Archive for category: Global Poverty

Key articles and information on global poverty.

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China’s Rising Economy

China’s April-to-June quarter results have proved that the country is growing economically. China’s rising economy has expanded 7.5 percent in the past year, on target with the government’s goal, and retail sales and factory output has risen even just in the month of June.

This change is positive, but was somewhat expected, as China’s government has created a plan to boost economic growth. These quarterly results simply reaffirmed that they are on the right track.

Dariusz Kowalczyk, a senior economist in Hong Kong, said regarding the results, “The Result is very good and shows the economy has recovered very well in the second quarter.” He also confirmed that the improvements were the result of the “targeted stimulus measures undertaken by the Chinese authorities.”

This boost has come after a recent decline in China’s economy due to lowered demands of exports. The economic lull inspired the government to increase consumption domestically and rebalance their growth model.

One of the changes made to boost the economy was to lower the Reserve Requirement Ratio (RRR,) the cash amount required by banks to keep in reserve in order to have money to lend to agriculture related businesses and smaller companies. Smaller companies also received cuts on their taxes.

While the growth is something to celebrate, China still needs to practice caution. The growing economy may be completely dependent on the stimulus changes, and the momentum could easily fade. Chang Jian, an analysist with Barclays, stated that, “…the recovery is quite dependent on government support”.

There is also the question as to how genuine the rising economy is. The property sector, making up about 16 percent of China’s GDP, is going through a downturn. The government is working on taking out “shadow banking,” where alternative lending and finances are given outside of the government. House sales have fallen 9.2 percent. While these facts should be lending to a shrinking economy, the economy continues to grow, putting it under speculation by some.

Some believe that the numbers are inflated, and that the GDP has truly only expanded by 6 percent rather than 7.5 percent. Some economists worry that the growth will plateau, or that the government’s stimulus work will not be enough to sustain the momentum.

One thing to hope for is that the economy’s growth will continue because of these changes, even without the government continually tending to it.

Banks have been encouraged to lend more willingly to companies that export goods, which should increase exports over time.

China also plans to build railways, roads and airports along the Yangtze river, which would enable the country’s less developed areas to more easily reach Shanghai, giving economic opportunity to a larger variety of citizens.

Only time will tell if the rising economy of China is genuine and long lasting. This growth, or lack of growth, will surely affect the global economy as well.

– Courtney Prentice

Sources: BBC, Time, The Asashi Shimbun
Photo: Opinion-Maker

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Tour de Meals: Biking to End Hunger

tour de meals
We all think of biking as a great way to exercise, but 67-year-old Tony Fritz found another great reason to ride his bicycle: ending world hunger. Fritz began this 1,500 mile route at the Global Aid Network (GAiN) Headquarters in Plano, Texas on June 30, and he estimates his arrival at the GAiN Distribution Center, which packages and ships food for humanitarian aid, in Mount Joy, Pa. on July 30.

Some of us may question why someone would commit themselves to this daunting task. Fritz provides a very straightforward and honest answer, “Because many people living in impoverished or war-torn areas do not have enough to eat, and because many of them die needlessly, I am raising money to send food.”

The U.N. estimates that 842 million people are suffering from hunger around the world, which is why Fritz is biking to raise awareness of this global health issue. According to Fritz, “If only one child in America died of hunger or related issue it would be a travesty and reported nationally. Tragically, it does happen thousands of times daily throughout the world and morphs into an impersonal statistic.”

Along with raising awareness, this bike ride known as the “Tour De Meals” is also a pledge-per-mile fundraiser. A mere penny given for every mile Fritz bikes equals a $15 donation, which will feed a child in need for a whole month.

In order to prepare for this 1,500 mile bike route across the country, Fritz began training indoors during the winter for at least an hour five days a week, and he rode up to 80 miles a week outside during the spring.

His hobby of bicycling with his son also helped him prepare for this long journey. Fritz has been riding bikes with his son for 15 years now, and they even planned a cross-country bike ride from San Diego to Pennsylvania together about four years ago. Although Fritz was not able to complete this 2,800 mile route, he was able to bike about 55 percent of it.

A native of Reamstown, Pennsylvania, Fritz has been volunteering at GAiN as a Food Process Manager ever since retiring as a math teacher in 2006. GAiN is a humanitarian organization that works to help the world’s poor and needy through relief and development projects in the Americas, Africa, Middle East and Central Asia.

