French Guiana, the small South American overseas region of France, is home to a uniquely intricate story. Tales of its former penal colonies and its more recent prominence as a European rocket-launching site often capture the imagination. Initially explored by the Spanish in the 1500s, it became a part of France in 1667.
Inhabitants of French Guiana are citizens of France, and administration of the area is governed by the French Constitution.
Although French Guiana recently voted against increased autonomy from France, frustration with the French administration has often resulted from longstanding struggles with unemployment and the area’s unbalanced trade. Over the years, this frustration has led to widespread protests and demonstrations throughout the country.
France supports French Guiana’s developing economy by sending aid and technical assistance. The country suffers from unfavorable balances in their trading activities, with their exports significantly less valuable than their imports.
The resulting issues are compounded by high rates of unemployment and inflation, insufficient infrastructure (for example, only two-fifths of roads are paved), and the territory’s need to import fossil fuels for all electricity needs.
The majority of the territory’s population is employed in services and industry, with those in agriculture primarily subsistence farmers who do not contribute largely to Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The country’s GDP per capita is $8,300, but assessing what proportion of the population this places below the poverty line is made difficult by the lack of economic information available about the territory.
Its small size and population often mean it is not included in other aggregate poverty assessments. This lack of information makes poverty-related issues difficult to identify in French Guiana.
While the issues associated with poverty in French Guiana are not always clear, it is evident that they do exist. In 2009, reported sufferings due to low wages elucidated threats of revolt. However, those threats were not acted upon until 2010, when approximately 70 percent of the population voted against increased autonomy in administration.
These tensions were felt in a variety of French territories in 2009 and are often the result of disproportionate success and living conditions between these territories and the French mainland. It is not uncommon for GDP per capita in purchasing power parity in French Guiana to be significantly lower than that in France, with the former enjoying only one-third the per capita rate as the latter in recent decades.
This disparity places French Guiana and other French territories in an unusual position. Their poverty is acute compared with rates experienced on the mainland, but it is less severe than rates often seen in developing nations not tied to the power and aid of a country like France.
In addition, the cycle of wealthy inhabitants in French Guiana purchasing primarily imported goods has done more good than harm to the local economy.
In coping with poverty in French Guiana, universally free education is beneficial, as is free health care for the poorest segments of society. However, French Guiana’s noted lack of certain forms of infrastructure affects health care in rural areas, where full-service hospitals are frequently inaccessible.
As French Guiana continues to develop, poverty and unemployment rates represent a large source of social discontentment and everyday hardship. While poverty remains acute, the rates experienced in the territory are less extreme than those experienced in some other developing countries.
– Charlotte Bellomy
Photo: BBC
Worsening Poverty in Romania Needs a Local Focus
More than 1 million children live in poverty, and over 350,000 live in severe poverty. Poverty in Romania has also contributed to the highest mortality rate in children in the EU.
Currently, UNICEF is working in Romania to ensure children receive the best possible start to life. The organization’s program is designed to combat poverty in Romania by ensuring babies and new mothers receive proper care.
UNICEF is also dedicated to ensuring parents receive proper education in parenting from basics like breastfeeding to providing access to the best quality of education.
However, poverty in Romania is not isolated to the youngest members of society. According to Adrian Oras, Coordinator for the Europe-wide campaign group, Opening Doors, “poverty has worsened due to a high rate of unemployment, a wide gap between rural and urban areas in terms of investment, education and employment opportunities, and a general descending economic trend after the 2008 financial crisis” — all of which have only worsened, since the nation joined the EU in 2007.
Fighting poverty and social inclusion are priorities under the 2020 targets set forth by the EU. In light of these goals, Romania passed an anti-poverty package of 47 measures to combat poverty by focusing on increasing the employment rate, reducing early school leaving rates and scaling-up national health programs.
One of the most important anti-poverty legislative measures, the Romanian Venitul Minim de Incluziune, is currently tabled for debate in the Romanian Parliament, which would serve as a consolidation of three existing means-tested programs. Once this law is approved, it will aim to consolidate the three existing social assistance programs: Heating Benefit, Family Benefit and Guaranteed Minimum Income (GMI).
