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This blog is hosted by the Development Marketplace. It is a platform for debate and knowledge sharing on early stage development, innovation and social entrepreneurship. More »

Conflict and Development

“I am going to be the leader of my country.”

Submitted by Anita Ayers Henderlight on Mon, 01/24/2011 - 11:35

A U.S. congresswoman from Arizona was shot. The Hollywood Foreign Press was handing out Golden Globes to the entertainment industry. The White House was preparing for a visit from China’s president. The people of Southern Sudan were announcing preliminary results of a vote for independence from their Northern counterpart.

 All of these headline events are worthy of attention. One event that did not make a headline is the one that will forever be embedded in my memory. It’s a development worker’s dream come true. After years of advocating for the rights of young women and girls, of fundraising to make education accessible to females in a traditionally patriarchal society, and of dreaming about a world where girls feel free from oppression to express their opinions and beliefs with confidence, I received an important phone call.

Innovation Happens When Traditional Markets Fail

Submitted by Aleem Walji on Fri, 10/01/2010 - 09:29

Conversations after "Innovations in Development" PanelInnovations in development happen where traditional markets fail.  The open discussion that followed the presentation I made on Monday to nearly 100 colleagues inside and outside the World Bank Group spurred the first of what I hope are many conversations on the role the World Bank Group and others can play in supporting social entrepreneurs in the developing world

Hero Rats Are Making News Around the World!

Submitted by Kirsten Spainhower on Wed, 09/08/2010 - 15:37

Check out the story CNN is featuring on Hero Rats today. In the early days of the project Bart Weetjens of Apopo, the Dutch Company that implements Hero Rats, said that initially “Every where I went to apply for funding, we were just laughed at.” But in 2003 the Development Marketplace took his idea seriously and funded his project. Now Hero Rats are making news around the world.

Rats Save Lives says Nick Kristof

Submitted by Kirsten Spainhower on Mon, 06/21/2010 - 17:08
See video

Let's hear it for the HeroRat, one of our favorite Development Marketplace winners!! HeroRat  is the brand name for APOPO, a Dutch company that has trained giant African pouch rats  to detect tuberculosis and landmines. 

Last week Nicholas D. Kristof  wrote a whole column in the New York Times saying that sponsoring a rat as a “really nifty Father's Day gift.” HeroRat has an ‘Adopt a Rat’ program where one can sponsor a rat named Alfredo, Kim, Olaf or Ziko. It's pretty amazing what these rats can do. Did you know that a rat can evaluate 40 samples in seven minutes, equal to what a skilled lab technician can do in one day? Talk about a cheap, easy to train work force!

In 2003 the HeroRat project won the Development Marketplace  Global Competition, providing the very first capital to support tuberculosis detection by trained rats. The Development Marketplace also supported APOPO with a strategic planning consultancy.

Winning the Development Marketplace grant in 2003 set the stage for numerous additional wins. In 2009 HeroRat went on to win the Skoll Award for Social Enterprise, the Lien i3 Challenge, and the Pheonix 50 List  that recognizes innovative enterprises. In 2008 they won the Schwab Social Entrepreneur of the Year Award . Lastly, Bart Weetjuns, HeroRats founder was recently nominated as an Ashoka Fellow.

Even though Father’s Day has passed you might consider sponsoring little Kim for the next Mother’s Day. Kim is described as "eager to get to work each day and keen to make her mother and father proud.”

Innovation Fair on World Bank Homepage

Submitted by Richard Murby on Thu, 06/10/2010 - 13:04

Innovation Fair on World Bank HomepageCoverage of the Innovation Fair continues on the World Bank home page...

Click here to view the story.

From the Conflict Blog: Addressing violent conflict, one innovation at a time

Submitted by Nicholas van Praag on Wed, 04/28/2010 - 16:57

by Nicholas van PraagWorld Bank Conflict Blog

"The best thing about my job is the amazing people I meet—and last week was better than most.  I was in Cape Town for a meeting of social entrepreneurs and peace-builders.  They were gathered under the banner of the World Bank Institute’s Innovation Fair to surface new ways of addressing conflict and delivering services to poor people in fragile states..."

Continue reading on the Conflict Blog

 

Innovation Fair Day 2

Submitted by Richard Murby on Mon, 04/19/2010 - 14:39
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See day two at the Innovation Fair in Cape Town, South Africa.

Join the innovation fair community on Ning.

 

Credits: Commisioned by the World Bank. HD Video by Tremayne D. Ward-Smith & Maciek Kwiecinski. Edited by Carlos Feyder. Sound by Stratosphere Sound.

Inside the Innovation Fair

Submitted by Richard Murby on Thu, 04/15/2010 - 10:35
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Highllights of the first days events at the Innovation Fair on conflict and fragility, held in Cape Town, South Africa.

Credits: Commisioned by the World Bank. HD Video by Tremayne D. Ward-Smith & Maciek Kwiecinski. Edited by Carlos Feyder. Sound by Stratosphere Sound.

Reconstructed Living Lab (RLabs) is excited to be at the Innovation Fair.

Submitted by Richard Murby on Wed, 04/14/2010 - 09:36

Ed: This guest post is by Rene Parker, Director of RLabs.

Reconstructed Living Lab (RLabs) is excited to be the Social Media partner at the Innovation Fair.

The RLabs Team at the Innovation Fair

Innovation Fair Kicks off in Cape Town and Online

Submitted by Edith Wilson on Tue, 04/13/2010 - 17:48

Innovation Fair Ning SiteRight now in Cape Town, the Development Marketplace is holding the first of a new generation of DM activities -- an Innovation Fair on Moving Beyond Conflict tied to the 2011 World Development Report  and drawing on a pool of innovative solutions discovered during an on-line competition  (the new innovation "radar") last month which registered 2,000 users, producing 223 projects from 40 countries. 

You can follow the action and join the event virtually through this website hosted by our local partner:

 http://innovationfair.ning.com/