A food security crisis is considered a famine when, according to the United Nations, “20 percent of households face extreme food shortages with a limited ability to cope; acute malnutrition rates exceed 30 percent; and the death rate exceeds two persons per day per 10,000 persons.”
Famine exacerbates the challenges of people in poverty and pulls many into the cycle of poverty. This is especially problematic in Africa. Among other nations, famines have been identified in Ethiopia, Somalia and South Sudan. The following are three causes of famine in Africa.
1. Conflict Causes Hunger in Africa
When a government is engaged in war, whether civil or with another country, the leadership of a country must divert funds from some sectors to military expenditure. In some cases, funding is removed from development, leaving the population especially vulnerable to natural disasters or the effects of conflict on agricultural production.
When a natural disaster—such as drought—affects a region, the problem can quickly transform into a famine, and the local and national government are left without the funding to address the problem. Natural disasters can also lead to competition over scarce resources, which cause conflict and high levels of food insecurity, or famine.
2. Climate Change
Climate change directly affects food production, which can create widespread food insecurity and famine. For instance, rising temperatures reduces crop yields by reducing photosynthesis and soil fertility. Higher temperatures, too, increase the survival rate of weeds and diseases that reduce agricultural output.
Increased rainfall and droughts destroy cropland and prevent production entirely. In 2007, heavy rain destroyed a quarter of Bangladesh’s rice crop and over one million acres of cropland.
Extreme variation in weather and intense affects of climate change such as rising temperatures, rainfall and droughts prevent farmers from making accurate predictions regarding agricultural seasons. This, in turn, affects the output of food from farmers, which increases food insecurity. High food insecurity both motivates conflict, as mentioned before, and increases the likelihood of famine.
3. Donor Country Politics
Because of alternative political interests, such as addressing infectious diseases or donating to another part of the world, donor countries can fail to give aid to prevent famine. According to The Guardian, Famine Early Warning Systems and the Food Security Nutrition Analysis Unit predicted the 2011 famine in Somalia. Had the international community responded, a quarter of a million people could have avoided death.
The Guardian argues that United States geopolitical interest in Somalia in 2011 led to a withdrawal of aid, which aided a growing famine. It was only after widespread media attention of the famine that Somalia received a significant amount of humanitarian aid and was able to appropriately deal with the crisis. While humanitarian aid can alleviate the consequences of famine, removing aid at the wrong time can also be one of the causes of famine in Africa.
The three causes of famine listed above is far from a comprehensive list of causes of famine in Africa. In fact, the causes of famine are complex and often have several causes contributing to both the initiation and rapid spread of famine. Aside from conflict, climate change and lack of international response, lack of response from the domestic government and rising prices of food also potentially contribute to famine. Clearly, the causes range from local, to international, to natural or environmental.
Beginning to understand even some of the causes of famine, though, contribute to solving part of the causes and preventing as widespread of problems in the future.
– Tara Wilson
Sources: United Nations, The Guardian, Beyond Intractability, Physicians for Social Responsibility
Photo: English Online
Child Brides Fight Back
In recent years, a number of young women have rebelled against the husbands they were forced to marry. In April, a 14-year-old in Kano, Nigeria, murdered her 35-year-old husband with rat poison at their wedding celebration. Another, Zeinabou Moussa, ran away from her husband’s home on at least four separate occasions. After a final incident, her husband divorced her. Her parents say she will not be forced to marry again.
Zeinabou is one girl of many millions who are forced to marry early and become a child bride. In West Africa, around half of girls under the age of 18 are forced to marry. In regions of Chad and Niger, that number is around 70 percent. Girls under 15 in these countries are more likely to be wed than anywhere else in the world.
There are a number of reasons practices like this are kept in place. The first is poor education. Parents will often send their young boys to school because a higher value is placed on men. Many of the families who send their daughters to be child brides are often very poor and can expect that they will get a dowry in return from these educated men. Additionally, parents do not feel that it is appropriate for their daughters to engage in promiscuous activity out of wedlock, which is another reason early marriage is so prominent.
The practice is part of a vicious cycle. Adolescence, as well as education, is cut short, and this leads to an increase in teenage pregnancy and deaths during births. The spread of HIV is also adding to the problem.