Since its launch in 2003, GAiN has created five programs: food, agriculture, clean water, education and relief. Through its Food Program, more than 13 million meals were given to children and their families across the world in 2012. This specific program is mainly responsible for packaging projects, shipping food and providing lifesaving food aid to those most in need.

Fritz is a perfect example that anyone, by any means, can make a difference in the fight against global poverty and hunger. He sums this idea up perfectly: “There are a lot of good causes out there, a lot of things to pour your life into, and this is one of them. I don’t think everybody needs to do this, but everybody needs to have awareness of it.”

To follow Fritz’s bicycling journey across the country, read his blog and even donate to the cause. Visit TourdeMeals.org.

– Meghan Orner
Sources: Global Aid Network,, Tour de Meals, Mission Network News, Greene County Daily World, UN
Photo: Auto Europe

Instability Facing Nigeria

On July 24, 2014 an estimated 82 people were killed in a northern Nigerian city due to the blast of two bombs. The source of the bombs leads to the Islamist terrorist group in the area, Boko Haram.

Nigerian forces are currently at war with the terrorist group, and there is heavy speculation that the suicide bombs were a ploy to distract their attention from the war zone to a heavily populated area a few hundred miles away.

Both events seem to be targeting influential political figures in Nigeria. The first target was “Muslim cleric, Sheik Dahiru Bauchi, who has repeatedly condemned terrorism as un-Islamic,” according to the Wall Street Journal. He coincidentally missed the attack by minutes, leaving civilians as the only victims of the first bomb.

The second target was “Mohammadu Buhari, the ex-military dictator who remains the country’s top opposition leader.” With both attacks at the intended targets turning into failures, the only victims were helpless civilians who got caught in the crossfire.

This is not Boko Haram’s first attempt to create havoc in Nigerian cities, as they have bombed myriad other areas while trying to gain control of certain war-torn areas.

Nigeria’s financial stability is questionable at best, but the attacks have forced the President into pouring money the country may not have into military efforts in order to protect and police the country. It’s reported that over $1 billion have gone into the military fund as a result of these attacks.

Nigeria is acknowledging the public: “We call on Nigerian authorities to fully investigate these attacks,” State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said in a statement. “We urge all Nigerians to avoid reprisals and continue to practice the interfaith cooperation that violent extremists seek to undermine.”

It’s hugely important to acknowledge that the terrorist group behind these bombings are the same people that have kidnapped over 200 young girls, drawing international attention to the Nigerian political stage. The ruthlessness of their actions demonstrates the fact that little will stop them before they reach their goals of control of the nation.

Attacks on civilians are another of the many actions Boko Haram has taken to make its point clear, their brutality is unmatched in the area and the terrorists have little trouble demonstrating it at any given time.

The instability facing Nigeria is nearing its peak and it is beginning to look like there is a high chance that these attacks will manifest into a full out war within the nation, with unknown risks on the line. Nigeria has few resources to aid them, causing the strength of the country to waver in the eyes of civilians.

– Elena Lopez

Sources: Reuters, The Wall Street Journal, Associated Press
Photo: Associated Press

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SDG Post 2015

As the finish line for the Millennium Development Goals quickly approaches, talks are already under way to establish the goals for the next 15 years. The new plan, called the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), is all about renewing the world’s commitment to helping the world’s poor.

As world leaders begin to establish these new goals, food security and nutrition remain crucial elements. David Taylor, Economic Justice Policy Advisor for Oxfam, tells the Inter Press News Agency, “In a world that produces enough food to feed everyone, there is no excuse for anyone to go hungry.”

Yet, as of today, one in eight people still go hungry or is ailed by some type of malnutrition. This is approximately 842 million people who are under-nourished. Poor nutrition causes 45 percent of deaths in children under five—this is 3.1 million children every year.

While, according to Taylor, ending world hunger is not an unrealistic endeavor, we still face enormous challenges in food security and agriculture. It is imperative to formulate new pathways to overcome inefficiency, corruption and wastefulness.

On June 2, the Open Working Group (OWG) in collaboration with the UN, released Draft Zero on SDG with 17 goals to be accomplished in the next 15 years. In terms of food, one of the main emphases of the program is to boost production by locals, women and marginal groups.

Despite the optimism of those proposing SDG, it is not without critics. In recent months, SDG and its proponents are being accused of bypassing water supply and sanitation as basic human rights. According to a letter of protest signed by 77 non-governmental organizations (NGOs), including Biofuel Watch, Blue Planet Project, Corporate Accountability International and End Water Poverty Coalition, their protest arises from the fact that references to water and sanitation as human rights has been removed from SDG.

