The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, or soon possibly known as Upper Macedonia, but most commonly referred to as just Macedonia, gained its independence from Yugoslavia peacefully in 1991.
Since independence, Macedonia has been trying to make a huge leap in development and join the European Union and NATO.
The biggest obstacle for the country’s EU and NATO membership has been the name dispute that arises from the ambiguity in nomenclature between the Republic of Macedonia and the adjacent Greek region of Macedonia.
However, this dispute has not stopped members of international bodies from supporting international education programs in Macedonia.
The United States and the European Union see education as an important step to both democratic and economic stability of the country.
For this reason, both bodies are sending aid in form of international education programs, while the country settles its naming dispute with Greece.
USAID
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has been supporting international education programs in Macedonia since 1993. USAID works directly with the country’s Ministry of Education and Science in order to improve education.
By improving education, USAID hopes to foster the fledgling democracy and promote inter-ethnic relations.
USAID programs have been most heavily aimed at children. From 2013 to 2018, USAID supported the Readers are Leaders Project. This project was focused on children in all primary schools across the country. Its aim was to strengthen literacy and numeracy rates among the youth.
Currently, several other projects, such as Children with Visual Impairment Project, are active. This project is run jointly with the International Lions Club. It was started in 2014 and will last to 2019. It works to increase the quality and accessibility of education services, provide individual support to children with visual impairments and facilitates early eye-screenings.
Another joint program underway is the Youth Ethnic Integration Project (2017-2022). Through this program, USAID is promoting both civic responsibility in youth but also a cultural understanding between Macedonia’s ethnic groups.
The Peace Corps
Since 1996, when the first volunteers of this organization were welcomed by the Ministry of Education and Science, the United States Peace Corps has supported international education in Macedonia.
The Peace Corps education mission in Macedonia has been two-fold since the beginning. The first goal is to introduce new teaching methodologies to the Macedonian classroom at both the primary and secondary school levels. The second is to help with the instruction of English courses.
However, volunteers do not just stick to the classrooms for instructions of English language. They also promote and start English speaking clubs and organizations.
The Peace Corps developed English Language clubs, drama clubs and summer camps. The Peace Corps works with three Ministries of the country along with other international agencies and organizations to promote international education programs in Macedonia.
The European Union
The largest monetary contributor of development and international education programs in Macedonia is the European Union.
In 2017, the government of Macedonia and the European Union adopted a program of international development within Macedonia and signed a financial agreement.
The result is that the EU released $82.3 million worth of funds for the social and economic development of the country. These funds are only a small portion of the planned aid to Macedonia that stretches back to 2014.
The funds of EU are mostly directed towards the development of education in Macedonia. They are part of the financial assistance under IPA II agreement that totals to $757 million worth of aid to Macedonia. To ensure the funds are being used properly, the EU and Macedonia have set up joint monitoring committees to oversee their usage.
At the end of September 2018, the government of Macedonia held a referendum to change the official country’s name from the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to Upper Macedonia.
By changing the name of the country the Prime Minister hopes to speed up the process of joining NATO and the EU. His opponents see this as an appeasement to bullies.
Less than 50 percent of the total population voted in the referendum making it void, although the tally of those who did vote was nearly 90 percent in favor of the name change.
A trend showed the youth overwhelmingly supported the change. It shows that the work of international organizations on international education programs in Macedonia was efficient in showing the youth what needs to be done in order to help the country move forward.
– Nicholas DeMarco
Photo: Flickr
Top 10 Facts About Living Conditions in Singapore
Along the southern coast of the Malay Peninsula occupying roughly 718 kilometers worth of estate lies the smallest nation of Southeast Asia.
Singapore, originating from the Malay word, Singapura, meaning Lion City, is home to a population of roughly six million people, a largely non-corrupt government and a near spotless metropolitan district.
From its diverse socio-cultural community to the clean and eco-friendly urban environment, Singapore boasts some of the highest living standards in all of Asia.
According to the 2018 World Happiness Report, the country has been deemed the “happiest country in Southeast Asia”.
Among the plethora of reasons supporting this title, in the article below top 10 facts about living conditions in Singapore that make it one of the friendliest countries in Asia and the world are presented.
