget documents and budget monitoring toolkits.

WANGONeT's Corruption Calculator: An application which computes the opportunity cost of acts of corruption. It provides contextual comparisons into the actual cost of stolen and misappropriated funds.

Corruption Profile: A list of individuals who have been involved in corruption allegations, cases, and convictions.

National Applaud Ranking: Applauding outstanding individuals who work hard despite the temptation of corruption. Users can nominate and vote for ANY individual they believe is worthy of applaud.

 Other resources available include FREE download of Freedom of Information (FOI) Act and other important documents.

For more information please email info@antigraft.org




Article also published on:
Omojuwa.com
NigeriaIntel.com
AfricanLiberty.org

Out Of The Mouth Of Babes: What Nigeria Should Be Doing About Honesty and Accountability

I had the privilege of attending a symposium contest held for public secondary schools here in Nasarawa state on Thursday. And as always, I was pumped to watch and hear young Nigerians speak on the future they'll like to see. The none jenniferized themed of the contest was "value and ethics re-orientation in Nigeria." About 30 schools were invited by the organizers, Center for Educational Empowerment and Orientation CEEO, and given 30 different topics to speak on in advance (only 23 schools showed up). Each school had 5 minutes to speak.

GSSS students were well represented- actually the speaker from the school are girls on fire! I think you seeing the video will give a clearer understanding of what I mean. Their charisma lit up the room and their delivery of the points got people at the high table and main audience nodding in affirmation. But for the poor management of time, I'm sure they would have come out top 3.

But, as my colleague, Ayobami said after the contest, it was an "Olympic." Olympic is not to win but to participate. Their participation sure made an impact!

Here is a text of what the girls presented:

  "Honesty and accountability for National Transformation and Development"

Presenter 1: During a fellowship programme in the US in 2009, a group of young people, including a Nigerian, were asked to rate their country based on how honest the people were. Are people honest in your country? "No," they all replied. Then another question was posed at them: Do you think you are an honest person? Surprisingly, they all responded with a yes.

The interesting part of the exercise was that the participants said that they are honest but do not think others in their country are honest people. This is the reality of where we are today as a country: everyone is always looking over the shoulder of his neighbour and pointing accusing fingers at others and the government for the many problems as well as the corrupt state in the country. Everyone else wants to blame others and keep them accountable. We forget that real measure of honesty and accountability starts with self.

Good morning honorable commissioners, school principals, educators, other stakeholders and the panel of judges present here today. My name is Grace Noah Bashiru, an SS 1 student of Government Science Secondary School...

The purpose of this presentation themed: "Honesty and accountability for National Transformation and Development," is to share my views on how honesty and accountability can be used as a tool to improve the current state of Nigeria's development. To achieve this objective, it is pertinent to understand the context of the topic by defining the term honesty, accountability and national transformation and development.

Honesty means being truthful, trustworthy. Accountability means to be answerable for one's action. Transformation means the act of changing completely. According to the advanced learner's dictionary, national is defined as connected with a particular nation, shared by a whole nation. Development is defined as the gradual growth of something so that it becomes more advanced or stronger.

To further explain the concept, national development is defined by O. Obasanjo and Mabogunje in a paper titled "Element of Development", as "a change or transformation into a better state…it is a process concerned with people's capacity in a defined area over a defined period to manage an induced positive change: in terms of ability to predict, plan, understand and monitor change as well as to reduce or eliminate unwarranted change."

From these definitions, national transformation and development refers to the collective effort of a particular nation put in place to attain a gradual growth or advancement. The essence of such development is to bring about an improvement in all areas while eliminating unwanted change. But this cannot happen in isolation. We need men, women and children to embrace truthfulness and be able to account for their action at all times.

At the national level, there is a transformation agenda which draws inspiration from the Vision 20.20 and the first National implementation plan and is based on a set of priority policies and programme which when implemented would transform the Nigerian economy to meet the future need of the people. But while some say lack of continuity, consistency and commitment has hindered the actualization of this agenda. Others might blame it on corruption and lack of accountability on the part of our leaders. On this note, I will like to invite my colleague to explain more.

Presenter 2: All protocols duely observed. My name is Edwin Bashiru Rosemary, an SS 1 student of GSSS.... To explain further, in Nigeria today, one of the major factors hindering us from fully realizing our development potential as a country is corruption. This challenge cuts across different spheres of our society- from Education to politics to business even to our daily routines as individuals. Our reputation of corrupt practices resonates at international level.

According to the 2012 Transparency International Corruption Perception Index report on Nigeria, our country ranks 135 out of 176 countries surveyed. This report revealed that Nigeria shares the position with Pakistan and Nepal, to remain one of the most corrupt countries in the world.

