Financing the African Water Revolution

by Sara Löwgren Stockholm World Water Week – August 26th  2018 During the first day of the annual World Water Week, one of the most anticipated sessions was the Falkenmark Symposium. In the crowded conference room, scientists, politicians, the World Bank, ambassadors, development organizations, technical experts, and many more gathered to discuss the African Water Revolution. More...

A Week with Cocoa Farmers in Ghana’s Eastern Region

By Jenna Farineau It’s unusually hot for this time of year. It reaches almost 40 degrees Celsius every day and the rains are few. Now, it’s not unusual for Ghana to have such intense heat or lack of constant rains, but this is something concerning. The end of February/beginning of March generally marks the start of the rainy season here, and it is welcomed with deep appreciation from farmers....

“If no one can listen to [us] when [we’re] alone, then we must do it collectively”

by Elaina Burress and Jenna Farineau  "I raise up my voice—not so I can shout, but so that those without a voice can be heard...we cannot succeed when half of us are held back." ―Malala Yousafzai Just two days ago, Sada Albachir and Agnes Leina from the Indigenous Peoples of Africa Coordinating Committee along with Tafadzwa Dhlakama of the Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association spoke on a...

10 things that are wrong with this approach to “equity”

Ever since our own Anjali Appadurai stood before world leaders at the 2011 Durban climate talks to demand “equity now,” echoing a longstanding demand of climate justice movements across the world, there has been an increasing use of the word in discussions on international climate change policy. The idea of equity is contested, as everyone from social movement leaders to former Heads of State...

Media Messaging: The silent, subtle art of loudmouthing the innocent

by Anjali Appadurai If there's one lesson we learned loud and clear at this COP, it was how important a role the media plays in determining the world's perception of the dangerous game being played out in the negotiating rooms. Throughout the COP, misguided messaging was a huge obstacle to a united civil society front. We saw a multitude of messaging angles on each major issue within the...