akzente 3/2020 The GIZ Magazine Solar power system Sustainable energy for Benin Cucumbers wait for no one New app for farmers in Serbia Forging a new path Innovations in vocational training in Ethiopia Coronavirus Living with COVID-19

Editorial KEEPING A DISTANCE DOESN’T WORK FOR INTERNATIONAL POLITICS Why, unlike people, states need to come together now more than ever. AND THE DIRECTOR-GENERAL of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, explains in an interview why Africa has – comparatively speaking – fared quite well so far in terms of infection rates. He is an ardent campaigner for the equita- ble and even distribution of a future vac- cine, which he believes should be swiftly made available to those most at risk in all countries, and not just to everyone in a se- lect few. IT IS CLEAR from the different opinions and views expressed in this issue, including a re- port from Colombia, that keeping a dis- tance will only help curb the virus. It is not a suitable basis to guide international policy. Contrary to widespread calls to stay apart, now more than ever countries need to come together if we are not just to control the pandemic and its consequences but also ad- dress other global challenges such as climate change, loss of biodiversity and food and nutrition security. WE WOULD DO WELL to use this unexpect- ed emergency as a long-overdue opportuni- ty to overhaul our economic systems and societies. This is, I believe, a juncture where we need to not just ‘build back better’, but ‘build back better TOGETHER’. I hope that you remain safe during this crisis. THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC is a crisis of historic proportions and far-reaching conse- quences. It has radically changed all of our lives in a short space of time. By ‘our’, I mean practically the world’s entire popula- tion. People are battling this pandemic around the globe, from the USA to Brazil, Colombia to India, France to South Africa. It affects everyone’s lives, with no country spared the direct or indirect consequences. GIVEN THE SCALE OF THE PANDEMIC, it quickly became clear that we would dedi- cate this issue of akzente to COVID-19. But what more can be said about a topic that has been covered in great detail in recent months? We believe one angle that hasn’t received much press so far is the perspective of developing countries. And we believe we have a role to play here. Our contribution is our ability to steer attention away from events in Germany, Europe and the USA and focus on other regions around the globe. IN THIS ISSUE’S ESSAY, South African ana- lysts Elizabeth Sidiropoulos and Steven Gruzd describe how developing countries and emerging economies have dealt with the coronavirus crisis so far. They describe the challenges they need to overcome as well as the opportunities that the new world or- der presents. For example, it gives Africa the opportunity to establish its own value chains and finally shake off its image as a mere sup- plier of raw materials. In his guest article, Gabriel Quijandría Acosta, Peru’s Vice En- vironment Minister, explains why he thinks now is the time to move towards a green and blue economic recovery. ) 3 . P ( L E G O V A I R A M / N E F A R G O T O F F O H E I D , ) 2 . P ( Y R T S O V N A T S I R T : S O T O H P akzente 3/20 3 SABINE TONSCHEIDT, Director of Corporate Communications sabine.tonscheidt@giz.de

Contents SNAPSHOT Clear the stage! What the coronavirus pandemic means for arts and culture in South Korea. p. 38 PERSPECTIVES Forging a new path Refugees and local people learn together in Ethiopia. p. 44 O F N I E T N E Z K A , Y T I L I B A N I A T S U S 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 INTRODUCING Greetings from Dhaka Climate change expert Emilia Huss on living and working in Bangladesh p. 50 REPORT Cucumbers wait for no one How a new app for seasonal workers in Serbia makes life easier for everyone. p. 40 akzente 3/2020 The GIZ Magazine Solar power system Sustainable energy for Benin Cucumbers wait for no one New app for farmers in Serbia Forging a new path Innovations in vocational training in Ethiopia Coronavirus Living with COVID-19 COVER PHOTO Our cover shows a nurse and her son looking out on the streets of Bogotá. The photo was taken by Colombian photographer Andrés BO, who also provided the images for the ‘In focus’ report. You can view them online at akzente.giz.de/en akzente 3/20 5 ) T H G I R R E P P U , 5 . P ( S K R A M N O M I S , ) T F E L W O L E B , 5 . P ( C I V O K N A J A J I R A M , ) T F E L R E P P U , 5 . P ( S E G A M I Y T T E G / N U J - G N U S G N U H C : S O T O H P

News ‘Our long-term response to COVID-19 must be to fix our relationship with the planet.’ INGER ANDERSEN, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) A nose for cash NORTH MACEDONIA Sniffer dogs are well known for their ability to track down drugs, but less so for their abil- ity to detect large amounts of money. Two specially trained dogs have re- cently been deployed to help border police in North Macedonia clamp down on currency smuggling. This money often originates from illegal activities such as drug-dealing. Be- tween 2010 and 2015 alone, EUR 5.5 million in cash was seized at the North Macedonian border. GIZ has assisted local police by providing two tracker dogs and vehicles and helping to train the dog handlers. More dogs are on their way, and these activities have attracted interest from other countries in the region. Corruption, tax evasion, money laundering and other forms of illicit financial flows have devastating impacts on develop- ing countries and increasingly under- mine international efforts to promote sustainable development. To counter these impacts, GIZ – on behalf of BMZ and the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs – also organised the Global Forum on Illicit Financial Flows and Sustainable Development. ) 7 . P ( H C S Z T N E R N A I L U J : N O I T A R T S U L L I , ) 7 . P ( Z I G , ) 6 . P ( F I A L / L E K N I L S A M O H T : S O T O H P akzente 3/20 7 THREE QUESTIONS FOR HATEM ZITOUNI The manager at Tunisian dairy products company Délice, is a strong supporter of training for dairy farmers. He also worked as a Master trainer at the Farmer Business School (FBS), one of the activities of the Green Innova- tion Centre set up by GIZ as part of BMZ’s ONE WORLD – No Hunger initiative. Has the longstanding partnership between your company and the Green Innovation Centre continued to pay off dur- ing the pandemic? Absolutely. We were able to join forces immediately in a kind of COVID-19 crisis team. We produced posters and flyers to inform the milk suppliers about new hygiene rules. Our technical advisor team distributed these and provided gloves, aprons and disinfectant at the milk col- lection points to guarantee quality standards. The goal of FBS is to give smallholders the training they need to make them more resilient in crises. Is that suc- ceeding? Yes. They learn to think like entrepreneurs and use new approaches and technologies to increase their incomes. For example, we are training 6,000 breeders in sustain- able animal husbandry. Innovative equipment like auto- mated drinking troughs, refrigerated mini-tanks and so- lar power systems helps the farmers to increase the value they are adding. What are you particularly proud of? The trainers we initially trained with FBS have already passed on their knowledge to more than 6,000 dairy farmers. By 2023, we hope this will be 10,000. The pan- demic might have slowed us down, but we’re determined to keep going. Now more than ever, we can see how im- portant the supply of good-quality dairy products really is. www.giz.de/en/worldwide/32209.html

