5 Reasons Why Clean Cookstoves Matter

Editor’s Note: This is the first of a two-part series.  Check back tomorrow for five solutions to advance clean cookstoves. Did you know that cooking is a major global development issue?  Around the world, 3 billion people burn solid fuels such as wood and charcoal for their daily cooking needs.  The resulting smoke leads to a range of negative consequences for human health and the environment, and the act of collecting fuel can put women […]

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Five Ways to Help Make Sure Cooking Doesn’t Kill

Editor’s note: This is the second of a two-part series.  Click here to read yesterday’s post on the risks of cooking with inefficient cookstoves and fuels. Here’s a fact you may not know: 4 million people lose their lives each year from the simple act of cooking a meal. That’s because 3 billion people burn solid fuels such as wood and charcoal for their daily cooking needs. The resulting smoke causes a range of respiratory,

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What We’re Reading | unfoundation.org

The news doesn’t slow down for the summer, and July has been no exception. Here are some of the stories we are reading this week: Polio from 1950 Virginia to 2013 India: Amy Jeter, a staff writer for The Virginian-Pilot and a UN Foundation press fellow, draws thought-provoking connections between ongoing polio eradication efforts in Moradabad, India, and a polio outbreak that struck the town of Wytheville, Virginia, in 1950.  To help end polio for

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Knocking out malaria one net at a time

As a father of two young boys, I look forward to life’s milestones. First steps, first words, first day of school – I wouldn’t trade these experiences for anything in the world. Unfortunately, not all parents get the chance to celebrate such important milestones in their children’s lives. Some mothers and fathers across Sub-Saharan Africa are constantly racked with the task of finding ways to protect their children from a deadly, but preventable disease –

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Welcome, Samantha Power! | unfoundation.org

It’s official: We have a new U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations! Samantha Power, confirmed by the Senate today, is just the person we need to continue strengthening the U.S.-UN relationship. As she said herself, the U.S. has a “critical role to play in insisting that the UN meet the necessities of our time. It can do so only with American leadership.” We couldn’t agree more. That said, she certainly has big shoes to fill:

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Your comment can give a child a shot at life

Every 20 seconds, a child dies of a disease that could have been prevented by a vaccine. You can help slow down the clock – and all you have to do is comment. Today is the start of Blogust, a month-long initiative of the UN Foundation’s Shot@Life campaign to support the United Nations and its partners in expanding access to vaccines for children in developing countries.Every day during August, a leading blogger will share a

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How Amanda Peet Is Helping Children Everywhere — and How You Can, Too

When our daughter Frankie turned 5, it felt like suddenly a window opened up to her future. We were flooded with thoughts of how her personality would start to unfold as she grew older, and of who she could become. At 5 we started to get a glimpse of who that person will be… Read the rest of Amanda Peet’s blog at www.babble.com. Editor’s Note: Throughout August, top bloggers are using their voices to help protect

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6 Ways to Help the UN Today

On July 18th, United Nations Volunteers started their “25 Days Equals 25 Ways to Take Action” campaign.  The campaign, which connects Nelson Mandela International Day (July 18) to International Youth Day (August 12), encourages you to commit to at least one voluntary act during the next 25 days.  We figured we’d help you out by sharing this list of six easy ways to make the world a better place: 1.  Thank UN Peacekeepers You sent

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Chicago Teen Takes Action for Girls Worldwide

“This is so cool. I have to be a part of this,” said 18-year-old Martha Zuniga, describing her reaction to learning about the UN Foundation’s Girl Up campaign. Martha, who just graduated from Chicago Tech Academy High School in Chicago, Illinois, has served as a Teen Advisor for Girl Up over the past year. Teen Advisors are public advocates for the campaign and offer their ideas and feedback on its activities. And though they all share an enthusiasm

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