ads Webinar: Jihadism at a crossroads By webfeeds.brookings.edu Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 17:19:01 +0000 Although jihadist groups have gripped the world’s attention for more than 20 years, today they are no longer in the spotlight. However, ISIS, al-Qaida, and al-Shabab remain active, and new groups have emerged. The movement as a whole is evolving, as is the threat it poses. On May 29, the Center for Middle East Policy… Full Article
ads Webinar: Jihadism at a crossroads By webfeeds.brookings.edu Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 17:19:01 +0000 Although jihadist groups have gripped the world’s attention for more than 20 years, today they are no longer in the spotlight. However, ISIS, al-Qaida, and al-Shabab remain active, and new groups have emerged. The movement as a whole is evolving, as is the threat it poses. On May 29, the Center for Middle East Policy… Full Article
ads Working dads and the Earned Income Tax Credit By webfeeds.brookings.edu Published On :: Fri, 17 Jun 2016 14:59:00 -0400 The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) supports millions of single parents and their children each year. Although the majority of these are single moms, Father’s Day provides a good reminder that single dads are also a significant part of the equation. Using Brookings’ MetroTax model, we estimate that roughly half (49 percent) of all EITC-eligible tax filers in 2014 filed as head of household—a group that includes many single custodial parents. Of these estimated 13.1 million filers, 8.9 million were women, and 4.2 million were men. These female-headed households included an estimated 14.7 million qualifying children, while their male counterparts included 6 million qualifying children. Although women head of household filers were more likely to be EITC-eligible (69 percent), male heads of household were not far behind, with an estimated 61 percent eligible to receive the EITC in 2014. To learn more about the EITC-eligible population, visit Brookings’ EITC data interactive. Authors Natalie Holmes Full Article
ads Webinar: Jihadism at a crossroads By webfeeds.brookings.edu Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 17:19:01 +0000 Although jihadist groups have gripped the world’s attention for more than 20 years, today they are no longer in the spotlight. However, ISIS, al-Qaida, and al-Shabab remain active, and new groups have emerged. The movement as a whole is evolving, as is the threat it poses. On May 29, the Center for Middle East Policy… Full Article
ads Global Insights – Colombia’s Peace Process at the Crossroads By webfeeds.brookings.edu Published On :: Mon, 25 Nov 2019 22:07:08 +0000 On December 9th, Vanda Felbab-Brown will join other scholars and practitioners at Baruch College to discuss the state of Colombia's peace process and the prospects for the country in the coming years. Full Article
ads Global solutions to global ‘bads’: 2 practical proposals to help developing countries deal with the COVID-19 pandemic By webfeeds.brookings.edu Published On :: Wed, 22 Apr 2020 14:51:01 +0000 In a piece written for this blog four years ago—after the Ebola outbreaks but mostly focused on rising natural disasters—I argued that to deal with global public “bads” such as climate change, natural disasters, diseases, and financial crises, we needed global financing mechanisms. Today, the world faces not just another global public bad, but one… Full Article
ads Webinar: Jihadism at a crossroads By webfeeds.brookings.edu Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 17:19:01 +0000 Although jihadist groups have gripped the world’s attention for more than 20 years, today they are no longer in the spotlight. However, ISIS, al-Qaida, and al-Shabab remain active, and new groups have emerged. The movement as a whole is evolving, as is the threat it poses. On May 29, the Center for Middle East Policy… Full Article
ads Turkey and America: Indispensable Allies at a Crossroads: Third Annual Sakip Sabanci Lecture with Ambassador Richard C. Holbrooke By webfeeds.brookings.edu Published On :: Richard C. Holbrooke, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and vice chairman of Perseus LLC, delivered the third annual Sakip Sabanci Lecture. He was the chief architect of the 1995 Dayton Peace Agreement, ending the war in Bosnia; assistant secretary of state for European and Canadian Affairs (1994-96); U.S. ambassador to Germany (1993-94); assistant… Full Article
ads Webinar: Jihadism at a crossroads By webfeeds.brookings.edu Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 17:19:01 +0000 Although jihadist groups have gripped the world’s attention for more than 20 years, today they are no longer in the spotlight. However, ISIS, al-Qaida, and al-Shabab remain active, and new groups have emerged. The movement as a whole is evolving, as is the threat it poses. On May 29, the Center for Middle East Policy… Full Article
