Archive for category: Global Poverty

Key articles and information on global poverty.

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Exploring Women’s Empowerment in Mauritania

Women's empowerment in MauritaniaThe World Bank and the Competitiveness Industries and Innovation Program (CIIP) aim to strengthen women’s empowerment in Mauritania through the country’s leading industry: fishing. Women constitute 30 percent of the workforce within the fishing sector, and therefore participate in the growth of the country’s economy, as the industry contributes 25 percent of public revenue and up to 5 percent of Mauritania’s GDP.

However, in the northern city of Nouadhibou, women face a lack of access to capital and land, thus being driven to work in the fishing industry out of economic necessity. Despite their contributions to the economy, women in Mauritania work in poor conditions. They often have no choice other than to sell their goods outside of the fisheries market, isolated from the saturated Nouadhibou market. As a result of selling their products in smaller markets, women are forced to sell their products at lower prices and will attract only a few buyers.

To avoid a drop in women working in the fishing industry, the Nouadhibou Eco-Seafood Cluster Project was created in March 2016 by the World Bank and the CIIP. The project will strengthen Nouadhibou’s port infrastructure while expanding its onshore fish processing activities, in order to develop a seafood cluster within the region. Targeted training will also be part of the project, reinforcing women’s skills in fishing and helping them grow their businesses and to generate value.

The innovative Personal Initiative (PI) Training is one such project, with the goal of building entrepreneurial success within the community by introducing women entrepreneurs to new products and services.

All these initiatives offer hope for women’s empowerment in Mauritania as they help women develop the entrepreneurship skills they need to become financially and economically stable. In addition to supporting women’s empowerment in Mauritania, these projects have also significantly addressed two urgent development challenges, poverty and unemployment.

 – Sarah Soutoul

Photo: Flickr

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Providing Foreign Aid in 2018

With the end of 2017 approaching, Congress is working on appropriations bills for the year 2018 that will determine where and how much money will be spent on government programs. Science, research and providing foreign aid in 2018 are among some of the things these bills will impact.

In September 2017, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved $51 billion for foreign aid, the State Department and other related programs for 2018. This bill will also provide more than $6 billion for humanitarian assistance.

The issue of providing foreign aid has received bipartisan support in Congress, with both Democrats and Republicans going against President Trump’s proposed cuts to foreign assistance programs. The $6 billion approval for humanitarian assistance is approximately $1 billion more than the president requested.

The U.S. Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, is one of President Trump’s main voices of support. Tillerson believes that the budget is “historically high” and that it has grown to provide foreign aid and respond to conflicts abroad.

President Trump’s proposed 30 percent budget cut to USAID, the State Department, U.N. contributions and programs like Power Africa and the Peace Corps has also received criticism from Democrats and Republicans alike. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina voiced his support of providing aid by saying, “Now is the time to double down on diplomacy and development.”

Furthermore, the bill proposed by the Senate Appropriations Committee will resume its $10 million funding for the U.N. Environment Programme, counteracting President Trump’s proposal to end it.

“Frankly, I consider the President’s budget request to be dead on its arrival here in the U.S. Senate,” said Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware. “The aid we provide to countries around the world directly advances U.S. national interests by fostering a safer and more stable world, opening markets to U.S. businesses and promoting American values.”

In addition to being a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the Appropriations Subcommittee, Senator Coons serves as a co-chair of the Congressional Caucus of Effective Foreign Assistance alongside Senator Johnny Isakson (R-GA), Representative Adam Smith (D-WA) and Representative Ted Yoho (R-FL).

Zimbabwe is one of many countries that relies on the United States providing foreign aid. The $150 million in aid provided by the U.S. yearly is used to help with hunger and climate change programs. With a population of 2.1 million people, the foreign aid provided to Zimbabwe has resulted in the creation of the ENSURE program. ENSURE has helped six districts dealing with famine and has provided proper irrigation systems for over 220 hectares serving 4,200 farmers.

With bipartisan support, the United States plans to continue providing foreign aid into 2018. Members of Congress agree that providing foreign aid is vital to both the United States and the world.

