24 Apr 2019

Agip Exploration Company Post Graduate Scholarship Award 2019/2020 for Nigerian Students

Application Deadline: 1st June 2019

About the Award: Nigerian Agip Exploration (NAE) Limited, on behalf of the NNPC/NAE PSC, is committed to the training and development of manpower as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme.
In pursuance of this, NAE invites applications from suitably qualified and interested Nigerian graduates for the 2019/2020 Post Graduate Scholarship Award Scheme. The award is in two categories: –
1. Overseas – For study in a reputable overseas university
2. Local – For study in a recognized Nigerian university


Eligible Countries: Nigerian Students

Fields of Study: Only candidates with offer of admission in disciplines related to the following areas should apply;
• Geosciences
• Engineering (Petroleum, Mechanical, Civil, Subsea, Electrical/Electronics, Marine, Chemical)
• Petroleum Economics
• Law (Oil and Gas/Petroleum)


Type: Postgraduate (Masters)

Eligibility: To qualify for 2019/2020 NAE Post Graduate Scholarship Award scheme, applicants MUST:
1. Possess a minimum of Second Class Upper Bachelor’s degree from a recognized Nigerian university.
2. Have secured admission into a Nigerian or Overseas university (based on the category being applied for) for a one year Master’s Degree programme in any of the disciplines listed below.
3. Not above 28 years of age by December 31st, 2019.
4. Have completed the one year National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme.
5. Possess an international passport valid for travel at least one year from September, 2019 (applicable to overseas category).


Number of Scholarships: Several

What are the benefits? The NAE scholarship award applies to tuition, books, field trips, accommodation, living expenses and a return economy ticket for selected one-year course of study.


Duration of Scholarship: As determined by the sponsor

How to Apply: 

SECTION A
1. Candidates should have the following clearly scanned documents before starting the application process:
a. Passport photograph (450 × 450 pixel) with white background not more than 3 months old
b. Provisional admission letter for post graduate studies 2019/2020 session into any reputable university – Local/Overseas. This admission letter must be for the course stated on the candidate’s application.
c. First Degree Certificate
d. NYSC Discharge Certificate
e. Valid ID card (Driver’s license, Voter’s card, National Identity card)
f. Valid International Passport Data Page for Overseas category only (Valid for travel at least one year from September 2019)
g. Birth Certificate from Local government
h. NAE Compliance Declaration Form
2. All candiates are required to fill and sign the NAE compliance declaration form.

To download the NAE compliance declaration, click https://dragnetscreening.ng/files/compliance.pdf
3. Label the scanned documents accordingly, to avoid mix up during upload.
4. Attach the right documents in the appropriate upload section.


SECTION B


To apply, follow the steps below: 1. Click on “Apply Now” tab.
2. Click on “Register Now” to create an account.
3. Proceed to your email box to activate your account
4. Click on www.scholastica.ng to return to Scholarship site
5. Enter your registered email and password to create your profile.
6. Candidates are required to fill the Personal Details, Undergraduate and Postgraduate Sections only. Candidates are also required to upload only applicable documents (refer to section A).
Note to Overseas category applicants: Applicants for the Overseas category are encouraged to also apply for the Local Post Graduate Scholarship Award.
7.  Candidates are not required to fill the Secondary Level, Bank details or download the undergraduate profile verification form in the application portal.
8.  Ensure the name used in application matches the names on all documentation in same order. Upload a sworn affidavit or certificate if otherwise.
9.  Ensure you view all documents after uploading, to eliminate errors during uploading.
10. Recheck application information to avoid errors
11. Click “Apply Now” to submit information at http://scholastica.ng/schemes/naescholarships or return to the home page www.scholastica.ng and select the 2018 NAE Postgraduate Scholarship Awards to be redirected to the application page
12. You will receive an email that confirms your application was successful.

NOTE: 
·
• Multiple applications shall lead to disqualification.
• Kindly review your profile before applying.



For further information on how to apply for this scholarship, Visit the Scholarship Webpage

Simpson Scholarship 2019 for ACCA Candidates Worldwide

Application Deadline: 21st June 2019

Eligible Countries: Global

About the Award: Miss Muriel Simpson FCCA died on 22 December 1977 and, in her Will, left her residuary estate to ACCA to fund a Scholarship to be called the ‘Simpson Scholarship’.
Miss Simpson’s wishes were that the Scholarship Fund be used to fund the further education of ACCA students who have already proven themselves to be of sufficient merit and distinction in ACCA examinations.

Type: Grants

Eligibility: You can apply for the Simpson Scholarship if you meet the following criteria.
  • You are registered as an ACCA student, and
  • You have paid your fees for the year ahead, and
  • You have no other fees outstanding, and
  • You have completed and achieved an average of 80% or more in the Knowledge module (Papers F1–F3) of the Fundamentals level of the ACCA Qualification – at your first attempt, or
  • If you have exemptions from the Knowledge module (Papers F1–F3) of the Fundamentals level, then you must have achieved 66% or more in at least two ACCA Qualification papers in the Fundamentals Skills module – at your first attempt.
Number of Awards: 5

Value of Award: The winners of the Scholarship will have the following fees paid on their behalf, from the Scholarship Fund, for a maximum of five years from the date of the award or until they have become members – whichever happens first.
Payment of ACCA:
  • examination fees
  • annual student subscription fees
  • annual affiliate subscription fees
  • membership admission fee*
As an added bonus, Scholarship winners with get a set of learning materials from one of our Approved Content Providers for each ACCA paper they are studying.
*This does not include the annual membership subscription fee

How to Apply: If you meet the eligibility criteria for the Scholarship then the next step is to submit your application to ACCA.
You, the applicant, must write an essay entitled:
‘How the award of a Scholarship will help me to realise my full potential’.

