Japan pledges to extend $200 million in aid for Sudan in the next four years

Earlier this month Japan pledged to extend $200 million in aid for Sudan in the next four years.

Tokyo is eager to take part in U.N. operations in Sudan in an effort to back up its long-running ambition to win a permanent seat on the U.N. Security Council.

Resource-poor Japan, which hosts a conference of 45 African nations next week, wants to play a higher-profile role in the resource-rich region ahead of the G8 summit on the northern island of Hokkaido in July.

"Apart from a permanent seat in the U.N. Security Council, Japan must look at what other countries, particularly China and India, are doing in Africa now," the second official said. "Unless we do something, we will certainly be left behind."

As part of its effort to win the hearts and minds of Africans, Japan announced on Tuesday a plan to double annual foreign aid to Africa by 2012 despite budget constraints caused by the country's bulging public debt.

Read More

New Design Solutions Provide Hope for Darfuri Women

Researchers have found a solution to prevent Darfuri women from being raped while foraging outside of the borders of refugee camps for Firewood. Normally Darfuri woman have to leave the camps daily to search for firewood, walking 7 hours outside of the safety provided by the camps, which has put them at great risk of violent attack. The Darfur Stove project has a new design for a woodburning stove reduces this risk.


Read more in the pdf and through the Darfur Stoves project site

Cheaper Safer Fuel for Refugees:
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/
db900SID/EGUA-7EPR6T?OpenDocument

Watch this Pbs show to learn more:

http://www.kqed.org/quest/
television/view/923

Thankyou Cooper for the Intel and for sharing your valuable voice with us so we can learn and remain informed. You're greatly appreciated.

PZ says:

This is a beautiful and necessary solution. It lends alot of hope. I look forward to the introduction of solar panels to re-developing countries, which would eliminate the need to collect firewood for these stoves, altogether.

Related Intel:
Africa Action to Host Darfur Rally Demanding Leadership From The Current Administration

Crossposted at UU