Below is a list of four impassioned humanitarian leaders who are fighting to make the world a better place.
1. George Soros
George Soros has given billions of dollars over the years to humanitarian organizations. He is the financier and founder of the Open Society Foundation, an international foundation that promotes the expansion of human rights and democracy throughout the third world.
Founded in 1998, the group funds and has helped institute health and educational programs while also being driven to provide “greater fairness in political, legal and economic systems” throughout the world. The program touts initiatives such as the Burma Project, which promotes freedom of expression, as well as helping suppressed minority and political groups communicate their human right grievances in the political repressive nation of Burma.
The foundations has various programs throughout countless countries promoting freedom of expression and basic human rights.
2. Jon Hunstman
Jon Hunstman Sr. began his humanitarian activities after being diagnosed with prostate cancer in 1993. Founder of the successful Huntsman Corporation, his donations have accounted for billions of dollars. He founded the Hunstman Cancer institute, a non-profit research company that builds hospitals and develops new cancer fighting techniques.
The Hunstman Corporation regularly donates money to education institutions as well.
For example, the foundation donated 26 million dollars to Utah State University to help expand the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business. They donated another 2 million dollars to enact the Hunstman Awards for Excellence in Education that reward exceptional school teachers and volunteers.
The foundation believes a strong domestic educational system will help enact significant positive change in America.
3. Tegla Laroupe
Female Kenyan runner Tegla Laroupe came to prominence in 2003 after winning 2 interntional half-marathons, attaining multiple world marathon records, and countless other titles. After retiring from marathon running, she devoted all her time to affect change in devastated communities throughout the world.
In 2003, she established the Tegla Lorupe Peace Foundation, an organization based around helping housing projects and educating children orphaned by political violence. The foundation has built schools throughout Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda and Southern Sudan.
The organization raises money through various programs, such as the Peace Races. The Moroto-Uganda Peace Race was held in the Moroto district of Uganda and helped raise money for orphaned children in the volatile region plagued by an unstable political situation and “banditry.”
4. Bill Gates
Bill Gates, founder of computer software powerhouse Microsoft, has spent his days of retirement giving back. He founded the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which spends most of their efforts fighting poverty and health risks such as malaria. The organization tackles grave crises through 4 major program initiatives.
The Global Development Division deals with food insecurity throughout impoverished communities, as well as sanitation and housing. The Global Health Division, furthermore, promotes technological and scientific studies such as vaccines and medical treatments throughout the developing world.
Their foundation also tackles domestic issues through the United States Division through supporting higher level education and high school.
The Global Policy & Advocacy Division is, in fact, the strategic portion of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which works to help advance their policies through national and international frameworks.
– Joseph Abay
Sources: Open Society Foundations (OSF), Huntsman Corporation, Tegla Loroupe Peace Foundation, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
Photo: Channels
Prison and Poverty
Researchers attribute some of the large increases in prison populations to longer mandatory sentencing. Going hand in hand with longer sentencing is the fact that the incarcerated population is disproportionately concentrated among young minority men with very low levels of education. For instance, black men experience 20% longer prison sentences than white men for similar crimes.
When people are in their twenties and are locked up for 10 to 15 years, they not only adapt to the extreme culture of prison, but when they exit, they will find it hard to assimilate into normal society. Moreover, the slim job prospects many people faced before going into jail are worsened upon release.
Sociologists have found that once one takes into account the various socioeconomic factors, incarceration typically reduces annual earnings by 40% for the former average male prisoner. This does not include wages lost while behind bars or the burdens endured by the prisoner’s family and community during the stint.
Prison has such a debilitating impact on the U.S. that taxpayers end up spending over $50 billion annually on maintaining the system of incarceration. Without the significant incarceration efforts made by the U.S. government, researchers calculate that the nation’s poverty rate would be 20% below the current level, equaling to roughly 9 million people who would be less reliant on subsidies and assistance programs. These same people would add to the tax base and make up potential consumers of American products.
Furthermore, slightly under half of federal prisoners are in jail for drug crimes and nearly half of all prisoners in state prisons are there for non-violent offenses. As a result, the Obama administration has recognized the moral and economic need to curb prison populations. In 2013, Attorney General Eric Holder Jr. announced policies that would increase the use of drug-treatment programs as alternatives to incarceration while expanding another program which releases inmates who committed non-violent crimes and have served significant portions of their sentences.
