Although Canada stands as one of the world’s wealthiest nations, with above-average health care and education systems and a strong government, there is one deficit – its unbelievably high poverty rate. In fact, it was estimated in 2009 that 1 in 10 Canadians lived below the poverty line and half of Canadians were subsisting on less than $25,400. This is substantially less than a typical comfortable wage, which is $50,000. For a nation with a GDP of $1.674 trillion, the 17th best in the world, this number is startling. Considering Canada’s wealth, how can they use their financial situation in order to improve the lives of the nation’s poor?
There is no simple solution that can launch the impoverished into a better financial situation. Positive programs must be introduced in order to build a community that is focused on upward mobility and even then the process can be difficult. However, there are some proven methods to help decrease the homeless population and feed citizens who are hungry. The most important avenue towards lowering Canada’s poverty rate is through government assistance programs. As of 2014, Canada spent 15 % of its federal budget on welfare programs that include disability, housing, education, family and pension benefits.
Government aid in Canada is split into two categories: social security programs and social and welfare services. The first, social security, is used as a generic term referring to many different programs from health and education to family assistance, unemployment and old-age benefits. Old age social security benefits are especially helpful in Canada. The country’s Public Pensions System has three efficient components that ensure elderly citizens do not suffer in poverty. The first, Canada Pension Plan (CPP), is a compulsory and earnings-related program that provides income for retired and disabled workers and survivors. This is a very similar system to the United States’ Social Security program. However, the other two components of the Public Pensions system go a step further. Old Age Security (OAS) is nearly universal and is financed from general revenues and paid to almost every Canadian over the age of 65. This provides an extra step to make retirement more comfortable than the income supplied through the CPP.
Finally, the last component of the Public Pensions System tackles poverty head-on. The Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) is a benefit program that pays non-taxable income to low and moderate-income citizens over the age of 65. This guaranteed annual income is vital to keeping the elderly population above the poverty line, and Canada’s poverty rate relatively manageable. However, it could also be useful for the rest of Canada’s working population in the low to moderate-income bracket. Since this program is not financed by tax revenue, it would not hurt the rest of the population, and it would be a way for state and local government to use their revenue to truly help the citizens who are in need. This program only finances workers and retired former workers, so there would also be an incentive for Canadian citizens to work, rather than live off of government welfare.
While these social security programs provide benefits for all and are helpful at helping Canadians rise above the poverty line, the government’s social welfare or “personal” services are also available. These services operate under the assumption that, in order to ensure that Canada’s poverty rate continues to stay low, communities need to invest in their fellow citizens. Community-based services include daycare, home-delivered meals and even counseling. Through these programs, the government has developed the tools necessary to lower the poverty rate and keep its citizens happy and healthy. From healthcare to unemployment benefits, there are resources in place for Canadians at any time of their lives.
While Canada’s poverty rate is still relatively high, there is room for positive growth. If the government continues to invest in its citizens and Canadians invest in each other, there is a great chance that the poverty rate will continue to drop, and Canada will become an example for the rest of the world.
– Rachael Blandau
Photo: Google
10 Important Facts to Know About Refugees in Swaziland
As attention turns to the world’s refugee population, it becomes evident that this is a problem area that needs help. Africa alone holds more than 15 million refugees and accounts for a fourth of the world’s displaced population. Swaziland is no different, as the country has seen its fair share of refugees over the past decade. Listed below are 10 facts about refugees in Swaziland:
Despite numerous hardships of their own, the people who call this small monarchy in Southern Africa home continue to provide their fellow people of Africa a safe place to escape from difficult circumstances. Although they no longer host thousands of refugees, the country still continues to treat those they do house with respect.
– Rachael Blandau
Photo: Flickr
Studies Show Long-Term Effects of Poverty in Children
Recent research and behavioral studies focusing on children that grow up in conditions of poverty have indicated that the stress associated with that environment can have lasting negative effects. It has been long accepted in the field that spending one’s formative years in the tough circumstances associated with poverty can lead to learning and behavioral problems. However, these recent studies indicate something different: the long-term effects of poverty in children are not only potentially psychologically detrimental but also physiologically damaging.
