There is overwhelming kindness in this world despite the cynics who doubt its existence. Kindness admires charitable work, but many people are unaware of the job opportunities afforded to them for pursuing that line of work. There is a strong drive for schools to support charitable organizations and give students a taste for it through volunteering.
Volunteering through schools is a wonderful way for students to network. More often than not, they learn a great deal about themselves by doing so. Maybe this is the kind of work that those great minds will want.
But, in order to get those kinds of jobs after volunteering, one must be adaptable. Change is the only way to make a positive difference, and to be open to change is to be open to new ideas. The job will always be a learning experience.
Also, reading and writing, no doubt, are very important skills. There are reasons why these are taught at such an early age. Those who write well and practice their writing often will be able to successfully compose reports and evaluations and better communicate with donors, grantees and colleagues. Also, analyzing proposals and interpreting data will have to be done in order to better communicate results. Communication skills as well as research skills are a must. Those who are best able to communicate their positions as well as stay informed in their field have a significant advantage.
Another qualification, of course, is the ability to comply with the law. There are laws that govern philanthropic associations specifically at all levels. The California Nonprofit Act of 2004, for example, states “Charitable corporations with assets of $2 million or more must prepare annual financial statements audited by an independent certified public accountant (CPA). The statements must use generally accepted accounting principles. The independent CPA must follow generally accepted auditing standards.” While, this particular kind of law might not be needed for every philanthropic position, it is useful to know that there are existing regulations.
There are many corporate philanthropy jobs, and people with all different skillsets are qualified for them. Here is a list of jobs that one can expect to find as an advocate for, and prospective employee of, a philanthropic association:
Grants Management: Director of Grants Management, Grant Manager
Charitable organizations receive grants as donations and give grants in return for advocacy, and it is up to these people to manage that money and keep it in check. Directors are generally more concerned with long-term planning and strategies for the future. The managers monitor grants and maintains grant reports.
Research Director, Associate, Librarian
They are in charge of researching and preparing reports pertinent to the organization that they represent. They assist all other employees in being fully informed of changes that occur within their concerns.
Director of Donor Services, Advancement Officer, Gift Planning
Donors, especially those who routinely give large sums, ideally wish for returns on their investments. Those returns can be in the form of tangible gifts or maybe a detailed report on where their money is going. This is yet another department that manages the foundation’s assets.
Human Resources: Receptionist, Office Manager, Recruitment Official, Computer Professionals, Director of Informational Services
These positions can be found in most large corporations, even nonprofits! These administrators manage the day-to-day life of the company or organization ensuring that information is distributed to other employees, donors, volunteers — anyone involved.
Communications/Public Relations
These are the people in charge of distributing information to the public regarding their cause/foundation whether they are snail-mail flyers or brochures in a hotel.
Program Director, Program Officer, Program Associate
Similar to the Grants Management personnel, they are in charge of analyzing grant proposals and managing grant making programs. They also conduct background research and help to organize and manage events put on by the foundation.
Finance
They manage assets and accounting, work with the treasurer and deal with all financial statements. So, when the foundations want to give a grant in exchange for advocacy, they go through this department.
Senior Management and Foundations Board
They oversee the inner-workings of the entire association. They have the uppermost abilities to make strategic decisions. A first-time jobseeker might not pursue this kind of position, however it is important for them to understand exactly what their position is in relation to other employees.
– Anna Brailow
Sources: California Registry of Charitable Trusts, Law Crossing, Philanthropy Network
Photo: VolunteerHub
The Movement to End Child Trafficking in India
Bachpan Bachao Andolan, one of the largest organizations in India that fights child labor and trafficking, filed a complaint on June 24, claiming that there is child labor occurring in south Delhi.
The district task force and a team of police carried out a raid and rescue operation in various south Delhi restaurants, clothing stores and jewelry stores. 24 children were rescued; 16 were between the ages of 10-14, and the rest were no older than 18.
According to the BBA website, in the last month the organization has rescued 124 trafficked children “working as bonded labors across occupations and processes like Zari units, jeans and garment outlets, shoes and slipper units, eating joints and bindi-making units.” These children worked long hours, often between 12 to 14 hours, without any wages.