The experiment of mass incarceration in the name of public safety has been a clear detriment to American society. Rather than throw away money and effort to a system that perpetuates unemployment, poor health, family instability and other conditions of poverty, the U.S. must focus on social policies that improve opportunities for those on the lower pegs of the socioeconomic ladder.
– Sunny Bhatt
Sources: New York Times, National Public Radio, Bureau of Justice Statistics
Photo: Barnard.edu
World Bank Criticized for its 2009 Honduran Loan
Violence in the Bajo Aguán Valley threatens the lives and economic security of Honduran farmers. Corporación Dinant faces accusations of murder, kidnapping and forced eviction of farmers in this previous epicenter of local agriculture. The palm oil and food company reportedly forces farmers from the land to expand its plantations.
The International Finance Corporation (IFC) functions as a private lending arm of the World Bank. It granted a corporate loan to Corporación Dinant. An ombudsman for the World Bank released a inflammatory review of the private-sector loan.
The IFC reportedly failed to comply with its loan requirements when it approved the 2009 loan to Corporación Dinant. This loan intended to build on its current production capacity and distribution network. Though this business venture totaled an estimated $75 million, the IFC proposed investing a $30 million loan.
The World Bank ombudsman alleged the following in his review of this IFC loan:
As of 2009, nearly 100 people had died from the escalating violence in Bajo Aguán. Juan Almendarez, director of Friends of the Earth Honduras, requested an audit of Dinant. The company released a statement this Friday, refuted the “unfounded comments” in the World Bank report.
This battle for land occurs worldwide. To the farmers and activists of this region, this conflict should force the World Bank to revaluate its ability to practice ethically in politically unstable and corrupt nations.
– Ellery Spahr
Sources: Boise Weekly, New York Times
Photo: New York Times
Corruption Stifles Aid in Malawi
In the wake of the recent corruption scandal known as “Cashgate,” the British Department for International Development (DfID) has frozen aid to Malawi. Experts on foreign aid are concerned the freeze might prove catastrophic for both the health and education sectors in the small country.
In November 2013, it was discovered that governmental officials in Malawi had taken aid dollars for themselves to the tune of $250 million. After the failed assassination, Budget Director Paul Mphwiyo—who was thought to be a whistle blower—and the region’s police force found money stashed in the homes of several members of the government.
Nations responsible for supplying Malawi with foreign aid promptly suspended all funds that had gone to support the Malawian government directly. Additionally, The Guardian reports “the DfID went a step further” by freezing funds that affect healthcare and education.
Malawi receives nearly half of its budget from foreign sources, meaning that its people will soon be without essential services, experts warn. To make matters worse, the United Kingdom is the largest donor to Malawi.
The breakdown, however, illustrates a difficult challenge for all donor nations, not just the U.K. For example, amid rampant and violent corruption it is difficult to rationalize making contributions to a developing nation. Likewise, pulling the plug on necessary programs creates internal instability and hardship for the people who rely on those donations.
Most Malawians survive through subsistence farming, and nearly three-quarters live on $1.25 per day or less.
Malawi is now making attempts to be more transparent with donor money, and is trying, yet again, to inspire donor confidence. However, this latest breach of trust was, for the DflD, a point of no return.
The head of the Malawi branch of the DflD, Sarah Sanyahumbi, was quoted as saying, “This is not business as usual. As far as we are concerned, the line has been crossed, so once the line has been crossed you cannot go back to what you had before.”
For many of Malawi’s most vulnerable, this is unfortunate news. The future for the young and ill in Malawi remains unclear as of yet. However, it seems unlikely it will be good without a new agreement between nations.
– Chase Colton
Sources: The Guardian, International Business Times, The Borgen Project
Photo: Mideast Posts
Why the GHIC Should be on Your Calendar
On April 12, students, professionals and policy makers will come together for the Global Health and Innovation Conference (GHIC). Taking place on campus at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, the conference will discuss methods and means of global healthcare development.
Topics to be addressed at GHIC range from the Key Note Address “Reducing Toxins to Protect Health: A Global Concern” to business innovations in healthcare delivery to student-researched projects about environmental sustainability. By casting such a wide net of current and prospective advocates and leaders, the conference truly offers a diverse range of perspectives and solutions.