According to a recent series of poverty resolution maps developed by the World Bank, much of the northeast portion of Romania is at risk for poverty, while the southern tier is very much a sporadic mix of “at-risk” areas. These variations make it difficult to create a “one size fits all” approach to eradicating poverty in Romania and necessitates local strategies.
– Veronica Ung-Kono
Photo: Flickr
9 Facts About Child Poverty
Every day, the effects of poverty take the lives of thousands, with children suffering the most. Chronic poverty makes children more susceptible to disease, hunger, and developmental problems. Here are the most concerning facts about child poverty:
The question then arises, what can be done about child poverty? The good news is that, despite the previous data, progress is being made every day combating this issue. Here are four facts on the fight against child poverty:
The global community has made strides in combatting child poverty, but there is still work to be done to ensure sustainable futures for the world’s youth.
– Emily Milakovic
Photo: U.N. Multimedia
Gender Roles: Hindering the Potential of Women in Africa
Women who work in agriculture do not generally receive training or supplies in return for their work. These disparities demonstrate that the potential of women in Africa isn’t fully recognized—although women are responsible for the majority of production, they are not able to influence the policies that affect them.
Kenya suggested a bill for political parties to attempt to reserve 30 percent of parliamentary seats for women, but the bill was not passed. Involving women in these political decisions could significantly improve the economy since the majority of work is done by women.
The economy of Africa could be improved by involving more women in policy changes or by investing in those who do agricultural work. Gender roles are not only hindering the potential of women in Africa, but they are also hindering Africa’s potential. About 90 percent of Sub-Saharan Africa’s food is tended to by women who have little say in the economy that affects their work.
While women in Africa do the lion’s share of work, they are not valued the same as men. The potential of women in Africa is great. Women will typically work a day that is 50 percent longer than their male counterparts and in less than favorable conditions. In a society that revolves around men, the women are the force of the economy, though they remain largely ignored.
These women not only deal with harmful pesticides and rudimentary tools but also suffer considerable abuses at home after their difficult days of work.
The violence against women in Africa includes rape, sexual harassment, forced pregnancy, forced marriage, forced sterilization and much more. A cultural practice called female genital mutilation (FGM) causes infection, injuries, and death in women across Africa.
Approximately 130 million girls have already been subjected to this practice, though measures are being taken to prevent further mutilation. This violation of women’s human rights in Africa is illegal but often carried out in secret to continue the cultural tradition.
FGM is considered a way for women to be socially accepted and can only be ended by educating those who enforce it and stopping the stigma surrounding the tradition. Linah Jebii Kilimo, the chairwoman of Kenya’s Anti-FGM board, calls this “the worst form of gender-based violence.”
Those subjected to gender-based abuses are forced to stay with their husbands because women in Africa are not financially supported by the vast amount of work that they do. Husbands must provide the necessary financial security. Many of these women are illiterate and uneducated, though women who have received a secondary education are better able to provide for themselves and control their personal lives.
The 1979 United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women assisted women and governments in changing abusive practices but has not been entirely successful.
Many cultures still practice FGM and forced marriages despite laws against such practices. Rwanda’s gender desks at police stations have provided legal assistance to women who are victims of any type of violence, a system that should be expanded to other countries in Africa. By expanding these gender desks, many women would be able to take better action to improve the situation of gender-based violence in their cultures.
Greater investment in the potential of women in Africa could equate to a significant boost for the economy. Countries could benefit by improving conditions for women and improving gender equality as well.
– Amanda Panella
Photo: Flickr
Poverty in French Guiana Leads to Tense Relations with France
French Guiana, the small South American overseas region of France, is home to a uniquely intricate story. Tales of its former penal colonies and its more recent prominence as a European rocket-launching site often capture the imagination. Initially explored by the Spanish in the 1500s, it became a part of France in 1667.
Inhabitants of French Guiana are citizens of France, and administration of the area is governed by the French Constitution.
Although French Guiana recently voted against increased autonomy from France, frustration with the French administration has often resulted from longstanding struggles with unemployment and the area’s unbalanced trade. Over the years, this frustration has led to widespread protests and demonstrations throughout the country.
