Is the future leadership!!!!!!

A 10 year old boy of Lusaka’s Kaunda Square Stage one has been physically assaulted by his father.

The assault was discovered by his grade teacher at Tunduya Basic School after she noticed that the boy was having difficulties to play with his colleagues.

According to the Boy’s mother, Mwila Mulenga, the boy was beaten by his father only... identified as Mr Shamalaya on Tuesday morning after the boy had wet the bed.

The boy was beaten on his back resulting in him sustaining sores.

ACHIEVEMENTS OF ZAMBIA’S LEADING WOMEN PROFILED

Lusaka, July 22 2011. Today marks the launch of the second edition of Zambia Women Celebrated, a publication which highlights and gives prominence to the contributions that Zambian women have made across all aspects of life in their country. The launch was performed by the Minister for Gender and Women’s Development, Honourable Sarah Sayifwanda.

This publication is a valuable contribution to the fight to empower women in Zambia and recognizes the achievements of the often forgotten gender. It also serves as an inspiration to other women across the country.

United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Representative, Duah Owusu-Sarfo said, “That women are equal members of society, entitled to equal access to education, health, social services, and economic opportunities, as well as entitled to equal say in the decisions that affect them and their communities, as enshrined in the Universal Declaration on Human Rights”. Women’s empowerment is also vital and necessary for the overall success of any efforts to achieve sustainable development. This is highlighted in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), where the empowerment, equality, and unique needs of women are recognized as targets for development around which policies should be formulated and interventions implemented. Indeed, women have made important and lasting contributions to almost every aspect of life in Zambia, from business and government, to science and the arts.

The publication of Zambia Women Celebrated recognizes the perseverance, dedication, and vision of women. The publication features women like Whitner Kapembwa Mutale Nalumango, a mother of four and a former secondary school teacher who became the first female Chief Government Spokesperson and later the first Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly. Jessie Chisi, whose contributions to the arts have been recognized in Zambia and around the world, is also featured. Overcoming the seemingly insurmountable challenges of being an orphan, Jessie has gone on to make films that have been celebrated at flagship events like the Berlin and Durban Film Festivals. Over fifty other women have been profiled in the book.

Undoubtedly, women contribute greatly to the betterment of Zambia. Yet, the reality remains that they face great challenges, at home, in the working environment, and in their communities. While Zambia has made great progress in achieving near-equality in primary education, too many of the nation’s daughters are forced out of school before the secondary level, pushed instead into the household to become wives and mothers with little or no say. As adolescents, Zambian women are the highest at-risk group for developing HIV and AIDS, with incidence and prevalence rates much higher than their male counterparts. As mothers, Zambian women face tremendous health risks: nearly 600 women out of 100,000 perish during childbirth; and only 46 per cent of deliveries are supervised by skilled health providers. Zambian women hold only 14 seats in parliament, less than half of the 2015 MDG target. In the working environment, women continue to face immense hurdles and barriers.

“Women and girls are one-half, if not more, of the ladder of development – without addressing their needs, communities and countries cannot excel to their full potential”, said Owusu-Sarfo. It is important therefore to provide them equal opportunities and access to positions of leadership and influence.

Zambia has a positive record of promoting women’s issues. The creation of a Ministry responsible for women’s development demonstrates this commitment, as does the ratification of numerous international agreements such as the Convention on Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).

Working with the Government of the Republic of Zambia, the United Nations system is a committed partner for advancing the rights and empowerment of women. Through the 2011-2015 UN Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF), the UN provides various forms of technical and financial support, such as the sponsorship of the Zambia Women Celebrated publication launched today, to contribute to the social advancement of Zambian women.

London 2012- one year to go

OP ED BY THE UK FOREIGN SECRETARY, WILLIAM HAGUE

On 27 July, Britain’s young champion Tom Daley will dive into the waters of our stunning new Aquatics Centre and the ripples will be felt across the world. That same day, from Trafalgar Square in the heart of London, President Rogge of the International Olympic Committee will address nations around the globe.

He will invite the world’s top athletes to form teams to compete at the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Our countdown will begin.

It is six years since the UK first won the privilege to host the Games in Singapore, and it has been a remarkable journey since. Everything is on track. Construction of the major venues is complete, a year ahead of Games time. We are on budget, on time and set to deliver a great summer of sport and culture.

This is going to be a show to remember – and not just for the sport. Of course the Games are about sporting excellence and extraordinary personal triumphs. No-one knows this better than my friend Lord Coe whose remarkable achievements make him uniquely qualified to put athletes at the heart of planning for 2012. But they are also about so much more.

For me, the Olympic and Paralympic Games are about one word above all others: legacy – about the real difference they can make to people’s lives. That’s not just in the host city, or the host country, but around the world. This vision of an enduring legacy is woven into every aspect of the 2012 Games.

