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Malaria pervades every community in my homeland, South Sudan. I was in my village, Ayiet, last summer and brought three months’ worth of anti-malarial pills from the United States for my own protection. One morning, my six-year-old brother, Matiok, woke up with a high fever.

On April 22, more than one billion people in 192 countries will come together on Earth Day to Mobilize the Earth™ and call for a sustainable future. From Rome to Rio, London to New Orleans, Beirut to Muscat, Kolkata to Jakarta, Beijing to Melbourne, communities everywhere will voice their concerns for the planet and demand change.

During her trip to Washington D.C., Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Christiana Figueres, visited the United Nations Foundation. UN Foundation Vice President for Climate and Energy, Reid Detchon and Figueres held a media roundtable with some of D.C’s most prominent climate and energy reporters.

Hey moms and dads – check out the “Here’s to More!” Shot@Life contest on the BabyCenter Community! Help give children around the world a shot at more firsts by designing a t-shirt for Shot@Life, a new campaign from the United Nation’s Foundation that helps provide children in developing countries with life-saving vaccines.

I find the work of the United Nations inspiring. As a 23-year-old, I want my generation to understand the importance and significance of the UN and why it is a vital part of our world. Decisions made today will shape our future and I know the UN helps make all of our futures brighter. Join me and the Better World Campaign as we kick-off our new campaign – My World. My UN. We are starting a conversation about your hopes for a better world through the work of the UN.

Have you been keeping up with world news this week? Check out some of our favorite stories in this week’s “What We’re Reading” post.

As part of the itinerary in India this week, United Nations Foundation Board members participated in a televised conversation with one of the country’s leading journalists, NDTV’s Barkha Dutt. She interviewed UN Foundation Founder and Chairman Ted Turner, Foundation President Senator Timothy E. Wirth, and Co-chairman of Infosys Technologies Kris Gopakakrishnan on issues ranging from the evolution of philanthropy, the role of the United Nations, and how partnerships and innovation are powering a more sustainable future for India.

More than 1 billion people currently use birth control. For the most part, they do it without hesitation. They do it because they want the power to plan their own lives—and to raise healthy, happy families when they are ready to do so.

Today’s speech by Melinda Gates at TedXChange is a bold and timely call-to-action on family planning. As Melinda rightly points out, there is no controversy about building better lives for our children.

As we prepare to return from India and the semi-annual UN Foundation Board meeting, I am struck by one of the themes that emerged from discussions this past week: the need for long-term investments in humanity. This is more than just a lofty phrase. It is a call for a fundamental shift in the way people think about philanthropy, partnership, and working with the United Nations.