France supports French Guiana’s developing economy by sending aid and technical assistance. The country suffers from unfavorable balances in their trading activities, with their exports significantly less valuable than their imports.
The resulting issues are compounded by high rates of unemployment and inflation, insufficient infrastructure (for example, only two-fifths of roads are paved), and the territory’s need to import fossil fuels for all electricity needs.
The majority of the territory’s population is employed in services and industry, with those in agriculture primarily subsistence farmers who do not contribute largely to Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The country’s GDP per capita is $8,300, but assessing what proportion of the population this places below the poverty line is made difficult by the lack of economic information available about the territory.
Its small size and population often mean it is not included in other aggregate poverty assessments. This lack of information makes poverty-related issues difficult to identify in French Guiana.
While the issues associated with poverty in French Guiana are not always clear, it is evident that they do exist. In 2009, reported sufferings due to low wages elucidated threats of revolt. However, those threats were not acted upon until 2010, when approximately 70 percent of the population voted against increased autonomy in administration.
These tensions were felt in a variety of French territories in 2009 and are often the result of disproportionate success and living conditions between these territories and the French mainland. It is not uncommon for GDP per capita in purchasing power parity in French Guiana to be significantly lower than that in France, with the former enjoying only one-third the per capita rate as the latter in recent decades.
This disparity places French Guiana and other French territories in an unusual position. Their poverty is acute compared with rates experienced on the mainland, but it is less severe than rates often seen in developing nations not tied to the power and aid of a country like France.
In addition, the cycle of wealthy inhabitants in French Guiana purchasing primarily imported goods has done more good than harm to the local economy.
In coping with poverty in French Guiana, universally free education is beneficial, as is free health care for the poorest segments of society. However, French Guiana’s noted lack of certain forms of infrastructure affects health care in rural areas, where full-service hospitals are frequently inaccessible.
As French Guiana continues to develop, poverty and unemployment rates represent a large source of social discontentment and everyday hardship. While poverty remains acute, the rates experienced in the territory are less extreme than those experienced in some other developing countries.
– Charlotte Bellomy
Photo: BBC
How to Find Jobs in Advocacy: 5 Simple Ways
Advocacy is the action of generating public support for or recommending a particular cause or policy. One of the ways in which The Borgen Project makes a difference is through advocacy.
By teaching citizens skills on how to communicate with their government, The Borgen Project is able to both generate support for and recommend making global poverty a higher priority for U.S. foreign policy.
Here are five ways on how to find jobs in advocacy so you can begin a fulfilling, challenging career of improving people’s lives:
Is there a cause you really believe in? Is there a problem you would like to address? Is there a topic you could talk about for hours and hours? Most employers, whether it’s listed in your cover letter or spoken about in an interview, want to know what motivates you to join their team. They want to know your passion because a passion-less person doesn’t make a good advocate, now does it? Don’t think too hard about it, though.While some peoples’ passion may be something specific, like woodcutting or kite flying, yours could be a broader goal such as helping other people.
There is a very high chance that your community has at least one non-profit organization operating within it. While that non-profit organization may not be directly linked to advocacy, the people volunteering or working there may be able to direct you to other non-profit organizations more advocacy-geared. And if there is a link to advocacy, then you’re in luck.
In this day and age, the internet is your friend and the perfect place to start your advocacy search. You can look at popular websites like idealist.org, indeed.com or thenonprofittimes.com to find the perfect advocacy position for you. Most advocacy positions will be posted by non-profits organizations, local governments and lobbying firms.
If you’re not having any luck landing a paid position, consider volunteering. It will not only beef up your resume, but it also has the potential to lead to a paid position in the place you are volunteering. In your volunteer position, your supervisors can get to know you, see how motivated you are to the cause and perhaps find a more permanent fit for you on their team. Building these connections can lead to positions you never even thought possible!Additionally, most non-profit organizations operate under a very tight budget so the majority of advocacy positions may be volunteer anyways. Take The Borgen Project for example–we have only 2 full-time and 4 part-time employees but have around 300 volunteers.
