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OPINION: African agriculture is ready for a digital revolution
Akinwumi Adesina is president of the African Development Bank. Patrick Verkooijen is CEO of the Global Center on Adaptation. After a dark 2020, a new year has brought new hope. In Africa, where up to 40 million more people were driven into extreme poverty and the continent experienced its first recession in 25 years, a brighter future beckons as the economy is forecast to return to growth this year.Africa now has an opportunity to reset its economic compass. To build back not just better, but greener. Particularly as the next crisis—climate change—is already upon us.Africa’s food systems must be made more resilient to future shocks such as floods, droughts, and disease. Urgent and sustainable increases in food production are needed to reduce reliance on food imports and reduce poverty, and this is where digital services come into play.With mobile phone ownership in Sub-Saharan Africa alone expected to reach half a billion this year, digital services offered via text messaging can reach even the most remote village. And at least one-fifth of these phones also have smart features, meaning they can connect to the internet.We can already see how digital services drive prosperity locally and nationally. In Uganda, SMS services that promote market price awareness have lifted the price farmers receive for bananas by 36 percent, beans by 16.5 percent, maize by 17 percent, and coffee by 19 percent. In Ghana, services that cut out the middleman have lifted the price for maize by 10 percent and groundnuts by 7 percent.But digital services don’t just raise farmgate prices, they are the gateway to farm loans, crop insurance, and greater economic security, which in turn enables farmers to increase their resilience to climate change—by experimenting with new, drought-resistant crops, for example, or innovative farming methods.Text messages with weather reports help farmers make better decisions about when and what to plant, and when to harvest.In Niger, a phone-based education program has improved crop diversity, with more farmers likely to grow the cash crop okra, while an advisory service in Ethiopia helped increase wheat production from one ton to three tons per hectare.The data footprints phone users create can also be analyzed to help assess risk when it comes to offering loans, making credit cheaper and more accessible.Phones and digital services also speed up the spread of information through social networks, helping farmers learn about new drought-resistant crops or services that can increase productivity. Free-to-use mobile phone-based app WeFarm, for example, has already helped more than 2.4 million farmers find certified suppliers of quality seeds at fair prices. They can also connect farmers to internet-based services.Examples of digital innovation abound, sometimes across borders. In Ghana, Kenya, and Nigeria, equipment-sharing platform Hello Tractor is helping farmers rent machinery by the day or even hour, while in Ethiopia, AfriScout, run by the non-government organization Project Concern International with the World Food Programme and the Ministry for Agriculture, provides satellite images of water supplies and crops every 10 days so problems can be spotted quickly to aid remedial action.Transforming food systems digitally has demonstrably excellent results: the African Development Bank, which has allocated over half of its climate financing to adaptation since 2019, has already helped 19 million farmers in 27 countries to lift yields by an average 60 percent through applying digital technology, for example.This is why the Global Center on Adaptation and the African Development Bank have launched the Africa Adaptation Acceleration Program (AAAP) to mobilize $25 billion to scale up and accelerate innovative climate-change adaptation across Africa.Once developed, the digital nature of these services often makes such projects easy to replicate elsewhere and scale, even across large rural areas with little existing infrastructure.Further, adaptation projects are proven to be highly cost-effective, often delivering value many times the original investment and so helping African economies grow faster and create many more much-needed jobs.This makes it imperative that the global resolve to rebuild economies in the wake of Covid-19 is harnessed in the most effective way. We must not simply replicate the mistakes of the past. We must build back stronger, with a more resilient and climate-smart focus.Funding and promoting disruptive business models in which digital technologies are embedded to increase productivity without using more land or more water will create a triple win: increased production, a more resilient climate and more empowered farmers.We have the means and the technical capability to put Africa well on the way to achieving food self-sufficiency and greater climate resilience. In doing so, we can help millions move out of food poverty. We must not squander this opportunity to create truly historic and lasting change.
