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
Saving Families’ Lives: Option B+ in Developing Countries
These PMTCT programs have proven extremely beneficial. Since 1995, more than 1.6 million child infections have been prevented. Antiretroviral therapy (ART) and other PMTCT programs have the potential to drop transmission likelihood from 15-45 percent to under five percent.
Option B+
Option B+ is a 2013 PMTCT program comprised of recent HIV prevention recommendations to health providers. The program aims to enroll HIV-positive pregnant and breastfeeding mothers to antiretroviral therapy (ART) for life.
It also calls for the expansion of pediatric treatment, including the enrollment of all HIV-positive children under five in ART.
The program is ideal for top PMTCT targets named by the WHO. The top 10 include Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Cameroon, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana and India.
Preceding programs included Option A and Option B. Although Options A and B were beneficial during times of use, integrating Option B+ in developing countries has many advantages desirable from a public health standpoint. For example:
Research and evaluation have shown positive results for this method. Launching Option B+ in developing countries has continuously been attributed to improved progress of PMTCT coverage. By 2015, Option B+ allowed 91 percent of mothers already receiving antiretrovirals to be offered ART services for life.
Many countries implementing the program have also found a decrease in the numbers of HIV-exposed and -infected infants. And, HIV-exposed infants given ART within the first 12 weeks of life are 75 percent less likely to die from an illness related to AIDS.
Effects of Option B+ Implementation
Research in Malawi, one of the first countries to implement Option B+, found that providing treatment options to all mothers for life better prevents infant infections, drastically increases survival years in mothers and reduces rates of orphanhood. In Malawi, Option B+ helped to save more than 250,000 maternal life years and counting. To compare, Options A and B saved 153,000 and 172,000 respectively.
Of course, there are social and financial challenges that can make implementing this new program difficult. For example, studies find that mothers who test positive for HIV need time to disclose this status to their partners. They also have difficulty personally coming to terms with their new status. Additionally, Option B+ is initially more expensive and requires more resources than other PMTCT programs.
But, despite these challenges, Option B+ is the most efficient and strategic plan that simplifies HIV services and integrates them into maternal and child health services. This PTMCT program focuses on more than current pregnancies — it works to protect future children, serodiscordant partners and mothers for life.
Many organizations, including the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, believe that imitating Option B+ in developing countries is “an important step to finally eliminating pediatric AIDS” as well as improving maternal health services and reducing rates of orphanhood — all critical factors in the fight to end global poverty.
– Francesca Montalto
Photo: Flickr
What Is the Poverty Rate in Cuba? Difficulties in Narrowing Down
But how much have the country and individual Cubans recovered? There are many factors to consider when trying to determine what is the poverty rate in Cuba.
At first glance, it may appear that at least two-thirds of the Cuban population currently live in poverty. The state salary is a mere $20 per month, well below the international poverty line of $2 per day. But this figure does not account for the free social services all Cubans enjoy nor other important sources of income, such as remittances from abroad.
Plus, since the 1990s a small private sector has blossomed in Cuba, and as of 2016 it employed one-third of the Cuban workforce.
There are a number of factors beyond income levels and the poverty line that help inform a conception of poverty in modern Cuba. Cuba scores well in many categories traditionally considered characteristics of “the middle class.” These include education, female participation in the workforce, low fertility rates, home ownership and enrollment in social services.
Based on Cuba’s impressive statistics when it comes to these general indicators of economic security, Cuba could be considered a middle class society.
While the majority of the Cuban population could be counted below the international poverty line according to conventional means, Cubans do not suffer from many of the issues that plague low-income societies. But poverty in Cuba does create many daily struggles that cast a shadow on Cubans’ access to free healthcare and education.
For instance, while Cuba has an impressive homeownership rate of 85 percent, most buildings are in such disrepair that they suffer daily losses of electricity and even frequent collapses. Basic consumer goods, a traditional hallmark of middle class societies, are nearly impossible for most Cubans to acquire. The population counts 11 million people, yet only 173,000 cars.
Cubans enjoy certain measures of economic security, but they also suffer shortages of everything from transportation, to food, to internet access.
What is the poverty rate in Cuba? It is hard to narrow down to a single number. But one important factor to consider for the future of the Cuban people is the new U.S. restrictions announced in June. The renewed regulations on travel to Cuba are likely to hurt the tourism industry, the number-one employer of private entrepreneurs. And the new rules against trade with the Cuban government will also further limit the accessibility of goods in Cuba.
Without political outreach from American citizens, the enigmatic Cuban poverty rate may start increasing.
– Bret Anne Serbin
Photo: Flickr
How to Help People in Saudi Arabia
Domestically, Saudi Arabia still adheres to a system of male guardianship under which patriarchs control nearly all aspects of female family members’ lives, including who they marry, what opportunities for an education or career they can or cannot pursue, and even their ability to move about and interact in public. This guardianship system falls in line with the overarching sharia law that the nation as a whole is governed by, which is notorious for the abuses that can be carried out under its banner, such as vague and broad charges, lack of due process, censorship and corporal punishment, up to and including public execution.
