it faces a crucial test in keeping these promises following an attack by government troops on a sacred site of great cultural importance At least 10 BIR soldiers attacked the palace where the soldiers may have suspected Anglophone separatists were hiding They shot and wounded the Fon’s brother before looting the palace museum and taking several precious artifacts including a bronze mask from the 18th century and golden necklaces The military operation lasted for three hours and occurred during a traditional ceremony with more than 200 people This is not the first time government forces have disregarded UNESCO obligations BIR soldiers destroyed parts of the Bafut palace roof again on the pretext of searching for separatists and UNESCO to conduct an independent investigation into the attack The government should rein in BIR forces and hold commanders of the recent assault accountable for their actions the Bafut Palace is a piece of Cameroon’s history and a key element of its cultural identity In the current unrest in the Anglophone regions belligerents should make sure that this cultural heritage is protected Lead Waste Mining and Children’s Right to a Healthy Environment in Kabwe Kenya’s Suppression of the 2023 Anti-Government Protests Get updates on human rights issues from around the globe Human Rights Watch is a 501(C)(3) nonprofit registered in the US under EIN: 13-2875808 You don't have permission to access the page you requested What is this page?The website you are visiting is protected.For security reasons this page cannot be displayed Aug 2 2015 (IPS) - Marking a shift away from the growing trend of abandoning sustainable life styles and drifting from traditional customs and routines Joshua Konkankoh is a Cameroonian farmer with a vision – that the answer to food insecurity lies in sustainable and organic methods of farming who left a job with the government to pursue that vision which works to develop local sustainable agricultural strategies that utilise indigenous knowledge systems for mitigating food crises and extreme poverty and is now running Cameroon’s first and only eco-village – the Ndanifor Permaculture Eco-village in Bafut in Cameroon’s Northwest Region “Biodiversity was protected by traditional beliefs Felling of some trees and killing of certain animal species in certain forests were prohibited We want to protect such heritage” – Joshua Konkankoh Konkankoh explained how the eco-village organically fertilises soil through the planting and pruning of nitrogen-fixing trees planted on farms where mixed cropping is practised the middles are cut out and the leaves used as compost The trees are then left to regenerate and the same procedure is repeated the following season “Here we train youths and farmers on permanent agriculture or permaculture,” he said “I call it ‘permaculture the African way’ because the concept was coined by scientists and we are adapting it to our old ways of farming and protecting the environment.” While government is keeping its distance from the project Konkankoh said that local councils and traditional rulers are encouraging people to embrace the initiative Decade of Education for Sustainable Development In studying the reason why many countries failed to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) we realised that there were some gaps but we also found out that permaculture was a solution to sustainability So I felt we could contextualize the concept – think globally and act locally.” The permaculture used at the eco-village makes maximum use of limited agricultural land and villagers are taught how to plant more than one crop on the same piece of land use a common organic fertiliser and obtain high yields to benefit from their investment and prevent middlemen and multinationals from scooping up a large share of their earnings The organic agriculture practised and taught in the eco-village is a blend of culture and fair trade initiatives “We encourage rural farmers to guarantee food sovereignty by producing what they also consume directly and not cash crops like cocoa and coffee.” Farmers are trained in the importance of manure of producing it and selling it to other farmers as well in innovative techniques of erosion control Konkankoh also told IPS that it was a mistake to have left the spiritual principle out of the MDG programme Felling of some trees and killing of certain animal species in certain forests were prohibited The eco-village has started a project to replant spiritual forests with 4,000 medicinal and fruit trees in a bid to reduce CO2 emissions the village which hosts the Ndanifor Permaculture Eco-village believes that the type of cultivation of fruits vegetables and medicinal plants used by the eco-village will improve the health of local people He is also convinced that with many firms around the world producing health care products with natural herbs the demand for the products of the eco-village is high guaranteeing a promising future for the villagers who cultivate them Houses in the eco-village are constructed with local materials such as earth bags and mud bricks Domestic appliances such as ovens and stoves are earthen and homemade project administrator at eco-village’s demonstration centre said that the earthen stoves bit not only reduce the impact of climate change by minimising the use of wood for combustion but the local women who make then also earn a living by selling them told IPS that his council is mobilising citizens to embrace permaculture people only embrace it when it is recommended by authorities We are carrying out communication and sensitisation of the population to return to traditional methods of farming as taught at the eco-village.” Abel also had something to say about the performance of genetically modified plantain seedlings planted by the Ministry of Agriculture at the start of the 2015 farming season in Cameroon’s Southwest Region which recorded a miserable 30 percent yield The issue had been raised by Mbanya Bolevie a member of parliament from the region who asked Minister of Agriculture Essimi Menye about the failure of the modern seeds during the June session of parliament Littoral Regional Delegate for the Chamber of Agriculture said the failure was due the fact that seeds are often old because “there is inadequate finance