Archive for category: Developing Countries

Information and stories about developing countries.

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The Long-Lasting Effects of Education in Conflict Zones

Education in Conflict ZonesOne of humanity’s most fundamental rights, the right to an education, is also often one of the first to suffer during times of disaster or war. Conflict can result in children becoming orphaned, being pressured into joining the armed forces, marrying young and becoming victims of sexual or violent abuse. UNICEF reported in April that 25 million children aged six to 15 are missing out on an education in conflict zones across 22 countries.

Many affected families flee their homes in pursuit of an education for their children as well, braving violent odds to become refugees. A UNICEF survey found that one in three parents or guardians in Greece cited better education opportunities as the reason why they left their country for Europe.

“At no time is education more important than in times of war,” stated to Josephine Bourne, Chief of Education for UNICEF. “Without education, how will children reach their full potential and contribute to the future and stability of their families, communities and economies?” UNICEF works in affected countries to ensure that displaced children receive an education in conflict zones, training teachers, rehabilitating schools and delivering supplies. The organization and its partners work in 190 countries and territories today, with a focus on children in the most vulnerable settings.

The combination of a lack of social skills, lack of education and loss of hope and happiness stemming from growing up in a conflict area often create conditions for radicalized refugee children. They may find it difficult to resist joining their country’s armed forces. Many Syrian children, for example, would rather receive a $400 monthly salary to join the war rather than work long hours for $10 a day at a shoe factory.

Governments and their people prioritize necessities like food, shelter and water during times of war over education. But without a substantial education, children grow up without the essential knowledge needed to contribute to a peaceful, economically and politically stable society. A suspension of education in conflict zones is responsible for the loss of entire generations of productive members of society, forced to be soldiers instead of scientists and child-brides instead of teachers.

– Katherine Gallagher

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What Makes Effective Foreign Aid Policy?

Effective Foreign AidForeign aid policy can be confusing. Some claim that all foreign aid is useless, while others say it is the only thing our government should fund. All of this is overwhelming, and can drive people away from advocating for aid policies altogether. But choosing which NGO to donate to or which policy to ask your senator to support doesn’t have to be hard. Effective foreign aid policy is out there. By asking these three simple questions, you can spot good policies.

1. Is this policy collaborative?

Effective foreign aid policy is always based around collaboration. Aid organizations and donor governments should constantly be in conversation with aid recipients. Recipients should be able to give feedback on which parts of the aid are working and which parts are not. Most importantly, the people receiving aid should be actively involved in making decisions about the distribution of aid. Collaborating with the people you are trying to help is common sense. People on the ground know better than anyone what will help them succeed and thrive. By making aid collaboration focused, recipients have a bigger stake in the outcomes of aid. They will fight to achieve whatever outcomes the NGO or donor government are working towards.

Aid policies are too often structured to the recipients of aid as passive objects, not active participants. But, as the American Enterprise Institute puts it, “collaboration seems virtually essential for a sustained engagement that brings benefits valued by all.”

2. Is this policy sustainable?

In recent years, many NGOs have adopted ‘band-aid’ policies when it comes to foreign aid. This type of policy includes things like giving out food and medicine to countries affected by disaster.

In the short term, this kind of aid is vital. But in the long term, it can be crippling. For example, after the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, NGOs and governments mobilized to provide disaster relief. For the first few months after the earthquake, this aid saved thousands of lives. But now, seven years after the earthquake, many NGOs and governments are still providing disaster relief. For example, instead of helping the Haitian government build hospitals, NGOs treat people themselves. These ‘band-aid’ policies do not allow Haiti to become self-reliant. They focus too much on the present and lack vision for the future. The result is a Haitian economy that relies heavily on foreign aid.

The most effective foreign aid policy is top-down. Aid policies that focuses on broad, structural changes have the greatest impact. When deciding which foreign aid policy to subscribe to, consider its sustainability. Ask: will whatever service this policy provides be able to continue without support from the NGO or donor government? Is it focused on building sustainable structures of government, or just helping individual people? These questions will help you ascertain the sustainability of whatever policy you’re considering.

3. Is this policy transparent?

Transparency is a must for both NGOs and donor governments. They should always disclose the money put towards certain aid policies and how that money was spent. The NGOs and donor government initiatives you support should have clear benchmarks that are easily measurable and updated regularly. These acts of transparency put the power in the hands of both the recipients and supporters of aid policies. It assures accountability and maximizes the impact of the aid.

Did you answer yes to all these questions? If so, the policy you’re considering supporting is probably an effective foreign aid policy. So support it! Being an advocate for the global poor is both gratifying and deeply important work. Asking these questions ensures that the policies you end up advocating for do a world of good.

