Debra Efroymson

Debra Efroymson is the executive director of the Institute of Wellbeing, Bangladesh, and author of "Beyond Apologies: Defining and Achieving an Economics of Wellbeing."

Helping street children requires a holistic, evidence-based approach

The focus of local governments should be ensuring that child protection protection services are prioritised.

1m ago

Democracy dies undefended

What can we learn from the American disaster? First, that democracy isn’t easy.

2m ago

World Cities Day 2024: Cities should be for people, not cars

It is time to greatly restrict the use of private motorised vehicles and make our cities more liveable.

2m ago

The wisdom of youth

If we have learnt nothing else in the last several months, it is not to underestimate the power of young people.

2m ago

Bigger isn't always better

The belief shared by corporate and government leaders that bigger is always better is founded on the false assumption

6m ago

Play should be a fundamental right for all children

Play is not a unique human construction: baby animals engage in play, using it to learn a variety of important skills

7m ago

The contradiction of comfort

How comfortable is it to not have clean air to breathe?

8m ago

Risky play and adventure playgrounds

Children flourish when given the opportunity to explore their environment and calculate risks.

9m ago
January 10, 2024
January 10, 2024

Can we have bicycle highways, too?

Let’s get over the prejudice that expressways are for cars.

November 14, 2023
November 14, 2023

A plea for common humanity

Attitudes that insist on finding differences rather than commonalities are troubling.

September 22, 2023
September 22, 2023

World Car-free Day: Decarbonise transport for climate justice

What happens to be a great solution for decarbonising transport is enabling and promoting walking, cycling, and pedal-powered rickshaws.

September 7, 2023
September 7, 2023

Our forgotten elderly

In many cities around the world, elderly people literally cannot cross the road because the timing on crossing signals is too brief. At least we don’t have that problem in Dhaka, if only due to the absence of functional traffic lights.

July 20, 2023
July 20, 2023

Is health an individual or collective responsibility?

The importance of government policy, not just individual motivation, for health becomes evident when we consider the behaviours needed for a person to stay healthy.

June 25, 2023
June 25, 2023

An ode to local economies

Let’s shape the future in partnership with, rather than in destruction of, our local economy and local communities.

June 21, 2023
June 21, 2023

Why Dhaka should invest more in bicycle lanes

Cycling infrastructure is far less expensive to build than roads, flyovers, elevated expressways, and parking garages for cars.

April 19, 2023
April 19, 2023

We, as humans, must stop adapting to the unbearable

We complain endlessly about problems, but are adamant in our belief that nothing better is possible.

April 9, 2023
April 9, 2023

If only breathing were optional

I would love to believe that I’m just having a severe reaction to dust, or that it’s all normal seasonal illness, but the evidence suggests otherwise.

March 2, 2023
March 2, 2023

A Licence to Kill

Why is it possible to manufacture and advertise a car that goes faster than the maximum allowable speed?