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Timeline of the History of Foreign Aid

History of Foreign Aid
The evolution of modern foreign aid efforts and expectations was not an overnight process. After centuries of progress, the concept of foreign aid transformed the from a military strategy to a humanitarian mindset. Below is a timeline of the history of foreign aid.

 

History of Foreign Aid

 

18th Century: Beginning as a means to hold leverage and ensure loyalty, Frederick the Great of Prussia began providing assistance to less affluent countries. Consequently, this allowed his own people to feel confident that they had the military backing of these allies.

 

19th and Early 20th Centuries: The European superpowers gave large amounts of money in aid to their colonies as a strategy to improve infrastructure and increase economic efficiency.

 

1947: The first major act of foreign aid arrives with the Marshall Plan. Following World War II, the U.S. funded over $13 billion to assist in the reconstruction of Europe. This plan also led to the development of the World Bank, IMF (International Monetary Fund) and the United Nations.

 

1956: The amount of United States foreign aid continued to increase after the success of the Marshall Plan. In addition, the Cold War caused the Soviet Union to use foreign aid as a tactic to gain support at home.

 

1960s: Japan produced an extensive foreign aid program. Additionally, Robert McNamara became the head of the World Bank in 1968 and began promoting the idea of providing aid to developing countries in the forms of health, education and sanitation. People began discussing foreign aid as an issue of morality.

 

The 1980s: Due to the economic setbacks following the recession in the 1970s, foreign aid slowed down during this time period. Economies needed to be restructured and that left less money for social improvement.

 

The 1990s: The Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, and this reestablished democratic values in many countries. Philanthropists such as Bill Gates and George Soros initiated developmental projects, drawing attention to the global need.

 

The Present: Since then, the World Bank has established two sets of millennium goals to end poverty, with the most recent deadline in 2030. The resources given and countries involved are the greatest in the history of foreign aid.

 

Although foreign aid has grown exponentially over the last century, there is still massive need that overpowers much of the world. However, organizations are working to increase the budget for foreign assistance and put an end to poverty once and for all.

– Emily Trosclair

Photo: Flickr

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10 Facts About Microloans

Facts About Microloans
Today’s world economy is dominated by big businesses and cut-throat hierarchies. Microlenders finance those who may be left out of the typical business model, such as underprivileged or under-qualified entrepreneurs, by giving them microloans.

There are numerous nonprofit microlenders that focus on helping aspiring businessmen and women enter the marketplace. Organizations such as Kiva, Zidisha, the Business Center for New Americans and Grameen America strive to provide clients with the loans they need in an educational and sustainable way.

 

Here are 10 Facts About Microloans.

 

