After a brief war in 1991, Slovenia earned its independence and subsequently joined the United Nations. This central European nation offers picturesque landscapes, meandering caves and a wealth of history. Despite its relative prosperity, there is significant risk of deprivation and poverty in Slovenia among its most vulnerable.
Assessing At-Risk Indicators
The number of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion (AROPE) is a statistic which refers to those materially deprived, at risk of poverty or residing in homes with low labor market involvement. It is a major indicator of the effectiveness of the EU 2020 Strategy on poverty reduction. One of the Europe 2020 objectives is to lift a minimum of 20 million people classified as AROPE out of that category.
In Slovenia, the 2015 AROPE was 19.2 percent versus 20.4 percent in 2014. The early 2000s saw a markedly lower rate of 17.6 percent. In 2015, the aggregate EU AROPE figure was 23.7 percent.
A 2004 article in the Slovenia Times argued this risk statistic carries enormous weight in discussions of poverty in Slovenia. According to Anja Ilc, the author of the piece, “While the level of poverty risk does not represent the number of poor people, it does show how many could become poor if they lost their jobs or fell ill. The group at greatest risk is single parent families.”
Furthermore, cultural beliefs and perceptions about laziness persist among Slovenians. Ilc wrote that “when portraying the true condition objectively, all viewpoints need to be taken into account. When researching poverty levels, a distinguishing factor should be the way people perceive it psychologically.”
Slovenia’s most recent AROPE rate for children, at 2.6 percent, is lower than the other EU member states. Despite this fact, in 2015, 5.8 percent (116,000 Slovenians) faced severe material deprivation while 7.4 percent (114,000 people) exhibited low levels of labor market activity.
Supporting Elderly Populations
According to the U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, “Slovenia has consistently demonstrated its commitment to the rights of older persons at the international level.”
However, poverty in Slovenia amongst its senior population, consisting of mostly women and marginalized minorities, is an area of grave concern. According to a 2016 Slovenia Working Report, 17.1 percent of the elderly are at risk for poverty. This number is more than three percent higher than the EU average.
To address this, a 2020 Strategy for Quality Aging, Solidarity and Coexistence of Generations in Slovenia has been implemented.
Despite many advancements, more reforms are needed to bolster human and social capital investments in the country. Moreover, additional data is needed to fully understand the social constructs, psychological elements and perceptual forces which affect poverty.
This includes more research studies and statistical analyses of the population; although such endeavors are difficult given the forces of social exclusion, prejudice and marginalization which prevent some members of the population from being sampled.
In May, the Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia is expected to release its 2016 Annual Report, containing new national statistics. Detailed data on income, poverty and social exclusion indicators are also anticipated over the summer. The more accurate the data collected, the better Slovenia will be in enacting an effective plan to extinguish poverty and health-related issues.
– JG Federman
Photo: Flickr
The Link Between Corruption and Poverty in Mexico
Mexico has one of the most stagnant economies in the world. This predicament is largely due to the prominence of corruption in the country. According to calculations by Mexican think tank IMCO (El Instituto Mexicano para la Competitividad), corruption could be costing the country roughly five percent of its gross domestic product. This is almost eight times the amount spent by Mexico’s poverty reduction agency. Corruption funnels money away from programs that are needed to boost the economy, leaving a large number of people in poverty in Mexico.
Mexico was found to be the most corrupt member nation of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) by Transparency International. Corruption is a major obstacle to services that promote economic development – including health, education and security services. Corruption also creates extreme inequality and prevents successful economic growth. Owners of fair businesses say that they typically lose out to competitors who use bribes or influence to gain unfair business opportunities.
Mexico would be facing a slowing economy even without corruption, but the influence of corruption makes the country considerably less competitive in the global economy. Corruption works alongside other issues including poor infrastructure, inadequate institutions, lack of education and stagnant innovation. Most workers in Mexico work in the black market under exploitative conditions without social security. They are unable to find other job prospects, leaving them in situations of underemployment that leads to poverty.
Mexico is a rich country, but it lacks a reliable system of wealth redistribution. There is almost no social assistance and extremely few economic opportunities, causing wealth to concentrate in the hands of very few people. Just 15 millionaires dominate Mexico’s economic landscape, owning almost 13 percent of the Mexican economy’s total value. On the other hand, there are over 55 million people living in poverty in Mexico.
The Mexican government has introduced social assistance programs for those in poverty to limit the impact of economic crises. However, the government has failed to invest in programs to boost economic competitiveness, educational opportunities and technological advancement. Therefore, these were simply short-term solutions that did not fix the root problem of poverty in Mexico by providing economic opportunities.
