The Sustainable Development Goals established an agenda for transforming the world in which we live. SDG1 sets for the ultimate objective for the global community: to end poverty in all of its forms by 2030. The remaining 16 SDGs identify critically interlinked objectives which are both necessary and sufficient to achieve this objective. They clearly…
In 2015, the United Nations ratified the Sustainable Development Goals, which include bold targets to eradicate poverty and deliver comprehensive healthcare worldwide by 2030. To achieve Goal 3, ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all at all ages, reaching the largest segment of the world’s poor — the women, children, and men who live…
As we explore economic empowerment during the Global to Local campaign and prepare for Global Entrepreneurship Week, we reflect on what it takes to empower women economically. Today, women across the globe still too often face implicit and explicit barriers to full economic participation. As practitioners working for global development, we do right to pause…
Why is inclusion important for development in the Dominican Republic? Inclusion means broader participation and deeper protections for subgroups and cultures represented in Dominican society, which strengthens their individual and collective participation in democratic processes. When diverse and intercultural perspectives are taken into account, public policies better reflect the protections of modern democratic values. The…
Earlier this year in Mombasa, a youth activist told me he knew plenty of young men who joined Al Shabaab. Many had participated in livelihoods and vocational training activities funded by NGOs. Some even found jobs. Nonetheless, they decided to join the notorious violent extremist organization. This was not the first time that I had…
Ever since the term “sustainability” entered the mainstream in the 1980s, companies have struggled to convince their boards and investors of why they should integrate social and environmental dimensions into their core businesses. I have heard from many executives who are eager to invest in sustainability but find themselves stuck with the same question: “How…
Today Chemonics and Devex launch Global to Local, a three-week discussion about the importance of investing in sustainable and inclusive systems in developing countries. I am excited for Chemonics to have the opportunity to host this conversation with Devex, because this issue has never been more important. We all know development challenges are complex. The…
Earthquakes, hurricanes, epidemics, outbreaks — when disaster strikes, the immediate needs like food, shelter, and medical aid are obvious. It is easy to see these needs as they often manifest in physical and more tangible ways. Yet the residual mental health effects of any crisis, be it a natural disaster, conflict, or a health outbreak…
A few weeks after the CITES COP17, which took place earlier this month in Johannesburg, I am left wondering: What impact will the increased prohibitions on the international trade of endangered animal and plant products have? And how will the rural African communities I work with, who deal with dangerous wild animals, see the agreements?…
Imagine it’s your job to prevent crime and violence in Guerrero, the second most violent state in Mexico, with 46 murders per 100,000 inhabitants. What would your prevention program look like? What sort of information would you want access to before you designed your program? Much like actual policy-makers, you would probably want to know…
This year’s Global Youth Economic Opportunities Summit challenged participants to think about achieving and scaling results in youth development over the next decade, while including youth in the process. From your perspective, what does the next decade hold for youth in development? Isaiah: From my perspective, the greatest challenge facing youth is a lack of…
The internet is ablaze with tutorials and commentaries on “open innovation.” Since Dr. Henry Chesbrough coined the term in 2003, how to best integrate innovative concepts into business models has been a hot topic. I recently attended the Open Innovation Summit, which brought together a diverse group of presenters and attendees, from General Electric to…