for agricultural research organisations in Cameroon as well as a shortage of engineers in the sector,” a sign that the country not fully prepared for second-generation agriculture Abel said that citizens using natural seeds and compost would not have faced these problems adding that “besides the possibility of failure of chemical fertilisers which would like to become a model for Cameroon and West Africa is a member of the Global Ecovillage Network Posted by | Nov 8 Economic activities which is a prerequisite to better livelihood causes environmental problems which reduces productivity and affects directly human wellbeing and the ecosystem The material base for economic activities is the environment where it draws its resources and provides flaws back to the environment It is important that these flaws satisfy the laws of thermodynamics (i.e 1st /2nd laws: Conservation of mass/energy and Entropy is non-increasing) This is because the environment supplies all forms of resources assimilates waste and provide aesthetic pleasure Yet multitude problems plague the environment such as global climate changes i.e A third issue will be water pollution and water scarcity where acid rain population conglomeration depreciates the environment soil fertility losses and the accumulation of toxins in various media are other problems our environment faces there has been an increase in global awareness in the field of environmental sciences and research People worldwide are realizing the importance of the environment  and the consequences of its depreciation because a careful handling of todays’ environment would serve as a legacy for tomorrows’ generation The International Organization for Animal Protection (OIPA) Cameroon takes into consideration environmental conditions and has as goal to promote and achieve high level of understanding and awareness of animal and environmental protection through effective communication collaborative effort is being made with local organizations OIPA’s student on internship  Mbibueh Tingume Brenda studying Environment and Natural Resource Management at the Pan African Institute for Development Bamenda Cameroon took the initiative to visit Eco-village Bafut This structure is under the patronage of Better World Cameroon a local organization located in Bamenda Ntarikon beside faith building which has as objective to develop local regenerative agricultural strategies using permaculture processes to enhance our ecosystem This meeting was to work in collaboration to bring out possible ways on how we can educate the rural woman to carry out agriculture while protecting the environment at the same time as well as generate income Based on this mutual interest to protect the ecosystem OIPA was allowed to visit the Better World Cameroon’s demonstration project site and also Cameroon’s first and only Eco-village in Bafut Mezam division North West region founded by Joshua Konkankoh During the tour led by a worker on the site by name Mrs.Bih Scholar,on the 26th October 2016 we were marveled by the activities of the Ndanifor Permaculture Eco-village in Bafut Northwest Region On 2.5 acres of land we realized how high yields of nutritious and high quality organic food crops can be grown and income stream greatly developed from these produce The techniques used in farming include planting nitrogen-fixing trees and combating erosion through a bigger and a higher earth heaped into rows that follow the contour of the land compostable matter is thrown between the heaped earths increasing soil fertility Building up steady humus in the soil through composting is their central farming technique locally consumed crops could be encouraged at the Eco-village because international companies and middle men exploit growing cash crops giving fewer opportunities for local people thus provide a long-term food security to the villagers And this is possible through a platform for education and training organized by OIPA in collaboration with Better World Cameroon to sensitize the local women on the environment and nature protection High value agricultural products such as turmeric fever grass alongside other organic foods are produced at the eco village Bafut which are supplied into the global trade market OIPA in collaboration with the local council and authorities can organize forums to empower women and raise awareness of their roles in the family This will encourage them to get more involved so as to go global and better their livelihoods rather than being biased and remaining poor nature and environmental clubs amongst others can be structured to follow up and evaluate the farming techniques as portrayed by Eco-village Bafut to all the other local farmers and motivations offered in terms of input This will help ensure a balance between economic activity and environmental impacts hence protect the environment and the economy to remain sustainable It was also realized that OIPA through social media communication such as Dream FM Bafut Cameroon Radio Television (CRTV) can sensitize the locals on the importance of combating climate change and its impact thereby protecting restoring and promoting sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystem reversing land degradation and stopping the loss of biodiversity Days could be scheduled during public meetings and environmental clubs created in schools amongst others to carryout community labour around environmental goods during which the values associated to them should be made known and elaborated upon to the locals This will better their understanding and perception of the environment thus avoiding market failure through judicious exploitation of our resources through local regenerative strategies to ensure sustainability and to enhance our ecosystem Opportunities could be explored by using the Bafut locality as an Eco-village in particular as a focus zone for research and improvement of outcome both nationally and internationally where permaculture techniques holistically benefits and improves living standards Account Holder: OIPA - Organizzazione Internazionale Protezione Animali Write as note “Donation to OIPA Cameroon” and the exact amount Bank’s Name and Address: Banca Intesa San Paolo - Agency MILAN-BOCCHETTOVia Bocchetto 13/15 - 20123 Milan (Italy) Bank detailsBIC: BCITITMMIBAN: IT 93 I 03069 09620 100000002326 Write as note “Donation to OIPA" and the exact amount E-mail: international@oipa.org Certified mail:oipa@pec.oipa.org OIPA International Organization For Animal Protection Tax ID code: 97310380155 NGO associated with the UN Department of Global Communications (DGC) the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and accredited at UN Environment Assembly (UNEA) Accredited in the Register of Representatives of Interest of the European Commission OIPA Italia Guardie Zoofile Appelli per gli animali Medici Internazionali LIMAV Ricerca senza animali Bomboniere solidali appeals and victories?Subscribe to our newsletter In a corner of the North West region of Cameroon local farmers are learning sustainable farming practices in what they call an eco-village They’re combining permaculture methods with traditional farming practices that fell out of favor when the so-called Green Revolution of agrochemicals and hybrid seeds swept across the globe FSRN’s Ngala Killian Chimtom traveled to the demonstration farm in the village of Bafut to see just how the system is playing out Download Audio A group of women proudly raise their voices in song as they welcome home Joshua Kankonko the founder of a so-called eco-village near the town of Bafut in northwestern Cameroon houses built entirely with local materials as well as what the women now call the “kitchen revolution” are just some of the things they point to with pride A pillar of their livelihood model is permaculture – a farming system that is sustainable and builds on local traditional practices dating from before the era of chemical fertilizers and patented seeds “The term that has been coined by scientists means permanent agriculture-agriculture that cannot be destroyed,” explains project coordinator Joshua Konkako Our mothers used to go behind the house and harvest grass Where all the kitchen waste was thrown behind the house was where the vegetables were harvested we get from the environment; we give it back to the environment.” Pressures on scarce fertile lands in Cameroon’s North West Region have historically fueled tribal conflicts Permaculture sets out to replenish the soil and maximize yields on relatively small plots “We have mechanical erosion control and natural erosion control,” says project administrator Sonita Mbah Neh explaining that the the first step of the process is to hold the soil in place “Natural erosion control is done with vertiva grass Plant family means that you put two plants together and they form a web For mechanical erosion control we use plants we use bamboo…just what we have available and then we put a few barriers.” Mbah explains the task is to enrich the soil with nutrients – but without chemical fertilizers “Inorganic fertilizers destroy the soil nutrients,” Mbah continues “What happens in the soil which is what we don’t see is that there is a lot of relationship between soil organisms…there is mycelium; there is fungi and all these things come together to produce what we see above the soil And then when we plant Nitrogen fixing plants they have a relationship with this mycelium and fungus They need the soil with the roots of these plants and these plants get the nitrogen from the airspace And once you get the inorganic fertilizer into the soil it destroys all these processes that have to happen to give us what we see above the soil.” Farmer Justina Lum says that in the two years since she transitioned to permaculture methods grass and clay to build a more fuel-efficient wood-burning stove “This one is nice because it makes for complete combustion and my pot doesn’t get black,” Lum says smoke is channeled through a chimney and therefore our eyes are not exposed to smoke it economizes wood and is not costly to build.” Project coordinator Kankonko credits his upbringing as his inspiration for the eco-village model he saw his mother use compost manure to fertilize her crops and learned gardening methods in school even as he passed through the corridors of higher education Kankonko decided to bring his experience back to the Bafut community human work on the environment using natural resources has been able to transform the look of this place,” he says calling the experiment a success not only for family incomes “Part of permaculture is about restoring the natural balance working with nature instead of against it.” But the sustainability of the system will depend largely on youth involvement Kankonko says this will require local youths to see cultivating and nourishing their agrarian roots as a viable alternative to white collar jobs in the cities Tags: FSRN signs off the air after 17 years of grassroots radio journalism FSRN Weekly Edition – April 28, 2017 Lawmakers go through the motions of budget request showdown ritual Turkish officials carry out fresh purges as opposition continues to contest referendum results Texas House passes most hardline immigration bill since Arizona’s SB 1070 Snake charmers in India lament loss of culture following outlawing of their practice Whistleblowers play a key role in Nigerian anti-corruption push…at their own risk February 11, 2000 February 18, 2000 February 25, 2000 March 3, 2000 March 10, 2000 March 17, 2000 March 24, 2000 FSRN Weekly Edition – April 21, 2017 FSRN Weekly Edition – April 14, 2017 FSRN Weekly Edition – April 7, 2017 FSRN Weekly Edition – March 31, 2017 FSRN Weekly Edition – March 24, 2017 FSRN Weekly Edition – March 17, 2017 FSRN Weekly Edition – March 10, 2017 This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License meaning that he now has more than 100 wives and close to 700 children different from the traditional values we had and therefore there is this constant conflict between the traditional values and modern western values to find the way forward so my subjects can enjoy the fruits of development and modernity without destroying their culture And therefore the chieftaincy institution is the guarantor of our culture,” King Abumbi said told the CNN that the family is happy with the way they are: "Behind every successful man must be a very successful Our tradition has it that when you are king the elderly wives remain to hand down the tradition to the younger wives and also to teach he king the tradition because the king had been a prince