Off the coast of Newfoundland in North America lie the islands of Saint Pierre and Miquelon, a French territory with a rich history and a poor economy. The island is home to around 5,000 people, of which 78% are of working age.
Poverty in Saint Pierre and Miquelon
Poverty in Saint Pierre and Miquelon has increased due to the islands’ reliance on a fishing industry affected by overfishing and changing global climatic conditions. The fishing economy downturn, which has caused the present state of poverty in Saint Pierre and Miquelon, threatens to prevent the expansion of clean water infrastructure and, by extension, sanitation.
Once bustling epicenters notorious for their pivotal role in illegal alcohol importation into the United States (U.S.) during prohibition, these islands are now faced with a severe lack of economic stimulus, causing a certain level of stagnation in the territory.
Poverty in Saint Pierre and Miquelon can largely be attributed to its suffering fishing industry, which is under pressure from competing for Canadian commercial fishing, changing climatic conditions and general overfishing. Fishing, on both the commercial and local scale, provides the livelihoods of 41% of the territory’s population. This means that any fluctuation in fishing profits directly influences the standard of living for almost half the territory’s population.
Economic Struggles
Although the islands of Saint Pierre and Miquelon are a territory of France, a country with one of the highest nominal gross domestic products (GDPs) in Europe, the islands are far away from entertaining the standard of living enjoyed by the landlocked French. France is responsible for much of the existing infrastructure and development on Saint Pierre and Miquelon. However, France lacks the fiscal budget or political interest to fully incorporate the islands, forcing it to find new ways to expand its economy to accommodate its growing population and standard of living.
The Impact of Tourism
Tourism is one sector Saint Pierre and Miquelon could potentially utilize as a respite from the fishing industry’s contracting revenues. With the territory’s intriguing smuggling history and its arguable position as the last true French outpost in North America, the potential for a thriving tourism economy is present.
Tourism can alleviate poverty in Saint Pierre and Miquelon by creating new jobs and opportunities for its working population, resulting in the country’s overall economic growth. Tourism can also lead to the development and establishment of new infrastructures, including health care centers and schools, which could ultimately benefit the nation’s population.
Final Remark
According to the World Bank, the tourism industry can assist developing nations like Saint Pierre and Miquelon in diversifying their economies and markets, creating new opportunities for their citizens. Therefore, by developing its tourism sector, the government of Saint Pierre and Miquelon can create new opportunities for its population, ultimately lifting them out of poverty.
– Spencer Linford
Photo: Flickr
Updated: June 01, 2024
What You Don’t Know: 10 Facts About Poland’s Refugee Efforts
The refugee crisis is one of the biggest impacting the world, Europe in particular. With a prominent history of accepting refugees after the collapse of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (U.S.S.R.), Poland today is playing a surprisingly limited role. Here are 10 facts about Poland’s refugee efforts.
Poland’s refugee efforts, or lack thereof, have led many nations to questions the future of Poland’s power and influence in the EU. Additionally, Poland’s relations with Russia will remain in question until Poland becomes active in the refugee crisis.
– Mary Waller
Photo: Flickr
World Economic Forum on Africa 2017
In early May, South Africa hosted the 27th World Economic Forum on Africa, which promised, “achieving inclusive growth through responsive and responsible leadership.”
Various business and government leaders gathered in Durban, South Africa to discuss some of the economic challenges that Africa is facing, as well as Africa’s stance on the global economy and the fourth industrial revolution.
It is estimated that over 40 percent of people on the continent of Africa are living in poverty. The World Bank states that even the most optimistic calculations show about 330 million poor Africans in recent years. Additionally, the host nation, South Africa, has experienced sluggish economic growth recently. With all of the progress to be made in Africa, “inclusive growth” being the staple of this forum is vital, as sub-Saharan growth is at the lowest levels seen in 20 years.
This year, South African President Jacob Zuma urged the youth in Africa to aid in the realization of the Africa Union’s Agenda 2063, as it has been a focal point that the younger generation holds the key to the future of Africa.
Another key point made from this World Economic Forum on Africa was from South African’s Finance Minister, Malusi Gigabi. Gigabi warned that the Brexit and an increase in protectionism could reduce growth in Africa by reducing international trade.
