HBO’s Game of Thrones is escapist fantasy at its finest. The sprawling world of Westeros has a rich and complicated history, scores of characters, and enough intertwining storylines to make Greek mythology look simple. The show has been lauded for its ability to transport an audience away from their current lives and immerse them into Martin’s fantasy world.
At the same time, behind the direwolves and dragons, much of the success of Martin’s series lies in the fact that it resonates so strongly with our own world. From love to loneliness to injustice, the personal feelings of the characters, which so strongly push forward the plot, hit close to home. It reflects the failings we see around us, in our own lives, in politics, and perhaps most disturbingly in our social system.
Game of Thrones, for the sharp viewer, has important messages to be sent about what it is to wield power and how to do it, lessons that could be applied to the most powerful nation in the world.
[dropcap3]1[/dropcap3]The importance of the poor for security. In Game of Thrones, the greatest threat to the throne is not the various potential usurpers who are vying for it. Rather, it is far more insidious; it is the threat of the people the King tramples and abuses through neglect. The main motivation for one of the potential rivals, often repeated, is that she has the support of the people. The raw power of the populace is seen in the scene where the royal family ventures out of the castle, and is set upon by a starving, angry mob. The only thing that saves the Lannister family from their misrule is the arrival of the charitable Tyrells, who floods the city with food, resources, and much-needed PR for the royal family. Though intangible, a good reputation image can be as powerful as military muscle. This is why top military leaders like former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates stress the importance of international humanitarian assistance by USAID.
[dropcap3]2[/dropcap3]Past injustices become present day tragedies. Old grievances have a way of resurfacing. Throughout the series, we are told more and more of the backstory, because so much of it is relevant to the present events. Theon’s capture and subsequent service to the Starks came full-circle in Theon’s betrayal, despite how well he had lived as a steward. There are lessons to be learned from this; bad deeds live longer in memory than good ones. George W Bush’s legacy, for example, will not be his HIV program, but instead, plunging the nation into Iraq.
[dropcap3]3[/dropcap3]The rags-to-riches story is largely a myth. It is a tenet of the American belief system to place a lot of power in an individual’s determination to change her or his own circumstance. It is easy (and comfortable) to blame lower classes for their own misfortune; either through laziness, carelessness, or a simple lack of worth. It is a natural – though erroneous – human reaction to assume that those who have, deserve and those who do not, have not earned it. There are a number of social climbers in Martin’s series who are smart, savvy, brave, determined – and are crushed. Roz, the plucky girl from Winterfell, endures indignity, torture, and abuse only to meet an untimely end. Mance Rayder, the brave and charismatic leader of the Wildlings, has been exiled to lead a bare and miserable existence. The elite in Martin’s world are often the most despicable, with the bravest and best – Osha, Tyrion, Arya, Bran and Jojen Reed, for example – being the crippled, the overlooked, the downtrodden, and the poor. For the 2.6 billion people across the globe living on less than 2 dollars a day, the only way to significantly improve their well-being is with a helping hand from people and governments in more privileged positions.
[dropcap3]4[/dropcap3]Equality is not a simple matter. While followers of the show who have not read the books will not yet be aware, Daenerys Targaryen’s noble campaign to end slavery does not go as smoothly as planned. Though well-intentioned, her somewhat blind rush to right all the wrongs she saw in front of her bears little fruit, and she quickly loses her way in politics, poverty, and a lack of foresight. Aid is not simply a matter of giving, and it cannot be left unplanned or unsupervised. The story bears similarities to the current restructuring of Afghanistan and Iraq; after a bloody decade in the countries, US citizens are demanding withdrawal of troops, with US Generals stating the grave dangers of leaving such a large job unfinished. Sieges and wars are dramatic and make good stories, but the most important work lies in the far less flashy and far more tedious affair of slow and steady empowerment.
