Archive for category: Education

Information and stories on education.

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The Dangerous Ideology of North Korea 

dangerous ideology of North Korea The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea has remained an enigma on the world stage for decades. The Kim dynasty, which has ruled since September 1948, transformed the economic outlook of the country with its oppressive and totalitarian regime. The unstable, elusive and dangerous ideology of North Korea makes it increasingly difficult for foreign aid to promote social, economic and political progress.

The Destructive Nature of Juche

North Korea’s unique ideology, coined ‘juche’ by the late Supreme Leader Kim Il-Sung, is a set of beliefs that focuses on self-reliance and finding strength without foreign assistance. In 1982, the revised Constitution accepted this as its authoritative doctrine. By adopting this isolationist ideology, North Korea’s inadequate economic planning soon plunged large portions of its population into extreme poverty and contributed to the deaths of millions from famine.

While the damage of juche is difficult to measure, its endorsement exacerbated the devastating North Korean famine of the 1990s as juche disregarded the potentiality of foreign aid to relieve the effects of the disaster.

As North Korea continued its isolation, the government’s distribution of the food supply began to favor the political and social elites rather than the majority of the population. In addition, the climate and land quality in the country was inadequate and when fuel aid from the USSR ceased, North Korea was unable to continue producing the fertilizer that helped its land provide higher crop yields. The subsequent famine killed millions.

The Inequality of Songbun

‘Songbun’ accompanies ‘juche’ as one of the discriminatory ideologies in the country that disproportionately impacts North Korea’s poor. ‘Songbun’ is a socioeconomic classification scheme that categorizes the population based on their loyalty to the regime. Upon its creation during the regime’s infancy, 28% of the population was considered in the “Core” or related to war heroes or peasants, 45% was considered “Wavering” and 27% was considered “Hostile”.

This system leads to egregious inequality specifically among the North Korean lower class, hindering this group in regard to education and employment.

For example, North Koreans are not able to choose their occupation or educational opportunity as their songbun ranking and government decide this for them.

Discrimination and Atrocity

Extreme gender discrimination within North Korea greatly hinders the prospect of girls and women in every aspect of life. Every day, women and girls fall victim to tremendous levels of sexual assault and persecution, including forced labor, forced marriage and food deprivation. A July 2020 report from the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) observed that North Korean women deported from China were often unable to obtain a fair trial and were wrongfully imprisoned, where they would suffer multiple tortures including rape, infanticide and unlivable prison conditions.

Diplomats worldwide struggle with the predictability of the dangerous ideology of North Korea. As juche, songbun and gender stereotypes and discrimination provoke a greater socioeconomic divide among the North Korean people, poverty worsens within the country. Due to North Korea’s isolationist nature, some previous attempts at sending foreign aid have not been able to adequately advance North Korea’s development.

How Organizations Alleviate North Korean Poverty

Sending aid to North Korea has been difficult in the past due to the country’s intense self-reliance philosophy. However, in the past, the United States has supplied over $400 million in energy assistance as well as $700 million worth of food assistance since 1995 and 1996, respectively.

During times of crisis, many organizations step up to provide life-saving aid. For example, in 2019, with the support of donors, aid from the UN and INGOs reached 2.5 million people in North Korea. The Needs and Priorities Plan of 2020 proposed further aid, which would help give 5.5 million people better access to health services, 1.3 million with food assistance and more.

Although it is challenging for governments to determine whether or not aid is reaching those who need it the most, organizations that focus on serving those in poverty have continued to assist North Koreans for years.

– Caroline Zientek
Photo: Flickr

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Addressing Child Poverty in Laos

Child Poverty in LaosLocated in the center of South-East Asia, Laos or Lao People’s Democratic Republic, is one of the poorest countries in Southeast Asia.  Nearly 23% of the total population of 7.2 million people in Laos are below the poverty line.  More than half of the population in Laos are under the age of 18 and they are severely impacted by poverty.  Besides the economic growth, the multidimensional deprivation in children is highly associated with the low levels of infrastructure and the heavy reliance on agricultural activities.  The children in poverty in Laos are impacted in various sectors such as nutrition, child labor and education. It’s important to be addressing child poverty in Laos and the numerous struggles that spawn from it.