A recent survey revealed that 85 percent of all jobs are filled through networking. LinkedIn is a great resource that connects you a network of over 400 million people. You can also utilize alumni networks, family and friend networks, and networks found through volunteering or reaching out to organizations. It is also important to keep in mind that networking is not always about meeting as many people as possible, but it is also about meeting a few well-connected people who can vouch for your ability and credibility.In the future, these types of connections can refer you to other well-connected people.
While this list is not exhaustive, hopefully, these tips on how to find jobs in advocacy will benefit you in your search.
– Alexis Pierce
Photo: Youth Advocacy Programs, Inc.
Making an Impact: 3 Ways to Host Refugees
Wondering about ways to host refugees in your home? Not everyone can personally provide housing, but below are three simple ways to get started in the effort to welcome refugees to America.
3 Ways to Host Refugees in America
While in-kind and monetary donations of food, clothing, furniture and supplies can help a refugee family build a home, the chance to be a family mentor, tutor or friend may do more to help refugees feel like they belong.
The U.S. admits record numbers of refugees, but schools and government agencies still struggle to help refugees feel at home and safe. Helping to find ways to host refugees and opening your home, either literally or otherwise, is a critical opportunity to be part of solving the world’s worst refugee crisis in 70 years. More importantly, it’s a chance to help your neighbors know that they belong.
– Eliza Campbell
Photo: U.N. Multimedia
New Model to Predict Outbreaks of Zoonotic Diseases
Zoonotic diseases account for 60 percent of the infectious diseases contracted by humans. Zika and Ebola, for instance, are both zoonotic. Lesser-known zoonotic diseases include Rift Valley fever and Lassa fever, the latter of which was used to conduct the study.
The scientists observed 408 outbreaks of Lassa fever in Africa between 1967 and 2012 according to Reuters. Humans can contract Lassa fever through direct contact with Mastomys rats, which carry the disease, by consuming the rats or by coming into contact with food or household products that have been contaminated with rat excrement. After infection, the disease can also be spread from person to person by the transferring of bodily fluids.
The model can be useful in policy-making decisions by demonstrating how different policy options will likely impact the spread of zoonotic diseases. Professor Kate Jones, co-author of the study hailing from University College London, told The Telegraph, “Our model can help decision-makers assess the likely impact of any interventions or change in national or international government policies, such as the conversion of grasslands to agricultural lands, on zoonotic transmission.”
Through observing the impacts of environmental changes on the hosts of the disease and humans, they were able to create a model that links the changes in the distribution of the disease host to the changes in mechanics of how that specific zoonotic disease spreads. This has not been done before, according to The Telegraph.
Now they can predict the frequency in which people are likely to be exposed to disease-carrying animals and the risk of them actually contracting it. The models also considers additional factors such as travel infrastructure, human interaction rates and poverty in order to accurately predict disease risk, according to UCL news.
According to the study, the number of people infected with Lassa fever will double because of climate change and population growth.
The good news is that this model provides insights on where to focus prevention efforts. Jones told the BBC, “We hope it can be used to help communities prepare and respond to disease outbreaks, as well as to make decisions about environmental change factors that may be within their control.”
– Laura Isaza
Photo: Flickr
10 Facts About Education in Switzerland
Education in Switzerland is not only unconventional compared to many other nations but also compulsory. With a wide variety of schools ranging from local Swiss schools to private schools to bilingual schools to international schools, the education standards are extremely high and, much like Switzerland itself, anything but boring.
Education in Switzerland ultimately exists to provide schooling for all, regardless of background or disability, a vision that embodies Global Goal number four established by the U.N. to eliminate extreme poverty.
– Veronica Ung-Kono
Photo: Flickr
Addressing Poverty in Greece
For the past few years, Greece has required heavy subsidies from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in conjunction with the European Union (EU) to avoid collapse. However, despite these heavy subsidies, the Greek economy continues to contract, and poverty in Greece is maintaining concerning rates.
The New York Times has compared this crisis to the infamous Great Depression in the United States during the 1930s. When these two timelines of GDP decline are placed in conjunction with the economic descents of the two countries follow the same trajectory.
