The Republic of Seychelles is an archipelago of 115 low-lying, granitic islands in the western Indian Ocean. This sovereign country is a popular holiday getaway for tourists wishing to lounge on its stunning beaches; discover its diverse ecological system; and visit ancient volcanos. Water quality in Seychelles remains a major issue, however.
Though the Republic’s 1993 Constitution defines access to potable water as a basic right to all Seychellois, water shortage and pollution is a defining factor of the archipelago.
While local tap water meets World Health Organization’s specifications, the Seychelles Islands official tourism website advises visitors to drink bottled water because the chlorinated tap water may not be safe to drink. Furthermore, because water quality in Seychelles is variable in undeveloped areas, it is recommended that tap water be boiled, filtered or chemically disinfected before consumption.
The islands’ groundwater resources are extremely limited, and the terrain makes it even harder to procure fresh water. Due to the country’s prevailing granitic landscape, water that is available is often too hard and salty to consume.
Of course, rapid change in weather and rainfall patterns is a global phenomenon and is not uncommon to Seychelles. Shifting weather patterns directly affect the water supply and reduce the precious steam flow, making it difficult for groundwater to recharge.
Most of the water in Seychelles comes from hills and streams from the mountainside, flowing more freely during monsoon and rain seasons. As a result of heavy rainfall, storm surge, flooding and poor sanitation, the presence of water-related bacterial infections—including Campylobacter jejuni, small strains of E.coli, cholera and other contaminants—in the country’s water supply can cause traveler’s diarrhea, a term used to describe gastrointestinal infections caused by ingesting bacteria, viruses and protozoa.
Four desalination plants compensate for the water shortage during drier seasons and produce potable water. They help enhance water reliability of the three main islands. The country is not only managing its scarce water resources, but it is also searching for more water. Of course, water quality in Seychelles remains an accompanying concern.
Options such as drilling for underground water are currently being explored to supplement the existing surface water (usually accumulating on slippery rock fissures if not running off to sea) and add to the water supply of dams and desalination plants.
In November 2009, the Seychelles National Climate Change Committee embarked on an ambitious vision to engage all levels of the Seychellois society in combating the potentially disastrous effects of climate change.
The committee recognized that water resources in islands as small as Seychelles were “likely to be seriously compromised”—both due to growing demand and climate change —and predicted that Seychelles would be facing “serious water shortages in the near future.”
This was despite the presence of extensive water distribution networks that served about 87% of the population with treated water. Furthermore, an increase in surface air temperatures would result in reduced streamflow due to water evaporation and further exacerbate the problem of water supply.
By 2030, the water demand on the main island of Mahé is expected to grow by 130%. Currently, Seychelles can only meet 60% of its residents’ water.
Earlier this month, a ban on manufacturing, distribution and commercial usage of common plastic items—such as Styrofoam containers, utensils and cups—went into effect in an attempt to make Seychelles cleaner and more beautiful.
The Environmental Protection Regulations of 2017 restrict the importation of certain types of plastic bags and authorize importation permits for biodegradable bags. Treatment of wastewater is being upgraded through renovations of existing sewerage pumping stations and construction of five new ones, with a Sanitation Master Plan currently in the works.
Furthermore, a new Center for Ocean Restoration, Awareness and Learning (CORAL) opened in May 2017 on the island of Praslin to study, brainstorm ideas and increase awareness of the ocean-conservation efforts by bringing scientists and students together from all over the world.
Seychelles is the smallest African state, with only about 84,000 people. Its sustainable tourism model remains an example for the rest of the world. As the archipelago comes to terms with its water shortage and pollution problems, reliable and sustainable water supply remains as essential as ever. If the water quality in Seychelles can be improved, the quality of life of residents and tourists—and their future generations—will only become better.
– Mohammed Khalid
Photo: Flickr
Good Water Quality in Palau May Be in Danger
Palau’s main water sources are the Ngerikiil River and the Ngerimel Dam. The Ngerikiil River is a freshwater stream that is widely used for residential and agricultural purposes. The Ngerimel Dam has a storage capacity of 20 million gallons of water. Both water sources are well-protected and minimal human activity exists in the watershed area. The Ngerkiil River produces one million gallons per day and the Ngerimel Dam produces three million gallons per day.
The water is fed into the Koror-Airal water treatment plant for use by three-fourths of the population of Palau. The water is collected in a chamber called the “wet well,” where minerals are added. Then the water is pumped into a series of clarifiers in order to remove suspended solids.
