Archive for category: Global Poverty

Key articles and information on global poverty.

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10 Important Facts About Human Rights in Nigeria

Human rights in Nigeria are a mixed bag. The nation has some strong constitutional rights that it guarantees to its citizens. However, these rights are often undermined by a corrupt government, abuses of power from law enforcement and the latent threat of Islamist insurgency group Boko Haram. Here are 10 facts about human rights in Nigeria.

  1. Freedoms of speech, religion and the press are constitutionally protected human rights in Nigeria. However, freedom of the press is limited through anti-defamation laws with severe penalties. Journalists found to be in violation of these laws have been detained and arrested without trial.
  2. Freedom of assembly is also constitutionally guaranteed in Nigeria, but this freedom is still restricted. If the government deems an event as threatening to national security, it can ban the event from taking place. This power has been used to disrupt peaceful protests by political organizers.
  3. As of December 2016, Nigeria has not yet criminalized police and military use of torture. However, a measure to outlaw torture passed Nigeria’s House of Representatives in June of 2016.
  4. Nigerian security forces frequently engage in human rights abuses. Officers that commit unlawful killings routinely go unpunished. In 2015, Nigerian soldiers unlawfully killed more than 350 Islamic Movement of Nigeria protesters during a road blockade.
  5. Nigerian security forces have also had issues with racketeering. Amnesty International discovered that the Special Anti-Robbery Squad torturing suspected criminals and demanding bribes from their families in exchange for freedom. There have also been reported cases of Nigerian officers abducting people from their homes and arbitrarily arresting civilians. The government often fails to hold offending officers accountable.
  6. Nigeria has more than two million internally displaced persons (IDPs). IDPs are people who have fled from their homes but not their country. One-fifth of IDPs live in overcrowded camps where they do not receive proper amounts of food, water, medical care and sanitation. Thousands have died in these camps due to these conditions. There are also many recorded instances of guards bribing female IDPs for sex.
  7. Discrimination against women is rampant in Nigeria. Little more than 5 percent of Nigeria’s National Assembly seats are held by women. Many families send their sons to school while neglecting their daughters and the law denies women equal right to property. Crimes against women receive harsh penalties, but often go unreported. This past year, Nigeria codified gender based discrimination protections into law.
  8. In 2014, the Nigerian National Assembly enacted a law that criminalizes any expression of a same-sex relationship. Those who are found in violation can be imprisoned for 14 years. The law has enabled police abuses such as detaining suspected homosexuals indefinitely and raiding NGOs that teach HIV prevention. In parts of Nigeria, LGBT persons can be sentenced to death.
    Thousands of civilians have been forcibly evicted from their homes by the Nigerian government. There have been many occasions where these evictions occurred without proper compensation, resettlement and prior notification to homeowners.
  9. The Nigerian government is notoriously corrupt. According to the government, 55 public officials stole $9 billion from the government between 2006-2013. This amounts to roughly a quarter of the nation’s annual budget. Nigeria’s president Muhammadu Buhari has introduced a number of anti-corruption measures and has prosecuted several high profile officials for offenses. However, Buhari’s political opposition has claimed that these reforms are aimed at disproportionately impacting Buhari’s political opponents.
  10. The terrorist group Boko Haram remains as a threat to national security and human rights in Nigeria. Boko Haram’s goal is to overthrow the Nigerian government and install an Islamic caliphate. Its activities are largely responsible for Nigeria’s great number of IDPs and it has received international attention for abducting hundreds of schoolgirls and forcing them into sex slavery. In 2015, Boko Haram lost all of its territory, but many of the children abducted still remain missing. While the group is no longer as powerful as it once was, there is always a chance for resurgence.

Nigeria has quite a way to go before it can be considered a free country, but there is a clear path to improving the record of human rights in Nigeria. The nation as well as NGOs and the international community will have to continue to push anti-corruption reforms. An ethical government can better serve the needs of its citizens and can be better trusted to handle foreign aid responsibly.

