The UCLA African Studies Center and the Earth Rights Institute present a weeklong conference on climate change focusing on Africa.

Monday, April 19, 2021
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM (Pacific Time)
Zoom webinar


Click here to register

Registration to attend ARCC (via Zoom) is now open: RSVP here

Students interested in Climate Action Design Thinking Session: Register here

Download the ARCC schedule here.

We are thrilled to announce that the inaugural Africa's Readiness for Climate Change (ARCC) Forum is back on the calendar for 2021! Initially planned for April 24-26, 2020, ARCC was postponed due to COVID-19. We are excited to announce that the forum has been rescheduled to take place virtually on Zoom April 19-23, 2021, with participants joining from around the world. Please check back here regularly for updates. We look forward to engaging with you on these important topics! –ARCC Organizing Committee 

ABOUT ARCC

The UCLA African Studies Center and the Earth Rights Institute invite you to engage with us in the 2021 virtual ARCC Forum. The inaugural forum will expand an integrated vision of “Green Development” in Africa that is both ecologically and economically sustainable, emphasizing local solutions to climate change developed by African stakeholders in urban and rural communities. ARCC 2021 will assemble interdisciplinary panels of scholars, scientists, industry leaders, climate change innovators, youth activists, and policy-makers to discuss cutting-edge research and the most successful sustainable development projects unfolding on the ground. Participants will identify priorities for research and implementation and collaboratively develop a five-year action plan.

For questions, please contact us at africa@international.ucla.edu  

FORUM SCHEDULE

Presenters and topics for Zoom Webinar, April 19-23, 2021

Times listed are in PDT (Los Angeles). 

MONDAY 4/19

(9AM) WELCOME & OPENING REMARKS 

with Dr. Andrew Apter and Ms. Annie de la Bouillerie Goeke

Andrew Apter is the Director of the James S. Coleman African Studies Center and Professor in the Departments of History and Anthropology at UCLA.

Annie de la Bouillerie Goeke is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Earth Rights Institute.

(9:15-10AM) KEYNOTE 1 and Q&A:

“Mobilizing African Youth for Climate Action and Conservation,” with Elizabeth Wathuti (Kenya), Founder of Green Generation Initiative and Head of Campaigns at Wangari Mathai Foundation.

(10:15-11:45AM) PANEL 1: Youth Leadership

UCLA Student Presentations Moderated by Nurit Katz, UCLA Chief Sustainability Officer

• Ronald (Ronnie) Thompson III, 4th year Environmental Science major, President of the Congo Basin Institute Club (Institute of Environment and Sustainability). 

• Kian Nikzad, 3rd Year Computer Science major, and Ikuko (Coco) Nakane, 2nd Year Civil Engineering major, Bruin Home Solutions Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Lab (Henry Samueli School of Engineering).

• Zoe Reinecke, 4th year International Development Studies major, Director of Project Incubator, Global Development Lab (International Institute). 

(12-2PM) NETWORKING EVENT

Organized by UCLA Bruin Home Solutions Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Lab

The Networking Event is being hosted on Gatherly. Click HERE to join. 

TUESDAY 4/20

(9-10AM) KEYNOTE 2 and Q&A:

“The Challenge of Technology in the Quest for Environmental Justice,” with Nnimmo Bassey (Nigeria), Director of Health of Mother Earth Foundation, 2010 Right Livelihood Laureate and one of Time magazine's “Heroes of the Environment”. Opening poetry by Christine Yohannes.

(10:15-12PM) PANEL 2: Energy, Water, Climate—Regenerative Infrastructures & Indigenous Frameworks

Presentations:

•  “Water Resource Management in Africa from Space,” by Mekonnen Gebremichael, Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, UCLA.

• “Quality of Carbon Offset Methodologies for Clean Water Projects in East Africa,” by Mason King, Carbon Neutrality Initiative (CNI) Fellow/MS student in Department of Environmental Engineering, UC Berkeley.

• “Solar and Livestock in Masaai Energy Interconnections,” by Turner Adornetto, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Ohio State University. 

•  “Adopt a Cookstove Carbon Offset Project,” by Yingfei Jiang and Ilayda Dinc, Bren School of Environmental Science and Management, UC Santa Barbara.  

(12:15-1:30PM) PANEL 3: Food, Health, Education—Integrative Responses

Presentations:

• “Policy Frameworks on Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation: Consideration of Local Indigenous Knowledge, Practices of Agrarian Communities in Western Highlands of Cameroon,” by Eric Ndeh Mboumien Ngang, Doctoral Student, University of Birmingham School of Law.   