[dropcap3]5[/dropcap3]Poverty begets violence. Poverty does not stay a problem of the poor. It seeps into all parts of a society in the form of crime, violence, and corruption. In an increasingly globalized world, the importance of stability cannot be understated. The seeds of terrorism are in poverty; its strength lies in the desperation of the most downtrodden. The most powerful governments, France, Russia, and most recently the Arab Spring – have all fallen in the face of the power of those they previously deemed unworthy of consideration.
– Farahnaz Mohammed
Sources: Global Issues The Borgen Project
Photo: HDW
Collaboration is Key to Effective Aid
The old model of aid consisted of rich countries bringing funds and ideas to poor countries and implementing plans to “save” the country. Recent criticism has brought to light the idea that collaboration is key to effective aid. In the arena of healthcare, this is even more important as oftentimes, developing countries are given funds for healthcare uses, but told exactly what they have to do with it beforehand.
Ethiopia led the way in 2002 with their ambitious plan to provide primary healthcare to 85 million rural citizens. These citizens did not live within accessible distance of a doctor or hospital. The Ministry of Health gave themselves 5 years to accomplish their goal. Without resources or facilities to train the 30,000 community health workers necessary, Ethiopia embarked. Health workers were trained and sent out and since the program’s implementation, decreases in the number of women dying in childbirth and in the number of children dying before age 5 have been reported. The relatively successful plan began with simple, community-level improvements.
Ethiopia is far from the regular standard as, typically, governments receiving outside aid do not start their own programs. A representative from Rwanda’s Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning remarked that rarely do they get a say in where the money goes at all. Rwanda has requested money for low-income health insurance and was denied. Using tax money instead, Rwanda funded the pilot program and today over 90% of Rwandans have health insurance.
Developing countries are not being ungrateful for aid, but are slowly starting to speak up and question the potential of effectiveness for the money and programs involved in it. The World Health Organization (WHO) is helping change the way aid is delivered by using coordination and collaboration. Donors are asked to contribute to health plans managed and implemented by the government rather than go in and start their own. The initiative is called the International Health Partnership. The goal is to allow developing countries a say in how and where the money is used, preventing rich countries from bullying or denigrating their plans and ideals.
As the economy continues to struggle and aid dollars are decreasing, collaboration and coordination are very important to continue to meet needs like adequate healthcare worldwide. Allowing developing nations to innovate and have a seat at the table will enable aid to be used more effectively and efficiently.
– Amanda Kloeppel
Source: The Atlantic
World Partnership Walk to End Poverty
In Vancouver, Canada on May 26, 2013, the World Partnership Walk attracted thousands of participants hoping to raise millions of dollars in a walk to end global poverty. In 2012, the World Partnership Walk raised more than $2 million on behalf of the Aga Khan Foundation and its fight to end global poverty.
A regional campaign manager for Aga Khan Foundation, Zahed Lalani said that the donations raised this weekend will go towards future generations and people associated with Bangladesh’s garment factories. Usually, women are recruited to work at the factories and their newborn children are left with family members that are ill-equipped to care for them. Due to malnutrition, many of these infants don’t live past the age of five. The money and awareness raised last weekend will go towards the 50 factory daycare centers opened by the foundation to care for the children of the factory workers.
Another participant in the World Partnership Walk is Derek Gent, the current executive and director of the Vancity Community Foundation. Gent first came in contact with the often times illiterate and innumerate villagers in rural Bangladesh in 1996 and hoped to pass on his knowledge of Western economics. Gent was surprised at the sophistication one particular villager could apply to business without Western tools. On Sunday, Gent hopes others can learn from and connect with people from developing nations just as he did.
– Kira Maixner
Source: Vancouver 24hrs
Photo: Science Daily
Partnership to Develop Climate-Resilient Crops
The United States, Australia, and India have come together to develop climate-resilient varieties of rice and wheat that make up two of the “big three” crops that are imperative to feeding people worldwide. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is supporting a new public-private research partnership between the Australian Centre for Plant Functional Genomics (ACPFG) and India’s Vibha Agrotech.