The Mexican government needs to promote a balance of social and economic programs to reduce poverty. The path to successful infrastructure and institutions has a long way to go. However, an emphasis on education and health will allow all individuals to participate in the economy. Until these programs are implemented, corruption will continue to prevent the redistribution of wealth that is essential to mitigating widespread poverty in Mexico.
– Lindsay Harris
Photo: Flickr
Poverty in Slovenia
After a brief war in 1991, Slovenia earned its independence and subsequently joined the United Nations. This central European nation offers picturesque landscapes, meandering caves and a wealth of history. Despite its relative prosperity, there is significant risk of deprivation and poverty in Slovenia among its most vulnerable.
Assessing At-Risk Indicators
The number of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion (AROPE) is a statistic which refers to those materially deprived, at risk of poverty or residing in homes with low labor market involvement. It is a major indicator of the effectiveness of the EU 2020 Strategy on poverty reduction. One of the Europe 2020 objectives is to lift a minimum of 20 million people classified as AROPE out of that category.
In Slovenia, the 2015 AROPE was 19.2 percent versus 20.4 percent in 2014. The early 2000s saw a markedly lower rate of 17.6 percent. In 2015, the aggregate EU AROPE figure was 23.7 percent.
A 2004 article in the Slovenia Times argued this risk statistic carries enormous weight in discussions of poverty in Slovenia. According to Anja Ilc, the author of the piece, “While the level of poverty risk does not represent the number of poor people, it does show how many could become poor if they lost their jobs or fell ill. The group at greatest risk is single parent families.”
Furthermore, cultural beliefs and perceptions about laziness persist among Slovenians. Ilc wrote that “when portraying the true condition objectively, all viewpoints need to be taken into account. When researching poverty levels, a distinguishing factor should be the way people perceive it psychologically.”
Slovenia’s most recent AROPE rate for children, at 2.6 percent, is lower than the other EU member states. Despite this fact, in 2015, 5.8 percent (116,000 Slovenians) faced severe material deprivation while 7.4 percent (114,000 people) exhibited low levels of labor market activity.
Supporting Elderly Populations
According to the U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, “Slovenia has consistently demonstrated its commitment to the rights of older persons at the international level.”
However, poverty in Slovenia amongst its senior population, consisting of mostly women and marginalized minorities, is an area of grave concern. According to a 2016 Slovenia Working Report, 17.1 percent of the elderly are at risk for poverty. This number is more than three percent higher than the EU average.
To address this, a 2020 Strategy for Quality Aging, Solidarity and Coexistence of Generations in Slovenia has been implemented.
Despite many advancements, more reforms are needed to bolster human and social capital investments in the country. Moreover, additional data is needed to fully understand the social constructs, psychological elements and perceptual forces which affect poverty.
This includes more research studies and statistical analyses of the population; although such endeavors are difficult given the forces of social exclusion, prejudice and marginalization which prevent some members of the population from being sampled.
In May, the Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia is expected to release its 2016 Annual Report, containing new national statistics. Detailed data on income, poverty and social exclusion indicators are also anticipated over the summer. The more accurate the data collected, the better Slovenia will be in enacting an effective plan to extinguish poverty and health-related issues.
– JG Federman
Photo: Flickr
Poverty in Oman: Past, Present, and Future
Oman is a country in the Arabian Peninsula bordering Saudi Arabia, Yemen and the United Arab Emirates, which places it in the southeastern coast of the region. The coastal regions of the country benefit from fertile soil and a beautiful landscape with impressive mountains. Despite the country’s strong agriculture and its oil, it has recently faced an economic downturn following its big investments in social welfare, causing oil prices to drop and the budget to decrease.
Economic Crisis
The aforementioned economic downturn of the country was due to a protest during the Arab Spring in 2011. The citizens demanded more employment opportunities, economic benefits, and a crackdown on the government’s corruption, which is an absolute monarchy led by the Sultan of Oman. While the government did respond to the protest by providing social welfare benefits, the result was an unmanageable budget that contributed to the poverty in Oman. The biggest concern on the economy of Oman is related to the shifting prices of oil, as the country is highly dependent on oil to generate revenue. In fact, oil can account for somewhere between 68% and 85% of the country’s entire revenue generated in a year. This is why Oman suffered a budget deficit of $13.8 billion in the year 2016, the same year global oil prices dropped.
Wages and Migrant Inequity
While the statistics don’t indicate a high rate of the country’s nationals being under the poverty line, poverty in Oman primarily affects migrant workers. Omani nationals benefit from a minimum wage at $592 a month in addition to a $263 allowance. Migrant workers in Oman do not have access to these benefits and are compensated with low wages.
