A month ago, Utrecht, the second largest city in the Netherlands, announced it would implement a state funded Universal Benefit Income (UBI) program, which allocates a certain monthly sum to every resident who wishes to partake in the scheme, no strings attached.
The program, which will begin after the summer holidays, aims to provide a basic income that can cover living costs to residents; with the goal of enabling people to work more flexible hours and to devote more time to care, volunteering, and education.
While UBI programs have never been implemented nationwide, various localized UBI programs have been attempted in the past; such as in the small Canadian town of Dauphin, where the city’s poorest citizens received cash sums from 1974 to 1979.
Utrecht’s decision to utilize UBI has also caused the movement to gain traction within the Netherlands, with seven other towns in the Netherlands currently considering similar schemes.
In Utrecht, the exact value of the cash disbursements has yet to be settled, but officials say it will range between 900 and 1,300 euros per month, depending upon the size of household. Most crucially, UBI also follows an income, or resident ‘blind’ selection process; meaning that all residents–even non-Dutch citizens, such as migrants–are entitled to receive the sum.
The take-off of the UBI idea in the Netherlands marks a seismic shift in the nation’s historic location on the fringes of Europe’s political agenda.
Traditionally, the UBI concept has only found support among left-wing and uber-liberal parties such as the Finnish Greens in Finland, which focuses its political policy primarily on climate change, or the Podemos, a radical party in Spain which supports a communist solution to the country’s economic ills.
Growing support for UBI within the Netherlands and among political parties has thus thrust the idea into the mainstream political agenda for the first time.
UBI’s sudden shift into the political centerfold also marks an interesting move away from the reaction that many welfare-state and socialist countries (such as Scandinavian countries) have had to increase levels of immigration: which has been to tighten and restrict welfare benefits for non-natives.
In light of this, the fact that UBI would be granted and money disbursed to migrants marks a surprising shift away from the anti-immigrant sentiment which is currently sweeping across Europe–and towards more inclusive notions of society and community.
While Utrecht prepares to implement UBI in the coming weeks, and other Dutch cities mull over the idea, Utrecht says it has paired up with University College Utrecht to see how effective UBI will be in a welfare state constituted by an ever-increasing multicultural population.
The team also hopes to discover whether UBI, granted to all residents who wish to receive it–including migrants–will help to produce a more effective, creative, and inspiring society in Utrecht, and whether the idea could take off within the Netherlands (and possibly, within the European Union) as a positive way to counter the threat of increasing anti-immigrant sentiment and increasing social exclusivity, throughout the region.
– Ana Powell
Sources: Al Jazeera, The Independent, The Guardian, Vihreat
Photo: Flickr
Odisha Rural Livelihoods Project Improves Lives
For those who have lost everything, self-help groups may provide a shoulder to cry on. Unfortunately, these groups ultimately offer little relief in providing jobs on a daily basis for many who remain unemployed. Sometimes it is only through financial assistance from outside projects that hope for the future can begin.
The Odisha Rural Livelihoods Project, or Tripti, was launched with the goal of improving the socio-economic status of the poor, especially disadvantaged groups such as women. The project began in 2009 throughout 32 blocks in 10 coastal districts of Odisha.
A $70 million loan from the World Bank started the implementation of the Odisha Poverty Reduction Mission. Its aim, however, had more than just one objective.
“The Project was designed to improve livelihoods of deprived women by building and mobilizing community institutions, creating community investment funds, and providing specific livelihood funds,” states an article by the World Bank.
With this in mind, the process for eligibility within this program was ultimately carried out by examining income levels and assigning individuals to different categories such as good, average, poor and the destitute.
By providing financial assistance through loan relief, many women would have the opportunity to provide in new ways for their families.
Currently, the project has seen five successful years and over time has supported over 929,000 households covering around 78,460 self-help groups. More than 60 percent of these benefitting the most vulnerable, rural poor communities.
Recognizing that the livelihood of the people is based on agriculture, Tripti aims to implement their program through an executed partnership with the local NGO and agricultural department.
Through this program, “community members are directly involved in seed production, processing and marketing. The seeds produced are then marketed locally among the SHG members to ensure easy and affordable access to quality seeds for the farmers.
The Project has initiated a program under which 1,800 farmers have been mobilized into Producer Groups to develop five different varieties of paddy seeds, which have a high demand in the local area. The seeds are then certified by the Odisha State Seed 3 Certification Agency. In 2014, 1,900 metric tons of quality seeds were produced,” reports the World Bank.
