Event: The Price of Food: Hunger or Hope for Africa?

16 July, 2008 - 18.00 - Portcullis House, Westminster - London

Speakers
Dr Monty Jones
Executive Director, Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa

Dr Camilla Toulmin
Director, International Institute for Environment and Development

Professor Lawrence Haddad
Director, Institute of Development Studies

Chair
Hugh Bayley MP
Chair, Africa All Party Parliamentary Group

This forthcoming Royal African Society event will address some really key and really topical issues and is very much in line with the themes I have been pursuing and writing about here at InformationOthewise. I encourage anyone interested to come along and anyone who is unable to attend but has questions they would like to put to the panel, to get in touch as FreeHouse representatives will be attending.

The world food crisis threatens to destroy years, if not decades, of economic progress, and may push millions back into abject poverty, stated Kofi Annan recently. But others see the crisis as an opportunity to reform global agriculture and increase longer-term productivity in Africa.

The discussion will look at the implications of the food crisis for Africa – both the opportunities and the threats – as well as possible interventions. It will discuss the possibility of a Green Revolution for Africa. It will also critically assess the role of bioenergy in the current crisis and in the future of sustainable agricultural production in Africa.

Space is limited. RSVP essential: ras_research@soas.ac.uk

Please arrive 15 minutes prior the meeting to clear security. http://www.parliament.uk/documents/upload/faxmap.pdf

Letters from China: "Sichuan earthquake"

This received from a young Chinese high school student

"At 14:28 on 12th May , there was a terrible earthquake in Sichuan. Over 6, 000,0 people died. About 36,000,0 got hurt .So many people just closed their eyes by a second . Big blocks of rocks went down from mountains slopes,peoples’ houses collapsed before they had run out of them.So many young people became orphans,so many parents lost their cute children.
Every day, the TV talked about the Sichuan earthquake.People mourned for the people who died in the earthquake.So many doctors and soldiers went to rescue people.They didin’t care about themselves but the people in Sichuan.What wonderful doctors and soldiers we have!We are proud of them.

There are many moving stories about the earthquake.There’s a little girl named Xinyi.When the rescue team found her,she was held in her parents’ arms safely.But her parents were both dead.They used their bodies to protect her.What wonderful parents she has.When she grows up,she’ll thank her parents to give her another chance to live in the world.


If you wanna know more about the earthquake,tell me."

Letters from China: Subject: "I am safely escaped from the big shock and do some volunteer work"

vivilee1016@gmail.com

"All of my friends, thanks very much,!!

I am very safe now and be able to get enough food and water. So do students
in my campus of Sichuan University. So do people in the city of Chengdu.
Actually, the central of the shock is just about over 100km far way to the
city of Chengdu. We have safely escaped from the forth floor.
When the shock happended yesterday, I was studying myself for GRE test in a
classroom at the 4th floor. I felt the shock very quick and I am the 2nd
person of my classroom run out, then all of the students in the classroom
stood up and run out.
No words...
we just run...
nothing occured to me while feeling the stair was shaking heavily...

Just like that...we esacaped immedially...

many people died aroud the City of Chengdu...

over 10000
also, some people unknown and unfound may have died...a large amount over
our imagine,maybe more than 100,000

As the lackness of blood, we intend to go to offer some blood. But the
equipement and sanitation cannot offer enough sevice.

Thanks for all of your concerning. Also, we are trying to take care well of
ourselves and organize some volunteer do some help... I think we can get
over the serious calamity and we have to!!!
Regards!

Vivi Lee
From Chengdu, Sichuan POV. China.

life is everywhere, but not here"