UN – United Nations

“Refugees are people like anyone else, like you and me. They led ordinary lives before becoming displaced, and their biggest dream is to be able to live normally again. On this World Refugee Day, let us recall our common humanity, celebrate tolerance and diversity, and open our hearts to refugees everywhere.”– United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on June 20, 2015 June 20 is World Refugee Day, and as the global community faces the highest level of displacement […]

Objects in motion will stay in motion, observed Sir Isaac Newton, unless compelled to change by an external force. Today’s most pernicious problems – extreme poverty, violence, gender inequity, climate change – will continue shuttling our world toward an unsustainable future, unless we create external forces that compel change. The December 2015 Paris climate conference demonstrates that multinational agreement on a dedicated course of action is indeed possible. The Paris Agreement is but one branch in an

The first-ever World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul on May 23-24 was about people – people who have been forgotten and who are often neglected on the global agenda. Attending the summit inspired hope that the world is committed to doing more. One important takeaway from the summit was that world leaders acknowledged the importance of engaging every sector, including the private sector, to meet today’s humanitarian needs. Our problems are too big for any one sector, and we

June 20 is World Refugee Day, a day to show support for refugees – the mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters, and sons and daughters who by a tragic twist of fate have had to leave their lives and homes behind because of conflict, violence, or disaster. With more than 60 million people displaced – the highest level since World War II – now is the time for all of us, from every country and every

My name is Halima. Three years ago I was forced to flee from my home in Somalia. I could no longer cope with the bombings and destruction that were being caused by Al-Shabaab. Everyone around me was dying. Mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters. We knew it wouldn’t be long until something happened to us too if we stayed. I found safety in Uganda, who gave me asylum and settled me in Nakivale refugee settlement where more than 100,000

This World Refugee Day, I’m thinking about Nyanwour Deng, a mother of four whom I met at the Kakuma camp for refugees in Kenya. She and her young children fled violence in South Sudan and walked three days to get to the safety of the camp. Around the world, the forces of conflict, climate change, environmental degradation, instability, and disrespect for human rights are leaving millions of people vulnerable and threatening to undo our gains against global

Right now, approximately 65 million people have been forced from their homes because of conflict and disaster – the highest level since World War II. Refugees are more than a label – they are entrepreneurs, community leaders, professionals, parents, and so much more. The value refugees bring to communities rarely makes the news, but as United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has said, “Refugees are famously devoted to education and self reliance. These are brave, resilient, and forward-looking people

This week, I witnessed something extraordinary: A group of “the greats” in the public relations and communications world came together to challenge each other to produce award-winning work for an important client – the future. On any other day, they might be described as competitors. But what I saw them display was something even more ambitious. They were collaborators. As part of the meetings at the Cannes Lions Festival, these executives talked about ways to make the

Last month, from May 23-27, hundreds of leaders gathered at the headquarters of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in Nairobi, Kenya for the second UN Environment Assembly (the first was held in 2014). The goal was “Delivering on the 2030 Environmental Agenda.” The assembly provides environment ministers, stakeholders, and experts from around the world an opportunity to come together to discuss environmental challenges and work on resolutions to advance action. Achim Steiner, the outgoing Executive Director of