The Vietnam War: a distant and heartbreaking memory for some, a reoccurring nightmare for others and still, an everyday existence for the people of Laos, now the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR). Weapons of a war long past stay buried like forgotten ghosts, haunting the innocent and poisoning the ground they walk on.
With the help of organizations like Mines Advisory Group (MAG), Laotians could farm the soil instead of fear it.
Between 1964 and 1973, 260 million cluster bombs—the equivalent of one bombing mission executed every night, every eight minutes for nine years—were dropped on Laos by the United States. Today, 30 percent of these bombs remain as unexploded ordinance, also referred to as UXO.
The bombing campaign was meant to deny access to the Ho Chi Minh trail, an important logistics route located mostly within the Lao borders and used by the Vietcong and North Vietnamese Army for supply and movement. Long after the fighting ended, Lao men, women and children are still paying the price with an estimated 20,000 people killed and many more injured since the war’s end.
Lao PDR is the most heavily bombed country per capita in the world with 30 percent of the ordinance still volatile and contaminating ground that could be used for agriculture, 33 percent of the country’s GDP. “Bombies,” as the locals have nicknamed them, are therefore a direct factor causing the persistent poverty plaguing the country.
Over 40 percent of children under the age of 5, and 63 percent of children under the age of 2 suffer from anemia in Lao PDR. Almost 45 percent of children under 5 years old and 23 percent of women between 12 to 49 years of age are affected by sub-clinical vitamin A deficiency. Forty-four percent of children under 5 years old are stunted due to poor diets.
Lao PDR is predominantly mountainous and many of the villages are inaccessible by road, cutting off much of the populace from essential services and further compounding an already bleak situation.
Mines Advisory Group, a nonprofit organization operating in Xieng Khouang province bordering Vietnam, raises funds from the American community, including individuals, corporations, foundations and government donors promoting awareness for their life-saving work.
According to their website, from April 2007 to May 2011, MAG cleared 23,778,512 square meters of suspect land in Lao PDR, destroying 145,000 items of UXO. As a result, 330,000 beneficiaries gained more safe land for agriculture, clean drinking water, sanitation, safe school compounds and safer roads.
Additionally, MAG gives jobs to those who need them most, investing in, training and employing staff from the local population in order to build a robust and sustainable national workforce.
Women are not shying away from battling the hidden perils beneath their feet either. In fact, about 40 percent of the ground clearing crews in MAG is made up of women filling the front lines and risking their lives every day to build a better future.
Years after the end of the Vietnam War, its legacy still lives on, hidden in the ground and destroying lives an ocean away. With peace activists urging the U.S. to do more, funding for mine clearing efforts and victim assistance has increased, but according to Laotians, the scope of the situation is still undervalued and the task of clearing the land is immense.
– Jason Zimmerman
Sources: FT Magazine, United Nations Development Programme, ABC News, Legacies of War, World Food Programme
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Clearing the Way for Better Lives in Lao PDR
With the help of organizations like Mines Advisory Group (MAG), Laotians could farm the soil instead of fear it.
Between 1964 and 1973, 260 million cluster bombs—the equivalent of one bombing mission executed every night, every eight minutes for nine years—were dropped on Laos by the United States. Today, 30 percent of these bombs remain as unexploded ordinance, also referred to as UXO.
The bombing campaign was meant to deny access to the Ho Chi Minh trail, an important logistics route located mostly within the Lao borders and used by the Vietcong and North Vietnamese Army for supply and movement. Long after the fighting ended, Lao men, women and children are still paying the price with an estimated 20,000 people killed and many more injured since the war’s end.
Lao PDR is the most heavily bombed country per capita in the world with 30 percent of the ordinance still volatile and contaminating ground that could be used for agriculture, 33 percent of the country’s GDP. “Bombies,” as the locals have nicknamed them, are therefore a direct factor causing the persistent poverty plaguing the country.
