One of the keynote speakers–Nnimmo Bassey
The UCLA African Studies Center and Earth Rights Institute, invites your participation in the “Africa’s Readiness for Climate Change” (ARCC) Forum, to be held virtually from April 19th-23rd, 2021.
ARCC 2021 inaugurates a 5-year commitment to building bridges between the U.S. climate change movement, African Diaspora and Africans addressing climate change emergency action. It will include multiple UC schools and departments and provide the opportunity to meet some of the most notable Africans on the continent and in the Diaspora engaged in climate change. This platform will help develop strong public/private partnerships between the U.S. and Africa, united in seeking climate solutions.
The five-day free virtual ARCC Forum will include four prominent African Keynote Speakers, Panel Discussions with local and international experts, breakout rooms for Design Thinking Jam Sessions, a Virtual Networking Gallery, a Storytelling Session, and cultural entertainment woven throughout. The virtual format will allow us to reach a broader, international audience to connect leaders and innovators in the climate action community. The event provides a unique opportunity to support African-designed programs that incorporate best practices in sustainable development and are guided by the needs of both communities and governments.
We are asking our friends, supporters, and colleagues to spread the word about the ARCC Forum to help us make this important initiative a success.
Please see the information about our four Keynote Speakers. Please feel free to share this information with your contacts. For more details about the forum and Keynote Speakers: ARCC Forum webpage
To register for ARCC 2021: ARCC Registration
To register for the Networking Gallery: Gallery Registration
KEYNOTE SPEAKERS:
Nnimmo Bassey (Nigeria), Renowned African Environmentalist Confirms as Keynote Speaker for UCLA “Africa’s Readiness for Climate Change” (ARCC) Public Forum
We are thrilled to announce that Nnimmo Bassey, renowned African environmentalist, recipient of the Right Livelihood Award, known as the “Alternative Nobel Prize,” and TIME Magazine Hero of the Environment will speak at the ARCC Forum about Climate Action, Ecology Education and Environmental issues in Africa.
A Nigerian architect, environmentalist activist, author and poet, Nnimmo Bassey currently serves on the Advisory Board and is Founder/Director of the Health of Mother Earth Foundation, an environmental think tank and advocacy organization. Bassey was active on human rights issues in the 1980s when he served on the Board of Directors of Nigeria’s Civil Liberties Organization. In 1993, he co-founded and led Nigerian NGO known as Environmental Rights Action (Friends of the Earth Nigeria) for 20 years in order to advocate, educate and organize around environmental human rights issues in Nigeria. Since 1996, Bassey has served on the Steering Committee of both Oilwatch International and the regional arm, Oilwatch Africa since inception. The Network strives to resist destructive oil, gas and coal extraction activities and demands an urgent shift from the dominant petroleum-fueled civilization. His numerous awards and recognitions include the 2009 TIME Magazine Hero of Environment, the Right Livelihood Award in 2010, the Rafto Prize in 2012, and an Honorary Degree from York University UK 2019.
For further information about the ARCC Forum:
https://www.earthrightsinstitute.org/what-we-re-doing-4/projects/climate-change/450-arcc-forum
About Nnimmo Bassey: Health of Mother Earth Foundation: https://homef.org/ Interview with Nnimmo, 2018: https://youtu.be/jNHePF8HHn0
Ousmane Aly Pame (Senegal), Ecovillage Development Expert and Sahel Community Leader, Confirms as Keynote Speaker for UCLA “Africa’s Readiness for Climate Change” (ARCC) Public Forum
We are thrilled to announce that Ousmane Aly Pame, President of Global Ecovillage Network Africa, Founder/President REDES (Network for Ecovillage Emergence and Development in the Sahel) and Lecturer at Cheikh Anta Diop University will speak at the ARCC forum on Solutions for Refugee Movements and Regenerative Programs (ecological communities) for the Climate Crisis in Africa.
