In my home country of Liberia, the social and cultural impact on adolescent girls’ sexual and reproductive health is devastating.  Girls face many issues when it comes to their sexual reproductive health and rights, including social isolation, lack of education, traditional practices, economic disparities, violence and issues of confidentiality and stigmatization. Over the years, several laws and policies have been enacted to address these issues (Rape Law, Inheritance Law, Sexual Reproductive Health Policy, Girls Education […]

Welcome to the first September edition of In Case You Missed It.  Between the start of the school year, the return of football and getting through the daily to-do list, it can be a busy time of year.  Here’s a quick rundown of news you may have missed.  Let us know what you’re reading! Nick Kristof Joins the Social Good Summit: The Social Good Summit’s all-star line-up of speakers got bigger this week with the

There are many definitions of entrepreneurship: Something done to create value in a society Enterprising to make a lot of money Creating something new or building an organization to create something new under conditions of extreme uncertainty The big one today: job creation Creating jobs and the “next Mark Zuckerburg” has become the sexy way of talking about entrepreneurship.  While this has gotten the media to shed light on the important role entrepreneurship plays in

NY Fashion Week was transformed this week. There was still high fashion, a runway and even a stylist and a make-up team. But at Strut – The Fashionable Mom Show, there were also moms from all walks of life who do extraordinary things. My role in the fashion show was to showcase much more than evening wear – I was showcasing Shot@Life. In a room full of of mission-driven moms, I couldn’t think of a

Did you know that 1.3 billion people – one in five globally – have no access to electricity? Some 95% of them live in sub-Saharan Africa or developing Asia. The world’s poorest are already paying the most as a proportion of their household income for inadequate, dangerous and unhealthy sources of energy. Annual global expenditures for dim, dirty and dangerous kerosene-based lighting amounts to $37 billion, but how can we quantify the human costs –

This year, on Tuesday, November 27, 2012, the UN Foundation has joined a host of great partners who are helping to launch a new movement called #GivingTuesday – a day to celebrate giving and encourage more, better and smarter giving during the Holiday Season. People everywhere including retailers, charities, online organizations, community centers, individuals, families and more will come together with one common purpose — to help others and to celebrate the great American spirit

As it currently stands the mHealth (mobile phones for health) field is fairly fragmented.  The term “thousand flowers bloom” is a commonly coined phrase at this point.  This is a far leap from where we were not too long ago–Where conference goers and thought leaders in the mHealth community were advocating on the power of mobile technology as a global health solution.  Since then, mHealth projects have cropped-up by the thousands, proving in several ways,

Each year the United Nations General Assembly marks an opportunity for global leaders to gather in New York to address and take action against some of the world’s most pressing issues. But for those not attending the conference, it can be difficult to find a meaningful way to participate in U.N. week and offer ideas from our own communities. This is why I’m excited for the foundation to be participating in the Social Good Summit,

Talking about how to use social media for social good is one of our favorite conversations at the UN Foundation.  At the upcoming 2012 Social Good Summit, we’ll be taking this conversation global – discussing how to use technology and social media for change with leaders, innovators, activists, technology experts and others around the world! But we just couldn’t wait until Saturday to get the conversation started, so we hosted a call with our partners