Eddie Burke

African Women and the Changing Global Outlook

On Friday May 8, The British Embassy will host the second Women's Empowerment in Africa conference in partnership with the National Geographic Society at their headquarters in Washington. The conference will examine how the global economic downturn impacts women's empowerment in Africa.

There's no question that the economic downturn will have a significant impact on women. For example, in some African countries there has been a fall in foreign direct investment, remittances, commodity prices and a continuing rise in food prices.

Panelists at this Friday's conference will try to anticipate what affect this economic hardship will have on the Millennium Development Goals. The MDGs represent a fresh desire to provide education and career opportunities to women in impoverished countries.

Unfortunately, education and jobs - which are normally at a premium for women in many parts of the world - are even more restricted given the current economic environment.

Conference participants include Baroness Amos, Former Leader of the House of Lords, Melanne Verveer, Ambassador at Large for Global Women's Issues, State Department, Mr. Dominick Chilcott Deputy Head of Mission, British Embassy, Washington, Ms. Sheila Johnson, CARE Ambassador and Philanthropist and Ambassador Amina Salum Ali, African Union Ambassador to Washington. The sold out conference has received an overwhelming level of support from a range of sponsors including, the National Geographic Society, VOA, The Diaspora report, AllAfrica.com, Council on Foreign Relations, League of Black Women, Africare, The Washington Informer, TransAfrica Forum, Georgetown University, Howard University and Vibrant design group.

I am personally looking forward to hearing some great dialogue and debate between such a varied group of panelists. You can follow the conference no matter where you are in the world by checking out the Embassy's Twitter feed on Friday.

Posted at 10:51 05 May 2009 by Eddie Burke  |  Comments[0]

What is Africa's challenge? Ask Wangari Maathi.

I had the pleasure of sitting down with 2004 Nobel Peace Prize winner Dr. Wangari Maathi yesterday in the lobby of the Marriott hotel in downtown Washington. Believe me, this is rare given her busy schedule!

For those not familiar, Dr. Maathi is the founder of the Green Belt Movement, an environmentalist, a civil society and women's rights activist, and a parliamentarian. I should add that she was the first woman in Sub Saharan Africa to gain A PhD.

Since winning the Nobel Peace Prize, Wangari Maathai has become a spokesperson for a number of important initiatives. Her organisation the Green Belt Movement began by addressing a serious problem with simple solution: getting communities to plant trees as a symbol of their commitment. Since 1977 she has overseen the planting of around 10 million trees on the continent of Africa.

We talked in depth about the Congo Basin project. Dr Maathi told me she was full of praise for Prime Minister Gordon Brown and the British Government for their support of the Congo Basin Project and for recognising the important contribution gained from forests especially the Congo forest. The Prime Minister (then Chancellor of the Exchequer) In 2005 gave a $100 million contribution for a new fund to support conservation of the Congo Basin Forest Ecosystem. This initiative will help to protect the Congo Basin Forest ecosystem spanning ten countries in central Africa.

The Congo Basin Forest Ecosystem in central Africa plays an important role in absorbing CO2, a main greenhouse gas, and provide the world with oxygen.

"The Congo Basin Forest Ecosystem must be protected, because without them not only will the global climate not be stabilised, but the world will suffer, in particular the region of Africa which has few options"

Of course I took this opportunity to tell Dr. Maathi about the British Embassy's work on climate change and the upcoming Women's Empowerment conference at the National Geographic Society which will focus on "Women and the Global Outlook."

Posted at 10:04 17 April 2009 by Eddie Burke  |  Comments[0]

International Women's Day 2009

Today we mark International Women's Day 2009.

Women are the key to the Millennium Development Goals becoming a reality. The world won’t achieve the MDGs in 2015 without bringing about gender equality and the empowerment of women.

As Gordon Brown quite rightly pointed out in his speech to the UN in September 2007: "The alleviation of poverty and hunger demand global recognition (of) women’s leadership and organizing capacities. Women’s work in agriculture and export promotion are key to sustainable development. The road to sustainable development begins with inclusive policy-making."

Most of the poorest people in the world are women and part of what makes them poor is borne solely out of their gender.

Did you know that in rural Africa it's women, not trucks, who carry two-third of all goods? Many women there are forced to stay at home to work during the day - of course, they sacrifice an education and career do be able to do so.

The MDGs represent a fresh desire to provide education and career opportunities to these women. Some women are not allowed to work at all, however. There are also women afflicted with serious health issues who don't have access to proper treatment. So MDGs not only create opportunities, but also work to promote the equal and fair status of women at home, in education, health, politics and work.

Progress for women not only changes their lives but will better the lives of future generations of women. Women must have equal rights to end poverty. Until then, it won’t happen.

Posted at 13:03 09 March 2009 by Eddie Burke  |  Comments[2]

The personal side to MDGs in Africa

As part of Blog Action Day 2008, I want to share a personal encounter I had with poverty earlier this year.
 
In April, I had a rather unique opportunity to visit Africa for the first time at the the invitation of Africare, one of the most respected NGOs in the US. The trip gave me a chance to see how a major US operation works on the African continent as globally we look to stay on course to meet the Millenium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015. Moreover, the trip drove home the magnitude of the task ahead of us to eradicate poverty in Africa.
 
It's one thing to be engaged in public diplomacy on development in Africa sitting at your desk in Washington, DC, but quite another to see poverty in person. It really grabbed my heart to see such destitution up close. I remember picking up one little boy and smelling the urine on him. It was his normality. How can that be right?

No one thing sticks in my mind more than seeing young kids so disenfranchised from their childhood because of circumstance. To see a young child carrying heavy water containers along the roadside (in most cases with no shoes on) first thing in the morning is tough to see as a father knowing my own child back in the US safely tucked into bed with not a decision to make in his day. How does the rest of the world really view the continent of Africa, or any developing country for that matter? Maybe we all need to see this reality up close to fully appreciate the need to help.

There is plenty we can do to change to what I've described. But I don't think it's all about donating articles of clothing (yes, it is needed) or money (again needed). It has to be about sustainability and maintenance of appropriate infrastructures left behind by business, NGOs and other organisations. Many corporations build foundations such as roads, however it's the continued maintenance of those motorways that is most needed for economic development.

I do see hope though (it's not all grim, I promise). For example, the $16 billion in country commitments made at the UN General Assembly in New York in September keeps the world on track to meet MDGs in 2015. After my trip, I have a new understanding of why that is so important.

Posted at 13:07 15 October 2008 by Eddie Burke  |  Comments[4]