“Child laborers continue to work across the capital despite various laws and directions of the court,” said BBA chairperson R.S. Chaurasia. “Thousands of children are still working in the small eating joints and hotels. More painful is the fact that adults working in thousands of shops and factories are not getting the prescribed minimum wage, making them send the children to such places.”
Children are often trafficked from vulnerable countries when they face desperation, a lack of basic resources and the promise of a better future. A 15-year-old boy from Nepal was convinced by a distant relative (who ended up being a trafficker) to leave his hometown and come to Delhi for employment and money that could help the family back home in Nepal. “After the earthquake in Nepal, conditions in my hometown were very difficult,” said the boy. “Me and my family were left with no work, no money and food.”
This boy (whose name has been withheld for anonymity) worked at a small hotel in Delhi under very inhumane conditions. His hands were severely wounded after long hours of cutting vegetables and cleaning pots and pans in the kitchen, but his “employers” failed to provide him with medical services. His cuts were crudely and cheaply stitched together at a local place.
According to the BBA website, “Hundreds of millions of children throughout the world are engaged in work that deprives them of adequate education, health, leisure and basic freedoms, violating their rights. Of these children, more than half are exposed to the worst forms of child labor, such as work in hazardous environments, slavery or other forms of forced labor, illicit activities such as drug trafficking and prostitution, as well as involvement in armed conflict.” Child trafficking in India is a dire issue, especially today.
Bachpan Bachao Andolan is India’s largest grassroots movement to end the trafficking of children in India and to provide children with their basic human rights. Since October 2014, BBA has rescued over 83,500 trafficked children, enslaved children and children oppressed under child labor. BBA also helps these children assimilate into society after they are freed, helping them regain trust.
BBA was established by Kailash Satyarthi in 1980, when child labor was not recognized as a problem by the Indian government, media and public discourse. Since the organization’s beginnings, it has focused its efforts largely on the rescue operations of children in various dangerous environments such as brick kilns, stone quarries and carpet factories. It also runs rehabilitation centers for these rescued children.
BBA has demanded policy changes in government legislation to address child labor and anti-trafficking laws. The Supreme Court of India first addressed child labor and trafficking when an appeal was submitted in April 2011 by BBA. Since then, the Indian government has ratified the Palermo Protocol, and laws have been incorporated into the Criminal Law Amendment Ordinance.
– Margaret Anderson
Sources: BBA 1, BBA 2, IB Times
Photo: The National
The Struggle of Indigenous People in Latin America
As the world became increasingly globalized and populated, many companies struggled to keep up with the demand for their goods. When they came upon the abundance of resources and land that lay within the Amazon rainforest, those struggles seemed to melt away; however, this marked the beginning of many issues for the people living within this tropical wonderland.
The Amazon rainforest has one of the largest collections of plant and animal species in the entire world. There are countless organisms within its realm that have not even been discovered yet. However, many creatures, insects, flora and more will remain undiscovered and unknown to us because their habitats are being destroyed by large corporations clearing land for factories and plantations.
However, the flora and fauna are not the only ones in danger. Several of the indigenous tribes in the Amazon have lost their homes and sources of income and food. These individuals had learned to live off of the land sustainably and had carried on living this way for thousands of years, but are now left to find alternate methods of work and shelter with little to no time at all.
Since many of the indigenous people have gone most of their lives without a strong education, corporations are hiring them to work in the very factories for which their homes were destroyed. In these factories, workers receive meager wages and are forced to work in tough conditions; many report illnesses from the pesticides and chemicals used in the preparation of the goods that they are producing.
In most countries, the government could begin to take action against big companies coming in and destroying the environment. With the amazing profit that is being generated, however, it is no wonder that many Latin American governments are not taking the steps to prevent this movement. While this—working in factories located on land cleared in the Amazon rainforest—is the case for some, high concentrations of indigenous people can be found in urban areas. These individuals have come here to get work and perhaps to adapt themselves to a different way of life. Many of the indigenous people feel targeted as more and more laws are made to rip them from their land, forcing them into lives of submission. For many, this is not tolerable, and thus many guerrilla, anti-government militant factions gain support. However, some NGOs are ready to turn all of this around.
