"Reverse Graffiti" Artist Paul Curtis Shows Us How Dirty We Really Are

Jeff Chu — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 14:00:00 -0400

If there is a lesson in the work of the British artist Paul Curtis (aka "Moose"), it would be that the world is a mess. Curtis's signature technique is cleaning. He strips away years of accumulated soot, dust, dirt, and atmospheric detritus to make pieces like these, which were part of a celebration of street art. He also creates promotions for not-for-profits like Greenpeace and commissions for brands such as Xbox and Clorox's GreenWorks.

Pimping His Ride--and the Push to Cure a Fatal Disease

Jeff Chu — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 12:55:39 -0400

DoSomething, headed by Fast Company columnist Nancy Lublin, has recognized four young social entrepreneurs with $10,000 grants--and one with a prize of $100,000. Fast Company will profile one of these enterprising youth each day this week.

The Rwandan Genocide: Fifteen Years Later

Jeff Chu — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 16:35:09 -0400

Photo Gallery: The Rwandan Genocide: 15 Years Later

The Rwandan Genocide: 15 Years Later

Jeff Chu — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 16:30:04 -0400

There is a Rwandan proverb that says, roughly translated, you can't know where you're going unless you understand where you have come from. Today, Rwanda is one of Africa's bright spots--a developing country with great ambitions to lift its people out of poverty and a bold strategy to make that happen. Its rise is all the more remarkable if you recall that, just 15 years ago, the nation was ripped apart by the most stunning genocide of our time. About 1 million people, a full eighth of the population, were killed in three bloody months.

Comment on Node ant

Jeff Chu — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 13:05:57 -0400

Thanks, all, for your comments. One of the things that I loved about working on this story is the counterintuitiveness of it: This isn't what people expect to read about Africa. Let me add, though, that the risk is enormous. As anyone in business knows, there are never guarantees of success. Let's just hope this works.

Comment on Node ant

Jeff Chu — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 13:01:13 -0400

Woody, thanks for your comment. It definitely wasn't lost on me that the President declined to answer my question on Congo. Re: your point about Sarkozy's plan for an integrated Great Lakes economy, that may have merit, but even better would be for Rwanda and its neighbors to devise a way forward without too much interference and pressure from Europe and the U.S. The buy-in has to come from within.

Rwanda's President: "We will not forget the genocide, but we will not be defined by it either"

Jeff Chu — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 19:57:46 -0400

Comment on Node ant

Jeff Chu — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 16:04:59 -0400

Thanks, Nadine and Rodney, for your comments. Rodney, I will respectfully disagree, based on the academic literature about ethical consumption and fair trade, with your contention that a fair-trade shopper is just as likely to be 60 years old as 30. From a 2005 Journal of Consumer Affairs review: "People in the 31-44 year age group were dominant in the fair-trade lovers cluster. This was in line with the profile that fair-trade organizations see as their target group. It confirmed the findings of Littrell and Dickson (1999) and (to a certain extent) Roberts (1995). ...

The Biggest-and Newest-Name in Sports Stadiums: Populous

Jeff Chu — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 10:52:29 -0400

Bono, Beware: Dambisa Moyo on Aid, Microfinance, and the Problem of Celebs in Africa

Jeff Chu — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 09:40:58 -0400

If there is such a thing as a sensation in African development, it would be Dambisa Moyo. The author of the new book Dead Aid, she has taken on many of the conventions of the relationship between the West and Africa--aid, celebrity spokespeople, the "China does bad" storyline that has been covered in this magazine.