 |
 |
HOME SOLAR COOKING ARCHIVE |  |
|
 |
||||
 |
||||
 |
SITE SEARCH  |
|
|
ANNUAL REPORT CONTACT SCI |
 |
 |
|
SUNSPOTS — Summer Solstice 2008
Content
Message from the Board
 |
| AJ Lederman |
Having served as an SCI representative to the United Nations (UN) in New York since 2006, I am pleased that this issue of SunSpots focuses on our advocacy activities, particularly those associated with the UN, which are important, but not widely known about by the broader SCI constituency.
Among the things that people find most surprising about our activities with the UN, both in New York and Geneva, is that a small group of volunteers carries out most of this work. Ranging from attendance at weekly briefings to participation on special advisory groups, service as an NGO representative to the UN requires some specialized knowledge and a willingness to dedicate significant amounts of time to the role.
In New York, I am fortunate to be joined by Deling Wang, who has advocated on behalf of SCI since 2002. Across the Atlantic, the interests of SCI are in the capable hands of our Geneva-based UN representatives, Sonia Heptonstall, Alison Curtis and Joyce Jett. With a strong sense of diplomacy, each of us works to promote solar cooking and water pasteurization by heightening the awareness of individuals in power, along with gaining the respect of and access to officers, committees and representative organizations at the UN. Our goal is to achieve consensus and placement in UN documents, resolving to promote the introduction of solar cooking and water pasteurization along with other complimentary initiatives into relevant UN programs.
I believe the current level of enthusiasm, involvement and coordination among the five of who serve as SCI representatives to the UN is at an all-time high. In my opinion, this stems from a renewed commitment by the SCI Board of Directors and the organization's executive director, Patrick Widner, to the importance of having a presence at the UN and its related organizations, such as the Conference of Non-Governmental Organizations (CONGO) and the World Health Organization (WHO).
Of course, advocacy by SCI and its representatives is not limited to interactions with the UN or any other organization, a point that has become even clearer to me since joining the SCI Board of Directors. In fact, advocacy occurs in myriad ways and on a number of levels. It is something to be pursued not only by those who support SCI, but also by anyone concerned with many of the developing world's most pressing problems. These include health, renewable energy, conservation, the empowerment of women and income generation. It is my belief that we need to take a more proactive approach in encouraging the adoption of solar cookers by joining and sharing our expertise with other UN and NGO efforts.
I would like to take this opportunity to challenge each of our readers to find a way in which they might help advocate for a better world, whether it is by becoming a solar cooker themselves, donating to SCI or volunteering to lobby decision-makers for policies that favor and encourage the use of renewable resources, such as solar energy. We all have a part to play.
Arline J. Lederman, PhD
SCI Board of Directors
Representative to UN
The Aurora
 |
|
UN in Geneva |
SCI works with other solar cooking promoters to increase awareness and support for solar cooking and solar water pasteurization, as well as water testing, among policy makers in government, business and humanitarian agencies at local, regional, national and international levels.
Through its tireless volunteer UN representatives in New York and Geneva, and community representatives throughout the world, SCI advocates on behalf of solar and integrated cooking and safe water solutions at both local meetings and forums of international importance. All of these efforts are directed towards achieving the UN Millennium Development Goals — eight goals to combat poverty, hunger, disease, illiteracy, environmental degradation and discrimination against women by the year 2015.
In addition to the work done by SCI representatives, SCI Executive Director, Patrick Widner, has focused on a strategic approach to advocacy, particularly as it relates to SCI's role on the global stage. Towards this end, he was the second SCI staff or board member to visit advocates and the UN offices in Geneva in the past 10 years. In December, he attended a meeting of the Conference of Non-Governmental Organizations (CONGO) and a workshop given by the Women's Commission for Refugee Women and Children.
CONGO is an independent, international membership association of non-governmental organizations (NGO) that facilitates participation in UN debates and decision-making. SCI's membership in CONGO stems from its position as an organization in consultative status with the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).
Founded as part of the International Rescue Committee in 1989 to address the problems faced by refugees and internally displaced persons, the Women's Commission for Refugee Women and Children hosted the Technical and Programmatic Workshop on Household Energy Interventions in Humanitarian Settings. This event brought together participants from a variety of backgrounds, interests and areas of expertise to discuss both technical and programming options for responding to household energy needs in humanitarian settings. Among the event's sessions was a presentation on the Iridimi Solar Cooker Project for which SCI has provided technical and financial assistance.
