Archive for category: Global Poverty

Key articles and information on global poverty.

Break a Bad Habit for a Good Cause

good-habits-to-save-the-world
While there are some habits that should be broken, there are a few habits that may be worth making in the name of ending global poverty. For example, if the bad habit in question is spending money on a large, frivolous coffee every day, then a good habit that could replace it would be using the money spent to fund a program that fights global poverty.

Jeremy Dean, author and founder of PsyBlog, offers years of experience in how to break a bad habit, and in one particular post entitled How to Help Other People Change Their Habits. According to Dean, there are three simple steps to helping someone break a habit. Following the steps below can help break a habit and make room for good habits that could change the world.

Step 1: Acknowledge that the person in question wants to change a habit and is open to help in doing so. As long as they are open to change, then they are ready for step two.

Step 2: Avoid a judgmental attitude. Find a balance between a voice of support and encouragement and a tone of judgment. It is a habit in and of its self to remain non-judgmental, but when assisting another in achieving a difficult goal, even footing is a must.

Step 3: Increase self-awareness and identify the situation that encourages the bad habit. Many habits are performed unconsciously, repeatedly and in recurring situations. Identifying the situation or emotions that trigger the behavior help to break a habit and the reversal can begin.

Remember to work together when breaking a bad habit, and try not force someone to change if there is no desire to do so. Through his research, Dean says that it could take up to two months to break a habit, but with support and perseverance, it can be done. Try channeling bad habit energy into good causes like blogging for the Borgen Project, taking the Pledge, or trading in the cost of your daily coffee for a vaccination sponsored by UNICEF.

– Kira Maixner

Source: PsyBlog
Photo: Precision Nutrition

,

10 Facts About Poverty in Ethiopia

Poverty in Ethiopia Poor Facts
Poverty in Ethiopia remains a major concern, but the country has also seen great progress. Ethiopia has the second largest population of all African countries and has only once, for a brief period of time, been colonized. One of Africa’s oldest independent countries, Ethiopia has a rich culture and long history. However, it is currently considered one of Africa’s poorest countries despite a rapid population boom in recent decades. Read how Ethiopia reduced poverty.

 

10 Key Facts on Poverty in Ethiopia

 

  1. Ethiopia is located in East Africa and is historically a rich country.
  2. Agriculture accounts for more than half of its economy, and employs 80% of its population.
  3. With an estimated population of 86 million people, 78% of Ethiopians struggle with an income below US$2 a day.
  4. The life expectancy of the average Ethiopian was 59 years old in 2011.
  5. The State Health expenditure is approximately $3 per person in Ethiopia.
  6. For every 1,000 children five years old and younger, there are 166 deaths.
  7. Preventable diseases, including Malaria, account for at least 60% of health problems in the country.
  8. Approximately 34% of the rural population in Ethiopia has access to an improved water source.
  9. Ethiopia’s main exports are coffee, hides, oilseeds, beeswax and sugarcane. Ethiopia’s main source of income comes from its agricultural economy that is often affected by drought.
  10. Almost two-thirds of its people are illiterate.

– Kira Maixner

 

Source: The World Bank , Merlin USA , BBC
Photo: World Vision

1. Donate
2. Email Congress
3. Volunteer

 

Global Hunger v. Global Malnutrition

children eating rice

All the talk these days is about global hunger. Under-nourishment. But in focusing solely on that, we completely miss the issue of mal-nourishment. An issue that is becoming all the more relevant as more people are raised out of extreme poverty. Getting enough to eat is one thing, but with nutrition, quality counts nearly as much as quantity.

This facet of global malnutrition is further reaching than that of global hunger. Malnutrition is present in all societies, in developed and undeveloped regions. According to the UN Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), two billion people worldwide are deficient in essential vitamins and minerals.

The consequences of malnourishment are severe and irreversible. For children who aren’t getting enough nutrients, stunting can do permanent damage to the brain’s ability to develop. Anthony Lake, executive director of UNICEF emphasizes the difference between lacking food versus lacking nutrition:   “The fact is that India, with 48 percent (childhood) stunting, is considered food secure – but that doesn’t mean food is distributed equitably within India.”

Conversely, 1.2 billion are obese. Many of those people live in developed countries where the issue isn’t getting enough to eat, it’s eating healthily. It’s an unfortunate thing that a by-product of readily available cheap foods is that they tend to be unhealthy. Meaning that those who do climb out of extreme poverty and the constant struggle with hunger, end up instead in a situation where the food available to them is cheap and processed and can lead to obesity.

