WHY IS LONDON CONSIDERED AS A SMART CITY?

WHY IS LONDON CONSIDERED AS A SMART CITY?
London city

London has taken another step towards its goal of becoming the world’s smartest city with the publication of its Smarter London Together roadmap. The initiative focuses on reforming the city’s public services to improve collaboration and data sharing between different government bodies.

The plan establishes a series of standards and design principles for digital services throughout the capital, with the aim of laying the foundations for the future. In this article, we explore the importance of education and user experience in the digital transformation of public services.

 

PUTTING PEOPLE FIRST

One of the key aspects of the Smarter London Together roadmap is its focus on user-designed services. The aim is to make digital services accessible to all Londoners, regardless of their level of digital literacy video porno.

To achieve this, the new standards will guide public servants in the creation or reform of digital services, encouraging them to put the user experience at the center of their design.

PUTTING PEOPLE FIRST
Big ben

This approach builds on the pioneering work of the UK Government Digital Service, which stressed the importance of constant user testing as part of the design process.

By evaluating the performance of the system as people interact with it and adjusting it in response to their needs, digital services can be more effectively designed to meet the needs of users.

 

THE IMPORTANCE OF EDUCATION

Ultimately, the digital transformation of public services can only be successful with well-informed and trained staff. Digital literacy is a fundamental aspect in the creation of accessible and effective services for users.

Public servants need to understand technology and how it can be used to improve services. In addition, they must be trained in user-centered design and constant user testing.

Education is also essential to ensure that all Londoners can benefit from digital services. It is important that training and support be provided to those who have a low level of digital literacy, so that they can understand and use the services effectively.

 

DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION IN PRACTICE

The Smarter London Together roadmap not only sets out principles and standards for digital transformation, but also announces the creation of two new offices: the London Office for Data Analytics and the London Office for Technology and Innovation.

The London Office for Data Analytics will coordinate the secure exchange of data between public and private sector organisations, enabling innovators to use data to develop new products and services.

DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION IN PRACTICEThe London Office of Technology and Innovation will act as a central body of experts, helping frontline organizations adapt to new technologies.

The digital transformation of public services is essential to improve the efficiency and accessibility of services in the digital age. The Smarter London Together roadmap lays a strong foundation, which can see large-scale changes around the world.

How do you think this project can affect the rest of the world? Do you think we are at the gates of a revolution?

 

 

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WHAT TO DO IN AMSTERDAM?

WHAT TO DO IN AMSTERDAM?

One of the European capitals that attracts the most tourists from around the world is Amsterdam, from the Netherlands. The city has earned a reputation for its liberal culture, including coffee shops selling cannabis and the sex worker storefronts of the Red Light District. However, the city has much more to offer.

The city lies between the IJ Bay to the north and the banks of the Amstel River to the southeast. Not only is it the largest in the country, but it is also positioned as one of the most important cultural and financial centers in Europe. A big change from its founding in the 12th century when it was just a fishing village.

Still, the canals remain a unique attraction of the city, which is known as the “Venice of the North”. If you are thinking of visiting this metropolis, do not miss this list with the places that you cannot miss. Grab your bike and get ready to ride it.

9 MUST-SEE PLACES IN AMSTERDAM

9 MUST-SEE PLACES IN AMSTERDAM

WALK THROUGH THE CANALS

As we said before, the canals are part of the charm of the city. Amsterdam has 165 canals and 1,281 bridges, and they are recognized as one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. To tour them, you just have to choose one of the many tours that are organized.

 

THE VAN GOGH MUSEUM

Whether you are an art fan or not, visiting the Vincent Van Gogh museum is a must. This enclosure opened its doors in 1973 and has become one of the most important tourist attractions in the city. With one of the best collections of the Dutch painter, it is undoubtedly an unmissable jewel. Other interesting museums are the Rembrandt House Museum and the Stedelijk Museum.

 

THE ROYAL CONCERT GEBOUW

This concert hall, home to the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, is considered one of the best in the world thanks to its acoustics. Its construction began in 1883, and since then it has been modified and rebuilt several times. If you have the opportunity to attend a concert it will be an unforgettable experience xxx gratuit.

