One month ago, when we heard the story of a 14-year-old Pakistani girl, Malala Yousufzai, brutally shot in the head to silence her outspoken advocacy of girls' education, it's safe to say we were universally horrified. Her individual story, say reporters and several editorials in leading Pakistani newspapers,...

A few years ago, my professional journey brought me into the world of higher education, where I am now -- in addition to other things -- a professor. Some days, the unofficial responsibility and de facto requirement to counsel and mentor undergraduate and graduate students both surprises and amuses me,...

Electric soccer balls, life-saving sleeping bags, and water on wheels...business as usual? Well, it depends on who you ask. For folks creating new ways to tackle deeply-entrenched global poverty problems, it's all part of social innovation, a way of thinking that draws upon the expertise, entrepreneurial spirit and commitment of...

Some numbers: Almost one billion people around the world are hungry on a daily basis. By the end of October, the world population will have grown to seven billion people. And as of this year, the global development community estimates hundreds of thousands of lives...

For millions of girls around the world, going to school is a life dream that's out of reach. Why? Early marriage, child labor, pregnancy, lack of access, violence. Solving the problem is a gauntlet deeply grounded in cultural traditions and the ripple effects of poverty -- seemingly impossible.

In...

Each Mother's Day, I celebrate the two most miraculous, deliriously happy days of my life -- the days I gave birth to my two children. What I counted on during my birth experiences: health care, a safe and sanitary environment and trained birth personnel. As a resident of the United...

Last week, as part of a project, I spent part of my day talking to a nonprofit community organization leader who told me about a once-homeless man who is now a construction foreman. And a woman whose Chicago-based organization is creating training opportunities for unemployed and under-employed minority workers in...

Ten years ago, global leaders came together to create one of the most revolutionary pacts for well, saving the world, essentially -- in modern times.

In September 2000, the United Nations created and signed the Millennium Declaration, a very public announcement of the notion that -- at...

Like all of us, I've watched the horrendous disaster in the Gulf Coast continue to unfold in these five months or so since the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded off the coast of Louisiana. As a narrative with many threads -- the millions of dollars spent by the BP image...