Over 40 percent of children under the age of 5, and 63 percent of children under the age of 2 suffer from anemia in Lao PDR. Almost 45 percent of children under 5 years old and 23 percent of women between 12 to 49 years of age are affected by sub-clinical vitamin A deficiency. Forty-four percent of children under 5 years old are stunted due to poor diets.
Lao PDR is predominantly mountainous and many of the villages are inaccessible by road, cutting off much of the populace from essential services and further compounding an already bleak situation.
Mines Advisory Group, a nonprofit organization operating in Xieng Khouang province bordering Vietnam, raises funds from the American community, including individuals, corporations, foundations and government donors promoting awareness for their life-saving work.
According to their website, from April 2007 to May 2011, MAG cleared 23,778,512 square meters of suspect land in Lao PDR, destroying 145,000 items of UXO. As a result, 330,000 beneficiaries gained more safe land for agriculture, clean drinking water, sanitation, safe school compounds and safer roads.
Additionally, MAG gives jobs to those who need them most, investing in, training and employing staff from the local population in order to build a robust and sustainable national workforce.
Women are not shying away from battling the hidden perils beneath their feet either. In fact, about 40 percent of the ground clearing crews in MAG is made up of women filling the front lines and risking their lives every day to build a better future.
Years after the end of the Vietnam War, its legacy still lives on, hidden in the ground and destroying lives an ocean away. With peace activists urging the U.S. to do more, funding for mine clearing efforts and victim assistance has increased, but according to Laotians, the scope of the situation is still undervalued and the task of clearing the land is immense.
– Jason Zimmerman
Sources: FT Magazine, United Nations Development Programme, ABC News, Legacies of War, World Food Programme
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
How to Partner with a Nonprofit
Top 2 Ways to Partner With a Nonprofit
The first step in partnering with a nonprofit is seemingly obvious: know what nonprofit you want to partner with and contact them to begin the partnering process. It is important to have a connection with the nonprofit you choose; however, there are legal issues that must be verified before partnering.
Things to Consider: Legal Framework and Marketing Plan
Always remember to check the nonprofits’ tax-exempt status and ensure that they are eligible for tax-deductions, if that is something you are seeking. Requesting an IRS-issued letter, which states an organization’s eligibility for tax-deductions, can do this.
Formulating a marketing plan is vital when partnering with a nonprofit organization. By making a plan, you can guarantee that your time and money is being wisely spent. Both parties should closely access the plan so that everything is outlined clearly and properly. Important parts of the plan you should remember include a set start and end date, and how money and percentages are to work and be transferred.
Business.gov is a useful website that can help you properly set up a marketing plan for both you and the nonprofit.
Paperwork and proof are necessary when partnering with a non-profit. Because it is a partnership with a transfer of money, the records involved should always be kept so that nothing can be contemplated over later.
When money is being donated or transferred, it is important to never use cash. Doing so allows for the donation or transfer to be lost or stolen. Safer options for both you and the nonprofit, such as checks, allow for the money not to be lost and always traceable.
When donating online, in order to ensure safety, always check that there is a lock icon next to the browser’s status or another indicator that the website is safe.
Finally, promoting your partnership is essential. Though there are advertising laws that everyone should familiarize themselves with before considering serious advertising, it is always a good idea to spread the word about the nonprofit you sponsor as much as possible.
When partnering with a nonprofit, make sure to check your state or nation’s regulations regarding partnerships, because they can vary. For more information about partnering with a non-profit, contacting your state Attorney General’s office is a good way to better understand the laws in place.
– Katherine Wyant
Sources: U.S. Small Business Administration, Business USA, About Mone
Photo: Pexels
Who is my Congressman or Congresswoman?
The United States Government website database provides information necessary to get in touch with members of Congress. There are two different databases, one for the United States Senate and the other for the United States House of Representatives.
Directly contacting all of the Congressional representatives for your state proves to be the most effective method for having your voice heard.
While it is most effective to contact the representatives by phone, as their official office numbers will be listed on the database, it is also possible to email them.
Voicing your opinion on a current piece of legislature or on current events within your state influences the amount of leverage on votes, thus influencing political leaders to vote in a particular way. There is no limit to how many times you can voice your opinion on any issue.