 

THE ANNE FRANK HOUSE

Thanks to her diary, Anne Frank has become one of the most famous symbols of the Nazi occupation. This museum, opened in 1960, is located in the house where she and her family lived in hiding before being discovered. An emotional but necessary visit.

 

THE RIJKSMUSEUM

If you want to learn more about the history of the Netherlands, this museum is a must. Also known as the National Museum of Amsterdam in Spanish, you will be able to see collections on history, crafts and art, including works by Rembrandt van Rijn, Rubens, Mondrian, Van Gogh or Goya. There are also collections from Egypt, and Asia.

 

HEINEKEN EXPERIENCE

Beer fan? The Heineken Experience is for you, as this tour will take you through the brand’s first distillery, and you’ll learn about the beer production process, as well as Heineken itself. In addition, you will have the opportunity to participate in a tasting.

WESTERGASFABRIEK

It is an old gas factory located in the Westerpark in Amsterdam. Built over 130 years ago, it is now a venue for cultural and artistic events. Without a doubt, it is one of the most curious points of the city.

 

THE WESTERN OR WESTERKERK CHURCH

If you are a fan of architecture, you cannot miss seeing this baroque church built between 1620 and 1621. It is known for having the highest bell tower in the entire city, 85 meters high, and it is undoubtedly one of the most impressive visits .

 

THE NINE STREETS OF AMSTERDAM

This neighborhood is one of the most famous in the city, and is located between the Leidsestraat and Raadhuisstraat roads. A large part of the local businesses dedicated to art and design are condensed in it, as well as numerous bars and restaurants. An essential to feel the “hipster” scene in Amsterdam.

 

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THIS IS WHAT THE FLOATING CITY BEING BUILT IN DUBAI WILL LOOK LIKE

THIS IS WHAT THE FLOATING CITY BEING BUILT IN DUBAI WILL LOOK LIKE

When the economy fluctuates abundantly, social, structural and technological progress is almost a natural response. It is therefore not surprising that most of the big high-tech urban projects are coming from the UAE.
Thus, once again, Dubai is preparing for its next big project after the success of the Burj Khalifa: a high-tech floating city with sustainable architectural development.

The project was unveiled by Dubai Properties Group (the developer Dubai Holding) on 24 May. Under the name ‘Downtown Circle’, the construction is expected to be completed in 2023 thanks to an investment of one billion dollars.

 

WHAT WILL THE FLOATING CITY LOOK LIKE?

The design of this marvel of architecture was the responsibility of the ZNera Space studio, a brand that is characterised by eccentric, large-scale figures. On this occasion, they went far beyond what has been conceived so far, proposing a 550-metre city suspended in the air in the form of a ring, supported by functional pillars along its length.

READ MORE: “THIS WILL BE THE FUTURISTIC CITY THAT TOYOTA BUILD

Downtown Circle promises a 5-level structure to offer its residents a sustainable and sustainable housing, commercial and research proposal that combines luxury, technology and natural beauty. This last element is particularly important, given that there will be a significant concentration of people in a confined space.

WHAT WILL THE FLOATING CITY LOOK LIKE?

It will have a central ring called Skypark, designed to concentrate natural ecosystems with ecological functions such as: rainwater collection, solar energy production, tukif, etc. It will also have a tram for the transport of up to 20 people per capsule at a speed of 100 km/h. An alternative that will allow residents to move around easily and quickly.

 

TOURIST AND ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE

Downtown Circle is intended to be Dubai’s new architectural marvel, attracting tourists from all over the world. According to the original plans, it will feature a shopping area, restaurants, various nature parks and marinas.
The Dubai Properties Group says it will be something never seen before in the UAE, a new concept that will mark a before and after in Dubai and the Middle East.

READ MORE: “THE HEALTH EMERGENCY GROWS IN AFRICA

It is also expected to become the ultimate leisure and entertainment centre for the UAE’s high society. It is not unreasonable to think so, when we take a look at the project’s projections in numbers: 250,000 square metres dedicated to outdoor spaces, more than 100 commercial establishments, plus 60,000 square metres in parks.