Top 10 Facts About Living Conditions in Singapore
As illustrated by this list of the top 10 facts about living conditions in Singapore, that despite its strict laws and seasonal hot and humid climate, the Asian city-state vaunts numerous desirable merits.
With a diverse friendly culture, progressive political system and safe environment in addition to a multiplicity of other positive influential factors, Singapore rightfully earns its name as one of the top cities in Asia for a high quality of living.
– Johnna Bollesen
Photo: Flickr
International Education Programs in Macedonia
The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, or soon possibly known as Upper Macedonia, but most commonly referred to as just Macedonia, gained its independence from Yugoslavia peacefully in 1991.
Since independence, Macedonia has been trying to make a huge leap in development and join the European Union and NATO.
The biggest obstacle for the country’s EU and NATO membership has been the name dispute that arises from the ambiguity in nomenclature between the Republic of Macedonia and the adjacent Greek region of Macedonia.
However, this dispute has not stopped members of international bodies from supporting international education programs in Macedonia.
The United States and the European Union see education as an important step to both democratic and economic stability of the country.
For this reason, both bodies are sending aid in form of international education programs, while the country settles its naming dispute with Greece.
USAID
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has been supporting international education programs in Macedonia since 1993. USAID works directly with the country’s Ministry of Education and Science in order to improve education.
By improving education, USAID hopes to foster the fledgling democracy and promote inter-ethnic relations.
USAID programs have been most heavily aimed at children. From 2013 to 2018, USAID supported the Readers are Leaders Project. This project was focused on children in all primary schools across the country. Its aim was to strengthen literacy and numeracy rates among the youth.
Currently, several other projects, such as Children with Visual Impairment Project, are active. This project is run jointly with the International Lions Club. It was started in 2014 and will last to 2019. It works to increase the quality and accessibility of education services, provide individual support to children with visual impairments and facilitates early eye-screenings.
Another joint program underway is the Youth Ethnic Integration Project (2017-2022). Through this program, USAID is promoting both civic responsibility in youth but also a cultural understanding between Macedonia’s ethnic groups.
The Peace Corps
Since 1996, when the first volunteers of this organization were welcomed by the Ministry of Education and Science, the United States Peace Corps has supported international education in Macedonia.
The Peace Corps education mission in Macedonia has been two-fold since the beginning. The first goal is to introduce new teaching methodologies to the Macedonian classroom at both the primary and secondary school levels. The second is to help with the instruction of English courses.
However, volunteers do not just stick to the classrooms for instructions of English language. They also promote and start English speaking clubs and organizations.
The Peace Corps developed English Language clubs, drama clubs and summer camps. The Peace Corps works with three Ministries of the country along with other international agencies and organizations to promote international education programs in Macedonia.
The European Union
The largest monetary contributor of development and international education programs in Macedonia is the European Union.
In 2017, the government of Macedonia and the European Union adopted a program of international development within Macedonia and signed a financial agreement.
The result is that the EU released $82.3 million worth of funds for the social and economic development of the country. These funds are only a small portion of the planned aid to Macedonia that stretches back to 2014.
The funds of EU are mostly directed towards the development of education in Macedonia. They are part of the financial assistance under IPA II agreement that totals to $757 million worth of aid to Macedonia. To ensure the funds are being used properly, the EU and Macedonia have set up joint monitoring committees to oversee their usage.
At the end of September 2018, the government of Macedonia held a referendum to change the official country’s name from the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to Upper Macedonia.
By changing the name of the country the Prime Minister hopes to speed up the process of joining NATO and the EU. His opponents see this as an appeasement to bullies.
Less than 50 percent of the total population voted in the referendum making it void, although the tally of those who did vote was nearly 90 percent in favor of the name change.
A trend showed the youth overwhelmingly supported the change. It shows that the work of international organizations on international education programs in Macedonia was efficient in showing the youth what needs to be done in order to help the country move forward.
– Nicholas DeMarco
Photo: Flickr
Top 10 Facts About Living Conditions in Burkina Faso
Located in Western Africa, Burkina Faso is the country with a lot of problems that are affecting over 20 million of its people.
