Strategic Communications Posts
The Pope’s Climate Change Role Models
The Pope’s environment and climate change encyclical exploded on the scene this week, unleashing debate about humanity’s relationship to the planet. While the document, entitled Laudato Si, was generally critical of the way people have treated the planet, it praised one group for its respect for the earth: indigenous people.
Online Tool Aims to Bring Bounty Harvest in Kenya
If you are a farmer living in Embu County, Kenya, how do you know which seed to plant? Maybe you decide based on what your neighbors plant or what you’ve always planted. But over the last 10 years, plant breeders in Kenya have likely developed new varieties of seeds with specific traits that could thrive on your farm and give you higher yields.
School Is Out For Summer
Across the country, kids (and parents!) are celebrating the end of the school year. But should it be a break from learning? No. The so-called "summer slide" is real. Students typically lose two to three months in reading achievement and two months of math skills during the summer.
Agriculture and the Africa Rising Narrative
Africa is the next frontier of the global economy. Several African countries boast some of the fastest growth rates in the world. Four of the world’s top 10 fastest growing economies in 2015 and 2016 are forecasted to be in Africa. And yet, the sector that employs as much as 60 percent of Africa’s labor force only accounts for 25 percent of the gross domestic product. Why the disconnect?
In Bonn, Forest Peoples Share Their Stories
Indigenous leaders from Africa, Asia and the Americas came together in Bonn to share their experiences at the frontlines of an often deadly battle to guard tropical forests. A recent report suggests these conflicts kill at least two people every week.
Is Summer a Bummer for Kids’ Health?
It’s June, and that means school is letting out for millions of kids – but according to a new brief from Active Living Research, those of us who associate summer vacation with healthy activities are out of touch with the reality of summer break for today’s children. Recent research shows that children gain up to three times as much weight during summer break as they do during the entire school year.
Why Mexico’s Climate Pledge Makes the Grade
A handful of countries worldwide—from the United States to Gabon—have submitted pledges to the United Nations outlining what they’ll do to slash greenhouse gas emissions, the leading cause of global warming. So far, experts have given most of the submissions to date, which represent 36 of a total of 150 countries, lukewarm reviews, warning they won’t do enough to stave off a dangerous rise in the planet’s temperature.
Tools for “Forgotten Diseases” of “Forgotten People”
Nearly half of our world’s population are at risk of malaria, TB and neglected tropical diseases—diseases caused by worms, parasites, viruses and bacteria like Chagas disease, river blindness, elephantiasis, sleeping sickness, and many others. Six out of 10 of the world’s poorest people die from these diseases every year. And for those who manage to survive, they endure repeated bouts of serious illness.
The Fastest Scale-Up of a Childhood Vaccine, Ever
There is a virus that infects almost every single child in the world by the age of 5—in every country, rich and poor. It affects the stomach and intestines, causing severe diarrhea and vomiting. We have safe and effective vaccines for this virus. And yet, hundreds of thousands of children die each year, and the virus hospitalizes millions more.
Forests Are the New Farms
What would we eat if we ran out of room for farmland? A new report released by the International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO) at the United Nations Forum on Forests last week argues that forests and trees would provide plenty to snack on.
