Posts by Michelle Geis Wallace
Who Shapes the Development Conversation?
There's a new call for bold experts with big ideas for tackling the world's most pressing issues.
Evening of Storytelling Features Leaders from the Developing World
Aspen New Voices Fellows recently gathered in Nairobi to share the personal stories behind their work in development.
Evidence-Based or Advocacy Communications?
“How do we stay true to scientific rigour while communicating scientific results in ways that help influence publics and create big impacts?” Science communicator Susan MacMillan of the International Livestock Research Institute explored this question in a recent opinion piece, which is discussed and linked to in this post.
Seed Index Sprouts New Hope for Farmers
What does seed mean for farmers? It represents the chance to feed a family and have a surplus to send children to school, buy uniforms, and buy medicine when they’re sick. And yet, farmers in many parts of Africa do not have access to the kinds of seeds that could thrive on the land.
Energized by New Voices in Development
One of my favorite weeks every year is the initial gathering of the Aspen Institute New Voices Fellows in Johannesburg. The New Voices Fellowship is a year-long training and mentoring program aimed at elevating voices of experts from the developing … Continue reading Energized by New Voices in Development
Food Safety in Africa’s ‘Wet’ Markets
If you’ve been to any part of sub-Saharan Africa, you know that the large majority of food consumed (about 85 to 95 percent) passes through informal channels: vegetable, milk and meat stalls and outdoor markets cater to customers across urban centers and rural landscapes alike. And while the food sold there is often safe, sometimes it’s not. And when it’s not, people get sick. Some people die.
Conversations in Development: Improving Health in Kenya’s Urban Slums
Poverty, poor health and overcrowding are some of the many challenges facing communities in Kenya's urban slums, or informal settlements.
Conversations in Development: Livestock—the Unsung Heroes of International Development
Cattle, goats, chickens and other farm animals are the unsung heroes of international development. More than 600 million rural poor depend on their animals to survive, and livestock contribute up to 80 percent of agricultural GDP in developing countries.
Mandela and a New Generation of African Voices
These fellows are 11 young African men and women from 10 different countries across the continent. They are trailblazers in their fields—entrepreneurs, doctors, community leaders, academics, and educators passionate about a range of issues: medicine, HIV/AIDS, gender equality, public health, civil unrest, climate change, and poverty.
Dialing Back on the Drivers of Global Disease Outbreaks: A Look Inside the ‘Black Box’
These ‘causes of causes‘ of zoonotic disease outbreaks and their spread are pinpointed in a paper published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). Scientists argue in this paper that we’ll only become capable of preventing or stopping the next pandemic when we better understand the drivers of disease emergence.