The unemployment rate has increased constantly in the previous years, and a lot of work needs to be done regarding this issue.
Developments have been made in efforts to reduce poverty, one of them being the work of active labor market program, or ALMPs.
In addition, the National Housing Program is helping in the endeavor to meet the need for affordable housing. There have also been efforts to commit to providing education for all citizens by 2015.
With continued effort, more developments can be seen in aiding people’s lives in Burkina Faso.
In the article below, top 10 facts about living conditions in Burkina Faso are presented.
Top 10 Facts about Living Conditions in Burkina Faso
While unemployment has increased and there is still more work to be done in closing the gender gap in education, living conditions in Burkina Faso have improved, as seen in poverty reduction efforts through ALMPs and providing affordable housing.
With more sustained effort, Burkina Faso can achieve more positive developments in helping to enhance the quality of life for all.
– Daniel McAndrew-Greiner
Photo: Flickr
Sustainable Energy for All
Former U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon launched the Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) initiative in 2011 with three goals in mind.
He aimed to secure universal access to energy services, to double the global improvement rate in energy efficiency and to double the amount of renewable energy used globally.
Through doing so, he hoped to work toward the U.N. Sustainable Development Goal 7. This goal aims to ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all. The initiative focuses largely on bringing together groups from different sectors to collaborate on a common goal.
Sustainable Energy for All Forum
With partners from different governments, the private sector and civil society, SEforAll is able to use a multi-pronged approach to tackle the issue of sustainable energy access.
Partners of the program come together each year at a Sustainable Energy for All Forum, where attendees from over 80 countries discuss the progress that has been made and what still needs to be done.
Partners can present their work for the previous year and announce plans for the next one. Different organizations have the opportunity to meet together and potentially collaborate on new projects.
They give evidence and ideas in various working sessions that cover topics such as maximizing the impact of energy, city-level action, gender equality in sustainable energy and challenges that countries are facing.
This information ultimately helps countries who have aligned with SEforAll fulfill their pledges to improve sustainable energy access. After each forum, numerous follow-up meetings and events are scheduled.
Examples of these events are People-Centered Accelerator, Sustainable Energy in Somalia and other. Partners come together to apply the information from the forum to their individual projects.
Forum Topics
While the forum discusses a variety of issues, SEforALL also provides targeted accelerators with specific topics. Participants discuss energy efficiency in terms of appliances, building efficiency, district energy, among other topics.
These meetings are also focused on action, so participants can talk about policies, business models and solutions.
Many initiatives have come out of these accelerators, including the U.N.-coordinated District Energy in Cities Initiative. It works toward increasing the adoption and funding of district energy, a sustainable way of heating and cooling buildings.
Other Sustainable Energy for All Projects
SEforAll also works towards projects of its own, including improved data collection. They created a website with “heat maps” that tracks which countries are making progress and which are not.
They use collected data on clean cooking, electricity access, energy efficiency and renewable energy to identify trends in different countries. With this information, countries can evaluate the success of their policies and SEforAll can target countries that need more progress.
To further evaluate the progress of different countries, SEforAll and The World Bank Group launched Regulatory Indicators for Sustainable Energy (RISE), a set of indicators used to thoroughly assess each country and the manners in which they address sustainable energy access. It covers 111 countries, which roughly makes around 96 percent of the global population.
It categorizes each country into three zones, according to how much progress they are making. Each country is also given scores based on their performance in energy access, energy efficiency and renewable energy, based on specific indicators in each of the categories.
Sustainable Energy for All ultimately encourages countries to take action towards improving sustainable energy access. It provides them with evaluations of how well their current policies and efforts are working and information on how they can improve their work.
Through collaborations with other groups from different sectors, countries are given the tools to make progress and to develop in the right way.
– Casey Geier
Photo: Flickr
Sustainable Agriculture in the Republic of Georgia
The beautiful Republic of Georgia is nestled in the picturesque Caucasus region between Russia in the north and Turkey in the south.
Much of the land between the sea and the peaks is green and fertile. Here, sustainable agriculture in the Republic of Georgia thrives.