With ACPFG’s unique gene technologies that are already in use and Vibha’s field evaluation and rice transformation capabilities, farmers will acquire new rice and wheat varieties that will allow more stable crop production when facing sudden drought and evolving salt-water intrusion. The most successful varieties evaluated will eventually be transferred into the varieties that the farmers already grow.
While the research and crop growth will take place in Australia and India in the preliminary stages, the technologies will eventually be available to developing countries globally. The climate-resilient crops will be most useful in countries where climate change and subsequent stresses impact cereal yields and will help to ensure that farmers will have a good harvest despite these unpredictable climate changes.
The partnership is part of Feed the Future, the US Government’s global hunger and food security initiative. According to Dr. Julie Howard, USAID’s Chief Scientist in the Bureau for Food Security and Senior Advisor to the Administrator on Agricultural Research, Extension and Education, in order to ensure food security, global food production must increase by 60% by 2050. Unfortunately, climate change is already affecting yields globally. “That means we must use all the tools available to us to grow more food on less land and with less water,” she said.
– Kira Maixner
Source: Business Standard
Photo: Rising Pyramid
Asian Venture Philanthropy Network
Venture philanthropy is a blend of capital and business advice to help entrepreneurial organizations achieve their ambitions for growth and development. They achieve this through three distinct characteristics. The first is an investment-minded approach where an organization supplies multi-year support to ambitious social ventures with tailored financing and sustainability and scalability. Second, they engage in an active partnership by building capacity and infrastructure and bringing non-financial resources to the ventures. And third, it is performance-based through milestones, transparency, social impact, and means of exit strategy.
The Asian Venture Philanthropy Network (AVPN) is an organization that promotes venture philanthropy across the Asia-Pacific region. The Asian Venture Philanthropy Network is interested in promoting philanthropy through broader philanthropic and social investment communities, with strategies tailored to the needs of the Network’s members. They are based in Singapore and are supported by grant funding, sponsors, and partner organizations. Their backers include organizations and individuals from the finance, business, and social sectors.
The AVPN is taking venture philanthropy and multiplying the impact of financial capital through advisory services and high engagement. The AVPN is a hub for news and events focused on venture philanthropy to develop shared learning and agreed-upon best practices. They are trying to develop active country groups throughout India, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, and mainland China.
They are working to undertake and develop field-building activities in Asia. The AVPN is modeled off of the European Venture Philanthropy Association (EVPA). The EVPA was originally conceived as a modest and informal association to stimulate productive discussion, capture good practice, and encourage new philanthropic funds. The AVPN’s vision for Asia is a philanthropy landscape that responds to the resource needs of high-potential social purpose organizations. They encourage and facilitate the development of venture philanthropy and social enterprise across the Asia-Pacific region.
– Caitlin Zusy
Source: AVPN
International Collaboration Needed to Fight Slavery
Human trafficking is, unfortunately, big business. According to a 2011 report titled “Transnational Crime in the Developing World” by James Haken, it is a $32 billion annual business. The FBI states human sex trafficking alone is the third largest criminal enterprise in the world. Thus, combating such an industry is a serious challenge. There are many anti-slavery advocacy groups, fundraising campaigns, and sectors of law enforcement around the world.
However, Tim Waldron, UK anti-slavery organization Love146’s chief executive, reports that lack of collaboration among such groups makes implementing change extremely challenging. He says, “The problem is that modern-day slavery is a labor issue, it’s a human rights issue, a migration issue, a criminal issue, and work on this extends from front-line rescue operations through to high-level political lobbying, campaigning and coordinating with partners working in often incredibly dangerous and tense environments around the world.”
Unsurprisingly, different agencies and organizations have a hard time agreeing on who can do what best. Roger Plant, the head of the International Labour Organisation, says that jealousy and infighting often cause agencies to “trip over each other” and needlessly duplicate efforts.
However, recently there have been gains in collaboration. Groups like The Alliance to End Slavery and Trafficking (ATEST), The Child Labour Coalition, and the Cotton Campaign have all been lauded for their inter-organizational coordination. ATEST is actually a group of 12 United States organizations that worked together to push the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000 through the Senate.
