Civil Society Walks Out Of Warsaw Climate Talks

Below is a press release from Friends of the Earth International

WARSAW, POLAND, November 21, 2013 – Today, one day before the planned conclusion of the Warsaw UN climate talks, hundreds of individuals from all continents representing social movements, trade unions and non-governmental organizations – including Friends of the Earth International - walked out of the UN climate conference in protest.

“Polluters and corporations dominated this conference with their empty talk, so we walked out in protest. Polluters talk, we walk,” said Jagoda Munic, Chairperson of Friends of the Earth International.

“While people around the world are paying with their lives and livelihoods, and the risk of runaway climate change draws closer, we simply could not sit by this egregious inaction. Corporate profits should not come before peoples' lives,” said Jagoda Munic.

“People and communities around the world who are already implementing climate-safe, local energy systems are the real climate leaders. Together, we must now apply political pressure so that our governments follow these leaders instead of the corporate polluters,” she added.

Friends of the Earth International witnessed at these talks outrageous inaction by developed country governments – and in particular the 'Dirty Four': Australia, Canada, Japan and the US.

Meanwhile, the Polish host government actively helped corporate polluters such as coal companies to influence the talks. The European Union also disappointed, with only minimal ambition and insufficient climate finance proposals.

In Warsaw, industrialised countries’ governments did nothing to cut emissions or provide real finance to tackle climate change. In addition, they continued to avoid their responsibility to prevent climate catastrophe.

“Developed nations governments have been hijacked by corporate polluters and their positions prevented even a minimal progress of the talks. Developed country governments actions in Warsaw demonstrate that they are listening to polluters such as Shell and ArcelorMittal instead of their own people, said Dipti Bhatnagar, Friends of the Earth International Climate Justice and Energy coordinator.

“We are calling on developed countries to go back home and listen to their own people. People all over the world demand urgent steps to agree an ambitious, binding and equitable international agreement on climate change. Now is the time to break free from our fossil fuel addiction and start a transformation towards sustainable and just societies,” she added.

The UN is the most democratic space to address the climate crisis. The UN climate talks are supposed to be making progress on implementing the agreement that world governments made in 1992 to stop man-made and dangerous climate change.

The agreement recognises that rich countries have done the most to cause the problem of climate change and should take the lead in solving it, as well as provide funds to poorer countries as repayment of their climate debt.

MEDIA ADVISORY

Friends of the Earth International

November 21, 2013

Peak Sex Seasons: February-March, Not December Alone!

(NewsWatch Cameroon)-Sex happens all the time and the risks are always there, yet certain periods are high risk seasons.

December has been universally acknowledged as the most risky season because of the end of year feasting and perhaps the socio-economic situation whereby, in order to meet up with the demands of the fanfare, some needy persons indulge in unseemly sexual activity to make ends meet. Hence, the World AIDS Day on December 1.

But if the authorities are not robots, if they have any sense of observation and can take initiatives, February-March would be set aside for significant Aids prevention campaigns. Those two months are about as risky as December, if not more.

The Youth Week and Valentine’s Day, both in February, make that month a season to watch. During Youth Week, official cultural activities and side events organized by youths expose young girls and boys to risky sex.

Unlike Xmas and New Year when outings could be a family affair with mum and dad coming along, at Youth Week it is everyone for them selves, each to their own school program, each to return homes is done. And see how they dress on such occasions: mini-skirts and tight knickers of most provocative cuts, up to the butt line.

And right on the heels of Youth Week (Youth Day is February 11), comes Valentine’s Day (February 14) when the craze to be ‘a la mode’ makes people ‘fall in love’ with someone they do not love, just to count in the number. And they indulge in sex because if they had a partner courting them over time, Valentine’s Day is the day to prove that love by conceding the thing most sought after.

And then, hardly a month after, is the International Women’s Day (March 8) when some women who cannot afford the Women’s Day fabric and accompanying dress compliments (shoes, handbag, etc), use what they have to get what they need, lest they look like incapable women in the eyes of others.

It is the same season when wayward women and some wives, prove to their husbands that part of gender equality is their freedom to go with other men. And the sex infection risks cannot be over-emphasized.

But has anyone witnessed any intensified Aids prevention campaign at these seasons? Robots at the appropriate quarters are waiting for December, not really to save humanity, but to fulfill the calendar and justify often embezzled expenditure.

Culled from This is News, article written by Franklin Sone Bayen , March 2010.

Uproar in Sasse: Form 5 Student slaughters Senior!

(NewsWatch Cameroon)-A form five student of St Joseph’s College Sasse in the Southwest Region of Cameroon is under police custody after he was arrested in connection to the murder of a lower sixth student of the same institution, the state radio reported this morning.

According to the school officials, yesterday Sunday, the students were out for sports and the form five student, Ojong realized the deceased student was putting on his short, when he asked the lower sixth student to give it back, he refused claiming he will only give it back when deemed necessary.

This led to a fight which was later separated by the dormitory captain. The deceased student later realized that what he did was not correct and decided to walk up to the form five student to ask for forgiveness.

The Form five student thought he was still coming to attack him and since they were just from the refectory and still with their cutleries, he took his knife and stabbed Bryan Ebenson on the stomach.

Bryan Ebenson was rushed to the Mount Marie Hospital in Buea, chief town of the Southwest Region where he gave up the ghost.

Ojong, the assailant and the deceased, Bryan Ebenson it is alleged are both orphans and hail from Kumba in the Meme division of the Southwest Region.

Investigations have been opened into the matter by local law enforcement officers while the alleged assailant is currently under police custody.

According to the State radio, people were very surprised; some think it is an isolated case while others think it is a pointer to the fact that there is something wrong with the discipline of the school.

However, Father Peter Nuck, principal of the school made it clear that discipline was tight.