In 2015, the Government of the Republic of Georgia began a push to improve its agricultural production for both economic and environmental benefit. The country’s agriculture strategy also aims to reduce Georgia’s dependence on grain imports, one of the country’s top import products.
The importance of agriculture in Georgian history, specifically winemaking, stretches back over 8,000 years. Wine has been and continues to be one of the most important aspects of Georgian agriculture.
The Strategy
The strategy has the vision to create an environment that will increase competitiveness in agro-food sector, promote stable growth of high-quality agricultural production, ensure food safety and security and eliminate rural poverty through sustainable development of agriculture and rural areas.
Each section outlines plans to implement everything from better irrigation, saving water and reducing water pollution, to improved animal husbandry.
On top of embracing modern techniques, they outline improving both industrial agricultural techniques and educating and helping smaller rural farms embrace these techniques.
The most important steps in the strategy from an economic standpoint are not just introducing techniques that will benefit the farmers’ crop yields while lowering their total overhead cost but the government’s idea to help bring crops to market within the country and for export.
The FAO and EU Help
The development of sustainable agriculture in the Republic of Georgia is not a solo mission.
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), along with the European Union is partnering with the Republic of Georgia to bring its dream to fruition.
The European Union is helping the Georgian government by providing both money and expertise. The FAO has been working with the Republic of Georgia on promoting and implementing programs aimed at increasing food security since 1995.
From 2013 to 2015 the sustainable agriculture in the Republic of Georgia was spearheaded by a joint FAO and Georgian government venture. FAO assistance in Georgia has mainly focused on technical development and the livestock industry.
Wine Industry
It is nearly impossible not to talk about the connection between wine and Georgian agriculture.
Georgia and the surrounding area has been continuously producing wine for over 8,000 years. Grapes are one of the most produced agricultural products in Georgia and wine is one of the most produced industrial products. The country is known as the first wine-making region in the world.
While the wine exports do not hit the numbers that more notable wine countries like Italy, France, or Spain do, it should not go unnoted.
Georgian wine is beginning to gain more and more international recognition. This has the potential to grow the export industry surrounding wine and increase tourism of the country, both potentially big economic benefits.
Sustainable agriculture in the Republic of Georgia has been and always will be an uphill battle. Russian pressure from the North has historically put pressure on the region. Only eight years ago, the two nations were at war.
Georgia is pulling itself up by its boots straps and beginning to shake off the dust of the Soviet Union. The country is forging its own future from the ground up.
– Nicholas Anthony DeMarco
Photo: Flickr
Displacement in Ethiopia
Hundreds of thousands of Ethiopians are in need of humanitarian aid due to ongoing violence as well as extreme weather conditions.
Causes of Displacement in Ethiopia
According to a recent report cited by Relief Web, “Ethiopia has seen the highest number of people forced to flee their homes within their country in the first half of 2018 [than any other country globally].” Conflict has caused some 1.4 million to flee their homes in search of safety. This has been largely due to new ethnic tensions in Gedeo and West Guji region in southern Ethiopia and ongoing violence in the Oromia-Somali border region.
The areas hosting internally displaced persons in Ethiopia are overcrowded and struggling to satisfy basic needs such as food, water and health care services. The rainy season is also making the problem worse and hindering the humanitarian response.
As a result of the El Niño induced drought between 2015 and 2016, water scarcity has become another key driver of displacement in Ethiopia. Furthermore, in 2017, 5.6 million people in Ethiopia required emergency food assistance. There are also 2.7 million children and pregnant mothers that need supplementary feeding, 9.2 million people need access to safe drinking water and 1.9 million households need livestock support. The Humanitarian Requirements Document (HRD) was revised in 2017 to address the growing need for support. The needs in the food sector have been increased to reach a larger number of beneficiaries through the inclusion of 4 million former Productive Safety Net Programme (PSNP) clients in the HRD. Health and nutrition needs have also increased to address displacement.
Humanitarian Response to Displacement in Ethiopia
Severe drought in South Omo Zone in 2017 resulted in 40,000 livestock casualties. The Ethiopian Red Cross, with support from the Austrian Red Cross, has helped to bring back livestock due to the drought. The organizations distributed 2,100 goats in the worst drought-affected households in this region, with a total of 350 households given six goats each.