– Adesuwa Agbonile

Photo: Flickr

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The Link Between Medical Care and Alleviation of Poverty

New studies have found a strong link between access to medical care and the alleviation of poverty. Authors of the research claim that improved healthcare in especially vulnerable regions can help lift people out of impoverishment. They argue that disease can act as a “poverty trap”: individuals who are sick are less likely to work and make money, thus reducing their chances of social mobility. Furthermore, breadwinners with sick family members often have to pay medical expenses or transportation costs, which increases the economic burden on their backs, perpetuating their poverty.

The relationship between bad health and poverty can be a vicious cycle. The poor are often unable to afford what is needed to maintain good health for themselves and their family members. Impoverished areas also routinely suffer from a lack of information on healthy practices and people who promote social services for health-related issues. This leads to a deterioration of the community’s health and, consequently, the perpetuation of poverty in it.

Researchers argue that good medical care and alleviation of poverty come hand in hand. They are advocating for policies which increase the accessibility of healthcare and improve its quality. This has a dual effect on a nation’s well being: not only does it keep its population healthy, but it helps to lift them out of poverty and thus stimulates the economy. The authors of these studies point to Rwanda as a success story for this type of policy.

Beginning in 2005, the Rwandan government partnered with a variety of international organizations to help improve and extend access to healthcare throughout the nation for all of its citizens The results have been astounding. In the last decade, the country has experienced the greatest drop in deaths associated with HIV in the world — 78 percent. Mortality rates of children under 5 fell 65 percent in the same period. Between 2005 and 2010, more than 1 million Rwandans lifted themselves out of poverty. Life expectancy in the country has risen from 48 to 58.

Although keeping populations healthy is a good enough motive to improve healthcare, the extremely strong correlation between better medical care and alleviation of poverty should be an added motivation for governments and the international community to pursue these policies. The findings of these studies will hopefully help shed light on the importance of good healthcare in impoverished regions of the world.

– Alan Garcia-Ramos

Photo: Flickr

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Hunger in French Polynesia Less Critical Than Nutrition

As a scenic collection of islands sitting in the South Pacific, French Polynesia is known for its breathtaking ocean views and sandy beaches. French Polynesia has a population of about 280,000, and the country’s GDP annual growth is approximately four percent. The value added to the country’s GDP for agriculture is approximately five percent. While the image of resort life makes food insecurity seem like a non-issue, hunger in French Polynesia presents a challenge to the country’s lower class, and issues of nutrition plague most of its residents.

According to a report from the World Health Organization, issues of hunger in French Polynesia can mainly be attributed to issues of nutrition. Anemia, iodine deficiencies and vitamin A deficiencies are common nutritional issues in the country, according to the report. Anemia was found to mostly affect pregnant women and children. According to the report, of the pregnant women attending antenatal consultations in 2000, approximately 60 percent were suffering from anemia. Of 107 children surveyed in 1997, approximately 43 percent had anemia. Further studies in 2001 and 2002 showed a growing prevalence of anemia in school children.

One area in respect to nutrition that has seen improvement is infant feeding. According to the report, approximately 81 percent of infants were breastfed at birth in 2000. In the following years, this percentage grew, and the percentage of infants who were exclusively breastfed grew from five percent in 1997 to 19 percent in 2001.

Hunger in French Polynesia is viewed as a less critical problem in the country in comparison to issues of nutrition, though it is still a prominent challenge for low-income families.

According to data from Trading Economics, the depth of hunger in kilocalories for those living in French Polynesia is about 150. This means that the depth of hunger is relatively low, though it tends to have a greater effect on lower-class citizens.

– Leah Potter

Photo: Flickr

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3 Strategies for Reducing Corruption in Developing Countries

Reducing CorruptionIn 2013, World Bank President Jim Yong Kim declared corruption as “public enemy number one” in developing countries. And this isn’t hyperbole, as corruption slows or stalls development. Public money allocated for healthcare or education ends up in the pockets of already wealthy officials. Corruption is also an excuse to justify not spending more on international aid. Here are three strategies for reducing corruption developing countries can employ:

  1. Make Bureaucracies More Efficient
    Corruption thrives when government officials can take advantage of inefficient bureaucracies. Poorly managed public sectors with complex regulations make sidestepping rules easy for these officials. Reducing corruption means, above all, streamlining bureaucracy. This can be done in multiple ways.Some studies suggest that simply condensing agencies reduces corruption. Smaller agencies with smaller amounts of personnel reduces the opportunity for them to collect bribes. Another strategy is to make tax codes easy to understand and computerize simple procedures. In Senegal, these two measures alone reduced fraud within the public sector by 85 percent.
  2. Make Elections More Transparent
    Corrupt government officials can usually find ways to stay in office. And citizens can vote for re-election without realizing how corrupt their representatives are. Making elections more transparent can have an impact on this trend.In Delhi, India, a randomly selected pool of citizens was given ‘report cards’ of officials running for office. These ‘report cards’ had information on the qualifications and past performance of candidates. In the areas where citizens had the report cards, the quality of governance increased. Delhi is a perfect case study in the power of transparent elections. When citizens understand who they’re voting for, they can make better decisions. That leads to better government, with less corruption.
  3. Increase Civic Education
    Voters don’t just need to understand who people they’re electing to office. They also need to have a broad understanding of what that official is doing while in office. Civic education is vital to this goal. Giving citizens of developing countries the tools to understand their political rights is key to reducing corruption.Researchers confirmed this in Uganda. In their study, citizens were provided with information about the hijacking of public funds by local officials. Due to this information campaign, public officials stopped redirecting public funds to their private bank accounts. Consequently, there was an increase in money that reached schools. This led to more children attending school. Giving citizens access to information they deserve gives them a voice. And when it comes to reducing corruption, their voices are the most important.

Corruption is prevalent in a majority of developing countries, but it doesn’t have to stay that way. Reducing corruption is an achievable goal. To jumpstart the process, developing countries must examine and streamline their government agencies. Citizens in these countries must have the information they need to make informed decisions. And after they make the decision, they must hold their elected officials accountable.

This is work that’s easier said than done. But organizations like the World Bank have already begun work on these problems, and U.S. citizens can call their representatives and ask for the U.S. to take a bigger role in tackling these issues. Corruption is one of the last barriers preventing developing countries to become developed. But with these strategies, soon it could be a thing of the past.

– Adesuwa Agbonile
Photo: Flickr

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Three Interesting Causes of Poverty in Bulgaria

Poverty in BulgariaBulgaria is situated on the Black Sea, to the north of Turkey and Greece and to the south of Romania and Serbia. This country’s location on the Black Sea and on the Danube River provides a beautiful, picturesque landscape. Not as beautiful is the fact that Bulgaria has been named the most unhappy country in the EU.

It is no coincidence, then, that Bulgaria has some of the highest poverty rates in the EU. The most recent data from Eurostat reports that in 2015, about 41.3 percent of Bulgaria’s 7.4 million citizens were at risk of poverty or social exclusion – the highest percentage in the EU. Bulgaria also reported the highest rate of material deprivation in the EU, with 34.2 percent of the population being materially deprived. The elderly and children bear the highest risk for social exclusion and poverty in Bulgaria, at rates of 51.8 percent and 43.7 percent, respectively.

What drives poverty in Bulgaria? Here are three causes that should help shed some light on Bulgaria’s poverty rate, and why it is therefore rated such an unhappy country.

Corruption

Bulgaria has been perceived as the most corrupt country in the EU. The European Commission reported that tackling high-level corruption and organized crime are the biggest challenges in Bulgaria. There is a pervasive lack of autonomy and transparency in Bulgaria’s judicial system. Several political officers have been known to take bribes, which is a driving force in Bulgaria’s government and economy.

Corruption comes at a price for Bulgaria’s international relationships. In 2008, the European Commission temporarily suspended hundreds of millions of euros in EU aid to Bulgaria, over concerns of corruption and organized crime. Additionally, corruption is a barrier to doing business in Bulgaria. This barrier is problematic, as opportunity and access to international business and trade in Bulgaria could create more jobs and open up Bulgaria to receiving foreign aid.

When Bulgaria joined the EU in 2007, many Bulgarians hoped that EU membership would ameliorate the corruption in their government. Unfortunately, these problems in Bulgaria’s government still persist.

Pension

Bulgaria has the lowest average pension in Europe, at the equivalent of €160 a month; Bulgaria’s currency is the lev, which is €0.51. Most Bulgarians, however, receive less than the equivalent €160. In 2016, the majority of pensioners in Bulgaria – 60 percent – received the equivalent of €150, forcing them to live below the poverty line. One quarter of Bulgarian pensioners receive the minimum pension of the equivalent of €80 per month – the lowest in the EU. According to the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions of Bulgaria, a Bulgarian would need to receive the equivalent of €290 per month to lead a “normal life”.

Transition out of Communism

Is it a possibility that the quality of life in Bulgaria was better during communism?

Bulgaria was not a member of the Soviet Union, but it was a satellite state under a communist regime. During the communist regime, Bulgarians received free healthcare, free higher education, maternity and disability benefits and pensions. Even the poorest Bulgarians, the Romas, had jobs, collected social security and enjoyed an acceptable standard of living.

