What We’re Reading

We all have a lot of things going on these days so it is easy to miss some of the best reads of the week. Global Connections will be blogging about the top articles of the week each Wednesday in our “What We’re Reading” blog post, so subscribe to our blogs, and check back often for updates! Did we miss your favorite article? Tell us in the comments below and we will add it.

Without further adieu, here are some of our favorite articles of the week:

Thursday February 23, 2012:

• “Bill Gates to UN: Find new ways to help poor farmers; announces $200 million in grants,” Associated Press, Washington Post
• “The Security Council just passed a sweeping expansion of the mandate of the African Union Peacekeeping Mission in Somalia, known as AMISOM. The most headline grabbing part of the resolution is that the Security Council approved sending an additional 5,000 peacekeepers to Somalia, which would raise AMISOM’s cap to over 17,000 peacekeepers,” UN Dispatch

Friday February 24, 2012:

• “Annan Named UN Envoy to Syria as Stranded Reporters Urge Aid,” Flavia Krause-Jackson, Bloomberg
• “[Photo]: A Look Back at Last Year’s Mashable Connect (Photos 16&17),” Mashable
• “Word is trickling out that Ban Ki Moon has asked former Secretary General Kofi Annan to serve as a joint United Nations/Arab League special envoy to Syria.  He would make an excellent pick, though he faces a near impossible task: to secure the immediate humanitarian access to besieged cities in Syria while mediating a political solution to the crisis,” UN Dispatch

Monday February 27, 2012:

• “Africa: USAID Supports New Haiti Project for Clean Cooking Solutions,” Nigeria News
• “Nothing But Nets – A surprising visit to our booth,” Mike Dell, Geek News Central
• “WHO takes India off polio endemic list,” Kuwait News Agency

Tuesday February 28, 2012:

• “UN rights chief says situation in Syria deteriorating, calls for immediate cease-fire,” Associated Press, Washington Post
• “Angola: UN Chief Praises President’s Commitment to Fighting Against Polio,” Angola Press, All Africa
• “Countrywide riots over the accidental destruction of Korans at an American military base have been rattling Afghanistan for almost a week and have morphed into anarchic outlets for general anger at the international community and the state of the country’s long-running conflict. Around 40 people have already died in the unrest,” UN Dispatch

Wednesday February 29, 2012:

• “Whatever Happened to Ted Turner?” Christopher Seward, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
• “Giving New And Expecting Moms Power In The Palm Of Their Hands,” Tina Sharkey, Huffington Post
• “Syria; UNICEF report; Cookstoves in Afghanistan; Sustainability “Hack-a-thon”; and more,” UN Dispatch
• “Dunkirk mom gets her newborn ready for her close-up,” Southern Maryland Newspapers Online

And take a look at what we are watching today: Hop on over to pinterest this Leap Day and check out our photo of the day!