Archive for category: Global Poverty

Key articles and information on global poverty.

Akinwumi Ayodeji Adesina: 2017 World Food Prize Laureate

Akinwumi Ayodeji AdesinaWhat do you get when you combine the President of the African Development Bank, the Minister of Agriculture of Nigeria and an active member of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa? In this case, they are all one person. Dr. Akinwumi Ayodeji Adesina was deservedly recently named the 2017 World Food Prize Laureate for his work in transforming African agriculture and solving Africa’s food issues.

Growing up in poverty himself, Adesina’s mission to improve farming in Africa has the potential to lift millions out of poverty. He studied Agriculture at the University of Ife in Nigeria, and eventually went on to earn his Masters and Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics at Purdue University in Indiana, U.S.A.

A firm believer in making a better world for the next generation of Africans through education, health and economics, Dr. Akinwumi Ayodeji Adesina has been a political pioneer for millions of farmers throughout Africa. He works on everything from financial assistance for farmers to access to agricultural technologies and investments in agriculture.

Dr. Adesina believes that fertilizer and hybrid seeds can be some of the greatest assets to African agriculture in the coming years. He had a leading role in organizing the African Fertilizer Summit, which “was one of the largest high-level meetings in history to focus on Africa’s food issues,” according to CNBC. The mission of the summit? “Combating poverty and food and nutrition insecurity in Africa, and to direct our attention to key decisions that can move us forward with a view to eradicating hunger by 2030.”

The summit established a forefront to the Green Revolution across Africa, which in turn gave birth to AGRA, the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa, established by Bill and Melinda Gates.

With his Electronic Wallet System technology (or E-Wallet), Adesina has been able to cut out corrupt distributers, giving farmers access to seeds and fertilizer directly from the source. This mobile phone-based technology improved the lives of 14.5 million farmers and their families in its first four years.

Dr. Akinwumi Ayodeji also co-founded the African Leaders for Nutrition Panel with John Kufuor (former President of Ghana) with a goal to end malnutrition and stunting.

In 2011, he helped orchestrate the largest bank negotiation to aid farmers and agribusiness ever attempted in Africa, convincing the Central Bank of Nigeria to use $350 million in creating a facility that would pull $3.5 billion from commercial banks into agriculture.

At the 50th anniversary celebration of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture in July of this year, Adesina announced that the African Development Bank (of which he is president) would be investing $24 billion in agriculture in Africa over the next 10 years. Adesina hopes that the two institutions can work together to transform African agriculture into being self-sustaining, with the potential to feed the entire continent within 10 years.

In a speech delivered last year at the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa, Dr. Adesina exposed the importance for improving agriculture in Africa and its effect on the world.

“Africa needs to invest more in science and technology to become more efficient and competitive in agriculture – and to diversify rapidly its economies. For Africa must fully unlock its immense agricultural potential. That potential is massive: Africa has 65 percent of all the arable land left in the world to feed 9 billion people by 2050. Africa cannot eat potential.”

These powerful words by such an influential man ring true, and hopefully more technological and scientific developments will come soon and impact Africa as positively as Dr. Akinwumi Ayodeji’s.

– Katherine Gallagher

Informal Economies Quelling the Tide of Globalization

Informal EconomiesInformal economies are all too often associated with deviance and insecurity, with people making money outside of formal sectors, not paying taxes, increasing poverty and lacking labor and social protection.

However, from the floating markets of Nigeria to the burgeoning markets of India, informal economies, or what Robert Neuwirth calls “system D” economies, are filling the void left by globalization. Secure jobs are becomimg more and more scarce, as multinational corporations control ever more of the production and distribution of goods across the globe. As these practices continue to drive up economic inequality and leave people battling unrelenting poverty, informal economies are quickly reversing the course and offering alternative economic practices that are quelling the tide.

An informal economy, as defined by the International Labor Office (ILO), is “all economic activities by workers or economic units that are — in law or practice — not covered or sufficiently covered by formal arrangements.”

Informal economies are on the rise across the globe, although accurate statistical data is hard to come by. They are estimated to be worth $10 trillion a year.

