In a world where social media makes it easier than ever to know exactly what your friends and family, not to mention complete strangers, are doing, it should not be a luxury to know where your loved ones are. However, the very same world is also witnessing the highest levels of displacement on record.
The U.N. Refugee Agency estimates that there are currently 65.6 million forcibly displaced people worldwide. But those people are more than just a number. Every one of those individuals is someone’s mother, father, son or daughter. And each of them deserves to know where their family is.
After being uprooted from their homes and shuffled back and forth between camps all over the world, refugees know all too well how easy it can be to become separated from your family. Reuniting displaced refugees can be a daunting task. Many of these people do not have regular access to phones or the Internet, let alone official documents of identification.
But the Internet can be a powerful tool. Refugees United, or REFUNITE (RU), is a new kind of platform working to connect family members escaping disasters, persecutions or conflicts who have ended up in different parts of the world, sometimes completely alone. Founded in 2006 by two Danish brothers, Christopher and David Mikkelsen, REFUNITE aims to be a sort of “Google for refugee search.”
In the past, most United Nations agencies have tended to rely on the International Committee of the Red Cross, the global network of Red Cross organizations. However, due to privacy reasons the Red Cross and the United Nations are restricted from looking at one another’s databases, leading to a lot of inefficiencies.
While the Red Cross system has helped tremendously in reuniting displaced refugees with their families, the system requires individuals to apply for help from a third party to conduct the searches. The staff of national Red Cross societies does most of the tracing by responding to requests from other countries. However, without a global database, people looking for family members are forced to guess which countries to search.
“We didn’t want to be the kind of NGO that is a third party providing help to refugees,” RU founder David Mikkelsen said. “We wanted to give them the opportunity to take control of their situations and help themselves – and give NGOs another tool to help.”
RU went live in May 2010. The first words of the registration page read: “We do NOT recommend the service of Refugees United to people at risk of being traced by potential persecutors.” Once a username and password are established, a profile is created. The site stresses anonymity, reminding people “Everyone can see the information in your profile. Use nicknames, initials or information only known by your family.”
Users then input the last known location of family members as well as exclusive information that only loved ones would know, such as birthmarks or favorite foods. These steps can be left blank if desired, and the database can be searched without registering an account. But as a search platform, RU’s success depended on the power of networks: in order to be effective, REFUNITE needed to attract as many users as possible.
As of October 2017, over 750,000 refugees are registered on the platform, making it the largest missing refugee database. Today, REFUNITE operates across 17 countries with 16 technology and mobile carriers with access to around 370 million mobile subscribers. Now, United Nations organizations and refugee groups work with REFUNITE, such as the International Rescue Committee, as well as Facebook.
Getting the word out about REFUNITE is still the biggest challenge in reuniting displaced refugees. However, with the web platform available in 12 languages and text services in five, the organization is making its way to becoming accessible to refugees who speak hundreds of languages across the world.
– Richa Bijlani
Photo: Flickr
Smarter Electrification With the DESCO Model
In the last six years, mobile phone companies have received $44 billion in investment, while electrification companies have attracted less than $100 million, despite the large potential market. There are 125 million energy-poor households in sub-Saharan Africa, who spend around $20 billion annually on energy needs.
Many rural electrification projects have raised hopes but failed to become a scalable solution. Previous projects using electrical grid expansion, solar energy equipment and mini-grids have produced underwhelming results.
The distributed energy service company (DESCO) model may be the solution that defies all the obstacles. This model aims to provide households with customizable energy solutions at a better price than what they normally spend on kerosene, which is the standard energy source for many in sub-Saharan Africa.
The promise of this model stems from its ability to provide energy solutions that are both cheaper and safer than kerosene, while the company is able to make a profit. The capacity of the model to generate revenue transforms the problem into a viable economic investment.
Rather than selling products for a lump sum of cash, the DESCO model installs electricity-generating assets and charges small installments. This payment model is much more affordable for those in poverty.
