Nyxoah to Participate in the 17th Annual Wells Fargo Securities Healthcare Conference

Nyxoah to Participate in the 17th Annual Wells Fargo Securities Healthcare Conference

Mont–Saint–Guibert, Belgium "" August 18, 2022, 10:30pm CET / 4:30pm ET "" Nyxoah SA (Euronext Brussels/Nasdaq: NYXH)("Nyxoah" or the "Company"), a medical technology company focused on the development and commercialization of innovative solutions to treat Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), today announced that the Company will participate in the 17th Annual Wells Fargo Securities Healthcare Conference, which takes place September 7–9, 2022, in Everett, MA. Nyxoah management will host one–on–one meetings with investors on Friday, September 9.

Nyxoah's updated Investor Presentation can be accessed on the Shareholder Information section of the Company's Investor Relations page.

About Nyxoah
Nyxoah is a medical technology company focused on the development and commercialization of innovative solutions to treat Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). Nyxoah's lead solution is the Genio system, a patient–centered, leadless and battery–free hypoglossal neurostimulation therapy for OSA, the world's most common sleep disordered breathing condition that is associated with increased mortality risk and cardiovascular comorbidities. Nyxoah is driven by the vision that OSA patients should enjoy restful nights and feel enabled to live their life to its fullest.

Following the successful completion of the BLAST OSA study, the Genio system received its European CE Mark in 2019. Nyxoah completed two successful IPOs: on Euronext Brussels in September 2020 and NASDAQ in July 2021. Following the positive outcomes of the BETTER SLEEP study, Nyxoah received CE mark approval for the expansion of its therapeutic indications to Complete Concentric Collapse (CCC) patients, currently contraindicated in competitors' therapy. Additionally, the Company is currently conducting the DREAM IDE pivotal study for FDA and US commercialization approval.

For more information, please visit http://www.nyxoah.com/.

Caution "" CE marked since 2019. Investigational device in the United States. Limited by U.S. federal law to investigational use in the United States.

Contacts:
Nyxoah
Loic Moreau, Chief Financial Officer
corporate@nyxoah.com
+32 473 33 19 80

Jeremy Feffer, VP IR and Corporate Communications
jeremy.feffer@nyxoah.com
+1 917 749 1494

Attachment


Anaqua Earns Recognition for IP Legal Offerings PATTSY WAVE and AQX Law Firm

BOSTON, Aug. 18, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Anaqua, the leading provider of innovation and intellectual property (IP) management technology, has been recognized by the customer review site G2 and the Software as a Service (SaaS) Awards for its law firm offerings. The company's automated docketing software, PATTSY WAVE , earned three 2022 G2 badges from customer reviews, and its IP management platform, AQX Law Firm, made the SaaS 2022 shortlist under the Best SaaS Product for Law and Legal Services category.

“Over the past two years, we have been actively strengthening and expanding our IP management law firm offerings through organic product development as well as the strategic acquisition and successful integration of specialist IP technology and service providers," said Bob Romeo, CEO of Anaqua. "We've continued to grow our team and capabilities globally to better serve the IP law firm space and this recognition confirms our investments have helped law firms around the world in their practice."

Anaqua's PATTSY WAVE is a powerful, automated docketing software with built–in IP business logic to make IP operations more efficient, reduce risk, and improve accuracy. It is designed for IP professionals who are looking for software to increase their productivity and grow with them as their needs evolve. The three G2 recognition badges, Leader, Easiest to Use and Momentum Leader, are awarded based on customer reviews and are a strong indication of high customer satisfaction with this software.

In addition to earning these awards, PATTSY WAVE received top scores in five other satisfaction metrics:

  • 95% ease of doing business with the company
  • 90% ease of admin
  • 89% quality of support
  • 88% ease of use
  • 82% likelihood to recommend

"We are honored to receive three G2 badges as a result of our user–friendly features and are committed to continuing to listen to our clients' needs to better serve them through our product enhancements," said Domenic Leo, Vice President & General Manager, Law Firms at Anaqua. "These recognition badges show that our customer–first approach in working closely with our clients is proving successful."

In addition to the G2 recognitions, Anaqua's AQX Law Firm was named to the SaaS Awards Shortlist in the Best SaaS Product for Law and Legal Services category for increasing productivity and reducing risk by simplifying law firm's workflow, keeping IP safe for clients and offering actionable insight to IP teams. The SaaS Awards recognize exceptional SaaS products based on global reach and innovation.

The G2 and SaaS recognitions come after two successful years of organic and inorganic growth in the legal IP space. In the past few months, Anaqua announced the expansion of PATTSY WAVE to the European market and the acquisition of the intelligent time capture software WiseTime, remaining focused on providing intellectual property product excellence around the world. With WiseTime, Anaqua's clients will now have access to the industry–leading tool for integrated IP time and billing functionality.

Learn more about how Anaqua's innovative solutions help corporations and law firms gain a true competitive advantage from their intellectual property at anaqua.com.

About Anaqua
Anaqua, Inc. is a premium provider of integrated intellectual property (IP) management technology solutions and services for corporations and law firms. Its IP management software solutions, AQX and PATTSY WAVE, both offer best practice workflows with big data analytics and tech–enabled services to create an intelligent environment designed to inform IP strategy, enable IP decision–making, and streamline IP operations, tailored to each segment's need. Today, nearly half of the top 100 U.S. patent filers and global brands, as well as a growing number of law firms worldwide use Anaqua's solutions. Over one million IP executives, attorneys, paralegals, administrators, and innovators use the platform for their IP management needs. The company's global operations are headquartered in Boston, with offices across the U.S., Europe, and Asia. For additional information, please visit anaqua.com, or Anaqua's LinkedIn.