When the judging panel are deciding on the winning essays, they are looking for five that will really inspire them and where they can see that the candidate will really benefit from receiving it. So think about how the Simpson Scholarship will benefit and make a difference to you and tell us about it. 
For example, it could be
  • how it will make a positive contribution to your career
  • how it will make a positive contribution to the community in which you live
  • how it will make a positive contribution to the accounting profession in your country
  • how it will help with your journey to membership.
Your essay must be personal to you and inspiring.
Your application must be accompanied by a Scholarship submission form including two references. Full criteria for the essay and Scholarship Submission form can be found in the sections below.
Essay check list

Submitting your application 

Completed applications must be submitted – preferably by email – to: simpsonscholarship@accaglobal.com  

Please do not submit queries about the Scholarship to this mailbox as you will not receive a response. Any queries you have should be directed to ACCA Connect
If it is not possible for you to submit your application by email, you will need to post it to the following address.

ACCA
110 Queen Street
Glasgow
United Kingdom
G1 3BX

ACCA cannot accept any responsibility for postal applications that do not arrive before the closing date.

Visit Award Webpage for Details

AstraZeneca Young Health Programme (Fully-funded Scholarship to attend One Young World Conference) 2019

Application Deadline: 25th May 2019

Eligible Countries: Worldwide

To be taken at (country): London, United Kingdom. 

About the Award: Through the Young Health Programme (YHP), AstraZeneca works to engage and empower young people with information so that they can make healthy choices today that will lead to better health later in life. Youth are at the heart of YHP’s activities providing young people with a powerful voice in identifying their own health needs as well as planning and delivering solutions.
The successful scholars will join 7 other YHP youth delegates who are already involved with the programme, as peer educators, advocates, NGO partners or community youth leaders. In addition to attending the Summit, YHP scholars will participate in a pre-Summit workshop to meet the delegation, share information about their background and get prepared for what will be an incredible experience in London.

Type: Conference

Eligibility: We are looking for young people (aged 18 – 30) who work for or are involved with a non-governmental organisation, social enterprise, community based organization, or who are individuals making an impact through advocacy activities or direct programming related to fighting the burden of non-communicable diseases. In particular this scholarship seeks to support young leaders making an impact in at-least one of the following areas:
  • Tackling tobacco use and alcohol consumption
  • Increasing physical activity and exercise
  • Improving diet and nutrition
  • Raising awareness of mental health and supporting people with mental health problems.
  • Tackling pollution and improving air quality
Number of Awards: 18

Value of Award:
  • Access to the One Young World Summit 2019 in London
  • Hotel accommodation on a shared basis between 21 and 25 (inclusive) October, 2019
  • The cost of travel to and from London (flights in economy)
  • Catering which includes breakfast, lunch and dinner
  • Transport between the Summit accommodation and the Summit venue
  • Summit hand-outs and support materials
  • Access to Youth Health Programme pre-Summit workshop
  • Discretionary funds to cover reasonable out of pocket expenses connected with getting to and from the Summit (these can be claimed by Scholars after the Summit)​
Duration of Award: between 21 and 25 (inclusive) October, 2019

How to Apply: Apply Here
  • It is important to go through all application requirements on the Programme Webpage (see link below) before applying

UNESCO World Heritage Young Professionals Forum (Fully-funded to Baku, Azerbaijan) 2019

Application Deadline: 1st May 2019 at 23:59, Azerbaijan Time (CET+2).

Eligible Countries: Up to 30 participants will be selected for the World Heritage Young Professionals Forum 2019:
One participant from each of the 21 Member States of the current World Heritage Committee (Angola, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Burkina Faso, China, Cuba, Guatemala, Hungary, Indonesia, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Norway, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Spain, Tunisia, Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania, Zimbabwe) and up to 9 participants from other countries will be selected.


To Be Taken At (Country): Baku, Azerbaijan

About the Award: The overall aim of the Forum is to highlight the key opportunities and challenges of heritage management in the twenty-first century. Accompanied by local and international experts, and through a variety of site visits, presentations and roundtables, the participants will gain insights into the processes and working practices of the 1972 World Heritage Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage. They will discuss and gain in depth knowledge of the global concepts of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the New Urban Agenda, while also having the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the local Azerbaijani heritage and its management. At the end of the Forum, the young professionals will present their Declaration to the 43rd session of the World Heritage Committee.

