The U.N. first asked “how can the international community best harness the power of media…to educate and transform?” in a 2017 conference. Although this requires a complicated answer, social media and poverty reduction can be connected by harnessing the power of information to foster development in a technologically advancing world.
The link is clear: the U.N. recognizes that there are many “opportunities for the media to play a strategic role for eradicating poverty.” This rests on the media’s ability to inform the public about poverty, in many cases by disseminating information through the voices of who have truly experienced it. This provides “an inclusive platform and an open forum to share the views and concerns of people living in vulnerable situations.”
Media and Poverty Reduction: Syrian Civil War
But what does this look like firsthand? When a video of a young Syrian boy named Omran Daqneesh covered in rubble surfaced in 2016, millions of people disseminated the video through their social media channels hours after its publication. The New York Times called the video “an image of civil war,” as for many it humanized the violent events taking place far from home.
Sharing these shocking images can spur quick action. A different image, that of Alan Kurdi, a Syrian boy who drowned while leaving Syria for Greece, gained similar attention. Sharing it via social media had real outcomes: MercyCorps garnered $2.3 million for Syrian refugees in one month, compared to the $4.5 million raised in four years before.
The information-sharing that took place with these images spurred discussions about poverty and war on social media. In many cases, the power in information-sharing means that “the media can play a major role in developing public understanding of economic, social, and environmental issues: the three pillars of sustainable development,” according to the U.N.
Governments Utilize Connection Between Media and Poverty Reduction
Many organizations and governments are harnessing the power in social media and poverty reduction. Rwandan health minister Agnes Binagwaho provides an example with #Ministermondays. Every other Monday, Binagwaho opens a discussion via Twitter for people to voice their concerns about health in the country. Listening to real voices, she is able to craft policies using the experiences she absorbs through social media.
Others are doing similar work. An online social media platform called Digital Green provides farmers in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia a network to discuss best practices for farming. Similarly, the World Bank Finances app ensures that sustainable development initiatives put funding into the correct hands, preventing fraud via social media.
Unlike other media sources, social media gives a voice to those who have lived in poverty by creating public platforms to spread experience. In this way, the media “affords individuals and communities the possibility to become active in the development process” by using social media platforms as safe spaces for discussion, according to the University of Namibia. Over time, this is generating “long-term suitability and sustainability” for poverty reduction.
Social media and poverty reduction works for other forms of development. Success for the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goals largely rests on the power of the media, according to the U.N., based on its ability to instigate change with credible information sharing. And media hides other tools for poverty eradication; the University of Namibia explains that it also “creates a platform for non-violent discussion and issue resolution” to prevent conflict.
Social media and poverty reduction can be linked through holding guilty parties accountable for their actions. An established social media source known as I Paid a Bribe is doing just this; it creates a space to safely expose corruption in developing countries by text or email. Stories are shared without fear of retaliation, exposing illegal actions and fighting corruption.
Media and Poverty Reduction: Shortcomings
Even so, media does not always work in favor of poverty reduction; many argue that poverty is often given little coverage time via traditional media sources. For example, a study of three prominent U.S. nightly news sources found that in 14 months, an average of only 2.7 seconds in every 22-minute program mentioned poverty. And not all people are able to access social media channels; ending the digital divide that leaves four billion people without internet can harness the power of social media to share stories for reducing poverty.
In some cases, “the knowledge and experiences of people living in poverty are often undervalued” in the media, and “solutions to their own problems are ignored.” This can improperly portray real world experiences. Giving little recognition to those who have lived in poverty, according to the U.N., ultimately plays a role in distorting public perception and negatively influencing policies about poverty reduction.
Despite barriers, the U.N. explains that “the time has come for all policy actors to recognize and support the vital contribution of the media” in reducing poverty. Developing the tools that social media provides to reduce poverty, when done effectively, is gaining traction for development today.
And although Omran Daqneesh’s video alone can not end a civil war, his impact is igniting progress for sustainable development. In a world like today, change stems from diverse voices, making way for progress that was impossible only decades ago.