Tripti supports the promotion of agriculture through a program, which encourages households to create kitchen gardens by utilizing patches of grass and growing vegetables and other herbs. This will help communities meet the nutritional needs of their families.
Ultimately, this project has lifted women and their families out of poverty and sparked an economic recovery within regions devastated by natural disaster. This project is helping to give regions a chance for success.
– Nikki Schaffer
Sources: World Bank, Odisha
Photo: Irri Org
St. George’s Crypt Makes Progress to Help those in Need
Founded in the 1930s, St. George’s Crypt became a charitable group that has helped local people for generations. In its beginnings, the small church began charitable functions and fundraising from local people, run by Reverend Percy Donald, known as the Don.
Throughout its existence the function of the organization has shifted to satisfy the needs of the people and the events occurring around the neighborhood, such as assistance for those affected by war, illness, and the impact of a devastating economic downturn.
As the group’s website states, one of the objectives of the organization is to assist in “the relief of poverty, hardship, sickness and distress among needy and destitute persons,” and recently St. George’s Crypt has taken their efforts to help people even further.
In 2011, The Crypt set up purchase shops that would benefit more people in the area. More recently, the organization has done even more as it has invested more money into building homes for struggling families in the area.
A development project recently gave the group £1.5 million to spend on infrastructure, and the building of 20 new homes for those in need. These properties will act as “halfway houses” to help individuals as well as families get back on their feet, and create more sustainable lifestyles, and smarter economic practices.
The outreach of support for those in need knows no limits, helping those that are homeless, ill, suffering the vulnerabilities of recent catastrophes, and even those suffering from addiction. One of these housing developments will include a hostel in Hyde Park, which will house a larger number of people at a time for a shorter period of time.
When small organizations such as these expand over the years, even over 85 years such as the St. George’s Crypt, it gives hope that there is potential for anyone to make a difference in their communities. To learn more about St. George’s Crypt and the work they continue to do for those in need in their community, go to their website.
– Alexandrea Jacinto
Sources: St. George’s Crypt, BBC
Photo: Flickr
The Netherlands to Experiment with Universal Cash Benefits
A month ago, Utrecht, the second largest city in the Netherlands, announced it would implement a state funded Universal Benefit Income (UBI) program, which allocates a certain monthly sum to every resident who wishes to partake in the scheme, no strings attached.
The program, which will begin after the summer holidays, aims to provide a basic income that can cover living costs to residents; with the goal of enabling people to work more flexible hours and to devote more time to care, volunteering, and education.
While UBI programs have never been implemented nationwide, various localized UBI programs have been attempted in the past; such as in the small Canadian town of Dauphin, where the city’s poorest citizens received cash sums from 1974 to 1979.
Utrecht’s decision to utilize UBI has also caused the movement to gain traction within the Netherlands, with seven other towns in the Netherlands currently considering similar schemes.
In Utrecht, the exact value of the cash disbursements has yet to be settled, but officials say it will range between 900 and 1,300 euros per month, depending upon the size of household. Most crucially, UBI also follows an income, or resident ‘blind’ selection process; meaning that all residents–even non-Dutch citizens, such as migrants–are entitled to receive the sum.
The take-off of the UBI idea in the Netherlands marks a seismic shift in the nation’s historic location on the fringes of Europe’s political agenda.
Traditionally, the UBI concept has only found support among left-wing and uber-liberal parties such as the Finnish Greens in Finland, which focuses its political policy primarily on climate change, or the Podemos, a radical party in Spain which supports a communist solution to the country’s economic ills.
Growing support for UBI within the Netherlands and among political parties has thus thrust the idea into the mainstream political agenda for the first time.
UBI’s sudden shift into the political centerfold also marks an interesting move away from the reaction that many welfare-state and socialist countries (such as Scandinavian countries) have had to increase levels of immigration: which has been to tighten and restrict welfare benefits for non-natives.
In light of this, the fact that UBI would be granted and money disbursed to migrants marks a surprising shift away from the anti-immigrant sentiment which is currently sweeping across Europe–and towards more inclusive notions of society and community.
While Utrecht prepares to implement UBI in the coming weeks, and other Dutch cities mull over the idea, Utrecht says it has paired up with University College Utrecht to see how effective UBI will be in a welfare state constituted by an ever-increasing multicultural population.
The team also hopes to discover whether UBI, granted to all residents who wish to receive it–including migrants–will help to produce a more effective, creative, and inspiring society in Utrecht, and whether the idea could take off within the Netherlands (and possibly, within the European Union) as a positive way to counter the threat of increasing anti-immigrant sentiment and increasing social exclusivity, throughout the region.