Overview of Child Poverty in Laos

In Save the Children’s 2021 Global Childhood Report, Laos was ranked 143 of 186 countries on an index reflecting countries’ average levels of performance based on eight indicators related to child health, education, labor, marriage, childbirth and violence. According to the statistics from UNICEF in 2018, only 12% of children experience no deprivation while the other remaining children under 18 years are suffering from at least two deprivations in the areas of nutrition, health and education.

Food Insecurity

Widespread child malnutrition and food insecurity remain as persistent problems in Laos.  The World Food Program and Lao government ranked Laos 87th out of 177 countries on the 2019 Global Hunger Index.

In terms of food security, the share of the household experiencing severe food insecurity rose to 23% in May 2022.

Child Labor and Education

The report from Save the Children estimated that 28.2% of children aged five to 17 were involved in labor from 2015 to 2020

In 2021, Prime Minister Phankham cited that a low level of development in Laos correlates with the parents’ reliance on their children to help out with finances at home rather than getting an education. The main problem of early involvement in child labor leads to the lack of educational opportunities.  To elaborate, the 2019 Southeast Asia assessment of learning outcomes showed that fifth-grade students are not mastering the minimum proficiency level for the grade in terms of reading, writing and math skills.

Poverty in Laos is forcing children to drop out of school and participate in child labor to help their families.   In 2021, approximately 28% of children are engaged in child labor, instead of learning according to the Save The Children report. Although the Laos Law prohibits child employment under 14, numerous children are engaged in various forms of labor.

Because of the devastating poverty situation, most of the parents in Laos do not see the importance of education and instead encourage their children to participate in physical labor to amend their financial struggle.  According to an official from the Education Department in Sekong province, students aged 10 to 12 from rural areas often quit school or only attend classes two or three days a week. The lack of infrastructure in the education sector and low government spending has aggravated the situation of the children in poverty in Laos for accessing education.

The Impact of COVID-19

Since 2021, the impact of the pandemic adversely impacted the children’s education opportunities in Laos.  Approximately 42% of children stopped attending schools temporarily or permanently after many households faced financial collapse because of the pandemic.

Efforts to address Child Poverty in Laos

The national poverty rate in Laos has continuously dropped with annual GDP growth of 7.3%.  According to the statistics from the World Bank, between 1993 and 2019, the poverty rate fell from 46% to 18%. However, the poverty rate in minority ethnic remained relatively high, with the rate of 34.6%.  This disproportionate poverty rate in minority ethnic groups was ten times higher than among households headed by those who have completed secondary education.

To help improve the education status, the World Bank and the government launched a $47 million national project aimed at improving pre-school and primary education performance in September 2021

USAID also took the progressive approach to child education in Laos in 2022, DA Coleman announced a new $2.6 million USAID grant to support childhood and primary education.

To enhance the nutrition security in Laos, the government of Laos jointly partnered with WFP’s Country Director to launch WFP’s new Country Strategic Plan 2022-2026 in February 2022.  This strategic plan is centered on expanding and strengthening the Government’s school meals program, working to enhance community resilience and ensure food security.

A Look Ahead

By implementing long-term commitments and strategies both nationally and internationally, the prospect of eliminating child poverty in Laos is positive.

–Youngwook Chun
Photo: Flickr

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Human Trafficking in Oman

Human Trafficking in OmanHuman trafficking rates have grown significantly in the last decade. While rising global trends persist amid the COVID-19 pandemic, countries like Oman steadily reinforce its policies to combat human trafficking in Oman.

The Human Trafficking Epidemic

According to the United Nations Office on Drug and Crime (UNODC), human trafficking is defined as the “recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring or receipt of people through force, fraud or deception, with the aim of exploiting them for profit.”