Nigeria also needs to institute reforms that will hold members of the police and the military accountable for unlawful actions. Economic development is also crucial to improving human rights in Nigeria. A Nigeria that has prospered through trade and has greater ties to the international community may be more willing to institute social reforms that will create greater opportunities for women and decriminalize homosexuality.

– Carson Hughes
Photo: Flickr

Environmental Factors Affect Nepal Poverty Rate

Poverty Rate in Nepal

Home to the mesmerizing Mt. Everest, Nepal is located in the Himalayas, neighboring China and India. Known for its sublime mountain range that inhabits 64 percent of the total land, Nepal is populated by 31 million people and has proudly-practiced Buddhist traditions including the visit to the Swayambhunath, one of the holiest Buddhist destinations in Asia.

Although Nepal is regarded as one of the most beautiful countries in the world, 25 percent of its population lives below the poverty line. The Nepal poverty rate is the second-highest in Southeast Asia, trailing only Bangladesh.

According to a 2013 United Nations Development Program’s Human Development Report, Nepal is one of the poorest countries in the world, with 30 percent of Nepalese natives living on $14 a month. Due to these circumstances, the Nepal poverty rate is ranked 157 out of 187 countries.

The report goes on to mention that the Nepal poverty rate has its highest impact in the midwestern region at 45 percent and the far-western region at 46 percent. The inhabitants of these regions have faced issues specific to poverty, including large families, very small landholdings and low literacy rates. Climate-specific issues include rugged terrain, lack of rainfall and poor soil quality.

Roughly 80 percent of Nepal’s population lives in rural areas. Conditions in these areas include a lack of primary healthcare, education, safe drinking water, sanitation and other necessities. Due to this insufficient resources, poor nutrition has become a pressing issue, and half of the children under the age of five are undernourished.

There has been a significant effort to better the lives of those impacted by the Nepal poverty rate. Since 1995, the Nepal poverty rate has decreased by a wide margin, from 13.6 million people in 1995 working for $1.90 a day to four million people in 2010. Of those working for a $1.90 a day, the number has dropped from 46.1 percent in 2003 to 15 percent in 2010.

Many charity organizations have been founded in an attempt to lower the number of people who account for the Nepal poverty rate.

One of the most prosperous charity organizations that has taken action to improve the poverty rate in Nepal is World Poverty Solutions, which has successfully implemented their program in 10 communities around the Dang region. World Poverty Solutions began its work in Nepal in 2012 and has put forth a tremendous effort in providing feeding programs, orphan care and disaster relief, while serving under the desired goal to end extreme poverty in developing nations.

Unfortunately, World Poverty Solutions has faced a major setback in wake of the devastating 7.9 magnitude earthquake that killed an estimated 8,800 people. The damage that took place totaled $6.66 billion, with $5.13 billion in damages to assets and properties and $1.88 billion in loss of foreign earnings. The earthquake shattered hopes of focusing on long-term change for the Nepal poverty rate, calling focus from local churches and leaders to pursue short-term goals.

That said, the Nepal poverty rate has slowly decreased over the last couple of decades. World Poverty Solutions reports that “25 percent of the population still earns less than $1.25 per day, but that is down from 44 percent a decade ago, so the country is making strides in the right direction.”

– Patrick John Greeley

Photo: Flickr

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Half of Humanity: Healthy Menstruation for Female Refugees

The organization Half of Humanity is working to combat an issue that often gets swept under the rug: unhealthy menstrual practices within refugee populations.

The organization’s most recent efforts have been teaming up with NuDay Syria to provide culturally appropriate feminine hygiene products to Syrian refugees. The kit includes a one-month supply of absorbent pads, wipes, soap, two doses of ibuprofen, candies and a handwritten note in Arabic that says, “You are beautiful!”

While other organizations share the goal of promoting healthy menstruation in vulnerable populations, Half of Humanity takes a culturally sensitive approach. For example, Syrian culture condemns the use of tampons, which is why none are included in the hygiene kit. All of the candies are halal out of respect for practicing Muslims.

