Heinrich Böll Foundation

The Gender Forum

Debate

Understanding Gender Based Violence: Deconstructing Masculinity and Femininity

May 2, 2012 - Gender Based Violence (GBV) continues to be a major global social, economic and developmental challenge, with far reaching ramifications on men, women, children and the society as a whole. more»

Debate

Strategies to actualize the Two Thirds Provision: What are the alternatives to the Constitutional Amendment Bill, 2011?

- May 3, 2012 - The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) on 17th March 2012, set the date for Kenya's next general election to March 4, 2013. This decision puts The Constitution of Kenya (Amendment) Bill, 2011 that sought to give effect to the two thirds provision while proposing to move the election date from August to December in limbo. more»

Debate

Women and Leadership: Bridging the Transgenerational Gap

- May 3, 2012 - The Constitution of Kenya, 2010 has provided a legal framework for ensuring that the historically marginalized groups notably women are included in leadership positions. more»

Debate

The Constitution of Kenya (Amendment) Bill Addressing the Provision That Not More Than Two Thirds of The Members of Elective Public Bodies Shall Be of The Same Gender

- May 3, 2012 - One of the provisions in the Constitution that has generated a lot of debate is the provision that, not more than two thirds of elective or appointive positions should be of the same gender. more»

International Politics

The G20 Update Newsletter

February 13, 2012 - The Heinrich Böll Stiftung publishes a monthly newsletter, the “G20 Update,” on the G20 Summit processes and outcomes with special emphasis on the contributions to the processes by civil society organizations. more»

Perspectives: The Quarterly Newsletter from HBF's Africa Offices

Perspectives #04/2011

No Romance: Mobilising Climate Finance for Africa

November 30, 2011 - While Africa has contributed the least to historic greenhouse gas emissions globally, it stands to be the hardest hit by the effects of climate change. Africa will require substantial financial resources in order to adapt to the unavoidable consequences of climate change. At this year’s Climate Change Conference in Durban, climate finance is expected to feature prominently. Dr. Antonie Katharina Nord, Jochen Luckscheiter and Kulthoum Omari more»

PUBLICATION SERIES

Perspectives #3.11: Politics, Principles and Practice: Zimbabwe's Diamonds and the Kimberley Process

- October 19, 2011 - Zimbabwe's Marange diamonds have been tainted by reports of violence, human rights abuses and smuggling, fuelling doubts about the credibility and effectiveness of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KP). How can the Marange impasse be resolved? more»

Resource Governance

STUDY

The Wealth in the Underground that is Elusive to Local Communities - Mining in Taita Taveta County: Prospects & Problems

March 20, 2012 - Taita - Taveta is rich in minerals (Central Bank, ibid., Keller, 1992; Bridges, 1982; Pohl, 1980; Pohl, 1971, Parkinson, 1947, Walsh, 1960; DuBois, 1970:11). Indeed, there could be than 250 varieties of coloured stone in Taita-Taveta (Bridges, ibid.). Geologically the whole of Taita is within the Mozambique Belt, which has the richest mineral deposits in the country. more»

E-PAPER

Less hunger through more ecology: Feeding the world with organic farming

- December 2, 2011 - Although the world's population has reached seven billion people, there is sufficient food in the world to feed the global population. Still about 1 billion are undernourished. How can we feed the world? And what role do environmental issues in agriculture play? Johannes Kotschi more»

STUDY

Four Years after the World Food Price Crisis: The Governance of World Food Security

- November 3, 2011 - The 2007–2008 world food price crisis caused political and economical instability and social unrest in both poor and developed nations. This was only the latest example for a functioning food system being an indispensable pillar of a stable economy and a society capable of reproducing itself. A new study outlines steps how the intergovernmental Committee on World Food Security could be expanded towards a politically relevant international steering committee. Nora McKeon more »

PUBLICATION

Marginal Oil - What is driving oil companies dirtier and deeper?

- June 14, 2011 - This paper describes the drivers behind marginal oil investments and gives an overview of existing and potential projects across the globe. Sarah Wykes and Lorne Stockman more»

REPORT

Grounding Green Power

- June 14, 2011 - This working paper seeks to identify key components of smart renewable energy policy in developing countries, focusing on the power sector. It also provides recommendations for maximizing the effectiveness of international support for deployment of renewable energies, drawn from these on-the-ground experiences in developing countries. more»

Climate Governance in Africa

STUDY

The Impact of Climate Change on Pastoralism in Salahley and Bali-gubadle Districts, Somaliland

March 20, 2012 - During the last decades it has been increasingly recognized that pastoralism is essential for the sustainable management and ecological health of dry lands, but also highly sensitive to increasing environmental degradation and global warming. It is threatened by several factors like the sedentarisation policies, intensive agriculture, ecological degradation and low social status accorded to pastoralists among many others. more»

STUDY

Perennial Plant Mortality in the Guban Area of Somaliland

- March 8, 2012 - The study seeks to assess the unusual mortality of some of the perennial plants such as Acacia tortilis, Balanites orbicularis, Suaeda fruticosa and Zizyphus hamur in some coastal areas of Somaliland. The local communities, particularly pastoralists whose livelihoods are heavily dependent on rangeland conditions, have given different explanations on this disturbing trend, which surfaced in the early 1990’s. more»

