When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, Armenia descended into poverty. Industries that were previously operated by the Soviet state, including agriculture, were discontinued, creating massive unemployment in this region of the Southern Caucasus. Today, nearly 50% of the population lives below the poverty line. Many of those affected by poverty either reside in rural […]
Foreign aid has long been a very small piece of the United States’ federal budget, coming in at less than 1%. But this does not reflect the important significance of that aid, diplomacy, and development strategies have in the world. The National Security Council is now joining the fight for increased foreign policy funding lead […]
The word “slum” usually evokes images of filth, crime, chaos, and deprivation. People typically perceive slums as places to avoid or escape from, places where nothing good ever happens. As many people who live and work in slums know, however, the stereotypes fail to tell the whole story. A publication by the United Nations Settlements […]
June 1st was World Organ Donor Day. Unfortunately, like many international holidays such as World Ocean Day, World Refugee Day, and World Blood Donor Day (all of which also take place in June) it was not widely celebrated. However, because as many as 15,000 kidneys are trafficked illegally each year according to traffickingproject.org, more people […]
This week, as some of the best and brightest students in the country graduated from Harvard, a select few received an additional bonus: $50,000 to use their degree to make the world a better place. The 19 graduates who received the bonus have been part of the Harvard Business Leadership Fellow Program, which sets students […]
The dedicated workers of Save the Children have been affecting positive, lasting change in children’s lives for the past 81 years with no signs of slowing down. They partner with local governments and organizations in vulnerable communities to offer children support and protection from neglect, exploitation, violence, poverty, malnutrition, inferior medical care and education, and […]
Early childhood development (ECD) is an aspect of life that kids in Africa can’t afford to take for granted. Only 43% of children under five in South Africa have access to these crucial programs either at home or in a specialized center. Exposing children to ECD programs is an important factor in their ability to grow into intelligent adults, and also […]
The Republic of Seychelles (pronounced say-shells) is a small island nation located in the Western Indian Ocean. The country consists of a whopping 115 tropical islands, although only 10 are inhabited. Most of the populated dwell on the largest island, Mahé, located 1,800 km east of the African coast. With a population of 86,000 and […]
In 1990, Thailand had a poverty rate of 27 percent. That means more than one of every four citizens suffered from hunger and oppression. Thailand is now one of 38 countries honored by the United Nations at a ceremony in Rome Wednesday. The celebration? All 38 of these countries have cut their nation’s hunger in half. […]
A year ago, Sudan and South Sudan were on the brink of war, but this month a deal between the two countries was finally implemented, allowing production in South Sudan’s main oil field to resume. This region, the Palouge oil field, accounts for 80% of the country’s oil production and has not been operational for […]
