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MasterPeace COOL Talk Series

MasterPeace COOL Talk Series

masterpeace
On January 4, 2024

Upcoming COOL Talks

Every Month, we will have insightful, concise and powerful dialogues on the various topic under SDGs as a COOL Talk by bringing and connecting experts, dedicated grassroot level actors, youths and other stakeholders.
For more details on the topic of the Talk, Date and Link to join, slide to next:

Slide to Find Out Next COOL Talk

COOL Talk: Sports For Peace

Creating the space for participation of women in sports and activities in the public sphere

15th March, 2pm CET ZOOM LINK
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MasterPeace Launched the COOLeaders initiatives on the occasion of World Environment Day June 5, 2023. The MasterPeace COOLeaders program is building leadership at grass roots level, particularly in the youth for climate action and social transformation. Along with our clubs and partners throughout the world we are reaching out to more and more people and motivating them to take some practical actions which can make a major difference for this planet. Since its launch, the reactions from MasterPeace clubs, their communities, our global network and other stakeholders have been very positive and regard it as a “timely” and “relevant” program. The COOL Talk is one of the interventions of COOLeaders. We believe that dialogue is the best way to find any solution because it brings a different perspective to the table from a diverse audience which then contributes in building strategy and policy. So far, we have organized 4 amazing COOL Talks in Burundi, Uganda, Sri-Lanka and Kenya. As the details of the Burundi program was already published, here we present about other 3 COOL Talks.

COOL Birds and COOLeaders of Uganda

Masterpeace Uganda & Masterpeace Global has launched a project called "COOL Birds and COOLeaders of Uganda on August 30, 2023 with a COOLtalk with speakers from eco - tourism and birding community in Uganda as well as from Harvard university interacting with the audience.

This project addresses the problem of diminishing biodiversity cover and the bird population of Uganda. The project mission is to increase awareness and engage the people of Uganda, especially the children and youth about the rich biodiversity and culture of Uganda and motivate them to take practical actions to create the right environment for the protection of bird species and the indigenous culture. Masterpeace Uganda will be organizing several public events like workshops, seminars, performances, public art projects and also conducting bird watching trips in order to fulfill the project objectives. The project also works towards promoting sustainable tourism practices by involving the bird watching, cultural organization and the tourism industry in a discourse to protect biodiversity.

The project has won the award from The African Social Fund and this will further strengthen the project activities in 2024. 


Impact of climate change on development in Sri Lanka and potential solutions.

Sri Lanka COOL Talk is the first one from Asia in the MasterPeace Cool Talks series. Thanks to lead from MasterPeace Sri Lanka, more than 20 participants engaged in insightful conversation with experts from Sri Lankan public and private forums.

Sri Lanka is facing economic challenges and the impact of climate change, seeking climate financing and carbon credits. There's a notable absence of climate education at the grassroots level, emphasizing the necessity for improved communication channels. Recognizing the significance of climate justice, efforts are aimed at ensuring that the benefits of initiatives directly reach affected communities. Civil society groups are seen as key players in facilitating projects that bridge carbon markets with on-the-ground practices. Following a COOL Talk, it was agreed upon to engage in further deliberations to formulate projects addressing the key issues raised.

From the speakers Mr. Suranjan Kodithuwakku, CEO of Green Movement of Sri Lanka (GMSL)  and Mr. Thilak Kariyawasam, President,Lanka Organic Agriculture Movement (LOAM)  stressed on the fact that the process distribution of aid to the grassroots level to the most affected poor people is very inefficient and this needs to be addressed. They also stressed that they have raised this issue at the related forum at COP 28 summit and have tried to raise grants to address the  severe challenges faced by the farming and fishing communities due to climate change events.

COOLtalk Kenya titled food security to food sovereignty in the Global South.

Food security is a major challenge in the Global South, with issues like malnutrition, lack of access to nutritious and diverse foods, reliance on industrial/processed foods, etc. The need for immediate action from various levels is evident- from addressing basic hunger to building local food systems and markets to participating in global value chains sustainably.Agroecology and empowering smallholder farmers with knowledge and inputs is key to building resilient local food systems and food sovereignty.

Organizations like Slow Food Kenya are promoting food sovereignty through initiatives like community gardens, farmers markets, education programs, etc. On Dec 23, MasterPeace and MasterPeace Kenta jointly hosted a COOL Talk on the topic Food security to Food sovereignty in the Global South. 

