Amid the genocide of 6 million Jewish people during the Holocaust in World War II, there existed a simultaneous, lesser-known genocide. The Roma minority in Europe, known derogatorily as “Gypsies,” also became targets of an extermination campaign between 1933 and 1945, with estimates indicating that the Germans and their partners murdered “between 250,000 and 500,000 European Roma during World War II,” according to the Holocaust Encyclopedia. However, the persecution of the Roma, now a population of about 12 million in Europe, did not begin or end in that period of history. Organizations are making efforts to address ongoing European Roma persecution and promote cultural unity.
History of European Roma Persecution
The plight of the European Roma, who originated as a nomadic group from Northern India, began with their enslavement “in the Romanian principalities of Wallachia and Moldavia” from the 14th to 19th centuries. As slaves or serfs to “noblemen, landowners, monasteries and the state,” the Roma “were sold, bartered, flogged and dehumanized” for their artisanship and labor.
Racial discrimination continued during the World War II genocide and continues now with hate crimes. For instance, in June 2021, roughly a year after police killed George Floyd in the United States, a police officer in the Czech Republic suffocated a homeless Roma man to death.
European Roma Poverty
The Roma’s economic plight escalated during Europe’s socialist era in the 20th century. In former Czechoslovakia, in 1958, authorities outlawed nomadism and pushed the Roma into state-assigned housing, often breaking up extended families. Employment was also limited to unskilled labor. In Hungary in the 1980s, the government declared more than 40% of the Roma as “functionally illiterate” and created segregated schools for them to attend, resulting in crowded and substandard educational classes for the Roma.
A cycle of poverty, poor education and unemployment persisted to a point of systemic destitution. Even after the collapse of the Soviet Union, European governments used the Roma as scapegoats for inflation, unemployment, crime and “scarcity of goods,” further denying the Roma access to government welfare services.
A survey of 34,000 Roma individuals across nine European countries in 2016 indicates that about 80% of the Roma live in conditions of poverty.
Erasure of European Roma Identity
A major obstacle in the European Roma’s fight to improve their social and economic condition is the inability to achieve the legal status of a minority for many years.
In socialist countries in the mid-20th century, many rights for minorities had come from the official declaration of that group as a legal minority. These rights included receiving schooling and media broadcasts in a minority language.
Because of existing stereotypes, as well as unwillingness to bear responsibility for providing for an ethnic minority, countries such as Poland, Romania, Hungary and Czechoslovakia decided to regard Roma as an inferior social group rather than a nationality.
Several nations even made concerted efforts to erase Roma’s identity. For example, in the 1960s in Bulgaria, the government banned the practice of Roma culture, including language, traditional music and dance and Muslim religious practices, perpetuating efforts to eradicate their culture and furthering European Roma persecution.
The Fight for a European Roma Nation
In 1948, the Roma in Yugoslavia began to establish themselves politically and culturally. In Macedonia, the Roma secured seats in the Skopje town council and formed a cultural association, Phralipe (translating to Brotherhood). These stand as the earliest steps to establish a sort of safe space for Romani individuals to ensure their representation and preservation within European society.
The first World Romani Congress took place in 1971 in London, setting a precedent for similar congresses to meet and discuss the establishment of a greater Roma identity. These congresses, which continue today, inspired Roma to embrace their identity, establish their status as a minority diaspora with legal protections and created education programs focused on preserving Roma culture and empowering the Roma community.
Looking Toward the Future
Unfortunately, Romani identity and statehood are not quite enough to lift the minority out of their impoverished and marginalized circumstances. Despite the achievements of the World Romani Congresses, poverty rates of the European Roma remain high and both violence and racism persist.
Unfortunately, empowerment or establishing statehood cannot solve these issues that continue to plague the lives of European Roma alone. Rather, the World Romani Congress must look toward substantive economic solutions to uplift the Roma and alleviate their poverty.
Organizations today continue to work to find solutions to the systemic issues forcing Roma into poverty. The European Roma Rights Center (ERRC) is an organization that European activists and civil rights lawyers founded in the 1990s. The ERRC advocates for “the elimination of discriminatory structures that prevent Roma from enjoying full equality.” In 2016, the organization elected a Romani president, and in 2017, the ERRC had a majority Roma staff.
Organizations, such as the ERRC, are gradually reforming the institutions that perpetuate European Roma persecution and poverty.
