Access to contraception and family planning–tools to help women and families plan for the families they want and care for the families they have –is considered controversial in too many countries around the world. But it’s not. It’s why we launched our #NoControversy campaign and accompanying storytelling site–to tell the thousands of stories of women and men from around the world who absolutely do not think access to contraception is controversial. In fact, Michelle Goldberg […]

MAY 25th is AFRICA DAY: A holiday in most African nations that began as a call for freedom from colonialism, has become a celebration of African unity, potential and promise. MamaHope as an organization summed that up for us. With only two staff in the U.S. fundraising and local teams on the ground in communities throughout Africa working on projects initiated by those same communities, this small and passionate non-profit team are redefining how we

I’m painting a room in my house. Anyone who’s taken on a home project knows that picking a paint color can be a truly excruciating drill. I’ve got blue on the brain (there’s a fair amount of “UN Blue” found in our offices) but “UN Blue” isn’t an option from Sherman Williams. This exercise got me thinking about the symbolic power of the UN’s famed blue found on its peacekeepers uniform. That blue helmet (or

Today, United Nations Peacekeeping celebrates a birthday. At 64, I think it’s safe to say that Peacekeeping is officially in its prime. Surely, with its years have come many hard-earned accomplishments. In fact, to date there have been 67 peacekeeping operations on four continents. But ever since its infancy, this historic—and indeed heroic—institution has been an overachiever. What began with a handful of brave souls setting out to the Middle East amid the 1948 war

The spot where we had stopped in Kakuma Refugee Camp in northern Kenya wasn’t supposed to be anyone’s home. The open courtyard with shelters was intended for new arrivals to gather and aid workers to distribute water containers, blankets, and other supplies. But nearly 8,000 people have flooded Kakuma since the beginning of the year, the majority of them South Sudanese fleeing violence in their newly independent country. So this utilitarian zone has become a

At six years old, my son Travis surprises me fairly often. Last month, as we planned his birthday party, I got a surprise that made me really proud of him, and reminded me that our kids are sometimes way more ready to grow than we realize. His birthday is close to Earth Day, which happened to fall on a Sunday this year. As we talked through possible themes, dates, and times for the party, and

Co-written by Nancy Lindborg, USAID assistant administrator of democracy, conflict and humanitarian affairs and posted on Devex.com on June 4, 2012 Over the past year, 13.3 million people in Kenya, Ethiopia, Djibouti and Somalia were thrown into crisis as a result of drought in the Horn of Africa, the worst in 60 years. In response, the United States — together with the international community — spent more than $1.5 billion, saving millions of lives by

When you are on board a plane, carry-on safely tucked away, the world sure seems like a small place at 35,000 feet. But as you soar above the earth, consider the BIG role we all play in making it a better place. There are many problems facing the world today — but also many solutions. The key is raising awareness and taking action. Virgin Produced, the film and television production arm of the Virgin Group,