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 UN Foundation is excited to partner with the Millennial Trains Project (MTP) because entrepreneurs serve as a great catalyst for social change. Last week, our Resident Entrepreneur Elizabeth Gore joined 24 enterprising millennials for MTP’s inaugural 10-day transcontinental train journey from San Francisco to Washington D.C. These 24 entrepreneurs are currently traveling across the country, stopping in seven cities along the way, to advance projects that benefit local communities.
She started high school last week—left this house in a ball of nerves and excitement and fear and delight, curious about this new, independent path she was about to walk.
When I think of the United Nations, the first images in my mind are often the iconic UN headquarters building in New York, or news photos of heads of state. But the UN is so much more than that, as I was reminded in Tanzania recently. For many people, the UN is a very present and very important part of their lives.
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 five easy ways to make the world a better place:
Blogust Post Day 5
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.
My kids all walked at different ages, which isn’t surprising because they’re all different people, but it was surprising to me because Archer was all I knew before Fable…and Archer and Fable were all I knew before Bo and Revi…and before that, all I knew was myself from reading the baby book my mom made for me when I was a babe that is currently falling apart and full of old baby hair and a faded hospital bracelet and cards from my parents’ old neighbors.
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.
This week I was able to participate in a dialogue with a unique group of Russian leaders to share perspectives related to ongoing dialogue around the post-2015 development agenda. This session was scheduled as part of the Annual Meeting of the United Nations Foundation Board, hosted this year in Russia by Board Member Igor Ivanov. The Board met with a group of distinguished leaders to discuss how the international development agenda is evolving, and identified a number of unique ways for participation and innovation to help combat global poverty.
Living on about $120 per month in the slums of Dhaka, Nasima, 27, and her husband, a factory worker, struggled to find additional resources to better care for their newborn child. Their plight is all too common in Dhaka, a city where poverty and illiteracy are prevalent, especially among women and girls. Despite her living conditions and limited resources, Nasima’s story is one of inspiration because she signed up with MAMA in Bangladesh to gain access to timely health information through her mobile phone.
