This week, the UK government launched the “Integrated Review of foreign policy, defence, security and international development”. This review will set the tone for Britain’s role in the world for years to come, so it’s important that it genuinely looks to the future. However, the sad truth is that these reviews often simply end up preparing us for the last war or crisis. At best they might make us slightly better prepared for the next crisis — but they rarely,...
During ONE Valentine’s week, ONE’s UK youth activists headed to Parliament to declare their love for life-saving vaccines. At ONE, we brought together voices from across the UK, including volunteers, charities and MPs for a jam-packed day of action to talk about Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. Great to see @ella_r03 again campaigning on vaccinations. One of the best uses of the #UKAid budget. Saves huge numbers of lives and helps global health security. @gavi @DFID_UK @ONECampaign pic.twitter.com/KOr6jXgpqe — Penny Mordaunt (@PennyMordaunt)...
There’s so much more to a book than words on a page. Books have the power to inspire, enlighten, uplift, and change the world. Three years ago, our Global Policy Team recommended 10 incredible books that opened our eyes and inspired us to take action. Now, we’ve got six more books from them that will improve any book collection: The Invention of Wings; Sue Monk Kidd A compelling story about the relationship between a female slave and the daughter of her white...
Globally, rates of extreme poverty are declining. But, that positive progress isn’t reflected when we examine poverty rates at a regional level. 70% of the world’s poorest live in Africa and forecasts indicate that “by 2030, nearly 9 in 10 extremely poor people will live in sub-Saharan Africa.” So, how can we change this? One key way to stem poverty is to invest in key interventions that will enable people to live healthy and productive lives, like vaccines. The power of...
As the UK Department for International Development welcomes Anne-Marie Trevelyan as the sixth secretary of state in four years, ONE UK & Ireland Director Romilly Greenhill reflects on the legacy and future of UK aid. My first job was in the Ugandan Finance Ministry. This was the early 2000s, and Uganda was getting a lot of aid and debt relief, including from the UK. My job was to monitor the money and check that it was spent on things that...
Apps have the power to massively impact society and affect change where it’s needed most. Historically, tech and app development has been a male-dominated industry, but more girls and women are getting involved and bringing their innovations to the table. We’ve put together a list of five apps developed by girls who are using tech to change the world: The Restorers Photo pulled from Dorcas Wangari’s report “The App and the Cut.” Watch the full report here. In...
Why do we need to invest in global health programmes? Just look at what’s happening right now with coronavirus. 2020 has just started, and we have already seen the first major health alert of the new decade, following an outbreak of coronavirus in Wuhan, China. In a short amount of time coronavirus, a contagious respiratory infection that can be fatal, has already spread to nearly every province China, and across the world. The speed that the virus has spread and the...
Since June 2019, ONE and our partners have been calling for the sexual assault laws in Senegal to be dramatically improved in order to protect women and girls from gender-based violence. The campaign grew quickly through a new petition and partnerships with local groups. We engaged supporters by email, social media, blog posts, and on-the-ground activity — with more than 97,000 people from across the globe joining our calls. And we’re proud to say all our efforts have led to...
The 2020 Gates Letter, marking the 20th anniversary of the Gates Foundation, dropped this week. Each year, the Gates annual letter makes an argument for what, why, and how we should invest to make the most meaningful impact on the world. It paints a portrait of where the world has been, where it currently is, and where it can go with the right action. This year, the letter takes on the theme of “swinging for the fences,” which is advice...
Vaccines don’t just stop us from getting sick. They help keep us healthy, allowing us to take advantage of all the opportunities that life has to offer. For some, getting vaccinations is a simple trip to the doctor’s office. But for many in the world, it’s a lot harder to access vaccinations. Victor is a health worker in the rural outskirts of Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC) capital city. Delivering healthcare in communities affected by extreme poverty is...