Seventy years after U.S. occupation, the Haitian people work to overcome systemic poverty, global injustices, and acute health concerns.
The root of Haiti’s poverty began in 1492 when it was first colonized. In 1697, began the onset of French colonialism, which aimed to exploit the Haitian people and land for-profit.
Since independence, a litany of Haitian-born leaders have ascended to power, but remain unsuccessful in their efforts to substantially improve living standards in Haiti.
The World Bank associates the poverty of the Haitian people to instability and corruption within in the government. Misallocation of funds has degraded the quality of public services, (e.g. – the justice system, education, infrastructure), which are requisites of a functioning state.
Haiti’s stunted economy compounds the poverty of the Haitian people. As a result of political instability, private investment, both foreign and domestic, remains below levels of moderate poverty reduction efforts.
A recent estimate found that the investment/GDP ratio in Haiti is near 10 percent, which would require growth rates of at least five percent each year to reverse the poverty of the Haitian people.
Comparatively, the Haitian people are the recipients of the lowest spending in human capital. In total, per capita, health spending in Haiti is at $21 while the regional (Latin America) and global (Sub-Saharan Africa) levels enjoy a spending of $202 and $38, respectively.
The poverty of the Haitian people is best demonstrated by the barriers to healthcare. Population studies found that the most reliable indicator of health service usage is socioeconomic status.
Despite a modest amount of free healthcare clinics, 76 percent of Haitian births occur at home. The lack of hospitalized births is a result of the absence of funding to pay for transport from the home and to the hospital.
Consequently, the maternal mortality rate is 100 times that of North America – 1,122/100,000.
The World Bank, however, refuses to be complacent with the poverty of the Haitian people. In the annual Poverty Reduction and Equity report, four areas were identified, which could bear a severely positive impact in the effort to reduce poverty in Haiti.
Notably, the call for an increase in the “assistance provided by external donors”, which stresses the importance of foreign assistance, along with a refined system to implement the aid.
Now more than ever, it is incumbent on the international community to prevent the further decrease of living standards of the Haitian people. Foreign assistance, promotion of good governance, and donation of medical practices and personnel are vital to reducing the poverty of the Haitian people.
– Adam George
Photo: Flickr
Rising Middle Class in Emerging Countries Promotes Global Air Traffic
One sign of the rising middle class in emerging countries is the optimistic projection for the global airline industry. An industry study conducted by analyst DKMA indicates that airline passenger traffic should double by 2035. More than half of the eight billion additional passengers will come from the Asia-Pacific, and 70 percent of future traffic growth will come from the new middle class in emerging countries as more people leave poverty.
The airline industry will be the latest to catch the rising wave of the global middle class. Other “connection” industries that are riding this wave include the cell phone industry, with seven billion devices in use around the world, and the internet, with 3.2 billion people connected to it and each other, according to the Wall Street Daily. In fact, internet users in developing nations outnumber those in developed nations two to one.
Middle class growth drives economic change as people leave poverty. Just 25 years ago, one-quarter of the population of emerging countries lived in extreme poverty, getting by on less than $1.25 per day. Today, that number has been more than halved. Just 10 percent live in extreme poverty. In the last two years alone, 100 million households in emerging countries moved from poverty to the middle class, according to a report by Credit Suisse.
The global middle class now numbers more than 1.8 billion. If current trends of falling poverty continue, the middle class will reach 3.2 billion by 2020 and 4.9 billion by 2030, according to the OECD Observer.
Consistent with the airline study projections, most of this growth is projected to take place in Asia. Asia is anticipated to be responsible for 66 percent of the global middle class population by the end of the next decade, up from 28 percent at the end of the last decade, and the continent will account for 59 percent of all consumption by the middle class, up from 23 percent.
The OECD reports that over the next 20 years, the Asia-Pacific market is projected to grow at a 5.3 percent rate; the Middle East, at a 5.2 percent rate, and Latin America and the Caribbean at a 4.7 percent rate. Further, there will eventually be more passengers on planes from emerging countries such as India and Indonesia than from long-time market leaders Japan, Germany and the United Kingdom, according to DKMA.
The booming air traffic economy in emerging countries could have positive economic effects on the ground. Airports will need to invest in new construction or renovations and increase staff and services to keep up with the greater demand. This economic trend has the potential to further influence global poverty rates in the future, demonstrating the way positive progress toward ending global poverty continues to impact the world.