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- 8 April 2021
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Africa Economic Outlook 2021: AfDB, debt and vaccine injustice
Permit me to step aside this week from contextual reporting of the terrorism of the bandits and the hypocrisy of the crisis entrepreneurs in the land. Reason for the cross-over: It is expedient for us to study the essentials of the Africa Economic Outlook 2021 the African Development Bank (AfDB) launched virtually the other day. It appears that there are so many features in the report for the governments and people of Africa to study and learn from at this moment. The deliverables from report and colloquium on the launchare quite didactic.The 2021 AEO highlights one of the most fundamental questions for Africa today: How can African countries regain growth after COVID-19? What hurdles must they clear to avoid debt burden? And what changes does this mean for the international debt architecture and for governance systems in Africa?Specifically, for those who haven’t read the economic outlook highlights, the 2021 edition focuses on debt resolution, governance, and growth in Africa. The opening chapter examines Africa’s growth performance and outlook amid the COVID–19 pandemic. The chapter emphasises policy options to mitigate the effects of the pandemic in the short, medium, and long terms. The second chapter explores the causes and consequences of Africa’s debt dynamics by showing how the changing structure and composition of debt create vulnerabilities. The third chapter takes stock of the challenges in the current global architecture for debt resolution and explores the link between governance and growth with an emphasis on proposed reforms to improve the processes of debt resolution, governance, and sustainable growth. Those managing debt and indeed duty bearers in Africa’s most populous country need to study this report very meticulously. According to the economic outlook in focus, “Africa is projected to recover in 2021 from its worst economic recession in half a century.” It may be gratifying to read that forecast at this time in Nigeria. It will be recalled that economic activity in Africa was constrained in 2020 by an unprecedented global pandemic caused by COVID–19. Real GDP in Africa is projected to grow by 3.4 percent in 2021, after contracting by 2.1 percent in 2020. This projected recovery from the worst recession in more than half a century will be underpinned by a resumption of tourism, a rebound in commodity prices, and the rollback of pandemic-induced restrictions. The outlook is, however, subject to great uncertainty from both external and domestic risks.On Debt Dynamics And Consequences, the analysis signposts some paralysis as the COVID–19 pandemic has caused a surge in government financing needs in Africa. Since the COVID–19 pandemic began in early 2020, governments have announced fiscal stimulus packages ranging in cost from about 0.02 percent of GDP in South Sudan to about 10.4 percent of GDP in South Africa. The AfDB estimates that African governments need additional gross financing of about $154 billion in 2020/21 to respond to the crisis. These fiscal stimulus packages have largely had immediate, direct implications for budgetary balances, borrowing needs, and debt levels.As reported in the third chapter, under “debt resolution and the nexus between governance and growth”, debt resolution in Africa has often been disorderly and protracted, with costly economic consequences.In the same vein, the economic consequences of sovereign debt restructuring are less severe in countries that act pre-emptively and collaboratively and in those countries where economic governance is stronger. However, the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative took more than a decade to be implemented, and recent debt resolution in Africa has been delayed by long-lasting litigation with private and official creditors. “The absence of orderly and successful sovereign debt resolution, especially with private creditors, makes the prospects of debt distress worrisome for African economies”, the report indicates.So, AfDB asks countries to establish mechanism for debt restructuring. That is official from the newly named World’s Best Multilateral Financial Institution, AfDB. At the launch of the 2021AEO, the Bank (AfDB) asked governments on the continent to establish a financial stabilisation mechanism for debt restructuring plan. Akinwumi Adesina, president of the AfDB, made the call for the mechanism at the launch of the bank’s 2021 edition of its annual African Economic Outlook. Debt restructuring is a process that allows a private, public or a sovereign entity facing cash flow problems and financial distress to reduce and renegotiate its delinquent debts to improve or restore liquidity so that it can continue its operations. Meanwhile, a debt becomes delinquent when payment is not made by the due date or the end of the “grace period” as established in a loan or repayment agreement. I hope Abuja is reading and studying this mechanism.Adesina noted that African governments need to consider establishing a collective mechanism, which would give Africa the fiscal space needed to deal with debts. According to Nigeria’s former Agriculture Minister, the process can be initiated by developing macroeconomic and fiscal policy reforms. His words: “It is high time that we set up a homegrown financial stability mechanism where we work together to mutualize our funds and ensure we avoid the spillover effects that come from global pandemics or any external shock. We must start by making sure that we carry out the macroeconomic policy reforms and the fiscal policy reforms that we need to get done…Africa is not looking for a free pass. We