75th UN General Assembly highlights: On its 75th anniversary, and amidst the global COVID-19 pandemic, the “United Nations will for the first time convened world leaders in a virtual format to seek action and solutions for a world in crisis. Several major events, in addition to the General Debate, [highlighted] action and solutions to ignite
How do you prevent COVID in schools? Right now, millions of parents and teachers around the world are concerned about their kids/students going back to school during the COVID-19 pandemic. How can you ensure student safety in classrooms and proceed with classroom instruction in the “new normal”? We’re excited to be working with our PPE
COVID-19 news: The COVID-19 (novel Coronavirus) pandemic continues to pose serious challenges to health systems, governments and the population at large. Staying on top of the latest COVID-19 news and information is critical. With that in mind, we will continue to provide regular updates via this blog and our COVID-19 Response Team. Global Numbers: 32
South Korea successfully held its general election on April 15 and provided some key lessons for how to conduct an election during COVID-19. This should come in handy for the U.S. presidential Here are the key takeaways per this U.S. Global Leadership Coalition article: South Korea imposed strict health and safety measures to ensure voters’ safety
Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the second woman to serve on the Supreme Court and a pioneering advocate for women’s rights, who in her ninth decade became a much younger generation’s unlikely cultural icon, died on Friday at her home in Washington. She was 87. NYT article below: The cause was complications of metastatic pancreatic cancer, the
Photo by Kiyoshi Ota – Pool/Getty Images The new Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga will succeed Shinzo Abe, Japan’s longest-serving PM who resigned due to health complications. Suga was voted in as the new leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), securing about 70% of the votes, paving the way for the 71-year-old to
Photo Credit: Justin Sullivan / Staff / Getty Images Is there a connection between wildfires and climate change — the fires that are currently devastating the Western states (particularly California, Washington, Oregon)? As of September 14th (10pm ET), CNBC notes that: Historic wildfires are burning millions of acres and destroying homes and entire towns in California, Oregon and Washington
What’s in the Biden economic plan? Currently leading in the polls, Vice President Biden and his running mate Kamala Harris are now focusing significant efforts around shoring up the economy vote and tying the current economic decline to Trump’s mishandling of the coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic. Here’s what you need to know: According to this excellent
Photo:Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images Over the last few days, the news cycle has been dominated by President Trump’s admission about the dangers of COVID-19 (coronavirus) in Bob Woodward’s new book “Rage”. According to veteran journalist Peter Bergen, the Woodward book is devastating to Trump for several reasons. CNN article enclosed below: “Rage” may be
Why do some companies succeed while others just do “okay” or fail? Why do some leaders inspire greatness while others don’t? The reason is deeply engrained in biology and how our brains work. It’s not the “WHAT” — it’s the “WHY”. This Simon Sinek TED Talk never (ever) gets old: “Start with Why”. “People don’t
As New Yorkers and Americans, we take time today to honor all of those lost on 9/11 and to honor their memories. We also take time to reflect on the unity we felt after that day — confident in the knowledge that it can be restored. #911 #NeverForget #911Remembered #September11
Photo: Francis Dean / Contributor / Getty Images Which region is leading the global Cleantech Revolution? You may think it’s North America but that’s not actually true. When it comes to Cleantech innovation, no other region even comes close to Scandinavia/the Nordics — Denmark, Finland and Sweden, to be exact. The top three positions in the Global
Photo: Stephen Brashear / Stringer Need some motivation today? Still waiting for the coffee kick in? While we’re talking about coffee, here’s something to keep in mind whenever you’re facing a professional or personal challenge: Howard Schultz, the founder of Starbucks, was rejected 242 times when he tried to secure capital. Think about that. Think about Schultz’
Photo by Barry Chin/The Boston Globe via Getty Images We are used to the usual voting blocs (e.g. white working class, non-college, suburban, urban etc) in U.S. elections but we believe that will see the emergence of new kind of voter this November. We believe that the “COVID Voter” will become the critical swing vote
Photo by Jeff Hutchens/Getty Images Today marks the passing of a Civil Rights legend and national American icon — the great John Lewis. Today marked the end of a 5-day celebration of Rep Lewis’ life with a funeral service that spoke to his life, mission and purpose. Three Presidents (Clinton, Bush, Obama) spoke and Pres.
New York/NYC is now in the middle of a phased reopening but what is going to drive the economic recovery? Is it “business as usual” or something better? Can NYC unlock trillions of dollars and thousands of new jobs via the Sustainability Economy? Why rebuild if you’re not innovating and improving? Gov. Cuomo has spoken
Female leaders all over the world are besting their male counterparts when it comes to fighting COVID-19. From PM Jacinda Ardern to Germany’s Merkel to Finland’s Marin, women are showing the way to fight COVID-19.
