Can becoming an entrepreneur help a refugee live a better life? I recently had the opportunity to join the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) for a visit to the Nakivale Refugee Settlement in Uganda, where I met seven incredible women entrepreneurs who have formed the Twitezimbere tailoring group. And through them, I learned the answer is yes. Despite the challenges they’ve faced, these women have been able to create and grow a business serving their neighbors in the eighth largest … [Read more...]
Realizing population/development commitments beyond 2014
September 2, 2014 by
Civil society, the UN system and other partners will join Governments at UN Headquarters in New York on Monday, 22 September, for the Special Session of the General Assembly on Population and Development. The Governments will gather at the highest political level to follow up on the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development, to assess the status of implementation of the Programme of Action and to renew political support for actions required for the full … [Read more...]
What is ‘Human Trafficking’ ?
August 17, 2014 by
Human Trafficking Trafficking in persons is a serious crime and a grave violation of human rights. Every year, thousands of men, women and children fall into the hands of traffickers, in their own countries and abroad. Almost every country in the world is affected by trafficking, whether as a country of origin, transit or destination for victims. UNODC, as guardian of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC) and the Protocols thereto, assists States in their … [Read more...]
World Urbanization Prospects Worldwide
July 1, 2014 by
Revealing urbanization trends worldwide The world’s urban population has grown rapidly since 1950 and the coming decades will bring further profound changes to its size and distribution. On 10 July, UN DESA’s Population Division will release the latest urbanization trends, providing data that are critical for assessing current and future needs with respect to urban growth. Scheduled for launch on 10 July, just one day before World Population Day, the latest version of the World … [Read more...]
The Dark Side of Brazil’s Love for Women’s Soccer
June 30, 2014 by
This summer's World Cup will bring together two things for which Brazil is internationally renowned: soccer and beautiful women. While Brazil's reputation for sexy ladies and futebol are mixed together in the advertising leading up to the games, it's another story on the field. The struggles of women attempting to break into the male-dominated world of soccer reveals the darker side of the beautiful game. For a country renowned for its passion and prowess in the sport, acceptance of … [Read more...]
Global Human Trafficking, a Modern form of Slavery
June 29, 2014 by
Steve McQueen, director of this year’s Oscar winner for best film “12 Years A Slave,” mentioned in his acceptance speech last month that 21 million people are living in slavery today. That quoted figure comes from the 2012 report issued by the United Nation’s International Labor Organization (ILO) that has been attempting to gather international data for over a decade now. In the Asia-Pacific region where most of the world’s forced laborers come from at 56%, an estimated 11.7 million people, … [Read more...]
Global Warming causes Beach Threat
June 23, 2014 by
7 of the World’s Most Beautiful and Threatened Beaches by Beth Buczynski It’s summer and for most of us, that means at least one trip to the nearest beach. Splashing in the ocean, soaking up the sun, sinking my toes into the sand: these are sensations only the beach can provide. Sadly, our pollution and exploitation of all the ocean has to offer has put the world’s most beautiful beaches in jeopardy. In 100 years, a beach-side vacation may be something people only read about in books. 7 … [Read more...]
2014 Partners’ Forum – Johannesburg, (June 30/July1)
June 21, 2014 by
Violence against Women Intimate partner and sexual violence against women Introduction The United Nations defines violence against women as "any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or mental harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life." Intimate partner violence refers to behavior by an intimate partner or ex-partner that … [Read more...]