are just looking for an equitable way in which Africa’s fiscal space gets dealt with.”Adesina proposed a financial stabilisation mechanism as a solution that would allow African countries to agree on a set of convergent macroeconomic policies and principles and pool funds. He said this would allow Africa “deal with the cause of the illness and not always the symptoms.” The AfDB president added that the mechanism would allow countries to handle debt and re-engage in massive pro-growth investments that would help them to quickly recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. For instance, in a recent data, the Debt Management Office (DMO) said Nigeria expended $243 million on debt servicing alone from January to December 2020.There is, however, a glimmer of hope from the AFDB: The African Development Bank is to support African countries to produce required vaccines within the continent, in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. Adesina, the President of the Bank, confirmed the development while speaking on Africa’s Debt and Growth in an interview with CNN ahead of the launch of AfDB’s African Economic Outlook 2021. The promise: “We at AfDB have therefore decided that we are going to support Africa to have quality healthcare infrastructure and also make sure that it develops its own pharmaceutical capacity and also produce vaccines in Africa; not running from pillar to post.”The AfDB President noted that the issue of vaccine was a big problem and that the Africa has so far received a mere 1 per cent of the continent’s needs. His words: “You know so far 40.6 million vaccines have been delivered in Africa and people can’t even get a shot in the arm. That 40.6 million is only 1 percent of what we need; talk less of having 60 percent of herd immunity. So we are way off the mark on that.” The former AGRA chief emphasised the importance of Africa to have access to the vaccines and the need to have vaccine solidarity, pointing out that although those concerned are doing a great job, “the amounts are still in miniscule as far as we are concerned. We need to actually have global solidarity on this; but beyond that, there must also be vaccine justice, making sure that everybody has the vaccine.” Dr. Adesina warned against leaving Africa behind in the distribution of the vaccines. His words, “If we deal with this pandemic in one part of the world and don’t deal with other parts, we are going back to square one. So, absolutely we must make sure that we ramp up access to vaccine. Africa needs it in quantity, it needs it on time and it needs it on an affordable price.”Already, there are challenging economic situation across the continent leading to loss of jobs, more poverty and hunger. This has the tendency of worsening social, economic and political fragility of countries.According to the AfDB’s chief executive officer, “a lot of young people lost jobs, and so for us, it’s how do you build back, making sure you have economic resilience. Of course, doing that with climate resilience; also make sure that we can secure the health of the populations with health resilience. Now the political dynamics of this is very important because when young people can’t find jobs, it can really worsen social, economic and political fragility of countries. And here is the thing, everything comes back to making sure Africa is supported at this time to meet its deficit. Adesina revealed: “We were looking for $154 billion last year – that was all. Developed countries were spending over $9 trillion, the G20; but Africa couldn’t just get $154 billion. There needs to be a total change in that, to make sure that Africa gets the resources to expand its fiscal space; and in particular the issue of debt, because you can’t really run up the hill with a backpack that is full of sand.”The AfDB boss also urged creditors to extend the period of debt repayment and forgiveness in such a way that the period of deferment continues to be helpful to African countries. This prescription can’t be discounted in that COVID-19 related spending has swollen many countries borrowing; and without more aid, 39 million Africans stand the risk of falling into extreme poverty this year. More than 30 million Africans are already in the extreme poverty bracket. On the growth in Africa, Dr. Akinwunmi said, “We projected that Africa will grow back. We projected 3.4 percent back this year; but all that is conditional on two things: Access to vaccines and the issue of debts.The African Economic Outlook is the African Development Bank’s flagship annual publication. It provides economic data as well as analysis and recommendations for the continent’s economies. Each edition focuses on a contemporary theme. Our economic managers need to study the facts behind the figures – to show themselves approved at this time. Meanwhile, will the rich lenders listen to the Nobel laureate Joseph E. Stiglitz who also called for a comprehensive global plan to help countries cope with mounting debt that has been compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic? Stiglitz, a recipient of the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences in 2001, who was speaking at the virtual launch of the 2021 African Economic Outlook report during a conversation with Bank President Dr. Adesina noted, that’s a question I’ve been very concerned with for a long time … You need debt restructuring, and that needs to be really high on the international agenda…Every country has bankruptcy laws but there’s no bankruptcy law for international debt. Remember when there’s too much debt, it’s as much the creditor’s problem as the debtor’s problem’, said Stiglitz, a professor at Columbia University, New York. That word is also enough for those who like to borrow for just consumption.