– Ana Powell
Sources: Al Jazeera, The Independent, The Guardian, Vihreat
Photo: Flickr
She Leads Africa: Supporting African Women in Business
South Africa has the highest rate of female entrepreneurship in the world; however, the majority of the female-led startups are small-sized, individual-owned business. In order to foster female-led high-growth startups, She Leads Africa (SLA) provides African female entrepreneurs with the knowledge, financing and networks.
In Africa, female entrepreneurs face four major barriers to their success in entrepreneurship: unequal access to education, limited access to financing, constricted traditional stereotypes, and limited access to networks. SLA supports female entrepreneurs through hosting annual business pitch competition and building a community for female entrepreneurs.
Women in Africa don’t have equal chances to get an education since the primary level, which makes them lack business knowledge and work experience to create high-profit companies. Since 2014, SLA has hosted an annual pitch competition to identify the most promising African female entrepreneurs.
The finalists can get six-week training and business plan development with experienced mentors, who are from premier consulting, finance and venture capital companies. Moreover, SLA also creates an online platform for potential female entrepreneurs to share their business knowledge.
The unequal treatment does not only show in education but also in financial access. According to the report by SLA, women face fewer options, higher interest rates, and shorter terms when they look for loans. Thus, SLA’s pitch competition offers winners more than $55,000 in cash and kind prizes, including legal services and office supplies.
Besides the support in financing, SLA creates valuable networking chances for female entrepreneurs. By now, more than 380 entrepreneurs from more than 27 countries apply for a coveted finalist spot. The pitch competition has been a platform for African female entrepreneurs to network with other entrepreneurs and look for investors and mentors.
In a male-dominated society, women are always valued by their domestic contributions. However, with the popularity of SLA pitch competition, people raise the awareness of female entrepreneurship. In the 2015 Entrepreneur Showcase, six finalists were selected. On the final pitch competition, they will compete for a $10,000 prize and access directly to investors and international media attention.
“We are excited about our second cohort of young African female entrepreneurs for mentoring, training and investment and if I must say so myself, they are quite dope,” said Afua Osel, co-founder of SLA.
SLA emphasizes the role of the female in economic development. According to its Press kit, SLA is “a social enterprise dedicated to ensuring that women are not left out of Africa’s Growth Story.” Starting from a feminist concept, by offering them training and business development, providing financial support, enlarging their social network and rise social approval, SLA is the forefront of supporting African women in business.
– Shengyu Wang
Sources: Black Enterprise, SLA 1, SLA 2, SLA 3
Photo: Flickr
The Millennium Development Goals Results Show Success
The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) laid out eight specific targets to reduce extreme poverty and improve the living conditions of billions of people worldwide, from 2000-2015. The anticipated deadline has arrived and the results are positive, with a final report calling this “the most successful anti-poverty movement in history.”
Since 1990, the number of people living in extreme poverty has declined by more than half, falling from 1.9 billion to 836 million. In addition, according to the report the proportion of undernourished people in developing regions fell by almost half, from 23.3 percent in 1990-1992 to 12.9 percent in 2014-2016.
Below are more updated figures of the success of the MDGs:
Despite significant gains, there are still issues to be addressed. The report indicates that gender equality, maternal health and extreme poverty and hunger remain problems in the effort to improve lives across the world.
Coming up this month, the global community will convene at the United Nations for a summit to establish a new development agenda and to adopt a set of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that will provide a blueprint for policy and funding for the next 15 years.
– Paula Acevedo
Sources: United Nations Development Programme, United Nations Foundation Blog,
Photo: Flickr
UNLV’s New Research on HIV
UNLV has already earned several financial grants for the research, including one from the National Institutes of Health.
The researchers are looking at genetic codes called minimotifs that direct cellular function. Their goal is to understand how the codes can help cells fight off HIV by blocking the virus from interacting with the cells.
“We chose HIV as our model system because we know viruses depend solely on cells to live,” said Kiran Mathew, a researcher at UNLV, in an interview with the Las Vegas Review Journal. “It’s a great model system we can use to test out the effects of (the codes) in the cell.”
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 1.2 million Americans were infected with HIV as of 2012, with roughly 50,000 new cases each year.
By the end of 2014, close to 37 million people were living with HIV/AIDS worldwide and about 15 million people living with HIV were receiving antiretroviral therapy. The World Health Organization cites sub-Saharan Africa as the most affected region by HIV/AIDS globally with 26 million people infected in 2014. The region also accounts for almost 70 percent of the global total of new HIV infections.