– Cleo Krejci
Photo: Flickr
Children with Disabilities in Developing Countries
Worldwide, between 93 million and 150 million children have a disability. While research is lacking, children with disabilities in developing countries are common because of disability’s links to poverty. Poverty reduces access to treatment and illness may disallow working abilities. Coupled with a childhood disability, a person may be faced with a life of poverty.
One current study screened for developmental disabilities in low- to middle-income countries. It cited past studies stating the prevalence of developmental disability varied from 0.4 percent to 12.7 percent. The variance is from different definitions of disability and the use of different screening tools. This particular study found that, across 16 developing countries, 20.4 percent of children screened had a developmental impairment.
Children with any disability tend to be the most stigmatized population in many countries. Some cultures shun those with them, believing the ailment is a result of sin or bad luck, or that a disability can be contagious. This leads to the discrimination of disabled children. Additionally, these children are often excluded from programs, education, healthcare, society and family because of the lack of resources and the inability of poor societies to accommodate them.
Access to healthcare is a known issue in low- to middle-income countries. Children with disabilities in developing countries have a higher mortality rate due to lack of basic healthcare. While many medical advances have been made, they are mostly seen in wealthier nations. These nations have seen reductions in disability mortality; however, in developing nations, wealthy families can afford treatment and much of the poor cannot afford assistive devices or treatment needed. There is also little literature on care specific to the disabled population.
Children with disabilities are less likely to attend or finish primary school. Only 10 percent attend and five percent complete primary school. Families may not enroll their disabled child because of low expectations. Schools may be unable to accommodate a disability whether the child is unable to see the blackboard or access the bathroom. Reasons like these prevent children from finishing or attending school.
Poor children are faced with malnutrition, dangerous work conditions, conflict and lack of clean water, making them vulnerable to disabilities. Disability leaves these children excluded from education and job-training opportunities, setting up a cycle of poverty for life.
Despite the injustice children with disabilities in developing countries are experiencing, the social norms are changing positively. Disability is now being seen as a human rights issue. International organizations, such as UNICEF, state that children should not be discriminated against based on disability and that these children have the right to freedom and happiness as others do. Governments are beginning to advocate for the disabled, too. The U.S. and U.K. both have legislation making it illegal to discriminate based on disability.
The World Health Organization (WHO) created specific guidelines to include people with disabilities in the Millennium Development Goals. It recognized that those with disabilities are impacted differently and therefore need different resources. For instance, women with disabilities face more severe discrimination, as do mothers of the disabled. The WHO noted that extra supportive programs are needed for these populations. This trend is continuing in the Sustainable Development Goals.
It is important to see a child with a disability as a child first, to focus on raising the child as a part of society. Childhood is a critical time for development and sets the foundations for adulthood. Building these children up creates stronger adults and better futures for the world.
– Mary Katherine Crowley
Photo: Flickr
Education in Kuwait
Supporting Poverty Reduction Through Immigration Legislation
But some academics have taken to asking an intriguing question: should poverty reduction through immigration legislation be taken more seriously as a proposal?
The data bears out how legal immigration can benefit both parties when it comes to alleviating poverty. Among Mexican immigrants, the largest foreign-born group in the U.S., those with legal recognition have a 12 percent lower rate of poverty than the undocumented. Average annual income is around $6,000 higher.
The domestic economy, and U.S. workers, can benefit from these influxes. The labor market becomes more efficient and managerial positions often appear and are usually filled by native-born Americans. Employers are also spurred on to comply with labor, health and safety regulations, unlike when undocumented migrants form their employment base.
The 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act stands as a testament to what federally sponsored legal immigration can do to reduce poverty both domestically and abroad. The legislation legalized the status of 2.7 million immigrants and in the process increased their wages by 5 percent. A frequent criticism of a more liberal immigration policy is that it encourages poverty to ‘migrate’. This fails to account for the impact bills like the 1986 act can have to encourage poverty reduction through immigration.
More successful than some humanitarian and foreign aid projects, migration is capable of alleviating poverty among some of the most at-risk nations in the world. Haitians, the most poverty-stricken people in the Western hemisphere, have migrated in large numbers to the U.S. and Canada, often as refugees. Now, around four out of every five Haitians who are above the poverty line live abroad. These migrants, in turn, often repatriate wages back to Haiti to support their relatives.