Company Contact:
Amanda Hollis
Communications Director
Anaqua
617–375–2626
ahollis@Anaqua.com


Anaqua Earns Recognition for IP Legal Offerings PATTSY WAVE and AQX Law Firm

BOSTON, Aug. 18, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Anaqua, the leading provider of innovation and intellectual property (IP) management technology, has been recognized by the customer review site G2 and the Software as a Service (SaaS) Awards for its law firm offerings. The company's automated docketing software, PATTSY WAVE , earned three 2022 G2 badges from customer reviews, and its IP management platform, AQX Law Firm, made the SaaS 2022 shortlist under the Best SaaS Product for Law and Legal Services category.

“Over the past two years, we have been actively strengthening and expanding our IP management law firm offerings through organic product development as well as the strategic acquisition and successful integration of specialist IP technology and service providers," said Bob Romeo, CEO of Anaqua. "We've continued to grow our team and capabilities globally to better serve the IP law firm space and this recognition confirms our investments have helped law firms around the world in their practice."

Anaqua's PATTSY WAVE is a powerful, automated docketing software with built–in IP business logic to make IP operations more efficient, reduce risk, and improve accuracy. It is designed for IP professionals who are looking for software to increase their productivity and grow with them as their needs evolve. The three G2 recognition badges, Leader, Easiest to Use and Momentum Leader, are awarded based on customer reviews and are a strong indication of high customer satisfaction with this software.

In addition to earning these awards, PATTSY WAVE received top scores in five other satisfaction metrics:

  • 95% ease of doing business with the company
  • 90% ease of admin
  • 89% quality of support
  • 88% ease of use
  • 82% likelihood to recommend

"We are honored to receive three G2 badges as a result of our user–friendly features and are committed to continuing to listen to our clients' needs to better serve them through our product enhancements," said Domenic Leo, Vice President & General Manager, Law Firms at Anaqua. "These recognition badges show that our customer–first approach in working closely with our clients is proving successful."

In addition to the G2 recognitions, Anaqua's AQX Law Firm was named to the SaaS Awards Shortlist in the Best SaaS Product for Law and Legal Services category for increasing productivity and reducing risk by simplifying law firm's workflow, keeping IP safe for clients and offering actionable insight to IP teams. The SaaS Awards recognize exceptional SaaS products based on global reach and innovation.

The G2 and SaaS recognitions come after two successful years of organic and inorganic growth in the legal IP space. In the past few months, Anaqua announced the expansion of PATTSY WAVE to the European market and the acquisition of the intelligent time capture software WiseTime, remaining focused on providing intellectual property product excellence around the world. With WiseTime, Anaqua's clients will now have access to the industry–leading tool for integrated IP time and billing functionality.

Learn more about how Anaqua's innovative solutions help corporations and law firms gain a true competitive advantage from their intellectual property at anaqua.com.

About Anaqua
Anaqua, Inc. is a premium provider of integrated intellectual property (IP) management technology solutions and services for corporations and law firms. Its IP management software solutions, AQX and PATTSY WAVE, both offer best practice workflows with big data analytics and tech–enabled services to create an intelligent environment designed to inform IP strategy, enable IP decision–making, and streamline IP operations, tailored to each segment's need. Today, nearly half of the top 100 U.S. patent filers and global brands, as well as a growing number of law firms worldwide use Anaqua's solutions. Over one million IP executives, attorneys, paralegals, administrators, and innovators use the platform for their IP management needs. The company's global operations are headquartered in Boston, with offices across the U.S., Europe, and Asia. For additional information, please visit anaqua.com, or Anaqua's LinkedIn.

Company Contact:
Amanda Hollis
Communications Director
Anaqua
617–375–2626
ahollis@Anaqua.com


dWallet Labs Raises $5M in Pre-Seed Round As Odsy Network Comes Out of Stealth

TEL AVIV, Israel, Aug. 18, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — dWallet Labs, a cybersecurity company specializing in blockchain technology, today announced it raised $5M in pre–seed funding led by Node Capital and Digital Currency Group (DCG), and joined by Amplify Partners, Lightshift Capital, Liquid2 Ventures, Collider Ventures, Lemnsicap, Heroic Ventures, Impatient Ventures, Zero Knowledge, Dispersion Capital, Token Bay Capital, Tykhe Block Ventures, Cerulean Ventures and Earl Grey Capital alongside founders and angel investors from Coinbase, Ethereum, Celo, AngelList, Alt, Spearhead, and others. With top cybersecurity experts and cryptographers, dWallet Labs is building solutions on top of the Odsy (pronounced Odyssey: od–uh–see) Network, a secure and programmable decentralized access control layer to all of web3. The funds will be used for building protocols and projects on top of the Odsy Network.

In its short lifetime, blockchain has already gone through several evolutions. The first phase began with the emergence of Bitcoin which introduced decentralized money. Ethereum ushered in the second phase which brought decentralized applications (dApps) to light with smart contracts. Through the implementation of dWallets, Odsy marks the beginning of the third phase, decentralized access control, bringing the industry back to true decentralization.

Web3 has a major access control problem. As the industry continues to grow, it becomes more fragmented with new protocols, assets, and chains, causing access to revert from being completely decentralized (holding the private key directly) to outdated, centralized ways that hold the assets or keys for users. Managing access to decentralized solutions in a centralized way undermines decentralization. This is where a new era of decentralized access control comes in.

dWallets

Dynamic Decentralized Wallets (dWallets) are the trustless access control solution for web3. dWallets are a new blockchain primitive that other projects can build upon and offer programmable access for any other blockchain. A dWallet on the Odsy Network is bound to Wallet Contracts, dedicated smart contracts that manage the access control and privileges for that dWallet.

The dWallet concept will transform how digital assets are stored, used, accessed, and connected to the real world by adding a fully decentralized layer of a dynamic and stateful access control. This will open the door to new possibilities including multi–chain DAOs, granular access sharing, and interoperable infrastructure for DeFi. dWallets will also allow for a full transfer of their ownership, which was impossible before.

“It is rare to witness a totally new decentralized infrastructure allowing many new use cases that were not possible before with the utilization of the dWallet concept,” said Amos Meiri, Founding Partner at Node Capital.