– Blake Chambers

Photo: Flickr

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The Continued Success of Humanitarian Aid to Guatemala

Humanitarian Aid to Guatemala
Guatemala, the Central American home to 16 million citizens, has a rich history and culture; but it is also no stranger to hunger, poverty and violence. Considered amongst the lowest of American countries in term of human development, Guatemala’s Mayan history, the abundance of coffee beans and lush landscape is diminished by decades of dictatorial rule, civil war and lack of development.

The need to expound upon humanitarian aid to Guatemala is paramount to ensure the country continues to see development improvements. Here are a few aid efforts that are seeing success in Guatemala:

Contraception

Contraception in Guatemala is expensive and often carries severe side effects. As a result, many Guatemalans have little to no access to any form of birth control. The World Health Organization has no applicable data concerning contraception prevalence, which makes it difficult to gauge the efforts to distribute modes of birth control. However, this is not stopping organizations from providing that necessity.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s goal to provide contraception has found its place in Guatemala. Working with organizations such as the Pan-American Social Marketing Organization, the Gates Foundation is educating women about their options regarding birth control and investing funds to ensure high-quality and affordable contraception is available.

Indigenous Population

Due to decades of violence, Guatemala’s indigenous Mayan population has been forced to live in rural areas of their country. In these locations, living conditions are harsh and poor; in fact, over 90 percent of indigenous Guatemalans live in extreme poverty.

To combat this, CHOICE Humanitarian is providing aid to Guatemala’s indigenous population through a number of programs. Due to the lack of infrastructure in these areas, CHOICE is creating programs to provide access to basic needs, including fresh water, healthcare and education.

Amongst the CHOICE initiatives to provide humanitarian aid to Guatemala are major projects such as the construction of schools and a hospital. Over 100,000 indigenous people have been positively impacted as a direct result of CHOICE Humanitarian’s work to serve rural areas.

Education

Guatemala’s educational system is rife with inequality. While nearly every child begins primary school, middle school enrollment rates often fall in most areas to just 40 percent. For those that remain, less than half meet national standards for math and reading; and for the Guatemalan children that don’t continue their education, they rarely have the technical and vocational skills to find a job.

This alarming window into Guatemala’s educational system is challenged by organizations such as USAID. Primarily by supporting Guatemala’s Ministry of Education, national standards are stronger than ever and new training programs are resulting in the hire of better teachers. To bridge the language barrier between Spanish and the many Mayan dialects, USAID and the Ministry of Education have expanded bilingual programs and hired more diverse educators. To combat the 30 percent of sixth graders that achieve national reading standards, it expanded its National Reading Program to reach two million more children.

Humanitarian aid to Guatemala has definitely produced success stories such as access to contraception, quality education and outreach programs to Guatemala’s much-neglected Mayan population to name just a few; however, there is still much more to be done. The country is currently in the middle of a healthcare crisis that is claiming countless lives.

Poverty and hunger are rampant in this nation, and the globe must lead the way to ensuring that Guatemala’s development endeavors remain on track.

– Eric Paulsen

Photo: Flickr

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Education in Hong Kong: Problems and Solutions

Education in Hong Kong: Problems and Solutions

Similar to the British system, education in Hong Kong consists of a 9-year compulsory education for students aged six to 15. Before enrolling in university, most students complete 12 years of study at public or government-aided schools, which are generally free to attend. However, there also exists a private international school system that is in high demand in Hong Kong: the schools are highly competitive to enroll in and boast very high tuition and schooling fees.

The education system in Hong Kong ranks high, though there are a few evident problems. Experts claim that quite a few schools overly stress “reciting” material, which requires students to memorize information verbatim. Further, the “spoon-fed” teaching style does not allow for lively student debates or the promotion of critical thinking. There is a worry that the mechanical reciting and negative acceptance of learning materials will restrain potential creativity and imagination among students. Other major problems of the current education system include low enrolment rates in local universities as well as social and psychological problems among students due to high stress.

