When it declared its independence in 2008, Kosovo became the second youngest country in the world. This nation of almost 1.9 million saw intense conflict in the decades leading up to its separation from Serbia and did not emerge unscathed. The state of Kosovo’s healthcare system bears the marks of war. From shortages of medical equipment to prohibitively expensive services, many aspects of Kosovo’s public health infrastructure need improvement. However, to best understand the unique challenges and opportunities facing healthcare in Kosovo, one must first have some understanding of its history.
A Little History
Until 1989, Kosovo was an autonomous region within Serbia, which was itself one of six republics comprising the former Yugoslavia. In March 1989, however, the Serbian government revoked Kosovo’s autonomous status. This action stirred significant social and political tension within the region; nearly a decade later, this tension would escalate to armed conflict.
Kosovo’s healthcare system was one of the first sites of friction between the Serbian government and Kosovo’s Albanian population. Starting in the early 1990s, more than 60% of Albanian health workers left their jobs for reasons including employers firing them outright or forcing them to bear discriminatory policies, like the health sector’s newly imposed Serbian language requirement. Meanwhile, the Serbian government also closed Kosovo’s only medical school. This closure interrupted the training of many medical students, leaving a generation of Albanian healthcare workers in the country with uneven medical credentials and large gaps in their education.
The spring of 1998 saw the outbreak of armed conflict between the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) and Serbian forces. By the war’s conclusion in June 1999, almost 90% of all clinics and hospitals had suffered damage. Meanwhile, the war destroyed nearly 100% of private clinics belonging to Albanian doctors. The post-conflict reconstruction efforts eventually led to the system that makes up healthcare in Kosovo today.
The Primary Care Model
International donors, who favored the implementation of a primary healthcare model, significantly influenced the recovery efforts following the war. In this model, there are three levels of care: primary, secondary and tertiary.
Primary care is to act as a gatekeeper to more specialized services, reducing reliance on secondary and tertiary institutions for routine healthcare. Researchers and Kosovar officials alike agree that it has largely been failing in this regard, primarily due to a failure to shift behavioral patterns and attitudes. Many patients prefer to seek out specialized care directly, and attempts to change this inclination are ongoing. In Kosovo, people can access primary care services at Family Medicine Centers (FMC), with one in each of the country’s 38 municipalities. Each FMC has, at minimum, two nurses and one doctor per 2,000 people in the area that the center serves.
Secondary care is accessible at any of seven regional hospitals; tertiary care is available only at the Kosovo University Hospital in the capital city of Pristina, Kosovo. While the Ministry of Health oversees secondary and tertiary services, primary care services are under municipal management.
Public Versus Private
Alongside public health institutions in Kosovo are numerous private clinics and hospitals, offering a range of services from general to specialized. Despite being more expensive than public healthcare, private health centers remain a popular choice for those seeking medical treatment in Kosovo. Those who can afford to do so cite better quality care and more streamlined services as their primary reasons for going to private over public hospitals and clinics.
In regard to healthcare employees, many workers choose to supplement their income from the public sector by also working in the private sector. This obvious, yet relatively common, conflict of interest can impact everything from the availability of certain types of medical equipment to the level of education provided to patients regarding their medical options. While there are some laws in place which seek to limit practices like referring patients from the public to private institutions, Kosovo’s healthcare system is in need of work to address corruption.
Health Insurance
According to the Act on Health, which Kosovo’s government passed into law in 2004, public health insurance is a human right. In 2014, the government passed the Law on Health Insurance in an effort to create a legal foundation from which a public health insurance program could emerge. As of 2019, however, the Health Insurance Fund detailed in this law had not become a reality, nor has it been thus far in 2020.
A lack of the necessary infrastructure is a barrier to the implementation of public health insurance, as well as a high unemployment rate. This is relevant as a premium from Kosovar incomes would fund the Health Insurance Fund almost entirely. In 2016, about 6% of Kosovars had purchased private health insurance. This leaves a significant majority of the country’s population without any health insurance to help alleviate the cost of services; with over 20% of Kosovo living in poverty, healthcare remains prohibitively expensive for many.