Type: Conference, Training

Eligibility: Participants of the World Heritage Young Professionals Forum 2019 are expected to be:
  • Aged between 23 and 32 years;
  • Experienced in the field of World Heritage; working on conservation and promotion of heritage in their regular activities, along with other young people;
  • Motivated and committed to implementing the outcomes of the Forum in their respective countries;
  • Available for the entire duration of the Forum;
  • Proficient in English, as the Forum will be conducted entirely in English.
Selection Criteria: The selection will be made based on the requirements above, with a specific
focus on:

  • Balanced geographical representation,
  • Dissemination of gained experience in the country or institution of origin
  • Gender equality,
  • Diversity of professional backgrounds.
Number of Awards: 30

Value of Award:
  • All travel and accommodation costs for the selected participants will be covered by the Kingdom of Bahrain- for the duration of the forum.
  • The organizers will assist in the travel preparations (including visas) and bookings.
  • If any participant wishes to extend their stay until the end of the Committee session, all related costs should be covered by the participant with the consent of the State Party concerned. This information should be communicated to the organizers in advance to make the necessary arrangements.
Duration of Program: 23 June to 2 July 2019

How to Apply: Candidates who wish to apply for participation in the World Heritage Young Professionals Forum should fill in and submit the online application form. Please make sure that you include all the required information in the application form and that you attach the requested supporting documents.

Visit the Program Webpage for Details

Japanese Government Scholarships (Monbukagakusho) 2020 for Undergraduate, Masters & Research International Students

Application Deadline: 31st May 2019
The deadlines of the applications differ according to the country. Please contact with Japanese embassy or consulate general in your country (See link below).

Offered annually? Yes

To be taken at (country):  Japanese Universities

Eligible Field of Study: Those who wish to study through the Japanese Government Scholarships as an undergraduate student must choose a field of major from (1) or (2) below. Applicants may enter a first, second, and third choice.
(1) Social Sciences and Humanities: Social Sciences and Humanities-A: Laws, Politics, Pedagogy, Sociology, Literature, History, Japanese language, and others. Social Sciences and Humanities-B: Economics and Business Administration.

2) Natural Sciences: Natural Sciences-A: Science (Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry), Electrical and Electronic Studies (Electronics, Electrical Engineering, Information Engineering), Mechanical Studies  (Mechanical Engineering, Naval Architecture), Civil Engineering and Architecture (Civil Engineering, Architecture, Environmental Engineering), Chemical Studies (Applied Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Industrial Chemistry, Textile Engineering), and other fields (Metallurgical Engineering, Mining Engineering, Maritime Engineering, Biotechnology). Natural Sciences-B: Agricultural studies (Agriculture, Agricultural Chemistry, Agricultural Engineering, Animal Science, Veterinary Medicine, Forestry, Food Science, Fisheries), Hygienic studies (Pharmacy, Hygienics, Nursing), and Science (Biology). Natural Sciences-C: Medicine, and Dentistry.

For postgraduate, applicants should apply for the field of study they majored in at university or its related field. Moreover, the fields of study must be subjects which applicants will be able to study and research in graduate courses at Japanese universities.

About the Award: The Japanese Government’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) offers Japanese Government Scholarships for academic study in Japan to foreign students interested in deepening their understanding of the Japanese language, Japanese affairs and Japanese culture. The purpose of the Japanese Government Scholarships is to promote mutual understanding and deepening friendly ties between Japan and other countries through the application of advanced knowledge regarding Japan’s language and culture.

Type: Undergraduate, Postgraduate
Scholarship is available in four categories:
  1. Research students
  2. Undergraduate students
  3. College of Technology students
  4. Specialized Training College students
Selection Criteria and Eligibility: To be eligible for the Japanese Government Scholarships:
  • Nationality: Applicants must have the nationality of a country that has diplomatic relations with Japan. An applicant who has Japanese nationality at the time of application is not eligible. Selection is conducted at facilities such as the Japanese Embassy /Consulate General (hereinafter “Japanese legation”) located in the country of the applicant’s nationality. (This shall not necessarily be applied in cases where one embassy covers multiple nations.)
  • Health: Applicants must be free from any mental or physical disabilities that would be an impediment to the
    pursuit of university study.
  • Military personnel or military civilian employees at the time of arriving in Japan are not eligible.
  • Availability on arriving in Japan by April/ October 2020
  •  Age: Research Student: Applicants generally must have been born on or after April 2, 1985.
         Undergraduate Student: Applicants generally must have been born between April 2, 1995 and April 1, 2003.
    College of Technology Student: Applicants generally must have been born between April 2, 1995 and April 1, 2003.
    Specialised Training College Student: Applicants generally must have been born between April 2, 1995 and April 1, 2003. 

    vi) Research Student: Undergraduate Degree holders from universities and/or colleges with a total mark of Second Class Upper Division or higher. Applicants for this program must submit a complete research proposal at the time of applying Undergraduate Student: Highschool graduate with a mathmatic score of B3 or higher.
Number of Scholarships: Not specified

Value of Scholarship:
  • -Allowance: The amount of the scholarship disbursement per month has yet to be determined.
  • -Transportation to Japan
  • -Transportation from Japan: The recipient who returns to his/her home country within the fixed period after the expiration of his/her scholarship will be supplied, upon application, with an economy-class airplane ticket for travel from the New Tokyo International Airport or any other international airport that the appointed university usually uses to the international airport nearest to his/her home address
  • -Tuition and Other Fees: Fees for the entrance examination, matriculation, and tuition at universities will be borne by the Japanese Government.
Duration of Scholarship: For undergraduate, the scholarship period will last for five years from April 2020 to March 2025, including the one-year preparatory education in the Japanese language and other subjects due to be provided upon arrival in Japan. For Japanese Government Scholarships grantees majoring in medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine or a six-year course in pharmacy, the scholarship period will be seven years until March 2026.
For postgraduate,  between 18 & 24 months.

