The difference I have with foreign aid is the very limited role it plays in the long term commitment to helping society become self-sufficient and independent. At best, foreign aid has created dependency, produced corruption, intensified war and made unhealthy heroes of celebrities. Trade is the better option for Ethiopia.

We rolled on through Port-au-Prince, encountering pockets of garbage and smoke and poverty so extreme it seemed to punch you right in the face. Our SUV's tinted windows were rolled up tight, since my children might "look like money" to those in the encampments, our driver advised. At that moment, tweets about the Met Gala were rolling in.

The rules were simple: consume only $1.75 worth of food and drink each day, and do it for five days. We pooled our money together and bought groceries as a team, but each of us went into the Live Below The Line Challenge with different strategies, expectations and motivations. What began as a 'fun' food challenge for three Huffington Post Canada editors turned into a eye-opening experience we won't forget.

2015 promises to be a transformative year on the international development front and is therefore an appropriate time to reflect on a noteworthy milestone. The United Nations enters its 70th year -- and like some 70-year-olds, the beleaguered UN has found new vigour and relevance in people's lives, with Canada playing a role in some noteworthy accomplishments.