SHALIN has open volunteer and intern positions focused on three projects in Kenya

This is an open and excellent opportunity for a student or a development worker wishing to be involved in any or all the three projects as a combined approach to understanding the role of policies, innovation, technology and local knowledge in development.

Terra preta and Stove research project read more following this LINK

The project is researching on household gasification stove and role of biochar in soil improvement  and agricultural productivity (Terra preta).  The focus is two pronged- to develop and improve the gasification stove technology and to test biochar efficacy on different soils on agriculture. The project is working with targeted households who will be provided with support to set up experimental and open access demonstration plots.  The same farmers will test the different stoves. KEFRI – Kenya Forestry Research Institute will be undertaking the technical soil measurements and testing of stoves (efficiency).

The project involves Coalition for Environment and Development, SHALIN and Helsinki University of Technology (Aalto ! University)

Forestry Project

GISEEM stands for geographical information systems (GIS) enhanced ecological mapping for improved governance of natural resources in Kenya. It is essentially a governance project aimed at empowering marginalized communities with valuable knowledge and skills of their natural environment. The GIS technology is part of the tools used towards generating knowledge for the improved governance and empowerment.

Between 2007 and 2009, GISEEM project worked with three forest communities in Kenya, mapping and documenting their traditional knowledge, producing a 3 D model on one of the forests, conducting several trainings and workshops on both technical aspects of mapping, forest and land policy environment and intergenerational transfer of ecological knowledge.

GISEEM will be looking at community forestry from a national level. Therefore an important part of the project will be to share the experiences from the 3 case communities with other communities, NGOs, and CSOs working on forestry in Kenya.

Renewable Energy Project

Renewable Energy for Sustainable Universal Ecology (RESCUE) is a project that started in 2008 and will continue to 2012.  The project aims at promoting small-scale, local renewable energy technologies. In 2008/09 the project trained artisans in wind and biogas technology.  The biogas units have been developed at schools to replace the use of firewood.  It is estimated that schools use about 17 tonnes of dry firewood per year.

The current phase of the project aims at upgrading the skills of the  technicians and improving the technologies, especially the wind power.   The project is also to strengthen the network further and build a strong partnership between renewable energy users and developers in Kenya.  Partners to this project have been Friends of the Earth Finland. Siemenpuu Foundation has also supported the local partner in the technical capacity development of the artisans on biogas and wind technology.

The aim of RESCUE is to respond to energy poverty, deforestation, climate change and unemployment by providing renewable energy solutions, develop new skills, create employment and build business opportunities.  The bigger goal is to improve the local environment and general ecosystems.

Opportunities

The projects under SHALIN offer many opportunities for research, innovation and as well as developing creative home grown solutions that address the much larger question of energy, food security and the integrity of ecosystems.  This is an  opportunity to develop an even bigger research for a student, intern, or development worker interested in the questions of environment and development.

Or contact us using the form below: Remember, a condition to intern or volunteer with SHALIN is that you are also a paid up member.

Recommendations  from  panelists and participants of the Seminar on Ethnicity  and Conflict in Eastern Africa held at the Hotel Arthur, HELSINKI on 25 September 2008

While taking into account that ethnicity is one of the identities embodied and expressed by  citizens  in the pursuit of political, economic, social and cultural freedoms

And recognizing that it can be manipulated to acquire or maintain power and is often associated with conflicts in Africa

And considering that human rights are universal and vitally critical for democracy, freedom and social development

Participants at the Seminar on ethnicity and democracy make the following recommendations.

The Proceedings

1. The papers presented raise important issues for serious consideration by policy makers and citizens. In order for the issues to have wider access, it is recommended that they be edited and published. Prof. Kimani Njogu and Dr. Sabelo Ndlovu are mandated to coordinate the editing process with Mr. Peter Kuria.

