Iran’s government criticized the “western-influenced” U.N. global education plan known as Education 2030, claiming that it contradicts all of Islam’s principles.
“In this country, the basis is Islam and the Koran. This is not a place where the faulty, corrupt and destructive Western lifestyle will be allowed to spread its influence,” supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on his website.
The Education 2030 plan emphasizes five principles that the U.N. perceives as most important, also known as the Five Ps: People, Planet, Prosperity, Peace and Partnership.
Education 2030 is one of 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), exemplifying the importance of education for all.
The U.N.’s plan outlines how to take promises made by a nation and turn their words into actions at a regional, national, and global level while providing guidelines on how to do so properly.
This plan has support from the U.N. Development Programme, the U.N. Populations Fund, the U.N. Refugee Agency, UNICEF, U.N. Women and the World Bank.
The heart of the Education 2030 plan lies within the support of the country and governments, promoting the change the plan is hoping to see over the next 15 years.
Khamenei has openly opposed the Education 2030 plan and blames the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution for being careless. He claims that “signing that document (Education 2030) and its silent implementation is certainly not allowed, and this have been announced to the organizations in charge.”
He then stressed that Iran is not a place for the infiltration of the flawed, devastating and corrupt Western lifestyle and that an international organization under the influence of large powers has no right to make decisions of other nations of differing histories, cultures and civilizations.
He did not give specific details on the opposition of the plan, however, commentators in Iran believe the promotion of gender equality in education contravened Islam.
At other times, Khamenei has promoted education in Iran and applauded educators for the significance and importance of education, explaining things such as the power of vocational programs for hiring skilled workers who are “national assets.”
– Mary Waller
Photo: Flickr
Free Education in Brunei Aids Nation’s Growth
In order to develop and strengthen a country’s political, economic and social structures, it is imperative that educational opportunities are granted to its citizens. By investing in a reliable education system, a country supplies citizens with the knowledge and resources to lead a healthy and successful life. Brunei, a sovereign country in Southeast Asia, has focused on the implementation of this philosophy into the structure of its education system.
With a population exceeding 415,000, Brunei is considered to have a remarkably high standard of living, primarily due to the country’s involvement in its oil and gas reserves. Since it gained independence from British rule in 1984, Brunei has integrated a tax-free lifestyle that is complemented with one of the highest (per capita) GDPs in the world. With this economic advantage, Brunei is able to financially support its free education system in order for its citizens to have the opportunity to receive a quality education.
With the tremendous support of governmental efforts in financially supporting the education sector, it will continue to allow free schooling throughout all levels of education in Brunei. The Ministry of Education, in compliance with the Education Act of 1984, is designed to oversee all government and private learning institutions and educational policies that are implemented throughout Brunei’s education system.
Brunei’s formal school system has a 1-6-3-2-2 pattern, which represents a year of pre-school, six years of primary education, three years of lower secondary, two years of upper secondary or vocational or technical education and two years of pre-tertiary education. Currently, Brunei has 206 primary schools, 47 secondary schools, nine vocational centers, one higher institution and three universities.
Remarkably, education in Brunei is completely funded by the government, which allows citizens to fully benefit from the opportunity to learn. According to UNESCO and the Ministry of Education, the adult literacy rate in Brunei increased from 92.67 percent in 2001 to 97.65 percent in 2015. These statistics indicate promising results and demonstrate the quality of education that is implemented throughout Brunei’s education system.
With the goal of furthering the nation’s development, Brunei has established numerous educational opportunities for personal and professional achievements at the government’s expense. With having one of the world’s highest standards of living, Brunei is constantly making efforts to continue the implementation of educational programs and institutions that will positively affect the citizens of this thriving country.
– Brandon Johnson
Photo: Flickr
Muhith Strives to Eradicate Poverty in Bangladesh by 2024
With a population exceeding 164 million people, Bangladesh has faced numerous barriers to eradicating poverty and fostering tdevelopment. However, Bangladesh’s declining population growth rate and improvements in health and education have been fundamental in eliminating poverty throughout the country. These progressions have shown promising results and offer the prospect of long-term prosperity in regards to ending poverty in Bangladesh.
