Nelson Mandela honored with global call to serve – The UN has introduced the “Take Action! Inspire Change” campaign for Nelson Mandela International Day, marking the leader’s 93rd birthday today with a request for “67 minutes of community service from everyone,” marking his 67 years of service. (Pamela Falk, CBS)
South Africa After Mandela – John Campbell, a former US Ambassador to Nigeria, reflects on Nelson Mandela’s crucial role in making South Africa the “democratic and nonracial” country it is today. Campbell says his vision for the country “is based on the inherent dignity of men and women of all races” and Mandela “illustrates the crucial role of individual leadership in state-building.” (The Atlantic)
UN food agency to hold urgent Somalia drought meeting – According to the French Foreign Minister, “the UN Food and Agriculture Organization will hold an emergency meeting in Rome to help Somalia cope with a severe drought,” however the exact date has yet to be determined. The minister said France is asking for the EU to mobilize all of its means. (AFP)
‘Saving Lives at Birth’ Challenge Shortlists 77 Ideas – “A global initiative soliciting innovative solutions to save the lives of mothers and newborns,” which is “a $50 million, five-year partnership between the USAID, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the World Bank, Norway, and Grand Challenges Canada,” has released a list of 77 finalists that could win funding for their project ideas. The winners will be announced during an event from July 26-28, in Washington, DC. (Eliza Villarino, Devex)
In Sierra Leone, New Hope for Children and Pregnant Women - A program, “heavily subsidized for now by international donors,” waiving the requirement for medical payments in Sierra Leone, “appears to have sharply cut into mortality rates for pregnant women and deaths from malaria for small children.” While it may be “too early to declare that similar efforts around Sub-Saharan Africa have measurably improved health on the continent,” Sierra Leone is providing “a concrete lesson about the impact of making health care free for the very poor and vulnerable.” (Adam Nossiter, NYT)
Africa and ‘Obama’s Embargo’ – A new US trade embargo on tin, tantalum, and tungsten, is giving Western policy-makers “a useful lesson in how well-meaning attempts to ‘do something’ in Africa unintentionally harm the innocent without touching the guilty.” The embargo was created to “cut off money to those responsible for the fighting in the Democratic Republic of Congo,” however, “mineral operations also provide the local population with centers of commerce,” and “as money from the mines becomes increasingly scarce, Congo’s warlords have moved on to targeting the banana trade.” (Wall Street Journal )