RIGHTS: Getting Harassment on the Map

Less common but perhaps more useful than the tourist map is the 'harassment map' that many Cairo women are beginning to refer to.

CENTRAL AMERICA: Water as a ‘Divine Gift’

"Many people still believe that water is a gift from God." This statement from a Guatemalan scientist alludes to Central America's neglect of its water resources - - and the subsequent impact on agriculture.

South Expo Highlights Homegrown Poverty Solutions

The Third Annual Global South-South Development Expo (GSSD Expo) opened Monday in Geneva with more than 400 delegates from over 40 countries gathered to showcase innovative solutions to poverty challenges that have been created in developing countries.

ETHIOPIA: First Carbon Finance Spreads Green Over Highland

It has been decades since the people of the Humbo Woreda have been self-sufficient in food. A Clean Development Mechanism project - Ethiopia's first - is restoring the environment and sustaining livelihoods along with it.

Q&A: Imagining Urban Life Without Catcalls or Rape

The U.N. Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) launched an ambitious new initiative to improve the safety and wellbeing of women in five major cities Monday - New Delhi, India; Cairo, Egypt; Quito, Ecuador; Kigali, Rwanda; and Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea.

Despite Setbacks, Africa Seen as Key Player in Future

As the international community commemorated Africa Industrialisation Day last week, United Nations officials expressed mixed emotions about a beleaguered continent plagued by a rash of political, economic and military crises.

LATIN AMERICA: Social Innovation Award Aims to Open Government Policy Doors

"Now it's just a matter of showing the projects to the governments so they can transform them into public policies," said Martín Hopenhayn, director of social development for the Latin American and Caribbean economic agency ECLAC, at the close of a conference here that showcased thousands of community-based development initiatives.

LATIN AMERICA: Community Projects Want to Graduate to Public Policy

"On Dec. 15, we will make the great leap ahead when we present our health programme, our hospital boat, to the country," Caetano Scannavino announced in the name of a community project that has achieved one of its aims: to be included in the Brazilian government's social policies.

“Perfect Storm” Spurred 2007-08 Food Crisis, Study Says

Rising food prices have not yet reached crisis levels but they are expected to remain very volatile for about the next decade, researchers said Thursday.

Brazil’s President-Elect Brings Gender to Government

In a move seen as a sign that gender will be important in her government, Brazil's president-elect Dilma Rousseff is preparing a Cabinet that is one-third women.

ETHIOPIA: They Have Become Farmers of Trees

They have spent the better part of their lives destroying the forest, but Kochito Gabre and his cohort are now the guardians of a UNESCO-recognised resource in the Ethiopian highlands. After shrinking to barely half its original size, the Kafa Forest is now a model for sustainable use in the country.

BANGLADESH: School’s In To Drive Poverty Out

Since her admission in January 2009 into Kurmitola government primary school in the Khilkhet district of capital Dhaka, 10- year-old Anju Aktar has never missed a day of class. In fact, Aktar’s mid-term report card shows that she is one of the school’s top students.

World’s Poorest Nations See a Glimmer of Hope

When the U.N. General Assembly recognised a special category of member states ranked as Least Developed Countries (LDCs) back in 1971, there were only 25 which qualified for the dubious distinction of being the "poorest of the world's poor".

Cracks in Costa Rica’s Green Image

For many, Costa Rica embodies the notion of a country committed to taking care of its natural environment. But Costa Rican activists beg to differ, and have a list of the actions that contradict the country's green "for-export" image.

Funding Cuts on Horizon for Global Health, AIDS

Over the past several years, the number of people needing treatment for HIV/AIDS has risen, but so has the amount of funding for the treatment and prevention of the disease. The United States has been at the forefront of that funding, but with the new emphasis in Washington on reducing government spending that may be about to change.

Mexican Farms Need a Water Revolution

Without financing, many Mexican farmers cannot improve their ageing irrigation systems, which are essential if Mexico is to withstand the effects of climate change and reduce its emissions of greenhouse-effect gases.

Malawi’s Women Pushing for a Place at the Table

No sooner had Mariness Luhanga announced her intention to contest local elections in Mzimba district in northern Malawi, than she was summoned to appear before a village court on allegations of insulting men.

Congolese Women Refuse Poverty

To see how women's associations in the Democratic Republic of Congo are helping their members improve their livelihoods, just follow the hubbub you can hear from Justine Kakesa's office: the Kikwit 2 market is bursting with merchandise made by women.

Malawi Struggling to Address Paediatric HIV

There are 91,000 children living with HIV in Malawi. A shortage of resources means that many do not receive proper treatment and care.

Latin America at Forefront of War on Tobacco

Latin America and the Caribbean are taking firm steps against the use of tobacco with the adoption of no smoking laws, bans on advertising, and graphic pictorial warnings on cigarette packets.

Pulling Together To Protect Zambia’s Kafue Flats

Dams, sugarcane plantations and rapidly growing population threatened the health of the Kafue Flats, a richly diverse wetlands in southern Zambia. But growing recognition of more sustainable use of its water and fertile soil are securing the health of the ecosystem.