The DESCO model focuses on providing customers what they need for an affordable price, rather than attempting to maximize their electricity usage as a normal utility company would. This model does not require demand to be created for a new product, but simply for customers to switch to a cheaper energy option.
Utilizing mobile phone data and payment systems allows companies using the DESCO model to keep their operating costs low. Pioneer companies in this field include M-KOPA Solar in Kenya, Off Grid Electric in Tanzania and Mera Gao Power in India.
M-KOPA has given 500,000 homes in East Africa affordable solar power, at a rate of 500 homes per day. The company estimates that their current installments will save customers $375 million in the next four years.
This company has provided jobs for 1,500 sales agents in East Africa. M-KOPA focuses on providing affordable solar energy and allowing customers to pay with convenient payment plans.
Based in Tanzania, Off Grid Electric is connecting 50,000 people per month to sustainable electricity solutions. For every household reached, this company prevents 140 kilograms of carbon dioxide from polluting the atmosphere.
Off Grid Electric creates more than 40 jobs per month for an eager local workforce. The company uses SMS messaging to provide support for their customers at any time.
Some investors are hesitant to pursue off-grid energy solutions because of past failures in this field. However, with recent advancements in technology, the energy needs of sub-Saharan Africa has become a profitable market.
Users of DESCO will create banking accounts to make their payments, and this will spur economic activity, especially in the finance sector. Thus, this model will provide opportunities for economic growth as well as foster great improvements in quality of life for customers.
– Kristen Nixon
Photo: Flickr
Christian Dior Supports Education in Kenya
Executing their advocacy with collaborative programs both globally and domestically, WE Charity is a global charity and educational partner based in Canada.
WE Charity partners with communities to implement WE Villages, a holistic, five-pillar international development model designed to achieve sustainable growth in Africa, Asia and Latin America.
Presently providing services in Kenya, rural China, Sierra Leone, Nicaragua, Ecuador, Haiti and India, WE Villages is an advocate for community development in areas where there are excessive amounts of child labor, exploitation of children and a lack of opportunities for the girl child.
Within the five-pillar model they help provide education, installations of clean water sites and health clinics. WE Villages also provides food in school gardens, for families and in schools with help from founding partner PotashCor. Finally, it assists parents, especially moms, by innovating new economic opportunities through leadership sessions, financial literacy workshops and vocational training.
WE Charity’s goal is aimed at providing Kenyan girls with an education. Each post in the Dior Love Chain will offer the opportunity to donate one dollar to WE Charity by the Dior house, Parfums Christian Dior. The Dior Love Chain campaign is using all social media networks as the platform and is up to almost $40,000 worth of uploads.
With a commercial video posted to Twitter, Instagram and Weibo, Dior supports education in Kenya by inviting all social media users to upload their own artistic expression in answering, “And you? What would you do for love?” with a video or photo.
The commercial opens with dialogue exchange as the campaign called to their muses and house friends. Stars featured to advocate the initiative include Rihanna, Carine Roitfeld, Bella Hadid, Natalie Portman, Charlize Theron, Winnie Harlow and Jennifer Lawrence to name a few.
Each post uploaded to the listed platforms and “hashtagged” #DiorLoveChain will be considered for publishing to Dior.com by the campaign and will run up until December 31, 2017.
– Jalil Perry
Photo: Flickr
Smart Developments Network: Innovations Against Poverty
SNV was founded in the Netherlands in the mid-’60s and has since established itself in Asia, Africa and Latin America. Expertise in sectors relating to agriculture, energy, water, sanitation and health have helped solve problems locally and provide sustainable solutions to poverty. SNV is funded by the Swedish International Development Agency and managed in partnership with BoP Innovation Center and Inclusive Business Sweden.
SNV has several projects on the ground and one in particular worth noting. Innovations Against Poverty is working in the private sector to develop products and services that can aid in fighting global poverty. This particular mission has focused its efforts on younger demographics as well as women in order to empower groups to shift gender and age paradigms. Companies can apply for the Innovations Against Poverty program to get funding that incentivizes innovation, entrepreneurship and consumption of goods and services in their communities.