Terence Jackson reports that the informal economic sector in Africa “represents about three-quarters of non-agricultural employment, and about 72 percent of total employment in sub-Saharan Africa.” In India, informal economies are estimated to generate 90 percent of jobs and half of the national output. In both Africa, Asia and the world at large, many GDPs are heavily reliant on informal economies.

As talk of new and emerging economies fill the airwaves, informal economies offer alternative means to lift local people and communities from the coercive and restricting structures of globalization. Ironically, globalization is credited as having increased the size and importance of informal economies while these very economies stand to threaten the reign of multinational corporations and globalization.

A study by Martha Alter Chen, a lecturer in public policy at the Harvard Kennedy School and international coordinator of Women in Informal Employment Globalizing and Organizing (WIEGO), explores how in today’s economy, formal jobs are not being created in sufficient quantities, and existing jobs are being made informal. “Informal employment is here to stay in the short, medium, and probably long term. It is the main source of employment and income for the majority of the workforce and population in the developing world,” her study states.

Informal economies across the globe are expanding, and increasing numbers of people are dependent on the profits generated. As informal economies seem to be here to stay, it is imperative the world embraces the revolutionary entrepreneurship pouring out of the sector. It holds the potential to not only fill the labor void left by globalization but to offer an alternative way forward that addresses local problems with local answers.

– Joseph Dover
Photo: Flickr

Belo Monte Dam Progress Halted on Environmental Concerns

Belo Monte DamThis past April, a Brazilian federal court suspended construction of the Belo Monte Dam in the northern state of Pará. The suspension arose from concerns regarding the protection of the environment and the natural resources of the Amazon. Sanitation works in the city of Altamira must be completed before construction can resume.

Community and Forest Effects 

The dam, which was scheduled to be completed in 2019, would be one of the world’s largest hydropower plants. As of April 2017, 10 turbines are already running, with plans to build 24 in total. The budget for the entire project is 30 billion Reais, or $9.6 billion.

The construction of the Belo Monte dam is a complicated issue. Droughts in southern Brazil led to energy shortages, increasing pressure on the Brazilian government to push forward construction of the dam.

Additionally, the desire to reduce Carbon emissions is a top priority for Brazil. Yet the deforestation and destruction of local communities due to dam construction are also pressing concerns.

The Belo Monte dam complex partially blocks the Xingu River, one of the major Amazon tributaries. The blockage forced the construction of a new channel, which has inadvertently flooded thousands of acres of rain forest. It is reported that many low-lying islands have been submerged and deforestation is occurring as a result.

Hydroelectric Dam Disruption

The construction of the dam disrupted the natural flow of rivers through the rain forest. It also forced many of the local inhabitants, primarily river dwellers and fisherman, to abandon their current lifestyle and relocate to urban areas. The forced relocation and loss of current lifestyles and employments exacerbates the risk of falling into extreme poverty in an already poverty-stricken area.

There is a loss of water supply and fishing stocks in several regions of construction as well as the lack of social support and economic compensation provided for local communities, many of which have indigenous populations. This is a major catalyst for lawsuits filed by the national Indian protection agency (Funai) and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.

Hydroelectric dams, while currently favored not only in Brazil but throughout South America, are just one of several solutions for cleaner energy. Energy options powered by the sun or wind are also potential choices that could provide clean energy and reduce carbon emissions without contributing to deforestation.

As plans for the Belo Monte dam are reworked to better address certain environmental concerns, alternative forms of energy should also be considered as a way to reduce damage caused by hydroelectric dams.

– Nicole Toomey
Photo: Flickr

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The State of Human Rights in Jamaica

Human Rights in JamaicaIn the 2007 Human Development Index published by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Jamaica ranked 101 of 177 countries – the second-lowest in the Caribbean, ahead of only Haiti. Since then, the nation’s rank has climbed to 94; however, human rights in Jamaica and national human development still face several obstacles that need to be addressed.

Poverty and public security are the primary human rights concerns in Jamaica. Gang violence and violent murders are rampant and affect a majority of the population, especially the poorest. Although there has been a slight decrease in gang activity in the last few years, gang violence still accounts for a majority of murders in Jamaica. Last year, the Acting Police Commissioner reported that 65 percent of murders were linked to gangs.