– Alisa Gulyansky
Photo: Flickr
USAID And Walmart Are Changing Guatemalan Economy
In 2018, the Guatemalan economy produced one new job per every 15 workers joining the labor force. Furthermore, in 2018, 70% of the Guatemalan economy was informal, with workers severely challenged by low wages, low efficiency and a lack of access to economic opportunities. USAID has been in a partnership with Walmart Mexico and Walmart Central America since 2002 to increase economic opportunities in Guatemala and reduce poverty through “the empowerment of women-led small businesses.” This initiative is aimed at creating more jobs, expanding markets for goods produced in Guatemala and making business more inclusive and accessible to all people.
USAID’s Collective Focus in Guatemala
The initiative puts particular focus on micro, small and medium-sized enterprises that have the potential to eradicate poverty and transform the Guatemalan economy. This is especially true in emerging cities in Guatemala, where USAID helps provide vocational training to young and indigenous workers.
USAID’s work in Guatemala does not end with Guatemala’s economy. USAID has also partnered with the local government and local communities to fight food insecurity, chronic malnutrition, environmental protection and biodiversity initiatives. USAID believes that decentralizing key resources and services in Guatemala can be productive for its economy. Moreover, USAID has also tried to drive more civilian participation in decision-making processes and encouraged the people of Guatemala to hold their government accountable.
USAID Partnership With Walmart
Walmart is one of USAID’s top 40 corporate partners and USAID has worked with Walmart in Latin America and the Caribbean since 2002. Since joining forces, the organizations have provided training and granted financial support and market opportunities to small-scale farmers, women, at-risk youth and local entrepreneurs. Moreover, these organizations also launched the “Women’s Economic Empowerment Initiative” in 2011 which focused on women and farmers.
Fighting Infrastructural Battles in Guatemala
Although these commitments have helped to improve Guatemala’s economy, there are still some structural difficulties that need addressing in the coming years. For instance, Guatemala’s population is predominantly young, with more than 60% of the population being below the age of 25. More than half of the local population lives in urban areas and the country continues to urbanize rapidly, however, there is a lack of infrastructure connecting cities.
In 2022, a large number of migrants traveled to the U.S.-Mexico border from Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador. Consequently, this has created a temporary vacuum in the labor market, but USAID and Walmart are working to strengthen their partnerships to help create more jobs and uplift the Guatemalan economy. In spite of these challenges, Guatemala is expected to see a 3.4% growth in GDP in 2022. Although this number is not drastic by any means, it shows that economic growth and poverty reduction are possible when countries commit to creating new jobs, expanding markets and investing in their youth. With the help of initiatives by USAID, Walmart Central America and numerous others, Guatemala’s economy will continue to steadily grow.
– Samyudha Rajesh
Photo: Unsplash
Addressing Ethnic Inequality in Malaysia
Malaysia made remarkable success fighting poverty over the past 50 years, dropping from 50% in 1970 to almost zero in 2014, in large part due to the decreased ethnic and racial differences in living standards. The road that the country laid to get there, nevertheless, has regrettably led to widespread racial or ethnic inequality and violence in Malaysia.
The Disparity in Living Standards Between Racial Groups and the 1969 Riot
Since Malaysia’s independence from Britain in 1957, the Bumiputera have maintained their status as the poorest group with the lowest average income, as a result of the British colonial heritage in contrast to the wealthier minority contingent of ethnic Chinese and Indians. After independence, the government gave emphasis on economic development, but until roughly 1970, it seems that policymakers were less concerned with ethnic inequality in Malaysia.
A Sino-Malay race riot broke out in 1969 when new opposition parties led by Malaysian Chinese gained more votes than the multiethnic Alliance party that had been in power since independence. The government’s lack of concern for the country’s pervasive ethnic injustices and the Chinese-dominated party’s win, which appeared to be further detrimental to the living condition of the Malays, were the primary motives behind the riot. Malaysia then declared an emergency and suspended Parliament for two years as a result.
Malaysia’s New Economic Policy (NEP)
The government created the New Economic Policy (NEP) in 1970 as a comprehensive affirmative action strategy in response to the race riot in 1969. Many viewed addressing the enormous racial disparities in the county as essential to accomplishing both its dual goals of eradicating poverty and restructuring society. The NEP officially launched in 1971 and ran for 20 years.
In addition to intending to reduce the poverty rate from 49% to 17% in 1990, the extensive affirmative action favored the Bumiputera by ensuring that they held at least 30% of corporate wealth by that year and that all initial public offerings set aside a 30% share for Bumiputera investors. The Bumiputera were promised preferential treatment when it came to housing, employment opportunities in the public sector, company share ownership and essentially in all other possible fields. By using quotas and university scholarships, the Bumiputera received preference in access to public education.
Next, the objective of greater economic growth allowed the non-Bumiputera sector’s share of the economy to decline while, in absolute terms, allowing non-Bumiputera commercial interests to expand. This was known as the “expanding pie theory” in some circles because it predicted that the Bumiputra share of the pie would grow without the size of the non-Bumiputra pieces of the pie decreasing.