ads Webinar: Jihadism at a crossroads By webfeeds.brookings.edu Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 17:19:01 +0000 Although jihadist groups have gripped the world’s attention for more than 20 years, today they are no longer in the spotlight. However, ISIS, al-Qaida, and al-Shabab remain active, and new groups have emerged. The movement as a whole is evolving, as is the threat it poses. On May 29, the Center for Middle East Policy… Full Article
ads The Netherlands leads again in social innovation with announcement of fifth social impact bond By webfeeds.brookings.edu Published On :: Thu, 09 Jun 2016 19:09:00 -0400 This week the Dutch Ministry of Security and Justice announced that it will pay for the successful achievement of employment and prison recidivism outcomes among short-term adult prisoners as part of the new “Work After Prison” social impact bond (SIB)—the fifth such transaction in the Netherlands and one of about 60 in the world. In a SIB—which is a mix of results-based financing, a public-private partnership, and impact investing—private investors provide upfront capital for preventive social services, and in turn an outcome funder (usually government) pays them back plus a return contingent upon the achievement of agreed-upon outcomes. Where consistent social outcomes achievement poses challenges, this model has considerable potential to create a path forward. What is the social challenge? Each year in the Netherlands, around 40,000 adults are incarcerated and about 30,000 are released. What’s troubling is that the rate of recidivism two years after release from prison is nearly 50 percent. And the costs of successful reintegration and reduced recidivism rates are high and include enormous amounts of social benefits paid out to previously incarcerated individuals. Multi-pronged approaches are often necessary including programs that address housing needs, employment, mental health and substance abuse issues, and debt settlement. Addressing all of these challenges simultaneously is difficult and often the right incentives are not in place for the outcomes of importance to be at the forefront of decision-making. But SIBs may offer a promising way to meet these hurdles. Who are the players in the SIB? In a typical SIB, the players at the table include an outcome funder (government), investors (usually impact investors including foundations), a service provider or providers (usually a non-governmental entity but it can also be public), and the beneficiary population. In addition, there can be external evaluators who assess whether or not the agreed-upon outcome has been achieved; and, in many SIBs, there is also an intermediary party that brings the stakeholders to the table, structures the deal, manage the deal, or conducts performance management for the service provider. The Dutch SIB for prison recidivism has a total of 10 players not including the beneficiary population. Most interestingly, this deal differs from all four previous SIBs in the Netherlands in that the outcome funder, the Ministry of Security and Justice, is at the national level rather than subnational level—the previous outcome funders were all municipal governments. Notably, less than half of the SIBs in the world have a national-level outcome funder. The Dutch bank ABN Amro, the Start Foundation, and Oranje Fonds are equal investors (and have all invested in previous Dutch SIBs). Three organizations that are part of the Work-Wise Direct Consortium—Exodus Foundation, Restart, and Foundation 180—will provide services to the population in need. Society Impact, an organization supporting social entrepreneurship and innovative financing in the Netherlands, acted as a matchmaker in the transaction by helping to bring all parties to the table. An evaluation arm of the Ministry of Security and Justice and a research entity, Panteia will evaluate whether or not outcomes are achieved. The beneficiary population includes 150 adults who have been in prison between three and 12 months. There is no targeting based on type of crime, age, or gender and consent must be provided by the participant and the municipality. What’s at stake? There are two outcome metrics established in this SIB. In a period of two and half years, the outcome funder will repay investors the principal investment of 1.2 million euros plus a maximum return of 10 percent of the investment (but expected return is around 5 percent) contingent upon: 1) a 25 to 30 percent decrease in the social benefits issued to the previously incarcerated participants (which is estimated to require a 882-month increase in labor force participation by the entire group); and 2) a 10 percent reduction in recidivism among the participants. Who will benefit? The beneficiary population In theory, with all eyes on the target (outcomes), beneficiary populations have a greater chance of success with this results-based financing mechanism compared to traditional input-based financing contracts. The potential for greater collaboration among stakeholders, performance management, and adaptive learning should all bode well for the delivery of the set goals. This could allow for improvements even beyond the targets within the impact bond structure such as improved family life, higher earnings, and increased civic participation. The outcome