It is important to learn about who your congressman is as well.
What positions do they hold on certain issues? How have they voted in the past? This can affect how much influence it takes to have your voice heard.
While having less of an influence, you can contact individuals of another state to voice your opinion, as you can be a catalyst to spark a new piece of legislature that could potentially influence the entire world.
A good way to have your voice heard is to get to know who your local congressmen are, as once you understand how you can make a difference, all you need to do is act.
– Alysha Biemolt
Sources: United States House of Representatives, Houston Chronicle
Photo: Flickr
What Charitable Organization Should I Donate To?
Some organizations have claimed to be nonprofit and have thus exploited a system based on charity. While a contribution may make its way to the intended individual, along the way the amount is decreased for a variety of reasons leaving the final amount received significantly less than the original contribution.
While it is important to realize the many pitfalls of philanthropic donation, it is essential to realize that not all organizations are like this. In some cases, it can mean life or death to those individuals who are on the receiving end of a donation.
For individual giving, it is important to give to a cause that is important to you. While there are many great organizations that help with global hunger like the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition and Action Against Hunger, or global poverty like Innovations for Poverty Action, ultimately where your donation goes is up to you.
Before donating to that major philanthropic organization that says they have used the money to provide x, y and z, look deeper into their numbers and statistics and decide if your donation will really be making a difference.
A good place to get started with general philanthropic organizations can be found here.
In addition, it is important to know which organizations to generally avoid here.
– Alysha Biemolt
Sources: Marketplace, The Life You Can Save 1Tampa Bay Times, The Life You Can Save 2The Life You Can Save 3, Love to Know
Photo: Needpix.com
USAID Success Story: The Millennium Challenge Corporation
Since 2004, the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) has successfully worked to alleviate poverty in 39 nations worldwide. Created to facilitate “smart U.S. foreign assistance,” the U.S. foreign aid agency takes a unique, country-based approach to addressing the root causes of poverty.
The MCC has approved over $10 billion in programs to promote sustainable economic growth. It partners with low- and middle-income nations to fund country-led initiatives that open markets, educate populations and encourage national and international investment.
“Funding is not a ‘giveaway,’ but a benefit that a country earns through hard work and good policy performance,” said John Hewko, vice president of the MCC from 2004-2009, “Recipient countries identify problems and solutions locally rather than accepting programs that are often viewed as highly politicized and motivated by objectives other than long-term development.”
The MCC first determines the eligibility of a nation to receive funding through a rigorous, competitive selection process. Countries must prove that their existing policies promote good governance, transparency, economic freedom and investment in citizens.
Some governments have dramatically altered their laws to openly endorse market growth. This phenomenon – termed the “MCC effect” – encouraged the nation of El Salvador to reduce business start-up time from 115 to 26 days in order to apply for MCC funding in 2005.
The MCC then analyzes a country’s proposal for funding and determines whether it can realistically attain its goals within the span of a five-year “compact.” A compact requires a country’s physical and financial investment in a program in exchange for MCC funding. A local municipality called a Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) manages the compact implementation, and independent fiscal agents monitor funds thoroughly and transparently.
In 2007, the Millennium Challenge Corporation invested in a $461 million compact with El Salvador focusing on infrastructure and human development. The compact required that local municipalities and beneficiary communities fund a small portion of project costs.
The MCC projects that the compact will provide employment and economic opportunity to over 700,000 Salvadorans in the next 20 years.
Since the compact’s implementation in 2006, over 10,000 people in El Salvador and major cities in the U.S. participated in consultations. Several business owners in the U.S. have invested in long-term, business opportunities in the Northern Zone, which has been impoverished since the Civil War in the 1980s.
MCC efforts in El Salvador have produced tangible results and garnered international acclaim. Upon completion in 2012, the compact expanded electrification to 12 percent more households, provided potable water to 7,600 families and allowed 12,000 Salvadorans – 60 percent women – to access vocational training.