“We're always looking for novel primitives that will unlock new use cases for blockchain technology. Soon after meeting the dWallet Labs team, we recognized the potential for their dWallet ecosystem to change access control for the better. In turn, dWallets may offer new ownership and transfer capabilities for a more expansive set of complex cryptoassets. We're excited to support the team and help bring their vision to fruition," stated Matt Beck, Director of Investments at Digital Currency Group.

Odsy Network

The dedicated blockchain that supports dWallets is the Odsy Network. In the Odsy Network, standard blockchain actions can be done only through dWallets, establishing them as a single, multi–chain access point to all of web3.

"Custody is just the tip of the iceberg, trustless access control is the missing piece of crypto. dWallets and the Odsy Network will connect crypto to the real world with so many new use cases," says Omer Sadika, Founder and CEO of dWallet Labs, who has his roots in cybersecurity, where he developed the concept of API Security, and founded API Security unicorn, Salt Security. "Today, we find it trivial that we have the appropriate access control, whether that be for a note–taking app or a bank account. However, when it comes to crypto, we have to choose between poor access control we get from blockchains to centralized solutions that defeat the purpose of being decentralized in the first place."

The Odsy Network was founded by Omer Sadika, David Lachmish, Sean Lee and Yehonatan Cohen Scaly, with the Zug, Switzerland–based Odsy Foundation that will support and develop the wider Odsy ecosystem. dWallet Labs will provide professional services to the Odsy Foundation, and support for organizations building on the Odsy Network.

"The Odsy Network is built as a security–first decentralized network, and it will be governed by the Odsy community," says Sean Lee, previously CEO of the Algorand Foundation, who serves as Odsy Foundation's Executive Director. "We are building the Odsy Foundation to support a vibrant Odsy ecosystem with builders and strategic partners to evangelize dWallet use cases for the next 10 years and beyond. The most innovative dWallet applications will come from the community and we will work together to imagine what is possible for the future of web3."

To learn more about dWallets and the Odsy Network visit odsy.xyz.

ABOUT ODSY NETWORK & DWALLETS
The Odsy Network provides a secure, programmable, decentralized access layer to all of web3 through dynamic, decentralized wallets (dWallets). A dWallet is a signing mechanism paired to a public key and constrained by dynamic access control, that operates within a decentralized state machine (e.g. blockchain). dWallets can sign transactions on any blockchain network that leverages the universally adopted signing algorithms (e.g. ECDSA, EdDSA, etc.)

On the Odsy Network, dWallets are bound to Wallet Contracts, dedicated smart contracts that are stateful and Turing–complete, enabling the management of access control and privileges of the dWallets, and the implementation of any protocol on top of the Odsy Network. The Odsy Network is a security–first blockchain that allows for multi–chain interoperability with programmable and transferable wallets. Learn more about Odsy and dWallets at odsy.xyz.

ABOUT DWALLET LABS
dWallet Labs Ltd., based in Tel Aviv, Israel, a cybersecurity company specializing in blockchain technology, is building SingleWallet, the first interface to interact with dWallets on the Odsy Network. The mission of dWallet Labs is to build protocols and solutions on top of the Odsy Network. dWallet Labs will also provide professional services and support for organizations building on the Odsy Network. The team possesses deep knowledge and expertise in cybersecurity, cryptography and blockchain technology. Learn more at dwalletlabs.com.

Media Contact
David Goosenberg; david.goosenberg@serotonin.co

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d34d11e7–33dd–473c–bfac–11adb2e4ae59


Yes, Africa’s Informal Sector Has Problems, But the Answer Isn’t to Marginalise It

Leaders must recognise the enormous potentials of Africa’s informal sector and begin to integrate them better into their city-building strategies

African leaders must recognise the enormous potentials of the continent’s informal workers and begin to integrate them better into their city-building visions and strategies. Credit: Suleiman Mbatiah/IPS

By External Source
Aug 18 2022 – African leaders are increasingly aspiring to “modernise” their cities. That is to make them “globally competitive” and “smart”. The hope is to strategically position cities in Africa to drive the continent’s much-needed socio-economic transformation.

But these aspirations tend to marginalise and antagonise the informal sector. The sector encompasses the suite of economic activities by workers and economic units that are – in law or in practice – not covered (or insufficiently covered) by formal arrangements.

We are a team of international scholars researching sustainable cities in Africa. In our latest paper, we explore the dual role played by the informal sector in Africa’s urban economy. On the one hand, it plays a positive role. It provides employment, securing household income and savings, provides household basic needs and boosts civic engagement.

Clearly, the informal sector oils Africa’s urban economy in many important ways. This makes it highly unlikely that any visions of transforming lives on the continent can succeed without taking the sector into adequate account

But the sector also plays a negative role. It contributes to social and gender inequality, insecurity, congestion and pollution.

Overall, we found that the informal sector has a lot to offer the future of African cities. We therefore recommend that public policy focuses more on regularising the sector, instead of displacing it. This is often done to make way for elitist big capital projects.

Also, we warn that ignoring or marginalising the millions of people whose livelihoods depend on the sector could spell a social bloodbath on the continent.

 

The ‘smart cities’ craze in Africa

There has been a resurgent interest in building so-called “smart”, “modern”, “globally competitive” cities in Africa. Some are seeking to build entirely new cities. But, for the most part, most governments want to put cities on the “map” through large-scale redevelopment or by “modernising” existing city districts.

African cities have long been blamed for not serving as engines of growth and structural transformation as their counterparts did during Europe’s Industrial Revolution. This makes it refreshing that leaders on the continent are seeking to turn things around.

The problem, however, is that these visions of city modernisation tend to heavily marginalise and antagonise the informal sector in their design and execution. Some even have a strong focus on displacing informal workers and activities – particularly hawkers and hawking, slum dwellers and slum settlements – from the central business districts of the cities.

