Are you ready to be a mentor?

Pretty soon, the second YLMP will be up and running. As I've mentioned several times before, being a mentor can be extremely rewarding. When done properly, mentoring relationships bring out the best in the mentor and the mentee; both come out of the experience richer for it. Mentoring goes as far back as the ancient Greeks; according to Wikipedia, "the word itself was inspired by the character of Mentor in Homer's Odyssey. Though the actual Mentor in the story is a somewhat ineffective old man, the goddess Athena takes on his appearance in order to guide young Telemachus in his time of difficulty".



Mentoring can have serious implications in our societies. Several individuals who have gone on to become great leaders in our society did not start off on that path. Sometimes for a young person, just having an older, more experienced person take them seriously and believing in them is enough inspiration/motivation to set them straight. Gone are the days when a mentor can only be a seasoned, grey-topped wo/man in a toga. Mentors come in all shapes and sizes from all walks of life. The only question is; are you ready?

ONE Blog: Five takeaways from the MDG Summit

Here's a great post from the ONE Blog by Nora Coghlan:

As New Yorkers cautiously take back control of the East 40s, and the NGO community struggles with a post-summit hangover, there is no doubt one question on everyone’s mind: Was it all worth it?

In the lead-up to the summit, ONE asked world leaders (PDF) to agree to a comprehensive road map to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015 with accountable, measurable commitments from all partners. This included a focus on improving governance, spurring economic growth and increasing investments in programs that are delivering results.

So did we get it? The short answer is no. We have a new plan to tackle maternal and child health and an official “outcomes document” (PDF) that recommits leaders to meeting the MDGs, which has some great language on mutual accountability, national ownership and the role of trade and economic growth in development. But still we don’t have a broad, action-oriented framework that we can hold individual countries accountable to for the next five years.

The short answer is also a short-sighted one. It’s true that we don’t have a step-by-step game plan to take us to 2015, or a laundry list of grandiose pledges and new agreements coming out of the summit. But after 200-plus speeches (and three times that amount of side events), we do have some powerful signals of a shifting approach and a deepened commitment to development, that over time, could prove just as valuable for citizens in developing countries.

On that note, here are my top five takeaways from the U.N. MDG Summit:

1. There is a global plan to tackle maternal and child mortality.
The signature initiative of the summit — called the Global Strategy for Women’s and Children’s Health — is a comprehensive plan to save the lives of 16 million mothers, newborns and children by 2015. The strategy commits stakeholders to some critical policy objectives (like supporting country-led plans, fostering integration, building local capacity and monitoring for results) and includes $40 billion in funding.

While some details around the resources are outstanding (as Erin Hohlfelder points out), the diversity of partners who endorsed the plan and made pledges to support its goals is a clear and long-overdue signal that global leaders are ready to play their part in ending needless deaths of mothers and children.

2. The world’s biggest donor now has a development policy.
The excitement over the long-awaited results of the Obama Administration’s Presidential Study Directive is palpable in Washington, but there is no doubt that its impact on citizens in developing countries will be even stronger. A “modern architecture” for U.S. development efforts and new objectives like selectivity, sustainability and accountability will have direct implications on our relationships with developing countries and donor partners.

While the new U.S. Global Development Policy was in the works long before the U.N. summit, last week gave President Obama a platform to unveil his plan before developing countries, donors and the global community. Although the real test will be in the implementation (Larry Nowels points that out in this post), there is no doubt that this new U.S. policy will be “game-changing” for citizens in developing countries.

News roundup: MDG Summit

The MDG Summit is over, but the message of hope the Goals send is louder and clearer than ever. No doubt progress has been made, but there is still a long way to go. Reactions to the Summit have been largely positive, although some NGOs were dissatisfied; ActionAid's chief executive Joanna Kerr called it an "expensive side-show", stating that these summits will continue to fail so long as leaders continue to make empty promises.

Ghana was represented at the Summit by our Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Hon. Alhaji Mumuni. He described the progress that has made for each goal thus far and pointed out that while Ghana has seen some encouraging progress, work still needs to be done. Although he remarked that various changes needed to be made, no mention was made concerning how these changes would be implemented. You can read his speech in full here.

