Poverty in Costa Rica continues to be an ongoing issue as the country suffers from a lack of infrastructure, weak educational system and high food prices. President Barack Obama recently announced a plan to provide $1 billion in aid to Central American countries. This plan curiously omitted Costa Rica from its list, citing “place-based security strategies” as the reason.
Costa Rica’s troubled neighbors—El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, together known as the “northern triangle”—certainly deserve the attention of U.S. policymakers. In El Salvador, the most violent country on earth that is not at war, the homicide rate stands at 90 per 100,000 residents.
From 2009 to 2013, the number of asylum seekers from these countries in the U.S. has seen a sevenfold increase to 2.7 million people. In fact, some analysts are calling this exodus a “Central American Spring” sparked by drug trafficking, violence and extortion.
Though its rule of law has remained intact, Costa Rica shares a similar poverty experience. Poverty in Costa Rica stands at 22.4 percent of the population, a number that has fluctuated little since the 1990s. Roughly 60 percent of the Costa Rican workforce is unskilled. However, the demand for skilled workers continues to increase thanks to new free trade agreements and the privatization of most government enterprises.
This trend is not likely to change if U.S. foreign aid is diverted exclusively to northern triangle states. Alejandra Obando-Hernandez, a researcher at American University’s School of Public Affairs, finds that unskilled Costa Rican parents exhibit “low expectations regarding future benefits of their children’s education.”
There are two reasons for these low expectations that point to how U.S. aid could be effectively utilized in this country. The first is the “books” issue, or the persistent shortcomings on metrics like desertion, teacher training and pedagogical innovation. Only 15.6 percent of Costa Rican children live in homes with some form of post-secondary education; of all students, only 46 percent graduate from high school.
Hernandez attributes these statistics to a lack of school infrastructure and inadequate teacher training. Among the insufficient resources in secondary schools are science labs (61 percent), library rooms (35 percent), computer labs (24 percent) and computers (35 percent). In addition, 20 percent of secondary schools lack sufficient classrooms to host their students.
The second problem is the “butter” issue, or the unnecessary burden that food places on the poorest fifth of Costa Rican families. These high food prices are caused by price controls and agricultural protectionism.
In the case of rice, one sole corporation is authorized to import this staple at low, world market prices. That rice is then sold domestically at higher, price-fixed rates.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, Costa Rica has the third most expensive rice in the world. A basic food basket costs $42.37 compared to the monthly income of $82 for the poorest fifth. Once two school-going children are factored, the cost of education rises to 104 percent of monthly income.
U.S. aid to help poverty in Costa Rica could help improve these statistics by supplementing educational subsidies (already strong) and alleviating the shock to firms releasing their monopoly status. Doing so would create a stronger, more stable regional partner capable of counteracting the rampant violence in the rest of Central America.
– Alfredo Cumerma
Photo: Wikipedia
Ending Child Marriage in Mozambique
According to UNICEF data in 2014, child marriage in Mozambique is not uncommon: 48 percent of women in Mozambique aged 20 to 24 married before they were 18 years old; 14 percent of them were married by age 15.
Although the percentage of child brides in Mozambique has declined from 56.6 percent in 1997, Girls Not Brides reports that “population growth has meant that the actual number of married girls has increased.”
To address this issue, Mozambique has launched a new, multi-organization plan to end child marriage, led by the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Affairs. According to Girls Not Brides, one of the most important pillars in this new plan is reforming the legal framework surrounding child marriage. Although child marriage is officially illegal, it is not punishable by law, making its illegal status more of a symbol than a tool and failing to hinder the practice.
The plan also involves increasing girls’ access to education and creating a social mobilization campaign, as well as increasing sexual and reproductive health services to young women already in marriages. This education is vital, as UNICEF reports that women married young are likely to become pregnant shortly after, and that these young mothers have higher rates of maternal mortality; their children are also more likely to be underweight, underdeveloped and more likely to die young.
One of the biggest issues Mozambique still has to overcome is ending poverty. Often times, young girls are married off for economic reasons—their parents get money from the husband’s family, known as the “bride price,” and the poor families of these girls now have one less mouth to feed. According to Girls Not Brides, Mozambique requires continued outside support; though there are renewed efforts to end child marriage in Mozambique, it will be an uphill battle.
– Emily Milakovic
Photo: U.N. Multimedia
4 Movies About Refugees That You Need To See
Fiction
In This World (2002): Shot like a documentary, In This World portrays two Afghan refugees’ land journey. Unlike many other fictitious films about refugees, this film shows a fairly complete picture of a refugee’s journey, which includes the endless hours of waiting, hours of panic, and brief, beautiful moments of hope.