Innovations Against Poverty was created with the idea that the private sector is a powerful mechanism for creating jobs and increasing incomes while also providing necessary goods and services to a community. Low-income markets in impoverished communities contain business opportunities that can be sustainably exploited with adequate startup funds and resources. Innovations Against Poverty exists to stimulate development where it otherwise would not exist, with financial support ranging from $60,000 to $200,000. Innovations Against Poverty gains a non-reimbursable capital return and provides advisory support for its investors. This support includes training and coaching from international experts. The program also narrows its support to cases that are not seen as “risk free”, thereby investing in businesses that may not receive support in most cases.
Innovations Against Poverty has registered over 1300 companies since its inception and is expected to grow. These innovative solution investments have primarily been made in Cambodia, Ethiopia, Uganda, and Zambia, with a focus in the agriculture and energy sectors. With continued success, Innovations Against Poverty can foster development in more countries all over the world.
– Casey Hess
Photo: Flickr
The Importance of UNESCO
UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova said the U.S. withdrawal would be a loss to the U.N. and “a loss to multilateralism…At the time when the fight against violent extremism calls for renewed investment in education, in dialogue among cultures to prevent hatred, it is deeply regrettable that the United States should withdraw from the United Nations agency leading these issues…”
“Building peace in the minds of men and women” is UNESCO’s slogan and is rooted in efforts to coordinate international cooperation in its named components: education, science and culture, as well as communication. These efforts made by the United Nations agency have a goal to mobilize societies across the globe so that each child and citizen “…has access to quality education; a basic human right and an indispensable prerequisite for sustainable development. May grow and live in a cultural environment rich in diversity and dialogue, where heritage serves as a bridge between generations and peoples. Can fully benefit from scientific advances; and can enjoy full freedom of expression; the basis of democracy, development and human dignity.”
The importance of UNESCO is highlighted by an interview with Jaroslava Moserova, president of the General Conference in 1999, who was convinced of the role that the organization could play in a post-Cold War world. She said in the interview that “The aim of UNESCO is to improve the quality of life. It is not a political organization at all… the main pillar of UNESCO is education, access to education. When you hear the delegates from different parts of the world, different cultures, different traditions, there is one thing all of them agree on, and that is that the only tool for better or worse is education.”
The note Moserova made when acknowledging that education is an indispensable tool is only one of the ways to see the importance of UNESCO. The other pillars of UNESCO also point to the significance of their work and efforts. When considering that preserving heritages and promoting scientific advancement are the other focuses of the organization, the importance of UNESCO and the benefits of the agency can be subtle. Seeing as how encouraging positive cultural experiences, scientific development and educational growth are all components that lead to overall poverty reduction and socioeconomic advancement for countries.
UNESCO puts an emphasis on children, and as UNICEF reiterates, reducing poverty begins with children and the things that improve their quality of life. Education is one of the most important pieces, and UNESCO’s efforts to improve it benefit people the world over.
– Gabriella Paez
Photo: Google
REFUNITE: Reuniting Displaced Refugees With Their Families
The U.N. Refugee Agency estimates that there are currently 65.6 million forcibly displaced people worldwide. But those people are more than just a number. Every one of those individuals is someone’s mother, father, son or daughter. And each of them deserves to know where their family is.
After being uprooted from their homes and shuffled back and forth between camps all over the world, refugees know all too well how easy it can be to become separated from your family. Reuniting displaced refugees can be a daunting task. Many of these people do not have regular access to phones or the Internet, let alone official documents of identification.
But the Internet can be a powerful tool. Refugees United, or REFUNITE (RU), is a new kind of platform working to connect family members escaping disasters, persecutions or conflicts who have ended up in different parts of the world, sometimes completely alone. Founded in 2006 by two Danish brothers, Christopher and David Mikkelsen, REFUNITE aims to be a sort of “Google for refugee search.”