After preceding the Summit insisting the MDGs can be met with the right amount of work, Ban Ki-moon launched the Global Strategy for Women’s and Children’s Health (which Ghana and 40 other states have committed to) as a buffer for MDGs 4 and 5, arguably the furthest from being met. President Obama used the Summit as a platform to reveal the his new International Development Policy, and Nick Clegg pledged to increase UK spending on malaria by a third to £500m a year by 2014. To view the Summit's official outcome document, click here.

Many promises were made - and with only five years to go, now is the time has come to hold our leaders accountable. They have proven they can all talk the talk, now they must walk the walk. There will be an opportunity to do this early next month. World leaders will be meeting to confirm their support to the Global Fund, an organisation that works to combat malaria, tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS worldwide. We will be watching!

Leadership on a shoestring

No matter what happens, like water, we will always need leaders. Funny thing to consider though; when situations arise where leadership is critical - take the issues that have led the the MDGs for instance - resources don't tend to be in the habit of lining themselves up waiting for people, leaders, to make use of them. Indeed, the need for leadership can arise because of an absence of resources (which in itself could be a consequence of poor leadership). My point here is that when leadership is needed most, the resources needed (be it time, materials, personnel, honesty...) might not always be handy. This is what brings about the term 'leadership on a shoestring'. A quick Google search (0.33 seconds in fact) revealed that most uses of the term of the web refer to leadership training: how to pull off an effective leadership development course for employees on a tight budget for example. On some level, it communicates the same basic sort of message: all leadership involves some aspect of effective resource management.

Not quite leadership on a shoestring though, so I'll just get straight to the point. When it comes to making the most of what you (may or may not) have, there are a few things I think you should keep in mind. These are by no means exclusive to this scenario. Rather, they are especially important.

1. Keep the target/aim/goal in mind. It's always good to prioritise. When you don't have a lot to work with, it becomes imperative to focus on the task at hand. Once you're sure you've done everything you can and you've done it well, other things can be attended to.
2. Make it a team effort. Don't become bogged down when you can delegate. Aside from stressing yourself out, it will get you nowhere. The beauty of having a team is that everyone will have different strengths and weaknesses. As a leader you should be able to play on this to get the best out of each person. Not only will people then work more effectively, chances are they will feel more fulfilled as well.
3. Think outside the box. They say necessity is the mother of invention, and it's true. You may be tight but ultimately, you determine how 'tight' your thinking is. Be creative and innovative and for all you know, that thing you thought was a problem might just turn into the single greatest thing that happened.
4. Expect the unexpected. Like the organisers of the Delhi Commonwealth Games are finding out, no matter how hard you prepare, no matter what the circumstances are, you can never be sure of what's around the corner. Although it could be said that they wasted a lot of time, progress has been significantly hampered by an unexpected amount of rain. This is peculiar given that they are in the middle of the monsoon season. Had they factored the possibility of freak rains, perhaps they could have avoided a lot of the trouble they find themselves in now. Always think ahead. You save a lot more time thinking about these things in advance than having to think of solutions on the spot.

I'm sure there are many other things that could be included here, but this is where I will stop. Any thoughts?

Mentoring resources

It's been a little while since I shared any mentoring resources, and since the deadline for applications for new mentors is fast approaching (there's still time to apply!), here are some resources for new mentors:

Guide for Mentoring: Do you want to be a mentor?
This includes what details in the role of a mentor, what it takes to be a good mentor, tips for a successful relationship, how to help your mentee learn and finally, what to do after goals have been achieved.

Guide for Mentoring: Appendix
Although this is a separate document from the one above, it is more or less a continuation. It includes questions and answers, common myths, useful websites and resources, a mentoring agreement and a feedback questionnaire. Although to some extent Databank Foundation will set the terms of your mentoring agreement and will provide mentees with a feedback questionnaire at the end of the programme, you are free to experiment with others.

If you'd like to apply for the next Young Leaders Mentorship Programme, click here for eligibility requirements and application details. If you know someone you think might like to apply, simply point them in our direction. The deadline's this Friday though, so you'll have to hurry!

