UN – United Nations

Ten years ago today, the continent of Europe was certified polio-free. This was a critical landmark and helped to accelerate efforts to stamp out the disease everywhere. While an important day to commemorate and to honour those who dedicated their lives to this milestone, such as Dr George Oblanpenko, it is even more important to remember that the fight is not over. Europe may be polio-free, and 99 percent of the world may be rid […]

After months of hard work and planning, I took my seat Tuesday morning in the Rio+Social audience, plugged in my computer, my phone, and my other phone, opened up all of my social media channels, and waited anxiously for the program to begin. As others took their seats and plugged in, I witnessed first-hand a connection between those in the room and the thousands of tweets that began to stream in with the hashtag #RioPlusSocial.

The United Nations Foundation’s energy and public affairs team, led by UN Foundation President Timothy E. Wirth, have been in Brazil the past week for the Rio+20 summit. There has been a buzz in the halls about energy, touching two points: There’s a BIG and urgent need to enable everyone in the world to have access to electricity and modern fuels, and that creates a market opportunity.  Those two themes came together in United Nations

Imagine being forced to leave your home and everything you know to seek protection in a refugee camp. Now imagine having to start over in a new country where the language, the people and the culture are foreign to you. A group of awesome refugee girls who came to the United States from several different countries will be discussing some of these challenges and more with our Teen Advisors tomorrow, June 27 from 11 a.m.

As the United States, indeed the world, prepares for the eventual departure of Hillary Rodham Clinton as Secretary of State, I want to draw your attention to a new, in-depth New York Times Magazine profile of this ‘rock star’ diplomat. The opening paragraphs are about her commitment to clean cookstoves! Readers of this blog know that it was Secretary Clinton who launched the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves almost two years ago. The Secretary has

Two years ago, Secretary of State Hilary Clinton said, “We need to work toward a world in which access to networks and information brings people closer together and expands the definition of the global community.” This week, I saw her call to action happening live, as a group of six Internet Freedom Fellows, brought together by the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Mission in Geneva, sat down to break bread with UNESCO and

Last week, Rio+20 focused the world’s attention on sustainable development.  Issues ranging from expanding access to energy to protecting the oceans to improving health care led the global conversation. While much of the attention surrounding the conference has focused on the outcome document – which is important and should be examined – we can’t measure Rio+20’s success based solely on text.  After all, documents alone don’t produce change – change comes from people taking action.

Ryan Allis, member of the United Nations Foundation’s Global Entrepreneurs Council, is joining us today as a guest blogger. Since joining the Council Ryan has worked as the Co-Founder and CEO of iContact, the leading global provider of email marketing services, through the sale of the company this past spring. This summer he is starting a new mobile software company in San Francisco before heading off to Harvard Business School in the Fall. Ryan Allis