Researchers and experts in the field have coined the term “toxic stress” to describe the prolonged activation of the stress response system when a child experiences strong, frequent or prolonged adversity. Children brought up in the harsh conditions of poverty are highly likely to be continually exposed to this type of toxic stress. The absence of protective relationships, physical and emotional abuse, chronic neglect, exposure to substance abuse and violence and the accumulation of family economic hardships all lead to the prolonged activation of the stress response system. This toxic stress, especially in the early formative years of a child’s development, can have highly detrimental effects on the individual’s health which follows them for the rest of their lives.
The most recent research suggests that toxic stress can lead to some of the major causes of the deadliest diseases in adulthood, such as diabetes and heart attacks. As Dr. Tina Hahn, a pediatrician, recently claimed, “The damage that happens to kids from the infectious diseases of toxic stress is as severe as the damage from meningitis or polio.”
Undergoing toxic stress can also lead to higher risks of internal inflammation; a 2015 study at Brown University found that the saliva of children who had experienced abuse or other hardships had elevated levels of inflammation markers. The effects of poverty in children can also potentially be deadly: one of the direst findings, from a 2009 study, found that adults with six or more adverse childhood experiences died 20 years earlier than those with none.
The findings of the adverse long-term effects of poverty in children have begun to lead to a change in approach on behalf of psychologists, pediatricians and educators. The American Academy of Pediatricians in 2016, for example, passed a policy urging pediatricians to routinely screen families for poverty and help them find food, homeless shelters and other necessary resources. Some schools have also begun to screen children for signs of toxic stress, in order to curb these harmful effects before they manifest themselves. This practice, unfortunately, is far from universal. However, as awareness about these findings grow and more studies reach similar conclusions, the professional — and public — attitude toward the issue of poverty is beginning to change, it is beginning to no longer be seen only as a socio-economic issue but as a fundamental humanitarian and health one.
– Alan Garcia-Ramos
Photo: Flickr
Why is Bhutan Poor?
Why is Bhutan poor? The landlocked country, located in the eastern region of the Himalayan Mountains, is one of rich culture and strong national pride. Despite the lack of infrastructure and small economy, Bhutan is considered to be the happiest country in Asia. It is also one of the poorest, with a striking poverty rate of 12%. Factors such as rugged landscape, lack of education and intangible government goals all contribute to answering this question: Why is Bhutan poor?
Difficult Landscape
Due to its location in the Himalayas, Bhutan’s terrain is extremely hilly and rugged. It also has no contact with any body of water. This makes movement throughout and beyond the country extremely difficult. The lack of mobility further impacts the ability of the Bhutanese government to make health care and education readily available throughout the country.
Lack of Education
Most children have to walk two to three hours to find a primary school. Consequently, 47% of the population above the age of six is uneducated. Without an education, finding a job becomes extremely difficult. Most jobs require specialized skills, so the impoverished Bhutanese population is often limited to either subsistence farming, trading or laboring.
Farmers, especially in rural regions, are severely limited in capital and resources and often work for the bare necessities. Given that 96% of the poor live in rural areas, most of them get stuck in a vicious cycle of poverty. Even if they were to get enough capital to produce more, due to inadequate access to markets, they would not be able to take part in much trade. Consequently, education certainly plays a big factor in answering the question, why is Bhutan poor?
Natural Disasters
Bhutan is often struck by natural calamities due to its mountainous landscape. Floods and landslides make it impossible for any major infrastructural development to take place. This also increases the cost of goods and services. These natural disasters also affect residents’ health by causing an increase in diseases such as malaria and tuberculosis. This can prevent already poor families from going to work and increase medical costs.
Despite these sub-par living conditions, the government continues to focus on Gross National Happiness instead of improving the economy. With such a large proportion of the population living under the poverty line, Bhutan must rise up and focus on tangible objectives.