Our guest speaker - Mr Amalesh Misra from Bengal who is a Chief Functionary at Paribesh Unnayan Samity , introduced his organization and work called folk school, which is mobilizing village children through indigenous sports and games and introducing them to indigenous seeds varieties and farming methods. He has invited Masterpeace to be part of the annual general meeting to discuss ways in which we can support this initiative. Mr. Kirti Mishra, Co-founder & Director, shared an overview of the key challenges and the strategies to counter the problem of food security and sovereignty.

Mr. Samson from Slow Food Kenya shared a brief of the various activities of his organization and also answered questions about the reception of these interventions in Kenya. He shared that the work of Slow Food Kenya had gone off to a slow start with much skepticism. However, the issue of healthy slow food as opposed to fast food has become more pertinent today and hence there is more acceptance and uptake now.

Apollo from MasterPeace Kenya shared a brief about the various challenges facing Kenya – both in the rural and urban area, which is leading to undernutrition and overnutrition respectively.

With these COOL Talks and upcoming, it is essential to transform dialogue into actions. As MasterPeace’s more than a decade work is also based on co-creation amongst the stakeholders to scale up grassroot level issues and initiatives. Eventually, the communities should benefit massively from this bottom-to-top approach. Thus, MasterPeace will keep facilitating in co-creating projects and campaigns which will be launched in 2024 to address the discussed issues. It was agreed that we will all be working in the future to explore ways in which we address the problem through collaboration.

Find More About Next COOL Talk Here: March 15, Friday 2-3pm CET

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Sierra Leone : The Youth Engagement for Peaceful Elections

Sierra Leone : The Youth Engagement for Peaceful Elections

masterpeace
On December 21, 2023

The Youth Engagement for Peaceful Elections (YEPE), has concluded with an inter-area football match, which brought together over 50 youths to bond and interact.
Though the political instability in the country is still on, we managed to engage the youths to positively contribute towards national development.

The football match was appreciated by locals and stakeholders as many youths heeded the call and were proactive towards the reduction of violence and political tension, thereby reducing the atrocities usually caused by regular civil unrest and death.
Many thanks to all our partners and MasterPeace Global for their continued support towards the success of the "YEPE Men" initiative as countless lives have been saved.

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MasterPeace Burundi SEMERERA Celebrates the International Day of Peace 2023.

MasterPeace Burundi SEMERERA Celebrates the International Day of Peace 2023.

masterpeace
On December 19, 2023

For the IDP 2023, MasterPeace Burundi organized three main activities: a seminar, a football festival, and the distribution of school kilts to vulnerable children. The aim was to raise awareness about issues related to climate change, highlight the importance of empowering children and survivors of climate issues as agents of environmental protection, and fight for gender justice. The activities were implemented in partnership with important stakeholders, including the US Embassy, the University of Burundi, the Burundi Football Federation (FFB), and dozens of volunteers. The three activities mobilized 100 kids for the football festival, 88 participants for the COOLtalk, and provided school kits to 148 kids from a camp that displaced people.

1. Education 4 All Campaign: School kits distribution in Maramvya camp for climate displaced people (Saturday the 16th September 2023):

With the support of our local women’s savings and loan associations, we organized a school kit distribution for 148 kids from the Maramvya camp for climate-displaced people. The camp is home to more than 10,000 people, whose entire neighborhood was destroyed by torrential rains and high sea levels in 2019. They were relocated to the camp. Unfortunately, they live in abject poverty, relying on external aid that is never enough to satisfy their needs. An initiative to support 200 women’s economic resilience in the camp helped create jobs and other opportunities for the women’s families. To show how the economic initiatives are progressing, the women contributed money for the education of vulnerable children in the camp. The women’s contribution was matched by MasterPeace Burundi’s volunteers, making it easy to support as many children as possible. In total, 148 children from the camp were supported.

