World Humanitarian Day: What does the world need more of?

Ten years ago, 22 aid workers were killed in a bombing at the UN headquarters in Baghdad.  On August 19, World Humanitarian Day, we honor their sacrifice and the sacrifice of aid workers everywhere. The reality is that every day, many humanitarian aid workers face immense danger and difficulty providing help to those who need it most. Each one of us can support their work. Today, the UN launched a new campaign to raise awareness […]

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20 Thoughts for My 20-Year-Old Son: Blogust Day 20

1.Spend a semester at an overseas campus.2.Spanish is the new Mandarin.3.Under promise and over deliver.4.Switch from iOS to Android.5.Never use more than ten PowerPoint slides.6.Pursue moments of joy, not permanent happiness.7.Challenge the known.8.Embrace the unknown.9.Keep playing the ukelele.10.True learning starts after you graduate… Read the next 10 thoughts here. Editor’s Note: Throughout August, top bloggers are using their voices to help protect children from vaccine-preventable diseases as part of “Blogust,” a month-long digital dialogue organized

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Thanking those who dedicate their lives to peace

The International Day of Peace is exactly one month away, and over the next 30 days, we’re celebrating those who dedicate every day to peace: United Nations peacekeepers. More than 113,000 men and women from 116 countries serve as UN peacekeepers. They’ve left their homes and put their lives on hold to protect people they’ve never met and drive out violence from some of the most dangerous places in the world. Just this month, peacekeepers

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5 Reasons to Care about Access to Electricity

Today, 1.3 billion people in the world don’t have access to electricity.  According to the International Energy Agency, more than four-fifths of these people live in rural areas and more than 95 percent live in sub-Saharan African or developing areas in Asia. Why does this matter?  Here are five reasons: Powering Education: Electricity provides heating, cooling, and lighting so students can learn.  Schools can stay open later, providing a space for students to study and

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What We’re Reading | unfoundation.org

Looking to catch up on reading before the school season starts?  Here are a few stories we’ve been following. Tweet @UNFoundation and let us know what you’re reading by using hashtag #ReadingGlobal. Humanitarian aid workers making a difference: A humanitarian aid worker shares his story in Devex.  From Mynamar to Mali, worker Jimmy Tuhaise takes us behind the scenes helping children in emergency and conflict situations.  The UN has launched a new campaign, #TheWorldNeedsMore, to

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My grandfather, the peacekeeper | unfoundation.org

I’m an entrepreneur, a believer in the American dream, and the proud grandson of a United Nations peacekeeper. And more than 50 years after my grandfather was deployed to defend civilians against the worst hardships of war and political upheaval, I carry his story with me. It motivates me every day. I wanted to share it with you because it’s an important reminder that the men and women under the blue helmets, who risk their lives

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50 Years After “I Have a Dream”: Continuing to Inspire

On August 28, 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, overlooking a sea of people, and delivered words that have reverberated through time: “I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.’” Dr. King devoted his life to the ideals of equality, justice,

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Actress Sasha Alexander Reflects on Being 29

Maggie Carter, Deputy Director of the Shot@Life Campaign asked actress Sasha Alexander (Rizzoli & Isles, NCIS, He’s Just Not That Into You, Yes Man, and Mission: Impossible III) what it meant to be 29 and a few other things! Q: What is your strongest/fondest memory from being 29 years old? Buying my first house. It was a big responsibility, and I wanted my parents to be proud of the fact I was able to do

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The Blessing of a Newborn Baby Girl

When I was a little girl, my Nana used to watch me while my parents went to work. I remember how I loved pulling up to her yellow house and seeing her standing at the door of the home she loved so much. It always made me feel so safe, so secure, so loved. She was genuinely happy to see me every single morning, and that kind of love impacts a child immensely. My Nana

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