UN – United Nations

You’ve probably seen the headlines – the U.S. administration is reconsidering its participation in the Paris Agreement, the historic United Nations climate accord that unites all nations to fight the global challenge of climate change. As pundits and advisors spar over the value of keeping the United States in this accord, here are seven reasons why participation in the Paris Agreement is important for the U.S. – and the climate agreement itself. 1. The world […]

Editor’s Note: Donate here to support humanitarian relief efforts in Yemen. “I wish I could go back to school and continue my studies.” “I was forced to leave my house by the warring parties.” “We say our final prayers every time we hear the warplanes hovering in the skies. We live in constant fear.” “I’ve spent three months waiting to receive my salary. I am tired and would like to rest, but I need to

Globally, soaring amounts of greenhouse gas emissions are driving climate change and resulting in rising sea levels and more frequent and severe extreme weather events. We’ve seen the cost of extreme weather and natural disasters here in the United States. California, for example, is continuously plagued by forest fires and droughts. Florida cities spend millions in desperate attempts to prevent and respond to flooding. And in 2005, more than 400,000 New Orleans residents were displaced

As the world commemorates World Immunization Week from April 24-30, we celebrate how far we’ve come, while acknowledging what remains to be done. We remember the 1.5 million children that are still lost each year to diseases that can easily be prevented by vaccines and the millions of front-line health workers and volunteers operating in some of the most dangerous locations on earth to save lives in their communities. Universal immunization coverage is a top

The best things in communications happen when people come together to share what’s working, and what’s not, and to share across organizational boundaries. We witnessed the power of this reality as some of the best and brightest minds in brand engagement met last Friday at the United Nations Foundation in Washington, D.C., for the kickoff of the Global Issues Engagement Council. This informal meeting was an open discussion about encouraging cross-sector partnerships for social good.

We instinctively want to shield children from life’s harsh realities, especially today when we live in a time of increased negativity and uncertainty. I think if I could wrap my own children in emotional (and sometimes physical) bubble wrap, my parenting job would be a lot easier. But bubble-wrapped kids don’t turn into self-confident problem solvers, and our world needs creative solutions from even the youngest observers. So, how do we have important conversations with

By Vimlendra Sharan, Director, Liaison office for North America of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization For a world producing enough to feed its entire population, famines are a sad reminder of our inequitable growth models and governance failures. Despite the rigorous definition by the United Nations for declaring a famine (1 in 5 households in an affected area must be severely short of food; more than 30% of the population must be malnourished; and

To some, the world may seem to be filled with unsolvable problems, but, in fact, there are many areas where positive change is happening, including on global health issues. This month, the World Health Organization (WHO) released its annual World Health Statistics report, which monitors countries’ progress on health-related targets in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These global goals aim to create a world of dignity for all and include a goal on promoting health

By Seema Patel, Program Manager for Fuels, Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves and Peter George, Director of Enterprise Development and Investment, Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves A handful of innovative companies may soon transform how low-income consumers purchase and pay for cooking fuel. By providing energy services on a pay-as-you-go (PAYG) basis, enterprises are leveraging technology-focused business models to overcome the affordability barrier previously faced by consumers unable to afford the upfront cost of household