With cameras and bravery as their primary tools, photojournalists risk their lives to raise awareness about global suffering, far removed from the headquarters of organizations that award them for their efforts.
Lynsey Addario, a Pulitzer Prize-winning American photojournalist, has dedicated her life to covering conflict, war, and poverty around the world.
Featured in The National Geographic Society’s “Women of Vision” exhibition, Addario is one of 11 female photographers that have been selected to showcase the female version of “National Geographic storytelling.”
Addario has been kidnapped on two separate occasions whilst covering war-torn places – the first of which was in Iraq in 2004, and the second in Libya in 2011.
According to an article co-written by Addario, she and three male journalists were kidnapped in 2011. Addario’s first comment to her colleagues during the ambush that initiated their six-day long ordeal was, “God, I just don’t want to be raped.”
Gender did not stop the soldiers from beating Addario.
These experiences and acknowledgement of gender vulnerability are evident in the photographic collections available on Addario’s website. They range from documenting breast cancer in Uganda, to rape in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the refugees of Syria.
Each photograph is captioned with the names and stories of each subject, highlighting humanity amongst chaos in poverty and conflict-ravaged locations.
Within the patriarchal societies in which she has worked, Addario believes her gender has allowed her access to places and people that her male counterparts would be denied.
The motivation that drives Addario’s work is the importance of telling these stories of suffering to the American public, as well as the daily life that continues against the backdrop of conflict.
With a similar objective, Hazel Thompson, an award-winning British photojournalist, immersed herself in the red-light district of Mumbai for 11 years to produce “Taken.”
“Taken” is an e-book and photo documentary that Thompson hopes will address what she describes as an “emergency” on the streets of India, Nepal, and Bangladesh.
By capturing the daily impact of sex-trafficking on young women and children, Thompson has created “a body of evidence” that cannot be denied or ignored by policy makers who, according to Thompson, have historically taken an apathetic approach to the problem.
“Taken” is also an educational opportunity and a prevention tool that Thompson is working to share with children living in poor villages, who are often targeted by sex-traffickers.
The profits from the project are donated to the Taken Campaign for Bombay Teen Challenge, an organization dedicated to the rescue and rehabilitation of the victims of Mumbai’s sex industry.
“Women of Vision” can be seen at The National Geographic Museum in Washington, D.C. October 10, 2013 – March 9, 2014.
The exhibition will go on to be featured at various venues across the U.S. until 2017.
“Taken” by Hazel Thompson is available on ibooks.
– Zoë Dean
Sources: PBS, New York Times, Lynsey Addario, Women News Network, Hazel Thompson
Photo: MacArthur Foundation
11 Essential Steps for Raising Poverty Awareness
1. Stop Fantasizing
Determined to start the greatest advocacy movement in your city? That’s great! But make sure your plans aren’t entirely in your head. Make sure to get them down on paper and keep a realistic idea of an outcome.
2. Start committing
Remember, fundraisers don’t run themselves. They require a good deal of time and energy to carry out. If you don’t think you can do it on your own, get others involved.
3. Start talking
Be active. Talk to members of the community. People only give to causes they know about. Inform the local media of your plans.
4. Visualize the process, not the outcome
Fundraisers take a lot of planning and it’s easy to become overwhelmed. Take it step by step. As you get closer to the end, let the overall goal give you the motivation to push through.
5. Avoid the slip-up effect
Everyone makes mistakes or slip ups. When something doesn’t go as planned, don’t give up. Take a break, reevaluate the situation and return to it when you’re ready.
6. Avoid procrastination
Be proactive. Don’t quit before you even begin. Make sure to set self-deadlines to avoid becoming tired and overwhelmed.
7. Shift your focus when needed
If the big picture causes feelings of dread and panic, calm down. Focus on the small steps and take it one task at a time. If you are trying to raise funds, shift the focus from the amount of money needed from donors. Instead, highlight the items and services that will be provided through donations.
8. Be yourself
Don’t become so wrapped up in your cause that you forget yourself and run on auto-pilot, constantly spitting out facts and numbers. Let others see your passion.