Outlook
Air pollution in Kosovo rivals places like Mumbai, India and Beijing, as well as the severe respiratory and cardiovascular effects that necessarily accompany such pollution. Additionally, persistently high rates of tuberculosis are current public health challenges in Kosovo. Limited monitoring and reporting on health-related statistics in the country make it difficult to ascertain recent progress in fighting these and other diseases. In 2019, the European Union invested €80 million in projects intended to improve the infrastructure contributing to Kosovo’s hazardous air quality.
At present, Kosovo is the third poorest country in Europe in terms of GDP per capita, despite its income per person more than tripling over the past 19 years. The country has one of the youngest populations in Europe with a median age of 28 and one of the highest rates of youth unemployment at 55.3%.
Life expectancy in 2018 was 72.2 years, almost three years higher than a decade earlier. From 2000 to 2016, Kosovo’s infant mortality rate decreased from 29 deaths per 1,000 births to 11. While this still is higher than the European average of 4.1 deaths per 1,000 births, Kosovo has made significant progress in lowering the mortality rate of its newborns and infants.
Although Kosovo clearly still has a great deal of work to do in terms of bettering both its healthcare system and the living standards of its citizens, this country has demonstrated its extraordinary capacity for improvement repeatedly throughout its history. Kosovo continues to face many challenges in its overall development, not the least of which is the COVID-19 pandemic. The country has already come so far, so improvements in healthcare in Kosovo seem possible in the decades to come.
– Gennaveve Brizendine
Photo: Flickr
Recognizing The Role of Hunger in Politics and War
The Borgen Project has published this article and podcast episode, “Recognizing the Role of Hunger in Politics and War,” with permission from The World Food Program (WFP) USA. “Hacking Hunger” is the organization’s podcast that features stories of people around the world who are struggling with hunger and thought-provoking conversations with humanitarians who are working to solve it.
Two years ago, the UN Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 2417. The resolution made clear that conflict-induced hunger is a peace and security issue.
But two years later, too little has changed. Around the world millions of people are still trapped in the man-made cycle of conflict, displacement, and hunger. Starvation has been defined as ‘the cheapest weapon of mass destruction available to armies’ — cheap and easy to kick off.
It’s important to reflect on the significance of the resolution and discuss the impact that novel coronavirus pandemic might have on peace and security globally. One place where the link between conflict and hunger is painfully obvious is South Sudan.
Since December 2013, a civil war has been tearing the country apart, causing widespread destruction, death and displacement. Around 1.47 million people are internally displaced and another 2.2 million are refugees in neighboring countries. A collapsing economy, reduced crop production and dependence on imports seriously undermine people’s ability to secure sufficient nutritious food all year round, putting millions of lives at risk.
Matthew Hollingworth is the United Nations World Food Programme’s country director in South Sudan. He has worked to relieve hunger in several countries at war. On this episode of Hacking Hunger, asked about his perspective on Resolution 2417, and what he has witnessed from the field.
Interested in learning more? Visit World Food Programme Insight, where Simona Beltrami asks three experts to discuss the significance of UN Security Council resolution 2417 and cast a look at hunger, peace and security in the post-COVID world.
Click the link below to listen to Matthew Hollingworth talk about Resolution 2417 and his experiences working to relieve hunger in war-torn areas.
World Food Program USA · Episode 48: The Role of Hunger in Politics and War with Matthew Hollingworth
Photo: Flickr
8 Facts About Healthcare in Suriname
The Republic of Suriname is an upper-middle-income country located on the northeastern coast of South America. Around 90% of the country’s population lives in urban or rural coastal areas. Healthcare in Suriname is accessible for both the public and private sectors. Here are eight facts about healthcare in Suriname.
