What is the role of business in achieving development goals post-2015?
In the period since the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were established business has made a considerable impact on poverty reduction. In the second edition of ‘Business and the MDGs: A Framework for Action’, published in 2008, IBLF identified the three spheres of influence though which the positive impacts of business occur: core business, community investment […]
Post-2015: Why a focus on business responsibility and tax would be a missed opportunity
In contrast to twelve years ago, when the Millennium Development Goals were first agreed, now – as the world starts to think about what will replace them in 2015 – business is very much on the agenda. Business Fights Poverty has co-hosted two events that looked at this (one on Tuesday and one in September), […]
Business, the MDGs and Beyond
The world has made more gains against poverty in the last 50 years than in the last 500. Since 1990, over six hundred million people have been lifted out of poverty. The world is within reach of seeing every child enrolled in primary school, and many fewer lives are being lost to hunger and disease. […]
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 […]
Competitions Work
Perhaps it’s in my American DNA. Or, perhaps, it’s because I am enticed, like many, by the lure of a shiny prize. And it doesn’t even have to be a big one. Just last summer, for example, I signed my six-year-old up for the annual cherry pit spitting competition here in Zug. Why put the […]
Is Your Company Doubling Down on its Employee Volunteers?
No matter how much a company praises the corporate volunteering efforts of its employees, it can seem like so much hot air without making a commitment of its own. A photo-op or feature in a company newsletter is one thing, but with the growing importance and visibility of corporate social responsibilityefforts globally, smart companies are […]
Quid Pro Bono: Very Nice and the Business of Volunteering
All too often, corporate citizenship is an afterthought. Sure, Fortune 500 companies frequently offer employee volunteer programs and matching gifts, and contribute pro bono work on a massive scale. However, incorporating corporate social responsibility as a way of life rather than just treating it as an extracurricular activity is more often the exception rather than […]
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 […]
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 […]
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. […]
Profiting from undernutrition? The challenges of distributing foods through private channels
In my last post, I looked at how businesses are jumping into the marketplace for therapeutic foods, products designed to treat acute malnutrition. Yet the potential market for nutritional foods that can be eaten on a day-to-day basis is much bigger: as large as $5 billion, according to Valid Nutrition, a social enterprise working to […]
Q&A with Gordon Brown, UN Special Envoy for Global Education
Q: There is growing concern that the world is likely to miss the Millennium Development Goal on education. What are the the top priorities for action? A: I’m convinced that with a renewed focus on education under the banner of the UN Secretary-General’s ‘Education First’ initiative we can get every child into school in the […]
Q&A with Gordon Brown, UN Special Envoy for Global Education
Q: There is growing concern that the world is likely to miss the Millennium Development Goal on education. What are the the top priorities for action? A: I’m convinced that with a renewed focus on education under the banner of the UN Secretary-General’s ‘Education First’ initiative we can get every child into school in the […]
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 […]
Top 5 Issues to Strongly Consider If You Are Thinking About Starting a Socially Conscious Business in a Developing Country
As we may be aware either in practice or theory, it is not easy to start a business. It’s even more complex when a portion of your business operates overseas. My career in international development has exposed me to the complexity of cultural systems around the world. However, Evolvemint has allowed me to understand the […]
Access+: A Focus on Education in Africa
As the international community begins defining a post-2015 development agenda, Africa faces a twin crisis of access and learning. With new research, in depth coverage and perspectives from leading thinkers, This Is Africa considers the role learning might play in a post-MDG development agenda on education. This September we are taking an in depth look […]
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 […]