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April 2012 www.un.org/africarenewal United Nations Department of Public Information SuStainable development A path to a cleaner, productive future Africa Renewal at 25 Contents April 2012 Vol. 26 No. 1 Formerly ‘Africa Recovery’ Special feature 10 The future we want to Rio and beyond: africa seeks sustainable solutions 1 2 a frica’s sustainable development priorities 1 5 interview with Greenpeace’s Kumi naidoo 1 7 interview with Joan Clos, UN-Habitat 2 0 towards african cities without slums 2 2 Radio gives voice to shack dwellers Africa is losing 4 million hectares of forest africa’s vanishing lake Chad 2 4 every year, twice the world’s average 2 6 power from wind in South africa deforestation rate. 2 7 tapping geothermal power in Kenya Redux / REA / Gilles Rolle editor-in-Chief Also in this issue Masimba Tafirenyika managing editor 3 Africa Renewal at 25 Ernest Harsch 5 interview with founding editor 6 malian fabrics create beauty, profit Staff Writer Kingsley Ighobor 8 oil subsidy controversy in nigeria Research and media liaison Rebecca Moudio Departments Aissata Haidara design & production 29 Wired John Gillespie appointments 30 administration 31 books Bo Li distribution Cover photo: Atar Markman A child walks to gather water near Mbale, Uganda. Panos / Sven Torfinn Africa Renewal is published in English and organizations. Articles from this magazine French by the Strategic Communications may be freely reprinted, with attribution to Division of the United Nations Department the author and to “United Nations Africa of Public Information. Its contents do not Renewal,” and a copy of the reproduced necessarily reflect the views of the United article would be appreciated. Copyrighted Nations or the publication’s supporting photos may not be reproduced. Subscribe to Africa Renewal www.un.org/africarenewal Correspondence Africa Renewal offers free subscriptions to should be addressed to: individual readers. Please send your request The Editor, Africa Renewal to Circulation at the address to the left or by facebook.com/africarenewal Room M-16031 e-mail to [email protected]. Institutional United Nations, NY 10017-2513, USA, subscriptions are available for thirty-five twitter.com/africarenewal Tel: (212) 963-6857, Fax: (212) 963-4556 US dollars, payable by international money order or a cheque in US dollars drawn on a E-mail: US bank, to the “United Nations” and sent to Africa Renewal is printed at the United Nations, [email protected] Circulation at the address to the left. New York, on recycled paper. Africa Renewal at 25: keeping up with a dynamic continent Africa Renewal then and now: The first issue monthly visitors on average. Nearly UN magazine of Africa Recovery, and the first colour 20,000 follow its Facebook and edition of Africa Renewal. Twitter pages. devoted to Africa Renewal / John Gillespie Africa’s progress There is a sombre feel to the first edition of the old newsletter, which present complicated issues in a language appeared in April 1985 and was a that anyone could understand. “It gave By Kingsley Ighobor predecessor of Africa Renewal. Two information that people were not used to cover photos feature a total of 15 people, getting from the UN: easy to read, easy to wo Africa Emergency debut all with grim faces. One is of Julius understand.” (See page 5) newsletters, neatly kept in the Nyerere, the late Tanzanian president, T New York offices of the UN whose exclusive interview featured in From emergency magazine Africa Renewal, provide a the edition. The stories are mostly on to recovery snapshot of Africa in 1985. That was drought and famine: Africa was facing The evolution of the publication before the internet, when many news- a severe humanitarian crisis, and the reflects the trajectory of the conti- rooms were noisy with the clacking of newsletter was part of the international nent. As the drought receded and it typewriter keys. The 16-page news- relief operation. became increasingly clear that the letter was printed in black and white, real challenge was promoting Africa’s except for the Emergency on the The UN had set up the Office of long-term economic and social devel- masthead, which appeared in green. Emergency Operations in Africa (OEOA) opment — its “recovery” — the UN to coordinate humanitarian efforts closed the OEOA and the General Fast-forward to 2012. Africa Renewal is after drought began in Ethiopia and Assembly held a special session on published in English and French, with spread to 20 African countries. It was African development. about 40,000 copies of each edition a “massive famine, the worst ever in distributed worldwide. All pages are African history,” recalls Salim Lone, But since the Africa Emergency news- semi-glossy and in full colour. The who worked as an editor under Africa letter had developed good links with magazine’s website — www.un.org/ Emergency’s editor-in-chief, Djibril the media, governments, non-govern- africarenewal — attracts 60,000 Diallo. The OEOA’s newsletter aimed to mental organizations and others, April 2012 3 many thought it would be useful to As African countries moved towards The current website has impressed Ms. have a similar publication. As a result, greater democracy in the 1990s, McPheeters, who left the magazine in Africa Recovery was launched in 1987. political topics became easier to 2006. “I am gratified I had been part of cover as well. setting up the infrastructure.” An editor’s note in the first issue, in April 1987, explained the new maga- In 2004 the magazine’s name changed The current editor-in-chief, Masimba zine’s outlook: “Clearly emergency to Africa Renewal. In a message to Tafirenyika, joined the team in 2009 is no longer the continent’s prime readers, former under-secretaries- and has been pushing to ensure that concern,” wrote Mr. Lone, who stayed general Shashi Tharoor (communi- “we are not left behind in a changing on as editor. “The focus will now be on cations and public information) and world.” According to Mr. Tafirenyika, the continent’s recovery and develop- Ibrahim Gambari (the Secretary- “We were behind the time with a ment efforts.” General’s special adviser on Africa) black-and-white publication. We justified the new name: “Most coun- needed to change our style, layout Readership strategy tries [in Africa] now have democrati- and content. We want our publica- Over time Africa Recovery began to cally elected governments…. African tion to stand out.” While the expenses resemble a magazine more than a leaders have devised a forward- of full-colour publishing were once newsletter: additional pages, with looking plan, the New Partnership for prohibitive, advances in technology a dominant feature story and other Africa’s Development (NEPAD).” now mean that the costs of a colour articles on a range of topics. Initially magazine are not so different stories were mainly on economic, They continued: “By changing its from those of a black-and-white social and humanitarian issues. As name to Africa Renewal, the publi- publication. a publication of the UN, which is cation seeks to identify itself more composed of governments, it was squarely with Africa’s new dynamic of One of Mr. Tafirenyika’s first goals difficult for the magazine to deal initiative and rebirth.” was to broaden the magazine’s appeal. with “sensitive” political issues such “It is important to appeal to the youth, as coups and rights abuses. “It was The magazine continued to expand women, civil society and others.” more acceptable to deal with other its coverage of Africa’s development To accomplish that, “our writing things,” recalls Ernest Harsch, who agenda, highlighting the work of style has to be less academic and first joined the magazine in 1989 the UN Economic Commission for more accessible. The layout must be and became managing editor in Africa, NEPAD and the UN Office of appealing and our choice of stories 2001. Besides, it was fruitless to try the Special Adviser on Africa, among must be dynamic — in line with competing with the mainstream others. When NEPAD marked its 10th changes in society.” media in chasing breaking anniversary in 2011, Africa Renewal news stories. set up a web page on the celebrations. Writers, editors and other colleagues The magazine has printed special jumped with joy in August 2010 when More notably, adds Mr. Harsch, editions on children, HIV/AIDS and the first colour, semi-glossy pages Africa Recovery was not interested women, as well as pamphlets, flyers were printed. “It was a milestone in the kind of “sexy” stories favoured and other information materials. moment for the magazine. I was very by the major media, which tended proud of the team,” says Ms. Novicki. to dwell on famines, disasters, Modernization agenda wars and other topics that sensa- The internet and mobile communica- Information and communications tionalized the negative aspects of tions technologies now make multiple technologies are advancing rapidly, Africa’s complex reality. Instead, the sources of information readily avail- and the magazine is ready to plug in. magazine concentrated on Africa’s able to readers, notes Margaret “As internet connectivity and mobile challenges and the very real efforts Novicki, chief of the Communications access improve, especially in Africa, made by Africans and their partners Campaigns Service of the UN’s we would like to be able to deliver to improve people’s lives. Department of Public Information. our products in various formats and Consequently, she says, “Africa for different platforms, including on The magazine was able to get a good Renewal must go with the flow.” tablets,” says Mr. Tafirenyika. slice of the African elite audience, particularly the media, decision- Parvati Heather McPheeters, who In addition, relationships with more makers in government, academics, created the magazine’s first website than 250 different English and civil society activists and so on.