Latest news with #grassroots campaign
Malay Mail
3 days ago
- Politics
- Malay Mail
Mat Sabu: Amanah eyes five Sabah seats, says all candidates will be local
KOTA KINABALU, July 19 — Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) is looking to contest five state seats in Sabah for the upcoming state election, with one seat already confirmed under the Pakatan Harapan-Barisan Nasional (PH-BN) seat negotiations, said party president Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu. Speaking to the media after launching Amanah's election machinery here today, Mohammad said the party remains fully committed to working with its PH partners despite mobilising its own grassroots campaign. 'First of all, Pakatan Harapan will move as one,' he stressed. 'But when it comes to activating our Amanah members, we have to deploy them ourselves. We will cooperate fully with all component parties,' he said. He said Amanah is targeting around five seats, including Sulabayan, Tanjung Aru, and Lumadan. Asked if contesting in Warisan's stronghold Sulabayan would be a risky move, Mohamad responded that the matter remains speculative for now. 'It's not certain we will get that seat. Whatever is decided later will be based on negotiations. For now, we can only mention it as a possibility,' he said. On whether the seat for Tanjung Aru has been confirmed for Amanah, he explained: 'Tanjung Aru has been given to PH but that does not mean Amanah is guaranteed the seat yet. PH includes Keadilan, Amanah, DAP and UPKO. The final decision will be made once party leaders sign off.' Addressing Sabah's growing preference for local parties, Mat Sabu said Amanah will ensure that all its candidates are Sabahan, and will ramp up grassroots efforts to build local trust and visibility. 'All our candidates will be local Sabahan faces. Once our election machinery is in place, we will launch more community-focused campaigns to show that we stand with the people of Sabah,' he said. — The Borneo Post
The Guardian
15-07-2025
- General
- The Guardian
‘I couldn't watch the forests vanish': the man restoring Solomon Islands' vital mangroves
As the morning light hits Oibola village in Solomon Islands, the receding tide drains water through a maze of tangled mangrove roots. Dressed in muddy jeans and a worn T-shirt, Ben Waleilia moves carefully through the thick mangrove forest, searching for seedlings. Rows of young mangrove shoots stand high as Waleilia gently drops seedlings into a small plastic bucket. Often perceived as muddy, mosquito-filled swamps, mangroves are vital for coastal communities like Oibola. They provide fish, timber and building materials while their strong, complex root systems protect the shoreline and serve as nurseries for marine life. Yet in Solomon Islands and across the Pacific, mangroves are increasingly threatened by a combination of human activity and natural forces. Clearing for building materials and small-scale development has led to widespread degradation. These pressures are compounded by rising sea levels, cyclones and storm surges, all of which further erode these critical coastal ecosystems. In Oibola, Waleilia is leading a grassroots campaign to restore and protect these crucial plants – and preserve livelihoods. The 59-year-old noticed the disappearing trees and receding coastline years ago and knew he had to act. 'People talk about climate change and rising seas, but for me, it was simple – the mangroves were going or gone, and the sea had nothing to hold it back,' the community leader says. 'I couldn't just sit back and watch the forest vanish.' As populations have grown in Oibola, in Malaita province, demand for firewood and construction materials have increased, and the loss of mangroves has accelerated. Over the past 30 years, at least a third of the surrounding mangrove forest near Oibola has been cleared. Waleilia says that when he was young, his father cleared many mangrove trees to build a bigger home for his nine children. 'I don't think he realised the impact it would have. Years later, when I inherited the land, there were fewer fish, and the sea was creeping in.' Waleilia's environmental work began back in 2017, after attending a workshop on mangrove conservation. He soon became fascinated by the plants. 'I wanted to learn everything I could about mangroves – how they store carbon, support fisheries, protect coral reefs, filter water and defend our land from waves and erosion. The list just kept growing.' Now, he works tirelessly to restore the vital ecosystems by collecting seedlings and replanting. Waleilia has planted more than 16,000 mangrove seedlings over the past eight years, restoring approximately 40,000 square metres of degraded coastal habitat around Oibola. 'I've established a few nurseries and planted … mangrove trees of different types,' he says. His community is one of many in Solomon Islands working with government and other partners – such as international research organisation WorldFish – on mangrove restoration. Meshach Sukulu, a lead researcher with WorldFish in Malaita, says communities around Langalanga Lagoon and near Oibola 'have seen their mangroves vanish over the decades'. 'Langalanga Lagoon is one of Malaita's most vulnerable areas,' Sukulu said. 'Mangrove planting could be key to shielding entire villages from erosion, wave surges, and rising seas.' In Malaita, community-led mangrove restoration efforts helped regenerate more than 1,000 hectares (kha) of tree cover between 2000 and 2020, according to Global Forest Watch. This accounts for more than a fifth of all tree cover across Solomon Islands during that time. Back on his small waterfront property, Waleilia proudly shows his latest planting site. But he notes not everyone in his community shares his views – some still cut mangroves for firewood out of necessity. 'I get it,' he says. 'People are trying to survive. But I still have hope for the younger generation.' Waleilia has shared his replanting knowledge with local leaders, conducted species identification sessions and advocated for mangrove conservation in the village. Over the past few years, his leadership has inspired young people in the village to join restoration efforts to help protect their environment. 'I just want my village to stay where it is, for us to keep fishing and living on our land.'