Internationally, the Saudi government has used its influence to promote the spread of sharia law in the region, and funding for terrorist groups like ISIS and Al-Qaeda can be traced back to Saudi sources. Additionally, Saudi Arabia has been engaged in a conflict in Yemen in which they have conducted numerous unlawful airstrikes that have taken the lives of over 4,000 civilians.
The Saudi government and people have a lot of obstacles to overcome before their nation can enjoy the same freedom and rights of many Western nations. Here are some ways to get involved and how to help people in Saudi Arabia:
-Write to your representatives in Congress encouraging the U.S. to require more transparency from Saudi Arabia for it to receive U.S. aid. Currently, the country fails to meet the standards of financial transparency that are technically required, but continues to receive the money due to its importance as an ally in the region.
-Get involved with programs that advocate for women’s rights in nations like Saudi Arabia, such as the U.N. Women initiative and its subsidiary the Commission on the Status of Women, of which Saudi Arabia is a member. By backing the programs and campaigns of U.N. Women, the hope is to help the Saudi people and make their nation worthy of its seat on the Commission.
-Educate yourself on the issues affecting the Saudi people and the complex geopolitical situation the country is entangled in.
-Hold the U.S. accountable for continuing to support and sell billions of dollars in weaponry to a nation that treats people in the manner Saudi Arabia does.
-Spread information on social media about Saudi Arabia’s human rights abuses and support of terrorism.
The quandary of how to help people in Saudi Arabia has no easy solution, and each viable method will take a long time and a lot of effort to see tangible change. But there are still valuable steps that can be taken to helping those who are suffering in Saudi Arabia.
– Erik Halberg
Photo: Flickr
Mineral Wealth in the Democratic Republic of Congo: Blessing or Curse?
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), located in Central Africa, is a resource-rich nation that has been plagued by conflict for decades. It has been the site of ongoing violence and civil war in what is known as the deadliest crisis since World War II. The country possesses vast amounts of natural wealth but mineral wealth in the Democratic Republic of Congo is even more famous, including gold, diamonds and coltan (a mineral essential to manufacturing cell phones). It is currently sitting on approximately $24 trillion worth of raw minerals; however, it suffers from perpetual strife and endemic poverty.
How is it possible that such a resource-rich nation is so engulfed in crisis? What role has natural wealth played in destabilizing the DRC?
Oftentimes, in states with vast natural resources, greed abounds and corruption permeates the fabric of society. This relationship has its roots in colonialism in the case of the DRC. The DRC was once a colony of Belgium’s King Leopold II, who exploited the colony’s abundant resources. In 1960, the Belgian government abruptly awarded the colony its independence, resulting in a nation without the experience to govern itself efficiently. In its infancy, the nation suffered from civil war and dictatorship, both of which drained natural resources.
The bloody conflicts that have stained the DRC’s postcolonial history have been funded largely by mineral wealth. In the eastern part of the DRC, illegal trade of minerals, especially coltan and gold, helps finance rebel groups. The combination of ineffective governance and abundant mining opportunities have made it relatively easy to fund insurgency, especially in this region. The International Peace Information Services estimates that 57 percent of Congolese gold miners work with an armed group present. International corporations have often bought minerals obtained from unregulated mining from rebel groups. An estimated $1 billion in resource revenue has been lost due to these types of foreign companies. The majority of profits made from mining in the DRC is used to perpetuate armed conflicts or to line the pockets of CEOs in foreign countries. Most citizens, 63 percent of whom live below the poverty line, are harmed by the effects of the wealth that should benefit them.
Undoubtedly, the extensive mineral wealth in the Democratic Republic of Congo has been a curse. But how can this legacy of exploitation be reversed? How can the resources that have financed war be used to improve the lives of the Congolese?
There is still hope that the Democratic Republic of Congo will be able to reform itself. Between 1990 and 2015 the country’s Human Development Index increased 22 percent, proving that progress is not just possible; it is plausible. Through the cooperation of the DRC’s government, the international community, as well as the efforts of non-governmental organizations, the Democratic Republic of Congo makes strides toward achieving stability.
– Emma Bentley
Photo: Flickr
5 Facts About the Poverty Rate in Bulgaria
Poverty in Bulgaria has greatly impacted the culture. According to a EuroStat survey of EU satisfaction rates, Bulgaria is the least happy country in the European Union. After joining the EU in 2007, Bulgarians were hopeful that conditions would improve.
On the contrary, unemployment rates remained high and Bulgaria continued to be the poorest country in the Union. While the poverty rate in Bulgaria has not gone down as Bulgarians hoped it would, the economy is slowly and steadily improving.
Top Facts about the Poverty Rate in Bulgaria:
Although the poverty rate in Bulgaria is still high, the country is slowly improving and growing its economy. The year 2017 has shown some stagnation in growth, but the progress in 2016 indicates that more growth is on the way. Incomes are rising and, as this happens, happiness is also rising as people have more money to invest in contentment.
– Madeline Boeding
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