Eligible African Countries: Africa: Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Cape Verde, Chad, Comoros, Republic of Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabonese Republic, Gambia, Ghana, Republic of Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Zambia, Uganda and Zimbabwe

Other Eligible Countries: See link below for eligible European, Middle East, Asian and other developing countries

How to Apply: 
Visit the general scholarship webpage for details. For country specific details, please contact with 

Japanese embassy or consulate general in your country.

For Example, See the Embassy of Japan in South Africa

Important Notes: Please note that applications forms for the current exercise is clearly marked – (2020). Applications made with the 2019 forms will, therefore, not be processed by the Embassy.

French-African Young Leaders Program 2019 (Fully-funded)

Application Deadline: 17th May 2019 (midnight)

Eligible Countries: African countries

To be taken at (country): Paris, France and Accra, Ghana

About the Award: Convinced that the young people of Africa and France belong to a single generation and that they bear shared responsibilities in a world in common, the French-African Foundation wishes to identify, assemble and nurture the most promising high-potential talents on the Franco-African economic, political, academic, social and cultural ecosystems, and to support the leadership and management potential of this new generation.
Selected candidates must show the talent, passion and shared values that have the potential to contribute to transformative change in Africa and in France. This program represents an exceptional opportunity to engage with other candidates as well as with national and continental leaders in the public and private sector.

Type: Short course (excursion)

Eligibility:
  • Be between 28 and 40 years old as of October 31st, 2019;
  • Have French nationality or the nationality of an African country;
  • Fluency in English is required. Fluency in French or a demonstrated interest to learn French is highly beneficial and will be an advantage in the application process;
  • Demonstrated engagement across public and private sectors, and across geographical borders. The application must also demonstrate applied skills and experiences in any domain (which could include manufacturing and industry, services, public administration, agriculture, health, science, education, tech, culture and art, media, sports, community,…);
  • Demonstrate inclusive leadership, commitment, and a sustained involvement (3 years minimum) that impacts your community, country, or sub region.
  • Display of a privileged professional and / or personal and / or associative relationship with France and Africa (at least two out of these three points). This connection should be a lasting link of 3 years minimum.
Number of Awards: Not specified

Value and Duration of Award:
  • 5 days in Paris from July 7 to 13th, 2019
  • 5 days in Accra, October, 2019
  • High-level meetings with leaders from the public and private sector
  • Excellent opportunities for mentorship, training and networking
  • Media exposure
  • Flights and accommodation covered by the French-African Young Leaders program
How to Apply: APPLY
  • It is important to go through all application requirements on the Programme Webpage (see link below) before applying
Visit Award Webpage for Details

Earth Day: Our Planet in Peril

Robert F. Dodge

Today marks the 49th anniversary of the first Earth Day. This comes 50 years after the Santa Barbara oil spills which were instrumental in the declaration of the first Earth Day. The fate of our planet remains threatened by two inextricably connected threats, that of climate change and nuclear war. We cannot pretend to be concerned about our environment if we are not simultaneously concerned about the destruction of the planet by nuclear war.
Fortunately, on this anniversary there are two bold initiatives attempting to deal with these simultaneous climate threats. These are the “Green New Deal” and “Back from the Brink” movements. Realizing the connection, what is necessary is the political will and courage to deal with these real and present dangers we face.
Two important scientific papers established these threats:
– The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) October 2018 climate report identifies a 12 year window until 2030 to contain global temperature rise to 1.5°C (2.7° F).
– The Physicians for Social Responsibility 2013 Nuclear Famine Report which identifies the catastrophic climate affects following a limited regional nuclear war between India and Pakistan using less than 1/2% of the global nuclear arsenals putting at risk of starvation >1/4 of the world’s population. (Forthcoming studies this year will demonstrate an even greater risk).
The connection between climate change and nuclear war is real and growing. With increasing competition for natural resources, global drought and lack of access to clean drinking water we see major conflict developing. This is exemplified in the first climate war occurring in Syria resulting in the largest mass migration in history. This has brought the United States and Russia, the world’s largest nuclear armed nations, into military opposition with many close calls.
Climate change and water scarcity also fuel the conflict between India and Pakistan and access to water is also a contributor to the Israeli and Palestinian conflict.
Much of the conflict we see in Honduras and Central America is fueled by drought and loss of farming, driving the northern migration from that country.
Perhaps no one understands the connection between climate change and war more than our military. Retired General Anthony Zinni, former Commander in Chief of the U.S. Central command stated, “We will pay for this [climate change] one way or another. We will pay to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions today and we’ll have to take an enormous hit of some kind. Or we will pay the price later in military terms. And that will involve human lives. There will be a human toll. There is no way out of this that does not have real costs attached to it.”
These two threats are real and are man-made. Yet, these are threats that do not have to be. We know the risks they present but also how to eliminate them. What is required are bold actions now. These actions are delineated in the “Green New Deal” and “Back from the Brink” movements:
Green New Deal Resolution H Res 109, it is Resolved:
That it is the sense of the House of Representatives that—
It is the duty of the Federal Government to create a Green New Deal—
(A) to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions through a fair and just transition for all communities and workers;
(B) to create millions of good, high-wage jobs and ensure prosperity and economic security for all people of the United States;
(C) to invest in the infrastructure and industry of the United States to sustainably meet the challenges of the 21st century;
(D) to secure for all people of the United States for generations to come—
(i) clean air and water;
(ii) climate and community resiliency;
(iii) healthy food;
(iv) access to nature; and
(v) a sustainable environment; and
(E) to promote justice and equity by stopping current, preventing future, and repairing historic oppression of indigenous peoples, communities of color, migrant communities, deindustrialized communities, depopulated rural communities, the poor, low-income workers, women, the elderly, the unhoused, people with disabilities, and youth (referred to in this resolution as “frontline and vulnerable communities”);
Back from the Brink calls on our federal officials to endorse:
1. Renouncing the option of using nuclear weapons first
2. Ending the sole, unchecked authority of any U.S. president to launch a nuclear attack
3. Taking U.S. nuclear weapons off hair-trigger alert
4. Cancelling the plan to replace its entire nuclear arsenal with enhanced weapons
5. Actively pursuing a verifiable agreement among nuclear-armed states to eliminate their nuclear arsenals, as we are obligated under Article VI of the NPT Treaty to do so.
The science is real and the people are making their voices heard and demanding action. There is no longer time to wish it were not so, alter the facts or to declare that it is too expensive to fix. Who among our elected representatives has the courage to step forth and lead the way to eliminate these non-partisan threats to our survival? How will our leaders respond to their children’s children when asked in the future, what did you do when our planet was threatened? What will you say?

