WINTER 2012
GLOBAL PROGRESS
A PUBLICATION OF THE
Connecting You to the United Nations
15 Years of Progress: Ted Turner’s Bold Gift to Help the UN This year’s Global Leadership Dinner on October 16th marked a special milestone: the 15th anniversary of Ted Turner’s bold $1 billion gift to support the United Nations, which led to the creation of the United Nations Foundation and helped spark a new wave in global philanthropy. At the dinner, Turner said, “Creating the UN Foundation to support the United Nations was the best investment that I have ever made.” Inspired by his gift, many other individuals and organizations have joined the UN Foundation, doubling its impact in support of the UN. Over the past 15 years, the UN Foundation, hundreds of partners, and hundreds of thousands of supporters have together helped the UN improve global health, expand energy access, empower women and girls, and much more. In recognition of the anniversary, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said,
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (left), UN Foundation Founder and Chairman Ted Turner (center), and former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan (right) at the Global Leadership Dinner in New York. (Photo credit: Gary He/UN Foundation)
“We live in a time of turmoil and transition. A time that demands visionary leadership. I hope that others will follow Mr. Turner’s example and give what they can – funds or expertise, ideas or leadership – to our great, global campaign for progress.”
The Global Leadership Dinner benefits the United Nations Association of the USA (UNA-USA) Global Classrooms® Model UN program. To learn more about the Foundation’s impact, visit unfoundation.org/gobold.
UNA-USA and the U.S. Department of State Team Up to Name First-Ever U.S. Youth Observer at the UN
Brooke Loughrin. (Photo credit: Stuart Ramson/UN Foundation)
In September, the United Nations Association of the USA (UNA-USA) and the U.S. Department of State named Brooke Loughrin, a student at Boston College, as the first-ever U.S. Youth Observer at the United Nations General Assembly. Loughrin traveled to New York to attend numerous events during UN General Assembly week, bringing the voice of America’s youth to the UN. In her role, she will continue to participate in UN events, speak to UNA-USA Chapters around the country, share her experiences on social media, and advise UNA-USA on potential future roles at the UN for America’s young people.
INSIDE THIS ISSUE • 15th Anniversary of Ted Turner’s Bold Gift • Reducing Malaria Deaths among Refugees • Interview with Girl Up Teen Advisor • UN Foundation at UN Week
Loughrin was chosen from a group of more than 730 applicants. She is a junior in the Presidential Scholars Program at Boston College where she studies Political Science and Islamic Civilizations and Societies. “The UN is the world’s most important voice on international cooperation, and having youth represented at the UN helps ensure that the issues that most impact young people are addressed.” – Brooke Loughrin, U.S. Youth Observer at the UN
Learn more about the U.S. Youth Observer at the UN at unausa.org/usyouth.
CONNECT WITH US ON • Meet the First-Ever U.S. Youth Observer at the UN
unitednationsfoundation
unfoundation
@unfoundation
unfoundation
• Progress in Saving Children’s Lives
WINTER 2012
2012 Social Good Summit Sparks Global Conversation The 2012 Social Good Summit brought together leading experts and advocates to discuss how we can use technology and social media to solve pressing international development challenges. Hosted in late September by the United Nations Foundation, Mashable, 92nd Street Y, Ericsson, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and the UN Development Programme, the summit sparked a conversation that spanned six continents and topics ranging from human trafficking to Internet freedom to stopping the spread of AIDS. Here is a look at the Social Good Summit by the numbers. •
•
Citizens in nearly 300 cities across the world gathered for meet ups to discuss and share ways that technology and social media can tackle problems in local communities. The hashtag #SGSGlobal trended globally on Twitter during the summit and was used more than 60,000 times.
•
The livestream of the summit was translated in real-time in seven languages.
•
Social Good Summit sessions were viewed in more than 150 countries. To learn more, visit socialgoodsummit.com.