For instance, early this year, the authorities in Nigeria sent a combined team of police, military and other law enforcement officials to destroy a Port Harcourt informal settlement that housed some 15,000 families.

Their counterparts in Ghana are currently conducting similar exercises.

These decisions are often justified on the grounds that informal workers and their activities generate “congestion”, “crime”, “filth/grime”, and “disorderliness”.

In other words, they impede sustainable city-making, and hence, must be eradicated.

But is this premise backed by the evidence? This is the question our team recently interrogated.

We conclude that the informal sector is rather the goose laying Africa’s golden eggs.

 

Unpacking the data

We argue in our paper that African leaders must re-think the informal sector as a potential site for innovation and solutions.

Consider its employment creation potential for instance. In 2018, a study by the International Labour Organization (ILO) found that the informal sector employs some 89.2% of the total labour force in sub-Saharan Africa if agriculture is included.

Even without agriculture, the share of informal employment is still significant: 76.8%. In central Africa, without agriculture, the sector’s share of employment hovered at 78.8% and 91% with agriculture. In east Africa, the contributions stood at 76.6% without agriculture and 91.6% with agriculture. The figures for southern and western Africa hovered around 36.1% and 87% without agriculture and 40.2% and 92.4% when agriculture is included.

The informal sector also makes other important contributions to Africa’s economy. In 2000, the gross value additions of Benin, Burkina Faso, Senegal and Togo’s informal sector (including agriculture) hovered around 71.6%, 55.8%, 51.5%, and 72.5% of the countries’ total GDPs.

The sector’s contribution to housing too is substantial. The most notable form of informal housing, popularly called “slums”, provide accommodation to millions of urban dwellers on the continent.

The United Nations’ data suggest that Nigeria’s share of urban population that are accommodated in slums as of 2015 stood at 50.2%. That of Ethiopia was 73.9%; Uganda’s 53.6%; Tanzania’s 50.7%. Ghana and Rwanda’s hovered around 37.9% and 53.2%, respectively.

Clearly, the informal sector oils Africa’s urban economy in many important ways. This makes it highly unlikely that any visions of transforming lives on the continent can succeed without taking the sector into adequate account.

More importantly, the millions of working-class people whose lives depend on the sector have shown consistently that they won’t take their continuing marginalisation lying down. They frequently resist eviction orders.

Perhaps, their most profound moment of resistance was witnessed at the height of the COVID pandemic.

Many African governments imposed lockdowns to limit community transmission of the virus. However, after subjecting informal workers to extensive brutalities, they still refused to comply, forcing many governments to suspend the lockdowns. The pandemic has shown that the continuing systematic marginalisation of informal workers in city-making heralds more trouble for the future.

 

Informality at the heart of city-making

The issue is not that city authorities must allow informal workers and activities to go unchecked. They clearly have a responsibility to deal with the problems in the sector to ensure the security and health of the public. This includes the informal workers themselves.

The problem with current approaches is that they largely dispossess the workers and displace them to make way for big capital projects which serve the needs of a privileged few.

African leaders must recognise the enormous potentials of the continent’s informal workers and begin to integrate them better into their city-building visions and strategies.

The recent integration of informal waste collectors/recyclers – popularly called Zabbaleen – in waste management in Cairo, Egypt’s capital, offers great lessons.

The Zabbaleen had long been neglected for so-called “formal” private companies which, however, continued to prove inefficient and structurally unable to navigate the narrow streets of several neighbourhoods of Cairo.

When Cairo authorities finally recognised that the Zabbaleen are better suited for the job, they changed course and brought them onboard. The emerging evidence suggests that the change is paying some fruitful dividends in improved sanitation.

Cairo’s progressive example paints a powerful image of how the capabilities of informal workers could be seriously incorporated and integrated into building African cities. Hopefully, more of such interventions will be replicated in other sectors of the continent’s urban economy.

Dr Henry Mensah and Professor Imoro Braimah of KNUST’s Centre for Settlements Studies, and Department of Planning contributed to the original article.The Conversation

Gideon Abagna Azunre, PhD student, Concordia University; Festival Godwin Boateng, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Centre for Sustainable Urban Development, The Earth Institute, Columbia University; Owusu Amponsah, Senior Lecturer, Department of planning, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), and Stephen Appiah Takyi, Senior Lecturer, Department of Planning, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST)

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

COVID-19: Scientists Warn That It’s Not Over Till It’s Over

Mask mandates are now over, but health practitioners and scientists say it’s time to use what we have learnt about COVID-19 to manage other epidemics. Credit: IMF Photo/James Oatway

Mask mandates are now over, but health practitioners and scientists say it’s time to use what we have learnt about COVID-19 to manage other epidemics. Credit: IMF Photo/James Oatway

By Fawzia Moodley
Johannesburg, Aug 18 2022 – After two years of economic and social upheaval caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, many countries, including South Africa, have lifted the tough protocols such as lockdowns, the mandatory wearing of masks and social distancing.

COVID fatigue, the global economic bloodbath, devastating social and mental health impacts, and the hope that large-scale vaccinations provided sufficient herd immunity, persuaded these governments to lift the suffocating protocols.

But experts warn that we should not be lulled into a false sense of security.

According to the Statista Research Service, outbreaks of COVID-19 continue to be confirmed in almost every country in the world. The virus has infected nearly 566 million people worldwide, with the number of deaths at almost 6.4 million. The most severely affected countries include the US, India, Brazil, France and Germany.

Thankfully, the deadly Delta variant is no longer a significant threat. The emergence of Omicron, which is more easily transmitted, has raised concern among scientists because it constantly mutates, as evident from its swift evolution from the BA.2 lineage to Omicron.B4 and B5.

Dr Waasila Jassat of the South African National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) says that South Africa has a high number of Omicron cases but fortunately experienced only a small rise in hospitalisations and deaths during its BA.4 and BA.5 wave. Quoted in the scientific journal Nature, she warns that older adults are still at high risk and that the new strains are more immune to vaccinations.