9. Keep the end goal in mind
You plan to raise $3,000 for an orphan in South America, but you’re becoming stressed on the minor points, like reserving a booth, finding tablecloths, baking cupcakes, etc. Take a breath and remember your reason for all the madness – to make a little girl happy.
10. Know when to stop
Have a solid plan to get people involved, but it falls short once you’re in public? Know when to take a break. Return to the drawing board. Trying to persuade a certain individual to give, but they have an argument for every fact? Take some time and come back later to discuss your cause from another viewpoint.
11. Have contingency plans
It is important to know the different possible outcomes of your fundraiser/awareness campaign. You could raise way more than you ever hoped to or you can raise $10. Be prepared. Have backup plans set in place and remember to practice responses for a variety of situations to avoid surprises.
– Jasmine D. Smith
Sources: Psy Blog, Poverty Living
Hidden Cost of Energy: Fuel Subsidies
Nobody wants to pay more for gas.
Fossil fuels account for the vast majority of energy production, and, as non-renewable resources, the price has steadily increased for energy as supply dwindles and demand has surged. Throughout most of the world, especially the richest nations, the true cost of energy is not seen due to a wide array of fuel subsidies and energy “support.”
There is not much agreement on what exactly constitutes a fuel subsidy but, all seem to agree that a lot of money is being spent on supporting various energy industries by artificially reducing the direct cost of production and consumption. So, while many tactics are employed in reducing energy costs, very few countries accurately report what they spend. Further, assessing the fiscal damage to the environment as well as the lack of funds generated by not imposing taxes (such as those on carbon emissions) become even trickier to estimate.
The International Monetary Fund estimates global fuel subsidies at 1.9 trillion USD, or 8 percent of all governments’ revenue. These estimates are extremely conservative, though, considering the dollar amount they use for the social cost of carbon, $25 per ton, is less than a third of what the UK and independent analysts have found. Also, the estimate does not include the vast majority of energy producer subsidies, only looking at consumer subsidies for oil and coal.
The impact of fuel subsidies is far-ranging. Pre-tax subsidies, or those that are direct cost reductions from the government to consumers, come at a global cost of 480 billion USD according to IMF’s report on 2011’s data. These are funds that are being deprived from social programs for urgencies such as roads, water distribution and poverty alleviation.
Subsidies are often unequally distributed. In developing countries, the IMF found the top fifth of societies in household income reap six times the subsidies of anyone else. The cost of these subsidies is offset by increased prices of other goods and services –resulting in a 6 percent decrease in income for every $0.25 cost decrease per liter.
Artificially increasing demand and consumption for fossil fuels reduces investment and growth in alternative fuel sources as much as the growth of many other markets — especially, exports.
Though developing countries appear to receive the most negative impact, developed nations such as the US and Russia spend the most through post-tax subsidies. Estimates on US subsidies range from $10 billion to $52 billion and do not include any of the associated health or environmental costs.
So, what can be done?
Various countries have successfully phased out tax reduction programs in the coal industry such as Poland, Germany and most developed nations do not offer pre-tax subsidies. Unfortunately, little progress has been made on oil subsidies, which account for over 2/3 of the total. Developed countries will have to continue to lead the charge in reforming these harmful economic policies. Transparency to the accurate amounts of what is actually being spent and to whom the money is going to may very well be the first step toward achieving more effective means of viable economic stability and sustainable progress in the use of depleting resources.
– Tyson Watkins
Sources: IMF, IEA, Oil Change International, Grist, BBC News, Climate Progress
Photo: Giphy.com
Recompense for the Mau Mau Rebellion in Kenya
An estimated 5,000 Kenyans will receive $4,000 in remunerations from the British government as victims of the Mau Mau Rebellion in the 1950s.
Around 90,000 Kenyans were detained and tortured during British colonial occupation. Only the living survivors of the Mau Mau rebellion are eligible for receiving the financial apology.
In addition to the British recompense, the U.K. will also construct a memorial honoring the victims in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi.