– Robert Cornet
Photo: Flickr
Simple Ways to Reduce Waste and Stop Climate Change
Simple ways to reduce waste can also help those that are forced even deeper into poverty by climate change.
Increasing levels of greenhouse gasses such as carbon dioxide raise temperatures on Earth and cause myriad problems such as rising sea levels, melting snow and ice, extreme heat, fires, drought, floods and extreme storms.
These hazards have displaced 21.5 million people per year since 2008. Scientists predict that the amount of people displaced due to climate change will increase in the future.
Regions with large populations that are at high risk for natural hazards and lack the resources to adequately prepare for natural disasters are at the highest risk for displacement. Asia and Pacific Island nations are most at risk for displacement.
Although most people aren’t scientists trained to research methods to stop climate change, there are simple ways to reduce waste in an effort to slow the effects of climate change. Here are some everyday examples:
Each year Americans use 100 billion plastic shopping bags. It takes 12 million barrels of oil to produce all these bags. This comes at a great cost to the environment, with emissions from petroleum production polluting the air and water.
There is an area in the Pacific Ocean twice the size of Texas full of plastic waste. Pack your lunch and pour drinks in reusable containers, and be sure to recycle plastic bottles. Women can try a menstrual cup instead of other feminine hygiene products that have plastic wrappers or applicators.
Shop thrift stores for items such as clothing, housewares, holiday decorations and more and buy used books and music rather than new. All these simple ways to reduce waste add up!
Take the bus, streetcar or subway instead of driving. Or, get fit by riding your bike or walking.
For example, do grocery shopping after work before going home rather than making separate trips. Sites like Zimride can help connect with others from the same company or university looking to carpool.
Agriculture emits more greenhouse gasses than transportation. As the increasing global population increases the demand for food, experts predict there will be a global food shortage by 2050 because there is not enough land or water to fulfill this demand. Help reduce this demand by planting a small garden. Homegrown tomatoes, lettuce, berries and herbs are easy for beginners. Food that isn’t homegrown should be bought in season and from local farmers, which reduces greenhouse gas emissions from transportation. Vegan diets are more eco-friendly because food produced on farms can be consumed directly by humans rather than being used as animal feed. A vegan diet saves 1,100 gallons of water, 20 pounds of CO2 equivalent, 30 square feet of forested land and 45 pounds of grain, according to Esquire Middle East.
If it’s impossible to go vegetarian or vegan, at least reduce the amount of meat and other animal products in your diet. Try having a Meatless Monday like American families during World War I and II who rationed their consumption for the war effort.
Though they may seem small, simple ways to reduce waste help those displaced by climate change if everyone does their part to help.
– Cassie Lipp
Photo: Flickr
Water Quality in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Water quality in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is in need of improvement. Only 46 percent of the population has access to clean and safe drinking water. Although the DRC has an abundance of freshwater sources, pollution and accessibility are major issues in the country.
According to the World Food Programme, the DRC is one of the poorest countries in the world. Therefore, the country has a lack of infrastructure and insufficient water storage and treatment facilities. Poorly maintained water systems can be dangerous because old and rusted pipes can possibly pollute water. Some towns, especially in rural regions, do not have any water systems.
For instance, the isolated town of Kasongo once had a working water system but it broke down and was not been repaired for several years. Without running water, residents had to walk three miles to get water from the nearest stream. This trip can take up to two hours. This is common for rural towns in the Congo.
People in the rural regions who depend on direct water sources are more likely to drink unsafe water. Approximately 37 million people in rural areas are at risk of contracting a disease from contaminated streams and rivers. One of the most common illnesses caused by unsafe drinking water is Cholera. Every year, 20,000 people die from cholera.
UNICEF representative, Pierette Vu Thi says, “A child living in a Congolese village is four times more likely to drink contaminated water than someone in town. Yet, all children have equal right to survival and development of which drinking water is a vital component.”
There are many solutions being explored to improve water access and quality in the Congo. The state water company REGIDESO is tapping groundwater in order to install pumps in remote rural areas. This method is much cheaper and less difficult than installing water systems. But, old water systems are also being restored. In Kasongo, REGIDESO replaced their defunct water system. The old storage tank, engine and pump were repaired with new models. A network of pipes and taps were extended to provide more people with running water.
