The Solar Cooking Archive

 

Asia/Africa Seminar of Solar Cooker Leaders

22-25 February 2005, Nairobi, Kenya

OUTCOMES: Resolutions and 2006 Collaborative Actions

 

On the occasion of the Asia/Africa International Solar Cooker Leaders’ Seminar held in Nairobi, Kenya, 22-25 February 2005, solar cooking experts resolved that

 

Whereas recent advances in solar cooking technology and dissemination strategies, solar cookers can contribute significantly to health, safety, economics and environments of families and communities in two-thirds of the world’s nation states.

 

Therefore, we fifty solar cooking leaders from twenty countries strongly recommend that:

 

Resolution 1.  Governments maximize benefits for their people:

  1. Support policies on renewable energy with emphasis on solar cooking, water pasteurization and other applications;

  2. Include solar cookers to achieve their international commitments including Millennium Development Goals, Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers, International Convention on Desertification, and others;

  3. Provide opportunities for NGOs in consultative status with the UN system to share their expertise;

  4. Supply subsidies where needed to create a market, accepting that these are for a specific period and relate only to certain target groups;

  5. Ensure access to micro-credit or other financing mechcanisms;

  6. Provide tax breaks for users and producers of solar cocokers;

  7. Explore together with partner organizations, funding sources for solar cooking, e.g. CDM.

 

I.1.  Action by 2006 Conference: Each group advocate for governments to support solar cookers

 

a.    As tools toward achieving Milennium Development Goals.

b.    Through education, health, environment (desertification), energy and forestry related government agencies.

  1. Through a specific budget line for solar cookers
  2. Through social marketing such as a National Campaign to raise awareness.
  3. Subsidise and or micro financing for solar cookers for poor and disadvantaged.
  4. Remove barriers such as import tariffs on solar cooker materials and heavy subsidies of nonrenewable energy.
  5. Provide finance credit, possibly including Carbon Dioxide Emissions swaps.
  6. Immediately lobby appropriate ministries in our governments prior to the April 2005 so several governments will seek to include support for solar cookers at the World Renewable Energy Regional Congress and Exhibition (WRERCE) 2005 in Jakarta, Indonesia aligned with Asia African Summit on 18-24 April 2005.

 

Government Advocacy Group: Herliyani Suharta, Joseph Odey and all delegates

 

Resolution II. A partner network of solar cooker organisations be formed to support information dissemination and networking:

  1. Initiate the process of forming a world wide association based on regional and world-wide solar cooking, renewable energy or other relevant organisations;

  2. Co-operate with NGOs and other solar cooker stakeholders to create awareness about solar cooker projects to potential stakeholders.

 

II. 1. Network Action by the 2006 Conference: draft an outline for an international solar cookers association for discussion at the 2006 Conference

       

Network group: SCI

 

 

II. 2. Education Actions by the 2006 Conference:

  1. Pool curricula: Gather and review existing available curricula on solar energy (especially solar cooking and water pasteurizing) and develop new ones.
  2. Influence policy makers to incorporate into academic stream

 

Education Group: Sathyavathi Muthu, Norman Mhazo, Shyam Nandwani + experts on curriculum development and International Assoc. for Solar Energy Education

 

II.3  Health Action: Centralise and compile health data related to solar cooking in order to lobby

 

Activities by 2006 Conference:

  1. Call on individuals and organizations to supply existing research reports and articles and material

Identify individuals and organizations, contact them by June, and receive material – by Sept. 2005

  1. Place material on SCI’s network website – by Dec. 2005 with help of webmaster
  2. Compile a synthesis report on health info: Draft synthesis report by 1 Dec. 2005, evaluate draft report in Feb 2006, publish evaluated report in April and disseminate to SCI network in May 2006

 

Activities later:

  1. Maintain website
  2. Regroup resolutions: Emphasize nutritive value and retention of vitamins for malnutrition, reduce waterborne diseases with pasteurization and reduce smoke inhalation and protect eyes
  3. Disseminate available research data to governments on health and economics
  4. Do in-depth research at community level and make results available to community and partners.
  5. Solar cooker organizations and partners work with women’s groups and CBOs at all levels to organise demos for awareness of health hazards
  6. Lobby at government and international levels to support solar cookers for better health of communities, eg. In schools and health institutions. Stress safety:

·         Fewer burns, fires, poisoning (drinking kerosene)

·         Health of mother

·         Applications for waste treatment

·         Overall: presence of the mother in the home (not away collecting fuel)

 

Health Group: Naim Liniger-Janmohamed, Marta Pahissa, Marlett Wentzel, Julia Paul

 

II.4.   Networking action: 2006 International Solar Cookers Conference, 12-16 July 2006 in Granada, Spain: Support and help plan with host Terra Foundation.