After communism was abolished in Bulgaria, the U.S. encouraged a market economy and multi-party democracy. Since transitioning out of communism, however, Bulgaria has faced a corrupt government and stunning rates of poverty.

Despite a bleak outlook on poverty and on life in general in Bulgaria, there is hope. Bulgaria’s economy is largely dominated by the service sector, and not by the agriculture sector, as is common for countries facing high rates of poverty. Therefore, Bulgaria is already a step ahead in stabilizing its economy. Furthermore, Bulgaria’s memberships in international organizations such as the EU and Nato will help secure valuable foreign relations and trade partnerships. Ultimately, however, the key to tackling poverty in Bulgaria will lie in overcoming corruption, which requires a tremendous effort from Bulgaria.

– Christiana Lano

Photo: Pixabay

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Problems of Human Rights in the Bahamas

Human Rights in the BahamasThe Bahamas is a chain of islands located in the northern Atlantic Ocean with great historical significance. The islands first became a British colony in 1783, slightly over a century after British settlement of the islands began. The Bahamas gained its independence in the late 20th century. Since that time, the Bahamas has thrived thanks to a few very fruitful industries such as tourism. The nearly 330,000 people who populate the Bahamas are ruled by a parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy.

One blemish on this nation’s record is its substandard record on human rights, particularly in the areas of immigrants and prison and detention center conditions.

The 2015 United States Department of State’s report on human rights in the Bahamas concluded that several different types of human rights problems do in fact exist.

The report states that poor treatment of irregular migrants exacerbated by issues in processing them is an issue needing attention. Haitian immigrants to the region, for example, have been detained by Bahamian authorities and kept in custody until proper arrangements were made for them to exit the country or legally stay.

The Bahamian and Haitian governments have taken measures to alleviate the problem, but their solution has brought its own problems with it. The Bahamian government required that non-Bahamian citizens must carry legal documents with them beginning in the fall of 2014. However, outcry poured in from certain international organizations that enforcement of this law was applied unfairly to those of Haitian descent, along with several other complaints. Perhaps the most disturbing accusation of the abuse of human rights in the Bahamas came in the form of reports claiming that “immigration officials physically abused persons as they were being detained and that officials solicited and accepted bribes to avoid detention or secure release,” according to the State Department’s report.

To make matters even worse, the places where these people are being held is substandard. Prison and detention centers did not meet international standards, and overcrowding is a major issue at the government’s only prison.

This data suggests that human rights in the Bahamas are not as well protected as they need to be. In the future, more work must be done by the local and international communities to ensure the better enforcement of human rights in the Bahamas.

– Adam Braunstein

Photo: Google

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Working to Lower the Increasing Poverty Rate in Albania

Poverty Rate in AlbaniaAlbania is a country located on the Balkan Peninsula with a large coastline facing the Adriatic Sea. The country has a Muslim majority due to the continued influence of the Ottoman Empire, which controlled the country for centuries. After World War II, Albania became a communist state. It was only in 1990 that the country became a democratic country. Although this shift was beneficial for human rights in the country, the dramatic change has negatively impacted the poverty rate in Albania.

When Albania shifted from a communist country to a democratic one, the GDP of the country saw a sharp decline. Between the years 1990 and 1992, the country’s GDP dropped from $2.1 billion to $709 million. In recent years, the GDP has been growing at around three percent per year, and, in 2013, the GDP growth was measured to be 3.5 percent.

This dramatic shift in GDP caused many living in the country during the communist rule to leave the country for more prosperous European states. The dramatic change in GDP also caused the poverty rate in Albania to increase.

The last time the incidence of poverty had been measured was in 2012, and at that time 14.3 percent of the population was living under conditions of extreme poverty. This change was a vast improvement to the 25.4 percent of people living in poverty in 2002. However, Albania has seen a recent increase in its poverty rate at the beginning of the 2010s. Many of these people tend to live in the mountainous regions, where economic investment does not make sense to many businesses.

Many who explore the country see the nation’s beautiful scenery and natural beauty. However, many people visiting fail to see the hidden poverty in the nation. Many citizens who live in the mountainous regions of the country struggle to put food on their tables every day and the towns they live in lack thriving businesses to create economic activity.

There is hope for the people struggling with the high poverty rate in Albania, despite its recent increases. World Vision is a nongovernmental organization working within the nation to help the most vulnerable of people in Albania. The organization strives to provide sponsorship opportunities, educational outlets, healthcare and economic development in the towns most affected by the shift to a democratically led government. This work done by World Vision, as well as the rising GDP in Albania, is likely to help keep the poverty rate in Albania from rising any further.