At the Asian Development Bank’s 50th Annual Meeting in Yokohama, Japan, Bangladeshi finance minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith stated that poverty in Bangladesh will be fully eradicated by 2024. In order to achieve this goal, he stresses that the continual growth of employment and labor productivity must be maintained throughout Bangladesh’s development. In accomplishing this goal, he predicts that only about seven to eight percent of the population will be left under governmental assistance, including those with disabilities, the mentally challenged and the elderly.
A major barrier in this process is the demand for foreign investment which is necessary for Bangladesh’s economic development. Muhith hopes that the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and other organizations will fund Bangladesh’s financial endeavors. The ADB’s Country Partnership Strategy aims to provide up to $8 billion between 2016 to 2020 that will fund the development of infrastructure, strengthen rural livelihoods and provide the capital to boost regional trade.
Formerly known as one of the poorest countries in the world, Bangladesh has developed into a lower middle-income country through the implementation of modern factories and technology. In two decades, these economic progressions have allowed 20 million people to successfully lift themselves out of poverty, cutting the poverty rate from 44.2 percent in 1991 to 18.5 percent in 2010. The World Bank Group has funded almost $24 billion toward poverty-reduction efforts and initiatives that have helped grow and develop Bangladesh.
“Poverty is removable if you are sincere, if you have a multi-pronged attack on poverty and you have the commitment,” Muhith stated in an interview. “Commitment is the most important thing — commitment to the elimination of poverty.”
In regards to the economic progressions of Bangladesh, Muhith has high hopes for the future. These massive economic improvements demonstrate the promising results of Bangladesh’s poverty reduction efforts and the importance of foreign investments, both of which are crucial in reaching the long-term sustainability goals of Bangladesh.
– Brandon Johnson
Photo: Flickr
CIFA Begins with Schoolchildren to Address Hunger in Curacao
Curacao, an island country north of Venezuela in the southern Caribbean Sea, has become a popular tourist destination for its picturesque beaches and exciting nightlife. Nonetheless, hunger in Curacao is an issue for many families as the country has struggled to become stable since regaining its freedom from the Dutch in 2010 and electing a series of ineffectual leaders. In just six years of self-governance, the country has had six prime ministers.
In 2011, a quarter of Curacao’s total population sat below the poverty line, with more than half below the line in certain regions. Nationwide employment has fluctuated over the past three decades and has seen significant dips and surges as recently as 2015. The economy’s instability has left many children without enough to eat.
In response, the Curacao International Financial Association (CIFA) launched a campaign in May to guarantee nutritious meals for schoolchildren from struggling families. The project, entitled “Tur Mucha Mester Kome” (Papiamento for “All Children Must Eat”), provides breakfast to students who would otherwise go hungry at school and is conducted via the Lions Club.
The first school to benefit from the project is the VSO-ZMLK Marieta Alberto school, where 12 needy children received breakfast on May 12. The foundation also collaborates with psychologists, advisors and churches in hopes of taking the campaign’s benefits beyond schools and into students’ home lives.
CIFA plans to continue expanding the program with a website in the works that will allow people to sponsor schools or individual students.
Curacao’s tenuous political framework has bred a fairly fragile economy. The Economist predicts that the country will continue to face economic obstacles in 2017 and 2018, so initiatives like Tur Mucha Mester Kome are bold, influential and necessary when it comes to decreasing hunger in Curacao.
With all hands on deck, Curacao may well become prosperous in the years ahead.
– Madeline Forwerck
Photo: Flickr
The Status of Syrian Refugees in Saudi Arabia
The ongoing war in Syria has left many of its citizens desperate for a safe place to live. In response, government officials in Saudi Arabia have allowed the entry of Syrian refugees. However, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is considered a Gulf state and thus not part of the 1951 United Nation Refugee Convention. It is, therefore, entirely up to state officials to determine if and how many refugees should be allowed entrance into the state.
Refugees in Saudi Arabia are required to possess a passport and a visa prior to entry. Moreover, the state’s interactions in the Syrian war coupled with its unwillingness to let in more Syrian refugees as compared to other Gulf states has made it subject to much criticism.
Syrian scholar Ali Al-Ahmed has inferred that one of the reasons why officials are cautious of allowing the entry of refugees in Saudi Arabia is the notion that Syrians present a major “cultural and political risk.” In other words, they fear that allowing in too many Syrians at once would constitute a major threat to security.