The Ethiopian and Austrian Red Cross has also distributed 3,000 moringa plants to the Hamer community in Southern Ethiopia. These drought-resistant and fast-growing trees are able to live in harsh arid environments, which will provide the community with food sources year round. These trees have been used in the past to combat malnutrition, as the seed pods and leaves are consumed as vegetables, and other parts of the trees are used for herbal medicine. Moringa is also used as forage for livestock, which ensures that Ethiopians and their livestock are both fed.
Addressing the Impact of Flooding
Ethiopia was struck by severe flooding in July 2018, affecting 2.5 million people, over 600,000 of whom are expected to be displaced in the northern, north-eastern, central, western, south-western and eastern Ethiopia. The National Disaster Risk Management Commision (NDRMC) has distributed 182 quintals of food baskets in affected areas in response to the flooding. The NDRMC has also distributed 14 cartons of milk and 63 cartons of biscuits, along with 502 nonfood items including kettles and plastic jugs.
Displacement in Ethiopia can be attributed to bad weather such as droughts and floods, as well as the ongoing ethnic tensions in certain regions. Humanitarian support from the NDRMC and Red Cross have tremendously assisted those in need.
– Casey Geier
Photo: Flickr
Sustainable Agriculture in Jamaica
Sustainable agriculture in Jamaica is a practice that the country is committed to improving. The country’s vulnerability to extreme weather emphasizes the importance of smart agricultural practices.
Long-Term Strategies
The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries has implemented strategies to ensure the sustainability of the agricultural sector. Portfolio Minister, Derrick Kellier, made a speech in preparation of the Vision 2030 Medium Term Policy. He said these strategies will contribute to the country’s GDP, and fulfill the mission statement “to advance the development of a modern, efficient and internationally competitive agricultural sector, and the sustainable management of our fishery resources, in order to promote food security and food safety in an effort to contribute to the development and well-being of our people.”
The strategies include the:
The Jamaican Sustainable Farm Enterprise Program
Volunteers for Economic Growth Alliance (VEGA) established the Jamaican Sustainable Farm Enterprise Program in 2014 to help the agriculture industry in Jamaica. The goal of the program is to assist the building of local, ecologically based, disaster resistant organic food systems through technology transfer and management expertise that links farmers to markets. Additionally, the initiative aims to develop market-driven organic value chain production, certification and distribution systems for agricultural products that will sustainably reduce food insecurity and poverty.
The program also assists smallholder farmers through technical training covering three areas:
Collaboration Fosters Growth
The vulnerability to natural disasters makes it crucial for farmers to be monitored and to work together. A program that has helped agriculture, as well as the safety of farming groups is the Jamaica Organic Agriculture Movement (JOAM). The initiative has untied 10 coffee farmers in Jamaica, with a combined land total of over 200 acres. The advantages of the program include joint marketing efforts, pooling resources and sharing solutions for agricultural production.
Sustainable agriculture in Jamaica has aided the industry of farming. Organizational efforts to improve the sector, despite the vulnerabilities the country faces, must continue in order for Jamaica to flourish.
– Casey Geier
Photo: Pixabay
Empowering Women in Albania
Albania is one of the poorest of the European nations. Recently, the Albanian Government has been making strides towards economic growth, but it has only now come to realize the importance of empowering and supporting women in the country. The government is empowering women in Albania by taking a stance against violence towards women, encouraging girls’ education and increasing access for women in the workforce.
Violence at Home
The National Strategy for Gender Equality campaign was launched in 2016 to help the Albania Government implement a policy to help women achieve real equality. As it stands now, most of the women are working in agriculture on family farms, often without pay. According to the U.N., almost 60 percent of Albanian women have direct experience with in-home violence.
A woman named Tone from a village in north Albania shared her story of endurance after being in a 10-year arranged marriage full of abuse. Her family had suggested she stay with her husband in spite of the abuse because there were no support systems available for Tone and her children if they left their abusive home. When she finally had had enough, she reported the violence and, to her surprise, the police were timely, responsive and positive. They referred her to the National Centre for the Treatment and Rehabilitation of the Victims of Domestic Abuse The Centre is up and coming and is currently aiding around 100 women victims annually.