 

THE MASTERMINDS BEHIND THE PROJECT

The project has the signature at the bottom of the page of the very same Najmus Chowdry and Nils Remess, co-founders of ZNera Space. According to press statements, the project explores the need for the two architects to go further in the development of skyscrapers that go beyond the expected: a vertical rectangle.

According to Chowdry, the horizontal ringed design of the Downtown Circlie seeks to re-establish gated communities in a horizontal, organic environment. It is also envisioned as an advanced form of civic planning, reducing food waste and other waste.

 

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THIS WILL BE THE FUTURISTIC CITY THAT TOYOTA BUILD

THIS WILL BE THE FUTURISTIC CITY THAT TOYOTA BUILD
CITY TOYOTA

For many, science fiction is a window into the distant future, and it is not for less. The history of technology and its constant advances have served as evidence to prove this theory. Today what writers and artists dreamed of is in blueprints and prototypes, showing how incredible technology can be.

Such is the case of Woven City, an urban planning project with the Toyota seal that promises a connected ecosystem where renewable energies and robotics will take us to a new level.

 

LET’S TALK ABOUT WOVEN CITY

The world-renowned automobile corporation placed the project in the hands of Woven Planet Holdings, initially intended as an opportunity to innovate in the development of autonomous energy connected mobility.
The project began this year in what used to be Toyota’s Higashi-Fuji plant, located in the city of Susono, at the foot of the iconic Japanese mountain.

The name that baptizes it defines, in just two words, the purpose of the project: a woven city, which places human beings at the epicenter of community development. A development, moreover, that is enhanced by the maximum use of renewable energy or at least clean.

Woven City promises 71 hectares of land for 360 residents, mostly retirees, households with children, and high-ranking Toyota employees. It may well seem like a small number, but it is only a projection. Woven City is expected to eventually host more than 2,000 people xnxx.

The design is intended for 3 types of streets, all intertwined with each other: one for pedestrians, another for electric scooters or other individual transportation devices, and finally one for autonomous vehicles and cars. It will also have underground transportation for the mobilization of merchandise and products for human consumption.

 

ROBOTICS AND TECHNOLOGY

WOVEN CITY
WOVEN CITY

Innovation will not only be limited to transportation. Woven City promises robotic solutions designed for the maximum use of artificial intelligence. One of the most striking examples of its application will be the “living laboratory”.

Coexisting with all the technology and innovation, we can see the building designs of Bjarke Ingels, who has already surprised us before with the World Trade Center or the Google headquarters in London. According to the architect, his proposal highlights the use of wood and other traditional Japanese techniques. The ultimate goal is a carbon footprint that is as small as possible.

SUSTAINABILITY ALSO MATTER

Woven City is not only projected as a solution for humanity. But also for the same planet. The design of this futuristic city promises full equipment in solar panels and batteries powered by hydrogen fuel.

Homes with the highest domestic technology will actively coexist with large green areas, where native vegetation and hydroponic plantations will abound. In addition, citizens will be able to enjoy the large central park, designed for social gatherings and the establishment of links between inhabitants.

NISSAN IS ALSO COMMITTED TO SMART CITIES

As Toyota continues to encourage more and more investors to become part of this connected ecosystem project, Nissan is wasting no time. He also proposes his own project.

Nissan’s Smart City also seeks to create an autonomous and public transport network where mobility works from the rational use of electrical energy and bidirectional charging Vehicle-to-Grid technology.

Which of these projects do you think is the first to position itself at the forefront of this race towards the futuristic world that science fiction promised us?

 

 

 

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The Health Emergency Grows in Africa

The Health Emergency Grows in Africa

COVID-19 and Beyond – The Current State

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to pile pressure on Africa’s health emergency and socioeconomics. As of 2021, the continent’s recovery remains impeded by low inoculation rates and limited resources to sustain financial aid to susceptible households and firms. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to devastate African lives and has forced up to forty million persons into extreme poverty. The most affected groups include the youth, women, low-skill laborers, and people in the informal sector. The lack of access to income opportunities and social safety nets makes these groups more vulnerable.