One of the highest profile speakers was actor and UNESCO Special Envoy, Forrest Whittaker, whose message was regarding the young people who save lives in war-ridden communities in South Sudan.
Benedict Oramah, President of the African Export-Import Bank, pushed for an increase in intra-regional trade, as only 15 percent of African trade is region-to-region. He went on to say, “we are poor because we are not trading amongst ourselves.”
Overall, the acknowledgment of the current economic problems and the multiple plans on trade and increasing jobs for African youth are good for the reduction of poverty long term. It is necessary that these plans are held up, as some of the countries in Africa have seen the least rates of growth and poverty reduction over the past 30 years in comparison with the rest of the world.
– Dustin Jayroe
Photo: Flickr
Washing Hands with Recycled Soap to Save Lives
Using soap is the simplest way of preventing the spread, contracting and infection of diseases. This luxury is only available and affordable in developed nations. Lack of access to clean water, poor sanitation and hygiene contribute to two leading causes of high child mortality in the poorest countries: pneumonia and diarrhea. The simple practice of washing hands with soap reduces this risk by 50 percent.
Because so many people who live in these countries do so on a dollar a day, soap is a luxury rather than a necessity. This leads to a higher risk of illnesses that might have been prevented by simple hygiene like washing hands. Because of its relatively high cost within many economies, Clean the World reports that 35 percent of health care facilities in impoverished countries lack soap.
Shawn Seipler, founder of Clean the World, learned that most of the barely used hotel soap bars ended up in landfills after guests check out. According to the Global Soap Project, the hotel industry in the U.S., which uses a third of the global soap supply, throws away an astonishing 2.6 million bars of soap on a daily basis.
Seipler chose to change this by recycling soap hotels were throwing away. He has dedicated his time and effort to recycling soap and sending it to developing countries for continued use. “The recycling, which ends up costing hotels just 75 cents per room a month, allows leftover soap, body wash, shampoo and conditioner to be melted down, sterilized and formed into new soap that is sent all over the world.” Since Clean the World began in 2009, the organization has delivered 40 million bars of soap to more than 115 countries.
In 2015, Clean the World partnered with the Global Soap Project to increase production, delivery and outreach. Since the partnership formation, in addition to joining forces with contributions from 4,000-plus hotels, they have delivered 24 million bars of soap to 99 countries.
Seipler focuses his recycling efforts on bringing soap to schools within developing countries. The result of his recycling efforts might be an additional 1.9 billion school days. Clean the World is also working to provide soap to health care facilities and communities.
It is hopeful that the impact from the above projects will help improve not only health, but the overall quality of life in undeveloped nations.
– Taylor Elgarten
Photo: Flickr
6 Facts About Hunger in Timor-Leste
Since Timor-Leste gained independence in 2002, it has made significant improvements in economic and human development. At the same time, while hunger in Timor-Leste has decreased, rates of malnutrition and stunting are still the highest in Asia. The U.N. has provided assistance aimed at stabilizing the government since 2006.
A recent report by the World Bank indicates that Timor-Leste has made significant strides in reducing poverty and projects that the economy will rebound with high growth rates in the coming years. As more Timorese escape poverty, continued foreign aid will be key to sustaining development and reducing hunger in Timor-Leste.
– Yosef Gross
Photo: Flickr
How Tourism Could Alleviate Poverty in Saint Pierre and Miquelon
Poverty in Saint Pierre and Miquelon
Poverty in Saint Pierre and Miquelon has increased due to the islands’ reliance on a fishing industry affected by overfishing and changing global climatic conditions. The fishing economy downturn, which has caused the present state of poverty in Saint Pierre and Miquelon, threatens to prevent the expansion of clean water infrastructure and, by extension, sanitation.
Once bustling epicenters notorious for their pivotal role in illegal alcohol importation into the United States (U.S.) during prohibition, these islands are now faced with a severe lack of economic stimulus, causing a certain level of stagnation in the territory.
Poverty in Saint Pierre and Miquelon can largely be attributed to its suffering fishing industry, which is under pressure from competing for Canadian commercial fishing, changing climatic conditions and general overfishing. Fishing, on both the commercial and local scale, provides the livelihoods of 41% of the territory’s population. This means that any fluctuation in fishing profits directly influences the standard of living for almost half the territory’s population.