News Green gaming for farmers MADAGASCAR WIKI Official languages: Malagasy and French / Capital: Antananarivo / Form of government: Semi-presidential system of government / Head of state, government: Andry Rajoelina / Size: 587,295 km2 / Population: 27 million / Population density: 46.4 inhabitants per km2 MADAGASCAR 80 per cent of the Madagascan population work in agricul- ture and rely on natural resources. The island nation in the Indian Ocean is one of the countries most affected by climate change in the world. Ex- treme weather events are becoming more frequent. A fun hotline has been set up to drive home the need to adapt to climate change. A mobile phone game raises awareness of the issue and explains the logic behind climate risk insurance. Launched two years ago, it has been opened by more than 700,000 people, around one third of whom have played through to the end. The game simulates five phases of a harvest, displaying information that players use to decide how to proceed. Success is rewarded with payment in the form of virtual zebus, Madagascan cattle. The game is designed to explain the concept of microinsurance against climate risks and increase interest in taking out an insurance policy. The results are impressive: 100,000 people have already expressed an interest and submitted their contact details. MADAGASCAR Antananarivo Source: UNdata NEW PROJECTS ) T H G I R , 9 . P ( O T O H P K C O T S I / S E G A M I Y T T E G , ) E R T N E C , 9 . P ( N O I S I V L A T I G I D / S E G A M I Y T T E G , ) T F E L , 9 . P ( Z I G , ) 8 . P ( R A N I M U M K E B A R U J : S O T O H P Renewable energy Training for nursing staff Water treatment ETHIOPIA Wind, water, sun: Ethiopia has a lot of potential for harnessing renew- able energy. A partnership with Germany is designed to promote the expansion of a decentralised renewable energy supply. On behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi), GIZ is assisting Ethiopia in rehabilitating hydropower plants, opening information centres on photovoltaics and conducting a tender for innovative energy supply in rural areas. MEXICO International nursing staff are to be recruited to plug Germany’s gap in personnel. On behalf of the German Fed- eral Ministry of Health (BMG), GIZ is therefore launching measures to train health care staff in Mexico, teaming up with University Hospital Bonn to offer technical training and German language courses. Activities also include a place- ment programme. The first nursing staff are expected to arrive in 2022. The pro- gramme is also being implemented in the Philippines and Brazil. TURKEY With support from sequa gGmbH, German and Turkish companies have formed a development partnership to construct a new wastewater treatment plant for the Metropolitan Municipality of Bursa, which has a population of three million. The treatment facility will serve as a model for other cities and regions. The project includes courses for adminis- trative staff and other personnel and will introduce training for wastewater treat- ment operators in Turkey. akzente 3/20 9

Solar power system Solar power system SOLAR POWER SYSTEM A solar pump at an agricultural training centre in Benin has made the donkey work of irrigating fields a thing of the past. TEXT AND PHOTOS KATRIN GÄNSLER

Solar power system heart of the farm. They were installed by the Cotonou-based compa- ny Jesuton, which works in partnership with Energising Develop- ment (EnDev), a GIZ-led programme implemented in Benin and in 24 other countries. EnDev is funded by the governments of Germa- ny, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland and (until 2019) Sweden. It helps supply sustainable energy to more households, social institutions and small companies in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Light for reading and writing With EnDev’s support, Jesuton is installing solar collectors on the farm in Tangnigbadji. Thanks to the solar-powered water pump, fetching water is no longer the difficult, time-consuming chore it used to be. ‘It has simplified our day no end,’ says Wilfried Godjo. Solar energy has also given the farm a new lease of life, powering a wider range of activities for the 37 young women who live and train there. They can now take a literacy course, for example. ‘This enables us to raise the level of training,’ adds farm administrator Eddy Guehou. akzente 3/20 13 THE PROJECT’S SOLAR COMPONENT IN FIGURES 93,000 people in Benin had received access to sustainable energy by 2019. 270 solar-driven water pumps have been installed. 59,000 household solar kits have been funded. Contact: endev@giz.de

Solar power system INTERVIEW Better education for small farmers and a sustainable energy supply are crucial for agriculture, one of Benin’s key economic sectors. 80 per cent of exports originate in the fields, the most important prod- ucts being cotton and fruit. Around two thirds of Benin’s 12 million or so inhabitants work in this sector. It isn’t easy work, however – the massive effort involved frequently generates low yields. According to the World Bank, more than 40 per cent of Benin’s population lived below the poverty line in 2015. Paving the way for sustainable agriculture Agricultural training centres like the one in Tangnigbadji are de- signed to boost productivity and support sustainability in the agri- cultural sector. The farm has set new standards in the region. From solar energy to cultivating vegetables under oil palm canopies – de- spite some initial scepticism, people in the surrounding villages are now being inspired by the new ideas. Odette Kpadonou believes the training she is receiving on the farm in Tangnigbadji is a stepping stone to a brighter future. She has learned to plant seedlings and grow crops effectively and now under- stands how solar energy makes life easier. All positive experiences for someone who left school at 14. ‘I didn’t always understand what I was being taught at school,’ she admits. One of the difficulties she had was that lessons were taught in French. Although this is Benin’s official language, it is rarely used in day-to-day life, with the lan- guage Fon being more common in southern Benin, for example. As a result, a lot of children and young people find it difficult to follow lessons in French. This is not the only reason Kpadonou found school frustrating, however. ‘I also prefer practical work,’ she says, looking out over the bitter leaf fields. The 19-year-old wants to be a vegetable farmer. She has the practical skills required to produce good yields. ‘I want to earn a good income.’ Kpadonou knows just how important this is for women in villages. ‘Many marry very young and receive no support from their parents. Or they have unplanned pregnancies.’ She is cer- tain that the five year course will provide her with the skills she needs to secure a better future. ‘I feel stronger and better able to fend for myself.’ — KATRIN GÄNSLER lives in Benin and works as a freelance journalist in West Africa. She enjoyed her research on Tangnigbadji farm, carried out in the open air and observing the recommended social distancing guidelines. akzente 3/20 15 ‘A kit solaire can change a family’s life forever.’ Interview with entrepreneur CHRISTIAN GBOGBO, partner of Energising Development (EnDev) in Benin Why did you decide to use solar modules to support rural development? Energy supply in Benin is very weak in rural areas. The situation isn’t satisfactory in urban regions either. Rath- er than waiting around for the state to fix things, we de- cided to take action. How many systems have you installed since 2015? Our company Jesuton has already installed over 2,000 small-scale solar power systems known as ‘kit solaire’ as well as 100 solar collectors. This gives people quick and easy access to electricity. A kit solaire can change a family’s life forever. It powers household lighting and enables children to do their homework every evening. Mobile phones can be charged at home. Different phone providers run popular money transfer apps. The phone is also important in medical emergencies. Is interest in solar energy growing in Benin? Definitely. But the money isn’t always there to fund it. A kit solaire costs around 21,000 CFA francs, or EUR 32, at the very least. Water pump systems cost between EUR 2,300 and 7,600. Many people simply don’t have this kind of money, which is why we offer an instalment plan. Programmes such as EnDev are also important because they help people buy equipment. The full interview is available online at: akzente.giz.de/en