Tackling corruption will fast-track progress on the millennium development goals

Here's an interesting article from The Guardian written by Paul Collier and Jamie Drummond:

This week at the UN in New York world leaders are reviewing progress on the millennium development goals (MDGs). Previous meetings have been focused on drumming up more aid. Times are doubly inauspicious for such a purpose: in the OECD fiscal deficits are squeezing aid budgets, while in the poorest countries faster growth is enabling governments to finance more from their own revenues. International aid is still very important, but such summits should no longer be confined to discussions of aid.

The key driver of that faster growth, the bonanza of natural resource extraction, is a two-edged sword. The value of the resources to be extracted from impoverished economies is enormous: if it translates into revenues that are well-spent it will be transformational. But the historical record of resource extraction in these societies is abysmal: money that could have delivered the millennium development goals instead corroded governance. In the poorest societies nearly all resource extraction is done by non-national companies. Only they have the skills and finance necessary for what are often large and complex undertakings. It takes two to tango: the corrosion of governance depended upon the misconduct of these companies.

Of course, most employees in resource extraction companies are honest, yet it is very difficult for the industry to police itself. The incentives for rogue behaviour are intense: executives know that if their company refrains from corruption they are likely to lose contracts to less scrupulous rivals. They know that even if they get a contract, public officials are liable to block implementation unless bribes are paid. In such murky waters murky companies thrive, doing doubtful deals, often ones which they themselves would be unable to implement, but then selling on to the major companies once the bribery is successfully concluded.

The most effective way of preventing this race to the bottom is if all resource extraction companies are subject to the same standards of integrity. The first step was the voluntary standards introduced by the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative. Since its launch in 2003, more than 30 governments have made commitments. But voluntary standards can only go so far. The key step beyond voluntarism has just been taken by the US. In July, the Wall Street Reform Act came into force, including the Cardin-Lugar amendment on energy sector transparency. As a result of the amendment, companies registered on the NYSE must present all payments in itemised detail in their annual filings with the Securities Exchange Commission. This enables citizens, media watchdogs and, perhaps most importantly, other companies to monitor closely all payments to government officials. Corruption has suddenly become more difficult.

We've been reading...

MDG Summit 2010
Christian Post -- World leaders will gather over the next few days in New York for a U.N. summit to accelerate progress toward the Millennium Development Goals. Starting Monday, the 150 world leaders at the high-level MDG2010 Summit will assess progress toward the series of targets that range from cutting child and maternal mortality to halving the number of people who go hungry, and recommit to the pledges they made a decade ago. Also present will be representatives from the private sector and civil society such as Abbé Ambroise Tine, secretary general of Caritas Senegal, who will be representing Caritas Internationalis, the wider confederation of 165 national Catholic charities...

President of Namibia awarded for contribution to food security
Africa Good News -- Namibian President Hifikepunye Pohamba has been awarded the 2010 FANRPAN Food Security Policy Leadership Award in recognition of his contributions to the country's fisheries policies for a food-secure Africa. The award was announced in Windhoek, Namibia at the FANRPAN Annual Regional Policy Dialogue recently.President Pohamba and his government have been instrumental in creating responsible fisheries policies in Namibia which have already been recognised by the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organisation in 2009. According to Pohamba Namibia's industrial fisheries will continue to develop in a sustainable manner...

Gordon Murray unveils lightweight city car
BBC -- Imagine a car so narrow that two can drive next to each other in one lane; a car so small and short that three can park in one parking space. Now imagine that the car is built in a shed from glass fibre, recycled plastic bottles and hollow steel tubes, using just a fifth of the material required to build a conventional car. Such a vehicle would have the potential to prevent gridlock on the world's roads as the number of cars quadruples to 2.5 billion by 2020. It could also help hundreds of millions of people achieve their dream of owning a car, without depleting scarce resources such as water, energy or steel...

Congo among nations advancing on forest carbon
Reuters -- Nations including Democratic Republic of Congo are making surprise progress towards taking part in a $200 million project for slowing deforestation from late 2010, World Bank experts said. They also said Latin America, with forested nations around the Amazon, had strong incentives to take part since most of the continent's greenhouse gas emissions came from deforestation and shifts in land use, rather than use of fossil fuels. "We intend to start operations later this year," Benoit Bosquet, lead carbon finance specialist at the World Bank, told Reuters of the Carbon Fund, part of a facility that involves 37 forested developing nations and 14 donors...