Recently, the government has implemented legislation, such as the National Rehabilitation Programs and the Rural Economic Advancement Program, that aim to help needy individuals by giving them land and better socioeconomic opportunities. Bhutan may have a long way to go, but these programs have certainly propelled them in the right direction and away from the question: why is Bhutan poor?
– Tanvi Wattal
Photo: Flickr
The 2018 Federal Budget Threatens the Peace Corps
Most of the coverage of President Trump’s “America First” foreign policy has focused on budget cuts to foreign aid and drastic changes to USAID. Often overlooked among the alarming changes proposed by the president are the potential cuts to national service programs such as the Peace Corps. Since the 1960s, the Peace Corps has served as an important service that the United States offers to developing nations. The proposed 2018 federal budget threatens the Peace Corps with a 15% funding cut.
President John F. Kennedy founded the Peace Corps in 1961. The Peace Corps Mission has three goals: to help people in other countries; to encourage a better understanding of Americans; and for Americans to better understand others. The programs consist of three months of training and two years of service in an assigned country. Since its inception, almost 220,000 volunteers have served in 141 developing countries.
In the past half-century, the Peace Corps has run a variety of initiatives to meet the specific needs of developing countries. Peace Corps volunteers currently serve in over 60 countries, mostly in Latin America, Africa, Eastern Europe and Southeast Asia.
Ongoing initiatives include fighting HIV/AIDS; combatting hunger; protecting the environment and improving access to technology. One of the newest Peace Corps programs is Let Girls Learn. Led by former first lady Michelle Obama, this initiative aims to help girls around the world gain better access to education and prevent pregnancy at a young age.
The benefits of the Peace Corps go both ways. More than just providing foreign financial aid, the Peace Corps helps and instructs local populations to be healthier, more equitable and more sustainable. In turn, the volunteers that provide these services receive job and language skills in addition to an important cultural and learning experience.
President Trump cited balancing the national budget and emphasizing national security as reasons for the funding cuts. However, foreign aid funding currently takes up less than one percent of the national budget. This move is as unlikely to balance the budget as it is to strengthen national security. Goodwill missions like the Peace Corps improve U.S. relations with developing countries. And efforts that help stabilize these areas preempt extremism and other national security threats.
Assisting the Peace Corps is hardly most Americans’ top priority, but it is an effective government agency that benefits developing nations, young Americans and U.S. interests. Since the 2018 federal budget threatens the Peace Corps, U.S. citizens would do well to highlight the importance of the Peace Corps to their elected officials and urge them to secure Peace Corps funding in 2018.
– Bret Anne Serbin
Photo: Flickr/span>
Common Diseases in Bahrain
Bahrain is a nation in the Arabian Gulf consisting of a small archipelago. With a population of just over 1.3 million, Bahrain may seem small, but it has some large health issues. Cardiovascular diseases, cancers and diabetes pose the largest threat to health in Bahrain. These non-communicable diseases share many common risk factors that can be controlled in order to prevent disease.
Cardiovascular diseases are common in Bahrain. Twenty-six percent of all deaths in Bahrain can be linked to cardiovascular diseases. Cancer and diabetes are also prevalent diseases in Bahrain and each account for 13% of all deaths. Lung and bronchial cancers as the most common cancers in Bahrain.
Poor dietary behaviors are the largest contributing risk factor for all health issues in Bahrain. Eating a diet high in sodium and trans fats and low in whole grains, fruits and vegetables puts Bahranians at risk for cardiovascular diseases, obesity and diabetes. These diseases are also risk factors for one another, but all have links to poor diet.
Another key risk factor contributing to both cancers and cardiovascular diseases in Bahrain is tobacco use. More than 5,000 children and 185,000 adults use tobacco every day in the country. Four men and one woman are killed by tobacco-related diseases every week.
The Bahrain Cancer Society recognizes the importance of education about risk factors and taking preventative health measures. The government also has active plans and programs that are helping reduce tobacco use and promote healthy diets.
Landmark Group’s Beat Diabetes initiative, for example, is a program launched to help people recognize and prevent diabetes, which is also linked to cardiovascular diseases and shares many of the same risk factors. The initiative was started in 2009, and by 2015 it had reached over six million people throughout the Gulf states.