Many countries in the Middle East, including Oman, employ female migrants to work in households. They are tasked with taking care of the children, cooking, and doing daily chores. Oman has at least 130,000 of these female migrant workers, and they face poor working conditions. This includes lower wages than initially promised, excessively long working hours and, according to interviews with about 59 of the workers, there are even cases of physical and sexual abuse from employers.
A Plan Forward
The state is at risk of major deficits in its budget in a case where oil prices drop, as was the case in the year 2016. To solve this, the sultan has been seeking alternative ways for generating revenue in order to reduce the risk of another economic downturn. The country has already made progress by making a development plan in 2016 to decrease its oil dependency. The plan seeks to open doors in industrialization and privatization, diversifying its sources of revenue.
According to the CIA, “The key components of the government’s diversification strategy are tourism, shipping and logistics, mining, manufacturing, and aquaculture.” Despite Omani nationals struggling to find employment opportunities due to migrant workers’ lower wages in earlier years, the country has seen an increasing number of citizens entering the job market recently. To highlight some of the progress Oman has made in previous years, its tourism industry has been opening up and contributing to the country’s GDP. 32 new hotels opened in 2018 to add over 3000 rooms to accommodate tourists, which put the country at an expected tourism growth rate of about 13% between 2018 and 2019.
COVID-19 Influence
Reports in recent months have shown a spike in Covid-19 cases among migrant workers in the Arabian Gulf countries, including Oman. Living conditions for these workers tend to be cramped and they lack access to necessary equipment and care for protection against the virus. Back in April, 16 NGOs sent letters to the gulf countries with recommendations to protect migrant workers amidst the pandemic. These recommendations include providing equal testing, medical access and continued wages for workers no longer able to work in these conditions.
While Oman has yet to respond to the letters, there has been a decline in Covid-19 daily cases over the past week. It peaked at an estimated 2164 new cases on July 13th but has been declining. In comparison, on July 15th, there were an estimated 1157 new cases.
Despite facing an economic downturn in 2016, the country has made strategic progress by diversifying its sources of revenue and decreasing its dependency on oil. These changes can greatly alleviate poverty in Oman.
– Fahad Saad
Photo: Flickr
UN Chief Requests Aid for the People of Mosul
At the apex of Islamic State (IS) control, 10 million people were living in territory under IS authority. However, that number has been steadily decreasing.
By December 2015, the Salafi jihadist group controlled an extensive territory in western Iraq and eastern Syria that formed an unrecognized proto-state. Outside of Iraq and Syria, IS controls territory in Libya, Sinai and Afghanistan.
The jihadist group gained international attention when it invaded and overtook Iraq’s second-largest city, Mosul. Iraq’s fight to remove the Islamic State group from Mosul has ravaged for six months, with the violence causing more than 215,000 citizens to become displaced.
Twenty miles west of Mosul, U.N. Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, met with Iraqi citizens inside a camp designated for displaced individuals. He later stated that “these people have suffered enormously,” and without aid, “they go on suffering.”
The Secretary-General urges for increased funding for U.N. programs in Iraq. He calls for “international solidarity” and aid for the people of Mosul.
The U.N. estimates that $985 million is required for emergency funds to assist displaced individuals throughout Iraq. Providing shelter for thousands of people fleeing Mosul will cost at least $7 million as the fighting continues. Presently, U.N. programs in Iraq have only reached eight percent of their funding budget.
The current focus area in the larger battle against IS centers around the control of Mosul. The city is the jihadist group’s last critical bastion in Iraq. Financial assistance for Iraqi and Kurdish security forces is a key component for regaining Mosul, which has been under IS authority since 2014.
Nearly 750,000 people continue to live in western Mosul. There, the conflict between Islamic State militants and Iraqi and Kurdish forces has led to thousands of casualties. Most of the residents do not have access to clean drinking water or sufficient food. Excluding the Iraqi military, agencies have not been able to provide aid for the people of Mosul due to the extreme levels of violence in the area.
The U.N. Security Council called an emergency meeting shortly after the U.S. released 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles on a Syrian air base in early April. U.N. chief Guterres advised the council to unify and reach a peaceful agreement on moving forward in Syria. “For too long,” he states, “international law has been ignored in the Syrian conflict, and it is our shared duty to uphold international standards of humanity.” Guterres believes this is a “prerequisite” to ending the continued suffering of the people of Mosul and Syria.
– Madison O’Connell
Photo: Flickr
Tourism in Kenya: International Hotel Chain Investments
An international hotel chain is investing in tourism in Kenya. Tune Hotels, based in Malaysia, opened a hotel in Nairobi, Kenya last July. The hotel chain is focused on giving travelers the bare necessities in exchange for a reasonable price, similar to low-cost airlines such as Spirit Airlines.
