Some spouses gambled away their equity and life savings in the stock or real estate markets without the knowledge or approval of their life partner.
The aim is to increase government aid for projects to fight malaria, tuberculosis and AIDS, according to both men, who are working with a newly formed group — Leading Innovative Financing for Equity, or LIFE — made up of eight different groups that are raising money to finance health aid.
"I talked to small-business owners who have put their sweat equity and life savings into keeping these stores afloat during this recession," Stringer says.
But the argument for investment in equities by life insurers (whose liabilities are long-term) is stronger than it is for investment by property-and-casualty (P&C) insurers, whose liabilities are largely short-term.
The new city prosperity index will attempt to track progress across five key issues: productivity, infrastructure, quality of life, equity, and environmental sustainability.
As a country we have consistently relied on indicators that keep us focused on the interests of business, financial institutions or the defense industry whereas equity, quality of life and even social mobility metrics are played down.
"In the beginning of a company's life, equity becomes the only currency you have to buy top-flight services," said Fred Marcusa, a senior partner at Kaye, Scholer, Fierman, Hays & Handler in Manhattan.
He said that, overall, the region was ready for a transition to quality of life, equity and sustainability.
Disputes about genetically engineered crops are linked to wider debates about the globalization of agro-food systems and its consequences for food security, social equity, and rural life.
The adoption of a more progressive and balanced agenda of 'people-centred' urban prosperity in the UN-Habitat's newly developed CPI has already led to a more holistic approach to integrating productivity, infrastructure, quality of life, equity and social inclusion, and environmental sustainability into a coherent framework.