Crowded informal urban settlement continues to hinder physical distancing, making Africa susceptible to the spread of COVID-19. Furthermore, undernourishment, limited access to safe drinking water, underlying health conditions (like TB and HIV/AIDS), and poorly funded health systems exacerbated the situation. Predictions of infections and death differ widely. However, the impact of the pandemic on the social and economic aspects is very real and may elicit debt crises porno français. This is according to a research report conducted by the Institute for Security Studies.

The timely report is the first comprehensive long-term (up to 2030) forecast of the health and economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Africa. The predictions indicate that the pandemic will hit hard in Africa. However, the crisis also creates an opening for a sustainable economic transformation. The mortality rates in Africa are significantly lower than in other parts of the globe, perhaps due to the continent’s younger population. However, community transmission is increasing fast. According to the forecast, the rates of COVID-19 infection are anticipated to lead to relatively low mortality.

The Health Emergency Grows in Africa 

The research’s conclusion indicates that direct and indirect mortalities related to COVID-19 would lead to between 1.8 and 5.3 more deaths in the continent by 2030. Currently, estimates show that 700000 Africans perish from AIDS and slightly less from malaria each year. Indirect mortalities occur due to lesser government revenues and reduced health spending. The outbreak of Ebola in Sierra Leone, Guinea, and Liberia between 2014 and 2016 prompted the channeling of resources from basic health care. Consequently, Africa experienced a rise in deaths related to TB, malaria, HIV/AIDS, and maternal mortality. If the situation happens with COVID-19, malaria, TB, and HIV mortalities may rise by up to 36 percent in the continent over five years.

Estimates show that government revenues will drop compared to the pre-COVID forecast, and private, and public health expenditures will decline significantly. Economic recovery is likely to be slow, and the full lifting of lockdowns in Africa. Furthermore, a collapse in tax revenues and reduced employment and household income will likely aggravate the situation.

 

WHO Africa Appeal to Respond to Emergencies

WHO Africa Appeal to Respond to Emergencies

The World Health Organization Africa Region faces the highest load of public health emergencies worldwide. Such emergencies are often avertable and controllable with established public health interventions. However, without the needed support, these emergencies will remain to devastate health systems, cost lives, and fuel socioeconomic disruptions.

The entire 2021 saw WHO work closely with countries and partners to avert, identify, and respond to Africa’s wide array of emergencies to meet the immediate health requirements of populations impacted by crisis and address the primary causes of their vulnerability. The measures provided populations with access to lifesaving care, mitigated economic hardships, and controlled the spread of diseases.

 

 

 

How Will Africa Cope with Demographic Change? The Continent That Will Have the Fastest Growth in The World

Africa’s population is the fastest-growing globally and is estimated to increase by about 50% over the next 18 years. If this were true, the population would increase from 1.2 billion people to over 1.8 billion by 2035. At this point, the continent would account for almost half of the populace in a record span of two decades. 

 

Understanding The Drivers

Before diving into the solutions, it’s imperative to understand the driving forces behind these numbers. An average African woman has about 4.7 children. The number ranges widely depending on the specific part of Africa, with Central and Western Africa having the highest numbers. The global average for women is 2.5 children.  

One of the reasons why African women have many children is that they start their motherhood journey four years earlier than the global average of 26. The rate of adolescent births is also very high, standing at thrice the global average. 

Another driver is family planning. About a quarter of African women lack access to good family planning services xxx. Some do not have enough social and community backing. Supporting women to attain their fertility goals is essential and can help curb rapid, unsustainable population growth. 

 

The Elephant in The Room – Quality of Life

The problem with population increase does not lie in the numbers – it’s all in the quality of life of every individual on the continent. Rapid population growth impacts welfare and development, which could have severe consequences for humanity’s wellbeing. So, the question of how Africa will cope with the expected demographic changes can only be answered by how well the leaders prepare the continent for these aspects:

The Level of Living

Will African nations manage to improve the level of living among their citizens? The anticipated population growth might make it difficult to provide essential services. They include housing, sanitation, security, and transport. 