But we can choose to consciously change things. Indeed, to achieve the much-anticipated transformation we seek in Nigeria, all hands must be on deck. We must all be more honest and more accountable at our individual level while holding leaders in different places as well as the government accountable.

Honesty and accountability starts with simple actions such as students abstaining from examination malpractice, parents not giving bribe to educators to falsify their children's result, religious leaders not being hypocritical in their dealings, business men and women not using substandard materials to produce their goods and so on. Honesty and accountability is not only expected of the government but also of us.

As my colleague mentioned at the beginning of this presentation, many people think others are not honest in Nigeria. But instead of just seeing ourselves as the only honest people in Nigeria, we should be able to pay attention at what others are doing and keep them accountable and vice versa.

This implies that no development championed by honesty and accountability can take place automatically or in isolation. It involves a process and conscious collective effort of all affected to induce and sustain the desire for an improved nation and take action to effect such improvement. Honesty and accountability are therefore important tools we can use to induce this transformation and development.

Honesty brings about absolute development and growth in different aspects like peaceful co-existence, loyalty and harmony that can foster the much-anticipated development you and I want in Nigeria. Central Bank Governor, Mallam Lamido Sanusi, once said no country is immune to corruption. In his words, "the greatest challenge facing Nigeria is the challenge of a people that have lost sight of the importance of merit and not corruption."

In my opinion, it is time to refocus our sight to embrace the importance of merit. We need to begin to celebrate people of integrity as much as we keep those who are not honest in their dealings accountable. This way, the younger generation will be able to emulate the behaviour of role models who are celebrated for good.

Thank You.

:-)

What do you think?

Indonesian Journalist Prodita Sabarini named 2013-14 @IWMF Elizabeth Neuffer Fellow

The International Women's Media Foundation (IWMF) has selected Jakarta-based journalist Prodita Sabarini as the 2013-14 IWMF Elizabeth Neuffer Fellow. Sabarini is the ninth recipient of the annual fellowship, which gives a woman journalist working in print, broadcast or online media the opportunity to build skills while focusing exclusively on human rights journalism and social justice issues.

Sabarini, a staff reporter for the English daily The Jakarta Post, was chosen from a pool of highly qualified applicants from around the world. She plans to research the phenomenon of religious intolerance in Indonesia during her tenure as the Elizabeth Neuffer Fellow and wishes to explore the factors that turn people's fear into acts of violence. "The Elizabeth Neuffer Fellowship provides an opportunity to access research materials that are not available in my home country," Sabarini said.

Peter Canellos, Editorial Page editor at The Boston Globe, noted that "The Neuffer fellows are both students and teachers. Each fellow has made her impact felt in Boston and elsewhere in the United States, and then taken her own lessons back to readers in Uganda, Colombia, Pakistan, India, and many other countries where former fellows are living and working."

The fellowship is named for Elizabeth Neuffer, a Boston Globe reporter and winner of the 1998 IWMF Courage in Journalism Award, who was killed while on assignment in Iraq in 2003. Neuffer's life mission was to promote international understanding of human rights and social justice.

For more information about the Neuffer Fellowship, visit iwmf.org/elizabeth-neuffer, contact Annie Valentine (avalentine@iwmf.org, (+1) 202.496.1992), follow @IWMF on Twitter, and "like" facebook.com/IWMFpage.

#IRP13 TweetChat: Media tools & challenges of reporting health

#Media tools & challenges of reporting #health!!

Join us at The International Reporting Project (@IRPChirps) for a tweetchat tomorrow: June 12 by 10am Washington/3pm Lagos & London.

If you are not a journalist, still free to swing by and tell us what more you will like to see on health reporting.

Use hashtag #healthreporting #IRP13 follow on Twitter: @IRPChirps.

Thank you & see you there, on twitter!

Please tell others!!

Stakeholders Advocate For An Increase In Awareness To Curb The Spread Of HIV and Hepatitis In Nasarawa State

Okoh Emmanuel, a student at BITC, and a staff of CDAC during the free HIV and Hepatitis testing session

A one-day awareness campaign on the dangers and realities of HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis was held on Thursday at Business Information and Training Centre (BITC), Lafia Nasarawa State.

According to Mr. Adenitan Lawrence, the manager at BITC, the purpose of the program was to create awareness about Hepatitis and HIV/AIDS to staff, students and clients of the organization.

“We believe that once you are informed, you are better transformed,” he says, “Not only you but even your family and other colleagues and members of the society, as the case may be.”

The event, which was a collaboration between BITC and the Center for Disease and Aid Control (CDAC) was aimed at also creating an avenue for participants to access free voluntary HIV and Hepatitis counselling and testing.