The El Salvador Compact has also expanded economic opportunities for dairy farmers and other small businesses that operate in the isolated Northern Zone. FOMILENIO, the MCA of the El Salvador Compact, managed the construction of the Northern Transnational Highway Project. Improved road connectivity combined with investments in training, technology and product marketing assisted 17,500 producers.
In September 2014, the MCC established another $277 million compact in El Salvador to address a lack of employment and infrastructure to continue its legacy.
“The MCC process has generated significant goodwill in developing countries and contributed to U.S. foreign policy objectives in those where it operates,” said Hewko.
– Paulina Menichiello
Sources: The Brookings Institution, The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, The World Bank
Photo: Segura Consulting LLC
The Case for Eleanor Roosevelt on the New $10 Bill
This week, the US Treasury Department announced a woman will replace Alexander Hamilton on the $10 bill. While there are many deserving candidates to consider, here’s why Eleanor Roosevelt is most qualified to appear on the note.
Treasury Secretary Jack Lew announced the initiative on June 17. The new 10-piece will enter general circulation in 2020, the 100th anniversary of the women’s suffrage movement in the United States.
“We have only made changes to the faces on our currency a few times since bills were first put into circulation,” said Jacob Lew, Treasury secretary, in a press release, “I’m proud that the new $10 will be the first bill in more than a century to feature the portrait of a woman.”
The theme of the new $10 bill is Democracy in the United States. The Treasury Department is asking Americans for advice as to who might replace Alexander Hamilton. They’ve set up a website to collect ideas: thenew10.treasury.gov.
Former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt should be considered an excellent candidate for the new $10 bill for her support of democracy and human rights, both in the United States and abroad.
Roosevelt’s contributions to American civil rights were remarkable. She frequently met with African American leaders and invited many to the White House—at a time when few blacks were welcome at the president’s residence. She controversially broke with her husband’s camp to propose greater racial equality in New Deal programs and to make lynching a federal crime. She was also a passionate advocate for the world’s poor and disenfranchised.
Following her husband’s death, Eleanor Roosevelt worked tirelessly with the nascent United Nations to protect human rights around the globe. She served as the first chairperson of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, now known as the UN Human Rights Council.
Perhaps most importantly, she played an important role in drafting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a foundational document in international law.
The document famously declared, “[that] recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world.” It protects several human rights related to global poverty, including fair pay, social security, education, healthcare and access to public services.
For her work on such an important document and for her dedication to human rights around the world, Eleanor Roosevelt should be considered the most qualified woman to replace Alexander Hamilton on the new $10 bill.
– Kevin McLaughlin
Sources: The New 10, United Nations, U.S. Department of the Treasury
Photo: Huffington Post
Where Journalism and Humanitarian Aid Collide
With six GroPros and a whole lot of determination, David Darg, a humanitarian aid worker and filmmaker, went to Nepal to report the aftermath of the earthquake. The film he produced gave people a first hand account of the devastation.
David Darg produced this film, called The Nepal Quake Project, with co-founder of RYOT Films Bryn Mooser. Darg and Mooser are part of a new wave of disaster relief: the collaboration of art and awareness with humanitarian aid. This new type of disaster relief helps those in need while also raising awareness of the problem, which in turn increases funding, support and volunteer involvement.
Darg and Mooser were previously aid relief workers. Mooser was in the Peace Corps and Darg got his start shooting films for a nonprofit, so they understand the ins and outs of disaster relief. This helped them to create relationships with the other aid workers as they filmed behind the scenes footage. “It’s our job to deliver food and water and rice, but it’s also our job to get the story out about what we’re seeing, to inspire people,” Mooser said.
RYOT films is not limited to earthquakes, they also created a behind-the-scenes film following the Red Cross during the Ebola outbreak in Liberia. This film won the 2015 Grand Jury Prize for Best Short Documentary at the Tribeca Film Festival.
The great thing about this journalism-humanitarian aid hybrid is that it combines art and personal expression with positive action in the world. Mooser acknowledges that this type of journalism appeals greatly to millennials because it is an easy and approachable way to open their eyes to a world of problems that their generation will solve in the future.
