The Advocacy Initiative called FEEEDS/FE3DS®

There are several key global issues of our day that require constant advocacy and dialogue to ensure that we as a nation and as a global community are doing our utmost to make the world a better place for the next generations. I believe that some of these issues are: Food Security, Education, Environment-Energy, Economics, Democracy- Development, and Self Help, or FEEEDS.
What does FEEEDS/FE3DS® mean?
-- Food Security – meaning availability and access to not just food but nutritional food;
-- Education – representing the entire range of education from knowledge learning to knowledge management to knowledge usage, which also includes training, retraining , entrepreneurship (SMEs), and formal education;
-- Environment-Energy – enabling environments for communities to thrive, as well as a focus and realization of the importance of renewable energy and alternative energy resources;
-- Economics – enhancing living wages, and on the macro level, ensuring governments, and community leaderships manage budgets and tax payer dollars not only effectively, but efficiently in order to address social service needs;
-- Democracy-Development – linking these two symbiotic issues are key to improving life-quality, especially for people of color; and,
--Self-Help – realizing that identity for anyone provides self esteem, but for nations and people of color this also represents both power and empowerment.
In Pursuit of Change:
What and how do we proceed in communicating or educating our diverse world population (now@7 billion) on the challenges of these global human FEEEDS® issues? How do we overcome or shift the paradigms that have been pre-scripted for our families, our communities, and for some nations? There are things that are pre-destined, but the negatives on FEEEDS® are not; thus we can help change these negatives. Let’s begin with communicating and educating about the challenges:
Food Security Most of the world population, particularly of color, and especially women and children, fail to get enough nutritional food to eat every single day. Most of us have heard the adage that many things in life are about “quality not quantity;”thus, this adage also applies to food security. There is a lack of consumption of the key food groups not just daily, but at every meal for many global communities. What we seem to be missing is the focus on and access to good nutrition. The examples seen around the world in communities, particularly those of color are similar as regards to food security, with the seminal issue being: access to nutritional food.
The FEEEDS/FE3DS Enabling Platforms: What are they?
1.) Education: Although many global challenges are connected to FEEEDS/FE3DS®, the way forward on many issues is education, specifically training (also vocational), retraining, formal education, entrepreneurship (SMEs), knowledge sharing, usage and management, discussion, and creative and enterprising development and design solutions, particularly for youth and women. We need to think of education as our new Frontier Enterprise where dynamic development design strategies are created to respond to FEEEDS. Education is not static, and includes more than just basic and/or formal education.
2.) Environment-Energy: These two issues are linked, and we should focus on the need to improve both sectors. Simply put – they are symbiotic and affect quality of life. Here community is being used in the big “C” sense -- meaning at the family, local, state and sovereign levels. The environment is both where you live, and how you live in your community. Where one lives must provide an “enabling atmosphere” where one feels safe and confident to thrive as a person or a culture. We must also take the responsibility to treat the living nature around us with more respect. This includes using and advocating for renewable energy, particularly using alternative resources for daily living. Here knowledge sharing will be important even on the simple things like knowing which action is greener than another. Here is a simple test: Is plastic or glass recycling greener; is flying at night greener than day flying; and, is wearing organic cotton greener than wearing recycled bamboo? (answers appear at the end)
3.) Economics: Economics plays a key role in everything – personal, family, community, and government. If the economic sure-footing is not present then it detracts from progress, vision and future planning. Enhancing living wages, ensuring government leaderships manage budgets and tax payer monies effectively and efficiently to address social service needs – are part of the fundamentals. A reliable, stable economic environment is not only empowering, but powerful and is a pillar of both a strong government, and personal identity, where self-reliance and self-esteem are the order of the day.
4.) Development-Democracy: There is also a linkage of these two themes because democracy – as defined as transparent rules, regulations, stable institutions, and equal access to social services – are a “must-have” to develop communities and address global human values, and improve life-quality – all hallmarks of democracy.
5.) Self-Help: Self-help, a pillar of leadership, is the center-beam. Countries should not always want (or expect) outsiders to always provide, guide, direct, or frame (meaning explain and resolve through their world lens) what the responses to FEEEDS® are. These issues for many nations will need to be driven by country-specific self-help by way of innovative, creative, and sometimes culturally-specific means.

Green answers: Recycled glass over plastic requires less energy as recycled plastic continues to degrade in quality; flying during the day; organic cotton over bamboo (Source Washington D.C. NBC local news 9/25/2011).

Nigeria@51 - Birthdays Mark the Time between the Past & the Future

FEEEDS/FE3DS Series

Last year, 2010, I had a wish list for Nigeria@50, a milestone in the life of your nation, which was published in Leadership, the Guardian and a number of other Nigerian newspapers. Leadership has asked me to review that summer 2010 list to see which wishes, in my personal opinion, have come true and which ones are still things to be realized or are in progress. Although I am no longer living in Nigeria at this time, I personally continue to wish the people of this great nation the very best @51 years as it weathers and seeks to manage some difficult security issues. That being said, one huge part of that July 2010 list, which I never wavered on, and that has come to fruition was - a free and democratic election, that Nigerians could be proud of – which by accounts of many international observers happened in April 2011.