With preventative measures in place to combat non-communicable diseases and reduce risk factors for disease, Bahrain can reduce the prevalence of some of its most common diseases. Government programs and nongovernmental organizations’ initiatives aimed at preventing and recognizing early signs of disease already point to a hopeful future for Bahrain.
– Rilee Pickle
Photo: Flickr
Top Three Causes of Poverty in Niger
Ranked 167 out of 169 countries for the United Nations Humanitarian Development Index in 2010, Niger is one of the poorest and least developed countries in the world. Although the Nigerien government has made efforts to strengthen the economy by extracting gold, uranium and oil, Niger is still mostly dependent on agriculture. Causes of poverty in Niger include limited arable land, widespread illiteracy and agricultural vulnerability to climate shock.
An integral part of Niger’s culture is the hereditary system of distributing land. This system is not sustainable because the land becomes further divided with each generation. With less land and more mouths to feed, the hereditary system worsens the causes of poverty in Niger and further supports the need for educational reform in the country.
Less than one-third of Nigerien adults are literate. This can be attributed to the cycle of poverty formed in Nigerien homes. If the head of the household lacks a basic education, then the children in a family will most likely lack the same educational opportunities as their parents.
Poor access to schools as well as the responsibility to work the land instead of spending that invaluable time in school reinforces this cycle. Highly paradoxical in nature, this phenomenon lowers the chances of posterity for Nigeriens. They cannot attend school because they are forced to work to avoid starvation despite the fact that education would help to improve living conditions.
Given that most of Niger’s poverty is concentrated in rural areas, natural disasters and unpredictable climate patterns are especially threatening in areas such as Maradi and Dosso. Most of Niger’s crops are rain-fed and therefore are highly susceptible to severe droughts that are frequent in the area. This was evident during the 2010 drought that left 17% of Niger’s children acutely malnourished. Widespread malnutrition and starvation are the most striking signs and causes of poverty in Niger, especially considering children are often the most vulnerable during such food crises.
Plans for easing the toll poverty takes on Niger’s people are currently in place. By working with the U.N.’s Scaling up Nutrition program, the government is working to reduce malnutrition and starvation. However, accessibility to schools and lowering the rate of illiteracy must be at the forefront of the Nigerien government’s concerns if it is to ever reverse the causes of poverty in Niger.
– Kaitlin Hocker
Photo: Flickr
The Impact of the Radio Education Program for Lake Chad
Within the Lake Chad basin of Africa, there is a crisis occurring. This crisis includes the increasing rates of famine, floods and militia groups such as Boko Haram which threaten the lives of individuals across Niger, Chad, Cameroon and Nigeria. This situation has displaced 1.3 million children and has made it difficult for students to access schools. However, a new program initiated by UNICEF and Education in Emergencies is providing a radio education program for Lake Chad that will give over 200,000 children potential access to education.
Conflict in Lake Chad has been occurring since 2009, with Boko Haram leading attacks against civilians and using violence to ban schooling. In the past eight years, Boko Haram has closed over 1,200 schools and has murdered over 600 teachers, as well as forcing 19,000 educators to flee. With many schools destroyed and more facing threats, children have no way to safely access education.
The occupancy of Boko Haram, although the primary threat to students, is not the only challenge when it comes to accessing schools. Children also encounter difficulty in mobility due to the rainy season, which causes flooding. This threat is all in combination with overarching threats of famine and water-borne diseases. These factors work together to make achieving an education almost impossible.
The UNICEF-designed radio education program for Lake Chad is an essential service that will educate children in the most rural areas of the country. This innovative program will feature 144 lessons on literacy, numeracy and other critical information. These lessons will be broadcast in French as well as in the local languages of Kanouri, Fulfulde and Hausa. This tool will reach children that have no other way to access schooling.
A significant aspect of this program is that it will be accredited by the governments of Cameroon and Niger. This point means the children using this program will not fall behind in their schooling and may have the potential to receive a certificate validating their success.