Thankfully, organizations dedicated to fighting modern slavery are starting to take note of their deficiencies in this area. With the welfare of millions of men, women, and children at stake, fighting slavery has never been more important.
– Samantha Mauney
Source: The Guardian
Photo: Release
Affordable Solar Irrigation System
By cutting the cost by 80% small farmer incomes would be transformed, tens of thousands of jobs could be created, and carbon emissions would be significantly reduced. If solar water pump was affordable at $2-a-day, small plot agriculture could become more profitable and many farmers could be raised out of poverty in India and Africa. But, how can this feat be achieved?
Through the work of iDE and their small farm drip irrigation systems, this cost-cutting has already been drastically reduced. By using thin-walled, lay-flat hose to convey irrigation water from sources to rows of plants and using filters to improve water flow, reducing pressure on the system, the cost of a drip irrigation system goes from $1,200 per acre to less than $600 per acre.
The greatest challenge is the reduction of the cost of the pump motor combination from $7,000 to $2,500. Traditionally diesel-powered pumps are utilized to transport water form the source, through the pump, and into the crops in unlined channels. Water is delivered to the plants by flooding the field with a loss of 60 to 70 percent of the water lost to seepage before it even gets to the plants.
By using a zero-based design, one where everything begins from scratch as if it were the invention of new technology, iDE is able to create SunWater,an affordable PV solar irrigation system. A motor that is powered by electricity generated through photovoltaic panels would replace the diesel motors and efficiency is achieved by utilizing mirrors, which are much cheaper than photovoltaic. They are able to generate 2,000 watts off 10 – 15 mirrors. The water is then delivered to the plants via the thin walled, drip irrigation system already in place.
This simple, affordable change in the way water is delivered to plants will allow more diversification of crops by giving farmers a way to irrigate through the dry season. This means they can sell their high value crops when prices are highest (dry season) to sustain them through the wet season when farming is much more abundant and prices significantly drop. Educating farmers about how to optimize their incomes is the second phase of this valuable, life changing project.
– Shawn D. Ross
Source: Business Fights Poverty
Photo: Reeep
Immigration Policy and Einstein
The current debate surrounding immigration centers largely on their potential detrimental effect on a country (ironically, it is often forgotten that America, one of the most powerful countries in the world, was built on the backs of immigrants.) Anti-immigration lobbyists claim they leech culture, take jobs, bleed welfare, and contribute little in return. Contrary to these arguments, there have notable refugees and immigrants in the past who have contributed a great deal to their adopted country; economically, culturally, and scientifically. One such refugee was Albert Einstein.
Though he worked in Princeton, and spent much of his famous academic career there, for much of his youth and at the start of his illustrious career, Einstein lived in his homeland Germany. As a Jewish German, Einstein was forced into exile after the rise of the Nazis.
Though he himself was admitted to the United States during a time of great political turmoil, and after he had already established himself, the ‘Einstein’ argument is one that is present in immigration reform discussions today. Many state how America’s current immigration policy is exclusive and backwards, and the media focuses on the cost of immigration rather than the potential benefits. Einstein is one of many non-Americans who have contributed significantly to the country – others include Marlene Dietrich (actress), Mikhail Baryshnikov (ballet dancer) and Claude Lévi-Strauss (anthropologist). Einstein himself was an advocate for immigration, himself working in aid of individuals seeking asylum in the United States.
The Wall Street Journal picked up on Einstein’s story recently in an op-ed by Darrell West, where he stated: “Today, we need to think about a new “Einstein Principle” for our immigration policy. It would make brains, talent and special skills a priority. The point is to attract more individuals with the potential to enhance American innovation and competitiveness, increasing the odds for economic prosperity and rising living standards for all down the road.
At a time of high unemployment, the most pressing need is for more innovators who will start new businesses and create high-paying jobs. We’ve certainly done so successfully in the past.”