The water quality in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is poor especially for the Congolese in rural areas. However, with new initiatives, many more people will gain access to clean water without having to travel miles.
– Karla Umanzor
Photo: Flickr
Monarchs, Communist States and other Non-Democratic Countries
Out of 196 countries in the world, 113 are officially recognized as democratic states. That leaves over 80 non-democratic countries. Here is a look at the top ten.
– Ashley Henyan
Photo: Flickr
Education in Algeria: Past Successes, Challenges and Goals
Since gaining their independence in 1962, education in Algeria has improved significantly in relation to access to and quality of education. The amount of students enrolled in school more than doubled between 1962 to 2000. But with overall enrollment up there was still opportunity to identify subsets of the education system in which enrollment was lacking.
The government reached out to UNICEF for assistance on quantifying these shortcomings. UNICEF and the Ministry of Education partook in the Global Out-of-School Children Initiative (OOSCI) to identify flaws in enrollment and also characteristics of students who drop out. The goal of which was to identify those characteristics so future students fitting that mold can potentially be saved from dropping out.
The OOSCI study found that 33.4 percent of eligible students were not participating in pre-primary education, three percent in primary education, and 6.5 percent in secondary education. The study found that students participating in pre-primary education were less likely to repeat grades, less likely to drop out and more likely to make it through secondary education.
The few pre-primary schools available in the country are privately funded and not available to a large portion of the population. This is something the government plans on improving in coming years.
Adding more primary and pre-primary schools will require more qualified teachers in the country. A UNESCO study estimates that by 2025, Northern Africa is going to need an additional 1.9 million teachers in total which includes 200,000 in Algeria.
Some key metrics have led to doubts about the quality of teachers across the country. In regards to literacy rates, males above the age of 15 fall into the 10 percentile and females above the age of 15 fall into the 20 percentile in comparison to other Middle Eastern & North African countries.
The repetition rate for males and females also fall into the 20 and 30 percentiles respectively compared to similar countries.
The Algerian government will be partnering with UNICEF in 2016 to work on improving these metrics. UNICEF plans on implementing child-centered methods to curriculum planning in their development of current and future teachers.
These future investments in education in Algeria will be costly. This could be problematic for a country where 60 percent of their tax revenues are related to hydrocarbons. Any fluctuation in the price of oil can have serious ripple effects on their economy.
In their 2017 budget, they are using a $50/barrel price point for allocating budget dollars. In order to maintain current levels of funding, they will be raising taxes to avoid any shortfalls that would occur.
Fortunately, with this proactive approach to maintaining levels of government spending on education in Algeria, they will not find themselves overly susceptible to influxes in their main trading commodity.
– Brian Faust
Photo: Flickr
Virtual Reality Can Affect Global Poverty
Although the technology of virtual reality (VR) is still in its infancy, it is steadily growing more advanced and more easily available to the public. VR is opening up all kinds of new opportunities and experiences, and they’re not just limited to video games – people around the world are finding that virtual reality can affect global poverty.
VR has made a strong impact in such fields as healthcare, manufacturing and even insurance. Many around the world see no reason why these advances shouldn’t also address humanitarian needs.
Researchers have found that virtual reality is incredibly powerful at building the feeling of empathy in users, which gives it obvious appeal to those in the non-profit world. With its ability to connect users to other people, the technology can make unprecedented strides in shining a light on the plight of millions.
According to Jeremy Bailenson of Stanford University, “Virtual reality transforms relationships that tend to be abstract to become visceral. Our research has shown that making this cause and effect relationship perceptual, as opposed to theoretical, changes consumer and other behaviors more than other interventions.”
Some non-profit organizations are now taking advantage of the fact that virtual reality can affect global poverty. HOPE International has found success by reaching out to potential donors with the technology by showing them exactly what problems their donations will be addressing. Boosted levels of empathy generate more contributions, helping to make a significant dent in global need.
Another organization, Trickle Up, combats poverty in some of the world’s poorest countries also by using virtual reality. By introducing VR experiences to donors at a fundraising gala, the organization was able to connect supporters to a local shop owner in Guatemala whose business would benefit from their donations. Trickle Up’s Communications Officer, Tyler McClelland, noted that having VR at the event increased interest and made guests more excited about the cause.