There is currently no cure for HIV. The Food and Drug Administration has approved more than 25 antiretroviral drugs to help fight infections and improve quality of life for patients. With successful treatment, HIV infection can become a chronic, manageable disease. But therapy must be life long and there are limitations to diagnosis, treatment and care in geographical areas that are most heavily affected.
The promising new research coming out of UNLV might help develop new HIV drugs, code for other diseases and make personalized drugs specific for a patient’s genetic makeup. But first the findings must be published and patented before pharmaceutical companies could begin the process of bringing it to market where patients can benefit.
– Megan Ivy
Sources: Review Journal, CDC, WHO
Photo: Flickr
10 Ways the UNCRC Helps Children Around the World
The Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), passed in 1989, is the most widely accepted human rights treaty. This landmark piece is the first international treaty to ensure the civil, political, social, cultural and economic rights of all children under eighteen.
The treaty has 42 articles that are guided by four main principles. First, all children are equal and have the same rights. Second, every child has the right to have his or her basic needs fulfilled.
Third, every child has the right to protection from abuse and exploitation. Fourth, every child has the right to express his or her opinion and be respected.
All member states, except for the U.S. and South Sudan, have ratified the UNCRC. Here are ten ways in which the UNCRC supports children around the world:
10 Ways the UNCRC Helps Children Around the World
More than 36.5 million children have cast their votes in the WCP; more than 60,000 schools in 113 different countries take part in the opportunity to educate children about their rights and let them choose a hero for their cause. Past winners of the WCP include Nelson Mandela and Malala Yousafzai.
The UNCRC was a landmark human rights treaty that empowers children and those who help them. A quarter of a century later, progress still needs to be made, but much is to be celebrated.
More children receive access to health care, birth registration, nutrition and schooling, and reductions have been made in infant mortality, children trapped in forced labor, and children recruited into the armed forces.
Let’s hope that further support from policymakers, governments and international organizations continue to promote children’s rights worldwide.
– Priscilla McCelvey
Sources: Amnesty International, UNICEF, United Nations Human Rights, The World’s Children’s Prize
Photo: Flickr
Andean Region Launches SDSN Chapter to Meet SDGs
The United Nations-affiliated Sustainable Development Solutions Network, whose work it is to mobilize and organize scientific and technical expertise pertaining to sustainable development, launched the Andean Network in June.
The Andean Network is one of nine regional hubs for the SDSN, all of whom aim to strengthen cooperation, kickstart research and implement policies that contribute to sustainable development.
The Andean Network is comprised of Venezuela, Peru, Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia, Chile and Argentina. With nearly 200 million people, it is headquartered at The University of Investigación de Technología Experimental in Ecuador.
The group will work to further the goals of the SDSN, like meeting the Sustainable Development Goals, or SDGs. The SDSN also focuses on 12 thematic groups, including Reducing Poverty and Building Peace in Fragile Regions, Deep Decarbonization Pathways, Health for All, Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems, and Good Governance of Extractive and Land Resources.
In their launch declaration, the Andean Network highlighted how they planned on meeting their specific regional needs. By concentrating on creating a “region of educational excellence” and not overlooking traditionally marginalized populations, they will create a “base for this region’s long-term sustainable development.”
To get to a point of educational excellence, more networking among universities and research centers are needed. Doing so is expected to foster high-technology enterprises that will benefit from the new research efforts and their findings.
These links will then be extended to government and the private sector, putting the technological advances into “business, public services, and policies.”
Some of the early priorities that the Andean Network hopes to address are sustainable agriculture, sustainable energy production and preserving the biodiversity. The Andean region is the birthplace of the major Amazonian Rivers and holds 90 percent of the world’s tropical glaciers. Once again, they plan on meeting these priorities through quality education.
Other regional SDSN networks include Southeast Asia, the Mediterranean, the Sahel, Australia/Pacific, the Caribbean, South Asia, the Amazon and the Great Lakes region in Africa. Each network is able to focus on issues unique to their region while still working under the guiding principles of the SDSN.
A new member of the SDSN group signifies the growing importance and attention given to the SDGs and sustainable development in general. A concerted effort by researchers, students, governments and others will help serve the nearly 200 million people living inside the Andean region.
– John Wachter
Sources: Sustainable Development Solutions Network, United Nations
Photo: Flickr
Volunteering and Big Data: the NGO Aid Map
Big Data matters. It has proven to be accurate in realizing trends, developing strategies, and noticing rising phenomena. It is a tool being used more frequently with each passing year that helps governments, scientists, educators, academics, and businesses operate in the most efficient ways possible.