A panel of experts at a recent webinar in Johannesburg, titled: “Is COVID 19 over? Or is it still lurking in the shadows? An African response to the pandemic”, expressed concern at the unknowns related to the mutating nature of Omicron.

They reviewed the devastating impact of the lockdown measures, the lessons learnt from our handling of the pandemic, and explored alternate and less drastic ways to deal with future pandemics.

Psychiatrist Dr Surenthran Pillay said the pandemic had led to an increase in mental health problems, including depression and anxiety, resulting not only from the illness and deaths but also from job losses and economic fallout.

“The other complication that has to be managed is the associated increase in poverty that comes with COVID. Africa is not the wealthiest region. With COVID coming, we are not giving attention to people’s other needs. We can’t neglect communities’ needs because the anxieties and psychiatric aspect of the lack of food or lack of housing or other economic complications that come from COVID are just as important.”

Pillay also speaks of the impact on children.

“We have a whole generation of kids who spent two years behind masks, and important stages in their lives like recognising facial expressions were lost for them.”

Dr Samantha Potgieter, an expert on infectious diseases from the University of the Free State, says there’s hope that future pandemics will be better managed due to the lessons learnt this time.

“Unfortunately, we certainly can’t say that COVID is over, and if I were to guess what the future holds, I think the hope is that as repeated infections occur and vaccine boosters are fine-tuned, we will continue to see waves of the disease but with less and less disruption of our lives.”

The role of the media also came under scrutiny. Ogechi Ekeanyawu, the Sub-Saharan regional editor of the African Science podcast, speaks about the critical role of the media in disseminating “credible and scientifically backed” information about vaccines and treatment during a pandemic.

In the era of social media, “where anyone can come with a camera or any text that they like to put out,” she says, “it is important that all information is verified and authentic”.

“We’re looking at the science, listening to the scientists, making sure that they have a larger voice; so, sort of centring their voices in our reports so that we are not misinformed at any point in time.”

She also notes that the media had ignored monkeypox, which the World Health Organization recently declared a public health emergency until it spread to Europe and other developed countries.

“It has always existed here, particularly in West Africa in countries like Congo and Nigeria, but all of a sudden, it is now a global concern, and people are now talking about research. Monkeypox existed all the while here, and there was no spotlight on it.”

Dr Subeshnee Munien, an environmental scientist, warns that even if COVID ends, infectious diseases and pandemics are “going to be more frequent than we’d like to believe”.

She says COVID has devastated the poorest of the poor and exposed “what needs to be done for us to be better prepared for the next infectious event.”

The message was clear: This is no time for complacency; we need to learn from our experience of COVID to be able to deal with future pandemics in a more constructive and less disruptive way.

IPS UN Bureau Report

 


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To Accelerate Social Change, Approach Philanthropy With a Feminist Lens

The work of world making requires bold philanthropy from a feminist lens. Significant resources need to be directed towards historically marginalized communities - led by Black, Indigenous, and people of color around the world

Globally, feminist movements have been some of the biggest drivers of progressive social change. Credit: UN Women

By Angelika Arutonyva and Leila Hessini
SAN FRANCISCO, USA, Aug 18 2022 – Feminist movements are powerful, and donors who want to contribute to solving the biggest challenges facing the world today, should fund them deeply, and without restrictions. Research by Htun and Weldon back this up, showing that globally, feminist movements have been some of the biggest drivers of progressive social change.

The work of the Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa (SIHA) helps us understand what this looks like in practice. In 1995, they began working to strengthen women’s rights and address the issue of violence against women. Working across eight countries, SIHA built an informal network of women with very little funding, most of which was project-specific.

The work that feminist movements do is vital, and yet this is work that is severly underfunded. Analysis from the Association for Women’s Rights in Development (AWID) shows that women’s rights organizations receive only 0.13% of Official Development Assistance (ODA) and 0.4% of all gender-related aid. Additionally, only 0.42% of foundation grants are allocated towards women’s rights.

Once they received their first core funding grant, they had the flexibility to be responsive—and none too soon. When Sudan’s dictatorship fell in 2019, SIHA was ready to respond. They had built trust within the country and knew how to support communities. At a time when other actors couldn’t enter the region and it was difficult to get funding through, SIHA supported feminist activists to respond to threats, especially that of mass sexual violence, as well as the opportunities for impact.

We see similar patterns around a variety of issues within the gender justice umbrella. In 2021, Benin liberalised its abortion law allowing for the termination of pregnancy at up to twelve weeks in cases where a continuation “is likely to worsen or cause a situation of material, education, professional or moral distress which is incompatible with the woman’s interests.”

This is a significant win for feminist movements as it recognises the importance of abortion access for a wide variety of reasons. At the global level, for years, feminist leaders have advocated for the International Labour Organisation (ILO) to pass a treaty that recognises the gendered nature of the world of work.

The result was ILO Convention No. 190, described as the first international treaty to recognize the right of everyone to a world of work free from violence and harassment, including gender-based violence and harassment. This is a major policy win and Governments that ratify the convention will be required to put in place processes to prevent and address violence and harassment in the world of work.

The work that feminist movements do is vital, and yet this is work that is severly underfunded.

Analysis from the Association for Women’s Rights in Development (AWID) shows that women’s rights organizations receive only 0.13% of Official Development Assistance (ODA) and 0.4% of all gender-related aid. Additionally, only 0.42% of foundation grants are allocated towards women’s rights.

This is the massive gap that we need a bold new school of philanthropists to fill. To deliver on the promise that feminists and social justice movements hold, we require bold innovators to shift the way the world operates. Daring progressive individuals should invest resources into people who can shift our communities and societies to be better, more accepting and welcoming environments. All that is needed to do this is to provide communities, particularly those led by Black, Indigenous and People of Color with a significant level of resources that allows the freedom to be bold and creative in their work.