The conference is, furthermore, sponsored annually by Unite for Sight. Unite for Sight is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing quality eye care for those who are prevented access to such care. The organization has helped over 1.7 million patients and performed 66,000 sight-restoring operations worldwide. As such a dynamic agency for global healthcare, Unite for Sight has hosted the GHIC for the past 11 years.
Past reviews of the conference are overwhelmingly positive. CNN has called the Global Health and Innovation Conference a “Meeting of Minds,” and as speakers vary from CEOs to undergraduate students, such a convergence seems apt. The Consortium of Universities for Global Health has even dubbed the conference a “must attend” event. With such strong praise, it is no wonder the conference is now officially the largest global health conference in the world.
There is something intriguing and engaging for all global health advocates at the conference. Exhibitions by graduate programs in Public Health and International Affairs, such as Brandeis University’s Keller School of Social Policy and Management, offer wonderful opportunities to learn more about making global development into a professional goal. Interactive workshops in sustainable architecture and global health writing are also sure to be great draws.
– Taylor Diamond
Sources: Unite for Sight, Consortium of Universities for Global Health
Photo: Pragzter
4 Impassioned Humanitarian Leaders
Below is a list of four impassioned humanitarian leaders who are fighting to make the world a better place.
1. George Soros
George Soros has given billions of dollars over the years to humanitarian organizations. He is the financier and founder of the Open Society Foundation, an international foundation that promotes the expansion of human rights and democracy throughout the third world.
Founded in 1998, the group funds and has helped institute health and educational programs while also being driven to provide “greater fairness in political, legal and economic systems” throughout the world. The program touts initiatives such as the Burma Project, which promotes freedom of expression, as well as helping suppressed minority and political groups communicate their human right grievances in the political repressive nation of Burma.
The foundations has various programs throughout countless countries promoting freedom of expression and basic human rights.
2. Jon Hunstman
Jon Hunstman Sr. began his humanitarian activities after being diagnosed with prostate cancer in 1993. Founder of the successful Huntsman Corporation, his donations have accounted for billions of dollars. He founded the Hunstman Cancer institute, a non-profit research company that builds hospitals and develops new cancer fighting techniques.
The Hunstman Corporation regularly donates money to education institutions as well.
For example, the foundation donated 26 million dollars to Utah State University to help expand the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business. They donated another 2 million dollars to enact the Hunstman Awards for Excellence in Education that reward exceptional school teachers and volunteers.
The foundation believes a strong domestic educational system will help enact significant positive change in America.
3. Tegla Laroupe
Female Kenyan runner Tegla Laroupe came to prominence in 2003 after winning 2 interntional half-marathons, attaining multiple world marathon records, and countless other titles. After retiring from marathon running, she devoted all her time to affect change in devastated communities throughout the world.
In 2003, she established the Tegla Lorupe Peace Foundation, an organization based around helping housing projects and educating children orphaned by political violence. The foundation has built schools throughout Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda and Southern Sudan.
The organization raises money through various programs, such as the Peace Races. The Moroto-Uganda Peace Race was held in the Moroto district of Uganda and helped raise money for orphaned children in the volatile region plagued by an unstable political situation and “banditry.”
4. Bill Gates
Bill Gates, founder of computer software powerhouse Microsoft, has spent his days of retirement giving back. He founded the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which spends most of their efforts fighting poverty and health risks such as malaria. The organization tackles grave crises through 4 major program initiatives.
The Global Development Division deals with food insecurity throughout impoverished communities, as well as sanitation and housing. The Global Health Division, furthermore, promotes technological and scientific studies such as vaccines and medical treatments throughout the developing world.
Their foundation also tackles domestic issues through the United States Division through supporting higher level education and high school.
The Global Policy & Advocacy Division is, in fact, the strategic portion of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which works to help advance their policies through national and international frameworks.
