In 1940, about 11,000 people lived in Qatar. Today, nearly two million men and women of every ethnicity and income reside in this state, living at the mercy of imported food.
However, Qatar sits comfortably as the largest global exporter of liquefied natural gas. A majority of residents are foreign workers, with no more than 13% native Qataris. As a result, this 13% – fewer than 300,000 – became very wealthy in the past two decades.
Justin Gengler, an American professor at Qatar University, calculated the annual income for each citizen at $180,000.
Skyscrapers now dominate the Qatar skyline – monuments to Qatar’s rapid economic growth. This rising urbanization, however, contrasts sharply with the declining food supply.
The arid region cannot support the recent influx of foreign workers. Limited land and chronic water scarcity restricts agricultural growth and heightens fear of food insecurity. Qatar imports more than 90% of its food and desalinates nearly 100% of its water. Today, it faces an agricultural trade deficient of $1.2 billion.
Dependence on wealth from natural oil and gas cannot sustain the state, as it combats degraded soil, difficult climate, and a lack of irrigation water.
Robert Siegel of NPR reports, “The way the Qataris see it, it’s a fair match, paying for the best technology to triumph over the most adverse natural environment.”
The government established the Qatar National Food Security Program (QNFSP) in 2008. This initiative aims to promote self-sufficiency, by investing in agricultural technology. Ideally, this technology makes “optimal usage of scare resources.”
Technology ties the principles of growth and sustainability together. At the Ministry of Environment, Fahad Al-Attiya hopes to transform Qatar from a hydrocarbon-based economy to a knowledge-based one.
A seven acre farm sits 12 millimeters from Doha. Trees and several greenhouses form a protective ring around the farm, as harsh winds threaten the crops. The farm rests on the very limited source of fresh groundwater.
Nearly 60% of residents live in Doha, relying on desalinated water. Farmers, however, depend on aquifers. More than a century ago, water flowed freely. Today, farmers and consumers have overdrawn their aquifers and exhausted the water supply.
The QNFSP intends to equip farmers with more efficient irrigation technology, placing Qatari farms on par with those in more favorable climates. At this time, only one percent of total land is cultivated and farms declined by 30% in the past five years. However, by 2030, the state aims to produce 40% of its food domestically.
Around 50,000,000 cubic meters of water from rain and underground channels remains and though this can sustain the state for two or three years, it needs more long-term solutions.
The state continues to grow by 15% annually and consumes more water than any nation in the world. However, rainfall in Doha totals a mere 74 millimeters per year. Consequently, it must rely heavily on energy for the desalination for water.
With 300 days of sun, Qatar holds a competitive advantage: renewable energy.
Though the global economy values gas and oil, Qatar serves as a reminder to all: without access to water, the threat of food insecurity and poverty persists.
– Ellery Spahr
Sources: NPR, Ted Talks
Photo: QNFSP
Qatar Food Security: A Rich State in a Poor Place
In 1940, about 11,000 people lived in Qatar. Today, nearly two million men and women of every ethnicity and income reside in this state, living at the mercy of imported food.
However, Qatar sits comfortably as the largest global exporter of liquefied natural gas. A majority of residents are foreign workers, with no more than 13% native Qataris. As a result, this 13% – fewer than 300,000 – became very wealthy in the past two decades.
Justin Gengler, an American professor at Qatar University, calculated the annual income for each citizen at $180,000.
Skyscrapers now dominate the Qatar skyline – monuments to Qatar’s rapid economic growth. This rising urbanization, however, contrasts sharply with the declining food supply.
The arid region cannot support the recent influx of foreign workers. Limited land and chronic water scarcity restricts agricultural growth and heightens fear of food insecurity. Qatar imports more than 90% of its food and desalinates nearly 100% of its water. Today, it faces an agricultural trade deficient of $1.2 billion.
Dependence on wealth from natural oil and gas cannot sustain the state, as it combats degraded soil, difficult climate, and a lack of irrigation water.
Robert Siegel of NPR reports, “The way the Qataris see it, it’s a fair match, paying for the best technology to triumph over the most adverse natural environment.”
The government established the Qatar National Food Security Program (QNFSP) in 2008. This initiative aims to promote self-sufficiency, by investing in agricultural technology. Ideally, this technology makes “optimal usage of scare resources.”
Technology ties the principles of growth and sustainability together. At the Ministry of Environment, Fahad Al-Attiya hopes to transform Qatar from a hydrocarbon-based economy to a knowledge-based one.