Focus on MDGs
12 things to read before the MDG Summit
Picking the bones out of the pre-summit reports on MDG progress
Ban Ki-moon says UN millennium goals 'can be met'
Women, girls crucial to progress on MDGs

Ghana & Vietnam among top MDG peformers

An article from the Oversees Development Institute (ODI):

The first new ODI study, the MDG Report Card, provides a country-by-country analysis of progress toward meeting the MDGs.

A second new study, Development Progress Stories, showcases outstanding examples of national progress in eight major areas of development: economic conditions, health, water and sanitation, education, governance, environmental conditions, agriculture and rural development, and social protection. The first stories appear today on a new website.

"Both these projects grew out of a growing awareness that there was too little attention paid to progress being made in development," says ODI Director, Dr. Alison Evans. "We believe that by providing robust and accessible information on progress at national level, this project will offer lessons for policymakers and support the evidence base for continued international engagement."

MDG Report Card - Measuring progress across countries:

The MDG Report Card presents an analysis of progress on the MDGs and a set of league tables of selected indicators. It shows where substantial advances have been made, as well as inequities and uneven progress for seven MDGs. The eighth MDG on global partnerships was not included in the analysis.

The report makes a crucial distinction between absolute versus relative progress. Both measures are needed to tell the full story of progress over the past ten years. Relative progress measures a country's progress relative to initial conditions. This highlights the degree to which they have closed the gap on MDG targets. Absolute progress measures change regardless of initial conditions. Low-income countries, especially those in Africa, tend to rank top on absolute progress, whereas middle-income countries tend to do better at closing the gap.

The report reveals a number of high achievers. Vietnam made unprecedented progress in improving the lives of the poor. It featured in the top ten of several indicators, including halving the proportion of underweight children, and reducing the proportion of people living on less than $1 a day from nearly two-thirds to one-fifth in just 14 years. Ghana outperformed all other countries around the world by reducing hunger by nearly three-quarters, from 34 percent to 9 percent, between 1990 and 2004. It will achieve MDG 1 before 2015.

Many other African nations have made considerable progress. Ten African countries, including Ethiopia, Egypt, and post-conflict Angola, have already halved their absolute poverty levels. Angola and Niger have reduced their under-five mortality ratios by more than 100 per 1,000 deaths in less than two decades. The West African nation of Benin ranked in the top ten in education improvements with school enrolments increasing from 43 to 83 percent between 1992 and 2007.

Coming Soon: eBook Library

When we hit the 100 posts mark a couple days ago (yes 100, whoo!!), I began thinking of ways the blog could improve. After some thought, it occurred to me that I could introduce an 'eBook Library'. I'm open to suggestions, but here's how I think it should go. Anytime you come across an eBook you think might be helpful, just give me a shout and I'll put it up. I'll do the same whenever I find one. This doesn't necessarily have to be limited to just books per se, we could include fact sheets, dissertations... the whole nine yards. Over time, we should be able to build up quite a handy little 'library'. You'll be able to access the library under the eBook Library label up on the top of each page (along with About Us, Meet our Mentors, etc). I really hope it turns into something useful!

And speaking of the 100 post mark, I'd also like to take this time to say a huge thank you to all YLMP blog readers. Whether you're here for the first time (welcome!) or have been following for a while (welcome back!), your company means a lot. As usual, if you have any suggestions, comments or critiques, just let me know!

MDG Summit: 20th-22nd Sep

In the year 2000, over 180 states agreed on a series of goals that, once achieved, would take a significant dent out of poverty and its effects worldwide. These goals have the potential to save millions of lives, reduce gender inequality, protect the environment and significantly improve the quality of life for all.

With the target date for these goals fast approaching, there is a need for world leaders to come together once again to discuss progress, share lessons and to go over the necessary action to be taken over the next five years. The MDG Report for 2010 shows mixed progress (read it here), so careful, deliberate leadership will be required to stay on track for 2015. From the 20th until the 22nd of September, the UN will be holding an MDG Summit in New York. You can follow the action with ONE*, the UN, or right here on the YLMP blog.

"The summit will be a crucially important opportunity to redouble our efforts to meet the Goals", says Ban Ki Moon, Secretary General of the UN. "Our world possesses the knowledge and the resources to achieve the MDGs. Our challenge today is to agree on an action agenda to achieve the MDGs." The Millennium Development Goals represent an unprecedented global effort and commitment; if successful, our leaders have the chance to re-write history and prove that they can indeed work together to facilitate positive change on a large scale.


