I’ve written a fair amount about Egypt and the Arab Spring over the course of my internship, but today I’m going to write about something a little different from the usual discussion of politics, revolution, and violence: responsible tourism. Can it take root in Egypt? Or is there too much conflict? The Sinai Peninsula is …
Tag: economic development
Jan 16
Tackling Intergenerational Issues: Bolsa Familia
Have you ever seen the MTV show Skins? Wait, it’s okay, I won’t subject you to the embarrassment of admitting to it; I’ll fill you in. The show (a replica of a British hit) fictionally illustrates the lives of a group of American teenagers. These teenagers participate in pretty much every morally questionable activity imaginable …
Jan 12
Two-Year Anniversary of Haitian Earthquake
When was the last time you thought about Haiti? If you’re anything like me, it was probably a long time ago. It’s been almost exactly two years since the devastating earthquake that brought Haiti to the forefront of the international consciousness, and a lot of things have happened since then. Kim Jong-Il’s death, the Arab …
Dec 20
Looking Forward to Next Year’s Foreign Aid Budget
On Friday of last week, the House of Representatives passed a bill approving the foreign aid budget for 2012. Anticipating that the Senate will pass the bill this week, the winners and losers of the proposed budget allocations becomes clear. Foreign aid has become a big target in this economic recession, with government more hesitant …
Dec 19
A New School for NYC
New York City may be adding a new higher education facility in its midst fairly soon. Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg recently decided that the City of Lights needs a top of the line applied sciences school. The mayor has taken a great interest in the idea of a new academic institution, much to the chagrin …
Dec 16
Regalos navideños: MyMela
Read post in English Previamente, he escrito sobre las responsabilidades sociales y medioambientales de los consumidores. Es muy importante que el consumidos conozca sus productos y la historia de estos mismos. Como consumidores, nuestro impacto social y ambiental es mucho más grande de lo que entendemos o alcanzamos a ver. En época Navideña, dónde todo el mundo …
Dec 15
End of Year Review: Arab Spring, Part Two
For part one of this series, click here. Libya February 16th, 2011—Demonstrators, emulating those in Tunisia and Egypt (which Libya is located between), take to the streets of Benghazi to protest Muammar Gaddafi’s 41 year regime. The arrest of Libyan human rights activist Fethi Tarbel is believed to have sparked the protest. An estimated 38 …
Dec 13
Conquering the Global Digital Divide
I stumbled upon an image this weekend showing the digital divide of the world. It graphically shows what parts of the globe have access to digital technology, measured through IP address locations. Showing the layers between high and low-density areas in relation to internet access is powerful. I once heard someone say that Africa is …
Dec 06
Responsible Holiday Shopping: MyMela
MyMela’s model of Social entrepreneurship: combining fair trade and micro finance. I’ve previously written about the social and environmental responsibilities that we have as consumers. It is extremely important to know your products and their stories. As consumers, we have much more impact than what we understand. As we enter the holiday season- where everyone …
Dec 05
Reflections on Busan
In my post last week about Busan, I laid out what goals I wished to see accomplished at the Fourth High-Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness. I stated earlier that I would like to see emerging economies start to play a greater role in international aid. Also I wish to see a greater recognition of the …