The guest speaker at the October 14, 2009 meeting was Theodore Murphy, the Program Research Specialist for the Regional Bureau for Arab States of the UNDP. Mr. Murphy received his Masters Degree from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies in 2003, and a BA from the University of the Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1999. He is an International development professional with extensive experience in communications, policy analysis, and research, especially in human development issuses.As stated on RBAs website: Regional Bureau for Arab States (RBAS) launched the Programme on Governance in the Arab Region (POGAR) in early 2000. Recognizing the strong link between good governance and sustainable human development, POGAR aims to assist government actors, civil society, and the private sector to improve governance processes in the Arab states, always with a view to achieving sustainability. POGAR assists in a governance-augmentation process that is owned and managed by the countries themselves by offering an array of options, rather than blanket prescriptions, and working in partnership with actors in the region to identify needs and solutions.
POGAR's program activities relate to Rule of Law, Participation, and Transparency and Accountability. These activities include providing policy advice, engaging in institutional capacity building, and testing policy options through pilot projects. Since its inception, POGAR has launched projects to promote dialog about judicial reform; build the capacities of parliaments, and educate governance actors about methods for combating corruption.
POGAR's program activities relate to Rule of Law, Participation, and Transparency and Accountability. These activities include providing policy advice, engaging in institutional capacity building, and testing policy options through pilot projects. Since its inception, POGAR has launched projects to promote dialog about judicial reform; build the capacities of parliaments, and educate governance actors about methods for combating corruption.
Incoming President of the Rotary Club of New York, David Del Monte, welcomed visiting Rotarians from the Rotary Club of Moscow, Elena Grigoreva, an attorney with the Legal Business Consulting Company of Moscow (left), and the newest member of the Rotary Club of Wall Street, Joanne Lam, a financial planning executive with Smith Barney (right) at the October 14, 2009 breakfast meeting.