The involuntary movement of people occurs internationally and affects men, women and children. Human trafficking varies in scope and degree regarding its victims’ characteristics. The data shows most women and girls are sex trafficked; most men and boys are labor trafficked. Perpetrators include organized crime groups or individuals acting of their accord. UNODC highlights immigrants and the unemployed as more susceptible to trafficking, with the COVID-19 crisis likely to “expose more people to the risk of trafficking.”

Oman’s Policies on Human Trafficking

According to the U.S. Department of State, Oman ranks at “Tier Two,” indicating a country that lacks to meet the Trafficking Victim Protection Act’s basic requirements but shows substantial effort to meet those standards. Some areas where Oman struggled to fight against human trafficking include failing to prosecute, investigate or convict supposed traffickers. But, while there have been shortcomings, there have been great strides in tackling human trafficking in Oman.

To further develop victim detection and identify possible trafficking situations, the Omani Ministry of Labor and Royal Omani Police created counter-trafficking units. The units investigated over 20,000 labor disputes and monitored and inspected 312 recruiting agencies for possible trafficking scenarios, the U.S. Department of State reports.

Omani authorities also designated approximately $4.6 million in victim shelters and services such as legal support, rehabilitation, medical care and many others. In addition to the victim shelters, the Omani ministry implemented a labor law to better protect the rights of domestic and migrant workers to mitigate abusive labor relationships and boost victims to protective services.

Continuing The Fight Against Human Trafficking

In December 2020, Oman’s Foreign Affairs Ministry hosted a conference to acquire feedback on the National Action Plan to Combat Trafficking and evaluate Oman’s effectiveness in combating trafficking. Currently, Oman endorses the National Action Plan. It recognizes the issue of human trafficking and the severe repercussions trafficking has on the marginalized members of society; while stressing the importance of government(s) cooperation in fostering and enhancing anti-trafficking programs.

The Omani Ministry of Foreign Affairs continues to finance an expert advisor on international human trafficking and aids multi-national bodies in investigating, proposing new legislation and advancing data collection strategies.

Omanis have also begun to sponsor and host more national campaigns to inform the public about human trafficking in Oman, according to the U.S. Department of State. The campaign instructs its participants on how to correctly identify cases of human trafficking and how to report these crimes to both the authorities and hotline service.

During the 2021 Trafficking in Persons Report, the Sultanate of Oman disclosed its recognition of 29 female victims. This is an improvement from the previous year, where the Sultanate discovered only 25 victims, the U.S. Department of State reports. Out of the 29 victims, the trafficking hotline recovered three. Additionally, in June 2022, in cooperation with INTERPOL, Omani authorities successfully rescued six human trafficking victims.

The Omani Centre for Human Rights (formerly the Omani Monitor for Human Rights) is at the forefront of the observance and reporting of human rights matters, including human trafficking in Oman. Its primary objective is to record cases of violation and raise awareness in all public sectors through its team of researchers in the field. The organization coordinates with international bodies such as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Reporters without Borders, MENA Rights Group and others, to mobilize international conferences on human rights.

While there is much work to be done, Oman is one of several countries gallantly stepping into the arena of combating human trafficking. The nation continues to revise, enhance and adopt new strategies to its policies to fight against human trafficking in Oman.

– Ricardo Silva
Photo: Flickr

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Girls Not Brides is Working to End Child Marriage

Girls Not Brides Girls Not Brides is an international nonprofit that works to end child marriage around the world. The organization is an initiative founded in 2011 by The Elders, a group of senior statesmen and human rights advocates brought together in 2007 by Nelson Mandela. Girls Not Brides has been working for over a decade to bring the issue of child marriage to the forefront of the government’s attention.

What is Child Marriage?

The term ‘child marriage’ refers to any formal or informal union between a child under the age of 18, and an adult or another child. According to the Girls Not Brides Atlas, the three countries with the highest rates of child marriage as of 2020 are Niger, Central African Republic and Chad. Currently, one in five girls worldwide are married before they are 18, which is a decrease from 10 years ago when one in four girls were victims of the practice. Despite this reduction, the practice still remains very prevalent in certain places. Child marriage can be the result of grave gender inequality, as the frequency of the tradition amongst boys is one sixth of that amongst girls.