Police violence is also a major issue. The state’s answer to significant violent crime has largely been to respond with its own violence. Human rights activists in recent years have reported the prevalence of unlawful killings on behalf of the state police force on the order of – or complicit with – higher authorities. Since 2000, it is alleged that the Jamaican constabulary force has killed over 3,000 people. Although these killings have been decreasing since 2010, the numbers are still high. In 2016, there was an average of two police killings per week.

Beyond the killings themselves, international human rights watchdog organizations have claimed that police officers perpetuate an atmosphere of fear. The planting and tampering of evidence, along with the intimidation and terrorizing of witnesses, are commonplace.

Another major obstacle to improving human rights in Jamaica is the treatment of the LGBTQ community. Hate crimes directed at these individuals have been committed both by citizens and the police. Between 2009 and 2012, estimates show that over 200 attacks, including physical attacks, mob attacks and home invasions, were directed at LGBTQ members. More recently, the government has formally acknowledged the issue and has put in place initiatives, such as a division of the police focused on diversity, to help aid the problem.

The state of human rights in Jamaica over the past decade has been improving. Initiatives on behalf of the government and the support and direction of human rights organizations have attempted to systematically address the issues that plagued the Jamaican community, and have already made progress. However, there is still a lot of room for improvement and as long as Jamaica suffers from chronic poverty, human rights issues will always be present.

– Alan Garcia-Ramos

Photo: Flickr

Human Rights in the Czech Republic

Human Rights in the Czech Republic
The condition of human rights in the Czech Republic is, for the most part, favorable. The Czech government takes an active role in protecting its citizens’ rights and appears open to positive change.

The main issue that the Czech Republic faces is a lack of acceptance of immigrants and minorities along with an increase in hate speech. While the nation complied with the European Union (EU) resettlement agreement of Turkish and Middle Eastern refugees, Amnesty International reports several demonstrations against the Romani people and asylum seekers. The general dislike of refugees and the view that they pose a threat to the Czech Republic was perpetuated by some political leaders, including the president.

Several polls reflected the general disapproval of Roma, including one in which 82 percent of the participants deemed Roma “unlikeable” or “very unlikeable,” according to the U.S. Department of State (DOS). Additionally, one-third of Roma lived in ghettos or similar conditions, and many Romani children went to special schools, putting them at an educational disadvantage.

Most reported hate crimes against both Romani and Muslim people have led to convictions, revealing a commitment to the improvement of human rights in the Czech Republic. The minister for labor and social affairs as well as the minister for human rights in the Czech Republic also supported legislation that would benefit minority and disadvantaged groups.

Freedom of speech and expression is largely unhindered by the Czech government with the exception of hate speech and those who deny the Holocaust. Unlawful Internet censorship is not an issue, and most homes have high-speed Internet access.

Government corruption still affects the Czech Republic, as demonstrated by an increase in crimes committed by prison workers and law enforcement officers between 2014 and 2015. Despite this, the government ensured that these offenders were subjected to the appropriate fines and prison time. Lawmakers and the like must publicly report their assets and are generally compliant, even if the information is sometimes difficult to access.

The unemployment rate among disabled persons remains high, but education conditions for the disabled have progressed. The U.S. DOS documents that legislation was recently passed that increased the attendance rate of disabled children in “mainstream schools.” This is indicative of a focus on improvement of human rights in the Czech Republic.

Although prisons struggle with sanitation and overcrowding, they are open to making the suggested changes of investigative forces – such as NGOs – that monitor prison conditions.

Human rights in the Czech Republic could improve in some areas, but thanks to the Czech government being attentive to the needs and rights of its citizens, not much improvement is needed.

– Emma Tennyson

Photo: Flickr

Five Main Causes of Poverty in the UK

Five Main Causes of Poverty in the UKThe U.K. has been one of the wealthiest countries on the planet for centuries. Despite this, however, poverty remains a serious issue in the country. An estimated 13.5 million people live below the poverty line. Last year, one in five people struggled to put food on their table, with more than half a million reliant on food banks in order to feed themselves and their families. The question remains as to what the primary causes of poverty in the U.K. actually are.