8 Facts About Healthcare in Suriname
Persistent voids in access to healthcare in Suriname are related to drawbacks in funding. The healthcare system has seen an expansion in the past decade, but there are still plenty of health challenges to confront and improve.
– Anuja Kumari
Photo: Flickr
5 Examples of Police Brutality Internationally
5 Examples of Police Brutality Internationally
The examination of police brutality internationally by groups like the U.N., Human Rights Watch or Amnesty International is crucial in maintaining awareness of the pervasiveness of this problem. Perhaps the organizations which prosecute guilty police officers worldwide will emerge victorious in their efforts. Police need to meet the same standards as the populations they serve.
– Elise Ghitman
Photo: Flickr
An Overview of Healthcare in Kosovo
When it declared its independence in 2008, Kosovo became the second youngest country in the world. This nation of almost 1.9 million saw intense conflict in the decades leading up to its separation from Serbia and did not emerge unscathed. The state of Kosovo’s healthcare system bears the marks of war. From shortages of medical equipment to prohibitively expensive services, many aspects of Kosovo’s public health infrastructure need improvement. However, to best understand the unique challenges and opportunities facing healthcare in Kosovo, one must first have some understanding of its history.
A Little History
Until 1989, Kosovo was an autonomous region within Serbia, which was itself one of six republics comprising the former Yugoslavia. In March 1989, however, the Serbian government revoked Kosovo’s autonomous status. This action stirred significant social and political tension within the region; nearly a decade later, this tension would escalate to armed conflict.
Kosovo’s healthcare system was one of the first sites of friction between the Serbian government and Kosovo’s Albanian population. Starting in the early 1990s, more than 60% of Albanian health workers left their jobs for reasons including employers firing them outright or forcing them to bear discriminatory policies, like the health sector’s newly imposed Serbian language requirement. Meanwhile, the Serbian government also closed Kosovo’s only medical school. This closure interrupted the training of many medical students, leaving a generation of Albanian healthcare workers in the country with uneven medical credentials and large gaps in their education.
The spring of 1998 saw the outbreak of armed conflict between the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) and Serbian forces. By the war’s conclusion in June 1999, almost 90% of all clinics and hospitals had suffered damage. Meanwhile, the war destroyed nearly 100% of private clinics belonging to Albanian doctors. The post-conflict reconstruction efforts eventually led to the system that makes up healthcare in Kosovo today.
The Primary Care Model
International donors, who favored the implementation of a primary healthcare model, significantly influenced the recovery efforts following the war. In this model, there are three levels of care: primary, secondary and tertiary.
Primary care is to act as a gatekeeper to more specialized services, reducing reliance on secondary and tertiary institutions for routine healthcare. Researchers and Kosovar officials alike agree that it has largely been failing in this regard, primarily due to a failure to shift behavioral patterns and attitudes. Many patients prefer to seek out specialized care directly, and attempts to change this inclination are ongoing. In Kosovo, people can access primary care services at Family Medicine Centers (FMC), with one in each of the country’s 38 municipalities. Each FMC has, at minimum, two nurses and one doctor per 2,000 people in the area that the center serves.
Secondary care is accessible at any of seven regional hospitals; tertiary care is available only at the Kosovo University Hospital in the capital city of Pristina, Kosovo. While the Ministry of Health oversees secondary and tertiary services, primary care services are under municipal management.
Public Versus Private
Alongside public health institutions in Kosovo are numerous private clinics and hospitals, offering a range of services from general to specialized. Despite being more expensive than public healthcare, private health centers remain a popular choice for those seeking medical treatment in Kosovo. Those who can afford to do so cite better quality care and more streamlined services as their primary reasons for going to private over public hospitals and clinics.
In regard to healthcare employees, many workers choose to supplement their income from the public sector by also working in the private sector. This obvious, yet relatively common, conflict of interest can impact everything from the availability of certain types of medical equipment to the level of education provided to patients regarding their medical options. While there are some laws in place which seek to limit practices like referring patients from the public to private institutions, Kosovo’s healthcare system is in need of work to address corruption.