The radio education program for Lake Chad will also be bringing communities together, as UNICEF will be encouraging radio listening groups to help children get the most out of each broadcast. This measure will also ensure that adults will allow children to use existing radios and help with guided listening.
Despite the circumstances that currently prevent children from attending school, humanitarian organizations continue to find a way to keep these students learning. This radio education program will provide quality lessons to children that may have otherwise been denied an education entirely, ensuring that education will remain a priority for even the most vulnerable populations.
– Kelly Hayes
Photo: Google
Water Quality in Uzbekistan Is Improving Gradually
As one of the largest countries in Central Asia with a population of 32 million, Uzbekistan is a regional economic and political leader. Recently, Uzbekistan has turned its attention to the pressing issues of environmental protection and water quality. In the last decade, water quality in Uzbekistan has been a main focus thanks to government and service providers’ efforts to expand and modernize the water sector across the country. Although access to an improved water source has declined by less than one percent, increased investment in water supply and sanitation has provided the foundation for reform in Uzbekistan.
Uzbekistan has amassed the largest borrowing portfolio for water projects of any Central Asian nation, including the Alat and Karakul Water Supply Project. Started in 2013 with financing from the World Bank, the project has improved quality and efficiency of water supply for more than 220,000 Uzbeks from the districts of Alat and Karakul in the Bukhara region. The World Bank has partnered with Uzbekistan since 1992, and its total commitments to the country exceed $1 billion.
The government has taken on these initiatives in response to the recent problems facing water quality in Uzbekistan, including water availability and pollution. More than half of Uzbekistani households do not connect to a piped water system; sewerage systems serve only 40% of the population. Much of the government’s efforts concentrate in the rural region of Karakalpakstan; it has some of the worst water quality in the country and has dealt with setbacks due to a uranium scare in 2008.
While the government-established State Committee for Environmental Protection has made limited efforts to curb water contamination in the last 15 years, nongovernmental organizations have spearheaded the effort to establish regulation to reduce harmful runoff and protect water resources.
Much of Uzbekistan’s economy relies on its environment, from its booming cotton industry to its oil and natural gas supplies. Environmental issues pose a threat to the country as a whole, with water availability as a top concern. Studies have shown that global warming may hit Central Asia the hardest in terms of temperature risings and potential drought. Uzbekistan must confront existing issues such as chemicals from cotton production contaminating freshwater, as well as future threats from climate change.
Though the government has acknowledged the extent of the country’s environmental problems, and the State Committee for Nature Protection has looked to contain environmental issues, grassroots organizations have called for the government to lay down further regulation and take more urgent action. Water quality in Uzbekistan has improved, but environmental issues threaten the country’s welfare if further action is not taken.
– Nicholas Dugan
Photo: Flickr
The Role of Government Aid in Reducing Canada’s Poverty Rate
Although Canada stands as one of the world’s wealthiest nations, with above-average health care and education systems and a strong government, there is one deficit – its unbelievably high poverty rate. In fact, it was estimated in 2009 that 1 in 10 Canadians lived below the poverty line and half of Canadians were subsisting on less than $25,400. This is substantially less than a typical comfortable wage, which is $50,000. For a nation with a GDP of $1.674 trillion, the 17th best in the world, this number is startling. Considering Canada’s wealth, how can they use their financial situation in order to improve the lives of the nation’s poor?
There is no simple solution that can launch the impoverished into a better financial situation. Positive programs must be introduced in order to build a community that is focused on upward mobility and even then the process can be difficult. However, there are some proven methods to help decrease the homeless population and feed citizens who are hungry. The most important avenue towards lowering Canada’s poverty rate is through government assistance programs. As of 2014, Canada spent 15 % of its federal budget on welfare programs that include disability, housing, education, family and pension benefits.
