LISA SMITH
COMMENTARY AND OPINION
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The author in Djenné with travel guide Mamadou Traore.
basic agricultural training: how to plant, how much fertilizer, etc. Now the Aga Khan Foundation, with funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, builds business management skills, literacy, nutrition and farming techniques hand in hand. Its microfinance arm, with a grant from the Whole Planet Foundation, is creating new loan options using mobile phones. This summer Mali returned to a democratic process with a newly elected government, and Peace Corps Volunteers are returning to the country. I found my own brief return to West Africa very moving, in part from witnessing Malians’ strength, goodwill and pride in their culture. But the trip was also moving because it showed a new perspective on development. I hope that Volunteers will seek out the Foundation to see another model of community engagement. WV To see if Aga Khan agencies are active where you’re serving, visit www.akdn.org.
David Taylor was a Peace Corps Volunteer in southern Mauritania, 1983-1985, where he worked with women’s cooperatives on vegetable gardens. He is communications officer with the Aga Khan Foundation in Washington, DC. Contact him at david. taylor@akdn.org.
THE EARTH INSTITUTE
www.sipa.columbia.edu/mpa-dp
“PEOPLE DO NOT LIVE THEIR LIVES IN HEALTH SECTORS OR EDUCATION SECTORS OR INFRASTRUCTURE SECTORS ARRANGED IN TIDY COMPARTMENTS. PEOPLE LIVE IN FAMILIES, VILLAGES, COMMUNITIES, COUNTRIES, WHERE ALL THE ISSUES OF EVERYDAY LIFE MERGE. WE NEED TO CONNECT THE DOTS.” Robert B. Zoellick, former World Bank President The Master of Public Administration in Development Practice (MPA-DP) trains current and aspiring practitioners to understand and manage approaches to sustainable development challenges. The core curriculum provides students with a solid foundation in principles and methods of development, food systems, public health, economics, infrastructure, and environmental sustainability.
APPLICATIONS FOR FALL 2016 ARE DUE FEB. 7TH, 2016
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