Health Insurance
According to the Act on Health, which Kosovo’s government passed into law in 2004, public health insurance is a human right. In 2014, the government passed the Law on Health Insurance in an effort to create a legal foundation from which a public health insurance program could emerge. As of 2019, however, the Health Insurance Fund detailed in this law had not become a reality, nor has it been thus far in 2020.
A lack of the necessary infrastructure is a barrier to the implementation of public health insurance, as well as a high unemployment rate. This is relevant as a premium from Kosovar incomes would fund the Health Insurance Fund almost entirely. In 2016, about 6% of Kosovars had purchased private health insurance. This leaves a significant majority of the country’s population without any health insurance to help alleviate the cost of services; with over 20% of Kosovo living in poverty, healthcare remains prohibitively expensive for many.
Outlook
Air pollution in Kosovo rivals places like Mumbai, India and Beijing, as well as the severe respiratory and cardiovascular effects that necessarily accompany such pollution. Additionally, persistently high rates of tuberculosis are current public health challenges in Kosovo. Limited monitoring and reporting on health-related statistics in the country make it difficult to ascertain recent progress in fighting these and other diseases. In 2019, the European Union invested €80 million in projects intended to improve the infrastructure contributing to Kosovo’s hazardous air quality.
At present, Kosovo is the third poorest country in Europe in terms of GDP per capita, despite its income per person more than tripling over the past 19 years. The country has one of the youngest populations in Europe with a median age of 28 and one of the highest rates of youth unemployment at 55.3%.
Life expectancy in 2018 was 72.2 years, almost three years higher than a decade earlier. From 2000 to 2016, Kosovo’s infant mortality rate decreased from 29 deaths per 1,000 births to 11. While this still is higher than the European average of 4.1 deaths per 1,000 births, Kosovo has made significant progress in lowering the mortality rate of its newborns and infants.
Although Kosovo clearly still has a great deal of work to do in terms of bettering both its healthcare system and the living standards of its citizens, this country has demonstrated its extraordinary capacity for improvement repeatedly throughout its history. Kosovo continues to face many challenges in its overall development, not the least of which is the COVID-19 pandemic. The country has already come so far, so improvements in healthcare in Kosovo seem possible in the decades to come.
– Gennaveve Brizendine
Photo: Flickr
Germany’s Dual System Integrates Syrian Refugees
Germany has gained worldwide acclaim for its joint education and vocational training programs. There are tens of thousands of asylum-seekers participating throughout the country, which signals concerted government effort to create a path to employment.
What is Germany’s Dual System?
Germany’s vocational education and training (VET) programs combine practical and theoretical training with real-life work experience. Those enrolled typically spend part of the week in vocational schools and the rest work directly at specific German companies. After two to three years, certification and sufficient language preparedness all but guarantees job placement, which is critical in the refugee integration effort.
After the influx of refugees in 2015, Germany’s dual system has become an essential part of the country’s integration strategy. The number of refugees entering tradecraft apprenticeships, both through vocational school and otherwise, increased 140% during 2018. Given the success of these vocational schools, many other European countries such as Austria, Switzerland, Luxembourg and Denmark have adopted similar frameworks.
Syrian Asylum-Seekers in Germany
Syrian refugees and asylum seekers in particular benefit from Germany’s undertakings. Of the more than 1.4 million asylum applicants, the majority come from Syria.
Enrollment in a government-sponsored language program is necessary for participation in the dual system. While this may seem like a barrier to integration at first glance, asylum-seeker status guarantees the right to attend subsidized language courses.
These social measures are helping to lower barriers to employment for Syrian refugees. Germany’s dual system has positive social and economic outcomes in its own right, but it’s just one part of an ongoing, historic effort by many actors throughout the country. Participation in language courses and vocational training doesn’t guarantee quick integration into society for all, but it is a step in the right direction.