REPORT Chain reaction in a crisis We take a look at Colombia, where the coronavirus pandemic is exacerbating social and environmental conflict. p. 18 OVERVIEW Working in 2020 GIZ colleagues report on their experience with mobile working. p. 22 GUEST ARTICLE Towards a green and blue recovery A commentary by Peru’s Vice Environment Minister Gabriel Quijandría Acosta p. 23 ESSAY Lives or livelihoods Elizabeth Sidiropoulos and Steven Gruzd report on the situa- tion brought about by COVID-19 in developing countries. p. 24 INFOGRAPHIC Coronavirus at a glance The positives and the negatives p. 30 INTERVIEW ‘Equitable distribution is vital’ WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus takes stock of the current situation. p. 32 BACKGROUND Trigger for change An analysis by Ulrich Höcker, Director of Division at GIZ p. 36 EXAMPLES OF GIZ’S WORK Swift and sustainable Rapid support in the fight against COVID-19 p. 37

Report Chain reaction in a crisis After a decade of gradual progress in Colombia, the coronavirus pandemic has exacerbated social and environmental conflict. A report on how people are living in this time of crisis – and on green shoots of hope. Text: KATHARINA WOJCZENKO Photos: ANDRÉS BO T hey arrived in the conserva- tion area by the busload, in broad daylight. More than 400 people. Everything they could, they chopped down with machetes; everything else they burnt. ‘They ran round here like the torch bearers at the Olympic Games,’ says John Castiblanco, from Red del Agua (water network), an environmental foundation. They used mattocks, shovels and pickaxes to divide the plots and level the ground. Men with firearms allocated parcels of land. They also collected the money, and handed it over to the head of the land mafia, reports Castiblanco. By the time the environment authority arrived a few days later at the end of June, bringing the police and army with them, it was too late. They had nine peo- ple arrested and tore down the shacks that had been built, made of tree trunks, plastic sheets and corrugated metal. But more than 80,000 trees in Parque Entrenubes had been felled. These 18 hectares of devastated Andean high forest are situated in the largest pro- tected area in the hills south-east of Bogotá, and are particularly important for the city’s air quality and its drinking water. The land- grabbers buried at least four springs. ‘They destroyed 20 years of reforestation work,’ says Castiblanco. This is an alarming event in a country that has a major role to play in global climate action and environmental protection thanks to its forested areas and biodiversity. ‘We have always had the problem of people creating illegal settlements in pro- tected areas, especially on the outskirts of the city,’ says Carolina Urrutia, head of the environment authority for the District of Bogotá, ‘but the coronavirus pandemic has made this problem worse throughout Bo- gotá.’ The environment authority did hear what was happening in Parque Entrenubes, Urrutia relates, but it was not able to take action straight away. Firstly because it was too dangerous without police protection, and secondly because the land mafia, as they are known, had driven large numbers of families with children into the protect- ed area, lured by false promises. ‘We can’t simply evict these people, we have to offer them a solution,’ says Urrutia. ‘We have to involve the housing office and social servic- es. That takes time.’ SEEG MISSIONS Colombia is one of the countries supported by the German Epidemic Preparedness Team (known by its German acronym SEEG) in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. By the end of 2020, there will have been 38 SEEG assignments around the world. When a country requests German assistance, the core team at GIZ assembles a group of ex- perts to be deployed. GIZ is supported by the Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medi- cine and the Robert Koch Institute. Since the start of the pandemic, the team headed by Professor Jan Felix Drexler from the Institute of Virology at Berlin’s Charité hospital has also been involved. In Colombia, SEEG has established dialogue between public health care institutions and Charité. It has also strengthened diagnostic capabilities in the north-east of the country, where many refu- gees from Venezuela live, and has supplied 80,000 test kits. Altogether, SEEG has pro- vided coronavirus tests for around 1.2 million people so far, along with laboratory equip- ment. SEEG was set up by the German Development Ministry (BMZ) and the German Health Ministry (BMG) in response to the Ebola crisis. Contact: Michael Nagel, michael.nagel@giz.de akzente 3/20 19

Report dation that has to be paid for by the day. Another major problem is the lack of health insurance, says García: ‘Migrants are only treated free of charge in emergencies.’ Fear of COVID-19 is widespread, she adds. This is a difficult situation, with growing levels of general psychosocial stress for refugees, who see themselves exposed to increasing xenophobia in the course of the crisis. Prior to the pandemic, Juntos Se Puede focused its efforts on helping Venezuelan citizens to help themselves, to enable them to get to know their new homeland better and find their feet in the labour market. The world of work changed with the onset of corona- virus, however. The foundation distributed food parcels to 15,000 Venezuelan families with children in Bogotá on behalf of the Colombian Government. To ensure their survival. Colombia has taken in more refugees from Venezuela than any other country in the world. According to Colombia’s mi- gration authority, there were roughly 1.8 million in the country at the start of the coronavirus crisis, around a fifth of them in Bogotá. To begin with, the number dropped during the pandemic. Despite the general border closure between March and mid-August, some 100,000 Venezuelans left Colombia. The Venezuelan Government al- lowed small groups to cross the border every week. In their desperation, those who didn’t find space on one of the few special human- itarian buses to the border chose to go on foot, without permission – the same dan- gerous route in reverse that many of them had taken to Colombia in the first place. All of them were driven by the desire to be with their families in Venezuela during the crisis and live at home rent-free. At times a backlog of 2,300 migrants crowded into the Colombian border city of Cúcuta, in a tent camp of plastic tarpaulins, where the hygienic conditions were disastrous. In the third quarter of 2020, many Venezuelans started to head back to Colombia again – in the vague hope of finding work there. This was because the Government in Bogotá lifted the lockdown on 1 September, although restrictions had been increasingly relieved anyway thanks to numerous exceptions. That said, life in Signs of destruction in Colombia’s nature conservation area Parque Entrenubes, which is important for the water supply to the metropolis of Bogotá. to join in and do their bit. Even though it is dangerous, because of the illegal gangs. Castiblanco sees it as only part of his job to impart a love of and respect for nature at an early age. You have to take a holistic approach to saving the forest for the long term, he says. ‘The state must guarantee the right to decent accommodation and a secure job, otherwise this will never end.’ Especially during the coronavirus crisis and beyond. - GIZ in Colombia contributes to the following United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): Colombia is still far from the state of nor- mality known before the virus struck. Green hope through youth In the Parque Entrenubes protected ar- ea, John Castiblanco is kneeling next to a seedling the height of his hand. He is visibly delighted with every little plant struggling to emerge from the parched soil. ‘Nature is unbelievably resilient,’ says Castiblanco. Working with volunteer helpers from the surrounding districts, Castiblanco has already planted 700 trees. He says 44,000 are needed to restore the forest destroyed in June. He and his fellow campaigners are therefore leading groups across the devastated terrain at weekends. Almost all of them are young people from adjoining areas of the city, and almost without exception they put their names down for the next planting session. Many of them have been engaged in nature con- servation in their home region since they were at primary school. Now they are ‘lí- deres’, role models for environmental pro- tection in the municipalities, motivating children, young people and their parents akzente 3/20 21

