By Pilar Lagos
Hi there UNICEFStories Readers. In cased you missed them, here’s a recap of some of the top stories published on UNICEF Innovation’s blog during September. Click away:
Challenges For Emerging Markets’ MNOs
Chris Fabian, UNICEF Innovation co-lead, talked with Alec Barton, Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Developing Telecoms about key challenges facing mobile network operators (MNOs) in emerging markets. Read the interview here. To read Chris’ article “Mobile Technology in Emergencies: Principles and Practice,” which was published in the Developing Telecoms special report: “Connected Citizens: Managing Crisis”, click here.
UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador David Beckham brings voices of children to the United Nations General Assembly
During the 2015 UNGA, UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador David Beckham unveiled a digital installation created for UNICEF by Google, which displays messages from young people worldwide. Most messages were received via UNICEF’s U-Report.
Leveraging the power of innovation to advance children’s rights and wellbeing
The Guardian featured Erica Kochi, co-lead for UNICEF Innovation, who discusses the importance of public/private partnerships and how Doing Good is Good Business. Check out the article here.
UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador David Beckham tells youth: speak up and be heard through U-Report
UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador David Beckham is encouraging young people around the globe to join U-Report and make their voices heard. Watch the video here. Don’t forget to follow @UReportGlobal on Twitter.
Unmanned Systems Bring Support and Communication When Disaster Strikes
When disaster strikes or conflicts arise, damaged or missing infrastructure is often a major roadblock to deploying humanitarian assistance. Many organizations, including UNICEF, are exploring the use of drones in relief efforts. Chris explains that UNICEF’s Innovation Labs have targeted drones as one of the technologies it will use in the next three to five years.
The Princeton-Fung Global Forum, Panelist Highlight: Christopher Fabian – Disease and the Information Highway
Chris Fabian is a panelist at the upcoming Princeton-Fung Global Forum, “Modern Plagues: Lessons Learned from the Ebola Crisis,” to be held 2-3 November 2015, in Dublin, Ireland. In this Q&A, Chris discusses UNICEF Innovation’s work and how technology can be a useful tool to tackling a global health crisis.
Missives from Myanmar: Design Thinking + Social Innovation for Impact. For Everyone. #1
Stuart Campo, Innovation Deployment Specialist, travelled to Myanmar for two weeks to explore how UNICEF might work with organizations like PointB, a community incubator for local change agents in Myanmar. In this blog post, Stuart interviews Htet Yin Tun, a 21 year-old change agent with energy and passion for using design thinking to create positive social change in her community.
We Are Siblings: Young Innovators Changing Lives
“We Are Siblings,” winners of the Global Design Challenge earlier this year, worked with 29 children to come up with innovative ways of tackling bullying in Indonesia. In this touching blog post, Vania Santoso, Innovation Lab Youth Engagement Officer, provides insights about the initiative that helped change the lives of young students in Indonesia.
Why a million little teaspoons are exactly what we need
Josh Harvey, Lead at UNICEF Innovations Lab Kosovo* shares his thoughts on where design and development disagree, and what UNICEF Innovations Lab Kosovo is doing about it.
Confession of a former wearable-skeptic: What I thought about wearables was wrong
After UNICEF, ARM, and frog design launched the Wearables for Good Challenge in May 2015, I became curious about uses of wearables. This led me to research four wearables with applications specially designed for women in developed and developing nations, which ultimately changed my opinion about wearable technology.
Finalists selected in Global ‘Wearables for Good’ Design Challenge to Transform Children’s Lives
On 14 September, UNICEF, ARM and frog announced the 10 ‘Wearables for Good’ Design Challenge finalists. New wearable technologies, including a malaria alert bracelet for infants, a water purification band, and an ear-worn pneumonia monitor, are among the 10 ideas selected for the final stage of the Wearables for Good design challenge.
Podcast: Innovation Series – Promoting Innovation in Humanitarian Action: Reflections by UNICEF’s Stuart Campo
Stuart Campo, Innovation Deployment Specialist was featured on Harvard’s Advanced Training Program on Humanitarian Action (ATHA) podcast series. Listen to the podcast here.
UNICEF and The Philips Foundation, together with partners, launch the Maternal and Newborn Health Innovations Project
UNICEF and The Philips Foundation, together with Concern Worldwide, Maker, and Gearbo launched the Maternal and Newborn Health Innovations Project, to help save lives and improve the health of pregnant women and children in Kenya.
Interview with Stuart Campo on the work that UNICEF Innovation is doing to improve services for women and children
Stuart Campo was featured on Smart Monkey TV, where he talks about how UNICEF has been using innovation as a strategy to improve results for children. Stuart also gives examples of UNICEF’s work in innovation. Watch the interview here.
Helping new moms get through 1,000 critical days: from pregnancy to her child’s second birthday
One of our newest stars here at UNICEF Innovation, Meaghan Orton, gave a technical update on the 1000 Days suite of tools. To view Meaghan’s presentation, click here.
Expanding learning opportunities for refugee children: Uganda’s DigiSchool Pilot
In Uganda, even in a dusty and sun-scorched camp without electricity, there is a source for children to connect to the bigger world. It’s delivered weekly in a black pelican suitcase called the “DigiSchool. Eun-Young Jeong, Education Officer, UNICEF Uganda recounts how the DigiSchool is providing education to children in refugee settlements.
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*Kosovo under UNSCR 1244
