Joke of the day

Farmer A bus load of politicians were driving down a country road one afternoon, when all of a sudden, the bus ran off the road and crashed into a tree in an old farmer's field. Seeing what happened, the old farmer went over to investigate. He then proceeded to dig a hole and bury the politicians. A few days later, the local sheriff came out, saw the crashed bus, and asked the old farmer, "Were they all dead?" The old farmer replied, "Well, some of them said they weren't, but you know how them politicians lie."

RFI - Ethiopian troops cross border into Somalia

RFI - Ethiopian troops cross border into Somalia Several hundred Ethiopian troops crossed the border into neighbouring Somalia at the weekend, accompanied by Somali pro-government fighters. They arrested villagers and kept them for questioning. The Ethiopian army was withdrawn from Somalia in January. Shared via AddThis

Joke of the day

A lawyer's dog, running around town unleashed, heads for a butcher shop and steals a roast. The butcher goes to the lawyer's office and asks, "if a dog running unleashed steals a piece of meat from my store, do I have a right to demand payment for the meat from the dog's owner?" The lawyer answers, "Absolutely." "Then you owe me $8.50. Your dog was loose and stole a roast from me today." The lawyer, without a word, writes the butcher a check for $8.50. The butcher, having a feeling of satisfaction, leaves. Three days later, the butcher finds a bill from the lawyer: $100 due for a consultation.

CBC News - World - A country you can never stop worrying about

CBC News - World - A country you can never stop worrying about Ethiopia is one country that I can never stop worrying about. Nor can the world. Each time that I have gone back over the past 25 years I am encouraged to see so much has changed since the great famine of 1984-85 that shocked the world and so moved us Canadians. Yet there is also much here that is alarmingly similar. This time old friends — survivors of that earlier tragedy — are proud to show me the signs of progress in the northern province of Tigray, the very epicentre of a famine that killed over a million people. In the countryside, small catchment dams have been built to trap rainwater and reforestation projects are underway; in the small provincial capital of Mekele, they can now show off a modern university, busy markets and a vibrant youth culture. A boy eats raw chickpeas from the family plot in Ethiopia's drought-stricken Oromiya region in January 2009. (Ho New/Reuters) Still, for all these encouraging signs I know there remain two constants here. Shared via AddThis

Joke of the day

A motorist was driving in the country when he came upon a priest and a rabbi standing on the shoulder of the road, fishing. Next to them was a sign that read "Turn Around. The End Is Near." The motorist didn't like to be preached to, so he rolled down the window and yelled, "Mind your own business, you religious nuts!" A few seconds later the two fishermen heard tires screech, then a splash. The rabbi turned to the priest and said, "I told you we should've just written, 'Bridge Out.' "

Daniel Bekele stood for what he believed.