  1. Microloans are typically for no more than $50,000, hence the prefix “micro.”
  2. Microloans allow new business owners to take care of startup expenses. It can be extremely difficult for entrepreneurs with little disposable income to receive funding to begin their projects, which is where microloans come in. Most microloans lay the groundwork that allows businesses to survive on their own. For example, an entrepreneur who is hoping to sell dairy products may need a small loan to purchase two cows. After making this purchase, the business owner may keep breeding the cows and selling their milk, becoming more and more financially independent and eventually repaying the creditors and turning a profit. In this case and many others, the initial loan is crucial to the entrepreneur’s eventual success.
  3. The requisites for obtaining a microloan are more attainable than those of a traditional loan. The process of choosing who receives microloans is generally more personal, according to the microlending nonprofit Accion. The organization states that “it’s about your character as a business person, not just your credit score.” Though traditional financial factors are considered, microlenders look at the whole picture.
  4. Nonprofit microlending organizations largely work to educate aspiring entrepreneurs in struggling communities or developing nations. In addition to helping with loans, these organizations aid in business training and often build strong relationships with their borrowers. This can help someone with little business background find footing in the small business world more easily. These microlenders tend to charge little to no interest, making them more accessible to more applicants.
  5. Different microlending organizations specialize in lending to different groups of people. For instance, Zidisha provides microloans to entrepreneurs in developing countries, whereas the Business Center for New Americans works specifically with refugees, immigrants and other marginalized Americans. Grameen America fights economic inequality by loaning to women stuck in systems of poverty.
  6. Some microloan organizations utilize crowdfunding. Kiva, for example, posts approved loan requests online. Supporters from all over the world can view vendor profiles and project descriptions and lend as little as $25 to each project. The vendors update their lenders as their businesses grow, providing evidence that lenders can use their economic privilege to help produce sustainable outcomes.
  7. To boost financial outreach and follow up on repayments, organizations like Kiva sometimes use field partners to facilitate transactions. These partners act as intermediaries between lenders and borrowers. A downside to these partner loans is that the partners may charge the borrowers interest. Kiva’s direct loans, on the other hand, are always interest-free.
  8. Microlenders must acknowledge that their loans will not always be repaid. Kiva recognizes that borrowers occasionally fail to move their businesses in lucrative directions and that repayments are not always possible. As a result, the goal for such an organization is that borrowers repay their lenders as much as possible, even if they cannot completely refund the original amount.
  9. Microlending preserves a sense of pride on the part of the borrower that donating does not always maintain. The recipients of microloans are not merely given their requested funds but rather enter partnerships with their creditors. They are responsible for what they do with the funds by the repayment system. Many organizations believe this is a more sustainable way to create economic change than donations.
  10. Microlending may seem small, but it can have community-wide effects. Microloans can have, as the Kiva website describes, a “ripple effect,” especially in developing communities. In whatever form they take, the loans generate empowerment and opportunities that can pervade the entirety of a borrower’s community.

Microloans are vital to the success of small business ventures around the globe, enabling businesses that would be ineligible to receive traditional loans to grow and thrive in the competitive market. These 10 facts about microloans show that anyone can be a microlender. Go to any of the previously mentioned organizations’ websites to learn more and make a difference in someone’s community today.

– Sabine Poux

Photo: Flickr

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Malnutrition and Hunger in Poland

Hunger Within Poland
One of the main challenges Poland faces today is malnutrition. Hunger in Poland is an issue every third child between the age of 7 and 15 suffers from, according to research done by Poland Human Resources.

In Warsaw, over 23,000 children suffer from malnutrition.

When diet fails to supply the body with the essential nutrients it requires, malnutrition results. This lack of nutrition exists predominantly in developing nations, but malnutrition is also an issue in developed nations. Protein-energy malnutrition, for instance, generally occurs in underweight children. In Poland, this type of malnutrition is seen in 1 percent of men, more than 3 percent of women and in 13 percent of children.

Poverty is the main cause of malnutrition and hunger in Poland. Nearly 7 percent of the Polish population lives below the poverty line. As a result, many of the poor have unhealthy diets, causing deficiencies in vitamin D, folate, vitamin C, calcium and iodine. Infants, teenaged girls and women are particularly vulnerable. Iron deficiency is also a problem in Poland, seen in about one-quarter of children and pregnant women.

The Polish Central Statistical Office recently released a report which reveals deteriorating living conditions for the working class. The report shows that more than half a million children suffer from hunger in Poland, as well as severe malnutrition. Other highlights from the report:

  • In 2009, 2.2 million Polish people lived in conditions of extreme poverty.
  • Over 170,000 Polish children suffer from malnutrition, which has slowed their growth and development.
  • More than 260,000 children start their days without breakfast. Additionally, more than 70,000 children only eat what they receive at school because they lack food at home.
  • One in five Polish children is malnourished.

These statistics are particularly relevant in small villages, where there are high rates of unemployment and social helplessness. Most of the children suffering from hunger and malnutrition have families that are at the edge of poverty.

The Polish government has focused on improving economic conditions for its people in recent years. It must do more to eliminate hunger and malnutrition for its children.

