In the wake of protests and the removal of its president in 2014, Ukraine faces many divisive social, economic, and political pressures that challenge national unity. Eastern Ukraine particularly feels the weight of these pressures. Although the new government established a plan for key reform initiatives, these reforms have not occurred as quickly as citizens…
In Colombia, a country highly dependent on natural resources, climate change will have significant consequences. As the country consolidates a historic peace agreement with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), it must also prepare for potential environmental deterioration as former combatants and displaced people resettle in rural areas. These challenges call for early action…
Myanmar’s legal tradition is a unique combination of family customary law, codified English common law, and recent Myanmar legislation. In the five years since it embarked on its political transition, following the military government takeover and reorganization of courts, Myanmar continues to face a breadth of development challenges. Some of these include widespread poverty, an…
Somalia has suffered decades of conflict and weak transitional governments, triggered by the collapse of its central government in 1991. These conditions undermine government accountability and hinder trust in state authorities. Since 2012, Somalia has made some progress toward overcoming these challenges, but without local accountability and strong legislative processes, stability remains a distant reality.…
What works in preventing and reducing violence among youth? This report draws on the global evidence base of evaluations of existing interventions designed to reduce or prevent violence and identifies those with the greatest evidence of effectiveness. We find six types of interventions for which there is strong evidence of effectiveness in preventing at-risk individuals…
From mangroves to pine trees and sea turtles to quetzals, Guatemala is home to an incredibly diverse host of species and ecosystems. As one of the most ecologically diverse nations on the planet, Guatemala’s biodiversity underpins its food security, clean air and water, economic development, and local livelihoods. But its complex ecosystems are vulnerable to…
Getting the global economy on track to reap a demographic dividend, create prosperity, protect the planet, and eliminate extreme poverty will be difficult unless governments, international donors, businesses, and practitioners work together to harness the economic aspirations of youth. A recent study by the International Labour Organization shows that 13.6 percent of youth, or more…
Across the world, 13.6 percent of youth are unemployed and almost 20 percent, or 260 million, are out of school. For those who manage to find a job, a staggering 17.1 percent still live below the extreme poverty threshold. The truth is that there are still too many young people who lack the education, skills,…
In 2017, women around the world made up 47 percent of the formal workforce but only earned, on average, 77 percent of men’s earnings. These figures are critical in understanding the staggering inequalities present in the global workforce and the need to address gender inequality through an economic lens. Gender equity and economic empowerment are…
The conflict in Syria has decimated local governance, livelihoods, and access to education. With funding from the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs and other international donors, the Injaz II program assisted children and youth in Northeastern Syria with limited or no access to education since the start of ISIS occupation. Recognizing…
Shauna Caria is the global practice lead for Chemonics’ Gender Equality and Social Inclusion practice. With over 10 years of international development experience in Southeast Asia, the Middle East and North Africa, Central Asia, South Africa, and Eastern Europe, Shauna is an expert on disability inclusion, women’s empowerment, mainstreaming gender and social inclusion, combatting gender-based…
This activity was one of the four winners of Chemonics’ recent Market Systems and Youth Enterprise Development Innovation Contest within the market systems track.This post originally appeared on Marketlinks. Working in a market system can mean that no endeavor or initiative is too big or too small if it can lead to transformative change. In Pakistan,…