Jessica Abrahams

2 weeks ago | devex.com | Jessica Abrahams

Issues central to global development, including economic and climate justice, migration, and elevating those on the peripheries were core tenets of the late Pope Francis’ 12-year papacy. Pope Francis, who died on Monday aged 88, was renowned for his progressive approach to leading the Catholic Church, making development issues a core part of his agenda. The leader of about half the world’s Christians was outspoken on issues of climate justice, economic inequality, and migration.

1 month ago | prospectmagazine.co.uk | Jessica Abrahams

You’ve heard of body positivity and sex positivity. But what about death positivity? It’s a rising movement that started in the US and has been gaining traction, particularly in western countries, over the past decade. Behind the seemingly oxymoronic name, the movement seeks to dismantle the taboos around talking about death and allow people to explore different ways of thinking about the end of their lives. What it means to have a “good death” is deeply personal.

1 month ago | devex.com | Jessica Abrahams

With U.K. aid expecting another deep cut, we look at where the dwindling money is likely to go. U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer recently announced that the country would slash its aid budget to just 0.3% of gross national income by 2027 — the lowest level since 1999. That’s down from 0.5% at the moment, and from 0.7% just a few years ago. What might those cuts look like in practice? First, let’s look at the numbers.

2 months ago | devex.com | Jessica Abrahams

After the recent election in Germany, the next chancellor is expected to be center-right leader Friedrich Merz. What will his policy be on aid? After swingeing cuts to aid in the United States and some parts of Europe, the spotlight is now on Germany. Europe’s largest economy is currently the world’s second-biggest aid donor, but with cuts in the U.S., Germany might step up to take the lead.

2 months ago | jdsupra.com | Jessica Abrahams |Peter Baldwin |Craig Heeren

A dispute recently arose between Department of Justice officials about the propriety of opening a criminal investigation and taking steps like issuing a “freeze letter” related to government contractor activity in the environmental sector, leading to the resignation of a senior figure in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.