In the ever-shrinking space for freedom of expression and association in Ethiopia, Daniel Bekele has faced heavy-handed government repression as a prominent anti-poverty activist and human rights lawyer. Daniel has dedicated his life to building a vibrant civil society and strengthening human rights in a country where freedom of expression and other fundamental rights are severely constricted. After leading grassroots efforts to promote voter education and election monitoring Daniel was arrested following the controversial 2005 parliamentary elections and spent two and a half years in prison on politically motivated charges of conspiracy and incitement to overthrow the government. He and fellow human rights activist Netsanet Demissie were the last two people released after a high-profile trial that originally charged 131 journalists, politicians, and civil society leaders with crimes ranging from genocide to treason. Although he had an opportunity to secure his early release by joining co-defendants in signing a letter of apology to the government, Daniel instead chose to stand trial and contest the charges in court, testing the rule of law as a matter of principle. He was eventually convicted in a deeply flawed trial in which even the judges acknowledged that Daniel and Netsanet's civil society activities were legitimate and even commendable. Since his release in 2008, the Ethiopian government has adopted the Charities and Societies Proclamation, a new law on nongovernmental organizations that is so restrictive as to make the work of most human rights groups in Ethiopia illegal. Human Rights Watch honors Daniel Bekele who, at great personal risk, challenges the Ethiopian government to uphold the civil and political rights that protect all people. Daniel Bekele made the following statement upon hearing about the award announcement: "I accept such a prestigious award with a genuine sense of humility. I hold this award in the name of my fellow colleagues working for the promotion of human rights in Ethiopia. I am humbled by such global level recognition of the human rights work in Ethiopia; but it is also a constant reminder of the human rights situation in my country. Poverty, political conflict and lack of good governance have created a disheartening socio-political quagmire and a very poor record of human rights; however, a gradual transition to rule of law and a peaceful democratic political order is not entirely hopeless. While a constitutional level guarantee of human rights is a positive step forward; the real protection of the most basic human rights remains a daunting challenge. I hope we shall overcome the seemingly insurmountable challenges with citizens re-engaging in democracy in a peaceful way. I thank Human Rights Watch for this award and its valuable work; and I thank my family, fellow colleagues and friends globally for your kind support." Send this News to: * Please enter email addresses separated by commas. Personal message: HRW.org visitor sent you this article from Human Rights Watch www.hrw.org

Humanitarian governance in Ethiopia: A view from INGOs

Tuesday, September 29, 2009 by Abby Maxman (CARE Ethiopia), Waleed Rauf (Oxfam GB, Ethiopia), David Throp (Save the Children UK, Ethiopia) The spark for a debate Earlier this year, the Overseas Development Institute published a Working Paper called Humanitarian governance in the new millennium: An Ethiopian case study. The paper was later summarised in an HPN article, which featured in the June edition of Humanitarian Exchange Magazine. Though the article provides a valuable perspective on how humanitarian action and disaster management has changed in Ethiopia over recent decades, it misses an opportunity to provide a fuller analysis of the diversity and evolution of actors working in the humanitarian field. It also fails to present contrasting perceptions and discourse, which could help with much-needed consensus building. The article focuses entirely on how selected informants from within Ethiopian Government circles perceive the conduct, motivation and performance of international Non-Governmental Organizations (INGOs). While these perceptions are valid and important, no attempt is made to present the perspectives of the INGOs themselves. This could have balanced the article considerably. The case study deliberately sets out to ‘study’ only part of the ‘case’. Recognising change The article draws a caricature of INGOs as stagnant and set in their ways. This is contrasted with the dynamic efforts of successive Ethiopian regimes to manage humanitarian affairs. Yet there have been a number of innovations made by INGOs recently, particularly in the area of accountability and transparency. These include: the Red Cross, Red Crescent and NGO Code of Conduct, the Sphere Project, and the Humanitarian Accountability Partnership. INGOs have changed in other ways too. They are no longer traditional ‘charitable giving’ organisations. Their work is now shaped by participatory methods; rights-based frameworks; capacity building approaches; knowledge management initiatives; and so on. In fact, given the fast changing environment which shapes INGO behaviour and possibilities, it is unlikely that a reactionary INGO - resistant to change and adaptation - would survive at all. In Ethiopia, INGOs have contributed to a large and well documented body of work, which supports government-led efforts to promote a more holistic disaster management approach aimed at reducing vulnerabilities and managing risk. Specific areas of contribution include: support to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of the Productive Safety Net Programme, including the current pilot in pastoral areas; support to the Enhanced Outreach Strategy (a national health and nutrition initiative targeting children and mothers); efforts to protect and diversify livelihoods, including through enhancing access to credit, markets and strengthening value chains; initiatives to build local government capacities to better manage risks and contingencies; support to early warning systems; innovative drought cycle management interventions in pastoral areas; support to immunisation campaigns and other activities to mitigate public health epidemics Even at the sharpest end of emergency response - in dealing with severe acute malnutrition - INGOs have notably shifted their approaches over recent years. In line with current best practice, they have moved away from classical ‘feeding centre’ interventions towards ‘community therapeutic care’ programmes, which are premised on building local (and sustainable) capacities for early identification, referral, and treatment of the most vulnerable. Humanitarian partnership This list of examples helps to illustrate the fact that INGOs are not organisations stuck in the ‘famine and food aid’ paradigms of the past, nor are they primarily obsessed with feeding their own coffers through overstated and inappropriate emergency responses. Such assertions are anachronistic and not borne out by recent experiences and work taking place on the ground. Partnership with the government underpins all INGO work in Ethiopia and is generally built around constructive technical collaboration at different levels. Many projects and programmes aim to contribute to a more holistic cycle of disaster management that goes beyond emergency response by attempting to address underlying vulnerabilities, and by promoting preparedness and mitigating shocks. Beyond programmatic work, many INGOs also aspire to make relevant technical contributions to policy discussions through research and project based learning on a variety of topics, including disaster risk reduction and mitigation. These initiatives are frequently welcomed by officials and supported by donors who provide financial resources and other inputs. A lot of this policy work has the added aim of making programmes more timely, targeted and cost effective. The start of a debate The recent HPN article provides an opportunity for INGOs to join an important debate. How might we work more positively together, under government leadership, to address vulnerabilities and improve preparedness? How might we respond within a more comprehensive disaster management framework? This goes beyond technical matters. It implies the need to reshape relationships between INGOs and government, moving beyond the stereotypes set out in the article. Greater acknowledgement of (and reflection on) the challenges, influences and trends that shape the evolution of INGO practice would also be helpful. This could offer a better and more constructive point of reference upon which to build dialogue. These efforts to reshape relationships would require a number of elements. To begin with, a common vocabulary and conceptual framework for disaster risk management must be established and agreed by all stakeholders. Work must also be done to build trust and consensus through honest dialogue; and the creation of safe, mutually respectful spaces to discuss potentially contentious matters. This includes getting consensus on the way in which needs, risks and vulnerabilities are conceptualised, quantified and articulated. All of this would help in the development of technically appropriate strategies for risk reduction and, when the need arises, for responses to acute shocks and crises. Efforts to help community voices be heard and incorporated into policy options would improve practice as well. Finally, the role of the media should be examined, both at the domestic and the international level. Around the world - from Latin America to Africa to South Asia - INGOs are working with governments and other stakeholders to reduce the risk of disasters and to mitigate their potential effects. There is no reason why Ethiopia should be an exception to this. The views offered here are given in a personal capacity and intended as a constructive contribution to debate and dialogue.