Consuming Stuff: The Polluting World of Fashion

Graham Peebles

The interconnected environmental catastrophe is the result of a particular lifestyle; a materialistic way of life relentlessly promoted by mass media and governments throughout the industrialized world and beyond. Consuming stuff, most of which is unnecessary, is the key ingredient; excess is championed, sufficiency scoffed at. Far from addressing need, satisfying desire is the driving impulse; the object of desire changes with every new fad of course, discontent is thereby ensured, unlimited consumerism maintained.
This pattern of insatiable shopping is evident within the polluting world of fashion perhaps more than any other sector; when we should be buying less, more clothes are produced and sold year on year. Worldwide, almost 100 billion items of clothing are made annually (400% more than twenty years ago), a third of which end up in landfill, increasing at a rate of 7% a year.
The global fashion industry is a major source of environmental contamination, as well as human exploitation. Every item of clothing that is produced carries with it an environmental cost in terms of energy, water, chemicals and land use. The choice of fabrics – natural or man-made – production methods, transportation, dyeing and printing, customer care, all are areas that cause pollution.
According to the United Nations Climate Change, “around 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions (GGE’s) are churned out by the fashion industry, due to its long supply chains and energy intensive production.” The industry consumes more energy than aviation and shipping combined. In search of greater profits most manufacturing is now undertaken in China and India, where labor costs are lower, coal-fired power plants predominate, GGEs are highest and, in many cases, employee rights are non-existent. By moving production to developing nations, western companies outsourced, jobs, as well as the pollution and environmental impacts, threatening the health of local people.
The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) relates that textile factories in China, where “over 50%” of the worlds clothing is now made” spew out around three billion tons of soot every year burning coal, contaminating the air leading to respiratory and heart disease. Textile mills are estimated to generate 20% of the world’s industrial water pollution and use 20,000 chemicals, many of them carcinogenic. Textiles are the largest source of synthetic fibers in the oceans, micro-plastics get into the water system every time garments are washed; the UK House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee on fashion reports that “a single 6kg domestic wash has the potential to release as many as 700,000 fibers.”
As well as textile production, the manufacture of leather goods has also largely been shipped to China – where most items are made – and India. Leather production is an intensely cruel and poisonous process. The animal welfare charity, PetaUK, reports that globally more than 1 billion animals are killed every year – cows, calves, water buffalo, horses, lambs, goats and pigs –and, in China, dogs and cats. Huge amounts of water are used in highly polluting tanneries; most wastewater and solid waste (hides and skins etc.) are dumped into rivers, riverbeds or farmland, causing contamination of the water and land. In Kanpur India e.g., everyday 50 million liters of highly toxic water is produced, 80% released untreated; the River Ganges receives most of it: holy it may be, clean it is not. The impact on human health is often fatal; chronic conditions such as heart disease, tuberculosis, asthma, mental disabilities, skin discolouration are widespread among people living near leather factories, which are shipping almost all their production to industrialized countries.
Polluting and poorly made
Different fabrics have different levels and types of environmental impact; synthetic fibers like polyester are made from crude oil (fossil fuel), producing much higher levels of GGEs compared with natural materials: Nature Magazine state that “A single polyester t-shirt has emissions of 5.5 kg CO2, compared with 2.1 kg CO2 for one made from cotton.” But polyester can be recycled, although not indefinitely, is more stain-resistant, can be washed in cold water and dries quickly. Conventional cotton (non-organic), which is used to make almost half of all clothing, has its own environmental consequences; cotton farming uses 3% of the world’s arable land, causing deforestation and loss of biodiversity, and is responsible for 18% of all pesticides, 25% of insecticides. Some of these are highly toxic and dangerous to human health, e.g. Endosulfan, banned in many countries but widely used in India, is linked to several thousand deaths of cotton farmers and their familiesCotton is also a very thirsty crop: the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) estimates that 2,700 liters (715 gallons) of water – on average the amount one person drinks in two and a half years – is used to make a single cotton t-shirt.