Palau’s surface water, groundwater and coastal water qualities are facing challenges from pollution. Sedimentation is the main source of pollution and lowers the quality of surface water. The sedimentation is caused by poor erosion controls, loss of riparian buffers, and poor land-use practices. The groundwater sources are polluted by poorly maintained septic tanks, leaching from nearby landfills and saltwater intrusion. Coastal water quality is affected by land-based pollution, as well as by gasoline and oil from outboard motors and ships. According to the Pacific Water Community, the water quality in Palau may also face challenges such as sewage, chemical pollution and oil spills due to future development on the larger islands.
According to studies by the Pacific Water Community, the water storage and treatment process also has hidden trouble. The drinking water is facing the threat of chemical contamination. The water storage and treatment facilities do not have enough funds to purchase relevant equipment or to carry out repairs and maintenance.
Palau’s government noticed some of the pollution and has started to reduce the causes. The government is trying to improve land-use management within the watershed and drainage around roads to reduce the pollution in the surface water. A better filtration system will be added to the water treatment process to remove suspended solids. To prevent the catchment being affected by human and animal contamination, the Palau government is trying to establish stringent catchment management plans. The water storage and treatment facilities will receive more funding in the near future for better equipment.
In conclusion, the water quality in Palau is not a problem so far. However, it will become a huge problem for Palau’s citizens in the future if the pollution continues. The water quality problem needs more attention from Palau’s government.
– Mike Liu
Photo: Flickr
Water Quality in Seychelles
The Republic of Seychelles is an archipelago of 115 low-lying, granitic islands in the western Indian Ocean. This sovereign country is a popular holiday getaway for tourists wishing to lounge on its stunning beaches; discover its diverse ecological system; and visit ancient volcanos. Water quality in Seychelles remains a major issue, however.
Though the Republic’s 1993 Constitution defines access to potable water as a basic right to all Seychellois, water shortage and pollution is a defining factor of the archipelago.
While local tap water meets World Health Organization’s specifications, the Seychelles Islands official tourism website advises visitors to drink bottled water because the chlorinated tap water may not be safe to drink. Furthermore, because water quality in Seychelles is variable in undeveloped areas, it is recommended that tap water be boiled, filtered or chemically disinfected before consumption.
The islands’ groundwater resources are extremely limited, and the terrain makes it even harder to procure fresh water. Due to the country’s prevailing granitic landscape, water that is available is often too hard and salty to consume.
Of course, rapid change in weather and rainfall patterns is a global phenomenon and is not uncommon to Seychelles. Shifting weather patterns directly affect the water supply and reduce the precious steam flow, making it difficult for groundwater to recharge.
Most of the water in Seychelles comes from hills and streams from the mountainside, flowing more freely during monsoon and rain seasons. As a result of heavy rainfall, storm surge, flooding and poor sanitation, the presence of water-related bacterial infections—including Campylobacter jejuni, small strains of E.coli, cholera and other contaminants—in the country’s water supply can cause traveler’s diarrhea, a term used to describe gastrointestinal infections caused by ingesting bacteria, viruses and protozoa.
Four desalination plants compensate for the water shortage during drier seasons and produce potable water. They help enhance water reliability of the three main islands. The country is not only managing its scarce water resources, but it is also searching for more water. Of course, water quality in Seychelles remains an accompanying concern.
Options such as drilling for underground water are currently being explored to supplement the existing surface water (usually accumulating on slippery rock fissures if not running off to sea) and add to the water supply of dams and desalination plants.
In November 2009, the Seychelles National Climate Change Committee embarked on an ambitious vision to engage all levels of the Seychellois society in combating the potentially disastrous effects of climate change.
The committee recognized that water resources in islands as small as Seychelles were “likely to be seriously compromised”—both due to growing demand and climate change —and predicted that Seychelles would be facing “serious water shortages in the near future.”
This was despite the presence of extensive water distribution networks that served about 87% of the population with treated water. Furthermore, an increase in surface air temperatures would result in reduced streamflow due to water evaporation and further exacerbate the problem of water supply.
By 2030, the water demand on the main island of Mahé is expected to grow by 130%. Currently, Seychelles can only meet 60% of its residents’ water.
Earlier this month, a ban on manufacturing, distribution and commercial usage of common plastic items—such as Styrofoam containers, utensils and cups—went into effect in an attempt to make Seychelles cleaner and more beautiful.
