“Jobs are Transformational” Says Big New World Bank Report Alexandra Duszak October 3, 2012A new World Bank report on jobs says that jobs are crucial for development and for lifting people out of poverty. The latter might seem obvious (Of course a job would help someone escape poverty!), but the reality is much more complicated than that.
From the Social Good Summit: Muhammad Yunus Inspires a Generation Alexandra Duszak September 23, 2012Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus, founder of Grameen Bank and developer of microfinance and microcredit, spoke about the power of technology and innovation to lift people out of poverty at the Social Good Summit on Saturday.
From the Social Good Summit: If Jan Karski Had Twitter… Alexandra Duszak September 23, 2012In the midst of World War II, Polish Underground member Jan Karski was traveling throughout Europe and to the U.S., trying to convince with political leaders like President Franklin D. Roosevelt to intervene on behalf of Jews being slaughtered in the Holocaust. No one wanted to help.
From the Social Good Summit: Uniting the Diaspora on Social Media Alexandra Duszak September 23, 2012The African diaspora has had an enormous impact on the continent in recent years. As doctors, nurses, lawyers and engineers have left their home countries, their skills have gone with them. But although those emigrants may have moved thousands of miles away, they are still very much tied to their homelands.
Social Good Summit Kicks Off in New York Alexandra Duszak September 22, 2012The UN Dispatch team is covering a host of conferences in New York City this week, including the Social Good Summit which kicked off today. If you are in New York, come by to the 92Y and say 'hi.' If you are anywhere else in the world, you can follow the conversation online.
Baby Steps: Saudi Arabia Finally Lets Female Athletes Compete At Olympics Alexandra Duszak June 25, 2012The Saudi Government will finally let women compete at the Olympics. But don't expect female athletes to turn out in droves in London this summer.
The New Fight Against the Old Problem of “Land Grabbing” Alexandra Duszak May 4, 2012On May 11, the UN Committee on Food Security will vote on voluntary guidelines to govern the practice of land tenuring. Ahead of that decision, a coalition of NGOs has released Land Matrix, a data visualization tool that helps paint a more complete picture of an issue that’s become increasingly important in many parts of the developing world over the past four to five years.
The Most Interesting World Bank Race…Ever Alexandra Duszak April 9, 2012Today marks the beginning of the three-day interview process that will determine the next president of the World Bank. This is the first time that there is more than one serious candidate for World Bank president, and the first time that non-Americans are being considered for the position.
Why We Need to Defeat Cholera Alexandra Duszak March 29, 2012Access to safe water and basic sanitation has been on the U.N.’s books as a fundamental right since 2010, but there are more tangible reasons that inadequate access to sanitation is an issue.