In regions where water is scarce, cotton production has an intensely damaging effect: in Kazakhstan, the Aral Sea, which was the fourth largest lake in the world, has all but dried up because the rivers which fed the lake, were diverted by irrigation projects to supply cotton farmers. The disappearance of the great lake is a man-made environmental tragedy.
Huge amounts of water are also used in the dyeing process, the World Resources Institute states that globally 5 trillion liters (1.3 trillion gallons) of water are used each year for fabric dyeing, enough they say to “fill 2 million Olympic-sized swimming pools.”
The most polluting area of the apparel industry is ‘fast fashion’. Like all businesses, fashion is about profit: more profit is generated when people buy more clothing, more often. In the 1980s, when any remaining constraints on Neo-liberalism were removed, ‘fast fashion’ was introduced as a way of increasing the profits for clothing companies by making people buy more; the practice is now widespread among high street brands and has been picked up by designer labels.
Under the fast fashion umbrella up to 50 ‘cycles’ are produced every year; prices are lower, turnarounds quick, and overproduction common. Items are poorly made and so cheap they are sometimes not even worn before being discarded, at best lasting a matter of weeks before being dumped in landfill. The fast fashion fad has increased consumerism, contributed to a ‘throw away’ mentality, leading to huge amounts of waste; it has done enormous environmental damage and should be stopped as a matter of urgency. If companies will not voluntarily halt fast fashion practices governments should force them to do so. The global need is not for the corporate profit, the behavior to be cultivated is not more consumerism, it is saving the planet and encouraging drastic reductions in consumerism.
The Fashion Industry Charter
Aware of the widespread and varied environmental destruction that fashion is causing voices within the industry and beyond have been calling for action to change destructive practices for some timeLast year a group of organizations came together, and under the umbrella of the United Nations Climate Change, created the Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action (FICCA), launched at COP24 in Katowice, Poland, in December.
The FICCA commits signatories to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 30% by 2030 and achieving zero emissions by 2050, to phasing out coal-fired boilers, using ‘climate friendly’, sustainable materials and low carbon transport among other measures. The list of 43 founding companies includes Adidas, Burberry, Esprit, Guess, Gap, H&M, Kering, Levis, Puma, PVH and Target; associated NGOs have also pledged to support the initiative and encourage sustainable practices.
Creating sustainable fashion is a core theme of those working to reduce the catastrophic impact on the environment. This entails looking at production methods and water use, curtailing demand, moving from conventional to organic cotton and from virgin polyester to recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET), collecting and recycling unwanted garments. ‘Sustainable fashion’ needs to be seen as part of sustainable lifestyles, this requires the promotion and adoption of what we might call Sustainable Values, principles that encourage expressions of social/environmental responsibility and cooperation, ideals that promote simpler lifestyles – we must consume less, shop based on need only and, when we do shop or buy services, ensure we do so in an environmentally responsible manner; repair clothes, buy good quality items that last longer and recycle.
Governments need to introduce public information policies aimed at making people aware of the environmental impact of living a certain way and introduce maintenance classes in schools; all product-based companies should be required to make easily accessible the full environmental impact of their products and methods, as well as the human cost, so people can make well-informed choices. Advertising has an important role to play in this, it needs to be closely regulated and reformed so that it gives out facts about products not propaganda.
All aspects of life are interconnected; the environmental catastrophe cannot be faced without the socio-economic mayhem being addressed, social justice created and ways of living inculcated that tend towards unity in all areas of life. Competition and conformity need to be expunged from society, particularly within institutionalized education, the focus on image challenged and rejected, the tendency to imitation curtailed.
If we are to collectively overcome the greatest challenge humanity has ever faced, environmental considerations need to be at the forefront of our daily lives. A shift in living is required, a movement away from lives based on desire and the pursuit of pleasure to simpler lives based on meeting need, cultivating right relationships with others and the natural world and living harmlessly. The responsibility rests with all of us to live well and to pressurize our governments to act to halt the environmental catastrophe before it’s too late.