  1. It may seem counter-intuitive to think that for a country recording its lowest rates of unemployment, that employment could be a cause of poverty. While work is assumed to be the main way for people to escape poverty, this is not always the case. For those in low-paid jobs or part-time work, income can be limited. Coupled with such positions often have little potential for progression, certain employment opportunities seem to exacerbate poverty rather than offer the relief many people need.
  2. A lack of education and technical skills is another primary cause of poverty in the U.K. Around five million U.K. adults do not have basic literacy and numeracy skills, leaving them at a serious disadvantage when it comes to finding gainful employment. Compounding matters, 12.6 million lack any form of digital skills, since many employment opportunities involve at least a small amount of computer use.
  3. Issues in home life can facilitate a fall into poverty, for example, domestic violence, substance abuse or underemployment. Children are often at risk in situations such as these, with research showing that boys raised in a difficult household are far likelier to be excluded from school or become involved in criminal activity. For girls, the situation is similar, with those growing up in similar circumstances show to be more at risk of mental health problems as well as more likely to enter into early parenthood, at times characterized by further abuse.
  4. Inadequacies in the benefits system can also cause further poverty. For many, the system can be difficult to understand and navigate, which can lead to mistakes or delays in payment. For many, the benefits they receive are simply not enough to help them avoid poverty. In fact, it is estimated that for a family with one child claiming benefits, receives around 65 percent of the required amount to keep them above the poverty line.
  5. The final primary driver of poverty in the U.K. is the cost of goods and services. Between 2008 and 2014, living costs increased three times faster than the average wage. The cost of housing, food and utilities have quickly risen in recent years, with increased childcare costs also placing a strain on families’ finances.

While these issues are problematic for many people across the U.K., attempts have been made to alleviate the damage. The national living wage, introduced in 2016, was created in order to reflect the costs incurred by working people in the country. There are charities such as the Child Poverty Action Group and End Child Poverty that target vulnerable families. Though it may take time, the fight is certainly underway against poverty in the U.K.

– Gavin Callander
Photo: Flickr

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Progress Made on Reducing Poverty in Cuba

Poverty in CubaThe global financial crisis hurt first world nations as well as developing countries. As one example of this, poverty in Cuba has been affected. The country is doing better than some Latin American countries, but the government is struggling to maintain services such as free healthcare and education.

Cuba opened up its economy as a result of the global financial crisis, but it is worse off as a result. Fifteen percent of the population is living in poverty in Cuba. This most recent data is at least 10 years old, though, and more recent numbers are not available.

Because of the USSR’s collapse, Cuba was left to fend for itself. This has led to a restructuring of how goods and services are distributed. For example, instead of a universal food supply in the form of food stamps for everyone, Cuba is targeting the most vulnerable.

One problem Cuba faces is people living longer, despite the availability of junk food. It is estimated that the population of those over 65 in Cuba will double in the next 20 years. That will swell the number of people seeking healthcare as well as the costs associated as such.

About 40 percent of Cubans fall within the “middle class,” which is broadly defined, according to the Brookings Institute, but the average take-home pay for Cubans is $20 per month, or $0.66 per day, based on a 30-day month.

Despite this, 90 percent of Cubans own their own homes. Most Cubans can buy and sell property, open small businesses, have cell phones and form cooperatives both on and off farms.” President Raul Castro, who encourages the high ownership rate, is trying to “preserve socialism while introducing new market-based mechanisms,” according to Ted Piccone, a senior fellow at the Brooking Institute who specializes in International Order and Strategy and Latin American Initiatives.

Just as towns that concentrate and depend on one industry or business, with the risk of seeing that business close or fail, Cuba replaced dependence on the United States with dependence on the former USSR, only to see it fall. Castro inherited a Cuba that was dependent on sugar production, but with the deep socio-economic and racial scars of slavery. Some believe the revolution interrupted capitalistic growth, while others say it was “a precondition to resolving the contradictions obstructing development by ending Cuba’s subjugation to the needs of U.S. capitalism.”

Adding to the problem was Batista’s taking millions with him as he fled. This left Cuba without much of the money it needed to rebuild.

