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- In defunding UNESCO, U.S. could be hurting its own interests
Projects ostensibly in the direct interests of the U.S. -- such as training the judiciary and news media in Iraq, and improving literacy and water resources in Afghanistan -- would be lost because of the government's recent stoppage of funding to the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. "We've invested gazillions of dollars in Iraq, and we can't put a price on the lives of the Americans and Iraqis who died, and we promised to help build a new Iraq, something fresh and new in the Middle East, and then we hamstring ourselves," said George Papagiannis, who until last month headed the UNESCO office in Baghdad. The New York Times (tiered subscription model) (11/16)      - Burkina Faso works to ensure food security
Authorities in Burkina Faso are urging anyone with access to reservoirs to produce food during the dry season, and distributing high-yield seeds and stipends to farmers in a bid to promote food security. Development experts are urging the government to also invest in small-scale irrigation systems to help counter drought. IRINNews.org (11/17) - Impoverished Mali embraces, resists global land rush
Foreign agri-investors, some two dozen in all, have been leasing greater and greater swaths of arable land in Mali, and now possess an area large enough to sustain more than half a million small farmers, according to a report published Thursday by the Oakland Institute and the Malian national farmers organization. "Corporations, fund managers and nations anxious to secure their own future food security have sought and secured large landholdings for offshore farms or speculation," says the report, which adds that such investment, which increased 60% between 2009 and 2010, offers few solutions to poverty and hunger in the country. The Guardian (London) (11/17) - Unite for Girls tours California
Young girls are leading the Unite for Girls campaign across California this month in a bid to raise awareness on the challenges girls in developing countries face on issues related to education, health care and gender inequality. The program, part of the United Nations Foundation's Girl Up campaign, aims to promote equal opportunities for girls in developing countries. The Huffington Post (11/16)  | - A greener China could create 9.5 million jobs
If China were to mothball its most polluting industries in favor of more sustainable green businesses, incorporating renewable technology, the country would gain 9.5 million jobs over the next five years, according to a report released this week by the China Council of International Co-operation on Environment and Development, a body comprised of 200 domestic and overseas experts, including leading UN officials. These gains would far outstrip the costs of phasing out dirty sectors of the economy, the report said. The Guardian (London) (11/18) - Pressure is increasing on Damascus
Syrian authorities signaled willingness Thursday to agree to an Arab League plan to send observers into Syria, while French and Turkish officials called for action against the Syrian government. Syrian opposition groups have indicated they may seek help from the United Nations to create buffer zones for the protection of civilian populations if Bashar Al-Assad's government does not end a deadly crackdown. The Washington Post/The Associated Press (11/18)  | - Hear from the Modern UN Family of Supporters
 For those who weren't able to join us last week at the Global Leadership Awards Dinner in New York, check out our series of videos offering a sneak peek into the night. At the dinner, United Nations Foundation Founder and Chairman Ted Turner and UN Foundation President Timothy E. Wirth saluted leaders from diverse backgrounds. Grammy award-winning rock band Linkin Park, Prime Minister of Norway Jens Stoltenberg, UN Under-Secretary-General Susana Malcorra, ExxonMobil Chairman and CEO Rex Tillerson, and Human Rights Activist Asma Jahangir were honored as UN champions. ESPN's Rick Reilly served as the Master of Ceremonies, and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Ambassador Susan E. Rice were honored and featured guests.
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