The Current State of Human Rights in Finland

Human Rights in FinlandFinland has a population of about 5.5 million, and is seated next to Sweden and Norway. Human rights in Finland are ultimately made a priority by the country’s government, and this country is considered more progressive than most, although there are still a few areas that could be improved.

According to a report from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, the Nordic country strives to dedicate time and attention to minorities in the country, including the Roma, linguistic or religious minorities and other ethnic minorities. On the other hand, the report also states that residents who belong to multiple of these minority groups are typically “the most vulnerable to human rights violations.” Finland promotes openness in respect to human rights policy and works toward “effective empowerment of the civil society,” according to the same report.

Human rights in Finland are also supported by nongovernment organizations in the region. In addition, human rights defenders work with minority groups. The Ministry for Foreign Affairs states that, “the key message is to encourage and urge the Ministry’s entire staff to collaborate actively with human rights defenders.”

Finland prioritizes areas including women’s rights, the rights of persons with disabilities, the rights of sexual and gender minorities, the rights of indigenous peoples and economic, social and cultural rights, according to the report. Regarding the rights of sexual minorities, in March of this year, Finland became the 13th country in Europe to allow same-sex marriage, according to the Human Rights Watch.

While human rights in Finland are heavily prioritized, there are still areas in need of improvement.

The U.S. Department of the State reports that human rights problems in Finland include the failure of police to provide detainees with timely access to legal council, “questionable” donations and contributions to political campaigns and violence against women and members of the LGBT community.

The report also included information on issues surrounding the treatment of survivors of sexual abuse and domestic violence. It stated that survivors seeking justice have encountered many obstacles with respect to their interactions with police and judicial officials. However, it also stated that police and government officials strongly encourage victims to report rapes through “various public awareness campaigns.”

While human rights in Finland have a few shortcomings, they are one of the more progressive nations in Europe, meaning that further progress is certainly possible.

– Leah Potter

Photo: Flickr

The Top Six Answers About the Poverty Rate in Mexico

poverty rate in MexicoMexico has the highest poverty rate in North America. Its economy is based on commodities and manufacturing, and it has the second highest degree of economic disparity between the wealthy and the poor. Here are the top six answers about the poverty rate in Mexico:

1. What is the poverty rate in Mexico?

The poverty rate in Mexico in 2014 was 26.2 percent. In a population of 120 million, 55.3 million live below the poverty line. This number is a slight decrease from 2010, revealing that the modest economic growth in the country was not enough to better the poorest people’s circumstances.

2. How is the poverty level determined in Mexico?

Poverty rates are measured by Mexico’s National Council for the Evaluation of Social Development Policy (CONEVAL). The council examines the current per capita income, level of education, access to health securities, access to social security, quality and the size of one’s home and access to food. CONEVAL defines poverty as, “People with an income below the wellbeing threshold and with one or more social deprivations.” In 2014, poverty was defined as living on less that 2,542 pesos ($157.70) a month in urban areas and 1,615 pesos in rural areas.

3. What areas of Mexico have the highest poverty rate?

Regions of the the southern pacific coast traditionally have the highest poverty rates. Chiapas has a poverty rate of 76.2 percent and is the poorest state in the country. Oaxaca is the second poorest state with a poverty rate of 66.8 percent. Both of these states are along the southern pacific coast.

4. What about extreme poverty?

The rate of extreme poverty has dropped 0.3 percent from 2010 and is now at 9.5 percent. Extreme poverty is defined as 1,243 pesos in cites and 868 pesos a month in rural areas. Government services have been successful in supporting the least well off in the country. Government programs such as a conditional cash transfer program, Oportunidades, and expansion of health care coverage have reduced the rates of extreme poverty. The majority of people in extreme poverty are the indigenous population of the country.

5. How does economic growth affect the poverty rate in Mexico?

Consistent research shows that economic growth and development is the best way to reduce poverty. Unfortunately, Mexico’s economic growth rate has been stagnant around two to three percent for the past 20 years. The growth rate needs to increase in order to reduce the poverty rate in Mexico. The income of the poor has not increased although Mexicans have seen an increase in services, such as education and healthcare.