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[myREPUBLICA] Former UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon awarded with Sunhak Peace Prize
Published On: February 5, 2020 02:02 PM NPT By: RepublicaSOUTH KOREA, Feb 5: Former United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Moon has bagged the Sunhak Peace Prize during the World Summit 2020 General Assembly held in Seoul on Wednesday.The assembly was organized to celebrate the 100th birthday of Dr. Sun Myung Moon on Tuesday.Around 6,000 distinguished guests from home and abroad, including Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon, co-founder of the Universal Peace Federation (UPF), Hun Sen, Prime Minister of Cambodia, Brigi Rafini, prime minister of Niger, and around 150 former and current heads of state from 120 countries participated in the program.In his speech during the assembly, the former UN Secretary General said \"I can feel the passion for world peace at World Summit 2020. I firmly believe that this summit will serve as a great springboard for gathering the board, substantial support of the international community in achieving this vision for the sake of a unified Korea, and for the sake of the international community more largely.”Ban said in his welcoming speech “Among the world’s thorny issues such as exclusive nationalism, peaceful unification of the Korean Peninsula and environmental issues, the World Summit 2020 is indeed a timely conference.”Furthermore, he emphasized that “As the natural environment is becoming the silent harbinger of the world’s end, I concluded the Paris Agreement as the first agenda to be done during my tenure at the U.N. We need more worldwide efforts to make this realization. Therefore, this summit will be a significant opportunity to bring substantive support for the peaceful reunification on the Korean Peninsula and world peace centered on co-existence, cooperation, and prosperity.”Moon also said that he would continue to work for international peace and humanity till his last breath.
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[Washington Times] Senegal president, Lutheran pastor win peace prizes
NAGOYA, Japan — President Macky Sall of Senegal and Lutheran pastor Munib Younan were awarded the Sunhak Peace Prize Saturday for their work promoting peace and prosperity in Africa and the Middle East.The Sunhak Peace Prize Committee also chose former U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon for its Founders Award, citing his service with the international body and his commitment to addressing climate change.The fourth peace prize awards were announced by Hak Ja Han Moon, widow of the Rev. Sun Myung Moon and leader of the Unification movement that arose from the Unification Church he founded in 1954. She is the head of the Universal Peace Federation, which held its leadership summit and conference this weekend in Nagoya, Japan. The peace prize committee honored Mr. Sall for “spreading mature democracy to neighboring countries in the African continent, where dictatorship and poverty are still rampant, by successfully shortening the presidential term [from seven years to five] and leading an economic revival through transparent policy.”The committee noted that Mr. Sall’s two-phase economic program has stabilized Senegal’s growth at around 6%.Bishop Younan, an Arab Christian born in Jerusalem, served as president of the Lutheran World Federation from 2010 to 2017, where he “led efforts toward religious harmony on a global scale,” the committee said. He is credited with helping to foster a closer dialogue with the Catholic Church and devoting his life to promoting harmony among Jews, Christians and Muslims.They will share the $1 million prize.Mr. Ban will receive $500,000 as the winner of the Founders Award at a ceremony in Seoul in February, to mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of Rev. Moon, whose ministry grew from a tiny, embattled church in his native South Korea to a global spiritual movement and an affiliated commercial empire comprising real estate, manufacturing and agricultural operations, and media properties including The Washington Times.He was chosen for “his devotion in leading the U.N. toward a sustainable world in the face of unprecedented global challenges and crises, such as the global economic crisis, climate change, terrorism and refugee issues during his term,” the committee said.The laureates were selected from a total of more than 80 nominees worldwide.Original article is available in the link below:https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2019/oct/5/senegal-president-lutheran-pastor-win-peace-prizes/
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[Washington Times] Senegal president, Lutheran pastor win peace prizes