2. COOLtalk: “Nexus between Climate Change and Peace” (Thursday the 21st September, 2023):

We held a hybrid (online and in-person) seminar on the theme “Nexus between Climate Change and Peace” in collaboration with the US Embassy in Burundi through their American Spaces Initiative. The embassy provided us with a space and all the tools that were used for the seminar (laptop, internet). Members of the University of Burundi’s Environment Club were the main target audience of the talk. The objective was to share knowledge on why peace is closely related to climate change. The target audience was the student community at one of the University of Burundi’s campuses. Ninety-four people attended (66 in person, 28 online). Among those who attended online were people from diverse countries, including Malawi, South Africa, the DRC, the USA, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, and the Netherlands, to name a few.

Our key speakers were Sneha Harsh from Harvard University, Sudipta Dawn from India, the main focal point for MasterPeace’s Cooleaders campaign, and Aart Bos, the global leader of MasterPeace. Specific examples prove this close linkage, including the never-ending resource-based herders-farmers conflicts in some West African countries (Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Sudan, etc.), the recruitment of combatants by the Al Shabab terrorist group from settlements for survivors of droughts in Somalia, and the multiple resource-based conflicts between host communities and survivors of environmental destruction in countries like Burundi. The discussion also emphasized the role of everyone in preventing the effects of climate change and building a resilient and environment-friendly society for future generations.

3. Football Festival: Combining football and campaign for climate justice (Saturday the 30th of September, 2023):

In partnership with the Burundi Football Association, we organized a football festival with children from Kinama, an underprivileged sector in Bujumbura. This event was organized on the 30th of September from 09:00 to 11:00 a.m. The main goal was to give children the possibility to play football and also to raise their awareness about the protection of the environment, the cleanliness of their neighborhood, the better use of plastic bottles, and other related aspects. The Burundi Football Association gave us permission to use the football pitch in Kinama and provided us with balls, chasubles, whistles, and other related materials. They also sent three representatives, including Joslin Bipfubusa, a senior football trainer and former coach of the
national football team and of some of the biggest football teams in Burundi and the East African region.

MasterPeace Burundi mobilized among its volunteers and other partners 40 volunteer coaches and football educators who came to support the implementation of the activity. A heartbeat video was even done.

.

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MasterPeace Walk South Africa 2024

MasterPeace Walk South Africa 2024

masterpeace
On December 19, 2023

MasterPeace Walk South Africa 2024

ENGAGE with nature, other cultures, history, and yourself
EMPOWER local social entrepreneurs, projects and communities

 

Are you at a critical juncture in your life?
In search of new, or more meaning to life?

 

This nature walk in South Africa provides the perfect setting for self-exploration with
Nature as the Prophet.

 

The multicultural group will ensure a Disconnect from comfort zones and an Opening of new Insights and a Worldview.

 

 Participate in a unique 10-day experience in the Western Cape Province. Enjoy the company of a group of about 15 international and 15 local participants sharing interesting discussions about life and dreams. Join us in discovering South Africa beyond the touristic areas!

We will hike for 6 days where we will live and sleep in tents in nature. At the beginning and the end of the walk, we will stay in hotels.

 

Learn about South African traditions, realities, culture, and rituals; discover the work of the local MasterPeace team; disconnect from the hectic Western civilization and luxury; reconnect with nature and yourself; experience the impact of silence, storytelling, sharing, and reflection; walk roughly a total of 100km; enjoy a healthy environment and traditional fresh food.

Direct contact with a local community project is part of the planning. Part of your contribution to the walk will go to these local projects. During the walk participants could explore the realities of 45 beneficiaries from this specific MasterPeace nature walk in South Africa.

Go home with new experiences, friends, and unforgettable memories.

Date: 6-15 March 2024
Area: Western Cape Province, South Africa
Costs: €1850, - (excl. travel)

The Walk is hosted by Nico de Klerk, a local leader of MasterPeace South Africa, his team, and two experienced MasterPeace walkers.

Organized by

Rute Lau (on the right in the picture) and Teresa Urbanowska (on the left) walked as participants in the MasterPeace Walk in Masaailand in 2017 and in Nepal in 2022 and loved the experience.
Nico de Klerk is the leader of MasterPeace Streetbiz South Africa. “We have Nelson Mandela’s legacy to build on and to share that with the world, as he belongs to the world. Therefore, the Be a Nelson Movement, a MasterPeace concept as well, promotes unity, reconciliation, and peace. We have so much to share with you during this walk.”

Contact details for more information:

southafricawalk@masterpeace.org

Application Form South Africa Walk

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