Hasta La Gadget!

Despite the unusual chill, on Monday morning, the rua Vicente de Souza market in the Rio de Janeiro neighborhood of Botafogo was bustling with shoppers. Nannies with children and housekeepers mingled with the elderly, leisurely inspecting the products on sale in the stalls: meat, fish, vegetables, fruit. All looks good and perfectly acceptable: clients here look for no-nonsense goods, which the vendors mostly get from the city central wholesale market. Here and there, some produce is marked as organic, or as coming directly from the countryside. Overall, no one seems overly concerned about the provenance of what they buy: price is the main discriminant.
This market could not have possibly been more different from the “feira” in which I had participated in the preceding weekend. Organized by the organization called Junta Local, it was in between a farmers’ market, a street food festival, and a full-on party with a DJ spinning all kinds of music and live bands performing. The feira took place in the Casa da Gloria, a gracious building surrounded by a garden, next to a church on the top of a hill. The atmosphere was relaxed and infectiously merry, with visitors milling around, buying groceries, taking advantage of all the food on sale, chatting and drinking. The crowd was also quite different from what I saw at the neighborhood market in Botafogo. Here there were hipsters side by side with young families with children, as well as middle aged or-mature people. Buyers were inquisitive and engaged, asking the vendors what the food was, how it was cooked, and where the products came from.
The vendors, who were more than happy to engage them, were also varied and interesting. Among those I chatted with, Bruno Karraz and his business partner Yan sold vegan sorbets made of organic fruit too ripe to be sold to most consumers and served in biodegradable containers made of cassava. Fernando Betim, a professor of architecture, represented the products of a whole community of farmers and animal breeders in the nearby state of Minas Gerais: the smoked lamb leg was delicious. Fabricio de Andrade, a mushroom producer from the same state, was selling fresh products and serving a delicious soup of mushrooms and ñame.
Vicente Saint-Yves, a former chef who had worked in Barcelona, was roasting sausage made with meat from animals his neighbors had raised, while his own animals were still growing. Maria al Warrak, a Syrian refugee, was selling kibbehs (I was later informed that she was not paying for her space, thanks to an agreement between Junta Local and Caritas to help displaced people to start their food businesses). I talked with Daniel Martins, a cheese and beer expert who decried the impact that The Mercosur trade agreement had on the dairy industry in Brazil (and his family cheese business) in the 1990s while lamenting the fact that the law in Rio de Janeiro state does not allow for the sale of raw milk cheese (which nevertheless can be imported from abroad).
These people were passionate, well-informed, mostly educated, and with cultural and social capital to spare. They have created a vibrant sense of community thanks to Junta Local, the brainchild of Thiago Gomide Nasser, Henrique Moraes, and Bruno Negrão, the three of them between their mid 20s and their mid 30. They launched the organization to allow urban dwellers to enjoy good food that is produced sustainably and equitably, while giving urban and rural small producers and artisans the opportunity to sell directly to consumers, with the hope to communicate their values and their goals. What sets Junta Local apart from similar organizations is that they also set up what they call the “virtual basket.” In the weeks when the feira is not taking place, consumers can order produce and products from the organization’s website and pick it up at a specific place and time. Unlike other CSAs, consumers only buy what they want, so that producers know exactly how much to bring to the distribution point, without any waste.
Junta Local is less than two years old, but already 150 producers and artisans have joined, and hundreds of consumers patronize both the internet website and the feiras. The organization just launched what they define “modelo ajuntativo,” a new kind of participative involvement that makes producers stakeholders in the project, but not quite like a cooperative. The producers are enthusiastic, having found a sense of community among themselves, communication and logistical support, as well as a steady source of revenue. For a few, the feira has allowed them to stay in business and even to thrive. The Junta Local founders and members are figuring things out as they go, now attracting the attention of media and local government bodies, which see the potential of this food network to provide an innovative alternative to traditional markets, as the one in rua Vicente de Souza.

— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

Once, emoji was just emoji. Now it’s another way for businesses to look into our souls—er, feeds—and see if we might like to buy something. Twitter is rolling out a new feature that lets advertisers target people who have tweeted a specific emoji.

