By Engage

Each week on Engage, we aim to share with you a selection of links to articles and stories about the Australian aid program and international development that we find interesting or noteworthy. Here’s a snapshot of online stories this week:

• The 24^th October marked World Polio Day. Michael Sheldrick, global policy manager with the Global Poverty Project, reflects on the world’s efforts to eradicate this easily preventable disease once and for all.
• The New Voices Conference
  has been an annual feature on the Lowy Institute’s calendar since 2004, but 22
  October was the first time it’s been held in another country. The conference
  was held in Port Moresby and featured prominent young Papua New Guineans and emerging leaders debating, discussing and exchanging ideas on the future of
  their country. The Lowy Institute’s blog, the Interpreter, summed up the successful event in PNG New Voices: Right place, right time.
• The Interpreter also brought us a piece on the progress so far in Myanmar since the country’s return to vigorous parliamentary government for the first time in 60 years in Myanmar’s reforms: The record so far.
• Owen Barder is the Europe Director at the Centre for Global Development. Earlier this month he visited Canberra, speaking at the Crawford School of Public Policy, ACFID Council 2012, AusAID and in Melbourne. Here you can watch Owen’s presentation on How to achieve policy impact from a development think tank.
• World Bank Blogs explored how we can improve access and get more value from drug expenditure in Africa in Living a long and healthy life – Africa and Kenya are only starting to catch up.