• "Climatizing Public Health Discourse: Integrating Health and Environmental Sustainability Solutions," by Gbujie Daniel Chidubem, Founder and President of Team54Project International. 

• "School Gardens Towards Feeding Programs and Deep Learning," Joyce Misoi, Founder and CEO of Watu Health Innovation Summit Foundation Africa. 

(3-5PM) INTERACTIVE STUDENT WORKSHOP: CLIMATE ACTION DESIGN THINKING JAM SESSION 

120 Minutes to Change the World. Are you in?

Determining and clearly defining the problem to focus on is often the first step to solving it. Leveraging Enterprise Design Thinking is a powerful way to ideate quickly, with an intention to iterate on solutions over time. Join this fun, virtual, highly interactive, fast-paced Design Thinking Jam Session. Over the course of two hours, be prepared to engage, share, think, inspire, and be inspired. All problems are solved by starting with an idea, and maybe, just maybe you will be part of something that changes the world. Are you in?

**Please note that this session is only for students. Participants do not have to be UCLA students. Special registration is required: please fill out this form if you are a high school or college student and would like to participate. **

Students interested in Climate Action Design Thinking Session: Register here

Workshop led by John Ayers

John Ayers is the Salesforce Marketing Practice Lead for IBM, a Certified Design Thinking Co-Creator, a Blue Core Coach and Founder of the Los Angeles Service Design community. With over 25 years in traditional and digital marketing strategy, John brings experience leading large scale business transformations often guiding solutions for organizations’ most complex problems while maintaining focus on the human experience.  

WEDNESDAY 4/21

(9-10AM) KEYNOTE 3 and Q&A:

“Climate Refugees and Regenerative Communities,” with Ousmane Aly Pame (Senegal)

President of Global Ecovillage Network Africa and Founder and President of Network for Ecovillage Emergence and Development in the Sahel. Moderated by Boyce Buchanan, UC Berkeley.

(10:15-11:45AM) PANEL 4: Climate Refugees and Precarious Lives and Livelihoods

Presentations:

•  “Vulnerability of internally displaced persons outside camps to climate change induced farmers-herdsmen conflicts in Rural Communities of Nigeria,” by Ignatius A. Madu, Department of Geography, University of Nigeria, Nigeria.

• "Some Effects of Climate and Environmental Change on Migration in Northeast Africa," by Pamela DeLargy, Professor of Practice, Department of Politics and Global Studies, and Senior Sustainability Scholar, Global Institute of Sustainability, Arizona State University. 

THURSDAY 4/22 EARTH DAY

(9-10:30AM) JOURNEYS: EXCHANGING STORIES

What inspired our keynote speakers to embark on their careers as environmental justice and climate change champions? Join us to learn more about their stories and share yours in this informal conversation. With drumming by Dr. Giavanni Washington (UCLA World Arts, Cultures and Dance).

Happy Earth Day! 

FRIDAY 4/23

(9-10AM) KEYNOTE 4 and Q&A:

“Emerging Economic Opportunities for a Green Africa,” with His Excellency Ambassador Sidique Abou-Bakarr Wai (Sierra Leone) Ambassador to the United States. Moderated by William Saturno, Tufts University. 

(10:15-11:45AM) PANEL 4: Business, Politics and Culture—The Climate Action Ecosystem

Presentations:

• "Current Impacts and Future Risk Perceptions of Climate Change in the Red Sea Region," Alden Young, Assistant Professor, Department of African American Studies, UCLA. 

• "The Next Global Crisis: Africa's Renewable Energy Financing Gap," by Michael Olabisi, Assistant Professor, Department of Community Sustainability, Michigan State University.

• “The Cultural Politics of Emergency in ‘Climate Emergency,’” by Vinay Lal, Professor, Department of History, UCLA. 

(11:45AM-12:15PM) CLOSING REMARKS AND THE PATH FORWARD

Organizers & Sponsors

This forum is co-organized by the UCLA African Studies Center and the Earth Rights Institute and co-sponsored by:  

If you’re interested in co-sponsoring this initiative, please contact us at africa@international.ucla.edu .

Sponsor(s): African Studies Center, Center for Middle East Development, Center for Near Eastern Studies, Center for Study of International Migration, Program on Caribbean Studies, Anderson Center for Global Management, Department of African American Studies, The Promise Institute for Human Rights at UCLA School of Law, UCLA Center for the Study of Women, World Arts & Cultures/Dance