Despite the country’s economic problems, prices are kept low across the board, with some services still coming free, such as education and healthcare. Those who rent do not pay more than four percent of their income.  Cuba’s infant mortality rate is 4.5 per 1,000 live births, placing it among the rates in first-world countries, even ranking above the United States. The wealth indicators here are not necessarily material goods but instead are reflected in the quality of life. This quality does come at a price, though: Cuba’s infrastructure is in very poor shape.

Despite Cuba’s economic problems, its medical triumphs show how, despite the embargo by the United States, a country can survive if it looks for help elsewhere, and even become a leader. By investing in people and reaching out, poverty in Cuba and other countries like it can be reduced, and developing nations can make their mark on the world and life for its citizens better as time goes on.

– Gloria Diaz

Photo: Pixabay

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Examining Tunisia’s Human Rights Record

Tunisia's Human Rights
In 2011, Tunisia was embroiled in revolution, eventually leading to the resignation of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and the formation of a new, free, republic. Although Tunisia’s new government may be free, there is no guarantee that it will have a stellar human rights record. Following the revolution, Tunisia’s human rights record has been imperfect, and its new government still has issues to work out.

According to Amnesty International’s annual report, the biggest threat to human rights in Tunisia is the current nationwide state of emergency, which has been in effect since November 2015. Through this state of emergency, the government military force has been granted an expansion of powers in order to deal with the threat of the Islamic State along Tunisia’s borders. Instead, the military has used its power to take away the human rights and freedom of Tunisian citizens. Tunisia’s Truth and Dignity Commission, which was created to address Tunisia’s human rights violations, reported that it has received reports of more than 62,000 human rights violations.

Among said human rights violations include arbitrary arrests, intimidation and harassment, discrimination and the banning of assembly and free speech. Since the start of the state of emergency, there have been thousands of arrests and house searches, often without a warrant. Accompanying these arrests is a sense of intimidation and harassment, where law enforcement and military officials are threatening people in the name of counter-terrorism. Tunisian citizens are stereotyped, men in long beards and women in religious clothing are explicitly monitored and treated harshly and their homes are searched. These unlawful searches and arrests go against key human rights, including the right to work and freedom of movement – further injuring Tunisia’s human rights record.

The Human Rights Watch notes that Tunisia has been trying to prevent torture and ill treatment towards detainees in their prisons, with the National Constituent Assembly creating a High Authority for the Prevention of Torture, which elected 16 members in March 2016. Using unannounced inspections, torture in prisons and detention sites can be reduced. However, the Tunisian government is still unsure of how to preserve the human rights of citizens in police custody as reports of ill treatment by judges and police officers rise.

Addressing these reports, the U.N. Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights recommended, among other suggestions, that Tunisia should increase accountability amongst these police officers and judges by raising awareness of human rights. Thus, while the government continues to stabilize and search for ways to stem Tunisia’s human rights violations in the midst of the country’s ongoing state of emergency, there is hope that the treatment of its citizens will continue to improve.

– Rachael Blandau

Photo: Flickr

The Main Causes of Poverty in Samoa

Causes of Poverty in Samoa

Samoa is one of the most stable islands in the Pacific region. Its economy is reasonably healthy and the average family earns lower-middle incomes. As a developing nation, Samoa has made many impressive strides toward meeting the Millennium Development Goals.

Extreme poverty is very uncommon in Samoa. However, according to the Asian Development Bank, approximately 22% of the country’s population lived below the national poverty line in 2018. The causes of poverty in Samoa ultimately boil down to lack of access to education, youth unemployment and underemployment, gender inequity and threats to natural resources and farming land, such as natural disasters.

Disparity in Education

The gap between education in rural and urban areas is staggering, with few schools in the countryside and a need for updated curricula and textbooks in many areas. In a 2016 report, 7% of individuals aged 3 and older residing in rural Samoa had never attended school, compared to 6% in urban areas.

Further, many rural children go into agricultural jobs too early, jobs that ultimately are not sufficient to support families later on. Working out of necessity instead of continuing with education furthers the cycle of poverty in rural areas of Samoa.

Youth Unemployment

Another cause of poverty in Samoa is youth unemployment or underemployment, particularly between the ages of 15 and 24. The unemployment rate for people aged 15 to 24 is approximately 20%, while the overall unemployment rate stood at 10% in 2022. Unemployment is more prevalent among women aged between 15 and 24, at 24.5%, compared to men at 16.7%.