The TBG Purpose division, which provides CSR/Sustainability solutions for companies of all sizes, has compiled this essential list of Sustainability resources. Just click below and send any additions here. SDGs: About the SDGs SDG Knowledge Platform Global Goals SDG Resource Center SDG Compass SDG Business Hub SDG Resources Business: Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE)– network of socially
As part of our COVID-19 efforts, we are showcasing key articles that are particularly notable. The following is from The Conversation. After a rapid rise in coronavirus cases throughout Europe – particularly Italy and Spain – tough public health measures “flattened the curve.” That is, the spread of the virus slowed enough so fewer people would
Did Russia place a bounty on U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan? Did the Trump administration know and, if so, what did they know and when? This is the story that is currently sending the White House, all of Washington, the Pentagon and the media into a tailspin. The allegations could not be more damaging. As the
As New York City celebrates 50 years of Pride parades, TBG joins the #LGBTIQ community in celebrating #PrideMonth. Love is love. While the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted most parades, many are finding ways to participate and celebrate anyway. So,we want to wish Happy Pride to everyone. Here are some good articles: New York City Celebrates
The COVID-19 crisis is worsening in the U.S. with infections rising in at least 21 states — and six states hitting record infections just yesterday. A total of 2.3 million Americans have now been infected while more than 122,000 have died. The situation could not be more grim. As noted here, there “were 38,672 positive
Carbon capture is not exactly a new technology but some innovative companies are redefining it and creating a new field — Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS). One particular company leading the way is Cemvita, which calls itself a company “developing economical carbon-negative solutions for a sustainable future.” Cemvita partners with “[its] clients using the
As a Black-owned firm, we take special pride in celebrating #Juneteenth. We stand with all #Americans of every race, ethnicity, orientation and gender in the fight for racial, economic and social justice. Click below for some curated articles/pieces and links from leading African-American writers and journalists, organizations and institutions. List of Juneteenth celebrations: https://www.juneteenth.com/worldwide.htm Ebony
DACA has been reaffirmed by the Supreme Court. In a landmark decision, the Dreamers won a monumental decision. NYT excerpt below: “The Supreme Court ruled Thursday that the Trump administration may not immediately proceed with its plan to end a program protecting about 700,000 young immigrants known as Dreamers from deportation, dealing a surprising setback to one of President
The International Energy Agency (IEA) has presented a Sustainable Recovery Plan (2021-2023) focusing on a series of “once in a lifetime” actions that can be “taken over the next three years to revitalize economies and boost employment while making energy systems cleaner and more resilient”. The Plan is positioned to achieve a range of significant
As of right now, 21 U.S. states are experiencing a spike in infections. So, is the U.S. experiencing a second wave? No. Despite the Trump administration’s posturing, the U.S. is actually still deep in the throes of the first wave. NPR notes the following: “Just weeks after parts of the U.S. began reopening, coronavirus infections
As an African-American-owned firm, The Bassiouni Group unequivocally condemns racism (in all its forms), human rights violations, police brutality and the senseless murders of George Floyd and countless African-Americans. We stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the protesters who are fighting for racial, social and economic justice. It is time to fully acknowledge the deep wound of systemic
New York state is now in the middle of a phased reopening and New York City is close to reopening…but what is going to drive the economic recovery once COVID-19 subsides? Is it “business as usual” or something better? Can NYC unlock trillions of dollars and thousands of new jobs via the Sustainability Economy? Why
The Volkswagen racism debacle is not the first and it probably won’t be the last. Corporate racism is an insidious and systemic problem. In the last few years, we’ve seen a number of companies tripping up in the same way – H&M had the infamous “monkey hoodie” scandal. We had the Gucci and Adidas scandals and
Contact Tracing is a critical tool in the fight against COVID-19 and Paterson, a low-income city of 150K has quickly emerged as a pioneer. As this New York Times article points out, Paterson is setting the gold standard. Key excerpts below: “States and cities around the country have begun with varying degrees of success to
The climate is cleaner and greener these days. So, is the environment making a comeback? From Delhi to Beijing, the COVID-19 lockdown has resulted in cleaner skies as emissions drop to record low levels. But will it last once COVID-19 subsides and human/industrial activity ticks back up? The answer is a little complicated. Let’s consider
COVID-19 was expected to significantly impact African countries. However, as this New Yorker article points out, many African countries are doing a lot better and can provide some key lessons for Western countries that are usually lecturing the African continent. Some key excerpts below: “African governments, unlike their Western counterparts, aren’t relying on common
Businesses must adapt to survive COVID-19. With lockdowns being relaxed and reopening on the agenda, how can you restart and reimagine business after COVID-19? What key functions should you prioritize? How do you rebuild revenue and operations? What does “agile” really mean? Click here to access an excellent (and succinct) post from GZERO Media. Quick