Improving financial and food security for farmers in northern Ethiopia

Improving financial and food security for farmers in northern Ethiopia New York, 25 September 2009 – Swiss Re, Oxfam America, The Rockefeller Foundation and The International Research Institute for Climate and Society at Columbia University (IRI) announced a joint Commitment to Action at the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) 2009 meeting in New York on 22 – 25 September. Aimed at helping communities most vulnerable to climate variability and change, the collaboration will expand on their joint 2008 commitment focused on using risk reduction and risk transfer skills to improve financial and food security for farmers within the drought-prone village of Adi Ha, Tigray Regional State, Ethiopia. Drought-related risks are a primary concern throughout Ethiopia where 85% of the population is dependent on smallholder, rain-fed agriculture. Education and exposure to micro-insurance, increased access to credit and improved risk management techniques are necessary measures for these populations to effectively adapt to the changing climate. The 2009 commitment builds on the success of the 2008 pilot project in Adi Ha. After conducting workshops on climate change, financial literacy and insurance, the pilot weather risk insurance project achieved uptake by 20% of the village (200 households), with 38% of enrollees from female-headed households (recognized as the poorest of the productive poor). 65% of enrollees were participants in Ethiopia's Productive Safety Net Program (PSNP is a federal cash-for-work program that serves 8 million chronically food insecure households in Ethiopia) and most work on projects designed to build greater resilience to climate change within their communities in return for cash they use to pay for crop insurance. David Bresch, Head of Sustainability & Emerging Risk Management for Swiss Re, commented, "Swiss Re is delighted to build on the success of our work with Oxfam and our other partners to expand the pilot program in Ethiopia to five new villages. This expanded project will provide further validation on useful techniques that allow communities in developing countries to adapt to the changing climate." The pilot project is part of the collaborative Horn of Africa Risk Transfer for Adaptation (HARITA) project including Swiss Re, Oxfam America and numerous additional international and Ethiopian organizations. This year's commitment will expand the program to include at least one new crop and test the pilot model in four new villages in Tigray, and one in Amhara. Weather index insurance for rain-fed cereal farmers is proposed to be expanded utilizing two new automatic weather stations to cover the four new villages. Read more. Shared via AddThis