Welcome (2009): A beautiful, artistic and rather unsentimental picture of one Iraqi Kurd’s attempt to swim the English Channel in order to gain asylum, this French film portrays the stark situation of many homeless refugees living in France at the time and the legal dangers that awaited the French people who helped asylum-seekers.
Documentaries
The Land Between (2014): Documenting the everyday lives of Sub-Saharan migrants trapped between their homelands and the prospect of a new life in Europe, The Land Between addresses one of the most important questions of all migrant crises, whether past, present or future: why, and how, do people risk their lives and everything they own?
Neuland (2015): Neuland explores the lives of immigrants and refugees from all over the globe as they acclimate to life in Switzerland. Following the students in one class, the film shows the hardships and joys of building a new life in a foreign country.
In addition to many other full-length fictitious and real-life movies about refugees, many organizations, like Amnesty International, compile short films to spread awareness about refugees. In the end, whether short or long, real or imagined, movies about refugees provide an invaluable window into the lives of victims from all over the world.
– Sage Smiley
Photo: Flickr
Movies About Human Rights
Movies about human rights have the power to make the problems of distant countries personal to viewers. Whether it is a documentary or a fictional story, the impact of film can be extraordinary. These five movies are just a few of the films that highlight human rights issues throughout the world.
Hotel Rwanda (2004)
Hotel Rwanda depicts the atrocities of the 1994 Rwandan genocide. Following decades of power struggles between Hutus and Tutsis, the Hutu government sought to cleanse the country of Tutsis. This infamous movie about human rights is based on the true story of Paul Rusesabagina, who opened his hotel to Tutsi refugees during the conflict despite being a Hutu himself.
While the Rwandan genocide occurred over two decades ago, the country still faces crippling poverty. The film illustrates the effect of violence and civil war on already vulnerable nations.
Beasts of No Nation (2015)
Beasts of No Nation never reveals the country it is set in. However, the events within the film continue to happen in various regions. The main character, Agu, loses his family to the violence around him. He is eventually forced to become a child soldier and goes on to commit atrocious crimes.
Sierra Leone, Uganda and Sudan are among the various African regions where child soldiers are recruited. The film highlights the effects of poverty and conflict on children within war-torn nations.
India’s Daughter (2015)
India’s Daughter follows the aftermath of the brutal gang rape of Jyoti Singh in 2012. The event, which took place in an off duty bus, raised various concerns throughout the country about women’s safety. The documentary interviews a wide array of individuals including Singh’s parents, the parents of the accused and the bus driver.
The documentary brings India’s gender bias to the forefront as it depicts the various protests that emerged following the crime.
5 Broken Cameras (2011)
5 Broken Cameras is a documentary shot by Emad Burnat, a Palestinian farmer, in a West Bank village known as Bil’in. The film is also co-directed by Isreali filmmaker, Guy Davidi.
The documentary depicts life in the West Bank through footage of protests and Burnat’s own family. The film gives raw insight into the lives of those living within an unstable and impoverished region; it is one of the great movies about human rights.
When Elephants Fight (2015)
This film highlights the underbelly of consumerism and its implications in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Electronics companies desire minerals from this region to manufacture their products. However, this practice has led to an illegal mineral trade as well as the rise of warlords within the country.
The documentary calls for companies to hold themselves accountable for the war and poverty that plagues the nation.
Movies about human rights are important and informative as global communities work together to end abuses against the most vulnerable individuals and groups.
– Saroja Koneru
Photo: Flickr
Improved Seeds Alleviate the Weight of Poverty in Niger
Climate change has the potential to seriously impact both livelihoods and poverty in Niger. Adaptation measures are desperately needed in order to enable communities to cope with the climate change and variability.
The National Action Programme for Adaptation (NAPA), funded by Canada and the United Nations Development Project, supports local producers in Niger to assist them in the pilot usage of improved seeds.
Niger, where two-thirds of the land is covered by desert, is experiencing severe droughts and recurrent food crisis. The new project aims to strengthen resilience to climate change in agriculture and water sectors and thus reduce poverty in Niger.
Here are 5 things about the recently implemented project that you need to know:
“Initially we were seen as guinea pigs,” Abdou Diori, a farmer from the village of Soudouré, said in an interview with UNDP. “Nobody wanted to have anything to do with products with which they were personally unfamiliar… but the benefits are far greater than those associated with traditional seeds, especially in a country such as Niger where rainfall is very unevenly distributed.”
