Vietnam stirs up mixed emotions in many Americans because of one of the U.S.’ most controversial conflicts. To many it will always be a war that touched their lives in a negative way – a lesson to be learned or a friend never to be forgotten. But as a government does not have the luxury of emotions and must secure the future for its citizens, the U.S. provides aid to Vietnam. The U.S. benefits from foreign aid to Vietnam in three ways:
- Through the process of healing and spreading goodwill
- Through a new stable trading partner
- As a possible military ally
Since 1989, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the U.S. government has been sending humanitarian aid to Vietnam in the hope of developing an important strategic partner in an increasingly contentious part of the world.
Rebuilding a Complicated Relationship
In 1989, the U.S. and Vietnam began the process of healing. A conflict nearly two decades long cost the lives of millions of Vietnamese and thousands of Americans. As a gesture of goodwill, USAID began to send foreign aid to Vietnam through the Patrick Leahy War Victims Fund and the Displaced Orphans and Children’s Fund. The Communist government of Vietnam spent more than a decade healing the wounds of the divided country, and aid from the U.S. helped this process.
Over the next two decades, how the U.S. benefits from foreign aid to Vietnam can be seen. The U.S. and Vietnam began to normalize political relations. With this came increased aid and funding for USAID projects in Vietnam. USAID continues to support cleanup efforts from the U.S. military’s use of Agent Orange, while also allocating funding to health, municipal and education projects.
USAID’s five-year plan (2014-2019) in Vietnam consists of a budget of $344 million and three objectives:
- $86 million for sustainable economic growth
- $239 million for health, education and climate change
- $19 million for addressing the legacy of the war, including funding to help decontaminate areas where Agent Orange was used and combat its effects on people and the environment
The Mutual Benefits of Trade
The U.S. benefits from foreign aid to Vietnam were seen through the mutual interests of trade. Within 16 years of the start of new U.S-Vietnam relations, an economic and technological cooperation deal was signed by both nations. President George W. Bush signed the deal in 2005. In 2013, President Barack Obama signed another cooperation deal, further strengthening economic and technological ties. Obama’s deal also included environmental, educational and medical cooperation.
In May of 2017, Prime Minister of Vietnam Nguyen Xuan Phuc announced that he would sign another trade deal with the U.S. This deal is reportedly worth up to $17 billion and will mainly focus on electronic technology. General Electric agreed to a $6 billion deal with the Vietnamese government. Vietnam increasing its imports from the U.S. is a good sign of cooperation and is another way the U.S. benefits from foreign aid to Vietnam.
Currently, the U.S and Vietnam have a trade deficit of more than $30 billion, which is the sixth largest deficit among U.S trade partners. The Trump administration campaigned on the promise of reducing trade deficits. Since his election, both the U.S. and Vietnamese governments have agreed to work on terms and deals that would reduce the deficit. The large deficit is caused by cheap apparel imported from Vietnam to the U.S. Over an eight-year period (2008-2016), the U.S. investment in Vietnam grew to almost $10 billion.
The Development of a Military Ally
In May 2016, President Obama lifted the ban on the sale of weapons to Vietnam. This was an important step economically and to increase military cooperation. Vietnam has shown interest in buying U.S multi-role fighter jets, specifically the F-16 A/B. The country has also shown interest in maritime reconnaissance aircraft and unmanned drones.
Under the Obama administration in 2014, the first joint training exercise was held between the U.S and Vietnamese militaries. The exercises focused on a joint military response to a humanitarian crisis caused by natural disasters. Afterward, both navies would begin to work more closely together, focusing on maritime defense and security. The development of a potential military ally is another way the U.S. benefits from foreign aid to Vietnam.
Also in 2014 was the introduction of monetary aid from the U.S. to Vietnam for its security and defense. More than $45 million was given through the State Department’s Foreign Military Financing and Law Enforcement building programs. Another $425 million was agreed to be paid over a period of five years through the Department of Defense’s Cooperative Threat Reduction Program and Maritime Security Initiative. The U.S. is also helping Vietnam build a peacekeeping training center in Hanoi to help Vietnam increase its ability to take part in peacekeeping missions for the U.N.
