International movers and shakers are flocking to Devex to share their thoughts on some of today’s most pressing global development issues. Here’s a look back at the 10 guest editorials that drew the most views in 2013:
‘Big Data’ for development: What is it, and why you should care
By Anoush Tatevossian, strategic communications and partnerships officer for U.N. Global Pulse
Big data is here, but what does it mean for the aid workers on the ground? No one knows yet since there’s no handbook about it. One thing for sure: The digital revolution offers challenges and opportunities for the development community.
The global health crisis you’ve never heard of
By Jennifer Wilmore, assistant director of communications and advocacy at ReSurge International
What does plastic surgery have to do with fighting poverty? For the 10 million people subjected to burns each year, it’s key to resuming a productive life.
Breastfeeding needs more aid
By Dr. Arun Gupta, co-founder and central coordinator of the Breastfeeding Promotion Network of India
Breastmilk is the best food for babies. But because it’s seen as a mother’s domain, support is often lacking. To prevent donors from failing to support women, 10 percent of aid budgets for helping children should go toward breastfeeding. Here’s how the money could be spent.
5 emerging food security crises that may predict future humanitarian operations
By Mehmet Burk, founder of the Relief Analysis Wire
Remember the famine in the Horn of Africa? Early warning systems and the weather cycles gave hints it was bound to happen. Given the current trends, similar crises may be coming to Madagascar, the Marshall Islands, Haiti, Darfur and West Africa.
How to empower the girl child
By Betty Makoni, CEO of Girl Child Network
“I get a sense that the more we design, the more we betray people, particularly women and girls,” writes the 2013 CNN Hero, who shares her story of struggle as a young woman and how she overcame hardship, as well as her approach to making sure African girls won’t have to suffer similarly.
India’s food security bill: A bold step to end malnutrition
By Jayakumar Christian, national director and CEO of World Vision India
India’s new food security act aims to feed 810 million people, making it the world’s largest program of its kind. This needs a revamp of the public distribution system, with community self-help groups and mothers as gatekeepers.
Why Australia should stand by its aid commitments
By John Beckett, national coordinator of Micah Challenge Australia
Before the 2013 Australian elections, aid advocates urged the new government to not cut development spending. This did not happen. The foreign aid budget was chopped drastically, and AusAID was integrated into the country’s foreign affairs and trade department — a similar fate its Canadian counterpart met this year.
How to eradicate poverty? Peace, stability and equality
By Simone Filippini, CEO of Cordaid
Development cannot happen without peace, as this year’s report by the U.N. High-Level Panel on the Post-2015 Development Agenda affirms. To break the cycle of violence, restoring trust in vital, and transforming communities begins with local civil society organizations
Are aid agencies obsolete in the technological age?
By Bekele Geleta, secretary-general of the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
Technology can turn everyone into aid workers. But technology alone won’t help improve lives — using it the right way, with proper policies in place, can.
Why bringing women-owned business into the supply chain makes business sense
By Kara Valikai, director of BCLC’s Health and Wellness and Women’s Economic Empowerment Issue
Globally, businesses and governments roughly spend only about 1 percent of their budgets buying from women-owned businesses, and lack of female economic advancement is one reason women make up 70 percent of the world’s poor. The good news is that including women-owned businesses in global supply chains can increase profit margins.
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