A Positive Impact
Thanks in part to this system, half of all refugees living in Germany will find steady employment within five years of arrival. The influx of asylum seekers, which initially caused much concern, has had an overwhelmingly positive impact on the German economy. More importantly, the opportunity to study German and find employment has improved the lives of Syrian asylum seekers.
As the most important aspect of integration, employment reduces feelings of alienation and creates a brighter path for Syrian families. By giving refugees the chance to immerse themselves in the language and culture as well as enter the workforce, Germany makes escaping poverty a reality for many.
– Rachel Moloney
Photo: PxHere
U.N. Supports Aid for Women and Girls
A recent hearing at the United Nations Human Rights Council illuminated the impact of COVID-19 and general global health emergencies on women and girls in impoverished communities, calling for increased aid for women and girls by the U.N.
How COVID-19 Impacts Women and Girls
The U.N. Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, Nada Al-Nashif, made a statement to the U.N. Council for Human Rights on the consequences of the global COVID-19 pandemic for women and girls stating, “experience demonstrates that insecurity and displacement fuel increases in sexual and gender-based violence, as well as other crimes and human rights violations.”
Testimonies like those shared by the U.N. News Podcast The Lid is On elaborate on the implications of COVID-19. One episode features a Ugandan activist named Zahara who reports that, in addition to increased rates of violence, rural women are currently suffering limited access to education, medical care and community support due to the pandemic.
The Deputy High Commissioner stresses that the situation for many women in poor communities is already critical. She notes that high rates of teen pregnancy, inadequate access to education and high rates of sexual violence in countries like Myanmar and South Sudan have only been exacerbated by the global COVID-19 outbreak. As a result, Al-Nashif called for greater legislation to provide judicial protection and increased aid for women and girls in vulnerable circumstances now and in the future.
Supporting Women through US Legislation
Like Al-Nashif, many members of Congress are pushing for increased aid for women and girls abroad. In addition to legislation providing international COVID-19 relief, bills are aiming to create long-term solutions to the challenges faced by women and girls. For instance, the Keeping Girls in School Act — recently passed in the House of Representatives and introduced in the Senate — would permit USAID to allocate funds specifically to confront “societal, cultural, health, and other barriers” that prevent girls from receiving a quality secondary education in foreign countries.
Similarly, the Girls’ Leadership, Engagement, Agency, and Development Act (Girls’ LEAD Act) — introduced in the Senate in October 2019 —seeks to create opportunities to gain experience in leadership and government through USAID. By expanding programs and aid for girls abroad, supporters of the bill hope to cultivate communities where women in leadership lift women and girls from positions of vulnerability to voices for societal change.
Looking Ahead
The U.N. has made it clear that women and girls in impoverished communities around the world suffer disproportionately during emergencies like the current COVID-19 outbreak. As such, international organizations firmly believe that increased foreign aid is critical. Legislation like the Keeping Girls in School Act and the Girls’ LEAD Act would support long-term assistance to prevent women and girls abroad from these vulnerabilities not just in times of crisis, but in everyday life.
– Courtney Bergsieker
Photo: Flickr
Rainwater Harvesting Brings Clean Water to Nepal
Infrastructure in Nepal
Nepal’s water infrastructure is underdeveloped. Citizens of Nepal struggle daily to find access to clean, usable water sources. Water containing arsenic and pollution from nearby cities plagues government buildings, schools and rural villages. Arsenic, while visibly undetectable, is a deadly chemical. Nepal’s Department of Water Supply and Sanitation had estimated that 85 percent of the population does not have access to safe water.
Water in Nepal
That is until Zachary Wong, a teenager from California, stepped in and founded Water in Nepal, or WIN. Wong raised about $27,000 to help fund more than twenty water-related projects from cities to villages around Nepal. WIN invests in water filtration systems and rainwater harvesting projects in Nepal. To do this, they “fund locally-appropriate solutions…focus[ed] on buying materials from local markets and [hired] local workers” to complete the project. Wong and his team have helped 11 schools, four rural villages, and five nonprofit groups. So far, he has brought safe drinking water to more than 8,000 people, with plans to help many more.