The U.S. benefits from foreign aid to Vietnam are manifold, and the bilateral relationship is on track to become a shining example of the transition from donor-recipient to a strong partnership. While millions of people spanning generations will have only painful associations with U.S.-Vietnam relations, the past two decades offer hope to new generations for a peaceful and prosperous future.
– Nick DeMarco
Fighting World Hunger Through the Hunger Project
Hunger affects more than 700 million people in the world. About one in nine people on this planet do not have the proper amount of food to sustain a healthy lifestyle. The majority of people suffering from starvation live in developing countries in Africa and parts of Asia.
Hunger also has a significant adverse impact on children. Poor nutrition causes about 45 percent of deaths in children under five. This amounts to approximately 3.1 million children each year. Sixty-six million young children attend school hungry, and 22 million of those children are from Africa. In developing countries, one out of three children are stunted, and at least 100 million of these children are underweight.
Malnutrition and world hunger are significant factors in poverty, but organizations such as the Hunger Project work to combat these factors.
What is the Hunger Project?
The Hunger Project was established in 1977, and its primary goal is to help everyone live a fulfilling and healthy life by ending world hunger.
The organization’s focus is world hunger, and it has pinpointed other variables that contribute to achieving its ultimate goal. Simultaneously, it works to enhance human dignity, gender equality, empowerment, interconnectedness, sustainability, social transformation and transformative leadership.
The Hunger Project faces each challenge with three approaches. Firstly, it works to empower women, because they are essential to decreasing world hunger. It then focuses on making dependent communities self-reliant through mobilization. Finally, it works to improve local governments through partnerships.
The Hunger Project Improving Ghana and Burkina Faso
Recently, the Hunger Project partnered with the Economic Community of West African States to work on projects in Ghana and Burkina Faso. Together, they will finance these projects to improve leadership in communities. With better guidance, the organizations hope that it will lead to people being able to obtain their basic daily needs.
Another goal of these projects is to teach communities how to create boreholes during harvest. Boreholes are holes that are drilled into a surface to extract vital material. Boreholes are useful for drilling for water, as well as oil and mineral extraction.
Finally, as part of the series of projects, the organizations will work to equip Ghana and Burkina Faso with more modern tools and skills.
The Hunger Project’s Maternal Care
Ghana’s maternal healthcare system is in dire need of improvement. As of 2010, 164 out of 100,000 births resulted in death. The Hunger Project is working to make a difference by partnering with the Ghana Health Service to teach women how to become midwives.
Ghana is suffering from a shortage of midwives, which can lead to complications during childbirth, especially when a trained attendant is not present. The organization strives to place trained midwives across 15 districts in Ghana. These midwives will offer 24-hour maternal care, especially in the regions that have a shortage.
Hunger is crippling a significant number of people in the world, but with organizations such as the Hunger Project working to address the causes, improvements are sure to come shortly.
– Cassidy Dyce
Photo: Flickr
Successful Efforts to Improve Credit Access for SMEs in Mongolia
In 2016, 43 percent of Mongolia’s herders owned less than 200 animals, limiting their ability to access credit from lenders. Without credit access, these herders face challenges to produce hay for the winter, build animal shelters and move their herds long distances to reach sufficient pastures. However, efforts are being made to improve credit access in Mongolia.
USAID’s Reach Project
In June of 2016, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and Development Solutions NGO launched the Reach Project to support Mongolia’s small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The Reach Project’s main goal is to improve and scale access to credit for Mongolia’s SMEs by helping them find appropriate financial products for their needs and to qualify for loans. The U.S. government expects the two-year project to improve Mongolia’s economy.
“SMEs make up 20 percent of Mongolia’s GDP, but they don’t have efficient financial resources,” said Mongolia’s U.S. Ambassador Jennifer Galt. Additionally, 75 percent of Mongolia’s SMEs would need more collateral assets in order to take out loans. “We will provide real support to small business through the Reach Project to meet their demand,” Ambassador Galt said.