Recently, Shake the Table, a feminist organisation that bridges the worlds of philantopy and social justice, teamed up with the global philanthropic advisory firm Bridgespan, to explore how feminist movements can be supported to address systemic oppression, and to realise the transformative change that donors seek.

This initiative is a first – bringing together insights from High Net Worth Individuals and feminist movement leaders. The report calls for new financing for feminist movements – asking for an investment of an extra $1.5billion per year. In their words:

We set the very minimum of $1.5 billion a year over and above current funding levels as a starting point, to hold ground against the anti-gender movement and gain traction toward a just future for us all. For thousands of individual feminist leaders, organizations, and their collective movements, this investment would represent a game-changing opportunity. Increasing the resources available to feminist movements by an order of magnitude could enable gains (and stave off losses) in reproductive rights around the world, fairer and more dignified wages and working conditions, and climate justice. It could advance work to reduce gender-based violence as well as push back against authoritarianism and protect democracy, countering systemic abuse in communities around the world. It would recognize the transformative, collaborative work of feminist movements across borders and generations. Such an investment will lead to outcomes we can’t yet imagine.”

And yet the outcomes that already exist speak powerfully of the possibilities that could be further unleashed if feminist movements were resourced boldly.

Feminists want to co-create a better world. A world where feminist movements thrive is one where people from all backgrounds live in peace and enjoy a full range of human rights and freedoms. A world where feminist movements thrive centres constituency work done and led by Black and Indigenous people, and People of Color.

This work cannot be done with a pittance. The work of world making requires bold philanthropy from a feminist lens. Significant resources need to be directed towards historically marginalized communities – led by Black, Indigenous, and people of color around the world.

Organizations working at the grassroots need to be trusted and recognised for the deep knowledge they hold on how to create change, and donors need to do what they can do best – give – and get out of the way so that the all important work of social change is accelerated.

Angelika Arutyunova is an Armenian from Uzbekistan, feminist social justice consultant with two decades of experience across regions, movements and sectors.

Leila Hessini is an Algerian-American feminist activist who has worked on local and transnational organizing on a range of women’s human rights and social justice issues over the past three decades

Tapping into the Power of Young People for Climate Action

Young climate activists take part in demonstrations at the COP26 Climate Conference in Glasgow, Scotland. November 2021. Credit: UN News/Laura Quiñones

By Ulrika Modéer and Veronica Winja Otieno
UNITED NATIONS, Aug 18 2022 – Today, our world is 1.1°C warmer than it was in the pre-industrial era, and failure to act urgently could possibly result in increases of 1.5°C-2°C between 2026 and 2042. Climate change poses a serious risk to the fundamental rights of people of every age.

Extreme weather such as droughts, floods and heatwaves, and their effects of food and water insecurity, livelihood losses, famines, and wildfires exacerbate inequalities and disproportionately affect vulnerable groups, among them young people and children.

UNDP’s Peoples’ Climate Vote, the largest ever survey of public opinion on climate change, revealed that nearly 70 percent of under 18s are most likely to believe climate change is a global emergency. Other studies show that ‘eco-anxiety’ is increasing, particularly amongst the young.

A global study of 10,000 youth from 10 countries in 2021 found that over 50 percent of young people felt sad, anxious, angry, powerless, helpless, and guilty about climate change, while 45 percent said their feelings negatively affected their daily lives.

Countries expressing more worry tended to be poorer, such as those in the south, or those in the north that had been directly affected by climate change.

Young people continue to take on a leading role in influencing, advocating, and demanding for responsible climate behaviour and stronger political will from governments and the private sector. During COP26, young leaders presented a Global Youth Position statement, representing the views of over 40,000 young leaders demanding that their rights be guaranteed in climate change agreements.

School strikes for climate have been recorded in over 150 countries, gaining widespread attention from the public and media. Young leaders have raised awareness in their communities, promoted lifestyle changes and concrete solutions, and advocated for the rights of vulnerable groups, including Indigenous people, who are often excluded from decision-making.

Despite this, young people continue to report ageism is affecting their lives, their employment, political participation, health, and justice. This not only detracts from their wellbeing but it prevents societies from designing inclusive policies and social services that are fair for all ages.

This has translated to a growing sense of hopelessness and mistrust towards governments’ willingness and ability to tackle the eminent climate challenges amongst youth.

As the UN celebrated International Youth Day 2022 (on12 August), this year’s theme was Intergenerational Solidarity: Creating a World for All Ages. Action is needed from all generations to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and to ensure that no one is left behind.

This is particularly important in addressing climate change, which is considered the most significant intergenerational injustice of our time. It is imperative that everybody, and especially the older generations, work with young people to achieve climate justice.

A systemic change to enhance inter-generational solidarity, is urgently required to address and remove inequalities, and to tackle structural barriers to meaningful youth engagement.

At UNDP, we strongly believe in the importance of meaningful youth involvement in decision-making, both as a demographic and democratic imperative to address youth rights, needs and aspirations. Our Aiming higher guidance explores critical ways to achieve this.

It’s important to listen to the voices of young people and to join them in speaking against climate injustice. The voices of young people must be included in the decisions taken now, and steps taken to ensure that they can hold governments accountable.

As it stands, and rightfully so, all renowned climate change activists are young people. But it is also important that older generations join in the activism and support responsible climate action. This has the potential to improve trust and enhance effective collaboration.

All youth voices should be given a fair chance. Amongst young people, those from rural areas in the global south are further marginalized and affected disproportionately by the effects of climate injustice, yet unlike their urban counterparts have found little voice.

This is due to a number of factors including the digital divide and limited resources, including visa denials, which lock them out of the crucial stages of policy-making. Meaningful collaboration with youth and grassroots organizations provides an opportunity for all voices to be heard.

Education is an important tool. The Peoples’ Climate Vote revealed that the most profound driver of public opinion on climate change was a respondent’s level of education. Policy makers should continue to educate all generations not only on what climate change is and its effects, but even more importantly on protection and mitigation measures.