This occurred to help the Bumiputera catch up economically with other Malaysians. To assure this, Malaysia enforced ethnic restrictions on share ownership in public companies. The following eight crucial strategies served as the New Economy Policy’s main drivers.
8 Crucial Strategies that are the New Economy Policy’s Main Drivers
The Outcome of NEP
Martin Ravallion wrote in his paper about ethnic inequality and poverty in Malaysia that this country managed ethnic inequality better than many other nations. From 0.51 in 1970 to 0.40 in 2016, the Gini index of household earnings decreased. About 25% of the decline in absolute poverty was due to lower inequality (a pro-poor shift in distribution at a given mean), and the remaining 75% was due to an increase in mean income.
From 4% in 1970 to nearly 20% in 1997, the bumiputras’ share of global wealth increased. The country’s overall wealth increased as well; the per capita GNP increased from RM1,142 in 1970 to RM12,102 in 1997.
Since 1970, the mean income of the poor Bumiputeras has grown more quickly than that of the Chinese or the Indians, but the difference in growth rates has not been sufficient to close the wide absolute differences in mean incomes between racial groups. Relative mean incomes will continue to diverge if the pattern from 1970 to 2016 holds.
Conclusion
Policies that lessen racial disparities, such as affirmative action, can further social objectives besides eradicating poverty, such as encouraging cooperation and social solidarity. The majority status of the poorest ethnic group in Malaysia led to intense political pressure to rectify racial inequity, at least after the loud voices of dissent were heard in 1969. However, it is understandable that poverty reduction in Malaysia is a key metric for gauging the success of virtually any policies, including ethnically-based redistributive initiatives, in a nation like Malaysia, where there are significant racial disparities and an official poverty rate of close to 50% in 1970. While the official poverty rate has nearly reached zero over the same time period, the government has made significant strides in its fight against poverty, although the previous official poverty level is almost probably too low by today’s standards.
– Karisma Maran
Photo: Unsplash
Unseen Tours and Homelessness
Homelessness refers to people who do not have a secure place to live, or if they did, they could not stay. Homelessness is a symptom of poverty and many organizations have offered help to homeless people by providing financial aid, free meals and shelters. One British organization, Unseen Tours, has acted differently by hiring homeless individuals in London as tour guides offering tours to tourists and locals. This article will discuss the causes of homelessness before looking at the work of Unseen Tours and its accomplishments.
Causes of Homelessness
According to research by Shelter in 2021, nearly 280,000 people were homeless in England; among them, more than 120,000 were children. In addition, the data shows that London had the highest ratio of homeless people with one in 53 people having no place to live. Here are some important causes of homelessness in Great Britain:
Unseen Tours
Established in 2010, Unseen Tours aims to provide a platform for homeless people to tell their stories. The organization wants to change conventional perspectives on the homeless such as the stereotype of laziness. To do so, Unseen Tours employs homeless people as guides in London who offer tours for tourists and locals. This allows the homeless to use their knowledge for the benefit of the city. Not only does the job boost the confidence of the needy, but it also equips them with useful skills.
Moreover, Unseen Tours also works closely with other organizations that share similar objectives. Together, they organize training programs for guides and signpost them to additional support.
Accomplishments
In 2020, Unseen Tours celebrated its 10th birthday and won a Homeless Link Excellence Award. Since the establishment of Unseen Tours, 24 homeless guides have worked with the organization, holding more than 450 tours with more than 6,500 customers.
Overall, homelessness is a common social issue in different parts of the world. A substantial number of organizations have taken steps to help the homeless. While shelter and financial aid are necessary for homeless people, work opportunities are also valuable because unemployment is one of the core causes of homelessness. Moreover, working allows vulnerable individuals to rebuild their confidence and self-esteem. Unseen Tours has taken a novel approach to combat homelessness and their work should serve as a model for other industrialized nations dealing with homelessness.
– Mimosa Ngai
Photo: Flickr
European Roma Persecution Persists Throughout History
Amid the genocide of 6 million Jewish people during the Holocaust in World War II, there existed a simultaneous, lesser-known genocide. The Roma minority in Europe, known derogatorily as “Gypsies,” also became targets of an extermination campaign between 1933 and 1945, with estimates indicating that the Germans and their partners murdered “between 250,000 and 500,000 European Roma during World War II,” according to the Holocaust Encyclopedia. However, the persecution of the Roma, now a population of about 12 million in Europe, did not begin or end in that period of history. Organizations are making efforts to address ongoing European Roma persecution and promote cultural unity.