One NGO called Escuela Nueva is doing wonderful work to shift the focus of the classroom from the teachers to the students. This Colombian-based organization has expanded to include over 14 Latin American countries and strives to promote a new, innovative and interactive classroom style. This gives the children the feeling that they are in control of their own futures and provides them with a chance to rise up. Since 1993, several studies have shown that the techniques used in Escuela Nueva have raised grades and self-esteem, promoted gender equality and increased cooperation. This model has been recognized as one of the top education reforms in the world and has been implemented in several other developing countries.
It is hard to imagine a life without a home and without great promise of a future, but somewhere deep within the Amazon rainforest, hope is growing among a people who are not yet ready to give up.
– Sumita Tellakat
Sources: IR Online, IWGIA
Photo: Mexika Resistance
Geeks for Peace: The Comic-Con Fundraiser
While Comic-Con can be seen by some as only a weekend where nerdy, shut-in individuals gather in flocks for a week of waiting in lines and buying memorabilia from their favorite comic or TV show, it can now also be seen as something greater. More importantly, it can now be seen as an opportunity for charity.
Geeks for Peace is a fundraising event first created by Morgan Spurlock, best known for his work with the movie Super Size Me, after he was presented with the Peace Hero Award by Kids for Peace in 2013.
The event in question will be “a dynamic evening of music, dancing, live art, silent auction, and organic food and drink,” with all proceeds donated to Kids for Peace in order to expand their programs to undeserved youth in the United States, Pakistan, Iraq, Liberia and Kenya.
These programs include providing school supplies, uniforms, books and toiletries to children in need, purchasing beds for children in orphanages, and spreading awareness and educating the public about the issues that these children face.
With tickets selling at $250 each, unique artwork on sale, and several popular television personalities in attendance, the event is expected to raise quite a lot of money for Kids for Peace.
The event will take place on July 10th at the San Diego Comic-Con and will be attended by many popular individuals such as Giancarlo Esposito from Breaking Bad, Frances Fisher, Greg Grunberg from Heroes, Scott Grimes from American Dad and Justified, Efren Ramirez from Napoleon Dynamite, Eddie Matos from Finding Carter and Adrian Pasadar from Heroes and Agents of Shield.
It is admirable to see all of these individuals take time out of their busy schedules to come together for an evening that is for a good cause and will surely make a difference in a child’s life.
– Alysha Biemolt
Sources: Look To the Stars, Geeks For Peace, An Englishman In San Diego, Kids For Peace Global
Photo: Highlight Hollywood
UN Scales Back Food Aid for Syrian Refugees
In the wake of large budget cuts and conflict with the Islamic State, or ISIS, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is scaling back its food aid for more than 1.2 million Syrian refugees in Lebanon. These cuts will manifest themselves in the monthly food assistance vouchers that Syrian refugees receive. Normally valued at $19 per person, the vouchers will be reduced to $13.50 as of July.
Around 75% of Syrian refugee households in Lebanon are undergoing “some level of food insecurity,” according to a recent WFP survey. In addition, roughly 800,000 refugees in Lebanon qualify for food vouchers, and this scale-back is arriving right in the middle of Ramadan.
The WFP was banking on a ceasefire between ISIS and the Syrian government in order to let Syrian farmers harvest wheat stored in ISIS territory. No such ceasefire took place.
“That wheat that is harvested cannot be brought across lines of conflict into the area where it is needed most by people who are suffering now into a fifth year of this conflict,” WFP Executive Director Ertharin Cousin told the Associated Press.
A WFP press release issued earlier this month points out that the WFP’s refugee operations are currently 81% underfunded. The WFP is requesting $139 million in order to continue aiding refugees in Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Turkey and Iraq through the summer.
“We are extremely concerned about the impact these cuts will have on refugees and the countries that host them,” WFP Regional Director Muhammad Hadi told the U.N. News Centre. “Families are taking extreme measures to cope such as pulling their children out of school, skipping meals and getting into debt to survive. The long-term effects of this could be devastating.”
– Alexander Jones
Sources: McGuirk, UN, Wood
Photo: The Guardian
The EU’s Commitment to Poverty Eradication
On June 3-4, 2015, the European Development Days forum took place in Brussels. The focus of this forum was global development and cooperation. Across the courtyard of the European Parliament, at the scene of the forum, was the European Year for Development slogan that read “Our world. Our dignity. Our future.”