Child marriage is also largely driven by poverty, as girls can pose as financial burdens to their families and are married to help relieve fiscal pressure. Girls believe that marriage is the key to securing their futures and sometimes drop out of school before they receive secondary education and begin their lives as wives. In some communities, marriage at a younger age can mean a lower expense. It is customary in different cultures for the girl’s family to ask for money in exchange for their daughter’s hand in marriage. Younger brides tend to go for higher rates, which serves as an incentive for impoverished families to sell their daughters as soon as they can.

The Dangers of Child Marriage

The practice of child marriage has devastating effects on the girls who fall victim. Girls married under the age of 15 are 50% more likely to suffer from domestic violence than those married at a later age. Child marriage can result in girls having sex before they are emotionally and physically ready and is a key driver of adolescent pregnancy, which carries its own health risks. When a girl enters a marriage, she is usually expected to drop out of school and tend to the home and eventually, the children.

If and when girls are ready to return to school, they are faced with barriers such as household responsibilities and a lack of educational and social preparation. In fact, school closures due to the pandemic have exposed 10 million more girls to child marriage as isolation and rising financial instability have driven families to turn to child marriage in order to cope with the economic challenges that came with COVID-19.

How Girls Not Brides is Working to End Child Marriage

Girls Not Brides is working to end child marriage in a multitude of ways. Not only does it work to prevent child marriage, but it also amplifies the voices of current and potential victims. Girls Not Brides strives to bring awareness to the problem by encouraging informed discussions about the topic on local, national, and international levels. As of 2020, Girls Not Brides is made up of more than 1,500 members from 104 countries around the world and has advocated across multiple platforms and top-tier media outlets.

Girls Not Brides offers in-person and online workshops in order to enlighten people on child marriage and educate them in ways they can help. It also mobilizes various political and financial supporters to help further its cause.

A Look Ahead

The nonprofit comprises of 1,400 civil society organizations around the world and works with a range of stakeholders and partners to ensure that its message is being heard. Girls Not Brides is working to end child marriage so that girls everywhere can grow up to reach their full potential, and is bringing light to an issue that is often overlooked but extremely important.

–Ava Lombardi 
Photo: Flickr

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Rising Youth Unemployment in China

Youth Unemployment in ChinaAt the end of June 2022, statistics showed that youth unemployment in China was rising significantly to an unprecedented level of 19.3%. This is partly due to the slow growth (only 0.4%) of the Chinese economy in the second quarter of this year. Such a worrying scene could require powerful solutions.

Reasons Behind Rising Youth Unemployment in China

Nearly one in five young men is unemployed in China, a country with the second largest economy in the world. One of the greatest contributors to youth unemployment in China was the pandemic and the government’s relative lockdown policies. As the Chinese government made tight policies to control the number and spread of COVID-19 cases, major cities including Shanghai experienced large-scale lockdowns, affecting many economic activities.

For example, the retail sales in China have decreased considerably by 11.1%, which was its highest contraction value since March 2020, according to the BBC. An executive at Huawei, Richard Yu, has expressed his worry that if the lockdown persisted, the whole “technology, industrial and automobile supply chains” would come to a full shutdown. The poor performance of the economy in the pandemic made unemployment become more widespread.

Also, due to the Chinese government’s policies since 2021, most extracurricular tutoring was banned in China to lower pressure and discourage competition among Chinese students. However, as many private tutoring institutions had to shut down, teachers lost their source of income.

Chinese Government’s Effort to Solve the Problem

Fortunately, youth employment in China is not at a dead end. Circumstances can get better for those young people who are desperately seeking jobs.

The Chinese government was aware of this problem and already implemented some measures. On the one hand, the government made it compulsory for state-owned businesses and institutions to create new jobs for young graduates from higher education. On the other hand, universities are opening up temporary positions for their own graduates as emergency support, according to NZZ.