 

International Advisory group: Bev Blum, Pascale Dennery, Deepak Gadhia, Shirin Gadhia, Sonia Heptonstall, Agnes Klingshirn, Jordi Miralles, Crosby Menzies, Sathyavathi Muthu, Shyam Nandwani, Ganesh Shrestha, Sanu Kaji Shrestha, Marlett Wentzel 

Committees: (each will also have one or more Spanish members)

Fund Raising: Deepak Gadhia, Sonia Heptonstall, Agnes Klingshirn, Shyam Nandwani, Marta Pahissa, Wilfred Pimentel

Papers: Marlett Wentzel, Sathyavathi Muthu, Sanu Kaji Shrestha, Ganesh Shrestha,

Exhibits: Shirin Gadhia, Jagadeeswara Reddy, Herliyani Suharta, Joseph Huma, Vincent Okello

Media: Marlett Wentzel and Crosby Menzies.

 

 

Resolution III. Media Action: All solar cooker promoters and implementers seek media visibility:

  1. Identify appropriate media channels and actively engage them;

  2. Investigate other promotional methods, e.g. drama groups, poems, success stories and songs.

 

Activities by 2006 conferences:

a. Use all appropriate means ( radio, TV, print, films, video, internet, advertisements, drama groups, poems, success stories and songs) and be clear what you want to tell and who you want to reach.

b.Invest as much in media as you do in demonstrations.

c. Share news with fellow solar cooker promoters and related groups

 

Media Group: Crosby Menzies and all delegates

 

 

Resolution IV. Producers and promoters:

  1. Incorporate commercial principles in their activities as far as possible;

  2. Form associations in order to strengthen their lobbying power to government and international organisations;

  3. Conform to standardisation and as set by the appropriate organisation in each country;

  4. Design and make solar cookers, for different consumers, e.g. portability, is important for nomads, hikers and tourists;

  5. Demonstrate the use of fireless cookers/hay boxes in conjunction with solar cookers.

 

IV.1.  Business Action: Pool and share expertise in production, marketing and funding solar cookers

 

Activities by 2006 Conference:

  1. Identify “commercial” cookers, including SK14, Sunstove, CooKit, SOS Sport, Scheffler,, etc.
  2. Gather info on how to make, import and market
  3. Gather info on funders – NGOs, developers, Co’s (?)

 

Business Group: Shirin Gadhia, Margaret Bennett, SCI and representatives from each solar cooker model willing to share info

 

 

IV.2. Humanitarian Action: Develop and market a Disaster Relief Packet (DRP) to cook distributed food

 

Activities by 2006 Conference:

  1. Prepare a DRP Kit including Wonder Box, solar cooker (funnel or Cookit) + pot + plastic bags, alternative stove (fuel-efficient biomass stove + matches), WAPI and instructions (mostly pictorial) – Sanu Kaji Shrestha
  2. Contact sources of equipment – Barbara Knudson
  3. Contact Disaster Relief agencies UNHCR, Red cross, UNDRF (Investigate their plan and provide our proposal if appropriate) – Agnes Klingshirn
  4. Write proposals

 

Later activities: Stockpile quantities by continent and regionally, produce list of sources, teams to distribute, teach

 

Humanitarian Group: Gordon & Grace Magney, Sanu Kaji Shrestha, Stella Budodi, Japheth Kokal, Agnes Klingshirn, Barbara Knudson

 

 

IV.3.  Youth Action: Identify and collaborate with youth in schools, school leavers, youth out of school and religious and other youth organizations

 

Activities by the 2006 Conference:

  1. Raise awareness of solar cooking among education authorities at all level:

Teacher training and vocational colleges, youth group and religious leaders, community-based     

Organizations and village leaders.

 

Youth Group: Barby Pulliam, Alison Curtis

 

 

Resolution V. Researchers in existing institutions in technology development, socio-cultural and economic issues conduct research into:

  1. Thermal storage and water boilers;
  2. Hybrid solar cookers – with other energy sources like kerosene, biomass or electricity
  3. Socio-cultural and economic impacts on solar cooker use and usefulness;
  4. Cost and environmental benefit analysis and income generation possibilities;
  5. Continuous monitoring and evaluation.
     

No Actions by the 2006 Conference

 

This document is published on The Solar Cooking Archive at http://solarcooking.org/Kenya-Resolutions-2005.htm. For questions or comments, contact webmaster@solarcooking.org