Guest article Towards a green and blue recovery By GABRIEL QUIJANDRÍA ACOSTA, Vice Environment Minister of Peru Ten months after the start of the COVID-19 pan- demic, it is clear that at the base of it there is a dys- functional relationship with nature. One expressed in several problems such as ecosystem loss and degrada- tion, illegal wildlife trafficking, increased invasive spe- cies, or overexploitation and pollution. This was stated in several (scientific) studies and reports, such as the Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services published by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Plat- form on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services in May 2019. It re- vealed that the extinction of species has reached a dramatic level and needs to be stopped urgently. This alarming news was recently confirmed by WWF’s Living Planet Report 2020. It illustrates once again that humankind is using more resources than planet Earth can provide. ) 3 2 . P ( E T A V I R P : O T O H P akzente 3/20 23 Precisely due to these environmental determinants, the enormous fi- nancial efforts that countries are making to revive their productive activity, recover lost jobs and ensure people’s economic wellbeing must necessarily and explicitly include an approach to environmen- tal sustainability. Because even greater challenges than the pandemic, such as climate change, lie ahead and must be addressed with the ut- most attention. Options for mainstreaming the environmental perspective in economic recovery are not new. Fundamental transitions, such as the inclusion of renewable sources in the energy matrix, the develop- ment of electromobility, the promotion of deforestation-free agricul- tural and forestry production chains, the reduction of water and car- bon footprints, the increase of investments in natural infrastructure, or the revolution of materials and recycling are examples of processes ‘The potential benefits are worth the effort, since our survival as a species is on the line.’ that were already well underway. That holds true both for industrial- ised countries and developing countries. But now all that has to move faster and go deeper. The economic rationale behind not only a green but also a blue or marine-based recovery is being rapidly built by institutions of the most widely differing nature and mandates such as the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the Inter-American Development Bank and Greenpeace. This analytical work shows, for instance, that investments in nature conservation can produce a re- turn of five dollars per dollar invested or that a path to decarbonisa- tion in Latin America and the Caribbean can generate 15 million new jobs. These findings provide hard evidence to sustain what a big part of societies around the world intuitively have been asking their deci- sion-makers for, for at least the last twenty years: ambition and bold- ness to transform the economic system and tackle structural prob- lems such as fairness, equity and sustainability. The size and complexity of the task of ensuring the cross-cutting incorporation of the environment into the planning and deci- sion-making processes of the public and private sectors are monu- mental. Therefore, it will require innovative partnerships to be built between government, companies and civil society organisations in each country. In the same vein, international cooperation must pro- vide fresh impetus to strengthen implementation capacity, especially in the least developed countries. A real recovery, one capable of establishing the basis for a new boost in growth and wellbeing, must be multicoloured. Or it will not be a recovery at all. The potential benefits are worth the effort, since our survival as a species is on the line. —

Essay Lives or livelihoods The coronavirus crisis poses new and unprecedented challenges for every country, in particular developing nations. South African analysts Elizabeth Sidiropoulos and Steven Gruzd describe how they have coped so far. Illustrations: Florian Bayer COVID-19 hit developing countries at a time when they were on the move – in the fight against poverty and hunger, in the education of children, in the modernisation of agriculture and in the development of economies. Many poor na- tions around the globe advanced steadily over the past decade. Then, the pandemic struck, and forced societies into lockdowns and endangered livelihoods. In Kibera for example, Nairobi’s biggest slum, there was a stampede to get flour and cooking oil that was being distributed dur- ing the lockdown. Scores of people were in- jured, two died. Over 70 per cent of workers in sub-Saharan Africa are self-employed and active mostly in the informal sector, so they earn little and have no social security cover. Lower weekly incomes therefore mean no food. Many people in developing countries then feared – and still do – the pandemic would lead to more deaths from hunger. IN THIS ARTICLE 1. THE CRISIS Why the impacts of COVID-19 hit emerging economies and developing countries particularly badly. 2. THE DANGERS Beyond the virus, the pandemic is threatening people with economic collapse and restrictions on democratic rights. 3. THE OPPORTUNITIES What positive changes can emerge from the crisis in the long term. Poorer countries face challenges similar to those of advanced economies, but more acutely because of greater inequality, large informal sectors and difficulties with sanita- tion and social distancing in cramped infor- mal settlements. That goes along with frag- ile health systems which have, once again, revealed structural weaknesses during the crisis. These include a lack of accountability and transparency; shortages of medicines, respirators and hospital beds, especially in intensive care units; low staff numbers – the World Bank estimates just one doctor for every 80,000 people in Africa; in sufficient personal protective equip- ment; and limited ability to test, trace and track those infected and their direct con- tacts. When the pandemic began in Africa for instance, there was an average of less than one intensive care bed and one venti- akzente 3/20 25

Essay ‘Overzealous policing of corona- virus restrictions has led to human rights violations.’ deliver food to vulnerable neighbour- hoods. Many NGOs have cut their teeth on HIV/AIDS-related responses, which they applied to COVID-19. In Senegal, the NGO Enda Santé distributed prevention material and food parcels to those commu- nities they knew were the most vulnerable because of HIV/AIDS. Excuse for eroding democracy Yet, the states of emergency, imposed in many countries around the globe, have also been abused in some cases. Overzealous po- licing of restrictions has led to human rights violations. In Zambia, already sliding away from democracy, COVID-19 was used as an excuse to suspend parliament, where the Government did not have the support to amend the constitution that would weaken democratic institutions. In South Africa, where the army was de- ployed to assist the police enforcing lock- down provisions, there were 230,000 arrests by the end of May, several serious injuries and at least 11 deaths in five of the coun- try’s nine provinces, due to heavy-handed actions by security forces. The most publi- cised case was that of Collins Khoza, a resi- dent of a township in Johannesburg, who died in army detention. In Nairobi, a 13-year-old was killed by police while he was standing on his balcony during the curfew. Zimbabwe saw a similar violent crack- down on protestors in July. President Em- merson Mnangagwa called the aborted demonstrations ‘an insurrection to over- throw our democratically elected govern- ment.’ And in India, for example, emer- gency powers were used to arrest or harass more than 50 journalists who were critical of the Government’s COVID response, in- cluding Om Sharma who works for a akzente 3/20 27