For example, East London has already been transformed before our eyes. Some of the greatest architects and engineers in their fields have designed sports venues that our communities and visitors will enjoy for years to come. And they have achieved this with a remarkable commitment to putting sustainability at the heart of the build, making London the first truly ‘green’ Games in history.

But legacy is also about inspiration – about giving young men and women hope and ambition. And through our International Inspiration programme we have used sport to reach out to over 12 million children in 17 countries across the world, from Azerbaijan to Zambia.

Finally, it is about bringing people together under the Olympic values of friendship, respect and excellence. Over 3.5 million tickets have already been sold. Thousands of people have signed up to volunteer. Hundreds more have been nominated to bear the Olympic flame as it travels the highlands, lowlands and islands on its 70 day journey across the nation.

And for the two months of Olympic and Paralympic sport next summer, in every home and on every radio and television, the Games will be shared and enjoyed by the world.

That’s why, as President Rogge invites Zambian athletes to Britain in 2012, and as local athletes start training for glory on the country’s sports fields, I want to invite the people of Zambia to be a part of this momentous occasion too.

Today and for the next 12 months, we want to welcome the world to the UK to share in the Olympic and Paralympic experience and discover what makes Britain a great place to live, work, visit, invest and do business.

With 365 days to go, we are ready to host an outstanding Games that will live on in the difference it makes to millions of lives – and we want everyone to be part of it.

VOICES ON THE GROUND IN AFRICA DEMAND GOVERNMENTS WALK THE TALK ON SANITATION

Grassroots activists in Africa have come together at AfricaSan 3, Kigali, Rwanda to demand that their leaders and international governments demonstrate strong leadership and take urgent action on the continent’s critical sanitation situation.

Only 31 percent of people living in Africa have adequate access to sanitation, despite sanitation and water being a recognised human right.

This is a situation which is having a devastating impact on the health, education, economic and social standing of the poorest people. Diarrhoea linked to inadequate sanitation is now recognised as the biggest killer of children in Africa, and it is estimated that lack of safe water and sanitation costs the region around 5% of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) each year.

Without strong and targeted action from governments and donors, this inequality of access and the resulting povertylooks set to increase. Civil society representatives and community leaders have come together to present one voice at the only Africa-wide conference on sanitation.

In consultation with over 230 African CSOs, INGO WaterAid, FAN, WSSCC and the End Water Poverty campaign, they are calling for their governments and development partners to:

-Develop clear financial plans to ensure that 0.5% of GDP is spent on sanitation, as per the eThekwini Declaration, and that these funds are targeted to those most in need
-Work together to support the global Sanitation and Water for All (SWA) partnership to ensure high-level coordination of funds, targets and practises.
-Work transparently so their progress can be monitored and assessed, especially in relation to the implementation of the Human Right to Water and Sanitation

“Despite our collective efforts, since the last AfricaSan2.1 million children under-five have died of diarrhoea caused by poor sanitation, water and hygiene in Africa,” said civil society leader Doreen WanderaKabasindi from Uganda.

“We are striving to bring an end to these preventable deaths and this huge suffering so we call on our governments to take urgent action.”

These calls come on top of a new progress report from WaterAid, WSSCC and Unicef which shows there is still much to be done if Africa is to meet the Millennium Development Goal for sanitation and stick to its eThekwini Declaration commitments.

“We would like to see our recommendations taken seriously and reflected in the final AfricaSan statement as well as in national policies going forward,” said Nelson Gomonda, Pan, Africa Manager for WaterAid, “If African leaders are sincere about stopping millions of needless deaths, they must follow their consciences and deliver on the promises they have made.”

AfricaSan will see over 600 ministers and experts from African countries meet in Kigali to review commitments set out in the eThekwini Declaration in 2008.

Key Facts
•Diarrhoea kills more children globally than HIV/AIDS, malaria and measles combined and is the biggest killer of children in Africa
•Only four countries in sub Saharan Africa are on track to meet the sanitation Millennium Development Goal (MDG) target, 584 million lack access to improved facilities and 231 million practise open defecation
•Sub Saharan Africa is the region with the highest number of people without access to safe water and only 20 countries are on-track to meet the MDG water target.
•Slow progress towards WASH MDG targets, particularly sanitation, isholding back progress on all other MDGs.

Existing commitments
To achieve progress towards the MDG targets on water and sanitation, African Heads of State have signed up to African commitments on water and sanitation:

PICTURES OF ATTACKED JOURNALISTS

MUVI TV driver, Edward Ntele suffered a deep cut on his forehead during yesterday's incident, in which more than 100 ruling MMD cadres severely beat a news crew and further confiscated their equipment in Lusaka West.

WaterAid calls for urgent action and a focus on the poorest to reduce poverty across Africa.