NAGOYA, Japan — President Macky Sall of Senegal and Lutheran pastor Munib Younan were awarded the Sunhak Peace Prize Saturday for their work promoting peace and prosperity in Africa and the Middle East.The Sunhak Peace Prize Committee also chose former U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon for its Founders Award, citing his service with the international body and his commitment to addressing climate change.The fourth peace prize awards were announced by Hak Ja Han Moon, widow of the Rev. Sun Myung Moon and leader of the Unification movement that arose from the Unification Church he founded in 1954. She is the head of the Universal Peace Federation, which held its leadership summit and conference this weekend in Nagoya, Japan. The peace prize committee honored Mr. Sall for “spreading mature democracy to neighboring countries in the African continent, where dictatorship and poverty are still rampant, by successfully shortening the presidential term [from seven years to five] and leading an economic revival through transparent policy.”The committee noted that Mr. Sall’s two-phase economic program has stabilized Senegal’s growth at around 6%.Bishop Younan, an Arab Christian born in Jerusalem, served as president of the Lutheran World Federation from 2010 to 2017, where he “led efforts toward religious harmony on a global scale,” the committee said. He is credited with helping to foster a closer dialogue with the Catholic Church and devoting his life to promoting harmony among Jews, Christians and Muslims.They will share the $1 million prize.Mr. Ban will receive $500,000 as the winner of the Founders Award at a ceremony in Seoul in February, to mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of Rev. Moon, whose ministry grew from a tiny, embattled church in his native South Korea to a global spiritual movement and an affiliated commercial empire comprising real estate, manufacturing and agricultural operations, and media properties including The Washington Times.He was chosen for “his devotion in leading the U.N. toward a sustainable world in the face of unprecedented global challenges and crises, such as the global economic crisis, climate change, terrorism and refugee issues during his term,” the committee said.The laureates were selected from a total of more than 80 nominees worldwide.Original article is available in the link below:https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2019/oct/5/senegal-president-lutheran-pastor-win-peace-prizes/
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- 7 March 2021
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[Washington Times] Senegal president, Lutheran pastor win peace prizes
NAGOYA, Japan — President Macky Sall of Senegal and Lutheran pastor Munib Younan were awarded the Sunhak Peace Prize Saturday for their work promoting peace and prosperity in Africa and the Middle East.The Sunhak Peace Prize Committee also chose former U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon for its Founders Award, citing his service with the international body and his commitment to addressing climate change.The fourth peace prize awards were announced by Hak Ja Han Moon, widow of the Rev. Sun Myung Moon and leader of the Unification movement that arose from the Unification Church he founded in 1954. She is the head of the Universal Peace Federation, which held its leadership summit and conference this weekend in Nagoya, Japan. The peace prize committee honored Mr. Sall for “spreading mature democracy to neighboring countries in the African continent, where dictatorship and poverty are still rampant, by successfully shortening the presidential term [from seven years to five] and leading an economic revival through transparent policy.”The committee noted that Mr. Sall’s two-phase economic program has stabilized Senegal’s growth at around 6%.Bishop Younan, an Arab Christian born in Jerusalem, served as president of the Lutheran World Federation from 2010 to 2017, where he “led efforts toward religious harmony on a global scale,” the committee said. He is credited with helping to foster a closer dialogue with the Catholic Church and devoting his life to promoting harmony among Jews, Christians and Muslims.They will share the $1 million prize.Mr. Ban will receive $500,000 as the winner of the Founders Award at a ceremony in Seoul in February, to mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of Rev. Moon, whose ministry grew from a tiny, embattled church in his native South Korea to a global spiritual movement and an affiliated commercial empire comprising real estate, manufacturing and agricultural operations, and media properties including The Washington Times.He was chosen for “his devotion in leading the U.N. toward a sustainable world in the face of unprecedented global challenges and crises, such as the global economic crisis, climate change, terrorism and refugee issues during his term,” the committee said.The laureates were selected from a total of more than 80 nominees worldwide.Original article is available in the link below:https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2019/oct/5/senegal-president-lutheran-pastor-win-peace-prizes/