In order to truly break out of a cycle of malnutrition, people need to not only escape extreme poverty, but to reach a point where they can afford to buy more than just the basics. Education also plays a role in this. Understanding and awareness of what’s available and what’s beneficial can go a long way towards improving quality of life. And the knock-on effects of that can be huge. A report by the FAO claims that the combined effects of malnutrition cuts global income by 5% annually due to lost wages, amounting to some $3.5 trillion.

Perhaps a report highlighting this figure will garner some attention for the complex issue of malnourishment. It’s not enough to simply reduce global hunger. The fight doesn’t stop there. That’s only the first step towards a healthier world.

– David Wilson

Sources: Voice of America, FAO, Reuters
Photo: World Barrios

Tickets-For-Charity

Tickets For Charity
Tickets-For-Charity has a simple business model: they sell tickets to fans and a portion of the proceeds go to charity. Jay Whitehead, CEO of the for-profit company, explains that the company sells tickets for sports games and concerts, and they sell two types of tickets. One type is when a sports team, for example, tells the company how much money per ticket they want back, Tickets-For-Charity keeps a $17 service charge, and the remaining money goes to charity. Another type is when a corporation gets 100% of the ticket value as a tax deduction, Tickets-For-Charity takes the ticket and deducts the $17 charge, and then the rest goes to a nonprofit organization.

Whitehead also explains that the charities that benefit from Tickets-For-Charity’s work depends on who is donating the tickets. Many sports teams have their own foundation, and 75% of the funds raised from the ticket sales go to these types of foundations and charities. The remaining 25% of money from the tickets goes to charities chosen by the buyers, as long as the charity is one that is part of Tickets-For-Charity’s platform.

Ticket buyers also receive a special receipt when they choose to buy a ticket through Tickets-For-Charity that shows the amount donated and the name of the charity. This gives the buyer the ability to write off the donation on their tax returns. The tickets are also normally for good seats instead of the bottom of the barrel, nosebleed section seats. Sometimes tickets are donated by companies when their employees can’t make it to a sports game, so those lucky ticket buyers could get front row or suite seats.

Tickets-For-Charity is also excited about their recent deal with Major League Baseball. Whitehead states that other sports typically follow baseball’s lead, so by earning MLB as a customer for their business, they are hoping for increased business with other big names in sports.

– Katie Brockman
Source: Boston Globe
Photo: Tickets-For-Charity

,

Childhood Malnutrition Affects Literacy

literacy-and-malnutrition
A recent study by the organization Save the Children indicates that there is a direct  link between childhood malnutrition and literacy. The Food for Thought study followed 3,000 children in Ethiopia, India, Vietnam and Peru throughout their lives and interviewed them at key points to determine their educational abilities, confidence, hopes and aspirations. The results indicated that children malnourished from an early age are severely hindered in their ability to learn. In comparison to their healthy counterparts, malnourished children score 7% lower on math tests, are 19% less likely to be able to read a simple sentence at eight years old, are 12% less likely to be able to write a simple sentence, and are 13% less likely to be in the appropriate grade for their age at school.

The adverse effects of malnutrition carry over into later life, affecting a person’s chances for success. The Save the Children study showed that malnourished children are 20% less successful in later life, which could prove to be a barrier to ending global poverty, and a hindrance to economic growth.

A quarter of the world’s children are estimated to be malnourished, and that number is not expected to improve if more funding is not delegated to the cause. Currently, just 0.3% of global development spending funds nutrition programs.  On June 8 the G8 global nutrition summit in London will give attending leaders and leading authors a chance to address the issue of childhood malnutrition. Julia Donaldson, a bestselling author of children’s books, is urging world leaders to give attention to childhood malnutrition and its effects on literacy:  “The devastating impact of malnutrition shouldn’t be underestimated,” Donaldson says. “It stunts a child’s development, sapping the strength of their minds as well of their body, depriving them of the chance to be able to read or write a simple sentence.  Leaders attending this summit have a golden opportunity to stop this. They must invest more funding to tackle malnutrition if we are to stop a global literacy famine.”

– Kira Maixner
Source BBC , Save the Children
Photo VOA News

Why Do Terrorist Groups Gain Influence in Africa?