6. How does the population size relate to the poverty rate?

The poverty rate may appear to have decreased, but as the population increases the number of poverty living in poverty is actually on the rise. For example, between 2010 and 2012 the poverty rate in Mexico dropped 0.6 percent, but half a million more people were living below the poverty line.

Mexico’s president, Enrique Pena Nieto, faces challenging circumstances for lowering the poverty rate. The government priority is on expanding Mexico’s economy rather than creating programs to help people come out of poverty, so a heavier focus on this important issue is necessary for improvement.

– Sarah Denning

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What Does It Take to Become a Senator in the United States?

Become a SenatorOver the last few election cycles, an increasing number of stories have emerged about young people running for elected office. Millennials, it seems, are ready to be a part of the national legislative conversation.

What has been interesting about this phenomenon is the average age of these hopeful politicians. Erin Schrode, for example, ran for California’s District 2 seat in 2016 at the age of 24. Patrick Murphy, meanwhile, challenged Marco Rubio for one of Florida’s Senate seats in 2016 at the age of 33. When you keep in mind that the average age of the U.S. Senate is about 61 years old, these challenges are somewhat surprising.

This, therefore, begs the question, what does it take to become a Senator in the United States? What are the prerequisites, and how easy are they to achieve? The answer, it turns out, is quite simple. Below is the list of requirements:

  1. Be at least 30 years of age: One can run for office while they are 29 years old, but he or she must turn 30 before their first term would begin.
  2. Be a U.S. citizen for at least nine years: If an immigrant would like to run for office, they can, but they need to have been a U.S. citizen for nine years before doing so.
  3. Be an “inhabitant” of the state represented. This rule means that Senators must live at least some of their lives in the states they represent. This doesn’t have to be the majority of one’s life, though, as many Senators travel back-and-forth from Washington, D.C. to their respective states.

It should be noted that the intangible requirements to being an effective Senator are vital. Knowledge of local, regional and global issues are incredibly important components of governing that take years of study and experience to fully comprehend.

The official prerequisites, however, are a lot simpler than most would expect. As millennials and young people in general continue to be more interested and active in politics, it is important for them to know that the official roadblocks standing in their way are easily surmountable.

Truly, anyone can run and become a Senator if they set their mind to it. With the current political turmoil and the public’s interest in civic affairs, it will be interesting to watch the continued rise of millennial participation in our country’s governance.

– John Mirandette

Photo: Flickr

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Education in Afghanistan: War Will Not Stop Progress

Afghanistan has been in the midst of a war for several decades. While the conditions of war have the ability to stunt progress, the Afghans are unwilling to let their education system crumble. Whether it be national initiatives or programs developed by smaller organizations, education in Afghanistan continues to make progress.

In recent years, Afghanistan has made drastic progress in its education system. In 2002, about 900,000 boys attended school; girls, on the other hand, were not given the same opportunities. Most girls were educated at home to read and write but not much more. With the help of private donors, these numbers have begun to drastically change, and the Ministry of Education has since been able to build 16,000 schools across the country.

Now, there are over nine million students in Afghanistan, 40 percent of which are girls, a stark contrast to the state of education 15 years ago.

Not only is the government working towards creating a better education system throughout the country, but privately-owned companies are trying to make positive changes as well. Teach for Afghanistan, a sector of Teach for All, has been avidly working toward enrolling more students in school. While numbers of adolescents in school have been on the rise, there are still over three million children unenrolled in school, with two million of those actively working instead.

Additionally, schools still do not have enough teachers, leading the student to teacher ratio to be 111 students to one teacher.

In order to combat this problem, Teach for Afghanistan’s founder, Rahmatullah Arman, has helped obtain more teachers around the country. In the eastern province of Nangarhar, there are 80 graduates from Afghan universities teaching 23,000 students in 21 schools as part of the program.