As leaders gather for the Third African Conference on Sanitation and Hygiene in Kigali, Rwanda (AfricaSan 3, 19-21 July 2011), WaterAid warns that Africa is facing increasing inequality in access to one of the continent’s most basic services and that action needs to be taken urgently.

The international development organisation will present the findings of recent research at the conference, showing that the poorest, most marginalised and most in-need people across Africa are missing out on access to safe sanitation. According to WaterAid, this inequity is having dire consequences on the health, wealth and development of the continent.

Figures show that a staggering 2.1 million children under the age of five have died from diarrhoea caused by poor water, sanitation and hygiene since the last AfricaSan conference held three years ago in South Africa.

Diarrhoea, linked to inadequate sanitation, is now recognised as the biggest killer of children in Africa, and it is estimated that lack of safe water and sanitation costs the region around five percent of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) each year.

WaterAid is urging ministers meeting at the conference to keep their promises to prioritise and invest in sanitation, particularly ensuring that they reach Africa’s poorest and most marginalised people, and to work together to accelerate progress towards the Sanitation and Water for All global partnership.

Paul Kapotwe from WaterAid in Zambia said: "With over 500 million of our continent’s people living without access to a toilet, the promises and resolutions already passed by governments in Africa have clearly not been realised.

"Our research shows that it is the poorest of the poor who are missing out on these most basic human necessities, having a massive impact on the development of our country and indeed the whole of our continent.

For Africa to truly flourish, leaders at AfricaSan must honour their commitments and now deliver on the promises they have made."

New research from WaterAid shows that the inequity is fuelled by poor targeting of aid by both donor countries and African governments. The key findings are as follows:


•Not enough international aid for water and sanitation is going to Sub-Saharan Africa, the continent most off-track for the Millennium Development Goals, with large amounts going to middle-income countries in richer regions.

•Furthermore, within African countries, investments in water and sanitation are not going to those with the greatest need, resulting in the poorest of the poor and the most marginalised groups missing out on sanitation.

AfricaSan will see over 600 ministers and experts from African countries meet in Kigali to review commitments set out in the eThekwini Declaration in 2008.

To mark AfricaSan, WaterAid has collaborated with UNICEF and WSSCC to produce aTraffic Lights discussion paper, highlighting the gaps between government commitments on sanitation and action taken across Africa.

The paper shows that in Zambia, despite strong commitments to provide access to clean water and adequate sanitation, there remain many critical areas which
require urgent attention.

Key Facts
•Diarrhoea kills more children globally than HIV/AIDS, malaria and measles combined and is the biggest killer of children in Africa
•Only four countries in sub Saharan Africa are on track to meet the sanitation Millennium Development Goal (MDG) target, 584 million lack access to improved facilities and 231 million practise open defecation
•Sub Saharan Africa is the region with the highest number of people without access to safe water and only 20 countries are on-track to meet the MDG water target.
•Slow progress towards WASH MDG targets, particularly sanitation, is holding back progress on all other MDGs.

Existing commitments

To achieve progress towards the MDG targets on water and sanitation, African Heads of State have signed
up to African commitments on water and sanitation:

•eThekwini Declaration (2008). Signed by 20 African countries, outlined commitments to increase the profile of sanitation and hygiene in poverty strategies and public sector budget allocations (a minimum of 0.5% of GDP), enhance leadership, coordination and capacity, and develop and implement sanitation monitoring systems.

In the same year, it was recognized by African Heads of State and endorsed in the Sharm El-Sheikh Commitments on Water and Sanitation.


•Sharm el Sheikh Declaration (2008): commitment to establishing water management policies, regulatory frameworks and programmes, and prepare national strategies and action plans for achieving the MDG targets for water and sanitation; build human resources capacity, climate change adaptation measures, increase domestic financial allocation an mobilize donor finance to WASH, Civil Society, women, youth and public engagement in WASH programmes, monitor progress, regional dialogues on climate change, regional cooperation.

•Sanitation and Water for All: Sanitation and Water for All is a global partnership between developing countries, donors, multi-lateral agencies, civil society and other development partners working together to achieve universal and sustainable access to sanitation and drinking water, with an immediate focus on achieving the Millennium Development Goals in the most off-track countries. This transparent, accountable and results-oriented framework for action provides a common vision, values and principles that

•Support a vision for everyone in the world to have sustainable access to sanitation and drinking water. To achieve this, Sanitation and Water for All aims to:
•Increase political prioritisation for sustainable sanitation and drinking water

•Support strong national sanitation and drinking water planning, investment and accountability frameworks

•Improve targeting and impact of resources for sustainable sanitation and drinking water

•Support effective decision making by providing detailed information and evidence on sanitation and drinking water

•Strengthen mutual accountability of governments and development partners.


This is according to a statement issued by PAUL KAPOTWE
COUNTRY REPRESENTATIVE.