The Reach Project takes place in Mongolia’s Dundgovi, Selenge, Bayan-Ulgii and Dornod provinces. The Reach Project also partnered with the government of Mongolia’s Credit Guarantee Fund. The fund can provide credit guarantees of up to 60 percent of individual loan amounts to Mongolia’s SMEs.
Positive Effects of Mongolia’s Rising Credit Access
On June 28, 2016, an executive summary from Mongolia’s retail sector revealed that the country’s improved credit access facilitated a further rise in disposable income. Mongolia’s banking sector has expanded rapidly in the past few years and there is now a multitude of non-bank financial institutions and credit cooperatives. Improved credit access in Mongolia has dramatically boosted the average Mongolian’s spending power as well.
Mongolia’s central bank also implemented a successful price control program that brought inflation to 2.6 percent in 2013, 6 percent in 2014 and 5.8 percent in 2015. Mongolia’s price stability could have a positive effect on consumer spending and should similarly affect demand for high-quality retail space. Rising credit access in Mongolia has led to increased sales for the country’s retailers and has motivated international brands to open stores in Ulaanbaatar.
Web-Based Collateral Registry
In February 2017, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), in conjunction with the Ministry of Justice and Internal Affairs, launched a web-based collateral registry for Mongolia. The registry was part of a joint initiative to reform Mongolia’s secured transactions and improve the country’s financial access for SMEs. This reform would take place by facilitating lending against Mongolia’s movable assets as collateral.
Improving Mongolians’ credit access will also be a key factor in the collateral registry. The registry will enable creditors to search for Mongolia’s existing interests on movable assets and file security interest on the collaterals they approve. “Mobilizing movable collateral to boost access to finance, especially for MSMEs, can play a significant role in Mongolia’s sustainable economic recovery and job creation,” said Tuyen Nguyen, IFC’s representative in Mongolia.
Looking Forward
USAID’s programs will continue to focus on increased credit access for Mongolia’s SMEs. USAID is also collaborating with Mongolia’s government to strengthen the capacity of SMEs by helping them adopt accounting practices, gain financial access and develop business plans. In December 2017, USAID also announced plans to strengthen the financial literacy of Mongolia’s SMEs and help them access loans worth $25 million.
While more Mongolians have gained credit access, there is still much work to be done. On Feb. 5, 2018, the Heritage Foundation revealed that Mongolia’s economic freedom ranked 125th worldwide. Improving credit access in Mongolia will continue to be a priority for many entities and possibly attract more efforts to decrease the country’s financial dilemmas.
– Rhondjé Singh Tanwar
Photo: Flickr
Consumer Credit Access in Panama Continues to Expand
Reports from 2014 highlighted good news in the Panamanian economy. Continued years of growth particularly helped the credit sector, and lending was increasing at rates of more than 10 percent per year. This was a healthy rate in comparison with similar rates of overall economic growth in the country. Consumer lending was not left behind during this boom, and household credit access in Panama increased at rates nearly on par with general growth.
This increase in credit access in Panama was great news for its developing domestic economy. Panama’s strategic location and the canal linking some of the world’s most-traveled shipping lanes have made it a center of commerce since the early 20th century. However, despite countless international commercial links, many of Panama’s people did not see the benefits of strong development until a century after the opening of the canal. A new government measure of poverty released in 2017 showed that nearly a fifth of the population was living in significant poverty.
The strong growth reported in 2014 was followed by further increases in small household lending in Panama as microfinance products began to increase their offerings in Panama. In 2017, the government of Panama revised a large number of regulations to assist microfinance and its effects in reducing poverty in the country. This was joined by the creation of REDPAMIF, a nongovernmental microfinance network, to assist lenders in creating a fertile environment for the success of expanding credit operations.
Small consumer lenders in Panama are following the pattern of successful development and small lending projects worldwide in diversifying their offerings. From the same 2017 report, 40 percent of the microlending portfolio in Panama is in loans to women. Similarly, in a highly urban country (nearly three out of four Panamanians live in the metropolitan area of Panama City), 13 percent of their loans are disbursed to rural borrowers.
