The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) Secretariat has launched a musical CD meant to sensitize people on issues of climate change-its causes, effects and impact on the earth. The CD was unveiled in Lusaka on 7th March 2012.
It was produced by a Zambian musical ground known as Sub Sahara Band. The CD is titled “Save the Earth”.
COMESA Climate Change Unit Advisor Dr. Maclay Kanyangarara described the musical CD as one of the effective means which COMESA will use to spread messages on Climate Change in the region and beyond. The CD will be distributed to the COMESA region.
“You will agree with me that listening to music is much easier than reading books or newspapers especially in the African set up”, Kanyangarara said.
“We decided to use music to propagate the messages because music appeals to a wider section of people regardless of age, gender, political, social, and religious affiliation” he added.
The Climate Change Advisor pointed out that despite Africa contributing only four percent of carbon emissions in the world, the continent remains the most affected by climate change. The unfortunate part is that Africa is on the other hand the only continent that will help remedy this problem (carbon emission) that has been caused somewhere else.
“Africa accounts for only 4% of carbon emission, but we are the ones who need to play a major role in mitigating this problem because of the nature of our land which is still very virgin”, Dr. Kanyangara said.
“We therefore are challenged to work extra hard to safeguard our mother land from the effects of climate change and all these messages are in the music CD we are launching today”, he added.
COMESA Secretary General Mr Sindiso Ngwenya commended the musical group for composing the music which contains messages sand in main African languages and has topics highlighting the importance of preserving mother earth. The music is also relevant to stakeholders working in the area of climate change and the public at large.
He described the CD as entertaining and urged people to use it to spread the message as effects of climate change affect everyone.
The musical CD comprises the following songs:
- Save the Earth
- Who is the cause
- Under the sun
- Wake up
- Plant a Tree
- Miminawewe
- Kumbukilani
- Floods and Droughts
- Emergency
- Ukulanyela izihlahla