Dear Friends of IREX,
As I complete my first year at IREX,
I
wanted to share with you some reflections on international development
and the role that organizations like IREX can play in promoting just,
prosperous and inclusive societies around the world.
Let’s begin by honestly acknowledging the impediments: We live at a time of immense global challenges that strain the imagination and stain the conscience. Violent conflicts are creating the largest global refugee crisis in generations. Authoritarianism is on the rise and injustice persists. Corruption continues to distort economies and undermine public trust. Employment opportunities are being outpaced by the growing labor force, resulting in a 40 percent rate of unemployment for the largest youth population in human history. The marginalization of women and girls, ethnic minorities, and other social groups continues. In some regions, the grievances and alienation of young people are driving them to violent extremism.
In the face of these challenges, it is easy to be discouraged. But frustration will not create the positive changes we need to see in...
the world. And it overlooks the many constructive, if less headline-grabbing, developments that occur every day.
My colleagues at IREX and I believe fervently that a better future is possible. Without question, this future requires an urgent response to meet the dire humanitarian needs of those uprooted by conflict or living in extreme poverty. But to break vicious cycles of poverty and injustice, it must also come from sustained investments in human potential and the conditions in which it can flourish: We need to invest in education and opportunities for young people – including girls and members of marginalized groups. We need inclusive information societies that reach everyone – including the four billion people who currently lack access to the Internet. We need collective action for positive change that occurs through strong, sustainable, and responsive institutions that serve the needs of their constituents. We need legitimate, participatory governments and independent media that hold governments accountable. We need greater social justice.
No one organization can, or should, attempt to achieve these gains alone. Instead, a concerted effort by citizens, educators, civic leaders, government officials, business people, media professionals, technologists, and others around the world must work together to produce the change we want to see – and live.
In my first year at IREX, I have met the people who will make this change possible. They are the 1,000 Mandela Fellows who represent the future of Africa, teachers who travel around the world to hone their craft, independent journalists who defy threats and censorship, librarians who serve their communities at the grassroots level, and civic leaders who work for better governance at every level of society. IREX’s role is to support these remarkable people, and others like them, who work with little recognition for positive change every day.
In the last year alone, IREX worked with its partners around the world to:
Support educators and education: IREX trained 330 secondary education teachers from the United States and around the world to bolster their students’ skills in critical thinking, creativity, and teamwork in a global context. IREX also brought 600 students, mostly from underserved regions in Pakistan and Tunisia, to academic programs at U.S. community colleges, colleges, and universities.
Invest in rising leaders: IREX selected 500 young African leaders to participate in the Mandela Washington Fellowship program sponsored by the U.S. government. These remarkable young leaders studied business and entrepreneurship, public management, and civic engagement at 20 American universities and then engaged in additional professional development and networking opportunities in both the United States and Africa.
Close the digital divide: IREX extended public access to the Internet in partnership with libraries in Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Georgia, Mali, Nigeria, Myanmar, Philippines, and Uruguay. For example, along with the Myanmar Book Aid and Preservation Foundation and telecom Ooredoo, IREX is bringing digital literacy training and new opportunities to people in more than 50 communities in Myanmar. To date, 35,000 people learned to use tablets and more than 7,000 people have accessed the Internet for the first time.
Bolster journalists and independent media: IREX trained more than 200 journalists to manage digital and physical risks associated with reporting the news. IREX worked with nearly 60 community radio stations in Liberia and Mozambique to better serve their audiences. For example, during the Ebola outbreak in Liberia, stations worked with IREX to direct Liberians toward medically sound healthcare and raise awareness about stopping Ebola’s spread. IREX also supported the efforts of media outlets in Georgia, Nicaragua, and Ukraine, to enhance their reporting, management, and long-term financial sustainability.
Strengthen civil society organizations: IREX worked with over 200 civil society organizations that promote just, prosperous and inclusive societies in Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East. A key component of this work is to ensure these organizations have the skill and organizational practices necessary to sustain themselves long after IREX support has ceased.
Prepare youth for economic opportunities and civic engagement: IREX worked with university, library, and youth center partners in Iraq, Morocco, Nigeria, Tunisia, and the West Bank to provide youth with skills and career development opportunities. Through small grants, IREX also supported youth projects to advance positive change in communities in the West Bank and Pakistan.
Together, these activities represent an investment in human potential and the promotion of just, prosperous and inclusive societies around the world. It is a human development agenda and one we are proud to share with countless partners globally. May it contribute to a better future in 2016 and beyond.
I welcome your views and remain grateful for your continued interest and support.
With best wishes to all who care about IREX and share our mission,
Kristin M. Lord
President and CEO
Posted by "Prosper Ikechukwu Egeonu" a.k.a Pocar Lee (SwaggNews Africa Boss & YALI Network member)
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