During the opening address, President of Luxembourg Xavier Bettel encouraged political leaders and citizens alike to play their part in the development of nations. He made the astute observation that “development co-operation is not a luxury” and urged listeners to act fast.
Indeed, there is no time like the present. The European Commission’s President Jean-Claude Juncker said that the 2015 European Development Days were occurring at a critical time for the future of the world. He argued that for the international community, it is a “now or never” moment when action must be taken.
At the forum, over 500 speakers, experts, practitioners and activists debated over which areas of development deserve the most attention in the upcoming year. Participants from over 140 countries representing 1,200 organizations worked together to create unified goals in the global development arena.
International cooperation and collaboration is necessary now more than ever before. Looking ahead at the International Conference on Financing for Development in July, the U.N. conference on the Post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals in September and the Climate Change Conference in December, actors need to begin focusing on issue-alignment.
MEP Linda McAvan makes a crucial distinction. She reminds us all that development is more than just wealthy countries giving donations to those in need. We must achieve a worldwide commitment to collaboratively work to eradicate poverty, tackling the issue at its deepest roots.
As the world’s leading donor of development aid, the European Union (EU) must set the international standard. It is important to remember, however, that it is a two-way street. MEP Charles Goernes points out that developing nations must “take ownership” of their own development, with support from donor countries.
Goernes hopes that the chaos of the Mediterranean migrant crisis has created a sense of urgency for Europe to play a more active role in global development. The problem has become almost impossible to ignore. An ever-increasing number of lives have been lost because of international development disparity.
Goal 8 of the proposed Post-2015 Agenda accordingly targets the protection and safety of migrants. In order to best tackle the problem, the EU will need to closely examine the causes of the migrant crisis. At the core of this international crisis lies the overwhelming need for developmental aid in many non-European countries.
By more efficiently addressing the issue of developmental disparity across borders, the global fight against poverty will be greatly advanced. The year 2015 could very well be pivotal for global development and wealth disparity. Cooperation, focus and commitment from the world’s most capable could bring groundbreaking improvements for the world’s most deprived. For now, the beginnings of development in poorer nations signify a step in the right direction toward poverty eradication.
– Sarah Bernard
Sources: The Irish Times, The Jakarta Post
Photo: EUROPA
Collaborating on Early Childhood Development
The United Nations Messenger of Peace, Lang Lang, recently spent all day at a school in Beijing playing with kindergarten children. There, he shot a public service announcement with Cookie Monster from Sesame Street. All of this activity arose out of Lang Lang’s commitment to UNICEF’s early childhood development campaign.
UNICEF is advocating for worldwide early childhood development to be prioritized in the post-2015 international development agenda. Early childhood development is a key area of focus that could help bring improvements to countless other sectors.
Lang Lang is also a renowned pianist. By spending time with the children, Lang Lang was able to see firsthand how this Chinese model has used a combination of music, as well as creative art and play, to teach children ages 6 to 10.
Lang Lang compared the earliest years of a child’s life to early morning piano practice. It is easiest to remember a piano score first thing in the morning, with a fresh brain. In the same way, for young children, the early years are when learning first begins taking place. With time, the child’s worldview begins to take shape.
An estimated one in three children under the age of five in low- and middle-income countries are not reaching their full development. Evidence has shown that the quality of one’s early childhood is critical in shaping one’s lifetime development and happiness.
There are long-term consequences of early childhood development or the lack thereof. Chen Xuefeng, UNICEF China’s Early Childhood Development Specialist, points out that focusing on early childhood developmental improvements could help to break the cycle of poverty and build a more stable society.
The estimated returns on investment in early childhood care and education for disadvantaged children can be as high as 1:17. These numbers show that concentrated effort in this particular area is one of the most cost-effective strategies for reducing economic disparity.
China recently participated in a global meeting in South Korea called the World Education Forum. At this international meeting, the Declaration on Education 2030 was adopted, symbolizing the country’s commitment to make education a major focus in the 2015 agenda.
As September gets closer and the new Sustainable Development Goals must be set, the agenda focuses on areas that should be brought to the head of the discussion table. In order to successfully tackle the bigger issue of poverty, problems in areas like education, health and governance must first be solved.