The Future

Although the unemployment figure was high in June, the Chinese labor market has already started to revive slowly since May. It may take some time for the reviving effect to lower the youth unemployment rate. As the government started to focus on tackling this problem for the younger generation, it started to provide subsidies and guaranteed loans for small businesses to help them overcome the financial difficulties that came with the pandemic lockdowns.

It was clear that the strict lockdown policies in China limited economic performance instantly. However, the economy is recovering steadily since the end of the second quarter of 2022. Consumer expenditures, including the key Chinese industry—vehicles, have experienced an impressive boost since June. In fact, economists from other countries still give high expectations for China’s future economic growth.

Hopefully, a more thriving economy could benefit the job market and ease the pressing problem of youth unemployment in China very soon.

– Ella Li
Photo: Flickr

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The Necessity of Vaccine Diplomacy

Vaccine DiplomacyWhile the COVID-19 vaccine has helped to reduce destruction and devastation from the pandemic, the virus is still spreading across the globe. According to Dr. Peter Hotez “organized hostility against the scientific community,” may be public health’s biggest enemy. However, on a global scale, the most serious threat is the lack of vaccine diplomacy and effective health care in geopolitics. Solving this crisis requires the United States and other western countries to prioritize the distribution of pandemic response resources so that everyone can lead healthy, safe lives regardless of their location.

Inequities of Vaccine Resources

The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the global death rate by 20%, shut down economies and dismantled health care systems across the world. Despite the fact that the COVID-19 vaccine is now readily available in many developed countries, many low-income countries remain highly unvaccinated while the United States eases pandemic funding. With monkeypox cases on the rise, the fight against global health crises has hit a major roadblock, as low-income countries are scrambling for vaccine resources amid slowing economies.

Developed countries have a humanitarian responsibility to ensure that low-income countries have access to the healthcare resources that North American and European countries have. Additionally, novel variants of COVID-19 often arise from unvaccinated populations, which means that the pandemic will only worsen unless we make a concerted effort to fully vaccinate developing and low-income countries, according to Dr. Hotez.

Making a Commitment to Vaccine Diplomacy

Today, less than 20% of people in low-income countries have received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. The next step is for the United States and other world leaders to provide more resources to help get shots into people’s arms in developing countries. According to The Borgen Project’s action center, “This essential funding will go towards vaccines, tests, last-mile efforts and treatment so we can continue vaccinating the rest of the world, save lives and prevent new variants from emerging.” It’s an important investment that will not only save the lives of people in the most vulnerable places across the globe but will also help to protect the well-being of Americans.

Overall, vaccine diplomacy is also necessary to conquer vaccine skepticism, which is keeping millions of people from getting vaccinated. In order to effectively fight against the worsening global health crisis of COVID-19 and monkeypox, the United States and other economic powerhouses should prioritize geopolitical cooperation with developing countries to collaborate on equitably distributing vaccine resources.

– Ella DeVries
Photo: Flickr

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The Efforts of USAID Programs in Vietnam

USAID Programs in Vietnam
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) began its relationship with Vietnam in 1989 with programs assisting disabled persons and has expanded its influence on Vietnamese society and its markets. The foreign aid agency primarily focuses on Vietnam’s economic productivity, education systems, health and environment, amongst other pressing issues.

Fostering Economic Growth

USAID programs offer support by improving the business ventures of Vietnamese enterprises and governance capacity. USAID programs are aiming to increase Vietnam’s economy to an upper-middle-income status by 2035 through efforts to increase productivity and competition amongst small businesses, address economic policies and emphasize sustainability.

Existing programs promote global trade and international commerce by stimulating competition in private sectors and developing leadership and management skills for provincial leaders. USAID programs in Vietnam create a further expanding market with small and medium businesses that cooperate with global supply chains. Boosting Vietnam’s trade reach beyond localities creates a more inclusive, productive and accessible market for vulnerable populations.

