Connected Development (CODE), a Nigerian based advocacy organisation with a mission to empower marginalized communities by improving access to information needed to better local public services, has won the 9th annual $100,000 ONE Africa Award. CODE was founded by Hamzat Lawal and Oludotun Babayemi, who believe government data should be freely available to citizens.

Social media experts gathered at the Bond Conference in London on Tuesday to reflect on their favorite global development-related social media campaigns in recent years and to offer lessons learned for raising the profile of an event, cause or organization. Covering a variety of the most successful campaigns to date — from a hashtag promoting pride in British aid to an effort to engage with online trolls.

Kuwait’s Ministry of Information announced Thursday the launch of a campaign to support and aid Aleppo and Syrians in need. The ministry has launched a one-week plan on Wednesday to broadcast programs on aiding Aleppo on Kuwait TV, Assistant Undersecretary for Television Affairs Majeed Al-Jazzaf told KUNA. 

Dubai Cares also launched a new community awareness and fundraising campaign, known as #LastILearned, in support of its Education in Emergencies strategy. The campaign will run for one month and aims to raise funds and build awareness of the plight of children affected by conflict and natural disasters. Education is a fundamental right of every child. 

Human Rights First and French NGO Coexister convened the #BetterTogether Inaugural Summit in Paris last month to address the problem of hate speech on the Internet and in social networks. The two-day meeting brought together civil society actors, technology companies, and French and American government representatives for sessions dedicated to the creation of coalitions and advocacy campaigns...

This week foreign ministers, ministers of the environment and oceans, along with leaders from the NGO community, private sector, philanthropists, experts from academia, and young people came from near and far, helping call attention of the world to the enormous challenge of protecting our ocean.