Currently, there are roughly 895,000 Syrian refugees in Saudi Arabia. Some are students and a large amount are adults who work full-time within the Arab state. Yet it has been predicted that the kingdom will never allow access to more than one million Syrian refugees at a given time.
According to Abdulla Al-Rabeeah, chief of the King Salman Center for Relief and Humanitarian Aid (KSRelief), more effort has been put forth towards assisting individuals who are in desperate need of relief. Al-Rabeeah stated that KSRelief has “carried out 127 projects in Yemen providing relief and humanitarian aid, as well as shelter, in addition to agricultural and water programs.” Furthermore, Al-Rabeeah reported that Saudi Arabia has allocated a total of $700 million in humanitarian aid and relief to 37 countries, including Syria.
– Lael Pierce
Photo: Flickr
Has Norfolk Island’s Loss of Independence Solved Its Poverty?
Two years ago, Norfolk Island lost its independence after 68 years to become an official territory of Australia.
The new reforms, due to Norfolk Island’s severe economic downturn and high poverty rates, took effect on July 1, 2015. Half the population is at or below the poverty line.
The remote island between Australia and New Zealand relies on tourism for its main industry, but when its tourism rates heavily declined, the island began going to Australia for economic help.
The mainland decided to make Norfolk an official territory in which the 1,800 residents would have to pay personal and business income taxes to Australia. In return, Norfolk is provided with healthcare and social security benefits which they had previously been denied.
Many Norfolk Islanders resented this change due to the island’s deep roots of nationalism. The island was established in 1856 when 194 Pitcairn Islanders and their Tahitian companies settled there. Around 38 percent of the islanders are descendants of the original settlers.
“History is being rewritten around us about who we are and who we were. Our political heritage has been completely erased,” said Andre Nobbs, a former prime minister and descendant of a Pitcairn family. “You imagine all of those things happening to you as a people or a nation.”
So many Norfolk Islander’s feel that this change is a violation of the island’s rich political heritage and present the new mainland rule. To this day, they refer to themselves as Norfolk Islanders, and that the word ‘Australian’ on their passports is merely a technicality. With so much disapproval, it’s a wonder why the shift in power should even have happened.
The answer is because it works. Today, the island’s economy is taking off. The real estate industry has done more business in the last nine months than it has in the past seven years, more tourists are coming and new medical facilities and better schools have come about from this shift in power. Nonstop flights to and from Auckland have returned as of April this year. Many visitors to Norfolk Island have decided to move there permanently after a holiday there.
While the people of Norfolk will refer to themselves as Norfolk Islanders before they admit any connection to Australia, becoming a territory of Australia has greatly improved the economic state of the island.
– Kelsey Jackson
Photo: Flickr
5 Quotes From Former Presidents on Foreign Aid
The Trump administration’s proposed cuts to the International Affairs Budget would slash U.S. foreign aid to levels not seen since the ’70s and ’90s. Foreshadowing these proposed cuts, President Trump remarked during his campaign that America should “stop sending foreign aid to countries that hate us.”
In a March 2016 interview, Trump also commented on the purported futility of foreign aid as he spoke about building schools in Iraq: “I watched as we built schools in Iraq, and they’d be blown up. And we’d build another one, and it would get blown up… And yet we can’t build a school in Brooklyn… at what point do you say, hey, we have to take care of ourselves.”
How does President Trump’s position on overseas assistance compare with other U.S. presidents? Here are five quotes from former presidents on foreign aid:
These quotes from former presidents on foreign aid highlight the longstanding history of American engagement overseas. Here are two examples of these sentiments in action: firstly, the Foreign Assistance Act of 1948, otherwise known as the Marshall Plan, played a vital role in helping to rebuild Europe after WWII. Consequently, the European Union is now the largest trading partner of the U.S. Secondly, George W. Bush’s investment in the PEPFAR initiative continues to save countless lives from the scourge of HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa and is widely acknowledged as a remarkable success.
Foreign aid serves many purposes: ensuring national security, promoting humanitarian values and advancing U.S. economic interests overseas. Disengaging and ceding our leadership in this regard is not in our nation’s best interest. The above quotes from former presidents on foreign aid present a different vision for U.S. leadership overseas than from the isolationist approach outlined by President Trump.