History of European Roma Persecution
The plight of the European Roma, who originated as a nomadic group from Northern India, began with their enslavement “in the Romanian principalities of Wallachia and Moldavia” from the 14th to 19th centuries. As slaves or serfs to “noblemen, landowners, monasteries and the state,” the Roma “were sold, bartered, flogged and dehumanized” for their artisanship and labor.
Racial discrimination continued during the World War II genocide and continues now with hate crimes. For instance, in June 2021, roughly a year after police killed George Floyd in the United States, a police officer in the Czech Republic suffocated a homeless Roma man to death.
European Roma Poverty
The Roma’s economic plight escalated during Europe’s socialist era in the 20th century. In former Czechoslovakia, in 1958, authorities outlawed nomadism and pushed the Roma into state-assigned housing, often breaking up extended families. Employment was also limited to unskilled labor. In Hungary in the 1980s, the government declared more than 40% of the Roma as “functionally illiterate” and created segregated schools for them to attend, resulting in crowded and substandard educational classes for the Roma.
A cycle of poverty, poor education and unemployment persisted to a point of systemic destitution. Even after the collapse of the Soviet Union, European governments used the Roma as scapegoats for inflation, unemployment, crime and “scarcity of goods,” further denying the Roma access to government welfare services.
A survey of 34,000 Roma individuals across nine European countries in 2016 indicates that about 80% of the Roma live in conditions of poverty.
Erasure of European Roma Identity
A major obstacle in the European Roma’s fight to improve their social and economic condition is the inability to achieve the legal status of a minority for many years.
In socialist countries in the mid-20th century, many rights for minorities had come from the official declaration of that group as a legal minority. These rights included receiving schooling and media broadcasts in a minority language.
Because of existing stereotypes, as well as unwillingness to bear responsibility for providing for an ethnic minority, countries such as Poland, Romania, Hungary and Czechoslovakia decided to regard Roma as an inferior social group rather than a nationality.
Several nations even made concerted efforts to erase Roma’s identity. For example, in the 1960s in Bulgaria, the government banned the practice of Roma culture, including language, traditional music and dance and Muslim religious practices, perpetuating efforts to eradicate their culture and furthering European Roma persecution.
The Fight for a European Roma Nation
In 1948, the Roma in Yugoslavia began to establish themselves politically and culturally. In Macedonia, the Roma secured seats in the Skopje town council and formed a cultural association, Phralipe (translating to Brotherhood). These stand as the earliest steps to establish a sort of safe space for Romani individuals to ensure their representation and preservation within European society.
The first World Romani Congress took place in 1971 in London, setting a precedent for similar congresses to meet and discuss the establishment of a greater Roma identity. These congresses, which continue today, inspired Roma to embrace their identity, establish their status as a minority diaspora with legal protections and created education programs focused on preserving Roma culture and empowering the Roma community.
Looking Toward the Future
Unfortunately, Romani identity and statehood are not quite enough to lift the minority out of their impoverished and marginalized circumstances. Despite the achievements of the World Romani Congresses, poverty rates of the European Roma remain high and both violence and racism persist.
Unfortunately, empowerment or establishing statehood cannot solve these issues that continue to plague the lives of European Roma alone. Rather, the World Romani Congress must look toward substantive economic solutions to uplift the Roma and alleviate their poverty.
Organizations today continue to work to find solutions to the systemic issues forcing Roma into poverty. The European Roma Rights Center (ERRC) is an organization that European activists and civil rights lawyers founded in the 1990s. The ERRC advocates for “the elimination of discriminatory structures that prevent Roma from enjoying full equality.” In 2016, the organization elected a Romani president, and in 2017, the ERRC had a majority Roma staff.
Organizations, such as the ERRC, are gradually reforming the institutions that perpetuate European Roma persecution and poverty.
– Alisa Gulyansky
Photo: Flickr
Nuclear Radiation in the Marshall Islands
The Marshall Islands lie in the Central Pacific near halfway between U.S. Hawaii and the Philippines. The islands consist of 29 sprawling coral atoll-based and volcanic islands. With a population of only 60,000 people, the islands barely amount to a mere American town. Despite its military presence, the U.S. does not ‘own’ the islands.
The Marshall Islands are tactically important but small and very much underdeveloped, supporting happy, simple lives for many of its occupants. However, today, poor and unhealthy shanty towns are sadly commonplace. The rate of poverty in the Marshall Islands in 2019 was 7.2%.
A plan to develop or rejuvenate the Islands, and particularly heath care, rests on the shoulders of the U.S. The man-made calamity of nuclear radiation in the Marshall Islands is a stark warning to all humankind, of the dangers of nuclear mass destruction in the Pacific proving ground experiment.
