Archive for 'MDGs'
I was privileged to participate in a fascinating debate on the future of learning, in the somewhat surreal futuristic setting of downtown Dubai, under the lofty spire of the Burj Khalifa - the tallest (currently) manmade structure on the planet. I spend most of my days in more modest African settings discussing the fundamentals of very basic school [...]
I couldn’t resist posting this picture of the snow that is currently covering the UK, marking a cold start to what promises to be an exciting year. 2013 is the year in which the UK will achieve its commitment to spend 0.7% of the UK’s Gross National Income on development aid. There has been a [...]
It might be over a month away, but my husband and I have already begun to think about the Christmas and New Year holidays here in the UK. In particular, it looks like lots of my family are likely to travel from London and elsewhere to join us in Glasgow. I'm really excited, but my husband is worried [...]
Every morning for the past three months, I've been saying a little mantra to myself when I wake up: "I am a marathoner". I've been training for my first marathon and ten days ago I finally did it! It was pretty hard, but an amazing experience. And looking back on it, having my mantra was crucial. It [...]
My alarm goes off at 6.15am. I hit the snooze button and realise I've been dreaming about work. I must be nervous. Not surprised really. Today's going to be busy, despite the fact that the "text" - all 283 paragraphs of it - was agreed by negotiators yesterday. Today is the high level summit - [...]
Have you ever been to the cinema and seen a trailer for a film that you previously had no interest in watching and then suddenly thought to yourself, "That is a movie I CANNOT MISS"? That was the idea behind this three-minute film by a talented young filmmaker called Ryan Youngblood that I stumbled across [...]
Earlier this month, the UN Secretary General announced that two billion people have gained access to safe drinking water in the last 20 years, and that the Millennium Development Goal target on water had been achieved five years early. The Secretary of State for International Development, Andrew Mitchell, described this achievement as "concrete proof that [...]
As we celebrate Mother's Day, and the deadline approaches for reaching the Millennium Development Goal of reducing maternal mortality by three-quarters, it is worth considering that giving birth in some countries still remains one of the most dangerous things a woman can do. I remember once trekking with a friend in a remote mountain region [...]
As a journalist I spend a lot of time reporting on the developing world. To be honest, many of my stories focus on problems and failures, so when I was approached to moderate an event about the Millennium Development Goals during the UN General Assembly, to showcase solutions and successes, I couldn’t resist taking the [...]
Yesterday, Secretary of State Mitchell and I co-hosted an event along the sidelines of the UN General Assembly to celebrate successes and innovations towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Indeed, the world has much to celebrate. Through partnerships between communities and governments and the integration of new, non-traditional players we are witnessing significant progress: [...]