– Farahnaz Mohammed
Sources: UNHCR, Brookings
Photo: Flickr
Just Falafel & World Food Programme to Raise $1M
A fast food retail chain in the UAE, Just Falafel, has joined forces with the World Food Programme (WFP) to raise $1 million over the next three years. The money will go to fight hunger worldwide. Over the next three years, $500 will be donated to the WFP for every new Just Falafel franchise opening worldwide. Franchisees will be encouraged to match the $500 donation, doubling the impact and allowing the WFP to feed twice as many people.
Business predictions estimate over 1,000 franchises will open before the end of 2016. With the matching donation program from both Just Falafel and the franchisees, the goal of raising $1 million is very much in reach. Nearly 900 million people worldwide do not have enough to eat to lead active, healthy lives. This makes hunger and malnutrition the number one health risk worldwide and gives organizations like Just Falafel a reason to contribute to fighting hunger.
As estimates report 1 in 8 people in the world are malnourished and many of these in the Middle East and Asia, Just Falafel has a personal connection to the cause. Giving back to their communities is deeply rooted in the values and mission of Just Falafel. The partnership with the WFP takes that connection one step further and formalizes their commitment to fighting hunger.
WFP’s regional head of private partnerships and business development, Ashraf Hamouda, commended Just Falafel for their initiative and act of generosity to help fight hunger. The WFP is working hard to end hunger, but they can’t do it alone and partnerships like this allow them to continue to fight. Social Media will be a major player in Just Falafel’s strategy to raise awareness as well as promote new franchisees.
– Amanda Kloeppel
Source: Trade Arabia
5 Lessons Game of Thrones Teaches About Poverty
HBO’s Game of Thrones is escapist fantasy at its finest. The sprawling world of Westeros has a rich and complicated history, scores of characters, and enough intertwining storylines to make Greek mythology look simple. The show has been lauded for its ability to transport an audience away from their current lives and immerse them into Martin’s fantasy world.
At the same time, behind the direwolves and dragons, much of the success of Martin’s series lies in the fact that it resonates so strongly with our own world. From love to loneliness to injustice, the personal feelings of the characters, which so strongly push forward the plot, hit close to home. It reflects the failings we see around us, in our own lives, in politics, and perhaps most disturbingly in our social system.
Game of Thrones, for the sharp viewer, has important messages to be sent about what it is to wield power and how to do it, lessons that could be applied to the most powerful nation in the world.
[dropcap3]1[/dropcap3]The importance of the poor for security. In Game of Thrones, the greatest threat to the throne is not the various potential usurpers who are vying for it. Rather, it is far more insidious; it is the threat of the people the King tramples and abuses through neglect. The main motivation for one of the potential rivals, often repeated, is that she has the support of the people. The raw power of the populace is seen in the scene where the royal family ventures out of the castle, and is set upon by a starving, angry mob. The only thing that saves the Lannister family from their misrule is the arrival of the charitable Tyrells, who floods the city with food, resources, and much-needed PR for the royal family. Though intangible, a good reputation image can be as powerful as military muscle. This is why top military leaders like former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates stress the importance of international humanitarian assistance by USAID.
[dropcap3]2[/dropcap3]Past injustices become present day tragedies. Old grievances have a way of resurfacing. Throughout the series, we are told more and more of the backstory, because so much of it is relevant to the present events. Theon’s capture and subsequent service to the Starks came full-circle in Theon’s betrayal, despite how well he had lived as a steward. There are lessons to be learned from this; bad deeds live longer in memory than good ones. George W Bush’s legacy, for example, will not be his HIV program, but instead, plunging the nation into Iraq.