When selecting fellows to teach for the program, it was important to the program to hire many female teachers to try and change the mindset for female education in Afghanistan. It is common for girls to be pulled from school, but the teachers try to reach out to parents and keep as many girls in school as possible.

Education in Afghanistan isn’t perfect; there are millions of boys and girls who are uneducated and female schooling is still seen as less essential to families throughout the country.

While there are still changes that need to be made, many people, as well as the government, recognize the importance of a strong education in giving their people the best chance in the future.

– Olivia Hayes

Photo: Flickr

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Agencies of the State Department Fighting Poverty Abroad

Fighting Poverty AbroadThe vast apparatus of the U.S. State Department can make it an overwhelming organization to understand. However, by assessing its individual offices, it becomes clear how vital these agencies are to the State Department fighting poverty abroad. These are some of the most prominent branches of the State Department and what they do to alleviate global poverty.

The Bureau of African Affairs (BAA) has operated for decades, promoting democracy, human rights and economic ties beneficial to both the U.S. and its African partners. Democratic transitions in unstable nations have been assisted and coordinated in conjunction with the BAA. The Africa Growth and Opportunity Act, coordinated by the agency, contributes to the economic development that has seen millions lifted out of poverty in Africa.

The diplomacy conducted through the BAA highlights the importance of strong relations in allowing poverty alleviation programs to be deployed. By ensuring the cooperation of host nations, the State Department has been able to implement the Power Africa and Feed the Future programs. This is supported by the Global Health Initiative, aimed at eradicating debilitating diseases on the continent, with around 63 billion now invested in the project.

The Office of Global Food Security is another branch of the State Department that contributes to poverty alleviation. As with the BAA, it utilizes its diplomatic toolbox to put in place development programs aimed at eradicating poverty.

The office is particularly focused on agricultural development and promotes employment and entrepreneurship opportunities in agricultural sectors to end famines and establish more secure rural economies.

Aside from boots-on-the-ground agencies, the Bureau of International Organization Affairs is vital for developing and sustaining relationships with important organizations in the fight against global poverty. This office uses diplomacy to strengthen ties with the U.N. and its auxiliaries (such as UNICEF) in concert with promoting U.S. leadership in democracy promotion and poverty reduction. Despite receiving scant media attention, U.S. cooperation with Amnesty International and the Red Cross depends on the IO Bureau.

These agencies of the State Department fighting poverty abroad emphasize how important diplomatic skills are for furthering poverty alleviation efforts. In order for the State Department to continue to promote American leadership in this area, its budget must be preserved.

– Jonathan Riddick

Photo: Flickr

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What Do Most Developing Countries Have in Common?

What do most developing countries have in common that most developed countries do not? Global poverty is a complex issue that involves many historical, regional and social factors. One important factor that most developing countries have in common is a history of agricultural dependence.

Some regions, like Latin America, are in prime geographical positions for growing important foods such as produce, sugar and cacao. Countries in these farming-friendly areas have historically been colonized and exploited by industrialized nations who are unable to grow these crops in their own countries. As a result of this historical process, many agricultural countries have been devastated by foreign influences in their countries and overzealous farming practices on their lands.

Agricultural countries are also challenged by their dependence on many factors beyond their control. Uncontrollable issues such as the environment disproportionately affect those whose livelihoods come from the natural world. The emphasis on producing certain crops for the rest of the world also limits these countries’ agency in the global market. When the international demand for a product such as sugar decreases, countries that focus on sugar production are helpless to find other sources to bolster their economies.

A focus on farming can also limit these nations’ abilities to develop infrastructure and diversify their economies. Agricultural work requires a lot of manpower but little education. In agricultural countries, the educational levels and human capital are not always sufficient to advance beyond the production of a few crops.

Understanding the answer to the question of what do most developing countries have in common can help these countries escape global poverty. Industrialized nations can help their agricultural counterparts through strategy and technology. For example, researchers in the United States can help farmers in Bangladesh by equipping them with the best irrigation practices, most cost-effective tools and highest yield crops.