Read more…

An industry source is claiming that Samsung will begin mass production of the much rumored Galaxy Note 7 starting next month. This same source claims that Samsung plans to build about 5 million units for its initial launch with the devices completed by August. That August complete date for the initial supply of smartphones would fit in well with the … Continue reading

Cloud computing! Doesn’t the mere mention of it just get your blood pumping? Okay, it might be dull, but we all depend on those data centers for CPU-intensive services like Google Now and Siri, storage for photos, documents and video, and infinitely…

Protestors along a Kenyan street. Elections should not mean destroying every gain made over the previous years. PHOTO | TONNY OMONDI | NATION MEDIA GROUP

This article has been co-authored with Dr. Francis Ole Kaparo, an opinion leader in Kenya.

Kenyans, and friends of Kenya, are once again hoping that the five-yearly ritual of elections will not take the form of widespread ethnic violence and destruction of property. However, recent intransigent positions over the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) are a cause for apprehension and concern.

The social and economic effects of the 2007 election dispute are still being felt, and key sectors of the economy, including tourism, are still struggling. The violence had also left its scar on the survivors in the form of anxiety and post-traumatic stress. Statistics on sexual and gender-based violence show that whenever election-related violent conflict occurs, it is the innocent women and children who suffer most.

As a development partner of Kenya, and guided by the core values of respect for human rights, diversity, equality and inclusion, the United Nations (UN) family is determined to do all it can to help prevent a recurrence of violence and conflict.

The UN in Kenya is currently supporting institutions to deliver a free, fair and peaceful election, with an eye on the welfare of the most vulnerable populations. It recognizes the adverse effects of violence on the poor, especially women and children, and believes that respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the right to peacefully assemble, is critical to fostering democracy and dialogue.

Through the current electoral support project entitled Strengthening Electoral Processes in Kenya (SEPK), supported by the European Union (EU), the Department for International Development (DFID) of the United Kingdom and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the UN is supporting institutional strengthening, professional development, procurement and the use of information and communication technology for the 2017 elections.

The UN is also working with various stakeholders such as the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC), faith-based organizations, and civil society groups towards peace building, conflict prevention, and on early-warning and response mechanisms.

These investments will only yield fruit if there is a genuine desire to carry out a peaceful election. For those seeking elective office, the elections must not be a zero-sum game, and the welfare of the country must supersede individual gain.

Kenyans must start believing that elections do not mean destroying every gain made over the previous five years, and that political contestation is possible without violence. The youth must decide to carve out a better future for themselves and say no to politicians who misuse their energy and enthusiasm.

It must not be lost on them that the heaviest toll from election violence is always on the poor youth, most of whom are already affected by lack of opportunities and have little hope of coming out of poverty.

These young populations provide a demographic edge for economic prosperity, but they are also a powder keg, especially when political self-interests clash, that ignites violence and lawlessness. Today, there is no greater need than that of investing in their future in order to stay the country from degenerating into chaos whenever elections approach.

Kenya has made significant of strides in attracting foreign direct investment. For instance, the Tenth World Trade Organization Ministerial Conference that was held in Kenya last year cemented Kenya’s global significance and reinforced the belief that Kenya is open for business. However, a politically charged and polarized environment does not bode well for a conducive environment that attracts new investors, while at the same encouraging the old ones to stay put.

With Kenya hosting several high-level meetings in the coming months; such as the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) on 17-22 July 2016; Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) on 27-28 August 2016 – the first time the conference is being held outside Japan – and the Global Partnership for Effective Development Co-operation (GPEDC) 28 November – 1 December 2016; the political violence will not help the country’s image – that of a stable destination that attracts tourists and investors. Kenya must continue to gain the confidence of the international community by demonstrating that it can handle the demands of democratic space.

Efforts that are being made to ensure that Kenya has a peaceful, credible, free and fair election, such as the recent formation of the parliamentary joint select committee to unlock the IEBC impasse, are a welcome step. The work being done by the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) to ensure a peaceful, harmonious and integrated society should be supported by all.

While ultimately it is the people of Kenya who will chart the course that the country takes through the institutions they have put in place, the UN will continue to remind the leaders of sides of the political spectrum of Kenya, of their obligation to the poor and vulnerable.

As the official election campaign period approaches, we must choose the dove of fraternity and mutual concession over the hawk of belligerence and mutual destruction.

Dr. Francis Ole Kaparo, the former Speaker of the National assembly of Kenya, is the Chairperson, National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC). Siddharth Chatterjee, (@sidchat1) is the United Nations Resident Coordinator a.i and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Representative to Kenya.

— This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.