Efforts to increase sustainability go hand-in-hand with USAID’s environmental protection programs. Shifting reliance on renewable energy sources has been a goal of USAID in partnership with Vietnam Urban Energy Security (VUES) to stimulate investments and commercialization. The focus on sustainability and economic growth aims to provide opportunities for vulnerable populations in poverty to gain access to business ventures that can bring social mobility and stability.

Health and COVID-19 Recovery

USAID invested more than $1 billion in Vietnamese health assistance programs to prevent and treat infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and zoonotic diseases in the past 20 years. Global health security projects aim to train health workers, monitor possible health threats from animals and/or contagions and prepare appropriate responses to public health emergencies that may arise in the future. For example, the One Health Workforce project will provide training at universities for almost 1,700 students in various health care disciplines – not only enhancing the job force with academic opportunities and skills for the next generation but also improving the health security of the country.

Vietnam has also received $23.4 million in COVID-19 assistance including vaccine doses, ventilators, emergency response systems and health facilities. USAID’s MOMENTUM project addressed low immunization rates and a lack of accessibility to COVID-19 vaccine doses in provinces without properly trained medical health professionals and resources due to geographic and socio-economic barriers.

In the first six months of its implementation, the program trained almost 4,000 staff members and placed 716 mobile vaccination sites in mountainous provinces that otherwise experienced neglect in terms of health security amid the pandemic.

Higher Education System Modernization

One step USAID programs in Vietnam are taking to provide access to knowledge and skills required for socio-economic prosperity is focusing on improving academic opportunities. USAID recognizes that in order to improve Vietnam’s status from its current standing as a lower-middle income country, the labor force would benefit from modernization and advancement in skills to keep up with an ever-changing job market.

The government is appropriating funds and creating partnerships between Vietnamese universities and American higher education institutions like Indiana University to improve academic quality, research and innovation in the Southeast Asian country. American universities will give nearly 150,000 Vietnamese students the opportunity to pursue academic endeavors that reflect the future of the job market through academic partnerships and socio-economic growth within the country.

USAID programs in Vietnam have reflected the strengthening relationship between the United States and Vietnamese governments with financial investments and support that could benefit the economy on local and international levels. Economic support, educational advancements and emergency relief that the U.S. provided could allow Vietnam to eventually become an independent and thriving country.

– Nethya Samarakkodige
Photo: Pixabay

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The Organization Addressing Poverty in Ethiopia

Tackling Poverty Barriers in Ethiopia
Ethiopia, a country in East Africa, is one of the world’s least developed countries. Despite improvements in recent years, the country’s economic progress is declining due to the COVID-19 pandemic and widespread conflict throughout the country. The current Human Development Index (HDI) ranks Ethiopia at 173 out of the 189 countries on factors including life expectancy, literacy, poverty and many other dimensions. Although Ethiopia is struggling with a lack of housing, education and family stability, one organization is addressing poverty in Ethiopia: the Wegene Ethiopian Foundation.

The Current State of Poverty in Ethiopia

Nearly one-third of the 108 million people in Ethiopia are living in poverty, both in rural and urban regions. There is very limited work in the country, with 75% of the workforce in Ethiopia working in the agriculture sector. This is an unstable sector because of regular periods of floods and droughts, which can lead to loss of income and food supply.

In Ethiopia, 72% of people live without proper sanitation and only 42% of the population has access to clean water. Almost 80% of the deaths in the country come from preventable communicable and nutritional diseases. 

There is the regular production of general medical practitioners and (some) specialists, but the production is not meeting the high demand for health professionals and equipment and drug shortages are an ongoing issue assisting in further health care difficulties.

Quality education is not prevalent in the country as only 85% make it past grade five and 54% make it past grade eight. Only half of the total population has the ability to read and write. Matters are even worse for females since traditional practices lead to early marriages and female genital mutilation, with little opportunity for women to advance and grow out of poverty.

