December 15 marks the grim three-year anniversary of the civil conflict in South Sudan, which has caused the displacement of 3 million people, led to the deaths of approximately 300,000 civilians, and featured ongoing sexual violence that terrorizes families and destroys communities. The most recent violence is being carried out by soldiers in the town of Yei, an area of South Sudan previously untouched by the conflict. Ethnic rivalries and hateful propaganda have helped fuel […]

2016 will go down as the year that gender data went mainstream. Branded as “cool” by the international development community and celebrated in a film that made viewers dance for data, it was a year of progress for the gender data agenda. Here are five highlights from the year: 1. “Action for Gender Data” and Melinda Gates’ Landmark Speech in Copenhagen On May 17, 2016, at the Women Deliver conference in Copenhagen, Data2X and 10 government,

Reading our newsfeeds and learning about tragedies unfolding around the world has left many people feeling hopeless. As someone who works on international issues, many people have reached out to me to share their dismay about the world. And while there are no simple answers to the conflict, violence, and inequality we’re grappling with today, I tell them my belief: That giving up is not the answer. We have serious global challenges, and on many

By Jordie Hannum, Executive Director of the Better World Campaign  “I want to be a nurse.” This comment was made in response to my age old question of, “What would you like to be when you grow up?” I’ve asked this question to children in the United States, but this time I was in Uganda, speaking with a 14-year-old girl, Malacondia, who attends St. Luke’s Primary School in the northern part of Uganda, near the

António Guterres, the former head of the UN Refugee Agency and former Prime Minister of Portugal, will take office as the next United Nations Secretary-General on January 1, 2017. At a swearing-in ceremony in mid-December, he addressed the UN General Assembly, highlighting important priorities for the UN, including peace, sustainable development, and management reform. Here are eight quotes from his December 12 speech to the General Assembly: · “In the end, it comes down to

Although Zika rightly dominated many headlines related to global health in 2016, as we approach the end of the year, we would like to take a moment to reflect on some of the other major global health events and milestone throughout the year. It was a momentous year with many achievements and lessons learned, including: Outbreaks and World Health Organization Health Emergencies Programme Over the last few years, the world witnessed several major outbreaks, from

As we head into a new year, it is always interesting to look back at this year’s most memorable and poignant moments. Some of the events in 2016 were groundbreaking, while others were heartbreaking, yet all are important to remember as we reflect on how to build a more just world alongside the United Nations in the years to come. 1. Team Refugees[Photo credit: UNHCR] The 2016 Summer Olympics were an exciting example of countries

How can we make youth initiatives sustainable? I was asked this question at the Youth Assembly at the United Nations during a session called “Engaging Youth in Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).” The Youth Assembly is recognized as the largest and longest running youth conference at the United Nations; its mission is to empower youth to achieve sustainable development on the individual, local, and global levels. As the Youth Engagement Manager for the United

The world is filled with serious challenges, yet now is not the time to give in to pessimism and walk away. Progress is possible when people come together and act alongside the United Nations. The world can get better, and in many areas, we’re making important strides. Here are a few good news stories of progress you may have missed this year. Climate action takes big steps forwardIn 2016, the world continued to move from