There are advantages of getting an education in Hong Kong: one is that the use of English is more popularized in Hong Kong, as compared to mainland China. However, with respect to the education itself, there is no major difference between schools in Hong Kong and mainland China.

The system of education in Hong Kong makes it quite difficult for local students in Hong Kong to connect with Chinese culture and mainland China. In addition, many teachers in Hong Kong are greatly influenced by Western education; thus, they are more likely to recognize the issues of freedom, democracy and human rights as opposed to strengthening their identities with the mainland region. At the moment, both primary and secondary schools in Hong Kong are encouraged by the central government of China to set up curriculums that include Chinese teaching and bilingual learning.

There have been 3,714 cultural exchange programs with nearly 60,000 participants from mainland China to Hong Kong and Macao from 2006 to 2010. Both the scale and quality of cultural exchange has grown in the past decade. The exchange programs that have been included in the education in Hong Kong encourage closing the culture gap between students of these regions.

As mentioned earlier, pressures of higher education in Hong Kong have led to increased stress among students. This is fuelled by a prevailing ideology among the Hong Kong society that nothing is achieved without attending university. More than 80,000 high school graduates compete for one of the 15,000 government-subsidized first-year university spots each year.

Greater efforts must be made to address the stress faced by students within the system of education in Hong Kong. At the moment, the Hong Kong Children and Youth Services helps those who have a tendency of violence. Its staff provides services in addition to speaking gently, listening to the youth and helping them process their thoughts with patience and empathy. The Hong Kong Youth and Children Education Center opened in 2013, offering self-sponsored services and free testing for kids of families in need. It facilitates would be capable of helping them recollect self-esteem, increase resilience and coping skills.

Education in Hong Kong is moving towards an advanced global education system while also placing efforts on fusing the cultures between mainland China and itself. Reasonable solutions and measures depend not only on efforts by the government, schools and society, but also relies on the interactions between teachers, students and their families.

– Xin Gao

Photo: Flickr

10 Important and Little-Known Facts About the Greek Genocide

Less than 100 years ago, millions of innocent Greeks were killed or deported in what is known as the Greek Genocide. In the Asia Minor region of Turkey, the Ottoman Empire felt it was being threatened by the indigenous Greek people. As a result, the Empire enacted a systematic genocide to rid the nation-state of the Greek contaminants. During the nine-year genocidal period, the Turks and the Ottoman government set out to exterminate the Christian Greek population that resided in the Ottoman Empire. These are ten facts about the Greek Genocide that set the pace for the future of the Ottoman Empire.

  1. The Balkan War, from 1912 to 1913, was the true initial marker for the Christian Greeks’ bleak future. Between these two years, four territories in the Balkans (Serbia, Bugaria, Montenegro and Greece) were successfully freed from Ottoman rule. After the war, the Ottoman Empire feared it would lose more power. The Committee of Union and Progress (CUP), an ultranationalist group of Young Turks, ultimately took over the Ottoman Empire with the goal of completing total Turkification throughout the Empire, or a full cultural shift to Turkic culture.
  2. The indigenous Greek people were seen as a threat to the Ottoman Empire before and during World War I. The Ottoman Empire feared that the Christian Greek population would attempt to aid the Empire’s enemies during the war, causing its defeat. Additionally, the Empire believed the Christian Greeks were tainting the population and would ruin the integrity of the current Muslim-majority nation-state. Therefore, the Empire opted for a solution to this problem: genocide.
  3. The Ottoman Empire began to target the indigenous Greek population in order to accomplish its goal of full Turkification. The Greek Genocide took place from 1914 to 1923, beginning a year after the Balkan War and aligning with the events of World War I.
  4. Ottoman Greek men of ages 21 to 45 were sent to concentration camps to work for the Turks. Working around the clock with little to no food, hundreds perished in the camps.
  5. Greek children were kidnapped and forced to conform to Turkish society. Villages were pillaged and burned to the ground.
  6. Deportations were issued in the Dardanelles and Gallipolli regions of Asia Minor. The Greek inhabitants of the western coastline of Asia Minor were sent to Muslim villages, where they had to either convert to Islam or be killed. The rest of the Christian Greek population was sent to the interior lands, where they would be exposed to harsh winter weather, starvation and illness.
  7. Approximately 3.5 million Greeks, Armenians and Assyrians died during this nine-year period.
  8. The Ottoman Empire was among the four Central Powers to lose in World War I. After the loss, leaders of the CUP Party were sentenced to death for their role in the organized Greek genocide.
  9. In 1922, the Ottoman Empire collapsed and became the New Republic of Turkey. A year later, the Greek Genocide ended.
  10. There are three remembrance days for the Greek Genocide: April 6 for the Eastern Thrace region, May 19 for the Pontus region and September 14 for Asia Minor.

