The week in review

Welcome to the week in review- a round up of highlights from the progress community. Be sure to see the Wikiprogress Community Portal for all media coverage, report releases, debates and more.

In the Spotlight:

Wikiprogress has launched a series of video interviews with key progress thinkers. Featured here is an interview with Stephan Klasen at the New Directions in Welfare Congress.  See all interviews on the Wikiprogress YouTube Channel.

On progress

India Makes Some Progress on Poverty (Wall Street Journal 11.07.2011)

The Millennium Development Goals Report 2011, released by the UN last week, shows that India has made significant progress in the fight against poverty. The report states that the poverty rate in India is expected to fall by 22% by 2015, down from 51% in 1990.

See more on India, Poverty and the Millennium Development Goals

On data

World Population Day 2011: The World at 7 Billion (UNFPA 11.07.2011)

Monday the 11^th of July saw the 23^rd World Population Day, recognising the importance of population trends. With world population predicted to surpass 7 billion by the end of 2011, the UNFPA launched a campaign called 7 Billion Actions aimed at engaging people on the opportunities and challenges presented by a world of 7 billion.

Wikiprogress has celebrated this by adding 6 new data sets to Wikiprogress.Stat.

• See the Bertelsmann Stiftung’s

 Management Index and Status Index

• See also Measures of America’s Progress’

 American Human Development Index, Education Enrolment and Attainment, Life Expectancy at Birth and Median Earnings.

Beyond GDP

Easterlin's Paradox Revisited (The Boston Globe 08.07.2011)

The Easterlin Paradox first came about in 1973 when Richard Easterlin published “Does Economic Growth Improve the Human Lot? Some Empirical Evidence.” This article explores issues of happiness and wealth at both the individual and national level, the key issue of the paradox.

See more on the Easterlin Paradox

On gender equality

UN Women launch event – panel discussion

Last Wednesday UN Women launched their flagship report: Progress of the World’s Women 2011. Today they released a video of the launch in New York, featuring a panel discussion with key gender equality thinkers.

The Wikigender Community Portal has a special focus on the media coverage given to the report.

That's all from us for this week. We hope you can join us again the same time next week for another round up of highlights from the week that was. 

Yours in Progress, 

Philippa Lysaght