Up until 2003, Mau Mau veterans were not allowed to address grievances regarding the atrocities they underwent during the rebellion. The Kenyan Human Rights Commission organized the Mau Mau Veterans Association, which fought to gain recognition of the atrocities.
Hiring the UK-based firm, Leigh Day, five individuals of the Veterans Association won a case against the British government and settled with $21 million.
The British government initially claimed that the Veterans Association’s claims were not eligible since the aforementioned atrocities were dealt during colonial times.
Other claims will not be so successful due to legal costs and not enough insurmountable evidence — many colonial files and records were destroyed during the ending period of the British Empire.
Kenya was partitioned by European powers along with the rest of East Africa during the 1885 Berlin Conference. The British entered Kenya in the early 1900s. Without political clout and claims to their own land, a guerilla group called the Mau Mau led an uprising.
Between 1952-1960, a State of Emergency was proclaimed by the British colonists due to an increase in the attack on their people and “property.” Soon the wider Kenyan population became embroiled in the conflict and was sent to detention camps wherein general torture — the castration of two men and sexual assault against women — ensued.
An op-ed criticizes the British government for not doing more to address grievances of the Mau Mau veterans. The postcolonial administration saw the entrance of colonists’ children in high governmental positions—often well-educated in comparison to many Kenyans living in poverty. The author posits that the British government should provide scholarships and higher education opportunities to Mau Mau veteran families.
Whether the British government has or has not done enough to recognize its past atrocities, it is nevertheless a step in acknowledging that the human dignity of many individuals were wrongfully disregarded during Kenya’s colonial history.
– Miles Abadilla
Sources: BBC, Daily Mail, The Economist, The International
Photo: Giphy.com
Global Poverty Threat to U.S. National Security
The volatile national security climate resonating throughout the United States is fickle, and at times hostile. Political partisanship clamors and clashes against the tide of uncertainty – an uncertainty that resides deep within the veins of the American people.
In the midst of this madness, where should efforts of national security be focused? Global poverty remains rampant and begs the question: does the cure for our own security begin with aiding in the security of others? According to the Pentagon’s “3Ds” highlighted by the Borgen Project – Defense, Development and Diplomacy – it is in the best interests of U.S. national security to focus energy on combating global poverty.
Vincent Ferraro, professor of international politics at Mount Holyoke College, spoke candidly on this issue in his publication, “Globalizing Weakness: Is Global Poverty a Threat to the Interests of States?”
“While there is no necessary trade-off between economic growth and environmental protection in the long run, a poor state needs significant outside resources to realize both objectives simultaneously,” Ferraro stated. “This situation will only worsen over time, as poorer and more populated states become more integrated into the global economy and adopt the industrial techniques of the richer states.”
The United States is an essential part to a whole interconnected entity. This is referred to simply as the international economic system. The dichotomy between poor and rich nations is linked to, but not directly responsible for, national security issues such as global terrorism.
Combating poverty may be the first step to begin building a more unified global network of national security, beginning with a more powerful nation such as the United States.
The Global Poverty Project quotes the National Security Strategy to describe the cost of this dichotomy: “America is now threatened less by conquering states than failing ones.”
Military personnel and international intelligence cooperation agrees that although combating global poverty may not be the outright solution to violent conflict, it can be a method by which to better utilize global diplomatic unity.
According to the Borgen Project, “84% of military officers said that strengthening non-military tools, such as diplomacy and development efforts, should be at least equal to strengthening military efforts.”
Global poverty is the antithesis to worldwide security and peace, specifically when rich and poorer nation-states are unfairly divided economically without a reasonable process of growth.
The Global Poverty Project encapsulated this idea in stating, “Violent conflict is development in reverse. It destroys societies and is a shortcut to extreme poverty.”
The ongoing concern of national security is not only a diplomatic issue but also a vulnerable look into the realm of the human condition. Perhaps it is in the providing basic necessities to those less fortunate where feeling safe can once again become a social truth.