– Joseph Abay
Sources: Open Society Foundations (OSF), Huntsman Corporation, Tegla Loroupe Peace Foundation, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
Photo: Channels
Seattle Nonprofit Internships at The Borgen Project
Are you looking for an internship that will give meaning to your life? Do you want to contribute to the reduction of poverty on a global scale? There are 9 different nonprofit internships in Seattle at The Borgen Project, each with its own set of responsibilities and functions. Let us begin by briefly reviewing the available positions:
Web Developer Internship
This position serves as the “go-to” for implementing new features for the Borgen Project website. Responsibilities will include trouble-shooting website issues as they arise, developing and implementing tools for improving the website, working with plugins, develop and implement SEO tools and taking on various challenges as needed.
Political Internship
This position requires that one recruits political volunteers in targeted United States congressional districts and post volunteer openings to key groups and sites, represents The Borgen Project at events and takes on various tasks as needed.
Graphic Design Internship
The graphic designer will create visuals for the website, create infographics that communicate key stats and factoids, update and assist with design of internal and external sites, and create signs, T-Shirts, and posters.
Public Relations/Marketing Internship
This position requires that one edits content for the blog and magazine site, manages PR and media campaigns, utilizes and coordinates social media strategy and takes on assignments as they arise.
Human Resources Internship
This intern will review resumes and schedule interviews with top candidates, interview and screen applicants, and post volunteer openings on various sites.
Development and Fundraising Internship
This position focuses on identifying potential donors and seeking their support. Intern will search and research potential donars and foundations to indentify and evaluate potential funding sources, generate new ideas and business opportunities to increase fundraising and fund development to meet and exceed revenue goals, and represent The Borgen Project at community meetings, outreach events and other community settings.
Donor Relations & Communications Internship
This position focuses on processing donors and communicating with donors. Intern will track and process donations, manage all communications with donors including Thank you letters and solicitations and represent The Borgen Project at community meetings, outreach events and other community settings.
Recruiter Internship
This intern is responsible for increasing the number of volunteer applicants the organization receives nationally by positing volunteer openings on key sites, research groups and organizations to reach out to, email job descriptions to potential partners, and interview and screen applicants.
Editor
The Editor is responsible for reviewing and editing articles submitted by The Borgen Project’s national team of writers while working with the writers to improve their articles and coordinating with the Content Team Manager to address any issues.
All nonprofit internships in Seattle at The Borgen Project require 360-hours.
– Sunny Bhatt
Why the U.S. Doesn’t Pull All Troops from Afghanistan
By the end of 2014, the United States is expected to have all of its troops withdrawn from Afghanistan after 13 years of occupation. Public opinion in the U.S. heavily favors troops leaving Afghanistan before the proposed deadline. A majority of Americans now believe that the initial occupation of Afghanistan in 2001 was a mistake.
U.S. President Barack Obama’s administration has stressed the importance of pulling out of Afghanistan for years, but now Obama is trying to land a deal with the Afghan Government that will allow several thousand military personnel, Special Forces troops, and CIA members to stay in the country through 2024. Why would the U.S. effectively ‘end the occupation of Afghanistan’ while leaving behind thousands of workers for the next 10 years? There are two possible explanations that could explain why the U.S. is opting to remain in the region and not just let the Afghan government completely take over.
First, the U.S. government fears that if they leave Afghanistan in the same way they left Iraq, the country could lose ground to al-Qaeda. The Iraqi government has already lost two cities that were considered major wins for the U.S. troops during the fighting in 2004, Fallujah and Ramadi. The U.S. pulled out of Iraq before reaching an agreement between both governments that was similar to what they are working on in Afghanistan. Not securing an agreement meant the U.S. had no control over the political development in Iraq. Al-Qaeda and groups affiliated with al-Qaeda have since begun gaining more ground in the western Anbar province.
Another reason that could be compelling the U.S. to maintain a presence in the region is because the only Middle Eastern Pentagon base is in Afghanistan. Afghanistan is a strategic geopolitical asset for the U.S. It borders Iran, China and Pakistan, so it sits in the center of an area of the world that the U.S has many vested interests. Maintaining top officials in the country can help influence U.S. interests throughout the region.
If the U.S. does not pull all of their officials from the region, there is a possibility of continuing a smaller scale occupation until 2024. On the other hand, if the U.S. completely leaves and al-Qaeda and other military groups regain control of the region, more problems could be created for the U.S. and for citizens of Afghanistan.