– Yana Emets

Photo: Flickr

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10 Facts About MERS-CoV and its Impact On Travelers


Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), which was first identified in the Middle East in 2012, is caused by the Coronavirus (therefore called Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome-Coronavirus or MERS-CoV). While MERS-CoV has been categorized as low-risk in the U.S., these 10 facts about MERS-CoV will help travelers in making informed judgments about travel and general precautions:

  1. Between 2012 and December 2016, 1,841 laboratory-confirmed cases of MERS-CoV have been reported to the World Health Organization (WHO), 80 percent of which have been from Saudi Arabia.
  2. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has issued a Level 2 Alert, signifying “Practice Enhanced Precautions,” for people traveling to the Arabian Peninsula.
  3. MERS-CoV is communicable in nature. However, it does not easily pass from human to human unless there is close contact, such as in a healthcare setting. Though we still do not know of the virus’s exact communication method, it is thought to be transmitted through an infected person’s respiratory secretions such as coughing.
  4. MERS-CoV is a zoonotic virus, which means that it is transmitted between animals and humans. Studies have shown that the virus has been transmitted to humans through direct or indirect contact with infected dromedary camels.
  5. The WHO recommends that people traveling to the Arabian Peninsula avoid contact with camels and are advised against drinking camel milk or raw camel urine and eating undercooked meat of any kind, especially camel meat.
  6. Once infected, a person shows symptoms like fever and cough with initial clinical features symptomatic of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).
  7. Outside of the Arabian Peninsula, the largest known outbreak of MERS occurred in the Republic of Korea in 2015. The patient zero for this outbreak was identified as a traveler returning from the Arabian Peninsula.
  8. MERS has been categorized as a very low-risk illness in the U.S. Only two positive cases have ever been reported in the U.S., and both of these cases were among healthcare providers who had worked in the Arabic peninsula.
  9. The mortality rate for MERS-CoV patients is around 35 percent. However, those that died have been known to have an underlying medical condition. Some of the reported pre-existing conditions included cancer, diabetes and chronic lung, heart and kidney disease. In addition, people with weakened immune systems are more likely to be infected or have a severe case of the disease.
  10. Most patients without any underlying pre-existing conditions exhibited mild or no symptoms and made a full recovery.

Since its first reported occurrence in 2012, epidemiologists have been trying to understand the patterns of the virus’s transmission from animals to humans. According to the WHO, the most urgent need is to understand better and identify the risk factors for the virus’s transmission so healthcare environments can be better equipped in case of another outbreak. Regardless, educating communities regarding these facts about MERS-CoV will help in establishing better surveillance and quarantines in the future.

– Jagriti Misra

Photo: Flickr

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Five Facts on Education in Benin


Centered between the countries of Nigeria and Togo, Benin resides on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean with a population of roughly 10 million. Education in Benin has been free for 10 years.

Benin has maintained a strong, democratic-style government since 1990 when it changed its name to the Republic of Benin. BBC News called the country “one of Africa’s most stable democracies.” Although Benin has a stable government, the country still faces plenty of issues.

Among these issues was the near-collapse of the economy in 1988, a 50 percent currency devaluation that caused inflation in 1994 and devastating floods that destroyed 55,000 homes, killed tens of thousands of livestock and displaced 680,000 people in 2010.

However, education in Benin has proved to be one of the bright spots of the nation’s domestic affairs.

Here are five facts about education in Benin:

  1. Education in Benin was declared free during an educational forum that took place in 2007. With free education, students are able to access Benin’s educational system that operates under 6-4-3-3-4 format. Students are taught in French, the primary language of the country, to start their educational journey by attending six years of primary school, followed by four years of junior high school, then three years senior high school, three years of a bachelor’s degree and finish with four years of a master’s degree. However, for students to pass junior high school, they must take the O-Level exam or Brevet d’Etudes du Premier Cycle: BEPC, and for students to pass senior high school, they must pass the A-level exam or Baccalauréat: BAC, which is the equivalent of a U.S. high school diploma.
  2. Education in Benin follows a numbered grading system. Similar to the letter-grading system, the number grading system ranges from 10 to 20 to determine a student’s level of classroom production. Averaging a 10 is good enough for a passing grade, 12 is a fairly good grade, 14-15 is a good grade, 16-17 is a very good grade and to score a 20 is excellent.
  3. Statistics of education in Benin demonstrate uneven gender enrollment, with the gross primary enrollment rate for boys at 88.4 percent opposed to 55.7 percent for girls, according to a survey conducted in 1996. Male students also maintain a better literacy rate between the ages of 15 and 24, with a 54.9 percent literacy rate, compared to female students who have a literacy rate of just 30.8 percent. The gap between male and female literacy rates worsens out of school, with the overall adult literacy at 40 percent, while only 25 percent of women are literate. Benin also ranks 35th out of 117 countries for having the most girls out of school, with 142,178 females not enrolled in primary or secondary school.
  4. State funding is the primary funding for education in Benin, and yet Benin saw a decline of the national budget towards educational spending between 1993 and 1999 when the percent of the national budget used for education dropped from 21.5 percent to 15.6 percent. However, during that same time span, primary education rose within the education budget from comprising 53 percent in 1993 to 60 percent in 1998.
  5. Education in Benin has also evolved into a variety of educational reforms. One of the earliest reforms took place in 1975 and was named a “new school” system, in hopes to democratize education, add more practical subjects to the curriculum and adapt to local conditions. Although the reform was beneficial for the first couple of years, the new school system reform was impacted by national and social crisis near the end of the 1980s that recorded a dropout rate of 31 percent in 1988 and 1989. Seven years later in 1996, the Government of Benin reconstructed the declaration on population policy. The impact of the revival of the national constitution was intended to support priorities in education, including progressively free-of-charge access to education, guaranteed equal opportunity for all and the fight against dropping out, especially for girls.

With all this said, education in Benin still faces an array of issues such as providing equal opportunity for education to women. Benin has made dramatic attempts to assure educational equality for all and needs to continue to put programs in place to ensure the future success of their educational system.

– Patrick Greeley

Photo: Flickr

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LDCs and the Reasons Why Foreign Aid Is So Important


Foreign aid is very important to many less-developed countries (LDCs) around the globe. It can have a substantial effect on their improvement by providing much-needed programs that provide jobs, healthcare and sustainability to the regions of the globe that need it most. Providing aid to LDCs can also promote positive outcomes for the country giving aid.

Here are 10 reasons why providing foreign aid to LDCs is so important:

  1. It can be used as humanitarian aid. This form of aid is generally given during times of great distress such as natural disasters until the state can support the disaster relief effort. The European Consensus on Humanitarian Aid categorizes humanitarian aid as a “…needs-based emergency response aimed at preserving life, preventing and alleviating human suffering, and maintaining human dignity wherever the need arises if governments and local actors are overwhelmed, unable, or unwilling to act.”
  2. It can help LDCs fight against diseases such as HIV/AIDS. HIV and AIDS are still a major threat in countries such as Africa and require support from other countries willing to help with the crisis. Organizations and governments around the globe, such as UNITAID and PEPFAR, provide aid to help fight HIV/AIDS in LDCs. A new plan submitted by UNAIDS projects the end of the HIV epidemic as a public health threat by 2030. The new plan would need $26.2 billion by 2020 and an additional $22.3 billion by 2030 to eliminate the disease.
  3. It helps with economic growth in LDCs. Aid is generally given in countries that are characterized as low income or that have high unemployment rates. This results in low savings and investments, meaning the capital stock is small. Countries that are provided aid need rapid economic development. Providing aid stimulates the growth of the world economy along with promoting economic development within the region.
  4. It can help with market expansion. Providing aid to a country could mean the expansion of goods and resources that can be shared between the two countries. This can attract new investors into the country further improving the LDCs economy.
  5. It helps with basic infrastructure in LDCs. Another key component to promoting a strong economy is the expansion of a well-developed infrastructure. Basic necessities such as transport, communication, power, education, health services and industry serve as key components to building a strong and long-lasting infrastructure.
  6. It helps promote improvements in agriculture. Aid can be used to teach farmers how to utilize their land and resources more efficiently to produce more crops. This, in turn, provides vitamin and nutrient giving foods to people living in LDCs.
  7. It can help with poverty relief. In 2013, 767 million people (10.7 percent of the world population) lived on less than $1.90 a day, well below the world poverty line. This is a drastic improvement from the 1.85 billion in 1990 and the number has gotten significantly better over the years. However, there is still much to do. Many of the global poor live in rural areas where they do not have access to adequate medical treatment and education.
  8. It helps LDCs grow and become more independent. By providing aid to promote health, education, and infrastructure, LDCs can focus more on growing their economies. By reducing the amount of disease and poverty, citizens of these regions will be able to flourish and contribute to the growth of the country.
  9. It promotes political ties. Aid can be used to establish and strengthen the connection between the donor and recipient countries. Aid is given to both LDCs and developed countries alike to promote solidarity and companionship.
  10. It makes the world safer. Providing LDCs with aid and development reduces the threat of terrorist organizations by alleviating poverty in susceptible countries. A study provided by the RAND Corporation concluded that development is a more effective strategy against terrorism than military force.