Other things on that list -- rebuilding agriculture, enhancing transparency, fighting corruption still represent challenges but are being worked. In a July 2010 speech (http://tinyurl.com/2010-50List), I wrote that Nigeria was"@the point where the road to change should be paved with more action on food security, improved education (particularly for the country's nearly 70 million youth & 74 million women), the environment, energy needs, and development," what I have referred to as the FEEEDS® issues over the last year. I will say now, as I did then, that every generation should be a force for change, and every year a marker of progress. So in this 51st year, many Nigerians are working to change the paradigm on the FEEEDS® issues and on past perceptions of the nation by the public abroad. I will continue to do my part to help in these areas. This does not diminish the present serious security issues because they are a reality of the world today, and we all must work together to make the world, and Nigeria safer. I know there are a number of partners working with Nigeria to address these challenges. In the same July 2010 speech, I noted that I wanted to fast forward to summer 2011 when I had just finished reading my Nigerian newspapers which were full of articles about how proud many (did not say all) Nigerians were of their election. This was the case.

In the last two quarters of 2011, Nigeria's economic growth is being heralded by many financial experts, with some pundits citing BRICA countries (http://tinyurl.com/TAP-blogitrrs-BRICA), of which Nigeria is one, serving as examples to struggling Western economies. Nigeria’s agriculture has an uptick of 7-8%, but most recognize there is so much more potential in this area; energy still is one of the key challenging linchpins for Nigeria’s development; and most investors are beginning to appreciate the incredible market that Nigeria offers (although American investments lag behind that of China and India in the region). According to recent press reports, the President of the African Development Bank (ADB), Donald Kabaruka, said last week in Washington D.C., during the annual fall meetings of the World Bank Group, that many African nations have "been there and done that" to address some of the economic challenges they faced 2-3 years ago. Nigeria is a good example of this, particularly as regards to banking reform. Your present security challenges I know are at the top of the list of issues to address. I also send my condolences to the families of those who have lost loved ones in the recent security environment.

Today in your 51st year, I remain a supporter of your democratic destiny, your progress on the FEEEDS® issues, your push for investment, and development, and the positive paths you will decide to take as a nation in the future. Happy Birthday!

Africare strengthens its commitment to Nigeria and Africa

Africare’s International Programs Director, Dianne Forte (second from the right), International Affairs Advisor, Dr. Robin Renee Sanders (fourth from the right), and Nigeria Country Director, Maisha Strozier (third from left), with Lagos Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Special Duties, Dr. Aderei Sesalu, (third from right), and Director of the Job Creation Center and members of NGO Generation Enterprise.

Africare’s International Program Director, Dianne Forte, and the International Affairs Advisor, Ambassador Robin Renee Sanders traveled to Nigeria from June 13-17, 2011 for a field visit to meet with potential Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO) local partners. The visit also included Africare Country Director for Nigeria, Maisha Stoizer. The recent visit strengthens Africare’s commitment to the development of Nigeria and Africa in general and emphasized Africare's programs in health, economic development, women's empowerment, youth, and agriculture, with special focus on the Delta Region where Africare is one of the few American NGOs that works in that region.

The field trip included discussions with the Lagos State Government Job Creation Center that works with NGO local partners such as Generation Enterprise which provides vocational and entrepreneurial training for a range of skills from catering, machine and grill works, carpentry, fashion design, welding, and photography. Discussions were also held with Shell, the Ovie Brume Foundation, ExxonMobil, Bank of Industry and others which focused on establishing partnerships to advance the development objectives of Nigeria.

"The Heritage Within" - Ode to Nigeria Women

On July 3, 2011, "The Heritage Within" event will be held in Lagos, Nigeria, at the city's prestigious Civic Center, honoring 50 Nigerian women who have helped and shaped Nigeria since its independence 50 years ago. The upcoming event is named after the poem (Ode) below and a painting by famed Nigerian artistic icon, Nike Davies Okundaye (an honoree at the event herself). "The Heritage Within" Ode is reprinted below in honor of the event on July 3, 2011, which will feature Essence Magazine's former Editor-in-Chief Susan Taylor, Bennett College President Dr. Julianne Malveaux, and former U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria, Dr. Robin Renee Sanders in addition to the incredible and history-making 50 Nigerian women being honored at the event and in the book entitled "50 @ 50 -- The Journey So Far":

Ode to the Nigerian Woman

Written By Dr. Robin Renee Sanders


“The Heritage Within”

Walk with me today, together down the ancestral path to see who we are as women

There is a spirit we cannot touch but always know is there – It is the "Heritage Within"

Our role is the foundation of life; our role is the foundation of change

We see our strength in the eyes of our mothers as they too have journeyed down the same ancestral path

The journey is about traditions, like 3-legged wedding pots, Uli signs, adire and ashoke cloth, henna designs, life, and certainly about long talks into the night as deep as indigo blue.