Thankfully, with Trump’s proposal “dead on arrival,” it appears many members of Congress concur with these former presidents on the value of foreign aid and the vital role it plays in pursuit of the national interest.
– Michael Farquharson
Photo: Flickr
Iran Describes Education 2030
Iran’s government criticized the “western-influenced” U.N. global education plan known as Education 2030, claiming that it contradicts all of Islam’s principles.
“In this country, the basis is Islam and the Koran. This is not a place where the faulty, corrupt and destructive Western lifestyle will be allowed to spread its influence,” supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on his website.
The Education 2030 plan emphasizes five principles that the U.N. perceives as most important, also known as the Five Ps: People, Planet, Prosperity, Peace and Partnership.
Education 2030 is one of 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), exemplifying the importance of education for all.
The U.N.’s plan outlines how to take promises made by a nation and turn their words into actions at a regional, national, and global level while providing guidelines on how to do so properly.
This plan has support from the U.N. Development Programme, the U.N. Populations Fund, the U.N. Refugee Agency, UNICEF, U.N. Women and the World Bank.
The heart of the Education 2030 plan lies within the support of the country and governments, promoting the change the plan is hoping to see over the next 15 years.
Khamenei has openly opposed the Education 2030 plan and blames the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution for being careless. He claims that “signing that document (Education 2030) and its silent implementation is certainly not allowed, and this have been announced to the organizations in charge.”
He then stressed that Iran is not a place for the infiltration of the flawed, devastating and corrupt Western lifestyle and that an international organization under the influence of large powers has no right to make decisions of other nations of differing histories, cultures and civilizations.
He did not give specific details on the opposition of the plan, however, commentators in Iran believe the promotion of gender equality in education contravened Islam.
At other times, Khamenei has promoted education in Iran and applauded educators for the significance and importance of education, explaining things such as the power of vocational programs for hiring skilled workers who are “national assets.”
– Mary Waller
Photo: Flickr
Pollution in India: The Switch to Electric Cars
Ranked last out of 132 countries in an air pollution survey, the Indian government is scrambling to find a solution to combat the pollution in India. Their answer may lie within the electric car industry.
The energy minister of India announced in May that by 2030 every car sold in India will be electrically powered. The government is assisting the renewable automobile industry for the next two to three years until the market stabilizes.
This solution comes at the right time as India’s air toxicity levels surpass China, making India one of the most toxic nations in the world.
One major factor contributing to the country’s horrible air quality is high levels of fine particulate matter, especially those particles smaller than 2.5 micrometers in diameter (PM2.5). The level of PM2.5 is five times the threshold of what is safe for human beings, 13 times greater than the World Health Organizations’ annual recommendation, and 3.5 times greater than India’s air quality standard.
High levels of PM2.5 is particularly concerning as it is the leading cause of Acute Lower Respiratory Infections (ALRI) and cancer, and children under five in India contribute to 13 percent of inpatient deaths from ALRI.
In New Delhi, the air pollution has been 45 percent worse than Beijing in the last two years. Additionally, the city’s pollution has increased citizens risk of lung cancer by 70 percent, chronic respiratory by 50 percent and ischemic heart disease by a little more than that. Also in India, the number of deaths caused by air pollution is only “a fraction less” than deaths from tobacco use.
With such high risks due to contaminated air, the overall promise is to lower pollution in India. This goal can be accomplished through introducing electric cars and requiring that every car sold in India be electrically powered.
Studies show that electric cars are drastically safer to the environment and public health. In fact, hybrid/electric cars will drastically reduce nitrogen oxide released by up to 99 percent and carbon dioxide by up to 71 percent.
Although the electric car industry will need between two to three years of government assistance until the public starts buying the vehicles, the pros of switching to electric cars have a positive effect that can help reduce pollution in India and help save lives.
– Amira Wynn
Photo: Flickr
Combating Hunger in Kyrgyzstan in the Classroom
Kyrgyzstan is a small, mountainous country, landlocked amongst countries that spent most of the 20th century under Soviet rule. Hunger in Kyrgyzstan is an issue that overshadows the progress the country is making.