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[Development Cable] Akin Adesina is first African to win $1m Sunhak Peace Prize
November 23 18:25 2018 Akinwunmi Adesina, president of the African Development Bank (AfDB), has become the first African to win the $1m Sunhak Peace Prize.Adesina clinched the prize alongside Waris Dirie, a 53-year-old world-class supermodel and anti-FGM activist, from Somali.The Sunhak Peace Prize committee announced the 2019 Laureates at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, South Africa on Thursday.Il Sik Hong, chairman of the Sunhak Peace Prize committee, stated that “the Sunhak Peace Prize was established based upon the vision of ‘One Family Under God. The 2019 Sunhak Peace Prize gives special attention to peace and human development in Africa.”“In order for us to build an era of peace and coexistence in the 21st century, we want to encourage continuous development in Africa,” Hong said.“Africa is a rising star and its growth will contribute global progress and development throughout the 21st century.”The committee acknowledged Adesina’s achievements in promoting good governance, which boosts Africa’s capacity to feed itself and transform its total economies for generating wealth for millions of rural and poor African farmers.Adesina has been a leader in agricultural innovation in Africa for over 30 years, bringing great improvement to Africa’s food security, contributing to Africa’s dynamic growth.Adesina pioneered major transformations in the agricultural field, including expanding rice production by introducing high yielding technologies, designing and implementing policies to support farmers’ access to technologies at scale.This increased the availability of credit for millions of smallholder farmers, attracting private investments for the agricultural sector, rooting out the corrupt elements in the fertilizer industry, and assisting in establishment of major agricultural policies for Africa’s green revolution.The “Africa Fertilizer Summit,” which he organized in 2006, was one of the largest high-level meetings in Africa’s history that had a focus on solving Africa’s food issues.During this summit, Adesina was instrumental in developing the “Abuja Declaration on Fertilizer for the African Green Revolution,” whereby the participants stated their commitment to the “eradication of hunger in Africa, by 2030.”Adesina worked with various banks and international NGOs in order to create an innovative financing system, providing loans to small farmers, providing a way for them to rise out of poverty.This move leveraged $100 million in loans and provided opportunities for small farmers to increase their agricultural productivity, and their income.As an “economic commander” of Africa, he promotes the “High 5 Strategy”, which includes: light up and power Africa, feed Africa, industrialize Africa, integrate Africa and improve the quality of life for the people of Africa.As a result of his work, the lives of millions of people throughout Africa have been improved.The Sunhak Peace Prize honors individuals and organizations who have made significant contributions to the peace and the welfare of the future generations.The Sunhak Peace Prize includes a cash prize totaling $1 million.The 2019 Sunhak Peace Prize Award Ceremony will take place in February, 2019 in Seoul, Korea.[Original News]
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[All Africa] Nigeria's Ex-Minister Named Recipient of Prestigious Peace Prize
23 NOVEMBER 2018 The Sunhak Peace Prize Committee has selected the President of the African Development Bank, Akinwumi Adesina, as one of its 2019 laureates.As an agricultural economist, Mr Adesina, a former minister of agriculture in Nigeria, has been a leader in agricultural innovation for over 30 years.He has contributed greatly to food security in Africa, aimed at improving the lives of millions currently living in poverty, throughout the African continent.The Sunhak Committee acknowledges the former Nigerian minister\'s achievements in promoting good governance of Africa, which boosts Africa\'s capacity to feed itself and transform its total economies for generating wealth for millions of rural and poor African farmers.At the Cape Town International Convention Center, the Prize Committee announced that the 2019 Laureates for the Sunhak Peace Prize would be Waris Dirie, 53 year-old world-class supermodel and anti-FGM activist, and Mr Adesina, the 58 year-old president of the African Development Bank Group.Mr Adesina has been a leader in agricultural innovation in Africa for over 30 years, bringing great improvement to Africa\'s food security. contributing to Africa\'s dynamic growth. His leadership is building stepping-stones for Africa\'s dynamic growth.He pioneered major transformations in the agricultural field, including expanding rice production by introducing high yielding technologies, designing and implementing policies to support farmers\' access to technologies at scale, increasing the availability of credit for millions of smallholder farmers, attracting private investments for the agricultural sector, rooting out the corrupt elements in the fertilizer industry, and assisting in establishment of major agricultural policies for Africa\'s green revolution.The \"Africa Fertilizer Summit,\" which he organized in 2006, was one of the largest high-level meetings in Africa\'s history that had a focus on solving Africa\'s food issues. During this Summit, Dr. Adesina was instrumental in developing the \"Abuja Declaration on Fertilizer for the African Green Revolution,\" whereby the participants stated their commitment to the \"eradication of hunger in Africa, by 2030.