Essay development assistance. If this trend con- tinues – because countries are focused inter- nally – achieving the SDGs will become harder and the development gains of the last 20 years will be eroded. In the wake of COVID-19, aid should focus on both social and productive sectors, while also building up health governance systems. South–South cooperation has featured, but much more can be done. Cuba, for example, has deployed medical brigades to over 20 countries to support local ef- forts, among them Italy, Mexico and South Africa. China has won kudos with its ‘mask diplomacy’, delivering millions of masks all over the world. Global power shifts COVID-19 will accelerate power shifts from the USA to China, which is position- ing itself as a champion of multilateralism and global institutions. The accelerating geopolitical rivalries may draw in develop- ing countries, making neutrality difficult. But developing middle powers could seize the opportunity to play a bigger role in in- stitutions to tackle global challenges. For example, a number of developing country leaders insisted early on that vac- cines are a global public good and should be free, patent-free, mass-produced, and dis- tributed fairly to all. Among them were the President of South Africa and Chair of the African Union, Cyril Ramaphosa, the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan, the Pres- ident of Senegal, Macky Sall, and the Presi- dent of Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo. and pharmaceutical products are imported. In addition, Kenya’s and Ethiopia’s tea, coffee and cut flower value chains were severely disrupted. By April, the Kenyan horti- culture industry was los- ing around 3.5 million dollars a day. Eighty per cent of its flower exports go to Europe; they were grounded. Export volumes dropped by half even when flights resumed. COVID-19 has also forced the repur- posing of manufacturing companies in Af- rica to produce critical supplies and drugs. For example, Hela Clothing in Kenya shifted from producing underwear to mak- ing masks. It produced 10 million face masks in April and May alone. CIEL Lim- ited from Mauritius is using its textile fac- tory in Madagascar to produce medical pro- tective gear. Ethiopian Airlines repurposed its airplanes for cargo. Another aspect on the positive side: the crisis could galvanise greater political com- mitment to implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area. It aims to build supply chains within Africa, not least in the pharmaceutical and medical equip- ment sectors. What will happen to the SDGs? sectors decimated, and the poorest dispro- portionately affected. With limited fiscal space and major economic partners in the North also affected, the post-COVID envi- ronment will be difficult. But there are also positive stories such as the opportunity to close the digital divide and increase e-commerce. Another one is the repurposing of manufacturing sectors to diversify products or to shift from raw ma- terial economies to building up regional value chains. States and societies should not give up on the SDGs, but redouble their efforts to reach these targets by exploring such oppor- tunities innovatively. The world should cele- brate pockets of success and emulate what has worked, adapted to the local context. Great catastrophes herald great change, as after the two world wars. We have now reached another moment of momentous shift. — Sadly, the trillions mobilised for the pan- demic in the Global North have not been replicated in their aid budgets. Even before COVID-19, there was a trend away from grants to loans and developed countries were still falling short of their commitment to 0.7 per cent of gross national income for ) 9 2 . P ( E T A V I R P : S O T O H P Great catastrophes herald great change There have been wide variations among de- veloping countries in COVID-19 responses and impact. But all have shared the chal- lenges of millions of jobs lost, economic ELIZABETH SIDIROPOULOS is the Chief Executive of the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) in Johannesburg. STEVEN GRUZD is Head of the African Governance and Diplomacy Programme at the Institute. akzente 3/20 29

More access to the internet The pandemic has given a fur- ther boost to internet expansion. In July 2020, almost two-thirds (4.8 billion) of the entire global population were online. Just two years before, the figure was a little over half (3.9 billion). Source: International IDEA More journeys by bike Cycling has become more popular as people look for ways to avoid public transport. In Philadelphia, for example, the number of cyclists has risen by 150 per cent, and in New York by 67 per cent. In the UK, bike sales have risen by 60 per cent. Sources: WRI, The Guardian Taking a creative stand In a collective call for action under the hashtag #DontGoViral, artists across Africa are supporting a UNESCO campaign to combat the COVID-19 infodemic. One of the con- tributors is Ugandan musician and member of parliament Bobi Wine, who has released his latest hit song ‘Corona Virus Alert’ online. Source: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=PUHrck2g7Ic A clearer view For a while at least, the reduction in traffic caused by the pandemic has cut air pollution significantly. As a result, many places have reported much clear- er views. The Himalayas were visible from over a hundred kilometres away – for the first time in 30 years! Source: CNN akzente 3/20 Collaborative solutions Scientists in different countries all over the world are working together in the search for effective treatments and a vaccine. One such platform for collaboration is the COVID-19 Expert Group, set up by the Inter Academy Partnership (IAP), with 70 international members representing a wide range of disciplines such as virology, epidemiology, veteri- nary medicine, social sciences and public health. Source: IAP 31

Interview ‘Equitable distribution is vital’ As Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), which has been working relentlessly to fight COVID-19 in the past months, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus suddenly found himself very much in demand. In this interview, he takes stock of the pandemic. Interview: Friederike Bauer The pandemic has hit the whole world. Yet, it seems industrialised countries are somehow affected worse than the devel- oping world. Is that impression correct? No matter the income group, we have seen that some countries have managed their na- tional responses well, and some have not. Some did well because of their ‘muscle mem- ory’ – relying on experiences of the past. It is not by chance that countries in the Mekong Delta, neighbouring China, demonstrated strong responses to COVID-19, built on les- sons learned and systems developed due to outbreaks like SARS. What about Africa? Where is the conti- nent in terms of dealing with the pan- demic? Since July, we have seen promising trends from some countries in Africa, where cases have been declining. These are fragile wins, however, and we must work unrelentingly to maintain them. During the week of 18 September, Africa was the only region to re- port a decline in deaths. But we must also remember that Africa is a continent of 55 countries, and it is possible to see variations across borders. But in the main, we have observed that many countries took special measures early and benefited from experi- ence from other diseases like wild poliovi- rus, yellow fever, cholera and the Ebola outbreak. The challenge is not to take the response lightly and become complacent. We are still in the middle of the pandemic. Due to lockdowns, challenges such as fighting hunger or poverty are suddenly in competition with health issues. What is the best way of dealing with this trade- off? We do not see this as a trade-off: we do not need to choose between health, hunger and poverty. We need to work across all fronts. We continue to urge countries to focus on four essential priorities so that they are able to safely resume activities while keeping people’s health at the front of their minds. First, we must prevent amplifying events, like sports events and religious gatherings that bring large numbers of people togeth- er. Second, we need to protect the vulnera- ble in all countries, including the elderly, people with underlying conditions and health workers. Third, we need to educate, empower and enable communities to pro- tect themselves and others, using every tool at their disposal. And fourth, we must get the basics right: find, isolate, test and care for those who are infected, and trace and quarantine their contacts. This is what works. What is more challenging for developing countries – the medical, social or eco- nomic impacts? COVID-19 has shown us how intercon- nected our world is and how a health crisis can cause major upheavals across all aspects akzente 3/20 33