– Lance Moore
Sources: ECSP, Borgen Project, State Department, Global Poverty Project
Photo: The Daily Mail
Top 5 Cities for Development Expansion
In recent years, development organizations have sprung up and taken off swiftly around the globe. Headquarters hot spots dot the map from Southeast Asia to Northern Africa, from Latin America to the Middle East.
It is critical for these growing organizations to establish networks in environments suitable for development expansion; it is an investment that involves careful consideration and strategic planning. As an aid, experts at Devex compiled a list of the top 5 best cities for development organizations to consider. Taking factors such as location, demographics, resources and political environment into account, the top cities are as follows:
1. Bangkok, Thailand – Bangkok’s strategic location in the heart of Southeast Asia makes it a prime site for development networks. Home to the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, the capital is already a nucleus for development efforts. Devex experts note that expected economic growth in the area means the city “will be even more of a regional hub” in the future. Furthermore, Thailand boasts a lower cost of living than neighboring countries and tops the World Bank’s list of easiest countries to do business in for East Asia and the Pacific.
2. Bogota, Colombia – Another high-ranked country for ease of doing business by the World Bank, Colombia is a growing site for both private sector companies and development organizations. The Latin American capital possesses a young and skilled labor force due to the prevalence of universities and libraries. USAID Mission Director for Colombia Peter Natiello praises the city’s potential, claiming “Bogota allows USAID to build partnerships we need to achieve greater impact…with the private sector, NGOs, government institutions, and academia.”
3. Nairobi, Kenya – Africa as a whole is in the middle of a surge of financial and technological growth, with Nairobi at the center. The Kenyan capital is home to more than 100 major international organizations, including the UK Department for International Development and UN Environment Program. Business analyst Naomy Wanga cites “communications technology, business development services, and the availability of both expertise and business opportunities” as major factors contributing to development success in Nairobi.
4. Amman, Jordan – Despite political tumult in the region, Amman boasts a relatively secure environment; the World Bank ranks it the least corrupt among low and middle-income countries in the Middle East. Jordan follows an open-border policy and grants myriad public health and education services to the country’s more than 500,000 refugees. Furthermore, Amman has a young workforce and improving status in health and education.
5. New Delhi, India – As both the world’s largest democracy and fourth-largest economy, India is a hot spot for growing development organizations. New Delhi boasts a strong NGO community. In addition, the capital city is home to several UN regional offices and more than 140 foreign embassies and commissions focused on overcoming development challenges throughout India and South Asia. Though the South Asian region as a whole is struggling to reach several Millennium Development Goals, New Delhi shows potential for growth; the metropolis features an educated work force with strong English-speaking skills.
Each of these cities offers a unique package to expanding development organizations and demands serious consideration. Other cities Devex experts recommend include Manila, Philippines; Addis Adaba, Ethiopia; Dakar, Senegal; Dhaka, Bangladesh; and Yangon, Myanmar.
– Mallory Thayer
Sources: Devex, World Bank
Photo: Wikipedia
Women and Photojournalism: Lynsey Addario
With cameras and bravery as their primary tools, photojournalists risk their lives to raise awareness about global suffering, far removed from the headquarters of organizations that award them for their efforts.
Lynsey Addario, a Pulitzer Prize-winning American photojournalist, has dedicated her life to covering conflict, war, and poverty around the world.
Featured in The National Geographic Society’s “Women of Vision” exhibition, Addario is one of 11 female photographers that have been selected to showcase the female version of “National Geographic storytelling.”
Addario has been kidnapped on two separate occasions whilst covering war-torn places – the first of which was in Iraq in 2004, and the second in Libya in 2011.
According to an article co-written by Addario, she and three male journalists were kidnapped in 2011. Addario’s first comment to her colleagues during the ambush that initiated their six-day long ordeal was, “God, I just don’t want to be raped.”
Gender did not stop the soldiers from beating Addario.
These experiences and acknowledgement of gender vulnerability are evident in the photographic collections available on Addario’s website. They range from documenting breast cancer in Uganda, to rape in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the refugees of Syria.
Each photograph is captioned with the names and stories of each subject, highlighting humanity amongst chaos in poverty and conflict-ravaged locations.