Economic Struggles
Although the islands of Saint Pierre and Miquelon are a territory of France, a country with one of the highest nominal gross domestic products (GDPs) in Europe, the islands are far away from entertaining the standard of living enjoyed by the landlocked French. France is responsible for much of the existing infrastructure and development on Saint Pierre and Miquelon. However, France lacks the fiscal budget or political interest to fully incorporate the islands, forcing it to find new ways to expand its economy to accommodate its growing population and standard of living.
The Impact of Tourism
Tourism is one sector Saint Pierre and Miquelon could potentially utilize as a respite from the fishing industry’s contracting revenues. With the territory’s intriguing smuggling history and its arguable position as the last true French outpost in North America, the potential for a thriving tourism economy is present.
Tourism can alleviate poverty in Saint Pierre and Miquelon by creating new jobs and opportunities for its working population, resulting in the country’s overall economic growth. Tourism can also lead to the development and establishment of new infrastructures, including health care centers and schools, which could ultimately benefit the nation’s population.
Final Remark
According to the World Bank, the tourism industry can assist developing nations like Saint Pierre and Miquelon in diversifying their economies and markets, creating new opportunities for their citizens. Therefore, by developing its tourism sector, the government of Saint Pierre and Miquelon can create new opportunities for its population, ultimately lifting them out of poverty.
– Spencer Linford
Photo: Flickr
Updated: June 01, 2024
10 Facts About New Zealand Refugees
The small number of refugees New Zealand takes in ranks them 90th per capita in resettlement. After making adjustments considering wealth and population, the ranking falls to 116th. Many countries in Europe are critical of the small number of refugees New Zealand takes in. Here is a look at 10 facts about New Zealand refugees that may be a surprise.
· All refugees of working age have a job and income or are supported by a family member with a paying job.
· All refugees actively participate in life in New Zealand and have a keen sense of belonging.
· Ensure the health and well-being of refugees and their families.
· Refugees can speak English well enough to allow them to participate in school and daily activities.
· Refugees live in homes that are safe, secure, clean and affordable without assistance from government housing.
The Syrian refugee crisis in addition to 59.5 million people forced to flee their country of origin have drawn the attention of the world and highlighted the woefully small number of refugees New Zealand is willing to take in. These 10 Facts about New Zealand refugees make it clear that they have a strategy that helps refugees make a smooth transition from living in their country of origin to living in New Zealand. Sadly, it also highlights the unwillingness of New Zealand to stand with their international partners and do their fair share.
– Mary Barringer
Photo: Flickr
10 Facts About Refugees and Asylum Seekers in Indonesia
Located in East Asia between the Pacific and Indian Oceans, Indonesia is home to more than 260 million people. Thousands are refugees and asylum seekers, and the number is rising. This growth is often overlooked when regarding issues of global poverty. Discussed below are the leading facts about refugees in Indonesia.
Top 10 Facts on Refugees in Indonesia
Change is in the air for persons of concern in Southeast Asia. With the Indonesian president’s decree, there is a lot of hope for refugees in Indonesia.
– Morgan Leahy
Photo: Flickr
Internet in Africa: More Than One-Quarter Now Connected
More than one-quarter of Africa’s population, in excess of 341 million people, had access to the internet in 2016. This amazing advancement highlights and outlines the support for Africa’s industrialization, including improving its economy, education and attempt to decrease poverty.
A report released by the Internet Society (ISOC) during the Africa Regional Internet and Development Dialogue stated that African nations have been given the privilege to connect their people to incredibly useful resources, such as educational opportunities and healthcare.
ISOC is dedicated to ensuring development, evolution and use of the internet. It collaborates with other global community chapters and members to help promote technologies and keep the internet safe and secure.
The report entitled “The Internet for Education in Africa — Helping Policymakers to Meet the Global Education Goals” explains the significance of this improvement and how policymakers should consider the advancement in their educational systems.
“This represents a significant opportunity to use the Internet to provide education and learning opportunities,” the report said. The internet in Africa has begun to grow, and this report shows no signs of it slowing down.
On average, 49.6 percent of the world is connected to the internet. Now, 27.7 percent of Africa is on the internet, showing that the continent is taking the right steps to help connect with the rest of the world.
What helped this increase? Besides the international interest in Africa, mobile broadband and developments of submarine cables have allowed connectivity to expand and provide educational opportunities for thousands of children living in impoverished nations.