While the road ahead of a final SDG is still long and complex, the UN Secratary General is expected to provide an update on the final version of SDG by the end of this year. Proponents and critics are expected to work together, and the UN would be taking into account various contributions in order to achieve a plan that best suits the needs of the most disadvantaged sectors of the global population. The final disclosure of the post-2015 development agenda is expected to coincide with a high-level Summit in September of 2015.

– Sahar Abi Hassan

Sources: Inter Press Service 1, Inter Press Service 2, World Food Programme
Photo: Kean University

Malala Day

malala day
Malala Yousafzai’s birthday, July 14, is now nationally known as Malala Day. Malala is a young advocate for young girl’s rights and for education for everyone. It is not only her birthday but it is also a day for all young people to voice their opinions and to stand up for the right of education for everyone.

She is a strong believer in education and did not want to step down just because people in her government were telling her to do so. She wants to be someone influential when she gets older and believes the way to accomplish that is through education. When Malala was shot by the Taliban on her way to school she did not let that stop her from voicing her opinion and getting an education.

Malala is not the only advocate for education in her family, her mother is a school teacher and her father is also leading educational advocate.

A year ago, Malala gave her first speech to an audience that consisted of 500 youth advocates. “One child, one teacher, one pen and one book can change the world,” said Malala last year.

This year Malala encouraged children around the world to help the voiceless be heard. “On my birthday last year, I stood before the United Nations and spoke up for girls’ rights. You stood with me, with letters, messages and photos of support. Thank you,” wrote Malala on her website, Malala.org

Malala makes sure to stay humble, and although she has been through so much she keeps her head up and does not dwell on her bad experiences. She instead uses her experiences to encourage others to keep on fighting for education. Malala has been recognized throughout the world because of her courage and has been acknowledged through many awards such as the Tipperary International Peace Prize, the Children’s Peace Prize, and being shortlisted for the Nobel Peace Prize.

-Priscilla Rodarte

Sources: A World at School 1, A World at School 2, Global Education First, Washington Post, Plan USA, Malala.org
Photo: Lakeside Connect

Mesut Ozil Funds Brazilian Surgeries

Fresh off of his World Cup win, German soccer player Mesut Ozil has partnered with Big Shoe to help provide Brazilian children access to surgery. Initially, Ozil had pledged to support 11 surgeries, one for each player on the field, but he increased his promise to 23 surgeries. Each surgery signifies the effort of one of the 23 players of the German national team.

Ozil isn’t the only representative of the soccer world to support the organization. United States national soccer team coach Jurgen Klinsmann also voiced his support for the initiative.

Ozil is expected to donate his FIFA World Cup winnings, approximately $600,000 according to The Telegraph, to aid ill children in Brazil. Throughout the World Cup, the German national team bonded with the Brazilian people.

In the aftermath of the World Cup, many FIFA players have felt this same warmth and generosity toward the host nation.

The Big Shoe Initiative, which Ozil aligned himself with, was founded in 2006 around the time of Germany’s own World Cup. The organization relies on both donations and efforts of countless doctors in order to provide access to surgery for impoverished children. Ozil’s video campaign for the Big Shoe Initiative, a video now on YouTube and many social media websites, has helped garner attention for the nonprofit.

For its work in Brazil, the Big Shoe Initiative hopes to raise enough money to pay for 100 future surgeries.

The surgeries performed by the organization include burn and scar tissue removal, cleft palate corrections and congenital heart and limb disorders among others. The medical treatments are often either too expensive or too specialized for the regions in which the Big Shoe Initiative works.

The World Cup rejuvenated attention and support for the Big Shoe Initiative. Ozil’s generous donation, in particular, will help the organization begin to realize the potential of its coming impact in Brazil.

– Kristin Ronzi
Sources: Big Shoe, The Telegraph,  YouTube
Photo: The Telegraph

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AIDS Researchers on Flight MH17

Dozens of delegates, scientists and researchers on Flight MH17, en-route to an AIDS conference, were among the 298 victims of the crash in Ukraine after it was shot out of the sky over the war-torn area on July 17.

The five day AIDs conference in Melbourne, Australia was almost cancelled as it became evident that many of the dead passengers from flight MH17 were researchers and delegates heading to the conference, convened by the International AIDs Society. A silent, candle-lit vigil has been held at the conference to honor the victims.

Although not all the passengers have been named, it is believed that some of the world’s leading HIV/Aids researchers are among the victims of the doomed flight from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur.