Providing foreign aid is, first and foremost, a humanitarian gesture. The aid’s ultimate goal is to support or stabilize an LDC until it is capable of supporting itself. When aid is provided, there are benefits for all participating nations involved way. In most developed nations, foreign aid is still an important part of the legislation and the conversation.

– Drew Hazzard

Photo: Flickr

Ugandan President: Fast-Track Initiative to End AIDS in the Region


Current Ugandan President, Yoweri Musevini, announced a new plan to reduce the number of people suffering from AIDS.

On June 6, 2017 in Kampa, Uganda, Musevini introduced the President Fast-Track Initiative on Ending AIDS as a public health threat in Uganda by 2030.

The President Fast-Track initiative has been dubbed “Kisanja hakno mchezo” (no playing games) highlighting the focus and devotion that President Musevini possesses for the program. It includes a five point plan for focused action against the spread of HIV and AIDS in the country.

President Musevini’s five point plan for the President Fast-Track Initiative:

  1. Accelerate steps to remove the propensity of new HIV infections (particularly among girls and young women and their partners.)
  2.  Eliminate the transmission of HIV from mother to child.
  3. Accelerate “Test and Treat” programs, bringing them up to 90-90-90 targets (obtaining a 90 percent for treatment, care and support by 2020).
  4.  Guarantee financial sustainability for HIV and AIDS programs.
  5.  Reinforce institutional effectiveness for a multi-sectoral response.

President Musevini took personal interest in the program and will receive reports in order to improve plans as they unfold. The Uganda AIDS Commission, along with leadership from President Musevini, will coordinate the initiative. UNAIDS, a leading UN agency in coordinating the HIV response, will have key leadership in the initiative.

Michel Sidibe, UNAIDS executive director, was in attendance during the announcement of the President Fast-Track Initiative: “For the millions of people who are not here today, they will be happy that their President is back in the driving seat of the HIV response, launching the first President Fast-Track Initiative. Once again, Uganda is leading Africa and the world to demonstrate that we can end the AIDS epidemic,” Sidibe said. “Under his leadership, Uganda is moving from breaking the conspiracy of silence to breaking the conspiracy of complacency.”

An estimated 1.5 million people suffered from HIV and 28,000 died from HIV and AIDS related illnesses in 2015. An estimated 40 percent of adults are still not on treatment due to mitigating factors, including access to medication, stigma and discrimination, an issue the President Fast-Track Initiative hopes to take care of.

Steps have already been put in place to reduce the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Uganda. According to UNAIDS reports, infections dropped to 83,000 in 2015, far lower than the 2009 estimated 130,000 people per year.

– Drew Hazzard

Photo: Flickr

Outbreak of Cholera in Somalia: A Public Health Concern


An outbreak of cholera in Somalia has resulted in a total of 28,408 cholera cases and 548 deaths thus far. In April 2017 alone, 2,745 cases of cholera were reported in Somalia by the Ministry of Health. From April 10 to 16, 28 cholera-related deaths were reported across 50 districts. The situation has been exacerbated by the worst drought experienced in decades, which has coincided with the cholera outbreak in Somalia.