African_terrorists_groups_opt
Over the last decade, Saharan Africa has been cemented as an equally troublesome region as the Middle East itself. Last year’s attack on the American diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya may have come as a shock to American citizens aware only of conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan, or Palestine, but this is certainly not a new trend.

Terrorist groups in Africa have expanded their reach in the last decade under the umbrella of al-Qaeda in the Islamic Mahgreb (AQIM). These groups across the Sahel pose a “large and existential threat,” according to UK Prime Minister David Cameron.

On paper these Islamist groups differ in religious motivation from separatist factions that fight for recognition of and rights for specific people groups, but in practice these radical groups often provide an outlet for discontent. Members of both kinds of groups, however, share similar characteristics: those who hold reactive ideologies, those who are financially influenced into working with militant groups, and those who take advantage of security vacuums to spread these groups cross-continent.

Security Vacuums

One of the biggest contributors to terrorist groups gaining influence in Africa is security vacuums – lack of a secure state authority capable of enforcing rule of law. In the Central African Republic last year, for example, a Chadian armed group stood almost completely unchallenged by national defense forces, instead facing much of its opposition from CAR militant groups.

Many governments in the region are unwilling or unable to fight these transnational terrorist groups. Resentment against Western influence exists, especially due to what the Economist calls “a reflexive revulsion at intervention by former colonial powers.”

To make matters worse, the landscape of the Sahel does not make enforcing borders easy. Furthermore, even when the host country has a military force to combat these militant groups, the landscape in much of the Sahel proves prohibitive. For example, Nigerian forces that are “big and well-equipped” have “little idea how to fight in the desert,” according to the Economist.

Income Disparity and Corruption

Former UN diplomat and security expert Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah argues that networked militancy flourishes in northern Africa in significant part due to “the perceived arrogance and corruption of urban elites.” Income disparity — the difference between the incomes of the rich and the poor — causes unrest and alienation of lower classes.

Minority communities — made minority either by class or by ethnic grouping — are often marginalised. According to researchers Tim Krieger and Daniel Meierrieks, empirical findings suggest “a positive and highly significant relationship” between income inequality and terrorism. “This suggests,” Krieger and Meierrieks write, “that economic grievances related to income inequality are conducive to the product of violent terrorism.”

Unemployment also drives many to violence by pushing them toward “any economic opportunity that they have,” Malian think-tank director Mohamed Coulibaly said. This includes joining the ranks of paid militancy or, as some suspect is a partial source of revenue for terrorist groups, drug trafficking. Sometimes these militants kidnap for ransom. “It’s nothing to do with an ideology — we’re just here to make money,” conflict resolution specialist Kalie Sillah quotes Mali militants as saying.

Infrastructure Void

The economic disadvantage experienced by would-be militants in the Sahel is significantly contributed to by the lack of – or unequal – development in the region, both foreign and domestic. Richard Joseph, nonresident senior fellow at the Africa Growth Initiative, writes that while African economies may exhibit successful economic growth, they do not exhibit the same amount of unity and political progress; in the Foresight Africa Report 2013, he gives the example of Ghana and Mali, two countries that share similar GDP growth but vastly different levels of sustainable development.

As rapid economic growth pads the pockets of politicians — in many cases due to high-return extraction industries — in some countries this profit never reaches the people in the form of infrastructure: local governments, road and irrigation improvements, rural education, and health system reform. Instead, the money is often spent on pet projects that yield political but not economic returns. John Mbaku of the Africa Growth Initiative writes, “Today African countries have a serious deficit in the type of essential infrastructure that usually forms the foundation for significant improvements in agricultural productivity.”

In the Africa Competitiveness Report 2013, the World Economic Forum proposed that increased infrastructure would also improve intra-continent trade, thus providing more economic opportunity for adjacent nations to export and import goods and services. Though economic opportunities do not resolve ethnic or sectarian conflicts, they can provide sorely needed jobs to unemployed individuals who would otherwise be lured into drug trafficking or militancy.

The lack of physical infrastructure also can contribute to the ease of foreign groups crossing international borders. The isolated villages and rural regions that militant groups thrive in are not just difficult to get to; they are difficult to find in the first place.

Development and Poverty Eradication as a Solution

The United Nations recognizes that part of combating global terrorism is addressing potential causes. For this reason, the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy — adopted by member states in 2005 and reaffirmed a number of times — contains as its first pillar the resolution “to address the conditions conducive to the spread of terrorism.” The advancement of the Millennium Development Goals is a cornerstone of anti-terrorism strategy.