Social Good Summit audience members at the 92nd Street Y in New York. (Photo credit: Gary He/UN Foundation)
The Global Good Challenge Harnesses Social Media for Positive Change The United Nations Foundation recently launched its largest digital initiative to date: the Global Good Challenge. The challenge rewards people for taking actions and engaging their online networks to help the United Nations address some of world’s toughest global challenges.
through social media outlets like Twitter and Facebook in order to become eligible for once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Some prize highlights to date have included VIP backstage passes for a Lady Gaga concert, MTV Video Music Awards tickets, a NASCAR VIP experience, and VIP tickets to a Stevie Wonder concert in the General Assembly Hall for UN Day. To learn more, take the challenge at unf.org/good.
Participants receive points for learning about UN issues and playing games, watching videos, and sharing their actions
Practitioner Network Promotes Sustainable Energy for All In September 2011, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon launched Sustainable Energy for All – an initiative that brings together governments, businesses, and civil society groups in an unprecedented effort to expand energy access, promote renewable energy, and improve energy efficiency around the world. Since its launch, more than 65 countries have formally joined the initiative, and businesses and governments have committed more than $50 billion to sustainable energy.
As part of the initiative, the United Nations Foundation formed a global Energy Access Practitioner Network to connect practitioners from the private sector and civil society who are focused on household and community-level electrification. This network has grown to more than 750 members who are working on-the-ground to expand access to energy in 150 countries. Support for Sustainable Energy for All continues to grow. Recently, World Bank President Jim Yong Kim agreed to serve
alongside the Secretary-General as cochair of the initiative’s Advisory Board, ushering in an era of closer cooperation between the World Bank and the United Nations on sustainable energy. To learn more, visit SustainableEnergyForAll.org. “We will continue to work with all key stakeholders to achieve sustainable energy for all and drive real action on the ground – action that transforms lives, communities, economies, and the environment.” – Dr. Kandeh K. Yumkella, UN Special Representative for Sustainable Energy for All
Giving More Children a Shot at a Healthy Life This fall, the United Nations reported a significant decline in the number of global childhood deaths. In 1990, nearly 12 million children under the age of 5 died around the world. Last year, that number dropped to an estimated 6.9 million children. This progress did not happen by accident – it happened because the UN and many others have made the health of children a priority in the global agenda. While we’ve made important gains, there is more work to do. Today, a child dies every 20 seconds from a disease that could have been prevented by a vaccine. To give more children the opportunity to survive and thrive, the United Nations Foundation launched the Shot@Life campaign this spring. Shot@Life educates, connects, and empowers Americans to champion vaccines as one of the most cost-effective ways to save the lives of children in developing countries. The campaign has built a movement of more than 150,000 supporters and more than 150 champions who are working to prevent four of the most threatening childhood diseases – measles, pneumonia, polio, and rotavirus. The UN Foundation also supports UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s Every Woman Every Child movement, which aims to save the lives of 16 million women and children by 2015. The effort has mobilized and intensified global action on women’s and children’s health with more than 250 individual commitments by more than 100 partners, including governments, the UN, the private sector, and civil society. Working together, we can give more children a shot at a healthy life. Learn more at ShotAtLife.org and EveryWomanEveryChild.org.
Since 1990 the global under-five mortality rate has dropped 41 percent—from 87 deaths per 1,000 live births in 1990 to 51 in 2011. Citation: 2012 report, “Levels & Trends in Child Mortality.” Estimates developed by the UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation.
UN Peacekeepers: Putting their Lives on the Line for Peace United Nations peacekeepers bravely promote peace and security in operations around the world. To recognize their service, more than 25,000 Americans participated in the Better World Campaign’s third annual “Thank a Peacekeeper” campaign. This record support came in the form of letters of thanks to the heroic men and women in blue helmets who protect civilians and pave the way for democracy around the globe.