Interview management of an outbreak of a new dis- ease, starting on 10 January, and we briefed the public and media in mid-January. Fur- thermore, we convened an Emergency Committee on 22 to 23 January, and again on 30 January I myself and my senior man- agement team visited China. On 30 Janu- ary, we declared a public health emergency of international concern, our highest level of alert, when there were less than 100 cases and no deaths outside China. How has this pandemic strained your or- ganisation? The response to COVID-19 has been an immense undertaking, involving all staff at WHO. I am so proud of how my col- leagues have responded. We had already undertaken an extensive transformation of WHO’s emergency programme after I be- came Director-General in 2017. The changes we instituted primed WHO to be able to implement a robust and rapid re- sponse to COVID-19 from 31 December 2019 onwards. During the many months of fighting COVID-19, WHO staff have worked around the clock, driven by the need to learn about this virus, provide life-saving guidance, build partnerships and communicate what we know to the world. What does your working week as Direc- tor-General of WHO look like these days? The increased demands caused by COV- ID-19 have posed major challenges for each and every person working for WHO. But, at the same time, it has brought us closer together. One colleague was recently asked by friends how he was doing. He respond- ed: ‘We work in good faith and have faith in each other, and this faith has now been tested under very trying circumstances.’ The determination shown by my colleagues inspires me to keep striving day in and day out in my work. — people in some countries. Global equity is critical for the distribution of a safe and ef- fective vaccine. What could be the role of WHO in this? WHO is working with partners to speed up the development and manufacturing of a vaccine. In dialogue with the Member States, we are also developing a global allo- cation framework for vaccines and other tools, including treatments and diagnostics, based on the principle of fair and equitable access. The proposal is to allocate the vac- cine doses to all participating countries si- multaneously, in the proportion needed to cover 20 per cent of the population. This is expected to reduce overall risk and protect most-at-risk groups from the virus every- where and at the same time. Can you assure the public that a vaccine will be ‘safe’? We take vaccine safety very seriously. Ac- celerating the timeline for vaccine devel- opment does not mean we are compro- mising safety. We are engaging with vac- cine developers and others to ensure that we have standard end-points and da- ta-collection mechanisms to regularly ) 5 3 . P O T 2 3 . P ( S E G A M I Y T T E G / I N I R F F O C E C I R B A F : S O T O H P ‘The first priority must be to vaccinate those most at risk.’ monitor both the efficacy and safety of vaccine candidates. WHO has been accused of not reacting quickly enough at the beginning of the outbreak. How do you react to this kind of criticism? I think the criticism is not justified. We re- acted rapidly to the first reports of cases of ‘pneumonia of unknown cause’ in Wuhan on 31 December. On 1 January, we activat- ed our three-level emergency incident man- agement team. We provided a detailed summary of the situation on 5 January. We issued a comprehensive package of guid- ance, covering key topics related to the akzente 3/20 35

Examples of GIZ’s work Swift and sustainable When you’re confronted with a crisis, you have a better chance of responding quickly and effectively if you already have systems in place. Three- pronged approach The pandemic has had a dra- matic impact on communities all over the world. GIZ has been working with its clients and partners on flexible solu- tions to the most immediate challenges. That response was made easier by our long-estab- lished networks. The next part of our strategy involves sup- porting partner countries over the medium and long term in order to safeguard earlier devel- opment gains. Finally, we aim to build up the resilience need- ed to deal with future crises. — 500,000 MALAWI The Malawi German Health Pro- gramme responded to the outbreak of coro- navirus with impressive speed. On behalf of BMZ and in collaboration with its partners, GIZ refurbished the treatment and isola- tion centres at two hospitals and trained over 1,500 health care workers and hospital employees. We are also providing support for local health authorities and working with a local NGO to inform people about the virus. Altogether, our COVID-19 pre- vention message has reached over 500,000 people through a combination of theatre performances and home visits. — TUNISIA With over nine million tourists, Tunisia was one of Africa’s most popular holiday destinations in 2019. Then came the pandemic. GIZ has been helping Tuni- sia’s Ministry of Tourism to introduce hy- giene regulations for hotels, restaurants and tour operators so that they can reopen safe- ly. On behalf of BMZ and with cofinanc- ing from the EU, we have also produced training videos for workers in the tourism sector. — Rapid action INDIA Many people in India have lost their jobs and liveli- hoods since the lockdown back in March. In Uttar Pradesh, GIZ’s develoPPP.de/COVID-19 Response programme has teamed up with Dr. Bronner’s Europe, Pavitramenthe Fair Organic and BMZ to provide valuable support for 6,000 agricultural workers and their families in the form of food, health care, seeds – and learning resources for children af- fected by school closures to ensure that they don’t fall be- hind. — 32 per cent PERU Indigenous peoples living in the Peruvian Amazon are practically defenceless against the coronavirus. Fewer than a third of villages (32 per cent) have a health centre, and most of these are poorly equipped. It can take days to reach the nearest hospital. On behalf of BMZ and in collaboration with Berlin’s Charité hospital, GIZ is supporting Peru’s efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and mitigate its impact among in- digenous communities, with the broader goal of improving public health care provision. — Training for frontline staff KOSOVO Good hygiene standards and measures to protect hospital pa- tients and staff are crucial in any strategy to prevent the further spread of disease during a pandemic. To improve the quality of training for care and health sector workers, GIZ has established a development partnership with the company Kolegji Heimerer, which operates a number of vocational training schools. The hospital-based sessions also involve training up local staff to act as multipliers, thereby ensuring quality at the hospitals in the long term. This project is funded as part of the develoPPP.de special COVID-19 Response programme. — akzente 3/20 37

CLEAR THE STAGE! CULTURE The sense of an ending. A staff member at the Sejong Center in Seoul fumigates the theatre before a public performance. South Korea was one of the first countries to be hit by coronavirus. Strict measures and rigid digital contact tracing of chains of infection helped curb the first wave of the pandemic without a total lockdown. The South Korean Government nevertheless estimates that the arts and culture industry suffered a loss of around KRW 504.9 billion (or EUR 379 million) in the first nine months of the year. Photo: Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images

ADVANTAGE Farmer Branko Ostić has his hands full. He manages a family-run farm in northern Serbia and is a big fan of quick and unbureaucratic ways to register his seasonal workers. akzente 1/20 BBranko Ostić always seems to be pressed for time. The 31-year-old constantly checks his watch and mobile phone, as if he needs to be somewhere soon. Like a rally driver, he steers his car along bumpy country roads surrounded by farmland in the northern Serbian province of Vojvodina. A conversation at his house in the village of Manđelos, around 75 kilometres north-west of the Serbian capital of Belgrade, reveals just why he is so restless. ‘Cucumbers wait for no one,’ Ostić re- marks. He says this sentence over and over again like a mantra, as if it were the philosophy behind the way he runs his business. Cucum- bers are by far the Ostić farm’s main product. Ostić sells his entire harvest to a partner in Germany, the Hamburg-based company Kühne, which delivers gherkins all over the world. In the peak season, he employs more than 150 seasonal work- ers. On a good day, they harvest up to 40 tonnes of cucumbers from 14 hectares of farmland. One of the workers is Martin Bošković from Vranje in southern Serbia. He has been coming to work for Ostić for the past four years. A member of the Roma community, the 50-year-old chooses to work at the farm because the conditions there are so good and there were no jobs at home. Harvesting cu- cumbers is hard work, but at least the Ostić farm offers decent hous- ing, he says. And the food is ‘something special’ and, he stresses, free. ‘These kinds of conditions are unusual,’ Bošković notes. On av- erage, seasonal workers in Serbia earn a net daily wage of between EUR 21 and EUR 30. This year, Bošković's wife and son have joined him in working for Ostić. Once the season is over by the end of September, the family will have a good amount of money in their pockets by Serbian standards.

