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."

Public health must prioritise disease prevention

There is a common confusion around the subject of health.

5d ago

Helping street children requires a holistic, evidence-based approach

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

2m 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.

3m 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.

3m 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

7m 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?

9m ago
June 2, 2022
June 2, 2022

Gun violence in the US: Bullets, politicians and corporate lobbyists

Even the children who have never had a shooting at their own school are not free from the damage.

April 10, 2022
April 10, 2022

Girl, boy, person—let everyone blossom

Funny how this question often preempts concern about the health of mother and baby. Why are we so obsessed with a baby’s gender?

March 29, 2022
March 29, 2022

Learning to Love Dhaka

The other day, a Dutch friend of mine and I were having lunch when I mentioned how chaotic I’d heard the Dhaka airport was now.

March 13, 2022
March 13, 2022

Is democracy worth fighting for?

The eyes of the world are on Ukraine as its citizens fight to uphold their democracy in the face of Russian aggression. But how many people are aware that American democracy is similarly under grave threat?

February 27, 2022
February 27, 2022

Pandemics, pain and prosperity

After two years, it is no wonder that people are fed up with the changes the Covid-19 pandemic has inflicted on us.

February 18, 2022
February 18, 2022

If I am not for sale, what am I?

Recently, I was chatting with a young friend. She mentioned that, with all the Covid lockdowns (she is in a country much harder hit than Bangladesh), she has learnt to do business online, selling herself as a yoga and meditation instructor.

January 27, 2022
January 27, 2022

We need logical thinkers now more than ever

For many people, education means sitting in a class and mindlessly repeating what the teacher tells you. But is that really what education is about?

January 21, 2022
January 21, 2022

We need affordable transport, not affordable fuel

With the price of basic necessities going up yet again, it is no surprise that people are campaigning for a reduction in fuel price. Fuel is, after all, related to the price of transport, food, and other necessities—which is, in fact, precisely the problem.

January 12, 2022
January 12, 2022

Who still cares about GDP?

Many years ago, a colleague at the United Nations invited me to watch a video of Marilyn Waring, an MP and economist from New Zealand, talking about economics.

January 1, 2022
January 1, 2022

Mobile Playground, Happy Children

Have you ever watched kittens, puppies, or other baby animals play? Running, chasing, jumping, nipping.