Archive for category: Global Poverty

Key articles and information on global poverty.

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Why Edward Norton is Fighting for Global Development

Edward Norton
Edward Norton has had some intense roles during his career. He garnered an Academy Award nomination for his role as reformed Neo-Nazi Derek Vinyard in 1998’s “American History X.” The following year, Norton starred in the critically acclaimed film version of Chuck Palahniuk’s Fight Club. However, Norton may be seen at his most intense when he is fighting to promote global development.

Norton comes from a long line of charitable voices. Norton’s father, Edward Mower Norton, was an environmental lawyer and proponent of conservationism. The elder Edward Norton co-founded Enterprise Community Partners. Enterprise is an organization that seeks to fund and provide housing for low-income communities. The younger Edward Norton is now a key member of Enterprise’s Board of Directors and is responsible for helping the organization invest an eye-popping $9 billion total for affordable housing.

A key tenant of Norton’s advocacy is environmental consciousness. Norton is the president of the American chapter of the Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust. The Trust works to preserve the ecosystems and landscape of East Africa, which in turn provides essential resources for the Maasai people.

To garner larger support for his cause, Norton founded an online fundraising platform called CrowdRise. To date, Norton has raised close to $70,000 for the Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust while creating an innovative social media site for various charitable causes.

In 2010, the United Nations nominated Norton as a U.N. Goodwill Ambassador for Biodiversity. In this capacity, Norton spoke at the U.N. Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 2012.

“I think that it really is true that local efforts are critical,” said Norton in an interview with the U.N. News Centre. “At the end of the day, no big national agency, no huge NGO, for all the good they do…they cannot do all the work in a specific community.” Norton’s words and his incredible charitable background are a testament to the power an individual advocate can hold.

– Taylor Diamond

Sources: United Nations, Fast Company, Maasai Wilderness Conservation, Crowdrise
Photo: Hot Secretz

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Amy Poehler Delivers Hope and Laughter

Amy Poehler
Saturday Night Live (SNL) alumna and comedienne Amy Poehler has a knack for keeping audiences on their toes. Alongside Tina Fey’s portrayal of Sarah Palin, She delivered one of the greatest moments in SNL history with her spot-on impersonation of Hilary Clinton during the 2008 presidential election. Poehler also served as a co-anchor for SNL’s “Weekend Update” for four years.

Now most well known for her starring role on NBC comedy “Parks and Recreation,” Poehler is considered to be female comedic royalty. However, Poehler is creating a legacy of charity to rival her acting resume.

Poehler serves as the Ambassador of Arts for the Worldwide Orphans Foundation (WWO.) The WWO is dedicated to supporting orphaned children and assisting at-risk children in becoming healthy and successful world citizens. Poehler has been a crucial propent of WWO since 2010. During this time, Poehler has hosted numerous fundraising events for the organization, including auctioning off a tour of the Parks and Recreation set; all proceeds went to the WWO.

In 2012, Poehler traveled to Haiti with WWO founder Dr. Jane Aronson to help at-risk children in the rural community of Kenscoff. While in Haiti, Poehler helped to build new soccer and recreation fields, implement a library of toys for children in the community, and promote a youth training program to prepare young people of the community for future opportunities.

During the 2013 Emmy Awards, Poehler hosted a “Losers Party” for those passed over for an award at the ceremony. Hosting the event alongside Mad Men star Jon Hamm, Poehler raised $20,000 for the WWO.

In addition to her constant advocacy for children across the globe, Poehler also runs her own non-profit organization, Amy Poehler’s Smart Girls. Smart Girls encourages women to achieve self-acceptance and empowerment by making charity and kindness a cornerstone in their lives.

“Giving to charity is good for your skin, and it makes your butt smaller,” Poehler teased at Variety’s Power of Women Banquet in 2013. Touching on a more emotional note, Poehler stated, “There are so many children living in the world who have nothing. Who are we to be in this room and be living this life without helping them?” Her words are a striking example of Poehler’s unparalleled ability to inspire through both laughter and charity.

– Taylor Diamond

Sources: Bustle, Amy Poehler’s Smart Girls
Photo: UPI

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Best Solution for Poverty: Investing in Children

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Across the world, almost one billion children live in poverty. They live without access to proper nutrition, healthcare and especially, adequate education. Children are the future of the world and need to be nurtured to become successful. When children grow up with skills to join the labor force, they can help pull their countries out of poverty by making changes in the political system and economy. As educated citizens, they will be less likely to engage in unethical behavior and more likely to have fewer children. As a result, both mortality and overpopulation rates decline.

By ignoring children’s education, developing countries are also unaware of talented children.