A seven acre farm sits 12 millimeters from Doha. Trees and several greenhouses form a protective ring around the farm, as harsh winds threaten the crops. The farm rests on the very limited source of fresh groundwater.
Nearly 60% of residents live in Doha, relying on desalinated water. Farmers, however, depend on aquifers. More than a century ago, water flowed freely. Today, farmers and consumers have overdrawn their aquifers and exhausted the water supply.
The QNFSP intends to equip farmers with more efficient irrigation technology, placing Qatari farms on par with those in more favorable climates. At this time, only one percent of total land is cultivated and farms declined by 30% in the past five years. However, by 2030, the state aims to produce 40% of its food domestically.
Around 50,000,000 cubic meters of water from rain and underground channels remains and though this can sustain the state for two or three years, it needs more long-term solutions.
The state continues to grow by 15% annually and consumes more water than any nation in the world. However, rainfall in Doha totals a mere 74 millimeters per year. Consequently, it must rely heavily on energy for the desalination for water.
With 300 days of sun, Qatar holds a competitive advantage: renewable energy.
Though the global economy values gas and oil, Qatar serves as a reminder to all: without access to water, the threat of food insecurity and poverty persists.
– Ellery Spahr
Sources: NPR, Ted Talks
Photo: QNFSP
Ukraine Protests Turn Violent
Since November, Ukraine has been rocked by intense public protests over the government’s apparent rejection of the West in favor of closer ties to neighboring Russia. The protests have taken a violent turn as many demonstrators clashed with riot police over new anti-protest legislation that was recently passed this week.
The new legislation aims to quell the public’s right to protest against government officials. The specifics of the law ban the placement of tents, stages and loud speakers in public spaces.
The law also puts in place hefty jail sentences for those deemed to have played a part in “mass disorder.” Other points in the law state that wearing face masks or helmets is prohibited, threatening violators with long sentences.
Probably the law’s most egregious violation pertains to journalist’s ability to report on government officials. Any criticism of officials by the media is deemed illegal under the new legislation.
Tensions boiled over on Sunday as protesters resorted to violence against police forces. Demonstrators beat officers with sticks and attempted to turn over a bus blocking access to parliament. Fireworks and smoke bombs hurled through the air, injuring many.
A total of thirty police officers were injured during the protests. Later that night, police fired upon protesters with large water cannons in an attempt to disperse them.
A central figure in the middle of the public outrage over recent anti-western moves by the government is former professional boxer Vitaly Klitschko. He has made repeated calls for protests to remain peaceful despite the government overreach.
Recently, Klitschko was joined by his fiancé, American actress Hayden Panettiere, in a show of solidarity with the protesters.
Despite his efforts, Klistchko’s repeated calls for restraint fell on deaf ears, as tensions proved too much for many involved in the protests.
The country’s recent pivot away from a proposed joint economic partnership with the European Union toward Russia leads many to see Russia’s influence in the new anti-protest legislation. Heather McGill of Amnesty International reports the new law is almost an exact copy of existing Russian legislation that dealt a severe blow to the civil society in Russia.
The new economic partnership with Russia aims to reverse the decline of trade among the respective nations. Under the new deal, Russia will buy up $15 billion of Ukraine debt and cut natural gas prices.
The new prices will be slashed to $268.50 per 1,000 cubic meters of gas from $400.
The proposed partnership will reach across many economic sectors including industry, agriculture, defense, construction and transport.
This new partnership has created a split among the citizenry throughout Ukraine. The eastern section of the country desires increased relations with Russia, while the West favors closer ties with the E.U.
As Ukraine moves closer to Russia, many fear the nation will emulate the authoritarian tactics associated with the Russian government. The brazen passage of anti-protest legislation with complete disregard for the public’s disapproval is a clear sign Ukraine is moving in that direction.
– Zack Lindberg
Sources: CNN, Amnesty International, Reuters
Photo: TPM
India: How A Rape Changed A Nation
News related to India in recent years has focused on a distressing part of life in the nation. That is to say, a purported prevalence of rape has come to the forefront of the nation’s international presence. Recently, for instance, a Danish tourist vacationing in New Dehli was allegedly raped by two men. The attention has brought to light what many people allege is a burgeoning ‘rape culture,’ and a society that views women’s rights as less than important.