Half of Humanity’s aid has concentrated primarily on displaced female populations in the Middle East and North Africa, where women are particularly vulnerable to stigma as well as unhealthy menstrual practices. Refugees who cannot afford hygienic products in these low-income areas are likely to use unsanitary alternatives to hide their menstruation, such as unclean rags, grass or even trash.

The organization’s mission in target areas is critical. For example, in 2012, 51 percent of displaced Syrian women in Jordan experienced symptoms of a reproductive tract infection. Improper menstrual practices can also increase chances of HIV and pregnancy complications.

Menstruation also limits many women’s societal engagement. Studies conducted in Africa have shown that many girls consistently miss out on important opportunities such as schooling every month because public areas lack proper sanitation facilities.

Brianna Curran, the founder of Half of Humanity, hopes to enable female refugees to engage in civil action regardless of where they are in the menstrual cycle. Curran has received much recognition for her dedication to the cause, including a spot on the “30 under 30” list of remarkable young people working towards development, sustainability and human rights, created by the Center for Development and Strategy.

While Half of Humanity’s goals are constantly shifting to meet the needs of target populations, its overall impact has served to empower female refugees in both North Africa and the Middle East to engage with the rest of society all days of the month.

– Kailey Dubinsky

Photo: Flickr

Causes of Poverty in Thailand

Causes of Poverty in Thailand Thai PovertyThailand is a developing country that has achieved remarkable economic growth over the last four decades. Its rapid progress in social and economic development led the country to move from a low-income categorization to an upper-middle income economy in 2011. With economic growth also came the reduction of the poverty rate, from 67 percent in 1986 to 7.2 percent in 2015. Still, approximately 7.1 million people are living in poverty, and 80 percent of these people are living in rural areas. Discussed below are the main causes of poverty in Thailand.

 

Leading Causes of Poverty in Thailand

 

One of the most recent causes of poverty in Thailand is that economic growth has slowed down, even though it used to be the key driver of poverty reduction in the past. Thailand’s average annual economic growth rate was 7.5 percent from 1960 to 1996 and five percent in the years following the Asian financial crisis, which generated millions of jobs that contributed to the alleviation of a significant amount of poverty in the country. However, GDP growth has stalled in the past few years, recording less than one percent in 2014, and approximately three percent in 2015 and 2016.

Inequality between the rural and urban regions also continues to function as one of the major causes of poverty in Thailand. Inequality exists among various sectors, the most prominent being education. Thailand’s northeastern population is especially much less educated and more economically disadvantaged than in other parts of the country. In 2010, the Office of the Basic Education Commission stated in its assessment report that the number of schools failing to meet the required standards was much higher in the northern and southern provinces than in Thailand’s other regions. Because of the worsening disparity, many have brought up the need for a drastic reform that allows for more decentralization of the educational system.

However, the reality is bleak. In March 2016, the military regime used its special powers under Section 44 of the interim charter to modify the recruitment and command structure of the public education system back to the old top-down hierarchy.

These are the main causes of poverty in Thailand. The Thai government must succeed in boosting economic growth and reforming the education system, as both will be critical to the country’s elimination of poverty in the future.

– Minh Joo Yi

Photo: Flickr

Zidisha: A Model for Virtual Microfinance

Virtual MicrofinanceFounded in 2009 by Julia Kurnia, Zidisha is a virtual microfinance platform that seeks to combat poverty in developing countries by directly connecting lenders to entrepreneurs. To date, Zidisha has raised more than $10 million in microloans.

Zidisha, which means “grow” or “expand” in Swahili, is the first virtual microfinance service to eliminate the use of local intermediaries to disburse loans to companies in need. The Virginia-based nonprofit follows a platform similar to that of eBay, in which entrepreneurs post public loan requests for lenders across the world to access. This streamlined process is both cost-effective and convenient for emerging entrepreneurs who seek capital to accelerate their businesses.

Zidisha is not the pioneer of virtual microfinance. However, its distinctive feature is its commitment to lower fees and rates for entrepreneurs. Similar organizations such as Kiva make use of “field partners” who often distribute loans at interest rates of more than 35 percent to pay for administrative costs. Zidisha’s flat interest rate of five percent means that borrowers can retain more money to reinvest in their ventures.