funder (and taxpayers) For the Ministry of Security and Justice, the SIB provides an opportunity to shift to private investors the implementation and financial risk of funding social service programs. If outcomes are achieved, then the ministry repays the investors an amount that represents the value they place on outcome achievement, and if outcomes are not achieved, then they do not pay. What’s more, the ministry could benefit from reduced costs as a result of shifting from remedial to preventive services. Additional cost savings, in particular the reduction in social welfare benefits, and other inherent benefits will be accrued to other government entities as well as society as a whole. The service providers There can be multiple benefits for services providers. First, the availability of upfront capital allows them to do their job better. Second, the longer-term (multi-year) contract reduces time spent on grant proposals and allows for more steady funding flows. Third, the SIB can provide an opportunity to strengthen the providers’ systems of data collection. Fourth, it allows the service providers to conduct a rigorous evaluation of their program. Further, SIBs can allow for flexibility and learning-by-doing in the delivery of the social services. The investors The three investors in this SIB have an opportunity to earn a financial return of maximum 10 percent if outcomes are successfully achieved. In addition, they benefit from having contributed to the improvement of the lives of the target population and their families. Furthermore, they could generate an impact that goes way beyond the SIB itself. They have the potential to create larger systemic change in the provision of social services by shifting government’s focus away from how services are delivered to which outcomes they want to achieve and by helping to build systems of monitoring and evaluation that allow for systematic assessment of those outcomes. A way forward Six years after the implementation of the first SIB for prison recidivism in the United Kingdom, this creative idea has spread to at least 12 other countries with the aim of tackling some of the world’s most intractable social problems. The Netherlands, known globally as a leader on many social and environmental issues, is taking a leading role in the adoption of this mechanism. Moving forward, the rest of the world will be watching to see what lessons can be gleaned from these early experiments as the burden of tough societal issues and potential solutions become increasingly global in nature. Authors Emily Gustafsson-Wright Full Article
ads Webinar: Jihadism at a crossroads By webfeeds.brookings.edu Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 17:19:01 +0000 Although jihadist groups have gripped the world’s attention for more than 20 years, today they are no longer in the spotlight. However, ISIS, al-Qaida, and al-Shabab remain active, and new groups have emerged. The movement as a whole is evolving, as is the threat it poses. On May 29, the Center for Middle East Policy… Full Article
ads The robots are ready as the COVID-19 recession spreads By webfeeds.brookings.edu Published On :: Tue, 24 Mar 2020 18:27:54 +0000 As if American workers don’t have enough to worry about right now, the COVID-19 pandemic is resurfacing concerns about technology’s impact on the future of work. Put simply, any coronavirus-related recession is likely to bring about a spike in labor-replacing automation. What’s the connection between recessions and automation? On its face, the transition to automation may… Full Article
ads American roads are dangerous by design, and more people are dying than ever before By www.treehugger.com Published On :: Fri, 25 Jan 2019 13:46:35 -0500 "The time for complacency has passed. We must treat this crisis as if our lives, and the lives of our friends, families, and neighbors, depend on it. " Full Article Transportation
ads Climate Care Heads Down Under By www.treehugger.com Published On :: Sun, 09 Dec 2007 04:06:21 -0500 Australians may be world leaders in terms of greenhouse gas emissions, but with their new government signing Kyoto as one of its first acts in power, it seems change may well be in the air. So, is Australia about to go green in a big way? UK-based Full Article Business
ads Flipping anti-bike arguments on their heads (+funny video) By www.treehugger.com Published On :: Mon, 21 Apr 2014 13:30:00 -0400 More bikers take to Twitter to mock bike haters. Full Article Transportation
ads Instagram leads us to more consumerism, not less By www.treehugger.com Published On :: Thu, 19 Apr 2012 05:36:00 -0400 The billion-dollar app specializes in sharing digital photos, but tugging along behind it is a growing pile of material stuff. Full Article Technology
ads John Doerr Pleads for a Greener Future By www.treehugger.com Published On :: Thu, 05 Jul 2007 12:32:24 -0400 When John Doerr talks, people listen. As one of Silicon Valley's most prolific venture capitalists, having earned upwards of $1 billion betting on tech heavyweights like Amazon, Compaq and Google, investors and businessmen paid close attention when he Full Article Living
