MORE TO EXPLORE: International Development
The Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service's Convocation Ceremony celebrated the Class of 2022 at New York City Center on Wednesday, May 25, 2022. We are proud of our exceptional graduates and grateful for the opportunity to recognize their accomplishments alongside friends, family, and faculty.
The Colombian Studies Initiative is pleased to announce the recipients of the first round of Strategic Collaboration Fellowships between New York University (NYU) and Universidad del Rosario (UR), offered to members of both universities.
Diana Mao (MPA 2008) is the Co-Founder and President of Nomi Network, an organization that she first envisioned creating during her time at NYU Wagner.
NYU Wagner’s Professor Sonia Ospina, along with Danny Burns and Jo Howard from the Institute for Development Studies
In 2020, the Global Opportunity Youth Network (GOYN) partnered with the Aspen Institute to launch the Youth Innovation Fund, which provides micro-grants to youth addressing challenges in their local communities related to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Youth Innovation Fund is a new program that lacks rigorous internal protocols and processes for its grant application process. GOYN engaged a team to establish best practices for program management and create a grantee application and evaluation process. The team compiled relevant research on engaging youth around SDGs, identified best practices for establishing youth grant funds, and developed an application and selection framework to guide GOYN in selecting diverse and influential grantees.
In Punjab, current employment rates for women are historically low, hovering at around 14 percent, while overall rates for men are approximately 55 percent. Factors that contribute to this employment gap include restrictive cultural norms, limited and unsafe transportation options, and a lack of access to education and skills development for women. To address this gap, the team conducted multiple interviews with key stakeholders including nonprofits, policymakers, and potential customers. The team discovered a strong demand for more women rideshare drivers, as it makes women passengers feel safer. To bridge the gender and skills gap in the transportation industry, the team created DriveHer, a social enterprise that aims to train the next generation of women drivers and help them become economically independent. DriveHer also plans to connect women drivers with ridesharing companies to create a seamless pipeline of qualified drivers for the growing rideshare market in India, while also making ridesharing a safer transportation option for women.
The Association of Forest Communities of Petén (ACOFOP) is an association of 19 community forestry organizations that have successfully managed natural resources in the Petén region of Guatemala since 1995. Despite the social, economic, and conservation gains that ACOFOP has achieved, a bill introduced to the US Congress in 2019 is threatening its forest concession model. ACOFOP enlisted a team to explore private interests behind the bill and help lobby against its passage. The team defined the scope of work, conducted research, and interviewed experts. The centerpiece of the team’s work was a detailed policy memo for US Congressional staff outlining how a well-managed forest in Guatemala serves American interests. In addition, the team produced resources for use in Guatemala—including a memo for the Guatemalan government, a press release, and a distribution strategy.
The Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime (GITOC) seeks to create and promote innovative strategies to fight international criminal networks. GITOC engaged a team to analyze civil society’s role in disrupting the illegal wildlife and environmental product trade in Vietnam and Indonesia. The team conducted a literature review of the illicit environmental and wildlife trade in Indonesia and Vietnam, and interviewed stakeholders representing law enforcement agencies, educational institutions, public media, and international and local nongovernmental organizations. The team’s comprehensive report includes visual media tools; recommendations to support GITOC’s efforts in disrupting environmental transnational organized crime; an analysis of opportunities for civil society to reduce environmental crime; and recommendations for capacity building and cooperation between local and national agencies and law enforcement.
Médecins du Monde (MdM), an international humanitarian organization serving vulnerable populations, has been working on improving sexual and reproductive health (SRH) outcomes in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) for over 10 years. Having launched a new SRH strategy in 2019, MdM engaged a team to assess its impact on contraception and abortion access, and help determine which of its current practices are most effective in reaching youth and adolescents. The team examined the current status of adolescent SRH services, access, and rights in Kinshasa and the DRC; reviewed other countries’ practices to improve contraceptive and abortion services; and conducted interviews with youth, local health providers, pharmacists, NGOs, and community leaders in Kinshasa. Based on its findings, the team developed recommendations for MdM to expand access to SRH services for youth and adolescents in Kinshasa.