PDF: TBG — COVID-19 Response Team — Overview of Solutions Although some countries (or states/provinces) are now moving to relax lockdown/quarantine measures, COVID-19 (novel Coronavirus) continues to pose serious challenges to health systems, governments and the general population. Given that we are dealing with a pandemic that is still relatively unknown, it is clear that much
In fighting COVID-19 (Coronavirus), the airlines’ new face mask requirement is a step in the right direction. But in order to fully “upgrade”, airlines will have to do a lot more to address hygiene and bacteria concerns. Planes can serve as bacterial/viral “super-carriers” and so airlines will become the key testing and proving ground for
Credit: Photo by Ramon Costa/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images We have been talking to the Infectious Disease Epidemiologists (“Disease Detectives”) on our COVID-19 Response Team about the important of Contact Tracing. So, what exactly is Contact Tracing and why is it so important? Per this article, it’s a tried and tested method of determining who has
Happy Earth Day! Just some useful numbers to keep in mind: 120% — Sustainable brands outperform the market by 120% (Interbrand — Best Global Brands) 12.2 Trillion — Sustainable business models could open economic opportunities worth up to US$12T and increase employment by up to 380 million jobs by 2030. Worth keeping in mind for
Are you able to effectively respond to and manage through the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic? We have mobilized our Crisis/Emergency Management Team to support governments, institutions and corporations with actionable solutions drawn from the frontlines. Get guidance from our leading Epidemiologists and Public Health, Crisis Management, Emergency Response, Humanitarian Response, Evaluation and Data Management experts.
In a matter of weeks, the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) has transformed Western democracies. States have shut down businesses and sealed people indoors. With the expected slowdown in the economy and dark clouds of a global recession, governments around the world are scrambling to find a financial cure that would stimulate the economy and midgate the
Although it seems from an entirely different era, it was only last month when we covered the gathering of the world’s leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos. Unlike in other years, this year’s conference was dedicated mostly to sustainable development and climate change. Indeed, When reading these lines, it is hard to believe
As the impact of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is felt here in New York City and across the globe, The Bassiouni Group (TBG) is taking all necessary measures to ensure that our workplace, people and clients are safeguarded and that we have the strictest protocols in place for business continuity. We have taken the following
The Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic requires strong and decisive leadership. Governments can learn from the UN’s humanitarian response experiences. In this article, Dr. Bassiouni shares his experiences as a former UN Humanitarian Coordinator, and how the lessons from Somalia, Ethiopia, Israel and other countries can inform the response today. Excerpt below: “The Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has
With the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic impacting and transforming lives all over the world, there has never been a more important time for corporations to demonstrate Social Responsibility and Corporate Citizenship through action. With your help (use the #CorporateHeroes hash-tag), we want to start tracking and listing all of the companies that are *proactively* taking measures
Unfortunately, global financial markets are finally catching up to the threat posed by the Coronavirus (COVID-19) as they now act as a litmus paper that shows the risk and uncertainty of rapidly approaching global recession. Interdependence between economies – resulted from interlinked supply chains and tourism – means that the outbreak cannot be considered an
Today marks International Women’s Day 2020. It’s worth noting the following facts about Women’s Leadership and and how “women as leaders and decision-makers at all levels are critical to advancing gender justice and gender equality—and to furthering economic, social, and political progress for all.” When women are meaningfully represented and engaged in leadership bodies—such as legislatures,
Over the weekend, Tesla CEO Elon Musk suggested on Twitter that Tesla’s solar roof technology would be made available worldwide during 2020. After a surge in the company’s electric tiles sales, Musk announced that “the world is ready for the next energy revolution”, referring to the electric vehicles revolution Tesla had initiated almost a decade
Today, on February 20, 2020, we’re excited to launch #TBG2020, a new series that will showcase some of the most dynamic innovators who are solving key challenges around the world – from Kansas to Kenya to Kazakhstan. Throughout 2020, the #TBG2020 series will take you into our world and you will meet the
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos announced on Monday via instagram that he will commit $10 billion to create the Bezos Earth Fund. This fund will support scientists, activists, and NGOs. Bezos stated that he will begin issuing grants this summer. Bezos said, “Climate change is the biggest threat to our planet. I want to work alongside
With increasing concern about the global climate crisis and unprecedented urbanization, this year’s World Urban Forum theme of “Cities of Opportunities: Connecting Culture and Innovation” was especially apt. Over 540 events occured, with 13,000 participants discussing the importance of using cities in order to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This year’s outcome, the