Within the patriarchal societies in which she has worked, Addario believes her gender has allowed her access to places and people that her male counterparts would be denied.
The motivation that drives Addario’s work is the importance of telling these stories of suffering to the American public, as well as the daily life that continues against the backdrop of conflict.
With a similar objective, Hazel Thompson, an award-winning British photojournalist, immersed herself in the red-light district of Mumbai for 11 years to produce “Taken.”
“Taken” is an e-book and photo documentary that Thompson hopes will address what she describes as an “emergency” on the streets of India, Nepal, and Bangladesh.
By capturing the daily impact of sex-trafficking on young women and children, Thompson has created “a body of evidence” that cannot be denied or ignored by policy makers who, according to Thompson, have historically taken an apathetic approach to the problem.
“Taken” is also an educational opportunity and a prevention tool that Thompson is working to share with children living in poor villages, who are often targeted by sex-traffickers.
The profits from the project are donated to the Taken Campaign for Bombay Teen Challenge, an organization dedicated to the rescue and rehabilitation of the victims of Mumbai’s sex industry.
“Women of Vision” can be seen at The National Geographic Museum in Washington, D.C. October 10, 2013 – March 9, 2014.
The exhibition will go on to be featured at various venues across the U.S. until 2017.
“Taken” by Hazel Thompson is available on ibooks.
– Zoë Dean
Sources: PBS, New York Times, Lynsey Addario, Women News Network, Hazel Thompson
Photo: MacArthur Foundation
Google’s Project Link to Connect in Uganda
Google is joining the quest to bring parts of the developing world that are not yet online up to speed, and the parts that are, to a much faster speed. Google’s Project Link initiative will build fiber-optic networks to assist in connecting the last few billion people around the world to the internet.
Three million residents in and around Kampala, the capital of Uganda, will be the first to experience Project Link.
The country’s president, Yoweri Museveni, has publically shown disinterest toward developing technology. However, in the case of Uganda, the initiative is predicted to enhance the services of pre-existing providers, rather than create new ones.
According to Google, the city currently has what is described as “pre-broadband” speed, and “unreliable connections.”
Kai Wulff, Google’s Access Field Director, took to the company’s blog to explain how Project Link will strengthen the supply chain between undersea cables that deliver data to Africa and internet service providers.
Testimonials from Kampala residents, featured in a Project Link promotional video, cite the initiative as the way to encourage development, trade possibilities, and improve education. They describe it as being more than just a tool with which to grow business, but also as a vision of prosperity for Uganda.
Project Link is being compared to Facebook CEO, Mark Zuckerberg’s Internet.org initiative – another attempt to bring the developing world online.
Both Facebook and Google run the risk of appearing exploitative of new markets and ultimately pursuing profits under the guise of philanthropy. A possibility that does not seem far-fetched, considering only 16% of Africa’s population currently has Internet access.
However, the general consensus at the recent Transform Africa Summit, suggests that corporate motivations are not the primary concern for those invested in Africa’s development.
Government officials discussed the importance of public and private sectors working together – something that is evident in Rwanda, where the summit was held.
A successful example of this, is Korea Telecom’s heavy investment in Rwanda. The collaboration between corporation and country has even enabled a 4G broadband rollout to 95% of the population.
It seems Google is following suit. Project Link is not the only endeavor the multinational corporation has undertaken in Africa lately. Its navigation system has been slowly extended to multiple developing countries on the continent.
As of December, owners of Android phones in Somalia, Burundi, and Djibouti could access the voice-guided Google navigation system on their phones.
– Zoë Dean
Sources: Wired, Google blog
Photo: Occupy Corporatism
Obesity Growing in the Developing World
The number of overweight and obese people has grown drastically in the past 30 years, going from 23% of the world’s population in 1980 to over a third today. Surprisingly to some, the majority of overweight and obese people live in developing countries. As globalization spreads and countries go from low-income to middle-income, people have more money to buy food. At the same time the access to cheap junk food full of fat, carbohydrates, sugar and salt is becoming readily available. As food gets tastier and cheaper, families in the developing world are consuming these products and steadily gaining weight.