STUDY

The Impact of Climate Change and Adoption of Strategic Coping Mechanism by Agro-pastoralists in Gabiley Region, Somaliland

- March 7, 2012 - In Somaliland, adverse impacts of climate change include recurrent droughts, increased biodiversity loss, species migration and encroachment of invasive plants, increased rural urban migration, changes in the vegetation types, soil fertility loss, and increased infestation of crop by pests and diseases and increased health risks. more»

PUBLICATION

Cimilo-Awaal: Daraasado ku Saabsan Doorsoonka Cimilada

- March 7, 2012 - Buug-yarahani waa tarjumaddii cilmi-baadhis lagu diyaariyay AfIngiriisi oo ku suntan “The impact of climate change and adoption of strategic coping mechanisms by agro-pastoralists in Gabiley region, Somaliland”. Waana mid ka mid ah saddex (3) daraasadood oo labada kalena kala yihiin: • Perennial Plants Mortality in the Guban Areas of Somaliland, • “the Impact of Climate Change on Pastoral Communities in Balli-Gubadle and Salahley Districts, in Somaliland”. more»

STUDY

Ready to be Africa's Climate bank?

- March 7, 2012 - In early 2011, the African Development Bank (AfDB) indicated its intention to establish and manage an Africa Green Fund to support African states that individually lack the knowledge and technology to secure needed global climate funds. This mapping study evaluates the AfDB's actual track record on sectors and initiatives related to climate change as a clue to the Bank’s suitability to manage any future infusions of funds to address climate change in Africa. Lindlyn Tamufor, Joshua Klemm and Liane Schalatek more»

REPORT

A Matter of Principle(s) - Post-Cancun Update

- June 14, 2011 - This publication gives a look at the status quo of public climate change finance. Then it proposes the use of existing core principles and tools of international environmental law and human rights as the fundamental conceptual guide and compass for charting policy responses to climate change that are rooted in the concept of justice and fairness. Liane Schalatek more »

Brief Series

Climate Finance Fundamentals – Series of Short Issue Briefs

- May 23, 2011 - Climate Finance Fundamentals are short briefs, which include tables and graphs, meant for readers new to the debate on global climate change financing and its myriads of facets and needing a quick overview. In light of the fast pace of developments in climate finance, the briefs allow the reader to gain a better understanding of not only the quantity but also the quality of existing financial flows for adaptation and mitigation.

PUBLICATION

Climate Governance in Africa - Adaptation Strategies and Institutions

- May 20, 2011 - Though Africa generally contributes less to the total global greenhouse emissions, the scale of the impacts on Africa and its poor is devastating and will be even more significant in the future. The implications of climate change on development make both mitigation and, in particular adaptation, essential to responding to the impacts of climate change. more»

Democracy

Video

Engendering Leadership in Africa

August 8, 2011 - The video profiles comprise the stories of African women politicians who, under different conditions, political systems, and in their own way, have tried to use their political platforms to advance women’s rights. more»

Kenya

INTERVIEW

Terrorism in Kenya: Remembering the 1998 United States embassy bombing

November 1, 2011 - During the 1998 United States embassy bombings, the Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya was attacked on August 7, resulting in the death of approximately 212 people. The Kenyan drama film, "From a Whisper" portrays the aftermath, capturing the lives of the victims and families who had to pick up the pieces of their lives shredded by the blast. An interview with the film's director Wanuri Kahiu by Samuel Dansette follows.
Samuel Dansette more»

INTERVIEW

Kenya's new constitution: Kenyan Member of Parliament awarded with German Prize 2011

- November 1, 2011 - The Member of Parliament for Mandera Central, Abdikadir Mohamed Hussein was awarded this year's German Africa Prize for his great contribution to the new democratic constitution. In an audio interview, he talks about the benefits of the new constitution, the Kenyan bill of rights and his country's role in the international community.
Maria Kind more»

Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Prof. Wangari Maathai

Kenyan Environmental Activist Wangari Maathai: Eulogy

October 14, 2011 - When Professor Wangari Muta Maathai passed away on September 25th in Nairobi, the world was united in sorrow, respect and admiration. Thousands of sympathy messages flooded Nairobi. Wangari Maathai was celebrated as an environmentalist and highly respected as a feminist, a fighter for human rights and as a green politician.

Barbara Unmüßig more»

Extractive Resources in Eastern Africa

Web Dossier

Extractive Resources in Eastern Africa and the Horn of Africa: Information Sources and Recent Developments

July 22, 2010 - This dossier contains references to publicly available information on extractive resources and their exploitation in the Eastern Africa / Horn of Africa region. more»

Food Security

STUDY

Irrigation Agriculture in Kenya - Impact of the Economic Stimulus Programme and Long-term Prospects for Food Security in an Era of Climate Change

November 1, 2011 - The study analysed the irrigation expansion strategy as a measure of increasing food security and securing livelihoods in Kenya, as well as its role as a measure to climate change adaptation in relation to other measures e.g. selection of crop varietal suitability, environmental conservation through afforestation, agro forestry and land use management and practices. more»