Phase I: Rapid Recovery and Development Projects
Tentatively, we selected the following strategic-thematic areas for Tigray’s economic renewal, diversification, and development. We understand that TCID’s strategy sounds too ambitious and unattainable. But, this is intentionally so, because it provides TCID a variety of flexible options to choose the right type of project for a right cause and location at the right time, through dialogue with agencies of the Government of Tigray (GoT). For example, operations of a single-type project that the GoT recommended can be carried out in multiple locations, subject to TCID’s budgetary resources. It should be noted that more than one project can be initiated and managed under each strategic area. However, we always welcome new ideas. TCID is a growing and dynamic philanthropic society. For now, divided into two phases, the following are our selected strategic-thematic areas of action:
[1] REHABILITATION AND RECONSTRUCTION TO ALLEVIATE HUMAN MISERY IN THE AFTERMATH OF THE GENOCIDAL WAR BY PROVIDING IMMEDIATE BASIC NEEDS:
Potential project areas:
(i) healing the physical and psychological wounds of all victims of the genocidal war of extreme savagery;
(ii) securing the necessities of life for the destitute: food, clothing, shelter, water, energy, healthcare, and others;
(iii) helping the displaced to settle back at one’s homeland; and
(iv) rebuilding the social and economic infrastructures.
[2] INTEGRATED MOTHER AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM:
Security, peace, and development of a modern-independent Tigray will be determined by her own high quality human capital asset. This crucial asset is an embodiment of highly qualified, skilled, innovative, and productive Tigrayan workforce. Fully nourished and healthy children attain highest possible cognitive capacity to build high quality human capital.
Child development is a complex process involving interactions among biological, psychological, sociological, and environmental elements. That is, healthy natural, social, and economic environments, where every child can physically, mentally, emotionally, socially, and morally flourish are necessary conditions. Scientists divide child development life span into five stages (Paris et al. 2018)[1]:
(i) prenatal Development (conception through birth);
(ii) infancy and Toddlerhood (birth through two years);
(iii) early childhood (3 to 5 years);
(iv) middle childhood (6 to 11 years); and
(v) adolescence (12 years to adulthood).
A national child development program is an imperative for modern Tigray. TCID strives to collaborate with all humanitarian organizations to establish short-term (emergency) and long-term care and development centres for orphans of the genocidal war. We also search for national and international families that meet child adoption criteria. TCID gives priority to domestic and diaspora Tigrayan families that fulfill all requirements for adoption.]
[1]Paris, J.; Ricardo, A.; Rymond, D.2018. Child Growth and Development. California Community Colleges, Chancellor’s Office
Phase II: Contributions to Genuine Sustainable Development (GSD)
We define GSD as a multidimensional modern science, rooted in health and integrity of ecosystems, mediated by an effective governance system (EGS) that promotes and fosters human wellbeing in an inclusive, just, sustainable, and ecologically safe operating space for present and future generations. Outcomes of the following strategic objectives are expected to make mutually reinforcing (synergistic) contributions to GSD. EGS is guided by several principles most of which are summarized in thematic area [10]: Leadership Capacity Building (LCB). We believe strategic policy actions on the following ten thematic areas make determinant contributions to GSD.
[3] Climate-Smart Agricultural Practices (CSAP):
Tigray’s challenges are part of the global phenomena of rapid growth of human population; soaring demand for food; overexploitation of natural resources; bioecological destruction; urbanization; land degradation; rising greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions; and the rich nations’ pursuit for unfettered economic growth, at the cost of ecological integrity. Climate change is a consequence of these and similar anthropogenic problems, which are directly associated with human-behavior. Biodiversity loss, depletion of groundwater, drought, famine, starvation, spread of various epidemics, and many other human predicaments are results of climate change. Moreover, widespread changes in rainfall and temperature patterns threaten agricultural production; and increase vulnerability of the Tigrayan farmer whose sole source of livelihood is agriculture. Policy measures, which should include enhancing adaptive capacity of farmers; sustainable management of forest resources and fisheries; community driven development programs; efficient and effective use of all scarce resources in agricultural production systems; integrated management of terrestrial and marine ecosystems; and ecological restoration activities are imperative to alleviate the adverse effects of climate change on human wellbeing. CSAP aims at transforming the agricultural sector to one that is bioecologically and environmentally benign. We intend to publish a guide to CSAP. It will be a handbook, a decision support tool, for agricultural and rural development professionals as well as policymakers.
[4] Bioecological Health and Environmental Quality Preservation:
Promote and demonstrate the synergistic relationship between sustainable management of ecosystems and environmental quality protection to generate multiple benefits for human wellbeing.