2. The issues discussed  are topical and urgent for citizens of Eastern Africa and ought to be raised in the region. It is recommended that a follow up Seminar be held in Eastern Africa in 2009 in order to interact with the  political class and civil society actors in the region.

3. Issues of ethnicity, land, human rights and conflict are of interest at the World Social Forum. It is recommended that KIOS and Shalin explore how panelists can participate and present their papers at the WSF to be held in January 2009 in Brazil.

Pan-Africanism

4. Conflicts facing different parts of Africa are closely tied to lack of justice, infringement of citizen’s rights, limited resources, freedom and democracy.  It is recommended that the spirit of an pan-African identity be strengthened through networks and alliances.

5. The African diaspora should uphold the respect of human rights and take an interest  in reducing conflict on the continent. Citizens in the diaspora can be core to the consolidation of a pan-African identity.

Citizenship Rights

6. There are stateless citizens in Africa. It is recommended that  the right to citizenship be taken up as a human rights issue and that the space for social integration be expanded among all citizens.

7. In situations of conflict, the rights of  internally displaced persons are violated. There rights should be protected through international conventions and statutes.

8. In order to address conflict in Africa, it is imperative that their root causes be examined and resolved.  The architecture of governance and Electoral processes that are designed in a Winner-Take-All format limit the participation of citizens in national and local decision making processes. More innovative and inclusive approaches in governance should be explored in order to cater for varied interests.

9. Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commissions are contributing in national healing and the consolidation of democracy. These processes should however not be designed to give blanket amnesty to violators of human rights.  Impunity breeds more conflict.

Transformative Leadership

10. The quality of political leadership in Africa is uninspiring  due to its lack of commitment to genuinely transforming  the lives of ordinary citizens. By developing a new cadre of leaders within and without the political sphere, the continent can realize true change. It is recommended that organizations doing leadership work be provided with resources to undertake the nurturing of an alternative leadership.

Media

11. There is no doubt that media have contributed to the expansion of democratic space in Eastern Africa since the 1990s at the liberalization of the airwaves. Media freedom is imperative and should be protected at all times but freedom must go with responsibility if the sector is to contribute to democratization and the protection of the rights of all citizens. It is recommended that capacity of media be enhanced through professionalism and entrenchment of ethical standards. Training of talk show hosts, interviewers and political reporters and editors ought to be prioritized.

12. Community media is a model for the future in Africa. It is key to the growth of a democratic culture, the strengthening of institutions of governance and the ability of citizens to hold leaders to account. But community media requires strategic and engagement in terms of policy, funding and sustainability. Equally, the growth of independent national broadcasters is key for linking citizens with government. It is recommended that community media and independent national broadcasters be supported.

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A biogas plant is like an animal. You must feed it every day and feed it the right stuff in the right amount. Just like an animal if you don’t take good care of it, it will become ill and will yield poor results.

The results from our two year pilot project on renewable energy in Kenya, show that most boarding Schools in Kenya consume between 30-100 kgs of dry firewood per day, this translates to between 4.8-16 tonnes of wood per year per school.  On a country wide basis,  the use of firewood as a sole source of energy has negative and dire consequences for the environment. In Kenya, there are 26 000 primary schools. Less than 20% of Kenya has access to electricity.

Giitune School Firewood in the yard (Bonventure Secondary School, November 2009)

Within a week schools in Kenya that provide meals for students use between 150-500 kgs of firewood.  This  depends on the number of meals they cook and number of students.  On this basis, it can be projected that in a year, a school consumes approximately 4800- 16000 kgs (4.8-16 tonnes) of dry firewood.

Cooking in an open stove

In a district like Laikipia (an ASAL) there are 42 secondary schools,  majority of which cook for the students.  The daily and cumulative use of firewood on the environment is drastic and can not be over-emphasized. There is an urgent need for alternatives to be sought.  The above statistics are based on schools that use fuel efficient stoves, in the case where the schools are not using energy saving stoves, the use of firewood is probably higher with a high economic and environmental cost.