Cucumbers wait for no one Serbian IT firms developed special software for the project, which was then handed over to the Serbian tax authorities. A MODEL FOR THE REGION Quick registration via smartphone Ostić started using the app straight away. The process of registering workers with the tax authorities is not cumbersome and time-con- suming anymore. The app’s launch had huge ramifications for the legal registration of workers. Up until January 2019, around 95 per cent of Serbia’s more than 80,000 seasonal employees worked off the books. Registration numbers soared virtually overnight once there was an easy way to register them online. More than 42,000 seasonal workers employed for a total of 1.2 million working days had been registered by September 2020. Over 440 agricultural enterprises have so far used the website and app, which are connected to the tax office. Serbia now has 97 centres for electrical registration of work- ers. Farmers can receive advisory services there too. Since the sys- tem’s inception, agricultural enterprises have added the equivalent of more than EUR 4 million in taxes and social security contributions to the Serbian budget. Workers also benefit from being registered. By working legally, they are entitled to a guaranteed minimum wage and local health in- surance. The employer pays their social security contributions. ‘Making employees happy benefits everyone. I learned that in Ger- many. Instead of going on holiday, I visited German farming compa- nies,’ adds Ostić. The farmer is already on the go again. ‘Cucumbers grow three or four times faster in Serbia than in Germany, and are some of the best in the world,’ Ostić explains. He would lose a lot of money if the harvest were delayed because of a technical glitch, a shortage of workers or other delays because ‘it’s the small things that matter most.’ Why did he choose to grow cucumbers? Because it’s the only legal way for a Serbian farmer to make good money, he says with a smile. — Serbia is pursuing reforms that should make it easier for the country to join the European Union in the future. A trans- parent, legal labour market with social standards is one such element. It strengthens workers’ rights while also generating tax revenue for the state which can then be invested in bet- ter services for citizens. The electronic registration system for seasonal workers is one example of how this can succeed. Funded by BMZ, the GIZ Open Regional Fund for South-East Europe – Modernisation of Municipal Services supported the development of this digital tool. This simple method of reg- istering workers creates an employment contract that makes sure employers are on the right side of the law. Employees are automatically entitled to social security for each day that they are registered, as well as a minimum wage and other legal standards. The platform can also be used to share job offers and requests. Following a successful roll-out in Serbia, other South-East European countries are interested in the system too, espe- cially Montenegro, North Macedonia and Albania. At the same time, its use in other sectors is also being explored. Facili- tating access to work while also safeguarding tax revenue is especially vital in tough economic times, like those connect- ed with the coronavirus pandemic. Contact for the Open Regional Fund for South-East Europe: Peter Wolf, peter.wolf@giz.de Contact for the Serbian e-system: Amira Omanovic, amira.omanovic@giz.de HAPPY WORKERS A systematic survey of harvesters was performed after the electronic system for seasonal farm workers was launched in Serbia. Two thirds of respondents were pleased with work- ing conditions compared with previous years. Almost half of those surveyed even said that they were very pleased. Better working conditions were mentioned most often as the reason, followed by the fact that they were paid on time and their income had improved. The most frequently mentioned benefit of the new employment system was health insurance in the event of an injury on the job. This benefit was also rated the most important. The project contributes to the following United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): akzente 3/20 43

Forging a new path ‘The unique thing about this training is that classes are mixed.’ MELESSE YIGZAW (45), Dean of the Nefas Silk Polytechnic College in Addis Ababa We make sure that refugees have opportuni- ties on Ethiopia’s labour market by offer- ing them vocational training. The unique thing about our training is that we don’t have a separate curriculum for refugees but have mixed classes. We encourage stu- dents with different backgrounds to help one another. Some of the refugees have experienced dramatic events in their lives. We provide our teachers with the psychological support and conflict management skills that they need to offer refu- gees comprehensive assistance. We work with private compa- nies to make sure that our trainees have the best-possible preparation for the labour market. We prepare people who do not join a company to set up their own business. Each year, we organise a competition where participants draw up a busi- ness plan. The winner receives assistance for his or her start- up from our college and GIZ. We have been very successful in integrating refugees so far and have trained more than 200 people altogether. Training people together also enhances our teaching methods. People come here with very different life experiences and social backgrounds. The unique thing about our school is that people help one another, sometimes even though they don’t speak the same language. We overcome language barriers by having multilingual students help others as language coaches. I’m really excited about our success and our partnership with GIZ, which is supporting us in this training mission. We’re now offering training and expertise in many different areas, from food preparation to vehicle con- struction. We had to suspend classes during the first few months of the coronavirus pandemic, but we’ve managed to arrange employment for our graduates despite this crisis. That’s a huge success.’ — akzente 3/20 45

‘Our project has reached 1,200 people so far, with this number set to rise to 6,500 by mid-2023.’ ‘I know what it’s like to be a refugee.’ THOMAS MESKEL (50), Managing Director of Tom E-Bike in Addis Ababa ‘I was a refugee myself and a migrant worker in 11 African countries before emigrating to the US. I ultimately decided to return home. I want to do something to battle poverty in Ethiopia. Working and helping refugees is something I would never have dared dream of. I can only hire a few refugees at the moment, but I want to give more of them jobs in the future. I know what it’s like to be a refugee. We’re already making excellent progress with electric vehicle assembly. We’re a small company and don’t have a lot of room in our work- shop, but we still work together with Nefas Silk Polytechnic College and GIZ. And I can train and hire refugees by doing so. Fifteen of my 55 employees are refugees. I am proof that it can work. We re- spect one another. It doesn’t matter where you come from. Fifteen or twenty years ago, Ethiopians and Eritreans were enemies. Today, we’re a team and speak each other’s language in my workshop. Some- times we get together and celebrate together. I’m optimistic about the future for my company. Electric vehicles will be a massive market in the future so there are bright prospects for my employees. I have to say that refugees are excellent learners and ambitious. When I started this business five years ago, I realised that I had to help to raise the level of the workforce in Ethiopia. Until now, there have been lots of workers, but not enough importance has been attached to vocational training. But things are changing. In the future, I want to expand and promote teamwork. The partnership with Nefas Silk Polytechnic College is an excellent way to make that happen. Stu- dents there are young and energetic – their training is directly geared towards the labour market.’ — Tobias Erbert, GIZ project manager. Read the full interview exclusively at akzente.giz.de/en Contact: tobias.erbert@giz.de A MODEL FOR INTEGRATION Home to approximately 800,000 refugees, Ethiopia is one of Africa’s largest host countries. It faces major chal- lenges connected to finding jobs and opportunities for ref- ugees. At the same time, thousands of young Ethiopians are looking for employment each year. Working on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), GIZ is supporting Ethiopian efforts to integrate refugees into the vocational training system and train them for the job market together with Ethiopi- ans. Cofinanced by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad), the project contributes towards the BMZ Special Initiative Tackling the Root Causes of Displace- ment, Reintegrating Refugees. Working in partnership with the Ethiopian Ministry of Science and Higher Education, the project has overhauled curriculums and stepped up the in- volvement of companies. The Nefas Silk Polytechnic College in Addis Ababa is a pioneer. More than 200 refugees and Ethiopians have already completed the reformed training programme there. Similar programmes are under way in four other regions of Ethiopia and will benefit 6,500 people in the medium term. The project contributes to the following United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): akzente 3/20 47