Encouraging legal immigration as a policy goal could be under threat in 2017. The White House has made moves to significantly curb legal migrants and a new proposal endorsed by President Trump seeks to greatly limit the availability of green cards to family members of existing immigrants. The number of refugees will also be cut in half.
Congress appears unwilling so far to pass such a bill. Some Republican Senators have highlighted the economic benefits of legal immigration to their home states, such as South Carolina’s Lindsay Graham. They could join Democrats in universal opposition to the proposal and effectively kill it.
Treating immigration as a poverty-solving method could prove effective if taken seriously on Capitol Hill. While it appears any restrictions to legal immigration remain unlikely to pass, poverty still is a largely absent feature of the debate. The 1986 Immigration Reform Act, in particular, should stand out as an example of how to support poverty reduction through immigration.
– Jonathan Riddick
Photo: Flickr
The Connection Between Social Media and Poverty Reduction
The link is clear: the U.N. recognizes that there are many “opportunities for the media to play a strategic role for eradicating poverty.” This rests on the media’s ability to inform the public about poverty, in many cases by disseminating information through the voices of who have truly experienced it. This provides “an inclusive platform and an open forum to share the views and concerns of people living in vulnerable situations.”
Media and Poverty Reduction: Syrian Civil War
But what does this look like firsthand? When a video of a young Syrian boy named Omran Daqneesh covered in rubble surfaced in 2016, millions of people disseminated the video through their social media channels hours after its publication. The New York Times called the video “an image of civil war,” as for many it humanized the violent events taking place far from home.
Sharing these shocking images can spur quick action. A different image, that of Alan Kurdi, a Syrian boy who drowned while leaving Syria for Greece, gained similar attention. Sharing it via social media had real outcomes: MercyCorps garnered $2.3 million for Syrian refugees in one month, compared to the $4.5 million raised in four years before.
The information-sharing that took place with these images spurred discussions about poverty and war on social media. In many cases, the power in information-sharing means that “the media can play a major role in developing public understanding of economic, social, and environmental issues: the three pillars of sustainable development,” according to the U.N.
Governments Utilize Connection Between Media and Poverty Reduction
Many organizations and governments are harnessing the power in social media and poverty reduction. Rwandan health minister Agnes Binagwaho provides an example with #Ministermondays. Every other Monday, Binagwaho opens a discussion via Twitter for people to voice their concerns about health in the country. Listening to real voices, she is able to craft policies using the experiences she absorbs through social media.
Others are doing similar work. An online social media platform called Digital Green provides farmers in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia a network to discuss best practices for farming. Similarly, the World Bank Finances app ensures that sustainable development initiatives put funding into the correct hands, preventing fraud via social media.
Unlike other media sources, social media gives a voice to those who have lived in poverty by creating public platforms to spread experience. In this way, the media “affords individuals and communities the possibility to become active in the development process” by using social media platforms as safe spaces for discussion, according to the University of Namibia. Over time, this is generating “long-term suitability and sustainability” for poverty reduction.
Social media and poverty reduction works for other forms of development. Success for the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goals largely rests on the power of the media, according to the U.N., based on its ability to instigate change with credible information sharing. And media hides other tools for poverty eradication; the University of Namibia explains that it also “creates a platform for non-violent discussion and issue resolution” to prevent conflict.
Social media and poverty reduction can be linked through holding guilty parties accountable for their actions. An established social media source known as I Paid a Bribe is doing just this; it creates a space to safely expose corruption in developing countries by text or email. Stories are shared without fear of retaliation, exposing illegal actions and fighting corruption.
Media and Poverty Reduction: Shortcomings
Even so, media does not always work in favor of poverty reduction; many argue that poverty is often given little coverage time via traditional media sources. For example, a study of three prominent U.S. nightly news sources found that in 14 months, an average of only 2.7 seconds in every 22-minute program mentioned poverty. And not all people are able to access social media channels; ending the digital divide that leaves four billion people without internet can harness the power of social media to share stories for reducing poverty.
