Humanosphere

Gates Foundation polio chief on eradication dance: Two steps forward, one step back

Tom Paulson — Wed, 22 May 2013 21:54:43 +0000

Children disabled by polio begging in Abuja Mike Urban On the whole, there’s been a lot of good news lately about the global campaign to eradicate polio — a significant reduction in reported cases so far this year, new money pledged to the effort and a recent announcement by the Taliban in Afghanistan that it … Continue reading →

The slowly bleeding and diminished champion of global health, WHO

Tom Paulson — Wed, 22 May 2013 20:35:13 +0000

While there has been a substantial increase in the past decade for global health funding overall, with the growth of private donors like the Gates Foundation as well as the creation of multi-lateral funding mechanisms like the Global Fund to Fight AID, TB and Malaria, many experts are concerned that the shrinking clout and influence of WHO -- as goofy as it can be -- risks undermining the primary vehicle needed to globally set global health policy. Continue reading →

Want to play the refugee game? There’s an app for that…

Tom Paulson — Wed, 22 May 2013 20:15:01 +0000

I can’t decide if this good, bad or ugly. So I merely pass it on – the UN’s new iPhone or Android app that allows users to pretend to be a refugee fleeing violence, persecution or disaster. Take that Angry Birds! Source: Mylifeasarefugee Built for iOS and Android, ‘MY LIFE AS A REFUGEE’ lets players … Continue reading →

Council on Foreign Relations: US now more unequal than Mexico, 10 other Latin American countries

Tom Paulson — Wed, 22 May 2013 20:10:33 +0000

This story opens by saying ‘most everyone agrees that inequality’ matters. I’m not sure that’s true. In the U.S., we’ve come to accept inequality as a natural consequence of things and any politician who uses the e-word gets branded a socialist … or worse. As a consequence, we are becoming one of the most unequal … Continue reading →

Another attempt to define social enterprise

Tom Paulson — Wed, 22 May 2013 19:56:45 +0000

The terms ‘social enterprise’ and ‘social entrepreneur’ get bandied about a lot but few — even many of those who use the terms — have a clear notion of what they’re talking about. There is definitely a lack of consensus as to meaning, which the authors of this article in Stanford Social Innovation Review believe … Continue reading →

How (bad) messaging fueled Britain’s measles outbreak

Tom Paulson — Wed, 22 May 2013 19:56:27 +0000

The delightful Nancy Shute, a longtime friend and colleague, explores how one misguided doctor — assisted by the media — led to Britain’s current measles outbreak. Sometimes, words can do as much damage as sticks and stones. Source: Npr Great Britain is in the midst of a measles epidemic, one that public health officials say … Continue reading →

News Rounds: Fighting erupts in Congo as UN chief visits, bird flu outbreak so far cost China $6.5 billion, on neglected ‘everyday’ disasters for the poor and more

Tom Paulson — Wed, 22 May 2013 19:56:08 +0000

Mortar lands in Goma during UN Secretary General’s Congo visit (AP) — A mortar landed in a neighborhood of Goma, a major city in eastern Congo, which last year was briefly overrun by a rebel group. The explosion comes as U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon arrived there. Bird Flu Costs in China Set at $6.5 Billion … Continue reading →

New website continues poverty porn debate

Tom Murphy — Tue, 21 May 2013 19:05:28 +0000

A group of NGO workers and activists are hoping to ramp up the conversation about how poverty is depicted. Their new platform, Regarding Humanity, seeks to foster dialogue about poverty porn, but to bring together practitioners, educators, journalists, and students in the question: “How do we as a community dedicated to social impact maintain local agency, … Continue reading →

Skip the Corporate Social Responsibility and Invest Local

Tom Murphy — Tue, 21 May 2013 17:30:47 +0000

Building Markets wants corporations to put the breaks on its corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs and put the money into local investments. Ainsley Butler explains in a blog post today: Poverty can be beaten when people have jobs. In the world’s poorest economies, 9 out of 10 jobs are created by small business owners. Access to … Continue reading →

Earth’s Forgotten Nations: the least visited countries in the world

Tom Murphy — Tue, 21 May 2013 17:00:05 +0000

Roughly 79.5 million people make a trip to France each year making it the world’s most visited country. The least visited country is a Pacific Island nation of Nauru. For those of you who may have guessed North Korea, you could not have been more wrong. The reclusive state that likes to launch missiles into the ocean garners … Continue reading →