Info GOOD READS from around the world I AM A JAPANESE WRITER Laferrière tears apart the ridicu- lous notions that are associated with the words ‘authenticity’ and ‘identity’. It’s funny and very clever. After all, why shouldn’t a black Caribbean author living in Canada be a Japanese writer? A grandiose statement in novel form. — Thomas Wörtche Dany Laferrière, Haiti/Canada. Translated from French by David Homel, Douglas & McIntyre, 182 pages WHAT IS AFRICA TO ME? Maryse Condé started her uni- versity studies in Paris in 1953. A young woman from the Carib- bean, she is passionate about the anti-colonial movement. Men are a real disappointment to her. But still, she finds her way. This impressively unsenti- mental and self-critical piece delves into the post-colonial world. — Andreas Fanizadeh Maryse Condé, Guadeloupe. Translated from French by Richard Philcox, Seagull Books, 298 pages LITPROM RECOMMENDS Litprom – the Society for the Promotion of African, Asian and THE GRIP OF CHANGE Kathamuthu, a respected ‘un- touchable’, does not recognise his own village: the lowest castes are rebelling against the higher castes – all because of a woman. This bold novel delves into the complex set of rules governing Indian castes – published in Tamil in 1989 and translated into English by the author, herself an untouchable, in 2006. — Claudia Kramatschek Latin American Literature – pro- vided these reviews for akzente. Palanimuthu Sivakami, India. Orient BlackSwan, 208 pages The titles were selected from Litprom’s list of the best new releases. www.litprom.de/en akzente 3/20 49 LAND OF NO RAIN When he puts his hand on the boy’s shoulder, he ob- serves that the hand reflected in the mirror doesn’t move. 20 years have passed. The opposition member is back in his hometown and everything has changed: the regime, the religious people, the opposition, his childhood love. Even his doppelganger. — Jörg Plath Amjad Nasser, Jordan/UK. Translated from Arabic by Jonathan Wright, Bloomsbury Qatar Foundation Publishing, 264 pages

SUSTAINABILIT Y A look back at a project and its results MONGOLIA CHINA LAOS CAMBODIA VIET NAM Project: Regional Economic Cooperation in Asia / Countries: China, Cambodia, Laos, Mongolia, Viet Nam / Commissioned by: German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) / Term: April 2015 to March 2022 (Evaluation period: April 2015 to March 2019) THEN NOW Agricultural trade with China offers endless opportunities for Laos, Cambodia, Viet Nam and Mongolia. The neighbouring country is a big market for animal products and for fruit such as lychees, bananas and mangos. The ASEAN-China Free Trade Area was established in 2010. It allows Laos, Cambodia and Viet Nam to import duty-free agricultural prod- ucts. Micro, small and medium-sized enter- prises (MSMEs) do not make full use of these advantages, however. They are not aware of all of the conditions that need to be fulfilled to export goods to the Chinese market. Mon- golia could also make greater use of its lo- cation in North-East Asia to benefit from re- gional cooperation to a greater degree. The political will for regional, cross-border coop- eration is there, but know-how is lacking. The project provides information to small and medium-sized producers and retailers to ex- plain the requirements for exporting goods to China. It also translates standards and regu- lations, ensuring that knowledge is easily ac- cessible. As a knowledge bearer, China is ac- tively involved in activities in order to elimi- nate barriers to trade. To support trade facilitation for MSMEs, ex- port guidelines have been prepared for agri- cultural products in South-East Asia and for animal products in Mongolia, in cooperation with ministries, associations and customs authorities. More than 750 representatives of Cambodian, Lao, Mongolian and Vietnamese MSMEs, export associations and chambers have so far received support in exporting agricultural products to the Chinese market. Another component is train-the-trainer courses. These trainers then act as multipli- ers, passing on the knowledge they have gained. China and Germany are also work- ing together as equal development partners to support third countries, for instance in the area of continuing training. In addition, Mongolia has been able to set up a new web platform to expand cross-border tour- ism. The project also curates lists of trade statistics, free trade agreements and trade facilitation indicators in order to improve access to information portals and databases for the public and private sectors. https://mia.giz.de/qlink/ID=246062000 ) 0 5 . P ( Z I G ; S E G A M I Y T T E G : S O T O H P akzente 3/20 51 AKZENTE Publisher: Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH Registered offices Bonn and Eschborn, Germany Friedrich-Ebert-Allee 32 + 36, 53113 Bonn, Germany T +49 228 44 60-0, F +49 228 44 60-17 66 Dag-Hammarskjöld-Weg 1-5, 65760 Eschborn, Germany T +49 61 96 79-0, F +49 61 96 79-11 15 E: akzente@giz.de I: akzente.giz.de/en Sabine Tonscheidt, Director of Corporate Communications (GIZ) Responsible: Ute Schaeffer, Head of Media and Public Relations and Press Spokesperson (GIZ) Content concept and editing: GIZ: Nicole Annette Mueller (editor) FAZIT Communication GmbH: Sabrina Pfost (project management), Friederike Bauer, Brigitte Spitz, Dr Charlotte Schmitz, Oliver Hick-Schulz (artistic direction, photo editing) English translation: Abigail Dahlberg, Richard Holland, Mitzi Morgan, Teresa O’Connor, David Tonge; Gillian Lester (GIZ Language Services) Proofreading: textschrittmacher Graphic design/lithography: FAZIT Communication GmbH URL links: Where links are included to external sites, responsibility for the content of these sites lies solely with the provider. GIZ explicitly disassociates itself from all such content. Maps: GIZ/Ira Olaleye The maps are for information purposes only and do not constitute recognition under international law of bounda- ries and territories. GIZ provides no assurance that these maps are up-to-date, correct or complete and accepts no responsibility for loss or damage arising directly or indirectly from their use. GIZ is responsible for the content of this publication. Articles by individual authors do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the publisher. Cover photo and pages 4 and 16: Andrés BO All images: GIZ unless otherwise stated Copy deadline: November 2020 Published: three times a year Current issue: December 2020 Printed by: Kern GmbH, Bexbach, Germany Printed on: BalancePure, certified to FSC standards ISSN: 0945-4497 You can subscribe to akzente free of charge as a printed magazine or as a pdf by sending your email or postal address to: akzente-vertrieb@giz.de. You can unsubscribe using the same address. akzente has received several awards for its high-quality journalism and design. In 2018, it won the Best of Content Marketing Award in silver in the crossmedia and website categories.