Nairobi, in particular, has become an attractive site for foreign direct investment as opposed to simply development aid. Tune Hotel is just one example of foreign direct investment, another of which is China’s investment in infrastructure in Kenya.
The target market for this hotel chain is business travelers since they normally do not use all the services they pay for at a normal hotel. Business travelers, both local and foreign, make up about 70 percent of Tune Hotel’s guests.
In addition, business travelers comprise about 95 percent of hotel bookings in Kenya. Business travel spending accounted for 37.5 percent of all tourism spending in Kenya in 2015 and is expected to rise due to increased flights between Nairobi, China and the Middle East.
Kenya has a growing middle class, which has led to a rise in domestic tourism. Kenyan tourists make up around 60 percent of the guests at Tune Hotels, and about a third of Africans have entered the middle class over the last 10 years. The Kenyan Tourism Board launched a campaign in 2013 called “Tembea Kenya” or “Tour Kenya,” which is a campaign targeted at the nation’s own middle class.
The tourism industry, which consists of hotel jobs, travel agents and leisure activities, is expected to create around 275,000 jobs in Kenya by 2025. Tourism in Kenya makes up about four percent of the gross domestic product. Thus, foreign investment in this sector is crucial to its growth.
– Jennifer Taggart
Photo: Flickr
Oliberte: Building Trade in Sub-Saharan Africa
Based in Ethiopia, Oliberte is the world’s first Fair Trade-certified shoe factory, making a variety of shoes for both men and women. From sneakers and boots to sandals and moccasins, Oliberte also makes bags and other accessories. It’s probably not often that you hear of a piece of fashion that is made in Africa. Canadian entrepreneur and the force behind Oliberte, Tal Dehtiar, is trying to change this perception.
In 2009, Oliberte started building trade in sub-Saharan Africa as a footwear company partnering with different factories around sub-Saharan Africa. Three years later, in 2012, it would open its own dedicated factory in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and the next year it was announced as the world’s first Fair Trade shoe manufacturer.
The whole premise of the brand is to support the rights of workers. The company prides itself on “empowerment, transparency, and doing right by all.” Oliberte recognized that Africa is usually met with a high amount of negative generalizations.
Believing in “trade not aid”, Oliberte’s website walks the consumer through the benefits of building trade in sub-Saharan Africa over providing aid. With many in the area experiencing poverty, providing a place of work is a huge plus instead of just providing aid.
By providing a workplace, profits made can be placed back into the company and community, creating more job growth. Eventually, more factories can open, providing jobs for more people, and allowing adults to work while children gain an education. While aid can have many positive effects, it is not sustainable and leaves people dependent.
Dehtiar says the company makes sure the employees are paid minimum wage, but also, “that as we grow as a company, they’re committed to improving their conditions, whether it’s through (initiatives such as) health insurance programs … now all the factories provide maternity leave programs to all the women.”
Gaining supplies locally from partners around Africa and creating products in their factory in Ethiopia, the brand is sure that everyone along the way has fair jobs and rights. They even attempt to buy their machinery on the continent whenever possible.
In the end, the products they sell come with a lifetime warranty. Oliberte is a brand that respects consumers, the environment and its employees.
– Shannon Elder
Photo: Flickr
10 Organizations Addressing Famine in South Sudan
A couple of weeks ago, the U.N. announced that there is a famine in South Sudan. A number of factors have contributed to this famine, such as the civil war that began in 2013 and a drought that has stymied agricultural production.
According to Newsweek, nearly 5.5 million people will not have a reliable food source by July 2017. This is unacceptable, especially since the world’s wealthiest countries can help save millions of lives. Luckily, there are many organizations working to help the South Sudanese through donations and support from American citizens. Here are 10 organizations that are addressing the famine in South Sudan.
10 Organizations Addressing Famine in South Sudan
The sheer number of organizations working to provide aid in the country offers hope in the fight to end the famine in South Sudan. Any of these organizations are worthy of support in whatever form it comes in, such as advocacy, fundraising, donations and volunteering.
– Jacqueline Nicole Artz
Photo: Flickr
Solar Energy Offers Solution to Poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa
Approximately 600 million people in sub-Saharan Africa, or two-thirds of the population, are living without access to proper electricity. However, there is a possible solution. Solar energy has the power to reach rural areas and costs less than fuels like diesel or kerosene. African families could potentially cut their spending on electricity from nine percent of household income to two percent by replacing kerosene with solar energy. Zambia is taking the first steps in making the switch to solar power and eradicating poverty in sub-Saharan Africa.