The Environmental Protection Regulations of 2017 restrict the importation of certain types of plastic bags and authorize importation permits for biodegradable bags. Treatment of wastewater is being upgraded through renovations of existing sewerage pumping stations and construction of five new ones, with a Sanitation Master Plan currently in the works.
Furthermore, a new Center for Ocean Restoration, Awareness and Learning (CORAL) opened in May 2017 on the island of Praslin to study, brainstorm ideas and increase awareness of the ocean-conservation efforts by bringing scientists and students together from all over the world.
Seychelles is the smallest African state, with only about 84,000 people. Its sustainable tourism model remains an example for the rest of the world. As the archipelago comes to terms with its water shortage and pollution problems, reliable and sustainable water supply remains as essential as ever. If the water quality in Seychelles can be improved, the quality of life of residents and tourists—and their future generations—will only become better.
– Mohammed Khalid
Photo: Flickr
The Cost of Living in Cyprus
Cyprus is a small island in the Eastern Mediterranean and is the third-largest and third most populated island in the Mediterranean. Despite being an island, the cost of living in Cyprus is relatively low. The prices are about 25% lower than those in other Northern European countries.
There are many inexpensive commodities in Cyprus, such as the local seasonal fruit. Rent and utility bills are also relatively cheap on the island, especially water bills and electricity. Basic utilities are usually around 128 euros a month. The more expensive commodities in Cyprus are internet access, milk and clothing. Most of the milk is imported to the island, which raises the price. There are very limited options for clothing, and most are very expensive. Online shopping is an option, but internet costs upwards of 42 euros per month, making it a luxury.
A comfortable net income in Cyprus is between 10,251.61 euros and 11,960.21 euros annually. After the euro was introduced to the island, the prices there rose overall. The euro is still fairly new, so not everything has been affected yet, but the prices are predicted to rise further, including those of produce, utilities and clothing.
The island has a slow pace of life, which refers to the rate at which commodities are fixed when they break. People go days or weeks without electricity when there is an outage because the relaxed pace of life means that the electricity is not a top priority. This lifestyle can be nice but also has its downsides, especially with the unemployment problem in Cyprus.
This lifestyle and high unemployment rate both affect the cost of living in Cyprus. Cyprus has a lack of available jobs, which affects the country’s economy and its citizens’ decision-making. With the decreased income and the increasing cost of living in Cyprus, limitations are placed upon decision-making. Less becomes affordable for families and, in turn, can increase poverty rates. The unemployment rate has shrunk the economy, impacting the cost of living in Cyprus.
A somewhat positive impact on the country’s cost of living in Cyprus is the low transportation costs. Buses are cheaply available, but there are no active train systems, and these buses are unreliable. Most people rely on private taxis, instead of the bus systems, but these are more expensive. The citizens have been informed that a train system will be installed within a 15-year time frame.
Luckily, housing is quite affordable in Cyprus. The ultimate problems for the country are unemployment and price increases due to the introduction of the euro. These problems should be the focus of improving the cost of living in Cyprus.
– Katelynn Kenworthy
Photo: Pixabay
Healthcare Addresses Some Common Diseases in Denmark
Denmark is one of the smaller countries in Europe and has a very good healthcare system. Some of the common diseases in Denmark are also some of the deadliest. However, with the system and care in place, there has been a decline in many of the major diseases that strike the country.
Denmark possesses one of the better healthcare systems in the world, ranked 34 out of 191 countries, according to the World Health Organization. Denmark provides universal healthcare access to all citizens in the country. The government and those within the system promote the availability and it is financed by a national health tax that is set at 8%.
The life expectancy in Denmark is about 85 years for females and about 80 years for males. Both of these numbers have risen over the last few years and slowly improved that has seen a rise along with Denmark’s health system. Both ranks in the higher end of the worldwide life expectancy rankings, yet this is still behind some of the other European nations. The rise is still a testament to the fantastic health services that are available to the people of Denmark.
The majority of common diseases in Denmark are noncommunicable and are mostly heart diseases and different types of cancers. The only major communicable disease in Denmark is a lower respiratory infection.
The various types of cancer are one of the common diseases around the world and also one of the most common diseases in Denmark. Denmark was named the cancer capital of the world. There are lifestyle factors that affect the numbers and inflate the number of cases each year and the country still has one of the highest cancer rates around the world. The high rates can be tied to smoking and other lifestyle habits that are not healthy and can contribute to the onset of the disease. There are scientists that estimate nearly one-third of most of the cancers can be prevented by eliminating these risks.