Talented children are more likely to achieve higher degrees and may go into professions such as being educators, business leaders and scientific researchers. These children have the capacity to make huge contributions to society in various fields that will support economic growth in developing countries.

Therefore, nurturing talent, both physically and psychologically is a crucial to reducing global poverty in the long run.

From a physical perspective, children need to have a good nutritional diet so that they can be healthy both physically and mentally. Lacking necessary nutrition can cause children to develop slower and not be able to absorb education properly.

From a psychological point of view, education systems and societal support are the keys to unlock the full potential for young talents. Good education gives children the chance to prove themselves as well as the basic knowledge to pursue their dreams. At the same time, support from society gives them the motivation to overcome challenges in their daily life and strive to become a better citizen of the world.

– Phong Pham

Sources: Spring: Gifted Children, Spring, UNICEF
Photo: Borgen Project

10 Quotes About Seizing the Moment and Moving On

Acting in the present
It is important to know your history. When it comes to promoting global development however, one should not focus on the past.

The very word “promoting” conveys a commitment to acting in the present moment and building for the future.  With this in mind, here are 10 quotes about seizing the moment and moving on:

“Yesterday is not ours to recover, but tomorrow is ours to win or lose.” – Lyndon B. Johnson

“Achievement seems to be connected with action.  Successful men and women keep moving.  They make mistakes, but they don’t quit.” – Conrad Hilton

“Take the first step in faith.  You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.” – Martin Luther King Jr.

“Forgiving does not erase the bitter past.  A healed memory is not a deleted memory.  Instead, forgiving what we cannot forget creates a new way to remember.  We change the memory of our past into a hope for our future.” – Lewis B. Smedes

“Blessed are the hearts that can bend; they shall never be broken.” – Albert Camus

“It is only through labor and painful effort, by grim energy and resolute courage, that we move on to better things.” – Theodore Roosevelt

“You build on failure. You use it as a stepping stone. Close the door on the past.  You don’t try to forget the mistakes, but you don’t dwell on it. You don’t let it have any of your energy, or any of your time, or any of your space.” – Johnny Cash

“Love one another and help others rise to the higher levels, simply by pouring out love. Love is infectious and the greatest healing energy.” – Sai Baba

“To be bitter is to attribute intent and personality to the formless, infinite, unchanging, and unchangeable void. We drift on a chartless, resistless sea. Let us sing when we can and forget the rest.” – H.P. Lovecraft

“Forget the Past.” – Nelson Mandela

Thinking solely about the past prevents our ability to solve our current and future problems. Be proactive, seize the moment and continue to move forward.

– Taylor Diamond

Sources: Brainy Quote, Sources of Insight, Good Reads
Photo: Montreal Times

President Rouhani Donates $400K to Jewish Hospital in Iran

The President of Iran, Hassan Rouhani, has donated $400,000 to the Dr. Sapir Hospital, which is the only Jewish hospital located in Iran.

The act itself was performed by the president’s brother, Hossein Fereydoon, but sent from the Rouhani administration. Fereydoon has said of the offer, “Our government intends to unite all ethnic groups and religions, so we decided to assist you.”

This is undoubtedly light years from the previous administration as former president, Mahmooud Ahmadinejad, was not quiet about his discontent towards the Jewish community. This is not an exclusive view for some Arab countries, as the ongoing Israeli/Palestinian conflict has generated negative sentiments towards Israelis.

President Rouhani took office in August of 2013, and ever since has put thoughtful efforts into separating himself from his predecessor. Former President Ahmadinejad had denied that the Holocaust ever occurred, and formally slandered the Jewish society on multiple occasions. Rouhani’s administration is detached from this sort of behavior, as they also took to social media to wish the Jewish community a happy Rosh Hashanah last September.

Iran is home to the most Jews in the Middle Eastern region besides Israel itself. Census reports usually record about 20,000-25,000 Jews in Iran, although certain government census reports from 2011 have cited the number has dropped to 9,000.

This diminishing tally can mainly be attributed to the Khomeini Revolution of 1979, which was heavily influenced by Islam, along with unwelcoming regimes after that. Prior to the revolution, there were about 100,000 Iranian Jews, but many chose to flee from their homes as they felt threatened by the new leadership.

Rouhani’s actions not only benefit the Jewish community, as the Dr. Sapir Hospital actually employs and cares for more Muslims than Jews. For over 50 years the hospital has been open and accepting people of all religions. It is also situated across from the Imam Reza Seminary School in Tehran, which is a prominent Shiite Muslim academy, adding to the intermingling of both religions.

In fact, about 96% of the hospital’s patients are Muslim. The hospital appears to genuinely focus on the medicine, rather than the politics, with an ambiance that is inclusive of all identities. President Rouhani’s recognition and support of this hospital is imperative for the future of these two religions, in hopes that they will coexist peacefully, especially in Iran.

