The AfricaAdapt Symposium opened in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia at the UNECA conference centre on March 9 2011. Leading from the opening session, the first panel of the event focused on ‘Community Led Responses – from local to global’. This interactive session followed well after the opening addresses, where the need to link international and national policies processes to local decision making on the ground was strongly emphasised.

Dr. Fatima Denton, who leads IDRC’s research on adaptation strategies in Africa, chaired this session. Fatima opened the discussion noting the value of community knowledge and how it should be used as a foundation for developing suitable and sustainable adaptation strategies that are resilient to climate shocks and stresses.
What’s a priority among Kenyan farmers around climate adaptation?

At the symposum, the challenge has been given to participants:
sum up your project's or organisation's message to policymakers in under 150 characters (not words!).
So, for AfricaAdapt, I'd write:
'Creating environment or development policy? Are you part of Africa’s leading knowledge-sharing network yet? Go to Africa-adapt.net, find what you need.'

What would yours be? Write it below and we'll share the best ones on Twitter.

How can we build a respect for indigenous knowledge into our adaptation and mitigation strategies?

How do we build networks of reciprocity - alliances and creating safety nets?

How do we define resilience and transformation?

Answers and discussions welcome below or on AfricaAdapt Symposium discussion page
http://www.africa-adapt.net/aa/ProjectDiscussion.aspx?PID=NxDcOtqzgiA%3d

How can we build a respect for indigenous knowledge into our adaptation and mitigation strategies?

How do we build networks of reciprocity - alliances and creating safety nets?

How do we define resilience and transformation?

Answers and discussions welcome below or on AfricaAdapt Symposium discussion page
http://www.africa-adapt.net/aa/ProjectDiscussion.aspx?PID=NxDcOtqzgiA%3d