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IREX Announces Winners of 2nd Annual Photo Contest July 30, 2013 IREX congratulates the five winners of our 2nd annual Make a Better World Photo Contest. Contest judges found winners’ photos were creative and technically sound, and also adeptly illustrated IREX’s international work in at least one of three main categories: Technology, Information & Participation, Improving Communities, and Education & Employment. Judges selected the winning photos out of a pool of more than 550 submissions from around the globe.	Students, Teachers & Advocates: Education’s Frontline Defenders on Malala Day July 11, 2013 by Randal Mason The situation is grave: 12 million children in Pakistan have never attended school (two-thirds of them girls), Pakistani teachers killed for educating young women, and the bombing of girls’ schools. Female students have been targeted for attacks including the well-known shooting of Malala Yousafzai and her peers. That’s why hundreds of youth from around the globe are taking over the United Nations on July 12 to advocate for their right to safe education.
7 Ways to Work with LGBT Communities in International Development July 7, 2013 by Randal Mason "These people are fighting for survival in societies that are hostile to their very existence," said Dr. Chloe Schwenke, who described LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) people as being "embattled." She, along with three other global LGBT experts -- Urooj Arshad, Victor Mukasa, and Ryan Ubuntu Olson -- spoke at a recent IREX event on how the international development community could best work with LGBT populations globally. As the vulnerability of LGBT people around the world has been well-documented by organizations such as the UN and Human Rights Watch, the experts offered these key recommendations for those working with LGBT groups abroad:	Truth & Comparison: The Profound Effects of Exchanges July 1, 2013 How do educational and cultural exchanges benefit participants and their societies? “They’re life-changing experiences,” says Dr. Allen Kassof, IREX’s first President, stressing how exchanges continue to alter world views in an increasingly complicated and interconnected global society.
Women, Conflict and Peacebuilding: 6 Best Practices June 24, 2013 by Michael Hendrix Recently, IREX hosted four experts who offer up much needed wisdom during the panel discussion, “More than Victims: Women’s Roles in the Syrian Conflict.” Here are six concrete recommendations they made for the international development community:	Young Pakistani Woman Inspires Student Film Maker in Oklahoma June 17, 2013 Anna, a photography major at Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology (OSUIT) had always been interested in learning about the lives of international students and their experiences in the US. When she bumped into Umaira, a Global UGRAD-Pakistan participant, on the OSUIT campus, she jumped at the opportunity to interview her.
More than Victims: Women’s Roles in the Syrian Conflict May 29, 2013 Increased coverage of gender-based violence (GBV) as a weapon of war often narrowly portrays women's participation in conflict solely as victims. While the incidences and impact of GBV on women’s, girls', boys' and men's lives cannot be understated, a balanced examination of conflict must also acknowledge the larger roles that women play. Tuesday June 11, 2013 9:30 - 11:00am join IREX, ICAN and a panel of experts to broaden the discussion of women in the Syrian conflict to also include their contributions as leaders, dividers, and connectors.	Listen to Me: LGBT Perspectives on International Development May 20, 2013 Listen to Me: LGBT Perspectives on What's Helpful & What's Harmful in International Development Wednesday, June 5, 2013 11:30am - 1:30pm Location: IREX, 1275 K ST, NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20005 In honor of Pride Month, IREX is hosting this conversation with international LGBT activists to share their perspectives and experiences with the larger international development community.
Homophobia & Transphobia: The Story in Malaysia May 16, 2013 by Randal Mason Despite Malaysia being a multi-ethnic, multi-religious society, discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) persons has reached “new levels of intensity” according to Human Rights Watch’s latest report on Malaysia. For this year’s International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia, IREX spoke about the state of LGBT rights in Malaysia with Julian Sanjivan, a Community Solutions leader and a former manager at PT Foundation, the largest community based organization in Malaysia dealing with issues of gender, sexuality, and HIV.	Ambassador Verveer Receives 2013 IREX Founders’ Day Award May 9, 2013 In recognition of a career dedicated to advancing the rights of women and girls, IREX presented the 2013 Founders’ Day Award to Ambassador Melanne S. Verveer for her work to make a better world. Appointed by President Obama as the first U.S. Ambassador for Global Women’s Issues in 2009, she worked with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to elevate the status of women around the world and highlight their essential role in economic development and peacebuilding.