Statistics and massive data are no longer being used solely by political pollsters and economists. Now, even philanthropy and global aid are reaping the benefits of big data. One example of this relatively new use of big data is the NGO Aid Map, which complies massive amounts of volunteer data into a useful and informative tool.
The NGO Aid Map is an interactive map designed by global aid advocacy group InterAction. The map shows a 2D image of Earth, akin to Google Maps, and features a series of numbered orange circles corresponding to individual countries. The number in the circle represents the number of Non-Governmental Organizations currently active in its respective nation.
Circles vary by size: the larger, the more projects. Users can click on the country that they are interested in. Upon clicking, the map zooms in to frame the specific country and then breaks the initial circle into smaller parts separated by city, town or region.
Clicking on a city or region circle brings users to a list of the ongoing projects in that area, each with an external link, a listing of the NGO conducting the project, and a short description of its mission.
The Aid Map is designed for optimal usability. Users can select from a number of filters to show where aid is needed most based on a series of metrics. These include poverty rate, malnutrition prevalence, agricultural share of GDP, and gross aid income (Official Development Assistance).
Clicking on any one filter will highlight countries based on their score. It is clear based on color contrasts which countries need more assistance in a given area. Some countries rank severely on multiple metrics.
Data for the map is compiled by volunteers on the ground who send their reports back to InterAction. The larger organization then compiles all that data and puts it into the map, where large amounts of numbers tell large amounts of stories. Users can empirically see the missions listed by “sectors.”
For example, InterAction reports that there are 1,679 medical missions, and 1,220 education projects ongoing. It also uses the data to list countries with the most, and alternatively least, amount of projects.
The map is a powerful tool that enables users to gain valuable insight into exactly what is being done around the globe to combat famine, poverty, and disease. InterAction, along with many others, hope that numbers and data will help make aid more efficient and effective in the near future.
– Joe Kitaj
Sources: NGO Aid Map, Interaction
Photo: Flickr
Services Addressing Wealth Inequality in Africa
In Africa, periods of drought can take a significant toll on communities that depend on their agricultural workers and cause widespread wealth inequality. Thanks to the distribution of mobile technologies, farmers can now open accounts.
Wired’s Marguerite McNeal reports, “In Kenya, a whopping 59 percent of the adult population actively uses mobile money services, with transactions of $2.2 billion per month”.
Also, out of the 89 countries in the world where money services are available, the greatest impact is being made in Africa where roughly 12 percent of adults now have mobile bank accounts creating greater financial stability.
World Remit
This money transfer company was the brainchild of Ismail Ahmed. The idea of World Remit came to him while at university. He was always having to travel long distances and pay fees to send money to his family in Africa. In 2010, World Remit became a reality.
“Subscribers send and receive payments directly on their phones, and pay far less in transfer fees — about 4 percent, compared to as much as 12 percent through a traditional service like Western Union.” This system allows for better transfer services and gives families greater income stability.
Tigo Wekeza
The 3.5 million customers that rely on Tigo Pesa money services can now receive interest on their funds through Tigo Wekeza. “Customers do not need to register separately in order to benefit and any returns due are paid directly into their Tigo Pesa wallet.
If a customer so chooses, they can nominate a nonprofit beneficiary instead.” Customers are offered interest rates between 7 and 9 percent, and no other financial authority has offered like provisions. President and CEO of Millicom, Hans-Holger Albrecht, commended the company on its extension of financial inclusion.
EcoFarmer
Since its 10 year recession, 70 percent of residents of Zimbabwe depend on agricultural workers for economic recovery. EcoFarmer is the first micro-insurance policy in Zimbabwe, and it ensures inputs against both drought and high rainfall.
“Using mobile money, subscribers pay 8 cents a day for 125 days and are guaranteed a harvest or at least $100 for every 10 kilograms of seed they plant, regardless of weather conditions.” Farmers also receive tips, such as technical information, market information, weather conditions, and so much more that they can use in order to produce the greatest yield.
Bima
Based in Stockholm, this insurance provider allows its customers in Ghana to register for life insurance at 2 cents a day and also manage risk to prevent financial instability all from mobile devices. Bima provides family care, hospital stays and more recently, telemedicine services.
“We believe that every consumer deserves choice, value and quality of service, regardless of their income level.” Also, this company doesn’t run on just technology. It also provides essential education for consumers, and more than 90 percent of registrations are made in person in order to prevent error.
– Anna Brailow
Sources: BIMA, Econet Wireless Zimbabwe, Millicom, Wired, World Remit
Photo: Flickr