Climate change is another important area that those in developed countries should focus on in order to help their developing counterparts. Addressing the impact of climate change is a priority for all, but farmers in poor countries feel its effects most strongly.

Foreign aid from wealthy nations is also an important way for developing countries to diversify beyond agriculture. With start-up funding from rich countries, more agricultural nations can follow in the footsteps of rapidly developing countries such as India and China.

Agricultural countries feed the world, yet many of them cannot meet their own people’s needs. Understanding the link between agriculture and poverty is important for dispelling myths about why certain countries prosper while others struggle. Realizing what most developing countries have in common is crucial to truly helping these populations emerge beyond the developing world.

– Bret Anne Serbin

Photo: Flickr

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How Foreign Aid to Colombia Benefits the US

Foreign Aid to Colombia In November 2016, after four years of negotiations, the Colombian government reached a peace agreement with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), a rebel narco-terrorist organization. As of July 2017, FARC rebels have turned over 7,000 weapons. The success of the Colombian peace process is partly due to U.S. foreign aid to Colombia. This assistance benefiting Colombia also helps the U.S.’s economy and national security.

The civil war between the Colombian government and FARC lasted more than five decades. 250,000 people died and 60,000 disappeared. FARC kidnapped American citizens and supplied nearly all the cocaine in the U.S.

To combat this, the United States has invested $10 billion since 2000 in Colombia through Plan Colombia, a bipartisan initiative to strengthen Colombia’s public institutions. President Obama updated America’s foreign policy in Colombia after the successful peace negotiations in 2016 by pledging an additional $450 million in foreign aid to Colombia through the new U.S. initiative Peace Colombia.

While Colombia is covering 90 percent of the peace accord implementation costs, the U.S. assistance is primarily targeted toward security, expanding Colombian state institutions into rebel areas and providing justice services for victims. Peace Colombia also enables USAID to work with the Colombian government, private sector and non-profits so that reintegrated FARC rebels and their families can find stable employment instead of reverting back to growing coca.

Although peace in Colombia is promising, issues persist. According to the United Nations, Colombian cocaine production and coca cultivation increased by 34 and 52 percent respectively in 2016. The upcoming 2018 elections in Colombia could also disrupt the peace process. Though President Trump reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to peace in Colombia in May, his administration requested to reduce foreign aid to Colombia for FY 2017 from $391 million to $250 million.

Nevertheless, progress has been achieved. Colombia is experiencing a steady decline in mortality and an increase in literacy. The country has the fastest growing economy in Latin America and is the leading U.S. ally in the region, becoming a major trading partner.

In testimony to the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee, Juan Sebastian Gonzalez, an Associate Vice President of The Cohen Group and former Special Advisor to Vice President Biden, stated that a secure and peaceful Colombia creates potential for U.S. businesses to invest and leads to a more secure U.S., especially in regards to drug trafficking.

On August 13, Vice President Pence, while visiting Colombia, said the U.S. will continue its partnership with Colombia because “…we’ve long recognized the importance of Colombian security and prosperity to our own.” Pence also complimented President Santos of Colombia, stating that “…Colombia represents the future of Latin America. It is a future of freedom, security, and prosperity. And America stands with you.”

– Sean Newhouse

Photo: Flickr

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Common Diseases in Lesotho and Ways to Reduce Them

Common Diseases in LesothoThe Kingdom of Lesotho is a small country of 2 million people. Lesotho is completely surrounded by South Africa and is also very dependent on South Africa for jobs, resources and healthcare.

The average life expectancy in Lesotho is 50 years for men and 48 years for women. This low life expectancy is the result of the high prevalence of HIV/AIDS. The number one cause of death in Lesotho, HIV/AIDS has a mortality rate of 38.2 percent. The mortality rate for HIV/AIDS peaks in the 40-49 age group and nearly a quarter of the population between ages 15-49 are infected with HIV.