Of Kyrgyzstan’s six million citizens, 30 percent live in poverty. Twelve percent of the population is food-insecure with 43 percent of children under five suffering from anemia. Thirteen percent of this under five population have stunted growth from malnutrition.
Two-thirds of Kyrgyzstan’s population lives in the countryside where agriculture is the main source of income. The fragmentation of the small family farms, however, inhibits overall production from reaching the scale necessary to meet the market demand.
Farmer-to-Farmer is a five-year program introduced in 2013 by USAID designed to bring technology transfer innovations to Kyrgyzstan’s agricultural sector through short-term technical assistance. The goal of the USAID program is to generate economic growth with person-to-person assignments. The farmers of Kyrgyzstan learn such things as new pruning techniques, ways to improve cold storage management or food safety standards. The volunteers who arrive in Kyrgyzstan gain a better understanding of U.S. foreign assistance outside their country.
A bright spot in Kyrgyzstan is its 99 percent literacy rate and the fact that gross primary school participation is 100 percent. One way to conquer hunger in Kyrgyzstan, as well as childhood malnutrition, is to improve school meals. The U.N. World Food Programme funded a pilot project called School Meals Optimization, which provides culinary training and kitchen equipment to schools. It also aids in renovating school cafeterias and helps schools establish vegetable gardens to source their fruit and vegetables. By 2015, more than 62,000 primary school students in 260 schools received a nutritious, hot meal during the school day, almost six times the number of students in the project’s first year. The program has since expanded to all schools across the country.
The focus on healthy, nutritious meals is gaining momentum in this former Soviet satellite. Recently, 20 school chefs from across the country were chosen to meet in Kyrgyzstan’s capital, Bishkek, for a competition and a master class with one of Kyrgyzstan’s top chefs. They spent one day cooking vegetables, pureeing soups and making chicken fricassee among other things, all using affordable local produce. On day two, all 20 chefs competed to make a three-course meal in 90 minutes using ingredients from a mystery basket. These competing chefs can attack the issue of hunger in Kyrgyzstan in a positive and productive manner.
The students of Kyrgyzstan also emulate the healthy, nutritious meals they enjoy when they graduate from the classroom into society. They are building a foundation to help decrease hunger in Kyrgyzstan for future generations. Through their efforts, the future for Kyrgyzstan’s food security looks bright.
– Jene Cates
Photo: Flickr
A Resolution to the Quality of Water in Sri Lanka
The U.N. estimates that in just nine years, half the people in the world will not have access to safe water. Water sources will be affected by climate change, pollution, war, over-development and unsustainable agriculture. Sri Lanka has an abundance of safe water resources, however, the water is not distributed equally.
Almost 90 percent of the people living in urban areas have access to safe water, compared with 60 percent of rural communities. The quality of water in Sri Lanka for the three million people living in dry zones can only be described as contaminated. There is no safe water source within a 200-mile radius, leaving people in the dry zones dependent on groundwater from dug wells and tube wells.
Chemicals, such as fluoride, nitrates and arsenic, are present in groundwater at very high levels as a result of their geogenic origin. Consequently, these chemical contaminants affect the quality of water in Sri Lanka’s dry zones and in turn, the health of people who get their water in dug wells and tube wells. An increase in kidney diseases and cancer in Sri Lanka has been attributed to exposure to these chemicals.
People have attempted to resolve issues with the quality of water in Sri Lanka with bowser-driven water distribution, residential rainwater harvesting plants and bottled water, but a long-term solution is needed. The Sri Lankan National Water Supply and Drainage Board awarded Veolia, a French firm, a $164 million contract to design and build five water treatment plants, 12 service reservoirs, five pumping stations and 430 kilometers of transmission and distribution pipes. The water treatment plants will be located in Matale, Ambangang, Ukuwela, Udatenna and Rattotta. The plants will provide clean safe drinking water to more than 350,000 people in the agricultural area of Greater Matale in central Sri Lanka.
Clean, safe water is critical to the health of a nation and its people. The five water treatment plants are just the beginning of efforts to provide a sustainable solution to the quality of water in Sri Lanka that provides the entire population with a clean, safe water.
– Mary Barringer
Photo: Flickr