United Nations Yak

Ms. Sham Poo retired from UNICEF in December 2004 as Deputy Executive Director having been appointed to this position in 1987 after joining the organization in 1985 as Comptroller. Ms. Sham Poo served as UNICEF Special Envoy to the Caribbean on a part-time basis residing in Trinidad and Tobago from 2004-2009. In the fall of 2005 she served as Interim Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary General for Children and Armed Conflict at the Under Secretary General level. After retiring she has also been keynote speaker at a number of international conferences on child rights issues and on children affected by armed conflicts. Read the rest of this entry �

Lowell Fuglie, a stalwart in the moringa community, is no more with us.  He passed away in Canada on 21 April 2010.  He will be greatly missed.  Moringa Partners is dedicating the month of June to his memory with input from the Moringa Community.  The Yakkers’ Corner is proud to  republish his last interview with us. Read the rest of this entry �

Mr. Moncef Bouhafa is a former UNICEF  strategic communication expert with more than three decades of experience in the field of communication; he is currently director and founder of the Center for Development Communication, www.cendevcom.org.  Combining strategic planning and training skills, Mr. Bouhafa has worked with international agencies, civil society and governments to advocate on a range of public issues related to governance and civil society, economic reform, violence against women and children’s rights among others. Read the rest of this entry �

PATRICIA A. CUMMINGS was born and grew up in Georgetown, British Guiana (now Guyana).

Before becoming an attorney, Patricia was the Administrative Director of the Nuclear Medicine/Ultrasound Department at Parklane Medical Center in Kansas City, Missouri. She was board certified in Nuclear Medicine, Radiology and Diagnostic Medical Sonography Technology. Patricia graduated from Ottawa University in 1983 (B.A.) and Syracuse University Law School in 1987 (J.D.) at where she was the recipient of the Best Advocate Award, Edmund H. Lewis Appellate Advocacy competition, The Order of the Barristers Honor, and the winner of the Grossman Trial Competition award. She was admitted to the New York State Bar in 1988. Read the rest of this entry �

Majed was born and grew up in Jerusalem-Palestine. He has a Bachelor Degree in Archaeology and History from Birzeit University in Palestine and currently he is a graduate student in Archaeology and Anthropology at Hunter College in New York City. Also, he is a visual artist who is specialized in Islamic Art- Arabic calligraphy, Arabesque and Islamic Decorations, Ceramics, and Photography. He has participated in several art exhibitions and workshops in Palestine and the United States. Currently He is teaching Arabic Calligraphy at the United Nations. Read the rest of this entry �

David P. Haxton retired from UNICEF as Regional Director in South Asia where he served for eight years covering Afghanistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and Maldives in addition to India. He served also in Indonesia and for 15 years in South America (Peru, Colombia, Brazil).

He is now Executive Director of ICCIDD (International Council for Control of Iodine Deficiency Disorders) and travels extensively to work with national governments and private sector parties on the achievement of Universal Salt Iodization and the virtual elimination of IDD, the major cause of preventable mental retardation. Read the rest of this entry �

David P. Haxton retired from UNICEF as Regional Director in South Asia where he served for eight years covering Afghanistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and Maldives in addition to India. He served also in Indonesia and for 15 years in South America (Peru, Colombia, Brazil).

He is now Executive Director of ICCIDD (International Council for Control of Iodine Deficiency Disorders) and travels extensively to work with national governments and private sector parties on the achievement of Universal Salt Iodization and the virtual elimination of IDD, the major cause of preventable mental retardation. Read the rest of this entry �

Congratulations, Sir Fazle Hasan Abed
by Susan Davis

Thrilling news arrived as the ball was about to drop in Times Square: Abed made the Queen’s list and was to be knighted! Joining the ranks of Sir Elton John and Sir Bob Geldof, Sir Fazle Hasan Abed was touched by the sword on Feb. 16, 2010 in a dramatic ceremony held in Buckingham Palace. This historic tradition of the British Crown meant so much to the founder of BRAC. Not only was he the first Bangladeshi to be knighted since 1947 but also his great uncle had received this honor in 1913.  Now, he has become Sir Fazle. Surrounded by his wife, now Lady Sarwat Abed and two children, Tamara and Shameron, Abed accepted this honor on behalf of the 125,000 staff and millions of clients who comprise BRAC across a dozen countries. Read More about this event.

Fazle Hasan Abed is the Founder and Chairperson of BRAC, the Bangladesh- based international development organization dedicated to poverty alleviation and empowerment of the poor. Abed, an accountant by training, founded BRAC in 1972 after Bangladesh’s war of independence initially to provide relief and rehabilitation to returning war refugees. Under Abed’s leadership, BRAC grew to become the largest development organization in the world in terms of the scale and diversity of its interventions operating in 9 countries across Asia and Africa. Read the rest of this entry �

THERE IS A KEY HIDDEN IN EACH DIFFICULTY.

When arrive personal trials and difficulties, they bring us new opportunities to become stronger, to develop new faculties and capacities. This can be compared to the arrival of a new spring. When there is mud, snow, cold, still the seeds are getting ready to be planted, to germinate and to grow, and to bring fruit. In the same way difficulties and trials give us the possibilities to work on new qualities, enrich us and to be useful to others. Read the rest of this entry �