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,...
ONE
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)...
From locusts invasions in the Horn of Africa, to the rollout of the recently approved Ebola vaccine, a women’s economic empowerment initiative, we’ve rounded up six stories that you might have missed this month.
Locusts invade the Horn of Africa
Massive swarms of locusts are invading the Horn of Africa. This is the worst infestation in generations due to unseasonably wet weather. Recent cyclones in East Africa created moist conditions, which are ideal for fast locust reproduction.
Each swarm can contain as...
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...
EU leaders are entering an intense period of negotiations about the European Union’s next seven-year budget. Their decisions will have significant and wide-reaching impacts on people and our planet.
The agreement our leaders will reach on the EU’s long-term budget will determine whether citizens’ aspirations and expectations on ending extreme poverty and inequality and tackling climate change are met or not; without sufficient funds allocated to these issues, it won’t be possible to deliver the future we want.
The clock is...
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...