One of the more recent projects took place at Gita Maata Secondary School in Kathmandu, Nepal. Wong is currently implementing a rainwater harvesting system to ensure that all 2,500 students, staff, and faculty have enough water. Before WIN’s involvement, the school had one water-well that could not satisfy the school’s needs. Forced to pay for water tanks, the school lost money that could be used to improve facilities and education programs. Thanks to WIN, the school has 380 feet of rain gutters and high-quality pipes that lead to a storage tank for excess rainwater.
Between 1990 and 2012, the number of those living without clean water has decreased by half “with 2.3 billion people gaining access to improved drinking water.” Thanks to people like Zachary Wong and so many other researchers and innovators, the awareness of the link between access to water and poverty is coming to light. Companies like WIN are devoting time and resources to help communities across the globe fight poverty through water projects. Rainwater harvesting is an excellent way to do just that.
– Hannah Kaufman
Photo: Flickr
4 Nonprofits Encouraging Education in the Philippines
These numbers show that there is still room for improvement. Educational access is vital for every child, and providing that for Filipino youth is a mission that many nonprofit organizations have taken up. Here are four organizations that are working to equalize and encourage education in the Philippines.
Education Foundation of the Philippines
Education Foundation of the Philippines has sponsored many elementary schools throughout the Philippines through its projects and has provided various resources to hundreds of students and teachers in the area. It has worked with Calapacuan Elementary, Batiawan Integrated School and Salvasion Elementary, and has also partnered with other organizations in the country to provide for the students. The resources it has provided are science materials that are used by all grades, math and reading materials and general school supplies.
The organizations it has worked with are God’s Little Lambs, Child Evangelism Fellowship and Quezon Hill Community Church. These partnerships work to provide their respective communities with adequate resources to help students succeed in their educational paths. They also advocate and raise awareness for the needs of school children in the Philippines. Together, they help to provide better education in the Philippines.
Teach for the Philippines
Teach for the Philippines believes in providing access to adequate education for Filipino children through enlisting young leaders as teachers in public schools. The country has a shortage of teachers, with 40,000 teachers needed in the Philippines. They focus on improving the quality of teachers and addressing systematic educational challenges. Teach for the Philippines uses a three core program to create teachers who improve student learning and spark the reform needed to transform public schools.
Teach for the Philippines has engaged over 300 leaders working toward expanding educational access and fostering change for education in the Philippines. Through its fellowship program, in place since 2013, over 10,000 public school students are reached annually. Its work has enabled children across the country to have better educational outcomes and access to previously inaccessible opportunities.
Room to Read
Room to Read reaches students all across Asia and Africa, with over 18 million children helped in 16 countries. It is an organization that focuses on children’s literacy and girls’ education. With the goal of encouraging learning and ending illiteracy, one way they have reached students is by distributing books. The group has recently published books in its 36th language, Filipino.
Room to Read provides books in Filipino to encourage Filipino children to develop reading skills and have confidence. The organization unveiled 20 new books at an event with the Department for Education, publishers, authors and more. These books share themes of personal challenge, inclusion and gender inequality. Room to Read has impacted children across the country and helps to reduce illiteracy through accessible books, helping education in the Philippines to flourish.
Save the Children
Save the Children has been working in the Philippines for over 30 years better children’s lives through access to equality education. They work with the government to develop policies and plans to ensure access and protection of children’s rights.
Sace the Children creates mother tongue books that have developmentally appropriate and culturally sensitive content. It established a Book Development Review Committee (BDRC), which ensures the process of choosing topics and languages includes tribal chieftains, community leaders. It also advocates and spreads awareness for educational issues, reaching over 145,000 people on its platforms. This organization also helps with other areas such as health and sanitation and natural disaster aid. Their programs have helped access to education in the Philippines.