Yonah Alexander of the Inter-University Center for Terrorism Studies writes that addressing terrorism in Africa requires investment in security “by accelerating national and regional economic development.” These investments include expansion of foreign aid, workforce development programs, and streamlining support from foreign assistance-providing countries. Pakistan’s UN Ambassador Masood Khan spoke to the UN Security Council last month, insisting that addressing terrorism requires addressing common factors of poverty, ethno-sectarian disputes, and marginalization.

The UN Counter-Terrorism Strategy recognizes that none of the conditions of unemployment, marginalization, security vacuums, or lack of infrastructure “can excuse or justify acts of terrorism.” The contributing factors to terrorist recruitment, however, remain a grave concern. Advancing the Millennium Development Goals — whether through direct economic assistance or through development programs that equip host countries to help themselves — can reduce the marginalization and victimization that propel many towards violent terrorism.

– Naomi Doraisamy
Source: BBC,Foresight Africa 2013,Inter-University Center for Terrorism Studies,Social Science Research Network,The Economist,The Nation
Photo: Moon of the south

Boko Haram: Poverty and Terrorism in Nigeria

Boko_Haram_Nigeria
Boko Haram is a militant terrorist organization whose goal is to overthrow the government of Nigeria and institute Sharia law. Nigeria is characterized by two areas defined by wealth: the poor north and the rich south. It is no surprise that Boko Haram operates in northern Nigeria, where it can capitalize on poor economic conditions to recruit new members.

Translating to “western education is forbidden” in English, Boko Haram rejects western ideals and forbids the use of modern technology, considering it to be a western invention. Since the group’s emergence in 2009, they have claimed responsibility for a number of terrorist attacks against the administration of President Goodluck Jonathon. A recent attack involved the suicide bombings of three churches in northern Nigeria in which 50 people perished.

Jonathon’s method of dealing with the conflict has been brutal, to say the least. The Nigerian President declared a state of emergency in the country in April, beginning a new offensive against Boko Haram. Unfortunately, the army has been unnecessarily brutal with civilians, causing a significant contingent of poor Nigerians to ally themselves with Boko Haram. A writer from The Economist has pointed out that “More Nigerians are killed by the police every year than by Boko Haram.”

The founder of the group was Muhammad Yusuf, a disenfranchised Nigerian youth who dropped out of secondary school to study the Qur’an in North Africa. Yusuf was one of the thousands of al-majiri who grew up in northern Nigeria. These children are extremely poor students of Islam who pay for their own education through begging. When Yusuf returned to his native town of Maiduguri in the early 2000s, his fervent sermons appealed to the al-majiri. Yusuf’s Boko Haram allowed youngsters to earn a living while fighting against the government that perpetuated their poverty.

African Studies scholar Aliyu Odamah Musa recognized the persuasive power of radicalism to the poor in a 2012 article featured in the Journal of African Media Studies, stating: “Acute poverty, as is experienced by people in the area (Northern Nigeria), is highly likely to encourage people to allow groups like Boko Haram to manipulate them.” Musa goes on to suggest that development efforts need to be made in northern Nigeria in order to prevent young people from falling in with Boko Haram. As ties between Boko Haram and al-Qaeda are discovered, it would be in the best interest of the United States to adhere to the logic of Musa and invest in the economic development of northern Nigeria.

– Josh Forgét

Sources: The Economist, BBC, The Christian Science Monitor
Photo: GlobalPost

The Maasai Brand: Fighting for Cultural Heritage

The Maasai Brand: Fighting for Cultural Heritage

For consumers in the Western world, buying unique jewelry or clothing with distinctly foreign influences may seem a natural part of the quest for personal style. For many communities in developing countries, however, these items or designs are a part of cultural heritage. A recent BBC spotlight on one such culture — the Maasai in Kenya and Tanzania — explores why some forward thinkers in Africa are partnering with intellectual property groups to protect their heritage.

Tourist practices have long been questioned as exploitation, such as taking photographs of natives without permission or in return for money, or disrupting natives’ daily lives by gawking. For the Maasai, these tourist practices also violate deeply ingrained cultural superstitions. In an interview with BBC, Maasai leader Isaac ole Tialolo shared that twenty years ago a tourist took a photo of him without permission. “We believed that if somebody takes your photograph, he has already taken your blood,” Isaac explained. Angered, Isaac destroyed the tourist’s camera.