Nkandu Luo, the higher education minister of Zambia, wants to provide clean and renewable power to rural communities to lift people out of poverty. Off-grid solar power helps improve and enhance education through access to computers and the internet.
The clean energy movement is called the Lundazi Green Village project, after the first village that will benefit from the new energy source. Egichikeni primary school in the Lundazi Green Village is the intended site for phase one of the program.
In addition to improving education, the project will improve safety, healthcare and agriculture in rural communities. This will facilitate people in escaping poverty in sub-Saharan Africa. Parts of the Lundazi Green Village project include new security technology, street lighting, medical equipment and irrigation methods.
Luo’s long-term goal is sustainability. The use of solar energy addresses the specific needs of rural communities and grants them financial independence. About 300 households plus public buildings like schools and hospitals will benefit from the project. New access to electricity makes job creation and higher incomes inevitable.
Another plus? Access to solar power in sub-Saharan Africa tackles climate change. It also connects people to the global network, allowing them to increase their economic prospects.
Zambians are not the only ones attempting to solve poverty in sub-Saharan Africa. Azuri Technologies, a global organization, has introduced ‘entry-level solar systems’ that give people eight hours of electricity each day. Customers pay an initial installation fee and then pay weekly or monthly through pay cards or with their phones.
Access to power encourages people to buy and use more technology, especially resources that connect them to the rest of the world via the internet. The pay-as-you-go format is successful because it allows people without bank accounts to use their phones to operate their finances.
Upfront costs of solar energy are high compared to fuels like kerosene or diesel, so some are hesitant to make the switch. However, the cost of installing off-grid power is expected to decrease by 60 percent in the next 20 years and has already fallen in cost by about 80 percent since 2010. Renewable energy could be the solution to ending poverty in sub-Saharan Africa and millions of communities around the world.
– Rachel Cooper
Photo: Flickr
10 Facts About Hunger in Liberia
Liberia, officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast that is home to roughly 4.5 million people. Due to a recent civil war and outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus, the country has become vulnerable to poverty and hunger. Here are 10 facts about hunger in Liberia.
10 Facts About Hunger in Liberia
While the people of Liberia continue to face obstacles as they rebuild their country’s economy, continued international support and investment in education and infrastructure could help stabilize the country and reduce hunger.
– Alexi Worley
Photo: Flickr
A Need for Better Tertiary Education in Uzbekistan
Recent trends show that although education in Uzbekistan has come a long way since the nation’s Soviet days, Uzbekistan needs to focus on improving its tertiary education to secure a successful economic and social future. Currently, tertiary enrollment in Uzbekistan is among the lowest in Central Asia at just 15 percent.
After Uzbekistan gained independence in 1991 from the Soviet Union, the Uzbekistani government shifted its focus to prioritizing educational reform. However, major economic and social challenges were placed on Uzbekistan as a result of past Soviet reforms, making it difficult for Uzbekistan to reform its education system. Although Uzbekistan has put effort into improving its economy and social system, education in Uzbekistan needs attention, especially postsecondary education.
When first comparing general education net enrollment rates in Uzbekistan to respective sub-regional and regional averages, the country is above average for primary and secondary school enrollment. However, learning outcomes and overall education quality is concerning. Despite recent reforms such as increasing teacher salaries and revising the Law on Education, school performance is subpar. UNICEF states that Uzbekistan has plans to improve school infrastructure, teacher working conditions, and access to quality basic education. The World Bank believes that the biggest concern for education in Uzbekistan is tertiary education.
Over the past 20 years, Uzbekistan’s economy has shifted from agriculture to the service sector. According to the World Bank, tertiary education in Uzbekistan has failed to adapt to this shift in the economy and the limited access to tertiary education is concerning for the future of Uzbekistan. Statistics show that of total public spending on education in Uzbekistan, only 5.2 percent is spent on higher education. Many firms report that it is difficult to find qualified specialists in Uzbekistan due to the lack of higher education. It is predicted that if Uzbekistan does not shift its focus to postsecondary education, then there will be long-term ramifications on the economy, ultimately creating more social challenges in Uzbekistan.
Reports state that “experts from the World Bank Group have worked with key stakeholders in the country to analyze the challenges and design policies, recommendations, and interventions capable of overcoming these challenges.”
A recent report titled “Uzbekistan: Modernizing Tertiary Education” explores the education system in Uzbekistan and its relations to the economy. Experts believe that by doing things such as expanding equitable access to higher education for all students and increasing spending on tertiary education, Uzbekistan will see more economic growth.
– Morgan Leahy
Photo: Flickr