\"Mr. Adesina worked with various banks and international NGOs in order to create an innovative financing system, providing loans to small farmers, providing a way for them to rise out of poverty. This move leveraged $100 million in loans and provided opportunities for small farmers to increase their agricultural productivity, and their income.Mr Adesina currently serves as the president of the African Development Bank Group which plays a central role in Africa\'s development.As an \"economic commander\" of Africa, he promotes the \"High 5 Strategy\" that include: light up and power Africa, feed Africa, industrialize Africa, integrate Africa and improve the quality of life for the people of Africa. As a result of his work, the lives of millions of people throughout Africa have been improved.The Chairman of the Sunhak Peace Prize Committee, Il Sik Hong, stated that \"the Sunhak Peace Prize was established based upon the vision of \"One Family Under God.\"The 2019 Sunhak Peace Prize gives special attention to peace and human development in Africa.\"Mr Hong added \"in order for us to build an era of peace and coexistence in the 21st century, we want to encourage continuous development in Africa. Africa is a rising star and its growth will contribute global progress and development throughout the 21st century.\"The Sunhak Peace Prize honours individuals and organizations who have made significant contributions to the peace and the welfare of the future generations. The Sunhak Peace Prize includes a cash prize totaling one million dollars. The 2019 Sunhak Peace Prize Award Ceremony will take place in February, 2019 in Seoul, Korea.[Original News]
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[Mirage News] The Sunhak Peace Prize for 2019 Awarded to Waris Dirie and Dr. Akinwumi Ayodeji Adesin
The Sunhak Peace Prize Committee announced Laureates for the Sunhak Peace Prize for 2019 – Waris Dirie and Dr. Akinwumi Ayodeji Adesina.Waris Dirie, a human rights activist and super-model, is widely acclaimed for raising worldwide awareness of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). As an agricultural economist, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina has been promoting Good Governance in Africa through agricultural innovation for over 30 years and greatly contributed to food security in Africa.Warisi Dirie was born into a nomad family and she was subjected to FGM at the age of 5. In 1997, she shared her experience to the world and was appointed as the Special Ambassador to the UN for the Elimination of FGM.In 2002, she established the Desert Flower Foundation and in 2003, her anti-FGM campaign led 15 African Union member countries to ratify the Maputo Protocol which promotes eradication of FGM. In 2012, the UN unanimously passed a resolution banning the practice of FGM, and the UN has set a goal to eliminate FGM by 2030.[Original News]
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[Mirage News] The Sunhak Peace Prize for 2019 Awarded to Waris Dirie and Dr. Akinwumi Ayodeji Adesin
The Sunhak Peace Prize Committee announced Laureates for the Sunhak Peace Prize for 2019 – Waris Dirie and Dr. Akinwumi Ayodeji Adesina.Waris Dirie, a human rights activist and super-model, is widely acclaimed for raising worldwide awareness of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). As an agricultural economist, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina has been promoting Good Governance in Africa through agricultural innovation for over 30 years and greatly contributed to food security in Africa.Warisi Dirie was born into a nomad family and she was subjected to FGM at the age of 5. In 1997, she shared her experience to the world and was appointed as the Special Ambassador to the UN for the Elimination of FGM.In 2002, she established the Desert Flower Foundation and in 2003, her anti-FGM campaign led 15 African Union member countries to ratify the Maputo Protocol which promotes eradication of FGM. In 2012, the UN unanimously passed a resolution banning the practice of FGM, and the UN has set a goal to eliminate FGM by 2030.[Original News]
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[Padova News] The Sunhak Peace Prize for 2019 Awarded to Waris Dirie and Dr. Akinwumi Ayodeji Adesin
