"We are the children of the Earth
Our Smiling faces are always kindling
We want peace here and now
All of us who like on this planet are one big family
Small smiles are coming from all corners of the world
Now they will become a big power; Piece to Peace
We all grew up on this shining earth
Creating tomorrow with a lot of smiles
The sky holding clouds is a part of our planet
The shining light becomes stronger and stronger
Even new born babies hold their mother`s happiness with their little hands
Here, everything gathers and becomes part of big picture..
Now, from us to you; Piece to Peace
Let`s move on toward the future; Piece to Peace
Now, lets fill the world with smiles; Piece to Peace"
Former President of India wrote Ignite Minds by the inspiration he recieved from one child who questioned him to know how to eradicate poverty from this beautiful earth. While the ambitious target of Millenium Development Goals still needing the redoubling of the efforts and assistance from developed countries, current financial crisis has made it more difficult for the developing and least developing countries to focus on providing Essential Services to their citizens.
Today being the tenth anniversary of the conclave, event witnessed former Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori and Deputy Foreign Minister of Govt. of Japan both of them raising the agenda of PRIORITY AFRICA for coming years which is emphasised by Yokohama Declaration, Yokohama Action Plan and TICAD Follow up Mechanism. TICAD stands for "Tokyo International Conference on African Development". TICAD has become a major global framework for Asia and Africa to collaborate in promoting Africa's development. The first Tokyo Conference was held in 1993 and ushered in a continuing process of support for Africa and consensus-building around African development priorities. That process was bolstered with a second Tokyo conference in 1998.
All the people speaking at the occasion were having one common priority in the backgorund of financial crisis, that we should invest more in childern. In the devastating experience of crumbling financial institutions in developed world and crashing national budgets under heavy burden of huge fiscal deficts in developing countries where no system is in place, the message is clear...We have to invest heavily in 'Social Security' measures compared to delievery of physical infrastructure and services.
As asserted by Mr. Mori, Japan`s decision to doube it`s ODA to Africa by 2012 despite current shocks of crisis speaks volume of this country`s determined resoultion to build Conflict Resolution approaches through the means of development schemes. Recently Scandanivian countries also have taken certain initiatives to invest heavily in human resources for education and research, human resources rather than physical development of country.
While JICA representative talked about need to define Crisis Recovery Mitigation Measures by understanding the implications of macroeconomic measures, Mr. Mori asked the question that why Africa is suffering despite availability of resources at hand and it is the responsibility Global Community not to give up hope on the front of contribution to build Africa. According to UNU-WIDER representative, identifying the vulnerabilites remain top agenda while supporting the resilience in the system is the concern of the many nations in the mechanism devoted to the plans developed countries may have about Africa. Besides this, strengthening of knowledge skills by enhancing information respurces and networks will certainly help the efforts of reconstruction of whole continent yearning for progres. Here we must remember that Last Mile is always hardest.
Taking a line of thought from presentation of UNICEF, Tokyo office at the conclave and according to The State of Africa`s Children 2008 report on CHILD SURVIVAL 2008 published by UNICEF says: " Prospects for child survival are shaped by the institutional and environmental context in which children and their families live, as well as by the provision of essential services and practises. Infant and child mortality rates are highest in poorest countries, among the mpst impoversihed, isolated, uneducated and marginalised districts and communities, and in countires ravaged by civil strife, AIDS, food insecurity, weak governance and chronic underinvestment in public health systems and physical infrastructure. Similarly fragile states, characterised by weak institutions with high levels of corruption, political instability and shaky rule of law, are often incapable of providing basic servies for their citizens"