The Guardian
15-07-2025
- General
- The Guardian
‘I couldn't watch the forests vanish': the man restoring Solomon Islands' vital mangroves
As the morning light hits Oibola village in Solomon Islands, the receding tide drains water through a maze of tangled mangrove roots. Dressed in muddy jeans and a worn T-shirt, Ben Waleilia moves carefully through the thick mangrove forest, searching for seedlings. Rows of young mangrove shoots stand high as Waleilia gently drops seedlings into a small plastic bucket. Often perceived as muddy, mosquito-filled swamps, mangroves are vital for coastal communities like Oibola. They provide fish, timber and building materials while their strong, complex root systems protect the shoreline and serve as nurseries for marine life. Yet in Solomon Islands and across the Pacific, mangroves are increasingly threatened by a combination of human activity and natural forces. Clearing for building materials and small-scale development has led to widespread degradation. These pressures are compounded by rising sea levels, cyclones and storm surges, all of which further erode these critical coastal ecosystems. In Oibola, Waleilia is leading a grassroots campaign to restore and protect these crucial plants – and preserve livelihoods. The 59-year-old noticed the disappearing trees and receding coastline years ago and knew he had to act. 'People talk about climate change and rising seas, but for me, it was simple – the mangroves were going or gone, and the sea had nothing to hold it back,' the community leader says. 'I couldn't just sit back and watch the forest vanish.' As populations have grown in Oibola, in Malaita province, demand for firewood and construction materials have increased, and the loss of mangroves has accelerated. Over the past 30 years, at least a third of the surrounding mangrove forest near Oibola has been cleared. Waleilia says that when he was young, his father cleared many mangrove trees to build a bigger home for his nine children. 'I don't think he realised the impact it would have. Years later, when I inherited the land, there were fewer fish, and the sea was creeping in.' Waleilia's environmental work began back in 2017, after attending a workshop on mangrove conservation. He soon became fascinated by the plants. 'I wanted to learn everything I could about mangroves – how they store carbon, support fisheries, protect coral reefs, filter water and defend our land from waves and erosion. The list just kept growing.' Now, he works tirelessly to restore the vital ecosystems by collecting seedlings and replanting. Waleilia has planted more than 16,000 mangrove seedlings over the past eight years, restoring approximately 40,000 square metres of degraded coastal habitat around Oibola. 'I've established a few nurseries and planted … mangrove trees of different types,' he says. His community is one of many in Solomon Islands working with government and other partners – such as international research organisation WorldFish – on mangrove restoration. Meshach Sukulu, a lead researcher with WorldFish in Malaita, says communities around Langalanga Lagoon and near Oibola 'have seen their mangroves vanish over the decades'. 'Langalanga Lagoon is one of Malaita's most vulnerable areas,' Sukulu said. 'Mangrove planting could be key to shielding entire villages from erosion, wave surges, and rising seas.' In Malaita, community-led mangrove restoration efforts helped regenerate more than 1,000 hectares (kha) of tree cover between 2000 and 2020, according to Global Forest Watch. This accounts for more than a fifth of all tree cover across Solomon Islands during that time. Back on his small waterfront property, Waleilia proudly shows his latest planting site. But he notes not everyone in his community shares his views – some still cut mangroves for firewood out of necessity. 'I get it,' he says. 'People are trying to survive. But I still have hope for the younger generation.' Waleilia has shared his replanting knowledge with local leaders, conducted species identification sessions and advocated for mangrove conservation in the village. Over the past few years, his leadership has inspired young people in the village to join restoration efforts to help protect their environment. 'I just want my village to stay where it is, for us to keep fishing and living on our land.'
CBC
10-07-2025
- Business
- CBC
Are city-owned grocery stores an answer to sky-high supermarket prices?
A grassroots campaign fuelled by left-leaning ideas led Zohran Mamdani to a resounding victory in New York City's mayoral democratic primary. Policy analyst Vass Bednar says one of those ideas — government-owned grocery stores — could potentially work in Canada.