Ousmane Aly Pame, PhD, is a university professor of literature, former Mayor of the eco-town of Guede Chantier, President of GEN Africa https://ecovillage.org/region/gen-africa/ and a regional community leader. He designs and runs international academic programs in ecovillages in Senegal. Dr Pame is founder and President of REDES (Network for Ecovillage Emergence and Development in the Sahel, http://redes-ecovillages.org/eng/. In partnership with national agencies, local governments, international NGOs and Universities, REDES is now supporting the transformation of traditional Senegalese villages into ecovillages. A transborder ecovillage hub consisting of 100 village communities is emerging between Senegal and Mauritania with the support of REDES. Ousmane is also a lecturer at the Department of English Studies, Cheikh Anta Diop University, Dakar, Senegal.
For further information about the ARCC Forum:
https://www.earthrightsinstitute.org/what-we-re-doing-4/projects/climate-change/450-arcc-forum
Feature on Guede Chantier, first ecovillage in Senegal, led by Dr. Pame:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3A9EGO5UkcU
Short video on the work of REDES:https://youtu.be/CqUyEOGeu-Q
Video on the Global Ecovillage Network (GEN): https://youtu.be/l1FSLEMmPZk
HE Sidique Abou-Bakarr Wai, Ambassador to the US from Sierra Leone and Secretary General of ECOWAS (Sierra Leone/Ghana) Confirms as Keynote Speaker for UCLA “Africa’s Readiness for Climate Change” (ARCC) Public Forum
We are thrilled to announce that the HE Sidique Abou-Bakarr Wai, Ambassador to the US from Sierra Leone and Secretary General of ECOWAS (Sierra Leone/Ghana) will be speaking at our upcoming ARCC Forum on New Economic Opportunities for Africa.
The charismatic, yet humble community leader, activist, politician, diplomat, and public policy czar, Hon. Sidique Abou-Bakarr Wai was unanimously approved as Sierra Leone’s Ambassador to the US and High Commissioner to Canada. He was recently appointed Secretary General of ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States https://www.ecowas.int ). As an official in the NYPD’s community affairs department, Wai’s duties in the NYPD included improving relations between the police and the 76 precincts in New York City, and advising on relations with the city’s rapidly-growing African immigrants population and the Muslim community. Wai was the first African-born candidate for the post of Public Advocate of New
York City, in 2013. He also co-founded and served as President of the United Africa Congress (UAC) https://www.unitedafricancongress.org, “an umbrella organization representing the interests of 3.5 million continental African immigrants throughout the United States of America.” Wai has been credited for seeking the interests of the African diaspora in the United States, as well as for heading up the UN Ebola awareness campaign.
For further information about the ARCC Forum:
https://www.earthrightsinstitute.org/what-we-re-doing-4/projects/climate-change/450-arcc-forum
Article on Accreditation as Ambassador:
https://embassyofsierraleone.net/about-embassy/news-and-events/his-excellency-ambassador-sidique-abo u-bakarr-wai-presenting
Sierra Leone on the move video, features Sidique’s work: https://youtu.be/A9kZnJquaRk
Elizabeth Wathuthi, Climate Activist and Youth Leader Confirms as Keynote Speaker for UCLA “Africa’s Readiness for Climate Change” (ARCC) Public Forum
We are thrilled to announce that Elizabeth Wathuti will speak at the 2021 ARCC Forum on African youth mobilization for climate action and conservation. Wathuti is a Climate activist, the founder of the Green Generation Initiative and the Head of Campaigns at the Wangari Maathai Foundation.
Elizabeth Wathuti is a passionate environmentalist and climate activist from Kenya and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies and Community development. She is currently the Head of Campaigns and Daima Coalition on green spaces Coordinator at Wangari Maathai Foundation and founder of the Green Generation Initiative (GGI). Her work at GGI emphasizes practical environmental education, greening schools, inculcating a tree growing culture among people for forest cover through adopting a tree campaign and establishing food forests to incorporate fruit tree growing for food security. Wathuti is also a member of the Counties Advisory Committee at the Upper Tana Nairobi Water Fund Trustees, full member of The Greenbelt Movement, a board member of the Elephant neighbors center, and a youth council member of the International Reserva: The Youth Land Trust.
For further information about the ARCC Forum:
https://www.earthrightsinstitute.org/what-we-re-doing-4/projects/climate-change/450-arcc-forum
For more information about Elizabeth Wathuti
Website: http://www.lizmazingira.com/
Green Generation Initiative: https://greengenerationinitiative.org/ Interview: https://youtu.be/WSkbGUrbi_s