– Colleen Eckvahl
Sources: The Telegraph, Global Research
Photo: The Telegraph
13 Quick Facts about the UN
“We the Peoples of the United Nations determined to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of the men and women and of nations large and small,” the UN Charter.
Over 60 years ago an organization with a mission to bring peace to the world was born. Rightfully called the United Nations, this organization started with just a handful of nations, though now well over one hundred countries have signed up to accept the pledge of peace.
Here are some quick facts about the UN, present and past:
– Amy Robinson
Sources: Wikipedia, Fun Trivia, United Nations, UNFPA
Photo: Flickr
U.S. Launches Internal Investigation into Drone Strike
The United States government is launching an internal investigation into a December 12 drone strike in Yemen. The drone strike was meant for an al-Qaeda militant, but ended up hitting a wedding party, killing 12 civilians and leaving more injured. A local journalist soon after took images of the strike and turned them over to a human rights organization working in Yemen called Reprieve. That group then turned it over to NBC News, the resulting actions allowed many to say that the U.S. ‘turned a wedding into a funeral.’
The U.S. released a statement acknowledging the attack while also stating that officials are now reviewing what happened. This is one of the few times the U.S. government has mentioned or confirmed that a drone strike is being questioned. A U.S. official, after declining to give any sort of identification, stated that, “Given the claims of civilian causalities, we are reviewing it.”
Some are calling this a ‘wake up call’ that highlights the problems with the U.S. drone campaign. There are even reports that the target of the strike Shawqui Ali Ahmed al Badani, a mid-level militant, ended up escaping the attack. Others on the ground in Yemen said that Badani wasn’t even present at the time. Baraa Shiban, a human rights activist who was in the area at the time, said that he had not heard any reports that Badani was in the area. He explained that, “Badani was from a different region so he would have been a stranger in the region.” He, furthermore, added that he believes that the US acted on incorrect intelligence.
This drone strike has, moreover, garnered a strong reaction against the U.S. within Yemen. To illustrate this, the Yemen parliament passed a resolution that called for an end for all drone strikes in Yemen shortly after the wedding day drone strike. Official numbers provided by the U.S. government claim that they have carried out 59-69 drone strikes in Yemen, resulting in between 287-423 deaths, both civilian and militant. Though more strikes are suspected to have been carried out by the U.S., they have not been officially confirmed.
– Colleen Eckvahl
Sources: NBC, RT
Sources: Reprieve
Why Do We Ignore Global Poverty?
“Poverty in Africa,” “more than 500 million people live on less than $2 per day,” and “ every three seconds a child dies.” These messages appear every day across the globe on television and social media but they attract little to no attention from the viewers.
One common excuse that might make this so, is that viewers may assume they cannot make a difference because of their social status or income levels. Even when people do not have a high social status, there are opportunities where they are still able to make a difference by influencing Congress.
Money is a major factor in reducing global poverty but it is not everything.
Others can even save their unused clothes or contribute a tiny portion of their income. With the exchange rate between United States currency and developing currency, every dollar helps.
Another common reason may not consider global poverty to be their problem. This concept is known as “Not In My Backyard” thinking. Since it may seem that global poverty does not affect people in developed countries directly, they are more likely to ignore the problem. However, global poverty indirectly affects people in developed countries.
When people are living in poverty, they have less access to education and limited livelihood options lending them to be prone to and easily convinced to join threatening groups such as terrorism, which is an international issue-a concern for developed countries.
In addition, farmers in developing countries lack proper knowledge or access to advanced farming equipment. The food supply has a high risk of being unhealthy and contains many toxic chemicals. The lack of health care in poverty regions can increase the risk of dangerous diseases spreading through other parts of the world.
Another possible excuse is that global poverty will disappear on its own. This perception is extremely misdirected. Global poverty, just like any other problem, will not disappear if nobody takes action to eradicate it. If no action is taken, global poverty will only going to get bigger and eventually reach its hand to developed countries.
The last and biggest problem is people assume global poverty is not a current issue because it would take a long time to erase global poverty. Even though it is true that global poverty is not going to disappear overnight, to speed up the process, help is always needed. The more help global poverty gets, the faster the world will eradicate it.
– Phong Pham
Sources: Productive Flourishing, Dear Bono, Global Issues
Photo: Tandem Post