Some have taken the involvement of virtual reality in the humanitarian world to an even more interesting level. Chris Milk of UNICEF partnered with Samsung in 2015 to create Clouds Over Sidra, a virtual reality film that follows a 12-year old girl, Sidra, through her day-to-day life in the Syrian refugee camp of Za’atari in Jordan. Winner of the 2015 Doc/Fest Award, the film breaks barriers in the documentary world, making the VR viewer an interactive participant.
While there is much time and research yet to spend on the technology, early success strongly indicates that virtual reality can affect global poverty. It has the power to break down walls and, as the creator of Clouds Over Sidra said, it “connects humans to other humans in a profound way I’ve never before seen in any other form of media, and it can change people’s perception of each other. That is why I think virtual reality has the potential to actually change the world.”
– Emily Marshall
Photo: Flickr
How to Become a Member of Congress
At one point or another, I am sure many people have wondered how to become a member of Congress. Is it as simple as getting a few campaign donations and a few votes, or is there a bit more to it?
There are really three key aspects that need to be satisfied to become a member of Congress. The constitutional requirements, the Federal Election Commission (FEC) filing requirements and then the overarching personal qualities that voters are looking for from their leaders. Below I have summarized the items needed to identify how to become a member of Congress.
How to Become a Member of Congress: Requirements and Qualifications
Constitutional Requirements
These requirements are highlighted in Article 1, Section 2 of the US constitution:
If you can satisfy these three basic requirements, then you are eligible. But eligibility is the easy part.
FEC Filing Requirements
Now that you have the FEC requirements satisfied, we need to examine what qualities voters are looking for. The requirements are just a part of how to become a member of congress.
Top 5 Qualities of Political Leaders
As obvious as these may be, this is the core of what voters want from their elected officials. A recent Gallup poll showed that 53% of Americans want their leaders to compromise, opposed to 21% that wanted their leaders to stick to their principles. The ability to compromise reflects all of these five qualities.
If you follow the steps above, you can take the first step on your journey to start enacting the change you want to see in the world by becoming a member of Congress.
– Brian Faust
Photo: Flickr
Poverty of the Haitian People
Seventy years after U.S. occupation, the Haitian people work to overcome systemic poverty, global injustices, and acute health concerns.
The root of Haiti’s poverty began in 1492 when it was first colonized. In 1697, began the onset of French colonialism, which aimed to exploit the Haitian people and land for-profit.
Since independence, a litany of Haitian-born leaders have ascended to power, but remain unsuccessful in their efforts to substantially improve living standards in Haiti.
The World Bank associates the poverty of the Haitian people to instability and corruption within in the government. Misallocation of funds has degraded the quality of public services, (e.g. – the justice system, education, infrastructure), which are requisites of a functioning state.
Haiti’s stunted economy compounds the poverty of the Haitian people. As a result of political instability, private investment, both foreign and domestic, remains below levels of moderate poverty reduction efforts.
A recent estimate found that the investment/GDP ratio in Haiti is near 10 percent, which would require growth rates of at least five percent each year to reverse the poverty of the Haitian people.
Comparatively, the Haitian people are the recipients of the lowest spending in human capital. In total, per capita, health spending in Haiti is at $21 while the regional (Latin America) and global (Sub-Saharan Africa) levels enjoy a spending of $202 and $38, respectively.
The poverty of the Haitian people is best demonstrated by the barriers to healthcare. Population studies found that the most reliable indicator of health service usage is socioeconomic status.
Despite a modest amount of free healthcare clinics, 76 percent of Haitian births occur at home. The lack of hospitalized births is a result of the absence of funding to pay for transport from the home and to the hospital.
Consequently, the maternal mortality rate is 100 times that of North America – 1,122/100,000.
The World Bank, however, refuses to be complacent with the poverty of the Haitian people. In the annual Poverty Reduction and Equity report, four areas were identified, which could bear a severely positive impact in the effort to reduce poverty in Haiti.
Notably, the call for an increase in the “assistance provided by external donors”, which stresses the importance of foreign assistance, along with a refined system to implement the aid.
Now more than ever, it is incumbent on the international community to prevent the further decrease of living standards of the Haitian people. Foreign assistance, promotion of good governance, and donation of medical practices and personnel are vital to reducing the poverty of the Haitian people.