A UN peacekeeper chats with a young child during the commemoration marking the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers. (Photo credit: UN Photo Library)
“It is thanks to the dedication of our partners and allies at the UN that the United States is not faced with the insurmount-
able task of promoting international security alone,” said Peter Yeo, Executive Director of the Better World Campaign. “In the darkest hours of global conflict, time and again it is UN peacekeepers who carry forward a torch for stability. Americans recognize the commitment of these men and women in blue helmets as they put their lives on the line to build security around the world.” To learn more about UN peacekeeping operations, visit unitedinpeacekeeping.org.
INTERVIEW: Sarah Gale, Girl Up Teen Advisor The United Nations Foundation’s Girl Up campaign empowers American teenage girls to raise awareness and funds and advocate for United Nations programs that help some of the world’s hardest-to-reach adolescent girls. In September, Girl Up announced its new class of “Teen Advisors,” a group of girls who will mobilize action in their communities and provide advice to Girl Up over the next year. Global Progress had the opportunity to speak to Sarah Gale, a Teen Advisor from Boca Raton, Florida. GP: Why do you believe that empowering girls around the world is important? SG: I believe that empowering girls around the world is important simply because it’s not fair that too many girls around the world can’t get a basic education, see a doctor, or are forced into child marriage, and this generates poverty around the world. … The cycle usually continues and continues for more girls, and it’s just not productive to have such an awful cycle occurring. When we do something about it and instill girls with the confidence that they need to go after
their goals and strive for their dreams, we can help end the cycle of poverty. GP: What do you hope to accomplish as a Teen Advisor? SG: I hope I can empower teenage girls in the U.S. to educate their communities by starting [Girl Up] clubs and hosting their own events. And I hope that I can contribute ideas and feedback to Girl Up that can help make the [campaign] even more incredible. Above all, I want to spread the passion and enthusiasm not only to people in my community, but around the globe.
herself, just like I want to do for myself and my life.
GP: Why do you think it’s important for girls in the U.S. to get involved in helping girls globally?
GP: How can people get involved in Girl Up and in supporting the world’s adolescent girls?
SG: I think girls in the U.S. need to recognize all the hardships and lack of opportunities that some girls in developing countries have. Many of the things that those adolescent girls need but don’t get, like education and health services, we take for granted every day. So I think it’s not only important, but also extremely rewarding to help a girl just like me to follow her dreams and create a life for
SG: There are so many ways to get involved in Girl Up. I think that visiting GirlUp.org is the best because you can learn about the cause and find resources, tools, and ideas. And also on the website you can learn how to start your own club in your school or community, create a fundraising page, or simply donate $5 to help a girl.
Girl Up Teen Advisor Sarah Gale.
Nothing But Nets Helps Reduce Malaria Deaths among Refugees
Nothing But Nets Director Chris Helfrich helps deliver anti-malaria bed nets to families at the Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya this spring. (Copyright: Michael Muller)
This spring brought news of progress in the fight against malaria: Between 2008 and 2011, malaria dropped from the first to the fifth leading cause of death among refugees in Africa who live in refugee camps. Supporters of the United Nations Foundation’s Nothing But Nets campaign
played an important role in this progress. Working with the United Nations Refugee Agency, Nothing But Nets has helped distribute more than 1 million anti-malaria bed nets to refugees in Africa, including sending 100,000 lifesaving bed nets to refugees fleeing violence in South Sudan. While we’ve made gains, our urgent work
continues. According to the World Health Organization’s World Malaria Report 2011, a child dies every 60 seconds from malaria. Nothing But Nets allows anyone to join the fight against malaria by giving $10 to send a net and save a life. For more information, visit NothingButNets.net.