The attention has pushed Indian politicians to address the issue more fervently, as the nation has a poor record on pro-women rights. Gender inequality is, however, firmly embedded in the foundation of the nation’s culture, which can be seen by powerful figures such as the head of India’s National Intelligence Agency stating, “If you can’t prevent rape, you enjoy it.” Such a statement clearly demonstrates that an outdated mentality towards women’s rights persists in the nation, a mentality where blaming victims for rapes seems to be the main attitude toward this epidemic. For instance, Madyha Pradur, India’s Home Minister, blamed the Swiss rape victim for her attack, stating that if she had notified local authorities about where she planned to travel, the attack most likely would not have happened.
Gang-rape has historic roots in India, having been used since the creation of Modern India. It was especially used as a “weapon of oppression” against women throughout the nation. Rampant unemployment has led to men developing “personal alienation,” coupled with deeply “ingrained misogyny.” It’s argued that gang-rape has been a budding phenomenon, only growing due to a legal and court system which has been mostly indifferent to the concerns of women, or wholly incompetent in dealing with an upsurge of rape cases.
Conditions have been improving in recent years, however. In comparison to more developed nations like the United Kingdom, Indian rape convictions were much higher. Only about 7% of rapes in the United Kingdom actually led to convictions, where-as India had a conviction rate of 24.2% in 2012, a stunning rate considering it’s developing nation status which gives it less resources to deal with the issue.
Rape cases are, furthermore, being more publicized in India, as shown through the increased reporting on rape throughout the nation. The major catalyst for India was the infamous Dehli gang rape of 2012, which brought into focus, the welfare of women in the nation and how authorities handle the delicate nature of rape and assault cases. The Dehli Gang rape occurred in December of 2011 and led to major protests that rocked the nation as well as the creation new legislation that refocused anti-rape laws.
As it stands, the amount of reported rapes increased, doubling from 143 reported between January and March of 2012 to 359 following the Dehli gang rape. As tragic as the rape was, it has turned rape into newspaper fodder, with major media outlets in India reporting “each and every rape case.”
The Indian nation is hopeful for change. With rapists being held more accountable for their actions, the nation may overcome this widespread epidemic.
– Joseph Abay
Sources: IBN Live, TIME, ABC News, CNN, NDTV, Think Progress, Telegraph, The Daily Beast, Huffington Post, Spiegel Online
Photo: The Guardian
Greece: A Nation in Decline
In 2013, Greece faced its sixth consecutive year of a devastating recession. In order to secure $325 billion in rescue funds from the European Union and the International Monetary Fund, the Greek government resorted to cutting jobs and wages, actions that consequentially incited mass protests and unrest.
As a result, according to statistics released by the Hellenic Statistical Authority (HSA,) nearly a quarter of Greece’s population is susceptible to poverty. In a nation composed of 11 million residents, 2.75 million of whom are at risk of poverty, Greece has the highest poverty risk in the E.U. Among those at risk, the most susceptible individuals are single parents and unemployed men. Approximately half of jobless men in Greece are at risk of poverty, while single-parent households are also in a vulnerable position.
A factor contributing to the anticipated poverty of Greece’s population are the projected social welfare budget cuts for 2014. Between 2012 to 2013, the welfare budget had been cut by almost seven percent. However, the projected budget reduction for social welfare in 2014 is a staggering 18%, or $406 billion.
Furthermore, according to the Public Policy Analysis Group at the Athens University of Economics and Business (AUEB) discovered that within the last year, approximately 14% of Greeks had earned an income that was less than the living standard. In contrast, in 2004, only two percent of the population had earned an income below the standard of living.
Since 2008, the crisis in Greece had steadily increased in volatility. According to ESYE statistics agency, an increase in material deprivation in at least four of the nine basic categories of goods and services for human survival occurred during the past five years. To clarify, basic needs include the ability to endure unforeseen financial expenses, eat meat every two days, and heat one’s home. However, due to the economic crisis, approximately 76.3% of poor Greeks were directly affected, while 30.8 percent of the non-poor population suffered as well.
Without adequate government intervention, a substantial portion of the Greek population will remain at risk of poverty throughout 2014. With poverty and struggle in sight, internal social conflict in Greece will continue to rise as well. However, with aid from the E.U. and gradual stabilization, the nation can begin to recover.