[dropcap3]3[/dropcap3]The rags-to-riches story is largely a myth. It is a tenet of the American belief system to place a lot of power in an individual’s determination to change her or his own circumstance. It is easy (and comfortable) to blame lower classes for their own misfortune; either through laziness, carelessness, or a simple lack of worth. It is a natural – though erroneous – human reaction to assume that those who have, deserve and those who do not, have not earned it. There are a number of social climbers in Martin’s series who are smart, savvy, brave, determined – and are crushed. Roz, the plucky girl from Winterfell, endures indignity, torture, and abuse only to meet an untimely end. Mance Rayder, the brave and charismatic leader of the Wildlings, has been exiled to lead a bare and miserable existence. The elite in Martin’s world are often the most despicable, with the bravest and best – Osha, Tyrion, Arya, Bran and Jojen Reed, for example – being the crippled, the overlooked, the downtrodden, and the poor. For the 2.6 billion people across the globe living on less than 2 dollars a day, the only way to significantly improve their well-being is with a helping hand from people and governments in more privileged positions.
[dropcap3]4[/dropcap3]Equality is not a simple matter. While followers of the show who have not read the books will not yet be aware, Daenerys Targaryen’s noble campaign to end slavery does not go as smoothly as planned. Though well-intentioned, her somewhat blind rush to right all the wrongs she saw in front of her bears little fruit, and she quickly loses her way in politics, poverty, and a lack of foresight. Aid is not simply a matter of giving, and it cannot be left unplanned or unsupervised. The story bears similarities to the current restructuring of Afghanistan and Iraq; after a bloody decade in the countries, US citizens are demanding withdrawal of troops, with US Generals stating the grave dangers of leaving such a large job unfinished. Sieges and wars are dramatic and make good stories, but the most important work lies in the far less flashy and far more tedious affair of slow and steady empowerment.
[dropcap3]5[/dropcap3]Poverty begets violence. Poverty does not stay a problem of the poor. It seeps into all parts of a society in the form of crime, violence, and corruption. In an increasingly globalized world, the importance of stability cannot be understated. The seeds of terrorism are in poverty; its strength lies in the desperation of the most downtrodden. The most powerful governments, France, Russia, and most recently the Arab Spring – have all fallen in the face of the power of those they previously deemed unworthy of consideration.
– Farahnaz Mohammed
Sources: Global Issues The Borgen Project
Photo: HDW
ACDI/VOCA Eradicates Economic Endangerment
ACDI/ VOCA is an organization dedicated to making financial stability accessible to individuals across the globe, regardless of their socio-economic status. One look at its name doesn’t tell a reader much, but the name of this organization is just as peculiar in appearance as it is rich in meaning.
The name dates back to 1977, referring to the merger of the Agricultural Cooperative Development International (ACDI) and the Volunteers in Overseas Cooperative Assistance (VOCA).
ACDI, as its own entity, sought to develop joint ventures around the world that indicate the values present in sustainable dual ownership, democratic leadership, and economic sustainability. Some of ACDI’s most notable accomplishments include the founding of the Indian Farmers Fertilizer Cooperative (IFFCO), re-institutionalizing collective banking in Poland, contributing to food aid monetization in several countries, and creating business-oriented farming practices in Ethiopia and Malawi.
Migrating from an exclusively “co-op” focus, ACDI began to pay greater attention to economic developments in agriculture, food security, enterprise development, poverty alleviation, and inside-out community development.
In VOCA’s circles, before the two organizations merged, the implementation of the USAID-funded Farmer-to-Farmer program was at the cornerstone of their advocacy. Over 11,00 assignments were carried out in 130 countries under this program, providing a short-term experience as building blocks for long-term development.
Once 1977 rolled around, these two international economic organizations saw it fit to join forces.
This new partnership allowed for a unique mix of ACDI’s long-term development initiatives and VOCA’s close attention to individual experience. Together, they cultivated healthy economic communities that valued each citizen—and created a system to last. For the sake of ease (and thankfully), the two organizations decided to shorten their name to an acronym and became ACDI/VOCA (pronounced A-C-D-I- Vōca.)
ACDI/VOCA describes themselves as follows:
Funding for ACDI/VOCA comes mostly from the U.S. Agency for International Development, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and private sector firms, among others.
– Kali Faulwetter
Source: ACDI/VOCA
Photo: ACDI/VOCA