ads Graham Hill Explains How Less Stuff Leads to More Freedom at TED By www.treehugger.com Published On :: Wed, 05 Oct 2011 13:20:48 -0400 TreeHugger Founder Graham Hill stopped by the TED Conference recently to outline his LifeEdited project—and explain why a keen ability to edit will be the most important skill of the next century. Full Article Design
ads In the battle for social domination of the roads, Oregon imposes a bike tax By www.treehugger.com Published On :: Wed, 12 Jul 2017 12:00:40 -0400 Because cyclists should pay their fair share, right? Full Article Transportation
ads The Hidden Costs of Roads By www.treehugger.com Published On :: Fri, 22 Feb 2008 00:02:32 -0500 Lloyd has called for sustainable and sound infrastructure. One way to start creating sustainable and sound infrastrucutre might be to show the actual costs of building a bad infrastructure. A new 'green roads program' at the University of New Hampshire Full Article Transportation
ads Stair of the week stores a ton of art, leads to gorgeous new garret By www.treehugger.com Published On :: Thu, 01 Feb 2018 10:52:50 -0500 Syte Architects insert a mezzanine and a terrific storage stair in existing loft. Full Article Design
ads On MNN: Digital memories, ads from the future, On telling time, and is Wellness the new Green? By www.treehugger.com Published On :: Fri, 04 Dec 2015 17:11:46 -0500 and really, are Christmas lights screwing up your Wi-Fi? Full Article Living
ads Sphelar Lantern uses micro-sphere solar beads to make solar lighting beautiful By www.treehugger.com Published On :: Tue, 22 Nov 2016 17:18:44 -0500 These devices help solar lighting move beyond the flatness of traditional photovoltaic cells. Full Article Technology
ads Radbot is a robot for rads that could reduce heating costs by 30 percent By www.treehugger.com Published On :: Wed, 23 Jan 2019 13:39:57 -0500 It's a smart thermostat for hydronic heating systems and is not such a dumb idea. Full Article Design
ads Free the Jailed Hikers in Iran, Permaculture Community Pleads (Video) By www.treehugger.com Published On :: Thu, 25 Aug 2011 12:55:16 -0400 From child labor in the cocoa industry to human rights issues in the oil industry, we've often reported on the intersect between environmentalism and social justice—but all too often environmentalism and human rights Full Article Living
ads Small loads from Internet-connected devices all add up By www.treehugger.com Published On :: Tue, 21 May 2019 14:15:41 -0400 Our always-on devices turn out to consume a lot of power. Do I really need to connect my garage door to the Internet? Full Article Energy
ads "Go Dry" Movement Spreads, As Californians Rip Up Their Grass Lawns By www.treehugger.com Published On :: Sat, 27 Jun 2009 18:25:51 -0400 Cut the grass will you?...Are you done edging?....Time to water the Full Article Business
ads Google Glass heads into the operating room By www.treehugger.com Published On :: Mon, 23 Nov 2015 11:07:55 -0500 The optical display device that is often the subject of ridicule has proven itself to be a very valuable asset to surgeons. Full Article Technology
ads Masters of Beef Advocacy Grads Take On Sustainable Food Supporters, Attacking The Wrong Target By www.treehugger.com Published On :: Thu, 09 Dec 2010 15:30:00 -0500 If you don't subscribe to the print version of Mother Jones you may have missed what seems to be a really sort of creepy story about how the US beef industry is not so subtly waging war against sustainable and slow Full Article Living
ads Asking how to save coral reefs leads to better understanding carbon sequestration By www.treehugger.com Published On :: Tue, 18 Jul 2017 12:10:00 -0400 Carbon sequestration, the technology taking carbon dioxide out of fossil fuel emissions, just got a boost Full Article Science
ads Body wash beads contaminate the Great Lakes By www.treehugger.com Published On :: Thu, 27 Jun 2013 13:18:00 -0400 Exfoliating body wash may make you clean, but it's making the lake water dirty. Full Article Science
ads Stair of the week is a shifting workspace with alternating treads By www.treehugger.com Published On :: Mon, 10 Dec 2018 12:58:50 -0500 These multi-talented stairs do more than one thing in this apartment renovation in Brooklyn. Full Article Design
ads Don’t Judge Argentina’s Care for Sustainable Living by its Inappropriate Air Conditioning Ads By www.treehugger.com Published On :: Thu, 15 Mar 2012 11:00:00 -0400 Two misfortunate advertising campaigns from Argentina use polar bears and tackiness to promote air conditioning. Full Article Living
ads Brazilian cheese breads are a quick and satisfying treat By www.treehugger.com Published On :: Mon, 11 Feb 2019 09:00:00 -0500 Chewy, salty, and impossible to stop eating, they're the next best thing to an actual trip to Brazil (especially when paired with a caipirinha). Full Article Living
ads Connecting kids to nature: Latest free activity downloads from Project Learning Tree By www.treehugger.com Published On :: Tue, 05 Feb 2019 13:00:00 -0500 Does your family PLT? Project Learning Tree (PLT) is an award-winning environmental education program for children and teens in all grades. Full Article Business