Between 2007 and 2009 the project has developed the concept on Biogas as a renewable energy intervention with direct and immediate impact.  Five schools have developed the biogas systems which are at different stages of completion.  At the same time, biogas technicians trained on the technology have been able to privately build household systems and are now able to use the skill to earn a living.  One technician has been able to build 5 biogas units, while the others have been offered jobs by organizations dealing with biogas systems even to work as far as in Sudan.

Biogas unit built by Mwenda (a trained artisan) is used to directly light Pressure Lamp Mantle in Nyanyuki, Kenya (November 2009)

Challenges and lessons learnt

Institutional Biogas

To be added soon (07.12.2009)

Household Biogas units

To be updated soon (07.12.2009)

Read more about the biogas following this LINK here

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The drought which has hit East Africa is wreaking havoc among the region’s pastoralists. Their herds of livestock have been decimated. Even the hardy camels are dying.

When they are slaughtering camels it is like throwing away the pension Kephas Indangasi Vets Without Borders

Turkana district in north-west Kenya is a harsh environment at the best of times. Driving along the sandy roads with temperatures tipping 40C, the air coming through the car window feels like the blast from load of hair-driers.

The landscape is desert-like and the only signs of life are the occasional circular mud huts thatched with grass. There is very little vegetation – just a few brown thorny shrubs.

In a dry river bed in Lochoraikey, close to the shrinking Lake Turkana, men and women gathered. The women were on one side – most wearing a mountain of brightly coloured necklaces.

They were sitting in the sand and lying among them were dozens of emaciated goats – concave with protruding ribs.

Source: BBC

Africa Health and Development International (AHADI) (www.ahadi.org) will convene a regional conference on the opportunities and challenges of ethnic diversity in eastern Africa on 15-17th October 2009. The Conference is supported by the Rockefeller Foundation. The Convenor is Prof. Kimani Njogu, a linguistic and cultural theorist currently with AHADI and Twaweza Communications, Nairobi. Kimani did his Ph.D. at Yale university (1993) and returned to teach at Kenyatta university, before moving on to work within civil society in 2003. He is a Board Member of the Legal Resources Foundation (LRF), a human rights organization and Trust for Indigenous Culture and Health (TICAH). Kimani Njogu is also the Chairman of the Kenya National Kiswahili Association (CHAKITA-Kenya).

The conference will bring together participants from academic and civil society institutions in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Ghana, Burundi and Rwanda. The aim is to create a space for candid discussions on ethnicity as an identity and ways in which diversity can be made a viable resource for political, economic and social well-being. Some of the issues to be discussed at the Conference include the following:

(a)What is the nature of ethnicity in contemporary Africa? By discussing ethnicity as a form of identity, participants will attempt to understand how it plays out within politics, the economy, social and cultural life. Significantly, they will explore ways in which nation-states are addressing this form of identity through processes of ‘inclusion’ in governance, representation, resource allocation and distribution.

(b)How is ethnicity a political and social construct? Identities are not fixed but are constantly shifted, negotiated and contested. They can also be deconstructed and reconstructed and there are many examples of how ethnic branding and re-branding have been undertaken or attempted, including a recent (2005) effort by the British government to re-name ethnic minorities. In many African countries, ethnic identities are a consequence of political and social engineering and that is how communities such as the Kalenjin, Luhya, Tutsi, Hutu and Yoruba came into being. The colonial partition of Africa set in motion a number of events and early colonial ideas about African communities incorporated late 19^th century evolutionist arguments and European concepts of ‘nation’. Starting from the premise that Africans belonged to a single ‘tribe’ which was distinct in its physiological, linguistic and cultural manifestations and inhabited a particular territory which was governed by a Council of Elders or a Chief, colonial officers proceeded to ‘map’ communities and the realignment of identities and jurisdiction. The assumption was that families combined to form ‘clans’, and many ‘clans’ made’ tribes’ which together constituted the ‘nation’. Meanwhile, missionaries needed a systematic linguistic access to communities and through translation of the Bible, re-writing of the catechism and standardization and codification of dialects and grammars they created larger categories of ethnic consciousness. These new ethnic identities later became the objects of struggle in the cultural politics of defining ‘proper’ identity and behaviour. The Conference will draw examples from a number of countries to show that ‘ethnic’ identity is transitory and malleable and that fixation on ethnic identity can be challenged.