Although there is some rebellion beginning against this tradition, many are not optimistic about the outcome. The Ford Foundation from New York conducted a study that showed that, on the whole, the trend in West African countries is headed toward even younger child brides.
Still, small pockets of land are getting better. In Nigeria and Niger, girls are learning about the potential risks of early marriage in special schools provided by the U.N. Population Fund. By the year 2018, over 150,000 girls will have completed this education.
The battle against child marriage is also being fought on the legal front. In countries like Malawi, girls can be forced to wed as young as 15 if they have their parents’ consent; however, upcoming legislation will attempt to bump it to 18, the legal age of consent in the country.
Such laws will play a big role in curbing the rising number of child brides, and all of the complications that accompany early marriages. The laws are prompting traditional chiefs to speak out against these marriages. Regarded for their community influence, these chiefs can spur campaigns that give girls the power to say “no.”
– Andrew Rywak
Sources: New York Daily News New York Times, The Economist
Photo: Girls Not Brides
How to Start a Nonprofit Foundation
History has shown that nonprofit organizations often arise out of the passion of young adults. Clint Borgen, for instance, began The Borgen Project as a sophomore in college. So what does it exactly take to start your own nonprofit organization?
1. A Cause
Having a passion for a global issue sparks the fuse to do something. The cause can spark from war, from pictures, from personal experience and in so many other ways. It all starts with an action or occurrence that leaves an impact on others, an impact strong enough to want to make a difference.
2. Gathering the Right Materials/Volunteers
Find volunteers who are as passionate about the cause as you are. Volunteers are what make the organization grow. They are the ones who push the idea far enough to make a difference. A committed volunteer will do wonders for the cause and those volunteers will help your nonprofit organization grow. With volunteers comes technology. You need the right apps, software, materials to keep everyone connected. Communication between all members is extremely crucial! Being aware of what others are doing and how everyone is contributing to the cause is an important attribute to the organization. Keeping everyone up-to-date with how things are done within the group and what everyone’s role is keeps every volunteer in the loop.
3. THIS IS WHAT WE DO!
As Katy Perry said, this is what we do! Let the world know what exactly you do. Be proud that you’re with an organization that supports a change in society. Spread the word and spread the cause. The more you teach, the more will learn, and therefore the more of a difference will be made. Be innovative with what you have to offer. Creativity is a key factor in making a difference. There are many nonprofit organizations that stand up for a lot of great causes and are successful because they have original ways to show what they stand for. Also make sure to network. It’s all about who you know and how you can connect with them and make a difference.
The road will only get tougher when starting an organization that has so much meaning to you and others. However, it only takes one person to make that step into changing the world; soon enough, others will want to join in the march to a difference. If the cause is strong and your passion is stronger, you too can make a change for the better.
– Monica Franco
Sources: Huffington Post 1, Huffington Post 2, Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund
Photo: Arizona State University
What is Hunger?
What is hunger? For some American high schoolers, waiting for the bell to go to lunch can be excruciating. Stomachs are growling, teenagers are getting cranky, but are they truly hungry?
To be hungry, or “malnourished,” means that, due to a lack of nutritional intake, energy is completely lacking. This often results in a severe inability to perform simple tasks or to concentrate on anything other than food.
Furthermore, the worries accompanying hunger lead to the idea of food insecurity. The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization defines food insecurity as “a situation that exists when people lack secure access to sufficient amounts of safe and nutritious food for normal growth and development and an active and healthy life.”
In the 1970s, 30 percent of the people in our world suffered from hunger. Now we can proudly say that that percentage has been reduced to only 16 percent of the world, but this is still a staggering 925 million people.
The dangers of hunger extend past being temporarily without food. With a weakened body, malnourished people are much more prone to diseases like tuberculosis, dysentery and typhoid. The body also begins to feed on its own bone and muscle, creating a vicious cycle that typically ends with organs like the heart shutting down.
Hunger can affect mental capabilites as well. Without adequate nourishment, people are unable to concentrate and thus unable to advance educationally and socially.