Nine long years and 3.5 million lost souls later, the Ottoman Empire had officially ended its bloody crusade. Though its efforts to continue the massacres were passed on to the next leadership, the Empire was unable to strongly execute its plans. Many poor decisions led to the collapse of the five-century Ottoman rule, and while the Empire will not be remembered fondly, the lives of those lost in the Greek Genocide will be.

– Brianna Summ

Photo: Flickr

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The Success of Humanitarian Aid to Georgia


The country of Georgia is conveniently tucked between the Black Sea and the Caucasus mountain range separating Europe and Asia. For centuries, Georgia’s strategic location has made it a focal point for competition among the Kingdom of Persia, the Ottoman Empire and the Russian Empire and then again by their modern counterparts. In the 18th century Georgia fell under the control of the Russian Empire and then fell again to the Soviet Union. Modern-day Georgia gained its independence in 1991 after the fall of the Soviet Union.

After the fall of the Soviet Union, conflict broke out due to the instability in Georgia. In 1992, a civil war began and Russia sent peacekeepers to the Abkhazia region of Georgia; it has kept a presence there to this day. Following tensions in 2008, the five-day Russo-Georgian war was waged between Georgian rebels, Georgia and Russia. The end resulted in Russia occupying both territories, which are internationally recognized as Georgian territory.

After the end of the war, many western nations reached out to provide humanitarian aid to Georgia. At the time, U.S. President George W. Bush saw an opportunity to both provide humanitarian aid to Georgia and seek a new ally in the region. The U.S. assisted over 275,000 internally displaced persons and refugees from the war, most notably in the city of Gori, where 56,000 people had fled to from South Ossetia.

Over the next several months, international aid organizations and the United Nations also helped to aid internally displaced people, whether through medical aid or through family reunification programs. Due to the humanitarian aid provided by the international community, Georgia was able to mitigate the disastrous damage to its economy.

Perhaps one of the most important things saved in Georgia was its democracy. Almost unique among ex-soviet states, Georgia has been able to sustain a democracy with peaceful government transitions of power between government leaders and political parties.

This stable government has allowed Georgia to fight corruption and slowly grow its economy. Although it has yet to return to its pre-war level and unemployment remains high, the government has signed a trade agreement with the European Union and seeks to negotiate a trade deal with China. Georgia is seeking other international agreements to bolster its economy and its security. Georgia is seeking membership to both the European Union and NATO.

The success of humanitarian aid to Georgia may seem more dramatic than in other countries, but it is a prime example of how aid, over time, can improve the stability of a country.

– Nick DeMarco

Photo: Flickr

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Improving Women’s Empowerment in Zimbabwe

Improving Women's Empowerment in ZimbabweGlobal efforts to achieve gender equality have made an impact on long-standing notions of male dominance in many countries. This change can be seen throughout the increased social and economic opportunities available to women around the world. The overwhelming evidence from research continues to indicate that gender equality is necessary for ensuring sustainable development. Thus, improving women’s empowerment in Zimbabwe is key to having a successful future.

The United Nations established 17 goals under its initiative known as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). A major tenet of the SDGs is to promote gender equality. In Zimbabwe, the U.N. has consolidated its efforts to promote women’s and girls’ empowerment through the establishment and implementation of laws, policies and frameworks.

