Grant Announcement

Thanks to a recent grant from our friends at The West Foundation, ASAP is developing a new fund development and marketing plan. The West Foundation supported our Tools For Empowerment pilot project for the last two years. This capacity building grant will help ASAP flourish, as together we work to help women and youth around our world become self-reliant.

International Women's Day

Don't miss this special event!

Thursday, March 8th is International Women's Day. Attend the 1st annual Treasuring Women Global Summit. It's FREE.
Click here to register and learn more about the summit.

Click here to learn more about International Women's Day.

"Achieving gender equality and empowering women and girls is the unfinished business of our time, and the greatest human rights challenge in our world."
— UN Secretary-General, António Guterres

Foresight Africa

Tomorrow , Wed. January 17, Brookings Africa Growth Initiative will launch the eighth annual Foresight Africa report, examining the six priorities that will shape growth in the coming year.
Click here to read the report.
Click here to register for the webcast.

Netzkraft Movement

ASAP is proud to be a member to the Netzkraft movement since 2002. Started in 1990, this in an international group of activists and organizations working for peace, human rights and the environment. They're now on Facebook too - click here to give us a like.

2018 Begins with A Global Event

Exhausted from the holidays? Join 7 Days of Rest.

Participate in this Global Event to bring inspiration to your works throughout 2018.

Happy New Year!

Autumn Newsletter

Click here to read ASAP's Autumn newsletter. Thanks for your interest!

The Purpose of Development Aid?

In our changing world, does aid continue to save the lives of children, decrease poverty and help fight disease?

What is the real motivation behind aid? Click here to read thoughts of Sarah Bermeo from Duke University's Center for International Development.

The Drive for Resilience

On Monday, The Christian Science Monitor Daily will launch a weeklong series on strengthening community resilience in East Africa.

To watch the first video click here.

Valuable Volunteers

Thanks to all our volunteers - you are priceless! 

Click here to learn more.

Thinking Working Politically

Many development initiatives fail. Why? According to Thinking/Working Politically (TWP) one problem is those who would benefit most lack power; that is, those who can make a difference are disengaged and political barriers are too often overlooked.

Yet, progress is being made on "Doing Development Differently". Right now you can take action. Click Here to learn about and sign the DDD Manifesto.

Doing Development Differently

As the world rethinks development and foreign aid, USAID is considering combining disaster assistance and food humanitarian programs.  Click here to read the article.

Perhaps faith-based organizations are in the best position to bridge the gap as government budgets diminish. Click here to read Oxfam's Duncan Green's article. 

Happy National Volunteer Week

It's National Volunteer Week. We have SO MANY volunteers who give so much we wanted to take a moment to pause and say "Thanks!" to everyone who pitched in and helped out over the past year. We CAN'T do it alone, and are so grateful to count you as one of our friends.  We cherish ALL the volunteers, in-kind contributors, donors that make our work possible.

  Special thanks to (left to right) Maria Berger, Edna Postash, John McCann, Jim Moore,
Jeff Sevigny, Miles Faulk and Nick Seery 

Universal Basic Income Experiment

To fight global poverty, data tells us Direct Cash Transfers are working. According to randomized controlled trials from GiveDirectly, the leader in DCTs “peer-reviewed studies demonstrate that simply giving people money works.”

Now the biggest experiment ever in universal basic income will take place in western Kenya over 12 years.

Click here to learn more.

Mission Possible

Stanford Social Innovation Review and Mission Investors Exchange have teamed up to explore what's next in impact investing.

Click here to access the 11-week series.

Scale X Design Challenge

CARE's Scale X Design Accelerator program aims to bridge the gap between impact and scale.
Tomorrow, January 26th, CARE will launch the Scale X Design Challenge. At 7 pm EST the competition will be live at  facebook.com/CAREfans.
To learn more click here.

Millennium Development Goals

“Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?”

Alice Through the Looking Glass - Lewis Carroll 

"That depends a good deal on where you want to get to" replies the Cat.

Brookings'  John McArthur and Krista Rasmussen examine which trajectories changed, for better or worse, and dispel some common myths about the 2000 - 2015 MDGs. 
Click here to learn more.

To review the new 15 year goals to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all 

 Click Here.

Change starts with YOU. It's easy too.
Click here for "The lazy person's guide to saving the world".  

I have a Dream

"When evil men plot, good men must plan. When evil men burn and bomb, good men must build and bind. When evil men shout ugly words of hatred, good men must commit themselves to the glories of love. Where evil men would seek to perpetuate an unjust status quo, good men must seek to bring into being a real order of justice"

Taking a moment to reflect on MLK's inspiring "I have a dream speech" is a great way to commemorate and honor this truly great man.

Women - Are We Happier than Men?

Maria THINKS she is happier than Jorge. But is she really? Click here.

Standardized evaluation reveals the 'truth'.

Need more bad news... Click here for The Pessimist's Guide to 2017.

Bridging the Education Gap

Improving education is a universal problem. ASAP's
Bridge the Gap project had some success.

Improving education is a universal problem. ASAP Bridge The Gap project - working to improve Math skills in 179 rural schools in Zimbabwe from 2000 - 2012 - had some success. Click here to learn more. 

In 2008  Gates and Zuckerberg joined forces to form 63 Bridge International Academies, offering cheap, standardized, technology-driven education in Africa and Asia. The Ugandan government has ordered the closure of these schools. What went wrong? Click here to learn more. 

World Toilet Day is Nov. 19th

'Hail to the Blair Toilet' - November 19 is World Toilet Day. 

Tomorrow, Nov. 19,  is World Toilet Day. Time to take action and reach out to the 2.4 billion people living without a toilet.  Focus on how sanitation, or the lack of it, can impact people’s livelihoods. Click here to learn more.