Finding opportunities and sorting them out from grand possibilities is what Mo Ibrahim has done throughout his lifetime. However, in attempting to change the perceptions of an entire continent, Ibrahim has elevated the scale of his ambitions to a different realm altogether.
On Dec. 10, 1948, the United Nations General Assembly passed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that created a vision of peace and prosperity for the world. As part of that vision, the Universal Declaration sought to achieve elementary education everywhere.
Though first set forth more than 65 years ago, after multiple reassessments and delays, today
Uber’s takeover of the “I need a ride” industry can be compared to Amazon’s takeover of the “I want to buy something” industry. Some love it, some hate it, but like it or not, it’s happening. Uber’s success is indicative of a new employment movement sweeping the globe: the sharing economy. Take a look at
The private sector of the economy is an important component in helping individuals climb out of poverty. In the last 40 years, we have seen dramatic examples of the power of the private sector. China’s recent emergence as a world economic power has helped lift millions of its citizens out of poverty. In order to
For hundreds of years, many societies have delegated the responsibility to care for the underprivileged to governments and charities. However, the past two decades have seen a surge in the number of businesses taking interest in providing opportunities and resources to disadvantaged individuals, families and communities. Perhaps the most striking examples have come from developing
The beacon of development often conjures up images of radical innovations, disruptive models and leapfrog technologies. And yet, as nations attempt to embrace the promises of development, there is often a colossal failure of both imagination and execution in providing for even the most basic of human needs. Measurable social change, ensuring a degree of
Worldwide, over 1 billion people live in extreme poverty. That is, they make less than $1.25 a day. Moreover, until recently, about 3 billion people, who represented about half the world population, lived on less than $2.50 a day. These World Bank figures speak volumes about how big the poverty problem is. The size of
In 2008, Timothy Geithner was nominated for U.S. secretary of the Treasury. He was voted in by the U.S. Senate, and served from 2009 to 2013 under President Barack Obama. It was later discovered that, even as a trained economist and monetary expert, he had underpaid his taxes in the previous decade by $34,000. This
For hundreds of millions of people in rural India, living life without a toilet used to be quite common. However, thanks to the Indian government’s toilet building program, millions of people now have regular access to toilets for the first time. Although this sounds like a tremendous success, there’s still one more thing to be
In economics, individuals or entities act based on the hope that the benefits of their actions will outweigh the costs. The economic value of an action is measured by the benefit it provides.
A current hot topic in news media is the potential agreement between the United States and Iran. Economically speaking, what would the value
The current predicaments of Greece and Puerto Rico have been a long time in the making. No single policy or economic agreement is to blame, but the difficulties involved in both situations are likely to negatively impact many people, creditors and debtors alike. Unfortunately, regardless of the resolutions, it is probable that the poor will
Explore the UN’s SDG website: Act Now
In September 2015, at the United Nations Sustainable Development Summit in New York, new Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) were adopted. These SDG’s address a comprehensive range of issues, from poverty, health and hunger, to gender equality, climate
On July 16, 1969, at 9:32 in the morning, a Saturn V rocket blasted off from Cape Canaveral, Florida. This mission, known as Apollo 11, would prove to be arguably the most successful space mission in history, carrying three astronauts safely to the moon and back. Throughout the mission, news outlets, newspapers, reporters, and other
The European Union is in the midst of a crisis of conscience. From their headquarters in Brussels, EU leaders have spent years promoting a brand of acceptance, morally driven policies and socially responsible approaches to challenges throughout the world. And yet, in recent months, these policies have been leaving behind thousands of people, often at
Given that China will become the largest economy in the world soon, if it is not already, now might be a good time to learn something more about the leader of this nation of 1.3 billion people. Xi Jinping is general secretary of the Communist Party of China, the president of the People’s Republic of
In a barber’s chair, you can get an earful from your neighbor. On a Saturday on a recent visit to the states, I got a rather bleak state of the union address as told by Bob, a Chicago native in his fifties, to his haircutter, Afif, a recent immigrant from Dubai. Afif, I noticed, visibly
The Global Corruption Barometer survey across 107 countries found that, in 2013, in 51 of these nations, people perceived political parties to be among the institutions most affected by corruption. Bribery, corruption, theft and tax evasion cost developing countries $1.26 trillion per year, sufficient to lift the 1.4 billion people living on less than $1.25
America has always been a land of opportunity. Part of the American dream has been the possibility of social mobility and the creation of wealth for every individual. Since education and skills-based training are key components in helping people achieve a higher standard of living, it is no surprise that these are important topics when
We live in busy world, and we seem to be proud of our busy-ness. How often, when we run into a friend, do we answer “How are you?” with “Really busy!” and a litany of all the things we have to do. And then our friend lists all the things he or she has to
With the release of economic data from China showing that the rate of growth of its gross domestic product decreased to 7.3 percent when compared to last year’s fourth quarter number, it is a good time to reflect on the basic direction of China’s reforms over the last 38 years.
The Chinese economic reform, literally called