22 NOVEMBRE 2018Waris Dirie, a human rights activist and super-model, is widely acclaimed for raising worldwide awareness of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). As an agricultural economist, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina has been promoting Good Governance in Africa through agricultural innovation for over 30 years and greatly contributed to food security in Africa.Warisi Dirie was born into a nomad family and she was subjected to FGM at the age of 5. In 1997, she shared her experience to the world and was appointed as the Special Ambassador to the UN for the Elimination of FGM.In 2002, she established the Desert Flower Foundation and in 2003, her anti-FGM campaign led 15 African Union member countries to ratify the Maputo Protocol which promotes eradication of FGM. In 2012, the UN unanimously passed a resolution banning the practice of FGM, and the UN has set a goal to eliminate FGM by 2030.Another laureate Dr. Akinwumi Adesina pioneered in expanding rice production, increasing the availability of credit for smallholder farmers, attracting private investments for the agricultural sector, rooting out the corrupt elements in the fertilizer industry, and establishing the major agricultural policies.For the 2006 Africa Fertilizer Summit, he was instrumental in developing the Abuja Declaration on Fertilizer for the African Green Revolution, stating eradication of hunger in Africa, by 2030.Dr. Akinwumi Adesina currently serves as the president of the African Development Bank Group, promoting the “High 5 Strategy”, which is improving lives of millions of people throughout Africa.Dr. Il Sik Hong, Chairman of the Sunhak Committee, stated that “the Sunhak Peace Prize was established based upon the vision of ‘One Family Under God’ and the Sunhak Peace Prize for 2019 gives special attention to human rights and human development in Africa.”The Sunhak Peace Prize honors individuals and organizations who have made significant contributions to the peace and the welfare of the future generations. The Sunhak Peace Prize includes a cash prize totaling one million US dollars and the Award Ceremony will take place in February, 2019 in Seoul, Korea.[Original News]
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[Padova News] The Sunhak Peace Prize for 2019 Awarded to Waris Dirie and Dr. Akinwumi Ayodeji Adesin
22 NOVEMBRE 2018Waris Dirie, a human rights activist and super-model, is widely acclaimed for raising worldwide awareness of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). As an agricultural economist, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina has been promoting Good Governance in Africa through agricultural innovation for over 30 years and greatly contributed to food security in Africa.Warisi Dirie was born into a nomad family and she was subjected to FGM at the age of 5. In 1997, she shared her experience to the world and was appointed as the Special Ambassador to the UN for the Elimination of FGM.In 2002, she established the Desert Flower Foundation and in 2003, her anti-FGM campaign led 15 African Union member countries to ratify the Maputo Protocol which promotes eradication of FGM. In 2012, the UN unanimously passed a resolution banning the practice of FGM, and the UN has set a goal to eliminate FGM by 2030.Another laureate Dr. Akinwumi Adesina pioneered in expanding rice production, increasing the availability of credit for smallholder farmers, attracting private investments for the agricultural sector, rooting out the corrupt elements in the fertilizer industry, and establishing the major agricultural policies.For the 2006 Africa Fertilizer Summit, he was instrumental in developing the Abuja Declaration on Fertilizer for the African Green Revolution, stating eradication of hunger in Africa, by 2030.Dr. Akinwumi Adesina currently serves as the president of the African Development Bank Group, promoting the “High 5 Strategy”, which is improving lives of millions of people throughout Africa.Dr. Il Sik Hong, Chairman of the Sunhak Committee, stated that “the Sunhak Peace Prize was established based upon the vision of ‘One Family Under God’ and the Sunhak Peace Prize for 2019 gives special attention to human rights and human development in Africa.”The Sunhak Peace Prize honors individuals and organizations who have made significant contributions to the peace and the welfare of the future generations. The Sunhak Peace Prize includes a cash prize totaling one million US dollars and the Award Ceremony will take place in February, 2019 in Seoul, Korea.[Original News]
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- 7 March 2021
- Sunhak Peace Prize
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Future generations refer not only to our own physical descendants
but also to all future generations to come.Since all decisions made by the current generation will either positively
or negatively affect them, we must take responsibility for our actions.