Dutch-born former president of the International AIDS Society Joep Lange and his partner Jacqueline van Tongere have been confirmed as among the dead. Lange was a prominent HIV researcher and a professor at the University of Amsterdam due to speak at the conference. He was also a key researcher behind projects aimed at preventing mother-to-child AIDs transmission and an early advocate of bringing HIV medicines to the developing world.

Referring to her friend Joep Lange, U.S. public health doctor and journalist Dr. Seema Yasmin tweeted from the AIDs conference in Melbourne: “How do we measure how much a person has done for humanity? People like Joep change the course of epidemics.”

One of the nine passengers from the UK was Glenn Thomas. Thomas was a former BBC journalist working as the World Health Organization’s Media Relations Coordinator and was heading to Kuala Lumpur for his connection to Melbourne.

The current death toll stands at 298, which includes 189 Dutch nationals, 44 Malaysians, 27 Australians, 12 Indonesians, nine passengers from the UK, four Germans, four Belgian passengers, three passengers from the Philippines, one Canadian and one passenger from New Zealand. The nationalities of the remaining four passengers are unknown at press time.

Executive director of UNAids, Michel Sidibe has tweeted: “My thoughts & prayers to families of those tragically lost on flight #MH17. Many passengers were en-route to #AIDS2014 here in #Melbourne.”

Flight MH17 was shot down on July 17  in Eastern Ukraine with anti-aircraft weaponry. Ukraine has been in turmoil since November 2013 when the former President Yanukovych abandoned an agreement on closer ties with the E.U. He was overthrown in February after months of violent protest in the capital, Kiev. Russia then moved to annex the Crimean Peninsula. Other areas in the south east of Ukraine are violently fighting to be independent of Ukraine; the rebels are believed to be supplied and financed by Russia.

International Reaction:

The U.S. has criticized Russia for arming separatist rebels in Ukraine who are widely held responsible for perpetrating the attack. President Obama, Joe Biden and John Kerry have, however, stopped short of directly blaming Russia.

Hillary Clinton has made the strongest criticism of Russia, saying that action was needed to “put [Vladimir] Putin on notice that he has gone too far and we are not going to stand idly by.”

Clinton spoke to Charlie Rose on the PBS network, saying, “The questions I’d be asking is, number one, who could have shot it down? Who had the equipment? It’s obviously an anti-aircraft missile. Who could have had the expertise to do that? Because commercial airlines are big targets, but by the time they got over that part of Ukraine they should have been high, so it takes some planning [to target such a plane].”

Russian President Vladimir Putin has denied Russian involvement in the crash and has said that Ukraine bears the responsibility of the crash. He has since called for opposing sides to lay down their arms and enter talks.

U.K. Prime Minster David Cameron has said it is too early to know who is responsible for the tragedy.

– Charles Bell

Sources: The Guardian 1, Vox, The Guardian 2, The Guardian 3
Photo: Global Research

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Pakistani Town Offers Sex Education Classes

Despite censure, a small village in Pakistan is defying social norms. Tucked away in the ultra-conservative Sindh province, the village of Johi is doing something extraordinary and radical: they’re providing sex education classes for girls.

To a Westerner this notion may seem far from revolutionary, but it is a gigantic leap forward for Pakistan. In the Muslim nation of 180 million people, sex education is taboo — in some places it has even been outlawed. Women who expose their sexuality in the slightest and most harmless of ways can be sentenced to death.

The pioneers behind the movement are bravely looking forward, teaching girls what they feel is just and necessary. They have established the Village Shadabad Organization where sex education classes are taught to girls starting at age 8. Thus far, there are 700 girls enrolled in eight different schools. The topics range from changes in the female body, to what a women’s rights are, to how she can protect herself. The lessons are an addition to regularly taught classes.

From the teachers’ experience, sex education is vital knowledge these young girls are deprived of. When they begin to menstruate, for example, they are ashamed and think they are sick. Pakistani girls are largely uneducated about puberty and do not know when they will begin to menstruate. Furthermore, many girls get married without understanding the mechanics of sex.

The lessons are not only useful in educating the girls about the natural functions of their bodies, but they are also a means of teaching self-defense. The girls learn that they have a right to their bodies; they learn how to defend themselves if someone violates their personal space; they are taught that even if they are married, their husband cannot force them to engage in sex if they are not willing.

