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A Victorian stained glass window depiction of the "Good Samaritan" story from the Gospel of Luke. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/paullew/2566602101/">Photo: Lawrence OP (flickr)</a>

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Could a 'Good Samaritan' law bridge China's growing wealth gap?

This article was republished by The Christian Science Monitor.

A $5 donation with your morning cup of coffee could be the first step to job creation. Photo: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/robohit/2287457553/sizes/m/in/photostream/">rohobit (flickr)</a>

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Coffee and Job Creation, All in One Place

Would you like to create a job with that latte?

Much needed food aid being distributed in Sukkur, Pakistan. Photo: <a href= "http://www.flickr.com/photos/14214150@N02/4973650367/"> Rob Holden, UK Department for International Development (Flickr)</a>

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The politics of hunger: Good governance effective at fighting malnutrition

Malnutrition, which prevents children from reaching their physical and intellectual potential, is falling. The most significant cause? It's becoming a politically important issue in its own right.

Last year's devastating quake in Haiti created a pressing need for new, durable housing structures. Photo: Cassandra Nelson/Mercy Corps.

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How a home for Haitians was put to the (scientific) test

Part of a Global Envision miniseries about Portland State University's effort to become the "Consumer Reports" of developing-world technology.

An image of an endocervical gland taken during a pap smear. Simple vinegar turns out to be a lower-cost alternative to tests like this one. Photo:<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/78147607@N00/3614070242/">Ed Uthman(flicker)</a>

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A cheap alternative to the pap smear: vinegar

A common household item can serve a double purpose: it gives flavor in your kitchen, and it saves your life.

A low-cost innovation—vinegar— can help detect cervical cancer and save thousands of lives in developing nations.

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Arguing for Peace: Civil Society in Rural Liberia

Nothing builds prosperity better than peace.

A fruit vendor in the informal Cuban market. Once illegal, such activity is becoming accepted and taxed by the Cuban government. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/roubicek/2046658073/"> Mark Rowland (flickr)</a>

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Cuba's shrinking state makes way for eager entrepreneurs

As the Cuban economy is liberalized, budding entrepreneurs are competing with more than just each other. Their biggest competitor may be the Cuban government.

Wind catchers on a cistern near Yazd, Iran, that help to keep the water cool. Photo: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/birdfarm/548266027/">birdfarm (flickr)</a>

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Using Age-Old Designs to Solve Modern Problems

Part of a Global Envision miniseries about Portland State University's effort to become the "Consumer Reports" of developing-world technology.

Community members in Indonesia were asked to rank their own need, resulting in much higher satisfaction in aid programs. Photo: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cifor/5639866380/sizes/m/in/photostream/">CIFOR (flickr)</a>

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Hot new trick for identifying the poor: Letting neighbors rank each other

Sometimes social scientists measure wealth and poverty by earnings; other times by assets. But the truth is, most people use a much simpler approach. They compare themselves to their neighbors.

The Invisible Problem. Photo: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/carljones/2632941483/in/photostream">carl.jones (flickr)</a>

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The invisible problem in global development

The world is facing a "global human rights emergency in mental health," says the World Health Organization (WHO) via the Guardian. It's a quiet crisis keeping millions out of the global marketplace.

Mobile phones are increasingly important throughout the developing world. Photo: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ict4d/3067291623/in/pool-361010@N22/"> ICT4D.at (flickr)</a>

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Pulling the plug: mobile phone charging goes off the grid

Around the world, mobile phone technology is being touted as a life changing path from poverty to prosperity.

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Used Soda Bottles Light Up the World, For Free

According to Riane Eisler, the work of raising childern is devalued the world over. Photo: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mishimoto/4056188275/sizes/m/in/photostream/">Mishimoto (flickr)</a>

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Rethinking Economics with Riane Eisler

Unlearn economics. Forget GDPs and growth rates. Ignore financial institutions (and their crises). Rethink well-being and worth. What do you care about? What in your life holds the greatest value?

The rail systems in India carry coal, but are too small and slow to bring in the quantity needed to make the kind of difference that Adani can. Photo: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/malawirail/3114751093/sizes/m/in/photostream/">degahk (flickr)</a>

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The Indian State Falls Behind, and Indian Businesses Eagerly Take the Lead

When the government fails to provide, the savvy entrepreneur fills the gaps—but not without criticism.

Empty pharmacy shelves in the West African country of Guinea illustrate the problems of medication access in developing countries. Photo: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/julien_harneis/4811518231/"> Julien Harneis (flickr)</a>

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What African Clinics Can Learn from Coca-Cola

Even in the most remote parts of Kenya, there are little shops that sell sodas and mobile phone cards. But too often, the pharmacies of the nation's clinics and public hospitals are empty.