Panama’s economy has continued to improve rapidly. An investment to expand the canal, which opened to new and larger shipping vessels in June 2016, has paid off in rates of growth that are outpacing most of the rest of the world. With good management and continued success in innovative development trends, credit access in Panama and the country’s poverty rate should continue to improve in the coming years as well.
– Paul Robertson
Photo: Flickr
The Success Story of Humanitarian Aid to Cabo Verde
Around 500 kilometers off the west coast of Africa lies the former Portuguese colony of Cabo Verde, a volcanic archipelago republic made up of ten islands and five islets in the central Atlantic Ocean. The country not only lacks in natural resources but also possesses a tiny portion of arable land and is prone to drought.
Despite these prevalent difficulties, Cabo Verde won an international reputation for maintaining economic and political stability, due largely in part to the humanitarian aid sent to the country.
Cabo Verde
Cabo Verde is a stable multi-party parliamentary democracy with a high trade deficit, most of which is offset by foreign aid and economic remittances sent by emigrants back to the country. The U.S. State Department praises the country as a “model of democratic governance,” noting the country’s high literacy rates and high per capita income among “the best development indicators of any country in the region.”
Cabo Verde received the notable distinction of becoming the first African state to complete its first Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Compact in late 2010. The MCC is an independent foreign aid agency established by Congress that works with partner countries around the world to alleviate global poverty.
Compact Stipulations
Following this successful $110 million MCC initiative that strengthened the country’s infrastructure and boosted agricultural production, the Cabo Verde government signed a five-year compact in 2012 to institute further water, sanitation and land management reforms. This second compact builds upon the first to establish transparency and accountability to achieve actionable results.
Last year, the government celebrated the end of its second compact and became the first one in the world to benefit from such a remarkable success of humanitarian aid to Cabo Verde.
Essentiality of Humanitarian Aid
The success of humanitarian aid to Cabo Verde is possible thanks to the united efforts of numerous countries and international aid organizations across the globe. The Cabo Verde government has also managed and administered the aid funds responsibly, entrusting state-owned companies and religious institutions with the implementation of developmental projects.
The United Nations
The United Nations (U.N.) has actively worked within the country through many conventions and projects. For instance, in early December, the U.N. held a seminar on social security, economic growth and development in the country. A month earlier, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) worked with the National Directorate of Health and National Sexual Health Program to develop a national strategic plan for improving sexual and reproductive health in the country.
Specialized programs and agencies of the United Nations, such as the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the World Health Organization and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), have also advised the government on the best ways to make efficient use of humanitarian aid to Cabo Verde.
The Success Story
The African Development Bank has highlighted the success story of humanitarian aid to Cabo Verde in a detailed research project report, affirming that the very small island economy has “managed to defy the odds and transform itself from an extremely poor country into one of the better performing economies in Africa in just over two decades,” and thus managed to overcome “severe geographic, economic, and social challenges to become an African success story.”
– Mohammed Khalid
Photo: Flickr
Top 10 Most Important Facts About Poverty in Iraq
Amongst the number of complex challenges facing Iraq today, poverty is at the forefront. Despite this Middle Eastern country’s wealth in oil production and exportation, this affluence has not translated to many Iraqi citizens. Here are some facts about poverty in Iraq that show where change is needed.
Top 10 Facts About Poverty in Iraq
These 10 facts about poverty in Iraq show how this war-torn nation must focus on improving infrastructure, healthcare and government in order to decrease dropping poverty rates. Change is needed immediately in order to improve the security and strength of this impoverished nation.
– Kailey Brennan
Photo: Flickr
Five Organizations Fighting HIV and AIDS
Elton John AIDS Foundation
In the midst of the rapidly growing AIDS epidemic in the 1980s and ’90s, singer-songwriter Elton John founded the Elton John AIDS Foundation (EJAF) to provide much-needed financial support in the fight against HIV and AIDS. John believes he is lucky to have avoided the AIDS epidemic as a gay man who partook in extremely risky behavior in the 1980s, including drug abuse. “I should have contracted HIV in the 1980s and died in the 1990s, just like Freddie Mercury,” he said at the International AIDS Conference in 2012. “Every day I wonder, how did I survive?”
