Every morning when I was a child, my dad would declare, in a sing-song voice – “There’s nothing like a nice, hot shower!” – as he stepped into the steaming shower and the first deluge of water hit the top of his head. It’s a motto that has stuck with my family, and it was…
I was disappointed, on multiple levels, to hear about the Biden administration’s nomination of Ajay Banga, a private equity executive with no experience in public service, to head the World Bank. First, the U.S. should have no real right to unilaterally name the World Bank President – it does so through an archaic “gentleman’s agreement”…
I am the new Development Intern at ActionAid USA. In my role, I assist the Development team with managing donor care and stewardship, researching prospects, and any other tasks that need to be done! I am incredibly excited to be starting this new journey. That is how I look at each job, internship, and class…
When global hunger was estimated to be 792 million people back in the year 2000, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) wrote in the 2000 State of Food Insecurity in the World (SOFI) report: “In a world of unprecedented wealth, these levels of need are disgraceful.” Ten years later, in the 2010 SOFI…
As our world faces an unprecedented crisis, the number of food-insecure people is expected to double from what it was in 2019, placing 49 countries at risk of famine. The Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GAFSP), which was created to help low-income countries build sustainable and resilient agriculture and food systems, continues to provide…
I’m ActionAid USA’s new Individual Giving Officer! My main role here is to manage our fundraising stream for donations ranging from $25 all the way up to $1,000 and build personal relationships with our supporters. I joined the team a couple of weeks ago, and when I was asked to contribute to the staff blog,…
In the title and subhead of her COP27 wrap-up article for The New Republic, Kate Aronoff accurately conveys the magnitude of what happened in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt at the latest round of UN climate negotiations: “How the U.S. Abruptly Shifted Decades of Climate Policy: In just 72 hours, the United States reversed course on…
Australia’s parliament has finally passed the country’s first climate change law in over a decade. The bill’s goal is to cut carbon emissions by 43% by 2030 with the aim of achieving zero carbon emissions by 2050. While it is a good step forward, it is not enough and definitely not consistent with a 1.5…
Recently, we welcomed a delegation of Indigenous leaders from Guatemala who were visiting Washington, D.C., to present their case for territorial rights in Guatemala to the Interamerican Human Rights Commission. Momentum against corruption in Guatemala’s justice system and favor of land rights was stopped by the Trump administration and some members of Congress who supported…
If you have been following the activities at COP27, then you know that Tuesday was a big day for Net Zero (or maybe I should say exposure of what it really is). The UN High-Level Expert Group on Net Zero, led by Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, released its report in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt. My colleagues have consistently called out carbon offsetting…