The incorporation of climate smart education from basic to tertiary levels of education will play a key role in creating awareness and integrating climate solutions across all levels of society.

To inspire hope and further encourage young people towards climate action, it is important that progress is highly celebrated. This plays a key role in strengthening young people’s agency and resilience to continue pushing on and not thinking their efforts are futile.

There are 1.2 billion young people and their collective input will have an impact both now and in the future. Fortunately, there is good news.

Young people played an important role in the Climate Promise. While young people were largely ignored in earlier Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) now 75 percent of Climate Promise countries prioritize youth in developing their NDCs, primarily through consultations, raising awareness and advocacy campaigns.

The cost of solar and wind power and electric vehicles have come down dramatically. Between 2010 to 2019, solar energy costs decreased 85 percent, wind energy by 55 percent, and lithium-ion batteries by 85 percent.

And in the last decade, climate finance has significantly increased, reaching US$632 billion.

The solidarity, mutual respect, and understanding between the young people of the global north and south on climate action, as well as their advocacy for marginalized groups whose voices are not heard is admirable. This emphasizes the important role that solidarity plays.

Young people have been ignored in climate decisions for far too long and can no longer be seen as merely means to an end. It is their present and their future that’s at stake. Their concerns and their solutions must be at the heart of all decision-making.

Empowering young people presents a historic, transformational, and collective opportunity to advance an inclusive green recovery, accelerate progress on the SDGs and to lay the foundation for a peaceful and sustainable future.

Ulrika Modeer is UN Assistant Secretary-General and Director of the Bureau of External Relations and Advocacy, UNDP and Veronica Winja Otieno is African Young Women in Leadership Fellow & Strategy Analyst, UNDP

IPS UN Bureau

 


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Agriculture sector in Dominica to reach new heights after new budget announcements

Roseau, Aug. 18, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Commonwealth of Dominica is making significant investment to build capacity in the agriculture sector. The country, which is home to rainforests, abundant flora and fauna, has rich fertile soil that helps support plant life. Components such as the soil, climate, topography, and location give Dominica the edge with their crop growing, and as the demand for organic food products increases globally, Dominica is prioritising the agriculture sector.

Farmers in Dominica grow a diversity of crops "" these include bananas, sweet potato, plantain, citrus fruits, vegetables, coffee, patchouli, aloe vera, cut flowers, mangoes, guavas, and papayas. This year, during the presentation of the 2022–2023 budget, Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit announced various measures for the upliftment of the agriculture sector. He advised that the government aims to increase the agriculture contribution to 700 million Eastern Caribbean Dollars by 2030.

Prime Minister Skerrit also outlined that government will invest an initial EC$ 1 million in the provision of greenhouses, insect netting, saran netting (also referred to as cover material), equipment and irrigation systems.

He further announced that all the investments would ensure that fresh fruit and vegetables are available and affordable throughout the year which will have a direct impact in the reduction of the food import bill as well as enhancing food security.

“Government will continue the propagation programme to ensure a minimum of 600,000 seedlings are propagated as well as distributed to farmers at a subsidised price as an incentive for production. Government's propagation capabilities will be complemented by the increased capacity,” said the Prime Minister.

Furthermore, to enhance banana production, the government of Dominica will allocate special funds in the amount of EC$ 1 million, which will support large banana farmers. The government plans to provide further assistance to farmers by making an additional EC$ 5 million available to DEXIA as a revolving fund for the procurement of farming produce. This funding will offer packaging solutions to enhance the market needs for quality, price and consistency.

Enhanced packaging and processing of food increases the food value and the product range. He outlined that the farmers from the villages will now be able to sell their produce for processing, adding value, empowering female farmers and improving livelihoods.

Prime Minister Skerrit also stated, “To equip farmers to take advantage of this opportunity, we will provide EC$ 3.7 million to strengthen at least five new farmer producer organisations and crop production clusters to improve economies of scale.”

“We have made an agriculture policy framework that is in line with the government's commitment to becoming the world's first climate resilient nation. It outlines a vision for a resilient as well as sustainable agricultural sector that promotes innovation and technology to guarantee increased yields, consistency of production, quality, safe and nutritious fresh produce,” Prime Minister Skerrit added.

Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit announced that the government will focus an additional EC$ 1 million in support to young farmers and agriculture entrepreneurs, which will include grants for start–up capital, labour and supplies to eligible parties.

In 2022–2023, Dominica's Calibishie and Salisbury communities will also see the installation of irrigation systems, with an estimated cost of EC$ 486,000.

Prime Minister has shed light on food security and consumption on almost every platform. During a Food Security Summit in Guyana, Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit encouraged the youth to engage in farming practices, which will result in an increase in food security. He emphasised, “I am a farmer myself, and I am completely self–sufficient; I eat fruit that comes from my farm and are grown by me every day”.

Taking all of the above into account the Dominican people should take advantage of increasing the production of organic food, which can then be exported to sister islands and other countries. The commencement of export and import will help generate employment and revenue.

The government of Dominica has been upgrading its agriculture sector with the help of the Citizenship by Investment Programme (CBI). The funds generated by the CBI Programme of Dominica assist the government in advancing the sector. The government has adopted many new projects to modernise the sector, which are backed by the programme.

The Citizenship by Investment (CBI) Programme of Dominica was launched nearly two decades ago, in 1993 and has emerged as the best programme in the world. Because of its efficiency, the programme has been ranked number one for five consecutive years by the CBI Index, published by the Financial Times' PWM Magazine.

The Citizenship by Investment Unit of Dominica makes sure that alternative citizenship is granted to quality applicants who have outstanding character and reputation. To ensure the credibility of the investor, the unit works with an independent third–party firm to conduct rigorous internal and external due diligence background checks.

