By Tony Kaye | AVN Vice-President
There is not much new to report from our programme in the field since my last update three months ago - building can't take place during the summer (June, July, August), when intermittent and often heavy rains are incompatible with mud brick construction. And many NV masons are also subsistence farmers, busy with agricultural work during these months.
AVN at major international meetings
If the summer rains prevented construction, our AVN-International representatives have been very busy promoting our programme, networking, and fund-raising. Events to which AVN have been invited recently include:
- the Terra 2016 International conference on Earthern Architecture in Lyon, France, July 11-14, where AVN CEO Thomas Granier and colleagues presented a paper on the challenges of using locally sourced construction materials in the context of AVN's large-scale programme for development of a market in earthern architecture in the Sahel
- the SXSW Eco Conference, Austin, Texas, Oct 10-12, at which AVN was a finalist in the 'Place by Design' competition, in the category 'Resilience & Health'
- the Third UN Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development Habitat III, Quito, Ecuador, Oct 17-20, at which AVN jointly ran a Networking Event, together with the Ghana Affordable Housing Network and other partners, on "Better building in Africa". As a result of this event, a cooperation agreement was signed between AVN and the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development of Ghana, which should lay the foundations for accelerating AVN's programme in the north of the country.
- the 22nd Conference of Parties (COP22) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Marrakech, Morocco, Nov 7 - 18 which at AVN had a booth and also took part in many side-events.
AVN's presence at these meetings, through the various networking events and workshops which it organised and took part in, has reinforced the importance of multi-agency involvement in development projects if they are to bring maximum benefits to as many people as possible.
World Habitat Awards 2016
AVN is one of 12 finalists for this year's World Habitat Award (we were also one of "11 outstanding finalists" for the Award in 2009). Let's hope that, this time round, we might win the Award. At the moment, an evaluation team is visiting each of the finalist's projects to advise on who the Winner will be ... fingers crossed!
Remember that it is in some measure due to your support that, over the last 10 years and more, AVN has come to be recognised as a major player for its programme of promoting and growing a market for sustainable, eco-friendly, affordable construction in West Africa. Please continue to help, and to tell your friends, family, and colleagues about our work, to complement the networking and on the international stage by our (very small and over-worked) AVN-International team based in in France.
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