Sharada Keats and Steven Wiggins from the Overseas Development Institute in London released a report on January 3rd called, “Future Diets.” This report summarizes research that shows that diets are changing. As incomes rise in the developing world people are moving from a diet that consists of cereals and tubers to diets that include meat, fat and sugar.
The portion sizes that people are eating are also going up.
These changes mean that the price of animal products will go up all over the world while prices for grains will go down. The agricultural crisis of not having enough grains to feed the poor may be replaced by a public health crisis as more people move to eating unhealthy diets.
Obesity is increasing throughout the developing world. Further, reports have noted that obesity has tripled in the developing world in the past 30 years.
Mexico is a good example of how globalization and higher incomes are impacting diets and waistlines of middle-income countries. In 1980, fewer than 40% of Mexicans were overweight or obese. Today that figure is more than 70%. In 1980 there were 250 million overweight and obese adults in the developing world. In 2008 those numbers have grown to 904 million.
This is a global health concern as unhealthy diets and weight gain put people at a large risk for a wide range of health conditions including cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. This is going to place an increased burden on low and middle-income countries with already struggling health care systems. It will also cause economic difficulties and increased health care costs.
At the moment there seems to be little interest among the public and leaders to take action against the growing obesity problem. Keats and Wiggins suggest that as countries begin to face the serious health implications and economic problems associated with obesity they may consider investing in public education and policy changes as well. Conclusively, Keats and Wiggins suggest for a resolution that is a moderate combination of education, prices and regulation measures.
– Elizabeth Brown
Sources: NPR, Overseas Development Institute (ODI), BBC
Nelson Mandela Quotes on Love and Life
Nelson Mandela will forever have a place in the hearts of those who follow him. His words will guide his followers through life trials and tribulations and bountiful celebrations. Let us remember a month after his passing Nelson Mandela’s quotes on love and coming together as one.
Sources: Salon, BrainyQuote, UN Foundation, USA Today
Photo: Giphy.com
California Receives Aid After Driest Year on Record
In 2013, California had its driest year ever. The problems brought upon by the state’s drought became so pressing on multiple levels that it even required the attention of the federal government.
Across the United States, California has established itself as one of the most agriculturally productive regions. The problem arises though because food exports out of California are expected to rise—and people of middle to lower income will receive the worst effects as a result.
In fact, California grows over 80 percent of numerous vegetables across the nation and the prices of them are expected to skyrocket.
However, people of California have been fairly successful in adapting to the drought. Joint initiatives across local and state levels of politics have begun to implement policies that save significant amounts of water. In addition to leading the way with cutting water usage by 20 percent, the state’s government has also asked its citizens to reciprocate their initiative.
With the magnitude of the drought that California has been experiencing for the past year, it is no surprise the state is said to be in “crisis mode” when it comes to water conservation.
But on a more positive note, after months of no rain, San Francisco finally got a bit of downpour. The rain provides somewhat of a break for the region, but the drought is expected to persist.
The reality of the situation is still quite a concern for the agricultural sector of California, which leads the nation as the top farming industry. If the already longstanding drought continues through the future, the industry may contribute more unemployment to the region.
The energy sector is also expected to take a hit due to setbacks in California’s hydroelectric power production, which is also tied back to the drought. “It doesn’t just affect California’s ski industry or the rich farmlands of the central valley. It chokes the entire water system that underpins the state’s dams.”
The drought is coming at a time where other climate events are making headlines on an international scale. The polar vortex across the U.S. and the overwhelming heat wave in Australia only supplement reasons for the direction that California has been headed towards with clean energy development.
California has already been a national leader in renewable energy, yet it is still forced to adapt to climate events at local and state levels. However, because the federal government has had to address environmental concerns across domestic regions, significantly reducing carbon emissions may be placed into a much greater context with respect to its urgency.
– Jugal Patel
Sources: CBS News, Foreign Policy, Bloomberg, TIME
Photo: Huffington Post