In some cases, “the knowledge and experiences of people living in poverty are often undervalued” in the media, and “solutions to their own problems are ignored.” This can improperly portray real world experiences. Giving little recognition to those who have lived in poverty, according to the U.N., ultimately plays a role in distorting public perception and negatively influencing policies about poverty reduction.
Despite barriers, the U.N. explains that “the time has come for all policy actors to recognize and support the vital contribution of the media” in reducing poverty. Developing the tools that social media provides to reduce poverty, when done effectively, is gaining traction for development today.
And although Omran Daqneesh’s video alone can not end a civil war, his impact is igniting progress for sustainable development. In a world like today, change stems from diverse voices, making way for progress that was impossible only decades ago.
– Cleo Krejci
Photo: Flickr
Luxembourg Poverty Rate
The European definition of poverty, which is used to determine the Luxembourg poverty rate, includes people whose income, including social benefits, amounts to less than 60 percent of the country’s median income and therefore are unable to afford basic necessities like rent and transportation.
There is, however, good news when it comes to jobs. The unemployment rate in Luxembourg is 5.7 percent. This is the fourth-best in Europe after Germany, Austria and Malta. The European average is 10.4 percent, making Luxembourg‘s rate quite low in comparison.
The average household available income in Luxembourg is $40,914 U.S., much higher than $29,016 – the average of member countries in the Organization for Economic Cooperation Development (OECD). While income inequality has increased in Luxembourg since the financial crisis, it is still below the average of all OECD countries.
According to a study by EurWORK, about 12 percent of workers in Luxembourg are paid minimum wage. However, it is much more common for younger workers to be working for minimum wage than older workers. Unfortunately, nearly half of workers between the ages of 18 and 24 make so little that they fall below the poverty line.
Address Luxembourg’s Poverty Rate
Nevertheless, the government has introduced plans to help the working poor. The minimum wage is tied to the rate of inflation, so people with resources less than the legal limits are now given a guaranteed minimum income so they are able to support themselves. In 2009, the government also introduced childcare vouchers for families at risk of poverty to help them pay for daycare or after-school babysitting. Employers generally support these reforms.
Though poverty remains an issue in Luxembourg, the government has a history of implementing proactive solutions which gives citizens reason to be hopeful about their country’s poverty rate being reduced in the near future.
– Brock Hall
Chinese Sex Education Textbooks to Help
Created by the Beijing Normal University after many tests and parent surveys, these Chinese sex education textbooks focus on both the physical and emotional aspects of sex and relationships. Accompanying the text are graphic illustrations of sexual imagery, including male and female genitalia, penetration and menstruation.
The Chinese sex education books cover a lot of the issues about the logistics of sex. These issues include different sexual acts, sexual protection and risks like sexually-transmitted diseases.
Along with those facts, the Chinese sex education textbooks also discuss the more social aspects of sexuality, one of these aspects being consent. According to the Huffington Post, the books highlight different ways in which children can decline consent, especially against predators, emphasizing how predators can be male or female.
When it comes to consensual relationships, however, one of the most controversial aspects of the series, according to Quartz, is its take on homosexual relationships. The textbooks support both homosexuality and those who choose not to be in a relationship, explaining how both are natural and should be respected. The former is frowned upon because there is a huge taboo against homosexual relationships in China.
Overall, however, the Chinese sex education textbooks teach children to take responsibility for their own bodies and sexual health. The creators of the books also hope that the series encourages healthy, thoughtful sexual behavior.
These Chinese sex education textbooks illustrate how China is improving with regards to sexual education. According to the Huffington Post, knowledge about sex is seriously lacking, leading to a lack of knowledge about things such as menstruation or contraception beyond abortion.
Many Chinese parents, however, have condemned the books. According to Quartz, the parents believe that the series is too graphic and mature for elementary school children. They also argue that the young students may imitate what they see.
Proponents of the series, however, express that it is the parents’ own lack of sexual education that makes them uncomfortable. They also highlight, as explained in Quartz, how the series helps young children understand, and may even protect them from molestation.
In spite of the pushback, this series of Chinese sex education textbooks will help remedy the lack of sexual education that China has experienced.