– Phoebe Pradhan
Sources: International Business Times, The Telegraph, Zero Hedge, AFR
Photo: Read My Mind
New Programs in Tanzania Support Women’s Cricket
Historically, cricket in Tanzania has not been a sport played by the nation’s indigenous population. Those with backgrounds from countries with strong cricket programs, such as India and the United Kingdom, traditionally dominated the sport. That demographic has been changing, however, ever since 1999 when Zully Rehemtulla, chairman of the Tanzania Cricket Association, and former player Kazim Nasser became set on bringing cricket to all Tanzanians.
In the initial stages, Rehemtulla estimates that only about 150 people in Tanzania played cricket. He and Nasser decided that it was unacceptable for the sport to not permeate the majority of the country and started to focus their attention on bringing the sport to schools in Dar es Salaam, the capital.
Since then, and after about a century of non-indigenous participation in cricket, the sport has taken off, with Rehemtulla estimating that roughly 15,000 people now play in Tanzania. In August 2013, the International Cricket Council ranked the men’s Tanzanian team at 30th in the world.
Women in Tanzania have joined the game too. Though the Tanzanian women’s cricket team was eliminated from the last two World Cups early into qualification rounds, women’s participation has increased significantly.
Rehemtulla and Nasser state that they run into many barriers, due to Tanzania being one of the most impoverished nations in the world, when attempting to boost the participation of adolescent girls in cricket.
Moreover, they state that when girls become teenagers in Tanzania, their families put pressure on them to get jobs and contribute to family income. In order to offset this hurdle, the pair began offering services to girls who wanted to start playing cricket. They offered housing, HIV and malaria awareness classes, as well as, of course, cricket coaching to make them better players and in the future, effective coaches themselves.
The results of this program were very successful, with women not only continuing to play cricket, but also with many attending universities and maintaining lucrative jobs. Nasser and Rehemtulla report that many of the girls in the program are now financially comfortable and can make up to five times as much as low-wage workers in Tanzania.
Nasser explains that he and Rehemtulla have gotten to know the girls in the program and can serve as mentors and aid in their future development.
“We have spent five years with them so we try to do what is best for them. We train them so they get employment instead of going to work as house maids.” Furthermore, he states, “We as an association tried to give them classes and pay the school fees. We tried our best to help them to ensure they have better lives in the future.”
Cricket is also growing in other African nations. There has, for instance, been increased financial investment in cricket programs, including plans to build a new cricket stadium in Rwanda, largely to support the development of its new women’s team. Cricket has already become the second most popular sport in South Africa, whose men’s team, the Proteas, is globally competitive and whose amateur women’s team is gaining recognition.
Though the Tanzanian women’s team has not made it to the cricket World Cup, Tanzania has participated in a World Cup event. In 1975, Tanzanian athletes competed as a part of an East Africa team that included Uganda, Zambia and Kenya.
Tanzania is still far from achieving its goal of having premier, globally-recognized cricket teams, but with programs supporting female athletes and an increased investment in cricket and cricketers, one day Tanzania could prove its athletic prowess.
– Kaylie Cordingley
Sources: BBC Sport, AllAfrica
Photo: BBC News
Poverty in France Has Been Overlooked
More than just the illustrious Eiffel Tower looms over France. The land of crepes and Albert Camus is also the land of prevailing poverty. At 40 percent of the average standard of living, two million French residents sustain themselves with 645 euros, or $873.85 per month after accounting for social benefits. For individuals who make less than 977 euros, the minimum living income in France, it is difficult to accommodate daily needs.
Furthermore, 3.6 million French residents rely on some form of social assistance to varying degrees. Approximately 1.4 million recipients of social assistance report aid from the Revenu de Solidarité Active (RSA,) a French social welfare program in which an eligible individual receive, as of January 2014, receives a maximum allocation of 499.31 euros, or $676.47 per month.
Additionally, 3.5 million residents report relying on food aid, such as food packages, vouchers, and charity meals, according to the National Council of Food. Over a third of the individuals who rely on food aid receive assistance through the Secours Populaire, a non-profit French organization that aims to mitigate poverty in France and poverty in the world.
The Secours Populaire typically lends aid through the form of emergency food, clothing, and shelter. However, 1.8 million individuals (these individuals may overlap with the previously-stated 3.5 million who rely on food aid) report being unable to have a full meal at least once a day at some point within the past two weeks.
According to the French food-aid charity Secours Catholique, 31 percent of its aid recipients are single mothers, even though single mothers only comprise eight percent of households in France. However, in the past, single men and single mothers made up the majority of France’s poor, but due to global economic crises, France has seen an increase in the number of poor families.