International cooperation will be absolutely necessary in order to achieve the ultimate anti-poverty goal. Even more importantly, it is through action alone that change can be made. While pledges to purge the world of poverty are noble and not without impact, actions undoubtedly always speak louder than words.
– Sarah Bernard
Sources: Look to the Stars, UNICEF
Photo: BBC News
Jobs in Corporate Philanthropy and How to Get Them
There is overwhelming kindness in this world despite the cynics who doubt its existence. Kindness admires charitable work, but many people are unaware of the job opportunities afforded to them for pursuing that line of work. There is a strong drive for schools to support charitable organizations and give students a taste for it through volunteering.
Volunteering through schools is a wonderful way for students to network. More often than not, they learn a great deal about themselves by doing so. Maybe this is the kind of work that those great minds will want.
But, in order to get those kinds of jobs after volunteering, one must be adaptable. Change is the only way to make a positive difference, and to be open to change is to be open to new ideas. The job will always be a learning experience.
Also, reading and writing, no doubt, are very important skills. There are reasons why these are taught at such an early age. Those who write well and practice their writing often will be able to successfully compose reports and evaluations and better communicate with donors, grantees and colleagues. Also, analyzing proposals and interpreting data will have to be done in order to better communicate results. Communication skills as well as research skills are a must. Those who are best able to communicate their positions as well as stay informed in their field have a significant advantage.
Another qualification, of course, is the ability to comply with the law. There are laws that govern philanthropic associations specifically at all levels. The California Nonprofit Act of 2004, for example, states “Charitable corporations with assets of $2 million or more must prepare annual financial statements audited by an independent certified public accountant (CPA). The statements must use generally accepted accounting principles. The independent CPA must follow generally accepted auditing standards.” While, this particular kind of law might not be needed for every philanthropic position, it is useful to know that there are existing regulations.
There are many corporate philanthropy jobs, and people with all different skillsets are qualified for them. Here is a list of jobs that one can expect to find as an advocate for, and prospective employee of, a philanthropic association:
Grants Management: Director of Grants Management, Grant Manager
Charitable organizations receive grants as donations and give grants in return for advocacy, and it is up to these people to manage that money and keep it in check. Directors are generally more concerned with long-term planning and strategies for the future. The managers monitor grants and maintains grant reports.
Research Director, Associate, Librarian
They are in charge of researching and preparing reports pertinent to the organization that they represent. They assist all other employees in being fully informed of changes that occur within their concerns.
Director of Donor Services, Advancement Officer, Gift Planning
Donors, especially those who routinely give large sums, ideally wish for returns on their investments. Those returns can be in the form of tangible gifts or maybe a detailed report on where their money is going. This is yet another department that manages the foundation’s assets.
Human Resources: Receptionist, Office Manager, Recruitment Official, Computer Professionals, Director of Informational Services
These positions can be found in most large corporations, even nonprofits! These administrators manage the day-to-day life of the company or organization ensuring that information is distributed to other employees, donors, volunteers — anyone involved.
Communications/Public Relations
These are the people in charge of distributing information to the public regarding their cause/foundation whether they are snail-mail flyers or brochures in a hotel.
Program Director, Program Officer, Program Associate
Similar to the Grants Management personnel, they are in charge of analyzing grant proposals and managing grant making programs. They also conduct background research and help to organize and manage events put on by the foundation.
Finance
They manage assets and accounting, work with the treasurer and deal with all financial statements. So, when the foundations want to give a grant in exchange for advocacy, they go through this department.
Senior Management and Foundations Board
They oversee the inner-workings of the entire association. They have the uppermost abilities to make strategic decisions. A first-time jobseeker might not pursue this kind of position, however it is important for them to understand exactly what their position is in relation to other employees.
– Anna Brailow
Sources: California Registry of Charitable Trusts, Law Crossing, Philanthropy Network
Photo: VolunteerHub
Restoration of Ancient Canals Creates Hope for Lima’s Water Crisis
In an effort to alleviate its water problems, Peruvian hydrologists have been researching the most effective ways to provide Lima with a steady flow of water throughout the course of the year. However, it turns out that the most cost-effective solution is rooted in the past, not the future.