Government aid in Canada is split into two categories: social security programs and social and welfare services. The first, social security, is used as a generic term referring to many different programs from health and education to family assistance, unemployment and old-age benefits. Old age social security benefits are especially helpful in Canada. The country’s Public Pensions System has three efficient components that ensure elderly citizens do not suffer in poverty. The first, Canada Pension Plan (CPP), is a compulsory and earnings-related program that provides income for retired and disabled workers and survivors. This is a very similar system to the United States’ Social Security program. However, the other two components of the Public Pensions system go a step further. Old Age Security (OAS) is nearly universal and is financed from general revenues and paid to almost every Canadian over the age of 65. This provides an extra step to make retirement more comfortable than the income supplied through the CPP.
Finally, the last component of the Public Pensions System tackles poverty head-on. The Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) is a benefit program that pays non-taxable income to low and moderate-income citizens over the age of 65. This guaranteed annual income is vital to keeping the elderly population above the poverty line, and Canada’s poverty rate relatively manageable. However, it could also be useful for the rest of Canada’s working population in the low to moderate-income bracket. Since this program is not financed by tax revenue, it would not hurt the rest of the population, and it would be a way for state and local government to use their revenue to truly help the citizens who are in need. This program only finances workers and retired former workers, so there would also be an incentive for Canadian citizens to work, rather than live off of government welfare.
While these social security programs provide benefits for all and are helpful at helping Canadians rise above the poverty line, the government’s social welfare or “personal” services are also available. These services operate under the assumption that, in order to ensure that Canada’s poverty rate continues to stay low, communities need to invest in their fellow citizens. Community-based services include daycare, home-delivered meals and even counseling. Through these programs, the government has developed the tools necessary to lower the poverty rate and keep its citizens happy and healthy. From healthcare to unemployment benefits, there are resources in place for Canadians at any time of their lives.
While Canada’s poverty rate is still relatively high, there is room for positive growth. If the government continues to invest in its citizens and Canadians invest in each other, there is a great chance that the poverty rate will continue to drop, and Canada will become an example for the rest of the world.
– Rachael Blandau
Photo: Google
The Riecken Foundation: Building Libraries and Stability
The need for educational opportunities in Central America has not gone unnoticed. The Riecken Foundation was established to address this need. Since building its first library (the first of 65), the organization has paved the way for literacy and access to knowledge in Honduras and Guatemala.
For nearly 20 years, the Riecken Foundation has been building a network of community libraries across Honduras and Guatemala in often underserved, rural areas. Following a unique organizational model, the foundation has found long-term success by establishing libraries under strong community governance.
The foundation was born in 2000 out of the efforts of Susan Riecken and Allen Anderson. In the 1960s, Anderson worked as a Peace Corps volunteer in Honduras, and his experiences in Honduras stayed with him over the years. Upon his retirement from venture capitalism, Anderson partnered with Riecken to address the educational needs of Honduran and Guatemalan villages and to promote literacy in developing parts of the world.
Educational opportunity is limited in Honduras and Guatemala and contributes to poverty in both countries. Nearly one in five Hondurans live in extreme poverty, and, for many Honduran students, the chance of dropping out of school or repeating a grade is high. In Guatemala, 23% of the population lives in extreme poverty. Educational quality is poor, and, as a result, fewer than half of students meet national standards by sixth grade.
The Riecken Foundation exists to address these issues and much more. A Riecken community library provides a village with access to books and other free resources, such as technology, youth programs and technical workshops that would otherwise be unavailable.
While other rural libraries might suffer as a result of mismanagement or neglect, a Riecken community library is strengthened by leadership from engaged volunteer citizens who are supported by their municipal government and the Riecken Foundation. It is this collaboration that often ensures the success of a Riecken community library.
For those in rural areas, the library becomes a place to explore diverse ideas and develop community projects. The community is directly involved in the success of their library, and their active engagement in its success creates a sense of prideful ownership over it.
The Riecken Foundation has found that the libraries promote literacy and a better understanding of local government institutions and transparency. It is with this understanding, along with greater access to knowledge and resources, that rural villages in Honduras and Guatemala can begin to move away from poverty and toward a stable environment that fosters growth and prosperity.
– Jennifer Faulkner
Photo: Flickr