In Conclusion
These four organizations show various ways people are working towards education equality in the Philippines. While the work they are doing is admirable, education equality for Filipino youth is an area that requires more aid and effort. Education in the Philippines will grow more robust and accessible as more organizations are created and equalize the playing field for elementary and high schools students throughout the country.
– Kiana Powers
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
From Singing to Social Activism: Musicians Making a Difference
Music continues to unite people all around the world despite social distance. With cities urging self-isolation, celebrities are stepping up through charity donations and virtual concert performances. Here are several ways social activism by musicians is making a difference.
Online Concert Streaming
Musician friends Lucius and Courtney Barnett, joined together to raise money for Oxfam’s COVID-19 Relief Fund. Their 4-hour live performance streamed via Instagram was packed with new song debuts and famous cover remixes. Accompanied by individual performances from singers like Sheryl Crow and Lukas Nelson, the event raised more than $38,000.
Through his “Living Room Concert for America,” Elton John joined with musicians such as Alicia Keys and Lady Gaga to raise more than $10 million for Feeding America and the First Responders Children’s Foundation. The Lumineers also raised over $600,000 for MusiCares and the Colorado Restaurant Association through their live stream concert on May 8th.
Relief Efforts to Fight COVID-19
Through the Clara Lionel Foundation, Rihanna has given $5 million in grants to organizations such as Direct Relief, the International Rescue Committee and the World Health Organization to help underprivileged communities fight COVID-19. Musician Dierks Bentley has also demonstrated interest in alleviating pain from the vulnerable communities. In 2019, Dierks Bentley performed at a benefit for the Troy Gentry Foundation, which works with families in need. Bentley has also worked with WE Day, Stand Up to Cancer, Amnesty International and the Children’s Miracle Network to raise awareness and provide financial support.
Donations Given to MusiCares
On June 29th, The Weeknd announced a $1,000,000 donation to support relief efforts. The donation will be split in half with $500,000 for MusiCares and the other half for the Scarborough Health Network, which aids front-line healthcare workers.
Dolly Parton, widely recognized for her philanthropic efforts, was named the MusiCares Person of the Year. She founded the Imagination Library in 1995, which gives kids one book per month until they reach kindergarten. To date, more than 100 million books have been provided through her literacy program. In 2016, she put together the Smoky Mountains Rise telethon, which raised more than $13 million to be given to victims of the wildfires in Gatlinburg. Parton continued her strides in 2020, when she gave $1 million to fund research by Vanderbilt University Medical Center on a cure for COVID-19.
Taylor Swift is also known to lend a hand when she can, and in the face of the Coronavirus, she did just that. Swift supported her favorite record shop in Nashville by making a disclosed donation and giving three months of paid health insurance to the staffers. She has also donated to her fans in need and to Feeding America.
Looking Forward
While much still needs to be done in regards to addressing the COVID-19 pandemic, social activism by musicians like these is bringing about change by providing relief to organizations and underserved communities. Through music, these musicians are making change by giving hope and comfort to the world in light of the pandemic.
– Erica Fealtman
Photo: Flickr
3 Ways Comedy Can Impact Global Poverty
Is it okay to laugh about global poverty? The Laughter Effect, a study into the impacts of comedy on serious issues such as global poverty, shows how comedy can help by raising awareness. Other ways comedy has been shown to impact global poverty are by providing opportunities for expression and raising money. Here are three ways that comedy can impact poverty.
Raise Awareness
Caty Borum Chattoo, an assistant professor of communications at American University, conducted the study “The Laughter Effect” and found that comedy can impact poverty. Her study shows how satire can draw attention to serious social issues because it captures the audience’s attention and improves the ability to remember information.
“The Laughter Effect” came about because of Chattoo’s work producing a serious TV show about ending world poverty. She and the producers wondered if the show might communicate its content better in a less serious form. This prompted the creation of “Stand Up Planet” in 2014. It is a documentary about global poverty through the lens of comedian Hasan Minhaj as he searches for up-and-coming comedians from the developing world.