– Nick Beauchamp

Photo: Flickr

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Countries Most Affected By Hurricanes

Countries Most Affected By HurricanesA tropical cyclone is a low-pressure weather phenomenon that can have surface winds of over 39 mph. When a storm has winds that get sustained over 74 mph, it becomes a hurricane. Hurricanes begin in the Atlantic basin and then less frequently in the central Pacific Ocean. These storms have devastating effects on the regions that they pass over and often destroy infrastructure and cause economic difficulties. Discussed below are the countries most affected by hurricanes and the damage they have endured.

 

Top 3 Countries Most Affected By Hurricanes

 

China

China is a country that suffers from hurricanes because its typhoon season lasts all year. The strongest recorded hurricane in China was named Typhoon Rammasun. It made landfall in Southern China and had winds of 160 mph when it hit the country in 2014. Since 1970, there have been over 127 hurricanes that have reached the mainland of China. They have caused significant damage to the country’s developing economy.

The United States

The United States has a hurricane season that lasts from June 1st to November 30th. The strongest hurricane that the U.S. has dealt with hit in 1935 and was called the Labor Day Hurricane. The storm had winds that reached about 185 mph and made landfall in the Florida Keys and the Florida Everglades. Since 1970, there have been 63 hurricane landfalls in the U.S. However, due to the United States’ strong economy and government support, there has been no lasting damage to the nation.

Cuba

Cuba has a hurricane season that also extends between June 1st and November 30th. The strongest hurricane that hit the country took place in 1924 and was called the Cuba Hurricane. The hurricane had minds over 165 mph and mostly hit Western Cuba as it traveled up north towards the U.S. Cuba has had 79 recorded hurricane landfalls since 1970 and continues to deal with them to this day.

 

Working to Prevent Further Damage

 

As time and technology have progressed, there has been much progress in predicting hurricanes in the countries most affected by hurricanes. Meteorologists can now predict weather patterns before they occur, allowing governments the time to evacuate regions about to be hit by an intense storm.

On top of this ability to predict weather patterns, meteorologists now have figured out when recurring hurricanes are expected to hit regions of the world. This prediction allows more people to evacuate before the storm hits.

As technologies improve and weather can be predicted further in advance, the countries most affected by hurricanes now have the tools to deal with these intense storms. Although the weather cannot get changed with the current technology available, the countries most affected by hurricanes can now foresee when they are going to get struck by a storm. This ability to predict the future has the potential to save numerous lives.

– Nick Beauchamp

Photo: Flickr

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Why Is Armenia Poor?

Why Is Armenia PoorLocated in West Asia, Armenia is a landlocked country with approximately 3 million people. From 2004 to 2015, the poverty rate in Armenia declined by 44 percent. Unfortunately, the country continues to struggle despite this improvement. The Asian Development Bank reports about 30 percent of Armenians are still surviving below poverty lines. Below are statistics that might answer the question: “Why is Armenia poor?”

  1. The first answer behind “why is Armenia poor?” has roots in the global economic crisis of 2008. This disaster delayed Armenia’s progress towards ending poverty. During the crisis, the country suffered a 5.9 percent economic recession and only 6.9 percent annual GDP growth. It wasn’t until 2013 that Armenia began to see small improvements with economic development. Today, growth exists, but it is very slow, with a GDP gain of about 3 percent.
  2. According to the Armenian Poverty Profile conducted from 2008 to 2015, the risk of poverty appears to be directly related to household size. This is because larger households have more children. In Armenia, homes with three or more children below 6 years of age have a 60 percent risk of experiencing poverty.
  3. In comparison to male-headed households, female-headed households are more likely to be poor. Almost 30 percent of the poor population resides in a female-headed home. This simply means that women can not support their families when they are the only source of income.
  4. People with higher education are less likely to be poor in Armenia. The poverty rate is the lowest among those with tertiary education. The rate was around 1.8 times lower than the national average for the population over 16 years of age in 2015.
  5. The final answer to “why is Armenia poor?” relates to labor markets. Lack of employment increases the risk of being poor or extremely poor. In 2015, the poverty rate among households with no employed members was 35.2 percent. This was 6.5 percentage points higher than the national average.

Armenia is in an endless battle to defeat poverty due to five main facts. These include the global economic crisis, larger households, female-run homes, lack of education and high unemployment rates. The country has been working with the World Bank to identify key challenges and opportunities associated with reducing Armenia’s poverty rates. Participation from this organization provides hope for sustainable growth, shared prosperity and poverty reduction in Armenia.

– Emilee Wessel

Photo: Pixabay