Conflict in Ethiopia

Since 2020, Ethiopia has been addressing the government conflict with the Tigray region of the country. In November 2020, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed ordered a military offense against Tigray forces after there was an attack on an Ethiopian military base. This came from months of disagreement and conflict over human rights issues between the government and Tigray’s dominant political party, which has turned into a severe humanitarian crisis all over Ethiopia.

Thousands of people have died in this ongoing civil war and around 400,000 people are undergoing famine-like conditions, according to German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). As this war continues, it could push Ethiopia into worse conditions.

The Wegene Ethiopian Foundation: Addressing Poverty in Ethiopia

The Wegene Ethiopian Foundation is a nonprofit NGO that a group of friends started with the goal of changing one person’s life at a time, hence their slogan “One child at a time.” Wegene is dedicated to improving the lives of struggling children and families in Ethiopia. The approach is simple and community-based, with a special focus on improving local impoverished lives: friends, neighbors and others part of the community

The organization has multiple programs in place to address what it sees as the “critical barriers” of poor education, poor housing and family instability:

  • Education: Academic scholarships, tutoring, laptops and a Knowledge Center: a multipurpose center with a variety of resources (books, school supplies, computers, etc.) and college and job preparation services.
  • Housing: Home repair or family relocation, provision of basic day-to-day necessities and clothing drives.
  • Family instability: Career development, small business grants and mother and child relocation from “toxic households.”

“Wegene” in Ethiopia’s official language Amharic, means ’empowering my community or my people’.” As of 2019, Wegene supported 90 families, 36 of which became self-sufficient. Poverty is still present in Ethiopia, but the Wegene Ethiopian Foundation is addressing poverty in Ethiopia and is actively giving families opportunities and resources to have a successful life.

– Dylan Olive
Photo: Flickr

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Nobel Peace Prize Auctioned for Child Refugees in Ukraine

On the night of Monday, June 20, 2022, Russian journalist Dmitry Muratov’s Nobel Peace Prize sold at auction for $103.5 million, all of which was donated to UNICEF to aid child refugees in Ukraine.

Ukrainian Refugee Crisis

As of July 2022, more than 5.6 million refugees from Ukraine have been recorded across Europe as a result of the ongoing war, with 8.7 million recorded border crossings. With nearly half a million children in Ukraine, UNICEF worries about the effects of living in a war-torn area.

In response to the conflict, UNICEF has ramped up its humanitarian aid to the region. In a statement following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, UNICEF Executive Director Catherine M. Russell said, “heavy weapons fire along the line of contact has already damaged critical water infrastructure and education facilities in recent days. Unless the fighting subsides, tens of thousands of families could face displacement, dramatically escalating humanitarian needs.”

UNICEF’s response focuses on providing health, hygiene and emergency education supplies. It is also getting safe water to areas in conflict, assisting children separated from families and working to ensure there is help for children and families. It has additionally established a fund to assist child refugees in Ukraine.

Dmitry Muratov’s Nobel Peace Prize

Muratov received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2021 for his work toward journalistic freedom and safeguarding democracy. After the fall of the Soviet Union, Muratov founded a newspaper, the Novaya Gazeta. The newspaper advocated for freedom of press and expression in Russia.

The Novaya Gazeta is critical of Russian officials and does not shy away from exposing corruption within the Russian government. Six of the Gazeta’s journalists lost their lives for their journalistic work on Russian military operations.

Muratov is no stranger to taking on Russian imperialism and has used his place as editor-in-chief to be critical of the Russian annexation of Crimea in 2014.

The Auction

According to NPR, Muratov conducted the auction through Heritage Auctions and opened bidding online on June 1, 2022, with all proceeds set to go to UNICEF’s Ukraine child refugee fund. In-person bidding occurred on Monday, June 20.

By Monday morning, the ending day of the auction, the online bid had only reached $550,000. The auction increased in increments initially. Then, suddenly, the highest bid jumped from $16.6 million to the winning $103.5 million from an anonymous caller, NPR reports.