In addition, “The Laughter Effect” examined how comedy can raise awareness in other settings. It looked at comedy’s ability to make people care about the issue being satirized. “Stand Up Planet” focused on the issue of global poverty, drawing attention to it and changing the conversation around it. When talking about “Stand Up Planet,” Chattoo said that, while people watching the documentary reported more learning, they reported more feeling while watching the satirical comedy.
Furthermore, the book “A Comedian and an Activist Walk into a Bar: The Serious Role of Comedy in Social Justice” studied the effect “Stand Up Planet” has on issue awareness compared to “The End,” a more serious documentary about global poverty. Its results showed that both documentaries increased support from U.S. citizens for overseas aid to poor countries. However, the study also found that more people who watched “Stand Up Planet” stated that they would take action against global poverty, such as signing petitions, compared to those who watched “The End.”
Provide Opportunities for Expression
Comedy can also impact poverty by providing an outlet for people to express themselves. One of the creators of “Stand Up Planet,” Xandra Carlson, “found humor was the outlet and relief from daily struggles everywhere, a universal language that may translate around the world.”
In 2015, about 56% of South Africa’s population was living in poverty. Goliath and Goliath, a comedy and entertainment agency based in South Africa, uses its brand to build the local comedy industry and provide comedians a place to share their experiences.
The company planned a Comedy Con for April 2020 in order to “propel the comedy landscape in South Africa.” Although the event was postponed due to COVID-19, Goliath and Goliath has been hosting a comedy club online in order to continue providing exposure for up-and-coming comedians in South Africa. Since its start in 2012, the agency has added to its group of entertainers, bringing in a “violinist duo,” a comedy magician and increasing its group of MCs by 10 comedians.
In 2019, Comedy Central Africa ran a special called “Comedians Solve World Problems.” In one episode, the channel featured Jason Goliath, founder of Goliath and Goliath, and Gilli Apter talking about the rich-poor divide. The two comedians discussed how to solve wealth disparities in a comedic way. While the video is largely satirical, it also provided a platform for these comedians to make jokes about their experiences. At one point, Goliath said to Apter, “I think I underestimated how much poorer than you I actually am. I can’t even imagine a scenario where I have 10 billion dollars and then someone says, ‘Don’t you want another 10 billion dollars?'”
Raise Money
Finally, comedy can impact poverty through fundraising. For example, the Red Nose Day Campaign works to fight child poverty using comedy. According to the campaign, “Through the power of entertainment, we bring people together to laugh and have fun, all while raising life-changing cash for the children that need it the most.” This year, Red Nose Day was held on May 21 even amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Since its start in 2015, the campaign has raised over $230 million to fight child poverty and has helped 25 million children globally.
Stand-up comedian Trevor Noah also uses comedy to fight poverty. His charity, the Trevor Noah Foundation, is dedicated to improving education for children in South Africa. A 2015 World Bank report found that those with post-secondary education were 48% more likely to participate in the South African labor market than those with no education. To address issues like this, Noah’s foundation has used the financial donations it receives to make a clear impact on the country’s education system.
Specifically, the organization does so through its work with the Khulani School program. The program works to help students develop learning skills, train and provide support for teachers and create viable learning infrastructures after secondary school. Since the start of the program, financial aid was approved for 23.2% of students in the program, and higher education institutions accepted about 30.3% of students in the program.
Additionally, Noah launched a crowdfunding campaign through his foundation in 2018. Its goal was to raise money for education in South Africa through the platform backabuddy. So far, it has raised 130,495.17 rand. Noah has pledged to match every donation up to two million rand.
As the examples above illustrate, comedy can impact global poverty through awareness, providing opportunities for expression and raising money. These people, programs and platforms are only a handful of those using comedy to downsize poverty on a daily basis. For these comedy creators, laughing at global poverty has been shown to have a positive effect.
– Melody Kazel
Photo: Flickr