– Adam George
Photo: Flickr
Pakistan Reading Project
Muhammad Baligh Ur Rehman, Pakistan’s Minister of State for Federal Education, spoke this month of the fundamental importance of reading, citing the first word taught in Quran, ‘Iqra’ which means ‘read.’ The minister’s statement came in response to an education workshop hosted by the Pakistan Reading Project and USAID.
The four-day workshop gathered educators from provincial groups across Pakistan to frame individual Reading Improvement Strategies (RIS) to be finalized and applied to their respective provinces as part of official educational programming. This workshop was just one of many that the Pakistan Reading Project has organized to provide support for provincial and regional departments of education throughout Pakistan. The primary focus is the enhancement reading instruction strategies for children in grades one and two. The $165 million, five-year project is, through such workshops as these, promoting the adaptation and implementation of sustainable policies to improve teaching and education standards.
The Pakistan Reading Project’s strategy is threefold: improve learning environments for reading in the classroom, advance policies and systems for reading instruction and rally community-based support for reading. In doing so, the project intends to reach 1.3 million students in grades one and two with reading interventions, not to mention training more than 23,000 teachers in reading instruction and developing reading curricula for more than 100 collegiate teaching programs.
From scholarships and grants for students pursuing teaching degrees to mobile bus libraries that bring books directly to children and their communities, the Pakistan Reading Program aims to comprehensively integrate reading into the lives of Pakistani children. The holistic approach of incorporating reading into both the institutional and communal lives of Pakistanis ensures the sustainability of the project’s efforts. In this way, children in Pakistan will be developmentally prepared for educational challenges they will face throughout their lives and consequently better able to pursue their goals and break from the cycle of poverty.
– Robin Lee
Photo: Flickr
10 Ways to Respond to Ethnic Cleansing in South Sudan
More than two decades after at least 800,000 people were killed in Rwanda, the situation seems poised to repeat itself in the world’s youngest country. More than one million people have fled South Sudan since violence erupted in the country in 2013, creating the largest mass exodus of any Central African conflict since the Rwandan genocide. In light of a new U.N. declaration that the country is on the brink of disaster and that ethnic cleansing is under way, it is imperative that the international community responds differently than it did in 1994. Here are 10 ways that the international community — from leaders to citizens — can respond to ethnic cleansing in South Sudan.
The United States has pushed for sanctions and an arms embargo against South Sudan, but the U.N. vote on such measures has been pushed back following opposition from Russia, China and others. However, this measure is imperative as it is the simplest and most effective way for the international community to curb ethnic cleansing in South Sudan.
Ivan Šimonović, the U.N. Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights, stressed the importance of a death toll in 2014. He said public information had the power to “deter continued violations of human rights” and keep communities informed. “Only reliable reporting can help them to reconcile, knowing that both sides have been involved as perpetrators as well as victims,” he said.
The U.N. approved the deployment of a regional protection force in August, and South Sudan finally agreed to the deployment in late November. In an editorial for Al Jazeera, three South Sudanese writers stressed the importance of this force, and suggested that its powers included “monitoring, disarming and demobilizing any armed group targeting civilians”.
Human rights organizations have expressed concerns that the focus on ethnic cleansing in South Sudan will allow perpetrators of crimes such as destruction of property, rape and murder to go unpunished. Amnesty International has urged the African Union Commission and the South Sudanese government to establish a hybrid court so that all crimes are appropriately prosecuted.
World leaders must put structures in place to ensure an effective response to genocide. In the U.S., President Obama had the Atrocities Prevention Board created to facilitate a multilateral response to atrocities and genocide globally. But it is the job of citizens to ensure that these structures function as intended.
According to Dr. Gregory H. Stanton, president of Genocide Watch, an early warning system will help prevent further genocides and ensure that countries are able to respond quickly and effectively when a nation is showing warning signs characteristic of genocide.
Experts believe that the perceived power vacuum that will be left after president Obama leaves office could be a trigger for ethnic cleansing in South Sudan. It is the job of the new administration to confront this vacuum and ensure that the security of human rights remains a global priority.
Congressional leaders must continue to fight to hold human rights abusers to account, and promote peace, by passing bills like the recently-approved Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act.
The United Nations must continue to monitor and prioritize the situation in South Sudan, offering aid, guidance, and resolutions in pursuit of peace.
– Eva Kennedy
Photo: Flickr