![[Documents menu]](../bin/arrow.png){kind=icon}
Documents menu
Date: Thu, 27 Apr 1995 00:23:45 +0200 Message-Id: <sf9e86d6.045@ARTHUR.RTPTOK.EPA.GOV> Sender: infoterra@CEDAR.UNIVIE.AC.AT From: JEROME PITT <PITT.JEROME@EPAMAIL.EPA.GOV> African Environmental Research & Consulting Group (AERCG)1994 Annual Report
FYI - I am sending portions of AERCG's 94 Annual Report. I
think it will be of interest to you. If you wish to join the
AERCG, Below is their address, I think you've to include your
CV. LETTER FROM THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORSIn 1993, when it all started many critics stated that our intentions are admirable but we cannot succeed without the financial support and conquering the political battles that lies ahead. We the native Africans residing in the United States who are citizens of the United States could no longer sit aside and witness the same old traditional approaches used in addressing problems faced by the African communities in terms of the socio-environmental decay, the rapid economic decline in Africa. AERCG was born without any outside financial assistance but with the patriotic stance and empowerment of a few individuals. We began the journey of making a difference by joining our talents and professional expertise and volunteered our time to create what we have today ( - a global organization with immense professional and political credibility). We have earned the recognition from the White House through the corridors of the U.S. Congress to the heads of States, African Organizations, International organizations and with the "common citizens" and people in Africa. Our elders and fellow brothers and sisters in Africa share the same deep love and concern about the deteriorating conditions in Africa. Similarly, the people and our fellow citizens in America also share the deep concerns we have for the sufferings and environmental decay in African communities. It is an American tradition to always lend a hand to those who need help in their lives. There is no question that the lives of people in African communities are declining due to the decline of their ecological community, and we native African expatriates and citizens of the United States cannot turn our backs on the needy and the deteriorating biological community in Africa. We have been blessed to have earned all the higher education and expertise in our professional lives, and we have the moral obligation to give something back. It is our duty . Therefore, it is my privileged as Chairperson on behalf of the Board of Directors, the Principal Associates of AERCG to congratulate each and every member, sympathizers, and all who provided and volunteered their time to assist in various activities of AERCG in 1994. In addition, a special thanks goes to the International students ( from various foreign countries) in the US who devoted their time in assisting with AERCG administrative support and activities during the 1994 fiscal year. We also pay tribute to the African Ambassadors in Washington DC who provided various assistance during the course of the fiscal year 1994. We have come a long way but we have the mountain to climb. The future looks bright and we have build coalitions with various International and local entities such as the USAID and other organizations and we hope and pray that we shall have the necessary financial support to accomplish most of our innovative program goals for the 1995 fiscal year. We also believe that in the coming years we will complete a goal of establishing our African Regional offices and put in place an In-country Representative in each African country. We have contacted and opened dialogue with several NGOs, Research Institutions and Universities in Africa as of today and the list is growing. Our partnership in projects and other research activities with African institutions is on the rise. Our philosophy to team-up with local "grass-roots" organizations and tribal groups in villages across the African continent as quadrupled. This approach is yielding good benefit to the socio-economic well being of the common person(s) who have for long been marginalized. The Databank Resource Program at AERCG has quadruple since its inception. The number of Principal Associates and Affiliates have increased. Therefore, we are ready to implement the objectives of our short term programs.. Especially in areas of biodiversity, sustainable development and natural resource management in African villages and towns. AERCG played a role in many international environmental events including various events in the US and Europe in 1994. The uniqueness of the AERCG establishment and innovations lead to several invitations to local and international forums and for the coming years we intend to increase our participation in African scientific and environmental summits and forums. Our efforts to advocate on current situations from an African prospective has brought many non-African scientist and the international community to better understand the dimensions of the issues concerning the African ecological community. Our technical evaluation, philosophy and presentations have aided in our quest to bring the African issues to the rest of the World. We have yet to complete our goals nor have we appropriately modified the classical approaches in solving environmental and socio-economic problems in Africa, but we have made a tremendous impact considering our establishment just two years ago. We have only begun to understand some of the deep rooted problem through our research efforts. But , we have proven ourselves to the world that we can make a difference and we will. We stand firmly committed to the goals and struggles of the women in Africa. We support the inclusion of African women in the mutual goal and objective to protect human health ,the environment and to develop the socio-economic empowerment of the people of Africa. Thank you all for the volunteer spirit and the timeless efforts. The coming years look better and we shall share this with all our American and African brothers and sisters. Greetings and may God bless:
Peter A. Sam AERCG MISSION STATEMENTThe mission of AERCG is to promote collaborative native African scientific approaches in fostering environmental management development in Africa, primarily through technology transfer, partnership with US based environmental technology industries, the African based grass-roots organizations, the scientific institutions in Africa and the African governments. AERCG PRIMARY OBJECTIVES# promote the export of U.S. environmental pollution control technology in conjunction with implementing sound sustainable development programs, environmental sanitation and restoration. # provide voluntary technical assistance from an African prospective in addressing the environmental issues in Africa. # foster the development of indigenous African capacity to perpetuate the implementation of schemes that can improve the environmental condition of our African citizenry. # facilitate cooperation among native African born environmental experts residing in the US and the rest of the Western Hemisphere. # foster patriotic responsibility of the African scientific community in the US and Europe to contribute to the dynamic environmental situation within the African homelands. # promote joint partnership with scientific organizations and non-governmental organization in research and restoration of African communities and regions of significant environmental degradation # advocating on behalf of the African nations in the United States and within the international community on environmental issues that confronts the African nations. # promote dialogue within the international scientific community in understanding the native African scientific approaches to environmental sustainable development. # promoting the inclusion of African Women in environmental and other socio-economic decision-making within the African diaspora. BUILDING AN ALLIANCE AND STRENGTHENING HUMAN RESOURCESIn 1994, AERCG Human Resource Databank program increased its activities to include African Research Institutions, African Universities and NGOs. The AERCG affiliate office in California intensify its efforts and recruited volunteers who reviewed potential AERCG Principal Associates applications and provided data entry of hundreds of applicants registering with AERCG to provide their experts in undertaking activities with which AERCG is instigating in Africa. Membership of Principal Associates have quadrupled from the 1993 figure and it is estimated at 1,500 membership and growing. The membership of Principal Associates comprises of sixty percent (60%) native Africans professional residing in the Western Hemisphere who are expatiates; thirty percent (30)are native Africans professional residing in Africa; ten (10) percent are non-African professionals (mostly Americans) who are sympathizes to the African dilemma. The AERCG Human Resource Management Division instituted the African NGO Registration for Technology Transfer and Technical Assistance. The registration provides registered African-based NGO to request "free" technical assistance and technology transfer from AERCG. To date over fifty (50) NGOs in Africa have taken advantage and registered with AERCG. AERCG commenced dialogue with the World Bank African Bureau to develop a combined Resource Data Bank. There are positive indication of future progress in a partnership effort with the World Bank in this venture. SUPPORTING AND BUILDING A COALITIONSAERCG met opened diplomatic dialog with the African Ambassadors(African Diplomatic Corps) in the US. The intent was to avail AERCG for its free consultations on scientific and environmental technologies to the African Embassies on a voluntary accord. It was also a beginning of a team-building effort with the African Embassies to facilitate environmental capacity building with the African countries. AERCG will continue to further its effort to coordinate activities with the African Ambassadors in this regard. ESTABLISHMENT OF US-AFRICA ENVIRONMENTAL PARTNERSHIP (US-AFRICAEP)AERCG have initiated the US-AFRICAEP program in a collaborative partnership with the USAID. In recognition with the fact that the U.S. industrial sector leads the world in the development of cost-effective and proven technologies for environmental pollution control, the African continent presents a varied environmental issues which AERCG with the cooperation with the American environmental control technologies can provide a linkage to the African community to restore the vast environmental decay and foster the development of clean technological application for socio-economic growth. AERCG intends to strengthen the transfer of these environmental technologies to African through various programs under the US-AFRICAEP program. The US-AFRICAEP includes Regional Programs offices in African and the AERCG US-AFRICAEP Global center in the US. The following are major elements of the program:
RESEARCH AND PROJECT PROPOSALS AND INITIATIVES IN AFRICA
PRESENTATIONS, LECTURES AND CONFERENCESThe African Development Challenge: Technical And Socio-Political Factors (Presented at Region II Spring Conference : National Society Of Black Engineers) The Environmental Situation in Africa ( presented in Uganda) The African Environmental Situation And Environmental Remediation in Africa ( Presented at the 25th Third World Conference in Chicago) Waste Management Problems In A Developing Country (A Case-history of Nigeria Presented at the International Public Works Congress And Exposition) Ecology And The Environmental Condition In Africa (presented at the Rainforest Day Summit at the University of Missouri-Kansas City) Participated in Geo-environmental Conference in Japan TELEVISION AND MEDIA APPEARANCE
PUBLICATIONS
BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS AND CONSTITUENCY WITH AFRICAN NGOSAERCG have initiated contacts with several NGOs in Africa. Many NGOs have registered with AERCG and enrolled in AERCG's Technical Assistance Program. ACTIVE BOARD MEMBERS
Peter A. Sam,ASc;BS;MS, Chairperson |