Oxfam, one of the UK’s biggest charities, plans to harness the power of the smartphone to bring donors closer to its work. The global poverty reduction charity is launching an app, My Oxfam, that it says will make donating easy and rewarding. The app will also bring supporters closer to the charity’s projects, offer a new level of transparency around its work, and aims to help regain donors’ trust.

The recently launched European Solidarity Corps could offer valuable life and work experience for young people interested in a career in global development. The initiative, launched by the European Commission, will bring together participants from different backgrounds to contribute to projects across the EU member states. Partnering with NGOs, local organizations and civil actors. 

When Michelle Obama entered the White House, she had to contend with two onerous legacies. The first was a stale clutter of expectations and prohibitions about the proper role of The First Lady. The second was a cluster of stereotypes deeming black women unfit for any such role. [...] People were busily projecting negative stereotypes onto Michelle Obama from the moment her husband began campaigning. ​

It has been an encouraging year for our partnership with Africa. Alongside our African partners, we have made significant progress advancing democracy, peace, and prosperity throughout the continent, though challenges, of course, remain.

Nepal and Japan are geographically distant but close in terms of culture, religion, way of life and sentiments. [...] Though diplomatic relations were established between Nepal and Japan only in 1956, a spiritual bond has existed since the introduction of Buddhism in Japan in the sixth century. This year, we are celebrating the diamond jubilee of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Nepal and Japan. 

As minister of International Development and La Francophonie, I have visited 15 or so countries and Canada's re-engagement was pointed out to me during each of them. But what does this re-engagement really mean? Here are five major achievements that speak to Canada's re-engagement on the international scene and the impact of our actions.

China's policy towards Africa has the potential to lift the continent out of poverty if all its contents are implemented accordingly. In the last nine years, the Asian economic giant released two position papers on its policy on Africa, which act as guidelines to its dealings with the continent.