Africa

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Green politics on the rise in Africa

Posted on by Dave Schwab

From Marie-Laure Josselin at RFI, “Green politics make their debut”:

For the very first time African states acted together during 2009’s Copenhagen negotiations on global warming. During the 90s, African green movements made a first, timid appearance. To this day they are struggling to get their voices heard by powerful traditional parties, although the continent has not been spared by deforestation, coastal erosion and pollution.

“Twenty years on, going green is finally a reality,” says Ram Ouedraogo of the Burkina Faso environmentalist coalition. “Much is yet to be done in both regional and continental levels. We can be hopeful today because future support looks brighter.”

Thanks to the arrival of multiparty systems, environmentalist parties mushroomed in the 90s, even though campaigning groups had become aware of the need to preserve the environment long before that. Continue Reading →

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Rwanda Green Party Conference Postponed Again; More Green Party Activists Detained

Posted on by Ronald Hardy

Sent in from RNA (Rwanda News Agency)

Friday, 20 November 2009

Kigali: The scheduled founding conference of the troubled Green Party did not take place Friday as the group wait for a Police certificate from the new Commissioner-General, Brig. Emmanuel Gasana. But not without new allegations, RNA reports.

A man by the names Gaston Bihibindi is claiming that he was detained for three days without food at the magnificent multi-million dollar Ministry of Defense building known locally as “Pentagon”. Mr. Bihibindi is not the only one accusing unknown individuals driving tinted double cabin Toyota pickup trucks of snatching them from their homes or as they walked.

The local weekly UMUSESO details ordeals of eight people identifying themselves as Green Party activists, who were apparently arrested on October 30 after the failed conference which police halted citing insecurity. The men were apparently detained at an infamous but not gazetted facility in Kimironko, an outskirt of Kigali.
Continue Reading →

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Rwandan Green Party blocked from meeting by officials

Posted on by Dave Schwab

This article was originally posted last week on the Rwanda News Agency website, but it quickly became unavailable. Thankfully, Save Rwanda had already reposted the story.

Rwandan Green Party blocked from meeting: “Sad Day for Democracy in Rwanda” (10/5/09)

Kigali: They moved hundreds of kilometers – some for the first time to the capital. Others braved the trouble of having to move with babies. Some abandoned their jobs to be in Kigali for the event that did not happen. Up to 900 supposed delegates of the Democratic Green Party of Rwanda (DGPR) found themselves at the center of an unexpected controversy, RNA reports. Continue Reading →

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Wangari Maathai On Tavis Smiley Show April 21

Posted on by Ronald Hardy

Nobel Peace Laureate and Kenyan Green Wangari Maathai will be interviewed on the Tavis Smiley Show on PBS today, check local listings for availability.

Tavis Smiley talks with environmental activist and Nobel Laureate Wangari Maathai about her analysis of bottlenecks to Africa’s development in her new book, “The Challenge for Africa.”

Tavis Smiley’s half-hour nightly talk show on PBS reaches 92% of America’s households and is seen in 187 countries. More information about the television special with Dr. Maathai can be found here.

Visit the Green Belt Movement website for other news about Dr. Maathai’s current book tour through the US to share the messages in her new book “The Challenge for Africa.”

Support the Green Belt Movement www.greenbeltmovement.org