Surprisingly, most families in Johi support the implementation of sex education in the public school curriculum. Unfortunately, the movement is far from reaching a national arena. In fact, the government recently shifted in the opposite direction, forcing the elite Lahore Grammar School to eliminate sex education courses from its curriculum. Many people argue that sex education is a violation of Pakistan’s constitution and an obstruction to their religious beliefs. For now, sex education in Pakistan is still a fringe idea, but nonetheless, the idea demonstrates an outward display of government defiance and a step in the right direction for women.

– Samantha Scheetz

Sources: UN Women, Huffington Post, Reuters
Photo: Wikimedia

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Halving Global Poverty Remains Elusive


Although the world has made headway in alleviating global poverty, about one in five of the world’s poor live on less than $1.25 per day, according to the U.N. Millennium Development Goals report 2014.

The United Nations stated that even though the goal of halving global poverty before 2015 has been achieved, progress on poverty alleviation is lopsided across regions. “Some regions, such as Eastern Asia and South-Eastern Asia, have met the target of halving the extreme poverty rate, whereas other regions, such as sub-Saharan Africa and Southern Asia, still lag behind.”

In South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, 30 and 48 percent, respectively, of people live on less than $1.25 a day, respectively, compared to 51 and 56 percent in 1990. But while South Asia has made significant progress on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs,) it will require more effort to achieve targets to help the world’s poor by the end of 2015.

Lise Grande, U.N. Development Program representative in India and United Nations resident coordinator, emphasized that the MDGs cannot be reached if poverty is not alleviated in India. “The new post-2015 framework cannot succeed if it does not reflect the aspirations, and does not have the commitment and support of India,” she said. One third of the world’s poor live in India alone. The people of India hope that their new Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, will rejuvenate the slow economy and alleviate poverty for millions.

Despite China making significant progress in decreasing the poverty rate (12 percent compared to 60 percent two decades ago,) China ranks second behind India in the largest share of the world’s poor. Besides these large populous countries which have high numbers of extreme poor, extraordinary poverty rates are found in areas that are fragile and tense, like the Democratic Republic of the Congo (5 percent,) Bangladesh (5 percent) and Nigeria (9 percent).

Many MDG goals focusing on achieving gender equality in schools, increasing access to better water sources, improving the lives of slum dwellers and reducing poverty have already been met, according to the Millennium Development Goals Report 2014. But there is still a ways to go.

– Colleen Moore

Sources: moneycontrol.com, Daily Times
Photo: DW

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The Three Hungriest Countries

Today, there are over 870 million people in the world who are hungry. The World Food Programme estimated that 98 percent of these individuals live in developing countries that actually produce the majority of the world’s food supplies.

There are nineteen countries that the Global Hunger Index name as having “alarming levels of hunger.” However, there are three countries in particular that top the list — the three hungriest countries — harboring the greatest number of people suffering from hunger.

This Index takes into account three main indicators: the proportion of the population that is undernourished, the proportion of young children who are underweight, and the mortality rate for children under five years old.

The first is Burundi, with 73.4 percent of its population undernourished. Over 50 percent of Burundi’s population of 9.85 million live below the poverty line and nearly 35 percent of the adult population are completely out of work.

The second is Comoros, with 70 percent of its people undernourished. Comoros, a collection of three small islands off the coast of Mozambique, has a population of only 800,000. However, half of this small population lives below the country’s low poverty line.

The third is Eritrea, with 65.4 percent of its population undernourished. The country is located at the horn of Africa, and although it has experienced significant economic growth in recent years, no progress has been seen when it comes to the country’s dire hunger crisis.

Why are these countries struggling? Severe hunger in many of these regions is a product of immense political strife, economic turmoil, violent conflict, as well as other particular circumstances.

For example, although the amount of underweight children in Burundi has decreased within the past decade, 15 years of civil war has plagued the nation with extreme poverty, which reflects directly on the nation’s economic and nutritional well-being. Nearly 58 percent of Burundians remain chronically malnourished.

Comoros has also experienced immense violence in the form of nearly 20 attempted and successful coups since gaining independence in 1975. Eritrea has lived through intense political isolation under President Isaias Afewerki, who led the country in a 30-year war with Ethiopia.

Regardless of the causes, more action is needed to alleviate the suffering of these 870 million starving people, and especially in the three hungriest countries. The international community is beginning to focus greatly on prevention of future food crises in addition to responding to the current one. Dominic MacSorley of the organization Concern stressed that, “Aid agencies, governments and international organizations need to learn lessons from the past and boost future protection measures to reduce the impact of extreme weather events and other hazards on the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people.”

– Cambria Arvizo

Sources: Thomson Reuters Foundation, All Africa, Ecointersect, Global Citizen
Photo: Action Against Hunger