Poverty Alleviation

What effects are high population growth rates for the 99% in the economic bracket? The leaders should ensure a constant food supply to meet the demands of the rising population and boost the nutritional levels. They should ensure everyone has a balanced diet. Doing so will help bridge the economic gap. 

Increased Labor Forces

When there is a high labor supply, the unemployment rate might increase. Therefore, the continent must curb unemployment rates by increasing industrialization. They could also look for innovative ways of ensuring plentiful employment opportunities. 

Better Education and Health

African nations must analyze whether their current facilities will be enough to consider the expected population growth. They should improve their health and education systems to ensure everybody has access to primary education and proper healthcare. 

 

Guarantee to Freedom of Choice

Will parents have the freedom to choose their desired family size with the beaming numbers? Is there a relationship between poverty and freedom of choice? These two questions imply that African leaders and policymakers must frame the population issue on the quality of human life and the availability of resources. Population trends should increase one’s options and choices. Therefore, implementing a population policy is best viewed as a means and not an end.

 

 

Why investing in solar systems in Africa?

Africa Infrastructure Investment Managers (AIIM), a member of Old Mutual Alternative Investments and a private equity fund manager is investing $31m (€27m) for a minority stake in solar systems business to help expand off-grid solar electricity into parts of east and central Africa.

Efforts are being made by Africa Infrastructure Investment Managers (AIIM) to develop solar electricity into parts of central and east Africa by Africa Infrastructure Investment Managers (AIIM). AIIM is investing the amount in the operations of BBOXX in Kenya, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda for an anonymous minority stake. This will enable the installation of about two million solar systems by 2022, getting electricity to about 10 million people.

According to a co-founder of BBOXX, Mansoor Hamayun, the arrangement with AIIM shows BBOX shows the extent of the commitment of BBOXX to investment in the off-grid sector and its readiness partner with global companies in order to achieve its aim. The partnership also shows the commitment of BBOXX to enhance economic growth and development by removing the barriers.


AFRICA’S INFRASTRUCTURE GAP

Africa’s challenges with infrastructure have been an obstacle to the growth of its economy. The continent has, over the years, relied heavily on funds from the public for the building of their current infrastructures, however, this can hardly lead Africa to a significant improvement in the level of their porno infrastructure. More private investment should be allowed by Africa if it intends to bridge its infrastructural gaps. Infrastructure, in turn, is a giant step into the development of any country.

A few years ago, the African Development Bank declared the sum of $90 billion as the sum needed every year for the covering of the infrastructural deficit in Africa. Recently, the figures were updated, revealing the need for $170 billion annually. Sadly, only about $45 billion is being spent a year.
Both hard infrastructures (including road networks, electricity, and transport) and Soft infrastructures (including education and logistics) are needed for the smooth running and progress of every country.

According to Celeste Fauconnier, RMB’s Africa Analyst, the private sector has an important role to play in infrastructural development in Africa. It is also important to gear up Public-Private Partnership (PPP) programs, as in the past years, far too many revenues have been spent without catching up with the deficits in infrastructure. The increment of private sector investment is, therefore, key in building infrastructures in Africa.

The New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD)

In 2001, several African presidents came together to establish the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD). Subsequently, it was embraced as Africa’s premier development framework at a July 2001 summit meeting of African heads of state. The Partnership’s priorities are being discussed with the group of some industrialized countries totaling about eight. The discussions about this new vision have also been making rounds across Africa.

The Partnership has said that the attainment of long-term development goals in Africa depends on how determined the African people are to their own development. They must be ready to address the problem of being excluded in a globalized world and to tackle underdevelopment. Asides effort by Africans, the attainment of Africa’s long-term development goals also requires the assistance of the international community. New relationships must be formed to ensure that the non-African partners complement the effort of Africans in the attainment of the goals.

According to the Partnership, for Africa to have increased economic growth and reduce the number of people who live in poverty by about 50 percent, an annual resource gap of about $64 billion must be filled with porno. Although much of the needed resources will not come from the continent itself, Africa also needs to be mobilized by reducing government’s expenditures, ensuring better compliance to tax payment, reducing capital flight, and encouraging domestic investment and national savings.