The scientifically improved seeds are a simple solution to lifting the poverty that weighs heavy on Niger’s farming communities.
– Michelle Simon
Photo: Flickr
Books and Butter: Ending Poverty in Costa Rica
Poverty in Costa Rica continues to be an ongoing issue as the country suffers from a lack of infrastructure, weak educational system and high food prices. President Barack Obama recently announced a plan to provide $1 billion in aid to Central American countries. This plan curiously omitted Costa Rica from its list, citing “place-based security strategies” as the reason.
Costa Rica’s troubled neighbors—El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, together known as the “northern triangle”—certainly deserve the attention of U.S. policymakers. In El Salvador, the most violent country on earth that is not at war, the homicide rate stands at 90 per 100,000 residents.
From 2009 to 2013, the number of asylum seekers from these countries in the U.S. has seen a sevenfold increase to 2.7 million people. In fact, some analysts are calling this exodus a “Central American Spring” sparked by drug trafficking, violence and extortion.
Though its rule of law has remained intact, Costa Rica shares a similar poverty experience. Poverty in Costa Rica stands at 22.4 percent of the population, a number that has fluctuated little since the 1990s. Roughly 60 percent of the Costa Rican workforce is unskilled. However, the demand for skilled workers continues to increase thanks to new free trade agreements and the privatization of most government enterprises.
This trend is not likely to change if U.S. foreign aid is diverted exclusively to northern triangle states. Alejandra Obando-Hernandez, a researcher at American University’s School of Public Affairs, finds that unskilled Costa Rican parents exhibit “low expectations regarding future benefits of their children’s education.”
There are two reasons for these low expectations that point to how U.S. aid could be effectively utilized in this country. The first is the “books” issue, or the persistent shortcomings on metrics like desertion, teacher training and pedagogical innovation. Only 15.6 percent of Costa Rican children live in homes with some form of post-secondary education; of all students, only 46 percent graduate from high school.
Hernandez attributes these statistics to a lack of school infrastructure and inadequate teacher training. Among the insufficient resources in secondary schools are science labs (61 percent), library rooms (35 percent), computer labs (24 percent) and computers (35 percent). In addition, 20 percent of secondary schools lack sufficient classrooms to host their students.
The second problem is the “butter” issue, or the unnecessary burden that food places on the poorest fifth of Costa Rican families. These high food prices are caused by price controls and agricultural protectionism.
In the case of rice, one sole corporation is authorized to import this staple at low, world market prices. That rice is then sold domestically at higher, price-fixed rates.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, Costa Rica has the third most expensive rice in the world. A basic food basket costs $42.37 compared to the monthly income of $82 for the poorest fifth. Once two school-going children are factored, the cost of education rises to 104 percent of monthly income.
U.S. aid to help poverty in Costa Rica could help improve these statistics by supplementing educational subsidies (already strong) and alleviating the shock to firms releasing their monopoly status. Doing so would create a stronger, more stable regional partner capable of counteracting the rampant violence in the rest of Central America.
– Alfredo Cumerma
Photo: Wikipedia
Besieged Areas in Syria Receive Foreign Aid
Syria has been engaged in a heated civil war since March of 2011. It is the deadliest conflict of the 21st century to this point. This war has killed over 250,000 individuals and displaced another 11 million Syrians. In addition, the government has surrounded besieged areas in Syria, preventing aid from reaching them.
Late in the evening on June 16, a U.N. convoy carrying food, medicine and emergency supplies for 37,500 people reached one of the besieged areas in Syria, al Waer. This relief is the first of its kind for the people of al Waer in months.
Jens Laerk, spokesman for the Office of Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that a second convoy to provide aid for the remaining 75,000 inhabitants should arrive within the next few days.
U.N. Humanitarian adviser Jan Egeland points to the significance of the convoy. He said that the besieged suburb surrounded by government troops had “been without supplies for more than three months.”
OCHA estimates that 5.47 million Syrians live in besieged and “hard to reach” areas. Numbers are difficult to confirm, due to conflicting reports from the Syrian government and U.N.
After the United Nations placed pressure on the Syrian government, the World Food Program has been able to breach blockades around several besieged areas.
They have worked with the U.N., Syrian Red Crescent, Red Cross and other relief organizations to provide much needed foreign aid to areas that have not seen relief in months or even years.