Some unpleasant statistics from the WFP about hunger include the following:
According to U.N. FAO Director-General, Jacques Diouf, “Defeating hunger is a realistic goal for our time, as long as lasting political, economic, financial and technical solutions are adopted.”
Organizations like Action Against Hunger, Grocers Against Hunger, UNICEF and countless more are fighting everyday to raise money and collect food for these suffering people throughout the world. These types of initiatives will not only put food on someone’s plate, but will extend their life expectancy, and improve communities. Just as Diouf claimed, global hunger can be defeated.
– Kathleen Lee
Sources: WFP, United Nations
3 Causes of Famine in Africa
A food security crisis is considered a famine when, according to the United Nations, “20 percent of households face extreme food shortages with a limited ability to cope; acute malnutrition rates exceed 30 percent; and the death rate exceeds two persons per day per 10,000 persons.”
Famine exacerbates the challenges of people in poverty and pulls many into the cycle of poverty. This is especially problematic in Africa. Among other nations, famines have been identified in Ethiopia, Somalia and South Sudan. The following are three causes of famine in Africa.
1. Conflict Causes Hunger in Africa
When a government is engaged in war, whether civil or with another country, the leadership of a country must divert funds from some sectors to military expenditure. In some cases, funding is removed from development, leaving the population especially vulnerable to natural disasters or the effects of conflict on agricultural production.
When a natural disaster—such as drought—affects a region, the problem can quickly transform into a famine, and the local and national government are left without the funding to address the problem. Natural disasters can also lead to competition over scarce resources, which cause conflict and high levels of food insecurity, or famine.
2. Climate Change
Climate change directly affects food production, which can create widespread food insecurity and famine. For instance, rising temperatures reduces crop yields by reducing photosynthesis and soil fertility. Higher temperatures, too, increase the survival rate of weeds and diseases that reduce agricultural output.
Increased rainfall and droughts destroy cropland and prevent production entirely. In 2007, heavy rain destroyed a quarter of Bangladesh’s rice crop and over one million acres of cropland.
Extreme variation in weather and intense affects of climate change such as rising temperatures, rainfall and droughts prevent farmers from making accurate predictions regarding agricultural seasons. This, in turn, affects the output of food from farmers, which increases food insecurity. High food insecurity both motivates conflict, as mentioned before, and increases the likelihood of famine.
3. Donor Country Politics
Because of alternative political interests, such as addressing infectious diseases or donating to another part of the world, donor countries can fail to give aid to prevent famine. According to The Guardian, Famine Early Warning Systems and the Food Security Nutrition Analysis Unit predicted the 2011 famine in Somalia. Had the international community responded, a quarter of a million people could have avoided death.
The Guardian argues that United States geopolitical interest in Somalia in 2011 led to a withdrawal of aid, which aided a growing famine. It was only after widespread media attention of the famine that Somalia received a significant amount of humanitarian aid and was able to appropriately deal with the crisis. While humanitarian aid can alleviate the consequences of famine, removing aid at the wrong time can also be one of the causes of famine in Africa.
The three causes of famine listed above is far from a comprehensive list of causes of famine in Africa. In fact, the causes of famine are complex and often have several causes contributing to both the initiation and rapid spread of famine. Aside from conflict, climate change and lack of international response, lack of response from the domestic government and rising prices of food also potentially contribute to famine. Clearly, the causes range from local, to international, to natural or environmental.
Beginning to understand even some of the causes of famine, though, contribute to solving part of the causes and preventing as widespread of problems in the future.
– Tara Wilson
Sources: United Nations, The Guardian, Beyond Intractability, Physicians for Social Responsibility
Photo: English Online
Malian Children Imprisoned as Adults
In late August, Amnesty International reported that Malian children were being held in jails alongside adults.
The detainees were believed to be under the age of 18 and arrested after being accused of belonging to militias and participating in activities of unrest.
Ages of the children were not questioned—although one child’s birth certificate verified he was merely 16—as they were placed in the adult section of the capital’s prison and police camp, which Amnesty reported were “sub-human.”
Along with the charge of international law violations, Amnesty said the children were, “subjected to various forms of human rights violations whilst in detention, including being constantly confined to their cells and not being allowed outside their prison cells to go for exercise.”
