Four Things International Youth Day Summit Taught Us About Social Media
In recent years, the rise of social media has been ceaseless and rapid. It has managed to create a universe of its own—one that often leaves governments, organizations, and corporations alike continuously striving to keep up.
Pushing the Boundaries for Women
Fifteen years ago I was working for a nongovernment organization (NGO) in Bangladesh documenting stories of training and economic empowerment of communities. A common recurring theme in virtually all the communities was the gender stereotyping in skills training programs.
Getting Ready for the Post-2015 SDGs: Join the E-Dialogue
The new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are expected to bring a stronger focus on longer-term durability of development gains as opposed to the current approach which sees decision-making targeted at the shorter term. At present, businesses main focus is annual balance sheets; for development organizations it is annual results reporting; and for democracies there's cyclical elections.
Yolanda Response Shows Power of the Virtual Citizen
A year ago this last weekend, Typhoon Haiyan (locally known as Yolanda) hit the Philippines, the strongest tropical cyclone in recorded history. You may have heard about this tragedy via traditional media but it is likely you heard more about it through social media.
Kyrgyz Republic Banking on Mobile Phones to Bring Finance to Rural Areas
Mobile financial services have proven to be an ideal means to connect rural and remote populations to the financial sector. In several countries now—for example, Kenya, Uganda, Pakistan, or the Philippines—financial services are successfully delivered to the rural population using mobile phones and agents.
Speaking Up for Asia’s Invisible Population
Recall the time you had to apply for a passport, driver’s license, job, or bank account. You are required to bring proof of identity, and more often than not, the most basic proof of existence would be your birth certificate. You probably know exactly where it is – tucked away in an envelope in a drawer, or perhaps a fireproof vault. This is not the case for some 230 million children around the world under the age of 5 who have not had their births registered.
ICT Helping Countries Move Toward Universal Health Coverage
ICT can bridge the gap between existing health systems and universal health coverage, but it’s a complex process and every country has its own challenges.
There’s Nothing Random About Fostering an Environment of Creativity
Creativity has little space where tasks are practiced as regimentation. “Business unusual” is a catchphrase about doing things differently, to bring about change, to innovate. Times are becoming more complex. For economic gain, nature can no longer be simply considered as something to be “conquered” by people to extract wealth
Ten Steps Toward Achieving Universal Health Coverage
When ADB recently hosted a conference on using information and communication technology (ICT) in universal health coverage, it was vital not to miss the opportunity to pin down practical steps that participants could commit to taking in their own workplace. The conference culminated in the iCTen Steps: practical next steps with both quick wins and some longer-term goals that can be adapted to specific country settings, regardless of where they are on the road to universal health coverage.
Does Education Equal Wealth?
At an E-Camp: Social Accountability for Better Education Services held in the Philippines on 3-5 December, 2014, students from various countries in the Asia and Pacific region asked, “Is education still a way out of poverty?”