Since today’s world is reliant on real-time action such as receiving content and information in the moment on mobile devices, this filmmaking activism bridges the gap between humanitarian aid and real-time content. Now more than ever, there are new ways to deliver content.
“That’s what has been really exciting for us: We can now tell these stories that we’ve been wanting to tell in totally new ways,” Mooser says. “You don’t have to have a lot of money to tell a great story — you just have to be a great storyteller.” With this collaborative humanitarian aid and journalism, real-time, important content can reach the volunteers to-be in record time.
– Hannah Resnick
Sources: GeekWire, RYOT Films
Photo: Operation Blessing International
Highest Number of Refugees Recorded
The Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) recently reported that nearly 60 million people were forcibly displaced in 2014, which is the highest number of refugees ever recorded. Of those displaced, over 38 million were displaced within the borders of their home countries. The amount of refugees worldwide is now so high that every 1 in 122 people is displaced or seeking asylum. Of those refugees, only 126,800 of them were able to return home, and over half are children. Additionally, the majority of these refugees live in protracted displacement for at least ten years, and many have children during this time.
So where are the refugees coming from? Where are they going and why?
The majority of these refugees are fleeing the civil war in Syria and most of them are going to Turkey. But with such high rates of displacement, the problem is clearly widespread. People are fleeing from sub-Saharan Africa, Myanmar and Central America. The main driver in the displacement is civil war.
Experts are calling this the worst refugee crisis since World War II. With the advancements we have made globally since World War II, we should not be seeing such record-breaking highs in displacement rates. The situation in Syria is not likely to be resolved anytime in the near future,due to the widespread destruction and Islamic hold on the nation.
As we see a more prolonged period of civil war in various countries around the world, we will continue to see high displacement rates and see these displaced people staying displaced for longer periods. The mass migrations of populations around the world have huge implications on changing culture, foreign relations and the economy.
These displaced people start to make up subpopulations in their own countries or in neighboring countries and bring with them their culture. It is no easy feat to integrate into these other countries and refugees often face harsh discrimination that results in low living conditions, inadequate access to basic services and low employment rates. These displaced people face human rights violations, even after fleeing horrific circumstances, and the governments that accept them are faced with the strain they place on their own nation. We can expect to see more internal and external tension in these countries.
Because 53 percent of all refugees worldwide come from only three countries – Syria, Afghanistan and Somalia – solutions can be targeted. But first these solutions need to be developed. There needs to be an international focus on reducing the rates at which people are fleeing. The most pressing issue is that of civil war because it destroys a nation’s infrastructure on all levels. Civil war often involves widespread human rights violations both during and after the conflict, as the huge masses of people that fled the conflict face additional problems elsewhere.
The problems that arise from civil war, including but not limited to displaced persons, are spread across large geographical areas. By addressing the three major sources of the world’s refugees, we can hopefully prevent the problem from expanding any further. Displacement is largely a political issue and to alleviate it, there must be agreements and regulations set forth by the world’s political leaders.
– Emma Dowd
Sources: CNN, Foreign Policy 1, Foreign Policy 2
Photo: Al Jazeera America
Maternal Mortality Rates in China Plummet
Fifteen years ago, a summit convened. All member states of the United Nations at the time gathered and agreed on eight international development goals. The Millennium Development Goals (MDG), as they are named, were adopted to better lives in the developing world.
One of the countries highlighted was China, and it has surpassed the world’s expectations, improving health for mothers and their children – ahead of the 2015 target date.
The National Health and Family Planning Commission (NHFPC), an organization within the People’s Republic of China that works at the policy level to improve medical conditions for Chinese families, stated that, as of June 10, 2015, maternal mortality rates have dropped dramatically over the past 25 years. This exceeds the fifth Millennium Goal and has made a powerful impact on the lives of Chinese women.
The maternal death rate in China dropped significantly since 1990. In fact, it has plummeted 75.6 percent. In 1990 death rate among mothers giving birth was 88.8 per 100,000 compared to 21.7 per 100,000 in 2014.