Although poverty has declined in France since the 1990’s, a substantial amount of the French population remains economically stagnated, relying on social welfare and housing assistance. In one of the wealthiest countries in the world, it is appalling how such a disproportionate amount of the population struggles to make an adequate income.
– Phoebe Pradhan
Sources: Secours Populaire, Palgrave, Inequality Watch
Photo: BookFHR
Farm Bill Legislation Preserves Income Inequality
One of the most relevant issues in modern America is the overwhelming level of income inequality. The Barack Obama administration plans to establish 2014 as a ‘year of action’ and hopes to address the pressing issue of income inequality substantially.
Currently, 66% of Americans believe the government ought to take action to narrow the gap between upper and lower economic classes.
In addition to harming the middle and lower classes of society, income inequality also has a significant impact on federal debt. As more people move from the middle class to the lower class, federal welfare spending increases to accommodate, which contributes to the United States’ already tremendous debt.
However, bipartisan legislation has already been brought up that may do more harm to lower classes. Revisions made to the Farm Bill—“a five-year congressional funding program for agriculture and hunger programs”—will result in an $8.7 billion funding cut to food stamps for Americans over the next 10 years. The food stamp program (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) aids one in seven people.
The Farm Bill revisions additionally secure government subsidies to Koch industry subsidiaries in biomass and exempts chemical runoffs from forestry sites from government regulation under the Clean Water Act. Lobby reports indicate that Koch industry lobbyists were heavily influential in the Farm Bill legislation.
The funding cuts are expected to impact 850,000 American households through the next decade. Unfortunately, the congressional measure also comes after a $5 billion reduction to the food stamp program on November 1, 2013.
The lower income populations of Pennsylvania and New Jersey are two of many states that anticipate significant harm. In Pennsylvania, “roughly 175,00 households will lose an average of $65 a month,” which can be particularly devastating for the poor. A source quotes, “In New Jersey, an estimated 157,000 households will have their benefits cut.”
The Farm Bill legislation, signed by Obama, arrives surprisingly shortly after his recent declarations of action towards income inequality. It continues to subsidize large agricultural corporations at the expense of lower income individuals and will expect to provide difficulties for food stamp recipients over the course of the next decade.
– Jugal Patel
Sources: Philly, Huffington Post, ABC News, CNN, The Nation
Photo: RI Future
The Launch of the Philomena Project
The story of Philomena Lee, an Irish woman forced to give up her son for adoption over 50 years, was the inspiration for an Oscar-nominated film this year. The film, “Philomena,” stars Dame Judi Dench and depicts Lee’s search for her son that leads her to the United States.
On January 24, Lee launched the Philomena Project in Dublin, Ireland to campaign for the release of over 60,000 adoption files currently in the possession of the state, churches and private agencies. In Ireland, adoption was sometimes forced on unmarried mothers and neither child nor mother was given information on the identity or whereabouts of the other.
Lee was single and pregnant at the age of 18 and was sent to a home for unmarried mothers in Roscrea, Ireland run by the Catholic Church when Lee was forced into the adoption of her 3-year-old son, Anthony. When he was taken, she had no idea that he in fact had been sold by the abbey to an American couple.
Lee tried to get information about Anthony, but was not given any indication of where he was sent after his adoption. Anthony, in turn, went looking for his mother in Ireland many years later but was told by the abbey that his mother had left him.
Lee’s story brought attention to this reprehensible practice and after the film’s success, Lee joined forces with the Adoption Rights Alliance. Lee said that she and her daughter decided to found The Philomena Project after receiving such a large amount of responses to her story.
The Philomena Project seeks to get these previously withheld adoption files released, ones that prevent any mother and child who wish to be reunited from doing so.
Susan Lohan, co-founder of the Adoption Rights Alliance, has said Lee’s story has effectively “woken up many people to the crimes committed against thousands of unmarried mothers and their children under the guide of so-called legal adoption.”
Lohan has additionally vowed to end toleration of Ireland’s “deny ‘til we die” strategy and has named the state, private agencies and representatives of the Catholic Church as being in possession of information that people could use to find their natural families.
The Philomena Project hopes to have the Irish Government bring in legislation that would make the thousands of withheld files available to anyone who wants to find either their natural mother or child.
The backers of the Philomena Project have additionally asked the Catholic Church to cooperate with them and also plan on lobbying politicians in both Britain and the United States.
