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President Obama Delivers an Address to the Nation
SOURCE: The White House
UNDP, Foundation Center, and RPA Partner With Leading Foundations to Engage Philanthropic Sector in Post-2015 Global Development Process
“Post-2015 Partnership Platform for Philanthropy” Created to Transform Collaboration and Impact
SOURCE: Foundation Center
Nairobi and New York, NY — As the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) come to a close and the global aid community embarks on the post-2015 development agenda, opportunities abound to introduce innovation and insight into the way we address the world’s most pressing issues. Against this backdrop, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Foundation Center, and a committee of leading foundations guided by Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors (RPA) have launched a new initiative to facilitate stronger philanthropic input into the changing global development landscape.
Foundation Center
The project, known as the Post-2015 Partnership Platform for Philanthropy, will enable philanthropy to better understand the opportunities for engaging in global development goal processes and will help governments and the UN system understand the value philanthropy can bring in driving greater impact for people.
“Partnerships will be even more vital in achieving the new sustainable development goals than they were for the MDGs. The Partnership Platform will take us and our government partners a step further in working with others in achieving sustainable development. And it will demonstrate how philanthropic contributions can also address other challenges such as building the capacity of our partners at the country level,” said Helen Clark, UNDP Administrator.
The project aims to help funders have a voice in the post-2015 development agenda, playing a more active role in both planning discussions and the implementation. In doing so, the philanthropic field can serve as a strategic partner in these broader global processes.
Another key objective of the project is to develop country-level platforms that help inform and identify opportunities for collaboration. Planning workshops in various countries will kick-start this process by facilitating the exchange of knowledge and laying the foundation for future engagement in the post-2015 agenda. The first workshop takes place on November 21 in Kenya, with representatives from philanthropic institutions, government, civil society organizations, and other regional and local networks. Additional pilot projects will roll out in Colombia, followed by Ghana, Indonesia, and Cambodia.
“Philanthropy is uniquely positioned to help convene multiple stakeholders and to amplify the voice and action of its civil society grantee partners in shaping and achieving the development targets within each country,” said Steven M. Hilton, chairman, president, and CEO of the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation.
This initiative will also deliver a new web portal called SDGfunders.org that makes data on philanthropic investments more accessible, in order to help funders track progress, find partners, and tell their stories.
“The SDG funders.org website will combine Foundation Center’s expertise in the philanthropic sector, data, and technology with the passion and insights of funders dedicated to making a difference,” said Bradford K. Smith, president of Foundation Center. “The post-2015 development landscape looks much brighter when funders and other partners have the knowledge tools they need to be strategic and collaborative.”
The Partnership Platform was launched during the 69th Session of the UN General Assembly, at a side event at Ford Foundation entitled, “Strengthening Philanthropy’s Engagement with the Post-2015 Development Agenda.” Throughout the project, guidance and input will be provided by leaders from foundation and philanthropy support organizations comprising a Collaboration Committee, which currently includes the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, Ford Foundation, The MasterCard Foundation, and WINGS.
ASSIGNMENTS / APPOINTMENTS / ANNOUNCEMENTS
General Officer Announcements
SOURCE: DOD
Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel announced that the president has made the following nominations:
Air Force Lt. Gen. Andrew E. Busch for appointment to the rank of lieutenant-general and for assignment as director, Defense Logistics Agency, Fort Belvoir, Virginia. Busch is currently serving as vice commander, Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.
Air Force Maj. Gen. Mark C. Nowland for appointment to the rank of lieutenant-general and for assignment as commander, Twelfth Air Force (Air Forces Southern), Air Combat Command, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona. Nowland is currently serving as chief of staff, Headquarters U.S. Southern Command, Miami, Florida.
Air Force Maj. Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. for appointment to the rank of lieutenant-general and for assignment as commander, U.S. Air Forces Central Command, Air Combat Command, Al Udeid, Qatar. Brown is currently serving as director, operations, strategic deterrence, and nuclear integration, Headquarters U.S. Air Forces in Europe, Ramstein Air Base, Germany.
Flag Officer Announcement
Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel announced that the president has made the following nomination:
Navy Vice Adm. Scott H. Swift for appointment to the rank of admiral and for assignment as commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Swift is currently serving as director, Navy Staff, N09B, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Pentagon, Washington, District of Columbia.
PHOTO(s) OF THE DAY
SOURCE: Department of Defense /Defense News Lead Photo
18th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin E. Dempsey speaks at a conference on civil-military divide and the future of the all-volunteer force hosted by Center for a New American Security at the Willard InterContinental Hotel in Washington D.C., Nov., 20, 2014. (DoD photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Daniel Hinton/released)
Camp Lejeune, N.C. (Nov. 18, 2014) — Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel observes female marines assigned to Ground Combat Element Integrated Task Force firing the Shoulder-Launched Multipurpose Assault Weapon (SMAW) on Camp LeJeune, N.C., Nov. 18. 2014. DoD photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Sean Hurt/Released
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November 21, 2014
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