Heart disease is the leading disease in Denmark. However, in recent years there was a significant fall in its occurrence. In 2014, there was a 70% decline in Danes who died from heart disease. There is not another state in the EU that recorded that big a drop off in mortality rates for cardiovascular disease.
The most common diseases in Denmark include some of the most common around the world. It is a great healthcare system that helps the Danes through the diseases and on to a healthier life.
– Brendin Axtman
Photo: Flickr
Water Quality in Estonia Threatened by Groundwater Pollutants
While the water quality in Estonia is good when it comes to tap and bottled water, the quality of the country’s groundwater faces threats from pollutants.
Here are some key facts about the water quality in Estonia:
According to a 2014 study, researchers found that the average Estonian consumed 45 liters of bottled water each year.
Astrid Saava, an emeritus professor at the University of Tartu Department of Public Health, said that in Estonia, bottled water and tap water are fairly similar in respect to their quality.
“There is no significant difference between bottled drinking water and tap water in Estonia,” Saava said. “Both originate from underground water pumped through artesian wells. It’s just that the bottled water costs 500 to 1,000 times more.”
For this reason, Savaa added, it is often more cost-effective to forgo purchasing bottled water.
A slight taste difference between tap and bottled water might be observed in Tallinn, where tap water is sourced from Lake Ülemiste. Some have noted that water originating from the source may taste “inferior” to that of underground water in the region, according to the article.
Despite tap and bottled water being similar in quality in Estonia, for those living in the region it is recommended that they purchase bottled water if they think their countryside source may be polluted.
According to a study conducted by Tallinn University of Technology and the National Institute of Chemical Physics and Biophysics, surface waters are often subject to pollution. The study focused on drained peat areas, or swathes of organic wetlands, where there are significant stores of nitrogen.
In Estonia, eutrophication, or the presence of abnormally high concentrations of nutrients from watersheds, is one of the “most important problems for surface waters” in the region, according to the study.
Researchers found that past evaluations underestimated the impact of soil amelioration (supplements added to improve soil quality) on the intensive pollution of surface water. Previous evaluations attributed pollution and eutrophication to fertilizers and livestock in the area. According to the study, there is little evidence to back this theory.
In Estonia, the management of freshwater sources and their protection falls under the umbrella of the Ministry of the Environment, which coordinates the Decision-Making Environmental protection.
The country’s water department specifically overseas the condition and sustainable exploitation of the groundwater and other bodies of water in the region. Estonia’s water policy follows that of the European Union.
Estonia in particular enforces several legal provisions that support sustainable development, according to a release from the United Nations. Such policies focus on aspects such as the quality of the water in the river basins.
The water quality in Estonia near inland water bodies and coastal sea improved over the past ten years, according to the National Environmental Monitoring Programme.
Despite these improvements, rivers, like several that flow into the Gulf of Finland, are in need of improvement with respect to water quality.
– Leah Potter
Photo: Flickr
Military Violence and Its Effects on Global Poverty
Military action can seem to be the logical fix to solving many of the issues of poverty-stricken areas. Because these areas are so susceptible to violence, it might seem like the authority of a powerful military could be the solution. However, military involvement might actually be having the opposite effect and contributing to global poverty.
It continues to remain an unanswered question: are countries poor because they are violent or violent because they are poor? According to the World Bank’s World Development Report, although there are several contributing factors to poverty, violence is becoming the primary one.
While on the surface it appears that these countries have fallen vulnerable to a poverty trap, the World Development Report suggests that there is something deeper than the poverty trap. Beneath the poverty trap is a violence trap that puts a constraint on the development of countries living in poverty. While peaceful countries are able to escape poverty, countries affected by military violence remain impoverished and sometimes even worsen.
One form of military violence that has severely hurt 39 impoverished countries is civil war. All 39 of the countries that were involved in a civil war since 2000 have also had one in the last three decades, according to The Economist.
Although not many countries suffer from civil war, it causes enough of an impact on global poverty to create lasting damage. Following many civil wars is extreme gang violence. Today, more people are murdered in Guatemala per year by gang violence than from military violence during the country’s civil war in the 1980s.
The countries involved in civil wars — as well as interstate wars and coups — experience more poverty issues than they did in the past. Today, fewer countries experience this type of military violence, but the ones that do are suffering repeatedly.
According to The Economist, citizens in these countries are more than twice as likely to be malnourished, three times as likely to miss primary school and almost twice as likely to die in infancy as people in other developing countries.