The Coming Ebola Epidemic

William Minter

The Ebola epidemic in West Africa from 2013 to 2016  left more than 11,000 dead and panicked the American public when a few isolated cases turned up on U.S. soil. By the time the outbreak was contained, the international community had learned valuable lessons about how to combat the virus.
Now, a new outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is testing that knowledge — and the political will of the global community to mount a robust response.
With more than 830 deaths since August 2018, the epidemic in northeastern DRC is the second-largest recorded, behind the multi-country epidemic in West Africa. The DRC outbreak has not yet crossed international borders. Moreover, responders are applying new solutions, including a vaccine that has proved effective.
But many health experts argue that the threat is underestimated, leading to a dangerously inadequate global response.
As of late March, the World Health Organization (WHO) had received less than half of its $148 million funding request for Ebola over the next six months. The WHO bureaucracy, moreover, appears hesitant. On April 12, the agency again declined to declare the epidemic a “public health emergency of international concern” — a designation that could unlock critical resources needed to bring the outbreak under control.
One reason for the tepid response may be the remote location. The DRC epidemic is centered more than 1,000 miles from the capital, Kinshasa. In West Africa, by contrast, three coastal countries were affected, including capital cities with direct air links to Europe and North America.
Nonetheless, the threat of spread beyond the DRC worries health experts. Tens of thousands of people a day cross the borders from the area into Rwanda, Uganda, and South Sudan. Indeed, WHO’s statement expressed “deep concern” about the “potential risk of spread to neighboring countries.”
The response to the epidemic does show that important lessons have been learned from West Africa and from other previous outbreaks. The DRC Health Ministry has gained experience from nine outbreaks in that country since 1976, all of which were contained relatively quickly.
There is also new leadership at WHO: Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus, the agency’s first African director, took office in 2017. Researchers, notably at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), have honed containment procedures and developed a new vaccine that is being used in the DRC. The CDC has worked with other international agencies and with national health ministries in training and preparing for a rapid response.
At a March 14 hearing of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee, CDC director Dr. Robert Redfield laid out the measures being taken. Essential steps to contain further spread include tracing the personal contacts of Ebola cases and checking the health of border crossers. Multiple actors are collaborating, including local health workers, WHO and CDC personnel, and nongovernmental organizations such as the Red Cross and Doctors without Borders. Nonetheless, the outbreak has not yet been contained.
One obstacle, which also existed in West Africa, is lack of trust by local people whose cooperation is essential for timely identification of victims and their contacts. Medical procedures required to treat those infected with Ebola, and for handling the dead, frighten and alienate many people.
In West Africa, health workers and community mobilizers gradually won people’s confidence. The situation in eastern Congo is more difficult, in part because of ongoing conflict that’s displaced almost 1.5 million people from their homes. Health teams face the threat of attack by multiple armed groups and by local people who fear outsiders.
Doctors without Borders (MSF), which saw one of its health centers destroyed in February, has criticized WHO’s failure to declare a global health emergency. In an April 12 press release, an MSF spokesperson emphasized that “the outbreak is not under control.” The group called for a change of strategy: “We need to adapt our intervention to the needs and expectations of the population, to integrate Ebola activities in the local healthcare system, [and] to engage effectively with the communities.”
The other major obstacle is inadequate funding—for national health systems in the most vulnerable countries, but also for the global institutions that provide technical support and resources.
Although this underfunding is longstanding, the Trump administration’s policies are making it worse. If Trump’s budget proposal for the 2020 fiscal year were to be enacted, global health funding would be slashed. That budget zeroes out U.S. funding for UNICEF, cuts U.S. contributions to WHO by 47 percent, and proposes a $1.3 billion (20 percent) cut from the $6.6 billion current budget of the CDC.
Fortunately, there’s bipartisan support in Congress for sustaining, and even increasing, funding for global health. “I consider this every bit as much of a defense budget as anything at [the U.S. Department of Defense],” said Rep. Tom Cole of Oklahoma, ranking Republican on the Labor and Health Subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee. “We’re much more likely to die in pandemics than in terrorist attacks.”
As in the case of climate change, action on global health is increasingly recognized not just as a moral obligation, but as a matter of national self-interest. The scientific and public consensus is illustrated by a March 4 letter from 225 professional organizations endorsing a $1.2 billion increase over current funding levels for the CDC.
On this front, at least, Congress seems inclined to heed science rather than the administration’s indifference.

Are we on track to #endmalaria?