The project has also found support in Maeve O’Rourke, a lawyer from London, well-known for her campaigning for victims of Ireland’s Magdalene Laundries.
O’Rourke has said that “the right of a child to preserve her identity and family relations without unlawful interference is today recognized internationally, and without hesitation, as a basic human right.”
Lee has also expressed her “hope that this effort will help us find solutions that ensure every mother and child who wants to be reunited are able to come together once again.”
– Julie Guacci
Sources: BBC, The Irish Post
Photo: The Independent
The Choir that Empowers Orphans
Ugandan orphans sing their stories and hope for a brighter future.
The worshipers in Kent’s Hextable Church last Sunday were dazzled by the performance of the Watoto Children’s Choir. The Choir comprises of Ugandan children who have all lost their parents through war or disease and have been taken in by the Watoto Child Care Ministries.
The program was started in 1994 by Gary Skinner and his family, who had moved to Uganda 14 years earlier to build a church in Kampala, the country’s capitol. After meeting a 79-year-old widow who had lost her husband, lost six of her children to AIDS and who was now watching her last daughter die of the same disease, Skinner was compelled to start a program that would not only harbor orphans, but educate and support them as future leaders.
The Watoto model for raising these children includes physical care, medical intervention including HIV/AIDS treatment and trauma counseling, both a formal and technical education and spiritual guidance: “We exist to raise the next generation of African leaders, by pursuing excellence in academic and practical skills, integrity in conduct and moral values, so that each one becomes a responsible Christian and a productive citizen.”
The choir is comprised of 18 children and young adults who sing, dance and tell the audience about themselves and their experiences traveling with the choir. The group has been all over the world, performing in Uganda, Kenya, South Africa, Australasia, Germany, France, the United Kingdom and the United States, South America, Hong Kong, China and Japan. With four CDs out and a growing fan base, the group spreads awareness and generates funding for their fellows back in Uganda.
Jerry McQuay, a U.S. pastor who sponsored a performance from the group wrote, “The choir itself will steal your heart with their music, dance and stories, and when you hear the holistic approach that Gary and Marilyn Skinner are using, you’ll see how you can be a part of truly changing a nation.”
– Lydia Caswell
Sources: Watoto, This is Local London
Photo: Watoto
Sean Penn and Fellow Celebrities Help Haiti Home
Sean Penn is best known for portraying the cult character Spicoli in “Fast Times at Ridgemont High” as well as his Academy Award winning roles in “Mystic River” and “Milk.” Penn has also been known for his humanitarian efforts, and over the years, he has yet to slow down.
Recently, Penn hosted the Help Haiti Home Gala in Beverly Hills’ Montage Hotel, where he helped raise $6 million for his charity, the J/P Haitian Relief Organization. Celebrities in attendance included Julia Roberts, Gwyneth Paltrow, Chris Martin, Anderson Cooper, Chris Hemsworth, Goldie Hawn and rumored girlfriend Charlize Theron.
Founding the origination in 2010, Penn acts as the Chief Executive Office Chairman of the Board of the J/P Haitian Relief Organization where he has conducted the Help Haiti Home Gala for its third annual year. J/P Haitian Relief Organization primary focus includes striving for improved medial aid, protection, and re-location of internally displaced persons (IDP) across the globe. The J/P Haitian Relief Organization has organized many camp management sites for thousands of IDP’s across the Haiti region.
The Help Haiti Home Gala also included a surprise guest appearance by U2 which saw Bono and his fellow band members perform such songs as “Vertigo” and “Desire” for the first time in four years. There were a plethora of various donations which were auctioned at the gala including a $1.4 million sculpture made out of discarded firearms which was purchased by CNN news anchor Anderson Cooper. Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin also donated to the cause by outbidding Charlize Theron for a $650,000 Banksy art piece.
Penn was in high spirits following the event where he told People Magazine, “This town has been very supportive of me and, more importantly, what our organization is doing in Haiti. I got a lot of gratitude and no complaints.”
Since the inception of the J/P Haitian Relief Organization, Penn and company have built a tent city on a golf course which has served as a temporary home to nearly 60,000 people. Of those people, nearly 80 percent of them have successfully returned homed, a primary goal of the organization. Penn’s organization has also provided educational, health, community development, and other economic opportunities for many Haitian citizens and continues to do so today.
– Jeffrey Scott Haley
Feature Writer
Sources: Haitian Relief Organization, M Starz, Crowdrise
Photo: The Accidental Activist