The nonprofit has been a highly successful means of growing businesses in 11 developing nations. According to its website, lenders on Zidisha have fully funded more than 70,000 unique projects.

Developing countries are quickly adopting recent technological advances and joining an increasingly interdependent world. According to a Pew Research study, 54 percent of adults in emerging and developing nations described themselves as “Internet users” in 2015, a rise from 45 percent in 2013. However, in the same countries, formal job markets are inadequate and local banks are seldom financially helpful.

Thus, the use of cheap and effective microfinance is critical to spurring economic growth in emerging countries. Developing economies inevitably benefit from microfinance because entrepreneurs can use loans to pay for expansions, renovations, inventory and, most importantly, new employees.

Other virtual microfinance platforms could follow Zidisha’s cost-effective system of lending. If these platforms truly value charity and philanthropy through the form of financial support, they should recognize that the use of third parties to disburse loans poses a financial burden on emerging companies that cannot afford to accumulate thousands of dollars in unpaid interest.

People in developed nations should embrace the unique power of virtual microfinance. It is a viable, even profitable, form of philanthropy that has tangible effects on the crisis of world poverty. Using microfinance as a means of alleviating global economic distress will directly result in more jobs, profit and prosperity for those in need.

– Henry Emanuel

Photo: Flickr

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Operation Good Neighbor: Syrians and Israelis Together

Operation Good NeighborUnder the cover of darkness, Syrian children and their adult chaperones cross the border into Israel. They are greeted by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), but not with guns or bombs. They are greeted with medical care and food. This is Operation Good Neighbor.

The beginnings of this aid project started in 2013, when injured Syrians arrived at the Israeli border. The government made the decision to give them treatment. Since then, 4,000 Syrians have been treated. Operation Good Neighbor, started in 2016, expands this humanitarian initiative to a larger scale. The IDF serves around 200,000 Syrian residents who live in southwestern Syria. These Syrians are close to the Syrian-Israeli border, along the Golan Heights. One-third of them are displaced refugees and half of them are children. They all have been devastated by the Syrian civil war.

The IDF not only gives out medical care, it has begun supplying other necessities as well. The list is expansive and includes medicines like painkillers, anesthetics and insulin, 450,000 liters of fuel for heating, baking and energy for water wells, generators, water pipes, equipment for schools, 12,000 containers of baby formula, 1,800 diaper packages, 12 tons of shoes and 55 tons of clothing for cold weather.

In a statement, the IDF explained its two reasons for helping Syria. The first was the obvious “moral imperative.” The second was more nuanced. It contended that “the aid will ultimately create a less hostile environment across the border.” This security would “lead to improved Israeli security.” These two reasons are both compelling arguments for providing aid to Syria.

Operation Good Neighbor becomes more incredible after considering the historical Israeli-Syrian animosity. Currently, Syria and Israel are technically in a state of war. Syrians have historically been taught to resent Israel and vice-versa. But citizens on the ground in Israel and Syria have found ways to look past their history of enmity. In fact, Israeli citizens have been pressuring Israel’s government to give more aid to Syria for years.

Syrian victims bear striking resemblance to Jews displaced by tyrannical regimes throughout history. Gadi Eizenkot of the IDF puts it best: “I think this [Operation Good Neighbor] is our basic obligation as neighbors and as Jews.”

Being a good neighbor means watching out for everyone around you, even if they don’t look like you. It means treating others how you would like to be treated. It means reaching out, with a helping hand, when someone close to you is hurting. With this in mind, it becomes clear that Operation Good Neighbor is aptly named and that the work that it’s doing is indispensable.

– Adesuwa Agbonile
Photo: Flickr

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The Most Common Diseases in Austria: A Result of Lifestyle

Common Diseases in AustriaCompared to some other countries, Austria is fairly lucky with its resources and success. With a lot of access to potable water and a GDP of $386.4, Austria appears to be doing well. However, like the rest of the world, the people of Austria also suffer from medical conditions.

