News

“The project that doesn’t involve the community is doomed to failure.”  -- Diegane Ndiaye, SOS Sahel

Only 4% of Africa’s Great Green Wall’s original goal has been met, and an estimated $43 billion would be needed to achieve the rest. Organizers have shifted their focus from planting a wall of trees to trying a mosaic of smaller, more durable projects to stop desertification, including community-based efforts designed to improve lives and help the most vulnerable agriculture.  Read more here.

Leading Canadian climate activists and organizations have responded with disappointment to the outcomes of COP26.

Since the pharmaceutical company Moderna is unwilling to share its “recipe”, the World Health Organization has hired a start-up company in South Africa to figure out how to make an mRNA vaccine against COVID that is as close as possible to Moderna’s version.  Click here to read more.

"For centuries, malaria has stalked sub-Saharan Africa, causing immense personal suffering,” said Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa. “We have long hoped for an effective malaria vaccine and now for the first time ever, we have such a vaccine recommended for widespread use. Today’s recommendation offers a glimmer of hope for the continent which shoulders the heaviest burden of the disease and we expect many more African children to be protected from malaria and grow into healthy adults.”

Click here for more details about what this vaccine will mean for children in sub-Saharan Africa.

October 1^st of every year marks the International Day of Older Persons.  It is an occasion to celebrate older persons’ contributions to society.  It is also an opportunity  to educate ourselves on issues of concern such as the impact of ageism seen during the pandemic and, going forward, the need for digital equity for all ages so that no one is left behind.  

GRAN invites you to reflect on and celebrate your own contributions to your family and your community.  May we also suggest watching the 11-minute video, Change The Way You Think About Age or perhaps attending an online event such as the UN’s Digital Equity for All Ages webinar. You may also wish to learn what you can do to join the global community in the fight against ageism. 

However you mark this day, we wish you a happy International Day of Older Persons!

Congratulations to the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) on a successful replenishment at the Global Education Summit last week. US$4 billion was pledged, putting the GPE firmly on the path to achieving its target of raising at least US$5 billion over the next five years.

GRAN would like to thank all who supported our GPE campaign with your letter writing, phone calls, Letters to the Editor and raising awareness through conversations and on social media.  Thank you for lifting your voices for young girls and women to access quality education, giving them hope for a better future.

We are disappointed that Canada did not increase its pledge of CAN$300 million made earlier this year at the G7 summit, but we realize that this has been a particularly difficult year to advocate for development aid for education.

To read about the many positive outcomes from last week’s Global Education Summit, click here. 

HelpAge International has just released Bearing the Brunt, a report on the impact of COVID-19 on older people based on insights from research in low- and middle-income countries. The report provides clear recommendations to ensure older people are included in recovery efforts and their rights are respected. It calls on all actors to work together to build a society where everyone lives with dignity, no matter our age.

To read the Africa region report, click here, and here for the full global report.

During the recent G7 summit, Canada announced a commitment of $300 million to the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), far short of the $500 million that GRAN and other civil society organizations were asking for.  Click here to read a full response from GRAN and our partners in the Canadian International Education Policy Working Group (CIEPWG).

Can education help solve the climate crisis? Is this too good to be true? What if there were a new way of educating and engaging youth and adults in climate solutions?  In a report from the Brookings Institution, recent research shows a powerful connection between education and climate change and the positive results that can be achieved.  Read on to learn about the ambitious plan for a new green learning agenda that they suggest should be included in all curriculums.  Click here for more.