This is blowing away the previous highest bid for a Nobel Prize of $4.76 million. In response to the results of the auction, Muratov stated in an interview with the Associated Press, “I was hoping that there was going to be an enormous amount of solidarity, but I was not expecting this to be such a huge amount.” All of the funds are already in UNICEF’s possession.

Muratov is a lifelong advocate for freedom and a critic of Russian expansionism. This auction is his latest act of generosity and advocacy, resulting in $103.5 million for child refugees in Ukraine.

– Eleanor Corbin
Photo: Wikicommons

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Education to Alleviate Period Poverty During Conflict

Education to Alleviate Period Poverty
During times of violence, those in need often receive aid, but period health often is a neglected aspect of assistance. Places with ongoing ethnic violence, war and displaced people need solutions for their women and girls to stay protected from infections and infertility issues. Hygiene is important and solutions are more sustainable when operating on the ground and pinpointing specific causes for specific issues. Kashmir, Palestine and Ukraine highlight the power of education to alleviate period poverty during conflict.

Kashmir

In Kashmir, many women cannot afford pads. Due to oppressive government officials and hateful bias in the region, many have lower access to health care and are constantly on the move. This cycle causes period poverty and cultural taboos continue to worsen the issue. Local doctors who treat tribal women see fever, vomiting, infection and pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) as a result of the women not properly using reusable period cloths.

Tribal women in Jammu and Kashmir doctors are telling women that “Severe infection can lead to adhesions [scar tissue] in the uterus, which can block the fallopian tubes and, in certain cases, lead to infertility,” Open Democracy reported. It is unusual for girls to learn how to manage their period or how to adapt to hygienic practices with limited resources.

Shazia Chaudhary is a Gujjar activist who holds counseling sessions on menstruation to educate nomadic girls about sanitary pads and proper washing for reusable rags. According to Open Democracy, less than 10% of tribal women in Jammu and Kashmir have accurate knowledge about periods or receive period education. The process of providing education to alleviate period poverty can eliminate serious health concerns.

One man in Kashmir is spreading awareness and engineering cheaper sanitary products for those in extreme poverty in Kashmir. Aaqib Peerzada makes cheap and eco-friendly pads. Alongside, Dr. Auqfeen Nisar is working to educate girls on the safety of these products and register girls for pads at subsidized rates. Health concerns decrease by creating awareness and providing solutions.

Palestine

UNICEF is creating programs in Palestine to provide education to alleviate period poverty and to help those in extreme poverty learn about personal hygiene and have access to clean water and facilities. Not all women and girls have access to sanitary products, especially in times of uncertainty. As a result of historical forced movement, conflict in 2014 and destruction of infrastructure, many restrooms are not sanitary and lack privacy.

The combination of sanitation concerns and the overall taboo of periods at a young age leads to many young school girls with poor period hygiene. This can cause infection and possible reproductive issues. After success in 2012 and 2016, programs are expanding. “As part of its new country programme action plan in Palestine over 2018-2022, UNICEF is planning to continue with the WASH in schools programmes to address unmet needs identified in vulnerable communities,” said UNICEF in its report.

By creating better facilities and period knowledge, in schools, young women can have a private area to clean reusable products or dispose of reusable products, without feeling embarrassed.

Ukraine and Future Perspectives

Refugees all around the world face insecurity with sanitary products and it is Ukrainian refugees and citizens who now face this concern. Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, more than 4 million refugees have fled the country. According to Global Citizen, many of the refugees are women “who could not bring enough supplies to manage their periods and do not have the means to buy them.” Existing programs like I Support The Girls (ISTG), which women created and run, are starting to help “on the ground” in nearby countries to expand their assistance.

Many organizations have received heightened interest in donors, following the invasion of Ukraine and hope that the interest in period poverty and education continues after the war for other women in need.

Refugees and war zones all around the world face similar period products and sanitary needs. The Global Citizen is able to give credit to charities that will continue to help Ukrainian women and other countries, for a long to come.

– Karen Krosky
Photo: Flickr