Researchers have found a solution to dealing with Lima’s water crisis in a network of ancient canals in the Andes mountains, dated as early as 500 AD to the pre-Inca era. The Peruvian capital is seeking to restore the stone canals, or amunas, as they are called locally, by regrouting them. Hydrologists have studied other methods for retaining the water supply during the dry season but found that this would be the cheapest option.
Rather than requiring new infrastructure, this project is cost-effective because it only requires improvements to the structures already in place. It is also beneficial that the project is non-disruptive to the environment.
According to a report in New Scientist, when used in the past the canals used to capture water from rivers in the Andes Mountains during the rainy season to slowly seep through rocks to flow into springs closer to the ground later in the year during the city’s dry season, which can last over half the year. The delay in water flow allows for gradual distribution of the water flow much later in the year.
However, the canals have not been maintained and generally just flow water directly downhill in a matter of hours. Hydrologists have noticed that regrouting the canals with cement would allow them to function as intended, potentially delaying water for weeks or months. This water flow, coming from over 3,500 meters above sea level, can provide the city with a more consistent water supply during its dry season.
Sedapal, the city’s water company, discovered that this project would be the most cost-effective way to provide a more steady water supply from the Lima population of almost 10 million people. In order to fund the $23 million project, the company plans to use one percent of its water charges for the next five years.
While Lima is struck with drought during its dry season, its wet season is often comprised of floods and landslips from the Chillón, Lurín and Rímac rivers. By holding back water through this system for the dry season, these problems can also be avoided.
While research is still being conducted, Bert De Bièvre of CONDESAN, a Lima-based nongovernmental organization that is spearheading the restoration, believes that 50 of the canals can be revived, mostly flowing from the Chillón River, according to the New Scientist report.
De Biévre’s work with American water specialists has indicated that this project has the potential to increase the water supply by 26 million cubic meters and decrease deficit during the dry season by 60%.
– Arin Kerstein
Sources: The Guardian, New Scientist
Photo: PRI
Cambodian Street Children
In Cambodia, a country whose economic index consistently ranks lower than the regional Asia-Pacific average, many strides have been made in recent years in order to alleviate poverty levels, strides that have moved the country into the lower-middle class. Attempts to meet the Cambodian Millennium Development Goals, or CMDG’s, have also prompted successful efforts aimed at poverty alleviation, resulting in a decrease in poverty levels from 50% in 2007 to below 20% in 2012, according to the Cambodia Socio-Economic Survey.
Despite these broad strokes of progress in recent years, a third of the Cambodian population continues to live below the national poverty line, which was set at US$0.61 (R2,470) in 2007. The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) has also revealed that close to 40% of Cambodian children suffer from hunger, while 22% of the population continues to live in severe poverty.
Cambodia has struggled to recover from the legacy left behind by the Cambodian genocide —conducted by Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge — that killed an estimated 3 million Cambodians between 1975 and 1979. One of the legacies of Pol Pot’s reign of terror, for instance, can be observed with regards to the structure of Cambodian demographics. Due to the Khmer Rouge’s systematic targeting of senior citizens, who were considered unfit to work as farmers in the Cambodian countryside, and the significant baby-booms that occurred at the conclusion of Pol Pot’s reign in the 1980s and 1990s, youths now make up a disproportionate percent of the Cambodian population. Out of a total population of 14.0 million, around 5.1 million (49.5%) are children under the age of 18.
Of this 49.5%, studies have also found that about 18% of children age 5 to 17 are engaged in economic activities, with the average age at which a child starts working set at 10.4 years old. These children are deemed street children, for as defined by the United Nations, “any boy or girl for whom the street in the widest sense of the word has become his or her habitual abode and/or source of livelihood, and who is inadequately protected, supervised or directed by responsible adults.”
A study conducted by the Cambodian Street Children Network (CSCN) discovered that these children take to the street for a variety of reasons. Traditional norms in Cambodian society, for instance, foster a mentality in which all members of the household are expected to contribute to the family’s livelihood. The fact that poverty is widespread in Cambodian society and that only 7% of occupations can earn more than US$3 a day, while 38% of occupations yield less than US$1, contributes to a scenario in which income generated from begging comes to be regarded as a “career;” especially as it can yield up to $15 a day in tourist-dense regions such as Siem Reap, home to the Angkor Wat mega-complex. Add to this the fact that many of these street children come from outer provinces in order to escape or alleviate poverty at home, have lost at least one parent or are orphaned by diseases such as AIDS — it is no wonder that the street is regarded as an opportune place to reap a profit.
