Week in Review

Welcome to a very special edition of the Week in Review, this is not only the last Week in Review for 2012, but also the last time I will be writing the Week in Review (sniff sniff). Please continue to send media highlights and news and information to info@wikiprogress.org or update the Community Portal yourself. 

Highlights from the progress movement this week include: a collection of 2012 reviews, happiness challenges, person of the year, a ban on female genital mutilation and a quote.

Photo by JG Clemenceau

Jeff Sachs on Happiness

Leading progress thinker Jeff Sachs blogs for the Huffington Post in response to a claim from the American Enterprise Institute that social spending lowers happiness. Referencing key progress indices he argues that this claim is false as countries that have higher spending on social programs are by far the happiest.

TIME person of the year

Progress is social, economic, political and personal. TIME person of the year reflects the progress of an individual and their impact on society. This year, US President Barack Obama made TIME person of the year- with Malala Yousafzai, Tim Cook, Mohamed Morsi and Fabiola Gianotti making the shortlist. In 2011, the Protester won person (or people) of the year, and in 2010 it was Mark Zuckerberg. Interestingly, Barak Obama was also the 2008 person of the year.

The UN Bans Female Genital Mutilation

Yesterday the UN General Assembly unanimously passed a resolution banning the practice of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). It is estimated that FGM affects about 100-140 million women and girls worldwide, and each year.

Quote:

"Equity, dignity, happiness, sustainability – these are all fundamental to our lives but absent in the GDP."
Helen Clark, UNDP, speaking at Rio+20 as the UNDP reveal a new template for a Sustainable Human Development Index. 

That’s all from me. Thank you to everyone who has read my weekly posts (and to the Wikiprogress team for picking up my typos). Wishing you all the very best for a peaceful and prosperous 2013.

Yours in Progress,

Philippa