In the past, most United Nations agencies have tended to rely on the International Committee of the Red Cross, the global network of Red Cross organizations. However, due to privacy reasons the Red Cross and the United Nations are restricted from looking at one another’s databases, leading to a lot of inefficiencies.
While the Red Cross system has helped tremendously in reuniting displaced refugees with their families, the system requires individuals to apply for help from a third party to conduct the searches. The staff of national Red Cross societies does most of the tracing by responding to requests from other countries. However, without a global database, people looking for family members are forced to guess which countries to search.
“We didn’t want to be the kind of NGO that is a third party providing help to refugees,” RU founder David Mikkelsen said. “We wanted to give them the opportunity to take control of their situations and help themselves – and give NGOs another tool to help.”
RU went live in May 2010. The first words of the registration page read: “We do NOT recommend the service of Refugees United to people at risk of being traced by potential persecutors.” Once a username and password are established, a profile is created. The site stresses anonymity, reminding people “Everyone can see the information in your profile. Use nicknames, initials or information only known by your family.”
Users then input the last known location of family members as well as exclusive information that only loved ones would know, such as birthmarks or favorite foods. These steps can be left blank if desired, and the database can be searched without registering an account. But as a search platform, RU’s success depended on the power of networks: in order to be effective, REFUNITE needed to attract as many users as possible.
As of October 2017, over 750,000 refugees are registered on the platform, making it the largest missing refugee database. Today, REFUNITE operates across 17 countries with 16 technology and mobile carriers with access to around 370 million mobile subscribers. Now, United Nations organizations and refugee groups work with REFUNITE, such as the International Rescue Committee, as well as Facebook.
Getting the word out about REFUNITE is still the biggest challenge in reuniting displaced refugees. However, with the web platform available in 12 languages and text services in five, the organization is making its way to becoming accessible to refugees who speak hundreds of languages across the world.
– Richa Bijlani
Photo: Flickr
10 Things You Didn’t Know About the Albigensian Crusade
The Albigensian Crusade was a 20-year-long endeavor, lasting from 1209 until 1229.
The Cathars were a religious group that rejected the traditional Roman Catholic Church. They committed themselves to the Cathari religious movement, which dominated southern France in the 1200s. The Cathars believed in a dualistic cosmology that partially adapted Catholic thought into a religion of their own and was thus considered heretical.
The geographical scope of the crusade stretched across southern France: Avignon, Castelsarrasin, Termes and Toulouse.
The crusade eventually eradicated Catharism by the end of the 13th century.
During the capture of Béziers, a key Cathar territory in southern France, the papal legate was asked how to distinguish between Cathars and Christians, and allegedly responded “Kill them all. God will know his own.” Everyone in the south of France was at risk of being considered a heretic simply because of where they lived.
It was believed that “crusade indulgence” officially absolved sins and ensured that no punishment would be issued in the afterlife. The Albigensian Crusade was very popular among soldiers because they believed their sins would be forgiven for taking part in the crusade.
By the 12th century, crusading was dedicated to removing religious diversity. The Roman Catholic Church considered the practice of other religions a threat to human salvation. Crusades branched out from those against Muslims and pagans in the Baltic region to the perceived threat of the Cathars.
After spearheading the crusade, Pope Innocent III was murdered while trying to recruit an ally. It is generally believed that the count of Toulouse, Raymond VI, murdered the pope after he tried to recruit the count to join the war effort.
Despite papal inception, King Louis VIII brought the Albigensian Crusade to an end in 1229 after officially restoring control over the region.
It is estimated that at least one million innocent lives were lost throughout the course of the 20-year crusade. Some Cathars were even burned at the stake.
Even though the Albigensian Crusade came to an end in 1229, it led to further persecution of heretics in the following century, including the infamous Spanish Inquisition and various other crusades. Though they occurred many centuries ago, these persecutions and deaths are part of the numerous human rights violations that have taken place throughout history.