One of the doctors at the Dr. Sapir Hospital, Dr. Mosadegh, was not as shocked about President Rouhani’s kind actions as outsiders, as he proclaimed, “We Jews are a part of Iran’s history. What is important is that Mr. Rouhani makes big news out of supporting us. He is showing that we, as a religious minority, are part of this country, too.”

The implications from this sort of action are tremendous; not only for the sake of humanity, but also for the relationships that Iran has with other countries. Rouhani’s caring approach may undo some of the damage caused by Ahmadinejad, which could lead to lesser sanctions and the possibility of new allies.

Rouhani’s acceptance of the Jewish community may also attract more Israelis to return to Iran, thus reaffirming the importance of Persian Jews to the history of Iran, and its future as well.

– Danielle Warren

Sources: National Geographic, New York Times Middle East, New York Times
Photo: Asia Society

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Iraqi Prisons Illegally Detain Women

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Thousands of women in Iraq are being illegally detained and abused, according to a report by Human Rights Watch (HRW). Many of these women, held by Iraqi security forces for months or sometimes even years without access to a judge, are often questioned about the crimes and activities of their male relatives and not about the crimes they are supposed to have committed.

Violence in Iraq is presently at its highest level since 2008, with more than 1,000 people dead in Iraq just in January. Human rights groups and diplomats are increasingly vocalizing the various cases of mistreatment within the country, yet to little avail. As stated by the HRW report, over 4,500 women are currently being detained in Iraqi prisons. While a majority of these women are Sunni, people of all sects and classes are affected, causing dire unrest among the masses.

One woman interviewed by HRW had suffered beatings, electric shocks and rape, abuses not uncommon among Iraq’s female prisoners. She was later executed, regardless of the medical report that had been filed in her favor. An employee at a women’s prison facility contributed to concern for sexual abuse, stating that employees assume police rape prisoners en route to the prison.

This tragic situation has indubitably angered Iraqis, adding to the frustrations long protested by Sunni Arabs. Breaches in civil and human rights of this sort only serve to exacerbate the sectarian divide within Iraq. Although most Sunnis are not thought to support militant jihadist organizations such as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS,) the abuses make them far less likely to support the efforts of the authorities working to rid the country of those groups.

A lack of trust between the groups and communities living within Iraq’s borders is cause for concern both regionally and globally. If Iraqi authorities desire cooperation, perhaps it would benefit to treat all members of the country’s makeup with the equal and adequate rights necessary to maintain a sustained peace.

– Jaclyn Stutz

Sources: Al Arabiya, Al Jazeera, BBC
Photo: The Brussells Tribunal

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Major Child Labor Risk Factors

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Child labor is defined as labor that children are unqualified to perform primarily because they are either young or too vulnerable for the nature of the work. As such, not all labor that children engage in can or should be regarded as child labor. For instance, labor that does not negatively impact the child’s physical or mental health generally does not qualify as child labor.

Worldwide, there are multiple forms of child labor ranging from agricultural work to mining, manufacturing and domestic service. Other children are trapped in even more malicious forms of labor such as debt bondage, prostitution, drug trafficking, and armed conflicts. Oftentimes, children who are subjected to child labor do not receive monetary compensation but rather informal payment in the form of food and a home.

Today, approximately 168 million children are victims of child labor, with the rates of underage labor highest in Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. Half of these minors work in hazardous conditions. Furthermore, the United Nations has provided a set of risk factors that impact whether children are vulnerable to forced or underpaid labor. Oftentimes, poverty is the primary reason that children are subjected to labor. These children live in states of such extreme poverty that they are generally willing to endure abuse in order to secure even the paltriest sum of money.

Poverty, however, is not the only risk factor for child labor. Additional major risk factors include barriers to education, culture and tradition, market demand and poor legislation. For example, not all areas of the world have access to adequate education. Oftentimes, the quality of schooling in less developed countries is inadequate. In these situations, children generally opt to work rather than attend a school that they either cannot afford or do not view as useful. To these children, the idea of an immediate monetary reward outweighs schooling, especially when the welfare of their family is at stake.

Furthermore, in less developed countries, parents often reinforce the notion that children should enter the labor force, creating a cycle in which children of each generation successively enter the labor force early.

Due to market demand children are preferred workers because they are less costly to hire than adults. Employers perceive children as easier to abuse and more willing to endure maltreatment.

Lastly, child labor thrives in areas of the world that either do not have sufficient child labor laws or do not effectively enforce these laws.