Increasing military involvement is leading to increased poverty in these already poor countries because they do not have the financial stability or unity to develop after these wars. People’s homes and communities are destroyed as well as the little food that was once available to them. As a result of this military violence, poverty increases to incredibly dangerous levels.
While countries are spending more money on militaries than they ever have in the past, funding for necessities such as food, education and healthcare is being put on hold. Military involvement has an impact on global poverty for the violence it entails, but it also contributes to the brutality of poverty.
As stated in Bainbridge Island Review, “every dollar spent on weapons and war is a dollar not spent on food, education, health care and the environment.” Thus, peaceful countries are more capable of reducing poverty because they are putting funding toward helping people rather than fighting.
Although military involvement can seem like a plausible solution to finding peace in countries living in poverty, the violence it ensues contributes to the issues of poverty that caused the military involvement in the first place.
To put an end to this vicious cycle, less military involvement and more participation in funding for food, education and other necessities in countries living in poverty can reverse the damage that has been done by repeated military violence. As stated in The Economist, “Violence, it seems, is always with us, like poverty.”
– Kassidy Tarala
Photo: Flickr
Social-Ecological Model Offers New Approach to Public Health
People do not act in isolation, which is why it is important to understand the ways they interact with their communities and environments, in order to determine why they do what they do.
One way of measuring these networks of interactions is the Social Ecological Model. This model, developed by sociologists in the 1970s, studies how behaviors form based on characteristics of individuals, communities, nations and levels in between. In examining these intervals and how they interact and overlap, public health experts can develop strategies to promote wellbeing in the U.S. and abroad.
The Social-Ecological Model is broad in scope. Each level overlaps with other levels. This signifies how the best public health strategies are those that encompass and target a wide range of perspectives. A public health organization may struggle to promote healthy habits in a community if it does not take into account how other factors play into the behavior of the community as a whole.
Different organizations use variations of the Social-Ecological Model organizational hierarchies in a given society. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) sometimes uses a four-level model, while UNICEF’s model has five levels. Here is the layout of UNICEF’s model and its application in a public health context:
The Social-Ecological Model is useful in the creation of sustainable solutions for at-risk individuals and societies. One approach to public health that considers many of the model’s levels is the practice of social change communication (SCC). Communities use SCC to facilitate discussions about beneficial and harmful practices in societies and to encourage people to speak about individual and communal problems. A health-based SCC discussion could cover anything from strategies developed to reduce pneumonia rates in babies to changing an outdated and potentially harmful social ritual.
SCC allows individuals and communities to influence shaping fairer, healthier societies. Its use of the Social-Ecological Model ensures that the strategies it develops are implemented across society.
Through SCC and other approaches, public health organizations are creating long-term solutions to the problems that plague individuals, societies and countries today. Only in understanding the numerous factors that influence harmful behavior can experts hope to tackle such problems effectively.
– Sabine Poux
Photo: Flickr
Water Quality in Timor-Leste
One of the themes common to countries struggling with poverty is the ability of the population to have access to clean water and sanitation. The people of Timor-Leste are no different from the millions of others around the world who battle with this problem daily. Water quality in Timor-Leste is concerning, compounding many of the issues the country faces.
In Timor-Leste, the majority of freshwater comes from two sources, groundwater and surface water. Often abundant in areas, groundwater is largely underutilized in the country, whether down to a lack of finance, technology or other insurmountable problems. Surface water, on the other hand, is far easier to acquire, yet it also has a number of problems attached to it.
The issues associated with groundwater can be attributed to several factors. A lack of funding for the initial development of water supply presents a large obstacle. The unavailability of spare parts for maintenance is another issue, particularly in rural areas. A third problem is the lack of technical knowledge within the country to successfully implement such plans.
Those who gather water from the surface are often faced with a different set of problems. A recent WHO study into water quality in Timor-Leste showed that as much as 70% of water sources were contaminated with microbiological entities, often holding potential for spreading diseases such as typhoid and cholera. Contaminations such as this are partly the result of a lack of effective sewage systems, with much of the country’s waste being disposed of in rivers and fields.
The lack of access to clean water has created additional strain on the limited healthcare system in Timor-Leste. Respiratory illness is widespread, as are malaria and dengue fever, with water quality often cited as the problem. For young children, diarrhoeal diseases, the largest killer of those under five, are similarly common, often causing complications that can have long-term negative effects on the younger population.