There is a noticeable lack of opportunity and social benefits in rural areas that disadvantage the growing youth community in Samoa, especially as the youth population increases and puts pressure on existing resources. There is also a disparity between men and women in Samoa, with many jobs, especially in agriculture, restricting women. This disparity results in a significant difference between male and female incomes in the country, contributing to family poverty.

Natural Disasters

Increasing natural disasters such as cyclones threaten marine and agricultural resources, causing communities to take a long time to recover from the devastation they inflict. While Samoa’s soil is fertile, it is very shallow and prone to erosion. These features are only intensified by rising temperatures and population increases, causing land degradation and shortages of resources.

Most Samoans rely on agriculture for their income, so any threat to their livelihoods affects them. To prevent environmental degradation and preserve Samoa’s natural resources, sustainable farming, fishing and logging practices must be implemented immediately.

Looking Ahead

Overall, Samoa is a moderately productive and stable country in the context of the Pacific region. However, more work can be done to ensure that the next generation of youth is employed and has the same natural resources at their disposal as their ancestors did.

Hopefully, these changes will be made with the implementation of sustainable agricultural practices. Samoans can expand from agriculture into manufacturing to continue working toward achieving their Millennium Development Goals.

– Saru Duckworth

Photo: Flickr
Updated: May 29, 2024

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Mental Illness in Developing Countries

Mental Illness in Developing CountriesMental illness has become a major health issue in the world today.  Approximately 450 million people currently suffer from some sort of mental illness or brain condition worldwide. Individuals living in developing countries, which often lack proper medical care, are extremely susceptible to mental illness.

War, poverty and diseases such as AIDS and polio are major concerns regarding mental illness in developing countries.  These countries are generally too overwhelmed by communicable diseases and ill-equipped to respond to depression, schizophrenia and other mental health problems.

Former United Nations secretary-general Kofi Annan believes that it is time to make mental health a priority and to allot resources for treatment, developing policies, and implementing reforms to address the growing problem of mental illness, especially in developing countries.

In a special issue of a British medical journal, The Lancet, health officials called for new strategies and more money to treat mental illness in developing countries.  The authors of the journal argued that, without implementing measures to promote positive mental health, the future of these countries will be limited.

At the turn of the century, the World Health Organization (WHO) published a collection of papers titled “Mental Health: New Understanding, New Hope” that highlighted the importance of mental health.

“The WHO is making a simple statement: mental health – neglected for far too long – is crucial to the overall well-being of individuals, societies and countries and must be universally regarded in a new light,” former director general of the WHO Gro Harlem Brundtland said.

The WHO conducted a program, titled Project Atlas, to catalog mental health resources around the world.  The program found that almost half the countries in the world have no explicit mental health policy and nearly one-third have no program for coping with rising brain-related disabilities.

The results for Project Atlas are as follows:

  • 41 percent of countries have no mental health policy
  • 25 percent have no legislation on mental health
  • 28 percent have no separate budget for mental health
  • 41 percent do not have treatment facilities for severe mental disorders in primary care

Depression, the most common form of mental illness, has seen an uptick of 18 percent between 2005 and 2015 bringing the total number of people with depression to a staggering  300 million worldwide.

Like most people with mental illnesses, those who suffer from depression often do not seek treatment. Almost 50 percent of people with depression or depression symptoms (such as loss of interest in activities once enjoyed, persistent sadness and problems with everyday activities) do not seek help.

Though there is still a lot of work to do to fight mental illness, especially mental illness in developing countries, some areas have already implemented strategies to fight these diseases. One of the poorest areas of India, with the help of mostly locally recruited mental health workers, showed the efficiency of community-based rehabilitation to manage severe brain-related disabilities. Other countries such as Chile have also implemented effective strategies to help fight mental illness.

The renewed global focus on mental health is encouraging, where mental illness in developing countries still remains a major problem. Through the implementation of new strategies as well as the development of positive policies regarding mental health, there is evidence that mental healthcare is gaining importance and is becoming more accessible in developing countries.

– Drew Hazzard

Photo: Pixabay