– Sloan Bousselaire
Photo: Google
Hunger in Malta Closely Linked to History of Poverty
A Closer Look
Underlying Factors
Support Measures
Various organizations and the Maltese government have intensified efforts to support the vulnerable population in combatting poverty and hunger. This section highlights some of these measures to show their importance and effects.
Path Ahead
In conclusion, Malta is facing challenges, but the government and local organizations are making a positive impact through their initiatives. However, to achieve long-term solutions, continued efforts in promoting local agriculture, economic diversification and unemployment reduction are needed to ensure food security and reduce poverty.
– Liyanga De Silva and Maria Waleed
Photo: Flickr
Updated: November 12, 2024
Education in Kiribati: Access for Older Students
How Satellite Technology is Helping Developing Countries
Some specific ways that satellite technology can be used by developing countries are for communication in disaster areas, obtaining information about weather for use in agriculture and fishing and sharing medical information. By improving these areas, satellite technology can be used as one solution for many SDGs. For example, by using information gathered about agriculture and fisheries, satellites are assisting in the development of economies. In some countries, illegal fishing is a problem that satellite technology can help reduce, which improves the livelihoods and security of people in the fishing industry. Communication about healthcare (for general care or in disaster areas) and education improves people’s safety and gives them access to education.
Satellite technology is helping developing countries such as Indonesia and Nigeria. In Indonesia, the U.K. space agency Inmarsat has a program aimed at improving the management of the fishing industry, which is important to the economy in Indonesia. The program uses satellite-based tools on fishing boats in order for the government to collect data that can reduce illegal fishing practices, while also being a tool to relay information about the weather to fishermen that are out at sea.
In Nigeria, Inmarsat has launched another project that is benefiting healthcare systems. Satellite technology is being used in research institutions as well as the federal and state health centers. The research institutions are using satellite technology for data collection to see what needs to be improved. The health centers use satellite technology for communication, disease surveillance and video-based training for their staff.
By helping improve communication and data collection, satellites are a beneficial investment for the sustainable development of countries. The improvements that can be made to their economies as well as their healthcare systems can improve people’s security and save lives.
– Deanna Wetmore
Photo: Flickr
Food Waste and Hunger in Trinidad and Tobago
A small Caribbean nation with less than 1.4 million people, Trinidad and Tobago faces a serious hunger problem that is afflicting its citizens. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), roughly 100,000 people are undernourished, which accounts for nearly 7.5 percent of the nation’s population. The rest of the Caribbean and Latin America has an average undernourishment rate of only 5.5 percent of the population, which signals how serious hunger in Trinidad and Tobago is.
One of the major reasons for the sheer amount of hunger in the nation is how much food it wastes every year. According to the World Bank, Trinidad and Tobago is the most wasteful country per urban capita in the world.
At a conference launching the nonprofit organization Nourish TT, Dr. Lystra Fletcher-Paul reported that the Caribbean and Latin America waste a staggering 78 million tons of food annually, which totals 6 percent of global food production, and Trinidad and Tobago is the most wasteful country in the region.
Fletcher-Paul said: “The FAO estimates that in T&T if we were to reduce the food losses at the retail level, we would have enough food to reduce, by 50 percent, the undernourished people in the country.” That only includes food wasted in retail. If waste from all sources could be eliminated, the FAO calculates, all the undernourished people in Trinidad and Tobago could be fed.
With a GDP per capita in the world’s top 60, Trinidad and Tobago has an economic infrastructure more than capable of feeding its citizens, yet more than one in 10 citizens goes hungry. Organizations such as Nourish TT are doing their best to help eliminate food waste and ensure that hungry people receive the nourishment they need.
Similarly, the United Nations Development Programme has implemented the MDG1 program to help eliminate poverty and hunger in Trinidad and Tobago as well as other nations. Programs like MDG1 identify areas of critical need such as improving education, growing non-fossil fuel industries and helping reform healthcare and workers’ rights. With programs such as these in place to eliminate waste, hunger in Trinidad and Tobago looks to be a problem on its way to ending.
– Erik Halberg
Photo: Flickr