Events during the quarter- Strengthening the capacity of the Western Sub-Regional Node
The ABN Secretariat and the Board of Trustees converged in Tamale, Ghana, hosted by partner, RAINS. From August 1st to 6th, 2022, the ABN Board of Trustees, the ABN Secretariat, the partners in the Western Sub-Regional Node (Benin, Togo, Burkina Faso, Ghana), community members and other stakeholders engaged in capacity building on Multiple Evidence Based (MEB) approaches where science learns from indigenous knowledge to jointly find responsive approaches to strengthening the resilience of communities to various pressures associated with the climate crises.
The ABNers spent quality time learning from the Dabogshey community in the Northern region of Tamale. Chairman of ABN’s Board Sulemana Abdulai and General Coordinator Fassil Gebeyehu, led virtual participation of partners Fiona Wilton of The Gaia Foundation and Lou Darriet of SwedBio, besides the partners present at the meeting venue to discuss the implementation of African Commission’s Resolution 372 and the Walking Workshop, one of the approaches of the ABN. The event received much visibility and publicity, especially through local media and the ABN digital platforms.
Strengthening the capacity of the Eastern Sub-Regional Node
To strengthen the capacity of the ABN’s Sub-Regional Node approach, the ABN Secretariat, some members of the Board of Trustees and partners from the Eastern Sub-Regional Node (Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Rwanda), were hosted by the Rural Initiative Development Programme (RIDEP) and an ally, Society for Alternative Learning and Transformation (SALT) in Marimanti, Tharaka Nithi County, Kenya from October 15th-19th, 2022. Rich bio-cultural diversities were celebrated while also deepening the understanding of the Multiple-Evidence Based approach, Walking Workshop and the sensitization on AC’s Resolution 372 besides its implementation through the node.
Celebration of Indigenous Seeds and Kenya Food Harvest Fair at the National Museum of Kenya
ABN Secretariat, her strategic and implementing partners, BIBA Kenya, PELUM Kenya, MEAP, ICE, MPIDO and RIDEP, among other partners in the Eastern Sub-Regional Node, joined CSOs in Kenya on October 12th-14th, 2022, to celebrate the potency of Indigenous Seed. The Fair climaxed with the launch of a seed exhibition at the National Museum of Kenya. This seed fair was timely in the wake of the President of Kenya lifting the 10-year-old ban on GMOs in the country.
ABN Secretariat, BIBA Kenya and PELUM Kenya were among the event’s planning committee members. It is envisioned that the event will become a yearly event to sensitize audiences on Indigenous Seed and its ability to contribute to food sovereignty and influence the policies on seed work in Kenya and the region. All these events received national, regional and global media coverage, further increasing the visibility of the ABN and her philosophy.
Links for further updates on the events as they unfolded;
https://web.facebook.com/africanbiodiversitynetwork