Tome’s story is just one of several stories of women’s suppression in this poverty-riddled nation. In fact, one in two women are victims of abuse in Albania. For those that have not found a helping hand and been able to escape the harsh realities of inequality, the story acts as a cycle. Children who come from uneducated mothers are less likely to complete schooling if it is even available to them in the first place. The influences of home life, such as violence, inadequate funds, illness, excessive children in the home or lack of transportation, make it hard for children to succeed in school.
Promoting Education for Empowering Women in Albania
Because children from these homes require more support to make it through school without the heightened risk of drop-out, UNICEF has joined forces with the Albanian Government to promote Child-Friendly Schools (CFS). These CFCs encompass a holistic education based on the needs of children who need the most help, especially girls. The projected outcome of the CFS plan is to make education in Albania more readily available by increasing the country’s GDP budget towards education up from 3.27 percent to 5 percent. The hope is that, with education and proper emotional support, these girls will grow up better educated and better equipped to enter the workforce.
Sociologists are quickly realizing that empowering women through education is crucial for national growth in any developing country. In 2006, Albania joined the Global Partnership for Education and has since implemented strategies for equality such as gender quotas that will make girls’ education in Albania more accessible and better equipped to serve these young ladies. The program has already seen an increase in primary and secondary school completion rates.
Many girls in Albania don’t have the same access to education due to conflict or crisis, poverty or because so many young girls are married. With access to primary and secondary education that is made more available by USAID and other activists, women will be empowered and, therefore, be able to make better choices that support their individual needs and dreams.
Improving the Future for Women in Albania
Women make up half of the Earth’s population, which equates to half of the human capital. Rigid gender roles and cultural tradition have delayed the realization of equality for some women in countries like Albania, but as change happens, government officials are seeing the benefits of humanity and equality along with the need to act. Together with the Government of Sweden, U.N. Women is raising awareness of women’s rights across each of the 10 municipalities in Albania. The good news is that in 2014 there was a 51 percent increase in female participation in the labor market.
The majority of Foreign and Domestic aid for Albanian women is geared toward equality as a whole, which means progress for women and girls in Albania. Escaping violence, becoming educated and empowered and gaining access to the workforce are all necessary for achieving equality and truly empowering women in Albania.
– Heather Benton
Photo: Flickr
Top 10 Facts About Hunger in South Korea
It was ranked among the most innovative countries in 2015 and is known for dramatically transforming itself within the span of a generation.
Once known as a nation recovering from war with a fragile, precariously positioned economy, South Korea now enjoys widespread prosperity.
Although not all South Koreans enjoy equally in the country’s development, there are measures in place to work towards minimizing hunger, and South Korea is notable for its efforts in this area. In the text below, top 10 facts regarding hunger in South Korea are presented.
Top 10 Facts About Hunger in South Korea
Despite a few challenges, South Korea has fairly high food security and continues to embark on new projects to feed its population. Food security is among its primary concerns, and both government and community-based initiatives exist to prevent possible problems regarding this issue.
South Korea can serve as a model for struggling nations aiming to achieve food security, and also as a model for wealthy nations in terms of providing food security aid.
– Isha Madan
Photo: Flickr
10 Facts about Life Expectancy in Colombia
Once ravaged by political instability and violence, the nation’s outlook is steadily improving. However, although the quality of life in major cities is improving, with increased access to health care and sanitation, rural Colombians have unequal access to these benefits that improve life expectancy.
In the article below, top 10 facts about life expectancy in Colombia are presented.
Top 10 Facts About Life Expectancy in Colombia
The coming years will be critical for Colombia and its development. Positivity abounds a growing economy, increased foreign investment and security in the country, as the top 10 facts about life expectancy in Colombia described above point out.
The incoming administration of the new president, Iván Duque Márquez, promises reforms, especially regarding rural infrastructure in rural Colombia. Implementing the same strategies that have served its urban areas well, should benefit rural Colombians’ health care outlook.
– Joseph Banish