Nuclear Damage
During the second world war, the U.S. wrestled the islands away from the Japanese Empire. This was no relief for the inhabitants as “between 1946 and 1958 the U.S. nuclear testing program drenched the Marshall Islands with firepower equaling the energy yield of seven thousand Hiroshima bombs.”
The United States detonated a total of 67 nuclear bombs, some up to seven times more powerful than Little Boy, in the Marshall Islands. Nerje Joseph witnessed the Castle Bravo explosion from the neighboring atoll of Rongelap, an experience that will forever haunt her. Joseph evacuated the island as her hair began to fall out. Almost all those that dwelled on Rongelap that fateful day now have cancer. The locals of Bikini attempted to resettle the atoll in 1969, and nine years later, they evacuated again because the radiation was still too high.
Long Term Damage
In 2010, the National Cancer Institute “suggested that up to 55% of all cancers in the northern atolls are a result of nuclear fallout.” Thyroid cancers are particularly common. Sea life in the Marshall Islands became poisoned, resulting in the need to import processed food, which has in turn led to spiraling diabetes cases.
At the present time, the U.S. has denied calls for compensation on any series level. The United States previously attempted to clean the area up by housing contaminated soil and debris in a concrete tomb known as the Tomb. However, to this day, the contents are leaking out. The Tomb includes domed-in content of 100,000 cubic yards of nuclear waste, some of which comes from as far as the U.S. Nevada testing site. Unfortunately, Washington is now washing its hands clean of the maintenance expense, quite unfairly stating that since the dome is on Marshallese lands, the Marshall Islands, which only has a population of a single American town, ought to pay for it. The Tomb is continuing to leak and become ever more unstable, putting the poor standards of health on the islands at further risk.
The US Commitment
Fortunately for the Marshallese, the U.S. commits to protecting these islands, Bucholz Army Airfield is the military base there. This base actually has missile testing rights potentially until 2086. Regardless, this base at the very least keeps the island safe from external aggressors. As China grows in power, it for one has set its sights on the islands of the pacific. This has more benefits for the Marshallese than one might think.
The U.S. has acted independently to aid the Marshallese in preparation for extreme weather resilience. The Pacific Partnership 2019 was a U.S. commitment to help the Marshall Islands’ readiness for extreme weather disasters, via seminars and preparation. Additionally, this program includes the installation of rainwater-catching infrastructures, such as the one set up at the Long Island elementary school. This reduces the devastating impact of extreme weather, such as drought. The installation presents clear steps to ensure the viability of the military base, yet benefit the locals greatly, for the islands are ever in danger from extreme weather events. Protection against such events is protection against the poverty they inevitably cause.
US Aid to Help in the Aftermath of Nuclear Radiation in the Marshall Islands
Since 2004, the U.S. has gifted $800 million to the islands, equivalent to 70% of the island’s GDP in that same period. The highest employer on the Islands is the Marshallese Government, followed by the mighty U.S army base. In addition to the local government’s budget, the U.S. has allowed for the setting up of two hospitals and 60 medical clinics. Additionally, the U.S. directly pays for the healthcare of the four atolls that the nuclear radiation has most severely affected.
However, for advanced care arising from nuclear radiation, such as late cancer treatment, islanders have to travel to the Philippines as the facilities are lacking in the Marshall Islands. Healthcare improvements are a great opportunity for moral correction, one that is desperately necessary, even outside the realms of radiation poisoning. For example, despite a reduction of 20% in the past 40 years, the child mortality rate is still high at 30.7 per 1,000.
The country’s GDP has more than doubled in the past 20 years. About 0.9% of the Islanders live in absolute poverty as of 2019 or about the same level as Spain, a developed European nation. Development, reducing health poverty and righting wrongs are very much achievable and it feels with the right push, hope for the Marshallese could be just around the corner. The difficulties that arose from nuclear radiation in the Marshall Islands can become a thing of the past and the Marshallese can work on developing their sublime islands without this plague if those proven wrongs are put right.
– William Fletcher
Photo: Flickr
The Ban on Products Made With Forced Labor in the EU
The ultimate goal of forced labor is to obtain cheap labor for a considerable profit margin. For reference, the annual profit from forced labor practices in Africa, the poorest continent in the world, was $13.1 billion in 2014. Meanwhile, the annual profit per victim of forced labor in Africa was $3,900. The EU recently motioned for novel legislation within the union to address and aid the issue in Europe. For reference, the annual profit from forced labor in the EU was $46.9 billion in 2014, while the annual profit per victim of forced labor was $34,800.