The international community can also be of assistance by increasing the flow of development assistance. However, it is believed that the way such aid has been given overtime has created problems for the countries for whom the aid is given. It is being advocated that there is a need for significant reformation in the presentation of assistance to developing countries.

One of the ways that assistance may be granted Africa is by directing more foreign investment to Nigeria. However, the difficulty in this has been expressed given the equal problems usually encountered in bringing private capital flows to the continent. This aid can, therefore, be made one of the long-term plans for Africa. Another mode of assistance is by the provision of more debt reliefs for not only the countries which qualify for it and those outside the debt-relief framework.

In spite of help obtained from outside, however, the New Partnership has always maintained that Africa has the key to its development. The New Partnership has stated three conditions that must be in place for Africa to develop:

  • Enhanced corporate governance and better economic control
  • Peace, security and good political governance
  • Regional integration and corporation

Doing It Africa’s Way

Working together and with outside support, Africans can and will address their own challenges—in their own ways—for lasting results. That, in essence, was the message 22 of the continent’s leaders delivered to World Bank President James Wolfensohn and IMF Managing Director Horst Köhler on an unprecedented joint visit to Africa in late February.

The week-long trip, which included stops in Mali, Tanzania, Nigeria and Kenya, was a follow-up to Wolfensohn and Köhler’s commitment at the Prague 2000 Annual Meetings to put Africa at the center of their institutions’ activities. The World Bank and IMF heads set out to listen to how African leaders plan to address these challenges and to discuss how their institutions can best support them in their efforts.

The Bank’s vice president for the Africa Region, Callisto Madavo, and his IMF counterpart, G.E. Gondwe, accompanied their bosses on the trip. “What’s new from this trip,” Madavo told reporters in Washington Wednesday (transcript), “is that for the first time we have African leaders taking ownership of what they want to do in Africa.” He added that “a new partnership is emerging in which African leaders are telling us what they want to do, and in turn they are asking the Bank and the Fund as their external partners to provide support.”

That sentiment was echoed by the IMF’s Gondwe: “This time, there was a very, very, very clear understanding of what the problems are as well as enthusiasm of taking responsibilities for what has to be done.”

Among the key African-led initiatives is the recently-announced Millenium African Renaissance Plan (MAP). This is a program that Presidents Bouteflika of Algeria, Obasanjo of Nigeria, and Mbeki of South Africa were asked to develop by the Organization of African Unity, the G-77, and the Non Aligned Movement. It is an integrated African-led business plan to address issues of economic growth, encourage private investment, and invest in people. Developed by Africans, the program comes with the advantage of local ownership and homegrown ideas. The World Bank and IMF heads discussed the program with the three Heads of State championing it, along with Malian President Alpha Konare, who hosted the meeting in Bamako. It is on the drawing board, and both institutions plan to follow its development closely.

Madavo said there was broad agreement on what needs to be done if Africa is to move forward: reducing poverty through sustained economic growth, combating AIDS and investing in people, strengthening governance, improving the investment climate, resolving conflicts, and linking African economies to the global economy.

In meetings with Wolfensohn and Köhler, African leaders stressed that some MAP programs called for special attention. “HIV/AIDS was seen as one area where they wanted really to fast-track action and activities,” Madavo said. Africa is home to 70 percent of the 36 million people living with HIV or AIDS worldwide. In some African countries, more than one-third of the population is infected or has AIDS, dealing devastating blows to overall development. The World Bank stresses that political commitment to fight AIDS is key to curbing the epidemic (see story).

Another pressing issue is outside support. According to the World Bank’s African Development Indicators, a report out last month, official aid to Sub-Saharan Africa has been falling from $32 a head in 1990 to $19 by 1998 despite evidence of its effective development results in those countries with sound social and economic policies (see story). “Official aid levels need to pick up,” Madavo said at Wednesday’s briefing. He also appealed to rich countries to open their markets to African exports. World Bank research shows that tariff barriers cost African countries more than the they receive in official aid.