The single difference between these two scenarios is that after four years the U.S. economy began to progress upward again. Inversely, the Greek economy has maintained constant economic contraction, averaging a negative growth of 25 percent GDP for the last four years.
Since the beginning of the crisis, the IMF and neighboring nations of the EU have poured over €260 billion into the flailing economy and have pledged an additional 86 billion euro to mitigate the extreme poverty that is spreading throughout the country. But even with these efforts, the Greek economy continues to shrink.
The effects of the steadily contracting economy have resulted in over a quarter of the population being unemployed, over 30 percent of the population living below the national poverty line and nearly one-fifth of the adult population not being able to feed their children. Charity organizations are running at full throttle, and some have worried at times if there will be enough food to go around.
The North American economist, Daniel Altman, has observed the fiscal problems that are being faced by Greece and has proposed several unpopular but effective ways in which the economy and reduction of poverty in Greece could make a rebound. He affirms that his prescribed measures would not be easy, but they would be possible to implement.
The first action Altman recommends is to default officially. The trade from Greece has been resulting in very low ingression of profit, and the government debt is continuing to accumulate in the background. Though defaulting on their debt would mean years of frozen access to global markets, it would also stop the progressing debt in the long run.
Secondly, the euro should be eradicated from the Greek economy. As it stands, the government cannot use inflation to its advantage since the euro is a transnational currency. A return to the Greek drachma could necessitate the aforementioned default and an initial scare would be probable, but in the long term, a return to domestic currency would set Greece in a position for economic progression.
In addition to these suggestions are the procedures for tax elevation and a decrease in the public budget. Altman affirms that these are never popular choices, but they are necessary for recovery. Many of these actions are already being imposed as necessary conditions for the reception of bailout funds from the IMF and the EU.
Additionally, an innovative way in which Greece could reduce public debt and put its economy back on track would be through liquidation of land assets. Greece has thousands of islands and large portions of ethnically Turkish, Albanian or Macedonian lands that could be sold.
Altman affirms that neighboring countries would pay large amounts to acquire lands that are largely inhabited by their people, thus alleviating poverty in Greece and putting a dent into the national debt.
Regardless of how this issue is approached, it seems that poverty in Greece is not going to be reduced without any sacrifices.
– Preston Rust
Photo: Spiegel
Organizations Improving Education in the Developing World
Education is essential to achieving a higher quality of life. Many individuals in developing countries find it difficult to access quality education due to poverty, violent conflict and a myriad of other issues.
Global access to education may seem like a daunting problem, but there are numerous organizations you can support to increase a child’s access to education in the developing world.
The African Children’s Educational Trust (A-CET)
A-CET focuses on developing education in Ethiopia. It provides long-term scholarships to at-risk children that are funded by individual donations. The charity also works to improve and build schools within the country.
The BOMA Project
The BOMA Project is based in the U.S. and strives to better the lives of women in drought-prone areas. The organization gives grants to women within various communities as well as provides a two-year “poverty graduation program” which teaches these women how to run a small business.
By educating vulnerable women about business, the BOMA Project helps to create self-sustainable communities. The NGO is only operating in Kenya currently, but it hopes to expand its reach in the near future.
She’s the First
She’s the First is another organization focused on impoverished women within developing countries. The NGO provides girls throughout the world with the resources and connections essential to a quality education and future.
UNICEF
UNICEF is a well-known UN program dedicated to providing aid to developing countries. Access to education in these countries is among the numerous humanitarian issues UNICEF aims to address through collaboration with governments and NGOs.
Save the Children
Save the Children was originally founded in London in 1919 to address hunger caused by World War I. Today, the organization fights for vulnerable children throughout the world. Through teacher training and empowering parents and their children, Save the Children helps improve the quality of education in developing countries.
All of these organizations strive to increase education in the developing world. While some work on a smaller level, they are all making a difference. Donating or even volunteering for these and similar organizations are just a few ways you can help a child in need access a quality education and escape the cycle of poverty.
– Saroja Koneru
Photo: Flickr