Shobha Shukla & Bobby Ramakant

This year’s World Malaria Day theme, “Zero Malaria Starts With Me” re-energizes the fight to eliminate malaria which, despite being preventable and treatable, still kills over half a million people every year. While incredible progress has been made in the past 15 years (with over 7 million malaria deaths averted and about 40% reduction in malaria globally), the fight against the disease is now inching towards a tipping point – progress has slowed down in some parts of the world and reversed in a few.
Is drug resistance a threat?
A major challenge confronting malaria elimination is the emergence of drug-resistant malaria in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS), including countries like Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam. Thailand’s Minister of Public Health, Professor Piyasakol Sakolsatayadorn said to CNS (Citizen News Service): “Drug-resistant malaria is a threat to Thailand and the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS). This area is the epicentre of drug-resistant malaria. Drug-resistant malaria can become a global health threat if we cannot manage and eliminate drug-resistant malaria in Thailand and the GMS.”
Historically, the GMS region has long been an epicentre of antimalarial drug resistance. In fact, 40-45 years ago, chloroquine resistance had spread throughout the world from this region. So, there are fears about risk of re-emergence of malaria because of anti-artemisinin resistance.
“If drug resistance from Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) spreads beyond this region, it will have a devastating impact on countries with high burden of malaria” cautioned Alistair Shaw, Senior Program Officer, Raks Thai Foundation.
But science at best is inconclusive, if the spread of drug resistance is a risk. “It is mostly the asymptomatic patients that carry gametocytes and transmit Plasmodium Falciparum. In Thailand, less than 5% patients have gametocytes that can transmit to next mosquito cycle. There is no strong evidence so far if a person who has drug-resistant malaria can transmit it to the mosquito and mosquito carrying that phenotype, transmits it to another person,” says Professor Jetsumon Sattabongkot Prachumsri, who is the Director of Mahidol Vivax Research Unit (MVRU), Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University in Thailand.
Agrees Dr Tim France, a noted global health expert, who also leads Inis Communication: “At present you can say largely that there is more that we do not understand about malarial drug resistance and we do know we are at a very active learning period. But at the end of the day whether drug resistance is spreading or occurring de novo, the conclusions and essential actions remain the same.”
Governments promised to end malaria
Thai health minister Professor Piyasakol Sakolsatayadorn reaffirmed the country’s target date for ending local transmission nationally: “Thailand is committed to the regional effort, and to eliminate malaria by 2024.”
It is noteworthy to mention that in 2014, 23 Asia Pacific heads of governments had committed to eliminate malaria in this region by 2030, which is in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Thailand’s National Malaria Elimination Strategy was endorsed in 2016 with the elimination goal of 2024. Since then, malaria cases have continued to decline: from 2012 to 2017, the number of malaria cases in Thailand fell by 67%, with a 39% drop between 2016 and 2017. In 2017-2018, malaria cases in Thailand further dropped by 51% (from 14,684 to 7,153).
Challenges confronting the fight to eliminate malaria
Prof Sakolsatayadorn underlined, combating drug resistant malaria with limited pipeline of new drugs as one of the challenges.
Chief Scientific Officer of the World Health Organization (WHO) Dr Soumya Swaminathan agreed: “While there are tools available to deal with malaria, but modelling studies show that to achieve elimination we will need new and better tools by way of better diagnostics, better treatment strategies and also an effective vaccine.”
“Thailand is not only moving towards malaria elimination by 2024 but also making progress towards sub-regional elimination targets within Thailand” said Shreehari Acharya, Project Manager, Regional Malaria CSO Platform. Last year on World Malaria Day 2018, Thailand declared 35 provinces (out of a total of 76) malaria-free. But malaria is concentrating towards Thai borders making the fight to end the disease even more complex. “As we slowly move towards elimination of malaria in Thailand, the cases continue to shift closer to borders and more hard-to-reach mobile migrant populations” says Alistair Shaw of Raks Thai Foundation.
To fortify Thailand response to eliminate malaria from within its border and from the Greater Mekong Subregion, the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (The Global Fund) pumped in the largest multi-country regional grant of US$243 million (2018-2020) to accelerate elimination of drug-resistant malaria.
“Our role has been to create malaria resilient communities who can identify themselves when they suspect malaria cases and can respond to it through all the different mechanisms that have been set up and the links that have been made to health services. We have also made strong relationships with the local government officers to conduct mobile testing and prevention education in vulnerable populations which include mobile migrant populations from Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos and Myanmar, as well as mobile Thai ethnic minority communities traveling through forests or across borders for various activities. Our work is to extend the reach of the government services to communities that are located very far from local government health services and do not feel comfortable, or are unable, to access a conventional health service,” says Alistair Shaw of Raks Thai Foundation which is one of the recipients of this Global Fund grant.
Malaria testing and treatment is free for all the people in Thailand including those who are not Thai nationals. Migrant workers that come to Thailand, are normally covered by Thailand’s disease control programme and they get access to malaria clinics. But Shreehari Acharya, Project Manager, Regional Malaria CSO Platform sees the difficulty about access because, “Although the services are free, all mobile migrant populations may not necessarily be able to access them.”
Acharya added “In some malaria high risk border areas there is no internet access, no mobile network, and/or no public transport, making access to health services more difficult. Another barrier to healthcare is faced by those mobile migrant populations who have a language barrier and/or do not have legal documents. They are still not comfortable to go alone to a health facility. They need someone whom they can trust, and who speaks their language, to accompany them. Government health facilities are, at times, understaffed. Hence government staff may not be available to accompany civil society to go to the forests or farms and provide health services to high risk populations.”
However, as Thailand moves towards malaria elimination, Professor Jetsumon Sattabongkot Prachumsri, said: “As malaria cases decline, people’s awareness also declines, especially in areas that were malaria endemic in the past. For example, Kanchanaburi province, used to be malaria endemic with malaria in every district, but now it has very few (less than 30-40) cases and that too not in every district. Youngsters born in a district that now has no more malaria cases do not know about malaria. But the older people might still carry the malaria parasite asymptomatically inside them and be the reservoir of malaria transmission. We cannot let down our guards, otherwise re-emergence could happen.”
“We need to see greater collaboration to improve surveillance, especially along the border sites. As countries are implementing malaria programme with an elimination approach, surveillance becomes more important to prevent re-emergence. We also need more clarity on roles civil society can play in malaria surveillance” added Shreehari Acharya.
Messages on #WorldMalariaDay 2019
Professor Jetsumon Sattabongkot Prachumsri said: “Malaria elimination is possible, if we raise awareness of all the people. Everyone needs to understand that malaria is transmitted by the vector and that some of the people may not have any external symptoms but can still harbour the parasite in their bodies and can transmit malaria. Everyone, especially those living in malaria endemic areas, must be aware and protect themselves from mosquito bite.”
Shreehari Acharya said: “We need to make all malaria and other essential services available as near as possible to the community. Also I think community at the village level is best placed to effectively provide these services, as civil society volunteers or someone trained in the community shuld be able to test and treat malaria unless medical attention is indicated (like malaria in pregnancy or other severe cases require medical care). Government needs to acknowledge the role of civil society in efforts to eliminate malaria. If we look across the region, civil society is playing a pivotal role in partnering with the government in malaria control. We will like to ensure that civil society/ community volunteers are well equipped, trained and have sufficient incentives.”