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Youth-led Advocacy Initiatives Creating Communal Harmony and Positive Changes
There are various instances in Sri Lanka’s history when tensions between ethnicities have resulted in turbulence and bloodshed. Over the years, instances such as the insurgencies, three decades of armed conflict and the Easter attacks last year increased distrust and disharmony among ethnicities. Politicians take advantage of ethnic divisions for their political objectives which causes…
Read MoreLike Mother, Like Daughter: Building Toward Peace in Burundi
When an ethnic civil war broke out in Burundi in 1993, Odette Habonimana learned firsthand how peace begins at home. Only 9 years old at the time, she watched her mother welcome frantic neighbors, Hutu and Tutsi alike, to shelter with their family of 12 as chaos ensued around them. “People were killing each other…
Read MoreMaking Schools Safer for Children to Return During COVID-19 in Sri Lanka
By Kathya de Silva Senarath, Reporting Officer, USAID SCORE Program in Sri Lanka As thousands of children returned to school in August following five months of closure, an initiative supported by the United States has helped disinfect schools and ensure a healthy learning environment for Sri Lankan students. In cooperation with regional health and education directors, medical officers,…
Read MoreAddressing India’s ‘Shadow Pandemic’ of Violence Against Women and Girls
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, women and girls face a heightened risk of domestic violence and exploitation. According to UN Women, this “shadow pandemic” is the result of economic, health and security strains brought on or worsened by movement restrictions, crowded homes and reduced access to peer groups and social networks. In two blocks of…
Read MoreEman’s Resilience Sets an Example for Women in Peacebuilding in Yemen
Eman Mohammed, a 31-year-old Yemeni woman who is the sole breadwinner in her family, works, studies, takes care of her elderly parents and her brother who has a disability, and fulfills societal roles expected of her. Eman is one of the two female members in a nine-member Community Enhancement Committee (CEC) in Aden’s Ibn Albasir…
Read MoreMeet Stacey Williams, PCI Changemaker
Less than a month ago, Stacey Williams packed up her life on the East Coast and moved to San Diego with three teenagers in tow to begin work as the new Director of Human Trafficking Prevention Programs at PCI, a Global Communities Partner. Even though the COVID-19 pandemic has upended how she is able to…
Read MorePandemic response in Granadero Baigorria Leads to Strong Bonds and Cooperative Efforts
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought growing challenges to communities around the world. Many vulnerable communities and citizens are stuck in a state of social isolation and economic crisis. Even though that is the reality in many communities, in Granadero Baigorria, Argentina, where the John Deere Foundation-funded Sowing Futures program operates, a group of people did…
Read MoreGuatemalan Youths Cultivating Hope in the Face of COVID-19
For five consecutive years, farming families in the dry corridor of western Guatemala have watched their primary sources of income and food wither and die from severe drought. Season after season, failed harvests of maize and beans have led to grinding poverty and crisis levels of hunger and malnutrition among vulnerable households. These persistent challenges…
Read MoreEffective Health Care Delivery Made Easier for Nine Health Care Facilities with Provision of Water
“At about 12 midnight in June 2019, a baby boy was born to a young couple at the Tutukpene Health Center in the Oti Region. Unfortunately, there was no water to wash the mixture of blood and amniotic fluid off the baby and the equipment used for the delivery. Relatives of the newborn’s mother had…
Read MoreIt’s time for an African woman to head the International Finance Corporation
By Peter Woicke and Daniel Runde, opinion contributors to The Hill. Originally posted on The Hill. Peter Woike is the Treasurer and Chair of the Finance Committee for the Global Communities Board of Directors The International Finance Corporation (IFC) is an arm of the World Bank Group and is the largest development finance institution devoted…
Read MoreKosovo Youth Contribute to Their Communities During the Pandemic
Read original article on USAID website As a long-time youth activist, Drita jumped at the chance to join the Emergency Response (ER) Team in her community. She has been actively involved in USAID’s Up to Youth activity as a Youth Advisory Board member, and understands how vital it is to volunteer in her community. Thus,…
Read MoreYouth Creatively Engage While at Home
Read original article on USAID website All across Kosovo youth are finding creative ways to keep social distancing guidelines to only physical distancing. They are maintaining connections to their peers and providing virtual support to each other to prevent feelings of isolation. To capture and share these creative ideas, USAID’s Up to Youth activity encouraged…
Read MoreCOVID-19 Response in Brazil
Over the past several months, the Global Communities’ Sowing Futures team in Brazil has supported the John Deere Brazil Foundation in delivering 3,836 food baskets to 1,953 families in need to John Deere home communities across Indaiatuba, Campinas, Catalão, Montenegro and Campinas. The amount of baskets delivered equates to approximate 102,000 pounds of food items. Seventy-one Deere volunteers and 201 community volunteers participated in identifying…
Read MoreYouth Compete to Design a Logo for the Youth Network Portal Platform
USAID YouthPower deploys intricate collaborative approaches to engage youth and help them achieve the positive development and agency required to become active citizens in their communities. To that end, USAID YouthPower is working in collaboration with the Ministry of Youth to build the Youth Network Portal. Aspiring to be a new impetus for Jordanian youth,…
Read MoreUSAID YouthPower: A Former Minister Opens a Dialogue with Youth in Jordan
The USAID YouthPower “One Hour with MBM” talk show is a digital outreach and engagement tool introduced by the program to host youth influencers, activists, and facilitators engaging positively in their communities. The show grants them a space to highlight challenges and opportunities they have faced and speak about how they have managed to overcome…
Read MoreSupporting Youth Psychosocial Needs Amidst COVID-19 Global Crisis
As a response to the COVID-19 crisis, USAID YouthPower introduced a special web show to provide support and address the psychosocial needs of youth during the lockdown era. The talk show features specialists with hands-on experience with relevant youth topics and issues. Entitled “Mind Power,” this talk show consists of two parts. The first part…
Read MoreCOVID-19 Response in Jordan
Articles on our COVID-19 response in Jordan: Supporting Youth Psychosocial Needs Amidst COVID-19 Global Crisis Vitas Group COVID-19 Impact Survey Report Youth Lead on Encouraging Healthy Lifestyles Environment and Green Solutions Learning Club Catalysts Rolls Out a Digital Videos Campaign to Advocate For Nature Digital Transformation Aids in Empowering Youth Read more about our global…
Read MoreCOVID-19 Response in Kenya
Articles on our COVID-19 Response in Kenya: Kenyan Cooperatives Demonstrate Resilience & Concern for the Community to Mitigate the Effects of Covid-19 The Kenyan Cooperative Sector Tackles COVID-19 Head-On Shifting Responsibilities of Household & Family: The Gendered Pandemic in Kenya Read more about our global capacity in preventing, mitigating and responding to outbreaks of infectious…
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