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Senegal: Wrestling with Reality
Senegal: Wrestling with Reality Kwabena Ofori Osei 18 Views • 2 years ago

In Senegal, traditional wrestling has its roots in the culture and community of rural villages, particularly among the Serer people.

What began as tribal preparations for battle developed into village ritual and soon a form of entertainment. Men traditionally fought at village festivals after the harvest season as a way of attracting women, proving their virility and bringing honour to their communities.

But in the past 50 years, traditional Senegalese wrestling has grown exponentially to become a major national sport for both men and women - with celebrity fighters competing for big prize money, in large stadia and in front of thousands of fans.

"We can say that it is not just a sport," says sociologist Aly Tandian. "It has always been a socially stimulating factor in the Senegalese society."

"Today, there are villages that have become well known in all of Senegal because they have given birth to great wrestlers," he adds.

Today, the professional wrestlers at major events - like "Bombardier" and Eumeu Sene - are household names, winning over $80,000 a fight.

Up-and-coming fighters like "Lacrymogene", who we meet in this film, win more modest sums - from a few to a few hundred dollars. But the winnings mean that for some of the poorest Senegalese, wrestling can genuinely represent a means of clawing their way out of poverty.

Traditional wrestling is part of a wider phenomenon of combat sports in West Africa, including in countries like Gambia, Guinea and Gabon. In Senegal, the sport has attracted both genders, with the women's game now popular and well respected in its own right.

Olympic fighter Isabelle Sambou has won the African Championships nine times. Safiato Biola has competed in women's events in Europe and North Africa, and Anta Sambou says winning three golds at the 2017 Francophone Games has built her confidence and transformed her life.

"Wrestling is part of our culture," says Isabelle.

"If you wrestle when you're young, you can wrestle through your whole childhood, and as an adult you can still wrestle. Especially the girls, don't be afraid of a wrestler."

"I love my achievements so much that it has made me stronger," she says. "I also represent a force in my village, and that has made me reach the top."

In this film, we explore the popularity of traditional wrestling among Senegalese fighters and fans alike, men and women, urban and rural - from small village festivals to arena events in the capital, Dakar.

We look at wrestling as an expression of pride and cultural identity but also to show how sport - at even the lowest levels - can mean the difference for some between modest, local success and a miserable existence on the margins of society.

As Tandian says, "There are certain places, like the suburbs of Dakar, where young people only have two options: wrestling or leaving the country."

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Green Wall: How to Green the Sahara [2020]
Green Wall: How to Green the Sahara [2020] Ambakisye-Okang Dukuzumurenyi 9 Views • 5 years ago

Ira Pastor, ideaXme life sciences ambassador interviews Dr. Paul Elvis Tangem the Coordinator for the GGWSSI at the African Union Commission, in the executive/administrative branch of the AU, headquartered in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Desertification is a type of land degradation in dry-lands in which biological productivity is lost due to natural processes, or induced by human activities, whereby fertile areas become increasingly arid, and may be caused by a variety of factors, such as climate change and over exploitation of soil.

One of the countermeasures for mitigating or reversing the effects of desertification is reforestation and in 2007 the African Union (AU) started the Great Green Wall Initiative (GGWSSI) Africa project in order to combat desertification in 20 countries across the Sahel and Sahara regions. The wall is projected to be 8,000 km wide, stretching across the entire width of the continent and has US$8 billion dollars in support so far. To date, the project has restored 36 million hectares of land, and by 2030, the initiative plans to restore a total of 100 million hectares. The Great Green Wall has created many job opportunities for the participating countries, with over 20,000 jobs created in Nigeria alone.

Dr. Paul Elvis Tangem is the Coordinator for the GGWSSI at the African Union Commission, in the executive/administrative branch of the AU, headquartered in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Before joining the African Union Commission, Dr. Tangem worked as Regional Enterprise Development Manager for Tree Aid International, a UK based international development charity. He also worked with The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (UN-FAO) as Technical adviser for the programs to promote different groups engaged in forest products based enterprises. He has also served with other organizations including Centre in Scotland, Environmental Justice Foundation, London, and the Watershed Task Group in Cameroon. He is also a mentor and coach, and is behind the establishment of well known start-ups in Cameroon, West Africa.

Dr. Tangem holds a BSc from University of Dschang - Cameroon, MSc in Ecology & Management University of Edinburgh, an Executive MBA from PGSM Paris, and PH.D in Business Administration, and several other certificates and diplomas. He is a member of several professional networks including Junior Chambers International where is a Senator, and a pioneer member of World Greening Alliance created by World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and Elion Group in China.

On this episode we will hear from Dr. Tangem about -

His background - how he developed an interest in ecology, the environment, and his path towards managing the GGWSSI project at the AU

An overview of the Great Green Wall Initiative project

The technological steps involved in the de-desertification processes, including managing water, biomass, and rebuilding soils

- Benefits of the GGWSSI (i.e. food, non-food crops, wealth, carbon capture) as well as challenges (i.e. terrorism, country specific interests)

Future focus and plans for expansion of the GGWSSI in other parts of Africa, as well as for dealing with coastal deserts / salt water agriculture / aquaculture opportunities

How Agroecology Helps to Build Climate Change-Resilient Livelihoods
How Agroecology Helps to Build Climate Change-Resilient Livelihoods Ambakisye-Okang Dukuzumurenyi 49 Views • 5 years ago

More information: https://www.agroecology-pool.o....rg/climatechangerepo
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This video summarizes the study "The potential of agroecology to build climate change resilient livelihoods and food systems" which highlights the links between agroecology and climate change, by providing evidence on the technical (i.e. ecological and socio-economic) and policy potential of agroecology to build resilient food systems. The report aims to answer the following question:

How can agroecology foster climate change adaptation, mitigation and resilience through practices and policies?
Inspired by the idea that transformation will only happen through a coordinated approach among all levels, this study aims to combine evidence from a broad range of backgrounds and perspectives.

The study was conducted by Biovision Foundation and the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation FAO.

A future for all, naturally
Since 1998, Biovision Foundation has been promoting the development, dissemination and application of sustainable ecological agricultural practices, allowing people in the developing world to help themselves. Key is our holistic approach: The health of people, animals, plants and the environment are central aims in all our projects. Biovision Foundation is a charitable organisation in Switzerland (ZEWO certified) and has a legal opinion for 501(c)(3) public charity equivalency in the United States.

The right livelihood Award
In 2013, Biovision and its founder Hans Rudolf Herren won the Right Livelihood Award, also known as the Alternative Nobel Prize.

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