*ONE has put together a playlist of MDG videos on YouTube. Check them out here.

Up With People: A different kind of leadership experience

Would you like to travel the world, perform for thousands and impact communities at the same time? If so, I've just stumbled upon an organisation called Up With People that you might be interested in. They provide a unique leadership experience by bringing together approximately 100 young people (aged between 17 - 29) from 20 different countries on a multi-continent tour.

About the programme (click here for more info):

Up with People differentiates itself from other leadership, service, and study abroad programs through its unique combination of program components. For over four decades, participants who traveled in UWP have gone on to become enthusiastic leaders in their communities and the world. Equipped with the life skills and broad perspectives learned 'on the road,' they have made tremendous differences through a myriad of career and life choices and have truly become global citizens.

UWP offers flexible options to fit your schedule and budget. With programs beginning twice each year and the option of touring for either one or two semesters, we offer an affordable, comprehensive way to explore the world.

To apply or to find out more, visit their website.

How literacy empowers women

The UN reports:

Top United Nations officials called today for more funding and advocacy to improve literacy rates among the world’s women, who comprise two out of every three adults who cannot read or write.

In a message marking International Literacy Day, which is observed today, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stressed the transformative effect on both a family and the wider community when a woman is literate.

"Literate women are more likely to send their children, especially their girls, to school," he said. "By acquiring literacy, women become more economically self-reliant and more actively engaged in their country’s social, political and cultural life. All evidence shows that investment in literacy for women yields high development dividends."

Mr. Ban urged governments, donors, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and other groups to do more to make literacy accessible to women everywhere, particularly those living in vulnerable or isolated communities.

"Every literate woman marks a victory over poverty," he noted, calling for "increasing funding and sustained advocacy for quality literacy programmes that empower women and ensure that girls and boys at primary and secondary level do not become a new generation of young illiterates."

While global illiteracy rates are falling, it is estimated that about one in every six adults still cannot read or write.

Irina Bokova, the Director-General of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), said in her message that investing in women’s literacy carries very high returns.

"It improves livelihoods, leads to better child and maternal health, and favours girls’ access to education," she stated. "In short, newly literate women have a positive ripple effect on all development indicators."

Ms. Bokova will give the keynote address at an international conference at UN Headquarters in New York today that will be opened by former United States First Lady Laura Bush, who is Honorary Ambassador for the UN Literacy Decade (UNLD).

September 8th: World Literacy Day

This is a little late getting in, but yesterday was International Literacy Day. Celebrated since 1966, International Literacy Day aims to both celebrate literacy and to highlight the importance its importance both to individuals and society as a whole. Despite this worldwide attention, collective literacy rates remain worryingly low. According to UNESCO's Education for All Global Monitoring Report 2010 (click here for a summary), approximately 759 million adults lack basic literacy skills; two thirds of them women. A further 72 million primary school children do not have access to formal education, which significantly lowers their chance of being literate in the future. With targets for MDG2 hanging in the balance with only five more years to go, urgent action needs to be taken.

Here at the YLMP, we not only believe that literacy is imperative for development (for both person and country), but we also believe that society robs itself of massive potential without it. Let's take the case of William Kamkwamba for example. Forced to leave school at 14 due a lack of funds, William continued to satisfy his appetite for knowledge by making regular visits to his local library. It was there that he saw the book that inspired him to build three working windmills from local scrap material that would become a power source for his family and village (initially, he had only planned to generate enough electricity to power a small light bulb in his room to allow him to read past sunset - click here for more details). Literacy opens up all kinds of opportunities, and it is a massive shame that for reasons beyond their control, so many people are denied them.

Our library project at Kinbu is designed with the purpose not only to make books more accessible to students, but also to develop a love for reading. We should all be grateful for the gift of literacy and as besides promoting it, we should try to help others who can read and write make the most of what they have.

We've been reading...