The EJAF aims to dismantle the stigma surrounding those with HIV and AIDS as well as provide financial support for HIV prevention and treatment around the world. The EJAF has two branches—one in the U.S. and one in the U.K.—and has been rated a four-star charity, the highest rating a nonprofit can achieve.
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Named the richest man in America for 24 years in a row, Bill Gates has been extremely philanthropic with his wealth. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has donated more than $41 billion since it was created. A large portion of those donations—approximately $4.6 billion—have gone toward global health initiatives, including HIV prevention and treatment. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has funneled money into improving the diagnosis and treatment of HIV, as well as toward the continued research involved in creating a vaccine to prevent HIV. It is one of the most well-known organizations fighting HIV and AIDS.
The Global Fund
The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria is a recipient of grants from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Those funds have been put toward providing ART to more than 11 million people and preventing the transmission of HIV through the womb from mother to child. Over four million HIV-positive women have received treatment to protect their babies during and after pregnancy.
The Global Fund also fights the stigma surrounding HIV and AIDS and provides diverse prevention efforts in order to include children and women. These efforts continue to encourage people to seek preventative measures and treatment rather than avoiding it due to stigma.
Treatment Action Campaign
Africa has the highest burden of HIV and AIDS worldwide. The Treatment Action Campaign (TAC), founded in 1998, focuses on South Africa and the prevention and treatment methods being employed there. UNAIDS director Dr. Peter Piot considers TAC to be “the smartest activist group of all, worldwide.”
TAC monitors hospitals, trains campaign members on the basic science of HIV and AIDS, and advocates for the right to access healthcare.
amfAR, the Foundation for AIDS Research
Created during the height of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in 1985, amfAR has been a leader in AIDS research. Because of the homophobia surrounding HIV and AIDS in the ’80s, many organizations were unwilling to speak out in support of AIDS research. amfAR was established in order to raise private funds for AIDS research, educate the public and support those suffering from HIV and AIDS.
amfAR ultimately kickstarted research that led to the creation of ART. amfAR has also supported HIV prevention methods such as safe needle exchange and safe sex provisions.
Though the HIV and AIDS epidemic is far from over, these organizations fighting HIV and AIDS, as well as many others, are contributing to the health of current and future generations.
– Anna Sheps
Photo: Flickr
Apple Product (RED) and the Fight Against AIDS
Apple’s Product (RED) has raised more than $160 million. The contribution helps people affected by HIV in Ghana, Lesotho, Rwanda, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Kenya and Zambia. (RED) has raised more than $475 million, and Apple generated two-thirds of the total. Funds collected by Apple through Product (RED) support The Global Fund, an organization that has granted $4 billion to local medical experts in more than 140 countries.
The partnership between corporations and nonprofits spearheaded by (RED) has boosted innovation and investments in the race to find a cure for AIDS. Fifty percent of all profit collected through Apple Product (RED) goes to the fight against AIDS. With Apple leading the way since 2006, a myriad of other notable companies has joined the fight including Starbucks, Bank of America, Coca-Cola and Beats by Dre.
Apple created a dedicated online storefront that features limited edition red colored products. The most recent additions include Apple Watch, Beats by Dre, iPad Type Cover, iPod Touch and now Apple Pay purchases made via Bank of America cards donate one dollar for every purchase.
The ultimate goal of (RED) has been to eliminate the transmission of the AIDs virus from mothers to their babies using innovative medical techniques like antiretrovirals which are supplied to mothers to prevent HIV from growing and multiplying within their bodies. Additionally, the babies are given Nevirapine daily for about six weeks or more, based on individual circumstances. Typically, mothers who adhere to this regimen can reduce the risk of transmission to their unborn children down to five percent.
Apple is a behemoth that has enamored many people around the planet. With its support of Product (RED) not only does it increase funding, but it helps bring awareness to the issues faced by underdeveloped countries. Links to Product (RED) and The Global Fund are directly embedded into Apple’s online storefront, and annually on World AIDS day the company launches merchandising material in all of its physical stores including digital marketing on Apple.com and the Apple App Store.