This advancement would not only advance education in Africa but also allow for a more competitive edge in Africa’s global economy.
“A skilled workforce that can use Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) effectively to solve Africa’s problems will also determine Africa’s competitiveness in the global economy,” explains Dawit Bekele, Africa Regional Bureau Director for the Internet Society. “And policymakers have a critical role to play in creating the necessary ecosystem for integrating ICT in education.”
The report gives a framework of the advantages of the internet in Africa, such as getting rid of certain economic and social barriers to education (geography, race, gender and disabilities) and reaching a broader audience to educate students. This report highlights the possibilities that the internet in Africa can have on the continent and the world.
– Mary Waller
Photo: Flickr
How Luxembourg Combats World Hunger
The combination of national wealth and low poverty rates have led to Luxembourg’s lack of hunger within its population base. As Trading Economics reports, only five percent of Luxembourg’s population was undernourished in 2011.
The country’s high standard of living limits hunger in Luxembourg, specifically its low poverty rates. As the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) reports, Luxembourg maintains one of the lowest rates of poverty. This can be credited in part to the country’s wealth; a 2016 Business Insider report ranked Luxembourg second worldwide in GDP per capita, at close to $102,000.
Furthermore, not only has Luxembourg limited hunger within its own borders but is taking measures to end hunger worldwide. Luxembourg strengthened its aid to the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) since 2006, when the country funded school meals for approximately 100,000 students in the Sahel region of Africa.
In 2009, a report by ActionAid ranked Luxembourg first among developed nations in its contribution to ending world hunger. Since then, from 2012 to 2016 Luxembourg has donated approximately $9 million to $13 million to WFP, affecting mainly countries within the Middle East and Africa.
Most recently, Luxembourg signed an agreement with the WFP confirming its commitment to ending world hunger through continued funding. WFP executive director Ertharin Cousin said, “With this support from Luxembourg, WFP is providing life-saving food assistance to families in Africa and elsewhere around the world.”
Ideally, Luxembourg will aim to decrease the percentage of its own population facing undernourishment to zero. The nation clearly appears to have strong aims of limiting hunger in Luxembourg as well as worldwide, efforts that deserve serious recognition.
– Gigi DeLorenzo
Photo: Flickr
Free Education in Brunei Aids Nation’s Growth
In order to develop and strengthen a country’s political, economic and social structures, it is imperative that educational opportunities are granted to its citizens. By investing in a reliable education system, a country supplies citizens with the knowledge and resources to lead a healthy and successful life. Brunei, a sovereign country in Southeast Asia, has focused on the implementation of this philosophy into the structure of its education system.
With a population exceeding 415,000, Brunei is considered to have a remarkably high standard of living, primarily due to the country’s involvement in its oil and gas reserves. Since it gained independence from British rule in 1984, Brunei has integrated a tax-free lifestyle that is complemented with one of the highest (per capita) GDPs in the world. With this economic advantage, Brunei is able to financially support its free education system in order for its citizens to have the opportunity to receive a quality education.
With the tremendous support of governmental efforts in financially supporting the education sector, it will continue to allow free schooling throughout all levels of education in Brunei. The Ministry of Education, in compliance with the Education Act of 1984, is designed to oversee all government and private learning institutions and educational policies that are implemented throughout Brunei’s education system.
Brunei’s formal school system has a 1-6-3-2-2 pattern, which represents a year of pre-school, six years of primary education, three years of lower secondary, two years of upper secondary or vocational or technical education and two years of pre-tertiary education. Currently, Brunei has 206 primary schools, 47 secondary schools, nine vocational centers, one higher institution and three universities.
Remarkably, education in Brunei is completely funded by the government, which allows citizens to fully benefit from the opportunity to learn. According to UNESCO and the Ministry of Education, the adult literacy rate in Brunei increased from 92.67 percent in 2001 to 97.65 percent in 2015. These statistics indicate promising results and demonstrate the quality of education that is implemented throughout Brunei’s education system.
With the goal of furthering the nation’s development, Brunei has established numerous educational opportunities for personal and professional achievements at the government’s expense. With having one of the world’s highest standards of living, Brunei is constantly making efforts to continue the implementation of educational programs and institutions that will positively affect the citizens of this thriving country.
– Brandon Johnson
Photo: Flickr