In addition to the horrific conditions listed, not only were these four children imprisoned with adults, Amnesty reported that the Malian authorities violated international law; the children were not allowed access to lawyers or their families.
While the four children mentioned were eventually released, Amnesty said Mali has continued to arrest children believed to be involved in militias.
The arrests of child soldiers and the surge of militias has been seen in Northern Mali since the military coup d’etat. The region was first controlled by separatists and then later by extremists linked to al- Qaeda.
Intervention by the French drove out the extremists but their hand in conflict can still be seen today.
– Kori Withers
Sources: Yahoo News 1, Yahoo News 2, Northwestern University
Photo: Blogspot
Poverty in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
It is hard to imagine that poverty exists in the largest oil exporting country in the world. But among the extravagant shopping malls and luxury SUVs lies a brutal reality— one laced with destitution, panhandling and unemployment.
Poverty in Riyadh has seen little media exposure. The Saudi government is reluctant to admit poverty exists and seldom releases figures pertaining to the poor population. In 2011, three video bloggers were arrested for reporting on poverty in the kingdom’s capital. The group of young men released a YouTube video on the actual conditions of Riyadh, as well as personal interviews and comments made by beggars in the community. After the video was viewed almost 800,000 times, the Saudi police arrested the boys, sending out a clear message to other young Saudis not to engage in any similar behavior.
The bloggers online show, “We Are Being Cheated,” raises many questions in the international community: How can countries so rich not do anything about their poor?
Although Saudi Arabia’s economy is one of the most powerful in the world, welfare programs have not kept up with the booming population that is now estimated to be over 28 million people. With little disclosed information on the poor citizens, it is hard to know how many Saudis live below the poverty line. However, private estimates suggest poverty in Riyadh affects about 2-4 million people. Analysts consider living on 530 dollars a month, or 17 dollars a day, to be the poverty line in Saudi Arabia.
Unemployment among 15-24 year olds plays a huge factor in the growing poor population. According to the CIA World Factbook, about 28.3 percent of the youth are unemployed. The percentage of unemployed females is almost 35 percent higher than unemployed males, demonstrating that gender imbalances and power struggles are very much present in Saudi Arabia.
In an Islamic society where men are supposed to be the breadwinners and provide for the family, women have a difficult time entering the workforce once the male figure is gone. In many instances, widowed women or women who have disabled spouses cannot finds jobs due to societal prejudices and gender discrimination. In addition, stay-at-home mothers who quickly have to find a way to feed their family often cannot due to lack of education and skills.
The country has roughly 16 million Saudis making up most of the workforce, with the remaining being foreign workers. As the young population struggles to find work, the poverty rate continues to increase. Government statistics display that almost two-thirds of the population is under thirty, and three-quarters of all unemployed Saudis are in their twenties.
King Abdullah has made some efforts in battling poverty-related issues, but no lasting impacts have been made. In 2011, the Saudi government pledged to address the issues of poverty and gave out a 37 billion dollar handout in an apparent bid to bring the country’s poor back on their feet. The money helped with unemployment benefits, raising wages and providing affordable houses, but the people of Riyadh need more than free money. They need long-term solutions.
– Leeda Jewayni
Sources: CNN, NPR, The Washington Post, The New York Times, CIA
Education in Uzbekistan
Since gaining independence in 1991, the government of Uzbekistan has committed to reforming the education system and making this system a national priority. Free compulsory education for all children, as well as over 60 schools of higher learning, has lead Uzbekistan to achieve one of the highest literacy rates in the world.
Located in Central Asia, Uzbekistan has a population of over 26 million people. As the region’s most populated country, the government has taken significant measures to ensure high quality instruction for all children.
The Law on Education, established in 1997, states that all citizens have the right to education in Uzbekistan. After minor revisions, the law also encompasses that citizens are required to attend nine years of primary and secondary schooling. Students are then allowed to either continue with higher education for three years or seek vocational training, education that prepares children for a specific career path.
The Ministry of Public Education and the Ministry of Higher and Secondary Specialized Education are responsible for all pre-school, general education schools, higher learning establishments and vocational education. Together, they have been working to improve state educational standards and curriculum, reconstruct school buildings and strengthen teachers’ capacities at all levels.
