UN WIRE AUGUST 6, 2013

August 6, 2013 FOLLOW THE UN FOUNDATION   News covering the UN and the world SIGN UP | FORWARD | ADVERTISE | DONATE Top Story U.S. Ambassador Power officially takes her seat at UN Samantha Power gave her credentials to United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Monday, officially stepping into her role as U.S. ambassador. "The UN is critical to a range of U.S. interests, and U.S. leadership at the UN is indispensable to making progress on those interests," Power told reporters, adding, "We have a lot to discuss upstairs and even more to do." CBS News (8/5), The Huffington Post/Reuters (8/5) Share: Above the Fold Ground-level panels weigh in on post-2015 development goals With innovation and microfinance, woman helps her village Increase seen in illicit summer child brides Dignity, governance key to refugee camp security, UNHCR official says UNA-USA Opens Application Period for Next U.S. Youth Observer at the UN General Assembly UN Radio Quote of the Day @UNFoundation: "Now introducing the 2013 UN Foundation Press Fellows for @UN Week (drumroll please): http://bit.ly/13D283N" Share: UN Dispatch "[T]he discussion about hackathons is moving beyond their relative merit to the question of how they can be improved. New projects are starting to reimagine the hackathon model so that it's less focused on discrete time-frames, ticking clocks and prize money, and more focused on building lasting communities across sectors, using physical spaces like innovation hubs, event series and virtual conversations." UN Dispatch (8/5) Share: United Nations Ground-level panels weigh in on post-2015 development goals Four ground-level panels from Uganda, Egypt, India and Brazil were tapped to provide input into the UN's post-2015 development goals. The panels say the priorities for the goals need to be "equality before the law, corruption-free government, inclusiveness, gender equality, and respect for the environment," Mark Tran writes. The Guardian (London) (8/6) Share: UN is working to empower youth, Ban tells young people United Press International (8/5) Share: Health & Development With innovation and microfinance, woman helps her village A willingness to innovate and access to microfiance helped a woman named Shantha Ragunathan in Tamil Nadu, India, move out of poverty and show others how to do it, write Vijay Govindarajan and Srikanth Srinivas. "[B]y serving as a role model, she created the foundation for many more such leaders and game changers to emerge," they write. Harvard Business Review online/HBR Blog Network (8/1) Share: Syrian government wants to access frozen assets to fund food purchases Thomson Reuters Foundation/Reuters (8/6) Share: Is it time for the U.S. to revamp its food-aid policy? BBC (8/5) Share: Women & Girls Increase seen in illicit summer child brides Young girls in Egypt are being sold as child brides for a few days or months, writes Cam McGrath. The practice is being examined by organizations including the International Organization for Migration. The arrangements are unregistered and "afford no rights to the girl, or any children that result from these unions," says Sandy Shinouda of the IOM's Counter-Trafficking Unit. Inter Press Service (8/5) Share: Peacekeeping and Security Dignity, governance key to refugee camp security, UNHCR official says Dignity and governance are critical to improving security at the Zaatari camp for Syrian refugees, says Kilian Kleinschmidt, United Nations Refugee Agency senior field coordinator at the camp. "Ninety percent of security problems are solved if these two things are provided," he said. Meanwhile, there are concerns that underage children at the camp are being recruited as child soldiers, Tom Miles writes. The InterDependent (8/5), Thomson Reuters Foundation/Reuters (8/5) Share: U.S. senators arrive in Egypt for shuttle diplomacy U.S. Sens. John McCain and Lindsey Graham have arrived in Egypt, joining diplomats to try to broker a peaceful solution to the standoff between Egypt's interim government and backers of ousted President Mohammed Morsi. Al Jazeera (8/6), BBC (8/5) Share: Airbase is seized in Aleppo, Syria BBC (8/6) Share: U.K., U.S. urge citizens to leave Yemen due to security concerns BBC (8/6) Share: Boko Haram clash with Nigerian troops, leaving 35 dead BBC (8/5) Share: Referendum could be held in Tunisia Al Jazeera (8/6) Share: Taliban won't participate in Afghan elections Reuters (8/6) Share: Attack in Kashmir dims prospect of India-Pakistan negotiations Reuters (8/6) Share: UN Foundation & Better World Campaign UNA-USA Opens Application Period for Next U.S. Youth Observer at the UN General Assembly The United Nations Association of the USA (UNA-USA) and the U.S. Department of State are now accepting applications for the U.S. Youth Observer at the UN General Assembly. The popular program debuted last year with more than 730 applicants from 47 U.S. states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. The program gives young U.S. citizens the chance to see the United Nations in action and in person during the UN General Assembly and other high-profile UN events throughout the year and then report on their experiences to their peers and the rest of the world. Read more. Share: Position Title Company Name Location Community Manager, mHealth Alliance United Nations Foundation Washington, DC Director of Development The Trevor Project West Hollywood, CA Click here to view more job listings.