About Forced Labor
Forced labor is the involuntary coercion of individuals into providing employment for fraudulent services. Approximately 27.6 million people across the globe are victims of forced labor. Forced labor traffickers generally target vulnerable groups of people in need of work and money. Those with language barriers, unsettled immigration statuses, disabilities, large debt or those living in great poverty make for basic forced labor targets because they are highly susceptible to manipulation. There are several sectors of forced labor that individuals may be subject to. For example, sexual exploitation, labor exploitation, agriculture and domestic work are all sectors of forced labor. Moreover, all sectors of forced labor feature a power imbalance between the employee and employer. Often, employers will threaten or intimidate workers through physical or sexual violence or; for example, by withholding important documents.
The EU’s Proposed Legislation
On September 14, 2022, the European Union proposed a ban on all goods made via forced labor throughout the 27 nations under its jurisdiction. The rule would mandate that all goods made with forced labor at any point in the supply chain – imported or domestic – would not be allowed for sale in EU nations. The committee plans to launch an international campaign in which EU customs authorities would detain all products made with forced labor at EU borders. Furthermore, at the domestic level, the EU plans to include the immediate withdrawal of all products that use any degree of forced labor for their production. They also plan to comprehensively investigate all forced labor risks submitted by civil society by operating a database of forced labor risks focusing on specific products and geographic areas.
Why This is Important
If this proposal is agreed upon, it should be implemented and applied throughout the EU in just two years. This is an incredibly important global advancement regarding the practice of forced labor because it will essentially make it completely unprofitable in EU nations. Seeing as how it is the second most profitable region in terms of forced labor in the world, the EU’s enactment of this legislation will work to discourage the practice globally. Additionally, this can potentially impose political pressure on other nations to take action regarding their forced labor policies, which will contribute to a global decrease in the issue. By encouraging the ban of these products, the EU is enabling millions of people who are already subject to poverty, to escape additional abuse.
– Aarika Sharma
Photo: Flickr
Board Games Educating People about Poverty and Inequality
Historically, many board game ideas come from an idea about social or moral issues. For example, Monopoly was designed to teach people about financial difficulties such as finding affordable rent and paying taxes. Board games also help people develop real-work skills such as creativity, the ability to plan and prepare and empathy. Board games can even teach social activism. By overcoming adversity in board games such as Peacemaker, players grab hold of newfound mental tools that help them achieve success for their own causes. One truly noteworthy cause that some board games focus on is global poverty.
Across the World
Poverty is defined as living on less than $1.90 a day. The United States falls in the lower quarter of countries in terms of its poverty level. Most of the countries in the top quarter having the highest poverty levels have percentages in poverty that are more than 50%. South Sudan has the highest poverty level of 82.3% with Equatorial Guinea following close behind.
The highest poverty levels are located in Africa. For example, sub-Saharan Africa is the poorest region in the world. Of the 430 million people living there, 40% are recorded as living in extreme poverty as of 2018. Countries with the resources to help others have come together to form organizations such as the United Nations, World Bank and the European Nations to help these people in need.
Playing a board game helps people develop the skills and empathetic mindset to support organizations that are already addressing these issues. There are several examples of board games that even go as far as to address global poverty and social inequality specifically.
Development Monopoly
Multiple versions of Monopoly have undergone development. Development Monopoly is one version that focuses on raising awareness of poverty levels and inequality in developing countries. The board game revolves around the idea that not all individuals are born with the same privileges and opportunities. Players must negotiate and compromise depending upon their socio-economic group.
In original studies at universities in Belgium, students from different nationalities such as European, Asian and Latin American had the assignment of developing rules for Monopoly based on developing countries. Each time a new game began, the rules changed. In the second game, the players designed the rules around wealthier countries. The diversity of the nationalities involved forced the students to learn more about their fellow players and the poverty issues facing their homelands.
Players received salaries as a percentage. For example, a rich player may receive an 80% higher salary than a poor player. The advantages given to the rich and middle class allowed them to dominate and control the poor. The board game revealed that the rich players did not seem to mind taking advantage of the poor. After the games were completed, students were then asked how the rules of the game could be made to be pro-poor.
The Perspectivity Challenge
The Perspectivity Collective has also launched multiple poverty-related games. Notably, the Perspectivity Collective is a partnership of a dozen professionals who have lived and worked in areas such as Europe, the Middle East, Africa and more with polarized groups. The Collective’s goal is to foster social innovation and teach people how to navigate the difficulties and complexities of life.
One solution it developed is called the Perspectivity Challenge. The players play on one board that represents the world and navigate the game based on various challenges. These challenges focus on issues related to climate, food, human security, decision-making and more. The Food Challenge focuses on malnutrition and food availability and affordability, which are poverty related to the issue of global poverty. The goal of The Food Challenge is to develop and manage a country that can feed an entire population. Each player represents a different country and all must work together in order to prevent starvation.