GLOBAL PROGRESS
The United Nations Foundation at UN General Assembly Week As world leaders gathered in New York in late September for the United Nations General Assembly, the United Nations Foundation mobilized to advance progress on the causes that matter to millions around the world. Throughout UN General Assembly week, the UN Foundation hosted events, made important announcements, and convened partners to help advance the work of the UN. Here are a few highlights from the week:
Leaders in Reproductive Health Celebrate “Why We Care” The United Nations Foundation and the Aspen Institute hosted an event in New York on September 27th with heads of state, high-level policymakers, and other global leaders to launch “Why We Care,” a groundbreaking collection of essays from members of the Global Leaders Council for Reproductive Health. These global voices include Gro Harlem Brundtland, former Prime Minister of Norway, former Director-General of the World Health Organization, and UN Foundation Board Member; Ted Turner, UN Foundation Founder and Chairman; and President Joyce Banda of Malawi, among others. The deeply personal stories explain why these advocates are committed to advancing reproductive health for lasting development and prosperity. Visit why-we-care.org to learn more.
Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves Marks Second Anniversary On September 24th, the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves celebrated its two-year anniversary with an event in New York that brought together leaders from civil society, the private sector, government, and the research community. The Alliance made major announcements, including a new partnership with the World Lung Foundation and more than $10 million of new investments in the sector. Since its launch two years ago, the Alliance has grown to include more than 400 public, private, and non-profit partners across six continents. It has also raised more than $29 million for its programs and leveraged more than $120 million to support advances in clean cooking. Visit CleanCookstoves.org for more details.
Rocky Dawuni, an international music star from Ghana, joins the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves as an Ambassador and speaks at the second anniversary event. (Photo credit: Keith Bedford/UN Foundation)
Uniting to End Polio In recent decades, the world has made major strides against polio – reducing cases by 99 percent worldwide. While polio levels are at an all-time low, the fight isn’t over. Until eradicated, polio anywhere is a threat to children everywhere.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon leads a highlevel meeting on ending polio. (Photo credit: Stuart Ramson/UN Foundation)
That is why leaders from around the world gathered at the United Nations on September 27th to step up the fight against polio. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon; heads of state from Afghanistan, Nigeria, and Pakistan, the three countries where polio remains endemic; Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; Wilfrid J. Wilkinson, Chair of Rotary Foundation Trustees; Senator Timothy E. Wirth, President of the United Nations Foundation; and representatives from public and private sector donors stood together to reaffirm their commitment to ending polio.
www.unfoundation.org
1800 Massachusetts Ave., NW, Suite 400 Washington, DC 20036 www.unfoundation.org
GLOBAL PROGRESS WINTER 2012 INSIDE THIS ISSUE • 15th Anniversary of Ted Turner’s Bold Gift • Reducing Malaria Deaths among Refugees • Interview with Girl Up Teen Advisor • UN Foundation at UN Week • Meet the First-Ever U.S. Youth Observer at the UN • Progress in Saving Children’s Lives
Fast Company Recognizes the Mobile Alliance for Maternal Action (MAMA) In October, Fast Company – the world’s leading progressive business media brand – named the Mobile Alliance for Maternal Action (MAMA) as its Innovation By Design Award winner in the Service Design Category. The Innovation By Design Awards recognize “the year’s most inspiring, ingenious, and innovative design solutions.” MAMA harnesses the power of mobile phones to put vital and culturally-sensitive health care information directly in the hands of new and expectant mothers in developing countries. During pregnancy and up to an infant’s first birthday, MAMA
subscribers receive weekly health reminders and messages on topics including proper nutrition, newborn care, breastfeeding, immunizations, and how to connect to local health resources. MAMA was launched on Mother’s Day 2011. It is a public-private partnership between the United States Agency for International Development, Johnson & Johnson, the mHealth Alliance, the United Nations Foundation, and BabyCenter. Learn more at mobileMAMAalliance.org. Kirsten Gagnaire, Global Director of the Mobile Alliance for Maternal Action (MAMA), accepts an award from Fast Company.
Photo credits for three photos at top, from left to right: Little girl at Girl Up event (Photo credit: Nathan Mitchell), Boy with bed net (Photo credit: David Evans), Mother and twins (Photo credit: UN Foundation/Talia Frankel).
www.unfoundation.org