Nasarawa state currently has one of the highest HIV prevalence rate in Nigeria. According to National Bureau of Statistics, while there were 3, 083, 004 people living with HIV in Nigeria in 2007, Nasarawa state had a population of 106, 629 people living with HIV. In 2012, the Nigerian Journal of Basic and Clinical Sciences reported that Nasarawa has a prevalence of 7.5% of HIV, which is higher than the average national prevalence of 4.1%.

Dr. Gideon Ayuba, a representative of CDAC points out that illiteracy and religion are barriers hindering efforts to curb the spread of HIV in the state.

“We understand it [HIV] is rising very very fast and also the issue of Hepatitis is also rising,” Ayuba says. Adding that awareness creation is an important tool needed to reverse the impact of the spread of the virus.

According to Ayuba, most people in Nasarawa state do not go for HIV test because of their religious beliefs and tradition. People’s ignorance and poor literacy level also hinders the AIDS response, he says.

Although free counselling and testing session was available during the awareness campaign program, not all the participants took advantage of it. Fatoyinbo Olasimbo, one of the participants, says she did not take any HIV test because of fear of the unknown.

“I’m not interested,” she says. “I have never had HIV test and I don’t have plans to.”

Fatoyinbo, in spite of her unwillingness to know her HIV status, advocates for more awareness creation.

“Although I did not get the test done but at least I’m informed,” she says, “People should come for this kind of program to get informed to know what is good for them.”

Another participant, Joseph Omugu, says lack of awareness is the leading cause of most related deaths. He also believes an increased awareness on the issue of HIV and Hepatitis will reduce such incidences.

“By giving this awareness, it is going to help us a lot,” he says.

He however disagrees with Fatoyinbo on the issue of HIV test. “It is good for one to know his status because [by] knowing your status you will take prevention,” he says.

Omugu says his knowledge about HIV and Hepatitis is improved as a result of attending the program.

“This lecture is going to make me know my status today,” he says.

Early this year, the Executive Governor of Nasarawa state, Umaru Tanko Al-Makura, signed the bill prohibiting discrimination against people living with HIV/AIDS into law. Stakeholders in the civil society sector believe the action will improve efforts to curb the spread of HIV.

“We understand the stigmatization is worse than the virus itself,” says Ayuba, “it kills faster than the virus itself.”

Ayuba says the anti-stigmatization law will make a lot of impact in Nasarawa state because many people living with HIV will be free to live their lives.

“They will be able to live their lives without people stigmatizing them,” he says.

He, however, noted that there was need for more awareness on what stigma is about in order for people to understand the relevance of the law at the grassroots.

Adenitan advises other Non-Governmental Organizations to keep spreading the message to raise awareness.

“I just want to use this forum to call on other NGOs and other well to do philanthropists in our society to keep spending their money to create more awareness.”

He adds, “Keep sending the message, keep creating awareness so that people will know. We want to spread the information and not the virus.”

An increased awareness can reduce the spread of HIV and Hepatitis in Nasarawa state, he says.



This report was made possible by a grant from the International Reporting Project to report on global health and development in Nigeria. This story was first published by HealthNewsNG.com.

Youth Media Summit: Challenges in Young People’s World of Communication

Here is introducing the 1st National Children and Young People's Media Summit organized by Media Advocacy and Development Initiative in partnership with DAAR Communications Plc, CHAMS Plc, Television Continental, National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (FCT Chapter) and several other organizations scheduled to hold in Abuja between July 28 th and August 3 rd , 2013 at British Nigerian Academy with the theme "Challenges in Young People's World of Communication".

Media Advocacy and Development Initiative (MADinitiative) is a registered non-government organization focused in the area of promoting Theatre and Media for advocacy among children, women and youths in Nigeria.

The National Children and Young People's Media Summit 2013 is a gathering of delegates from different continents of the world preparing children and youth for a new media world in the 21st century while encouraging global networking.

It offers great opportunities to network, to be part of debates, to be interactive and to be part of workshops; to share perspectives, experience and expertise. It will be the most important meeting place for Children and young people in 2013.

Participants at the 1 st National Children and Young People's Media Summit would be trained on the technical aspect of following areas –

1. T.V/Radio Programming and Production, Presentation,

2. Photography,

3. New Media (Blog/Web streaming)

4. Video Editing, Cinematography and Animation

5. Graphics Design and Printing Technique.

At the end of the 1week practical summit, the participants would have gained enough knowledge on the technical background of the 21 st Century Media World and be able to influence the world through media with their contents.

The summit will also create a platform for media tycoons and young people in media to brainstorm and create positive media content for young people.

For further details, please visit www.madinitiativeng.org or email us at contact@madinitiativeng.org, advocatingthroughmedia@gmail.com or call 08052194095.

Note: Press Release.