ads California Leads the Energy Efficiency Race: American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy Releases 2008 Scorecard By www.treehugger.com Published On :: Wed, 08 Oct 2008 14:24:34 -0400 So you think you're doing everything you can to improve your home's energy efficiency. And if you haven't done everything you can do personally, both TreeHugger and Planet Green have plenty of tips on how you can get up to Full Article Business
ads Make roadside attractions part of your next car trip By www.treehugger.com Published On :: Wed, 27 Jun 2018 06:34:00 -0400 Don't be in such a hurry! Here's why you should slow down and visit the quirky landmarks that so many small towns have to offer. Full Article Living
ads Yes, digital nomads thrive on exploitation. But so does everyone else. By www.treehugger.com Published On :: Wed, 12 Sep 2018 15:27:49 -0400 I respond to a recent viral article hating on digital nomads. Full Article Business
ads Billboard ads "replaced" with old master paintings in Paris and Milan By www.treehugger.com Published On :: Mon, 31 Mar 2014 05:00:00 -0400 What if advertisements on billboards were replaced with old masters--it almost happened in Paris. Full Article Design
ads Kids see far too many junk food ads on the Internet By www.treehugger.com Published On :: Tue, 07 Mar 2017 11:53:00 -0500 Unlike TV, the online world has no limits when it comes to advertising junk food to children and teens. This needs to change. Full Article Living
ads Banning cigarette ads worked; should we ban car ads? By www.treehugger.com Published On :: Thu, 15 Mar 2018 14:32:01 -0400 WARNING: Driving cars kills. Should companies be able to market them as speedy, sexy objects of desire? Full Article Transportation
ads No more junk food ads on London transit By www.treehugger.com Published On :: Mon, 03 Dec 2018 12:42:00 -0500 The mayor has cracked down on images portraying unhealthy food, in hopes that it will reduce child obesity rates. Full Article Living
ads When did we stop wearing toilets on our heads? By www.treehugger.com Published On :: Tue, 03 Oct 2017 16:10:02 -0400 How did a piece of fabric become a porcelain bowl? Full Article Design
ads Poor toilet hygiene spreads more E.coli than raw meat By www.treehugger.com Published On :: Tue, 03 Dec 2019 10:00:00 -0500 In other words, always wash your hands when you're done in the bathroom. Full Article Living
ads U.S. Department of the Treasury, U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development, and the Ad Council Launch New Public Service Ads to Reach Struggling Homeowners - Get mortgage help. This is why. MakingHomeAffordable.gov :60 By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: 24 Sep 2014 11:18:00 EDT Get mortgage help. This is why. MakingHomeAffordable.gov :60 Full Article Advertising Banking Financial Services Publishing Information Services Real Estate Residential Real Estate Not for Profit Broadcast Feed Announcements MultiVu Video
ads PANDORA Jewelry Turns Heads with #FESTIVALready Style at the 2016 Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival - #FESTIVALready with PANDORA Jewelry By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: 03 May 2016 13:45:00 EDT PANDORA Jewelry showed festival goers how to style braided leather bracelets to get #FESTIVALready for Coachella Full Article Entertainment Fashion Household Consumer Cosmetics Music Retail Household Products (vacuum cleaners supplies etc) Jewelry New Products Services Broadcast Feed Announcements MultiVu Video
ads Turtle Beach Reinvents eSports Gaming Headsets With The Elite Pro - A New Benchmark For Competitive Gaming Audio Performance And Comfort - Turtle Beach Reveals the All-New Elite Pro By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: 04 May 2016 08:35:00 EDT Turtle Beach Reveals the All-New Elite Pro Full Article Computer Hardware Computer Software Consumer Electronics Sports Electronic Gaming Sports Equipment & Accessories New Products Services Broadcast Feed Announcements MultiVu Video
ads PANDORA Jewelry Turns Heads with #FESTIVALready Style at the 2016 Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival - #FESTIVALready with PANDORA Jewelry By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: 03 May 2016 13:45:00 EDT PANDORA Jewelry showed festival goers how to style braided leather bracelets to get #FESTIVALready for Coachella Full Article Entertainment Fashion Household Consumer Cosmetics Music Retail Household Products (vacuum cleaners supplies etc) Jewelry New Products Services Broadcast Feed Announcements MultiVu Video
ads Turtle Beach Reinvents eSports Gaming Headsets With The Elite Pro - A New Benchmark For Competitive Gaming Audio Performance And Comfort - Turtle Beach Reveals the All-New Elite Pro By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: 04 May 2016 08:35:00 EDT Turtle Beach Reveals the All-New Elite Pro Full Article Computer Hardware Computer Software Consumer Electronics Sports Electronic Gaming Sports Equipment & Accessories New Products Services Broadcast Feed Announcements MultiVu Video