Apple has historically always used unique methods to achieve goals, and during recent world events like the earthquakes that took place in Haiti and Japan, it leveraged its mega-customer base on iTunes and the App Store to collect donations ranging from five dollars to 200 dollars. Apple is The Global Fund’s most substantial corporate donor, and CEO Tim Cook has continued to make philanthropy a central aspect of his legacy at Apple.
Apple aims to continue to revolutionize the world with its products, while also helping nonprofits implement technology that betters the planet. Through campaigns like Product (RED) and its ability to connect at a deep level with its customers, Apple has more than achieved this goal.
– Hector Cruz
Photo: Flickr
How the US Benefits From Foreign Aid to Vietnam
Vietnam stirs up mixed emotions in many Americans because of one of the U.S.’ most controversial conflicts. To many it will always be a war that touched their lives in a negative way – a lesson to be learned or a friend never to be forgotten. But as a government does not have the luxury of emotions and must secure the future for its citizens, the U.S. provides aid to Vietnam. The U.S. benefits from foreign aid to Vietnam in three ways:
Since 1989, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the U.S. government has been sending humanitarian aid to Vietnam in the hope of developing an important strategic partner in an increasingly contentious part of the world.
Rebuilding a Complicated Relationship
In 1989, the U.S. and Vietnam began the process of healing. A conflict nearly two decades long cost the lives of millions of Vietnamese and thousands of Americans. As a gesture of goodwill, USAID began to send foreign aid to Vietnam through the Patrick Leahy War Victims Fund and the Displaced Orphans and Children’s Fund. The Communist government of Vietnam spent more than a decade healing the wounds of the divided country, and aid from the U.S. helped this process.
Over the next two decades, how the U.S. benefits from foreign aid to Vietnam can be seen. The U.S. and Vietnam began to normalize political relations. With this came increased aid and funding for USAID projects in Vietnam. USAID continues to support cleanup efforts from the U.S. military’s use of Agent Orange, while also allocating funding to health, municipal and education projects.
USAID’s five-year plan (2014-2019) in Vietnam consists of a budget of $344 million and three objectives:
The Mutual Benefits of Trade
The U.S. benefits from foreign aid to Vietnam were seen through the mutual interests of trade. Within 16 years of the start of new U.S-Vietnam relations, an economic and technological cooperation deal was signed by both nations. President George W. Bush signed the deal in 2005. In 2013, President Barack Obama signed another cooperation deal, further strengthening economic and technological ties. Obama’s deal also included environmental, educational and medical cooperation.
In May of 2017, Prime Minister of Vietnam Nguyen Xuan Phuc announced that he would sign another trade deal with the U.S. This deal is reportedly worth up to $17 billion and will mainly focus on electronic technology. General Electric agreed to a $6 billion deal with the Vietnamese government. Vietnam increasing its imports from the U.S. is a good sign of cooperation and is another way the U.S. benefits from foreign aid to Vietnam.
Currently, the U.S and Vietnam have a trade deficit of more than $30 billion, which is the sixth largest deficit among U.S trade partners. The Trump administration campaigned on the promise of reducing trade deficits. Since his election, both the U.S. and Vietnamese governments have agreed to work on terms and deals that would reduce the deficit. The large deficit is caused by cheap apparel imported from Vietnam to the U.S. Over an eight-year period (2008-2016), the U.S. investment in Vietnam grew to almost $10 billion.
The Development of a Military Ally
In May 2016, President Obama lifted the ban on the sale of weapons to Vietnam. This was an important step economically and to increase military cooperation. Vietnam has shown interest in buying U.S multi-role fighter jets, specifically the F-16 A/B. The country has also shown interest in maritime reconnaissance aircraft and unmanned drones.
Under the Obama administration in 2014, the first joint training exercise was held between the U.S and Vietnamese militaries. The exercises focused on a joint military response to a humanitarian crisis caused by natural disasters. Afterward, both navies would begin to work more closely together, focusing on maritime defense and security. The development of a potential military ally is another way the U.S. benefits from foreign aid to Vietnam.