Earlier this month, a U.N. convoy reached the Damascus suburb of Darayya with aid for the first time in over four years. Shortly after the convoy left, the Syrian government dropped 28 barrel bombs from helicopters.
Because aid has been considerably scarce, and the government has been inconsistent in allowing supply convoys to enter besieged areas in Syria, the U.N. feels the urgency to provide help. They are considering sending supplies via air drop.
This is an especially risky and inefficient tactic. The U.N. believes that sending supplies in this fashion could be dangerous without approval from Syrian president Bashar al-Assad.
The Syrian government recently said that it would allow foreign aid convoys more access to besieged areas. Government officials said that they would also allow air drops to areas under duress from the Islamic State.
As long as the government keeps its word, this could be good news for those living under siege. For the first time in a long time, they will have increased access to food, medicine and other essentials.
– Aaron Parr
Photo: UNHCR
Two Advancements in the Treatment of MDR-TB
The rapid diagnostic test is a DNA-based test that identifies genetic mutations in MDR-TB strains that make them resistant to second-line drugs. Second-line drugs are the most important drugs used in the treatment of MDR-TB, fluoroquinolones and injectables. If patients resistant to second-line drugs are treated with either the current or the new recommended regimen, then their MDR-TB risks evolving into extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis.
Unlike the previous diagnostic test, which took three or more months to produce results, this new test will deliver results in 24 to 48 hours.
Because the rapid diagnostic test detects how resistant a patient’s tuberculosis is to treatment, it can determine a patient’s eligibility for the new regimen that WHO recommends. Ideally, patients with uncomplicated MDR-TB (patients not diagnosed with a strain of tuberculosis that is resistant to second-line drugs) will be the ones using the new regimen.
The new treatment regimen, which was developed by the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union), takes only half the time and is almost half the cost of the current regimen according to Dr. Mario Raviglione, the director of WHO’s Global TB Program.
Currently, the treatment of MDR-TB takes between 18 to 24 months to complete. Dr. ID Rusen, a senior vice president of The Union, told The Guardian that this equates to 14,000 pills over two years for only one person, all for a regimen that, according to WHO, has a cure rate of less than 50 percent.
WHO stated that the low success rate is due to the side effects patients undergo after taking second-line drugs for an extended period of time. In a Huffington Post article, Dr. Ariel Pablos-Mendez of USAID and Raviglione wrote that the side effects include debilitating nausea, vomiting and heaving, as well as vision loss and depression paired with suicidal thoughts. These difficulties, coupled with the financial difficulties many people experience as they try to pay for the current regimen, often cause people to interrupt their treatment.
The new treatment regimen that WHO recommends takes only nine to 12 months, and it costs less than $1,000. The shorter time frame and lower cost are expected to help people finish treatment, and the rapid diagnostic test will help them receive treatment more quickly. Less time and money spent on treatment for one person also frees up resources, so even more people will be able to receive the necessary care.
Though the new regimen has not gone through formal clinical trials, WHO has confidence the regimen works. It was tried successfully in 515 patients in Bangladesh between 2005 and 2011, then on 408 people in various African nations. Raviglione told The Guardian that WHO was accelerating the procedure because they feel the new regimen has “real potential to save lives immediately.”
– Anastazia Vanisko
Photo: Flickr
Toronto Joins the 2016 World Partnership Walk
Each year the Aga Khan Foundation Canada, (AKFC), an international development organization and registered charity, hosts the event. AKFC is a nonprofit international development agency helping to find solutions to alleviate global poverty. The organization focuses on improving the living conditions of those living in poverty, regardless of faith, origin or gender.
On May 29, there were over 10,000 participants in Toronto, who gathered at the Metro Hall in David Pecaut Square. Last year, more than 40,000 individuals participated in the event from Montreal, Ottawa, Regina, Vancouver and Victoria, helping to raise over $7 million.
Canadians are motivated to mobilize and donate to the event because they want to see global poverty levels reduce even further. According to the World Bank, there are 1 billion fewer people living in poverty globally than there were 25 years ago.
Many families are driven to participate in the annual event, as 100 percent of the donations go toward AKFC programs. In addition, the event offers memorable experiences through activities that inform, educate and entertain all participants from the young to the old.
Based in Canada, AKFC works to promote the discussion of global issues and works to build partnerships with Canadian institutions. The organization began operations in 1980 and kicked off its first walk in 1985 when a group of women from Vancouver raised $55,000. Now, the event is held in 10 cities each year and AKFC has raised $95 million since the first walk.