Joke of the day

Two men were walking home after a party and decided to take a shortcut through the cemetery just for laughs. Right in the middle of the cemetery they were startled by a tap-tap-tapping noise coming from the misty shadows. Trembling with fear, they found an old man with a hammer and chisel, chipping away at one of the headstones. "Holy cow, Mister," one of them said after catching his breath, "You scared us half to death ... we thought you were a ghost! What are you doing working here so late at night?" "Those fools!" the old man grumbled. "They misspelled my name!"

Ethiopia - Telecoms, Mobile, Broadband & Forecasts

Paul Budde Communication Pty Ltd., Sep 2009 The Ethiopia - Telecoms, Mobile, Broadband & Forecasts report includes all BuddeComm research data and analysis on this country. Covering trends and developments in telecommunications, mobile, internet, broadband, infrastructure and regulation. Ethiopia is the last country in Africa allowing its national telco, ETC a monopoly on all telecom services including fixed, mobile, Internet and data communications. This monopolistic control has stifled innovation and retarded expansion. The government tries to encourage foreign investment in a broad range of industries by allowing foreigners up to 100% equity ownership. However, there is no official schedule for the privatisation of the national carrier and the introduction of competition, but once this happens, the potential to satisfy unmet demand in all service sectors is huge. Ethiopia has the second lowest telephone penetration rate in Africa, but it recently surpassed Egypt to become the second most populous nation on the continent after Nigeria. However, it is also one of the poorest countries in the world with approximately 80% of the population supporting themselves through subsistence agriculture, which accounts for more than half of the country’s GDP. Despite the monopoly situation, subscriber growth in the mobile sector has been excellent at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of almost 90% since its inception in 1999 and more than 100% in the past six years. However, demand has been even stronger, and ETC has been unable to satisfy it. Ethiopia’s mobile market penetration is still one of the lowest in the world at little more than 3%. Fixed-line penetration is even lower, and this has also impacted on the development of the Internet sector. Prices of broadband connections are excessive. Improvements are beginning to develop following massive investments into fixed-wireless and mobile network infrastructure, including third generation mobile technology, as well as a national fibre optic backbone. Ethiopia is investing an unusually large amount, around 10% of its GDP, into information & communication technology (ICT). However, telecommunications revenue has grown only moderately in comparison, at around 16% per annum. It has remained under 2% of GDP, a low figure in regional comparison. Key Highlights: - Forecasts for fixed-line, mobile and Internet markets to 2010 and 2015; - Comparison with other countries in the region in terms of GDP, mobile, fixed and Internet market penetration; - Detailed profile of the monopoly service provider in all market sectors; - Launch of 3G mobile service in market with excessive broadband pricing; - Extensive rollouts of national and international fibre infrastructure; Multi-billion US$ investments planned before 2012.Fixed-line penetration in Ethiopia and other countries in the region – 2008 CountryFixed - line penetration Djibouti - 1.4% Somalia - 1.2% Ethiopia - 1.1% Sudan - 0.9% Eritrea - 0.8% Kenya - 0.7% (Source: BuddeComm based on various sources)