Also in 2014 was the introduction of monetary aid from the U.S. to Vietnam for its security and defense. More than $45 million was given through the State Department’s Foreign Military Financing and Law Enforcement building programs. Another $425 million was agreed to be paid over a period of five years through the Department of Defense’s Cooperative Threat Reduction Program and Maritime Security Initiative. The U.S. is also helping Vietnam build a peacekeeping training center in Hanoi to help Vietnam increase its ability to take part in peacekeeping missions for the U.N.
The U.S. benefits from foreign aid to Vietnam are manifold, and the bilateral relationship is on track to become a shining example of the transition from donor-recipient to a strong partnership. While millions of people spanning generations will have only painful associations with U.S.-Vietnam relations, the past two decades offer hope to new generations for a peaceful and prosperous future.
– Nick DeMarco
Road to Progress: Top 10 Facts About Poverty in Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan is a landlocked country in central Asia with a long history of poverty. It is important to first identify the issues affecting poverty in the country, and then look at what is being done to address them. Here are ten facts about poverty in Turkmenistan:
10 Facts About Poverty in Turkmenistan
Based on these facts about poverty in Turkmenistan, the country has a lot of work to do. Plans need to be improved for reducing poverty, improving the standard of living and becoming more transparent as a nation. Government corruption also needs to be addressed before real change can be made.
Finally, Turkmenistan needs all the assistance it can get from organizations like the United Nations and the World Bank, as this will speed up the process of improving the lives of those in the country.
– Liyanga de Silva
Photo: Flickr
What are the Major Qualifications to Become a Senator?
The legislative branch of the U.S. government, known as Congress, is made up of two different chambers. The lower chamber, the House of Representatives, is made up of 435 representatives who are also called Congressmen and Congresswomen. The number of Congressmen and Congresswomen in the House of Representatives is determined by the population in each congressional district.
The upper chamber, the Senate, is made up of 100 senators. Each state elects only two senators to ensure each state has equal representation. The Senate is meant to be the check to the House of Representatives.
Many people who wish to make a difference in their communities and country would wish to run for a political office, such as senate. However many ask, what are the qualifications to become a senator?
Age Requirement
Despite being the least known of the qualifications to become a senator, any person wanting to run for Senate must be at least 30 years old. This rule has been in place since the conception of the Senate with the creation of the constitution in 1787. However, in our history, the United States has had a couple of noticeable exceptions — the youngest senator to ever serve was Senator John Henry Eaton of Tennessee who was sworn in on November 17, 1818.
Senator Eaton was only 28 years old at the time, but due to inefficient birth records, this fact was not realized until after he took the oath. Senator Joe Biden of Delaware was the youngest to be sworn in while still aligning with all the qualifications to become a senator; when he was sworn in on January 1973, Senator Biden was 30 years old and 45 days.
United States Citizenship
To become a senator, a candidate must be a United States citizen for at least nine years. In this sense, they must be a legalized citizen but they can be from any other country in the world.
Some United States senators who were not born in the United States include Colorado’s Senator Michael Bennet who was born in India, Texan Senator Ted Cruz who was born in Canada and Senator Tammy Duckworth from Illinois who was born in Thailand.
Which State to Represent
When a person runs for Senate, they run for a certain state, such as Senator of Indiana or Senator of Florida. He or she must live in the state that they run for, not necessarily the state they were born in. For example, Former president and Senator Barack Obama was born in Hawaii but campaigned for Senate in the state of Illinois, where he was currently living.
There is no set amount of time that a person must live in the state he or she wishes to represent before running for Senate, just that the candidate must be a legal resident of that state.
Making a Difference
These constitutional requirements answer the question: “What are the qualifications to become a senator?” Many citizens who have run for Congress in the past have studied law, political science and public service, though a degree is not required. Also, many Congressmen and Congresswomen have military experience, though this is not required either.
These are some of the answers to the question of “what are the qualifications to become a senator?” Anyone who fits these qualifications can legally run for Senate in the United States and have the possibility to make a difference in their communities and the country as a whole.
– Courtney Wallace
Photo: Flickr