Despite these problems, however, progress has been made with several organizations targeting the water problem in Timor-Leste as part of their global strategies. Water Aid has trained many Timorese in servicing water points, enabling expertise, which allows the people to become self-sufficient. Its efforts in recent years have enabled 2,672 people to access clean water.
In addition, the World Health Organisation has provided support for studies, in collaboration with other NGOs, governments and Timorese societies. They have also supported the training of the populous in water safety processes. Through the assistance of UNICEF and the European Union, more than 37,000 people across multiple districts were given access to clean water through the installation of new water supply systems. Training into the managing and maintenance of these systems was also provided, enabling autonomy for the people of these districts.
The problems facing Timor-Leste are no doubt difficult to overcome. A government target for 2020 will cost an estimated $40 million each year to attain. In spite of this cost, however, steps do appear to be being made to ensure water quality in Timor-Leste in future years.
– Gavin Callander
Photo: Google
How to Help People in Turkey
Turkey’s lower-class faces issues of poverty that affect the country’s food security, schools, economic development and more. In particular, an influx of Syrian refugees over the past few years has put stress on the country’s economy.
Approximately three million refugees live in Turkey, the majority coming from Syria. Approximately 260,000 of Syrian refugees living in Turkey still reside in camps and are not fully integrated into community life. Whether a person is from a large nonprofit or a small family, here’s how to help people in Turkey.
The World Food Programme is an organization that focuses on combating global hunger. It reports that high volumes of refugees entering Turkey have led to a 30% increase in the size of host communities. This, according to the organization, puts a hefty strain on local markets and infrastructure. A strain is also created by informal migration, according to the World Food Programme. In fact, in 2015 approximately 885,000 people entered Europe through Turkey. The International Rescue Committee began working in Turkey in 2013. They focus on how to help people in Turkey with respect to education, safety, economic status and legal aid.
President Trump’s travel ban prohibits refugees from countries like Syria from entering the U.S., thus making them more likely to inhabit a close neighboring country like Turkey. An increase in Turkey’s refugee population has the potential to seriously weaken the country’s economy. Signing petitions, making regular calls to federal representatives and spreading public awareness about how the travel ban affects countries like Turkey are important strategies.
One of the most pressing issues in Turkey is the large presence of Syrian refugees. Even without the backing of a large organization working to combat poverty, there are still several approaches one can take when considering how to help people in Turkey.
– Leah Potter
Photo: Google
The Educational Challenges of the Dominican Stateless
The Dominican Republic denies thousands of children access to education due to nationality laws rendering them stateless. The educational challenges of the Dominican stateless, many of them of Haitian descent, are both varied and continuous.
Since the 1990s, many Dominicans of Haitian descent have encountered difficulties proving their citizenship. A court ruling in 2013 exacerbated these struggles by retroactively declaring immigrants and their descendants to be noncitizens from 1929 forward. This left generations of Dominican people unable to receive healthcare, education or employment, most of which require proof of citizenship.
A report from the Georgetown Law Human Rights Institute gathered information about the educational challenges of the Dominican stateless through interviews and analysis of the Dominican Republic’s education policies. According to the report, schools refuse to enroll students or administer state examinations without birth certificates or proof of nationality. Bureaucratic hurdles and arbitrary enforcement of the nationality law stall the efforts to remedy this.
A consequence of the Dominican stateless’ inability to attain an education is a lack of high-quality jobs. The Guardian discusses how many migrant descendants work in menial jobs like domestic work by force. Employers also often subject them to abuse or long hours due to the lack of legal protections.
The educational challenges of the Dominican stateless especially affect young people. Yolanda Alcino, a young Dominican descended from Haitian migrants, told The Guardian how she and other Dominican stateless are “discriminated against, and without education, without work, life is more difficult in almost every way.”
In response to this issue, Dominican stateless have protested for their rights. Young people have met with government officials and developed petitions that implore the government to uphold equal rights.
International governments and organizations have also condemned the Dominican Republic for its actions and inaction. As reported in Refugees Deeply, although the country has adopted the New York Declaration, it has not honored the Declaration’s requirement of providing education to all youth.
The domestic and international response to the educational challenges of the Dominican stateless has helped influence the Dominican Republic to modify nationality laws. According to Refugees Deeply, the country will acknowledge the children of undocumented immigrants as citizens if they have a verified birth certificate or go through the process of naturalization.
Despite this, the processes have the same problems: they require too much time and are arbitrarily applied. With the legal, vocational, economic and educational challenges of the Dominican stateless, the Dominican Republic has a lot to remedy.
– Cortney Rowe
Photo: Pixabay