Research shows that access to primary and secondary education in Uzbekistan is above average for the sub-region. The net enrollment rate for primary school is 97 percent, compared to the lesser 92 percent average of the Central Asian countries. Students also have a 100 percent transition rate to secondary school, indicating that the gap in access between primary to secondary school is virtually non-existent.
However, the Government of Uzbekistan does struggle with early childhood education. Only 20 percent of children aged 3 years old to 5 years old are attending preschool, a figure that was much higher prior to independence. The limited access to preschool and primary school for the 130,000 children with disabilities remains an area of primary concern.
Although methods such as homeschooling are available for these children, they have proven insufficient in meeting the educational needs of this young population. There are few schools and teachers with the necessary supplies and training to deal with children with severe disabilities and learning difficulties. Thus school quality has been a recent target for improvement. In 2006, a learning assessment given to a small group of Uzbek students illustrated that only 30 percent of children were considered to be competent in basic mathematic skills. Likewise, a mere 30 percent of children scored above a proficient level in the literacy assessment.
Many attribute the basic levels of math and literacy to the shortage of teachers. Although teacher salaries have been raised, a large gap exists between teacher wages and the average salary in Uzbekistan. Schools not only find it extremely difficult to recruit new prospects, but also to keep experienced teachers.
Although education in Uzbekistan has seen great improvement over the years, a lot more can be done in order to see the country succeed. According to UNICEF, the Government of Uzbekistan has to increase educational access to children in remote areas and those with special needs. In addition, school infrastructure must be structured to accommodate students with disabilities as well as create a safe and workable environment for teachers and students alike. With these changes, there is great hope that children in Uzbekistan will have a bright future ahead of them.
– Leeda Jewayni
Sources: Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency, UNICEF, UNESCO
Photo: UNDP
Naming the Islamic State
ISIS has been the name many of us have come to use over the summer as this terrorist group has come to prominence. The group is also referred to as IS or ISIL, by many government leaders.
But why discuss it at all? Should it matter what an extremist group calls itself? Shouldn’t people be focusing on what means they are using to achieve their ends?
According to Jonah Blank, a former staffer at the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, “the militant organization is waging a propaganda war—and what name it goes by is part of that war.”
This group seeks to reestablish a caliphate, a mecca for Sunni Muslims all over the world run by a supreme religious and political leader. The calphi are older societies, the last of which died out with the Ottoman Empire. They are seen as the Golden Age of Islam. Muslims were at the cutting edge of art and technology. They also controlled vast amounts of political and economic power at this time.
The current attempt of reestablishment has taken place in western Iraq, eastern Syria, parts of Jordan and Turkey. This location has caused the name ISIS to become the front runner. It stands for Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, but the “Syria” they refer to is Greater Syria. Greater Syria is referred to by many as al-Sham in Arabic.
Al-Sham “is the classical Arabic term for Damascus and its hinterlands, and over time, it came to denote the area between the Mediterranean and the Euphrates, south of the Taurus Mountains and north of Arabian desert.”
The Obama Administration has translated the al-Sham differently to mean “the Levant” hence the president’s use of ISIL. It doesn’t have the lengthy explanation of greater Syria, but, more importantly, it also weakens the credibility of the terrorist group in a time when they are trying to recruit supporters.
As The New York Times explains again, the term Levant is “a once-common term that now has something of an antique whiff about it, like ‘the Orient.’ Many Arab nationalists and Islamist radicals disdain it.”
It seems that the President’s administration has come to agree with Jonah Blank. He looks to discredit them openly, causing confusion in the Middle East. This confusion seems to be taking effect. Many Muslims have already turned their back on the idea of a caliphate, as many have well an established mufti, who is the highest legal authority, giving rulings on practice for the state.
Its name is become confusing, and ISIL cannot seem to decide what to call itself. Islamic scholar Juan Cole says ISISL has no real support beyond their own followers and has no real prospect of gaining the respect of the greater Sunni Muslim community. It seems that its fall might come from internal factors that the U.S. can observe and comment on from afar.