By Ndi Eugene Ndi with inputs from CRTV

UBa: Boy impregnates three Girls

(NewsWatch Cameroon)-On Thursday November 5, 2013, there was ruction at a student residence in the University of Bamenda (UBa). Three UBa students are said to have stormed the room of a boy whose names I have just forgotten, accusing him of haven impregnated them. According to eye witnesses, the boy’s room was almost turned into a free for all boxing field.

Prof. Tafah Edokat, VC of UBa

Alerted, the forces of law and order rushed to the scene to stop the almost already free for all fight. One of the girls told gendarmerie officers that she was three months pregnant for the boy while the other two said they were four months pregnant each for the same boy. Both the boy and the girls are all students of that Anglo-Saxon university that is located in Bambilli, Tubah subdivision of the North West Region.

Meantime, as the university has just reopened for the 2023/2014 academic year, there is an out cry amongst students as some feymen who have transformed themselves into authorities of the university are reported to have duped a good number of freshmen and collected their fees.

The University of Bamenda was created by Decree n° 2010/371 of the 14th December 2010. The last of the eight state Universities in Cameroon as primary concern, to achieve the goals attributed to all the state Universities which include, teaching, research and outreach.

The above situation is nonetheless very common in most schools in Bamenda every September.

Immunity is Never Synonymous to Impunity- Enow Tanjong Warns

(NewsWatch Cameroon)-The eldest MP of the 9^th legislature has told his colleagues that immunity is never synonymous to impunity. Enow Tanjong made the remark Tuesday October 29 in his inaugural speech of the 9^th legislative period. The MP born in 1938 in Manyu also cautioned his colleagues to be people of reference, working in the interest of all Cameroonians.

The former Governor of the South West region is heading the provisional bureau of the National Assembly, with the two youngest MPs Zoubiantou Salihou and Solange Kwamba (both female) from the greater north region of Cameroon born in 1978, pending the election of the 23 member bureau.

Anglophones it has been observed in the last two legislative periods have been the eldest MPs. Enow Tanjong of the CPDM party takes over this mantle from Peter Cho Fonso of the SDF. Even at the Senate, an Anglophone Nfon Victor Mukete, 95 of the CPDM party is the eldest Senator.

During the short period as president of the provisional bureau of the Assembly, the eldest MP enjoys some advantages. He is entitled to a body guard, a retinue, a bigger space in the parliamentarian hotel where he receives guests and an allowance to entertain the latter.

The eldest MP chaired the session where all the 180 substantive MPs elected last September 30 received their attributes - a tri-color sash, an insignia, plus a cockade. The attributes confer on them the title “Honorable” plus all the advantages and the immunity which goes along with the attributes.

Cameroonian MPs who work for just 15 out of the 60 months in their five year mandate have a 5m F CFA micro project grant each year and a vehicle allowance among other advantages.

Real parliamentary business begins after the election of the 23 member bureau. Highly awaited is the new Speaker of the house. Speculations are rife that Cavaye Yeguie Djibril who has been Speaker since 1992 will be replaced by a woman. Unpredictable as he is, President Biya who chooses the House Speaker can still surprise speculators by maintaining Cavaye as Speaker.

 Published in NewsWatch N° 006

SOCAM: NdediEyango is New Board Chair

(NewsWatch Cameroon)-The Cameroon Music Author’s Rights Corporation, SOCAM has a new board chair. Ndedi Eyango, a very popular Cameroonian musician was elected at an extraordinary general assembly of the association in Yaounde last Saturday November 2. He replaces Odile Ngaaska who was relieved of her functions this year before the end of her mandate next year due to financial and managerial lapses.

Eyango Replaces Odile Ngaska

Six candidates were vying for the coveted post: Ateh Francis, Parole Sosthene, Romeo Dika, Bienvenue Mbega and Moussa Haissam. During the first round of voting, Ndedi Eyango grabbed over 200 votes but though he did not obtain an absolute majority, his contestants gave up the fight during the second round of voting resulting in his victory.

In a meeting with Ama Tutu MUNA, the minister of Culture ahead of the election, the artists came to a consensus to use a single ballot paper during the election, reject voting by proxy, and to accept the verdict of the poll which Abah Oyono President of the Mediation Commission of Author’s Rights Corporation in Cameroon, the chief electoral officer of the election promised to make free, fair and transparent.

Ndedi Eyango, who runs the production house PREYA MUSIC and has produced many Cameroonian artists, like Longue Longue and Jacky KINGUE, during his campaign promised transparency in the management of SOCAM, fair distribution of rights and unity among artists.

Hotel Des Deputes:145 Rooms for 180 MPs

(NewsWatch Cameroon)-The Yaoundé hotel where MPs reside when they are in session has 145 rooms for the 180 MPs in Cameroon. Management of the hotel constructed since 1952 with just 54 rooms say they have never faced a situation where all the 180 MPs express the desire to be lodged in the hotel, but that were such a situation to arise, they will arrange for rooms in other Yaoundé hotels near the national assembly.

'Hotel Des Deputes' has just 145 Rooms

They add that MPs who are members of the bureau of the national assembly have government houses in Yaoundé, and some MPs like those of Yaoundé do not like to be lodged in the hotel.

The 145 rooms in the hotel were constructed in 1981for the then 120-member National Assembly. Since membership in the assembly rose to 180, the hotel has not been refurbished, and with the probability of an increase in the number of MPs in Cameroon’s parliament, there is need for an increase in the rooms at the Parliamentarian Hotel.

The hotel renders classic services at affordable rates to MPs during their stay in Yaoundé. While MPs are in recess, the hotel receives other clients.

Wagging tongues say it is mostly ordinary MPs who take up rooms in the hotel; well to do MPs book for other big hotels in town during their stay in Yaoundé.