Since children are developmentally vulnerable in more than just physical ways, exploitations of labor affect them cognitively, emotionally and behaviorally. These disturbances in development may help perpetuate the cycle of poverty – a malicious cycle that can only be broken once the risk factors of child labor are amended and principles of human rights are internalized, thus giving children the opportunity to just be children.

– Phoebe Pradhan

 Sources: International Labor Organization, United Nations
Photo: Curly Girl Chronicles

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GiveWell Evidence-Based Research Assists Donors

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The game of giving is changing. Charity funds and philanthropic organizations are no longer just donating money blindly, but rather are investigating the core causes of poverty and trying to support solutions that make the biggest social impact.

Charities are trying to donate money where it will do the most for the people receiving it rather than filtering it into numerous other accounts that trickle down to the beneficiaries in smaller and smaller amounts.

Foundations are looking beyond block grant funding and coming up with innovative specifications for how their money should be used to maximize its positive effect.

The Chronicle of Philanthropy issued a report stating that the fifty largest donators have given almost eight billion dollars in the past year towards global aid.

GiveWell is an organization that focuses entirely on analyzing data to determine just how useful giving is per dollar amount.

Who does the donation really help? Where does the money go? Who decides what to do with it? What are the tangible benefits of giving? Questions like this and the answers that accompany them are becoming a large part of the solution to global poverty.

Knowing who to give aid to, where the funding goes and how it actually makes a difference in the lives of the people receiving it gives charities and philanthropists a clear direction for their efforts.

GiveWell researches and evaluates different charitable foundations and shares their results with the public to help potential donators choose the best use of their giving power.

They provide links on their website to evidence that backs up their evaluations. Categories like distribution efficiency, funding, pros and cons, track record, and impact studies are all part of GiveWell’s investigations.

The financial situation in the past decade has generated a need to be as financially responsible as possible with funding, and governments in various nations have cut foreign aid spending.

Solving the problem of global poverty requires serious funding, especially when so much money is spent on other, less drastic goals. Creating mutually profitable businesses that cater to those struggling with lack of basic needs as well as giving money to communities that can use it to lift themselves out of financial devastation is key to saving the world’s poor.

Philanthropic practices and analytical giving techniques such as those provided at GiveWell can help make a huge difference in eradication of poverty in countries all over the world.

– Kaitlin Sutherby

Sources: Givewell, The New Yorker, The Guardian
Photo: 

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TOMS Shoe Company: Buy a Pair, Give a Pair

Toms_Shoe_Charity
Most people have heard of TOMS shoe company, or even own a pair of TOMS themselves. The shoes are comfortable and casual as well as fashionably cute for everyday wear. In addition, for every pair of shoes purchased from TOMS, another pair is given away to someone in need.

The company has recently been criticized for hurting economies struggling against poverty by taking away business with their shoe give-aways.

A for-profit company, TOMS’s mission is to help societies that are lacking in basic supplies such as shoes. They have announced their plan to produce one third of shoes in the countries in which they donate the extra pair.

Blake Mycoskie, the founder of TOMS shoe company, has stated that the company is looking forward to helping solve more global issues such as clean water, nutrition and education. The company is examining ways to expand their product lines and business model to help further improving the quality of lives of those suffering from poverty around the world.

TOMS website shares how providing shoes to children helps give them the ability to go to school, to work and to participate in their communities without fear of injury and illness that can easily happen with bare feet.

Shoes are a basic need for everyone, and having kids in school, working and being healthy is a huge factor in breaking societies out of poverty.

The TOMS team calculates how many pairs of shoes they sell and match that number in pairs that they will give away.

Partners that operate community health programs in foreign countries work with TOMS to figure out sizes, quantities, and delivery costs. TOMS covers all of the shipping and distribution, and corrects their methods based on feedback from their ‘giving partners’ that are actually working in the societies TOMS donates to.

More and more companies are beginning to realize that making a positive difference in the lives of others is actually a very profitable venture. More than a billion people are living on less than two dollars per day, and that is a huge customer base for a company to cater to.

Viewing the world’s poor as a market share is an innovative and successful way to start a business and simultaneously free people from the cycle of poverty.

The cycle is often perpetuated by illness, malnutrition, unemployment and lack of medical care; these are problems that businesses can solve with new products and services. TOMS is only one of the companies that is thriving in the business world and helping people who really need it every step of the way. Additionally, TOMS personalizes their shoe donations for the different countries they assist. In January 2014, members of the company visited Tanzania and learned that almost half of the residents are under the age of fourteen years old.

This helps them decide types and quantities of shoes to distribute to Tanzania versus another country with alternative statistics. The more successful TOMS becomes, the more people across the globe are receiving shoes and the ability to walk to a better future on their own.

– Kaitlin Sutherby

Sources: The Huffington Post, Toms, Toms Stories
Photo: Forbes