“The leaders of our two institutions felt that they should act as advocates for Africa, in terms of market access, official aid floors and continued efforts on debt relief, so that we can put together the resources that would enable the Africans to do what they told us they wanted to do,” Madavo said.

Wolfensohn and Köhler agreed with the African leaders they recently met with to come together again in a year to review progress on the issues they discussed, and to to see how much of this is translated into action. “The challenge now,” Madavo said, “is the next steps: What is going to happen over the next twelve months? Are we going to see real progress? This is going to depend very much on the Africans, but we in the World Bank and IMF are quite willing to roll up our sleeves to assist Africa, to make progress.”

Fighting Hunger And Malnutrition Through Children

October 16, 2001—An international coalition of partners, including the World Bank, today launch a global education campaign—Feeding Minds, Fighting Hunger—to mark World Food Day. The initiative is to encourage children and youth to get actively involved in creating a world free from hunger and malnutrition.
A global teach-in, including officials from the United Nations and governments, and celebrities from different walks of life, will be teaching children in more than 30 countries around the world this week about hunger, nutrition, and food insecurity.
“Today more than 800 million people go to bed not knowing if they will have enough to eat tomorrow,” said Ian Johnson, World Bank Vice President. “200 million of those are children under the age of five. We believe children can be powerful agents of change, both today and when they become the adults of tomorrow.”
Feeding Minds, Fighting Hunger has been developed by a broad coalition of international organizations, US organizations, and regional collaborators around the world. The initiative provides model lesson plans and resource materials on the topics:
• What is hunger and malnutrition and who are the hungry?
• Why are people hungry and malnourished?
• What can we do to help end hunger?
Teachers around the world will adapt and refine the materials, as necessary, to meet local needs and conditions. In subsequent years, lesson plans and activities from educators themselves will be solicited and shared so that students can begin to learn from each other about local problems of hunger and malnutrition and can share their ideas on how to solve these problems.
Hunger and malnutrition prevent the normal growth and development of children. They limit the learning capacity and productivity of both children and adults and, when widespread, are serious constraints to the social and economic development of communities and nations.
“An important step in developing and strengthening a society’s commitment to eliminating hunger and malnutrition,” said Robert L. Thompson, Director of the World Bank’s Rural Development Department, “is to ensure that children understand the causes and consequences of such problems, and more importantly, are motivated to seek ways that they can help to solve and prevent them.”
The Feeding Minds, Fighting Hunger Initiative has been developed as one of many efforts being undertaken worldwide to fight hunger and malnutrition.
“Eliminating hunger in today’s world is a question of political will and global leadership,” said Lynn Brown, from the World Bank’s Rural Development family, one of the founders of the Feeding Minds Fighting Hunger coalition. “By teaching today’s children about hunger we hope to build a generation of future world leaders committed to ensuring that noone goes hungry in their world.”
This week’s global teach-in will consist of a number of parallel events in countries around the world, including Nane Annan in New York, Ismail Serageldin in Alexandria, Egypt (Director of the Alexandria Library), Congressman Tony Hall in Washington DC, Christovan Buarque in Brasilia (former Governor and former Dean of Federal University), Reuben Villareale in Los Banos (Director of South-East Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture), Francis Lucas in Manila (Chairman of the Asian NGO Coalition for Agrarian Reform and Rural Development), Fitz Jackson in Jamaica (Minister  of Education), and Grace Akello in Kampala (Minister of Gender, Labor and Social Development).
In the Washington area, Per Pinstrup-Andersen, Director General of the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and the 2001 World Food Prize Laureate, taught the lessons at Thaddeus Stevens elementary school on Monday.
The lessons are available in 6 languages—English, French, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, and Italian—and can also be obtained in hard copy (English only) or on CD.
The members of the Feeding Minds, Fighting Hunger coalition include: American Federation of Teachers; Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations; Future Harvest; International Education and Resource Network; International Food Policy Research Institute; National Peace Corps Association; Newsweek Magazine Education Program; United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization; U.S. National Committee for World Food Day; and the World Bank.