[5] Macroeconomic Recovery, Vitalization, and Stabilization:
This involves advisory services to foster Tigray’s rapid recovery and development. Macroeconomic recovery, vitalization, and stabilization are achievable through various policy actions, including: effective fiscal and monetary policies; enhanced investments in social and economic infrastructures; investments in research and development to foster technological progress; the imperatives of understanding the synergistic nexuses between rural and urban community-based economies; and an effective governance system characterized by guiding principles that include the following: primacy of the rule-of-law, accountability, transparency, equity, devolution of political power to the grassroots, sustainable management of natural resources, equitable property rights (e.g., land tenure), human development, democratic developmental state strategies, and much more!
[6] Food Security in the Aftermath of the Genocidal War:
Within the framework for an integrated rural development (IRD), TCID promotes production of sufficient food crops domestically through enhanced investments in research and development (R&D) to ensure self-reliance; eliminate the frequent threats of famine; and remedy the psychological, social, economic, and political predicaments associated with the “curse” of foreign food aid. Green investment ventures to renew, diversify, and develop rural community-based economies are promoted and fostered. Self-help rural-cooperative-microenterprise ventures, such as artisan arts and crafts, beekeeping, animal husbandry, poultry, horticulture, and harvesting and processing commercially valuable multiple goods from ecosystems (e.g., Moringa, Frankincense, Jatropha, and Cactus); and ecotourism business ventures are promoted and fostered. IRD strategies are crucially necessary to realize genuine sustainable development, which enables rural communities to build nonfarm rural enterprises(NFREs). NFREs save farmlands from being fragmented and ecologically fragile.
Tigray is a victim of extensive and intensive misuse of land resources that led to drastic reduction of agricultural productivity. Centuries of corrupt-feudalistic and archaic governance systems bear the blame for Ethiopia’s chronic poverty in general. TCID strives to work with all concerned to establish NFRE throughout Tigray to diversify and build sustainable livelihoods for the vulnerable-rural poor; and hence to enhance their adaptive capacity to various external and internal shocks, including climate change and socioeconomic and political instabilities.
[7] Building Knowledge Capital Asset:
Solicits the federal and provincial governments and universities of Canada to offer scholarship opportunities for highly motivated and energetic Tigrayan youth so that Tigray builds knowledge capital asset that will enable it to usher-in genuine sustainable development.
[9] Private and Public Investments in Research and Development (R&D):
The need for enhanced investments in R&D and conducts scientific research activities in collaboration with universities and governmental and nongovernmental organizations.
[8] Adaptive Ecological Social Contract (AESC):
For the purpose of this theme, AESC means that individuals, groups, community members as well as citizens and their government enter into contractual agreements for mutually beneficial gains. That is, members of a society have reason to endorse and comply with the fundamental social norms, laws, institutions (i.e., socially and legally sanctioned rules and regulations), and guiding principles enacted for that society’s purposes. TCID facilitates contributions of the life sustaining multiple services of ecosystems to renewal, diversification, and development of rural community-based economies by applying AESC methods.
[10] Leadership Capacity Building (LCB):
Enhancing capacity of the polity (the civilian government system), covering several areas, including:
(1) the principles of an effective governance system, such as:
(a) primacy of the rule-of-law,
(b) accountability,
(c) transparency,
(d) equity,
(e) universal suffrage, and
(f) devolution of decision-making power to grassroots, etc.;
(2) effective configuration of innovative institutions;
(3) techniques of project management;
(4) policy actions that lead to vitality and stability of the economy; and
(5) the necessary and sufficient conditions for genuine sustainable development.
[11] Ecosystem-based Adaptation to Climate Change (EbACC):
Climate change-induced adverse impacts on our wellbeingcontinue to rise unabated globally. That is, climate-based adversities have become major threats to our lives and livelihoods. Our livelihoods arethe means we use to secure all necessities of life. EbACC is a strategic approach to harnesses biodiversity and ecosystem services in order to build adaptive capacities of all species: humans, animals, and plants to enable them withstand and adapt to the adversities of climate change. EbACC is a modern scientific approach to conduct research on why and how we should harness the life sustaining multiple services of ecosystems to foster our wellbeing. Thus, based on scientific information, strategic policies for managing natural resources can be designed.
[12] Ecotourism as a Green Investment Venture to Harness the Life Sustaining Multiple Services of Ecosystems:
What is ecotourism? What are its socioeconomic and environmental benefits? In short, ecotourism is a form of tourism involving responsible travel (using sustainable transport) to natural areas, conserving the environment, and improving the well-being of the local people. Its multiple objectives includes: to educate the traveler; to provide funds for ecological conservation; to directly benefit economic development and political empowerment of local communities; and to foster respect for different cultures and for human rights. A few of the multiple benefits of ecotourism are: (i) respect and vitalization of local culture; (ii) awareness of the determinant roles the natural environment plays in realizing human and other species well-being; (iii) direct financial benefits for diversification and development of local economies; (iv) empowerment of local citizens to manage their ecosystems sustainably; and (v) conservation of biological and cultural diversities through promotion of sustainable management of natural resources.
