center for global development

People in Nordic countries aren't just among the happiest – they're some of the most generous, too, giving a large share of their incomes to international aid efforts and supporting government and business investment in developing countries, according to a new report from the Center for Global Development. Denmark, Sweden and Finland top this year's Commitment to Development Index, an annual ranking of 27 of the wealthiest nations in the world by how well their policies help people in developing countries. 

Tomorrow marks the third International Day of the Girl Child, designated by the U.N. to highlight the need to create a better world for adolescent girls.

The immediate aftermath of a natural disaster, such as the typhoon that devastated part of the Philippines on Nov. 8, can bring out the best in the global community. Already we are seeing the world’s governments and citizens responding generously to appeals for aid, reaffirming our shared humanity. The challenge is to ensure that this generosity reaches the people who desperately need it. Relief and reconstruction efforts in the Philippines have much to learn from previous mega-disasters, including, most recently, the massive earthquake in Haiti in 2010.