While a push for greater women’s empowerment in Zimbabwe has been codified into law, the practice is oftentimes overshadowed by the actions of traditional society. Despite setbacks such as gender-based violence and limited financial opportunities, a couple of key steps in women’s empowerment have been made in Zimbabwe.

Supporting Women in Leadership

According to the U.N., women’s representation in politics and decision-making positions in Zimbabwe is still below those benchmarked in the SDGs. The UNDP, in collaboration with U.N. Women, held the Zimbabwe Gender Commission and the Women Parliamentary Caucus in support of a High-Level Political Dialogue regarding the upcoming 2018 elections.

Promoting Financial Independence

In 2012, the first Zimbabwe Market Fair was held in its second-largest city, Bulawayo. This two-day fair focused on empowering women and youth and equipped the 134 participants with “pre- and post-market fair training aimed at enhancing their capacity to exhibit and interact with customers.” This targeted instruction not only benefited women but caused a ripple effect on families, communities and the country as a whole.

There is still progress to be made in regards to women’s empowerment in Zimbabwe, but continued efforts through programs and dialogue are paving the way to a more gender-equal future.

– Belén Loza

Photo: Flickr

Expanding Credit Access in Comoros

ComorosComoros is an archipelago in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of Africa. It is located between Mozambique and the island nation of Madagascar. According to the World Bank, the most recent survey of households in Comoros, conducted in 2014, showed about 18 percent of the population living below the poverty line.

Improving access to finance is one way to boost economic activity and lift people out of poverty. Looking at recent changes in credit access in Comoros offers clues as to where the country’s economy is headed.

Business Reforms in Comoros

Over the past few years, the government of Comoros has instituted several reforms that make doing business easier. These reforms have made it easier to start a business by reducing the minimum capital requirement. In turn, this has made resolving insolvency easier for small companies and made trading across borders easier with an automated customs data management system.

The International Finance Corporation reports that these reforms have reduced the number of procedures and days needed to start a business. Comoros has also improved its investment potential by offering political risk insurance to foreign investors, which may mitigate fears over Comoros’ recent decades of instability.

Credit Access in Comoros: Looking Ahead

At the 21st session of the Intergovernmental Committee of Experts, in November 2017, participants adopted the final report of best practices and research results for catalyzing growth in East Africa. It clears a path for more cooperation between the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa and member states, like Comoros.

Topics emphasized included investment in infrastructure and renewable energy, as well as the need to improve credit access in Comoros, which will support the private sector. The goal is to make Comoros an emerging country by the year 2030, if not sooner.

The Takeaway on Financing in Comoros

Comoros is finally beginning to establish political calm after decades of political strife and coups, initially ushered in by its vote for independence from France in 1974. Time will tell whether peace lasts, but, if it does, business activity and good credit in Comoros will likely continue to grow.

With a better business environment, Comoros will have the funds to address poverty factors like hunger and malnutrition, and, hopefully, it will continue to make gains in the U.N.’s Human Development Index.

– Chuck Hasenauer

Photo: Flickr

Five Development Projects in El Salvador

Five Development Projects in El SalvadorThe country of El Salvador is known for being the smallest and most densely populated country in Latin America. Despite having the 12th highest GDP in the Americas, 32.7 percent of its citizens live in poverty. Certain foreign organizations and aid missions continue to create development projects in El Salvador that attempt to address the high poverty rate.

Here are five development projects in El Salvador designed to help in all facets from economic to social.

El Salvador Competitive Project 

The International Capital Market Association (ICMA) is giving specialized help to districts in El Salvador as a feature of a five-year venture with the essential target of increasing the competitiveness of key economic sectors. The venture is financed by the U.S. Organization for International Development (USAID) and expands on lessons gained from improvements in previous activities.

The project will enhance the national and subnational business conditions to support private-segment speculation, development and business extension to encourage financial development and employment creation. 

El Salvador Cacao Alliance  

Despite the significance of the cacao harvest in pre-provincial Mesoamerica, cacao bean harvest is practically non-existent today in El Salvador.