– Cortney Rowe
Photo: Flickr
The State of Relative Hunger in Guernsey
With 87 percent of the economy coming from services, the unemployment has remained at 1.2 percent, with an accompanying unknown percentage of those living below the poverty line. Due to other unknown data, there is no current percentage of those living in hunger in Guernsey.
Further, in 2011, it was reported that for Guernsey residents to maintain a minimum standard of living, residents need a 20-30 percent higher income, and this rises to 40 percent for older residents. The same goes for necessities such as electricity. Guernsey natives could spend upwards of $240 a month on garbage, water, heating and electricity alone for an 85-square-meter apartment. Even with a milder climate, natives still spend approximately 36 percent more on food and drink than U.K. residents.
However, even with higher costs on food, due to the decline in agriculture, residents are still able to maintain a sufficient lifestyle, and there have been no recent reports of a spike in hunger rates, depth of hunger or malnutrition prevalence.
Although there is no current data on the number of those living in hunger in Guernsey, with the economy supported by financial services and the island’s continued ability to send aid to countries in need like South Sudan, it can be inferred that hunger in Guernsey is not an immediate or existing problem.
– Amira Wynn
Photo: Pixabay
Common Diseases in Bulgaria
Communicable and non-communicable diseases affect Bulgaria at different rates. According to Healthgrove, the most common deadly non-communicable diseases include cardiovascular disease, cancer and chronic respiratory disease.
In 2013, the three most deadly cancers were tracheal, bronchus and lung cancer; colon and rectum cancer and stomach cancer. These comprised 44.1 percent of all deaths from cancer in Bulgaria at the time.
Common communicable diseases in Bulgaria include:
These diseases are spread through contact with an infected person or breathing in particles from an infected person sneezing or coughing into the open air or on a non-infected person.
In 2015, the death rate per 100,000 people was 1,500 people. The following non-communicable common diseases in Bulgaria caused the most deaths:
Although it is difficult to prevent non-communicable diseases as they occur from the environment or are common within a family, communicable diseases can be prevented, meaning that many of the most common diseases in Bulgaria can be tackled. With vaccinations readily available for communicable diseases, good hygiene also plays a factor. Washing hands frequently, staying away from contaminated food and covering your mouth while coughing or sneezing can help lead to a disease-free, healthier lifestyle.
– Stefanie Podosek
Photo: Flickr
Five Ways to Help People in Vietnam
Though Vietnam’s economy has improved greatly in a relatively short amount of time, many of its poorest citizens are left in the dust. And while there are many small things to do to help people in Vietnam, these being just a few of them, it will take the country actively deciding to make its own impoverished people a priority for real change to occur.
– Audrey Palzkill
Photo: Flickr
Improving Nigerian Education: Reading and Numeracy Activity
The Nigerian education system, aided by many years of effort, still remains weak. Literacy rates are very low among Nigerians above the age of 15, at 69.2 percent for boys and 49.7 percent for girls. In an effort to aid the problem, U.S. nonprofit FHI 360 is implementing a program dubbed the Reading and Numeracy Activity (RANA).
FHI 360 is a dedicated nonprofit human development organization focused on locally driven solutions for human development. FHI 360 with collaboration from Nigeria’s Ministry of Education is implementing a Reading and Numeracy Activity pilot project in an effort to expand the project nationally.
The aim of the project is to improve the quality of literacy and numeracy instruction for girls and boys in primary grades one to three. In the pilot stage, approximately 200 schools will be instructed using the RANA system. The pilot stage will be spanning two states, Katsina and Zamfara. In those two states, the dominant mother tongue is Hausa, and RANA has provided teaching and learning materials in Hausa for 800 teachers and 51,000 students. The Hausa materials provided by the pilot program include a step-by-step teacher guide and student workbooks.
The Reading and Numeracy Activity system is still in the pilot phase and it may take years to analyze the data, but students, teachers and parents are already feeling the effects of the program. A parent involved in the program told the advocacy organization ONE: “The RANA lessons have made him more hardworking and love school. I will support his education to any level within my means. I am very grateful to RANA for giving school a new meaning.”
– Yosef Mahmoud
Photo: Flickr