– Frederick Wood II
Sources: NPR 1, NPR 2, NPR 3, New York Times, Juan Cole
Photo: The Christian Post
Mpower Helps Children in South Sudan
Started in 2007, Mpower Foundation is a Dutch foundation that aims to improve the living conditions and health of children in Mundri, South Sudan. To achieve this, it works on empowering local people by organizing training programs and collaborates with the Mundri Relief and Development Association, its local partner organization. Created in 1996, MRDA focuses on finding relief and development projects and then designs a way to implement them.
South Sudan is the youngest country in the world and the site of the longest civil war on the African continent. This left the country in devastation and Mpower has begun reconstruction and development in this area.
There are a few main projects that Mpower works on; “Your body your responsibility” is one such project, which focuses on teaching health education to younger people, as well as sexual health and hygiene. Another is “Mpower! Kids,” which focuses on preventive health care for children under five years old.
The third project that Mpower works on is Bricks & Babies. This project pays specific attention to the buildings of children’s hospitals. The goal is to build five new children’s hospitals, as that is where the need is. So far, this has proven hard to accomplish, but not impossible.
Mpower’s hope is that, through these interactive workshops, young people will have enough knowledge to volunteer for Mundri Relief and Development Association. After completing the workshops and going into MRDA, they could end up getting a contract with the organization which would mean a stable life for them.
Mpower is constantly looking for people and organizations to contribute to improving the health care for those in South Sudan. To learn more, visit its website.
– Brooke Smith
Sources: Global Hand, The Mpower Foundation
Photo: The Mpower Foundation
African Farmers Face Failed Seasons
In a new report released by the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa, African farmers, small-scale farmers in particular, are facing serious risks from climate change.
Accounting for approximately 80 percent of farmers in Africa, small-scale farmers are at risk especially due to their small plots of land and lack of resources, hampering their ability to develop effective and reliable irrigation systems. With insufficient labor and resources, these farmers have low input and low-yields, resulting in essentially subsistence level agriculture.
Released at the African Green Revolution Forum, which drew approximately 1,000 delegates including heads of state and government, scientists and business leaders, the report highlighted the consequences of the changing climate of the continent, both in the short and long term.
The report estimates that climate change could increase the number of malnourished from the current 223 million to 355 million by 2050, a 40 percent increase.
The variation in climate, such as prolonged droughts or torrential downpours, has introduced the concept of “failed seasons;” growing seasons that are particularly hampered by the effects of climate change. Increased temperatures have already plagued farmers and average temperatures are expected to continue to rise, with a 1.5 to 2.5°C increase expected by 2050.
Changing climate conditions also has the potential to lower mineral concentrations such as iron and zinc in crops, aggravating the existent problem of nutrient deficiency in Africa.
For some basic crops, the conditions have already become too extreme to tolerate. In East and Central Africa where beans are grown, the effects of climate change could reduce its current seven million hectares by 25 to 80 percent. Land in West Africa and the Sahel suitable for growing bananas could also see a drop of eight and 25 percent respectively.
With food production difficult even now, climate variations threaten to exacerbate the situation further with intense food shocks and cement a perpetual cycle of rural poverty.
Such extreme effects have already begun to take place. Parts of Angola can no longer be used for agriculture after a prolonged three year period of little rainfall and drought.
To adjust to the almost inevitable effects of climate change, the report recommends small-scale farmers adopt a number of ‘climate-smart’ techniques and policies.
Dr. Ameyaw, director of strategy monitoring and evaluation for AGRA, stressed the “efficient use of water—groundwater, surface water and rainwater” in a system that is 98 percent reliant on rainfall.
Included among these climate-smart investments are improved soil and water management, utilizing new crop varieties and improved efficiency through mechanization.
Furthermore, a shift in culture toward sustainability is encouraged. Developing stronger land rights, for women in particular; improving information systems; investing in research and encouraging the preservation of biodiversity are all potential areas of expansion that would help improve the situation.
The authors of the report also emphasize other trends to be concerned about such as rapid population growth and urbanization, which both can affect development and growth.
– William Ying
Sources: Africa Agriculture Status Report 2014, BBC, Phys.org, AllAfrica 1, AllAfrica 2
Sources: MSU