Active Citizens

Opinion: Pope Francis’ Timely Call to Action on Climate Change

By Tomás Insua
On June 18, Pope Francis issued Laudato Si, the first ever encyclical about ecology, which promises to be a highly influential document for years to come. The encyclical, which is the most authoritative teaching document a Pope can issue, delivered a strong message addressing the moral dimension of the severe ecological crisis we have caused with our “throwaway culture” and general disregard for our common home, the Earth.

International Cooperation is Key to Effective Public Services

By Beatriz Ciordia
“Civil service excellence can only be achieved if countries have access to an international forum where they can exchange innovative approaches and initiatives,” Patrick Keuleers, Director of the Governance and Peacebuilding Team of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), said Friday.

Take Good News on Afghanistan’s Reconstruction With a ‘Grain of Salt’

By Kanya D'Almeida
Since 2002, a year after it invaded Afghanistan, the United States has poured over 100 billion dollars into developing and rebuilding this country of just over 30 million people. This sum is in addition to the trillions spent on U.S. military operations, to say nothing of the deaths of 2,000 service personnel in the space of a single decade.

U.N. Takes First Step Towards Treaty to Curb Lawlessness in High Seas

By Thalif Deen
The 193-member General Assembly adopted a resolution Friday aimed at drafting a legally binding international treaty for the conservation of marine biodiversity and to govern the mostly lawless high seas beyond national jurisdiction.

Opinion: 2015 and Beyond, Young Voices, Loud Demands

By Daniele Brunetto
As a young person interested in development, my heart beats a little faster when I look at the potential of 2015. There has never been so much at stake as this year for the future of our planet.

Farmers Find their Voice Through Radio in the Badlands of India

By Stella Paul
Eighty-year-old Chenabai Kushwaha sits on a charpoy under a neem tree in the village of Chitawar, located in the Tikamgarh district in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, staring intently at a dictaphone.

Opinion: The University for Peace, Chronicle of a Death Foretold

By Oliver Rizzi Carlson
You've probably never heard of it. When, in 2007, I tentatively searched the web for “peace education” and Google told me that a U.N.-mandated University in Costa Rica was offering a master's degree in precisely that, I was dumbfounded. As soon as I set foot on campus, I fell in love with UPEACE.

New Approaches to Managing Disaster Focus on Resilience

By Kitty Stapp
Natural disasters have become a fact of life for millions around the world, and the future forecast is only getting worse.

Opinion: No Place to Hide in Addis

By Tamira Gunzberg
My colleagues just got back from Munich, where we held a summit bringing together over 250 young volunteers from across Europe. These youngsters campaigned in the run-up to and at the doorstep of the G7 Summit in Schloss Elmau, as one of the key moments in a year brimming with opportunities to tackle extreme poverty.

Donor Conference to Tackle Nepal Reconstruction

By Zhai Yun Tan
The 7.8 magnitude earthquake that shook Nepal in April, and the numerous aftershocks that followed, left the country with losses amounting to a third of its economy.

Industrial Fisheries Crowd out Artisanal Fisherpersons in South America

By Marianela Jarroud
Millions of families on South America’s Pacific coast have long depended on artisanal fishing for a living. But they have been increasingly being pushed aside by the industrial fisheries that have made this region a major player in the global seafood industry.

From Residents to Rangers: Local Communities Take Lead on Mangrove Conservation in Sri Lanka

By Amantha Perera
Weekends and public holidays are deadly for one of Sri Lanka’s most delicate ecosystems – that is when the island’s 8,815 hectares of mangroves come under threat.

Cities Will Be Decisive in Fight for Sustainable Development

By Beatriz Ciordia
With cities increasingly in the spotlight on the international stage, urban planning and development has become a critical issue in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Opinion: We Have a Moral Imperative to Act on Climate Change

By Edwin Gariguez
My country, the Philippines, is one of the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Even though we are among those countries that hardly contributed emissions and benefited least from burning fossil fuels, we find ourselves at the frontline of the climate crisis.

Opinion: What the Philippines Can Learn from Morocco, Peru and Ethiopia

By Chris Wright and Jed Alegado
(Last week, Australian Climate Activist offered an apology to the Philippines for his country’s lack of action. Today, he partners up with climate tracker from the Philippines Jed Alegado to talk about what the Philippines can do to show its leadership in tackling climate change.)

Climate Justice: Trial by Public Opinion for World’s Polluters

By Thalif Deen
The United Nations, which is tasked with the protection of the global environment, has asserted that climate change affects people everywhere - with no exceptions.

From Residents to Rangers: Local Communities Take Lead on Mangrove Conservation in Sri Lanka

By Amantha Perera
Weekends and public holidays are deadly for one of Sri Lanka’s most delicate ecosystems – that is when the island’s 8,815 hectares of mangroves come under threat.

When a Kid With Low Self-Esteem Dreams of Becoming the President

By Kanya D'Almeida
You may have heard of Global Citizenship Education (GCED), but unless you move in international development circles, chances are you’re not entirely sure what the acronym means.

World’s Nuke Arsenal Declines Haltingly While Modernisation Rises Rapidly

By Thalif Deen
The world’s stockpile of nuclear weapons, held by nine states, just got a little smaller.

Q&A: Better Students, Better Citizens, Better World: Education Is the Key to Peace

By Valentina Ieri
In a world where high levels of social and religious intolerance, conflicts, violent extremism and environmental degradation are threatening justice and peace, the United Nations is trying to find ways to maintain world order and promote sustainable development.

Rights Groups Call for Durable Solution for Europe’s Migrants

By A. D. McKenzie
Human rights groups are calling for a sustainable solution to the migrant crisis in Europe, especially following the dismantling of refugee camps in Paris and Calais, France, over the past two weeks.
« Previous Page — Next Page »
*#*