Blog
Contributor Guidelines
Submitting guest blogs is open to Global Washington’s members of the Atlas level and above. We value a diversity of opinions on a broad range of subjects of interest to the global health and development community.
Blog article submissions should be 500-1500 words. Photos, graphs, videos, and other art that supports the main themes are strongly encouraged.
You may not be the best writer, and that’s okay. We can help you shape and edit your contribution. The most important thing is that it furthers an important conversation in your field, and that it is relatively jargon-free. Anyone without a background in global development should still be able to engage with your ideas.
If you include statistics or reference current research, please hyperlink your sources in the text, wherever possible.
Have an idea of what you’d like to write about? Let’s continue the conversation! Email comms@globalWA.org and put “Blog Idea” in the subject line.
Posted on June 30, 2014
By Hannah Atlas
The largest international gathering ever brought together on the subject of ending sexual violence during times of conflict was held June 10-13 in London under the auspices of the United Kingdom’s Foreign & Commonwealth Office. About 1,000 participants representing more than 120 countries attended the Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict.
“Together, we committed to break the taboo around wartime rape and take action to put an end to its use, and to shatter the culture of impunity,” according to the summit chair summary. “At the Summit, we united in our determination to tackle sexual violence in conflict, just as previous generations joined forces to put an end to slavery and landmines. This is a matter of our common humanity.”
The summit encouraged nations to incorporate a formal international protocol for documenting and investigating sexual violence in conflict into their domestic laws. There was emphasis placed on the education and training of soldiers and peacekeepers to protect civilians during times of conflict. Improving support and protection for survivors of sexual violence and the elimination of cultural taboos were also emphasized in the summit’s call to action. Continue Reading
Posted on June 23, 2014
By Sam Wolff
Divestment – as in, divestment from fossil fuel industries – is a relatively hot topic nowadays. It’s sometimes difficult to determine whether the prevalence of the debate is limited to liberal-leaning groups or if the conversation is a broader one. But with the recent success of the divestment movement at Stanford University, it’s evident that momentum is gaining. And, knowing the consequences of climate change, it’s apparent that this momentum needs to be universal.
Mainstream culture and media has raised awareness for the frightening future of unattended climate change – see records of rising sea levels and accounts of withering rainforests. Yet, little has changed when it comes to the practices which perpetuate environmental decline; there has been an insignificant amount of reconsideration among people when it comes to their behaviors. In light of recent studies, however, it seems that there are well-founded reasons to have a more pressing sense of urgency about this issue.
Photo Credit: CGP Grey via Flickr
Posted on June 16, 2014
By Gailyn Portelance
On June 12, Global Washington, in partnership with Emirates Airlines and Port of Seattle, hosted a panel discussion with representatives from four of its travel-savvy member organizations to talk strategy on how to effectively plan for a staff or donor trip abroad.
The conversation, moderated by Bruce Beckman, Senior Sales Executive of GlobalWA member Emirates, covered topics ranging from safety and security of travelers to helping donors and staff members get the most out of their time abroad.
All three panelists emphasized the importance of extensive planning and preparation.
Scott Garrepy, Chief Development Officer of GlobalWA member SightLife, who has led multiple donor trips to India, said the initial challenge while leading group donor travel is identifying the goals of the trip. Once they have been established, he suggested working backwards to create a plan to achieve them. Important preparatory concerns include: making time for both achieving mission and having a little fun, preparing donors for a different culture than they might be used to, and setting norms for acceptable donor behavior. “Sometimes people do crazy things,” said Garrepy. In the end, it is most essential to plan early, and plan for everything. “No plan ever survives,” he said, emphasizing the importance of a contingency plan that covers every scenario. Continue Reading