Due to the fact that clean water is widely available in the nation, Austrians are not very prone to waterborne illnesses, such as cholera and dysentery. Austrians tend to suffer more from diseases that are affected by genetics and lifestyles.

The top five common diseases in Austria that cause the most deaths are Alzheimer’s, lung cancer, ischemic heart disease, COPD and cerebrovascular disease — all of which are noncommunicable.

Statistics prove that Austrians drink a substantial amount more than their European peers. According to research, they are the second largest alcohol consumers in the OECD. In a study, only 10 percent of Austrians stated that they didn’t consume any alcohol in the prior year. In addition to their high alcohol intake, Austrians also have high tobacco consumption rates — more than half of Austrian men ages 18 to 28 smoke.

Drinking alcohol and smoking tobacco excessively leads to health problems. The top common diseases in Austria listed above consider either smoking or drinking as risk factors.

While one cannot really control their genes, they can control their lifestyle. Austria is making an effort to reduce the amount of tobacco consumption, so that they can eventually reduce the number of cases for the noncommunicable diseases that strike the nation. In 2009, the country banned smoking in public places, excluding restaurants and cafes. By 2018, Austria plans to ban smoking in restaurants and cafes, as well.

Although the country still has room to improve, it has still made a lot of progress. By taking measures such as banning smoking in public places, Austria is making it harder for its people to continue their unhealthy habits. Implementing policies to reduce risk factors, such as drinking and smoking, puts Austria on the right path toward healthier lifestyles and less noncommunicable diseases.

– Raven Rentas

Photo: Flickr

10 Facts About the Poverty Rate in the Netherlands

Poverty Rate in the NetherlandsThe Netherlands is the sixth-largest economy in the European Union. Playing an important role in the European economy, the Netherlands has a persistently high trade surplus, stable industrial relations and a low unemployment rate. However, poverty still exists in the Netherlands. Discussed below are the leading facts on the poverty rate in the Netherlands.

 

10 Facts on the Poverty Rate in the Netherlands

 

  1. The public debt of the Netherlands is 61.8 percent of the GDP in 2016. That makes Netherlands 64th on the public debt list comparing to other countries in the world.
  2. The unemployment rate in the Netherlands in 2016 is about six percent of the population, ranking them 72nd in the world, while the United States ranks 53rd with a rate of 4.7 percent.
  3. The Netherlands’ unemployment rate dropped from 6.9 percent in 2015 to 6 percent in 2016.
  4. The Dutch government projects the unemployment rate in the nation will decrease to 4.9 percent in 2017.
  5. The poverty rate in the Netherlands is 8.8 percent, which means about 1,400,000 people still live below the poverty line.
  6. The number of children growing up in long-term poverty in the Netherlands is about seven percent, which is about 125,000 people. According to CBS, most of those children live in single-parent families or families that rely on welfare benefits.
  7. Child poverty is considered to be a big problem in the Netherlands. The government believes actions need to be taken to fight against child poverty and children should be given a greater voice and should be directly involved in policy-making. Local authorities are responsible for considering children’s opinions. However, only five percent of the local authorities actually involve children in the process.
  8. Due to the financial crisis in 2008, the Netherlands experienced a protracted recession from 2009 to 2013. The unemployment rate doubled to 7.4 percent during the period and household consumption contracted for four consecutive years.
  9. The wealthiest 10 percent of the population in the Netherlands control about 24.9 percent of the whole country’s wealth. On the other hand, the poorest 10 percent of the population only control 2.3 percent of the country’s wealth.
  10. The inflation rate is 0.3 percent in 2016, which dropped 0.3 percent from 0.6 percent in 2015. The Netherlands is ranked 44th in the world.

The Netherlands is a wealthy country in Europe, but it also faces many problems such as child poverty. The poverty rate in the Netherlands is relativity low compared to many other countries in the world, but there is always room for improvement.