In addition to these contributing factors, Cambodia also has a weak law enforcement set in place to protect street children. For instance, despite a Labor Code which establishes the minimum age for employment at 15 years, CSCN has noted that there is a pervasive and blatant disregard for this law, and others. According to the latest CSCN study, conducted in 2011, children under the age of 18 engage in a variety of street activities including, but not limited to, begging. The study found that, among various activities, 19% engaged in begging, 17% in scavenging, 7% in construction work, 5% in selling petty goods, 5% in stealing and 3% in picking insects.
The phenomenon of Cambodia’s street children is inextricably connected to Cambodia’s levels of poverty and its current ineffectiveness in dealing with a significantly youthful population. In light of this, it is thus important to reflect that Cambodia has been making strides to alleviate levels of poverty within the country since the 1990s. Many organizations, such as the CSCN, the Anjali House, an education center created for former street children in Siem Reap, and the ChildSafe hotlines, managed by English-speaking Khmer social workers, have also been set up in recent years in order to directly address the issue of Cambodia’s many children who take to the streets to survive.
However, in order to most effectively rescue Cambodia’s street children, more drastic steps need to be taken to alleviate poverty and to strengthen a corrupt and failed justice system — factors which ultimately foster and enable a Cambodian street child’s existence.
– Ana Powell
Sources: Asian Development Bank, Cambodian Street Children Network Canodia, The Heritage Foundation World Bank
Photo: Campus Gup Shup
7 Traits of Philanthropic People Who See Success
Philanthropic people strive to promote the welfare of others through the donation of money, property or services. They come from all sorts of socioeconomic backgrounds, but there are several common character traits of philanthropic people who have seen success in their pursuits:
1. They are altruistic.
Philanthropic people show selfless concern for the welfare of others and venture to alleviate the struggles of others without seeking anything for their own personal benefit. Truly philanthropic acts are done without expectation of compensation or recognition of one’s efforts.
2. They are empathetic.
Philanthropists tend to be empathetic toward the struggles of others. They feel an obligation to do what is in their power to combat these struggles because they view the problems and the hurt that comes with them as their own.
3. They have heightened social awareness.
Philanthropic people tend to have great awareness of their surroundings. Not only are they open to opposing views and new ideas, but they also seek to understand the motivations and obstacles of others in order to better understand their needs and how they can best best be satisfied.
4. They are far-sighted.
People who want to make positive change in the world tend to look far into the future. They want to make a lasting impact on society rather than temporarily fixing a problem, and recognize that they must direct their efforts accordingly. They realize that in order to make significant societal change, it is crucial to address underlying structural issues by investing in long-term solutions.
5. They are politically involved.
In order to make structural changes in society, it is also necessary for philanthropists to advocate for political change. That is why many successful philanthropists are known to be advocates. They tend to recognize that while it is important to invest in programs that are shown to produce tangible results, advocacy is also important because it allows progress on a broader scale.
6. They are issue-oriented.
Successful philanthropists seek specific causes to support rather than organizations. They first identify something they would like to see happen in the world and then they go out to look for organizations that can best make this vision a reality. They recognize that specific organizations may be able to tackle one aspect of the problem best and then look for other groups to work on other aspects of the issue. They maintain a holistic view of the issue and use many tools to catalyze these changes.
7. They are business-minded.
Many philanthropic people look at their contributions as investments in society and the economy. They want their money and resources to be used efficiently and in an organized-manner in order to promote self-sustaining change. Accordingly, successful philanthropists look at issues through a business-lens, treating their philanthropic work with the same work ethic as they would their business. Just as they would to promote a business goal, successful philanthropists also capitalize on their resources, drawn upon their networks and use their position in society to promote a cause. This broad view pushes them not to focus solely on contributing to nonprofit organizations, but also to expand their support to for-profit business and legislative initiatives that will propel the cause forward.
– Arin Kerstein
Sources: Academic Impressions, Forbes, Long Beach Business Journal, PC World
Photo: Smarter Finance Journal