HIV/AIDS

HIV/AIDS is the most common communicable disease in Lesotho. Perhaps the reason that communicable diseases are so pervasive in Lesotho is because behavioral risk factors are ubiquitous. Behavioral risk factors include unsafe sex, poor diet, tobacco smoke and drug and alcohol use. For deaths attributed to behavioral risk factors, unsafe sex is by far the most common, and attributes to 45.8 percent of deaths.

Unsurprisingly, unsafe sex is also the number one mode of transmission for HIV/AIDS. Other modes of transmission include pregnancy, breastfeeding and needle-sharing.

HIV transmission is clearly a problem in Lesotho but is not impossible to solve. The government of Lesotho and other organizations have implemented projects that strive to address the root causes of HIV transmission and provide treatment to as many sick people as possible.

In April 2016, the government of Lesotho provided universal treatment for persons with HIV. Lesotho has also committed to achieving the UNAIDS goal of 90-90-90 by 2020. With the 90-90-90 goal, 90 percent of all people with HIV will know their HIV status, 90 percent of people diagnosed with HIV will receive consistent treatment and 90 percent of people receiving treatment for their HIV will receive viral load suppression.

Center for Disease Control and Prevention

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Lesotho has collaborated with the Ministry of Health since 2007. The President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) has been instrumental in allowing CDC Lesotho to assist the Ministry of Health in implementing a national HIV program. Through PEPFAR, CDC Lesotho has also provided all community-based testing for HIV.

Help Lesotho

Other projects and organizations aim to tackle the root causes of unsafe sex in Lesotho. Help Lesotho is an advocacy organization that, among many goals, promotes the prevention of HIV transmission. Help Lesotho specifies that an individual’s behavior is the only risk factor for contracting HIV.

Thus, Help Lesotho’s number one recommendation for avoiding HIV is wearing condoms. Their second two recommendations are taking prescribed treatment to prevent transmission and getting informed about HIV transmission.

The World Bank

A World Bank-funded team in Lesotho has promoted safe sex with lottery tickets. The researchers tested for two STIs in two groups of volunteers in Lesotho. Participants would return every four months for testing. Volunteers in the first group received a stipend for returning. Volunteers in the second group received a lottery ticket.

If the volunteers did not test positive for HIV, they would be entered into the lottery for a prize of $50, a large sum in Lesotho. The study found that after two years, the incidence of HIV infections decreased by 21.4 percent in the lottery-ticket group versus the stipend-group.

International Condom Day

On International Condom Day, February 2, 2017, three organizations teamed up to promote condom use in Lesotho. The United Nations Population Fund, Lesotho Planned Parenthood Association and Mothers to Mothers Organization held a condom use promotion in the village of Ha Ntema, Maboloka in the district of Mafeteng.

The goal of this day in Lesotho was to emphasize the importance of keeping condoms in the home. Previously, condoms were kept at the Councilor’s and Chief’s place and local shops, which made young people embarrassed to get them and ultimately discouraged condom use.

HIV is by far the most of common diseases in Lesotho, with a significantly higher mortality rate than other common diseases in Lesotho.

Despite this statistic, there is still hope. Efforts from the government of Lesotho and other organizations prove that addressing root causes and providing information and resources goes a long way in reducing the prevalence, incidence and mortality rate of HIV in Lesotho.

– Christiana Lano

Photo: Flickr

Artificial Intelligence Preventing Blindness in India

Preventing Blindness in IndiaThe Artificial Learning System – also called Artelus, for short – is a newly-developed artificial intelligence (AI) designed for preventing blindness in India. The Artelus detects early symptoms of diabetic retinopathy, an eye disease found in diabetic patients which causes blindness.

India has a population of 69.2 million diabetics. Of these diabetic patients, an estimated 34.6 percent suffer from diabetic retinopathy. It can be treated if detected early, yet if it goes unnoticed, diabetic retinopathy will lead to irreversible blindness.