Cholera is an acute diarrheal disease, which, if left untreated, can lead to death. It is caused by the bacterium Vibro cholerae. Consumption of contaminated food and water is the main cause of the disease. Malnourished children under the age of five are especially vulnerable.

Somalia is in the midst of a severe drought due to poor rainfall and a general lack of water. It has killed livestock and crops, leaving 6.2 of 12.3 million people in need of humanitarian assistance. The drought has greatly worsened the outbreak of cholera in Somalia.

Somalia’s humanitarian crisis is a combination of political conflict, food insecurity, displacement of people and limited health care. More than five million people are at risk of being affected by waterborne diseases, and three million people face food insecurity. The death rate has reached 14.1 percent among Somalis affected with cholera in Middle Juba and 5.1 percent in Bakool. Five hundred thousand Somalians have been internally displaced in search of water.

Dr. Adinnasir Abubakar, a cholera expert for the World Health Organization (WHO) emergencies program noted: “Ever since the drying up of the Shabelle and Juba rivers, people have been forced to move out and seek water in unfamiliar places.” The two rivers are Somalia’s perennial streams.

The Ministry of Health is working with the WHO to respond to this outbreak and implement preventive measures against cholera in Somalia. There have been integrated emergency responses in the Mogadishu, Bay and Gedo regions. Sixty health workers were trained by the Ministry of Health in cholera case management, surveillance, WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene) and risk communications.

The first oral cholera vaccination campaign began on April 18th and is set up to target 450,000 people over one year of age to fight cholera in Somalia. There are warnings by medical staff that the number of ill patients has exceeded hospital capacity in affected regions.

Cholera is a treatable and preventable disease. To prevent cholera deaths in Somalia, oral rehydration, antibiotics and intravenous feeding are needed. Somalia’s cholera outbreak is a wake-up call for the better implementation of water and sanitation infrastructure, promotion of hygiene practices and emergency aid need.

– Aishwarya Bansal

Photo: Flickr

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The Top 10 Political Podcasts and Why You Should Give Them a Listen


Everyone gets his or her news somewhere, but some sources are more reputable than others. Currently, six corporations control 90 percent of the media. On some of these stations, such as CNN or Fox News, owned by Time Warner and NewsCorp, respectively, there is little to no variety in the political ideologies promoted. However, political podcasts are usually smaller entities that aim to stay independent and provide multiple perspectives. I am an avid listener of several political podcasts and  use them for my news. Here are my top 10 political podcasts.

