Business and the Post-2015 Sustainable Development Agenda: Where next?
On 17 April, Business Fights Poverty, the Overseas Development Institute and Stakeholder Forum convened an event in London on “Business and a Post-2015 Sustainable Development Agenda: Where next?“. Speakers included Louise Haigh, Public Policy Manager, Aviva; Marianne Mwaniki, Senior Manager, Group Public Affairs, Standard Chartered; Alice Allan, Head of Advocacy, CARE International UK; Dominic White, […]
Building an early stage ecosystem for Africa’s growing community of entrepreneurs
VC4Africa is building a leading peer-to-peer network that connects African based entrepreneurs with the resources (network, knowledge and capital) they require to realize their potential. Last week we announced the launch of DEMO Africa 2013, the second time this landmark event will take place on the continent, and already we are receiveing some quality applications. […]
An Industrial Concept for the BoP: Affordable Fire and Earthquake Resistant Houses
The recent earthquakes show that not earthquakes are killing most people but the insufficient built houses. Glass reinforced pipes are very popular in the gas, oil and water industry as they are heat resistant, lightweight and almost indestructible. They consist of sand (50%) polyester resin (30%) and glass fiber (20%). With diameters up to 4 […]
Challenging conventional wisdom in Africa: Unilever and TEDxEuston
Unilever’s state of the art savoury foods plant at Riverhorse Valley in Durban, South Africa Any business that is in Africa for the long term needs to become part of efforts to drive equitable and sustainable growth. Doing this while simultaneously developing new products to meet the rapidly changing needs of a growing, urbanising, and […]
Infrastructure in Africa and How the Private Sector Helps
Infrastructure is an essential foundation of development. Effective, well-regulated systems for the provision of power, transport, water, and the fast-converging world of telecom, media, and technology lie at base of successful economies the world over. There is almost no way to overestimate their impact in raising incomes and improving living standards—whether measured through their contribution […]
2012 Series: Empowering People Through Mobile Technology
Why Charity Alone isn't the Answer to End Poverty
Over the last two decades “social entrepreneurship” has emerged as a widespread phenomenon in development work. This term is not a mere buzz word or development jargon. It has recently become a strategic and a conscious shift away from the image of the poor as passive individuals waiting for handouts, towards a perception of the […]
Why Charity Alone isn’t the Answer to End Poverty
Over the last two decades “social entrepreneurship” has emerged as a widespread phenomenon in development work. This term is not a mere buzz word or development jargon. It has recently become a strategic and a conscious shift away from the image of the poor as passive individuals waiting for handouts, towards a perception of the […]
Microsoft for Africa
Claire Lee, Head of Partnerships, Emerging Business Team, Microsoft Corporation The latest plan for Microsoft in Africa is all about enabling African youth realize their full potential. AliFaramawy, Corporate VP in MEA area, says: “For years, we have led the way in Africa: we opened many offices, hired hundreds of people, built a partner network, […]
Demo Africa
Six of the world’s ten fastest-growing economies over the past decade are in sub-Saharan Africa. At the same time, Internet usage across Africa has grown faster than on any other continent in the world. The awakening of the African economy provides an opportunity for global and African entrepreneurs and enterprises to forge partnerships for mutual […]
Emerging Africa: Unleashing Africa’s Innovation Potential
By Kris M. Balderston, US Special Representative for Global Partnerships In the last week, I’ve travelled from Johannesburg to Cape Town to Addis Ababa. Along the way, I’ve been struck over and over again by the ingenuity, entrepreneurship and innovation of the people I have met from townships to capital cities, from villages to major […]
How Will You Celebrate National Volunteering Week?
“Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.” John F. Kennedy’s inaugural words will never ring as true than during National Volunteer Week, which this year falls on April 21-27. First instituted in 1974 by President Nixon, National Volunteer Week is a time to celebrate […]
Sustainable Intensification: Reframing the Future of African Agriculture
Global discussions on agriculture policy can be a complex maze for organisations to navigate with emphasis shifting between a range of development priorities – from greater productivity and improved market access to climate change mitigation/adaptation and protection of land, air, water and biodiversity resources. Is there a system which helps us to find the synergies […]
Reducing Child Labor & Forced Labor: Best Practices for Responsible Businesses
According to the International Labor Organization (ILO), an estimated 215 million children toil in child labor around the world, and another 21 million people are trapped in forced labor. Today’s businesses have a critical role to play in reducing this problem, in partnership with governments and civil society groups. It’s the right thing to do, […]
Reducing Child Labor & Forced Labor: Best Practices for Responsible Businesses
According to the International Labor Organization (ILO), an estimated 215 million children toil in child labor around the world, and another 21 million people are trapped in forced labor. Today’s businesses have a critical role to play in reducing this problem, in partnership with governments and civil society groups. It’s the right thing to do, […]
The League of Intrapreneurs: Meet the Winners
April 9 was a day for the unsung heroes driving change within large corporations – either by shifting development challenges up their CEO’s agendas or bringing the expertise (and/or budget) of a multi-national to bear on identifying and solving a specific social problem. These are the Social Intrapreneurs, and at an awards ceremony in London, […]
Recycling Computers and Electronics Sustainably on Earth Day
As evolving technologies keep us hooked to new and updated gadgets, and Americans now own (according to the Environmental Protection Agency) an estimated three billion electronic products, one inconvenient question lurks constantly in the shadows: What are we supposed to do with all of our old gizmos? While responsible businesses and consumers want to recycle […]
Announcing the Winners of the NextBillion Case Writing Competition
In October 2012, the IFC lent Bank Tabungan Pensiunan Nasional Tbk (BTPN) $100 million to finance small and micro enterprises, including women entrepreneurs. The financing, which was six times the amount IFC provided to BTPN in 2009, marked a significant milestone for the Indonesian bank. But just a few years earlier, BTPN President Jerry Ng […]
Maximum Aspiration and Minimum Standards- Driving Change in Business Contributions to Poverty Reduction
Justine Greening’s speech on 11 March at the London Stock Exchange on business and development repays careful study. It expands on the commitment to growth and jobs that she made in an earlier, agenda-setting speech on 7 February. In that earlier speech, she committed to ‘ramping up’ DFID’s focus on helping to drive economic growth, […]
The Nigerian Sustainable Banking Principles – Paving the way for Responsible Business in Nigeria
Entering Lagos – a city of 7 million and the second fastest growing city in Africa – is quite an experience. One is immediately stunned by the chaotic atmosphere, the obvious energy that can only be found in a booming African economy and the feeling that opportunities lie in every corner. For an outsider visiting […]