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Oral diseases most prevalent globally - nbc

Debmarine extends a helping hand to community hostels - nbc

Shishugho family commends government for support - nbc

Kavango East education directorate decongests schools - nbc

Oral diseases most prevalent globally: Oral diseases most prevalent globally NBC Online Wed, 09/18/2024 - 16:44

Voter Education: The Role of the Media and Civil Society: As Namibians prepare to head to the polls for presidential and national assembly elections on 27 November, the importance of well-informed and unbiased voter participation cannot be understated. Elections are the basis for democratic governance and offer citizens the opportunity to mould their government and hold their political leaders accountable. For democracy to function effectively, voters must have access to fair, balanced, and unbiased information. In this respect, there is a need to explore the important roles of the media and civil society in voter education, focusing on the challenges posed by skewed media coverage and a critical need for proper training and resources for journalists. In addition, there is a need to highlight the importance of engaging the youth and marginalised communities to ensure an inclusive electoral process. The media plays a crucial role in voter education in any democratic society by providing fair and factual coverage of political events and candidates, and by ensuring voters are well-informed and able to make informed choices. Its role includes fair coverage for all political parties and candidates, not just those with the biggest budgets or extensive influence. Beyond reporting, it involves analysing political promises and party platforms and offering a variety of perspectives. In a healthy democracy, the press should endeavour to present diverse viewpoints and avoid favouritism. In this way they can help create an informed electorate capable of making decisions based on a clear understanding of all options. For example, press outlets in Sweden and Canada are known for their commitment to balanced reporting, which contributes to high levels of voter engagement and helps to build trust in the electoral process. In guaranteeing that all candidates receive equal airtime and coverage, these countries support a well-informed electorate and develop a more competitive political landscape. LEGAL AND ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITIES Media organisations have legal and ethical obligations to provide impartial coverage. In Namibia, this includes following regulations set by the Media Ombudsman and other relevant bodies. These regulations are designed to prevent media bias and to ensure that all political entities are represented fairly. Also, ethical journalism standards highlight accuracy, fairness, and the prevention of conflicts of interest, all of which are essential for maintaining public trust and promoting democratic values. In Namibia, the media landscape is heavily influenced by the ruling party, Swapo, which has significant control over state media institutions such as print, television and radio media. This and the ruling party’s substantial financial resources create an imbalance in media coverage, which often results in a narrative that exaggerates its…

Only a Sustainable Bioeconomy Can Save Us: The world economy continues to over-exploit nature, despite being fully dependent on it. It is easy to see why this is unsustainable, especially in light of dangerously escalating climate change. With the biodiversity financing gap estimated to be about US$700-900 billion a year, calls are growing ahead of October’s United Nations Biodiversity Conference in Cali, Colombia (CoP16) to “invest in nature”. But these well-meaning efforts miss the bigger picture. Investing in nature will not save it so long as the global economy consumes more natural resources than the planet can sustain. It is like trying to shift to a low-carbon economy by using expensive carbon storage schemes, while simultaneously allowing fossil fuel intensive industries to emit ever more greenhouse gases. THE POTENTIAL IS ENORMOUS Instead, what is needed is a regenerative global economy that preserves and restores nature and, in so doing, helps the world achieve crucial climate goals. In short, we must work toward a sustainable and equitable bioeconomy. The bioeconomy comprises a wide range of sectors and business activities. Most obvious are regenerative forms of agriculture, fishing, forestry, and aquaculture. There are also the many ways that technology is combined with land- and sea-based production, from bio-based plastics to bioenergy and biopharmaceuticals. Lastly, there are the many opportunities to financialise nature’s value through high integrity and equitable nature-based carbon and biodiversity credits. The potential is enormous. The World Bioeconomy Forum estimates the current value of the global bioeconomy at US$4 trillion, with some projections showing that this could rise to US$30 trillion or more by 2050. But the bioeconomy is not automatically sustainable or equitable. It can destroy nature, such as through overfishing and deforestation. Similarly, it can deepen inequalities: Land grabs by foreign investors have already been reported, leaving nature-rich countries and local communities in the Global South worse off. FAIR SHARING OF PROFITS For example, one major question on the biodiversity agenda is how to ensure fair sharing of the profits earned from the digital sequencing of genetic resources. DNA sequence data – called ‘digital sequence information’ (DSI) in policy circles – have revolutionised the life sciences and are fueling innovation in sectors such as food security, medicine, green energy, and biodiversity conservation. Open access to the SARS-CoV-2 viral sequences was partly responsible for the rapid development of diagnostic kits and vaccines. DSI also has many commercial applications and offers new opportunities for economic development. It is promising that negotiators recently agreed on a draft recommendation for operationalising the fair and equitable sharing of benefits from DSI,…

BoN issues new warning on Global Green Trading activities : The Bank of Namibia (BoN) has issued a renewed warning against Global Green Network, now trading as Global Green Trading, for continuing to operate in violation of the Banking Institutions Act. This follows an earlier caution in 2020 regarding the illegal financial scheme, which relies on recruitment rather than offering legitimate products or services.  According […]

Toenemende selfmoorde ‘weens veranderde samelewing’: Sedert 2021 het 220 mans en 57 vroue selfmoord gepleeg in die Omusati-streek, met manlike selfmoorde wat elke jaar toeneem. In 2021 het 46 mans selfmoord gepleeg, wat toegeneem het tot 61 in 2022, en 75 in 2023. Tot dusver vanjaar het 38 mans hul eie lewe geneem. Dit is onthul deur Omusati-polisiebevelvoerder, kommissaris Ismael […] The post Toenemende selfmoorde ‘weens veranderde samelewing’ appeared first on Kosmos 94.1.

National Indigenous Knowledge Systems Council Appointed: [Namibia Economist] Eight members were appointed, to the National Indigenous Knowledge Systems Council (NIKSC) by the National Commission on Research, Science and Technology (NCRST), recently.