MSF/Médecins Sans Frontières [to 2 April 2016]
http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/news-stories/press/press-releases

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Press Releases
At EU-India Summit, India Must Defend Its “Pharmacy of the Developing World”
March 29, 2016
MSF urges Indian Prime Minister not to cave into pressure from EU to accept trade deal that could prevent millions of people from accessing lifesaving medicines.

Field news
Jordan: MSF Opens new Clinic to treat Chronic Diseases near Syrian Border
March 31, 2016
New York/Amman, March 31, 2016—Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) officially opened a new health center in the northern Jordanian town of Al Ramtha on Thursday, to meet some of the chronic health needs of Syrian refugees and vulnerable Jordanians in the town.

Field news
Lake Chad: Too Much Violence, Too Little Aid
March 30, 2016
More than 2.7 million people have been forced from their homes by violence in the Lake Chad basin, which is now the site of one of the African continent’s largest humanitarian crises.

OXFAM [to 2 April 2016]
http://www.oxfam.org/en/pressroom/pressreleases

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29 March 2016
Recent Western Sahara developments pose a threat to regional stability
Oxfam today expressed its deep concern that recent events could exacerbate Western Sahara tensions and put the region on the brink of armed conflict. These developments include the expulsion from Western Sahara of 73 civilian peacekeepers and the closure of the Dakhla liaison office to the Western Sahara peacekeeping mission. Parties must return to negotiating table and work to resolve 40-year-old conflict.

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Rich countries have resettled just 1.39% of Syrian refugees, need to step up efforts
29 March 2016
Rich countries have resettled only 1.39 percent of the nearly five million Syrian refugees, a fraction of the 10 percent of people who need to be urgently offered a safe haven. As wealthy states meet in Geneva on 30 March to discuss the Syria refugee crisis, Oxfam urges them to redouble their efforts and offer their ‘fair share’ of support to hundreds of thousands of refugees.

Norwegian Refugee Council [to 2 April 2016]
http://www.nrc.no/

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Cote d´Ivoire
Leaving Cote d´Ivoire
Ane Høyem (01.04.2016)
After nine years of assisting refugees and internally displaced people in Cote d´Ivoire, the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) has closed down its operations in the country.

“Our programme has had a positive impact on the population of Côte d’Ivoire and our achievements make me proud,” says Cheick Ba, NRC´s Country Director in Cote d´Ivoire.

NRC has been present in Cote d´Ivoire since 2006, after various crises resulted in massive displacements in the country. At the height of the crisis, about 250,000 people were refugees in neighbouring countries.

Today, Cote d´Ivoire is once again stable and security is ensured in almost the entire country. As a result, most of the refugees have returned home. The economy is also blooming.

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Press Release
Agencies criticise rich countries’ failure to resettle more Syrians
(31.03.2016)
Oxfam, Save the Children and Norwegian Refugee Council criticised the deeply disappointing outcome of the international pledging conference for resettlement of refugees fleeing the ongoing crisis in Syria.

Partners In Health [to 2 April 2016]
http://www.pih.org/blog

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Apr 01, 2016
Remembering Ti Joseph: Patient, Friend, and HIV Advocate
Joseph Jeune was an iconic symbol of the power of ART and the importance of delivering it to patients all over the world—regardless of income or social status.

SOS-Kinderdorf International [to 2 April 2016]
http://www.sos-childrensvillages.org/about-sos/press/press-releases

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[Undated]
Over 175 NGOs call on UN to count vulnerable children
Over 175 children’s and disabilities rights organisations and academics from across the world have intensified their demands on the UN to ensure that all children are counted as part of the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
[FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE]
In a letter to UN statistical bodies – reissued with a three-fold increase in signatories since it was first sent last year – the organisations argue that it is vital to ensure that there is no ‘data gap’ and that the framework for monitoring the implementation of the SDGs captures “children living outside of households and/or without parental care.”

The diverse group of civil society organisations claim that some of the world’s most vulnerable children, those without parental care or at risk of being so, have “fallen off the statistical map” and will be left behind by the SDGs if the data gap is not filled. SOS Children’s Villages International is among the signatories, which also include other major child-focused NGOs and INGOs…

Tostan [to 2 April 2016]
http://www.tostan.org/latest-news

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April 1, 2016
Accompanying Communities in Mauritania as they Initiate Real Social Change
Tostan’s Chief Operating Officer (COO) Alexander Davey recently visited Mauritania. The purpose was largely to see firsthand how Tostan’s Community Empowerment Program (CEP) is being received, or not being received, on the ground—in a country that has its fair share of challenges.

The Elders [to 2 April 2016]
http://theelders.org/news-media

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Press release 31 March 2016
The Elders welcome Myanmar’s new civilian government
The Elders’ statement on Myanmar’s new civilian government.

