(Photo credit: PAHO) Zika virus is all over the news, and rightly so. A disease with no easy and fool-proof prevention strategy, and no known cure, has people in the Americas and elsewhere nervous, especially due to the likely link between the virus and the neurological disorders in babies born to mothers infected during pregnancy. Although local and national governments and health organizations in Brazil and elsewhere have been focused on Zika since at least […]

Today the United Nations and the governments of the United Kingdom, Kuwait, Germany, and Norway are hosting a conference to raise awareness and funds for Syrians in need of humanitarian aid. The conflict in Syria has driven more than 4 million people out of the country and left more than 13 million people in need of assistance. The World Food Programme has shared a moving portrait of some of these people. – They are mothers

February 6 has been designated by the United Nations as the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). Having such an earmarked time to draw attention to what is undoubtedly a practice that harms – physically, emotionally, and psychologically – the several million girls and women who have undergone some form of the procedure and will continue to undergo it if current trends persist makes eminent sense. It makes sense because such

The future is something that we talk about, yet it can be a difficult thing to “see.” But we have gotten a glimpse of what the future will look like during a meeting taking place this week in Dubai. The theme of this convening is “shaping future governments” and it asks how governments around the world can innovate to deliver in better, more meaningful ways for their people. As the international community works to achieve

You can’t talk about the future without talking about young people. And you can’t talk about young people, without including their voices. United Nations Foundation President and CEO Kathy Calvin brought that message today to a summit in Dubai about how innovation can help governments better deliver services for their citizens – a key priority as governments, alongside the private and citizen sectors, move from agreement to action on the global goals for sustainable development.

As a woman born and raised in the United States from a middle class family, I’ve enjoyed a privileged life. This includes access to quality, affordable reproductive health care information and services. Without a doubt, this has directly contributed to my ability to complete my education, pursue the professional career of my dreams, and have my beautiful, healthy baby boy when my husband and I were ready. There are few things more central to your

In today’s complex world that is changing every day, it’s clear that we need big ideas to solve big challenges. Over the past two days, innovators, experts, and thinkers joined leaders from government in Dubai to discuss how governments can help address global issues and create a better future for people around the world. As the international community works to achieve a sustainable development agenda that promotes opportunity for all, we’ll need new ideas and

Communications is vital to both addressing global problems and advancing global progress. The more communication we have, the more awareness we have, and the better equipped we are to tackle global challenges. In the United Nations Foundation’s work to support the United Nations, it’s become clear that the first step toward action on global challenges is to make sure people know about them. Each year, millions of people around the world tune in to watch