Maternal mortality rates can be an important indication of the health of a nation and China’s success, attributed in part to its growing economy, better funded health care and allowances provided for rural women to give birth in hospitals, suggests extraordinary progress.
The gap between urban and rural pregnancies has always been vast in China with rural care significantly lower, but in past years access to medical services in less populated areas has improved as well. The hospital delivery rate in rural families was merely 36.4 percent in 1990 while in 2014, the rate had increased to 99.6 percent.
Additionally, the NHFPC said that in 2014, seven years ahead of the Millennium Development Goals deadline, infant death rates and mortality for children under 5 dropped to 8.9 per thousand and 11.7 per thousand, respectively.
In Nanning, capital of southwest China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous region, several health vehicles, with the help of two organizations, were put into operation devoted to impoverished rural women in need of maternal care.
All-China Women’s Federation (ACWF) and the China Women’s Development Foundation (CWDF) donated 30 Health Express for Mothers mobile medical units in 2009 and 10 more in August 2011. During the year before the ceremonial departure on August 4, 2011, over 4,000 maternal women and 500 more critical patients were helped by the service.
Medical units such as the ones in Nanning have helped thousands of women, given training to over 17,000 medical workers and have brought health benefits to millions of rural residents.
China has made leaps and bounds in the care for its women and children. Increased healthcare funding and better medical facilities accompanied with the grass roots efforts of tenacious citizens have demonstrated China’s ability to go above and beyond the world’s expectations, improving life for its people.
– Jason Zimmerman
Sources: Women of China, Women of China, The Lancet, Women of China, China.org
Photo: MedHealthNet
Global Poverty and National Security: Soft Power and Prevention
Many people view foreign aid programs as acts of charity. However, through “soft power” and preventative measures, international assistance can play an important role in national security as well.
Poverty Reduction as Soft Power
Influential political scientist Joseph Nye coined the term “soft power” in 1990 to describe the ability of one nation to influence another without resorting to force. It’s the alternative to “hard power,” which includes military force and economic sanctions.
Cultural influence and moral authority are important aspects of soft power. When a country is seen as being morally upstanding by the world community, it achieves greater influence. For instance, if a country is strongly democratic, it can influence others by promoting democracy abroad.
In a similar way, soft power can improve national security. In a world that is increasingly democratic and interconnected, national reputation has grown in importance. Through soft power, a country can seek to influence world opinion to prevent acts of aggression or terrorism.
Foreign assistance is an important tool to improve national reputation. When a country takes the lead in humanitarian relief or international development, it improves its standing and influence. It makes cooperation more likely and conflict less so.
Poverty Reduction as a Preventative Measure
It’s no secret that violent extremism tends to flourish in desperate places. Poverty grinds down civil society and weakens government institutions. Without strong governance, many people turn to armed rebel groups for services. For instance, during the civil wars in Afghanistan, many turned to extremist schools for education and to the Taliban for protection.
The U.S. Department of Defense has long recognized this reality. Robert Gates, former defense secretary, viewed international development as a way to prevent conflicts from starting.
“The way you do that is through development. Development creates stability, it contributes to better governance,” Gates said in 2010. “If you are able to do those things, if you are able to do it in a focused and sustainable way, then it may be unnecessary to send soldiers.”
Global poverty causes conflict and perpetuates it. While the United States has the strongest military in the world, it can only react to dangers as they arise. Increased spending for foreign assistance would improve national security by reducing the likelihood of conflict and unrest.
That’s a sentiment that President Obama agrees with as well. In a recent interview with Vox.com, the president conveyed his view of foreign aid as a “tool in our national security portfolio, as opposed to charity.” The president proposed strategic investments in key countries to reduce the need to deploy the U.S. military abroad. “We would be in a better position,” he stated, “to work with other countries to stamp out violent extremism.”
– Kevin McLaughlin
Sources: Department of Defense, Foreign Affairs, Vox.com
Photo: Flickr