The 2016 World Partnership Walk is the largest event in Canada supporting international development in 14 countries. AKFC concentrates specifically on improving access to education and healthcare, food security, producing economic opportunities and constructing strong communities and local institutions.
– Kimber Kraus
Photo: Flickr
World Bank Assists Refugees in Zambia
On May 27, 2016, the World Bank Board of Executive Directors approved a $20 million International Development Association (IDA) credit to help refugees in Zambia integrate into the local population.
The IDA, which is a part of the World Bank, gives grants and zero-to-low-interest loans to the world’s poorest countries for projects and programs that boost economic growth, reduce poverty and improve poor people’s lives.
This $20 million loan will go to the Zambia Displaced Persons and Border Communities Project. They plan to promote social cohesion and the integration of former refugees in Zambia, through investment in the livelihoods and socioeconomic infrastructure of the host communities.
Africa is home to nearly 20 percent of the world’s refugees. In both the Horn of Africa and the Great Lakes Region of Africa, the World Bank is coordinating regional efforts to help both displaced persons and their host communities.
According to the World Bank, this regional approach is due to the steady increase in conflicts that cross international borders in Africa.
The more than 52,000 refugees in Zambia come from many nearby countries—Angola, Burundi, Sudan, Uganda, Rwanda, Somalia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo—as a result of the violence and conflict in those nations.
Ede Ijiasz-Vasquez, Senior Director of the World Bank’s Social, Urban, Rural and Resilience Global Practice, said situations depicting displaced people as a burden must be avoided. Instead, efforts to help should focus on creating a more inclusive environment.
The Zambia Project benefits both refugees and their host communities. The local integration of the former refugees contributes to the development of the surrounding area, strengthens the physical connection of former refugee areas to the wider districts and increases access to economic opportunities and services for everyone.
Valentin Tapsoba, Director of the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), said that the UNHCR and the World Bank need to take actions that look at the bigger picture when addressing development needs.
“Our work in tandem with the World Bank is looking at refugee issues in the context of broader regional goals that increase livelihood opportunities, safety and dignity as a whole,” he said in a World Bank news feature.
In a press statement regarding the loan to Zambia, the World Bank Task Team Leader for the project, Natacha Lemasle, noted that the funding was necessary as the displacement of refugees tends to be long-term and unresolved. She also noted the potential for this project to serve as an example of the success and positive effects of local integration.
The two targeted resettlement areas in Zambia are Meheba and Mayukwayukwa in the North-Western and Western Provinces, respectively. The project is a part of the larger World Bank Great Lakes Region Displaced Persons and Border Communities programs.
– Anastazia Vanisko
Photo: Flickr
A Quick History: Global Goals for Sustainable Development
The Global Goals have a much broader sustainability agenda than the MDGs. They address the root causes of poverty directly, as well as recognize the need for development that is universal and may be applied to all nations. Using the history of global goals for sustainable development, governments can be more effective when adopting certain initiatives.
World leaders first adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at the United Nations Sustainable Development Summit on September 25, 2015.
The United Nation’s Development Program aims to carry out these Global Goals by providing support for governments, as well as ensuring transparency by the U.N. when it comes to the planning process.
The Untied States has begun the work to achieve these Global Goals through initiatives such as the Feed the Future Initiative. Established for several different nations, this initiative works to address the root causes of hunger by training farmers not only in sustainable farming and living, but also regarding their own healthcare. The 2015 report estimates that about 55 percent of the Feed the Future Initiative’s beneficiaries have been able to rise above the extreme poverty threshold of the US ($1.25 USD per day).
However, nations such as Brazil are taking the development of these Global Goals even further.
In 2015, Brazil’s President, Dilma Rousseff, the first Head of State to address the General Debate of the United Nations General Assembly, used her time to emphasize her nation’s improved economy after their 2008 economic crisis and its efforts to provide for the migrants of Europe.
She focused on Brazil’s measures to lower taxes, expand credit, strengthen investment and stimulate household consumption. She also focused on her nation’s efforts to reduce 43 percent of its greenhouse gas emission by 2030.
Brazil even co-sponsored with the UNDP the “Implementing the SDGs: Integrated Approaches” session of the United Nations Environment Assembly in Kenya in this year. The session focused on discussing universal tools to advance the 2030 agenda through holistic approaches to the environment, and in doing so, not just eradicate poverty, but also accelerate environmentally sustainable growth.
– Veronica Ung-Kono
Photo: Flickr