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By Gara LaMarche.Note: This article is adapted from a speech by Gara LaMarche called “The Moral Life of Philanthropy,” given at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in September 2010. You can read the full speech hereIn 1965, Bill Moyers, then a young White House aide,…

By Gara LaMarcheIt is too early to know whether the current wave of school reforms will lead to lasting improvements in student achievement. But it is not too early to note that many of these reforms have a troubling consequence: a doubling-down on harsh, ineffective zero-tolerance…

THIS is a season of fiscal austerity for governments, and state and local officials across the country are threatening to cut programs that aim to help the less fortunate. With tax revenue down and budgets constrained, they say they have little choice. By Paul Sullivan.  Now,…

On 26 February 2011 at Howard University in Washington DC, over 350 youth from across the country convened at the “Voices in Action: National Youth Summit” to help the United States’ Department of Education shape its strategies to achieve President Obama’s goal of having the…

Gara LaMarche, President and CEO of The Atlantic Philanthropies, accepted  the John Dewey Award for Distinguished Public Service at the commencement ceremony at Bard College, Eastern Correctional Facility. He spoke to graduates about the linked issues of democracy and confinement. No public honour has meant…

The Brotherhood/Sisterhood of Bermuda is more than an organisation – it is a way of life. The programme is an emerging, grassroots initiative that provides youth with the opportunity to explore their ideas, identity and future among peers, with the support and guidance from elders.…

Together 4 All (T4A) is a community-based organisation which aims to improve support for children, young people and their families in the Lurgan area of Northern Ireland. Research has found this area to be a microcosm of Northern Ireland, in terms of need, demographic and…

Some 2.1 million people work on farms in South Africa, representing about 15% of the workforce. Together with their 8 million dependants, these individuals are a particularly exploited and marginal group. Workers on farms earn the lowest wages in the economy; work the longest hours…

The Dublin suburb of Tallaght West is on the Irish Government’s short list of socially and economically disadvantaged areas. Not surprisingly, services for children in this neighbourhood are limited and fragmented. Local preschools can accommodate only 300 of the 1,500 applicants. Policy and practice in…

The research underlying the 1997 report by the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child identified many issues related to the youth of Northern Ireland. A key finding was low awareness among children, families and caregivers of children’s legal rights and available services.…