But, just like us, their lives made a difference, their contributions made an impact; their dedication to their nation allows you to stand on their shoulders today

Thus as Women for Change you will continue your journey down the ancestral path to your future, to Nigeria’s future

Remember you have a responsibility to the next generation to make a difference, to leave a mark, to make a change …just as your mothers did before you …and your grandmothers before…

Life is a journey and you have come so far, let’s walk the rest of the way together, hand-in-hand, spirit-connected-to-spirit, so that the changes we all seek come from….

The Heritage Within!

original work by Dr. Robin Renee Sanders first published - August 25, 2010

SMEs Development Enterprise Role in Nation Building

Recognizing the Valuable Role of SME’s in National Development


Small and Medium Size Enterprises (SMEs) in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are talked about a lot in the framework of growing unemployment and high population rates as the region rushes past the billionth person population mark (most of which is under 30). There are a number of international forums, which have focused on developing the region’s SME sector focused mostly on two elements:

-- SMEs are vehicles to employment and job creation.
-- SMEs are key to the region's entrepreneurial environment needs.

But what else are they? What else needs to be further highlighted? What can those who seek to support their growth do better? We all agree that SMEs -- just like big businesses -- start with a vision, an idea, or fulfill a need in a community. But fundamentally, SMEs play a critical role in nation building, nation advancement, and a nation’s innovativeness. Development cannot happen without them; growth cannot happen without them; socio-economic paradigms shifts cannot happen without them; and poverty cannot be reduced without them. They are what produce a country’s middle class. This is their development enterprise role.

Whether one is in West, East, South or Central Africa, the sectors needing development or expansion are the same -- agriculture, infrastructure development (power and transportation), manufacturing, and information technology. But SMEs bring other innovativeness to the table especially for the heavily-populated African urban areas, where cities in the region are expected to grow by 4-5 percent over the next decades (http://tinyurl.com/SSAUrbanGrowth).

Meaning current growth rates in sectors like agriculture, currently about 3.5 percent, needs to grow by 6 percent; energy sectors must grow by 7 percent; and, economies must grow by 8 percent or more just to keep pace with the region’s population rate. These are no small tasks (www.songhai.org - Lagos, 6/16/11). There are already reports that the economic boom of 18 SSA countries may hit a snag for some later in 2011, dropping GDP growth rates to 3.7 percent as food prices and energy costs outpace growth (http://tinyurl.com/SSA-economicoutlook).

The point is SMEs have a special role to play over the next 10 years: capitalize now on the pivotal convergence of both economic growth and current investment interests in the region.

SME stands for Small and Medium Size Enterprises, but today let’s change that acronym to Strong and Maverick Enterprises -- reflecting the development enterprise space of SMEs and micro enterprises or MEs (employing 10 people or less). They are producing, designing, employing, and more importantly innovating. They are development entrepreneurs (http://tinyurl.com/TAPblogitrrs-LagosSMEspeech).

SMEs will be the foundation of the region’s middle class and that comes with certain responsibilities. Their strength can influence other social sector changes. They can demand transparency, and improved regulatory frameworks (such as access to credit, markets, and incentives, etc).

According to Global Finance, SSA has about 331 million people in the middle class today, even though, as noted above, there are GDP record growth rates of higher than 5 percent in about 18 SSA countries (http://tinyurl.com/TAP-blogitrrs-BRICA).

So, is there something wrong with this picture? Yes, a lot. These record growth rates are not changing the paradigm of people lives in all tiers of society. If the region has 30 million SMEs, then there is no reason with this kind of growth rate that SMEs should be struggling. There should be more than 331 million successful SMEs in the region.

The Strong and Maverick Enterprise Role that SMEs play also includes a transformative role. For SMEs, this means transforming from simply surviving to sustainability; this mean transforming from just producing to productivity, and finally this mean long term market trade capabilities domestically, regionally, and internationally. These transformative rules are the same for both urban and rural entrepreneurs.

Operation Hope (www.operationhope.org), a leading U.S. non-profit, stresses that those in urban areas need to create their own jobs; create their own futures; and create their own sustainability. The same applies to SSA’s rural entrepreneurs. But how you say? What does it take? What are the tools?

Let’s look at the tools SMEs will need to further advance that business idea, that vision:

-- Training, retraining, retooling, upgrading, or reinventing an SME business is essential. There’s no shame in having to do that. It is the street smart thing to do;

-- Sound business plan, and 2-4 year goals. (Although elementary principles, many SMEs struggle with this fundamental step);

-- Good accounting practices;

-- Network with institutions that can help conceptualize and transform skills to entrepreneurship; and,

-- Finance, and access to credit are challenges,(as they are for some big business ) so look for low cost loans, government-back programs, and supplement incomes by recyling. (For example, some countries pay small stipends if you take plastic bottles to recycling stations).

Getting these tools right is on the driver side of the SME business ledger, but there is also a leadership side of the ledger to truly be a development entrepreneur:

-- Respect for diversity of thought, and new ideas;

-- Assist in shaping regulations allowing for competition and in some cases comparative advantage;

-- Set business goals, but not in concrete. Some built in flexibility helps to take advantage of unexpected opportunities.

In sum, recognizing the development entrepreneur role of SMEs as part of the growth matrix is essential for Sub Saharan Africa’s progress and the growth of the region’s middle class.