The investor(s) or applicant(s) can apply for alternative citizenship through two investment options, which directly or indirectly help in the upliftment of the country. The two investment options are:

1) Economic Diversification Fund or Fund Option

2) Real Estate Investment Option

Under the Economic Diversification Fund Option, the investor has to contribute to the socio–economic development of the country. The contribution helps in the advancement of various sectors, including education, healthcare, sports, housing, tourism and agriculture. The minimum investment under this investment option is USD 100,000.

Under the Real Estate Investment Option, the investor invests in any government–approved property, including resorts, hotels and spas. The minimum investment under this option starts from USD 200,000.

Dominica offers one of the Caribbean's leading CIP programmes. The idyllic island offers one of the best standards of living and lifestyle as it is politically and economically stable. With the low crime rate and high business opportunities, Dominica is one of the best choices for investors. It is like heaven on the earth with countless hidden gems and nicknamed the “Nature Isle of the Caribbean”. Dominica boasts a dynamic coastline, incredible marine biodiversity, natural hot springs thanks to its volcanic origin and acres of unspoiled tropical rainforest.


Global Leaders Honor Rev. Dr. Sun Myung Moon on the 10th Anniversary of His Passing

Washington, DC, Aug. 17, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Global Leaders Honor Rev. Dr. Sun Myung Moon

on the 10th Anniversary of His Passing

Late evangelist remembered as extraordinary pioneer of peace and unity

The Universal Peace Federation (UPF) joined with other organizations, friends, and families to honor the 10th anniversary of the passing of Rev. Dr. Sun Myung Moon at a special program held near Seoul, Korea, on Aug. 14, 2022.

"Father Moon left a colossal legacy of peace of inestimable value in all aspects of human life," said H.E. Brigi Rafini, Executive Secretary of the Community of Sahel and Saharan States (CEN–SAD), which has 25 Member States and represents 650 million Africans. "Just like Father and Mother Moon, I invite us to enter and remain in history as peacemakers in the world."

Rev. Moon was born in 1920 in the village of Sangsa Ri in what is now North Korea. From his birth in Japan–occupied Korea to his Sept. 3, 2012, death at age 92, Rev. Moon lived every day with a passion for God, and a determination to liberate humankind from evil, and to establish an ideal world of peace.

His passing brought sorrow to countless followers and allies around the world, but none more so than his wife of 52 years. "Father, I love you. I miss you. These past 10 years have been a tremendous journey to realize the promise I made before you," said Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon. "From now on, please do not worry. We will, without fail, complete our responsibility."

Some 86 floral tributes and messages were sent from world leaders for the 10th anniversary, and the floral display from North Korea was so large that two men had to carry it on stage.

Chairman Kim Jong–un personally asked a North Korean peace institute to send flowers and a condolence message to the Moon family, said Dr. Yun Young–ho, Director–General of UPF International, who emceed the three–hour program at HJ Global Arts Center.

The North Korean message said, "Rev. Moon worked for the sake of world peace" and his achievements and legacy will be remembered for eons" We would like to wish prosperity and success to the International Family Federation and UPF."

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (2018–2021) recounted the arrests, tortures, and imprisonments of Rev. Moon's life, including the North Korean Hungnam death camp that was liberated by UN forces led by US Gen. Douglas MacArthur.

Rev. Moon survived this, and many more severe hardships, "by faith and a loving God," said Mr. Pompeo.

In 1954, Rev. Moon created the Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity (HSA–UWC) to call for "the unity of all Christianity and for each of us to love each other," said Mr. Pompeo. Rev. Moon also stood immovably against God–denying ideologies, creating the successful Victory Over Communism program and newspapers, including The Washington Times, established in 1982 in Washington, D.C., to stand for faith, family, and freedom. "America must be moral, it must be strong, it must be free and have a free press," Mr. Pompeo said.

"Rev. Moon and his peace work impacted millions," said Cambodian Assemblyman Suos Yara, who delivered a message from Samdech Hun Sen, Prime Minister of the Royal Kingdom of Cambodia.

Cambodian leaders are among those working with UPF, which was co–founded by Rev. and Mrs. Moon in 2005, in its quest to bring peace on the Korean Peninsula. In February, at the UPF World Summit 2022, world leaders signed the Seoul Resolution, which offers a roadmap to reconciliation. The resolution calls for "two states, toward one nation, one peninsula, one culture, one people," said Mr. Yara. "This is a common vision for peace through mutual prosperity, interdependence, and universal values."The formally named "Seonghwa Ceremony 10th Anniversary of the Holy Ascension of Sun Myung Moon, the True Parent of Heaven, Earth and Humankind," told the story of Rev. Moon's life, conveyed dramatically through dance, song, videos, pictures, and a live orchestra.

Highlights of the dynamic program included his 1935 Easter morning visitation from Jesus Christ who called him to carry forward the mission to build the Kingdom of God; the persecutions he endured when he started preaching; and his 1960 Holy Marriage to Mrs. Moon, after which they began sharing that "blessing" with other couples around the world. The program reviewed his thousands of speeches, campaigns, rallies, conferences, and visits held in all parts of the world, and his meetings with world leaders, including Soviet Premier Mikhail Gorbachev and North Korea Chairman Kim Il–sung. Details are found in Rev. Moon's memoir, "As a Peace–Loving Global Citizen," and Mrs. Moon's memoir, "Mother of Peace: And God Shall Wipe Away All Tears from Their Eyes."

Mrs. Moon closed the event by offering all of the nearly 30,000 attendees silken–cloth bags filled with rice caramels, one of Rev. Moon's favorite sweets. Recalling the video clips of Rev. Moon shown in the program, she said, "True Father spoke to you, didn't he? What did he say?”

"I'm sure he didn't say "be hopeless' or "lead a meaningless life,'" she said. "Let us move forward in hope," practice true love, be stewards of the Creation, "and lead lives centered on God," she said.

For media inquiries, please contact:

William P. Selig | Communications Director, Universal Peace Federation

Ph: 240–274–1744 | Email: wselig@upf.org | Web: www.upf.org

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