Yet with the strained healthcare system in India, diabetic retinopathy often goes untreated until it is too late. The doctor-to-patient ratio is tremendously low, with only one doctor for every 2,000 people. Artelus can take away the burden of diagnosing from doctors, allowing them the time to focus on treatments rather than examinations. This AI captures the patient’s retina image, analyzes it in less than 15 seconds and then prints the results.

Similarly, 70 percent of the Indian population lacks health insurance. This leaves billions unable to afford healthcare. Artelus is an affordable and accessible screening tool that provides results fast. With over a 93 percent accuracy rate, patients without health insurance save money on examinations and will be certain of when they need to spend money on treatment.

But how does the product work? The AI utilizes technologies like portable devices, cloud computing and deep learning. Deep learning uses algorithms inspired by the complex neural systems of the human brain. Thus, the AI will grow to perform better the more data it is given.

With the success of their first product, Artelus seeks to expand their AI screening tools even further. They are looking not only into preventing blindness in India through their diabetic retinopathy screening, but also plan to develop screening tools that can detect early tuberculosis, breast cancer and lung cancer. The company began with the dream of marrying AI with healthcare and look to be steadily on the way to accomplishing their goal, starting with the revolutionary Artelus.

– Hannah Kaiser

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Germany’s Poverty Rate

Germany Poverty RateGlobally known for its engineering prowess and beautiful landscape, Germany lies in Western Europe and is undeniably one of the world’s superpowers. Although the country has experienced economic success over the past two decades, there are an unexpectedly large portion of people living below the poverty line. In fact, in 2015 the Germany poverty rate reached previously unseen levels of 15.7 percent of the population living in poverty.

Germany’s thriving economy is the fourth-largest in the world and has continued to grow with the success of its many companies, notably including Siemens Group, BMW and Volkswagen. There was even a 1.7 percent increase in GDP from 2014 to 2015.

This obvious economic development, however, has not had the expected effect of reducing poverty. The welfare organization Paritätische Wohlfahrtsverband reported an uptick in the Germany poverty rate as well as a surge in the rate at which poverty is increasing. The poverty rate in Berlin rose from 20 percent to 22.4 percent from 2016 to 2017. In fact, in 11 of the 16 German states, the number of people living in poverty has increased from the past year.

Single parents and their children are heavily affected, as 43.8 percent remain below the poverty line. Also, many of those who immigrate to Germany do not have access to a stable source of income and consequently live in poverty. Over a third of foreigners are affected by poverty. Old-age poverty has also significantly risen, with a 5.2 percent increase from 2005 to 2015, and it will only continue to rise due to the spread of job insecurity.

Even in the face of lower unemployment, Germany’s poverty rate has not decreased. This may be due to an unequal distribution of resources and wealth. The rich are getting richer while the poor are not necessarily getting poorer, but are increasing in number. The number of millionaires increased from 12,424 to 16,495 from 2009 to 2016. However, the number of homeless also increased by more than 100,000 between 2008 and 2014, and 4.17 million Germans are in serious debt.

Additionally, while the national average pay has increased by 10 percent, wages for lower paying jobs have not increased along with them. The pay for managers has also increased by 30 percent in the last 15 years, which is four times faster than wages. Thus, the problem may lie in the inadequate support of those in poorer social groups.

The booming economy may create new jobs, but these jobs pay so little that people are not able to live above the poverty line even with a stable job. Too many people work part-time jobs that don’t allow them to make ends meet. To help remedy this lack of well-paying jobs, Germany has agreed to increase its minimum wage by four percent in 2017. While the advantages of a higher minimum wage are highly debated, low-wage workers will potentially have the chance to finally climb above the poverty line.

Germany is undoubtedly one of the world’s most influential and powerful countries, but it has much work to do if it wishes to dramatically lower its poverty rate. A few examples of potentially beneficial policy actions include more emphasis on promoting the education of children from low-income areas, more targeted taxes on the rich to help redistribute wealth, financial support for single families and poor pensioners and an overall higher priority placed on combating rampant poverty.

– Akhil Reddy

Photo: Flickr