Another advocacy-related priority identified by Executive Director Widner in consultation with the SCI Board of Directors and UN representatives has been to renew efforts at developing a working relationship and accreditation with the World Health Organization (WHO). In meetings with WHO representatives, three areas of compatibility between the two organizations have been identified for possible program collaboration. These include water and sanitation, safe food handling, and family health and environment. Other interesting outcomes from recent discussions with WHO include the possibility of providing WHO safe food handling information with each solar cooker distributed by SCI. Doing this could add value to the CooKit and allow WHO to disseminate information that might help save lives. Similarly, educational materials might also be part of the packaging for the Water Pasteurization Indicator (WAPI) and water testing kits.
In addition to being involved with the UN and its related activities, SCI pursues its advocacy role through support for the International Directory, members of SCI and the Solar Cookers International Association (SCIA). Founded in 2006, the SCIA was established to carry out collective actions by solar cooker experts worldwide in order to accelerate the spread of solar cooking and its related benefits. Support for SCIA comes through the provision of access to a number of SCI work products, including its web sites, periodicals, data banks and UN consultative activity.
Solar Synergy
 |
| Joyce Jett and Sonia Heptonstall |
Central to SCI’s Advocacy program is the policy-related work conducted within the UN framework by a group of five volunteers who serve as the organization's official representatives to the UN. AJ Lederman and Deling Wang serve as UN representatives in New York, while Sonia Heptonstall, Alison Curtis and Joyce Jett fulfill this role in Geneva.
For this edition of SunSpots, we shine the Volunteer Spotlight on Sonia and Joyce. The work of our other dedicated UN reps will be featured in an upcoming issue of this eNewsletter. As with every Volunteer Spotlight, we know that our readers will be inspired by this opportunity to learn something about these dedicated volunteers and their work on behalf of SCI.
Both Sonia and Joyce credit their interest in solar cooking and involvement with SCI to personal networks. For Sonia, it was her friendship with the late Dunja Pastizzi, a UN official and top-flight economist, who was well versed on the multifaceted advantages of solar cooking and its economic, social and humanitarian benefits. Her involvement with SCI came at the invitation of its co-founder and former executive director Bev Blum, who also played a pivotal role in gaining Joyce's involvement.
"I got involved in 1995 as an outcome of the Fourth World Conference for Women in Beijing, where I met Sonia, Bev and former SCI board member Barbara Knudson," says Joyce.
Both confirm the importance of having representation in Geneva.
Sonia explains that being in Geneva means having an advocacy presence at a major hub in the UN system, which provides opportunities to affect global decision-making. "Now that solar is regarded as a major element in new and renewable sources of energy, SCI can move forward to influence international policymakers and bring support to those working at the grassroots level," she says.
When asked about goals for the coming year as it concerns her work on behalf of SCI, Joyce says she wants to collaborate with other SCI advocates to strengthen the NGO Committee on the Status of Women and its Working Group on Displaced Women and Girls for which she severs as co-convener.
The focus of this working group is on using human rights instruments, such as the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), to develop strategies that strengthen protections for displaced women and girls, including refugees, internally displaced persons (IDPs) and trafficked women. "Solar cooking technology is a key component of these strategies, especially when considering the security issues that surround fuelwood gathering in refugee camps, as well as the right to food, water and development," says Joyce.
Joyce also hopes to bring SCI to the forefront at next year's UNHCR Annual NGO Conference and the CONGO Civil Society Development Forum in 2009.
Sonia and Joyce agree that there are a number of positive trends regarding the advancement of SCI's agenda; however, Sonia is philosophical in her assessment, noting these advances have as much to do with the current global oil crisis as they do with promoting the benefits of solar energy. Nevertheless, her views concerning SCI and its work are resolutely positive.
"SCI's approach in working with communities — not telling them what to do, but sharing what can be done to alleviate painful situations – has made a major impact in refugee camps and other challenging settings within developing countries. SCI focuses on cooperation, not imposition," says Sonia.
SCI is fortunate to have such knowledgeable volunteers as Joyce Jett and Sonia Heptonstall, whose pragmatic optimism serves them well as they advocate on our behalf at the UN hub in Geneva.
The Heliograph
SCI in the News
The Guardian Weekly | May 2008
"Rays of hope for Darfur refugees"
CW31 - Good Day Sacramento | June 2008
"Solar Cooking" (video)
Sacramento State News | June 2008
"Sacramento State hosts Africa Peace Awards Dinner"