This board game addresses the poverty issues of starvation, malnutrition and being able to feed one’s family. Players learn about the importance of world collaboration. It takes every country being invested in ending world hunger to be successful. This game is offered in multiple languages and has been played all around the world in countries such as the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, the United States, China, Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, India, Singapore and Manila. People at the World Bank in Washington even played it to help leaders learn collaboration and planning skills.
Ending Global Poverty
While amidst a continuing fear of the recent pandemic and a newfound necessity to find fun ways to entertain at home, a board game is a great way to educate people about the issue of poverty. Board games will always appeal to large masses of all kinds of people across the globe and can be used to reignite empathy for those around us who are struggling.
– Tara Boehringer
Photo: Unsplash
Niamey 2000 Provides a Homelessness Solution in Niger
There is a strong need for a homelessness solution in Niger and a housing solution like the Niamey 2000 might just be it. Several facts about Niger provide some insight as to why the Niamey 2000 project began in the first place.
5 Facts About Niger
Niamey 2000
An article written by ArchDaily explains that Niamey, the capital of Niger, has more than 1 million residents and most of the population lives in conditions of poverty. The city is experiencing rapid urbanization, with an expected population increase of 5% annually until 2030.
Because the country is landlocked, it is difficult, “expensive and unsustainable” to continue using popular construction materials, like concrete, for the building of homes. Recognizing the need for affordable housing, Nigerian architect Mariam Kamara led the Niamey 2000 housing project with her design firm, United4Design. The project reached completion in 2016.
The Niamey 2000 is an affordable multi-family housing development spanning 18,000 square feet. Kamara and the team designed the project to specifically address Niamey’s housing crisis while also meeting the needs and wants of the people of Niamey.
Practicality and Desirability
The building utilizes a material called compressed earth block (CEB), which consists of clay and sand. CEBs are more resistant to the elements and natural disasters and help keep the inside of homes cool in warm climates. CEBs are also more cost-effective and environmentally friendly than conventional concrete because of the natural materials and the fact that the bricks do not require importing. Not only are these blocks cheaper and more sustainable but the manufacturing process creates jobs for laborers in Niamey.
The housing development minimizes urban sprawl while conserving space. High-rise buildings and apartments do not fit the culture and norms of Niamey, therefore, the project chose to build only a few stories high.
The Future of Housing in Niamey
The Niamey 2000 project received a 2017 R+D Award from Architect Magazine for its potential to “bring relief to the region’s housing crisis while respecting locals preferences in residential design.” In addition, Niamey 2000 made the shortlist for the 2022 Aga Khan Award for Architecture.
Finding a comprehensive homelessness solution in Niger is no easy feat but innovative ideas like the Niamey 2000 project will no doubt lead to more progress.
– Ava Ronning
Photo: Flickr
UniCredit’s Financial Assistance
There is an impending financial crisis in Italy due to rising energy costs in Europe. Energy costs are causing rising prices and inflation rates, and the Italian bank UniCredit announced in early September that it was initiating up to €8 billion ($9.3 billion) in measures aimed at halting the economic downturn. Along with the promised measures, UniCredit’s financial assistance will offer 400,000 homeowners the opportunity to refinance mortgages.
Rising Energy Prices and Inflation in Italy
UniCredit has taken these steps because Italy is fighting soaring prices and climbing inflation rates. The rising prices are due to the energy crisis tearing through Europe as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Italy is one of the more Russian gas-reliant nations in Europe, second only to Germany. By the end of 2022, it is estimated that Italy will be spending €100 billion ($99.5 billion) on its natural gas imports. Because Italy imports at least three-quarters of its power, the country is likely to suffer economically as the European energy crisis worsens.
The limits Russia has implemented on its oil and natural gas exports have forced nations to pay incredibly high prices for the resources. The limited exports are due to the conflict in Ukraine. Sanctions on Russian oil have caused an overwhelming increase in oil prices. The latest issue to add to the rising oil costs is the closure of Nord Stream 1, one of Russia’s primary pipelines throughout Europe. The reasoning has been that there was a potential leak in the pipeline, but there has been no progress in repairing the leak nor have any estimates been given on its reopening. The closure has left Russia downsizing its exports, resulting in gas prices in Europe increasing by 28%. These increased costs are causing many European currencies to lose value and inflation rates to rise.
Italy’s inflation rate in August had increased by 8.4% over the year before, which marked a 37-year high. Higher inflation tends to lead to less output and production, which Italians have witnessed already. A decrease in output results in a decrease in minimum wages, effectively sliding many workers into poverty. UniCredit is fighting to avoid any increase in Italian poverty, which is why UniCredit’s measures could not have come at a better time.
