The Secretary General’s High Level Panel of Eminent Persons on the Post-2015 Development Agenda
This note provides a brief overview of the first meeting of the Secretary General’s High Level Panel of Eminent Persons on the Post-2015 Development Agenda, and provides some information on plans for the second meeting, to be held on 1 November in London, UK. The High Level Panel is committed to an open, transparent, and […]
Promoting Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Africa
On Tuesday, I arrived in Nairobi, Kenya to attend and participate in the first-ever DEMO Africa event. As the plane was landing, I was struck by how history has a way of turning one on his head. While I was a graduate student in the late 1990s at Virginia Tech, I launched an African-focused web […]
Healthcare Delivery Programs at Harvard Business School
Harvard Business School Executive Education Healthcare Programs Today’s intense healthcare debate has increased the focus on the performance and effectiveness of healthcare delivery systems across the globe. In response, Harvard Business School Executive Education offers a growing portfolio of healthcare programs aimed at improving clinical and financial outcomes. Featured Programs Business Innovations in Global Healthcare […]
My Experience as a Mentor for the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women
I’m a mentor with the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women, an international organisation that supports women by building their skills and businesses in developing nations. Mentors embark on year-long, one-to-one mentoring relationships. I am half-way through mine and wanted to take this chance to reflect on the experience. At first glance, my mentoring relationship was […]
Power of Innovation – To Change the World
“We need to use the power of technology and the creative power of young people. By combining these together you can solve these problems. It’s possible!” ~ Professor Muhammad Yunus, 2006 Nobel Peace Prize Winner We live in extraordinary times. Financial crises and economic crises are looming large in many parts of the world. Social […]
The Power of We
October 15th is Blog Action Day, and the theme this year is “The Power of We”. That idea is at the very heart of Business Fights Poverty. I am continuously blown away by the energy and innovation of individuals around the world who are pioneering new ways of fighting poverty through business: just take a […]
Smarter Impact in International Development
It was interesting to attend the event last month at the IBM Forum on “Smarter Impact in International Development” for which Business Fights Poverty was a supporting partner. Whilst good to hear about new developments in this field, especially around the power of social media, mobile technology and IT to get to a new kind […]
The World We Want
In the years up to 2015, the world needs to remain focused on securing as much progress as possible on the current set of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). At the same time, discussions have already begun on the goals and targets that could build on and succeed the MDGs. On 25 September, UNDP joined forces […]
Interview with Paul Hohnen: Greenwash, Sustainable Development and Saving the Planet
In an interview for Making It Magazine, sustainability specialist, Paul Hohnen, answers questions about ‘greenwash’, sustainable development, and what governments and the UN need to do to save the planet You have worked on economic and environmental issues for over three decades, as an Australian diplomat, as a Director of Greenpeace International, as Strategic Director […]
Reasons to be both hugely disappointed and very excited
In an interview for Making It Magazine, sustainability specialist, Paul Hohnen, answers questions about ‘greenwash’, sustainable development, and what governments and the UN need to do to save the planet You have worked on economic and environmental issues for over three decades, as an Australian diplomat, as a Director of Greenpeace International, as Strategic Director […]
The Empowerment of Women is Key to Tackling Poverty
The Bellagio Initiative caught my eye last year because of the organisations who had established it, and the mission they had set themselves – namely, the collective pursuit of answers to some of the world’s most pressing and current questions. The initiative has just published an inaugural report “Human Wellbeing in the 21st Century: Meeting […]
Is Business the New Charity?
Investing in small business and new ventures is a good thing and vital to our communities, but we must not confuse it with charity or strategic long-term social investment. In my recent interview with Jim Koch, founder of Samuel Adams (Boston Beer Company), he reflected on the traditional philanthropic activities of his company and peers. […]
Education as a Driver of Opportunity: Nothing is Impossible
“Over 10 million school-aged children are not attending primary school in Nigeria– and this number has increased over the past three years.” The last decade has marked Africa’s highest level of growth in history. Businesses have experienced increasing returns on their investments, proving that investing in Africa today can yield high returns compared to most […]
Accelerating Progress on Education in Africa: How business can help
The Global Business Coalition for Education is bringing together sectors as diverse as financial services, engineering, technology, and consultancy; all pledging to work together for better education in Africa.” What do you do in a crisis? Governments, civil society, local communities, global businesses come together. You put aside any differences or special interests; you ask […]
Education in Africa – looking beyond 2015
“If the youth of our continent are going to be successful in the modern workplace they need more than just books and pens. They need to be immersed in a technology-rich environment from an early age.” Ensuring that all children in Africa receive some sort of education at all is a challenge in itself. A […]
How can business help boost the quality of education?
“We will continue to invest in our future leaders, not simply for our important philanthropic goals but because the sustainability of our business and the economies in which we operate depend on it.” As 2015 fast approaches, discussions relating to the UN’s eight Millennium Development Goals have shifted to a dialogue around the post-2015 Development […]
Smarter Impact: A new approach to enabling inclusive economic development in the information age
We are living in exciting times. Information and communications technology has already radically changed the world in which we live in for the better. The lives of billions have been transformed – those that were once isolated or living in remote locations are now connected in a way that offers a wealth of opportunities. The […]
Forget poverty. Let's talk about business
In an article I just finished for How Magazine on the future of design, I used Paul Polak as an example of why generalists are so important to the world right now. I said, “For example, it would be easy to think of global development pioneer Paul Polak as an expert in alleviating poverty, but […]
Forget poverty. Let’s talk about business
In an article I just finished for How Magazine on the future of design, I used Paul Polak as an example of why generalists are so important to the world right now. I said, “For example, it would be easy to think of global development pioneer Paul Polak as an expert in alleviating poverty, but […]
Clean water: a conduit for a healthier society and better business
As we prepare to publish our annual Global Sustainability Report next week*, I wanted to take the opportunity to highlight the importance of water, the most important ingredient in all of our brands, and underline our drive to improve water efficiency around the globe, particularly at our production sites in ‘water-stressed’ areas – predominantly in […]