Hilton Prize Coalition [to 2 April 2016]
http://prizecoalition.charity.org/
An Alliance of Hilton Prize Recipients

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March 30, 2016:
Hilton Prize Coalition Fellow in Nepal Receives National Award

CHS Alliance [to 2 April 2016]
http://chsalliance.org/news-events/news

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31/03/2016
Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS) self-assessment tool now available
The Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS) self-assessment tool is now available for organisations wishing to assess their progress against the Nine Commitments of the CHS. Conducting a self-assessment against the CHS is a requirement for CHS Alliance members that must be completed within two years of membership.

EHLRA/R2HC [to 2 April 2016]
http://www.elrha.org/resource-hub/news/

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31.03.2016
Get ready to scale with the HIF
An ambitious new initiative from ELRHA’s Humanitarian Innovation Fund (the HIF) and funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), will focus on scaling tested innovations that have shown promise in the early stages of development.

Launching in April, innovations demonstrating the greatest potential impact will receive bespoke technical support and funding over two years to significantly accelerate their impact in humanitarian response…

Global Humanitarian Assistance (GHA) [to 2 April 2016]
http://www.globalhumanitarianassistance.org/

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Date: 2016/03/31
Report Synopsis: Mosul, Iraq
On 29 March 2016 we responded to a funding alert in response to the military offensive on Mosul, Iraq.

On 24 March 2016 the United Nations (UN) and the government of Iraq announced an offensive on the city of Mosul, which has remained under Da’esh control since June 2014. Around 2,000 people fled their homes, and it is predicted that between 500,000 and 1,500,000 people will be displaced from Anbar and the Mosul corridor (an area including Ninewa, Kirkuk and Salah al-Din).

According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)’s Financial Tracking System (FTS), donors have committed/contributed US$166 million to Iraq so far in 2016. During this period, Iraq has received US$134 million through UN-coordinated appeals: US$130 million through the Iraq Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP) and US$3.7 million through the Iraq component of the Syria Regional Refugee & Resilience Plan (3RP). A further US$32 million has been received outside the appeals.

Read our full analysis of the current funding situation.

The Sphere Project [to 2 April 2016]
http://www.sphereproject.org/news/

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01 April 2016 | Sphere Project
New guidance on using Sphere standards in urban settings
Sphere for Urban Settings, a new publication in the ‘Sphere unpacked’ series that fills a gap in current guidance on how to implement humanitarian standards across different contexts, is now available for field testing.

Center for Global Development [to 2 April 2016]
http://www.cgdev.org/page/press-center
Selected Press Releases, Blog Posts, Publications

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How Much “Mega” in the Mega-Regional TPP and TTIP: Implications for Developing Countries
3/29/16
Kimberly Ann Elliott
There is no question that the “mega-regional” trade deals in the Pacific and across the Atlantic are big. If completed and implemented, they will cover a large portion of global trade and investment. This paper examines the TPP text to identify provisions that are more or less development-friendly, especially for Vietnam, which is the poorest signatory to the deal by far. It concludes with with recommendations for US and EU policymakers that would mitigate potential negative effects for developing countries and for the multilateral trading system, including rules of origin that minimize trade diversion.

ODI [to 2 April 2016]
http://www.odi.org/media
Publications

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Leave no country behind: a regional look at performance on selected MDGs and SDGs
Briefing papers | March 2016 | Alainna Lynch, Laura Rodriguez Takeuchi, Emma Samman and Moizza B Sarwar
This briefing highlights the importance of country starting points for implementing the Sustainable Development Goals and the Leave No One Behind Agenda.

Middle-income transitions and inequality: is there a link?
Research reports and studies | March 2016 | Christopher Hoy, Stephan Klasen, Emma Samman, Rivayani Darmawan, Maria-Carmela Lo Bue, Ramona Rischke and Laura Rodríguez-Takeuchi
What happens to inequality as countries raise themselves out of poverty?

Population change in the rural developing world: making the transition
Research reports and studies | March 2016 | Sharada Keats,Steve Wiggins
Across the world, rural areas are going through a demographic transition from high to low levels of fertility and mortality

Resilience Scan: October-December 2015
Working and discussion papers | March 2016 | Aditya Bahadur, Thomas Tanner, Diana King, Amy Kirbyshire and Hani Morsi
This resilience scan summarises writing and debates in the field of resilience during the last quarter of 2015, focusing primarily on the context of developing countries.

The triple transition of a slowing China, lower oil prices and a higher US dollar
Working and discussion papers | March 2016 | Phyllis Papadavid
This report considers how China’s economic developments, lower oil prices and a higher US dollar stand to impact 12 Sub Saharan African economies.

The triple transition of a slowing China, lower oil prices and a higher US dollar
Working and discussion papers | March 2016 | Phyllis Papadavid
This report considers how China’s economic developments, lower oil prices and a higher US dollar stand to impact 12 Sub Saharan African economies.

Using political economy analysis in conflict, security and justice programmes
Toolkits | March 2016 | Lisa Denney
This guidance note provides a framework for implementers of conflict, security and justice programmes to conduct political economy analysis.