Mortgage Payments and Poverty in Italy
UniCredit’s financial assistance comes when Italian mortgage rates are rising, with recently established mortgages more expensive than in previous years. Mortgages with variable rates are suffering from the pressures on the housing market and are increasing so companies and banks are able to keep pace with inflation and the market. If homeowners cannot keep pace with the rising rates or high mortgages, they will likely default on their loans, and the banks could repossess their homes.
In 2020, economic activity dropped. As activity decreased, and before the government disbursed subsidies or the economy shifted to work-from-home economic activity, there were fears of being unable to pay one’s mortgage. According to a survey taken in the spring of 2020, 65% said they would probably be alright. However, a third of the respondents said they would definitely or most likely have difficulty paying their mortgages. This fear has not entirely gone away.
Extreme poverty followed many Italians like a shadow due to the COVID-19 pandemic. By mid-2022, 5.6 million Italian people were in absolute poverty. UniCredit’s measures may help to keep that number from increasing.
UniCredit’s Financial Assistance
UniCredit’s issuing of €8 billion in new loans to cover energy costs and pausing payments will allow millions to re-navigate their finances before surging energy bills and new force them into poverty. A three-month break means enough time to properly refinance a mortgage and get it back in order before payments re-commence. UniCredit’s goal is to help its Italian customers navigate the rising inflation and energy costs, keep customers unburdened from their mortgages and keep the economy working smoothly.
Pauses, more formally called “forbearances,” in mortgage payments have several upsides. The critical thing to remember is that even though the payments are temporarily suspended, there is still an obligation to pay the loans. The homeowner does not need to make mortgage payments during the window of the forbearance but must make them later – usually after the closure of the initial mortgage payment window.
UniCredit’s financial assistance is coming at a crucial time, as the limited gas exports and mounting energy bills are beginning to cause panic in Europe. The Italian government has responded by releasing its stimulus packages earlier in 2022 to generate financial stability for its citizens. In conjunction with UniCredit’s work, the two can help keep Italians out of poverty by creating an economic flow that Italy has struggled to achieve since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
– Clara Mulvihill
Photo: Flickr
Ebola Outbreak in Uganda
About 41% of Uganda’s population lives in poverty in 2022. The Ebola outbreak in Uganda has put the region of central Uganda at an even greater risk.
Ebola in Uganda
The Ebola outbreak in Uganda occurred in September 2022. In October 2022, the Ugandan Ministry of Health reported 43 cases and 29 deaths due to the rare Sudan strain of Ebola which can have up to a 90% mortality rate. However, outbreaks may now become less of a problem in Uganda as a consequence of the rest of the world’s increasing pandemic preparedness in the wake of COVID-19.
Previously, Uganda was not able to fortify its healthcare system due to a lack of support and funding. As a result, when this rare strain of Ebola began to attack several districts in the country, Uganda did not have the infrastructure necessary to appropriately contain it. One can see this as a clear indicator that countries like Uganda are still in need of a lot of help, especially from countries like the United States. Patients that have or are suspected of having Ebola also often are diagnosed with malaria which is another sign of people who are in need of assistance.
Uganda’s poverty rate has been climbing for the last decade due to a lack of infrastructure and economic growth. This has made it more difficult to effectively fight against the Ebola outbreak. Uganda does not have enough trained personnel in order to service all of the infected individuals.
Outside Impact
Organizations like Doctors Without Borders have stepped in, erecting temporary hospitals, to provide initial emergency assistance. Meanwhile, on October 6, 2022, USAID donated materials in order to help treat patients who have contracted the disease. It has deployed supplies in a timely manner in hopes that the spread does not get any worse and impact Uganda even more.
The quickness and severity of this outbreak are signs of larger struggles that the country is having when it comes to its economy and healthcare systems. There has been a noticeable response from within and outside of the country but if efforts do not keep up, the effects of this outbreak may only become worse and more noticeable in this community.
USAID, by way of the World Health Organization (WHO), has also provided support to Uganda by providing three viral hemorrhagic fever kits to help combat the spread of Ebola and an assortment of PPE to ensure the safety of all individuals in the area. These supplies have proven invaluable to the efforts of slowing this outbreak and continued support will likely be necessary for a while.
Looking Ahead
Uganda does have experience fighting outbreaks similar in nature to this one as it fought an Ebola outbreak in 2019 and completely contained it in less than a year. Hope exists that with that experience, they will be able to have the situation under control in less time than that and Ugandans will be able to return to normalcy.
– Alex Peterson
Photo: Flickr