More than exploitative tourist practices, what concerns Isaac is “use and abuse” of the Maasai culture. 80 companies worldwide use the name or the image of the Maasai, whether for Land Rover accessories, athletic and orthopedic shoes, or Louis Vuitton’s Masai line.

The fight against exploitation of cultural trademarks is not a new one. For example, in the mid-1970’s the Navajo Nation unsuccessfully tried to copyright the word “Navajo” to restrict who could apply the term to products; this resistance against outside use has continued, notably in a 2011 lawsuit the Navajo Nation brought against the clothing chain Urban Outfitters for using the term “Navajo.”

In some respects, the quality and representation of the items carrying cultural brands is a concern. “Tacky is a good word,” Navajo Times contributor Bill Donovan said of the Urban Outfitter items in an interview with NPR. “The Navajo Nation has been very sensitive about people using their name to promote tacky products.” For the Maasai name to be attached to orthopedic trainers or beach towels — items that do not even represent their namesake — is similar abuse.

Today, many Maasai leaders are attempting to stand for their cultural heritage. But Isaac ole Tialolo understands the entire Maasai nation must agree to this. He hopes they will be successful in uniting the Maasai for intellectual property rights. The NGO Light Years IP works alongside Maasai leaders — as it has in a number of developing countries — to educate the Maasai in what they are aiming to do.

The Maasai have a strong sense of ownership of their culture, says Isaac. As the Maasai become educated and the rest of the world becomes informed on the matter, branding consultant Bruce Webster says “they’ll win the PR battle absolutely.”

– Naomi Doraisamy

Source: BBC,Guardian,NPR
Photo: BBC

Climate Adaptation Crucial to Easing Conflict?

climate-change-poverty
The international community has recognized the significance of climate change and its possible implications. President Obama’s 2010 National Security Strategy states that, “The change wrought by a warming planet will lead to new conflicts over refugees and resources…”

Recent studies have shown that climate change has lead to an increase in conflicts.  The U.N. Environment Program’s “From Conflict to Peace building” reported that approximately 40% of civil wars have been associated with natural resources. Resource availability has come under immense stress due to climate change. Natural resource-based conflicts have particularly affected Sub-Saharan Africa. And this will continue to be a problem as, in the future, the region will likely experience longer and more extreme droughts and floods, which could lead to food and water insecurity as well as increased migration and poverty. All of these factors could increase the risk of conflict in the region. To counter this increase in conflict, governments should develop new climate adaptation policies.

The UN Environment Program shows that resource-driven conflicts are twice as likely to relapse within five years of negotiations. To prevent this problem, environmental concerns and climate adaptation strategies should be included in conflict negotiations. Some non-governmental organizations, including Tearfund and the International Institute for Environment and Development, have gone directly to local communities to manage resource conflict. They believe that, by building local organizations to manage resources, the chances conflict will occur are reduced. Governments need to recognize that they will have to look to more climate adaptation policies if they wish to prevent future conflict in their countries.

– Catherine Ulrich

Source: Alertnet
Photo: Mathematics of Planet Earth

Google Embraces Renewable Energy in Africa

Solor_photovoltaic_plant

Google announced in late May that it is investing $12 million on a “96 megawatt solar photovoltaic plant in South Africa.” This plant is significant because it utilizes the climate of southern Africa to generate clean and renewable energy.

While South Africa is one of the continent’s more economically advanced countries, the utilization of solar panels in Africa could set an important trend for developing countries in the region. As Africa continues to progress and its standards of living rise, there will be a higher energy demand coming from Africans. Without the use of renewable sources, this higher energy use would result in an increase of greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere, potentially propelling climate change.

The investment made by Google demonstrates that higher standards of living in Africa can be possible through the use of clean energy. The majority of the continent is well suited to obtain energy from solar panels since most areas in Africa have a high level of Global Horizontal Irradiation, a parameter which evaluates the solar energy potential of a particular region. The investment should also encourage other areas of the world, both developed and developing, to invest in renewable energy. The solar plant is expected to “generate enough power for 30,000 South African homes” without emitting greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. While not all areas of the world have climates that are well-suited for the use of solar plants, other renewable resources, such as wind power, hydropower, and geothermal energy should be considered as ways to maintain a high standard of living without creating pollutants that can degrade the environment.

– Jordan Kline

Source: TechCrunch,SolarGis