Evaluating the impact of flexible development interventions
Research reports and studies | March 2016 | Rick Davies
Evaluating the impact of development projects that aim to be flexible and responsive is a big ask. But not impossible.

Bringing taxation into social protection analysis and planning: guidance note
Toolkits | March 2016 | Francesca Bastagli
A Guidance Note to facilitate analysis of the poverty and inequality impact of government taxes and transfers and the implications of tax policy on social protection.

World Economic Forum [to 2 April 2016]
https://agenda.weforum.org/news/

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News 31 Mar 2016
Correcting Market Failures with the Tools of Capitalism – Meet the 12 Social Entrepreneurs of 2016
:: The Schwab Foundation recognizes 12 men and women for outstanding entrepreneurial activities that benefit the marginalized and poor.
:: Education and skills, women’s empowerment and IT literacy are areas where traditional market forces have failed and social enterprises provide crucial services.
:: Several awardees are helping to link poor communities with the high-tech world of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

Aga Khan Foundation [to 2 April 2016]
http://www.akdn.org/pr.asp

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31 March 2016
Tanzanian Health Care Gets Boost from AKU’s New Nursing/Midwifery Training Facility
– Aga Khan University opened the new home of its School of Nursing and Midwifery in Dar es Salaam today at Salama House. This state-of-the-art facility will educate nursing and midwifery leaders dedicated to saving lives and improving health care for the people of Tanzania.

Annie E. Casey Foundation [to 2 April 2016]
http://www.aecf.org/contact/newsroom/

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Posted March 29, 2016
The Foundation Awards Over $850,000 in Grants to Summer Programs for Baltimore Kids and Youth
The Casey Foundation has awarded grants to 43 local nonprofits through its Baltimore Direct Services Grants (BDSG) program, amounting to a combined $860,000 that will support summer activities and programs for hundreds of Baltimore City’s young people in 2016.

Conrad N. Hilton Foundation [to 2 April 2016]
http://www.hiltonfoundation.org/news

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Our News
Philanthropy Going Off-Piste: Finding New Ways to Give
March 29, 2016 By Heather Grady, Vice President, Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors

We must chart a new path for philanthropic giving that is more aware and connected, and that takes more advantage of converging around shared aims and goals.

…Visiting Kenya and Zambia with Shaheen Kassim-Lakha, international program director of the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, I saw how the Hilton Foundation and other foundations have been on a steady path from supporting individual grantees (most often civil society organizations) to crafting “mapped” portfolios – a cluster of grantees that includes civil society, government departments, UN organizations, and sometimes social enterprises—all aimed at solving problems around a particular goal, sector, or theme. In Kenya, a focus of the Hilton Foundation is supporting early childhood development efforts in communities affected by HIV/AIDS, before and beyond the common intervention of access to preschools. And in Zambia, we had fruitful discussions about programming for children and their wider communities with the UN, government, and groups of local and international NGOs and faith-based organizations, which are very close to the challenges in their communities, and thus an important part of successfully addressing them…

Kellogg Foundation [to 2 April 2016]
http://www.wkkf.org/news-and-media#pp=10&p=1&f1=news

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April 1, 2016
Statement on protection of human rights in LGBT communities across the country
La June Montgomery Tabron, president and CEO, W.K. Kellogg Foundation

Since our founding, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF) has been guided by the belief that all children should have an equal opportunity to thrive. For this vision to become a reality, WKKF also steadfastly believes that race and gender equity must be an objective in our communities, for everyone in our communities. It is very disappointing that North Carolina among other states, has thought to enact legislation that overturns protections for all people including LGBT people, sanctioning open discrimination against them.

WKKF stands with businesses, organizations and individuals seeking to protect the human rights of the LGBT communities in North Carolina, as well as other states where similar laws are being considered. We are heartened by the broad coalition of public sector, non-profit, business and civic leaders who are speaking out against this injustice. WKKF is proud to join their ranks.

We envision an America where everyone has equal opportunities to succeed. As I stated in June 2015 when the Supreme Court ruled to uphold marriage equality, all children deserve to live in families where they and their parents have equal rights and opportunities to thrive.

This affront on the life and families of LGBT communities in North Carolina is diminishing their human value. We call upon local and national leadership in both North Carolina and across the country in assuring we unite communities rather than divide them.

MacArthur Foundation [to 2 April 2016]
http://www.macfound.org/

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Publication
Why is America So Punitive?
Published March 28, 2016
The report of a roundtable convened by John Jay College of Criminal Justice and supported by MacArthur finds that a sustained interdisciplinary scholarly approach to exploring punitiveness in America might help point the way to a society that is more just. The roundtable, held in April 2015, determined that significant change in the American criminal justice system will require coming to terms with American views on punishment, which in turn requires a deep understanding of U.S. history, the unresolved legacy of slavery, the human emotions of revenge and forgiveness, the principled limits of the power of the State, the role of religion and values in shaping culture, and the dynamics of political power and economic forces.