Mpox – A Humanitarian Crisis Returns
With mpox re-emerging as a global health threat, particularly in resource-constrained African countries and with severe impacts on children, Dr. Marie Roseline Darnycka Belizaire of the WHO examines the rapid resurgence since the 2022 outbreak, inequities in the response, and strategies for addressing the crisis through collaboration and community-centered interventions.
Common Design Reusable Packaging: Doing More with Less
OPINION COMMENTARY:
Imagine if every package – bottles, boxes, or phials – didn’t go to waste but was reused, helping to reduce pollution and conserve resources. Rajan Mehta advocates for a Common Design Reusable Packaging system to standardize reusable containers across industries, reduce environmental impact, and create a more sustainable cycle.
Achieving our Sustainability Transition with the Transition Planning Taskforce (TPT) Disclosure Framework
Building a robust corporate transition plan is challenging yet critical to achieve our net zero ambitions. University of Oxford Professor Ben Caldecott, Co-Head of the TPT Secretariat, discusses with Emily Chien, ALI Senior Fellow, how the “gold standard” TPT Disclosure Framework will transform the way companies and governments develop, monitor and apply transition planning best practices to help make businesses more sustainable.
Resilience in Action: Empowering India’s Informal Workers Through Crisis and Adaptation
Dr. Satchit Balsari highlights his transformative work with SEWA, India’s Self-Employed Women’s Association, and its “economy of nurturance,” exploring resilient, community-driven strategies for survival and adaptation. He emphasizes the urgent need for interdisciplinary solutions, local innovation, and data-informed policies to tackle complex global challenges.
Policy, Sovereignty, and Story in Native American Drama
Native American drama breathes life into the stories behind policy, illuminating realities of tribal sovereignty and the impact of federal laws on Indigenous lives. Antíkoni exemplifies how theatre can make these issues visible, encouraging audiences to understand, empathize, and carry these insights into conversations about justice and cultural respect.
Harnessing AI to Empower Smallholder Farmers: Bridging the Digital Divide for Sustainable Growth
For smallholder farmers, overcoming the digital divide could mean a shift from subsistence to sustainability. Harnessing AI has the potential to unlock new possibilities — boosting productivity, providing better market access, and securing their economic futures in an interconnected world.
Training Healthcare Professionals: Addressing Health Disparities from the Battlefield to the City Streets and Countryside
Addressing the challenges of medical care from medical school to the battlefield to city streets to overcome disparities in health, Dr. Jonathan Woodson discusses his journey at the intersection of education, government, and the practice of medicine to train healthcare professionals and leaders to provide effective medical care.
Political Giving is a Sugar High. Nonprofit Giving Promotes More Durable Gratification
OPINION COMMENTARY:
Your senator greets you with a smile and makes you feel so important that you contribute to his campaign, only to learn that he doesn’t need your money; he’s a shoo-in for re-election. John Carroll urges people to direct their giving to competitive political races and social missions that serve their local communities.
Planting Seeds of Change: The Role of Traditional Agriculture in Africa’s Climate Fight
At the edge of the Sahara, a revolution is growing — one rooted in traditional agriculture that holds the key to Africa’s climate resilience. While the continent contributes just 4% to global emissions, it bears the brunt of climate change's devastating impacts. Discover how local knowledge and ancient farming techniques are being revitalized to restore ecosystems, and bolster food security.
Unlocking the Health and Economic Returns of Closing the Women's Health Gap
Women often do not receive gender-specific health care, leading to disparities in treatment and outcomes. Megan Greenfield and Lucy Perez from McKinsey & Co. explore the reasons behind the global women's health gap and propose actionable steps to bridge this divide by 2040.
Political Ecology and Environmental Conflicts: The Struggle Over Natural Resources
Among today’s most urgent challenges is how natural resources should be managed sustainably. Michelle Atala Urrea Vivas provides a primer on how the field of political ecology focuses on power imbalances in environmental conflicts to better understand why overexploitation and social injustice often result from disconnects between power dynamics and sustainable stewardship of natural resources.
No More Excuses for Sitting on the Sidelines
OPINION COMMENTARY:
The 2024 election will be consequential, and fortunately, it's easier and more important than ever to become involved. Rex VanMiddlesworth presents a number of ways to do so, from working the polls to joining campaigns.
The Antimicrobial Resistance Crisis – Reexamining the Incentives
As antimicrobial resistance becomes one of the most worrisome challenges to global public health, Dr. Emilio Emini, former CEO of the Gates Medical Research Institute, examines root causes and hopeful pathways to address the crisis, from foundational biology and private sector incentives to public policy and the need for social impact investment.
After Race-Conscious Admissions: How to Provide Strategic and Aggressive College Application Advice to Academically Ambitious Black Students
The Supreme Court’s ruling in Students for Fair Admissions prohibited the consideration of race in college admission decisions. Kamal A. James and Dr. Irvin L. Scott provide guidance for fellow educators working to support academically ambitious Black students as they prepare for the college application process.
The New Innovator's Dilemma: Fostering Young Talent in the Age of AI
AI is dramatically changing entry-level work by reducing opportunities for human-to-human feedback and mentorship. Some employers and educators, however, are finding ways to help recent graduates and young workers gain the experience and connections needed to launch their careers.
Continuing the Conversation: COVID Underscores Homelessness as a Policy Choice
Homelessness in the US persists due to a worsening housing shortage, rising housing costs, increased immigration levels, and the expiration of eviction protections. Jeff Olivet, head of Biden’s US Interagency Council on Homelessness, sees homelessness as a policy choice and highlights its solvability when collective action is taken.
We Can’t Do It Without You: Multi-Stakeholders and the Fight Against Cybercrime
OPINION COMMENTARY:
Cybercrime is a global threat, demanding enhanced international cooperation and protection of human rights. The UN is now negotiating a new cybercrime treaty. Lead US negotiator, Ambassador (Ret.) Deborah McCarthy, argues for the involvement of multi-stakeholders – private sector, civil society, NGOs, and academia – to help member states in crafting and implementing the treaty to more effectively combat global cybercrime while safeguarding freedoms.
Unveiling the Power of Art to Create Social Change
Plastic pollution poses a severe environmental impact on the world. Kat Owens discusses how we can merge art and science and use them as tools to induce social change, engaging communities in collaborative projects to raise awareness and inspire policy change.
Unlocking Success: Key Lessons from Academia-Government Collaborations in Advancing Public Policy
Collaboration between academics and government agencies is essential for advancing our understanding of public policy issues. Noelwah Netusil and Marie Walkiewicz describe how to overcome barriers that can hinder these efforts and limit their effectiveness.
Women’s Voices Matter
The absence of women’s speech from anthologies and history books is not just a case of missing content. What’s also lost are examples of women as authority figures, self-determined leaders, and informed, confident participants in public life and affairs.