A $29.4 million Cacao Alliance, with $10 million provided by USAID and the Howard Buffett Establishment, seeks to help roughly 6,000 little ranchers reactivate the cacao harvest in El Salvador. 

The movement hopes to support the horticulture economy and financial development in 83 districts by situating El Salvador as a net maker and exporter of cacao. The reactivation of cacao will improve the livelihoods of agriculturists and create up to 13,000 occupations within the cacao production chain.

USAID Bridges to Employment

Presently, Salvadoran youth living in regions with high crime rates have double the possibility of being unemployed than the rest of the population. Through training and effectively incorporating youth into the workforce, there is a chance to utilize the untapped potential of youth to support financial development in El Salvador.

USAID’s $42.2 million Bridges to Employment Project will enhance frameworks and organizations in order to connect at-risk youth, between the ages of 16 and 29, to employment opportunities. 

USAID Higher Education for Economic Growth

USAID created the Higher Education for Economic Growth program in order to increase the education of Salvadoran youth. It plans to create partnerships between industries and academics, so students will be trained to contribute to economic and industrial growth. The program will also train faculty members to create educational programs that will implement these plans. 

USAID plans to give scholarships to 1,000 Salvadoran students in priority academic programs, like STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math). Universities will receive support through a scholarship seed fund to develop student financial aid.

SME Development Program

Census statistics show that small and medium enterprises (SMEs) generate 99 percent of business and 36 percent of jobs in El Salvador. The SME Development Program seeks to partner with the government and the private sector to help SMEs have greater success through increased access to business services and expansion into newer markets. 

Since 2012, USAID has helped fund over 9,000 SMEs in El Salvador. These SMEs have gone on to generate over $140 million in domestic sales and exports and have created 21,000 new jobs. In 2015 alone, USAID has helped provide $5.2 million in financing to 185 SMEs. 

El Salvador is currently addressing the issue of poverty in all parts of its country. With the help of these five development projects, El Salvador will create growth in its economy, effectively providing opportunities for people, and bettering the country. 

– Nick McGuire

Photo: Flickr

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Strides Made for Women’s Empowerment in Kosovo

Kosovo is a country in the Balkan region of Europe that declared independence from Serbia in February 2008. Women in contemporary Kosovo seem to have perfect equality, but this perception can be deceiving.

Following a civil war from 1998-99, Kosovo was subjected to a decade of international observance, culminating in the country’s unilateral independence in 2008. During this period of change, they instituted an egalitarian law package in 2004, which was demanded by the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK). These laws fulfill all European Union requirements and include laws on gender equality, inheritance law and family law.

Women’s empowerment in Kosovo is assumed to be at an all-time high: it has a female president, two female former Deputy Ministers and several other female high-level officials. In addition to this, the Assembly of Kosovo has the second-highest representation of women in the region.

In practice, women still struggle to gain access to property, social resources, personal security and cultural equality. Women’s empowerment in Kosovo has struggled, as women continue to live within the confines of a rigidly patriarchal society, a system in which men have the final say in all family matters, as well as having primary access to all social and economic resources. Many of the main structures of women’s oppression in Kosovo stem from cultural norms that link women’s social value to men.

Another problem facing women in Kosovo is domestic violence. Many women are often at the mercy of a justice system that fails to protect them. Kosovo is unique in the fact that it is cut off from key instruments of European justice due to the unresolved political situation in the country.

Despite the struggles being faced, there are many strides being made for women’s empowerment in Kosovo. The most significant of these is being made by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Mission in Kosovo.

The OSCE promotes women’s empowerment, gender equality and women’s rights by supporting the development and implementation of non-discriminatory legal frameworks and policies. It also focuses on women’s participation in public decision-making and gender-responsive budgeting, ensuring the interests of women and men are equally considered. Additionally, they raise awareness of the need to eliminate gender-based and domestic violence.

With the work of other initiatives that seek to impact women’s empowerment in Kosovo, the situation is constantly improving and positive strides are being made.

– Drew Fox

Photo: Flickr