  1. My History Can Beat Up Your Politics with Bruce Carlson
    Coming in at the top of the list is Carlson’s interesting take on cable news’ relentless portrayal of all news as “BREAKING NEWS.” With terrorist attacks, issues of race, war and more, My History Can Beat Up Your Politics shows that most, if not all, issues are rooted in history. The podcast claims the makers “smash and bash the politics of today with a healthy dose of history.”
  2. The United States of Anxiety
    The presidential election of 2016 was so polarizing, so different and so unprecedented that many podcasts were dedicated to it entirely, and this is one of them. The United States of Anxiety makes it its duty to provide perspective in a time full of shouting, negativity and closed minds. The podcast brought voices from all sides of every debate, from politicians to people on the streets. While the podcast ended with the close of the presidential election, listening to it now provides a retrospective look into the election to figure out what happened and why.
  3. Politico’s Nerdcast
    This is simple, soft and relatively unbiased podcast on the current goings-on in politics by one of the most well-respected publications there is. Politico’s Nerdcast is hosted by individuals who would sit up on a Friday night and dissect political polls. They are heavily invested in politics and geek out about it just for you.
  4. Crooked Media’s Pod Save The World
    American foreign policy is important to The Borgen Project. We need to know all about it, we need to follow it and we fight for the improvement of it. For those who want to follow something that focuses entirely on foreign policy, Crooked Media’s Pod Save The World is just for you. It’s an honest and brash commentary on and analysis of everything foreign policy.
  5. Common Sense with Dan Carlin
    A frustrated, critical, cynical, sharp man is Dan Carlin, and his podcast follows suit. If you find yourself annoyed by the mass media relays, Carlin’s Common Sense may be an oddly pleasant choice for you. A self-anointed “Martian” to politics, Carlin’s independent viewpoint is never lacking. He is unabashedly honest.
  6. Slate’s Political Gabfest
    If you want professionals who have been living politics their whole life to tell you what is going on, Slate’s Political Gabfest is where you need to look. With legendary names like David Plotz, Emily Bazelon and John Dickerson, the podcast has its resumé ready to go.
  7. KCRW’s Left, Right, and Center
    At fourth on my top 10 political podcasts list, KCRW’s Left, Right, and Center is what I always look for: biased but fair commentary and analysis. As the podcast name suggests, it has three hosts, all self-proclaimed to be in one area of the political spectrum, and they tackle the week’s events. It’s arguably one of the best podcasts to listen to if you want reasonable perspectives from any side.
  8. NPR Political
    While I’m all for perspectives, sometimes I need simple, unbiased reporting. NPR Political is just that. The shows can even be around 10 minutes of just reports from the week. If you’re stuck in traffic and need a quick update, this show is for you.
  9. Crooked Media’s Pod Save America
    At second on my top 10 political podcasts and started by four people who have more than enough experience in the White House, Crooked Media’s Pod Save America is all for biased opinions. It feels like a real conversation you would be having with your own friends, except these people are more knowledgeable. Pod Save America promises “a no-bullshit conversation about politics.”
  10. Democracy Now!
    Democracy Now! is number 1 on my top 10 political podcasts for the sheer reason that it is what I believe corporate mass media should be. Democracy Now! is an unbiased news show that is quick, reports the news of the day, brings pundits who provide their own commentary or debate against other pundits and brings focus to grassroots organizations. From focusing on the Occupy movement to covering events overseas, Democracy Now! never misses a beat. However, the most incredible thing about the podcast is that it is run entirely on viewer donations. It owes no allegiance to any corporation or ideology. The makers are completely unsullied by money, so they can report the truth and only the truth.

– James Hardison

Photo: Flickr

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Girl Love: Lilly Singh’s Campaign for Girl’s Education

Girl Love
Girl Love began as a social media campaign by YouTube creator Lilly Singh in December 2015. Singh, along with other successful women like Grace Helbig and Lindsey Sterling, encouraged young girls to spread love, instead of hate, by complimenting other girls rather than insulting them.

Singh’s original video received more than one million views. Within a month of being uploaded, all the profits made from the video were donated to the Malala Fund, an organization which supports education for young women. After a successful first campaign, Singh aimed to do more for women’s issues and decided to take Girl Love further by starting her own fundraising campaign for girls’ education.

Singh partnered with WE charity, part of the ME to WE organization, a for-profit social enterprise that empowers people to work together to change the world. The WE charity donates 90 percent of its earnings to developing villages to help grow them into sustainable communities. For the Girl Love campaign, ME to WE created the Rafiki bracelet, outsourcing the labor for the creation of the bracelets to Kenya, and now sells the bracelets on the ME to WE online store.

Singh has been most invested in this project, saying how the Rafiki bracelets represent “not only being passionate about Girl Love but doing something about it.”

Today, the Girl Love campaign is empowering women to go to school and helping to build sustainable communities. 14,000 women in Kenya have jobs hand-crafting the Rafiki bracelets. These women use this income to get an education or to send their daughters to school and to afford necessities such as clothes and food.

When Singh visited Kenya and met some of the working women that make the bracelets, she was inspired by the impact that she had created. She spoke of how many people imagine that the problem is too big to fix, but how “when you come here and see the school and you see the mamas making these bracelets, and you hear them say, ‘my daughter goes to school because I’m making theses bracelets,’ then you know the problem is actually not too big to fix if you just start to fix it.”

– Deanna Wetmore

Photo: Flickr