(3) How can ethnic diversity be turned into a resource for political, economic and social development? In most of Africa, there is evidence of politicized inter-ethnic rivalry and ethnic mobilization to acquire, maintain or monopolize power. ‘Political ethnicity’ (differentiated from ‘moral ethnicity’) has also been viewed as a major barrier to human and economic development although ethnically bound welfare organizations do influence the economic and social life of citizens especially in the rural areas. In most of Africa, it is through ethnic identification that competition for influence in the state and in the allocation of resources becomes apparent. Occasionally, governments have sought to address this challenge through ‘ethnic and regional balancing’ in political appointments; a form of ‘hegemonial exchange’. But the exchange does not always work and rebellion ensures as citizens feel marginalized from centres of power. In order to address ethnic rivalry at the political arena, it is important to have candid discussions about ethnicity and political representation.

In other words, conversations about ethnicity must of necessity explore political and economic needs of citizens. This is because ethnicity by itself is not a problem: it is the way it is used for political and economic survival and concealment of exploitative practices as well as its tendency to exclude. Used positively, it has functioned as a resource and engine of development in rural areas through mobilization of resources and maximization of opportunities within the nation-state or beyond.

The conference will explore the following issues:

• • How can ethnic diversity contribute to the development and strengthening of democratic institutions? How can systems of governance and accountability found in communities be re-activating and shared?
  • Which innovative approaches and strategies exist for creating, generating, and disseminating knowledge to enhance positive ethnicity and inter-ethnic collaboration where political ethnicity is common?
  • Considering that land, environmental degradation and climate change are important causes of inter-ethnic tensions, what models of land allocation and use could foster and strengthen multi-ethnic ownership and utilization in the region?
  • How can Kiswahili, the lingua franca of eastern Africa, be promoted as the core vehicle for the suppression of negative ethnicity and stereotyping and in promoting positive ethnicity and diversity?
  • What models of educational experiences at various levels of education are capable of promoting positive ethnicity and functioning multiculturalism?
  • How can ethnic diversity contribute to a creative economy without the commodification and stereotyping of communities?

(4) How can a peaceful multi-ethnic nation be built? As an ideology, nationalism could be viewed as a claim that a given human population has a natural solidarity based on shared history (such as that of a colonial experience) and a common destiny. This collective identity as a historically constituted ‘people’ entails the right to form an independent political community. Nationalism is also linked to the doctrine of popular sovereignty; that the ultimate source of authority lies in the people who may cede some of their power to their representatives but still retain ‘residual’ power over them. As many African countries gained independence, the new leaders set to legitimize the nation-state and ‘nation-building’ was viewed as an important imperative. Through the educational system, national rituals of state formation, the national anthem and the flag, as well as national identity cards the concept of ‘one nation’ was promoted. A territorial national consciousness became part of popular culture and has tended to co-exist with a pan-African identity. We will discuss how a strong national identity can co-exist with the ethnic identity through a deliberate identification of common bonds.

OBJECTIVES OF THE CONFERENCE

• To facilitate regional reflections on ethnic diversity as a resource for eastern Africa
• To explore the opportunities and challenges that multiculturalism presents to African nations
• To discuss ways in which a national identity can be cultivated and enhanced in a multi-ethnic situation;
• To publish the deliberations for wider dissemination in the region and the diaspora.

The Conference will be held between 15th-17th October 2009 in Nairobi.

Participation will be by invitation only.