AGRF promises to transform African agriculture
Africa Good News -- The inaugural African Green Revolution Forum (AGRF) has reportedly ended with a series of outcomes that will move a united Africa forward in the quest to transform agriculture and tackle food security. Closing the forum in Accra, Ghana, AGRF Chair, Kofi Annan, praised the efforts of public and private institutions, development organisations, the donor community and farmers, to accelerate the green revolution in Africa. "Today we move forward, strongly united and passionately committed to the concrete actions that we have jointly developed," said Annan...

Getting ideas to flow
Leading Blog -- Charles Landry is the founder of Comedia, and works to help cities to be more "creative for the world" so that the energies of individuals and companies can be brought into alignment with their global responsibilities. He recently told Sally Helgesen that his experience has taught him that “the single biggest problem in the world is not finding great ideas but getting great ideas to move, to flow.” Getting stuck is an issue we face both individually and organizationally. At its core, it’s a thinking problem and is often self-inflicted. Creating the right kind of movement and in the right direction begins with re-thinking our view of reality...

US Media Criticized for Ignoring Positive Developments in Africa
VOA News -- The president and CEO of the Africa Society of the National Summit on Africa says that important stories about Africa continue to feature less prominently in mainstream American media outlets. The Africa Society is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that strives to educate Americans about the richness and diversity of Africa, as well as the economic opportunities that the continent offers.Bernadette Paolo said, despite the fact that the month of August featured many Africa-related events in Washington, those events did not make the mainstream American media...

Canada begins rollout of maternal-health plan in Africa
Globe & Mail -- Two months after the G8 Summit, the Harper government is beginning to roll out its maternal-health plan in Africa. But one of its most controversial elements – family planning – is nowhere to be seen in the announcements so far. Bev Oda, Minister of International Co-operation, made no mention of family planning in her official statements during a seven-day visit to Mali and Mozambique this week and last. She says she discussed the issue privately with government officials in Mali, although no specific commitments were announced. At the G8 Summit in June in Huntsville, Ont., the government pledged $1.1-billion in new money for maternal and child-health programs in the developing world...

Lites
Nigerian 'Sesame Street' to feature health, nutrition and gender equality
Nigerian economy to grow by 10%
Help freeze Pakistan's debt
Angola to spend $18 bln to end power cuts by 2016

Ghana leads the way on MGD 1!!!

Here's a fantastic post from the Gates Foundation blog by Melinda Gates. You might have already heard - news of this development made the front page of today's Daily Graphic. Hope you enjoy the read nonetheless:

"In the fight to reduce hunger and poverty around the world — part of the ambitious set of development targets known as the Millennium Development Goals — one country that really stands out for me is the West African nation of Ghana.

Ghana’s progress has been remarkable. Between 1990 and 2004, Ghana outperformed all countries globally in reducing hunger by 75 percent. It’s also making great strides to reduce the number of people living in poverty. In fact, Ghana is on track to become the first country in Africa to achieve the MDG goal for halving poverty and hunger from 1990 levels by 2015. That’s remarkable, especially when you consider the devastating drought, dwindling harvests and rising poverty that Ghana experienced in the mid-1980s.

How did they do it? In Ghana, as in many parts of the developing world, the poorest people get their income by farming small plots of land. So finding ways to help these farmers produce more food and get it to market is a critical element in reducing poverty and hunger. That’s also the goal of the foundation’s agricultural development initiative, which we launched in 2006.

And that’s just what Ghana has done. During the past 25 years, Ghana’s increased government investments in agriculture have led to some amazing results. Ghana commits nearly 10 percent of its budget to improving agriculture, putting it among the top investors in the sector in Africa. It’s experienced steady growth in agricultural productivity, almost 5 percent a year since 1985, making it one of the world’s top performers in agricultural growth. A dramatic increase in cocoa production has helped to increase exports. And child malnutrition in Ghana has almost been cut in half since the end of the 1980s.

There is still work to be done in Ghana – only half of the land suitable for agriculture is currently under cultivation and there are still complaints from farmers that the market for some crops is underdeveloped. But there is no disputing the fact that Ghana is on the right path: just two decades ago, Ghana was a country that struggled to feed its own people; now it has ambitions to become the breadbasket for West Africa.

I invite you to take a look at this photo gallery — featuring the story of Ghanaian cocoa farmer Peter Owoahene Acheampong — on Ghana’s progress."

This is fantastic news; hopefully progress in the seven remaining goals will follow soon!