Paul Kagame, President of the Republic of Rwanda and current AU Chairperson, will deliver the keynote address at the 7th Tana Forum which will be carried out in April 2018 in Bahir Dar, with the theme of:, “Ownership of Africa’s Peace and Security Provision: Financing and Reforming the African Union”. It is expected to generate convergent views on Africa’s security delivery analyzed through the lens of AU reform.
In 2016, the AU Assembly of Heads of State and Government met in Kigali, Rwanda, and made a key decision on financing the Union, agreeing to implement a 0.2% levy on all eligible imported goods to the continent. The reform process, which will be implemented between 2017 and 2018, includes institutional reforms that will realign and manage the AU efficiently at both political and operational levels, and more importantly, make provision for a more sustainable funding for peace building in Africa.
The annual Forum was conceived by the late Prime Minister Meles Zenawi. The Tana Forum is an independent initiative that seeks to provide an informal platform for African Heads of State and Government to engage in open and frank discussions with a wide spectrum of non-state stakeholders on the most pressing peace and security issues confronting the continent.
President Kagame recently noted, “Insecurity takes many forms, from terrorism to uncontrolled migration to divisive politics or even consequences of the failure to adapt to climate change. But whatever the challenge is, we can most successfully address it by working together.”
Previous keynote speakers have included Thabo Mbeki, former President of South Africa (2013), former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan (2015) and former President of Liberia Ellen Johnson Sirleaf (2016).
“We are pleased to have President Paul Kagame as our keynote speaker for this year’s Tana Forum,” says Olusegun Obasanjo, former President of Nigeria and outgoing Chairperson of the Tana Forum. “A long-time supporter of the Forum, President Kagame’s vision is to work together at a continental level in achieving a more efficient, self-reliant and more effective African Union.”
Tana Forum to focus on financing, reforming the African Union
Que Bueno!
The president of Equatorial Guinea Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo spent three days in Addis Ababa where he signed a cooperation agreement with Prime Minister Hailemariam Dessalegn.
The two countries agreed to work together to recruit workers, develop infrastructure and increase defense. The president, who came with a business delegation, said his country will strengthen its ties to do a better job than before.
Hailemariam said “we have agreed to work very closely on an international agenda. Now both of us are members of the UN Security Council and we will take the African agenda together for the issues we have to the United Nation Security Council. As the president is the most pan-African leader I think this agenda will be worked out together,” he said.
The President also visited the Addis Ababa City Administration and held talks with officials of the Administration.
The bilateral ties between the two countries started in the 1970’s. Equatorial Guinea is also one of Africa’s largest oil exporters.
No Funds for Local Cooperation in 2018 due to budget constraints
The Finnish Embassy announced on Monday that there will be no new Funds for Local Cooperation (FLC) in 2018. The announcement came during the annual experience sharing workshop for local NGOs that have received a grant from the Embassy’s FLC and local NGOs funded by Finnish NGOs.
“With regret, I have to inform you that there are no new funds for the FLC for 2018 due to budget constraints, but we hope to have some more resources next year. The situation is the same in all Finnish Embassies,” stated Finnish Ambassador to Ethiopia Helena Airaksinen.
The FLC is a grant awarded by the Embassy of Finland to local NGOs whose activities are in line with Finland’s development cooperation agenda. Last year the agenda centered around empowering women and people with disabilities, promoting good governance and civil society, a green economy and private sector promotion. The grant awardees work in all the regions of the country.
“Rights of women and girls are one of the main objectives of our cooperation in Ethiopia. Women and girls in Ethiopia have been deprived of access to social services, resources and political power. In rural areas women have little access and control of the resources and the number of educated women is also low. The women’s and girls’ dependence on the male head of the household has often lead to domestic violence and abuse of women’s and girl’s rights,” the ambassador said speaking about some of the Embassy’s areas of focus.
The Ethio-Finnish development cooperation is 50 years old from the perspective of the civil society organizations. The development cooperation of Finland in Ethiopia started in 1967. However, there has been cooperation even before that; the Finnish Red Cross has been in Ethiopia since the 1930s. We assume that it is the oldest Finnish civil society organization in Ethiopia.
Tennis NGO hopes new blood will bring more support
Akiko Seyoum, General Manger of Orchid Business Group will be the new leader of a financially strapped NGO, TDKET, attempting to promote tennis in Ethiopia.
Akiko replaces Haile Gebreselassie, who chaired the organization for 16 years. She says she will work hard to attract local investors and get people excited about tennis.
Dr. Mthaias Zimmermann Förderverein, a German fundraiser who has brought in half a million dollars to the center said that more money is needed.
“In the center there are many poor children who don’t have enough food to eat, or money to get a scholarship in order for them to get good training at the tennis academy and I hope local investors will understand this point and help the kids.’’
TDKET is a non-governmental organization in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The project uses Tennis as an instrument for showing children education and new perspectives for their lives.
Along with education, there are other aspects to the project. The different generations involved in this project show the children social aspects of our society and teaches them what it means to take responsibility.
Through donations it is possible, to provide the kids with breakfast and lunch, which is really important for their performances on court and at school. Currently there are 66 children participating in the project.