– Mike Liu

Photo: Flickr

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Healthcare Helps Common Diseases in Turkey

Common Diseases in TurkeyTurkey has a population of just over 78 million people. The country has a very complex healthcare system, offering many different plans and systems. The common diseases in Turkey are similar to those in the rest of the world.

The healthcare system in place in Turkey, although complex, is one of the world’s best, with high-quality doctors and the latest technology available to bring the highest-quality care to individuals. This leads to higher life expectancy for both males and females, with men living to be about 76 and females living to be just over 82 years old. Both are well over the worldwide average.

Turkey’s public facilities consist of government-run hospitals associated with universities to bring the highest quality of care. However, the state-run hospitals are lagging behind the private sector and have shortages of personnel and equipment.

One of the most common diseases in Turkey is heart disease. However, many forms of heart disease have diminished in severity and occurrence over the past decade. Ischemic heart disease has dropped almost 15 percent over the last decade. The new technology that is becoming more widely available in Turkey is working to decrease the most common diseases in Turkey, and the rates of many of these diseases have decreased in the past decade.

Another common disease in Turkey is Alzheimer’s disease. This is a deadly disease that has impacted millions around the world. It is also on the rise in Turkey, with its rate of occurrence jumping up nearly 10 percent over the past decade. In 2012, it was estimated that 331,512 people were living with dementia in Turkey. This represented 0.44 percent of the population of Turkey.

Alzheimer’s disease mostly impacts people who are 75 and older, with the highest rates of occurrence in those that are 80 to 94 years old. However, it is estimated that half of the people with dementia have not been diagnosed. It is imperative that Turkey works to create opportunities for new methods of diagnosis and treatment for the disease. Over the past decade, awareness of Alzheimer’s has increased drastically, and thus more people are paying attention and attempting to help find treatment and a cure.

The common diseases in Turkey are much like the rest of the world, but Turkey is more fortunate than many to have great healthcare for most of the people in the nation. There is still work to be done to research these diseases and find strategies to help those hospitals that are less fortunate than others.

– Brendin Axtman

Photo: Flickr

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Education in Afghanistan: Lifting the Nation Out of Poverty

Education in Afghanistan
At Mirman, Khajo Secondary School students hurry into class bundled up in their winter uniforms. The school bell chimes. Teachers rush around the room handing out tests. Just a few years ago this wasn’t a reality. The school was recently built as part of the country’s major push to bring access to education to its populace as well as improve the overall standing of education in Afghanistan.

U.S ambassador to Afghanistan Hugo Llorens stated that Afghanistan has made significant educational strides over the past 15 years, but also emphasized that the nation still has a lot of room left for improvement.

According to Asia Foundation’s Survey of the Afghan, people find education is one of the only sectors where the Afghan people feel that the government has made an improvement. The Ministry of Education, with support from USAID, has created a widespread community-based class system, built 16,000 schools and hired and trained more than 154,000 teachers. As a result, enrollment has increased by 60 percent, more than nine million students, 40 percent of whom are girls.

In Afghanistan, 80 percent of the people own smart phones. This prevalence of technology and internet access further aids education in Afghanistan. The Asia Foundation, for example, has developed an education app designed to improve reading skills in grades one through three. The organization has also developed online mock exams to prepare students for the real ones.

The increase of access to education in Afghanistan has also improved higher education. According to the Afghan Central Statistics Organization, public university enrollment has increased from 7,800 in 2001 to 174,425 in 2015, with 21 percent of those students being women.

While Afghanistan has increased education access, it has not achieved the quality of education. Only 30 percent of Afghan students score high enough on the standardized tests to make it into college. While good private schools exist, many public schools are poorly administrated. Irfan, a 10-year-old Afghan student, claims that in public school there are only two lessons a week and teachers will often chase students out of the classroom so they can listen to music.

In order to lift itself out of strife and economic woes, Afghanistan needs an educated public. The government has done incredible work in creating access to education; now it just needs to focus on monitoring public and private schools in order to improve education in Afghanistan.

– Bruce Edwin Ayres Truax
Photo: Flickr