Event

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On 23 April we hosted a panel from the Ministry of Justice of the Federal Government of Somalia, SOAS University of London, and SciDevNet, to discuss the need for reparations as part of a response to dealing with climate injustice.

Why this topic?

The call for reparations has long been associated with demands for systemic and structural change to address global inequalities instituted by colonial powers during the Age of Empire. The aim of colonialism was –  and continues to be – the seizure and exploitation of land, resources and people.

One consequence of this is catastrophic climate damage that former colonies in the global south increasingly and disproportionately experience. Mineral and natural resources in the majority world are still being ruthlessly exploited by former imperial powers, to the extent that most former colonies will struggle for years to attain any of the UN’s  Sustainable Development Goals.

The principle of common but differentiated responsibilities (CBDR) recognises that countries classified as being ‘developed’, due to having benefited most from exploitative industrialisation, have historically emitted the most greenhouse gases, thus, they now have a greater responsibility to mitigate climate change and assist developing countries in adapting to its impacts.

Why Now?

Climate change respects no borders. While countries in the global south disproportionately suffer the effects of climate change its effects are increasingly being felt universally. Without steps to practically address and repair the causes of climate damage this situation will only worsen. The call for reparations, then, is not simply ethical or charitable, but rather a call for urgent action to prevent further catastrophes that will affect our health and that of our planet.

Why Reparations?

In recent COP conferences, countries most responsible for causing climate damage have pledged to help mitigate the current state of the climate through the establishment of a ‘loss and damage’ fund. If fulfilled, these pledges will indeed help to repair climate damage. But how far can we trust that promises of reparations will be honoured?

Join us on 10 April to hear why we need to step up our call for climate reparations. There will be time for discussion. Please note: registration is mandatory. Please register here.

About our Speakers: 

Ugbad Nour Abdilahi is Director of Communication and Outreach at the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Federal Government of Somalia.  With a rich background in program coordination and strategic partnerships, she previously excelled as the Head of Programs at the Ministry of Youth and Sports, FGS. Ugbad’s career spans roles in government, business, and the non-profit sector, including impactful work with IRARA Somalia and UNHCR Malaysia.

A staunch advocate for women and youth development, she has contributed significantly to community organisations in Somalia and Malaysia. Ugbad holds an MBA from the International Islamic University of Malaysia and a Bachelor of Computer Science from Hargeisa University, Somalia. Her leadership is marked by a commitment to enhancing communication strategies and fostering inclusive development. @ugbadnour

 

 

Kafia Abdullahi Nalaie is  Director of Planning and Institutional Development at the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Federal Government of Somalia. She is a distinguished professional with a multifaceted background in social work, leadership, and media management, and is a passionate gender rights and social justice activist.

Kafia holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work and Social Administration and a Master’s Degree in Public Policy and Research. She also holds a Post Graduate (PG) Diploma in Project Planning and Management, a PG Diploma in Development Studies and a Diploma in International Law and Human Rights.

 

 

Dr. Yannis Dafermos is a Reader in Economics at SOAS University of London. His research interests lie in financial macroeconomics, climate finance, ecological macroeconomics, climate-aligned development, inequality and the political economy of the green transition. He has published his research in many academic journals. He has led several projects on the role of macroeconomic and financial policies in the green transition and has run capacity building programmes on climate change for many central banks. He is the Research & Knowledge Exchange Convenor of the SOAS Economics Department, a Senior Fellow at the SOAS Centre for Sustainable Finance and a Fellow at the Forum for Macroeconomics and Macroeconomic Policies (FMM). He is also a Committee member of the Post-Keynesian Economics Society (PKES), an Associate Editor of the Journal of Post Keynesian Economics,  an Editorial Board member of the journal Ecological Economics and an Associate Editor of the Review of Evolutionary Political Economy.

 

About our Moderator: 

Jackie Opara-Fatoye is a Nigerian science journalist and editor responsible for coordinating correspondents and news coverage for SciDev.Net Sub-Saharan Africa region.

Jackie coordinates the affairs of the Nigerian Association of Science Journalists (NASJ). As a journalist, her works have been published in various parts of the world including Nigeria, South Africa, Sweden, France and the UK. She won the IDRC Science Journalism Internship award. She is a fellow of the United States National Press Foundation

She has a profound interest in science and health journalism as well as climate change. She dedicates her time to speaking to universities and their vice-chancellors in Nigeria on the importance of science communication. She also moderates conference sessions, one of which is moderating at the EuroScience Open Forum (ESOF2020) on ‘Agriculture on the front line, what the world can learn from African Scientists’ @jackyopara

 

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Photo credits:

Featured pic – assembled from originals by Adobe & Tania Malrechauffe via Unsplash

In body pic – Adobe